Chapter 6:
Beach Party Mayhem – Advancing Forces
Death the Kid stood waiting for his friends at the spot they had agreed on meeting in. However he was an hour early. 8am on the dot, and he was already getting impatient. But something caught his attention. There was Wrath, wearing a slightly less heavy outfit than normal. Her shirt was a white button up with ¾ sleeves. She was wearing a tartan skirt and leggings, as well as ankle boots. It didn't seem much like beach wear, but then again Kid was dressed in a similar fashion. "Good morning."
"Good morning, Kid." Wrath waved a hand. She stopped next to him and tilted her head. "Everyone else is late, I assume?"
"That's correct." He nodded. "I do apologize, after you went through the trouble of arranging this…" he sighed, feeling as though he was responsible for his friend's tardiness.
"No don't worry." She shook her head and looked around. "LaMuse and the others are late as well…" she sighed. "So it's really not a problem." She turned back to him, smiling a little. She'd been getting more comfortable around him and the others, so she seemed a lot less intimidating than she did when she first arrived.
"So… if I remember correctly, we are going to your family's retreat, correct?" he asked her.
"Yes. We almost never use it, since myself and my brother are usually working… not to mention my other relatives are teachers or hunters, so no one really has any free time for beach-going." She chuckled a little. "But because you all have a break from school, I thought it would be a good opportunity to use it."
"But you have ulterior motives for this as well, do you not?" Kid looked to her with a knowing look. "This is a part of your routine territory checks?"
"That's right." She chuckled. "I've been informed by the council that there has been a concentration of Fright Pulse there that warrants investigation… And as all the other Jokers are busy, they insisted that I be the one to check it out." She shrugged. "But since I have students to look after, they also insisted on testing the abilities of the GHA students I brought with me… call it a test for them… and Headmaster also wanted me to test LaMuse's techniques and make sure she is still battle ready…"
"Heh, seems like you have a lot to do…" he smiled.
"Just a normal assignment, honestly…" she leaned against a wall, her eyes closing as she took a slow breath. "Though I do have to wonder… there have been a large number of Fright Pulse readings above normal activity levels on multiple continents over the past few months… I'd say maybe four times as much as any given year…" she opened her eyes, glaring at something in the shadow of a building, the shadows warping to reveal a wisp that seemed terrified of Wrath before it vanished in a puff of smoke. "And the number of wisps has also been increasing as well… it's most definitely concerning…" Kid nodded, seeming to understand a good portion of what she was talking about. She'd been telling him about things like this and other protocols from the GHA, since she'd gone over most everything she could involving poltergeists.
"So… they're sending you to test your students and LaMuse… but you're also investigating the source of that fright pulse?" he asked. Wrath nodded at the statement.
"Unfortunately the job of the Military leader involves training the fledglings…" she looked over at the direction she'd come from, seeing her students being dragged along by LaMuse and Oliver. "Ah, there they are…" Behind them were also Maka, Black Star, Soul, the Thompson sisters, and Tsubaki. "Ooh… guess LaMuse really wanted to bring them along…" she paused, noticing a person with short pink hair and something coming off of their back. "Who's that?"
"That's Crona." Kid stated. "One of our friends who doesn't often come out."
"Oh, a friend? That's nice." She looked back at the approaching group. 'So that's the one that LaMuse mentioned in her last letter… the boy with Black Blood… the meister, Crona… and Demon Sword Ragnarok…' she thought to herself as she watched LaMuse fall back to walk with Crona. Once the group was there, Wrath pulled her pistol from it's holster. "Everyone ready to go?" she asked, LaMuse smiling wide when everyone nodded or affirmed that they were ready. Wrath loaded a bullet into her gun and pointed it at the ground. "Transportation Circle, Phase 3." Her soul flared out and a circle drew itself out under the feet of the group. "Location, Island Retreat – Haven Bay." She removed the safety on her gun, the circle glowing. "Open, Gate of Florette." She shot the bullet into the middle of the circle, a purple flower symbol drawing itself out before glowing bright white, causing the students to close their eyes. Once they were all able to open their eyes, they noticed that they were no longer in Death City. They were now on the beach.
"Whoa…" all the DWMA students stood and stared. This was a huge beach front, and it seemed utterly devoid of people aside from themselves. "Is this a private beach?" Maka asked, turning to Wrath. The girl nodded.
"Waaah, this is Wrath-chan's family beach?! It's so cool!" Aki exclaimed, Tia nodding in agreement before the pair asked Wrath where they could change into their swimsuits. The girls all ran off into the house, the boys already wearing their swim trunks under their clothes. They all just stripped down outside, waiting for the girls to re-emerge. But Wrath was just standing at the water's edge, staring out at the water.
"Are you going to change?" Yuuji asked her, tapping her shoulder.
"No… I think I'm just going to walk the beach…" she stated, not turning to her friend. She seemed to be staring at something in particular, but then she turned to Yuuji. "Make sure Aki doesn't lose track of time… your exam will begin at sunset, when activity goes up." She stated, Yuuji nodding a little. Wrath then turned and began to walk down the beach. About 5 yards out, she stopped, looking annoyed and took her shoes and leggings off before continuing to walk.
"Is she alright?" Kid asked Yuuji.
"I think she's going to go set up the test she was talking about… but then again, maybe she's doing recon… it's hard to tell… though." He sighed. "She could at least stand to have some fun once in a while…"
"She ran off already?" Satoshi asked, going over to where Kid and Yuuji were, the others walking over as well.
"Is she always like that?" Soul asked.
"Pretty much… whenever she tells us to have fun or have a day off or something, she always runs off to work or whatever…" Yuuji turned to the boys. "Even when she joins in with us, she's always mentally off somewhere else, thinking about other things."
"Why?"
"Honestly… we don't know." Satoshi shook his head. "She never talks about this stuff with us… we've tried to ask her, but… she told us it was of no concern to us and she just avoids the subject or changes it…"
"Aki has tried, but she gets too distracted…" Yuuji shrugged.
"Tia managed to learn that most of the time it's about her brother… but about what exactly, we aren't sure." Satoshi added.
"Man, Kid you have it rough… falling for a girl who's so distant." Soul pat Kid's back, making everyone freeze and turn to look at the boy with black hair and yellow eyes.
"O-oi, don't say that."
"You DO like her then?" Satoshi asked.
"It was pretty obvious." Yuuji said.
"Whaaaat?! Kid you like her?!" Black Star exclaimed, looking shocked. All the boys sighed at his reaction. "Then why don't you go and walk with her?!" he exclaimed, pushing Kid towards where Wrath was walking. But he was stopped by Aki, who had since emerged with the other girls. "What are you doing?!"
"Wrath's thinking. Leave her alone." Aki said, narrowing her eyes at Black Star. "Besides, she's investigating stuff right now for the council. If you dummies bother her, she might lose her train of thought."
"We can deal with this later." Tia exclaimed, hands on her hips. "For now we throw people into the ocean and have fun~!" she picked up Satoshi, who looked shocked, then tossed her weapon into the water.
"Gah!" Satoshi surfaced. "Tia! What was that for?!"
"Hahaha! Gotcha!" she exclaimed, laughing. The others began a contest of seeing how far they could throw their partners into the water. Aki and Yuuji basically tumbled with one another into the water. Soul managed to throw Maka just as far as Tia had thrown Satoshi, but ended up getting chopped over the head for it. Black Star jumped into the water and ended up making further out than the two others, Tsubaki standing on the side with Liz and Patty and watching LaMuse pull Crona into the water, Oliver taking a seat under an oversized umbrella and beginning to read a book. The group's noise made it to where Wrath was walking, the girl turning to look at where the others were frolicking in the water, unseen by them. She was a ways down the beach and near some trees that came up from the sandy soil.
"… At least they're having fun." She sighed, going to where the trees were casting shadows, scanning the area for wisps. But strangely, there was nothing there… not a single wisp that she could see… she stopped when she heard a soft whispering voice, pausing to look around and noticing a single dead tree in the middle of the grouping. She walked over and a small wisp poked it's head out, looking scared.
"Please… don't let them get me." The wisp appeared to be crying. "They ate all the others… please don't let them get me…" Wrath knelt to the little wisp, offering her hand.
"It's alright, little one… come with me." She stated softly, the wisp looking hesitant. But as it began to emerge, Wrath felt a stronger presence and turned to see 10 pairs of orange eyes. "Shit…" she stepped defensively in front of the wisp, preparing to grab her pistol when she felt something sharp pierce her shoulder, not far from her heart. If she hadn't felt that fright pulse in that split second, she'd have been dead. "No… it can't be…" she turned her head to see the little wisp grinning maniacally. It's eyes grew larger with it's body, though not by much. The diamonds in the middle of its eyes were red. "Alpha Strain…" she pulled away just as the Beta Strains moved in to slice her apart, gripping her wounded shoulder. The poltergeists began to attack in waves, slowly slicing her and trying to land a more serious blow. The Alpha Strain was laughing in the background.
"I will eat Oblivion's Soul… I will become a Kingsman…" it grinned, it's tongue running across it's lips. "I will feed on your Soul too, little girl~" it cackled as Wrath continued to dodge as many attacks as she could. "Why not give in?" it asked, laughing again. The hollows of it's eyes flashed pink. "Your soul has such sorrow… it must be ripe for the picking~"
"… You're a former Epsilon… feeding off the wisps that live around here… you gained enough power to transition into an Alpha…" she glared at the poltergeist, the Beta's not letting up. If she shot one, it would leave an opening for the others to get at her wound. So instead, she loaded her gun and shot out towards the sea. "Bloody Black Cross! Phase 1, Flash Flare!"
Aki and Tia looked up from splashing their partners with water, seeing red and yellow sparks flying out from the sane near a group of beach trees. "That's Flash Flare!"
"Shit, Wrath's fighting?!" Yuuji and Aki headed quickly towards the explosion. Tia and Satoshi followed with the others in tow.
"What's going on?" Maka asked Tia. "I can feel a bunch of dangerous presences…"
"It feels like a Fright Pulse…" Kid stated. "No, many of them…"
"Beta Strains, 10 of them… and one stronger, it might be an Alpha." Tia stated, looking concerned as they arrived nearby, seeing Wrath gripping her shoulder and nearly getting stabbed by the tail of a Beta Strain. But she blocked with her gun and was sent flying into the water. "Wrath-chan!"
"Tia, move!" Satoshi blocked the attack for his meister with his arm in weapon form. "Yuuji, hurry up and resonate with Aki! We need to make a perimeter!"
"Right!" Aki changed part of her back and legs into speakers, resonating with Yuuji and creating a sound wavelength that the Poltergeists seemed to hate, causing them to all retreat to a distance where they couldn't go after Wrath. But one stayed where it was. "There, that's the Alpha!"
"I got it!" Tia grabbed Satoshi once he was fully in weapon form and prepared to attack, but Wrath stepped in her way. "Wha! Wrath-chan?"
"Idiots, don't take that thing on!" she stated, eyes not leaving the Poltergeist. "Everyone step back. Not one step closer." She added.
"B-but we want to help!" Aki exclaimed, taking a step forward, only to have Wrath shoot a blank at her feet. "Wr-wrath?"
"I said stay back!" she repeated. "Can't you see that it has a bomb line?!"
"Che, annoying woman… I almost had that one." The Alpha stated, whatever illusion it created dispelled and the line of ectoplasm became visible. Aki realized she had been less than a couple of inches from the line and stepped back, Yuuji pulling her further away. All the DWMA meisters didn't move, seeing as they were unequipped to fight unless their partners took weapon form. Black Star was going to charge in, but Yuuji stopped him.
"A former Epsilon Strain." Tia stated, holding Satoshi in a defensive stance. "No wonder it was able to hide it's bomb line…"
"Oh? She noticed too?" the Alpha turned to smile at Tia. "Then I'll eat you first!" it flew at her with incredible speed, only to be blocked by Wrath and sent flying with a kick. "Damn, Oblivion's powers are such a bother…"
"What should we do, Wrath?" Tia asked, the DWMA students seeming to want to know as well. "Do we fight?"
"… No… everyone back up, into the water… I didn't want to have to do this, but in order to get rid of them safely I need to get serious… Aki. Intensify your wavelength to maximum…" she put her gun away. "Oblivion… Wake up." She stated as her students pulled the DWMA kids towards the ocean. Aki's sound waves got strong enough to shake the water around them and the shield retreated from Wrath.
"Wait, what are you doing?!" Maka asked. "If she isn't in the shield won't they attack her?!" But as the poltergeists flew at Wrath, something changed. Her soul expanded and changed, becoming much darker and more powerful. Everyone turned to watch, Wrath's demeanor changing and her stance becoming more battle-ready. Her soul shot out in the direction of the poltergeists, shattering the Beta Strains like nothing.
"Finally, the brat calls me out." The being in Wrath's body rolled her shoulders and looked over at the Alpha, tilting her head. "So… shall I tear out your core? Or should I just obliterate you?" she asked, her eyes dark and sparking with neon purple spade symbols. The alpha looked almost nervous at the arrival of this other being.
"So strong…" it muttered before charging, Wrath letting it get close, grabbing it's head as it's nails shattered from trying to stab her host's body.
"Oh, you thought that would work? How foolish." She laughed, tightening her grip on it's head. The poltergeist began trying to fight her off, screeching and slashing.
"Die, you scum! You have betrayed the King!" it exclaimed. "I will earn his respect by killing you!" it was about to bite down on her arm, it's mouth having relocated to a place it could engulf her hand when it stopped, it's teeth scratching the skin on her forearm. Something shattered and the ectoplasm dissolved. Wrath held in her hand a shattered white orb, the dust flowing to join the sand.
"I care not what the King thinks of me." She stated, releasing the rest of the dust. "I will destroy him too…" she stated. She turned to look at the other students, eyes stopping on Kid. Aki and Tia noticed, Aki moving to be in front of the Shinigami boy, shrinking her shield and making it as dense as she could. Tia stood with Satoshi at the ready to keep Oblivion away.
"Kid… don't move… if Oblivion attacks, I'll block." Aki stated. "Just don't leave the barrier… even if it sounds like Wrath, she isn't back yet… Oblivion's looking to get her hands on you…"
"What…?" Kid looked up at Oblivion as she walked into the water, standing at the edge of the barrier. Her eyes got wide and she gripped her chest, but Tia kept everyone from going to her. "Wrath!"
"It's not her, Kid." Tia stated. "Oblivion is trying to get you to willingly leave Aki's barrier."
"Kid…" Wrath's voice could be heard melding with Oblivion's. "Please, it hurts…"
"Oblivion, stop playing games!" Tia exclaimed, hands trembling. But as Kid was about to leave the barrier, thinking it was Wrath that was there, a head of light blue hair rushed past him and attacked Wrath's body, Oblivion's wispy shadows defending her.
"B-black Star!" Tsubaki exclaimed.
"You're stronger than Wrath." Black Star stated. "Fight me."
"Che… little brat… ruining my fun." Oblivion stood up, the wound on Wrath's shoulder closing up. "Well, I'll leave for now…" she stated, the soul fading back until Wrath's soul was the only one in her body again, the girl collapsing into the water.
"Wrath!"
When Wrath awoke, she was in bed, LaMuse changing a towel over her head. "… LaMuse…?"
"Oh, you're back~" LaMuse smiled, Oliver standing next to his meister. "It's okay, Oliver. It's her." The boy paused, then nodded, backing off from the girl. "Are you alright?"
"… I will be… Oblivion closed up my shoulder so I'll live." She sat up and looked around. "The others…?"
"I had to call Professor Yuugato to have him explain… he was quite concerned that his niece was losing her edge." She chuckled, Wrath looking to her. "Your secret's out now, huh Wrathie?" she smiled a little. "What will you do?"
"… I will take the consequences…" she stated, putting a new shirt on before heading out into the main room, seeing a white haired man on the screen, the man looking up and pausing to stare.
"Wrath."
"Uncle." She bowed to him. "My apologies for any inconveniences to you…" she stated.
"It's alright… I just finished explaining that you share your body with Oblivion and why it is so much different from the other jokers." The people in the room looked to Wrath and then back at the screen. "I was about to explain the situation that caused all of this… but I think it's better they hear it from you." He added. Wrath sighed a little and nodded, going to sit in an empty chair.
"Right…" she looked up at the group. "… The story I'm about to tell you… is the story behind the reason I came to the DWMA without my weapon partner… without my little brother…" she stated. "Until now I have been restricted from telling anyone… but with the new developments in the Poltergeist behavior, it is important that you know the extent of the danger…" she paused, looking at the ground before lifting her head to look around the room. "But I must start from the beginning… so this may take a while." She stated, the others in the room nodding. Yuugato stayed to listen and help clarify things If necessary. "It started… when my brother and I learned what we were to become… when Oblivion first showed herself…"
((Ahaha, finally a new chapter up ; v ;
Sorry I took so long... Next chapter's coming up soon~ I promise you'll hear the story of what happened to Wrath and her brother not too long from now ; v ;''
Thanks for reading, and I look forward to reviews~
-Winter Cheshire))