//------------------------------// // Fight // Story: SHADOW REBORN // by AGENT KANE //------------------------------// The alarm blared the following morning. Kane woke up with a start, in a daze he looked at the ceiling as he realized he had fallen over the bed last night. Still, on the floor, he sits up as he recalls the strange feeling. Looking at the alarm he sees that he is cutting it close to the time the bus stops at his house, getting up he hurries to put his clothes on. It's typical for the school bus to arrive at 6:58 a.m. Kane thought as he rushed to get ready. Kane's dad loudly says, "It's time for school" as soon as Kane leaves his room. Kane rushed down the stairs. Passing by the kitchen Kane's mom stopped him, "Dear want a quick bite to eat? I got some peanut butter toast for you." "No thanks, I'm good." Kane grabbed his backpack as he said goodbye to his parents. Kane rushed toward the bus stop as the bus was pulling up. Without looking around he headed straight to the back to sit next to Twilight. "Hi Twilight!", Kane said while breathing heavily. Twilight looked up from the book she was reading with a faint smile, "Hi Kane, I see that you made it on time," She said with a giggle. Kane slumped from exhaustion, wondering to himself why he was so tired early in the day. The school bus arrived at the school at 7:45 a.m, when Kane entered the school everyone stared at him for a few moments. 'Strange' thought Kane, 'usually people don't get like that until I am near them. Kane started to walk through the hallway and everybody got back to their business. During the science trip Kane learned that Twilight only shared one class with him, Kane waved goodbye to Twilight with the promise to meet up at lunch. As he watched Twilight walk away, Kane took a calming breath to get his feelings under control. He wanted to stay out of class for as long as possible, as the hall emptied Kane saw someone who stuck out like a sore thumb. What he saw was what looked like a shy girl. She was only a little bit shorter than Kane. Her hair went all the way down her back and was colored a soft shade of pink. She wore a simple light-green skirt that had butterflies stitched into it and a white top. Not only that caught Kane's attention but also the almost knee-high boots, which were the same color as her skirt, that she wore. Surprisingly for a girl who was acting so shy, she dressed in bright colors. He felt a voice inside his head wrap around his mind as he stood stuck staring at the girl. The girl shuffled nervously and scared, as she looked down on a sheet of paper in her hand. Looking around the girl found Kane staring and froze. She violently shook, petrified by Kane's blood-red eyes. Eyes that she was told to stay far away from. Red eyes that were now surrounded by a green and purple hue. Kane didn't know what to do, but something inside of him wanted to get to know the girl, she just seemed so nice. The voice told him so. Kane was staring, the girl saw him staring, and under his gaze, she shrank into herself. Quickly, the girl looked back down at the paper in her trembling hand, hoping he would just walk by. The voice spoke sweetly in Kane's mind, 'Go' it whispered. As the red in his eyes shrank into his iris, the green hue surrounded his sclera as a purple hue filled his pupil. All that was left of his brilliant red eyes was locked up by the foreign colors. 'Go and catch this shy butterfly' whispered the voice. As Kane is pushed to her he asks, "Are you looking for something?" She jumped slightly in surprise as she jittered when looking up at him. "Yes, I am looking..." She said before pausing, "Why are you sweating so much?" The shy girl became further distressed. 'What was I thinking' thought the shy girl. She clenches her eyes and hopes that Kane decides to continue walking after hearing her rude remark. Caught off guard the zoned-out Kane blurted out, "Uh, it's a puberty thing." The voice in his head chuckled as it relaxed, though it still held onto Kane's body. "I mean I have already gone through puberty and..am done now?" Kane finished lamely. "Right" the girl hesitated but continued, encouraged by Kane's down-to-earth reaction, "it always takes a few days for me to memorize my class schedule and..." Kane drifted a bit as she talked. She was quite pretty, the voice reminded him, and it surprised Kane how she didn't get scared off when looking at him. He remembered seeing a flirt move from a movie a long time ago and he was not sure, the voice shook with excitement. 'It would be such a wonderful idea,' the voice washed over Kane's mind. Kane's eyes dulled over as the voice took control once more. Kane's last thought was that he could always use more nice people in his life. He gently placed his hand on her shoulder and Kane as smoothly as he could said, "Hey." The girl looked surprised but thought maybe he was asking about her name. "Oh, hey. I'm Fluttershy.", she said. The voice gave a booming laugh letting go of the control over Kane. "Fluttershy?" Kane blurted out as he was befuddled by such a name and embarrassed she did not notice him pulling the move. As well as shocked that he dared pull the move. "Yes," she said, embarrassed by Kane's reaction, "Like I was saying I'm still getting used to the school and am a bit...lost." Kane smiles, "Nice to meet you Fluttershy, my name is Kane. So, let's see if we can figure out where you need to go." Hearing this she beamed at him for being so kind and nothing like her sporty friend thought he was like. Kane, while confused about the voice in his head, was still happy that he went up to Fluttershy. ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// Kane sat bored out of his mind in his classroom. The day moved slowly for him during math, science, and history class and by the time the bell rang signaling lunch at 11:35 a.m. Kane was in a foul mood. Kane headed towards the cafeteria but heard someone in pain say, "Okay okay I will give you my lunch money tomorrow" Kane on instinct hid behind a nearby wall while hearing this and listened in on the conversation. What he saw was three guys talking to another boy. Kane saw that they were bullying the same boy that they were bothering during the science trip. The bully leader said "Good, Me and my friends gotta go somewhere else and you better give us lunch tomorrow." The boy said, "But I need it please." The bully finally tired from the pleas said, "Well I miss the part where that's my problem, come on dudes let's go". They walked away and so did the bullied boy. All of this made Kane angry, but he let it go and went to the cafeteria. The voice whispered vengeance as Kane lined up with the rest of the students. In a sour mood and frustrated that he didn't know why, he kept moving with the line absentmindedly. When reaching the front the lunch lady asked nicely if he wanted sloppy joe or a ham sandwich. Sadly Kane without thinking hissed out, "Just give me my damn food dude." The lunch lady took a small breath as her nostril flared with agitation. Kane looked down in horror realizing what he did and was silent as she gave him a sloppy joe. Kane grabbed the offered food and he quietly gave an apology while he stared at the floor. "It's fine dear, some days are tougher than others." the lunch lady gently replied. This did not make him feel better but said nothing. What was that, Kane thought to himself. First with how he acted with Fluttershy, and now with the lunch lady. Kane felt like he was losing control. He was walking towards his usual table. Lost in thought Kane passed by a guy nearly bumping into him. The guy huffed from the near unwelcome encounter. The darkness inside Kane mused at the look the guy gave Kane. It began to memorize the guy and noticed that the guy had blue hair, and wore a black jacket with a white shirt and blue pants. 'Interesting' thought the shadow. As Kane walks away the guy opens up his phone texting Twilight. He sends her a text saying "Twilight what are you doing today this afternoon?" But before he could send it the blue-haired guy was shoved in the shoulder by the bullies. "Excuse me," said the leading bully. The boy glared at the bullies as they walked away. Walking by a rainbow-haired girl sees the bully's actions. She is dressed in a white shirt with a lightning emblem on the front, a blue button-up shirt, a white-and-pink striped skirt with shorts underneath, and lastly shin-high blue boots. The girl with rainbow hair walks towards the boy with blue hair. Rainbow Dash, "Hey Flash what going on?" Flash responded, "Apparently, getting run over. But anyway I was just texting Twilight. Have you seen her?" Rainbow Dash, "Saw her in a few classes, but last I saw she had to stay after class to ask some questions." Flash nodded and decided to wait with Rainbow Dash and the rest of Twilight's friends for her. Back with Kane, he sat down waiting for Twilight to find him. While picking at his lunch he overhears from a few tables over the same three students bullying the same kid they picked on during the science trip and the hallway. 'Kane' whispered the voice again. It finally dawns on him that he hears a voice. Kane looks around but no one is near him so he ignores the voice. 'Kane' the whisper continued. Who said his name Kane thought to himself. The whisper chuckles, 'I said your name.' Kane's blood runs cold. Whoever this voice was or whatever it was had the ability to invade his mind. Did the voice hear his fear? There was no response. Kane decided that maybe there was a limit to what the voice could hear. 'Who are you' Kane mentally asked the voice so no one could hear him. The whisper responded, 'Doesn't matter who I am. Those jackasses are shitting on the boy. Let's beat the shit out of them.' the whisper ended its response with glee. Kane was frustrated, 'I can't.' Unamused the whisper said, 'Why not.' Kane defeatedly explained, 'Because I will get in trouble. And the principal will call my parents.' The whisper mused, 'Not unless we get away with it.' There was no possible way he wouldn't get caught, but at that moment the whisper washed over his mind. 'You know what screw it I'm tired of those jackasses' Kane thought to himself. "Okay fine, I feel bad for the guy getting picked on," Kane said out loud to himself, drawing attention from a nearby table. Kane walked toward the three bullies. Kane firmly addressed them, "Hey." The lead bully responded, "What do yo-?" Kane interrupted, "I want you to leave him alone you dickhead shit." The bully stunned and nervous to have Kane focus on him replied, "What did you say to me." Kane huffed, "You heard me...dumbass." The main bully's pride made him welled up with anger as he squeezed his hand forgetting his fear of Kane. He threw a punch at Kane, but Kane caught the fist freezing the bully with dread. Kane squeezed and twisted up the bully's hand as the boy screamed in agony. As the bully wailed Kane pulled the boy's arm roughly dragging him closer. Stumbling over himself the bully was at the mercy of Kane's attack. Kane followed this up with targeted punches to the stomach, face, and lastly because Kane was feeling vindictive, a kidney punch to end it. That knocked out the bully, 'Lucky' thought Kane. The rest of the bullies stood shocked, then one panicked and took out his skateboard attached to his backpack and swung at Kane. "Please, don't do this." Kane told him in anger as the board hit his head. Without flinching, blood briefly poured down the side of his face. Had he been thinking he'd notice the blood stopping at an unnatural rate. Kane didn't feel any pain, too focused on the fight to question what was going on. Kane grabbed the dumbfounded bully by the scruff of his shirt forcing him forward into a headbutt as Kane smashed their foreheads. The skateboard-wielding bully blacked out by the force of the impact. With a snarl, Kane turns towards the last remaining bully. Quaking with fear the boy just stood there. Kane stepped towards the boy as he feint a punch making the terrified boy pee himself. Kane held back as the boy was not trying to continue the fight. After all, fighting is all well and good for self-defense but when the other person is not fighting back, fighting is not worth shit. Kane stood there ridged from all the rage he felt that he was left open as the first bully surprised Kane. The bully leaped onto Kane's back as he wrapped his arm around Kane's throat trying to choke him out. A stunned Kane only took a moment before the rage took control again. Kane used his unclenched hand to rip the bully off his back as he whipped the boy into a nearby window. His back cracked the window as the impact forced the boy to fall through. The sound of the crackling glass woke Kane from his dazed anger. "Oh sorry man." Kane said. Only now did he see what he did and how quiet the cafeteria was. He remembered he was not the only person in the cafeteria and other students saw everything. Panicking Kane ran out of the cafeteria looking for a way out of the nightmare he found himself in. Sprinting through the hallway He saw an exit that led outside. Taking his chance and not thinking about the trouble if he got caught Kane went out. He kept walking further away until he was in an area filled with trees. Now that he was outside he could calm down a bit and decided to continue going deeper into the forest. Afraid that a teacher was looking for him he ran behind a tree so he could hide. He sat at the tree to catch his breath. Kane thought to himself, "What...a...what the hell!?" "Crazy shit right." the whisper said with satisfaction. Kane groaned that the mysterious voice was answering his question again. "Who are you? where are you?" Kane asked out loud in a panic. The mysterious voice chuckled, "Okay since no one is here I'll show you my face." A head slowly flowed out of Kane's back wrapping around Kane until they faced each other. The mysterious voice now had a face along with it. It had sharp teeth as it was grinning from ear to ear. Surprisingly had red eyes similar to Kane's, thick black skin with veins bulging all over his face, and smoke-like hair. The now mysterious face creepily smiled at Kane making him feel uncomfortable. "Hello Kane." the face said. Kane saw how the face stretched and moved as it spoke to him. It terrified Kane, "Who are you?" "I'm Sombra." responded in a matter-of-fact tone. "Sombra?" questioned Kane. the now-named face nodded his head to affirm his name. Kane was still suspicious, "How did you know my name?" Sombra smiled, "Tell me if this sounds familiar. Some snotty kid injected me into his body and now surprise surprise I am inside your mind! I know everything about you, by the way maybe cut back on the soda." Kane not happy that this creepy blackhead was mocking and scaring him continued to ask questions, "What are you?" Disappointed that Kane did not fire back an insult answered the question, "I'm just a man who is trying to adjust this time around." "What?" said Kane. "Last time I was-" Then suddenly Kane's phone rings. He grabs it and sees who is calling him, his parents. He answers the phone. "Kane? Where are you? I'm so worried the school called saying you ran out." asked Kane's mom. "Sorry Mom, I just needed some air. I'm in a forest near the school." "Kane are you okay?", asked his dad. "Yes, don't worry I'm okay." Kane responded as calmly as he could. Kane's dad, "Thank god!" Kane's mom, "We were worried, Kane." Kane, "No need to worry, I'm okay Mom. I am going to head back to school, I'll be back home later. Bye, mom and dad." "Bye Kane, be careful outside." Responded Kane's parents. Kane hung up dreading going back to school after running off, but he didn't want to be a coward. ///////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// 'What a pain' Kane thought. He was unbelievably happy to finally get on the bus and go straight home. 'Would have been better if we kept running until we reached the town.' Grumbled Sombra. Kane was tense for a moment still unused to having a voice inside his head and technically it did not make him crazy. Kane thought, 'And make more trouble for my parents, no thank you. I am not going to do what you tell me anymore. I am in charge, got it.' If a thing made out of smoke could throw a tantrum Sombra was giving it his best shot and sadly Kane could not escape it. Until a gentle pressure on his shoulder took his attention. Twilight placed her hand on his shoulder she had a sad look in her eyes as she watched Kane's face turn angrier and angrier. She felt guilty when she found out that he got in a fight while waiting for her at lunch. "How are you holding up?" Asked Twilight. "Actually, not that bad. Sure I got detention and I will be in it for a while, but I can't lie it's not the first time something like this has happened." Kane said. Twilight sat quietly in thought as she found it terrible to hear that he believed going through this was normal for him. If Kane had to be honest with himself waiting for her to talk was starting to scare him. He didn't want to lose her as a friend. 'Perhaps we can convince her to stay. Just needs to twist her arm a bit. hehe.' Sombra menacingly said. 'Shut it!' Kane thought so loudly that he heard ringing in his head. He had to look down not to get dizzy. For once Sombra stayed quiet. Twilight saw Kane's face scrunch up, turning away from her, 'oh no!' she thought. 'He must think that I am reacting poorly to what he told me. "I don't know what to say" She added quickly, "it's just that hearing you sound so defeated doesn't sound right to me." Kane leaned back into his seat until his head felt the rumbling of the bus. He wanted to sleep but, "Yeah, it's okay. I was worried that you were freaking out." Twilight softly giggled, "Well you aren't as scary as you are made out to be. Plenty of friends of mine are downright scary in the right situations." Twilight had a gentle smile as she thought about her other friends. "Made out to be?" Kane asked. Her smile slowly fell, "Yeah, I never really saw you around. So after our fun trip to the Science Museum, I asked around if anyone could tell me more about you." Twilight looked down, "All I learned was people try to hurt others with rumors. Even some of my closest friends couldn't help but believe what they heard." "It's okay." Kane said. "It is not okay!" Interrupted Twilight. "Though I guess it is cool that you are this sort of urban legend at school." Twilight tried to look on the bright side. Kane actually smiled at hearing this, "Yeah well I guess that is one good thing. People like urban legends right? Maybe I got a little fan club somewhere." Kane and Twilight laugh about how silly that would be. He took a deep breath and asked, "Can we talk more about this tomorrow? I kinda want to rest a bit before going home." "Sure." Twilight responded. She took out a book from her bag to read while she kept Kane company. Kane smiled thinking that he had a really good friend.