REVENGE「GOJO SATORU X OC」

ELEVEN

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Chapter Eleven: Postcards Are A Crack Of Shit

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"OW! Goddammit,"

Aki stumbled back, catching herself before she could trip over the box behind her. She rubbed the spot on her forehead and stepped forward, ducking under the metal bed frame on which she'd just hit her head. She rubbed her forehead as she walked out of the storage locker.

She could hear Gojo still rustling inside as she walked towards the rental car. She leaned against the hood, taking a pack of cigarettes from her pocket. As she lit one, she heard Gojo call her name. He held some sort of piece of paper in his hand.

"What is it?" She called.

"A postcard?" He replied questioningly.

She motioned for him to bring it to her. She took the cardstock from him, looking at the city of Tokyo stamped onto the front of the card. She placed the cigarette into her mouth and flipped the card around.

"8735 Florence Avenue, Baltimore, Maryland," She read. "Well, that sure as hell wasn't where we lived."

"A friend?" Gojo asked. "Could be someone your old man knew."

"Possibly," She said. "There's only one way to find out."

Handing the card back to him, she approached the storage locker. She pulled the door down, crouching to slide the padlock into place. She locked it with a click and removed the key, placing it into her pocket. She took the set of keys from her pocket and opened the car door. She took her phone from the dash and placed the address into the GPS.

"It's just around the block," Gojo said. "You think someone there will know about the sanctuary?"

"My dad didn't have any friends outside of the demon hunters," She said, taking the last drag of her cigarette before tossing it out of the cracked window. "So if someone was sending him a postcard, not even with a message, it had to be someone from there. I doubt we'll get an answer from anyone in the house, but," She shrugged. "It's worth a shot."

"It's right up here," Gojo said.

Aki pulled the car over on the side of the street. She took her phone and the postcard from Gojo and opened the door. She waited for Gojo before she crossed the street, skipping over the sidewalk.

"Cozy looking place," Gojo hummed beside her.

"I suppose," Aki muttered.

They both walked onto the porch, their steps thumping on the wooden boards. She grabbed the screen door and opened it with a creak, reaching forward to knock on the door.

"Aki," Gojo said, making her glance at him. She watched his lips turn into a frown. Then, she felt it.

A familiar presence registered in her mind. She whipped her head to the door as it opened. A man appeared, rubbing his neck tiredly. His hair was dark brown, close to black, but had streaks of gray mixed in. His eyes were a deep amber, matching the color of the leaves around them.

"Whatever you're selling, I'm not interested."

He lifted his head, his gaze falling on the woman in front of him. Her eyes were wide, lips parted with shock. He felt his heart drop into the pit of his stomach.

"Oh...God," He whispered.

Her eyes slowly began to narrow, her eyebrows lacing together. The card in her hand dropped. The man took a step back.

"Aki," He said. "Listen to me—"

"Y-You're alive?" She snapped, backing him into the house. Gojo glanced behind the man and frowned.

"I can explain, just—"

"You fucking coward!"

Gojo grabbed her shoulder, making her shake him off. He grabbed her arm. She tore it from his grasp. He wrapped his arm around her chest and pulled her back. She fought against him.

"How could you?!" She yelled, her eyes blazing with anger. "Where the fuck have you been, for fourteen goddamn years?!"

"Marius, who's that?"

She looked behind the man to see a woman approaching. Her eyes slowly widened when she saw Aki as well. She raised a hand to her mouth.

"Oh, Aki," She whispered.

She broke away from Gojo's grasp. She grabbed the man by the collar of his shirt and forced him back into the house, slamming him against the wall in the hallway. Her forearm pressed against his throat, making his face twist in discomfort.

"Fourteen fucking years," She hissed. "I thought you were dead all this time. I thought I was the last goddamn demon hunter!"

He put his hands on her wrist. "Y-You are. I am no longer like you, Akeldama."

She leaned her weight against him. "Do not address me by that."

"Your father gave you that name—"

"My father is dead. Or is he alive hiding out somewhere too?"

"Aki," Gojo said. "Let him go. Give him time to explain himself."

"Why should I?" She snapped, glaring at him over her shoulder. Gojo nodded his head towards the stairs.

When Aki turned her head, her hold on the man loosened. Two teenagers stood at the top of the stairs, watching her with wide eyes.

"Aki! Aki!"

The girl laughed as she walked into the home, immediately greeted by two toddlers at her legs. She crouched down, opening her arms as they jumped on her.

"Anne-Marie, Elena, girls, give your cousin her space!"

The teenager laughed as she stood up. "They're fine, Uncle Marius!"

She looked back at him with a glare. Slowly, she stepped back from him. She flexed her fingers at her side.

"I will give you ten minutes to explain why you are standing in front of me and not in the fucking grave I dug for you," She said, her voice wavering.

"I promise I will explain everything," He said, bringing his hands to her face. She flinched away from him before letting him touch her. "But first, let me admire you. You look so much like Adrian. You've grown, Aki."

She moved his hands away from her face. "Stop mourning,"

"Why don't we all come to sit in the living room?" The woman offered. "Marius will explain everything there. You must be tired. Do any of you want anything to drink? A snack?"

"A bottle of whiskey," Aki muttered under her breath. Gojo shook his head.

"Alcoholic."

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