Author's Note: The Tech Fail curse hit me again. This time, it's my TV. I got a new router and modem and now, I can't get online with the TV. I could a few times, but it's being a diva. I keep trying but it fails. This hinders my work because of the inspiration for my work. Such a pain! Grrr! Anyway, on to happier things. AHS: NYC premieres tonight. Now it's a party! Speaking of parties, I have the -Man Halloween special finished. I only have two to three scenes left in the Durarara Halloween special. I just started on the Hetalia Halloween special. I am making some good progress. I have bits and pieces of what I am doing next week. There's one scene in mind. For now, enjoy this week's halo.
Halo Eleven: Chisa:
-October 24, 2015-
Chisa sat at her mirror in the dressing room. She knows that she has changed. This cult has changed—just as she wanted. Still, it wasn't enough. Saku was hungry for more. After all, it wanted to be worshipped. Not just by the cult. The whole country. With this new vessel, that possibility. But first, he had to deal with those pesky tadpoles…
There was a knock on the dressing room door.
"Enter!" Chisa said. She looked up as the door opened.
"Can I come in?" Hina asked in a small voice. Chisa broke into a warm smile.
"Yes, come in," she said. The girl slowly walked into the room. She kept her eyes down. Chisa gave the child a curious look.
"Yes, dear?" she asked. Hina lifted her chin.
"Can I ask you something?" she asked. She started fidgeting with her hands. The minister tilted her head to the side.
"What is it?" she asked in a curious tone. The girl gulped as she shuffled her feet. Chisa waited patiently in her director's chair. Hina took a breath and lifted her chin.
"Why are they all afraid of you?" she asked. The child froze as if waiting to be yelled at. Despite her best, the girl was trembling. Chisa gave her a long, serious look.
"Who is afraid of me?" she asked.
"Everyone," Hina said in a quiet voice. Her eyes trailed behind her. It wouldn't be wise to make any sudden moves. The girl just hoped her leader wouldn't snap and do something… rash. Now, Hina whispered that she hadn't said anything.
Chisa gave her a warm smile.
"They fear me because I am strong," she said. Hina looked puzzled.
"They are scared because you are strong?" she asked.
"Yes," Chisa said. She turned and faced the young girl. Hina slowly shook her head.
"I don't understand," she said.
"Oh?" the cult leader asked. Hina's lips trembled.
"Isn't being strong a good thing?" she asked.
"Yes," Chisa said. She stood up. Hina felt so small as the cult walked closer. The woman gently patted her on the head.
"They fear me, but they also respect me just the same," she said. "I provide for our flock after all." Something in her words felt so relaxing. Hina stared at her with doe-eyes.
"Can I be strong like you?" she asked.
"Of course, honey," Chisa said with a giggle.
"Oh wow," the girl said in a small voice. The leader smiled as the wheels turned in her head.
"Tell you what," Chisa said. She knelt down in front of the child.
"Why don't you hang around with me," the woman said. "I will teach you to be strong." Hina stared at her with big eyes.
"Really? You mean it?" she asked. Chisa nodded with a serious look on her face. Hina didn't know what to side. The cult leader stood up straight with a smirk.
The next few days would be the tightening of the screws for the city.
The Ten no Shin'en was growing rapidly. They even started recruiting in Saitama. Their main targets were colleges. After all, Chisa once went to college herself. She understood how disillusioned students felt. Within days, many college students came to the first sermon. Even two of Rokujo Chikage's girlfriends were interested. The other two didn't quite get it.
"It seems kind of culty to me," Non said as she looked at the flyer.
"But Kitano-sama is so amazing!" Kanacchi said.
"Uh-huh!" Kiyomin said, nodding. "You should go to one of her sermons." Non and Sienna looked at each other.
"No," Sienna said.
"We're good," Non said as she handed back the flyer.
"Suit yourself," Kanacchi said. Kiyomin nodded. They turned to leave.
"Where are you going?" Non asked.
"Kitano-sama is holding a sermon tonight," Kanacchi said. Kiyomin nodded. The other two girls had nothing to say as they walked out the door. Kanacchi and Kiyomin were just two to become part of the Ten no Shin'en family.
Back in Ikebukuro, Mio was having her own problems. The three girls dragged her back to the bathroom. The tadpole girl kept her eyes down. One of the girls pushed her forward. Mio nearly stumbled forward. Why couldn't they just leave her alone?
A girl with dark brown pigtails pushed her to the floor. A girl with a black bob stepped on Mio's back to keep her on the floor. The girl with brown pigtails smirked at her.
"Dork!" she shouted. A third girl with pink hair pulled Mio's head by her hair. Pigtails snorted.
"Pathetic," she said. Mio started trembling.
"Why?" she asked. Pigtails raised her eyebrow.
"Why? Why?" she asked in a mocking tone. The girl looked at her friends.
"Did you hear that?" she asked. "She wants to know why we're taking out the trash!" Mio's little brown eyes widened. She mumbled something to herself. Pigtails cocked her head to the side.
"What did you say?" she asked. Mio looked up at her with a desperate look in her eyes.
"I'm not trash!" she shouted. "I am a person!"
Smack!
"Shut up, trash!" Pigtails shouted. "Trash shouldn't be allowed to talk!" Mio stared at her with no reaction on her face. The lead bully clicked her tongue.
"What's that look for?" she asked. She turned her posse.
"Go through her bag!" she barked. Her friends tossed Mio to the floor. Pink grabbed her school bag and opened it up. Mio started to panic as she ran over to her bag. Pigtails ran up and grabbed her from behind.
"Let me go!" Mio shouted. She struggled to get out of the girl's grasp. Pigtails flipped her onto the ground. Still, the tadpole wouldn't give up that easily. Something inside of her snapped. These three wouldn't stop with their merciless bullying. Why couldn't they just leave her alone?
Mio shut her eyes and screamed. Pigtails' posse looked up.
"Where did she go?" the one with the black bob asked.
"Huh?" Pigtails asked. The three girls looked around the bathroom. They could only see each other standing around, looking at each other. Meanwhile, Mio had slipped from the bully girl's grasp and crawled away. She held her breath as she debated on how to get her bag. They couldn't see her. The question was how long was this going to hold?
Mio knew that she had to act fast.
She darted for her bag, gathered everything up, and dashed out of the bathroom. The bullies were left looking confused.
"Where the hell did she go?!" Pigtails yelled behind her. Mio made it down the hall before she reappeared. She leaned against the wall, panting. Thirteen minutes. She was getting better at it. Why couldn't they just leave her alone? What did she ever do to them to make them hate her? She just wanted to be left alone.
Mio calmed down and walked back to class.
Chisa had a plan involving Hina. First, she needed to deal with the girl's mother. The cult leader and the woman sitting in her office. If all went according to her plans, this would only take a few minutes.
"We have to talk," Chisa said. The woman sat across the desk with a dull look in her eyes. She had a serene smile on her face. Earlier, Chisa gave her some fresh wagashi with some green tea.
"Help yourself," she said. The woman, named Ayumi, hesitated at first. Chisa waited patiently. Ayumi dropped her shoulders.
"All right, it couldn't hurt, I guess," she said. She reached forward and picked up a piece of wagashi. Ayumi helped herself to the treats. Chisa sat waiting with a stoic face. The other woman took a drink of tea. Pretty soon, Ayumi looked high.
Now, Chisa could get to work.
"This is about your daughter," she said.
"My daughter?" Ayumi asked.
"Oh, don't worry," Chisa said. "It's nothing bad. I think your daughter will be great for the family." At first, the woman looked confused.
"What do you mean?" she asked. The cult leader smiled.
"Just… I believe that she is the prophet," she said.
"Prophet?" the mother asked. Chisa smiled like a cat as Ayumi's eyes started to glaze over.
"Yes," she said. "I just want you to transfer guardianship over to me." The cult leader handed the papers over to her. She was no dumb bunny with this. Chisa hired a really good lawyer who helped her draw up the paperwork. This had to be as legit as possible. Chisa was going to do things differently than Murata. Ayumi looked down as her mind started slipping away.
"Just sign here, here, here, and… here," Chisa said as she pointed with her pen where to sign.
"Yes, Kitano-sama," Ayumi said. She picked up the pen and started signing. The cult leader watched as the drugs started to fully take effect. Ayumi was still able to write normally.
"Excellent," Chisa said with a grin. She took the papers and the pen.
"Bring Hina-chan by my place tonight," she said.
"Yes, Kitano-sama," Ayumi said in a monotone voice.
"Good," the cult leader said. "You are free to go."
"Yes, Kitano-sama," the other woman said. She stood up, bowed, and walked out of the office. Chisa leaned back in her chair, smirking. Her plans were taking shape.
Mikado made it back to Akari's apartment. He pounded on the door.
"Akari-san! Come out here! We need to talk!" the tadpole boy shouted. He backed up when the door opened.
"Mikado-kun? What are you doing here?" she asked. The tadpole had a haunted look in his eyes. Akari felt her heart sink.
"Baby, what's the matter?" she asked. "Here, come in." The witch pulled him into her arms and dragged him into her apartment.
"Now talk to me. What's the matter?" Akari asked. Mikado looked down at his hands as he sat on her bed.
"I have a small problem," he said.
"What?" Akari asked. "Are the pheromone blockers not working?" she asked.
"No, it's not that," Mikado said. "They work just fine. It's something else." Akari raised her eyebrow.
"What?" she asked. Mikado rolled up his sleeve to show her his right arm. Akari looked down and covered her mouth.
"Oh no…" she said. The skin was covered in blasphemous marks from Buddhism text.
"How long have you had this?" she asked.
"Since the summer," Mikado admitted. "I had to fight Yokubo and she bit me on the wrist. It's been infected like this ever since." Akari carefully took hold of his arm for a closer look.
"It's getting worse," Mikado added. The witch looked up at him.
"She's had sex with me—twice," he said. "I keep seeing her everywhere. She won't leave me alone!" Akari's face looked so grim.
"She's marked you," she said. Mikado didn't have to ask what that meant.
"Can you fix it?" he asked.
"It's not going to be easy," Akari said. "It will take me time but yes." Mikado reached forward and hugged her. The soft flutter jumped in her heart. She's seen those markings in books before. Had things really gotten that worse this time? This Yokubo woman could be potentially dangerous for him, Anri, and everyone else in Ikebukuro.
Ikebukuro West Gate Park got a new decoration.
Her name was Imai Chinatsu. Her body hanged from the biggest tree there. Vines and flowers covered the trunk. Each one had strips of paper tied to them. The police were already at the crime scene. (Maybe?)
"Why are we out here?" a CSI tech asked Nakamura. "It just looks like a suicide." The detective shook his head.
"The setup is too elaborate for that," he said.
"Public statement?" the CSI tech asked.
"Perhaps," Nakamura said. "Though it did seem like so much effort to go through for a statement." He cocked his head to the side. Something about her felt familiar.
"Where have I seen her before?" Nakamura asked himself. He walked over as Chinatsu was cut down from the tree.
At the police station, he Googled her name. It didn't take long for results to pop up. With one look at the woman's face, it started to click together.
Turns out, Imai Chinatsu wasn't a saint at all. Nakamura frowned at the results.
"Why are you looking on a pro-suicide site?" a voice asked behind him. The detective jumped in his chair. Sachiko blinked at him.
"You okay?" she asked. Nakamura blinked at her at first.
"Oh. Yeah, yeah, yeah," he said. The man cleared his throat. His colleague gave him a strange look.
"Are you looking to end it all?" Sachiko asked.
"No, I was looking at where I saw the victim," he said. His colleague came around for another look. She narrowed her eyes.
"That's your victim?" she asked.
"Yep," Nakamura said. "Apparently, she was the founder of Koi Forest. Many would come here to look for help to end it all." Sachiko wrinkled her nose.
"Ick," she said.
"She apparently had many people flocking to her site," the other detective said. "They would engage in a private chat where she would encourage them to kill themselves and help them set it up." He scrolled through the page with Sachiko looking on with digest.
"How is this even legal?" she asked. Nakamura shrugged.
"This was a link on the deep web," he said. "I just clicked around through Google and followed the rumors."
"That easy, huh?" Sachiko asked.
"Apparently," Nakamura said. He turned around to face her.
"The names on those strips of paper were the names of all of the victims," he summed up.
"Wow," his colleague mumbled to herself.
DK found this easy. Almost too easy. Chinatsu, the Angel of Death over the internet, didn't even see her coming. All DK had to do was pretend to be a potential victim looking to end it all and find Koi Forest. It took days but she finally made contact with dear old Chinatsu, called Sally online. They engaged with each other for hours until they could discuss business.
To make a long story short, DK showed up at Chinatsu's door, injected her in the neck with a strong cocktail of drugs, and dragged her to the park. From there, everything fell into place. This had to be the easiest kill that she had pulled. Almost too easy.
There was still one thing that bothered her. Why did Sylar give her the address to Chinatsu's apartment so easily? He claimed that it was out of good faith. Something inside of her told her not to trust him so lightly.
DK sat back on her couch and groaned. Time to make another kill. The final ring would be violence against nature. That one was going to be a challenge. Good thing Sylar's gesture had her agitated.
-7:00 p.m.-
Hina looked nervous in the back of the cab. Her mother had been acting strangely. The girl was told to pack up her things. Hina looked confused.
"Why, mama?" she asked. Her mother had a dreamy look in her eyes. She didn't answer at the dinner table. The silence only made things worse. Still, the girl obeyed. Hina packed up her things without question. The whole thing didn't feel right.
Hina looked forward. Her mom and the driver kept their eyes forward. She trembled in her seat.
"Where are we going, mama?" she asked. They didn't answer. They wouldn't even look at her. Hina looked down at her lap. The sinking pit in her stomach only got worse.
The cab pulled up into the parking lot. Hina looked when she felt the vehicle stop. Her mother opened her door. She didn't have to say a word. The girl quietly climbed out of the cab. She followed her mother up to the metal steps. Hina tried to breathe to keep herself calm. She clenched her fists at her sides.
The three of them came up to Apartment 412. Ayumi knocked on the door. Hina's eyes widened when it opened.
"Good evening," Chisa greeted them. Ayumi bowed and moved aside. Hina tried to figure out what was happening. The cult leader walked up to her and knelt down with a wolf-like smile on her face.
"Starting tonight, you're going to be leaving with me from now on," she whispered. "I'm going to be your legal guardian from now on." Hina shivered as she stared at her, wide-eyed.
-December 15, 2015-
Taichi sat alone in his kitchen. He pulled out his phone. His heart sank when it went to voicemail.
"Hey, it's me," Tetsu's voicemail said. "I can't come to the phone right now. But if you leave me a message, I might call you back. Maybe." Taichi sighed as he rubbed his forehead.
"Baby, it's me," he said. "Talk to me. Why do you keep disappearing on me like this? Nobody knows what's going on with you. I'm really worried about you. Please call me when you get this." Taichi confirmed the message and hung up. He looked up when there was a knock on his door.
