Ch 14
As Edward predicted, Mustang did accept the plan. He brought in some modifications, accepted the demands of Kanda and the polite requests of Allen. He found a place where they could set their "trap" and firmly forbade his team from following. He also hesitated impossibly and only after the second attack of the Demons on a small town, leading to nearly complete destruction of the whole settlement and the death of the great majority of the inhabitants, did Mustang finally give a green light to the plan.
For what felt like a millionth time, Lavi looked around the place they have chosen. It wasn't far from the Central City, but enough so that the fights shouldn't affect the inhabitants. It was an old military site, with remains of ruined buildings desolately sticking from the cracked ground, the metal reinforcements of the walls poking out of the concrete. In the middle, there was a large area which used to be a courtyard of the base: flat, cracked pavement with plants pushing through, proving the real force of the nature to a casual observer.
A more trained observer, such as Lavi, would notice the miniscule gleam of metal from where Edward was hidden and the corner of the dark coat of Mustang. Probably, Lavi assumed, such an observer would also see the shadow of his hammer and the tips of Allen's white hair. However, whichever observer would come to look at the scene, they would surely focus on the two persons in the middle of the courtyard, facing each other from a distance of twenty steps: the bait of the trap.
From where he was hidden, Lavi could see Alma flash Kanda a brilliant smile before pulling up his right sleeve and keeping his left hand just about the elbow. Kanda's hand went to the katana at his belt and drew the shiny blade in one, smooth motion. Simultaneously, the two Second Exorcists activated their Innocence, Kanda immediately going through the second and third activation.
Allen did say that Tyki's Demons could not control the urge of attacking an activated Innocence.
On the courtyard, Kanda and Alma went through a series of beautifully choreographed kata, but Lavi could see how they both only had attention on their surroundings rather than each other. The clashing of Kanda's katana against Alma's blades was the only sound for a while: attack, parry, jump away. The two Exorcists turned ninety degrees and went at it again: attack, parry, attack, jump, parry, break. Lavi could feel his heartbeat speeding up as the wait got to him: what if Tyki would not come?
Attack, parry, jump away. Ninety degree turn in those graceful, catlike moves. And then the relative silence exploded with a roar of the horrifying machines, gleaming red as they charged onto the courtyard from three sides. Worst case scenario then, Lavi thought, his hammer already activated and growing as he mentally chose the correct stamp and bam: there went a huge fire dragon, circling around Kanda and Alma and making the Demons scatter.
It was the cue for Allen and Edward and Lavi saw them rushing out of their hiding places, Crown Clown fully activated as Allen literally flew to give Edward the cover the alchemist needed. He didn't pay them any more attention, calling up another fiery dragon that momentarily killed one of the Demons. Then, pushing his fear away, Lavi stepped out into the courtyard as well.
'I see you're rushing towards death,' he heard and turned to where Tyki slowly emerged from the ground, right behind Alma. He was underestimating them, the thought crossed Lavi's mind. He might have gotten them that way one or two times, but they did learn: Alma jumped away before Tyki was halfway up, and the Noah found himself in between the two Seconds. Taking in the situation, he laughed coldly. 'Could it be that you have prepared a trap for me here? Could it be that you expect to win?' he growled the last word, his face twisting in an ugly grimace. Simultaneously, a crown of violet burst into life around his head.
It grew, until, suddenly, there was a gust of fire that cut through the very middle of the cloud and made Tyki sink back into the ground rapidly. The butterflies scattered, but Lavi couldn't follow them: he needed to duck from the attack of a Demon.
'Don't get cocky, Exorcists,' Tyki growled. Lavi couldn't turn to see when he was, busy fighting the Demon that systematically got up from his attacks and swung his fists with frightening accuracy. A piercing cry of pain made him stumble and he would have been history, if not for a gust of Mustang's fire that made the Demon hesitate with his next swing.
Kanda yelled in wordless fury, somewhere to Lavi's side. One of the Demons, the one which Edward has already transmuted to the building remains, slammed its fist into the building and ripped the crate of metal holding him down. So much for that plan, Lavi thought, but Edward was already on it again.
Their immortality comes from the Philosopher's Stone, Edward has said, which means that we can exhaust it with alchemy.
Fireworks exploded from the side of the third Demon, which was now also welded to the metal reinforcements of the ruined building, with his back to the courtyard and with his four arms flailing around, trying to get a hold of Allen, who was attacking him mercilessly. Further to the centre of the courtyard, Kanda clashed with Tyki. For a split of a second Lavi thought that they had won, but then he saw Noah's hand coming out of Kanda's back and the samurai stumbled backwards as the hand withdrew.
Too late Tyki heard Alma, who was jumping towards him from behind, bloody, his face twisted in a horrible grimace. Even before Kanda fell to the ground, Alma fell on the Noah, one of his blades digging into the opponent's shoulder before Tyki could make himself immaterial and Alma stumbled to the ground, rolling onto Kanda. Lavi could only hope they had enough lives.
'I see,' the Noah hissed furiously, holding his bleeding shoulder. The cloud of violet butterflies that burst forth from him this time made the previous attack seem like a child's play. Beyond them, Allen had to save himself with a desperate escape when two Demons ganged up on him.
'Fullmetal!' Lavi heard a distressed shout as the butterflies started their descent towards the two Seconds. Mustang was distracted, flitted through his head. Then he saw why.
Edward has outdone himself. Even as Lavi saw him falling away from a Demon in an arc, he could see the Demon's structure fluctuate. It took him a split of a second to realize that the creature was made of tightly packed cotton. It took him a full second to realize that Ed half landed, half fell and didn't get up from where he crumbled to the ground, cornered by the wobbling mass of poisonous cotton.
'I'm on it, get the butterflies,' he barked sharply at the general, glancing backwards to make sure that the man complied. He saw the moment of indecision in Mustang's eyes, but right then Alma and Kanda screamed in pain and the Noah laughed. As Mustang turned towards the centre of the courtyard, Lavi jumped at snatched Edward away from danger.
'Metal atoms into carbon- Normally impossible- This mass- Ate the Stone-' the alchemist gasped out between shallow breaths when he noticed his company. Lavi's brain supplied the rest of the sentences and anyway, the most important was that the Demon was no longer immortal. And that he could have seen from the lack of red glow.
Cotton should burn nicely, he thought, sending a fiery dragon towards the wobbling mass.
'Get away everybody!' he shouted as the dragon rushed to its target. The poison would spread more than usually from that one. With the corner of his eye, he saw Allen jumping to Mustang and grabbing him to get him away fast enough. He couldn't see the Seconds, but they were immune, even if what Lavi did would cost them each a life.
The Demon took to fire like dry paper, all but exploding into a giant fireball, the heat licking Lavi's back for a long while, until he was well away from the courtyard. Edward was hanging limply in his arms. Standing precariously on the roof of the ruined building, Lavi turned around to see the fire. To the right, closer to the courtyard buy higher up, he saw Allen balancing himself and Mustang on top of a pole. They seemed to be arguing, but the roaring of the fire made it impossible for Lavi to hear their words. The two Demons still alive were trashing, both trying to free the one stuck to the building in the courtyard. It was a rare and frightening show of cooperation, but Lavi ignored them for the moment, eye straining to see-
'You think you're so smart?' asked an angry voice right behind him.
There was nothing Lavi could do. He felt hands push him forward before he could turn. Holding Edward, and he couldn't let go, he couldn't even try to catch himself before his balance was tipped too far. He couldn't even hold in the scream as he felt himself fall from far too high. He thought he could hear Allen shouting, but just then Edward woke and screamed as well as he realized their situation.
Tyki laughed.
They fell through the floor taking pieces with them. One cut Lavi's arm so deep he felt himself letting go of Edward. Shit, he thought, we promised nothing will happen to the kid. But there was nothing he could do. The impact nearly knocked him out and he was falling anyway. The floor below was broken but through the holes he could see their landing spot: plain concrete.
There was a flash of movement to the side. A second later, Lavi felt himself brutally jarred, suddenly flying to the side rather than downwards. He screamed again, begging to stop, when he realized that in front there was a brick wall, looking all too solid for his liking. With another violent jolt, he came to halt a mere meter away from the wall. To the left, something crashed into the wall, although probably with less momentum than it should have and only then Lavi had enough wits to look at his saviour.
Kanda. The samurai looked horrible. His face was bloodied, a half healed gash running from his forehead, across his left eyelid, now closed, and down to his chin. There was a bruise along his jaw, bright purple against the pale skin. His right arm and side were badly burned, the clothes gone completely and the skin charred. Lavi winced guiltily, because he was probably responsible for that one. Half of Kanda's hair was out of its usual ponytail, tangled and dirty with ash, blood and grime. He was breathing heavily, falling to his knees as soon as he let go of Lavi.
'Are you alright, Alma? Hey, Alma!' Edward shouted in panic and Lavi looked to the other two, correctly guessing that what hit the wall moments before was Alma's back. The Second was slumped against the wall, head hanging low, the only sign of life being his shallow, slow breathing. He too was bloodied and burned, his clothes barely hanging on him.
Would they be enough to finish Tyki off? Lavi hasn't seen the Noah when he got pushed off the roof, but Tyki sounded safe and healthy. He was probably more powerful than Skin and defeating Skin has very nearly claimed Kanda's life. Was Lavi being optimistic when he thought two Seconds were enough to stand up to one of the most powerful Noah?
The hissing sound announced healing.
'Let's go,' Kanda said, his voice nowhere near its usual tone and strength. 'We'll escort you to the next Demon, in case Tyki shows up again,' he added. Lavi glanced back right on time to see him get up. His burns were gone, the arm and side uncovered by the missing clothes looking unnaturally perfect. 'We need the shrimp to get them mortal again.'
'Who are you calling so short that he can be crushed by a mango?' yelled Edward, making Lavi smile slightly. Even in those circumstances the kid couldn't let go of the perceived slight. Well, Lavi thought, Kanda probably meant exactly what Edward understood.
The samurai didn't react to the question at all. He pushed Edward away from Alma, gently but firmly, and then grabbed his best friend's hand and pulled him up, seemingly ignoring the pained moan that escaped Alma's lips. Lavi winced when he saw the bloody mess in the place of Alma's left eye. That he would regrow it was a small consolation, especially as the Bookman started noticing the other marks Tease left on the two Seconds. It was easier to notice with the burns gone.
'Will you be alright?' Kanda asked Alma in a tone Lavi has never heard him use before. It was a mix of affection and worry he didn't think Kanda was capable to express. The Bookman felt his jaw drop when the samurai gently pushed Alma's messy hair off the bruised face. Alma smiled slightly, warmly, and assured Kanda that he would be alright, even though he needed to lean on the other to stand straight. Would they really last against Tyki?
Lavi cleared his throat. Awkwardly, he told them to follow. From looking at the courtyard earlier, he knew exactly where they needed to go to find the second Demon, assuming that the creature was still attached to the wall by the welded reinforcements.
He hissed in sudden pain when he leaned on his hand to get up. He looked at it in surprise, only then remembering that he did go through the floor, complete with metal reinforcements and wooden floorboards. He didn't know which got him the gash in his arm, but now that the adrenaline went down a bit, he couldn't help moaning in pain. Shit, would he even be able to wield the hammer?
He would have to find the hard way, he thought, using the other arm to push himself up. Edward also gathered himself up clumsily and, slowly, they made their way following Lavi. The hissing sound of regeneration announced that at least two of their fighters were getting back in shape. Maybe there was hope for them, Lavi thought, but didn't dare to dwell on it too long. There were still two Demons and the Noah to take care of.
'We're nearly there,' he announced, glancing back to see that Alma was now walking on his own, his eye half rebuilt and looking particularly grotesque. Lavi turned back to face forward, hiding his wince. Edward promised that he was ready and Lavi nodded in acknowledgement.
There was a shift in the air and a sudden foreboding made the hairs on Lavi's neck stand.
'You're such pests,' he heard behind, accompanied by gasps and the unmistakeable sound of drawn katana. He turned already knowing what he would see: Tyki Mikk, standing behind Alma, holding the Exorcist in front of him like a shield. The small flame of hope in Lavi's heart burned stronger when he took in the bloodied appearance of the Noah.
'Go ahead,' Kanda ordered coldly, not even looking at Lavi. The redhead hesitated. Tyki laughed, his hand coming out of Alma's torso. A violet butterfly bloomed in it for them all to see, before the hand withdrew. Alma didn't even scream, but Lavi knew that the Noah left his carnivore pet somewhere within Alma's body.
Kanda repeated his order icily. Then, before Lavi could even think of a reply, he charged to attack head on. He was so fast that Lavi only understood what happened when Alma and Tyki both gasped in pain. Edward screamed in shock or protest, Lavi didn't really know. Numb, he pulled the alchemist away. They needed to go. They needed to trust the others to do their job.