Disclaimer: Yes. I finally got the rights to Soul Eater and I control all the characters! ...in my dream land...

Well, well, well . . . long time no write.

AH! I'm so sorry! :( I've taken to long, haven't I? Yes, yes . . . I know! Dx I've been busy getting back into One Piece . . . and other animes like that.

Anywaysssssss . . . ONWARDS WITH THE STORY! NO FLAMING OR CRITICS!

Chapter Ten

Kid hadn't said anything. He wasn't unconscious anymore, but he didn't want to tell anyone.

Why the hell did Medusa wish to torment Kid like this?

Was it to get back at his father?

At the Academy?

At his friends?

At him?

He heaved a shaky breath, pale eyelids draped over his golden eyes like curtains. Dizzy...so dizzy.

"Kid?"

Kid slid one eye open, glancing over to see who was saying his name.

Maka stared at Kid, her eyebrows tilted slightly upwards, worry sewn into her expression. Soul stood behind her, the same look on his usually...quite frightening expression.

"You...don't look cool," noted Soul.

Kid closed his open eye and sighed once more. Speaking was not an option. What hurt him was seeing the worry in his friends. Kid was in perturbation.

"Kid...you don't have to stay quiet," Maka said. "we...didn't just come in here to play the silent game."

"Yeah, seriously...it's cool to talk."

Talk? Kid wanted to say. Every time I talked while in the hands of Medusa, I was painfully punished! How do I know that won't happen again?

Kid re-opened his eyes, rolling them towards his two friends.

I don't know if Medusa will hurt me again. But has she already? Am I already broken? If I'm afraid to talk because I'm frightened that she will torment me again...that mean's she's already won...

"Do you need anything, Kid?" Maka wondered.

Kid stared blankly at her, not knowing what to say.

She has won, hasn't she. I can barley recognize my own friends and family. I seriously must think they are going to hurt me.

Kid shook his head "'no'". Maka nodded, a slight smile appeared on her face from getting some sort of acknowledgement.

"Kid, whatever you want to talk about, everyone, me, we're all here to help." Maka nodded.

Kid blew air out, and forced himself to sit up, though, he did wince once or twice.

"...th..." Kid hesitated. "...thank you."

Maka and Soul exchanged looks, and then both grinned. Suddenly, Stein entered the dispensary.

"I'm here to change your bandages," he stated.

"...o...kay."

"Making progress in speaking, I see?" Stein mused, unwrapping the bandages on Kid's chest and arms.

Kid nodded. After Medusa had come after him again, speaking wasn't an option, it had only been three days, but in that course of time, whenever Kid woke up, he wouldn't even consider to speak.

"Yeah..."

Maka cringed at Kid's body. Underneath the white wraps of bandages, was cuts and bruises. Kid's skin was horribly pale, and the old wounds inflicted on him, were all purple, blue and red. Seeing all those colours, flashed the colour in Kid's body.

Stein pulled off the blanket Kid was previously under, and unwrapped the bandages on Kid's legs. Maka felt strange, but also comfortable. Kid was only wearing a pair of boxers, much like Soul would wear during night. It only made her feel a little uncomfortable.

Stein heaved a sigh and unwrapped Kid's feet. Maka felt her eyes go wide at the sight of Kid's trotters - specifically his toenails.

They were black...his nails...Maka's eyes traveled up Kid's body and she rested on his unwrapped hands. Fingernails were black as well.

"Stein..." she chocked. "...why-"

"Are his nails black?" Stein finished for her. "I can answer that."

He stood and reached for some sort of medicine, kneeling and dabbing it on Kid's feet.

"He is a Shinigami," noted Stein. "and because of that, as well as the formula Medusa gave Kid to make him heal like a human, his nails turned dark from the times they were torn off."

Kid closed his eyes and shivered, remembering how much that particularly hurt.

Stein cleaned Kid's wounds, and then re-wrapped Kid up.

"...my father..." Kid stammered. "...where...?"

"In the Death Room." Soul answered. "He hasn't come out in a while. No one's gone in either."

Kid bit his lip, debating whether or not to say anything else.

"I can go and get him-"

"No." Kid interrupted. "...no...don't."

Kid settled himself in the dispensary bed and chewed on his lip.

"Are you sure?"

Kid nodded, then glanced to his side, "...this room..."

Soul and Maka followed his gaze.

"It's...almost...symmetrical..." Kid coughed. "...just...that lamp...right there...move to left..."

Soul did as he was told, trying to make his friend as comfortable as possible.

"Thank you..." sighed Kid happily.

"I wasn't exactly planning for him to be rescued," growled Medusa.

"What do we do?"

Medusa stared at the stone ground under her.

"I said we'd get him back. And I intend to," Medusa pondered over something. "but, maybe not the way I had planned, or the Shinigami believed I planned..."

Gopher raised his head, a smirk appearing on his face, "How do you plan on getting the brat back?"

An evil grin stretched across the witch Medusa's face.

Lord Death went back and forth; thoughts were exploding from Lord Shinigami's mind.

Now that his son was back, Death was having trouble figuring out all of this had happened to Kid. It hurt a parent to see his or her child crying, but to see the child tormented like that was hell.

Knock, knock, knock.

Lord Death snapped out of his thoughts, "Enter."

He heard Death's Door creak open, and then footsteps towards him. Death saw a tuft of red hair, and then Spirit came into his sight.

"Can I help you?"

Spirit nodded, "It's your son."

"What's happened? Is he alright?"

"Yes, yes. He's fine..." Spirit paused. "...he's healing."

Death relaxed, "That's good..."

"...but it won't be complete."

"Huh?"

"Kid can't heal without his parent. I can't be that parent in his eyes, I've tried my best to comfort him as Maka would do...but even though he does need friends by his side, he needs his dad."

"You're one to talk about being a parent."

Spirit's face contorted in emotions, "Lord Death...I know I'm not a good parent. And even though I try to be at times...I can never get Maka to love me like your son loves you. It's because I made serious mistakes in the past. Mistakes that can't be forgiven, because they ruined her life. As many times as I try to make up for it, I can't earn the trust that I once had, back. If you leave your son to suffer alone, I guarantee you years of guilt and anger. Don't be me...be the real father."

Death examined Spirit's face, stern and serious. Death turned and headed out of the Death Room.

"Maka?" He asked.

Maka was standing outside the Death Room, a strange look on her face.

"Yes...uh..."

"I'll go."

Maka thanked him with a nod, and entered the Death Room.

"...Papa...?"

Spirit jumped and jerked his head to the side, "M-Maka!"

"Did you mean what you said...or was it just to get Lord Death out...?"

Spirit's face became serious, "I meant every word."

Maka bit her lip and looked at the ground.

"Tell me...if you know that I will never trust you again..." Maka waited a moment. "...why do you always try to get me to love you? Why do you love me?"

Spirit sighed, "Maka, I love you because you're my family. I loved your mother. You're my one and my only daughter, and no matter how many women I meet...you're the only one who's good enough. I try to love you, because I can't stand to not. All the times you push me away...it's because I deserve it. I want you to do that, Maka. The guilt I feel for...cheating on your mother...it's unbearable..."

Maka stared at her father. Did he really mean it? Though Maka would still feel the same about her Father, maybe just this once she could make an exception. She was worried for Kid anyways.

Maka stepped forward and embraced her father. Spirit was stunned at first, but wrapped his arms around Maka.

"This is a one time thing..." Maka whispered.

"...I know..." sobbed Spirit.

Kid slept for a while, but eventually he woke up. His golden eyes rested on one person in the room.

"Father..."

Death's block like hands molded into regular human hands, and one of those hands gripped Kid's.

"I'm sorry, Kid." Lord Death shook his head. "I should have gone to get you...I know I should have...I didn't want you getting hurt...and...I..."

Kid squeezed his father's hand, "...thank you father..."

Death frowned, "For what?"

"Though it was an incredible amount of pain...I...I know that...no matter what...the city is safe in your hands...even...if I'm not...and that's all that matters."

Death gawked at Kid, "...you matter, son...you're important...don't you ever say something like that again!"

Kid stayed still.

"You can't say something like that in front of the person who would put you above everything they have. You're more important than this city, and don't you second guess that."

Kid sniffed. He lifted a shaky arm, and pulled his fathers mask off his face, and then placed it on his own.

"Does looking at that mask bother you?" Death chuckled.

Kid shrugged, "Does it bother you?"

Death rolled his eyes, "Maybe...only because I don't like looking at myself..."

Kid pulled the mask off, "You don't...? Well...I look like you...does that make...you mad?"

Death shook his head, "No way, Kiddo. You're a spitting image of me, but you're different. You...are you, and I'm me. No one's exactly alike-"

"How...don't you...like...looking...at yourself...but at me...?"

"You're my son...we're suppose to look alike in all...but...I look at myself as the head of the city in that mask. And when I'm out of it, I can only think of me as your father. When you wear that, I think of the fact that I didn't save you sooner...and it bothers me."

"You did what...you had too," stuttered Kid. "don't be mad...don't feel guilty about it...because then it makes me feel guilty."

Lord Death laughed, "I'll try...now, get some sleep Kiddo."

"...slip it in. We'll break him and the rest of the school by hitting two birds with one stone..."

Liz pushed herself against the wall, Patty was snoring next to her. Black*Star was asleep as well, but not Liz. Maka and Soul hadn't returned from the Death Room yet, so it was just Liz.

Tsubaki opened her eyes, despite her obvious exhaustion, she couldn't fall asleep. She noticed Liz wide awake, and sat up, "Are you okay?"

Liz glimpsed at Tsubaki, and shrugged. The chain weapon scooted closer to her, "What is it?"

"I...I can't sleep...I've felt like this since it happened..." Liz swallowed the lump in her throat. "...I'm tired...but it keeps me awake...every night...it haunts me..."

Tsubaki nodded understandingly. It was already hard for Tsubaki...she couldn't imagine how it would be for Kid's weapons.

"Liz...think of Kid...I know that he went through a lot, but he wouldn't want you to be sleep deprived. I don't want you to...how about you go to sleep...and I promise I'll wake you if anything happens. I'm right here."

Liz smiled and leaned against Tsubaki, sleep overtaking her. After an hour or two of sleep, a loud cry woke everyone up. The group ran towards the dispensary, meeting Maka, Soul and some of the teachers.

It was the middle of the night, but they must have discussed what had happened with Kid. Inside the dispensary, Stein was trying to sedate Kid, who was screaming his head off.

"What's going on!?" Maka exclaimed. "He was fine a few hours ago!"

"I don't know!" Hissed Stein.

Pain...that was it. Medusa was trying to break him.

Review! :D I'll try my best to update as soon as possible!

-Roxkey-San