I do not own Soul Eater or Owl House.

If I did, I would probably have more regular updates... sorry, everyone.

"Thank you for again restoring my body, Doctor Stein," Sid flexed his arm, testing the sensation of the movement; the muscles and joints themselves still felt sluggish, but the cuts in his arm, side and back had been completely sealed.

Though he hadn't felt any pain from the wounds, per se, he knew that every hit he took would decrease the physical integrity of his body – among the many downsides of being dead, one of the glaring issues was that he could no longer heal on his own anymore.

The innumerable tiny stitches, however, each imbued with Soul Wavelength, were doing their job remarkably well; designed to bind flesh together and then slowly disappear, Sid could feel the muscles and skin as they gradually fused back into one piece, the cuts fading as if they were healing naturally of their own accord.

"Don't," his companion's tone was completely disinterested, the clicks of the keyboard and the low hum of the furnace below providing the only ambience of the darkened laboratory. He stared into the computer screen – the only source of light in the room, the lights off as they always were whenever Sid frequented the premises – with his eyes in a squint and his cigarette burnt down to a mere nub between his teeth, "I'm not doing this as a favour to you or to be nice. I'm doing this because it's my job. You shouldn't thank me for just fulfilling an obligation, Sid."

"You have an odd view of how gratitude should work," Sid noted disapprovingly, crossing his arms, "Obligation or not, you are still maintaining my body's ability to function at peak condition for effectively no charge – you don't think I should be at least a little thankful?"

"No," the finality in the doctor's tone was more than enough for Sid to know he had no intention of elaborating.

"… well. You have your principles, and I have mine," Sid smiled as best he could, "And my principles include thanking someone when they help me, regardless of the reasoning for it."

"I'm not going to debate this with you," he reached up to the top of the screw in his head, turning it; it lightly clicked as it spun in place, once with every millimeter, making it sound less like the rotation of a gear and more like the turn of a ratchet wrench, "What is your impression of the students so far? Are they faring well in the lesson?"

"About as well as I expected, unfortunately," Sid sighed, "As a pair, Maka and Soul work together remarkably well. It's no wonder they managed to reach ninety nine Kishin Egg Souls so quickly, even considering they were working off of low level, One Star assignments against targets that had relatively low threat levels. They are easily among the best Weapon and Meister pairs in their year – Maka shines both in the field and as an academic, and despite Soul's insistence on only doing half of what he's really capable of on his essays and worksheets, he excels in his actual performance as a Weapon. They are yet to perform a proper Soul Resonance, but they've already laid the groundwork for a truly incredible partnership."

"I'm sensing a 'but,'" the doctor did not look up from his computer screen.

"I'm getting to that," the zombie assured, "On the other hand, we have Black Star and Tsubaki, who you've already heard about. They're the reason these lessons were made in the first place. Black Star is one of the most physically capable and hardworking students I have ever seen, but has proven time and time again that he is his own worst enemy. He's capable of using multiple kinds of weapons and martial art forms, but his sheer refusal to take his missions seriously renders his skills entirely moot, and I can't say I've ever seen a student perform as poorly from an academic standpoint.

"And as for Tsubaki, she's every bit as capable as her partner physically and has a fairly impressive academic record; she doesn't perform on tests and essays quite as well as Maka, but her grades aren't exactly what I would call middling, either. Unfortunately, she's held back by the exact thing that makes her compatible with Black Star to begin with; she's far too demure and patient, letting Black Star get his own way at essentially every turn."

"Hmmm," he scratched at the back of his head, closing his eyes and leaning back in his chair, causing it to creak.

"… I don't know how you can work at your computer in the dark like this," Sid shook his head, "You're killing your eyes, you know."

"I just can't seem to get my head on straight," he muttered, not seeming to really be listening anymore as he once again adjusted the screw. Then, he snapped up, spinning in place and staring right at the zombie, the glare of the screen illuminating his glasses in the dark, "And as a team, Sid? How do our student pairs perform together?"

"… again, about as well as I'd expected, but not as well as I'd hoped. I was hoping that Tsubaki's calm nature and Soul's friendship with Black Star would be enough to get them to work together at least somewhat amicably. Instead, Black Star and Maka are at each others' throats."

More clicking as the doctor continued rotating the screw, back and forth, trying to find the perfect spot.

"Black Star refuses to concede any autonomy to Maka, and Maka isn't willing to bend to Black Star's selfish demands. They're at an impasse, and if I hadn't left when I did, I suspect they would have begun attacking each other," Sid gestured towards his accomplice, "If you have any ideas, I would love to hear them."

The clicking finally stopped; the doctor's hand fell to his mouth, taking out what was left of the cigarette and flicking it into the nearby ashtray with perfect aim, despite not even inclining his head.

Slowly, he sank forwards, head dipping sideways to rest in his palm, grey-green eyes narrowed in the shadows.

"I think," he began, his words slow, deliberate, "that your solution may be a little more obvious than you realize."

"How's your stomach?"

Maka glanced up from her notebook as she and Soul retraced their steps to the Hook Cemetery; the sun was still in the east, slowly making its way over the dunes and casting long shadows across Death City.

Soul was in his usual hunched posture, his eyes half lidded beneath his headband, but even behind that, Maka could sense the concern.

"Fine, actually," she returned her attention to her notes, "Stings a little when I twist too much left or right, or when I lean too far back, but beyond that, it's like I was never cut."

"Cool," he bobbed his head, letting his gaze fall back down to the cobblestones, "Guess Blair really does know what she's doing."

"One upside to having a moocher, I guess," she muttered.

Soul just chuckled, before sobering, "So… what's the plan now? Our first and best shot at catching Sid pretty much went up in smoke."

"Which is why we're heading back to the Cemetery," Maka stated, "I might not be able to work that well with Black Star, but I can at least work with Tsubaki to try and track Sid down."

"Okay, but what if he's relocated? You saw how he just pops in and out of the ground; he's not likely to have left much of a trail."

"Maybe not. But that's what patience is for. We know he's been targeting DWMA students even before we got involved, and that he hasn't bothered waiting to return to full strength; it's likely that he'll make another move before long and give us another place to start looking," she snapped the book shut, tucking it into her longcoat, "Alternatively, if we're lucky, we won't have to look for him at all."

Soul cocked his head, "What, you think he'll come for us directly?"

"I think it's more than a little likely, given what I read in the reports. Lots of obvious stalking behaviour before he attacks, and we've made ourselves pretty big targets," Maka brought a hand to her chin, frowning, "… but then…"

"… but then… what?" he asked.

Her jaw tightened as she thought back to her conversation with Luz; the more she thought about it, the less she liked where the situation seemed to be going.

"Maka?"

"… never mind," she shook her head, "It's nothing."

"You sure? You've been out of it since yesterday."

"Soul…"

"Maka," he stopped, turning to face her, "You know I'm not asking you to talk about it. Have I ever pushed my luck like that?"

She bristled, a strange, defensive outrage welling up in her stomach and urging her to somehow counter.

But all the same Maka knew Soul wasn't being malicious; if anything, he had every reason to be concerned. And why shouldn't he be? He was her partner, her Weapon. Every time he transformed, every time she held him in her hands, he knew every emotion that flooded her being.

She might not have told him any of her secrets, but he had grown accustomed to her moods and could guess, roughly, at what caused them; in a way, he knew her better than anyone else did.

Reason won out, and slowly, she closed her eyes, exhaling through her nose, "… no. You're not exactly what I'd call nosy."

He nodded, "I get it. There are things I don't like talking about either, and this strikes me as something personal. I'm not gonna pry.

"But by the same token, you've got to get out of this slump. Last night, we got our asses kicked."

"Hey, I pulled myself together," she huffed.

"After our first exchange with Sid," he countered, "And even then, I could still feel your frustration throughout the rest of the fight."

Again, that perplexing outrage, and with it the conflict between superego and id, the stream of angry accusations and insults rising in her throat being held down by the idea of how ridiculous it would be for her to give in… and by the knowledge that Soul, ultimately, was right. No matter how much it stung to admit to herself.

"Sid's only going to get stronger and more difficult to fight the longer it takes us to find and beat him," Soul intoned, "If you can't get your head in the game, we're just gonna get creamed again."

"… game, huh?" she muttered.

He raised an eyebrow, waiting for her to elaborate.

"… just… nevermind," she shook her head, taking another breath as she tapped the sides of her face, "You're right. I gotta focus on our mission. Everything else has to come second."

She redoubled her pace, continuing down the street…

"… Maka?"

Once again, she stopped, turning to look at her partner.

The same concerned look she seemed to be getting more and more of from him had once again overtaken his features – the gentle scepticism of his narrowed eyes, the downturn of the corners of his mouth, even the slight shift in his usual slouch.

"… I'm still not gonna ask," he assured, "But… you do know you can talk to me, right?"

This time, the question gave her pause; she stood, silent, trying to gauge the emotions swirling behind his crimson eyes, faintly infuriated by how good he was at hiding his thoughts and feelings…

"… of course I do," she settled, smiling, "You're my partner, Soul. I can talk to you, and you can talk to me. That's how it's supposed to work, isn't it?"

He studied her for a long moment before smiling in turn, "Whatever you say, Maka."

She blinked, caught off guard by the accusation before once again bristling with indignant rage, "And what's that supposed to mean?"

He just chuckled again, starting forwards once more.

Maka let out a frustrated growl before she turned on her heel and moved to keep ahead of him, nose turned up in the air, unwilling to let him win.

After a moment, however, she felt her head dip down, her body growing heavy.

Of course Maka knew she could talk to him. That wasn't the real question.

The real question, in Maka's mind at least, was whether or not she should.

"So, what exactly is Maka up against, Papi?"

Spirit glanced at his daughter as she leaned against the wall; the music and general yammering of the crowd would have made it difficult to hear anyone else, but Luz's lung capacity and vocal range had always been, to say the very least, impressive. It was a handy tool in settings like the line-up of a movie theatre, allowing her to make herself heard in all but the loudest of environments.

Unfortunately, being naturally loud came with its fair share of challenges. Even today, Luz still struggled with the concept of volume control, especially when she was excited; when paired with an exceptionally excitable personality that could find joy in nearly anything, and you had someone who could very easily dominate a conversation without meaning to, as well as accidentally earn herself several suspensions from the local library over the years.

A shame, too; from the Death Scythe's understanding, the librarians genuinely loved Luz, but couldn't afford to give her any more free passes for being disruptively loud.

"Not all that much, aside from Sid," the Weapon stated, "He's a Three Star Meister, and even among them a pretty tough customer. But they shouldn't be fighting anyone or anything else – Sid won't even be using his Weapon partner."

"So, just the teacher turned caminando muerto, then?"

"Yeah, that should be it," he confirmed, "Unless Stein decides to throw some sort of wrench into the plan…"

At this, Luz winced, biting her lip and breaking her gaze with her arms wrapping around her stomach – the clear picture of a child wrapped in the throes of guilt.

Spirit felt his heart wilt, reaching out to place a hand on her shoulder, "Luz… it's alright. You didn't know, right?"

"… right," she sighed, "But-"

"But nothing," he urged, "What happened yesterday is nobody's fault. Honestly, I should've just muted Sid's call and gotten back to him later."

"… okay."

It was obvious she wasn't convinced; a feeling he knew all too well.

He pulled away, debating whether or not he should say anything more before throwing caution to the wind, "… he was my partner."

At this, Luz's head snapped up, blinking rapidly as she met his eyes once again, "What?"

"Stein," he elaborated, "He was my Meister when I first enrolled at the DWMA."

She blinked again – then slowly, her brow creased, eyes narrowed, "But I thought your partner was Maka's Mom?"

"Ah, but that's the tricky part, isn't it?" he smirked, "I said when I first enrolled at the DWMA. I didn't say Stein was my partner for my entire time as a student there."

She let out a playful growl of faux annoyance, "Uuuugh, you're so tricky!"

"Always expect the unexpected, young grasshoppa," he chuckled, "But yeah. Stein and I worked together for about two years before I met Makoto, and it would be another four before I changed partners."

This time, there was a noticeable pause before Luz responded, hesitation thick in her tone, "… and I'm assuming it wasn't just because you felt like shaking things up."

"It wasn't," despite his best efforts, he wasn't able to keep all of the tired anxiety out of his voice, "See… working with Stein… wasn't exactly the safest thing. Normally, when Meisters and Weapons join the Academy, they're allowed to mingle with each other – figure out who makes a good match with who naturally, letting students filter each other out and partner up of their own accord. Not so with me and Stein; I was specifically asked to be his partner because I was the only one who could reign him in."

"'Reign him in…' as in he liked to party…?" she ventured, contrite hope in her words that this wasn't going where she thought it was.

"'Reign him in,' as in he'd frequently abuse his position as a Meister to do whatever he wanted – and whenever anyone else tried to get him to stop, he'd get violent with them," the Death Scythe gestured to himself, "I was the only one he seemed to be willing to listen to."

"… that's what I was afraid of…" she squeaked.

"Stein was a truly brilliant Meister, Luz. Frighteningly so, in fact – he was frighteningly skilled, frighteningly intelligent, and he had a frightening capacity for violence," Spirit crossed his arms, recalling the constant back and forth Stein displayed –between a marked disinterest for everything around him and the wide, manic grins whenever something managed to catch his attention, "I don't know what it was about me specifically that got him to settle down, but I managed to get him to follow the rules at least somewhat. For a long time, I even thought I managed to get through to him on a level no one else had. I thought we were friends."

"Well… weren't you?" she asked, "Don't you have to have a strong personal connection with someone to be able to perform even a Basic Resonance?"

"It turned out Stein had a different definition of 'friends' than I did," the Weapon's grip on his arms tightened, "Stein has a pathological need to take things apart. He can't help it. It's the main thing that drives him, both as a scientist and as a person. Taking things apart to see how they work… and I was no exception."

"… oh."

Spirit almost hadn't heard it, Luz was so quiet… not that she needed to say anything; her silence would have spoken volumes all on its own.

"After I found out about it, Makoto and I made arrangements to transfer my partnership," he finished, letting his gaze drift up into the rafters overhead, "By then, Stein had mildly better self control, and was a skilled enough fighter that he honestly didn't need a Weapon in most situations. I didn't really see him much, after that."

"… his wiki page said he graduated at seventeen," Luz murmured.

"A full year earlier than I did, yeah. He went on to take programs at specialized DWMA facilities, and… well, I haven't seen him in almost twenty years, now," he sighed, his eyes falling closed.

"… Papi?... are you okay?"

He let one eye open slightly, lips curling upwards, "Why wouldn't I be okay, Luz?"

Her brows arched gently upwards, her mouth dipping down at the edges as she studied him, almost seeming to stare into his Soul; if he didn't know better, he'd have said she could see it, peering into him with a startling clarity.

"… you just… you sound sad, talking about him."

His thoughts came to a halt as he processed Luz's words; the wistful melancholy hung suspended in his chest alongside a sharp sensation akin to shock, as if this were the first time he was really noticing the emotion, truly processing what it was that thoughts of old partner summoned.

Fear? There was definitely fear, looking back on those days, but not nearly as much as he thought.

Anger? To his surprise, no. If there was any anger, it was a distant, peripheral sensation, tertiary to everything else.

No, what he felt, more than anything else, was disappointment. Bitter, bitter disappointment in the man he thought he had managed to reach, that settled into a strange, heavy remorse.

"… Papi?"

Luz's finger pressed into his cheek, bringing him back to reality; gently, he reached up, and guided her finger away from his face.

"Careful," he teased, "Try that with another Weapon, and they might bite that finger."

She smiled, though the concern in her eyes did not abate, "I'll be sure to keep that in mind."

"Good. You excited to see a movie?"

"Sure am!" she brightened… only for it to falter, "… just one last question… okay, two more questions."

"Fire away," he nodded, though he felt his shoulders tense of their own accord.

"… first off… why are you telling me this?"

He blinked, "Because you asked."

"But isn't this super personal?" Luz persisted, "Going off your reaction yesterday, I thought you wouldn't want to talk about it at all."

"Well…" he shrugged, "I figure you at least deserve honesty from me, Luz. And I trust you to keep this to yourself; you might not be that good with social cues, but you know that there are some things that you don't talk about with just anyone."

"Alright..." she mumbled.

"And your other question?"

"… you're not just… telling me all this to make me feel better, are you?"

Spirit's heart leaped into his throat, panic making his mind race even as he forced his features to remain firmly in place, still as stone, "What gave you that idea?"

The half lidded, deadpan stare that the Death Scythe received would have impressed even Maka, Luz's arms crossing as she leaned to one side, "Dad, I'm not great with social cues, but even I can tell when someone is trying to humour me or make me feel better."

The racing of his mind rose to an internal scream as he did his best to keep his smile in place, the corners of his mouth slipping ever so slightly, "Well, I guess it's a good thing I'm not just humouring you then!"

"You sure?" she pressed.

"Absolutely," he nodded.

"You're actually fine talking about this and not just trying to get me to not worry?"

"… yes," he finally said.

'Buy it, buy it, buy it, buy it,' he prayed, 'For the love of God, please buy it!'

She squinted at him, a low hum reverberating through her throat as she cupped her chin, clearly cross examining him; for a long moment, Spirit thought she would accuse him of lying…

… only for a relieved smile to break out across her face.

"I'm glad," even with the noise of the room around them, Luz's words still cascaded across him loud and clear, pure and wholehearted, "Gracias, Papi."

The Death Scythe was glad for the thrum of the crowd around them, hiding his sigh of relief as he finally relaxed, "Siempre, Corazoncita."

'Crisis averted,' he thought, all the tension falling from his shoulders at once as he finally stepped up to the snack counter, 'Though we really need to do something about those low Insight checks…'

"Took you two long enough to show up."

Maka let out a harsh snort at the high-pitched sneer on the cobblestone archway above above; Black Star grinned down from atop the wrought iron cemetery gate, Tsubaki at his side, "I thought you'd given up."

"And let Tsubaki fail on your account?" she snapped, "Fat chance, Black Star."

"So, what's new?" Soul asked, interrupting before the cycle could begin, "Find any trace of Sid?"

"Nope," Black Star jumped down, the only sound of exertion upon landing being the slight breath as a heavy thud reverberated through the ground.

Tsubaki's landing was far more graceful, patting out her dress as she elaborated, "We tried to follow his various tunnels, but most of them have collapsed. Whether this happened right after he made them or sometime during the night, we can't tell."

"Well, that figures," Maka grumbled, crossing her arms, "Guess we really are back to square one if he doesn't attack us… unless you found any other clues as to where he might've gone?"

Black Star turned up his nose, closing his eyes, "Nah. I took a pretty good look around, but it doesn't look like Sid dropped anything we can use."

"What about what's left of the tunnels?" Soul ventured, "If he travelled underground, he wouldn't have to account for streets and such, he could make a beeline straight for wherever he was going."

"Not necessarily," Tsubaki noted, "He'd still have to account for all the underground infrastructure – namely, the sewer systems, electrical lines and water mains. To ignore all that completely, he would have to have dug straight down quite a distance, and what was left of the tunnels didn't go down that deep before they curved or collapsed."

"And we don't have a map of Death City's underground systems either," Maka growled, rubbing her brow, "This is why I hate targets that can burrow or fly. Tracking them becomes so much more of a hassle."

"We'll make do," Soul assured, his cocky, calming smile in place as he looked from one person to the next eyes half lidded.

"We've still got thirteen days; it's not like we're up against something we can't handle. For now, let's just keep looking."

"Oooooh, no! They say he's got to go! Go Go, Godzilla!"

The Death Scythe grinned as Luz pumped her arms to the beat of the song, even though it had long since ceased playing even in the theatre behind them, "You know, I never thought I'd actually hear that song get covered, much less that it would be done by a full orchestra with choir."

"But would you have it done any other way?" she asked, her own grin as broad as he'd ever seen it.

"Nope," he chuckled, "Can't say I would."

"Didn't think so," she laughed, then sighed, content as she dug into the back for more popcorn, "So… back home for today?"

"I think so, yeah," Spirit nodded, "You still need to do your studies for today."

"Alright. And tomorrow?"

"Well, what do you want to do?"

"Come on, Papi," she turned on her heel, walking backwards to look him in the eye, "¡He elego los últimos dos dias!"

"¿Y?" he asked, cocking an eyebrow, "Estoy aquí para pasar tiempo contigo. Ya estoy hacienda lo que quiero solo por estar contigo."

Luz let out a growl of mock annoyance as she spun back around, raking a hand through her hair with a barely restrained smile, "Eres imposible."

"Lo intento," he shrugged.

"… but seriously," she glanced up, "Is there anything you want to do while you're here? There's gotta be something you don't get to do in Death City other than see me."

He glanced out the window as they descended the escalator; in the distance, what looked like a train track arced up into the air high above a carnival, the crowds bustling below in a sea of cascading colours. After a moment, the cars rushed up the track with incredible speed…

"… weeeeellll," he drawled, "It's been a while since I've set foot in an amusement park…"

Luz stared up at him, eyes wide, "Are we gonna win tickets?"

"Oh, Luz," he smiled, mischief abound in his tone, "We are gonna win all the tickets."

Soul was quickly finding himself regretting his choice of words.

Sid's house, of course, was devoid of any evidence anyone had lived there beyond the absolutely ransacked furniture, and even then, there hadn't been much to ransack; the professor had evidently lived a fairly Spartan lifestyle, his amenities sparse and streamlined.

His number of haunts was equally sparse; he didn't seem to frequent bars or restaurants at all, and in fact only seemed to rarely leave school grounds. Going off what they had all learned, Sid practically lived in the DWMA, spending more nights in his classroom than he did in the comfort of his home.

The only place he ever really seemed to visit during his free time that wasn't on school grounds… was Hook Cemetery itself.

And so, once again, they all stood waiting amidst the gravestones.

"Uuuuuuugh, this sucks," Black Star bemoaned, kicking a rock at one of the nearby trees; it bounced back, rolling to a stop near his feet, prompting him to kick it again in some small imitation of soccer.

"Don't do stakeouts very often, do you?" Maka asked wryly, her eyes unfocused as her head drifted back and forth on a swivel.

"We're waiting for a guy who might not even show up," he growled, "We should be outta here already!"

"Doing what?" Soul sighed, hands stuffed in his coat, "We can't just wander around randomly or we'll never find him."

"Black Star, the chances of Sid coming back at some point are actually fairly high," Tsubaki noted, "Even if it isn't tonight, this place seems to hold some significance to him. That, combined with his deliberate targeting of Academy students, means he probably won't lay low for more than a day or two."

"Making a big star like me waste my time like this," he grumbled, kicking the rock so hard it embedded itself in the bark, "Who does he think he is?!"

"… still no luck, Maka?" Soul asked.

"No. I'm not seeing anything," she kept her gaze moving back and forth, "It doesn't help that I can't see very far beneath the ground, either…"

"Well, that's just great," Black Star crossed his arms, "You really are useless."

"I'm not seeing you helping," Maka snapped, "Oh, wait, that's right, you can't. You're the worst person at sensing Souls here."

"Hey, if I really wanted to, my sixth sense could beat yours any day of the week!"

"Yeah? So why doesn't it?"

"Because I feel bad for you, Maka," he folded his arms behind his head, "It must really suck only being good for sensing things."

Her grip on her arms tightened, her eyes snapping back into focus, "… you know, I was going to ask how that cut on your back was healing. But you know what? I'm not gonna. You deserved that."

"It's healed up perfectly fine anyways," Black Star sneered, "Not like you could do any real damage-"

"Okay, that's enough."

Soul stalked between them, breaking their eye contact as his glare swept from one Meister to the other.

"Tsubaki and I have had to play mediator more than enough over the past forty eight hours," he intoned, an unusual authority adding to the weight behind his words, "I know that you don't like each other, but we don't have the time or the energy to keep managing you two or to work through the issue. We have a job to do-"

The sound of dry earth shifting.

Of dead roots snapping.

Maka and Black Star immediately jumped, each leaping for their Weapons; Soul and Tsubaki were already in motion by the time their Meisters reached them, the Scythe plunging himself back into the dark pool in a flash of light, Maka's hands a comforting warmth on the cold steel of his body.

The tree fell, breaking into blackened splinters as it hit the earth. Sid rose from the ground, fists clenched and milky eyes staring down.

"I hope you've revised your strategy, students," he stated, "Because class has begun, whether you've studied or not."

There was a faint click as Luz straightened out the last of her papers, tapping them on her desk to get them lined up; there was always something satisfying about lining up the corners. It was almost cathartic, in the same way as drawing a perfectly straight line or fitting together a pair of puzzle pieces without bending the cardboard because you got the wrong ones (an experience the Latina was all too familiar with).

A simple satisfaction, yes. But one she enjoyed immensely nonetheless.

"Oooookay," she set them down, leaning back in her chair, "That should be all of it…"

"We've done your math, your English, your social studies…" Papi squinted as he held up the piles of stapled worksheets, "Have we done your sciences?"

"Everything except the dissection labs," she pouted, "I still can't believe they wouldn't let me take the cow's eyes home when we dropped off the last of my homework…"

"Personally, I'm fine with that," he grimaced, "But… yeah, it looks like everything that we can do's been done. All that's really left is further review," he glanced at her, lips gently drifting up at the corners, "You feel ready?"

She let out a hum, tapping her fingers together as she leaned back far enough to stare at the ceiling, her chair on the verge of tipping back and dumping her onto the floor, "… I think so? I'm pretty confident I can at least get a B across the board at this point," she smiled, "You've been a huge help, Papi."

"Just doing my job as your Dad – and as a teacher," he chuckled, taking the stack off her desk and stapling it, adding it to the pile listed 'Completed Study Material,' "But now my question is, are you trying your best?"

"Of course I am," she sat up, pouting slightly, "Why wouldn't I try my best?"

"A lot of kids don't see the point in education, Luz," he straightened, expression stern, "As your father, I know that you try hard at everything you do. That's just who you are. It's not in your nature to put in a half-hearted effort.

"But I've seen a lot of students come and go… and while a lot of the time it's the result of lack of support from one source or another, it always hurts to see them stop trying," he stuffed his hands in his pockets, seeming to stare off into the air right in front of him "It's easy to lose your enthusiasm when you aren't doing so well, you know?"

"… yeah," she acknowledged, "There's a lot of kids like that in my school…"

A poignant silence fell over them both.

"… so, I'll ask again," Dad shook himself out of his reverie, his eyes returning to focus, "And I don't want you to answer immediately. Give it a little bit of thought before you answer."

"Okay," she bobbed her head.

"Are you trying your best, Luz?"

This time, she settled back, arms crossed as her back slid down her chair, lips pursed. Obviously, there were some subjects she liked more than others, and some that she outright didn't care for – God knew she was struggling just to scrape by in math until a few days ago…

… but by the same token, it wasn't as if she refused to put in any effort at all – and moreover, she genuinely had to wonder how many of her poorer grades were the result of a lack of effort on her part, or a lack of effort on the part of her teachers in terms of actually helping her learn.

"… I… I think I need to think on that a little more," she admitted, straightening, "I get what you're saying, and I'd be lying if I said that my frustrations with certain subjects didn't cause me to slip a bit… but… I'm not sure how well…"

"How well you were actually taught those subjects?" he guessed.

"Si. That," she nodded.

He snorted, "And people wonder why I think this country could learn a thing or two from New Zealand."

"Don't they pay their teachers like doctors there?" Luz queried.

"Yep. Same policies as the DWMA. And it is much harder to become a teacher there, as well. You know the saying?"

"'Those who can, do. Those who can't teach,'" Luz quoted, wrinkling her nose in distaste… then she giggled, "'And those who can't teach, teach gym.'"

"Smartass," the Death Scythe chuckled, "Not so in New Zealand; they treat their school system with some actual respect. But we're getting off track. Do you think that with some better instruction and a little more effort, you could do a bit better?"

"… well, I have been doing my best," she began, a determined smile on her lips, "But I think you've seen what better instruction has been doing for me firsthand."

He ruffled her hair, "See? I told you you're a good student; trying your best is all anyone can ask of you."

She grinned, "Thanks, Dad."

"Anytime," he dug into his pocket, pulling out his phone, "… should probably be heading back to my hotel, actually."

"Alright," she nodded, standing up to wrap him in another hug, "Buenos noches, Papi."

"Buenos noches, Corazoncita," he returned the embrace, then gently broke away, "I'll see you in the morning, okay?"

"You got it," she raised a hand in a two fingered salute.

He flashed her one last smile, then stepped out the door.

Black Star let out a roar as he rushed his teacher, Tsubaki's ninja sword in hand; they'd been clashing for what felt like hours. In his periphery, he was aware that the sunset had long since ended, that the oranges and pinks and purples had gently faded away into the infinite navy blue without his notice, stars blinking, moon grinning its usual morbid grin.

They must have been fighting for over half an hour now, at the very least.

But the ninja was only distantly aware of this. All that mattered to him was the here, the now, the heartbeat pounding in his ears as he jumped, spun, and swiped, attempting to cut open the back of Sid's neck with a single clean slice.

It was infuriating how a corpse could move so quickly; Tsubaki's blade only met the cold night air, the zombie ducking beneath it, spinning, and throwing up a kick that caught Black Star in the stomach.

He grit his teeth as he was propelled up into the air again by the impact, using the momentum to flip backwards and regain some control.

'Black Star, remember to stay calm,' Tsubaki's voice echoed in the back of his mind, 'Your opening will present itself in time. You just need to be able to identify it when it comes.'

'I know that!' he shouted mentally, though there was no scorn in his tone, 'Kusarigama Mode!'

'Right!'

Her form changed once again in his hands, the grip of the short sword transforming into a chain; he flung the familiar weight of the first scythe down, the zombie easily sidestepping the attack.

The Dark Arm Meister had expected that; as soon as the blade struck the ground, he pulled on the chain, launching himself down with enough force that his ears rung with the breeze that rushed past-

The flutter of a longcoat shot in from the corner of his vision, the dark red blade gleaming.

Once again, all Sid had to do was sidestep, Tsubaki's blade clashing with Soul's.

Black Star grit his teeth as his anger mounted, shouting his frustration into the wind, "Dammit, Maka! I had him!"

"Didn't look like it to me," she grunted, not even affording him a second glance as she kept her eyes on the dancing cadaver, resuming her combat stance.

"Then get your eyes checked!" he flipped backwards, pulling both kusarigama back into his hands as he landed on one of the gravestones.

"… your strategy hasn't changed at all," Sid sighed, frustration and disappointment heavy in his tone, "You're still refusing to work together."

"Didn't I tell you before, Sid?" the blue haired boy spat, raising Tsubaki once again, "Tsubaki and I don't need anyone's help. We'll take you in all by ourselves!"

Despite the lack of focus in the zombie's eyes, Black Star could feel the appraising gaze Sid now had levelled at him, his brow creasing however slightly, "You say that, but that certainly isn't what I'm seeing. If anything, it sounds like an excuse."

"And what's that supposed to mean?" Black Star hissed, anger flaring in his stomach.

"That you're incapable of working with Maka, Black Star."

Everything in Black Star's mind came to an abrupt, grinding halt. Every muscle in his body went rigid, taut like steel cables pulled tight to hold back some impossibly heavy collapse.

"Just like how you're incapable of stepping up to take any responsibility for your actions. Just like how you're incapable of completing a basic collection," the corpse crossed his arms, "It's like you're bound and determined to disappoint everyone every step of the way. You're capable of so much, yet you manage so little."

Pain shot through his jaw from how tightly his teeth ground together; his lips pulled back in a snarl, fury pulsing through him and clouding his mind in a haze.

'… Black Star…' he could barely hear her over his own heartbeat.

"… you don't know the first thing about me, you walking corpse."

Sid's expression didn't change, "Then prove me wrong."

The shriek of rage that ripped out from his lungs shot out like a gunshot; all at once, the energy in his muscles exploded, as if some blockage had been removed from the machinations of his body. He shot into motion, sprinting forwards, "Tsubaki! Shuriken Mode!"

The twin scythes disappeared, shifting into a far heavier weapon; the five bladed wheel of steel was easily more than half his total height, each straight edge sharp and polished to a razor sheen. He spun her in his hand, the inner wheel perfectly contoured to his fingers, before hurling Tsubaki forwards with all his might.

Sid did not move. He stood still, leaning back against a gravestone, nonchalant…

Then raised his hand, catching the oversized ninja star without so much as a flinch.

Black Star remained unfazed as he closed the distance, "Smoke Bomb Mode!"

"Right!"

With that one word, Tsubaki's form dispersed; steel turned to smoke, a thick fog that blanketed the graveyard and caught the moon's light with an ambience that blinded entirely.

But that was perfect.

Black Star didn't need to see in order to make his strikes land.

He lashed out, his fists clenched-

Only for Sid's fingers to close around his wrist.

Black Star only had time to feel his heart skip a beat as he was pulled into a strike that rattled his entire skull, the zombie's knuckles colliding with his teeth; stars filled his vision as he stumbled back, only to be pulled forward once again, staggering forwards before his hand was released, and what felt distinctly like an elbow collided with the back of his skull.

"You're not thinking," Sid declared, "What good does a smoke bomb do against someone who's already blind, Black Star?"

This time, Black Star managed to turn in time, eyes squeezed shut as he caught the next attack; Sid had just tried to kick one of his knees out.

"It's not for you," he snarled, "This is the only way it's fair!"

He twisted, and he felt, more than anything else, Sid's body spin in front of him, forced to align with the rest of his leg; Black Star refused to let go, instead stepping forwards, his other leg rising as he delivered a vicious kick to Sid's side, the ribs displacing under his heel.

His anger melted away in the swell of pride, the satisfaction at finally managing to land a solid hit rising from his stomach, "YAAAAHOOOOOO-!"

Before Black Star could finish his elated cry, Sid's elbow came crashing down on his kneecap; he slipped, landing roughly on his back, and all of the corpse's weight came down on him at once, driving the wind from his lungs.

"Black Star!" the fog dissipated.

Despite the pain that wracked his ribs, the blue haired Meister remained determined. He kept his grip on the zombie's ankle, twisting his whole body to try and knock the cadaver down.

Abruptly, all the weight disappeared; Maka stood over him, Soul's blade embedded in the earth where Sid had been previously standing. Tsubaki was immediately at his side, slipping her hands under his shoulders and pulling him into a seated position, gradually allowing his vision to settle.

"… took you long enough," Black Star wheezed, glaring holes into the back of Maka's skull.

"We could've helped you sooner if you hadn't used that smoke bomb," the Scythe Meister's retort was cold and concise, maintaining her gaze on Sid; he'd backed away, once again seeming content to merely watch, "Believe it or not, Black Star, we didn't want to give you another cut."

"Screw you," he pushed himself back up, letting Tsubaki steady him as he rose to his feet. When was the last time he'd taken a kick like that?

"Hey, if it makes you feel any better, I also don't feel like chipping my blade tonight," Soul quipped, and Black Star could swear he saw a faint grin in the reflective edge of the Scythe, "I don't know what you're eating, but your skeleton's hard as rocks, dude."

"… well, at the very least, you've stopped arguing," Sid noted, approval only barely noticeable in his tone, "It's progress, but you're still not ready."

"Gonna run away like you did last night?" Black Star jeered.

"I've said what needs to be said; it's up to you to take steps accordingly," the zombie straightened, "Class dismissed."

With that, he disappeared in a cloud of dust, sinking beneath the earth before they could blink.

"… well, at least we know where to find him," Soul sighed.

"He's not making any effort to change locations or confuse us," Maka straightened, letting herself relax, "Either this place really means a lot to him, or he's messing with us."

"It could be both," Tsubaki suggested, "His whole demeanour so far has been very… odd."

Black Star said nothing; he was only barely aware of the conversation unfolding around him, even as he slowly regained his breath. His footing returned, and he stepped forwards, staring into the hole that Sid had left behind.

The former professor's words echoed in his ears.

'You're incapable of working with Maka, Black Star.'

'You're incapable.'

'You're incapable.'

Once again, the ninja found his teeth grinding against each other, kicking a rock into the tunnel before turning away.

"I'll show you who's incapable," he hissed, stomping back towards the group without a second thought, the remainder of the night fading into a blur.

So sorry for the wait on this one, everyone!

The reason this one took so long is because I didn't want to string everyone along in terms of actually reaching the Boiling Isles, and I kept feeling like what I had written wasn't a good point to end on. So I decided to sit down and blast through until I completed the Stein arc.

What I ended up with was two chapters. This is the first one.

Also, yes, I know King of the Monsters came out in May, not June... but let's be honest. Luz is absolutely a Godzilla fan.

Please be sure to let you know what you think! I hope you enjoyed the eighth chapter of Owls and Souls, Witches and Resonance!