Teen Years

Chapter 17: The Encounter

Black Mist showed Yoru the booklet that the other Number gave him while he was in that town. He leafed through the pages with Yoru, reading out the words and translating them to the Darkling language so that Yoru would know what they meant.

Yoru became intrigued by this "Flying Race." Everyone seemed keen on winning, which was every Darkling's dream: to win against everything! He used to think that he couldn't do anything with his blindness until he learned how to "see" with his ears.

"This sounds interesting," Yoru commented after they went over all the rules and regulations as well as what the race was about.

"Yeah," Black Mist said with a smile. He got up and stretched. "Wanna fly around for a while?"

Yoru snorted. "No, thank you. I feel like I need to sleep again since you woke me up." He curled into a loose ball with his tail touching his snout again. "I will see you tomorrow, hopefully when I am not asleep."

Black Mist chuckled and waved as he left. "Sure. See ya!"

He jumped back into the trees to hop around a bit just for fun.

As he swung through the trees, he leaped from bramch to branch with the daunting ground dangerously below him. Not that he minded. He loved danger sometimes when he wasn't dangerously in danger. Aside from that, it was normally fun!

Not long after he started did he crash into someone for the second time! Both Numbers fell to the floor in a heap with the one who bumped into Black Mistnon top, crushing the already injured Number.

This shit again!? He growled and forcefully pushed the other Number off of him. It was a girl.

"Oi!" she growled. It was obvious that she was a Dark Number due to her behavior and her energy. "Watch where you're going, numbskull!"

Oh, she's telling me to watch where I'm going!? "Why don't you watch where you're going!?" he spat back at her. He got up and brushed the dirt off of him with his nose scrunched up.

"Oh, you're telling me that?" She laughed. "You wanna go!?"

Black Mist would have preferred not to since he wasn't really fully healed, but hey, his pride was at stake here! Every Dark Number knew that one's pride was everything!

"Don't fall for it," the voice annoyingly warned. "What if she is capable of much more? Plus, you haven't healed yet."

"I thought you said I could take anyone on," he hissed.

"Who you talkin' to!?"

Before he could even refocus, Black Mist's waist was wrapped with some kind of tentacles that were coming from...

Her head? Is this shit her hair!?

He didn't have time to confirm this, for he was slammed into the ground. Then, she was looming over him with her fists raised and ready to punch.

Black Mist raised his hands and caught her fists. Then, he wound up both legs and delivered a square kick to her abdomen, giving him enough time to scamper out of the way while she gasped and tried to get her breath back.

He clambered up to the highest limb of the highest tree. "She's fast..." he mumbled as he readied some tentacles of his. He had been working on making them stronger, but now, they were desperately needed.

He threw them at the Dark Number girl with sharpened tips. They were thin, so they were fast with the downfall of being weak. Still, it was better to be faster than to be stronger. He would just have to increase the number of the tendrils.

The tentacles his home, but instead of blood spattering out, smoke poofed out of it. It was a mirage!

Frantic, Black Mist looked around like a madman! Where is she!? Where the fuck is she!?

"Hello, pretty boy," a girl's voice whispered in his ear before something hit the curve of his back. Black Mist felt a jolt and was paralyzed, more psychologically than physically. He once again fell to the ground and immediately sent more tentacles.

Two Shadow Creatures jumped out of the shadows, much to both of the Numbers' surprise. They held the girl's arms behind her and managed to render her defenseless. As the tentacles flew again, she grinned and poofed again when they hit.

This time, Black Mist was ready. He flung himself to the right as a fist launched at him. He grinned and sent a kick straight at her. To his great relief, this one was real! As quickly as that relief came, though, doubt settled in. The first one got hit once and poofed the second. What if this one did the same?

For a while, they both circled around each other, assessing each other. They didn't dare speak at all.

"Why are you hesitating?" the voice asked. "Remember that she may be dangerous."

"I'm seeing when she'll move," Black Mist mumbled. "It's dangerous to make the first move."

"While that is true, you need to end this quickly!"

"Will you just-"

"Hey, who're you talking to?" the girl asked. "Your mouth is moving; you must be having hallucinations!" She laughed. "That means you're insane!"

Black Mist growled. He was easily irritable, so he had a hard time controlling his anger. Such was the curse of a 96; they had to learn to control their explosive emotions.

"She's taunting you! Do not fall for her trap! Anger clouds the mind!"

"Shut up!" he screamed ar both the voice and at the girl. "I am not insane, you bitch!"

The girl suddenly perked up. She looked around with quick movements and turned back to Black Mist. "I'll get you back later!" she snarled as she ran off in the opposite direction.

Black Mist's ears pricked up. He remained as still as he could for the longest time ever.

Rustling leaves. This single sound made Black Mist's brain race into overdrive. His eyes widened, his ears swiveled all around to pick up sounds all around. He leaped up into a tree and found a hollow hole in the tree and squeezed in there. It was somewhat small, but he was used to it. His body seemed to meld into the shape somewhat as well. From there, he was able to see what was going on below him.

What he saw was a man. A man in a cloak.