A/N: Things are starting to move now, and Soul's gang is getting ready to kick some ass. Woo! :D Yeah, I just had a lot of coffee. Enjoy! (Pst: I don't own Soul Eater, but I do own my fic. *Sound the alarm*)

There were way too many people for one car.

Thank the stars that there was an extra seat in the front, or else Soul wasn't sure they'd make it. Each row of seats in the car held three passengers, but they weren't expecting Tsubaki to come along. Someone had to move. After a few minutes of debating, they all decided that Liz and Patty would just have to share a seat. Neither had a problem considering they were sisters, but Soul still worried. What if they got pulled over, and the officer realized that there were way too many people in one car? What if it escalated to more than that?

The questions ran through his head as Kid drove, and Patty talked gleefully. You would never guess she was on her way to a turf fight with a bunch of drug dealers. Then again, you wouldn't be able to guess that the rosy cheeked blonde lived on the streets with the world scowling down on her only a few years earlier. Sometimes it pissed Soul off how the worst things happened to the most cheerful or kindest people. Minus him though; when the bad stuff happened to him, it didn't count.

He looked over his shoulder to Maka, who was staring out the window at the setting sun. They had left later than expected, and Soul clutched his seat thinking about fighting in the dark. Bad move. Maka seemed to notice Soul's distress, and as she looked back to him with concern written on her face he whipped his head around so he was looking back at the road ahead. Soul shook his head, not daring to look back at Maka for the remainder of the ride.

When they reached the parking lot outside of the basketball court everyone shuffled out of the car, weapons in hand. Tsubaki had made sure to grab a knife before leaving, and she compared how dull or sharp it was to Black*Star's blade. Liz and Patty hung out by Kid's side, both with guns in their hands. Soul had no doubt that there were probably more hidden somewhere in their attire. They were good at that kind of thing. As for Maka ... She stood with her axe slung over her right shoulder.

She looked rough, edged, and kind of, well - kind of stunning. With the last flare of sunlight hitting her determined eyes, and with the wind brushing against her cream like skin Maka looked powerful. Tough. Badass. Yet she also looked upset. Soul wasn't sure if it was because of him, or the turf battle, or the whole situation. He did know that he was scared too though.

Soul placed his hand on her shoulder, a cozy grin setting into place on his lips.

"You alright Maka?"

His partner nodded, her eyes only catching his after a moment.

"Yeah ... I was just thinking about stuff," She answered.

Soul was about to ask another question, but he heard someone clear their throat not too far away. He turned to see Ox approaching with his partner, Harvar. They nodded at Soul before the group exchanged greetings with each other.

"So, did they take your turf," Soul asked after everyone finished shaking hands.

He said it so casually, almost like a kid asking if they could borrow a pencil before class. The tone of his voice sent shivers down Maka's spine. Drug dealers; either they were casual or dramatic, and there was no in between. Unfortunately. What she did know for sure was that Soul was regretting the answer to his question. They all were, even her.

"They did," Ox said.

He tried to brush the hurt from his voice, but it was still in the echo of his words.

Soul sighed as he scratched the back of his head, "That's so not cool. Sorry 'bout that Ox. How's Kirikou?"

Ox shrugged, "From what I hear, they're coming for his turf tonight. He's gearing up."

Kid stepped forward, "So I assume Kim, Jacqueline, and the Pots are with him."

Harvar nodded.

"They arrived earlier to help him gear up too. Kim has had some inside information received about the gang. They call themselves Arachnophobia," He shared with the group.

"Who's leading them," Liz asked.

"Well, the guy we fought said something about the leader named Arachne. So far we don't know too much about her," Harvar answered.

"One thing's for sure: this lady has a thing for spiders," Black*Star chuckled.

Tsubaki shushed him, "So who did you fight against?"

"A male named Giriko," Ox said to Tsubaki.

"He did have another member of the gang with him named Mosquito, but the valet didn't fight. He was just there to drive around Giriko or be used for backup," Havar added.

"Anybody else to know about before we head off," Maka asked.

"There was another name mentioned, Asura, but so far we have no other word on him," Ox replied.

Soul reviewed all this information in his mind. He wasn't much of a detective, that was more of Kid's field, but he did know that they were most likely out numbered. One look at Kid told Soul they had both come up with the same conclusion.

"There's going to be too many of them ..." Soul trailed off.

The group stood in silence for a minute, not sure what to do. At least, not until Maka spoke up.

"I know ... Some people who could help."

She wrung her hands on the axe handle, growing uncomfortable by the attentive eyes all turned to her.

"Who," Liz questioned.

She and everyone wore the same confused look. Maka hoped they'd relax, but after a moment she realized that it was pointless.

"I told you guys I had experience with dealers before. Those guys could help us," She sighed.

Soul raised an eyebrow, "Maka, I-"

"Soul," She cut him off, "We don't have that much time, and unless you want to lose yet another turf - which would put yours next on the list you know - I suggest we hurry."

"I don't even know them," Soul shot back.

"But I do!"

"What if they turn on us?"

"I highly doubt they would Soul. I know these guys, you can count on them."

Soul glanced at the group before grabbing Maka's hand and leading her down the courts to a brick wall.

"Maka. I have to protect you, so I can't just have a group of crack heads coming in with weapons who might end up hurt you. It wouldn't help our cause anyways, and if you got hurt -"

Soul's voice got caught in his throat just thinking of the possibilities, and he leaned on the wall until he ended sitting on the concrete ground. Maka sat by him after a minute, and she held Soul's hand. She didn't say anything for a few more minutes until she took out her phone and opened up the contacts list. After finding who she was looking for, Maka tilted the screen so Soul could see it perfectly.

Spirit Albarn, Mobile.

It took every will in Soul's body to not snatch the phone from Maka, so he settled for looked up from it to her face in disbelief.

"Your dad ..."

"He works with Kid's dad. They deal the heavy stuff. Like, the really heavy stuff. I didn't know too much about what he did until after I met you. I was curious so I asked him about it, and I learned about the world of dealing. They have a big gang though, and I think if he heard about Arachnophobia he'd get his gang to help us in a heartbeat. When Medusa and her kid, named Crona, started stuff when we were younger they got on top of it. I think the only reason they haven't confronted Arachne's thugs yet is because they're too chicken to try to stop my dad's group."

Soul sat in silence, studying Maka's hand as he thought.

"So you're a drug dealer's daughter?"

"Just like how you're a drug dealer's son."

Soul laughed. Both turned out to be messed up crack kids after all. It wasn't just him after all. Maybe if Maka could make it so far and do so well in life without drugs or dealing, then maybe just maybe ...

"Soul," Maka asked, pulling him out of his thoughts.

"Yeah?"

"Should I call him," Maka offered.

Soul stared at the phone. It wouldn't hurt to have an alliance with a large gang in this city, especially if they could help him save his turf ...

"Call Spirit. But Maka," Soul said.

She looked at him before pressing the green button on her phone.

"Yep?"

Soul stared at her eyes a bit, letting his red get lost in her sea of green. He'd known Maka for weeks now, so many weeks that he ended up losing count. He knew exactly how red she turned when she got embarrassed, or how the corner of her lips looked when she smiled or frowned. Soul knew her eyes showed most of her emotion, but she wouldn't tell you straight out how she felt with just them. It was also evident in the way her body moved. How her fingers held a book differently at a sad part, or when they were light and carefree during a good chapter.

In return, Maka knew the way Soul's shoulders moved whenever he sighed. She knew the difference between his smirks, and she knew how bright his eyes got whenever he was calm or admiring something. She knew how to piss him off in every way, just like how he knew how to embarrass her. Maka knew how his stance while playing the piano changed with each key, and she most importantly knew just when he was upset. When he needed somebody.

Both had so much to learn about each other though.

In that moment, they decided they wanted to learn. They wanted to learn how each other look in the morning with their hair tousled over their pillows. They wanted to learn how each other looked when they become too tired to cook dinner and just order Chinese takeout to eat on the couch instead. They wanted to learn how each other looked when they shared big news with each other. Soul wanted to be able to feel her heartbeat against his chest whenever he hugged her. Maka wanted to be able to feel his chin tucking her head under him as he held her.

As Soul leaned forward and gently pressed his lips upon Maka's until she pressed back a second later, they learned what their lips felt like together.

Maka dropped her axe so she could wrap her arms around his neck, and he secured his strong arms around her waist. Soul pulled her into his lap, and Maka ran her fingers through his white hair. He groaned, and Maka smiled against his lips. He started to deepen the kiss, but through it he heard Kid and Black*Star calling their names. Maka's head perked up, hearing it too.

"I guess I should call him now," Maka said.

Soul sighed, letting his head fall to Maka's chest. Her heartbeat calmed his, and Soul loosened his arms from her waist so she could get off his lap. Maka slid off, smoothed out the wrinkles in her clothes, picked her axe and her phone, and walked farther down the wall to call her dad. Soul smoothed out his clothes like Maka had, and he stood up before walking over to Black*Star and the rest of the group.

"So what's the news," Liz asked.

"Maka's calling our backup. Hopefully they'll show," Soul explained.

"Hopefully they will," Tsubaki agreed softly.

The group stood in the parking lot waiting for a few minutes until Maka appeared from behind the wall. She held up her phone in triumph with a wide grin across her face.

"We got Shibusen on their way," She called proudly.

Everybody stood shocked for a few minutes.

"That's my dad's gang, how-"

Kid was cut off by Black*Star's howl and Tsubaki's laugh of relief. Though Liz and Patty were also a bit stunned, they smiled and held a thumbs up at each other.

"I'll explain in the car Kid, but we got to get going," Maka said as she passed him on the way to the car.

Kid was still a bit shocked, but he nodded and headed to the car anyways. Everybody else started filing in their respective vehicles with Soul being the last one to head over.

He smirked at the crazy little thought that possibly that night would turn out in their favor after all. Soul laughed at himself and got in his car.