Fatal Fury Fan Fiction ❯ Fatal Fury - The Vengeful Spirits ❯ Chapter Two - Sayonara ( Chapter 3 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

All characters are the property of SNK/Playmore. I don't own them, the video games, or the anime.

Special thanks to fanfic writer RenkonNairu who helped influence a small part of this chapter.

Chapter Two: Sayonara

Mino, Japan – The Shiranui Dojo

Mai Shiranui balanced the breakfast tray on one hand as she knocked at the master bedroom door with the other. "Are you up, Ojisama?" She called through the fusuma. "I have breakfast." Andy was still doing his morning practice in the woods, so Mai had wanted to make sure her grandfather was fed so that she and Andy could have a nice breakfast together when he got back.

"Grandfather?" She called again. Normally, he was awake by now. Mai slid the door open cautiously, and when she saw Hanzo was sitting up on the futon, looking at the doorway, she entered with the tray.

"I've got some miso served over rice balls, and I made some of your favorite tamagoyaki, with the prawns and green onion." She moved to the window and opened the curtains with one hand, letting the morning sun into the room. "If you're still hungry after that, I can bring you some tsukemono," Mai said as she turned back towards the bed. "We still... have some..." Hanzo continued to stare at the doorway, not acknowledging Mai at all.

"Ojisama?" She asked again, louder, her lip starting to quiver. "Ojisama!" He did not move. His eyes were unblinking. The breakfast tray slipped from her hand, the dishes shattering on the floor, but the noise sounded far off in Mai Shiranui's ears. Suddenly feeling like she could not stand, she made it to his bedside before sinking to her knees, and took Hanzo's hand in both of hers. It was cold.

"No..." She whispered, her deep brown eyes starting to brim with tears.

Five days later...

Andy Bogard stared grimly out through the kitchen window at the dojo's courtyard, noting the overcast sky. It had been cloudy at Jeff Bogard's funeral, too. And Master Tung's funeral, and Lily's, and Sulia's. It was like the gods always seemed to know when someone was being buried.

Andy turned away from the window and made his way down the hall towards Mai's bedroom. The sliding door was shut, and Andy knocked gently on it. "Come in," he heard her voice through the door.

Andy slid the door open, and entered. Mai was seated at her vanity table, dressed in a drab black kimono with black tabi on her feet. The traditional dress of mourning, but Andy thought that she wore it like royalty. He was starting to think Mai could look beautiful in anything, even a track suit.

Mai turned and looked Andy over, almost like she was inspecting him. He had rented a black suit, and she noticed that he still hadn't knotted the tie properly. But he'd always had no fashion sense, as she liked reminding him. "Hi, Andy," she said softly. "I'm almost done here." She then turned back to the mirror.

Mai had braided a garland of white carnations into her ponytail, and was now in the process of wrapping it into a tight bun around the back of her head. "Terry called while you were in the shower," Andy told her. "He sends his condolences, and also said he's sorry he can't be here."

Mai nodded as she started to put the finishing touches on her bun. "I understand," she said. "He never met Hanzo, anyway." Of course, she suspected that was not the real reason Terry hadn't come, but rather it was because the memory of the last funeral he'd attended was still too fresh in his mind, like an open wound.

After the incident in the Dead Sea, when Andy and Mai had arrived in South Town along with Joe and Terry, the four of them had arranged to hold a small, private memorial service for Sulia. Since no trace of her body had been found (whatever energy had vaporized her brother Laocorn had apparently claimed her as well), they had simply commissioned a memorial headstone, and placed it alongside the grave of Lily McGuire in South Town Cemetery. Mai remembered how Terry had barely been able to keep it together during that service. Just watching him try had been enough to make Mai weep like a baby.

Mai pushed those thoughts away. Remembering Sulia's funeral would only make her cry now, and she needed to keep it together during her grandfather's burial service. She was master of this dojo now, and had to maintain a certain level of control, especially in front of her extended family, who would be watching her very closely. She could cry later, when she was alone with Andy.

"Andy," she said, turning to face him again. "I wish you could be next to me today."

Andy nodded. "Me too. But remember, we talked about this."

Mai remembered only too well. The night after she'd discovered Hanzo's body, the two of them had a discussion.

"This is stupid, Andy," she'd told him. The only reason she hadn't cried when he'd suggested it was that she'd run out of tears earlier that day. "I don't care what the rest of my family thinks, and I know you never have. So what if they see us together? You knew grandfather for over ten years, you know how much he cared for you, you have every right to take part in the ceremonies."

"You're right, Mai," Andy had told her. "I've never cared about your relatives' opinion of me. But I care about you. Hanzo left you this dojo. You're its master now. And remember what he always said: the master must appear strong, at all times. Hanzo's decision to teach the secrets of Koppou-Ken to an American made him very unpopular with your extended family in the last years of his life. They'll be watching you for anything that they might be able to use to challenge you, and your ownership of this dojo. So, it might be best for both of us if I didn't act like your boyfriend during the services. I don't want to dishonor Hanzo's memory by causing one of your family to make a scene. He deserves better than that."

Mai did not know which had annoyed her more. That Andy was even suggesting this, or that he was absolutely right. "You're right, Andy," she had conceded with a heavy sigh. "But you'd better prepare yourself, because as soon as all this is done, I expect you to snuggle my damn brains out!"

So at the wake, Andy had stayed in the back row while Mai was in the very front row with the rest of the family. Andy had not been present at the cremation, and had made himself scarce when the family brought the ashes back to the dojo for the bone-picking ceremony. Mai had spent most of last night at the temple keeping vigil with Hanzo's urn, coming home in the early morning, long after Andy was in bed, so she could catch a few hours of rest, and clean herself up for the burial service.

Now, as she sat there watching Andy try to fix the knot in his tie, Mai thought of something. "We did talk about it, Andy, but maybe there is a way you can be with me." She picked one of her hairpins up off the table, a pewter one with a cherry blossom handle, and showed it to him.

Andy recognized it as the one he'd gotten her for her thirteenth birthday, all those years ago. "You still have it!" He said. "I never saw you wear it, so I just assumed..."

Mai shook her head. "I thought it was too beautiful to wear. I kept it on my table where I could look at it every morning, and be reminded of you. But maybe I was just waiting for a good reason to wear it." She reached back and slid the pin into the center of her bun. "Now, in a way, you can be next to me all day, Andy."

He smiled as he walked over to her chair, helped her to her feet, and kissed her gently on the lips. They then shared a brief hug that was interrupted by a knock at the front door.

"Are you ready?" Andy asked her.

"As much as one can be for something like this," Mai answered, and started off down the hall with Andy following at a short distance.

Joe Higashi was at the door, his black suit identical to Andy's. Apparently, they must have rented from the same place. "Hey, Mai," Joe said softly to her. He surprised her then, by holding out his hand. "Truce?" He asked with a sad smile, indicating that he was offering a temporary cessation of their usual hostilities until Mai was finished mourning.

Mai couldn't help but laugh a little. "Thanks, Joe," she said, stepping past his outstretched hand to give him a hug. "I accept."

Master Jubei Yamada arrived almost immediately after, a white carnation pinned to the lapel of his suit, his normally unkempt silver hair combed and pulled into a ponytail. He came towards Mai with his arms outstretched. Mai, very familiar with her old judo master's previous offenses, slipped her hand into the sleeve of her kimono, ready to grab one of the fans concealed there.

However, to the utter surprise of her, Andy and Joe, Jubei simply gave Mai a chaste hug, his hands in a neutral position on the center of her back. More surprising, he actually pulled away after a socially acceptable amount of time had passed. He then reached down and took Mai's hand gently in his.

"I'm very sorry, Mai," he said to her, his dark eyes shining. "Hanzo was an extraordinary man. It was an honor and a privilege to be able to call him 'friend'."

Mai smiled sadly, and gave him a small peck on the cheek. "Thank you, Master," she said. "He wasn't the sentimental type and rarely said such things out loud, but I could tell he thought of you as the brother he wished he'd had."

A tear got loose from Jubei's eye, and the old man wiped it away as it slid down his cheek. "I thought the same of him," he said, giving Mai's hand a small squeeze before releasing it.

"We should probably be on our way, now," Mai said to the group. "Everyone else will be starting to gather at the temple."

The temple was only a few miles from the dojo, and it still was not raining, so they decided to walk. Andy and Mai walked arm-in-arm with Joe and Jubei following at a short distance. When the temple's roof began to appear in their line of sight, Andy let go of Mai's arm.

"You can do this, Mai," he whispered in her ear, then fell backward several steps until he was walking alongside his friend and his judo master.

"Everything okay?" Joe asked Andy out of the corner of his mouth.

"Long story," said Andy softly. "I'll explain later."

Master Jubei, having known the Shiranui clan since before Mai was born, understood right away what was happening. "It's very admirable what you're doing for her," he said to his student, his tone of voice indicating that he was surprised Andy had thought of something like that.

When they arrived, a few people were standing outside the temple, at the foot of its steps: one of Mai's cousins, a fishmonger from town to whom Hanzo had been a regular customer, and one of Hanzo's former students. Mai took a deep breath, briefly touched the pewter cherry blossom sticking out of her auburn hair, and then moved forward to go through the necessary formalities.

Andy, Joe and Jubei stayed back a few paces until Mai had finished with her pleasantries, and had started up the steps to the temple entrance, then they moved forward towards the other mourners.

"Konnichi wa, Jiro-san," Andy managed to say politely as he bowed to Mai's cousin.

"Gaijin," the one called Jiro responded, nodding his head at Andy. Fortunately for Andy, Jubei and Joe then struck up a conversation with both Jiro and the fishmonger, leaving Andy to speak to the third mourner, a balding, hawk-faced man who looked to be in his middle fifties.

"Konnichi wa," the man said as he bowed to Andy. "I am Matsumoro-Kazuki-san. You are American?"

"Andy-Bogard-san," Andy said as he bowed to the man in return. "And yes, I am. I was Hanzo-sensei's student for ten years."

"As was I, in my younger days," said Kazuki. "These days, I am master of my own school of Koppou-Ken in the Aomori prefecture to the north. Hanzo-sensei spoke of you in a letter to me once. I admired his willingness to teach those arts to an American. He was old-fashioned in some ways, but very forward-thinking in other matters. I think in his heart, he felt there was a little of Nippon in all people. I have tried to maintain that way of thinking. I actually have some senpai at my dojo who are Americans."

"You honor Hanzo-sensei's spirit with your willingness to teach any who desire to learn," Andy said, and bowed again.

"Domo, Andy-san," Kazuki said, and returned the bow.

Andy wished they could have spoken longer, but the bell sounded, indicating that the service was about to start. As everyone ascended the temple steps, Andy tapped Joe on the shoulder. "Thanks for running interference," he whispered into the kickboxer's ear.

Joe shrugged. "Everyone hates talking to their in-laws," he whispered back.

Once inside the temple, Andy felt a pang of regret as he saw Mai up in the front row, seated closest to the center aisle with her aunt and uncle sitting to her right. The family filled the first two rows, and the rows beyond that were already filled with friends, former students, and people from the town who knew Hanzo. Andy found an open spot next to Joe and Master Jubei, and took his seat.

The service was short, as it was the last of many that had taken place over the past few days. The priest said a brief sutra over Hanzo's urn, which rested on the altar, after which he, Mai, and several of Mai's family burned an offering of some incense. The priest then presented the urn to Mai, who bowed reverently as she accepted it with both hands.

Mai followed the priest down the center aisle between the rows of seats, cradling the urn tightly. As they passed the rows, the mourners got up from their seats and followed them outside, forming a procession to the nearby graveyard where the Shiranui haka rested.

The haka was a stone monument on a hilltop overlooking most of the graveyard. Inscribed on the side of the monument were the names of Mai's parents and grandmother, whose ashes were already in the ground below it. As the procession neared the haka, Mai saw that freshly-made wooden sotoba with their names written in black ink were leaning against the stone (drawn up for this occasion), as well as a sotoba with the name Hanzo Shiranui, resting behind the hole that had been dug for his urn.

The priest led the group in a few more sutras, both for Hanzo and for those already interred there, after which it was time for Mai to bury her grandfather. She cradled the urn for a few minutes longer, then lovingly passed it to Master Jubei, who slowly lowered it into the freshly-dug hole with the help of Mai's two uncles.

After the hole had been filled in, Mai got down on her knees in front of the stone, and bowed until her forehead was pressed lightly against the soft earth. Mai allowed for a single tear to drop from her eye onto the soil, unseen by her family. "Sayonara, Ojisama," she whispered. "I thank you from the bottom of my heart for all you've done for me in life, and I will try always to follow your example. Daisuki da yo, Papa Hanzo." She rose, plucked one of the carnations from her hair, and placed it in front of the haka. Then she leaned in and kissed the stone before stepping back, allowing other mourners to come forward and offer their own carnations to the gravestone.

She watched Hanzo's family, friends, former students, and other mourners place their white flowers on or near the haka, but the whole time she had a faraway look in her eyes, only half-noticing them. By the time Andy stepped up to offer his carnation, Mai found herself wishing that she was lost in the blond man's embrace.

After the burial, the family and friends gathered back at the dojo for some refreshment. Mai had erected a small Butsudan in the courtyard with a picture of Hanzo attached to it, in case mourners wished to burn incense or leave small offerings. She was planning to leave something later on, but right now she was stuck talking to her aunt, listening to the same old story about how Mai should be married now that she was in her early twenties, and also running a household.

Inwardly, Mai rolled her eyes. Several of the dates she had been on during the year Andy was gone had been with men recommended by her family. "Mai-chan, do you remember Mafune-san?" Her aunt asked. "The one you couldn't bother to go on a second date with? He is currently working for the second largest textile company in Nippon, and he's still single. Only twenty-six, and just three positions down on the ladder from becoming Vice President of marketing for the entire company. He asked about you the other day. Should I give him your number?"

"Why don't you give me his number instead?" Mai asked, trying to make her tone as friendly as she could. "I'll call him." Her aunt gave Mai a business card, which Mai accepted with both hands and stuck into the pocket of her kimono, intending to throw it in the trash first thing tomorrow.

After getting three additional phone numbers, Mai finally found a reason to excuse herself from her Obasan, and was making her way through the dojo, greeting the other mourners as she passed them. In the dojo's gym, she found Andy leaning against one of the walls, trying to have polite conversation with another of Mai's cousins. Master Jubei was sitting cross-legged on the gym floor, chatting with three middle-aged men.

"Oh, hello, Mai," Jubei said when he saw her. Mai could tell by the way he slurred her name that the judo master had gotten into the sake. "I was just telling some of Hanzo's former students about a trip he and I took the year after the war ended. It was to a coastal village in the southeast. The journey was long, and your Ojisama wanted to turn in as soon as we got there. I practically had to drag him out the door to go sightseeing, which was lucky for him. We ate at this quaint little place right on the beach, which bought most of its seafood daily from a local fisherman. Your grandmother was the fisherman's daughter and worked in the kitchen. Have... have you heard this story? You'd like it, I think."

Mai smiled, in spite of how she was feeling. Both her grandfather and Master Jubei had first told her this story when she was five, and Mai had heard it many times since then. "I'm sure I would, Master," she said. "Another time, perhaps?" Then, to the three men, Mai bowed her head. "You honor your families and Hanzo-sensei's memory with your presence. Arigato." The men stood and bowed back.

When Mai was finished chatting with them, she made her way over to Andy. "Andy-san," she said. "When Master Jubei is ready to leave, will you make sure he has a cab?"

Andy bowed, ignoring the sneer of derision from Mai's cousin. "Hai, Shiranui-san," he replied, glad for a reason to excuse himself from his current conversation. "I'll go look for the phonebook."

When Andy entered the kitchen, he found Joe Higashi standing there eating a plate of temaki. "Andy, you got a minute?" He asked.

Andy was glad to give him one, if it offered him a respite from talking to Mai's family. "What's up?" He asked.

"Recently, I had a match in Hong Kong," said Joe. "And while I was there, I think I spotted one of Geese Howard's old lackeys. Not Billy... one of the other guys, who always wore sunglasses."

Andy frowned. "Hopper or Ripper? How do you know it was one of them?"

"It was night, and I've never met anyone else who wore sunglasses at night. I mean, they never took those things off."

"Where were you?"

"Having a little post-match victory celebration with some ladies, when I saw him go by on the sidewalk outside."

Andy rubbed his chin. It was possible Joe might have had a little too much to drink and was seeing things. "Maybe it was just someone who looked like them. Lots of people do."

Joe shook his head. "He seemed to recognize me, because after he saw me, he ran."

"That's odd," Andy thought. "And you don't know what he might have been doing in Hong Kong?"

Joe shrugged. "You know me. I wouldn't have paid attention to what else was there. And I didn't have much time to think about it. The next morning, I was on a plane to Manila for another match."

Andy started rummaging through the cabinets, remembering the reason he'd come in here in the first place. "That doesn't give us much to go on," he said. "If we knew why he was there and who sent him... Well, we'll need to talk more about this later."

Joe nodded. "Right." He then turned back to the table to put more temaki rolls on his plate.

Evening finally came. The mourners had gone home, and Andy was making his way through the dojo with a plastic garbage bag, using it to pick up empty cups and plates as he found them.

When he came to the reading room, he saw Mai sitting on the sofa, hands in her lap, staring blankly at Hanzo's old easy chair, now empty. Andy chose not to say anything at first, instead picking up the plates from the table. Mai seemed not to notice the noise.

"Mai," Andy said softly, after the silence began to make him uncomfortable. "Can I get you anything?"

"Hm?" Mai turned her head slightly, as if she'd just realized he was standing there. "Oh, hey, Andy," she said, and gave him a sad smile. "You've done more than enough today, but if it isn't too much trouble, could... could I have some water?"

"It's no trouble," Andy said. He went back to the kitchen, dropped the garbage bag in a corner, then filled a glass from the sink and brought it back to the reading room. He sat down on the couch next to Mai, and placed the glass on the table in front of her, but Mai was once again staring at the easy chair, as if she didn't know he'd come back into the room. The glass remained untouched.

"This... finger food wasn't that filling," said Andy. "If you want, I can cook... no, wait, maybe I shouldn't cook. Forget I said that. But I can walk into town for some take out, if you like."

"No. Thank you," Mai said as she continued to stare ahead of her. "I'm not hungry."

"It... was a nice service," said Andy. "You did very well. He'd be proud of you."

"I know."

Andy shook his head. He'd been trying to do better at this sort of thing since they'd gotten back to Japan, but now he couldn't seem to find the right words. Of course, he hadn't been to many funerals. And he remembered that sitting and staring was mostly what he'd done at the funerals he had been to, even his own father's.

Suddenly, he thought of something. "Mai," he told her. "When Master Hanzo passed, he went peacefully in his sleep. I wish my father had gone like that."

Mai turned to face him, then. "Oh, Andy," she said, her lip quivering, her beautiful brown eyes starting to glisten. "This isn't fair."

"These things never are," he said.

Tears were trickling out of her eyes now, and Andy smiled sadly as he offered her his hands. "It's okay, Mai. It's just us now. You can stop being brave. Come on, just let it out."

As if she'd been waiting all day for someone to tell her it was okay to do that, Mai Shiranui finally allowed herself to break down. "Andy..." She sobbed. "I miss him so much." She threw herself at him and buried her face in his chest, as all of the grief she'd been forced to keep inside suddenly bubbled to the surface. Tears poured from her eyes like rain, soaking Andy's shirt and tie, and her body was racked by huge, heaving sobs that felt like they might snap her slender frame in half. She wept, she bawled into him, as he sat there with his arms around her, offering what support he could. Occasionally, he would whisper into her hair: "That's it, Mai, let it out." But other than that he was silent as Mai gave vent to her feelings.

Eventually, the tears began to slacken off, her body began to shake less. Finally, with no more tears left, she hiccuped several times. "Suh-sorry about your... shirt, Andy," she managed to say. In addition to soaking it with her tears, she saw that her nose had run a little onto it as well.

"It's okay, Mai," Andy said as he gently stroked her hair. "I rented the suit, remember?"

"Uh huh," Mai said flatly as she sat up. Andy offered her a dish towel that was slung over his shoulder, and Mai took a few moments to clean her face with it.

"Andy," she then managed to say. "Wuh-what I said earlier. Th-that it wuh-wasn't fair. I wasn't talking about guh-grandfather. I wuh-was t-talking about you."

"Me? Why me?"

Mai finally picked up the glass of water she'd asked for, then took a long sip from it. "Because, Andy," she said, her voice more steady now. "It isn't fair that I have you to hold, to cry on, to talk to like this. You didn't have anyone like that when you lost your father."

Andy gazed incredulously at her, amazed that she could still think of others at a time like this. "Well, Mai," he said. "I didn't really cry at my father's funeral. And I didn't exactly lose him, the same way you lost your grandfather. Jeff... was taken from me. Most of what I felt at his funeral was anger at the one who had taken him, and anger at myself for being powerless to do anything to stop it."

Mai knew the rest of the story. It was then that Andy had decided to try and hide his emotions from everyone. She buried her head in the dish towel and hiccuped a little more. After a long while, she took another sip of water to compose herself. "Andy," she said as she moved onto his lap. "No wonder it's taken us this long to reach this point in our relationship. You've really come so far."

"Do you really think so?" He asked.

"I know so." Mai raised her tear-stained eyes to gaze up into Andy's blue eyes. "You've been trying ever since we got back last year. Really trying, I can see. Yes, you're still focusing on your training, and you spend three days a week over at the Yamada dojo, but you're also taking time for me. I actually feel like we've been a couple for these last several months. And today, you really went above and beyond. You were so good through all of this, dealing with my family's bullshit."

Andy shrugged. "That was easy. Even when I was a kid, I never cared what your relatives thought about me. Your grandfather's opinion was the only one that mattered."

"I know. It's one of the many things I love about you. Oh, Andy, I love you so much." She wrapped her arms around his neck, and then kissed him deeply. Andy returned the kiss as he gently put his arms around her and rubbed the small of her back.

Mai's kiss suddenly became more primal, as she tried to slip her tongue into Andy's mouth. Her hands moved to his waist, untucked his shirt, and then started on his belt.

"Mai, wait," Andy said, putting his hands gently around her wrists. "We shouldn't do this now."

Mai's mouth came open, and for a moment, it looked like she was about to sob again. "Andy... why?"

"You've had a very hard day," Andy explained. "You just said goodbye to someone you love, who you've known your whole life. Your feelings are probably all over the place. I don't... want you to do anything too rash."

Mai's face contorted slightly. "Rash?"

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean it like that. I chose the wrong word, didn't I? I just... I don't know if you're thinking straight right now, what with everything that's happened the last few days. I don't want to take advantage of you."

Mai sat up straighter, looking a little annoyed, though Andy's acknowledgment of his poor word choice smoothed things just a little. "Andy," she said. "I've wanted to make love to you since I was eighteen, right before you left to go back to America. I think I've given this more than enough thought."

"I know," said Andy. "But... Mai, you're still in mourning. Despite what you might tell me, I would still feel like I was taking advantage of you if we did this now."

Mai exhaled loudly. Despite all the progress they'd been making, Andy still hadn't let her in completely. He really had been doing better with showing affection. He would hold hands with her in public (along with other forms of casual contact), and he had gotten a lot less shy about kissing her. Sometimes, after her grandfather had fallen asleep, she and Andy had made out on this couch like teenagers. But all he ever seemed to want to do was kissing and light petting. Mai had always tried to take it a step further, but every time she had started to undress, Andy always stopped her, saying that they were under Hanzo's roof, and he thought it would be disrespectful.

She knew that deep inside him, there was still one more barrier left to break, and Mai wasn't any closer to figuring out what that was. But she wasn't going to press it. When it did happen, she wanted Andy to be as ready for that level of intimacy as her. "Okay, Andy," she said. "I'll wait until you're ready. But will you at least do one other thing for me?"

"Name it."

Mai curled back up on his lap and wrapped her arms around his neck once more. "Hold me. Please. Just hold me."

"Of course I will." Andy slipped his arms around her waist, and just held her. It was not long after that Mai, physically and emotionally exhausted from the last few days, had fallen fast asleep on his lap. Moving very carefully, Andy rose from the couch, cradling her sleeping form in his arms, and made his way down the hall. He used his elbow to slide open her bedroom door, then entered, and placed her gently on the futon. She was still dressed in her black kimono, and Andy decided to just let her sleep in her clothes.

He pulled the blanket up over her, regarded her for a moment, admiring how peaceful she looked while asleep, and then leaned in and kissed her eyes. "Sleep well, Mai," he whispered, then left the room and slid the door shut.

After picking up all the trash he could find around the dojo, he went outside and left the garbage bag at the top of the dojo steps, not wanting to take that long walk tonight. He'd do it tomorrow morning before Mai woke up. He then went back inside and headed towards his own room, eager for rest.

He slid the door open, flicked the light on... and saw Joe Higashi lying on his bed. The Muay Thai kickboxer came awake suddenly with a small yelp, sitting up on the futon. "Andy?" He asked. "What time is it?"

Andy raised a finger to his lips. "It's after dark," he said softly. "Keep your voice down. Mai is asleep."

Joe winced, and rubbed a hand through his spiky brown hair. "Sorry, Andy," he whispered. "I dozed longer than I meant to."

Andy moved to his closet, where he took off his suit jacket, as well as the shirt and tie that Mai had ruined, and donned a clean white tank top. "I wasn't expecting to see you,” said Andy. “I thought you'd left already.”

"Funny story," Joe explained. "Master Jubei cornered me earlier, and insisted I join him for a sake toast. But you know what the old master's toasts are like. First, we had to drink to Hanzo. Then to Hanzo's wife. Then one for his son. Then one for Mai. Then one for the Shiranui dojo. Then an individual shot for each one of Hanzo's many virtues..."

"Yeah, I get the idea," Andy said, more than familiar with Master Jubei's toasts, having participated in one himself once.

"So, anyway," Joe continued. "After that, I needed a nap. So I walked down the hall opening doors until I found a bed. I'm glad it was yours, and not Mai's."

"Me, too," said Andy. "So, can I call a cab for you? Or if you want to crash here, I can make up one of the couches."

Joe shook his head, and picked up his tie from the floor. "Nah," he said. "It's a nice night, and I booked a hotel room in town. I can walk."

Andy nodded. "Well, before that, are you up for joining me in one for the road? It's been a while since I've had a drink, but I haven't toasted Master Hanzo yet today, and I feel like his spirit would be very disappointed if I didn't."

Joe stood up, clapped his friend on the shoulder. "Just try and stop me."

A few minutes later, they were out in the courtyard under the stars, seated on the ground in front of the Butsudan. Andy had two bottles of Kirin in his right hand. He popped the tops off of both of them and passed one to Joe. "To Master Hanzo," said Andy, raising his bottle in Joe's direction.

"To Hanzo," Joe echoed, and they clinked together. Andy then raised his bottle towards Hanzo's memorial.

“Domo arigato, sensei,” he said to the picture of Hanzo Shiranui that was attached to the Butsudan. “For everything.”

For a while, both Andy and Joe sipped their beers while looking thoughtfully at the Butsudan, which was surrounded by white carnations, origami animals, burned sticks of incense, and the odd trinket.

After a bit, Andy's gaze became a little more thoughtful. "I wish I had an offering for Hanzo-sensei," he said, more to himself then to Joe. He didn't own much other than the clothes on his back, most of which he'd acquired whenever Mai dragged him on a shopping trip. Then he snapped his fingers. "Wait. Maybe I do." He got up, disappeared inside, and a few moments later came back with the wrist guards from his fighting outfit. He placed them carefully on the top of the Butsudan, then sat back down next to Joe.

"It seems appropriate," Andy explained. "Master Tung was my first teacher, but Master Hanzo was the teacher who really taught me how to fight, which became a big part of my life."

Joe nodded, took another sip of beer.

"And his granddaughter, of course, has become a big part of it, too," Andy added.

Joe nodded again. "Andy, I gotta hand it to her. Today, she handled herself like a pro. I didn't know she had it in her."

"I did," Andy said.

"Of course," Joe quickly added. "You'll have the decency not to tell her I said that."

Andy laughed. "Of course." Then he held his bottle out again. "To Mai."

"Mai," Joe echoed, and they clinked and drank again. After a long while, Joe asked him: "Andy... didn't you say that you and Mai ran into Billy, Hopper, and Ripper at Duck King's place?"

"Yeah," said Andy. "But they didn't stick around long. They left when Hauer started making a scene. I haven't seen them since."

Joe took another sip of his Kirin. "I think it's weird that the three of them would still be causing trouble together. They were hired goons. What reason did they have to stick together after Geese died?"

That was actually a good question. "Maybe they all got hired by someone else? Or maybe they all just decided to get together for a night on the town? Funny, I didn't think much of it at the time. Now I wonder."

"Well," said Joe. "I'll be in Tokyo for a little while after this, since my manager's got nothing lined up for a couple of weeks. You've got your hands full here, so I'll make the supreme sacrifice and see if I can find some newspaper archives that might tell us if anything else was in Hong Kong at the time I was there for my fight."

Andy nodded. "Yeah, I'd be interested. Maybe it's nothing, maybe it's not."

They fell silent again, intently watching the Butsudan. But I really hope it's nothing, Andy thought, and took another sip of beer.

To be continued...