The Mysterious Man

Where we last left off , Mitsuya had just challenged the man to a fight. He stands in the doorway , looking confidently in the eyes of the tall stranger. "So what do you say. If I beat you , you have to leave me alone."

The man lets out a quiet chuckle , then shakes his head. " Kid , I don't have time for this. I would much rather use my words to solve problems than my fists. Just come with me." He grabs Mitsuya's hand , but he pulls away quickly.

"Fine , if you won't go , then I guess I can abide by your terms. If I win , you and your sister must come with me. If I lose, then I won't bother you ever again. What do you say to that ?¨

Akemi thinks on it for several moments and then says " Do we have a time constraint ?¨

"You have 5 minutes to prep , 10 minutes to fight. You're really quick to fight , aren't you ?"

¨ I'll do it in 3¨ he says with a smirk.

He turns around and slams the door in the manś face.

The man chuckles , and goes to sit down on the old wooden chair that had been sitting on the porch. He lights a cigarette and closes his eyes before letting out a big sigh. " I hope it's not this tough when I have kids." The man can clearly see Mitsuya observing him through the window. We now shift to Mitsuya's perspective.

" He's probably not going to be a problem , but if I could guess he's probably about twice , maybe three times my age. He's probably a professional since he knows about me. He's taller than me , but I can move fast which puts me at an advantage. It doesn't look like he has any weapons , so I can probably take him out fairly easily. Strong build , could prove to be a challenge.¨

He stares at the man's feet. "What the heck ? He plans to fight me in dress shoes ? ¨ he thinks. He lets out a small chuckle. ¨ Just to keep it safe , I´ll equalize our speed. In this case , the only way he can defend is with his arms. If he goes for my legs , I can just slip through. And if he makes the first move , then I instantly win. But if I make the first move , I can make it so he only has a 20% chance of dodging at best." He looks at the kitchen knifes on the table " Equipment equalized. I'll make this a fair fight. I'd hate to kill the poor guy." He plays at least 20 different scenarios in his head. " I might trip , instant lose. But if I could dodge quick enough then maybe …". He erases the thought from his mind. At the same time of admiring his 'genius' observations , Mitsuya is filled with enthusiasm. When he usually is , he becomes uncontrollably excited on the inside. He stands in a confident build , and opens the door. His hair blows in the wind. He's ready. But then his face becomes one of utter disappointment. The man has fallen asleep. Mitsuya is screaming in his mind.

He picks up the largest rock he can find , and throws it at the man. It hits him directly on his head , and he lets out a large " OOOOOWWWWWW "

"Get up , it's time." Mitsuya says. The man gets up and pats his clothes of dust. Ok , let's go kid. By the river.¨

They start the five minute trek to the riverside , and upon getting there Mitsuya blurts out "Ok , this is going to be a nice clean fight.¨

The man shakes his head , " I wouldn't have it any other way. I can't hurt a kid." He enters a common fighting stance. Mitsuya does the same.

Mitsuya charges at the man at full speed , " He can dodge. He has no defense. I WIN !!!" he thinks.

The man quickly evades the attack by jumping in the air , and manages to pin Mitsuya to the ground. "Now will you listen ?!" he says.

"Not on my life." Mitsuya slips from his grasp , and jumps to a safe distance. He assumes his normal stance , and the man comes at him . They both engage one another in karate tactics , when Mitsuya manages to kick him in the face. But it does little damage. The man quickly jumps back up , and tries to punch him. Mitsuya quickly dodges and says "Man , this is fun !!!¨ He prepares himself , and jumps his highest distance " IF I can land one punch , I can knock him down. He'll be immobile." He lets out a loud war cry , as if his victory is ensured.

The man whispers under his breath " He's having fun. I'd hate to end this." He sighs a deep sigh. " I wonder how many kids have this much potential." Mitsuya has not yet realized that he has been dropping for 30 seconds.

" Has he not realized it yet ? My magic is controlling his body's movements. And he no longer has a concept of reality. It defies physical and natural boundary. Man , this kid is an idiot." We now switch to Mitsuya's perspective.

" How long have I been in the air ? Wait , don't tell me -" He is cut off when the man faces his open palm towards him. He is instantly pushed 30 feet away , into the river. " CRAP , HE'S A MAGE."

Mitsuya thinks. Just then , he falls into the river. His body instantly becomes soaked in the cold water. He swims up to the surface and catches his breath at the bank. " What was that ?" he mumbles.

The man stands above him. His long hair waves in the wind. Mitsuya thinks he looks majestic , almost like a hero from a comic book" Looks like I win," he says , reaching out his hand. " Don't worry. You and your sister are in good hands" he says.

Mitsuya groans and reaches out his hand to take the man's. He lifts him from the river , wipes the sweat from his brow and says " All right , let's go" in an enthusiastic voice.

Mitsuya stares at him indiscriminately, as if he is disappointed in this seemingly man child. He follows him , nonetheless. Throughout 5 minutes of " Was the house that way" and " Didn't we just pass this tree ?" , they finally make it back. By then Mitsuya's mentality is close to being broken. " If he says one more thing , I'm killing him…" he thinks.

When they get to the door of the house , Mitsuya stops the man. " I know I agreed to your terms , but you're going to tell me right now. Who are you ?"

The man struggles for words " That … is a very important question … and we'll get to it later…" He tries to open the door and slip pass.

" NOW" Mitsuya shouts in his quietest voice , as to not awaken his sister.

" Fine." The man adjusts himself to a serious expression. " I'm a mage. My magic is bound limitless. That means when you made physical contact , I instantly won , as I could control your actions."

Mitsuya's face light up. " EXPLAIN THAT" , he tries to say intimidatingly.

" My lord , I was born in the right generation." the man hits his forehead and shakes his head in tiredness. " Ok , so you see this stick." He picks it up. " If I touch it , like so." He goes up to it, and flicks at it. " And if I concentrate really hard," he puts his hand to his temple. " I can make it do this…" The stick starts levitating. " I now have control over its molecular and biological structure. I can change it's shape and form. Amazing isn't it ?"

Mitsuya remains apprehensive- " How much do you know about me ? Tell me everything." On the inside he is probably screaming " STOP TALKING TO ME LIKE I'M A CHILD !!."

" Well ," he sighs " I know that you're a 13 year old named Mitsuya Nieto. Born and raised in Osaka , Japan. Has a little sister named Kaoru. Your mom was murdered and your dad abandoned you. For the past 2 years , you and your sister have been living in Tokyo , Japan under the false identities of Akemi and Ryuko Hyedo. You've been receiving help from a Mr. Akazi who owns a bar about twenty minutes away from here. Sometimes you make money from writing and gambling." Mitsuya sees a frown cross his face " Your parents were once members of the Covenant , United Mage's Society."

Mitsuya bows his head and clenches his fist. There is a series of rapid thoughts in his mind. A nun , a book , kids , doctors , a beautiful young girl. He quickly comes back to reality.

" How the heck do you know all of that ?" Mitsuya yells on instinct.

" I've been watching you. I also know about everything else along the way. I heard about it … the fire … the lab. If only I were there…"

" You're one of THOSE PEOPLE aren't you ? A member of the association The people who branded and abandoned us." Mitsuya says.

" I once was. But that is a story for another time. Right now , you and your sister need to come with me. I know you have many questions , but you agreed to follow me."

" I know what I said. But I have one more that you're going to answer here and now."

" You're killing me , kid." the man laughs. " Do your worst, but I warn you- tread lightly."

Mitsuya feels a shiver run down his spine. THis may be the first time in years that he has actually feared someone. This man may be offering him help , but he's mysterious. Who could he be ?

He stutters his questions - " Whhoo- who… sent … you ?"

" Oh. I thought you were gonna ask something else. Uuuuummmmm , I can't tell you that. But I'll make it simple. I was a close friend of your mom."

Mitsuya's eyes open wide. " You actually knew my mom ? For how long ? Where is my dad ? WHO KILLED MY MOM ??!!!" He suddenly blurts out the last part.

" That's what I'm trying to figure out. And I'll need your help for that. That's why I came." He looks down at his watch. It is now about 5:45 in the morning. " Come on , wake your sister and pack your things. We're gonna take back the Organization."

Mitsuya is left in a state of utter amazement from the man in front of him. He feels nothing but admiration in that moment. The man turns around and walks towards a car that is parked about 20 feet away.

Just before Mitsuya can go in the house , the man turns around. " Oh , my name. It's Himura. Himura Tsubasa."