Soul Eater -:- Manga Verse

Stolen: Shibusen's Weapons find New Meisters?

Summary:

A mysterious organisation plots against Shibusen, stealing the student weapons to strengthen their own armoury. The meisters fight back, but can they win without their partners?

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Author's Notes:

Thanks to Ember Hinote, mlkduds009, Rin Winters, The RPErs Hell Group and Delfinia4 for reviewing, however while making me extremely happy and grateful, you have greatly displeased Kid who is currently blubbing over the odd number "...asymmetrical garbage..."...nobody say 7... :P

Enjoy!

Chapter Three -:- Battle Royale

Of all things, the little white piece of paper was a business card. A Multi-Meisters business card – complete with address and telephone number...

I began to doubt the Multi-Meisters as a serious opponent despite all of their success so far. So they had managed to steal our partners, hold them captive and other generally evil things; but they were just so stupid. Their reasons made no sense, their skills left plenty to be desired and well...the name...

But back to us and our retaliation. Now that we had the information we needed we planned our attack. A small team was formed, Maka, Black Star and I along with Ox, Kilik and Kim. We would also be bringing...Spirit. In order to protect his precious daughter the Death Scythe had insisted on being her weapon, despite their lack of compatibility. We had yet to see if Maka could even resonate with her dad; we simply had no time.

And so our revenge...I mean rescue...began.

-:-

Infiltration

-:-

The mismatched building was shrouded in thick shadows as the team approached. They had made it through the thick jungle of a garden and right up to the windows without a single hint of being detected. The next task was to find the damn door. They divided into pairs and scouted around, a bird call being decided as the confirmation.

Maka and Kid, and Spirit, snuck around to where they assumed was the back of the building. After what seemed an age of searching, made worse by Maka's worry, they eventually found the impossible to find door. Kid made the call in perfect pitch, and they waited for the rest of the team. It didn't take long for the troupe to gather, each of them anxious to get their partners back.

"You ready for this?" Kid asked the group. He waited until he received a nod from everyone, including Spirit, before he eased open the door. They were aiming for stealth; hence why Black Star didn't lead. They found themselves at the start of an epically long corridor that twisted at some point up ahead so that couldn't see the end. The floor and walls were plain and in a state of disrepair, Kid trying his hardest not to look at the unsymmetrical damage.

They followed the corridor until they reached a fork. They had already decided before hand that they would at no point separate, so after a quick debate and a check with Maka's soul perception, they took the left. They kept up this routine until they were deep within the rabbit warren. Sometimes the corridors opened into small round rooms that were completely empty. They would pick a door and continue down yet another corridor.

"This place is a great hideout," Maka commented, gritting her teeth in irritation and impatience. "It's purposely designed to drive you crazy before you even get to the bad guys."

Spirit gave Maka a sympathetic pat on the shoulder which she shrugged off. Her father looked hurt, but chose not to make a fuss. They reached another choice and she consulted her soul perception. "We're close. That door up there. On the other side is a room with...six meister souls in. Our partners are further inside the maze, but we have to get past these guys first."

"Nothing can stop our perfect father/daughter combo, Maka!" Spirit replied enthusiastically, a grin on his face. Maka gave him a look that had the same deflating effect as a good Maka chop.

"Alright, let's do this," Kid ignored the drama and walked right up to the door Maka had pointed to. He too could sense the souls on the other side. He would never admit out loud how relieved he was that there were only meisters and no weapons in the room. If they had the weapons, he could beat them without his own, and Black Star probably could too, but he doubted that the rest of the group could. With a readying breath, he kicked down the door.

"What the...?"

"Who the...?"

"Oh Hell."

The six gathered Multi-Meisters were the unnamed, faceless types. The only difference Kid could draw between them from a first glance was that they were colour coded. He jumped out and incapacitated the nearest Red Shirt, the rest of the team following.

Kilik and Black Star worked together, taking out Green Jacket and Blue Shirt with a punch each. Kim leapt forward to take out Black Coat, but Ox dived between them, driving his foot into Black Coat's face in a spectacular high kick. He even added a 'Kyah!' for dramatic effect. Kim gave an exasperated sigh, deciding not to point out that he had already won her over. She sensed another guy behind her but didn't react, knowing that Ox was already on the case. He roundhouse kicked Yellow Jumper then gave Kim a wink.

Spirit witnessed this and turned towards the last guy. Scarlett Shirt. What? Two guys had red shirts on, okay? The Death Scythe rolled up his sleeves dramatically, making Scarlett Shirt shiver in fear. Before Spirit could perform his protector act however, Maka gave Scarlett Shirt a right hook that floored him in an instant. As Spirit deflated his sleeves slid dejectedly back down.

"Huh, well that was easy," Black Star commented as he surveyed the broken bodies. He smirked cockily. "Guess they couldn't handle the Great Me, Black Star, the man who will surpass God!"

"I don't think that was it, Black Star," Kid replied, his eyes glued to the door opposite the one they had come in by. It was slammed open to reveal several more Multi-Meisters, these ones armed. "They just weren't the big players."

A freshly recovered Diego entered, lazily swinging Tsubaki, knowing the action annoyed Black Star. Nadia now wielded Fire and Thunder. She tapped the glove-like weapons together with a smirk, identifying Kilik as their former-meister by the way his hands clenched. Two others followed; one carrying Jacqueline in her lantern form and the other pointing Havar threateningly, lightening glistening from the tip.

"Seems we have some intruders," Diego stated coyly. He turned his head to Nadia. "What do you think we should do with them?"

She flicked her hair, "Kill them."

"Excellent."

Chaos erupted in an instant. Kid summoned his skateboard and used it to attack Nadia. Kilik followed his attack, his attention completely on his stolen weapons. In response, Nadia lit up Pot of Fire and aimed to punch Kilik. Kid jumped in and used the skateboard as a shield. Nadia followed up with Pot of Thunder, the lightening attack cracking the weakened board and rendering it useless.

At the same time Black Star leapt into a fight with Diego. The Multi-Meister could skilfully wield Tsubaki in Kusarigama mode and didn't seem likely to make the same mistake her had earlier and use Enchanted Sword mode. He wouldn't let Black Star in close enough to use Big Wave, so the loudmouthed ninja tried to change the fight into an aerial battle. He tricked Diego into aiming low then jumped and flipped in the air, aiming to land a kick to the head. Diego blocked with the second scythe of Tsubaki, sending Black Star back to square one.

Kim and Ox split up to take on the two unnamed Multi-Meisters that wielded their weapons. They each exchanged blows but neither seemed able to gain the upper hand. Spirit turned to Maka, "Which one shall we fight?"

"None," Maka replied, making her father blink. She had realised that all the Multi-Meisters were distracted. "Let's use this to our advantage and keep moving. I want Soul back."

Spirit studied his daughter for a moment, marvelling at her dedication. He nodded, "Got it, let's go."

The unlikely team managed to sneak past the fights and through the slightly broken door. They walked through backwards to keep an eye of the Multi-Meisters and make sure they weren't noticed. Once through the door, they turned around and froze.

"You."

"Oh...hi," Tabby tried to hide her surprise with a smile and little wave. Soul in scythe form was leaning against her shoulder. There was nervousness in her voice. "Fancy seeing you here."

We made it inside the Multi-Meister's hideout and were another step closer to getting our weapons back. Things were going well, considering we were unarmed and they were. Maybe we'd finally find out what their ulterior motive was...if they had one.

-:-

Clash of the Death Scythes

-:-

Maka glared at Tabby, her hatred in no way concealed. Tabby on the other hand just looked wide-eyed at the other girl's presence. Maka didn't even look at Spirit; "Dad, change." Spirit did as he was told, transforming into his black, cross-like, Death Scythe form. Maka caught him and spun him like she always did with Soul. She wasn't suffering from any of the consequences of forced resonance, which was a major relief.

Tabby glanced at Soul, an action that made Maka grit her teeth. She then looked back at Maka. "I really don't want to fight you."

"Well tough, cause I really want to kick your ass!"

Maka closed the distance between them in a second, swinging Spirit down. Instinct made Tabby block rather than dodge, and the fight began. They both pushed against each other and then jumped back, leaving a couple of ft between them. Maka panted heavily as she tried to get her anger under control. She failed though as she lunged forward again, swinging Spirit in a horizontal arc. Tabby blocked again, but Maka changed tactics and pivoted Spirit around her waist so that he hit from the other side. Tabby saw the attack and used Soul as leverage so that she stopped the scythe with her feet. She pushed off and flipped over, smoothly twisting and swiping Soul around in a counter-attack. Maka darted back to avoid the hit.

Tabby seemed to have forgotten that she didn't want to fight Maka. After the pause she was the first one to move. She aimed low, making Maka jump to avoid the swing. She then continued round, using her momentum to speed up the attack, catching Maka in ribs with the staff before her feet could return to the floor. The blow was hard enough to send Maka flying. She slammed through the remnants of the broken door and back into the first room. She slammed Spirit's blade into the ground to slow her skid. She stopped, breathing heavily as her arm wrapped around her bruised side. Concerned, Spirit yelled "Maka! Are you okay?"

Maka ignored him and everyone else who had halted to stare at them in surprise. She just glared at the red head who stepped through the doorway, holding Soul as if he were hers. Kid and Black Star saw the expression on Maka's face and briefly felt sorry for Tabby. Neither of them would willingly fight her when she was that angry and determined.

"I thought you'd be tougher," Tabby commented thoughtfully, not actually intending to offend. She looked surprised when her comment invoked a rage-fuelled response from Maka. Yelling unintelligibly, Maka launched herself at Tabby, once again throwing Spirit in a wide arc. The red-head didn't even bother blocking, instead ducking out of the scythes path. She then used a simple leg sweep to bring Maka tumbling to the floor. She brought Soul up and over her head, aiming to hack at her opponent. But Maka rolled and flipped back onto her feet, Soul digging into the ground. "Damn."

"Give Soul back!" Maka screamed as she swung Spirit at her. Tabby leapt into the air and flipped backwards so that Spirit sliced the thin air between her and Soul's staff. She then grabbed hold of him and used her own gravity to yank him out of the ground and back into her hands. She landed in a crouch and looked up at a surprised Maka. The silver-haired meister looked at her opponent with a mix of awe and jealousy. Jealousy was more prominent. "Why are you so good?"

Maka began a series of strikes that Tabby managed to block while replying. "The difference between you and me isn't skill." She grunted as she blocked a particular hard strike. "It's experience. I can tell you've never wielded that Death Scythe before; but I've worked with Soul plenty of times."

"What?" Maka paused, her breath coming in short gasps.

Tabby took the opportunity to create some distance between them then spun Soul around familiarly. She smiled, not unkindly. "I'm Soul's first meister."

Tabby's words echoed around the room, causing confusion. Soul's friends wondered why he had never told them that he had had another meister, this then causing them to disbelief the redhead. The Multi-Meisters couldn't tell if Tabby was making a cocky statement or was admitting to some secret. They came to the conclusion that as she was fighting the intruders she could at least temporarily be trusted.

Maka's opinion was expressed in two very simple words. "You Liar!"

"Woah!" Maka's attack had managed to catch Tabby off guard, her block barely going up in time. Maka followed up faster than before, and Tabby had to adjust her fighting style to make up for her opponents sudden change. She had no opportunity to get on the offensive, Maka's impressive onslaught forcing her to be entirely defensive. The pair whirled and spun in a crazy dance that left all but one of the audience in awe.

Nadia crept up behind Maka, Pot of Thunder at the ready to crush her skull. Tabby spotted the sneak attack and changed from a block into a wide horizontal swing. Maka did as she was told when she heard Soul's voice "Maka! Duck!"

Soul soared over her head and sliced straight through Nadia, her face drawn into a comical 'o'.

"Huh...my bad." Tabby commented with mock innocence.

"You little traitor!" Diego yelled, suddenly right next to her. He had Tsubaki raised above his head in a motion to strike her down. Before he even had a chance though, Tabby sliced through him as well. She transferred Soul to her left hand and caught Tsubaki as she gave into gravity. Without a second glance at Diego's floating soul, Tabby slung the kusarigama at Black Star who caught her easily.

"What the hell?" was the room's general thought process.

Maka on the other hand, turned to look straight at Soul, looking him in the eye at the base of his blade. "What the hell is going on?"

There was a pause as Tabby glanced at Soul apologetically. The scythe then sighed "I'll explain everything in a minute"

"We should probably take care of them first," Tabby finished, gesturing at the two unnamed Multi-Meisters. They gulped as Maka turned her angry eyes on them. In barely more than a few seconds, both Multi-Meisters were reduced to floating souls. Ox, Kim and Kilik retrieved their weapons. Tabby saw their concerned looks as they felt no response from their partners. "They'll turn back once the influence has worn off, don't worry."

"Shut up you," Maka snapped as both Soul and Spirit returned to their human forms. She glared at her partner, actually making him flinch. "Explain."

Soul put his hands up in surrender, and then pointed at Tabby "It's all her fault."

"Hey!"

"What, it's the truth," Soul shrugged.

"It being true doesn't make me any more grateful."

As Tabby appeared to now be on our side, Maka managed to keep a lid on her rage...for a while. Tabby and Soul led us to the underground, dungeon-like armoury where we were finally reunited with our partners. Finally we could put an end to this battle.

Well...not quite.

-:-

The Vault

-:-

"It's very simple really," Tabby began when Maka ordered her to explain herself and her earlier comment. She perched herself on the edge of a fake window-sill (there were no windows) as the others set about unlocking their partners.

"I'm a meister from Shibusen's sister academy on the East Coast. My family know Soul's so I've known him since forever. It was just good timing that my partner got expelled and Soul found out he was a demon weapon at the same time. He didn't join the academy but Shinigami-sama let us work together. We got to...96 souls, before Soul decided he had to run away..."

"I didn't run away!" Soul interrupted, earning himself a few concerned glances. Maka looked the most worried, this whole situation making her realise how little she knew about him and his family. Was it because he never wanted to talk about it, or because she never asked?

"Err...yeah you did," Tabby replied with a roll of her eyes. "But I won't reveal his reasons because that's personal. Anyway, because I managed to get so far with him before he buggered off, Shinigami-sama made me a two-star meister..."

"Wait, you're a two-star?" this time Maka interrupted, her jealousy multiplying. She then realised something and turned to her father. "If this is true, shouldn't you know about it?"

Spirit shrugged. "Shinigami-sama doesn't tell me everything you know. Especially about the sister academy. It's not directly involved with the day-to-day stuff at Shibusen so it's no surprise I don't know about this."

"Anyway," Tabby brought the conversation back to her story. "I was made a two-star and given the role of like, a social worker. My job is to go to families that have been known to have the demon weapon bloodline and check if the latest generation has it. If they do I help them learn about their abilities and help them settle into the nearest academy."

"What are you doing here then? That's got nothing to do with undercover stuff," Black Star asked, talking again now that Tsubaki had safely reverted back to her human form. All the weapons were tired and battered, but at least they were safe.

"Her weapon got nicked," Soul answered. "She used me to get in so that she could find it and get it back."

"How long have you been in on this?" Spirit asked accusatorily.

"About 30 minutes after waking up in here," Soul replied, obviously not happy about the whole thing. He turned to his former-meister. "A heads-up would've been nice."

"I thought you would have got it from the letter," Tabby retorted. "And that was such a simplified version of my awesome plan." It was Soul's turn to roll his eyes. Maka watched how they interacted and it made her blood boil. "Right, my partner got nabbed, so I followed the trail back here and decided it might possibly not be a good idea to storm the place on my own. I found out some info on them and decided the best way was to join them. In order to do that I needed leverage. I knew they wanted a Death Scythe, so I got them Soul. Everything was great and they finally let me in here, but my partner isn't here. Therefore I had to become a Multi-Meister properly so I didn't get kicked out."

"A slight problem with that though," Soul continued. "She isn't a Multi-Meister."

"Nope, not at all. Therefore it was a really good thing that I had dragged Soul into this, because I can wield Soul as I've done it before. That's when I told him what was going on. Then things went downhill as these guys decided they wanted to attack Shibusen. I went along with it, sorry about that fight, by the way. But it did give me a chance to leave that card. And that brings us up to now."

"Doesn't explain why you fought Maka," Kid pointed out.

"She wasn't taking no for an answer," Tabby turned to her rival. "You need to learn to take a hint. What part of 'I don't want to fight you' did you not get?"

Maka clenched both fists and gritted her teeth. In her mind she was going over all the ways she could kill Tabby Malone, each of them extremely painful.

"So where is your weapon?" Tsubaki asked, slightly more alert than she had been.

"In the vault," Tabby replied simply. "My partner is way too stubborn and difficult. None of them could use her so they locked her up. It's this way." She hopped to her feet and disappeared down a corridor. Maka, Soul, and Spirit followed her, but the rest stayed in the Armoury.

At the end of the corridor there was an ordinary door. Behind this door was another door, the key for which magically appeared in Tabby's hand. With the Vault open, they stepped inside. Shelves full of random, expensive looking items lined two walls, and a stolen painting was hung up at the back. Lying in the middle of the floor though, was a Tessen.

"Hey Kitty, I came to get you," Tabby murmured warmly. Immediately the Tessen flashed blue and returned to its human form. A three-year-old girl complete with blonde pig-tails and blue eyes. She looked as though she had been crying, but she had a big smile on her face when she saw her meister.

"Tabby-Cat!" She squealed as she scrambled to feet and ran at the red-head. Tabby knelt down and swept her into a hug, then picked her up so that the small child sat on her hip. "You found me!"

"Of course I did, was there ever any doubt?" Tabby replied in mock irritation. She then turned to the others, the people she had used to get her partner back. "Oh come on. You'd do anything for her too, wouldn't you?"

Spirit, Maka and Soul gaped at the toddler. "But she's just a baby...she can't be your weapon..."

"I told you I was a social worker, right?" Tabby reminded them. "Well, I was sent to check on the Redmond bloodline, and I found her parents. We had a talk where I managed to get them to admit that they had a child. As it turns out, Kitty here is the youngest ever recorded weapon, achieving partial transformation at the age of two. Her parents didn't know what she was so they abandoned her. Even after I found her and explained what she was they didn't understand, so I look after her. And yeah, she kinda became my weapon."

"That's so sad!" Spirit blubbered, his paternal instincts on overdrive. "How could a parent do such a thing!"

"Oh. So it's your weapon."

All of them swivelled at the voice. Standing just on the other side of the door was a tall man of Asian descent, Itsuki, the leader. He glared at them as if just his gaze could render them useless. Without a word Kitty returned to her Tessen form and Tabby prepared to fight, but Maka and Soul beat her to it. With an almost casual swing, they tore him in half, leaving only a floating soul in his wake. When Soul returned to human form he was standing facing Tabby and Maka had her back to him. The redhead pointed at her

"Scary woman."

-:-

And so the story ends. The Multi-Meisters were defeated and all our weapons were returned. Tabby and Kitty returned to the East Coast, after trying convince Soul to come home once in a while, and finally things began to return to normal.

Or as normal as they get at Shibusen.

Thank you to everyone who has read, reviewed, favourited and/or alerted this fic, I hope it's been as much fun to read as it has been to write :P

I have a few sequel ideas that may or may not include my OCs, depending on whether you guys like them or not. I've also got some angsty Soul stuff that I've already started writing and should be up soon.

And a final word from Kid:

I'm garbage! Asymmetrical garbage! Stripes on one side, but not the other? It's almost as bad as the number 7...I need 8 people! 8 I tell you!

(Or more...I'm not bothered :P)