Within the Darkness

Pitch felt as Kat willingly walked into his amorphous body made of black particles to feel the solid core that formed after his large meal. Her hand gently caresses the floating orb. She studied its texture as her hand strokes across its surface. Because Pitch's particles were so small they floated behind Kat's lab coat and even the clothes underneath. He could feel the grooves of her skin, the small thin hairs all over her body, every curve and crevice of her body that was within the dark cloud that was his true form. His body began to actively move to explore her's as her fingertips gently kneaded and prodded the orb and Pitch couldn't help but be aware of how much more sensitive this concentrated mass of himself was.

Pitch also couldn't help but become aware of just how touch starved he was. Humans needed physical and social contact, they had become mentally programmed to require it. Although his body had changed, mentally he was still mostly the same. However, once he became aware of just how intimate this interaction felt, Pitch became extremely self conscious about it. It didn't help that she was inside of him, where he would normally break down food. His body tensed up.

Kat was studying the solid feeling orb and getting a feel for its texture in hopes it could provide some answers as to the construction of the new entity she had encountered. It was nothing like any creature she had ever studied and as such she felt a drive to reach into the unknown. Everything else in the world dropped away as she focused solely on the orb. She was suddenly taken out of her tunnel vision focus when the loose fine sand like particles suddenly started to offer resistance. Horror suddenly settled in as she realized her entire body was enveloped by the creature. She slowly let go of the orb and the resistance went slack again allowing her to step out as easily as she stepped in.

Kat became really flustered. “I'm so sorry, I just got a little lost in my observations. I didn't even stop to think about what I was doing. Oh god, you could have eaten me easily just then. I wasn't thinking about anything other than the orb and didn't even realize I was inside of you. It must have taken restraint to not devour me.” Pitch was also flustered. “I assure you, my reaction was not the result of hunger. I've more than had my fill.” Kat tilted her head. “Then why did you clamp down on me if you weren't thinking of eating me.”

Pitch became extremely embarrassed but did his best to explain things scientifically. “The particles I am made of are my skin, eyes, ears, mouth, and nerves. If I understand correctly, what you were grabbing was basically a condensed ball of… well of me. It is… surprisingly sensitive.” Kat gasped. “Oh god, I didn't hurt you did I? I was doing my best to be gentle.” Pitch then responded without thinking. “That's the problem.” Kat knitted her brows with an expression of befuddlement as the information sank in. She then turned beat red. “Oh, s-sorry. I didn't realize how intimate and invasive my observation was. I didn't think you… uhh…”

Pitch created a bit of distance between them. “I didn't know either. I actually was working under the assumption that this form completely lacked the ability to become… aroused. I am still learning new things about this body. I've only been this way for five years.” Kat again looked confused. “Wait… five years? Do you mean to tell me you are only five years old?” Pitch let out a laugh. “No, I used to be human. Don't ask me how I got this way, I don't know.” Kat put her hand on her chin. “Okay but why are you here?” Pitch decided since he had already been forward and honest to continue. “Something here is calling out to me. From below the building.”

Kat sighed. “From the “basement”. Okay, unfortunately I can't help you there. I was being honest when I said I didn't know we had one. I have a lot of questions about you and how various parts of you function.” Pitch bluntly responded “I probably don't know the answers to most of them. The power will be restored soon and security is likely nearby. So I should go.” Kat reached out a hand. “Wait, what do I call you?” Pitch sighed. “I go by Pitch. Pitch Black.” Kat giggled. “Really?” Pitch sighed. “It seemed the most fitting name to pick.” Then he rushed into the vents before the security guards came over. Kat covers for him with them.

Pitch went to the elevator and reformed his shell, clothes and all. It seemed he could now create fabric as well. Pitch grabbed his cleaning gear and some headphones before going back to mopping. Security guards running over and clearing the area. One takes off the headphones. “Did you not hear the gunshots or notice the lights go out?” Pitch looked up at the guard. “I noticed the lights but figured maybe it was a blown circuit and I'd get to it later. I've got the Doom soundtrack full blast so… yeah.” The guard pointed to the elevator. “Evacuate the building.”

Pitch got on the elevator to see Kat already in it with messy hair and a bloody lab coat. “Hey Kat.” He said casually. Kat just looked at him. “Did you not notice what was going on? I mean look at my lab coat, it's covered in blood.” Pitch looked at it. “I'll put it in the laundry or whatever.” Kat tilted her head. “So this… doesn't even faze you?” Pitch laughed. “The only part of this that bothers me is the overtime I'll have to do to get all the bloodstains those thugs left out.” Kat sat there, buffering for a while. One could practically see the circle spinning in front of her. Btw, that buffering circle is called a thobber.

Kat finally asked. “If you were on the other end of the building cleaning, how did you-?” Pitch interrupted “I overheard a guard say something while I was on my way out.” Kat gave a simple “Ah” as the elevator opened. Pitch then had a thought. “(Having another person on the inside, an ally, would definitely help. More so if it's a scientist. I already know Kat so that's a bonus. She wasn't even scared of me after she realized I wasn't going to hurt her. Maybe I should let her in on my secret.)” Kat stepped out and Pitch followed, grabbing her shoulder. “Hold up, uhh… Let's exchange numbers and catch up sometime.”

Kat looked at him. “You know what, after the day I had I think I needed a drink. How about I get changed and we go to the bar?” Pitch was hoping for something more private so they could talk, but decided he could wait. “Okay, yeah. I'll meet you outside.” Pitch went to the changing room and adjusted his outfit to something casual then waited outside the front entrance of the building for Kat. Kat soon came out in a polkadot grandma looking getup. With the polkadot vest and matching skirt over a white dress shirt and a fresh pair of glasses. “There's a bar just a short walk away.”

Pitch walked with Kat to the bar, once there she had three beers and started drunkenly rambling on about what happened to her for a while. Pitch sighed and insisted they change subject three times. After sitting in silence for a while as Kat sipped on and nursing drinks, Pitch decided it was now or never. “Can we go someplace more private?” Kat's face got beat red. “O-okay.” Pitch walked her out of the bar’s back door and a bit down the alleyway. “I wanted a chance to talk to you in private, because there's something I wanted to tell you.” Kat felt her heart skip a beat. “Y-yeah?” Pitch took a deep breath, or rather mimicked doing so. “In the shadow monster you saw today. I'm Pitch.”

Kat's smile faded. “What?” Pitch's hands got really expressive. “You probably didn't see it on the news but six years ago I went missing for a year. Well that was because somehow I turned into the shadow monster you met today. I was stuck like that for a year until after a really big meal I gained the ability to make a shell that resembles my former self.” Pitch lifted his arm and it partly dissolved his arm to show his true form leaking out where the arm used to be.

Kat slowly woke up groggy and with a splitting headache. “Ugh… I guess that's what happens when you've never had alcohol before. I'm such a lightweight.” She then had the sudden and shocking revelation that she wasn't in her own bed, and this wasn't her room. “Oh god. Oh god no.” She then reached into the blanket to find she was fully clothed and had an extremely confused look at her face. Then frowned slightly. “Eh?” Then James walked in and handed her a hangover cure.

Kat drank it, then made a bleh sound before getting a drink of water. “Did we…?” Pitch responded plainly “No. What do you remember from last night?” Kat rubbed her eyes as she sat up properly, her memories fuzzy. “There was that attack at work, and we went drinking. I've never done that before so I'm a lightweight.” Pitch sighed and dissolved his arm to show his true form again. “I'm the shadow monster that saved you. I already tried to explain this.” Kat rubbed her eyes more. “Yeah, it's slowly coming back to me.”

Pitch tilted his head. “You seem oddly calm about this.” Kat got up and looked around before finding a bathroom and washing her face. “If you wanted to kill me I would already be dead.” Pitch nodded. “We are safe here, you can ask me all the questions you want. I'll make you coffee.” Pitch made coffee before sitting down in the kitchen. Kat sat down a bit later after fixing her hair and grabbed the cup, sipping on it a little bit. “Okay so… let's start with the possession thing. When you made that guy a puppet that shot his buddies.”

Pitch sighed “That was the first time I did that and I don't think I'll be doing it much. I wasn't just inside his body, I could hear some of his thoughts. I don't know how it works.” Kat nodded. “You said you changed six years back. Did you notice any changes before the transformation?” Pitch nodded. “An increase of appetite.” Kat nodded. “What's your diet like? Is it… human exclusive?” pitch sighed. “Yeah, ever since becoming this, people are the only thing that satisfies my hunger. I can eat normal food but it doesn't do anything for me. Other animals do something but it isn't even and I have to kill it myself either way. I eat once or twice a week and sleep maybe once or twice a month. I don't need to sleep, I just like to.”

Kat siped on her coffee. “Your current form?” Pitch grumbled. “It's like a mask, and I can only make it resemble my old self including creating my clothes. But making clothes is new, last night was the first time I did that. Otherwise I'd be naked after changing back.” Kat tilted her head. “That raises a lot of questions about your… reproductive anatomy.” Pitch sat back in his chair. “In this form I have parts but as far as I can tell they are just for show. I am unaware of how or even if my new form reproduces. Until yesterday I didn't even think I had erogenous zones that aroused me when touched but you proved that wrong.”

Kat's face got red. “S-sorry about that. I didn't know that I was… affecting you that way.” Pitch sighed. “I should apologize too. When you were feeling the dense orb of my mass standing inside my particles they uhhh… let's just say that like sand my particles get everywhere and I feel the texture of what they touch because they are my entire sensory system.” Kat's eyes widened as she put down the cup and moved to cover herself. “You mean you… saw and felt my…” if she were a cartoon or anime character her ears would emit steam as her face reddened more. “I really should have thought before I acted. I'm normally not that forward.”

Pitch chuckled. “Yeah, I remember you being extremely shy in highschool.” Kat picked her coffee cup up and downed the rest with a satisfied “ah”. After a brief pause she blurted out “I had a crush on you in highschool.” Before covering her mouth. Pitch raised an eyebrow. “You mean you had a crush on James. Although I have his memories I think of the transformation as a death and rebirth. That's why I took the name Pitch. However, you'll still have to call me James in public. How you felt then doesn't really matter. How do you feel about me now, as I am? Now that you know everything.” Kat thought about it for a moment. “I… don't know. Why did you even decide to tell me your secret? You could have just gone full double life.”

Pitch got up from his seat. “Because I need help getting to the bottom of why I feel a pull to the NexGen building that's coming from a basement nobody seems to know about.” Kat thinks about it for a moment. “Are there other things like yourself? Are there more monsters out there?” Pitch look at Kat. “I suspect there are other kinds of monsters but have yet to encounter any. I only ever saw one other thing like myself and that was back in the first grade.” Kat's face scrunched, then her eyes widened. “You mean when all those kids died on the camping trip? The news said it was a coke bear or something.” Pitch nodded. “A cover story. Someone who's either a part of the government or receiving money from the government knows about and is covering up the existence of monsters.”

Kat suddenly had a look of determination. “I'll help you get to the bottom of this. We'll find our answers, together.” She reached out a hand to Pitch who grabbed and shook it. “Consider this alliance official. Any ideas on where to start?” Kat shifts around. “Have you considered… the tabloids? You know like… Cryptid conspiracy sites? No one takes them seriously so they get left up but who knows. We might find some actionable Intel.” Pitch blinks a few times. “So we what… join a bigfoot tracking site? There's a reason no one takes those places seriously. We'd be sifting through a stack of needles looking for a single specific needle.” Kat shrugged. “Well, unless you have a better idea. Besides, you don't eat or sleep, meaning you have a bunch of free time during the day.”

Pitch sighs. “Outside this shell I'm weak to intense light, ultraviolet may play a factor. Also weak to sound and Medusa can be easily overstimulated because my mind isn't exactly wired for three sixty degree perception of all senses.” Kat tilted her head. “The shell protects you from some of that, I'm guessing. What about fire or lightning?” Pitch shrugged. “No data. I haven't tested it. It's not like I'm getting a flamethrower and testing it on myself to see if it hurts.” Kat chuckled. “Right, sorry. I should have known that if you knew then you would have said something.” Pitch nodded.

Meanwhile, inside a base of some sort, General Ishwada is looking over footage captured from the encounter with their target. He rewinds and replays what little they got from dash and helmet cams from multiple angles multiple times. He takes out a notepad and starts writing. “Subject confirmed to be a Cryptid. Classification, Nyctophobian. Species, Umbran. However, study of the subject's behavior differs wildly from encounters with Subject Alpha. Despite the light definitely being enough to harm the subject, it did not attack right away. It only attacked when the soldiers made the first overtly aggressive move. The movements of the subject suggest an understanding of technology never shown by Subject Alpha.”

General Ishwada rewinds and watches multiple screens again. “There are two conclusions that could be drawn from this. Conclusion one, Subject Alpha is smarter than anticipated and has spent the last sixteen years adapting. Conclusion two, this is a separate entity of the same species as Subject Alpha which would confirm that Subject Alpha is not the last of its kind as originally thought. Our tracking has only shown one Umbran for twenty years and we have zero data on if the Umbran species is capable of self replicating. Studies on other cryptids suggest it is unlikely. So it's possible there was simply a second entity in hiding till the first caused it to come out. We have zero data on an existing social structure.”

General Ishwada shuts off the recordings. “Cave paintings have been recovered that seem to depict multiple Umbrans, these cave paintings will be studied and all information will be added into the Subject Alpha case file. This concludes the report to the incident on [Redacted]” he closed his notes before getting up. “I want regular patrols in the area, discrete if possible.” A younger man behind him salutes the general. “Yes sir.” before leaving to carry out the orders. The general then takes out a locket and opens it. Inside is a picture of a little girl. “I made a promise to you Yuri, I will bring the monster that killed you to justice. Then, I'll rid this world of monsters once and for all.” he shuts the locket with a look of determination in his face.