Fear is a Mind Killer
by. Poisoned Scarlet

2

"Soul! What's going on? Why did the lights turn off?" Maka demanded, searching the dark for any signs of danger. But the dark was harmless; a regular shadow against the paved streets and brick buildings. There was no inky thickness to it; no unnatural movement within it.

"Crap, setting up all those lights must've caused a power outage." Soul muttered, as the noise level began to rise. He could hear the beginning of screams and cries as the citizens of the town startled out of their uneasy slumber. Those outside were running into the apartment complexes, shouting in panic.

"A black out?" Maka surmised, in disbelief. "We can't have a black out right now! Not with that thing still out there!"

The back of his neck prickled and Soul swiveled around, staring into the sludge dark. The moonlight spread across every patch of open space evenly yet ahead there was something like a black cloak draped over the pavement. It was a deeper dark than usual, with a smokey surface as the moonlight bounced off windows and cars. He instantly knew what it was.

"Uh, Maka...?"

"Where's Sid-sensei? We have to get to him, fast! He'll know what to do! If we can't fight the demon, then we're going to have to help out in any way we could!"

"Maka...?" Soul took stepped back when the dark advanced a whole step.

"What? The longer we stand around, the more time that demon mist has to find us!"

"I think it's too late for that..."

"What are you—?" Maka choked off, staring wide-eyed at the approaching shadow. It swallowed up light like a black hole, consuming everything in its path with equal ferocity. Maka could see wisps of black lash out from the edges of her vision, as the dark slowly enclosed around them. "That..."

"RUN!" Soul shouted, seizing her wrist and bolting away from the mist. Seemingly infuriated by their sudden departure, it washed over the remaining pavement with a hissing sigh, gaining on them. "Where the hell is Sid?"

"Ahead! Up ahead!" Maka gasped, her Soul Perception igniting her eyes a fluorescent green. "Soul, transform!"

"On it!"

She took hold of him, picking up speed and managing to place a good amount of distance between her and the wash of black. However, it had no problem catching up to her; enveloping apartment buildings, trees and anything else that unfortunately crossed its path.

"What's happening? What's going on?" A woman cried, rushing into the street blindly. "Anyone—?"

"NO, DON'T—!" Maka stumbled over a crack in the pavement, staring at the black that curled in itself before striking and swallowing up the woman like a leopard did its prey. Her cries were muffled, as if someone were suffocating them with a pillow, but Maka realized that was because her heart was pounding so hard in her chest.

"Don't look!" Soul shouted, diverging out of the scythe enough to grab her cheek. He forced her head away, ignoring the tears that glistened in her eyes because he had not been fast enough: she had seen how the light-bulb glow of her soul disappeared as if burned out. "Maka, run, you can't stop! Or you'll end up like her, too!"

"But, she...she's gone, Soul." She croaked.

"It's too late now. Run, Maka!" Soul roughly commanded, and her legs surged with strength. She ran with a deeper motivation; straight ahead, smudging out all of her surroundings except for that single pin-prick of light that was Sid's soul.

She heard no footsteps, no harsh panting or shift of clothes, but she knew it was following her.

She could feel it.

Suddenly, light blinded her; a piercing, white, light that made all color distorted and flee her vision. It paralyzed her for a split second, sent her stumbling back with an arm over her eyes to block the intense rays. She felt her scythe lose form for a moment before the warm hand of her partner replaced it and led her away from the beam of light.

"Hey! What the fuck? What was that all about?" Soul shouted at someone, possibly Sid, Maka wasn't sure. Her eyes were still adjusting, blotches appearing in her vision. "Give us a warning next time, will you?"

"Sorry, Soul, there was no time! It would have gotten you two if I had, and saving my students from harm was the type of man I used to be." Sid stated, stepping away from the men who ran into the dark carrying large flashlights that beamed at least twenty five feet ahead of them.

"Sid-sensei, why did the lights go out so suddenly? Was there a power outage or something?" Maka asked, blinking away the tears in her eyes. She'd never stared at the sun before but at the moment it felt as if she'd been staring at it for various hours. She comforted herself with the fact that Soul hovered close-by, still clutching her hand.

"Er, yeah." Sid laughed, nervously.

"A power outage? Seriously? You guys never thought that setting up all those high-voltage lights all over the place wouldn't overload the system?"

"Soul, stop it." Maka scolded, giving his hand a threatening squeeze when he opened his mouth. She looked back at her teacher. "Do you have any back up generators until they can get the power back on?"

"Yes, we do, thankfully. Nygus suspected something like this might happen." Sid smiled, and took out his trusty knife from the holster strapped on his leg. In a flash of light, Nygus landed on her haunches and straightened gracefully.

"I think you owe me dinner, Sid. You were the one who insisted we would have the demon in our custody before this happened!" She narrowed her eyes shrewdly at him, tightening a bandage around her mouth.

"Well, we would have it if it hadn't turned to hiding in buildings!" Sid defended himself, although he did look sheepish. "There are too many floors for us to send in the guys – too many risk factors."

Nygus merely looked away, and Sid had the sinking feeling he would be getting a good shouting at after they completed their assignment.

"Good evening, Nygus-sensei! It was a really good thing you thought of bringing those generators or we would've been dead meat!" Maka gratefully said.

"Ms. Mummy." Soul bluntly greeted, earning a stomp on the foot from Maka. "Ouch! What? She doesn't care!"

Nygus chuckled, a hand on her hip. "Nice to see you, too, Soul. Actually, it's our luck you two are here in the first place. Only a member of the Spartoí team would be able to carry out this mission I've got for you."

"Mission?" Maka perked up, excitedly. "You mean, we can actually do something?"

"Nygus..." Sid cautioned.

"Oh, hush, Sid, I think they're old enough to be able to take care of one demon. It may be able to resist attacks from normal weapons, but Soul's a Deathscythe: one swing from him and it's down for the count."

"Yes, that may be so, but they have absolutely no idea how to approach a demon! Much less how to attack it! They're different from regular pre-kishin eggs – their attacks are on a far more higher level than those they've fought before!"

"Then we'll teach 'em right now." Nygus simply said, and turned to her two students without so much as a blink at Sid's horrified disbelief. "Alright, listen up you two! As Sid said: demons vary from your usual pre-kishin egg. For one, they can actually think. And their power level generally consists of three pre-kishin eggs combined. But, in the end, they can be slayed in the same way. You just have to watch out for their tricks."

"Tricks?" Maka repeated, intrigued.

"Demons are primarily masters of illusion." Nygus explained, and Soul swore that if Maka had a notepad on her she'd be taking furious notes. "While pre-kishin eggs generally have one attack, demons are able to preform low-level magic. They prefer illusions, and the Demon Mist is a master at tricking the eyes. This particular demon also has no known form: it may take the shape of any one of us if it wants."

"Basically: do not be fooled by everything you see." Sid added, resigning himself to Nygus' demands. There would be no use arguing with her over who to send to destroy the demon: Nygus would likely win, and they had no time to waste. "The dark plays tricks on people and demons like playing with their prey to sate their innate cruelty. Combine those two together and you get nothing but trouble."

"Right. Just make sure not to be fooled by outward appearances and you'll be fine." Nygus nodded, satisfied. As usual, Maka stored all this knowledge for future reference while Soul stood there coolly, looking disinterested although there was a grim glint in his eyes. "You two and the rest of the Spartoí were supposed to start official demon slaying next month, but I guess you two got a head start, as always."

Maka preened.

Soul smirked.

"Here, catch!" Sid tossed Maka two high-powered flashlight. They were heavy in her hand, cold steel and black and reassuring. "Take those with you so you can get past the mist."

"Oh, yeah, before I forget: do not let that mist touch you." Nygus cautioned. "Do whatever you have to do to avoid it."

"Why not?" Soul asked, curious. They'd always run from the mist without a second thought but he never knew why. Would it melt the skin off his bones, would it slowly suffocate him?

"That mist is deadly because it's able to seep into the core of your body." Sid explained, gravely, and Maka felt her chest tighten. "It attacks by infecting your soul." He did not continue and for this Maka was grateful.

"Whoa... that's some pretty strong stuff." Soul commented, remembering the lady who had blindly stumbled into the wash of black and disappeared. He glanced at Maka but pretended not to notice her quiet grief: Maka disliked it when someone pointed out her weakened state. "So, how do we find this thing?"

"Excellent question." Nygus smiled. "You find the origin of the shadows, of course. Considering your special ability, you have an aerial view of the landscape. It shouldn't be a problem to identify where the demon is residing in – after all, everything has to come from somewhere, right?"

Before Soul could reply, Maka said: "Understood. We'll have this demon down before sunrise."

"Now that's what I wanna' hear!" Sid proudly nodded, thumbing behind him. "Get going. The faster you take care of it, the quicker we can get all these civilians to safer ground."

"Mm. Soul?"

He transformed, falling into her hand again. With a flutter of her eyes, their wavelengths fell back into harmonious rhythm, and she felt her scythe subtly morph to her will. The shaft thickened, flattened, and the scythe blade tucked inward on itself as she leaped upon it, securing her feel on the cold metal.

"Wish us luck!" Maka shouted before she disappeared into the sky, shooting up past the misty clouds. The moonlight was bright from up so high, the air cold enough to freeze the tip of her nose. But Maka was more concerned with how they would sneak up on this enemy than if her skin would frost over with ice. "Alright, so what do you think we should do first?"

"Locate it." Soul stated. "Once we know where it is, we can figure out a way to attack it without putting you in major risk."

"Us." Maka corrected, but Soul ignored her.

"I'd start from the edge of town – that's where Sid said the witch was at, right? I'm thinking, if I get summoned by a witch to do her bidding, then I'd probably stick close to her for back up."

"That sounds reasonable." Maka agreed, and pushed forward. She dove back under the mat of wispy clouds, her Soul Perception burning her iris a bright green while she searched for the location of the elusive demon. She found it when she spied a thick concentration of black, toward the edge of town as Soul had assumed. "There – can you see it?"

"That big black spot?" Soul squinted, peering down at the place where all the shadows seemed to converge. "Yeah, that's gotta' be it. Do you think we can get a closer look without being detected?"

"Well, we're not in direct contact with the shadows, so it shouldn't be able to know we're here..." Maka murmured, about to dive down when Soul suddenly spoke up.

"Wait, shadows. Do you think it'll be able to sense us... through our shadows?" Soul dropped his gaze to the blackened floor before looking up at the moon. The clouds were filtering the light a dim gray but it was enough for a silhouette to appear should they stray too close to the ground. "I mean, we'd cast a darker shadow if we hover too close..."

"There's only one way to find out!" Maka said, and daringly dove down before Soul could react.

"Wait, Maka, go back up! Up! Up, you dumbass, what if it really can sense us? You heard what that sack of rotting meat said: if the mist touches us, we're done for!"

"Oh, shut up, Soul! You're being paranoid!" Maka rolled her eyes at his panic. "Nothing's going to happen! I doubt it's able to sense us through our shadows... see?" Maka hovered a few meters above the mass of black. "Nothing happened!"

Soul warily eyed the floor. "A little higher, please, for my heart?"

"You can be such a wuss sometimes, Soul." Maka giggled, conceding although he glared terribly at her. "The demon has to be in that building since that's where all the mist is coming from." Her eyes carefully ran down the structure, every crack that bled black and every grimy window that offered poor sight to the swirling mass within. Her eyes flashed up to the roof, where she caught sight of planks and bags of cement; as if they had been remodeling the building before the town fell under the command of the witch.

Maka glided up to the roof and frowned when she saw there were no weak spots within the rooftop. It was solid and empty; the bags of cement and planks of wood slathered in dust from neglect.

"Try the window." Soul suggested.

"No way, the mist will catch us if we make such a flashy entrance!" Maka told him, deciding on another way to get inside. They could always try the front door but that sounded suicidal as well.

"Idiot, you have a flashlight, remember?"

Maka flushed when she became aware of the heavy weights on her sides. She took one out from the waistband of her skirt, ignoring his smug smirk. "Right. Window it is then" Maka dove down until she reached the first windowpane and shined the light inside, watching the mist disperse into nothing. She kicked it in, glass shards flying inward before she carefully shimmied her way inside the building.

The light from her flashlight exterminated whatever mist attempted to encase her like that woman. Maka floated through the seemingly empty office building slowly, cautious for any sudden moves or suspicious shadows. But the dark was thick, offering good coverage for whatever lurked within the walls of the edifice.

"Soul..." Maka whispered.

"What?"

"This thing... do you think one clean strike will kill it?"

"Nygus said one strike should do, if we do it right." Soul nodded. "Just don't screw up, Maka."

"Shut up, I won't!" But in reality, she didn't want him to shut up. She knew the answer to her question already: she was meticulous at remembering vital information, she didn't need Soul to repeat what she already knew. But the eerie silence coupled with the stagnant dark had a way of increasing ones awareness; of causing her hands to shake and her heart to tremble.

Because the dark had a way of messing with you.

Maka sucked in a sharp breath, halting. "Wha-what was that?"

"What? Where?" Soul looked every which way but saw nothing but the smokey black that kept its distance from their flashlight.

"It was... it was there! Just now! I swear it was..." Maka shook her head, taking a breath. "Nevermind. It was probably nothing. Let's just keep going!" She urged herself forward, flying down a flight of stairs and focusing on zeroing in on that pulsating mass of energy she felt as if she were standing with her back against a giant block of ice. They were approaching it steadily.

"Hey, Maka."

"Yeah?"

"Be careful." Soul reminded, scanning their surroundings. "We're in its territory now."

Maka swallowed and refrained from answering, nodding instead. She didn't think she could trust her voice at the moment. Maka flashed the light around her, below her. She hopped off her scythe and carried it close to her instead, feeling much safer with both feet planted firmly on the ground than floating in the air vulnerably. Her emerald eyes shimmered with the bright light from her flashlight. They roved the desolate hall, which seemed to sigh out freezing air with every step she took. It was getting gradually colder, the more she walked into the web of shadows ahead.

"Ah—!" Maka squeaked, quickly setting her scythe in defense position. She stared at the figure ahead, a lone silhouette which the black shadows caressed as if close friends.

"What is it? Is it the demon?" Soul asked, alarmed. But there was nothing ahead; everything looked relatively safe, for now. "Maka?"

The lone shadow reminded her of someone. Even in the way it walked, gradually nearing her, with that slight slouch of the shoulders and that cool swagger to each step.

Her throat dried.

Her eyes watered from staring too long

Soul stood halfway out of the shadows, grinning at her. His serrated teeth shone under the light of her flashlight, crimson eyes glinting with mischief. It was such a familiar stance that it made her heart ache.

"Soul...?"

"What? What is it? Maka!"

"No... no, you're not Soul." Maka whispered to herself, her surroundings fading along with the light of her flashlight. That faulty imitation of Soul still kept its distance, his maniac grin reduced to a smirking smile. "You're not... he's right here with me. Who are you!"

"Who do you think I am? I'm Soul."

"No, you're not! You're not Soul!" Maka dropped her hands to her side, and a harsh clang rang through her ears. But before she could look down to see what that terrible clamor had been, that Soul spoke again.

"What are you doing so far away? Get over here before you get hurt." His grin darkened along with his eyes. "Maka."

"I..." Maka stared, shutting her eyes before opening them again. He still stood there, hand outstretched now. "Just..." She wanted to believe. Her hands were empty, she was holding nothing. She had never been holding anything; she couldn't really remember now. It was a haze of blurred motion and fragmented words. "Soul..." She tentatively reached forward, nearing that unnaturally pale hand of Soul, before someone yanked her back harshly.

"...AKA!"

"What?"

Sound came back.

The dark was as impending as ever; the hall as frigid and desolate.

Her hand was outstretched to nothing but black, the light from the flashlight shining ahead to reveal nothing but a plain white wall cracking down the edges.

"Maka, look at me!" Soul turned her head to him, searching her eyes for any of the haze he'd caught in them when he tried to startle her from her trance. "It's an illusion – remember? This demon specializes in illusion-based attacks! That wasn't me – I'm right here."

"I...But he looked so real. And... it was like I couldn't remember anything other than who you were." Maka trailed off, shaken by the encounter. She steeled her eyes and took a calming breath for her unsettled heart. Maka took his hand without a second thought. "Sorry, I just didn't know how strong its illusions could be. I won't be fooled again!"

"You better." Soul warily said. "It's freaky when you talk to yourself."

Maka shot him a look and yanked him ahead. "C'mon, before that demon has any more chance to attack us! The last I need is for you to go running off with some illusion!"

"As if some shitty illusion is gonna' fool me." Soul snorted. "I got past a Doppelganger, didn't I?"

Maka smiled. "I'm just making sure! Illusions are a little harder to distinguish, at least this type of illusion is. Once you get sucked in, it's like... everything else fades." Maka flashed her light to the ceiling, another sheet of black dispersing. "And it's just you and the illusion."

"Heh, that only makes things easier." Soul cockily said, but he squeezed her hand when he felt her fingers twitch. "Quit worrying about me and focus on finding that demon – the faster we kill it, the faster I can hit the sack." He yawned for emphasis.

"You and your sleep..." Maka rolled her eyes, rounding a corner. "I swear, if I didn't know you actually slept properly, I'd think you're an insomniac—!" Maka cut herself off, gripping his hand tightly, staring wide-eyed at the swirling ball of black that weaved and weaved with threads of smoke; clinging to the ceiling like slime, splattering the floor equally grotesque. It was more pronounced with help of her Soul Perception.

"That was fast!" Soul shifted into a scythe, watching her back in case the shadows decided to attack her cheaply from behind. "You ready?"

"Wait... something's coming."

"Hey! You said you wouldn't fall for it... nevermind." Soul watched as a figure materialized, tall and lean. "About damn time. Let's finish him, Maka."

"No problem!" She tightened her hold on her scythe, narrowing her eyes at the oncoming figure. The flashlight she held awkwardly between her fingers skewed right, toward the wall, allowing the person to reveal itself without any delay.

Polished dress shoes, straight black slacks, a black trench coat with the sleeves too long, began to appear. Its hair glowed like silver, lengthened to fall down his shoulders like freshly fallen snow; falling over his eyes, touching the corner of his curling lips. The curve of his neck was tainted black with an image comprised of vector lines and swirling ringlets; as if someone had drawn it with charcoal. With glinting eyes, a lopsided grin on his face, Maka was shocked to find he resembled...

"Soul?"

"In all my years, I have never seen someone born with natural white hair." He showed off rows of sharpened teeth, too long to fit properly in his mouth. They gave him a frightening profile; as if the long silver hair and piercing eyes couldn't do the job. Maka had a feeling it was intentional. "Of course, I prefer his teeth."

"I – enough of all this talk: I'm here to eliminate you!" Maka recomposed herself, shining the light directly at him. She caught the flash of bloody red before he ducked away, shielding his face.

"Hey, now, little girl, that's not very nice!" The demon scolded. Maka noticed his voice was a contradiction; smoothly rough, silk wrapped in splintered wood. "It's proper etiquette to introduce yourself. I'll start: I go by many names, but I prefer Crowley... although you may call me 'Soul', if you like. After all, this is for you." He smirked wickedly.

"You don't look anything like him!" Maka shouted, pointedly looking away from her scythe. She didn't want to see his quizzical stare.

"The hell? She's right: you don't look anything like me!" Soul defended himself, annoyed. "I'm way cooler than you. And white isn't you color."

Crowley glanced at Soul, amused. "Jealous I'm taking your precious meister away from you? I wouldn't blame you: it's obvious by the way she avoids looking at me that she wants me." He laughed.

"I DO NOT!" Maka shouted shrilly, face coloring red at its shamelessness.

"Lying is bad." Crowley grinned, tauntingly. "I look even better than him. I'm straight out of your dreams, admit it." He winked, coquettishly. "You want me."

"Ugh! As if!" Maka snarled, charging and swinging her scythe in an attempt to hide her rosy flush. "Guys who have longer hair than me creep me out!" Maka swung hard, embedding her scythe in the concrete. The light danced and bobbed with her movements, burning away the shadows that lingered close to their master.

"You're too quick to anger!" Crowley laughed, dodging another blow from her. "You Shibusen students crack me up! What were the administrators thinking, sending a couple of kids after me? How insulting!"

"Shut UP! Don't underestimate me!" Maka roared, catching the length of his coat. His eyes hardened instantly and he held out a hand, producing a fountain of mist that manifested like the mouth of a rabid dog – leaping toward her, snapping and snarling and crazed. She shone the light at it directly, dissolving it into nothing more than air.

"That light is disgusting." Crowley stated, distastefully.

"Does it annoy you?" Soul asked.

"Quite."

"Good." He glanced at Maka. "Get rid of that retard, Maka, what's taking you so long?"

"I'd like to see you try fighting him! He moves with the shadows. It's harder to get to him with so little light! If only we could turn on the lights in the building..."

"Ah, but you can't, you see, I destroyed the circuit box just in case." Crowley cheerfully informed. "Wouldn't want some troublesome agent to catch me off-guard, am I right?"

"It would be my luck if they did." Maka grumbled.

"But you aren't such a lucky girl if you've wondered into my humble abode." He innocently said, his words making her skin crawl. He smiled that handsome smile and added: "How long, I wonder, will it take before you disperse like my shadows do upon being lighted?"

"I wonder how long it would take for you to shut the hell up!" Maka shot back, catching him off-guard when she ran straight at him, striking not with her scythe but with the sole of her boot. It caught him in the cheek, sending him stumbling sidelong, but just as Maka recovered, he was standing as if nothing had ever hit him in the first place.

"You're such a rude girl." He pursed his lips. "Such an underhanded move."

"There are no such things as underhanded moves in a serious fight!"

"Serious?" He chuckled. "I'm not fighting you seriously, I thought that would be obvious from the start" His eyes became like soldered steel. "If I were to take you seriously, your innards would have adorned these walls long ago, Maka."

"Don't call me by my name! You have no right!" Maka shouted, wary on the tendrils of mist that writhed on the floor by his feet.

"Would you prefer a pet name?" His smile was as sharp as a knife. "How about baby? Or honey? Or darling, maybe?"

"How about you shut the fuck up and DIE ALREADY!" Soul snarled, at his breaking point with its behavior. What the hell was wrong with this demon? He acted nothing like what the title stringed along: he was carefree, chipper, and a total flirt. It made Soul's stomach cramp as if he'd ate some of Black Star's home cooking.

"You want a pet name, too? How about possessive and overprotective?" He taunted. "Maybe hopeless and passive-aggressive?"

"Fuck you." Soul spat with a disgusted sneer. "Just be a good little demon and go back to hell, where you belong."

Crowley's amusement faltered, replaced with a cold stare. "What a vulgar mouth you have."

"The better to diss you with." Soul smirked. "Maka?"

"Got it!" Maka breathed deeply, and their resonance skyrocketed in accordance to their emotions. She felt her scythe shift, change, and she could have sworn she heard a hissing snarl come from ahead before she focused back on the demon with her powered up scythe. "Now are you going to take me seriously?"

"You're joking." Crowley sneered, able to feel the energy radiating off her. His knuckles cracked in an effort to contain his annoyance: she was slightly stronger than what he had anticipated. "A little power boost like that is nothing to be afraid of."

"We'll see." Maka smiled, confidently. Nygus had said this demon would be like three pre-kishin eggs combined. That type of power was strong but she had taken down many witches before, who had quadruple the power this measly demon possessed, and come out with her head held high and little scars.

But demons were a different class of creatures.

There was a reason Shibusen devoted a whole three weeks to the division of demons and other dark-magic entities.

In less time than it took to breath, Maka was thrown into a wall, her flashlight falling out of the wedge between her fingers. It rolled, casting a shine upon her. She quickly scampered for it, gasping when Crowley kicked it away and it spun out of her reach.

Maka immediately reached for her second one.

"Ah, convenient you have another one." Crowley absently said. "I don't suppose you have a third to spare, right?"

"Maka, hey, you alright?" Soul asked, as she shone the light all around to disperse the creeping shadows.

"Yeah, I'm fine. Don't worry." Maka stood right back up, wiping the corner of her mouth. She rubbed the blood on her skirt and for a moment she wished she had her plaid skirt on, not her Spartoi uniform. "We have to get that flashlight, Soul..."

"Forget the flashlight: focus!" Soul insisted, glaring at the demon who watched with his head cocked curiously. "Kill it first, worry about the flashlight later. You can't afford to get distracted: he might not be as strong as a witch, but he's got a lot of tricks up his sleeve. Watch out for his hands: the holes on the bottom of his wrist are where the shadows come from."

Maka was mildly surprised Soul even noticed such a detail.

"Attack him when he's distracted." Soul dropped his voice. "Keep him talking until you find an opening."

"Got it." Maka whispered right back.

"Now's not a time to be flirting, you two." Crowley intoned. "Although, it's endearing to watch. But it makes me mad: I thought you liked me, Maka." He licked his lips lewdly, running it over his sharp teeth. "I can make your heart explode and your knees weak, you know."

"Y-you shut up!" Maka sputtered, flushing red. "That's gross!"

"That's sick." Soul spat at a giggling Crowley before noticing something strange about his meister; how her head was bowed down, her teeth biting down on her lip. "Maka...are you blushing?"

"NO!"

She was lying through her teeth and that enraged him. Why was this monster affecting her so much? Was his appearance that distracting? He saw nothing but a washed up imitation of his older brother! "Maka, don't be distracted by his appearance." Soul shot a smiling Crowley a look of utter loathing. "He's messing with you! Just attack him and get it over with already!"

"Who was the one who said to wait until I find an opening?"

"That was before he crossed the line!" Soul snapped. "Just get rid of him already!"

"The green monster has reared its ugly head!' Crowley sang, happily. He grinned monstrously. "While I get Maka into bed—!"

"SHUT THE FUCK UP BEFORE I GET RID OF YOU MYSELF!" Soul snarled, gnashing his teeth; an incredible, awful, fury rising up his throat and bathing his words with poison. It boiled in his chest, made red fringe his vision with every mocking laugh and taunting glance of that demons eyes, and Maka's obvious reaction to its sick teasing only worsened his rage.

"Soul..." Maka nervously said, feeling his rage through their connected wavelengths. The amount of homicidal fury frightened her. "Calm down. He's just messing with us – he doesn't mean any of it!"

"That hurts. You're quite the looker, Maka, but you'd look better if you ditched that scythe and came with me." He purred, holding out a gentlemanly hand. "I'll take good care of you, promise."

Maka flinched away from it, disturbed. This reminded her far too much of their first encounter with Blair: only she would not deceive her partner for the sake of winning the fight. Maka doubted she would be able to, anyway.

"As if I'd ever let her go." Soul hissed before Maka could reply. Through the faint reflection of the scythe, Maka could see his lips were pulled back in a menacing sneer. "You're going to have to get past me before you can take her."

"Is that so?" Crowley drawled. "I have no choice then."

Maka blocked a direct attack from Crowley when he struck, dodging right to avoid being hit by the shadows. She flashed the light around her blindly, frustrated with how it slowed her reaction time. She always had to make sure she would not land in a pile of the black gunk! It didn't help that Crowley showed no intention of shooing his toxic mist away for a fair fight. "Damn!"

"She'll be mine after I get through with you." Crowley coldly stated, striking at the scythe viciously. Maka blocked, unable to find an opening to swing. The second flashlight rocked softly, casting an eerie glow of their shadows against the walls.

Maka struck when the demon left a small opening – a gap, hardly half the size of her – but it was enough for her to slice deeply down his arm. She heard him hiss, a massive wave of black blinding her before she heard a sickening crunch of skin and bone.

His strength was astounding. It felt as if she'd been pounded by a sledge hammer.

She slammed into the wall, cracking it like glass shattered, falling face first into the ground to breathe in the fine dust through ragged wheezes. Pain made her delirious, made her lose touch with reality for a split second before it all came rushing back and she retched.

"MAKA!" Soul transformed, shaking her shoulder. "Maka, hey, Maka!"

"It's – okay." She was short of breath; her stomach spasmodic with pain. "I can... keep going."

"Now she's damaged! See, this wouldn't have happened if you'd just handed her over quietly." Crowley clucked his tongue in disapproval. "Now I don't want her. Damaged goods are worthless."

Soul ignored him and helped her up. "Can you stand? Are you sure you can keep going?" His mind was already formulating an escape plan in case she could not.

"I'm sure." Maka forced a smile, taking his hand tightly within her own. "Let's finish this."

"Don't get distracted." Soul smiled thinly and shifted back into a scythe, Maka wincing when it weighed in her hand. It was difficult to stand up straight without that jolt of pain shocking her nerves with fire, making her want to vomit her dinner all over the floor.

"Oh, and guys?" Crowley smiled, sadistically. "You may want to bring three flashlights next time."

Her eyes widened before her mind caught up with what was happening.

Crushing against cement, feeling as if knives were stabbing into her flesh from where the mist touched, she had made the mistake of stepping back into the shadows. Even her shriek of agony was silenced by the unfurling mist, which slithered over her body; touching her skin, running down the contours of her body like ice cold water. It was not meant to kill, Maka realized faintly, merely frighten; take hostage.

"Now, to get rid of this nuisance." Crowley turned to Soul, grabbing him by the neck. His blunt nails dug into Crowley's hand, crimson eyes as loathing as Crowley's. "If you'd handed her over, I wouldn't have to kill you." He whispered, smiling viciously. "But I would have anyway: just to see that pretty face of hers twist in pain."

Soul choked, his muscles seizing with the force of Crowley's stranglehold. It didn't help that his body was layered in shadows; like a blanket of ice over his skin that kept him in place. "D – !"

"Hmm?"

"Mmgh—!"

"You make no sense, speak clearer." Crowley howled in laughter. He crushed him into the wall, laughing uproariously at the way he crumpled to the floor; how the bones of his ribcage cracked pleasantly – chipping – twisting – breaking – !

"Don't... hurt him..."

"Don't hurt him, you say? A little too late for that." Crowley prodded Soul's side with his foot. He remained immobile. "I think I may have killed him."

Maka froze, a terror like no other gripping her heart – paralyzing her lungs – overshadowing the currents of pain that came from her stomach. Her unfocused eyes rose frantically, fixing on the still frame of her partner. But he lied: he wasn't dead! He wasn't dead – she saw the weak shine of his soul, the glow that told her he had merely passed out from being crushed into the wall like a hammer did to a nail.

"And he lives." Crowley dully observed

"Faaack..." Soul groaned as he came to, holding his head. It felt stuffy; suddenly too compact. "Wha happ'en...?"

"I'll do it properly this time." Crowley assured, swirling a finger in the air. The mist that crawled over Maka's body receded, snaking its way toward their master. Maka watched in horror as Crowley shaped a spear with the mist. "I'll see you in hell, Soul."

"N-no, Soul!" Maka cried, forcing herself up. Her legs shook dangerously and threatened to give but she refused to allow her weakness to get the best of her when her partner was in mortal danger. "STAY AWAY FROM HIM! YOU WANT ME!"

"Or do I?" Crowley teased, lowering his staff. "Do you know why I took this form, Maka? I am a demon of the shadows: I hold no corporal form. However, I can disguise myself as anyone of my liking."

"What are you trying to get at?" Maka clutched the wall for support. "Spit it out already!"

"This boy means a lot to you. I've been watching you, Maka, from the shadows. Your interactions, the hidden motives behind every touch." Crowley's eyes narrowed cruelly. "How much would you break if I slaughtered your weapon right before you very eyes?"

"Stay away from him!" Maka demanded, threateningly. Crowley craved for the blinding panic in her words. "Don't you dare touch him!"

"What will you do?" He laughed, rolling his spear between his fingers. "Throw a flashlight at me? It's over." He smiled wickedly. "I've won yet again."

"Shit..." Soul swore, scooting back using the heel of his shoe. He held onto his ribs, convinced this conceited bastard of a demon broke a few when he slammed him into the wall. "Maka, don't worry about me! I'll be fine – just go! Get help! Leave me! I can deal with him by myself."

"You talk so mighty for someone whose fate has already been decided."

"Nothing's been decided until I say so." Soul hissed, fingering the first flashlight Crowley had kicked away from Maka. His finger rubbed the rubber button, readying to blind the demon enough to attack him. He had to time this right.

"Humph." Crowley sneered, raising his spear. "Arrogance like that will get you killed in no time."

"I said... DON'T YOU DARE TOUCH SOUL!" Maka shrieked, and Crowley looked back in shock for not sensing her. Shifting made him look back at Soul but he was met with blinding light, a hissing screech escaping his throat, and it all happened so quickly he didn't know what occurred until he had the scythe of that boy impaled into his chest.

He was distracted for a single moment and it all came to ruins.

He dropped to his knees, the shadows that coated the walls shimmering an iridescent black with every bob of light. They no longer hovered over them as if to attack: they became like a frenzy of worms, slithering over each other and convulsing.

"Well played." Crowley rasped, black drizzling down his chin. "Distracting me...blinding me with light... cheap move..."

"There are no cheap moves in a serious fight." Soul hissed, allowing his meister to deliver the finishing blow. Maka tore the blade up Crowley's chest, through his clavicle and shoulder. Black spewed like a fountain of oil, spattering the floor and her face. She jumped back, fearful that the residue would somehow harm her, but it seemed more like paint than demon blood.

"Oh, yeah, and next time you try to charm someone by lookin' like them, lose the hair." Soul scathingly said, Crowley dissolving like ashes right before their very eyes. "Idiot."

Instantly, the suffocating black of the hall disappeared.

The cold vanished, heat slipping back in place.

And the shadows became normal once more.

Maka collapsed on her knees, clutching her stomach. Soul followed, both using each other for support.

"I can't believe I'm saying this but that was harder than battling a witch." Maka grimaced, holding her tender stomach. "At least witches have themes to their magic... it's easy to locate their weakness, unlike summoned demons..."

"You're an idiot." Soul scoffed, ignoring her attempt at conversation. "You fell for it again!"

"Fell for what?"

"The illusion! You're so bad at looking past appearance!" Soul griped, glaring at the wall to avoid looking at her. His hand felt slick with blood. It had better be his own: his mood was already in shambles and needn't get worse. "Never thought appearances mattered so much to you."

"They don't! I wasn't fooled by his appearance, Soul!"

"You were blushing!" Soul nastily pointed out and she pressed her lips together.

"You get nosebleeds all the time" Maka furiously countered. "Blair just hugs you and you're bleeding all over the floor! As if you should be talking because you're worse than me!" Maka shoved him away, crawling on her knees and using the wall for support. "So what if I thought he was attractive – that doesn't mean I'm going to be fooled. He's a demon and he uses illusions: that's all I need to know it's a lie."

"Attractive – you thought that thing was attractive?"

"His appearance, Soul – you know what? Just shut up. Let's go, we have to tell Sid the demon threat is gone." Maka stubbornly changed topics, holding out a begrudging hand. He took it but let it go the instant he was steady on his feet. "We're walking."

"Fine by me." He seethed.

She kept herself upright by using the walls for support, swallowing down grunts when she moved wrong and the pain came alive again. She pointedly ignored Soul, who walked a few feet away from her without any aid; able to ignore physical pain enough to keep up with her slow pace.

"Can't you go any faster?" Soul grumbled.

"I'm hurt so no!" Maka spat, carefully walking down the steps of the stairwell. The descent was excruciating: she was positive if she hadn't stopped midway to rest she would have lost consciousness by the time she reached the bottom.

"You need help?"

"No." Maka said through her teeth. "I can do this by myself." She used the wall for support again, making sure to keep up a pace that would ensure she not suddenly faint. It would be her luck if she fainted because of the pain.

"You look like you're about to die."

"I'm not about to die." Maka ground out. "That demons attack was strong."

"You wouldn't have gotten hit if you weren't so distracted by it to dodge..." Soul sulked.

"That's it: Soul, who do you think it looked like?" Maka demanded boldly, knowing this single answer could destroy everything she had worked for. It would reveal just who, exactly, she was attracted to. But his attitude was getting on her nerves. What was he so furious about? That she'd drooled over a demon for a split second? Soul could be such a hypocrite when he wanted: he drooled and had chronic nosebleeds for a cat! "Who did it remind you of?"

"My brother." Soul blandly said, and Maka faltered. She hadn't expected that answer.

"Your brother –? Soul, I've never even seen your brother!" Maka pinched the bridge of her nose in exasperation. "I doubt that demon even knew you had a brother! It was relying on what it had observed: who else could it have chosen to look like?"

"...Me."

"Exactly."

Maka chose to focus on her breathing by this point. She took deep, even, breaths and willed her flush to recede. Hopefully, the moonlight would not be enough for Soul to see her pink cheeks. And, hopefully, Soul would not boast when he realized what he failed to in the beginning.

"Hey. You alright?" His tone wasn't as condescending as before. It just sounded weary.

"Yeah." Maka mumbled, using the lamppost to face her partner when they stopped. "You?"

"Could be better." Soul passively replied. He held out his hand with a defeated sigh. "C'mon, we'll get back faster if I help you."

Maka took his hand silently, swinging her arm over his neck as he did the same. They leaned on each other for support, both aching from their battle wounds, but the tension that had previously pervaded their friendship had declined and replaced with a familiar, comfortable, hum.

"You're finally back!" Sid exclaimed, when Nygus spotted their approaching figures in the distance. "I take it the mission was a success?"

"Yep!" Maka beamed, Soul managing a grin at his meister's satisfaction. "It wasn't what I expected, but we managed to win."

"Seems like you two got a little roughened up while fighting it, though." Nygus observed the growing patch of red on Soul's pant leg and Maka's alarmingly paling face from the pain in her stomach. "Come in here so I can check the damage." She and Sid reached forward to help them but Soul waved a dismissive hand, dropping his arm from around Maka's neck to her waist when he felt her slump forward dangerously.

"We got it." He walked her inside despite their concern and let her take the first medical bed while he dragged himself to the next one.

"Stein will be pleased to know that you two can go ahead in your studies, since you've defeated this demon single handedly." Nygus commented after a few minutes, bandaging up Maka's wounds and taking a mental note to have her check into the dispensary at school for further evaluation. "By the way, what shape did the demon take?"

Maka cried out when she jumped and accidentally had Nygus' hand press a tender bruise on her hip. She groaned and Nygus shushed her, continuing to drab the gash on her stomach.

"Well?"

"Dunno'." Soul shrugged, and Maka wiped at her watery eyes and looked at Soul curiously. There was another nurse tending to him, her white hair pulled back on her head into a bun, and she sent Nygus a skeptical look that the woman replied with by glancing back at Maka. "Looked like one of the special tactic guys to me."

"Ah, I see." Nygus finished bandaging Maka's last wound and put herself between she and Soul. She had cut Maka's shirt up the side in order to observe the wounds without injuring her but she couldn't let her student walk around in a torn up shirt. "Kate, can you pass me a roll of bandages? And turn Soul away from me while you're at it."

"What, why?" Soul asked, instantly.

Maka knew what would happen and she took Nygus' help to sit up. The demon knife had often bandaged her in such a way before, when she'd come to her after a long and hard mission. Maka found she didn't mind it as much so long as she didn't walk around in public with them.

"'Cause you're too young to see this, kid." Nygus chuckled when realization widened his eyes and he turned his head away, scowling. "Thanks." She told the older nurse, and ripped off Maka's ragged shirt from her body. She bandaged over her breasts, back down her stomach and around one shoulder to offer her some extra coverage. "There. Now you look like me."

Maka smiled. "It's not that bad, actually. They're comfortable."

"Aren't they? Sid once told me to wear an actual shirt when we first partnered up." Nygus chuckled, putting everything back into the first aid kit. "That was like telling Black Star to get some humility."

Maka laughed and Soul snorted, taking their casual conversation as a cue that it was safe to look. She did resemble Nygus now: with the bandages covering her torso, emphasizing the womanly aspects of her body that were otherwise overlooked because of her loose shirts. She should wear tighter shirts, Soul found himself idly thinking, it'd improve her overall appearance enormously. But the thought was quickly squished when he realized others would notice her as well.

"Nygus, Sid is asking for you!" Kate, the older nurse, popped back inside the tent.

"Tell him I'll be there soon. Now, don't fall asleep you two." Nygus warned after Kate left. "It's only a matter of time before the sun comes up. The buses get here at six am sharp and I don't want to deal with waking you two up. If you need anything, holler, we'll be outside." And with that she left, allowing both teenagers to revel in the silence they had been given.

Maka scooted until her back rested against one of the support poles for the medical tent, resting a hand on her sore stomach. She was dismayed to know that she wouldn't be eating anything for a good while.

"So...you do think I'm hot after all."

Maka choked on her spit, subsequently causing her stomach to warp with pain.

"I – no!" Maka strangled out, clutching her stomach. "No, th-that's not it at all!"

"Nah, it's cool. I knew it all along." Soul laughed when Maka tried feebly to reach for the flashlight hanging off a hook. When she couldn't reach it, Maka grabbed her boot from the floor and threw it at Soul. He dodged it, to her utter annoyance. "Relax, I was kidding. I'm not gonna' call you out on it." He crossed his arms behind his head, seeming to end their conversation there. "You're not bad-looking, either."

"I'm... not?"

Soul snorted at her uneasy tone. "No, you idiot. You're not."

"...Thanks." She mumbled, and he smiled before a thought came to him.

"You seriously don't like guys with long hair, right? Because I'm not growing my hair."

"No! I don't – I was telling the truth when I said guys who have longer hair than me creep me out." Maka said, pinking when he rose a wary brow at her. "They just do, okay? Besides, you don't have to change anything about you. You're fine the way you are."

"Yeah, I know I'm fine." He grinned.

"Exactly – SOUL!" Maka growled, when she finally caught on.

Soul merely laughed, dismissing the underlying reasons why he felt so satisfied with this sudden confession for later.

He would deal with it when they weren't exhausted and wounded.

That morning, when Sid came searching for them so they could head back to Death City on the first bus, Soul impressively fell asleep standing up while Sid explained the situation between Stein and the witch and Maka nearly tripped over the steps leading into the bus.

"I told you to go to sleep! Nygus wouldn't have made such a big deal out of it." Maka slurred, delirious with exhaustion. She held onto her stomach as she adjusted herself in the seat. "Now we both can't even walk straight!"

"Shuddup..." Soul mumbled, leaning against her as he settled into the comfy seats of the bus. She slumped against him as well, their heads bumping. "Didn' wanna' sleep alone."

"Grow up."

"Bite me."

"Move over!"

"Where? For your information, the aisle is right next to me!" Soul growled, pushing her back against the window. "You got the window seat... lucky..."

Maka groaned as if in pain. "Soul! I just want to sleep! Move over!"

"Fine! Jesus, woman, you're worst than my mother!" Soul snapped, his eyes flying open. He sat up straight, pulling the arm rest that divided them up. He fumbled for the lever on the side of his seat, leaning back on the backrest. "Hey, pull yours down, too!"

Maka did, squeaking when the seat swung back suddenly. But she didn't have time to even draw in a breath of relief for Soul turned on his side and beckoned her to do the same, his hand holding onto her wrist the entire time.

"Better?" Soul barely managed to say, sleep arresting him.

"Mmhm..." Maka mumbled, eyes already shut. She brought her other hand up to hold his wrist as well when he took it into his hand, deciding he didn't mind how her fingers felt between his own. "Thanks... Soul..."

They both fell asleep closely together, leaving behind the small town to head back to their own.

A.N: Firstly, I'd like to say: fuck my backspace button and Google Chrome, my page reloaded twice before I managed to save the changes in the FFN editor.

Secondly, why Crowley? Because I happened to look at my Good Omens book by Neil Gaiman and Terry Pratchett when I was deciding upon a name. Also, I amuse myself with the fact that Soul got a taste of how Maka felt when he drooled over Blair when they first met.

And, thirdly, I rewrote this chapter twice before resigning myself to continue this version. Trust me, my first draft was god awful. This one is actually decent. I have no idea what was running through my head when I wrote the other one, but it was clearly disturbed. I can now safely delete it from my documents.

Oh, and, fourthly, I have another short story about these two that I will post very soon; possibly right after this. I wrote it after I saw this drawn-out documentary on war prisoners. You can decide what it's going to be about on your own... hehe.

Scarlett.