Chapter Text
2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters
"Tell me about my mom, How did you meet her ?" Shany asked John.
"Wow, that was so long ago... It was when I was with Igor and Little Yuri. Your dad told you about Little Yury ?" he answered, chewing on whether to tell the Shany the story or not. It wasn't a period of his life he liked to be remembered of.
"No, no he hasn't" said Shany puzzled, missing her dad's frantic gestures to John to change the subject. "Who is he ?". "Dad ?"
"Kato ?" said John looking at her dad also puzzled.
"I .. err.. Well, me and your mom.. We thought it would not be a good topic to talk about while you were... in the regeneration pod" said Kato embarrassed. "Your mom was so worried she even taught me how to hide thoughts about him from you" he added.
"You what ?" Shany asked, frowning in concentration. "OMG you ARE hiding those thoughts from me!" she said surprised, sensing the dark area in his mind she couldn't read. She didn't even know her dad had that ability! She looked at John who was thinking of a frail looking young boy and a reddish haired brutish looking man."John ?" she asked, looking pleadingly.
John sighed... "It isn't a very happy story. Me, your dad, your mom and Perry have tried to forget it and put it past us, but I don't see why hide it from you love" he added. "Come on Kato, eventually she has to know!" he said looking at Kato.
"Well, I suppose you are right.. Now is a good time as any" Kato nodded sadly. He also hated remembering that time.
"So tell me, please ?" Shany pleaded.
"Very well... You remember me telling how I met your mom ?" said Kato, while Shany nodded affirmatively.
"You did but tell me again ? Will you let me see it this time ?" she pleaded. "You rarely let me see it through your eyes..." she said already fetching the Eonian mind net.
"I guess... I don't have to hide the last part from you anymore, so why not ?" Kato said, adjusting the mind net to his temple.
2015 AD- Earth - New York Mercy Hospital (Memory screen)
A screen flickered to life in the black slab near them, showing a hospital room, a young Kato laying on the bed, neat tidy sheets pulled up to his chest. He blinked slowly taking the room in, and that moon faced young nurse asking if he was feeling well, smiling at him.
"I... yes" he heard his young self answer on the screen. "I was lying, of course. My head was pounding and I felt nauseous, about to faint again but I was scared and broke so I wanted to leave that place as soon as I could, before they stole my bike on the street".
"Your bike is safe and sound locked downstairs, next to mine" the smiling nurse said. "I found the key to your chain on your pocket, here it is" she added showing him the key and putting it next to his clothes on the little closet in front of his bed.
2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters
"I immediately thought of a way of getting out of the hospital gown and getting my bike and leaving, as soon as I could, which of course your mom read easily from my mind", today's Kato added.
2015 AD- Earth - New York Mercy Hospital (Memory screen)
"Don't be silly, you can't overextend yourself like you are doing! You will faint again or worse.", the young nurse said to a surprised young Kato. "It was like she was reading my mind, I remember thinking at the time, which was just what she was doing, little did I know" said today's Kato chuckling.
The young man on the screen shifted uneasily. "What.. you mean ? " He asked and added "No English" pointing at himself.
"Oh ?" She said and added "How silly of me!" and then her voice shifted... A deeper voice said "Here, is that better ?" inside his mind, making young Kato's eyes open wide in surprise.
2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters
"She half scared me to death with that trick, your mom did" her dad said fondly, looking at his frightened young self on the screen in front of him.
2015 AD- Earth - New York Mercy Hospital (Memory screen)
"What is that ? Are you a witch ?" young Kato said, his mind reeling with visions of Oni and other magical beings from the childhood stories he had heard in Japan. The screen flickered a bit showing some of them and then went back to the hospital room.
"Hehe, no you silly! I'm just like you, you can jump and I can talk on peoples heads, are YOU a witch ?" she said in his mind, her beautiful laugh making young Kato feel foolish.
"I.. No. Yes.. " I don't really know. I just can do it" he was about to answer angrily but had no English words for most of it so all that the young man said was "No English" yet his previous words were clearly audible on the mind net screen.
"You don't have to talk in English. Just say it on your mind, I heard you loud and clear she said imitating him "I.. No. Yes.. " I don't really know. I just can do it" she added and then said "It's the same for me. I just can do it", her mouth never uttering one word.
"Is spooky!" he said in his mind
"So says the guy who can jump around between places, carrying a bike, no less!" she said amused. "Don't you think that is just a little spooky too ?" she added
"I.. yes I suppose it is" he said and relented, smiling at her
"There's a smile! Good, we are friends already! Hi, I'm Daria and you ?" she said looking at him quizzically
"Kato. Kato Saito" he said pointing at himself, this time speaking the words instead of using his mind. His stomach growled and he looked embarrassed.
"Why look at me, chatting your ears off and forgetting to feed you!" said Daria. "You just sit tight there and I'll bring you some food. Chicken soup ok ?" she asked. His stomach growled in agreement and she left the room.
The image on the screen dissolved and came back to a satisfied Kato eating the last spoonful of a big bowl of soup and a pile of empty plastic sleeves that contained many crackers a few moments ago. "I love those crackers too" Daria said picking up his empty tray and winking at him. "Now you should rest a bit and go to sleep, I gotta finish my rounds and I'll stop by here as soon as I can ok ? Don't go jumping or you might injure yourself !" she said and left.
2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters
"But of course I didn't follow her advice..." today's Kato said as the screen shifted to him sneaking out to the parking lot, looking for his bike. "When I finally saw my bike I ran to it, determined on making a fast escape, but your mom was one step ahead of me" he added
"As she always was" said John smiling fondly.
"She was, wasn't she ?" said Kato smiling. "She was waiting for me by the bike and the minute I touched the bike and started to jump, she held me, trying to stick something in my arm".
2015 AD- Earth - New York - Manhattan (Memory screen)
The screen flickered showing a bike on a parking lot and a shimmer in the air then a dirty looking New York street and a surprised Kato getting jabbed on the arm with a needle. It flickered again and it showed young Kato waking up in a futon on the floor of a small NY flat full of books and clothes strewn around. The screen looked a bit reddish, which indicated the person remembering it was feeling pain at the time of the events remembered. The reddish tint started going away slowly as a small hand showed at the top of the screen
2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters
"I remember my head pounding, almost splitting with a huge headache and the cool touch of a frosty cloth on my forehead, your mom holding it and looking at me worried" today's Kato explained
2015 AD- Earth - New York- Daria’s flat (Memory screen)
"Now that was a very foolish thing to do!" young Daria said to a contrite young Kato. "Jumping, and jumping with me and the bike ? Are you mad ? I don't even know how your brain is not bleeding!" she added angrily. The screen showed pictures of a brain and some areas highlighted in red and her voice added "You see those red areas ? This is where your jumps and my telepathy are made. When we use it we increase the flow of blood to those areas and decrease the serotonin.." the screen faded as today's Kato explained that Daria had proceeded to try to give him a detailed explanation of a brain's inner workings and brain chemistry to a young Kato that had lost her by the time she sad "you see those red areas ?"
2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters
"She talked enthusiastically for about 20 minutes without realizing that I had fallen asleep" she told me later, today's Kato said laughing as the screen flickered again, showing him waking up groggily and seeing Daria sitting on the floor smiling at him.
2015 AD- Earth - New York- Daria’s flat (Memory screen)
"Hi sleepy head! Want some dim sum ?" she asked and he nodded yes at the offer of breakfast only to look down sadly and say "No money"
"Hey relax, I'm buying!" Daria answered and pointed at the tiny restroom to the side. "You can freshen up there if you need to" she added. The screen flickered again showing a Chinatown restaurant busy serving dim sum to guests, Daria and Kato included.
2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters
"Your mom made me tell her that I was working 3 jobs as a delivery boy and being forced to teleport around like crazy, to be able to meet all deliveries" today's Kato said. "I started teleporting with the bike when a woman saw me appearing in the sidewalk and screamed bloody murder. I found out that by teleporting with the bike to the middle of traffic I didn't call that much attention" Kato added
"Oh yeah, I've driven in New York in the 10's, those bike delivery guys always appeared out of nowhere right on top of your car, you would blend right in. They were insane!" John said shaking is head
"But that of course made it even harder and by the second month of doing that and barely eating I was not doing well at all!" said Kato
2015 AD- Earth - New York- Chinatown (Memory screen)
"No wonder you fainted!" said Daria in the screen, swallowing a bite of her steamed dumpling. "You are going to get very sick if you don't stop this madness" she added while young Kato shifted uneasily on his chair eating his third plate of dumplings.
"I told her I was barely making the rent as it was and I could not afford to lose my jobs so I had to leave soon to go deliver food again" said Kato.
"Dad.. Stop narrating and show me" said Shany pointing at the screen.
The screen showed young Kato looking dejected as Daria's voice in his mind said vehemently "Today ? You can't, you are not rested yet!". She pondered for a few minutes and said more amenably "Look, how much would you make with just 2 jobs ? Can you actually USE the bike, I mean pedal it instead of jumping with it, if you are working for just 2 jobs ?" she asked
"I... Yes I think so, if I end up having to jump would be only once or twice a day not every delivery, if I just had my weekend job and my pizza delivery on weekdays" he said. "But I wouldn't make enough for food or rent" he added frustrated
"But how much would you make ?" she asked again and read his answer immediately before he even started to "talk" in his mind his answer to her. "That much ? Oh that is wonderful news! You know why ? I've been trying to find a roommate to share the rent with me for ages at my flat and you can pay me just $400 per month, which would leave you plenty for food!"
"Roommates you and me ?" said young Kato surprised and then he added sadly "but... I'm not..."
"Oh you silly, I know you are gay! I'm not proposing you or asking for a boyfriend I just need someone to share the rent!" said Daria to a shocked looking young Kato.
2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters
"She didn't need a roommate but she was worried about me and she also wanted the opportunity to study me, I found out later" said older Kato
"Hehehe so young Kato got to be a guinea pig for Daria ? When I met you two I thought you guys were lovers and I've been puzzled for a long time about that" said John laughing. "I knew you were gay, could read you like a book but Daria was a mystery to me" he added
"You couldn't read Daria's mind ?" asked Kato puzzled
"Well, I'm not a passive telepath like she was. When I read people they feel it, if they know what to look for, and she knew. You were oblivious!" John said mock hitting Kato with his napkin while he passed him on his way to get a beer at their fridge.
"Come to think of it I don't think even Little Yuri knew how to read her well. She knew how to block thoughts before any of us learned it. Heck she was the one who taught me how to block thoughts!" said John coming back with is beer and a wine cooler for Kato. "I think him and I were able to read all that stuff at the park because we caught you two by surprise!" he said and then looked glum, again thinking about the sickly little boy and the brutish man.
"Tell me" pleaded Shany
"We are getting to it woman! Would you be patient ?" said John smiling at her, his eyes mocking exasperation. He turned to Kato and bowed saying "Continue please Monsieur" in a ridiculously faked french accent
2015 AD- Earth - New York- Chinatown (Memory screen)
The screen flickered showing Kato accepting her roommate proposal and both of them walking to his 3rd job to give his boss the news, then moving his few possessions to her messy flat.
2015 AD- Earth - New York- Daria’s flat (Memory screen)
"Well.. I'm kind of messy but you are welcome to just put my stuff in a pile here if it is in your way" she said pointing to an already brimming pile of clothes. The only clothes around hanging on hangers and well kept were her nurse uniform and shoes. "We should order dinner soon, there is a great noodles store around the corner" she said as it started getting dark.
"No need, I have noodles and pan" said young Kato unpacking his cooking stuff.
"You cook ? OMG if I knew that I'd have invited you for a roommate yesterday! I can burn even soup!" Daria said happily as he proceeded to cook some noodles with stir fried dried mushrooms.
"Tomorrow I get vegetables and some Japanese garlic and it will taste better" young Kato said as they both scarfed down his noodles.
The screen flickered showed them eating and walking around New York, then a crazy bike rider snaking his way past the crowded New York traffic, then Daria reading a pile of books, studying intensely for her finals.
2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters
"Where did you sleep Dad ? There's only one bed" Shany asked
"We both shared her futon" he said slightly embarrassed. He didn't like to be reminded that his part on being Shany's father consisted on him donating his sperm for Daria's "independent production" pregnancy. He had actually loved Daria just not in a sexual way, but still a deep love. He missed her. For many reasons, caring for Shany being one of them, but he truly missed her smile and her wise council, every single day. They had been almost inseparable in the beginning and even later, they always found a way to stay in touch at any opportunity.
"Dad ? Did I say something wrong ?" Shany asked, knowing the answer full well, being a passive telepath like her mom she read her dad - and most people - easily
"No honey, not at all, I just miss your mom" he said
"Then show me more of her" she prodded making him show more of the two years they lived as roommates in New York, as he always did when she asked for it
2015 AD- Earth - New York- Daria’s flat (Memory screen)
"You need to learn English" Daria said one day to young Kato. "Yes, this way you can get a better job, safer than driving this bike a few inches from those killer NY cars and buses! They have a janitor's job at the hospital but you need to have middle school level English" she added
"How ? Classes are expensive!" he said unhappily.
"Well you know how I translate for you on your mind what the other are saying ? I could do that with movies. I'd be your subtitles! And we can watch some TV news and such when we are too broke to go to a movie..." she added laughing
"You already do so much for me" answered young Kato
"Oh it wouldn't be for free, no sir!" she said laughing. "I love Japanese anime and there's this Japanese video game that wasn't released here that I've been wanting to play for ages. You could be my subtitles for those!" she said
The screen flickered showing them watching some Higurashi and Howl's moving castle, then watching Transformer's and Spiderman throwing popcorn at each other and enjoying an early 21st century New York. At night they watched the news and some sitcoms. Daria loved Bones and X Files, Kato preferred the ones showing families getting along, as he had had none. To him X Files and Law and Order was less alien than George Lopez or Everyone Loves Raymond. He had never had that kind of life, growing up near Fukushima, orphaned at a young age.
2150 AD - Venus Psy Academy - John & Shany’s quarters
"Dad you know I love to watch those memories but you always stop before showing me how you met John and how you guys made the academy. Why ?" said Shany
"Ah that is my cue" said John. "My turn to tell my story"