"Marie… Mjolnir?"

The Scandinavian name rolled off of his tongue so smoothly, almost pleasantly. He frowned slightly and reached up to twist his screw. Two swift counterclockwise turns, that's all he needed. Two successive rounds of clicking and his mind went back to the task at hand. He looked up to Lord Death as the reaper continued speaking.

"Yes. She is the best suited replacement, I think. With Kami and Spirit now working together, it's only natural we find you a new partner. Marie here has tremendous potential and since you are already acquainted it seems to be the best course of action." Death took this time to clap his hands together "You see, Marie has a soothing wavelength which would be good for you, Stein, and to be perfectly honest, she's the only person who isn't scared of you!"

Stein lowered his head and smirked. He knew that much. Even after disappearing and coming back with a giant piece of hardware through his skull, while everyone else had stopped making contact with him, Marie still talked to him, still smiled that smile of light and hope and acted as though nothing had happened. Looking back up, he stared into the abyss of Lord Death's eyes.

"Fine. I see no problem with it if she doesn't... On one condition."

Tilting his head to the side, Death stared right back "And that would be…?"

"I get reassigned to new housing. Living with Spirit when he is no longer my partner makes no sense. I should be living with my weapon, to get a feel for our new dynamic." Stein drawled out, as he placed his hands in his pockets. "There's that abandoned house on the hill, a straight shot from the DWMA but still on the outskirts of town – let us live there. It would be perfect for Marie's sense of direction or lack thereof and it keeps me away from the general population. It's a win-win if you ask me."

With a clap of his hands, Death bounced up "Then it's settled! You and Marie are officially partners! I'm sure this will work out wonderfully!"

"And when can we move?"

"You're free to move as soon as you leave. Class dismissed!"

Stein bowed his head before turning around to begin his retreat out of the Death Room and back into the halls of the DWMA. He'd have to alert Spirit that he'd be moving out, much to his chagrin. Though it was his own decision he still lamented the loss of what he considered to be a prime test subject. And then there was the matter of her…

"Franken! Hey …Franken!"

He was roused from his reverie by a familiar feminine voice. Glancing over his shoulder, he noticed Marie waving at him as she hastened her pace to catch up.

"…Franken. H-hi!" A smile crept onto her face as she looked up at him "What's up? Did you and Lord Death figure out your course of action now that Spirit and Kami are…"

"Yes." Stein cut her off, and began to walk towards the exit "…A decision has been made. Incidentally, you're a part of it. You should get packing, Marie. "

"Packing? Where am I going, Franken?" Oh no! Am I being sent away? Does Lord Death want me elsewhere? How am I supposed to find a boyfriend if I'm shipped around all over the place!" Tears streamed down her face, her eyes filled with sorrow. 'Not to mention you! I don't want to leave your side, Franken…'

"Don't be so dramatic, Marie. You're not going far, just a slight relocation. We'll be moving into our new home tonight if you're quick, so hurry up and go pack." Stein stopped at the door, placing a hand on the handle before looking back at Marie whose eyes had opened wide.

"…W…e? We? As in you and I? …Together?" Her hands flew to her cheeks as a rosy blush quickly fell into place.

"Yes. You're my new weapon. " Stein pulled out a cigarette from his pocket and placed it between his lips before swinging open the door to the outside and stepping out. "As such, we'll be living together. The old house on the outside of town, right on this hill is ours now. Gather your things, I don't have much to move so I'll help you when I'm done. " He lit the cigarette and took a lung full of smoke, holding the door as his comrade followed him through the threshold. "…But we should get started soon, so we can finish today."

Marie watched the smoke swirl out of his mouth as he spoke and snapped out of the daze she had been put in the moment he mentioned their new living arrangements.

"Right! I'll head home to pack then."

Stein nodded at her before she turned away to head in the direction of her soon to be previous dwelling. He took another drag and blew out the smoke, watching the twists and turns of the smoke wisps in the air before starting the trek to his own old residence. 'Let's see how this experiment turns out.'