Chapter 4:
I have come too feel the comfort of people, but also the relief of solitude. In solitude you don't have to worry about what to say or how to say it. You can sit back with your thoughts. But solitude is a double edged sword that limits you. Your thoughts are purely yours but rough and chipped. Your stories are yours but left dull and unshared. People can release you and give you new heights, though I have found its like going from the collar to the cage. People, friends, free you only to restrict you in another way. Friendship is a word that dances with freedom but I prefer it and will fallow it which ever way it goes. Friendship contains you with loyalty.
-From the Diary of Roxanne H. Salamandra
"Where are we going Allen!"
"I think the better question would be why are we running and why do I have all your stuff... Levi!"
"I need my hands free if we run into trouble!"
"Oh and I don't!"
"No you can just use your tails."
"Levi, Roxy, both of you be quite! We need to get off this train. Be ready to fight."
The trio was running down the train aisles throwing out long trails of "sorry" and "excuse us" at the train passengers. Allen was in the lead plowing a path though the crowd. Lavi was second running with a goofy grin on his face like he was enjoying this little marathon, which made since since he didn't have any luggage to carrie. That was Roxanne's job in the back. She ran one hand holding Levi's luggage and the other trying to put on her exorcist coat. She was getting the most angry and confused looks because the luggage she was holding, with one of her tails, kept hitting people as she passed.
She finally managed to put on the coat when they stopped at the door at the back end of the train car.
"Come on Allen! Oh that jacket looks nice on you."
"Thank you Levi," Roxanne thought it looked good to and liked the way it fit. The Black order didn't have time to completely customize it but they did have time to swallow tail the back so she could freely use her tails. A little baggy but she could make it work. What was really nice was the hair clip Lenalee had lent her. She was able to pull her long blond hair back for once, or at lest most of it. Her bangs didn't reach all the way back and the clip wasn't big enough to hold all her hair so it was more like a crazy blond mop of hair, but it was nice to see wear she was going.
"It won't open!" Allen was still have trouble with the door.
"Just break it down"
"We can't do that!" Just then the door on the other end of the car exploded and two akuma walk into the train car of screaming people. After a look around they locked on to the group of exorcist yanking at the door.
"Duck!" A volley of needles would of made the group a nice set of pin cushions if Lavi hadn't pushed them down. The hedgehog akuma kept shooting at them as they hid behind some seat backs.
"I'm sick of this!" Roxanne had spilled the luggage all over and was not happy about getting shot at. She waited for the quick breaks between launches then ran to the door. Sliding the blade of her tail into the crack of the door she slid it down hard to break the lock.
"Come on boys! Try to keep up!" Roxanne slipped though the door right before a new wave of needles flew in. Allen just gave a quick smile at Lavi, who looked almost insulted.
When they made it out side they found Roxanne on the roof of the next car.
"Go though the inside ill lead one up here."
"Can you handle one on your own?"
"Yea their only level 2, I got this. Beside open space is my domain"
"But.."
"Got to go!" Levi pushed the still debating Allen though the door and fallowed behind as the akuma blasted though the the other door. They both looked up at Roxanne.
"Exorcist!" The evil hedgehog hissed at her while throwing two large needles at her. She deflected one and grabbed the other with her tails.
"That's not very nice." She turn and began to run down the roof.
"Filthy rat!" The hedgehog began to climb up the ladder till the other put out his hand.
"No I got this. Just be sure to get the job done before master gets done eating."
Roxy was standing on the far side of the roof inspecting the meddle she had caught. As expected it was tipped with the a poison.
"This will be interesting." A hissed voice can from down the roof.
"Yes well I have to meet some people soon so let's get this over with."
Roxanne turned to the Akuma she knew she could show any fear.
"Me too," the akuma stomped his foot and the roof around him turned to ice. "Your move."
Roxanne knew she had to win other wise her freedom would be taken away again. After that first day when the man In the lab coats stormed in they tried to take Roxanne away, back to that dark room, she decide she wanted to live in the real world with her freedom.
(Few days before)
"We're is she?! She is not allowed to leave her room!"
"Please calm down I'm sure we will find her." The man in the glasses chasing down the two lab coats was Komui Lee, Lenalee's brother. When they spotted Roxanne they came over to the table and grabbed her collar, dragging her from the table.
Roxanne tried to turn around and push away but in the fight she stepped wrong with her already hurt ankles. As she let out a soft cry the lab coats quickly let go of her.
"What? What did you do to her?"
The first lab coat turned to Allen and his friends with his skinny snake eyes. He looked about to pounce but Komui held him back saying stuff like a lot has happened and we all need to calm down. At the end snake eyes gave up and turned back too Roxanne.
"You, come with me. We have to get back. We have a lot of work to do and your foot will probably cause some problems."
Lenalee Didn't like the tone of voice the man used and as Roxanne got to her feet so did Lenalee.
"You can't just take her like she belongs to you!"
"Oh but I can because she belongs to central's science division and since I'm lead scientist, she belong to me."
Everyone looked towards Roxanne who stood behind the second lab coat. She stood like a collared animal fully submitted to its master. Face straight and cold, eyes glazed and unseeing. Lenalee Had seen the face before. She saw it every morning in the mirror before her brother had come to the order. Back when she to was only property.
"But if she doesn't want to go then why must she."
Lenalee Looked desperately at Komui but before he could agree or disagree the second lad coat, who's name tag read Patterson, stepped in.
"We can't say what she wants and nether can you. So until she tells us we can't do anything but what central..."
"I want to be an exorcist!" All eyes turn to Roxanne. Her eye darted between the two men that held her freedom. Both had open mouths and wide eyes, they had never seen Roxanne be so sure nor animated before.
"That's a acceptable request, right? I mean that's why I have innocence, right? That's why I'm here."
It took a while for the scientist to recover but when they did they agreed it was reasonable and they would talk to central. So for the next few days they waited and Roxanne trained. Mostly with a grumpy samurai who taught her how to fight with an edge.
(Back at the train)
When Roxanne was released she was sent with Allen and Lavi to the new headquarter but now she was on the roof of a speeding train with an evil frosty the snow man. At least he was down wind. Roxanne took a step forward when a chilled stream of air hit he back. Turning fast enough to see a deadly ice sickle racing for her back. Without even turning Roxanne brought up her silver tails, to block her back. The ice shattered on impact.
"don't think you have the advantage because you got the wind to your back." The akuma had his tongue hanging out past his chin. "I can turn water into ice, even the water in the air, the wind takes care of the rest." He held up his hand and ice formed into claws, then he paced forward towards Roxanne. "But don't think my ice will only be coming from behind you."
The akuma ran at Roxanne, ice long and cold outstretched towards her throat. Ice and metal meet infornt of Roxanne's face, close enough for the cold ice to nip at her nose. Behind she could her ice being formed in to long spears, marketing the air cold. With one tail holding back the ice claws she swished her remaining tail reading for some serious multi tasking.
Looking back at the akuma Roxanne couldn't help but be annoyed.
"I really do hate the cold." Roxanne then pushed down on the Akuma sending her up. Once in the air she twisted around to avoid the incoming ice missile. Bypassing Roxanne it ran right into Mr. Frosty himself, landing him on the roof with a thud. But the Akuma wasn't done he reached out and turned the roof to slick ice that caused Roxanne to slip and slid down the roof.
From inside the metal train car the battle above sounded more like a hail storm with giant pieces of hail, the size of bodies. Allen wondered whose body it was hitting the roof.
"Hey pay attention!" Lavi screamed at Allen before running back into battle. Levi was right this was his fight, Roxanne would be fine. Allen snapped clown clown around him at the last second as another onslaught of thorns came from the Akuma at the other end of the car. It was time to finish this.
"Lavi...!" With just a shout Lavi knew what Allen was thing and he slammed he hammer into the ground. Allen knowing what was comming hid behind the seats as fire engulfed the whole far end and the shot through the roof. Allen hoped that Roxanne was out of the way as he cut though the left over fire still settling down. He came face to face with the scorched Akuma, who screamed at Allen as he attempted to run the Akuma through. Before he could though, some thing came though hole in the roof.
"Get back Allen," Lavi gabbed the shocked exorcist by the collar and pulled him towards the middle of the car. Allen could now see what it was the landed on the Akuma. A giant icicle stuck though the floor sticking straight up, killing the Akuma. All was quite, even the hail storm out side had stilled. Then they could here foot steps walking across the roof.
"Roxy?" Levi leand on his hammer and peered up though the hole. "Were did you get the icicle?" The foot steps stopped at the edge of the hole the the owner peered over.
"How's it going, bo-y?"
Both Allen and Levi shot back away from the hole, weapons ready.
So that's it. sorry, chapters are really short and toke awhile to update and my spelling/grammar is killer. But thanks for following, favoriting, and reading. Will update as soon as I can. Please Review.
If you have a guess on who greeted Allen and Levi leave a comment.
