My first -Man fic. A rambling of events set after Lulu Bell's attack on the Headquarter, all leading to one vital event. Not Beta-ed...
A dark-skinned man with crucifixes adorning his forehead stood over a pile of black lump on the ground. From afar, it would look like as if he was praying over someone's grave. However, the truth was, the lump wasn't a lump at all. In fact, it was the Black Organization's Exorcist, Allen Walker, who just had his left arm torn off. The pain was excruciating but what made it unbearable was that the arm was his Innocence. And now, it lay at the feet of the dark-skinned man, one of the Noah Clan, the Noah of Pleasure, Lord Tyki Mikk.
"Let's see if yours was the Heart, shall we, Cheating Boy?" the sadistic man snickered at the barely moving figure. Tyki was enjoying the look of despair written all over Allen's face.
"No!" was all the white-haired boy managed to croak. "No, please!"
Tyki leered at the Exorcist, his hand creating some sort of electrical charge. "Just like the Noah can be destroyed by the Innocence, so is vice versa." As he said that, the electrical charge rushed towards the severed arm, incinerating it and revealing the glowing tool of God. Tyki bent down and picked it up. "If Suman's Innocence is destroyed when I crushed yours, then this is the Heart. If not, who cares? My job is to kill you anyway." He crushed the device and then letting the fragments scattered.
"No!!!" A melody of despair rang out, a sweet note to Tyki's ears.
"Nanda? Yours wasn't the Heart afterall. Well, time for you to die, I guess."
"No!" Allen's pleading was monotonous, lacking strength and conviction from the pain.
Tyki sneered sadistically. "Oh, yes, Allen Walker."
****
A few months after Lulu Bell's attack
"Hevlaska, meet Danielle Düraud, our newest member," Supervisor Komui introduced the red-haired girl to the Keeper of Innocence.
Hevlaska stretched her tentacle-like arms and picked up the terrified girl. The supervisor just watched with glee as the girl struggled to free herself. That exact same scene happened to every first timer, he could still remember every one of them. Some of them were still fighting against the Millennium Earl's evil forces and some of them had already been granted eternal leave from the tiring jobs.
With Danielle's screams could still be heard, Hevlaska touched the girl's forehead with her own. "3%...15%...23%...54%...77%...85%. Synchronization rate is 85%," she announced softly before putting the trembling girl back on the platform. Then she said something surprising for all of them to hear.
"You, Danielle Düraud, carry within you a surprising power. You will one day aid the Destroyer of Time in his quest to fill his destiny. Your fate is tied so closely together that if either one of you fail, the other will be doomed to fail as well."
Komui stood there listening, his mouth halfway opened. Hevlaska's prediction almost always came true. There was no doubt about her ability. He turned around to look at the slightly disheveled girl. Danielle was still in a daze, body slightly shivering.
"Danielle," he called. "What does you Innocence do?" he asked curiously to the blue-eyed Exorcist. "What is it called?"
Danielle snapped from her daydreaming when she heard Komui was calling for her. "Um… it is called Echo of Innocence. Basically, it imitates other Innocences."
"What?"
****
"Is that so, Supervisor Komui? That is indeed fascinating. An Innocence to imitate others. That would make it powerful," Marshall Tiedoll said, admiring the power. "Can I have her as my disciple?" he asked sheepishly while sipping a cup of tea.
"Of course the answer is 'No', Marshall Tiedoll. She'll be under the tutelage of Marshall Cloud. Please stop asking me the same question over and over again when you already know my answer," Komui replied politely.
"How many can she imitate at one given time?" Marshall Cloud inquired; ignoring Tiedoll's constant whining to have her new disciple.
"As of this moment, at the synchronization rate of 85%, she managed to imitate three but none of those who had passed the critical point and none of the parasitic type. I was actually hoping for her to copy Judgment," the bespectacled supervisor explained carefully.
Marshall Sokalo just scoffed. He couldn't understand the need to drag him back here just to discuss about some stinky girl's Innocence. He would rather return to the battlefield and have a heck of a time kicking the shit out of the Akumas. And why did Komui have to invite tat Bookman and that twerp of a Junior to this discussion?
"And what about the prophecy regarding the girl?" Bookman asked, his panda eyes bright with anticipation.
"Oh yes. About that, it seems that Danielle and Allen's fates are intertwined. And I think it would be a good ides for them to team up. What do you think, Bookman, Marshalls?" Komui suggested to the attentively listening crowds, except Sokalo, who was looking as if he would die of boredom.
"Splendid idea, Supervisor. So I better start training that girl as soon as possible. When do you plan on uniting her with Walker?" Cloud curiously asked the Chinese man.
"After a two-month probation period."
****
Asian Branch
"How is he, Bak?" Komui's voice was worried, even through the telephone.
"She's fine, Komui. Like Allen, she has managed to re-activate her Innocence. Her anti-Akuma weapon now takes the form of a heart-shaped locket," Bak explained patiently.
"I've never thought I had to ask you to do this for a second time," Komui muttered, his voice was apologetic. In the background, yells and angry retorts could be heard. "Her case is just like Allen's."
A week ago, Danielle was caught off-guard while en-route to meet up with Allen. She was attacked by a horde of Akumas and easily dispatched all of them before being targeted by Tyki using the same modus operandi when he tried to kill Allen. Convinced Allen's case was one-in-a-million, Tyki left Danielle to die after destroying her Innocence.
"I bet Tyki had never thought this would happen again, huh? As would I. Do you have any idea why, Komui?"
"No, not the slightest. Their cases are different from the crystal type. It's as if they have a life support system. As long as they are still supported, they won't be destroyed," Komui said, innocently scratching his head.
"Life support, huh?" Bak sighed deeply, "It would be nice if every Innocence has that luxury. But as far as I know, only Walker's and Düraud's act like this. We have to keep an eye on those two, Komui. I have a hunch that they are vital to our war against Millennium Earl and the Noah Clan."
"No need to tell me. I'm already on that. As soon as Danielle's ready, send her to meet up with Allen, Lavi and Lenalee. Got to go, Bak dear. Work's calling."
"Don't call me….." 'Klik.'
****
Somewhere on Earth under the starry stars
"We meet again, Cheating Boy. You brought your friends along with you for me to kill. How nice of you. Let's see, there's Eye-Patch Kun, and you, the female Exorcist in Edo, and you–," Tyki stopped midsentence. His eyes seemed to play a cruel trick on him. Was he seeing a ghost? "–You? Didn't I kill you in Mongolia or something?" 'Oh shit. Hakushaku is going to be pissed at me, again,' he swallowed his fear.
"Well, you left me to die, you did. But your biggest mistake was not delivering the final blow yourself, Lord Tyki Mikk," Danielle bowed mockingly at the dark-skinned man.
"Areeee, Tyki. Fail again, huh?" Jasdero snickered. His twin was standing on his shoulder jeering at the Exorcists.
"Where's the vampire? We, Jasdebi, have a score to settle with him," the black-haired Debitto pointed his golden gun at the group.
"Search for him yourself, you freaks," Lavi retorted, earning him a blue bullet from Debitto's pistol. Lavi managed to dodge out from the bullet path just in time with the help of his Innocence.
"This is quite a mess you made here, Exorcists. Millennium Earl is not pleased to have his battalion destroyed before the actual battle even begins. So, he'd asked us to get rid of the troublemakers," Lulu Bell motioned to the piles of destroyed Akumas around them. "And that troublemakers would be you." With that, the Noah of Lust turned into a huge catlike creature with sharp fangs and lunged at them.
"Allen, I'll take her," Danielle screamed to make herself be heard.
Tyki cut in. "Fine by me. I don't want to fight a woman, anyway. So how about a re-match, Cheating Boy?" Tyki asked, activating his electric blade on his right hand. He flew with lightning speed towards the white-haired boy, almost cutting Allen in two had he activated his Innocence a second later.
"Seems like we're left with this freaks, Lenalee," Lavi said loudly, making the Noahs of Bond hissed angrily.
"You really piss us off, Exorcist."
So, the battle between the Exorcists and the Noah finally began. With each passing moment and each blow, the damage to both parties was great but no one would back out. They fought like that moment was their last. So absorbed were they in their respective fights that none realized they were being watched. The Millennium Earl was standing on top of a hill overlooking the bloody field with Road on his side.
"So, that female Exorcist's Innocence isn't the Heart. It appears like every equipment type will eventually turn into that hateful Crystal type," Millennium Earl turned his head towards the Noah of Dream. "And that make Allen Walker as the possible candidate. When Tyki-pon destroyed his Innocence, it didn't disappear like other Innocences. But it destruction didn't destroyed any other Innocence. What is going on here?" The Millennium Earl grumbled grumpily.
Road just shrugged, innocently licking her lollipop. Honestly, she didn't want to think about any of that. Those things were best left to the adults. Excitedly fantasizing how she would kill the Exorcist if she had her hands on them, she watched the flow of the battle nonchalantly. Allen evaded an attack from Tyki; Lenalee and Lavi had their hands full with Jasdebi's antics and Lulu Bell clawing at a female exorcist whose name escaped her. 'Wait, isn't that–?' She chocked on her lollipop.
"Hakushaku?"
"Yes, Road?"
"Erm, isn't that the Exorcist who is supposedly killed by Tyki?" She pointed her index finger to the red-haired Exorcist who was busy positioning herself out of Lulu Bell's raging attacks.
"Ah…yes indeed, dear Road. But how is that possible? She even has her troublesome Innocence. I saw with my own eyes how her Innocence got destroyed. How is this possible?" The plump older man squinted, mind thinking hard. "Oh, and Road, it's not nice to point at people."
****
Meanwhile, thousands of miles from the battlefield, Hevlaska started to feel all the Innocences inside her reverberating. It wasn't like all those time when they acted up just before someone passed the critical point. This time, it felt like they were all trying to activate despite not having adapters. It felt like they were all trying to protect something.
Komui, who was called the moment Hevlaska started acting up, croaked weakly, "Hev? Are you alright? What's going on?"
With much effort, the Keeper of the Innocence managed to answer, "I don't know Komui. This is the first time I feel such pain. Who's on the battlefield right now?"
"Um, the last time I checked, Kanda, Marie and Chaoji had just come back from their mission. That leaves Allen, Lenalee, Lavi and Danielle. They haven't contacted me yet since yesterday," Komui explained, not really grasping the meaning behind the question.
"Walker? Düraud?" Hevlaska fell silence. A moment later, another jolt of pain passed. "Call them back, Komui. They're fighting the Noahs. Call them back! Call Walker and Düraud back!" Hevlaska practically shouted the last sentence.
Komui was confused. Wasn't it normal for a warrior to be on the battlefield? Hevlaska was sure acting strange. "Why?"
"Crown Clown and Echo of Innocence are the Hearts!"
A gasp. The Arch Marshalls and Komui were stunned beyond words. "What?" was the general reactions followed by "How do you know?"
"The Innocences inside are calling to me to bring them back…. Or at least one of them. Remember my prophecy regarding Düraud? If one fails, the other will too?" Komui nodded dumbly. He didn't understand any of this. The logic just escaped him.
"Ever wonder why Walker's and Düraud's Innocences didn't get destroyed even though they'd lost their physical form?" Komui nodded again, feeling stupid. "It was because they still have each other. The moment Allen's was destroyed, Düraud's was still intact and vice versa. As long as one of them still exists, they will revive. But if they were simultaneously destroyed–," Hevlaska couldn't bring herself to finish the sentence.
"Then, the Heart will be destroyed, once and for all," Komui finished weakly.
"Precisely. That's why I want you to bring them back. Because this Heart, no, these two Hearts, they beat as one."
A/N: Hands down the most rambling fic I've ever written, I myself am not very sure what's going to happen next. So feel free to speculate. What do you think of it? Hate it, love it, loathe it? What should I do with it? Reviews are very much appreciated, be it supportive or flame (although flame will be used to roast the turkey in the oven). Hope you enjoyed it (am I kidding?).