- Uprising Stage Of Crux -
-oOo-
Time came and gone.
-oOo-
Three years...
Allen stared wistfully at the sunrise o'er the grassy plains. During the last three years Allen feels he has accomplished many tedious tasks, all of which made him who he is, what made him stronger. Although sometimes... He hears a voice inside his head. Now correct him if he's wrong, but isn't that a sign of insanity? No less a reason to be concerned about it, however, telling Cross was absolutely not an option.
Scared; when Allen feels someone or something inside him grasping his very core, stirring his insides and stimulating new emotions and boiling bursts of bubbles scorched his soul. There a times when Allen says or performs an outradgeous, dangerous, something unlike him, actions which feel surrealistic. Ever since that day at Mana's grave, Allen, in all paranoia sense, knows he wasn't alone. Sometimes, just sometimes, Allen becomes someone else entirely, and he isn't completely there. He witnesses what is happening while also seeing only darkness or blinding light at the same time. His sensory senses tingle from stimulation by clicking the fact he touches, tastes, hears, smells (and see, as aforementioned) things, all sorts of things, while he has a hazy memory of causing experiences. Rarely, oh so rarely, his body moves. On its own. Mostly, it's during these dream-like moments.
In generalization, Allen is there, while at the exact same time, out of touch, as though he were watching his life occurring without causing it.
Matter of fact, it's so vague, Allen couldn't describe it if he tried. Memory foggy, explanation worst, seeing how he is the single person experiencing this... out-of-reality occurrence.
"Get your ass moving!" Cross shouted, pushing with unnecessary force, Allen forward, and he slammed into a thin, supple and gnarled tree. "We're already late because of you, and because of you we're going to be even more late!"
Allen groaned. "I'm sorry, Allen," he uttered in feigned sympathy, pretending to be Cross. "Oh, that's alright, Master. I'm not one to hold grudges, you know. So I forgive you."
Glaring at his mentor, he asked evenly, "And where do you get it I'm at fault?" He kept his tone soft in spite of his irritation. "They wanted us at HQ four months ago, and it was your decision to prolong the command from Komui. If it weren't for me you probably wouldn't even be going-"
"Then get your scrawny ass moving if you want to go there so bad."
"So you're blaming me again?" Allen crossed his arms in a huff, snorting... though quickly picking up his pace. "Insufferable bastard."
"What was that?" Allen stiffened as Cross came up behind him, nervously craning his neck a tad, so he could see that devilish glint in his master's eyes, and the challenge of courage he sent forth for the kid.
Use courage and A) Receive a load of debts, B) Get put to time consuming work - none at all enjoyable as you can imagine - or C) Feel the petrifying wrath of his hammer. Don't use courage and none of that will happen - ha! unlikely - and be labeled as a scaredy cat - which Allen most definitely was if Cross was involved, and his mortifying debts - so there's no win/win, but saves the aches. Still...
"C'mon, I'm listening. What did you say?" Cross continued to beckon.
"Noth-nothing, sir."
-oOo-
Like time, things, factors, have changed.
-oOo-
A snort of mockery, yet amusement followed, as Cross grabbed Allen by the scruff of his neck, jerked him back, and shoved him forward again. "You're too slow."
It's not that Allen was slow, no, it's that Cross was a fast walker, faster than Allen, and likely the only individual faster at walking in their normal pace when they went full stride than Allen, but it was also because Cross wasn't slowing the journey or trying to be lazy today, nor scheming a way out of this situation. And he has longer legs than Allen. So wrap all this together...
Allen sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "I heard Krory became an Exorcist not long after we went to his castle, Master."
The General's maroon eyes flickered temporarily to his student, then back to the path they were walking, which consisted of dirt and grass and twigs, so they 'created' their path. The idea was to avoid the cities at the present time, to save spare time due to predicted hassles. Normally, Cross and Allen both desired traveling through the cities in their travel, so Allen can locate and destroy the Akuma and Cross lures them out with his coat, if Allen misses any when he goes awol. Often he does.
"Congratulations to him," Cross murmured.
Allen turned around, walking backwards, so he could face Cross when he spoke. "You gave him the compatible Innocence, didn't you? It must have some relation to Roseanne, or at least you."
Cross ignored Allen's comments, once again, pushing him forward, nearly knocking him off his feet this time. Allen finally perceived his hint, spinning around, including an extra boost in his step, and wondered how the Black Order was doing. The last he saw it was about seven months ago, and last he heard from them was four months ago, right after Krory joined and they were ordered back to Headquarters, however, Cross's debt collectors cut Allen's conversation with Komui short, and when it sounded like Komui was trying to tell him something urgent. He hoped Komui wasn't worrying about them, because Allen nor Cross contacted Headquarters again. Without stumbling upon anyone from the Black Order either, there was no way to send a message to Komui.
The only bad thing about Timcanpy is he cannot communicate with the organization like the rest of the golems can, and the other lousy golems were lousy, breaking so easily.
-oOo-
Soldiers have been awakened for their fight.
-oOo-
"It's boring today."
"Yep."
Krory and Lavi shared an eye-to eye moment, moving - barely - their heads, so not to disrupt their comfortable position with their chins clapped on the table; Krory's arms dangled at his sides and Lavi's stretched in front of him.
They sighed, staring at the half asleep scientists.
"Be glad Komui hasn't spiced up another experiment," Reever said, finishing his last paper and laying it on top of the tall stack beside him. "Why don't you two go train if you're so bored? I think Kanda is looking for a training partner, and Miranda is working with General Nine with Time Record. Maybe you could be of use there, Lavi?"
Another shared look, and a groan following.
"You could be on a mission, isn't that worse than sitting here with nothing to do right now? What with the Noah Clan targeting Exorcists?" Johnny offered optimistically.
"A mission actually sounds good with how bored I am," Lavi deprecated dismissively.
"I'd rather not train with Kanda, though," Krory uttered. "I fear he might actually kill me."
"Yuu wouldn't do that."
"He might almost kill you," Reever remarked thoughtfully.
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"Exactly that: Kanda might almost kill you. He did it once, almost killed an Exorcist. But those two really don't get along." Reever cupped his cheek, leaning on his part of the table with a small grin forming. "They're scary to watch sometimes, but they can be a bit amusing, however annoying. I guess they were actually sparing that one time, though, and naturally it got out of hand without supervision when they were both in a black mood."
"Huh?"
Reever forgot Lavi never met Allen. Krory has, but he was new and he didn't know Kanda's and Allen's correspondences in their not-so-friendly relationship. Yet Lenalee insists they're best friends. Too many people doubted that; then look who Allen's mentor was, and how long Lenalee has known the both of them, and the notion became more tolerable if not acceptable.
"General Cross-" Reever suddenly stared out the library doors, catching a golden gleam. "-is back..." Reever gasped. "General Cross!"
Instantly, maybe a little too melodramatically, heads swung in one direction - the doorway. Pens scribbled off the paper, people jumped to their feet, some dropped their stacks of completed or unfinished work. The gasps of sheer surprise and joy and relief, were neutral. Save the two Exorcists who merely turned their heads a mere length, wide-eyed, mouth opening, causing their heads to lift slightly off the table... Then they shrugged. Sighed.
"It's so boring," Lavi whined.
"Maybe Jerry will teach me how to cook a few recipes..?" Krory whispered, drooling.
-oOo-
Maybe not.
-oOo-
Lenalee zipped through the halls. Allen is home. Allen is home. Allen is home; kept repeating its mantra cycle inside her head, and her heart pounded with anticipation. Not having any word on General Cross and Allen... It scared her, because around the time General Yeager was killed, they disappeared. Vanished. Traceless. Komui tried to hide this fact from her, but she overheard his coversation with Reever and found his report files, about their disappearance.
Honestly, you don't give the files of the secret to someone who is unknown to the secret! Lenalee is his assistant, but he's supposed to be a 'genius.' Sometimes she wondered about that.
A pinch of insatiable eagerness, Lenalee bolted through the Science Department and leaped up the stairs to Komui's door-less office, and the splotch of pure snow-white instantly gathered her attention. She overlooked certain facts though: The hair was tousled, snarly, miniscule spots of blood and dirt. But it was still Allen's undoubtedly.
Lenalee thoughtlessly dashed over to said person, pushing past scientists - who needing Komui to sign papers (again) - and a few Exorcists - Lavi, Miranda, Krory - and jumped at Allen, securely embracing the younger boy. "Allen!"
The rest of the room went stone-still, shell-shocked silent; General Cross arched a questioning red brow; almost every other soul wide-eyed in surprise yet also horror, for they could hear Komui flouncing back to his office with his "Wonderful cup of coffee!"
Allen rocked, swinging back and forth like a pendulum hooked in the ground and upside down, air wheezing out of the boy in her grasp, and he seemed to deflate. Notwithstanding, Lenalee refused his release, holding him closer.
"Lenalee," Allen gasped somehow, seemly much paler. "Good... to see... you." His head dropped back and she thought he was dead for a moment.
Loosening her secure hug, Allen breathed in his previous cut-off-oxygen that he was in such dire need for, practically inflating. "Allen?"
He smiled jovially, vigorously returning her hug. "I didn't say you had to let go," he whispered, inhaling her scent. "I missed you, Lenalee! It's been so long!"
"Uh, what's going?" Lavi asked Reever.
"Er, well, they're hugging, Lavi."
"I see that, but... She's never hugged me like that! Or at all. It seems unfair, and suspicious, don't you think?" His thin frown stretched, and he pulled a magnifying glass out of somewhere in the room. "This calls for investigating! Bump-da-da-dump!"
Awkward - this scenario. No longer were they contemplating the hug - they never let go yet - but Lavi's brain. It had to be a pea. A tiny green pea. With his mighty magnifying glass, he inspected Allen and Lenalee close up, squinting his precious one eye that shimmered with curiosity as he stuck his tool to the bridge of Allen's nose.
Allen blinked. Lavi blinked.
"Can I help you?" Allen asked uncertainly.
-oOo-
Black holes of consistent mysteries!
-oOo-
"Who, pray tell, are you?" Lavi interrogated, plainly playing the role of a rather simple-minded detective, if he were playing at all...
"Uh... Allen Walker."
"So, Allen Walker, if that's your real name-"
"What's that supposed to mean?" Allen interjected, mildly offended. "Are you calling me a liar!?"
"No, maybe... An imposter-" Lenalee silenced Lavi by her gently definition, kicking the redhead in the shin.
"Leave him alone, Lavi!" Lenalee beseeched. "Allen is an Exorcist like us, and General Cross's disciple. And he came personally with the General, as you can see-" Lenalee motioned at General Cross, whom stared at the scene blankly with his head tilted to the side, approaches of all of this, them, in his circumspection. "There's no way someone or anything could impersonate one without the other knowing. They're just that close, you know."
"No, Master's just that genuine of a demon," Allen shook his head with a weary sigh. Inside his mind he was already calculating the recent debts he's received from Cross to pay, for the total sum.
"No, he's just that stupid," Cross deadpanned.
-oOo-
Then again, perhaps not.
-oOo-
"So you wo were in India all this time?" Komui calmly asked, accepting Allen's full report about the last seven months. Unlike the other Generals, Cross doesn't check in daily, and he wouldn't check in at all if not for his pupil and his pupil being known by the Black Order and especially Central, thus they had to write reports. Or, to be specifically clear, Allen writes the reports, and what his master decides to tell him to write, since the man is too lazy to work...
Allen nodded, suspiciously eyeing the group of people outside the messy office of the Black Order head. In turn, they stared at him and General Cross. What was the problem? There wasn't, really, rather, everyone was bored and too nosy for their own good.
"I'm sorry to have misled your theories, Komui," Allen said apologetically. "I tried to contact you again, but the golem you gave me broke while in India, right after the call, in fact, so there was no way left to contact you."
"I see..."
"Why isn't there a science experiment dissecting us yet?" Lavi whispered.
Reever shrugged. There was no need for a brain to understand who and what he was referring to. Komui walked in earlier while Allen and Lenalee were hugging. Safe to say Komui would go over-protective, diabolical maniac scientist on them again. Surprisingly, he didn't. Most presumed it was because General Cross was there, between Komui and the friends. A few assumed Komui might be completely serious over the matter of General Cross returning, for no one expected it, nor had many expected him to be alive. Most don't know about Allen either, not being the topic of every conversation. People come in and out science divisions and the organization's branches, therefore, the cluelessness of him having a boy under his wing. Albeit, no one likes to talk about the General all too much, seeing it causes worries and the worries become extra burdens. In other words, the scientists and Exorcists were all in awe of them at this moment.
Suspicious and worried, too.
"I think it's because Allen and Lenalee have always been close," Reever explained. "When Allen returned with General Cross, often those two would be inseparable. Because they never stay for long when they come home, so Lenalee worries about those two most of all, what with them not checking in daily like everyone else."
"It's not like it stops Komui from trying to murder you if you so much as look at Lenalee wrong or simply touch her hand," Lavi deadpanned.
"There might be a small difference, though, with Allen and Lenalee's relationship," Johnny spoked up, smiling weirdly. "Allen arrived not long after I transferred here from the American Branch. I think the situation in which Allen arrived may be the cause of Komui's subtlety on this subject."
"I think I get what you're saying," Tapp muttered.
"I don't," Lavi pouted, staring at Krory and Miranda. "Do you? You two have been awfully quiet."
"I met Allen once before, but I don't know anything about him, Lavi," Krory said.
"I just joined..."
Lavi groaned. "I'm so out of the loop here."
"Tell me, then," Komui began, regaining everyone's attention, "why did you not return when I requested you do so four months ago?"
The answer to that question was quite simple, and Allen thought it was unnecessary. Yet the uncertainty and faintest hint of naïvety held strong in those dark eyes of the Supervisor as his gaze shifted from Cross to Allen repeatedly. Seriousness leaked off Komui. Was Allen missing something?
"It's Allen's fault," Cross claimed, puffing out wisps of cloudy smoke in the air.
Said person turned to him, gawking. "Where the hell do you get it's my fault!?" Allen demanded uproariously. "Can you be any more immature? Take responsibility for once you-"
"You didn't pay the debts fast enough." How could he be so tranquil and blunt, as well as heartless and guiltless - demonic - when he puts the 'obvious' blame on Allen? The devil!
"Who do you think earned those debts?"
"So what if I did?"
"You should pay them yourself!"
"Idiot apprentice, then I would dirty my clothes and surround myself with ugly things. Isn't it torture enough I have something like you in my life almost 24/7? If anything I deserve the pity."
"I wasn't asking for pity!"
Lenalee giggled, redirecting the quickly infuriating-striking gazes to her, in the nick of time, because Allen looked ready to burst or strangle Cross. Allen already formed several calculations over Cross's death and where he would stash the body or something like that. In the end, nobody would suspect the boy.
"So... you're late because of the debts?" Komui almost laughed; his amusement noticeable.
"That's not funny, Komui!" Allen bewailed pitifully.
"I daresay, it is. It definitely is. Though I suppose I should apologize for thinking it so." Komui half-heartedly shrugged, skimming through the large report given to him. "Never mind that. Why are you in tatters, Allen?"
The white-haired boy examined himself. Fresh cuts, torn clothing, bruises he felt more than saw, and bloody, Allen certainly was a mess. While Cross was perfectly perfect.
"I didn't realize how much of a mess I was," he remarked stupidly. "Well, there was a fight." Komui suddenly perked up at that. "Akuma have attacked us a lot lately, coming in massive hordes. I'd say there were targeting something specific, but... it's been like this for awhile lately."
Komui stared at Cross. The General must be the objective of the Akuma. Using the Akuma, the Millenium Earl could eventually and swiftly locate him. Komui had no doubt Cross could very well handle himself against thousands of Akuma, but with a Noah there as well... The Akuma could easily sneak up on Cross and infect him with their poison, and being an equip-type Exorcist, he'd die, or the situation would be vice versa with the Noah and Akuma roles. But Allen... Where does he, will he, stand in that mist? How much could he endure?
"Then I reckon you two never ran into anyone particularly conspicuous or reasonably dangerous other than the Akuma?" Komui inquired.
"Huh? What are you talking about?" Allen furrowed his brows, tipping his head to the side like a confused child.
General Cross sighed. Unlike the brat, he understood exactly what Komui was speaking of. The Clan of Noah, the underlings, the Earl's minions. Each possessing their own special ability. Who they are, where they are, and what all they can do, is unknown, making them stronger than they already were, including the advantage they get from this.
"The Clan of Noah," Cross voiced Komui's thought.
"Precisely. How do you know, General?"
A long, drawn-out sighed escaped the General as he finished his cigarette. "I'm a very knowledgeable person... Aside from that, two Noah were tracking my idiot apprentice and myself for a long time now. Don't worry, I led them astray."
There seemed to be an eerie silence lingering in the air and Allen glance back and forth between Komui and Cross as they shared a mutual understanding through their minds somehow. Feeling out of the loop, Allen wanted to ask a few questions, but General Cross looked at him with a look that demanded his silence and left Allen to study on the news. He drew a blank. Completely.
-oOo-
Can you hear the lullaby of truth unknown?
-oOo-
Harmony of a piano and a soft beautiful, angelic yet demonic voice, reiterated inside his head, slowly getting louder-louder-louder.
Louder-louder-louder.
Allen splashed water on his face, trepidation evident on his pale, sweat-mixed-with-watery face. Breathing unevenly from rapidly growing panic and torturing cephalalgia, ripples gradually became small tides in the water basin (he hovered over) beneath his lips. His left hand lay flat against the mirror above him, his right gripping the sink like iron enclosing a leaf. Any more power and he might break it. Luckily it didn't crack. Instead, it was scratched by his dull nails, as a way to vanquish some pain, but it was useless.
The music kept playing. The voice continued singing. He could hear it, yet he couldn't decipher the words.
The ringing came from everywhere - inside and outside his head, somewhere else unknown. More reluctant than desired, Allen lifted his head to stare at his abhorrent reflection.
-oOo-
Only yourself...
-oOo-
His somewhat longish white hair that sunk to just above his jawbone, curled at the edges, thoroughly ruffled and knotty, still tousled, as he had clambered out of bed for refreshing after having, once again, a nightmare that disconcerted him straight to his kernel. Just like the image in front of him.
Golden.
Flamboyant golden irises.
They stared back at him in place of his supposed-to-be-reflected feathery gray orbs. His panting ceased, no, his breathing altogether, stopped like his terrified heart. Trembling, Allen backed away from the mirror as Komui's news from earlier echoed on fire in his tormented mind:
"The Clan of Noah are the Millenium Earl's subordinates and our enemy. Their appearance are far competently distinguished: Ashen skin, seven stigmatas across their foreheads, and pure amber eyes."
His revulsion never helped - those bright golden/amber eyes continued staring back at him, taunting, degrading, petrifying. Allen bit his lip in order to force down his scream of horror, hoping it merely be his paranoid imagination.
-oOo-
Can see your true reflection.
-oOo-
Cross pursed his lips together, silently stalking in the lavatory. Too caught up in his disbelief and fear, Allen hadn't noticed until he backed up into Cross. Shakily, he blinked the tears of fear and distraught away, looking up at Cross.
"Mas-Master?" he croaked, gulping a lump in his throat.
"Another nightmare, Allen?" Cross susurrated.
He solemnly nodded, immediately overwhelmed by dizziness. The world spun, the earth quaked, and the pain worsened tenfold. Cross easily caught Allen as darkness rushed to his vision, and consciousness slipped away. The night must have worn him thin.
"A little more time. Give him a little more time."
-oOo-
Inside the mist of misfortune alas.
-oOo-
