"D... Lord Death," Charlie stammered angrily, "I don't wa... I don't need a partner. You know how I feel, and you know why!"

"Which is why I have not pushed the issue until now," the specter answered happily, "But Gus's talents have been wasted in the NOT class. And your injuries on your last couple of missions have been more serious than is necessary or tolerable. Not only will Gus be able to help you stay safe, by resonating with him your Soul Frost will become stronger. You might even learn some new uses for it."

Gus nodded his agreement, trying to remain upbeat despite his confusion over Charlie's reaction.

"You say that," she forced herself to calm slightly and argue logically, "But you know my fighting style. I fight with my hands and feet, and my Soul Frost required almost direct contact. I can't think of a weapon that wouldn't interfere with that."

She was blatantly lying, but since Charlie had never seen or heard of a Weapon taking the form of a cestus or similar device, she expected she was safe.

"Now that's a bit of a misdirection, isn't it Charlie?" Death countered, "despite your subsequent training, you fighting style is still strongly influenced by your dad's style. You fight with your right hand and both feet, but you guard with your left arm. Hence all those scars you try to hide from me."

The young woman tsked softly, and Gus brightened visibly.

"So you want me to hold him in my off hand?" she sounded dubious, "I'll still have to try to learn how to parry. What is he, a tonfa or some sort of short blade?"

"Gus, if you would please?" the spirit prompted, holding out his hands. Gus stepped closer to Death, and his body began to blur and shift. The younger Meister inclined her head and her eyebrows came closer, indicating her incredulity as the Weapon grew larger instead of becoming smaller. Death caught the oval shield, and shifted him so she could see Aegis from every angle.

"He's a shield?" Charlie sounded amazed and dubious, as Death showed her the handle and strap on the inner curve. She regained her composure, and continued in a logical tone, "That's way too big. It will only slow me down."

The god casually tossed the weapon to her. Charlie briefly considered dodging, but decided against doing so in Death's office. Instead she braced herself to catch the large guard. But her anticipation nearly cost her on the other side. She had to struggle not to fall forward as she leaned in to catch the Weapon, and found the momentum she was expecting was not there. Gus was remarkably light; Charlie had been expecting twenty pounds of steel, but instead found the shield weighed at most one pound. Despite the lack of mass, he still felt very sturdy, and a gentle warmth filled her fingers.

"That's enough for now, Gus," Death instructed, and the teen returned to his Human form, standing next to Charlie.

"This is what is going to happen," the monstrous headmaster informed them strictly, "You two will be partners, at least until Gus has become a Death Scythe. So that you two can be together, you will both be moved into second year EAT class A. Charlie, with your grades and Gus's help you should be able to make the skip. And once I am satisfied with your teamwork, Charlie will be awarded the rank of two-star Meister. Any questions?"

"What about the Kishin Eggs I have already collected?" Charlie prompted.

"Well, just giving them to Gus wouldn't be entirely fair," the god rubbed his 'chin' in thought, "So how about if for every Kishin Egg you two defeat together, I'll give Gus one of the ones you captured alone. That sounds fair, doesn't it?"

"What if I refuse?" the girl asked carefully, "What if I won't work with him?"

Next to her, Gus looked heartbroken, but Charlie ignored him as best she could. She kept staring intently at Death.

"Then Gus will remain where he is. And I will have to consider carefully whether you belong in the EAT class, Charlie. The risks you take; and your difficulty working with others... Well, those tend to indicate you are not cut out for field work."

Death sounded genuinely disappointed as he said that, and the bottom of his mask seemed to be frowning. That, as much as the implied threat, made the young woman soften for stance. She was greatly indebted to the specter, and trusted him almost as much. She did not like the idea that she was letting him down.

"It was just a hypothetical question," she said softly, almost apologetically, "Of course I will accept your decision and undertake this mission, Lord Death."

"Excellent," Death said, pleased. And Gus perked up again, though this time his excitement was tempered by caution.

"You two are to report to the gymnasium immediately, for a training session with Doctor Stein and Miss Mjölnir."

Charlie nodded, smiling slightly in spite of herself. She knew that Death was offering her the long sought solo time with Stein as a bribe for her agreement, but she let herself be influenced by it nevertheless. She nodded once to Death, and then quickly turned and all but jogged from the room. Gus bowed to the headmaster, and then had to sprint to catch up with his new partner.

"Charlie?" the slight youth's deep voice echoed slightly down the hall as he called out to her. She did not slow or acknowledge him.

"Charlie?" he prompted again, but this time continued, "I'm sure you have your reasons not to want a partner, and that if you had had your choice, you probably wouldn't have picked someone like me. But I think we should make the best of things, right?"

She stopped at that, and spun back to glare at him, her bubble of control bursting.

"Weapon," she barked, and when she saw him wilt, softened her tone slightly, "Aegis. I don't care who you are or what you turn into. I do not like and will not trust any Weapon. And I certainly do not needone for a partner. I will follow Lord Death's orders and make you into a Death Scythe, but that doesn't make us friends. I wouldn't even use the word 'partner' if I could think of a better term. The second you consume a witch's soul, you and I are done. Understand?"

He nodded quickly, not looking her in the eyes so she wouldn't see the wetness around his blue orbs. As she turned to continue their journey to the gym, the younger teen threw out one last barb.

"And don't call me Charlie."


Marie Mjölnir frowned in confusion at the palpable tension between the two teens as they entered the training area. Charlie radiated dull rage, while Gus had an aura of growing despair.

"I guess senpai looses that bet," Stein said to no-one in particular, and then twisted the screw in his skull twice before addressing the teens.

"Death tells me you two are going to be partners, and asked us to help you work on getting Charlie accustomed to blocking with Gus instead of just her forearm and hand."

Both of the students nodded.

"Alright, well I should probably get a better feel for Charlie's fighting style, first," the mad-scientist stated, "I've seen you her practicing a few times, but we've never sparred directly. Marie, Gus, you two should stand back and observe."

Charlie assumed her fighting stance, her right arm raised and extended slightly, and her left arm lower and in front of her body. Mjölnir took Stein's advice, and guided the younger Weapon over to the wall.

"What's the matter, Gus?" the gentle woman asked, as Charlie hopped forward and threw a quick jab at Stein's neck.

"I thought it would be different than this," the slight youth answered. The teacher tilted her head in confusion, so he clarified, "Getting a partner, moving into the EAT class. I thought it would be a great day, one of the best. But Char... lene hates me. She's only working with me because Lord Death threatened to move her into the NOT class."

"I don't think Charlie hates you personally," Marie told him gently, "She just has had..."

The hammer trailed off, not wanting to break any confidences or overstep her bounds.

"Well, let's just say she has had some negative encounters with Weapons."

Stein pushed the slighter fighter's fist away easily, and then launched a combination strike at her right shoulder and left hip.

"Like what?" Gus prompted, his own melancholy displaced by worry for his new-found partner. During the whole conversation, he had never taken his eyes off the young woman. Charlie barely avoided an uppercut to her chin, but the movement cost her. Stein's left foot hooked her right ankle.

"It's not my place to say," Mjölnir shook her head, her golden curls fluttering before her face, "You'll have to talk to Charlie about it. But I think part of the reason Death picked you to be her partners is because he hopes you'll be able to show her another side of Weapons."

Chapel accepted Stein's extended hand, and he pulled her back to her feet. She quickly slipped back into a fighting stance, but he swiveled his head from right to left, and back, once.

"That gives me a pretty good idea of where you are," the Meister teacher said, intending his words for all three of them, "and how you intend to grow. So, now let's try you against me and Ms Marie."

Charlie's eyes widened. She had barely landed one blow on Stein. But she bowed shallowly, and waited for the hammer to join them. The curvaceous blonde slid smoothly to her feet, and walked quickly over to her comrade. Stein lifted his hand, and the female Weapon transformed. In his hand the scientist now held a heavy war hammer, with two ribbons extending from the base of her handle and wrapping around her wielder's wrist. Sparks danced around the steel bludgeon. Stein flipped the hammer around to hold her in an underhand grip. As he did, Marie Mjölnir altered her shape slightly, one side of the hammer's head extending until she looked more like a thick, metallic tonfa.

"Death Scythe Form Manipulation," Gus whispered with hints of awe and jealousy.

Stein jumped forward, and Charlie was instantly on the defensive. He jabbed at her with the short end of the tonfa, and she aimed her palm at his wrist, attempting to knock the blow wide. The scientist resisted the push, and instead twirled the Weapon at his foe's elbow. Charlie pushed off on his wrist and the floor, and skipped to the side. She launched an off-balance kick at his side. Stein caught her calf on his knee, causing the young woman to wince. And as she recovered, the electrified hammer was already flying at her neck.

"Charlie!" Gus shouted, and he vanished. The large shield appeared on her left arm, even as she interposed the limb to minimize the damage. Mjölnir struck Aegis with a resounding clang, but Charlie felt almost none of the impact, nor was the voltage transmitted into her.

"I don't recall asking you to join us, Gus," Stein commented with a disturbing grin.

"But that was not a fair fight," the boy argued, his bass voice echoing out of the metal. Stein swung again, aiming for her collarbone, but Charlie unsteadily interposed her unasked for assistant. Again the attack stopped cold with no discernible effect on the shield or his bearer.

'And they aren't even resonating yet,' Marie shared with Stein silently.

'True,' his mental voice was gentler than his audible one, 'However, that also means she hasn't learned the lesson yet. And don't forget, we're only fighting at twenty percent.'

"It was never meant to be a fair fight," Stein informed the teens, his tone condescending, "It was supposed to show her just how weak and alone she is. Give her a few broken bones, and she might start to understand why Meisters and Weapons fight together."

He lashed out repeatedly, keeping the girl on the defensive. Though more than one strike came close, Charlie managed to keep Gus between herself and their teachers. Finally, Stein sighed, and halted his barrage.

"Fine, you can block. But if you can't fight back, it's meaningless. Let's try the third stage."

As he said that, Mjölnir resumed her Human form. Stein just stood, observing, while the teen caught her breath and spared a few annoyed glances at the guard on her arm.

"Should I change back too?" Gus asked carefully, his voice emerging again from the metal.

"No, for now it will be you two against me," the stitched teacher answered dangerously. Then he gestured to his partner, and Marie slid a wheeled office chair to Stein. He sat backwards in the chair, resting his arms on the back as he rolled closer to teens.

"This time I expect you two to actually put up some kind of fight. But I'll give you a handicap this time, since you aren't used to working together yet."

With that, he launched the seat forward, spinning on the base so his left foot snapped towards Charlie's stomach. The girl's left arm shift to block, and now that she had Gus, she was able to intercept the kick sooner and without being pushed back as far by Stein's greater strength and weight.

The attack had not disrupted her balance as much as Chapel had expected, so she countered with her own leg. But as her toes darted towards Stein's side, Charlie's knee collided with Gus's edge. The impact drove the shield higher and deflect her kick into her opponent's left elbow. Both fighters cringed from the awkward hit, but Stein recovered faster and lifted his right arm off the rest, aiming for her nose. Again she blocked easily with Gus, and this time she swung her left arm out with all of her strength, forcing Stein's limb out of the way and clearing the shield out from in front of her. Charlie put that momentum into her right fist. Then the shield's back hit her spine and her thighs. The contact was not hard, but was unexpected, and the young woman flinched and directed her attention behind her. This give Stein a chance to catch her wrist, and spin her whole body upwards. Charlie crashed down on her back, partially covering Gus. The Weapon resumed his Human shape as his Meister stood. And their sparring partner shook his head with a frown of supreme annoyance.

"I was hoping for a better showing than that," he said condescendingly, "Let's try again."

The second round played out much like the first. Charlie did well on defense, but her attacks were awkward and frequently clipped the shield. At once point Gus tentatively suggested they attempt a Soul Resonance. The only indication that the Meister girl gave that she even heard him was a deepening in her angry scowl. Then, mercifully, the teacher swept her legs, dropping her to the floor for the third time.

"What was that?" he demanded, rising out of the chair.

"I can't help it," Charlie tried not to snarl, "He's great for blocking, but he's too big and gets in the way of my attacks."

Stein's expression shifted as he studied her.

"That's wrong, of course," he finally told her, "Some deviation is to be expected, due to the additional, unfamiliar weight and shape. However, this was far more than that. I'm not sure if it was intentional or subconscious, but you were exaggerating your movements. You made Gus into an obstacle when he did not need to be."

She frowned dubiously at her hero, and Stein smirked as he added, "Let me show you. Gus?"

The older teen changed again, this time reappearing on the scientist's arm. Stein slipped into a fighting stance, one the girl recognized as her own.

"Marie, could you help Charlie?" Stein asked his partner, and the Death Scythe nodded. She walked forward, her fists transforming into smaller versions of her Weapon form's head. Charlie nodded to Mjölnir tersely. She did not mind the blonde woman as much as she did other Weapons. The girl was not sure if was because of Marie's soothing aura or simply because the Weapon's desperate search for love was humanizing.

Charlie went left, trying to get at the side that was not covered by her assigned partner. Mjölnir followed the girl's lead and charged straight forward, hoping to keep the shield and Stein's attention occupied. The female teacher's metallic fists smashed down, crackling with electricity. Once again the attack had no effect on Aegis or his wielder. As Stein held his teammate at bay, his right arm snapped out. Charlie was forced to hop backwards, while interposing her left elbow. Having forced her out of range, the stitched Meister raised Gus a few inches, and dropped his weight by the same amount. His left legs snaked out easily under the shield, and lightly tagged Mjölnir's right hip.

Charlene Chapel's grimace deepened as she realized what Stein was doing. He was imitating her style precisely, and proving that any difficulties she was having with Gus were mostly her own fault. Then the teacher took the teen Weapon's advice and resonated. The force of Marie's next attack was not just absorbed, but was violently reflected. The unsuspecting blonde was knocked backwards onto her butt. And Stein looked at Aegis with a calculating respect.

"That should be enough," Stein announced, and both Weapons returned their normal appearances. Charlie bowed respectfully.

"Gus, if this partnership doesn't work out, I would be more than happy to study you," the scientist informed the younger man. Gus shuddered.

"We'll be meeting again next Sunday," he continued, addressing both students now, "and if I don't see a marked improvement by then, I might have to schedule some additional... special... lessons."

Both teens looked uncomfortable, and nodded.

"Oh," Marie suddenly exclaimed, as if remembering something, "I'm supposed to tell you both that you are in class 2A starting tomorrow. That's my homeroom."

"Lord Death already told us," Gus said politely.

"Oh, good," Mjölnir smiled happily, "See you both tomorrow."

Gus and Charlie both inclined their heads again, and Gus could not suppress a small grin. The two left, and as they did, Marie made note of the fact that this time they were walking side by side. For the beginning of their trip the duo continued in silence, until they exited the school. At that point, Gus's nerves and excitement got the better of him.

"You're really good, Char...lene," he announced, "lasting that long against Mr. Stein. I heard a couple of years ago he completely dismantled three of the top first year Meisters and their Weapons, all at the same time."

She did not respond, and Smithson tried to stop speaking.

"I'm sorry I got in your way." He failed.

Charlie let out a harsh sigh, and looked down at the older boy. She tried to say something kind, or even neutral, knowing that antagonizing her forced partner would not help her. But the sentiments caught in her throat.

"I'll just have to change how I fight," she stated darkly. Gus looked down regretfully, and this time remained silent. Finally they reached a fork in the road, where they had to separate to reach their respective dorms. The Weapon looked like he was about to say something, but forebode, and continued to walk slowly towards the boy's housing. Feeling for him in spite of herself, Charlie built up all her mental focus.

"Aegis," she called out as kindly as she could, and the older teen turned back to look at her.

"See you tomorrow," she offered. He grinned happily, and nodded broadly. As he turned away there was a renewed bounce in his stride. With a wry smirk, Charlie Chapel continued to her own home.