Author's Note: This and the last chapter were going to be one chapter. Yikes...could you imagine? Thank goodness I cut it in half.

Anyway, enjoy this technical part 2!

Chapter 8:

Family Matters

"Rrrraaaaagh!" Angela cried as yet another swing missed.

Black Star blocked her next three strikes, only to turn and realize that she had once again gone invisible. Knowing where she was despite lacking a visual, he grabbed her arm as she tried to punch him and tossed her to the side like a ragdoll. Her camouflage was dispelled as she slammed into the stone of the dais, her eyes as cold as death.

She rushed back in, jumping and delivering three kicks in a row. This proved to be a poor choice however, as Black Star countered with a watered down version of Soul Menace, which was still powerful enough to send her flying. Shinigami-sama and Angela's familiars watched as she shot through the air and crashed into the sand surrounding the raised dais, kicking up a huge cloud of dust.

"Angela, this is pointless!" the Grim Reaper called out. "I understand you're angry, but you need to stand down! Now!"

Angela strode out of the cloud and stormed towards them, the lines of sweat running down her face dotted with sand grains.

"Not yet," she muttered. With a flourish, she summoned a single katana with green wrapping on the hilt, which appeared in a flash of magenta light. "Kamah, kamah, kami-leon…"

"Infinite One-Sword Style: Hidden Blade."

With a flick of her wrist, the blade of her sword disappeared, turned invisible by her magic. She ran, jumped onto the dais, and charged Black Star with a loud yell. Her strikes were rushed, but accurate, slashing at his neck and heart.

He dodged at first, but as she upped the tempo, he was forced to push the blade aside with his hands until, finally, he got tired of simply deflecting.

"You should know better," the warrior god said darkly.

He grunted as he caught Angela's blade between his bicep and forearm, then flexed hard enough to snap it in half. She tried to get away, but he hit her square in the jaw with an outward crescent kick before discombobulating her and sweeping her legs out from under her. As she fell, he quickly stood up and kicked her hard enough to send her tumbling to the ground.

"Happy now?" he asked.

"Not yet," Angela said again, talking around the blood in her mouth as she wiped the dirt and dust from her eyes.

She tossed her broken blade away and put her hands out to either side. In a flash of light, two cases holding a dozen swords each settled on each hip, held up by large straps that wrapped around her shoulders.

"Angela!" Shinigami-sama cried. "Don't do this!"

"I have to," she said, mostly to herself.

"Infinite One-Sword Style: Hidden Lineup."

At her command, each sword became invisible, the cases looking like they held nothing at all. She then threw her hand out, sending the swords flying towards Black Star at breakneck speed. A wild grin came to her face as she realized that the battle was over, that she had won.

To her shock and dismay, he didn't even flinch.

With the nonchalance of a man swatting a fly, Black Star deflected every single blade, catching them and tossing them aside with just two fingers on one hand. Angela watched as her attack failed, eyes wide with both surprise and anger. The swords clattered or stuck into the ground, useless, their camouflage fading.

"You wanna tell me what this is about?" the warrior god said darkly.

Angela scoffed. "Don't patronize me. You know exactly what this is about."

"Then let's talk about it. Because if this keeps going, I'll consider this a real fight. And if that happens, I won't hold back." His eyes narrowed dangerously. "I will kill you where you stand, you get me? So, knock it off!"

Her eyes widened, and tears began to well up. "I hate you so much…"

"I know you do," he said, surprisingly calm all of a sudden. "But you need to tell me why. I don't want to kill you, Ange, but if you keep trying to do me in, I don't care what I promised your foster dad. I'll fight back, and I'll win."

"Angela," Shinigami-sama said as he stepped between them. "Don't. Please…don't."

The sadness in the death god's eyes was enough to discourage her from going any further.

With a pained sigh, she stood down, her summoned swords and armaments fading away.

Shinigami-sama scoffed. "Looks like I won't be able to enjoy my lunch just yet," he said crossly. "Have a seat, you two. The DWMA won't be a civil workplace until you two settle this. So settle it. That's an order."

Angela let out a growl of frustration, but gave in and sat on the sofa, her chameleons appearing on the cushions next to her. Black Star shrugged and sat in Seiza next to the coffee table while Shinigami-sama fell into his armchair. A strained silence hung in the air for a few minutes as the chameleon witch recovered from the battle that had just taken place.

Annoyingly, Black Star had yet to break a sweat. For a minute or so, nothing could be heard save for Angela catching her breath. Shinigami-sama watched her and Black Star closely, knowing that the spark of battle could reignite at any time.

"Ange," Black Star eventually said, a somewhat softer edge to his tone. "Tell me what I did to make you wanna kill me. You weren't half this pissed when we told you that I had killed Mifune. He was like a father to you, and you didn't shed a tear."

"That's because I knew, you idiot," she said indignantly. "We spent a lot of time together. He talked constantly about his final wish. To find and duel an equal. To pass on the Infinite One-Sword Style to a worthy successor." Her gaze shifted to the floor. "He saw something in you, and before he left to fight you for the last time, he told me he was going to die."

"So, what do you wanna kill me for?"

She sat up straighter and took a deep breath. "For what you did to Patty and the kids," she said sternly. "For what you did to me."

Black Star's eyes went dark. "Pick your next words very carefully, Ange. Very carefully."

"Black Star," Shinigami-sama said, his golden eyes narrowed. "Let her speak freely." He turned to her, his expression softening. "Go ahead, Angela."

She nodded. "Thank you. Look, Black Star, I love you. I do. You and Tsubaki practically raised me after Mifune died, and…I've been by your side ever since. I was there for your wedding with Patty. I was there when Allie and Gray Star were born."

Tears streamed from her eyes as painful memories flashed through her mind.

"I was a part of that family…and I had to watch it fall apart," she said between sobs.

Black Star didn't say anything, though he did retreat into himself somewhat, his expression still dark.

"I don't know what happened, Black Star, I really don't. I don't know who started it. But I know what you did when it came to a head. I know that you lost control and hit a wall so hard that it shattered. I know that you scared her, and that she never forgave you for what it did to the kids."

She suddenly stood up, incensed once again, her tears of sorrow now tears of rage.

"And instead of being a man and apologizing to her, instead of doing right by her, your children, or even me, you divorced her! You split the family in half, and walked away!"

"I did what I had to, Angela," he said through gritted teeth.

"You did what you had to?" she repeated, her words dripping with venom. "In what world was that the right call? I can hardly call you a father to Allie and Gray Star. You train Gray Star to be your successor, sure, and you say hi to Allie every once and a while, but you're not really a part of their lives. And you won't even look at Patty!"

"Angela," he said darkly, his tone and presence suddenly unsettling. "I did what I had to. Just drop it."

For an instant, she saw Black Star's immense power, the threat behind those words, the essence of his soul, the shadow he cast over the world. It was terrifying. The look in his eyes, the vehemence with which he told her to stop..it all spelled death.

But she would not be swayed.

"No!" she cried, shaking off her fear and taking a step forward, bumping into the coffee table. "I will never let this go."

"What the hell do you want from me!?"

"I want you to apologize! To Patty, to your daughters! To be a good father and do right by them!"

"I am doing right by them!" he said, standing up.

"How!? How is being an absentee father doing right by them, Black Star!? Tell me!"

In an instant, he was behind her, looking over his shoulder at her, his eyes a veil of shadow. Shinigami-sama didn't even see him move, just felt the air shift after the fact. He reached out uselessly as Angela turned and let out a terrified gasp.

She thought for a moment that he was going to kill her, but she was surprised to hear his voice instead.

"Because I don't trust myself," he said grimly.

Though her heart was in her throat, Angela couldn't help but notice the sorrow in his tone, the somber expression on his face. "Black Star…" she trailed off, unable to say much else.

"I…I keep my distance," he continued. "For their sake." His hand closed into a fist. "I lost my composure once. I almost hurt the woman I love, my kids. I can't risk doing that again. So I stay the hell away. It's the only way I can protect them…from me."

His visage suddenly became stone cold, showing no emotion. She could have sworn she saw a tear in his eye. But in a blink, it was gone.

He turned and stepped away from her, his eyes on the Death Room's walls. "You should leave. This conversation's over."

"Black Star…" she pleaded.

But he was right. It was over. He wasn't going to change his mind.

"Dammit," she said hopelessly, "Why can't you just let yourself…be vulnerable? For once in your goddamn life?"

He stiffened. "Because I'm Black Star, the man who became a god."

She scoffed. "Your family needs you to be a man. Not a god."

With that, Angela strode off, her chameleons appearing on her shoulders, the violet one on the right, the blue one on the left. The door to the Death Room opened, then sharply closed, signaling the end of the confrontation. Silence filled the chamber once again as Black Star walked over and crashed on the couch.

Shinigami-sama shook his head. "For the record, while I do empathize with you, I don't agree with you."

"I didn't ask for your goddamn opinion, Kid."

"Come now, Black Star. It's been years since your fallout with Patty. Five years. Do you even remember what started all of this?"

The warrior's eyes became shrouded by darkness, brought on by a wounding memory. "I remember what ended it."

"Black Star…"

"Just shut up, would ya? It's done. It's in the past. Let's move on."

Shinigami-sama sighed as he regarded his old friend. "I don't think something like this can ever truly be…done, Black Star. The past has a funny way of affecting the present. If you don't do something about this now, it will haunt you forever."

"I am doing something about it."

"No, you're not. You're hiding from your own family."

"I'm giving them a chance to be happy without me."

"Have you ever stopped to consider that, even after what happened, they might be happier with you?" The Grim Reaper sighed. "I wish I had gotten to know my father better before he died. I don't want your daughters to suffer the same."

Black Star scoffed. "I don't think I was ever meant to be a father." When Shinigami-sama just stared at him, he sighed and elaborated. "Think about it. My dad was gutted by the Academy, and my clan wasn't exactly a happy family. I was born to a den of assassins and thieves."

"But you were raised by the DWMA. You chose your family. Maka, Soul, Liz, Patty and I…we're your family. Don't you get that?"

No answer.

"I know I've joked in the past about you becoming a father, wondering how it ever could have happened. But if I'm honest with myself, it was the path you were destined to follow. No, that's not right," he mused. "It's the path you chose for yourself, and for a time, you walked it with great pride. Don't you remember how happy you were back then?"

Black Star remained silent, apparently not willing to give him an answer.

"Fine, then. Keep deluding yourself. But know this, Black Star: Patty is one of my weapons and a close friend, practically family. If you hurt her, even indirectly, there will be hell to pay. I'll make sure of it."

"Get in line," he said. He was about to say something else, but he stopped suddenly to sniff the air. Sensing something amiss, he immediately jumped to his feet. "Someone else is here."

"Not again…" Shinigami-sama said, defeat in his tone. "How do people keep getting in here without me noticing!?" Frustrated, he got up and turned to face his mirror. "Tezca! Who's in the Death Room with us? Tell me!"

Tezca appeared in the mirror, looked around the room, then sighed and shrugged. "I'm not sure I can help. All I can sense is you and Black Star…and…Black Star again?"

The Grim Reaper gasped as he realized what that meant. "Could it be…?"

Before either of them could move to intercept, a shadow darted down from the ceiling and landed next to them, making no sound. To their surprise, it was an exact duplicate of Black Star, though the way it stood portrayed a gentle demeanor that was unlike him. The copy regarded both of them with a grimace before the illusion faded, leaving Tsubaki standing in its place.

"Shadow Star: Fourth Form: Branched Darkness."

"You used Branched Darkness to do recon on me?" Black Star said with a grin. "I'm impressed."

Shinigami-sama gasped as it dawned on him. "Of course! That's why Tezca was sensing two instances of your soul wavelength in the Death Room. One was yours, the other was a copy."

But Tsubaki wasn't listening to the death god. She was focused on her meister, her closest friend and ally for so many years. Disappointment and anger tangled in her chest, spurred on by what she had heard him say.

With an uncharacteristic darkness in her eyes, she strode forward, raised her hand, and slapped her meister across the face with everything she had. There was a loud crack as her hand connected with his jaw, the sound echoing in the desert-like expanse of the Death Room. She and Black Star regarded each other through narrowed eyes as Shinigami-sama stood helplessly to the side.

Tsubaki then immediately recoiled and began frantically fanning her hand, tears welling up, because slapping Black Star was equivalent to slapping an adamantine statue.

"Ow, ow, ow!" she breathed, frustrated that she couldn't do more.

"I take it you're cross with me," Black Star said, his head still in the same position it had been as if she hadn't hit him at all.

"Extremely," she said darkly. "I can't believe you, Black Star. I just can't believe you! How could you abandon your own family? The divorce was one thing, and I can understand avoiding your ex-wife to a certain extent…but actively avoiding your daughters is just…inexcusable!"

When he didn't say anything in response, she raged on.

"I might honestly spend more time with your daughters than you do! Does that not tell you that something's wrong? How can you mend the rift between you and your family if you never make the effort to connect with them?"

She reached out and grabbed him by the collar, a pleading look in her eyes.

"I'm begging you Black Star…don't walk this path. Your family needs you, and you need your family."

"The only thing I need…is a successor."

Her eyes narrowed dangerously. "Keep this up, and you'll end up just like Mifune: killed by your successor."

She stormed off, not giving him a chance to respond. Though more controlled than Angela had been, the demon shadow weapon was clearly distraught, her hands curled into fists and her breathing irregular as she tried not to cry. Eventually, the door to the Death Room opened and closed, more softly this time, but still with a sense of finality.

The chamber was quiet once again.

"Gray Star must have tipped her off," Black Star said absent-mindedly. "I heard her when I was fighting Angela, but she left before I could do anything."

Shinigami-sama just let out a long sigh. "You really have a way with the women in your life, don't you?"

"Guess so."

The two stood in silence for a moment, both of them not sure what to say.

Eventually, Shinigami-sama decided on something. An olive branch. "I'm sorry, Black Star," he said.

"For what? You didn't do anything."

"I didn't help matters." He reached out and put a hand on his friend's shoulder. "But I want you to know that I'm here for you. Don't think that you have to shoulder this burden alone."

"Thanks, Kid." The word felt hollow, despite the sentiment behind it being genuine.

"So…what will you do now?"

Black Star paused to think for a moment…to think about what Angela and Tsubaki had said. To think about what Allie and Gray Star might say. What Patty would say.

A grimace spread across his face as harsh reminders entered into his mind, the things he told himself whenever he was in doubt, whenever he needed to stay strong against his most dangerous enemy: himself.

"I'll do what I have to."

With that, he disappeared, finally leaving the death god alone in his domain.

"Goodness," Shinigami-sama said as he fell back into his armchair. "What a disaster." He looked down at his coffin bento box, which still lay on the table, perfectly centered, the chopsticks right beside it. "I guess I finally get to eat my lunch."

With all the excitement of a widow at her husband's funeral, he opened it up, finding eight perfectly sized sushi roll pieces, and glumly grabbed his chopsticks.

"I wonder what my father would say about all of this…" he muttered to himself.

"Hey, Kid," Liz said as she and Patty came back, sandwiches and sodas in hand.

"Gah!" he shouted, recoiling in surprise and almost dropping his utensils. He sighed and relaxed when he realized who he was looking at. "Oh, it's you two."

"Everything okay? You seem tense," Liz said as she hopped onto the sofa.

Patty stifled a chuckle as she took her place beside her twin. "You're more high-strung than usual."

Shinigami-sama just shook his head. "I've just been busy," he said grimly. "Black Star and Tsubaki brought back disturbing news from Warsaw, and it's been nothing but harrowing conversations since. I only just now caught a break."

Patty visibly tensed at the mention of her ex-husband, but otherwise didn't do anything untoward. In fact, to both her meister and sister's surprise, she actually relaxed. A pleasant smile even came to her face.

"Well…it's good that he's back. Allie and Gray Star have been missing him."

Liz and Shinigami-sama exchanged curious looks before ultimately coming to the conclusion that Patty wasn't entirely perturbed by Black Star's presence at the Academy, though there was no accounting for what was happening in her mind. Had the warrior god still been in the room, things might have been different, but for the moment, there was peace. With about a half hour left to eat their lunches, the headmaster of the DWMA and his trusty pistols sat and talked, mostly about business.

Shinigami-sama omitted Angela's argument with Black Star and Tsubaki's reaction to it from his account of the day's events, for Patty's sake.

Specter sat at the top of the long set of stairs that led to the DWMA, peeling a tangerine left over from his lunch. He popped a portion of the orange, pulpy interior into his mouth and, satisfied with its sourness, proceeded to devour the entire thing, leaving only the rind in his hand. The sun laughed from his place high above, though a few rogue clouds threw shade over the Academy as time marched onward.

"There you are," Specter said, sensing his sister's approach.

She didn't sit next to him right away, too focused on getting out her color-changing contacts. "You waited for me?" she said as she popped the first one out.

"Yeah."

"You dork. You didn't have to do that."

"I know."

She put her contacts in their case and slipped it into her purse. "What did you do?"

"Not much. Might be able to see the future."

"Timeout. What?" she asked, taken aback by his nonchalance.

how disinterested he sounded about suddenly being psychic.

"New move. Don't know how it works yet, but…it could be useful."

She scoffed. "Tell me when you can actually use it, dumbass."

"Yeah, I'll be sure to do that." He grinned up at his sister. "How did the Perfs treat you?"

"Well, Del's new boyfriend is hot, so…that's annoying. But Bella and I were able to toy with some third and fourth-years, and Evie got the dirt on some serious shit happening between some girls in a N.O.T. class."

"So, business as usual?"

"Basically," she admitted with a shrug. "Almost had to sit through more of those lovey-dovey boytoy animes they like, but I managed to nip that bitch in the bud."

"Nice," he said, nodding in approval.

Nina was about to go into detail when they both heard a familiar sound. Looking up, they saw Kid, rocketing towards the Academy on her hoverboard. She looked down and saw them, coming to a stop in mid-air before dropping down onto the cobblestones of the courtyard, catching her board in her hand on the way down.

"'Sup, bitches?" Kid said with a grin.

"'Sup, bitch?" Nina said, her grin a reflection of her friend's.

The two girls performed their strange combination of a high-five and a handshake before pulling in for a brief hug, laughing all the while.

"Welcome back, Kid," Specter said as he stood up. "Nice to see you're as punctual as ever."

Kid scoffed. "Shut the fuck up," she said with a wink. "A shinigami is never late, nor is she early. She arrives whenever the fuck she wants."

"Yeah, tell that to your pops," he deadpanned.

"Oh, I intend to. He called me on the way back, said he wants to talk to me about hunting a cult, or something."

"Hey, that sounds like fun. Fuck, man, why don't we ever get assignments like that?" she asked, glaring at her brother.

He shrugged. "Guess we're just unlucky."

"Shit."

Kid let out a laugh as she made her skateboard disappear into a strange glyph on her palm, regarding the two of them over the caramel lenses of her sunglasses. "Sucks to be you guys." Then she noticed Nina's clothing and makeup. "What's with the monkey suit? Perf day?"

"Yup."

"Gross. How did that go?"

"Alright, I guess. Got some serious dirt on some of the shit the N.O.T. students are doing."

"Oh, word? You gotta spill the tea, bitch. I expect a lengthy text from your ass later."

Nina laughed. "Chill, bitch, I gotchu."

"Hey, where are the twins?" Specter said with a raised eyebrow. "You drop them off at your pad already?"

"Oh, shit. Almost forgot about them," she said as she retrieved them from the pockets of her jeans. "Wake up call!" she shouted, casually tossing them over her shoulder.

The two pistols were only barely able to transform in time to prevent a repeat of what had happened in San Francisco. Jenny managed to land on her feet, but Lenny lost his footing and fell. With a yelp, he tumbled to the ground, kicking up dust as he landed on the cobblestone.

"Whoops," he said meekly.

"Here, bro, I'll help you out," Jenny said, brushing her single, rebel bang out of her eyes as she put her arm down for him to grab.

"Thanks, sis," he said as she pulled him up, grinning as he brushed aside his version of that same rebel bang, one of the traits that identified him as Jenny's twin.

They turned and waved at Specter and Nina, all smiles, their movements eerily mirrored.

"'Sup, guys?" Specter asked.

"Nothing much," they said in unison.

"Where did you guys go?" Nina asked. "Must have been far, knowing you, Kid."

"You know it, bitch," Kid said with a chuckle. "I was in the bay area. Took down a serial killer."

Jenny shuddered. "Dude was weeeeeird," she said, disgust in her tone. "He turned into a goat dude!"

"And a dragon!" Lenny added.

An impressed frown came to Specter's face. "Woah. That does sound weird. And intense."

"It was annoying, was what it was," Kid said, "But it was so satisfying when I finally capped the bastard."

"I bet," Nina said with a nod.

Kid turned her head toward the Academy, specifically at where she knew the Death Room sat, and let out a long, drawn-out sigh. "Welp, time to go talk to dad."

"Want us to come with you, boss?" the twins asked in unison.

"Nah, this shouldn't take long." She looked back at the Evans kids. "Guess I'll catch you guys later." She was about to walk away, but stopped. "Oh, and Nina? I want that dirt. Don't forget, or I'll have to kill ya."

"Fair, fair," Nina said with a laugh. "Seeya, Kid. Twins."

"Bye!" the twins said, waving vigorously.

Specter gave the young shinigami and her guns a salute as he and Nina turned to make their way down the Academy's infamously long stairway.

"Alright, let's get this over with," Kid said.

"Good luck, boss," Jenny said.

"Have fun," Lenny added.

Kid shrugged as she strolled toward the front door of the school.

"I'll try."

"Incoming," Tezca said before fading away.

Shinigami-sama turned on his heels to face the guillotine arches. Sure enough, the door to the Death Room was loudly kicked open, and a few moments later, his daughter stood before him, the blade under the arch right above her head. She twirled her aviators on her finger as she regarded him with a bro nod.

"'Sup, pops?" she said, pocketing the sunglasses as she approached.

"Good to see you, Angel," he said. "How did it go?"

She smirked. "Piece of cake. Motherfucker didn't stand a chance."

He shot her a warning glare. "Language, Angel."

"Yeah, yeah, I know," she said, waving away his concern with her hand. "But it's true. He didn't."

"Is there…anything else you want to tell me?"

She shrugged. "Can't think of anything. It all went according to plan."

"Hmm…strange," he said, rubbing his chin. "Because there were several news reports about a violent altercation in the bay area. Something about a local man's vehicle being destroyed, as well as what appeared to be vandalism done to church grounds. Do you happen to know anything about that?"

"Nope," was her immediate response.

Shinigami-sama raised an eyebrow at that, looking her square in the face with a look that said he knew better. "Angel…" he prodded.

"Maybe?" she amended, her bravado faltering for a moment as a nervous smile came to her face.

He folded his arms and stood up perfectly straight, as solid and unshakeable as an adamantine statue, his golden eyes burning a hole into her soul.

With a sigh, she relented. "Okay, the church was me. The car was not my fault, though."

"That's what I thought."

"Well, if you knew, why the hell—"

He forced her to reconsider her word choice with another stern look.

"…heck…did you ask the question?" she finished.

"I was hoping you would own up to it, hold yourself accountable for your actions."

Kid just scoffed. "Since when are students at this school accountable for anything? I heard Gray Star knocked down a building the other night. She isn't getting any flak for that, so why should I?"

"There's a difference between an abandoned motel and a church still used by the public."

She blew her bangs out of her face. "I mean, yeah, but…" Then something dawned on her. "Hey, wait a minute! Doesn't the Academy cover students that blow things up while out on a job?"

"It does," he said as he turned around. "When the meister or weapon involved submits the proper paperwork upon returning from such missions."

"Ah, shit, I knew I was forgetting something…" she muttered to herself.

"What was that?" he said sharply, turning back to face her.

"Nothing…"

He shook his head. "Don't fret, Angel. I filed the paperwork for you."

"Oh, thank god. I thought I was in trouble for a second!"

"You're lucky I was watching your fight against the Zodiac Killer. Otherwise, you would be."

"Ah, geez. You were seriously watching me while I was out on a job? That is so not cool," she complained. "Since when has this been happening?"

"You're the second person to ask that," he muttered.

"Huh?"

He shook his head. "In case you've forgotten, it's my job to observe students that are out on mission, mostly for their safety," he explained. "Though with you, I watch mostly to make sure that you don't…break…everything."

She snickered.

He straightened his tie. "Regardless…the paperwork has been filed, so you're covered for the damages to Saints Peter and Paul Church."

"Cool. Thanks, pops."

"Don't thank me. Next time, you're on your own."

She gulped. Remedial lessons were one thing. Student debt was quite another.

"At any rate, your task in San Francisco isn't why I called you here."

"Oh, yeah!" Kid said excitedly, stars in her eyes. "The cult, I almost forgot! Oh, man, that sounds like a hell of a time! Where are they, dad? Gimme a name, a place! I'll smoke them all, you watch!"

"About that…there is no cult," he said slowly.

She deflated instantly. "Are you serious?"

"Quite. I knew you wouldn't come unless I tempted you with an assignment you'd like, something with lots of targets in a confined space."

"Wow, dad. That's low, even for you."

"Oh, really? Had I not said what I said, would you have bothered to come here when I asked?"

Silence.

"No," she admitted after a while.

"My point exactly."

"Alright, alright, I get it. So, why am I here, dad? Do you have a job for me, or not?"

"No. I wanted to talk to you about some of your bad habits. Your punctuality and conduct while out on assignment, for instance."

"God, not this again," she groaned. "Please tell me we're not doing this again."

"No, we're doing this again."

"Why? Because I was late coming back from Cali? Big deal!"

"For multiple reasons, the first being that you've missed a total of twenty eight regular class days since the start of the academic year. Twenty eight!" he lamented. "Do you realize how serious that is?"

"Not really," she said with a shrug. "I feel like that's kinda normal for a school that sends its students on field trips to hunt monsters all the time."

"You're not…entirely off the mark," he admitted. "E.A.T. class schedules are designed to be flexible to accommodate for student missions, be they required, extra credit, or remedial."

"Then why get on my case about missing some school? I'm doing my job, aren't I?"

"Your soul count is impressive for a first-year student, it's true. Twenty five souls for one weapon and twenty four for the other, if I remember correctly. But more impressive than that is how pitiful your grades are," he reprimanded. "Should I run down the list?"

"Please don't," she said, knowing well that he was going to do it anyway.

He grunted as he pulled out the list in question, which was really just a gradebook he kept in his desk, a massive volume bound with black leather and emblazoned with a Death skull.

"Let's see, here. Ah, here we are. The current Unofficial Transcript for one Death the Kid AKA Shinigami the Third, AKA Angel," he read. "Soul Studies: D. Combat Training: C minus. Resonance 202: C minus. Study Hall: D."

"Wait, wait, wait, hold on! How the hell do I have a D in study hall?" she demanded. "Nobody does anything for study hall!"

"Language," he reprimanded. "And to answer your question, attendance is required for study hall, and you've missed every session except the first one."

"No way. That freaky mirror guy actually takes attendance? Since when?"

"Since the beginning," Shinigami-sama said flatly. "And I would advise against calling him freaky. He takes offense to that."

"But…but he doesn't call roll, or anything! He just stands there in the mirror and watches us, if he even bothers to stick around after the first ten minutes!"

"Tezca is a demon mirror, Angel, and a very powerful Death Weapon. Not only can he perfectly recall details about anyone who has been reflected in a mirror he is inhabiting, but he can also track the location of any person he's seen before."

Kid thought about what that meant. "Wait…he can do that even when he's not in the room?"

"Of course."

"Oh, shit…" she muttered.

"Now you understand. Tezca doesn't need to take attendance because he can tell who is and isn't in the room, even if he leaves to take care of things elsewhere in the Academy." He narrowed his eyes. "Every time you leave the room, thinking he isn't going to notice, he simply marks you absent. That's why your grade is so low."

"Wow," she said, facepalming. "That…that sucks…"

"I imagine you won't soon play hookie when it comes to Study Hall now that you understand how Tezca takes attendance. But that isn't all I want to talk to you about."

"Oh, great, there's more?" Kid said flatly, her eyes practically rolling into the back of her head.

"Yes. Attendance is only part of the issue. Your conduct while out on assignments is also a concern."

"So I accidentally put some cracks in a church floor and let a guy's car get blown up. What's the big deal? That kinda stuff happens all the time!"

"If you were more careful with your weapons, it wouldn't be such a common occurrence."

"Whatever. At least I get the job done."

"Oh, yes," he said, his voice escalating as his frustration began to mount. "You complete your assignments, alright. But then, instead of coming back to the Academy like you're supposed to, you just waste time lollygagging!"

"Hey, it's my time to waste! I have plenty of time to do the shit and come home! I can't help it if other people are slow!"

"Most students don't have access to skateboards that enable them to fly at Mach Three speeds!" he retorted. "And on that note, why exactly does it take you days to get back to Death City when you're only a few hundred miles away, hm? You could make the trip from San Francisco to the Academy in ten minutes if you wanted, yet you somehow manage to arrive conveniently right after classes end!"

"Well, did it ever occur to you that flying around at Mach Three might be, I dunno, dangerous? Maybe I just wanted to take it slow! For safety!"

Shinigami-sama instantly calmed down, relaxing his facial muscles and returning to a neutral state. "I could see that."

"Huh?" Kid deadpanned, the heat of the moment gone.

"However," he said as he pulled out his smartphone. "I believe there is some evidence that contradicts your theory, the most damning pieces of which are right here!"

He held the phone out in front of her, revealing her Deathstagram page, which boasted endless images of her and the twins hitting up the various neighborhoods of San Francisco. Restaurants, parks, beach parties, China Town, souvenir shops, clubs, raves, the Golden Gate Bridge, even Alcatraz; it all flashed in front of her eyes as he scrolled down the entire length of her feed. With every image that flew by, every hashtag, every description Kid herself had written, she got buried deeper and deeper.

Eventually, he ran out of ammunition and put his phone back in his pocket, satisfied that he had made his point.

Kid didn't say anything at first, trying and failing to keep a straight face. A part of her knew she was doomed, but the rest of her was convinced that if she played her cards right, she could escape punishment. Shaking her head, she decided to double down and hope for the best.

"You know it's weird to follow your kid's Deathstagram, right?" she said flatly, trying to preserve what little dignity she had left.

"Don't change the subject, Angel!" he raged, killing any hope of a turnaround. "You have proven time and time again to be dishonest when it comes to your departure and arrival times. The posts on your social media accounts are just the final nails in the coffin you built yourself."

"Alright, fine! You got me," she admitted, throwing her hands up out of frustration. "What are you gonna do, ground me? I'm not your little girl anymore, dad, I can do what I want!"

His expression softened for a moment. So often did his eyes betray him. The young woman before him sometimes became a younger girl, a girl with raven-colored hair that bore no Lines of Sanzu, a girl who wore suits like her father because she wanted to be just like him.

It was bittersweet, being reminded again that his little girl, in a way, was gone. But something like pride stirred in him as well. With a little guidance, she would be a brilliant Shinigmi-sama, he just knew it.

"You're right," he said with a sigh, smiling despite himself. "You're not my little girl, not anymore. You're a strong, powerful young woman with your whole life ahead of you, and I'll be damned if I stifle your spirit."

For a moment, Kid thought she was off the hook, and she became more relaxed, even cracked a smile.

"...but you still need to face the consequences of your actions," he said flatly.

"Dammit," she deadpanned.

He breathed out a more remorseful sigh. "I may not be able to ground you, but I can give you all sorts of remedial lessons, the kind you aren't fond of. The candelabras around the Academy have been looking a little dull lately," he said, his voice threatening in the way only a parent could be. "I imagine a good polish would make them good as new."

"Oh, Lord. Kill me," Kid said hopelessly. "Just kill me and get it over with. I choose death."

The Grim Reaper let out a chuckle. "Not a fan of that idea, I take it?"

"Literally anything would be better."

"Well, how about this? I'll let you off the hook for now, but after school on Monday, you and I are going to have a serious discussion about your responsibilities as a shinigami, and your conduct as a student at this academy."

"And grilling me today doesn't count?"

"Not even remotely."

Kid just scoffed. "Whatever. I bet Gray Star doesn't have to deal with this kinda shit from her dad."

"Language," he reminded her. "And, no, she doesn't. Because unlike you, she does her schoolwork and trains hard every day to take up her father's mantle. You could serve to learn a thing or two from her."

She fumed, not being a fan of her father comparing her to one of her friends, but decided it wasn't worth getting into with him.

"Fine. We'll talk on Monday," she said through gritted teeth. "Can I go home now?"

He nodded. "You're excused."

Trying her best to hide her anger, she turned on her heels and left.

In a flash, Tezca appeared in the Death Room's mirror. "It's been a hell of a day," he said, his arms crossed.

"Indeed it has," Shinigami-sama said with a sigh. He turned to face the mirror. "Any news from Stein or the task force?"

"The task force is working on figuring out a name for the green souls. Nothing from Patchwork Lab as of yet."

"Really? I thought Stein would be eager to join in on this investigation."

"Marie told me she'd relay your request to him when he woke up. Apparently he was napping when I called."

He let out a chuckle. "Of course. He always was more of a night owl. Ah, well, he'll come calling sooner or later."

"We may not have anything on the green souls currently, but we do have a place of origin for the book."

"Oh, really?" Shinigami-sama said, his curiosity piqued. "Do tell."

"Germany," the demon mirror said. "Its roots lie in Germany."

"Hi, Kid!" the twins said as their meister strode through the Academy's front doors.

"How did it go?" Jenny asked.

"Where are the bad guys?" Lenny added.

"Is it a big cult?"

"Do they have a big home base?"

"How many are there?"

"When do we leave?"

"Yeah, when do we leave, Kid?"

"We aren't leaving," Kid said quietly, trying not to sound upset.

"Huh? How come?" they asked in unison.

She scoffed and kicked a rock as hard as she could, sending it flying off the Academy grounds and down the long set of steps that rose to meet the courtyard. "There is no cult. Dad was bullshitting me. He made it up just to get me in the Death Room."

The twins let out simultaneous cries of, "Aw, man!"

"That sucks," Jenny said wistfully.

"It sounded like so much fun," her brother added.

"Target rich environment and everything…"

Kid shook her head. "Dad wants to talk to me on Monday. Thinks he can lecture me about being a shinigami or whatever the fuck. Started comparing me to Gray Star and shit."

"Not cool," the twins said.

"Yeah, no shit. But, it did give me an idea," Kid said, a somewhat sinister grin stretching across her face as they began their descent down the steps. "Talk is cheap. Why try and talk my way out of this when I can show my old man just how badass of a shinigami I am and get him off my back for good?"

"How are you going to do that?" Lenny asked.

"Yeah, it's not like we've got any assignments lined up," Jenny pointed out.

"Oh, no, we're not going out on mission again," she said, stopping and turning to face them. "No…on Monday…we're going to kill a god."

The twins were immediately concerned. "We're going to kill your father!?" they asked, incredulous.

"What? No, I'm not gonna kill my dad! I'm going to fight someone from the Star Clan."

"We're going to kill Black Star!?" they asked again in unison, eyes wide and holding onto each other out of fear.

"No, no, no! Geez, use your brains. I'm going to fight Gray Star. Gray Star," she said, correcting them the way one might a child.

"Oh, thank goodness," Jenny said with a relieved sigh.

"Yeah, I'm not ready to fight a god yet," Lenny added.

Jenny suddenly frowned in thought. "Now that you say that, Gray Star isn't technically a god yet, huh?"

"Not really."

"What does that make her?" she asked. "A demigod?"

"Well, she's half human, half warrior god, so…I guess so."

"But her dad was human once, right? So, shouldn't she be all human?"

"I wonder if godhood is genetic…"

"Guys!" Kid shouted. "Just give it a rest, would ya? I was trying to be dramatic and you ruined it!" She growled and stormed off down the steps, forcing the twins to hurriedly trot after her to catch up.

"Sorry boss!" they cried.

Omake

The October winds played havoc with the leaves on the few trees in Death City as night took over the desert, the eternally grinning moon eerily watching from on high. His gaze shifted to a small cottage not far from the DWMA, only a few side streets away. It was a humble home with an orange tiled roof, white walls, circular windows, and a chimney that burped up gray smoke, the front yard boasting wild grass and a variety of strange-colored mushrooms.

A few small frogs sat on some of the mushrooms closer to the front entrance, which had a welcome mat that boasted a two-dimensional rendition of a cartoon frog sitting in the corner.

"Welcome to our lilly pad!" the frog said, its words black against the mat's brown bristles.

The front door was tall and arched, similar to what one might find in a castle. It was colored magenta, and served as the "tongue" for the frog that had been painted around the outside of it. Two small, cartoonish eyes stuck out at the top, with the frog's legs appearing on either side at the bottom.

Inside the house was Free, the wolf man, his massive frame taking up most of the bathroom as he brushed his teeth.

"Free," his wife cried from the sitting room, "I'm going to go to bed now!"

He spit into the sink. "Alright, babe!" he called. "I'll be there in a minute!"

As he put his toothbrush into the ceramic frog that sat on the counter, he felt something strange come over him. It was almost like music, a song he had never heard yet somehow was familiar to him, one that touched his very soul. His hairs stood on end, but his heart rate slowed, his mind overtaken by a fuzziness, like static.

Then his survival instincts kicked in.

No…fight it. Fight it! FIGHT!

He gasped and let out a growl, his eyes wild and his wolven canines out. Overwhelmed by the sensations and unable to make sense of them, he grabbed the sides of the sink with all of his strength, trying desperately to keep a grip on reality. Black and green energy surged from his hands, his mouth and his eyes, the manifestation of the Grand Witch's magic in his soul.

For a moment, he thought he was going to lose it. The claws were about ready to come out, and every part of him wanted to give in. But something made him stop.

The memory of his wife.

Eruka…

With a roar, he grit his teeth and tightened his grip, cracking the countertop, shattering the sink, and destroying the cabinet. The pain of the porcelain stabbing into his hands was enough to bring him back from the brink, and when his vision cleared, he was himself once again. Steam poured from his mouth as he leaned back against the bathroom wall, water from the destroyed plumbing pooling at his feet.

"...shit…" he said, his breathing labored. "What was that…?"

It was then that his wife appeared in the doorframe in her frog nightgown, gasping in shock, one hand on her belly while she braced herself with the other.

"What the hell happened in here?" Eruka asked, her eyes taking in all the damage.

He looked over at her sheepishly. "Hey babe."

"What…happened…Free?" she said, a warning in her tone.

"I honestly don't know, babe. One minute I was brushing my teeth, the next…boom! No sink!"

She put her hands on her hips. "Do you really expect me to believe that?"

"You know me, babe," he said as he scratched the back of his head. "Sometimes I just can't control my strength. It was an accident, that's all."

A dismayed sigh escaped her lips. "This much stress is not good for the baby," she said. "Please tell me we can fix this."

"I mean, do you want me to lie, or…?" he trailed off, realizing that he had effectively buried himself.

She shot him a dead-eyed look, walked out of view, came back, and cracked him over the head with a broom from the hall closet.

"Ow," he said despite not being hurt in the slightest.

"Just…freeze the pipes so we don't flood the house and come to bed before you break something else," she said, waddling towards the bedroom.

Free breathed out a sigh of relief. He could handle some leaky pipes. He was immortal, after all.

"Wolf wolves, wolf wolves…"

"Ice Coffin."

With that, a small seal of ice formed on the end of broken piping that had been under the sink, staunching the flow of water, if only temporarily. He then pulled the porcelain shards out of his hands and threw them in the trash. It didn't take him long to mop up what water was on the bathroom floor, and disposing of the broken sink and countertop pieces only took a few more minutes after that.

When everything was done, he paused to look at himself in the mirror. Despite what had almost happened, he was still in his human form. No claws, no teeth, no fur.

The wolf hadn't come out, but the fact that it had almost done so without his consent concerned him.

What was that? he thought. What would have happened had I not snapped out of it? That call…was it for me?

"Free!" his wife called. "Are you almost done in there?"

He gave his reflection a shrug.

Oh well, I beat it for now. I can beat it no matter how many times it happens. After all…I'm an immortal!

Satisfied with his answer, he turned out the bathroom light and made for his and his wife's room. He nestled in next to her, giving her and the baby enough space to be comfortable. The wolf man and the frog witch slept peacefully despite their little disaster, and the rest of the night proved quite uneventful.

Edit: Changed a name so as not to get one character confused with another. I'll specify later.