Doppelganger

Chapter 2: Diana Luna

          I saw the men that were chasing me at the bottom of the ladder. Each one of them were passed out in the alley. All of them had pale skin and wore white masks that covered their face. All of them wore a black hoodie, black sweatpants, black leather gloves, and black shoes, every piece of their body was covered to blend with the darkness of the night. The only way I was able to tell they had pale skin was the the fact the holes in the mask for their eyes was slightly too large. Then again, minus the white mask and leather gloves, and replacing the hoodie with a black dress shirt, black shoes, and a unbuttoned black blazer, and black pants from a suit. I let a fatal mistake of taking a wrong turn and gotten myself trapped, which won't happen again. However, there is always a downside to every benefit. It's like equivalent exchange, except the consequences are worse! I might be sorted as an owl, but I wish I was sorted as a snake. Every owl had a wolf that was basically themselves, but the opposite gender. It's especially annoying when you are always competing against each other! If one person does one thing, the other feels the need to also impress everyone.

"I will ask you again, why are you here, Phoebus," I asked my counterpart.

"I saw you running down the street and though you needed some help," he responded with a smirk, "I might have been sorted into wolf, but I'm not inhuman."

"Considering how we hated each other since we met, I think it does," I retorted.

"I never 'hated' you, I just disliked you," he replied nonchalantly, "I was sorted as a wolf for a reason."

"That doesn't explain why you were in this area," I replied. This area was fifty blocks away from the dorms of the university. Not only that, but it was past curfew.

"Okay, you caught me," he replied with a smirk, "I saw you running from the dorms and was wondering what was wrong."

He looked down at the alley as his smirk disappeared.

"It seems I made the right decision to follow you."

        I have to admit, having mental manipulation is an impressive ability. Sadly, it doesn't work on people sorted as an owl, it only works on people sorted as a wolf or snake. Sadly, I was being chased by wolves. Disappointingly, if the person sorted as a wolf or owl is skilled enough, the powers of doppelgangers, no matter who it is, can be negated. Only a couple of people in the world are skilled enough to negate the ability of their doppelganger. It is an ability that only appears once in every hundred years. Luckily, one of those people with exceptional skill is me. The other person would be my doppelganger, he could negate the powers of an owl. Sadly, I can't negate the powers of another owl. My doppelganger probably has the same problem with the ability.

       I could have used my abilities to my fullest, but my actions could cause political candidates to persuade voters away from my cousin. Not only that, but even I have my limits. I can't fight ten adult, male wolves at once! Luckily, I was able to use my speed and powers over light to negate my attacker's abilities over shadows and darkness. If I didn't have any powers, I would have been a hostage by now.

"Are you saying your wolf instincts led you to suspect something was wrong," I questioned teasingly.

"Call it whatever you want, but my 'instincts' just saved you," he pouted.

We were standing on the roof in an awkward silence, which was way too uncomfortable for my liking. I decided to head back to the dorms to get some sleep. Hopefully I will actually dream about something instead of staring into darkness. Considering all the men in the alley are knocked out,  the fact I know martial arts, and the fact that the only way off the roof safely was the ladder, I decided to take my chances. It didn't seem like they would wake up an time soon.

"How long will they be knocked out," I asked him.

"Probably 'til dawn," He stated with a monotone expression on his face.

I walked past him and moved down the ladder, the metal was cold, but I rather get down from the roof than stay trapped. As my foot touched the floor, I could hear the gravel before I started to walk away. I could hear foot-steps following me, and considering all the men in the alley were unconscious, I guess Phoebus climbed down after me. After a couple of minutes, I could hear foot-steps next to me. Out of the corner of my eye, I could see his green eyes and black hair. 

"Have you ever wondered why we were told to hate each other," Phoebus asked me.

"No, it never crossed my mind."

"But why are we segregated when we are in eighth grade?"

"Why are you asking so many questions?"

"It just doesn't make sense to me," he responded with curiosity, "wouldn't we be friends if we weren't separated as a wolf and owl?"

"I guess so," I replied.

"Not only that, but as far as I know, we are not closely related in any way," he  stated, "if we were related, it would be distantly related, as in thousands or hundreds of years according to biology."

"Where are you going with this?"

"Why do we hate each other when we barely know each other, or even interact?"

"I don't know," I replied, "but I do find it strange."

Without me realizing we have arrived at the dorms, I let out a heavy sigh before I walk towards the three-story, light brown building. I guess I wan't paying attention to my surroundings since it was basically a sub-conscious thought for me to walk to the university from anywhere in the city. I could see the entrance to the building, and I wouldn't wait to pass through the glass doors. Sadly, Phoebus lives in the same building as me.

"So, do you want to be friends?"

I paused myself from walking further and stared at him, my eyes widening for a quick second before hardening to a glare. He turned around and looked at me with hopeful eyes. Sadly, I'm going to have to kill that hope.

"People would be suspicious if we suddenly become friends...," I replied seriously, "... and something tells me that something, or someone, wants owls and wolves to be enemies since the segregation has occurred for so long."