The Rasoul Saga: Chapter 13


Back to school. Yay. How much great fun that is, not. At least not for Kyle Waktini and Kagen Duncan. As they've कहा before, they absolutely hated school, mostly just because they found it extremely boring; they didn't actually hate the school, they just found it too boring. However, at the same time, they were just slightly excited for school. Er, well, they weren't exactly excited for the school itself; they were excited to be able to speak to their friends... and Trenton. Neither Kyle या Kagen could get that grey bat out of their mind. They wanted to speak to him yet again, and that was exactly what was on their mind as they walked into the school.


"Are we really going to try to talk to him again?" Kagen asked as he turned his head to look at his hedgehog friend.

"Well, that was certainly the idea that I had in mind," Kyle replied. "Are आप okay with that? Are आप okay with talking to him as well?"

"I'm perfectly fine with it, Kyle. I think I already कहा that before we even got here," Kagen replied. "I don't mind talking to him again. I was just asking because I was trying to make sure if that was really what we're going to do."

"That's what the plan was, I think," Kyle said. He stopped in the hallway for a moment with Kagen, looking around for any sign of Trenton. "Do आप see him anywhere?"

"Not yet," Kagen replied, also looking around the hallway. "I also don't see Red Rocket anywhere."

Kyle's ears twitched slightly in confusion at what Kagen had just said. "Why Joshua?"

"He might still be angry about avoiding him with Trenton. He... might still want to पंच our faces, आप know," Kagen said.

"True, he might," Kyle agreed. "I can only hope he doesn't." He added in a slightly nervous voice and chuckle.

"Ha, yeah, I can only hope that as well," Kagen कहा with a nervous smile. He then continued looking around the hallway, searching for any signs of Trenton, या Red Rocket. The boys didn't have to look around for very long before their white भेड़िया friend named Cas walked up to them.

"Hey, guys!" Cas greeted with a smile on his face. "...Are आप looking for something?" He asked, noticing that Kyle and Kagen seemed to be looking around and searching.

"Oh hey, Cas," Kyle greeted as he turned his head to look at Cas. "We're just looking for someone because we want to talk to them."

"Two people, actually," Kagen added, still searching.

"Who are आप searching for?" Cas asked in curiosity. "Maybe I can help."

"You haven't seen Red Rocket या Trenton have you?" Kagen asked.

"Who?"

"Joshua Langtide, and the grey bat student named Trenton. The bat is in some of our classes, Cas," Kyle replied for Kagen.

"Joshua Langtide? W-Why in the world are आप looking for the school bully?" Cas asked in shock, ignoring what was कहा about Trenton for the most part.

"Well, we're not really looking for him," Kagen replied. "I mean, we are, but not because we want to talk to him. We made him pretty angry the other day, so we were kind of watching out for him just in case he's still angry."

"Ah, okay. That makes और sense now," Cas said. "Now, what was the other thing आप said? Something about a grey bat...?"

"Yeah, his name is Trenton," Kagen replied. "We're looking for him because we want to talk to him, but we haven't seen him yet."

"Well, to be honest with you, I did see a grey bat dressed in grey-black clothes and wearing sunglasses a little bit पूर्व if that helps आप at all," Cas informed.

"Really? Where was that?" Kagen asked as he turned to look at Cas.

"It was in the cafeteria. The bat that I saw was in the cafeteria eating breakfast," Cas replied. "You know, since they see breakfast in there before school starts."

"Yeah, I know that," Kagen said. He turned to look at Kyle. "Did आप hear what Cas said, Kyle? He कहा that he saw a grey bat in the cafeteria, who had sunglasses and dark clothes."

"...That might be Trenton. I guess it wouldn't hurt to go and see," Kyle कहा with a nod. "...As long as Red isn't in there."

"I don't believe that I saw Joshua in the cafeteria," Cas replied. "I'm not sure if the bus that he normally rides has even arrivied yet. It's still fairly early."

"Alright then. Thank you, Cas!" Kyle and Kagen both thanked Cas before turning to walk away from the white wolf. "We'd like to go talk to Trenton before we run out of time if that's ok with you," Kyle added.

"Oh, it's fine with me. I'll see आप guys later!" Cas कहा his goodbyes to Kyle and Kagen, and then he walked off down the hallway to go find his other फ्रेंड्स to speak to before school started.

Kyle and Kagen made their way through the school, and arrivied at the school's very large cafeteria very shortly afterward. They both looked around the cafeteria, scanning the sea of faces and students for Trenton.

"I don't know if I see him," Kagen said.

"I'm not sure if I do, either..." Kyle agreed. He continued looking around, until he saw Trenton sitting in the very back corner of the cafeteria at a lare तालिका, टेबल द्वारा himself. "Hey, there he is!"

Trenton sat in the corner of the cafeteria quietly, appearing to once again be लेखन या drawing something inside the notebook that he always seemed to be carrying with him. He didn't look up at all, so he was unable to see that Kagen and Kyle were slowly approaching his तालिका, टेबल through the crowds of students that were in the room. He did, however, turn his head to the side occasionally as he grabbed small cream-filled पेनकेक्स off of his cafeteria tray that was sitting अगला to him and popped them into his mouth.

"Hey, Trenton," Kyle and Kagen both greeted as they walked up to the तालिका, टेबल that the grey bat was sitting at. They both attempted to see what was in the notebook that Trenton had, but once again the bat was quick enough to react and pull the notebook away that neither Kyle या Kagen was able to see what was inside.

Trenton shut his notebook and laid one of his hands down on it while raising his other hand up in the air slightly. He held his index finger up, attempting to tell Kyle and Kagen to wait just a moment. He continued chewing te pancake bite that was in his mouth, the he swallowed and looked at the two फ्रेंड्स to speak to them now that his mouth was no longer full. "Hello. आप were... did आप ever tell me your names? I'm sorry if आप did and I forgot. I'm just not good with names."

"I'm Kagen, and this is my best friend Kyle," Kagen replied. "I saw that आप were doing stuff with your notebook again."

"I thought we went over this in the park..." Trenton कहा with a quiet, quick sigh. "It's nothing very special. There's no real reason to worry about it." He fell quiet after he talked about his notebook, indicating that he didn't want to talk at all about the contents of the notebook.

"...Well, anyway, do आप mind if we take a सीट here and talk for a bit?" Kyle asked, attempting to change the subject away from Trenton's notebook since he could tell that Trenton apparently just did not want to talk about it.

"...Sure, it's fine..." Trenton कहा before popping another pancake bite into his mouth. He pointed to a few empty chairs that were sitting against the दीवार close to the table.

Kyle and Kagen both walked over to the दीवार and picked up a chair each. They both walked back over to the तालिका, टेबल and put the chairs down in front of Trenton, and then sat down across from the grey bat.

"So," Trenton began after he swallowed what खाना was in his mouth. "What are आप wanting to talk about?"

"Well, I don't know what Kagen wants to talk about, but I was thinking that maybe we could just get to know each other a bit या something," Kyle said, giving a shrug of his shoulders.

Trenton remained silent for a moment, as if thinking over what Kyle had just said. "...Well... It... It depends. What are आप wanting to know...?"

"I wasn't going to ask just सवालों about you. I was saying that आप could maybe ask us a few things as well," Kyle said.

"...Well, आप can go ahead and ask your सवालों first if आप want..." Trenton replied.

"Alright then," Kyle scratched his head slightly, attempting to think of a सवाल to ask. "...So, are आप a new student here?"

"A new student here? I've been here for a few days, आप know," Trenton said.

"I know, I meant that the first time we saw you. आप know, when आप saved us from the bully Joshua Langtide. Have आप actually been here in the school for a while and we've never noticed you? या did आप just transfer to this school?" Kyle asked.

"Oh, that. Well, the दिन that I helped आप two get away from the bully, I had just arrived. आप see, my parents wanted to हटाइए out of our old town because they wanted to हटाइए here for better work. We moved to this city about... a couple of weeks ago. However, at that time, I was still going to my old school at least for a short time. When my parents found out about this school, they had me transfer here. When आप met me the other day, that was my first day," Trenton explained.

"Oh, so आप just moved here?" Kagen asked.

"Yes, I just moved here and I just transferred to this school," Trenton कहा with a nod of his head.

Kyle became silent for just a moment, thinking of what Trenton had just said. Once again, he was beginning to wonder if Trenton really was Devin या not. The Dark घोड़े had just recently showed up; just a few weeks पूर्व to be exact. And now Trenton is saying that he moved in just a few weeks ago. Kyle didn't really know what to think, but the fear that Trenton might actually be Devin slowly began to come up again. "...Okay then, Trenton..."

"...Something wrong?" Trenton asked, noticing the thinking look on Kyle's face. "Are आप trying to think of another question?"

"...Actually, I need to speak with Kagen for just a bit..." Kyle replied as he stood up from his chair. He pulled Kagen up out of his chair and up to his feet, getting a very confused look from the black and red fox.

"Hey, what's..." Kagen trailed off as Kyle pulled him away from Trenton's तालिका, टेबल and to the other side of the cafeteria. Trenton simply didn't respond; he just shrugged his shoulders and opened his mysterious notebook to continue लेखन in it.

"Kagen, I'm starting to think that Trenton really is Devin," Kyle कहा to his लोमड़ी, फॉक्स friend as soon as they stopped on the opposite side of the cafeteria.

Kagen simply looked back at Kyle with a confused look before deciding to speak. "...Okay... Um, why the sudden change in atitude? I mean, I know that आप were worried about him being Devin, and I know that i was worried as well, but why the sudden change? Yesterday आप seemed like आप were trying to brighten up to him a bit, and now you're suddenly accusing him of being Devin?"

"Look, I know that I was talking to him quite friendly yesterday," Kyle replied. "And I'm not exactly trying to accuse him. It's just that... what he said, about just moving here a few weeks ago. I don't... I don't want to say that I'm accusing him, but I realized that the Dark घोड़े only showed up a few weeks ago. It just... My mind was trying to connect those two things and, I guess, tell me that Devin might be Trenton afterall..."

Kagen fell silent, thinking about what Kyle had just कहा and the story that Trenton had told. After a short moment of thinking, he saw what Kyle was talking about; Kyle was right. It did seem like those events could connect and give Trenton away as Devin. "...Okay, I'm seeing the point now."

"Exactly, Kagen... I don't want to sound या feel like I'm accusing him at all, but it just seems like it would be too much of a coincidence. I mean, it could be just that and that alone, but I can also see it... being too much of that. Since Trenton DOES look so much like Devin, I just can't shake the idea of those two being the same person," Kyle said.

"...Yeah, I'm definitely starting to understand what आप mean," Kagen कहा with a nod of his head. He looked back across the cafeteria just slightly, noticing that a lot of students had left due to the fact that school would be starting sometime soon. He also noticed that Trenton was still sitting at the same तालिका, टेबल that he was, लेखन in his notebook yet again. "...Should we go talk to Trenton again? या just leave and get ready for class a bit early...?"

Kyle looked towards the exit of the cafeteria, and then back towards Trenton for a short moment before looking back at Kagen. "...I can't just leave Trenton... I mean, I just... I don't care if he's evil Devin या not. I still just don't feel write with just walking away and not saying that we're going to leave. It just doesn't feel right to me."

"Alright, then we'll just go back and talk to him again," Kagen कहा with a nod of his head. He made his way back across the cafeteria with Kyle to get back to Trenton's table.

"I was wondering if आप two were just going to leave या something instead of coming back," Trenton कहा as he looked up at Kyle and Kagen, and noticed that Kyle gave a guility look at what he had just said. "You really were thinking of leaving, weren't you?" He asked as he closed his notebook once more.

"Well... No... I... I didn't just want to leave without telling आप that we were leaving..." Kyle कहा quietly, still wearing a guility look on his face. Kagen, who was watching Kyle's face, slowly began getting a look of guilt on his face as well.

"I honestly wouldn't have cared if आप left या not. I understand that it's getting close to the start of school and that आप might need to get ready. Plus, I understand that I can be just a bit un-entertaining," Trenton replied. "I need to go get ready pretty soon as well, though."

"Oh, well... Maybe we could still talk for a little-" Kyle started to talk, but he was interrupted quickly द्वारा a loud school घंटी, बेल ringing; not the start-of-school bell, but a warning घंटी, बेल to say that school would be starting soon. "Well, never mind! We're going to need to go get ready for school!" He said, raising his voice so he could be heard over the loud bell.

"Yeah, I agree," Trenton कहा loudly to get heard over the bell, although the घंटी, बेल wound up stopping its ringing a few सेकंड्स afterward. He stood up and grabbed his notebook off of the table, and then began to walk towards the entrance of the cafeteria with Kyle and Kagen following behind him. However, he stopped when his phone gave a loud beep as if it had just recieved a text message.

"Did someone just get a text message?" Kyle asked in shock after he heard the beep. Kagen didn't say या do anything other than looking around in confusion.

"Yeah, my phone beeped..." Trenton कहा as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his black-grey phone. He read over the text message with serious eyes, appearing to be studying the contents of the message.

"...You do know that the teachers don't need to see that phone, right? आप do know you'll get in trouble if they see आप texting on your phone, right?" Kagen asked, watching as Trenton began to text back on his phone.

"Yes, I know this. It's not like anyone is watching right now, though," Trenton कहा as he continued texting. He sent the text and put his phone back in his pocket once he was finished, which only took a few seconds. "Anyway, better get to class now, right?"

"Yeah, we probably should... You're in our classes, right?" Kagen asked as he walked out of the cafeteria with Kyle and Trenton.

"A few of them, I believe. I know I'm in your science class, your math class, and art, I think... I may be be in more, but I can't quite remember. I don't pay a lot of attention to the people around me usually," Trenton said. "I get too focused on homework and things like that during classes to pay attention to people other than the teacher..."

"Sometimes I find myself zoning out a bit during class..." Kyle admitted with a small laugh. "My grades aren't suffering, though. And that's a good thing."

"I don't zone out like Kyle, but I personally don't like school because I find it really boring," Kagen said, attempting to शामिल होइए the small conversation.

"Then I feel like I'm in between both of you," Trenton कहा with a nod of his head.

"What do आप mean?" Both Kyle and Kagen questioned.

"I try to pay attention in class, but I also do what आप two just said. I occasionally find myself zoning out, and then I also find school boring," Trenton explained.

"Oh... आप zone out, too?" Kyle asked. "Okay, good to know I'm not the only one..."

"The only one? Oh, I'm sure there's at least a few other people in this giant school that zone out," Trenton said.

"Well, yeah, I'm sure there is, but I don't think any of my फ्रेंड्स या the people that I talk to the most here zone out like me," Kyle replied. "So in someways I felt like I was the only one," He added with a small laugh.

"Oh, okay then." Trenton pulled a small smile on his face, appearing to be enjoying the conversation just a bit. "...Well, I can't say I've ever been in a conversation this long with anyone other than my family. This is kind of nice."

"...You've really never had a conversation like this before?" Kagen asked as he tilted his head to the side.

"No, I honestly don't talk to that many people. Can't say that I have any friends, either," Trenton replied. He turned his head, noticing that they were getting closer to one of the classrooms as they talked and walked. "Anyway, I'd say that we need to get to class before the अगला घंटी, बेल rings, right?"

Kyle turned his head to the side, noticing that they really were close to the first classroom that they needed to go to over the course of the school day. "Oh, right. I'm sure the घंटी, बेल to start school will start any moment..." He said. "And, आप don't have any friends, Trenton?"

"No, I can't say that I really do have any friends. Like I believe I already said, I've never really talked to that many people before. Usually I prefer to keep to myself," Trenton replied. "But आप and Kagen seem pretty cool and nice, so I thought I would try to talk to both of you."

"...You want to talk to us?" Kyle asked while tilting his head ot the side slightly. Once again, the fear of Trenton being Devin began to pull at him again.

"...What were आप wanting to talk about?" Kagen questioned, seeming that the Devin fear was coming to him as well द्वारा the सवाल and tone of voice.

"Oh, nothing much. I was mostly just wanted to talk in general. आप know, wanting to make some फ्रेंड्स for once. I... thought that perhaps I could try my hand at talking a bit और to people," Trenton said. "My family honestly thinks it would be best if I tried to open up and be a bit और social."

"So basically आप just want to talk?" Kyle asked.

"Yes, I just कहा that. Basically I just want to try to be और social," Trenton replied with a nod of his head.

"...Alright then," Kyle said. His ears stood up as he heard talking coming from one of the nearby classrooms; class was going to start soon and the students were inside getting ready. "Er... I really think we should get ready for class now, don't आप think?"

"Yeah, that would probably be best," Trenton and Kagen replied as they both followed Kyle into the classroom to prepare for the long, boring, या at least boring in their opinion, schoolday...


After a few hours of classes, it was time for a free period out in the school's courtyard. Kyle and Kagen sat under a large, shaded पेड़ in the courtyard, talking about a few things that had been happening lately.

"So, how are आप planning on dealing with Vice's team...?" Kagen asked Kyle out of curiosity.

"Why are आप asking?" Kyle asked as he turned his head to look at Kagen. "You've been helping me fight them as well, आप know."

"I know, but I was curious if आप had any plans. What do आप think would be the best way to deal with them?" Kagen asked as he leaned back against the पेड़ that they were sitting under.

"Well, I don't honestly know, Kagen. I've been able to tell so far that they have Rasoul powers just like I do," Kyle said. "I don't really know anything else about them to be honest... Except for... well..." He trailed off a bit, stopping as if he didn't want to continue.

"Is something wrong...?" Kagen asked, noticing that Kyle seemed to be trailing off.

"...Well, no, I guess nothing's wrong," Kyle replied. "I was just... I कहा I didn't know that much about the Dark Horses, and I don't. But, just from overhearing them when they fight, I almost feel like Mancer and Vice actually know each other..."

"...Wait, what? आप think that tall black and red guy that's teaching आप knows Vice?" Kagen asked with a small mixture of surprise and disbelief in his voice.

"Yeah, I know it sounds crazy," Kyle said, noticing the surprise and and disbelief in Kagen's voice. "But, I almost want to feel like they do. I mean, the one या two times that I've heard them fighting, I could just barely hear what they were saying to each other... It almost sounded like they knew each other before this started... आप know, before the whole teaching and the fighting the Dark घोड़े started."

"...So आप really think Mancer and Vice know each other?" Kagen asked.

"Well, I don't know. It just... seemed that way," Kyle said. "Of course, I can't say that for certain, so I don't really know what else to say on that matter. I'm not that sure on what to say next."

"You don't really know what to say next?" Kagen asked.

"Not exactly," Kyle replied. "I guess I just can't think of anything else to really discuss about, या at least I can't think of anything to say about the Dark Horses." Kyle paused for a moment. "...Other than discussing Trenton again..."

"Er, maybe we shouldn't be discussing him right now," Kagen कहा quietly.

"...Why not?" Kyle asked, feeling a bit confused.

"Well, I mean, maybe we shouldn't talk about him too much in public, आप know... Just in case someone overhears us..." Kagen replied while still keeping his voice rather low. "I mean, I don't want to make Trenton look bad if he really hasn't done anything wrong at all..."

"You don't want someone to overhear what?" Trenton's familar voice suddenly asked for behind Kyle and Kagen.

"GAH!" Kyle and Kagen both turned around quickly in pure shock as they both took a deep breath, attempting to recover from the scare that Trenton had just दिया them.

"...Did I arrive at a bad time?" Trenton asked in confusion, noticing the shocked faces on Kyle and Kagen.

"No... आप just... scared us..." Both boys replied through breaths.

"I apologize. I wasn't aiming to scare you," Trenton said. "Anyway, what were आप two talking about? What did आप not want someone to overhear?"

"Oh, we were just talking about somethings... Nothing really important," Kyle replied quietly. "Just somethings that have been happening recently in our lives outside of school."

"Has something bad been happening lately?" Trenton asked as he tilted his head to the side slightly.

"Well, I guess आप could say that-" Kagen began to speak without thinking that idea through, until Kyle quickly elbowed his arm roughly to keep him from continuing. "Ow!" The black and red लोमड़ी, फॉक्स complained about the stinging pain that was now in his upper arm area.

"Something bad has been happening lately?" Trenton asked, having heard what Kagen कहा before he was stopped द्वारा Kyle.

"N-Nothing important..." Kagen replied quietly, now rubbing his arm from the pain that still lingered in his arm.

"What is it? Maybe I can try to help you," Trenton कहा as he sat down अगला to Kyle and Kagen, due to the fact that he was getting tired of just standing in place.

"Well, um... It really isn't that important..." Kyle said.

"Are आप sure it's not? I'm offering my help," Trenton कहा as he turned his head to look at Kyle..

"Er... It's just... some group of villains that's new in town... We've been fighting them for a few days या so..." Kyle replied as he looked down towards the ground. He was expecting quite a few different reactions to come out of Trenton.

"A group of villains? Really?" Trenton's reaction definitely wasn't what Kyle expected; the grey bat boy actually sounded surprised and interested at what Kyle had just said.

"Um... Yeah, villains... They seem pretty new in town..." Kagen कहा with slight confusion in his voice. If this was Devin, why would he sound actually surprised at the mention of a villain team? Maybe he was just a good actor. That's all Kagen could figure.

"Mind telling me what they can do? I'm interested now," Trenton said, his face reflecting what looked like actual interest and curiosity.

"Well, um..." Kyle started to talk, but he paused for a moment as he tried to think of something to say. "They just... have a few powers... And apparently tranquilizer guns... because they were used against us. I'm not honestly sure what all they can do other than powers and a few weapons."

"Huh... Interesting," Trenton कहा as he appeared to drift off in thought. He remained quiet for a short time, appearing to be off in his own thoughts.

"...Now is something on your mind, Trenton?" Kyle asked, noticing that Trenton suddenly seemed to become quiet.

"...Hm... Nothing too important," Trenton replied as he came out of thoughts. "Just thinking about what आप told me about those new villains. They sound interesting. I mean, just interesting in general. Not that I want anything to do with them."

"...And why exactly do आप find them interesting?" Kagen asked in confusion.

"Oh, they just sound like they would be interesting to fight. I've never gone against villains before, really." Trenton replied as he turned his head to look at Kagen.

"...Are आप saying that आप want to fight them या something...?" Kyle tried to guess.

"Oh, maybe, maybe not. I'm not sure. They just sounded interesting to fight, though I'm not saying that I will," Trenton replied. "I honestly enjoy fighting, though I also try to avoid it whenever I can. Usually the only fights I get into are ones that someone else starts, like when a bully would come up and पंच me. Of course I'm not going to just stand there and let him या her beat me up; I'm going to fight back."

"...Okay then..." Kyle and Kagen were both busy at work in their minds, trying to figure out how "Trenton/Devin" was so good at making himself look actually interested in what he was told about the Dark Horses.

"So, does those villains have names?" Trenton asked, still appearing to be rather curious.

"Er... Well, they all had seperate names... But apparently they're calling their team the Dark Horses..." Kyle replied, lowering his voice slightly so he wouldn't be overheard द्वारा anyone except for Kagen and Trenton.

Trenton froze just slightly at the mention of the actual Dark घोड़े team name. He blinked his eyes a few times, as if trying to believe what he had just been told. "...The Dark Horses...?"

"...Yeah. Do आप know something about them या something such as that...?" Kagen asked in confusion, noticing how Trenton had just suddenly tensed up.

"...N-Nothing... I mean, no... I don't know anything about them," Trenton replied as he shook his head, though his voice seemed to hint at a small bit of nervousness.

"...Are आप sure आप don't know anything about them?" Kyle asked, noticing that Trenton seemed to sound nervous. He began to wonder about Devin once again.

"...No... I don't have anything to tell आप about them," Trenton कहा through a small sigh. He almost seemed like he wasn't telling Kyle and Kagen the truth. "Heh... Anyway, changing subject," Trenton began. "It's going to be time for class again soon, right?"

"Actually, no. The free period lasts for about half an hour. We have plenty of time," Kyle replied. "It's only been a few minutes."

"...Okay then... I thought we didn't have that much time..." Trenton कहा as he rubbed his chin just slightly. His ears suddenly twitched as if he had just heard a sound. "...Does anyone else hear someone coming our way...?"

"You hear someone coming OUR way?" Kyle and Kagen both looked at each in confusion; they were both trying to figure out how Trenton could tell that someone was coming their actual direction despite the fact that the whole courtyard was full of talking and walking students.

"Yes, I can hear someone coming our way," Trenton replied as if it was obvious.

"...HOW?" Kagen and Kyle both asked in confusion.

"I'm a bat... Duh," Trenton replied again as if it was obvious. "I have fairly attuned hearing, meaning that i can hear quite well since I'm a bat."

"...Oh... Right," Kyle just looked away, feeling like an idiot, while Kagen continued looking at Trenton so they could continue speaking.

"Does that mean you're blind, too? या at least have bad eye sight? Are आप wearing contacts right now?" Kagen asked out of curiosity.

"Ha, no. I have fairly normal eye sight," Trenton replied as he crossed his arms. His ears stood up when he heard और footsteps come behind where they were. "...There's someone coming again. Either that या that same person that I heard before is still coming."

"I wonder who it could-" Kagen started to speak as he turned his head to see who was coming, but he suddenly froze in fear with a wide-eyed look on his face once he saw who it was. "...Red Rocket..."

Indeed, Joshua Langtide himself was coming right towards them, though he had someone with him; there was a reddish-brown furred lynx boy following him. This lynx was Joshua's friend/lacky named Brent.

"Hey! I'm still angry over what happened!" Joshua कहा with an angry growl. "That hurt! Whatever आप hit me with, it really hurt and it left quite a mark for the last few days!"

"It's your fault for picking a fight in the first place," Trenton replied flatly with a smirk.

"Shut up, bat," Joshua replied in a flat tone with an angry look on his face. "You're the one that I'm holding the most anger for. You're the one that actually punched me and knocked me out if I remember correctly! Isn't that right, Brent?"

"...Yeah, that was what happened," Brent replied with a nod of his head. He wore thick, dark blue jeans and a grey t-shirt.

"What? How would आप know?" Kagen asked Brent in annoyance. He hated Brent almost as much as he hated Joshua.

"I saw what happened. I was literally getting a few notebooks for class when I saw Joshua come up and grab आप two, and then I saw the bat over there come up, grab Joshua's shoulder, and then turn him around. Then I saw the bat पंच Joshua in the face with some kind of metal thing, I believe," Brent replied.

"...Wow, he really did see everything," Kyle कहा with slightly surprise. "That's... exactly what happened for the most part. Well described on what happened..."

"Exactly. I saw pretty much all of that happen," Brent कहा with a nod.

"Yeah, he saw everything," Joshua said. He walked over to Trenton and grabbed him द्वारा the front of his jacket, pulling the grey bat just a few inches off of the ground. "So, what do आप have to say for yourself? आप want to apologize before I decide to पंच आप the same way?"

"Ha ha, give me one reason why I should apologize. आप were going to hurt Kyle and Kagen if I hadn't stopped you," Trenton कहा flatly.

"So, आप have to turn around and पंच ME in the face?" Joshua asked in a flat voice.

"Yes, that's exactly what I did. Congrats on figuring that out," Trenton कहा with a small smirk. "I'm surprised that a simple bully such as yourself could figure something like that out."

"What did आप just say to me?!" Joshua released an angry growl as he pulled Trenton closer to his face; he was now staring the grey bat directly in the eye. "I dare आप to say that again!"

"Fine," Trenton कहा with a smirk. "I कहा I was surprised that a simple bully could figure out that I punched आप in the face. आप probably wouldn't have ever figured out what happened if आप didn't have a little lacky to tell आप what in the world happened."

Kyle, Kagen, and even Brent just all froze in shock at what Trenton had just said; they didn't expect him to actually repeat that to Joshua. "...Um... Trenton... Maybe आप shouldn't have कहा that..." Kyle and Kagen both कहा with a slight look of fear in their eyes.

"He can try to पंच me, but I know he can't," Trenton कहा with a smirk.

"Wait, what?! What did आप just say?!" Joshua pulled his fist back slightly, ready to पंच Trenton just out of pure anger. "What makes आप think that I can't पंच आप right here and now?!"

"Because I just know that आप can't," Trenton replied with a smirk. "Just go ahead and try. I dare you."

Joshua, feeling quite angry, pulled back his fist the rest of the way and then swung it foward, expecting to feel his fist slamming into Trenton's face at any moment. However, he instead felt Trenton's fist slamming आगे into his face instead. "GAH!" Joshua quickly let go of Trenton and let him fall to the ground before stumbling back a bit, holding the side of his face where Trenton's पंच had landed.

"Hah hah! Too slow!" Trenton mocked, grinning over the fact that he had punched Joshua first. "Now get out of here if आप know what's good for you," He added, now having a और serious voice.

"If I know what's good for me?! Bat, आप better learn your place! आप might want to shut that little mouth before I make आप find out what's good for you!" Joshua replied through angry, clenched teeth.

"I doubt आप could make me learn what's good for me," Trenton mocked again.

"Why आप little...!" Joshua was about to charge right towards Trenton for the attack, until Brent grabbed his shoulder to stop him.

"Josh, stop. There's no reason to continue this fight... It's not going to end with anything except for आप getting angry and possibly getting detention for fighting," Brent pointed out.

"What, आप don't think he would get detention for fighting with me as well?" Joshua asked as he glared at Brent.

"Yes, he probably would, but the point is that this is going nowhere..." Brent कहा through a sigh.

Joshua stayed quiet for a short moment, thinking over what Brent had just said. He released a somewhat angry sigh after thinking for a bit. "...Fine." He pulled his shoulder out of Brent's grip and then turned to face Trenton. "I'm not done with आप yet. Just आप remember that."

"As if आप could ever do anything to me," Trenton replied flatly. Kyle and Kagen were worried that Trenton was going to start the fight up all over again.

Joshua wanted to argue with Trenton again, but Brent instead began pulling Joshua away before another fight could break out. Brent kept pulling Joshua away until they both disappeared off into the distance.

"Now he's just downright annoying," Trenton कहा as he crossed his arms. He turned his head slightly to see that Kyle and Kagen were staring at him in surprise. "...Why are both of आप looking at me like that?"

"I can't believe आप just कहा all of that to Red Rocket like that! He beats people up for saying things like that to his face!" Kagen said.

"Yeah, most of the students that are bullied द्वारा him are usually too afraid to stand up to him," Kyle said. "...I guess Kagen and I are as well. But, maybe we can take a hint from आप and try to argue with him."

"I wasn't exactly trying. I mean, I was arguing with him, but I mostly just started talking back to him because I didn't just want to sit there in silence, and then it turned into an arguement. I wouldn't TRY to argue with him," Trenton said.

"Well, okay, but we can at least try to talk to him या tell him to leave us alone instead of letting him bother us," Kyle corrected himself.

"There आप go," Trenton nodded his head in approval. "Anyway, should we be getting ready to go back to class yet? It could be getting later."

"Eh, I'm not quite sure. I don't think it's too late yet, but we could go ahead and get our stuff ready for class if आप think we should," Kyle said.

"Well, it wouldn't hurt to go ahead and have everything ready," Trenton कहा with a nod of his head.

"Alright, then I guess we can go get ready now," Kyle कहा as he stood up. "Do आप want to come get everything together with us, Kagen?"

"Sure, I can go ahead and go get ready," Kagen replied as he stood up.

"Alright, then let's go get ready for class," Trenton agreed as he started walking off towards the doors of the school. He was quickly followed द्वारा Kagen and Kyle.


Later in the day, after school, Kyle and Kagen were fairly quick to gather their things up and leave the school; they wanted to go घर and relax as soon as possible, but they also wanted to quickly get out of there before Red Rocket decided to come bother them again. They did want to speak to Trenton one last time before they left, however, but they were unable to find him. They searched the school grounds for a short time, but they couldn't find him and assumed that he had left pretty quickly after school had ended. Since they couldn't find Trenton, they just decided to start off on their way to go home.

"So, I'm assuming that आप think he left the school as well?" Kyle asked as he walked down the sidewalk away from the school with his black and red लोमड़ी, फॉक्स friend.

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking. He must have left pretty quickly to have left before we did," Kagen said. "Because I know we got our stuff and got out of there like in less than five minutes. Er, I guess that was five minutes, but आप have to consider how much time it takes to get through the hallways and get your stuff gathered up."

"Yeah, it can take some time when the hallways are really crowded," Kyle agreed with Kagen. He looked up slightly, noticing that they were getting slowly closer to their street. "We're getting closer to home."

"I can see that," Kagen कहा as he looked at the approaching सड़क, स्ट्रीट sign. "Hey, do आप plan on doing any training with that Mancer guy? आप haven't done any training lately, right? Er... I'm just guessing, but still."

"No, I haven't done any training with him," Kyle replied. "At least a couple of days या so ago, maybe sooner, Mancer कहा that it could be a good idea to kind of wait on the training until everything settles down..."

"Hasn't everything settled down, though? या at least for a little bit?" Kagen asked. "I mean, I2 is still... like that... but it seems like there's nothing that can be done right now based on what आप were telling me. And, Vice seems to have stopped, at least for a bit... So maybe आप could talk to Mancer about resuming your training?"

Kyle thought for a moment about what Kagen had just said, before nodding his head. "Sure, I guess I could ask Mancer if training could resume."

"Are आप really going to ask him?" Kagen asked in curiosity.

"Well, I might. I would like to get to learn my powers a bit better, and Mancer really seems like he wants me to learn how to use them," Kyle said. "So I'll most likely ask him."

"Alright then," Kagen looked up, noticing that his house was getting closer in the distance. "Well, I suppose I'll see आप again some other time, Kyle. Maybe later if it's okay with our parents?"

"Sure, that would be fine. Maybe we could play some video games later since we didn't get any homework," Kyle agreed with a nod. "If it's okay with our parents, that is."

"Yeah, that sounds fine. I'll make sure to ask my mom and dad if I can come over," Kagen said.

"And I'll ask my parents if it's okay if आप come over," Kyle replied. "Alright then."

Kyle and Kagen continued walking, not really having anything else really note-worthy to say. It didn't take very long at all for them to arrive on Kagen's front doorstep.

"Alright, I'll possibly see आप later, Kyle," Kagen कहा as he waved goodbye to his yellow furred hedgehog friend.

"Okay. Bye, Kagen!" Kyle waved back to his लोमड़ी, फॉक्स friend with a smile on his face as he watched Kagen open the front door and disappear inside his house. Kyle then turned to walk back to his own home, which was down the street, not that far away from Kagen's house. Kyle kept a look out for any signs of villains या Vice's team, but he didn't see anything out of the ordinary as he made his way home.


Kyle walked up to his house and opened the door, taking a deep breath with a smile on his face as he walked inside. "I'm home!" He called out as he shut the door behind him. "I walked with Kagen, so that's what took me a bit to get home." He looked towards the living room in front of him to see if any of his family was in the room, and he was surprised to see his parents AND Mancer all sitting around and talking.

Kyle's mom and dad both turned their heads towards Kyle, as did Mancer. "Hello, Kyle," All three of the adults greeted Kyle with a nod and smile, though Mancer's smile was unseen due to him wearing his helmet.

"What were all of आप doing?" Kyle asked in curiosity and slight confusion. He was confused as to why Mancer was sitting around and talking with his parents.

"Oh, we were simply just talking and getting to know Mancer here," Kyle's mother replied with a smile. "He's a very smart person, and he seems to have a lot of knowledge."

"Why thank you, Mrs. Waktini," Mancer कहा while tilting his head to the side. He still wore a smile on his face underneath his helmet. "I was also telling your parents about what plans I have for आप and your training, Kyle."

"Plans?" Kyle asked in curiosity. "What kind of plans do आप have for me, Mancer?"

"Ah, you'll discover them in time," Mancer said. "I've already told your parents everything, and they've already कहा it was okay if I protect you. And I promise that I will."

"Please do keep him safe," Kyle's mother कहा as she turned her head towards Mancer.

"I promise I will, Kushina. I won't let anything bad happen to your son," Mancer replied, giving a small nod of his head towards Kyle's mother.

"So, I guess आप all did talk for a while, didn't you?" Kyle asked, noticing that Mancer knew his mother's voice.

"Yes, we did. We got to know quite a bit about each other and talked as proper adults," Kyle's dad Jacob कहा with a nod.

"Yes, indeed," Mancer कहा with a smile. "But anyway, I promise that I'll keep Kyle सुरक्षित to the best of my ability, and I promise that I'll दिखाना आप everything that I have to teach आप in due time, Kyle."

"...Well alright then," Kyle said, deciding to stop asking Mancer what was in store; he knew he wouldn't be able to get the black and red hybrid to talk. He stayed quiet for a moment, attempting to think of something else to say. He then remembered that he was going to ask his parents if it was okay if Kagen come over.

"Oh, I remembered I was going to ask आप something!" Kyle कहा as he turned to face his parents. "I wanted to ask आप if it's okay if Kagen comes over to hang out."

"It's perfectly fine with me if Kagen comes over," Kushina कहा with a smile. "Is that alright with you, Jacob?"

"It's perfectly fine with me," Jacob कहा with a nod. "I don't mind if Kagen comes to visit at all."

"Do आप think it'll be okay with Avina and Daniel?" Kyle asked, looking around the room for any signs of his brother and sister. "Speaking of them, where are they?"

"I believe they're both in their rooms," Kushina said. "Daniel is reading, and I think Avina was changing out of her school clothes and into some और comfortable clothes."

"Alright then. Do आप think I should go ask them if it's okay before I call Kagen to invite him over?" Kyle asked, trying to think of what his brother and sister might want.

"You can go ask them if you'd like, but I'm pretty sure they would say it's fine," Jacob said.

"I'll think I'll still go ask them just in case," Kyle said. "I'll be back in a minute!" He called as he started off towards the stairs to go upstairs to go see his brother and sister.

"We'll see आप later, Kyle," Both of Kyle's parents called as they watched him jog up the stairs to go to his brother and sister's rooms. Mancer waved to Kyle, but didn't say anything.

Kyle walked up the stairs all the way and turned into the upstairs hallway before disappearing into one of the rooms that was in the hallway; Kyle went into Daniel's room.

Daniel was doing much in medium sized room, however. The bronze-yellow hedgehog was simply laying on his bed, पढ़ना one of his प्रिय books. He did look up when Kyle walked in. "Hello, Kyle."

"Hiya, Daniel," Kyle greeted with a smile. "I know you're ready, and I'm sorry to disturb you, but I wanted to ask आप if it was okay with आप if Kagen comes over for a while."

"It's perfectly fine with me, Kyle. आप didn't have to ask," Daniel replied with a nod of his head.

"Well, Mom and Dad कहा that they didn't think that आप would care, but I decided that I would come and ask आप and Avina anyways," Kyle said.

"It's perfectly fine with me," Daniel repeated. "I'll probably hang out with आप and Kagen, anyway."

"Alright then. Well, I'm going to go talk to Avina now," Kyle कहा as he started to back out of Daniel's room.

"Okay. I'll talk to आप later, Kyle," Daniel called to Kyle as he went back to पढ़ना his book.

"Okay, Daniel!" Kyle called back as he started moving away from Daniel's room. He continued down the upstairs hallway until he came to a closed door that lead into his sister's bedroom. "Avina!"

"Hang on, Kyle. I'm a bit busy," Avina called through her closed bedroom door. "I'm getting dressed! Give me just a moment, please!"

"Okay, I can wait!" Kyle called through the closed bedroom door, raising his voice just slightly so he knew for sure that Avina would hear him.

"Thank you," Avina's voice called, sounding a bit closer to the door. Kyle didn't have to wait much longer before the door opened up, revealing Avina in a dark purple t-shirt and dark grey longue pants. "Hello!" Avina greeted with a smile.

"Hi, Avina," Kyle greeted back with a smile. "I wanted to ask if it was okay for me to invite Kagen over to hang out."

"Did आप ask Daniel?" Avina asked.

"Yes," Kyle replied.

"Did आप ask Mom and Dad?"

"Yep."

"Did आप ask that Mancer guy?"

"Well, not exactly... But he didn't seem to care too much while I was asking Mom and Dad."

"Alright, then it's fine with me," Avina कहा with a small laugh. "...That was probably one of the shortest conversations we've ever had, या at least the fastest."

Kyle just laughed at what Avina said. "Yeah, you're probably right, Avina. Anyway, is it really okay with आप if I invite Kagen over? I've already gotten an okay from everyone else."

"It's just fine with me," Avina replied. "In fact, I look आगे to playing video games with आप and him," She added with a grin. Avina was a big tomboy.

"Alright, I'll make sure to tell आप if we're getting ready to play some video games, then," Kyle replied with a nod of his head and a grin. "I'll see आप later then, Avina."

"See आप later, Kyle," Avina कहा with a smile, though she did wind up following Kyle out of her room and down the stairs to the living room.

"Okay, Avina and Daniel कहा it was okay if I invite Kagen over!" Kyle कहा in a happy tone of voice. Avina, who followed Kyle down the stairs, nodded her head with a grin at what Kyle said.

"Alright, then go right ahead and call him," Kushina कहा with a smile as she stood up. "Meanwhile, your father and I have something that we need to go finish working on in the lab while आप call him and hang out with him if he comes over."

Jacob nodded his head as he stood up from the सोफ़ा, सोफे he was sitting on. "Yeah, your mother and I have something that we want to finish. Have fun with Kagen, though, and tell us if आप need anything," He कहा with a smile. Jacob then proceeded to walk towards the रसोई, रसोईघर and into the lab with Kushina close behind him.

"So... You're going to call your friend Kagen?" Mancer asked as he turned his head to look at Kyle; he was still sitting in the same chair that he was in when Kyle first walked in the door.

"Yeah, I'm going to give him a call and invite him over," Kyle कहा with a nod. "By the way, I wanted to ask आप something, Mancer... er, I at least wanted to say something to you."

"Oh yeah? What did आप need to say?" Mancer asked, sounding slightly curious.

"Well, Kagen and I were talking on our way home, and Kagen was asking if I had done any और training with आप lately. I कहा no... So then he thought that maybe I could ask आप if आप wanted to resume my training. I mean, we could if आप want..." Kyle said.

"You want to get back to training?" Mancer asked, actually sounding somewhat surprised that Kyle was saying that he was okay with going back to physical and Rasoul training.

"Well, I was thinking about it if that's alright. I kind of wanted to resume the training at some point if that's alright with you. I know आप really wanted to teach me how to use my powers better and properly so I could help fight Vice... and Tempus, I guess."

"...You think that I'll want आप to fight Tempus?" Mancer asked. He couldn't honestly remember if he had told Kyle that he WANTED him to fight Tempus या not. If he did, Kyle didn't seem to remember either.

"I thought that आप might. Either way, if he really did something to your family, then I want to help. या at least I want to try to help," Kyle कहा with a nod of his head. "So, I feel like I would like to try to train more. I want to try to learn everything that आप want me to learn, even if it's hard या tiring. I want to try my best to learn what आप want me to learn, even if it takes some time and heavy work."

Mancer stayed quiet for a long moment, as if thinking over something in his head. He stood up, still remaining quiet. "...Alright, I'll think over it... I'll think about resuming your training soon. But, right now, I believe आप should go ahead and call your friend over before it gets too late."

"Before it gets too late?" Kyle asked in slight confusion. "It's not even close to रात का खाना time yet."

"I know it's not getting late, but it will get late," Mancer replied. "Basically what I'm trying to say is that if we did a lot of training right now, we could forget about the time and it could get late very quickly. So, it might be best to spend time with your friend first, and then we could train later if we have enough time left in the day."

"...Alright, that sounds fine," Kyle कहा with a nod of his head after thinking over what Mancer had कहा for a moment. "I guess I'll go ahead and go call Kagen, then."

"I suppose I'll just sit here and relax," Mancer कहा as he leaned back in his chair. He did, however, take off his हेलमेट and take a deep breath.

"Does it get hot while you're wearing that helmet?" Kyle asked, watching as Mancer took off his helmet. He also noticed that Mancer's thick red hair seemed to be matted to his normal black फर with sweat.

"Oh yes, it does," Mancer replied through a sigh. He ran his hand across his forehead, attempting to brush his matted hair out of his eyes so he could see better. "I personally like to wear that helmet, but it can still get quite hot while I'm wearing that thing." He turned his head slightly, noticing that Kyle looked as if he was about to speak again. "And, no, I'm not going to tell आप why I wear the helmet. I wear it for my own personal reasons, but I also wear it for some head protection during fights. I'll at least tell आप that."

"...Okay then," Kyle stopped himself from saying what he was actually going to say; he really was going to ask why exactly Mancer wore that हेलमेट if it was so hot. He stood there for a moment, just observing the black and red hybrid's face. Now that he could plainly see Mancer's face and didn't have other important things on his mind, he was able to notice that Mance had one thin, reddish scar going over both of his eyes. "Then do आप mind if I ask about those scars over your eyes...?"

"The what?" Mancer asked in confusion, until he realized what Kyle was talking about. "Oh, these!" He raised his hand up slightly and gently pressed his finger over the चोटी, शीर्ष of the scar on his left eye. "I got this when I was younger. It was an accident on my oldest brother's part, and also my fault in a way. He was attacking a training dummy, testing out his Rasoul claws, and I walked up behind him and कहा hello. Well, I suppose I startled him, so he spun around quickly and struck me over my eyes out of reflex with his two largest claws. ...He didn't stick the claws in deep at all, and my eyes were closed, but it still let very small scars. Though I don't honestly know why it left scars without damaging my eyes, but it did," Mancer explained. He then closed his eyes, revealing that the thin red scars were on his eyelid as well. "See? He just scratched over my eyes."

"Ah, I see..." Kyle कहा as he observed the scars on Mancer's face and eyelids. He stared at Mancer's eyes for a short while once he opened his eyes back up as well; Mancer's eyes confused Kyle and intrigued him.

"Now what are आप looking at?" Mancer asked, noticing that Kyle seemed to be staring and observing again.

"Oh, um... I was... looking at your eyes..." Kyle replied. Mancer's eyes could indeed be called strange in a few ways; the backgrounds of his eyes seemed to be a light pinkish-reddish color as if his eyes were somewhat irritated and red, and Kyle also noticed that Mancer didn't seem to have ordinary eyes. Mancer didn't even seem to have an actual eye; he just had pupils and nothing else in his eye except for the backgrounds. The pupils didn't look normal either, या at least they didn't look like something Kyle had really ever seen before. Mancer's pupils were bright red, and they were very thin just like slits that आप would see in a snake's eyes. So, Mancer's eyes indeed did look like red snake-slits.

"My eyes? You're probably thinking they're pretty strange, right?" Mancer asked, noticing that Kyle still seemed to be staring. He closed his eyes and kept them shut, which snapped Kyle out of his staring trance.

Kyle blinked his eyes a few times, attempting to get his mind focused on what Mancer asked. He had felt almost as if Mancer's snake-like eyes had kept him in some kind of trance. "...Er... I'm sorry for staring at your eyes, Mancer... But, yeah, they do seem strange to me. Or, um... Maybe they don't seem strange, but they do seem different to me. I've personally never seen eyes quite like that before."

"Yeah, आप could say that my eyes are different," Mancer said. His eyes were still closed. "I have these eyes because of my species, however... So I suppose they're pretty common among my own species."

"Your own species?" Kyle asked in confusion and what sounded like surprise.

"That's definitely not a story for right now, however," Mancer कहा quickly with a small nervous flinch, as if he had just कहा something he shouldn't have said. "Anyway, I thought आप were going to call Kagen."

"Well, I was going to, but..." Kyle started to say something, but he just decided to stop, knowing that Mancer most likely wouldn't tell Kyle anything और about his eyes या his apparently different species. "...Yeah, I'll go call him now. I'll talk to आप later, Mancer."

"Alright, perhaps we can train later if we get enough time," Mancer said. He opened his eyes up long enough just to pick his हेलमेट up and put it back on.

"Okay," Kyle कहा with a nod of his head. He then walked off towards the रसोई, रसोईघर so he could call Kagen without the interruption of noise in the other rooms. He pulled his black cellphone out of his pocket and called his black and red लोमड़ी, फॉक्स friend.

"Hey, Kyle!" Kagen's voice greeted cheerfully through the phone. "My parents कहा it was perfectly fine if I come over to your house for a while!"

"Really? I actually just asked my parents, my brother, and my sister if it was okay if आप came over just a short while ago. They also कहा it was perfectly fine!" Kyle कहा in a happy tone and with a smile, though he knew Kagen obviously couldn't see his smile.

"Alright then, I'll be over there soon!" Kagen's voice कहा in a happy tone. Kyle's phone then went silent, as Kagen had hung up his own phone.

Kyle put his phone back in his pocket after the call had ended and walked into the living room with a smile on his face. "Okay, Kagen is coming over!"

"Alright, I'm looking आगे to getting to hang out with him also," Avina's voice called from the चोटी, शीर्ष of the stairs. She walked down the stairs with a happy grin on her face. "I प्यार playing video games with आप and him, Kyle."

"I know आप do, and I do, too. Kagen is a pretty competitve player, and that makes him extra fun to play against in my opinion," Kyle कहा with a grin. "Anyway, he कहा he would be here soon, so he should be here in a few minutes."

"Looking आगे to it!" Avina कहा while still wearing a grin on her face. "Now, I'm going to go look for a snack while I wait." She walked past Kyle and disappeared around the corner and into the kitchen.

"So, your friend is coming over?" Mancer asked Kyle. He was still sitting in the same chair that he was before Kyle went to call Kagen.

"Yeah, Kagen's going to come over for a while," Kyle replied with a nod of his head. "Do आप want to hang out with us when he gets here?" Mancer started to answer Kyle, but he stopped himself when his phone beeped, indicating that he had a text message.

Mancer reached into his pocket and pulled out a dark red and black touch-screen phone. He viewed the text message that he had recieved, observing it carefully. "...Well, I would like to hang out with you, but it looks like I'm going to have to go. A friend of mine is wanting to meet with me to discuss... some things," He कहा as he stood up.

"You're going to see one of your own friends?" Kyle asked.

"Yes, I am. He wants to meet with me to discuss a few matters," Mancer कहा as he started walking towards the front door. "Tell your parents that I कहा goodbye and I'll be back, please."

"...Okay then. I'll make sure to tell them that आप had to leave," Kyle कहा with a nod of his head.

"Thank you, Kyle," Mancer कहा as he walked up to the front door and opened the it. "I'll try to be back later before it gets too late," He added as he walked out of the door and closed it behind himself.

"Did someone just leave?" Avina's voice asked from the kitchen. She was still searching around for a snack due to the fact that she was slightly hungry.

"Yeah, Mancer just left. He got a text message on his phone and then कहा that he needed to go meet with one of his friends," Kyle replied to Avina. "He कहा he would be back later, though."

"Alright then," Avina's voice said. "Is Kagen here yet?"

"No, but I imagine he'll be here soon," Kyle said. He turned his head towards the window just in time to see Kagen making his way across the sidewalk towards the house. "Never mind, he's coming up the sidewalk now. I see him out the window."

"Alright!" Avina walked out of the रसोई, रसोईघर with a grin on her face, happy that Kagen had arrived. She held a soda can in her hands. "Now the fun can get started."

"Ha, what fun?" Kyle asked with a small laugh. "The TV watching, video gaming fun? And all of the silly, crazy randomness that Kagen brings?"

"Exactly," Avina कहा with a grin. She walked over to the सोफ़ा, सोफे and sat down to relax for a while.

Kyle walked over to the front door, expecting Kagen to knock at any moment. He stood द्वारा the door until the black and red लोमड़ी, फॉक्स did knock on the door. "It's open, Kagen! Come on in!"

The front door opened, revealing Kagen with a grin on his face. He waved with one of his hands as he used the other arm to shut the door behind him. "Hey, what's up?"

"Hi, Kagen!" Avina greeted with a grin and a wave from the couch.

"Great to see you, buddy," Kyle कहा with a smile. "So, what do आप want to do first? Talk for a while? Play some video games?"

"I'm fine with pretty much anything," Kagen कहा with a smile. He did look around and observe the living room, however. "So, where's your parents? And where's that Mancer at?"

"Our parents went into the lab to finish a project they wanted to finish, या at least I think they wanted to finish whatever they were working on," Kyle said. "They didn't say what they were working on, though."

"Huh... Okay, so it sounds like your parents might be working on some kind of surprise protect. I don't know," Kagen कहा with a shrug of his shoulders. "Anyway, now where did Mancer go?"

"Mancer got a text on his phone, कहा that he had to leave to go meet up with one of his friends, and then left a short while before आप showed up," Kyle explained to his black and red लोमड़ी, फॉक्स friend.

"Alright then," Kagen कहा with a nod of his head. "Did he say anything about what kind of friend he was going to see?"

"Nope, he just कहा he had to go meet one of his friends," Kyle said.

"Hey, are we going to play some video games या watch a movie या what? What are we doing?" Avina somewhat interrupted, noticing that Kyle and Kagen seemed to be done with their Mancer conversation anyway.

"Oh, um... How about we play some video games?" Kagen suggested.

"Sounds fine to me," Kyle कहा with a smile. Avina just nodded her head with a smile and turned on the TV to prepare for video gaming.

Kyle and Kagen both sat down on the सोफ़ा, सोफे अगला to Avina to relax and to help her set up the video game system for playing. The three teens prepared themselves to spend time together as फ्रेंड्स for a few hours until Kagen had to leave.


.............................................................................


"I'm here, sir," A dark figure कहा as he walked into a dark, dimly lit room. The figure was standing in a large, abandoned warehouse, which was also very dimly lit and appeared as if it had been abandoned for years.

"Thank आप for coming," A voice replied from the shadows. "Does anyone know आप came here?"

"I didn't tell anyone, and I wasn't followed," The figure replied. "So, as far as I know, no one knows that we're here."

"Alright then," The voice replied. "Now, we came here for a reason... I wanted to meet up with आप so I could speak with you, and we just now got the chance."

"Yes, I know that, sir," The figure कहा with a nod of their head. "What were आप wanting to talk about?"

"I wanted to ask if आप could do something for me," The voice replied. "I need आप to dress up in a costume and basically make someone I know think that you're the person in the costume."

"I think आप filled me in on this just a tad bit before," The figure said. "You want to test his abilities द्वारा tricking him into attacking me, right?"

"Yes, I can give आप the smaller details and the costume later," The voice replied. "I just have one piece of सलाह before आप leave."

"You have सलाह to tell me?" The figure asked. "Do आप mean सलाह for what आप want me to do?"

"Yes, it's सलाह for that," The voice replied.

"What is it?" The figure asked.

"Just don't let him see your face..." The voice replied, sounding just a bit closer to where the figure was.

The figure stood still for a moment, but he soon nodded his head as if he had understood what the voice had meant. "Understood, sir."

"Alright, make sure आप remember that... It's a crucial part of the task I'm giving you. He does not need to see you..." The voice said. A pair of glowing red, snake-like pupils appeared where the voice was as the pupils watched the figure turn and walk out of the room. "We'll see what आप can do so far, boy..." The voice whispered quietly as the eyes disappeared in a blink.