Teen Years

Chapter 10: Unexpected Assault

A few days later, Black Mist was still at the orphanage. He decided to stay and get to know the little ones a little better.

"Tell us a story!" one of the girls begged.

Black Mist nodded. He still remembered Green Eggs and Ham from when he was little. He smiled at the memory and told it to the kids.

The Number children sat around him as he talked about a man who hated green eggs and ham. They found it amusing and entertaining.

When he was done with the story, one little girl looked up at him.

She had gold hair with white eyes. She had on a sleeveless gold dress that stopped at her knees. Her arms had white, cone-like sleeves that weren't attached to her dress. The rim at the bottom was gold. Her skin was completely white with gold lines from her forehead, through her eyes, and to the bottom of her cheeks. She had gold boots on her feet, and her eyes held an intelligent stare. Her energy wasn't that of a Number.

"Who told you this story?" she asked.

"My brother Sam. I called him Onii-sama."

The kids started mumbling that name. "Onii-sama..." It was as if they were tasting the word if that was even possible. They smiled.

"We'll call you Onii-sama!" one boy exclaimed.

The other kids nodded in agreement.

Black Mist smiled. They'reusingthemameIgavemyOnii-sama. It feelsnice.

The child with the white eyes walked up to Black Mist. She looked at him with her blank yet knowing stare.

"Can you give me a name?" she asked bluntly.

"A name? You don't have one?"

"No."

Strange. This child didn't have a name. Well, she should have one, at least. It was only fair.

"Should I give you a name?" he asked.

The girl nodded. "Please."

"Then..." Black Mist wasn't very good at naming. Not like Hope.

Hope. The sheer thought of him made his blood boil. He had abandoned him in that town. Even if he couldn't find him, he still had to look harder!

The girl spoke. "Anything's fine."

Black Mist sighed. "Well, then, I'll call you Goldie."

She smiled. "What's your name?"

"Number 96 Black Mist."

"Then I'll call you Blackie!" Goldie giggled.

Black Mist sighed, chuckling. "I guess it's only fair that you give me some weird nickname when I gave you a weird name."

"Children!" Hope called. "Come and eat!"

The kids all got up and ran to the dining room. Black Mist followed them, deciding that it was now time to go home. His ankle was better, so he was very much capable of taking care of himself again.

"Hope," he called, not calling him "papa" as he used to, "I'll get going."

Home looked at his son, seeing the need for some distance in his eyes. He didn't want to hold him back if he needed it, maybe to gather his thoughts or something. "Of course. Be safe."

Black Mist nodded. The kids protested, though.

"Onii-sama!"

"Please don't leave!"

"We want you to stay!"

Black Mist looked at the kids and smiled. "I'll be back someday now that I know where it is." He looked at Hope with a cold stare. "You'd better look harder for me, Hope."

Hope chuckled and nodded.

Black Mist went to the front door and opened it. The night air hit him, but something else was in the wind.

He lifted his head, trying to catch a scent while his hands closed the door behind him.

In the air, something rank filled the air. The scent of an enemy.

Black Mist scrunched his nose in disgust. What a horrid stench! What the hell is this!?

He walked forward, putting as little weight on his right foot as possible. That stench was still in the air, which bothered the Dark Number.

He stopped suddenly when his ears twitched to the right. Was there something, or someone, there? What made the sound?

Shuffling footsteps...moving forward...toward me...

Black Mist pushed himself slighty off the ground in case he had to make a speedy escape.

He looked around slowly, carefully taking in everything. Nothing seemed to be moving, but his ears begged to differ.

Suddenly, a hand shot out of the darkness behind him, covering his mouth and pining his hands to his back. Black Mist tried to struggle out, to get away, to survive, but the person was much, much stronger than he was.

He was thrown into an alley. He landed on his stomach, then flipped himself over and got to his feet. He couldn't see his assailant, but he knew that it was going to be crazy.