So, one banana sandwich later and here I am ready to go again.

Another baby chapter.

I don't own D Gray Man, but I can claim ownership on the sadist. Just don't point your finger at me when she does something terrible.

Chapter 11- Broken

"What are you Walker?"

"Useless…"

"That's right. You can't do anything can you? Not even if I do this" she yanked a blade out. "You can't save yourself, can you?"

"No."

"You can't save your friends, can you?"

"No."

"What about your koi? Cold you save him?"

Allen's blank eyes flickered, something behind them raising itself to the surface. Kanda…

The Noah didn't like that. She slapped the blood coated face of the exorcist. "No. You can't. Do you know why?"

Whatever had stirred behind the grey eyes was gone. "Because I'm useless…"

"Good boy."

When the screaming began again, everybody winced. It sounded closer, louder, though whether that was because the location of the noise had changed or they just heard it more knowing who it was, none of the exorcists could answer.

Their shoulders ached from being tied behind them for too long, their backs throbbed from being tied to tightly to the chairs, and the true nature of the Noah of Faith's power became apparent.

Despite the ferocity of the initial attack, the exorcists had noticed that the helpless, lost feeling had lessened over time, leading them to think that the power was only temporary. But far worse than the original assault was the slow, growing, niggling sensation of despair that snaked through them as they sat in the darkness. They couldn't blot out the noise, so they didn't try, but each scream wore down at them, grinding into them how helpless they were.

Lavi was the first to realise what was happening. So he began to hum.

"Lavi, shut the hell up."

"I'm staying positive. Can't you feel it? The despair, the hopelessness? That Noah's ability is long-term, it wasn't over like we thought. She's been playing us, all the while her attacks been wearing us down."

Lenalee sighed. "It doesn't matter. We've just got to sit here and wait to be rescued, same as always."

"Lenalee, snap out of it! Thinking like that's not helping anyone!"

"Just sit here and wait…someone will come…eventually."

"Tch, just wonderful. Think positive. Got any more bright ideas?"

Lavi had resumed humming.

"Must you really do that?" Kanda sighed in defeat.

"I don't like the quiet. It's too quiet." Lavi rocked the chair backwards and forwards.

"Quiet? You want to have Moyashi screaming again?"

"That's not what I mean, I just-ah!" Lavi had managed to rock the chair forwards enough that it tipped, depositing him onto his feet. He groaned as his broken foot made contact with the floor, the hobbled over to Kanda, walking behind him. "Can you reach my hands?"

"My my, this is a bright idea. I'm mildly impressed."

"Shut it Yuu-chan. Can you reach the rope or not?"

Perhaps the Noah had not expected them to think of doing this, perhaps she had over-estimated the effect her ability would have on them, but for whatever reason, the ropes were easy to untie, and soon Lavi's arms were free. He caught the chair as it began to fall, whimpering as the blood rushed into his numb arms.

"Hurry up!"

"I've got pins and needles!" Lavi moaned as he fiddled with Kanda's knots. As soon as he was free Kanda picked up the ribbon and stowed it away in his pocket. Lavi sat down and nursed his foot as Kanda freed an unresponsive Lenalee.

"Don't take your boot off, baka! If your foot swells up you'll never get the bloody thing back on, and I am not carrying you, Lenalee and Moyashi out of here." He badgered Lenalee to her feet, slapping her face lightly until her eyes focused in on him. "Help Lavi" he ordered her. "Prove you aren't useless."

Lenalee blinked a few times. "Aren't useless?"

"No. Help him walk. We have to find our innocence." Kanda opened the door, looking about carefully. The door opened onto a corridor lined down one side with identical doors, the other with identical chairs. And resting on the chairs directly opposite the door he had just opened…

"Mugen." He lifted the sword reverentially, buckling the sheath to his belt. He passed Lavi his hammer. "I don't like this. It's too easy- it could be a trap."

"It doesn't matter." Lavi slid the size-shifting hammer into the holster at his thigh. "We've got more chance of escaping if we're outside the room than we have if we're tied up inside it."

Kanda nodded. "Fine, let's go." He took a few steps, ten stopped, looking at the floor.

"Lenalee, take Lavi and try and find an exit. I'll try and find Moyashi."

Lavi shook his head. "We are not splitting up."

Kanda cut him off. "We have no idea where he is. You wandering around injured isn't going to get him found any quicker. Besides, I've fought the Noah before, you just tried to get into her pants. I don't think your experience will help here."

Lavi started to argue but was glared down.

"Lenalee's still not with it." Kanda waved his hand in front of the girls face to prove his point. "We need you to get out and contact the Order."

Finally Lavi nodded, though he was clearly not happy with the situation. "Alright, but both of you come back safely, you hear?"

Kanda gave him a curt nod and started walking down the corridor.

"Good Luck Yuu-chan."

Kanda pushed open door after door in the never ending corridor. He was suspecting a trap more and more as time passed. There was no way to gauge how far he had walked. All of the doors, walls, chairs and even the blank patternless floor looked the same.

He jumped when he heard voices coming from a room a little further along, his hand flying to the sword at his side. The door to the room was slightly ajar.

"That's right, you just keep telling yourself that. I bet it doesn't even hurt any more does it?"

There was a small pause then a pain-filled cry that made Kanda's heart clench. He drew Mugen silently.

"Oh, maybe it does hurt still." The voice of the Noah sounded vaguely surprised. "I didn't think you'd still be able to feel that." There was a sharp crack, the noise of open palm meeting face. "Hey, hey! Don't die on me yet, I haven't finished playing with you." Another slap, followed by a wet sounding groan. "Much better."

Kanda prayed that the door was well-oiled as he pressed his palm against it. The door swung open noiselessly. Hooray for small miracles.

As he raised his eyes to the room, he had to hold back a gasp. The opposite wall was coated in blood, splashed across the pale green walls in various stages of drying. The source of all the blood was a short, fragile figure pinned halfway up the wall. Whatever whiteness occurred naturally to the form that hung limply had been obliterated, washed away by a sea of gore.

Despite his best efforts, a small sound escaped Kanda's mouth.

The Noah turned on him slowly, taking in his shocked, angry expression and the innocence blade pointed in her direction.

"Oh my, it seems I was careless!" She didn't sound bothered, and gave him a wide grin. "I don't want to fight you, it wouldn't be very nice if you died- you exorcists are too much fun not to play with!"

She stepped towards him and he raised Mugen to her face. She tutted as though disappointed by something.

"Take your lover and go. You're boring me."

The Noah stepped around him, heading towards the door. "This won't be the last time we meet. It was good while it lasted." With a last look at the far wall she stepped through the wide open door. "Don't let him die- I think he's my most favourite thing ever- so easy to hurt. All because the person he cares the most for thinks he's useless. I should thank you." And with that she was gone.

Kanda let out a breath he hadn't realised he'd been holding. Sheathing the blade, he almost ran the length of the room.

"Shit." He wasn't sure where to start. The blood encrusted knife hilts were everywhere.

He clasped hold of the first one, resting his other hand against the boy's bloody face. He felt Allen flinch away.

"Moyashi, can you hear me?"

"…"

"Moyashi?"

"My. Name...Allen." he forced out between gritted teeth.

Kanda smiled grimly. "This is going to hurt like hell."

Allen didn't respond, he just looked at him blankly. Kanda patted his cheek. "Come on now, don't give up on me. I'm going to start pulling them out now."

It took the best part of an hour to remove the broken body from the wall. Kanda had hoped that the boy would pass out so he wouldn't feel the blades coming out, wouldn't feel the slight twisting motion needed to release the suction the flesh had formed around the steel, but Allen stayed awake through it all, his eyes staring at something over Kanda's head, barely flinching as the knives were removed.

Kanda was desperate to get him away from this place, and gathered him as carefully as he could into his arms.

Allen grimaced. He's needed rescuing again. Useless…

A/N On a side note you do have to twist a blade to get it out of a body. That's why modern bayonet blades have "air holes" to stop the suction. Of course, we don't expect a Noah to start using military issue knives do we?

And I am so very sorry that Kanda did not kill Fran. I promise a satisfying end for the little bitch but I'm not done with her yet. Mwahahaha!!!

I am also getting fed up with Allen's pathetic-ness and Kanda's…Kanda-ness. I feel like banging their heads together. Or maybe I'll let Lavi do it… Ah well, more fun coming next chapter.

And deepest apologies to Niamh, author of The Fine Line. Someone commented that Fran was a little like Sable. It was never planned like that at all, and I don't want people to think I am a terrible idea-pincher of doom.

Much Lovage

Aerika-san