Of Things Lost
"What's the point of him getting his own room if he keeps coming back to mine?" Kanda muttered as he looked down at the pale boy curled upon the floor by his bed.
The boy had been given his own room a little over a month ago and yet every day he'd end up curled up on the floor in Kanda's room – having never once slept in his room. Kanda didn't mind all that much, he rather enjoyed the boy's silent company when he was asleep. Though highly entertaining while awake and bickering with shrewd little comments, nothing was comparable to the beauty of the boy when he was asleep, all tension and anxiety washed away.
Sighing Kanda lifted Allen onto the bed and drew the covers up around his small frame, mentally smiling as he felt the boy unconsciously moving into his touch.
"You kind of like him huh?" Lavi asked grinning from the doorway.
"Shut up," Kanda snapped. Denial was a bitch especially under the all seeing eye of a bookman.
"It's not like it's strange, everyone likes him, he's a real sweetheart and damn adorable too. Well, when he's not flying into a frightened fit that is," Lavi said.
"It's not like that," Kanda said. "He just needs someone to take care of him."
"And naturally it has to be you," Lavi said smirking as he took note of the barely noticeable color tinting Kanda's cheeks.
"I didn't ask for this shit," Kanda growled defensively.
"But you don't want to lose him now that you have him," Lavi said shrugging as if it held no difference to him, though he really was enjoying teasing the Japanese male.
"Do you want to die?" Kanda asked, voice dropping an octave to punctuate his annoyed glare.
"Hey, I call it as I see it," Lavi said hands held up in defense, the grin never leaving his ridiculously cheerful face.
"Then maybe I should take care of that other eye of yours and solve everyone's problem," Kanda threatened.
"Aww Yuu-chan, don't be like that. It's perfectly natural to have urge- ow!" Lavi yelped as the door was slammed in his face. 'Damn baka Usagi,' Kanda thought balled fists relaxing at his sides as he walked over to the bed.
"You cause way too much trouble," Kanda muttered as he sat at the edge of the bed, cobalt following the slow rise and fall of Allen's chest.
'He's been working really hard lately,' Kanda mused as he reflected on the past few months with Allen at his side. They were going out on missions and though unbelievably naïve, Allen did pull his own weight – even more so with how he had to over compensate for the mentally incapacitating fears that every once in a while were stirred into mild hysterics. Kanda also noted how Allen tried not to overreact when people touched him in polite gestures of welcome or congratulations whenever they returned from a successful mission. Even so the scars on Allen's psyche were far from healed and Kanda had a gnawing suspicion that they never would and that Allen was only suppressing his fears, rather than trying to surpass them.
Despite how proud he was of the younger boy for his evident progress in integrating within the clockworks of the Order, Kanda found his martyring tendencies to be rather unsettling. One mission in particular had really set Kanda on edge when the boy had displayed a kind of ridiculous weakness that many people would take advantage of.
"Let me be the sacrifice in their place!"
'What kind of idiot, is so damn fearful of people and yet would sacrifice himself for their happiness?' Kanda wondered. It didn't make sense at all. Even after trying to explain to him that they were exorcists, destroyers, Allen was stubbornly insistent.
"Even so I want to be a destroyer that saves."
Such idealistic crap didn't seem to fit with the image that Kanda had pieced together of who Allen was. There was still much about the boy and his past that Kanda was unaware of, but he just couldn't wrap his mind around the boy's romanticized perspective. How in the hell could someone have been so scarred by the scourge of humanity and still be so optimistic? It was improbable and downright perplexing.
'Then again he's only recently started to speak of his thoughts,' Kanda thought with a sigh as he brushed some of the stray locks of silky white hair aside. Allen had been talking to Kanda for a while but it had only been petulant comments mixed with words of thanks and apology every now and again. Though their arguments occasionally got out of hand Kanda knew there was no malice in the boy's words, after all it couldn't be helped, Allen hadn't had proper human interaction for four years.
That one time in the train on their way back from Allen's first mission had been the first and only heartfelt discussion of his past that Allen had relayed to Kanda; said male feeling a strange sense of elation for having been the only one privy to the mystery that was Allen Walker. But now that Allen would speak his thoughts more clearly Kanda found the boy to be rather infuriating.
'So damn peaceful,' Kanda thought, fingers itching to trace the soft contours of Allen's cherubic face. Despite the air of deceptive serenity that cloaked the boy as he slept, Kanda was sure there was a violent storm raging within him. There was no way in hell that his emotions could mirror such an expression, especially with the violent and fearfully ingrained reactions he'd witnessed.
"Way too much trouble," Kanda murmured as if confirming his previous statement, a small smile turning the corners of his mouth.
xXx
"What do you mean Allen's going to be taken away?" Lenalee asked aghast at the notion. "Taken where?"
"Lenalee please," Komui sighed looking much too stressed to be normal, "you weren't supposed to hear that."
"That's not the point! Where is he going?" Lenalee pressed as she slammed the coffee tray on Komui's desk.
"Lovelier has convinced the Vatican to give him leave to take Allen into intensive training elsewhere," Komui sighed. "Apparently his performance isn't up to par with what they require of him."
"Allen's been doing just fine here; he's even being going on missions. Why is that man coming to take him away?" Lenalee asked, thoroughly disgusted with the idea, feeling her own rising fear from simply thinking of the repulsive man. "You can't let him."
"I've tried everything but what with the Noah becoming more active in the Earl's plan, the Vatican felt it necessary to have Allen reach critical state as soon as possible," Komui sighed. "Their will is absolute, there's nothing I can do this time."
"This can't be," Lenalee whispered softly as tears traced lazy trails down her pale cheeks. 'He's my friend. He's only just started to warm up to everyone,' she thought feeling far too depressed for logic as she allowed her brother to hug her.
xXx
"You're such a bastard, what the hell is your problem?" Allen asked brows furrowed in confusion, not understanding how the normally civilized bickering had become a full blown, no-punches-pulled argument. "I just asked a question!"
"Baka Moyashi, you're so fucking confusing how the hell am I supposed to even understand what's going through that goddamn head of yours?" Kanda yelled, anger radiating from his form.
"I didn't even do anything!" Allen said, with no way to know that part of the argument was being pulled from Kanda's thoughts on their last mission in Matel.
"You're a fucking pain in the ass!" Kanda growled "hiding away here all the time even when no one is even giving you a second glance. Grow a fucking backbone baka!"
"You really are a cold hearted jerk," Allen bit harshly, "just like everyone says."
"Good to know you finally got that damn picture!" Kanda hissed feeling far too angered by that statement than he should have. It wasn't Allen's fault that he was angry. The baka Usagi had set him off about Allen that morning and then while the boy was sleeping he'd found out that that damn idiot Daisya decided to go and get killed somewhere by a fucking Noah – he was pissed but not at Allen. Even so he couldn't bring himself to stop the onslaught of cruel words, nor could he really understand how the argument had escalated to such severity.
"Kanda, I'm-" Allen started seemingly trying to fight back tears of frustration and pain – he was hurting from the brutality in Kanda's voice.
"You're what? Fucking unstable, I already knew that!" Kanda snapped unable to restrain himself. "Get the fuck out of my room!" Silver eyes widened and in a blind moment of furious irritation Kanda roughly gripped Allen by the collar of his shirt, an utterly murderous look in his cobalt eyes.
"Kanda," Allen was afraid – terribly afraid of the older male. And Kanda knew it but was just too damn angry and Allen was just there, then his pride wouldn't allow him to apologize, especially with the boy feeding the flames.
"Your damn problems are shit, acting all hurt when clearly your ideals speak otherwise," Kanda whispered with a deathly sort of anger. "Where do you fucking get off, playing savior and shit when you can't even stand being touched, can't fucking stand looking at people without cringing?"
"Kanda," Allen's voice was trembling, pleading. "I-I-I'm s-s-so-"
"Y-y-you're what?" Kanda mocked dropping Allen to the ground deciding that if he couldn't control himself he'd just get out and avoid causing anymore damage. "Be gone when I get back." With that final statement the navy haired male turned and stalked out of the room, the pale boy cringing as the door slammed shut, the frame shaking from the force.
'What just happened?' Allen wondered unable to stop himself from shaking. He was terrified and his first instinct at a time like this was to run to Kanda. He was at a complete loss as to what to do since Kanda had been the one to provoke this terror – something was wrong, Allen was sure of it. Kanda had been kind to him, albeit in a very crude and far from gentle way, but still the older male had held him when he'd cried. Had he become so much of a burden that Kanda couldn't take it anymore and had just snapped? Was he to blame form pushing the older male over the edge?
Slowly Allen picked himself off the ground and slowly made his way through the halls hoping to hide away in his room and emerge later to find that none of this had happened. Maybe he was just having a nightmare and he'd wake up to find Kanda's arms wrapped around him protectively.
"Allen?" a familiar voice called in concern, as blurry silver eyes met emerald. "God what happened to you?" The red head was at Allen's side in an instant, tentatively resting his hands on Allen's shoulders. The boy tensed up at the touch but didn't move away – he was used to Lavi's overly friendly exuberance and knew that though unsettling as it was, the male meant him no harm – like Kanda. With the thought more tears spilled down Allen's flushed cheeks.
Allen said nothing, simply sobbing as he was pulled into a loose embrace by the older male. Lavi knew him well enough to know that Allen never sought physical comfort from anyone except Kanda so he was weary about holding Allen for too long in case he somehow set the boy into a fit of hysterics. It hadn't happened for a while, but that didn't mean they were in the clear.
"I take it this has something to do with why Yuu, stormed into Komui's office demanding to leave the Order for the day," Lavi said softly. Large, teary silver pools looked up at Lavi in question and he sighed.
"He's just gone into the city. He's not really good with dealing with people so it's no wonder it turned out like this," Lavi said "Yuu's foster brother was killed and we got the news today. He probably didn't mean to take out his frustrations on you. But being the proud idiot that he is, he's too stubborn to apologize right away."
"His brother?" Allen asked as his sobs slowed to small tear chocked hiccups.
"Yeah, they weren't close or anything. If you asked, Yuu would probably tell you that the idiot is better of dead, but that's just the way he shows he cares," Lavi laughed. "Whatever he said to you, I'm sure he didn't mean it. He likes you too much." Lavi grinned as he noted the slight blush that lit Allen's cheeks as his tears stopped altogether.
"T-thank you," Allen whispered, as his gaze fell to the ground and he pulled away from Lavi.
"No problem kiddo, anytime you want to talk and Yuu's being mean I'll be willing to listen," Lavi said grinning as he ruffled Allen's hair in a very brotherly gesture of affection.
xXx
"Damn it I'm such an idiot!" Kanda yelled, kicking a random crate as he walked around the damp city streets.
xXx
Having calmed himself, Allen couldn't stop feeling bad about the argument with Kanda. If he'd had any idea that the man was grieving then he was sure he could have done something. At present he had no idea what he could have done, but surely he could have helped ease his pain in some way. After all that Kanda had done for him, Allen felt rather upset that he couldn't even see that the man was in pain and was so preoccupied with the harsh words to think about what Kanda could have been feeling and what had caused the outburst.
Allen recalled how he had been utterly lost when Mana had died; he had lost all sense of reason at that time and had…
"Allen Walker," a darkly familiar voice reached through Allen's thoughts causing the boy to go rigid as he fearfully turned to face the same despicable man he'd met several months ago. At his sides stood tall men sporting black outfits, the upper half of their faces obscured by the veil extending from their hats. The feeling that rose within Allen at that point was pure, undiluted dread – like flaming adrenaline coursing through him reacting to the dangerous aura emanating from the strange men.
"Time to go exorcist," Louvelier said shocking Allen from his thoughts, every instinct in the boy's body screaming at him to run, which he did. Heart beating at unnatural rates Allen couldn't formulate any coherent thoughts besides 'must get away.'
"Get him," Louvelier said. The two males at his sides rushed down the hall after Allen, catching up to him within moments. An arm shot out from dark clothing catching around Allen's neck, slamming him into the floor. Allen fought off the black fog encroaching upon his vision, feeling a warm liquid trickling down the side of his face with a familiar rust copper scent.
Heavy boots closed the distance he'd gone from the man, Allen's innocence invoking with a violent burst, the claw throwing the man away from him as he scrambled to his feet on wobbly legs. The other man caught Allen in the stomach with a kick that pitched him down the hall at an alarming rate, creating a crater in the stone wall upon impact.
Wind knocked from his lungs Allen's vision blacked out for a moment as he toppled forward, crumbled stone falling with him as he landed on the floor gasping for air and trying to still the world that was warping around him. When his vision cleared he was accosted by the same man who'd kicked him, pinned to the ground as he squirmed under the bruising hold.
"Bring him," Louvelier said, beginning to walk down the thrashed hallway.
"Wait!" Lenalee called having screwed up her courage enough to confront the demon from her childhood nightmares.
"Ah Miss Lee, what a pleasure to see you," Louvelier said as he turned to her.
"Let Allen go," Lenalee said, "he belongs here."
"He is a weapon, as I'm sure you understand," Louvelier said cruelly. "And to increase his progress he must be trained properly."
"Please don't take him away!" Lenalee begged, heart pounding in her chest rapidly.
"I suggest you learn your place, Miss Lee," Louvelier stated coldly as he gestured for the two men to bring Allen.
"No," Allen whimpered as he threw the male off, pulling himself up using the wall as support.
"Allen!" Lenalee called taking in his battered appearance and the blood trailing down from within his white locks.
"Knock him out and bring him," Louvelier said before leaving, boots echoing down the hall.
Allen groaned as he moved his innocence to block a sudden slew of attacks from both males, Lenalee watching with horror as her knees gave out on her. A flurry of swift movements later and Allen crumbled to the ground, innocence deactivating as charms were placed on it. Teary turquoise eyes followed the two men as Allen was hauled away.
xXx
'Just apologize, it's simple enough,' Kanda thought as he ascended the stairs of towards the living quarters.
"Lenalee, calm down and tell me what happened," Lavi's voice echoed in the empty hallway as Kanda turned the corner.
"They took him," Lenalee cried. "Allen, they took Allen and I just watched them go."
"Who took the damn Moyashi where?" Kanda asked, brows knitting together in anger as cobalt eyes took in the crumbling wall and the cracks in the floor, not to mention the smears of crimson streaked amongst the wreckage.
"Kanda," Lenalee sobbed. "Louvelier took Allen." Cobalt eyes narrowing in hatred and hands balling into fists at his sides Kanda abruptly turned, stalking down the hall to Komui's office.
"Yuu, wait up!" Lavi called as he pulled Lenalee up with him.
xXx
"Answers now!" Kanda said as he kicked the door open with splintering force.
"Kanda, you're back early. I thought you'd be out fo-" Komui paused as Lavi entered with Lenalee at his side. "Lenalee!" Komui wailed as he noted his sister's disheveled appearance and ran to comfort her, only to get stopped by Mugen's sharp tip at his throat.
"How could you let that bastard take him away?" Kanda snarled in anger.
"He had full authority, and was accompanied by members of the special combat division of Central's execution squad," Komui said, "I had no choice."
"What the fuck does that mean?" Kanda growled. "He's going to loose his fucking mind around those sadistic bastards!"
"Kanda please listen to reason-" Komui was cut off, realizing that there was no way in hell Kanda would listen to his weak reasoning.
"No! You fucking listen to reason!" Kanda yelled. "I told him he'd be safe with me!"
Komui looked down in defeat at the bold declaration. Kanda would have fought the members of Crow to keep Allen even if there hadn't been a chance of winning. Though the two were always bickering and Kanda often claimed that he was a pain in the ass, Allen was important to the samurai – he'd wanted to protect him.
"Can we get him back?" Lavi asked after a long moment of simmering silence.
xXx
Allen blinked as he dragged himself into a sitting position, muscles screaming from abuse. 'Where am I?' Allen thought as bleary vision surveyed his surroundings. It was dark, and dank. Stone walls boxed him in on all sides, save for a thick metal gate on one side. 'A cell' Allen mused as he tried to stand, head swimming in nausea as he noted that besides the possible concussion his wounds hadn't been treated. Blood was still marring his face from the head wound, no longer warm and fluid but cold and unpleasantly sticky.
"Allen Walker," Louvelier's voice drew Allen's rapt attention as the boy shuffled back against the wall. "You will begin your training in an hour. Inspector Howard Link will be your keeper, he will be accompanying you wherever you go and has authority to hurt you if necessary to keeping you subdued. You are only to activate your innocence while training, if you should do so at any other time there will be consequences."
Without another word the man turned on his heel and stalked away, expression far too smug for Allen's liking as he turned to the male left behind. This man wasn't as intimidating as Louvelier, the aura though frightful wasn't anywhere near sadistic so when the man had the guard, dually noted to be one of the strange black clothed men, open the door Allen did little more than cringe as he tried to seem invisible.
"Allen Walker, my name is Howard Link," the man said in a brisk introduction before kneeling beside the cowering boy touching a damp cloth to his bloody face. Only then did Allen notice the bowl of water and the few medical items the man had brought with him.
"Don't touch me," Allen hissed moving away from the older male's touch. Without saying anything Link placed the cloth in the water and pushed the bowl towards Allen to allow him to clean his wound for himself.
"Why am I here?" Allen asked brows knitting together in distrust, ignoring the water.
"You are here because it was ordered and we do as we are told by our superiors," Link said setting aside the bowl of bloody water. "The training is difficult from what I gather, I will be no more than a spectator to observe and restrain you should you try to leave. Do not think that I will come to your aid should your performance be lacking in the training hall."
"Want to go home," Allen said as he curled his knees to his chest.
"We have no homes. As members of the Black Order we merely have bases of operations, until this war is over, none of us will have a home," Link said. "If you are cooperative and work hard in your training, you may eventually return to the HQ you were staying at. Until then it will be in your best interest to follow the orders given to you."
"I'm going to die here, aren't I?" Allen asked softly as a mirthless laugh escaped his lips. 'How utterly pitiful that I won't be able to keep my promise, I'm sorry Mana,' Allen thought as he was pulled to his feet and led away from the cell.
xXx
"Kanda," Allen whimpered as he curled to the far corner of his cell, hoping that he'd fallen into some sort of horrible nightmare and that he'd soon feel warm calloused hands shaking him awake and telling him how stupid it was for a sixteen year old to be having nightmares. The training had been brutal, and his body bore countless cuts and bruises. He couldn't understand why training hurt more than the missions he'd gone on. Getting hit into a wall by an akuma was like being shoved to the side – far from the bone shattering force with which he'd been thrown into pillars, walls and pretty much any other surface in sight.
He was to undergo another session shortly, Link had told him. The man had dragged Allen's weakened body back to his cell; he had tried to protest but was in no position to move of his own volition. The guard shoved a tray of food his way once he was back to huddling in a corner – it was nothing more than paper to Allen's senses as he fondly thought of Jerry's cooking and how Kanda would watch in mild disgust as he ate several times his body's weight in food at each sitting.
"Walker, it's time for your next training session," Link said as the cell door was opened. Slowly Allen pulled himself to stand as he wobbled towards the man, not wanting to be touch again. Though ready to defy all the bastards in the whole damn building, Allen was mildly perturbed by the punishment he'd receive should he fail at an attempt to escape. Training hurt like hell, so it was quite possible that penalty would leave him immobile, and then he'd still be forced to train.
'And so it begins again,' Allen thought as his tarnished silver eyes fought to remain focused.
xXx
Screams tore through Allen's body as he felt electricity forced through him, billions of violent jolts wracking his brutalized senses and leaving him a mess of tears and spasms in the aftershocks. Running away definitely wasn't an option when there were countless dark clothed men guarding the hallways that seemed to wind together like a labyrinth.
Allen had barely been able to remain standing during the second training session, his innocence being pushed to its limit. Allen knew that without a reason or motivation to fight he wouldn't improve, Kanda had told him that it was good to draw power for your emotions but that it was important to maintain control over it. Allen had always used his innocence in battle as a means for protecting people and saving the poor souls bound to the akuma's skeletal forms. Fighting in this meaningless forum would do absolutely nothing but wear his body out and he didn't know how long it would take the idiots running his torture to figure out that the damn methods weren't working in the positive.
He had to escape – anywhere would be fine once it wasn't here. Here he'd be worked until his innocence drained his body of all it's life force, after all that is the downside of being a parasitic type.
He'd gotten past Link with little difficulty, dashing around a corner as he slid beneath a table, watching his keeper run down the hall in search of him. From there escape had seemed almost tangible, though he'd not anticipated his horrible sense of directions or the skilled guards he ran into at every corner. He couldn't fight them; after two brutal sessions in the training hall and a previous beating Allen was running low on energy and drive.
He'd been caught in his valiant attempts to escape and Louvelier was brought in with a devastatingly chilling smile on his face as he initiated the punishment with a kind of balefully disturbing, sadistic pleasure.
Allen had just been painfully shown that escape just wasn't an option, but that didn't mean that there weren't other ways to defy the men holding him against his will.
xXx
"The only way we can get him back would be to somehow prove that Allen's not improving under Louvelier's techniques," Komui said sighing as he leaned back in his chair.
Calming Kanda had been a rather difficult task but eventually the navy haired male had settled for a silent rage while Komui and Lavi tried to think of ways to get Allen back without severe repercussions. Kanda's barge in and beat everyone to a bloody pulp method hadn't even been considered. Reason being that they'd only come back for Allen and the problem would be nowhere near being resolved – Louvelier would still have the authority of the higher ups and that plan would lead only to punishment for the everyone involved, possibly with charges of treason hanging in the balance.
"Well it's obvious that Allen wouldn't work well if he's being threatened," Lenalee said softly as she set a tray down on the table, serving Komui his much needed caffeine before giving Kanda and Lavi cups of tea. The steaming liquid was meant to be soothing, to dampen the tense atmosphere. Lenalee was still feeling guilty about not being able to stop them from taking Allen and sought comfort in her normal tasks.
"Is there a way to get Allen's mission records from them?" Lavi asked. "If so we can compare the missions he's completed here with the ones he's gone on there and voila hard proof that he's only become less useful to the Vatican."
"Allen has gone on a lot of missions here over the past few months but, surely they wouldn't send him out on a mission on his first day," Komui sighed. "We have no idea when they'll stop training him and send him on an actual mission."
"Well it doesn't have to be missions, find out how well he's cooperating with them, which I think we can safely say is at zero percent if not less," Lavi said. "If he's not taking orders there then it'd only make sense to have him brought back here."
"I'll see what I can do," Komui said, "but if the Vatican doesn't give their consent then we can't do anything." Komui glanced over to Kanda's brooding form, noting that the male's hands clenched around the tea cup in death grip.
xXx
"The brat is utterly useless to us if he won't fight," Louvelier said, anger rising as he glanced through the bars to the source of his displeasure – the boy wasn't supposed to fight back, that's not how it worked. Maybe a couple problems with getting him to know his place but nothing as severely disobedient as Allen had done.
"But sir, he can't be trained if every time we take of the charms and he invokes, it's to beat the crap out of anyone in his cell," a guard said.
"How about his punishment?" Louvelier asked.
"He screams and cries but he's not breaking sir," the guard said. "It's not like your punishments aren't severe enough, we've beaten him within tangible distance of his death even so he refuses to beg for it to stop and as for fighting back – he can't since his innocence is sealed during those times and he can do little more than struggle."
"That damn brat thinks he can make a fool out of me," Louvelier scowled, slamming Link's most recent report onto the table angrily.
xXx
"It's been three fucking days!" Kanda hissed. "What the hell's taking so long?"
"I made an appeal to the higher ups, it'll take a while for them to investigate before coming to a decision," Komui said.
"Funny how they didn't give a second thought to letting those bastards come here with a do-whatever-the-fuck-you-want authorization," Kanda snapped bitterly.
"The system is far from perfect but please bear with it a little longer and just hope for Allen's safety," Komui said.
xXx
"Walker, listen to me," Link said crouching beside the cowering boy. "You may think you're proving a point by resisting but you're only hurting yourself." Tarnished silver eyes looked up from beneath damp locks of dirty white hair as Allen shuffled away from the inspector.
"Can't hurt me," Allen muttered, "not weak."
"You're very strong, but they are hurting you," Link said trying to reason with the boy. He'd grown rather fond of the boy over the past week, admiring his resolve despite the obvious repercussions to his actions – or lack thereof. Link was in no way prepared to drop his post in order to help the boy, but he didn't really care to see him suffer.
Allen said nothing, looking up in a seemingly pathetic display, if not for the unshakeable defiance shining in his dulled silver eyes. Link was sure that Allen would sooner die than break under Louvelier – the boy was anything but weak.
xXx
"We have the Vatican's consent to retrieve Allen," Komui said. "Apparently he's made quite the mockery of Louvelier by his constant defiance."
"So that's it? We can just waltz in and pick him up?" Lavi asked.
"Yes, over the past week Allen has done nothing but oppose every one of Louvelier's orders and after his first escape attempt he just stopped doing pretty much anything but getting all hysterical when people come near him and kick them out of his holding cell. He's apparently even refusing to eat," Komui said reading over a report. "The higher ups believe that he was better suited to living here."
"It's about damn time," Kanda said as he headed to the door.
"Kanda, where are you going?" Komui asked.
"Where the fuck do you think I'm going?" Kanda growled in annoyance.
"Wait," Komui said. "Lavi you and Bookman should accompany Kanda since Allen will almost definitely be in need of medical attention."
"Gotcha," Lavi said as he walked up to Kanda. "Yuu, wait for us by the docks, I'll go get the old panda." Grunting in acknowledgement Kanda stalked off towards the docks that lead out of the Order through the canal systems.
xXx
"Where is he?" Kanda growled holding a guard up by the neck of his jacket.
"The boy is in the containment cells two floors beneath this one," the guard choked out having not anticipated an assault by anyone wearing an exorcist jacket. Tossing the man to the side Kanda stalked through the halls, with Lavi running behind him ducking to rooms in search of Louvelier or Allen's keeper to show their letter of permission.
"You can't come in he-" a guard started only to be silenced by a rather murderous glare.
"Get out of my way if you don't want to die," Kanda said, voice dangerously low. Nodding in shock at the killing intent radiating of the Japanese male the guard stepped aside. As cobalt eyes landed on the utterly pathetic display that Allen had been made into all tied up in the cell with charms over his left arm, Kanda's rage flared, just waiting to get his hands on Louvelier and introduce the bastard to Mugen.
"Oi Moyashi," Kanda called from the cell door.
"Kanda?" Allen looked up blinking, silver eyes flashing with hope.
"Yeah it's me. Come on, Komui got permission from the Vatican to have you brought back," Kanda said about to tell the guard to open the door.
"Kanda," Allen cried as he tried to move having forgotten that Louvelier's little torture device was still attached to him and that any movement would result in that mind numbing pain. Letting out a strangled scream as shocks of electricity jolted through him, Allen ceased his attempts at moving.
"Allen!" Kanda called in desperation as the boy collapsed against the stone floor, body twitching with over stimulation. "Open this fucking door now!"
"Y-y-yes right away sir," a jingling of keys and a click in the heavy iron wrought cell door reached Allen's ears beyond the infernal buzzing.
"Shit, what did they do to you?" Kanda made to bring Allen into his arms to stop when he heard Allen mumble a soft don't.
"I wouldn't do that if I were you, or you'll be shocked too," Louvelier said drawing Kanda's attention.
"You fucking bastard!" Kanda hissed leaving Allen temporarily to slam the inspector into the wall. "Make it stop right this fucking instant or I will gut you!"
"He wasn't being cooperative," Louvelier said, "he had to be punished."
"He's a fucking mess! How the hell is he any better off here?" Kanda demanded. "You said you'd make him reach critical state to better serve right. So why the hell does he look like he's got one foot in his fucking grave?"
"Yuu, Link finally gave me the key to – oh god Allen!" Lavi cried as he ran to the boy's side quickly undoing the strange shackles and ripping the charms from his arm. A Bookman wasn't supposed to have emotions, they weren't supposed to care or take sides, but they were human right – and surely one human could be there for another when they were suffering.
"Oi Usagi, make yourself useful and take him out of this place," Kanda said, "I have some things to discuss with this bastard before we leave."
"Will do Yuu, just try not to get locked up, I'd hate to have to come back here for another rescue mission," Lavi said as he scooped Allen into his arms.
"Shut up and go!" Kanda snapped, hardened cobalt watching until they were out of sight. Pulling Louvelier forward a bit before slamming him back into the wall Kanda snarled at the smug look on the man's face.
"You made a big mistake by taking him," Kanda said.
"Did I?" Louvelier asked smirking. "Let go exorcist or I'll have you tried for assaulting your superior officer."
"Che, superior officer my ass," Kanda hissed as he knocked the man to the ground Mugen's metal length pressing up against the male's throat.
"Fine what do you want?" Louvelier asked seeing that Kanda was seriously willing to kill him. "You already have the boy."
"I want you to beg for your pathetic life," Kanda hissed, "after all that's what cowardly bastards do."
xXx
"Kanda, where's Kanda?" Allen asked, voice high, building towards hysteria as he realized the Japanese male wasn't with them.
"He'll be coming soon jus-" Lavi was cut off as Allen began to struggle in his arms.
"No, let go!" Allen cried as he writhed weakly in Lavi's arms. "Kanda!"
"Calm down Allen," Lavi said sternly as he moved the boy into the carriage where Bookman was waiting with his needles already out to fix Allen's nerves and soothe the tenseness from his body. "Kanda will be here in a few moments so just let us help you in the mean time."
"Kanda," Allen whimpered softly as he ceased his feeble movements and allowed Bookman to tend to him.
xXx
"How is he?" Kanda asked as he climbed into the carriage signaling the driver to go.
"He'll be fine," Bookman said glancing down at the unconscious boy. "He fell asleep once he'd calmed down."
"Yuu, what did you do to Louvelier?" Lavi asked. "You didn't kill him right?"
"He's alive," Kanda answered simply, cobalt eyes tracing over every inch of Allen's exposed skin where bluish black bruises marred his soft flesh.
xXx
"If we didn't have that damn argument then I'd have been here for you and could have stopped this crap before it even began," Kanda said as he pulled Allen into his arms. "I said I'd protect you and then-"
"But you did," Allen smiled though he was trembling and highly antsy at every noise, "you came for me." They'd only been back for a couple of hours but Allen had insisted that he stay with Kanda after getting patched up in the infirmary.
"Che baka, you obviously need more training," Kanda said, "but not against akuma, your problem is people."
"Not true," Allen pouted.
"Oh it's not is it? Then I suppose all your bad memories aren't of human cruelty," Kanda said with a knowing smirk at the frown that replaced the pursed lips.
"Hmm did you miss me?" Allen asked ignoring the posed question.
"Che, as if I'd miss a troublesome baka Moyashi who won't stay in his own damn room," Kanda said tone light.
"I feel safer here, with you," Allen said simply.
"You are far too naïve when it comes to people I could be just gaining your trust to scre-" Kanda was cut off as soft lips pressed against his hesitantly. It was a very chaste kiss and Kanda found himself staring into large innocent silver eyes when Allen pulled away.
"Let me stay by your side," Allen said in a small pleading tone.
"Baka, what the hell was that for?" Kanda grunted trying to ignore the feelings stirring within him from Allen's advances.
"All I could think about was you," Allen whispered against Kanda's ear, the breathy voice filled with sincerity almost too much for Kanda's control to take.
Kanda's brows furrowed as his gaze drifts to the lotus on the table. 'It wouldn't fair to him,' he thought. Trembling hands cupped Kanda's face carefully turning his cobalt gaze back to meet silver as Allen leaned forward pressing his lips to Kanda's again with the same sweet purity as the first.
"You don't have to say anything, I know it can't last. Good things never do. But for now," Allen said. "For now can I love you?"
"Che, baka Moyashi," Kanda mumbled as he captured Allen's lips with his own, slowly drinking in their meshing desires with wanton hunger.
Things are ever susceptible to change. Of those lost, they can always be found if one is willing to seek them out.
End
A/N: Wow, I actually finished in time *laughs* I was hoping to get this out for the 4th of July what with my current location being the States and all. So if you didn't read my profile page you know this sequel was the result of some very nice requests last time around. So to those of you who wanted more I hope it wasn't a disappointment.
I'm still a bit unhappy with the pacing of this especially during Allen's stay away from home. I don't like fussing over repetitive details it just detracts from my writing enjoyment – which is why I wrote Allen's situation as it is and it wasn't longer. I'm no good with action and fight scenes but I think I got the brutality down well enough.
Let me know what you think I'm not sure if this was a successful sequel or not. I did like some parts of it but I'm not sure of the overall effect and it's consistency with its prequel.
Anyway thanks to everyone who's read and reviewed my works.
Comments are welcomed – they make me happy :)