OK, I know it might be a bit too soon after the last chapter, but I want to get the full story out as soon as possible, so let's not waste any more time!
This won't be quite as action-packed as the last one, but it should still be enjoyable.
Onward!
/
"OK…let's recap." Maka started, rubbing the bridge of her nose.
She started to pace in front of her couch, which only made Soul even more nervous. He knew that he was going to be in some serious trouble, but he hadn't expected things to go as badly as they did. He stole a glance beside him, and wasn't surprise to see that both Black*Star and Kid looked as nervous as he did.
If there was one thing all three of them knew by heart, it was that you did not want to earn Maka's wrath.
"You three decide to have a "guy's night out", or whatever…" Maka said, continuing to pace in front of the couch. "Obviously, I don't have a problem with that. You guys want to go hang out, that's your business. But, Tsubaki was busy training, and Liz and Patty were having their own private movie night or something. So, I've got the house to myself, but I don't want to spend the night alone."
She turned and started pacing in the other direction. "So, I call up Crona, and ask him to come over. I wasn't planning anything special. Just him and me, hanging out, maybe playing some cards. Just enjoying a quiet night."
Black*Star smirked. "Heh, I didn't know "playing cards" was a euphemism for-"
WHAP!
"OW! Soul, what'd you hit me for?" Black*Star shouted, rubbing the top of his head.
"Would you have preferred the alternative?" Soul replied, tilting his head towards Maka.
Black*Star looked up to see Maka suddenly holding what was easily the biggest dictionary he had ever seen in his entire life. He cowered slightly when he saw the dangerous glint in Maka's eye.
"Oh no, Soul. By all means. Let him finish."
Black*Star gulped, quickly looking away from Maka. "W-Wasn't sayin' nothin'…"
Maka chose to ignore the double negative, and continued.
"So, I was all set for a quiet night with a friend…except I got a call from you, Soul…" she said, pointing at Soul. "That Crona was joining you for your little get-together. And when you said "joined", I knew you meant "we're taking him against his will"."
"I-It wasn't entirely against his will…" Kid commented.
Maka shot a glare in his direction, and he quickly fell silent.
"Obviously, I wasn't happy…but, I decided to give you guys the benefit of the doubt. I figured that it was fine. That nothing could really go wrong. You guys were responsible enough to make sure everything would be alright."
Soul couldn't help but wince at her emphasis on "responsible".
"…except I get another call a while later, this time from Blair." Maka continued, glaring at the three of them. "Saying that you guys were out looking for Crona. That you'd lost him."
Soul gulped. We are so screwed…
"So, of course, I'm out there, in the pouring rain, turning this entire city upside-down, trying to find him! I'm panicking because I'm thinking of all the things that could've happened to him, and just what separated him from you guys in the first place! And then, after picking up Tsubaki on the way, I finally find him and you at your place!" she finished, pointing a finger at Kid.
Kid flinched slightly, before Maka leaned forward, glaring at all three of them.
"So…start explaining."
She glared at Soul.
"Why are you covered in lipstick?"
Soul flushed slightly, rubbing his cheek.
Maka turned to Black*Star. "Why do you smell so bad?"
Black*Star gave a small sniff, then wrinkled his nose.
Maka turned to Kid. "Why are you soaking wet?"
Kid tugged at his damp shirt reflexively.
"And…most important of all…"
Maka then pointed at the other side of the room.
"What happened to him?"
The three of them glanced at where Maka had pointing, each of them giving a guilty grimace when they saw Crona.
He was sitting with Tsubaki, Liz, and Patty, who were each trying to cheer him up in their own way. Tsubaki had just returned with a cup of tea, while Liz had started wiping his face with a cool cloth, careful to not press too hard on the bruises or the swelling eye. Patty was playing with a couple of My Little Pony figures, and Crona was only half-heartedly playing along with her. He gave a small flinch as the cloth moved over his swollen cheek, which Liz immediately apologized for.
"Seriously, how does he do that…?" Black*Star hissed through the side of his mouth.
"Not the time, man…" Soul hissed back.
The three quickly looked back when Maka slammed her book on the table in front of them, resulting in a loud THUD. She glared at them again, hand still on the book.
"Talk."
Soul, Black*Star, and Kid all glanced at one another. Soon, Soul looked back at Maka, and launched into an explanation.
/
Earlier
Crona sighed, running a hand through his hair as he looked at his reflection in the mirror. It had been a couple of days since the last mission, but it felt like it had only happened a few minutes ago. The time between then and now had been a complete blur. Crona assumed that he was just recovering from the battle, but it was still weighing on his mind.
A monster, pretending to be a man.
Crona flinched as that sentence resurfaced in his mind. He could suddenly see him all over again, grinning down at him, mocking him…
No. Stop. he ordered himself. He's dead. You killed him yourself. He's nothing now. Stop.
Crona sighed, shaking those thoughts out of his mind and looking back at his reflection. Maka had asked him to spend some time with her at her place, since Soul and the guys were going to be hanging out. Naturally, Crona said yes, now feeling as though he needed Maka more than ever.
Spending time with her always made him feel better. And if there was ever a time when he needed to feel better, it was now.
He readjusted his collar, hoping that he at least looked somewhat presentable. He then blinked in surprise when he heard knocking at his door.
"Oi! Crona! Open up!"
Crona turned to look at his door, recognizing the voice.
Black*Star?
He walked over and opened the door, and was surprised to see Black*Star, Soul, and Kid all standing there.
"W-What are you guys doing here…?" Crona wondered.
"We're here to pick you up, of course!" Black*Star answered.
This only increased Crona's confusion, as the three of them entered his room. "P-Pick me up…?"
"Yeah. We're all going out for the night, so we're bringing you along." Soul explained.
"What…? Why…?"
"Well, it is a guy's night out." Kid said.
"Yeah! And you are a guy, right?" Black*Star asked.
"Y-Yes, but-"
"Then it's settled! You're coming along!"
"B-But…" Crona stuttered. "I-I don't know how to deal with a guy's night out! I don't even know what we would do!"
"Oh, just get some grub, hang out at the arcade, that kinda stuff!" Black*Star answered.
"But before that…we should get you something different to wear." Kid remarked.
"Wait, what?" Soul asked.
"H-Huh?" Crona stuttered.
"Yeah!" Black*Star agreed. "I mean, no offense Crona, but you really gotta wear something besides that dress."
"It's a robe!"
"Yeah, and Maka wears a kilt. Anyway, let's go!"
Seeing no other option to get out of this situation, Crona did the first thing that came to his mind.
He called for help.
"Ragnarok!"
That familiar splortch rang through the room as Ragnarok uncurled from Crona's back, leaning over his head.
"Yeah, yeah, I'm up, what?"
"Holy crap, he lives!" Black*Star shouted.
"I told you guys he was back…" Soul remarked.
"Yeah, I'm back from the dead, what-the-fuck-ever." Ragnarok grumbled. "What's so important?"
"We're taking Crona out for a guy's night out." Kid explained. "That's not a problem, is it?"
Ragnarok looked down at Kid, then at Crona, whose expression pretty much said that it was a problem. He stared at him for a few moments, before turning to look at Black*Star.
"We're getting fed, right?"
"Yep!" Black*Star replied.
"…I don't see a problem."
"Ragnarok!" Crona protested.
But Ragnarok had already gone back into Crona's back, crushing his last hope of getting out of this. He gave a small whimper, feeling utterly defeated.
"Crona…" Kid started, tilting his head. "Do you not want to spend time with us?"
Crona blinked. "I-I don't-"
"You can't spend time with just Maka, you know." Kid continued, crossing his arms. "Aren't we your friends too?"
Crona flinched, his eyes widening in panic.
"O-O-Of course you are! B-But I just-"
"Great, let's get going."
With that, Kid started walking out of the room. Black*Star suddenly started pushing Crona after him, which Crona tried to resist.
"B-But I already told Maka I'd go see her!" Crona explained.
Soul sighed. "Figured you did. Hang on, I got this."
"W-Wait, what're you-"
He saw Soul walk over to his mirror and start to make a call, just as Black*Star finished pushing him out of the room.
"Soul, wait!"
"Hello?" Maka's voice rang out.
"Hey, Maka, Crona's going to be hanging out with us tonight. That OK with you?"
"He is…? I thought he was coming over here…"
"Yeah, slight change of plans there. Sorry."
"…well, I guess it's alright…"
"Soul!" Crona cried out.
"…what was that?" Maka asked.
"Uh, night won't last forever, gotta go!" Soul responded.
"Soul, wait a-"
There was a loud ding, indicating that Soul had hung up. He then ran out of Crona's room, closing the door behind him.
"See? Taken care of."
Crona groaned, giving up as Black*Star continued to push him down the hall.
Maka was not going to be happy with him.
/
"Why do I need new clothes, anyway?" Crona asked as they stopped in front of the clothes store.
"I dunno, it was Kid's idea." Soul answered.
"I just thought that you shouldn't have to wear the same thing every day." Kid replied. "It only makes sense."
Though Kid had a point, Crona couldn't help but wonder if there was something else to it. He looked up at the store in front of him, at the various displays inside and the multitude of different clothes.
The subject of him wearing "normal" clothes had come up before, but Maka hadn't brought it up since, and Crona didn't see the need to talk about it. He didn't really get why it was such a big deal, or why the guys were suddenly pushing for it.
He blinked when he noticed something odd. In the reflection of the glass of the store window, he could've sworn he saw two people looking at him while whispering to one another.
He turned around to look behind him, only to see those two people quickly walk away, still talking to each other.
It didn't take long for him to connect the dots.
"…guys…?" he questioned, turning back to look at them. "Why did you bring me along…?"
"…Crona, we already told you." Soul answered.
"It's just…it doesn't make a lot of sense…i-if you're embarrassed of me…"
There was a loud slap as Kid's palm connected with his forehead, while Soul quickly stepped into Crona's viewpoint.
"We're not embarrassed of you, Crona! Really, we're not!"
Soul then looked beside him at Black*Star, who was staring off into space. He gave him a sharp nudge with his elbow.
"Right?"
Black*Star blinked. "What? He already knows we're not!"
Soul glared at Black*Star, while Kid walked over, placing a hand on Crona's shoulder.
"Alright, Crona…" he started. "I haven't been completely honest with you…"
Crona turned to look at Kid, his face showing both confusion and worry.
"I'll be blunt: a lot of people in this city know who you are. I don't think I need to tell you why."
Crona flinched. Kid definitely didn't need to explain what he meant.
"So…I just thought, if you were wearing something different…"
"…I wouldn't stand out as much…?" Crona finished.
Kid frowned, moving his hand away. "…basically, yes."
Crona looked down. Kid was probably right in his logic. His outfit did make him stand out from the crowd. And if he stood out too much, chances were something bad would happen.
And it definitely didn't make Crona happy to realize this. It made him remember how difficult it was for him to walk the streets alone. How everyone continued to look at him…
"…I think I'm just going to go home…" Crona whispered.
He turned to walk away, but Soul quickly ran in front of him, grabbing both of his shoulders.
"Crona, just wait a minute." Soul asked.
Crona looked up at Soul, but didn't answer.
"Look, we want you to hang out with us. Honestly, we do." Soul explained. "We just don't want you to get hurt because some idiot decides to pick a fight with you, that's all."
Crona blinked in surprise. "…people want to fight me?"
"Well…I dunno, maybe. I'm just saying, someone might."
Black*Star walked up beside Soul, leaning over to look at Crona. "Hey, it's not that big a deal! We'll just grab something real quick and then we'll be out of there! And it's just for tonight, anyway. You can go back to wearing your dress later!"
"Robe." Kid commented.
"Oh, shut up."
Crona looked back and forth at the three of them. They were all smiling encouragingly at him, which helped his mood a bit. Not by a lot, but a bit.
…they actually want to spend time with me… Crona thought.
"…I guess…if it's just for tonight…"
"Great! Let's go!" Black*Star shouted.
"Kid, you stay out here." Soul said, moving his hands away from Crona and looking at Kid.
Kid frowned. "…why?"
"It doesn't make sense for all of us to go in. Besides, we'll only be a few minutes."
"…well, alright."
With that, Soul grabbed Black*Star's and Crona's collars and started pulling them along, quickly heading into the store.
Once inside, Soul let them go, giving Black*Star the chance to look at him oddly.
"Why can't Kid come in?" he asked.
"Because if he did, we'd be here for five hours while he tries to find a symmetrically perfect outfit for Crona." Soul explained before walking away.
"…oh, yeah, good point." Black*Star mentioned.
Crona frowned, looking around the store. He was amazed at the sheer amount of clothes littered about. Shirts of all sizes and designs. Pants of various lengths. Skirts and long dresses for the girls. A section for underwear. (which Crona quickly looked away from)
I really don't get it… Crona thought. Why do people worry so much about clothes?
He was surprised when Soul suddenly came back, plopping a couple of garments in Crona's arms.
"These'll do." Soul said, before pointing at a room further in the store. "Dressing rooms are over there. Let's get you changed."
Crona was quickly guided over to one of the rooms by Soul. He went inside, Soul closing the door behind him.
"Just put them on. We'll pay for them on the way out."
"O-OK…"
"By the way, do we have enough money for this?" Black*Star asked Soul.
"We should be fine." Soul answered. "Besides, we can always get more from Kid if we have to."
Black*Star grinned. "It's great having a rich friend."
"Definitely."
"U-Um…Soul?" Crona asked from behind the door.
"Yeah, what is it?"
"Y-You gave me underwear…"
Soul blinked, then sighed. "Sorry about that. I forgot."
"I-I don't have to wear them…do I…?"
"Not if you don't want to."
"Wait, he doesn't wear underwear?" Black*Star asked.
Soul responded by loudly shushing Black*Star, before looking back at the door.
"If you don't want them, just slide them under the door."
"O-OK…"
Soul looked down as the garments slid out from behind the door. He reached down and picked them up, giving Black*Star a chance to look at them. He had to stifle a laugh once he saw the white boxer shorts with smiley faces all over them.
"S-Seriously, dude?"
"Oh shut up, I was in a hurry."
After a few more minutes of waiting, Crona opened the door, wearing his new clothes.
"So? What do you think?" Soul asked.
Crona looked down at himself. The black jeans weren't too weird, but the grey hoodie was a couple of sizes too big for him, and he could barely see thanks to the combination of the hood and his unruly hair.
He looked back up at Soul and Black*Star.
"I look like a hoodlum."
He was surprised when both Soul and Black*Star suddenly slapped their own foreheads, giving dual groans.
"What? What'd I-" Crona started, before thinking about what he'd said. He quickly slapped his own forehead. "Oh."
Soul moved closer and grabbed the back of Crona's hood, pulling it down.
"There. That'll do."
Crona blinked, taking a second and looking back into the dressing room at the mirror.
…I don't look TOO bad, I guess…
"Great! Grab your dress and let's go!" Black*Star said.
"Robe." Soul replied.
"Stop that!"
/
At the end of the day, Crona had decided that hanging out with the guys wasn't so bad.
Dinner had gone a lot better than he had expected. He thought that something would've gone wrong, but once they had arrived at the pizza place, everything went smoothly. The food was good, and just talking to the others about random, everyday stuff was surprisingly calming. The only weird thing was when Ragnarok popped out and devoured half of the pizza, and even then, Kid was prepared with more.
What was even more surprising to him was that the plan to disguise Crona in regular clothes had actually worked. Most of the people there hadn't even given him a second glance, and the ones that had seemed confused, looking as though they had seen him before. The clothes themselves weren't so bad either. Crona was worried that he would somehow feel different in regular clothes, but it didn't really bother him at all. He still felt the same as he always did.
After dinner, the four of them went to the arcade, which was a whole new experience for Crona. The flashing lights and various sounds coming off of the machines had initially caught Crona by surprise, but he quickly became used to them, even if he didn't feel like playing anything.
Even after Soul placed a number of tokens in his hands to join in with them, Crona decided to just watch them play. He was with Soul and Black*Star, who were playing some shooting game together, while Kid was off on his own. He watched the two of them point fake guns at the screen, pulling the triggers while moving them around in conjunction with the figures appearing.
"Hey." Black*Star said. "Something I've been wondering about."
"What?" Soul asked.
"Who do you think Kid would be more interested in? Liz or Patty?"
"…I wasn't aware he was interested in either of them."
"I'm not saying he is. I'm just saying, out of the two, who would he be more into?"
"How do you even know either of them is his type?"
"Dude, would you just play along?"
Soul sighed, clicking his gun at a couple of targets. "You first."
Black*Star grinned, shooting a few of his own. "I think he'd be into Patty."
"And why's that?"
"Because she's fun, man. Any time you run into her, you know you're gonna go on some wacky adventure or something. Kid needs a bit more adventure in his life."
"…you think the son of Death needs more adventure in his life?"
"Well, what he needs is to stop being such a killjoy. And Patty would help him do that!"
"Yeah, I thought we were supposed to be figuring out who Kid would be interested in. Not who you would be interested in."
"Hey! Who says I'd be into Patty?"
"Oh please." Soul scoffed, shooting and missing a target. "You're a cocky braggart who loves getting into a good scrap, and she's a ball of pure energy who can turn into a homicidal nutcase at the drop of a hat. It's like you two were made for each other."
"So, what, you're saying he'd be more into Liz?" Black*Star asked, missing his own target.
"Out of the two, yeah. Liz is a lot more down-to-Earth than Patty is, plus she doesn't take any crap. She can be pretty damn gutsy when she wants to be, even if she does freak out about "gross" stuff. She's just cool in general."
"Yeah, and you criticize me for talking about a girl I might like, Mr. Hypocrite."
"And just what makes you think I'd like Liz?"
"C'mon, I know you're into older girls."
"I am not! …and besides, Liz isn't that much older than me!"
"Uh, guys…?" Crona started.
"In a second, Crona." Black*Star responded. "Anyway, we still don't know which he would like more."
"And like I said, they might not be his type." Soul replied. "…what is Kid's type, anyway?"
"Who knows? I just figured that, since he hung out with them all the time, he might like one of them."
"How many times do I have to tell you that that whole "meister-weapon relationship" thing is a ton of crap?"
"Hey, just because it is for you doesn't mean it is for someone else."
"Well, how would he even choose between them? 'Cause if he picked one, he'd probably upset the other."
"Well, he'd still have to pick one!"
"Actually, I'm a polygamist."
Both Soul and Black*Star jumped slightly, turning their heads to the side. Kid was now leaning in between the two of them, having come back while they were talking.
"I tried to tell you…" Crona said.
Black*Star tilted his head, still looking at Kid. "…are you really?"
"Maybe. Or I could just be lying to mess with you two."
He then looked up at the screen. "You're done, by the way."
Soul and Black*Star looked at the screen to see "GAME OVER" flashing in bright red. Soul gave an annoyed sigh, while Black*Star glared at Kid.
"That's not fair! You distracted me!"
"Maybe you should have been paying attention rather than talking about my love life."
Soul glanced over at Kid. "You want a turn?"
"No thank you. It wouldn't work unless I could use both guns."
Soul shook his head, before looking at Crona. "How about you, Crona?"
Crona was about to say no, but stopped himself. Here Soul and the others had gone out of their way to bring Crona with them for the night, and he was just standing around, just acting like an extra wheel.
I should at least try to have fun… he thought.
He stepped forward, putting a token in the machine and picking up the gun.
"Just point and pull at the stuff you have to shoot." Soul explained. "Some of the things that pop up aren't targets, so make sure you don't shoot them. And move the gun away from the screen to reload. Real simple."
When he put it like that, it didn't seem all that simple. Still, Crona didn't comment, and instead looked at the screen as the word "GO" flashed in green.
A target suddenly appeared, and Crona whipped around and clicked. The virtual character fell and disappeared.
Another one popped up, Crona already aiming and clicking at it. Another one soon followed, only to be "killed" by Crona as well.
Again and again, target after target appeared only to disappear in a few short seconds. A non-target suddenly popped up, and Crona quickly aimed away from it and took out another target that had appeared alongside it. Every other second, Crona flashed the gun away from the screen, resuming firing at the enemies as soon as the reticle was back on it.
After a short while, the words "GAME OVER" flashed on the screen, a large score appearing underneath it. Crona placed the controller back in its slot, then turned to look at the others.
He was surprised when they all stared back at him, mouths hanging open slightly.
"…what…?" Crona wondered.
"…Crona, have you played this game before?" Kid asked.
"N-No…why…?"
"You sure?" Black*Star added. "Because I've never got that high a score before!"
Crona blinked, looking back at the screen, then back at them.
"…did I do something wrong?"
"No, of course you didn't!" Soul replied. "We're just surprised that you were so…good."
Crona looked back at the game, still wondering what all the fuss was about. If it was supposedly so easy, why was Crona the only one who so good at it? It was incredibly basic to him. Take out a target, leave the ones that aren't alone. What could be simpler?
Then it clicked in his head. It was basic to him because of his training. Training that he had received very early on in his life.
"…I think I'm done with this game…" Crona remarked, walking away from the machine.
"Wait a sec, Crona!" Soul said, pulling something off of the machine and walking over to Crona. "You forgot your tickets."
Crona turned, frowning. "Tickets?"
"Yeah. Here."
Soul placed a line of about ten small tickets in Crona's hand, which he examined curiously.
"What are they for…?" he asked.
"The prize booth, of course." Soul answered, pointing behind Crona.
Crona looked behind him to see a large desk at the end of the room, with various toys and knick-knacks behind it.
"…what do I get?" he asked.
"You're not going to go now, man!" Soul replied. "You're not going to get anything good with just ten tickets."
"Oh…"
Crona looked back at Soul and noticed that Black*Star and Kid had wandered off, Black*Star heading over to a claw machine and Kid following him. Soul walked over to a nearby pinball machine and placed a token in. Crona followed him over and watched him play.
"…you OK, Crona?" Soul asked.
"H-Huh?"
"You just don't seem like you're having a lot of fun, is all."
"N-No, I am…it's just…"
"Just what?" Soul asked, hitting the flippers.
"W-Well…I'm worried about Maka…"
Soul sighed. "Crona, I told you, it's taken care of. She knows you're with us, it's fine."
"I-I know…but, she'll still be upset…I mean, I told her I was going to see her…I've never broken a promise before…"
"It wasn't like you swore on your hands and knees that you'd see her tonight, Crona. It was just a little get-together that got cancelled. She'll get over it."
"But still, whenever we said that we'd get together, we always did…"
Soul sighed, looking up from the machine and directly at Crona.
"Crona, you really need to wake up."
Crona blinked. "W-What?"
"Do you really think you're going to go through your entire life without making Maka upset? That's just flat out impossible."
"B-But I don't want to make her upset!"
"Yeah, I know. And neither do I. That doesn't mean I won't."
Soul turned back to the machine, shooting out another ball and resuming play.
"People make mistakes all the time, Crona." Soul continued. "You can't go through life expecting everything to go perfectly. That just means you'll screw up more."
He focused on the game in front of him, hitting the flippers while still talking. "And friends don't always get along perfectly all the time. Sometimes they get into fights. But they always make up in the end and everything's fine."
"B-But what if the mistake that one of them makes is a really big one?" Crona asked.
"Then they just have to work extra hard to make up for it."
"But what if the mistake is so big that it's unforgivable…?"
"…I'd like to think you'd be smart enough to not make that big of a mistake in the first place."
The ball shot up through the machine, a few lights flashing on and off afterwards.
"Crona, this is you and Maka we're talking about here." Soul continued. "If she was willing to forgive you for all the stuff you did before we even met, she's going to forgive you for something like this."
Crona flinched slightly at his past being brought up, but he had to admit that Soul was right.
"Besides, she pretty much knows that this was my idea." Soul explained. "So if she's going to get mad at anyone, it's gonna be me."
"…Soul, you shouldn't have to-"
"Now don't you start taking the blame on purpose, Crona." Soul interrupted. "Really, you're blowing this completely out of proportion. She'll get annoyed at me dragging you off with us, but that's all. It'll be fine."
Soul moved away from the machine, grabbing the few tickets he'd won in the process.
"Anyway, you want a turn with this?"
Crona looked at the pinball machine, then back at Soul.
"N-No, that's OK…I'm just going to go see what the prize booth has…"
"Alright then…"
Crona started to leave, but stopped when Soul put a hand on his shoulder.
"Try to have some fun, OK?" he asked, head tilted.
Crona blinked, but nodded before walking away.
He soon arrived in front of the prize booth, Soul's words in the back of his mind. Though he did want to enjoy himself, he didn't want to force it. If he just purposely tried to make them feel happy, he'd probably wind up making things worse.
He looked up at the various prizes behind the desk. They were mostly cheap items one could find at a dollar store. Random silly hats. A few candy bars. What looked like a plastic baseball bat. Nothing that really interested Crona.
At least, until his eyes fell on the bear.
It was a fairly large teddy bear, but it didn't really stand out that much. Yet its fluffy brown fur and oversized red bow tie made it impossibly cute. Crona was surprised someone hadn't already snatched it up before he got there.
For some reason, he couldn't stop looking at it. It was as if the stuffed animal was somehow calling out to him. Like it wanted to be taken away.
It was then that an idea entered Crona's head. It was because of that idea that Crona made a decision:
He was going to get that bear.
He looked down at the sign underneath it. He needed two hundred tickets to win the bear.
He looked at the line of ten in his hand. He had a lot of work to do.
"Black*Star, I told you, those things are rigged." Kid said as he and Black*Star walked away from the claw machine.
"Whatever! I'm gonna get something out of that machine if it kills me!" Black*Star angrily replied.
"You could probably just get something from the prize booth if you really wanted to."
"It's got nothing to do with the prize! It's a matter of pride now! If I'm going to surpass God, I can't let something like a stupid claw machine beat me!"
Kid sighed, shaking his head as he walked up to Soul, who was leaning against a wall.
"Hey. What're you doing?"
Soul pointed in front of him. "Watching."
Kid and Black*Star turned to look at what Soul was pointing at, and found a rather peculiar sight.
Crona was running back and forth between the various machines, trying to find one that was unoccupied by another person. He stopped in front of a racing game and quickly sat down.
"What's gotten into him?" Black*Star asked.
"Perhaps he's finally starting to enjoy himself?" Kid offered.
"Maybe…but something seems off about it." Soul replied.
"What do you mean?" Kid asked.
"He's been running around like this for a while now. Like, as soon as he's done a game he's off trying to play something else. I actually saw him getting annoyed because he kept trying to get back to that shooter game and it was taken."
"…maybe he just really wants to play?" Black*Star answered.
"No, it doesn't seem right…" Soul replied.
They then noticed that Crona had stopped playing the racing game and was running towards them. He zipped past them and stopped in front of the claw machine, before turning back to look at them.
"Can you get tickets from this thing?" he practically shouted.
"Uh…I don't believe so…" Kid answered.
Crona gave a frustrated growl before running over to the pinball machine. He shoved a token in and leaned down, tapping the buttons furiously.
Soul looked at the other two, before cautiously walking up beside Crona.
"Uh…you OK, man?"
"Fine! Yes, I'm fine! Why wouldn't I be fine?"
"'Cause you're running around all over the place like you're on crack or something?" Black*Star offered.
"Oh, I'm just having fun, that's all! Lots and lots of fun! Trying to get all the tickets! Got to get the tickets, got to get so many tickets, got to, got to…"
Kid frowned, then noticed the abundance of lines of tickets sticking out of the pockets on Crona's jeans.
"Uh…just how many tickets do you have, Crona?"
"One hundred and eight."
The three blinked in surprise. "Already?" Kid said.
"Yeah. Would've got more, but everyone keeps hogging that light gun game. Because they know. They know that that one gives out the most tickets. They're trying to get more before me. But they won't. I'll get them all! They can't stop me!"
Suddenly, the world "TILT" lit up on the pinball game.
"Tilt? Tilt? What does tilt mean? I don't understand what the game is trying to say!" Crona yelled.
"It just means that you shook the machine, Crona…" Soul answered.
"What? I didn't shake the machine! This thing is cheating! It's trying to keep the tickets away from me!"
"Dude, your hands are shaking like mad. That's probably what did it." Black*Star explained.
Crona pulled his hands away and looked at them, noticing that they were trembling. He gave another growl and reached into the pocket of his hoodie for another token.
He paused for a second, patting the hoodie a couple of times. He then quickly turned to look at the others, and Soul noticed that his eye was twitching slightly.
"I. Need. More. Tokens."
The three of them stared at Crona for a few seconds, noticing the expression on his face. It was hard to read, but it looked like Crona was perfectly willing to start breaking the machines open to get his hands on the tickets if he couldn't get them the right way.
Soul and Black*Star both turned to look at Kid. Kid quickly reached into his pocket and pulled out his wallet, reaching in and pulling out a bill.
"This should cover-"
Crona quickly snatched the bill out of his hand and ran off.
"ThankyouI'llpayyoubacklater!"
Kid and the others watched in mild amazement as Crona resumed running back and forth between the various machines.
"…so he's after tickets, I see." Kid commented.
"Maybe he just found something he really wants?" Soul suggested.
"Something he really, really wants…" Black*Star added.
"What could be so important that he would act like this to get it?" Kid wondered.
Soul frowned. Crona's been acting really weird lately…he was acting odd when he first started going to that theater, but now he's been a total mess. What's gotten into him? It couldn't be because of the mission…could it?
"Hey! Crona!" Black*Star called. "You can't get any tickets from the air hockey table!"
Soul heard Crona shout "dammit!" and run off to another machine.
"…I think something's wrong with him." Soul said.
"What do you mean?" Kid asked.
"Well, look at him. When was the last time he ever acted like this?"
Kid frowned as he watched Crona in action.
"Not only that, but considering what happened a few days ago…" Soul continued.
"…just how bad was it?" Kid asked.
"He went completely apeshit, man. Sure, taking on Dracula was pretty gutsy, but he actually pinned him down and started punching him in the face. That's past gutsy and into full out crazy. And at first, I thought it was just because Maka was in trouble, but now I'm starting to wonder…"
Kid frowned, then shrugged his shoulders.
"Maybe he's just grown up a little."
"How do you figure?" Soul asked.
"Well, maybe he's just more comfortable with his surroundings, is what I mean. As such, he's more willing to show his feelings and emotions. After all, consider what his life was like before now."
Soul frowned. "Yeah, OK, but what does that have to do with him flipping out?"
"Not all of his reactions are going to be positive ones, Soul. What I'm saying is that before, he never really showed what he was thinking or feeling, out of fear for getting in trouble. But now he isn't worried about that as much, but he isn't used to showing his emotions. So when he gets angry, he'll go into a full-blown rage. And when he gets frustrated, he'll act like…well, like this."
"…so he just jumps to the extreme without any middle ground?"
"I don't know. It's just a theory."
Soul sighed. It did make some degree of sense when it was presented like that, but something still seemed off about it. The answer was right in front of him, but Soul just couldn't seem to make the connection.
Suddenly, Crona dashed past them again, carrying a mound of tickets in his arms. He stopped in front of the prize booth, dropping them on the desk in front of a very surprised attendant.
"I'm taking the bear."
/
"I still can't get over this." Black*Star declared as they walked down the street. "You're trying to tell me you ran around like a maniac just to get a teddy bear?"
Crona turned to look back at Black*Star while hugging the bear in his arms. "W-What's so weird about that…?"
"Just…it's a teddy bear! I just don't get why'd you spend so much of our money for a teddy bear!"
"My money, you mean." Kid interjected.
"I said I would pay you back, Kid…" Crona replied.
"I know you will, don't worry."
"But why couldn't you just get one from a store or something if you wanted one so bad?" Black*Star asked.
"…I wanted this one." Crona answered.
"But there was a ton of cooler stuff you could've got!"
"Guys, just give it a rest, will you?" Soul interrupted. "They were his tickets. He could get whatever he wanted with them."
"But he missed out on a lot of other stuff."
"Yeah, yeah, so I've heard. And Black*Star, if you hit me with that bat again, I'm breaking it over your head."
Black*Star lowered the toy baseball bat he had won. "Dude, it's plastic."
"I'll still do it."
Black*Star sighed, before looking at Crona again.
"Come on, there's got to be some other reason for you getting that!"
Crona flushed slightly, looking away from Black*Star.
"I-It was the biggest prize there…that's all."
Soul turned to look at Crona, raising an eyebrow while doing so.
He can't really expect anyone to believe that, can he? he wondered.
"…OK, I guess that makes sense." Black*Star responded.
…then again, it is Black*Star we're talking about here.
Black*Star then suddenly ran in front of Crona, causing him to stop in his tracks.
"In that case, give it to me!"
Crona froze. "W-What?"
"It only makes sense! After all, someone as big as me should have the biggest prize there is!"
"No way!" Crona shouted, holding the bear away from Black*Star. "Y-You can't have it!"
"Black*Star, that doesn't make any sense." Kid interjected. "He actually earned that bear himself. It wouldn't be right for him to just give it to you. It wouldn't have any meaning or significance."
"…oh yeah, that's true." Black*Star replied.
He then pointed a finger in Crona's direction.
"In that case, fight me for it!"
"No!" Crona yelled.
"Black*Star, that still doesn't work." Soul said. "Why would he fight you for it when he didn't fight anyone to win it? It'd only make sense if you did all the stuff he did."
"…yeah, you're right." Black*Star replied.
Black*Star paused for a second, then walked past the three of them and started heading back the way they came.
"I'll just be a minute."
Kid quickly grabbed a hold of Black*Star's scarf. "Oh no you don't! We're not spending another three hours in there while you struggle with that damned claw machine!"
"I refuse to lose to that thing!"
Soul sighed, shaking his head before glancing over at Crona. He saw that he was now hugging the bear tightly against him, a small smile on his face while he looked down at it. Soul couldn't help but smile himself, glad that the night wasn't a total waste.
He then saw Crona look up ahead, his expression changing to one of fear. Soul turned to look at what he saw.
"…aww shit."
Kid and Black*Star walked up beside him. "What is it?" Black*Star asked.
"Dropouts."
The two of them looked at the gang that had just appeared in front of them. "Gang" being the only proper term to describe them. The four men looked as though they had stepped out of a 1950's period piece, each of them wearing thick leather jackets and having slick, greasy hair. They all glared at the group, eyeing them like they each had a bulls-eye on their chest.
"D-Dropouts…?" Crona asked.
"Losers who couldn't hack it at the academy." Black*Star answered.
"Naturally, Father allowed them to remain in the city so that they would have somewhere to live." Kid explained. "Even though it would've been better to let them go, the lazy fools."
One of the gang members turned to look at another.
"Hey, that kid just said "Father". Is he talking about Death?"
"You mean that's Death's kid?" the other replied.
"Guy must be loaded then…" a third added.
"Yeah, but he looks kinda weird…" the fourth said. "I mean, he looks just like a regular guy. Except for those three-"
WHAM!
The member was cut off by Black*Star's fist colliding with his face, sending him flying back. The remaining three gaped at Black*Star, who pointed a finger at their fallen comrade.
"We are not going through that!"
Soul sighed, shaking his head as he stepped forward. "Honestly, you know he's the son of Death and you're going to try and mug him anyway? No wonder you guys flunked out."
Kid frowned, stepping forward as well. "While I appreciate you both standing up for me, I am more than capable of fighting my own battles."
Black*Star blinked. "You mean you didn't notice the one guy's hair?"
"Notice what?"
Kid then squinted his eyes, examining the three thugs still standing. He stopped once he saw the one in the center, and immediately pointed a finger at him.
"You!"
The thug blinked. "Me?"
"Why is your hair hanging off to one side? It completely ruins any symmetry you might have had! That's the most disgusting thing I've ever seen!"
Soul sighed, turning to look at Black*Star. "Did you have to point that out?"
"What? I thought he already saw!"
"You absolutely disgusting pieces of filth!" Kid roared, stomping his foot on the ground. "I should just throw you out of this city myself! The last thing my Father's beautiful creation needs is your presence!"
Soul tilted his head. "So, we're running them outta town?"
"Exactly!"
Soul grinned, showing off his sharp teeth. "Coolness."
Black*Star started to crack his knuckles. "Alright, who wants to go first?"
The remaining three gang members stared at them for a few long seconds. They then promptly picked up their fallen friend and ran in the opposite direction, each of them encouraging the others to move faster.
"Yeah, you punks better run!" Black*Star shouted.
"And you'd best hope I don't catch your dirtying my father's streets ever again!" Kid added.
"Hah! I'd like to see them try to show their faces after this! They didn't even try to fight! I guess they knew that they couldn't measure up to someone as big as me!"
"Ugh, how can Father even let them live here? They contribute absolutely nothing to this city or the world as a whole! I swear, he can be far too nice for his own good."
"Dude, your dad's Death. He can afford to be nice. It's not like these guys are going to rise up and start a rebellion against him."
"Maybe not, but think about how they affect everyone else. Especially with all those rumours flying about-"
"Um, guys?" Soul interrupted.
Kid and Black*Star looked back at him.
"Where's Crona?"
/
"Crona! Where are you?" Kid called out as they wandered down the street.
"Come on out, Crona! It's us!" Black*Star shouted.
"Crona! Come on, man!" Soul yelled.
The three of them stopped in front of ChupaCabra, not having had any luck in finding Crona, despite looking for what felt like hours. Soul looked up at the building, then over at Black*Star.
"Why are we here?"
"Well, I just figured that Crona would've gone somewhere he recognized." Black*Star answered.
"…you thought that Crona would've gone to the ChupaCabra?"
"Well, Blair works here! And he knows Blair!"
"And that means he'd be more likely to stay away!"
"Even so, he has a point." Kid added. "Crona would be more likely to go somewhere he's already familiar with. We should go back to your place."
"Oh no!" Soul replied, whirling around to look at Kid. "No way are we going back there!"
"Why not? It makes sense that he would go there."
"And suppose you're wrong? Suppose he isn't there? Then we'd have to tell Maka that we lost him! We'd be dead before we even hit the ground!"
"So we're not even going to look there?"
"No, we're going there after we've looked everywhere else!"
"This is so stupid." Black*Star grumbled. "We're purposely going to avoid the one place that makes the most sense because you're scared of pissing off Maka."
"Hey, you know as well as I do what she's like when she's angry! But as soon as Crona's thrown into the mix, it's a whole other story!"
"Well, this wouldn't have been a problem if you hadn't dragged him along like this."
"And I wouldn't have had to drag him along if you remembered to ask him to begin with! This whole thing was your idea, anyway!"
"I didn't ask him because I didn't think he'd want to go!"
"He never says he wants to do anything! You have to ask him first!"
"Both of you, stop!" Kid shouted, stepping in between Soul and Black*Star. "Arguing like this isn't going to get us anywhere! Now, we will find Crona, we will get him back home, and this night will end on a positive note! I refuse to allow things to get any worse!"
It was then that Soul felt the first few drops of water land on his head. In just a few seconds, the rain was already pouring down.
Both Soul and Black*Star glared at Kid.
"…I deserved that." Kid remarked.
Soul sighed, walking over to the door. "You two stay out here. I'll be back in a second."
With that, he opened the door and walked in.
A few seconds later, he suddenly burst back out, a look of intense fear on his face.
"He's not here let's go!"
Before Kid or Black*Star could ask what was going on, Soul was suddenly yanked back in by Blair.
"Now now, Soul, you should stay and visit for a little while…"
"Blair, this really isn't the time-"
"Aw, come on. I never get to see you now…what with you working all the time…"
"Guys! Little help?"
Black*Star and Kid looked at one another for a second, before turning back to look at Soul.
"Sorry Soul, but I'm afraid it's simply too late."
"Wait, what?"
Black*Star pretended to wipe a tear from his eye. "You were like a brother to me, Soul…I'm gonna miss you, man!"
"What the hell are you talking about?"
The two of them then clicked their heels, saluting at the same time.
"Godspeed, you magnificent bastard!" they shouted simultaneously.
(meanwhile, in the depths of space, a certain space pirate feels like he's being ripped off)
With that, the two of them ran off.
"I'm gonna kill you both for this!" Soul shouted as they ran away.
Both Black*Star and Kid screeched to a halt soon after, pausing to catch their breath.
"Think we're far enough away?" Kid asked.
"…yeah, we should be fine." Black*Star answered.
"…Black*Star?"
"Yeah, Kid?"
"Why did we just do that?"
Black*Star paused for a second, tilting his head in thought. After a few seconds, he answered.
"I have no idea."
Kid stared at Black*Star in disbelief, which Black*Star blatantly ignored. He then leaped up onto the wall of a nearby building and started climbing.
"…what the hell are you doing?" Kid asked.
"I figure I'll have a better chance of spotting Crona from on the rooftops."
"How will that work if he's already inside somewhere?"
"That was just a theory of mine, dude. Don't hold me to it."
"That doesn't answer my question-"
"Kid, heads up!" Black*Star suddenly shouted.
Kid instinctively looked up.
SPLOOSH!
The balloon fell and hit his face, exploding and sending water flying everywhere.
Kid started coughing loudly, the water having gotten into his nose.
"Sorry!" a voice suddenly yelled. "I was aiming at my brother!"
Kid looked up to find the source of the voice, only for a nearby window to close shut.
He then looked over at Black*Star when he heard him break into loud fits of laughter.
"This isn't funny, Black*Star!" Kid shouted. "I just had this suit pressed this morning!"
Naturally, Black*Star didn't care, and continued howling with laughter.
That is, until he slipped off of the wall and tumbled to the alleyway below.
CRASH!
Kid winced once Black*Star landed in the dark alley. He heard Black*Star groan in pain, then slowly walk out onto the street. He flicked a stray banana peel off of his shoulder, glaring at Kid's smirking face.
"Still laughing?" Kid asked.
"Oh, shut up." Black*Star replied. "The rain made the wall slippery."
Kid shook his head, then suddenly wrinkled his nose. "Ugh! What did you land in? Horse manure?"
"Hey, you're not exactly looking that great yourself!"
Kid sighed, picking a stray piece of rubber out of his hair. "Who plays with water balloons when it's raining, anyway?"
Kid then felt a tapping on his shoulder and turned to look at the source. He saw Soul glaring at him, and couldn't help but smirk at all the lipstick plastered on his face.
"Oh, thank Father! He survived!" Kid remarked.
"Way to go, Soul!" Black*Star added, giving Soul a thumbs-up.
Soul growled, readjusting his jacket. "I'd just like to clarify that I hate you both right now."
Black*Star burst into laughter again, and Kid couldn't help but give a few chuckles himself.
They both stopped when they heard someone suddenly run up behind them, panting heavily.
Kid turned to look at the source, his eyes suddenly lighting up.
"Crona!"
Crona continued to gasp for air, his head lowered. He slowly raised his head as Kid continued speaking.
"Thank goodness! We've been looking everywhere for-sweet merciful Death!"
Kid's sentence became a cry once he got a good look at Crona's face. His expression changed to one of pure shock, one that was matched by Black*Star and Soul.
"…w-what is it?" Crona asked, furiously blinking due to the swelling around one of his eyes. His cheek was starting to swell as well, and there were numerous bruises around his face. His lip had been cut pretty badly, a few drops of black blood still lingering on it.
"Holy shit, Crona!" Black*Star shouted. "What happened to you, man?"
"N-Nothing…" Crona answered.
"This can hardly be called "nothing", Crona!" Kid exclaimed. "You look like you just got mugged!"
Soul simply stared at Crona, his mouth hanging open in shock.
"Is that what happened?" Black*Star yelled. "Did you get a good look at the guys?"
"Just name the ones responsible, Crona!" Kid added. "I'll have them out of here before tomorrow morning!"
"That's if there's anything left of them once I'm done with them!"
"Guys!" Crona shouted. "Really, don't worry about it…there's something more important…"
Crona then slowly raised his hands, showing what he was holding. The teddy bear from earlier had been torn apart, its head in one of Crona's hands and its body in the other.
"Oh no…" Kid muttered.
"Kid." Crona said. "You can sew, right? Can you fix this?"
Kid blinked in surprise. "…Crona, I really think we should worry more about what happened to you!"
"Yeah!" Black*Star added. "We can fix that anytime! We need to get the guys who did this and-"
"No!" Crona shouted, before turning to look directly at Kid. "Kid, this is really important to me! I need to have this fixed and it needs to be now! Please!"
Kid stared at Crona in both confusion and amazement. It was enough that he had no idea why Crona was so fixated on this bear, but the fact that he would worry about it over himself right then.
Seeing that there was no arguing this, Kid sighed.
"Alright. Let's head to my place."
/
The four boys quickly ran into Kid's house, Kid running over to the table in the dining room.
"Put it over here." he said.
Crona quickly ran over and placed the two pieces of the bear on the table just as Kid ran out of the room.
"I'll be right back."
Crona nodded, fidgeting nervously as Black*Star and Soul walked up beside him.
"So why do we have to get this fixed now?" Black*Star asked.
"W-We just do." Crona answered.
"…why?"
"Because we do."
"There's got to be a-"
"Black*Star, please!"
Black*Star sighed, throwing his hands in the air. Kid then came running back into the room, holding a sewing kit in his arms. He placed it on the table and sat down, stretching his fingers.
"Just give me a few minutes to work my magic."
"R-Right…" Crona replied.
Kid quickly pulled out a needle and a spool of thread and immediately got to work.
Minutes passed as Kid carefully worked on fixing the bear, none of the guys even thinking of interrupting him. Crona was pacing back and forth behind him, nervously chewing on his thumbnail.
Black*Star had only barely been paying attention to the conversation regarding Crona's mannerisms, but he had to admit that Kid had a point. Just the fact that he could go from as wildly frustrated as he was to incredibly nervous in the span of a few hours…
"Dude, could you stop that?" Black*Star asked. "It's getting kinda annoying."
Crona stopped, looking at Black*Star. "S-Sorry…I'm just worried…"
"There's nothing to worry about, Crona." Kid said. "I'll have this as good as new in a little bit. Just give me time."
"I know…I know…"
Crona sighed, nervously rubbing his hands together. He then stopped when he saw Soul, who was leaning over one of Kid's chairs, face obscured.
"…Soul? Are you OK?" Crona asked.
"…I'm really sorry, Crona…" Soul whispered.
Crona blinked in surprise and confusion. "For what…?
"For what?" Soul exclaimed, suddenly turning to look at Crona. "Just look at you, man!"
Crona blinked, then pointed at his face. "Th-This?"
"Yes, that! I take my eyes off of you for a second, and then I find you all beat up like this! What else would I be talking about?"
Crona simply stared at Soul, still confused. Soul sighed before continuing.
"…I was just trying to help you, Crona. I know how badly the last mission messed with you. I thought that just doing something…well, normal, would help you feel better…but I fucked up. I fucked up so bad…I kept pushing you to come with us when I should've just left you alone…and now this happened-"
"Soul, please…" Crona interrupted. "You didn't do anything wrong…I'm glad I came with you guys tonight."
Soul blinked in surprise. "You are…?"
"Y-Yeah…like you said…it felt normal. I think I needed something normal for once…"
He then sighed. "And, if anything, I should be apologizing to you guys…I'm the one who ran off just because things looked bad."
Black*Star scoffed. "Oh come on, Crona! That was nothing! Hell, I could've taken on all four of 'em myself if they hadn't run off!"
Crona smiled slightly at Black*Star, before looking at Soul again.
"Even so…regarding this…" he continued, pointing at his face. "If I had just stayed with you guys, this wouldn't have happened…so, if anything, it's my own fault…"
"Crona…" Soul started.
"W-Weren't you the one who said to stop taking the blame for everyone else…?" Crona said.
Soul blinked in surprise, then smirked despite himself. He says that right after taking the blame for what some stupid punks did…
"So, how much longer is this going to take?" Black*Star asked.
"I'm trying to get this done as quickly as possible." Kid replied. "But I'm also trying to make sure it looks natural. I don't want this to just be a patch job. It has to look right."
"And by "right", he means symmetrical." Soul explained.
"Yes, thank you for the commentary, Soul. And besides, I also want to get this finished and get you guys out of here before Liz and Patty-"
"Hey, Liz, the guys are back!" Patty said, standing in the doorway, wearing her pajamas.
"…find out we're here." Kid finished.
Black*Star tilted his head. "Are you doing this on purpose now?"
"Shut up."
Patty ran over to the guys, wide smile on her face as always.
"Hey guys! Did you have fun while you were-WAH!"
Patty's sentence trailed into a shout once she saw Crona's face. Crona blinked, reaching up and touching his cheek, then wincing in pain.
"I-It isn't that bad…is it?"
"Are you kidding?" Patty exclaimed. "You look like you got hit in the face with a meat tenderizer! More than once!"
"What's all the commotion about?" Liz asked as she entered the room, walking towards the group. "You guys are back kinda soon. And why is Kid working on a-GAH!"
Please tell me this isn't going to happen every time… Crona thought as Liz ran up to him.
"Oh my God, Crona!" Liz shouted. "What happened to you?"
"N-Nothing, really…"
"Nothing? You call this nothing?"
"Alright!" Patty shouted, suddenly rolling up her sleeves. "Who're the dead men walking who did this? I promise, by the time I'm done with them, I'll be able to change my room to a nice fresh shade of red!"
"N-No, Patty, you don't have to…"
"Crona, this is serious!" Liz interjected. "We can't let something like this just go ignored!"
"B-But it was no one! I-I mean…I-I don't know who they were…"
"Well, what about a facial description? Or clothes? Or eyes, or hair? There has to be something!"
"N-No, really, there isn't-"
"Alright, I'm done!" Kid declared, getting out of his seat.
The others all gathered around to take a look at Kid's work. Crona picked up the bear, quickly examining it.
"I have to admit, I didn't really have the time to give enough attention to the details…" Kid said.
Crona looked at the bear, carefully feeling it with his fingers. It looked almost exactly like it did when he first got it earlier that night.
"…it's perfect…" he muttered.
Kid smiled. "Now, Crona, there's no need to exaggerate. I doubt that it's absolutely-OOMPH!"
Kid's sentence was cut off by Crona suddenly moving over and hugging him, which caught both him and everyone else in the room by surprise.
"Thank you so much, Kid!" Crona exclaimed.
"…u-um…" Kid started, before gently patting Crona's back. "Y-You're quite welcome, Crona…"
Crona then pulled away from Kid, looking down at his hoodie. He blinked slightly at the sudden wet spot on it, before looking back up at Kid.
"…you're soaked."
Kid sighed. "Yes, there was an incident with a water balloon while we were looking for you…"
"…who plays with a water balloon when it's raining?"
"I have no idea…"
Patty then suddenly pinched her nose, looking at Black*Star. "Dude, you stink!"
Black*Star grumbled. "It isn't that bad…"
Liz tilted her head while looking at Soul. "Why are you covered in lipstick?"
Soul sighed, rubbing his cheek. "Don't ask…"
Crona looked at Soul and Black*Star, head tilted.
"What happened while I was gone…?"
"Well…" Soul started.
BOOM!
Six heads turned to look at the source of the noise, the front doors of the room swinging open. Though a somewhat tired-looking Tsubaki was the first to walk in, everyone's eyes were glued on the other person.
One incredibly furious Maka.
"Uh-oh." Black*Star muttered.
/
Now
The room grew quiet as Soul finished his explanation. Maka simply stared at the three of them, not making a sound or a move.
After a few agonizingly long minutes, Maka slowly turned and walked away from the couch. She stopped in front of a window, looking outside, not making a sound.
Crona couldn't help but wince at how awkward the situation felt. No one else moved or did anything for a while longer. After which, Tsubaki carefully got to her feet and walked behind the couch.
"Well…" she started. "It's pretty late…I think Black*Star and I are going to go home now…"
Maka didn't answer. Tsubaki looked down at Black*Star, who got to his feet and walked beside her. The two waved at the others quickly before leaving the room.
Liz sighed, getting to her feet as well. "C'mon Patty. Let's go."
Patty nodded, also getting to her feet. She stopped to gently ruffle Crona's hair before following her sister out, Kid not far behind them.
The room remained quiet for a few more minutes, Crona wishing that someone would say something. After a few more minutes of awkward silence, Soul got to his feet.
"…I think I'm going to go see them home." he said. "OK…?"
Maka didn't move, continuing to look out the window. After a few seconds, Soul walked behind the couch and out of the room.
Crona looked at Maka, who still hadn't moved an inch even though it was just the two of them. Despite what he and Soul had talked about before, he couldn't help but feel guilty for everything that had happened that night.
If anyone was going to fix this, it would have to be him.
Picking up the teddy bear from off of the table, he hugged it close while walking over to Maka.
"…Maka?" he whispered. "…please don't be mad at them. Th-They didn't do anything wrong…Soul just wanted to include me-"
"I know." Maka interrupted. "…I'm not mad at them, Crona. Really. I'm not."
Crona couldn't help but be skeptical, given Maka's reaction. Still, he didn't say anything.
Maka gave a sigh, before turning away and walking over to the couch, sitting down. Crona quietly followed her, sitting beside her and placing the teddy bear on the table in front of them.
The room grew quiet once again, Crona wondering if he'd made any difference in what he said. He couldn't help but wonder what Maka was thinking about, and whether or not she was just upset or if there was something more to it.
"Crona?"
Crona looked at Maka. "Y-Yes?"
Maka frowned, staring directly at him.
"I understand if you don't want to tell them…but…can you at least tell me what happened?"
Crona flinched, before looking down.
"…you won't like it."
"Tell me anyway."
Crona had a feeling that this was probably the only chance he was going to get to talk about this. He gave a small sigh, before looking back at Maka.
"…OK…"
/
Earlier
Crona stopped in front of the alleyway, pausing to gasp for breath. He slowly walked towards it, leaning against one of the walls while holding the bear close to him.
Soon, he heard that familiar splortch as Ragnarok squeezed his way between Crona and the wall, looking down at him.
"Hey! You sure this is such a good idea? I mean, you just left them there."
Crona looked down. "…I couldn't risk it, Ragnarok…"
"Risk what?" Ragnarok asked, leaning over. "The bear? Jesus, are you really that worried about it?"
"Th-That's not it…or, rather, that's not all of it…"
"Then what is it?"
"…if I fought…I don't know if I would've…"
Crona stopped, letting the sentence fragment hang in the air. Ragnarok sighed, reaching down and turning Crona's head up.
"Are you seriously comparing you beating the shit out of Dracula, the fucking Prince of Darkness, to taking on a few random punks?"
"I-It could still happen…"
"…so, what, this is it? You're never going to fight again because you might snap?"
"…I don't know…"
Ragnarok then suddenly looked up, straight ahead. He quickly dove back into Crona, causing Crona to look at what he had seen.
He quickly recognized the two thugs from earlier, his eyes widening in surprise.
"Geez, I can't believe we just ran like that, man…" one of them said.
"You saw how quickly that guy took him down! We didn't stand a chance!" the other replied.
"Yeah, but still-"
The two stopped when they saw Crona.
"…hey, wasn't that one with them?"
"…yeah…grab him!"
Crona quickly ran into the alley before either of them could get close enough. He ran down to the end, before skidding to a halt, seeing the other two gang members from before.
"And just where are you going?" one of them sneered.
Crona turned and started running back, before running into one of the first two he'd seen. He stumbled back, giving a small "oof" as he hit the ground, the bear falling out of his arms. He turned again, only for another thug to suddenly grab him and slam him against the way, his forearm against Crona's throat.
Crona choked and struggled, trying to worm his way away from the man's arm.
"I-I don't have anything! Honest, I don't!"
The man glared at Crona. "Does it look like I give a shit about money right now?"
"Hey, hang on a sec." another one said, moving closer. "I think I recognize this kid."
"Oh yeah?"
"Yeah! It's that Crona guy!"
Oh God… Crona thought, his eyes widening.
"…really?" the first man said, looking at the other. "You mean the witch Medusa's kid?"
"Gotta be!"
"…well, ain't that a fucking laugh!" the first one said, looking back at Crona. "They let you back into the academy, but we're left high and dry! That doesn't sound all that fair to me!"
The man pressed his arm against Crona's throat, causing him to gag. "What, you gotta have a body count to make it into the academy now? How's that for fucking justice? We only flunked out because of technicalities, but they let a fucking mass murderer back in no problem!"
Man, I am so sick of listening to this fucktard! Ragnarok growled in Crona's head. C'mon, let's just-
No. Don't. Crona replied.
…what?
Just don't. Just…just leave it alone.
…Crona, you're not seriously-
Just let them get it out of their systems…they'll go away when they're done…
Goddammit Crona, this is NOT the time for you to have a guilt trip!
Ragnarok, please…
The man pulled his arm away, causing Crona to stumble forward as he gasped for air. He then carefully stood up, head lowered.
"…hey? What's the matter? You feel bad for what you did?"
Crona stood still for a few seconds, before slowly nodding.
"Well, good. Because what you did was a very bad thing!"
WHAP!
The man punctuated his sentence with a quick punch across Crona's face, causing Crona to stumble to the side.
Crona winced as he felt his face sting, but did his best to ignore it. He slowly straightened up again, face still lowered.
"…you know, I think you should be punished for what you did. Don't you agree?"
A few seconds of silence, then a nod.
"Good. Then you won't fight back, will you?"
A few more seconds of silence, followed by Crona shaking his head.
"Attaboy."
WHAP!
Crona felt another fist move across his face, stumbling away.
WHAP!
Another one, this time across his other cheek.
WHAP!
Another, this one sending him against the wall.
And with each blow, Crona slowly got back to a standing position, keeping his head low.
"Hey, hey, yeah! That's it! Just take your punishment like a fucking man!"
WHAP!
"Hey, you sure it's a guy? He looks kinda girly."
"Well fuck, I'm assuming he is."
WHAP!
"Well, you know what they say about assuming."
"What are you, my mom?"
"No, it definitely wasn't me I was in bed with last night."
"Man, fuck you."
WHAP!
"Hey, look what I found."
Crona couldn't help but look up when one of them spoke. His eyes widened when he saw the baseball bat in his hands.
Oh God… Crona thought.
"Batter up!" the man shouted.
Before Crona could prepare himself, he swung.
WHUMPF!
All of the air rushed out of Crona's lungs as the bat connected with his stomach. He immediately fell to his knees, coughing and hacking violently, gasping for air.
"Oh shit, I think he's gonna be sick."
"Hold him up."
Crona felt two arms pull him up, pinning him against the wall behind him. He felt another hand go under his chin, moving his face up so that he was looking at one of the thungs.
"Fuck, can you believe this?" he crowed. "Everyone was shitting their pants about this guy a few months back, and now look at him! The fuck were they freaking out about?"
"You think that's bad? Look at what he dropped!"
Crona turned his head to see another one of them leaning over the teddy bear.
"I mean, look at this! The big bad Crona needs a fucking teddy bear! How pathetic can you get?"
"Don't touch it!"
The four of them all looked in surprise at Crona, who was glaring daggers at the one leaning over the bear.
"I swear to God if you lay your filthy hands on that bear, I will make you regret it!"
The four looked at Crona in silence, each of them unsure of how to act. The one that Crona was threatening then grinned.
"Oh yeah?"
He then reached down and picked the bear up.
"Oh no. I'm touching it! I'm touching it! I've done a baaaaaaad thing!"
He started tossing the bear back and forth between each of his hands, grin still on his face.
"Oh no! Whatcha gonna do? I'm still touching it!"
He then turned the bear on its side, grabbing the head of it.
SHRIP!
He promptly pulled the head off of the body, the fluff inside flying out.
"Uh-oh. I broke it."
Crona stared at the two pieces of the bear in shock, eyes wide open, his expression frozen on his face.
"Man, would you quit playing with toys and take your shot?" one of the others said.
"Yeah, yeah, whatever." he replied, dropping the two pieces on the ground.
He stood in front of Crona, balling his hand into a fist.
DO IT! Crona screamed in his head.
The man swung.
CRACK!
He then suddenly screamed in pain, pulling his hand away. The fingers of his hand were bending in random, unnatural directions, and his face was frozen in horror as he stared at it.
The other three stared at him for a second, before turning to look at Crona.
They were shocked to see the look of pure fury on his face.
The one with the baseball bat let out a roar and lifted to swing. Crona grabbed one of the men holding him by the collar and pulled him forward just as the bat came down.
CRACK!
The man howled in pain as the bat connected with his shoulder, causing him to crumple to the ground. The one with the bat suddenly swung again, Crona raising his arm.
CRACK!
The bat splintered apart, the pieces flying off in random directions. Before the man could react, Crona grabbed the other one that was holding him and threw him in his direction.
WHAM!
The two collided, hitting the wall and slumping to the ground.
Crona then turned and marched towards the last one, who was still holding his hand in pain.
"N-No! Wait!" he shouted. "I'm sorry-"
WHAM!
The man was cut off by Crona's fist connecting with his cheek, sending him flying back. He skidded along the ground, stopping at the mouth of the alley.
Crona stopped, glaring down at the man. He was holding his chin and making strange moans of pain. Crona could tell that he had broken his jaw.
And then, just as quickly as his anger had appeared, it vanished.
Crona suddenly found it hard to breathe, his breath coming out in ragged gasps. He gazed at the man he had just hurt, lying there moaning in pain. Crona was amazed at how absolutely pathetic he looked.
Suddenly, it all started to rise up inside Crona. His frustrations, his sorrow, his regrets. It all came rising to the surface.
"…why…" he choked out. "…why does this keep happening…?"
The man looked up at Crona, still moaning and whimpering in pain.
"…I know I've done a lot of bad things…" Crona continued. "But I'm trying to do better…I…I want to be a good person…I really do…I'm trying so hard to be good now…but you keep making that worse!"
He pointed down at the man, looking as though he was about to start crying. "You and everyone like you is just making things harder for me! And I don't understand why! Why can't you just let me be good?"
His breathing continued to come out ragged, his face showing complete despair.
"Do you think I don't see how people look at me…? They look like I'm going to turn bad at any second…like as soon as I'm out of their sight, I'll snap and start killing again…they still look at me like that…they're still afraid of me…"
He lowered his hand, still staring at the man.
"…but you do get that, don't you? Because you get that look too…except you do it on purpose. You want that look…you want people to fear you…your clothes, your actions, your attitude…you want people to look at you like they look at me…"
He turned his head away from him, hair obscuring his face.
"…is it because it's so easy…? I can't seem to be good…I keep having such a hard time with it…is being bad easier…? Is it more fun…? …maybe I should try it, see what it's like…it sounds like something I could actually be good at…would I have fun, being bad…?"
He looked back at the man, a dangerous grin on his face.
"Broken hand…broken jaw…maybe I should give you a broken neck too…"
The man's eyes widened, and he quickly got to his feet, running behind Crona and back into the alley. The other three soon followed him out, not stopping to look back at Crona.
The grin on Crona's face quickly vanished, and he walked back into the alley, stooping down to pick up the bear pieces.
Man, look at 'em run… Ragnarok said in Crona's head. You really just going to let them go?
Crona didn't answer, grabbing some stray fluff and putting it back into the bear's body.
…what, were you just bluffing?
Crona still didn't answer, continuing to grab more fluff.
Hey! Hellooooooo?
Crona continued to stuff fluff back into the bear parts, keeping silent.
…fine, got it. Message received.
With that, Crona sighed, holding the two bear parts close as he got to his feet.
He then stumbled out of the alley, looking for the others.
/
Now
Crona looked away from Maka, having finished his story. He didn't want to see the expression on her face, expecting her to be disappointed in him.
It was bad enough that he had given into his guilt and let them hurt him the way that they did. But then he got angry and hurt them much worse. One of them would definitely have to go to the hospital, and the others would probably need a stay as well. And if they started talking about what happened…
Crona had been right earlier. The others hadn't done anything wrong. At least, not when compared to him.
He felt Maka's hand touch his shoulder, and he instinctively looked up. He was having a hard time reading Maka's expression. She was obviously upset, but there was something else he couldn't quite place.
Maka's other hand reached up and gently touched his cheek. The one on his shoulder moved up, touching the other.
Crona gave a small hiss of pain and Maka quickly moved her hand away.
"S-Sorry…" Crona muttered. "I guess Ragnarok doesn't feel like healing these right now…"
Maka's expression remained the same, which only confused Crona. She slowly lowered her head towards him, and Crona did the same, their foreheads gently touching. They remained like that for a short while, Crona trying to relax but feeling incredibly tense anyway.
"…there's still something I don't get." Maka whispered.
"W-What…?" Crona asked.
Maka gently pulled away, her hands moving away as well. She then looked at the table.
"That."
Crona turned as well, looking at the teddy bear.
"You only went after them when they ripped that apart." Maka said, before looking at Crona again. "Why?"
Crona sighed. It didn't seem like a good idea to explain that now, but since she brought it up, there didn't appear to be much choice.
He slowly moved forward, touching the bear…
…before moving it closer to Maka.
Maka looked at the bear, then at Crona. The intent quickly became clear to her, and her eyes widened.
No. she thought. He didn't. He didn't go through all of that because of…
"I-I knew you were upset…" Crona muttered. "B-Because I didn't come here tonight…then I saw that, and I thought…maybe, it would make up for that…"
He slowly looked up at Maka, not sure what she was going to do.
He definitely wasn't expecting tears to be running down her face.
"M-Maka?"
"I-I'm sorry…" Maka said, quickly wiping at her eyes. "I-It's just…when I heard that you'd disappeared, I got so scared…I knew you hadn't run off again, so I thought that something happened…but then you came back like this, and it was because of…"
Crona quickly grabbed both of Maka's hands, holding them together in front of her.
"I-I'm sorry, Maka! Really, I'm sorry!" he cried out. "P-Please don't be upset! I'll do anything! I-I'll stop fighting! I won't even go on missions if you don't want me to! Just please, don't cry!"
"No, no, stop." Maka said, gently pulling her hands away and placing them on Crona's arms. "It's OK…I just freaked out a little, is all…you don't have to stop going on missions or anything."
"But Maka-"
Crona was soon cut off by Maka pulling him into a hug, squeezing him tight. Crona quickly did the same, trying his best to provide some comfort for Maka.
"I'm just being stupid…freaking out over nothing…" Maka whispered.
"You are not…it's my fault…I don't want to scare you…"
"…it's naïve of me to think this…but I just don't want you to get hurt, Crona…"
Crona's eyes widened in surprise, not expecting her to suddenly admit that.
"And I know that can't happen, because of what we do…but I still don't want that to happen…least of all because of me…"
Crona squeezed Maka closer, suddenly realizing the problem.
"It wasn't because of you, Maka…" he whispered. "It was my own choice…it's like I said…it's no one's fault but my own…"
Still holding one another, the two of them slowly shuffled on the couch until they were sitting beside one another. Maka's head gently rested on Crona's shoulder, and Crona's head rested on hers.
"Let's just say it's both of our faults and leave it at that, alright?" Maka asked.
Crona smiled slightly. "OK…"
The two continued to hold one another, each of them more thankful than ever that the other was there. Maka gave a small sigh of relief, which Crona soon mirrored.
"…do you not want the bear?" Crona wondered. "Maybe I can take it back tomorrow-"
"No, no, that's OK." Maka answered. "I like it…it's cute."
Crona smiled, glad that he at least did something right tonight.
He then blinked when he felt Maka tugging at his hoodie.
"Geez…what were they thinking, making you wear this?" she asked. "It's way too baggy for you…"
"I-It's not so bad…I kind of like it…"
"…so, barring all the bad stuff, did you still have fun?"
"…a bit. I wouldn't mind going out with them again…though I'd like to do something else…"
Maka giggled slightly, which made Crona's smile grow wider.
The two sat in silence for a few minutes more, holding each other close.
"…so…" Crona started. "Did you still want to play cards…?"
"Heh, not a chance." Maka replied. "No, we're going to sit here, we are going to cuddle, and you are going to like it, mister."
Crona let out a small chuckle. "Yes ma'am."
Does she really think I would say no? Crona wondered.
/
Well, if this has taught me anything, it's that I shouldn't set expectations for myself. I wanted to have this up yesterday, but it looks like my brain had other plans.
Anyway, there's still another part to this story, so stay tuned for more. I'd like to think it's short enough for me to have up tomorrow, but I'm not holding my breath.
Until then.