Soul Eater
FANFICTION
Chapter 1
"Alright, kids. We have a couple of new student in class today" said the creepy, Zombie Sid. "Would you like to introduce yourselves?"
I take a step forward away from the blackboard behind me.
"My name is Bloodshot and I'm a Meister." I hear the whispers of the other students in front of me.
"What kind of name is Bloodshot?"
"How come I've never heard of him before?"
"Why is he here?"
Zombie Sid lets out a small chuckle.
"Man of mystery, eh? When I was alive, that's the kind of man I was!" Sid then lets out an even louder laugh. "And how about you, girly?"
She takes a step forward, still standing behind me slightly.
"…"
Every guy in the room takes immediate notice of the beautiful girl standing at the front of the class.
She cautiously clutches the bottom of her skirt with both hands. She then begins to blush, and lets out a small squeak sound before speaking. Her nervousness is clear.
"Mikuru Asahina. I'm a Weapon."
I can tell all the boys in the class have already fallen hopelessly for her. I can hear them talking about how hot she is too. It makes me smile, because I know Mikuru, she's way too shy to go out with any of them. And she's way too beautiful; it's intimidating, meaning none of them will have the courage to ask her on a date. This exact situation never gets old to me, no matter how many times it happens.
"Your last teacher, Naigas, spoke very highly of you two. I hope you can continue the same form in this class?"
I turn my head to face Zombie Sid.
"No worries, sir. We will"
Mikuru nods vigorously too. She's still standing slightly behind me, using me as a shield to hide from the sight of the other students, and Zombie Sid. Her own gaze focused solely on her hands, still clutching her skirt.
"Well then! Let me be the first to welcome you to class Crescent Moon! Take your seats, and let the learning begin!"
Chapter 2
When the bell rings, the other students all gather their books, and slowly leave the classroom.
I turn to my partner.
"Hey, Mikuru, you wanna grab a bite? We can eat outside if you want"
I always smile as kindly as I can when I'm talking to Mikuru. I can't help it.
"I'd like that" she said, with a nod and a smile.
As we get up to leave, we are approached by two other students, one boy and one girl.
"Hey there. I'm Maka, and this is Soul. You're Bloodshot and Mikuru right?"
"'Sup" said the boy immediately after.
This greeting causes Mikuru to jump a little. She lets out a small yelp, and quickly hides behind me. She places both her hands on my left shoulder, and peers over to catch a glimpse of the ones who startled her.
"Sorry, guess we shouldn't have snuck up on you like that" said Soul, rubbing the back of his head.
I can't help but laugh a bit. Even if they hadn't snuck up on us, Mikuru still would have been startled.
"Don't worry about it. It's nice to meet you guys."
Mikuru slowly comes out from behind me. She's clearly still nervous, but sums up the courage to greet our new classmates.
"Hello. Nice to meet you" she said with a bow.
Maka turns to my partner.
"You too! How come we've never seen you around before?"
Mikuru once again gets flustered.
I interject.
"We transferred here from class Rogue Shadow, on the other side of the academy, because Mikuru and I are in the process of becoming a two star Weapon and Meister team. To do that we need to make a drastic change in our learning technique, to make sure our progress isn't a fluke and class Crescent Moon is said to be the most challenging"
"Well, we do have Professor Stein. He sure keeps us on our toes. Sid's no pushover either. But you'll know that soon enough" said Soul with a wry smile.
I look at Mikuru.
"Looks like you made the right choice in deciding we come to this class, Mikuru! And here I was worrying all that research you did was for nothing. I should never have doubted you"
Mikuru then smiles at me with closed eyes.
"Silly John" she then giggles.
Maka looks at us confused.
"John? I thought your name was Bloodshot?"
"Mikuru is the only one who calls me by that name"
"She is? How come?"
"Mikuru feels the name Bloodshot doesn't match me as a person. So she calls me by my real name, John, rather than my assassin name, Bloodshot"
"I think I'm still going to call you Bloodshot" said Soul.
"Me too" said Maka with a gentle smile.
"Would you like to get some lunch with us? Mikuru and I were just about to go"
Soul looks at me, and puts out his fist.
"That sounds good. We're going to get along just fine, Bloodshot"
I pound my fist against his.
"That cool with you, Mikuru?" I ask politely.
She nods, and replies "Of course"
Her smile would melt even the coldest heart.
"Then let's go!"
Chapter 3
Mikuru is talking more and more the longer we hang out with Maka and Soul. It's clear that she is slowly coming out of her shell.
As soon as we finish our lunch, we are approached by Zombie Sid.
"There you are. Been looking all over for you. Lord Death wishes to see you and Mikuru immediately"
"Got it. See you later, Maka, Soul"
I pound fists with Soul again.
"Don't be a stranger, Bloodshot. You too Mikuru"
"Yeah, it was great hanging with you" said Maka "We'll do it again real soon. Maybe just you and me sometime, Mikuru?"
Mikuru blushes and tries to mask it with a smile. As we both walk away, she waves goodbye to our new friends.
We both walk faster to keep up with Zombie Sid.
"So what does Lord Death want with us? He never called out of the blue like this before"
Sid doesn't break stride. He turns his head back to me.
"I don't know. Must be important if he wanted to see you so urgently"
I look at Mikuru. She's grasping the locket on her necklace.
"Don't worry. I'm sure Lord Death just wants to make sure we're settling into our new class. It's a big change"
Mikuru looks at me, her eyes sparkling.
"Okay... I trust you"
She always makes me smile.
We make it to the door leading into Lord Death's chamber.
Sid then pushes the door open, and we are greeted by Lord Death next to his mirror.
"Oh! Children! Hey! What's up?! How's it going?! It's good to see you!"
We enter the room, and Sid closes the door behind us.
"Please, relax. Sit down. Would you like some tae? Maybe some cake?"
Lord Death isn't anything like the stories we've heard. He's quirky, and fun. Hard to believe he's the only person in the world that monsters are afraid of.
"No, thank you. Can I ask why you called us here?"
"Oh! Of course, how rude of me calling you in here without any explanation"
Sid takes a seat next to Lord Death.
Lord Death continues.
"I'm sending you on an assignment, one worthy of your skill level. I am also sending Black Star and Tsubaki, Kid and the Thompson sisters, as well as Maka and Soul, whom I believe you've already met"
"What are the details?" I ask.
"I'm sending you to southern Asia. There have been reports of large, dark energy readings from some underground ruins there. I want you to investigate"
"Investigating ruins doesn't seem so dangerous. Why are you sending such a large team to deal with it?"
"Clever boy. These ruins are ancient, the civilisation who built the ruins were Demon worshippers. We have no idea what exactly you'll find there. We only know that the madness is more concentrated there than anywhere else in the world right now. That makes it a haven for Keeshens. A Demon is no different from a Keeshen. Also. A Demon hasn't been seen alive on Earth for over 10,000 years."
"Well then I guess the only question that remains is… When do we go?"
"I had heard you were very professional when it came to missions. You're going to go far in the Academy! You leave tomorrow. Until then I suggest you relax, have some cake!"
"Yes, Lord Death"
Mikuru and I both get up and proceed to leave the room.
"Still shy as ever, Miss Asahina? I never got the chance to properly say how sorry I was…"
Lord Death's statement causes Mikuru to freeze.
"…"
"Good day to you both"
We leave the room. Mikuru seems more uneasy than usual.
"You okay, Mikuru?"
Chapter 4
It's not like Mikuru to be so uncomfortable and reserved around me. She didn't say a word on the entire walk home; she didn't even look at me.
When we got home, she went straight into her room.
I've never been in Mikuru's room before; I always assumed she had a good reason for never inviting me in.
I walk over, and stand outside Mikuru's door. I've given her enough space, enough time to come to me. But she didn't. So I'll come to her.
"Mikuru?"
"…"
"Mikuru, are you okay?"
"…"
"I made dinner, it's pasta. You love my pasta"
"…"
"You forced me into this, Mikuru. If you won't come out, then I'm coming in"
I walk through the door only to see Mikuru lying on her bed, holding a picture tight to her chest with one hand, and her locket with the other. Tears streaming down her face onto the pillow.
Her face is redder than usual, she's been crying for a while.
The room is lit only by candlelight.
I walk over to her bed, and sit by her feet.
"You know, it's funny. This is the first time I've ever been in your room. It's so pretty. It matches you perfectly"
The walls are covered with framed photos of a man and woman.
And a little girl.
I finally get it.
"Those photos are of you and… your parents…"
Mikuru turns away from me, lying faced the other way.
"I guess I'm lucky. I never knew my parents. I don't know how it feels to lose them. But I still wish…"
Mikuru turns her head up to face me slightly. I hear her sniffling.
"For what?"
"I wish I had what you had, with your parents"
"You do?"
"Must be nice, having people who love you, knowing who you are…"
"Not when they die. And you're left alone…"
I put my hand on Mikuru's arm.
"You're not alone…"
Mikuru holds her breath for a moment.
"I'm not going anywhere, Mikuru, so like it or not. You're not alone, and I'm not going anywhere"
"…"
"I promise"
Mikuru turns her head to me.
"What if you die too…?"
"I keep my promises"
She sits up on the bed, and takes my hand in hers. Her hand is so much smaller than mine.
"So this is your room, huh? And here I was expecting unicorns, fairies and angels to be everywhere. I am severely disappointed, Mikuru"
She smiles, wraps her arms around me, and squeezes me as tight as she can. I feel her breath against my ear.
"Silly John"
Chapter 5
The next morning I awaken to the smell of breakfast.
"Pancakes?"
Mikuru is cooking? She only cooks pancakes when she's in a really good mood, and considering the events of yesterday, something must be up.
My muscles are still sleepy, so I won't be able to move for a couple minutes. I stretch, and I begin to think about last night. Mikuru and I talked for hours about her mom and dad, and about how her favourite memory of them is a trip they took to the beach, because it was the last time they were all together.
She told me how kind they both were, how they met, how they were friends and partners growing up in the academy before they got married. She told me how gentle and sweet her mother was, and how much I was like her father, confident and strong.
She told me how nice it was to talk about them with someone and showed me the picture she was holding. They all looked so happy. It was from when they went to the beach. I can understand why that memory was her favourite.
I couldn't help but smile when I saw how small Mikuru was in that photograph.
I let out a grunt, my muscles are ready now. I get up, walk to my wardrobe and put on a t-shirt, then shorts.
I walk out of my room into the hallway, then straight into the kitchen. Mikuru is standing over the stove, flipping the pancakes. Her face shows unbelievable concentration. It makes me laugh aloud. She looks so funny.
"Oh! John, you're up" Mikuru smiles and turns to me, holding a pan with a half cooked pancake on it. She's wearing a long t-shirt, which looks like a short dress on her.
"Stealing my clothes, are we, Miss Asahina?"
"It's really comfy. But if you want it back…"
"No, no. You should keep it, looks better on you anyway, even if it is a bit big"
She grins proudly at me. I bet she knew I would let her keep it.
"Sit down, I made breakfast"
I take a seat at the small table. I notice Mikuru isn't wearing any socks or shoes, her legs are bare.
"Aren't you cold?"
She carries over a large plate, filled with the delicious pastries she made, and takes a seat opposite me at the table.
"I'm not cold at all" she said, grabbing a knife and a fork. She then piles the pancakes onto my plate.
"Eat up! It's going to be a big day and you're going to need all your strength!"
"Right!"
I proceed to devour the heavenly breakfast; each mouthful I take is met with a giggle from Mikuru.
"What? Is there something on my face?"
She laughs a little louder.
"You're cute when you're eating"
"Miss Asahina! If I didn't know any better, I'd say you were flirting with me!"
Mikuru doesn't say a word. She just stands up and proceeds to walk out of the kitchen, but not before running her hand through my hair and messing it up even more.
"Eat up. You don't want it to get cold"
Her smiling eyes are so distracting; they make me forget what I'm thinking every time.
She then leaves the kitchen, and I hear the door to Mikuru's room close. She's probably getting changed.
"I wonder what she meant saying I'm cute"
Best not to overthink these things.
Damn good pancakes though.
That girl can cook!
Chapter 6
"I will never understand how you can wear outfits like that on assignments. You're so casual. A sweater and a skirt, high socks, you look way too nice to go on a mission, Mikuru"
Having said that, my outfit is dark cargo pants, and a white t-shirt with black streaks, inside a black hoodie. The hoodie has my signature blood design. Mikuru never liked it.
"I like it. It's comfortable and I can move freely"
"Okay, but when you get cold, I'll be obligated to give you my hoodie, and I know how much you hate it"
Mikuru smiles, and looks up at me.
"Thank you. But I won't get cold; you don't have to worry about me"
"Hey, if I don't worry about you I think I'll go crazy with boredom"
Mikuru gives me a small and delicate punch on the arm, like if she hit me any harder I would break. It makes me laugh.
"Ow! That hurt" I said sarcastically. "You shouldn't be so rough with me"
This makes Mikuru laugh.
We make it to the academy. Just as we enter through the gates, I can see the other members of our team waiting on the steps.
Maka jumps down and rushes over to Mikuru.
"Heya, Mikuru! Ready for the mission?"
Some things never change. From the confidence she exuded in our home, one little question she's received from a friend has knocked her off guard; she's been like that since I've known her.
"Um… Yes… I'm ready"
"Good" Maka laughs "I can't wait to see you two in a fight"
A dark boy with white stripes in his hair steps in my direction, followed by two girls dressed in matching outfits.
"Bloodshot, isn't it? I've heard of you. You're an assassin, infamous amongst dark souls. I admire your work with the book of the Necromancer. You received some assistance finding the book, from an unknown Reaper, as I recall"
"Death the Kid. I seem to remember you working with me on that mission. I also seem to remember you bursting into tears when you saw that "disgusting" book and me saving your sorry ass from the Zombie King"
I walk over and shake Kid's hand.
"Good to see you again"
"You too, Kid"
His attention then turns to my Weapon.
"And Mikuru! Still perfectly symmetrical in your looks, even your outfit is perfect. It's going to be a good day!"
"Hello, Kid"
Both the girls behind Kid charge forward and hug me and Mikuru passionately.
"AHHH! Mikuru! It's been way too long! Bloodshot better be taking good care of you, or I'll kick his butt!"
Liz doesn't like me.
"He does his best" Mikuru stands up for me.
"Its sooo great to see you guys!" screams Patty. She still seems as airheaded as ever. I always liked her.
Liz and Patty's attention quickly turns from me completely, and they focus on Mikuru solely. They're speaking so fast I can't keep up, Mikuru is smiling and nodding politely. Maka also joins in on the bombardment of Mikuru's senses.
"HAHA! No doubt two new fans for the "I love Black Star" club! YEAH!"
I walk toward the overexcited teen.
"You must be Black Star. You're an assassin too, I hear"
"An assassin? WRONG! I am the greatest assassin in the world! I will surpass GOD! HAHA!"
"Surpass God? I gotta get a picture of that"
"When I surpass God, everyone will be taking pictures of me! Black Star! HAHA"
Black Star makes me laugh. I think I'll get along well with him. Even if he is bouncing up and down the walls.
Literally.
A girl, nearly my height, with long black hair walks in my direction, grinning.
"Sorry about Black Star. He can be a little difficult to deal with at first. I'm Tsubaki and I'm Black Star's Weapon"
"Nice to meet you, Tsubaki. I'm Bloodshot. Don't worry about me and Black Star, I think he's cool"
Tsubaki looks relieved.
"Oh, that's good. Is that girl over there your Weapon?"
"Mikuru? Yes, she is. She might be shy around people, but there's no one I'd rather have watching my back"
"How nice" Tsubaki replies, still grinning.
Out of nowhere, Dr Stein shows up.
"Wonderful. It's good to see you're all here, and who's this?"
Everyone turns to face Dr Stein.
"Bloodshot and Mikuru. Incredible soul resonance. Excellent compatibility, and… hmmm. Interesting. I can see why you both work so well together. But enough about that, you had all better get going. There's a mission to complete"
Chapter 7
"Praise God! We're finally here!" I shout with enjoyment and relief as I exit the vehicle.
Kid puts his hand on my shoulder while I'm leaning forward with my own hands on my knees.
"You alright, Bloodshot? You didn't look so good on the plane journey here? And not too good on the car ride either"
Mikuru rubs my back and turns to Kid.
"John doesn't like enclosed spaces"
"I hate being trapped! And you don't get much more trapped than being in a tin can travelling 500 km/h, over 8 km in the sky... And I get travel sick"
"So you are human! I knew there had to be something! You're always way too fluid and relaxed when you're fighting!"
"We shouldn't waste time" said Maka. "Let's head straight into the ruins"
Soul approaches me.
"You gonna be okay in a ruined structure in a cave underground?"
"Don't worry about me; I can deal with it" I reply with a thumb's up.
"Okay then. Let's move"
I stand up straight. Mikuru's hand is still on my back as we both walk in stride with one another. After several steps, Mikuru has the sudden realisation that her hand hasn't moved, and she quickly rectifies this by taking it away. She then blushes.
Her blush causes me to laugh to myself.
I think she hoped I wouldn't notice, and that she could just move on silently. But my staring, and grinning means she has to respond.
"I just wanted to make sure you were okay…"
Good response.
My grin turns to a smile.
"Thanks, Mikuru. You're the best"
Mikuru notices that the rest of the team heard what I said, her head drops, and she seems thoroughly embarrassed. She's looking straight down at her feet while she's walking.
Some members of the team laugh when they see this.
Liz speeds up her walk to be next to Mikuru.
"Aw, Mikuru, don't worry. I'd be embarrassed too if someone like Bloodshot had unrequited love for me!"
"WHAT!?" even when I think I win, I lose.
Everyone is laughing at me.
Damn Liz.
Mikuru looks up at me, still embarrassed, still blushing but smiling now.
I can't help but smile back, and try to hide my own embarrassment. Then it clicks in my head.
"HEY! What do mean "someone like Bloodshot", what's wrong with ME?!"
"Oh, nothing's wrong with you! You're just not good enough for Mikuru. And I bet you have a really small…"
"…Let's try not to get personal here!" I interrupt.
Damn Liz.
Chapter 8
"This cave, these ruins, they're disgusting. So asymmetrical"
"Some things never change. Still perfectly, perfectly perfect! Eh, Kid?" I'm hoping that joke will get his mind off the mess.
"And you still think you're funny. Some things don't change"
It worked.
Patty's singing is putting us all at ease. She's mixing random lyrics from random songs together, and laughing. It's hilarious.
We continue walking until we reach the entrance of the ruins.
"This place is huge! Why is it underground?" shouts Patty.
"Could have been an earthquake?" said Kid.
"Maybe it sunk into the ground because of poor site planning?" adds Tsubaki.
"Maybe they built underground?" I contribute.
"Why would they do that? It's stupid!" Black Star jumps into the conversation.
"Well, they were Demon worshippers, right? And where do Demons come from?" I said as I pointed down to the ground. "Maybe they wanted to be closer to their Deity"
Soul turns and looks at me.
"Makes sense"
We continue walking until we reach an obstacle.
"Three passages. Any ideas?" I ask.
"We should split up. We'll cover more ground that way. Can you detect anything, Maka?" said Kid.
Maka closes her eyes to concentrate harder on using her soul detect ability.
"There's the flicker of a masked soul somewhere not too far ahead"
"Patty, Liz" Kid said.
The girls nod and transform into Kid's twin pistols.
"Black Star, Tsubaki. You go right. I'll go left"
"Which leaves us to go straight down the middle?"
"That's right, Soul"
Soul then grins, bearing his teeth and transforms into his weapon form, a scythe, and is caught by Maka.
"Later, losers! YAHOO!" screams Black Star, racing down his passage, followed by Tsubaki, changing into her Enchanted Sword mode.
I look at Mikuru, we've never failed any of the hundred missions we've done, yet she still always gets nervous.
"Gotta admire Black Star's enthusiasm"
"Meet back here in one hour to go look for Black Star?"
"See you then, Kid" I reply.
Kid hops on his skateboard, and then travels out of sight down his passage.
Maka, Mikuru and I start walking into the final passage.
"Why haven't you transformed into your weapon form, Mikuru?"
Mikuru looks at Maka.
"That would ruin the surprise" she said with smiling eyes.
"And so Mikuru's dark side comes out" I said, joking.
Maka and Mikuru laugh.
"I knew you had to be too perfect!"
Chapter 9
We've been walking down this passage for a little while now.
Maka suddenly runs forward.
"Look! The passage ends right up there!"
I take Mikuru's hand and run to catch up with Maka. Mikuru is a little bit behind me. I turn my head to look at her.
"You run like such a girl, Mikuru!" I said laughing, and panting.
I didn't think it was possible to blush, run, squeak and breathe, at the same time, but Mikuru proved me wrong.
Maka stops as soon as she exits the passage. We arrive next to her shortly after.
We are in a room filled with the bones, and weapons of dead warriors. Right in the centre of the room, there is what looks like a statue of a Demon.
We take a few steps forward.
"YAHOO!"
"Sounds like Black Star found this place okay" said Maka.
As soon as she said that, Kid shows up on his skateboard.
"Good. You're all here" said Kid, jumping off his board.
I look at Kid.
"Yeah, we're here"
"Looks like this room is a dead-end. Why would all the passages lead here?"
While the others debate this, and decide on the next course of action, I decide to investigate the Demon statue. My gaze is drawn to its eyes.
It makes me feel uneasy. This visceral pain in my stomach is something I've never felt before.
When the pain passes, the rest of the room fades out of focus until all I can see is the statue. My head feels like it's spinning. I can't control my body. I start walking toward the statue. I hear whispers in my ear of voices I don't recognise.
"Kill them"
"Kill them all"
"Slaughter them"
"Rip out their souls"
The whispers get louder and louder the closer I get to the statue.
I find myself standing right in front of the statue.
I feel heavy. I can't break eye contact with it.
The voices fade until there is only one.
"Destroy the statue"
"Release me"
"NOW"
My clenched fist rises. I'm fighting as hard as I can to resist, but resist what? What's happening to me?
"No" I said, only being capable of a whisper.
I feel stabbing pains all over my body. The most excruciating I've ever felt. Like a surge of electricity is passing through me. I can feel it in every fibre of my being, every molecule, even the follicles of my hair and nails burn. It's like a hand inside my chest clawing at my organs, squeezing at my heart, crushing my lungs, slowly, mercilessly. It hurts.
I fall to my knees. Head down. Suddenly, the pain stops, and I can hear a voice I recognise.
"Do it, John"
What is this?
"Please, John"
The voice sounds like Mikuru, but just… wrong.
"Now, John"
Is it the statue?
"Get out of my head!" I scream.
I use all my strength to stand up.
Maybe I should destroy it? Maybe I should let this thing out? It would end this. It's what Mikuru wants, so it can't be that bad. Can it?
No. It's got to be the statue messing with my mind.
"You've always been weak, John"
I tightly clench my fist.
Weak?
"You're so pathetic"
I am?
Is that what Mikuru really thinks?
"You coward, prove yourself"
"I am not a coward!"
"Then show me, John"
I draw a long breath then raise my fist and draw it back. I thrust it forward with all my force hoping to shatter the ugly thing to pieces.
"Who's a coward now…"
After I pull my hand from the fist-shaped crack in the rock, the voice returns.
"Fool"
The crack gets bigger until the statue starts to crumble.
A hand bursts through the statue and grabs my throat.
The rest would soon follow, its muscular, black body laced with blood red, its long claws digging into the sides of my neck. Its glowing red eyes show the souls of victims it has devoured. Its touch burns my skin. Its big, sharp, dirty teeth the only earthly thing about it.
I can feel my heart thumping wildly.
"Freedom"
It lifts me up by my throat until we are at eye level. I can't breathe.
It stares into my eyes, into my soul. Its eyes are filled with rage, blood-thirst, death.
I feel the same unbearable pain as before, like fire racing through my veins. It makes me want to rip off my skin just to gain some relief.
I can't handle it.
"DIE" the demon then throws me into a wall on the far side of the room, where most of the skeletal corpses and old weapons are.
One of the swords pierces through my left shoulder, and emerges on the opposite side.
I'm lying on the ground. It's cold but body feels so hot.
I see Mikuru running toward me.
I see the others trying to fight the Demon. In vain. Their attacks are doing no damage. They're getting destroyed, flung around like they're nothing. And all I can do is watch.
Mikuru falls to the ground next to me, scraping her knees on the jagged ground, tearing her socks. I see her mouth moving, I see her eyes welling up, but I can't hear what she's saying over the ringing, and the sound of cold. I've never heard this sound before.
All I want is to say "It'll be okay", but I can't. My vision is blurring. I can't focus my eyes on Mikuru's face anymore. My head drops. I see the pool of blood getting bigger and bigger until it reaches Mikuru.
She starts to shake me. I can't move, can't breathe.
I think I'm done.
I put up a good fight, but I never thought it would end this way.
So easily.
I close my eyes.
This is it…
The end of my story.
Chapter 10
Emptiness. That's all there is. Cold emptiness. Dead.
I hear something faint in the distance.
"John… please. Get up! Don't go! You promised me!"
I promised?
"You promised me!"
I keep my promises.
I open my eyes only to see the Demon getting closer to Mikuru. She doesn't know yet. I want to tell her to run, to get out of here as fast as she can.
But I can't!
Mikuru turns around, and stands up to see the Demon in front of her.
I hear the faint voice again.
"I will die before I let you touch him!"
No, Mikuru!
Come on, Bloodshot!
Get up!
This is no time to be sleeping!
Don't be such a little girl!
Get up!
DAMMIT, JOHN!
GET. UP. JOHN!
I'LL DO ANYTHING!
ANYTHING!
Everything seemed to go into slow motion. And I can feel is a cold chill run through my spine, like freezing water has been poured on my back. I can breathe again.
I stand up. I see the Demon, fist raised, about to kill Mikuru with one blow. The rest of the team are down and out, sparsely scattered around the room. They can't fight any more.
Mikuru's eyes are closed, her face is red. Tears streaming down into the blood on the ground. Her arms are raised straight out by her sides.
I walk out in front of Mikuru.
Everything is gradually speeding up.
The Demon's fist is moving toward me.
The sword is still in my shoulder.
Drip. Drip. Drip. The blood crawls down the length of the sword until it drips to the floor.
I'm staring directly at the Demon's eyes again.
I feel something wrong with me, something wrong that feels so right. I feel darkness coursing through my veins. Power. It's unimaginable. Accept it or not? Live or die?
Time goes back to normal.
The Demon's fist hammers me, it shreds through my chest.
My head drops, so do my arms. I feel Mikuru's eyes on me.
A malevolent smile takes form on my face.
"The power, the darkness, so much, so fast… I won't let you hurt her… and if I become a monster… so be it… anything…" I raise my hand up to the hilt of the sword in my shoulder, and rip it out.
"TO PROTECT HER!"
The sword is dull and rusted but I use it to attack the Demon with all my ferocity.
Smashing its arms and legs until the sword falls apart.
I'm driving the Demon backwards, it's afraid of me.
It should be.
The sword breaks and I throw it away.
My whole body feels dangerous.
I attack the Demon with punches and kicks; I'm breaking its bones, I know it.
My teeth feel sharper; my skin feels like armour, my muscles feel destructive, bigger and stronger.
I throw the Demon into a wall, then run over, grab its throat and blaze it into the ground.
I drop my knee onto its throat, and then pummel it with strikes to its face.
I can't bring myself to stop, killing it feels too good.
I grab one of the horns on its head with one hand and its shoulder with the other.
"Now… DIE!"
The Demon starts to smile, and then I rip it in half.
After I drop the remainder of the mutilated body on the floor, I take a breath.
And then another one.
Where did all that come from?
I stand up; Mikuru is staring directly into my eyes.
"John…"
Why is she trembling?
I walk toward Mikuru. I'm covered in black blood. I put my hand out to her. I feel like I'm made of fire.
"Mikuru. It's me"
"No..."
"Mikuru, plea…"
"YOU'RE NOT MY JOHN!"
She screams at me.
"MY JOHN WOULD NEVER DO THAT!" she said, pointing toward the Demon's corpse.
What is she talking about?
I look at my bloodied hands, and then the slaughtered Demon. The burning rage inside my chest quells.
She's right. That couldn't have been me. That wasn't me.
"ARRRGGGHHHH! PAIN! GET OUT OF MY HEAD!"
I feel the excruciating pain again. I hear the voice.
Kill her.
I need her to know that I'm still me.
Kill them all.
I struggle to talk over the pain, over the voice in my head telling me to keep killing, it won't stop!
The physical and neural bombardment causes me to fall to my knees. Both my hands are on my head.
The voice…
Your whole life you wanted power. This is your chance. Kill her. Kill them. Accept darkness. Accept the power you crave. The power you need.
Shut up!
"Mikuru, your favourite colour is yellow… You love dogs… Your favourite place in the world is the beach… Your birthday is on the 16th of June…"
I feel my chest tightening, and I feel like I'm fighting for control again. It hurts.
"You hadn't celebrated your birthday since your parents died, until you met me… I took you to dinner to celebrate... I got you a cake…"
"…"
"You lost your parents four years ago… You've felt alone ever since… I made you a promise…"
"This isn't you! My John could never do what you just did! You're something else!" she screamed.
"You know me… You're the only person who knows me… When I make a promise…"
She raises both her hands up and clutches the locket on her necklace.
"You keep it"
Chapter 11
I wake up in the academy's infirmary. I can't see or hear anything but the beeping of the heart rate monitor.
"JOHN!" I hear. Only one person calls me that name.
Mikuru proceeds to jump onto the bed to hug me. She squeezes as hard as she can, and kisses my cheeks and forehead.
"Is this how you're going to say "hi" every time from now on? Because I gotta tell you, I could get used to this"
She's crying so much, but smiling too. And laughing a little. It's like she doesn't know how to feel right now.
She's always been very emotional.
"Oh! Looks like the famous "Demon Slayer" is finally awake" said Dr Stein as he entered the room.
Mikuru is still hugging me and kissing my cheeks.
"I'm never going to stop hugging you ever again, John!"
My arms feel so heavy but I try my hardest to hug back.
"Go easy on him, Mikuru. He's nowhere near recovered; it's extraordinary that he's even alive…" Mikuru stops hugging and kissing me "But then again, some TLC from a pretty girl might be just what the doctor ordered"
Mikuru lights up, and continues killing me with the irony of TLC.
Am I complaining?
Hell no!
"Miracle that I'm alive, doc? What do you mean?"
"You've been unconscious for six days"
"What?!"
"It's true. Our little nurse here never left your side for a moment"
I look at her.
"Mikuru…"
Our eyes meet.
"You didn't have to do that, Mikuru…"
"You didn't have to save my life. You almost broke your promise. And if you had, I would have been really mad at you…" she said as she buried her head in my chest, her face feels wet. This makes me smile.
"Wait! Why did you call Mikuru a nurse?"
"Someone had to change your clothes… and wash you…"
What?! This is embarrassing to say the least. Maybe it would have been better if I had never woken up…
"Please tell me he isn't serious, Mikuru?"
"…"
"Mikuru?"
Stein takes a step forward.
"She's asleep. Trust me, she's earned a rest. Mikuru hasn't gotten a wink since Kid and the others, who are fine by the way, carried you in here"
I hear the sounds of her breathing. She makes me smile even now.
"Ever heard the phrase "sleep when you're dead"; you were dead, for six days. No one thought you would wake up… Except her"
"What happened to me?"
Stein grins.
"When you feel up to it, you should go see Lord Death. He's eager to see you up and about, as is everyone else"
"I will. But I think I'm going to wait until Mikuru is better first"
"Mikuru? You still don't get it. Oh well! Get some more rest; you're going to need it"
Stein leaves the room.
"Thanks, doc"
Chapter 12
Suddenly I don't feel so warm. I open my eyes to see Mikuru climbing off the bed.
"I'm so sorry. I didn't mean to wake you. I was just going to make sure everything was perfect for when you woke up" she said bowing.
I smirk.
"It's okay. I think I've had enough sleep to last a lifetime anyway"
Mikuru fixes the blanket, and tucks me in.
"I want you to get better as soon as possible. So you're going to get some more rest, even if I have to tie you down!"
So much for TLC. But that does sound exciting.
I look at the window, the blinds are closed but it's obviously night time.
"You look exhausted too, Mikuru"
The dark circles under her eyes more prominent than I've ever seen before.
"I'll sleep if you will. Deal?"
"Deal"
She pulls up a chair next to the head of my bed and sits down. She places her head down next to mine on the pillow.
"Sleep tight, Miss Asahina"
After several minutes of silence, Mikuru's breathing changes. This lets me know that she's asleep. She really is wrecked.
After a little while trying to sleep, I give up. I look up at the ceiling. I can't just lie down and do nothing. There are too many questions I need answered.
I get out of bed carefully. I can barely move. I'm so heavy and stiff. It feels like I'm trapped in tar.
I stand up and look over at a sleeping Mikuru. Her cute noisy breathing, with an occasional squeak causes me to grin to myself.
To think of everything she must have done for me while I was unconscious. I'm going to make it up to her, I promise.
I don't think in my state I can carry Mikuru without waking her, so I take the blanket off the bed and place it gently over her.
I smile.
"Thanks, Mikuru. You're the best"
I turn around and walk out of the room. I walk down the hall.
I need to see Lord Death; he's the only one who can shed light on what happened to me.
I continue to walk. Every move I make is measured and precise. My body won't allow me to move any faster than I am. I begin to think about what happened in the ruins along the way.
Every time I close my eyes I get the image of Mikuru standing in blood. I can't get it out of my head because of the look she gave me, pure fear. I've never seen her look at me like that before.
The thought makes me feel nauseated.
I walk into the bathroom to wash my face. I splash the cool water onto my cheeks.
I look up into the mirror.
I see the Demon staring back at me before I blink.
When I look again, I'm me.
"What's happening to me?"
Probably just overtired, that's all.
I shake the wetness off my face and rub my eyes.
I leave the bathroom and continue walking to Lord Death's chamber.
The academy is so different at night. It's usually so filled with life, but at night there isn't a soul in sight.
When I make it to the outside of Lord Death's chamber, I take a breath, and then walk in.
Lord Death is nowhere to be seen.
I walk in further to look around.
"Lord Death? Are you here?"
Suddenly a dark figure rushes up behind me, slamming the door in the process.
"Bloodshot? Oh, my boy, it's you! I thought you were… someone else" said Lord Death as he floated out in front of me before taking a seat at the small table.
"You wanted to see me?"
"I did? Oh, yes! I wanted to discuss the events of your last mission, if that's okay with you? I know you haven't been well."
"I don't really know what to tell you. Something happened to me…"
"I know"
"You do?!"
"I detected a massive change in your soul and its wave length when the others carried you into Death City. No doubt Maka noticed it instantly but didn't say anything"
"The Demon…"
"Precisely. Kid gave me a mission debriefing. The Demon possessed you, and you freed it. What did you feel when you were near the Demon statue?"
"Pain. I've never felt anything like it"
"No one has, at least not for 10,000 years. That Demon's name was Lucifer. I remember because… I'm the one who imprisoned it in the statue"
"What?!"
"My guards and I hunted the Demons to extinction, but there was one remaining, Lucifer, he was by far the most powerful. The Demon and I battled. It defeated my most elite guard, and almost killed me, but before it could, I sealed it in a statue. An ancient civilisation must have found it, and built a temple in its honour. Bloodshot…"
"…"
"That pain you felt, was your soul resonating with the Demon's. The Demon's soul was much more powerful than yours. Your soul was almost consumed with its darkness. But your soul was stronger than it thought, which explains why the Demon focused on killing you and not the others. It knew your souls had connected"
"What are you saying?"
"There is a shadow of the Demon's soul in yours. You resonated with the Demon; now it's a part of you"
"So what does this mean for me?"
"We don't know. This has never happened before; a Demon's wave length will corrupt the person into serving it blindly. You were too strong to be controlled, so it tried to kill you, and failed. This has never happened either. And the fact that you resonated just complicates things further. Why did your souls resonate? What is it about you that threatened the Demon so much it needed to kill you? You're strong, but how did you kill it? It doesn't seem possible. We don't have any answers. The Demon could lay dormant within you for the rest of your life, or…"
"… Or I could become a Demon. Either way I have to live with a monster inside me"
"I'm sorry"
"What happens now? Do you need to kill me?"
There is a long pause.
I can feel Death's eyes watching me, staring through my very being, straight into my soul. It's so quiet that even the echo of my own heartbeat seems deafening.
"No. At least not for now. You can live your life as you normally would. I will be monitoring you, as will Doctor Stein. You will report to him for status updates and tests every few days"
"Can you please not tell anyone about this, especially Mikuru, she has enough trouble around people without being known as the girl involved with "Demon Boy"?"
"Of course. It is entirely your choice after all"
I turn my back and proceed to leave.
"Lord Death. If the worst happens. Don't hesitate to…" I take a breath and look down at my hands, "I don't want to be a monster"
I walk out of the room and close the large, black door behind me.
This. Sucks.
The rage inside me reaches its climax when I punch the wall as hard as I can. My fist goes through it.
I pull my hand out of the rubble and continue walking back to my room in the infirmary. I don't want Mikuru to wake up and wonder what happened to me.
Dammit… Mikuru…
What am I supposed to do about her?
I don't want to see that look in her eyes again. I don't want her to be afraid of me. That means I need to do this alone.
Alone.
Chapter 13
I enter my room in the infirmary again and see Mikuru still sleeping.
"Right where I left you"
I walk over to the side of the bed, and look over at the girl who was willing to risk everything for me.
She looks so peaceful. I know I'm making the right choice in not telling her.
I can see her necklace hanging off the side of the pillow. The only time I've ever seen Mikuru angry at me was when I tried to open the locket to see what was inside. Whatever's in there means a whole hell of a lot to her if she won't even let me see it.
I lie back down on the bed. The blanket has fallen off Mikuru a bit. It reminds me of when we stayed up late watching a scary movie a few months ago. She kept screaming, and clinging to me every time something even remotely frightening happened. But she kept insisting she was okay. She's actually much braver than she gives herself credit for.
Near the end of the movie she fell asleep against my shoulder. The couch was so warm I don't blame her, and the large, pink blanket she brought in from her bed made sure no heat escaped. I think that was the most comfortable, relaxed and safe I've ever felt in my life. The thought of her, the thought of that night makes me feel so much better. Mikuru has that warm effect on me. I'm not used to it. Living with your back to the wall, you don't really get that. I am an assassin. No point glorifying it. But at least now I'm doing it for the right people. That is consolation on some nights.
Lying on the bed, I can't sleep. I'm listening to Mikuru's occasional squeak, and looking up at the ceiling. I begin to think about my life before Mikuru, before the academy, before I became happy for the first time.
I grew up in a small village. I had nothing. I was in an orphanage until it was burned down by raiders. I was four years old. I was the only person who survived the flames, but my body didn't escape the burns. The scarring on my torso, back and shoulder still haven't faded. The worst of it on my left shoulder down through my chest.
The raiders took me with them. I saw all the innocent blood they spilled. And all the villages they burned to the ground, until they sold me as a slave.
A fat, disgusting brute named Macchio bought me. I worked his land and maintained his home; I lived off the scraps from his plate.
There weren't many.
He beat me within an inch of my life every day for a year. I lived in fear, I could never sleep. My wounds never healed. I prayed every night for help, but no one came.
Macchio stumbled in drunk one night; he had anger in his eyes, and his fists.
He was single-minded. He sought me out. He belted punches into my face and stomach. He kicked me when I was on the ground. He threw me into a mirror and shattered it.
When I saw my reflection in one of the shards, the first things I noticed were my eyes, bloodshot. I saw how weak I was, how pathetic, how much of a coward I was. It filled me with rage. I took one of the shards in hand, squeezed my fist around, and as the red dripped down. I sliced Macchio's throat with it.
He was the first person I ever killed.
The first of many.
But he's the only one I don't regret.
"John?"
I snap out of my daze.
"You've got that look you get when you're having a bad dream"
I quickly try to change my mind's set by putting on a fake smile.
"Oh, do I? I didn't realise"
Mikuru looks me square in the eyes, and puts her hand on mine.
"You don't need to hide your emotions from me. I know you're thinking about your past. When you have nightmares, you sometimes scream in your sleep, I can hear the pain in your voice. I can hear you praying, and calling for help…"
"I'm sorry…"
Mikuru looks furiously at me, and squeezes my hand harder than I ever thought she could.
"You have nothing to apologise for, least of all to me. You try so hard to hide your feelings from the world, because you think it makes you stronger. You work so hard at being this person who is fearless, because you think fear is a weakness. But I'm going to tell that it isn't! You don't need to be strong all the time, not for me, not for anyone! If you want to be afraid then be afraid, with me if you want! And if you want to cry, we can cry together! That promise you made works both ways, I'm not going anywhere either, John!"
There's a long pause.
John.
That was always my slave name, a name chosen for me by Macchio. I hated it, even when Mikuru said it, because it reminded me of who I was; that I belonged to him.
But now it has a new meaning, it means that I belong to Mikuru, that I'm hers. And I always will be.
I don't cry. I haven't cried since I was four years old. But I can still feel the knot in my throat. I embrace Mikuru and squeeze her tight.
"All my life, I prayed someone would save me, and I know that if you had been there, you would have. You're all I have, Mikuru. I don't know what I'd do without you…"
"You'll never have to find out. I promise"
Chapter 14
The sunlight seeping through the blinds wakes me up.
I let out a small grunt and rub the sleep out of my eyes, before sitting up in the bed.
I don't see Mikuru in the chair. I've never woken up before Mikuru, so I doubt she's asleep somewhere.
"Ah, Mr. Bloodshot, awake at last! You've been asleep for over 24 hours" said Dr Stein as he entered the room "How are you?"
"Other than the draught from the door, losing my tan a little, needing a haircut and the Demon inside me, I can't complain"
"So you talked to Lord Death then. I suspected as much"
"Yeah, well…"
"Anyone else would be thrilled. Somehow that Demon resonated with you, it's the only reason you're still alive. The injuries you sustained should have killed you. But your healing rate is nothing short of amazing"
"Woo hoo" I said sarcastically.
"Joke all you want, but I've never seen a shattered spine, twelve broken ribs, crushed pelvis, broken arm, and multiple fractured skull make a full recovery in six days"
"That's crazy!"
"Yes it is"
As he finished his sentence Mikuru walked into the room carrying a large, pink and purple bag.
"I hope you're hungry"
I'm still reeling from the information I just received.
"Are you okay, John?"
I can't keep hiding this from her.
Stein steps in.
"I was just explaining the extent of Bloodshot's injuries. Some of the details are quite gruesome"
"Maybe some breakfast would make you feel better?"
I smile at her heart-warming gesture.
"That sounds great, I'm starving"
"You kids have fun"
Stein turns to exit the room.
"Oh! And Bloodshot, we will have a special therapy session tomorrow. Prepare accordingly"
"Okay, Stein. Thanks"
He leaves the room.
Mikuru walks happily over to the bed and places the bag at my feet.
She pulls out a large bottle of drink, cups, sandwiches, and a container of noodles.
"Did you go home just to make me breakfast?"
She doesn't say a word, just keeps smiling, like I'm not even here.
"You can have the noodles first, and then the sandwiches and I have a little surprise for dessert"
Mikuru's surprises never end well for me; they're usual really weird food experiments. Even the thought brings back the taste of chocolate fried pasta.
I dig into the noodles. Mikuru giggles.
"It's not my fault; you know I can't use chopsticks!"
Mikuru laughs.
After struggling for some time with eating the noodles and Mikuru's giggles not helping, I give up, and move to the sandwiches.
After they are devoured ravenously, I look up at Mikuru, sitting politely on the chair watching me.
"That was great. Thank you, Mikuru"
She lights up.
"I almost forgot your surprise!"
She reaches into the bag again and pulls out a card.
"Happy birthday"
She hands me the card and I accept it with both hands.
My birthday…
The card has a picture of a cartoon boy, holding a cartoon girl's hand and it reads "Happy birthday! I hope you find your deepest happiness on this joyous day"
Mikuru reaches back into the bag, and pulls out a cupcake.
"With everything that's been going on I didn't have time to bake you a cake, but I hope you enjoy this just as much!"
"So this is your surprise?"
"I knew you wouldn't remember"
"You're the best, you know that"
Mikuru blushes massively.
I break the small cake in half with my hands.
"Here"
"It's your cake. And this is your birthday, enjoy it"
"Wouldn't even be a birthday if you didn't remember; sooo…"
I gesture the cake in her direction.
She accepts it with a grin.
I throw what was remaining of the small cake in my mouth and eat it.
Mikuru tries to do the same, in vain. Her mouth too small to fit the piece of cake into. The frosting on top sticking to her nose.
Mikuru's eyes cross for a second as she notices the frosting.
This makes me burst out into laughter, which in turn makes Mikuru blush.
"Thanks, Mikuru, this means a lot to me" I say, removing the chocolate from her nose with my finger.
Mikuru smiles.
"The day isn't over yet"
She reaches into the bag again to pull out the final items at the bottom.
"Clothes?"
"I talked with Dr Stein, and he said it would be okay if you had some fun outside today!"
"You thought of everything, you're like an evil puppet master, without the evil part"
"Yep. Now get dressed. I've got big plans!"
Chapter 15
"Slow down, Mikuru! What's your hurry anyway?"
"The others are waiting"
Others?
"Who?"
"Everybody, silly! But it's supposed to be a surprise for your birthday, so shhh" she said putting her finger to her lips.
Mikuru is pulling me along. She's pretty strong when she wants me to do something.
Death City looks so beautiful in sunny weather like today. I'm happy Mikuru brought me the spare clothes too, I'd look pretty damn stupid if I were wearing scrubs in this sunshine, or outside at all for that matter.
"Come on. We're almost there!"
"Almost where?"
I asked that question without taking any look at my surroundings.
Dumb.
"Oh, I get it now" I said as we turned the corner into the local basketball court.
"Look, guys! It's Bloodshot!" Maka shouted.
This caused the entire group to turn around. Soul, Black Star, Tsubaki, Kid, Patty, even Liz. When Mikuru said 'everybody', she meant it.
I feel so popular right now.
The gang walks over and Soul bumps fists with me, followed by Kid giving me a hi-5.
"It's good to see you outta that infirmary, man"
"Thanks, Soul"
Patty is jumping up and down vigorously waiting for her turn to talk.
"So, um, like does it hurt?" she asked excitedly.
"Yeah, does it?" added Maka.
All this attention is a little more than I'm used to and I think Kid noticed it.
"Okay, guys. Come on. He just got out and besides, we've got more important things to do today" said Kid.
"More important things? Like what?" I asked.
Everyone smiles and looks at Mikuru as she bounces a basketball up and down.
"I know how much you like sports"
"That's sweet, but I don't know how good I'll be today"
I said this whilst subtly rubbing the spot on my shoulder the sword tore through.
"So?! It's not like you could beat the LEGENDARY BLACK STAR anyway! HAHA!"
I do admire his enthusiasm.
"Challenge accepted, man"
Though I'm going to suck, I'm still really excited about playing. Even before the last assignment it's been a while since I played any sports. I used to be good too, really good.
"So what are the teams going to be?"
Maka takes a step forward and puts her hand on Mikuru's shoulder.
"I think Mikuru and Bloodshot should definitely be captains"
Everyone, including Black Star, no matter how reluctantly seems to agree with Maka.
"Okay, I'll go with Bloodshot, so should Maka, Patty and Tsubaki. Soul, Black Star and Liz can go with Mikuru" said Kid.
Since they started deciding on the teams, I've started shooting for baskets and I haven't missed yet.
I think Maka has taken notice of this.
"Wow, Bloodshot! You're really good! You've taken like 20 shots and you haven't missed yet. Impressive"
"As impressive as Bloodshot's skills are, we're 5 against 4, and I can't deal with the unsymmetrical nature of the teams" said Kid.
Everyone looks confusedly at each other.
"I'll play" said a mysterious voice from the shade.
"Who are you?" shouted Maka.
The dark figure takes several steps forward into the light to reveal a tall, pale guy with black hair about my age.
"I'm Misfit. I'm new at the academy"
I can't explain why but he makes me feel aggravated and uncomfortable. I don't even know him, why the hell am I feeling like this?
"Nice to meet you, Misfit. I'm Maka. That's Soul, Kid, Liz, Patty, Black Star, Tsubaki, Mikuru and Bloodshot"
"You're Bloodshot? I know you" said our new acquaintance.
"You do?"
There is a moment of silence where we meet each other's gaze.
"Yeah, everyone does. You're the guy who killed the demon" he laughed.
"You're a legend, after all" he continued.
"Okay guys. Let's cut the chat and play. Misfit, you can go with Mikuru's team" said Maka.
He nodded and walked over to their side of the court.
My team gathers into a huddle.
"Guys takes the guys, girls take the girls, sound good?" said Kid.
Everybody nods and breaks away from the huddle to take their positions.
I stand at the centre of the court along with Misfit.
Misfit. Everything about him annoys me, his breaths are too slow and shallow. His posture is slightly off.
"So I guess I'll be marking you for this game, huh?"
Even his voice cuts through my nerves.
"Yeah. Good luck"
His presence just makes me feel uneasy. But why? He seems nice enough, but still he aggravates me.
Forget about it, Bloodshot. Focus on having some fun today.
Liz is going to toss the ball up, so she asks if everyone is ready and when we're all set, she throws the ball up and I jump to knock it down to Kid, but Misfit jumps higher and palms it to Black Star.
This is what the theme for the rest of the game is. All my shots go in, but every 50/50 ball or run I do involving Misfit results in him beating me.
"This is the last play, guys. Team Mikuru is winning 53-52. Bloodshot's ball" Liz proclaimed.
I pass the ball to Kid, who passes to Maka over Black Star's head. This opening causes me to sprint up to support.
"Maka!" I call.
She passes me the ball, I catch it and run full pace to the basket. I dribble passed Soul, leaving me alone with the hoop.
I jump as high as I can to try and slam the ball in, but before I can, Misfit charges me with a tackle. His elbow catches my nose and causes me to miss the shot. The ball slips out of my hands and rolls out of play.
"Dammit" I mutter to myself.
I stand up and wipe the blood away from my face.
"That had to be a foul!" said Kid passionately.
"We were all too far back to see anything properly" said Tsubaki.
Misfit walks over and puts his hand on my shoulder.
"Take the free throw if you want. I mean, if you wanna win that way" he said deliberately quiet enough to make sure only I heard his words.
Dammit! I don't want to win like this. And he knows it.
"No. You win" I said.
He pats me on the back and proceeds to walk away.
"Maybe next time. I'll see you soon, Bloodshot" he said.
That smug bastard, who does he think he is? Talking to me like I'm a child.
Dammit. Relax, Bloodshot. It was just a game, just a game, let it go.
It's over.
If it's over then why am I still so pissed?
The hell is wrong with me today?
Chapter 16
"Are you okay, John?" Mikuru asked, gesturing at my nose.
I sped up my walk ever so slightly, enough to ensure she couldn't see my face.
"Fine." I said.
Out of the corner of my eye I could see Mikuru turning red.
I slowed down gradually and stopped. Seeing her like that makes me feel guilty. She doesn't deserve to have my frustrations taken out on her.
"I'm sorry." I said, slowly.
Mikuru also stopped walking. Her face changed from an embarrassed red, to a smile.
"It's okay. I understand that you're under a lot of stress right now."
I smiled back. She doesn't know the half of it. If she did, maybe she wouldn't be quite so understanding.
We continued walking. We decided to take the long way back. The longer I spend outside that hospital room, the better.
Along the way we walked by our house and stopped in front.
"Think I'll be able to go home soon?" I said, staring at the house.
Mikuru stopped beside me and leaned her shoulder gently against mine.
"I hope so." She said.
A gust of wind blew by, blowing Mikuru's hair back. She looked angelic. I couldn't help but blush.
"Do I have something on my face again?" she asked curiously, looking down at her nose.
I looked away quickly.
"Uh… No." I stuttered.
Mikuru just kept smiling.
Nice one, Bloodshot. Real smooth.
"Maybe we should head back now. You have that class with Dr Stein tomorrow morning after all."
I nodded at Mikuru and followed her walk.
After about 10 minutes, we make it back to the hospital.
We are greeted at the entrance by Dr Stein just as he was leaving my room.
"Mr Bloodshot, Ms Asahina. I was just stopping by to give you a final reminder about our session tomorrow. 09.00am sharp." He instructed.
Mikuru smiled at Stein and walked into the room.
"I gotcha, doc. I'll be there."
Dr Stein gave a toothy grin and put his hand on my shoulder.
"I look forward to seeing you in action." He said.
Stein took his hand off my shoulder and walked away.
What does he mean by that? Wasn't it just supposed to a physio therapy session?
Whatever. No point overthinking it.
I walked into the room and sat down on the bed. It was dark out. We got in just in time.
I slipped off my shoes and lied back on the bed. It wasn't until I relaxed that I felt the tightness in my muscles, especially my shoulder. I subconsciously pressed my hand against it.
"Is it painful?" Mikuru asked.
I smiled to try and hide my grimacing.
Mikuru stood up quickly.
"I have an idea!" she yelled.
She turned her chair away from the bed and gestured for me to sit in it.
Far be it for me to argue with her, so I did as she demanded. Mikuru sat behind me on the bed. She then proceeded to rub my shoulders.
I see it now.
As the seconds passed, more and more tension was relieved from my body. She's good, there's no going around it.
"Mikuru…"
She stopped and looked curiously at me.
I want to tell her how amazing she is. How I don't know where I'd be without her. But I just can't.
"Thanks for today. Best birthday ever." I smiled.
Mikuru smiled back and stood up.
"You should rest. I'll see you after your session tomorrow."
Why not before the session? What's she up to?
"Plans for tomorrow?" I ask.
Mikuru picks up her bag and heads to the door.
"I have a meeting with Lord Death."
It's not often Lord Death summons a weapon without her meister, but then again, I do have my physio therapy session.
"Then I'll see you tomorrow afternoon." I replied, smiling.
Mikuru waved and smiled as she left.
"Good night!" I heard yelled from down the hall.
This made me smirk to myself.
Someday I'll tell her. But not today.
Chapter 17
I still can't believe I woke up on time this morning. If the session is at 09.00 and it's 08.45 now then I should get there early.
I walk slowly through Death City on my way to the training grounds. I felt a single bead of sweat rolling down my forehead because of the heat. This was contrasted by a cool breeze wafting through the air.
"Bloodshot! Over here!"
I heard yelled from a building in front of me. It was Dr Stein.
"Hey, Doc." I said.
I walked over to Stein and stood beside him in the doorway.
"Are you ready?" he asked.
Ready? To do some physical therapy? Seems like a pretty obvious question to me.
"Sure, I guess. But ready for what?"
Stein just grinned at me and walked into the training grounds. I followed closely behind.
We kept walking until we made it to the centre of the room. Dr Stein turned to face me.
"Are you sure you're ready for this?"
Dammit, why does he keep asking me that?!
"Yes, Stein. I'm ready. What do you want me to do?"
Stein slowly removed his lab coat and shirt to reveal a body laced with stitches.
"Fight me."
As soon as he said this my jaw dropped slightly.
Fight him? Fight Dr Stein? Fight one of the academy's most legendary meisters? Even at my best I'd maybe be able to just about keep up with him, but now?
"Are you serious?"
Stein's playful smile turned to a stern frown.
I get it.
"This was never supposed to be a therapy session, was it?" I added.
"No. That was for Mikuru."
"Then what are you and Lord Death really after?"
"The Demon!" I hear yelled from behind me.
The footsteps followed and I recognised the shallow breaths without needing to turn around.
"Misfit. What are you doing here?" I ask, turning.
Misfit stopped walking, but not until he was inside my personal space. He was literally 6 inches away from me in this gigantic hall.
"I'm not just some new student. That's just the façade I'm putting on during this mission."
What mission?
"Oh, please, by all means DON'T explain." I said, sarcastically.
"I'm an exorcist, the youngest exorcist around. I need to be able to pass as one the students here to accomplish my mission."
"Which is?"
"To kill you."
There is a long pause.
"Just kidding. I'm an expert on Demons. I'm gonna study you, see how you work, how the Demon affects you and then I'm gonna destroy it. If I can." He added.
Huh.
"Then why am I supposed to fight you, Dr Stein?"
Stein grins.
"We have to see what you can do. Have to see if the Demon has any bearing on how you fight and what triggers it, if anything." He said.
Okay. It all makes sense then.
"Fine. Let's do it."
Misfit takes one long step backwards. Stein enters a fighting stance.
Okay, we're both unarmed so that should even things up more.
Stein lunges forward with a barrage of punches and kicks. His speed is remarkable. I'm struggling to guard against his attacks.
One of his punches just misses my eye. He isn't holding back.
Because of his ferocity, I can't manage to do any of my own attacks. I can feel my body heating up.
Drip.
One of Steins kicks seems slower than the others, I catch his foot and swing a kick of my own into his jaw. He narrowly avoids it.
How could I miss?! Dammit!
Drip.
I charge forward at Stein with a roundhouse kick. He blocks it but is forced backwards by its power.
Drip.
This makes me grin to myself.
I gotcha now.
Seeing my advantage, I slide forward on the waxed, wooden surface to clip Stein's knee. This made him fall to the ground.
I pounced onto him and swung my fist at his face. He dodges and my punch connects with the floor instead, making a small crater.
Stein grabs my arm and kicks me off of him. I land hard on my back. I look over at Misfit when this happens. He just smiles.
Drip.
Bastard! Smiling at my pain? What an asshole! I'll show him!
I jump back to my feet.
Stein tries to punch me, I block by violently roundhouse kicking his fist. This knocks him off balance and I swing my other foot back into his chest.
Drip.
As he glides through the air, I sprint at him and connect with a flurry of punches and elbows to his stomach culminating with another powerful kick to his solar plexus.
He crashes hard into the ground.
Drip.
I'm not done yet!
"Come on, Stein! Is that all you've got?!" I scream at him.
He's so pathetic! If that's all it takes to take out one of the most powerful meisters in the academy, then why don't I just take them all out?
"Kill him."
What is that voice?
"He's weak."
Stein? Yeah, he is.
"You can kill him."
I can?
"You should kill him. He's weak. He doesn't deserve to exist."
Maybe I should kill him. He is weak. He doesn't deserve to exist.
I slowly walk over to Stein's body. He hasn't moved since he hit the ground.
I arrive beside his body and look at his face.
"You know you want to kill, just do it. Embrace it."
I put my fists together and raise them up.
"Yes. YES! You're so close. Do it!"
"Bloodshot, no!"
Drip.
Chapter 18
I wake up in the infirmary. Again. I'm getting pretty sick of these faded yellow walls, even these sheets are beginning to smell like me. But this time I'm all by myself, and it's dark out.
Sitting around on my ass really isn't my thing.
I get out of bed, I'm already dressed. Weird. I slip on my shoes. Too much of my time being spent in this room, I walk toward the door and down the hall.
I don't come across anyone, not surprising considering it's late but when I walk around the academy, absolutely none of the lights are on. Not even Dr Stein's, and he usually stays up until all hours of the night. It's like the entire academy is experiencing a black-out.
The only person I know won't mind if I disturb them at this hour is Mikuru. I walk through Death City, it's just like the academy. No people, no lights at all, not even street lights. The moon itself is eclipsed by clouds. Death City has never been so dark.
I keep walking until I come across my house, my home. The light is on in one of the rooms. I walk over and slowly creak the door open.
"Hello? Mikuru? Anybody home?" I ask.
There is no reply.
I walk down the narrow hallway, through the kitchen, through the living room, until I come to the junction between my room and Mikuru's. The light from Mikuru's room seeps from underneath her door into the hall.
I put my hand on her door handle, pushing down slowly. I push the door open and darkness floods into the bedroom. It's empty. And dark.
Out of the corner of my eye I see it, only for a second, flash of light from behind me. I turn quickly but again, nothing. Just a dark, empty hallway.
"What's happening!" I scream.
I feel my eyes straining. They've always been sensitive.
"Bloodshot."
Huh?
I turn around carefully. My vision was still blurry, but I could make her out. She radiated light. But why did she call me Bloodshot?
Mikuru stood in the middle of her room. She wore a long, white night-gown. It had sequins, and bunched on the floor around her feet. I've never seen her wear something like that before.
"Bloodshot." She repeated, smiling gently.
It's good to see her.
"Hey, Mikuru. What's with the getup?" I said.
Usually she'd have one of her trademark awkward smiles but this time she didn't. She kept looking at me, just looking. She did it in a way she doesn't often do. Then she bit her bottom lip and my heart almost climbed out my throat. I swallowed hard.
"I… Uh… You…" I stammered.
Mikuru put her finger on my lips. Her hands are so soft.
Wait. What am I doing in the middle of the room? Wasn't I just at the door?
"I need to tell you a secret." She said, just louder than a whisper.
Her hand moved gently from my lips to my cheek. I leaned my head in close so she could whisper it in my ear. I could feel her warm breath on my ear.
"I love you."
I feel terrified.
Mikuru touches her nose against mine, plants a subtle kiss on my lips. I kiss back.
Finally.
As we kiss, we become more and more passionate until she digs her fingernails into the skin on my face. Her other hand squeezes a fistful of my hair. She's hurting me. I try to pull away from the kiss but I can't. She digs deeper and deeper into my cheek, so deep she hits bone.
In a flash, I see the Demon. It lets out a loud screech, like tyres on a dry road. It hurts my ears. It walks out of the light toward me and grabs my throat.
The flash ends with Mikuru squeezing my throat. Tears of blood, of pure rage are running from her furious eyes.