Silence
D Gray Man
Scream
Leverier led the way and Link brought up the rear. Sometimes Lavi heard him push Verinty, shoving her to keep her moving. She stumbled and fell and Lavi always turned and waited for Link to help her back up. When she was on her feet again, he would walk on. They didn't speak as they walked; they just went where they were directed. Verinty looked scared, angry and she was glaring daggers at Leverier. Her feet were bare as usual and they plopped against the ground as she walked. Her dress was still bloodstained, the white bandages stained with red as well. She didn't look at anyone who passed them, though many looked at her and Lavi as they walked past. Lavi wondered where they were being led, but he knew it wasn't going to be pretty. His head kept telling him that something bad was going to happen soon. Something that he was going to regret…or at least feel bad about.
The walked, her feet hitting against the stone of the castle. Her shoulders were slumped in a defeted way, but her eyes were glaring at the floor. She was angry and Lavi didn't know what she would do because of this anger. He hoped she didn't do anything reckless. Maybe that was what his instinct was warning him about? She didn't have anything to write on though, so he doubted that she would be able to attack anyone in anyway. She needed to read what she had written to be able to attack with it. Lavi hoped she didn't attack anyone, he prayed for it. His eyes darted around, wishing there was some way to save both himself and her from whatever was about to happen.
Whatever was going to happen, he wasn't going to like it.
"Stop" ordered Leverier. He turned to the two of them. Verinty sent her dagger-like glares at him again, that only seemed to make him smile. Lavi thought him sick. He was sick to be like this, to smile at her anger, to know that she had to be in pain. Her bandages were red in some places, she probably had broken some wounds open again, moving around as she did. Lavi glanced at Verinty and she looked at him at the same moment. Her look was...fear. He could see the fear for the both of them in her eyes. He didn't want her to be afraid. That was wrong. She shouldn't be afraid. It wasn't right. He didn't want her to be afraid.
"Shall I unbind them?" asked Link.
"No" Leverier replied. He looked at the two teenagers again. "Let's go in and hear your story" he waved them into the room. It was a circular room that Lavi never saw before. There were two chairs apart from another few chairs. He saw the High Generals, the regular Generals, Komui and Bookman all sitting. There were quite a few Finders, positioned around the area. Leverier went to stand near everyone who was sitting and he sat in a chair in the front row. Link lead Lavi and Verinty to the other two chairs. He unbound them, stepped away but not far. He looked at Verinty mainly, like she was some monster that would run at first chance. She probably would run though.
Lavi looked at Bookman and Bookman looked back, but he had that look...the look that he was trying hard to record something, to store it into his mind and never forget it. Lavi realized that something big was about to go down. Something that the Bookmen would want to know. His eyes turned back to Verinty. He wanted to make sure she was okay.
"What is the meaning of this meeting?" someone asked. Lavi believed it to be a High General who asked. He didn't see them, he was looking at Verinty yet. She was standing, her fingers tangled in the fabric of her skirt. Her hands were shaking. She was clearly upset. Her mismatched eyes were locked on Leverier. Hate filled them. Lavi didn't like the look of Hate in her eyes. It seemed wrong...in her blue eye but when the hate filled her golden eye, he felt like it was something he had seen before. He just couldn't name when.
"One moment." He smiled at the crowd, turning in his chair to do so and then he turned back to Lavi and Verinty. He smiled at Verinty, as if tempting her to do anything. Her knuckles were white from squeezing the dress so hard in her fingers. Lavi was surprised that the fabric didn't rip. If it did, he was sure she wouldn't notice. Her eyes narrowed and she looked like she would like nothing more than to jump at Leverier and rip his throat out. Of course if she made a move to, Lavi would stop her. She couldn't kill the man, no matter how much she hated him. She couldn't kill him because of his position of power within the Black Order. Even Lavi knew that...but she might not.
"What do you want?" she asked, her voice soft and drawn in. It was deadly-soft, a threat lurked in that voice, a threat of violence and hate. Lavi almost shuddered to hear her speak in such a manner.
"I want you to take a seat" he said motioning to the chairs behind them. Lavi took a seat, deciding to play by the rules Verinty stayed standing. "Take a seat Verinty" Leverier was still being pleasant. Lavi wondered how long it would last.
"No" she growled threw her teeth.
Lavi stood, grabbing her wrist. "Veri, sit down." he said, softly to her. Her eyes dashed to him, a frown on her lips and then she looked at Leverier before sitting down. Lavi let go of her wrist and sat back down himself. Leverier was giving him an odd look. He gave a quick and bitter glare at the man. His eye then grazed over Verinty's many cuts and scratches he had help treat. He didn't know why this happened to her. Why her?
"So you can control her..." Leverier said, his eyes gazed at Verinty again, his voice had a note of surprise to it. Lavi wanted to snap at him, correct him, but he kept his mouth shut. She crossed her arms across her chest, looking like a stubborn child. He stood then and moved so that the small crowd could see him. Now Lavi and Verinty were at his back. "I have gathered you all here because there is something...strange with this girl. The Innocence tried to destroy her! It would not destroy a human" He said the word, as if Verinty was something other than human.
There were a few muttered agreements.
Lavi didn't like where this was going. Verinty wasn't just a human. She was like the people who had taken her, or at least she thought she was. His eyes glanced over to her's for a moment, to that golden eye that looked so much like theirs. She was probably one of them. Were they not humans? Would the Innocence hurt her because of that? Lavi's head swam. What would Leverier do if he found out that? Lavi's mind ran through some scenarios and he didn't like one of them. She was just a young woman, yeah maybe she wasn't completely human but still! Lavi was appalled and nothing had happened yet.
"Now she knows who she is and she is going to tell us" He turned to face the two in their chairs. "Aren't you?" he smiled at Verinty. Lavi her the fabric of her dress rip. He doubted she noticed. He was right. She just glared right at Leverier. Lavi looked at her and then touched her arm, trying to find a way to calm her. She looked at him and then she glanced down.
"No. I'm not going to tell you anything" she said, her voice was low, but strong. She clearly wasn't going to say a single thing.
"Now Verinty...That's no way to be" he said, using a sweeter version of his voice, trying to get the information that he wanted out of her. Her eyes hardened and she frowned, intensely. Lavi never saw her look so angry, but he could also see the fear in her eyes. She was scared of what would happen if Leverier found out about what she could do and who she suspected she was. She was afraid, but there was no way that she was going to back down. He could see that in her eyes too. She was going to protect herself in this. She wasn't going to speak, no matter what was done to her. Lavi's eyes glanced to the small audience though, Leverier couldn't do much to her while these people watched. If he so much as touched her, he knew that several in the crowd would object to it and Leverier would be chased out – or at least hopefully.
"You have a snake's tongue" she said, closing her eyes. "The type of voice that slithers in one ear and coils around a person's brain, trying to get them to do as you want...The only thing is I don't let that snake of yours wrap around my brain, I won't play the game your way. I won't tell you my story – you have no reason to know it."
Lavi couldn't help but smile a little at her words, and besides that, it was the most he had ever heard he say at one time other than when she was using her power. He held back a chuckle at the look on Leverier's face. He looked a little upset that she would dare tell him no a second time. Lavi knew she would tell him no as many times as he asked. She wasn't going to tell him anything and she was right, there was no real reason for him to know her story. She didn't even know most of it herself. What right did he have to the parts that she knew?
He didn't have any rights at all.
"What if I knew something about your mother that you didn't know?" Leverier's words made her eyes snap open and she looked at him. She looked at him, her eyes wary. She glanced at Lavi, as if he could tell her or not if Leverier was lying. "She was a nice woman...from a tiny village in England. She grew up with her Uncle and her Aunt because her parents were dead. Her closest friend lived with her grandmother and so she understood Rebecca Whispers better than the other children" He said and Verinty's look softened a little. He had given out information that connected with information they had known. Robert...Selena...They had died that day and Verinty had been the cause of it. Because she had been searching for information that they gave her. They had died to try and get information to her.
They hadn't even gotten that much, but Lavi knew Verinty still felt bad.
"You're lying" she finally said, her face hardening again. "Anyone could find that bit of information out" A grim smile came on her face, as if she had him in a corner. He smiled a little too and Lavi knew he had more that he wanted to use against her. He wonder how Verinty would react. Would he fight against Leverier with her own comments or would she allow him to get her story out of her?
"I know more than that about your mother you know...That's just a little taste of what I know. If you listen to me...do as I say, I'll tell you more." he says, his smile widening a little. Lavi's expression became curious and then cautious, Leverier thought he was still in control. What made him think that he still had control of the situation?
Lavi's eyes glanced around. He had Link, who was loyal to him, so that was one way. What else did he have going for him? Well he supposed if Verinty did manage to use his power on him, the Generals would jump to protect the others in the room. Would Lavi protect Verinty though? Would he jump to protect her? Would he protect Verinty even if it meant keeping the generals away from her? Could he protect her and the hardest question yet – should he protect her?
"I'm sure you know plenty about my mother" Verinty's voice broke him from his thoughts and he blinked his good eye several times. He focused on her again. "But tell me, what do you know about my father?"
And Lavi smiled, because she had him there. Not that she knew much about her father, but she knew more than Leverier or anyone in this room, save himself maybe. She knew she got her power from her father, her golden eye from him and that people that were like her father were out to get her, to capture her to use her power for...something. He wasn't quite sure what they wanted her for and she hadn't told him. She had seemed scared though. What was she scared of?
Leverier's smile faltered and a few people behind him muttered in low voices about the mystery her father presented. Verinty sat there and though she could have smiled smugly she sat there with a rather straight expression. He look was very border-lined annoyed and her mismatched eyes didn't falter from Leverier's face, almost as if she could make him back down with her angry stares alone. Lavi knew that would never happen. Leverier was a very stubborn man and he wouldn't back down because she was staring at him like she was.
His smile came back a moment later and Lavi knew another plot had popped into his head. Lavi frowned, but he couldn't speak out. He was a Bookman and since Bookman was in the crowd, he knew that this was something that needed to be recorded. He couldn't interfere with it, he had no choice but to just watch in his seat, gauging their faces and wondering who was going to win.
"You see? She's keeping secrets!" He said, turning back to the crowd and Lavi mentally cursed. Of course he would make it look that way. "She knows something about the secret of her father and she has told none of us. Is it because he isn't human?" He turned back to her, eyes gloating.
"You father was a goat" She snapped the insult out like it was a true fact. Lavi saw the anger flash across Leverier's face for a moment replaced by the calm within seconds. She had hit him with that one, insulting him and probably pissing him off. She didn't so much as flinch though, her fingers still tangled in her torn dress and her eyes still fixed on Leverier. She didn't seem to want to back down either.
"Well fine then...It's clear you won't tell us anything at all" She relaxed a little bit, sighing out a relieved breath. She was starting to relax but something told Lavi that Leverier wasn't done quite yet. The man turned to him and smiled. "Alright, Bookman it is your turn. You've known her the whole time she's been here, so tell us her story"
Verinty's head turned to look at him, her mouth into a deep frown. She just looked at him, as if she wanted him to refuse. He should, he knew he should but he was a Bookman and it was his job to record and when the time came, to tell others what he had recorded. He looked at Verinty, there was fear in her eyes yet and then back at Leverier. His eyes glanced to Bookman who nodded, clearly promoting him to tell the story.
He still hesitated. "Lavi" Leverier's voice drew him to look back at the man. "Tell her story to us" Lavi swallowed hard, torn on something he shouldn't have been torn on.
"Lavi" her voice was soft and begging. "Please"
"Lavi, isn't your duty as the next Bookman to tell?" asked Leverier pacing in front of him. He was right, Lavi had to tell, it was part of his job as the next Bookman. It was his job to tell them her story, share it with the people here. They asked him to and Bookman had nodded, allowing him to. He knew he should. He had to tell, no matter how much Verinty begged. He stood, ready to tell.
Verinty suddenly grabbed his hand, her forehead pressed against the back of his hand. "Please!" her voice was desperate. "I trust you Lavi...I trust you." Her words made it harder, they shouldn't have but he did his best to ignore her words and do what he had to. He pulled his hand away from her and he knew was glaring into his back.
"Wh-" he started but he felt Verinty's fingers in his shirt, tugging back.
"If you do this I'll never trust you again!" her voice screamed. He half turned to look at her, eye wide with shock. "I'll hate you Lavi!" She snapped. Two finders came forward and pulled her off Lavi and held her a few feet away. She didn't struggle, but she glared at Lavi. He felt her eyes in his back, but he didn't turn to look at her, instead he turned to look at the small crowd.
He had to do his job.
He didn't want to hurt Verinty though.
He closed his eye and shut down a part of his mind, allowing himself to be able to do his job as a Bookman, for he was a Bookman before everything else. He had to do this and if Verinty didn't understand, then so be it. He would have to give up on one or the other someday, and it was better to give up now, before he had a chance to answer Lenalee's question. He thought of hold Verinty in his arms, of comforting her or even staying by her at night. He didn't want to admit it but those were memories he treasured. He would continue to treasure them, but he could not be attached to Verinty. It just wouldn't work. It was better to say goodbye now...At least that was what he told himself.
"When we met, Verinty didn't talk and the only thing strange other than that about her were her mismatched eyes. I didn't know what to think of her, but I was curious. She struck a deal with me that I help her find out about her father..." The crowd listened intently, hanging on his every word.
He told them everything, every conversation, every single thing that happened up until the point where he met Road and got his first look at her power. At that point, he began to tell them how things changed between the two of them. He went on to tell them about everything else. Every time he revealed one of her secrets she gave an anguished cry. At one point she begged him to stop talking, to please shut up, to please not say another word. He ignored her cries though, but mentally flinched every time her heard one of them. He couldn't stop though, he had to tell her story, she wanted him to or not.
"Her power is frightening and she had not control when she first used it. She used it to save our lives once though. We went to this abandoned town..."
On and on he talked. He wasn't sure for how long he would be talking, but talking a lot came with his job and this was good practice. Maybe he'd make a good Bookman after all, but it wasn't like he really doubted himself. He knew he would. He had been trained to become a Bookman since he was young and now he was letting his colors show. He thought his tone got emotionless sometimes, but he could see his message was still getting across to the small crowd. He told the story truthfully and without his own opinion, adding everything he had observed over the past months. He gave them detail after detail, making sure that they understood everything, that they weren't going to question anything when he was done speaking. That was how a true Bookman should speak. At one point, Verinty almost broke free from both the Finders.
"I hate you!" she screamed and he turned to look at her, tears ran down her cheeks. "I hate you! You're nothing more than a dirty, lying Bookman!" she screamed at him and the words stung. He was careful not to let that show. He couldn't let anyone see how she could effect him, because she shouldn't have been able affect him. He should have been able to shrug off her remark like it was nothing.
But he couldn't.
He kept going with the story, watching their reactions. Some now glanced over at Verinty with what looked to be fear in their eyes, while others muttered lowly to each other. They all appeared to be shocked that a young girl like herself could have such frightening powers and not be an Exorcist. He wanted to tell them that she wasn't bad, that she was good and that she meant no harm. He wanted to tell them that, but he knew he couldn't. That was his opinion of her and Bookmen were not supposed to have opinions of anyone. They were supposed to observe but never be a part of the world. He wasn't supposed to be attached as he was to her. It was wrong, it was bad and but he wouldn't take back that bound if he could. Well...maybe now he would. He hated how it hurt to hear her sobbing behind him.
Finally he finished his story and stood silent. Everyone stared at him. The only sound in the room was Verinty's sobbing and it took a lot of Lavi to not turn to comfort her like he had in the past. He couldn't do that.
"Well...her powers are indeed interesting...but she is dangerous. I believe we should lock her up" said one High General. A few people nodded.
"She's just a child!" exclaimed Komui.
"I agree with Komui" General Cloud said, her eyes looking back at the sobbing, bloodstained girl. There was pity in her violet eyes.
"She is still dangerous. We should keep her away...until we know if she could be used" The Generals nodded with each other and Lavi knew that Komui couldn't argue with them.
"No!" yelled Verinty. "No! No! No! No!" She suddenly threw her arms forward and with strength she shouldn't have, she tossed the Finders holding her several feet away. Lavi turned and looked at her.
"Veri-" he started, wanting to calm her, tell her everything would be alright. She opened her mouth and screamed. Wordlessly. Painfully. Her scream wasn't normal. It rang, stunning Lavi, forcing him to cover his ears and bringing him to his knees. He was pretty sure that it wasn't damaging his ears permanently, for he was young, but some of the older members might have a problem. Everyone in the room was on their knees, stunned and unable to move because of her scream. Is this part of her power? He thought, wondering. It might be. It seemed to simple for her to just be able to read things to life. He wanted to speak, to calm her but he couldn't do anything but cringe on the ground, his brain scrambling to keep his thoughts together now.
Finally the scream stopped and Lavi was aware that several people collapsed. Lavi's brain was still buzzing, still trying to pick up a thought that made sense. He wanted to get up, he knew that, but he didn't know how to make his body do that so he stayed kneeled where he was. He heard footsteps, painfully dull after the scream. He felt someones fingers curl around the collar of his shirt and pick him straight up. He looked up in surprise to see Verinty, frowning, looking beyond angry.
"You be...betrayed me" her voice was a hosrse whisper, yet he somehow heard it.
"I didn't mean to" he said, or at least he hoped he had said it. She shook her head, so her figured his message got across.
"I want to...to...ki...kill you" she was having trouble speaking, her voice must have been damaged by her scream and that gave Lavi a little relief. She wouldn't be able to scream like that again at least.
"No...No you don't" He said and he hoped his words were true, hoped she would not kill him. He didn't want to die by her hand. He didn't want her to hate him though.
"I ha...hate you...Lavi" she went on in her hoarse whisper. He suddenly felt her knee connect with his stomach, painfully hard. It stunned him more and took the breath out of him. "But...I...I won't kill...you" He could barely process her words now. He was suddenly in the air and his back hit the wall, right by the door. He curled into a ball, the pain making him apeal to the fetal position. He looked up, barely able to see Verinty walking towards the door in her bloodstained, ripped dress.
"V...V...Veri" he stuttered her name, hoping she would stop. She did to look down at him, her eyes only showing loathing. He wished he could tell her that he was sorry. He couldn't though. He lowered his head again, the pain making his body throb.
"Goodbye...Lavi..." She whispered before she walked out the door. He heard it creak open slowly. He heard her footsteps walk away until the door slammed shut behind her and he could no longer hear her walking away from him. The sound of the door was so final. He knew he deserved it though, he had betrayed her.
And now he'd never see her again.
Haha, not much to say to this one except, please leave reviews. And I still want to know your guesses to who Verinty's father is. I will be putting out more clues soon. I'm pretty sure soon you'll all be able to guess it. So review and tell me what you thought
