Chapter 31 – Replay

Sai Summers / Death the Kid

Tuesday

Sai

"I am not wearing that, Kid." I complained. I was still dressed in one of the pairs of light blue hospital pajamas I had been given post-surgery.

He was holding up a fluffy, black skirt. "Why not, it's high quality." He shook it lightly and the lace waved in the slight breeze.

I was finally being released from the infirmary, and a meeting with Shinigami-sama was on the menu for me.

It was also time to prove Kid wasn't the reason I ended up here in the first place.

But first there was an issue of clothing, for some reason. It seemed unimportant to me at the moment, however. Maybe because all I really wanted was to go home to my own bed.

Kid now held up a black fitted jacket with silver ties and white piping. "The Shinigami have an image to upkeep. It's only appropriate your dress uphold the image."

I raised an eyebrow. "I think you're just trying to dress me like a Lolita."

Kid snorted. "I think you're more perverted than I am. After what you said last night… " His cheeks tinted pink.

"Ack, stop." I scowled at him, and then looked away. "If you say stuff like that people will start spying on us."

I heard a noise at my back and half-turned. The door to the hallway clicked shut.

"Show yourself!" I yelled at the door, my arms and fists rigid at my sides.

The door reopened, and Stein stuck his head in the doorway; he was smiling. "I promise I wasn't eavesdropping...intentionally. I just wanted to let you know its time."

I sighed and dropped my shoulders. "Alright thanks, Professor."

Stein backed out of the door, and it shut with a click.

Kid continued to hold the jacket, looking away from Stein.

I pulled it out of his hands. "So, what, are you going to stand here while I change too, to make sure its acceptable?"

This time his ears flushed pink as well.

I put my right hand on his left shoulder and patted his chest. The wool of his coat was both warm and soft under my hand. "Let's get this over with…I want to go back to everyday life."

***

Kid

"I have no doubt you didn't do it, but I think it's important for you to see it, Kid."

I was trying to remain relaxed, and stood at ease. "Father, I already saw the damage this did, I'm not sure what this will accomplish."

He sighed. "I think it's important because you're blaming yourself."

I stuffed my hands into my pants' pockets. "I am responsible."

Father looked at me, and then towards the mirror. I could swear I saw him hanging his head.

It was a vision of me…of something that looked like me…shooting at Sai. The surroundings exploded with bullets.

The look on her face when "I" was about shoot made me sick to my stomach. The sound of Sai screaming my name was the worst. She needed me and I wasn't there. I went down to one knee; it was hard to come to grips with. I put my right hand to my mouth, trying to keep the contents of my last meal in my stomach. I needed it to stop.

"Father, please." I mumbled though him hand.

He turned away, and I realized he expected me to watch it, regardless of my feelings.

I looked back up. Sai was stumbling away from the scene of the attack, blood starting to trail on the ground. She made it only a half-dozen steps before collapsing.

There was a thumping of heavy boots behind me, but I opted to not turn and look. I feared spinning in place would offset my equilibrium.

"Kid?" There was a voice behind me.

Leave me be, don't look at me being weak again.

"Kid!" Sai was yelling for me, but I couldn't stop the visions in my head.

Sai's voice scraped my eardrums. "Shinigami-kun!"

Those words, that formality.

I stood and walked to the mirror. The scene fast forwarded to when the sisters and I had found her. I looked confused and slightly frightened in the movie. Not the image I was looking to portray.

I needed to get stronger emotionally. I put my hand onto the glass, trying to make sure it was just a replay of the previous series of events.

I couldn't stop staring at it. I couldn't tear my eyes away. A white light slide from the top to the bottom of the mirror, and it cleared the images from the glass. I could see my own reflection, and I contemplated my gold eyes. II took my hand down, and realized I had left fingerprints on the glass. "Ahh. Look at that." I mumbled. Reaching into my right jacket pocket I pulled out a white, handkerchief, and started to rub out the prints.

Old habits die hard, I presume.

If I hadn't been so absorbed in the cleaning, I may have noticed the projectile flying at the back of my head. As it turned out, as I turned around it planted itself in my forehead for a moment. It then shimmered out of existence, and blood began to run down my forehead and around my nose.

It was a kama; a hand sickle. It had come from Sai's hand.

I watched her for a moment. She held a pair of black and red sickles, one in each hand. The staffs were a matte black, and the blades shined with the black and red sawtooth pattern.

It was one of her new Soul Weapon forms.

Sai's face blanched and the weapons disappeared. "Hey, Kid…you're…"

While I wanted to be impressed, I realized my face was bleeding profusely. And that she had thrown a deadly weapon at my head. Which was worse, depended on my reaction, I suppose.

I let go of the handkerchief, and it floated lightly down to the platform. The room and my vision spun, and I fell back a step.

***

Sai

"Kid!" I took the steps to the top of the platform two at a time, and grabbed Kid's right arm before he could fall fully back. I set him down on the platform. Blood dripped down his face and spotted the mirror-like surface. What didn't make it to the floor bloodied his collar, tie, and jacket.

Kid picked up the handkerchief, and started to blot the blood from his face. "Ugh. Thank you."

I took it from his hand and started to wipe. "Let me, you're missing." I paused and wiped near his eyes. "Close your eyes so I don't get any in them."

Shinigami-sama bounced over to where we sat. He looked down to us. "Ho ho, we're you holding back on us?"

I blushed. "It wasn't intentional. I wouldn't have done it to begin with it I knew it was causing Kid to beat himself up over it."

Kid pulled the handkerchief from my hand, and started to stand. "Thank you. I've got the rest of it."

There was sudden popping sound, and it made him stop half-way up. We both turned towards the sound. I eyed Kid; the color drained from his face and he fell back onto his back. His shoulders twitched, and then held still.

Shinigami-sama had put down his hood and pulled off his mask. He was smiling…with a true face…

I blinked. "Shinigami-sama…"

The family resemblance was almost obvious. His face was not quite as soft as Kid's, but there was still a sense of youth that still showed in him, despite his extreme age. He had similar black hair, but his white stripes spun all of the way around his head. Shinigami-sama's eyes were also gold, but glowed warmly. They were almost difficult to look at, and I found myself squinting. The mask must keep them contained, I realized.

His voice echoed less than when he wore the mask. "I didn't expect him to react like this. But it has been a while since he's seen me without my mask as well." He seemed a bit embarrassed at his son's reaction.

I watched Kid. I wasn't sure what I was supposed to do. "Shinigami-sama?"

He waved one of his gloved hands downwards. "Oh, you can drop the extreme formality. You are like a part of my family now. 'Death-san' is fine."

"Death-san…" I was still in disbelief. He and Kid resembled one another, for the most part.

My cheeks warmed. Is this what Kid will look like as an adult?

But apparently I was more interesting. His eyes shined. "Ehh, so cute!"

I then got to learn where the term "death squeeze" comes from. Shinigami-sama grabbed me by the shoulders and hugged me.

Kid sat up abruptly and his posture was rigid. "What are you doing to her?!" He yelled, his eyes squeezed shut.

Shinigami-sama was still squeezing my shoulders. "Um, Death-san…? I think this is bothering Kid."

He laughed, but didn't let go. "Sorry. It's just been so long since we've had a girl in the family."

Something dawned on me. So this is how Shinigami-sama and Spirit get along…they like cute things…and girls…

I eyed him, and then Kid, whose eyes were narrow and enraged. "Most of your personality traits didn't pass long, did they?"

Shinigami-sama finally released me and I straightened my jacket. "Unfortunately not, but it happens. He's more like his mother, you might say."

I hadn't considered Kid having a mother, despite the obviousness of the matter. It seemed highly unlikely the Shinigami popped out of nowhere.

Kid finally stood and brushed himself off. "All of that was unnecessary, Father." He adjusted his tie, but there was no way to straighten away the blood stains.

Shinigami-sama turned to Kid. He didn't seem to feel the need to quell his son's objections. "We need to discuss the incident at the factory, still."

I decided to interfere on the conversation. "What about it?" I asked.

Shinigami-sama turned to me and blinked. "I assumed you weren't prepared to go back. I had planned to send Kid alone this time. He wasn't affected by the visions."

Kid looked at me. "You're not going with me. It's too dangerous for you."

I raised my shoulders. "Excuse me? You're not getting to speak for me on this!"

There were footfalls behind Kid and I. "I think it'll be okay." It was Spirit, and Stein who was carrying a bento. "And I apologize for missing the actual meeting. It's lunch time." Stein stated, and held up his lunch box.

Shinigami-sama looked embarrassed at his staff. Lunch had taken precedence over a meeting with him. "It doesn't matter. It wasn't much of a meeting."

Stein took a seat on the first step and started to open his bento. It was wrapped in a white and pink cloth, which made me wonder who made it. Stein didn't seem to be the type to even remember food when he was busy…or even not busy.

Spirit came up the platform and stood next to Kid. He raised an eyebrow at Kid's bloody clothes, and the blood stains on his face we had failed to remove. "What happened to you?"

Kid crossed his arms across his chest, not making eye contact with the Death Scythe. The subject didn't appear to be up for discussion. Spirit simply shrugged in response. "As long as everything's okay…" He let his voice trail off. Spirit looked dejected at the lack of response.

Shinigami-sama pulled up his hood, and removed his mask out from under his robe, and popped it back onto his face. "If you're up to it, I will send you along as well…but…"

This was the part I worried about, the "but."

It was the mask this time that smiled. "I'm sending Justin with you, just in case. You're going as a Meister only, this time."

I sighed and dropped my shoulders. Great, just great…