Risenfromash: Ugh! This chapter has been a pain in the ass and I don't know why so I apologize in advance. I think the next few will be better reads.
Chapter 50: Something to Celebrate; Black*Star's Fog?
"Do I know you?" The words echo in my head. "Do I know you?" That's how Black*Star greets Tsubaki after all she's been through to come and be with him. Those two have supported one another through some of the toughest things life can throw at you, yet he doesn't seem to recognize her. This is awful. It's like we're stuck in some kind of twisted alternate reality.
For a moment the words hang in the air and I find myself instinctively reaching for Maka's hand and mine brushes hers as it makes its way toward me. Somehow I know she's thinking the same thing I am. That could have been us. I was so close to losing her. Oh, Shinigami, do not let this be permanent. We've got to get him back, if not for him and all his friends, for her. Tsubaki has always been such a self-less, patient person calmly putting up with his stupidity and always being there for him when most people would have given up on him. He needs to be there for her.
It's hard to watch Tsubaki's face as his words sink in. First, there is shock and she steps back a little and narrows her eyes as though wondering if he's playing some kind of joke on her. He has been known to have difficulty determining when humor is or is not appropriate, but it only takes her another moment to see that he's not faking his ignorance. His eyes lack the intensity they once had when looking at her; no longer do they see her as being his world, 'his woman'. Now his eyes merely sparkle with the interest of a stranger who has been wished a 'good morning' by an attractive and sweet-tempered stranger. As Tsubaki realizes he isn't pulling her leg a look of horror comes over her face and she begins to tremble.
Maka takes a step toward Tsubaki and I follow, too chicken to let go of my meister's hand in this strange world we have found ourselves in.
"Yeah, do you know him, slut?" Sandra challenges as she returns from wherever it was she had marched off to. She steps between her 'fiancé' and his former weapon partner crowding both of them and forcing Tsubaki to take another step backward. "Because I don't let other girls touch my man." Oh, good Lord. This situation is awful enough without this…person and her attitude.
Tsubaki is fighting back tears. Her voice quivering she asks, "Black*Star…who…is…this?"
My meister walks up and puts an arm around Tsubaki as Black*Star leans around Sandra and her gaudy hot pink and black monstrosity of a hair bow and says happily, "This is my fiancée, Sandra. She's a battle ax."
"I bet she is," I mutter and Maka frowns at me.
"That isn't productive," my meister scolds me.
"I know, but what should we do?" I whisper in Maka's ear. She's the smart one, after all, and I had never thought I'd be having to intercede between two women fighting over Black*Star of all people. Then again one of them seems absolutely bat shit crazy so there is that.
Tsubaki stands there attempting to wrap her mind around what is happening. "You're… getting married… to another Demon Weapon?"
"Oh, are you a Demon Weapon, too?" Black*Star asks. "I'm a meister, but I'm from a long line of assassins."
"Yes, I…ah…remember. We used to…ah…work together," Tsubaki hangs her head and looks down at the blouse she is wearing that has a prominent star on the chest that matches his shirt.
"Really? When? I don't remember that at all." Leave it to him to not even have the decency to apologize when he says this. His contentment and calm throughout this is very unnerving.
"Oh. I guess it wasn't that big a deal, Star. I…ah…nevermind!" Tsubaki turns away from her former meister and runs across the compound almost colliding with Kid who is headed our way on his board. Maka and I watch her go and I debate whether it's better to give her some alone time or if we should rush after her and try to comfort her.
"Maka, what do you think we should do?" I whisper to her.
"We need to get them alone later and see if we can-"
"Hey, bitch," Sandra shouts over Maka's whispers leaving me unable to hear my meister's idea. "You got something to say? Cause if you do you can say it to all of us."
"Hey," I say putting up my hand. "There is no need for name calling. No one here is the enemy. That was Avian Flu-"
"I knew it! You are an enemy!" Sandra slugs me in the gut yelling something about defending her belief system and then starts barking for Black*Star to join in on beating me up.
Kid joins us still wearing his reaper outfit, a pistol in each hand and one of the guns yells at us, "Knock it off all of you. We have shit we need to do, assholes." Kid pushes up his mask and removes his robe carefully folding it before placing the mask on top of it and it then disappears much the way his skateboard does when he is done using it. The reaper frowns.
"Who the hell are you?" Sandra demands rudely.
"Oh, I'm sorry," Kid answers, suddenly seeming more cordial. "I've forgotten my manners, obviously. I am Death the Kid. I'm the temporary acting leader of the Demon Weapon Meister Academy and this is my good friend, Soul Eater and his mesiter, Maka Albarn. We are some of Black*Star's closest friends."
Black*Star once again has to lean around Sandra to be visible. He grins and says, "Hey, Kid. Meet my girlfriend-"
"Fiancee," Sandra interrupts.
"Right," he nods. "Fiancée, Sandra."
Kid tosses his guns in the air and there is a flash of light as the Thompson sisters appear, their jaws hanging open. "You're getting married? What about Tsubaki?" Patti asks
"Who? Do you mean that girl who was just talking to me? The one with the cute star shirt?"
Sandra whirls to look at him. "How dare you call her cute."
"I didn't. I said she has a cute shirt. It has a star on it just like mine. She's got good taste."
Hearing this, Kid's team realizes why they saw Tsubaki tear across the lot crying, and from the expressions on their faces I can tell that this situation fills them with the same terror that it does Maka and me.
It is Kid who speaks first. Instead of challenging our friend to remember his former partner Kid says, "Well, the Thompson sisters and I are overjoyed to hear of your upcoming nuptials."
"Thanks," Black*Star says as Sandra stands there with a frumpy look upon her face.
"Wow! I was not expecting this!" Kid says enunciating each word so that he can communicate with the rest of us, while appearing to congratulate the happy couple. Black*Star and Sandra aren't picking up on his placation which doesn't surprise me given that they both seem about as dumb as a box of rocks or at least now they do. Never having met Sandra before I don't know how much of this is from Avian Flu messing around in her head and how much of this is how she would be normally, a part of me hopes she's nasty normally because I hate to think our enemies might have the power to turn a nice person into such a pushy, argumentative one.
"Yes," I say back following Kid's lead. "Who would have thought that Black*Star would be getting married at such a young age to someone he met," I look at my watch. "Less than a week ago."
"Well, you know how it is with true love," Sandra says smiling. "Black*Star and I are so compatible. I can hardly wait to make a baby with him."
I literally gag. I have images of horrible little assassins dressed all in hot pink running around like rabid Tasmanian devils.
"Soul, you need to play along," Maka whispers. "We need to try and get her to trust us or we'll never get time with Black*Star to-"
"Bitch! I already told you once I don't like people whispering about me!" Sandra shouts.
Kid's eyes widen and I nod at him. Yes, she really is this unpleasant and probably bat shit crazy on top of it.
Kid speaks softly and calmly, "Now, 'Sandra', is it? Is that anyway to talk to a friend? Maka is one of Black*Star's friends and she cares about him-"
"No other woman needs to care about him. He's mine!" shrieks Sandra clutching Black*Star's wrists as he stares at her with a dreamy look on his face.
I see Liz balling her hands into fists. Part of me hopes she decks Sandra a good one and maybe Black*Star, too.
Kid glares at the angry young woman. "Now see here. We are here to take Black*Star back to his home and we'd-"
"No one is taking him anywhere without me."
With a tone of frustration the reaper quickly says, "No, of course, we wouldn't dream of it." I feel like saying that I would dream of it, but I know that would probably earn me a punch from both Sandra and Maka so I remain silent.
"This is our home. We're gonna stay here and have babies and be part of the Generation of Enlightenment. Can you offer me enlightenment?"
"Actually, we can," Maka says. "The DWMA can help you to refine your skills as a Demon Weapon."
"Oh, you're a Demon Weapon?" Kid says surprised.
"She's a battle ax," I say raising my eyebrows.
"Of course she is," Kid says smirking a little.
"Yeah, I'm a battle ax. You got a problem with that?"
We all shake our heads.
"Good, because I don't need refinement. I'm good just the way I am now."
Black*Star smiles, "Isn't she great?"
It's clear to me at this point we aren't going to get anywhere with this, not right now anyway and I think Kid senses it, too.
"How about this? Sandra, would you agree to come with Black*Star to his home in Death City to meet his friends so that we can have a party to celebrate your engagement. I know a DJ that owes me a favor and you could all come to my place and enjoy the pool. It would be a nice little get away from Avian Flu business."
"That sounds awesome, doesn't it honey?" Black*Star says enthusiastically. "I'd love for you to meet Professor Stein. He's really funny. He's got this screw in his head and when it gets too loose he starts threatening to dissect people."
Sandra debates Kid's invitation and then looks at Black*Star. "Well if you want to. I guess we could. It's about time someone do something to celebrate our engagement. All Raven did when I told her was ask if we were doing it yet."
The entire rescue team cringes. I think we've never even considered the possibility that Black*Star could be involved with someone romantically other than Tsubaki and thinking of these two together just seems wrong like when you see a super old guy macking on some teenager.
"Let's make sure to gather everyone in the compound together and then depart. We can plan the party on the way. Do any of you happen to know where Geoffrey is? Robin has been looking for him."
"Wow, Robin's here, too! Awesome!" Black*Star says grinning ear to ear. "Geoffrey's probably in his room. He was on security detail last night."
"Well, could you show Maka and Soul where that is and make sure everyone is gathered together. We don't want to leave anyone behind."
Maka nods. Prior to our attack on the compound we had discussed the importance of thoroughly checking the place for prisoners as we know that Avian Flu has been abducting kids in addition to people from the DWMA and we don't want to leave with anyone locked or tied up or whatever.
Before we start to follow Black*Star and Sandra, Maka runs over to Kid and says something in a low voice. She's probably telling him about the kids and how we need to get them and all the files we can carry out of that Strategic Planning office before we head out.
"I tol' you! I don't like people whispering in front of me. Bitch!" Sandra shouts and then charges at Maka intending to take a swing at her, but Maka senses her coming and before I know it Maka and Sandra are in an all-out hair pulling, leg kicking, fist pounding brawl with Black*Star standing back with his hands behind his head happily watching the catfight.
What has happened to us? It's like I've stepped into one of those awful talk shows that Becca used to watch at the diner.
Kid, Liz, Patti, and I all try to pull the girls apart, but they are both very strong and determined young women and it proves to be more difficult than I expected.
"Black*Star, any chance you could help, man? Cause unless you want both of them to be completely black and blue…"
Black*Star shrugs, "Sandra likes to fight. She's tough enough to handle it, but I guess I could understand you worrying about Maka." He says my meister's name dismissively and it angers me.
I stop attempting to break up the fight and ask, "What the fuck's that supposed to mean?" even though I know exactly what he's implying. Kid shakes his head in disgust. I suspect our behavior is not what the Shinigami-in-Training was hoping for on this mission.
"Nothin'. I just know you don't like seeing your dear little meister get hurt," Black*Star says in a mock whining baby voice.
"Oh, that's it, Black*Star!" I shout at him getting right up in his face as he yanks his obnoxious girlfriend from the fray.
"Sandra," her fiancée says. "That's enough. Soul is sworn to protect his meister and he doesn't want to get beat up by a girl-"
"Excuse me?!" Oh, I am beyond pissed now. Why exactly did we all waste our time coming here to help this guy and his Avian Flu approved mate?!
"Maka and Soul are my friends, Sandra. Please don't fight with them. I like them," Black*Star says quietly.
"But they are enemies of Avian Flu," she insists. "And she has bad manners."
I can't believe this chick. What a freakin' bitch!
Maka ignores Sandra's comment, but hangs her head in shame. "Kid, I'm sorry-" Maka's face is red and her ponytails are all tussled and hanging eschew. "I don't know what came over me."
"No worries," Kid says not seeming at all troubled by her escalation of the conflict. "But we do have a lot to do before we can depart so go find Geoffrey while the rest of us gather up some supplies. Meet us at the front gate as soon as possible."
Maka and I nod and I take a deep breath as I renew my focus on the mission and trying to ignore the slew of annoyances coming our way from Black*Star's fiancée.
Black*Star and Sandra lead us into one of the buildings and down some staircases to what they call the 'dorms', though they look more like jail cells to me than apartments. Each room contains a bed and one shelf that are bolted to the wall, a table and a chair. Each door has a small window looking out onto the hall and each door is secured with a keypad lock system.
"I always forget which one is Geoffrey's," Black*Star mutters as he walks down the hallway.
"Just follow the sound of the snoring," Sandra tells him.
As we walk through the dormitories I peek in each window on the left side and Maka does the same on the right side looking for people.
"Hey, Maka. There's someone in this one. Isn't this that underclassman … Kelley… Christine… Carla… Clarese…? I swear there is a 'c' or a 'k' in there…"
"Erika," she says emphasizing the last syllable.
"Oh, you sure that's her name? I thought it started with a 'c'."
"I'm pretty sure," Maka says.
"Hey, Black*Star can we let Erika out?" I ask.
"Uh, I'm not sure that's such a good idea. She only arrived yesterday and she still hasn't figured-"
"Honey, she will want to celebrate our engagement," Sandra scolds.
"Oh, ok. I guess." He punches in numbers on the keypad and I listen to the tones the keys make in an attempt to learn the code.
I open the door. "Erika?"
"Soul Eater? What are you doing here?"
"We are letting you out to go to a party to celebrate Black*Stars engagement to Shelley."
"Sandra!" The possessive woman shouts.
"'Sandra', isn't that what I said? It's what I meant."
Erika looks confused. I don't think they've messed with her head yet, so I lean close and whisper. "Just go with it. We're busting everybody out of here, but you need to pretend you think that Black*Star and this chick are the cutest couple ever and it won't be easy cause she's a witch. So keep your distance and play along, ok?"
"That's ok. It ain't him I'm after," she says strutting out of her cell as I wonder what in the hell she meant.
I peer into the next room and discover there's a DWMA student in it too, this one I don't know anything about, but I know I've seen him at school. You don't easily forget a dude with a rainbow colored mohawk. Instead of asking for the code I stand in front of the keypad and try to recall the tones that Black*Star had entered. My ear for music pays off and I get it on the first try.
"You're with the DWMA aren't you?" I say as I open the door.
"You're that guy. Maka's weapon, right!"
"That's me."
"Awesome! You guys busting us out of this joint? I wanna help. These assholes ganged up on me and Giovanni."
I put a finger to my lips and whisper to him. "We think we got all the demons, but some of the students are a little confused about whose side they're supposed to be on."
"Yeah, tell me about it. That friend of yours, Black*Star, did this to me." He lifts his shirt and shows me a huge bruise on his side. I wince.
"Yeah, he's…super confused right now. Sorry about that. You know where your partner is?"
The man with the colorful hair avoids my eyes and my heart sinks. "I think they killed him, man. I dunno. I don't know for sure, but I haven't seen him since they attacked us."
I motion for him to come on. We move through the ward like this and Maka and I find a total of six students that Avian operatives appear to have brought to the facility the day before. Erika and her meister Lydia, the dude with the mohawk whose name is Freddy, Magumi a meister whose weapon partner, Nikolas is also here, and a weapon named Jacob. Jacob's meister, Tran, and Freddy's weapon partner, Giovanni are unaccounted for. I try to remember the names on the list to be eliminated, but it's too much of a blur for me to remember if the missing students were like Patti and I and to be exterminated, but I'm sure we'll know soon enough because I'm confident that Maka told Kid to get all those documents out of the Strategic Planning room.
As we make our way through the ward we begin to hear the rhythmic snoring of Geoffrey. It doesn't surprise me that he snores. The guy is built like a linebacker. His is the next to last room in the hall. Black*Star punches in the code on the key pad and we hold open the door as there are too many of us to all cram into the Demon Weapon's cell.
"Gee-off," Sandra yells. "Get up." Geoffrey rolls over and almost falls out of the bed as he's such a big guy he has to hang part way off of it. He moans.
"Sandra, you know I hate when you say my name like that and leave me alone. I was on security all night. They think more students are coming to join us…"
I can see Maka take note of his comment. It could refer to Erika and the others or it could mean us and if that's the case we could it be in some kind of elaborate trap…though you'd think they wouldn't sacrifice so many of their head people if they knew we were coming…then again…
"Yeah, I know. They're here now," Black*Star says. "And there's some other folks here that I thought you'd wanna see."
Geoffrey makes some grunting sounds and pulls himself up. "Fine," he grumbles. "I guess I'm up now, but I swear to God Sandra if you don't leave me alone so I can sleep…"
"Quit your whining, you pansy-ass," Sandra goads him.
'I'm up, I'm up," he mutters as he slowly opens his eyes and then takes in the assembled group of students. "Wow, so many! This is the biggest take yet, isn't it?"
Maka and I let Black*Star and Sandra explain that they are going on a little trip to DC along with us. Geoffrey sits up and pulls on his shoes and joins the group without comment.
"Is there anyone else here?" Maka asks.
"No, that's all other than our leaders. I'm not sure where they went. Maybe they had a big war game or mission to do today, but I don't think a council meeting was scheduled," Black*Star says and then adds, "Of course, I know what happened to Ramen." He puts his hand up for a high five from me and even though he's happy about the defeat of one of our enemies it deeply unnerves me to hear him refer to anyone in Avian Flu as his 'leader'.
"Well, if they've vanished then don't you think we ought to bring those little kids with us…the 'hatchlings'?" Maka asks Geoffrey…I guess he seems to be the sanest person at this point.
He frowns. "Yeah, we can't leave them by themselves."
"But, they cry all the time," Sandra says with distaste. "I really don't like kids."
"You told me you wanted a kid…didn't you?" Black*Star says looking even more befuddled than earlier. It's clear to me that his mind has been dulled. He isn't sharp enough to pick up on things that don't make sense. He hasn't even picked up on the fact there was a shit-ton of noise earlier in the compound and now all the leaders are gone. They seriously can't put together the pieces to figure out that we just came in here and cleared out every Avian Flu member, but that may be for the best at this point. I think we need to get them back to DC where we have some more help before we try clearing their brains of whatever fog has made them so clueless.
Maka and I rush the group along before Black*Star and Sandra are able to get into some kind of tussle over the issue of kids. We assign each kid a buddy who is one of the DWMA students that hasn't yet been mindfucked so that Maka and I can keep our attention on Black*Star, Sandra, and Geoffrey.
After so much time wandering underground tunnels lit only with crappy fluorescent light bulbs, it feels amazing to step out into the fresh air and sunlight again. I can't imagine how those poor kids could stand it down there. I felt like I had been buried alive. I stretch my arms and grin. Life ain't great, but at least we are alive and free and you gotta feel good about going through those depressing cell blocks and opening the doors to let people out.
We head to the thrashed front gate of the compound. I'm happy to put this place behind us. I have a hunch that getting Black*Star back home might awaken in him some of the memories he has lost or had suppressed. If not it will at least make the rest of us a lot less unnerved.
As we walk across the open space at the middle of the compound, Robin catches sight of Geoffrey and comes running to his boyfriend calling his name. Geoffrey smiles and opens his arms to his meister.
If there were ever two people destined to find one another in the world, I'd say it has to be those two. The chances of a professional archer who happens to be a meister finding a Demon Weapon who was a bow have to be remarkably low. Before, Geoffrey joined the DWMA, Robin drove us all a bit nuts because he a total diva. He had travelled all over on the competitive archery circuit and was a big award winner and he had no qualms about letting everyone know it, often over and over again, but he had been really unhappy paired up with a Demon Weapon, names Carlos who was a crossbow. Then quiet, unassuming Geoffrey lumbered into our ranks. He was the total opposite of Robin. He didn't lack talent but after several years of getting pushed around by kids at his school he had no fame-seeking tendencies, instead, he just wanted to be left alone to live his life and do some good. They teamed up and the rest as they say is history.
"Well, good! At least those two seem to remember each other," I whisper to Maka as we turn to watch them, eager to witness at least one happy reunion today. "What the hell is Black*Star's problem then?"
Kid waltzes up smiling, "Now that makes it all worthwhile doesn't it? Those two are so-"
Kid's words stop abruptly when we hear a shout of pain and see Robin's head jerk backward as he falls to his knees at his Demon Weapon's feet. Geoffrey appears confused as he steps backward a bloody knife in his hand.
