The Fourteenth eyed the mirror expectantly and grinned as the outline of a boy appeared behind his reflection. "Hello." He waved at the white shadow, his smile faltering a little.
"Hi," Allen replied, his voice as soft as falling snow. "Did anything interesting happen?"
The Fourteenth found no need to answer as he felt Allen browsing his memories.
The boy gasped with horror, inducing an involuntary wince from the Noah. "Why were you so careless…?"
"I'm sorry," was all the Fourteenth could say. He had no excuse; he shouldn't have dismissed his eye's warning so easily.
"What's everyone doing now?" Allen's delicate reflection seem to slump under some heavy guilt that didn't belong on his shoulders.
"Some Finders are cleaning up the corpses, and Komui had me scan the rest of headquarters for akuma." The Fourteenth pulled up a chair as he began updating Allen on the day's events. Settling into a comfortable position, the Noah returned his attention to the mirror—they had discovered that it took less effort to breach their mental gap when they could see each other.
"And you found three?" Allen asked hesitantly; the more he scanned the memories, the blurrier they became.
"Yes. The samurai and Bookman Junior are taking care of them as we speak."
"And you were sent to your room?" Hard as he tried, Allen couldn't stifle his amusement.
"Shush. It's only temporary, of course. I refuse to be condemned like a misbehaving child."
"Whatever you say, Mr. Fourteenth." The Noah rolled his eyes as Allen diffused back to his subconscious. The boy could be such an innocent, little pain in the neck.
"Where do you think you're going?" Link demanded when he caught the Noah sneaking out of his room.
"I'm hungry…again." the Fourteenth replied dejectedly. "This body is quite difficult to handle. I'm not very used to needing food."
"Return at once." Link dared the Noah to participate in an argument with him.
"I refuse." The Fourteenth promptly accepted the challenge.
"I will report this to—"
"You don't want poor Allen's body to starve, do you?" interrupted the Noah calmly, sensing his quick triumph in this trivial match.
Link stiffened at his words, cursing the man for taking such a dirty approach.
Ahhh, the Allen card. The Noah almost chuckled as he strode pass the cold inspector. Worked every time.
As he neared the kitchen, the Fourteenth sensed someone glaring cold daggers into his back. "My goodness, what wrong have I committed against you?"
"My brother needs you in his office," Lenalee answered stolidly, refusing to return the Noah's stare.
"I'm still unfamiliar with these halls," the Fourteenth remarked, "Care to escort me?"
"Can't you make a Gate or something?" Nevertheless, Lenalee turned with a toss of her hair, glancing over her shoulder at the target of her cold words.
The Fourteenth took it as permission to follow. "I would still need some food. Especially those delightful little balls on a stick. What are they called…dangos?"
The Noah rambled on about other delicacies—which, unfortunately, included nearly every dish in existence—, swallowing occasionally when his mouth watered excessively. At the door to Komui's office, Lenalee stopped and whirled around to face him, halting his speech in its tracks.
"I don't know what you're trying to prove here," Lenalee hissed, though her naturally tender voice lacked the venom she'd strived so hard to incorporate, "but you need to stop. Acting like him isn't going to help anyone around here, especially not you."
She jabbed her finger harder and harder into the Noah's chest with each word that escaped her lips. Lenalee twirled back to open the door, her hair whipping the Fourteenth's face as it was yanked along by her head.
"He's right here, Brother." Lenalee immediately went to Komui's desk, massaging his bandaged shoulder.
Left alone across the room, the Fourteenth closed the door behind him and bowed. "Hello again, Supervisor. I hope you are healing well."
"I'm assigning a mission to you," Komui declared bluntly, acknowledging the gesture. "It's just to clean up the akuma that have returned to Edo. We doubt that any Noah would be there to cause trouble, so don't worry about that."
The Fourteenth took the detailed description of the assignment that Komui held out to him, skimming through them as Komui continued summarizing.
"Try to take your time. The longer you stay away, the better."
The Fourteenth peered over his papers to cock an eyebrow at the man. He knew Komui disliked him, but was his presence so unbearable that the Supervisor felt it necessary to insist that he delayed his own return?
Reading the Noah's slightly pained expression, Komui said, "A rumor has started that you were the one who summoned the akuma." Shaking his head at the atrocity of paranoid Finders, he continued, "It's best for you to leave until we've cleared things up, and since this situation concerns a Noah…well, we need as much time as possible."
The Fourteenth nodded in agreement, too weary of the whole affair to pose a challenge. The spurious claim predisposed him to more violence and unintentional tragedies.
"When do I depart?" Figuring that Komui would need a few days, the Fourteenth listed off provisions to pack in that ridiculously blatant suitcase.
"As soon as Lavi and Kanda finish their preparations."
The documents slipped from the Fourteenth's surprised hand, scattering across the floor. "Lavi and Kanda? Just one exorcist should be sufficient." He sighed hopelessly as he searched the paper-infested ground in vain for his lost mission assignment.
"The Order still doesn't trust you enough to let you out unguarded," Komui explained, glancing over the sea of papers that was supposed to be his office floor.
Displeased that the man still distrusted him to such a degree, the Fourteenth huffed, "Surely, I don't need two watchdogs?"
"I'm not anyone's dog, Noah." On cue, Kanda entered the room, followed closely by Lavi.
"But you'd be so cute, Yuu," joked Lavi, patting Kanda's head like an owner would rub the ears of a beloved pet.
"Get your filthy hands off me, imbecile," growled Kanda, pupils flaring like a rabid bulldog.
Requiring no further persuasion, Lavi complied and turned his gaze to the Noah. Switching to the impassive mode of a Bookman, Lavi said, "I hope we get along on this trip, Fourteenth."
Smiling at the teen's mature attempt at conduct, the Fourteenth replied, "Same here."
The two exorcists waited semi-patiently as the Fourteenth searched for the doorway to Edo.
"Think you can hurry up? Akuma don't clean up themselves, you know." A bored Lavi busied himself with adjusting his headband. "When it comes to directions, you're as hopeless as little Allen."
They wondered on down the whitewashed streets of the ark with the Noah in the lead. "You seem to be warming up to me, Lavi," the Noah responded brightly to Lavi's teasing, adding a skip to his steps.
"I try my best…" Lavi sniffed in distain at the Fourteenth's naïve assumption. He was raised to be a heartless Bookman, for heaven's sake; it'd be a downright shame if he failed to sustain a decent façade against a Noah.
"This one." The Fourteenth caressed a door's handle, thrilled with the travel-abridging properties of his ark.
Lavi whistled as the three stepped into the ruins of Edo. "Well, time to get to work," Lavi announced, poking the Fourteenth's left eye. "Start that baby up."
Swatting away Lavi's nosy finger, the Noah relaxed and set the eye loose. From experience and habit, the thing required no conscious order from its master; it immediately pinpointed a Level Four consuming a few Level Threes. "Oh, my…"
"How many?" asked Kanda indifferently. He stroked his Mugen with more affection than he would ever demonstrate toward a human.
How unhealthy, thought the Fourteenth, though he knew he'd never acquire the courage to voice his opinion. "A few Threes here and there. Ah, I take that back. Just one Level Four now…" Silently, the Fourteenth mourned the eternal death of the eaten Level Threes.
The Exorcists averted their stare from Edo to him, a little put off by news of a Level Four in the area. "Should be fine, right?" Lavi shouldered an enlarged Ōzuchi Kozuchi. "You can keep it still while Yuu and I whack it to death."
"I don't whack, Rabbit," snapped Kanda, proving his words by trimming an inch off Lavi's bangs.
"Please save your disagreements for a later time," interrupted the Fourteenth. "Give me the word and I will call it over."
"Right about now would work nicely," suggested Lavi, tugging at his hair to see how much of it survived.
"It's on its way," warned the Noah, dismissing the Gate so as to keep unwanted intruders out.
Lavi grunted at the compassion the Noah wore on Allen's face when he waved the Gate away. No longer one to deny the undeniable, Lavi accepted yet another one of his forbidden emotions—hate—against the Fourteenth. Allen pulled off the Player perfectly fine; what difference did the Noah make?
Returning to reality, Lavi commented on the speed of the akuma's arrival, "Dang, akuma are seriously obedient."
"Thank you for guiding me here, Mr. Fourteenth," the Level Four sneered as it halted several yards in front of the Exorcists; it was cradling the head of a Three in its disproportioned arms, licking the leftover akuma blood on its scrawny fingers. "Saved me the trouble of finding you…"
"You ready, Yuu?" Without waiting for the silence that was sure to be his answer, Lavi twirled his giant hammer, summoning his signature fire seal.
A fierce snake reared its head out of the stamp, hissing towards the akuma.
Mocking the Exorcist's attack with a snicker, the akuma batted aside the serpent, spitting at Lavi's feet.
"Oi, oi, Fourteenth." Lavi made a face at the Noah. "Tell it to stop moving."
"It's…" Impossibly, the Noah's dark face paled as realization struck dread into his heart. This was not good… "It won't listen to me."
"Miss Road ordered us to ignore your commands," the akuma giggled excitedly, ecstatic to be liberated from the control of a Noah.
"Is that even possible?" Lavi gawked at the Fourteenth, eye pleading for the Noah to contradict the Level Four.
"Hmmm…" The Fourteenth scratched his cheek nervously. "I never thought of it that way, but I suppose it is possible to overwrite the order of another Noah…"
"Useless aristocrats! Useless!" roared Kanda, leaping into the air at the akuma.
Since Kanda was releasing enough impulsive ferocity for the three of them, Lavi and the Fourteenth stayed put.
"Okay, this just got a little complicated, that's all. We can take it on." Lavi was pretty convinced that he and Yuu were strong enough Exorcists to defeat the Level Four, even if it had taken the combined efforts of Allen, Lenalee, and Cross to destroy the first one.
Raising his Innocence, Lavi called upon his seals once more.
As the Exorcists battled the Level Four, the Noah wrecked his mind for a reasonable plan of action. Glancing up, he noted that Lavi and Kanda were maintaining a decent fight against the akuma. They had no trouble defending against its attacks, but that was it. They were too busy blocking and dodging to take advantage of the Level Four's openings.
And as for him? He may be a Noah, but the Fourteenth had to confess that he was one of the weaker ones. While they were still considered a family, the Fourteenth had provided support and encouragement to his siblings in their long hours of need; in hasty times, he put the Ark to their use; and on the battleground, he…
The Fourteenth suppressed the urge to slap himself. Curse his pacifist nature to wait and cheer from the sidelines. His family had spoiled the youngest Noah with "clean" tasks as they soiled their hands in the blood of their enemies. The Fourteenth had always been one to hold back on the violence whenever he deemed it redundant.
Obviously, he didn't have the luxury of slacking off here. It was time to do what he did best—summon his Gates.
The Level Four lashed out for Kanda's face, expecting the Exorcist to evade it once again. It shrieked out in surprise when it felt a sharp pain in its back. In front of it, the akuma could see that its arm was submerged up to its elbow in a blinding Gate. Pulling back, the Level Four saw that its fingers were covered with its own blood.
The two Exorcists did not wait for the akuma to recover from its confusion.
"Hiban!" Lavi smashed his hammer into the akuma's face, stamping his seal on its grotesque mug. His snake slithered forth and U-turned into the Four's other cheek, gnawing on it with its scorching jaws.
As the smell of burnt rubber filled the air, Mugen whistled through the smoke, burying itself in the akuma's arm as it raised it to protect its injured face. The Level Four fought to wrench its arm from Mugen, but the sword stayed wedged deep in its flesh.
"Hell's Insects!" Kanda growled, unleashing Mugen's power before he lost his close-range advantage.
Screaming in furious pain, the akuma decided that this fight was progressing to a level too serious for its liking. Morphing its hands into barrels, the Four attempted to gun down the Exorcists.
Once again, a white Gate materialized, devouring its bullets; sensing something ominous behind it, the akuma whirled around to face its opponent—only to meet yet another Gate. Before it had time to process the threat, its own bullets shot out from the Ark, tearing its face to bits.
Without a mouth to howl with, the Level Four could only thrashed around in agony.
Its excruciated seizures snuffed out the Fourteenth's growing relief at his successful participation in the fight.
How much pain was it in? It would live, right?
The Noah felt fear's cold grip on his conscience. Would the Four live through the damage it just received? Innocence was the only substance capable of purifying akuma, so it would do no good if the Level Four died from redirected akuma attacks.
Fortunately, by the end of the Fourteenth's questioning episode, Lavi and Kanda had already bashed and slashed the akuma to bits, thwarting any chance of it dying from bullet wounds.
"We still got our touch, Kanda!" Lavi shimmied down from his hammer's long handle, sending out a halo of dust as he landed.
"Shut it, Rabbit." Kanda sheathed Mugen nonchalantly, judging the Fourteenth with something akin to dull curiosity. The Gates had caught his reluctant attention…
"So, Mr. Fourteenth, what's up with your Gates?" Lavi arched an eyebrow, prodding the Noah's chest for an answer.
"The Ark can transfer anything. It really just came down to the attacks it takes in and where the attacks exit." The Fourteenth shrugged as if that was the best explanation he could conjure up. He'd used this ability for his family's sake too, but that had been in the past.
Lavi swallowed down the information with mutual respect and distaste as he compared the Noah's battle competence with Allen's. Okay, so the intense control the Fourteenth had over the Ark was way out of Allen's reach, but it wouldn't have mattered if Crowned Clown had been around. Allen would've jumped into combat with them, and thus ending the fight without the aid of wormholes—Gates.
"Let's go back to headquarters," Lavi decided aloud, planning a thorough evaluating discussion with the Panda. "I need some sleep."
"Uh…" The Fourteenth rubbed the back of his head in apology. "I'm afraid I can't do that."
Immediately, the Noah found himself staring down Kanda's precious, long blade. "Why not?" Kanda snarled.
It came to Lavi's attention that Kanda was much quicker to draw Mugen against the Fourteenth than he did with Allen. Lavi almost giggled.
"Job's done. Time to go," stated Kanda, daring the Fourteenth to oppose him. When it came to missions, Kanda was strictly business. No touring, loitering, or resting tolerated—unless he was in dire need of it.
"Part of the mission is to stay behind and buy time for Komui…" The Fourteenth cautiously nudged Mugen's tip away from his face. "I think we should wait here for a while longer."
Kanda debated whether to slice off the Noah's nose. Deciding against it, Kanda muttered a "Che," at the Fourteenth's legitimate reason.
"Okay…" Lavi plopped down, cross-legged. "So…not much to see here." After testing the hardness of the ground, Lavi concluded that it was too uncomfortable to consider sleeping upon. "How are we gonna kill time?"
The Fourteenth had a hopeful suggestion, but he wondered if he'd survive unscathed when he spoke it. "We can…err…socialize and make acquaintances?" He knew how—to put it lightly—disliked he was, so this could either be a sizable step forward or a huge leap backward.
Kanda feigned deaf and rubbed Mugen's hilt. Lavi, on the other hand, took up the Noah's invitation as an opportunity to gather Bookman knowledge—at least that was what he told himself.
"Sure!" The redhead clapped his palms together in eagerness. "Where do we start?"
Sigh… So yeah, this oneshot is officially a multi-chapter story. Gosh, I hope it doesn't turn out too long.
Making this up as I go along. Bear with me here. (And yes, Allen will come up in the story again.)
I had trouble uploading the document, so I just copied and pasted into an old document. It was messed up a little, so if you notice anything weird with the format, tip me off in a review so I can fix it please. Also, watch out for missing letters, punctuation, etc, because as I was fixing the screw ups, I may have deleted something by accident.