Haunts of the Heart
Written by xmystorytime.
Disclaimer: I don't own this show. Is that not obvious?
It was typical of Lavi to not do the job right.
"You shouldn't have let her go like that." Kanda said, not for the first time. He grit his teeth in annoyance, knowing that the woman was their only lead so far. Demons could attack at any time. We need all the information we can get.
"At least I have her number." Lavi replied, sounding exasperated. "You're the one who had her in his grip and then let go of her once he got distracted by something 'better'." He stared at Kanda, as if daring him to deny it. Kanda opened his mouth, ready to do just that... and then found that he couldn't. He shut it again, turning away from the piercing look and murmuring 'che' under his breath.
For the first time since they'd met up again, silence fell between the pair; one silently sulking at the mention of his mistake and the other annoyed because of all the arguing they'd been doing. Eventually, Lavi spoke again. "You're just mad because you had to pay."
"... Lies. Shut up." Kanda denied, forcing away the anger that rose at the way the other had left him in the café. Unable to chase Lavi, he'd been stuck trying to deal with a mad tyrant who refused to back down no matter how much he had threatened her with his sword. He'd had to pay double the bill especially for that.
There was a loud exhale and Kanda heard the soft thud of Lavi falling on his bed. He didn't turn but he could hear the red-head shift around, as if trying to get comfortable. Kanda knew how hard it was - the beds weren't exactly the nicest of the lot.
"You should go phone Komui." Lavi said, once he was finally comfortable. Kanda tensed at the thought.
"I don't want to." he said. He hated talking to that man.
"I just got comfortable, I'm not moving." Lavi replied. "Plus, I think if you go now the bar might be selling some soba..." he trailed off enticingly and Kanda's interest was peaked. It might be worth it if he was able to get some soba at the end...
Silently he stood, noting that the dent he'd made in the bed didn't fully flatten out, and grimaced at the thought of spending the night on one of those things. It was certainly not one of the better beds he'd stayed in... but maybe I should be happy that it's actually a bed. He got a half-hearted wave from his companion as he left the room.
The inn they were in was fairly large... for an inn, anyway. It was in a pretty good condition too, save for the mouldy smell that pervaded everything. Wrinkling his nose, it didn't take more than a minute before he'd walked along the two corridors and gone down the stairs, scaring a group of adults along the way (it hadn't been his fault he'd been walking through darkness, and it certainly wasn't his fault he had to carry a gleaming sword).
At the bottom he was greeted by a waitress in a skimpy dress, who gave him a frown when she saw the sword and tried to get him to remove it. Kanda ignored her like he had all the others who had tried to make him take off the sword – after all, when demons attacked (and they would eventually, especially if two exorcists were staying here) they'd want him to have the sword and save them.
He didn't need to justify himself.
Ungrateful bastards... he thought, making his way over to an out-of-the-way part of the inn. There was one small, black telephone sitting on the dusty desk and two people waiting in a queue. Frowning in annoyance, Kanda decided not to bother with the queue and merely pushed past them, ignoring their protests. He grabbed the phone off of the person who was talking.
"He'll call you back." he said before hanging up. There was some grumbling behind him as he brought out the golem and fiddled with connecting the frequencies, before calling the number he knew off by heart. As it rang he turned and saw most of the room glaring at him, but doing nothing about it. He turned back around to stare at the wall, unable to stop a sadistic smile grow on his face.
Yes, that's right, the sword on his back was not just for show.
"Hello?"
"It's Kanda." Kanda grunted, resigning himself to this duty.
"Kanda! What a pleasure it is to hear your voice! I trust you made it to Trier alright?" Kanda twitched at the overly-loud voice.
"Got here earlier this afternoon." he said. "We're in a hotel right now and plan to stay here unless something happens."
"Ah, so you wouldn't have found out anything yet. Well, I don't want to rush you but I'd appreciate it if you got to work as soon as possible." If Kanda hadn't been so annoyed that Komui thought they'd not found out anything he would've noticed the slightly slower pace and the distance in the other man's voice, as if he were distracted by something. However, because he was so annoyed... he missed it entirely.
"We know some things. We already have leads." he growled, hearing a noise on the other end. "What?"
"I never expected anything less from you, Kanda." Komui said, making Kanda freeze.
"You just said..." he hissed, getting even more angry as he heard Komui laugh on the other end.
"All in teasing, I assure you. Now, care to tell me about what you've found out?" so, ignoring the urge to hang up, he told the supervisor of what had happened. The encounter of a demon, the meeting of the woman, the note from the stupid bean sprout and the lead to the pub they now had. "Allen left you a note?"
"It helped none." Kanda assured him. "It was just a cryptic message saying 'it's hidden within sight'."
"That sounds unlike him..." Komui pondered. "If he was able to leave you a note, why not speak the obvious?"
"If we knew that, we'd be further than we are right now."
"Indeed." But this time, Kanda noticed he sounded distracted. He narrowed his eyes, wondering if something had happened. "Well! I see you two have it under control there. Don't forget to update me when you have more information."
"Yeah." and, never one for goodbyes, he just hung up on the Supervisor. Ignoring the looks he got he moved out of the way and the disgruntled person from before stepped up, shooting daggers at Kanda. Kanda didn't care to notice. He was too focused on trying to find his way to the bar, to see if they had any soba he would be able to eat.
The door to the inn opened, sending a draft of cold air swirling through the atmosphere. An elderly couple entered, dressed casually. Kanda paid them no mind, but they were going to the same place as him – the bar. He needed to get a look at that menu again.
He didn't get that far.
Along the way, he bumped shoulders with a bedraggled looking man and, for the brief instance their bodies connected, Kanda was an utter blank - rendered senseless and incapable of thought. With a muttered apology the man carried on and normality was restored. Kanda was suddenly unfrozen and he spun on the spot, tracking the man's path. That was no normal interaction - either the man was someone with Innocence or...
... or he's a demon. Why didn't he attack?
He glanced up to look at the ceiling briefly, to where his room should be, and decided that he would waste time and let the demon on to the fact he was being followed if he contacted Lavi through the golem. Lavi would just have to suffer. The thought encouraged him and so he followed the route the harried man had taken, wary for any sudden attack. As they left the warm inn and stepped out into the street, the cold and rapidly darkening street, his fingers itched for Mugen.
He managed to restrain himself. It wouldn't do to draw attention to himself and tip off the male that he was being followed. As a demon he'd recognize the coat and would transform, and then Kanda would have the additional problem of protecting the humans and fighting the demon.
At first the man didn't seem to realize he was being followed. As he made his way 'round the streets he looked just like a normal, if a little on the rough side, man and if Kanda wasn't so sure on what he'd felt he would've thought he'd been mistaken. Eventually, however, Kanda noticed he glanced back every now and then, as if searching for someone.
It made the exorcist try to keep his distance, but in the end it was for naught.
The man started to run through the streets, moving at an impossible speed, and with a curse Kanda had to hurry and catch up to him. He drew Mugen, unwilling to be caught unaware, and screams erupted from the crowd as he ran through them. The sword made people move out his way and with ease he closed in on his opponent, following him down an alleyway.
It was dark and gloomy in the alleyway, and there was a scurrying by his feet, but he breezed through it so quickly that he barely noticed. He ran out of the other side and came to a halt as he stumbled into a deserted car park.
There was no sign of the person he was following. He tensed, awaiting for that little tingle from his senses that something was going to happen, and got it when a mouse scurried past him. Before realizing what it was he had cut it in two and he blinked, surprised. The next second there was an explosion from behind and he was blown forwards, tumbling head over heels.
He was on his feet in a second and turned to where he'd come from. A group of men, looking fearful but determined, held up various items in their hands as weapons. The only one who didn't have a weapon was the one Kanda had been chasing - and this man was at the back of the group, watching silently.
The men eased in and Kanda showed them the sharp end of Mugen.
"Come closer and you'll get face-to-face with this." he threatened, making the men pause. They exchanged wary glances and Kanda was pleased they at least knew a little English. Or maybe they were just able to tell by the tone of his voice.
"Who are you, following our friend?" one asked, grip tight on a crowbar.
"Who is your friend?" he replied, staring at the man in question. There was a silence and then the man grinned wickedly, and suddenly Kanda knew that he was a demon. "Move!" he shouted, moving forwards the same time it transformed. One of the humans got in his way and with a curse the exorcist had to throw himself to the side in order to avoid slicing through him.
There were exclamations in German and then everyone seemed to flee, leaving Kanda alone. It was the perfect situation.
He rushed forwards, aiming to slice through the demon, and just managed to skim the side. He landed on the floor and fought away the surprise of missing, instead turning and trying again. Each time he tried to hit the demon he found he was always just that little bit off; he was only just managing to cut through the sides.
He wasn't sure why - the demon was fast, but Kanda knew he was faster. Unless it was the demon's power... he snarled, refusing to back down. He'd just keep chipping away at the sides until there was nothing left.
Several strikes later and he was getting increasingly frustrated. He raised his sword high up in the air and was about to push off into a high jump when a sharp pain to his head made him stumble forwards instead. His vision blurred and he fell to his knees, blinking blearily. A warm, sickly feeling suddenly tingled at the back of his neck and a hand went up.
He felt liquid and, hand stilling, he lifted his head to see the demon he'd fought had changed back into a human. Next to him stood all but one of his friends and Kanda coughed.
"Bastards..." he spat, realizing the entire thing had been a scam. He'd fallen straight for it, believing only one of them to be a demon. They all had to be, which he knew would be a problem for himself and Lavi. He'd have to tell the red-head when he woke up.
But first, he had the strong urge to go to sleep... and he couldn't really ignore it. His vision went completely as he gave into unconsciousness.
--
He supposed he shouldn't be surprised when he woke up in the same place.
The car park was still deserted and he was alone, half-covering a faded white line. With a wince he pushed himself to his feet, wobbling as the world started to spin. His head pounded fiercely, like there was something hammering inside his skull, and as he shook himself he found his uniform stuck to the back of his neck. His hair, too, was matted and stuck together.
It was a familiar feeling, and he knew it was only due to the dried blood. He grimaced at the thought of having to wash the uniform within the first day of being in Trier.
... or not, he realized, gazing up at the sky. The approaching light meant it was nearly dawn, and that he'd been out for most of the night. The first ray of sunshine showed the end of Mugen and he hurriedly picked it up and slung it over his shoulder. He didn't feel right without it.
The honk of a car on a nearby street made him twitch. Lavi's going to be pissed, he thought with mirth. He wondered what the male was thinking when he didn't return... he'd soon find out, he supposed. Ignoring the headache with practice he made his way out onto the street, spending several minutes trying to spot the exit of the car park.
It was hidden between a bush and before he knew it he was back in the town. However, unlike the previous evening, this time the streets were nearly deserted. Unsurprisingly.
It was probably a good thing that everyone was in bed asleep because he had a feeling that he didn't look very good at all. He felt the back of his head and winced when he found the sore and tender wound. It had closed, scabbed over, but the pain still lingered. If he encountered anyone, he couldn't be held responsible for anything that might happen should they piss him off.
Right now, he didn't have quite the same restraints as he normally would have.
Amazingly, considering he didn't know the town very well and his vision was slightly blurry, he found himself stumbling in front of the inn they'd decided to stay in. Seeing the bright light through the window he winced, but entered all the same. Compared to outside, it was like the sun itself was in the room and he blinked rapidly.
"Herr Kanda!"
Hearing his name, he spotted two waitresses looking at him. One of them skirted around the counter at the bar and made their way over to him, looking concerned. Indistinguishable german was sprouted to him and then the woman took him arm. Tensing, Kanda pulled his arm out of the other's grip.
"Leave me alone." he snarled, just wanting to return to his room. However, although scared the attendant didn't let go, instead taking grip of his elbow and dragging him behind the counter and through the door at the end, into the 'staff only' area. As they passed the girl still at the bar Kanda saw her reach for the black golem and frowned.
Why does she have a golem...?
"You don't look so good." a sweet voice said, drawing his attention to the room he was now in. Sometime between thinking and looking he had been taken to what was obviously a medical room, and he was pushed down into a comfy chair near the door.
A blonde woman in a dressing gown got up off of the opposite chair, putting down the magazine she was reading. "What happened?"
"It's nothing." Kanda said dismissively, knowing that although he looked bad there was no longer any wound. "All I need is something to get rid of the pain."
"I'll be the judge of that." the woman said, walking over to the side of the room. She pulled out her medical kit and then moved until she was kneeling in front of him. "Now, what happened?" she opened her kit and started looking for something. Seeing there was no reason not to tell her he shrugged.
"I was attacked by demons." he said and her hands stilled.
"Demons?" she repeated, sounding amused as she continued her work. "Well, I suppose if they did this to you they could be considered as such." she looked at him briefly and then her eyes focused on his neck. She looked serious now. "This amount of blood... were you hit on the head anywhere?" she reached up to feel around his head and Kanda tried to pull away, scowling darkly.
"Stay still, you big baby." the woman grumbled and used the time he was frozen in fury to feel around the rest of his head. She reached where he'd been hit and pressed softly, but it sent a whole new wave of pain. Kanda grit his teeth, making an odd grunting noise, and she pulled back. "Well, there's no open wound, just the feel of one healing. How strange..."
"I heal fast." he said. "Now, where is it?"
"Ah, of course." she reached into her bag and pulled out a long, thin bottle of liquid. It was a murky blue colour. "This is my own recipe, but all those who've taken it say it works faster than the medicine you'll find from others. All you have to do is drink half now and then half in another twelve hours. You'll be fine." she smiled reassuringly, holding out the bottle.
Kanda stared at it warily, knowing better than to take something that he didn't know was it in... but he really, really needed to get rid of the pain. Exhaling softly he took the vial and it felt odd in his grip. His fingers curled around it in an unfamiliar way.
He pulled off the stopper and then threw it down, pulling a face at the taste of a mixture of lemon and various spices. He stopped drinking with just under half left and the woman nodded, satisfied. She stood. "I'm told that if you have any more problems, don't hesitate to come to the bar and tell someone."
"Yeah, whatever." he said, not caring because his headache was finally receding. He could actually regain some of his senses. "I'm fine now." he said, standing. He hesitated briefly, wavering between thanking her or not. She watched him with calculating eyes, hair slightly mussed and in her pyjamas, and he decided she at least needed a thank you because he'd apparently stopped her sleeping. "Thanks."
He left the room and walked out through reception. The receptionist turned and then stared at him, blinking. Or rather, she was more focused on his hair and shoulder and with an irritated sigh Kanda strode past her. It was probably quite a sight, although how they all seemed to spot the blood through the black uniform he didn't know.
He aimed for the stairs, intending on going to his room and showering, but a shout from behind stopped him.
"Yu!" with a scowl he turned, watching Lavi skid to a halt in front of him.
"Don't call me that." he grumbled to the panting red-head. As soon as he had got his breath back Lavi held Kanda by the shoulders tightly.
"I've been looking for you! What the hell happened?" he demanded and it appeared he spoke true. There were the beginnings of dark circles under his eyes and he looked tired. Seconds later he glanced down and blanched, releasing Kanda. "You're bleeding!"
"It's already healed." Kanda pointed out, turning and starting up the stairs. "And I've been unconscious."
"W-what?" Lavi chased him, eventually falling in step.
"We have to pick up the pace, we can't afford to take our time with this mission." he replied, glancing at the other. "There is at least five other demons out here, quite possibly level 3, and one of them has the ability to make your mind go blank."
"... So we might have some problems?" Lavi asked, looking a bit more calm now. They reached their room, door slightly ajar, and Kanda pushed it open. "Well, I guess it's a good thing that this happened."
It was a good thing I was knocked unconscious? Kanda turned to glower at Lavi who grinned wickedly. "In my search for you I found the pub that the woman spoke of. We'll head there today, soon as it opens. However..." the grin faded as he focused on Kanda's neck once more.
Irritated with people doing that, Kanda turned his back on him.
"I'm going to shower." he threw over his shoulder, heading for the bathroom. There was no protest from Lavi. Kanda entered the white, pearly room and shut the door behind him. He looked at his reflection in the mirror and suddenly saw why people did a double-take at seeing him.
The entire left side of his neck was stained red, cracking in several places where he'd moved it. His hair, too, looked matted together with something sticky and Kanda grimaced. Maybe a shower was a good thing after all.
--
If Kanda didn't know that Lavi had a powerful memory, he would be doubting the route they were taking on their way to the pub.
"It's just a little bit further." Lavi said cheerfully, whistling a bouncy tune seconds later. They'd already been walking for near on three quarters of an hour and Kanda was annoyed. It was probably influenced by the pounding in his head, which was increasing as he neared the twelve hour mark. He couldn't wait to take another drink from that bottle.
However, he didn't complain because Lavi had only found it by searching for him. It meant that Lavi had been searching this far out for him, and he couldn't complain about that. Not yet, at least.
"Aaaah! Found it!" Lavi cheered, pointing to a large building on the other side of the road. Kanda looked and saw the pub, so similar to an inn, open and bustling with people. It was only mid afternoon but Kanda couldn't see a single empty table outside - and he suspected it would be the same on the inside. It was almost surprising.
It seemed the pub was indeed unmissable, popular too.
"The Boar... catchy name." Lavi commented with a grin, crossing the road. Kanda followed, inwardly sighing at the thought of having to put up with being surrounded by so many people. He had never been too fond of pubs.
At least, if nothing else, they'd be able to find out something there. With so many people it was almost certain. He just hoped trusting the word of a woman he didn't even know the name of wouldn't come back to bite them later. It was only due to their lack of information he was even considering it.
"Well! Let's go looking for that mysterious man in the corner, eh?" Lavi said, rubbing his hands together and pushing open the wooden door. The scent of alcohol, baked beans and smoke assaulted their senses and Kanda narrowed his eyes, trying to find a breath of fresh air. He was unable, but he soon adjusted to the musty air so he didn't worry.
Remembering that they were looking for something, Kanda peered around the room. In the first corner sat a group of men, all laughing and eating merrily. In the second corner he looked at, no one was actually sat there. Instead a waiter was cleaning the seat, probably for the next customer.
Lavi nudged him, drawing his attention to the third corner where a man sat alone. He was slumped over the table, back to them, and a bottle of beer slack in his hand. It all indicated extreme drunkenness, however... of all the corner occupants, he looked the most promising. They'd just have to try and make the best of the situation.
That damn bean sprout, forcing us to do this...
Kanda blinked in surprise as Lavi didn't hesitate. The long-haired exorcist narrowed his eyes after the male, wondering how worried he was about the bean sprout. He might not know much about Bookmen, but he could make an educated guess and know that they probably weren't supposed to get as close as Lavi had done to Allen.
Or... if it was all just an act... if it was, Lavi was one of the most heartless people Kanda knew. .
He eventually followed the other, the pair sliding into the empty seat opposite of the drunken man and waited to be acknowledged.
"... ehhh?" the man slurred, turning his head to look at them. "Wha'... whaddya want..." he looked them up and down, blinking slowly. "... exorcists?" he eventually finished, shutting his eyes again.
"We were told you were the man to go to for information." Kanda said, leaning forwards. If the man identified them by their uniform, it looked likely this was the man they wanted. However, the drunkenness wouldn't help...
"Information? Information's for l-l-l-" he tried to think of the word. "Wha's that word where... rhymes with blazer...?" he asked, and Kanda stared at him. "Losers! That's it!" the man crowed, suddenly remembering. "Information's for losers!" and he slumped back on the table, shutting his eyes.
"... that doesn't rhyme with blazer." Lavi whispered into his ear. Kanda didn't reply, instead narrowing his eyes at the other. There was something odd about him, something extremely odd. Something didn't feel right.
"You're going to have to be a loser then." he said, opening them. "What can you tell us of Allen Walker?"
"... Herr Walker?" the man repeated, opening his eyes. "Food ate him. Good man, that."
The words made no sense. With a grimace Kanda made to stand, unwilling to stay, but Lavi's grip on his wrist stopped him.
"Yes, that's him. We're looking for him, can you help?" he asked, a small grin on his face.
"Not here... you won't find him." the man slurred, glancing briefly at them. And suddenly Kanda knew what felt so odd about the man.
"You're lying." he said, cutting through whatever Lavi was going to say beside him. "What's more, you're not even drunk." Lavi started.
"Huh?"
Kanda kept his cool gaze on the drunken man, who was now watching him with wide and sharp eyes. A slow smile crept up on the man's face as he sat up, brushing at his clothes absent-mindedly.
"How'd you guess?" he asked, raising an eyebrow.
"Your eyes give it away." Kanda replied and the man chuckled.
"Indeed." he gave them a toothy grin. "You're sharp, boy." He crossed his arms over his chest, placing the empty bottle on the table between them. "Of course, not as sharp as Herr Walker. He knew it within the first second, ja?" Kanda scowled darkly at the comparison to the bean sprout, whilst next to him Lavi sweat-dropped.
"That's Allen..." the red-head murmured, no doubt thinking that Walker had got so good under the tutelage of Cross, before sighing. "Although we're here looking for Allen, our other objective is to investigate the ghost ship that's been appearing." There was a subtle change in the way the man held himself. He now seemed more wary than before.
"Yes, Walker was interested in that ship too. I take it Sophia was the one who sent you to me, ja?" he asked. Guessing that Sophia was the odd woman, they nodded and he sighed. "Figures. She's never been very good at dealing with strangers."
"Can you tell us what happened to Allen?" Lavi asked. The man laughed.
"I suspect you already know. One evening, when Sophia and I were drinking away our sorrows, he came scrambling in here saying he'd found it and was planning to board it. Didn't say how, and we didn't ask, and then he was gone. Just like that." he explained. "Haven't seen him since."
"That's nothing new." Kanda commented, settling back against the chair. Lavi sighed and shifted, fishing out the note Allen had written and putting it on the table.
"Can you explain this?" he asked, sliding it across. The man picked it up, read it and then surprised them by throwing his head back and laughing.
"What's so funny?" Kanda scowled.
"He did my job for you, ja? Of course, I suppose he thought by the time you got this you'd know more." he said, looking up from the note at them.
"You know what it means?" Lavi asked.
"Indeed I do. It took Herr Walker nearly two months to figure this out. Days of no sleep, hunting that blasted ship..." he grimaced. "Poor kid was nearly worn out."
"What does it mean?" Kanda demanded, not interested in the antics of the bean sprout. He could've worked himself to death and Kanda wouldn't care.
"The ghost ship doesn't disappear in daylight. You just can't see it. Ja?" he leant forwards and Kanda frowned. Is he saying the ship is always sailing, and its just unable to be seen in daylight?
"Hidden within sight..." Lavi breathed. "What a clever camouflage. The ship is still there in the day, we just can't see it. But at night, in the moonlight..."
"Aye, but it doesn't help much." the man shrugged. "If it's invisible, you won't find it in daylight. You're still at base one."
"Square one." Kanda corrected.
"And not true, we're at square two. We can't see it, but it's there right?" Lavi asked, glancing between them. "So, all we need to do is sit beside the river and wait. Eventually it'll pass us and we can jump on then."
"You're planning on boarding it?" the man asked, wide-eyed.
"We have a job to do." Kanda said, standing. "There's no time to delay."
"Yeah." Lavi said, also standing. "We have to find Allen."
"He's probably already dead, you know." the man said, not looking at them. "He wasn't the first to go on the ghost ship, but everyone who's tried... none of them have returned."
"Allen's not dead." Lavi said firmly.
"The beansprout's too annoying to die." Kanda agreed.
But neither of them could ignore the absolute certainty that radiated from the man.
A/N: So,I was recently listening to Jasdevi's song. As much as the pair entertain me, does anyone else get creeped out by it? If you listen to it without looking at the subtitles... or maybe that's just me. :P This chapter was both easy and hard to write... and I say now that if there's actually a pub called the 'Boar' in Trier, I didn't know. I've only been there once when I was younger, so its all coincidence. XD Enjoy!