A/N: "A New Deal" is almost over ... should I be getting this upset or no? This fic's my first fanfiction, and I don't want it to be over with but all good things must end I guess. I'm going to try to push away these emotions as I continue to update the remaining chapters. I hope you guys enjoy this one. I wrote it a bit rushed so let me know if there are any typos or what not so I can clean them up. Thanks guys, and enjoy! :)

They were all so tense, nervous, anxious, and in the most curious way ... they were all excited. One might call it adrenaline, maybe it was that, but in the moment the group wasn't up for debating. In their rush most of them forgot to buckle their seatbelts until Tsubaki mentioned something about it. It was hard to get the seat belt to fit around the waists of both Thompson sisters without stretching it to the point of no use, so those two were permitted to not have theirs on.

Soul cursed himself silently as he listened to the girls hoot and holler out the window. Maybe it was best for the group's sanity if they did wear their seatbelts after all.

Thank the stars, after a while when they passed the neighborhood's gas station signaling the entry to new turf the sisters stopped. Kid carefully followed Ox's car, but was discreet about it. Every now and then he'd turn onto a different block than them, as long as their companion's car was in view. A smart decision considering none of them had any idea who was watching them.

"Where are we supposed to meet the Shibusen gang at again, Maka," Kid asked.

Maka opened up her phone to review the text she was sent for directions to the spot.

"Abandoned mini golf course, dead ahead," She responded.

Kid nodded, "Got it."

He stepped a bit harder on the gas and passed Ox's vehicle with a thumbs up out the window.

From Ox's rolled down window, Harvar nodded and their car followed along close behind. Not too close though; no one wanted to be slowed down by a ticket. Down the current road, a castle appeared with three skulls out front, the biggest one being the middle with the entry doors running through it. Two others sat by it on either side. Towers overlooked the skulls, and each with tower there was a parallel one for it. On each side of the castle stood two of the longest towers, and candles propped out the building. As Kid parked the car a few buildings down, his eyes sparkled and everyone groaned.

"Perfect symmetry," He swooned.

Liz rolled her eyes, annoyed with the boy.

"Admire your father's castle later, ok Kid? We're kind of on a huge time limit," Liz reminded.

Kid brushed off her reminder, but shook his head and tucked it under his hood.

"I suppose you're right, but you do have to admit how beautiful this place is," He responded.

"It really is a nice place considering the work done here. Your father must take great pride in his space," Tsubaki complemented.

Kid nodded and he started leading the group when Harvar and Ox caught up with them. Kid led them to the backs of a few buildings that stopped in an alley. The group followed him as he snuck down the alley and ducked into a side door of the castle. It was much cooler than the Nevada heat inside the castle, but the air downcast a film of smoke onto the group. They tucked their noses under the collar of their shirts until they reached a well lit hallway seemingly free of the substance.

"They must cook over there," Soul guessed.

Maka nodded, but didn't say anything out loud. She feared betrayal of her own voice.

The group continued to walk down the hallway until they came upon an open door.

"Are they in there," Kid whispered to Maka, but she only shrugged in response not fully knowing herself.

The group held their weapons ready, prepared to fight. Cautiously they entered, eyes alret and wandering. Then there was a click behind them, and none of them had to turn around to know.

"Great," Maka muttered.

A figure approached them, and everybody's heart sped up a beat or two. The figure was small, but crouched. Soul had a feeling that the person before was hiding much more than they had.

"I see you found my room," It said as it got closer.

Soul looked at Maka, the same question apparent on their faces. Were those wheels they were hearing? Was their opponent on a chair of all things?

"Feel welcome to be dissected."

The figure wheeled into the light, revealing a man on a chair. He had grey hair, but despite that and his stitches across his face he didn't look too old. Maybe in his mid thirties or early forties. He wore glasses, and a small smirk spread across his face as he smoked his cigarette. What was most peculiar though wasn't his stitched clothes or face, his cigarette thats butt never burnt off, or his gray hair.

It was the screw through his head.

Without a moment for words, the guy launched himself at the group. They scattered apart as he spun in his chair. Ox and Harvar raced toward the man, both sporting spears. They traced each others movements, one defensive as the other was offensive, and attacked. The man was strong though. He used his own clothed arm to block the spear from making contact with his skin.

Soul thought about how it was no wonder they lost their turf. As the man turned, he used what seemed like a taser to electrocute the two. A bit ironic considering their gang's moto was "Lightning King and Lightning Spear".

Liz, Kid, and Patty assembled in their triangle attack formation, using their agility and aim to fire from a distance. When the man shot electric sparks along the wall, they dodged the advance. His momentary distraction allowed Black*Star and Tsubaki to put in a few quick punches. They used each other as springs and blocks to give their attacks more leverage. The man growled when Black*Star gave a huge blow to the back as he tried to advance on Maka and Soul.

The man fell off of his chair, but sprouted back up as he captured Black*Star's head in his hands. The next second energy sprouted along his scalp, and he yelled out in pain and protest. Tsubaki flung a knife that lodged skimmed the man's shoulder, but it caused a gash to sprout. He released his hands from Black*Star, and clutched his left to his right shoulder studying the blood lines appearing.

"Interesting. Very interesting," He said.

His monotone erupted a chill along Maka's spine, but she ignored it. Instead, with Soul harmonizing her steps to his, she advanced. With a quick swipe of the blade at his ankles, the man jumped from the floor. Maka growled in annoyance at his agility, but it gave Tsubaki time to pull a stunned Black*Star away and to help which is what the group needed right then and there. Liz, Patty, and Kid all continued to shoot at the man's head, but had to become more focused and assured they wouldn't miss their target when Soul and Maka stepped up to the man. It was getting harder to scare the guy now.

The man pushed Maka to the ground, causing Soul to snarl. He clocked the guy square in the face, making him only grimace for a second before he continued. Maka sprouted up from the floor, this time making sure to swipe the guy off his feet for good. When he fell to the floor, Maka spun her blade over her head and was about to bring it crashing down on him. Yet ...

A surge of energy ran up through her leg.

"I guess you really are Spirit and Kami's kid after all," He announced.

At the mention of her mother, Maka's eyes widened. Well, that and the electric current going through her body of course.

"Get the fuck off of her," Soul growled at the man.

He kicked the guy hard in the stomach, and the man rolled away from Soul towards his chair.

Liz nicked him with a bullet his already wounded shoulder, Black*Star and Tsubaki gave him a good kick of their own, and Harvar and Ox stopped his path to his chair with their spears. The guy got up, round kicked the two boys, and returned to Maka. Soul crouched over her using his body as her shield.

"I won't let you lay a finger on my partner," He warned.

The guy rubbed his eyes from under his lens.

"I suppose this will do. Nice to see you again Maka," He said as he spat out his old cigarette and lit another one.

The sisters and Kid stopped firing, and the group lost their adrenaline as curiosity took its place.

"What," She croaked as Soul helped her up.

"Oh I see. You don't remember Doctor Stein, do you?"

She shook her head as Soul held his arm around her shoulders.

"Ok, what about Uncle Franken?"

Another shake of the head.

The man just scratched his head, "Well, you were pretty young. Anyways, nice to see you again I guess."

Maka nodded cautiously.

"Excuse me Doctor Stein, but what the hell was that all about," Kid asked him very coldly.

Stein smiled and held up a peace sign, "Test run."

"What," Black*Star shouted.

Stein ignored him and turned back to Maka, "You know, you fight just like you mother Kami, Maka. You look a lot like her too. Minus the fact you got your father's nose."

Maka grimaced, "You know mama and papa?"

Stein nodded, "I went to highschool with them. I know your mother's off traveling, but your father should be here somewhere-"

The stitched up man was interrupted by a call from the doorway.

"MAKA!"

She rolled her eyes, and crossed her arms.

"Not him," She muttered.

Soul raised an eyebrow as the red haired man approached the two of them.

"Maka my sweet ... " He noticed Soul, and his eyes narrowed as he trailed his arm from his shoulder to where his hand gripped Maka's arm.

He jabbed a hand at Soul, his eyes suspicious.

"Who's this punk," He asked.

"MAKA CHOP!"

Spirit fell to the ground, but quickly recovered.

"Papa, this is Soul. My partner," Maka introduced.

Maka turned to Soul, her face as red as a tomato.

"Soul this is Spirit ... my papa."

"Damn right I'm her papa. What the hell is this partner thing about," He asked.

"Maka and I are from the same turf. We fight together. Anything else you want to know?"

Spirit raised an eyebrow at Soul's blataness.

"You better learn to respect higher authority, kid. Think about doing anything frisky with my daughter, and I'll-"

Another blow came upon Spirit's head before Maka puffed and turned to Stein.

"So where Kid's dad, Doctor Stein," Maka asked, changing the subject.

Stein nodded down the hall.

"Getting ready to depart."

"So you were just keeping us occupied," Ox asked.

Stein shrugged, his face blank.

"What the hell man? Why try to kill us if we're on the same team," Black*Star shouted at him.

"It was a test. You barely passed, but I thought it was kind of funny," He explained.

Liz and Patty shook their heads.

"Unbelieveable," Liz muttered.

A woman with glasses and short black hair that dipped down sharply to her chin at the front, entered the room. Another woman with shoulder length wavy golden colored hair who was wearing an eyepatch also appeared.

"Azusa," Stein nodded at the woman with the black hair, but he stepped closer to the blonde.

"Marie," He said to her.

She smiled back up to him as he slightly smiled at her.

"We're ready to go. Shinigami will meet us in the back room," Azusa informed the group.

Spirit shook off his dizziness caused by Maka's chop, and he followed Azusa out along with Kid, Liz, Patty, Ox, Harvard, Black*Star, and Tsubaki. As Soul and Maka walked out of the room they noticed how close Stein stood to Marie; those two's fingers were occasionally brushing and lingering.

When they reached Shinigami's room, he had a wild look on his face.

"Well, well. Look who's here. I see the party can now start. Hello Kid," He greeted.

Kid nodded at his parent, "Hello father."

They discussed battle strategies and ideas. When it was all plotted out, Harvard pointed to the way they came.

"They're almost there. We should leave now."

Everyone nodded, and gathered more supplies. They stood up and headed out to the hidden parking lot by the mini golf courses. Maka's eye lingered on Stein and Marie's hands brushing together as they stepped in the car, and the realization hit her that hers and Soul's were doing the same thing.

She hoped everyone around her all made it back all right. She really did, but she forgot to think of herself.