Soul Eater -:- Manga Verse
Stolen: Shibusen's Weapons find New Meisters?
Summary:
A mysterious organisation plots against Shibusen, stealing the student weapons to strengthen their own armoury. The meisters fight back, but can they win without their partners?
Disclaimer: Not mine.
Author's Notes:
Is set after the current manga plot arc
In essence, this fic is a filler chapter, and as such is not overly serious. I usually write angst but I'm gonna give light humour a go...
FYI: A Tessen is an iron fan, a chinese weapon I think...
All the stuff in bold italics is Death the Kid who is narrating
Enjoy!
Chapter One -:- A New Threat
Among meisters there are those with a rare ability that allows them to be compatible with almost any weapon by adapting and matching their soul's wavelength. This phenomena is quite unusual and not inkeeping with Shibusen's traditional meister/weapon partnership. Not too long ago this led to the formation of a group of self-proclaimed Multi-Weapon Meisters; or The Multi-Meisters for short. Working from the shadows this absurdly-named group managed to do the unthinkable:
Steal nearly all of Shibusen's demon weapons.
-:-
The Collectors
-:-
The building was a rabbit warren of corridors on the inside, leaving the outside a higgledy-piggledy mess of random shapes. Mismatched windows were dotted around, allowing minimal light to enter. The front door was impossible to find unless you already knew where it was. The surrounding garden was an overgrown jungle, burying the building and cutting it off from the outside world. It was the perfect hide-out
The perfect hideout for The Multi-Meisters.
"Damn this stupid weapon!" shouted an irritated Multi-Meister. Diego was a drainpipe of a man with a tall and skinny frame. His blonde hair was short and his grey eyes glared with arrogance-fuelled animosity. He threw the uncooperative weapon to the floor and stormed off into a corner. Another Multi-Meister stepped forward to take her turn. "If I can't do it there's no chance you can Nadia. There's no point trying."
Nadia just raised her two perfectly-sculpted eyebrows at him and picked up the weapon. She spread the Tessen into its fan shape, the iron blades catching the light, then placed her other hand on her hip. She closed her eyes to aid concentration, and then tried in vain to match her soul's wavelength. She yelped in pain when all she received for her efforts was a nasty burn. The Tessen dropped to the floor and Nadia gave a conceited sigh. "Resonating with this weapon is impossible."
"Told you so," Diego retorted, giving Nadia, then the Tessen, a disgusted look. "It wasn't even worth the effort to steal this one."
"Commandeer," Itsuki, the leader, corrected. He stepped forward, collecting the abandoned weapon. He snapped the fan closed and studied its club-like form. "Why does it refuse to return to its human form, I wonder? It truly is a stubborn and temperamental soul. And I had such high hopes for this one."
Itsuki handed the Tessen to another Multi-Meister, gesturing over his shoulder down another corridor. Nadia blinked, slightly confused. "Wait, we're locking it up? Is it worth it?"
"I say we destroy it," Diego piped in, obviously volunteering for the task.
Itsuki shook his head. "If it were in human form I'd agree with you, but it's too much hassle to destroy it in weapon form. We'll lock it away for now and focus on the bigger targets." Itsuki grinned like a Cheshire cat. "I want a Death Scythe."
"Yeah right, I'll just go get you one," Nadia sarcastically replied.
Diego smirked at her. "You saying you couldn't do it?"
"I'm saying it can't be done," Nadia flicked her hair impatiently. "They're elite and powerful, which is why Itsuki wants one, but that's also why he can't have one. They're not gonna fall for the separate-and-grab technique we used on those gullible students."
"Ah, but one of the Death Scythes is a student," Itsuki pointed out, his grin growing wider. "And I have found just the person to help us get him. Everyone, meet Tabby Malone."
A door to the side opened on cue to reveal a girl wrapped in a long, black trench coat with wild red hair and dark brown eyes. She took one hand out her pocket and gave a little wave, a smile on her face.
"I can get you Soul Eater."
Soul was not The Multi-Meisters' first target. A week before this Tabby character got involved, half of Shibusen's weapons had already been taken. Kilik lost Fire and Thunder, and Ox lost Havar; but one meister refused to believe his weapon could ever be taken...
-:-
One Week Earlier
-:-
The blue-haired ninja assassin threw back his head and laughed. A rather irritated Ox pushed his glasses up his nose and glared at Black Star. "This is serious Black Star! I've just lost my partner, and you could too just as easily!"
"That's never gonna happen!" Black Star cockily replied. He reclined back in his seat and smiled smugly. "I'm the man who will surpass God! And Tsubaki is the weapon I'm gonna make into a Death Scythe. There's no way anyone could steal my partner! I'm just better than you!"
Ox sighed, obviously not getting through to the egomaniac. "I really hope you're right Black Star. Be careful on your mission."
"It's time to go Black Star," Tsubaki called over while waving her arm. Black Star propelled himself to his feet and flipped over the desk, purely because he could. He joined up with Tsubaki, then gave Ox a thumbs up before disappearing through the classroom doors.
Dracula's Castle, Pennsylvania
"Tsubaki! Shuriken Mode!"
With a puff of smoke and a flash of blue Black Star went from holding a ninja sword to a large shuriken. The vampire opposite him didn't seem at all bothered by the sudden morph. It just bared its fangs with a hiss and crouched ready to strike. Black Star easily aimed and accurately threw the weapon, catching the vampire mid-leap, slicing it in half.
"Hehe," Black Star smirked, catching Tsubaki as she flew back to him. She returned to ninja sword mode. "Easy."
"Black Star," Tsubaki's voice echoed threw her metal form. "There are more nearby, don't relax yet."
"Let's go Tsubaki," the blue-haired boy replied, running off in the general direction of the castle. The only way to get to the ancient structure was to find a way through the thick maze. This didn't prove a problem to Black Star who just broke straight through the hedges. The man who will surpass God does not take an indirect route.
Dracula had seemed to notice Black Star's fast approach and had scattered his minions throughout the greenery in order to slow the loudmouthed assassin down. Another one threw itself in Black Star's path, leaping from the hedge and landing with a growl. It didn't even finish its intimidation before Black Star cut him down.
Further along the path a whole gang of vampire minions had gathered. Black Star didn't even slow as Tsubaki wordlessly returned to Shuriken mode. With one throw Tsubaki sliced through the creatures, arcing back round to return to her meister.
The sound of a metallic clink stopped Black Star dead in his tracks. A blur smacked into Tsubaki and messed up her trajectory, sending her soaring over Black Star where she disappeared into the maze. "Tsubaki!"
Black Star made to charge through the hedge in the direction he had seen Tsubaki fly, but a lanky man appeared in his path. Diego smiled with an arrogance that rivalled Black Star's. Three more Multi-Meisters materialised behind him so that he was surrounded. He glared at Diego, anger making his hands shake until he clenched them into fists. Suddenly Tsubaki's scream reverberated around the gardens. "GET OUT OF MY WAY!"
Diego blocked Black Star's charge with his newly claimed weapon: Havar. He swung the staff around so that the bolt-shaped point was in Black Star's face. Before he could dodge, Diego released Havar's lightening attack, electrocuting him. The attack threw Black Star into the path of another Multi-Meister who wielded Fire and Thunder. He received two attacks in quick succession, but managed to recover in time to deal back one of his own: "Black Star Big Wave!"
The Multi-Meister was thrown back into a hedge, and then slumped to the ground. Black Star then turned on the next nearest target, taking him out before he had a chance to use his stolen weapon. Before he could take out Diego and the remaining Multi-Meister however, a flare lit up the sky.
Diego smirked at Black Star "We'll continue this some other time."
"I'm going to kill you." Black Star promised. The Multi-Meisters quickly retreated as Black Star charged through the hedges in the direction he had seen the flare. By the time he reached the clearing Tsubaki was already gone. Stolen.
A whole herd of Vampire minions leapt into the clearing, surrounding the weaponless Black Star. The cocky ninja assassin looked around at the sheer volume of teeth and claws
"Crap."
-:-
Black Star was forced to eat his words as yet another weapon fell into the Multi-Meisters possession. It seemed that Shibusen's meisters were incapable of protecting their weapons...I was no exception...
-:-
A Werewolf's Lair, Colorado
"I hate creepy places," Liz muttered as the trio made their way through the cave. She wrapped her arms around herself and shivered. "Why's it so damned cold?" She received nothing but silence from her meister and Patti offered her usual incoherent ramblings. "Kid?" More silence. "What is it this time?"
"N-nothing," Kid replied, berating himself for thinking about the picture frame again. He tried to push the paranoia out of his mind, but the nagging feeling that it was slanted kept bugging him. "It's just...nothing."
"Good, we need to be focused for this mission," Liz instructed. "We need to get this done as quickly as possible so that we can get out of this eerie place."
They continued onwards for another few minutes before Kid finally cracked. "I can't handle this! What if the picture frame is slanted? It would destroy the symmetry completely! I'm gonna go back and check..."
"Wait! Kid!" Liz yelled, but her meister was already gone. She sighed and made to follow him, but a shadowed figure stepped into her path.
"Well this makes our job easier."
Kid's Mansion
Kid sighed with relief as he admired the picture frame before him. He double checked the candles had melted correctly to completely preserve the balance.
"The beauty of symmetry."
-:-
By time I returned to Colorado, both Liz and Patti had already been taken as well. It seemed that Shibusen was in a major predicament; but at least we still had our Death Scythes.
An Old Friend
-:-
A week had passed since both Black Star and Kid's partners had been kidnapped. As such Maka was in a state of over-protective panic, the thought of Soul also being taken scaring her to death.
Soul lay sprawled on his bed, sentenced by Maka to house arrest, for his own protection. He stared at the ceiling, enjoying one of the few moments he was allowed to have to himself since Maka had decided to permanently keep an eye on him. He felt smothered by her constant presence; Soul liked to have some time alone.
He read the letter again. It seemed safe enough. The girl was an old friend from before he had enrolled at Shibusen; she was in town on business and wanted to see him. He looked at the clock. She wanted to meet in half an hour. Decided, Soul swung himself off of the bed and headed to the window. As quietly as possible he pushed it open and put his foot on the sill.
"Where do you think you're going?"
"Woah!" Soul jumped, his foot slipping so he landed on the floor in a heap. He looked up to see his meister towering above him. "Oh, hey Maka."
"Don't 'Hey Maka' me!" she retorted, her hands on her hips. "You were trying to sneak out weren't you? Where? What if you had gotten caught?" Soul just blinked at her. "By someone other than me."
"I was just going to meet an old friend who's in town. I wasn't even going to leave Death City. I was coming right back," Soul explained. He realised he was still lying on the floor so tried to regain some dignity by climbing back to his feet.
"An old friend?" Maka asked, curiosity sparkling in her eyes. Soul gave her a knowing look. "All you had to do was ask! I'll come with you!"
"You will?" Soul replied, somewhat begrudgingly.
"Of course!" Maka said too brightly. She looked from him to the window. "But we'll use the front door."
Ten minutes later the pair of them were walking through the streets of Death City under the heat of the panting sun. Maka could barely contain her curiosity. "So...who is this friend?"
"Just a friend of the family, we were real close before I left to come to Shibusen. We haven't spoken much since so this could be kind of awkward," Soul explained.
"You never talk about your family or friends, this should be interesting," Maka practically bounced as they entered the meeting place.
"Yeah, I think you'll like her..."
"Wait; 'her'?" Maka suddenly stopped and Soul nearly walked into her. He decided to ignore her comment and looked around. The square was unusually empty, his friend not being present.
"She probably got lost, I'm gonna go check round the corner," Soul ran off before Maka could process what he said, still hung up on the fact that his friend was female. She didn't know why it bothered her so much, but it did. Soul had already disappeared round the corner before Maka thought to stop him. She made to hurry after him, but a bolt of lightning blocked her path.
Maka recognised Havar immediately, but not the guy who was wielding him. The lanky Multi-Meister grinned and readied another attack. She tried to dodge round him so that she could get to her partner, but Diego wouldn't let up "Soul!"
The second lightning attack missed so Diego changed to close range combat. He swung the staff round and hit the back of Maka's knees sending her to the ground. He spun the staff and brought the spiky end down, but she rolled onto her back and kicked out, deflecting the attack. She flipped back onto her feet and landed a right hook.
A flare lit up the sky above the alleyway. Maka took advantage of the distraction to dart past Diego, who no longer seemed concerned with fighting her. She ran around the corner and stared down the empty alley, worry for her partner making her fall to her knees.
"Soul..."
-:-
Please review in a manner that leaves the review count at 8. 8 is a perfectly symmetrical number you see, and symmetry is beauty.
:P