Chapter 5 – Mission Assignments
All that remained of Death Weapon and Meister Academy was a collapsed structure looming in the early morning sky. Most of Death City had been destroyed by explosions or fires. It had taken hours to put out the fires and rescue people from the debris. By some miracle that were only a handful of casualties and minor injuries that were patched up in no time.
"What's going to happen now?" Angel asked stepping into her father's office at the Gallows Mansion.
"We rebuild, of course." Lord Death gave her a giant thumbs up and was probably smiling like a fool under his mask.
"I meant about Cassandra." She sighed crossing her arms over her chest.
Kid shifted in his oversized chair looking at his daughter. "I have the situation under control."
"You said that earlier and look what happened to the academy."
A vein popped out on Kid's forehead and his face was turning an odd shade of blue from holding his breath. "Losing the perfectly symmetrical building that my father built is a waste. I'm such a failure." Kid slammed his head on his desk as he began to cry.
"Really, Dad, we don't have time for this." Angel yanked his head up and slapped him across the face as hard as she could. "Rebuild the academy just like grandpa said. It's not that big of a deal."
Kid flung himself onto the floor blubbering more about his worthlessness.
"He's at it again. Where are Liz and Pattie?" Angel asked turning towards the couch Sid and Sully sat on.
"Right here, we got him." Liz said stomping over with Patti following behind her. Patti jumped on Kid's back while Liz kneeled down reassuring him in a whisper.
"If he keeps that up we aren't going to get any information out of him." Evan walked through the doorway eyeing Kid.
"Nothing will be said until Black Star gets here." Spirit called leaning against a bookcase by Lord Death.
"That should be soon." Gold Star came in dragging a chair over by the couch to sit next to Sid.
"He's probably going to make a grand entrance like he always does." Masa daintily perched herself on the arm of the couch looking expectantly around the room.
"Is this grand enough for you! Ha—ha—ha!" Black Star's laughter carried through the room. He had shimmed up the side of the mansion to stand on the window sill behind Kid's desk pointing Tsubaki in her enchanted sword mode up at the ceiling.
Angel and Evan fought the urge to laugh. Gold Star smacked her forehead shaking her head from side to side. Masa and Sid were the only ones who applauded. Sully's eyes bulged unsure of what he should do. Everyone else was used to Black Star's behavior and didn't even bother looking at him.
"Black Star, get down." Stein said coldly. He leaned against the office's doorframe lighting a cigarette. "Now that everyone is here we can begin."
"Yes, thank you." Lord Death said drawing all eyes to him. "The witch, Cassandra is trying to take students so that she can experiment on them by turning them into Kishin."
Picking up on the fact that Death wasn't going to continue Kid straightened up saying. "Cassandra has targeted powerful meister and weapon pairs to be her subjects. The black robed figure you encountered yesterday was observing you to gain valuable information about what type of people you all are. I believe that the six of you plus two others are the ones she has chosen to turn into Kishins."
Angel frowned, "Who are the other two?"
"My son Mark, and Crona's son Mamoru," Stein said. "Mark is a very skilled weapon and Mamoru is a meister that inherited black blood."
"Aren't they off training somewhere?" Gold Star blurted.
"Yes, they also haven't been heard from in three months." Stein tilted his head causing his glasses to shine, no longer showing his eyes. "Crona recovered some information about their whereabouts but we need a team to go find them."
"Gold Star and Masa, I'm sending you." Kid grabbed a folder off his desk. "Gold Star your skill with soul perception will help you locate them as well as your talents as an assassin. Here's the information we have, memorize it then burn it." Kid walked around his desk handing Gold Star the file.
"It'll be nice to see them again." Gold Star smiled taking that file out of Kid's hand.
"Angel, as I'm sure you've found out Angela returned to the academy." Death motioned at Kid to grab another file off the desk. "She brought bac information on Free that is of great importance. I want you, Sid, and Sully to ask him to join us."
"Why do we need him exactly?" Angel asked fingering the file her father handed her.
"Well I really haven't figured that out yet. But you're the best choice since you're a Grim Reaper and all." Death scratched his head.
Angel wasn't sure if her grandpa was being serious or coy. Either was she decided it was best not to argue with him right now.
"Evan, you're going to Italy," Spirit sighed. "Rumor has it Maka and Soul are hiding out there somewhere."
Evan's eyes narrowed, "What?"
"We need Maka and Soul to come back and we assumed you'd want to be the one to find them." Spirit's smile didn't reach his eyes.
The room grew very, very quiet.
"How long have you known?" Evan had a look on his face that no on would want directed at them.
Spirit shuffled his feet uncomfortably. "Doesn't matter. Maka and Soul have their reasons for not wanting you to know where they've been."
"I hope it's a damn good one." Evan spun around angrily marching out the door.
"Leave him be." Angel said to Spirit, who had pushed himself off the bookcase ready to chase after Evan. "You'll only make it worse."
"I have to try talking to him." Spirit deflated his eyes shining with tears.
"Angel's right." Stein stuffed his hands in his pockets watching his old partner closely.
"Someone needs to talk to him." Spirit crumpled to the floor feeling utterly useless.
Gold Star shoved Angel towards the door with a mischievous smile, "Go on before he gets too far away."
Angel tossed the file to Sully, who smiled at her meaning he'd read over it and tell her what she needed to know later. She ducked out of the room dashing down the hallway after the heavy footstep of Evan's sneakers hitting the marble floor. He turned around his murderous expression vanishing as he realized who was coming.
"I'm starving let's go find some food." She grabbed his arm pulling him in the direction of the kitchen.
"He's known exactly here my parents were and never said anything to me." Evan lowered his voice so that it wouldn't carry through the mansion that was now filled with homeless students and teachers from the academy. "Did he really think I'd be happy about that? Was Gramps expecting a hug for finally telling the truth?"
Angel listened to Evan vent as they entered the kitchen. She pulled leftovers from the fridge and stuffed them into the microwave to reheat. She handed him a steaming plate of soba noodles and sat down at the small kitchen table with a cup of tea. "I'm sure it wasn't easy for him to keep secrets. And you know how he is when it comes to Maka."
Evan glance at her over the fork full of food hovering half way to his mouth. "I know. I've heard all the stories about his weird bonding methods from your grandpa."
"Spirit does have issues," she sipped her tea.
"No kidding," he chuckled. "Aren't you going to eat?" He just noticed she didn't have any food.
"Better not if I want to get any sleep before heading to London tomorrow morning." She shrugged, "At least I don't have to go to Siberia like Gold Star and Masa."
"Ouch," he jokingly winced. "We're going to be gone for a while this time, right?"
"Dad thinks it'll take two weeks, minimum, just to find our targets." Angel slouched dropping her eyes to the table top. "Then another week to convince everyone to come back to Death City plus travel time."
"Bet Gold Star will be done in three days." Evan grinned.
"She'll probably tie Mark and Mamoru up and drag them here." Angel half laughed at the mental image.
"Leaving us to hear her complain about ow bored she was while we were gone."
Angel and Evan erupted with laughter. Then fell silent just in time to hear the eavesdroppers.
"They're laughing. That's a good sign," Sid's loud whisper drifted from the other side of the closed kitchen door.
"Angel always cheers Evan up," Masa giggled.
"Shut up they'll hear us," Sully reprimanded them.
"Too late," Gold Star pointed up at Evan who held the door open.
Angel raised her eyebrows at them smiling, "Since you're here grab some food and join us."
"Alright!" Sully scrambled to the fridge licking his lips. "I hope the food in London is good."
"I'd rather be going to Italy where there're pasta." Gold Star complained claiming a seat at the table.
"Evan, you have to learn to cook some and make us all pasta!" Sid said grabbing Evan's arm and smiling like a little kid.
"I'll see what I can do," Evan replied just to get Sid to let go.
"I just hope Siberia has a decent shopping center." Masa gloomily squeezed in between Sid and Sully.
"I'll find you something cute to wear." Angel offered receiving a huge smile of satisfaction from Masa.
"Oh, the reminds me I always wanted one of those top hats that English people wear." Evan playfully elbowed Angel.
Angel rolled her eyes, "Whatever, Pasta Boy."