This is longer than my usual chapters so I hope you all enjoy it as much as I enjoyed writing it!
"Asura! Are you alright?!" The startled exclamation came from Kid's bedridden friend after she greeted the younger reaper. The ashy blonde stared at him with all too familiar concern as he walked through the door and cast a wary glance at the doctor int the room. He knew he'd been getting less sleep since he'd gotten confirmation of Arachne's return, but surely it wasn't that bad right? Her partner turned to him for a moment with the spoon in his hand still hovering in front of his meister's face. It would have been comical had she not asked him what was probably now his least favorite question.
He was quick to wave a hand dismissively, and readjust his hood and scarves. "Yes... I just didn't sleep much last night. I've... I've been thinking over a lot." It was true on both parts, his sleep was always restless and he had quiet a bit on his mind. In particular were thoughts of Arachne and everything he knew of her. The first to come to mind was always the countless lives she took to create demon weapons.
Then he would think of Vajra, his own partner who's calm demeanor would snap the second the witch was in his sights. Vajra, who spent many nights awake with him, both too afraid to sleep in fear of what their dreams would show them. He would think of the nights Vajra would rest, and how he had made a habit of staying in his room, not too sure what to do if his partner had a nightmare and not quite willing to leave. Things would spiral from there. After working together for so long the Asura had the habit of worrying about the other man, even despite what he had done. Vajra would not like learning about Arachne's continued survival, Asura was sure of that.
And his suspicion of Vajra being the one to follow him had only increased since the stalker had seemingly vanished, taking with them the unnerving feeling of being watched. He'd thought he would be glad to be free from their constant watch, but no. With them gone, his anxiety had only spiked. He had no idea what they might be up to or if their disappearance meant something bad was going to happen. All Asura knew was that they had left too soon to Arachne's revival for comfort, and that certainly couldn't mean anything good.
Asura realized he must have looked as uncomfortable as he felt when Maka spoke up again. "Are you sure?" He only nodded this time, not trusting himself to actually answer her. Instead he glanced around the room at everyone gathered there, slowly twisting the hem of his shirt in his hands. Soul had set down the food he was trying to feed Maka, giving up on getting her to eat it in front of everyone and casting a concerned glance Asura's way.
"Yes. Besides I should be the one asking you if you're alright." He responded after a moment, watching as a the girl pouted at his lack of an honest answer. Still, he didn't feel the need to share his worries with them. Surviving an encounter with Arachne and her lackey was more than enough for the girl and her partner to worry about at the moment. He got a curious look from Maka, so he quickly elaborated, "I-I mean... Well, you... You are bedridden after... after an encounter with Arachne. Are... Are you alright? Besides being unable to move I mean."
"Oh, yeah. I'm fine. Professor Stein says the spell should wear off in a few days so until then I'm stuck like this. But at least I can move my hand a bit!" As if on cue, Soul grabbed one of her hands and motioned to the girl with it. Maka's eyes narrowed and she let out a quiet growl, "You are so lucky I can't move right now! If I had my book I'd-"
Soul snickered, a smug grin on his face as he teased her, "If you had it, which you don't, you still couldn't hit me." To illustrate his point, Soul reached out and picked up Maka's hand again, waving it around so that it flopped uselessly in front of everyone. Tsubaki tried to chastise the boy but her quiet scolding got drowned out by Soul's laughter. It wasn't until the new doctor came over and told him to stop that he finally set her hand down.
The woman turned to him then, the bandages around her face making it harder to read her expression. "I'm Mira Nygus. You're Asura, right?" At being addressed directly, Asura shied away from the woman, doing his best to hide himself in his jacket and scarves as he nodded in response. She didn't seem phased at all as she spoke again, "Well then, it's a pleasure to meet you. If you need anything while you're here, don't hesitate to ask." And with that she turned to the nearby desk, either not noticing or not caring about the cautious look Asura shot at her.
"Anyway, once you're better Maka, we should have a party at our house!" Liz said, as she leaned over the younger girl. "it'll be great!"
Kid turned to look over his shoulder then, chiming in with a, "That sounds fun! I'll get the executive secretary to set up a perfect party." Almost immediately everyone's expression changed.
"Ehhh? Seriously Kid?" Came the response from both Liz and Patty as well as Maka.
"What's wrong with that?" Kid asked, sounding somewhat offended by the reaction.
"You're just too picky Kid. You always gripe if we don't make sure to put cups on coasters because it might leave a stain." Liz stated, glancing at Asura as if asking for help.
Kid followed he gaze, locking eyes with his brother who had been quietly hovering around the outskirts of the room. "Asura agrees with me! Don't you Asura? My parties aren't that bad," Kid shouted, apologizing quickly when Asura flinched away from him. "Sorry, but I'm right, aren't I?"
"um... I actually dislike parties. Th-the crowds and the noise are just too much..." He muttered just loud enough for them to hear him. He glanced up for a moment to see a look of disbelief on everyone's face, save Crona. The pink haired meister actually looked relived and Asura could only assume they felt the same way he did. Still, he felt anxiety rise under the stares of everyone else, so he quickly added, "Besides, parties were more of... more of... of his thing..."
A look of understanding slowly crossed everyone's face as they caught on to what he meant and Asura chose to focus back on the ground again. Everything was quiet for a moment before Maka asked Kid, "By the way, what have you been rummaging around over there for this whole time?"
Kid stepped to the side, and gestured to the cabinet in front of him. "Oh no! I'm just rearranging the contents to be perfectly symmetrical from Maka's point of view! You like it right? Even more so since you can't really move," he explained, reaching out to pick up a bottle from the shelf before turning to face Nygus. "Do we have another one of these medicine bottles? It would really improve the balance."
Nygus took a moment to look it over before nodding, "Yes, there should be more in the medical supplies storage room. Shall I bring you one?"
Kid shook his head at that as he began walking, "No! I don't want to trouble you, I can get it myself." Nygus made an attempt to stop him but Kid was already gone before she could do anything.
"Wait! That room's in awful disorder!" Nygus' warning went unheard and a moment later they could hear Kid shout, calling in Liz and Patty to help him. Asura watched as the two tried to figure out whether or not to go to Kid.
Black Star kicked in the door then, waving a marker around as he yelled, "Found one!" His sudden entrance startled the older reaper, earning a frightened shriek from him. With one last glance around the room, Asura began to skirt around the group towards the room where Kid was, knowing that it was getting too crowded and loud for his anxiety to handle.
When he heard the door click shut behind him, Kid spun around. He looked shocked to see Asura standing there and for a moment neither moved, then Kid smiled. "Asura! You're here! Liz and Patty ran off, didn't they?" For a moment Kid's smile faltered, but he shook his head and walked off to one of the shelves. "Honestly, they just don't understand the true meaning of orderliness, you know? But at least you're here, can you help me?"
"Um...yes. What do you need from me?" Asura hesitated for a moment before giving in. It would kill time until the infirmary cleared enough for him to leave. Immediately Kid began rattling off instructions, making sure Asura had something to do. Once they started working, silence fell over them both, only broken by Kid correcting him. Eventually Asura found his mind wandering back to the past few days. He hasn't seen his stalker for a couple days at least. He could only feel more anxious at their sudden disappearance. Taking a deep breath, Asura spoke up again, "Kid...um, I-I need to. ..um, do you..."
Across the room, Kid stopped straightening the medicine on the shelf and turned around with a curious expression. "Do I what?" He asked, watching Asura struggle for a moment to find the words. When the older reaper didn't reply, Kid walked over to him and carefully set a hand on his arm. "Does this have to do with why you haven't been sleeping? Did something happen? You know you can tell me."
Asura let out a shaky breath as he tried to speak, stumbling over his words. "I just... It's... It feels like something bad is going to happen..." he managed to say. At Kid's urging, he continued trying to explain what was he meant. "Just, Arachne's revival is bad enough alone, but Vajra is back too and I just! I don't know what to do! If Vajra finds out about Arachne I don't know what he might do. He hates her, he could never think clearly when she was our opponent. But Vajra told me he would do anything t-to... To keep me safe..." The older reaper's rambling slowed until it trailed off completely.
A moment of silence passed as Asura leaned against the shelf behind him and sank to to floor. Kid shuffled awkwardly where he stood as he watched Asura put his head in his hands. "I can't predict what Vajra will do any more. I have no idea what he'll do if he thinks it will help him. What if he thinks attacking Arachne and her followers is a good idea? What if he gets captured? If Arachne gets a hold of Vajra, we are as good as dead. And..." He paused then, the words hanging on the tip of his tongue but refusing to come out and earning a curious expression from Kid.
When he didn't continue, Kid cautiously prodded. "...And?" Asura bit his lip and glanced up at Kid for a brief second before focusing on the ground again. He couldn't tell Kid that a part of him worried about Vajra's safety. What if Kid thought he was a traitor? It was an awful thing sometimes, after what Vajra had done to him he still cared about him. Why? It didn't make sense. Vajra was gone, leaving the Kishin in his place. So why did he still care if he was hurt or killed?
Letting out a shaky breath, Asura shook his head. "Nothing... It's...it's nothing..." Kid looked ready to argue with him, but he didn't. Maybe it was something in his expression or maybe Kid sensed the distress that must have been rolling off of him in waves, but Asura was glad he wasn't being interrogated for answers. Kid just gave a slow nod and offered him a hand that Asura took, letting his brother pull him to his feet. It wasn't until Kid had returned to his work that another thought occurred to him. There's no way to know what he'll do to Kid. No way to know how close he'll try to get to Kid. He'd do anything to get to you. Vajra was already too close to Kid for comfort, even if it was only because he was the one following Asura. The older god shuddered at the thought, but wasn't able to voice any of those worries. His stalker was gone. Had been gone for a few days. It was okay, he was okay, Kid would be okay.
A quiet cough caught his attention and Kid stood there with an uneasy look on his face, like he was unsure how to ask whatever he wanted. Finally Kid looked at him, concern clear in his face. "um... Asura, are you... Are you sure you're okay?" Kid started, shuffling nervously. A part of him hated how difficult it was to ask such a simple question, but he wasn't too sure how to. Asura looked... Bad. Clearly he had been worrying about what he said since he learned of Arachne's revival. And the moment he mentioned Vajra what little color he had drained from his face. Asura hadn't seemed to realize he'd had a wide-eyed expression of horror the whole time he spoke about it. There was something else too, something Kid couldn't place. "I mean, you just look really pale. More than usual. And maybe a little like you're going to be sick. If you want to, I don't know, lie down? I'm sure Miss Nygus wouldn't mind letting you use a bed."
Asura shook his head immediately, "I...I'm fine... I just... What do you need me to do now?" There was a moment of silence where Kid hesitated, deciding whether or not to push Asura to rest or let him keep helping. A moment later he beckoned the older boy over to help him.
"You can help over here if you like, but if you still look...you know... in a little while, you have to lie down okay? In about, an hour or two?" Kid bargained, waving one hand at Asura and ignoring how he flinched back. He didn't like it, but when Asura nodded in agreement, he decided to take it. No reason to pressure him to do something he doesn't want to.
It was much darker outside than he had expected it to be after he stepped out of the school. The moon hung high in the sky with blood dripping from it's mouth and the sky was speckled with stars. Despite the dark, the city lights provided some comfort. Something in the back of his mind whispered that they seemed dimmer tonight than some of the other nights he'd found himself up late. It was unnerving, especially since he was alone. Kid had left as soon as they finished rearranging the medical supply room and Asura had drifted to the school's library. That was probably why he lost track of time.
He knew he should leave, get home to Kid, but a feeling of unease crept up on him. It settled over him, weigh him down and keeping him pinned to the spot. Asura assumed it was probably paranoia, an unease brought on by unwanted thoughts he couldn't stop. Of his stalker returning, of a pre-kishin or witch attack, anything that could go wrong. His thoughts didn't stop until a hand settled on his shoulder earning a startled shriek from him. He spun around, only to meet concerned orange eyes. Death stood beside him and carefully removed his hand. "Asura, it's late. Well past midnight to be precise. What are you still doing here? Is everything alright?"
Asura only shrugged Death's hand off and wrapped his arms tightly around himself. "I'm... I'm alright. I was just leaving." For a moment he didn't move, unsure of what to do. Then he spoke up quietly. "Are... Are you coming home tonight?" When Death shook his head, Asura could only nod in acceptance. "Okay... I should...I should get home. Kid will be worried if I'm not there in the morning." Death only gave him a skeptical look, not saying anything yet but most likely because he wasn't sure if it would be okay to say. He didn't give the older god a chance to respond as he slowly walked away, feet dragging the whole way down the stairs.
A part of him expected his father to call after him of follow him as he left the school grounds, but neither happened and the sinking feeling of disappointment settled in his gut. It wasn't too shocking when he thought about it. Both Kid and Death, and everyone really, had been dancing around him as if they feared he would break. So many unasked questions or uneasy and unsure stares were thrown his way. One too many topics broached with the utmost care while watching his every move, always ready to drop it the second he seemed the slightest bit upset.
Even earlier with Kid! How cautious his own brother was with something as simple as a comforting hand on his shoulder. The slightest hesitance in his voice when he asked a question. And that tiniest bit of suspicion that he had when he was talking to you, his mind supplied. Asura shook his head to try not to panic. Kid was probably trying to be cautious so he didn't make him panic. Even if he hated when people were overly careful around him, it was better than Kid thinking he was up to something. It was better than Kid finding out he'd been keeping things from him.
It was only when his soul perception picked up something strange that he was drawn from his own worries. Asura slowed to a stop, glancing around himself cautiously as he tried to locate it. There was nothing in the empty street or on top of the buildings looming over him in the empty street. Glancing up to the sky revealed nothing hovering over him either, and he was about to give up and move on when something changed. It was quick, only a split second, but the sky turned to rough, torch lit stone bricks too low for comfort and a frigid breeze hit him.
Once he blinked it was gone, but the image had left his hands shaking and throat tight. The stale air and faint scent of copper that accompanied it hung around for a little longer before it faded. Asura closed his eyes, ducked his head, and slowly reached into the pocket of his hoodie to pull out the Rubik's Cube he'd made a habit of carrying there. Twisting it absentmindedly gave him something to do with his hands, but he still couldn't stop thinking about what had just happened. It had to be a hallucination. It had to be. He didn't want to deal with hallucinations, he just wanted to go home!
Asura had been ready to simply turn down the path towards the Manor. It was late after all, he was tired and Kid was probably still awake waiting for him to come home. But something pulled at him. Something his soul perception had just barely picked up on. He wasn't sure what it was, it didn't feel human, in fact, it didn't feel like anything. No soul, just a presence. An overbearingly heavy presence. Was this...was this possibly some kind of soul protect? Was it a witch? Asura wasn't so sure but if it was, then he would certainly investigate. He wanted to go home though, he might be able to call Death from there and have him send someone to investigate.
But if something bad happens it will be your fault. What would Death say if your reluctance lets whatever it is get away? The thought hit him hard, and he tightened his grip on his toy. A part of him was sure his father would understand, but it was small compared to the overwhelming fear of Death's wrath. It wasn't something he was willing to risk so he took a deep breath and forced his legs to move away from home and towards the strange presence.
He wove through the dimly lit streets and darker alleys as quickly as he could, hoping to get there before the presence vanished. What would he do when he got there? Well, he wasn't sure but if he could at least see it he could tell Death who or what he saw. Something was better than nothing after all, unless there turned out to be nothing. If that were the case, he may get in trouble.
The closer he got, the more unnatural everything around him felt. He wasn't even sure if anything had really changed or if his anxiety and paranoia was causing his madness to twist things. Even if that were the case, he could clearly feel something was off. The air grew colder the closer he got to the presence and a faint whistling could be heard, clearly not made by a person but oddly familiar nonetheless. It wasn't until he set foot in familiar territory that the temperature dropped drastically, sending shivers down his spine as he pulled his jacket tighter around his body.
This was the park he had been to with Kid and his friends. The presence seemed to be a bit beyond it but something had him frozen just inside the entrance. It wasn't anything Asura could see, no matter where he looked he couldn't find anything. Still he could feel it. The eyes burning into the back of his body, watching and waiting from someplace just outside of his vision. This was a mistake, Asura realized, his grip tightening on the toy in his hands. This was not just his paranoia, not just his madness. Who or whatever was out there, whatever he was following, it was dangerous. He shouldn't be here.
But if I don't go, who will? Who else will know about this? Asura thought, slowly running his hands along his arms in an attempt to warm up. This was a major security breach if it was an enemy. So far he seemed to be the only one aware of it too. Perhaps it was just his training, but a part of him urged him to investigate. He was the only available person at the moment. He also had no idea if the presence he felt would still be here if he ran for help now. The fearful, paranoid voice in his mind reminded him that if he didn't see this through, any blood spilled would be on his hands. Surely Death would not be happy if he let something happen to the people of his father's beloved city.
It took everything he had to move again, shuffling reluctantly along at first as a part of him screamed that this was wrong, wrong wrong! Go back! Be safe! He tried to ignore it, picking up pace as he passed the basketball court. Soon enough he was almost out of the park. It was close. I don't want to do this. Just through the next alley. I should have gone home. As he reached the end of the alley he stopped. He would only peek around the corner. Just a quick look. Don't! Something isn't right! He just needed to see. Just a description. To know who or what. It's wrong, it's wrong, it's wrong, it's wrong, it's-
Nothing.
It was nothing.
Asura let out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding as the cold faded and the spine-chilling feeling of eyes on his back left him. It was nothing... But what happened to the presence he'd felt? He spent a moment or two gathering himself back together before stepping out of the alleyway and into the plaza he'd stumble upon. The place still have off an eerie feeling, but he could easily tell himself it was just the scenery and the time. Tall, gothic building with their steeply angled roofs and iron fences surrounded the little square area. The sparse, twisting trees reached as high as they could with spindly branches, though they were nowhere near the side of the building. There were a few bushes and flowers scattered about and a plain, circular stone fountain at the square's center. Nothing special about any of it, but the lack of people and unlit streetlights and the starless sky and the moon hanging high overhead with blood trailing from it's mouth gave it an unsettling edge.
Slowly, Asura made his way to the fountain and sat on the edge staring down at the toy in his hands for a moment before setting it aside. The sound of running water helped calm his nerves to some extent, providing some relief from an otherwise deafening silence as he sat with his head in his hands. This had been a waste of his time, he could have been home and curled up in bed with a book or something. But instead he followed a presence he now questioned the existence of and wound up here. Because surely if someone were there, they couldn't flee fast enough for him to miss. The presence had been right there, right by the fountain, up until he's looked around the corner. If someone had really been there, then there was no possible way they could have just vanished.
He should go home. He wanted to but... But it wouldn't hurt to double check, came the thought. It made him sigh even though he knew it was a good point. It wasn't hard to use soul perception, but he had to focus to narrow in on his exact location instead of searching the entire city for something that may not exist. Nothing... Nothing at all. The lack of the presence he'd felt left him with relief until it finally sunk in. He couldn't sense anything at all, not even the humans who should have been sleeping their beds. These buildings were houses, he was pretty sure of that, so where were the owners?
As he got back to his feet, Asura looked around the area again. The anxiety was back now, nagging that he'd been careless and that he was in danger. In a house to the right, he spotted something splattered across the first floor window. Run. He took a step forward, then another and another. Before he knew it he was standing in front of the door. Don't! He knocked once and the door creaked open just a bit. This wasn't good. He should get someone, call Death, get help for fucks sake! He should be alone. But someone might be alive, they might be hurt, they might need help. He was the only one around. He had to check, didn't he?
The door groaned as he pushed it open further and slipped into the foyer. It was a nice little house with wood floors and large arches connecting it to the rooms on either side, but the strong scent of blood was so heavy that he swore he could taste copper. His stomach turned as the nausea hit him and he had to clamp a hand over his mouth to help fight back the urge to vomit. He'd knew the kind of damage one would have to do to make that kind of smell, he'd seen it first hand. The mangle bodies in the living room were expected, but as he inched closer to inspect them he noticed something that caught his breath in his throat.
The woman on the floor's face was obscured by her dark hair, but it made the gleaming metal around her neck stand out even more. Asura's hand flew to his own neck, carefully brushing across the place his collar had sat before. His throat felt tight, and it was getting harder to take in air. He knew that collar, the one that hid the souls of these people. There was another on the man slumped against the wall beneath the window, his wide, dead eyes pinned to the floor in front of him. These were Vajra's collars. These were his. He was here! He had done it, gotten into the city without Death's notice.
Asura's knees buckled and he kneeled on the floor, hunching over until his elbows rested on the ground with his hands pulling hard on his hair. Terror reared up from where he'd kept it at bay, unable to keep it in check with the current realization he'd had. Over and over his mind screamed at him for being so stupid, for not getting help first. It's not safe! I'm not safe! He's here! Vajra was here! He didn't know what to do, he was in danger. He needed help, please someone it's too scary!
A loud thud sounded somewhere above him, snapping him out of his terror as he sat upright. Someone was still here. He wasn't alone. Doing his best to quiet his breathing, Asura strained to hear anything else. The faint clunk of footsteps moving around could be heard. He had to go. He had to leave. It had to be Vajra, it just had to be. There was no one else here. He didn't want to be caught, to be taken back and locked away in that cold, dark cell he had been in for the last eight hundred years.
He tried to move as quietly as possible, getting to his feet and shuffling towards the door. It was still open, thank god, and he was halfway through the door when the cold from earlier hit him again. The world outside the door flickered, the dark square turning briefly into torchlight stone walls before it reverted back to normal. He stumbled past the door way, and made it to just beyond the front gate before he heard him. "Oh, you're here!" Asura froze, whole body tense at the familiar voice, Vajra's voice. He's here, he's here, he's here. He couldn't move, he wasn't sure why, just that he couldn't. Even as Vajra's footsteps got closer he couldn't do anything.
"Are you alone out here? I know you never liked the dark, so I wasn't entirely expecting you to show and certainly not without company." Vajra stated cheerfully. He sounded too close...Asura whipped around to face the weapon, to be sure he wouldn't come any closer. A few feet behind him stood Vajra, dressed in the same brown jacket, black pants, and red bandana as his stalker always wore. That was no surprise, he had suspected as much, but the friendly smile and happy expression sent chills down his spine. When he got no response, Vajra continued, "I'm glad to see you're well Asura! I was worried."
The man took a step forward, freezing as Asura backed up to keep the distance between them. His smile faltered, a blank expression crossing his face for a moment before he put on a gentle smile. "I'm here to bring you home. It isn't safe here." The man said, eyeing the reaper carefully. Asura was shaking, eyes wide and breathing becoming steadily uneven as he stared at his old partner in horror. "You are afraid. Is it because of what happened when I came back? I want to apologize for that. For hurting you. I hadn't been myself and I'm sorry for lashing out, but that is no reason to be so scared. I've done nothing else to harm you unprovoked."
"Un-unprovoked?!" The words came out before he could stop them, more disbelieving than angry. "H-how was bashing my head in with a rock 'provoked'? How was imprisoning me and torturing me 'provoked'? How was-" The moment he noticed Vajra's smile drop into a scowl and his eyes narrow, Asura stopped speaking. He should have kept his mouth shut, Vajra didn't look too happy now. The world around them flickered again, holding it's form instead of fading back to the square. Vajra seemed unfazed by it even as Asura glanced around in a panic and stomped forward.
Asura stumbled back, desperately trying to maintain the same distance from his old partner as he he tried not to panic more. But he knew this place he was seeing. It was the tunnels he had been trapped in, the stale air and scent of burning wood all too familiar. He kept going until he ran into something behind him, knocking him off balance. Vajra took the opportunity to lunge forward, grabbing onto his jacket and lifting him off the ground enough that Asura had to stand on the tips of his toes. Asura grabbed onto the man's hands, clawing at them desperately as he tried to squirm away.
"If you hadn't attacked them, they would have let you be. If you hadn't destroyed them and come along quietly, I wouldn't have had to hurt you. If you had just stayed put, or asked me if I would let you out, I wouldn't have harmed you for escaping. But you destroyed my soldiers without any good reason and you did what you wanted, like you've always done. You can't destroy my soldiers and not expect retaliation. How selfish do you have to be?" The man snapped, shaking the reaper slightly and ignoring the frightened yelp he got in response. When he got no answer he lowered his voice slightly, "I was only trying to help. You wouldn't have to be afraid if you would just let me help. We're partners, you're supposed to trust me! Don't you trust me? Don't you realize I only have your best interests at heart?"
For a long moment, neither of them said anything. Asura couldn't think clearly, he was sure Vajra was wrong. He had been attacked! Those stone soldiers had attacked him when he'd followed Vajra into the old building...right? That much he was sure of, if he was wrong then Vajra would be right. But... Would Vajra have let him go? Was there a chance, any chance at all, that if he'd tried to talk to Vajra... No, he did. He'd begged and begged to go home. He'd swore not to speak a word of what happened if they could just go back. He tried to bargain, that maybe Death could fix this, maybe Death could make him human again. Did Vajra not remember that? Or did he not consider that "talking"?
Finally Vajra spoke up again. "I was worried about you, you know? Don't you remember all the things they said about you when you aren't in the room? Remember, Death wanted to kill you. He thought you were a threat, he thought you were dangerous. He was so sure you would give in to Madness and become a Kishin that he planned ahead for your death." And Vajra had been right there. He remembered sensing the other warlords gather for meetings, though he had assumed they were only socializing until Vajra told him what was happening. He remembered being grateful for his partner's honesty even if it hurt to hear how little even his father thought of him. And to know Death had planned to kill him because he believed he would go mad? It was too much.
"Don't you remember how he would look at you when you would make a mistake or act out of line? How he always pinned the blame on you even if I was at fault for a failed mission? You were never enough for him, he was always disappointed and skeptical." Again, Vajra had been right. He was always to blame, never enough. Part of him believed the few times Death was not disappointed or disapproving of him were made up. That the few "good jobs" or affectionate ruffling of his hair had been something he imagined. They weren't frequent and they only got fewer and farther between until any affectionate gesture was dropped altogether.
"What's different now, hmm? That he thought you were dead? Doesn't it bother you that he only cared about you after he thought you died? Don't you understand it's all fucking fake? He lost interest when you got too out of control to be a good weapon, but now that I'm back and Arachne's back, he has a use for you, to get rid of us. What will he do to you when we're gone? Doesn't that worry you?" The god let his grip on the weapon's hand loosen, knowing it was useless and that Vajra had a point. It worried him. He had always had a subconscious fear of just being a tool, of outliving his usefulness. It almost happened once before, but Vajra had... kidnapped him before then. If that never happened would he be dead? Would Death really kill him? "I won't hurt you again Asura, not if you come with me. I'll protect you just like I've always done."
He could leave with Vajra, but...he still had Kid. Kid wasn't Death. Even if he was useless and Death wanted him gone, his brother would still want him, right? Kid and Liz and Patty... They seemed to genuinely care. They wanted him around. If he left with Vajra or let Vajra take him, then Kid would be beyond worried. He might even be afraid, and he couldn't scare his brother like that. Tightening his grip, he lifted one leg and kicked as hard as he could. It caught the Kishin in the stomach and the man choke as he dropped Asura and stumbled back.
Asura stumbled and tripped over whatever was behind him, landing with a splash and inhaling water. He sat up quickly, gasping for air and trying to cough it out. Everything around him was normal again, he was in the fountain in the square. He had to go, right now. As quickly as possible he tried to climbed over the ledge opposite where he fell in. Going through the fountain away the fastest way out of the square after all, the alley he took into it was right across from there. Just as he'd gotten over the edge, something pulled him back and a hand clamped over his mouth before he could scream for help. "Fine then, if you want to do this the hard way, we can. Just remember, this could have been easy if you listened to me."
He was lifted off the grounded and slammed back into the water before he could fully process what was happening, barely resurfacing before his old partner was holding him under again. Asura clawed at Vajra's hands with one of his own the other trying to find something, anything to use to help him. He was fighting harder than he did earlier, until he felt something hard and rough under his palm, like stone. If that was what he was hoping it was, he may be saved. He couldn't hold his breath forever. Balling his free hand into a fist, he smashed it into the stone. Once, twice, three times before it gave away just a bit. Another hit and it burst, taking the water with it and leaving him sputtering and coughing up water.
Vajra growled, hand transforming into a blade, "You never make things easy, do you? I'm sorry but I have no choice." Asura's hand reached out, closing around a chunk of rubble as he watched Vajra pull his arm back, more than ready to run his own partner through. He didn't think before he swung, the stone breaking on impact and sending the man toppling over and loosening his grip just enough for Asura to get himself free. He wasted no time scrambling to his feet and bolting towards the alleyway out of the square.
His clothes were soaked through, clinging to his skin tightly and chilling him to the bone. He paid little attention to it, instead he listened for footsteps, yelling, any sign that he was being followed as he ran blindly through the streets. He didn't stop for anything, not until he turned a corner and slammed into someone, taking the both of them down with alarmed shouts and rolling across the ground. Immediately, Asura sat upright, eyes wide as he glanced around terrified he'd been caught off guard by the weapon again. Instead he was met with one of Kid's friends, the blue haired one, Black Star, pushing himself up and brushing himself off. He was dressed in only a white tank top with his name on it in black and dark blue shorts with little gold stars on them. It looked like he'd just woken up.
"WHO THE FUCK WAS-" The boy began, lifting his weapon threateningly and only lowering her once he saw who had run him over. "Asura! Oh man I'm so glad we found you! Kid called us and woke us all up a bit ago. Said you hadn't come home and he was worried. I'll call Kid and tell him you're with us!" Tsubaki transformed then, also dressed in her night clothes, a simple black gown with a flower pattern and a hoodie over top of that. Black Star patted where his pockets would normally be before turning to Tsubaki. "Can I borrow your phone?" He asked, giving a quick nod as she handed it over.
"Kid told Shinigami-sama first in case you were still at the school, but then he said he thought you were in trouble. We were worried! Even Black Star and Soul." She let out a sigh of relief before slowly approaching him, her relief slowly turning into concern as she took one his appearance. "Asura what happened? You're soaked! You must be freezing." Asura flinched away from the girl when she reached out, still half expecting another attack. But she was right, it was well into the night and the temperature had dropped drastically, with his clothes wet, it only made it worse. He hadn't realized he was shivering from the cold until then, mind too focused on his escape to notice.
Asura wrapped his arms around himself, trying his best to warm up and stop his chattering teeth. But it was too cold and he was soaked and all he could think think of was how close that had been. He'd almost been kidnapped again! And he'd...he'd... "I lost it... " he muttered as he reached into his pocket, only now realizing he had left his toy sitting on the edge of the fountain where he was attacked. He hoped Kid wouldn't be mad at him. Kid was the only one who cared about him, because Vajra had been right about Death. He'd forgotten because he just wanted to be home, but Death had not been the kindest to him before and he had believed Vajra was him. Death had been ready to kill him, not Vajra. Death had even hid the fact that they were brothers!
He could feel the tears starting, but did his best to keep them from falling as Tsubaki knelt beside him. He could hear Black Star a little bit away, but focused on his weapon when she spoke. "Asura, come on. We need to get you out of the cold. I think Soul's place is on the next street. I'm sure he won't mind us stopping in. I'll call him as we walk just to be sure he knows though." She turned to Black Star then and called out to him. "Black Star! Tell Kid to meet us at Soul's apartment!" The boy froze for a moment, then nodded. "He gave me a key once after Black Star broke the door down, so we can get in. Come on."
Asura let Tsubaki pull him to his feet and followed along behind her. Once he hung up, Black Star handed the phone to her and took the lead while Tsubaki called Soul. After that the only sound was Black Star's constant chatter towards Tsubaki until they reached the building Maka and Soul lived in.
Soul had shown up not long after them, with Kid, Liz, and Patty walking in a few minutes later. Apparently they had turned around to pick up a change of clothes, and while he was thankful, all he had managed was a weak smile before he followed Soul to the bathroom to change. Now that he was somewhat safe, he felt... drained.
Every movement took effort and he felt light his mind was way too far gone for his body to catch up with, the events from earlier playing on repeat until he could only be afraid that it wouldn't stop. Still he had no energy to look afraid, and he was vaguely aware of the concerned looks Kid and his friends sent his way as he sat down on the couch in his striped pajamas. At least he wasn't the only one, it looked like Kid had woken everyone up to help find him and nobody bothered to change.
Someone set a hand over his, drawing his attention. It was Kid, he looked concerned. "Asura...what happened? And don't say nothing, I felt you panic." When he didn't respond, Kid added, "Please! I... We're worried! We were looking for you and then Black Star calls saying they found you and the you were drenched in water and freezing and you looked really scared."
It took a while for him to process, but eventually he managed to speak in a quiet voice, "I...I don't... There was something... I thought I should investigate and then..." Then the bodies and footsteps and he wasn't alone, he wasn't safe and...and Vajra was there and he tried to take him again and it wasn't safe, wasn't safe, wasn't safe! "I-I'm sorry... Please no, no, no, no..." Asura pulled his hands away, gripping his hair and pulling his knees to his chest as he continued muttering under his breath. Kid looked the most alarmed out of the group.
"Kid." Liz spoke up, getting his attention. "Maybe we should leave it until tomorrow morning. What ever happened... I don't think it's something he can tell us yet. Like, when something seriously bad or shocking happens, especially fast, you can't always deal with it right away. It takes some time to process, I guess? Does that make sense?"
Kid nodded slowly, he assumed it was like after the Kishin's revival. He hadn't been able to fully recall everything that happened, he wasn't able to give a good report like he normally would have. It had just happened too fast, he'd been attacked, then Liz and Patty had stepped in, then that pillar came down and... That was everything he could remember, just the basics, not the details. He couldn't even remember if Liz and Patty survived that fight when he'd woken up on the infirmary.
"Soul, do you mind if we stay tonight? I don't know if Asura will be okay walking home." Kid said turning towards his friend. Soul nodded, giving an uneasy grin. It was clear the whole situation had unnerved him as well. Hell, even Black Star looked mildly concerned. "Thanks. Hey, it's alright Asura. Soul said we can stay the night so we don't have to go back out there until morning." Kid said carefully once Asura had managed to relax a little. "We can talk tomorrow about this stuff. For now you need to rest." He only got a small nod in response."
.
.
.
From on top of the building across the street, the man watched the apartment. After Asura and the children he recognized from his revival entered he had sat himself there, trying to locate the right floor. It wasn't until he'd seen the little black cat in a witch's hat paw at one of the windows until was opened by the white haired kid he'd seen that he knew which one it was. He grinned to himself as he made note of where exactly it was.
If Asura wouldn't come willingly and if he would continue to fight, then Vajra was sure he'd have to resort to other measures to get his partner back. "Rachit." The stone soldier beside him made a sound acknowledgement, so he continued. "I will send a few others back to aide you, but I want you to follow that blue haired kid tomorrow. Find out where he and his partner live and report back to me."
The crackling voice responded immediately, "Of course Lord Vajra. Is there anything else?"
"Yes. Once you have back up, assign them to those other brats. I want to know where they frequent, what they like to do, how often the weapons and misters are separate, and anything else along those lines. Understand?"
"Of course sir."
For once Asura was thankful for the dim lighting the witch used in her prisons. The stench of blood was more than enough to make him gag, he didn't want to see the bodies. Just hurry by and try not to look. It wasn't enough though, he could only imagine the horrific deaths of the people held here. His only solace came from the weapon grasped tightly in his hand. How Vajra could be so calm and collected in a place like this he didn't know, but his partner did his best to comfort and reassure him. "How are you so calm Vajra?" he'd asked. There was a moment of hesitance before he got his answer.
"...Because this was normal. They'd do their experiments and if you survived that, they'd do more. They would put you against another weapon to see how well you could use your weapon form. Not everyone survived." Vajra had sounded...detached as he spoke, but a feeling of unease slipped through their resonance before he tried to mask it again.
"Are you okay? You were in a place like this before, it must be hard." There was no response from him for a while, and Asura was beginning to think he had crossed a line before Vajra spoke up again.
"I will be fine." He assured, adding, "Being here just reminds me that this could have been me. I could've been...I was lucky. Though I guess it's not all bad, I met you because of this. I got to be your partner." Even though he tried to push a more upbeat tone, Asura still couldn't get that thought from his head. This could have been Vajra, his partner could have been a mangled corpse in the basement of an Arachnophobia base. He didn't like the idea at all.
