Nightmare Returns

"Mom...Dad..." Aki said and looked nervous.

I looked at Aki's parents and stared at them. 'So it begins...'

"Aki dear. It's been so long." Her mom smiled and walked closer then noticed Aki take a step backwards. "Aki come on it's your mother, Nagina."

Aki shook her head. "You aren't my parents. My real mom is always going to be the woman who took care of me in that Foster Home you left me at."

"Aki." Her father said.

Aki stood beside me and gripped my shirt. "Babe, let's go.."

"Babe? You have a boyfriend now?" Her father asked and looked at me. "A filthy American huh?"

"Hey! He's not just some American!" Suki yelled.

"Yeah he's our friend and Aki's boyfriend! Put respect on his name!" Momoko added on.

"It's very disrespectful of you to call him just an American.." Sayaki crossed her arms.

"Hmph. Aki you know how I feel about those fucking Americans." Aki's father said.

"That was in 1945! An entire CENTURY ago! You weren't even BORN then!" Aki yelled. "Just go away! You didn't want me then, and you don't want me now. At least I have people who actually care about me."

"Wait let us explain-"

Aki dragged me away and the others followed behind. We all got in the van and Aki covered her face. I comforted Aki and rubbed her shoulder. Rena started the van and drove off. We stopped by the bank first to deposit our earnings in the bank. After stopping by the bank, we went back home.

"I know you two are pretty tired so before you pack up, you can go rest and talk. I know seeing your absent parents is a shock." Rena said.

"Thank you." Aki smiled at Rena.

I got out of the van and helped Aki out. We all went inside of the house then Aki and I headed upstairs to talk in her room.

"I can't believe this shit." Aki said and closed the door, locking it. "After all of this. Abandoning me and never coming back until money is involved. Calling you a filthy American!? Like how low can a human possibly go..?"

I leaned against the door and crossed my arms. "We've got many enemies it seems. Raidon, Rin, your parents, Nightmare the Clown...too many enemies...Raidon was literally going to use the money to buy you back. He's still after you..."

"Why? Isn't he still dating Rin?" Aki asked.

"No clue but all I know is no one is going to take you away from me. From any of us in this house. I will fight for you until my last breath. I love you that much." I said.

Aki smiled and nodded. "I love you too, Archer."

There was a knock on the door. "Uhm, Aki...you have a visitor.." Mitsuki said.

Aki groaned and I got off the door. She unlocked the door and opened it then walked out of her room. I followed her and we headed downstairs together. Aki walked to the door and Mitsuki and I slowly followed. Aki opened the door and looked at the person then rose an eyebrow.

I noticed him as well. He was just some generic guy with black hair, glasses, white t-shirt, black jacket and shoes. One thing about him did set me off however. His blank expression. I walked ahead to the door and the guy looked at me.

"Hey, can we help you?" I asked.

"I'm here for Aki on behalf of Nagina and Sato. I drove them here." The guy said.

"Why?" Aki asked.

I was no mathematician but something just didn't seem to add up. I looked at the car he came in and noticed Aki's parents getting out the car. "How did you find us?"

"Raidon." The guy said.

"Are you associated with him?" I asked.

"We used to be in the same Yakuza." The guy said then walked out of the way of her parents.

"Aki, just listen, we just want to talk okay?" Nagina said.

"About what? What is there even to talk about?" Aki asked.

"Why we left you at the foster care." Sato said. "Can we come inside?"

Aki glared at her parents then rolled her eyes and walked to the living room. "Come in.."

Nagina and Sato walked in and looked around. They followed Aki to the couch. They all sat down.

"Can we talk without him around?" Sato asked and pointed at me.

"Come on dude-"

"Babe! It's fine...just wait for me in my room." Aki said and smiled at me.

I looked at Aki then sighed and headed upstairs. I quickly made my way behind the wall of the balcony and Mitsuki quickly followed me. I took my phone out and texted Rena that Aki's parents were here and how I had a bad feeling. Rena texted back to tell me if anything happens.

"Alright, speak. What lies do you have to tell me?" Aki asked.

"They aren't lies. Just please understand us okay?" Sato said.

"Fine." Aki said.

"It was the night after we took you to that amusement park and let you go in the haunted house. You were nearly scared to actual death and we took you to the hospital and they saved you. The hospital bill was pretty high and we didn't have the funds to pay it so the doctor told us that we could pay it all in little increments. To pay off your hospital bills we had to put you in foster care so we could keep enough money to pay off the bill. We planned to come back after paying it off, but we had to pay to get you back and we were already low on money..." Sato said.

Aki crossed her arms and looked at Sato. "So all those years I spent in the foster home, you were actually planning to come back. I wasn't being abandoned?"

"Of course not sweetheart! We could never abandon our child like that!" Nagina said. "That was not our intentions."

"Oh..." Aki said, starting to believe them. It sounded like a believable story.

They continued to talk for a bit and Aki was actually growing closer to them. It was like they were one big family again. Mitsuki listened as well and twirled her thumbs.

"Who was that guy though?" Aki asked.

"The guy who drove us? That was our Uber. We planned to bring a guest with us, but he's gonna be late. It's a boy you probably will know. I mean you and him talked all the time as kids." Nagina giggled.

Aki blushed and looked away. "Uhm...what are you talking about? I've never had a childhood friend."

"Childhood friend..? Aki told me everything about her...she's never had a childhood friend. This has to be a set up.." I said and began to stand up but Mitsuki stopped me.

"Hold on...not yet. Maybe it's something important.." Mitsuki said.

I sat back down and waited. After a few minutes I heard the doorbell ring. The moment of truth. The mystery guy they brought with them will soon be revealed. Rena ran down the hall and hurried down the stairs. I've never seen Rena run so fast. I got up quickly and followed Rena. Mitsuki followed afterwards and looked at Rena.

Aki looked at Rena. "Rena?"

"Don't open the door!" Rena yelled.

"Why shouldn't she? It's someone we all know." Sato said.

I walked down the stairs and looked at Rena then pat her shoulder. I walked to the door and immediately felt nervous and cold. The same chill Aki once had, I felt. My muscles felt more tight and constricted. I looked back at Rena and the others. Rena noticed how nervous I looked and I hadn't even touched the door knob yet. I walked to the door and placed my hand on the door knob then opened the door. I looked at the figure and my heart stopped. It was Nightmare the Clown, starting right into my soul.

Rena noticed me standing still and unmoving.

"Babe? Who's at the door?" Aki asked and walked ahead and tilted her head. She noticed who it was and screamed then stumbled backwards and fell to the ground.

Nightmare kept his same hellish grin but only moved his eyes to look at Aki who was on the ground. "Did you miss me...Aki..? Archer..?" He asked and looked at us.

"H-He knows your name now..?" Aki said with genuine fear in her voice. "Mom! Dad! Why?! Why is he here?!"

"I'm sorry Aki. We just need the money and the Yakuza has a large bounty for you. Over ¥3,000,000. He's willing to pay that much for you. Please, you don't want to make this harder than it already is." Nagina said then stood up.

I looked back and noticed Sato and Nagina walking towards Aki. I snapped out of my fear and I ran to her then tackled Sato. "Don't you touch her!"

"Get out of the way!" Sato yelled and kneed my stomach. I groaned and coughed then he tossed me to the side.

"Archer!" Mitsuki yelled and hurried over to me.

Rena ran to Nagina and shoulder tackled her. "You aren't taking her you pricks!"

Nagina groaned and fell to the ground. Rena grabbed Sato and held him in a headlock. She noticed Nightmare looking at her and for the first time...I noticed Rena was feeling genuine fear. Something about his mask was so unsettling. It was clear it was a mask he wore that could simulate different expressions based on the signals the nerves sent, but it was still uncanny.

Nightmare just stared at Rena then reached behind him and pulled out a pistol. He pointed it at Rena. "He warned me about you. You and our Yakuza has had history. Let him go and I won't have to kill you."

Rena was breathing heavily and just let him go. She looked at Aki. "We won't leave you. We will come for you!"

"Rena!" Aki yelled and got up. She tried to run to Rena but Sato grabbed her. She struggled to escape from his hold. "Let me go! Let go of me!"

I stood up and ran to Sato but Rena stopped me by grabbing my arm. I looked back at her. "Let me go, are you insane?!"

"Are you?! He has a gun! We can't fight him like this." Rena said.

"If you want to see her again. Come to Kuchisaki, Tsukijuzu. It is an eight hour drive from here. If you truly love her..." Nightmare said and chuckled then walked away. Nagina followed them out the house and got in the car, driving off.

"We have to call the police! We know where they are going to be!" Mitsuki said.

"No. If we call the police they are for sure going to do something to Aki. Archer. You and I are the only two who can actually fight in this house. We are saving Aki from that Yakuza...I refuse to lose another." Rena said then walked to the door. "Mitsuki, inform Sayaki that she's in charge until Archer and I return."

Mitsuki nodded and hurried upstairs.

I followed Rena to the door and we put on our shoes then we left to go to her van. We got in and she drove off to Kuchisaki, Tsukijuzu.