Chapter 3: The Boss

As the sun rises Yaki walks out of her room, quickly grabbing her toast. She looks over to see Aku sitting on the couch. Yaki thinks back to the night before as she showed up home late with the scratch of a bullet on her face. Yaki said she fell, and Aku suspected she was up to something but didn't want to say anything.

"What are you doing?"

"What do you mean?"

Aku looks up at Yaki in a dazed state.

"You never sit on the couch, you're usually at the counter."

Aku looked at where he was sitting.

"I uh I'm just a bit tired is all."

"Okay just go back to bed or something."

Yaki opens the door and walks out, feeling the fresh air against her face.

"Bye Aku!"

"Have a good day at school Yaki?"

"I will!"

The door closes as Aku is left in his own contemplating thoughts.

*Buzz*

Aku pulls his phone out as he sees the caller ID.

'What?'

Aku in stress presses the green button. Putting the phone up to his ear, it's nothing but silence.

"You're supposed to say "Hello" when you answer a phone Aku."

"Hello, Boss."

"You're a hard person to get ahold of, you know that right aku?"

"I'm sorry I was away from my phone for a little while."

Aku tried to keep his heart rate slow and remain calm as he talked.

"Look I could use you for something. Be here in around an hour?"

"Boss I don't know if I-"

"Good"

Aku heard the phone hang up, causing his heart rate to speed up as he stood up. Leaving his phone on a coffee table. His eye contact rested on the phone in silence. He grabbed a jacket and opened the house door.

'Just one short job can't be that hard, right?'

As Aku left his home someone sat on top of his house.

"Perfect!"

The person stood and stretched.

'I wonder what the other one is doing?'

His thought ended with a smile as he walked away.

***

*Splash*

As Aku wandered into unfamiliar back alleyways, water from small puddles splashed against his pants

'What a dump this place is.'

Aku looks at the half-destroyed buildings on both sides of him. They seemed to lean over forming an accidental hallway of some sort.

He felt something though, something off.

*Click*

Aku stopped. Now, looking at the gun that was being held against his head.

"The boss isn't here at the moment, you know what that means?"

The man holding the gun with a dead-like face looked Aku in the eyes. Aku stayed silent like a mouse in its hole.

"It means I could kill you right now with no problems afterward."

"You think this scares me?"

Aku's hand slowly went up to the gun putting his finger in the trigger. Gunther's beefy chest puffed up, trying to show he was in control.

Aku and Gunther's hands, both being on the trigger, slowly started to push it down. Both stares seem to be attempting to slaughter one another. The air around the two began to heighten as Aku felt Gunther's presence fill with envy.

"Now boys why must we argue all the time?"

The two looked over at a door that led into darkness, where the voice was coming from. Gunther let go of the gun, immediately. His presence went right back down to its original state.

"I'm so sorry boss it was all Aku's fault!"

"Now Gunther what did I say about blaming others?"

"I'm sorry boss, but it's all true!"

Gunther bowed as The Boss stood up coming out of the door, towering over Aku and Gunther both. His abnormal body figure was tall and lanky. It was unnerving, seeing his body as it caused trauma in one's eye. But his face was the worst of it all. Aku looked down in fear as his face was uncovered now. He dropped the gun.

"Acknowledge me Aku."

Aku looked up, hearing his words, seeing his abnormal smile that was large and covered the whole bottom of his face. His smile was more sinister than the devil himself and was enough to make people cower in his presence. Aku's nose always seemed to hurt when he was around him.

"What is the request you called me for?"

"Aku why I'm so glad you asked! There's a D.E.O. cargo shipment that holds new tech to, fortunately, kill all demons. A weapon to kill us all they said!"

'D.E.O. has been trying to kill off the demon race for years what's so different about this time?'

"The tech is infused with Monster blood and Demon blood with the perfect mixture to make a metal strong enough to cause fatal injuries to Demons and Monsters."

"What exactly are you asking me to do Boss?"

The boss walked away towards a chair that was near a desk with papers on it.

"I want you to steal the metal."

Aku looked at the boss in thought.

'What would he want with the metal?'

"Do you mind telling me who all is after this metal?"

The boss looked Aku in the eyes with lies filling his brain.

"I have no idea who would be attending something like this but I advise you to be careful. That also reminds me of one thing."

The boss walks over to Aku and leans over him, causing his back to snap in multiple spots.

"Tell me Aku! How's your sister?"

Aku felt his heart sink to the bottom of his stomach in fear. His hand twitched slightly as he heard the Boss' words.

'How does he know about Yaki?'

Aku has never once talked about his sister to the boss out of his fear of her involvement.

"She's...She's doing good."

Aku looked The Boss in his eyes. His smile was ever so unsettling. He was unsettling.

"Don't be so worried Aku. You are like family to me I have no ill intent. I only wish you told me sooner!"

The Boss walked away from Aku in glee. Grabbing a folder off a desk and throwing it at Aku.

"Let's get more into more detail about this mission shall we?"

"Yes sir."

"This job Aku is important! It will send a message to other people as well."

The Boss' crooked smile gleamed in the light that shone through holes between the crooked buildings.

"Power is the main thing in Toyo, as you know I have quite a bit of it. However, some people are trying to steal that said power Aku. So I figure if I send you and you complete the mission they'll realize not only my strength but yours as well."

'He must think I'm still an idiotic and desperate child.'

"Boss no offense but I don't know how much longer I'll be able to be able to do this work."

As Aku said that Gunther's eyes darted right towards him.

"You dare defy and tarnish the Boss. I'll have your head strung up like a human for this. You understand me."

Aku ignored his bickering.

"Calm yourself now Gunther Aku has life outside of me. For now at least. However, he knows he must complete this task. Now Aku would you mind opening that folder now."

Aku opened the folder, seeing all sorts of photos and papers about D.E.O.'s top secret information. He sees pictures of distorted beasts who are called monsters as one looked like a cross-species of an alligator and bear being cut open while still alive. Another picture showed multiple apparent demons being drained of their blood, and being pinned by large metal pins placed in their hands and feet.

'How heartwarming.'

Aku flipped through a few pages seeing a street address and multiple red circles.

"That street number is where the cargo will be in 3 hours You have enough time to get there and walk around for a moment."

"Why did you choose me, Boss?"

A moment of silence went by as the boss smiled intensely, staring at Aku.

"You have as much of a want for power as I do Aku which is why I chose you. You have the best of me in you and don't want it to be wasted do I?"

'Even after all this time.'

Aku stared back at the boss' smile.

'I still can not see your lies.'

"Are you ready Aku?"

"Yes I am Boss"

"That's good because I have one more thing to show off to you. It will help you out a bit."

The boss stands up, walking eerily towards the door. Slowly opening, it revealed an ominous figure.

'Who is that?'

The figure walks out in an odd outfit with what seems to be some sort of bird mask. However, their scent was faintly familiar.

"My daughter, The Raven!"

The Boss smiles, finishing his words. Those same words put Aku in disbelief.

'A human?'

***

Next Chapter Will be Released April 16th