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It was only a matter of time. After (quite literally) turning his screw over it for a few days, eventually Doctor Franken Stein, sighed and decided it was no use trying to resist any longer.
That night Black Star woke up to find Stein standing over him with a scalpel.
By the time Tsubaki rushed to aid her screaming meister, she found him alone, wrestling with his sheets and convinced him it was just a dream. Something no one else could have done.
Over the next month, almost every student in Shibusen (except Kid and Maka, it was too risky given their parents) reported similar ‘dreams’, and the ones who didn’t, complained of strange physical symptoms: usually odd rashes or unexplained bruises.
“Didn’t I use to have two moles?” Jacqueline O’Lantern Dupré asked, craning around in an attempt to see her own back in a mirror.
None of these rumours, neither singly nor combined, were enough to make it to the ears of Shinigami-sama, or any of Shibusen’s other higher ups, except one. Slowly, the whispers and rumours trickled to one person; Shibusen’s physician (and undercover witch), Medusa. Given her own experience conducting quiet and illegal experiments on students, she identified the situation right away.
It was a sticky situation: if she went to Shinigami-sama, tighter security might be put in place, which was unacceptable, but at the same time, Stein’s results were unavailable to her, which was also unacceptable. Either she had to stop him quietly or get her hands on his data. It appeared a confrontation was in order. And there was no reason she couldn’t have a little fun while she was at it.
***
Stein was sitting at his desk, planning a lesson (unless he was just pretending, an entirely realistic possibility) when a polite knock sounded on his office door. Stein took one last long drag on his cigarette before turning to answer.
“Come in.”
“Doctor Stein, I’m not intruding am I?” Medusa used her most sugary voice and unassuming manner. She had changed out of her usual medical uniform in to a dress that, while it appeared to be modestly cut, left very little to the imagination.
Stein stood and raised his eyebrows. “Ah, Medusa. Something you’re looking for, or just poking around?”
“I was wondering if we could talk, actually,” Medusa replied, sliding into the room.
Stein, ever since he first joined the Shibusen faculty, had suspected that there was something amiss with Medusa; a thirst for knowledge like his own, but much darker. (Oh, he wanted to study her too.) If she was coming to talk to him, chances were it was not for frivolous niceties or polite chit-chat, though she might try to make it appear so.
Stein took another drag on his cigarette, blew out a cloud of smoke and feigned ignorance. “Of course. Is this about Spirit’s tantrum at supper? I didn’t hear what Maka said to upset him, but he bit right through his plate. His stomach must be killing him.”
Medusa giggled convincingly. “I just take care of the students. Neither Spirit’s stomach nor his parenting issues, however ‘upsetting’, are my concern.”
“Yes, that’s right. But no students are injured at the moment, am I right? Your job should be pretty quiet right now, nothing you would need me for anyway. Or did you want me for something else?” Stein had to admit, he enjoyed the game he played with Medusa; teasing, toying. He looked forward to how it would almost certainly end. On the other hand, if his suspicions about her were right, it might well end with blood. Which, actually, would be ok too.
“Doctor Stein, I also do my best to look after their mental health,” Medusa clarified sweetly, stepping closer yet. “I would also, if it were at all possible, like to help them before they get hurt. If we could avoid any more incidents like the one Soul had in Italy wouldn’t that be wonderful?”
Was she trying to remind him of he failure to protect Soul, Stein wondered. After all, he had arrived just after the fateful blow.
“Yes, wonderful,” he agreed shortly, and started to turn away.
Medusa sensed her mistake and took one final step forward until they were nearly touching, blocking his way. “As a fellow scientist, I was wondering if there was any knowledge you could share with me. To help the students. Such knowledge would be most precious, regardless of how it was attained.”
Stein started, slowly, deliberately, turning the giant screw that went straight through his skull. click click click click. “Sorry, Medusa, I don’t have any information that you don’t have. At Shibusen we share. You’re not keeping any… secrets… are you?”
For an instant, though it might have just been a trick of the light (but Stein suspected he knew better), Medusa’s expression twisted, her friendly nature disappeared and she nearly ceased to look human. Then she was smiling again.
“Of course not, Doctor Stein. Although, when students come to me with problems, even the most miniscule ones, it is my duty to inform Shinigami-sama. We can’t be too careful, especially after the incident in Italy.”
Stein stopped turning his screw. “No, we can’t be too careful,” he agreed. “On the other hand, if we don’t trust each other and… stand together… the battle is as good as lost.”
“I want to do everything I can,” Medusa purred. “But I’m not sure what I can find out on my own. I’m Shibusen’s nurse, not a genius like you.”
“Genius? Most people just call me mad.”
Medusa slid her hand lightly across Stein’s chest, “I know there is so much you can teach me, so much you can show me. Like you said: at Shibusen, we share.”
Stein flicked away the stub of his cigarette. There was a long pause as he and Medusa stared at each other, the intensity rose in the room like electricity. Stein raised his right hands… and lit another cigarette.
Maybe next time, Stein thought, for now he was having too much fun. Call it another experiment.
***
Ohhh, Medusa hated Stein. Hated and wanted him, mostly for his research, but if one thing led to another… In the end, she hadn’t gotten her hands on Stein or his research and she was certain she had similarly failed to scare him off performing any more experiments. If he knew about her, or even if he only suspected, he would also know that she could never go to Shinigami-sama. Ever so little, Medusa let down her magical guard, not enough for her witch’s soul to be detected, but enough that snakes crackled and hissed out of her mouth, from her hands, her hair. It wasn’t over yet, oh, not by a long shot. It didn’t matter if Stein exposed her, her plans were flawless. Perfect. She would get his research, as she would get her own. She would play with Shibusen’s students until she was finished and then watch them all go insane.
***
That night Black Star slept the whole night without waking. In the morning his arms felt a little weird, though he didn’t mention it to Tsubaki.
After classes, when it was time to work out, he did three thousand push ups, breaking his old record by over two hundred. Maybe Black Star should have been surprised by this, but he really wasn’t. After all, what else would you expect from the man who would one day surpass god?