Gensomaden Saiyuki Fan Fiction ❯ Marionette ❯ Chapter Seventeen ( Chapter 17 )

CHAPTER SEVENTEEN

Strong arms and hard bodies were dragging him through a long, dimly lighted corridor. He struggled, kicked and roared at his abductors, but he could do nothing against them. Still, he was determined to fight back. No one was going to forcibly claim his honor, even if it meant his death.

However, as he was given into their master's eager embrace, he felt the prick of a needle on his left shoulder. Then, there was only weakness of the sort that left him totally helpless against the loathsome desire of the rich man who had ordered him taken from the safe world he had come from.

"No," he whimpered against those slobbering kisses and filthy caresses upon his bare, unwilling body.

Soon, there was that terrible invasion followed by a series of brutal thrusts that pumped poisoned seed inside his body.

And all he could do was scream one word….


"NO!" Jien gasped out as he awoke from his nightmare. A hand closed around his own cold, clammy one, and he turned to the side to see Kougaiji smiling at him.

"Are you all right?" Gyumao's bastard son inquired softly. "Was it a bad dream?"

Shaken, all Jien could do was nod. His hand went up to his face only to discover that he had been crying.

"Was it…my father?"

"Let's not talk about it, please." Jien glanced out window of the van. It was rush hour and he could see people walking along the sidewalk to hurry home or to head for that last day sale. Freedom was so close. If the window was open, he could smell and touch it. But he knew freedom would never belong to him. To veer his mind away from these depressing thoughts, he asked Kougaiji, "Update me, please, Kou."

"Your calculations proved correct," Kougaiji began. "The deterioration process has slowed down, but Gojyo's body is still under tremendous pressure from the virus…and my father's…."

"As expected. What about my…suggested modifications?"

"Dr. Hakkai and Dr. Goku introduced your modifications into Gojyo's system. They also made improvements in your original plan. Gojyo is so delighted with what he can do that he wanted to show you when you got home, but I told him no. We couldn't risk father finding out that he has this…ability. Gojyo understood."

"Well and good then."

Kougaiji patted his hand. "Gojyo has a big surprise for you when we get home."

Jien caught a glimpse of his reflection on the glass. To Jien, it seemed like Death himself was staring back at him. "I had hoped that Gojyo wouldn't see me like this."

"Actually, I told him what to expect when we arrive. But our dear marionette said he didn't care what you looked like. What's more important to him is that you two will be together again." Kougaiji gave him a conniving wink. "You're in luck. I begged the hospital administrator to time your check out with father's departure. He'll be in France for two weeks. I think there is some progress in the vaccine for the virus."

Jien snorted. "If the scientists there had any sense, they'd just inject him with rat poison. Sorry, Kou. I had to say that."

"Don't worry about hurting my feelings. I understand." Kougaiji smiled as they rolled into the basement parking of Houtou Enterprises. "Well, we're home."

"Yeah. Home, sweet home," Jien remarked dryly.

As the van pulled to a stop, Jien instantly saw Gojyo standing anxiously before the elevator with Dokugakuji beside him. At once, he was seized by sudden apprehension. Nervously, Jien ran his fingers through his thinning hair to fix his appearance, only to be dismayed to find dull strands on his palm.

"Help me out of this wheelchair, Kou," he told his friend in urgency. "I would rather have Gojyo see me standing than sitting in this contraption like an invalid."

"But you are an invalid," Kougaiji couldn't resist teasing.

"If I weren't so sick," Jien began with a low growl, "I'd kill you for that remark."

"Save your strength…for when that time comes when you and my father…." Kou's words trailed off.

Jien's eyebrows lifted in surprise. "Kougaiji…are you saying you won't mind if I…"

"What I'm saying is that you and Gojyo do what you have to do. I won't get in your way." Saying this, Kougaiji helped his friend out of the wheelchair just as the driver opened the door for them. It was Kou who jumped down first to be able to assist Jien, who carefully descended a step at a time.

"JIEN!" Gojyo called out in pure joy as he ran towards them. But as the marionette came closer, his eyebrows joined together in a dark, disapproving frown. He even thrust his face up close to glare into Jien's startled dark brown eyes.

"Uh…Hi, Gojyo," Jien stammered, feeling suddenly uncomfortable at the clone's intense scrutiny. "I'm home."

Pouting, Gojyo flicked Jien painfully and hard on the forehead with his index finger. Perhaps he was weaker than he thought. That childish flick sent Jien falling backwards. Before he could hit the floor, Gojyo caught him and easily lifted him in his arms.

"Bad Jien!" the marionette scolded his beloved guardian. "Refusing to ride in a wheelchair when you can barely stand! Now I'll have to carry you up to your room!"

"Quit acting, Gojyo," Jien answered back. "I know you've been wanting to do this."

Gojyo's ruby eyes sparkled with love and mischief. He pressed his face to Jien's pale cheek. "That's true…like the way I always carry Teddy and Mr. Smiley." The marionette gave the older man a sweet peck on the cheek and whispered in his ear, "I missed you so much, Jien."

Jien gave in to his tears as he embraced the loving clone. "I missed you too, Gojyo."

~~~~~

Gojyo carried Jien all the way up to his suite on the security floor. With the help of Kougaiji and Dokugakuji, they got the sick young man into bed.

"Not the bed again!" Jien complained as Gojyo tucked him in. "Can't I just sit down for just a little bit? I swear if I lie in bed for another day, I'll develop bed sores!"

"We can't do that, my friend," Dokugakuji said without sounding the least bit apologetic. "You need to be in bed for what Gojyo's going to give you."

Kougaiji handed a black metal case to the marionette. As Gojyo sat down beside the bed and opened the case, Jien grimaced at the sight of those five syringes containing a glowing blue fluid.

"No, not more injections!" Jien exclaimed in dismay. "I feel like a voodoo doll already. All those medicines, and I swear those doctors bled me dry from taking all those blood specimens."

"Sorry about that," Gojyo apologized as he prepared one syringe, letting a blue drop form at the needle's tip. "It was Goku's idea to get blood samples. I had Kougaiji help me."

"But what for?" Jien asked in confusion, watching the marionette tie a tourniquet around his arm and locate a good-sized vein. "I don't understand. What's that blue fluid?"

"This is a vaccine that Hakkai and Goku prepared for you," Gojyo replied, grinning. "They couldn't make something that would last longer though. But one dose will give you some immunity from the virus for about a month. And don't feel bad about those injections. I got my shot just a week ago, so you can say we're both pin cushions." Carefully, he extended his friend's arm. "Sorry, Jien, but this will hurt a bit."

Jien hissed as the needle pierced his skin. However, when liquid ice was pumped through his vein, he cried out in pain, tears filling his eyes. All the while he was administering the vaccine, Gojyo gently rubbed that aching vein and blowing on it. Jien couldn't stop himself from sighing in relief when the clone was done.

"I feel so cold," Jien mumbled, his teeth chattering.

"It's the vaccine circulating in your bloodstream," Gojyo explained with all the seriousness of a doctor. "It's going to be all right. Don't be afraid, Jien. I won't leave you."

"You two take good care of each other, okay?" Kougaiji reminded them as he and Dokugakuji left the suite.

Gojyo got into bed beside Jien, wrapping his arms around the older man and pulling him close. "How does that feel?"

Jien cuddled up to the marionette. "A whole lot better, thank you. What about you? I bet you're happy that you're able to see Hakkai, Goku and all your friends."

"Yes. Mr. Gyumao hasn't found out that I've been sneaking out of the building. Everyone has been keeping it a secret. But…"

"But?"

"Hakkai and I…" Gojyo began hesitantly. "We've made love."

"Gojyo, why did you do it? I told you you're infected with the virus."

"Hakkai said it was all right. He said he has a…contingency plan, but he wouldn't tell me what it is. Anyway, he wanted it. I wanted it so badly too. But after we did it, he wouldn't answer my question."

"And what question is that?"

"I asked him if he loved me, but he won't answer."

Jien brushed away a stray lock from the marionette's face, seeing how Gojyo was chewing on those copper strands in agitation. "Maybe he has a good reason for not answering. 'I love you' may be three simple words, but you just don't say them on a whim. Those words were meant to be said with all the sincerity inside your heart."

"Hakkai was married once, and he had a son," Gojyo revealed. "They died in an accident, that's what Kwannon told me."

"I guess he hasn't gotten over the loss. The pain of losing a loved one is devastating. Everyday, I live with the terrible truth that I will never see my brother again."

"But I'm here…for both you and Hakkai. Is my love not enough for you?"

"On my part, the love you've given me has provided me with the strength and the desire to live, even for a little longer. However, there remains a tiny space in my heart that only my brother can fill. I'm sure it's the same with Hakkai. It doesn't mean that we love you less. It's just that when we let people into our hearts, they become a part of you. No what matter what others say, you can never let go. If I lose you, Gojyo, no one will ever fill that void you left in my heart."

"You're not going to lose me, Jien. But…I'm not asking that Hakkai 'let go' of Kanan and Linchei. I just wanted to know how he truly felt about me."

"He made love to you. Isn't that enough?"

"No…I mean, yes…but…"

"I think I know the reason for your confusion. It is Gyumao, isn't it, and what he's been doing to you. It's not love if he hurts you, and I don't just mean physically."

"But it also hurts when I make love with Hakkai." Gojyo pointed to the backup circuit in his chest. "Right here."

"Never give in to uncertainty, Gojyo," Jien advised him. "Trust Hakkai. He just needs some time. I believe you'll be hearing those three words from his lips soon."

"I hope so, Jien," the marionette murmured, still not convinced. "I really hope so."

"In the meantime," Jien said smiling, "we still have each other. I love you, Gojyo, and I truly mean it."

"I love you too, Jien," Gojyo answered in turn. "And I mean it with all my heart."

~~~~~

Jien waited expectantly for the red light on the security camera to turn off before facing the eager marionette.

"All right, Gojyo," he said, unable to hide his excitement. "Show me."

There was a happy smile on the clone's face as he nodded. Gojyo stood before Jien with his legs spread and right arm raised forward. From his open palm, liquid metal streamed out, solidifying into a silver staff with a flat shovel-liked blade on one end and a crescent blade on the other. If they weren't in Jien's bedroom, Gojyo would have extended the chain inside the staff to which the crescent blade was attached to, transforming it into a long-range weapon.

Nodding in satisfaction, Jien said, "Okay, Gojyo. I've seen enough."

The marionette immediately willed the staff to revert back into liquid metal, and reabsorbed into the tiny pores of his palm.

Beaming, Gojyo declared, "Next time, I'll show you how well I use the shakujou."

"I have no doubt you can use it well, Gojyo," Jien remarked. "Is there something else you wanted to show me?"

The clone produced a mini-disc from his jeans pocket, possibly containing another progress report from Cho Hakkai. This was their only means of communication with each other that was safe from Gyumao's detection. Jien had to admit that he now understood why Gojyo was in love with the good doctor. Despite being geeky-looking with those thick glasses, Hakkai was very handsome with thick, tousled dark brown hair with long bangs and striking green eyes. But there was a deep sadness in those eyes. Jien, at first, thought this sorrow was because of the wife and son he had lost, but now he wasn't sure. What he was certain of was that the good doctor was hiding a deep, dark secret, and it was this that was preventing him from revealing his true feelings for the clone.

However, when Jien played the disk on his computer, he was startled to see the image of a grinning eighteen-year old boy with ruffled light brown hair and golden eyes. A mischievous boy he knew from the past….

"Hiya, Jien!" the boy waved in greeting. "Long time, no see, although I must say you look awful now. Just like Death warmed over."

Jien grimaced at that wisecrack. "You had to rub that in, you silly monkey!"

"Huh?" he heard Gojyo mumble beside him, but he chose not to elaborate.

"Certainly not like me," the boy continued, rubbing his knuckle over his overly starched lab coat. "I look absolutely dashing, don't you think?"

Suddenly, the image changed to that of a strange-looking monkey with a satellite dish on its forehead, picking at fleas in the fur at his crotch. There was a loud "HEY!" as the monkey realized that the camera was now focused on him. Then, Jiroushin's head popped up as he barked a happy greeting. Kwannon's smug face peered at the corner, paw raised like that oriental lucky cat. Even Hakuryu got into the act by hogging the camera completely, smiling and flapping his white wings. The three animal clones quickly disappeared, however, when the monkey chased them away, roaring, "EVERYBODY GET LOST!"

Throughout this hilarious spectacle, both Gojyo and Jien had dissolved into gales of laughter.

"How gross!" Gojyo giggled in glee. "Goku's scratching his crotch! Let's play it back again!"

"No! Please don't!" begged Jien, clutching his aching stomach as he wheezed for breath. "If I see that again, I'll be sent laughing into an early grave!"

The image switched back to that of Goku as a human boy. "I hope we made you laugh, dear friend. Gojyo told me that you've lost your laughter."

Jien bit down on his lower lip to quell the tears that were rising up his throat. "Oh, Goku!" he mumbled hoarsely, touching the screen. "You were always so thoughtful!"

Goku then continued, "I hope the modifications we made on Gojyo pleased you. It was Hakkai's idea to introduce primordial serum into the substance of the liquid metal of the shakujou. The vaccine we developed was also made from a compound in the serum. Forgive me if I had Gojyo request Kougaiji to take a lot of blood samples from you. Both Hakkai and I believe that you could be cured…so that you can see Sanzo again."

"Who's Sanzo?" Gojyo softly inquired. "There's an actor in the show named Genjo Sanzo, same name as the character he played."

"Forgive me, Gojyo," Jien replied, pausing the disk. "I never told you that Sanzo's my older brother. Let me tell you about him later. I want to listen to Goku's message first."

As Gojyo fell into respectful silence, Jien resumed playing the disk.

"I…" Goku hesitated, chewing nervously on his lower lip. "I heard that Sanzo took my death rather hard. I am so sorry that I never told you about…what I was planning to do. When I found out that I didn't have long to live, I panicked, so I transferred my consciousness inside this monkey clone. Even Hakkai didn't know what I had done. Besides, I certainly couldn't reveal myself to everyone in this form, but eventually, I was forced to do so…because of a certain mischievous marionette we both know and love." The boy pouted. "Damn it, Jien! This is all your fault! You always called me a 'monkey', and now I've become one!"

"Hey, don't blame me for your little mishap, you fool ape!" Jien grumbled. "I'm just happy and so relieved that it isn't your brain inside Gojyo's body!"'

"Ssssssh!" the marionette hushed sharply.

"Oops! Sorry, Gojyo."

Goku went on, "The jokes aside, the last thing I wanted was to hurt Sanzo. I never knew he cared so much about me. He was always mean-tempered and I thought I was just being a nuisance to him. If I had known then, I would've revealed my true feelings to him. That's why I did what I had done. I wanted so much to be with Sanzo again

"Hakkai and I are having difficulty in finding him. According to your agency, he's on a location shoot in China. Did you know that, at Sanzo's insistence, the show's writers had incorporated your…disappearance…into the storyline? He hasn't given up hope, Jien. Sanzo had hired private investigators to look for you. He never stops harassing the police to check out Gyumao. He strongly believes that he will find you, so never lose hope. You know how stubborn Sanzo can be when he sets his mind on something. Hakkai and I will do everything in our power to get you two back together again. Admittedly, we need Sanzo's expertise, not just for Gojyo, but in treating you as well. With the four of us working together, I'm sure we can defeat Gyumao." As an afterthought, Goku added, "No, make it the five of us. Gojyo hates to be left out."

"You've got that right!" Gojyo piped in.

Love shone in Goku's golden eyes as he said, "Please hang on for awhile longer, ero kappa. Don't give up hope. For Sanzo, I swear I'll cure you of this virus and free you from Gyumao."

Goku's message ended there. Sighing, Jien settled back into his wheelchair, rubbing away the moisture from his eyes. "Well, Gojyo. I know you've got lots of questions inside that head of yours, like who is my brother Sanzo, why do Sanzo and I know Goku and other similar questions. But I think it would be best if I told you the whole story. Would that be all right?"

Gojyo nodded as he lay down on Jien's bed. "Yes, I would like that very much." He, however, added, "If it's all right… I don't want you to become sad."

"I'm okay," Jien reassured the clone. "At first, it hurt to remember him, but I don't mind telling you about him now." Taking a deep breath, he narrated, "As I told you, Sanzo's my brother, my older half-brother to be exact. 'Genjo Sanzo' is not even his real name. His real name is Kouryu. Anyway, Kouryu's father had an affair with another woman – my mother. He was a geneticist, like Hakkai, and my mom was his research assistant. I was five years old when they both died in a plane crash, and as per father's wishes, I was entrusted into the care of Kouryu's mother."

"She hated me," Jien admitted sadly. "I tried everything to make her love me, but she always beat me and said cruel things like…I should never have been born and stuff like that. Kouryu, however, was not like her. He doted on me like an older brother would. He would protect me from his mother and treat my injuries. But something happened that changed him…."

For a moment, Jien paused, feeling a sharp pain inside his chest at the memory. "I don't remember exactly what I had done to anger her, but Kouryu's mother became more violent than usual. She tried to kill me, Gojyo. She was going to strangle me. And I was going to let her kill me. I didn't want to see her crying because of me anymore, and I thought that it was best that I died. Kouryu…he killed his own mother to save my life."

Gojyo gasped at that revelation. He took Jien's trembling hand and pressed it to his cheek. "That's terrible! But…I think Kouryu had to do it, because he loved you and he wanted to protect you."

"Yes, I thought so too, but she was still his mother. I was torn with guilt that my own brother had to kill his mother just to save my worthless life, even if he said that he didn't regret what he had done."

"What happened to Kouryu?"

"Thankfully, he was not imprisoned for the deed. After all, he did it to save me. But Kouryu changed after that incident. He became bitter, cold. As if he wanted to distance himself from everyone he cared for, me included. But I wouldn't let him drive me away. The more I stuck to him like glue. Kouryu made a tremendous sacrifice for me. It was my turn to care for him. We studied in the same boarding schools. Because of our high IQs, we advanced to college where we took up molecular sciences. Kouryu was smarter though. Aside from Molecular Biology, he also studied Genetics. When we eventually entered the scientific community at ages 17 and 18 respectively, we already knew what our dream project would be – to create a cybernetic human. It was a dream shared by another young scientist by the name of Son Goku. Goku was a child prodigy. At age 15, the kid was a genius.

"Meeting Goku proved to have a positive effect on Kouryu. He was less harsh than before. He was also smiling more often. The changes were very subtle, but they were there nonetheless. Kouryu, however, never ceased to torment Goku about his theories. It was then that I realized that Kouryu was attracted to Goku. But like he tried to do with me, he was using his mean temper to drive Goku away, which was impossible to do. It was only to me that Goku admitted that my brother was, in his own words, 'like the sun' for him. There wasn't any doubt in my mind that Goku was in love with Kouryu, and my brother was just as in love with that mischief-maker. The one thing that was stopping him was that Goku was literally still a child. But when Goku fell ill with cancer, Kouryu completely shoved him out of his life. Bitter at my brother's dismissal, he teamed up with Dr. Cho Hakkai at Gyumao's company, whom neither of us had met. After that, it was downhill for us all the way."

Jien paused to take a sip of water. Gojyo waited patiently for him to continue.

"With Goku gone, our research suffered," Jien went on. "Our theories were never that popular to begin with and we were practically driven away from the scientific community. Gyumao had approached us with an offer to join his team, but Kouryu adamantly refused him. At that time, he already noticed that Gyumao had developed a fixation on me. I think it was Gyumao who made it very difficult for us to get any funding for our research. By that time, we were penniless, and we needed to find work of any kind just to survive. By chance, I read in a newspaper about this audition for a new television show. Although neither of us didn't have any acting experience, I coerced Kouryu to come with me and audition for parts." Jien laughed wryly. "Needless to say, from promising scientists, we became television stars."

"If you want to know what I think," Gojyo began, "it's no big loss. I mean, you've inspired a lot of people with your show. Including me."

Jien patted the marionette's head. "Thank you for saying that, Gojyo. But you know? I think Kouryu really enjoyed doing the show. It was his decision to change his name to 'Genjo Sanzo'. Not surprising, since he and Sanzo shared the same temperament. Tell you the truth though. He was not happy with the boy who played one of the leads. He always told me that Goku was perfect to play that part, and I agreed with him.

"It was during the show's second season that we received the news that Goku died. Sanzo literally broke down on set, the first time anyone saw him reveal any form of emotion. I begged him to go with me to the funeral, but he refused. I went to the cemetery after shooting the show…alone. It was a big mistake on my part. I had forgotten about Gyumao, and that he was well aware of how close we were to Goku. Everyone had already left when I arrived at the cemetery. It was there that Gyumao's men abducted me. They took me here. Afterwards, Gyumao…."

Unable to control his emotions any longer, Jien broke down and started crying. Gojyo sat up and embraced his beloved guardian.

"It's all right, Jien," Gojyo soothed him. "Just cry it all out. Lord only knows how long you've kept all these bad feelings inside you."

"Gojyo, you know that I have one regret, and it's the one thing that's eating at my heart," Jien sobbed bitterly. "I never got to tell Sanzo how much I love him."

"But you will be able to tell him. Goku and Hakkai promised that you'll see each other again. And I make that same promise to you too."

Jien whispered, "Don't make the same mistake that I did, Gojyo. Never lose the honesty of your heart. Always say what you feel because it will always serve you right in the end. Even if he doesn't give you the answer that you long to hear, never stop telling Hakkai that you love him."

Gojyo kissed the distraught older man on the brow. "I won't, Jien. I promise I won't."

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