It was less than a week after Kid's party when Lance was called down to the Death Room.
The speaker had interrupted Stein's lecture on the joys of dissection. "Will Lance Rodriguez and his weapons please report to the DeathRoom." The bodiless voice from the speaker system blared."Lord Death requests your immediate presence."
Lance was too curious at the announcement to be nervous about all the eyes on him and his weapons following him on his way out. A multitude of explanations ran through his head, most of them bad. Not that anyone could successfully predict what someone as eccentric as Lord Death would want.
The walk to the Death Room wasn't a particularly long one but Lance always liked to take his time to enjoy the scenic view of the ever blue sky in the reaper's domain. When he reached his destination he found said reaper sitting down on a small round table, enjoying a cup of tea.
"Oh Hello Lance!"The masked man bellowed, taking another sip."Come sit down and help yourself."
Also seated around the small round table were Felix and Josilyn and their respective weapon partners. Thinking about it, Lance had noticed their absence in class. Guess that explains that. I wonder why I wasn't invited ahead of time.
Sliding into a chair Lance accepted the offered cup and waited until both Veronica and Mark had got theirs as well before asking his question."Thank you for the tea sir."He said with a sip."But certainly you requested us for more than just this."
"Why would I need a reason to invite my favorite new students over for a cup of tea?"The reaper asked, his oversized pinkie extended as he took another swig into his mask."Speaking of reasons, I have a mission for all of you."
Lance suppressed a sigh. While the reaper's antics could be amusing at times, they could also be quite bothersome."What would this mission entail?"He spoke, continuing in his businesslike manner.
"Hmm," The Death god considered for a moment."Let's just call it a team building exercise. Since none of you have any prior experience working as a unit, I thought what better time than the present for you to learn?"
His reasoning made sense. Lance had to admit. But the idea did not sit well with him. He was fairly confident in his ability to handle any single kishen, maybe even a witch, on his own with just Mark and Veronica. But he was unsure of his ability to cooperate in a group. He could take orders well enough but fighting alongside a fellow meister seemed like it would be difficult to say the least.
Josilyn remained as expressionless as ever at the news. As did Trish but Lance expected it was more forced on her part than Josilyn's natural iciness. Reiji on his part seemed completely indifferent to the news, like it was just another task to be completed to clear up his schedule while Felix's nervousness was clear to all in the room. Lance felt exactly how Felix looked but his poker face never faltered. Mark looked excited and Veronica too though she kept more calm than the tyke.
"And what exactly would we be doing on this mission?"Josilyn inquired.
Lord Death drained the rest of his tea, placing the cup on the table. "A few miles to the south of Death City lies a small ghost town. There has been recent activity that leads us to suspect the presence of a witch and one or more kishen."
"Working together?"Veronica asked.
"So it would seem. It is not unheard of for witches to trance kishen into being their minions. And we suspect that if a witch truly is present she may be a necromancer, seeking to use the abandoned cemetery to create a small army to do her biding."
The room was deathly quiet as the teenagers took in the seriousness of their assignment. A necromancer could make dozens, if not hundreds of kishen zombies to protect and serve her like obedient slaves blindly following their master.
Felix, speaking for the first time since Lance arrived finally broke the silence."Um Lord Death, are you sure about this? I mean you said it yourself that we didn't have a lot of experience at things like this. Shouldn't we start off a little smaller?"
Trish instantly glared him down. Obviously she was thinking about the possible souls that could be gathered including the witch's soul to make her a full-fledged death scythe.
"It's true. This mission would normally be assigned to a three star meister. But your class mates have all already been put into groups and have learned to link their souls with one another in combat. If you don't learn to quickly you may fall behind and never catch up and besides three one star meisters should be just as good as a three stared one."
"Sounds fun," Reiji commented, his mouth spreading into a wicked grin."Dibs on the witch's soul,"
"You can't call dibs!"Veronica and Trish screeched in unison, glaring daggers into the young weapon.
"Fine, fine the soul will go to the weapon who takes the witch down, that sound fair?"Reiji offered, his smile never leaving his lips. Obviously he thought it wouldn't be much of a competition.
"Sounds agreeable," Veronica almost growled.
"To the victor go the spoils as they say."Trish also agreed bitterly.
"You're on."Mark said looking at all of them.
"Heh I like this one" Reiji proclaimed."He's got spirit."
Mark seemed somewhat pleased at the approval of the older weapon as he leaned back in his chair.
"If I may interrupt," Lance interjected, surprising himself at how forceful he sounded."At what time shall we be leaving for this trip?"
"Oh let me think."Lord Death thought for a moment."Immediately"
Lance didn't show the surprise he felt. Nor did he show the doubt he instantly had in the likelihood of success. Instead he let his emotions remain dormant and just nodded. A nod was all he needed to do. He may not be ready or even confident but he'd try. He couldn't promise any more, and he wouldn't promise any less.
"We'll we be living this instant then?"Josilyn asked, as if it didn't matter one way or the other.
"You have exactly half an hour to prepare before your flight leaves."The death god answered before pulling a pocket watch from nowhere."Well it's more like twenty eight minutes now."
That got Lance thinking again. He usually traveled light so it wasn't too important but he did like to keep some supplies. In his coat which was hung back in the classroom, pockets filled with tools and tricks for nearly any occasion. Lance knew the plane would be at the left side of the city, a thirty minute walk but that could be diminished to about five minutes with good transportation since there was little to no traffic in Death City.
"Well I'm ready to go anytime."Trish stated matter of factly. Arms and legs both crossed in her seat.
"Yeah, me too," Felix said, looking uncharacteristically nervous.
"As am I," Josilyn confirmed.
"I'll need to pick up something from my locker but yeah, I'm ready."Reiji nodded, appearing more excited than anything else.
"Yeah we're good too."Veronica said, speaking for her and her sibling."Well as good as we'll ever be."
All six pairs of eyes finally turned to him. Eyes brows raised and expressions expecting. "I'll need to grab something too."He said stoically, ignoring their eyes and frowns.
"Well don't keep the cabs waiting."Lord Death added."Twenty six minutes and counting,"
With a cab waiting Lance figured he wouldn't have to worry about time so he didn't immediately sprint for his coat like he might have, Instead opting for a brisk pace in the opposite direction from the rest of them, not to fast though. He wouldn't want to cause any unwanted attention. Especially from his soon to be team mates.
What he forgot though, was the impending bell ring, signaling to all the students that lunch had begun. And, just like any other day, the students couldn't get out fast enough and Lance soon found himself swimming against the tide in a sea of students. Eventually getting knocked down and ever so slightly trampled on by one of the heavier students of the DWMA.
After the first few, most people had the courtesy to move around or over him but not enough to actually help him up. It wasn't until a few minutes later when he felt someone hoist him up from his shoulders.
Slightly dazed Lance gently smacked the hands away once he was up, realizing they were Kid's. "Lance what happened to you?"
"Got stomped on, not important, I need my coat."Lance explained in a quick series of breaths.
"You got stomped on? What did father have you do in there?"Kid asked."And why are you in such a hurry to leave?"
"No time to explain. Gotta go, see ya, love ya, bye."Lance summarized as he ran out the door, his senses coming back to him as he hurriedly put his coat back on.
The halls weren't too crowded now, just a few stragglers taking their time to get to lunch. Weaving through them was easy enough and didn't require too much concentration with his adrenaline already pumping. When he got outside he just barely managed to see a taxi cab pulling out of the school's parking lot.
Lance plucked his phone out of his pocket. The digital screen read 12:36.
Now think. If Lord Death called us down at what eleven o five? Yeah, that sounds right. He talked for about ten minutes then told us we had a half an hour before our flight left. Hmm that means it leaves in exactly TWELVE FORTY FIVE! That's in less than ten minutes!
Dialing the numbers with utmost haste he attempted to call Veronica to no avail.
12:37.
Dammit. He knew he couldn't run fast enough to catch up and he knew that plan was going to go up with or without him. Pounding his hand on the railing he let out an angry groan.
When he lifted his head though, a thought struck him. A stupid, ridiculous, adrenaline induced idea that had almost no chance at success.Nothing to lose, I suppose. Well accept my life.
So nothing important to lose, He corrected himself with a devilish smirk.
The buildings in Death City were quite uniquely designed. They were made almost completely of cobblestone with many engraving and spikes in seemingly random locations. Perfect for handholds,
The buildings were closely constructed around each other too. Someone could easily maneuver a way down to the bottom from the top with prior experience and planning.
Lance had neither.
But desperate times call for desperate measures as they say.
The first leap was surprisingly easy. With one single bound of his legs he was airborne and that's when the panic hit. His arms flailing wildly just barely managed to grab hold of the ledge of one of the buildings surrounding the school.
With a heave he hoisted himself up, brushing off dust from his clothes. Stretching a little, he regained some speed, continuing until the next jump.
His arms flailed less this time. He tucked and rolled moments before hitting the roof. He had used a similar move multiple times in combat and he was pleased at how well it worked in this foray.
The process quickly became a rhythm of repetition as he dived, leaped, ran, and climbed down to the end of the city. His muscles ached but he was determined. His descent was as quick as he could possibly go, more and more building left his feet as the minutes passed, the debt line coming dangerously closer each second.
But fatigue eventually wore on him and he had to stop. His throat was bone dry, the desert heat wasn't helping either. Reaching into his pocket he checked the time 12:42. He was so close he could see the plane, just a few more buildings away. He could do this, he could do this.
He jumped on to the nearest house. It was only a few feet of a gap so he wasn't too worried. The shingled roof provided little traction so he almost slipped, just barely managing to catch himself. The next house was farther away. Cracking his knuckles he made for it, his coat billowing behind him as he soared through the sky.
Mid way through the air a thought came to him. He wasn't going to make it. At this height the fall wouldn't kill him. But he certainly wouldn't be going anywhere soon. Begging his muscles to stretch he came closer, his hands just barely missing the gutters.
And he fell.
Fast.
Down.
But not for long, luckily he'd been able to grab onto the window sill beneath the roof. Amazed he silently thanked every training session he had endured for it had paid off. Still shacking he lowered himself down until he was at ground level.
The plane's engine could be heard as he sprinted as fast as legs will carry. Stride by stride he sped, ignoring his exhaustion, wishing he had longer legs.
Turing a corner he finally made it. Spotting the others he skidded to a halt. Supporting his weight on his knees he heaved."Sorry…. ….had to….. Get coat."He explained between pants. The throbbing in his head and the dryness in his throat made it hard to talk
"Ah I was wondering where you were."Josilyn said, checking her watch."Well quit wasting time. Get in the plane already."
The others only gave him odd stares as one by one they got in the small private aircraft. Only when he was on did his own weapons even ask him what happened.
"What happened?"Lance repeated."What happened was that you guys left without me."
"Well sorry."Veronica snorted."But you never showed up so we assumed you went without us."
"Ugh. Whatever."Lance scoffed as he yanked open a bottle of water and drank. His arms and legs were sore and aching but he hoped he'd be able to still fight. There was no way he was going to allow himself be a burden on his first team mission.
He drained the bottle just as the plane left the ground initiating the start of their little operation. He didn't know what to feel at that moment. He was too tired to have a whiny monologue about it either. So he did the logical thing for once.
He napped.
Kid was troubled, the kind of troubled usually reserved for symmetry freak outs. Ever since he had seen Lance he had been deeply confused. Why was he in such a hurry? What had father said to him? And why had he been trampled on by half the student body?
Even Kid, who liked to fancy himself a bit of an amateur detective, could draw no answers from the little information he had. He had deduced that whatever he was doing probably involved the other students who were currently absent. But for what purpose could his father need them for so long?
Discouraged, he made his way to the cafeteria, lost in his thoughts as he grabbed his tray and shoveled food onto it. Everyone was in their usual table of choice, Soul and Maka on one side, Black*Star and Tsubaki on the other with Crona seated close to Maka.
The sisters both took seats next to Tsubak. So Kid sat next to Crona to keep the sides even and symmetrical, not even bothering to notice how she fidgeted.
With his head resting in his palm he slowly ate his lunch little by little, a bored expression on his face as his spork monotonously went from his mouth to his tray.
He decided after class he'd go see his father and see what Lance and the others were up to. Until then he'd just have to distract himself.
"So whadaya guys think Lance is up to in the DeathRoom?"Maka asked no one in particular, obviously not sharing Kid's thoughts on the subject.
"I don't know. Maybe the new kid went and got himself into trouble."Soul guessed with an apathetic shrug."How much do we really know about this Lance guy anyway?"
Kid felt his eye brows narrow at that."What are you getting at?"Kid asked, brought into the discussion despite himself.
"Yeah Soul what are you getting at?"Maka also questioned.
"There's just something about that guy."Soul shrugged."I don't trust him. He always just sits there all day and hardly says two words. It's not normal. Remember how he talked to Crona the other day?"
"At least he actually stays awake in class."Maka retorted in Lance's defense."That's more than I could say about you. And I asked him to talk to Crona for your information."
"All I know is I kicked his ass."Black*Star casually added between mouthfuls of food, eliciting a sigh from his nearby partner."But" He added just as calmly."He did put up a good fight, so as far as I'm concerned he's alright by me."
"Wow Black*Star, that's actually kind of mature of you."Tsubaki complimented."Maybe Mifune sensei is starting to rub off on you."
Black*Star just shrugged, seemingly not caring one way or the other. Kid had to agree, ever since Black*Star had started practicing with Mifune weekly he had started to brag noticeably less, his fight with Lance being his relapse of course.
"Either way I'd keep an eye on him if I were you."Soul assessed."Trust me he's hiding something."
Well Kid couldn't argue with Soul on that. Lance was hiding something, but that was neither here nor there. He was going to say something in his defense. But someone beat him to it.
"Yes, I'd agree. He certainly is a most fascinating specimen."
"Professor Stein!"They all yelped, practically jumping from their seats. The lab coat clad teacher had somehow appeared directly behind Soul in the same chair he rolled around the classroom in without any of them noticing.
"When did you get here?"Maka questioned.
"Oh just a little while ago. Long enough to hear you gossip about our newest little swordsman."The professor answered, tightening the screw in his head in the process."I'm glad I'm not the only one intrigued by him, especially after that little display between him and Black*Star the other day."
"You saw that? But we had Papa as the official referee."Maka asked, confused.
"Well it just so happened that I was organizing some lessons at the time and I heard the commotion." Stein explained, grabbing the chocolate milk off Soul's tray."Naturally I was curious. So I decided to investigate."He paused to take a sip."I can't say that I was disappointed either."
"But he lost."Black*Star remarked, irritated."He couldn't have been all that impressive."
"Black*Star, Any student with the talent to focus their soul to that magnitude is a rarity. And the fact that he was able to last as long as he did with a much stronger opponent is quite the feat."The professor lectured."He made up with intelligence what he lacked in speed and strength"
"Well, I guess you have a point." Black*Star admitted, grudgingly.
"And surely Maka here noticed Lance's other disadvantage that he coped with."He gestured to the scythe meister.
"Huh?"Came Maka's confused response.
"Oh surely you thought to use your soul perception during the fight?"Stein asked."No? How disappointing. It's always in the midst of battle when a person's soul becomes the most stressed that we can see its contents undiluted. The shifting emotions and focus can make for quite the show." He took another sip."And I must say. Lance's soul was most intriguing to say the least. You can really see his parents in him."
Kid nearly choked on his food. Stein knew Lance's parents? And Lance's soul looked similar? To which one, his mother or his father?
"How'd you know Lance's folks?"Liz asked, beating Kid to the question.
"They were in my class when I was a student, if you must know. His father was Lord Death's personal Death scythe for a while, if I recall correctly."
"He must have become a death scythe before Papa."Maka breathed.
"How come he's not a Death scythe anymore? Did he move or something?"Liz guessed.
Kid tensed again. The news had been shocking enough when he heard it. There was no way to expect how the others might react.
"Uh I'm not sure if I'm at liberty to say."Stein stated, staring into the remainder of his stolen chocolate milk."It's on a strictly need to know basis and all that."
Kid gave a small sigh of relief. Crises averted. Though there was something still bothering him."What was it you were saying about Lance's soul professor?"
"Oh yes that."The mad scientist said with a sinister grin."I'm fairly certain you know how to use soul perception. Why don't you find out for yourself? I'd just hate to give it away."
Kid barely had time to glare before the bell rang once again."Oh would you look at that."Stein continued."We'd best get back to class. I'd hate to be late for my own lecture." And with that he rolled away, back to the classroom.
"Why can't adults ever just give a straight answer?"Soul grunted."And he stole my milk!"
Kid certainly had a lot more to think about now. What could be so unique about Lance's soul to grab Stein's attention so? So many questions needed to be asked, and the school day was only half over. Something told Kid this was going to be a very long lecture…