DISCLAIMER: I do not own 'Soul Eater'. All rights belong to Okubo Atsushi. I also do not own any of the songs referenced. All rights belong to their respective owners. I only own this fanfiction. Thank you.
The tension in the church was palpable as Maka continued to watch everything unfold. She couldn't believe this was happening-had she gotten caught up in some kind of heated battle between clashing crime syndicates?
Giriko spat, his breathing slightly labored. "Skills, what the fuck ever! You're too damn short! Like hell you could kill me as is, Mosquito!" Okay, so it seems the two men knew one another. What a weird name for a henchman. "The fuck you here for, anyway? I ain't even reported to Arachne about the status of the mission! And you fucking shot me too, you goddamn pest! Trying t'sabotage me?!"
Wait, were these two supposed to be on the same side? Maka was so confused! "Giriko, what's going on? Who is this guy?"
The younger male was now making an attempt to rise to his feet. She watched him struggle, holding his side as he glared and grinned at Mosquito. "This is another one of Arachne's loyal servants, but unlike me, he ain't handsome and he ain't strong. He just got lucky, waving that little pea-shooter of his." His grip tightened against his wound. It obviously hurt, but he was doing a great job of acting otherwise. "This is nothing."
Mosquito still had his gun trained on Giriko, ready and willing to shoot again as he strode forwards. He would've taken great pleasure in ending the wild man's life. Always so brash and rude! He had no manners, no taste, no class! He was strong, but that was about it. Yet he saw himself as something more than the menial labor he was destined to be. He thought he was good enough to be with someone like Lady Arachne.
His pride bristled. Who did this upstart think he was, anyway? He wasn't worth her time, and Mosquito was about to prove why. "I'm here," he started with a superior tone as he came to a stop before them, "because Lady Arachne sent me."
Giriko snorted. "Yeah, right. She knows I'm capable of handling my missions just fine. I can do this shit in my sleep!" Was he going to try and lie his way out of this?
Maka found her hand tightening around the gun before she knew it. They needed some sort of defense. Mosquito's attention hadn't been drawn to her yet, but it was only a matter of time. She didn't even know if she'd be able to properly protect herself, much less anyone else against an attack, but she wasn't about to die without trying.
The elderly male chuckled. "Perhaps that's the way it was in the past. But this time, Lady Arachne had a few doubts. So she sent me along to make sure you did it correctly." He was smiling now, gloating and knowing as his eyes landed upon Maka and Crona. The blonde felt her heart drop. "From what I saw and heard, her suspicions were well founded."
He sneered. "You traitor. Pathetic! To think you'd be swayed by someone so vulnerable and insignificant." Maka felt a flash of anger, even though she wasn't really in a position to do anything about it. Not yet, anyway. Was he looking down on her?
"Heh!" Giriko looked a bit demented now. "Then you've just given me the best excuse to take you out! I've been waiting for this moment for a long time!" Mosquito's sneer didn't diminish, as he watched Giriko's empty hand grip at the air. His expression changed; now he was frantic. "Hey, where the fuck-" Maka wanted to facepalm. Had he not realized he hadn't been holding the pistol this entire time?! He must've been too caught up in the moment! But she wasn't about to hand it to him and reveal everything to that damn bug man!
"What a pity. It seems you've lost your weapon. Thankfully, I still have mine. And, I have enough bullets...to take out all of you." His eyes swept over the gathered group.
"Urk!" That was when Maka heard it: that pained grunt. Crona! She whirled around, to see that the girl was now hunched over and clutching her head. "Ngh-!" Oh, no! Don't tell me-she's having an attack now?!
Crona was lost. So very lost. She didn't understand what was going on. She remembered she'd been supposed to be afraid of that man, the one Maka called 'Giriko', but for whatever reason, she hadn't. Maka seemed to look at him as a friend, and who was Crona to question her judgement? Besides, when he'd held her...the contact was new and sudden, unexpected, but it didn't really hurt Crona. Not the way it was meant to harm her.
But then suddenly, she'd seen the other man come in, that old man who had used that thing, the 'gun', on Maka's friend. Now Giriko was bleeding. He was bleeding a lot. The blood stood out to Crona. It called to her. That voice that had remained so silent this entire time was beginning to wail. To scream. Ragnarok was awake once again. And he was angry.
"You bitch...trying to get away from me! Trying to trick me! Stupid Crona! You stupid bitch! Look what you've done now! It's all your fault! They're fighting because of you!" He didn't hesitate to hit her, hard. Maka, and now the two males as well, were gaping at the sight of Crona slamming her fist into her head. Giriko knew the girl was supposed to have issues, but he didn't think he'd be seeing them firsthand like this. "Uhh...is it okay for her to be doing that?"
What kind of question was that? "Of course not! Crona, don't listen to it!" Maka tried to rise, keeping the gun behind her as she attempted to turn and stand. But Mosquito quickly stifled her efforts, swinging his weapon to point at her instead. She froze immediately, unknowing if she'd actually be able to hit him first if she drew now, and not wanting to risk it just yet. Hopefully, he wouldn't shoot her anytime soon.
"You're not going anywhere. First, I have to report the situation to Lady Arachne." He pressed something in his ear. Giriko was tense now, watching him with bated breath. The old coot had come prepared with a com link, just waiting to deliver the 'bad news'. "...hello, this is Mosquito...yes, I'm with him right now. The mission...has been compromised."
Mosquito looked so pleased. "It's just like you thought: he has betrayed you." There was silence for a few moments, aside from Crona's whimpering and the occasional sound of a strike. She was alternating between pulling her hair, hitting her head and pinching her face.
Maka never would've foreseen herself in a situation like this: being held at gunpoint, wedged in between her lover and a mentally ill friend, with a gun of her own in her hand, and no clue how to use it. And now, the gunman was contacting her guy's boss and old flame, who just happened to be a crime lord. Erm, lady. What kind of fucked up soap opera was this?
"Hm." Mosquito looked at Giriko, pressing another button in his ear on the headset before taking it off. "She wants to talk to you." The younger male felt his heart thud painfully in his chest. Was Mosquito really telling the truth? Had Arachne been able to sense his second-guessing?
"Giriko." Her voice came through loud and clear, an even tone that chilled the captured group, Giriko in particular, as soon as he heard it. He had no idea what to say. A part of him still fought, to hold onto everything, but he knew that it was a losing battle. In the end, he didn't really want it, he just couldn't imagine being without. To choose otherwise, to actually face up to the reality of breaking away from her, it was scary.
To turn away from the mother figure who had raised him into the man he was now; the first woman he had ever given a damn about, the woman who was meant to be the only one. His one and only. She was meant to have all of his attention, his devotion. He was only meant to exist as a puppet, an offshoot of her. That was what she required of him.
That was what he was leaving behind.
"Do you remember the spider I gave you?" His head shot up then. "It's funny, really. I was always able to see you, even while we were apart all that time. But one night, you just...disappeared. I had to search to find you again, yet even at that time, I knew." Her voice was growing taut. "I knew I could no longer trust you."
No way... It all made sense now. Giriko was staring ahead in disbelief. How could he have been so blind? "You...there was a tracer in the spider."
Now Arachne was chuckling. "So you aren't just muscle and drive. That's nice to know. I wasn't entirely wasting my time on you the other night. It's too bad, I thought we'd had some real fun." Maka felt her chest tighten. Did Giriko and her...
"Tell me, Mosquito." The Spider Queen's tone had gone hard and icy. "Is there another woman in the picture?" Mosquito chuckled at this.
"Yes, though I wouldn't call her such. But there is another." Silence. Then, her voice once more. "What does she look like?"
"Small build, fresh out of high school. Blonde with pigtails and green eyes."
Arachne let out a mocking laugh. "She sounds like a child! Is this really the kind you go for, Giriko? Immature, nosy little runts?" She understood the gist of the situation all too well.
"Girl." Now she was addressing Maka directly. "Since you so desire to have my servant as your own, you two can spend eternity together under the Earth. Mosquito, you know what to do." The old man nodded, a gleam in his eye. "As you wish, Lady Arachne." He was about to turn the com link off, when her voice rang out once more. "Oh, and Giriko?"
He'd been standing there this whole time, his jaw hanging open slightly. He didn't answer her, his eyes were boring a hole through the door straight ahead. Arachne didn't wait for him to reply.
"It was really amusing, wrapping you around my finger like that. You were so determined, so very certain to win my heart. Perhaps if I actually had one, your efforts may've paid off." He could imagine the smile on her red lips, stretching them out wide as she prepared to deliver the finishing blow. "As it was, you did provide me with some very enjoyable entertainment. I wasn't bored." At this, Giriko felt something finally snap inside of him. A new expression of rage was twisting his features, as he began to laugh.
"Heh...heh heh heh...heh heh! Are you fucking kidding me? That's it? That's all you have to say?!" Letting go of his bloody wound, he pointed a stained finger at the elderly male and his communicator. Maka was watching him in stunned transfixion.
"All this time! All my life! I spent every moment working for you, giving you every fucking piece of me I could offer! You swooped down and tempted me, but I fucking made sure you got your money's worth! Even being the fuck-up I am, I was still human enough to admit I gave a shit about you! And all you can say is 'it was a fun game'? No, fuck that!" He was panting now. "I'm not just some mindless drone! I ain't your fucking toy!"
Giriko threw his head back with a mighty roar that aggravated his wound. But he didn't care. "And the entire time, I thought you gave me that stupid pendant 'cause you actually cared! What a fucking fool I was! In the end, you didn't give me a fucking thing! I was so stupid to expect anything more from you! But you won't win-you can't take my soul away from me! FUCK YOU! Fuck you, you goddamn black widow! I reject your poison! Ahahahahahahaha! You can't take my soul away from me!"
He was clutching at his side now, gritting his teeth in that ghastly pained grin with wide eyes. Maka swore she could see the faintest glimmers of tears in his gaze, but the next moment, they were gone. Arachne's voice came through one last time.
"I've heard enough. Finish the job, Mosquito." With that, the link shut off. Mosquito put it away, and turned his focus back to Giriko. The gun was shifted once more in his direction. He was smirking broadly now. "Since you're the most aggressive of the bunch, I won't risk you getting involved if I shoot the other ones first. And I really hate you as is, so I will enjoy sending you off." He was practically salivating. "For Lady Arachne!"
That's IT! And now, it was Maka's turn to snap, at all the arrogance and betrayal surrounding her. She was sick of these liars, sick of them lording their power over their heads. Sick of watching them tear apart the man she had grown to love so dearly. It was time to make a choice, and take a stand. "Shut up already!" Maka's outburst startled Mosquito, giving her just enough of a chance to swing the gun upwards in her hand and fire off a quick shot in the old man's direction.
She felt like she was going to go flying back-the force from the bullet was immense! Was this what it actually like to shoot a gun? It almost hurt, the kick was so strong! Airsoft had nothing on this!
Mosquito let out a cry, falling to his hands and knees. The weapon clattered from his hand, as Giriko gaped in fiery astonishment. What the hell?! The elderly man was now clutching at his leg. If he'd been surprised, then it was safe to say that Maka was just as confounded. She couldn't believe it, even with the evidence right in front of her face.
I...I shot someone-! She'd managed to hit him?! What kind of luck was she working with here?
No! No more worrying! No more stalling! This was their chance! She wasn't going to dwell on these things, she hadn't the time! Scrambling to her feet, Maka bolted towards Crona, and yanked her up by the arm. She let out a yelp, but the blonde paid no attention to her cry as she began running for the doors. She looked back at Giriko, frantic. Why was he just standing there?
"Grab the gun and run!" He looked at her as if he didn't understand. His whole world had just come crashing down on him, his entire system of beliefs. Didn't he need some time to...he didn't know, grieve?
Maka screamed at him then, in a panic. "Do you wanna die here?!"
Her words brought him back to the present. That's right! Beliefs? Whatever! Grieving? Ha! What loss was there? He wasn't gonna die, not here and certainly not now! He still had big things to take care of, important things! He was going to pay Arachne and her stupid goons back for what they'd done to him. But he couldn't do that if he was just sitting around like a sloth and moping over shit! He needed to move!
"Rgh!" Diving to grab the gun, he spun around on the floor and forced himself to stagger back to his feet. He aimed the weapon at the still immobile Mosquito, who was lying on the floor. "You old fart, I have you now! Heh!" Giriko was panting, ignoring the ache in his side, the dizziness in his head as the blood loss began taking its toll. A small trail was beginning to spatter against the ground.
Maka was watching anxiously. "Don't do anything flashy! We just have to get out of here!" Carefully, awkwardly, Giriko began walking around the stationary man, in the direction of the two girls. Maka had one arm wrapped around the trembling Crona, while the other was extended towards him. "Come on!"
Mosquito began to chuckle then, and Giriko paused in his actions. That sound. That fucking sound. "What the hell is so funny, huh?!" He was ready to blow his brains out, but was stopped by a sudden scream from Maka.
"No! Just leave him! No more death!" With as much pain as he was in, Giriko had to concede her point. But Mosquito wasn't done with them just yet.
"You dumb brute...do you really think I would let you get away that easily?" He was holding something in his hand, a small syringe with a blue liquid contained inside. A wicked smile was on his face.
Giriko was instantly on edge. "What's that? That ain't none of that madness shit or whatever Arachne was planning on releasing, is it?" Mosquito shook his head, as he held the needle up against his neck. Maka was baffled. Madness? Releasing madness? How was such a thing possible?
"Just as I thought, you don't know. Well, since you're about to die anyway, I'll tell you. Lady Arachne's been working on many forms of biological weaponry. The madness formula is just one of her projects. She's also been researching genetics, enhancements. Special serums, that can turn the ordinary soldier...into someone extraordinary! Hng-!" With that, he injected himself with the solution.
Maka was watching in horrified awe. What fresh hell was this? "Consider this a sneak preview of Lady Arachne's brilliant future-for her new world!" Giriko jumped away with a stumble, backing up towards the girls as the old man began to twitch and swell. His body was mutating right before their eyes!
As clothes were stretching and tearing, Mosquito's upper body gradually grew into an overly larger frame, to the point of being grotesque. His head was swelling and his features were distorting with the increase in size, both squished and spread across his face. His arms were especially thick, with large hands. But his lower half was so tiny! It hung above the ground as slowly he walked forward on his fists. Like some deformed human-ape-bug man hybrid.
"What do you think? This is with a 100 dose of the formula!" Mosquito was grinning, and Maka felt sick to her stomach. This wasn't happening. This couldn't be. Now Arachne was injecting old men with steroids from Raccoon City. What kind of fucking story was this turning into?! This couldn't be her life, it was impossible!
Giriko was standing in front of Maka, with the gun drawn. His stance was shaky and his breathing was labored, but he was ready to fire at any moment. "Maka, hold up your weapon."
She looked at him blankly. No way. "Y-You can't seriously be expecting to-"
"We have no choice! Get your friend to the door, and help me hold him back!" Help. He needed her help. It was time to put up or shut up. This was what she'd wound up signing on for. If she truly cared about Giriko, now was a good time to show it, not tell.
Carefully, Maka held the girl's shoulder in her free hand as they locked eyes. Her expression was grave and serious. "Crona, listen to me. I need you to go to the doors and open them. Get outside. Don't look back. Just focus on getting through the doors."
The pinkette was shaking now, her eyes wide and fearful, darting about. This was too much, too much for her to handle! She couldn't process any of this! "Maka, he's-and I don't understand what's-"
Maka shook her then. "Don't follow the voice, and don't follow me! Just run for Crona! I'm telling you, as your friend: get out of here!" With a shove, the girl went stumbling back. But at those last words, Crona had fallen silent. Ragnarok could scream all he wanted, but it didn't matter. Maka needed her to do this, needed Crona to listen. She needed her not to be broken. For once, Crona would try. She'd try her very best to make Maka happy. With a last searching look, Crona turned away, and began shuffling towards the exit.
Swinging around, Maka was now doing her best to aim the gun at the large creature before her. She couldn't really call him a man anymore, could she? Looking over at Giriko with a nervous, slightly aggressive smile, she let out a shaky chuckle. "This isn't my forte, at all. Look at the things you get me involved in." He gave her a tired grin.
"Hey, you came chasing after me, even after I let you go. Face it, we just can't get enough of each other." His attention returned to the mutated Mosquito, and his expression became charged with adrenaline. "We're stuck together, may as well make the best of it."
She nodded, and prepared to engage, even as her legs were shaking and her palms began to sweat. Her heartbeat was going too fast to track. Mosquito was now grabbing at one of the pews, and ripping it from the floor.
"Get him before he can use it as a projectile!" They started firing. There was no command to go, it just began. Maka was in fast-forward. She didn't have any idea how to handle her weapon properly, and was mostly doing her best not to shoot someone else unintentionally, be it herself or her partner. She didn't think she'd ever get used to handling a gun. Still, she hoped that at least some of the shots were making it to their target. With the way she was flailing from the force, she really couldn't be sure.
Mosquito was now swinging the pew around. "Feel my wrath!" He let it go with a mighty toss, and Maka let out a yelp. It was flying straight towards them! She was too stunned at the sight to move. Without a second thought, Giriko dove towards her.
"Jeez, get down!" He tackled her to the floor, and let out a grunt of pain as they hit the ground hard. The pew crashed into the wall, just a little ways away from the door. Crona hadn't quite reached her target, and let out a terrified wail as she ducked and covered her head from the splintering wood. She couldn't make it there, this was impossible! Ragnarok was shrieking at her, that she would die!
No, remember Maka! Crona told herself. Maka told Crona not to listen to him. To run for Crona, and run for the doors. Maka wants Crona to be happy. And Crona wants Maka to be happy, too. A deep breath in. Get to the doors! With a restored resolve, as frightened as she was, Crona resumed her quickened pace towards the exit. The doors opened inwards. She remembered that.
"Rgh..." Giriko rolled over, clutching his side and the gun as he looked down at Maka, panting. "Stupid! When something is flying at your face, don't just stand there! Fucking take cover! I ain't here t'save you all the time!" How the hell had he let himself get wounded, anyway? He needed to get his head in the game! He wasn't just fighting to survive on his own, he had to worry about Maka now, and that little pink-haired weirdo, too. Since she was Maka's friend and all, he figured she'd be pretty pissed at him if he let her get killed.
He wasn't used to giving a crap about anyone other than himself, though! And Maka had no fucking idea how to handle gunfights! Well, to be honest, this had turned into more than just a fight with pistols. It had turned into something straight out of the latest video game turned movie adaptation. He knew Arachne was hungry for power, and he'd known about some of the shit she'd been working on, but not this! What other secrets had she been hiding from him? What the hell, he actually had to run from that old fart now! This was ridiculous!
As he rose to his feet, he prepared to fire off another few rounds at Mosquito's hulking form. But the trigger simply clicked repeatedly; there were no more bullets. "Shit! This is why I fucking hate guns, man! At least you don't run out of ammo with a chainsaw!" He threw the spent weapon to the side, and snatched Maka's from her hand as she stood beside him. "It figures you'd use something crap like that, you geriatric with walking tumors for arms!"
Mosquito roared, and started to charge. The floor shook with his strides. "You insolent whelp! I've had enough of you!" Giriko began firing at him, and all Maka could do was stand there and watch. She certainly couldn't stop the monster on her own, and she couldn't offer any other aid. She looked over at Crona, who had just about reached the doors.
Then suddenly, a voice. Filtering clearly through the wood. One she recognized.
"Out of my way!" With that, the entrance blew up and open with a massive bang. If Mosquito had caused a little quake before, it was nothing compared to this. Crona was sent flying to the side from the force, and Maka and Giriko fell forwards, attempting to catch their breath as the rumbling slowly settled. The door was gone completely, as a new form stood in the smoky entryway.
Mosquito had long stopped his run, just as dazed by the explosion. "What on Earth-"
The figure by the doors stepped forward then. Clad in dark attire with pale slippers, was none other than Medusa. Her gaze was stern as she took in the two before her, and then the monster Mosquito.
"You'd better get going if you want to live. I can take him on, but I can't promise it won't be messy. And frankly, I would prefer my daughter not become any more traumatized than she already is." Especially since this part isn't even my doing. Obviously, she had missed the fact that her sudden entrance had sent the poor girl smack dab into the wall like a doll hurled in a fit of rage by a child.
She waved a hand, and Maka took note of the tattoos winding around her toned arms. "Get going. I don't like to be kept waiting." Maka didn't need to be told now, she figured that someone must've become aware of the disturbances in the church. They had to hurry and get the hell outta Dodge, before the authorities jumped into the mix. If they got caught by the cops, it was all over.
With a swiftly rushed yank, Maka tried hauling Giriko to his feet. Oh, he didn't like that, he even swore at her as he pulled his left arm away and pushed himself up with the right. "Fucking shit, Maka! Not my bad side!" She winced, and gave him a look of frantic apology. Whoops. "I'm sorry! Now can we please get going?!" They headed towards the blown out entrance, and Maka made a sharp right to go and collect Crona.
The girl had a good few bruises and a nasty bump on her head, and she'd probably gotten the wind knocked out of her. She was so frail, it was scary! Maka wasn't sure if she could walk. So, not wanting to risk it, she pulled the half-conscious Crona against her side, one arm slung over her shoulders, and held her there. She moved as fast as she could to rejoin Giriko.
"Let's go!" They staggered and stumbled their way out, turning down the first side street they could find. They had to get lost. They couldn't allow themselves to be found.
Back at the church, Mosquito and Medusa were having an old fashioned stare-off. The monstrous male was ready to spring forwards, while the woman had a series of arrow-shaped daggers in her hands, preparing to throw them. Mosquito let out a hearty, rasping laugh as he took in the woman before him.
"You filthy insubordinate wench! Disobeying your sister, disrespecting her! Selling her secrets just for your own gain! Treacherous offspring of your family, you've sullied your name! Your sister is the only true Gorgon heir!" Medusa chuckled, and took up a throwing stance.
"I eat her before she eats me. I am the snake, she is the spider. We are two creatures eternally looked down upon, feared, and we are destined to fight. Only one of us is allowed to remain. And it's not her." With a smirk, she let loose the trio of daggers she held. They landed in the beast's thick arms, and he laughed again.
"You can't kill me like this! I can barely feel them!" For emphasis, he flexed the bulging muscles in his biceps.
But Medusa's smirk was growing. "Oh, you will soon enough." Mosquito now regarded her with suspicion. "Eh?" Inside her head, the woman was counting down. Three, two, one...
"ARGH!" Mosquito suddenly doubled over, his arms dropping to his sides as he lay on his front. His eyes were wide as he looked towards Medusa in a furious panic. This pain-! "What...you witch...what did you do to me?!"
The triumph in her gaze was evident as she took in his now twitching and spasming form before her. "Oh, nothing much. Just got hold of a sample of your precious 'genetic enhancers' and did a few experiments...and came up with a very potent anti-serum that attacks the body after its been altered by the formula. How does it feel?" She was smiling now, almost girlishly happy. It was unusual to see. "You're my first real test subject, so I'd like to know all the details." He let out a roar.
"SWINE! SWINE WOMAN! You'll pay for this, I won't allow you to interfere with Lady Arachne agai-rrk!" Now he was gaping, making scratchy, gurgling sounds as his mouth opened and closed helplessly. The solution was attacking his vocal chords and muscles. Medusa was beaming.
"Oh my, I see. Saying so much with so little." Now, she was pulling out a handful of little circular objects, which were soon revealed to be bombs. Tossing them around and on the immobile, suffering mammoth man, she leapt towards the open doorway, and gave one last look behind her. A tiny detonator was in her hand.
"Don't worry, Arachne will be joining you soon enough." The sirens were coming; she could hear their wails rising on the wind. She started running to get clear of the building, plus to put some distance between herself and the ones on their way. Pressing the button, a series of booming blasts rang out, as the building began to shake and crumble. The inside was turning into a miniature hell.
Turning down a nearby alleyway, Medusa reached into her pocket and pulled out a small phone. Flipping it on and pressing a button, she looked at the screen with darting eyes. Now, where has Crona gone?
A/N: Wowzers! And THAT, everybody, is the end of Chapter Twenty-Eight! It's been a long time coming, but at last, it is here. Hopefully, there's still a few of you around who are interested in this latest update...?
I apologize sincerely for the delay. If I can be honest here, from around Chapter Twenty-Four and on, I...well, I kinda...had another crisis of confidence. Although there was feedback, and lovely stuff at that, it seemed to be slowing down, as did the activity for this story. I started getting worried that maybe, just maybe, I'd driven people away, b/c of how the story was beginning to shape up. For the first part, it was an angsty relationship roller coaster, but now...well, see above. And I know that big changes like that aren't always appreciated. NGL, I started doubting myself, and thus hesitated on updating this fic. Even now, who knows what will happen, if anyone will say anything, or even want to, or care about this story now.
But...even if it's just for a few, a few is better than none at all. And I owe it to you, who have supported me this far, to give you a complete story. I was never one to leave this stuff unfinished; the rest of the Chapters are just waiting for me to upload and edit them, then post. There's still so much more to this tale that hasn't been revealed, and...you guys deserve to see the rest of it. I started this for you, and I'll finish it as such.
Besides...Mom wouldn't be very happy if I gave up, either. She'd want me to see this through. ^^; So, once again, I apologize sincerely for my absence.
Now...moving along, a LOT of shiz went down in this Chapter. I know it's quite a drastic turn from tangled relationships, to suddenly survival-horror themes mixed in w/the underworld. But...that's just where the muse took me. SE is such an amazing universe, and I just couldn't leave it w/something simple and shallow. This is where the muses took me, so I just...went w/it. I don't argue when it comes to stuff like that.
Now, Giriko has made his call; he's fully disconnected himself from Arachne's influence, and chosen Maka as his potential future. But that's not the end of things, not by a long shot. After all, the Spider Queen is not one to take rejection lightly. Giriko's gonna have to fight for his freedom-and now, Maka will too, not just b/c she's been marked as a target as well. Like hell our little blonde spitfire is going to let those she cares about get hurt. She's in the thick of it, and there's no turning back.
Crona and Medusa have returned to the fold as well, and it's apparent that by this point, they're not going away anytime soon. A storm is coming, brewed at the hands of two wicked witches. What that will mean for poor Crona has as yet to be determined. But at least we know that she cares for Maka, and can overcome her demons...it just takes a whole lotta baby steps. And a few explosions. ^^; Poor Crona.
Now that the doors have been blown wide open and the cards are on the table, it's just a matter of each player revealing their full hands. What do these new developments spell for everyone? And what about Maka's friends, too? Will they be targeted, as well? Can Maka figure things out w/out getting them involved? Only time will tell...
As always, feedback is welcomed, encouraged, and appreciated. Whether it's a little or a lot, every bit counts. I'm always grateful to those of you who have supported me thus far, and continue to do so. Thank you.
Next time: Licking wounds, and recollections. The true weight of the situation comes crashing down, and now Maka has a choice to make: sink or swim. Obviously, she wants to fight. But how can she stay afloat, when she feels so small? Is there any way to keep her head above water, all on her own?
Until then, take care everyone.
