Cursed Soul: Oh ma god. I've neglected my stories for sooooo long. I apologize. D":
Justin: Oh really?... You've just realized this?
Akari: JUSTIN! Be nice to her! She's been so busy with school exams!
Cursed Soul: Yeaaaaahhhh... What she said! :D
Justin: I'm surrounded by so many pathetic people... *puts in earplugs to drown out noise*
Cursed Soul & Akari: DON'T IGNORE ME!
Cursed Soul: Oh well... I still don't own Soul Eater, no matter how hard I try. *cries*
Enjoy the Chapter~
The Truth
The two had been wandering through Death City for a good half an hour when Justin told Akari that he thought the area seemed familiar somehow. The girl thought his behavior was a little strange, every now and then he'd become completely silent with a lost look on his face.
The sun was still up, which was a good thing. Akari didn't want to wander in darkness, even though neither of them had a clue what the real time was. Is it about 7 o'clock? No that's too early. How much time do we have left to find this place? Why didn't Lord Death give us directions? Akari panicked. We'll never find this apartment… Just then, Akari realized she couldn't hear Justin's footsteps behind her anymore. They'd stopped.
She instantly called out his name and scanned the area she was now facing. She spotted him, farther down the sidewalk, staring into one of the alleyways; he didn't move. She quickly ran over to his side.
"Justin! What are you doing? I almost lost you." She exclaimed. "Come on let's go." No answer, he hadn't even shifted his eyes from where they were locked onto..
"What are you staring at?" She asked him, he was still silent. She followed his gaze down the dark alleyway as she stood there next to him, puzzled. There was nothing, just a dark area. It was an ordinary alley, not a single living creature was in sight either. Something about it did feel off though…Then it hit her, like as slap across the face.
Her heart froze. This is the alley were BJ was found dead! She took a step back, away from Justin out of fear. This is the place where Justin committed a murder! Oh no! What if this restores his memory? What do I do? Then, she heard him speak:
"This place… It feels familiar to me, but I don't know why." He looked over his shoulder and his eyes locked with hers.
Akari could see the darkness flowing through his blue irises. It made her shiver, and she remembered what he was capable of doing to the people he killed. The thought of gore made her gag, and she tried her best not to show it.
Akari flashed back to before Justin's revival, and how Azusa and Marie had brought up BJ. The thing is… Akari had already met Joe; even though she had denied it herself during the revival. She knew who he was, and why Marie had cringed at the mention of his name. Akari didn't want to accept the thought of knowing him, because she couldn't bring herself to classify inspecting a dead corpse as technically "meeting" someone.
That's right, Akari had been there the night Joe Buttataki had been found dead. Lord Death had brought her to the scene himself. Many Shibusen staff members had been there as well. The sound of Marie's heartbroken cries sounded in Akari's ears and made them ache. Akari had inspected BJ to see if there was any hope of revival; but to no avail, his soul had gone missing. So, revival was impossible. She remembered Joe's sliced open chest that revealed his insides, the scarlet blood splattered up the walls of the alley that dripped slowly downward, and the torn pieces of his body spread out across the ground in agonizing disarray. The smell of it had made her nearly vomit that night. She flinched at the feeling of blood sticking to her shoes as she walked away from the dismembered body. She remembered the scattered cigarettes on the concrete as well, and how they had been placed there by the true murderer intentionally to frame an innocent Shibusen teacher that didn't deserve the horrible fate that almost fell upon him as punishment.
The scariest part was that she stood only feet away from the person that could repeat his actions tonight with a different soul, in the very same alley. She stared into Justin's opaque eyes, and neither of them moved a muscle. I have to do something! I have to snap him out of it! She thought to herself in anxiety. So she tried to talk to him.
"J-Justin; let's go, o-ok? W-we have to find our apartment before it gets dark." Her voice shook uncontrollably as she spoke to him. It took a couple minutes of silence, but his eyes softened to her relief and they lost their eerie darkness.
He turned around completely, his back to the alley, and walked over next to his partner. Akari flinched when he came so close, only inches away from her. She closed her eyes tightly and turned her head away a little, preparing for the worst, but instead she heard his voice.
"Akari… are you alright?" She felt him grasp her shoulder gently with one hand.
Her eyes snapped open at his strange question and at his touch. She hadn't expected something like that to come out of his mouth. He sounded worried, and she tilted her head up to look at him. He let go of her once he had her attention.
"Y-yes, I'm fine." She said to him, still a little flustered.
He let out a sigh of relief, "Good, now let's go. This place is giving me the creeps." He turned and began walking in the direction the two had been originally taking before they had stopped. Akari stood there, more than confused than ever. What the heck? He just walks away like nothing happened.
"Hey, are you coming or what?" She noticed his figure a little farther down the sidewalk; he'd stopped again to wait for her as he called out.
"Oh yeah, coming!" She said as she ran to catch up with him as he began walking again. It only took her a moment until she was side by side with Justin once more. The boy noticed she was nervous to be next to him. Her eyes were shifting and she tensed at the slightest noise. He tried to figure out what had spooked her, and thought back to what had happened only minutes ago. Maybe I'm the one scaring her… No, she would've told me. At least, I think she would… He shook the thoughts from his mind and focused on finding the apartment.
"Akari, what street is this again?" He asked her, hoping to lift her fear.
She tensed up at the sound of his voice, "Oh, uh. I'm pretty sure this is Castro Street." She tried to talk calmly, but her voice still had a hint of uncertainty.
Justin stopped; Akari hadn't expected him to do so and kept walking. She stopped a step later when she realized he'd fallen behind. He looked lost in thought. He had one hand resting on his chin and his eyes narrowed.
"Wait a second. Are you sure?" Her partner asked suddenly.
Akari nodded. "Yup, there was a road sign back that way." She turned around pointed a little farther down the road here they had been earlier and it read, Castro Street. Just like the girl had said.
Justin snapped his fingers, "That's it! I remember now."
Akari jumped, "Wait! What do you remember?" She hoped it didn't have to do with the alley farther behind them. The girl hadn't prepared for his memory to return so soon.
"What are you so jumpy about?" He asked, with a quizzical expression. "I've figured out where Lunar Avenue is."
Akari's face immediately brightened. "Really? Where is it!"
The boy pointed farther down the road, where it branched into two separate divisions. "Division Four is right over there, I can read the sign, so Lunar Avenue must be there as well."
Akari hurried over to him and asked "Where? I don't see a sign."
"Look over there; it's on the lamp post." He instructed. "Next to the brick building."
Akari pressed up against his side to follow where he was pointing.
"I don't see a sign." Akari complained to the boy she was holding onto.
He put his arm around her shoulders and bent over slightly, so their eyes were level and it was easier to direct her gaze. The sides of their heads were close, and Justin felt her hair on his neck. He tried to ignore it as pointed down the road once again. "Look farther, its right over there. Do you see it?"
It took her a while to focus that far down the road, but she noticed one of the lamp posts had a black sign hanging from the center. Division Four was readable in small white ink, it was written in delicate calligraphy. It was blurry because she was so far away; she could make it out, but barely.
"You can read that from here?" She asked him with wide eyes, surprised at his ability to see that far away.
He chuckled, "Yes, I can read it from here. Would I have found it if I couldn't?" He suddenly realized how close she was, still pressed up against him. She showed no signs of letting go either. He couldn't help but turn a little pink. He straightened up, but still she didn't let go.
"Good point." She said happily, tightening her grip on his arm. "At least we're getting somewhere!"
Justin stiffened at her touch, and bit his lip.
"Uh, let's go then." He began walking again, and detached himself from her grasp. She caught up instantly and the two began to head down the road, side by side. Akari looked up into the sky, and it took her a few moments to find the sun. It had sunk behind most of the buildings, and the atmosphere had become significantly darker.
Crap, it's gonna set soon. Akari thought to herself. We have to find this place now or we'll be wandering in the dark!
The two continued down the road towards the sign that marked Division Four. Akari surveyed the area as much as she could, checking for anything that might lead them to Lunar Avenue. When she noticed something, it didn't feel right. Like the feeling you get when you're being watched, but more uneasy than that. Akari tilted her head to see Justin; he looked like he'd noticed it too. She asked him:
"Hey, Justin… Do you think someone's following us?" She looked over her shoulder, but not a soul was in sight. The only motion was from the streetlights beginning to flicker to life as the sun began going down. Shining light on the darkening city.
"I have that feeling too, but I haven't seen anyone." He said to her, his face blank and unreadable.
"You don't think we're being watched… Do you?" Akari's tone of voice changed, and was lined with worry. The two halted; Akari reached out and latched onto his arm again. He could feel her tense up, and he couldn't stand having her be that scared.
"Do you want me to check?" He asked her, hoping to ease her fear. "Uh, if you want me to, that is."
The girl nodded, but tightened her grip even more. He could feel her tiny body shaking, but he couldn't bring himself to move away from the girl. She's been acting so strange… have I really frightened her that much? What did I do? He thought to himself.
"Uh, I could try to use my perception ability. If you want..." He suggested.
Akari's eyes dilated in disbelief. "You have the soul perception ability?"
Justin looked down in embarrassment. "Well, I wouldn't call it soul perception." He paused. "I do have the ability, but it's extremely weak. I barely use it because it only works for a very short distance. It's basically useless." He shrugged his shoulders.
"What do you mean useless? That's an amazing gift to have. I only know a few people that can harness that sort of energy!" Akari exclaimed in awe.
"It's useless Akari!" He explained, and stressed the word. "People with the perception ability can read into people's personalities and uncover hidden secrets about them. The ability is meant for long distance! I can't do anything like that!" He paused and shook his head. "The most I can do is locate a soul within a small area… It's degrading."
"Oh well, I didn't know that." She said sadly. "Sorry, I shouldn't have asked."
Worry spread across his face, "N-no, I didn't mean it like that!" he stammered. "You were just trying to help; I'm the one that should be sorry!" He continued to panic until she spoke. "I shouldn't have done that…"
"Don't freak out, silly. It's not like I'm mad at you or anything." She told the boy happily.
He sighed in relief, but didn't reply. Suddenly, an idea hit Akari.
"Wait a second, I forgot." Akari said with a dumbstruck look on her face. "I can find out easily if someone's watching us!"
Justin's eyes narrowed in confusion, "How are you gonna do that?"
"By sensing aura, I could locate them without having to physically look." She explained to him. "Kinda like soul perception, only a bit stronger."
Justin's eyes widened like he had remembered a long-forgotten memory. "By using aura…"
There was silence for a moment, until the two felt like they still weren't alone. Akari spoke first:
"Uh, can I ask you a favor though?" She looked up at the boy from her spot next to him. She tried to prepare for whatever reaction he was going have, and braced herself.
"Sure, what is it?" He asked, his blue eyes focusing in on the girl latched onto his arm.
"Uh, well, you see…" She stuttered, obviously nervous to ask him her question.
"It's okay you know, whatever it is; it'll be fine." He said to her comfortingly, hoping to ease her fear.
"Uh, um, this might sound weird, but…c-could you hold me?" Her face turned bright pink at the strange favor she asked the boy. She stammered as she forced out her request.
"You want me to do what?" He exclaimed, obviously thrown off guard by her question despite his previous statement.
"Not like hold hold, but just so I know I'm safe…." He just stared at her with an expression that Akari couldn't make out. It made her feel very uneasy.
"Safe?..." He questioned.
"It's kinda hard to explain, but when I'm using my power I tend to drift off a little, and well…." She paused, he made no sound. "I just want to know I'm not alone…"
She quickly turned her head away, completely embarrassed to have asked the boy she'd met that day to do something so strange. Her eyes closed and she prayed he wouldn't laugh. Nothing prepared her for what happened moments later.
The next thing Akari knew, she was in his arms. Her silver eyes instantly snapped open. "Justin, what are you d-..." Her voice drifted off, unable to finish.
She was still on her feet, but his arms were draped protectively over her shoulders. She could barely feel his hands on her back. Akari was pressed up against his chest, and she could feel him breathe in perfect rhythm, the sound of it soothed her. The fresh night air had become cold during their walk, but she could feel the warmth reverberating off him in gentle waves. It began to relax the girl, and she blushed a scarlet red.
"You said you wanted me to hold you. If that's what you want, I'm fine with it." He said to her softly. "But if I make you uncomfortable, just tell me and I'll let go."
"O-ok…" Akarai stammered. She tilted her head to look up at him. His eyes were closed, and he stood perfectly still. She buried her face in his chest after a moment.
"Are you going to start or will we stand like this forever?" She heard him tease.
Akari flinched at his remark and said, "Oh yeah." She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. Justin's grip on her tightened a little, ready to catch her if need be.
She focused her power as much as possible, concentrating her aura in her core and intensifying its energy. It began to flow through her stretching out her view of the area around them. Akari can sense the life force that living things give off, so detecting someone hiding on the vacant street would be easy enough. She let her sight take in everything, uncovering all that was hidden; no living thing could hide from her now.
Her sight enhanced into an inhuman energy only she could possess. Her ability made all nonliving things transparent and dark to her sight. Aura takes a unique shape, color, and heat depending on the person emitting the energy. No aura is alike; each is one of a kind. Akari also has the power to trace aura as far away as she wishes, making a person hiding on a dark street completely exposed if she wanted. A living person would stand out like a splatter of white paint on a huge blackboard, unable to escape. Since aura is unique, along with the person generating it, normally Akari could identify the person by their aura. Although, she could be forgetful at times and didn't like to admit it.
She still clung to Justin, and she could feel the intensity of his strong aura. It came off in gentle blue waves with occasional black streaks, which puzzled the girl. It was warm, really warm; which calmed her down. The type of warm that makes you want to fall asleep and drift away. Being so close, Akari couldn't help but notice these things about him. The girl forced herself to ignore and look for the trespassers on the dark street instead.
Then, she felt something. A wavelength; no, two wavelengths. A little farther down the street; and like Akari had thought, these two had been following them. They were perfectly still, waiting for Justin and Akari to move again. They hid in the dark and were motionless.
The girl focused in on the two auras. The first one seemed to be coming from a girl. It was a golden color with many flecks of olive green in it; the aura flowed outward gently like ripples in a still pond. The other seemed to belong to a boy, was an orange-red color, it vibrated wildly as it flew outward in streaks of energy from the human form it had originated from. Akari recognized the two auras, but she didn't know where she'd seen these people before…
Akari's eyes snapped open at last. "I found them…." She whispered quietly. She felt Justin tense up at the sound of her voice, surprised she was back to her senses.
He hadn't fully heard her though, "Uh, what did you say?" He looked down at the girl in his arms.
"I said I found them." She spoke a little louder this time, and then blushed. "Oh-uh and you can uh, let go now…" She paused. "Please."
He nearly jumped when he realized he hadn't let go of her when she'd awoken. His face turned a light shade of pink and his blue eyes widened. "OH! Right, sorry." He apologized to her quickly with a hint of embarrassment. He put his hands behind his back.
The two detached themselves from one another and Akari turned her attention towards the area she'd seen the two auras. Justin followed her gaze down the street and then he heard Akari speak:
"They're down there, two of them." She pointed towards a dark alleyway leading deeper into Death City. She let her hand fall and looked up at the boy next to her. His opaque eyes narrowed and darkened as he continued to stare at the place she had pointed too. Finally, the boy's gaze drifted to Akari.
"I'll go, stay here Akari." He said monotonously and before his companion could stop him, launched himself into the air and up onto one of the nearby buildings.
Justin gracefully jumped up the ledges and kept perfect balance; doing flips and swinging himself upward. He did all of this without making a single sound, not even the muffle of footsteps could be heard from him or the rasp of his breath. Akari's mouth dropped open as she watched the teen nimbly make his way across the huge gaps and crevices in the building's structures until he was on a roof above the alley the two auras were residing in. She saw him as he froze and carefully peered over the edge of the roof he was on and silently gazed down into the alley below.
The alley was a couple buildings away from where Akari was standing; it was between two solid brick and stone structures. Justin was on the top of the smaller building, nearer to Akari. He was still looking downward; the girl could barely see him now because of how dark it had gotten outside. He could make out the shape of his silhouette and stayed motionless on the sidewalk. Her eyes stayed transfixed on him and unblinking, watching in awe at his skill in remaining hidden in the shadows.
Then in a flash, she saw his form dive into the alley below; out of Akari's sight. The girl panicked and her heart began to race when he didn't return.
"Justin! Wait for me!" She sprinted towards the alley as fast as she could. She ran past the couple brick buildings and tried her best not to trip on the sidewalk dimly lit by the streetlights. Finally she sped to a halt and turned to her right, into the alley her companion had disappeared into moments earlier. It was dark and branched off into many different alleyways. Not a soul was there; he was gone.
Akari's silver eyes widened, and she froze. After a few seconds, she cupped her hands around her mouth and screamed, "JUSTIN!"
A small breeze picked up, but there was no reply…
Justin ran as fast as he could, dodging trashcans, crates, and everything else that littered the dark alleys of Death City as he pursued the two figures that had been watching him. These two have been following us, and they scared Akari. I can't accept that! His thoughts drove him to capture the two figures without fail.
It was dark, so he couldn't make out who the two were, but he was getting closer, and closer. He could hear the sound of them panting as they tried their best to escape their chaser. He could tell they were becoming exhausted from running. He knew that it would only be seconds before he could corner them, but he decided to end the episode even earlier than that.
He continued to sprint after them, but as he ran he saw what he'd been waiting for out of the corner of his eye. Above him was a beam that connected the two buildings lining the alleyway. It neared him as he kept running, and he readied his right arm.
Just as the beam was in range, he swung the chain he let loose from his arm; it flew overhead and wrapped around the beam above him. He hung on and used the chain for support as he ran up the side of the wall and flung himself in front of the two figures he'd been after.
The two figures skidded to a halt and attempted to run in the opposite direction when Justin landed in front of them, but they were to slow. The boy quickly let loose his dual chains and they latched onto the ankles of the escapees. The first one tripped which led to the second falling on top of the other, and then both lay on the ground in defeat.
Justin's chains tightened their hold to ensure that the two couldn't escape, and after that, he stepped forward. The light was dim, but his eyes dilated in disbelief when he identified the faces of the two people he'd been chasing.
"Soul? Maka? Is that you?" He asked in uncertainty. The two teens looked up at him in disgust from on the ground. They were hanging onto each other.
"Yes it's us you-you, monster!" Maka hissed, and her green eyes were burning with fury.
Soul was equally pissed off, "Let go of Maka, you cocky bastard! These damn chains of yours hurt like hell." He swore at the teen towering above him, the white-haired Death Scythe bared his sharp teeth and snarled.
Justin stood there for a moment, confused. "YOU were following me? Why?"
Maka grunted and rolled her eyes, "As if you wouldn't know."
"As if I wouldn't know WHAT?" Justin pried. "What are you talking about?"
"Lord Death let you live that's WHAT!" Soul spat, "Stop playing dumb, jackass."
Justin stood there mortified; his eyes were locked onto the two Shibusen members. "What do you mean by 'let me live'?" He asked the two on the floor.
Soul and Maka exchanged confused expressions. The chains rattled as they adjusted their sitting positions to a more cautious stance. Maka quickly realized something, and spoke:
"You don't seem quite, well, the same as before." She inspected him for a moment, "Do you even know what happened?" She questioned. She turned to Soul and whispered something very quietly into his ear, "Maybe his memory has been wiped…" Justin stared at the two; he hadn't heard what Maka had said to Soul.
Justin tilted his head, "I don't know what you mean... Have I done something wrong?" He asked the girl politely.
Maka's mouth almost fell open, and Soul's red eyes widened. Maka held in rage as she spoke, "What do you mean have you done something WRONG?"
The boy only stared at her with blank eyes.
She couldn't take it anymore, and exploded into pure fury at his silence, "You betrayed Shibusen! You worshipped the Kishin Asura for god's sake! You murdered JB, Tezca, and Granny, along with however many others! YOU BETRAYED ALL OF US!"
Justin's chains went slack almost instantly, and his blue eyes dilated in pure disbelief. "W-what do you mean betrayed? I never did anything like that, I swear!" He stammered, trying to control himself.
Maka and Soul slipped out of his grip and stood up, but they showed no signs of trying to leave. They stayed a safe distance away from him though. Justin reabsorbed the chains and stood across from the duo.
Soul smirked, "Dude, you kinda did." He said with venom, "You went from Shibusen's respected 'Executioner' to 'The Betrayer' within about a day."
Justin shook his head, "N-no, I didn't do any of that. We haven't even infiltrated Baba Yaga's Cas-" He cut himself off. The realization hit him square in the face.
He looked at them and, "Shibusen… already infiltrated, didn't they?"
Maka nodded her head, "A little more than three months ago."
The guillotine shook his head in panic. "T-three months? What else has happened that I don't know about?" He paused and put his hands to his head, gripping his hair. "Why can't I remember any of this?"
Maka held onto Soul's arm, "Wait a second, I was right. You can't remember anything!"
Justin's eyes were wild, "Remember… I can't remember… WHY CAN'T I REMEMBER!" He took a step towards the pair and Maka flinched. Justin shook his head and rubbed his hands through his messy blonde hair reapeatedly, as if an answer would seep into his mind.
"Woah, dude. Take a chill pill." Soul said mockingly with his devious trademark grin, showing off his pointed white teeth.
Justin froze, and locked eyes with the other Death Scythe. "You… What happened? What did I do? WHY CAN'T I REMEMBER ANY OF THIS?"
Maka winced as Justin raised his voice; it startled her; the fact that a normally calm and collected individual could speak that loud. Then again… It was Justin after all.
"Pfft, I don't feel like explaining your twisted problems. Ask Maka." He nudged his companion in the side with his elbow; she gave him a small shove for offering her input unexpectedly.
"Can someone just tell me?"
Maka's gaze fell on the blonde Death Scythe, "As far as I can tell, your memory has been wiped."
"Wiped? My memory?" Justin repeated with a confused expression, "Who did this to me?"
"Well…" Maka looked over at Soul, he shrugged, "My guess is… that it was either Lord Death or Akari."
"A-Akari?" Justin's blue eyes grew wide. "She couldn't have! Why on Earth would she do that to me?"
"Dude, doesn't she seem suspicious at all to you?" Soul asked him with a grin, "I mean, you just met her right? Why would Lord Death pair her with you for no reason?"
Justin's face was completely blank.
"He did pair you two up, right?" Soul asked the other Death Scythe bluntly.
"Yes, he did." Justin answered his question monotonously. "B-but, she's so nice. I… trust her."
Soul broke into a fit of laughter, receiving a slap from Maka afterward. Soul gripped the top of his head where she'd struck him; her hand left a bright red mark on his forehead.
"Has she been avoiding any of your questions?" Maka pried the older teen while crossing her arms over her chest; she sent a glare towards Soul out of the corner of her eye.
Justin looked down towards the pavement, "Now that I think about it; I woke up in the Death Room, and she was just… there. She's been acting a little strange whenever I ask her about something, and I seem to scare her a bit."
"Well, there ya go dude. Akari brainwashed you." Soul smirked mockingly, "Still trust her? All it takes is common sense to see that she lied to you."
Justin's blue eyes narrowed, "Well actually-"
"SHHH!" Maka silenced both Justin and Soul. She directed her gaze down the dark alleyway.
"Maka, what are you doing?" Soul asked in confusion.
"I said shush! Someone's coming down the alley!" Maka pointed into the darkness, making sure to speak quietly.
Soul came up next to Maka, Justin did as well but not as close to the pair of teens. The two boys looked in the direction she was pointing; Soul squinted in the attempt to see in the dark. Then, exactly on cue, they heard the rhythmic sound of footsteps drawing towards them.
"It's Akari." Maka said bluntly, "I recognize her unique soul."
Justin tensed up instantly, "I-I can't let her see you two."
"Fine, we're gonna go anyway."
"Wait!" Justin grabbed hold of Maka's long-sleeved shirt as she turned to leave. "Not all of my questions have been answered yet."
Maka and Soul exchanged hesitant glances, her moss green eyes clashing with Soul's blood-red ones.
"Please, I want to know what's going on!" Justin's eyes pleaded through forget-me-not blue lenses.
"Hurry and make up your mind Maka, we have to go." Soul whispered in his partner's ear.
"Uh well, whatever." Maka shook off Justin's grip, "If you want to know more… Find me tomorrow; I'll be with Soul, Black*Star, and Death the Kid."
She jumped up with Soul onto the roof of the nearest building; she stopped for a moment and then turned to Justin. "I trust you're good enough at tracking by now… murderer."
After the meister spoke, the duo disappeared over the many rooftops in one graceful motion; their two figures disappearing into the shadows of the night almost instantly.
Justin watched the two go with wide eyes, "Murderer…" He whispered in disbelief, the idea still foreign to him.
"THERE YOU ARE!"
Justin turned to look over his shoulder slowly, only to see Akari come up to him with relief written across her face. He turned to her, immediately brought into a tight hug unsuspectingly.
"I finally found you! I've been looking everywhere." The young meister said happily. "I thought I'd lost you when I called out your name, you never answered."
"…"
"Hey… why are you so quiet?" Akari released her tight grip around his midsection, and took a small step back. "What happened while we were separated?"
Silence.
"D-Did the two strangers get away?" She asked him nervously, "T-They aren't coming back, right?"
"No… they're gone."
"Well, what is it then?'"
"Nothing."
"No, it's something. What is it?"
"I said it's nothing."
"I can tell that whatever it is, it's bothering you."
"I'm fine."
"Are you?"
Justin clenched his hands into tight fists and finally… he snapped. "No! You know what, it's not okay! Nothing is; I've been lied too this whole time!" He advanced on her, letting out the built up anger he'd been holding back since Maka and Soul had appeared.
"What are you talking about?" Akari said with obvious fear in her liquid silver eyes.
"Don't pretend like you don't know. You're the one that wiped my memory, so cut the act!" Justin demanded with anger in his usually level voice.
"How do you know about that?..." The girl whispered in despair.
"That's none of your business." He said in a darkened tone.
He paused, a twisted grin appearing on his face, "How does it feel to be cornered, hmmm?" He asked as he pinned her against one of the nearest brick buildings. He grabbed her wrists roughly, forcing her up against the wall with a sickening thud. He lifted her up and off the ground, making escape near to impossible.
Akari gasped as her wind was nearly knocked out from the force of hitting the brick wall, "J-Justin, let go…"
"I want my questions to be answered before I even think of putting you down."
"I-I can't."
"Why not?" His new tone of voice causing Akari to shiver.
"Cause the truth would hurt you!" She closed her eyes and nearly screamed. "I won't!"
Justin's eyes widened, Akari swallowed when she saw them begin to change into an indigo color with a multitude of swirls; Justin recoiled at her previous answer and said:
"It's not like you care anyway! You're only paired with me because… be…cause…"
"Oomph!" Akari hit the ground with a dull sound; the hands that had been on her wrists were no longer cutting off her circulation. She began to rub her wrists to ease the needle-like pain that had started up due to the lack of essential blood.
She looked up to the boy towering over her; his blue eyes were glossed over and turned a dark opaque color that reflected her image like a broken mirror. The shadow of his tall figure engulfed her in a darkness made of pure insanity. Her eyes dilated.
"Oh no…" The girl whispered to herself in horror.
"Ahahaaaha… AHAAHAAHAA…. RaHA, RiJoJAOJoRoUOUAOaAUAHAHAAHA!" The blonde Death Scythe began to laugh in a menacingly way that Akari recognized all too well.
The young meister shot up on impulse, and grabbed hold of the boy's shirt. "Justin! Snap out of it! Hey, don't do this again!"
"Riroruoujijijia…"
"No, no… NO-NONONONO!" Akari began to panic as she quickly thought back to the things he'd done during his revival.
"Jiijijijiji…"
"HEY, I SAID TO SNAP OUT OF IT!" She shook him, tightening her grip on his shirt so he couldn't pull away if he attempted an escape. His opaque and glossy eyes stared off into the distance, as if he'd entered a trance unwillingly. He stood still and unmoving, like a mangled puppet with its strings let slack.
"Justin Law!" She screamed up into his face, the girl gulped preparing herself for what she was going to say next…
"LOOK AT ME!"
"…"
Slowly, his gaze came down to her level; and he looked into her silver eyes. But Akari could tell that it wasn't him. It wasn't the Justin she'd trusted to protect her while using her power, or sympathized with in the abandoned classroom, or joked with on Shibusen's rooftop, or was partnered with as a team; it wasn't her companion. Those weren't his eyes, those belonged to something else; something inhuman. Akari knew it too, just from looking into those unnatural orbs… that he'd lost himself.
The madness had taken over once again.