Whoo! It's Dead Week, which means no homework! So, plenty of time to write as much as I want! YEAH!
This chapter is dark, I will warn you. I scared myself writing it. Please review!
Chapter 7
Krona slashed at Free, who pushed Ragnarok's blade away with ease and rebound off of the side of a dense wall of energy. He lunged for Krona, sharp claw aimed at the young man's throat. Krona arched back and Free clasped his hand around air.
The darkness around them was suddenly replaced with light, and Krona hit the ground, hard. He rolled over as Free stomped at where his head had just been, and slashed at Free's feet. Free leapt into the air and landed a few feet back. He gathered himself, waiting for Krona to stand.
"I've underestimated you! What a surprise! Did you enjoy talking to your mother, pansy-ass?" He taunted the young man. Krona scowled, and didn't answer.
"You killed Asa and Shira. You destroyed Black Star and Tsubaki's family. You've hurt every single person I know… I don't know how I can possibly kill you, but I'll chop you up and spread your body pieces all over the world if I have to." Krona growled, staring Free down as he popped his back and prepared himself to fight again.
"Best work quickly, then. You still don't know where you are, do you?" Free asked, cackling. Krona looked around, and to his horror, he found he was in the outskirts of Death City. He squinted his eyes fiercely at Free, and held Ragnarok up in front of him.
Is this ok? Am I really… can I really kill this man? He asked himself, unsure. His heart felt weighed, and he shivered, wondering what Stein would say. Would he be reprimanded, or praised? Krona took a deep breath.
"Don't be afraid to kill in order to protect." He imagined. It certainly sounded like Stein: realistically logical, yet serious. Yes, in order to protect his friends, he had to be prepared to kill. He'd done it before, but the supporting reasons had all been disturbingly wrong, selfish.
He smirked and held his head high, a newfound confidence welling from within. The reason to kill now was noble; he would be protecting all that he had learned to hold dear. Surely, it was a justifiable reason to kill.
I will just have to hold him off until Lord Death can send for backup. Please, please, hurry. He thought.
Free howled and zipped forward. Krona stepped aside, attempting to stab at Free's neck. He'd probably have to decapitate the man, and even then, he couldn't guarantee it would work. He landed with his right foot briefly, spun on it, and slashed at Free's neck as Free rebound and tried to kick Krona in the stomach.
The blow landed, but not successfully. The metallic zing rang out in their ears as Ragnarok sliced the man's vertebrae and severed the spinal cord. Free landed face-first on the ground, a cloud of dust rising out from underneath the giant man. Free was sure he would have shuddered from the eerie signals it sent along his body, but for the life of him, he couldn't move.
"You ass." Free growled, drool pooling out of his mouth. He managed to close one side of his mouth and swallow the saliva, but it was ineffective. His claws receded and his fur fell out. Krona stood over him, contemplating what he could do.
"What are you waiting for? Cut his damn head off!" Ragnarok barked at him. Krona sighed.
"It should be Black Star and Tsubaki. Why? Why did you have to hurt them so much?" Krona screamed, kicking Free in the side. Free groaned.
"You bastard! That hurts!" He barked. Krona looked toward Death City, and bit his lip nervously.
Why aren't they coming? They need to hurry! We're not that far away! He thought. He looked back as Free groaned again and coughed. He was still lying in the dust, blood still pooling from the open wound on the back of his neck. It must have been healing slower than usual.
"Like I'd tell you why! You don't deserve to know, pansy-ass." Free insulted. Krona shuddered as he felt his body chill. His nerves were gone, confidence beginning to drain. He scowled at Free in attempt to hold on to his bravery, raising Ragnarok over his head.
"You don't have the guts, kid. What, are you going to chop my head off? Just like your mother, you can't stand up to anyone in authority. Isn't that right… Ku-ro-na?" Free hissed, altering his voice to mimic Medusa's sickeningly sweet voice at the emphasis of Krona's name. Krona froze, eyes widened and breath caught in his chest.
That's what he had heard. That's who he had seen that night: Free. Not his real mother. Free.
Krona blinked, and took a few steps back. He couldn't kill this guy yet; he had even more questions.
"How did you get in?" He demanded to know. Free chortled, and pushed himself up, getting to his knees. Shakily, he stood, reaching a hand back to feel the cut on the back of his neck. It was gone, but the fresh blood would likely stain his white shirt. No matter. It was tattered and torn from his transformation to wolf, anyway. It'd be discarded among the many others.
"Again, I'm not telling you." He stated, snapping his fingers. Strands of green snakes shot up out of the ground, and Krona screamed, slicing at them and trying desperately to get out of reach. Where he ran, they followed.
In a panic, he spread his wings and tried to take to the air, but as his wings flapped, the snakes grabbed the nearest one. Held down by his right wing, the snakes pulled him in. He gave another powerful flap of his wings, but only succeeded in having his left wing captured as well. The snakes threw him down to the ground and wrapped around his body, strangling him.
Free stepped up to him, laughing.
"You impressed me, boy, but in the end, you're still a pansy-ass nothing. You can't do it, kid. You can't do shit." Free insulted. Krona ordered the black blood to melt and pool around the snakes, then shoot up into the air as spikes, impaling the snakes.
This didn't work, as they only broke apart, multiplied, and wrapped around him again.
"I'm still hungry. You kept me from what would have been a deliciously tasty morsel. No matter." Free stated, turning toward Death City.
"I'll just make a new target." He stated, slurping and licking his lips. Krona fought against the snakes as hard as he possibly could.
"DON'T YOU DARE! I'LL KILL YOU! I SWEAR, I'LL KILL YOU!" Krona threatened. Free laughed even more, walking away.
"Quit struggling. I can't control them from a distance. Let me go, and they'll let you go." Free called over his shoulder. He paused, turning back.
"Anyone's death will be on you this time, pansy-ass." He stated before taking off at a run. Krona screamed and struggled against the snakes, mortified.
Maka picked up a peach, squeezing it gently. The flesh on the outside was nice and fuzzy, and the inside squished slightly beneath her grasp. She held it just beneath her nose and took a nice, big whiff, sighing happily. Her mouth watered, and she closed her mouth to prevent drooling all over the place.
Greedily she grabbed four more, one for each of them. She hoped it would sit well with Tsubaki; as far as she knew, neither of them had had peaches during their pregnancy. Maka had discovered a few days after Tsubaki that she, too, was pregnant. As she thought about it, their conception must have been on the same night… the same ill-fated night.
"Hungry, much?" Soul asked, carrying the reusable bag they carried their groceries with. Maka giggled and swung from side-to-side.
"One for each of us. I'm not going to eat all of them! Geeze!" She retorted gleefully, continuing down the row of fruits and vegetables. Soul sighed and shook his head, wondering what bizarre pregnancy concoction she would make with peaches, and likely have him try. One night it had been sweet beets and strawberries, and another night, it had been Pringles and vanilla ice-cream. The former had been gross (he'd taken a reluctant bite) and the latter had been actually cool; the texture was fun and the mix of sweet and salty was a blast for his taste buds.
"Oh, good. I don't want you to do anything weird with peaches. You already did that with strawberries." He blurted, then bit his tongue as she sent him a glare.
"Oh, so I ruined strawberries for you?" She stated haughtily, putting her hands on her hips. Soul held up his hands, and shook his head.
"No, no, I just-I meant, um…" He looked to Black Star for help, who was staring at some squash with Tsubaki. Black Star wasn't paying attention, so his silent plea for help was lost.
"Hey, Maka, where are we making this dinner? You haven't said." Tsubaki called from across the row. Soul let out a relieved breath. His ass was no longer on the burner. He tensed, though, when he felt his wife's eyes back on him.
"Our house is fine; it's closer." He suggested. Maka nodded, agreeing with him. It'd been three months since they'd revealed the news of their pregnancy, and already when walking long distances, both women's feet hurt like hell.
They grabbed a few various other items and walked to the register. Maka and Soul offered to pay this time, since Black Star and Tsubaki had paid the last time they'd had dinner together. Upon leaving the store, Maka looked out on the horizon, a concerned look on her face.
"Do you think everyone is alright?" She asked aloud. Soul looked at her face, then off in the direction she was looking. He wondered what she might actually be looking at other than the setting sun which drooled as it dozed off into sleep. He took her hand and gave it a squeeze.
"They'll be fine. They've got the best men for the job. I don't see Stein failing anytime soon." He assured her. She smiled, and began to walk towards their apartment, agreeing. The unease in her gut dissipated slowly as she reminded herself that Kidd and Krona were also on the team.
A scream sounded behind them and suddenly ceased. They all turned, frightened. It wasn't a scream signaling that someone had tripped over; instead, it was a bloodcurdling scream, almost as if someone had just stumbled upon some horribly disgusting scene. The scream meant bloody murder, and it'd been cut off mid-screech.
They scanned the streets, waiting for something, anything. People emerged from their businesses and homes, confused. An eerie silence spread among the street, the people on it not daring to ask what had happened, wondering if they'd only heard something.
Black Star stood in front of Tsubaki, grabbing the handle of a samurai sword Mifune had lent him. In truth, Mifune had plenty to spare, considering that he carried a case of fifty or so when he went on missions.
Soul stood in front of Maka, reaching into his coat pocket and holding the handle to his .45 Magnum. Kidd had ordered one for him shortly after revealing Maka's pregnancy. He didn't want to take the chance that because of her pregnancy, she wouldn't be able to defend herself.
Sure, Soul was a weapon himself, but without Maka, he couldn't do much, and even though Black Star was a meister, he couldn't wield him. Their wavelengths didn't match one bit, though Black Star had managed to pick him up off of the ground. Perhaps through years of being friends, their wavelengths had begun to match a tiny bit.
Maka shivered and grabbed Soul's coat. The powerful presence she'd felt from their unknown enemy on the bridge in London had appeared. No… it hadn't just appeared. It'd popped up out of nowhere and hit her senses like a ten-ton brick.
"Soul, let's go. We have to get out of here. It's back. He's back." She whispered, tugging at his jacket. He turned to her, gauging her expression. She was truly concerned. They really shouldn't be staying.
He didn't have time to respond as the shattering of glass turned his attention back to the street. A cart had been flipped upside-down, and amid the clearing dust emerged a tall, broad, giant of a creature.
Soul scowled and ushered Maka behind him, pulling out the .45 and aiming.
"Black Star, take Tsubaki and Maka and run. Hide. I'll hold him off." He ordered.
"Like hell you'll do this alone! Tsubaki, take Maka, go. Don't worry. I got this." Black Star urged, taking Tsubaki's hand and kissing it gently.
Tsubaki didn't wait, and grabbed Maka by her shoulders, trying to pull her away. Maka held tightly, refusing to leave.
Free leapt up, grabbed a streetlight and swung around, flung himself off of it and onto the side of a building. He dug his massive claws to stay there for a few seconds, then jumped off of the side of the building, aimed for the four of them.
Soul pushed Maka back and dodged, landing a few feet away and aiming. With Black Star, Tsubaki, and Maka just past Free, he didn't shoot, not wanting to miss and hit his friends. He wasn't as good a shot as Kidd, though he'd been practicing.
Tsubaki pulled Maka to her feet and began to run down the street, taking as many left and right turns as she could. She hoped to disperse their scent among a wide range, since the only information they had on the man who had attacked them was that he was a werewolf. Perhaps they could confuse him and stall for time.
With Maka and Tsubaki gone and Black Star no longer in the way, Soul took aim and fired. The bullet hit the side of Free's head, splaying a small spatter of blood in Soul's direction. The hole only healed itself and the bullet fell to the concrete, jingling as it bounced once, twice, then rolled to a still.
Free snarled and turned his ugly head towards Soul, giving Black Star an opportunity to attack. Black Star slashed at Free's neck, not hesitating to attempt to decapitate their enemy. The slash was ineffective, and barely managed a scrape, even with Black Star's immense strength. Black Star's face fell and his eyes widened as the blade snapped in two.
It seemed normal weapons wouldn't do any sufficient damage at all.
Free slashed at Soul with a claw since he was the closest, but Soul dodged, rolling over and jumping out of the way again as Free pierced the air. Black Star intervened Free's attacks, slicing at Free's outstretched hands with the slightly shorter blade.
It didn't work as well as he'd hoped; the blade zinged as it slid across Free's radius and ulna, but didn't go any deeper than that.
Black Star grunted out of pain as Free backhanded him in the stomach, throwing him back and into a nearby building. A crater formed, and he fell to the ground, bits of rubble falling around him. Soul rushed between Black Star and Free as Free advanced, aiming between his eyes and firing repeatedly, genuinely scared. This type of combat was entirely different than what he was used to.
One. Two. Three. Four. Five. Click. Click. Click.
The sound terrified Soul. He was now out of bullets, and Black Star was unconscious, or if he wasn't, Soul was pretty damn sure he wouldn't be getting up anytime soon.
"Did you really think that would work?" Free asked, laughing heartily. Soul gulped, and stepped back with each advance that Free made. Soul looked behind him to see Black Star's condition. The man hadn't moved at all; exactly as Soul had thought. Damn, there went the idea of him transforming.
Free reached out and grabbed the gun out of Soul's hands and threw it across the way, then snatched Soul up by the shirt. Soul turned his hand into a blade and stabbed, then twisted. Free kept a firm grasp on Soul, and punched him in the face with his free claw.
Soul was certain he felt some of his molars chip, and felt blood flowing out of his nose. He turned his foot into a blade and kicked, stabbing Free in his chest, then tried as hard as he could to drag the blade down Free's body. Free howled and punched Soul again.
Soul's body turned back into normal, and Free held him close, sniffing him.
"What are you going to do, eat me? Fucking eat me, and leave everyone else alone!" Soul demanded, hoping to make a deal with him.
Free sneered and laughed again, then licked at some of the blood and sweat on Soul's face. He snorted and shook his head, as though it were the most disgusting thing he'd ever tasted.
"You're not tasty enough. But… I bet that scythe bitch of yours will be." Free sneered.
"Don't you dare! Don't you dare touch my wife! I'll kill you!" Soul barked, furious.
"Good luck with that." Free deadpanned. Free grabbed a tuft of Soul's hair and threw him headfirst into the building by Black Star, knocking him out. Free approached them both and sniffed them. He jerked his head towards the inner-city, sneered, and followed the scent he'd picked up. With both of their wife's' scents, he'd have no trouble in finding them.
Maka and Tsubaki heaved for breath, having stopped in an open alleyway. They'd been heading towards DWMA, since it might be their best chance for survival at this point; there would be no way the freak would try to break in. Every meister and weapon would be ready to take him down, and he'd risk getting himself thrown into jail.
"Think we lost him?" Tsubaki panted, leaning forward and resting her hands on her knees.
Maka gave her a concerned look.
"I don't know. I don't know, but we have to keep going. We can't stop." Maka wheezed, leaning against the wall. She took Tsubaki's hand and urged her to keep running, worried even more when Tsubaki wouldn't budge.
"Come on, Tsubaki, we gotta go. You can do this." She pressed.
Tsubaki stumbled forward slightly, a grimace on her face, but forced herself to move anyway. In a stumbling run, they continued toward DWMA.
Maka wouldn't tell Tsubaki, but she could feel the powerful signature inching closer to them with each passing second. She hoped Tsubaki couldn't pick it up.
They turned the corner, relieved to see the many steps up the hill. They were almost there. Just a few more hills to climb.
She held Tsubaki's hand and wrapped an arm around her waist, leaning Tsubaki against her for support, since it seemed Tsubaki was in immense pain. They ran up the steps, their legs screaming for them to stop. They couldn't remember the last time they'd pressed themselves this hard, not even during training.
A crash sounded out behind them, and Maka looked back. Free was on their heels, having bounded onto the large white steps from the top of a building, sending bits of concrete flying every which way.
"What was- Tsubaki started, turning her head to look. Maka stopped her, wrapping her arm around Tsubaki's head and keeping it pinned forward. Maka looked back again. Free walked towards them, taking the stairs two at a time, a menacing smile on his face.
People already on the stairs began to panic, heading towards the school or towards the city, desperate to get away from the creature.
Maka looked forward. Three more flights to go. Three more flights, and we'll be-
She was pulled out of her thoughts as Free grabbed her from behind and pulled her back. Holding the both of them by the collars of their outfits, he turned them to face him, chuckling. He looked from Tsubaki to Maka and back a few times, as though trying to decide what to do, and with which woman.
Discarding Maka, he threw her aside. She landed on the steps and rolled down, crying out in pain. Weakly she pushed herself up, looking up the stairs at the man and her friend, praying and hoping he wouldn't kill her.
"Why are you doing this to us?" Tsubaki choked, tears streaming from her eyes.
Free laughed and pulled her close.
"Why? Simple. I was bored. Wanted to stir shit up. Human hearts taste great at first, but nothing compares to the hearts of weapons, meisters, and even other witches." He stated, sniffing her again. He licked her cheek, the sharp bristles of his tongue rubbing against her skin. She shuddered and whimpered as he poked her lightly in the chest with his claw.
"Human adult's hearts are so bitter. Tough, gamey. But a child's… a child's is so sweet. So tender. Oh, how delicious your children's hearts were!" He continued. He lifted her higher in the air, shocked her so she was unable to move, then brought her close, deeply inhaling the scent of her chest.
"After yours has broken up, I can only imagine how tender it will be." He stated, drool dripping from his jowls as he spoke. He jabbed her in the chest with a sharp claw again and she cried out in fear and the pain of hearing him talk about her children like this.
"Do you wish it had been you? Tell me, do you wish to die?" He asked. Tsubaki sobbed, unable to answer. Did she? Ever since her children had died, she'd always felt a void, one she felt would never be filled. But, had she truly desired her own death?
No. She had Black Star. She had the life growing inside of her. She had her friends. They'd been by her and her husband's side from the start of their plunge into hell.
"Would you beg for death now, knowing that your husband is dead?" He asked, tearing open the fabric of her shirt with his claw. She sobbed even harder.
"No, no, he can't be!" She cried. Free sneered.
"Oh, but he is. His heart was as tough as I'd imagined. Dark, bitter. He may have been strong on the outside, but on the inside, he was fake." He stated. She silenced, lip quivering. Black Star couldn't be dead. He had to be lying.
"Know what that tells me?" He continued. She closed her eyes, not wanting to hear anymore. Against her wishes he continued.
"He didn't love you. He didn't harbor any love for you, any love for your brats, and any love for your friends. You were simply… a tool." He spat. Tsubaki screamed out of anger. His words weren't true. They weren't possible. Black Star had shown nothing but love for her, for their children, and for their friends. Any mass of hate he harbored had to have been directed towards their enemies. Death knew most of it was directed toward his clan for the crimes they'd committed against humanity.
Free clicked his tongue and pressed the index finger of his claw against her temple. She groaned as she felt a weight on her chest, and felt an unnatural anger spread throughout her body, followed by flashes of memories… memories she knew were not her own.
"The nice thing is, the heart hold memories inside of it, too. And these…" He paused, forcing more memories into her head, "Are that bastard's." He stated. She fought to get her head away from his hands, but couldn't.
A memory flashed in her mind's eye. She saw herself on the night that Free had murdered their children, a crushing feeling of bitterness and anger rising within her chest. A feeling of blame. Black Star was… blaming her for their children's deaths. She couldn't transform. She'd been useless to him, and it was her fault their children were dead.
Tsubaki bit her lip and blocked out the thought. Black Star wouldn't think that. He'd said it himself not to blame herself, for it was his fault, though she refused to believe so. It was both of their faults, yet neither's at the same time. They'd failed, together.
Finally, one hit her, hard. She was naked, beneath him, one hand gripping the pillow her head rested on, and the other disappearing out of view. Her eyes were closed, mouth agape in a scream of passion, chest beet red as he made her body tense and shake with a powerful orgasm. She saw herself through Black Star's eyes, and along with it came nasty, cutting thoughts. She felt his presence in her heart, dark and spiteful. He hated her. Her eyes were weird. Her body, which she'd believed he'd blessed, adored, was hideous.
No, this couldn't be. Not Black Star. Not him!
As Free pressed his claw more intensely against her temple, the feelings of hate and disgust rose even more within her, drowning her in her pit of despair.
"That's… that's a lie!" She managed, voice sounding out in a strained whisper.
"These are straight from the source." He stated, a sneer on his face.
"Your husband, who hated you, is dead. Your children, who despised you, are dead. Do you still desire to continue on?" He asked again, a knowing smirk spreading on his face. He pressed his claw against her chest again, prodding at it.
Tsubaki silenced, out of tears. She felt betrayed, defeated. Even the loss of her children had been easier to swallow than what she'd just been shown. Slowly, she raised her eyes to meet Free's. Had she been uncertain, her eyes might have flickered back and forth between Free's right hazel eye and his left witch's eye, searching for an ounce of truth.
However, her gaze was stern, empty as she stared him down.
"You'll make it quick?" She asked. Her children were dead. Her husband was dead. Her soul had been crushed, and perhaps, in her final moments, her heart wouldn't feel any pain, having been removed so violently from her body.
Free blinked, and brought her close.
"Of course." He promised, voice thick with amusement.
She let her gaze fall to the side and turned her head, looking. Maka was still lying on the stairs, unable to get up. A thick cloud of black, billowing smoke rose from the distance, nearby where they'd first been attacked.
She blinked a few times, then looked back at Free.
"Kill me." She decided, staring him in the eye. Free sneered, and she could feel the tips of his claws boring into her skin, pushing between the ribs. Numbed and distant, she felt a strange sense of relief. An unnatural sense of freedom. Her heart beat strongly, then slowed as she calmed herself down. It would be over soon. His claw just had a few more inches to go, and-
She looked up at him, confused when he retrieved his claw, licking away the blood that dripped from them.
"No." He stated.
Her mouth gaped, and she stared at him, wide-eyed. He wasn't going to kill her? Death, she couldn't do it herself, always having told herself it was an act of cowardice. A final act that would show everyone how weak she was in life. A way that she didn't want her life to end, nor a way she wanted to be remembered.
He'd taken joy in devouring hearts. Her children's hearts. Her husband's heart. He'd even gone as far as showing her the grotesque and true feelings Black Star had had for her, buried deep within his chest. Free had filled her with the certainty, the desire to die, and now he was going to deny her? What, was her heart not wanted, not strong, or tasty, or tough enough for him?
Her accepted way out of the hell he'd dropped her in, and he'd denied her.
"Do it. That's all you've talked about! That's all you want, isn't it? My heart?" She screamed, her gut tightening as she realized what had just happened.
"Timing isn't right. You, of all four of you, had the most to lose. I'm not done yet. Not even close." He stated, a sickening smirk on his face. She silenced, staring him down. She couldn't breathe; too stunned.
He pulled her close once more. She could smell the blood on his breath, the rotting flesh stuck between his teeth.
"I know you won't kill yourself. Why else would you have allowed me to kill you?" He stated. She was speechless, unable to come up with a response. He laughed at her inability to react.
"That being said…" He started, then took in a deep breath. He pulled her even closer, leaning his mouth next to her ear.
"I'll destroy every one of your lives until you have nothing left to live for." He whispered. He punched her in her stomach, then threw her down the steps. She rolled to a stop just beyond Maka, sprawled out on the concrete steps.
Tsubaki kept her face hidden in the stone, head covered as she sobbed.
"I know you've said you'll kill me… but now, do you really mean it?" Free stated as he walked past, away from the two injured women. He hunched over and bounded down the steps back toward the outskirts of town.
Well, I hope you are all as frightened by that as I was, though I have to admit, I do enjoy setting up the story. I already feel like I have been writing ten-thousand times better with this story than I have with any others.
Let me know what you all think!