A/N: Haha, looks like I've found yet another plot bunny in my discarded Documents. I fixed up the poor thing, and have decided to share it!(: I am unsure as to how I should continue it though. Having a repeat of the series with an extra character would be a total bore, so I'd have to be creative enough to think up a whole bunch of new changes! Ugh, that sounds like too much work though, lol!
For those of you who don't know, Zone was the pilot episode to D. Gray-Man, so I've decided to do a crossover here. Hope you enjoy it!^.^
Disclaimer: Unfortunately, I will never be the owner of this wonderful series, otherwise known as D. Gray-Man. ):
Counterparts
Time Frame — Night of August 7th, 1897
—3rd Person POV—
~Allen~
Allen dodged and ducked around the townspeople as he scurried throughout the crowded streets in a rush—if he didn't make it to the train station in time, he'd have to wait until tomorrow and he couldn't afford to waste any more time! He was so close to officially becoming an Exorcist, after all. But, just as Allen rounded the corner in his swift pace, he promptly slammed into another person around his size, causing them both to tumble back and land on the cobblestone street with a harsh thud. Taking a moment to shake away the dizziness, Allen finally glanced up, coincidentally at the same time as the person he'd slammed into did, eyes clashing. Astonished, Allen could only gape.
The boy was identical to him.
The same chin-length, snowy colored hair; same round, moonlit eyes; and he even had a scar on the left side of his face that extended from his forehead, cut through his eye, and ran down his cheek. Unlike his own, shapely scar though, this boy's was just a single straight line that didn't seemed to be healed as it was still stitched up.
After getting over the shock of each other's appearance, the boy gave him a tentative, but suspicious smile, while carefully holding out his left, glove-covered hand in a polite gesture. "Hello, nice to meet you! My name's Robin."
Allen nodded wearily, and taking a hold of his hand, simply replied, "Allen Walker." Glancing down, he noticed with wide eyes that Robin's coat sleeve had slightly pulled up, revealing a small part of his equally blood-red arm. Unfortunately, his sleeve had done the same, displaying a part of his own gnarled arm as well. Both realizing this instantaneously, they instantly snatched their hands back, as if they'd been burned and gave each other cautious looks, while carefully standing up, subconsciously shifting into their familiar battle stances.
A moment of tense silence passed as they assessed one another. Robin was the first to straighten up. "Exorcist?" He raised a curious eyebrow.
Allen hesitated before nodding, cautiously straightening up himself, while questioning, "You?"
Robin cocked his head to the side in thought and evasively replied, "Something like that." Before Allen could question what he meant, Robin glanced around warily and pointed out, "But this probably wouldn't be the best place to speak about it."
Allen couldn't ignore the itching curiosity, and so he remarked, "There's a tavern around the corner."
Receiving a nod of agreement, Allen began to lead the way and they eventually found themselves in a small pub. Taking their seats at a small table, way in the back corner, they eyed each other for a couple moments in contemplation, before Allen finally asked, "What are you exactly?"
Robin gazed at him for a moment before truthfully replying, "I'm an Akuma that was modified by my Master, General Cross. And you?"
Eyes bugging out, it took a bit for Allen to process the revelation before blurting out, "I'm an Exorcist who was born with Innocence and has been trained for the past three years by my Master, General Cross."
Equal silver eyes widened when they realized the severity of the situation. Then Robin suddenly burst into dramatic tears while crying out, "I knew it! This is all Abaddon's fault!"
"Huh!? Who's Abaddon?" Allen called out over Robin's cries, simultaneously trying to calm him down.
Robin finally slumped down in his seat, heaving a sigh, and answered glumly, "This is Abaddon." Digging into his suitcase, he pulled out a broad, golden sword. "Innocence is embedded in it," Robin elaborated in answer to Allen's questioning gaze. "I think… I think it's Abaddon that sent me here. Wherever here is, I'm guessing it to be some sort of alternate dimension…? Anyway, I knew I shouldn't have messed with it!"
Completely bewildered, Allen could only continue to gaze at him in shock—until he noticed Robin was getting ready to burst into tears once more. Quickly, he asked, "What were you trying to do?"
Scratching the back of his head with a sheepish and exhausted smile, Robin explained nervously, "Well, you see… I had a little run in with the Millenium Earl and unfortunately, anytime I use the Innocence that was given to me by my Master too much, the chance of my Akuma nature—which is sealed by this scar—is threatened to be released. Fortunately, I had Abaddon in my possession, allowing me to overcome it. Unfortunately, by the end of the fight, Abaddon had a… a scratch on it." Robin gradually began to tremble fearfully once he blurted out the last part.
"Um, what's the issue…?" Allen prodded gently, expression perplexed, internally more freaked out by the revelation that Robin had had a "little run-in" with the Millenium Earl. Without warning, Robin abruptly reached over and grasped him by the coat, anxiously shaking him back and forth.
"Do you not know our Master?! He would've had my head on a platter the moment he noticed! I wasn't even supposed to have it in the first place, but he forgot it, just like I said he would!" Robin wailed.
Gently removing his hands with an exasperated smile, Allen pointed out, "Well… you don't need to really worry about that anymore, now do you?"
Robin gasped and exclaimed triumphantly, "You're right! I don't! He's your problem now!"
Allen sweatdropped. Then, offering him a curious look, he asked, "Your arm is the Innocence Master gave you, right?" Once he received a nod of confirmation, Allen continued, "How exactly did Master give you an arm?"
"Oh. It was originally his arm, but when he saw my determination to avenge my kind against the Millenium Earl, he sealed away my Akuma nature and transplanted my arm with his," Robin explained. Allen looked a bit disturbed, but nodded in understanding.
"What about you? How did you get your scar?" Robin asked.
A nostalgic expression formed on Allen's face as he answered softly, "I also turned someone precious to me into an Akuma; my father, Mana. Because of it, he cursed me to see the tortured souls of the Akuma. Before he could follow through with the orders of the Millenium Earl though, my Innocence activated for the first time and destroyed him."
Robin's features turned grave, returning Allen's empathetic nod. "Yes, my eye can detect them as well and I know it may seem difficult, but you should be grateful that you managed to release his soul before it could be permanently bound to the Earl."
Allen offered him a single, grim nod. He then remarked, "There's just one thing I don't understand though… if you're an Akuma, why couldn't my eye detect you?"
Contemplating it for a bit, Robin finally answered, "It could have to do with the fact that my Akuma nature is sealed with an Innocent fragment. If not, then it might be that I'm not the same type of Akuma that are created here."
"Same type of Akuma?"
Nodding, Robin elaborated, "That's what tipped me off about being in the wrong place. The Akuma here look a lot different than the ones that I've fought against in the past. Tell me, how do the puppets the Earl uses look? What about the contract?"
"Puppets? If you mean the thing he uses to call down the souls, then here he uses metal skeletons created out of Dark Matter. As for a contract, I don't think there really is one… all he tells you to do is call out your beloved's name and their name is written out across the skeleton's forehead while the soul is being called down," Allen explained with a frown.
"Very different indeed," Robin muttered with a thoughtful look.
"What about the Innocence you use? Around here, you can be compatible with only one piece of Innocence, no exceptions. Well… except for Master obviously. He used some ancient magic to be able to control the corpse of an Exorcist who used to be a Parasitic type," Allen mused.
"That must be another difference then," Robin decided.
They lapsed into silence, as they thought about everything they'd learned. "So, are you supposed to be like my counterpart or something?" Allen eventually piped up.
Robin hesitated, before agreeing. "Maybe…"
"Well, since it doesn't seem like you'll be going anywhere anytime soon, would you like to join the Black Order with me to become an Exorcist?" Allen suggested.
"Really?! But I'm still only an apprentice!"
Allen just scoffed, and replied, "The only thing Master taught me was how to destroy Akuma, and that was by tossing me right at them. Other than that, he mostly just threw me at debt collectors. So if you know how to defeat Akuma, then I'm sure you'll be fine."
Robin nodded eagerly, but then frowned. "How are we going to explain the whole look-alike thing? Plus, we can't have the same Innocence weapon! And I'm an Akuma for crying out loud! Going to the Exorcist Headquarters is practically suicide!" The more Robin spoke, the more he panicked, until he was pulled out of it by a firm smack to the head.
"Calm down! If my eye can't detect you, then I'm sure any sort of device they have for detecting Akuma will be ineffective. Using your arm will obviously be dangerous, so keep it hidden and use Abaddon instead." Before Allen could reassure him any further, they were interrupted by an older woman.
"I am so sorry! I did not notice you were back here! Please forgive my incompetence! Is there anything I can get you two?" the woman asked in a flustered voice.
Realizing he was somewhat hungry for the first time, Allen ordered a fairly large meal—he'd had dinner earlier, but it couldn't hurt to have a snack. Scribbling everything down hurriedly, she didn't bother looking up when she asked, "And what about your twin brother?"
They exchange a momentary gaze of shock, before Allen and Robin smirked when they contemplated the genius behind it. "I'll have the same as him," Robin finally answered when the lady looked up at him questioningly.
"And there you go. Nothing to worry about!" Allen smiled, once the waitress had shuffled off.
"Alright, little bro!" Robin teased him.
"No way! You intrude my world, then you get to be the younger one!" Allen argued.
Before they could bicker any further, the lady from before was back with the first couple trays of food. They both dug in excitedly, but Robin suddenly paused and asked, "Wait! How are we paying for this?"
Allen offered him an innocent smile—a little too innocent for Robin's liking. "Don't worry. I was in here earlier today," Allen assured him.
"Meaning…?" Robin prodded suspiciously. In response, Allen nodded towards the opposite corner of the room where there was a group of gamblers who occasionally glanced in Allen's direction, eyeing him with disgruntled scowls.
"I never lose," Allen cackled with a wicked smirk, a dark aura unexpectedly surrounding him.
Robin suddenly wasn't so sure about his decision.
Time Frame — Night of August 21st, 1897
"I don't think I can do this!" Robin wailed.
"Yes. You. Can!" Allen grunted as he tried to pull Robin away from the edge of the cliffside which he clung to with all his might.
"No way! I've heard all sorts of things about this place! And the experiments! The experiments, Allen!" Robin continued to whine with dramatic tears streaming down his face.
"Yeah? It's called. Being. Paranoid!" Allen gasped as he finally let go of Robin. In reaction, Robin released the edge, but before he could begin to crawl back down, Allen swiftly grabbed him and threw him over his shoulder with a small grunt.
"No! Let me go, Allen! I don't want them to dissect me!" Robin cried out in panic.
"Quit being such a baby, Robin! You're the one who agreed to this, and we'll see it through, together. Got it?" Allen said firmly, as he began to walk up the pathway and towards the gate, Robin slumped over his shoulder.
"Got it…" Robin grumbled.
"Good," Allen sighed, glad that he got his protesting 'brother' to calm down. Despite this, Allen still didn't release him, not wanting to take his chances.
Finally arriving at the gate, Allen looked around, unsure of what to do next. Assuming that the mass of golems surrounding the spooky castle would be able to transmit his message, Allen called out, slightly nervous, "Hello? Anyone home? My name's Allen Walker, and this is my brother Robin. We were referred here by General Cross. We are here to request a meeting with an executive of the Order…" Allen trailed off, as he was met by silence, and fidgeted uncomfortably.
"Can you put me down now? Your shoulder blade is digging into my gut," Robin grumbled, slightly irritated.
"Huh? Oh, right," Allen said in a distracted voice and set him down, having momentarily forgotten that Robin had even been there in the first place. Once on his feet, Robin observed his surroundings much more closely and shuddered at the gloomy and chilling atmosphere they'd found themselves in. As they both searched around for any kind of life, they were unexpectedly confronted with an enormous face!
"Oh, hello…" Allen smiled politely, though in reality he felt uneasy of the situation.
"Don't talk to it!" Robin hissed under his breath.
Before he could bother to defend himself, they both jumped anxiously when the Gatekeeper leaned down and shouted in a bellowing voice, "PREPARE FOR AN X-RAY, SO I CAN DETERMINE IF YOU ARE A HUMAN OR AKUMA!" Its bulbous eyes suddenly lit up into two blinding beams as it began to scan them. Once it was satisfied with Robin—much to their relief—it focused on Allen, the scan taking unusually long. They briefly heard it mumble underneath its breath, "What's wrong with this thing? I can't get a reading…"
Then, all of a sudden, it promptly recoiled away, the luminous beams abruptly going out as it began to yell, "ARRRGH! FAILURE! AHHHH!"
"What?!" Allen and Robin exclaimed, feeling indignant and little frightened.
Bursting into terrified tears, the Gatekeeper continued to screech, "HE HAS THE MARK! THE MARK OF EVIL! HE FAILS! A PENTACLE IS THE MARK OF AN AKUMA! HE'S A MINION FROM THE MILLENIUM EARL! HE'S COME TO KILL USSSS! HE'S A SPY! A SPYYYYY!"
Frantically tugging at Allen's shirt, Robin immediately urged him, "Come on, Allen! Let's get out of this crazy house! They're utterly nuts!" Without waiting for a response, Robin began to haul him back, down the path. Unfortunately, it wasn't long before they were intercepted by a seemingly infuriated Samurai.
With an ugly sneer, he taunted them, "You both must be downright stupid to show up here without reinforcements."
"W-wait! It's a misunderstanding!" Allen tried to defend them. Regrettably, that didn't prevent the long-haired Exorcist from attacking them with his Innocence in the form of a katana. In a swift motion, Robin shouldered Allen back in order to protect him, and quickly slipped out Abaddon in time for it to clash with Mugen with a sharp clang. The Samurai-look-alike paused for a second, surprised with the form of defense.
"We're Exorcists!" Robin grunted from the force, though he continued to give the Exorcist a fierce and determined gaze. Blinking, he simply a shoved them back with a forceful swing of his katana and then turned towards the massive face. "Gatekeeper!"
Sniffling pathetically, the Gatekeeper yelled defensively, "What?! He has a pentacle on his face! Just because he says he's human, doesn't mean he is! I'd rather be safe than sorry!"
Feeling resentful, Allen was about to defend himself, but Robin beat him to the punch. "Look. General Cross sent a referral letter to Supervisor Komui Lee. Instead of making assumptions, why don't we ask him?" Despite the diplomatic statement, Robin continued to hold up the golden broadsword, having noticed the violent gleam in the other Exorcist's eye.
It took a moment, but finally, one of the black, bat-like golems swooped down, a voice commanding through the static, "Kanda! I need you to stand down! Stop the attack! I repeat, stop the attack!"
"Fine," the Gatekeeper grudgingly muttered behind them, having received his own orders, and then bellowed, "OPEN!" With a deafening groan, the rusty, wrought iron gates began to lift themselves on either side of the Gatekeeper.
"Allen and Robin Walker! Your access has been granted!" another voice said through the golem.
"Hey, Komui? Mind filling me in?" Kanda asked in annoyance.
"Sorry about that! The kid, Allen, checks out. He's General Cross' apprentice. Plus, having Timcanpy with them is proof enough, wouldn't you say?" Komui asked rhetorically, voice friendly. "Okay, Section Leader, let's apologize~!"
The voice from before yelled indignantly, "But I didn't do anything wrong!"
Ignoring him, Komui continued, "Let them go, Kanda. They're one of us!" Kanda only narrowed his eyes. And then, someone slammed him atop the head with a clipboard.
"Kanda stop it! Enough with the macho-head games!" a pretty Asian girl scolded him, causing Robin to snicker. "Now, you three, get inside before I close the gate." Narrowing her eyes at the stupefied trio, she repeated threateningly, "I said, get in!"
"Che," Kanda scoffed, finally pulling back Mugen. With a suspicious glare, Robin simply rested the blade of Abaddon against his shoulder, knowing he might not be as fast to take it out next time, if they were attacked again. They then followed the female Exorcist inside, the gate slamming close behind them with a thunderous slam.
"Nice meeting you! I'm Lenalee, the Chief's Assistant," the pig-tailed girl introduced herself with chipper voice as she began to lead them through the Order. Fortunately, they'd lost Kanda somewhere back at the entrance. It was also a good thing that Allen had filled Robin in with his own experiences during his apprenticeship with General Cross. He didn't feel as lost when Allen began to tell Lenalee some of their wacky misadventures as she continued to give them a tour. Hopefully, they wouldn't end up getting lost once they were on their own…
~Robin~
"Show… me… your Innocence…" Hevlaska's voice resonated throughout the chamber, as she held a stiff and anxious Allen, causing Robin to tense up with concern. Admittedly, he was as frightened as Allen, but Komui seemed to have a surprisingly strong grip as he held him back.
"What are you doing?!" Allen demanded, as Hevlaska's tentacles began to prod Allen's hand. Feeling both disturbed and terrified, Allen commanded, "Innocence activate!" Unfortunately, it was all for naught, as Hevlaska had soon calmed his Innocence down to a state of rest.
"Damn it! Let go!" Robin growled.
"Calm down!" Komui ordered in a surprisingly fierce voice. Robin didn't listen. Whatever that thing was had managed to deactivate Allen's Innocence!
"Try to relax, I am not your enemy," Hevlaska murmured, and then pressed her forehead against Allen's, creating a blinding flash of light in response to the connection. "2%... 16%... 31%... 57%... 83%... It appears that 83 percent is the maximum synchro rate you and your weapon are capable of."
"What's a synchro rate?" Allen asked, verbalizing Robin's same thoughts. He'd finally calmed down somewhat, when he realized Allen wasn't being hurt. Still, the whole process made him feel apprehensive.
As she began to set him down, the enormous, specter-like figure clarified, "The number indicates your ability level when activating your anti-Akuma weapon. The lower the synchro rate the more difficulty you'll have activating, putting you at a higher risk for permanent damage." She then added, "I apologize. I didn't mean to scare you. The only accurate way I can gage your Innocence is through touch."
Robin scoffed underneath his breath. They could have explained that earlier. Noticing Komui's amused smirk out of the corner of his eye, Robin gave him a swift kick to his lower leg, causing the older man to let him go with a pained yelp. Serves him right! Robin thought, his own smirk now in place.
"What exactly can you learn from my Innocence?" Allen asked as he was settled back onto the platform, drawing Robin's attention back the conversation at hand.
Hevlaska gazed deeply at Allen, before announcing, "Allen Walker, in the future, when darkness dominates this planet, your Innocence will produce an extraordinary 'Destroyer of Time'."
"A Time Destroyer?" Allen muttered under his breath, just as Robin was being lifted up by Hevlaska. He tensed up, but thankfully didn't do anything drastic, as she used her tentacles to slip Abaddon out of his grasp and carefully observed it for a few moments. He also made sure to keep his left arm out of her touch, as she held him around his torso. No need for Hevlaska to notice his two pieces of Innocence.
Robin began to go through the same process Allen just had, as Hevlaska began to murmur, "4%... 15%... 28%... 47%... 79%... Your synchro rate appears to 79 percent, Robin."
"What can you tell him about his Innocence?" Allen asked curiously, as Robin was set down next to him. Robin shuddered slightly, trying not to focus on the invasive feelings he'd just experienced.
After another moment, Hevlaska gazed silently at Allen's brother, before speaking, "Robin Walker, as the 'Destroyer of Time's rightful counterpart, when the shadows of our enemies are upon us, with fire and brimstone, your Innocence will yield upon them a hellish 'Creation of Purgatory'."
A/N: Well, that's it! I'm putting it as completed for now, since I'm not sure if I'll continue it. I have a couple ideas for it, but if I ever get a chance to smooth them out and make it into a real plot, I might come back to this.(: Or not! Haven't really decided yet. I really love this idea, but I'm unsure how to fit Robin into the story. My biggest issue is plot though, since I'm drawing up a blank when it comes to the big ideas.
Haha, so I was looking up to see if there was a better word than 'purgatory' to use, and apparently Abaddon turned out to be a synonym, and all I could think was, "What?! Wow! I'm such a freaking genius!" xD Haha!
Either way, could you please review and tell me your thoughts? :3
