Summons
William walked down the middle of the hall that was unusually vacant for a Friday night at seven o'clock. He kept one hand in the pocket of his black leather jacket and the other held onto his cup of thoroughly lit punch. He turned to Professor Stein's office door and knocked twice loudly, taking a casual sip of his drink and wincing a little at the burn in his throat.
The door opened. He was met by the tall, seemingly lanky scientist. There he was again, wearing that same lab coat that looked like Tim Burton put it together. However, there wasn't much about Dr. Franken Stein that didn't look like the influence of Tim Burton. Even as the door opened, the man had his big pale hand wrenching the giant screw sticking out of his temple. William's features tightened in irritation at each annoying click. "Just in time," said the professor in a smooth yet monotone voice. "Come on in." He stepped aside for him.
William entered the office, which he now discovered wasn't really an office at all. It all looked like a science lab. Test tubes, beakers, burners, utensils and containers of God knows what cluttered every surface—even the desk at which William assumed they would be having their conference. A terrible smell of formaldehyde was thick in the air and it turned his stomach. God, what did this man's house look like? Something told him ignorance was bliss this time. He took another drink from his punch as Dr. Stein passed him and took his place in his rolling chair at the desk.
"Have a seat, Will." The professor picked up a cigarette and leaned back in his chair.
"It's William," he corrected flatly.
Dr. Stein stared at him dully through the lenses of his circular glasses. He gave a slow blink. "William." He gestured gracefully to the chair across from him. "Have a seat." He watched him as he flicked his lighter and held the flame to his cigarette.
He sat down across from the teacher and held his cup in his lap.
The professor exhaled a dense cloud of smoke. It didn't bother William. In fact, he was eyeing the teacher's carton of cigarettes in longing. "How do you like it here at the academy?"
William nodded, his expression a gesture of unenthusiastic approval.
"How old are you?"
"Twenty-six."
"And do you find your education here…" Dr. Stein softly waved his cigarette, "Beneficial?"
He nodded again.
"Not too young for you then, I take it?"
"I've never been to another school."
"Not even grade school?"
William shook his head.
Dr. Stein nodded as if he weren't surprised.
"I like the math courses here."
The professor raised his eyebrows. "Good. Good, I'm glad you're enjoying it. What else do you enjoy?"
"… The missions, I guess."
"The missions. Good. You're very good at them." He put the cigarette back to his lips and inhaled.
"Thanks." His attention was stolen by some unidentified creature floating like a pickle in a jar on a shelf right behind Dr. Stein's head.
"And how have you and Odette been getting along?"
He pulled his eyes away from the specimen and reached a hand under his shirt to scratch his broad muscular chest. "Fine."
"And out of the field?"
"Fine." He knew what this was about.
Dr. Stein nodded. "Great. Why don't you tell me more about how things are going with you two?" He leaned forward in his chair.
He shook his head and shrugged. "There's not much to talk about."
The teacher looked down at his desk and moved some papers and a scalpel. "Sure there is. How well do you match each other's soul wavelength?"
William's eyes traced more shelves behind the professor's head. "We're a good match."
"Why is that?" Dr. Stein pried.
He thought for a moment, staring elsewhere. "She gets me."
"She gets you," he repeated. "Do you get her?"
"I'd like to think so."
"What do you mean you'd like to think so?" he asked gently.
William's green eyes met his. "Is there something you really want to ask me, Professor Stein," he said with a hint of sarcasm.
The teacher stared at him. Their bright eyes remained locked for a moment before he suddenly sat back and chirped, "Yes. Have you noticed any kind of change in you, your partner or how a battle goes after resonating?"
"I don't know, we don't resonate a whole lot," he replied evenly.
"What happens when you do,"
"We keep it short."
"What happens while you're resonating," Dr. Stein helped keep their exchange to retorts now.
"Not much," William answered with heavy consonants.
The professor stared at him and exhaled another cloud of smoke. "How much have you infected her, William," His voice sounded out a mix of graveness and repressed entertained curiosity.
He stared back, eyes surprisingly dull. "Hardly. If at all."
"How do you know?"
"Because I would know."
Dr. Stein's chair squeaked when he leaned back more. He put his hands behind his gray head, the cigarette hanging from his lips and he spoke loosely around it. "Odette's a good girl. Very talented meister. As you know she can also see souls, which is a very helpful and…also burdening gift." William watched the man's brow barely wrinkle as he gave the screw in his head another quick couple of twists. "But the fact is you have infected her. All it takes is once. Black blood already runs through her veins because of you. There's no point in denying that, now is there."
William held in a snarl at his insensitive and almost mocking tone.
"I believe you care about her. I also believe that you believe that because you think you're in control of its effect on you that you're in control of its effect on her. And that's not true. You may have mastered matching each other's wavelength but you're still two individuals with your own souls and hearts." He tapped some ashes into a tray on his desk. "Hiding it may work for you but it may not work for her."
"It's not hurting her," he said thickly.
"Maybe not now but how long before it does?" He put his cigarette back in his lips and casually scratched his cheek near a surgical scar. "You don't want to hurt her, do you?"
"Oh, and you plan to help me with that, do you?" William finally combatted his snarky remarks with his own. "You? With all due respect, sir, have we not similar…permanent records?"
Their eyes locked again. A silence ensued that filled the space between them with equal thoughts of disdain. When the professor spoke, it wasn't the comeback he expected. "I'd like to try."
William held his gaze. After a moment, he decided he couldn't resist any longer. He reached across the desk for the carton of cigarettes. Dr. Stein simply watched him tap one out of the box and pick up the lighter to turn the end orange. The younger put the cigarette in his lips and deeply inhaled. He took his time holding the smoke in his lungs before letting it billow out between them. Finally he replied. "Will Miss Marie be a part of this,"
"Probably. And the current Death Scythe."
He flicked his chin up. "Who's that,"
The professor laid his cigarette in the tray. "Evans. Soul Evans. He'll be here tomorrow. Lord Death wants you and Odette to see him in his office in the morning. Eight."
The smoke wisped away from his lips before he nodded. "Okay." He stood from his chair with his cigarette and his cup. "I guess that's it then."
Dr. Stein dipped his head. "For now. Have a good weekend."
"Yeah." He turned and went out the door.
The professor watched him close it behind him. He inhaled and sighed a deep sigh before reaching to the screw in his head and torqueing it roughly.
"Ugh, no more! Don't make me do any more homework!" Katy flopped over in Tim's lap.
"That bad?" he said distractedly as he tapped his pencil to his notebook.
"Mhmmm," she moaned into his leg.
"Yeah, I think I have to agree. I can't focus any more tonight." He leaned back and drank from his water bottle. "Supper was good. Thank you."
"You're welcome. What are we gonna do tomorrow?"
"I've got a list. I didn't finish this page, so I'll do that. I need to go to town at some point. Pick up some things, run some errands. It's my turn to get groceries. You want to come with?"
"I would love to." She lifted her head and smiled at him, moving some of her brown hair over his thigh.
He smiled back at her. "Have I told you I like your hair like this?"
"Yes, I do believe you have." She winked.
"It's very pretty," he said in a playful voice.
"Thank you," she mimicked his tone. Their lips met tenderly.
The door opened to the small apartment and Nikki marched through. "Ugh, get a room, lovebirds."
Katy bolted up. "We had a room."
Tim looked up at her. "You done with the party already?"
"I actually left to get away from Christian painfully trying to flirt with Odette but I think now I actually prefer it."
Katy threw a pillow at her.
Nikki punched it away and walked on to her separate room in the apartment. "By the way, Lord Death wants to see us in his office tomorrow."
"Really? He just saw us a couple days ago," said Tim.
"He wants to see Katy and Christian. And Odette, William, Rachele and Kian. All of us at eight tomorrow." She flicked her black hair over her shoulder.
Katy blinked. "Why?"
She shrugged back. "Dunno. Maybe tell us good job and stuff?"
Tim's brow furrowed. "Weird."
"Yeah. Well, whatever. Goodnight. Keep it P-G out here, I don't want any nightmares tonight." Nikki entered her bedroom and closed her door before Katy could offer a retort.
"Guess our day starts early again tomorrow." Tim looked down at his girlfriend.
"If I had known that I wouldn't have stayed up this late doing homework. I wanted to sleep in!"
"I kinda wanna know what Lord Death wants with all of us though. Maybe it's good?"
She closed her eyes. "God, I hope so."
"It will be okay." He leaned down and kissed her forehead.
She returned it and sat up. "I guess I'll get going. Goodnight. I love you."
"Love you too."
Katy closed the door to the dorm and walked down the hall back to her own. She entered to find Christian starting to clean up after everyone had left. She helped him stuff the pizza boxes in the garbage sack and said goodnight to him and went to go get ready for bed. She was hoping this weekend would be uneventful and relaxing. After the week she'd had she was actually looking forward to hulling up in her bedroom with her homework and staying in her pajamas. Whatever happened at the meeting with Lord Death tomorrow, she prayed it was nothing that would cause her any more stress.