—2—

Face the Music

No.

This was terrible.

How could this happen?

How in the hell did he know about her? She never told a soul, no, not anyone, not her friends, not her family, certainly not her family. There was no way he would know about her…her power, right?

Why? She was doing so well before this.

She relented, the uneasiness she was missing of following him by herself now rearing its ugly head, "What do you mean, weapon? I-I don't know w-what you're talking about."

She could see the apparent displeasure show up in his demeanor, a look of disappointment on his face seeing through her deceit.

"I told you before," he siad. "You cannot lie to me when it comes to this. I can feel your soul wavelength, now even stronger than ever just by being here with you. I just had to come and meet you in person after seeing you on television. Even then, I could feel your soul calling out. And now that I am here, there is no mistaking it. You are indeed a weapon, a person who can fight against the Kishin souls," He extended his hand out to her, "Please, will you not consider becoming my partner? We can do so much good together. I just know it."

She shook her head, the thought of running becoming ever more present, "N-no! Stop! I said I'm not a weapon! Leave me alone!"

She made the mistake of looking into his eyes again. They were sympathetic and calming, putting a face to the previous sensation she felt onstage. As much as she wanted to walk away, something told her to stay, again her body betraying her mind. Why was he here? Why now?

"I said...I'm not interested. Now please, I'd like for you to leave if you don't mind."

"Will you at least tell me why?" he continued to pry. Why was he being so persistent?

"It's none of your business," she snapped, looking away from him and back towards where she came. "I don't have to explain anything to you; now, I am sorry you had to travel all this way to be declined, but like I said, I have no interest in being your partner, or whatever it is you want." She turned to leave, finally finding the strength to retreat when she heard his voice again.

"How long have you been hiding it?"

She stopped, balling her hands into fists and clenched her teeth.

Damn it.

How was he so perceptive?

How did he know that?

It was like he was reading her mind...or was it really her soul that he was peering into? She had never heard of such a thing, but what ever his ability was, he was able to percieve her inner most secrets. Was she that much of an open book to him?

She turned back to face him. His ability was becoming evermore believable…and frankly, more annoying.

"You wouldn't understand," she said apprehensively. "I had to."

"I am a good listener," he was trying to be humorous, but he knew she was quite serious, a small attempt to lighten the heavy atmosphere from their heated discussion. She felt a bit at ease when she saw him "locked" his lips shut and put his imaginary "key" into his pocket.

"I will not tell anyone. I promise. You have my undivided attention."

She sighed.

It would have been a whole lot easier on her heart and mind to just walk away and pretend she had never met him, like nothing had ever happened, if he wasn't so charming. She couldn't really deny it now given that she followed him out onto the verando out of wonder. He probably knew that and he was using it to his advantage.

Bastard. Attractive, but a bastard nonetheless.

"…I suppose I could…give you a reason," she admitted reluctantly. "I'm not saying I trust you, and even if you told someone, I'm sure they wouldn't believe you anyway. You did come this far however:

"My parents always feared things like Kishin souls, the meisters and weapons simply because they were unable to understand them. They always told me to stay away from them, that we should keep our distance, so when I found out that I had the weapon gene in me; I was obviously scared of being rejected by my parents. And how could I do that to them? I'm their only daughter, their…crowned jewel. They're so proud of me and I'm fine living my life with one little secret. They're happy and so am I."

She tapped her foot, "Now, do you understand why I can't? This isn't about me. I don't want to disappoint my parents or anyone else."

He frowned, something she wasn't expecting, "You are wrong Sophia. This IS about you. I can see it in the eyes of your parents. There is no way they would be afraid of you, their own daughter. Maybe you can help them understand that being a weapon is nothing to be ashamed of and there is nothing to fear."

She shook her head, "No, I can't take that chance. My father, he's a politician. My mother has an enormous career. I can't do that to them. They have too much to be concerned with already."

He in turn shook his head vigorously, "And what, you are to continue holding onto this secret like you are now for the rest of your life? It is a part of who you are. You cannot hide that. It is best if you tell them yourself then to-"

"No," she said again, voice elevated. He stopped mid-sentence seeing the frustration on her face.

She had had enough.

"I said I won't take that chance and I meant It," she finally met his gaze. "I've wanted to tell them. Really, I have, but…I simply can't. Every waking moment, I feel like I'm living a lie. But it's only a selfish wish of mine. If keeping my ability a secret in order to keep a smile on their face, to keep them proud of me, is what I have to do, then I will do that without hesitation."

She paused realizing how half-hearted the words coming out her own mouth were. Did she even mean any of it? The only time she would shed her human form and gaze on her other half that of a weapon, was in the confines of her room away from prying eyes. It was liberating to do so. But then again, it never lasted for long because she had to grace the stage again and play out her lie once more for the world to see.

Maybe that's where her mind was wondering off to when she was in the spot light. She could never really concentrate up there on the big stage because she was always thinking about a life outside of the fame and fortune, a life like this young man, Hush was talking about, a life partnering up with a trusted member of the DWMA, the school in Nevada, USA, and warding off evil souls, helping to save lives and fighting the good fight. It sounded exciting and much more rewarding then the façade she was forced to live in.

She also heard about becoming a Death Scythe as well. Oh, how amazing that must be. It was like reaching her full potential, that one note she was striving to hit, but never really had the range to reach, not yet.

No, no, it was a fantasy. She couldn't do it. She had consequences to think about. What would her parents say if she decided to run away to Death City, enrolling into the school, and become who she really wanted to be? Or worse, what would they not say? Would they shun her, reject her true self? They had expressed their distaste for weapons and meisters before. Death and pain followed wherever they went. It wasn't a secret that they had little to no trust in them. A lot of the higher-class people felt that way. With the money they had accumulated over the course of their lives, what threat did these Kishin souls have on them? An actual Kishin was said to be that of a myth, something that didn't even exist, let alone needed an entire army of soul devouring weapons to keep the threat of another one coming into the world at bay.

It leaves a bad taste in my mouth talking about it, her father would say after she had brought up the topic into conversation one night at the dinner table. Just let it be, little Sophie. You needn't concern yourself with something like that. Her mother felt the same saying it was dangerous and scary.

That was the word.

Scared.

She didn't want her parents to be scared of her. They had trouble sitting through the entire movie of The Ring (which, strangely enough, she had no problem with). There was no way they would be fine with knowing that she would be walking a path covered in blood.

"I'm sorry," she reinstated, "I simply can't," she bowed again. "I really am sorry." And with that, she turned to leave him standing there again, regretting her own words when she heard him come up behind her firmly take hold of her hand.

"Please," she heard him say, "just this once I want you to think about the big picture here. I know you want to make your parents proud. You are making them proud now, but with your abilities, you could be saving lives. What would your parents think if they found out you had the potential to stop so many lives from being lost? It is your duty. You should feel some type of responsibility to do something, yes?"

She wasn't able to think clearly. The moment he took hold of her hand, she had felt like a chain had suddenly linked between them. His voice was an echo when he stood at a distance, but now it was more pronounced, like he was speaking directly into her ear.

So this was his soul.

It was strong-willed, experienced, but eager to learn, understanding, compassionate, a bit mysterious, and aloof, even self-conscious? She could feel him. This was him, a bare unyeilding soul. It was a totally new experience, but it felt so nostalgic, like she knew what it was like all this time, and she could feel his attempt of reaching out to her and trying to find familiar ground within her own soul, cautious and caring.

It felt…nice.

"Hush," she said with her back still to him. "let go."

He released her immediately, regretting his persistence "Forgive me…it was not my intent to anger you further."

"It's alright," she was glad he couldn't see her flustered face. His hand was warm.

"This is my life," she said plainly. "I'm sorry you don't like it, but I know you can find another partner. You're a capable person, I'm sure. Someone like me isn't suited for fighting, or being reliable."

Her parents must be getting worried.

"Goodbye," she finally walked away. His voice faded off along with the warm feeling in the pit of her stomach.

"Yes…Goodbye, Sophia."

"Dear, that was the longest bathroom trip I've ever seen. I was going to call your bodyguards to go after you if you took any longer. I haven't actually seen those three since you got off stage...anyway, are you sure you're alright? You were a bit out of sorts when you left."

"Exactly, maybe we should head home. It's been a long night."

She tried calming them down with a half-hearted smile, "I'm fine, really I am. I just got stopped a few times. You know how people are; they just wanted a few autographs. It took longer than I had first anticipated."

Her mother pouted, "The nerve of some people, they won't let you have a moment's rest, for pity's sake."

Her father; however, nudged her gingerly on the shoulder, "But that's the life of a celebrity, eh? They simply can't enough of you, am I right?"

She chuckled dryly, her mind too preoccupied to her previous encounter out on the veranda.

Why did that guy put it like that?

She felt guilty.

All she ever wanted to do was keep her world safe from her secret, to keep her family happy, to continue having moments like the one she was having with them now; but apparently the world didn't want it that way. It was unfair.

But she was contradicting herself. She loved to play music, she loved sharing it with other people, but she also loved being a weapon too. Hush was it? He was in a way...correct; it was a part of who she was. It should be something she could share without shame, no matter who disliked it. She was given these powers for a purpose, to help and protect people.

It was her responsibility, her duty.

Maybe her little world was in more danger of being destroyed if she continued to hide it from everyone. No matter how she tried to wish it away, the danger of being attacked was always upon the innocent and helpless. But the DWMA was already doing that. Was she even capable of doing anything? She had never been a fight in her life. What was the point of being a weapon if she couldn't fight? But wouldn't that be the reason for going to the DWMA in the first place?

God, this was confusing.

She sighed loudly concerning her parents even more.

"Sweetie, we can go if you want."

She couldn't hide her evident frustration, but tried laughing it off, "N-no, it's fine. I'm just a bit winded from the autographs." She grabbed the menu again, "So, did you order already?"

"No sweetie, we decided to wait for you."

"Alright then, so I'll...have the…"

As she scanned the menu, her eyes inadvertantly wandered back to the table where the mysterious boy was once sitting. His elusive silhouette now had been replaced by a nameless couple, idly chatting amongst themselves. The silent Latino was nowhere to be found. She was actually a touch disappointed that he hadn't come after her. Then again, the thought was ludicrous. What was she expecting if were to show up again?

"Sophia…what are you going to have?"

She came back to her senses and flattened the menu on the table. The waitress who apparently walked up when she had spaced out, her mother, and father were all giving her worried looks.

Thoroughly embarrassed, she awkwardly smiled, "I'm uh…I'm suddenly not very hungry."

The seemingly innocent atmosphere was suddenly interrupted by a blood-curdling scream that cut through the air like a splintering glass window, breaking the peaceful medium. Sophia spun around in her seat towards the cry in time to see a panicked frenzy of people knocking over chairs, tables and each other as they tried their best to escape the epicenter of all the commotion.

Her eyes widened in horror.

In the center of the auditorium, laid a body, a man had been shot in the head, blood pooling from the gaping wound, and standing above him stood another man with a smoking pistol in his hand, a crazed, disturbing smile on his face.

"Nobody panic…" his words oozed from his lips. His tongue forked like a snake as he eyed the witnesses and possibly his next victims. As he spoke, a small blue orb floated from his prey hovering in front of his face. Like a famished dog for a bone, he snapped out at it, catching it in his mouth and swallowing it whole, slurping it down as if it were soup. The grotesque gesture made Sophia's skin crawl as she tried desperately to stifle the gag reflex.

This couldn't possibly be was she thought this was.

"…My name is Hyde," He introduced himself removing the top hat from his head and gave a mockingly graceful bow." Mr. Hyde to be exact. I'm just here for one thing and one thing only." His head snapped back with a wild grin on his face!" "Your souls! That's all!"

The wave of terror was almost instantaneous. Screams of fear erupted from the crowd as they ran towards the nearest exit. The man only cackled, watching the masses stumble, kick, and push towards their salvation. But as the first people reached the exit doors, they immediately realized that the way had been sealed shut, preditately barricaded from the outside to keep people out...and to keep them in. He had trapped them all inside like ants in a jar. He was planning on picking them off one-by-one.

The gun went off again.

His wicked precision caught another defenseless bystander in the back, this time, a woman. She fell to the floor buckling under the critical blow a few feet from where he was. He leapt into the air, most unnatural for a normal human being and his mouth clamped down on the soul as he landed above her.

He reeled back with another foul laugh, "Where are your precious guardsmen and officers who were surely surrounding this place? Oh, that's right. I killed them all too AHAHAHAHA!"

"Sophia!" her father called out to her, realizing his daughter was no longer by his side. The Alexander's were one of the first to flee from their seats being that were dangerously close to the scene of the crime, but they stopped short after they noticed their crowned jewel hadn't followed behind. Only primal fear kept him from running back and throwing her over his shoulder and carrying her to safety.

"What on earth are you doing?! Run!"

Sophia's feet refused to move. Her gaze remained on the killer with the gun. For a fleeting moment, she was scared, unable to turn away. But it wasn't there anymore. The churning sensation she had once felt in her stomach had all but dissapeared. Something snapped deep inside her, a feeling she had never felt before towards anyone, and it was all but totally consuming her. It swept over her like wildfire down to her finger tips and she clenched her teeth to keep it in for as long as she could. but even then, someone like a murderer should be the one to feel how she felt, if anyone at all.

Rage.

Some things can not become a reality until one experiences it first-hand. She knew full well that Kishin souls were dangerous. Hell, everyone knew, even if they tried to deny it, ignore it, what have you. It would be on the news, it would be on the radio, but now that she was seeing it for herself, there was no way she could sit idly by and do nothing. She was pissed, pissed at herself for not reacting sooner to save those two innocent people, for not knowing how much she could be helping to stop this type of madness all over the world, pissed at him for showing up and ruining such a beautiful night.

"Sophia, please!" she could hear the biting turmoil of fear and anguish in her father's voice amongst the screams of the masses. "Just run!"

She took a step closer towards Hyde unbeknownst to herself.

"No! Please!"

It came down to the moment Hush had mentioned earlier. Was her secret really worth keeping in exchange for the endangerment of someone's life? If she turned tail and ran now, she would never forgive herself, not with the knowledge of knowing she had the power to fight back when no one could.

But she was scared...for her parents.

Her parents, dear God, what would they think if she changed here and now after putting up a charade all these years? And how was she to know that something like hiding her powers would be so costly? This wasn't what she wanted. This wasn't what she wanted at all. She was afraid of be segregated, not like this.

This was madness.

"Fight with me."

She felt a presence, warm and calming come up from behind her and taking hold of her hand, almost snuffing out her apprehension all together.

It was Hush, his voice just as audible as before.

She couldn't fight her own hesitation and gripped his hand even tighter, "I want you to answer me this." She turned to face him. His gaze was just as calming as it was on the veranda.

"If my family rejects me, what then, what am I supposed to do?"

He took hold of her other hand inadvertently making her heart flutter.

"That is solely up to you, but just be confident in knowing that I will never reject you."

…was that a confession just now? She could feel her cheeks burn from the confusion she felt trying to decipher his answer.

The cocking of the gun was loud and terrifying.

Her mother this time, "Sophie, honey, please come this way where it's safe!"

"Let us go."

She nodded, "Let's…"