Seven-year-old Soul Evans blinked as he stared into the eyes of a six-year-old green-eyed girl. Her parents had brought her along with them as they talked with his parents. Now he and Wes were confused as she held the matches in her hand with a wide smile and crazed eyes. They were standing outside of his families ballroom fear itching in his brother's eyes.
"Why?" Wes asked as the girls eyes flashed to him.
"Because my friend said so," she laughed causing Soul's hair to stand on end. She lit the match and all three watched it hit the ground covered in a smelly clear liquid and burst around them.
Soul woke with a start as his brother yelped beside him. With wide eyes, he turned to see Wes sitting up covered in a sheen of sweat. His appearance seemed wilder than usual as their eyes met.
"Where's Maka?" he asked his younger brother as he placed on his house slippers. Soul shrugged, in truth he hadn't seen her since the kiss they shared at the park. It was still early morning and they did have work that day so she couldn't have gone far.
"Find her," Wes snapped as he now emerged from the bathroom fully dressed. Soul quirked a brow as he eyed his brother in confusion.
"It's four in the morning, I don't look for people till well into noon." Soul growled before falling back into the sheets with a sigh.
"What's up Wes, why are you suddenly all evil and wanting to kill pigtails?" Soul asked now waking fully. The older brother was silent as he fixed his tie.
"Just go find sewer rat." Wes replied before running out the door leaving Soul more confused.
Wes screamed in frustration as he fell into the rubble of his burnt home. This was her fault, but who was the friend she spoke of? Surely, the Albarn family wasn't trying to kill the Evans, were they? Impossible he knew, but the memory couldn't lie. His revulsion at himself stopped short when he noticed bright gold eyes looking at him. With a frown he glared up at Death the Kid.
"May I help you?" Wes asked, his temper short.
"Maka Albarn, you remember right?" Kid asked as his usual hit men flanked his sides.
"So," the Evans answered shortly as Patty snaked her arm around his shoulders. He glanced into her insanity filled blue eyes as she smiled maniacally.
"You know about our friend." She laughed before knocking him out.
He should be panicking right now. Maka wasn't in her room and they had work in an hour. Soul hated being late.
"Tiny tits show yourself now!" he called as he walked the empty streets of Death City. He had been searching for the pigtailed blond all morning and so far no luck. Maybe the kiss had been too early and now she was confused. Hell, he was confused right now. Perhaps she was just brooding somewhere?
Blackstar cursed as he was once again hit a dead end in his recon to find Capone's hideout. Mifune was to his left scanning for any traps as Tsubaki searched the now empty building.
"Another bust," she replied as she joined the other two moments later.
"They know the child is here." Mifune replied as he sat on his haunches. Blackstar starred off into the sky as he tried to figure out another strategy. They had been at this all night thanks to Angela's close ears and eyes on the black market. The chameleon family earned their ranks as shadow walkers. People who specialized in stealth, not violence. The gophers of the underworld as one would call. They blended in well with any environment placed in.
"What now Blackstar," Tsubaki asked as her partner glanced at the Samurai beside him.
"Capone and his men where here, I trust your boss's knowledge, but now he aint here," The blue haired man stated. Mifune nodded as he stood up and tried to think of another means of finding their prey. Tsubaki watched as the two boys resumed their original task. They would keep Maka safe from one gang at least. A gunshot sent the men's heads turning as Tsubaki fell to her knees holding her stomach.
"Tsubaki!" Blackstar yelled sliding to catch her head in his lap.
"R-red dot, I took the- bullet," she gasped out before falling unconscious. Before he could even speak another red dot Tsubaki had seen appeared on his hand before traveling to his forehead.
"Capone placed Snipers!" Mifune yelled as Blackstar jumped to safety holding his fallen comrade securely in his arms.
"Mifune, please distract them while I get her to a doctor." Blackstar pleaded as the two hid from the numerous red dots of sniper rifles. Mifune gave a silent nod and readied his katana as Blackstar raced away with the raven-haired girl in his arms.
"This blade that never hurts a child shall be your death." The samurai whispered before jumping into the red dots and deflecting the bullets easily.
Blair hissed as she was pushed into the armored vehicle. Her back hit the cold metal as her hands and feet were bound together. Her captors wore hoods over their heads but she could tell who they worked for.
"You will never get her." Blair growled as one of the captors placed a gag in her mouth.
"We have that taken care of already," the voice was male as his partner shook it's still concealed head.
"Free, let's not ruin all the surprises." A woman hissed from the driver's seat.
"Sorry, I forget these things; prison does that to a person." Free responded forgetting all about the hostage attempting to escape using her nails to break the rope. Her purple hair had been straightened for her date later tonight with Wes; it was the day before Thanksgiving after all. While her three captors were busy, fighting with eachother no one noticed the now free Blair. Using the cat like stealth she had learned from Tsubaki, she tried to escape the moving van. Suddenly a hand slapped her down.
"Chi, chi bad cat." Mizune smiled as she lowered her hood finally. Blair's eyes widened before turning to slits.
"I knew I smelled a rat." Blair hissed as she pushed the woman off her. Mizune growled lightly before pushing up on Blair's scantily clad body.
"Mizune, stop playing with our guest, she's useless to us dead." The blond lady in the driver's seat hissed.
"Sorry Medusa-sama," Mizune replied before allowing Free to take the girl from her.
Maka felt sick as she stared at the teen before her, its pink hair blowing in the light wind supplied by nature. Green met violet as they starred silently before the small teen looked up.
"I'm just an experiment Maka, but, you're the killer. I don't know how to handle this," the teen wept as it fell to its knees.
"Patty said she had to let me leave, and then some frog lady told me to meet you. I am so happy to see my old friend, but I am an experiment. Life only goes one way, one way Maka, and you're a killer." The teen repeated.
"How am I a killer Crona?" Maka asked before gasping, how did she know this person? Memories flashed in her head as she fell to the ground clutching herself as pain shot through her entire being.
"Life only goes one way, I am an experiment, but you're a killer." Crona repeated before a sound sent the old friend scurrying away. Tears rolled down her face as two strong arms brought her into an embrace. Her sobs shook her body as loud wails escaped her mouth. Soul merely sat holding her as he waited for her to calm down. When her sobs finally slowed an hour later, Soul smiled.
"So, who was the weirdo and what did they do to make you cry?" he asked starring into her wide green eyes still wet with her remaining tears.
"An experiment, but I'm the killer. Life only goes one way Soul, I remember everything, and I'm so sorry." She whispered before falling asleep on his shoulder. He sat still for a moment before sighing an uncool, and taking her back to Blair's home they were staying in.
The cell was dingy and unamusing as she listened to the guards discusses Capone's latest escapades. Kami Albarn was ready for death, ready for her husband to die. The ungrateful man had put her in this cell when he sold her out to Capone as a Star clan member. Now her only daughter was about to be affected by the same experiment used on Medusa's own child. Soul Evans would never be able to protect her as the plan had originally stated.
"Kami, we're here to rescue you." Death the Kid said as he appeared infront the cell. Her wide blue eyes dulled after his words sank in.
"No, my time has come, rescue Maka, I trusted the wrong men with her." the mother said as two blonds appeared behind the boy. The three were young to be involved in the gang business. Before either could speak or argue, gunshots snapped around them. One of the blonds yelled as the raven haired boy grabbed her fallen figure.
"Kid, the guards called back up!" the younger of the twins called as she aimed a 4mm at the group. Kid was about to reply when another shot hit his side sending both he and the taller twin to the floor.
Spirit Albarn had been a horrible father and husband, his own daughter had been what did them in. she had killed the Evans family and burned their own home. Now here she stood before him with the experiment Crona, both talking with crazed expressions and glancing at his tied figure every few seconds. Medusa had finally lost it, he had refused to get her Stien, and now his daughter was suffering for it. Never had the man felt so lost and desperate for help. Lord Death had guaranteed their daughter's safety with the Evans, yet here they were. Once again, he didn't know who to blame.
"Papa loves mama, right?" Maka asked as she appeared before her father. Twenty-three years of running and now, she was here infront of him.
"Yes, papa loves you and mama very much." Spirit answered immediately.
"Then why leave us, why do this?" she asked gesturing around her. "For your crimes papa, you get to see mama again; too bad it will be in flames." Her voice was hollow and empty. She had given up on her family.
Maka had been in Capone's hands in the beginning, but Eruka and Mizune had brought her from his reach and placed her in the hands of a worse enemy. She was in the hands of a snake and a spider. Which was really the worse enemy? who could she trust, was she really just a heartless murderer her parents had placed her as? A laugh escaped her mouth, the answer was yes.
Their faces scared in her memory, the smell of burning flesh, and her laughter echoing in the room. Crona, Medusa and the Gorgon family hiding in the shadows as they burned tied together at the stake. It fit them and her crazed smile fit her.
"Run girl, before Crona kills you." Medusa hissed as the child turned to her before racing from the room and into the night. Sweat plastered her hair to her face as two blonds and a raven haired boy grabbed her.
"Stop running," the boy ordered as he held the fighting girl at arm's length.
"Her symmetry is horrid." He spat throwing her to a blond on his right. "Elizabeth," the girl nodded before hitting her behind the head.
Her parents, her parents were useless. Her father had slept with the wrong woman. Once at the top of the gang family's best list, serving as protectors of the Evans clan, now it was all gone. Spirit Albarn, once loyal to Kami Star, now loyal to Medusa Gorgon, all because she wanted Stien.
Kami Star, the star clan's last heir besides the baby Blackstar, sold out to the enemy by her ex-husband. Both her parents were now dead by her hand. Maka Albarn was a murderer. Life only goes one way Maka, you're a killer.