Moyashi-neechan: Hi! I've just read Chapter 202, the most recent chapter, of DGM and… I swear, Hoshino is driving me nuts with the plot twists she's making. My jaw dropped in this chapter, especially its cover (Oh dear God, is that already a sign of Panda-jiji's impending death?). I can't wait for the next chapter.
Anyways, this two part fic was inspired from the latest chapter mixed with a few of my little speculations and denials regarding DGM and desperation to get out of my blue mood. Enjoy!
Warning: Mild DGM 202 Spoilers, Implied character death.
Same Old Brand New
I.
"Ahhh!"
A scream pierced through the silence reigning in the white city.
What now?
Allen shook his head.
Leaving his training with the piano and Maria,
He went out of the room
And searched for him…
..
.
Again
...
..
.
This was his typical day to day happenings
Ever since his grand escape from the Order
And his partly successful rescue mission
Three months ago.
..
.
Some rescue mission that was.
Allen thought guiltily.
..
.
It's been three months already huh?
..
.
He clenched his fists.
He closed his eyes.
He took a deep breath.
But his chest still tightened at the memory of that night.
..
.
Blood
Tears
A cry
A farewell
Survivor
Death
Half victory
Half failure
A shattering lost as a whole
...
..
.
He walked towards the path that leads to a very special room,
To a laboratory to be exact,
Which was made due to the demands of the genuine Akuma.
..
.
Allen's eyebrow twitched.
..
.
Of course,
He was glad that his Master is alive.
His supposed "death" made a negative impact on his already miserable life.
It's the truth.
Allen sincerely cared for the man.
Cross Marian is a ruthless, insufferable, womanizing, alcoholic, abusive, sadistic, debt monster, prick of a Master
But he was,
Undeniably,
The closest thing he had as an uncle.
..
.
Yes, that's right.
...
.
Uncle
Just Uncle
.
Allen will kill himself first before ever considering the man as his father.
The mere thought makes him shudder.
..
.
But he can never ignore the fact
That the man did save him.
Came back for him
When he needed someone at his side the most.
It made his Akuma of a Master…
..
.
A somewhat…
..
.
Decent Akuma
In his perspective.
..
.
It was not much of an image change
But hey,
His view on the man cannot be easily altered by one good gesture
No.
Matter.
How crazy and grandiose it might have been.
..
.
Oh, Allen could remember everything very well
Despite the haziness that he was experiencing at that time.
..
.
The sudden warmth that enveloped him.
Link asking him what's wrong.
Link's worried face.
A priest entering his cell
With words telling him that everyone is worried
Especially the "Heart".
A hand against his chest.
A familiar incantation.
Then Link's shout.
Then a song…
A hymn.
Maria's Carte Garde.
Link's screams for help.
Then the priest's face, slowly peeling away.
Revealing the face of a man that everybody thought was dead.
Then heavy footsteps
And gasps
And orders to fight and kill
His Master's smirk and taunts
The word "traitors"
Then the clinking of chains and ripping of papers
Timcampy's chanting voice
Then a gathering of lightning
Then a blinding beam
Then explosion
Then screams of fear and incredulity and amazement
Then his voice…
Neah's
Saying somewhere between "Rest…" and "I'll handle this…" and "Stupid apprentice"
After that a lullaby
His lullaby
Then darkness.
..
.
When he was conscious again,
He found himself in the piano room.
.
In the Ark
With his Master alive and well,
Smoking in a corner
With Maria by his side.
.
Before he could even ask a single question,
Cross Marian spoke
"You can no longer go back to the Order."
"You've been declared as a heretic and a traitor."
"We're now on the same boat."
..
.
Allen remembered yelling at him after that.
Throwing insults.
Blaming him for everything.
Asking why he pretended to be dead.
Why he had come back again?
If he had more secrets he needed to know
Or if he'll be kept in the dark again?
And why was Timcanpy huge and talking? Talking!
And why the hell is it small again and resting on his red head?
Why he left his gun at the Order?
Why keep Grave of Maria?
What was his connection to the Fourteenth?
What was his deal with the Fourteenth?
Why did he bother saving him at all?
..
.
He said a lot
He ranted so much
Words just kept coming out of his mouth.
Allen was surprised his Master hasn't hit him with a hammer yet
Due to his behavior.
..
.
When he did stop,
He already realized
His voice have become hoarse from his continuous shouts
His face streaked salty tears.
He had already activated his Innocence
With his black claws embedded on the white wall
Beside his Master's head.
..
.
Cross Marian only blew a puff of smoke in his face.
"Are you done?"
.
Allen coughed and moved away from the man
Deactivating his Crown Clown
Before coughing again
He just glared at his Master.
…..
….
…
..
.
For a long time there was silence.
…..
….
…
..
.
Allen hated the silence.
..
.
"Yes and no."
The man said without looking at him.
.
He blinked.
"What?"
.
"Stupid apprentice."
His Master said.
His very very dark brown eyes,
Almost rich bloody red in the light,
Looked at him intently
With an emotion he can't recognize
Amusement?
Annoyance?
Pride?
Pity?
Affection?
Allen couldn't really say.
"It's my answer to your last question, idiot."
..
.
"My last…question?"
Allen could only ask.
It was pathetic.
But at least he said something.
..
.
His Master's eyes looked at him again with that unrecognizable emotion.
"You really are an idiot."
Allen growled in annoyance.
"You asked if I saved you just because you are the Fourteenth."
The man drawled as he blew another puff of smoke.
Allen…
..
.
Didn't know how to feel about that.
His Master has never bothered an answer whenever he asked questions like that.
It was a personal question.
A question that when answered will somehow give a glimpse of who the man is.
Of who Cross Marian really is.
..
.
"And your answer is…"
Allen spoke tentatively.
"Yes and no."
His Master answered flatly.
...
…
..
.
"The hell! What kind of an answer is that?"
Allen yelled.
"That absolutely makes no sense at all!"
Allen should have known he'll only experience frustration with his Master.
"Stupid apprentice! Who gave you permission to talk to me like that?"
The red haired man produced a hammer from his coat and hit him hard on the head.
"Talk to me like that again and I'll gladly serve your head in a silver platter to Central."
The man's voice was terrifying.
"Now, build me a lab in this place then get me good food and fine wine."
He immediately demanded.
Allen, who was still nursing his injured head, answered defiantly.
"What makes you think I could do that?"
Cross Marian gave him the scariest smile in his entire life.
"Are you questioning my orders, idiot?"
Allen immediately flinched
And squealed "No, Master!"
"Then get out of this room and give me what I've asked now!"
The man raised the hammer
Aiming to create another damage to the boy's skull.
EEP!
Allen swiftly ran away to do his errands.
…..
….
…
..
.
Allen shuddered at the memory.
Sheesh, Master is more terrifying than the Earl if given the chance.
…
..
..
He had been forced to start anew in his fight against the Earl
But
Unfortunately
His new life was in the form of his childhood cum Exorcist training years…
Again
..
.
With an added burden
From the Fourteenth
..
.
Life can't get any better
Allen thought petulantly.
..
.
But at least I have company…
.
Sounds of crashing,
And breaking,
And exploding,
And screaming,
And screeching
Grew louder
And
Louder
..
.
A company who found himself in trouble again.
..
.
Allen was finally in front of the door leading to the lab.
He took a deep breath.
He activated his Innocence.
CROWN CLOWN!
..
.
His right hand turned the knob.
The door opened.
..
.
Here we go again.
..
.
Allen ran
Joining the fray and mayhem
Of Fire and Akuma bullets.
.
Risking his limbs
To play referee once again
In another brawling match
Between
The Akuma Experiment
And
The new Bookman.
Moyashi-neechan: This didn't come out as I planned to be but I really have to get it out of my system since I'm up and about again. Augh... needs to start a long re-write. I'll post Part Two maybe later. If I finally be in the mood again, I might edit this into something more coherent and more descriptive. Still hoped you enjoyed it though.