"You think that you're fooling people. But your Soul Protect is pathetic." Hyde taunted "Why bother with it?"

"I'll stop using it as soon as you do." Rose challenged.

Hyde laughed. "Very well then. Soul Protect release." His Soul expanded and turned dark green. Madness flowed through it in black streams.

"Release." Rose said. It felt like taking a first breath after years underwater. Her Soul rejoiced at being free of long confinement. But Rose knew there was no going back now.

"Much better." Hyde sighed. "You can feel it, can't you? The power you've been keeping locked away. And now, Death God, let us finish this. Two monsters in a city of humans."

"I am a Reaper." Rose said. "But that doesn't mean I'm not human." She raised Misuto and charged a fire spell at his tip. She fired it at Hyde. Hyde laughed and formed shield from his Soul Wavelength which blocked the spell.

"Ah, but now you've made me reveal myself. How foolish of me. Doubtless more DWMA will be along to investigate." He grinned "I'll just have to kill them, as well as you."

"I won't let that happen." Rose promised. She ran at Hyde, holding Misuto high. At the last moment, she changed her attack, and swept the Keyblade at Hyde's ankles. Hyde was too quick, however, and had jumped over the attack while bringing down his sword and cane both. Rose rolled to the side, getting quickly to her feet.

Hyde recovered and came at her again, cane and sword whirling through the air in a series of quick slashes and jabs. Rose dodged or blocked each one, but had no time to counterattack. Finally Hyde caught her in the arm with his cane, and tried to stab her through the heart. Rose took a risk and jabbed at his knee with Misuto.

Hyde stumbled backward, his stab ruined, and Rose pressed forward, attacking with Misuto held at arms length in front of her, driving Hyde back toward the roof edge. Hyde snarled tried to knock Misuto from her hands. Rose held on, but was thrown off balance. Hyde leapt over her head, onto higher roof.

Hyde created six daggers in mid air in front of him, and sent them flying at her. Rose was on the ground, but she block them, and got to her feet.

"Magnet!" She created a vortex over her head. Hyde started to be drawn into it, but he stabbed his sword into the roof, and dug his feet between the tiles. Rose charged forward at blinding speed, but Hyde was quick enough to block her slash with his cane.

The spell faded and Hyde slashed at her again. Rose ducked, but again came the fast series of strikes that Rose only had time to dodge or block. Hyde was driving her down the roof, toward the edge again. Rose felt the edge of the rooftop under her feet. She deliberately took a jab to the stomach and fell backward off the roof. With her free hand, she grabbed the roof's edge. Hyde slashed at her fingers, and Rose was forced to let go.

She landed on her feet, in the alley below. She looked up. Hyde hadn't followed her. She climbed quickly back up to the rooftop to see him running toward the edge of the city. Rose set off in pursuit. She sent a swarm of blizzard spells chasing after the retreating figure of Hyde. He slip down a roof to the ground as the spells hit the roof edge, freezing it. Rose slid after him and dashed down the alley below.

But Hyde had come to a dead end. He turned around, glaring at her. Then he moved swiftly toward her. Rose took a wild swing at his sword, and knocked his from his grip. It flew a foot away, then dissipated. Hyde was already making a swarm of daggers that he sent at her. She deflected them all at random angles, and a few flew past Hyde, cutting him in several places. His left shoulder spurted blood. It was hard to tell in the dim light of a nearby window, but Hyde's blood looked black.

Hyde snarled and conjured gun from his Soul Wavelength. He opened fire.

"Reflect!" Rose quickly cast a magical barrier, and the bullets pinged off and hit the cobble. A second later the spell sent out purple orbs of reflected energy, and Hyde was sent sprawling to the ground, and lay still.

"Is he out of it?" Misuto asked, speaking for the first time in what seemed like hours.

"I don't think so. I still don't want to hurt him." Rose answered, approaching tentatively. Hyde grabbed her ankle and forced her to the ground, rolling on top of her, and pinning the hand holding Misuto with his foot. He created a dark green knife, and put it to her throat. Rose struggled to get up, but she couldn't move.

As Hyde began to cut, something rammed into him, knocking him off Rose. It was Stein, and he was holding a black and gold hammer in his hand. In a flash of yellow light, the hammer had transformed into a woman with Jekyll's blonde hair and honey-colored eye, the other covered with an eye patch. She ran toward Hyde, a golden light in her hands.

"Healing wavelength!" The woman shouted. Then she grabbed Hyde by the shoulders and golden light covered them both.

When the light had faded, Marie was embracing an unconscious Jekyll.

…

The next morning, Stein and Marie were standing over their son's bed, Kidd was opposite, and Maka and Soul were leaning against the wall.

"So his blood is black?" Kidd asked.

"Yes, there's no doubt about it." Stein replied, glancing at the clipboard in his hands.

"There's only one person who knows the secrets of Black Blood." Kidd said. "Medusa."

"Damn witch." Maka growled. "How many times do I have to kill her?"

"At least once more." Kidd answered "But this time I'm going with you. I will make sure that she dies. Forever." His voiced was cold, and laced with scorn he rarely displayed.

…

Rose and Misuto had stayed all night in a small square. Sleep didn't really seem important at the moment.

"Did you know?" Rose asked after a long silence.

"I suspected." Misuto said "I knew you weren't a normal human."

Rose looked down.

"But" Misuto continued. "It doesn't matter. You're still my best friend." He smiled at her. Rose smiled back, gratefully.

"Thank you." She stood up. "We should get to class." Misuto nodded.

Two of three chapters this week. A little short I'm afraid, but there will be another later today. Anyone guess that Rose was a Reaper? Was it obvious, impossible to guess? Please let me know. XD