This is the fastest update that I have ever done XD
I actually wrote most of this the night I updated because... well, insomnia sucks and I really really wanted to write this chapter and get it out as soon as possible. I will update Homeostasis after this, and CheckMate when I've done more research on how most of the warriors even fight (yeah I fail =_=) but... yeah... Sorry I'm making no sense XD
Anyways, thank you to Hanashi o suru, Kimura Yumi, Patrick the almighty observer for reviewing/favouriting/subscribing! You guys are awesome *heart*
Oh, and yes - this title is a Paramore track. And yes, I was listening to it on repeat for most of this XD And I've always called the robot Komlin - it's what I've seen in the subs for the anime, and what I swear I've seen in the manga too... Ah well, if I'm wrong I was close enough XD
[DISCLAIMER]: I, unfortunately, do not own D Gray Man or any of the characters that Katsura Hoshino-san has created.
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Nought's had, all's spent
Where our desire is got without content:
'Tis safer to be that which we destroy,
Than by destruction dwell in doubtful joy.
William Shakespeare; Macbeth, Act III Scene II
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Chapter 12 - Let The Flames Begin
It didn't take long, surprisingly, for the Order to be cleaned up after its destruction by the Komlin. But, considering how often the Order had to deal with spontaneous attacks from giant robots by their Chief, it made sense.
Everyone was glad that Lvellie was away on business, anyway.
Soon enough, after helping the Finders and Science Department out with cleaning up, the Exorcists soon found themselves eating in the Cafeteria and talking about what everyone was doing next.
"Well," Lavi managed to mumble through a mouthful of yakaniku. "Me and Gramps need to go back to Bookman HQ to find out about what we got from the poem. We're really close now."
"I'm guessing I'm going with you then," Allen said with a smile, pushing aside what could have been his 50th bowl and moving on to the next one. Lavi fought back the urge to bash his head on the table before him.
"I've got a new mission with Miss Miranda and Timothy," Krory murmured, leaning back and patting his full stomach with a happy smile. "I think we are going to Italy."
"I don't wanna go on the mission," Timothy said with a sulky pout. "I wanted Eye-Patchy to teach me some history stuff.
"Hey hey, I will when I get back kiddo!" the red headed Bookman replied with a grin, putting an arm around the boy's shoulders. "I'm just very busy at the moment, ya know."
"We all are..." Miranda added quietly, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear with a small smile. Everyone returned the smile (except Kanda, of course); Miranda was slowly coming out of her shell after Marie's death, but it was taking her a while.
"I'm staying put for a bit, I think..." Chaoji said, sighing. He lifted up his bandaged arms and glared at them, wishing he'd been more careful on his last mission.
"It'll be alright, Chaoji," Allen called out from the other end of the table, giving the Chinese man a reassuring smile. The man did not return it, eyes hardened as he completely ignored the white haired teen and went back to eating; Chaoji still hadn't forgiven Allen for trying to rescue Tyki back on the Ark.
"Me and Kanda are out on a mission soon, I think," Lenalee eventually said, breaking what was becoming an awkward silence. "But brother hasn't told us where we're going yet."
"Is it safe to let Panty Snatcher Yuu be anywhere near Komui after what he d-"
Lavi got no further as Kanda slammed his empty tray straight into the red head's face. Though concerned for Lavi's safety, everyone was kind of expecting such a reaction from Kanda.
Just then, the sound of three sets of footsteps approaching the table made everyone look up; it was Link, Bookman, and Medic. All three of them looked ready to leave.
"Can't we finish our meals, stupid panda?" Lavi groaned, eyeing his half-eaten plate with a hungry expression. Allen also seemed displeased about leaving his food behind.
"Don't you know the timezones, brat!" Bookman snapped, whacking his red headed apprentice round the back of the head with a hand. "It's soon becoming morning over there right now, and we don't have a lot of time to waste."
"Fine fine, no need to hit me. Jeez..." Lavi grumbled, standing up and adding his unfinished plate to Allen's.
"Bye you two!" Lenalee called as they walked away, following behind Link, Medic and Bookman. "Be home soon!"
"We will!" Allen called, smiling warmly. Lavi smiled also, giving everyone a wave as they left the Cafeteria and passed into the hallway beyond.
"Is the Ark Gate still open from before, Walker?" Link asked, adjusting his suit with a hand as they walked. Allen shook his head.
"I was worried about people from Headquarters following us through the Ark to the Order, so I closed the gate behind us," Allen replied, giving Bookman and Medic a sheepish grin as they gave him somewhat irritated glares. Lavi tried his best not to laugh.
The five of them eventually reached the giant hallway where people used the Gates to move to and from the Order building. Finding an empty spot, Allen closed his eyes and sang the Musician's Lullaby in his head. Soon enough, a huge white gate appeared before them.
"Be back soon, all of you!"
Looking over, everyone noticed Reever standing nearby, waiting for a group of Finders to finish exiting through their Gate. The blonde man smiled at them, waving. Lavi and Allen returned the gesture.
"We will, Reever!" Lavi called. "Keep Komui from killing everyone again will ya?"
"Stupid question, Lavi!" the Section Chief replied with a scowl, hoping Komui wouldn't start anything more.
Stepping through the Gate, with Medic actually stepping through and not having to be pulled through by Link, Allen soon found the door that led to Bookman Headquarters and opened it. They were in the same hall as before, with the light from the Gate being the only illumination within the dark cavernous hall.
No-one was there to greet them, luckily, so the group could walk through the corridors without unwanted company. When they went up the stairs to reach Dormitory level, Medic sighed.
"I have to go back to the infirmary; they've probably been needing me whilst I've been gone," the brunette said with an awkward laugh. "Catch you guys later!"
Soon enough, it was only the four of them left.
"Well, me and Gramps are gonna go upstairs to do some more research," Lavi said, scratching under his bandana with a finger. "What are you two gonna do?"
"I might sleep, actually," Allen answered with a laugh. "Fighting that robot was tiring."
"I will occupy myself," was all Link said in reply.
With a nod, Lavi left with Bookman for the Library above them, leaving Allen and Link to go into the room they were sharing whilst staying at Bookman Headquarters to do as they wished.
The Library was quite as master and apprentice reached the room, little to no people occupying the tables that were situated between bookshelves. Finding a discrete place to sit, the two of them gathered many dozens of books about history through the ages, calling upon the ancient knowledge of the Clan as well as their own extensive knowledge on world history through the past few centuries.
"The only problem that we have is figuring out which place is correct," Bookman murmured, flicking through a tome on Medieval history throughout Europe with deft fingers. Lavi nodded in agreement.
"If we get the most important dates and send them to Komui, he could always send Finders and maybe some other Exorcists to each location. We'd find the right one eventually."
"But that is very time consuming. What if the Noah have already caught onto what we've found, and could be finding the poems before us?"
Lavi fell silent at that. Then the red head shrugged.
"Not much we can do about that though," he answered, picking up a book from the pile next to him on Japanese history. "We ain't got a lot of options."
Bookman agreed with his apprentice, but he still felt unsure about what to do with this new knowledge that they had gained. They were going to use it, no doubt about that. But how they used it was what Bookman was contemplating.
"Ne, Gramps," Lavi exclaimed, poking the old man's side. "The first three numbers go in order of when we found the poems and that clue, right?"
"Yes," Bookman replied slowly, eyes narrowing. "What are you getting at?"
"How about we just research the fourth line, which is the next one on the poem," Lavi answered, grinning. "That way we're not gonna burden Komui with too much, and we can go and help search too. Maybe the next poem or clue will lead us to the others."
For a while Bookman was silent. Then, lighting his pipe and leaning back with a sigh, the old man nodded.
"Okay fine, brat. The year's 1130, correct?"
"Yep."
"Here's some revision for you, and a test to see if you retain any of what I teach you; give me the historical headlines from that year."
"The 164th pope comes into rule; Magnus the Strong is deposed as the king of Gothenland, when Sverker the Elder proclaims himself king of Sweden," Lavi stated, counting off of his fingers. "An antipope schism occurs when Roger II of Sicily supports Anacletus II as pope instead of Innocent II; Magnus the Blind is tortured and eventually killed in Bergen, Norway when himself and Harald Gille become the kings of Norway, which starts the civil war era there; Antipope Anacletus crowns Roger II of Sicily king... Uhh..."
"And don't forget the births and dates in that year too," Bookman added, though relieved that his student hadn't forgotten important historical happenings whilst they'd been with the Order. The red head nodded, then frowned in concentration.
"... The most important ones would have been the births of Eustace IV of Boulogne, Baldwin III of Jerusalem, and Zhu Xi; and the deaths of Pope Honorius II, King Sigurd I of Norway, and Princess Teresa of Leon."
"That makes 11 locations in total, in about just as many countries, if not more."
Lavi fell silent.
"This won't be easy," Bookman muttered, taking a drag from his pipe and blowing the smoke out slowly. "Did you see anything else from the poem that could give us some clues?"
"Nah, not really..." Lavi replied, leaning back in his chair and putting down the book on Japanese history in his hands on the table. "I don't recognise the guy who wrote the poems, and he pretty much travelled around most of the northern hemisphere from what I saw."
"So the next poems and clues could be anywhere..." Bookman added, looking thoughtful.
"But that's another thing, isn't it. Do the years that we found all correlate to new poems? Maybe they're a collection of clues and poems, or there's only one poem left with loads of clues to get to it."
"That's very true..."
"So this could be one hell of a wild goose chase, or something that we should start investigatin' real soon."
Both Lavi and Bookman stopped speaking for a while, lost in their own thoughts. They did some more research on each of the 11 important historical happenings from 1130, then decided that they should take a break, despite it being early morning in Bookman HQ.
They had basically fought Komlin on their own. That was a good enough excuse to take it easy for a while.
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The room was quiet as Allen slept, his face peaceful as he rested. Link was not asleep, however, and had been thinking for a good few hours about exactly what he'd say to Lavi when he confronted him about Allen.
He couldn't go in, all guns blazing. He had no clear absolute proof that the two of them were in a non-platonic relationship. But, the signs all pointed towards it. When one looked closely enough, you could tell that the two of them were more than friends.
The Vatican would label them as heretics.
Link had heard of other instances in which even heterosexual relationships were frowned upon by the Church, with some rather horrifying consequences. Link knew that Allen would suffer awfully - having already garnered a bad name for himself by having a cursed eye, and for having sympathetic feelings towards the Akuma.
And then being the host for the 14th Noah would not help the matter either.
Lavi, however, being a regular Exorcist as well as a part of the Bookman Clan, would be given no second chances. Allen needed to be kept alive, for the Order needed him and could use him as bargaining material against the Earl, if it came to it. Plus, the Order still thought that Allen might be the Heart.
Innocence doesn't just become part of your own heart to keep you alive.
No, Link believed that Allen was a very crucial part of the war. Lavi, however, was not. And the Vatican would know this. If the Bookman Clan stepped in and argued Lavi's case, he might survive and simply be excommunicated from the Church.
But his Clan would not do that. They would probably relish the teen's execution.
And execution it would be; heretics were not simply locked up and left to learn from their mistakes. The Vatican was heartless, and Lavi would be executed and his Innocence used and passed on to another accommodator.
Either that, or the teen would go through a series of torture sessions that would break him beyond the point of recognising who he was to start with.
Link buried his head in his hands. If he confronted Lavi, and discovered that he and Allen were in a relationship, Link would have to reveal it to his superiors. And, undoubtedly, he would be handing Lavi a death sentence, or a sentence worse than death.
Now, Link was not one for getting emotionally connected to people. Sure, there were people from his past that meant something to him. But he was a loyal member of Central Administration. He was meant to be analytical and evaluative and out of touch with his emotions.
He was meant to do his duty until the day he died.
So why did Link feel as if he would regret informing the Order about Lavi and Allen, if it was true that they were together?
Moving his hands downwards into his lap, and looking to the side with subdued brown eyes, Link observed the small smile that had crept onto Allen's face as the teen slept. Link had spent a good deal of time with the boy now, and had come to see the many sides of Allen Walker.
Allen had had a rough past. Link knew that without even asking. Plus, Cross' behaviour spoke for itself. But Link was good at seeing beyond people's masks, and he could see the bitterness hidden behind Allen's gentle and gentlemanly countenance.
The boy resented the world, despite wanting to save it so badly.
Link also knew that the boy was scared of who he really was, and why exactly Mana decided to take care of him all those years ago. Did Mana want to care for him out of sympathy? Or was it because he was the host for the 14th Noah; his brother?
Link didn't know anymore than Allen did. And, by the sounds of it, the teen used Mana's memory as his motivation to keep going. And, by having this inner turmoil about what he meant to Mana, Allen was losing his will to keep going.
Everyone else relied on Allen too, though; Lenalee, Lavi, even Kanda - the other Exorcists saw Allen as some sort of motivation, one way or another.
Be it for Lenalee, where Allen was her rock and shoulder to cry on when thing's got tough; the person to keep her going when all she wanted was to stop.
Be it for Lavi, where Allen represented the hope in the human race that he had lost long ago; the light that made him believe there was a future worth fighting for.
Be it for Kanda, where Allen represented all that he hated; the naiveté, and innocence, that the boy held reminded Kanda of all that he had lost. But, all the same, Allen made him want to keep fighting, if not just to fuel their constant rivalry.
Link knew all this. He knew that Allen was important to his comrades, and that he probably meant more to Lavi than Link thought at first sight. If Link informed the higher-ups of the Order, the two of them would never see each other again. They wouldn't even be able to be friends, nevermind more than that.
Could Link destroy the lives of two people, completely and utterly?
Just then, the door to the room opened. Link jumped a little, startled. It was Medic, looking slightly annoyed (well, Link had slammed a door in her face), but also a bit concerned.
"What is it?" Link asked quietly, aware that Allen was still asleep. Medic sighed and sat down on the edge of his bed, despite the scowl he gave her.
"Bookman's going to erase 'Lavi'..."
Link's eyes widened, his expression shocked.
"Wh-what do you mean, erase?" the blonde asked, eyes narrowing. "Do you mean that he plans to kill his apprentice?"
"Of course not!" Medic snapped, trying to stay quiet. "He's going to erase Lavi's current persona. I think he plans for the two of them to leave the Order..."
Link had nothing to say to that.
"How do you know this?" he asked after a while, tilting his head. Medic looked a little guilty.
"I've been a bit worried about baka usagi-chan ever since he came back. I know his current persona's quite lively, but... I think Bookman knows."
As she said this, Medic glanced at Allen; Link noticed this, and frowned a little.
"Knows about what?"
"That Lavi wants to stay as 'Lavi'."
Medic looked worried now, wringing her hands together.
"I was talking to Librarian just now; we usually have chats in the mornings sometimes, because in our lines of work we don't have a lot to do," Medic explained, looking to the side. "She mentioned to me that the other night Bookman went to the Library very late and read the text we own on erasing personalities. Erasing personalities that someone has had for over a year takes a different technique to the one used to erase short term ones."
"And, if he erases 'Lavi'... will they cease to be Exorcists?" Link asked, voice quiet. Medic shrugged.
"I don't know. The whole point of a persona is to appear as normal as possible to everyone else. So I doubt Bookman will stay with Lavi acting like himself..."
The both of them fell silent. After a little while, Medic stood up and gave Link a very cold look, surprising the blonde.
"I know you've realised, CROW. Do me a favour and leave it be. Lavi doesn't have much time left, and he deserves some love for once after all this shit."
And, with that, the brunette left the room, leaving Link wide-eyed and sitting in utter silence.
Neither of them had noticed that Allen was no longer asleep.
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The corridors began to become more and more busy as the sun rose outside. Lavi and Bookman had spent the entire morning in the Library, diligently researching and working out what to do about what they had discovered.
Not wanting to waste anymore time, the two of them decided to stop around lunchtime and head down to the Cafeteria.
"So we're gonna go back to the Order tomorrow?"
The both of them were now seated at a table in the corner of the Cafeteria hall, plates of food before them. Bookman nodded in answer to Lavi's question.
"I still need to meet with the Council again and gain permission to keep recording the events at the Order," Bookman explained, taking his chopsticks into his right hand and picking up a dumpling from his bowl. "I won't be able to do the sign-off until this evening, so we cannot return to the Black Order until that is over with."
"Okay, got it," Lavi answered, nodding.
Just then, Allen and Link walked into the Cafeteria. Allen smiled at him as he sat down, but Lavi saw the worry in his eyes and the falseness of his smile from a mile-off. Not wanting to alert the other two that something was up, Lavi returned the smile.
"Sleep well, 'sprout?" he asked, grinning cheekily. Allen pouted and hit Lavi atop the head with his elbow before he sat down.
"The name's Allen, you idiot," he muttered, glaring. Lavi winced and pouted a little.
"And a good morning to you too..."
Link and Bookman both rolled their eyes.
"So, what is the plan now Bookman?" Link asked, sitting down beside the old man and resting his head in the palm of one hand.
"We have to stay for one more day, and then we can return to the Order for good," Bookman replied, continuing to eat his lunch carefully and with relish. "We have discovered that the numerical code of the first poem represents years in history, and we know of a few locations where the next poem or clue can be found based off of that."
"That's amazing news!" Allen said happily, smiling. Lavi nodded.
"We need to tell the Chief about it though; we're probably gonna need to send groups of people pretty much worldwide to these different locations," Lavi warned, noticing how Allen's face fell. Lavi patted the teen on the head, grinning. "Ne, don't worry about it Allen. We'll sort it out somehow."
Allen nodded and gave the red headed Bookman a warm smile before shoving his hand off of his head and getting up to get some food. Link did the same, though he gave Lavi a quick glance before walking away.
"Do you think Komui's gonna let us send all these people out?" Lavi asked, picking at his food. Bookman shrugged.
"We shall have to wait and see what he says. Though, if no-one finds anything, we will be to blame."
The both of them looked slightly worried by that comment, and went back to eating in silence. When Link and Allen returned, with Link holding a tray full of cakes and sweet confectionaries and Allen pulling a trolley along full of a variety of meals, the four of them ate in silence. Eventually, when they had all finished, they simply sat and looked around the Cafeteria hall.
"Well, I'm gonna go for a nap. Catcha guys later!" Lavi said with a grin, standing up and taking his plate with him. Bookman scowled, but let his apprentice go. Allen sat and looked down at his lap, squashing the urge to run after the red head. Link, however, stood up.
"I didn't manage to take a rest earlier but now, after eating, I think I shall try to get some sleep," the blonde said, picking his tray up and managing, just about, to prevent all the empty plates and bowls from toppling over.
"Have a good rest, Link..." Allen murmured, giving the blonde a smile. But the smile was strained, and alarm bells were ringing in the white haired teen's head. Link nodded.
As Link left, Bookman noticed how Allen's face fell and how the teen looked very worried indeed. Over what, Bookman didn't know. Suddenly, Allen turned to face Bookman with a serious expression.
"What is it?" Bookman asked, eyes narrowing. There was a determination in Allen's eyes, and a challenging air that Bookman didn't quite understand.
"What does erasing a personality mean?"
Bookman blinked, confused.
"Where did you get this from?" the old man demanded, leaning forwards slightly. Allen shook his head.
"Answer the question, Bookman."
Allen's tone of voice had turned very harsh all of a sudden, and Bookman swore he saw a glint of amber in Allen's usually silver eyes.
The hairs stood up on the back of Bookman's neck.
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The room was quiet as Lavi lay in bed, staring at the ceiling deep in thought. Why did Allen look so concerned? What had happened?
Lavi couldn't help but feel worried; he had a sinking feeling in his stomach that told him something bad was about to happen. He had the same feeling before they entered the Ark, and before they entered the temple in India.
Lavi trusted his gut. And he knew when he needed to be prepared for something troublesome.
As this thought came to mind, the door to the room opened and in stepped Link, his expression unreadable. Lavi sat up as the blonde shut the door behind him and looked him straight in the eye.
"Something up, Two Spot?" Lavi asked, tilting his head. Link didn't even respond to the nickname, and simply sat on the edge of his bed, facing Lavi with a blank expression.
"We need to talk, Bookman Junior."
Lavi frowned at that, confused.
"About what?"
"About Allen."
Lavi froze. A cold chill spread up his spine, and he tried not to gulp nervously and retained a confused but calm mask on the outside despite the alarm bells ringing in his mind.
"What about Allen?" the red head asked, trying to appear concerned instead of panicky. "Is something up?"
"Tell me, Lavi," Link began, interlacing his fingers in his lap. "What do you view Allen as?"
"... I'm not sure I understand where you're going with this..." Lavi murmured, eye narrowing.
"Is he like a brother to you? Simply a friend? Someone you've put your faith in?"
"I've never had any siblings, so I can't really say if he's like a brother."
"Is he just someone you work with then?"
"No. He's an important comrade, just like Lenalee and Yuu are."
"Is that really correct, Bookman?"
Lavi's heart started to hammer in his chest. He knew where Link was heading, and a deep feeling of panic started to rise within him as the blonde CROW continued to talk.
"Would you buy what you bought Walker for his birthday for Lenalee or Kanda?" Link demanded, leaning forwards now. "Would you hold Lenalee or Kanda in an intimate embrace to comfort them? Would you share a bed with either of th-"
"What the hell are you implying?" Lavi interrupted, all his energy being put into not breathing faster and showing the panic that now consumed him.
"You know what I'm implying," was all Link said in reply. "You may be good at reading people and hiding things, but so am I. I can see your nervousness from a mile away, Bookman."
Lavi gritted his teeth, scowling at the blonde before him. He should have been expecting it. He should have known that Link would figure it all out eventually.
"I know that you are not just friends, Lavi," Link said, his tone of voice quieter now. "And I think Bookman knows too; he intends to erase you soon."
Lavi froze, eye widening. His panic levels reached boiling point, and a deep-set horror from his past experiences washed over him like a tidal wave. The red head paled, gripping the bed sheets beneath him so tightly that Link swore they might rip.
It's breaking.
"And what are you going to do, Inspector?" Lavi asked, voice so quiet and emotionless that it took Link a few seconds to register what Lavi had even asked.
"I... what?"
"Are you going to report us to that bastard Lvellie?"
Lavi looked up then, single eye wide and full of something that Link could not place. Ignoring the insult against his superior, Link gritted his teeth.
"I have to. I have no ch-"
"Of course you have a fucking choice!"
It's breaking.
Link jumped a little, startled by Lavi's sudden shout. The red head looked angry now, green eye glinting with a repressed aggression that stunned Link. It was as if he was a completely different person to who he was usually.
Was this what happened when Lavi realised he was going to be deleted as if he had never existed?
It's breaking.
"Why does it even matter to you ? !" Lavi demanded, standing up with clenched fists. "Can't you just leave us be?
"Lavi..."
"It's all the same, isn't it. You humans just have to destroy everything!"
It's breaking.
"Lavi."
"Nothing good can last, huh ? !"
Breaking.
"Lavi!"
BREAKING.
"I don't give a fuck whether you disapprove!"
"LAVI!"
"I just want to be me!"
Pushing Link to the floor, a dark blue tattoo emerged from the right side of Lavi's face, curling under his eye and stopping just before his ear.
Green eye blank and devoid of emotion, Lavi raised his right fist and swung it sharply downwards.
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"So... you're saying that the persona is fake?"
"Yes. The persona represents little to none of the person's original self, or at least the persona shouldn't do."
Allen fell silent, silver eyes narrowed in thought. He didn't look up at Bookman, and instead kept his gaze firmly planted on his hands, that were resting in his lap.
"... What happens when the persona is erased?" Allen asked quietly, voice subdued. Bookman narrowed his eyes.
"The true self of that person will take over, and they will either have to create a new persona or stay as themselves," the old man replied, noticing the bitterness that had crept into Allen's expression.
"Kind of like with the Noah and how they take over then..."
Bookman nodded.
"And why do personas need to be deleted?" Allen added, looking up now with a calm that surprised Bookman. The old man sighed.
"As Bookmen, we move from place to place. By having different personas and identities, we can experience events and then process them at a later date from an outsider's point of view almost," Bookman explained. "Because the persona is deleted, the physical and emotional feelings attached with certain memories are erased alongside the persona."
Allen did not ask another question after that, his eyes downcast and morose. Bookman could guess what the teen was getting to, and already knew the answer he would give him.
"You are not meant to have personas for more than a year maximum, Allen Walker. Lavi has been 'Lavi' too long."
Allen flinched.
"Why does he have to be erased though? Why can't you let Lavi decide?"
"'Lavi' is a lie. And all lies must come to light eventually."
"Why can't Lavi decide?"
Allen's tone of voice was practically seething with anger now, his eyes cold and full of venom towards the old man before him. Again, the faintest trace of amber in the teen's eyes made alarm bells ring in Bookman's mind.
"Lavi does not enjoy having his personas removed," the old man replied stiffly, glaring at Allen. "If he had the choice, ultimately his personas would never be erased."
"So why can't he stay as 'Lavi'?" Allen asked, voice quieter now. "Are you telling me that we have to lose him now, when we're nearly at the end of it all?"
The white haired teen looked upset now, face hidden by strands of hair as he looked at the table. Bookman felt no sympathy nor empathy, but nonetheless felt that he had to say something.
"I doubt I will be able to do it soon. I assume the nosy Medic told you?"
"She did... indirectly."
"Earwigging does not suit you, Allen Walker."
"I know..."
"So then, know the truth - I cannot erase Lavi until the war is over. The Order will not let us go as easily as we would wish. However, it will take a while for me to erase him, so I should start now."
Allen looked up, meeting Bookman's gaze. Allen saw no emotion in the old man's eyes so, with a sigh, the white haired teen stood up.
"I'm going to go for another nap..."
Leaving Bookman behind without saying another word, nor waiting for the old man's reply, Allen headed out of the Cafeteria and towards the Dormitories.
Just as Allen reached the edges of the Dorms, he suddenly felt rather dizzy and sick. His head started to pound, and his vision blurred slightly as he walked. Although Allen had intended to talk with Lavi, he now wanted a nap more than anything.
He began to feel worse the closer he got to the room.
By the time the teen reached the door, he felt as if he would pass out any second. His skin seemed to burn, and his forehead felt as if a few dozen pinpricks were being jabbed into his skull. Groaning, and opening the door slowly, Allen took one step inside the room.
And then he froze.
"... You..."
"Oh. Hello Boy."
Standing right before him, covered in blood as he swept his hair backwards, was Tyki Mikk.
Allen's consciousness faded in an instant.
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The corridors were eerily silent as Bookman headed towards the Dormitories. It unnerved him, and the old man found himself fingering the scrolls containing his Innocence as he walked forwards.
"I'm getting old," Bookman murmured to himself. "... and paranoid."
For some reason, as he found himself walking past the first set of Dorms, the hairs on the back of his neck started to rise. His heart began to thump louder and, when Bookman reached the door to the room he was sharing with the others, he felt a bead of sweat slide down the side of his face.
What was with this feeling? Bookman was not one for emotions, nor feelings of fear or doubt or anxiety.
Bookmen have no need for a heart.
The door handle was freezing cold in Bookman's palm, counteracting the warm clamminess of his hand as he gently pushed the door open.
The almost metallic smell of blood hit Bookman first.
With a sickening squish the old man's feet sunk into the blood-soaked carpet, the red liquid pooling around his shoes. The whole room was covered in ruby red blood, with little to none of the room retaining it's original colour.
Sitting in one corner of the room, eye wide and blank, was Lavi. The red head looked deeply traumatised; he looked almost identical to the boy Bookman brought into Headquarters, covered in blood and in a catatonic state. Lavi was covered in blood but, from what Bookman could see, he was not wounded.
Standing motionless in the middle of the room was Allen. As Bookman edged forwards cautiously, he noticed with a jolt that the white haired teen's eyes were a pure shimmering amber in colour, the pupils resembling those of a cat. The teen's skin was dark, like a Noah's, and the blood that soaked Allen's clothing and left hand especially made a shudder slide down Bookman's spine. But Allen wasn't injured either.
So who had been hurt enough to produce so much blood?
Turning around slowly, Bookman almost missed the figure half-slumped against the wall, large spatters of blood imprinting the wall behind, and a large pool surrounding the figure. The figure's chest looked completely disfigured and torn to shreds, the outline of ribs stark against the bloody red of torn flesh, organs, and blood vessels.
Edging closer, Bookman tried to discern who the figure was, heart thumping wildly in his chest. Then he froze.
Blonde hair. Tied in a loose plait. Bookman had almost missed it due to the volumes of blood clinging to the once vibrant locks.
Howard Link was dead. But who killed him?
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[TRANSLATIONS]
- baka usagi-chan = my dear stupid rabbit (japanese)
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... Please don't hurt me *flees* I've been wanting to write this for ages! This is what I've been building up to folks, so get ready for one hell of a next chapter XD
Please review, and I'm sorry to those I haven't replied to - I lose track of everyone sometimes, and forget to reply to people ^^" Sorry!
Much love ~
xrowa-chanx