Part 1: They Say, He Is
Part 2: I Say, He Is
Part 3: An Odd Hand of Mother's Pride
Part 4: Bang

They say my son is a juvenile delinquent.
He is.
I say to be a juvenile delinquent; it means criminal acts by a teenager. It says nothing about the heart of the teenager or what reasons there was to do the criminal act.

They say my son is a truancy bane of their existence.
He is.
I say they use fancy words. Do they not think I know truancy means skipping class? Do they not think he knows either? And do they not realize skipping class is not the worst thing in the world? There could be no world today for all they know.

They say my son is a failing student.
He is.
I say they test students with the wrong subjects. They should be shown the right subject. He is a passing student. In fact, he excels and they should become his students in the subject.

They say my son is a fighter.
He is.
I say being a fighter is a thing to take pride in. There is a difference between a fight, good and honorable, and violence, just out and destroying a person. Well, I suppose for him, there is a difference between a fight, violence, and best friend treatment.

They say my son is a demon.
He is.
I say, describe the term demon. They snap the word like a curse, even though I know demon and gods were used interchangeably. This word is a variant of daimon, described as an inferior deity with a prime example of a dignified hero.

They say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

I say my son is a hero.
He is.
They say I am delusional. It is more possible that he is the modern day enemy if sides were to be chosen. The world is better off without people like him.

I say my son is selfless.
He is.
They say any act of kindness is not really an act of kindness. That it was not possible for him to be truly kind to others, that it was only that, an act. His death of saving a little boy was an act, that it was some cover up to hide the fact he pushed the little boy out into the road.

I say my son is determined.
He is.
They say his determination unrivaled…when it comes to truancy, making pulps of faces, getting smokes, running away from thinking, being lazy, and disobeying every authority figure possible and known to man.

I say my son is a man of justice.
He is.
They say as if. He's more like a man of revenge. Do men of justice taunt others by frequent use of the 'birdie'?

I say my son is a man of giving others second chances.
He is.
They say of course he is. He gives second chances to people just like him…beyond redemption.

I say the apple doesn't fall far from the tree.

Well damn. I hate being in agreement with what they say.

"Shit! A little warning next time!"

I blink and realize large chunks of wall were scattered across the room. "Sorry," I laughed. "My bad!"

Big Ando shook his head at me and threw his gun up. It clicked into place. "Damn, just forget that odd hand of yours. We've got baddies to shake down, so get your pipes and ciggies ready Hot Child. Elfin's got the oil pumped clean inta the sprinklers."

"Wanna call me that name again?! I'll lock you in the room with the sprinklers and her lite ciggarettes, don't think I won't!"

I smiled at the familiar argument between Big Ando and Elfin. There was a very grand size difference between the two. The names all but gave away their appearance. "Damn, you two act like my son and his best buddy."

Big Ando snorted. "Little teenagers? Like hell. Come on Elfin, the baddies are waiting."

"So's your burnt skin if you keep that up!"

I spun the pipe around my hand to test the general weight. The pipe was all for show, but it out to be a good show so my ciggarette was paid no mind. Ciggarettes were typically the accessory that was for show around this area of town. "Lets go get those stolen goods from them."

Big Ando grunted. "Where's the Robinhood goods going to this time?"

"Better be a split,"Elfin snapped. "We haven't had a split in a while. And ain't your kids going to some fancy like school Ando?"

"Only the best for the big boys Elfin my man," Big Ando drawled proudly.

"Not now," I snapped at the pair of them before Elfin could start up again. "Split and the rest will be Robinhood goods going to the temple funds."

"Right thing Hot Child," Big Ando agreed. "Your boy's got the right idea, you might as well support it. His demons at least do shit and do more good than our own authorities. These other demons," he jerked a hand toward an old building, two places down. "They're a right up pain in the ass these other demons."

"Lets go make some money for my son!"

The pair laughed at me. Jerky bastards. They were going to help me get the money for my son.

"Your odd hand is—"

"Ah! Twice today!" I exclaimed as I waved my hand around to rid it of the glowing. I'd never seen it be the odd hand it was more than once a week. "Lets go! If worst comes to worst, I'll see if I can make it shoot like my son can do!"

Big Ando and Elfin glanced at each other.

"Uh, Hot Child? Might I remind you how well that's gone for you?" Big Ando spoke up. What was that supposed to mean? I at least made things blow up, didn't I?

"There's times I like my size. Sprinter size. I'm fucking outta there if I even see a blue vein act weird on that hand."

Jerky bastards.

Yeap, Yusuke grins from behind what Kuwabara calls his 'Spy Shades' as his mother pounds the other two Yuzaka men. The apple doesn't fall far from the tree at all. Pity that they never tell you the apple outgrows the tree it fell from.

"Bang."