"where's stein?"

that's how it all began. A simple question.

"I don't know. He should be here by now." Said Soul.

"I don't like it. It feels weird." Said Maka. She felt uneasy today. In fact, everyone felt uneasy, for some reason. They had that feeling, the same feeling when you are being stalked by a killer through a dark alley.

Squeaky squeaky squeaky squeaky squeaky…

BANG!

"Yow!"

The first sounds were the noise of a rolling chair speeding across the floor (which really needed to be oiled.)

the second was those wheels hitting the doorstop.

And the third was stein crashing to the floor.

As usual.

"good morning class!" said Stein. "I have some very exciting news!"

"today, we have a new student!"

a large "?" bubble appeared over the crowd of students. Nobody had heard anything about a new student.

"Mr Stein?" said Maka, raising her hand.

"yes, Maka-chan." Stein said, turning the screw in his head with a rather nauseating crick.

"what type of weapon does the student have? Does he have a scythe? A gun?"

"is one of them a girl? Is she a hot girl?" said soul? "I hope so…"

"Soul, don't make me maka-chop you!" Maka threatened with a dictionary from thin air.

Soul flinched. He didn't doubt her.

Ever since the duo had been going out for a few months, maka had become extremely apprehensive to soul leaving her. Of course, soul would never do so, and she knew it, but she still didn't like the idea, like the normal person doesn't like the idea of their possessions burning up in a house fire.

"stop it you two. As for your question, maka…" Stein said, twisting the screw in his head a few more times. Crick. Crick. Crick.

"well…" Stein's normally apathetic demeanor faltered, and his eyes darted around. Even without "looking", maka could see fear in his soul. Afraid of a student?

"perhaps it is best for him to just show you."

There was a pause throughout the room. Stein appeared to be waiting for something.

"shy?" he said suddenly. "Not surprising. Living creatures like you are often nervous when-"

Stein stopped. He had turned towards the door, as though he was expecting somebody to be standing there.

"don't play games with us stein. Where's this 'classmate'." Said Soul.

"I don't know. He was following me… I heard his footsteps… i…"

"oh, was I supposed to be following you? My apologies. I… forgot."

The voice was rough. It sounded like somebody had rubbed it all over a grindstone. It was definitely a voice of one about maka's age, but it sounded… infinitely older.

It came from right beside maka, on her left.

Maka's head slowly turned…

There was a teen sitting next to her.

Well, teen is a relative term. He looked about 18 or 19, upon closer inspection, but at first glance, he was no older then maka. It was almost like his age was shifting as maka looked.

The teen had a green Mohawk. Not dark green, but neon green, almost luminescent and glowing.

He was wearing a black battlesuit. It was so black, it could have been made out of obsidian or ebony… or oil. It was so perfectly conjoined, it didn't look like a suit. It looked virtually like a part of the teen's body.

His hands were horrible claws, conjoined to the battlesuit. His feet had two prongs, like alien toes.

His face, or what maka could see of it, was human, with brown eyes.

"YAAAH!"

Maka jumped about 6 feet in the air. After all, this creepy-ass dude just appeared out of nowhere, right next to her.

"what? Am I really that ugly?" said the teen. "I'm not surprised. Pathetic, stupid me."

Then he started crying.

Seriously.

His face just hit the desk and he just started crying.

Maka gaped. This guy had lower self-esteem then chrona!

"um… there there…" Maka said. not knowing what to do, she patted his back, though being careful to avoid the spikes of his suit.

"BRIIING!"

Everyone looked around, shocked at the sudden noise.

"damn, I was later then I thought I was!" said stein. "class dismissed! I had a really fun dissection lab planned for today, too…"

Weirded out, maka began to leave, but didn't get far before the gravely voice said, "hey."

Maka stopped and slowly turned around. Soul, overprotective guard dog he is, growled at the newcomer.

He was no longer crying, but expressionless once more.

"I'm sorry. I didn't mean to weird you out or anything. Its just…" he stopped, and looked down at the floor. "…I have a new start at this school. I didn't want everyone to think I was a weirdo from the very start."

For some god-knows-what reason, Maka began to like this stranger. He reminded her of chrona, only… freakier. And being freakier then chrona is no small feat.

"it's ok. I'd be nervous too if I were you." She said. "come with us. We'll help you."

"um, Maka? Is that a good idea?" said soul, apprehensive at the idea of a human pincushion coming into their house.

"shut up soul. You would be like him too if you switched places with… er…" her head turned back to the stranger. "what's your name? I didn't catch it."

"my… name…" Said the teen, now looking up at maka. "well… my name is…"

" "

Maka and soul stared. What the hell was that? That name didn't even sound REMOTELY human! Was he just speaking gibberish?

"um… right. C'mon… lets go back to our place." Maka put her arm around the newcomer.

Just before she left, though, she saw a strange sight.

Up until now, Maka had only seen his right profile. Now, though, she saw the left side of his face too… and his left eye.

Which was black as hell's pits, with a horrible yellow center. No pupil, just a sheer yellow iris.

Maka shivered. What the hell was this guy?

first fanfiction on this site! Plz review and tell me whether it sucks! More to follow, stay tuned!