Disclaimer - I do not own DGM
Chapter Six - Darkness Envelopes
Sitting alone in my cell, with only my thoughts and the voice of the Fourteenth to keep me company, is maddening. I'm not sure how much more of this psychological torture that I can endure. The voice that calls out to me is much harder to endure and suppress in this current situation and I find myself gripping my head with my hands. As though in an effort to silence his voice.
"Just surrender to my will boy…"
My attention shifts as I hear the sound of the door opening. Gazing forward I watch as the door opens and Leverrier steps inside the cell, flanked by two members of CROW.
"Today's the day Walker." Leverrier's voice is cold as he nonchalantly informs me that today I am to die. There's a gleam in his eyes as though he's enjoying the thought that I might attempt to flee.
But I've already made my decision and I get to my feet without even the slightest hint of protest.
The look in his cruel eyes changes at this point; he seems almost disappointed by my reaction to the news. I'm determined to maintain at least a shred of dignity so I walk over to the two members of CROW, who are no doubt here to escort me to my death.
"Don't let this happen…"
Although I'm unable to tune his voice out at this point I can still ignore it. Holding my head high I step out of the cell that has been my home for I'm not even sure how long. Time doesn't pass the same when there's no way to mark it's passage. The two guards immediately fall into step on either side of me but they make no effort to touch me.
Leverrier takes up his position at the head of this group and leads our rather odd procession down a dark corridor that's just to the right of my cell. I'm no longer surprised by being taken to unfamiliar territory. Apparently these darker parts of headquarters were never meant to be seen by anyone not in a similar situation.
Or at least that's the impression that I get.
At the end of the corridor is yet another ominous door but I don't even dare to question what is behind it. Because I already know. Death is waiting behind that door. And, despite the fact that I've resigned myself to my fate, I feel my body begin to tremble. I don't want to die.
Leverrier steps forward and opens the door, leading the way inside the darkened room. I follow along behind him, still flanked on either side by the members of CROW. I do not resist but my heart is racing as I gaze around the room.
As I step inside the room where I am to die I hear a choked sob coming from a corner. My gaze shifts and I cannot help but gasp as my gaze falls upon three very familiar faces: Lenalee, Lavi and BaKanda are standing in a corner of the room, shocked expressions mirrored on each of their faces. What are they doing here?
"This is why we were brought here?" Lavi glares at Leverrier as he demands an answer.
"The Vatican requires witnesses for all executions." The tone of the man's voice is so cold as he says these words. I find my hatred for him growing exponentially. How could anyone be so cruel? I know that my fate is sealed but it is completely unnecessary to make my friends suffer like this. My hands involuntarily clench into fists.
"Allen…"
So much sadness in Lenalee's voice… it once again makes me feel guilty. I wish that I could spare her from this pain but what can I do?
BaKanda remains silent as Leverrier steps toward me but I can tell, by the expression in his eyes, that he's annoyed with the situation. And perhaps there's even a hint of something other than annoyance although I would never voice this opinion.
No one would believe me if I did.
"That clown who took you in shouldn't have bothered." My head whips around as I glare at Leverrier. I have no idea how he found out about Mana but I don't like the fact that he mentioned my foster father. "Of course he was probably only doing it for his brother… But this will put an end to his evil, as well as yours and the Fourteenth's."
"Don't talk like that about Mana…" My voice is harsh as I utter these words, my glaring gaze focused on Leverrier. I don't care what he says about me and I sure as hell don't care what he says about the Fourteenth but Mana… that's a completely different story.
"Silence Walker…"
His tone is commanding but I find myself far more angered by his words about my foster father than by anything that's been done to me thus far.
"He had to have either known about his brother's plan or else have been a complete moron…"
At this moment I feel something inside of me snap. These insults to Mana, to the one person who never treated me any different than a normal person, are the last indignity that I can withstand. And they serve to remind me of a promise… a promise that cannot be broken. No matter what. Without so much as a second thought as to the consequences I knock the two CROW members aside and lunge toward Leverrier. It's almost as though someone else is controlling my actions, like I'm witnessing it from the end of a long tunnel, but I instinctively know that the Fourteenth isn't in control. Because when he takes over I always black out.
No this is completely me and I feel a small smile spread across my face as I wrap my hands around the man's throat. Taking a human life has always been something that I strived not to do; I even wanted to save the Noah. But, in this moment, I feel a strange rush as I tighten my grip on the man's throat.
Leverrier struggles to free himself from my grasp but I'm stronger than he is. And after a few minutes his struggles diminish as I watch the life drain from his eyes.
The two CROW members seem to have recovered somewhat at this point and they jump to their feet and attempt to pry my hands free from the man's throat. But I refuse to allow this to happen as my grasp remains firm. This is the path that I've chosen and there is no going back at this point. The smile remains on my lips as Leverrier goes completely limp.
Only then do I release my grip.
Activating my Innocence I immediately whirl on the two CROW members although I do not seek to end their lives. Instead I quickly knock them unconscious. My thoughts are centered around escape at this point but I quickly glance in the direction of my three friends.
They're all completely shocked by my actions.
"Allen…" Lenalee's eyes are so wide as she gazes at me.
With this last glimpse of them cemented in my memory I turn and quickly dash from the execution chamber, the white cloak of Crown Clown flaring out behind me as I run. Running away is the only option that remains to me at this point and I quickly sprint down the corridor.
Within a few minutes a flash of gold appears in my peripheral vision. It's Timcanpy. I'm not sure where he came from but cannot deny that I'm happy to see him. He flies by my side as I make my way toward the Ark.
That shall be my method of escape.
"I wouldn't have thought you had it in you had I not witnessed it first hand…"
"Shut up!" I don't want to discuss my descent into darkness with the Noah who caused it all. I have the stain of blood on my hands and there's nothing that can remove it. But worse than that is the fact that I don't feel any remorse for what I've done.
I would do it again without hesitation.
Making my way to the Ark I lose no time in signaling Timcanpy to open the door to the secret room. The room that contains the piano, the heart of the Ark. My pace slows somewhat as I walk into the room and my gaze instinctively goes to the mirror.
Expecting to see the shadow of the Fourteenth grinning back at me I cannot help but gasp as my searching gaze falls solely upon my own reflection. But it's not the reflection that I'm accustomed to seeing in the mirror. My skin is an ashen gray with three little crosses adorning my forehead, a larger one in the center with a smaller one on either side. And, instead of the white hair that I've grown accustomed to in the years since Mana's death, I find that my hair is now a light gray color. But my eyes are the strangest thing by far. One is the natural stormy gray color while the other is… golden.
A/N - And here's chapter six! Please leave a review and tell me what you thought.