Number Childhood

Chapter 4: Nightmares and a Special Treat

Hope came back a few minutes later with Sanaji and Mint in tow. He looked into Black Mist's room to see Sam putting Black Mist to bed. The young Number was asleep, his eyes red as if he was crying.

"What happened, Sam?" Hope asked.

"Nothing much. I think he was just emotional," Sam explained, tucking his little body with the blanket. "Everything's alright."

Sanaji sat down on the bed and stroked Black Mist's hair. "Are you sure he's okay?"

"Yeah," Sam said. "He's fine."

"Good," Hope sighed. "I hope he does not get too upset. He was beaten quite badly when I found him. It must have been traumatizing."

Hope ushered everyone outside so that Black Mist could sleep in peace. He turned off the lights and closed the door softly.

As soon as the lights were completely cut off, fear enveloped Black Mist's sleeping form. His mind entered sleep paralysis. Many dark figures approached him like the gang members who used to torment him. Their voices taunted him.

"Aww, is the little Number gonna cry?"

"Shame you haven't aquired your overlay units yet, huh?"

"He's such a pansy!"

"He can't even defend himself! Not with a measly 1000 defense power!"

Black Mist tried to move, to cover his ears, but his body was paralyzed. To his horror, the figures were closing in, circling around him to keep the prying eyes away. He wanted to scream, to warn anyone within range, but he couldn't produce a sound.

Suddenly, he was back in the forest, running away from the gang. He had a huge hole in his abdomen, which threatened to spill his organs if he didn't keep his hand over the wound. He also had a long gash from his forehead down to his chin. It ran in a diagonal path and kept dripping blood into his eye sockets. His left hand was nearly detatched, he was deaf in his right ear, he had lost his sight because they ripped out his eyes, and he couldn't produce a word since his tongue was ruthlessly and slowly cut off. He was weak, he was dizzy, and he was disoriented. He kept crashing into the trees due to his lack of sight, making all of his wounds ten times worse.

Black Mist suddenly felt strong arms pick him up when he stumbled to the ground again. He had a feeling of being lifted up from the ground. Gentle hands examined his face, his wounds. He felt the being fly up.

"A Dark Number? Why would one be here?" The Number kept examining him. Black Mist was just hanging limp in the stranger's arms.

Suddenly, the Number threw him down, laughing. With a thud, Black Mist hit the ground. It felt like the wind rushed out of him. He sensed many people, and the gang was suddenly upon him. He heard a laugh.

"You're a weak, pathetic Number!" the same Number who picked him up laughed. "You'll never grow strong! You will always be the one who will die!" The next part crushed the little Number. "I can't believe that you, a weak, pathetic, prissy ass Number is Don Thousand's son! No wonder he abandoned you here to rot!"

Black Mist sensed the Number fly away with a final laugh. The gang members were finally on him, ripping him apart brutally and repeating every word the Number said.

A soothing voice sang to him. A hand stroked his hair.

Black Mist opened his eyes and immediately threw his arms around the one who was singing. He cried his eyes out.

"Shh. It's okay, Black Mist," Hope soothed. "It was only a nightmare. No need to fret." He hugged the little Number back in reassurance. "You're safe. Nothing to worry about."

Black Mist kept sobbing and sobbing. Hope pulled him into his lap, stroking his hair and waiting for him to calm down.

"P-Papa, it-it was ho-horrible..." he sobbed. "I-I couldn't see, a-and-"

"Just slow down and breathe," Hope said.

Black Mist did as he was told and took several deep breaths. Soon, he was calm.

"I'm not going to bother asking what it was about," Hope said softly. "I know it must have been terrible. I also know you will tell me when you want to."

Black Mist nodded and pressed himself against Hope. "I'm scared, Papa..." he mumbled. "What if they come back...?"

"They won't. I promise." Hope rubbed his back soothingly. "No need to worry, little one."

After a while longer, Hope got up. Black Mist followed, afraid to fall asleep again. They made their way to the main room, where Sanaji and Mint were trading blows, training each other.

"Still at it?" Hope chuckled, watching them. He smiled when Mint got a hold of Sanaji's tail, the only weakness of an untrained saiyan. She was learning.

"M-Mint!" Sanaji protested. "Let go of my tail! That's cheating!"

Mint giggled. "No, it's not! Your tail is a weakness!"

Black Mist sat on the couch. He wasn't in the mood to have fun; he was still shaken up by the events of his nightmare.

Sanaji and Mint noticed. Mint let go of Sanaji's tail, and both girls walked over to the Number.

"Are you okay, Black Mist?" Mint asked. "You don't look well."

Sanaji looked panicked. She was probably not used to seeing anyone like this. "Are you hurting? What's wrong?" She took Black Mist's shoulders and shook him violently, forgetting that he had wounds.

"Stop! Stop!" Black Mist pleaded. "You're making it worse!"

"S-sorry..." Sanaji immediately stopped. "So...what's wrong?"

Black Mist didn't answer. He didn't feel like it.

"He'll tell you when he's ready," Hope explained. "I will be in th kitchen, making a special treat. Tell Sam when he gets back."

Sanaji immediately brightened up. "A special treat? Does he mean that really good pudding stuff?"

Black Mist's ears pricked at that word. "What? You mean the pastry?" He sat up, hopeful. "The one that's really hard to get and really hard to master?"

"Yeah!" Sanaji bounced up and down. "He's gonna make it!"

Black Mist smiled. At that time, Sam walked in.

"What's got everyone in a good mood?" he asked when he saw them all excited.

"Papa is making the pastry!" Black Mist exclaimed happily.

Sam smiled, enjoying the smiles on their faces.