The harsh ringing in Kid's ears began to dull as his eyes cracked open to harsh lighting.
"Uurgg...f-father?" His eyes snapped open to an open sky. Why was he outside? No, the roof was simply missing.
"Father!?" Kid sprang to his feet and looked around, "Father where are you?"
The room was now illuminated by the late morning sun. The room was large with a high ceiling, the tall grey stone collums that split the room into thirds had where covered in craters or had been taken out completely. Behind these stone towers, what looked to be broken pedestals, clay faces and metals scattered among glass shards mixed with rubble from the walls and ceiling. Kid took a closer look at the the in-tacked paintings. Monster hunters, faces who arrested a record-breaking amount, others who donated to the knowledge of mythical creatures. The faces...very familiar.
Kid let his fingers run over the the colored paper, "Father was speaking the truth then. I should have known."
Kid turned back towards the lighted center of the crumbling room. Thrown across the floor, wood shards from a once long table and a decent amount of cushioned chairs. Kid's fists tightened at his side, his father never fully explained his reasoning, why hadn't he said anything? Shouldn't the students have the right to know?! SHOULDN'T HE-?!!
Suddenly, a loud rumbling was heard in the distance.
Air was forcibly pushed past grit teeth,
"Well regardless... I have to find someone and explain what's going on."
Turing away, kid began to dash back down the stone hallway, going in a different direction from whence he came. Kid whipped around a corner only slam into something and get knocked off his feet. On the ground, Kid's stomach plummeted when that something let out an ear-piercing screech.
"Kid!!"
Golden irises looked up in a flash to meet two large black slits in sky blue orbs.
"Liz? Patty!"
Patty crowed in happiness rearing her blonde-feathered head and stamping her large eagle feet.
"Oh Death, Kid! Thank God you're okay!!" Liz peaked out from behind her sisters head and slid off her flank, "we where so worried about you when you disappeared!"
Now on his feet once again, he was enveloped in a hug. Patty back in her human form, squeezed the both of them even tighter together. Kid gasped from in between the two,
"How did you two find me? What happened to everyone else? Where's father?"
Patty giggled, "you sure do ask a lot of questions kiddo!"
They both backed off and started to rush towards the exit. From behind him, Liz began, "Once reinforcements arrived at camp, Joe and Sid ordered an attack on the Eibon's academy!"
"Soul and Maka went missing after you left!" Patty chimed.
"They should be arriving at Death City soon. Me and Patty went on ahead to find you and Lord Death."
"But before that we ran into Tsubaki and Maka!"
"Tsubaki said that neither of you where in the school! So naturally we came here next."
"Naturally!"
"That's when we tracked your scent down here!"
Bright light was seen on the left by a stairwell, they turned and ran up the steps.
"That's right," Kid said to himself, "here: at the DMCA!"
——
Truck wheels tore up the sand into dust clouds. Monsters of all shapes and sizes hung off the back and sat on top while others flown over head on look-out.
Each car is was crammed with students, teachers, and the reinforcements of Death Beasts. Marie stood in the far back of the car smiling forcefully at the students and Beasts that sat on the benches.
"Now listen everyone! We are now approaching Death City, most of you will be let out at the city's outskirts while the adults separate and head to both academies."
Ox hissed from his perch on Harvar's shoulder.
"I agree," Klink sat with the twins on his lap, "we can help."
Kim crossed her arms, "Same here. You'll be greatly out numbered without us!"
"Isn't this what you've trained us for?!" A NOT student added, "to beat out the baddies that threaten us?"
Opening her mouth to speak, Marie was interrupted by a massive jarring of the truck. Once she regained her composure she let go on one of the hand grips and pointed at the group.
"You are all Death Academy students. Meaning you have all been taught to protect the lives of innocence from those who gone astray, be it humans or monsters, for the good of co-existence. And as students, you will be charged with evacuating the city to these trucks- transporting them to the camp yourselves if you have too- and ensuring each and every one of their safety." She leveled the silent car with her stare, "do I make myself clear?"
"Yes Miss Marie!!!" They shouted in unison.
"Good," she gave a coy grin, "and once that's done, you can begin with Harvar's idea."
The truck shuddered and jumped again, the where breaks locked and the wheel was cranked to the right. Th passengers screamed and shouted in alarm as everyone held on tight.
"What's going on?!" Marie shouted to the driver. ordering the kids to stay seated she threw the trunks twin doors open. The sand gave one last rumble before shooting towards the sky like a geyser. The hot sun light became blocked as the reinforcements became shrouded in a dark shadow. Blackness shaped like an 'S' stood at 25 stories high.
Behind her the driver shouted back her through the glass,
"JORMUNGANDER!!"
——
Kid took once last glance at the basement stairs before nodding to liz and patty to continue. Turning and turning through the completely trashed school to the battered entrance. They where halted in their tracks at who they saw.
"Wha-What are you doing here?!" Patty exclaimed. Kid narrowed his eyes as the question didn't seem to process with the newcomer. This was wrong. He was wrong.
"Liz. Patty." At his command two griffins once again stood at his side. He too unfolded raven-feathered wings.
"Stein," steins dull eyes sized him up, "what is your role in this scheme?"
The ground shook once again as the chimera's eyes lazily rolled to the right. The trio followed his gaze to the black serpent's silhouette outside the city. The tail was whipped forward, crashing into the sand sending it flying towards the sky. Seconds later the ground trembled once again for a couple seconds.
"I believe I'm a diversion," taking a drag of his cigarette, "or perhaps a hostage?"
"What?!" Liz growled.
Kid transformed, "does this mean you know their plans? Or at least their base of operations?" He can only guess.
"Well whatever the reason." he dropped the cigarette to the ground and snuffed it out with his toe, a hysterical grin marring his pale face, "I can't let you go any further."