The Better Part of Valor

The weekend after exams, all students were celebrating their freedom. Many sought entertainment in the heart of Death City whereas others stayed at the castle for some rest and relaxation. Today the pool was packed but the group had reserved their corner with each other. Tim, Odette, Nikki, Kian and Rachele were all participating in a game of "Keep It Up" in which the objective was to keep the ball off the water—the drawback, of course, being that a person was not allowed to hit it more than one time consecutively. The game aptly received its name from Christian who snickered at his witty yet subtle innuendo every time it was mentioned. He and Katy and William all sat in sun chairs next to each other by the pool while their friends counted their hits out loud.

William set down his flask and pulled his sunglasses down a little to have a look at Katy in her two-piece black bathing suit. She claimed she was sitting to get some sun and yet she hugged her knees. But she was smiling as she watched their friends play their game. "Do you have an eating disorder?"

Katy slowly turned her head to him with her mouth slightly agape.

In the pool Odette sharply smacked the ball so that it struck William in the side of his face. He sighed and took his sunglasses off and rubbed his cheekbone. "I mean—you look awfully thin, are you okay?"

She huffed and allowed a small smile. She was aware William was still learning how to filter his thoughts. "I'm fine, thank you. I've always been little." She shrugged. "Can't keep much fat on me. But I've got some muscle now!" She leaned back and poked at her tight abs that had very faintly begun to form into sections.

He nodded. "Good." William held out his flask to her.

Katy eyed it hesitantly but took it. She sniffed the opening and flinched when she thought the inside of her nose had shriveled up.

"I love pool days," Christian sighed with his hands behind his head as he watched Odette bounce around in her bikini.

William followed his gaze. "Really? Katy's got more going on that Odette."

Katy glanced at him and drank from his flask before bursting into a series of coughs.

The blonde let his eyes trace Odette's outline—from her narrow hips straight up to her A-cup chest. "So? Doesn't mean she's not smoking hot."

The older nodded. "Yeah, she's really good looking."

Christian whipped his head around to him. "I thought—you weren't interested in her!"

"Don't get your panties in a wad, I'm not. I just said she was good looking." William dug a joint out of the pocket of his swimming trunks followed by a lighter.

"So… you don't mind if I… date her?" Christian kept his tone cautious.

"I don't care." He lit the joint and stuck it in his lips for a savory inhale before meeting his eyes. "But if you hurt her, I'll kill you."

The other boy giggled but William's eyes didn't change. He quickly swallowed and nodded. "Yep. Got it."

Katy was now on her fifth substantial sip, leaned back in her sun chair while William lazily let green tinted smoke billow out in front of him, his eyes on the game in the pool. "So, what's Kian and Rachele's deal?"

Christian watched them poke at each other in the water. "They're obviously in love but neither of them has said anything. To anyone."

"But he's a Ghost." William took his flask when Katy handed it back to him and did a double take when he realized how much lighter it was.

"So?" Katy hiccupped.

"So, how did he even die anyway?"

"Why don't you ask him?" Christian used his towel to wipe some sweat off his naked shoulders.

William raised his chin a little. "Hey, Kian! How did you die?"

Kian turned his head, brushing his wet silver hair out of his eyes.

"Oh my God, William. He meant privately." Katy stared hard at him.

"He doesn't have to answer me now if he doesn't want. Right?" He took his joint from his lips.

Kian blinked. The game in the pool had ceased now as they each looked at Kian with widened eyes. He took in a breath and casually pulled his trunks a little closer to his waist. "A witch killed me."

"Which witch," William lifted his chin a little more, looking through the lighter part of his sunglasses.

"You don't know her, man."
"I'll bet you I do." He leaned forward. "Who killed you?"

Their side of the pool was now utterly silent. Kian picked up the ball and squeezed it between his palms. "Avetta." The crew looked back at William.

He closed his mouth and stared, though no one could see his eyes through his black sunglasses. The older leaned back in his sun chair again. "Avetta."

"You knew her?"

He kept staring but this time he paused longer. "Knew her?"

"Yeah. She's dead. Lord Death killed her years ago." Kian shifted his weight. Next to him Odette narrowed her eyes towards William.

He was rather still as he opened his mouth but then closed it again. "… Yeah. I mean, I know about her."

Kian gave him a sideways look. "What."

William leaned back in his chair and put his joint back to his lips. "Nothing," he said in a barely audible tone.

Everyone turned their heads when they saw Soul walking towards them across the pool yard with a towel over his shoulder, sporting a pair of orange swimming trunks with blue stripes on the sides and a pair of rather stylish beige tinted sunglasses. "Cool if I hang with you guys?"

"It would be an honor!" Katy giggled. The crew followed with their exclamations of agreement.

"You wanna play Keep It Up with us?" Rachele piped up.

Soul stopped in his tracks. "On second thought, maybe I'll go somewhere else."

Christian burst into laughter and slapped his thighs. "He got it!"

Odette furrowed her brow. "Got what?"

"Ugh, you're gross!" Nikki splashed water at her brother.

"We just hit the ball as many times as we can without it touching the water," Tim explained

"No thanks, I'm good." Soul sat down on the other side of Christian, wiggling his toes on the concrete.

William leaned forward and handed his joint to Katy who—once again—made a "why not" gesture and took a hit before exploding into coughs. He turned to Soul and eyed the long scar on his chest. "The real deal, huh?" he said as he motioned to it.

Soul glanced at the mark. "Yeah."

Christian swiveled around in his seat to him. "Tell us the story?"

He shrugged. "Not much to tell. Crona and Ragnarok were really powerful; Maka and I were in over our heads our first go at him. But it all worked out for the best."

"But that's how you became infected with the black blood, isn't it," said William flatly as he finished off what was left in his flask.

"Yeah. But like I said, it all turned out for the best."

"You and William have something in common then, right?" Katy looked between them with the joint in her fingers but then closed her mouth, wondering if she should have said that or not.

"Except I became infected because I was attacked with a Demon Scythe. Not because I was a Demon Scythe." Soul's head rolled to William.

"Not quite. Damn close though." The dark headed one stared across the pool, considering a retort but deciding against it.

"Hey, how is Maka?" Nikki waded to the side of the pool and leaned over the edge.

"Fine. She writes to me almost every day. She's doing missions work with her mom. She may be gone for another year before she's through." Soul rubbed the back of his neck.

"Do you miss her?" Kian came closer now.

"Of course I miss her. She's my other half."

Every female of the crew now joined in a unison "aaawww!" Now everyone turned again when they noticed someone else approaching. This time it was Marie. She didn't look dressed to join them by the pool. Christian still waved at her. "Hey, Sledge! Sit and talk with us!"

Marie stopped beside them with her hands clasped in front of her. "Sorry, guys. Lord Death wants to see you all in his office A-S-A-P."

Soul took off his sunglasses and looked at her. "What's going on?"

"I'm afraid I can't say." Her tone was solemn and her eyes bore the same careful touch. "Please come to his office. He needs to talk to you. It's important." With that she turned and walked away.

The group exchanged identical looks with each other as the ones in the pool slowly started to climb out and go for their towels.

"I don't like the sound of that," Christian stood up and paced while he waited on his friends to dry off.

"No need to panic, guys." Rachele shook her head like a dog drying off, slinging about her wet red hair. "Let's just wait and see what he has to say before we get worked up."

By the time the students and Soul had reached Lord Death's office, Rachele's words were not quite as effective as they were at the pool. Their headmaster was at the other end of the spacy room staring into his mirror with his hands behind his back. A few of the students gulped, having never experienced him quite this way before. Stein and Marie stood next to each other off to the side and they all waited in uncomfortable silence before Lord Death turned around to face all of them. "I'm afraid your trip to the East is suspended for now."

"What?!" Christian belted.

"Why?!" Nikki stepped forward.

"It's my fault," he said gravely. His voice no longer carried that bouncy, eccentric wave that it usually possessed. Now he was rather quiet and monotone. "Our enemy has discovered my intentions to send you as a group to contain the situation. And the enemy has retaliated by sending forces in our direction. With this occurrence, I cannot allow you all to leave the safety of the city with the likelihood that you would be intercepted by the opposing forces. Therefore, I've decided you should stay."

Kian's jaw dropped. Nikki threw her arms out. "So, we did all this training for nothing? We've worked our asses off and you're just gonna not let us go?"

"Guys, listen, he's saying the bad guys are headed this way. There's no point in you leaving if the bulk of the action is gonna end up being here." Soul stepped a little closer to his meister.

Katy swallowed. "There… really is going to be trouble here, sir?"

For a moment the Reaper was still and silent. "I believe so."

"So, let's fight 'em here!" Christian raised his voice. "They're bringing the party to us, we might as well accommodate them, huh?" He tried a confident smile.

"I have not yet determined what kinds of forces are coming our way yet." Now his head moved a little. "It is time you know what I had intended for you to do in the East."

The group of students all fell quiet and watched him. Soul, however, shifted his weight and averted his gaze. Stein and Marie also made similar gestures of something close to guilt. Katy glanced between their superiors. They all knew what was going on and had intentionally kept it from them. Until now.

Lord Death spoke in the same grave tone he had not deviated from since the gang arrived. "Our enemy that has been terrorizing the East is Kishin Carvalho."

Odette let out a small gasp and looked to her partner. William lifted his chin and clenched his jaw.

The headmaster's face turned to him. "And I suspect that any of his minions he sends to Death City could also be looking for you, William. I'm certain his intentions are to stop us from stopping him by any means necessary. But I'm also prepared to believe that, in addition to that, he will try to take you back."

The students glanced at William and to the floor. Even Christian and Nikki began to feel pangs of nervousness at learning that Lord Death's greatest adversary was likely coming for them—or at least his strongest allies. William took in a quiet breath, his arms crossed over his naked chest. He shrugged. "Then let him try." He looked to Odette, but spoke to everyone. "I'm not going back with him. No way in hell."

"Yeah. Let him try." Nikki tossed her hair. "We'll continue our training. And we'll be ready for whatever he throws at us."

"I'm not ready to confirm whether or not you are still my front line anymore." Lord Death announced. "Because the situation has changed, plans to retaliate have changed. It may require a different strategy. And, respectfully, the strategy may not include you all. I cannot say with the certainty that I had before that you would succeed against the enemies we face now. And I cannot sacrifice your safety."

"You were going to send us to him anyway!" Kian's voice got higher. "Why would you not want us to fight here?"

The Reaper turned his face away and it was silent again. Soon he turned back to his mirror, leaving his back to all of them. And it seemed that was that. But William chose to speak up again, this time his tone matching Lord Death's. "Is she coming." Odette wrinkled her brow and looked at him again.

The headmaster did not turn around. "Possibly." And it was silent again. The other students all looked at each other, hoping one of them knew who "she" was without having to ask out loud. And William wasn't looking at anyone now. Before the question was voiced, Stein stepped forward. "We will continue the group resonance training. Nothing about our routine has changed. Nothing. That means what was just discussed does not leave this room." His pressing eyes fell on all of them. "Is that clear."

Katy and Rachele sounded a soft, "Yes, sir."

Their superiors dismissed them and the group silently sauntered away and out the door, checking over their shoulders as they saw the others move closer to each other and begin to murmur. Down the hall, Odette pulled on William's arm a little to signal for him to walk slower until the other students were farther ahead of them. "Who is 'she'?" whispered the read head.

William kept his eyes forward and his hands in his pockets though his jaw still seemed rather tight. He responded in a low voice. "Avetta's not dead."