(Outdated) The King of Elements

The Boy in the Black Cloak

McManus chuckled as he went back to his computer, watching a compilation video on people falling off of skateboards. He wasn't sure what he was chuckling at more, the people on the video, or Dre's meeting with Megumi. He'd known Dre all his life, basically becoming another uncle to him. It seemed like yesterday when he was just a little kid. Now, he was smack dab in his awkward teen years, just like his own son, Lucius. "Man, I'm getting old."

The door suddenly swung open. A short, pudgy man with gray, balding hair stumbled in. His upper lip was hidden by a thick mustache as bushy as his eyebrows. His sandy-brown suit was wrinkled. He looked at McManus with drunken, glazed over eyes and grunted as he made his way to his office. 

McManus scowled at the walrus of a man walking past him with the grace of an inebriated monkey. It was no wonder why he took so long getting there. "Principal Dixon?" McManus asked. "What the hell, man? Where were you? We had a new student waiting for you about twenty minutes ago. "

Dixon looked around the front office. "Well, where is she?" he grumbled under his breath.

"Off to class. I've already took care of her schedule. I assigned Dre to show her where it was at, since they were enrolled in the same class."

"Good. Good. I'm gonna go take a couple of aspirin and a nap. Take care of things, would you?" he slurred. He walked into his office without letting McManus answer.

With a huff, McManus turned back to his computer. That was one thing that he hated about his position, having to work under a principal who probably hadn't gone a day without booze. It was odd. As many times as McManus complained to the Board of Education about this, Dixon always found a way to sober up long enough for them not to be suspicious. It was almost as if there was something else at play. Almost as if he was being controlled by someone else. And with the reports of Aggaron the Dark possibly regaining his strength, it made him uneasy about the whole situation. What if it actually was Aggaron's doing? "Oh, crap," he whispered to himself.

He had to go check him for the Hell-Sealed tattoos. McManus spun from the computer and stopped dead in his tracks as he stood. In front of his desk stood a young boy with a jet black cloak that engulfed his whole body, except for his head, which was covered in black, matted hair, covering his eyes. His skin was pale, almost translucent. He tilted his head as he gave a twisted, inhuman grin, his cloak swaying slowly in the windless air.

Ignoring the chill running up his spine, McManus forced a smile as he crept a hand into his pocket, wrapping it around a titanium cylinder. It was cool to the touch. He knew that the use of elemancy on Earth were strictly forbidden unless it deemed fit. He just hoped that the higher ups would deem it fit, if his suspicion was correct. "You must be lost little boy. The elementary school is across the street."

"How cute," the young boy said. "I'm afraid I'm not here for such trivial matters. I am actually here on business. Oh, and you can take your hand off of the titanium in your pocket. It would do you no good."

McManus scowled as he released the rod. "Who are you?"

"You know exactly who I am." The boy smiled, showing off his jagged, shark-like teeth before his flowing cloak swayed in front of him. It evaporated in thin air, taking the boy with it.

McManus stared at the spot where the boy once stood. That couldn't be him, could it? He gasped as he looked towards Dixon's office. "Dixon!" he called as he vaulted over the counter. He pounded on the principal's door. There was no answer. It didn't help that Dixon always locked the door whenever he napped. McManus checked the office door for anymore tardy students before he melded his fingers with the titanium, making a make-shift lock pick. "Come on, come on," he muttered to himself as he pushed the tumblers in place. With a resounding click, McManus rushed into Dixon's room, where Dixon was sitting behind his desk, looking almost as if he was waiting for McManus. Though his eyes showed no signs of inebriation, the smell of whisky was almost suffocating him. He tried his best to put on a facade. "Dixon-"

"I could've sworn I locked the door. Leave," he said with an eerily calm tone.

Clearing his throat, McManus straightened. "Yes, well, the thing is-"

"I said leave!" At once, an imperceptible force launched McManus backwards into the wall, knocking the breath out of him. McManus fell to his hands and knees as the door slammed itself shut.

"Dammit," he wheezed though clinched teeth. Drawing his cell phone from his blazer pocket, he dailed for his friend. After two rings, Toney Gladestone, the interim King of Elements, picked up. 

"Yo. Were you able to introduce Megumi to Dre?" the King asked.

"Yeah, but we got something else to worry about," McManus croaked. "Aggaron's been here, and I think he's possessed the principal."