Chapter 9
Two weeks passed, Maka and Soul stood on the platform with all the other experienced meister and weapon pairs while the students and their families stood below. Kid gave his speech before he caught sight of Black Star getting ready to ruin it when he finished it quickly. "These are your mentors while in the field. They will help you understand your position, your techniques and abilities as well as teach you how to stay safe while you're out there. Mentors please join your students." Maka and the others walked down the stairs to stand with their assigned team.
"You guys are ours?" Jason asked looking at the two.
Maka nodded as Soul smirked. "That doesn't mean you get anything special." Soul told him.
"Having soul eater and meister Maka with us is so cool!" The other boy grinned happily as he looked at them. "I'm Marcus."
"It's nice to meet you Marcus." Maka smiled. As Kid walked over.
"This is your mission." Kid said handing it to Soul. "Keep your eyes peeled for danger. I'm only agreeing to this because it is small missions that should be nowhere near the issues."
"We'll keep watch and if we see anything out of the ordinary we'll pull back immediately." Maka said.
"Don't worry all the time, Kid." Soul smirked.
"At least he's not running around like Black Star." Maka smiled as Kid and the students looked between them.
"That's true. I don't think we could handle another Black Star." Soul said as he put his hands in his pocets.
Kid was not amused. "You keep it up and I'll send Black Star with you."
"We're good." Maka and Soul both said looking at Kid. "We'll keep in contact." Maka said as she and Soul turned serious again. Kid gave a nod and went to the next team. "So, what's our mission?"
Soul looked at the paper and smirked before handing it to Maka. "We're going after another evil monk." He grinned as Maka smiled.
"Alright you two, you ready for your very first mission?" Maka asked as Wes and his parents walked over. the two had come back for the graduation into the actual training classes and their very first assignment. Marcus smiled, Jason's father had been so nice to him, even though they were like royalty and he was just an orphan.
"Should be pretty easy." Soul smirked looking at his brother.
"I'm sure Kid will let you watch if you want." Spirit offered as he walked over. "You two know what you need to do?"
"We were already threatened with having Black Star with us." Soul smirked. "We know what we need to do."
"You'll have stand by waiting." Spirit said.
"You think what happened before will happen again?" Margot asked worried.
Soul shook his head. "No, it's just precautions." He smirked and looked at the two boys. "You two ready?" They both nodded, excited for their first mission. "Maka?" He looked at his wife who shook her head and sighed but she smiled at them. "Then let's go." He grinned as he transformed into Maka's hands. Jason focused and transformed into a saber landing in Marcus' hand. Wes and his parents looked on proudly as they watched Jason transform completely.
"Come on." Spirit said softly to make them follow him without drawing attention. He led them to the death room where Kid was sitting in a chair.
"About time." Kid said making them look at him as he smirked. "I have the mirror set to follow them." He touched the arm of his chair and several more popped up for the visitors to sit.
"I hope he'll be okay." Margot said as she sat.
"Maka and Soul are with him, so even if this mission goes off track, they will step in and keep them safe." Kid said with a smirk. "These missions are nothing for partners of their level."
They watched as Maka slid to a stop as Marcus did the same beside her. "Okay." Maka said looking at the empty streets. "Marcus, you have soul perception, right?"
"I think so. I never was able to really make it work. I only got it to work like two times." He told her.
Maka nodded as she stood straight. "Try it now." She told him. "Take a breath and focus." She said.
"But we need to always be on the lookout. I can't keep looking and try it." He said worried.
"That's why it's best that you try what you can when you have strong back up." Maka told him. "Now try it." He took a breath and closed his eyes, calming himself before he opened them and looked around.
"I… I don't see anything." He said looking up at Maka.
"Try again." Maka told him. Marcus tried again, and again. Each time he failed. Maka spun and looked down a darkened street. "Soul."
"Yeah, I feel it." He said as Maka glanced at the boy behind her, looking worried. "Looks like soul perception lessons are going to have to wait."
She smiled. "Alright boys, you're up. Take your first soul." She took a step back. It was Marcus and Jason's mission.
Marcus nodded worried as they heard rumbling and buildings creaking. Marcus took a step back. "We can do this." Jason said in his saber form. "We can take this monster."
"R-right." He nodded and took his stance. He saw Maka run and jump to stand on a roof to the side before a snake like figure slithered out twisted and mangled. It stopped and looked at Marcus before it charged. Marcus barely avoided the attack, spinning around and the fight began.
"What do you think, Soul?" Maka asked as they watched carefully for any moment they'll need to jump in. Soul transformed to stand next to her.
"I don't know." He said watching Marcus barely avoiding being attacked. "He doesn't seem ready for the real danger."
"Nothing like the real thing to toughen you up." Maka sighed. "Remember our first mission?" She smiled as she leaned against him.
"You couldn't stop shaking." He chuckled as she smiled at him.
"But you helped me through it and we took our first soul." Maka looked back at Marcus and Jason trying to fight back. "They're doing pretty well for the first time against an egg." Soul nodded in agreement. "Marcus watch your stance." Maka called to the boy who shifted again. The two stood helping to improve the new partners before Maka twisted around.
"What is it?" Soul asked watching as she glanced around.
"Soul." She looked around again. "There's… ten eggs heading this way." Soul transformed and landed in Maka's hands. She jumped from the rook, slicing down, ending the egg. "Sorry but we have a problem." Marcus looked at her. "We're not going to be able to get out fast enough. We have ten eggs heading this way. You want to be a meister and weapon pair then get ready to learn fast." Marcus nodded.
"Jason, no matter what happens, you stay in weapon form." Soul said. "You'll be vulnerable in human form, one hit could end it all."
"Right." His nephew said.
"Marcus, pay close attention to your stance and your enemy." Maka told him as the ground started to rumble. "Soul and I will take most of them but be careful." Marcus gave another nod as the buildings all around crumbled as twisted and mangled monsters stood in the rubble. "Marcus, stand behind us." The boy moved behind her as she spun the scythe around taking her stance. "Soul, let's go."
"Right." He said as they resonated higher and higher. Maka shifted and slammed the pole down sending a wave out all around as if calling the eggs to her. "Let's go, Maka." Soul said as she took a breath and closed her eyes before glaring at them and going to work.
Margot and the others were on the edge of their seats watching as Maka seemed to dance around the battle field, protecting the two students. The eggs seemed to work in unison as they attacked from all angles knocking Maka from spot to spot before she could block any of the attacks. Maka slid to a halt in a heap on the ground. The remaining three eggs attacked again, but Soul was in front of them, blocking their next attack before he shoved them away and worked to take one down on his own, giving Maka time to get back to her feet.
"Soul!" She called reaching out. Soul grinned as he twisted and transformed with his blade wrapped around the egg. Maka pulled and sliced through it.
"You okay, Maka?" Soul asked as she used him to lean on and stay on her feet.
"I'll be fine. Just 2 more to go." She said.
"Just one." Soul smirked. "Let them handle the last." Maka smirked and nodded.
"Okay, let's do this." She said as she charged one to fight it.
"Marcus, we have to help them." Jason said, snapping his partner from his stupor and the students were off. They attacked, using what they had learned in the classroom. Maka made quick work of the egg as Marcus finished the other and took their first soul.
"Good job." Maka smiled at them before her legs gave out. Soul caught her quickly.
"Maka." Soul said as he eased her to the ground. She was unconscious making him furrow his brow.
"Uncle Soul!" Jason called as he ran over to Soul and Maka. "Aunt Maka…" He said looking down at her limp body in Soul's arms.
Soul dropped his forehead to hers. "Maka." He said softly as he closed his eyes. Marcus gasped as he watched making Jason look at him confused.
"They're souls… I can see…. It's incredible." Marcus said watching as Soul joined his soul with Maka's and their resonance exploded.
"What happened?" Wes asked worried watching as Soul pressed his head to Maka's
Spirit and Kid stood looking serious at the mirror, not answering. "What's going on with my son and daughter in law?" Margot asked as she stood up.
Spirit was the one who answered without tearing her eyes from the mirror. "He's entering their souls."
"What?" Wes asked confused.
"Soul and Maka have a place when their souls resonate, they call it the black room." Kid said. "They are able to meet there and talk when one of them is injured or when they need to discuss important methods during battle. It's where Soul goes when he plays his music for their techniques."
"Why is he doing that?" Wes wondered as he looked back at the mirror.
"He's afraid." Spirit said making Soul's family look at him. "It comes with having to focus on the battle and not your partner's injuries. And the fear goes deeper when you love that person." Spirit explained. "Maka passed out, he's afraid that she's hurt worse than he can see."
Soul slowly lifted his head and sighed looking at Maka. "Uncle Soul?" Jason asked making Soul glance at him. "Aunt Maka…"
"She's okay." Soul said with a small smirk as he looked at his nephew. "He's just exhausted and a little beat up. She'll be okay." He pulled Maka into his arms and stood. "Let's get her home and you two home. Then you can celebrate your very first soul collected." He grinned as the two boys nodded and followed him.
"I'll let Stein know." Spirit said as he turned to leave to find the professor to prepare for when Maka arrived.
"What's going to happen?" Wes asked.
Kid sighed. "Maka will be taken care of, we'll end up holding Soul down to get his own injuries checked." He tilted his head. "It shouldn't be too bad." He said before he led them back to the infirmary.
"It seems they end up here after every mission." Wes said.
Kid smirked. "Because they fight to keep the danger from others." He stopped as Soul carried Maka with Jason and Marcus following. Spirit stood at the door looking at the two.
"She'll be fine." Soul told Spirit who looked down at Maka cradled in Soul's arms. "Just knocked out."
"Probably a concussion." Stein said as he walked closer. "Let's take a look." Soul nodded and followed him in, laying Maka on the bed.
After twenty minutes Soul walked out with Maka beside him looking weak. "Maka…" Her father said worried.
"I'm fine, Papa. Just a little drained. It took a lot to fight all of them and their attacks were stronger than I thought. I'll be fine." She smiled weakly making Spirit glanced at Soul who stood right at her side, a hand on her lower back, ready to grab her if she became unsteady.
"You sure you're okay?" Jason asked looking up at her.
Maka nodded. "I am." She tried to smile as brightly as she could. "Congratulations on your first soul collected. You did really well, both of you." She looked over at Marcus standing to the side. "Keep practicing, that goes for you too Marcus. The more you try and practice the better you'll get at soul perception."
"Maybe you'll be able to top Maka one day." Soul smirked.
Maka smiled at him. "I think I need to go lay down." She said softly making Soul nod. "I'll talk to you later."
"You going to be okay getting home?" Spirit asked.
"We'll be fine." Soul nodded as he walked, keeping his hand on her back as they left.
"Is she really alright?" Spirit asked Stein.
Stein nodded. "She's beat up and drained, but there's nothing more than the usual with her." He shrugged. "I'm sure she'll recover quickly."
"Right." Spirit nodded. "In the mean time we have a new weapon and meister to celebrate." He smirked looking at Marcus and Jason. "That was some great work getting that soul. You worked well together and used what you were taught." He watched the two smile. "Good work, both of you."
"I think we should have a dinner to celebrate, once Maka's feeling better." Margot smiled happily.
"definitely." Wes smiled at his son. "For now, why don't we have a little celebration." The boys nodded as they were led away with Margot and George following. Spirit could have sworn he saw a small smile reach George's face as he walked away.
Soul covered Maka as she climbed into their bed. "Rest, I'll be in the other room if you need me, okay?" she gave a nod and smiled at him. "Rest up, Maka." He kissed her forehead before he made his way into the Livingroom to watch tv for a little while.