Daughter Of Madness [Kid X Fem!Chrona]

Bait and Switch

Maka sat on the stone steps of Shibusen in a daze as the sun began to dip below the horizon. The news that Chrona had been a spy, had driven Stein into madness, had set her reeling. Every interaction she had with the skittish miester had been called into question. Moments she once chalked up to being socially awkward now seemed doubly suspicious. But Maka trusted her sight, and not once had she seen an ounce of malice in the girl. It just didn't make sense, she seemed happier here than when they met. Was it all a lie? Chrona's banishment made it near impossible to hear her side of the story. Maka knew one thing for sure, this was Medusa's fault, it had to be. But still, that didn't make it stop hurting. She thought, of anyone here, Chrona would have confided in her about such things.

"Hey!" A booming voice shook her out of her stupor.

"Black Star, what are you doing here?" Maka asked. She looked over her shoulder at the flamboyant ninja with mild irritation. To be honest, she didn't have her usual wealth of patience and maturity to draw on at the moment.

"Well, you seemed so distraught without me, I figured I'd make an appearance." The boy chuckled. "So here is your god!" He posed dramatically. The wind pulled at his scarf for dramatic flair.

"That's not why I was upset." Maka turned her attention to the skyline and kept her back to the boy. Black Star stumbled backward in an over the top demonstration of shock.

"It's not?" He took a seat on the steps next to her. "What on Earth could be more important than me?" Maka pointedly turned her head away from him, not wanting to show a single tear.

"Chrona's gone." Maka sniffled. "She betrayed us and ran off."

"Oh, is that all?" Black Star stated blandly. "How boring. I thought something else had happened."

"How could you say something like that?" She stood from the steps to lecture him. "She's our friend and her banishment means nothing to you!? I can't believe you could be so selfish! Argh, sometimes you just make me so mad!"

"But not sad." He looked up at her expectantly.

"What?" The anger faded from her expression, more confused now than ever.

"You're mad at me, so you aren't sad anymore." He said.

"Yeah...I guess." She puzzled at him in silence for a moment, afraid to press further and risk another outburst of ego.

"Well then, I have to go." He stood and dusted off his pants. "Wouldn't want to get a Maka chop to my glorious head and all." He turned and casually walked away, leaving her behind in the dwindling twilight. "See ya later Maka." Usually after a mission, Black Star would have gone straight home, yet he'd gone out of his way to check on her. Albeit in his own unorthodox fashion. Maka had stayed at the school long past curfew in hopes she could return home in brighter spirits and focus on her upcoming mission. Perhaps, the ninja was trying to help her cheer up as well.

It worked.

-8-0-8-

That morning; Maka, Soul and Blair were scheduled to investigate an abandoned factory in Russia that was rumored to be making madness. Lord Death couldn't offer any more information, other than the factory had been closed for at least six years. He did, oddly enough, request she take Kid and his team with them. It appeared the grim reaper didn't want his son to be alone at the moment. Not that she blamed him, the reaper's son seemed uncharacteristically distracted. If nothing else, these small missions could help them stay focused on keeping madness at bay.

The group advanced on the decrepit factory, steam billowed about them as they looked for an entrance. Maka tried to fan the steam away to get a better look at the factory. Low, pitiful groans echoed out of every pipe and vent, like a dying calf.