The reason this is updated so quick is because of you all (nine reviews? Uh) and my girlfriend. I wouldn't say I am a whipped man, but . . . uh . . . enjoy the story! Hah, hah, hah . . .
Disclaimer: D. Gray-Man isn't mine.
Two: Epic (Part One)
He didn't eat anything when he got home. In fact, he didn't remember doing anything except dropping his bag by the door, pushing by his dog and going into his room, where he emptied his pockets' contents: mechanical pencil lead, old candy wrappers, and, to his dismay, the drug that his school just told him to avoid. For hours he stared at the metal foil, trying to think of numerous ways to dispose of them, then trying to think how he got them in the first place. He rocked back and forth, eyebrows furrowed and teeth biting into his forefinger. By the time he looked up to check the time, the alarm clock was blaring, telling him to get ready to go.
The drug sat on the nightstand as he forced himself to take a shower. The water didn't soothe him any, so he ended the shower quick and dried himself off. His eyes landed on the mirror, though he didn't look at his arm. Instead, his own face scared him—his cheeks were hollowed, and his face was abnormally pale. His white hair didn't make him look any healthier. He had to tell someone. Lenalee? She would shriek about him becoming the Earl's agent, despite how long they knew each other. Lavi? No, he already knew too much about everything. So it had to be his own little secret.
He couldn't keep it, that much he knew. If he kept it, eventually a general would search his house and discover the red pills. How to get rid of it, then? Burning it would be suspicious, and he certainly couldn't ingest them, not even four times just to make them disappear. He could flush them, but the sewer systems were monitored by security cameras in case the enemy decided to sneak in that way. He didn't know how much of his DNA was on the foil, so he couldn't just leave it behind somewhere. He needed to get rid of his own DNA.
"Pass it on to someone else," he said aloud, startling himself.
The whole problem aroused because someone gave it to him. So he just had to figure out who to give it to, someone the world could do without, someone he hated and equally hated him. It was a terrible thought, but it only seemed terrible for a moment when he knew who he could give it to. The jerk who kept calling him short, the jerk who threatened everyone who crossed his path, the jerk named Kanda. No one would miss him.
"What am I thinking?" Allen shook his head. "Even if he is a jerk, he does not deserve a betrayal such as that."
He mulled it over as he ate, trying to think of any other options. They made forcing the problem on Kanda look much more desirable. Scarfing down the twelfth bowl of Cheerios, he slammed the bowl onto the table, wiping the milk residue away from his face with his sleeve. All he knew was that Kanda was a jerk, and he could get rid of his problem by using the ponytailed ass. He dumped his bowl into the sink before heading back to his room, where the sun crept through the glass to peer at the aluminum foil. He stuffed it in his pocket, hefted his bag over his shoulder, fed the dog again, then left the house.
The sun gave color even to the school's windows, despite how black they normally looked. The towers jutted into the sky, guards hiding within them in case an enemy attack stormed upon them. He stepped up the stairs, pulling out his ID to the guard standing by the door, who allowed him entry once more. No one greeted him in the lobby; unfamiliar faces of other classmates crowded near the door, talking about normal things: favorite types of guns, where the weak-points of a demon were, and, of course, the new buzz of the latest drug. He avoided glances aimed his way and found himself on the first floor hall. Vending machines made his stomach growl, despite how much he ate earlier.
He spotted Lavi leaning near the phone, watching other students pass by. One of his eyes had a bruise forming around it, and the way he clutched his side made Allen wonder how badly Lenalee hurt him this time.
"Hey, Allen!" He waved, though much weaker than normal. "You look like hell, man. Did you sleep at all last night?"
"Uh," he started, wondering how to answer. He chose to ignore it. "Never mind that. I was curious if you have seen Kanda at all?"
"What?" Lavi gripped his side harder as he chuckled. "You want to see Yuu-chan? Did you hit your head or something last night?" Allen, as hard it was, kept his face straight to show his acquaintance how serious he was. "Okay, okay, all joking aside, I saw him go downstairs, probably to train in the gym. That guy never takes a break. Why're you asking, though?"
"I need to ask him something." He left Lavi before he could probe further.
The gymnasium had the brightest lights in the school, and was the safest place to be in case of an assault. No one visited it that often, except when they had to. Cobwebs clung to the beams as spiders skittered upon him opening the creaking door. One of the lights flickered overhead as he walked onto the tiled floor. His steps had a small echo. The room gave him shivers as he looked around the room. Hacked hay dummies spread themselves out, bleeding fiber. He wanted to call out, to see if someone was there, but the squeaks of rats made him turn suddenly, making his words clam up in his throat.
"Hah!"
He jumped again, eyes wildly searching for the source of the sound. The blade came first, brilliant silver shimmering in the light, a sign that it was taken care of regularly. Black hair whipped about with the wielder's movements as multiple training dummies fell around his feet. The wielder wore a blindfold, though he continued to locate all the practice enemies as if he developed a third eye, only covered by his bangs. The blade stopped halfway through a swing, nicking another dummy at its neck.
"Who's there?"
The tone was as bitter as forcing down medicine that tasted of vegetables. Allen cleared his throat, as if it would make himself sound more intimidating. "I was only observing," he said, "and I heard that this was a good place to train, so I decided to give it a try."
With a blink, he found the sword pointing at his forehead, with the man's eyes, no longer obstructed by the blindfold, narrowing in on him. "Che. That raspy, British tenor could only be from the damned Moyashi. Get the fuck out of my way. This is my territory, and I don't share it with anyone."
Allen gritted his teeth. "This building does not belong to just you, Kanda. And for the last time, my name is Allen, not 'bean sprout' or whatever that means."
Kanda snorted. "Brats like you don't belong in a war. You'll wind up dead in less than five minutes out on the front lines." He turned his back on him as he sheathed his sword. "If only I could be so lucky so I can finally get rid of you once and for all. Maybe it could go under 'accidental friendly fire.'"
"Is that a threat?"
"More like a promise."
His attitude brought out a snarl from Allen. Why exactly did he feel bad for giving the drug to this man in the first place? "Well, sorry, but I do not intend on dying anytime soon, especially from the likes of you."
A retort made him mad, but being ignored completely angered him. Kanda proceeded to pick up his gym bag and go through the doors into the boys' locker room without saying a word. The door shut behind him, leaving Allen behind in the gym. His upper lip continued to twitch, eyes glaring at the door. "Jerk," he said with a growl, then looked at the bench beside the door, where Kanda's jacket lay. He looked at the door, ensuring that he wasn't coming out quickly, then took the drugs out of his pocket. He reached for the jacket . . .
"Allen!"
His reach stumbled, making the tablets clatter against the floor. He spun around, plastering a desperate smile as Lenalee and Lavi approached him. He quickly kicked the packet back underneath the bench, hoping neither of them noticed, especially the ever-observant eyes of Lavi. "Hi," he managed, though his voice squeaked up a notch.
"What are you doing down here?" She looked at the jacket. "Were you training with Kanda? That doesn't sound like something you'd do. Where is he, anyway?"
"In the locker room." Allen glanced at Lavi, making sure he wasn't looking for anything out of the ordinary. "He threatened to kill me, then left. Why are you two down here? I thought you would have to study for a test or something like that, or finish some homework for that matter. Besides, you two are not talking to one another, right?"
Lavi shook his head. "I apologized, so we reconciled, as they say. She beat me up pretty good, as she always did, and I deserved it. I should apologize to you, telling you things like that, such as that word. I'll never mention it again, I swear. If I do, you have full permission to beat me in any way you please. Just make sure you spare my face, okay? I need that to make expressions."
The locker room door opened, and Kanda emerged with a scowl on his face. "Che. First the Moyashi shows up, then his stupid-ass lackeys follow him. I guess this place is now compromised. Time to find a new training spot. Move, Moyashi." He shoved Allen out of the way and grabbed his jacket, putting it on almost all the way before he paused. Allen felt his lips shrivel when Kanda bent down and picked up the package hiding beneath the bench. "I try to keep this place clean, and no matter what I fucking do, it always ends up in a mess again . . . wait, what the hell are these?"
Lavi snatched the packet out of his hands, making Allen's heart drop into his stomach. "These aren't what I think they are, are they?"
Lenalee took a moment before her jaw became agape. "It is! Oh my God, someone brought it into our school! What are we gonna do? One of us is now with the Earl! We have to tell someone immediately, maybe General Yeegar."
"Che. These weren't here earlier." All three looked at Kanda with wide eyes, all for different reasons. "I know this because I clean the gym every morning as part of my training, and that includes underneath the benches. Which means one of you three," he jabbed his finger at the group, "brought this damn thing with you."
Both Lenalee and Lavi turned slowly towards Allen's direction, who started to back up slowly with his hands stretched forward. "Wait, no," he said, stammering, "no, it was not me, I swear, it is not mine, you have to believe me!"
"Allen," Lavi started.
"I can explain!" He felt the beads of sweat run down the side of face, as if his brain were crying. "It really . . . they are not mine, they are not! When I was returning home, I found them in my pocket, and I do not know where they appeared from! Please, I am not a heretic, please, please, I am so sorry!"
He didn't know what looks they had on their faces. He covered his eyes with his hands, wishing he never found them in the first place. Whoever framed him, whoever set him up, he wished he had the heart to curse him or her to Hell. The silence began to unnerve him; what were they thinking? Were they going to give him up to a general, where he would be put in prison, and then later subjected to experimentation? A shiver ran down his spine recalling Lenalee's story about Suman Dark, the one who betrayed the war. He didn't want to become an experiment. Despite his problem, he trained as hard as he could for their side, not the Earl's.
But who was going to believe him now? His stomach churned as acid boiled in his throat, making him want to throw up, but he couldn't move. His own thoughts petrified him in place, his blood sluggishly turning into concrete, keeping his legs still. Someone sighed, and his heart turned to lead, barely able to beat from how heavy it felt. Whispers followed, then a low growl and a minor gasp. He wanted to sink to his knees, to beg for mercy, but the cement circulated to his throat, keeping his words stuck.
"Chin up, Allen." Lavi's voice chimed like it normally did, as if nothing transpired in the past few minutes. "You look like you're on the verge of a mental breakdown. We're not going to tell on you. Well, me and Lenalee won't, but Yuu-chan—"
"I told you to stop calling me that, Baka Usagi!"
"—is a different story, though I think he won't tell, either." He gave Kanda a sheepish grin to the man's narrowed eyes, which were sharp enough to go through the jelly like substances and pierce through the redhead's brain. "Since you look pretty scared, we all, for the most part, agreed to keep quiet on this, 'kay?" He looked over to Lenalee as he said that, and she visibly shrank a little. Allen wondered if there were any truths behind Lavi's words, after all. "So long as you, and the rest of us, promise not to touch it or experiment with it, everything should be just fine." He grinned again. "Right, gang?"
Lenalee twirled one of her ponytails, looking to the small window that barely rose above ground-level. "Right," she said with a slow nod. "Right. We believe in you, Allen. I don't think you're an agent of the Earl or anything like that. Just hide those vile things away, lock them up, then toss the key. I don't even want to imagine what harmful effects are in them."
"Che." Kanda folded his arms across his chest, back turned to everyone. "Do whatever the hell you want. If it doesn't bother me or involve me, I won't care. Just leave me the hell out of whatever this is, and, for the love of whatever religious symbol you care for, get the hell out of my training spot!"
The other three jumped a little as he stormed off, his rage-filled aura scaring even the mice away from the gym. Lavi slid a glance to Lenalee and Allen, indicating it was time to get out of there before Kanda decided to brandish his sword upon them. They left him behind as the bell rang, indicating the start of classes. Allen paused before reaching the hall and stared at the last step in front of him, shaking his head.
"Allen?" Lenalee glanced over her shoulder and stopped halfway through a step. "What's wrong?"
"Are you two . . .?" He frowned. "I mean, are you both really okay knowing what, uh, I have on me right now?" His hand stroked the packet, making sure it was still there and out of sight. "Do you both really believe in me?"
She stared at him for a moment, then exchanged a look with Lavi. He shrugged, and she patted a hand onto Allen's shoulder. "I have no reason to suspect you of any wrongdoings," she said with a reassuring smile. "You're a great comrade, and from what I've seen, you can fight really well. And I just can't see you as anyone really harmful to me or anybody else on our side. Don't worry about it. As Lavi said, we won't mention this to anybody, so long as you don't use it." She put her forefinger up to her lips. "It will be our little secret, okay? So we all should just forget about it. But we have to get going. Class is about to start."
x~X~x
Lavi knew he said for none of them to mention it, so he tried to not think about it. The teacher spoke of some boring things he knew already, explaining the human body's major arteries and how to stop them from bleeding if inflicted upon. He tapped his fingernails onto the desk, knee twitching as he forced himself to pay attention. Allen and Lenalee looked fine to keep it a secret, sure, but he wanted to experiment, to test things out, like he always did. It was a habit of his; once he became engrossed in something, little could stop him from conducting research. However, drugs were not a toy; he couldn't ingest some and expect to get away with it without some kind of side-effect.
"We should all forget about it." Easy for her to say. Lenalee never tried to disobey the rules, to see what would happen if she questioned a social standpoint. She was a "yes-man," taking every command given to her and completing them flawlessly. He doubted if she ever wondered what would happen if she decided to become a renegade and abandon the war completely. He, on the other hand, liked pushing the boundaries, and that drug was, in fact, another boundary that the government put in place.
His twitching increased as he glanced at the clock. The class was taking too long. He wanted to get out and purge his mind of any reckless thoughts. Yes, he was a rebel in many forms, but enough to damage his whole mind's make-up?
"No," he whispered, clicking the tip of his mechanical pencil. "No, I'm not that stupid."
Doodles covered the margins of his paper, spreading out into his notes when he stopped caring about his class. His knee, in the midst of its twitching, slammed underneath the desk, making the class look at him funny when he swore quietly under his breath.
"Is something the matter, student seven-four-ninety?" The teacher peered at him over her glasses, chalk poised to scrape against the chalkboard. He grinned sheepishly at her.
"Nah, I'm good. Sorry to bother you."
When he was released from the clutches of his anatomy class, he pushed aside the door to the roof and gripped the gate surrounding the roof. He needed another experiment, and quickly. If he didn't give in to his starved ambition, then he would resort to breaking into Allen's house and rifling through the boy's belongings to find the LVE. He wanted to dissect it, to take a microscope to it, to melt it down and see what color it burned in, to swallow it down with a mug of tea and let in control him, slowly, slowly . . .
"Shit."
There was no avoiding it further. He had to ask Allen for one of the tablets later.
x~X~x
Allen wasn't an agent of the Earl. She told herself that repeatedly, as if it became her new mantra, while she read the book assigned to her in class. She turned the page. The look of fear when Kanda found the tablets told her that he was innocent, and that he had no idea how they came to him. Still, she found it hard to believe he was completely innocent. Hiding them beneath a bench was a poor choice, he must have known that. They would be discovered in a matter of minutes, and he would be exposed as a traitor.
She twisted the strands of her ponytail around her fingers, tugging at the loose ends to help her focus. Did she do the right thing? She couldn't recall doing anything against the rules, not once, but since Allen was involved, she couldn't bring herself to turn him in. Did that make her an accomplice? She yanked hard on her ponytail and shook her head. No, not an accomplice, but instead a fellow conspirator.
The words tingled through her skin, making her shudder. She glanced around, checking everyone's face, wondering if any were looking at her strangely. No one was peering at her with suspicious eyes; her fellow classmates were absorbed in their studies. Sighing, she closed her book and excused herself out of the library, making her way to the shooting range.
It was quiet; no one else was there, as expected. The various guns, pistols to rifles, hung on the racks, protected by locks. Each gun had an owner, and only that owner could unlock them. She slid her ID card through the recognition lock, and the little red light turned green, freeing her two weapons of choice. She lugged along the shotgun, her trademark, and entered one of the stalls. Putting on the stylish purple earmuffs, she loaded a round, then fired at the target.
The smell of gunpowder, the muffled bang that followed her pulling the trigger, didn't calm her nerves as she wanted them to. Her shots continued to miss and hit the wall, where they bounced off and clattered onto the floor. The target remained unscathed. She loaded another round and fired again, nipping the edge of the paper. Agitated, she put in one more round, and fired again. The bullet whizzed by the target and, like the other twenty bullets, rolled onto the floor.
She tore off the earmuffs, flabbergasted. She turned on the safety and put the shotgun aside, eyes darting from the lucky target to the collection of bullets. "What is wrong with you today?" she muttered as she exchanged the shotgun for her AK-47, the AKM version. "This isn't like you. Get your act together, Lenalee."
Even with the precision of her AKM, as the bullets hurdled at seven hundred and twelve meters per second, none of them hit her true target, the head. Her arms started to ache after twenty minutes of constant reloading and firing. She put the gun back where it rested before observing the tattered paper. It didn't match her progress at all; it looked like an amateur picked up a gun and winged it. Her ears rung, but she wasn't sure if it was from the shots fired or from her growing agitation.
"I'm not the bad guy. The Earl is. I'm not. I need to stop thinking this way. So what if I won't tell on him? It has nothing to do with the war, especially since he's not using it. But what if he does? Then what?" She gripped one of her ponytails and yanked hard as she looked to the window, seeing her reflection cast in the glass. Her expression was unfamiliar. It used to be full of confidence, ready to seize the day, but the foreign abstraction of doubt and nervousness arched her eyebrows and widened her eyes. "He'll take me down with him, won't he?"
Lavi probably wouldn't worry as much as she was, and Kanda certainly wouldn't care. She knew that she told Allen that she would forget it ever happened, though it proved harder than anticipated. It was like overlooking the Earl sitting on his shoulder, whispering temptations that the young soldier-in-training couldn't resist. Soon the temptations would travel, taking the other three down that dark road, too. She didn't want to walk hand-in-hand with the Devil, gazing at the moonlight while discussing how to obliterate the very race she belonged to.
Yet, she realized as she began walking towards the stairwell leading down to the gymnasium, she already turned a blind eye to "right" and faced "wrong" willingly. She paused, hand quivering as it grasped the stair's railing. She had to tell a general. If she didn't, she would be betraying the war's cause. She would become another Suman Dark. She turned around and hurried down the hall, her quickened footsteps the only sound resonating in the emptied corridor. The door she sought for stood ajar, a nameplate reading "Gen. Yeegar" carved in a black plate sitting in the middle of the wooden structure.
I have to tell him. Her fingers outstretched to push the door further open, ready to spill out the secret she swore to hide. They trembled as they brushed against the wood, nails barely scratching at it. I have to, or else I will become a traitor. I'm sorry, Allen. I just don't want to end up like you.
"Is someone there?"
The old general's voice shocked her, making her hand jolt back to her chest. She took a step back as she heard someone, undoubtedly the general, rising from his seat. Muffled footsteps followed, approaching the door as her eyes darted from left to right.
The door opened fully, and the general peered his head out. "Hello?"
She held her breath, hiding behind a pillar holding up the ceiling of the designated locker space. His boots clicked against the floor, as if inspecting to see if someone was still around, and a sigh followed. "Kids," she heard him say, "even if they are training to be soldiers, they can't help but play a prank or two on an old man like myself."
She waited a few moments later until she heard a door shut. Her muscles relaxed, though her mind was furious. What are you doing? She snuck a quick glance at the door. You were supposed to tell him, and yet you hide like a coward? What's happened to you, Lenalee? Go up to that door and knock properly! Do you want to be exposed as someone who works with the Earl? Go, serve your race, and get rid of what could destroy everything!
"I promised Allen I wouldn't," she whispered, startling herself. "He's a good comrade, and he's not the Earl."
Are you insane? Listen to yourself! It's as if you already ingested some of that drug!
"What I should be destroying," she said, "is the drug itself, not Allen."
Her mind fell silent. Nodding to herself, she made her way back towards the gym. Since the drug created the problem, it had to go, not Allen. After school, she would ask him to give them to her, and she would properly dispose of them––by shooting them beyond recognition.
x~X~x
He didn't give two shits about the bean sprout and his lackeys, or the Earl, or the drug. All he cared about was being alone and fighting. Nothing else mattered, except the necessities of eating and oxygen. So when the two other brats brought him aside at separate times of the day, which took him away from fighting and made him no longer by himself, his entire day became a trash heap with rotten corpses hiding underneath.
First, the idiot-rabbit appeared during his lunch break. He snapped a pair of glued-together chopsticks and started eating his noodles when the blinding mop of red hair caught his attention, along with the stupid grin he wanted to smash into a million pieces. He pretended he never saw him, but it didn't work; the idiot plopped himself on the other side of the table, eyes filled with mischievous intent. "I found you, Yuu-chan!"
The corner of Kanda's upper lip twitched, exposing his teeth, which gritted together. "Call me that again, and I'll have the custodians complain about cleaning up your guts, Baka Usagi."
"Aw, you don't have to be so mean," he replied with a pout. "I just wanted to talk, that's all."
"You lost me at 'talk,'" Kanda muttered, but the idiot-rabbit continued spewing his nonsense as if he didn't hear his words.
"Remember this morning? With the drugs and all that?" Kanda grunted as he ate another bite of his lunch, prompting the idiot further. "I was thinking about it earlier, and I really, really wanna see what it's like to have some, if you know what I mean. The thing is, I doubt little Allen will be willing to give them to me, even if I asked nicely. So I was wondering if you'd help me get them from him."
He took another bite of his noodles, then put his chopsticks down, sighing. "No."
"Oh, don't be that way! You're curious too, aren't you?"
"I don't have time dealing with idiots like yourself," he spat, dumping the remaining contents of his meal into the trash. The moron followed him as he exited the dining hall, mood worsening with every step. "Why don't you bother that girl, Rinari or whatever, to help you?"
"Lenalee. And she'd freak out in a millisecond by a proposal like that. The only option I have is you, Yuu! You've gotta help me!"
"As I said before, Baka Usagi," he said through clenched teeth, "no. If you don't want to find my blade through your stomach, I suggest you leave me alone. Now."
"Tell you what, I'll make you a deal." Did he not just hear him? Kanda gripped the handle of his sword, ready to brandish it and hack the idiot to pieces. "If you help me out, I'll stop harassing you for a month. Hell, I'll even call you 'Kanda,' too, as an added bonus. 'Yuu-chan' will never be uttered from my lips again, I promise. But only if you help me get the LVE from Allen."
"If I say yes, will you go away?"
"Yup!" The redhead grinned. "Faster than you can say 'seppaku.' Just help me stop Allen and get the drugs from him once school gets out, okay? And don't tell anyone else."
"Then yes. I'll help you. Now, go away."
He turned as he said the words, and, much to his surprise, the idiot disappeared. His brow furrowed, confused for a moment, then shrugged. It didn't matter how he left; he could finally enjoy his solitude again.
The last class of the day approached, though he skipped it as he usually did. No matter how many times he ignored his studies, he always got passing grades, as if the teachers knew something that he didn't. He didn't care, but it did pique his interest a little. Instead of class, he secluded himself in the gym, where he meditated. A sharp mind meant greater reflexes while in battle, ensuring a higher chance of victory.
That's when his second obnoxious guest interrupted his daily routine. He heard her before she opened the doors, and he almost managed to get to his feet to hide somewhere, but he forgot how fast the girl was. She spotted him and ran after him, grasping the collar of his shirt. "Kanda!" she said, sounding relieved. "Thank goodness I found you! I have a favor to ask."
He didn't believe in gender inequality, and he could punch a girl if he wanted, but the way she looked at him, with pleading eyes and clingy fingers, he gave up fleeing. Disgruntled, he sat back down on his tatami mat, twitching. "Fine. What the hell do you want from me?"
Her lips turned upward into a smile. "I knew I could count on you! I was thinking about earlier, when you discovered the micro-weapon of the Earl's, and what to do about it. Since I promised Allen earlier not to turn him in, I can't do that, so that brings up the question: how do we get rid of the problem?"
"Are you suggesting we eat it, then?"
"What?" Her eyes widened as she shook her head furiously. "No, goodness, no! I would never suggest that we do something like that!" She sat down next to him on the tatami mat and stared at something, maybe the various cracks on the beams overhead. The girl was always calm, and was a great change from the idiot-rabbit, always being loud. "Rather, I figured out a way to destroy the drug permanently. The problem is, I don't know if my shotgun shells will be enough to dismember those pills. So what I want from you is to help me ask them from Allen and take them into the shooting range, where my shotgun and your blade will take the pills apart." She turned her head towards him, smiling. "Will you help me?"
He frowned. They, idiot-rabbit and the girl, wanted the drug for two different reasons, and they both wanted his help? It started to get ridiculous, how everyone was being secretive with him. His frown deepened, then scowled. "Are you shitting me?" he muttered, too low for her to hear. "I don't have time for either one of you. Fine!" He glared at her. "Che. I'll help you. I don't care anymore. We'll stop him after school and ask for the stupid thing, okay? Then you have to leave me alone, forever, afterward. No coming down here before, during, or after school. Got it?"
"Got it," she said with another nod. "I'll pretend I don't know who you are, too, if that's what you want. I just can't turn a blind eye for years knowing he has them. Thank you, Kanda."
She rose from the mat, and disappeared behind the doors. He growled, no longer able to clear his mind, and unsheathed his sword, Mugen, for practice. It was just a dumb drug. Why did they have to make such a big deal out of it? The cowardly bean sprout couldn't do anything against the law, so the girl had nothing to worry about. And the idiot-rabbit . . . was an idiot. Curiosity killed the contrived bunnies, especially when they bopped field mice on the head under the gaze of the old wise owl. Why did he have the misfortune to find those stupid pillsfirst?
Grimacing, he sliced one of the training dummies. Oh, he'd help them, all right, but they were going to do it his way. And if that meant having to go to the bean sprout's house, so be it, but he was sick of the game of "hide-and-seek" already.
And it hadn't even really started yet.
x~X~x
The last bell rang. Allen exited the school, breathing for the first time since that morning's incident. He thought, during his classes, one of them would tell on him to one of the generals, and they would take him away. It didn't happen, and he was happy to see the sunshine ducking behind one of the school's turrets again. Fellow students left the school, discussing what they had learned in class, alongside a variety of other topics. He didn't want to see his two acquaintances, so he slung his bag over his shoulder and headed down the sidewalk.
"Hey, Moyashi!"
He froze at the nickname his arch-nemesis labeled him. He breathed in sharply, trying to compose himself, then turned around to face what he wanted to avoid all day: a confrontation. The man, Kanda, stepped towards him, glare darker than normal. On his left was Lenalee, and on his right was Lavi, both of which looked confused by his actions. He stood in front of Allen, looking down on him, before saying, almost seeming reluctantly, through gritted teeth:
"We need to talk."
x~X~x
I want to thank those who have reviewed thus far. It truly means a lot to me. With your support, and with my girlfriend's support, I think this is the one multi-chaptered story I can finish. If you feel so inclined, please do leave a review. They are much appreciated. If not, thank you for reading, anyhow. It is to be hoped that I will see you in chapter three. {Nobody Odd}