Head for the battlements. War is hell, without a devil.

Shibusen Academy entrance

"Hurry! Take a squad with you and head towards the Death Rail stations. We have to make sure we get all the civilians out before they get the chance to break through." Maka and Soul gathered as many students as they could and began to issue orders and assignments with all the fervor of commanding officers.

This newest group ran off immediately to carry out their orders; it was at this instance that Maka saw the Diablons hurrying up the colossal stairwell, all re-dressed in combat suitable clothes and with each of their partners in weapon form.

"Great, you guy's are finally here." Soul called to them as they gathered around the two veterans.

"Where are the other teachers?" Marie asked.

"Lord Death and the Thompson sisters went to the front to overlook the situation." Maka answered. "We sent Natsumi-chan to go retrieve Black Star, Tsubaki-chan and Hisako-chan." Maka then noticed that the group was missing two members. "Where are Rogers and Muramasa-chan?"

The group became sullen at the question. "They went to go find …" Mint started but found her self unable to hold onto the hope that whatever the two find will be good.

"I see." Maka subconsciously took Soul's hand. She two could not bare the news of Gabriel's sudden demise.

"Hey no long faces!" Soul called out to get all their attentions. "It's too soon to start mourning. I've seen Gabe walk out of plenty of bad scrapes completely unscathed. And even if he was dead… he'd never want you to act like this because of it." His words seemed to hit a chord in the group of teens as new determination filled their eyes. "That's what I want to see."

"What do you need us to do?" Daniel opted, resting his hand on Rosa's hilt and Hana on his shoulder.

"For starters, Leon and Mint." Maka addressed the two. "There have been reports of sightings of Mori's automatons, among other things. I want you two to split up and join the groups sent out to hunt these things down."

"It will be done."

"Got it!"

The two ran off in opposite directions. Daniel headed for the lower areas and Mint keeping to the top.

"Wu Tian and Mariam Swallowtail." Maka addressed next. "Most of our distance fighters have headed to the front with Lord Death, so I want you two to join them."

"Yes ma'am!"

"Distance!" Wu complained, though a threatening look from Maka shut him up instantly. "Fine, but were getting there at my speed." Marie gave out a startled gasp and Robyn and Sora called complaints as Wu threw the blind meister over his shoulder. "Hang on! Jet Step!" And in a blink of an eye, he was gone, already sprinting through the twisting and turning streets at break neck speed.

"That just leave Xeal and Phoenix." Soul stated as the twin sword meister waited at attention.

"Alright, were counting on you to help the civilians through the death rail tunnels. A group's just been dispatched, so they shouldn't be to hard to catch up with."

"Understood!"

And once again, Maka and Soul were alone. Maka turned to look at Soul only to find her husband's back turned to her and his fist clenched at his sides. Maka immediately understood what he was feeling as she rested a hand on his shoulder. "Not to cool get this upset in front of kids is it?"

"Neither in front of my wife." He said turning to face her, his eyes had an intensity she recognized from their academy years."

"It's just like with Thomas isn't it?"

"Yeah."

"Don't worry. Our Gabe's a tough kid and he's got great friends. The best thing we can do is make this Malus bastard pay." She held out her hand to him.

"Right." He took it without hesitation, his free arm immediately shifted into the long purple blade of a scythe. His body flashed white and became a long handle that rested expertly in Maka's hands. The veteran scythe meister spun her weapon in a series of complicated scythe forms; spinning her scythe in a windmill motion and juggling the scythe's handle around her neck before it finally came to a stop over her shoulders.

"Feels nice to be working together again." She commented happily.

"I missed you too honey." Her scythe remarked coyly.

"I'll let that one slide." She added back and rushed off to join her comrades in another great war.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Cabacura

"Irrashai!" Blair called happily, expecting that the customers had returned. She blinked curiously when it was a new group of men in dark coats and long brimmed hats. The men lurched forward with mechanical grace.

"Blair, get down!" The magical cat complied, shifting into her purple furred cat form as Bob blasted the first of the group off its feet with the double-barrel shotgun he keeps behind his counter. Still, the remaining three barreled through, snatching the weapon away and grabbing the man by the throat with a grip like iron.

"Pum pumpkin…" The automatons turned to see the small cat chanting and waving her paw at them. "Halloween cannon!"

Boom!

Wood debris and mechanical appendages flew from the hole Blair had made in the shops front.

"Dammit Blair!" Bob complained, rubbing his bruised throat. But his employee seemed busy watching a far off alley. Bob followed her gaze and saw a pack of huge hopping rodents heading in their direction.

"Gomen Okame-san." Blair said as she shifted back into human form. "But it's time for a cat to do what she does best." Her excited grin unnerved him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The basketball court.

Plaguea's automatons were given only two specific instructions.

Capture the Devil Buster.

Eliminate all threats.

Their mechanical brains were not installed with any clear understanding of what was not a threat other than their master and their allies. Anything else was either the Devil Buster or a threat. The brown haired boy, in a white concert tee and a thin scarf wrapped around his neck, dribbling a basket ball was clearly not the Devil Buster, which specified it as a threat.

"Eliminate all threats." They rasped, finally getting their prey's attention. He didn't appear stunned or scared. Not even when they encircled him and each pulled out their individual chakram.

Not even when they pounced on him.

"Kage-Henshin!"

Scrape! Ring!

The pack of robots appeared confused as their chakrams sliced into each other. Though they were mostly unharmed their were confused over how their intended victim had just disappeared in that one instant.

"You gear heads looking around for me?" The robots turned to see a new human behind them, crouched in a position to imply he just landed from a high jump. This new threat had jet black hair and equally dark clothing with the exception of a red bandanna around his arm.

"Come at me then." Kei turned to face them, revealing twin points of green fire where his eyes were. He held out his hand to the side where more green and blue fire began to shift into a solid form. The fire had formed a silver opera like visor which he slipped easily across his face.

"Kage Senshi, Kei! Ikuzo!" He brought his guard up, one arm perpendicular in front of him and the other's elbow resting on the first's fist and pointing upward.

Unamused by his theatrics, the automatons leveled their firearms and opened fire. Kei somersaulted into the air to land behind the slow robots. He took the first down with a low kick, prompting it to trip and accidentally pumped holes into two of its comrades. Kei finished off the fallen bot with a falling punch.

Four robots remained. Each re-equipped their chakrams.

Kei grinned and pulled his arms back, spread eagle.

"Avenger Fury!" He rushed in at high speed, his hands a blur as they shot left and right in chopping motions. He finally skid to a halt behind them, three of the four seemed to instantly crumble apart in their own miniature junk heaps. The last of four turned its head frantically from the piles of scrap that were its comrades.

"Oh I got something special for you." Kei remarked coyly. He started back flipping toward the now retreating mech., his body glowing in the blue energy of his wave length. "Jack Knife Rush!"

He seemed to pass right through the too slow automaton and skidded to a stop as his victim just stopped moving. Kei dusted himself off and made his way past the still robot toward the exit. As he passed by, he tapped his unfortunate victim on the shoulder, causing its two halves to finally come apart.

Kei exited the vacant lot and looked toward lowest level of Death City, where he knew more foes would eventually gather to.

"This time, I will protect will protect your home." He vowed aloud before finally sprinting off.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

The Front

"Made it!" Wu skidded to a halt as he reached the parapet like outer walls of Death City. He gently set the panting Marie down on her feet. While she fussed over how unkempt her hair had become due to the high wind speed, Wu recognized some familiar faces from class.

"Oi, Susan!" He called to a blue haired girl in a black trench coat looking through the scope of a Barret 50 cal. The girl waved them over. "What's the situation?" Wu asked.

"There seems to be force of ten-thousand strong." She answered, pulling up her red rimmed shades to reveal a pair of green eyes. "Lord Death and several one and two star meisters have already gone out to take the fight to them."

"Sounds like your kind of party Wu." Susan's rifle said, showing the reflection of girl that looked like a slightly older Susan winking at him. Sora frowned from her reflection at Susan's sister and partner, Selina.

"Alright! Sora, let's rock it!" He said swinging down from the parapet to enter the fray.

"Let's give him some cover girls." Robyn said as Marie loaded a trio of arrows onto her hand crossbow.

"Ooh! I like a man who takes charge." Selina said, causing Robyn to blush.

"Resonance Link!"

A white orb rose up to envelop the two meisters as Marie's arrows began to glow a bright pink and Selina shifted form to become a Famas rifle.

"Star Light Arrow: Flock Shower!"

"Bullet Time!"

The two girls let loose with their rapid fire finishers, peppering the ground in front of them with bullets and energy arrows, taking out hundreds of automatons and chimera.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Another hell spawned beast fell before his fist as many more rushed in, straight to their deaths.

Duncan smacked away an oncoming rat-flea Chimera with a back hand and smashed a charging automaton with a haymaker that shattered its skull like face.

"Worthless scum." He said pulling up his boxer like guard in challenge. "I'll send you all to oblivion where you belong. He drove his fist forward, blasting apart a pack of advancing chimera with his Silver Gun technique.

He kicked away the corpse of a dead chimerae as he marched further into the chaos.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

"Resonance rate: Stable."

"Noise: .25 percent"

"Charging will be complete in 3…2…1"

"Okay to fire!"

KID uncrossed his twin Death Cannons as the black spikes on his shoulders began to spark with blue energy and purple light built began to glow within his weapons barrels. A cross hair appeared in his pupil as the Lines of Sanzu on his hair began to glow.

He pointed his blasters straight ahead as his colossal target drew near. The squad of Promethean mechs led by a Thanos mech and flanked by a flock of flying chimerae showed no fear as they advanced on their waiting target. They really should have.

"Death Cannon." Twin blast of purple energy erupted from the cannons' barrels, enveloping the charging entourage.

As the dust cleared only the Thanos mech remained standing, though incredibly burnt and missing both its arms. It peered about for its target who had suddenly disappeared in the insuing blast.

Suddenly, it felt a powerful impact as its head seemed to be crushed inwards. It fell back, joining its bretheran who were all lying dead in a perfect circle around it.

Kid stared proudly at his work. "Ah! Even these machines can appreciate the state of such a symmetrical death. Truly exquisite."
"If you say so KID." Liz sighed. Patti just cackled away.

Alright the battle is under way. The Diablons split up and we join the supporting cast as they take part in the battle.

Thankyou Spartan for your Ocs Susan and Selina Battles.

Please review.