Dlbn: Here it is! My Halloween fanfic I didn't finish on time but want to still post anyway because I worked hard on it!

Nbld: This was intended as a one shot, but since it's 66 pages long in Word, we're going to make it a two-shot. I'll post both chapters tonight just to get them out.

Disclaimer: I own nothing but the plot and non-canon characters. Everything else belongs to Yun Kouga. I make NO money from writing this.

000

He hadn't planned on spending the Friday before Halloween stuck in a cheesy haunted corn maze with his friends, running from people in crappy costumes and wielding weapons that sounded as fake as they looked. Yet here he was, listening to Yuiko squeal in fright and laughter, and trying to help Yayoi keep as up as his asthma was kicking in. The spectacled neko pulled out his inhaler and used it while they ran.

"Can we stop soon?" He asked. "On top of the bridge?" He pointed to a tall wooden structure with a platform over the top of the maze.

"Yeah, once we're up there." Ritsuka sighed. "Why did we agree to this?"

"Because the school got everyone in discounted." Yuiko grinned. "Yuiko…er…I think it's kind of fun…but I'm still scared!"

"I didn't think you'd like these kind of things, Yuiko-chan." Yayoi said, taking a puff from his inhaler.

Seeing there was no fun to be had with a sick kid, the teenager in costume chasing them gave up and slinked into the corn to frighten some younger kids on the other side of the trail.

She blushed. "I never used to." She admitted. "But my cousin took me to one once and shouted back at everyone that popped out and screamed at us. It was so funny, I wasn't able to be scared! I just think of that now, and I'm fine!"

"That's good." Ritsuka offered, looking around the fork in the maze. "Where to?"

"Anywhere else? I'm bored." Yoji complained, folding his arms over his chest.

"What's wrong, Yoji? Not scary enough for you?" Natsuo chuckled. "Last I checked, you weren't a big fan of horror movies. I swear you hid your face during ninety percent of Saw III."

"Natsuo!" Yoji complained, slapping his partner. "You swore you wouldn't tell anyone that…"

"You seriously got scared enough to hide, Yoji?" Ritsuka laughed. "I'd pay to see that…"

Yoji growled at him, shaking a fist. The ravenette merely batted away his friend's hand, wiping laughter tears from his eyes.

"Come on, before something else comes." Yayoi wheezed. "I don't think I can handle being chased again…"

"I don't think you can handle the stairs either, four-eyes." Yoji giggled.

"Keep it up and I'm paying someone to come to school on Halloween dressed as Jigsaw."

Yoji's ears went red, making the others laugh.

"Yuiko, you're tallest. What way is the bridge?" Ritsuka wondered.

"Um…" Yuiko stood on her toes and searched, putting her hand over her eyes as if it would help. "I think it's this way." She pointed left. "What do you guys think?"

"We're following you because you're the tallest." Natsuo pointed out. "Just tell us where it is."

"Well…that is…its…er…I think it's…" Yuiko bit her lip.

"Let's just go." Ritsuka nodded his head left. "Your first instinct is almost always right, Yuiko."

"Right!" She beamed. "Let's go!"

She took off running, making Yayoi sigh as he and Ritsuka started to go after her.

"Hey, you're not that mad, are you, Yoji? I was just teasing." Natsuo poked his twin's cheek with an index finger.

Yoji pushed him away. "Of course, I'm not mad. Idiot." He huffed. "I'm so bored. This isn't as haunted as I thought it would be."

"Eh, they can't do anything major because of crybabies like Yuiko." Natsuo jutted a thumb towards where their friends had run off to.

"Who somehow likes this kind of thing." Yoji rolled his eyes.

"Say, Yoji?"

"What?"

"How about we have a little fun?"

Yoji didn't miss the mischievous sparkle in the Fighter's eye as he smirked. "What do you have in mind?"

On top of the bridge, Yuiko looked around for the twins, noticing about halfway up that they weren't with them. Yayoi was leaning on the guardrail for support while he tried to catch his breath. Ritsuka stared impatiently at his watch as he tapped his foot and folded his arms.

"Leave it to them to not follow the group." Ritsuka complained. "I give them five minutes and I'm ditching them."

"They can handle themselves." Yayoi pointed out.

Screams rang out from the other side of the bridge. Yuiko shrieked and latched onto Ritsuka as the screams got closer.

"Someone sounds really scared!" She cried. "Or hurt!"

Four girls from their school, one being Ritsuka's newly transferred cousin Maiko, rushed up the stairs and stopped at the top of the bridge, shivering and huddling together as they tried to catch their breaths.

"Oh, it's you." Ritsuka deadpanned.

"Don't be so happy to see us, Aoyagi." Amane, the leader, scolded.

"Was that you three screaming?" Yayoi asked. "I didn't think the maze was that's scary…"

"It's not." Amane replied.

"At least, it wasn't!" Maiko complained. "It was lame and the people chasing us were boring as hell. But then something just changed."

"Changed?" Ritsuka cocked an eyebrow, tail swaying. "Like what?"

"The guy chasing us just stopped and stood there." One of the other girls stated. "We were like um okay, what the heck? And suddenly he just started laughing. Like this really super creepy laugh! And he swung his fake sword at us."

"I didn't think anything of it, but look!" The fourth girl held up her arm to show a deep gash and blood pooling out.

Yuiko gasped and took a step back, hands flying to her mouth. "They're not allowed to hurt people! And the weapons are fake!"

"That's why we screamed." Maiko informed. "We just ran up here as quick as we could. They're not supposed to follow people up here, either. These are safe zones."

Ritsuka peered over the railing to see if the person the girls had been chased by was around. Sure enough, a man in a Jason mask with a machete was pacing around under them, growling under his breath.

"It looks like he's still following that rule." He informed, stepping away when he saw the man's head start to move to look up.

"This is insane. Why would they do this?" Maiko complained. "Kids are here, and…"

More screams popped up from different ends of the field.

"Help!" A boy cried. "The knife's real!"

"Leave me alone!" A girl cried. "Mommy!"

The girls all began screaming, shouting frantically at one another, wondering what to do. Ritsuka rubbed his temples.

"Where the hell are Yoji and Natsuo?" He asked.

"I think we have bigger issues then…" Amane paused. "Oh god, they don't know what's going on, do they?"

"I have a feeling they're what's going on." Ritsuka groaned. "Bad things happen when they're bored. Troublemakers. I should tell Nagisa…"

"Who?"'

"Oh…er…their mom…"

Close enough.

"You can do that later. You think they gave people real weapons?"

"No, but they'd be the type of people to find people who are good actors and get them in here to mess with our heads."

Not to mention all the mischief they could and would cause with their spells.

Footsteps quickly approached, the kids on the bridge going tense as more people climbed up to join them.

"Told you we'd make it!" A little boy shouted, pumping his fist. "Nyeh! Can't get us up here, creepy!" He stuck out his tongue at whoever had been chasing him and the other kids with him.

An older woman came up the stairs last, pulling another child with her that was desperately attempting to get away.

"Mei, stop it." She complained. "Until we know what's happening, you can't go off on your own."

"I swear, I can take him." Mei complained back, trying to pull the woman's hand off her wrist. "You're not my mom, so stop acting like you can control me!"

"Back to this again?" The woman sighed. "Please…"

"Mommy, there are other kids here." The little boy who shouted earlier informed, tugging the woman's sleeve. "Maybe they know what's going on."

"Are you kids okay?" The woman asked, finally letting go of the struggling girl's arm.

"Hey, Aoyagi." The girl greeted Ritsuka as she rubbed at her sore wrist. "Long time no see."

"Oh." Realization hit Ritsuka quickly. She was the Fighter of his brother's Fighter's best friend. They'd fought once. "Hey, Mei."

"You know her?" Maiko asked.

"It's complicated." Mei replied, pulling her orange hair into a ponytail.

"Are you kids okay?" The woman asked again.

"We're fine, ma'am." Yuiko stated.

"Speak for yourself!" The girl showed the woman her arm. "Look! One of those guys got me!"

"Oh dear." The woman paled. "They can't hurt people, can they…?"

"Looks like they're willing to attack people, but they're not coming up here." Yayoi pointed downwards. "So they're still following that rule."

"Well, thank heavens for that." The woman sighed. "Has anyone tried to call for help?"

"My phone is dead." Maiko offered.

Most of the kids offered up the same excuse, though Yayoi admitted he'd forgotten his at home. Ritsuka pulled his out to try and use it, but his service bars were missing.

"No service." He stated.

"When did you get a phone?" Maiko asked. "Your parents can afford that?"

"You live in a closet in dad's guest room. You have no room to talk." Ritsuka snorted.

She huffed, flushing as she turned away. Good, hopefully that would keep her quiet long enough that Ritsuka could think. While the others discussed what to do, Mei joined Ritsuka's side and pulled him away a little.

"Tell me you felt it, too." She whispered.

"Felt what?"

"That surge?" She asked. "Someone cast a really powerful spell…"

"My bet's on Zero." Ritsuka sighed. "They were bored and that never ends well…"

"What were they thinking?"

"They weren't." Ritsuka shook his head. "Um…you're a Fighter, right? So, if we need to make a break for it, you can use a spell or two…?"

"I can slow them down, maybe, but I'm not that skilled…" She flushed, pulling a sheet of paper from her pocket. "But Akame gave me a new list of spells to study, and I think one or two paralyze the opponent." She handed it to him.

He looked it over. "I guess so?"

"Right, not a Fighter." She sighed. "Where's yours?"

"Ran off with my brother and Akame…"

"Ouch…"

"Is your Sacrifice around?"

"Mimuro? Nah, I came with my foster family. I didn't want to, but she made me." Mei glared disdainfully at the woman with her. "I think he's at his cousin's Halloween party with Akame, but I could be wrong."

"Good, I don't want him here. Akame, I meant."

"You and me both." She snorted. "Helping me train is one thing, but the guy's a creep. Not to mention how weird Mimuro acts around him…"

"Yeah, I get what you mean." Ritsuka put his hands in his pocket. "What do you think we should do?"

"Me?" Her eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Uh…well…er…"

"You wanted to go after the guy without a plan?"

"I use my surroundings in my spells, if you'd noticed when we fought." She snorted, folding her arms across her chest. "I'd come up with something on the fly."

"And if it didn't work?"

"Well…er…"

"Figured." Ritsuka sighed. "Can you call Mimuro?"

"No service."

"Not like that…"

"Oh…right…" She sighed. "That would make him bring Akame, but I guess I should alert him that my life is in mortal danger here."

"Right…"

"Try Agatsuma."

"Our bond isn't that strong."

"Try anyway. You never know."

Ritsuka tried calling the blonde in his mind, feeling his end of the bond shimmer in response, but it died when it reached the end of the bond wrapped around his leg.

"I don't know why you hide that." Mei stated. "It's not like anyone else can see it but people like us."

"I don't want people bugging me, either."

"Point." She sighed. "I tried, but he's ignoring me. I'll try again in a bit."

"Right."

They went back to the conversation everyone else was having, the others never having noticed that either of them were gone from the conversation.

"We can't stay up here all night." Amane complained, rubbing her arms against the cold. "We have to do something."

"Like what?" Maiko argued. "Run out there and get hurt? Or killed?"

The younger kids began crying at that. Their mother tried to hush them, but to no avail.

"Ugh, brats." Mei muttered.

Look who's talking. Ritsuka thought.

"I don't want to admit it, but Maiko has a point. We're in danger if we just go down there."

"But staying up here isn't an option either." Amane argued.

"No, it's not." Ritsuka shook his head.

"Maybe they stopped?" Yuiko twirled hair around her finger. "I think the guys below us ran off, and I'm not hearing screaming anymore!"

"It's…too quiet for my liking." Mei complained.

"Me, too." Ritsuka replied, ears twitching as he struggled to find some kind of sound.

There weren't even crickets chirping nearby, which they had been doing most of the night.

"Okay, I vote for not staying up here and taking our chances in the corn." Mei offered, putting up a hand.

"Me too!" Maiko agreed.

"Me!" Yuiko called.

One of Amane's friends raised her hand, as did some of the children Mei was with.

"Okay, that's ten for go down." Ritsuka counted, including his own hand. "Who's in for staying up here?"

He counted again.

"Nine up here."

"You guys are insane." Maiko complained. "I don't want to be caught by these guys!"

"You're right. Normally in these kind of movies, the airheaded bitchy one goes first." Ritsuka chided.

Maiko's ears and tail twitched. "Watch it, cousin." She ordered.

"Children, please, we shouldn't be fighting amongst ourselves." The mother shook her head. "We voted fair and square to go for it."

"I think I'll stay here anyway." Yayoi stated. "I can't really run…my asthma will act up again…"

"I can't believe I'm saying this but I'm with him." Maiko moved towards Yayoi. "It's much safer up here than down there. They won't come up here."

"For now." Ritsuka offered. "But that could change. But stay up here if it makes you happy."

"We should find Sensei." Yuiko offered. "She'll know what to do."

"You kids are here with your school?" The mother asked. "How many others are there?"

"There's nineteen in each class." Ritsuka offered. "And two classes."

"I got this one!" One of the younger kids proclaimed. "There's thirty-eight students with them! We just started complex multiplication in math class!"

"Good for you." Mei rolled her eyes.

"Can't you have a nice word to say about anything?" One of the older girls asked. "You're always so negative."

"My parents tossed me aside like day old garbage. You try not being bitter at the world after that." Mei glared.

The girl shrunk back, apologizing.

"Mei, don't take it out on her." The mother stated.

"Taking her side as always." Mei sighed. "Whatever. Whether you guys come or not, I'm going out there. I'm not going to sit here like a coward. Who's with me?"

"I'll go." Ritsuka stated. "I wanna find Yoji and Natsuo. I have a feeling they're up to something."

"I'll go with Ritsuka-kun." Yuiko offered.

"I…guess I can go, too…" Yayoi muttered, taking another breath from his inhaler.

"Fine, I'll stay here alone then." Maiko huffed.

"Your funeral."

"May as well be. Last one was Seimei's."

"Watch it." Ritsuka ordered.

"Your brother's dead…?" Mei asked. "But…how…?"

"I'll explain later." Ritsuka promised.

"Alright…?"

"Let's start going then before it's too late." The mother informed. "Are you sure you want to stay here, hon?"

"Me?" Maiko asked. "Yeah, I'm sure I want to stay here."

"We'll send someone for you." Amane hugged Maiko. "Stay safe up here."

"I will." She hugged back. "All of you, stay safe. Except Ritsuka. I honestly don't care what happens to him."

Ritsuka rolled his eyes as Mei snickered. "Let's just go…"

Ritsuka and Mei led the civilians down the stairs, stopping when they thought they heard a sound.

"Can you sense anyone?" Ritsuka whispered to the orange haired fighter.

Mei's neko ears twitched. "It's very weak, but I'm pretty sure I sense the remnants of a spell." A finger tapped her lips. "Something came over these guys, and it wasn't pretty, but it was strong."

"Great. Just great." Ritsuka groaned, running a hand through his hair. "Any idea of the origin point?"

"I'm good, Aoyagi, but I'm not that good." Mei huffed, cheeks puffing out in embarrassment.

"Thanks…" Ritsuka sighed. "Better than nothing. Let's just keep moving."

"Spells?" Amane asked. "Is this some joke you two are in on?" She huffed. "That figures. How low, Ritsuka…"

"I have nothing to do with it, but I have a feeling I know who does." Ritsuka replied. "Come on. What direction do we go in?"

"We came from that way." Yuiko pointed to the right. "Maybe we should go the other way."

"If we go the way we came, we might be able to find our way back to the beginning." Yayoi offered. "Do you remember any paths we took before that?"

"Um…no…a lot of the time we were running around to get away from people. I wasn't really looking where we were going or trying to keep track." Yuiko sighed. "Oh, wait!" She pulled a folded-up piece of paper from her pocket. "I remember! We were answering the questions to choose where to go. If we just go the opposite way the answers say…"

"We might find our way back!" One of Amane's friends giggled. "Yuiko actually did something good for once! Great job."

She blushed. "T-Thank you…"

"She's aware that was a compliment and an insult, right?" Mei whispered to Ritsuka and Yayoi.

"No, most likely not." Yayoi whispered back.

"She's a tiny bit naïve…" Ritsuka added as Yuiko and Amane's friends started chattering about the answers to the last question they had answered before leaving.

"Was it safe to leave that girl behind?" One of the kids with Mei asked, tugging on Ritsuka's sleeve. "What if she gets hurt?"

"That's my cousin. I don't care all that much what happens to her. She's always been rude to me." Ritsuka shrugged. "I'm sure she'll be fine if she stays up there and doesn't go off on our her now that we're gone."

"What if she does?" Another kid asked.

"I hope she's not that dumb."

The kids giggled.

"Ritsuka-kun, we have an idea." Yuiko pointed back the way they came. "We go that way to the last marker. We think the answer to the question was c."

Ritsuka took the paper she handed him. Yayoi and Mei crowded around him to see what it said.

"Looks right to me." Ritsuka shrugged.

Mei and Yayoi gave noises of confirmation. The group began moving slowly as a unit, the mother staying in the back and Ritsuka staying with Mei at the front.

"I hope we don't see any more of the scary people." One of the children said, shivering as she huddled with her mother. "I just want to go home…"

"I'm never doing this again, mom!" One of the slightly older boys complained.

"I know." She ran her fingers through his hair. "We'll get out of here soon. I think these kids have a good plan. But, Mei, you and I need to talk about all this spell nonsense when we get out of here."

Mei waved her off. "Whatever." She stated. "God, stop trying to be my mother." She muttered.

"I'm sorry about your parents…" Yuiko offered.

"I don't want to talk about it. Thanks, though."

She nodded. "You're welcome."

"I think I hear something." Ritsuka informed. "Everyone stay quiet."

The group hushed, freezing in spot as they tried to figure out where the sound was coming from and if it was any threat. Corn rustled to the left, making everyone look. A few children hid behind the taller students and their mother, afraid to see what it was that was waiting for them. A group of preteens rounded the corner with a teacher.

"Oh!" The teacher at the head cried out, her hands clasped against her chest. "Ritsuka-kun! Yuiko-chan and Yayoi-kun, too? Girls? Where's Maiko-chan? Wasn't she with you?"

"Sensei!" Yuiko greeted, latching onto her. "We met up on top of the bridge. Maiko didn't want to come down with us and risk getting hurt, so she's on the bridge!" She pointed.

"Oh, my. That would be the safer place to be, I think…what about the twins…?"

"Off causing trouble, most likely." Ritsuka sighed. "They vanished on us just before all this started…"

"Leave it to them to play a prank." One of the boys snorted, adjusting his glasses carefully. "I wouldn't be surprised if they hired people just to mess with everyone."

"I think it's something else entirely." Mei informed, ears twitching "Aoyagi, do you feel that?"

"Huh?" Ritsuka wondered. "Uh…yeah…?" He closed his eyes for a second. "Yeah, it's getting stronger."

"Someone else is here." Mei snorted. "Maybe your friends are innocent after all."

Ritsuka's eyes opened. "If you believe that, you don't know Zero very well." He informed, ears twitching as a gentle ping ran through his being. "Standing here speculating isn't going to get us anywhere."

"Do you remember how to get back to the entrance, sensei?" Yayoi wondered.

"Um…unfortunately…er…"

"It's a maze." One of the girls with sensei stated. "Getting lost is the big idea here."

"I remember where we were a few minutes ago, but everything looks the same." Sensei hung her head in defeat.

"We were going to follow the questions we answered earlier." Yuiko beamed. "If we go the opposite way that we chose, we thought we might make it back outside!"

"In theory, that could work. Unless you make a mistake." One of the boys stated.

"We didn't think of that…" The mother stated. "We just wanted to get out…"

"You found friends?" Sensei seemed surprised.

"We were running to the bridge for safety and found your students." The mom stated. "They're all very brave children."

"Thank you…"

"First, we should figure out where that's coming from." Mei informed, folding her arms. "I can't pinpoint it on my own, Aoyagi, and you're useless without the blond…"

"Yeah, yeah, everyone says that." Ritsuka rolled his eyes. "If we can't figure it out ourselves, we're screwed. Yoji and Natsuo won't give themselves up all that easily."

"Where what is coming from?" Sensei wondered.

The Sacrifice and Fighter ignored her.

"I have a vague idea." Mei nodded her head in one direction. "But I need to narrow it down. Whoever that is, it's who's causing the problem. Any idea?"

"I don't recognize it." Ritsuka shrugged. "I've sensed Zero more than once, and that's not them."

"Then who is it?"

Ritsuka shrugged again. "I don't know, but it doesn't bode well for us…"

000

On top of one of the other bridges, Natsuo and Yoji looked around at the chaos around them. Natsuo laughed, leaning on the railing.

"This is great!" He laughed. "I didn't plan on this."

"You didn't do this?" Yoji wondered. "I thought we were making it more fun…"

"I was going to screw with the lighting system and cast a few spells here and there to really make people scream. But this…" His ears twitched. "I don't know that battle signature all that well, but it's not ours, and it's definitely not Soubi, or anyone else we've fought up to date."

"Do you think that it could be Seimei and his dog again?"

"I doubt it." Natsuo leaned back, holding onto the railing and tipping his head back. "Seimei's got a more strangling signature. Remember how we couldn't breathe when we found him?"

"Then who the hell is it?" Yoji leaned and looked the direction that Natsuo wasn't.

Screams came from a far end of the maze.

"Yoji…"

"Yeah…?"

"Whoever it is, they're strong enough to reach the entire maze."

"And…?"

"I think we may have screwed up."

"But we didn't do this."

"No. But whoever did probably felt us powering up and is just responding."

"So…it's our fault no matter what." Yoji hung his head. "We just cause all kinds of trouble without meaning to, don't we?" He chuckled.

"That's our thing." Natsuo slung an arm around his brother's shoulders.

Yoji snickered. "Should we try and help Ritsuka and the others?"

"Nah, let's let them ride it out a little."

Screams popped up again, making the painless Unit laugh.

000

"I hear screaming everywhere." Yuiko squeaked. "This is terrifying!"

The younger kids latched onto one another, screaming themselves.

"Would you be quiet?" Mei snarled. "You're going to get us caught, too!"

They screamed louder.

"That did it…" Amane rolled her eyes.

"Quiet." Ritsuka ordered. "We can figure out way out of here. We just have to concentrate…"

"Ritsuka-kun, I hear footsteps." Sensei stated. "We better pick a path, and fast!"

"That way." Mei pointed. "It's coming from that way."

"Let's go back the way we came." Sensei offered. "We could have made a wrong turn, and there's no reason to not try your theory again."

"She's right." The mom nodded.

"Whatever gets us out of here quicker." One of Amane's friends stated.

The others agreed one by one as they began walking back the way the others had come, hoping they wouldn't run into anything.

"Mei." Ritsuka pulled her back with him. "I have an idea."

"What is it?" She asked.

"I can't get a hold of Soubi. He hasn't answered me since he left with my brother." He shook his head. "But I know you can get ahold of Mimuro."

"Huh? Of course I can. My Sacrifice wouldn't hide form me, regardless of how much fun he's having with Akame."

"Fun and Akame don't go in the same sentence, but alright." Ritsuka laughed. "Anyway, can you get him here? Our phones don't work, but…"

"My bond does." Mei grinned. "Good idea…what's your plan after that…?"

"If he waits for us at the entrance you can follow your bond to him, right?"

"Y-Yeah, I can." She nodded. "I see where you're going with this. I'll see what I can do. Don't let me get separated when I try and call him."

"I won't." Ritsuka nodded. "I've got your back."

She nodded. Ritsuka could see her bond shimmer and the air prickle with her battle signature.

Mimuro? She called her Sacrifice. Are you there? Please tell me you can hear me. It's an emergency.

Huh? Mei? He responded. Aren't you at the corn maze?

That's the emergency, Mimuro. Something's happened. All the workers were supposed to have fake weapons, and they weren't allowed to make physical contact with us. But somehow their weapons are real. They've cut some people. People are screaming all over the place here. I've run into Aoyagi and his friends. We're trying to get out…

Seimei's there?

No, baka! Ritsuka!

Oh…are you alright? Have you been hurt?

I'm fine. But please, Mimuro, Aoyagi and I can both sense something. I don't know who it is or where it's coming from. I need help…

You want me to come into the maze? Nisei is with me. I won't leave him at this party alone.

I don't care! Bring him if you have to. We can't find our way out. If you wait just outside the maze, I can follow my bond to you. I don't think I can take them on my own. Zero is here, but Aoyagi doesn't know where they are. Help…please…

We're on our way. Hold on for me, please. Don't get hurt. Or I swear to god…

I'll be fine. Don't you make threats at me, Shinonome.

Yeah, yeah. See you soon. Stay safe. Protect Aoyagi. I don't need his brother flipping his lid on us if he gets hurt.

Yeah, you got it…Mimuro…Seimei's not dead…right…? Th-their cousin…said something and Ritsuka mentioned his funeral. But…we had lunch two weeks ago!

It's a long story, Mei, and I'm not going to tell it now. We can be there in twenty minutes. Just try and stay alive until then. Can you stay safe on a bridge?

Yeah, we can, but the others want to keep moving.

Noted. Just do what you can. See you soon.

Thank you…Mimuro…

Mei shook her head and came back to reality as they approached another maker. The kids were all looking at Yuiko's paper, trying to answer the question.

"Well?" He asked.

"He's coming. With Akame." She sighed. "Please, Aoyagi, I don't like him either, but I have no choice. Mimuro won't leave him, and we may need backup."

"Right now, I just want to find Zero and get to the bottom of this."

She nodded. "I agree."

"This way!" One of the boys called, pointing down a pathway.

Ritsuka and Mei joined the group walking away from the marker.

"Aoyagi…" Mei grabbed her head. "A-Ah!"

"Mei!" The mom called, kneeling at her side. "Are you okay?"

"It's happening…again…that power surge." Mei grabbed tightly to Ritsuka's arm. "Can you feel it?"

He nodded, scratching at his head near his left neko ear. "Not as much as you can, though. Are you okay?"

"A-Ah…yeah…" She shook her head, rubbing at her temples. "I'll be fine…Mimuro's on his way…we'll be out of here shortly."

Sirens wailed in the distance.

"Someone called for help somehow." Shinonome sensei grinned. "Oh, I hope workers come in and help us…"

"Hey, I see a bridge." Amane pointed. "Maybe we can get on top and look around and figure out where to go from there!"

"Great idea!" Her friend cheered. "Come on, guys!"

The sixth graders started running.

"Are you sure you're okay, Mei?" The mom asked her. "Do you need medicine?"

"No, I'm fine." She brushed her away. "Let's just follow them so we don't get split up."

She nodded, grabbing the hands of the two smallest kids and leading them the same way the others went. Ritsuka and Mei huddled close together, keeping their voices down as low as they could.

"What was that?" He asked.

"Whoever cast a spell earlier cast it again." She shuddered. "I feel like we might have bigger problems coming our way…"

Ritsuka heard the shrill sound of a chainsaw powering up and slowly turned.

"Uh…Mei…"

Her ears dropped when she turned. "I hate it when I'm right."

The man holding the chainsaw had a very realistic werewolf mask on. His hands were claws that flexed against his weapon. He threw his head back and howled like a wolf.

"That was almost too convincing…" Ritsuka paled.

"It was more than that…" Mei replied.

"G-Guys…?" Ritsuka asked.

They turned to see the rest of their group standing and staring in pure horror at the man watching them. Its eyes glistened as he howled again, powering up his chainsaw and taking a couple steps forward.

"Run!" Amane and her friends shrieked.

The mom hurriedly picked up the smallest kids into her arms and took off running with the rest of the group.

"This can't be happening!" One of the boys complained.

Ritsuka and Mei brought up the rear.

"To the bridge! Hurry! Come on!" Amane cried out.

"We're not going to make it!" A child shouted.

He looked over his shoulder at the person chasing them. His clothes were ripped and bloody, and his shoes were missing. Ritsuka got a sinking feeling in his stomach as he watched it run like hunched over.

"I don't think that's a man in a mask…"

"You think that spell made these guys real?" Mei asked.

"There's no such things as spells!" The mom called. "Stop living in a fantasy world! Please, just for now! We have to m-make it!"

"Fantasy world?" Mei wondered. "This is my life here! Screw this!"

She stopped and turned.

"Mei, no!" Ritsuka grabbed her arm. "It's not worth a fight!"

"There's not going to be a fight." Her eyes glistened. "Conceal! Walls! Enclose around us! Stalks protect us from the enemy!"

The corn husks began growing, twisting and turning around one another in the form of a barrier behind the group.

"But…how…?" The woman asked.

"Great job!" Ritsuka beamed. "You really do know how to use your surroundings."

"Just because I have a different battle method, it doesn't mean there's something wrong with it!" She grinned. "Come on. We don't have much time. That thing might be able to cut through. Barrier!"

Mei and Ritsuka broke through the group in a run. It took a few minutes for the shock to wear off and the others to run with them. The chainsaw revved and the sound of it cutting through corn husks cut through the air.

"What now?" Ritsuka shouted.

"We hurry our asses to that damn bridge and get up top!" Mei answered. "Come on!"

Amane turned to look behind them. "Whatever you did is wearing off…I can see him coming through!"

"Faster!" Mei ordered.

"This is too scary!" Yuiko complained. "I want to go home! I want mommy! I want daddy!"

"We'll be o-out so-soon, Yuik-ko…" Yayoi panted, grabbing at his chest. "My…asthma…"

He slowed down. Ritsuka stopped in his tracks and turned around, rushing back towards his friend.

"Aoyagi! What do you think you're doing?" Mei complained.

"I'm not a Fighter. I'm of no use to you without Soubi!" He called. "But I can stop my friends from falling behind!" He grabbed Yayoi by the elbow. "I know its hard, but if you slow down, you're going to be in danger again."

"Can't…b-breathe…"

Ritsuka grabbed his inhaler from where it stuck out of Yayoi's right front pocket. "Take a couple puffs. Do whatever you have to do. Just don't stop moving." He ordered. "Mei! Lead the way! Take down anything that gets in our way!"

"I'm not going to take orders from you, Aoyagi, but just this once, you have a point." She groaned. "Come on, let's go!"

The others shared a look but followed the young girl anyway.

"I can breathe…b-better…" Yayoi informed Ritsuka. "But now you're stuck here with me…I'm s-sorry I'm so w-weak…we're in danger because of…me…"

"This isn't your fault." Ritsuka gripped him by the shoulders, shaking his head. "Don't give up now. That thing is almost through Mei's barrier. We need to get moving."

"Y-Yeah…" Yayoi coughed, squeezing tight to his inhaler. "I'm f-fine…"

Ritsuka caught sight of a child's tail vanishing around the corner. "They've made a turn. Come on."

He pulled Yayoi by the hand, trying not to hurt him as they ran to catch up. The sound of the chainsaw started getting louder. Yuiko screamed.

"It's so close!" She complained, pointing back towards the creature.

"Barrier!" Mei called.

An invisible block went up, stopping the creature in its tracks.

"She bought us time." Ritsuka informed Yayoi. "Come on."

the sound of grass cracking and then shattering cut through the air. Ritsuka and Yayoi stopped, turning and staring in horror as Mei's barrier exploded into crystal shards and the creature came through.

"Oh…" Yayoi gulped.

"Shit." Ritsuka added.

They shared a brief look and started running again.

"I see the bridge!" Sensei called.

The mom pulled started up the stairs with her kids, some of them tripping over themselves and other staking two steps at a time. Mei stopped to help one of Ritsuka's classmates that had tripped over another one. Shinonome stood at the bottom, helping guide people up the stairs.

"Come on, everyone, hurry! To safety!" She called, helping a child who almost tripped up the steps.

"Barrier!" Mei called, staying at the bottom with the teacher to keep an eye out for the creature breaking through again.

"Go!" Sensei ordered.

"No way! I got this!" Mei cried. "Aoyagi! Hurry up! It's getting closer!"

Ritsuka pulled Yayoi with him. "I can see the steps. We're almost there."

Yayoi panted, gasping for air and gripping at his chest. Ritsuka squeezed tight to his hand.

"Please don't hate me for this."

"For what?" The asthmatic preteen wondered.

"This."

Ritsuka pulled his arm back and through the other forward, letting him go and sending him crashing against the steps.

"Ow!" Yayoi groaned.

Sensei and Mei helped him to his feet.

"Aoyagi, come on!" Mei begged. "Please!"

The chainsaw werewolf howled as it swung its chainsaw like a boomerang and threw it at the almost teen.

"Aoyagi!" Mei called out.

"Ritsuka-kun!" Sensei shrieked.

Ritsuka ducked, the chainsaw sailing over his head. The two at the base of the stairs squealed and ducked, covering their heads as the chainsaw imbedded itself in a guardrail for the stairs.

"Come on!" Ritsuka grabbed them both by the arms as the creature snarled in anger.

Mei pulled from him and rushed up the stairs. Sensei tripped a few stairs up, letting go of Ritsuka's hand.

"Sensei!" He called.

"Aoyagi! Get up there! To safety…!" She struggled to her feet.

"Not without you!" He argued, going back down to grab her and help her up.

"Aoyagi, please…!"

"Mei!" Ritsuka shouted.

At the top of the steps, she stopped and turned.

"Uh…uh…d-defense…! Barrier!" She cried. "Corn!"

"Invincible shield!" A familiar voice cried from on top of the bridge. "Form and protect our friends!"

"Natsuo…" Ritsuka grinned. "He is so dead…"

Sensei got to her feet just as the creature swiped at her, its hand getting caught in a crystal-like shield that appeared at the base of the stairs. Ritsuka pulled her with him as he rushed up more of the steps. The creature swiped, but couldn't reach up any further.

"We're safe." Ritsuka panted as he and Sensei fell to lay against the stairs.

"T-Thank you…A-Aoyagi…k-kun…" Sensei panted. "You saved me."

"I couldn't let you get hurt." Ritsuka smiled at her. "Come on. Yoji and Natsuo have explaining to do."

They helped one another up and started up the stairs, hand in hand. A hand reached out for him.

"Come on, Aoyagi. You got guts." Mei complimented.

Ritsuka took her hand and let the younger girl pull himself and the sensei up to the top steps. He could see Yoji and Natsuo grinning sheepishly at the top, and the people with them collapsed on top of the bridge. The kids huddled together in fear. Yuiko lay her head on a blushing Yayoi's shoulder as he took deep breaths of his inhaler. Ritsuka couldn't tell if his asthma was acting up from running or from Yuiko leaning on him.

"You okay, Ritsuka…?" Yoji asked.

"You two…" Ritsuka glared. "Have a lot of explaining to do! What the hell was that!"

"Hey, it wasn't us!" Natsuo defended. "Hand to god, I swear!"

"God knows what your hand has done, keep it to yourself." Ritsuka ordered.

"This is Zero?" Mei asked.

"Who's the girl?" Yoji asked. "And how the hell does she know our name?"

"She's a Fighter." Ritsuka stated. "Akame's best friend's Fighter."

"Oh?" Yoji cocked an eyebrow. "Then…that was you casting spells just now?"

"Yeah." She nodded, folding her arms over her chest. "But we have bigger problems. That power. It isn't you?"

"No, it hasn't been." Natsuo shook his head. "I made some lights shut off and some wind, but someone responded."

"So…you didn't…" Ritsuka paused. "Someone thought you were a threat and responded…do you have any idea what's going on around here…?"

"Uh…no…?" Yoji cocked an eyebrow. "Everyone seems more frightened, but…"

"Those workers are attacking people. The one chasing us wasn't even human!" Mei scowled. "Whoever it was that responded to you two, they made the workers into monsters. They turned civilians into…something more…" She shuddered.

"So…how do we reverse this?" Yoji asked.

"We need the original caster." Natsuo stated. "Or…"

"Or what?" Ritsuka asked.

"If you know something…" Mei threatened.

"Just a theory…whoever it is, they're trapped in here, too." Natsuo informed. "Most spells…most spells can't be undone unless battle ends or the caster retracts it. Or dies."

"We have to get someone killed?" Yuiko screeched.

"No!" Natsuo argued. "We need to get out of this maze. Police showed up, but they can't get in. There's some kind of barrier."

"So what?" Yoji wondered. "We need to get out of here, but then what?"

"I have a feeling this may end if we find our way out." Natsuo nodded his head. "It's just a theory, but powerful Fighters can emit a failsafe into their spells. You can break them by doing something specific."

"And that specific thing is escaping?"

"It's quite possible." Natsuo nodded. "But…how do we figure our way out of a maze?"

"Got it covered." Mei stated. "I called Mimuro. Once he gets here, I can follow our bond to him and find our way out of here."

"Great plan." Yoji's voice dripped sarcasm. "But how is he going to get close with the, you know, police guarding the place."

"Right…" Mei looked out into the distance. "They're all inside the farm lands. I can see the road. No barriers. As long as he's within my range, I can sense him."

"Are you sure?" Yoji wondered.

"Yes." She glared. "Just because I'm a kid, it doesn't make me useless, Zero."

"Never said you were."

"You hinted at it."

"Good, she's learning." Yoji chuckled.

"Yoji, stop. She's…been a lot of help." Ritsuka gave Mei a small smile. "I don't know if we would have made it this far if you and your family hadn't bumped into us."

"They're not my family. I'm a foster kid." Mei corrected.

"We're still family…" The mom corrected her back. "Just because we're not blood, it doesn't mean anything, Mei. You're still…one of us…"

"Yeah, Mei." A little boy tugged at her arm. "You can do some cool stuff…and it's a little strange…but you're still our sister!"

"Um…thanks…" Mei smiled, but it quickly faded. "They're here."

"Who?"

"Mimuro and Akame." She pointed out towards the road. "That's his father's car he lets him use. He just called me."

"Your phone didn't ring…" Amane paused. "You have service?!"

"What? No, not via phone. We have our own way of communicating." Mei's bond shimmered.

You there?

On top of a bridge. We think we know what's going on.

Well? What is it?

Zero says they think everything will go back to normal if we just find our way out of here. Some kind of failsafe.

A failsafe? A pause. Nisei agrees, but he's not sure. He doesn't recognize the signature, but he's going to try and look into it while I help you.

Thank you, Mimuro…

Mei?

Yes?

You got this. I believe in you.,

She blushed. Thank you…Let's get out of here…together…

"Mei?" Ritsuka asked.

"Akame's looking into whoever did this. He seems on board with your failsafe idea."

Natsuo snorted. "For once, the dog is useful."

"Arf." Yoji agreed.

Mei and Ritsuka shared a look.

"Mimuro's going to help us. As long as our bond is open, we can follow it out of here." Mei informed. "But some of us don't look ready to move…"

"We should rest…" Sensei offered slowly. "I know it's dangerous, and time is very important here, but we need to keep up our strength if we're going to get out of here…"

"She's right." The mom stated.

"Alright, we rest." Yoji nodded.

"What do we do about Maiko?" Amane wondered. "She's still on the other bridge."

"You left her there?" Natsuo looked at Ritsuka. "Seriously?"

He shrugged. "She didn't want to come with us. She thought it was safer there."

"She's an idiot…"

"I know. But she's easily spooked. She won't move until someone helps her leave. If you're right, the police can grab her later."

"Alright." Yoji shrugged. "For now, let's just enjoy the view, eh?"

Screams echoed into the night. Ritsuka groaned. Leave it to Zero to describe the horrors of the maze as a view.