Chapter Thirteen: Intervention:

Hisoka woke up with a bad feeling. He hurried down to the guest room.

“Jessie?” he whispered. “You in here?” The shinigami noticed the empty bed in front of him. Shit. Where did she go? He didn’t have time to think when there was a knock on the door. Hm? Who could it be this early in the morning? Hisoka wandered down to the front door.

“What is it?” he asked.

“Hisoka?” a man’s voice asked outside. The younger shinigami froze. Tsuzuki? Hisoka drew open the door. Tsuzuki, Tatsumi, and Watari stood outside. The boy gave them a puzzled look.

“What are you all doing here?” he asked.

“Hisoka, we need to talk,” Tsuzuki spoke up. His partner backed away he could feel their worry.

“Okay…” he replied. Minutes later, they all sat in his kitchen. Hisoka eyed his co-workers.

“What is this?” he asked. Tsuzuki put his hands on the table.

“We’re worried about you,” he said.

“Why?” his partner asked.

“How long has Jessie been living here?”

“Tsuzuki…”

“How long has she been staying here, Hisoka? Tell me!”

“You guys…”

“Tell me!”

His partner sighed. “Fine! Since the end of summer.”

“End of summer?” Tatsumi asked.

“Why?” Watari asked. Hisoka pressed his hand against his forehead.

“I don’t know,” he said.

“Are you using again?!” Tsuzuki shouted. “Are you? Are you?!”

“No!”

“Don’t lie to me, Hisoka!”

“I’m not!”

Tatsumi put up his hand. “That’s enough!” Both shinigami went quiet. The secretary pushed up his glasses.

“Now,” he said. “I understand your concern about us if we found out about her. Did you forget what she put you through?”

“No,” Hisoka replied, folding his arms across his chest.

“So why?” Watari asked. “Why Bon?”

Hisoka sighed. “She needs my help.”

“What?” the older shinigami asked. The boy sighed, shaking his head.

“Something’s happened to her. I have never seen her so broken like this before.” He paused in thought. “I think her mom did something to her.”

“How can you be so certain that she isn’t lying?” Tsuzuki asked.

“I can see it in her eyes,” his partner answered. “She’s really damaged. Jessie didn’t even seem to remember me when she woke up days later.” Hisoka clenched his fists. “Please, you have to let me help her. I feel that I have to!”

“Is she still here?” Watari asked. Hisoka lowered his gaze.

“No,” he replied.

“What do you mean, no?” Tsuzuki asked.

“I went into her room and she was gone,” his partner said, sheepishly.

“Gone?” the shinigami asked.

“What do you mean gone?” Tsuzuki asked. “Where did she go?”

“I don’t know,” Hisoka answered. “I have to find her before her mother does something to her.” He ran back to his room.

“Hisoka!” Tsuzuki shouted. Tatsumi grabbed him by the shoulder.

“Tatsumi…” his former partner said.

“He won’t listen right now,” Tatsumi said.

“But…”

“I’m sorry.”

Tsuzuki looked down on his hand. “What can we do?”

“Nothing for now. We just have to watch him closely.”

His former partner looked down the hallway. Hisoka…