Teaming Up

Oh, Soul Eater is really finished... *sniffle*… even at 9 days since ch. 112 was published, that fact is still kinda hard to swallow… argh! NOT, don't you dare to disappoint me! Hump!

The classroom was very empty indeed.

Since the day at the secondary campus, Stein's class shortened considerably. From the original fifty students that were enrolled in the EAT Crescent Moon Class for that specific year, only twenty-six were sitting in the classroom as four were the only surviving teams that managed a successful Chain Resonance that day. There were two groups consisting on three meisters and three weapons, and other two of other three meisters and four weapons.

The mad scientist was not exactly happy having to relocate half of his class with the other lesser EAT classes, but what was done was done. It's not like he despised the other teachers or doubted their capability only that everyone knew Stein wasn't one of the best teachers in the academy for nothing. He took other deep breath from his cigarette and leaned a bit more on his favorite stitched chair while he eyed the groups interact in front of him.

Since the last three classes he had just sat there, watching. He wanted to measure his little students before taking a new step ahead in their training, and by now Stein could finally say that he was almost done with his analysis.

These kids were supposed to be the strongest of their generation, but had lots of troubles maintaining Chain Resonances and their fighting capabilities weren't enough. In his times at the academy, kids the age of his students were already out chasing witches like possessed hounds.

And there was that other fact pressuring him. If the scarce intelligence the Shibusen CIA got was correct and Arachnophobia was getting ready to start a quest looking for a super magical weapon of destruction, then there was going to be an imminent clash between Shinigami-sama and Arachne Gorgon very, very soon where both parties would ultimately fight for the ownership of that weapon. He needed those kids ready by yesterday.

PFFFT! FRRRT!

"Huh…? What the—!" Maka said as she blushed and stood up from her seat. Liz, on her part, massaged her temples before sending a murderous glare at her little sister. "Grr… PATTY!"

"Hyahahahaha!" laughed the candid blonde while Black Star tried to suppress his tears from laughing so hard. "Did you see their faces? Nyahahahaha!"

Stein sighed deeply. In one hand there was Maka's group doing a hilarious scene with Patty and Black Star pulling a childish whoopee cushion prank on the Scythe meister and Liz. The other members just watched from behind laughing or just rolled their eyes at them. That team had passed his little test just as expected.

Although Stein would never say it out loud, he was not being seriously when he said that he was going to kick Maka out of his class the day his class got slimmer. In fact, she and her team were the only capable ones if trained correctly. When he had threaten the girl, what the silver-haired man intended in reality was to motivate her enough to pull her out of her childish antics and get working. With an extraordinary fighter like Black Star, the implacable duo Maka and Soul made and Shinigami's son, it was plain obvious they were default choices.

As for the other groups… well, the scientist was still thinking.

Two other groups were sitting together and having a pleasant time co-existing with their other members. These groups were working very much synchronized, and even managed to create their Chain Resonance without much of a hustle. The problems itself was that, although they were all cooperative and somewhat efficient together, their weapon's hindering limitations and their scarce experience on the battlefield rendered them as an inadequate choice on grand-scale battles like the ones against Arachnophobia for the time being.

That was a small, little problem that gave the mad meister a headache. Shinigami-sama knew how much time Stein would need to prepare all those kids for war. Time he didn't have.

"Fire, Thunder!" yelled Kirikou at his running partners. A scowl was on his face with the memory of the twins' scheme from yesterday still present. "Where are you two going?"

And there was that other group. That one was an enigma by itself, Stein thought.

Franken Stein watched puzzled at the other seven children. They were split with their usual mesiter/weapon partners and away from their other team members like before. He was not very sure how they managed to achieve that powerful Chain Resonance the first time with the little-to-none companionship as team they were all displaying. Even since that day at the secondary campus, he had seen more quarrels than team work between them all.

In fact, he suspected that it was the element compatibility (plus Kirikou's unique soul) the culprits that managed the connection between their souls persist that day, acting like some kind of super glue in the first place. The only ones that didn't gave that impression where the small Pot weapons, who were going back and forth between the other members trying to get their attention or satisfy their curiosity. But even those two got in the nerves of the other members sometimes.

The scientist took another deep breath from his cigarette and exhaled the smoke out; all the while he turned his screw a few times to the right. That always helped him think. And Death knew he needed that right now. Stein had to think of something… some kind of way to prepare all children and get them ready as fast as he could.

Brip, brip, brip…

Click.

He knew what to do now.

"All right, everybody quiet now," Stein firmly said. Since the downsizing three days ago, he hadn't said nor done anything important until the bell to dismiss classes rang. Everybody but certain loud assassin immediately obeyed. "You too, Black Star."

"No way, you finally decide to move that a—"

Fzum…

"Uhu… I mean y-yes Professor."

After throwing the Star survivor another of his scalpels, successfully calming the boy, he stood from his chair and started writing in the board. He felt the curiosity of his kids rise as he continues scribing. When he finished writing, he plumped back on his beloved chair.

Just as he did so, the questions began.

"Huh, professor?" asked Maka raising her hand asking for permission to speak. "What is this "Super Exhausting Cooperative Training" thing?"

Everyone seemed to agree with the Scythe meister with confused faces or muttering between themselves. That was the question he had been expecting and Maka didn't disappoint him when she was the one with the courage to ask it.

The teacher threw his cigarette away and smiled vilely. "You see, Miss Albarn, as the few capable ones to continue in my classes you're expected to be able to swiftly engage in combat along all the members of your team making you more effective on battle," he saw most of the kids' faces show excitement and pride at this. However, he continued. "And that's exactly what you're still not capable of doing. So S.E.C.T, or just sect, is going to be an intensive battle simulator training for you all to gain the sufficient practice in the battlefield with a steady Chain Resonance on place…"

Stein keep explaining to his students how the mechanics of these new classes were going to be, how much time they were going to take and answered some of the questions the kids – Maka and Ox mostly – had. Everyone was paying attention to the Professor, all but certain African-American boy who was after his mischievous little partners.

He couldn't believe the two little kids decided to get into a rebellious phase in that exact moment.

"Fire, Thunder!" whispered Kirikou as he went crawling towards the children while concealing himself under the desks as Stein talked. "Come back here in this instant you two!"

The twins were currently seated next to Harvar and were content to invade the serious boy's personal space, clearly ignoring the calling of their meister. It was a wonder that all what the Demon Spear boy did was ignore the little kids' presence on him and continued to pay attention to Stein.

Kirikou continued crawling and crawling from between desks until he was three seats from Harvar. He smiled and crawled a bit more. Just as he was about to grab one of Fire's foot, he got interrupted.

"Mister Rung," called the silver-haired meister in a cold and authoritative voice, making the alluded shudder and paralyze in place. Kirikou held his breath and could swear his heart stopped too. "May I ask you why you are under the desks while I explain this new dynamic to the class? Or maybe it's that you aren't interested in them at all?"

'Holly mother of— how did he saw me?! I thought he couldn't see me!' thought frightened the Pot meister almost sweating bullets. He was so nervous he forgot that most well-trained meisters, like his teacher, had this little ability called Soul Perception that allowed them detect and sense souls in a specific ratio around them. "I'm sorry professor Stein. I'll pay more attention now," he said as he stood up, bowed at the elder meister in respect and went to sit besides Ox, making sure to send his little Pot weapons a reprimanding glare before so. He also noted the light chuckle Kim let at his reprimand.

"Bad move, monkey boy." she whispered.

Kirikou just grinded his teeth together in anger, but suppressed his desire to share a piece of his mind with his teammate.

"You should be more careful, Kirikou," said the genius boy without letting his gaze wander from the mad scientist as the man shrugged and continued with his speech saying something about scoring their performances on the practices while writing some things in the board. "You're gonna get in serious trouble one of these days."

"Yeah, right?" he said with a somewhat forced grin, and then he turned a little more serious. "Look, you gotta talk with that girlfriend of yours," the Lighting King raised an eyebrow in confusion and slightly turned his head to face his friend. At this, the Pot meister continued. "We really need to work on our relationships as a team, or else we're going to be the worst team in class, and ain't no good man. That girl is like a bipolar loon, cooperative in one moment and staving you in the back in the other. How does that gal Jackie puts up with her?"

"I don't see it like that, but you still have a point. Maybe we two can cooperate together well enough and be able to cover her unwillingness to work together and pass?" offered Ox in return, but just as Kirikou was about to reply, the two were interrupted by the sudden voice of their mad professor.

"Also," suddenly said Stein, making all the students look at him and shuddered. The Professor had a somewhat dangerous gleam on his eyes. "At the end of this special training I'm going to do a final exam. Whoever fails it is going to be seriously punished and sent back to the NOT level. Take in account that if only one member of the team fails or doesn't want to work, all the team is eliminated immediately so be sure to work together. You're all dismissed."

At that moment Stein went out of the classroom while the kids stood up and almost all of them reunited with their respective teammates to worryingly (or excitedly like Black Star) talk about the new training they were going to do. Almost all of them I repeat.

Kirikou and Ox looked at each other immediately with worried looks, and then they turned their gaze at the retreating pink-haired girl (followed by her reading partner who almost crashes near a wall) warily. The two of them clearly knew that if their interactions as team continued like that, they were in very deep trouble.

Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Eater, their characters or locations; they're the properties of Atsushi Ohkubo. I just took them without permission for entertaining purposes.

Hiya!

Update, yay! (School is horrible now, sorry for the delay!).

Totally wasn't expecting to turn the plot like this, but it's okay. Let's see to where I can go with this. So... you liked this chapter or not? Feel free to say so.

Oh, well… you remember I said some chapters back that I had discarded a draft before writing said chapter? Well, this is the draft. Obviously adapted and enlarged, but the idea is somewhat the same. Funny, right? Pardon my grammatical errors, but I wanted to finish this as fast as my fingers could type.

Bis bald, alle!