Fall Away 2
A -Man Fanfiction
By SisterWicked
Chapter 1

Title may change.

Well, I did say I'd do something more for this if I got at least 200 requests/demands/pleas for more. To date, there are 315. So here it is.
As usual, DO NOT FAVE OR ALERT LIST EITHER MYSELF OR MY WORKS WITHOUT COMMENTING.
It's a singularly ignorant habit that a great many readers have.
I would also like to take this opportunity to announce that I no longer intend to post my updates on this site with anything approaching regularity. Everything will go to my group's private archive, and possibly AFF or LJ. If you wish to continue reading my works, visit our site to do so. The URL is given in my profile here. Be advised that we actually have and enforce rules there. Thanks for reading.

Staring down at his shackled hands in disgust, Tyki sighed. He should have known they were going to lose the war. After all, he'd invested quite a bit of himself into the effort. And any time he bothered to involve himself in something..

It went straight to hell.

Glancing at the room's prominently displayed wall clock, he scowled at it's annoying slow progress. It seemed that the bureaucracy of the Church involved just as much tedium and meaningless posturing as any other, despite the lofty assertions of it's revered leaders.

Closing his eyes, he ignored the muffled drone of the court's proceedings, satisfied that his turn before the chopping block was sure to come whether he remained attentive or no. The thought of attentiveness made him grumble to himself, recalling exactly how a lack of it had landed him in his current predicament.

He had made a mistake.

Staring at the cards spread before him on the table's cloth-covered surface, he could barely contain a faint hiss of disbelief. But there was no arguing with the four aces and grinning Joker that met his startled gaze, or the neat pair of Kings and Queens alongside the ten of spades that he himself held.

He had lost. Again.

Forcing a smile, he pushed fully half of his rapidly diminishing pile of tokens across the table, folding his cards and returning them to the deck. The blonde teamster opposite him grinned viciously, his pockmarked face no more attractive for it. Shuffling rapidly, the man dealt their hands with casual derision, lifting his own with a pleased hum.

"You gonna play, or just wonder what winning would be like? In or out, pretty."

Tyki scowled murderously at the term of address, well and truly fed up with it after an hour of use. Sparing a look at his cards, he blinked at the motley collection of faceless suitcards, his suspicions of the other's dishonesty confirmed a moment too late for calling out. Shaking off his ire, he reached for the nearest token. "In. At ten."

Before the blonde could voice his agreement, the door all but exploded inward, showering both men with debris. Cursing at the sting of splintered wood along his bared arms, Tyki abandoned his seat. There was a warning crackle of energy nearby, a distinct reminder of exactly why it was that he had chosen the back room of this particular den of iniquity for his gambling rather than the more pleasant setting of an open tavern.

Innocence.

Which meant an Exorcist.

Drawing upon his innate powers, he forced back the almost unseen attack that came first, reeling backward in surprise when his own strike was carelessly deflected. The thinned cloud of dust and smoke revealed a slight figure clothed in brilliant white, the particolored mask and writhing collection of seemingly-alive material adding to his dismay.

Of all possible opponents, this was very nearly the worst he could have encountered. Bracing himself, he laughed with a mocking tone that he only half-believed himself. "Why, fancy meeting you here.. Does the most noble and exalted Allen Walker make a habit of destroying personal property these days?"

The boy met his gaze cooly, hoisting his sword effortlessly. "I don't think His Eminance would mind if there were fewer establishments for whoring and gambling, Tyki. You should be glad that I caught you at one and not the other." Without another word, he launched himself at the brunette with killing intent, his blade alight with the full limit of his syncronization.

Astonished at the sheer ferocity of his attack, Tyki lifted an arm sheathed in blocking energy as he retreated. The determined expression on the other's face was unwavering, the bleakness of it making the man aware of just how deadly an enemy this boy could be if taken lightly.

As he steeled himself to meet the coming onslaught, he gasped in horrified shock as the boy sliced cleanly through both shield and flesh, his movements unerring as he allowed the momentum to spin him around for a second slash that obliterated the Noah within him as if it had never existed.

Unable to comprehend the enormity of what had just transpired, the brunette collapsed against the nearest wall, his eyes wide with disbelief. Clearly, the boy had grown into himself, the almost mechanical precision of his attack leaving no room for doubt in his abilities.

Struggling to lift himself from the ground, the man laughed shakily. "Oh, well played, boy.. You've become quite the executioner." Swallowing heavily, he nodded at the other's still raised sword. "I suppose this is the part where I beg for my poor, precious life to be spared.. But of course you can't really do that, can you? My life is forfeit by the order of your God." Recalling the particular limitations of the boy's weapon, he smiled. "Will it be now, then? Tell me, Exorcist, what does my future hold?"

Sheathing the ridiculously outsized blade, Allen knelt before the other carefully. "That isn't for me to decide, Tyki. I'm only here to destroy your Noah and bring you back for trial." Pulling the still-dazed man up to sit, he frowned at his continued bemusement. "You have a lot to answer for, so I wouldn't hesitate to argue your case as soon as the opportunity presents itself.. Be grateful that you'll have a second chance to make things right at all." Preparing to rise, he hummed thoughtfully. "Actually, there is one thing I do get to decide."

Before the man could form the obvious question, the white-haired boy smiled grimly. "You're going to have one hell of a headache when you wake up." With that, he drove his fist sharply into the brunette's astonished face.

"Former Noah, Tyki Mikk."

He straightened at the sound of his name, regarding the officiant with a halfsmirk. The man nodded his acknowledgement of the brunette's presence, reading from a small stack of papers.

"You stand accused of direct assault against the Church, the wanton destruction of Our Lord's most holy Innocence, willful flight to avoid capture and multiple counts of heresy. You are named specifically in the death inquests of over one hundred Exorcists, Finders and the citizens of various countries. You are also named as the direct enabler of over a dozen knows creations of Akuma. In light of these charges, how do you plead?"

Raising an eyebrow, he shrugged. "Would you allow any plea but guilty? I notice a distinct lack of representation.."

The man glared over the rims of his reading glasses, his expression speaking volumes on his opinion of the brunette's legal rights. "We were unable to find a willing attorney for you, which is hardly unexpected. As you yourself have stated, the question is merely a formality, as we have the sworn testimony of unbiased devotees of the Church." Lifting his head, he indicated the similarly dressed men at either side of him, his smile faint but unmistakable. "With no evidence to the contrary, this court finds you unequivocally guilty on all counts. The penalty for your crimes is disciplinary incarceration for the remainder of your natural life, to be enacted immediately."

He snorted to himself quietly, unsurprised. From his horrid losing streak to his singularly unattractive black eye, the resulting imprisonment, and even now the damnable itch that his restraints would not allow him to scratch, along with the all-too-predictable verdict, things could hardly get any worse.

The black-robed officials ignored the sound, stamping the papers before them with perfunctory movements. Gathering them into a sheaf, the presiding Judge cleared his throat. "As there are no further stipulations to be set by this court, the defendant will now be remanded to the custody of an established officer within the prosecuting Branch." Glancing quickly at the forms, there was only a moment of silence before the name of his keeper was called.

"Exorcist Lavi. Approach the bench."

Apparently he was wrong about a great many things.

The redhead was definitely older, but the several year's difference was almost mockingly negligible, his voice perhaps a note deeper and his hair just a touch longer than the older man recalled. Ignoring the other's long-suffering sigh, he accepted the documents from the Judiciary's hand with a nod, addressing the brunette in an irritatingly flat tone. "Let's go."

For an instant, he seriously considered refusing the clear command, but the likely result seemed unattractive when added to his present indignity. Rising to his feet, he avoided the looks of the gathered crowd, following the Exorcist through the door and into the hall. He cleared his throat loudly, but the sound went unacknowledged.

After several twists and turns, the redhead gestured to an open doorway, obviously intending that they enter. Scowling at his wordless pointing, Tyki stepped inside, looking around disinterestedly. Hearing the door close and latch, he raised a questioning eyebrow. "Are you intending to ignore me to death, Lavi?"

The Exorcist snorted indelicately, nodding toward the room's single chair. "Right. Because I have problems murdering people. Sit down."

The brunette's frown deepened at the covert jibe, his mouth opening to retort. Shaking his head rapidly, Lavi strode forward. Planting a hand against the other's chest, he shoved him backward hard enough for stumbling, his eye narrowed. "Sit down and shut up."

Waiting until the man complied, he seated himself at the cluttered desk against one wall, taking a pen from a cup filled with them. Looking over the thin stack of forms he held, he scribbled intermittently at various sections, stuffing the finished product into a blank folder and then into a drawer. Glaring across the surface of the desk, he rubbed tiredly at his eye. "Do you have anywhere to go, where they won't be able to find you again?"

Tyki gaped at him wordlessly, his eyes almost comically wide. "What?"

Sighing, the redhead reached for a slender box near one elbow, pulling out a cigarette and a tiny silver lighter. Striking a flame to the end of it, he inhaled shallowly, closing his eye. Rousing himself after a rough exhale, he slumped back into his chair. "You want one?"

Nodding dumbly, the Noah waited for him to retrieve a second cigarette, wincing at the awkward process of igniting it while restrained. "Thank you. And what do you mean, somewhere-"

Lavi pushed an overlarge ashtray into the middle of the desk, flicking his own ashes into it with studied carelessness. "I mean do you have a place to go when you leave. Not some dump of a hotel, and not a random bar where they'll sniff you out in a week. Somewhere that you can just live and not have to worry about the Order."

Again the man's expression betrayed his bewilderment, and the redhead groaned softly. "You can't possibly be that stupid, Tyki. What did you expect me to do with you, shove you through an interdimensional doorway like garbage?"

Stubbing out his unfinished cigarette angrily, he rose to his feet, his ire clear on his face. "Goddamn it, why did you even let them catch you? And in a whorehouse, of all places! You couldn't keep it in your fucking pants for long enough to get the Hell out of town? Idiot!" He paced as he raged, stopping just shy of the astonished brunette at the culmination of his rant. Bending close, he dug a hand into the man's loose hair, tugging his head back sharply. "I swear to God, if they ever bring you back here I'll kill you myself. Is that simple enough for you to understand, Tyki? I'll take my hammer and shove it straight up your-"

Releasing the man abruptly, he stepped back, taking a long breath for control. "You're going to wait for me to take those off," He nodded at the other's shackles, "And then you're going to knock me out. Or stab me with my letter opener. Something." He pointed to one corner of the desk, waiting for the man's gaze to follow. "Then you're going to take that set of keys, go to the end of this hallway and get the fuck out of here."

Pausing for a breath, he frowned. "And you're going to drop the keys right outside the door. Because they take for-fucking-ever to replace those when they get lost."

Straightening carefully, Tyki stubbed out his neglected cigarette. "All right, I'll play along, Lavi. When and where will I be meeting you after you recover from your injury?"

"You won't."

Raising an eyebrow, the brunette hummed curiously. "Then you'll be meeting me?"

"No."

His second eyebrow joined the first. "That hardly makes sense, Lavi. Exactly what are you trying to accomplish, if not-"

The redhead snorted quietly, shaking his head. "A lover's tryst? A tearful and heartfelt reunion?" He leaned against the edge of his desk with a short laugh. "Hardly. I've had enough of you to last me a lifetime and more." Waving a hand at the man's surprised face, he sobered. "I just want you gone. If I take over custody of you, I'll have to look at you every damn day for the rest of too fucking long. Do you really think I want that?"

The Noah's gaze narrowed speculatively, his mouth curling into a half smile. "You have a lover, then."

Lavi returned his smirk evenly, shaking his head. "Funny thing about that.. I never really had any interest in relationships. Of any kind. Not entirely sure why."

Tyki rolled his eyes irritated disbelief. "Ridiculous.. You honestly expect me to believe that you've chosen to reject your friends here, deny all your attachments and taken a vow of celibacy? Lack of formal education does not leave me retarded by default, Lavi."

Watching for any sign of the boy's obvious duplicity, he frowned when none was forthcoming. "Nothing we did warranted that. There were no promises, no great trauma, and certainly no allusions to anything more than there was. In so vast an organization, surely you were able to find someone-"

"They all know."

The redhead's soft reply brought him up short, his temper extinguished as abruptly as it had risen. "What..?"

"Everyone knows what happened. From the time I went missing until you shoved me through that damned door." The Exorcist's voice was low but direct, his expression unfathomable. "Did you know that the Ark has a memory, Tyki? Did you even care?" He reached again for his cigarettes, lighting one with a practiced motion. "The place you took me was inside it.. So naturally someone who knew how could watch it if they wanted to."

Before the man could speak the obvious name, Lavi nodded. "Yeah. He wanted to know what was so wrong with me, that I wouldn't even write it in my journals." Inhaling the acrid smoke, he laughed. "He was good enough to keep what was said to himself, but he had to report what physically happened. He thought he was helping me, you know.. Like leaving out a few words was going to make any difference in the end."

Shaking off his gradually rising horror, the brunette cleared his throat. "Then.. What did he report?"

Lavi shrugged. "That you bested me in combat, abducted me, held my Innocence as behavioral insurance and raped me. Then you for whatever reason gave me back my clothes, my weapon and forcibly ejected me into the middle of nowhere." Closing his eye, he drew heavily on his cigarette. "Of course no one wanted to believe it, but they pretty much had to take his word on it. After all, when does Allen Walker lie?"

He shook his head, flicking his ashes. "It doesn't matter anymore, because nobody mentions it to my face. If they talk to me at all." Frowning at the remnants of his smoke, he crushed it into the ashtray. "Its easy to let go of things when you know you can't have them, Tyki.. And its just as easy to not want what you don't need."

Ignoring the brunette's quick inhale, he straightened. "I'll bet he thinks he's helping now, too.. Making sure that it was me who got the assignment for you." Sighing, he stepped forward again, taking hold of the other's restraints. Mumbling a strangely accented word, he pulled them off carefully, setting them atop the desk with a quiet thud. "He probably knows what I'm going to do, too.. My considerate and devoted friend, moving heaven and earth so that I can-"

"Come with me."

The brunette rose to his feet, ignoring the lightened sensation of his freed hands. "Cut your finger or some such, drizzle a bit of blood here and there and let's go. Otherwise, you're stuck with me." Smiling grimly at the Exorcist's irate sound, he moved forward deliberately. "For someone so intelligent, you're almost painfully dense, Lavi. I wonder how long it will take, to drain this bitterness from you.."

The boy stepped back quickly, meeting the desk's edge with a jarring thud. Hissing at the sharp pain, he glared at the other warningly. "You stay the hell away from me. I know exactly how stupid I am, but I'm smart enough to not repeat my mistakes." Lowering his hand to the holster at his thigh, he drew himself up firmly. "I'll fight you if I have to, Tyki. Letting you leave can always wait for later."

Tyki shook his head faintly, advancing a halfstep. "I daresay it can't, Lavi.. Wouldn't your weapon kill a normal man?" He sighed at the Exorcist's wide eye. "There are many things that need settling, but it may not be in anyone's best interest to have the necessary discussion here.. You truly wish to have your chance for vengeance taken from you, the way everything else was taken?" His tone was intentionally infuriating, and the redhead paled before his coloring deepened in rage.

"You- It wasn't like that! I let you, wanted you to.. to.." He broke off with a rough growl of pained fury, his hands clenching into fists. "Everyone thinks you used me, took something important and made it nothing.. And I can't ever tell the truth! If it's like this when they all feel pity for me, what would it have been like if they'd known that I begged for it? If Allen had told them everything, I think I could stand it, but he didn't and I became some sad, pitiful little thing that no one wants to speak to in case they slip up and say the wrong thing!"

Tyki stiffened in surprise at the reason for his anger, inching forward carefully. "You were treated so, Lavi..? Even with the Walker boy's protection of the details?" He shook his head in disbelief at the redhead's terse nod, casting caution aside to close the remaining space between them. "Then I should have ignored my better judgement and had what I wished."

Latching quickly onto the Exorcist's wrists, he held his arms securely down. The effort required was much greater than he recalled, but the effect was the same. The redhead struggled fiercely against his grip, attempting to lever a knee up to kick.

"Off- of me! Son of a Bitch- Let go!"

The older man avoided the movement, wincing at the sidescrape of his heavy boot along the calf of his leg. "If I had known that it would be this way regardless, I would never have released you. I could have kept you for myself, and let the Earl believe that you were broken beyond repair!"

Lavi all but spat in disdain, hurling his weight backward in hopes of shifting the desk. "They would have killed you! And if they hadn't, they would have tossed you straight out the damn door!"

Narrowing his eyes, the brunette hissed in reply. "And what will your Order do to you, little fool? What have they already done?"

The fight bled abruptly out of the Exorcist, the unexpectedness of it startling the other. Fixing his gaze on the man's topmost shirt button, he laughed quietly. "They gave me exactly what I deserved, for the wrong reason." Sagging tiredly, he relaxed his hands at his sides, the right brushing uncaringly over his still-sheathed Innocence. "I waited for you, thinking you might.. That maybe you'd change your mind after all. I purposely took missions alone and far from here, hoping that.." He snorted softly, shaking his head. "Allen knew. There's no way he didn't see right through me, after what he heard from my own fucking mouth.. And he never said a word. He even offered to go with me a few times, in case I found the wrong Noah."

He inhaled shallowly, swallowing to clear his throat. "Then Bookman left. He said he had everything he needed from the Order, so it was time to move on to another Event." Humor was the farthest thing from what seeped into his words, but still he laughed as he spoke. "He didn't even wait for me to come back from my mission. It made me think about what you said, at the end.. That I shouldn't let myself believe things when there wasn't any reason. I always thought that he felt something more than responsibility for me, but he never did. He had everything he needed from me, too."

Lifting his head, he met the man's gaze evenly. "If you did what you did thinking it would protect me, you were wrong. You should have killed me."

Freeing one hand, the brunette covered his mouth firmly. "Don't wish away your life so easily, Lavi. Part of the reason I coveted you was how full of living you were." He released the boy's other arm, leaning close enough to feel his slow breaths along the skin of his face. "If you have no more need of your life, give it to me. I'd be more than happy to put your existence to good use."

That's it. There could very well be more, if people wished for it. Again, this will be the last posting to this particular site, so be sure to move yourselves along to my group's archive for further updates. Thank you for reading.