Preparations
The day finally arrived.
"Till a moment ago Antonella was here!" Giovanni said when his family started the breakfast.
"Just like Annalisa she was happy to hear your father was fine. Even more happy when I said we were about to have a party for the event!"
Gabriel just couldn't wait for that. So much time have passed since he saw his father since that day.
The day was sunny like even the weather was happy.
"Hey, Danny!" Joey said once breakfast was over.
"What is it?"
"You study computer science, right? Then can you help me to fix my webcam? It stopped working for some reason!".
"That's a shame!" Danny answered.
"Yeah, you absolutely have to fix it for tonight!" Giovanni added.
"All right Joey, I'll help you out!"
"That's good. Here Gabriel, let's go to take the preparatives!"
"Are you sure you want to take just one of the boys for the preparatives?" Francesca asked.
"Yes dear, don't worry, one boy will be enough to help me to shop all the preparations!"
Francesca nodded.
"All right, don't take too long, Sushi requires a lot of time for the preparation!"
"Don't worry, we'll be right back!"
Giovanni took the car keys.
"Let's go Gabriel!"
Their first stop was to Enrico.
The fishmonger gave to Giovanni a big Salmon and a big Tuna.
"They are freshly caught!" he pointed out.
"Thanks Enrico!" Giovanni answered.
"Here, don't forget the shrimps!" Enrico also said giving a sack of fresh shrimps.
Gabriel helped his uncle to bring the fish to the car.
It was kinda heavy.
"All right, next step is the general store!" Giovanni said once the fish was inside the trunk.
In the general store they found what they needed: seaweeds, rice with little starch, rice seasoning, a wooden mat, some cucumbers, some avocados and cream cheese.
"That's a lot of stuff!" Gabriel pointed out.
"Yeah, and we're still not done yet!"
What else was there to do?
Giovanni stopped his car near a house.
"I'll be back, I have to visit an old friend. Stay here and don't move!" he ordered.
Gabriel waited and waited.
After ten minutes Giovanni was back;
"Did I miss you?" he said smiling.
"Yeah!"
Gabriel also smiled.
"Let's go!"
The streets were trafficless, now it was time to go back home. Time to prepare the great event.
Giovanni parked the car.
"What is it?"
"Just a moment Gabriel, I have to go to the pharmacy to take some medicines for me and Joey. Stay here. I'll be right back!"
"All right!"
This time Giovanni walked till disappearing inside the pharmacy.
Gabriel had to wait again.
He removed his seat belt. It was so tight it was chocking him.
He stared outside from the window.
It was still sunny and no one in sight. The place so quiet and relaxing he decided to sleep.
His cell phone rang: it was a message from an unknown sender;
"Run!" it said.
Gabriel deleted the message convinced it was a prank.
He slowly closed his eyes and relaxed.
He dreamt about his father. He was about to see him. He just couldn't wait to say to him how much he was happy to see him again, to see him healthy, how much he was scared when he fainted, how much he was worried for him, how much…
Crash!
That loud noise woke him.
"What the…!"
The car window was shattered into pieces. The car door semi-destroyed.
What happened?
A huge clawed hand almost got him.
Without losing any time Gabriel got out from the car.
He gave a look to the vehicle.
A big beast was on the car's roof.
A beast with reddish fur, a very long and furry tail and an evil grin.
There was no doubt, it was Doomsday, Yang Di's bear. He was back. But why?
Quickly Gabriel recalled the moment in Yang Di's arena. Before escaping Doomsday was trying to eat Gabriel. He couldn't finish the work and now he was back. He was back for him.
Doomsday moved his lips;
"Gabriel!" he said.
Gabriel was incredulous.
Doomsday can talk?
There was no time for questions. No one was there to aid him. He had to do something. He had to run.