Anxiously, Ava paces back and forth, a hand firmly clasped over her mouth, her yellows darting from side to side, trying to deal with it all. She grimaced remembering well what happened, it all seem so simple. She and Death talking, conversing, chatting that is until they had turned to the door, where a tearful Liz and Patty rushed in, holding a bloodied battered beaten Kid in their eyes resulting in her feral scream of agony, of pain, feeling Death's arms grab her, holding her as Stein rushed in, helping guide Kid away to get treated. She had no idea what was happening, what had happened…
"Sweetheart…" Quietly, Death stands by her side sighing when seeing her frantic features reaching out to her as she brushes him off. Her arms crossed over her chest, not quite sure what to make of it all.
"This is all my fault." Upset, Ava whispers her voice cracking briefly before leaning back on the wall, her arms crossed over her chest.
"No one could have known. This is the duty of the Shinigami we both know that." Dutifully, Death reminds Ava.
"But he isn't one, he's still immature!" Incensed, she snaps at her husband.
"He will be fine. His healing capabilities are much faster than normal humans." Death reminds the angry Ava seething.
"That doesn't mean I'm happy he's hurt!" Angrily, Ava snaps seething, scowling just then the door opens to Stein as Ava stops in the hallway, turning to him.
"Stein, how is he?" Worried, she questions Stein, worry laced in her tone turning to him.
"He's awake. He asked for you." Stoically, Stein reveals making both Death and her share a look.
"For me?" Perplexed, she furrows her brow at the thought.
"He seemed serious." Stein tells her.
"…Right." Tiredly, she sighs slumping her shoulders exhaling as she then enters the room, finding Kid in bed, brow furrowed.
"Kid? How are you feeling sweetheart?" Softly, she whispers approaching his bedside, taking a seat by his bedside, placing her hand over his, squeezing his small hand over hers.
"I'm a bit sore but I will recover." Kid reports to his mother, his gold meeting her own.
"Right…what happened sweetheart?" Softly, she questions her son.
"This happened mother." Curtly, Kid frowns, his gold glaring into his mother's as he reveals a sharp blade before him, her eyes expand in horror, feeling her heart drop when seeing the blade pinched between the forefingers of her son.
"This…" Gently, she plucks the hefty blade out of his grasp, feeling her thumb brush against the slick steel, testing the weight.
"You recognise it do you not?" Kid furrows his brow as she leans over the bed, staring sadly down at the blade before her.
"Where did you get this?" Frowning, she demands from him sternly.
"He left it for me." Kid says to her.
"Course he did." Bitterly, she sneers scowling down at the metallic blade, her fingertips flex around the blade, curling around it, twitching looking ready to break as he notes her mother's fingertips try to break the blade almost as small shard like cracks soon form upon the blade allowing the small stream of ruby red descend down into the created cracks, staining the blade.
"Who is he? He said he's my uncle." Perplexed, Kid questions confusion laced in his tone.
"That's my brother…" Deflated, she sighs slumping her shoulders pained bowing her head.
"Your brother? You never told me I had an uncle." Kid notes, furrowing his brow at his mother twirling the blade in her bloodied grasp.
"He…your uncle is a complicated person." Sighing, Ava attempts to explain exhaling shakily, her nails scraping against the slick steel blade.
"What do you mean?" Kid quirks his head to the side lost.
"He isn't exactly…there." Struggling, she attempts to explain, gesturing aloofly.
"There? You mean he's…" Kid trial off, his brow furrowed.
"He's not someone you want to cross." Curtly, she cuts her son off, firmly furrowing her brow as she stands up, twirling the bloodied blade in her grasp.
"Clearly. But I never really considered it before, but I grew up knowing father didn't really have a family but you, you must have had a family right?" Kid leans forward briefly at the thought; he knew his father's situation but his mother? He never batted an eye to it.
"Kid…my family weren't well." Uncomfortable, Ava crosses her arms over her chest.
"What do you mean?" Kid probes frowning to see her mother's darkened features.
"Kid you know I love you right?" Tentatively, she turns to him.
"Of course." Kid nods his head.
"Then you should know, your safety is my top priority my family…they wouldn't have provided you that sort of safety." Slowly, she makes her way over to Kid, placing her clean hand on his shoulder, his gold staring into her glistening gold as she closes her eyes, disappointed almost at the thought of them.
"What do you mean?" Kid questions still confused.
"My families priorities were not…they…weren't always…the order they…" Anxiously, Ava pushes herself off Kid, turning away from him.
"Mum?" Frowning, Kid calls out to his mother, a part of him guilty for asking such a sensitive topic but he had to know, he had to understand who this stranger was.
"I…the current me as of now didn't want them to be involved with you." Firmly, she tells him.
"But why not? They are family surely…" Kid begins puzzled.
"Kid these people are…not right, they are the sort to make sure they are on top no matter the price paid. The rule of thumb with them is not one I agree with, the priorities they have put in place I do not agree with." Tenderly, she tries to explain to Kid.
"He…didn't seem well in the head." Kid gathers.
"That's because he isn't sweetheart. He isn't. I've tried to save him countless times as a child but I…things changed and I couldn't keep saving him, there's only so much you can do for someone." Gravely, she states the fact of it, her hollow hues softening sadly at the truth.
"Mother…why did he spare me?" Kid questions one more time after the pregnant pause between both mother and son.
"I…don't know love. I wish I did truly I did." Calmly, he leans into his mother's embrace as she drapes her arm over him, pecking his temple as he ducks his head into the crook of her neck, sighing, the two exhausted having no clue what else to say on the matter.
"You really messed up this time." Coolly, Ingram announces as he drops down next to the remains of the head floating on a rough raft swaying from side to side courtesy of the waves washing him astray. His once might, tall, strong ship now nothing more than an empty shell of what once was the black dragon, Ingram tuts at the sad sight, of the new home for the detached head.
"C-Captain!" Sputtering, the head gawks at the sheer sight of Ingram, stammering, sputtering even chocking on his words when seeing his boss towering over him, fear laced in his tone as his tongue wiggles about, desperately trying to come up with excuses for his situation desperate to avoid his captain's cruel wrath.
"You had one job, one job!" Coldly, Ingram snaps slamming his hand down upon the squirming screaming head, begging, beseeching, pleading for his master's forgiveness only to whimper when seeing Ingram's sharp scowl as he sits crouches down upon the raft, feeling the waves sway them slightly but Ingram remains firm in his knelt form.
"I know captain I'm sorry I'm sorry!" Teary eyed, the head screams only to be cut off by the sound of gurgling as he feels the salty sea water pour into his mouth courtesy of the swift slam to the waves, bubbles burst from the thrashing head, struggling but it's a futile effort only making Ingram giggle at the comedic sight before him, rolling his eyes as he now and again pulls the head up by its hair, rolling his eyes when hearing his apologies only for said sorries to be cut off by the watery waves once more.
"You better get those souls back got it?" Bored, Ingram slams the head back down on the raft as the head heaves, coughing, spitting out the water, a baby blue pool slowly forms from the hacking cough of the head, laying in a pool of its own fluids and water.
"Y-Yes sir although the souls I had prepared for kishin sama were all taken…I'll start over again from the beginning boss!" Determined, he hoarsely promises the bored Ingram as feathers spurt out of his back before the head knew it.
"You better can't have my precious nephew wake up cranky!" Cackling, he declares before leaning down, using his legs as if he were a hare to leap up high into the sky, soaring into the open air of the sea, heading off into the unknown…
"The result of the blood test have come in." Smiling, Medusa in her nurse uniform explains to Maka.
"Thank you very much. What did you find?" Maka asks Medusa who sits by her desk, looking over the results.
"WBC and RBC counts are both normal. There aren't any problems with haemoglobin either. Looks like you're perfectly healthy." Honestly, Medusa explains to Maka.
"Huh? Really? I definitely coughed up black blood that time…what could it have been?" Baffled, Maka exclaim, her brow furrowed at the memory after beating the big bad wolf that was the immortal she had spewed out black blood, she saw clear as day upon the stained snow white glove of hers.
"Blood darkens over time doesn't it? I think that's probably why it looked black. For the time being here's some medicine take this twice a day in the morning and evening. Speaking f which how's Soul? Is he still having these strange dreams about the demon? I was kind of worried about it." Concerned, Medusa questions Maka putting her on the stop as she freezes from said question.
"Huh a demon?" Mystified, Maka blurts out her greens widening when hearing the news.
"He came to see me and wouldn't stop talking about it." Medusa explains.
"Ahh if its that then it should be just fine. Well sorry but I've got to go!" Quickly, Maka turns slamming the door shut behind her unaware of the sadistic smirk upon Medusa.
"Stupid girl…" Medusa mutters under her breath glaring at the door.
"Wouldn't stop talking about it!? So he confides more in Medusa than me his own partner!? God that pisses me off! I'll find out what's going on!" Mad, Maka seethes stomping down the hallway leaving the nurses office.
"Maka Alban Mala Alban where's her medical recording?" Humming, Medusa murmurs to herself looking through the file cabinet in hopes of finding said files.
"Is this what you're looking for?" Surprised, Medusa jolts up at the calm collected voice of Stein turning to see the doctor behind her.
"You surprised me! Wasn't that too harsh please don't scare me like that!" Tensely, she smiles at Stein noting the file by his side, his hands over it on her desk, taunting her with it almost.
"Soul eater and Maka Alban are you really that concerned about them?" Smirking, Stein points out.
"Various things happened with those kids before so…" Medusa begins trailing off.
"What's this exactly? I got it from Maka. It's medicine that I've never seen before." Stein reveals the same packet Medusa had given Maka making her eyes narrow.
"That's herbal medicine that I made myself. It improves circulation and strengthens one pulse." Quickly, she lies.
"Ooh…" Impressed, Stein trials off admiring said bag in his fingertips.
"Do you find my interest in eastern medicine strange? I just want to do what's best for both Maka and Soul." Medusa defends herself lying through her teeth.
"Ahaha isn't that nice how sweet of you but is that something a doctor would do? Or a witch?" Icily, Stein proposes making Medusa flinch from his words.
"Hey that's so mean! Are you trying to say that there's something wrong with my looks!? That's sexual harassment!" Pouting, Medusa whines huffing at him deflecting it.
"Ahahah if you're worried about looks you should be more concerned about Spirit than you should about me!" Cackling, Stein bellows laughing at the notion leaning back against her rolling chair only then for him to come crashing down.
"That's my chair…" Medusa mutters furrowing her brow at the fallen figure of Stein, having no clue what to make of the mad doctor before her.
"You know for someone who proclaims to be a doctor you sure don't listen to your own advice." Amused, Ava chuckles at the sight of the shaking Stein in the hallway having left, leant over the seat, a quivering cigarette between his fidgeting fingertips only for it to be plucked by a pair of fingertips.
"I haven't seen you shaking since you first saw me…" Smirking, she points out taking a shy inhale of said smoke, a small smile of fondness upon her lips at the familiar feeling from said concoction, one she hadn't taken in a long while.
"Imagine my surprise to discover the bounded blade to have you inside." Coolly, Stein points out huffing as a cloud of grey emits from his cracked lips.
"What did you expect?" Curious, Ava arches a brow as she flicks the lone agent of escapism aside swiftly snuffing it out with the back of her heel.
"A knock off Excalibur." Curtly, Stein slumps against his seat unaware of the angry Ava, scowling, looking offended by the sheer notion.
"Hey I'm hurt!" Annoyed, Ava barks at the smirking Stein, releasing a small chuckle at the genuine offence in her tone but the two soon go silent, a pregnant pause in the air as Ava leans against the wall of the hallway, no words needing to be shared between the two, staring numbly at the wall before them, both of them in deep thought, her glowing golds darkening briefly.
"You sure about it though?" Stein whispers, bravely breaking the silence between the two as Ava notes his fingertips flexing around his seat.
"Stein…" Softly, Ava whispers her eyes softening sadly at him.
"Lord Death doesn't like it." Stein points out trying to be aloofly, but Ava knows, she can see right through him.
"We need all the evidence we can get that she's a witch." Firmly, Ava states the fact of it, it hadn't been the first time she's done such a thing nor would it be the last knowing her luck.
"Even at the cost of yourself?" Scowling, Stein glances up at her, his glasses gleaming briefly from the thought.
"Better me than Kid you should have seen her, she had her hands all over him…" Seething, Ava curses under her breath bitterly, fury laced in her tone as Stein notes the fierce feral nature of her words, seeing the malice marred into her facial features reminding him of a lioness growling, snarling against the lion claiming her as she tries to protect her young from the jealous Lion.
"I thought you were going to rip her head off." Chuckling, Stein smirks at the memory of Medusa practically pushing herself into being in the same room as Kid, trying to get whatever she could from the Shinigami only then to meet Ava's harsh glare practically glaring daggers at her. He saw it as clear as her, her claws digging deep into Medusa's arms if Stein hadn't noticed the squirming snakes coiling around her bone, he knew Ava would have broken her wrist while lord Death had tried to calm the thrashing tidal wave that was his wife.
"I was tempted I won't lie about that." Truthfully, Ava confesses scowling at the memory.
"Hey Kid, don't you think you should be resting more." Patty points out furrowing her brow as the two glance over at Kid slowly approaching the academy.
"I'm fine Patty my regenerative abilities have done most of the work. Liz, Patty you guys go back to the mansion." Calmly, Kid tells the two before dismissing them.
"Where are you going Kid?" Curious, Liz asks him.
"There's something I'd like to ask father about." Kid informs the two before leaving the two who head back to manor while he heads inside the academy seeking answers.
"How was it?" Sid calls out making both Stein and Ava perk up at the voice turning to Sid.
"There's no mistake what about the location of Medusa's house?" Stein counters curious.
"I've confirmed it." Sid nods his head.
"Be careful I wouldn't be surprised if she had some land mines of some sort in there." Frowning, Ava warns him, her brow furrowed she had seen such homes first-hand and knew the tricks witches had used as a defence against prying eyes, having seen such victims fall from such reckless actions.
"Well we need proof don't we? If she's using soul protect, she won't appear to be anything but a normal person. If there's any evidence that she's a witch lord will want to know what to do. I can see her snake's tail now I just have to wake her up." Smirking, Sid declares only making Ava further furrow her brow from his words.
"Don't be reckless Sid a witch's home is not something to be taken lightly!" Strictly, she snaps warning Sid not wishing for the zombie to fall victims to their traps.
"Yeah, yeah…" Smirking, Sid dismisses her before leaving the two who share a look with one another, not liking the end of this one bit.
"Father!" Firmly, Kid calls out strutting inside the death room.
"Hey Kiddo, shouldn't you still be in bed?" Concerned, Death questions his son.
"I'm fine there's something I want to ask you about. I may be a Shinigami but I'm still a kid. There are still a lot of things that I don't know. However, this is something that I want to know as a Shinigami. The kishin closest to us what does that mean?" Sternly, Kid demands from his father needing answers.
"Humans and gods both have weaknesses in order to bury those weaknesses we seek power fear and desire are like opposite sides of a coin…" Calmly, Death begins only making Kid's golden glare glower at his father's words.
"That's not it! I didn't come here to listen to that speech! The kishin closes to us it has something to do with the reason that you're unable to leave right!? Nice and clear I want you to tell me!" Fed up, Kid demands needing answers now more than ever, needing to understand what they are truly up against and their goal.