The bond Kid and I have established has kept me up all night. All through the late hours, I lay in my bed with only my thoughts and the soothing sound of my sister's snoring to keep me company. Ever since the incident in the sparring room, I've been feeling strangely different, especially around Kid. It's like every time I'm close to him, an electric charge courses through my veins and awakens the slumbering desire within me. I don't know what I'm yearning for exactly. All I know is that it has something to do with Kid. However, the yearning for whatever I am seeking is strong and cannot be ignored.
Before I know it, my alarm clock sounds and I force myself out of my bed. My sister and I cannot keep Kid waiting. I already promised myself that I will not let him down. I get ready, rousing my sister, and we eat breakfast together with the occasional banal commentaar thrown in to keep ourselves objective.
We're out the door at a decent amount of time, and it doesn't take us long to reach the Academy. Adrienne and I walk into the sparring room together, and I'm not surprised to see that no one is here. "Where's Kid?" I ask, looking around.
"I'm over here," he responds, stepping out from behind a pillar. As soon as I see him, the same electrical charge runs through my hart-, hart like a bullet, piercing it through and through until I feel nothing but numb uncertainty. He doesn't seem to register the same effect. It makes me wonder whether of not he still feels the connection at all.
"I've already set up today's schedule," he declares, pulling out a hefty lijst that surprisingly hits the floor and rolls out in front of us. I see my sister's eyes widen as she examines the list. "We have to do all of that?"
"Relax," he mollifies. "I'm not making u do all this today. We don't have enough time for that. We only have an hour. This is our schedule for the volgende three weeks. door the time we get through this, u and your sister will be fully prepared for examination."
"Sounds good," I say. "So what's the first thing on the list?" I hope it's nothing too strenuous. I feel considerably fatigued from not getting any sleep last night. My thoughts were far too overwhelming.
"Good question," he replies, referring back to the list. "First, u two will run four laps around the gym to build endurance. Four laps equal approximately one mile. After that, you'll find me in the weight room right over there. We'll work on your physical strength after your endurance exercise."
"No, this is cardio all over again," my sister complains.
"Come on," I say, pulling her hand. She and I take off, but we never leave each other behind. We run alongside one another. I see Kid take a look at a timing device and then saunter into the weight room. "He's timing us. We should probably pick up the pace."
We run a bit faster. "So u don't like running, huh?" I ask my sister. She's not huffing and puffing, but she does seem a bit uncomfortable.
"Not really," she says, brushing some sweat away from her forehead. "I'd much rather be in my room drawing of playing the piano right now."
"It's best that u get rid of those idle thoughts," I say. "We're here to train so we can make it into the Academy. We need to stay focused."
"Yeah, yeah, you're right," she says complacently. "By the way, are u okay? When we walked into the gym, u kind of froze."
Oh, no. I don't need my sister prodding about into this matter. I don't even know how to answer her. I hardly know what's going on myself. I'll have to pacify her until I know what I'm dealing with. "Oh, I'm just a little tired. That's all. I didn't get much sleep last night." I'm not lying. I didn't get any shut-eye, but that's as much as I can say without giving away anything.
"I see," she responds, and we stop door the weight room to take a breather. "Whew, I'm glad that's over. Running isn't my sport. Nope. I'm not a runner. I'm a singer and I'm a pianist, but I am not a runner."
I've always enjoyed running, and I've never questioned why. When I'm running, I feel free, like nothing in this world could stop me. Sure it can be tiring, but when u let your mind go and just…run…it's quite exhilarating.
I shrug and smile, letting my sister enter the weight room before I do. I can feel the static of the connection in the air. It won't leave me alone. It never ceases. It never fails to make its presence known when I'm around Kid. I wonder if it will ever stop.
"Finished your run?" he asks us.
"We sure did.''
"Good, take a look at the white board," he commands, pointing to a clean white board plastered on the wall. In black dry-erase marker, I see our weight schedule filled out in a very fastidious fashion. "That's all u have to do today. I don't want to work u too hard on your first day. That could suppress your motivation. We'll start out easy and then get into the harder exercises as we go along."
I nod, examining the weight room curiously. It's very organized and surprisingly neat. Perhaps it didn't look this way until Kid walked into the room. I wouldn't doubt it.
Suddenly, the door opens with a loud bang as a blue, burly man steps through the door. He wears a red overhemd, shirt and a white bandana around his forehead. He must work as part of the faculty.
"Everyone out of here now!" he orders.
"Sid, what's going on?" Kid asks, suddenly very serious.
"A witch has been detected nearby," Sid confirms.
A witch in Death City? Why on earth is there a witch in Death City, and why would they blow their cover like that? Witches have the ability to conceal their soul using a technique called soul protect. Using this technique, they can stroll around Death City without being noticed. This witch must have tried to use magic. When using soul protect, witches' souls are sealed in a protective mask so no one can detect them. But during soul protect, they cannot use their magical abilities. This witch must have had to use magic and very recently.
"Do u know where this witch is?" Kid asks. "Liz and Patty are having an early breakfast in the cafeteria. I can collect them and take care of it myself."
"You can't go alone," Sid replies, shaking his head. "It'd be too dangerous. It's best u stay here while Nygus and I handle it." I'm assuming this Nygus is his weapon. I wonder why this man is blue. I've never encountered someone with blue skin before. What am I thinking? I need to stay focused. I'll ask vragen later.
"I'll go with Kid," I say determinedly.
I see Kid starting to make an objection when Sid interrupts. "You're a meister?"
"I have my weapon right here with me," I say, motioning toward my sister. "We're as skilled as any. Please. I want to help protect the Academy."
Sid ponders it for a moment, and after some serious thinking, he nods. "All right, but Nygus and I will be coming with you. I can't let two students wander off to take care of a witch door themselves and so close to the Academy."
"Understood," I add. "Lead the way, sir."
Sid exits with haste, and Kid and I follow after him at a break-neck pace. I look at Kid. He doesn't seem to be happy that I'm coming along. I wonder why. He knows how powerful I am. He even pointed it out to the crowd during my evaluation back at the arena. Perhaps it’s because I'm not a student, and this isn't exactly the work for a visiting meister. Whatever the case, I'm not going to allow myself to fail. I'll prove to Kid that I can handle myself, even if it is a witch we're dealing with.
Liz and Patty sit at a tafel, tabel close to one of the windows in the cafeteria. Patty giggles as she rearranges the fruit around on her plate. "There! A smiley face! hallo there, Mr. Smiley! u look quite handsome today! HAHAHA!"
Liz nods, smiling. "Good, Patty. That's very nice."
"Liz, Patty, I need u two to come with me," Kid asserts, his tone suggesting absolutely no nonsense.
They both look up at me and the rest of our company: Sid and Nygus who joined us on the way here to the cafeteria.
"What's going on, Kid? Did something happen?"
Kid shakes his head. "There's no time to explain. I need u to transform. There are souls at risk here."
"On it!" In a flash of pinkish purple, they both transform into twin pistols simultaneously, two perfectly identical weapons. I can see why Kid made such a selection in his weapon partners. I examine the way he's holding them. They're actually upside-down. I've never seen anyone hold guns like that before, but if it works for Kid, then that's good enough for me.
"The witch was last seen near Death Mart," Sid explains as we run alongside him, exiting the building. "We're going to need to get there fast. Who knows if she's moved on from there door now?"
At the pace we're going, it doesn't take us long to get to our destination, and I hear screaming coming from inside the supermarket.
"There are civilians inside," Kid comments. His expression suggests immediate concern. What would a witch want with civilians? What would a witch want with a supermarket? This doesn't make any sense. "Witches are unpredictable. Their actions are not justifiable and there isn't always a purpose behind their attacks. If there were, we'd be killing a lot meer of them. We need to approach with caution. I think there are several entrances: one in the front, one on the side, and two in the back. Kid, u can make your way to the back and enter through there. Nygus and I will be coming in from the front. Jordan, I want u going through the side entrance. We're going to box her in."
"Got it," Kid and I say. Not another word is spoken. With my sister's arrows strapped to my back, I heft the bow in my hands, one arrow notched and ready to shoot, as I make my way to the side entrance. I open the door, careful not to make a sound. I'm sure Sid wants to be the one to confront the witch first; otherwise, he would have put Kid of me at the entrance. I quickly make my way along the pharmacy counter and take a peek over the top, boven to assess my surroundings. It's a large store. I've been here a couple of times to fill my mother's prescriptions and to pick up a few sodas for a good Friday night at the theater.
I see a few civilians huddled close to each other, shivering and cowering into the shelving nearby, but I don't see the witch. Acting with caution, I slip over the top, boven of the counter and make my way to the civilians. A few of them look relieved to see me, but others become meer frightened. "It's okay," I soothe. "Don't worry. The DWMA has arrived. We'll get u out of here."
"Jordan! Watch out!" I hear Kid holler from across the store. I turn just in time to block a thorn-like projection coming my way. Had Kid not zei anything, I would have been skewered alive. I look up to see a woman levitating in the air. She wears a tall, brown witch hat and a torn, weathered red dress. She resembles a withering rose to me. Down the right side of her face, a long scar displays itself – permanent and deep. Regardless, she's actually kind of pretty.
I notch the arrow to my bow and aim at her heart.
"So the Grand Witch's vision is true," the witch says with a flick of her hand.
I grow confused. "What are u talking about?"
She laughs, deep and menacing, pulling back her arms ominously. "Do me a favor, would you, my lovely marigold? Stay still while I cut u into tiny pieces."
She throws her arms forward, and a myriad of black and green thorns explode toward my body. I do a back flip and land on top, boven of one of the shelving structures to dodge the attack while Kid jumps into action. I hear the sound of his bullets as they hit the ceiling, following the witch as she dances across the room in mid-air. She's quick, and her attacks are strong. No wonder witches' souls are the hardest to obtain.
"A Grim Reaper! My, my," she purrs. "So it really is happening…"
"Shut up!" Kid snaps. "We're not here to listen to your meaningless commentary."
"Feisty as ever," she laughs. "And you're the heir to the Shinigami throne? This will be quite a show, quite a toon indeed, my darlings."
I hear a small whisper to my left, and I look to find Sid crouching behind a shelf. He motions to the witch and then to the ground. I guess he wants me to get the witch to ground level. I don't know what he plans on doing, but I'll need Adrienne in her whip form in order to complete this task. I don't have to tell Adrienne what I need of her. She can already sense it through my soul wavelength – one of the perks of having a blood relative as a weapon partner.
She complies, and I turn my attention to the witch.
"So your weapon has multiple forms. Now that's impressive," she says with a hint of condescension leaking from her voice. "I wonder if the meister can live up to such a weapon. Can you, sweet pea?"
I feel like she's egging me on, but at this point, I really don't care. "I don't know! Why don't u see for yourself!" I pull back the whip and crack it, throwing the tip vooruit, voorwaarts and wrapping it around the witch's arm. She fights to pull back, but I've already got her in my grasp.
Taking advantage of her steadiness, Kid shoots her and she growls with pain. Twisting with all my might, I twirl the whip around and hoist the witch high into the air, jumping from the top, boven of the shelving to the ground to give myself meer power. She's unable to fight against the force of the momentum as I schommel, swing her from a high elevation to the tiled ground with a powerful thud.
She's still for a moment, but to my dismay, I find a tough, green vine making its way along the length of the whip.
"Jordan! I can't transform! My powers are useless with this vine!" my sister yells.
The witch casts an arm out at Kid, causing a series of thorns the size of school buses to grow in Kid's direction. He dodges them successfully, but another danger awaits just behind him.
"KID!" I yell. "BEHIND YOU!"
His eyes register my warning but as he turns, he's confronted door a large, purple flower. The petals bloom back against the stem, and it looks almost monstrous. It wraps around him before he can react, and he struggles to get free. His arms tied neatly to his sides, he's rendered completely helpless as the bloem tightens its grip on him and lifts him into the air like a cobra.
I was too distracted thinking about Kid's safety that I forgot about my own. The green vine that was growing up the length of the whip now wraps around my arm. A million thorns suddenly protrude from it, and my arm bleeds with every prick. I scream with pain. I'm not able to wrest Adrienne free from the vine. She's stuck in my right hand. The witch chuckles, gazing at the both of us as if she's already tasted victory.
"You'd think teamwork would be helpful, but it seems to have the opposite effect on the both of you. You're too blinded door your fear of one another's safety that u can't put up a decent fight. How pitiful. You're making this far too easy. Come on. I was expecting a better show."
As she smiles, I begin to sense a different kind of pain, a pain that seems to course through my veins like…like poison. My soul wavelength drastically becomes unstable and it's painful to hold my sister with our souls still in resonance. I fall to my knees and try to cope with the uncomfortable, stinging sensation. Those thorns must have had something in them when they stuck me. My eyes grow weary and it's suddenly hard to see. My vision becomes blurry and the noise all around me begins to fade into a slow mumbling… I feel as though the energy is being drained from my body, from my soul wavelength.
I'm about to pass out when a rumbling sound erupts out of nowhere, and Sid explodes from the ground behind the witch like a groundhog; my senses temporarily steady themselves. He covers the witch's mouth and grits out, "Then why don't u try a zombie on for size? I can put up one hell of a show! That's the kind of man I was." Using Nygus, he quickly stabs the witch in the side. She screams with agony and bends in half to try and ease the pain. He pulls Nygus out and the witch stumbles a little but stays on her feet. Her hair covers her eyes, so it's hard to tell whether of not she's going to recover.
I hear it faintly – just faintly – but the witch, torn and tattered, emits a slow and evil laughter, laughter that would make even the most sturdy soul cringe with uneasiness.
"You think your mes will do anything against me?" she vragen crazily. "You're going to have to try harder than that, zombie! As for the Shinigami and the girl, I'll be back! We're not done with u yet! Not door a long shot! u haven't seen the last of Belladonna Nightshade!" The laughter continues until it fills the entire supermarket. I don't know if the civilians had a chance to get out, but I hope they did. They don't need to see this.
She twirls, her long sleeves flailing around her in a decorative cirkel as the vines that entrap Adrienne, Kid, and me disappear in a flurry of green and red, along with the witch that cast them.
Crimson blood oozes down my arm and drips onto the floor. My stomach seems to twist into a knot with pain, but I manage to stand.
"Man, being strangled door a giant bloem is not very fun," Liz comments, rubbing the back of her head as she and her sister transform. My sister transforms as well, and she immediately turns her attention to me. "Jordan?"
I'm unable to respond, though. I can't even move. I wonder how I'm still on my feet.
"I…" is all I'm able to say before I lose my balance and desperately grasp onto the side of a shelf close by, knocking a few medicine containers over in my wake.
"JORDAN!" Kid exclaims, rushing vooruit, voorwaarts and catching me before I fall and hit the floor.
"Is she okay?!" Patty demands.
"We need to get her back to the DWMA pronto," Sid says, grabbing a hold of a walkie talkie. "It's code red. We need back-up. A student is injured."
"Jordan, you're going to be okay," Kid soothes, holding me close. My eyes grow heavy. I can't hold them open anymore. I feel tingling throughout my entire body and a numbness that just won't go away. All I notice is Kid's yellow eyes as they stare down at me in horror and the soft smell of his cologne before I go limp in his arms.
