I'm sorry. I feel like this chapter is total shit. o~o

Just got Slender. _ If you want to play its a free horror game, and I have the downlode link fo Windows and Mac.

【-✖- Hϊsαhαяu -✖- 】

CALL of MADNESS

Chapter 3

See no evil, hear no evil, speak no evil...

"Oy, stitch face," Soul leaned forward abit later, making Maka nervous. Soul didn't mean hardly anything he said in way of mean names and such, but Maka didn't want the dissection loving scientist to get upset in such a…desolate landscape. "Can we pull over soon? I'm getting restless and wanna move around."

"Sure," Stein shrugged, running a spare hand down his face. "I need a smoke, anyway."

Maka's ears perked up at that. She was learning new things though the silence, if she focused hard enough. She was staring at Stein, she knew it and he knew it, but it was a calculating stare he didn't seem to mind much. He was a odd guy, true, but kinda cool.

The stitches on his face where real, not some make up thing to try and look 'cool' or 'badass.' His glasses weren't real prescription—is she squinted and looked at them closely she could see though them with her fine eyesight. His hair seemed to not be naturally colored that way, but something had been done to it to make it silver. She thought maybe he experiment on it or something, but she doubted he dyed it.

His eyes where this odd sea green, his face clear and slightly pale. His mouth was very expressive; she'd caught him frowning in thought, smiling while talking to her father earlier, and heartily commenting about things Soul or Maka talked about in the limo. He had that odd voice, but he wasn't all that bad. He seemed harmless enough.

But then again, she could see him ripping people apart late at night and using their bodies as cadavers.

It was a pleasant thought. Not.

Before Maka could think about anything—or anymore at all, really—they pulled into a gravel road to the side. Peering through too-dark windows and squinting, she could see a small store in front of them. As soon as Stein got out, Soul, knowing it was no longer locked, jumped through the door and practically ran into the store.

Stein chuckled. "He really hates being in the car, doesn't the?"

"Yeah," Maka sighed, pulling her small form from the limo and shifting anxiously besides the Doctor. Just because she didn't want to be rude didn't mean she also didn't want to run into the store and never come out. "In Brink we where only inside at night, sometimes we'd stay out over that to find some Kisshu."

Stein 'hunn'ed', shrugging a shoulder and pulling out a cigarette. Maka, taking it that the conversation was over, she started to retreat into the store. "Maka!"

She turned her head, eyes wide.

"Don't try to escape, and tell Soul that window in the bathrooms not big enough."

Blinking, Maka could only quicken her pace into the run. How had he known she'd thought about running away? And what was that about the bathroom window? Rummaging into a small isle and fishing out a bag of Cheetos, she glanced down at the price. "Holy...!"

"Yeah," Soul said besides her now, making her jump. "The prices here are crazy. 1.50? We only had to pay, like, 50 cence for some in Brink…But its not just the Cheetos, everything here is expensive."

Shaking her head tiredly, Maka sighed. She was sure her father had money for her in the car, but she didn't want to use his money. Raising a hand to her head, she tried to focus past another headache and hear Soul.

"I tried to see if we could fit through the bathroom window in the boys. It was to high, but maybe I could give you a boost, and you can pull me over."

"Stein already knows what your planning, he said, and I quote, 'tell Soul the window in the bathroom is to small."

Soul cursed, nodding. "Probably…Creep."

Maka, no matter how much she didn't really want to , nodded. The guy was kinda a creep...There was just something so…off about him. Like he could read all her emotions and almost tell what she was thinking. "Maybe we should just…Run for it. Take the door and go around, even if he see's us, and run."

Soul was silent for a moment, thinking about it. Finally, he shrugged with his sharp, toothy grin. "He can't be to young, after all, if he knows the dinosaur that's your Dad."

Maka chuckled, grinning as wide as Soul was. They grasped eachothers hand, resting foreheads against one another's. It was something they often did; showing team work and strength; Maka didn't know if Soul ever prayed when they did this, he looked like it, but she figured it would 'cramp his style' to pray. Maka didn't; they where alone here—God wasn't going to sweep down and save their asses if things went bad.

When they pulled apart, Maka saw Soul eye the bag of Cheetos. "We are not going to rob the place, Soul."

"Oh, come on! The prices are stupid!"

"We're still not going to jack anything."

Grumbling, Soul followed her out of the store, the bell on the door making a clang as they closed it. There Stein was, leaning against the car calmly. He lifted a hand and jerked his head to the car, telling time it was time ot head out. Maka nodded, and her and Soul stepped off the sidewalk. It took a spit second for the action to happen, almost like it was choreographed.

But if you where like Maka, you'd understand perfectly.

Soul's wavelength flared, telling her he was ready and transforming. Maka's hand shot out, her own ripple responding to his. It was like a magnet; her wavelength made his, which was all that he was in the state inbetween shifting—a wavelength, move towards her hand. She grasped him, turning around and sprinting in the opposite direction as the transformation finished.

Oh, this was going to be hard if she wasn't careful.

Stein was a meister, that was obvious by the wavelength, but before this Maka hadn't thought to stop and use her sight to look at his soul. She hoped it would be small, showing he wasn't hugely powerful.

She was wrong, she knew it the second she moved to turned away to run. Stein's soul flared out, growing into a cold and Hospital scented breeze as wafted over them, making Maka stumble slightly. "Go, Maka!" Soul edged.

Maka did. She ran, her metal boots hitting the desert ground as she tried to pick up momentum, the dead tree around her not doing much to assist her in shelter. After a minute or two of resisting the erge to look back and see where he was, she tilted Soul's 'eye' behind them. "Where is he?"

"I can't see him!"

Shit. Maka was in a place she didn't know a rats ass about, with a Master meister—judging by his wavelength—and he had food, water, and a car. She really hoped limo's weren't that fast.

"Look out, Maka! Lean left!"

Maka, doing as Soul said out of trust, hissed as something zoomed past the air and into a tree by her right. Skidding to a halt as turning around in jump, she made a startled sound at the sight.

Stein, running extreamly fast, was leaning so far into the ground it seemed almost impossible. His soul, which Maka was using her sight to see, was huge…and had a screw going through it. And he was throwing…scalpels. "Shit!" She cursed, turning back around and starting to run.

"Maka, think! We have to get the advantage, we're totally on the losing side right now." Maka nodded biting into her lower lip. "Not to mention your running outta steam," Soul continued.

"Shut up, Soul!"

But he was right; her adrenaline was running low, and her legs where starting to ach painfully right along with her lungs. His steps where getting closer-she could hear them if she concentrated over her own breath. A tree caught the corner of her eyes, coming up in her path, and she started to slow down. "Maka!? Go!"

"I can't, S-!"

Maka cut herself off mid lie, tossing Soul into the tree and wrapping her arms around the slender trunk. Her booted—metal- feet slammed into Stein's stomach, and he hit the ground and tumbled with a 'oof.' The tree broke, and Soul snickered from his form. Grabbing him and twisting him free, she started running once more.

It took Stein a few seconds to get back up, but less then she was expecting. Roughly twenty seconds later, Soul proclaimed 'she better get her ass moving, because stitch face was gaining'. Hissing in pain, she demanded her feet to go faster, and thankfully, they did as told. Every time Maka would lean to the left, spotting something that would help- like cover, a scalpel would fly dangerously close to her face.

"He's herding us!" Soul snarled angrily, not truly mad, just in the heat of battle. Maka 'hurrumped', and as soon as the exclamation was out, Stein stopped being quiet about it.

Hurling scalpels like rocks, he started making them go to the right, sometimes more sharply then the other. He wasn't afraid to hurt Maka, she could tell that. When she didn't comply as he wanted a scalpel took a good nick of her arm once or twice, though nothing bad- just sting like a bitch. Testing him again, she jerked back from when the scalpel sliced into the air. Right where her side would have been. "I can't stop him."

"Damn…" Soul sighed. "Looks like we're just gonna have to go…and fight where he wants to fight."

Maka grunted, letting Stein herd them…Which wasn't hard. It was obvious that Stein would be more then happy to have Maka slow down and let it just be over, but she couldn't do that. She wouldn't fail Soul!

"Hey, stitch face! Enjoying the view, you pedophile!" Soul screetched, taunting him. Maka suddenly wondered what he meant before a responding scalpel hit his blade.

"Goddamn it! Watch where the hell you throw those damn things! Creeper!" Soul half phased out of his weapon form, raising a hand to point at what she assumed was Stein behind them. "You lived with Spirit, right? Talk about gay, man! I bet you did more then exp-Goddamn it!" A scalpel hit Soul, making him growl in pain. "Son ovva-!" Another whizzed by, cutting a bit off Soul's hair.

"Soul, maybe you should st-"

"HE CUT MY HAIR!" Soul screeched, making Maka's ear's ring.

Before Maka could even respond with more than a eyeroll, the wall was coming up. "Cover!" She hissed happily, a new splash of adrenaline running through her. Her thin but powerful legs went faster and faster, making Soul shout at Stein in triumph. Pushing herself to the extreme—knowing she might regret it, Maka's boots made straight contact with the wall. Up and up, she went faster then gravity could pull her down, successfully running up the wall.

"Let's see you do that, ya' nasty hair-clipping-scalpel-throwing creeper!"

"Sou-" was all Maka got out before she slammed against the side wall of a metal house, her shoulder taking the blow. Her small body sagged as she struggled to keep upright. Breath panting through her lungs and fingers shaking on Soul's scythe, the only thing Maka could bring herself to feel was happy that she had atleast a little bit of something besides open area.

Soul transformed, using his arms to help her lift up and take some of her weight. "Where did he go?"

"Probably trying to find a way inside," but as soon as she said it, a noise caught both their attention in the otherwise soundless night air. It was a eerie rolling sound that made Maka snap forward, standing at the gate she was unable to exit out of with Soul's scythe form tightly clenched in her fingers. Her legs shook too bad, knees quivering and begging for her to let them give out. Her hands on Soul where sweaty, cold moisture rolling down her face and chin, a drop hitting the pavement.

After a moment of actually looking at where they where, Maka cursed in shock. "Soul, this is his hou-!"

The stitched doors burst open, a few moments later a chair popped out, catching on the bottom door frame. Stein fell back, without saying 'ow', even, and patted his back area. Puffs of dirt came off of his lab coat in a otherwise funny manor, if not for the situation.

"Lets try that again."
And he scooted back into the house, a few seconds later the rolling sound coming again. Steins form emerged form the shadows, but caught on the floor once more and he fell. This time he got up with a groan, and then sat back down. His face tilted so Maka could see his slanted eye through the rounded glasses. "So, how can I help you?"
She needed to distract him, recover. Then maybe she could try and flee again with Soul; there was no way they where going to win a fight against a Master meister. That was like a human poking a Kisshu with a stick.

"You are one really, really, creepy dude, man," Soul groaned.

Stein just lifted his head slightly, grinning at him. Stein was treating them as if he didn't know them, like they hadnt just tried to escape him with everything they had in their minor arsenal. He probably had some sort of plan, or something...Special power? Who knew? "Your meister looks tired Soul, right, Maka?"

She refused to do more then try and stop her legs from shaking.

"You two could always stay at my house to recuperate, of course." He offered almost playfully.

"Hell no!" Soul grunted.

Stein just shrugged, his eyes flipping to Maka, who almost shivered under the sea-green depths. There was nothing he was doing that was outwardly scary, it was just the underlining taste of insanity, the tang of it lifting from the air around his body almost like a plausible and physical scent.

It was...choking.

Maka suddenly could see in her mind's eye it not being sweat rolling down her legs, but the hilt of his scalpel, rolling over her skin before he flipped the blade over with the cruelest of smiles on his face, running the other end down and cutting through her skin like it was butter, the scalpel heated by the warm flesh of his large and steady hand-

Swinging the blade of Soul forward and slicing down, Maka couldn't help but let out a sharp whimper at the all too real imagination. Stein kicked off the floor and swung an arm out to slam solidly into Maka's middle, sending her falling backwards with a groan of the bones. Lashing out with her arms to hopefully hit him, he kicked against one of the pillars of his home to send himself rolling backwards fast enough the blade couldn't damage any already stitched skin.

The bottoms of Maka's boots scratched comfortingly against earthen material and she stopped before ramming into something from the hit, though she knew damn well the bruises that where developing where going to be absolutely freakin' beautiful.

Stein was already recovering too, from just about nothing-considering, but spinning in the chair again and kicking off the doors to bound towards the weapon/meister pair. Sliding Soul in a spinning block to deflect Stein's palms from hitting echo of them, her teeth gritting together at how he spun and easily went in and out of their attacks unharmed.

Each time he himself progressed with his hits, his face got closer and closer to Maka's, letting the smell of madness scream into her being, making small black dots dance in her vision. This was the same man she sat in the car with calmly? Kami-sama*, he was going to rip her limp from limb, slowly, pull her apart... Damn, it was happening again, the little flashes of terrible, tiny visions.

This had to end quickly, because Maka was already getting light headed from the madness swimming so close to her brain.

Slamming Soul's blade and vaguely registering the grunt he made at the bone jarring slam it made with Stein's metal chair, Maka's foot slid to the ground in a side crouch as she flung the chair forcefully away from them. Stein stood from the chair eerily before it was flung away, his taller and lean frame standing stark against the dark sky in contrast.

Then...Then...He would reach forwards and wrap his hand around her neck and watch her lips go blue...Her eyes would roll backwards until the whites of her eyes where all that could be seen. Then Stein would lean forward and smile widely, teeth pointed and horrifying as he talked into her ear. "See no evil, hear no evil..." His teeth would snap into her neck, rendering her bleeding out in his arms as he severed her arteries furiously. "...Speak no evil..."

That was it, that was it, that was iiiiittt. "Soul Resonance! Witch Hunter!" Maka and Soul's voice doubled together, the hum of power ebbing into Soul's blade and making the once quiet scythe grow slightly. Slamming it towards Stein, Maka expected a dodge, though it would be hard at that range, but instead the meister man's hands slammed together on the blade, pressing into the power and eradicating and tumbling the wavelength.

The move failed, sending Maka flying into the floor with a bone crunching smack.

Stein seemed caught in the fight for a moment, ignoring the obvious move to seize both the children and instead humming his own vibration into his hand. Soul, jumping from the ground, decided to go hand to hand with the meister in hopes his Meister decided to haul ass up. His arm locked in a scythe blade, heading to distract the Master meister for a short time. He was taking on hits and bruises pretty fast.

Maka wasn't doing too hot, either.

Her sides exploded in pain from Stein's hits that'd slipped through her blocking, her leg muscles still twitcheing from the acid created by muscle overwork, jellying and cramping her legs to a state so harsh tears sprang in her eyes. Her shoulder was already a massive bruise from the ram into the wall earlier, on top of it small cuts and stinging pebbles where lacerated in her skin so deep she thought for sure even the scientist would fail to get them all out.

Lungs burning in her small chest, Maka' could feel a pain induced sleep drifting from the fuzzy edges of her brain, rising up until her eyes shut. Really, when had they become so heavy? And Soul...Soul could hold off and take care of Stein...just as long as she got a few seconds of sleep...Just...A few...

Get up, little woman.

Maka jumped completely, her back going ramrod straight in the adrenalin that shot from some part of the gray matter of her mind that was probably almost out of the chemical. The voice was to clear, nothing like a dream at all, and the cold presence of a freezing hand on her bare neck was far, far more than her imagination. The dream, the man at the stand, this, it was all getting to weird. Something was up and it could be bad...her mind might be affected my madness, judging by the things that where presenting themselves...

All Maka's thoughts where going so fast now, her mind going into subjects not fit for things like battle time. Already standing, Maka's eyes ran over her partners battered body, his arms hanging loosly by his side, wounded by the limpness of the muscle being worked over my the vibrations of the other man's wavelength. Stein was unharmed, though his glasses where crushed, but the odd thing was, he stopped his assault and was staring directly at her, looking so sane she considered his having an evil twin.

Turning towards her partner, the mad scientists hands 'zinged' with electricity like trembles as he pressed both hands over Soul's head, who was charging. Her partner screamed out, the sound chilling Maka's heart, and blood seeped from his mouth in a detonation caused by internal bleeding.

"I hope I don't have to do that to you," Stein turned, making the small girl spin to a stop. He grabed Soul by the back of his shirt, hauling him up and over his shoulder. Striding to the doors to the house and pressing a finger in the lock and twisting, he walked out without looking over his shoulder. He knew she'd follow.

Maka did, because she knew she didn't have a choice.

Medical attention was needed, and it was hopeless to fight back in this state...

Weeeeeeeee~ Cliffhanger?

Kinda.

Well, yeah. This sucked cuz' I suck at battle shit. Oh well.

Some doctor persons probably going to say something, but I'll ignore it.

Besides; In SE BlackStar was fine after he had internal bleeding, so why cant Soul!?

Because he's BlackStar...

Yay for writing.

Reviews are rewarded with love and pokes from Asura...Because hugging is just to mainstream. (And too much contact for him, probably.)

Sorry this sucked... DX More MakaXAsura in the next chapter. Wee.