A/N: Well here is the third chapter. Sorry it took a bit longer than the other chapter for me to upload, I was having a bit of trouble with it. But anyways, I hope ya like it. :)
Tim's projection faded briefly after the inn Cross and Allen had been staying at came into view, and when the holographic projection's picture returned it showed Allen, who was still unconscious, laying on the dark wood floor of a desolate room.
His skin was a shade whiter than the last time any of the other exorcist or finders that were watching had seen him just minutes ago, and some worried about the younger version of their comrade, despite the fact he was currently sitting with them in the dining hall, watching the projection of his memories along with them.
They all watched in silence as Timcanpy drifted over to the unconscious boy and landed on his head, which was bandaged. At least the young boy, Seth, and his father were kind enough to do that.
Slowly Timcany pressed a small, stubby yellow hand against Allen's forehead with enough force a "wack", sound reverberated in the small room. When the young boy didn't move, or even twitch at the slight sting of pain that he should have felt, Tim did it again. And again. And again.
Finally after smacking Allen numerous times against the forehead, each time with more force, Tim unfurled his wings and smacked his soft but heavy feathered appendage against the boy's face before leaning down to bite his nose.
That seemed to do the trick.
Allen's body jerked and a cry of pain that almost sounded like a squeal left him as he sat up quickly with enough force to send the golem flying into the wall across from him. He blinked his eyes multiple times and slowly lifted his right hand to his head. His fingers slowly moved against the bandage on his head, and his eyes furrowed in confusion.
"Wha-" His words were cut off as he noticed his golden companion laying on the floor. "Oh! Sorry Tim." He said as he moved onto his knees and tried to stand up so he could walk over to Timcanpy. As soon as he was on his feet though he fell, and a small cry of surprise left him.
He sat there for a minute on the cold ground before he slowly began crawling over to Tim. Once he reached the golem he pulled him into his hands and cupped him in the palms of his hands before he slowly looked around the room.
"Where are we? Why are we here?" He muttered as his eyebrows once again furrowed in confusion as he tried to remember the night before.
Tim slipped into his one palm as Allen moved his right hand to his head and touched the bandages there once again. "Ow.." He uttered and winced slightly before he closed his eyes. Slowly his memories of the night before came rushing back to him and he sighed. "So I guess it was them that hit me with whatever that was." He muttered and rubbed his forehead gently.
"Well I would try to get out of here but I can't seem to stand... Damnit, I know Master won't come for me so I'm stuck here." He whined.
As Allen whined and held Tim close he failed to notice the door of the room opening and the young boy stepping in. His eyes no longer held anger like before, but instead a bit of curiosity as he stared over at the white haired boy.
Slowly he closed the door, and Allen jumped and looked behind him.
"Oh.. It's you." Allen said and sighed. He was actually relieved it was Seth instead of his father. His father scared Allen quite a bit, and that was saying something since Allen had dealt with many, many man before because of Cross's debts.
"Yeah.. I see you are finally awake." Seth said as he walked over to Allen.
Allen slightly nodded as he watched Seth warily, wondering what the boy was in here for.
"So I guess you guys did this because you think my Master will gather up the money he owes you so he can get me back, right?"
Seth nodded as he sat down in front of Allen. With how close he was Tim became protective of Allen and the golem barred his teeth at the boy because he had harmed Allen. Seth slightly flinched, recalling the feeling of the golem's sharp teeth sinking into his flesh.
"Right." He said a bit absentmindedly as he watched Timcanpy warily, waiting for the moment the golden ball would lung at him. He would be ready this time to throw him away from him though. "What is that thing?" He added. He had only seen one thing like it before, but still it wasn't gold like this thing was, the man from the dark order had a black one that looked almost similar to a bat. This one resembled a bird more.
"Oh, him?" Allen asked and glanced down at Timcanpy. When he looked back up at Seth he saw him nod. "Tim is my Master's golem." Allen said.
Seth looked confused for a minute before he nodded and reached out to touch the bandages on Allen's head. Allen jerked away from his touch, and instantly Tim flew up into the boy's face, making him scoot backwards.
"Jeeze, I was just going to redo your bandages." He said with an irritated tone as he narrowed his eyes at Allen.
"Oh.." Allen uttered. Slowly his face went from a slightly embarrassed expression to one of anger. "Well you and your father attacked me, twice! Why wouldn't I react like that when you try to touch me?" He growled.
Seth shrugged his shoulders. "I guess you would react badly if I went to touch you, but still." He let his voice trail off and then sighed. His eyes slowly moved to the golem in front of him who's teeth were still barred. "Can you make that thing go away or something?"
"Yeah, of course. But he isn't a thing, his name is Tim ya know." Allen muttered before he leaned forward and grabbed his golden companion and placed him on his lap.
"Whatever." Seth mumbled as he crawled over to Allen and began working on redoing his bandages.
As Seth began wrapping gauze around his head Allen closed his eyes and a small groan came from him. His head was beginning to throb and his body began to feel weak.
"Are you okay?" Seth inquired when he noticed the pained expression on Allen's face. He glanced down at the boy as he gently wrapped the gauze around Allen's head.
"Y-yeah.. I just.. Am starting to get a headache and my body feels weak." Allen replied softly.
"Well.. My father did hit you pretty hard in the head with that bottle." The young boy muttered and Allen sighed.
"I'm telling you right now, kidnapping me isn't going to help you at all. He's not going to come for me." Allen said as he opened his eyes to look at Seth.
"How do you know that?" Seth asked as he finished bandaging Allen's head. Slowly he sat back and sighed as he looked at the boy.
"Because he isn't going to go out of his way to get me." Allen relies. A sigh leaves him as he pulls his knees to his chest and lays his head between them.
"Are you sure he won't come?"
Allen looks up the other boy and nods. "Yeah, I am sure." He answers before another sigh leaves him.
Seth echos Allen sigh a runs one of his pale hands through his hair. "Well my father probably won't let you go until Cross's pays what he owes him. So you may be here for a while then."
A small whine comes from Allen and he closes his eyes tight. "Damn! Stupid Master and his stupid spending habits!" Allen growled as he balled his hands into fist in his hair.
Seth watches Allen with his eyebrows raised. He didn't think the boy would sit here and whine about it, he actually expected him to run, possibly even hurt him. But the boy did say his body felt weak so he probably couldn't even if he wanted to.
"So what is your name?" Seth asked, his question interrupting the boy's rant which had several exorcist and finders laughing. Allen looked over at him as he shut his mouth. He just stared at him for a minute before shaking his head slightly, clearing the slight daze he had been in. "Oh, my name's Allen."
"Allen? Huh, that's a nice name." Seth said and slightly smiled.
Allen was surprised to see the boy smiling, but he was glad the other boy was being kind to him. Slowly he let the corners of his mouth tilt up into a smile.
Suddenly the door to the room was flung open, and both boys - along with a good amount of people in the dining hall - jumped.
"Seth, what are you doing? I told you to come get me after taking care of his bandages." His father said, anger filling his voice.
"Sorry, I got caught up talking with him." Seth said as he stood up and slowly walked over to his father.
"You don't need to be talking to the brat. Go." His father said sternly, and Seth simply nods and does what he is told, leaving Allen alone in the room with his father.
To say Allen was uncomfortable was an understatement.
His body tensed as he watched the man warily as he walked over to him. He knew the man wouldn't hesitate to hurt him if he wanted to since he had resorted to smashing a bottle over Allen's head to knock him out.
A small yelp of surprise was emitted from Allen as the man bent down and grabbed his chin, pulling his face closer to Allen's. The man's eyes were trained on his and Allen gulped loudly.
"Um.. I don't think my Master will be coming." He said before Seth's father could say anything.
The blue eyes that are staring him down narrow and Allen feels the grip on his chin tightening."You better hope he comes or else you will be meeting the bottom of the ocean floor, boy." The man says coldly. Allen's eyes widen at the man's words. "K-killing me isn't going to do anything good!" The man chuckles and Allen shudders at the sound of it.
"Yes it will. It will at least sate my anger."
"But then you will be a murderer? What example is that setting for your son." Allen said. When Seth's father's grip tightens even more on his chin he quickly adds a , "Sir."
"You aren't in any place to ask me that." The man says and Allen sighs. Was he really going to end up dead this time or would he manage to find some way to escape?
As Allen's thoughts wandered everyone watched as the man looked at the side of his face. He lifted a hand and touched the star above Allen's eyebrow, causing the boy to jump.
"Where did you get this from kiddo?" He said and smirks slightly as he moves a single finger down the scar. Allen struggles, trying to pull his face away so the man wouldn't be able to touch the scar, but his attempts were futile. Frustration washed over him and he ground his teeth together.
"Stop touching it!" He screamed, his eyes blazing with anger as he glares up at the man.
Seth's father seems shocked for a moment, the expression on his face mirrored some of the one wore by a few finders his surprised expression turns into one of anger and some of Allen's friends wince as the older male pulls back his hand and backhands Allen.
"You shouldn't yell at me. It won't doing anything but get you hurt." He said as he let's go of Allen's chin with enough force to make him fall back. They all see a grimace work it's way onto Allen's face after his head hit the floor, but slowly the expression falls off his face and his eye's look hazy. Slowly his eyes close and everyone knows the force of the blow must have made him pass out.
The man must have noticed too because he shakes his head before storming out of the room and slamming the door shut behind him.
xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx xXx
A few days have passed and Cross still hadn't come. With each day that passed seth's father became angrier and angrier and the man always took it out on Allen, either by yelling at him or actually physically hurting him at times.
Bruises were scattered along his frame but Allen didn't seem to care. Some of the exorcist had been confused on why acted like he was use to the rough treatment, but one of the night's Allen held Tim close and talked to him explained why he acted that way.
He had been laying on the floor on his side and Timcanpy was laying under his chin, nuzzling into the warmth of his neck where a few bruises were.
Allen seemed to notice the concern the golem felt for him and had sighed out. "It's okay Tim, (1)Cosimo use to hurt me sometimes when I worked at the circus before I met Mana.." He said softly and everyone watching who knew of Allen's past tensed slightly, expecting the young version of their comrade to become upset.
The look on his face showed them he was upset, but he didn't cry, didn't shed even one tear..
Many days had passed since that night and Allen (along with everyone who watching) was beginning to wonder if Cross left without him. Some hoped he would come back, but it was really starting to seem like he wasn't.
It was a quiet morning and Allen was sitting against the wall with Tim in his lap. He was playing with the golem by grabbing his cheeks and pulling them apart slowly over and over again. Tim seemed agitated by what he was doing, but he didn't try to get away. Maybe because he knew Allen was needing a bit of comfort.
Allen knew Seth's father was angry already because of the shouting he heard, and soon he could hear the man stomping down to the room he was in. When the man entered he looked angrier than ever before, and that surprised Allen.
Before Allen could say anything or even move the man was in front of him and his hands were wrapped around his throat.
Allen's eyes widened and instantly his hands went to the ones around his throat, and he tried to pull them off. "That damn Cross, why hasn't he come!" The man screams, and tightens his grip around Allen's throat, causing the boy to cough and wince.
"I-I told you he wouldn't come" Allen says as he looks up at him.
Obviously that was the wrong thing to say because a second later the man was squeezing his throat even more. He couldn't breath, and he desperately claws at the hands around his throat. His vision wavers, then becomes blurry as he fights to keep consciousness.
Just as he was sure he was going to pass out there was an explosion.
Dust filled the air and Lenalee and Lavi were on the edge of theirs seats, along with many others, as they waited for the dust to clear so they could see what happened.
When the dust disappeared everyone could see Allen sitting back against a large piece of wood. There were numerous little cuts on his face and there was a gash on his forehead. The bandages that were once wrapped around his forehead were torn and hanging over his ears and the fabric crossed over his face, one part of it covering his eye and the rest some parts of his face.
Tim rushes over to the battered and injured boy and nudges his cheek, earning a groan out of the boy. Slowly Allen opens his eyes and looks at Tim. "Are you okay Tim?" He asks softly before he lifts his hand to pull the bandages off of his face. Tim quickly nods and nudges Allen again, trying to tell Allen he needs to get up.
"Yeah, yeah. I know, I need to get up." Allen says and smiles slightly. Slowly he begins to try an pull himself up to his feet, and after a good while he manages to do so. As he rubs away some of the blood trailing down from the gash on his head he looks around, searching for Seth or his father even.
He spots the young boy laying on the ground a few feet away laying on the ground. It doesn't look like he was injured to badly but Allen still is worried about him and runs over to him as fast as he could. As he reaches the boy's side Seth sits up and rubs at his head.
"Wh-what happened?"
"I don't know." Allen says as he kneels down beside Seth. "But you need to get up, come on."
Allen pulls the boy's arm over his shoulder and helps him stand up. Once Seth is on his feet and pulls away from him and watches the boy, trying to debate whether he was strong enough to stand on his own or not.
As he watches him Seth's eyes slowly move around the ruins of his home, and his eyes widen when he sees his father. He is laying beneath a few large, heavy stones and Seth quickly runs over to him to help him get up.
When they reach Seth's father Allen notices the long gash across his face and begins to wonder if he is okay. The man was never nice to him but he sure didn't want him to die.
Slowly the two lift the rocks off of Seth's father and then they are at his side. At first they thought he was knocked unconscious but after shaking him for a while he opens his eyes and looks up at them.
Relief washes over both of them, Seth more so than Allen.
"Are you okay father?" He asks as he watches his father carefully.
"Yes.. I'm fine Seth. Now help me up." He says softly.
The two of them manage to help his father up, and as Allen is turning to look around and try and find out the cause of the explosion his eye activates. He gasps, along with Seth and his father, as his eyes normal silver orbs turn to two rings of crimson red and the white of his eyes turns black.
"A-allen, wh-"
Seth's question was cut off as the heavy body of a level one akuma hit the ground in front of them before exploding. Allen shields his face with his hands and once the dust clears he lowers his arms and looks up. Different expressions crossed the faces of Seth, Allen, and Seth's father as they saw Cross standing upon a large piece of rock. His innocence is drawn but as he notices Allen he puts it away.
"You idiot, you are too stupid to even escape from those two idiots." Cross says as he shakes his head. Allen growls and he glares at his master as Tim flies over to the red head and lands on his head.
"As punishment I want you to take out the rest of the akuma."
Slowly Allen looks up and he sees numerous akuma in the sky with their weapons all pointed at him and Cross. He had never taken on this many, and he knows that is why this is considered a punishment.
"Allen how are you possibly going to kill those monsters?"
Seth's concerned voice breaks Allen out of his thoughts and he looks back at the worried young boy. Allen smiles, and when he opens his eyes he notices that seth and his father are shocked by the smile he has on his face.
"You'll see." He says before he looks down at his left hand and slips off the glove covering it. As soon as the white fabric is off of his skin he activates his innocence, and he hears Seth gasp as his arm turns into it's large claw-like form.
He wastes no time to jump into the air and begin fighting with the akuma. He manages to destroy two and his heart feels a bit of joy as he watches the trapped souls of the akuma float to the sky before fading.
He felt comforted knowing that the souls of the pitiful akuma were released from their chains when he killed them, it kept him from going mad from the agonizing feeling he felt when he faces these creatures.
He watches as one by one their spirits are released and he saighs as he lands on the ground, and watches the last two akuma explode. Their souls float towards the sky and Allen can hear one of them thanking him.
Slowly Allen deactivates his innocence. He turns to smile at Seth but feels a pain in his back before he falls forward. When he looks behind him after lifting himself off the ground he sees his master staring at him with stern look.
"Stupid boy, you are all dirty now." He mutters before he grabs the back of Allen's shirt.
"You have been missing for a while now, You owe me quite a bit of money boy."
Allen growls and glares at Cross. "That's all you have to say right now?!" He shouts.
Cross stares at him for a moment before he lifts Allen and throws him away from him. As he looks over at the two males who took his idiot apprentice he hears Allen crash into something.
At first the father just stares at Cross with a surprised look but slowly it turns to anger and he stomps over to the red head. "Cross you owe me a lot of money still! Even more now that you destroyed my home! Now hand it over!" He yells.
Cross looks at him with a bored expression and simply turns around and begins walking away.
"If you want your money you are going to have to get it from Allen" He says.
All of the exorcists laugh as they hear Allen screaming at his Master, telling him he hates him and that he needs to pay his own debt. They know Allen was pretty much traumatized by what had happened with cross in the past, but the boy's adventures with his Master were beyond interesting.
A/N: well there it is. I'll be starting up the next chappie real soon. :)
(1) Cosimo was the clown that Allen thought killed Mana's dog, I don't know if that's the right spelling. I am going off of a scanslation.
