Daughter Of Madness [Kid X Fem!Chrona]

In the Heat of Chaos

Everyone was eager to get off the ship the moment it had landed. Partly because of the final battle to come, mostly because the ship was full to capacity. When they finally congregated outside, no longer standing shoulder to shoulder, there was nothing. Endless white met their eyes, oddly serene considering the circumstances. The first squad moved forward. A wave of madness radiated throughout the moon. Stein held out his arm to halt the group's advance and took a few cautious steps forward to test the area. In an instant a hose shot out of the ground and coiled around his legs. He jumped in time to avoid the strike.

"We've been ambushed!" Stein warned. Clowns crawled out of craters and begun to attack the recruits that arrived with the Death Scythes. Stein blocked a drop kick from an armless clown. Brilliant yellow hair concealed her eyes, the bottom half of her legs razor sharp stingers.

"He who dares enter Claudia's domain," it spoke through sharp teeth, "shall face the wrath of the Kishen." Stein prepared to attack with a Soul Menace, but the yellow and black clown anticipated it and jumped out of reach.

-8-0-8-

Maka sighed and gently brushed Soul's hands off her shoulders. They had pinpointed an area of Italy where the madness seemed to spike. However, Maka couldn't find Chrona's wavelength. It was almost like she had soul protection up.

"There are too many people, I can't sense her." Truth be told, she had lost touch with Chrona's wavelength through the ever growing wall of madness. Maka wanted to pass her own judgment on her. If nothing else, to see if things were really as bad as they seemed.

"We'll find her Maka," Tsubaki said, "there's only so many places she could be."

"Sure, we'll just start wandering around;" Soul said, "'Excuse me have you happened to see a demon sword anywhere?'"

"You're not helping Soul." Kim groaned. Black Star clapped his hands.

"O.K. Maka, time for a crash course in the way of the assasin." He declared.

"What about her Soul perception?" Ox asked.

"Silence non-believer! I know what I'm doing." He pointed at everyone. "Now turn away, this is an exclusive lesson! Except you Tsubaki, you know this already." He turned to Maka. "Now I want you to close your eyes and focus, not on souls, but what I'm about to tell you." He whispered his next instruction into her ear. "The assassin's second rule. Tune into your target; predict his thoughts and actions." Maka gave him a confused look.

"What about the first rule?" She asked at normal volume.

"Ah! That's not important right now." Black Star waved off her question, then frowned. "Now close your eyes and focus; focus is key. If she knew she was in danger, where would she go?" Maka took a deep breath. Crona wouldn't run off to someplace unfamiliar. She go someplace dark, secluded; a place where she could keep an eye on the entrance. It was difficult, Maka only knew a few places from the last time she had come to Florence. Then it hit her, the last time she was in Florence she had met Chrona for the first time.

"We have to check the Basilica." Maka said. "If she's still here, that's where she'd go." The gang set off toward the church.

-8-0-8-

Noah and Gopher had been a few yards away from where the ambush had taken place. All it took was a few steps to separate themselves from the huge battle that had begun.

"Well, well, well; If it isn't two-face and his monster, or would it be seven face?" A dual tones voice chuckled. "I hadn't expected to see you again." Half of the man's face was enveloped in fire. Gopher's frown instantly deepened.