Rampant Id:

Hey there everyone,

Sorry, I've been bogged down with work, so I've not had as much time to work on this chapter as I would have liked. Although it took me two weeks to write it, instead of one, here it finally is in it's entirety.

Chapter 7: "Stranger in the Mirror

Allen lay on the cot in one of the small empty rooms that had been given to him for his temporary stay.

Allen lay on the cot in one of the small empty rooms that had been given to him for his temporary stay. The bandage from his arm lay folded on the floor next to him. Not only was it uncomfortable to sleep in, but he couldn't even manage to keep it on while awake. He'd just wrap it up again come morning

He thought back to the short history lesson he had received from that Pilot named Lavi, shortly after his mishap with the wall and a flying Cross. Now that was a memory Allen could do without; how did the man manage to weigh like a ton of bricks? As for what the red-head had said, it made Allen wonder how it was possible for him to not know something that seemed to be such common knowledge to everyone else.

"Listen kid, for the past 8 years the Exorcist Order had been battling the Dark Order of the Noah for control of the planets and star systems. The Exorcists claimed it was in order to ensure everyone's freedom. To this end they threw aside all their morals and focused on the idea that everything was fair game as long as it was a means to an end.

The Noah on the other hand sent out Akuma, their droid-like demonic servants, to kill off anyone standing in their way of taking complete and absolute control. Two years ago the final battle raged and all Exorcists were believed to be defeated. Those who were not killed were tortured until they turned into the Fallen. That is a fancy word used for Exorcists that became Noah.

You want to know why you two are still alive? I have no idea. As for the reason why all nearby planets were placed under quarantine? I'm sure that your master would know more on that than I do."

Allan sighed and thumped his head back in frustration on the brown cloak he was using as makeshift pillow. Just how much did Cross know? Why was he keeping all this knowledge to himself? Why was Allen only able to remember the last two years of his life? The oldest memory that he could dredge up was waking up and seeing his Master kneeling over him covered in blood and dirt. It was the only time Allen had ever seen his Master looking so unkempt and emotional. Never before had he seen his master with an expression of such regret, worry and... fear.

Fear of what? That was the part that bothered Allen the most. He wanted to say that his Master had clearly been worried and afraid for him. However, for some inexplicable reason he felt deep down that was not the case.

Allen lifted up his cursed arm, looking at the ugly raised red flesh that covered it. The long black nails almost resembled claws more than human fingernails. What exactly was an exorcist? ...Why did he feel like he was more monster than man?

He closed his eyes as both of his hands fisted in the thin sheet that he lay on. Rather than having his curiosity assuaged and his questions answered, he now found himself with more questions than what he had started out with. Why did he feel that the answers to these particular questions would bring him no relief?

Three hours later found him making his way to the cockpit. Allen happened to know that Chome was not on duty right now, which was good since he had no desire to face her again. Now there was a woman who reacted to him the way he secretly felt everyone should. Deep down he always felt that something was wrong with him, that he was not quite what he appeared to be. This "Exorcist" thing that Lavi talked about seemed to be something his Master was a part of as well.

That was part of the reason why Allen was going to see Lavi now - to discuss a particular matter that had been bothering him since Lavi had suddenly agreed to take the two of them on as passengers. He had been so adamant about not being for hire, however, the instant that he saw Master Cross he changed his mind. Why?

Something made Allen slow down as he approached the entrance to the cockpit. Before he even had a chance to make any kind of sound he was struck speechless by what he saw before him. There sat Lavi with his back toward him, facing a screen that displayed a picture of a man who was very familiar to Allen. He could see long red hair, cynical eyes, a sarcastic smile and a large wide hat that cast part of his face in shadow – the face of his Master. Below the picture of Master Cross there were some words written in clear bold text that had Allen's eyes widening in surprise as he silently read them.

General Marian Cross - Traitor.

Reward: 50,000,000. Dead or Alive (proof to be delivered = Innocence: revolver)

Status: Missing in Action. Presumed Dead.

Issued By: High General Malcom of the Exorcist Order.

The angle from which he could see Lavi, revealed a triumphant yet savage expression on his face as he stared unblinkingly at the screen.

Allen pressed himself back against the wall praying that Lavi would not notice him. Slowly he inched himself back one careful, silent step at a time. When he made it around the corner he slowly sped up and headed straight for his Master's room. He had to warn Cross! They could not stay here any longer, not with a hired killer on board with his sights set on his Master.

Allen found himself before Cross' door sooner than he had expected. Raising his hand to knock softly on the door Allen paused with his hand in the air. There was a voice coming from the room, a female voice. How in the world did his Master manage to sneak a woman into his room? The voice did not resemble that of the co-pilot Chome. It made no sen—

The door suddenly slid open, then a hand grabbed Allen by the scruff of his neck and yanked him inside.

Allen's wide eyes landed on the gloved hand that was gripping his shirtfront. As his eyes travelled slowly up he saw his Master's red-sleeved arm and followed it up to his glowering face. To distract himself from the unnerving expression Allen looked around and saw a fairly barren room with an empty cot for sleeping in the corner. Against the furthest wall stood the box with the golden droid parts with half of the golden droid already reassembled - the head, torso and one arm - leaning against the wall next to it.

Puzzled as to where the woman's voice might have been coming from, Allen turned to look to his other side and saw the little golden ball called TMCam-P hovering not far off and shining some kind of holographic projection onto the metal floor.

"Had fun spying, brat?" Cross asked, his voice heavily laced with irritation.

"Um... I wanted to talk to you..." Allen replied, looking a bit uncomfortable while still held firmly in his Master's grip.

Cross stared down at the white-haired teen for a few more seconds before suddenly releasing him and gesturing to the only chair in the room.

"Since you're already here why don't you take a seat. I want to show you something."

Walking cautiously over to the chair, Allen inconspicuously scanned the seat for some sorts of traps. Finding none, he slowly sat down. His master leaned over and placed his hands on the armrests from behind. Since he was a pretty tall man to begin with, this made Allen feel like his master was towering over hm. Perhaps this was a new method of intimidation? If so, it sure was working.

"TM, play the message again."

The droid beeped back a few sounds in affirmation and then suddenly a ten-inch tall hologram of a girl appeared right in front of Allen at eye level. The holographic projection lacked colour, but Allen could see that the girl wore dark clothes and had long black hair held back in ponytails. Her face was set in an expression of extreme concentration and when she spoke, her voice conveyed urgency.

"General Cross, here is the data that you have asked us to track down. You will need to plug it into central to pinpoint the exact location, as it is scrambled in code. I know you are alive and I pray that you receive this in time. "

Allen could hear some kind of alarm blaring in the background of wherever the girl was. He almost missed her next words.

"The 12th Noah has just arrived, so I do not have much time. Do not give up your life recklessly - I have grieved enough to last me a lifetime."

Just as the girl reached forward to cut off the recording she paused and added, "I do not blame you for her death, and neither should you."

Suddenly the hologram faded and the girl along with it. Allen tilted his head back and looked at his Master in confusion.

Cross, refusing to meet his questioning gaze moved away from the chair and took a few steps back to lean against the cold, hard wall. He tilted his hat so that it cast his face in shadow and spoke.

"That was one of the few remaining Exorcists that still oppose the Dark Order of the Noah."

Allen waited a few seconds and then frowned when his master did not continue.

"Why did she call you a General, and what is it that you asked her to get?"

Cross let out a deep sigh and said, "I used to be called a General when I belonged to the Exorcist Order many years ago. The reason I wanted you to see this was for you to understand the importance of this small droid. If something should happen to me, it is important that you manage to deliver him to his final destination." Seeing Allen opening his mouth, Cross cut him off.

"Any further information is of no use to you, besides the fact that we will be making immediate travel arrangements to the Dagobah system once we reach the nearest spaceport.

"About that," Allen began, looking around a bit hesitantly. "There is a good chance that we won't be making it there alive. I just saw the pilot looking at an old bounty of yours... and I think he means to collect." Allen looked up at Cross quickly enough to catch a fleeting expression of mild surprise followed closely by a look of resignation.

"Do not worry about that now, I will deal with it when the time comes," Cross said as he pushed away from the wall he had been leaning on. He looked at Allen's worried and tired face.

"Go back to bed brat. Although I love our little nightly chats, I would prefer for you not to look like a brain-dead zombie tomorrow."

Allen looked up in surprise, "What about La-"

"Don't worry about him. This is not the first Bounty Hunter trying to cash in on my neck. We'll wait for him to make his move and then we'll deal with it. Now go to sleep."

Allen had been so out of it that only once he got back to his room did he realize that he had been walking around all night with his ugly deformed left arm completely uncovered. He cringed a little as he looked at his full reflection in the large mirror that hung on one of his walls, thinking about the embarrassment of having others see it in all it's horrid glory.

A sudden thought hit Allen, the surprising realization that he had no memories of having seen his own reflection - ever. Somehow he understood that such a fact was strange in itself. He leaned so far forward that his face almost touched the mirror. Without thinking, he reached toward the red line that cut across his face from above his eyebrow all the way down to his cheek. He had not even noticed that it had been his left finger - belonging to that ugly red appendage - that he had touched his red, scarred face with until it was too late. The instant that his finger made contact with the skin, something disturbing happened to the mirror.

Allen felt his eyes widening as the reflection in the mirror suddenly smirked back at him. The face looking back was no longer his. Sure it had white hair and the red scar, but that was where the resemblance ended. The figure in the mirror could have passed for his twin, if it had not been for the piercing yellow eyes, dark-gray skin, and a row of ugly black marks all across it's forehead.

Allen tried to make himself say something, but his shock was so great that no words were coming out. Almost as if it was taking pleasure at his horror the figure's smile grew until it looked predatory. Then it raised its red hand and waved.

Allen screamed and shut his eyes as he smashed his fist into the mirror, sending thousands of tiny shards scattering onto the floor around him.