The Escapist
"Worst convention ever." The girl glared at her blue-eyed reflection in the mirror. Searching her black wig for bobby pins, she slowly pulled the wig off of her head. Yanking off her wig cap as well, she allowed her strawberry-blonde hair to softly cascade down to her shoulders. As she scrubbed her dark make-up off of her face, she found herself wondering how she had gotten into this mess to begin with.
"I'm a girl, you know. I don't care what the others in my group do, I generally like dressing up as fellow female characters…" she sighed irritably, then continued berating herself. "Just because Mary Beth asked you to cosplay him… 'We need a Yuu Kanda! Please?' were her words, if I'm not mistaken… I should have known that I couldn't pull this off… Che, Annette. You are a pushover." She scolded herself a final time before drying her face off. "And now look at you. Reduced to ranting at a mirror during what should have been the best weekend of your life… You finally got away, and now you're wasting it." Annette shook her head mournfully, then tucked her wig safely inside her gray Spiral© messenger bag.
"Well, it can't be helped. To the dealer's room!" she declared to no one in particular. "Home of the ridiculously overpriced, yet still totally adorable merchandise!"
As she walked the unfamiliar halls of the Jacob Javits Center in New York City, she reflected on the events that had caused her current predicament.
***
"Squee! Nettie, look! It's an Edward Elric cosplayer! And oh my gosh! Isn't that Vic Mignogna taking a photo with him?" Shannon squealed, lifting the eye-patch of her Lavi wig so she could fully enjoy the spectacle.
"Vic!" Annette cried in excitement, pulling out her camera to take some shots as well.
"And that's Aaron Dismuke with him, right?" Lauren, playing the ever-lovely Lenalee Lee, giggled as she, too, began observing the crowded convention center.
"Con virgins." Mary Beth smirked from beneath her mop of white wig-hair, truly looking the part of Allen Walker.
"Well, yeah. What did you expect from the 'young-uns'?" Megan laughed, taking the top hat off of her curly, temporarily-dyed black hair.
"So true, so true." Mariah-sama nodded solemnly as she twisted one of her many spiky black locks of hair. "But have no fear. As long as we Noah, Tyki Mikk," she motioned toward Megan, "and I, Rhode Camelot, are here, con virgins need not fear!"
"Whatever." Alicia rolled her eyes.
"Alicia! No rolling your eyes! That is so not something Miranda Lotto would do." Shannon scolded, returning her eye-patch to its rightful position.
"Maybe not, but it is something I would do." Proving her point, she rolled her eyes again.
"Aw, be nice you guys. We're really close to getting our weekend passes, and then we'll have the run of Comic-Con. It'll be so worth the wait…" Annette's eyes went out of focus as she began daydreaming about all the possibilities the convention held.
"And you guys say I'm out of character." Alicia rolled her eyes yet again, waving her hand in front of her friends face. "Hello? Aren't you supposed to be the always focused yet emotionless samurai, Yuu Kanda?"
"Oh. Right." Before she could even attempt to get into character, she was interrupted by a passing con-goer.
"Hey! Aren't you guys from -Man?" the dark-haired guy asked, piercing blue eyes sparkling as he stopped in his tracks.
"Yup." Annette smiled at him, a slight blush forming on her cheeks. 'Wow… he's really cute…'
Seeing her friend's embarrassment, Megan stepped in with a flirtatious smirk. "Photoshoot. Ballroom A. Ten o'clock PM. Sharp. Be there, or miss the opportunity to get our amazing pictures."
"Wow… You guys actually secured the Ballroom just for a photoshoot?" he asked, eyes never leaving Annette.
"Um… kind of. We're doing a panel first, at 9… Basically a in-character Q&A kinda thing… They decided that since -Man was such a popular series, we'd probably need all the space." the Kanda cosplayer replied weakly.
"Understandable. So… it's a date, then?" he asked with a coy grin.
"Um… uh… yeah." She flushed a deep red as he waved and walked away.
"Excuse me, um, sir? You're next." An employee cleared his throat, indicating that it was her turn to claim her weekend pass.
"Oh, right. Sorry." Annette quickly paid the man, signed the waiver, and moved to rejoin her group. Only one problem with that…
They were nowhere in sight.
***
"I've tried calling and texting each of their phones, but they never answer. It's already been an hour, and I haven't even got a response back." Annette seethed, picking through the various volumes of manga. "Meaning that I only have…" she glanced at her phone's clock "…two hours until our panel and still no idea where it is…"
Finally, her fingers found the object of her search, momentarily distracting her.
"-Man, volume 10…" she breathed in wonder. "This isn't supposed to be out for a few more months…"
Annette quickly opened her bag and pulled out her wallet to pay for the treasure as well as a box of Pocky and a bottle of Ramune. Spotting a section of benches against the opposing wall, she decided to brave the swarm of otaku and cosplayers in an attempt to reach it.
'Yes, I'm scared, yes, I'm lost, and yes, I'm slightly mad at my group for abandoning me. However, I have Pocky, Ramune, and volume ten of the best series in the world. Therefore, I will survive this convention, even if I remain rooted to this rather comfortable bench.' She thought was she settled into her new safe-haven. Tucking her messenger bag under the seat securely, she turned her phone on silent. 'I've been waiting too long to read this, and I'm definitely not going to be interrupted. I don't have to hide here. I'm safe… for now.' Shaking off her ominous thoughts, she opened the book.
Annette screamed as she felt herself falling, landing on something soft.
'What just happened?' she wondered, trying to look at her surroundings.
"Get. Off. Now." Came from below her.
"Oh! I'm sorry!" Annette exclaimed, rolling off to the side. Inhaling sharply, she saw whom she had landed on. "K-kanda!"
"Who are you? And how do you know my name?" the dark-haired exorcist snapped angrily.
"Maybe she's a Noah!" a redhead with an eye-patch laughed, slinging an arm around the confused girl. "She's cute though. Totally my type."
"Lavi… get off of me." Annette politely picked his arm off of her shoulder, then stepped towards Kanda, slowly coming to grips with what was going on. 'I can't believe it! I'm in the world of -Man! All of my favorite characters are here!'
"Everyone's your type." Kanda rolled his eyes. "But since the bean sprout isn't saying anything, I think it's safe to assume she's not a Noah… or a demon, for that matter."
Annette looked at the 'bean sprout', his snow-white hair and cursed eye identifying him as none other than Allen Walker. She tried to glare at the Chinese girl with the boy-short hair who was standing next to him, but couldn't. 'Lenalee is too… adorable to hate.'
"Answer the question. Who are you?" Kanda growled, his midnight blue eyes piercing her accusingly.
"Um, sorry. I'm Annette." She stammered, taken aback by his hateful gaze. "I just got sucked into here…"
"It's okay." Allen smiled kindly. "We all did. This is the Ark, you know."
Annette blinked in surprise, staring in wonder at her surroundings. Towering piles of rocks were everywhere, outlined by a uniquely colorful night sky. There were several different sized stars, swirling clouds, and crescent moons decorating the dark blue sky, with a giant rainbow stretching across the sky. They were standing in front of a small cottage, and across the room was a four-story building with the word "Noah" painted in gold on its door. 'That's right… The Ark is being controlled by the Noah right now… and I have a feeling they seriously want to kill us.' Her ominous thoughts were verified when the ground rumbled softly.
"Kanda?" Allen asked warily, a hush falling over the group as the dark-haired samurai became rigid. They all looked across the room and saw a giant of a man with spiky black hair and black crosses tattooed across his forehead approached them.
"The rest of you go on ahead." Kanda replied, pulling his long black hair into his usual high ponytail and ignoring the questioning glances of his companions. "I've encountered that thing before. It's after my general."
"We can't leave you here alone, Kanda!" Lenalee protested.
"Don't be silly. I'm not doing this for your sakes. Didn't you hear me? That thing is after my general. It's my duty to cut it down."
The ground started shaking, and in a mere second, Annette made her decision.
"Go on, guys. You can get out through that building. We'll fend off this Noah while you defeat the Noah, Rhode. Then, we'll all get out of this crazy place. Together." She laughed. "Besides, Kanda will kill you if you try to stay."
"What makes you think you're staying, shrimp?" Kanda asked.
"I have a name! Annette! Ah-net-teh!"
"Anata." He shrugged, his Japanese accent altering her name slightly. "Whatever. Just… leave."
'Anata… Oh my gosh! Isn't that Japanese for 'dear', like as an endearment?' Annette blushed, then glared at him defiantly to cover it up. "I'm not afraid of you. I won't back down, but I will fight by your side until the end."
He nodded reluctantly, then she continued, "You guys go ahead, okay? We'll be alright."
The others hesitated for a moment, then began heading for the exit.
"You will follow us afterward, won't you? Promise me!" Lenalee called. When she got no response, she frowned, then yelled, "Answer me!"
"All right." Kanda sighed. "Now go."
The Chinese girl smiled, then ran to catch up with the group, leaving Annette and Kanda alone with the Noah.
"Hehehe… I am Skin Boric of the clan Noah." The creature cackled evilly.
"Kanda and Anata." He replied, nonchalantly pushing Annette behind him.
"Do you like sweets?"
"I hate them."
"I see." Skin roared as the room began to shake.
'The Ark is falling apart… destroying itself from the outside in. We need to end this battle quickly, or the room will collapse on us.' Annette thought worriedly as Kanda and Skin Boric began fighting, Kanda's sword against Skin's brute strength and lighting powers. She backed up against a rock pile and watched nervously as the Noah inflicted various wounds on Kanda, who mysteriously healed immediately. 'That's right… He has a curse that heals him in exchange for his life span…'
"Wow. You're pretty worried over someone you've just met." A male voice said from behind her. Annette gasped as she recognized the familiar black hair, gray complexion and cross tattoos that identified those of the Noah clan.
"Tyki Mikk!" she exclaimed, jumping away from him in surprise and alarm.
"Yes, yes. I am Tyki. Now explain this to me… Why do you care so much about this exorcist? I know you're from another world, so it doesn't make very much sense."
"It's quite simple, actually." She smiled sadly. "He's gotten me through a lot, even if it's only because I read about him rather than actually knowing him…"
"Noah! Get away from her!" Kanda interrupted as he leaped between the two, momentarily forgetting about his other opponent.
"Kanda!" Annette screamed as Skin Boric lunged towards them. Before she realized what she was doing, she twisted around the exorcist so she was between the attacking Noah and her favorite character. She braced herself, preparing to feel the oncoming pain, but felt nothing. Surprised, she opened her and turned her head to see a pair of black wings protruding from her back, their tips glowing an ethereal white.
"Tyki! You didn't tell me there were two exorcists in this room!" Rhode Camelot giggled as she seemingly appeared out of thin air, her black spiky hair bouncing to reveal her black cross tattoos. "Oh! Her wings are pretty! It almost looks like they're powerful enough to manipulate the dimensions like I do…"
Despite the fact that the two Noah were walking away from the exorcists, Annette overheard Rhode's comment. 'I could go home…' she realized, then shook her head.
"No way. I'm not going back."
"What?" Tyki's head snapped around and he stared at her in shock. "If you stay here…"
"You'll die." Kanda finished in disbelief.
"I know, and I don't care. Didn't I tell you that I would fight by your side until the end? Besides… At home, I'm abused and mistreated. Yet, even in my darkest hours, I could open a volume of -Man and read about you. Kanda, you always kept fighting, even when the odds were against you, and that gave me hope."
"How sweet!" Rhode crooned, leaping on Tyki's back. "Now let's get out of here… the place is about to collapse." Without a word, Tyki agreed and the two vanished without a trace.
"Anata…" Kanda said, giving her a rare smile. "Let's fight to the end. Together."
The two turned to face Skin Boric, with no regrets and no backwards glances, even until their final hour when the sky itself began to fall, destroying the room and its inhabitants.
***
'So warm…' Annette thought, opening her eyes groggily. 'Wait… why is it warm?'
"You're awake." A voice chuckled softly. Annette sat up with a jolt, realizing that she had been leaning on a total stranger. 'A cute Japanese stranger, but a stranger nonetheless.'
"Wait… what happened? I was fighting… and there was an earthquake… Kanda!" she cried, looking around for her wounded friend. Her surroundings told her that she was back in the dealer's room at the convention center. 'Then… was it all just a dream?'
She glanced at her companion warily, examining his midnight-blue eyes and long black hair. "Wait… haven't we met before?"
"Yes. I passed you while you were in line." He laughed, his eyes sparkling merrily. " I saw you sitting here by yourself and was going to talk to you, but realized you were asleep. You looked kind of unsteady, so I thought I'd sit next to you in case you fell over."
"Well that makes you my knight in shining armor-er-that is… my knight in jeans and a t-shirt. After all, it would have been quite the tragedy if I had fallen off of this incredibly high bench." She teased back. "I'm Annette."
"Lane." He replied with a grin. "Now, shall we attempt to find your companions? Due to your message alert on your phone, I'd say they've been rather worried."
She blinked in surprise, recognition hitting her. 'The black hair… the blue eyes… It's all just like that dream. But it was just a dream, wasn't it?'
"What is it?" Lane frowned. "Is something wrong?"
"No… You just remind me of someone…" Annette shook off her strange thoughts. 'He couldn't possibly be Kanda, could he?'
"Oh. Alright then." He beamed.
"Nettie!" came a shout from across the room.
"Onee-chan!" Annette cried, flinging herself on her approaching best friend.
"Hey! Get off Mary Beth and tell us where you've been! We've been trying to get in touch with you for ages!" Alicia admonished.
"Hey! She's my sis! Stop calling her your 'onee-san'!" Shannon giggled, not fooling anyone into thinking she was really mad.
"We've been worried sick!" Lauren complained, wrapping Annette in a hug.
"Don't ever disappear like that again! What would we have done if you'd been kidnapped by some freak?" Megan scolded, then stopped when she saw Lane. "Or if you'd met some totally hot guy, and decided to ditch us for him. 'Cause that'd be pretty bad too."
"Um. Sorry. Guys, this is Lane. Lane, this is the members of OmNomNom Productions, Megan, Alicia, Mariah, Shannon, Lauren, and Mary Beth."
"Friends of Anata's are friends of mine." He replied politely.
Annette blushed at the nickname, then smiled. 'Maybe… but who cares? He's here, I'm here, my cosplay group is here, and all's good.'
So, in the end, they all lived happily ever after.
That is, until they saw the prices in the dealer's room.