Soul fell from Maka's grip and watched in horror as the beast gripped her body in its giant claws and slammed her against the wall.

"Maka!" He screamed as he transformed from scythe to human. Rapid blasts of compressed soul wavelength began driving the beast back. It roared and threw Maka to the ground. She bounced off the stone and lay motionless.

"Soul, get Maka!" Kid said. "I've got this."

"You mean we've got this," Liz corrected. Soul ran to his meister, grabbing her by the shoulders.

"Maka! Maka, wake up! Come on," He shouted, shaking her. "Please, you have to wake up!" He wrapped his arms around her limp body, pulling her closer. She felt cold, her chest barely moved when she breathed.

"I can't hold this thing off for much longer," Kid called.

"Maka, please," Soul whispered, so only she could hear. "I don't know what I'll do without you. You're my meister, Maka. I need you. Please wake up."

"We have to go, Soul!" Kid yelled. Soul couldn't feel Maka's chest moving anymore, her hair was plastered with blood

"Damn it, Maka!" Soul screamed. "It's totally not cool of you to make a cool guy like me watch you die!" Her chest suddenly heaved and she tried to roll out of Soul's arms, coughing up blood.

"Good, you're back," he said with a weak smile.

"Soul.." she breathed.

"Hang on to me, Maka. I'll get you out of here," Soul lifted her up and she clung to his neck. "Kid, cover us!" Kid held back the beast as they made their retreat. Soul escaped with Maka fading in and out of consciousness, and Kid soon caught up with Liz and Patty at his heels.

"Come on, we can't stop running yet," Kid panted. "He's following us." Soul grunted and readjusted his grip on Maka. She was thin, but taller than Soul and difficult to carry.

"This way!" Liz took a sharp turn down a dark alley. She kicked in the first door they came to and pulled everyone inside. She shut the door and leaned her back against it, raising a finger to her lips. They heard the beast go thundering by. They all froze as it paused outside the door, sniffing around. The thing snorted and moved on.

"I think we're safe for now," Liz said. Patty laughed nervously and her sister's hand quickly covered her mouth. Kid's worried eyes were locked on Maka. Soul leaned over her, trying to wipe the blood away from her eyes.

"Maka, can you hear me?" He asked quietly. She didn't respond. Her breaths were ragged. Kid crouched down next to them. He reached towards Maka and Soul bared his pointed teeth.

"Back off," he snarled.

"Let me," Kid said with a sad kindness in his voice. Soul relaxed and nodded. Kid touched Maka's heart then recoiled like he'd been bitten.

"What? What is it?" Soul asked frantically.

"I don't understand," Kid whispered, eyes wide. "She should be dead."

"What the hell do you mean she should be dead?" Soul demanded.

"I'm a reaper, I have some extra senses when it comes to death. Maka should be dead, but she isn't. I don't understand it."

"Shh!" Liz hissed. There was a noise outside. The students froze again, too afraid to even breathe.

"Quit blocking the door, Liz. I'm trying to come inside."

"Professor Stein!" The gray haired professor bent down under the doorway to enter. He looked down at Maka and frowned. "Her body has given up, but her soul fights on."

"Please, professor," Soul looked up at Stein, blinking away tears. "Is she going to be okay? I need her to be okay!" Stein said nothing. He only knelt down and took Maka away from Soul.

"Come on, students. It's time to go back to the academy."

"What about the beast? That ugly scary thing is still out there!" Liz protested.

"The situation is being handled." Stein said simply. "Now lets go."

Soul paced up and down the hallway outside the infirmary. He let out a scream and drove his fist through the dry wall before collapsing to the floor with his head in his hands. Kid stood nearby, watching. He didn't even mention how the hole ruined the symmetry of the hall. Soul tossed his headband aside and ran his hands through his hair, over and over. He looked at the infirmary door, back to his own hands, and to the door again.

"Damn it, just be still!" Kid snapped at him. Soul responded with a look so lethal it could kill Lord Death himself.

"Maka is in there," Soul said, his voice pained. "Maka is in there and she might not come out, and it's my fault. SO DON'T FUCKING TELL ME TO BE STILL!"

"You're not the only one who loves her!" Kid shouted back. Soul stood and walked over until he was only inches from Kid's face.

"I would kill you right now, but I'm a lot more worried about her survival than your stupid little crush. You don't love Maka. You don't know what it is to love her. If, no, when she walks out of there, you're going to stay away from her. Do you understand me?"

"Maka is not your possession, Soul. It is not up to you to decide who she spends her time with."

"She's my meister, and I'm supposed to protect her!"

Suddenly Stein's long shadow was bearing over them. He stood outside the door, twisting his screw as blood dried on his coat.

"How is she? Is she going to be okay?" Soul scrambled to pick up his headband and compose himself.

"She'll probably be okay," Stein eyed the new whole in the wall, and Soul's scraped fist. "She isn't awake, but you can go see her. Just, don't punch anything." Soul sprinted inside. Kid hesitated for a moment.

"Probably?" He asked. Stein nodded.

"Her body was.. She should have died in that alley. When her body was beaten beyond its limits her soul fought on."

"I sensed that before. I don't know how she held on for so long."

"It's extremely rare, but possible. Souls can hang on when there is something worth fighting for, be it love or hatred," Stein explained. Kid nodded and stepped into the infirmary. Soul knelt next to her bed, holding her hand to his forehead.

"I'm so sorry, Maka. I'm sorry I couldn't protect you." He whispered. Kid stood at the end of the bed, looking over her. She was bruised, battered, and bandaged. Soul let out a heavy sigh.

"I'm a mess," he said with a forced laugh. "So uncool." He rubbed at his eyes and fixed his headband. He stroked Maka's hair and sighed again. "I'll come visit you again soon, Maka. I'll bring books next time, so you'd better be awake when I come back." He shoved his hands into his pockets and sauntered away. Kid didn't understand how Soul could so casually walk away while Maka was lying there in a coma. Kid carefully smoothed the wrinkles out of her sheets. Wrinkles were never symmetrical. He thought Maka would appreciate smooth sheets.

"I should have gotten there sooner," Kid said. "If I had been there, I could have prevented this. If you wake up, I'll tell you everything. I swear I will."

"Maka!" Tsubaki came running in, for the first time entering a room before Black Star. "Oh, my god." Tsubaki hovered over her friend, desperately wanting to touch her but too afraid to.

"Come on, Maka!" Black Star held no such fears. He began to shake Maka and shout at her. "Wake up! You're stealing my show! I'm supposed to be the center of attention!" Kid grabbed Black Star by the belt and threw him out into the hall. He looked back at Tsubaki an exchanged a morose glance. He thought that perhaps she understood how he felt.

"This must be so hard on Soul," Tsubaki mused. "He might not admit it, but I know how he feels about her."

"Oh, right. Poor Soul," Kid muttered and left the infirmary feeling more than ever like he really didn't belong.