30 Days
Day 27 part 2
Steve was visibly harried. His round spectacles seemed as if they could not contain his pupils, his face was as red as dwarf star ready for implosion. Shinigami-sama raised a hand for the two guards to release him to which they let go and let Steve approach the death god.
"I leave for less than a week, a FUCKING WEEK, and already I am being accosted by armed guards." Steve growled.
"You have to understand we're in a heightened state of alert as of now, we're just taking precautions you know." Shinigami-sama said as Steve walked behind him with his hands firmly in his blue jeans side pockets.
"Heightened state of alert huh? Does that give you an excuse to have these fucks accuse me of being a kishen, then try to beat the fuck outta me. Let me tell ya man, you got some fucking welcoming committee here. "He snidely replied. The doors to the death room opened, Mira had remained in her spot thumbing through her file. She glanced up at Steve.
"Welcome back," She said, "How was Portland?" Steve slumped in a chair.
"I drank too much microbrew and read a little too much Bizarro but all in all I secured some readings for the store. You?" Steve said his tone as cool as a cucumber but still filled with venom.
"I was just wrapping up the report we talked about, Shinigami-sama just got briefed today." She said.
"Oh really," Steve said, "And does he know that by the time word gets out about it his ass will be out on the curb faster than a jizz stained sofa."
"I am quite aware of the implications this has on me, Mr. Shroyer" Shinigami-sama curtly replied as he sat at his desk.
"Then I guess you know what to do then?" Steve smirked.
"If you're asking me to step down then the answer is no, my academy needs me at this point and right now to leave my post abandoned would be highly irresponsible."
"You don't call accepting bribes from a cult and allowing an evil to go unchecked irresponsible? You don't call the hell me and my friends have been through irresponsible? You don't call the hell these kids have been through irresponsible? What kind of fucking person are you?" Steve said.
"I have a duty to my academy and my meisters, weapons, and scythes; surely you understand that this is not an appropriate time for me to just abandon everything." Shinigami-sama shouted.
"You fucking gave up that duty when you started taking payments from Joe Evans! As far as I'm concerned you have no authority over this situation. Mira and I are going to gather the remaining scythes and my team here to discuss the report. You are to begin the process of picking your replacement to serve after this incident has passed, pending further disciplinary action. Steve coldly replied.
"Who the fuck do you think you are coming into my academy and ordering me out. How dare you," Steve cut him off.
"How dare you sir! As of this moment I am assuming control of this academy and this operation. If you have any problem with that, the door is right there. Don't let it hit ya where the good lord split ya." Steve said and began walking out the door.
"SHINIGAMI NOGGIN," Shinigami-sama shouted but before he could land a blow, Steve grasped the hand and twisted it hard. Shinigami-sama howled in pain.
"The next time you want to fucking 'Noggin Chop' someone," Steve smirked "Make sure you know who the fuck you're chopping. They may just fight back." He gave the wrist one final jerk making a sick, cracking sound before he let go. Shinigami-sama placed his head on his desk and cradled his injured wrist. The game was up.
Inside the Fallout
Soul didn't like his current form. Of course it got close to Maka, but it wanted to do damage to her too easily. As he clutched the oozing wound on his right hand, he surveyed the scene. Maka was around somewhere, and possibly armed with some sort of sharp object or a blunt one at that. Soul stood at the elevator doors and looked at the shiny chrome that covered them. In the dim, almost steel grey light of the hospital's hallways he his reflection looked ghostly, almost phantasmagoric.
"I must get to Maka." Soul said and then closed his eyes. The black blood cells vibrated, shaking every molecule in his body, every strand of DNA winding and unwinding. He felt a warmth fall over him, like slipping into a bath, the large Timberland boots changed into modest patent leather wing tips, the blue jeans darkened into a deep black, then stiffened into dress pants. The disciples cross twisted and spun itself into a dark black tie, tendrils of deep crimson flowed out of it covering him in a red button down dress shirt and then a wave of black surrounded him as it formed a black suit with white pinstripes. The short brown hair on his head exploded into a spikey mass of pure white hair, bones in his face reshaped, his teeth grew sharp and pointy and his eyes turned from muddy brown to deep red. Soul checked himself in the elevator. He wiped a fleck of black blood from his hand where his previous form had been wounded.
Pressing the down button Soul watched the uptick of the numbers as it met him on the fifth floor. Stepping in he stared down at the floor and sniffed the air. He could smell the faint aroma of Vanilla and Lavender. Soul slurped back the drool coming out of his mouth. He could smell her soul and it made him hungry like an animal. He pushed the button to take him to the second floor.
Maka could hear the whirring of the elevator as it made its way down to her floor. She was hiding underneath a large reception desk clutching a scalpel she had pilfered from an abandoned operating room she had discovered while looking for a security guard. Her mouth was dry, random neurons were firing off messages giving her a flighty feeling that made her want to heave. The whirring stopped and the slow thunk and hiss of the elevator doors opening sent her in a panic. Then she heard a voice.
"Maka?" it said. Soul, it was Soul, her heart leapt up into her chest she slid out from under the desk and slowly stood up.
"Soul?" she said warily.
"Yes babe, it's me. Come on out here." He said. Maka stood up and raced over to him, embracing him in a hug.
"Is he dead, did you get him?" Maka sobbed.
"I slashed him up, Steve won't hurt you anymore." He said. Maka pressed her face into his shoulder and sobbed harder. Soul stroked her blond hair and hushed her.
"Come on babe, let's go home." Soul said, Maka took his hand and went towards the Second floor parking garage like a lamb to the slaughter.
Outside the Fallout
Steve and Mira stood in the conference room looking out at the assembled members of the team. Steve's friends looked haggard. Lance's once cheerful round face had taken on a ghastly pallor, Marco had bags forming under his eyes giving him the look of a cartoon ghoul, and Rachel's blond locks showed signs of breakage making her seem as if she had been on a 3 night drug bender. The Scythes and Meisters hadn't fared well either. Spirit Albarn had cut his European vacation short and had shown up in a rumpled black suit coat, the result of sleeping in the lounge. Marie Mjolnir was still in mourning over Stein, her uncovered eye was red rimmed and smeared with remnants of eye shadow and mascara. Yumi Azusa just stared blankly into space. Steve had received word that she was on the verge of a nervous breakdown. Steve looked out onto this sea of doomed souls, unsure if he could pull off a move that would get them into fighting shape. With a sigh he began to lead the meeting.
"Okay, I know we've been through hell the past twenty-seven days. We've lost some good people, we've seen horrors beyond the imagination, but let me assure you there is light at the end of the tunnel here." Steve confidently spoke.
"If you look at your files here you will see a copy of the report Ms. Naigus has made regarding the fallout and the incidents of the past twenty-seven days here. We now have conclusive proof that the events here were the cause of one person, that person being Soul Evans. The false leads, confusing clues and dead ends were the result of the black blood in his body assimilating with his DNA. It is now becoming evident that we may see full assimilation within twenty-four to thirty-six hours." The group stared intently at the folder. Marie raised her hand.
"It says here there was an attempt to kill Soul before this got worse, why didn't Shinigami-sama go through with it?" She said quizzically.
"If you would all turn to the next page I believe I have Marie's answer," Steve said "This here is a bank statement here for the personal account of Shinigami-sama. Since Soul's recent infection he has been receiving payments from an account held by Soul's father Joseph. Joseph sits on the executive board of The Cthulhu Group, an organization that devotes itself to opening realms beyond time and space. For those of you who are not Lovecraft fans, basically they are trying to open a gateway to the city of The Great Old Ones, R'lyeh. These old beings have existed way before us and have been known to cause madness in humans."
"Aliens?" Marco said.
"In a way yes, they are aliens. These 'aliens' used to rule us but now have fallen into a deep sleep. The Cthulhu Group's goal is to wake them up, as you can see on list of members we have obtained, there are many political bigwigs from the right and the left. I think you'll recognize some of them."
"Lamar Smith, I knew that fucker was a scumbag!" Marco said. Marco was referring to the congressman who had proposed an internet copyright law that would have virtually screwed not just pirates but the whole world as a result.
"If we can get back on topic here, you'll also notice that various enemies of this academy are also on their payroll. Looking down the list, we got Medusa and Arachne Gorgon, Eruka Frog, Free, and last but not least Mabaa."
"What would an alien think tank want to do with witches?" Spirit said.
"It's not what the witches do themselves; it's the research they were working on, particularly here in 08 when Medusa Gorgon was the academy's nurse. These guys feel that the black blood in a kishen would serve as a catalyst to open up the gateway to R'lyeh. They just need a key that will fit the lock to open the door. We have already seen these past several days how potent this stuff is. This stuff can make and shape realities at will, once it gains control of a person, all bets are off. It needs one thing to make it complete."
"That is?" Yumi said.
"Mira and I did some research before we held this meeting. The black blood is strong once is assimilates the DNA of its host, but it needs fuel really amp up its power. Soul is a scythe by trade, what do scythes or any weapons here eat?"
"Oh god, you mean?" Kami said realizing what Steve was going to say next.
"Yes, right now Soul is inside a realm of his own making with the one thing that could send this thing over the edge. A Grigori soul is like an atomic bomb blast. If Soul consumes one he will have enough energy to sustain himself eternally. I'll be blunt, Maka is very trusting of Soul, and she has the mindset that he can do no harm to her now. Unless we get in there and stop him before her kills her and consumes her soul, we might as well say goodbye to life as we know it. This is an Extinction Level Event." Steve coldly intoned. The group stared in shock, eyes darting back and forth in a maddening exercise of fear; voices began to chatter at once fighting for attention.
"Why didn't Shinigami-sama stop this, why did he let it continue?" Marie sobbed.
"He was on their payroll; Evans paid him to keep his son alive. The academy was about to lose Defense Department funding, he panicked Marie. He's not infallible."
"I DON'T GIVE A DAMN IF HE PANICKED," Marie shouted, "MY BOYFRIEND, MY STEIN, DIED, AND HE JUST STOOD BACK AND WATCHED, AND ALL SO HE COULD KEEP HIMSELF IN BUSSINESS!"
"Marie, calm down okay. I'm going to take care of it." Steve said
"HOW? HOW IS ONE LITTLE DIPSHIT BOOKWORM, GOING TO FIX THIS! WHAT, ARE YOU GOING TO DO SOME KIND OF JESUS CHRIST, HOCUS POCUS AND BRING HIM BACK? YOU ARE SO FULL OF SHIT!" Marie raged.
"Marie, Mira and I have already told Shinigami-sama that he needs to find a replacement after this incident is wrapped up. As of right now I am in charge of this operation and the functions of the academy." Steve calmly replied.
"OH, FUCK THIS!" Marie shouted and stormed out of the room. Steve placed his palm on his forehead and let out a sigh.
"Look," Steve said, "I know this has been a hard road for all of us. I do not blame Marie for getting as mad as she did. I know three people here who would like to draw and quarter me in the middle of downtown. Right now the focus should be on what is going to happen if we don't act, not on the actions of one person. I need you all to help me on this, if not for me, then for Maka. Okay?" Steve said. Just then a loud alarm buzzed in the room, red lights began flashing in the corner.
"What's going on?" Lance said.
"I don't know," Steve said and went to the conference room door to look outside, Security Guards raced past him "Something's up, Mira, Kami come with me, this doesn't look good." Steve said and bolted out the door, the two women behind him.
Steve raced down the hall following the security guards; catching up to one of them he began to question him.
"What the hell is going on?" Steve shouted.
"We got a code blue." The Guard said.
"What the hell is a code blue?" Steve asked
"Code Blue is an attempt on Shinigami-sama's life" The Guard said. Steve paused then his eyes grew wide in fear.
"Marie!" Steve shouted. He began to speed up his run, slamming through doors and knocking people over.
Steve made it to The Death Room and skidded to a stop. There lying on the floor was Shinigami-sama, a pool of blood ran from his neck.
"Shit," He shouted, "I need a medic now!" He said and raced over to the dead headmaster. His mask was cocked sideways; a piercing blue eye looked at him in wide eyed fright. Marie sat in a corner her knees tucked to her chest. In her hand was a shard of mirror glass. Security guards rushed in and began checking for a pulse.
"Marie, Marie why did you do this?" Steve exclaimed. Marie sat there. The medics came and tried to stop the bleeding.
"Marie," Steve said walking up to her, "Put the shard down and talk to me. Why did you do this?"
Through the chaos Steve heard her whisper, "My beloved, I'm coming home." Marie lifted her neck.
"No!" Steve shouted but before he could reach her she had slashed into her throat. She slashed in a sawing motion, blood spraying from her arteries. Steve leapt onto her and tried to get her to stop, but her hand fell limp, she was dead. Steve turned around and saw Kami and Mira staring in horror, and then saw the sheet being draped over Shinigami-sama. Steve hung his head, and began to cry and slam his fists into the ground.
"SOUL!" He shouted in furious rage, repeating it over and over. Kami walked over and comforted him, herself sobbing wildly. Steve sucked in a breath, his eyes grew steely cold with rage. He broke the embrace.
"Kami, Mira, get the team ready. We're going to get that bastard!" He said and walked off.
TBC
