Authors notes: All right, I think it's time we get to know our players ^_^ In this part specifically there is mention of death and implied adult themes among other things. This story is rated R (Or M by the new fiction standards) If you're mature enough I'm sure you can handle it, furthermore if you are mature enough, you'll know if you can't.
Part 3
"What's going on?"
"Get your stuff, Daisuke. We're leaving."
"Wait, what's happening?" Daisuke asked as Ken moved around the room picking up things and gathering others.
"If you want any answer to that question you will get your things and get out of my house."
Oh, he was pissed off. Daisuke didn't waste any time. He hadn't unpacked anything so he grabbed his book bag and his jacket and stood up.
Ken was standing right in front of him. His blazing eyes filled Daisuke's vision, "When we leave this room you will walk two steps behind me and look nowhere but the back of my head."
Daisuke just nodded.
Ken turned around and opened the door. He strolled out with Daisuke right on his heels.
Walking so close to Ken all Daisuke could see was the back of his head. But, he could hear things.
"Please, don't-" it was Ken's mother. It sounded like she was straining or struggling with something. "Please, just go check on..."
A door slammed open so hard it made Daisuke jump, but he didn't lose his step. He could feel the floor shaking under his feet as someone running up behind him. Daisuke couldn't help it; he was turning his head to look, if only to see if someone was going to grab him.
Something flickered in his vision and he blinked. When he opened his eyes he was outside of the apartment in the hallway. Ken had his hand on the doorknob, holding it shut.
"Go downstairs and wait outside." Daisuke started to say something but Ken added, "NOW."
Daisuke did as he was told. It occurred to him, during the three and a half minutes that he waited for Ken outside on the front stoop, that he really hated taking orders.
Ken breezed past him, again, without waiting for him. Daisuke jumped up and followed. "What the hell is going on?"
"Osamu," Ken said.
"What about your brother?" Daisuke asked,
Ken didn't say anything else.
"You said you'd give me some answers!"
"And I have."
"That wasn't an answer."
"That wasn't the answer you wanted."
Daisuke really felt like punching Ken. "What happened to Ichijouji?"
The look on Ken's face tightened, "Don't ask stupid questions."
"What in the hell... You're crazy! You have Multiple Personalities."
"No."
"Or you're Bipolar or Schizophrenic or something. You're out of your mind! One minute you're the nicest person I've ever met and then the next you're the biggest fucking jerk-"
Ken turn on Daisuke so fast he didn't even see it. The next thing he knew, Daisuke was pinned against a building by Ken's hand twisted in his shirt.
"Don't presume to know me just because I was kind to you, once," he snarled.
Daisuke stared directly into Ken's eyes and very calmly said, "Let go of me."
Ken dropped his hand and kept walking.
"What the hell is wrong with you?" Daisuke screamed. A couple walking across the street stopped and stared.
"Keep your voice down, Daisuke."
"Fine," Daisuke stalked closer to Ken. "Where are you going?"
"We are going back to the park."
"You think I'm still following you?"
"I know you are."
Daisuke wanted to just walk away just to spite Ken. More than that he really wanted to continue arguing but he could tell Ken was not going to participate. Daisuke rolled his shoulders; he could still feel the sting from being thrown against the building. He followed in silence, seething.
Ken walked into the park like a man with a purpose. He followed one of the paths that led along the tree line until he made a sharp left and headed directly into the trees.
Daisuke nearly fell on his face trying to duplicate Ken's maneuver but he managed to stay on his feet. The trees weren't thick so neither one of them had trouble walking through.
They emerged from the trees at the edge of a clearing. There was a stone table with benches around it, a cobbled walk led way from the table and out of the other side of the clearing where it met with one of the main paths. It didn't look very secret or secluded; in fact, it just looked like Ken had taken a short cut instead of following the path to the other side of the park.
Ken moved towards the table and indicated one of the benches, "Sit down, Daisuke."
Daisuke glared at Ken as he took he seat.
Ken sat down directly across from him, unperturbed by Daisuke's attitude. After a moment's pause he said, "It's unfortunate you had to witness that so soon."
"Witness what? I didn't see anything."
"My family is fucked up," he said by way of explanation.
Daisuke laughed, it was short and clipped, but he didn't say anything further.
Ken ignored the interruption, "I wanted Osamu to wait another week before trying something."
"Before he tried something, or before you tried something?"
Ken's shoulders stiffened and Daisuke had to fight to keep the triumph off of his face.
Bulls-eye, he thought. "Where is Ichijouji?" he asked again.
"I am Ichijouji."
Daisuke stared for a moment, "Fine, you are Ichijouji Ken or Ken Ichijouji or whatever you want to call yourself. I'm talking about the kid that invited me to your house to play video games, the kid who smiled at me, the one who has a stupid crush on that bitch Miyako."
Ken's eyebrows rose, "You have a problem with Miyako?"
"What the hell? Why are you changing the subject?"
"Answer the question."
Daisuke was getting more and more frustrated, "Yes, I have a problem with her."
"How well do you know her to call her a bitch?"
"I don't even talk to her, but what does it matter? You don't like her either! Wait. Screw this! You can dissect me all you want, we were talking about you. Where is he?"
"Daisuke-"
"I swear if you say that one more time.... I refuse to believe that you have no idea what I'm talking about, which means you're lying to me." Daisuke stood up. He was tired of this and he was going home.
"I can help you, Daisuke, but you need to help me, too."
He smiled and Ken could see something so familiar reflected in the other boy's face. Interesting, he thought.
Daisuke moved around the table and leaned down so he could speak directly into Ken's ear. "I don't need your help. Besides, why should I believe anything thing you say when you're so two-faced."
He slowly turned to look Daisuke in the eyes. Ken smiled.
Ken's smile had always made Daisuke nervous. He straightened up and took a step backwards; his own smile disappeared.
"Alright, Daisuke," Ken said standing up. "Let's walk."
Daisuke scrambled forward to walk beside Ken. "What's going on?" Daisuke asked again. This time he was certain that he would receive a response. Something seemed to have changed again. Ken had come to yet another conclusion regarding Daisuke and this one was sure to lead to answers.
Ken was quite for a long while as they walked. It seemed like he was considering his words rather than ignoring the question as he had before, so Daisuke let him think. It wasn't until they had left the park that Ken started to speak. "Ichijouji Osamu was a prodigy. At a very young age he was considered exemplary, a child genius."
Daisuke rolled his eyes. He desperately wanted to ask what the point of this story was. He really didn't care about Osamu; he wanted to know about Osamu's brother. But, even after only spending such a brief period of time with Ken, he knew that the boy had a habit of coming to his conclusion after a long circular explanation. Ken was going to get to the point eventually, Daisuke just had to suffer through all the other bullshit.
"Osamu's intelligence had earned him a type of celebrity," Ken continued. "He be came a 'Media Darling' almost before he knew what that meant. His fame earned him money and endorsements, enough to make his family wealthy. His parents focused all of their attention on him, his studies and his career. It left their youngest child a forgotten afterthought."
Daisuke looked at him sharply, but didn't say anything. Ken noticed, but did not pause his story. "Their parents pushed so hard to make Osamu achieve, to push his potential, that Osamu began to crack under the stress. Osamu, in order to find an outlet, turned his free attentions to his younger brother. He watched over his sibling, teaching him, becoming a friend and an example and in turn his brother allowed him to experience the childhood he was missing. Their parents, who had previously not allowed any diversions to interfere in the plans they had for their son, found that Osamu worked better while he also had his brother's attention and admiration and so they let it continue. They could then focus their attentions fully on Osamu and Osamu would take care of his brother. Both boys were too young to realize how they were being used, Osamu by his parents and the youngest child by Osamu. But, as everyone was getting what they needed, everyone was happy, for a time."
They were passing the school now. Ken showed no sign of stopping, and Daisuke was so wrapped up in Ken's story, he did not notice.
"Fame, however, has a price. A group of men, intent on stealing what little wealth and happiness the Ichijouji's had gained, kidnapped the eldest son while he was having an ice cream sundae in the park with his younger brother. They had Osamu for three days before they even made a ransom demand, three long days of uncertainty and grief. The media circus was unbearable. The parents, drowning in anguish, took their frustrations out on the remaining child. After all, it was the child's fault that his brother had been frivolously spending the day in the park instead of at home, studying. After a week and a half of negotiations, to stall for time, the police finally caught the kidnappers and Osamu was returned to his family. But the damage had already been done.
"Osamu returned a different person. He was dark and sullen, resentful of his family. Though he had not lost his intelligence, he had lost his bright spark. He no longer smiled for the cameras and he would not speak of what had happened during his eleven-day ordeal, he would no longer be exploited. He could no longer be the child star he had been, the public lost interest.
"The youngest child did not care about any of that, though. He was just happy to have his brother back, his shelter from his parents. It seemed as if everything would return to normal. Osamu returned to his studies and the younger boy received his brother's attentions once more. But, something else had changed. It was very subtle at first, so much so that the boy did not notice until it was almost too late. Osamu's attentions had become perverted, it was not the love and concern that the younger boy had come to depend on from his brother and there was nothing he could do to stop it. His parents, though they never said it, still blamed him for all their problems and in their eyes, Osamu could do no wrong. So the boy had to protect himself. He shut himself off from the world. He became hard and distanced himself."
Daisuke slowly became aware that they had stopped walking. He took a look around and was surprised to note that they were in his own neighborhood. Daisuke looked back at Ken. "All of that is true?"
"I have no reason to lie about it," Ken said calmly. He met Daisuke's eyes unflinchingly.
"Well," Daisuke said, a little hard pressed to believe what he was hearing. "What happened to Osamu? And what did you mean by 'perverted?'"
"None of that is important right now, Daisuke."
"Oh yeah? Well, what is?"
The smirk on Ken's face returned, "You're taking me to your house."
Daisuke stumbled back a step, a look of horror appearing on his face. Two words crossed his lips, "Hell no."
__________
Daisuke really hated Ken's smirk. He thought he could feel Ken's smirk as the boy walked up the stairs behind him. He took a quick glace back, the boy was walking up the steps calmly, not trace of smile on his face. Screw that, Daisuke thought as he faced forward again, he could still feel the smirk.
Daisuke left the stairwell at the third floor and walked down the hall. He stopped in front of C5 and pulled a key out of his pocket. He shoved it into the door a little roughly then paused, trying to calm down.
It was obvious this was bothering him, not that it mattered. He'd watched this on TV before and seen normal people. On TV there was always shouting and throwing things. A normal person would have said something, felt something, at very least pity. A normal person would have asked him what was wrong or tried to comfort him. A normal person would have said, "It's Ok, Daisuke. We don't have to do this."
Of course, this wasn't TV and no normal person had ever shown Daisuke concern, and definitely not pity. And, then there was Ken, who was no normal person.
Daisuke tried to still his hand, which was shaking almost violently. This was going to happen, no matter how much he didn't want it, and to think he had started out this day without ever thinking this was a possibility. In fact, he had been sure in the knowledge he was never again going to have to go through this again. And Ken hadn't even had to try so hard.
"Hell no." Daisuke had said, and he meant it.
The smirk hadn't even slipped from Ken's face, which made it all the more chilly when he had stepped to Daisuke and said, very quietly, "You wanted to know, Daisuke, and now you do. This isn't something you owe me. It will happen, no matter much you do or do not want it. This is the price you pay."
And so here Daisuke was, with his key in the door and Ken at his back. And just what was this supposed to accomplish anyway? "Just... stay quite and...." He took a deep breath, "With any luck we can be in and out."
Ken noted the apartment was much smaller than his own. It was tiny and cramped with furnishings but it was spotlessly ordered and neat. He had no doubt that it would be noticed if he moved even the small little ceramic figurine an inch.
Daisuke, he noticed, made his way through the living room carefully, all the while keeping an eye on the door on the far side of the room, as if he expected it to suddenly spring open. However, they made it across the room with no problems and Daisuke pushed open a door and stood back, waiting for Ken to enter.
He watched Ken closely for any sort of expression as Ken examined his room. Maybe if he saw it coming, he could run damage control, though he really didn't think there was anything he could say to stop this from happening. Ken was going to take one look at his room and start laughing or say something frustratingly observant and Daisuke was going to have to kill him. God! He wanted to be anywhere but there at that moment, more importantly, he wanted Ken to be somewhere else as well.
"Ya know," Daisuke said in a deceptively nonchalant voice after Ken had looked around for a minute without commenting, "you're the first person, who wasn't family, to come into this room, into this apartment, in years."
"Who was the last?" Ken asked, moving away from the Voltron bedspread and the toy chest filled with action figures and racecars to the other side of the room. Daisuke shut his eyes tightly.
"Wallace."
"Daisuke, where is your sister?"
He didn't answer right away. He had avoided looking at the section of the room Ken had stepped in. Now, his eyes slowly slid to where Ken was standing at the foot of the bed with Barbie sheets and the flowered wallpaper that was almost completely covered with pictures of decade old boy bands. His throat closed up.
"Daisuke?"
"Alright, you've seen it. Let's go," He choked out. Now he has the decency to looked concerned Daisuke thought, bitterly.
"Daisuke-kun?" A third voice broke the silence of the room.
He shot Ken a look that very plainly said, "This is your fault" before turning around and facing his mother who was standing in the doorway just behind him.
"You left the door open again. It's dangerous, sweetheart. And-" She stopped speaking when she finally caught sight Ken. She pulled her bathrobe tighter around herself and ran a hand through her disheveled hair, "Oh, look at me. I'm a mess. We have company. I don't believe we've met... What are you doing in my son and daughter's room? Are you a friend of Daisuke's? Aren't you a little old to be?"
"Mama," Daisuke said, stepping up to lead her out of the room. "He's just a friend, Mama. I know Jun hates it when I bring friends into her room but we just came to get his Hotwheels. We were just leaving to go back outside and play. Go back to sleep, Mama." He led the woman across the living room and through the door he had been staring at so intently when they had entered.
When Daisuke came back through the door three minutes later, Ken was waiting for him in the opposite doorway. He could see all the way across the room that Daisuke's eyes were turning red. He just shook his head and pointed to the door of the apartment. He waited for Ken to step outside before following him out of the apartment.
They were on the street before Ken spoke again. "Daisuke, where is your sister?"
It was unexpected by both of them when Daisuke turned and shoved Ken as hard as he could, though Daisuke was a little disappointed when Ken didn't fall into the well-treaded brown grass.
Ken stumbled to the left a few paces and turned to look at Daisuke who was already in his face, eyes even more red than they had been in the apartment.
"She's fucking DEAD!" Daisuke nearly screamed right into his face.
Ken didn't even look mildly surprised.
"What? Didn't you expect me to deny it or to skirt around the issue like you always do? She's dead and she's been dead for a long time and no mater how much you think can help me, you can't fucking change that."
"What happened?"
Daisuke let out an explosive sigh and dropped down to sit on the curb. He waited to Ken to sit next to him before he started. "She was hit by a car. Drunk driver," he said, pointing down the street to where a Barbie doll lay unattended on the curb a few yards away. "It knocked her thirty feet, it must have killed her instantly, or at least I hope to God it did.
"I never saw her afterwards. They didn't even let me go to any of the services, Bastard. I was there when my father broke down in therapy, though. Talking about how his little girl and how she was broken and twisted in the street, the Cunt didn't even stick around."
Ken was staring at him without an expression and it was really starting to piss him off. "Mom though, never did have her breakthrough. She's upstairs asleep, secure in the knowledge that her little girl is gonna come home tonight. That her little boy is gonna break one of his sister's dolls and that she's going to have to break up a fight between them. It makes her happy."
"And in exchange for you mother's happiness, you don't get to grow up."
Daisuke growled, he really hated how observant Ken was sometimes. "That's right. For my mother's piece of mind I stay an eight-year-old boy, forever."
"And your father?"
"Deserted us."
"Couldn't he have...?"
"Oh, wake up! Of course he could have done something about her! He didn't want to. He wants her to stay crazy. She used to work of the government and now that she's mentally unstable she's drawing 'Crazy Benefits.' He's takin' them. He fucking stays married to her so he gets her money and all the while he's got this Bitch in some other place that he stays shacked up with and I have brothers and sisters I never even met. He uses my mother as an excuse for why he can't marry that other lady and then he gives us just enough of the money he's making off of us to keep us from starving."
"Hmm," Ken said standing up. "We have a lot we need to talk about, but I need to figure some things out first."
"What things do you need to figure out? You can't fix my problems."
Ken looked down at Daisuke, who showed no sign of moving from his spot. "I said I would help you, Daisuke, and I meant it. We have an agreement."
"What agreement?" Daisuke said craning his neck to look up at Ken, "How can we have an agreement if I don't even know what I agreed to?"
Ken smirked and walked away, "You should have thought about that before you demanded answers to your questions."
Contact the author at Apple_qb@hotmail.com
