Warnings: Language, Nezumi, Kanda, Somewhat Shounen Ai to appease the fangirls. Fanboys, if there are any, don't hate me. Plenty inside for you as well.
AU: Nezumi/Shion = Childhood friends.
Allen = Slightly O.O.C. (Out Of Character) for a few good reasons.
In which the city of No. 6 abandoned their hold of West Block and disbanded when receiving complaints of suspected inhuman treatment taking place within the city. West Block took the liberty of straightening up the maddening epidemic of crime and cracked down, for the most part.
Brief history of Nezumi and Shion:
Friends that once briefly met as twelve year old boys when Nezumi wandered into the city of No. 6, where Shion lived at the time. Nezumi disappeared shortly after their meeting. Two years later, the city is disbanded and Nezumi has no problem with showing Shion around the refreshed city of what was formerly known as West Block. Currently, Nezumi is legally independent and offered Shion a home in his studio apartment, just on the outskirts of town, in a cozy underground room stuffed to the brim with books.
Summary: Coming into contact with a Japanese man out for blood, tailing the literally scarred boy who looks stunningly similar to you isn't an everyday occurrence. All Shion wants to do is clear up this misunderstanding before anyone is sliced into thirds. Nezumi, really just wants to take Shion home and pretend it never happened. AU.
"I still can't believe you did that, Nezumi."
"That pervert deserved it."
"You didn't have to throw him down like that..He would have backed off. It's just difficult to tell my age apart from that of an older man, you know? They say it's the hair.."
"Shion, if you really believe that he would have seen the difference, you're an airhead."
Overall the day had turned out not so different from any other. The city of West Block was bustling and people of variety rumbled about as they carried on with their busy lives, typically paying no mind to the teenagers walking a little closer than side by side.
Ever since the dissolve of No. 6, Nezumi had been nothing more than a little up-tight. Sure, it was comforting to know that a city accused of mistreating fellow humans was under conviction, but sending the unsuspecting citizens to West Block wasn't exactly the best cover up. The citizens didn't seem to mind, so long as the crime rates stayed down. In fact, so far they'd been the lowest the city had ever recorded in the past twelve years.
However, if Shion thought that should give Nezumi a reason to relax, he was duly mistaken.
Just on the way home, a man decided to begin a little mindless flirting with Shion. Nezumi, being the stoic, bitter little warrior he was, thoroughly put the man in his place and dragged Shion away before the situation escalated any further. Shion had been lecturing him since.
"-And I don't think you should be so overprotective. It's not as if we're in the same kind of danger we would have been two years ago. So what if we have to put up with a perverted old man every now and then? I'd rather worry about that than whether or not you'd come home alive.."
He sighed, stuffing his hands in pockets. "You've never had to worry about that, Shion. You've only been to the real West Block once."
"..Who says I didn't have to worry? Even when you left, Nezumi, I couldn't help but think back to that miserable place and wonder if you'd be okay or not. I had no idea who you were going home to-if you had a home to go home to.."
He stopped to sigh once more, loudly enough to annoy Shion if he was lucky, and stopped dead in his tracks. He placed a hand on Shion's shoulder in a manner that was unfamiliar, to either of them. In a way that felt so warm, inviting, yet Nezumi all the same.
Though still unsatisfied with nonverbal gesture of peace, he decided that it was best to let Nezumi have his way of silence just this once, and the two stepped back into the flow of the city.
Nezumi opened his mouth to ask Shion what he had planned to do for dinner tonight, when a shock of silver caught his eye.
No-No, not white. This was undeniably anything but white.
However, that was all he was able to officially conclude before his reflexes took the initiative and dragged them both into the nearest, farthest corner of an alley. With a hand over Shion's mouth, he held him underneath the approaching danger, behind an empty dumpster that served as a temporary cover.
"Nezumi?" Shion wanted to ask, although difficult through his muffled voice. Despite Nezumi's grip, he glanced up and over the dumpster to check for anything out of the ordinary. Finding nothing, he glanced back at Nezumi with a plain frown. "This isn't funny! I thought something serious was going to-"
Crash!
Without any kind of warning, an unidentified object appeared to have slammed into the dumpster, knocking an unsuspecting Shion back into the chest of Nezumi. Nezumi, surprised the air had not been knocked out of his lungs, decided the dumpster was no longer safe. Even so, it didn't appear as though they were headed anywhere soon.
The battle had already crept up on them, and it was easy to see that this was a situation that would have been much rather avoided, should Shion perhaps one day decide to listen to Nezumi.
A dazed Shion stood himself up and glanced at the somewhat hazy sight. Through the blur he made out white hair somewhat identical to his own which indicated he was either hallucinating or looking into a mirror. He rubbed his eyes as his vision slowly came into focus, watching as the sight unfolded.
"Get back here, idiot Moyashi..I'll slice you into pieces!"
"It's not my fault someone can't handle a little competitive sport. No need to feel so ashamed, BaKanda!"
"What did you just call me? I'll teach you some respect, you little idiot!"
"Now, BaKanda, that's not very nice. Say it with me, alright? It's Allen. All-en."
Nezumi and Shion shared a slight look of disbelief, though Nezumi's leaned more toward the enraged side.
As if the situation wasn't odd enough as it is, Nezumi just couldn't stop looking between "Allen" and Shion. If not for the obvious tint of silver lining Allen's otherwise gray hair, he would have sworn up and down that the two were twins. However, Allen had yet to turn his back and confirm Nezumi's suspicions, seeing as he was too busy being pinned to the ground by a man bearing what appeared to be a katana.
Strangely enough, the apparent Moyashi didn't seem to fear this man. Enough so that he bravely spat an insult in retort to every hateful comment the man threw at him. Judging by the rips, tears, and tatters in his close and the way his tongue seemed to get sharper with every passing minute, he wasn't exactly sure who may or may not be the victim..
"It was just one lousy game of poker. I didn't know you were such a sore loser."
"It was more than that, you idiot. Any game played should be played with honor, it's fact. You're a filthy cheat!"
"Naive BaKanda, the cheaters always prosper. Don't you know? That's why you should let me go before your own ignorance swallows you whole.."
"Cut that face out, you're not deterring me! I want my money back!"
His sword pressed into the fabric of the boy's white button-up. Shion had decided that he'd watched enough.
"What do you think you're doing?!" he shouted, despite Nezumi's efforts to keep him restrained. "It's dangerous to swing that thing around like that, as if it was some toy! I can't believe you two are childish enough as to hold each others lives over a poker game. You're lucky nobody has called the police yet, or the city would be all over you two!"
Although Nezumi admired Shion's bravery, almost as much as Allen's, he was sure he'd have to restrain this airhead or break into a run rather quickly before the man with the blade decided to turn his hand on Shion as well. Honestly, when was this kid ever going to learn? The people of West Block couldn't be reasoned with, new or old!
Despite Allen's position and Kanda's air of hostility, they barely glanced back at Shion and shouted, "Stay out if this!"
Nezumi placed a hand on Shion's shoulder, quietly rewarding him for his efforts. Allen and Kanda were right back to insulting each other in a matter of seconds, and it was a wonder that no one had dared to glance down this alley to so much as peek at what the commotion may be.
He figured he should count his blessings, and get Shion out of here before their chance flew out the window.
"Shion." he whispered, "Shion, are you listening to me?"
Shion looked up at him and nodded, "What is it, Nezumi?"
"We need to get out of here."
"We do? Where are we going?"
He would've punched himself in the face if Shion weren't standing right there. Where else, exactly, where they meant to go?
Nezumi must have caught Shion after a particularly rude insult, courtesy of Allen, because another loud crash followed BaKanda grabbing Allen by the scruff of the neck. As if Allen didn't know when enough was enough, he wasn't deterred.
He practically purred. "BaKanda, you shouldn't touch me this much if you know what's good for you.."
"Are you trying to creep me out, or provoke me further?!"
Allen held both his hands up, as if proving his innocence before pushing the blade away from his face. Kanda, perplexed by the sudden action, made no such attempts to keep the 'Moyashi' underneath his hateful sword, but his glare made all the difference. After rising to his feet, he cocked his head to the side and smiled.
"I think I've wasted enough time." he spun around to face the two behind the dumpster, "I'm sorry, but I'll need to borrow one of you."
Normally Nezumi would have dared the boy to take a step closer, but in a flash the boy had taken a running jump and hopped onto the dumpster, and off in a flash, landing atop a poorly constructed building, siding the alley.
..Taking Shion with him.
Nezumi and Kanda both swore and each took a devastatingly vicious leap after the boy's; sufficiently destroying the dumpster in the process.
In any normal situation Nezumi would have left anyone who happened to be so unfortunate enough to wind up in the situation with him to the sharks, but Shion was a different case. As much as he hated to admit it, he needed his company around in order to feel some sort of normalcy. Whether the airhead was prolonging his sanity or quite the opposite, he wasn't sure. All he knew at that moment was that the idiot had no right to borrow the other idiot!
Atop the roofs, Shion had come to a similar conclusion.
It had all happened so fast that he hadn't really processed what had happened until he was sure that the vice grip on his wrist wasn't due to let up any time soon, and they were jumping roof to roof, hurriedly away from the samurai, hurriedly away from Nezumi.
"Hey!" Shion called out as they took yet another leap off another building, just barely landing safely every time. Allen didn't seem the least bit phased and kept going, never bothering to look behind him; likely in fear of the man already hot on his trail. "Stop!"
Allen shook his head as he leapt again, "No time for stopping! Catch your breath while we're running."
"W-Wait! Where are you taking me?!"
"Anywhere! What's your name?"
"I..ah, Shion. You're...Allen?"
He nodded and sent a smile Shion's way, "That's right. See? Someone should tell BaKanda that it's not too hard to memorize a name."
"R-Right.." He caught his breath as they briefly came to a halt, long enough for Allen to pull Shion under his arm and drop into an alley between two buildings.
Thankful for the rest, Shion found himself shamelessly on all fours, huffing desperately for air. Allen did nothing more than sit down cross legged, and watch. Just how much energy did this kid have?!
"Do you mind..telling me..what that was all about?" he asked between breaths.
Allen rubbed the back of his head apologetically, "Sorry, it's just..y'see..If BaKanda caught up with us, it would be rather difficult to differentiate the two of us; at least with our backs turned. In any event, I would have..to put it lightly, thrown you to the wolves. After all, if he's busy with you, I can make my escape and rid myself of anymore of his nonsense."
Though a little taken aback that Allen had considered feeding him to the apparent shark, he'd grown quite used to picturing these scenario's with Nezumi. Although life wasn't quite as..lively as it was around the first rebirth of West Block, he'd found himself in situations that may or may not have traumatized the already scarred boy for life.
When Shion had gathered the energy and stamina to stand on his own, ignoring Nezumi's nagging voice in the back of his mind with few kind words to say, he'd decided that now was as good a time as ever to ask Allen exactly what his intentions were now that he's evaded the enemy.
To which Allen promptly responded, "I think I'm going to keep you around for a while."
Shion found himself backing into the brick wall, slightly sturdier than the one he and Nezumi had become accustomed with moments before. "Are you out of your mind? N-Nezumi will kill you!"
Allen cocked his head to the side as if Shion had uttered a complicated formula, "Why would he do that? It's not as though he has anything to do with the situation.."
Shion was well aware of that. And he was also well aware of the fact that Nezumi would likely swear up and down to every and any higher power available, until he'd managed to reclaim what had apparently become rightfully his; because that's, what he claimed, the city did to people like him. Once they'd found something precious, something to consider an attachment, it's followed by repercussions and complications. For example, the possessive urge to protect or defend his belonging as if said belonging, Shion, defined a smaller or larger part of himself.
In other words, Nezumi wasn't familiar with the concept of friendship and he'd likely express that through his actions in any way he deemed fit for the occasion. Today just so happened to be one of those days, and today Nezumi was going to save Shion, to show him that the airhead was better off alive.
Without any sure way of explaining the situation, he merely put it off. "We're good friends. That's..what friends do."
"Friends? I had a friend once!" he cheered as if reminiscing an old toy.
"O-Once?"
He nodded, "That friend died. 'Was a shame too, I liked him."
Shion bowed his head in apology, "That must have been tough. What was his name?"
His face reverted to the constant smile he seemed to wear with pride, "I didn't mind so much. I'm sure he's happy now. After all, in the end he was reunited with his sister. It's a shame I can't witness it, but what really pissed me off was the fact that he left me with..Master."
"M-Master?"
Allen nodded, but something in his form had changed. His shoulders slumped and quivered slightly, he held his stomach as if on the verge of collapse, and Shion was sure that he'd need some kind of medical attention if he kept this up any longer.
"F-Forget I asked.." he quickly waved it off, placing a gentle hand on Allen's shoulder in an effort to distract him.
Speaking of distracting him..Sooner or later, he was going to have to make a run for it.
Unsure of what to do next, he changed the subject.
"S-So..How did you get that scar?" he asked as casually as possible, in hopes to do anything but offend this lunatic.
Then again, he wasn't exactly swinging a katana in anyone's face.
"Oh, this?" he pointed to his left eye, referring to the odd scar that slightly curved and intersected just below the eye, maneuvering atop his eyelid until resting into the single shape of a pentagram. "I was cursed as a child. My father died in an accident trying to save my life, and as a result the priest shamed me by carving this into my face. It's supposed to serve as a reminder every time I look into a mirror."
Perhaps that wasn't the best question to ask. How could he have possibly been so calm explaining something like that? It usually took Shion a good amount of ten minutes to even begin to elaborate on the snake, as Nezumi liked to call it, constricting and twisting around his body. The white hair was only an addition, but it appeared he wasn't the only one suffering from some form of shock. At least, that was the doctor's final conclusion. Shock and fear had successfully encased the boy in his three days of slumber and around the second day, his hair corresponded to his nerves.
Well, on the bright side, Nezumi offered to dye it.
Shion refused, but it was a nice thought.
With nothing else to do but continuously plan his escape, at least if Nezumi failed to pull through for him or hold his own against the samurai, which was unlikely. "I-I'm sorry about that. I know how hard it is to..talk about this kind of thing. It must have been a difficult time for you."
Allen offered that same smile, that Shion suddenly felt had lost its formerly calm appeal, "It was hard to deal with after a while, but as long as I'm alive I can repent and Mana will forgive me one day. As long as idiot Kanda doesn't cut me down to size, I'll be alright. Knowing I've survived makes me happy."
At that moment, Allen had looked up to the sky and for a moment, just a moment, his smile seemed a little less forced. It was clear that this boy had grown an attachment that Nezumi would ultimately loathe and regret dearly; but Shion knew there was so much more to connection than chains.
Sooner or later, he decided, he'd have to show Nezumi that side of the light of the situation, as well.
"I hope you don't mind," Allen rose to his feet, "But we should get going now. The idiot Kanda will pick up on our scent soon enough and I feel as though keeping you with me is the safest chance at survival."
Perhaps now was an appropriate time to bail himself out of this mess, "I-I'm sorry, I have to get back to Nezumi. I'm sure Kanda lost you, you should be safe. After all, West Block can be a little bit of a labyrinth." His rambling took hold of him and all coherent thought was lost, "I'm sure you know what I'm talking about. I mean, up on the rooftops you saw just how many alley's and street markets there were. All identical, nonetheless! I'm sure if we just waited for Nezumi-"
Allen, whom had clearly stopped listening a long time ago, took firm hold of his wrist. "I apologize, Shion, that was not a request. Not to worry though, I'll return you unharmed, so long as we stay out of Kanda's way, that is.."
Now, was that a threat, or was he simply referring to what Kanda would do to them if given the chance?
Either way, Shion figured that whether he liked it or not, without sufficient defense against the boy who rivaled Nezumi in agility, he was surely going along for the ride.
Reversing rolls for what he felt was the sixteenth or so time, since the start of this little game of Uncle, he sneered in Kanda's face. "Where the hell did that idiot go? I know you're working together, so spit it out, damnit!"
Kanda offered nothing but a smug look and a grunt of annoyance, "How the hell should I know? I have nothing to do with that damn beansprout. It's not my fault the runt let his guard down."
Currently, Nezumi had the samurai up against the wall, arm uncomfortably twisted behind his back. Miraculously, he'd begun sweating halfway into this seemingly never-ending battle for the rights to interrogate one another. The unspoken rules were simple-whoever inflicted the most pain was entitled to torment the other as they pleased; although the true objective of this game had lost all meaning, when the questions began repeating themselves, and the answers followed suit.
Nezumi, not at all satisfied, twisted the arm to an even further degree. If this man felt any pain at all, he didn't show it. Although commending the man for his bravery, as well as holding his own, this was quickly becoming a nuisance.
He kneed the hilt of his sword and roughly slammed the man against the brick wall as a distraction.
Slightly wincing, Kanda chuckled bitterly. "If that's the best you've got, you better start training a little harder. Or are you just as much of a runt as that airhead?"
Kanda, in a flash, reversed positions and held Nezumi against the wall in a similar manner. Nezumi however, wasn't quite as inhuman as this man. He was rather capable of feeling pain, but just a bit too stubborn to admit it.
In other words, the only thing that differentiated this game from the childish game of Uncle, was the fact that they were inflicting pain and asserting dominance for a worthy cause. Each had a motive, and each had a goal, and similarly, each had an obstruction.
Whether or not the obstruction truly lied in each other..Well, they were a bit too busy killing each other to figure it out.
A/N:
I promised myself a one-shot. I didn't give myself a one-shot. I hate everything.
Well, at least I wont feel the pressures of 'deadline, deadline, deadline' while I'm doing this. I'm not so sure that No.6/D. Gray Man crossovers are quite that popular but I decided that we needed allot more of them.
If I haven't mentioned it before, I'll do it now. A surprise guest from a lovely third party is due to appear.
Whether I continue the story from there may or may not be left up to demand, or my will to write when I'm through with this. I estimate a second chapter before I reach the conclusion but I've been told that I'm a frequent liar so I suggest you don't take my word on that.
Please don't hurt me. Don't become Kanda and hurt me. It would hurt.