Hey guys. HOLY CRAP! 13 reviews in one chapter? You guys are amazing! I've been averaging about six or seven, so that was amazing. THANK YOU!
So... yeah. This chapter had so much to cover! I hope I did okay. I'm sorry there isn't much Yullen in this chapter... there was just too much to fit in. I hope you enjoy!
Lenore91: You're not supposed to fully trust them. xD I'm glad it surprised you, because you're the person who I wanted feedback from the most. I really hope you approve of this chapter. :)
ankhesenamun2: Here's where you find out if they are hiding something or not. :D Thanks for your advice about tumblr, even if I haven't replied to the PM yet. xD I hope you love this!
Ern Estine 13624: I'm glad you thought it was interesting.
YourLuckyWish: I love your praise! Oh, and yeah, the Yullen was so damn adorable in that last chapter.
Mad Hatter Usagi: I love how I'm writing Yullen. Normally, I don't like what I wrote all that much, but I enjoy this story a lot. Oh, and this is the chapter where you learn (almost) everything. It would be pretty hilarious if I had somebody call them out on their closeness, but not yet. *Evil smirk.*
jasdevi's secret sissy: Allen can never catch a break in my stories. I've been told I have an evil mind. xD
Cana99: I guess you'll have to tell me what you think about Mana afterwards.
dancingpiggs: Well, more is here. :) Thanks so much for reading and reviewing!
xFullmetalSoulx: Thanks for the compliments! I absolutely love your comment about me being good at teasing, because I love to tease people. Thanks for saying the characters are in character, too, because I try so hard for that! Oh, and I don't intend to do a tragic ending. Hope that makes you feel better!
AllenMoyashiWalker: Yes, yes, the Yullen is brewing.
SnarkyWolf: Hehe, I love Timcanpy wayyyy too much for Allen to not find him. :) Oh, and thanks for the compliment about their relationship seeming natural, because I personally prefer naturally progressing relationships than sudden ones.
Yullen3: I updated as soon as I finished going through the chapter.
AliceXxX: Oh my god, that's hilarious! I hope I satisfied your Yullen fix, because this chapter is kind of lacking it, sadly. Too much plot. Pooey. I'm glad you loved the last three chapters! It takes dedication to read that much in one sitting. :)
YOU GUYS ARE AMAZING! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!
Infection
Chapter 8- Astonishment
Kanda and Allen stayed very close to each other as they followed the White Order's group out of the safety of the Black Order headquarters. The samurai knew Allen was nervous; everything in his features betrayed that fact. His ivory skin was paler than usual, tiny beads of sweat were forming at his hairline, and he couldn't keep his gaze settled on anything in particular, even Kanda. His breathing was unsteady and rugged, but the dark haired teen knew that nobody would notice just how unhinged he was by this whole fiasco.
Because Kanda knew that, he kept close to the younger teen for moral support. Not only that, but he couldn't help but keep close since their moment in the hall outside Komui's office. Ever since their most recent mission together, it was strange being away from the snow haired teen. Kanda didn't want to be away from him at all. He enjoyed being in the sprout's company, and he gave up trying to figure out why. There was a connection that formed between them that went too deep for him to try and look at every detail now.
Nobody from the White Order said anything important while they walked to the closest train station which, thankfully, wasn't very far. The head guy, Phoenix Gallamore, kept looking to Allen with a strange look in his eyes, and Kanda was trying to figure out whether he should be protective or not. Either way, Kanda kept his guard up. There was something about these people that screamed untrustworthy, and he'd be damned if anything happened to Allen on his watch. Kanda cared too much to let a single thing happen to him.
When they reached the train, the two Black Order exorcists were given their own first class compartment. After Allen was sure they were gone, he turned to Kanda with an intense gaze. "I don't know what to expect," he said uncertainly.
"Neither do I," Kanda replied, moving to sit next to the moyashi.
Allen smiled as he wrapped his arms around Kanda's waist and leaned against him. "You know, I'm so glad you're here," he said pensively. The young teen buried his face into Kanda's chest. "I never expected us to grow so close. I never expected that having you hold me would be so reassuring. I don't know when it happened or why, but I know that I would be so lost without you." Silver eyes bore into Kanda's, and the samurai's lips moved slightly into what could almost be called a smile.
"Tch, you're so corny," he replied.
"I'm speaking the truth, even if it's corny. I couldn't do this without you. Hell, if it weren't for you, I would still be in that cold hospital room with critical injuries. Thank you for what you did, Kanda," Allen said softly, moving one hand to grab the samurai's. "Thank you so much."
"You talk too much," the older teen said before touching his lips to the younger's forehead.
"I talk when I'm nervous," the white haired boy said, closing his eyes and moving his legs to the far side of the seat.
"You should try to sleep. You've had a long day," Kanda remarked, thinking over the day's events.
"I've been sitting on a train all day," Allen said, and even if the samurai couldn't see it, he was sure the sprout was rolling his eyes. "It didn't get eventful until we got back to the Order."
"Just get some goddamned sleep, moyashi. Tomorrow will be strenuous," Kanda said softly, beginning to stroke the snowy hair in front of him. "Maybe even tonight," he added as an afterthought.
"That feels nice," Allen commented, his voice already dreamy.
Kanda didn't reply, but continued to stroke the soft hair. A while after the moyashi fell asleep, the samurai shifted to a more comfortable position. Now, his legs were intertwined with the younger teen's, and his back was to the side of the compartment next to the window. This way was much more comfortable, and Kanda allowed himself to drift off, still holding Allen protectively in his slumber.
…
A few hours later, Kanda woke up to light knocking. He knew that if anyone caught them like this, there would be hell, so he said, "One minute!"
Allen jolted up at the shout, and he pushed away from Kanda. He realized that they were almost caught, and so he abruptly stood up, probably not the best idea since he just woke up, and moved to open the door, but nearly fell back in dizziness. Kanda extended his arm and ended up wrapping it around the sprout's waist. He smirked at the blush on Allen's cheeks as he moved his arm and stood. Allen, after having taken a minute to get his bearings straight, answered the door. "Where are we going?" he asked, fatigue egging at his voice.
"I'll explain when we're out," a teenage boy said, beckoning for them to hurry.
Kanda ignored him and stretched his tense muscles. The seats on the train, even in first class, weren't the most comfortable place to fall asleep. He stayed silent as he followed the moyashi out of the compartment, then moved to walk by his side after they exited the train.
"We are going to our headquarters. It isn't far from here, Mr. Walker. We would rather not disclose where we are in case things go wrong with the Black Order. You have to understand," a boy said, roughly Kanda's age.
Allen decided to try and go into this with an open mind. If he let what happened hold him back, there was a chance he wouldn't get the information he needed. "Please, call me Allen. What's your name?" he asked, making an attempt to be friendly.
The teen smiled a little and said, "Thomas. I'm kind of like what you would call a finder. Here, we're called silvers."
"Why are you called silvers?" Allen wondered aloud.
"It's because we chose to study light matter instead of dark matter. The people that study akuma are kind of like what you would call exorcists," he answered. "Here, we call them onyxes."
Allen pondered that as they kept walking. He could never imagine introducing himself as an onyx. The thought was too weird, but he tossed it out of his head. So far, the people seemed friendly enough, but he still wasn't sure what to think. "So how many people do you have?"
"We aren't really allowed to disclose that… you know, security reasons, but I guess I can tell you we have more onyxes than silvers. All of us are scientists as well as combatants," Thomas answered. "We are definitely more advanced than your Order when it comes to science. Oh, sorry! Don't take that as offensive, please! I shouldn't have said that."
Allen smiled a polite smile and said, "Please, calm down. It's okay. Why are you so nervous because of me?"
Sheepishly, Thomas looked to the ground before replying. "We are supposed to be making a good impression on you because of what happened before, and I'm such a failure."
That comment made Allen think of Miranda, and he wondered if they were both on the same level of paranoia. "Don't worry, I'm not offended. I've heard that the White Order's specialty is science."
"Thank you, Mr. Walker!" Thomas said, relief overwhelming his features.
"Please, it's Allen," he said, hating formalities. It made him feel like he was above others, and he didn't like that, even with the finders back at his home.
"Well, we're almost here. We have a lot to tell you, Mr. Wa- Allen."
"Okay," Allen said, now looking at the tall building before him with fear flooding his system. He remembered this building all too well, and he didn't want to go back. Instinctively, he moved closer to Kanda, who had been silent during his conversation with Thomas. Kanda looked to Allen's eyes and gave a silent message, reminding him of when they could read each other's minds. You can do this, the message said, so clearly, he wondered if the innocence had lasting effects, or if he just knew the samurai that well now.
With Kanda supporting him and giving him confidence, he was able to keep a straight face as they entered the intimidating building. There were security men lining the walls, and the black and white decorations were as he remembered. He supposed this place was grand now that he was looking at it, not running away in terror. It looked quite nice, he decided. It was even, perhaps, welcoming.
Phoenix Gallamore opened a tall, black door and led them to a brighter place. It looked to be a cafeteria, and tons of people wearing the dark cloaks Allen saw during his imprisonment. Others were dressed in lighter clothes, but both groups of people were smiling and laughing and mingling. The air smelled of all of his favorite foods blended together. It smelled wonderful, and made his stomach growl.
The place reminded him of the Black Order so much, he began to feel a bit homesick, even if he had only just left his home a few hours ago.
"This is the dining hall," Phoenix said. "Most of our people relax here. I believe Thomas explained to you a little about onyxes and silvers, right?"
Allen nodded, still unnerved by the chief. "He did."
"Here, onyxes and silvers are equal in status, but there are more onyxes in number. There is a third group of scientists, they're called the axinites. They are the minority, and they are the rough equivalent of your Great Generals. Here, they specialize in the use of magic. You probably will never see them, with the exception of one…" Gallamore trailed off quietly with a frown. "Anyway, you'll see him before long. Are you hungry? I understand you had just returned from a mission when you arrived back at the Black Order."
"Yeah, now that I think about it, I am pretty hungry," Allen said, looking around for him to order.
"You order over there," Phoenix said as he pointed to the far left corner of the room. "Thomas will escort you to my office when you are finished."
"Thank you, Mr. Gallamore," Allen said politely.
"The pleasure is all mine, Mr. Walker," he said, equally as polite.
"Since you're an organic, you must be starving!" Thomas said with a smile. "I guess you'd call yourself a… parasite-type? Here, we call it organic. It's easier, and it sounds less disturbing. Parasite sounds like it sucks the life out of you, when nobody likes to think of it that way."
Kanda had been silent during the 'tour' since he had nothing to say, but he, too, was starving, so he decided now there was something to say. "Do you have soba here?"
"You can order anything you like, we have a team of professional chefs from around the world," Thomas answered. "Since we have tons of organics, they are also pretty fast at cooking. They don't like to keep their friends waiting."
Allen and Kanda went to order, and while they were waiting, they saw quite a few people with tons of plates scattered around them. For the first time ever, Allen was surrounded by people with an appetite to rival his, and he thought it was strange. The entire White Order was strange to him, because he didn't remember it looking so much like the Black Order.
While they ate, Thomas rambled about the architecture, the layout, and how excited he was to be sharing a meal with Allen. Kanda continued to stay silent, but the snow haired teen was acutely aware of his presence. They sat close to each other, side by side, and occasionally, they brushed their legs or hands so Allen wouldn't forget that Kanda wasn't going anywhere, and he wasn't alone in this new environment.
After they finished, fear and uneasiness crept its way back into Allen's heart. He was almost able to forget while he was eating, but now that he was following Thomas down a dark hallway, the fear was unforgettable. Unconsciously, he grabbed Kanda's hand. Thomas was clueless as to what was happening behind him, but the silence was only building tension, so he tried to ramble about the structure some more.
Kanda's eyes were locked onto Allen's pale and frightened face. As best he could in the circumstances, he tried to reassure and comfort him. Gently, he raised their clasped hands and kissed Allen's. His small distraction worked and earned a small smile from the snow haired teen.
"Here we are," Thomas said as he turned around. Just barely in time, their hands were separated. Hopefully, the silver hadn't noticed anything.
The door was opened before anybody could even knock. "Ah, welcome. Come on in," a young teenage blonde girl said. "You must be Allen Walker and Kanda Yuu!" Kanda's face contorted into a frown at the use of his first name, but he said nothing in response to the girl. "I'm Riona Gallamore."
"Wait, are you the chief's sister?" Allen asked with a raised eyebrow, thinking of Komui and Lenalee.
The girl before him smiled and laughed. "I'm his daughter, actually. I kind of act as his assistant, I guess… but that's just so I can give a hand."
Allen's eyes widened in surprise. "They allow family here?"
The girl cocked her head to the side. "Of course they do. The families of innocence users all live here. We all try to pitch in somehow, though. Some of us study matter, some of us bond with innocence, some of us participate in security. There are also some of us that just make uniforms and coffee, or clean up the dining hall and kitchen. We try to keep every family together, so we offer up a place for them to live that's safe from akuma and the Millennium Earl. All we ask is that they help out somehow," she replied with another genuine smile.
"Wait, what do you mean bond with innocence?" Allen asked with a slightly wavering voice.
"Well, if you prove to be a good enough fighter, then you can talk to an axinite and they'll bond you temporarily to innocence so you can rank up. It's not that common, though. You have to pass a series of tests to get up there. Even I haven't gotten up that high," she said sheepishly. "I'm trying to get there, though."
"How is that possible?" Allen asked, his mind remembering how fallen ones were created by people who were forced to try and activate innocence that didn't belong to them.
"Oh, well, it's pretty hard, and it can only be done by a highly skilled axinite. They use magic to make it possible for you to bond with innocence, but it generally only lasts for a few years. People who want to continue active service will get it done yearly just to be safe. Anyway, I should really let my father explain all this to you," she said, leading them a ways down into a lounge-like office. It was a relaxing atmosphere, and the air smelled like vanilla. Expensive-looking furniture decorated the room and gave a very sophisticated feel.
"Hello, Mr. Walker, Mr. Kanda," Phoenix said, standing at a table pouring tea. "Would either of you like some?"
Kanda could smell the hint of mint tea mixed into the air with the vanilla, and decided a cup wouldn't hurt. "I would," he said cautiously, watching him pour it. Nothing appeared suspicious, and he knew nothing would get past him.
"I'm good," Allen said, taking a seat on the couch.
"Milk or sugar?" the older man said, looking at Kanda.
"Neither," he replied, sitting next to Allen.
"I'm sure you both have many questions," the brown haired man said. "Riona, please, leave us to discuss this. You should go to bed, it's pretty late."
"Yes, father. I'll see you tomorrow!" she said cheerfully before grabbing a leather bag and leaving the room. "Goodnight!"
Phoenix Gallamore handed the cup of tea to Kanda, who carefully took a sip. It was rather hot, but that didn't bother him. He had been right about the flavor being mint. It overall didn't taste bad, and it didn't taste like there was any sort of drug in it, so he kept drinking.
"Um… I don't know where to start," Allen said uncomfortably. "How about… the heart of innocence?" The snow haired teen fidgeted as he tried to find a more comfortable position.
"Ah, the heart. The heart of innocence belongs to none other than you," Phoenix said seriously. He ignored Allen's shocked face before explaining further. "That's what we believe, at the very least. We know from our silvers' research on each fragment of innocence that they each have something to say, and it generally pertains to the Heart. Hevlaska at the Black Order is able to give prophecies, but one of our silvers' abilities with innocence is to read an in-depth history of it. Through many investigations, we discovered that the heart had to belong to an organic apostle. The rest after that is all just theory. We've been watching you for a very long time, Mr. Walker," he said, crossing his legs in his chair. "Your innocence is far more powerful than most. You've pushed your synchronization far past a hundred. It's altered its shape based on your emotions, but not only has it altered itself, it's gotten stronger with you. Innocence itself is alive. The Black Order does not see that, but we do. It has a will, and it has a purpose. You are the first case known to the world to have ever bonded so well with your innocence. Your innocence chose to save you and actually became your heart."
Allen was over his shock now, but at the last line of the chief's explanation, he looked down to his chest and held a hand over his beating heart. "You're right," he said softly. He looked up at the chief and smiled. "My innocence saved me. After I finally synchronized with it again, I realized that we wanted the same thing. That doesn't make me the heart, though."
"Compare your innocence to everyone else you know," Gallamore said thoughtfully. He took a sip of his tea before continuing. "Your innocence has even altered its form to match the Earl's sword." Allen stiffened at the mention of the Earl. "That was not by accident. The innocence and the clan of Noah have been at war for a long time."
"Then why would the heart chose me, who was destined to become a Noah?" Allen said bitterly, trying to hold back his hatred towards the Fourteenth.
The man suddenly looked uncomfortable. "That… Mr. Walker, was by design."
"What is that supposed to mean?" Allen asked, his heart pounding with nervousness. Kanda shifted slightly closer to get his attention and to calm him down.
"Well… about sixteen years ago, we had a child go missing from our headquarters… he had organic innocence, and we were charged with taking care of him. We sent Mana Walker on a mission to find the boy and implant the Fourteenth's memories into him," the man said carefully, taking the time to choose his words. "He found the boy working at the circus after many years of searching."
Allen's heart pounded in anticipation… he knew where this was going, he knew it. He hated it, but he knew what was going to be said. His hands started shaking, so he clenched them as tight as he could.
"He adopted him after he identified him. He regave him the name he was born with… Allen." A tense pause filled the air as Allen tried to process that information. "Your original last name, however, is not Walker. That was a made up moniker Mana and Neah created a long time ago. Mana raised you, slowly implanting the memories of the Fourteenth over time. When he was about to bring you back here, he grew sick and died. We deployed Cross, who was closest, to come and collect you. Since he was under the ever watchful eye of the Black Order, he trained you to follow their rules. Cross Marian knew little of our operations… he was just our spy, but he took a liking to you. We made a deal that you could get to know the Black Order and hopefully reunite us with them…so we could stand united against the Millennium Earl."
Allen bit his lip as he trembled with suppressed anger. Never before in his entire life had he felt so used. "How… how did you know I was the heart then?"
"It was a guess," Gallamore replied. "Plus, the timing felt right for the heart to return to our world. Not only that, but… there was something about you when you were born here, sixteen years ago. I don't know how to explain it…" he continued with a feeling Allen couldn't identify.
"Who are my birth parents?" Allen asked. He made it a point to never think of them because he was always under the impression that they abandoned him, but now… he wanted to know who they were so he could punch them for allowing their son to be used like this.
"I'm not at a liberty to share that information," the chief said, looking anywhere but Allen. "They wish to keep their identity a secret."
"They don't want to get to know me?" the snow haired teen asked, now feeling a wave of disappointment crashing down on his heart. He hadn't noticed that he actually wanted to meet them until now, even if they used him so much.
"It's not that, I promise you. They told me that they would rather get to know you before they reveal themselves. They want to make a better impression on you without the emotional baggage you most likely have with them," Phoenix said softly, as if he understood abandonment issues. "You should know that they were torn up over your disappearance."
"Whatever," Allen said dismissively. He felt Kanda touch his arm, but he even that gesture didn't pull him from his emotional turmoil. Everything he ever knew was being flipped upside down once more, and he hated it. He hated the world right now, he hated the fact that his own parents were alive and most likely somewhere in the building, but didn't want him to know them. He hated that he was a pawn for so many things since the beginning of his life. Everything he knew was some sort of twisted lie, and he realized how easily he'd been dancing in their palms. Allen never saw himself as a puppet until then, and he hated feeling like he was out of control of his own life.
"Mr. Walker, I'm sorry," Phoenix said. "I'm sure they'll let you know who they are soon enough."
"Just tell me about the god damned Fourteenth," he said angrily, his polite attitude dissipating rapidly. He was no longer in the mood to keep up his usual façade. All of his emotions were going haywire, much to his chagrin. There was no way for him to control them after the news he'd been receiving.
"Roughly thirty years ago, we heard about a Noah who abandoned the Millennium Earl. We tried to ally ourselves with him, but he didn't trust us, so he rejected our offer. The Black Order and Central heard of our attempts to ally with him and got the wrong idea. They thought we had allied ourselves with the Millennium Earl, so they just attacked… they thought we were a threat. After the civil war… the Fourteenth and Mana were running out of places to hide. They found out what happened and decided we could be trusted, so together, we reestablished the White Order and kept to the shadows ever since. We were plotting to attack the Earl when the Fourteenth was kidnapped and killed. Mana was devastated, but he continued to work for us. I guess I should tell you that the Fourteenth Noah isn't the only one on our side…" Gallamore said as he trailed off. "We have one other."
Allen met his limit when he found out about his parents. At this point, nothing would surprise him. "Who is it?" he asked in a monotone.
"Road Kamelot, the Noah of dreams," he answered.
The snow haired teen actually realized he was wrong earlier… he couldn't be more surprised. Unless it was Tyki, perhaps, but Road seemed the most devoted to the Earl. The fact that she was on the White Order's side was surprising to say the least. "Wow…"
"Neah Walker and Road Kamelot were in love for a very long time, but they kept it a secret. In the first attempt to kill the Earl that Mana and Neah did on their own, she was a spy. In the end, all of the Noah were killed except her and the Millennium Earl. Since the White Order was reestablished, she's been secretly handing us innocence that she was supposed to destroy, so we don't send our onyxes and silvers out on missions to retrieve innocence, only to retrieve people we already know are accommodators," Gallamore said, clearly more comfortable with this topic than Allen's parents. "We have over half of the innocence that's out there. There are one hundred nine pieces. The Black Order has forty something pieces, and we have sixty three, including active innocence."
"How do you know so much about the Black Order?" Allen asked. "Cross wasn't the best spy. He was never around the Black Order."
"I can't share that with you…" Phoenix said cautiously. "After all, you aren't one of us…"
Suddenly, the door opened and revealed a very familiar face. "But you could be," he said.
Allen just about had a heart attack as he looked at the man in front of him. He was dressed in a long black trench coat with silver trim and blue markings of the White Order. His fiery red tousled hair shone in bright contrast to the dark colors of the coat. An arrogant smile hung on his lips and a glass of wine was held by a black gloved hand. A golden golem with wings was perched on his left shoulder. Red eyes gleamed as he said, "Hello, stupid apprentice."
Review, please! I really want to hear all of your thoughts on the stuff that happened here, because I'm trying a lot of different things, and it's all happening at once, so your input would be HIGHLY appreciated. :)
