Behind the Laugh (EraserJoke fan-fiction)

Chapter 3:

As Emi entered her apartment she came face to face with Haiko. He was livid. The bat was in his hand and he twirled it before rushing her. She leapt out of the way dropping into a roll.

The man lunged again this time catching her with his hand, he spun the girl and slammed her into the wall. She grabbed his arm and slammed her arm into the crook of his elbow.  He screamed in pain and swung his other fist into her face.

Coughing she ducked out of the way of the next swing, rising and bringing her knee into his groin. Using her opening she fled into the bedroom locking the door. She grabbed a suitcase and began throwing all her clothes into it. Flinching at each pound of the door, crying at each scream. Sipping the case closed her heart pounding, she made her way to the window.

Opening the sill, she threw the case out the window and a fist broke through the door.

"Bitch! Your nothing with out me!" He screamed. She, crying climbed out the window and jumped as the door was broken down.

"Get back here Emi!!!" He screamed out the window.  She reached for the tree and grabbed onto it. Her hands getting severely scratched. She let go and fell the rest of the way to the ground.

She grabbed the suitcase and ran to the bus stop.

The bus which she had asked to wait tore out of the parking lot after she boarded.

Dropping into the open seat at the front she began to cry. Looking at her bleeding hands, and hearing the whispers behind her.

"Hey that's Ms. Joke."

"No Joke is always smiling. That can't be her."

She sobbed as the bus driver tore towards the police station.

"Ms. Fukukado, hang in there we're going to police." The driver said, glancing at her in the rear view mirror.
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The driver, holding her suit case, escorted her in. She held his free arm and cried.

The people in the station rushed to her aid, taking the drivers statement. The chief rushed to her side but she could no longer hear them as she blocked out everyone, angry that she was this weak and couldn't keep her mask up.

The chief deployed men to the apartment and took her to their healer. He was able to heal her hands and a few of the broken bones in her rib cage. But he couldn't do much on the bigger bruises.

"Ms.Joke, will you still be able to complete the assignment?" The chief asked.

She nodded. She had to. To rebuild her self, she needed to do this.

"Yes Sir."
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When Aizawa arrived he was briefed with the situation. He and his daughter met Emi as she approached the old beat up pickup truck.

Aizawa put Eri in her car seat. And then hopped in the drivers side, while Emi got in on the passenger side.

She had refused to tell Eraser. And forbid anyone from telling him. She didn't want to see his disappointment and scorn right now.

They drove in silence, and eventually Eri fell asleep. Aizawa looked at Emi. He knew something was off with the woman, as she had not even smiled once on the trip.

"Hey. What's wrong with you?" He asked and she jumped.

"What do you mean?" She answered avoiding his eye contact. He growled, but let it go. They continued the drive until the city turned rural, and eventually ending in their destination.

The old farm house was beautiful. It was a two story house with classic limestone, and a black shingled roof, the windows were rather large, and the front door was beautiful oak.

Large trees surrounded the house and a wooden swing hung from one of the strong branches in the front.

Aizawa and Emi quickly got out, grabbed Eri, and all their belongings, before entering the house. The inside was extraordinary.

The stairs were directly in front of the door, dark grey carpet lining the floors and the upstairs. Downstairs was dark grey wood floors. On the side of the stairs was the fully furnished living room. And behind the stairs was the kitchen and dinning room.

"Is this our new house?" Eric's small voice asked hesitantly. Emi dropped to her level and smiled, "Do you want to explore?"

Eri nodded a small smile of her own gracing her face.  Aizawa glanced at the older woman. Her smile was back but there was something wrong with the way she held herself.

"Alright let's go!!" Emi said excitedly. Then she took the girls hand and they walked up the stairs. Aizawa began setting up surveillance of the lower level, angling the devices to observe the abandoned wear house about eight miles to the right. Zooming the cameras in on various parts of the wear house.

Eri let out a small scream, Aizawa dropped what he was doing and sprinted up the stair and dashed to the open door in the narrow hallway. Sliding in he saw Eri alone staring at the closet.

"Eri! What's wrong?" He said grabbing hold of the girl protectively. She pointed at the closet and looked at him.

"The closet ate Emi!" Then she turned and started crying in his uniform. Aizawa looked at the closet, then they both started as the heard a laugh.

"Wow! It's a secret room!" Emi's voice called up, "Oh and there's a ladder, man wish I knew that before I nearly died." Then the sea green head of Emi Fukukado reappeared as the woman climbed out.

Eri ripped her self free and latched onto Emi. "I thought you were gone." The little girl cried.

Emi let out a small laugh, "It'll take more than a secret room to take me down."

Aizawa rolled his eyes at the woman as Emi laughed. "I'm going down to check it out!"

Aizawa growled lowly and left the room, Emi felt a small pang in her heart as he left, but kept it from her face, the little girl sat down and waited led as the woman climbed down.

Once her feet hit the concrete she turned on the flashlight on her phone and peered arond the room. She looked along the wall for a switch and flipped it on once she found it.

The room was rather small, and it was completely empty. The walls were bare and the ground was cold concrete. She felt around the walls checking to make sure there wasn't any more surprises.

Finding none she flipped of the lights and went back up the ladder.

Reaching the floor Eri was on she and the girl finished looking around.