Disclaimer: I do not own Soul Eater!
The Traitor
He ran. Down the darkened street his legs carried him away, straining his limbs as he forced his escape. His calloused hands gripped his prize for dear life, refusing to loosen their hold. His lips parted sloppily releasing short, shallow rasps as he forced his legs into action, adrenaline and fear edging him on.
He could hear the alarming screams and shouts of panic as he cleared the decent of steps- they were on to him. The sound of gunshots rained down further back as the empty bullet cases littered the street in his wake, leaving a solid trail behind.
The boy's hair glistened with sweat under the dim lanterns, radiating amongst the cackling moon's glow. It seemed almost sinicle to him with how the moon's menacing grin twitched with desire at the very sight of the chase, almost wishing for a casualty. To see the spilt blood.
But what did he have to lose? The whole DWMA was on his case, already tracking him down with little more than a few metres between them. His pursuers would catch him soon, and he wouldn't be able to do a thing about it. How could a single weapon take on a hundred pairs of meisters and their weapons? He didn't have a chance. Even if he was skilled enough.
All he could do was run. And so he did.
A glimmer of light rose up in the background, halting the boy in his tracks. The thin pillar expanded and blinded the sky with a flash, flaring up with a brutal gust of wind. The boy covered his eyes from the blinding explosion, finding himself knocked back a few feet from the blast.
He hastily unclogged his sight, crimson orbs widening at the sight before him. A glimmering field of energy covered the sky like a blanket, marking out a few acres around the school in the shape of an orb. The shield cut through the centre of the city, distorting the houses caught in the middle into huge skyscrapers towering high above the covering.
He cursed loudly, tightening his grip on the stolen possession. "Damn it! Lord Death has activated his force field; the town has changed into a maze and there's no way out," he groaned, feeling his gut drop. "I should know...it was part of our training." His head slumped forward, straining with despair as he staggered to his feet. "I'm screwed, completely screwed! No one has ever made it out of here alive!" he yelled, sagging against a post.
What was he to do? He couldn't give in, not now. Not when he had betrayed his friends. The ringing of the gunshots reminded him of why he was here, stuck in the mere centre of this predicament.
The boy heaved a shaky breath, moving on weak legs to escape the sounds of danger. But as his foot touched the concrete, the very ground he stood upon shook with a tremor as it rocked through the earth, shaking the distorted buildings around him. Lord Death was furious. On each structure appeared the shinigami's emblem, covering the buildings with an eery glow as they shifted about; the boy stumbled back, narrowly missing the corner of one of them as it flew by, connecting like a wire into a different structure.
He stared blankly at the constructed maze, recognising its form. A labyrinth.
"He's over here!" Someone's voice rang out. A familiar one.
Soul cracked his shoulders before breaking into a run, knowing the voice all too well. It belonged to Kid, one of his closest friends. "More like an ex," his forehead creased with guilt. If he was sneaky enough, he'd be able to duck out of the shinigami's hindsight and go unseen and escape elsewhere. That's if he doesn't have his hoverboard. But when doesn't he?
"Can you sense him?" A girl's voice whizzed past as he ducked behind a cluster of trash cans, keeping his 'cool' so his soul wouldn't spike up.
Stay calm Soul, you don't want to gain any attention! he heard his inner voice growl, begging him not to move.
"...No," Kid's voice sounded from above along with the buzzing of his hoverboard. "I can't sense him...not at all. It's like he suddenly vanished." The shinigami frowned, not noticing the black mass blurring past his vision among the shadows. "I swear he was here."
"Then let's move on! Maybe Soul-kun is playing hide-and-seek with us!" Patty giggled, ignoring her sister's groan.
In times like this Soul would have chuckled, maybe even cracking a smirk with a snide comment hidden underneath. But with the tension growing between his fellow partners, he couldn't do that. Not when he had stolen the school's most prized possession.
And so the weapon waited patiently, straining his ears to hear his ex-friend's retreat.
Certain that he was no longer above, he withdrew from the trash cans and ran off down a random alley. Until another pair of footsteps chased after his own.
He didn't dare to risk a glance back.
He didn't want to know which of his friends was chasing him for the guilt ran too deep. So he pumped his legs faster, darting down twists and turns among the maze to rid of the pest on his tail; they didn't slow, not even once.
Their pace matched his as they slinked in and out of the shadows with venom twisting their features, hindering pure hatred for the boy. Their knee-length boots slapped against the ground with haste, creating enough speed for their darkened cape to raise behind upon the breeze.
The boy took another turn and ran, gasping for breath as his legs began to tire. He had been running for longer than he had anticipated and the chaser was still on his trail, not letting up. He pulled his prize higher, digging his rough nails into the binder.
He breezed past another set of lanterns, losing pace at the sudden sight before him. His mouth opened with a silent gasp and his eyes landed on the solid wall blocking his path, too high for him to jump over.
His legs stopped moving. So did his pursuer's.
"Soul."
He whipped around, taking in the signature pigtails below the flickering light.
"You traitor."
"M-Maka?" He cried, stepping back. "Why...w-why you? Why not Ox, or Sid?" He looked at his partner, seeing the pure betrayal written in her eyes. "...I should have faced Kid while I had the chance..."
Maka's lips twisted into a firm line. "That's why I hid your soul along with my own. You're mine to deal with." She stood still, staring at her partner with disbelief circling around her core. How could he do this? He was her partner, her friend. Why did he do this to her and the school!? "...What are you doing?"
He blinked. "What do you mean?"
Her eyes hardened into a scowl. "What are you doing with the book. Why did you take it?" She moved closer, out from under the flickering lantern. Her eyes landed on the fragile book clutched against his chest, "Give it to me." She extended her hand.
Soul shook his head, sweat dripping from his originally flattened spikes. "M-Maka, you have to listen to me. I need this book desperately-"
"It's Eibon's book! Do you understand how valuable it is!?" She yelled.
"Yes, I do-"
"You took out the people guarding it and even wrecked some of the artifacts on your way out, all for that book!"
"Maka-"
"No! Don't you 'Maka' me Soul Eater Evans," she spat, stalking forward. "Lord Death has sent the entire staff and students out here looking for you to retrieve the book. He told me personally that if you didn't hand it over, he would give the order to kill you. For real." She heaved, tears forming in her eyes. "I-If you don't hand it over," her hand fished into her pocket, pulling out a gun, "then I'll have to shoot you myself."
Soul froze.
His chest pulled in tighter as his hands slacked against the book. When did she get a gun? The book slid from his grasp and Maka shot forward, her eyes focused on the book. Soul glanced between his prize and the girl with uncertainty as time seemed to slow. He watched her with narrowed eyes as her right foot raised, aiming a very slow quick at his waist. Maka or the book? He had to choose.
His hands shot forward and ripped the book from her grasp, throwing himself off-balance to avoid her kick. He swung low, slamming the book into her side and watched as she staggered into a wall, grazing her petite hands.
"Maka, you have to listen to me." He heaved, watching as she recovered from the cheap hit.
"Soul-"
"No, listen to me." He growled, clenching his fists around the book. "Let me explain before you go pointing fingers. You know my brother." It wasn't a question. "Wes, he's in very bad shape. He got hit by a truck. The driver didn't call an ambulance, instead he got back in his car and reversed over him. He broke almost every bone in his body and is trapped in a life threatening coma." He spat. "The bills piled over my head...I couldn't cope."
Maka relaxed her form as a feeling of guilt crawled up her throat. "W-Why didn't you tell me? I'm your partner." Her lip quivered.
"I didn't want to get you involved." He shook his head. "You have your own money problems as it is and I didn't want to...t-to impose on you."
"But why do you need the book?" Her voice sounded strained.
Soul's gaze cast downwards. "It's Eibon's book, a rare."
Maka sighed- she knew where this was heading. "Look. I understand that you're under a lot of pressure with this predicament but-"
Soul cut her off, grinding his teeth. "I-I know this black market, they can give me a good deal-"
"So you're a criminal now?" She barked, skimming her finger past the trigger on her weapon.
Soul's eyes draped her form up and down before lingering on the gun. Wes had taught him how to use one when he was younger, when the time was tough. And he knew what a loaded gun looked like. "You've never handled a gun-"
She pulled back the slide. "Try me."
Soul's eyes went blank. He waited patiently, keeping his gaze locked on the gun. He noticed the silent tremors rocking through the pistol, leading to his meister's shaking hand. She doesn't know what she's doing. He took a step forward.
Maka swallowed a lump in her throat, eyeing his form warily. "D-Don't come any closer. I'll shoot you, I swear!"
"No you won't." His eyes softened. He moved closer, closing the distance between them.
"D-Don't Soul," she moved her finger to the trigger.
Soul placed his hand on the gun.
Maka flinched at the contact, her finger slipping back on the trigger and releasing the cargo inside with a 'pop'. Soul didn't even blink. "W-Why-"
He unfurled her fingers from the gun, pocketing the weapon into his trousers. "I knew the gun was empty. You can't fool me, I know what a loaded gun looks like." He blinked. "And I know you." His free hand slid around her wrist. "You're not the type of person to threaten your friend, not when you love him."
Her mouth opened with a silent gasp, framing no words. She was shocked.
Soul smirked, hoisting the book higher. "You didn't think I knew?" He winked.
"S-Sou-l-" Before she could say another word the weapon smashed his lips against hers, crushing her delicate mouth. He leaned closer, deepening the kiss as a smile filled his face. He loved her.
And she loved him.
But he broke away too soon, hearing the resounding gun shots rile up once again. He tore his eyes away from Maka, glancing into the distance. "...Will you come with me?"
Maka's heart leapt at the opportunity to be with him. As a whole. Her body was telling her to go, but she knew it was wrong. To be with your love or watch him get punished? She found it hard to choose.
"Maka," his eyes pleaded, begging her to say yes.
Pinching herself, she grabbed his hand and yanked him into a run, helping him out of the dead end to find another way out. They had to leave now if they wanted to make it out alive.
"Is that-huff-a yes?" He breathed, catching his breath as they ran.
She grinned. "'Course shark teeth!"
And so they ran, shooting through the streets away from the ricocheting bullet cases littering their feet. Towards a new future? Maybe. And I bet you're wondering whether they make it out alive, or get captured. Well, that my friends, is another story.
Posting Date: 30th April 2014
Symm: Hey! I've been prepping for my exams coming up in May; my first one is in three weeks and I am starting to get nervous. I have been revising solidly for my upcoming English exam. It's my favourite out of the two since the second section revolves around writing a story on the spot from a selection of five given titles. 'The Traitor' was one of them in an old pass paper which I was given and I somehow managed to plan this! I liked the plot a lot so decided to edit a few factors to change it into a Soul Eater fic. So here it is! Tell me what you think :)
You better come back- Or I'll take your Soul!