Proxy: The Measure of a God

Chapter 8

    JET GUESSED IT HAD BEEN an hour. His mother had gone back inside, which he did not take personally. He was sure she had grieved throughout the week. Amy had silently stood behind him the whole time.

    Jet wanted to stay longer, but he knew there was work to be done, and staring at his father's ashes would not accomplish anything. The cremation was complete.

    "Can you finish this?" Jet asked Amy as he headed inside. "I still need to ... talk to Susanoo."

    Amy nodded. "I was going to stay here with your mom anyway."

    Jet knew that would be her answer. Amy being a goddess didn't change anything between them. He would stick to his vows even if it meant killing several of these proxies.

    He entered his parents' house through the back door and saw Susanoo speaking with his mother. Susanoo let Aki finish her sentence before speaking.

    "It was nice being caught up, Aki, but I need to borrow your son for a while. We'll most likely be leaving together afterward. Will you be all right by yourself, or do you need me to have a friend keep you company?"

    Aki briefly looked up as she considered her answer. "I don't think anyone's interested in me, but if company means another god, then sure. It would make for interesting conversation."

    Susanoo smiled and gave a deep nod, almost a bow. "Her name is Uzume. Amy is already acquainted with her. Expect her within a minute of our departure."

    Susanoo looked meaningfully at Jet and motioned to the living room. Jet did not know if it was intentional or not, but Susanoo had chosen to have their talk in the same room in which his father had died. As the god sat on the couch, he flicked his wrist toward the roof. Water filled the gap from the collapse, and not a drop trickled down. The water just floated up there despite there being every reason for it to come down and drench them.

    "So you're the Japanese god of the ocean, I'm guessing," Jet said as he sat in the loveseat across from him.

    Susanoo gave a good-humored smile. "I wanted the sun, but your wife won that."

    Susanoo's attempt at levity was more transparent than the water that was bridging the roof, but Jet did not hold it against him. He knew Susanoo was trying to be pleasant to a grieving son.

    Susanoo studied Jet's reaction, or lack thereof, and spoke in a measured tone. "I'm going to be direct, then. Each pantheon of gods must pick a warrior to represent them, someone of proper heritage. I have chosen you. Now normally I would have given you your blessing and let you roam free. By all accounts, that should have been enough. You do have the Kusanagi after all and are trained in kendo. And the sooner you kill the Egyptian proxy and bring an end to Set, the better. Tezuka Yoshimoto needs to be avenged." Susanoo seemed to be speaking more to himself than Jet. He caught himself and continued. "But there's a problem with one of the other pantheon's choices. It would be unwise for you to venture out just yet."

    "So by blessing, you mean I need permission before I pursue another proxy."

    "No, nothing like that. A blessing is an ability granted to you by the gods. Yours will be speed bursts." Susanoo chortled a bit. "You've seen the maneuver in entertainment. A samurai moves with a burst of speed from point A to point B and something or someone is cut deeply in the process."

    Jet did not mean to react, but his eyes must have betrayed him.

    "That got your attention," Susanoo said. "I'll want you to come with me afterward to train and to stay out of the city for a while. Keep in mind though that if another proxy finds us, I won't be able to interfere."