Neil: The Millenium Earl and Sebastian are "real" demons, Noah are still human. As for Kanda's behaviour… He does need Mugen back, right? And that meeting was "seen" from Sebastian's point of view, so no alarm bells there, only in this chapter =)
A second title from Muse's awesome "Knights of Cydonia"!
Ch. 11: When God falls asleep on the job
After Kanda had so surprisingly left with the earl and his butler, the exorcists hadn't stayed long in the park. Komui had only waited for Miranda to report that the earl's carriage had left to ask her to pull back and go to the headquarters. Through his golem, through which Marie had secretly been listening to the meeting, he had asked the man to wait for them in his office and, together with Allen and Lavi, they had left the park.
Their trip to the headquarters had gone in silence, only broken by Komui asking the generals and exorcists to gather in his office in two hours' time. All the way, Allen had wondered whether the supervisor was seriously considering the proposition and why the hell Kanda hadn't gone back with them. He hadn't expected that.
Nobody said a word until they reached the office, where Marie was already waiting for them with a serious expression on his face. He twitched when they entered, but said nothing as Lavi and Allen settled next to him on the sofa and Komui took his seat behind his cluttered desk.
'What did you think about Kanda's behaviour, Marie?' the supervisor asked, breaking the uncomfortable silence that filled the office. Allen thought that he wasn't the only one confused about the outcome of the meeting. 'You know him best, after all,' Komui added, even though it wasn't necessary. The blind man sighed. Lavi sat a bit straighter on the sofa and looked at Marie intently.
'He was seemed very stressed for all the wrong reasons,' Marie said. 'Forget the fact that he just left with them quietly and didn't once react to being called by his given name. He should be freaked out by Mugen gone missing, since that blade is the most important thing in the world for him,' he added.
'I thought so too,' Komui muttered. Allen agreed with them, but he wasn't sure what that implied. If Kanda had somehow known where the blade was, he wouldn't be waiting around idly, would he? He looked from Komui to Marie and then at Lavi, when the red-head asked if it wasn't obvious.
'What do you mean?' he asked back, thoughts racing. Lavi smiled sadly.
'I mean that they both know where Mugen is, at least to a certain degree in the case of Kanda. When that butler found Kanda, he must have taken Mugen and hid it,' he said quietly. It made perfect sense, but, at the same time, it made no sense at all. Marie muttered something that sounded vaguely like "bastards".
'To what end?' Allen asked, feeling like he was the only one not catching up with the situation.
'I suppose it's not difficult to guess,' Komui muttered. If the situation hadn't been that serious, Allen would have complained about them making him feel stupid. 'That boy has an issue with the Noah. Accidentally, he meets people who can fight them and he's even asked to help and find one of those people. So he thinks: if the Order is so desperate as to ask outsiders for help than it's likely that the Order will do a lot to get the exorcist back.'
'He's using Kanda to blackmail us?' Allen gasped, as everything suddenly fell into place. By holding Mugen, Ciel had the power over Kanda, who would do everything to get his katana back. Holding Kanda hostage, Ciel had leverage over the Order.
'By the central administration, Kanda is seen as a valuable weapon that should not fall in the hands of others,' Lavi added. Allen glared at him for even voicing such a statement: however unpleasant, Kanda was a person. Marie muttered something under his breath when Komui agreed with that statement. 'They will order us to retrieve him at all costs.'
'Until they hear about the earl's proposition,' Komui protested bitterly. Allen thought back to the words of the little boy, about how Sebastian would help them fight the Noah. He couldn't help but wonder what one man could hope to achieve against that clan. Then again, Kanda seemed to think that Sebastian was a valuable ally. 'To them the possibility of finally ending the war will be too much of a temptation,' the supervisor added. Silence fell in the room.
'Do you think that this butler would really go against the Noah on his own?' Allen asked finally, unable to sit in the silence anymore. He didn't really want to believe it, but the earl didn't really look like he was joking.
'Of course not,' the supervisor said. 'No man can hope to defeat those monsters and that butler didn't look like an idiot. That's why they need Kanda. At least he looked to be fine,' he added pensively. 'Not that it's easy to judge, with his regeneration abilities.'
'He was walking a bit stiffly,' Lavi noted and Allen nodded. Even though it had been barely visible, the lack of the swordsman's usual grace was so obvious it almost hurt. 'Though of course whoever was holding him against his will must have done something to subdue him.'
Allen winced. With Kanda healing almost instantaneously, the "subduing" must have been particularly painful. Not to mention the fact that the healing probably awoke the sadistic side of the aggressors. Allen had seen that happen once. He tried not to think too hard about it, grateful that the arrival of Lenalee provided a distraction.
'So will you finally say what you have been up to just now?' she asked as soon as she stepped through the door. Komui looked at her, surprise clearly written across her face. 'Don't give me that look, brother,' she scolded. 'Yesterday Allen and Marie were so jumpy it was impossible to have a conversation and today you all disappear without saying anything to anybody. Don't think I don't notice those things, so you better tell me everything.'
'Why don't we wait till everybody gathers and that way they can explain it once and for all?' Miranda suggested, entering the office. Of course, she knew about everything, having been in the park and all. Of course, she was also a bad actress and it took Lenalee one glance at the shy woman to realise that there were even more people let in on the secret. She was about to protest against the unfair treatment, but the generals took that moment to file in, one by one, followed by all the other exorcists currently residing in the headquarters.
Allen couldn't help thinking that they weren't all that many. Maybe Kanda had been right when he said that the Order was in no position to say "no" to any offer of help? It was a sad thought, especially when that help would be in form of a single man. Thankfully, before his thoughts turned even more pessimistic, Komui cleared his throat, getting all the attention.
'The Order has been given an interesting proposition today,' he started in a clear and serious tone. 'I know that the central will order us to go through with it, but it is you lot who will be risking your lives, so I'm going to ask you first,' he added. Allen could see that he had everybody's undivided attention.
})i({
With a smirk, he looked up at the building he had found at the destination. Finding his target, as ordered by the young master, hadn't been even half as difficult as he had expected. All he had needed to do was to follow the stench of pitiful demons to find a beautiful mansion that could easily compete with Phantomhive manor. Not that he expected anything different from his annoying brother.
He closed his eyes briefly and morphed into his true form, not wanting to give away his current position or contractor. At least not until he had to, he amended, taking a look around the mansion. A couple of "powerful" demons patrolled the grounds, but Sebastian ignored them as he walked closer to the building and the pathetic creatures cowered away as soon as they felt his presence. The satisfaction he felt was irritating. What else could he have expected anyway?
Nobody came to stop him or ask about his aim. Self-assured, he walked into the building, not needing anybody to tell him where his brother was. He could feel the damned devil's spawn, just like his brother had probably felt his presence the very moment Sebastian neared the mansion. So much for a surprise visit, but with a family like that, it was a useful skill.
He crossed the corridors in confident strides, shadows stirring in his wake. Black feathers fluttered in the air as he willed the door open and entered the room where his brother was. He immediately noted that his brother didn't bother with taking the real form, rather opting to remain the fat, grinning thing that was called the Millennium Earl.
'You are such a show off, brother,' the weird creature-mask greeted in a voice that grated on Sebastian's nerves. He forced himself not to wince, because in his current form, it would be too visible. The creature-mask cackled, its face not even twitching. 'To what do I owe the pleasure of seeing you here?' it asked.
'I have a deal for you,' Sebastian said, keeping his inhuman voice smooth and tempting. He had decided, upon seeing the creature-mask, that he would cut straight to the business to spend as little time as possible with the annoying thing that had the guts to call itself the creator of demons. The Earl laughed and prompted him to continue, sounding as though he was having the time of his life. 'By my current contractor, I am obliged to kill all your Noah,' he stated, enjoying how his brother recoiled. He laughed and the demonic sound echoed off the walls of the large, empty room.
'Why would you come and give me a forewarning?' the Earl asked when the laughter subsided. Sebastian allowed a smile to twist his face, perfectly aware of the nasty feeling it gave of. The Earl, however, seemed to be undisturbed this time.
'I will do it regardless of their struggling and there is nothing you can do to stop me, unless you would like to challenge me for a duel yourself,' Sebastian said, letting his voice be smooth and cold again. 'However, if you make it easy for me and gather all them in one place, I will arrive with a gift for you,' he interrupted the Earl. 'A bribe, you could say,' he added.
'How would you like to bribe me to betray my family?' his brother asked, trying to sound insulted, but Sebastian only laughed again. He wasn't going to be fooled by the act, knowing that his brother cared about the Noah in the same way as he cared for most of his contractors.
'I will come with the Black Order,' he said simply. His brother stared, his surprise visible even on the insane mask he wore as face.
'You sure are full of surprises, brother dear,' the Earl said finally, seeming to be perplexed but thoughtful. 'The Black Order had been a thorn in my side for more years than I care to count. How did you happen upon them?'
'This is not important,' Sebastian said firmly. 'What should interest you is that I can bring them to you, wherever you want, on the day we agree on. Once I arrive with them, you can do as you wish.'
'As long as I let you kill my Noah,' his brother amended, still sounding thoughtful. Sebastian nodded slightly. 'You are a true temptation, brother,' he added and Sebastian smiled slightly, knowing that he had won. It wasn't all that difficult to tempt his brother, who loved cruelty and irony above everything else. Besides, they were devils and their favourite pastime was to play with the fragile and irrelevant beings that humans were.
'My current contractor is, of course, off limits for your Noah and demons and should there be one scratch on him, we will talk differently,' Sebastian added threateningly and the shadows behind him thickened. His brother, however, only laughed and said that there was no need to be overprotective and that he would not dare to touch the soul marked by his older brother. Of course, Sebastian was confident that he would be able to still protect his little master, but one could never be too careful with precious souls.
'Well, brother, let's have a game then. In three days, I have planned a meeting with my Noah here,' his brother said, a nasty smirk as audible in his voice as it was invisible on the mask he wore over his face. 'My precious Noah pride themselves for being invincible and I am most curious how they will face your superhuman strength. For I assume you shall come dressed up, if you plan to bring those pathetic demon-hunters,' he added.
'Very well then, in three days I shall arrive with the exorcists,' Sebastian agreed with a pleasant smile on his own, demonic face.
})i({
It was with mixed feelings that Kanda received the decision of the Order concerning the earl's proposition. On one hand he had expected it from the beginning, on the other, he didn't like the fact that Sebastian had so easily fixed the location of the Noah. He couldn't see what the demon would get for setting up the Order into a trap but since when did demons need reasons? Even if Sebastian was a rather peculiar demon, as far as Kanda could see, he still was one.
He looked up when the demon entered "his" room on the day they would leave the manor finally. Whenever it was in vicinity, he made a point to keep his eyes in it, waiting for the smallest sign of a threat. This time, however, his attention was swiftly distracted, because the demon was holding Mugen, which looked to have fared well its time hidden away. With all his will, Kanda forced himself to not move or express his displeasure at the fact that a demon was holding his Mugen.
'I see that it is possible to train even you,' Sebastian mocked, extending a gloved hand that held Mugen towards him. 'I will miss our little power games, exorcist, but it's time to go now,' he added, while Kanda took the blade as slowly as he dared, pretending that he wasn't desperate to check on it. He knew it was pointless to hide his emotions from Sebastian, but he would rather die than give up on his act. Wordlessly, he drew Mugen and inspected it carefully.
'The young master wishes that you take on the Noah named Tykki Mikk,' the demon said, watching Kanda give the blade a swing. As always, it felt like an extension of his hand and he breathed an almost imperceptible sigh of relief.
'Why him? Why me?' he asked, yet again wondering how Sebastian could be sure that the Noah would all gather in a random mansion.
'The young master seems to have faith in your skills, seeing as you had managed to stand up to me when we had first met,' the demon said with a polite smile. Kanda activated Mugen and pointed its tip at Sebastian's chest in one graceful, fluent motion. The demon's smile turned into a smirk, but it didn't react otherwise, continuing to answer instead. 'As for the reason to choose this particular Noah, you must ask the young master.'
'That's hardly an answer,' Kanda growled, Mugen still pointed at the butler's chest. How he wished to slice through that demon! However, there was a half-promise stilling his hand and he hated himself for it more than anything.
'The young master hardly needs to explain his wishes to you,' Sebastian replied in a cold tone. 'Tykki Mikk and the Noah named Lulubell must be killed at all costs and the young master has chosen me and you to take care of it. Your precious Order will have its hands full with the other Noah, so they should not be jealous.'
Wordlessly, Kanda lowered and sheathed Mugen, strapping it to his belt. It was a reassuring weight at his side, one that he had missed dearly the last couple of days, and it calmed him in a way. In principle, he had nothing against having his target chosen for him and Tykki Mikk was one of the more difficult ones, as far as he knew. All things considered, it seemed reasonable that he would take care of him, so maybe it won't even need to be explained to the Order. Besides, Kanda was looking forward to showing the Noah how weak they were.
Without further hesitation, he left "his" room, hoping that he would never have to set foot in it again. The butler followed him, that annoying smirk still firmly plastered on his impeccable face. Kanda wished he could carve that smile away. Sadly, it was not an option for the moment.
Ciel joined them in the entrance hall, looking imperious and annoying, like always. Without a word, Sebastian bowed to his master and the boy left the building. Knowing that he was expected to follow, Kanda did so without hesitation. He climbed into to carriage and sat opposite to Ciel, slightly surprised when the demon closed the door behind him, rather than getting in as well.
'Even from the driver's seat he's fast enough to kill you before you manage anything,' Ciel said emotionlessly. Kanda glared at him but said nothing. He was not in the mood for another insult-throwing discussion, too preoccupied by what was going to happen. Besides, although he had only seen glimpses of Sebastian true powers, he didn't doubt that Ciel's words were true. Consequently, he kept quiet and so did the little earl, no more words exchanged between them until the carriage stopped.
'Sebastian had told you about the Noah?' Ciel asked, his voice as cold and indifferent as always. Kanda glared at him, not missing the gleam in the boy's eyes. If his story about the Noah murdering his parents was true, could it be that Lulubell and Tykki were personally responsible? He supposed it was the only explanation that made sense.
'You mean the fact that you want me to get rid of Tykki?' he asked back, keeping his tone impassive. Ciel nodded curtly.
'All you need to do is to keep close to Sebastian and he will take you to Tykki,' he informed him, his tone leaving no place for arguing. Kanda scowled, but the boy seemed to not care, so he didn't say anything.
Sebastian opened the carriage and held out a hand to help Ciel out, informing them that the Order was on the spot already. Kanda winced, wondering what they all would think if he stuck together with the demon, rather than going with them. Not that they knew Sebastian was a demon, he reminded himself, but still they must be expecting Kanda to join their ranks. Not sure if he wanted to know the answer, he got out of the carriage, unable to meet the eyes of the people who called themselves his friends for some reason. Was he ashamed of being so thoroughly manipulated by the demon? Or was it the nagging thought, the wish he had so carelessly spoken of, that made him afraid to look at them? Would they be able to read that wish from his expression? Would they even bother to try?
All those thoughts ceased when he took in the armies of demons that hovered above a large mansion to the west of where they were. It was doubtlessly their destination and it seemed that their arrival was expected.
'You bastard,' Kanda growled, turning to glare at the demon. He had no doubt that it was Sebastian's doing, yet the butler merely glanced at him with a mocking smirk.
'It's alright Kanda,' said Allen, trying to sound soothing. Kanda turned to look at him and recoiled at the expression the boy was giving him. It was an expression of one willing to go to his death for the greater good. 'We still get a chance to end this war and we are not going to waste it,' Allen added, his smile so fake that it hurt.
Hesitantly, he looked at the other exorcists, gathered behind the white-haired boy. Didn't they see that they have been betrayed? Lavi waved at him with a smirk, but his expression was the same. Was the bookman's apprentice ready to die for their cause or was it only for the show? Marie's hand on his shoulder made him turn to the man who, if others were "friends", could only be called "brother".
'Let's show those bastards what we're made of,' the blind man said firmly. Kanda wanted to ask if he realised how many demons there must be, but he knew it was a stupid question. Marie could hear them. This is literally what I was made for, he thought.
'I will go straight for the Noah,' he warned. Seemingly unsurprised, Marie immediately said that he would have his back, while Allen informed him that they all shared the tasks between them: who would go for the Noah and who would take care of demons. They had apparently expected the demons to be there anyway, although the numbers of the enemy were overwhelming their wildest nightmares. Allen said that they had changed their plans a bit upon arrival.
Next to the white-haired boy, Miranda readied her Time Record. Kanda took a step away.
'Keep me out of it,' he requested. 'I'm much better off dealing with my injuries one after the other,' he added as though to explain himself. She looked confused.
'But what if you die?' she asked. Kanda pursed his lips and pointed out that he wasn't going to die permanently anyway. In the awkward silence, Sebastian asked if Miranda could take Ciel with her, because the boy had no ways of protecting himself.
Kanda promised to himself that, if they had really been betrayed, the demon would pay.