When You’re Lost “Here”

... [Sighs] That was an uncomfortable past couple of days...

In the end, it turns out that Death Scythe and Maka were not the only ones acting strange. That mist, or whatever was effecting all of us... Which ever part of that stuff controlled us like it did, it must have been really potent. It sounds like the whole city had all kinds of problems from that incident last week. It's too bad that the scientists didn't share a bit of their "wisdom" along with us, right? Maybe they were the ones laughing at us that time.

Still, it sounds like someone was listening to you, Jackie. The world didn't end after all. ...I'm sorry about what happened to your friend though.

Not sure if I should be glad for that or not.

( Private to Maka; Hackable )

( Private to Kadaj; Hackable )

[The video feed is turned on, with some light snow in the beginning. It reveals Soul looking down at it from an upward angle. He is standing with his hands tucked into his jacket's pockets.]

Is this thing on? Kind hard to tell...

[He picks it up, one of his fingers covering up a small part of the bottom of the screen.] Ah, sorry.

[After he moves it away, the communicator is pointed outward from the stoop in front of the Latimir Apartments. He points it to the left.] Nothing over there. [Pans it wobbily over to the center, near the corner of Lander Boulevard.] ...or there.

And... [More wobbily panning, finally to the right over toward Horizon Park.] ...still nothing there. It's been quiet for once, and so maybe this guard duty job isn't so bad. Still pretty boring as hell though.

I thought that I'd see more of those dogs. I can hear them barking sometimes. Oh, and if that means they're chomping on someone's guts, then I hope they're not yours. [He gives a light chuckle.] Come to think of it, there was a strange light further down on Lander... Was someone out with a flashlight? It didn't look like fire. Too dim.

[He sighs and puts the communicator down on a lower step on the stoop.] Okay, report's over. [He settles back on the stairway, his arms crossed behind his head.]

Some of you guys ask too many damn questions about me. You think that a weapon is just something that you're supposed to swing around while you try to keep it from rusting.
Man... It's like your head is stuck in a box. Never take something for what it seems, because it might be cooler than you think in the end.

Hm. Almost forgot... Jenny, Prince, Kadaj, Linda and you too, "Stoneface." Let me show you something. [He picks up the communicator, and aims it up toward the star-filled sky.]

Night sky. Right above your heads, and you might not even blink twice before you notice it. Hangs over your head every time the sun goes down. No big deal right? A friend of mine back home used to say that he'd be bigger than the heavens. But he's a dumbass. He can barely collect on a single soul because he's too busy trying to be awesome.

But you know what? He's one of the biggest badasses I've ever met in my life, and that's not just in attitude... [He puts the communicator back down, and then points a thumb at his heart.] But in here too. That's what truly makes him cool. So, just think about that, and... [He pauses and then sighs, sitting up and scratching his head.]

Crap. I'm still no good at this stuff. [Soul reaches over and switches the device off, ending the transmission.]

[The creak of old bedsprings transmits, and Soul grunts as he stretches out his arms.]

Whew. Am I ever glad that is finally over with. [He scratches a hand through his hair.]

Nn...? Maka? ... Is she gone?

[A pause] Oh well. I'm sure that she couldn't have gotten very far, and it doesn't look like old man Death Scythe is around either.

[Another pause, and his stomach grumbles off-radio.] Aaah. I'm starving... and the counter is still broken from the last time too. As for the door it-... What the hell? What did he do to it? Uh... You know, old man... Repair work is clearly not your forte. Maybe you should have let me handle it after all. That thing probably couldn't keep out a breeze.

[There is a sound of his headband being slipped carefully around his hair, followed by footsteps.] Whatever. I guess I might as well make use of the quiet to try to get a few things done around here. That Edgeworth guy will probably want this knife back, since it's not like I'm going to be needing it anymore. Hn. Maybe I'll give it to that Momotaros guy if I ever happen to run into him again...

Oi, Jackie. You still have my jacket, right? Thanks for holding onto it for me during all this time. I'll try to pick it up on my way back to Latimir. It's not like I'm in any hurry to get it back with the weather being this hot.

[Casually, with the sound of a door creaking.] I'm off.

( Private; Unhackable )

Nngh. ... AAAAAAAAAAAAAH!!

[There is the sound of a bedsheet being fiercely shifted, and the sound of Soul gasping for air.] Hah... hah...

...

Mmrgh. [He starts coughing violently into one of his hands, before doubling over. An empty retching sound follows, but nothing comes of it. He's already been there before.]

Hah... Che. [He flops backwards onto the bed, and is quiet for a minute more until he speaks to himself again.]

This sucks.

"I think I can deal..." Maybe so, but when will this garbage end? Mm?

[Soul notices that the communicator has been left on beside his bedside. He must have been trying to keep up with things earlier, but fell asleep. There's the sound of a light facepalm before he goes to pick it up.]

Aah. Sorry you had to hear that... I just had a bad dream, that's all. I'm fine.

Nngh! Well, maybe not completely. Heh. This is so gross, but man am I hungry.

My shoulder is feeling better, and so I decided to come back to the apartments from the clinic not long after that last message was recorded. I didn't want to waste their space.
Heh. I... guess that I caught a bug somewhere along the way. But I should be better in a few days. It's probably just a flu bug, and so I'll get it out of my system eventually. Just need to get some rest for awhile.

[Sigh] Still, this is boring as hell. I don't even have any manga to read.

[[ooc Soul came back to Death Scythe's apartment for awhile, where... uh... Stein probably tried to run him out with a good excuse. But with that done, he finally got his chip removed and is starting to feel the icky side effects from it. More fun and hijinx await, so stay tuned for more in a few days. Or whenever inspiration strikes me again.]]

[There is a loud banging noise coming from the other side of the apartment door, still broken off its hinges and currently being held up by Soul with his arms outspread on both sides. He seems to be taking a beating from the door for every time an unknown creature keeps forcing itself against it. The only clue being the corpsey arm of a Nurse, which reaches vainly around the doorway within the next huge slam.]

Dammit. Will you get the hell out of here already! [He rears the door back, trapping the arm in between the space between the door and the frame. It snaps with a loud crack and falls to the floor, leaving the Nurse howling in pain on the outside.]

Ugh. I think I'm going to be sick... And why are these things suddenly inside the apartment building anyway!?

There are... [WHAM!] [The door starts being forced open again.] Better haunts... [WHAM!] Than this dump!

[As he continues to try to hold the door back, the sound of a baby wailing can be heard coming from the walls among all the noise.]

Oh, that is it. [He bares his teeth and jumps back a short ways, letting the door fall to the floor while he pulls out a knife.]

[A sensual moan can be heard from the other side of doorway, but the Nurse can't be seen from the way the communicator is angled. Soul shouts, and the sound of a struggle ensues until the monster lets out one final wail signaling its death.]

...

[Sighs] There. One down, many more to go... [His hand picks up the communicator, and it is switched over to audio once he realizes that its been left on.] Oi! You guys on patrol! I'm here on the fifth floor, just tell me where to go.

And has anyone seen Chrona yet?

Welcome back, Linda... Chrona. Heh. In the end, it looks like I was the useless guy after all, huh?

That's great... To wake up and find someone who is important to you standing right in front of your face. Maybe I'll luck out too, someday.

Hm. So I guess I missed the party, huh? Sorry, Nill. I'll try to find you something nice, if you want. Though I doubt that there is much to be found in a dump like this.

To be honest, I haven't had a lot of time to think about things like that lately. After that little bit of quiet, in came the noise. I'd thank you for giving me the chance to vent some pent-up energy and stress, but first you have to work on remembering my name, you demon-faced bastard. At this rate, even the Princess is starting to look smarter than you. And speaking of brats... I think that I almost forgot about someone. I wonder what he's up to now?

The air has been feeling different around here lately, and I've been suffering from a bad headache that has been coming and going over the last few days. ...Something is up, but I just can't put my finger on it. Thankfully, I don't need to do my homework. It seems that a few of you guys have gone down into the subway and done that much for me.

[Sighs audibly, and scratches his head] So... has anyone seen my shoes anywhere? I set them down beside the couch before I went to sleep a few days ago, and by the time I woke up the next morning they were gone. After hearing what's been going on, I'm not about to spaz out over it like some of you have been doing lately. I've seen weirder things than shoes running around by themselves back home. But... my socks aren't going to last very long at this rate.

Nn...? Oi, and am I the only one who is starting to hear things scratching around the apartment at night?

( Private to Kadaj; Hackable )

( Private to Dr. Stein; Hackable )

...

I'm still waiting, Ness. Hurry it up, before I have to go over there and knock some sense into you myself.

It looks like the so-called "secret" hit list is out. So what are you all going to do about it? And I don't just mean the ones who want to act, but the "victims" themselves.
It's bad enough that you weren't able to get this information out before she... Nngh.

I hope you all have a plan for this, or else I'd advise you to follow his lead if you are able to fight. It looks like he has his head on straight. Not many people do during a crazy time like this.

[Sighs] In any case, as you might have heard from that girl and Deathscythe first, Chrona is... gone. He ended up getting swallowed up by the black blood inside of his body, and that's saying something when even his own Weapon doesn't know what the hell is going on.

... It'll be all right. I promise you. Even if I have to reach into Ragnarok's freaking gut to pull Chrona out of that darkness, I'm going to do what I can to keep him from falling faster. With all this terrible stuff going on, I wouldn't be surprised that a part of him wanted to get "eaten" just to get away from it all... That biting insanity.

Aah, right. I almost forgot. Thanks for the help, Orihime. You really saved me back there.
With everything that is going on, I doubt that I wouldn't be able to sit still for too long. And that would be no good for me, and just piss off the old man even more if he ever found out.

( Private to Franziska von Karma and Miles Edgeworth; Hackable )

( Private to Deathscythe; Hackable )

( Private to Dr. Stein (and Deathscythe, if he realizes it); Hackable )

Ragnarok, I'm going out for a bit.

You're welcome to come with me if you try not to be a bastard about it or stay at the clinic. Just try to stay out of trouble.

Shit. I knew that I had a bad feeling about something... And right after I had that same dream, just like before.

I don't know what happened, but it looks like Chrona has snapped again. Don't tell me that... No. That's impossible. She's dead.

I'm going to do what I can to calm him down, but everyone just please stay the hell away. I'm serious. When he gets like this, there's no telling what may happen.

( Private to Death the Kid, Dr. Stein and Deathscythe; Hackable )

[There is the sound of a door closing, and some quiet shuffling as Soul goes to take off his shoes.]

Yo. I'm here, old man. Sorry if I gave you a hard time earlier after you-

[A eerie quiet drifts over the communicator, mixed in with the sound of Soul's sputtering shock. It's the sound of a mind breaking.]

...

Pfft. Hnn... Hnnhaha...

Hahahahahaha! HAHAHAHAHA! [The sound of his laughter grows to as loud as it can go, becoming practically uncontrollable.]

If... if only Shinigami-sama... c-could see you now!

[He starts to laugh again, his body thudding onto the floor just before the transmission cuts out.]

So I guess it is safe to say that I'm not in Shibusen anymore. I'm not sure if this is more of a blessing or a curse. Maybe both.

Thanks to that lady from before who passed along some information down to me, I think that I've been able to find my way around this place better than before. I'll have to try to thank her for that later. As for where I woke up... It looked like some kind of empty warehouse. There were some boxes that I found pushed in a corner, but most of them were empty and the last one looked like a corner of it had been gnawed through and was just spilling out sawdust everywhere.

Getting out of there was interesting too. The handles on the doors were so rusted that I ended up having to giving them a good kick. It's a good way of venting out some stress, if you ever want to try it. Even if my right foot smarts a little now.

Heh. And now I know that there are more people out there, and not just those half-dead mutts or some zombies that I haven't bumped into yet...

I'm Soul. Nice to meet you all.

( Private to Death the Kid, Dr. Stein and Deathscythe; Hackable )

Oi, and Chrona. I'm waiting for you to find me. I think that I'm closer to the port now, even if it doesn't help with that smell of rotting fish.