Skipping thanks on this one too! Can't wait any longer to write!
So I'll give a genearl thank you to all of you reading right now! XD
Now to it!
Retrace XX: Payback Time
"How's he doing?" Celia asked standing before Dr. Marcus' bed which was in the intensive care.
The Head Nurse smiled weakly. "I'm quite surpirsed he managed to go on alive for this long. Lilian told me that they've been harboring in Edo for almost seven months. Being as sick as he was I'm really shocked he is still alive."
"It's been already been a week since we got back here," Celia said. "Will he be conscious anytime soon?"
"We've been filling him with sedatives for the immense pain, dear. Even if he were to wake up he'll be delusional whatever he told you in that state would most likely be hallucinations. I'm really sorry, child," she apologized.
"Don't," Celia said with a small smile. "At least he's not suffering as much as before."
"That is true," the Head Nurse agreed. "Celia, would you do me the favor of taking Lilian to the dinning hall? The poor thing hasn't eaten since she arrived."
"Of course," she said. She went near to were Lily was seated on Marcus' bedside. Alice, who has stuck to Celia from dawn to dusk, was by her side as she came there. "Lily, wouldn't you like to come with us to the dinning hall? Let's go eat something good, Jerry make's very delicious things."
"I promised I would stay by his side," Lily sniffed.
Celia sighed. Alice, however, approached her, "Just because you're here doesn't mean he's going to get better, Lilian. You must understand that."
"I do," Lily answered wanting to cry again.
"L-Look," Celia said not wanting for her to cry. "Marcus would want you take care of yourself just as much as you're taking care of him. So let's go there and at least get something to eat. Would you please?"
Lily looked at Celia and, although it took a moment, she finally nodded. "Yeah, you're right. Thank you, Celia-sama."
"No need to thank me. Just go with Alice to the dinning hall," she said with a smile.
"What about you?" Alice perked up immediately.
"I have to give Hevlaska a little visit. Just go ahead of me. I'll be there in a minute," she said already heading out and not giving Alice time to argue.
Once there she lowered herself using the elevator. She'd done it before, sneaking into Hevlaska's chamber without Komui. After all, Celia had asked her something as a favor.
She looked up at the darkness before speaking, "It's me Hevlaska." The mass of the Exorcist emerged from the depths showing itself before her. Celia smiled, "Hey, could you do it?"
"Yes," she said and extracted the rapier from her body. It Hevlaska's hands it looked light but once it got to Celia's it weighed a ton again. "Damn thing."
"It will remain heavy as long as it's dactivated," Hevlaska said. "I aslo rendered some other information on it. It seems to be that your parasitic-type Innocence became both a parasitic and equipment type."
"H-How is that possible," she grunted trying still to lift the thing without having to activate it.
"The fact that you can wield it like that is proof of its equipment-type status. The fact that it draws upon your blood for energy, though, gives it away as the true type it is. And the fact that you cannot disengage it's curent form is that that is it's true form."
"So it's still a parasitic but it won't change back to the kwan dao," she summerized.
"Correct."
"So how the hell am I suppose to carry this without activating it. It's freaking heavy," she stated the obvious.
"You could strengthen your upper body to accomodate the new form of the weapon," Hevlaska suggested. Celia groaned remembering what had happened with that jerk of Kanda. She knew that she had to get stronger. That's why she had been training right after she got out of the hospital.
"Anything else?" she asked.
"You could keep it activated in small amounts without having to fully activate it. That way it's weight won't be an issue. Although that wastes more of your energy in doing so it could be sufficient until you do the first, " Hevlaska said.
"Okay," Celia said activating it a little making lighter than before. Hilting it on her belt she looked up at her, "I'll be leaving then. Thanks for everything, Hevlaska."
"My pleasure," she answered.
Celia walked about the Order not really hungry at all. Suddenly when she heard a ruckus her head turned about. Allen was being carried out of a room by two guards.
"Allen!" she cried out to him after he was released.
"Ah! Celia!" he said looking over his papers at her.
"What's with the papers?" she asked confused. Looking at the man beside him she asked, "And who's the guy that look's like his recording?"
"Recording?" Allen repeated confused. Celia simply copied Link's stoic expression and pointed at her forehead. Allen broke in laughter while Link yelled at her in rage.
"How imprudent of you!"
"Imprudent is that you're following Al-chan so close. Who are you anyways?" she asked a little angry.
"The name is Howard Link and I will be surpervising Allen Walker under orders of Inspector Lvellie," Link said monotonely.
"Lvellie?" Celia said surprised. "He's here?"
"Yes, the inspector is with Supervisor Lee at this moment," Link said to her.
Celia clicked her tongue. "Hey camcorder. You better not do anything to Ally or I'll be the one you'll be answering to."
"Excuse me?" Link said shocked by her disregard.
"Ally?" Allen repeated shocked by such girlish nickname she had given him. He had to admit, though, any of the ones she give him were better than Moyashi.
She looked over to the door from where Allen had been taken out of. "Who's there?" she asked pointing at it with her thumb.
"It's confide-"
"Master is," Allen spoke over Link.
"Is he now?" Celia said mischievously. She skipped past them.
"You are not allowed in there," Link called after her.
"If I heard right, Allen was the one not allowed contact with Cross. I, however, have no such restrictions." She stuck her tongue out and went through the double doors.
There she saw Cross drinking wine with Kloud and having the luxuries that would put the gold of the Templars to shame. She sighed and walked in, "Hey Cross. Got a minute?"
"Ah, Celia," he said not caring at all but having eyes only for General Kloud. "Not now, kid, scram for awhile."
"Oh hell no," she hissed and kicked his legs hard. It's amazing just how much a week's intense training can change one's pshysical. "Make time. Now."
"Feisty," Kloud said with a smirk. "Have we met before, child?"
"Haven't had the pleasure," Celia said not really interested. "But might as well get it out of the way. Name's Celia Valentine."
"Kloud Nine," she said. "I find it interesting that you rebel against him."
"Oh believe me, I don't find it as interesting as you. Besides I have a score to settle with this piece of garbage," Celia said.
"Hey, watch your mouth. Don't refer to me like that," Cross reproached.
"You have no say on this!" Celia snapped. "So don't even!"
"W-What is it anyway that you want with me?" Cross asked.
"I wanted you to have a look at this," she said taking Xiao out of her belt and showing it at him.
Cross blinked at it. "And you want me to because...?"
"You told me once that you were part of the science division before becoming an Exorcist. Hevlaska told me some things but not as much as I wanted to know. You're more observant and I know you'll dig in if it's interesting enough."
"What makes your little toothpick so interesting?" Cross said having a drink of the glass of wine.
Celia scoffed and thought 'activate'. The eye snapped opened and looked around. When it found Celia it closed again and the tentacles attached to her left arm creating the black protective sleeve. The blade's blue edge changed red from the intake of blood. "Interesting enough? It sucks my blood unless I kill others and have it suck theirs. It's a mini bat with one big fang."
Cross leaned over getting his arm from around Kloud. He looked at the blade closely. "When did this happen exactly?"
"After Xiao's kwan dao form broke. I had to create another weapon and this came out."
"How much matter did you use to create it?" he asked holding the rapier's blade in his hands examining it.
"Matter? Um," she had a hard time recalling. "I don't know. It was a pipe that I stuck onto the concrete that had fallen. Didn't really pay attention to how much it took in."
"Have you ever fainted from usage?" Cross asked looking at her this time.
This question took her by surprise since it was quite idiotic on her mind. "No, why would you ask?"
"It draws blood to augment it's power. The fact that it draws other's blood means that the source from you is quite limited since it's only one body. How do you know that it wants blood from others and that otherwide it'll draw from your own?"
"I..." she began a little shyly. "I accidentally killed one of the test subjects in the science department the other day. It was all in good fun, I promise. Plus it was Lavi's idea. And when I did that the eye suddenly opened without me invoking it and started drawing out its blood until it left it dry as a prune. Right after that was when I took it to Hevlaska."
"It is interesting," he said going back to his old state. "But~ right now I have company so why don't you put it aside somewhere and I'll take a look at it when I have time."
"You scumbag!" Celia scowled. "I'm not leaving this here with you!"
"Then leave and come back some other time," Cross said going back to flirting with Kloud.
"Whatever," she growled leaving the room. If he wasn't going to help then she would find out by herself.
Another week went by in a flash. Most of the injured were good and released. Celia, in the meanwhile, was still pestered with the mystery of Xiao besides her training.
"This isn't a staring competition, Alice," Celia sighed lowering her face from her twins who had been staring at her all the while she contemplated her problems that one day after training in the morning. "Shouldn't you be practicing your achery?"
"Awww!" Alice complained while dropping on the floor and rolling around. "I don't wanna!"
"Don't complain and do it. You promised that you wouldn't bother me if you came with me to train in the morning but so far that's all you've done," Celia said a little frsutrated.
"But I've already mastered my archery. You haven't given me time to work on Albus either," Alice said in all seriousness.
"That can wait," Celia said getting another sword from the bunch. "Right now I need to sharpen my skills as much as I can. We'll deal with Albus and his infectious disease later, how bout it?"
"Don't procastinate with this, Celia," Alice warned her. "The virus can be tricky at times. Belive me I know. It will take it's advantage wherever a gap is present."
"Well, tell me where it comes in and I'll try to kick it's ass before it comes near controlling my body," Celia said practicing her moves on a motionless dummy.
"All I can tell you from experience is to not to fall unconscious."
"Unconscious?" Celia said remembering a vague tinge of her dream that she had when they returned.
"It controls the body through the mind and heart. If you fall unconscious it has complete freedom and it will have control of everything," Alice said. "That was why I didn't exchange with you. The one time I did I ended up connecting you with Tyki Mikk."
Celia looked at Alice who had drawn her head down. Celia grimaced, the kid was still bummed because she had almost caused her to die. She came up to her and patted her head making her snap it up shocked. "Don't worry about it. Even if I still have the connection with that man it might end up being a good thing. It'll be like a warning bell of some sort. So don't put that face, okay?"
Alice took a deep breath and nodded, "Sure."
"Now how about sending some of Atrum's arrows at me to slice?" she said putting the sword aside and taking Xiao out. Activating the thing was easier now and it had become less heavy within to weeks. She could now carry it around as if nothing. She had also learned, unbelievably from Cross, that this form of Xiao had two forms so far. Before the eye opens without the tentacles and when it was blue was it's level one. When it began to draw blood was when it turned to it's second level. Celia could control it more or less and could decide when it began to draw her blood.
For now it remained with blue edges and the eye remained closed. She slashed at the air before taking her stance some feet apart from Alice.
"Ready when you are!" she called from one side of the training field.
"You're one crazy girl," Alice mumbled taking out her bow. Drawing the string back a small tiny silver point shown at the end of the bow. Putting her cheek next to her hand she aimed at Celia. "Are you sure about this! Last time I almost hit your head!"
"Stop worrying and hit me!" Celia yelled swinging Xiao about frustrated.
"All right then," she sighed. Checking her aim one last time she swiftly let go of the string that left a line of shinning silver in its wake. Celia's eyes were focused on the front but all other senses where placed about. The line suddenly disappeared from in front of her. Celia heard the distinctive ving sound that it made. Making a clean 180 on her heels she raised Xiao just in time to slash the arrow that shattered like shinning glass.
Another two were aimed at her back. Turning again she slashed through them both at once with a diagonal slash making them shatter again. When she felt a sudden bump on the ground she leaped back only to discover another one darting from underground. It shot up then changed direction towards her. She slashed at it releasing a blue essence which had a diamond's edge and broke the arrow in midair sending snowflakes of shinning matter about.
"Good job," Alice said.
"Not quite. I could've destroyed the last one before it even came from the ground." She sighed but smiled, "I still have some ways to go but that's fine."
"Yep. If it's Celia then you'll surely make it," Alice said.
"Thanks." A sudden squeak took Alice's attention. She herself yelped at seeing the rodent that suddenly went over to the giggling Celia. "How many times do I have to tell you that Mr. Jingles won't hurt you?"
"It's a rat, Celia. Rats have many diseases and have rabies and are just plainly gross," Alice squealed.
"Mr. Jingles doesn't like the 'R' word. He's a mouse. A clean one at that," Celia said joking about it.
"You're unbelievable," Alice said storming off to their room. Celia rolled her eyes at her sister's childish manners.
"Oh, Celia!"
Celia turned to see one of the scientists from the science division, "Hey Johnny. What's up?"
"Nothing much. Just research. Hey, I heard Lenalee was looking around for you," Johnny told her.
"Oh yeah?" Celia said playing with the mouse. "Do you know where she might be?"
"I heard her say that she was headed to the training rooms on the second floor."
"Second floor you say? Alright. Thanks Johnny!" she called leaving him behind.
She walked fast. She hadn't seen Lenalee for some days since she kept running around trying her best not to encounter the Inspector. Celia had had her run with that douchebag plenty of times. Back when she was a little kid, she would pick fights with him. Kanda and Lenalee kept her at bay but when they put Lenalee under house arrest, she snapped and started ruckus at offices. That was, actually, what brought them to lock her away in her room.
Soon she got to the second floor and its training rooms. Most of them were empty for these were only used for personal training and most wanted to get some one-on-one experiences. Soon she found Lenalee but she wasn't alone. She was with the last person Celia wanted to see. The one person she had willing ignored through those two weeks.
She would only speak to Lenalee, she thought to herself. Only her and ignore that idiot scumbag. "Johnny said you wanted to talk to me?"
"Celia!" Lenalee said exhaling in relief. "Yes, I do. Come in, please."
"I'd rather not," Celia said coldly giving Kanda a glare. Lenalee caught this and turned to see Kanda who didn't even take a peak at the other girl. "Just tell me from there. If not just come over here. But I'm not going anywhere close that scum."
"Would you leave." Kanda's words were cold and straight forth.
"Sorry," Lenalee whispered to himand got up. She whispered at Celia who stood at the doorway, "Did something happen between you two?"
"No. Why'd you ask?" she said looking out of the room.
Lenalee sighed and decided to drop the question. "Nii-san told me about Dr. Marcus."
Celia looked at her. "You were snooping around?"
"Yes," Lenalee admitted. "You were going there more than twice a day trying to talk to him. But he never answered you, right?"
"You have no idea what I wanted to ask?" she hissed through gritted teeth. "You had no right."
"I know and I apologize but I found out something you might want to know." She took her golem, "Record No.12. Play."
"Alexander?" Lenalee's voice came from her golem. She must've recorded their conversation through it for proof. "Tell me, you were talking about Evangelique and Cecilia fighting. Can you tell me...what was it they were fighting about?"
A few seconds of silence. Then his voice hoarse and weak came through, "Why, Evanny, you where there. Don't you remember?" He sighed and coughed a couple of times before continuing. "I remember it clear as day. You confronted Cecy about the child. You said that he is a well bred one but she said that he was uncompatible to become the cure. No serum could be made out of him but that didn't relief him of his extraordinary powers." A couple of coughs more and he went on, "He was a powerful one that boy. I recall him moving those shelves full of books with only his telekinesis. A very powerful one he is, indeed. But very sick. Cecilia asked me to examine him. I did and I found that your boy was bonding with the virus in his system way to quickly. I have to be frank, Evanny, I am quite frightful that the child might turn about on us very soon. The virus will not stop until it courses through the boy's body and eats his conscious away."
"He'd be controlled by it then," Celia contemplated.
The recording continued with Lenalee speaking. "Why would Cecilia be concerned of my child Alexander?" Celia turned and raised a brow at Lenalee making her shrug. She had some good acting skills.
"Because Cecilia knew about your intentions, Evanny."
"What intentions, Alexander?"
"Oh, don't you act dumb with your brother, Evangelique." He had adopted a mad demeaner which made him cough more. "You want to create Him again. You want a body that will control the power of the virus to its fullest. But you can't create miracles, Evangelique. All you can do is experiment and fail until you reach the closest outcome possible. What you are looking for cannot happen."
"What cannot happen?" Lenalee coarsed.
"You cannot create God through that virus, Evangelique. Not your son, nor the children that Cecilia is expecting are close to perfect. Although I did infect them when they were just embryos it doesn't make the process sure. They may live more than fifty years with their rapid growth and instincts and they may even be stillborn. These experiments aren't flawless. Cecilia knew this but was confident that her children would live which is why she agreed to my terms. You just wished for God to be born that way you'd be free from the Order's humiliation and give them one of their own."
"Alexander? Could you tell me his name? The name of my son?" Lenalee asked.
"How precarious you are, Evanny. I know you care not for the boy but forgetting his name is very sad. Poor boy, for having a mother like you. Poor Janus."
The recording ended leaving Celia to think before she spoke. So when Janus called her 'dear cousin' he wasn't just playing tricks on her. He's actually Evangelique's son, one of the three Evernly siblings. So that made him cousin to Alice and Celia. They were all a family. How could he want to kill his own family?
"Damn you," Celia cussed under her breath.
"Sorry, I knew I shouldn't have done it," she apologized.
"No! No!" Celia said startled by her reaction. "That's not it. I'm not mad at you. I'm just frustrated, that's all. I've been trying to get information out of his delusional mind but I'll I get are stories of how Cecilia and him would go out with this friend of his. He keeps repeating the same stories and when I ask him about something else he just changes the topic back." She shook her head, "Thanks anyway. That was a big help but seriously Lena, you've gotta stop being so noisy."
"Well excuse me for wanting to help!" Lenalee puffed making Celia giggle. The beeping from her golem took their attention away. Lenalee was to report to Hevlaska's chamber by orders of the Inspector and Komui. "Won't you come with me?"
"I can't, sorry," she said. "I might actually try to kill that bastard of the Inspector if I even come close to him."
"That wouldn't be so bad, would it?" Lenalee joked.
Celia laughed, "Go before you get in trouble." Lenalee left leaving Celia with the scum who violated her. She was about to leave when suddenly Mr. Jingles ran from her shoulder onto the floor.
"Hey, where are you going?" But the mouse only stopped to look at her and continued climbing up to Kanda's head as it cleaned its own and tilted it's head.
"You better take it off if you don't want me to suffocate it," Kanda growled.
Celia ran over almost tripping on her feet in a haste to take Mr. Jingles from Kanda's head. She snapped the mouse away from him. "You're a horrible person, you know?"
"Are you saying that because of the mouse or because of what I did?" He said it swiftly and without remorse. Celia hated that about him. Important things were like crumbs to him. Things that needed to be cleaned up and he wasn't about to do it.
"Both but mostly the latter," Celia said straight forth. Fine, if he wasn't going to play nice neither was she. "You know, what you did has a name and it's illegal. It's called rape."
"I did no such thing," Kanda said pissed off by her accusations. He gave up meditating and stood up. She took a step back her reflects still being manipulated by the fear she felt. "Rape would mean that I actually did the deed. If I remember right all I did was cup you. Actually, not even that."
"You're a sick man, Kanda Yu," Celia hissed through gritted teeth.
"But it got the message through your thick head didn't it?" he went on. "I've heard you shuffling in the morning making a ruckus of going to train from dawn to dusk. So don't come to me saying you hate me for violating your nonexistent innocence as a girl so spare me the sob story."
"Fuck you, okay. Just fuck off. I don't want to hear you or even see you. I haven't forgiven you for what you did. I don't think I will ever," she cussed at him.
"Go ahead. You've been the one who's had a problem with me being mad. I, however, have no problem with you being mad at me. It actually gives me more peace," he admitted coldly.
She was still mad but somewhere deep inside her was sad to no end. She wanted for him to be sorry to at least apologize. But no, he had to go on and do the douche move and pretend like it wasn't a big deal. Well, for her it was. He did something unforgivable. Even if it did get the point through her head. She was about to storm out when another voice came into the conversation.
"Oh Celia, are you here to train with Kanda and I?" Marie asked coming into the room.
"No, Marie," she said ignoring Kanda's glare. "No, I think I'll just sit down. I'm a bit dizzy."
"You better take care of yourself. I've heard the Head Nurse talking to you about your sickness," Marie said getting equipment to train with Kanda.
"It's nothing. Just some heart murmurs from now and then," Celia dismissed his comments sitting down and playing around with Mr. Jingles. "By the way, have you seen Alice?"
"Alice-san?" Marie said while Kanda punched and kicked the pads that Marie held with his arms with force. "No I haven't. Why, is there something wrong with her?"
"She's been getting a bit too worrisome and it's giving me claustrophobia," Celia said placing her head back. "But I guess that's just her."
"You're sister freaks me out," Kanda blurted out.
"Well thanks Mr. Asshole. If it makes you feel better she doesn't really like you either," Celia said not even looking at him.
"No I mean it," Kanda said actually looking at her. She glares back but is forced to look away after awhile. "Something about her just doesn't feel right. She reminds me of that other brat you fought at the Ark."
"Doesn't surprise me. He's are cousin after all," she said lightly.
"Have you ever thought of searching for your family tree, Celia?" Marie suggested.
"I have but the records of the Evernly Family are sealed by the higher ups. And I have no idea who my father is," Celia said. "It's been dead end after dead end so I just gave up on searching. Instead I ask now though Marcus hasn't been that much help either."
"You should really stop looking any further," Kanda warned her.
"You know what, you can shove all that up your-" She suddenly remained quiet, the pain in her chest shutting her up. She clutched at it and was panting.
"Celia?" Marie called concerned.
"You sent Lulubell?" She remembered that voice. Road's.
"She was the best for the job. After all Tyki-pon can't go out just yet." The Earl's voice. Then Tyki was in that place still alive.
"I really wanted to go see it though," Road again. "The destruction of the Black Order, that is."
"Enemy attack alert!" The sudden message coming from the three golems snapped her from her overhearing. "To all Exorcists and members stationed at Headquarters. Akuma have invaded the 5th laboratory."
"Isn't that were they were examining the Egg?" Marie said.
"Two Exorcists are currently at the scene and engaging the enemy! Generals and other Exorcists proceed urgently to the third Gate of the Ark. Noise Marie. Miranda Lotto. Proceed urgently to the third Gate." The message continued but both Marie and Celia ignored it.
"You have to stay," Marie called. Celia turned seeing as he pushed Kanda back.
"There's no time for bullshit like standing back, Marie," Kanda scowled.
"Without your Innocence you can't fight, Kanda," Marie kept going.
"He's right, Kanda," Celia agreed. "Without Mugen you'd be a burden to us."
"Don't get cocky," Kanda said through gritted teeth.
"I'm not. It's the truth," she said coming close. "Marie go. I'll catch up with you in a second."
Marie nodded and left. She turned back to him with a serene expression but he only scowled. "Don't try to bench me now. It's not like I can die, you know that."
"I don't care if your wound heal faster than anybody else's. You have no Innocence. Frankly you'll only be a hindrance. Not only for me but to the others too," Celia said.
"Fuckk off Valentine," he said shoving her aside and heading for the door.
But he wouldn't get there. Celia tripped him from behind and bent his knees so that he would fall face first to the floor. Putting her weight on him, she placed a knee on his back while the other stood supporting her. Her left hand had his shoulder while the other kept his head down.
"Not as weak now, am I?" she said still calmly.
"Get off me Valentine! It's not the time for your stupid games!" he shouted.
"No. You know what we don't have time for? You being a prick and believing you can fight all this by yourself. We're all here. And know it's not cause I don't want you to get hurt. I was serious, you'll just be burden for us if you go without Mugen." She leaned her face in and Kanda flinched at the sudden pinch on the back of his neck. She jumped over him and watched him as he got up and run a hand behind his neck where she had bit him before sticking her tongue out. "Now we're even. So be a good boy and just stay put."
Long as shit. I know. But I liked it. Ah, revenge is always sweet~ :)
Well anyways. hoped you liked it. Yay another duplex release for today!
Please review!