Chapter 7: The Trials of Truth and Witchcraft; Is Hiro the King Just a Pawn?

From that Rank-Up Mission, Hiro had to not only to return the souls he collected but the crown he took from the museum. It was a priceless artifact from the actual King Arthur, even though the one at the museum is a coward who runs crying from a fight. Since that day, the three of them made a pact to get another 198 souls.

Everyday was the same routine those three: wake up, school, mission, and two hours of sleep. Each mission they went on only promised a few souls. A good mission would be when they got three to five souls. In some of the mission, they couldn't even collect the Kishin Egg because there are ethical issues like "can you live with yourself if you kill a little girl that was a Kishin but has a caring family that promised to take care of her?"

During this time Buttataki (BJ) was killed after he was sent to the DWMA. It was suspected that there were some hiccups in the Battle for Brew and that there was a mole inside of the DWMA. It is suspected of Dr. Stein to be the one that did it but he is nowhere to be found. Also, due to some fight, Black Star got expelled but it is said that he went to Japan with Tsubaki for some much needed R&R.

After three weeks of barely any sleep, Antonio and Leon finished their goal of getting 198 Kishin Souls. They would have cheered and celebrated but they were too tired to even show emotions. They had blank faces as they walked down the halls of the DWMA. Hiro, on the other hand, was at the apartment sleeping in his bed because he collapsed after their last mission. He did all of the real fighting so they decided that he deserved the rest.

"We need to find the nurse," Antonio said as he dragged his feet down the halls.

"What's wrong with you?" Leon said as he tried to stay awake.

"That last Kishin bit my leg."

"I told your ass to run faster."

"That little girl Kishin took me by surprise. If I had feeling in any of my body, I would kick your-" Antonio trailed off the sentence.

"Kick my what?"

"Kick what?"

"I don't know, I'm too tired to focus right now."

Suddenly the two sleepy demon yo-yos walked into Liz and Patti talking.

"Gun girls?" Leon asked. He leaned against the wall and closed his eyes to get a few minutes of sleep.

"Leon! Antonio!" Patti cheered.

"What's wrong with you guys?" Liz questioned.

"We got all 198 sleep and we have no souls," Antonio replied.

"You got 198 souls?"

"Yep."

"Congratulations!"

"To what?"

Liz was confused. "Didn't you say that you guys got all the Kishin Eggs you need?"

Antonio raised his eyebrow. "I said that? I don't remember."

"Are you okay?"

Antonio was moving around but put his fist up. "Are you trying to start another fight with us? It's always the same with you two. Back in New York, every time we saw each other in Brooklyn…it was like cat and moose!"

"Don't you mean cat and mouse?"

"Are you calling us mice?" Antonio was getting enraged. He took another step but his leg was starting to sting from the Kishin bite wound. Antonio just woke up his brother and bid the ladies a fond farewell. The two looked all over the school's infirmary but they were in such a delusion of sleep deprivation that they wandered into the school's basement. They fought two men that were guarding a section of the basement because they thought they were "keeping them from their destiny."

The two looked around and noticed that they were in the basement of the DWMA. The hallways were dark with small candles on the wall that lit their way. Antonio takes one of the candles and carries it as they wandered around the dark halls. Suddenly, they came across a jail door. It said the words "Witch Medusa Gorgon" on it but the shadow blocked out the word "witch".

"Me-Med-Medu-Medicine!" Leon read the sign giving up after the first three letters.

"This must be the place."

"Why is it guarded like this?"

"The school is run by Lord Death remember? He must think that medicine help is one of those things you gotta fight for. Like love or Diablo III."

Leon opened the door as the two walked in. Antonio brought the candle into the room; bringing some light into the darkness of the room. At the edge of the room, there was a little girl that was chained to the wall. She had short blond hair with a black dress.

Hiro finally woke up from a good night sleep. He turned to the window to see that it was midday. Hiro then turns to the bunk bed to see that Antonio and Leon weren't there. He remembered that during their last mission, Antonio got bit on the leg by the little girl who turned out to be a Kishin, so Hiro assumed that he went to the school's infirmary. He stretched his arms and got out of bed, smiling to his accomplishment.

198 souls in three weeks, that's gotta be a record. I bet no other deathscythe even dared to do that. Tonight, we're celebrating: curry and soda until we pass out!

He looked down at the bottom of the bunk bed to see that black box again. He stared at it for a few seconds, wondering at the secrets that it held.

Knowing those two, it's probably enough dirty magazines to last a year. Or maybe a giant prank with a spring loaded pie waiting for me to open it.

Hiro's curiosity increased more and more as he stared at the black box. Last time he tried to open the box, Leon chased him out of the apartment before he had a chance to look inside. He kneeled in front of the bunk bed and slid the box out. He sat on the bottom bunk with his hands on the lid. He thought to himself that he shouldn't open the box but his hands were already slowly raising the cover. In an instant, he closed his eyes and removed the top, waiting for something to happen. He didn't hear anything or felt a pie in his face so he opened his eyes.

Inside the box was a large red covered book with the title scratched off. He picked up the book to see a photo under it. It was a picture of Leon and Antonio with someone between them. They were all wearing police uniforms: blue shirts with dark blue bullet proof vest and dark blue pants. The guy in the middle had a dark pair of shades with a police cap covering his blonde hair.

Hiro then opened the book and began reading the first few lines of it:

Waddup Journal, just another day of stealing and blackmail. Leon and I need a new life in this big city before I start growing mad. There's gotta be more to life than the Black Spades.

Hiro realized that this was Antonio's journal. The more the meister read, the more he learned of the Romano's past: The two lost their parents in a gang war incident; they were just at the wrong place at the wrong time. They grew up on the streets until they joined a local gang called the Black Spades. With them, they learned how to run from the police, steal, lie, and blackmail from this group of thugs. Then one day, the Spades were brought to taken down.

Journal, you ain't gonna believe this. We've been found out. It looks like these cops were always on our tail and they finally got us. I don't care about the Black Spades, I just want to make sure that I don't get separated from Leon. I can't imagine life without him. He's the only family I've got. But I have a chance to stay with him. Since we don't have much of a history with the Spades (mostly because I made sure that our names and faces never got associated with any of the Black Spades' plans), we were offered a job to work with the police force. Either that or we go to court and they find all the evidence that proves we aren't so innocent.

It turns out that Antonio took the offer and joined the police force. They were put together who was a police prodigy, Evan Edwards. Evan Edwards was a teenage prodigy that was responsible for finding the hideout of the Black Spades and taking them down. The Romano brothers became his weapons as he refused to use guns or any lethal. The three of them helped the police take back New York from the crime overlords that ran the city. They've stopped drug smugglers, murders, and even came across the infamous the Brooklyn Thompsons sister.

After reading page after page of stories of the three of them fighting crime in the Big Apple, Hiro started to wonder why they've never mentioned this to him. Hiro told his life story, even though it is as average and boring as you can get, but they've never talked once about their lives before the DWMA.

As Hiro read more, Antonio and Leon were in the same room as the heartless witch known as Medusa. They never meet her or heard much about her so they didn't know the dangers they are walking in to.

"Help me sir," Medusa said in her childish voice. "Those meanies put me in here and are doing bad things to me."

Leon got down on his knee and looked at the girl's eyes. "Hmmm-Did you get a fair trial?"

Medusa was confused about the question. "What?"

"Did you get a fair trial?"

"Um-no?"

"Then you shall receive one!"

Medusa looked past Leon to see Antonio wearing a black gown and a powder wig. He was standing in front of a podium with a gavel on it. The judge picks up his gavel and began banging it quiet the courtroom known as Medusa's jail cell.

"All rise!"

Leon stood up, at the same time, raising Medusa's shackles to bring her to her feet.

"You may be seated."

Leon sits down as Medusa follows. She had no idea what was going to happen so she just played along.

Leon puts Medusa's left hand on the book he was holding.

"Do you swear?" Leon asked.

"I guess so?"

"You swear? Not in this courtroom you don't!" Leon gave the witch a Maka Chop. "It is a good Christian court!"

"What the hell was that for?"

"For saying 'h-e-double hockey sticks'. We don't like assholes like you swearing up in this bitch!"

"Didn't you just swear now?"

"I didn't swear into the good book!" Leon said as he pointed to the dictionary he had to swear Medusa in. Leon puts Medusa's hand onto the black dictionary. "Do you swear to tell the truth, the whole truth, and nothing but the truth?"

"Yes?"

"Pinky promise?" Leon pulls out his pinky.

Medusa just shakes her head and makes a pinky promise with the younger Romano brother. He sits down and the trial starts.

"Please state your case," Antonio said looking at the little witch.

"Okay." She stands up. "My name is Medusa Gorgon and I-"

"Objection!"

Antonio started to bang his gavel into the podium to the non-existent commotion of the jury. Medusa turns to Leon, seeing that he changed his outfit. He was now wearing a blue suit with his signature dark pink tie and white shirt. It was him that called out in court. He was standing in front of a smaller podium with his hands on it.

"What is the meaning of the outburst Leon?"

"Sorry your honor but she is leaving out some important information."

Antonio turned to Medusa. "Are you?"

"But I didn't even get to finish my senten-"

"Objection!"

"I didn't even finish."

"Didn't even finish? Or didn't even start?"

"I-uh-"

"I rest my case!" Leon sits down as he takes a sip from his cup, looking both tired and proud with dark rings around his eyes and a smile on his face.

"Like I was saying, I am Medusa and I-"

"Medusa? Isn't that what Chrona's mother's name? Are you Chrona's mother?" Judge Romano asked.

"Why yes I am!"

"See, my clinent isn't guilty!" Leon was standing right next to Medusa wearing a white vest, a green collared shirt and a white tie. The most interesting thing about his outfit change was that he was wearing a visor over his eyes and his hair was now white.

"How did you-"

"My client is a mother so she couldn't have done it. It's a law that mothers can't break laws." He sits down and puts his hand on Medusa's shoulder. "Don't worry, we got this trial!"

"Any more statements Mr. Romano?" Antonio asked.

"None your honor!"

"Okay, you may go Leon Wright!"

"Right!" Leon was on the other side of the court in his blue suit before Medusa realized that he wasn't next to him.

He gets away from his stand and walks to the center of the tiny courtroom.

"Ladies and gentlemen of the courtroom. She's guilty!"

Antonio gasped to this shocking news. Medusa just rolled her eyes to the idiocy. Leon walked back to his seat and take a nothing sip of his pretend coffee.

"Come on," Medusa said trying to take this seriously. She looks at Antonio now reading a magazine. "Are you even listening to me?"

"Stenographer-" Antonio said pointing to his brother next to his podium, typing every word that everyone said. "-can you please repeat what the defendant said."

Leon pulls the long sheet of paper that had everything he typed. He rolled the paper to the part that Antonio asked for. "Umm-blah, blah, nag, bitching, bitching, more bitching, I'm guilty, even more bitching!"

"That's all I have to hear," Judge Romano said. "Anything you have to say before we sentence you to death?"

Medusa just sighed. "What does a witch have to do to get things to make sense again?"

"Wait, you're a witch?" Everything stopped in that instant.

Hiro was reading the journal, page after page of how Evan, Leon, and Antonio solved case after case and he couldn't have been any happier. Hiro started to feel jealous reading skipping some chapters of their perfect life until he reached pages that were covered in newspaper articles. One article's title was "Got 99 Problems But A Witch is One!" with a picture of Evan Edwards on the article.

Hiro read the article to find out that Evan was killed in a case that involved two witches that was slowly spreading madness through pills called Black Soul. If the pill were to be consumed, the madness wavelength would take over the body, driving the person into the brink of insanity. At 11:34pm, Evan found their lair and encountered two witches, and after a long and straining battle, he was outnumbered and was killed.

After the articles of Evan that flooded the book, there was one last page of Antonio's handwriting. It was in red ink that resembled blood.

WHY ARE WITCHES SO CRUEL? THEY TOOK THE ONLY PERSON IN THIS LIFE THAT WE LOOKED UP TO, THAT MADE US BETTER PEOPLE! MY BROTHER AND I ARE STILL IN MOURN AFTER TWO MONTHS BUT WE'VE DEVISED A PLAN! WE'RE GONNA GO TO THE DWMA TO FIGURE OUT WHERE THE WITCHES ARE HIDING! ALL WE NEED IS A NEW MEISTER TO KEEP THE ASSHOLES IN THE ACADEMY TO KEEP THEM OFF OUR SCENT! I JUST NEED A MEISTER THAT CAN WIELD US, I DON'T CARE WHO! I JUST NEED SOME FOOL TO GET US CLOSER TO A WITCH THAT COULD GET US CLOSER TO THOSE WITCHES THAT TOOK OUR FRIEND, OUR BROTHER, AWAY FROM US! ALL WITCHES NEED TO DIE!

DIE!

DIE!

DIE!

DIE!

DIE!

Hiro came to the realization that Leon and Antonio didn't choose him because they saw something worth wild in him; he was just the best they could get in a short amount of time. All of the laughs and moments they've shared were all made up. He just threw the book on the bed and cried, his only friends just used him.

Down in the jail cell, Antonio had his hands around Medusa's neck. The grip is getting tighter, cutting off her breathing.

"Are you really going to kill me, just because I'm a witch?" Medusa said as she slowly made a smile. "I guess I have to warn you that this isn't my body. You're going to kill the girl's body that I'm borrowing."

Antonio's nose was flaring and his eyes were red. "You think I give a rat's ass about the girl? You witches are all the same."

"Are you really going to kill a little girl just because you hate me?"

Leon crossed his arms. "We don't care about the girl. We just want to know if you know two witches: one of a falcon and one of a cheetah. Where are they?"

"Oh, you mean Fal and Cheet?" she said gasping for air. "You're going to have to keep me alive to find where they are."

Antonio slams her back into the wall and smiles like he was being taken over by the madness in his head. "You think I would strike a deal with you? I will just kill you and move on. I don't care about you withhold information from me. I'll just kill you if you do and move on!"

Medusa had no choice. She could feel her life fading away and her powers were limited. She gave in. "They are working with Arachnophobia."

Antonio tightened his grip choking her even more. Medusa began scrumming around with her smalls on Antonio's hand, trying to break free but she was too weak and her lack of oxygen was clouding her mind. She slowly stopped struggling as Antonio didn't give an inch of mercy.

Medusa would have died at the very moment but a miracle happened. Antonio and Leon's lack of sleep cause them to collapse in place, giving Medusa a chance to breathe. She gasped over and over, getting back her oxygen. She sat in her dark corner with the two brothers asleep on the rock surface.

I feel that this chapter could have been better. I wanted it to still be more funny but also more serious! Whatever! Also I was watching old episodes of White Collar and the movie Bad Boys II before I wrote this! Next Chapter, Baba Yaga Castle!