**Note: I do not own Oni or anything related to it, except for the characters not mentioned in the video game. They are my own creations and not anyone else's.** Here goes!

The Sudden Return

"But Mom!" cried Taren.

"That's not fair! Why does Vera get to go to the mall and I don't. I'm 16 years old now and you are still treating me like a baby" Taren stomped his way to his room grunting all the way there. He slammed his door so hard, it knocked a picture frame from the collection of photographs off the wall.

"Now look what you did. Get out here and clean this up. Be careful next time. This is the picture of me and your father's wedding. You are not going to the mall with your friend because you still have Biology and Algebra homework to do," Mai exclaimed.

She was just starting breakfast when all this happened. Blaze, still dressed up in his red and blue striped pajamas, yawned his way downstairs.

"Ughh! Good morning dear. What was that slamming sound?"

"Oh, Taren. He's upset because I told him he couldn't go to the mall with Vera. He slammed his door and our wedding picture fell off the wall," Mai sighed while mixing the pancake mix.

"Let the boy have some fun. He's 16, not 7. Plus, it's a Saturday. Let him do his homework tomorrow. I can help with with whatever he needs."

Mai looked at Blaze, "No wonder why I married you. You can talk me into anything" Mai gave him a slight kiss on his cheek.

"Teran!" Mai yelled, "Come down here, eat some breakfast, and you can go to the mall." She turned on the stove and set the frying pan on the fire.

Teran came zooming down the stairs and sat down in a chair. "All right, Mom! I knew Dad would help me out. Thanks, Dad. Mom, I almost forgot. I have a genealogy report due on Wednesday. I wanna get a head start on it. Do we have any relatives, other than Jade and Samantha?" Teran asked.

Mai shuddered and dropped the pancake bowl. She didn't ever want to hear the word, "relative" again. She knew what else Teran would ask.

"Don't you ever say that word again, is that understood!" Mai almost screamed.

She started to burst into tears. Mai tried everything to put her past behind her, but it crepted onto her so suddenly. Frantically, she ran out of the kitchen and into her room down the hallway.

"Mai, come back! Honey, please! He didn't mean to!" Blaze ran after her.

"What?! What did I say?" Taren managed to get out of his mouth.

He could hear the sobbing coming around the corner of the kitchen.

"What did I say to make her so mad?" he thought to himself.

Taren walked up from his seat and cleaned up the pancake mix near the stove. The frying pan was still on. Since it was still hot, Teran decided to make some eggs and toast. He walked to the refrigerator and took 2 eggs put, wondering why Mom reacted the way she did. Teran cracked open the eggs and plopped the insides on the metal skillet. They sizzled immediately. With a push of a button by the 16 year old teenager, the 15 inch Hologram set in the corner of the kitchen turned on revealing a news report.

"This is Fred Gordan with the Channel 42 News. This just in. About 20 years ago, a devilish man named Muro Hasegawa tried to literally take over the world, threatening residents of Earth with death if they did not become a slave to Hasegawa. With the help of the TCTF and one woman named Konoko put a stop to his evil deeds, yet at a horrible cost. The Atmospheric Processors blew up, causing dangerous poisons to spill into the air.

We have just received word that this man has escaped his high-security holding cell last night in the Griffin Maximum Security Prison. Apparently, witnesses described that night as an odd night indeed. According to their story, they say the security guard who was watching Muro Hasegawa got up from his base, opened Muro's vault, and released him. The security guard was found this morning dead right outside of the prison entrance. We have confirmed his name as Max Nordstar. We've obtained the prison's security videos."

Suddenly, a video clip started on the TV set. A huge monster-like human with long, white horns sticking out of his back smashed through a metal prison door. Confused, the creature looked around for an exit in the hallway of the prison. He started to run, but halfway down the hall, he slowly turned around and noticed the security cameras in the corners of the corridor.

He walked up to it and said into the camera in a muffled voice, "Why, hello. All of you probably know who I am. For those of you who don't, I am the man who will ruin everyone's pathetic life from this point on," Muro said aggressively towards the camera and began to laugh; a sound that would send chills down your spine a million times.

"Hello, Mai. I know you are wondering how I busted out of this hellhole. Well, I'm not telling you. You are going to have to find out this time all by yourself, with no one to help you at all. I know what you are thinking. You're thinking that you can beat me, just like you did the last time. I won't let that happen. I deserve better treatment than this. C'mon, we are related you know. I'm your big bro. Come find me Mai, I dare ya...

I am being received another chance, a chance to rule this planet and kill you all! You see, I have developed a new power. Well, I better be on my way now, shouldn't I? So many people to kill, so little time!" Muro said harshly as he began to walk casually down the hallway and through the next room.

"This is Fred Gordan again. I have new information with me right now. Every law offical, every tank, every plane, every military leader in the world are arming themselves with high-tech weapons and the latest gadgets to finish this "thing" once and for all. This is Fred Gordan and I'm signing out."

Taren quickly shut the Hologram set off. "If I know my mom, I'm pretty sure her first name is Mai. Does she have anything to do with this... this monster? There are probably a 1,000 Mai's living on this planet. Yeah, that's it. It's just a coincidence. Or is it?" He said to himself, in disbelief.

Taren got up from his seat and silently walked through the hall to his mothers' room, making sure not to make the floor creak. He put his ear against the outside of the bedroom door and eavesdropped on his parent's conversation.

"Mai, he didn't mean to. He doesn't know anything about your past. Should we tell him?" exclaimed a mannish voice.

Taren could hear his mother sniffling and blowing her nose. "I don't know.... He's a good boy and I know he didn't mean to. I knew this would come one day, but not this early. How am I supposed to tell him that his uncle tried to ..." Mai stopped to see Taren collapse into the bedroom. "TAREN!" both parents practically yelled.

"What did I say about being nosy?!" Mai shouted. "Sorry Mom! Geez, I just came to your room because some crazy mutated monster escaped the Griffin Maximum Security Prison yesterday. He said his name was Muro Hasegawa," Taren said getting an attitude.

As soon as Mai heard the name, she looked at Blaze and fainted towards the bluish-carpeted floor. "Oh my God..." Blaze said, barely getting the phrase out of his mouth.

He stared blankly at the white wall. Taren quickly rushed to get the phone and dialed 911. "Help! My mom fainted. I'm not sure if she's breathing or not! Get an ambulance. Hurry up!" he yelled into the phone. About two minutes later, a familiar sound of a siren was heard in front of the house. Two paramedics ran into the house, "She's down the hallway. Follow me." Taren announced to them.