"What is this about Maka falling to the great design." Spirit yelled plucking Kid up from Maka and profusely shaking him back and forth.
Kid just sort of stared at Spirit, he knew out of everyone Spirit understood the meaning of those words. He flung kid manically bombarding him with question.
"You know were not suppose to talk about when a humans life is coming to a end." Kid whispered.
"You're talking about my daughter, don't you think I have the right to know these things." Spirit screamed irate he began stomping Kid into the ground repetitively.
"I have been trying to guide her through it without anyone even realizing." Kid said with a growl he made no motion to move. Some how he felt he deserved this abuse from Spirit, this and a lot more.
"People shouldn't have to worry about when they have to die, it limits their potential and causes them so much grief they cannot enjoy the time they have left." Kid choked out blocking Spirits shoe from hitting his face.
Kid watched as Maka lowered her head, her bangs were hiding her eyes her shoulders slumped forward. Maka released a few words in a almost breathy whisper, "I'm suppose to die?"
Kid flicked Spirit off of him as if he were nothing more than a piece of spent garbage, and sat on his heels in front of Maka. His own need for self abuse was being overwhelmed by the aura Maka was giving off. She was frightened, contemplative and shivering, in the humid cave. Kid reached out quickly and snapped her hand from her and placed them in his lap, he raised her bangs and looked into her large watery eyes littered by unspent tears, and spoke quietly.
"Look around you, do you honestly think, any of us would let something like that happen to you." Kid explained sternly he didn't let his voice raise above a whisper as he scolded her.
"After all we have enough Lazarus here to bring back the whole city of Las Vegas." Soul said happily. "I don't see what everyone is so worried about.
Kid shot Soul a dirty look, but decided that conversation would wait.
"Life has turning points, twelve turning points, there random events that can cause your life to end or for you to survive. Currently seven of those events have happened for Maka."
"Seven." Spirit said frightened and collapsed to the ground.
"That means there are only five left, to decide Maka's future." Liz pondered out loud.
"Wait, wait, wait, where did the other seven events go?" Black Star questioned.
"Well the witch that attacked last night was one event. The lizard from a few minutes ago was another. There was a flock of ravens that we nearly dodged on the way home from school."
"The car crash?" Soul asked nervously.
"Yes that was meant for Maka, but we avoided it. The witch was accidental though, it created a turning point where there wasn't supposed to be one but it worked out in our favor."
"Wait I only counted four events."Tsubaki said checking her fingers.
"Maka nearly slid into the lazarus less than a hour ago." Soul added
"And two of the events were failed. Two of the antagonist can lead to another event." Patty added darkly.
Soul looked up suspiciously. "My brother," Soul whispered.
"My brother was the one that was attacking us before you came in. He was furious with me, and seemed to be hell bent on hurting Maka." Souls explained slamming his fist into the fallen rocks.
Quite a few of the rocks tumbled away and smacked against the ground and the others could hear yelling coming from the other side.
"Were all ok" Stein said yelling back over the pile of debris.
"So what do we do lock her up in a tower somewhere till all the turning points have passed." Stein questioned.
Kid noticed Spirit liked that idea a little too much and started smothering Maka against his chest. Maka struggled and could not break away. Well that was until Patty hauled off and kicked Spirit in the rear while giggling. Patty grabbed up Maka all to herself and knit her hands with hers giving Maka a reassuring smile and nod.
"No I think we just need to make sure Maka stays safe, the only place where there are no turning points is the never after, and I will not have Maka waiting in limbo just so we can protect her." Kid answered emotionless.
"Why the Hell not!" Spirit yelled grabbing Kid by the throat and proceeded on pummeling him once more.
"Because it's no way to live." Liz said worried.
Kid nodded his head as Spirit started another assault, it was like he wasn't even feeling the blows, so he just let the overprotective father fling him around. He couldn't blame Spirit he understood everything he was thinking, and agreed with him on nearly every point, except sending Maka to the never after. The never after would make Maka go insane, with boredom the only company she would have would be his father, and Kid realized more than anyone, that being surrounded by the spirits of the dead seeing nothing but death was hard to look at.
"Wait if we just have to endanger Maka's life to get past a turning point wouldn't that be pretty easy than?" Black Star said happily.
Maka looked up at Black Star as if a light had just come on. "Your right it wouldn't be that hard to do and since we would be in control of the situations, we could make sure the outcome comes the way we want it."
"Absolutely not!" Kid, Soul, and Spirit, screamed at the same time.
"That would be hard to control with the Oni around." Patty chirped.
"Oni bring calamity and can cause bad luck and misfortune that can end your life." Kid explained. "It's just too risky to try."
"So why are there Oni floating around Maka?" Soul barked.
"I don't know the answer to that question." Kid answered with reluctance.
Kid knew Oni had to be summoned but who was the summoner. He watched Maka slide in between his arms and he gave her a tight reassuring squeeze. Maka didn't look like she was ready to cry anymore, she didn't look happy either. It was like she had just crawled into herself, and Kid enveloped her in a tight hug to defend off any insecurity she was having, and Maka returned the gesture by gripping on to his waist.
Spirit hauled off in kicked Kid in the head to pull him out of his thoughts. He was tired of seeing his little girl gripping onto him so much. That was a job for her Daddy, he watched disgusted as Maka seemed fall into Kid's arms with a empty doll like expression, the only sign of life she had to her was how tightly she was squeezing Death the Kid.
"I want answers, and what good is all that useless knowledge in your brain if you can't tell me how to save Maka! Clear you head and think god damn you. How can we save my little girl." Spirit spat out viciously. He head butted Kids head nearly missing Maka.
Stein slid a scalpel under Spirits neck and gave him a threatening look. "He can't think if you give him a concussion Spirit." He's not Shinigami-sama. Well not yet anyways.
Kids head swam with emotions he felt like he was falling down a into a big black hole. Everyone was looking at him for answers, they wanted to know how and why, and he knew that he had already explained too much information about the grand design and death. He could feel the pressure of everyone's eyes on him. Souls eyes piercing into him questioning angry were the worst, he was wondering why Kid had kept such a secret. He felt a small warm hand grip his shoulder. He looked over thinking it was Maka's and found Patty smiling at him, she had on her victory smile, the one that let him knew everything was ok.
He rocked back on his heels and maneuvered Maka onto his hip. He had only heard one viable answer to the dilemma so far and he bit his lip not wanting to make the suggestion.
"Do we really want to put Maka in the Never after till this blows over?" Kid questioned, his voice filled with a no nonsense tone. This was business after all, he was changing the life of a human being, something that was considered taboo and forbidden to all Shinigami's because of its selfishness.
"Yes" Soul and Spirit yelled at the same time without a second reaction.
"NO!" Black Star yelled back at the two of them.
"Black Star?" Tsubaki questioned curiously.
Black Star gave a strong kick to the rocks and the collapsed tunnel became nothing but dust. His gloved hand wrapped around Maka's wrist and he dragged Maka away from Kid and up the path he had seen Rasp escape.
"Don't bother following us as long as you asses got that kind of bullshit in mind. It's Maka's god damn life, she can use or lose however she wants." Black Star proclaimed with his nostrils flaring and his finger pointed up at the sky.
Black Star tugged Maka forward down long winding tunnels away from their friends. He noticed Maka was looking rather lifeless a emotionless husk of herself and he got upset. He noticed the cave was opening up larger and larger and there was light up ahead. He flung Maka over his shoulder carelessly feeling she wasn't trying to move fast enough for him. He then bounded up a series of rock that took him up a vertical cliff side. He could hear the traffic now from outside. Automobiles were wizzing down the road at high speeds. Finally he was up the side of the cliff and to the top of the road. He plopped Maka down on a guard rail crossed his arms over his chest.
Again he took in her expression, Maka was hollow she had no glimmer life, fear, sadness or anger to her. She looked lifeless already, and her life was still yet to be claimed by lord death. A smear of revulsion crossed Black Stars face. She was giving up already.
"What the hell do you think you're doing?" Black Star yelled annoyed.
Maka seemed to awake from her day dream and shook her braids and loose hair back and forth to clear out the cobwebs in her mind.
"I don't know what you're angry about?" Maka shot back confused.
Black Star looked her over and noticed somehow all the piss in vinegar had been drained from her spirit. She was wringing her hands together, she was scared.
"You're going to let your father and couple of assholes throw you into the never-never, and not say a word to defend yourself." Black Star proclaimed wildly.
He pushed one his digits into her chest poking her to drive the point in. "Since when did you decide become all stupid and useless... "
"I'm not ready to die yet..." Maka explained in a breathy whisper. Her eyes became watery but did not shed the tears, she wasn't ready to cry yet; she was still in shock.
"Is having a boyfriend turn you into to some kind of stupid princess...that makes you content to stay locked up in a tower. I didn't think you liked the idea of some ass hole saving you." Black Star ribbed ruthlessly. "You never seemed to like it when Soul tried to box you in with that bullshit."
Maka's tears dried up, she was listening now. Part of her felt a ember of anger flitting across her stomach. What the hell did Soul have to do with any of this.
"I've never really even considered losing before much less dyeing." Maka rasped out in a tone filled with gravel.
"That's because you're not suppose to worry about dyeing idiot! Your suppose to fight!" Black Star gave Maka quick rap on the head with the back of his fist.
"I see you getting bullied right now, and I think your taking it because those idiots are all in agreement! They are trying to make you into a useless little girl, and what's pissing me off is you going along with it. Your just staring at them empty letting them decide your future for you. Only useless people do that."
Maka's cheeks flushed over, she could feel anger growing in her stomach. Was what Black Star said right. Were they treating her like some helpless princess. Her brain flicked over to one of her least favorite video games, and remembering the plumber happily bounding over bricks to save his princess. She'd always wondered why the princess never tried to escape, her mind wrapped around the answer, it was because that princess was useless that's why. She was a trophy wife of some dumb plumber.
Black Stars eyes flit over Maka's expression, he tapped her on the shoulder with his fist. And Maka punched him back on this tattoo as if she had been aiming for the star.
"Oh yeah it don't count unless it bruises right." Black Star said with a smirk and did another quick jab at Maka's shoulder, he did it just hard enough so it would sting and leaving a good size welt for a while. Maka punched his shoulder again twice as hard landing in the same spot.
Black Star sighed happily and gave her a smirk. "Don't let some dumb guy change you into something you're not Maka. You're not weak and you're not some prize to be won."
Black Star stretched himself out and leapt onto the guard rail. "You ready to tell em' to f*** off now?"
Maybe not in those words. Maka said sheepishly pulling on her long hair, she produced two twin pieces of elastic from her pocket and separated her hair pigtails.
"Well how about wasting another one of those so called turning points Death the Kid was talking about." Black Star hollered back with a cat call.
"You mean tempting death?" Maka said wide eyed, she finished fastening up her hair and looked over the high cliff side that Black Star had cleared in a matter of well placed jumps.
"Yep." Black Star said stretching his knees by jumping up and down on the guard rail.
"What are you thinking?" Maka asked cautiously.
Black Star pulled Maka into a embrace and slid her onto his back effortless. He took a running jump back off the cliff where he noticed students were starting to emerge from the cave. They were standing about on the beach below looking for the two of them.
"Yahooo." he cried feeling his leg tighten with the spring and the feeling of his feet leaving the ground. The wind twisted threw his medium blue hair raising it off his neck. He could feel Maka's breath on his shoulder it was warm and comforting until it twisted into a hair raising scream of fear.
It felt good, just like when they were kids, Maka was grabbing on to him hanging onto him as if she were receiving a piggy back ride. It made him feel strangely nostalgic, it felt right, like all the pieces in the world were just coming together in the right order. His mind was clearing as he fell, even with Maka's death grip around him, he knew this was the way it should feel.
Black Star watched as the small ant like figures became visible, Death the Kid was standing there staunch white shivering and pointing his finger. Finally the stress became too much for him and blood shot out of his nose and he passed out. Soul had his hand gripping his shirt trying to act cool, but instead was wading his shirt up into a ball over his heart. Liz was yelling, Tsubaki had her hand pressed to her forehead embarrassed, Patty was laughing hysterically at her would be brother, and Spirit was rushing around the beach with his arms out as if he was trying to catch them, and Stein well Stein was just Stein he was tugging on the screw rolling his eyes un-amused.
"Maka you got to see this idiotic expression your Dad is making."
Maka opened her eyes just quick enough to see what Black Star was talking about and smiled down at her friends and waved. He could feel her grip loosen on his back.
"Ok when I push you up on your feet you need to flip backward so you can stick your landing." Black Star yelled.
He twisted Maka so she could see his face, they were in a sky diving form and yanked her up by her ankle. Black Star was content to watch her land so he decided to take full impact on the balls of his feet. He knew this would make a impressive entrance he had done this move before and loved the way a crater formed around his feet. He watched Maka flip onto the sand gracefully her feet landing lightly. Then he made his own large dent that sent the sand flying. He could hear all the students coughing and yelling wondering If Maka had made it, and gave his own snort of amusement.
"Of course she made it you idiots, Do you think a Star like me lets his supporting cast fail." Black Star bolstered.
"You god damn idiot. What the hell do you think you're doing. You could have killed her!" Kid screamed he tackled Black Star to the ground, and launched him up with his feet.
"Totally un-cool Black Star!" Soul yelled he was looking for Maka in the cloud of dust and sand that Black Star had made with his flash entrance. Souls hand reached out and he grabbed onto someone but found it was Hiro, as the dust started to clear.
Black Star could hear Maka giggle, and Tsubaki and Patty do the same, but he had no time to dodge the melee of martial arts attacks Death the Kid was sending his way. He felt Kid's foot connect with his face, and his hand connect with his rib. He knew that move, Kid was obviously going for a throw. He pulled himself inward so he could gain a footing after Kid followed through and went sliding across the sand.
"Get a hold of yourself, before I decide to get serious." Black Star screamed.
"You dare, jump off a cliff with my girlfriend! Is your brain mush or something or did you not listen when we were talking about the Oni, the only safe place away from the Oni is the never after." Kid yelled arrogantly.
"You know I'm kind of getting sick of hearing you a Soul scream my girlfriend this and my that... Maka is her own damn person, and last time I looked this team was called team Maka that means she calls the shots!" Black Star called back mockingly. He let the top of his shirt cover his mouth. He wasn't angry but he would be damned if he'd let her see the satisfied smile on his face. Black Star was pretty happy right now, a cool entrance, he got to play the hero and he made the other leading men look like chumps. This was turning into a great F***ing day, all the action of a good movie. If he would have only been able to defeat the lizard like Maka and Patty had done than it would have been absolutely perfect.
"You can just forget that idea about having me hide in the never after were going with plan C!" Maka added disgruntled. She watched as her voice halted kid in his tracks stopping him mid punch.
"What's plan C?" Liz asked feeling she had missed something.
"Were going after whoever is targeting us. Were taking the offensive." Maka sang happily. She had seen Patty do this and realized it produced the desired effect often enough.
"And who came up with this plan Black Star?" Soul spat.
"No I did." Maka said cutting Soul to the quick. "It's my life and I'm not going to live it in fear of dyeing."
Black Star silently rocked back on his heels and shut his mouth. He had a smug grin on his face that he couldn't hide. That was the Maka he knew. "Princess toadstool could suck it!"
"But Maka sweetheart..." Spirit started.
"Can it you old leach!" Maka yelled back annoyed.
Maka turned on her heals and gave her best suck up look to Stein. "Dr. Stein, Souls brother said he was dead that he was missing his soul, that means he's a zombie right?"
"Well technically he could be any number of things. Was he a drooling staggering kind of zombie or did he seem to have a sense of self."
"He could still play the violin." Soul added emotionless.
Soul fidgeted a bit on his heals it was sinking in now, Wes was dead. His breath smelled like Lazarus. Maka had said he was without a soul. That meant someone had killed Wes. Souls stomach hurt. His relationship with his brother had been a love hate relationship. He admired his brothers skill but he envied him. He hated that his brother had put him in the spotlight so he was constantly compared to him. Though Wes was extremely good to him he could not return his affections, he could only see jealousy when looking at the young man.
Their last words before the encounter, had been in anger. Wes had questioned why he chose to become a weapon, why he was content with being with Maka. He had insinuated that Soul was acting out of a stupid boy hood affection. That he was in love with his meister and Soul had denied it.
He looked at Maka now and knew what Wes had said had been partially true. It had bothered him that his all seeing all knowing brother understood that before Soul himself did. That made it hurt worse.
"He's better at everything, even being a weapon. " Soul bit back.
He wanted to mourn to feel sorry for his brother but he was angry. Wondering who could have killed him, who could have gave him so damn much power, and how did he learn to use it so quickly. Souls jealousy and anger engulfed his soul . e would mourn later. Later when it was just he and Maka, and he would make the time when he could cry alone. It was more important to look after Maka right now, to concentrate on the familiar.
Maka sensed the change in Soul. She padded over to him and looked him wearily.
"We'll get him back to normal Soul. If he can think and move like that there has to be something still left in him." Maka said optimistically.
"Zombies do not have the articulation to be able to play the violin usually." Stein added rubbing his chin. He lit up a cigarette and began puffing away. Turning the bolt on his head.
"Don't tell me that shit Sid teaches first period, and your telling me he ain't a zombie." Black Star spat.
"Sid still had his soul intact when we turned him over."
Black Star hated when Dr. Stein brought up Sid's name as far as he was concerned that murder shouldn't even be allowed to breathe Sid's name allowed. Hell he shouldn't even be walking. He'd like to turn Stein into a zombie. He snorted to himself, Yeah that would be a good punishment, a eye for a eye.
"Didn't you say the ancient Egyptians had a way of using lazarus that tricked the people into thinking dead dictators were still alive." Tsubaki interjected. "To do that you would have to have a pretty articulate zombie."
"It would take a hell of a lot more than goats blood to pull that off, what your suggesting. Someone would need to be using Lazarus and a motley of different techniques." Kid added remotely.
"My brothers breath stunk of it, it smelled like he had been drinking pine sol." Soul added in a deadly tone.
"The witch had a Christmas tree smell too." Patty added.
"What witch?" Spirit questioned looking at Patty and Liz.
"A witch attacked guillotine manor last night." Kid added stoically.
"She was with Wes today too." Maka added, "We saw her face she was actually pretty beautiful."
"She said something else too..." Soul added. He looked primarily at Spirit for answers.
"We over heard them talking and the witch named Murder was talking about a blond meister from Japan going by the name of Scrye and some sort of power struggle between her and woman named Bella Morte. There was another name mentioned something like Baron Bone, or Baron ... ah shit I can't remember his last name."
"Bella Morte?" Kid gasped shocked.
"You heard of her?" Liz questioned.
"We need to get all the student's back to the DWMA." Kid barked at Stein.
"What worries me is that if there has been two attacks, one last night on guillotine manor, and another one on Soul's brother, that someone may be targeting the loved ones of DWMA." Spirit said quietly.
"I can guarantee you if Bella Morte is involved than there is more than just a grudge against the DWMA." Kid said viciously.
"Its unsafe here out in the open, at least if the students were at home they would have threshold magic to protect them. We need to notify all the love ones of that students they could be targeted."Kid added quickly.
Death the Kid's words were coming so fast he doubted anyone could understand his orders. It had been sixteen years since he heard the name Bella Morte uttered by anyone, and his heart still ached at the sound. He had buried that part of himself, believing her to be a traitor to have left his family because she could not handle the pressures of living in the never after.
He regretted now having mentioned Maka should but put in the never after to keep safe. After all if a powerful woman like his mother went insane and felt the need to run from his family. what would Maka do. His eyes lingered on Maka, she was holding Souls hand, no doubt to try to comfort him for the loss of his brother. He didn't feel jealous though, oddly enough. He felt sorry for Soul. It just seemed Soul was having on disaster after another piling up on him, he wondered how long it would take for the cool kid to snap and buckle under the pressure and he hoped he would be able to help him when it happened.
"We need to get back to the mirror." Stein barked at the students.
The students looked around lost not sure if they should go back into the cave or which direction to head down the beach.
"Were probably just a little farther down the beach, haul ass people it's time to go home!" Stein said pointing the direction he wanted the students to run. The students began picking up gear and moving like a well organized army, this sort of thing was routine. They would pick up everything leaving no trace that they were ever there.
"What about the Lazarus Pool? Spirit said pointing to the cave.
"We found them down there, they won't be stupid enough to try that spot again." Stein said enigmatically.
"Besides we may need it." Stein commented looking at Soul.
Soul and Maka were the first to make it back to mirror, and found a odd site. The students that fell in behind them looked up at the sky and noticed the wavering clouds, and thunder rolling in. There were carcasses of dead birds everywhere. Dead ravens and dead crows, littered the landscape. Birds still attacked each other in the air. The larger ravens were scratching at the crows pull at them pecking at them and flinging them into the broken mirror.
A crack of thunder in the distance made the eerie sight even more unpredictable. The students watched as lightning chained down on waves, and the current began pushing inward.
"The witch" Liz cried out.
"No those are just leftovers, she got away." Kid said taking in the sight.
"Why are the soul birds attacking them." Soul questioned to Kid.
"Because whatever she is, they want her Soul, and evidently its overdue." Kid said with a wry grin.
"Oh no what are we going to do they broke the mirror." Hiro cried out stating the obvious.
One of the ravens flew up to Maka and began dancing about her feet. It eyed her wearily and made a movement to get close to her, the bird jumped back when she tried to touch it. With a loud bang the bird fell over dead.
Maka looked over at Kid incuriously. "What the hell did you do that for."
"Quit playing with those birds tiny tits!" Soul said yanking Maka over to him by the pig tails.
"I guess it slipped." Kid said giving a crooked grin.
Kid noticed Soul was smiling at him knowingly, he was tormenting Maka, with a Indian burn she fumbled her footing over the beach, no longer paying attention to the crying birds as Soul tormented her.
Kid lifted his gun again and fired another two shots into the air. Scaring off the rest of the flock.
"Where are we going to get another mirror that can get us all back home." Jackolynne questioned.
"We need one as big as the one in the class room to dial back home right." Ox Ford added.
"We'll have to hit a store is all." Stein said drolly.
Stein noticed his stomach made a awful noise than and he belched. Spirit too was now looking a little green.
"I need a bathroom." Spirit announced loudly.
"What do you expect us to do." Maka said pointing at the beach bathroom up the hill.
Maka watched as both Spirit and Stein took off faster than she had ever seen them move.
"What's wrong with them." Tsubaki questioned.
"Sea water." Kid snorted in disbelief his laughter came out in chuckle and he covered his lips.
"Evidently Stein's formula didn't take into affect salt waters natural property." Harvar said with a sneer.
Ox looked disturbed, "So they're going to be in the bathroom all night."
"More likely the hospital as much as those two drunk," Harvar said unsympathetic.
Maka looked up slightly concerned. "Should we call them a ambulance?"
"Poor Dr. Stein" one of the female student's cried out. Her thumb danced over her cell phone dialing the emergency number.
Within about fifteen minutes a ambulance arrived and a couple of patrol cars. The police officers came down to the students to question them but everyone gave the same answer. They were learning to scuba dive and a current caught Maka's dad and Stein went in after them. It was a complete lie but students of the academy were use to making up such falsehoods.
Kid looked over the officers and caught a familiar glint of a piece of jewelry.
"What are we going to do with all these Kids there professor is in the hospital and it's not like we can call their parents to come get them out of the country." The EMT questioned.
"Maybe we can call the school." One of the officers suggested.
"Weathers getting kind of nasty maybe we should get a hold of someone from the American embassy."
"Yeah that bull shit about them being from a school in America isn't sitting with me. Half these students are speaking all different types of languages, to each other, and everyone seems to think it's completely natural. Looks like some brats from a united nations meeting."
One of the officers noticed a lithe looking black hair boy standing next to him.
"Excuse me officer may I speak with you a moment." Kid said singling out the man with beaded necklace under his collar.
The officer looked at the strange boy and his very English like manors. He sounded like the son of a aristocratic family from Europe. The officer was use to tourist but something about the boys eyes were unnerving.
"My friends and I are looking for a place to stay for the night, we'll be gone in the morning and out of your hair, and we would be willing to give a large fiscal donation to both you and your CHURCH if you would make arrangements to put us up for the night."
The officer felt unnerved, Who the hell was this brat and what did he know.
" I think you and I practice a similar faith," Kid said raising a long strand of beads that had his ornate skull necktie clipped to it.
"I don't know what you're talking about," the large man snorted. His ebony skin reflected in the strange looking silver skull. He recognized the beads but not the totem.
"You see are professor had a ulterior motive brining us to Jamaica, Originally we were suppose to go to Haiti to study the indigenous religions there but because the earthquake and then the hurricane he decided that Jamaica would have to do.
The cop looked the pale boy over again. His eyes, were wrong. They were spirit eyes. They were gold.
"Soul, Maka, Black Star, come over here a second." Kid called over waiving his friends to him.
The cop looked over the weird looking children. The white haired one had sharp teeth and red eyes, the blue haired one had a deadly cold stare one that resembled people the officer had locked up as harden criminals. The girls eyes too were unusual, bright citrine that dance with power. None of these children smiled. They look angry predatory. He noticed the girls hair was pulled up with two skull looking hair pieces that matched the boys medallion.
"You ain't kids," the cop said looking at the skulls that decorated all the students clothing.
"Actually we are." Kid said amicably.
"I know I have put you in a uncomfortable predicament. I meant after all its hard to practice on such a small island but today we had a rather unfortunate accident. I'm sure you saw all the crows and ravens on the beach, and our broken mirror, you see were kind of stuck here at the moment with no way to go home."
"What do you need to go home spirit?" The cop growled softly to the student.
"Well we need the other two spirits, ironically one is named Spirit and the other that looks like nzumbi is named Dr. Stein"
The policeman clamped a hand over Kid's mouth as he said the word nzumbi. He looked over cautiously to the other officers and EMT workers that were passing out blankets to the children, he thought were spirits.
"Kid-kun were not suppose to talk to the locals." Maka said worried.
"Are you nuts, he's a cop and a strait." Soul growled bearing his sharp teeth.
"Jeeze Kid even I know you don't talked to the civilians where you're out on the land like this." Black Star said amazed.
"I'll take full responsibility for my actions with my father, I assure you." Kid said uncomfortable. His hand was cold and he reached out for Maka's. The wind was picking up and he hoped this gamble would work.
"I will call the members of my church, and we will put you up for the night, If you promise you will leave in the morning." The police man proclaimed agitated.
"Good work guy." Kid smiled happily "I think we just scored us a place to wait out the storm."
"Why the hell would you tell a civilian about us?" Black Star questioned.
"He's a myal-men they are what we came down here to study." Kid said happily.
"Yeah but he's still a civilian." Soul said anxiously.
"Tell the students' that's were going to put on a little bit of a show tonight. I want everyone to use their powers." Kid proclaimed happily.
"WHAT!" The three students shrieked.
"These people pray to death gods and spirits for good fortune, they are going to be on their best behavior and honoring us in their own way for the services we perform. Its only right to give them a little bit of showmanship back for their efforts. It's not like they don't know we exist, this is a religion that focus around magic and healing and zombie raising and all the stuff that we are, they should be rewarded for their act of charity." Kid said happily.
"And this has nothing to do with the guy saying he could score us a mirror." Soul questioned Kid.
"Soon as he see's us walking back through the mirror he's going to know something aint right." Black Star added.
Black Star understood the plan now, and he didn't question it. If the voodoo guy or Obeah man or whatever they were called wanted Death Gods he'd perform. It sounded like fun to him. They'd give these civies a hell of a fright.
"I don't know a catholic temple that would open its doors this late at night to a pack of students." One of the EMTS questioned.
"My church, is charitable to children like these, we can take care of them. I'll stay here with the kids till we can get them over to it. Go ahead and leave."
"Thats a hell of a lot of kids. To shack up in one church." The other officer questioned reluctantly.
"I thought you hated kids Dominic," the female officer snickered amused.
"I can deal with older kid's ones like these, there not all smart ass little punks like we normally deal with." Dominic said shuffling the other officers into their cars.
"I never thought I'd see the day when you would go all protective and pious over a group of school kids." the female office said happily she gave Dominic a wink before getting into her squad car.
Dominic felt a smug smile cross his lips. His luck was already changing, strange how magic works. He looked back to the golden eye boy and gave him a smile. In his gut he could feel these unworldly children were not what they seemed. Looking at them alone had revealed that, and he scoffed at the stupidity of the other officers. Soccer team indeed, he doubted these kids ever even played with a ball. He looked off from the dark haired boy with the gold eyes. His hair was unusual, most all the students had unusual hair, a pink haired child was talked to itself alone on the beach. Another two girls in western attire cackled manically they looked more like tourist, but the voice of the youngest had a strange laughter. The bustier quiet young girl sat stroking the back of the hoodlum with the blue hair and the creepiest of the three stood off to themselves. He watched the red eyed demon and the amber eyed demon stand protectively around their green eyed witch.
He started dialing down numbers on his phone watching the strange trio keep to themselves. They weren't jovial like children, they were more like little adults, trapped in children's bodies. The idea sent shivers up and down Dominic spine.
The phone rang and Dominic heard a grainy voice answer. "hello."
"Call the congregation we have a emergency." Dominic spoke into his cell phone.
"What kind of emergency." The woman questioned "The police find out about us?".
"I'm watching the children of the dead frolic on Burwood Public Beach, they are asking if our congregation will send them home."
The woman on the other end of the receiver, let out a loud laugh. "Have you been drinking Dominic."
"You know I was always a skeptical even though I am a practitioner. I am no longer skeptical, there are about thirty children here, and there is a thunderstorm coming in. They identified me as being a practitioner of Obeah with just a look." Dominic said nervously.
"I have sent the officers that responded on the scene away, please send members out to come get these children." Dominic urged again.
"So you get spooked boy and now you believe. Dominic go home and sleep it off." The woman said with a laugh.
Dominic watched the golden eye boy walk up to him.
"Tell her we need a mirror is five foot wide by six foot deep." Kid proclaimed happily.
"She don't believe me." Dominic said defeated.
"Tell her to look out her window, the one that faces the graveyard." Kid said happily
He snapped his fingers and heard a series cries come from the other end of the phone.
"What you do demon?" Dominic yelled at the boy.
"Nothing I just gave her proof. That's what everyone wants right, proof." Kid said casually.
Marie yelled back through the receiver. "Ask that boy what his name is."
"It's Kid, Death the Kid." said a devious glint of laughter playing on his lips.
"I'll get everyone together." Marie called out and quickly hung up the receiver.
"What kind of name is Death the Kid." Dominic barked.
"One that describes what I am. I guess it could have been worse, originally my father wanted to call me Death Jr." Kid said happily.
He knew he was scaring the cop shitless and somehow the Shinigami inside his was extremely satisfied. Oddly enough it was the first time he felt his blood sated as he happily dangled his otherworldliness in the cops face.
"What is that other demons name?" The cops said pointing to Soul.
"Soul Eater." Kid said happily rocking on the back of his heels.
"What about the witch?" The cop said pointing to Maka.
Kid looked around worried for a second and noticed it was Maka who the cop was pointing to.
"Oh she's not a witch, that's my girlfriend." Kid said happily looking at Maka.
"What is she then." Dominic said sitting down on the sand.
"She's a miester, I guess in your language that closest I could translate would be grim reaper. It's not the correct word for it though. Some of the students call themselves technicians."
"You date a grim reaper?" Dominic asked confused. He was wiping his hands through his short curly hair.
"Doesn't it make your nervous dating a grim reaper." Dominic asked worried.
Dominic was having second thoughts. Either the boy was playing with him, or he was up to his ass in evil spirits. Either way his stomach was doing flip flops. He noticed some of the students were carrying weapons now. Strange otherworldly weapons and his heart did a little dance. Some of the students were also gone now.
"Were missing some of your spirit friends." Dominic said scanning the sands for the missing students.
"No they are just getting ready to go." Kid said comfortably.
"To answer your question from before though. No it doesn't bother me, the only thing I worry about is I might not be good enough for her, that I might mess up and not be able to protect her. Or that she's going to dump me flat for some other guy." Kid said slightly relieved to be talking to someone.
The cop snorted, "Not good enough for the Grim reaper, what exactly are you demon?"
"Figures the grim reaper would be a woman." Dominic shook his head confused.
"I'm a Shinigami. It roughly translates to Death God." Kid said reluctantly.
"Death God?" Dominic whispered becoming afraid. "So all those children out there..."
"Grim reapers and weapons." Kid said darkly
"Don't worry they are not permitted to reap human souls, as I said Grim reaper was probably a bad choice of words, and technician doesn't seem right either. I know think of them as weapons masters!" Kid said rambling.
"Give me a second to address the class and I promise I'll explain better." Kid said walking down the beach to the center of the students.
"OK everyone go ahead and transform. It will be easier to fit us on in cars if we don't have so many students to accommodate. Those of you that can fly don't! use the vehicles provide for us till we get where were going."
Dominic watched as children started disappearing. His eyes fell on the witch like girl and watched as the strange demon boy next to her transformed into a monstrous scythe. The girl hulked the thing over her should as if it weighed nothing. His eyes than went over the so called death god and noticed two blonds were approaching him. They disappeared in spray of pink light and two guns landed in the death god's hands. A similar thing happened to all the students. The blue haired boy had some type of Japanese weapon that Dominican didn't know the name off. Another girl carried a flame weapon, a tall boy had a set of massive fist, and another boy a long spear. The pink hair child was now carrying a huge bastard sword, its gangly appearance looked like it could barely carry the long weapon. All the children had a rather strange unnatural glow to their eyes in the dark.
Dominic heard the cars pull up of a rowdy group of men in trucks and watched the members of his church pour out from them excited. They laughed all the way from the car down to the beach, until they took in the eerie eyes of the children against the dark sky.
"HOLY Shit." The first Obeah said coming onto the beach.
Dominic noticed some of the men and women stunk of beer and was creeping their way toward them.
"Evil spirits." Another Jamican cried out, through her drunken stupor.
"Just spirits not evil." Dominic said unsure of himself. The religion of Obeah said that spirits like these children were neither evil nor good. They were just spirits.
"You mean to tell me the cops saw these kids Dominic and they just left." A old man said climbing out of a rusted white pickup.
There was a strong wisdom coming from the old man. Dominic had spoken to him a few times before but not often. The old timers always seemed more devout and knowledgeable even though there speak was often, slurred and full of accent.
"They didn't look like this a second ago." Dominic said raising from the sand.
Dominic had seen enough freaky stuff tonight he felt partially immune to it now. Talking to someone that called themselves a death god blowed his mind. Nothing after this would surprise him again.
"Form up into units and dived yourself into the cars." Maka yelled to the class.
Dominic watched the girl in the tank top heave her scything over her shoulder the blue haired gang banger and the pink haired child moved toward the amber eyed boy.
"Chrona your with Hiro!" Kid called back over his shoulder.
"Shouldn't we take Chrona and Hiro with us." Black Star questioned.
"I think the two of them might enjoy each other's company." Kid said softly.
Dominic was surprised to hear a note of concern in the little thugs voice. He was a lot younger sounding than he looked. His eyes were softer now, and he noticed the boy easily bounded in the back of the truck with a single leap. He reached down to haul his to friends up, but both Maka and the boy known as Kid had leapt up in the truck in the same style.
"Maka are you cold?" Kid questioned
He began unbuttoning his outer shirt before Maka could answer and slipped it over her bare shoulders.
"They act like normal Kids." Remy said taking in the three children huddling together in the back of the pickup.
"Yeah but they ain't normal kids." Dominic said sliding into the passenger seat of the truck.
"They are death spirits All three of them. The one riding with us is the leader." Dominic said proudly.
He was glad he was no longer spooked, it wasn't good for a cop in uniform to look frightened, even if it was spirits from beyond that they were transporting.
"So whatcha think Marie going to say, when she see dem" Remy said with a think Jamaican accent.
"The boy already gave her the freight of her life." Dominic said amused.
"I though you didn't believe in spirits that much. You said last time it was going to be your last meeting." Remy proclaimed back with a snort.
"Weird how the gods work." Dominic said.
"That boy back there the death god singled me out, off two patrol cars of cops and two sets of emt's he picked me. It was like he knew I was straying" Dominic said nervously.
"Which one is the death god? The blue hair one?" Remy questioned.
"No he's got gold eyes. That green eyed girl is the Grim reaper, that's his girlfriend." Dominic said nonchalantly as if he knew exactly what he was talking about.
"She's a cute little thing, never thought death would be a little blond girl, with braids." Remy said laughing.
"You should see her partner. Scary he's actually that scythe she's carrying. Boy looks like a demon. Red eyes white hair fangs. I think he might actually be a true evil spirit. The death god worried he's going to take his girl." Dominic gossiped.
"Seem to me they act like normal kids, if they be worrin' about stupid stuff like girlfriends, and being cold." Remy said with conviction.
"You saw them, how could you think they are normal." Dominic said vehemently.
"I didn't say they weren't spirits, I just found it interesting, them two boys are pawning over that girl like some pubescent teenager." Remy explained his eyes watching the review mirror his voice grew thick with slang.
Dominic turned around and noticed the two heads of the boys were carved into the little girls form. He didn't think that spirits could get cold, but the three of them were huddled together like they were freezing. Maybe he should have gotten them one of the rescue blankets.
Dominic noticed the rain was beginning to fall now, and soon the trees were bending to and fro. Luckily the old warehouse on the Warf was open and he noticed the first of the trucks were pulling inside.
The young passengers in the back hopped out of the truck before it had even fully stopped, and moved there way over to the fire in the center of the warehouse to get warm. Dominic didn't want to think about how many fire codes, his fellow practitioners were breaking. They through pallets into the center of the pyre and watched as the strange children leapt from weapon form to human again.
"Excuse me mister police officer. Can you tell me where we are compared to where the ambulance took my Pappa?" The green eyed girl questioned. Her eyes took on a even more unnatural hue in the fire light.
"Your Pappa?" Dominic questioned.
"Spirit, the red headed man." Kid explained for Dominic.
"Oh he's your dad." Dominic stuttered.
"Right now you're on Lower Harbor St. in Falmouth. Your dad is at Falmouth hospital it's not very far away." Dominic replied forgetting he was talking to some one otherworldly.
"You going to go check on him?" Soul questioned.
"Not yet, I want to see the class get settled first, I think it would be best if the Spartoi showed a united front right now."
Dominic watched as the silver haired demon wrapped a large necklace around the girls neck. He looked at her possessively, and Dominic knew why the death god was unhappy.
"The gods they mimic the living." Remy said pointing to the two.
"Those two ain't gods." Dominic said with a snort.
"It's a term of speech junior." Remy said peering at the children.
Kid raised his voice over the crowd "Everybody calm down."
The students turned their faces to Kid with a look of doubt on their face. "Were going to spend the night here, in the morning Spirit and Dr. Stein will be back and we'll head back through the mirror to the other side."
There was a murmur from the adults. Kid had anticipated that, he had chosen his words perfectly to push the fact the students were all more than just ordinary humans.
"How are we going to stay here it's a warehouse." Kim questioned.
"None of us have eaten yet either." Killik added.
"Hungry Souls!" one of the Obeah woman whispered frightened.
A tall black woman, called out over her congregation, she was dressed in long white skirt and had black tattoos over her body, her head was wrapped in bright red and yellow African head scarf, and she had sea shell and bone jewelry hanging from her neck. "I've all ready thought of that."
"I take it you are Marie." Kid said with humorless snort.
"We got blankets and food coming, and we got your mirror coming too." Marie said show a strong front to the children.
For Marie it was important to show no fear in front of the spirits, she was head of this congregation and her teachings taught her to embrace deaf. She had called up the women first and told them to bring a pot of food for offering to the spirits, She told them to bring blankets and bread so they could decorate their alters and show their offerings to the spirit world. It was easy for her to pretend these children were just children, they looked and acted like normal kids. Even if their eyes and strange games were scaring her congregation. The musical members of her sect began pulling out the instruments and she watched happily as the food began arriving it would be one grand party tonight to send the spirits home. She would see to it.