Another simple disclaimer.

Chapter two

Hit and run

As soon as the boy finished his performance, Lavi decided to meet him. As the next performance was about to start, Lavi stood up and left for the backstage. He doesn't need to continue observing the circus performance anymore, he had found their target in this mission anyway. Besides, something about the boy made Lavi kind of curious about him.

'Allen Walker…'

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Allen gave a bow as he left the platform. He was relief that his show went well, ignoring the fact that he was late of course. As Allen walked towards the back stage, he can't help but look around. 'Where was Mana?' The man wasn't anywhere near the stage. 'Mana didn't see my performance, then?' Allen was a bit sad by that thought. He was hoping Mana could watch him perform his first solo act. He wanted Mana to be proud of him.

Allen sighed as he reached the backstage where all the other performers were either watching the performance, preparing for their turn or just taking a break.

"Why the long face?" an ecstatic voice called out as Allen felt a smack from his back almost making his hat fall but Allen managed to hold the hat in place.

"Ree…" Allen said as he looked at boy who was always bugging him.

"Your performance went perfectly!" Lee came up to Allen with a grin, "Don't' worry about it!"

Allen let out another short sigh as the other two look at him confusingly.

"Where's Mana?" Allen simply replied.

The twins now knew why Allen was so crest-fallen. It wasn't about the performance, it was about the one that was suppose to watch the performance! Only one man can make this brunette brighten up as the shining sun or gloomy as death itself.

"Now that you mention it, I did called Mana that you were performing but I was too engrossed in watching you perform that I didn't realize that the he wasn't here," Lee told the other two as he put on a thoughtful look.

This statement seemed to make Allen more depressed and Ree gave his brother a sharp look. Allen was by now thinking in the lines of: Mana must have thought my performance sucks and couldn't bear to see such thing and left.

"Uh, Don't worry about it Allen!" Ree tried to cover up his brother's mistake, "Maybe Mana is just busy handling some kids that got lost or something." Allen looked at Ree with a sad expression making the twins want to wipe the frown off. 'Clowns shouldn't be frowning, damn it!' both boys thought.

Ree and Lee were about to say something more comforting when they heard someone yelling. The three of them, curious to who it was since the voice wasn't familiar at all turned their attention towards a red-haired adolescent wearing a black jacket, white trousers and orange scarf around his neck waving towards them. He didn't come from the back door, he must have walked beside the platform and jumped across the gate that separated the seats and backstage to be there.

As he came closer, they noticed that he was wearing an eye patch and only one green eye could be seen. The spectator –Allen, Ree and Lee assumed – was wearing a big grin on his face as he stopped in front of Allen.

"Wow. That was a heck of a performance!" the man commented towards Allen making the younger boy a bit flushed. "It was so entrancing and beautiful! That was the most enjoyable performance I ever had, Allen! Do, you mind if I call you that?" Allen just nodded. Lavi actually meant all those words even though it was part of the tactic to get closer to the boy.

"Uh… Thanks." Allen said feeling his cheeks getting warm. 'That's strange…' Allen thought to himself, the only time he feels all warm inside is when he was with Mana. Moreover, the red haired man actually commented on his performance and what he said was what Allen had hoped Mana would say to him.

"Hey! What about our performance?" Lee and Ree simultaneously complained a bit offended.

"huh?" Lavi turned to the twins. "Uh, yours were enjoyable too but I like his better." Lavi gestured towards Allen which made him blushed even more.

"Aww! No fair Allen!!" Ree playfully punched Allen's shoulder as he walked away and he was alter followed by Lee.

Allen just stared at the twins as they left him. 'What did they do THAT?!' Allen's mind screamed. They just left him alone with a stranger!! Allen looked towards the said stranger and gave him a warm smile. Mana once told me to always be nice to others when socializing.

"Don't be offended by their attitudes. They are always like that." Allen began.

"No worries. I've met someone whose way more rude!" the red haired stranger replied with a cheeky grin. Time to initiate the next tactic. "That really was incredible performance! I mean it. So, did you learn it everything by yourself?"

Allen's reaction wasn't what Lavi expected it to be. Lavi thought the boy would be happy to hear someone complimenting on his performance instead of being so, the boy looked down a small frown flickered across his features before looking back up at Lavi with a sad smile.

"My father was the one who taught me…" the boy began.

'Uh oh. Did I touch a sensitive subject? Don't tell me his father is no longer here!' Lavi tried to think of something comforting to say so that the boy won't be so down when he introduce him to Kanda.

"...but," Allen let out a sigh, "He didn't seem to be watching my performance just now. It was my first solo one too."

'Oh, so that was the reason.' Lavi mentally sighed in relief.

"Hey, Allen. Mind if I meet your dad? That is if he's here right now..." Lavi asked. It was better to meet with his father and explain to him that they are going to take his son away. It was much better than just kidnapping the boy and bringing him to the Order without any family member knowing about it. "So, how about it?"

The boy was surprised by the request but he accepted it. "Sure! I'm sure Mana would love to see you." Behind that sentence, Allen himself actually wanted to see Mana and ask him why he wasn't there to see his performance.

"I'll bring you there," Allen said as he began to walk forward so Lavi would follow him which he did. "Oh, I didn't believe I caught your name."

The red-haired exorcist just smiled. "It's Lavi."

"...just Lavi?"

"Lavi Junior Bookman actually but that's a title so I don't think it's considered a name."

"Ah." Allen nodded in false understanding. He didn't get this guy.

As Allen brought Lavi to the rooms where the performers usually slept, he checked Mana's room but he wasn't there. Thinking that Mana must still be outside, Allen headed to the place where the back stage door was located.

"Hey, aren't you feeling hot wearing such clothes?" Lavi asked out of the blue. "I mean, at least take the hat off."

Allen didn't stop walking and neither did Lavi. "uh, I can't." Allen lied. "We are not supposed to remove out costumes when the whole show haven't finished yet."

Lavi just nodded and Allen saw the corner turn where there would be a small room leading to the back door. Allen was a bit surprised himself, he didn't actually get lost this time. Not that he wanted to get lost considering a spectator was with him this time.

"Are you almost there?"

Allen nodded in confirmation as he pointed towards the corner, "Just a room to go."

When Allen turned around to say that to Lavi, he noticed the cross symbol on Lavi's jacket crest. Allen didn't have time to think about it as he heard voices coming from the room as he approached it.

'That's strange. Is Mana taking to someone? But all the troops are near the platform.' Allen thought to himself as he quickened his pace, his heart was suddenly unsettled. It was as if something was wrong and at that same time, the voices that he heard stopped. That made him even more uncomfortable.

"Allen, wait up!" a voice behind him pulled Allen out of his thoughts.

Allen turned around to see Lavi jogged lightly towards him. Allen didn't realize that he had broken to a run some time during the process.

"Man, why did you suddenly take off like that?" Lavi said as he neared Allen.

They were now in front of the door of the last room.

"Ah sorry…" Allen apologized as he opened the door of the room.

"So th-" Lavi stopped in his sentence as he looked at the scene in front of him. That was it. Kanda was definitely looking for trouble. 'Can't the guy just not act so harshly for once?' Lavi thought to himself.

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Allen was frozen in shock. There, in front of his very own eyes, a navy haired man with long hair that was tied into a high pony tail was holding a dark sword threateningly against Mana's throat. Mana's throat!! Allen broke into a panic state as he ran towards the two people. Allen yelled something incoherent as he tried to push Mana away from the deathly looking sharp blade. However, nothing ever goes smoothly. As Allen pushed Mana away, his movements were clumsy and his left arm got scratched by the end of the blade. Allen hissed in pain as he fell beside Mana (who had also fallen to the floor when Allen pushed him) clutching his left arm.

"Allen!" Mana screamed in concern as he held Allen's injured arm.

Allen's left arm was now visible as the fabric of his sleeve had been torn off. The red scaly arm now clearly visibly along with the green glowing light of the embedded green cross that marked his innocence.

"He's the accommodator?" Kanda questioned, not impressed at all. "You've got to be joking."

"Yuu!" That particular name made Kanda turned towards the already-supposed-to-be-dead-long-ago exorcist as Kanda pointed his Mugen towards Lavi this time. "Now, Now Yuu… You shouldn't use force on ordinary citizens…"

Allen watched with a mixture of pain, confusion and horror. Pain because his left arm was aching horribly and now his head ache was starting to kick in again. Confusion due to the fact that Lavi seemed to know the attacker of his foster father quite well and that was a definitely when Allen spotted the same cross symbol on the attacker's black coat and lastly horror as somebody actually tried to kill Mana!!!

"I was only warning him," Kanda simply replied as he deactivated his innocence and turned at the small figure all dressed up like a jester. "Che. What a weak looking kid."

"What do you want with Mana?" Allen croaked out, afraid of the answer.

The dark-haired man shot Allen a glare. "That man is of no concern to us anymore."

'Us?' Allen thought confused before registering the fact again that Lavi was his accomplice.

"Sorry, Allen for wounding your arm." Lavi sincerely apologized. "We…" a glance at Kanda made Lavi changed his words, "I don't have any intentions to hurt your father… We just want to talk…"

Mana immediately stood up, much to Allen's surprise.

"Mana??"

"He's not coming with you." Mana stated with a strict voice. "Allen is not coming to the Black Order."

Allen was thoroughly confused. Lavi narrowed his eyes at the man in front of them. 'So, this man knows about the Order? Does that mean he knows about exorcists, innocences, akumas and the Earl too? No wonder Kanda attacked him with Mugen…'

Kanda just che-d again as he stepped closer towards Mana.

There was a sudden shaking of the ground as Allen tried his best to keep steady while the male he just met stood there with alerted looks as if they know what was coming. Allen looked at Mana's face and he had the same expression as the others.

'What's going on here?' Allen inwardly thought. Everything just seemed wrong.

The earth quake ceased. Cries and screams can be heard coming from the stage and as Allen turned to look at that direction, three weird looking creatures came crashing in the door. Allen's eyes widened.

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"Akuma." Lavi stated as he activated his innocence. It was no surprise at all.

Kanda too activated his innocence as he thrust towards the two level twos and one level one. Lavi extended his hammer, destroying the tent's fabric above them as the hammer's head came crashing down to one of the level twos.

"First illusion: Hell insects."

Dozens of white creature-like ghosts appeared and thrust forward towards the two akumas. Liberating one of them while the other akuma was only slightly injured.

"Exorcists…" the last standing akuma muttered as it opened its hands and threads of webs came out of it, tying both Kanda and Lavi together.

"Like hell I'm getting attached to this idiot." Kanda mumbled as he cut the thread off his body with Mugen in a second.

The akuma hissed in annoyance as thousands of small spiders came out from its hand. The spiders crawled all over the two exorcists. Lavi smashed the spiders that were in front of him but there were too many of them. Kanda let out a grunt of annoyance as he released more of the ghost insect like creatures this time. Nontheless, more spiders still came out.

"It's the hands! Cut the akuma's hands off!!" Lavi yelled towards Kanda over the screaming of the people that rushed away from the place as Lavi can see level ones floating high above them.

Lavi stood on the head of his hammer as he extended the stick higher before grabbing the handle of the hammer and destroying the level ones in the air. Meanwhile Kanda proceeded in killing the level two. Moving as swiftly as ever, Kanda used the hell insects to clear his pathway towards the level two and then dashed forward, slicing the level two's hands before it can release more of those eight-legged creatures. The level two was very much shocked, and then Kanda turned around making another swift movement with Mugen as the level two was easily sliced into half just like cutting a fruit.

An explosion occurred and Kanda looked up towards the sky where Lavi was finishing off the level ones. Deciding to let the rabbit handle the rest, Kanda deactivated his innocence and realized something. No, it wasn't the fact that his exorcist coat was mildly torn and that the spiders that was released had eaten his hair tie and now letting his hair fall loose. Nope, Kanda realized those facts instantly when it happened.

Kanda just glared at the empty floor where the moyashi and his foster father had been. This day was not boding well for Kanda… His mission seems to be a failure this time and Kanda can't accept such failures especially coming from himself.

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Splashing of waters can be heard as Mana and Allen continued running. Mana was in front, dragging Allen along by his right arm since Mana can't exactly pull Allen's left injured arm. Allen can hear explosions coming from behind them, back at the circus. Allen was about to turn and have a look but Mana seemed to sense that Allen was going to do so.

"Don't turn around Allen." Mana commanded and Allen looked at man as his tired legs continued running, trying to keep pace with Mana.

"Mana! What about the others? Lee and Ree?" Allen asked back as he fought back the tears that were threatening to flow out. He was a clown and clowns aren't supposed to be sad. "Those monsters! The troop might be in danger!"

"Just keep on walking forward." Was Mana's only reply.

Allen didn't understand this at all. Why was Mana in a hurry? What's going on here? Allen thought of the events that just happened and a flash of a certain red and navy haired male picture came into mind. Who were they? Why did they want to hurt Mana? Then again the red head did say they didn't want to hurt Mana… So what did they want? Allen took another peek at Mana.

Back there, when those three monsters barged into the room, Mana had an expression that Allen had never seen before. Allen tried to stop himself from thinking too much but a last question managed to surface itself and it was the question that Allen feared most.

'Was Mana hiding something from him?' Allen tried to shake those thoughts off. 'Mana wouldn't. Mana trusted him… and he trusts Mana whole heartedly.' Allen wouldn't betray Mana and Mana wouldn't betray Allen.

A city came into view in front of them. It was an abandoned city. Allen recalled the circus troops passing the city when they were heading towards their performing location. The city was entirely deserted and no one dared to go in as a terrifying legend of the city's ghost lived on. However, Mana was heading towards that direction.

Allen was sure that they were going to hide there for a while.

'Wait… hide?' Allen's eyebrows knitted together in confusion. Why did he say hide? What were they hiding from? Those monsters or those men? A wave of pain resonated through Allen's body and his legs gave away due to the sudden pain and fatigue.

Mana turned around instantly upon feeling Allen's arm slip out of his grip. Allen was now lying on top of the sand; his jester's hat fell to side showing the bloody bandages. Mana crouched near Allen as he noticed the blood on Allen's forehead. Mana dreaded that something like this would happen at a time as urgent as this.

"Allen!" Mana called out worriedly. "Allen!"

Mana watched as Allen's grayish-blue eyes looked at him. The light was slowly fading away from them. Mana wrapped his hands around Allen's back and picked him up. He needed to bring Allen to the city immediately. Out here in the desert, Allen couldn't possibly survive when night dawned.

As Mana walked quickly, this time cradling Allen in his arms, he felt a sift tug on his collar and looked down where Allen was looking at him. His eyes were pleading something as if wanting to tell Mana something.

"Hold on Allen… We are almost there." Mana wasn't being honest. The city was far from near.

The boy's arm that had been tugging Mana's collar fell limply towards his side. Mana widened his eyes but the rising and falling of the boy's chest made Mana calmed down a bit. Allen was just unconscious.

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'I'm being carried by Mana…'

Another wave of pain resonated through his body making Allen winced. The head ache was getting stronger but Allen tried to ignore them. Allen tried to pry open his eyes again and barely managed. He forced his right arm to move and slowly he pulled Mana's collar. Mana had left the parrot suit when they went out. It was a relief that Mana wore his usual clothes under the parrot suit.

Mana seemed to notice this and he glanced down at Allen. Concern was written all over his features. Allen stared into Mana's eyes. He wanted to ask Mana but his tongue was seemed to be frozen and his lips were sealed shut. Then another over whelming pain and fatigue struck his brain. His eyelids were closing and slowly his control over his right arm was gone leaving it hanging downwards.

'Mana… Tell me that everything is going to be fine…'

'Tell me that I can still trust you…'

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Azure: *speechless* I… I can't believe this.

Zuenira: *mouth hanging wide open*

Azure: I actually finished typing a chapter which I have no idea what to write at all…

Zuenira: *still gaping*

Azure: I think I'm dreaming… My hands just moved of its own accord earlier… I better go to sleep…

Eh- before that, I was quite surprised that most of you thought Kanda was going to kill Mana earlier on… I mean, I'm making this story where Mana is still alive; to kill him at the first chapter is just pointless… I might kill him but not in the very beginning. That would just make Allen sad all over again. Kanda was just greatly annoyed back then, that's why he's acting harshly towards Mana… enough to think to kill him.

Ah, the city they are heading to, any ideas where it is? It's quite obvious I think.

Reviews are very much appreciated.