It's probably going to be a bit longer until I post the next chapter. :)

Chapter 6

Allen was panicking. Cross had gone mad and Lavi was seeing it. How was he supposed to handle this situation? He decided that dealing with Cross first would be a good idea.

"M-master?" He stuttered, taking one step towards him. Cross looked up. Allen stared into his eye. It was so dark that it looked black and there were no sign that he recognized Allen at all. The young exorcist bit his lower lip and took one more step. Cross moved as well. He got up on his feet, keeping his eye on Allen the whole time.

"A-Allen! What are you doing?!" Lavi exclaimed. The young exorcist wished Lavi would shut up. His screaming wasn't needed. Allen slowly held out his hand.

"Come on master. Let's get you out of here." He said, slowly. Cross looked at his hand, hissed and backed away. He then began to lick the blood off of his own hands. Allen frowned. Trying nicely wouldn't work, but he hadn't thought so either. Cross let out more of those inhuman sounds and turned to continue licking blood, this time off the wall. Allen was starting to get scared for his master's mental health. Cross stopped licking the wall and turned around. His eye moved around the room and stayed, staring right at Lavi. Allen could see how Cross's muscles moved and he knew exactly what was going to happen.

"Lavi! Get out of the way!" He yelled. Lavi didn't move. Cross moved. Allen moved too and he threw himself in front of Lavi.

Allen bit his lip as Cross teeth sunk into his right arm. It hurt and he didn't think he could bring him back to his senses like the last time. He could always try though.

"Cross. It hurts. Let go." He said and looked into his master's eye. Cross stared back, there were a flash of recognition in his eye and Allen could feel him relax his jaw. The younger exorcist quickly pulled his arm away. The redhead stood still for a moment before suddenly tackling him to the floor, clawing at his arms and face. Allen hissed as Cross's nails managed get through the skin on his right cheek and suddenly the general where in the other side of the room. Allen blinked lightly and looked to his right. Lavi held his hammer, panting lightly.

"Did you just…. Hit him?" Allen said. Lavi nodded.

"Y-yeah?" He answered, holding his hammer tightly. Maybe the only way to do this was with innocence? Cross tried to get up on his feet, but slipped in the blood and had to lie down.

"M-maybe I hit a bit too hard…" Lavi stuttered. Allen activated his innocence.

"Help me knock him out, will you?" He said and stood up. Lavi nodded again. Cross managed to get up on his feet. His hair was covering his face and he stood lightly hunched over. He wasn't moving. Neither did Lavi or Allen. Cross slowly raised his head. His eye had rolled back into his skull. He slowly started to move towards the two younger exorcists.

He couldn't control his body. His whole being was burning. It hurt so much, but he couldn't do anything about it. It was like someone had locked him in behind an invisible wall. He was hitting it and kicking it, but he couldn't get through. He was screaming, begging and threatening. He couldn't get through. Someone or something else were controlling his body. He could feel, see and hear everything. He could taste the damn blood on his tongue and yet he wasn't in control. He was frustrated, desperate. He wanted it to stop. He wanted his own body to just stop functioning. Just long enough for him to be in control again. He was so thirsty and very much in pain, but he didn't want this. He really wanted it to stop, but there was nothing he could do. His body wasn't listening to him.

"Stop it! Damn it!" He could see them, Allen and Lavi. He didn't want to hurt them.

"Don't you dare hurt them!" He screamed at himself, hoping his body would listen.

"Don't… hurt… them…" The words were spoken so quietly that Allen almost hadn't heard them, but he had definitely seen Cross's mouth move. His master's consciousness were somewhere behind that thirst. He felt sorry for the man. It couldn't be easy for him.

"Listen to me Lavi. We're going to knock him out fast. I'll let him attack me and you deliver a swift blow to this point. Only one blow to exactly this point. Get it?" Allen said, showing Lavi where to hit by pointing at himself. Lavi nodded, even though he looked rather unsure.

"Okay. Go!" Allen yelled, rushing at Cross. The vampire were waiting for him. Allen lifted his left arm and Cross grabbed it just as he had expected.

"Now Lavi!" He yelled. Lavi, who had managed to get behind Cross, lifted his hammer and deliver one blow to the exact point Allen had pointed out. The general's grip of Allen's arm loosened and he fell to the floor. Allen quickly looked him over.

"H-he's okay… I think." He mumbled to himself.

"W-what the hell was that?!" Lavi exclaimed.

"I'll explain later. Help me carry him out of here. The finders can't see him like this."

Cross felt very comfortable where he was lying. It was soft and smelled clean. He sighed lightly and rolled over on his side. He could spend the day here. He didn't feel like going anywhere. Why face the cold and harsh world when he could stay here where it was warm and comfortable? He yawned lightly. Something to eat would be nice of course. He was a bit hungry. Cross slowly opened his eyes. He found himself in a bed. A very comfortable one at that. He frowned lightly. Hadn't he been somewhere else and why was he sleeping in his clothes? In his very clean clothes… He was sure that these weren't the same clothes as before… He sat up and scratched his neck lightly.

"Huh? A braid? When did I braid my hair?" He said to himself.

"You didn't. Lavi did. He found it fascinating." A voice said. Cross looked to the side. Allen.

"Lavi did?" He said and looked around. "Where are we anyway?" He asked. Allen sat down on a chair beside the bed.

"You don't remember what happened?" He asked. Cross frowned again. Remember? What was it he was supposed to remember? What could possibly have happened? Then it came back to him. He'd lost to his thirst.

"Judging by your expression I'd say you remember." Allen said.

"I…" How could he have let himself go mad like that? He closed his eyes, quietly hating himself.

"Don't blame yourself. You couldn't help it." Allen said.

"But still… I should have done something to prevent it…" Cross mumbled. Wait. Lavi had been there. He had seen it all.

"W-what about Lavi?" He asked.

"He's getting us some food and about an earlier question of yours. We're at an inn. Don't worry. The finders doesn't know and Lavi has promised to not tell anyone." Cross didn't say anything. He couldn't help but feel relieved.

"I've got the food!" Lavi yelled as he entered the room. Allen stood up, wishing Lavi could make a quiet entrance for once. He could feel Cross staring at him and looked back.

"Is something wrong?" He asked.

"Your cheek." Cross said quietly. Allen instantly lifted his hand, tracing the wound Cross's nails hand inflicted on his right cheek.

"It's okay. It doesn't hurt at all." He said with a smile, even though it still did. The redhead looked as if he wanted to say something, but appeared to change his mind. Lavi walked over to them.

"Don't ignore me. I just brought you food." He said with a pout and handed them both their plates. Allen had been hungry for a while and eagerly started eating. Cross however just stared down at his food. The younger exorcist noticed it and paused in his eating.

"Eat." He said. Cross put the plate on the bedside table.

"I'm not hungry…" He said. Allen glared at him.

"Eat or I'll feed you and that's going to be embarrassing for both of us." He threatened. The general just crossed his arms and refused to look at him. Allen put down his own plate.

"Stop behaving like a child!"

"I'm not…"

"Shut up and eat!" And so on. Lavi watched them arguing, looking rather fascinated. In the end Allen ended up winning the argument.

Lavi stared at Cross, making the older man feel a bit uncomfortable. He wished Lavi would stop staring at him. He already felt enough as a freak.

"Stop staring at me." He said. Lavi just kept on staring.

"So… you're a vampire?" He asked. Hadn't Allen explained this already?

"Allen says it feels pretty good to have your blood sucked." Lavi continued. Cross blinked, feeling surprised.

"Allen said that?" He must have misheard him. The younger exorcist nodded.

"I want to try it." He said. Cross stared at him again.

"Excuse me?"

"I said I want to try it. Please suck my blood." Lavi said with a serious expression.

"You're out of your mind."

"Do it!"

"I don't want to."

"Do it!" Lavi yelled. Why was this kid so damn persistent?

"IF I do it, will you promise to stop bothering me!?" Cross said with a glare. Lavi smiled.

"Sure. I'll stop." He said with a goofy expression. The general sighed. Why was this happening to him?

"Give me your arm." He said. Lavi did as he was told. Stupid irritating kid. Cross made sure it would hurt when he bit him, just for the sake of revenge and grinned when Lavi screamed at him that it hurt. The kid had only himself to blame. In the end Lavi had liked it.

Devit looked at Jasdero who looked back at him.

"We failed." He said and then turned to look at Road who were sitting in Tyki's lap.

"Not exactly. We know that two people knows. It wasn't a huge success, but it was still a success." She said with a grin.

"How was it a success?" Jasdero asked.

"The more people who knows the easier it is for a secret to leak out, right?" Road answered and leaned back against Tyki, who sighed lightly.

"Well, it's time to kick it up a notch. Don't you think?" He said with a grin. Road laughed.

"It sure is."