Chapter 14: Someone in the Dark

A Chapter by Andrew Akuna

Someone in the Dark

"A long time ago, I had a friend similar to Xero." Vlad said to Longinus, They were sitting on the roof of the building leading to Longinus's apartment. "The only difference was that he didn't discriminate. He hated everyone, not just members of the canine family."

"So how the hell were you friends?" Longinus asked.

"Easy. We agreed on a simple thing we had in common. We both hated each other."

Longinus laughed. "So what happened to him?"

"No clue." Vlad answered with a shrug. "I think he died. Haven't seen him in over two hundred years. Much like a certain Wolf I know." He glared at Longinus with a half smile.

Longinus looked out over the city. "Hey, it's your fault. You make it impossible to find you."

"Ah, but have you been looking?"

"Admittedly, no. I gave up fifty years ago."

Vlad shrugged. "I would've, too." he said. "Not wise to waste one's life searching for that which cannot be found, even if that one's life is infinite."

"I wonder where Xero is." Longinus said, looking around. "He said he had to go find something in the city."

"How's long's he been gone?"

"About four hours."

"Damn, given the current situation, thats kind of a long time to be gone." Vlad stood up and tried sniffing Xero out.

"That won't work." Longinus said. "Something masks his scent."

"How have you been keeping up with him?"

Longinus reached into his coat and pulled out a pair of red shades. "These show energy trails. His is the only black one I've ever seen."

Vlad took the shades and put them on. "How come you haven't used these to find him?"

"That would require me to leave the building." Longinus replied. "As things are, chances are, if I leave, I'll come back in the Obituary."

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"D****t, leave me alone!" shouted figure in a black cloak and a white mask, seemingly floating away from several pursuing police officers.

"Stop! We just have a couple questions to ask!" one officer shouted behind him.

The figure sped up to elude the police, but they sped up as well.

"Fine, let's play!" The figure went completely horizontal and flew through the other furs walking the street. He turned to face them, putting his paws together as he flew backward. "Magnus Umbra FLATUS!" A massive black sphere formed and pushed his paws apart. He released the sphere into the following officers and laughed when they were all taken off their feet.

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Xero walked the street almost aimlessly. He had picked up everything he really needed and was carrying it all in a backpack he had taken from Longinus's apartment. At the moment, he was looking for a costume store. He was looking to replace the cape and mask he had lost. He heard something and stopped. It was a fading echo, but still clear enough for him to recognize it as one of his spells. He turned a corner saw a black figure charging in his direction, followed by police officers. He went back around the corner and waited. When the figure reached the corner, the Panther grabbed him and pulled him into a nearby alley.

The figure looked at Xero and tilted his head, then looked to the end of the alley where they had come in. He held a paw out toward the opening, but Xero slapped it down.

"Stop it!" he whispered. "Do you want to be caught?!"

The fur did not respond.

"Who are you, and how do you know that spell?"

Still nothing...

Xero reached up to take off his mask. When he removed it, he jumped backward with a loud hiss as the fur fell to the ground. It was a dead Fox. He had been possessed, but not jus possessed. He was possessed by someone who knew shadow magic. More importantly, someone who knew his personal spells.

Who could have done this? Xero thought, stepping back toward the corpse.

"FREEZE!"

Xero looked up to see several officers aiming handguns at him.

Take the body and run...

The Panther felt no need to question the voice this time. It would not be very wise to fight here; very easy, but not very wise. Xero lifted the Fox over his shoulder and waved to the officers before making a cut on his wrist. The black blood flowed, but did not fall to the ground. Instead, it dripped off his wrist and spreaded out, making black smoke. He bent his knees as far as he could, then sprang upward. The smoke followed him, making an arching tower as he landed on a nearby rooftop. The smoke continued to follow him as it turned back into blood and entered his vein as he jumped from roof to roof toward the building leading to the apartment.

Whoever this person is...he's far more powerful than I thought. I can't even do possessions that well. Xero thought. Suddenly, he stopped jumping. His ears twitched. He heard the sound of a shutter clicking. Ordinarily, this would be meaningless, but one would assume that no one would be taking pictures that high up. He looked around, but saw no one. "Not good..." Xero said before bending his knees again. This time, he did not jump away, but instead vanished altogether, or so it would appear. In truth, he had sped off fast enough to be unseen to the unassisted eye.

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"There he is!" Longinus said. He stood up and pointed out to a small puff of black smoke.

"Are you sure?" Vlad asked, looking over to the fading smoke.

"Positive."

"Talking about me?" Xero asked from behind them.

Longinus and Vlad turned around, then stepped back after seeing the body over the Panther's shoulder.

"What the hell did you do?" Vlad asked.

"Hey, not my doing." Xero replied, putting the Fox down. "Had it been me, there'd be nothing left."

"Well where'd he come from?" Longinus inquired, stepping forward.

"Funny story. He was running from the cops and used one of my spells to get away."

"Are your spells very common?"

"Nope, they're my personal ones." Xero said as he took the cape and the mask from the Fox. "Even funnier, this is exactly what I went looking for."

"What do you mean?" Vlad asked as he made an opening in the concrete roof to put the body in.

"This is mine." Xero replied, raising the cape and throwing it on. "And now, just a little bit scary..."

"What is it?" Longinus said, walking over to Xero.

"Remember the mask I was wearing? Back in the forest?" A nod from the Wolf prompted him to continue. "You threw a knife in it and broke it." He held up the mask that the Fox was wearing. "This is it."

"You're right, this is scary."

"Why's that?" Vlad asked as he sealed the roof over the Fox.

"Think about it. Someone's taking the time to go behind us and follow our--"

Click

"That sound again..." Xero said, stepping toward the edge of the roof.

"What sound? Vlad replied, following him.

"A camera." Xero said. "I heard it on my way here, and again here..."

"What does it mean?" Longinus asked.

Xero shook his head. "I'm not sure. Anyway, while I was out, I scoped out the hospital." He said, making his way toward the door. "Security isn't very tight, but there's still some risk. I also borrowed something from the hospital staff." He took off the backpack and opened it. "Orderly scrubs are so easy to come by." He pulled out three uniforms and handed two over to the Wolves.

"Nice work." Vlad said "Have any trouble getting them?"

"Not one bit." Xero replied. "I'm not even on their cameras. There's a Panther and two Wolves missing. We're going to be taking their places."

"Nice. How long do you think it'll take us to find what we need?" Longinus asked.

"Shouldn't take much." Vlad answered.

"But here's the thing, I'm over a seven hundred years old." said Xero, trying on his uniform.

"The medical center never throws anything out. If you were born there, there's a record of it." Vlad replied.

"Fantastic." said Longinus. "But I have one more issue."

"Whats that?" Xero said, putting the uniform away.

"Our little shutterbug just slipped and let the flash go off." Longinus pointed off behind Vlad.

Xero and Vlad looked to one another, then back to Longinus. Xero grabbed Vlad's wrist and they both vanished.