Chapter Twenty-One: Fish in Net:

10:00 a.m.

Haruka came over to Nobu’s apartment. Yasuo was already onboard with this fight. Now, she had to get her other son onboard. Haruka knocked on the door. No answer.

“Nobu!” the old lady shouted. “Are you here?” She reached into her jacket pocket and pulled out the key.

No lights on inside. Haruka backed up from the smell.

“Yuck,” she mumbled. Not much to see here. Too dark and mostly empty. Haruka’s eyes shifted left and right as she walked further inside.

“Nobu? Nobu? Are you in here?” she asked. Her ears caught a low groaning noise. Haruka turned around. Her son sat on the living room floor leaned against the wall. He bit on his fingers, mumbling and drooling. His mother shook her head.

What a sad sight.

Haruka walked up and smacked him on the arm. Nobu slowly looked up.

“Mama?” he asked. The old lady sneered.

“Look at you,” she said. “It stinks in here. The lights are out. When was the last time you went outside?” Haruka snorted.

“You’re pathetic.”

“Mama!”

“Yes, I’m here.”

“Mama! Mama! Mama!” Nobu tried to crawl over and hug his mom. Haruka sneered and pushed him off.

“Get off!” she said. “You stink! Go wash up!” Nobu sat up on the floor. The old lady shoed him off.

“Go on! Go clean yourself! Go!”

“Yes, mama!” Nobu raced to his bathroom. Haruka sighed and shook her head. So annoying. But she needed him for survival.

After about an hour, Nobu walked back into the living room. Haruka gave him a cold look.

“Better now?” she asked. Nobu stared at her like a hurt child. Haruka rolled her eyes. She knew the one thing to speed things along.

“Nobu,” the old lady said. “Anna’s going to kill Victoria and Sosuke.” Her son froze.

“Anna?” he asked. “Anna?”

“Yes.”

The man’s nostrils flared. “I hate her. I hate her. I hate her! I hate her! I hate her! I hate her!”

Haruka grabbed him by the shoulders. “Yes, I hate her too.”

“She took them! She took my family!”

“Yes. Anna must pay for what she has done. I can give you the power to do that.” Haruka looked into his desperate eyes.

“Please…” Nobu pleaded.

“Alright,” Haruka said. “Hold out your hand.” Her son had a wild grin as he held out his hand.

“Perfect,” the old lady said. She pressed her finger to his forehead. Haruka chanted a spell under her breath. A grey light flew out of Nobu’s body. Once it flew into the old lady’s hand, her son collapsed at her feet. Haruka smirked to herself.

“Too easy,” she said to herself. A sharp pain sparked in her chest. Haruka clenched her teeth and breathed heavily.

“Shit, his power is more unstable than I thought,” she said. “Can’t use it too much.”

“What about him?” Aki asked beside her. Haruka looked down at her feet and lightly kicked Nobu in the head.

“He’ll be fine,” she said. “Let him sleep it off.”

“Okay,” her kitsune said.

“Shall we go?”

“Alright.” The kitsune floated behind her master as she headed out the door. When they were gone, Yayoi floated over to Nobu.

“Nobu…” the kitsune murmured. Already, death whispered in his ear.