Chapter 6 – Siberia
Gold Star crouched low in the snow looking through a pair of binoculars at a small cabin surrounded by the fierce Siberian tundra and a scarce number of trees. Smoke flowed out of the chimney and a single light shinned through the curtained window by the front door.
"Can we go ask them now?" Masa asked her teeth chattering despite all the layers she wore.
"In a few minutes, just hang on a bit longer." Gold Star felt a pang of guilt for her partner's suffering. She didn't mind the cold and only wore a thick jacket over her clothing but Masa needed a fire or a heater to stay warm.
Gold Star wasn't entirely sure what she was waiting for. She had watched two shadowy figures pass the window several times. She was more than certain Mamoru and Mark were there. But her nerves were getting the better of her. After six long years she was finally going to see Mamoru again. She smiled to herself as old memories of their days as notorious pranksters played in the back of her mind. Masa's loud chattering teeth brought her back to reality.
Gold Star canned the perimeter triple checking for anyone else who could be watching the cabin. She didn't see anyone but that didn't mean much. She closed her eyes feeling for nearby souls. The only ones she felt belonged to Masa, Mamoru, and Mark.
"Let's go." Gold Star stood helping Masa to her feet. "Keep your guard up, it's too quiet."
Masa nodded unable to speak through her chattering teeth as they trudged through the snow.
Gold Star raised a fist to knock on the door at the same moment it burst open. The head of a large gray square hammer came crashing down on the spot she stood. She leaped to the side pulling Masa with her to avoid the crushing blow. Masa transformed into ninja sword mode settling comfortably into the palm of Gold Star's hand.
Gold Star instantly recognized the pale pink shaggy hair belonging to Mamoru. She sat in the snow unsure of what she should do next. Mamoru raised his weapon ready to take full advantage of Gold Star's paralyzed state.
"Wait I just want to talk!" She screamed panic caused her eyes to bulge.
"Gold Star?" Mamoru boomed through the black scarf wrapped around his neck and covering the lower half of his face. He lowered the hammer.
"Yes," she smiled wide working to relieve her initial shock from the sudden attack.
"What are you doing all the way out here?" Mamoru's expression was a mix of confusion and joy.
"I was sent here to talk to you on behalf of Death the Kid." Gold Star sputtered remembering she as on a mission not a social call.
Mamoru thought that over for a moment. "We should go inside."
A green glow formed around the hammer Mamoru was holding as Mark returned to his human form. Mark ran a hand through his straight blonde hair flashing an eerie smile at Gold Star. "Long time no see. Isn't Masa going to join us for this one?"
Masa transformed with a burst of yellow scowling at Mark. "I'm freezing." She stomped through the open front door.
Mark followed behind Masa doing his best to suppress that chuckle creeping up his throat. Mamoru shrugged gesturing for Gold Star to go on in then bolted the door behind them. Masa collapsed in front of the fire shedding her overcoat to get warm faster. Mark plopped down in a chair next to the fireplace brushing snow from his gray stitch patterned jacket. Masa glared daggers at him as he adjusted the black eye patch over his right eye.
"I don't remember her hating him so much, do you?" Mamoru whispered to Gold Star pulling off his scarf and unbuttoning his black jacket.
She raised her eyebrows, "Things changed, I guess."
"Guess so." Mamoru walked into the small kitchen area preparing s few mugs of his mouth watering hot chocolate.
Gold Star stood near the door looking at the small cabin. There were two cots placed on the opposite side of the fire with footlockers at the end of them. A tiny square table with two chairs rested at the center of the room. It was obvious by the items scattered about that Mamoru and Mark weren't planning on staying here long.
"Goldie, can you help me for a second?" Mamoru asked drawing her out of her thoughts.
"Sure," she replied. It wasn't much of a kitchen but they has a wood stove and a few cabinets that did the job just fine.
"Stop calling me Goldie." Gold Star teased jabbing a finger in Mamoru's gut.
"Hey, I'm pouring hot water here." He said between laughs.
"It's ok. You didn't spill, Pinkie."
He stopped pouring the water locking his dark purple eyes onto Gold Star. "I'm sorry I never wrote like I had Promised."
"Don't be. Stein explained a long time ago that it was too risky." Gold Star smiled.
"I still should—"
"Your training was more important." She cut him off before he could say anything else.
He went back to pouring the hot water and mixed up the hot chocolate. Gold Star took the opportunity to glance at Masa. Masa still looked angry but at least she was talking to Mark. Gold Star should have expected tension between those two since they were banned from speaking to each other after Mark called Masa two years after he had left. What Gold Star didn't expect was the harshness Masa was treating him with.
Mamoru passed Gold Star two mugs of steaming brown liquid that smelled heavenly. She plopped down next to Masa passing over a mug. Mamoru handed a mug to Mark but remained standing.
"So why are you here exactly?" Mark asked keeping attention focused on Masa.
"Have you heard anything about the witch Cassandra?" Gold Star asked blowing on her hot chocolate.
"Last we heard she was recruiting meisters and weapons to turn into Kishin for experiments. The younger and more powerful ones are who she's going after first." Mamoru said frowning.
"By recruiting he mean kidnapping." Mark added for good measure.
"Kid believes she's targeted you two," Gold Star said flatly. "Mamoru has black blood which bring out madness and Mark struggles with madness making you to the prefect experiments."
"Makes sense," sighed Mamoru."
"So wouldn't you be on that list as well?" Mark asked sounding concerned. "Why would Kid send you out here if you're in danger too?"
"Don't worry about us," Masa snapped.
Mark shrank back his pale green eyes fixed on Masa. Mamoru and Gold Star exchanged shocked expressions.
"Kid didn't have much of a choice." Gold Star said her eyes fixated on the mug in her hands.
"What do you mean?" Mamoru asked suspicion lacing his words.
"Would you have let any other weapon and meister through the front door?" Gold Star sighed.
"No," Mark mumbled. "Kid sent the others out too, didn't he?"
Gold Star nodded. "Angel, Sid, and Sully went to London looking for Free, and Evan is in Italy retrieving his parents."
"Kid sure knows how to hand out missions." Mamoru grit his teeth, "Sending out the people he knows will get the job done no matter how dangerous it could be."
They fell silent knowing full well that Mamoru spoke the truth. Kid could have sent someone else to handle the missions but they would have only failed. Failure wasn't an option so he did what he had to be done. Kid used the only people he knew that could get Mamoru, Mark, Free, Maka, and Soul to come to the DWMA.
After a long moment of silence Gold Star cleared her throat beginning once more. "Kid would like you both to come back to the DWMA with us."
Mark downed the last of his hot chocolate with a frown. "Wasn't the DWMA burned down?"
"Yes," Gold Star quickly replied before Masa could. "Cassandra crashed the DWMA's Anniversary Celebration."
"We know." Mamoru didn't look pleased.
"If you already knew then why bother waiting for us to explain everything?" Masa directed the angry undertones of her question at Mark even though she refused to look at him.
"Because the source of our information can be unreliable sometimes so it's best if you tell us instead of causing a lot of confusion." Mark replied calmly.
"Who's your source?" Masa shot back.
"Cool it, Masa." Gold Star fixed her partner with a warning store.
"Sorry," Masa squeaked.
Mamoru drummed his fingers on his mug. "We were already planning on heading back to the DWMA before you two showed up."
"That's good news then." Gold Star smiled taking a sip from her finally cooled hot chocolate.
"I just have—"
A sharp knock on the door stopped Mamoru's sentence.
"Expecting company?" Mark raised an eyebrow at Masa who had dropped her cup at the sound.
The door burst inward splitting to pieces. Gold Star jumped to her feet catching Masa in ninja sword mode as she took up a defensive position. Mark glowed green transforming into a shiny gray two-handed hammer that settled into Mamoru's hands.
Standing in the doorway was a man with bright red dreadlocks, and dressed in a snowy white outfit. He held a katana, so black is gleamed purple in the light, out in front of him. His black eyes studied the two meisters.
Gold Star and Mamoru exchanged looks. Mamoru leapt into action swinging his giant hammer at the man. Gold Star charged at the man's other side ready to attack when he dodged. Instead of dodging the man held his hand out stopping the hammer mid swing with just one finger. His face contorted into a twisted smile.
Fear passed over Gold Star's eyes. She had blinked and the next thing she saw was the ugly black blade being stabbed into Mamoru's stomach. Without thinking Gold Star lunged at their attacker. She had her palm embedded deep in the guys back sending her soul wavelength through his body.
"That tickles," he sneered. He shifted slightly reaching out with his free arm to grab her shoulder.
Gold Star wasn't fast enough to get away. She dropped Masa knowing exactly what was coming next.
The white-hot pain of the man's soul wavelength consumed her. She heard high pitched blood curdling screams only to realize that it was her screams of anguish. She had never felt a soul wavelength like this before, not even Stein's soul menace created this much pain. Blood oozed from her ears, eyes, nose, and she tasted the coppery liquid filling her mouth. It felt like hours before the pain subsided slightly meaning he was finished. The man kicked her hard in the gut sending her flying across the room.
The attacker withdrew his weapon from Mamoru's stomach satisfied with the damage he caused. He retreated through the front door fading into the white landscape.
The last thing Gold Star saw was Mamoru kneeling over her whispering something. Her eyelids closed surrounding her in painless darkness.