Hello one and all! Tamashii here. Welcome to my submission for Resbang 2017. I'd like to thank the mods for their time and dedication each year to making this an organized and fun event, my lovely artist Panda for creating 4 whole pieces of traditional art just for this fic AND helped with constant encouragement and support. Links to all of her art will be on my profile, so please go and check them out!

Due to multiple life issues that suddenly happened all at once, I have been given permisson to post this fic over multiple days, so please return if you don't see all 17 chapters up and ready, because they'll be done by the end of the Resbang posting period. Thank you, and I hope you all enjoy!

-Tamashii

1. The Weapon, The Meister, and The Mission

The alarm clock blared from the nightstand, rousing the two occupants of the bed from their dreams. The ash-haired young man—who also happened to be closer to it—slammed the snooze button. The woman by his side snuggled into the crook of his arm. Her breathing evened almost immediately, and the man took the opportunity to smile down at her sleeping form.

For once, neither meister nor weapon moved from their spots, both too comfortable with the current arrangement.

Soul sighed, refusing to get out of his bed. It was lucid moments like these that he loved most. Quiet mornings. Lazy afternoons. Just him and his meister. Soul began to stroke her blonde hair out of her eyes so he could see her face better.

Roused by gentle fingers in her hair, Maka Albarn groaned and blinked. Her eyes landed on Soul and his tender gaze. The weapon couldn't help but feel a rush of protectiveness at his partner's vulnerability.

"G'morning Angel," he murmured.

Maka smiled sleepily, giving him a slow peck on the cheek before sitting up and stretching. Her sleep shirt fell off her shoulder slightly as she sat up all the way. Her loose hair cascaded down her back and shoulders.

"Morning, Soul," she replied.

"Wanna sleep in today?"

Maka shook her head. "We should get an early start. We have that thing to go to anyway."

Soul smirked. "Right, the thing."

"Ready to go to that mission briefing today?" she asked.

"Do we have to?" Soul grumbled.

Maka cocked her head to the side at his tone.

"Is there a way I can convince you otherwise?"

That piqued Soul's interest. He propped himself up onto his elbows.

"Oh?"

Maka's eyes gleamed mischievously. She clambered up until she was straddling him. She watched as Soul's Adam's apple bobbed, his eyes burning with a dull fire, like the kindling being revived into a full-fledged flame. Maka leaned forward until their foreheads touched, bodies like puzzle pieces meant to fit together. Soul swallowed hard.

"Maaaaaybe," Maka said, moving to whisper against the shell of his ear, "I can convince you out of bed?"

"I dunno, Angel," he said thickly. His hands trailed up to her waist. "Sounds more like I won't be leaving bed anytime soon."

His partner smirked. "I wouldn't be too sure of that, Soul."

And just as easily as she swung up onto him, Maka hopped off and headed out of his room. She could feel his frustration though their wavelength, just as she knew he could feel her pride. Maka allowed herself this small victory as she waltzed out of the bedroom.

If twelve-year-old Maka had been told that she would follow her mother's footsteps in that she'd be dating the man she made a Death Scythe, she would've scoffed.

But that was five years ago. A lot happens in five years, and people change. Maka was no exception. Now that she was seventeen-and-almost-a-half, there were a lot of things that she saw differently than the first time she'd followed the mysterious wannabe cool kid to the cafe with the grand piano in it. Said mysterious wannabe cool kid was now a Death Scythe, a young man at eighteen with a slightly better taste in clothing, though Maka couldn't say anything about his music.

Just as Maka was no exception to the changes with her maturity, neither was Soul.

Soul took his responsibilities as a Death Scythe seriously for the most part. Though Kid rarely went into battle with them now, remaining in Death City surrounded by paperwork and attending meetings, Spirit was still his weapon-for-hire, and the Thompson sisters were always nearby. Sure, Soul still played music and made time for his friends, but he and Maka were quick to go on missions together.

The biggest surprise of them all was the fact that Soul had somehow gained Spirit's approval. Maka's father was still hesitant on accepting Soul wholeheartedly, and was quick to criticize him if he stepped out of line, but compared to the overbearing father figure he had been in years past this was a major improvement. They didn't have to be nearly as private about their relationship as before. They did keep PDA to a minimum, however.

Maka selected a song from their shared iPod and let the music roll through the living room speakers. She hummed along as she began scrambling eggs in a pan. Five minutes later, there was toast in their little toaster oven, the sausages from the night before were popping happily in the microwave, and she was playing Dvorak over breakfast. Maybe she didn't understand music like Soul, but she learned to appreciate it a bit more.

The aroma of breakfast must have aroused Soul, who came sauntering in a minute later. He grabbed her around the middle and growled into her ear playfully.

"Fucking tease."

"I had to get you out of bed somehow," she countered, giggling.

Soul was about to reply, but he paused upon hearing Maka's choice in music.

"Opus 100? Really? And the third movement no less."

"It wakes me up," she replied without looking up. "Can you get the tomatoes from the fridge?"

"The ones I diced last night?"

"Yeah, and the mushrooms. They'll go bad soon."

Maka could hear Soul shuffling around in the fridge. He placed the ingredients down next to her a moment later, and nudged her hip with his.

"I'll finish up. You take a shower. You know your hair takes a while to dry."

"Wow, what a gentleman. I'm swooning."

Soul just rolled his eyes. "Shower, Angel."

"But the eggs—"

"They won't be overcooked. I'll make you a new batch when you get out."

Maka wanted to argue that they really didn't have time for that (and that Soul shouldn't be eating four eggs for breakfast because of the cholesterol), but decided against it. She just smacked him playfully upside the head before heading to her own room to grab her towel.

By the time Maka was out, Soul was finishing up the eggs as promised. He'd changed the music to something a bit slower that Maka didn't recognize. It was definitely jazz piano.

"How jazz is morning music, I will never understand."

"Books can only tell you so much," replied Soul, swaying slightly to the beat. "Your eggs."

"Thanks."

Soul finished up and tossed the pan into the sink, joining Maka a moment later at the table with his own plate. The two ate in comfortable silence, spare for the piano music. It reminded Maka of being in a breakfast bar, except they were just sitting in their kitchen.

"Submit that paperwork yet?" she asked.

Soul grunted. "I'll get to it this weekend. Wanted to think a bit more on it."

Maka frowned. "You know the sooner you turn in those employment forms, the better. The DWMA can't guarantee you a position now that you're eighteen."

"Yeah yeah, I'm aware. Quit nagging. I'll do it after this mission. Besides, I'm a Death Scythe. I'm sure Kid'll find something for me to do."

"Promise?"

"Promise." Soul stabbed at his omelet. "How much time we got?"

Maka checked the clock on the wall. "Forty minutes. Think we got time?"

"I'll drive fast."

"You need to shower too."

"I'll pass." Soul took a bite and continued. "Like you said, we don't have time. I'll shower after the mission."

"Only if you're sure. And don't talk with your mouth full," Maka added when Soul made to reply.

Ten minutes later the two were dressed and out the door. Maka donned her usual black coat despite the late-April heat, Soul favoring an upgrade to his old Spartoi outfit. They headed across the street to where Soul had parked his motorcycle. Though he'd outgrown the one from their early years, Soul decided to keep it the same bright (eyesore, according to Maka) orange color.

"Ready to roll?"

"Just get us there in one piece," said Maka, yawning.

Soul chuckled, revving the engine. "Don't fall asleep on me. I need you alert if we're gonna rock this mission!"

Maka clambered on and gripped Soul tightly around the middle. "We should be a bit early. Wanted to make sure we got there before Kid's briefing. You know how he gets if we're tardy."

"Good thinking, Angel." Soul pulled down his riding goggles. "Alright, let's get this show on the road."

Half a second later the two were careening through the near-empty streets of Death City towards the Death Weapon Meister Academy.

. . . . . . . . . .

"Well looks who's late!" said Black*Star as Soul and Maka walked into the Death Room.

"As if, Kid's not even here yet," replied Soul. The two exchanged their usual high fives. "Aren't you the one who's off schedule? You always show up late."

"Hah! A god like me is always on time, right Tsubaki?"

His weapon partner, Tsubaki, nodded in agreement. However, she leaned over to Maka and whispered, "Angela woke him up early today because it's her friend's birthday at school today."

The two shared a laugh while Soul and Black*Star caught up with the only other person in the room, Kilik Rung.

The Death Room had gone through several changes since Kid's awakening, but was still a familiar space for all of them. It still had the blue sky motif that the previous Lord Death enjoyed, and the crosses marking the unclaimed corrupted souls were still sticking up from ground (though in a much more uniform manner), and the guillotine gates marked the entrance and exit, and the mirror on the far end was where Kid took most of the calls. However, that was where the similarities ended. Kid had put his own touches to the place. Now a circular table was set in the middle of the room, exactly eight chairs around it, though more could be added for larger meetings. There was also a closed off space dedicated just for negotiation talks with the Witch Order that few were permitted to enter. Kid only used this space for large meeting like today's mission briefing; all smaller ones occurred in his office in the school.

"Where's the rest of your group, Kilik?" Soul asked after greeting his friend.

"No idea," said the pot meister with a shrug. "I heard Ox and Kim are busy with Alliance talks, so Harvar and Jacqueline are out."

"And your weapons?"

"They're around here somewhere…"

As if on cue, both Fire and Thunder came running out from underneath the table. They still looked more or less identical, though Thunder now had slightly longer hair. The two also talked now, chattering away as they each took as seat to their respective sides of Kilik. Kilik just sighed and did his best to answer their questions.

"Yes, you have to sit through the meeting, you two are old enough now. We'll have snacks before we leave. No, I don't know what the mission's details are. That's why we're here to debrief. If it goes well I'll treat you to ice cream. Yes, I promise. No, you may not! Why are you asking me—"

"Who knew they'd grow up to be so annoying," Soul said as he sat down beside Maka.

His meister just rolled her eyes. "As if you're any better."

"Sure I am. I'm an adult."

You don't act like one, Maka thought, but all conversation ceased as the double doors swung open.

Everyone stood to attention as an imposing figure walked in, flanked by his two weapons.

"Thank you, everyone, for being on time."

Death the Kid had hardly changed in appearance since assuming the role as the new Lord Death, but now as a fully-awakened and trained shinigami there was no doubt that he carried same aura of power as his father before him. He had gained over half a foot in height since becoming Lord Death, and he'd mastered his symmetry to a T. He also wore the billowing black robes over his sharp suit, the hood and mask attached, though they were unworn at the moment.

Liz and Patty Thompson walked on either side of Kid, just two steps behind him. They both wore matching outfits: black suit jackets over red blouses, matching black skirts, and smart black heels. Everything they wore had white skull accents, such at their hair clips, cufflinks, and shoe straps. Liz had her hair pinned up in a sensible twisted bun, Patty's chin-length locks tucked behind her ears. There was no doubt to anyone who even spared a glance at the two that they were the personal weapons of Lord Death himself.

Kid nodded to the collection of meisters and weapons around him before taking his place at the head of the table. Liz and Patty stood on either side of him. Everyone else took their seats.

"Let's commence the meeting right away."

"So what's our mission, Kid?" Black*Star asked as Kid turned on the 3D projector unit on the table.

"We have a witch to hunt."

Everyone began to wonder what he meant by that. Since the alliance, the DWMA's staff and students had not fought a single witch, leaving all magical affairs to the Witch Order. Tsubaki was the first to speak up.

"Why have we been asked to hunt a witch? Doesn't this directly contradict our alliance?"

Kid shook his head. "We've been asked to do this by Mabaa herself. She and the other witches have informed us here that they would like help with this situation."

Seeing that there were no other comments, Kid continued. "Now, what I am about to tell you is sensitive material. Only three-star meisters, myself, and now you are privy to. Make sure that everything that happens in this room stays in this room until the mission is successful.

"Now then. Our target today is a witch named Echo. About six months ago, she and a group of followers decided that the Witch Order had made a grave mistake listening to our demands from the Alliance. They broke away from Mabaa and went rogue, leading surprise attacks against our strongest groups around the world. Echo's group has been slowly amassing more numbers with the goal to attack us here in Death City and eradicate this institution."

Black*Star scoffed. "And the old witch isn't doing this because…?"

"Because the witches who have gone to fight her have been hurt in the process too," said Liz. "We don't know the specifics, but it looks like Echo's got some kind of anti-magic attack too. So their best bet—"

"—is to ask meisters and weapons with similar abilities to knock her out, right?" finished Soul.

"Precisely." Kid smiled thinly. "This is why I'm asking your team to go, specifically because you have all worked together before, and we're hoping that Maka and Soul's attack will be the killing blow.

"Now, onto the mission. The witches have given us the known hideouts of their sister, Echo. We've traced her location here."

Kid clicked the interactive map. Moments later the topographical map of a region somewhere in southern Greece popped up. The party all leaned forward as Kid zoomed in.

"These seems to be some old ruins, with an intricate maze network. The center of her base is in the middle of an abandoned coliseum. She's set up a defensive magic and used soul protect so it's been hard for us to actually track her. Fortunately, Mabaa has been very generous with her time and magic. She has agreed to teleport a small team of specialized meisters and weapons to the location, as well as setting up a barrier in the area for an hour alongside Free. We're hoping this will give our ground crew enough time to neutralize the threat and collect Echo's soul."

"Will you not be joining us again, Kid?" Black*Star asked. "I bet your form's getting rusty."

Kid just shook his head. "You know full well that part of the agreement between the DWMA and the Witch Order is that I am to have no direct involvement with the collection of a witch's soul unless they grant me permission, Black*Star. Which they haven't.

"Besides," he added, grinning a bit, "it almost sounds like you think you won't be able to get Echo's soul without me being there."

Black*Star rolled his eyes at that, but his grin was equally playful. Everyone in the room relaxed marginally. Deeming the briefing over, Kid closed the map.

"The mission will commence in exactly fifteen minutes. Please take this time to mentally prepare yourselves and come up with an attack strategy. I will be in a meeting with Mabaa during this period. Contact me immediately if there is any update, good or bad. Good luck to you all. I know you can do it."

With that, Kid stood up and left the room. Liz and Patty, however, remained.

"Kid's left us with all the information for this mission," said Liz. "Let us know if you have any questions. We'll be the ones you'll be communicating with here while Kid's at that dumb meeting."

As Kilik and Tusbaki began asking Liz questions, Soul leaned back in his seat. He glanced over at Maka, who had a hard set to her face.

"What's up?"

Maka just shook her head. "I'm not sure. Something about this whole situation seems fishy to me. I understand the witches wanting out help if it involves anti-magic and all, but why us? Why not have more experienced three-star meisters and Death Scythes? I'd think people like Dr. Stein or even my idiot father are more qualified."

"But Kid told us why. Only we've got that anti-magic sucker punch."

"So does my mom."

Soul grimaced. Speaking of Maka's mom was still a sore subject in the house, especially after she lost even more contact with her daughter.

"I doubt your mom and your dad would work together again. In terms of stability, we might be the better choice," Soul argued. "Besides, it sounds like you're doubting yourself. Doubting us."

"I'm not!"

Soul grinned. "Exactly. So let's get this mission done and go home."

Maka smiled. Soul reached over and squeezed her hand under the table. The weapon always knew exactly what to say to ease any tension.

"Game plan's set!" Patty called.

One last squeeze, then the two were up on their feet. Maka walked over to the map with Soul at her side.

"So what's the strategy?"

Kilik pointed towards Soul and Maka. "Well, it's obvious these two are going to land the final blow. We just have to make sure not to underestimate Echo and her cronies. Fire, Thunder, and I can limit their mobility, pound up some terrain."

"Black*Star and I will hold off anyone while they do that," said Tsubaki. "Our job is to make sure they have a clear path."

Soul fist-bumped Black*Star. "We're counting on you."

"You got it!"

"Your entry point is going to be here, on the east side," Liz explained, pointing. "There's an old aqueduct tunnel that should lead you to the central square. From there, you're on your own."

"We'll figure it out," said Black*Star with confidence.

Everyone nodded. Patty smiled and giggled.

"Well, it's almost time for you guys to go! Use the bathroom now or you'll have to hold it!"

"Why did you say that?" Liz asked, causing Party to laugh all the harder.

Over the din of everyone making their last preparations, Maka felt Soul's soul nudge her own. She focused on stretching as he stood beside her.

"Ready, Angel?"

"Ready as I'll ever be."

The bright lights of a portal opening by the mirror alerted the team that it was time to go. Everyone gathered around, weapons transforming and landing in their meisters' hands.

Soul cracked his neck and rolled his shoulders. "Let's get this over with so we can go home and have a nice hot shower before dinner."

Maka rolled her eyes a bit, but there was no hostility in the action. The two looked straight ahead towards their landing site, hand-in-hand. Soul shifted easily, his body light and familiar in Maka's hands. She gripped his tightly.

"Let's go."