Brothers, I'll Be Back

Chapter 9 - Again

JINX'S POV, A few weeks later...

Jinx: "It's time..."

I got out of bed in the middle of the night and headed downstairs. I decided to go out the back door.

Addi: "Jinx?"

Jinx: "Shit..."

I turned around to see Addi staring at me.

Addi: "Where are you going? Are you... running away?"

Jinx: "Addi, it's not like that... I'm... on my way home."

Addi: "Home?"

Jinx: "Nanba prison."

Addi: "But Jinx, this is your home now. I-I don't understand."

I put my hands on her shoulders and looked her in the eyes.

Jinx: "I'm sorry, but Nanba will always be my home. It will always be the place I was raised. And it will always be the place with the people I love."

Addi: "..."

Jinx: "I still love you. And Lucy, Tyler... Claire and Ryan... I'm so grateful to you all. But this place... it's just not home for me."

Addi: "But you said you left Nanba on purpose... why the sudden urge to go back?"

Jinx: "*sigh* It was always my plan to go back."

Addi: "I don't understand... Why did you even come here?"

Jinx: "I... I need to take care of something important... I'm sorry... but I can't say any more than that. Uhm... watch the news in a couple days. That'll tell you everything."

Addi: "... Were you even planning on saying goodbye?"

Jinx: "I... thought it'd be best if I just slipped away in the night. Let me become a memory."

She threw her arms around me.

Addi: "I'll miss you..."

Tears filled our eyes.

Jinx: "I'll miss you too."

We left out the back door and ran to the nearest bus stop. I got on the bus, headed for my hometown. The last place I was before I was arrested all those years ago.

Jinx: "He's still there, I know it... I'm coming for you, Damien."

THE BOY'S POV, In the game room...

Tsukumo, Honey, Trois & Liang: "SHE WHAT?!"

Rock: "Keep it down."

Tsukumo: "She's going to kill her brother."

Liang: "Her blood related brother."

Trois: "Her last remaining family member."

Honey: "Why would she do that?"

Uno: "Think about it. How would you feel if you wanted to kill a group of people but one of them escaped?"

Jyugo: "The worst one."

Honey: "I... I get it. She told me about her brother... and how I look like him."

Trois: "Wait, when did that happen?"

Honey: "When you locked us in the closet together, remember, jerk?"

Uno: "Oh yeah. You two wouldn't stop fighting so we locked you in there until you could come out holding hands."

Liang: "And they actually did."

Uno: "Yeah, good times."

Honey: "Shut up!! She's my friend too now, so lay off!"

Tsukumo: "I can't help but worry about her. Though I must say, she is incredibly brave for doing this by herself."

Nico: "But what if that guy's still a danger to her? She's out there all alone."

Jyugo: "Nico's right. She's still a kid."

Liang: "It's true that she's still a young girl. But she's grown a lot and gotten mentally and physically stronger since she arrived here as a small child. I trust her to say safe."

Rock: "AH! I hate not knowing what's going on with her! She could get seriously hurt and we would have no idea!"

Trois: "As her brothers, your worry is completely reasonable. She followed you everywhere, never left your side. And now we don't know what she's up to. But I feel you're all forgetting one crucial detail."

Uno: "Yeah? What's that?"

Trois: "She's a killer. She did it once before, she can do it again."

Honey: "And if she can do it again, she'll eventually end up back here at Nanba."

Jyugo: "I... I guess you're right..."