To Kaddi (I can't reply seeing as you're a guest so here :3): Thanks, I'm pleased to hear that I'm portraying them correctly, or in a non OoC way. I might need help to keep them that way though XD
A/N: I went back and changed 'hotel' to 'inn' because that seems more appropriate time wise.
Warning: (by my standard, lots) more swearing eheheh...
Chapter 4: I know you do not know me, truly, nakama, I do.
His eyes had flashed gold momentarily - had it been a trick of the light, or was it a warning?
Mugen had flashed silver in the dappled sunlight that streamed through the windows - Kanda had always been too hasty with a sword - and for a moment they feared for Allen's life.
But the split second had passed, and Mugen was pressed against Allen's neck, Allen's activated Crown Clown hand gripping the blade steadily as Kanda attempted to push it further to try and sever Allen's neck.
"No," Allen said commandingly, in a voice that didn't seem his own. His skin seemed a shade greyer and darker, almost like a Noah. But perhaps it was only the shadows acting up. His eyes were pure gold now, and they remained that way. That couldn't be blamed on lighting. "I won't allow you brats to ruin my 35 years of hard work! Never, never ever!" His hand gripped the sword fully, and he slammed it down on the table, rattling the many plates and dishes on it. He banged his other hand down on the table at the same time, and stood up when he said the last word, pushing the bench back. He towered over the sitting Lavi and Lenalee, while Kanda, who had already been standing with Mugen, tched and snatched Mugen back.
"Who are you?" Lavi questioned, standing up with Lenalee, with a cautious hand on his hammer.
"What have you done to Allen?" Lenalee demanded at the same time, not realizing they were causing a commotion in the inn, everyone staring in confusion at the four youths who had been getting along well enough until a minute ago, and especially at the person whose hand had suddenly turned into a giant claw, and the one that had tried to behead him. A little boy screamed somewhere in the room, sounding like a girl, while a little girl simply tilted her head in confusion and curiosity over what had just happened.
Allen's eyes dulled to a dreamy grey, then brightened to silver as he refocused on reality. "Ehh, what's going on - waah, why am I standing?" he said as he almost toppled backwards as a result from leaning away, thinking he was still sitting. The people started eating faster to leave the inn quickly. The creepy white-haired teenager with hectic mood swings was putting them a little off. Talk about the understatement of the year. He made them think of unhinged murderers who killed people and then couldn't remember a thing afterwards. Maybe he was, and that was why the tall samurai had tried to kill him. "And why is Crown Clown activ-"
Crown Clown suddenly snapped back to its inactivated form with a hideous crunch that had Allen yelping. He snatched his hand up with his right and inspected it, wincing as he moved it. Fear shone in his silvered eyes as he saw the deep purple glow imbedded in the cross.
Damn you, 14th, he cursed inwardly. As if I'll ever let you take over!
He tried to gently flex his fingers of his left hand, biting back a scream of pain and stopped his action immediately. What is this?
"Allen!" Lenalee gasped, "What's happened to your hand?" She grasped it gently, but still managed to make Allen growl and bit his lip in order to restrain himself.
There were only a couple of people in the inn now, and most quickly hurried out as Allen glared at Lenalee. "Let. Go. Lenalee, you're hurting me," she quickly released him, horrified at the very thought that she had hurt her Allen. But he'd paused a moment before spoke, as if he'd wanted to lash out at someone because of the pain.
Allen wouldn't do that, would he, Lavi wondered.
"Dammit! Why isn't Crown Clown activating?" Allen cursed aloud, ignoring the fact that Lavi and Lenalee stared at him in astonishment - Allen knew swear words?
"Maybe it refuses to work for a Noah," Kanda bit out.
"I'm not a Noah, you bastards, I'm Allen!" he protested indignantly.
"Tell that to Hevlaska. We're heading back to HQ for questioning," Lavi replied apparently emotionlessly.
Allen knew better, and smirked as Lavi deadpanned, "Ha, and you think yourself a Bookman? I saw how your heart and mind got broken by Road in the Ark. You care," he sneered, "for your nakama. Don't you?" Allen realised all too late as the last word left his mouth, that it didn't sound like something their 'Allen' would say.
Lavi's shoulders tensed up and he got ready to retort -
Link trooped downstairs and walked into the mostly empty dining room, leaning unheavily on Finnigan for support, inadvertently breaking the heavy atmosphere, "Does anyone know anything about a miniature pony rolling over me in my sleep?"
Allen jolted back to reality and realized he'd just lost it. "Shit," he cursed, slapping his forehead with his palm - it was best to leave his left arm dangling at his side for now, while the pain wore off.
Link and Finnigan's eyes widened in amazement, and Finnigan whispered, "I thought Allen was polite," at the same time that Link said, "I didn't know you knew how to swear."
"Ehh, that was just, umm..." Allen blushed. He knew he couldn't blame it on the Fourteen. Now they all knew his perception of reality was skewed. That his personality was fake. False. Artificial. An imitation of Mana.
So, in a moment of madness, he held out his hand for a handcuff, his left unmoving, and said dramatically, "Take me to your leader!"
Lavi stared a moment, before bursting into laughter, plopping down on the floor and rolling about. "Hah, where did that come from?"
Allen shrugged, grinning, "You should ask the aliens that." Allen hoped they could pretend nothing had happened. Nothing out of the ordinary. "Err, so Link. You said something about sleeping on a miniature pony?"
Link grunted after a couple seconds of staring, "Something as heavy as a miniature pony rolled over me in my sleep three nights ago, translating into a miniature pony in my dream. Does anyone perchance know something of this?"
Allen frowned. Miniature ponies? Didn't ring a bell. Oh, wait, had he? "Oh, um. Sorry," Allen reddened. "I think that might've been me... I tripped backwards over your bed, ehehehe," he chuckled nervously. "That was just because I was trying to get away from Tyki bu-"
"Tyki showed up? But I didn't-" Link's face paled. "No, wait, tell us back at Headquarters, we'll be there soon enough."
"Yes, that would be best," Finnigan nodded. "Should I call Komui to tell him we're returning immediately?"
"You'd better. Hey, baka moyashi," Kanda growled, finally sheathing Mugen.
"Hey, Link, perhaps it would be interesting to keep an eye out for All of us, if you get what I mean," Lavi hinted in some sort of code. "I think I'm just going out for a little Walk. Man, I really need some fresh Air."
Allen didn't notice these strange emphasizes, he was already arguing with Kanda about -
"I AM NOT A MOYASHI!"
"Tch, shut up you damn moyashi! I was just saying that you smell! Go take a shower."
Lenalee glanced at Lavi with a raised eyebrow, her eyes saying, 'Right. That was really subtle. Well done on being an expert on secret messages.'
Link replied, to show that he understood, "LendLavi your phone, Finnigan, so that he can... Er, nevermind, he is quite a Walker after all. I suppose he won't want to talk to Komui."
Allen's head whipped around at the word 'walker' before he shrugged it off as a 'strange coincidence' and continued arguing with Kanda all the way up the wooden stairs.
"You betcha!" Lavi grinned, and then it fell. "Oh, wait, we have to pack now, because we're leaving. Come on, Lenalee and Finnigan."
Link caught Lavi's collar, pulling him back as the others started up the stairs, "You guys go on ahead, I just want to tell Lavi about his messy hair."
Lenalee and Finnigan looked at each other, before shrugging and walking off as if they really knew what Link was going to say.
"Emphasis, really? I thought you were less conspicuous than that!" Link reprimanded.
"Hey, if I need to say something in code, Pig Latin is even more conspicuous, and even easier to figure out!" Lavi protested.
"Onay itay isay otnay eallyray," Link said fluently.
"Esyay itay isay, eesay... Err-ay, Inklay Owardhay," Lavi demurred, concentrating on forming the proper words, pausing between every word. Link sighed and gave up.
"One-Three-Three-Seven , then?" he suggested.
"Err, what?"
"I said 1337,"
"..."
"Oh for heavens sake, leet! Leet!" Link gestured frantically with his hands.
"Oh, sure, while you're at it, why don't you just use a Caesar shift or a Vigenère's Square? Oh, wait, we're not writing, we're speaking! My bad."
"Ugh, I give up," Link groaned as someone started walking down the stairs. "Oh, by' the way, here's a new band for your hair. Green and black, just like before. Now get your hair out of your eye before I personally cut it short."
Lavi wore a surprised expression on his face, "How did you know I'd lost it?"
"Pah, you lost it? When? Of course I'd notice, you're not wearing it."
Lavi mumbled something softly.
"You lost it yesterday? How did you even lose it?"
"I don't know, okay! All I know was that I was in the public library, reading some bloody records, when someone hit me from behind. When I woke up, it was gone! I just assumed someone thought I had good fashion sense."
"When you woke up - they knocked you unconscious?" Link asked, raising his eyebrow.
"Yeah, so what?" Lavi shrugged nonchalantly.
"But why would someone do that just for a hairband... Are you sure nothi-"
"Hey, I've finished packing!" Allen smiled, dripping wet, having reached the end of the stairs a couple of seconds before. "Wasn't much to pack, so, yeah," he smiled nervously.
"Why are you wet?" Link asked.
"Err, Kanda upped some buckets of water over me because he said I smelt," Allen grinned, trying to squeeze some water out of his hair. "My uniform's all wet now," he stuck out his tongue childishly.
Lenalee and Finnigan trooped down the stairs, talking lowly about something, and then stopping when they saw Allen. Not obviously, though. They only stopped speaking when they came into earshot.
"Hey, Finnigan and I are ready. I think you guys need to get ready too," Lenalee smiled at Link and Lavi. "Hey, Kanda, hurry up! We're leaving without you," she called.
A gruff, "Go 'way, I'm meditating," replied.
A couple of minutes later, Lavi and Link came down with a grumpy Kanda.
"Which station?" Allen asked excitedly. "Wait, where's Timcanpy?" He was answered by a fluttering object settling on his damp head. "Oh, there you are. Okay, we can go now."
"Waiting at train stations is boring," Allen decided, after half an hour of boredom. Then he sneezed.
"Not as boring as riding one," Kanda scowled. "Why don't you use your time wisely and meditate, or just shut the hell up while I do."
"Hey, guys, the train's here, you're gonna miss it if you continue-..." Lenalee trailed off with a sigh when she saw they were going to launch into another fight.
"Hey, baKanda, what do you call a unicorn with a blade and no horn?"
"Tch."
"A Yuu-Mugen, geddit?"
Lavi rolled his eyes, dragging Allen onto the train behind Link and Finnigan, while Lenalee persuaded Kanda to get on, "Lame. You put too much thought into that. Now, if you had said a Yuu-nicorn, then I would have started laughing."
Kanda whipped his head round to glare at Lavi as they clambered into a compartment, "I said don't call me that!"
Lavi quickly held his hands up in defense, "I didn't say your name, I said a Yuu-nicorn," Lavi grinned, laughing inwardly as the Japanese man frowned and tried to figure out what he was trying to say, seeing as English was not his first language.
"Oh. A one-horned creature? Don't call me that either," he grunted, before closing his eyes and meditating.
Link, Lenalee and Lavi were talking quietly while Finnigan just listened in. Allen stared out the window, his breath fogging it up, with his mind far, far away in the land of damp clothes and wet hair. He was remembering the times Master Cross had kicked him out of the inn on rainy nights for not earning enough money and he'd had to find his own shelter.
"Lenalee~! You're back!" a certain sister-complex shrieked excitedly at the top of his voice when the group walked into his paper-filled office, and hugging the breath out of her. "I was thinking, if you hadn't returned in two more days, that would have been a week, so, abiding to our agreement, I could have sent out a Komulin to search for you," he hung his head downheartedly. "Poor Komulin Six really needs to get out some more, if you know what I mean," he said hopefully.
"Hell no," Kanda stated bluntly. "Tell me where it is so I can destroy it before it does anything."
"But my poor Komulin Six hasn't done anything," ("Yet!" Kanda muttered under his breath.) Komui wept, "It's just the blasted coffee-drinking problem."
"Anyway, brother, we're here to debrief," Lenalee said, changing the subject quickly as she put her hand on her brother's shoulder to calm him down.
She nodded at Finnigan, who stepped forward and said in a formal tone, "Mission successful. Akuma identified and destroyed. However, several hiccoughs were formed along the way. Link was knocked unconscious by someone and put out of commission for several days, likewise was Allen."
Link stepped froward as Finnigan stepped back, "I suppose it would be best to start at the very beginning of my ordeal. It started with Tyki Mikk, disguised as a human, playing poker in the pub."
Komui almost dropped his beloved blue coffee mug with the pink rabbit that Lenalee served to him everyday.
A/N:
I love writing Inner Allen. It's so fun :3. Who knows who Inner Allen is? And when I say that, I mean the person he acts like from D. Gray-man. No, the answer is not Allen (Neither is it Red) XD (there are two correct answers)
Whoever guesses both of the answers right gets a feral unicorn. Or should I say, Yuu-nicorn? X3
Trusts me, you wants dat :D
Dat code... Was too simple XD. But really, spoken code is much harder than written code because you cannot just read every second letter of each word and such, because it's spoken, not written. Don't feel like explaining Pig Latin. Look it up. Besides. I'm sure you can figure it out. Look at Lavi's Pig Latin XD. And 1337 didn't even exist back then, I'm sure.
Has no one even spotted The Knife of Never Letting Go (Patrick Ness) reference in the title? XD. If you have then you get a cookie :)