Birthright

AN: Finally, the chapter I've been waiting for! This will be awesome.

Chapter 21: Family issues

A bloodline curse?

Somewhere in the streets of Vegas, a black and red figure was leaning against an ally wall. Mereck felt like passing out. His body hurt in places he didn't think it was even possible. He didn't look any better than he had the night before. In fact, he looked worse.

Every bruise he had gotten was now plainly visible. The entire right side of his face was swollen and he couldn't open his eye, his right arm and leg were almost limp and he was struggling to keep his eyes from loosing focus.

'Mental note... Don't piss her off again.' Mereck thought and a small chuckle escaped him, but he immediately regretted it as his body protested in pain. "Where are they?" he mumbled with irritation, "We don't have all fucking day."

After being unable to find Sarah the night before, Mereck used a nearby window to call Kid. He told him what had happened. Kid said he would send someone to meet him at the alley and that they would be there that morning. It was now 9AM and Mereck was getting pissed.

"That's it." Mereck decided and started limping toward the alley's exit, "If they aren't going to show, I'll just have to find her myself." As he exited the alley his good eye was assaulted by the harsh light of the day. He brought his hand up to shield his eye and felt a pain shoot through his whole body. His knees buckled and he collapsed to the ground.

His body started trembling and a tear fell to the ground to shatter, just like Mereck's hope.

"Damn it! I'm so useless! Who am I trying to fool? I can't do shit like this!" He hit his fist on the ground and used the pain to fuel his scream of anger and anguish. The sound resounded around him, adding to his loneliness. He sobbed and a few more tears added to the previous one on the ground.

"How could I let this happen?" he asked in dismay.

"That's what I'd like to know." A female voice filled with contempt said. Mereck looked up, with difficulty. He tried to focus his vision. The street was empty in the day except for the occasional person striding by, but right next to Merck stood 2 people.

"Oh great," Mereck mumbled standing up, "He sent you." He basically spat the last word.

A vane pulsed on her forehead.

"Maka CHOP!" Mereck lay on the ground, thoroughly knocked out. Soul started laughing and Maka put her book away.

"You didn't have to hit him that hard!" Soul got out between chuckles.

"He pissed me off." Maka huffed and frowned at the passed out, twitching, Mereck, "Besides, we need him to rest and he wouldn't allow that. He'd see it as a waste of time." Her fist tightened at her side.

Soul looked at his wife who had the rare look of concern on her face. He smiled his signature sharp toothed grin.

"You two are a lot alike in that way, I guess." He stated. Maka wanted to punch him for suggesting she and a witch could ever be the same in any way, but instead she looked up at the sky.

"I guess." She said vacantly. Soul put a hand on her shoulder and gave it a re-assuring squeeze.

"Don't worry, we won't lose her. I won't let it take her."

Maka put her hand on Soul's and a tear fell to the ground.

"We already lost her Soul." She said in a quivering voice and turned to look him in the eyes as tears flowed from hers, "All we can do for her now, is give her peace." Soul tensed as the pain of those words stabbed through his hart. They had talked to Kid about this and the conclusion was reached that Sarah was too far gone. They would have to kill her, but Soul knew there was a way to get her back. There just had to be.

"No Maka. I can't kill my baby girl, I-" She slapped him through the face.

"Do you think this is EASY for me?! I HATE myself for having to do this! I don't know if I'd be able to live with myself! Don't try to give me this shit! That'll only make the hopeless outcome HURT MORE!" Maka burst out and fell into Soul's arms. Despite the slap he comforted her as she cried hysterically.

"You don't have to agree with me, but hope is all I have at the moment." He lifted her chin to look her in the eyes, "Hope and you. Cry for now and let it all out. Later we'll handle everything, ok?" He finished. Maka nodded into his shoulder and the crying continued.

Mereck woke up in an unfamiliar bed in an unfamiliar room. It took him a few seconds to recall everything.

"Oh yeah, I guess she's the original Devil Woman." He said rubbing his head and feeling a little stiff. He realised his wounds had healed somewhat. Even the swelling had gone down. Now that he had his strength back he drew a rune in the air and said "Heal". He felt the uncomfortable process as broken bones fixed them self and snapped muscle strands knitted back together, but after words he felt much better.

Mereck stood up and did a few test punches in the air and was glad to see he was back in peek fighting condition.

"Good," He remarked as he flexed his fists and looked out the room's window, "I'll find you Sarah, I promise."

Mereck exited his room and saw Soul and Maka standing at a table over a map.

"So we've finished sweeping this area and as far as I can tell she hasn't made that her hunting ground, so that crosses out here and here too since- Oh, morning Mereck." Maka said. Soul looked up and smiled at him. Mereck glared at them.

"How much time did I waste?" He demanded and Maka sighed.

"I told you." She said to Soul and then turned to Mereck, "You've been out for 2 days." Mereck frowned.

"Well I guess it can't be helped." He stated after a long pause, "So, what cha got?"

Maka pointed at the map.

"So far we've eliminated 3 possible hunting grounds." She stated, pointing out the three areas.

"What do you mean 'hunting grounds'?" Mereck asked with a frown, "Are you saying she's some kind of animal?" Maka looked down at the floor and then back to the map.

"Basically, at this point, she isn't much more than-"

"No! You're wrong! She isn't an animal. She's too intelligent to resort to hunting grounds." Mereck burst out. His tone turned contemplative, "I wouldn't be surprised if she's shadowing us. Making sure what our next move will be."

Maka balled her fists. She took a step forward to start arguing, but Soul stopped her with an outstretched hand. She glanced at him to protest, but resigned and walked back to the map.

"Hey, lets you and me have a little talk, disturbing the woman while she works isn't cool at all." He said and ushered Mereck out of the door. Maka looked at the closed door and silently thanked Soul. She didn't think she could hold out on beating Mereck to a pulp much longer.

"So, what did you want to talk about?" Mereck asked soul as he leaned against the wall and Soul leaned against the railing opposite him.

"I wanted to get your opinion on the situation." Soul said nonchalantly.

"Like it matters, you two don't give a rat's ass about what I think." Mereck stated and looked at Soul with a challenge to deny it. Soul sighed and looked at the sky.

"Look, I know Maka can come off as abrasive-"

"She tried to kill me!" Mereck interrupted and Soul just laughed a little at the memory.

"Yeah she did, and to be honest, I don't blame her." Soul said with a serious look at Mereck. It made him feel more than a bit uncomfortable.

"You see," Soul went on, "our whole life, we've been taught that witches are the badest of the bad, the scum of the earth. Basically they're just not cool people. Now suddenly we are expected to be ally's to one and teach it what we teach our children to survive. As you can imagine that isn't something a parent would like to be ordered to do."

Mereck looked down at his feet. He knew full well how the people at the DWMA saw him, he felt their distance every day and he understood why. He hated his own kind too, but he knew that individuals aren't all the same as the group.

"I get it." Mereck stated, "I'm a wild card. You can't fully trust the enemy that is trying to help you. Hell I'm sure I'd have done the same thing if I were in your shoes, but you see, I thought the same about you people." Soul glanced at the boy.

"See, I was raised by my mother. She taught me everything I know, everything I am. It makes sense to think that I should be like her right? I should be the exact replica of her since she was the only role model I had. She hated you people. She taught me to kill a meister and or weapon without a second thought, but you see, she did something I couldn't forgive." Mereck tightened his fist and a look of pure hatred burned into his face. Soul knew that hatred well; he had made friends with it a long time ago.

"Look, I know how much it takes out of you to trust me with Sarah... I can see you guys love her, like parents should." Mereck smiled at Soul, "It saddens me that she can't see it, but I know she still loves you guys too, even if she doesn't show it. It's there. I just wish she didn't inflict a life without good parents on herself... Death knows I wish I had that choice. Like I said, I didn't know if I could even trust the DWMA let alone join you guys, but Sarah. Sarah was the exact opposite of what my mother taught me, she was kind, fair and she didn't care that I was a warlock. To her I was a person. I'm willing to give the rest of humanity the benefit of a doubt because of her." Mereck's fist tightened, "That's why I'll save her no matter what I have to sacrifice in the process."

Soul smiled a small smile at the sky and then looked at Mereck, "I'm not sure yet, but I think you're a cool kid. I hope you prove me right." Mereck turned back to the door.

"I'll try my best. Now let's go work on a plan." He said, but Soul caught his arm.

"Before we go back in, kid, I need to tell you what happened to Sarah." Soul said looking at the ground.

"I know what it is. My mother experimented with Black Blood for a while too. I've seen this before, but it wasn't this bad." Mereck confessed. Soul's grip tightened for a second, and then relaxed again.

"It's not just that, Sarah was born like me... an albino." Mereck's eyes widened and he spun to face Soul, "She had my hair, my eyes... my curse. See, in my family, we are born as albinos. It is a mark of our curse. We are drawn to violence, but we are taught from birth to suppress that lust. One night we woke up and found her missing, I imagined she had gotten into the world and started to kill people like our family was cursed to do..." Soul trembled a little, "A week. A whole week we spent looking for her, not knowing if she were still alive or dead. It was hell. Then suddenly, one night... She was back, but her hair was black and her eyes were green. I didn't know if it was a miracle or an omen of disaster." Mereck shook a little. 'That can't be a coincidence. There's no way... It has to be her.' "We still don't know what happened, but this, her hair and eyes changing... It seems her Black Blood and cursed life has entangled her in a cage of madness."

Mereck turned the knob of the door and swung it open. "Thank you for telling me." Mereck said and went inside. "I need some time to think." He strode past Maka without a word and back into his room. Maka looked at Soul.

"You told him..." She stated more then asked.

"Yeah, I guess I did." He admitted, sticking his hands into his Jacket pockets.

"Idiot." Maka said and went on with her work.

Mereck stared out of his window. Sarah was out there somewhere and it was his fault. He looked at his hand and squeezed his fist. "I'll save you... I can't involve others." He whispered. Closing his eyes Mereck focused on the ally he and Sarah had been and drew a midair rune. He whispered "Teleport." and a weak white light enveloped him and just like that, he was gone. He opened his eyes and saw that he was back in the ally.

"Hah, my first try and it worked." Mereck smiled at his small victory. He turned to where he guessed the hotel was. "Sorry Soul... Just keep that woman in check till I get this done." And with those words Mereck was off, dead set on finding his partner.

"I'm so glad you could make it here." A hooded figure with a sweet female voice announced into the shadows past the green glow from her crystal orb.

"Anytime!" A wild giggle responded and Sarah's twisted smile came into the light.

"So when's dinner?" She hissed and started cackling with the sounds reverberating in the shadows.

AN: I SO wish I could show you guys these damn scenes like they are in my head... I wish I could make this a fan fic anime! That would be EPIC! But sadly I can only write so I'll keep doing my best... Reaper Out!