Disclaimer: Soul Eater is copyrighted to Atsushi Okubo and all other third parties (characters, series, and concepts). I and HopeDiamond101 of DeviantArt claim no ownership to it. We do, however, own the original characters and content presented in this story.

Three-Way Deadlock: Battle in Chicago

An anguished scream echoed throughout the Chicago Gang's territory and into the skies above, the whole Earth seeming to shake. Inside the villa, all gangsters inched away in fear as an enraged Portis vented his anger. He knocked over expensive vases, the ceramic shattering on the floor, he threw furniture across the room, breaking a window in the process. When it looked like he calmed down, standing there breathing heavily, he suddenly released another bellow and slammed his hands on the wall behind him. The foyer shook, Portis leaving indents of his fists into the surface.

The don fell to his knees, the deathly silence breaking when the gangsters heard him crying over the untimely death of his wife.

Marcellus felt a little nudge, looking to the side to see a gang member nodding towards Portis's direction, the others watching him expectantly. Nodding back, the Demon Bow carefully approached his emotional father and placed a hand on his back. Regaining his composure and standing up, Portis threw an arm around his son, remembering he was the one there, not him. "I am so sorry you were put through that, Marcellus."

"It's ok," Marcellus replied in a low voice, "None of us predicted that to happen."

Portis gnashed his teeth together, breaking the hug and heading to the middle of the foyer to face the gangsters present. "That's it. No more. The only way we can get the Other Side Gang off our backs is if we snuff them out ourselves." And it'd be the only way for Marcellus have peace in his life. The gangsters nodded solemnly. Normally, they would have celebrated at the opportunity of a final, full-on attack on their mortal enemies. In this case, it was a sad day. Both the de Niro family and the Chicago Underground Association lost their matriarch. There was nothing exciting about that.

"W-Well," Marcellus piped in from the back, drawing everyone's attention, "We don't necessarily have to do it all by ourselves. We have the police department to do most of the dirty work."

Elimination by proxy, Portis thought. The same reasoning behind their meeting with Death. "Yes, you're absolutely right." Once the emotional haze faded from his mind, a myriad of schemes flooded into Portis's brain, but one idea stood out. "Then there is what the Reaper said. Soriano Mouradian, you picked the worst time to die on your underlings."

Portis took out his cellphone from inside his vest and dialed a number. Placing it near his ear, he waited in hopes a certain someone would pick up. He smiled sinisterly when he did. "Ah, yes, Lord Death. I wanted to hear of your progress… Oh, is that so? Would you like to hear something to facilitate that squadron's efforts? The stronghold of the Other Side Gang is stationed in close proximity to the O'Hare International Airport. Don't be fooled and search the area carefully. You'll know when you see it. You have a nice day now."

He hung up the phone without hearing Lord Death's response. He looked at the gangsters, a fire brewing in his eyes like none other. "Ladies and gentlemen, move out. This is going to be long night for the OGs."

...

Back at the suburban intersection, the Other Side gangsters assessed the damages to their cars and to themselves. They only had to bury one guy. Considering Morgan's legendary quick draw and deadly aim, they were lucky just to get that. They decided to lay low until they heard progress from someone else, having tossed their colors into the trunks so nobody could tell they belonged to a gang.

One of the two living drivers paced back and forth, getting antsier by the second. "Yo, I ain't heard from Boss at all."

A female gangster finished replacing the second car's flat tire, looking at him. "You think everything is alright? I hope nothing bad happened to him or Kujira."

"Yeah, that's a gutsy move those two did, taking the battle straight to their home base," another gangster added in from the seat of a car, "That's like trying to break into Fort Knox: expect Hell to pay right then and there."

The driver stopped pacing and headed to a car. "We need to go check it out. Let's go, everyone."

That's when tires screeched like banshee around the corner and automatic fire rumbled like thunder. Not one single bullet missed flesh. After a while, fellow Other Side gangsters found them along with blue graffiti painted on their vehicles, marked by a bloody scarab beetle.

It was a declaration of war.

Within minutes, the streets of Chicago were a battleground between the Chicago Gang and the Other Side Gang. For the former, nothing else mattered. If they did not leave the streets without felling at least one OG, they failed. 'For Master Morgan!' was the Chicago Gang's battle cry as they shot down their rivals with guns or ran them over with their cars.

But as quickly as the attack started, the police mobilized. Their sirens were a ray of hope for innocent bystanders and a death knell for the gangsters. The police used every tactic in the book – tear gas, spike strips, etc. – to stop the gang violence. Enough was enough for them; it was time to rid this city of them.

And that's what the Chicago Gang was banking on. In accordance to Portis's plan, all Chicago Gang members fled the scene the instant police arrived, leaving the Other Side Gang to their fates. Not everyone was lucky to escape, but it resulted in less losses compared to the Other Side Gang.

Bloodied and bruised, three Other Side Gang members took refuge in a corner of a dead end, barely escaping attackers and law enforcement. "Goddamn CGs suddenly going on a tirade," one of them said with a frustrated growl, "Has everyone heard from Soriano yet?"

"Nobody has." the second one replied as she reloaded her gun.

The third gangster, the least injured, craned his neck to see if anyone could see them at the alleyway's entrance. "If only Myke stuck around longer."

The female gangster punched him in the side for suggesting such a thing. "No way! The only reason he's even around is because Kujira's his homeboy!" She remembered the first time she saw him. His eyes, his presence, his everything was an oppressive force of nature. How Soriano accepted a maniac like him into the gang was beyond her. "Even Boss doesn't want that crazy man helping us!"

The first gangster groaned exasperatedly and forced himself to stand despite his injuries. "Enough of this! We need to go back home right now!"

The third gangster nodded and took out a two-way to mass-message remaining comrades. "Everyone, retreat! Get off the streets right now! Throw off your colors, hide your tattoos, and let's regroup at home! This is a loss we'll have to take!"

...

The message was heard on one of the confiscated two-ways.

In an office at Chicago PD headquarters, Joe, Tezca, and a police lieutenant listened to radio talk. When transmission was cut off, the lieutenant addressed the two DWMA members, "They're going to back to their stronghold. Time to catch them off guard."

Letting his police handle stragglers in the streets, the lieutenant called pagers, mobile phones, and radio transceivers for the right people for this particular job. Tezca ran out, laughing boisterously at the prospect of potentially catching Cancer. Within seconds, everything was set. Outside, the S.W.A.T. team awaited the arrival of the DWMA personnel. They didn't have to wait long; Tezca burst out of the headquarters with Il Sung, Meredith, Marvin, and Klemens in tow. Like everybody else, their armor was beneath their normal clothes. "Locked and loaded!" the Demon Mirror howled, his partner Enrique hanging off his back.

SWAT personnel boarded their armored vehicles, one in particular pulling up to escort the Academy soldiers. With a sigh, Il Sung begrudgingly entered it. "This is ludicrous. My power should be used hunting the Witches and Anria supposedly here, not helping law enforcement catch common street thugs."

Meredith sat across from him, crossing her legs. "Orders are orders. You'd be wise not to question them."

Il Sung glared at the Chain Meister. "Unlike you, I have a sense of independence." Even when she looked up to return the glare, the Ssangsudo Meister continue to speak his mind, "Don't consider yourself high and mighty just because you happen an Olmett, Meredith. I am no one's yes-man."

Marvin and Andy 'ooh'd and laughed at Il Sung's comments. Klemens frowned. "Well, that was rude."

"Do not defend me," Meredith replied evenly, "I only heed those who take action."

Il Sung 'hmph'-ed. "Then you'd be wise to watch me carefully."

They moved out, hoping to put an end to the Other Side Gang and to catch the witch Cancer allied with them and behind the Anria.


The early evening air was thick, and it wasn't because of the lingering smoke from that warehouse that had to be extinguished. Portis learned of Morgan's death and how the Other Side Gang was involved. The Chicago Gang was conducting a systematic final assault on their rivals, and Walena wasn't sure if they were going to survive.

At this point in time, Walena still neglected to tell Cancer of the results of the deal. Partly because Henderson alluded to her being in a 'Do Not Disturb' state of mind, and partly because of her own whims. She wanted to believe Project Omega could do what she desired, but she was so close to it already. It was a risk she wasn't prepared to take. "I guess it's time I take matters into my own hands."

She summoned a two kinds of African voodoo masks to each of her hands. One was the regular variant meant for the common gangsters. The other was colored gray, white, and dark blue like that of an Anria reserved strictly for Portis – a mask she received help making from Henderson. With a sigh, she made them disappear and then turned to leave her room, stopping when she noticed something amiss. "Wait, I thought that door was closed."

"It was."

The tip of a blade pressed against Walena's back as she gasped sharply. She slowly looked over her shoulder to see Left holding out a cane sword, a shikomizue if she recalled correctly, and twirling the sheath with his free hand idly. She started to sweat. "U-Um. Mr. Left? Mr. Right? W-What's this about?"

"You should be more discreet about whom you cavort with, Miyuki." Right's voice reverberated from inside his weapon form. "Am I correct, Left?"

"Indeed, Right," Left replied, his voice cold as ice, making Walena shiver involuntarily, "It's little surprise we saw you cavorting with Kujira of the Other Side Gang earlier today." He heard the witch in disguise gasp, and her body shook out of fear of the potential consequences. He pressed the blade in farther, breaking skin and wresting a hiss of pain from her. "Your stunned reaction is very reassuring."

"To make your day worse, we already notified Don Portis, and he gave us permission to kill you on the grounds of treason," Right coldly informed, "No last words unfortunately."

"Womba batta wom wom ba ba wom!"

Before Left impaled her, something flew out of nowhere and attached itself to his face like an iron grip. The meister's scream were muffled by a voodoo mask. Left thrashed about, knocking objects in his frantic attempts to get the mask off.

"Left!" Right reverted to a human form, but as soon as he did, another mask shot out from the shadows and gave him the same treatment. Walena turned and watched as her masks' ghostly tendrils sunk into their skulls. Once the magic probed their mind, their useless thrashing stopped. "Arise, my children." She smiled as Left and Right obediently stood right up. Then, she heard commotion down the hall, fellow gangsters coming to check on them. She sashayed behind the twin henchmen, leaving nothing between them and the door. "Oh, booooys~ Could you do me a favor and give everyone my little present? Also, tell everyone to return home and stop worrying about those nasty OGs. Please and thank you~"

Left and Right dashed out at the speed of bullets, Walena humming in content as she heard the sounds of males and females screaming. Soon, the whole Chicago Gang would be under her spell. She summoned her Anria voodoo mask and stared directly into the empty eyeholes.

"Big Daddy P, Marcey, you're next."


Feeling better than before, Tsuji sat up in his bed playing his PSP. When he got yet another 'Game Over,' he snarled and threw himself back onto the cushions. "This freakin' game, man, I hate it sometimes!" Deciding to save his progress and try again later, he set his PSP on the nightstand next his Marcellus's lollipop and a small vial of Kim's healing potion, a new edition. Right when he figured some more rest would do some good, he witnessed his father enter the Dispensary. He carried a bag and a trench coat in his arms. "What's that stuff, Old Man?"

"Marcellus called. Looks like he wised up," Noel answered. He went over to coatrack and hung up trench coat, setting the bag on the floor next to it. "Now, I'm not trying to say anything, but what you do next is your decision."

The message was unsubtle to Tsuji: come with me if you feel like it. Unfortunately, Tsuji still had no clue how to master the Enchanted Eyes or at least keep the curse at bay. Soul-searching was tough and tiring. Before Noel left the room, Tsuji asked, "Hey. How'd Mom react to your Enchanted Eye?"

"She took it in stride," Noel replied without turning around, "She didn't like drama."

"In stride, huh?" Tsuji cupped his thought contemplatively, but his thoughts drifted to the memories of his deceased mother. "Ah, Mom was too damn cool to die so young. She didn't let anything stop her. We coulda fought together, raced, even go on missions."

Noel shook his head, sharing the sentiments. "A shame, indeed."

Nothing should stop you

Noel wordlessly left his son be, going over everything he needed to do before he disembarked. Tsuji fell back on his bed, thinking about the brief conversation. Even though he continued to push on, this whole thing was rooted in his innermost fear wrought by the shadow Kishin Eggs. He cultivated a mental block by pushing his fear to the back of his mind instead of dealing with it head-on. Something had stopped him from reaching his full potential. Just then, he heard hard knocks on the day and saw Shannon, of all visitors, walking in.

"Hey there," the Demon Baton greeted in a tone that suggested she was annoyed to be there.

Of course, she wouldn't be here if that were case. Recognizing that, a wide, teasing grin plastered itself on Tsuji's face. "D'awww. You really do like me!"

Shannon rolled her eyes and turned back around, her dark blond sharply following the motion. "I'm leaving."

Seeing she really was on her way out, Tsuji's smirk vanished as he reached out to her. "W-Wait! Come back!" Shannon stopped and flashed her own wild grin over her shoulder. A giggle at the doorway, likely Audrey, told him he had been played. Sighing in defeat, Tsuji then asked, "Question. Can you tell me what happened with you and your Enchanted Eyes? I'm at a big-ass roadblock, and I need all the help I can get gettin' past it."

Shannon's grin faded. Without a word, she walked over to his bedside, rested her back against the wall, and slid down into a sitting position. "I let a Kishin Egg follow me back home, it went on a rampage, hurt a lot of people, and the blame fell on me," she explained without emotion. Tsuji cringed at the implications. Not only did she make a rookie mistake, even though he shouldn't be talking, others were endangered because of her. And did she even have a partner with her?

Shannon looked off to the side, drumming her fingers on her propped knees. "It's our job to protect one another from those things and I couldn't do that. My shame and regret was preyed on, and next thing I knew, Professor Matilda, Sid, and Mr. Ricardsen are restraining me. I think I heard myself growling like an animal. I'm still paying for the damages now. I was becoming the very thing I hated and let others hurt, a monster." As she continued to talk, Shannon avoided eye contact and kept her tone neutral. Tsuji had to hand it to her, she could keep a leash on her emotions. "It just goes to show you, don't lose sight of yourself. "

Lose sight of yourself

A voice, far different from the malevolent one associated with the curse, echoed the words in the deep recesses of Tsuji's mind. It was pleasant, soothing even. Right then and there, he found himself in a moment of clarity – he had lost himself; case in point, the mood swings he underwent. Spotting a flash of pale red at the door, Tsuji called out, "What's your story, Ai? I know you got one cuz you got a phobia."

"Sorry." The door creaked open and the Baton Meister let herself in. She stayed by the door. "Please, call me Audrey." Drumming her fingernails against the door, Audrey went over what she wanted to say. If this was about the Enchanted Eyes, it was her obligation as Tsuji's senior to help him. "To answer your question, it's this… Once upon a time, there was this boy. A young boy who lost his life because of me. He lived in an urban village like me back in China. As you can guess, we became friends, being children stuck in slums and all. But then…"

She paused, grounding her teeth together. Tsuji raised an eyebrow at the reaction, wanting her to continue, "Then…?"

Audrey snapped her head up and held up hands apologetically. "I-I'm sorry!" She cleared her throat to regain composure, thinking Tsuji didn't want to see her get angry. "But anyway, we went out on one of our daily outings. You can guess a social problem in slums is lowborn filth, most of whom believe in the famous Darwinian philosophy." All she saw were flashes of white, the dancing of steel, and the red of the blood. Her hands shook, and she ran her tongue across her suddenly dry lips. With a gulp, she forced out, "… Those people… so fast, relentless, and numerous…I tried, but in the end…They… He…"

Tsuji put two and two together. "Damn..." There was nothing worse than failing to protect someone.

The Baton Meister blinked away unshed tears. "From that day on, the presence of a male has filled me with fear. A man close to me died because of me. That can't happen again." She looked at her fellow, bedridden meister. "Please understand."

"No, no, no, it's totally cool!" Tsuji was glad to finally have some context, now kicking himself for his behavior in their first meeting. Just then, a horrifying thought came to mind, one that made his heart skip a beat. "S-So, what if you get into it with a male Monster or Evil Human?"

Audrey glanced at Shannon nodding off as they talked. "Funny you should mention that. That's how Shannon and I met… One of the few Evil Humans skulking around Death City found me. Me, when I was weak and pitiful…" Her skin crawled, remembering the feeling of being watched that day. She constantly looked over her shoulder, only to see nothing, but she knew better. The moment her eyes met the darkness of an alley, her stalkers within looked back. They jumped out of the darkness to attack, but someone beat them to the punch – or rather slice. "If it weren't for Shannon, I'd be dead. That's why I'm in Class Half Moon. Professor Matilda helped me curb my fear of your kind in the heat of battle and life-threatening situations."

The Baton Meister sighed and looked at Tsuji dead in his eyes. "I guess what I'm trying to preach is self-preservation. Be safe, be smart, be ready."

Curb your fear

That's what it all boiled down to, being scared. He recalled his past conversation with Maka, to let fear empower you and not let it take over. While gaining strength from fear was too farfetched for him, he certainly failed that second aspect. If it weren't for his fear, he wouldn't have gotten shot, nearly lost his mind, or become a crazy monster.

His eyes widened slightly in realization. "That's it!" It all came to him. The lesson he needed to understand to finally master the Enchanted Eyes – face his fears, and there would be nothing for the curse to take advantage of.

"We're leaving for real this time," Shannon declared, hopping to her feet and heading for the door. "Try not to lose your mind just sitting there."

Tsuji simply smiled. "Oh, I don't think that'll be a problem anymore."


Portis sat in his chair, anxiously waiting for a status report on the struggle with the Other Side Gang. Without either Soriano or Kujira, they should be directionless and easy to pick off. So after a whole ten minutes of sudden silence, Portis could no longer remain idle. Rising from his seat, he pressed a button, "Left, Right, can you hear me?"

Static.

Portis's brow furrowed. That was unlike them. Taking his hat off, he decided to contact someone else. "I want a status report now."

"Don Portis?" A gang member answered with a hint of confusion. "A status report? Left and Right said you issued an order to pull back. The police actually put a pretty big dent in both us and the OGs, so I understood your reasoning."

Portis frowned and glanced to a stone-faced Marcellus. The two of them instantly knew something was up. "I never gave such an order."

"You didn't?"

"Not at all." Portis crossed his arms, slowly walking from behind his desk. "But, if you say continued activity was detrimental, then go on and retreat. Portis out." He reached over and ended the call, turning to his son. "We need to see Left and Right."

Marcellus nodded and opened the door. He was greeted with the familiar hallway, but his heart raced and his inner voice cried out to him. Living on the opposite side of the law brew a sensitivity towards the amiss. Some call it paranoia, others call it an instinct. Either way, the atmosphere wasn't normal right now. Marcellus and Portis exited the office, their destination being the first floor of the villa. Their footsteps on the wood creaked more profusely, and a dead silence permeated the air. By the time they reached the first floor, they stopped at the top of the stairs.

"This is disconcerting," Marcellus pointed out, looking around and noticing nobody was hanging around in the central hub of the territory. Especially strange considering the gang was apparently ordered to withdraw, and even then, not nobody was deployed on the large-scale mission. "Why does this place look so abandoned?"

Portis was high alert. With each step down, his eyes checked every spot in the foyer for something out of the ordinary. "That is a great question, son."

At the sounds of foreign footsteps, Marcellus and Portis whipped around to see a fellow Chicago Gang member. On his face was an African voodoo mask, carrying a similar one in hand. He lunged at Marcellus, but Portis delivered a hard jab right in his head, sending the possessed gangster over the handrail and into the wall. From the shadows, more of them with these masks on crawled out. "Let's go!" Portis grabbed his son's hand and raced down the steps. Just then, the front door swung open. The Ardsen males came to a complete stop, watching in shock as Miyuki sashayed in with more of her slaves. "Miyuki?!" Portis gritted his teeth and growled. "First you fraternize with the enemy, and now this? Explain yourself!"

The wombat witch smirked and flipped her hair. "Sorry, Portis. A girl's got her own hopes and dreams, and I need a little help getting them, namely you guys. You understand, right?"

"No," Marcellus replied with a bite, "We don't."

As soon as he said that, some of the gangsters grabbed him from behind. "Hands off!" Portis roared like a man possessed, immediately lunging at his former subordinates and knocking them away from Marcellus. The others came like a tidal wave, but Portis's only concern was keeping Marcellus safe. The don struck anyone in sight with punch, elbow, foot, knee, and even a headbutt. When one gangster jumped on his back, Portis ripped him off and threw him hard into a few others. When it became increasingly clear to him the numbers weren't dwindling, he shouted, "Marcellus, get out of here now!"

Marcellus ducked behind Portis for cover to evade a female gangster. "But what about—"

A gangster struck Portis in his mouth with a steel-toed boot. He spat out blood and a tooth, retaliating with hard punch to the gut. "Forget me! Save yourself!"

Marcellus sucked in air, reliving the sting of Morgan's painful sacrifice from before. But he knew staying put was a stupid idea. Turning around, he locked his eyes with Miyuki, who stood there with a sickeningly sweet smile, hands behind her back. "Aw, come on, Marcey. We both know you can't get out of here. You're a lover, not a fighter. I promise if you submit I'll make it worth your while." She batted her eyelashes, giggling when he gagged sarcastically. "Besides, life's been pretty hard on you. Don't you want to escape reality and take a break?"

Marcellus narrowed his eyes, challenging her. "Yeah, you're right. I'm not a fighter. I'm a survivor." He broke out into a dead sprint, heading straight toward her and the masked gangster with her. "And I'm done running!" With a casual flick of her wrist, she sent out her minions. Marcellus never dropped his speed; instead, he quickly sidestepped to fake out each and every one of them. By the time Miyuki realized it, Marcellus got by them and her and headed out the door. "I am never complaining about cut and suicides in basketball again!"

Letting out a frustrated growl, Miyuki rushed out the door, holding it open, and screamed, "You're running now!"

"Don't worry!" Marcellus yelled over his shoulder, still running for his life. "I'll be back soon!"

Before Miyuki went back in the villa, his heart wrenched at the sight of Portis, a pillar of strength and authority, finally falling.


Noel was a man on a mission right now. In the lower levels of the Academy, Noel unlocked a door to get into the school armory and turned the lights on. There, he was greeted with equipment Sid, Mira, and their squads used when they went on covert tasks. Taking off his blazer, pants, and shoes, Noel geared himself with a bulletproof vest, forearm guards, shin guards, and armored knee and elbow pads. Once that was done, he put his regular clothes on over them. "Now none of them can tell if a bullet will kill me or not," he said, taking a forehead protector.

"Well, hello there, Noel."

Noel saw both Stein and Spirit standing at the doorway. The two of them had serious expressions. Noel wondered if they had been tailing him all along; neither of them were surprised to see him here. "Hello. Can I help you two?" He replied in a casual tone. He took out his keys, preparing to close up the room, to show them he wasn't concerned about their presence.

"We received a call from Tezca," Spirit told him, leaning against the door frame, "Joe said, for the briefest of moments, his Soul Perception picked up on three different Witch Souls within the city limits. Right after that, law enforcement mobilized because of a sudden increase in gang violence. You can guess who's involved."

Stein lit a cigarette and took a short dreg of it, blowing out a skull-shaped wisp of smoke. "Tezca and his group are searching for the Other Side Gang's home base. Special ops intend to apprehend the head honchos."

"Good for them," Noel replied evenly. Although that was good news, these two were wasting his time, "I have my own problems to deal with."

Stein casually smoked his cigarette, looking at everywhere but Noel. "Lord Death already gave me permission to mobilize Maka and the others. Don't you think we should wait for them?"

The Demon Shield couldn't believe this. Spirit was acting like Stein, and Stein was acting like Spirit. Where were they getting at? It was getting on his nerves. He took a few, slow, and purposeful steps toward them, giving them a warning. "You can. I'm not."

"You're going to back to get Marcellus, aren't you?" Spirit finally asked.

Noel's visible eye narrowed, getting prepared to force his way through even the strongest Death Scythe and Meister to get to Chicago. "He called and asked me to. So that's what I'm going to do. Are you two going to stop me?"

Stein blew some more smoke, this time facing Noel as his glasses gleamed in the light. "Quite the contrary, we'd like to come with you."

Noel stood there like a statue, no physical reaction whatsoever. Spirit shook his head, wondering how such an unexpressive man was happily married to a rambunctious wife like Rosalind. "Somebody's gotta watch your back."

"Thanks, but no thanks."

Spirit frowned. "Why not?"

"I can handle this myself. This is personal after all."

"Damn it, Noel!" Spirit exploded, advancing forward and staring up to the taller man. This wasn't the time for 'personal' matters. "There is something serious going on that city, and you want to go alone?! I'm sorry; we can't allow that. We work for the same cause and everything! Let us help!"

Noel was perfectly content with the people he already had in his life. But standing here arguing with the emotional Spirit was going to waste time. With a sigh of exasperation, he threw his hands up in surrender. "Fine! Just hurry and suit up. I'll wait outside." He brushed past Spirit and Stein, pausing when he reached the hallway. "And get the aramid body armor, not the Kevlar. They're more comfortable."


The glass shielding Cancer's personal pool in the middle of her sanctuary opened up. The water shot up in a towering spiral, but before it reached the ceiling, it dispersed to reveal Cancer, carrying Neptune on her back and Soriano in her good arm. Once the water settled, the glass shield went back up and Cancer landed. The crab witch casted a brief gaze to Henderson standing by. "They require emergency medical attention."

In record time, Henderson got the stretchers ready and, with Cancer's assistance, put them on. Kujira kept his eyes on her sister, a smile gracing her face. "So you do care for us."

Cancer deliberately avoided eye contact, and Kujira suppressed a giggle. "If copious amounts of water were not running from that faucet," Cancer contended tonelessly, "I would not have been able to rescue the two of you."

"I'll take it." Kujira thought as Henderson began wheeling them away to the medical ward. A ramp came out of the dais so Henderson could keep going unobstructed. Actions spoke louder than words. Saving both her and Soriano maybe meant she hadn't completely sold her soul to Project Omega like Galene.

Cancer watched as the ramp returned into the dais and the automatic doors closed. "Meriza, the best doctor in the Witch Society, imparted all of her medical knowledge to Henderson. Combined with his expertise in body modification, Neptune and Soriano should be patched up without a problem."

Cradling her scarfed arm, the crab witch turned and slowly walked towards the stasis tube containing Project Omega's soul. Since Walena never told her of the meeting's outcome, she had to do some scouting herself. That explosion would surely draw the Chicago Gang all to one spot. Now in front of the containment tube, she punched in some commands in the nearby keyboard. The glow faded, and the glass split apart. She reached out and took Project Omega's soul in her hand. Unlike most souls where one could use the pads of their fingers, this soul needed to be carried by the palm because of its size.

The tube closing up behind her, Cancer began walking back to the engineering lab. "The time is right, and the stage is set. It is my turn now. They wanted the Chicago Underground Association gone, so it shall be." After entering the hallway, she summoned the elevator and went in, staring into the depths of the Project Omega's soul. "Your second form is finished. Now it is time to bear witness to the fruits of our labor."

It's about time I get some exercise around here.


Tsuji stared bleakly at the IV attached to the wrist, the only thing keeping him bedridden. The IV was to be removed tomorrow morning. He took it out right then and there. No drugs or morphine were in it, just extra water to prevent dehydration, so he wasn't missing much. Tsuji texted Noel to tell him to wait because he was coming to Chicago with him.

He sat up slowly, testing the condition of his body. A little slow but manageable. Tsuji threw off the sheets and climbed out of bed, pausing to rest against it once his feet hit the floor. A slight grogginess persisted, so he snatched off the small vial of healing potion on his nightstand and downed it in one gulp.

Tsuji stood there to let the effects kick in. Once the grogginess disappeared, he pushed him off the bed and stretched. "Much better." Going over to the coatrack where Noel left his clothes, he put on his pants, shirt, and the trenchcoat appropriate for the Chicago weather. He then took the watermelon lollipop and pocketed it. "We're coming, Marcellus. Stay strong."

That was when Tsuji heard the door to the Dispensary creak open. "Who's there?!" He barked, whipping around to the door. He relaxed when he noticed the distinct olive color of Jackie's hair. "Oh, it's you." He wasn't sure why he was on the edge. It wasn't like he was doing anything wrong.

The first thing Jacqueline noted as she stepped in was Tsuji's apparel. "Where are you going?" His tone had a bit of a warning in it – the answer better be something she approved of.

"Oh that's why." Tsuji sighed and chose to be straightforward like always. "Old Man offered me to come to Chicago. Marcellus called. He's ready to come back, so I'm goin' to go get him."

Jacqueline's face brightened up with a smile. "So does that mean you figured the Enchanted Eyes out?"

Tsuji averted his eyes, unsure of how she'd response to the answer. "More or less."

Just as expected, she frowned, becoming stern again. "More or less, huh?"

"Nothing's guaranteed, but I'm confident."

As soon as he took a tentative step forward, Jacqueline rushed in front of the door and acted as a bastion, blocking exit from him. "You can't go. Sure you're confident you figured things out, but even you still aren't sure. I don't want happened on Friday to happen again! At least come at the same time as Maka and the others so we can go together! And don't you dare tell me there isn't time."

He dropped his head, eyes covered by shadows, as the two stood there in silence. The Demon Lantern braced herself for anything he had planned. "Jacqueline." His voice was surprisingly soft and gentle. He stepped forward with a posture not indicative of person ready to use force. "Thank you."

He captured her in a heartfelt hug. Jackie's whole face turned a bright crimson. She squirmed in his embrace, but eventually, her meager amount of resistance vanished. Tsuji then whispered in a throaty voice, "I dunno how you do it, tolerating people like me and Kim."

"I-I…" She sighed as he slightly broke away from her, her golden-brown eyes meeting his chartreuse. "I just believe in judging for who they are, not what—"

All of sudden, Tsuji brought his knee up in one, swift motion to knock her out instantly. Tsuji caught Jackie before she collapsed and carried her to his hospital bed. "If I don't go now, it might be too late. This is something me and Marcellus gotta take care of first. I'm sure you guys will be right behind me and Dad anyway."

After settling her in, Tsuji went out, giving her unconscious body an apologetic look before closing the door. "I'll make it up to you."

That out of the way, the meister closed his eyes and took a deep breath, expelling all doubt and weakness. He reopened his eyes, strengthened by resolve, as he set out to catch up with his father. "This ends tonight."


Marcellus hid out in an abandoned apartment near the territory's borderline, one of the very few around since the Chicago Gang hated wasting resources. Breathing heavily, sweat from running around and the musty temperature streaked his skin. He constantly checked his surroundings for any of Miyuki's goons, his phone for any updates from Noel, and turned on his Wavelength Sonar to check what was outside. Nothing. Everything grew eerily silent to the point Marcellus feared his breaths would alert an enemy.

Marcellus pulled out his phone for the umpteenth time in case Noel messaged him, but nothing showed. "Come on, come on, I'm dying over here." The minute he felt a vibration in his hand, he answered the call. "Hello? Yeah, Noel, I'm fine. … Okay. Where are you guys? … Cool. You're not far away. Here's my location."

After providing directions and waiting for a little bit, Marcellus carefully looked out the window. Only when he saw flashing headlights did he sprint out. Putting the car in park, Noel, Stein, and Spirit exited the vehicle as Marcellus rushed over to them. "Oh my God, am I glad to see you guys."

Noel rolled his visible eye. "Yeah, I'm sure you—" He was cut off by Marcellus, out of nowhere, latching him onto him for a hug. "Ok, ok, that's enough. Let me go." The Demon Bow complied, smiling apologetically at the man. He never saw it; Noel was too busy glaring at a snickering Spirit and Stein.

"So, Marcellus, what exactly is going on?" Stein asked, adjusting his glasses. "As careful as we were, I'd figure someone would've spotted us by. In fact, I almost anticipated a confrontation."

A chill ran down Marcellus's spine, the events of today flashing through his mind all at once. Running his tongue across his suddenly dry lips, Marcellus then shallowed thickly, summoning the strength to give the older men some context. "Here's the rundown." He explained everything from the chase, to Morgan's sacrifice, to the gang's response, and to Miyuki's true intentions. "—So that means rest of the gang will be here soon. Whatever course of action we got to take, we need to figure it out now."

Stein cupped his thought, staring off into the distance. "Hmm." The scientist activated his Soul Perception, gaining a whole mental view of the souls present in the territory. At the central area, he detected a Witch Soul. "I found your little friend, Marcellus. She's in the far center of this place." Right as he finished his sentence, another Witch Soul appeared near the harbor. "Uh-oh. Trouble afoot. Another Witch Soul, and it's much stronger."

Spirit narrowed his eyes. "Gee. I wonder who that could be." His voice dripped with as much sarcasm as venom.

"Cancer." Noel growled through gritted teeth.

"All right. Here's the plan," Stein spoke, gesturing randomly to the car, "Spirit, Noel, and I will take care of the Witch at the harbor. Marcellus, if you want to wait for Maka and the others to arrive, and they will soon, you can do that."

"But that'd defeat the purpose of me comin' here," Tsuji declared as he walked out of the vehicle and joined them.

Marcellus's eyes widened in shock as he gasped. Noel never mentioned him at all. "Ts-Tsuji?!" He took an apprehensive step back when his meister partner stopped directly in front of him. "L-Look, I know you're probably mad and all—"

"Oh, best believe I was." Tsuji narrowed his eyes, forming a glare to get his point across. With a sigh, he softened his gaze. "But ya know, sittin' in bed gave me a lot of time to think about things. Now I'm not so mad. In fact, I wanna say thanks for looking out for me. Here." He took out the watermelon-flavored lollipop and handed it over.

Marcellus stared at it with a frown and then sighed. "Dang. Wished it was raspberry. That's my favorite. Oh, well." He tore the wrapper off and put it in his mouth, a smile breaking out as his taste buds were reintroduced to the nice, sugary flavor.

"I hate to break this up," Noel spoke, standing at the driver's seat with the door ajar, catching everyone's attention, "But this can wait. We have things to do. Stein, Spirit, let's go. Tsuji, Marcellus, you two do whatever. Just don't get yourselves killed."

"Yes, sir." The adults loaded into the car, Noel put it in reverse, and he drove them to where they needed to go.

Figuring he's had such good luck already, Marcellus ushered Tsuji back into the abandoned apartment so they could talk without being in the open. Marcellus rehearsed in his mind what he wanted to say, but as soon as he turned to him, Tsuji held up a hand to stop him, "You did what you had to do. Me and you are a lot more alike than I thought. We thought taking the easy paths were the best one, but it got us into some trouble in the long run. We ran away when we shouldn't have."

Marcellus shook his head, leaning against a column with his hands in his pockets. "Now, I wouldn't say that's how things always are. The hard way is sometimes the right way, and other times it's just that, the hard way. Life is full of those kinds of decisions. You just have to—"

"Be smart, be ready, and be safe," Tsuji interrupted, echoing Audrey's words from earlier today, "Am I right or not?"

Marcellus quirked a brow, surprised, but he smiled again. "Absolutely. Know when to run and when not to." Removing himself off the wall, he approached the younger teen. "I'm glad to have you back."

"Same here."

As soon as they shook hands and hugged, everything around them turned red and stopped.

Finally, I have reached you


In the blink of an eye, Tsuji and Marcellus were brought out of the real world into someplace else. The sky was a blood red, buildings were desolate and ashen, and there was no signs of life. The bridge they stood on went on for miles. A full moon, seemingly closer than the one at home, hung in the sky. Even its rich light did not brighten up the black void hovering over the horizon.

"Welcome to the Realm Beyond."

The ethereal voice was like the angels singing in harmony, a contrast to the chaotic land, easing the boys' worries. Facing forward, a tall red shadow towered above them, its peak level with the moon. Golden, beady eyes formed and casted a downward gaze to the humans. Tsuji reflexively got into a battle stance while Marcellus began the transformation into a weapon. The shadow suddenly shrunk down to their size, raising its long, spindly arm and its hand full of spidery fingers. "Peace, children. I only seek to congratulate you."

Marcellus stopped while Tsuji relaxed a little. The entity's soothing voice appealed to their sense of goodness. Their consciences told them to listen to it, and it showed no hostility. Deciding to humor their apparent summoner, Tsuji asked, "For what?"

"Tsuji Anthony Ricardsen," the entity said at length, "It was a most turbulent road, yet you mustered the courage to surpass all expectations. My opposition preyed on your deep-seated, subconscious fears. Made you try and submit. You completed your test and proven yourself worthy of the Enchanted Eyes' power."

In normal situations, he'd jumped for joy. Unfortunately, this was far from normal. Tsuji narrowed his eyes and sunk into a hip, crossing his arms. "Well, that's all fine and dandy, but I'd like a little more context. I got a bunch of questions." Receiving a small nod, the archer held up one finger. "First off, what'd you mean by 'my opposition'?" A second finger. "What exactly are the Enchanted Eyes? I want some background since you seem to know all about it. Lastly…" He pulled at his own hair, reared his head, and screamed to the heavens, "What the heck is goin' on?!"

"Peace, child," the entity said, holding up its hand again to calm him down, "I shall be glad to answer all of your inquiries." It placed a hand presumably where its heart was. "Allow me to introduce myself. I am the progenitor of the Enchanted Eyes, the one who gifted humanity with this supernatural skill. I have no name, but everyone who has acquainted me simply calls me 'Voice.'"

Marcellus laughed humorlessly. "Oh come now. Surely they thought of something more original." His response was a fleeting glance in his direction, no expression or anything to indicate a reflection of his sentiments. Marcellus assumed Voice was here strictly on business and nothing more. "Ok, I suppose not."

Voice faced the Bow Meister, arm disappearing into its body. "The existence of the Enchanted Eyes… is all my fault."

Tsuji raised an eyebrow. "Fault? What, were they a mistake or something?"

Voice lifted its head to stare at the full moon. The entity's body stretched all the way up to it. It traced the circumference of the moon with a finger. "Time in the past was very onerous. Wars were waged, emotions ran high. Many factions made rash decisions to save themselves or to punish those responsible for their plights. I fall into the second category."

Marcellus digested the information. "I do remember them saying Witches were more dangerous long time ago. Is that what he's talking about?" He then asked aloud, "So how'd you use the Enchanted Eyes to hurt people?"

Voice looked down to them. "It incited human's latent mania, making them more prone to aggression and predisposed to insanity. I trust you noticed a side-effect?"

Tsuji and Marcellus recalled the Knight of Dishonor incident.

"Fear not. Such behavior is nonlethal, and you'll learn to control it through repeated use."

Voice cupped the moon, and it briefly transfigured into a replica of an Enchanted Eye. The lighting in the dimension stayed the same. "I gave those closest to the gods, human beings, a 'gift': the Enchanted Eyes. In my misguided attempts to spite the gods for transgressions, people were damned to become monsters in human skin. To atone, I've since sought out future owners of the Eyes to guide and aid them to glory."

The moon turned back to normal. "Sadly the hatred of the fallen festered, and together, they have taken up my former role of punisher." Hovering over the edge of the bridge, Voice's body moved like a cloak flowing in the wind. From it, moving corpses came out, moaning in agony. Tsuji and Marcellus backed up, witnessing past users crying out for help. The illusion disappeared and Voice stood before them once again. "This is the 'curse' the mortal scholars have designated. They don't want me to forget what I did to them. If they cannot have happiness and bliss, neither can their successors."

A little shaken up, Marcellus managed to say, "Well, you can't exactly blame them. After all, their lives were destroyed by a force they were powerless to oppose. They never asked for that."

Tsuji placed his hands on his hips, feeling no sympathy to their grudge. "But, oh my God, it wouldn't kill them to be less of a jackass about it. I mean, do you know how much shit I had to put up with?" Tsuji did a double take. "Wait, scratch that. Not just me, but Dad and Shannon too! And God knows who else!"

"Ah, yes, I remember them myself, but I am afraid the lost souls will continue their crusade," Voice stated, watching as Tsuji seethed, "As soon as they figure out the next user, they shall seek to corrupt him or her and lead them to total ruin, blocking off my own influence." Voice turned its back to them and watched the darkened horizon of its personal dimension. "It is a difficult war I am waged in, yet I am prepared to fight until the end of reality itself. I owe humanity that much, atonement for the sins of my past."

Tsuji looked at his partner sympathetically. To fight this kind of battle alone for a really long time, Tsuji wasn't sure how Voice did it. Marcellus, meanwhile, was concerned with the facts. This was their only time to learn everything they could. "Tell me something, Voice," the Demon Bow spoke, getting its attention, "How come the Enchanted Eyes are such a mystery in the world? There were two, now three, people with them in the Academy and even with a bunch of people researching it, nobody knows any more than the next guy. Didn't you tell Noel or Shannon this much when you reached them?"

"I could not," Voice replied, "The minute the Hewbert woman heard my words, she was cured. The minute Ricarden found someone to confide in, he was cured." The entity casted a look towards the Bow Meister, pointing at his stomach. He instantly knew he was referring to that scene in Class Crescent Moon. "You, on the other hand, Tsuji, suffered greater damage from the curse, so direct interaction was necessitated."

"I guess that makes sense in hindsight," Marcellus said, "They told us stuff about what was to come and prepare accordingly, not what lied at the end of the road."

Tsuji gained the desire to dispel the mysteries about the Enchanted Eyes. He wanted to learn as much as he could in this conversation in hopes of passing it on in the real world. Digging deep into his brain, the boy dredged up anything anyone mentioned about the Enchanted Eyes. A lightbulb went off in his head. "I heard a rumor that you lose some humanity in exchange for power. True or false?"

Voice sighed deeply, one the two recognized as a sign of regret. "The rumors are unfortunately correct. A small fraction of the owner's humanity is sacrificed and replaced with an equivalent to act as the conduit for the Enchanted Eyes."

Tsuji pursed his lips, unconsciously reaching up and grabbing the fabric around his heart. "Does that mean I'm part-demon, monster, vampire, or whatever?"

"If you abide by such a crude description, yes," Voice responded, "Bear in mind this 'equivalent' is different for everyone."

Marcellus saw his partner's head drop. That had to be tough news to bear, knowing some of your humanity was gone through no fault of your own. The African-American reached over and placed a hand on Tsuji's shoulder. "That doesn't even matter, Tsuji. You're still you."

Tsuji slapped his hand away. "I know that!" He suddenly shouted. Marcellus deadpanned at his utter flippancy. It was a like dramatic scene in a bad movie falling flat. Tsuji rolled his eyes. You ain't got to tell me that. Sheesh."

"Just making sure." Marcellus faced Voice once again. "Another question. Is it a requirement for people with the Enchanted Eyes to have a partner to ultimately master them? I remember Noel saying he went through years of torment before he met Rosalind and was cured when he mastered them. Then I look at Audrey and Shannon."

Voice shook its head. "Not necessarily. All it takes is willpower. If you seek out the truth and ward away the darkness, the curse cannot take ahold of you. I bear many anecdotes of sole individuals powering through their trials, and just as many about pairs who perished together. In fact, if it were not for the souls of the damned insisting on preying on your weaknesses, your shortcomings and guiding you to death and self-destruction, the Enchanted Eyes could be mastered like any learnable skill or ability."

Marcellus sighed in exasperation and kicked imaginary dust. "But, since things aren't ever that easy, the curse forces us to go through all these changes – the trial, test, or whatever's the appropriate term. 'You want a brand spanking-new supernatural skill? Too bad. We're trying to kill you and curse your soul for all eternity.'" He spat out the bad taste in his mouth. "Almost makes the thing not worth the rollercoaster ride."

"I'd like to look at the bright side of things." Tsuji folded his arms behind his head, idly kicking one leg. Marcellus and Voice couldn't believe how carefree he was after all this. "It's a bloodline power, so I was gonna get it anyway. This stuff made me face my fears once and for all, and I'm alive and well in the end. You know what they say, what don't kill you makes you stronger."

"You're… awfully optimistic," Voice said, dumbfounded.

Tsuji looked at Voice like it said a stupid question. "Why shouldn't I be?" He heard then a wry chuckle from his weapon partner and turned to him. "What's so funny, Marce?"

Marcellus started counting off all the known threats in the world. "So we have Kishin Eggs that terrorize the Earth to eat souls to become Kishins, Evil Humans whose souls become corrupted through strings of heinous crimes that must be executed for humanity's sake, various Monsters, Witches with an inclination towards destruction willing to do whatever to undermine the Academy, and things like the Enchanted Eyes curse trying to make people's lives hell." He ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. "Here I thought the world was better than that. I thought I'd seen it all in just Chicago. That's a lot of things out to get us." Dropping his arm, he lifted his head to look at both Tsuji and Voice. "But you know what? That's fine. Somebody's gotta help teach those things a lesson even if the dangers are very real. That's our job as Academy students, right?"

Tsuji grinned widely and then looked at the progenitor of the Enchanted Eyes. "Voice, I'm gonna make a promise to you right now. I'll help. There's not enough info out there for people with the Enchanted Eyes. Word of mouth ain't enough. We gotta let those guys know, whatever they're goin' through, we're there for 'em. I'll be your real-world helper. This power born from despair will be used for the greater good. So will all this knowledge you gave me too." He pounded himself in the chest, making on the vow on his heart. "Bank on that."

Voice stared expressionlessly at the two males. So much conviction in their voices, and towards someone like it, an entity they did not know personally until now. "And thus is why I placed my faith in humanity. What a fool I was." Voice finally nodded its assent. "Then my work here is complete. Do not worry, the flow of time ceased when I summoned the two of you here. It will resume upon your return."

Voice reached up and the Realm Beyond began to warp. Right as it did, Tsuji thought of something else. "Wait! One more thing!" The process abruptly ended, Voice looking at the meister questioningly. "OK, the Enchanted Eyes are your thing, right? That means you know the most. I'm catchin' hell adjusting to the Eyes and the powers it got. Train me. Get me geared for battle before I go back out there. Ya know, since we apparently got all the time in the world."

"That's a great idea!" Marcellus grinned. "This poor guy here hasn't realize the Enchanted Eyes don't boost his speed or reflexes."

Voice cupped its imaginary chin, pondering. "A most peculiar request." Raising its hand, the bridge turned red like the sky and the same corpses from before rose around the boys, garbed in armor and armed to the teeth. This time, Tsuji and Marcellus steeled their nerves.

"Very well then, I suggest you prepare yourselves."

Author Notes

God, I am such a slow, inefficient writer. I promised to get the arc done before Spring Break ended, and I totally failed. Does anyone out there know any tips on being more efficient? HELP ME.

The next chapter will be the last Tsuji/Marcellus-centric chapter of the arc, and only because they fight Walena. You guys may groan at this, but the chapter may take some time (even though I write action chapters faster than normal) because I have to consult with Hope. Walena's her character, and I have to make sure I get her combat abilities and personality right.

Read and review!