Kid's hand slammed down hard on the bank desk.

Despicable.

How had he lost them? He was so close, and he was sure he had gotten a piece of the woman, although the white haired man had seen him at the last second. He had saved her life, if only by a few inches.

The woman.

Kid's lip curled with disgust. She had him completely fooled. The other tellers described her as Maka Albarn, who had been working at the branch for a short while, but he knew she had just played her part well. Soul and she were obvious partners. Clever ones at that.

He wasn't often led astray by tricks of false danger or hostage situations, but it proved to be a weakness for him. He couldn't pinpoint exactly what it was that made him always want to trust—always want to save people.

Perhaps he could blame his upbringing for that. Or his father's careful training.

But still, what was the point of his training? What was the point of his position or power if he couldn't catch the notorious "Soul Eater"? Or at least get one step closer to finding out his identity.

He glanced over at the teller's computer screens, before his eyes wandered back to the large televisions used to display the weather and news to the banks patrons. Now all the screens in the building displayed only one thing:

The repulsive mark of the illusive hacker.

The large orange orb with pointed teeth and white eyes mocked him as it flickered across the screens in tandem.

Besides the obvious cockiness and ridiculous attitude it conveyed, it annoyed Kid on a much deeper level. The left side of the stupid icon had a triangle protruding from it. The other, remained rounded.

He felt his eyebrow twitch involuntary as a slapped a stack of papers off the nearby tellers desk,

"WHY DOES IT HAVE TO BE SO GODDMAN ASYMMETRICAL?!"

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.

.

Maka lay unmoving on a soft bed, blankets tucked around her waist, a tight bandage wrapped around her arm and chest. She knew the others in the room next to hers thought she was asleep, but Maka struggled to stay awake, listening to their every word.

As soon as they had gotten to Soul's place (or, rather, as soon as Soul burst through the door and deposited Maka on the couch accompanied by a string of curses), he had called a "friend" of his over to help.

A pink haired girl named Kim had arrived promptly, faster than Maka expected although it was all very blurry for her, thinking back. After treating her wound and coaxing her into bed with a few sedatives, Kim had glared Soul out of the room.

"I didn't know you were bringing back strays now," Kim snapped.

"Yeah me neither." Soul collapsed into his armchair, gaze wandering over to the blood stains Maka had left of on couch.

"Honestly Soul, you know better." She rolled her eyes, arms crossed tightly as she watched him blow a few strands of white hair out of his face tiredly.

"I'm serious," She continued, "You're lucky I came over at all!" Her nose was in the air.

Soul really didn't like dealing with Kim on a regular basis. He didn't want to call her over, but she was the only person with medical training he knew he could trust. He also knew that, despite her attitude, she'd drop almost anything for an emergency like this one.

He was grateful for that.

"Well I couldn't just leave her to die," He mumbled, standing to his feet and pulling off his jacket. His white t-shit also had blood all over it, and it was starting to harden.

"You brought her to your house," Kim hissed, "Now she knows where you live! And besides that, she saw your face!"

Soul's stomach churned, but his expression remained stoic,

"I know what I'm doing," He replied thickly.

"Do you? Because I'm really starting to doubt that. If Death found out about—"

Soul turned to her quickly, a sudden fire igniting in his eyes,

"He doesn't need to know." He said sternly, Kim's words catching in her throat,

"Y-yeah I know," She squeaked, "But I'm just…"

He shook his head, removing his stained shirt. Kim turned away, not embarrassed, just giving him privacy. They'd worked together enough times that things like that had just become normal. She tapped her foot, continuing her lecture,

"Look, all I'm saying is there's a reason I wore my mask the entire time I was treating her. My advice to you: make up some big old lie and get rid of her as soon as possible," She heard him walk into the kitchen and followed him, watching him scrub his shirt in the sink,

"And how do you propose I do that?" He scowled. Kim just shrugged,

"Someone could always just… kill her for you," Kim said quietly.

He paused for a moment, shooting a glare at the woman before turning back to his shirt,

"Funny." He replied,

"I'm not kidding." She hushed back, leaning against the wall. He didn't reply and his face didn't give away anything either. He was impossible to read, much to Kim's utmost dismay. She huffed before packing up her medical bag in the living room. She stepped into her shoes before pulling a black bandana over her face,

"Just think about what I said, idiot." She called back into the house before slipping out the door.

As soon as she had left, Soul threw the shirt into the water roughly, sending splashes of it onto the counter. He sunk down into a kitchen chair, head in his hands.

What the fuck had he done?

What the fuck was he doing?

.

.

In the other room, Maka's heart had quickened. She had only caught bits and pieces of what was going on, but she got the general gist of it. Kim had suggested…

But, no, that couldn't be right.

Because if there's one thing Maka was always exceptionally good at, it was her judge of character. And despite his… well… activities, Soul wasn't the kind of person who would just kill her and get her out of the way. If he'd wanted to do that, he had more than a few chances before.

The drugs Kim had administered weighed heavy on her eyelids, but she couldn't just let herself fall asleep like this. She struggled out of the bed quietly, and opened the door to her room with as much silence and tact as she could muster with one arm and spinning vision.

She was met almost immediately with a topless Soul.

"What are you—"

"You have to take me home," Maka said, trying to sound stern but getting a little more than distracted by his physique. She hadn't known he would be so toned, and she couldn't help herself as her eyes traced along his torso, landing on a large scar that ran from his shoulder to his waist. He noticed her gaze,

"You had that option pigtails," He said, ducking into his bedroom and emerging while putting a shirt on, "I seem to remember it was you who got into my car."

She steadied herself on the wall,

"As if that was even your car," She said, trying to sound angry. It came out more as a sleepy whine, "Besides!" She persisted, "That was before I got shot!" Soul's eyes darkened.

"I fucking told you to stay put, but you—"

He stopped, shaking his head and sighing roughly.

"I was already involved," she muttered, looking down, "You pointed me out to Giriko, so I was dead either way."

Soul said nothing in reply, only watched her. She took this as a sign to continue her explanation,

"I don't know what you stole but… the people who use that bank, they don't like any sort of suspicious behavior, and I know you stole something important and Giriko thought I was involved in some way so right now I'm probably even…" She bit her lip,

"Yeah I know," Soul finally replied, "That's why I brought you here."

She looked back up at him,

"So…"

"So you can't go home. Man, those drugs Kim gave you must be having a pretty steep impact." He chuckled as he placed a hand on the top of her head. Maka opened to her mouth to retort when the door to Soul's apartment slammed open suddenly.

Soul's head snapped towards the door and he pushed himself and Maka against the wall instinctively, his hand coming up to cover the obvious protest about to be made by the pigtailed girl.

"SOOOOULLLL," a loud voice boomed from the living room and Soul's expression immediately snapped to annoyed.

Maka pulled his hand off her mouth, fuming,

"Jesus Soul you don't have to keep doing that!"

He smiled sheepishly down at her,

"I'm just making sure your big mouth doesn't blow our cover,"

Her uninjured hand came down hard on his skull. He fell to the ground, shocked at her blow,

"God fuck Maka you sure as shit don't hit like a girl," he moaned.

"SOUL!" The obnoxious voice called again, before a man's head popped around the hallway corner, "Oi, there you are,"

Maka looked at the man's bright blue hair, surprised. Did all of Soul's friends insist on such vibrant hair colour…?

"There's this new thing, it's called knocking," Soul said getting up off the ground, "This isn't a fucking drop-in center, Black Star."

"Ohh I see," The man waggled his eyebrows, "Am I interrupting something?" He asked suggestively, gesturing to Maka.

She had only just met him, and she already found him insufferable. Soul just rolled his eyes,

"What do you want?" He walked to the kitchen, Black Star behind him nonchalantly. Maka followed instinctually, resting at the door frame as Soul sat down in a kitchen chair, Black Star leaning against the counter.

"I wanted to talk to you about something but…" He turned and none so subtly glared at Maka. She looked away uncomfortably before Soul sighed.

"Did Kim talk to you?"

"Kinda." Black Star shrugged.

"Star."

"She told me you brought back something a little more than just the files today." He crossed his arms and Soul made a little tsk noise.

"And about that!" Black Star roared, "I feel kinda useless if you're gonna go start doing all the in-field work too!"

Soul's face cracked into a grin, "I needed some exercise."

"How'd that work out for you?" His eyes wandered over to Maka once more. She couldn't take it anymore. Being talked about like this, especially when she was standing right there.

She stomped her foot.

"Hold on a second, okay?!" She said nastily, "It's not like Soul just kidnapped me and brought me along, alright?! I didn't really have any other option, but despite that it's still my choice to be here!"

Black Star looked disinterested, not even looking at when she spoke,

"Oh yeah?"

"Yes!" She replied hotly.

"Well then, what's your plan now, huh sweetheart? You probably don't even know what we—what Soul does, and you think you're just gonna tag along? You're useless! I can tell how weak you are just by looking at you!" He laughed loudly and Maka's blood boiled.

"We'll sort it out," Soul replied.

"Yeah we will." Black Star turned to him and Soul gave him a stern look,

"She's seen your face man. And mine too."

"So? That's your fault for wandering in without your mask," Soul pointed a finger at his exposed face.

"I'm not going to—I mean it's not like I'm going to tell anyone," Maka mumbled. Black Star seemed to brush her off, adding to her anger.

Soul shot her an apologetic look as his blue haired friend continued talking about how stupid he was and how he never should have gone alone. Maka had had enough; she turned and marched back to the room.

She could still hear the conversation in the kitchen, now moving away from her.

"So did you get them?"

"Of course." She could almost hear his cocky smirk. Papers slapped against the table.

"How'd you manage without the Great Me?"

"There were a few… complications."

"Shit eh? Wouldn't it be better if we just had—"

"I know."

Her hand had just grasped the doorknob when something she heard in the Kitchener caught her attention completely:

"I wish I could just get my hands on that fucking Soul Perception."

She froze.

Maka knew what that was.

What's more… Maka knew where to get it.

She smiled devilishly.

Whose useless now, Black Star?

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AN: I know this chapter is just people talking talking talking but I think it was a little over due maybe? Mehhh I hope you guys liked it!

Let me know what you thought, if you'd like!