Black Plague

Chapter 36

Jessie took a deep breath, wincing as his shoulder grazed the tree he was leaning against. Feeling panicked and uneasy he looked around the forest surrounding Akita and him, only seeing the calm scenery around them.

"We don't have time to rest Jessie, that beast could be on us any second." Akita said nervously.

"Kinda bleeding out here man, I'm gonna need a minute." Jessie said quietly.

"We might not have a minute, just let me help you!" Akita said annoyed.

"Just shut up and give me a second." Jessie said as he closed his eyes.

Come on! This isn't fair! Never wanted this smoke and now that I need it I can't even use it!

Calm your mind and take a deep breathe. Conflict in the mind confuses the smoke, you must be clear with your intentions for it to obey you.

That's easy for you to say, you're not the one bleeding out.

"Fuck, there's only one way to fix this in time." Jessie said as he undid his belt. Pulling it free with his good arm he placed the leather in his mouth. He bit the leather and shuddered at the taste.

Beckoning the familiar cold to his right palm Jessie placed it on his bleeding shoulder, feeling the warmth of his blood against his ice cold palm.

This is really gonna hurt!

His shoulder exploded in the most intense pain he had ever felt-he grit his teeth into the belt and felt the leather tear. The cold quickly took over his entire left side of his body, slowly numbing it as the smoke traveled down his arm. He felt the bleeding slow and the pain start to subside only to be replaced by an intense exhaustion.

He felt the skin under his hand repair itself and removed his hand. He watched as the wounds closed leaving only exposed skin underneath tattered, bloody clothes.

"I still think it would have been easier for me to just lick you honestly." Akita said as he bent down. He reached out hesitantly towards Jessie's shoulder.

Taking the ruined belt from his mouth and pulling into back into his pant loops he scoffed.

"Yeah maybe, but if I don't learn how to do these things on my own I'm not gonna survive." He said as he clipped his belt into place. He reached out his hand towards Akita.

"Can you give me a hand here, my legs still feel a little weak."

Moving his hand away from his shoulder and towards his hand Akita helped Jessie up. As soon as he stood upright he was hit with an intense wave of vertigo blurring his vision.

"So this is what being low on smoke feels like, I'm not gonna lie I don't love it." Jessie said as the stars in his eyes slowly disappeared from view.

"Consider yourself lucky, any more spent would have left you vulnerable." L said as he appeared in a black cloud on Jessie's shoulder.

"You have just enough smoke to be able to say my name."

Stretching his newly healed shoulder holding it high above his head Jessie laughed.

"Still not happening. I'm feeling low but I'm not out of this fight just yet." He said with a smile.

"Uh one small question." Akita said drawing both their attention. "How is he supposed to fill his tank back up, not that I'm doubting your abilities Jessie I'm just worried he might not have enough for what's to come?"

"I will explain another time, my physical form drains him of his smoke ever so slightly and we wouldn't want him to run out now would we?" L said disappearing before anyone could answer.