My little souls, I'm so sorry! I've been so caught up in school and work for the holidays that I've fallen behind with keeping up on my story. But alas, this is posted and I am furiously working on the next chapter. (OwO) But please, don't mind me flailing around... READ! :3)
Weeks had passed by since that day; school work piling up as the end of semester neared. Students, including myself, were studying as best as they could for final tests and projects. Perfect A's crossed my report cards, each and every semester. I was perfect, number 1 student when it came to academics. Even passing Ox Ford, a fellow obnoxious competitor in my grade. Otherwise, I didn't have to worry about other students even getting close.
After a long day of testing, the final bell rang and I proceeded home alone. Usually Black Star and Kid would walk with me, but Black Star was pulled back inside the school for detention, while Kid was called to meet his father immediately for some matter or another. Weather in Death City slowly turned chilly, the warm summer seeping into fall with cool breezes and changing colors.
It had only been two hours since I returned home, dinner and shower finished. I sat alone on my green striped couch, flipping through one of my books. Suddenly, a loud ringing startled me, my phone dancing across the surface of the coffee table, the screen flashing. Grabbing it, I flipped it open and was about to greet the person, but was quickly cut off.
"Maka, look outside" said Black Star quietly, which was far too abnormal for the normally booming voice of a 'God'. Quickly running to my room, one of the two rooms that had a window in my apartment, I opened the window and stuck my head out. I almost dropped my phone as I stared down the street to where the main street was. Everyone was crowded on the street, torches lit and far off shouts heard.
"Maka." I was speechless, moving my head back inside. "Maka!" I closed my window and slowly made my way back out to the living room. "Hello, earth to Maka!?"
"Black Star… Is it…?"
"Maka, our bet starts now. It's a weapon." I dropped my phone and gasped slightly, fear and curiosity creeping into my soul. Black Star's voice echoed from the phone, but I paid no heed to it. Quickly, I pulled on my black leggings and with my red skirt, also tugging on hastily a white blouse with my favorite black trench coat over it. Something about seeing a weapon scared me, but also excited my soul at the same time. Without a second thought, I raced out the door and down the stairs. As soon as I came outside, my boots were hitting the pavement as I ran towards the crowd.
It was packed as soon as I reached the main street, and it was loud. People were shouting names and curses, the loudest shouts coming from the middle of the street. I caught glimpses in between moving bodies, a few men holding chains and torches, leading the weapon down close to the academy's dungeon. Sweat filled the air, the stench mixing in with the smoke and giving my head a spin. I shook it off and finding no way to squeeze my thin frame between any of these bodies, I quickly moved further down to where they were leading 'it'. I found a dumpster off to the side of the street ahead, the container's contents exposed. Running to it, I slammed it shut and climbed nimbly on top of it. The shouts became louder and I quickly spun to face to where they would be guiding the weapon. I wish I never left my home, knowing what I would have seen.
On the cobble stone pavement of the street, laid the weapon face down, in his weakest form possible; appearing human. Looking at it, I determined it to be a male; a very strange looking male. His skin seemed tan, although it was hard to tell with the torches constant shadows as people skitted around in an angry franzey, but still keeping their distance. Grey hair mopped his head, strands covered in blood and dirt. His shirt was torn and bloodied, whether it was someone else's or his own, I couldn't tell. His pants were in no better condition and he bared no coverage on his feet. Several men closely surrounded him, restraining him with chains and ropes around the weapon.
"Filthy beast!"
"Demon!"
"Satin!"
"Fucking weapon!" Other curses followed, yet he didn't move. One of the men that restrained him tugged hard on the chain, eliciting a painful gasp as it tightened around the boy's throat, the chains scraping against each other. Immediately, the weapon rolled to his back and ground his teeth, revealing jagged teeth that could only remind me of a shark. Looking at his face, despite the hair, he looked fairly young. He gasped out something inaudible and twisted around in pain, his hands bound together by a rope around his wrists.
"Dammit- Get up" the man shouted, pulling harder. I resisted the intense urge to look away, but the way they treated him seemed so… horrifying, even if he was a weapon, he still appeared human. He rolled again to his stomach and kneeled, the chain around his neck loosening from the move. The man grinned wide and taunted him, telling him what filth he was. He wasn't the only one to shout such words. All from the men and the crowd alike screamed at him like he was some wild animal.
One of the men behind him grinned wide as the weapon made a shaking move to stand, slowly and painfully trying to get back onto his feet. The man then suddenly jerked on his chain, it wrapped around his ankle and sending the weapon forward, his head hitting hard onto the street with a loud crack, laughter erupting from the crowd. I covered my mouth and held my stomach, holding back the sick feeling in my throat as I listened to the weapon shout in pain. I listened to him cry out in pain and watched as people from the crowd even start to throw things at him. I almost threw up as I watched a rock impale the weapon in the back, crimson blood splattering on what was left of his shirt and onto the street.
After what seemed forever, the weapon slowly made his attempt again to get up. His eyes stayed hidden, down casted under his long, bloodied bangs. The same man that caused him to fall once made the same motion on the chain, but his expression quickly changed to horror. The weapon made no move, but stood his ground, not even a falter in his stance. He made a low growl and slowly started to move forward again, ignoring the tugs on his ankles and approaching the man that held the connecting chain to his neck. The man stumbled backwards, stricken with fear as he made a frantic scramble back to his feet. The crowd still attacked him with words and items, but nothing stopped the weapon from moving forward and to the academy doors.
I slowly reached up to my face, wiping away the tears from my eyes. Why was I crying? I couldn't have been possibly crying for this weapon? Ignoring the dull ache in my soul, I jumped off the dumpster and ran towards the academy. Regular humans weren't allowed within the academy, but meisters were. Panting slightly, I headed to the doors where I saw them starting to close, but caught sight of Kid starting to slip inside and I called him. He stopped in between the doors, a look of astonishment crossing his face before he looked with worry.
"Maka, what are you doing here?" I quickly moved right up to him and looked at him with newfound determination, recalling how stubborn my friend could be.
"I'm going inside. I want to know." He shook his head and turned slightly, trying to follow the other's inside.
"Maka, you're not allowed inside. This is a weapon we are dealing with, and my father-"
"Is letting you in? Not even you are authorized to be in here. You're not a level 5 meister or above" I noted, his face looking even more surprised.
"Huh?! How do you know-"
"I don't read books for nothing. I think that if you deserve to go inside, I do too." I frowned and gave him a hard look, his look of concern fading away.
"Fine. But if my father says you can't stay, you can't stay." I nodded and followed Kid inside, the large doors closing behind us with a loud clash.
Ta-dah~ I hope you enjoyed this chapter and just wait! (Hopefully not for long... -_-) The next chapter shall be posted soon (I hope...) GAH! While I type away, enjoy the upcoming holidays and also... Keep your eyes peeled for holiday dumps of mine on here! (^wO) Until next time my little souls~!
~soulfullysoulful