Issue 27: Darko the Black

Darko the Black is the twenty-seventh issue of the Winx Club Comic Series.

Synopsis
Recently, Icy has been acting strangely; going out on her own after classes and returning late into the night, and it is time that her sisters figure out what is up. To their surprise and later jealousy, Darcy and Stormy learn that their old childhood friend, Darko, has moved to Magix. A bad boy with no regard for anyone else's safety, Darko spends his days and nights hanging out at various places with his posse, speeding through the streets and making bets. Though, this time, Darko makes a bet that he may need help with if he wants to maintain his win streak. One involving a powerful yet modest fairy who is making a name for herself: Bloom. As much as he may not like it, Darko may need to turn to one of the Trix for help.

Plot
At Cloud Tower, now that classes are over with, Darcy and Stormy wonder if they are going to spend the afternoon, but Icy claims that she already has plans. Darcy reminds Icy that their necromancy homework is due tomorrow but they do not know a thing, but Icy insists that she can just copy their homework like she always does, telling her that she will meet back with them that evening. As Icy leaves, Darcy wonders where she is headed. Stormy claims that she does not know and tells Darcy that she has been acting strange lately, remembering that Icy did not show up to the poisonous mixtures lab on Tuesday. Darcy also remembers that Icy returned to Cloud Tower rather late yesterday as well, and that she was being rather antsy in class. Stormy concludes that the only way to find out what it going on is to follow her, and the two give chase. Icy zooms out of Cloud Tower on her motorcycle as Darcy and Stormy trail behind her. The two of them end up in Magix City, and find Icy's motorcycle parked outside of a busy nightclub. They decide to enter the nightclub and find Icy hanging out with a boy with black hair and all of his friends. The two realize that they know who that boy with black hair is and recognize him as their old playmate, Darko. They then approach Darko to figure out what he is doing in Magix, causing Icy to snap at them for following her. Darcy claims that it was only natural for them to follow her and Stormy accuses Icy of trying to keep Darko all to herself. Icy threatens Stormy to watch her mouth until Darko decides to leave with his friends as the Trix sisters are squabbling. He claims that he is tired of all this "company" and tells Icy to stay at the nightclub, despite him ditching her with his friends. Icy asks if she will be able to see Darko by next Saturday at the White Horse, to which Darko says that they might be able to. Once Darko has left with his friends, Icy berates her sisters for following her and causing Darko to ditch her. Darcy questions Icy over why she would try to hide Darko from them and Stormy confronts her, telling her that she had always liked Darko and now that she is able to see him again, she is trying to keep him all to herself. Darcy then wonders how and why Darko is in Magix now, to which Icy claims that Darko's friends told her everything. She starts off by asking if Darcy and Stormy remember when they used to play with Darko when they used to live in the ice kingdom, and reminds them that Darko's father, First Counselor Mazakis, was a very powerful man in the ice kingdom's court. When the Trix moved to Magix to attend Cloud Tower, they thought that they would never be able to see Darko again, until he and his father Mazakis had to move to Magix to take refuge after Mazakis was caught making rather shady deals. Mazakis managed to rent a palace just outside of town where they live with the most faithful of servants, causing it to be more heavily guarded than a fortress, and Icy chuckles at the thought of Darko's father making too many enemies which caused him to move to Magix. Darcy asks if Darko will attend Red Fountain while he is in Magix, but Icy laughs at the thought of Darko in school. As her sisters are confused by this, Icy explains that Darko could never stay cooped up in a boring classroom and that thanks to his father's wealth, Darko can have everything he wants without having to work for it. Stormy comments on how handsome Darko has become until Icy lunges at her and threatens her to think about something else because she already claimed Darko as hers.

Meanwhile, Darko's friends are joking around until one of them asks Darko which one out of the Trix will be the first one to fall for him. Darko claims that there is no point in them betting, mentioning how vigorously they were all fighting over him. He then says that he does not like the bet on something when he has already won, and one of his friends asks what they should bet on next. Darko suggests that they bet on which one of them can make it to the lake first as he climbs into his car and encourages his friends to let their motors roar as loud as possible. He and his friends then drive away from the nightclub and speed through the streets of Magix. Bloom, Stella and Flora are walking back to Alfea because of how beautiful the evening is, but Stella is more exhausted than Bloom and Flora. As Bloom and Flora enjoy the sights and scents, Stella drops an earring and it rolls onto the road. Stella quickly tries to retrieve her earring and Bloom and Flora hear a roaring noise. Cars driving at top speeds rush towards them, causing Stella to be in danger of being run over. Luckily, Stella manages to dodge the oncoming cars, collapsing on the other side of the road. Bloom and Flora run towards Stella, frantic to see if she is okay. Stella tells them that she was able to dodge the car by a hair, but Bloom and Flora can clearly see that she is trembling like a leaf. Stella cries at the thought of her life suddenly being over because of someone carelessly running her over and Bloom tries to calm her down by mentioning that she is still alive and that everything is okay. Once Stella is calm enough, the three of them walk towards the sunset, wondering whose cars were the ones that almost ran Stella over and planning to meet with the boys this coming weekend.

Soon the weekend rolls around and the White Horse patrons are checking out this red car with flames painted on it that is parked just outside. Brandon is showing Stella each of the cars to figure out which one is the one that almost ran Stella over. However, Stella cannot remember which car almost ran her over because she was unable to get a good look at it. Brandon holds her close, telling her to be careful and take care of herself since she is the one he holds closest in his heart, and Stella also holds Brandon close, telling him that he is so sweet to her. Everyone gets inside of the cafe and meets up with Bloom, asking how work has been. Bloom tells them that the cafe has been crowded since morning, causing her to come into work earlier than usual. Sky asks Bloom if she really needs to work since she barely has any time to herself, but Bloom assures Sky that she needs to become independent and claims that she does not want to constantly have to ask her parents for money whenever she needs it. She also claims that Greta has come to like her a lot and she would be rather upset if Bloom were to suddenly leave. Bloom then reminds Sky that her job at the White Horse leaves her with lots of time to spend with him and her friends. Brandon notices some new faces and notifies Bloom, to which Bloom explains that they came to the White Horse a little bit earlier alongside the Trix. Darko and his friends are checking out the White Horse cafe when Darko admits that it makes a decent hangout for them. Icy is glad that Darko somewhat likes the place and asks if he could get her a drink. Darko, however, thinks that Icy should just get the drink herself and while she does that, she could get him a drink as well. Icy decides to toy with Darko by turning his seat into ice and melting it. Darko quickly notices his seat melting and jumps up, yelling at Icy to not use her accursed magic. Icy claims that she was just trying to get him to be nicer, but Darko yells at her even more, claiming that no one can give orders to "Darko the Black." He then claims that if they want drinks, they could just get some service and barks at Bloom. Bloom heads towards Darko to see what she can get for him, but she trips over Darko's foot and accidentally spills a drink on his pants. He yells at Bloom for supposedly not paying attention and, when Bloom tries to apologize, he does not take it and demands Bloom bend over to clean his pants. Bloom tells Darko to just find whoever tripped her and get them to clean his pants instead, then Sky and Brandon arrive by Bloom's side. The boys cast some glares at Darko until he finally decides to let it go. He sits back at his table and tells Icy that there is no point in being angry at some simple waitress. Icy then tells Darko that he did the right thing and that Bloom is not what she seems. Darko does not entirely understand and Icy tells him that Bloom is a fairy with very powerful magic. One of Darkos friends, Kirios, taunts Darko for possibly being scared of a little fairy, but Darko shrugs it off. That is when his other friend suggest that they make a bet, which gets Darko's attention. Now that he is all fired up, Darko bets that by next weekend, he will have Bloom falling head over heels for "the great Darko." He then leads all of his friends to the counter to go get some drinks and proclaims that he will pay for all of them. Stormy taunts Icy with the thought that Darko may even have feelings for Bloom and sarcastically suggests that Icy keep him away from Bloom if she still wants to keep him for herself. Icy tells Stormy to mind her own business and then claims that she could use the bet Darko made to her advantage; being able to teach Bloom a lesson and force Darko into treating her with respect at the same time.

Sky and Bloom notice the commotion over by the counter as Sky comments on how loud and unpleasant they all are. He asks Bloom if she knows who they are, but Bloom does not know herself, claiming that they just showed up today.

Icy then approaches Darko by the counter, realizing that this is how he makes bets and wondering if he has a habit of making them a lot. Darko says that it is true, but he always wins them. Icy asks Darko if he is so sure of himself that he will be able to win this bet because Bloom is a rather tough nut to crack. Though, Darko believes that no girl can resist him because he is very wealthy and owns the fastest car in all of Magix. Icy asks again if he really believes that, explaining that Bloom is a very powerful princess, but despite being a princess, she is very modest and does plenty of tiring work. She then claims that Bloom may not be too fond of his friends and warns Darko that this may be the first bet that he will have trouble winning. Darko is starting to slightly worry until Icy offers her help, claiming that she has a love potion that could help him win the bet.

Outside of the cafe, Timmy and Tecna are about to go for a boat ride. Timmy offers to have Bloom come for the ride too, but Bloom declines. She then unties the rope anchoring the boat, sending Tecna and Timmy out into the lake for their ride. As she is waving goodbye, Icy and Darko are watching her from just in front of the cafe, where Icy reminds Darko to act nice if he wants to talk to her. As Bloom watches Tecna and Timmy paddle the boat around, Darko approaches Bloom and apologizes for his behavior earlier. Bloom accepts his apology, albeit reluctantly, and the two introduce themselves. Darko wishes for them to become good friends, but Bloom thinks that the people he hangs out with are rather strange and that she would rather choose to hang out with different types of people. Darko laughs at how Bloom is not too fond of how his friends look and tries to assure her that his friends are not all bad. He then suggests that they organize a party at the White Horse later so that Bloom can get to know his friends. Bloom is not sure but Darko insists that her boss will be happy about all of the customers. Bloom reluctantly agrees to let Greta know and Darko runs off excitedly waving goodbye to Bloom. When he makes it back inside, he nods to Icy, letting her know that he was able to convince Bloom to throw the party. The very next day, the party is being held at the White Horse as planned. Stella is greatly enjoying herself when she notices Flora serving drinks. She asks what she is doing and Flora tells her that she is filling in for Bloom. Since there is so much going on, Bloom risks overworking herself, so that is why Flora is filling in for her. Stella likes that idea and tells Flora to call her when it is her turn.

In another part of the cafe, Icy compliments Darko on organizing an impressive party. Darko reports to Icy that he saw Bloom by herself and asks if Icy brought "the thing." Icy hands him the love potion, explaining to him that it is as clear as water and is fast-acting. She reminds Darko to take Bloom over to a table in the corner of the room where no one will see them, but Darko insists that he still remembers and shoos her away. He then approaches Bloom and invites her to dance since the party is a huge success, however, Bloom tells him that she is too tired due to just starting her break. Darko suggests that the two of them talk while having some drinks instead and brings Bloom over to a table in the corner of the room. Noticing that Bloom is constantly keeping guards up around him, Darko urges her to relax and tells her that he will get serve her a drink. Bloom tells him that all she wants is a glass of water and so Darko goes to get drinks for the two of them. Once he makes it to the counter and makes sure that Bloom has not left her seat, he pours the love potion into Bloom's drink. When he returns, he hands Bloom her drink and the two say cheers, though, when Bloom finished her drink, she comes under the effects of the love potion Darko put in her drink. Darko asks her how she feels and Bloom insists that she is feeling great. Darko suggests that they go for a drive as it has gotten too hot in the cafe, but Bloom wants to go dancing instead. Darko tells her that they will come back to dance afterwards and leads Bloom outside. Just as he gets her outside, one of his friends starts announcing that Darko is about to win the bet due to Bloom leaving with him. Another one of his friends claims that they have to celebrate Darko winning another bet when he returns. Sky overhears all of this and runs outside to the balcony, where he sees Bloom getting into Darko's car. Darko gets into the driver's seat and speeds off as Sky leaps onto his hoverbike to follow them.

Darko zips past two cars, bragging about how fast his car is as Bloom cheers for him to go faster. Sky manages to keep on their tail, which Darko notices and tries to shake him off by increasing his speed. Unfortunately, Darko's car is going too fast, causing him to crash into the guard railing and then into a tree. The car swerves out of control as the driver's seat window breaks off and Darko gets thrown out of the car. The car crashes through the guard railing and almost falls off of the cliff, but is luckily caught by a few old branches poking out of the cliffside. Sky catches up to the car and tries to rescue Bloom, who has come to. Just as Sky is pulling Bloom out of the car, Darko runs off in a panic. As Sky is able to ease Bloom onto a more stable branch, the branch holding up the tree and the one Sky is standing on snaps, causing him and Darko's car to plummet into the lake. Bloom manages to make it back into stable ground when Brandon and the rest of the Specialists arrive. Brandon asks Bloom what happened as he helps her to her feet, but Bloom can barely get the words out. All she could tell Brandon that an accident happened and the Sky saved her, but she cannot seem to tell them what happened to Sky. However, she, Brandon, Timmy and Riven can see Sky floating in the river, unconscious.

Several hours later, Brandon reports for the others that they managed to get Sky out of the water in time but he was still in pretty bad shape. Stella asks how Bloom is, to which Brandon tells her that she is still in the infirmary performing routine tests, but he does not know why she is taking too long.

Meanwhile, the doctor comes back with the results of Bloom's examination. He reports to Bloom that the scans showed that there was a very dangerous magical substances inside of her and warns her that she should have not taken something like that. Bloom insists that she did not take anything, but the doctor claims that everyone tells him that. Then he warns Bloom that if she tries to take a substance like the one found in the scans again, then she could surely die. The doctor assures Bloom that this will be a secret between the two of them and advises her to be careful.

Bloom finally makes it out of the infirmary and meets everyone else. Stella asks how Bloom is but all Bloom wants to do now is see Sky. Stella agrees to take Bloom to Sky's room and leads her out of the reception room. After leading Bloom to Sky's room, Stella leaves them to be alone. Bloom tries to convince Sky that she does not know what happened completely, but it was not her fault. Sky tells Bloom that she does not need to say any more because he believes her and knows that she could never cause an accident on purpose. Bloom leans in and kisses Sky, wishing him well. When she leaves Sky to get some rest, Bloom takes it upon herself to figure out what happened at the party.

At Alfea, Bloom tries to convince herself that it was a crazy mistake for her to trust Darko, but she never expected that something like this would happen. She constantly tries to blame herself for not being careful enough until Flora tells her that she should not torture herself so much. Stella agrees with Flora and tells Bloom that some people are capable of being more sinister than they seem, reminding Bloom that she was lucky enough to learn a lesson. Musa chimes in, saying that Darko will unfortunately get away with what he had done until they find a way to make him pay for it. Bloom finds it more important to be able to prove her innocence to Sky, even if he already insists that he believes in her, and then she suspects that Darko slipped something into her drink, however, she does not know how to prove it. Stella tries to ask if somebody saw him do it, but Bloom interrupts, realizing that the security cameras that Greta just installed must have caught Darko in the act. With the White Horse being closed for the day, Bloom decides that she will go check out the security tapes to see whether or not Darko slipped something into her drink. Stella decides to come along, as Bloom has just gotten out of the hospital. Later that day, Bloom and Stella take the bus to the White Horse. They enter the cafe and learn that no one is around, which Bloom finds to be odd because Charlie is supposed to still be around. The girls enter the backroom and find Charlie unconscious on the floor. As Bloom tries to help Charlie, Stella notices that the TV in the room was left on with no tape inside of the VCR. Stella hopes that the tape that was taken was not the one that they were looking for as Bloom tries to wake Charlie up. He manages to come to and Bloom asks him if he remembers what he was doing or if he remembers who hit him. However, Charlie cannot seem to remember anything. Stella is fed up with the fact that the blow to Charlie's head made him lose his memories and tries to use a memory recovery spell to deal with this. Bloom reminds her of the words to the spell and Stella is finally able to cast it onto Charlie, helping him regain all of his memories. As he rambles on over his brother-in-law owing him money, Stella tells him that he needs to remember what happened as we was in the backroom. Charlie tells them that he was checking the tapes until he heard about Bloom's accident. He found Darko to be suspicious and when he was watching the tapes, he was able to see Darko slip something into Bloom's drink. Bloom and Stella are surprised that Charlie was able to see him and Charlie assures the girls that the security cameras were able to get all of what happened during the party, but then suddenly someone hit his head from behind. Stella realizes that whoever broke in must have stolen the security footages and concludes that it must have been none other than Darko trying to keep himself innocent. Bloom find this to be infuriating because now she cannot report him for what happened without the security footage as proof. Though, Stella thinks that it should not matter as much now that Bloom knows what happened. She also claims that Charlie will be able to tell Sky, so everything will be able to go back to normal. As the girls are just about to leave, Bloom tells Charlie that they will be leaving soon and asks if they can do anything for him. He tells the girls that he is fine now and they all say their goodbyes. As Bloom and Stella leave the White Horse, Bloom still cannot get over that Darko will get away with what he has done. Stella tries to assure Bloom that what is most important is that she now knows how Darko is as a person and she knows to stay away from him and guys like him. Little do they know is that Icy was watching them leave. As it turns out, Icy was the one who stole the security tapes and, now that she has those tapes, she claims that they will finally allow her to get the respect from Darko that she deserves.

Spells Used

 * "Memento is an old verb that means to remember everything I say will come back to your mind... and I say... everything!" - Used by Stella to help Charlie regain his memories.

Mistakes

 * When Icy turns Darko's seat into ice and melts it on page 16, Darko's hair is more of a dark olive color than black.
 * When Bloom orders a glass of water, Darko serves her a glass of orange liquid.

Debuts

 * Darko
 * Kirios

Characters

 * Winx Club
 * Bloom
 * Stella
 * Flora
 * Aisha
 * Tecna
 * Musa
 * Enemies
 * Trix
 * Icy
 * Darcy
 * Stormy
 * Specialists
 * Brandon
 * Sky
 * Riven
 * Timmy
 * White Horse Staff
 * Greta
 * Charlie
 * Humans
 * Darko
 * Kirios