Disclaimer: I do not own D Gray-Man, I seriously doubt I ever will. Like, it's not possible that I ever will.

AN: Hello! This is a looonnng ass chapter, I hope you enjoy it :D Thanks to the reviewers, story alerts and favourites, because every single one makes me feel fan-fucking-tastic (sorry about the swearing, I get excited easily) and just...everyone's awesome. Oh, by the way, it may seem like there's LaviLena in here...for some reason, I can't stand that pairing, so rest assured it won't be.


"Allen! Krory! Ai!"I could hear Lenalee's voice even from amidst the churning waves of muck.

God-freaking-damn it!

I squirmed, feeling myself tire by the second. Through a tiny crack, I saw Lenalee stumbling forward.

"Stay away, Lenalee!"Allen yelled.

"You can't move?" A voice asked.

Lenalee looked like a deer caught in headlights as she was caught by the invisible twins.

"Perfect, looks like the old vamp knows where we are so we'll use you as a shield!"

"Don't you dare, you stupid twins!" I finally managed to grip both of my knives, now struggling to move my arms.

"Let go of Lenalee!" Allen yelled, and I felt a huge boom as I tore my way out. Allen had used his arm to force his way out and I wiped my forehead.

"Ohhh? They're like a stepped on landmine!"

"Come on, pupils!"

"Allen! Ai!"Lenalee called from the little bubble she was stuck in.

"We'll just give you a harder present..."

"From a time when he was laughing when in fact actually being really pissed, the Earl of Millennium!" An Earl flew forward, wielding a sword while grinning.

"The Earl?"Allen said in surprise.

"It's an illusion!" I leaped back.

"The strength is real..." Allen eyed the path of destruction the sword had torn.

"Ai, go get Lenalee! I'll hold whatever this is off!" Allen yelled as he dodged the Earl's swings.

I paused for a moment, but then leaped away, aiming for the bubble, but I was stopped by a wild swing.

"Let me out of here!" Lenalee hit the bubble angrily.

"You're damn noisy! Shut up!" Jasdevit yelled.

"Frankly, we don't even care about you guys! We just want to fight those two. So shut up while we use you, moron. Or do you wanna get erased?"Devit poked his tongue out. Lenalee punched through the bubble, hitting him square in the face.

"Handling the lives of people like toys...you're small kids! Although you're about our age...You just act like idiots! All you did was play around like naive children! Allen and Ai both know the value of life! You're no match for them!"

"Lenalee!" Allen tried to get past the Earl. Arystar punched the Earl but at the last moment, it was blocked with his sword. Allen used his hand against him, but suddenly it was like we were electrocuted. We dropped to the ground, breathing hard.

"I don't know why, but he's a tough one..." Allen said.

"To be beaten by someone with such a body, it's a disgrace!" Arystar puffed in annoyance.

"Just because it's not the real Earl it doesn't mean it's not going to kill you if you don't pay attention-lero!" The umbrella said tauntingly.

"I'm going to try save Lenalee again. I'm counting on you guys to keep him occupied." I got up dizzily, while Allen and Arystar both nodded.

All of a sudden a bright light emitted from the pillar Lavi had been.

"Lavi!" Allen cried happily.

"He's found the key!" The door of the pillar was flung open and the Earl was sucked through.

"The pillar was the next door?"

I laughed slowly as I blinked, waving my hand in front of my eyes and blinking.

"We can see you!" We punched the twins in the face angrily.

"Oh, I've wanted to do that for a long time." I rubbed my knuckles.

"Oi, why didn't you hit with your left hand?" Arystar said to Allen.

"The claw prevents me from making a fist. I wanted to pay them back for hitting Lenalee first." Allen said with a satisfied look on his face.

"For now. Huh, I still don't get their magic trick, but it gave us quite the hard time. But they themselves are quite easy prey. Brats."Arystar said.

"Sorry, Lenalee! I'll let you out of there now." Allen tapped against the bubble.

"Yeah, sorry for being caught."

"Calling us brats?"Jasdevit seethed, standing up from the bookcase.

"Wanna taste the real thing?"

"We'll cut the games...We'll erase you for real now."

"What's happening?" Lavi asked from his spot on the pillar.

"It's like the air got heavier."

"Hurry up and get Lenalee out of there, Allen."

"This is so tiring. With their abilities, there is no telling what will come next." Arystar said grimly.

"If you think we're still fucking around, you'll be dead in no time."They were standing with their backs to us, the air around them distorted. There was an eerie singing, and each of them raised their guns to each other's head. A loud shot rang out as they both pulled the trigger.

"They shot each other?"

Their shadows slowly swirled out of shape and gathered in a whirlpool behind them.

"They're gathering as one..." Lenalee whispered. Smoke billowed off them, and their bodies were disappearing slowly.

"Be careful." Allen warned.

"Pshaw. I'm getting excited what they're planning next."

"I don't know...the twins are odd, to say in the least..." I said warily.

"You guys! Get outta there!" Lavi's voice yelled suddenly.

"Look up!"

There was a whoosh beside me as Arystar flew past me, flying into the bookshelf and smoldering.

"Krory!"

"One down..." I looked up to see who the voice belonged to and a long haired figure stepped out of the smoke.

"We, Jasdero and Devit are actually one Noah. We are Jasdevit."

"Next one..."

I didn't see a thing before I was suddenly hurtling through the air, tumbling along the hard floor. Before I passed out, I could have sworn he licked me and laughed.


My body shaking from coughs and spasms are what woke me up and I gasped in a deep breath. There was smoke in the air from Lavi's trademark fiery hammer. I realised my vision was obscured and I touched my eye. Taking my hand away, I saw it was covered in blood and I swore. Every movement made me want to swear or just stop moving because it sent shocks of pain through my body.

"Geez, being an exorcist is so inglorious!" I wiped the blood from my eye, stumbling forward and clutching my side. The blood was still flowing openly from the wound on my forehead so soon half my vision was obscured again. I didn't usually get this badly hurt, none of the jobs I used to do included direct fighting, not unless there were bodyguards of a particularly good caliber, and even then I usually managed to dispatch or knock them out quite easily. Long story short, I was bad with handling pain.

"Ai! Allen, she's awake!" Lenalee was there, reaching for my hand.

"Allen! Lavi! Take Lenalee, Ai and Chaozii and go through the next door!" Arystar's urgent voice reached my ears and I had to swivel my entire head to see Arystar holding onto Jasdevit tightly.

"Let go, you pervert!" He growled as he skewered Arystar through the back, but he didn't let go. The ground started to crack violently.

"This room's destruction has begun-lero!" The umbrella squealed.

"Hurry up and go! It's this room's limit! We can't let everyone rot away in here, right?" Arystar hollered.

"I'll be the one to stay behin-"Allen said.

"Hurry up and go!"

"But you're hurt!"

"That's exactly why! With these wounds, I can't fight much longer! Beyond this door, who will protect Lenalee, Ai and Chaozii?"

"I don't need protecting! Krory!" I called to the panting Arystar, every word rattling my brain.

"Don't be ridiculous! You guys have to go! I believe in you, so I'm telling you to go! Go!" The room split, Arystar completely disappearing from sight.

"You jerk!" I swore angrily at him. Someone grabbed the collar of my jacket and before I knew it, I was through the door.

"How could you make me leave him behind? Let me go back! I hate people who leave me the most, how could you let me be a hypocrite?"I struggled with whoever was holding my coat. I could hear Lenalee having a similar argument with Allen.

"Ai! Snap out of it!" Lavi gripped my shoulders and I was about to throw him off when a frustrated yell came from Allen.

"Both of you! It's alright! We will definitely all go home together, Krory and Kanda too. I'm not giving up either, I'm struggling and struggling to protect everybody no matter what. You guys aren't being the strong people I know. After all, you're older than me, right?"

"Your seniors ain't giving up either. Also, Krory still has three bottles of the akuma blood from Chomesuke. He's quite the man, that Krory. " Lavi butted in.

"Argh! You make me feel so immature! Fine! You better be right!" I growled, pointing at Allen. He nodded, smiling sadly but with sincerity. We were faced with stairs and I looped a hand around Lenalee's waist to help her up the stairs.

"Ai, aren't you hurt? Don't worry about me, I'm fine!" She tried to push me away but I held on tightly.

"Don't be silly, my vision is just a little blocked, your legs..." I gestured and started the slow walk up the stairs. Not before long, we were both panting, and while the blood was finally coagulating and I could see again, my body was weakening.

Dear lord, I hate stairs.

"Allen, could you please help Lenalee? I'm getting tired," I said in between breaths.

"Of course!" He grabbed Lenalee's hand immediately and helped her up.

"If Komui finds out, you'll get in big trouble. Isn't it a good thing Timcampy has gone off somewhere, Allen?" Lavi grinned immaturely while looking at their hands.

"Ha...ha..." Allen laughed like he was trying to comfort himself. I took a deep breath, whole body aching.

"Hey, Lavi, if you have time to tease other people, why don't you carry me up the stairs?" I joked tiredly, slumping forward as I continued the slow ascension. My stomach felt like it was in my throat when I thought I missed a step, but my entire body followed and I realised Lavi had taken my joke at face value.

"There!" He grinned cheekily. I stared at him, glad none of his bare skin was touching mine, because even as it was I was super aware of his hands and body. I twisted my legs, kicking like I was underwater and jumped out of his arms.

"If I let you carry me up, I'm going to owe you, and who knows what favours you're going to ask for?" I poked my tongue at him, pulling a face.

"Aw, and I thought I got you on that one."He placed his arms behind his head.

"Ah! So you do admit you were trying to get a favour! Conniving bookworm."I flicked him.

"Bookworm?"

"You're Bookman Junior one minute, then you're Lavi, and then you're rabbit. You can just be bookworm to me." I waved my hand at him in a 'whatever' motion.

"Eh? That's not fair! If you get to call me bookworm, I get to call you..." He paused, thinking hard. "How about 'lover'?" He said with a wide grin on his face.

"That's an awful pun. No." I shook my head. He had used the meaning of my name-love-to form that ridiculous nickname.

"It wasn't meant to be a pun." He grinned. I hid the tiny bit of happiness I felt at his words even though I knew he was joking and it was silly to be happy from it. I ignored him pointedly as we kept slowly making our way up the stairs and I tried to keep my panting to a minimum as my legs burned, as well as various other light scrapes. As tough as I tried to act, I wanted to sit down and just not move again. It was taking all I could not to whine and complain like a little child. I distracted myself by immersing myself in Lavi's antics and asking him questions.

"Your memory's that good?" I referred to his discovery of the key.

"Yup!" He nodded.

"You can memorise everything you see just by seeing it once?"

"Uh huh."

"No way, I don't believe you!" I scoffed. He thought for a moment and then turned to me.

"When we first met, your jacket flapped open. You have six needles and two daggers on the strap on your right thigh, two needles and one dagger on the other thigh and a scar on your knee that looks like an animal bite. You have..." He paused and it looked like he was counting in his head.

"Four straps on each boot. The buckle on the third strap of your right one is worn and on the verge of breaking. I still remember more, wanna hear?" He grinned cockily. I was incredibly impressed, he was spot on. But I guess he was right about only remembering what he saw, because there was a push dagger and lengths of nylon thread tucked around the back of my thigh.

"Show off." I muttered quietly. "No, I get the point. That must be incredibly useful...and absolutely agonizing." I mused. He looked surprised and the grin dropped off his face, replaced by a more sober and serious one. It wasn't an expression I saw on him often.

"Why do you say that?" He asked.

"If I remembered everything I've seen with perfect clarity, just how insane do you think I'd be right now?" I made a hand motion that meant 'pretty damn insane'. "I don't what you've been through, but it can't all be sunshine and flowers."

He was quiet for a moment, but shrugged.

"I think you're insane without remembering everything," He said with a straight face.

"That's what I get for feeling a little sorry for you, huh?" I slapped him on the back of the head.

"I have to keep trying!" Lenalee said suddenly. We all turned to her in surprise.

"Ah! I said it out loud!"She turned red.

"'Keep trying'?" I asked suspiciously.

"So you really are straining your legs, Lenalee!" Allen accused.

"I-it's not what you're thinking! It's just that as soon as we return to the Order I'll have to do some basic training!" Lenalee said.

"What serious things are you thinking about?"

"I'm going to go to sleep! Ya gotta sleep on these kinda things!" Lavi advised.

He really is just going to take a nap anywhere when he gets back?

"I'll be fine, even if I don't sleep, really!" She reassured.

"This is bad, Lenalee! You have to think more sexy thoughts or you else you'll never find a lover!" Lavi said way too frantically. I punched him on the shoulder at the same time Allen kicked him in the face.

"That's impolite, Lavi!" Allen yelled.

"It's none of your business!" Lenalee said indignantly, while red coloured her face.

"Ouch...it's...it's none of my business but..." For the first time, I saw Lavi flustered and looking like he was feeling awkward.

He likes Lenalee.

That was the thought that instantly popped up in my head, and no matter how much I tried to push or shove, it wouldn't move. All of a sudden, I felt like punching in a wall. I didn't even know if it was a hundred percent true or just the paranoid thoughts in my brain, but it pissed me off that it hurt me.

Lavi tried to quickly change the subject.

"When we get back, what're you gonna do, Allen?"

"I'll eat." Allen answered immediately. "I'll eat every possible dish Jeryy can make, all of them!" Allen said with the sort of ambition only a person who loved eating could have. "What about you, Ai?"

I blinked, scratching my cheek.

"Uh...sit around?" I shrugged. It was something I did when I didn't have anything to do or didn't know what to do.

"Eh? That's weird and boring, Ai!"Lavi whined.

"Pfft! Hahahaha!" Chaozii burst out laughing. "I-I'm sorry, just seeing you exorcists right now, it's as if you're similar to us, the ordinary people. Because they say things like you're apostles of god, I thought the way you all thought was much more different from ordinary people. Like how you tell jokes and laugh, feel fear...I didn't think you had something like that." He laughed tiredly. Allen walked over, placing a hand on Chaozii's.

"Just one more, if we climb over what's waiting for us beyond this, we can definitely get back. When you're uneasy, just think about fun things. You'll feel better. It's alright." Allen said kindly.

Chaozii nodded, holding back tears.

"Kagh! Don't be so carefree at a time like this-lero! Wishful thinking...don't you understand that there's no hope yet-lero?" The umbrella shrieked.

"It's not like that, Lero. The thing I want to do the most when I get home is say 'I'm back' to Komui and the others. No matter how faint our hopes are, even if we don't have anything that we can rely on, I will never give up." Allen smiled. We neared the top of the stairs and Allen stepped onto the top step.

"Allen!" Road yelled as she tackled Allen into a hug.

"Road!" He said in surprise. Road grinned, and suddenly kissed Allen right on the mouth.

Holy...! My jaw dropped open.

"Road-sama! You can't kiss an exorcist-lero!" The umbrella pushed her away.

"Ahh, Lero! I haven't even said hello to Ai yet!" She peeked around Lero. I raised a hand hesitantly and shakily in a half hearted wave. Allen stood very still, shocked witless.

"Allen! Hey, Allen!" Lavi shook him by the shoulders but Allen gave no response.

"Road...what are you...? Do you like that boy that much?" Tyki leaned his cheek on his hand, a shocked look on his face. He sat at the end of a long rectangular dining table, food and candles decorating it nicely.

"It's the first time I've seen you give something like a kiss to someone other than the Earl," He said matter of factly.

"I won't give you one, Tyki!" She swung the umbrella around happily.

"What are you doing? Sit down." He gestured to the seats. "While I was waiting for you, I got hungry, so about dining together?" He ate calmly. "I wanted to talk to you before fighting."

"I'll have to refuse, I take my time to eat when I have it." Allen finally snapped out of haze induced by Road.

"Time? Don't you want to know how much you have left of it?" Tyki asked.

"Outside. It's a superb view," Road said, sitting on the table. We quickly dashed to the edge of the tall building and was greeted with the 'superb view' of absolutely nothing. White, blank space.

"I don't even think you have an hour. All that's left if where we are, nothing but this tower. Apart from here, everything else has collapsed and been destroyed."

That was it. The stupid princess, Krory, I left them behind. Now they were gone. I took a deep breath. I wanted to go on a rampage, I wanted to sit down and cry, I wanted to swear, I wanted to go back to the way I was, uncaring and selfish, I wanted to...destroy something.

The door slammed shut and locks appeared around the handles.

"What are you-"Lenalee spun around.

"Sit down." Road ordered from behind me, smiling.

"Take a seat, exorcist. Or are you scared?" Tyki taunted.

Allen slammed his hands into the table, sitting down. We followed, hesitantly sitting down.

"It looks like we can finally take our time to talk, boy. Don't make that face. I haven't set any traps. Didn't I saw there'd be no cheating?"He said cheerfully.

"It'll be alright, Allen! On this tower's top floor, my door is prepared properly and everything!" Road hugged Allen fondly.

"It would be pleasing if it lead outside as well," Allen said. I sat beside Lenalee and I could almost see her visibly shaking. The only reason I wasn't was because of my natural reaction to calm myself every time my heartbeat accelerated. It was dangerous to be excessively nervous on an assignment, for yourself and for the target. I exhaled, reaching my hand over to grip hers. She was always holding my hand, she was always reassuring me...I didn't have the option of being selfish anymore. I had to give something back to the people who saved me.

"Calm down, Lenalee. Allen's trying his best as well." I smiled, pushing down the uneasiness.

"What was it that you wanted to discuss, Mr. Tyki?" Allen asked.

"Or is it Mr. 'Sticky-fingered, immoral orphan and tramp'?"

"Don't be so cold, boy. An exorcist made a Noah strip down to his underwear. Was that the first time you've done that? Do you think it was destiny?" Tyki leaned forward.

"Not really. There are a lot of people that I've made strip down to their underwear playing cards." Allen shrugged casually.

"Oh, what a dark thing to say!"

"Is it about this innocence?"Allen raised his left arm.

"The truth is, I was pretty shocked. I was sure that I broke it down."

"But you couldn't break it down, right? After all, it's right here." Allen smiled smugly.

"Oh? Have you become interested in the innocence now, Tyki?" Road asked.

"Just a little bit. So anyway, boy, is it because of that left am that you're alive, even though the tease ate through your heart?"

I kept my surprise to a minimum, feeling guilt stab through my stomach again and again. I had left him when his heart had a freaking hole in it.

"Your heart?" Lavi and Lenalee exclaimed.

"Hey, I didn't hear about this, Allen! You took that kind of injury?"

"A part of my innocence became part of my heart, there's no problem at all."He brushed it off.

"Road, isn't it about time you let go of the boy?" Tyki lit a cigarette.

"Huh? But I love him!"Road declared.

"Nothing's going to come out of love between an exorcist and a Noah."

"Don't climb onto him! You know the Earl's scenario of demise? Half of me is taking part just to have fun. As expected, you gotta be evil to have fun. Thanks to you boy, I'm a little self conscious now. Extermination? I see that you're going to seriously try and do it." Tyki looked at him from under his eyelashes. Two butterflies-the tease- flew over, one landing on top of the hand I was holding Lenalee's in and one onto Lenalee's shoulder. Instantly and without even thinking, I swiped at it, crushing it in my free hand. Allen had stabbed the other one with his claw, standing up while glowering quietly.

"If you lay a hand on my comrades anymore than this...I may end up killing you." He straightened up. "Lenalee, believe in me. I will take him down."Allen leaped onto the table, running for Tyki.

"I don't hate you boy, but..." Tyki opened his hand and a giant striped butterfly unfurled from his palm.

"Allen!" Lavi and I jumped up but Road stepped between us and Allen.

"You know, Tyki likes Allen too. Don't get in the way. Play with me, Bookman. Don't you remember how much fun we had, Ai?" She grinned, but it was like there was a dark undertone in her voice.

A clear box suddenly appeared around Lenalee and Chaozii.

"Lenalee! Chaozii!" Lavi called.

"Road..." I didn't want to fight her, but if it came to be that she was going to hurt my...my...friends-there, I said it-I would have no choice.

"W-we're okay, it looks like we've just been shut in."Lenalee pressed her hands against the box cautiously.

"Right now, I'm shutting them in just for you, Ai. So? Let's play!"

"Lavi...Ai, I'm sorry..." Lenalee said through the box. I placed a hand against the clear box, forcing a calm smile onto my face.

"We'll be fine! We're going to rescue you for sure." I reassured, not even positive of that fact myself. Road was the one who had messed with my head, pulling out the pure assassin in me. I wasn't sure of her ability, but it terrified me. All Noahs seemed to be pretty sadistic.

"The eldest child of the clan of Noah, Road, was it? I'll play, on the condition that Ai won't have to fight, and that if I win, you'll let those two go." Lavi took out his hammer, growing it out to a normal size.

"Lavi...!" I said in surprise.

"I know you don't want to fight her. Trust me, I can do it." Lavi didn't waver.

"Hmm? But I wanted to play with Ai as well!" Road tapped her foot against the ground thoughtfully. "Fine, I agree. I'll just play with her differently." A black mass flew out from Road, engulfing both of us.


AN: Thanks for reading! I'll always write whether I get reviews or not, because I just love doing it, and I have good faith in you guys that if you like it enough you'll review and brighten up my otherwise boring as shittake days. Laters!