Disclaimer - I do not own D Gray Man

Chapter Eleven - Desperate Noah

After leaving Mana in a nearby inn the Fourteenth casually made his way down the street. Akuma were circling the city everywhere and as a precaution the Fourteenth used a magic spell to conceal himself from them. It wouldn't work on the more intelligent enemies but it would be enough to keep him off the radar of the low level Akuma that were searching for him and his brother. He just needed a little more time.

Just long enough to seal his memories in a host.

He could feel the presence of his fellow Noah, not in this particular city but somewhere nearby, and he knew that his time was drawing closer. It seemed that they were now more determined than ever to track him down and make him pay for his betrayal. The Fourteenth had realized all along that he couldn't run forever but he hadn't expected his past to catch up to him so quickly.

He'd wanted a little more time with the brother that he cherished, just a little more time, but apparently it just wasn't meant to be. His time was running out and there were things that he had to do before the destiny managed to catch up with him. So now the Musician was out walking the streets and searching for someone in whom to implant his memories, someone who could serve as his means to returning to Mana.

Searching for someone to inherit the License of the Player.

Whomever he chose to be the host to his memories would also be given the License of the Player and would, as a result, have the power necessary to control Noah's Ark. He would need that power later and thus had to give it to his host. It was dangerous to give this power to a stranger since he had no way of knowing to whom it was being given but there really was no other choice.

The Noah were growing closer and the Fourteenth felt his chest grow tight as he sensed the approach of the Millennium Earl. Now everyone was on the look out for him and, judging by his senses, they were in a city nearby. He was rapidly running out of time and he quickened his search for a host body, determined to perform the spell before he was discovered by his 'family members' turned enemies. Unfortunately it was rather cold out and the choices were woefully limited.

As he made his way down the street the Fourteenth wasn't really paying attention to where he was going, so intent was he on finding a host, and he almost fell when his foot came into contact with... something. It was soft so that narrowed down the list of things that it could be however the Fourteenth couldn't identify it by feeling alone. Glancing down the Fourteenth saw that a child, a little boy, had stumbled out of an alley and directly into his past. His gray eyes narrowed as he gazed at the little boy in an appraising manner.

"No. You can't. He's just a child."

The Fourteenth paid no heed to the small and far off voice of his conscience. He had long since learned to ignore that particular voice in his head. He focused his gray eyed gaze on the child, who immediately shrank back into the alley from which he had emerged. This wasn't what he had planned but the Fourteenth was rapidly running out of time so he took the hand that Fate had been kind enough to deal him. After all, his time was drawing to a close and he may not get a second chance.

With a small sigh the Fourteenth followed the little boy into the alley.

The child seemed absolutely horrified that he had been followed into his sanctuary and he immediately sank to the ground and pressed his little back against the building. He desperately wanted to escape the stranger who was walking toward him but he instinctively knew that he couldn't. Shaking with fear the child pulled his knees up to his chest and wrapped his arms around them in a protective manner. As though this could somehow shield him from harm.

The Fourteenth shook his head as he watched the child curl into a ball and press his back against the wall as though he were trying to sink into the building and disappear from sight. It was a pitiful display and there was a part of the Fourteenth that wanted to just turn around and walk away. The Musician actually took one step backward but as he made this move to leave his thoughts flashed to Mana and his resolve returned in full force. Everything that he was doing was for his brother and he knew that he couldn't back out now.

It was regrettable, what he was going to do to this child, but he had to do it.

"This wasn't what I had planned," the Fourteenth spoke in a quiet voice as he came to stand over the terrified child. "But I don't have very much time left. I know it isn't much consolation but I am sorry kid. You just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time."

This said the Fourteenth went about chanting the words that would forever seal his memories into the mind of this unfortunate child. To his knowledge this spell had never been performed on a child so he wasn't one hundred percent certain of what the affects would be but he didn't have time to search for a more suitable candidate. The Earl and the Noah were drawing closer to him with each breath that he took and it was now or never.

And never simply wasn't an option.

Once he had completed the spell that would forever damn this poor child the Fourteenth knelt in front of the kid. The kid's head was bowed as though in prayer and the Fourteenth reached out and, placing his hand under the little boy's chin, lifted his face so that he could look into his eyes. There was terror in the child's eyes as he gazed at the man who was now at eye level with him and with a start the Fourteenth realized that they had the same eyes. "Maybe Fate knew what it was doing after all," he said in a quiet voice.

There were tears running down the child's face but he made no sound. Perhaps he was too scared to make a sound or maybe he couldn't, the Fourteenth didn't know which and he didn't really have time to dwell on it. Placing a gloved hand over the little boy's eyes he whispered a couple of well chosen words that would plunge the boy into a deep sleep.

When he awoke he would have no memory of this meeting.

With a small sigh the child slumped sideways. The Fourteenth gazed at him for a moment longer before getting to his feet and quickly leaving the alley. Now that the spell had been cast he had to get as far away from his chosen host as possible before he was found by his enemies. The knowledge of this child would die with him. No one would know to whom the License of the Player had been given.

It was safer that way.

Pushing back the guilt that he felt over stealing the child's life from him the Fourteenth left the alley and made his way down the street. To the few people who were out and about on this cold say he would look like any normal person but the Fourteenth knew the truth.

He was a monster.

"I'm such a bastard," he thought to himself as he walked away from the alley where he had left the child.

"So I see you're still alive," a cold voice called out, breaking into the Musician's thoughts.

The Fourteenth didn't even bother to turn around and see who it was that had called out to him. There was no way that he would ever be able to forget that voice. The man who had spoken, and was now walking beside him, was the Exorcist General. He remembered that the man had helped him out after his failed attempt on the Millennium Earl's life, as well as helping him and Mana escape afterward, but he still didn't particularly care for the man.

"Obviously," he said in a calm voice, trying to keep his tone emotionless. It took a bit of work to keep the sarcasm at bay but he somehow managed.

"I must admit that I'm somewhat surprised," Cross said as he fell into step beside the Traitor Noah.

The Fourteenth ignored the man's words, his mind focused on something else. The Earl and the Noah were hot on his trail and he needed to make sure that Mana escaped. That was the sole purpose for all of his actions after all. His brother had to escape. "Hey Exorcist..." He knew the man's name was Cross but he had never used it. You called people whom you liked by their first name and since he only liked one person he preferred not to use names.

"What?" Cross asked, puffing on the cigarette that seemed to perpetually dangle from his mouth.

The Fourteenth vaguely wondered how the man afforded his various vices but quickly shrugged it off. It wasn't really any of his business after all and he had more pressing matters to worry about. "We both know that it's likely that I won't survive for very much longer..."

"Yea," Cross said casually, as though they were discussing the weather and not the Fourteenth's impending death.

"If I don't survive I want you to watch over Mana for me," the Fourteenth said in a quiet voice. He hated to ask this man for anything but his brother's safety was more important than his pride. It was more important than anything else.

"Why the hell would I do that?" Cross demanded.

The Fourteenth had expected this reply from the man who claimed to care about nothing. He had thought about several ways to get the man's cooperation and had quickly decided that the truth would be the best way to go about it. Or at least part of the truth. "Because I'm going to come back to him. I WILL be the one who destroys the Millennium Earl. That bastard will die by my hands."

That statement served to get Cross' complete and undivided attention. He knew that the Noah brat was an accomplished magician and he found himself running through a list of spells in the hopes of coming across one that would enable someone to come back from the dead. His eyes widened as he thought about the one possibility that made sense under the circumstances. Surely he didn't...

The Fourteenth could tell by the look on the man's face that he had captured the Exorcist's attention. "It wasn't what I planned but it's the way it has to be."

This said the Musician took his leave of the red haired Exorcist General. He was certain that Cross would keep an eye on Mana just so that he could find out how the Fourteenth was coming back to him. Since he was a magician himself the Fourteenth knew that the Exorcist General's intellectual curiosity would keep him tied to Mana until the Fourteenth's memories emerged in the boy.

He was counting on that fact.

A/N - we're nearing the end. Hope you guys are enjoying this story, please leave a review and tell me what you think.

Mana: I wasn't even in this chapter.
The Musician: Sorry but there were a couple of things that I had to do.
Mana: 'gazes at his brother suspiciously' What did you do?
The Musician: You'll find out.