Biohuman

"You're different from the rest of the foxlings I've dealt with in the past," the Hat Man said. He took a step backwards. The golden bead was filling Lee Seng and pushed past his skin. Lee Seng looked down at his hands and watched as the golden energy resembled something he saw Akio watching before.

"What do you mean I'm different?" Lee Seng looked up. The Hat Man watched as shadows moved towards Lee Seng. Some scrambled forwards to try to close the distance, but the Hat Man simply threw a hand up and all of the shadows were forced onto the floor. They were pulled into the Hat Man's shadow as he lowered his hand.

"Souls," the Hat Man scoffed. "Impatient beings. Your next life starts when I want it to! Sacrificing yourself to a foxling will only delay that! What don't you get?" He turned and pointed at his own shadow. Lee Seng felt the energy swell and start whipping around him. The Hat Man moved out of the way as he turned around and watched as the golden and white aura moved past him.

"Do I need to spell everything out to you, foxling? You defy laws which are in place." The Hat Man explained. "For one, you reek of a living human and a foxling." Lee Seng's eyes narrowed. The Hat Man had only moved close to him maybe once or twice. He didn't even get any indication he could use his senses.

"How do you know that?" Lee Seng asked, quietly. The Hat Man chuckled.

"What's the old timer up to now? What did he promise you? Power? Immortality? A place in his court?" The Hat Man blurred forward and appeared with his head next to Lee Seng's head. "He wouldn't choose any mere human to do his bidding. He had to have made a deal with you in order for him to get something out of it." Lee Seng pushed the Hat Man and moved backwards. The Hat Man's facial features appeared back and the red eyes glimmered with curiosity.

Memories of the man in the fox mask appeared in Lee Seng's head. The day he was a couple of hours late for school, came back to him. He remembered being wrapped in tails. He could see a white bead enter his chest. Once the energy entered him, he passed out. Lee Seng held his head and shook it as he recalled the memories.

'Why am I remembering it now?' Lee Seng wondered. He looked back up at the Hat Man who was still smiling. He continued to have that curiosity in his eyes and Lee Seng was feeling really uncomfortable with it. He turned to look and noticed the sun had moved higher into the sky.

"It wasn't that high before!" Lee Seng turned and pointed at the sun. "I'm going to be so screwed if I don't go back now!"

"Answer me, foxling. What deal did you make with him? Why did you choose the gold bead out of all of the other beads?" The Hat Man asked. Lee Seng turned back to look at him.

"You know him, don't you?" Lee Seng asked. "You talk about the man in the fox mask like you know him well."

"Answer the questions and you'll be on your way. Or do you not care for your... transfer school test? What if you just... appeared at the wrong time and were punished for something you couldn't even deal with? The sun's rising quickly, foxling. Answer my questions, now." The Hat Man growled. Lee Seng gulped and looked at the rising sun.

'Time passes so quickly here. Will I have enough time to make it out of this place and get out of the Ruined City, too?' Lee Seng thought. The Hat Man sighed and took a step forward.

"Maybe some incentive would help." The Hat Man shook his head. He pointed his bony finger directly in the middle of Lee Seng's chest. Lee Seng could feel the energy resonating in that single point and looked down to see his chest glowing. He could feel the energy pulling out of him. The small golden bead was now the size of an orb.

Lee Seng grunted as the golden orb stuck out halfway. Lee Seng's eyes watered as he looked up at the Hat Man.

"He promised me... power exchange for the Fox... Spirit..." Lee Seng answered. The Hat Man stopped pulling and Lee Seng felt the golden orb pulse and his lungs pulling air back into his body.

"Power? That was it? Ha, humans are really simple."

"It wasn't power!" Lee Seng shouted. He straightened his back and glared into the Hat Man's bloody eyes. "I've been lied to for years about the so-called 'powers' I was supposed to have! The man in the fox mask helped me achieve it. He gave me the Fox Spirit but I was the one who accepted it as my own. If I didn't accept it then I wouldn't have had any of this."

"You think it was a mutual agreement that allowed you to have these so-called 'powers,' foxling." The Hat Man chuckled. "The old timer wouldn't  <strong>ever</strong> allow another person to choose their path. The other foxes would tell you otherwise. Tricked into making a bet. Failed to win the bet and were forced with the Fox Spirit. The old timer wouldn't allow someone to  <strong>willingly</strong> choose the path. You lie." The Hat Man continued to pull and the golden orb started to move again.

"I'm not lying to you, you creepy fedora man!" Lee Seng screamed as the orb moved a couple inches. "I  <strong>willingly</strong> made that bet because my Father would rather sabotage my Biohuman powers and let me suffer!" The Hat Man stopped pulling. Lee Seng grabbed the golden orb and started to shove it back into his chest.

Lee Seng's fury burned brightly. His tail angrily stood straight up and the gold energy continued to mix with his white energy. He grunted as the orb slowly started to move back into his body.

"So what if every other fox was manipulated into becoming one? I don't care if I was lied to!" Lee Seng shouted. He pushed the golden orb back into his body and his body began to radiate a bright golden energy. "My own father hides a deep secret. That secret is within eleven other people, including me! Without the Fox Spirit, I wouldn't be able to suppress its ugly desires. Even now, I feel it crawling. It's clawing its way out as we speak.  I need power to overcome whatever my father is hiding within me just like the rest of the Numbers."

The Hat Man laughed. He bellowed a hearty laugh and pointed at Lee Seng with his bony finger.

"You know nothing about what you're talking about, child." The Hat man chuckled. "I guess this is what they call youth. Stubborn and overly ambitious youth." The Hat Man wiped his tears and nodded. "Fine, I accept it. You willingly made the pact and that means you willingly accept the task you were given. Whatever that task is, you needn't waste breath.

"Answer my next question, child. Why did you pick the gold bead? You aren't like the others and I now know why. You are a human and a foxling. Your foxling nature hasn't suppressed the human nature. I wonder why."

'Why did I pick the gold bead?' Lee Seng asked himself. 'It's just... It didn't reflect this world. That was all, right?'

'It reflects the sun, right?' Keng answered. 'Gold is something everyone wants. Money, love, prosperity. Maybe courage or wisdom.'

"Mmm, you're right about that." Lee Seng nodded. "Like I told you, there's no color here that represents gold. It's death, decay, blood. Nothing represents the hope of continuing forward. I guess that's why I picked gold."

"This realm has no gold. This realm has no hope, courage. Ha, to think a mere child and foxling could come up with that meaning with all that shallow word play." The Hat Man nodded. "Fine, I accept it. I'm curious as to why you didn't demand something else. Another color, another bead. Foxlings like to act upon the greed like a spoiled child. They learn to suppress their greed, maybe, but they are greedy children when they come here. But you! Oh, not you! You chose within the realm of what was shown to you and you're okay with it!"

"What're you trying to say?"

"I'm saying nothing and everything. You figure it out." The Hat Man pointed. The golden energy swirled and pulled into Lee Seng's body. Gold mixed with the white aura and golden wisps started to appear. Strokes of gold laced within his white tail and the Hat Man nodded, pleased. "It looks like we are done here, child foxling. You have passed the test and answered my questions. You may freely come and go as you please and see the sights as it is."

"So how do I leave?" Lee Seng asked.

"And there's the impatience of a human and a fox." The Hat Man pointed. He lifted his hand and the shadows began to pull out of his own shadow. "I give you these souls as well as an additional gift for entertaining me." He lowered his hand to the ground. His hand blurred into shadows and he gripped onto something. He pulled at it and Lee Seng watched as a black and white handle with a black sheathe pulled from the shadows.

The Hat Man tossed the katana at Lee Seng who grabbed it. The sword had a familiar aura about it and began to pulse with familiar energy. Lee Seng pulled the sword out and watched as the iron-colored blade turned gold and white.

"Why're you giving me these things?" Lee Seng asked.

"You amuse me. I'll probably see you again. For now, take the blade and some souls."