Broken Hearts and Laughing Eyes
By: SneakAttack29

Disclaimer: I don't own DGM! All rights go to their respective peoples!

Quick Author's Note: This whole updating in a day thing is not normal. Don't get used to it. I'm procrastinating hardcore. I need to stop.

May be a bit of a trigger warning here, though it's very very small. Characters are restrained, one has some anxiety over it that could be triggering in some cases. Just be warned.

Enjoy!

Chapter 2: Learn from Failure

"We learn from failure, not from success!"

-Bram Stoker, Dracula

"I hate trains," grouses a young brunette as she and her companion clamber their way off of one of the machines in question, two suitcases preceding them with a thunk! She appears a little green, the ride having apparently not agreed with her. An edge of the white coat she wears bearing the crest of the Black Order is used to pat at her forehead, the silver rings on each of her fingers glittering with the motion. Her companion doesn't reply, simply stretching out his back as if in acquiescence.

The boy looks around a little at the dimly lit station, moonlight from the crescent hanging in the sky almost brighter than it should be. "Komui actually thinks Master Cross is going to be here…?" The girl looks at him as he slumps with a groan. "I hope not…"

She pats his shoulder wryly. His dislike for his former master has only been reinforced to her on the three-week journey to their current destination (made that long due to a wrong turn in Germany…she blames the exorcist). "Cheer up, Allen. Look at it this way—if he is, then you get to just rip that bandage off and get seeing him again over with. Though I suppose getting him back to the Order would be another matter entirely…" It doesn't seem to make him feel any better.

"…Thanks, Meredith…" She grins, happy again to have convinced him to just use her name instead of calling her Miss Connally ad infinitum.

"C'mon, let's see if we can find an inn. Got to be better than those train seats."

They don't get far. A few steps and they're faced with an older man…behind a…food cart…?

"…wait, what…?" She looks up again at the moon to double check that it is, indeed, quite late and a very odd time for a vender to be out attempting to sell wares.

Allen decides to actually speak to the man instead of stand awkwardly like the doctor next to him. "Uh…hello?"

It's as if the man had been in a daze. His eyes suddenly snap to the two walking out of the train station, a small, surprised smile starting to grace his lips. "Oh, visitors! It's unusual for someone to come to this town." Meredith blinks, still a little dumbfounded about the food cart in the middle of the road…in the middle of the night.

What the ever-loving hell…?

"Hello! My name is Allen Walker!" Allen chirps, either not finding the situation weird like his companion or just better at ignoring it. She supposes he sees his fair share of weird stuff as an exorcist, so this may not even register.

"Uh…hi…Meredith Connally," mutters the doctor lamely with a hesitant wave. "There's supposed to be an ord—"

She and Allen jump, however, when she's cut off by the old man exclaiming sharply and pointing to the crest fixed to the boy's uniform. Either he doesn't notice the one on her coat or is just picking one on which to focus. "You! Th-that crest!" Allen looks down at his coat, brow furrowed.

"Y-yes? What about i—eh?!"

Meredith crosses her arms. "Did he seriously just run off?!" They both blink after the dust cloud that was once the food vender incredulously. Allen catches sight of the cart still stationary in front of them, and takes a few steps forward.

"Hey! You forgot your cart!" It does nothing. "…and he's gone… What's going on here?"

Walking up next to the exorcist, the doctor peers over at the contents of the cart, noting that there are a few packages remaining. "…Do you think we could get away with grabbing a couple? I'm starving, train food sucks." To his credit, Allen tries to shoot her a disapproving glare, but the raised eyebrow from her and another look to the food sitting oh-so-temptingly in the cart makes the glare crumble.

"I'm so weak-willed," he whimpers.

Meredith grins triumphantly, reaching out a hand to grab one of the packages when a low rumble of feet stampeding the ground stops her. Both teens' attention is drawn to the returning man…and the mob he carries with him. The girl's eyes go wide as dinner plates, and she smacks Allen's arm when he tugs her behind him without taking her eyes off of the mob literally barreling down on them.

"If I get stabbed by a pitchfork, I'm blaming you!"

"Me?! Komui's the one who sent you with me!" Allen shrieks, eyes wide as the group of villagers led by the man from before begin to surround them, torches, rakes, pitchforks, and all. "W-wait! What are you—ah!"

"I'M DEFINITELY BLAMING YOU, WALKER!"

They're taken into a building. Though that's not the worst of it.

They're tied up. Tied to chairs. Allen doesn't seem to notice how Meredith freezes and trembles simultaneously, how her eyes stay blown wide and terrified, but she likes to think it's because she hides it well. The boy is more concerned, understandably, with the old man from before continuously trying to get in his face while talking. That would be unnerving to anyone no matter the circumstances.

Though, sometime during the man's explanation of something to do with a vampire, Allen must hear her whimper from where she's situated next to him. He can't see her face very well as she's canted away from him a bit and her shoulder-length hair is acting as a curtain, but he does lean a little towards her and whisper, "Shh. Meredith, trust me." Another whimper is her response. She's ashamed to admit she can't bring herself to do much else.

An old scar across her left arm stings as if a fresh wound once more. She isn't ashamed to admit, conversely, that she does trust the boy. But sometimes trust isn't enough.

"Vampire?" she hears Allen ask, vaguely. In her subdued panic, it sounds like it's filtered through water.

"Yes, that's correct…" The man is in Allen's face again—she can hear how close he is. It causes her to shiver. Too close…and she's not even the one whose personal space he's really invading.

She coughs a little. Her voice sounds rougher than she'd like. "You're a little…uhh…" She allows her head to make a canting motion, looking at him out of the corner of a terrified eye. The old man blinks, before slinking back. Allen heaves a sigh of relief.

"Right, sorry…" Coughing, the man stands straight again. "Anyway, my name is George! I'm this town's mayor. That lunch cart is just my day job." Meredith feels her face blanking.

Day job? It's the middle of the night!

George is suddenly in their faces again, and both Meredith and Allen jump. "You see, there is in fact a vampire living near this village!"

"Dude, too close!" He ignores her.

"His name is Baron Krory! He never shows his face in daylight, and there are constant terrifying screams emanating from his castle. It's said that no one who enters that castle makes it out alive!"

Meredith sighs, albeit shakily. "That's every haunted house story ever. And how often are those true?"

Allen seems to agree. "A vampire? In this day and age?" George is still in his space, and even Meredith can see the man's face go something kind of horrifying at the expressions of disbelief. It causes her to freeze while the boy turns his head quickly. "I'm sorry! Please continue…" Placated, the mayor straightens again, much to the relief of the two restrained teens, and begins pacing while he explains the story behind the Baron and the missing villagers. Meredith does manage a wince when he explains about the old woman turning to dust, but the whole story is a bit…excessive, she thinks. Then again…she gives a glance to Allen's gloved left hand and has to wonder how excessive "excessive" really is.

"He got my best friend!" One of the mob exclaims angrily once the mayor finishes his tale explaining that nine of the villagers have been lost to the Baron.

"We've gotta go vampire huntin'!" another cries.

"Death to Krory!"

Meredith blinks. "Quite the angry mob…," mutters Allen, stealing the words straight from the doctor's mouth.

"We were prepared to confront him tonight, but…" Suddenly, every single villager in the room drops to their knees and bows to the doctor and exorcist.

Meredith and Allen's jaws drop. "What the fuck?!" Allen doesn't even try to reprimand her for her slip in language as he's too busy staring at the villagers, dumbfounded like the doctor.

The mayor continues as if oblivious to the two's confusion. "God has not forsaken us! A Dark Priest, the seal of the Order on his breast, has come to save us from the wicked vampire!"

"What the hell am I, chopped liver?! Hey!" Meredith is summarily ignored. She is not pleased.

"We beg of you to rid us of the curse that is Krory!"

If Allen could slump in his seat, he would. "Uh…that's…not why we're here…" He's looking anywhere but the mayor. Meredith can't help but think that at least someone acknowledges her presence.

"Goddammit! Too close!" she screeches when the mayor, once again, appears oblivious to the concept of personal space and invades her and Allen's.

He looks on the verge of tears. "What?! Impossible! Why else would a priest such as yourself come to our village?!" Allen chuckles nervously.

"We're looking for someone!"

The mayor tilts his head. "Looking…for someone?"

"And I'm picking up shipment! If you were under the impression we were here to help, why did you tie us up in the first place?!" hisses Meredith, struggling again with the ropes encircling her body.

Allen laughs a little more. "Umm…"

And then he just stands up.

"Allen Walker, I'm going to kill you!" Meredith growls as the ropes surrounding the exorcist simply fall to the floor as if they'd never been secured in the first place. "Were you able to do that this whole time?!"

"Sorry, Meredith!" The ropes surrounding her are pulled away quickly, much to the amazement of the villagers. The doctor supposes she'd be amazed, too, at the ease of it if she weren't running purely on adrenaline, terror, and anger. "I told you to trust me!"

"That was really damn vague!" She stands quickly, shaking arms wrapping themselves around her abdomen. The plain rings on both hands glint in the candlelight for a bare moment before they're stuffed into the white fabric of her coat sleeves. Allen seems to notice the tremoring, but only gives a frown as he turns away to inquire about Cross. In a way, she's grateful that he doesn't bring it up. She really doesn't want to explain.

Her arm gives another phantom ache. She hugs herself tighter.

"Quell'uomo è un pazzo!" Meredith hisses as soon as the mayor closes the door to the room she and Allen are sharing behind him. She ignores the bemused white-haired boy as she claims the bed to the left side of the room, flopping down on it and wringing hands through her hair. "Sono tutti! E lui è una faccia da cazzo di pollo fritto! Figlio di un pompinara!"

"M-Meredith?" Allen is hesitant to ask, placing his suitcase gently down on the remaining bed before cautiously bringing hers to her. They'd fought a bit about it, but Allen had been insistent upon the two sharing a room—something about a bad feeling and her not being an exorcist. Meredith appreciates the sentiment, though the lack of privacy is going to be a bit stifling.

"Spiacente," she blurts, but upon seeing the boy's still confused face, she blushes under the olive of her skin. "Whoops, sorry. It's just…these guys have to be insane. Vampires? Seriously? There's some sort of logical explanation, here. There has to be." Accepting her suitcase, she watches Allen fiddle with his own until Timcanpy pops out from where he'd been hiding inside. A quirk of her lips occurs upon seeing the golem—fond thoughts of Gin chasing him before they had to leave flit through her mind.

God, she just wants to go home.

Allen sinks down onto his bed, peering at her curiously. "You're still upset that they sent your shipment to the castle, aren't you?"

"You're damn right I'm upset!" The doctor huffs and crosses her arms, monstrous glare aimed at the too-innocent looking boy across the room. "This whole thing is ridiculous! That master of yours is more trouble than he's worth!"

His face darkens. "I'm not arguing with you there…" Meredith groans and throws herself down on her back, hands scrubbing across her face. Her rings clink together softly, recognizably. She takes comfort in it, however slightly.

"Let's just hope we—Allen?" She moves her hands to look at the boy when a soft whirring sound fills the air. She's not expecting to see Allen's left eye, the one with the strange scar running through it she hasn't had the guts to ask about, pure black with what looks like a red target in place of a pupil and iris. She's taken aback and doesn't notice the concerned expression drawing his brows together as he looks in the direction of the window.

She's not sure what her face reveals as Allen turns his eyes to her, steeled with seriousness, but she doesn't have time to ponder it. "Meredith, I need you to calmly go to the room next door." She blinks.

"Uh…why?" Allen walks towards her and motions for her to get up. She does so hesitantly, watching as he takes some of the blankets from her bed and bundles them into something vaguely human. They're stuffed under her duvet in short order, his own blankets given the same treatment immediately after. His eye reverts back to pretty silver in the meantime.

It's not until he's situated the lumps to look as though the beds are occupied that he finally answers her question. "There's an Akuma outside, watching the room. I need you to go into the other room and stay there until it's dealt with. If I'm right, it's going to try to attack once it thinks we're asleep."

"How do you…?" Ability to sense Akuma was not in this boy's medical record.

He just gives her a serene smile, tapping his left eye but not giving much more elaboration. "Please just go to the other room. I'll explain when the Akuma is gone." Meredith hesitates, wanting nothing more than to argue with him. Her fingers itch for her to do so, but she eventually caves at the calm yet determined look in his eyes. Allen Walker has obviously taken the unsaid part of his mission quite seriously, and that unsaid part is to keep her safe. The doctor won't begrudge him that, she decides.

"Alright." The girl nods, swallowing the sudden lump of anxiety that rises in her throat. "Be careful. Don't do anything stupid. I may be a doctor, but I'm not a miracle worker." He grins, and with that, Meredith exits the room, rounding the corner into the neighboring one with a sense of apprehension in her gut.

That didn't take long, Allen thinks from where he's curled around a bend in the inn's hallway. The man slinking through the door to his and Meredith's room has a face that is a little too blank, able to be seen even through the inky dark. His movements, if one were to look at them with the level of scrutiny Allen is, are jerky, not fluid. Mechanical, if one would like to go so far. In hindsight of losing his eye temporarily those months ago, picking out the abnormalities of disguised Akuma isn't as hard as it used to be.

The sound of Akuma bullets thudding against fabric cause him to wince. He's glad Meredith is tucked neatly away in one of the other rooms. The girl is a spitfire, for sure, he can't deny that. There's a fire to her one can't argue against, but she's not an exorcist. Plus, he thinks, the last thing he could handle would be returning to the Order and having to tell the woman's daughter that he let her mother be killed on his watch. Komui entrusted Meredith's safety to him, Meredith is entrusting her safety to him. Allen refuses to let them down.

Though Komui is going to get it later…he said there'd be no Akuma…

He activates his Innocence as soon as the bullets stop, creeping into the doorway just as the hulking form of the Akuma is moving the blanket from the mound that would have been Meredith had Allen not had his cursed eye warn him. Still too close…

"Too bad." He says, causing the bulbous machine to turn to him in midair. "My left eye can reveal Akuma. You were watching this room from outside, weren't you? I was watching you, too." The thing is dead before it can really try to attack him, his Innocence claw piercing it straight through. Allen braces himself against the explosion as best he can, saying a few words for the soul that he can hear exclaiming in relief as it is unchained. A few noises ensue as he hears Meredith emerging from the room next door, having heard the small explosion and apparently knowing what it means.

"Allen?" He's ready to respond to her, to tell her to get back into the other room until he's positive it's safe, when suddenly, more townspeople come barging in through the door (and the window, oddly). Meredith makes a screeching noise as she's grabbed by one of them, struggling wildly against the hands creasing her coat sleeves. The brunette wildly, hoping to connect a hit of ringed fingers but to no avail.

"Meredith!" he screams, trying to get to her, but the flurry of Akuma emerging from their human shells cuts him off summarily. "Damnit!" The Akuma holding the doctor begins making his way out of the room and down the hall of the inn. Allen scrambles after them, bullets flying behind him. The Akuma doesn't seem keen on hurting the girl, just getting her out of the way. It's curious, but the exorcist has to file it to the back of his mind. What's more important is getting the defenseless woman back. He curses Komui once again for sending the woman on a what is turning out to be a dangerous mission in the first place. No Akuma, right.

He huffs as he runs, seeing the disguised machine and the struggling Meredith silhouetted by the window at the end of the narrow hallway. "It's taking her outside," he mutters, but his eyes widen as a large shadow rises up from the other side of the glass.

The window shatters, and the Akuma drops her. One of the strange bubble-like projectiles hits her right arm, causing her to scream terribly. Allen only barely realizes he can hear the five silver rings on that hand clattering to the ground before one of the bubbles in question hit his left eye. With a cry, the exorcist falls to the ground.

What was that? He feels at the orb for a moment, deciding quickly that it's blind. Again. He doesn't have time to worry over it when he looks up to see the looming figure of an Akuma. Level Two?! But what's more concerning is the figure slumped over in the wiry hand of the monster.

Allen hisses, "No! Meredith!" The Level Two pauses a minute before shrieking and backing out the damaged window, taking the doctor with it. Allen can hear the other Akuma racing up behind him, but in the screaming pain of his eye and the horror at seeing a defenseless woman kidnapped by an Akuma, he doesn't respond as quickly as he should.

However, thankfully, he doesn't have to.

"Big hammer, little hammer!" The sudden explosion of the Akuma is a welcome sound. He jerks his head up as he pushes himself to his feet.

"Lavi! Bookman!" He doesn't miss Timcanpy fluttering around by the redhead and his stout old mentor with the darkened eyes. "What are you doing here?!"

Lavi's grin is out of place, but familiar enough that he'll take it without much complaint. "What'cha sitting around for, eh?"

"This is hardly time for lollygagging," Bookman finishes with a flat expression but a hint of a wry grin in his voice.

The other Akuma move as if to fire, and through a series of events, Allen ends up using his Innocence to shield himself and the other two from the bullets until, eventually, the Akuma…retreat.

"They left?!" Allen groans, hand still over his eye. Lavi and Bookman go to jump down through a hole in the floor the Akuma had made, but the white-haired exorcist stops them quickly. "Wait! One of those Akuma took Meredith!"

This stops the two short. "Meredith? The medical officer we met the other week?" The redhead asks curiously. "She's not an exorcist—why is she here?" Allen's sure Lavi would have made some sort of inappropriate comment had time allowed it, though thankfully he doesn't.

"Komui sent her. Something about needing to collect supplies and it would be better if she was here to make sure they're what she's looking for," he says in a rush, darting over to where the five rings clattered to the floor. Miraculously, they haven't been displaced in the chaos. He gathers them and drops them into a pocket for safekeeping. He has a feeling she'll want them back; he noticed she's pretty attached to the silver bands "One of the Akuma grabbed her and ran. There's a Level Two—it took her from the Level One and ran. We need to go after her!"

The two bookmen share a look, something being conveyed as they do. Eventually, the older nods to the younger, who then nods to Allen. "Right! Let's go!"

As they leap down through the hole in the inn floor, Allen thinks only of dark eyes, a pretty smile, and a little girl waiting on the missing woman in question to come home safely. And with that, Allen hopes beyond all hope that they get there in time.

They don't get far. Allen doesn't want to be chagrinned, as they paused for a very good reason. The innkeeper had been pinned beneath the crumbled ceiling that they had leaped through. They really couldn't leave him there. Meredith certainly would have paused and stalwartly insisted they help the man before anything, even herself. In travelling with her for the time he had, Allen came to realize the girl has a selfless streak only slightly longer than her stubborn one. He admires her for it, and it's what makes her a good doctor despite her age, he thinks (she had divulged her age and, though he has many questions about how someone no older than he is could become a doctor so young, the dark in her eyes at the mention makes him believe that there is a story behind it into which he refuses to pry—she'll tell when she's good and ready).

It's the next night before he and Lavi are setting out with a cohort of terrified villagers, Bookman remaining behind to tend to the injured innkeeper. Allen isn't happy, is jumpy and on edge, but he tries to hide it from Lavi (and the villagers) as much as he can. There's no time or room for him to be out of sorts. He's worried, yes. He feels guilty and responsible. But he can't let it take him over.

"You still can't see out of your left eye?" asks the redhead, and Allen has to wonder if the bookman thinks that his unease is purely because of the damage to his eye.

Allen smiles in what he hopes is a reassuring manner. "Yeah, but it's alright! Bookman said it should heal." Lavi grins at him a little.

"Did you know that if a vampire bites you, you become one yourself?"

Meredith would be laughing right now if she heard this, he thinks with a measure of amusement. "Yeah, I think I've heard that before."

A laugh comes from the other exorcist. "So. Don't get bitten." Allen rolls his eyes. "And…about anti-vampire equipment…"

The silver-eyed boy points in the direction of the villagers behind them with a nervous chuckle. "I think they've got that covered, actually…" The mayor has candles affixed to his hat, a stake in one hand, torch in the other, and a string of garlic cloves hang around his neck. In all actuality, he's not even the most adorned out of the small mob following them.

He does notice their staring, though. "What's wrong?"

"N-nothing!" the two boys squeak, turning back around to face forward.

Lavi leans in to his ear and mutters, "Think about it, though. There were Akuma here last night. Think the vampire might be an Akuma in disguise?"

"I've never heard of an Akuma that drinks blood," he whispers back, shaking his head a little. "And…why would it take Meredith?"

"Ne, your girlfriend's gonna be fine!" Lavi smirks. Allen sighs, knowing that comment was coming, just not knowing when or from whom.

He says, "She's not my girlfriend! Komui entrusted her safety to me, and so did she. I haven't known them long, but I'm not going to go back to the Order and have to tell Gin that her mother died on my watch!"

A long, considering look is given to him through the one visible green eye, and eventually, a hand is clapped onto his shoulder. A bright smile meant to reassure is spread across the bookman's face. "Don't worry! We'll find her! Something tells me she's not as defenseless as she seems at first glance!" Allen looks down, nodding his head in acceptance but offering no further comment as they've come upon their destination.

It's…honestly rather creepy. Bats float around, it's dark and gloomy. Allen even mutters that it's tacky, and it is. The whole of the gate and the garden beyond almost appear as if they're trying too hard to be creepy. Though, he thinks as he glances up quickly at the moon, that may be the lighting contributing to about half of that. Who knows, this place could be perfectly gorgeous during the day, and…

…Why is he entertaining this line of thinking, again…?

A shiver crawling up his spine causes him to pause, and he draws his glove off just in case. The unnerving feeling of someone watching them has only intensified the longer they've traipsed past all of the gothic statues of gargoyles. Lavi does not let the opportunity pass him by, unfortunately. "Oooh! Why are you taking your gloves off, Allen? You scared?"

He forces a laugh. "No, no—!" Though, he pauses shortly when his good eye catches the sight of the redhead's hand curled around his inactive hammer defensively, twitching with anxiety. Perfect revenge. "I see you're fingering your weapon an awful lot, Lavi."

Allen can't see if the older boy is blushing, but he hopes he is. "I'm so not scared!" The redhead mutters, an uneasy chuckle passing his lips that Allen mimics after a moment. However, the moment of forced levity is broken quickly soon thereafter, when another shiver violently wracks its way down Allen's spine.

They pause for several seconds, listening. "What's this…?" George asks, taking a step forward only to be stopped by Lavi.

"Shh," he hushes.

"There's something there." Allen feels the need to elaborate as he and the other exorcist move to stand back-to-back. He holds his left hand ready in order to activate it on a moment's notice. No sense in scaring the villagers with his arm just yet. His right hand, though, moves to cover his pocket with a furrowed brow. He pats it to make sure that it's his imagination.

It almost feels like Meredith's rings are…warm? What?

Before he gets much more chance to think on it, the feeling of air whooshing past him causes he and the redhead to turn back to the villagers. "What was that?" Allen chokes, good eye wide and looking for the source of the motion.

"That was fast!" Lavi agrees.

"What's that smell…?"

George nods. "I thought I smelled something sickly sweet…"

A sudden scream of terror from the back of the mob causes Allen and Lavi to jump. Quickly forcing their way back, they find one of the villagers has fallen backwards, scrambling and pointing to something in front of him. "F-Franz! It got Franz!"

Allen's not really prepared for what he sees when he looks up.

A tall man in a cloak is holding the villager, Franz, bent over him awkwardly as he does so. They can just barely make out where sharp, needle-point fangs are embedded into the man's neck. Some movement ensues, and a clearer view of the figure is given. In his pocket, the heat beginning to emanate from Meredith's rings intensifies when wild, frenzied eyes make contact with Allen's. They quickly slide to Lavi, but even that is enough to shake the white-haired exorcist to his core.

This is no Akuma…! The rings burn more.

"He's a real vampire?!"

It takes a beat for his mind to process the real question remaining from those realizations.

If he's not an Akuma, then…where the hell is Meredith?!

Final Words:Translations!

Quell'uomo è un pazzo! - "That man is a lunatic!"

Sono tutti! - "They all are!"

E lui è una faccia da cazzo di pollo fritto! - "And he's a chicken fried fuck face!" (She's got a temper, we'll leave it there lol)

Figlio di un pompinara! - "Son of a cocksucker!"

Spiacente - Sorry

And Meredith is captured! Allen is guilty! Meredith's rings are weird! Lavi is...there! This part is going to be very close to the episodes, unfortunately, but it's intended to establish some stuff. It'll deviate from here!

R&R!
~Sneak