{Eidolon/Adam's POV}
I couldn't find it.
I cast about the destroyed apartment frantically.
... What exactly was I looking for?
I paused, biting my lip. I didn't even know where I was. I didn't recognize this apartment. Why was I so frantic to find something here in it?
There was a huge window replacing one of the walls, but it was shattered. I swallowed nervously, picking my way over the things on the floor to the hole in the wall.
I swallowed nervously.
The city outside was deserted. A few buildings were crushed, and the sky was a stormy, cloudy, gray. A few beams of angry red light shone through the thick, wicked clouds. Their light illuminated the desolate city, and glimmered across the sea of red filling the streets. I swallowed, fighting against the bile rising in my throat.
How had I not noticed the powerful coppery scent earlier?
One thought flew across my mind, making me shudder.
Whatever it was I was looking for, it was down there somewhere. I had to wade through that sea of blood and find it.
Please please please, let me find it fast...
Beginning it pant in fear and nervousness, I looked back around the apartment. Please... Something, somewhere, jump out at me, scream that I'd found it...
On the desk near the window, something kinda did. A photo in a frame, the glass of the simple frame cracked and broken. Curiously, I moved over to the desk and picked it up. It was a portrait of three people. Their faces had been crossed out, large, jagged Xs torn into it. Because of that, I couldn't recognize them, though I could vaguely make out black, brunette and blonde hair.
Them.
I needed to find them.
They knew where it was. They could help me.
I carefully removed the picture from the frame, tucking it into my pocket. Swallowing, I turned back to the shattered window and the rivers of blood swamping the streets. Shuddering as I gathered up my courage, I jumped. It was only the fourth floor, and I was pretty tough...
I landed in the sea with a sticky-sounding splash. Sloshing, more of, with a spray of crimson going up around me. I shuddered again, wanting to throw up badly as the sticky, fluid warmth surrounded my legs, reaching three-quarters of the way up my thighs. I picked one foot up. My leg emerged from the blood with a slurping noise. Grimacing, I began walking.
The noises and the smell were worse than the feeling of walking through this. The blood lapped at buildings, trees and other things with small sloshes. I moved through it with slurps, squelches and gurgles. It stank of copper, acid and death. Accompanying it was some underlying scent I just couldn't place that was sickening. Repulsive.
I moved with one hand over my mouth and nose, breathing in through my mouth and out through my nose, trying to fight off that stench. But try as I might, it just didn't work.
Eventually, a noise other than the horrid sea— the ocean of death, I thought bitterly— reached me. The shrill screaming of metal on stone, curdling my blood and setting my teeth on edge... I stopped, listening. As I did, a series of dull thuds began. Methodical. Muted. Wet.
... It was that way. So were they...
I continued sloshing through the red heat, panting, sweating and praying. I headed towards the thudding, hoping that whoever was making the noise was in a friendly mood...
There was a bit of a raised rock, jagged, black and unfriendly, jutting out of the blood, under a dead tree. On it stood a figure in red-stained white, swinging an axe repeatedly, rhythmically pounding the blade down into the chunks of meat on the slab of rock before him. Guessing what the raw, red masses of meat were, I gagged. Still, I approached. As I did, I saw my assumption was correct, a few pieces of the body vaguely recognizable as human. I also saw that the axeman was someone I knew.
"Mignon." I called dumbly.
He paused in his work, the axe buried in what was once a limb of some sort. I couldn't tell with the head missing like that. Ever-so-slowly, he turned his head to look at me. Red splatters decorated his cheeks, his eyes blank and his mouth smeared with red.
"... You." he said dully before turning back to his work.
I cautiously approached the rock. He didn't react, swinging the axe over and over, again and again. "... Uh... C-can I come up...?" I asked timidly, ready to bolt if he turned on me.
"Sure." he said, not pausing in the slightest.
I scrabbled up the slick, slippery rock to stand near him, using the flaking tree for balance. I panted, watching him work for a bit.
"Mignon... I need help." I gasped. He didn't reply, so I continued, "I'm looking for something, but I need help. These people, they can help," and took the picture from my pocket.
He paused, the axe over his shoulder and dripping red down his back and onto the rock. Turning his head, he looked at the half-destroyed photo in my hand. "... Them? You don't need them." he told me, voice dull and flat as he turned back to his work.
"Yes, I do! They can help me find it!" I objected, my voice raising in my hysteria.
"No, you don't. Otherwise you wouldn't've left." Mignon murmured, swinging the axe again. It sank into the rock and lodged there, so he turned to look at me before pulling it free. "You left them behind. If you need them so much, you wouldn't have."
Left them behind? I didn't even know who they were!
I closed my eyes, taking a deep breath. "Mignon... Please... Do you know where they are...?" I pleaded.
"Yes."
Thunk.
"... Please... Could you show me...?"
Thud.
"I can't."
Thunk.
"Why not?!" I accused.
Mignon turned to me again. Not just with his head this time, but his whole body. As he did, the rattle of chains reached my ears. I looked down at his feet. Dull black steel shackles kept him chained to the rock, to his work.
"Mignon, why're you here?" I asked softly.
He didn't answer, turning back to the mutilated red meat before him, swinging the axe over his shoulder, up, and forcefully down. The dull, damp thuds continued, the sickening crunch of a bone being broken accompanying it.
"Mignon!" I yelled, tears in my eyes and bile in my throat. "Mignon, stop, it's dead already!"
"It was dead when I got it." Thud. "I can't stop." Crunch. "Not until the guards say I can." Thunk.
I turned away, unable to keep the bile down any longer.
As I emptied my stomach, a loud shriek rent the air, metal grinding on metal and killing each other. I shuddered, covering my ears.
"Lunch-break." I heard Mignon say as it ended.
I spun around in horror, expecting him to pick up one of those slabs of red he'd been hacking up. Instead, he laid the axe down and walked towards the edge of the rock. Once the chains of the shackles pulled taunt, he sat down, waiting. I blinked, looking around in confusion.
A loud sloshing alerted me to someone approaching. I gasped, whipping around.
A pair of white-furred wolf-men stood before Mignon, gleaming red eyes hungry for blood. One had a hooded eagle perched on his shoulder. The other had a huge black bag slung over his shoulder. Both had red-and-yellow-stained teeth, long black claws, and wore white uniforms with police-like badges.
"You have a visitor." one observed, sneering at Mignon.
"I hope you didn't slack off because of him." the other growled, taking the hood off the eagle on his shoulder. The beady-eyes bird instantly fixated on Mignon. With a rustle of feathers, it flew to Mignon's lap. I blinked in confusion as Mignon lifted his shirt up a bit.
But as the eagle tore into his stomach, I was forced to retch again.
... A modern Prometheus indeed...
"Weak-stomached, ain't ya?" one of the wolves sniggered.
I didn't answer, watching in horror as they lifted a headless body out of the black bag. It was thrown carelessly onto the rock where Mignon had been working, and the pieces of the first swept into the bag. I fell to my knees, unable to stand any more for the horror.
Mignon watched me indifferently as the eagle feasted on his insides. One of the wolves suddenly produced a ladle out of nowhere, dipping it into the sea of blood he stood in. Roughly grabbing Mignon's chin, he jerked his head around and forced it back. With a rather uncharacteristic gentleness, he put the ladle to Mignon's lips.
I could've sworn there was nothing left in my stomach to throw up, but apparently there was.
The eagle was apparently done, because it flew back to it's master's shoulder. The wolf slid the hood back onto it's head, and his companion took out a needle and thread. I shakily stood up, using the dead tree for leverage.
"So, why're you here?" one of the wolves asked. I don't know which, I wasn't looking.
"I... I need to b-borrow... Mignon..." I gasped.
"What for?" asked the one with the hawk.
"... He's looking for them." Mignon murmured when I didn't answer.
The wolves exchanged a glance, then burst out laughing.
"If you think they'll really let you come crawling back after you left them, sure!" one hooted.
"Here!" guffawed the other, tossing me a key that I nearly dropped.
I watched, frozen by confusion, as they left, still roaring with laughter. After they were pretty much gone, I fell to my knees, fumbling with the key as I tried desperately to unlock the shackles around Mignon's ankles. Finally freeing him, I gasped in relief. The skin around his ankles was red, sore and chapped. A few popped blisters glistened with lymph. I cringed as Mignon slid without hesitation into the ocean of death.
"This way." he instructed softly.
I slid into the wet warmth after him, hurriedly splashing along next to him. "Mignon, who exactly are they?" I panted. He was moving so freaking fast compared to me! I was wading through molasses, and he was gliding neatly through the stuff like this was nothing!
"Izaya Orihara, his boyfriend Shizuo Heiwajima, and their son Eidolon Heiwajima. After you left them, Eidolon died. Once that happened, Shizuo and Izaya fell apart. They accused each other of being at fault for everything. They eventually broke up. It was Izaya who crossed out their smiling faces. He didn't want to be reminded of the joy he'd had ripped away from him, returning to his cold ways. Shizuo left him and went back to his old apartment, becoming animalistically violent." Mignon told me, his voice monotone.
I shivered, unnerved by all this.
"We'll see Izaya first... But I don't know if he'll talk." Mignon said.
"Why not?" I asked, almost dreading the answer.
"I heard rumor that, shortly before the citizens of Shinjuku and Ikebukuro had him crucified, he slit his throat in a fit of depressed rage."
"Mignon!"
I yelped, starting as a girl similar to Mignon approached, a broad smile on her face.
"Mignon, are you and Ai-chan here to see Iza-nii?" she asked sweetly.
"Ai-chan...?" I mumbled in confusion as Mignon confirmed her question.
"Izaya's pet name for you before you left." he told me, following after the girl. I gulped, following them. I swear, I had no idea who any of these people were!
Seeing the cross ahead, I stopped, gagging. A black-haired man clad in black was nailed to it with large, rusty nails. The wounds bled a thick, dark red substance. Even with his head bowed the way it was, I could see his neck bleeding similarly from a neat slit. On his head sat a wreath of brambles.
"It's oddly appropriate. He always wanted to be a god." Mignon said absently.
I blanched.
"Iza-nii! Mignon and Ai-chan came to see you!" crooned the patchwork girl, reaching up to pat the raven's face. A low hiss sounded. "He said he doesn't wanna see Ai-chan, but he'll talk to Mignon!"
Mignon approached the cross, tilting his head to the side and reaching up to brush black bangs away. I could vaguely hear him murmuring. Choked gurgles and low hisses replied. Mignon tilted his head the other way.
This was sick... And they all thought it was my fault? I didn't even know these people!
Mignon turned and came back to me. The girl waved in farewell as he led me away.
"So?" I asked weakly.
"He said that Shizuo had it, the last he knew."
The animal-like one? I shivered.
It seemed hours later when we came to a wall. The wall went up about two feet over the blood, so about to my chest, and was circular. Standing around it were a few haggard-looking people yelling, jeering and hollering. Mignon went to stand at the wall, and I followed.
It was like at a zoo, where the enclosure is lower down than you are. Fighting in the pit was a trio of wolf-men and a savage-looking blonde man. The wolves seemed to be losing, even with their knives and guns. All the blonde had was what looked like a street-sign.
As I watched, one of the wolf-men shot the blonde. He roared, turning swiftly about and taking the white-furred head off with his sign. A series of boos and hisses arose.
I turned away, choking on the bile rising in my throat.
"He used to hate violence..." I vaguely heard Mignon sigh wistfully.
The noise from the pit suddenly stopped.
"What's HE doing here?"
I turned back, seeing the tall blonde standing next to Mignon, glaring furiously at me.
"He's looking for it. Izaya said that you had it." Mignon murmured, resting his head against the blonde's chest.
The harsh expression melted away as the blonde looked at Mignon. He crooned a little, nuzzling Mignon's hair and gently hugging him. "What now?" he purred.
I wanted to urge Mignon to hurry, but I was fearful of the blonde turning on me.
"That thing. Do you know where it is?" Mignon replied.
"Oh, that. It's with Eidolon. I left it with him at Izaya's." the blonde replied indifferently.
"I thought Eidolon was dead." I blurted.
"He is." Mignon told me as the blonde snarled. "It's in Shinjuku, you said?"
"You're going?" the blonde mewled piteously, hugging Mignon closer. I shivered at the sudden mood swings. This guy was unpredictable and wild... If it weren't for Mignon, I'd be dead...
"If I can get another break, I'll come back." Mignon assured the blonde, patting his cheek. Sighing, the blonde let Mignon go and jumped back into the pit.
"Shinjuku...?" I mumbled.
"Around this corner." Mignon pointed. I gulped, following him down the block. As we rounded the corner, I pulled up short, recognizing the street I'd started out on. "This way." Mignon called over his shoulder, not waiting for me. I clumsily sloshed after him. How on earth did he move so effortlessly through this stuff?! Seriously, he was gliding through it like there was nothing there, but I was splashing and floundering like... like... insert simile here.
Mignon entered the building I'd started in. Gulping, I followed after him. This first floor was flooded with red as well, though it was calmer than the stuff outside, which made it easier to move through. However, the enclosed space seemed to make it warmer, the smell becoming stronger as a result. I covered my mouth and nose again, even though I knew it was futile. Mignon calmly headed for a flight of stairs, and I followed him. He padded up the stairs, dripping quietly. His legs were bathed red, and I wasn't much different.
Once we came to the fourth floor, Mignon paused, looking at me. I was panting and sweating, and took advantage of his stopping to sag against the wall in exhaustion. Slowly recovering, I stood up. He began walking, and I followed him to one of the doors lining the hall. Without knocking, he opened the door and went in. Gulping, I followed him.
The apartment where I started.
Only now there was a woman sitting at the desk near the window. She was typing furiously on the computer, scowling. She wore a green sweater, a red skirt, and black leggings. As we entered, she looked briefly up, then turned back to her work. Mignon ignored her, moving over to a door I hadn't noticed. I scurried after him, casting a final glance at the woman.
"Eidolon's in here." Mignon told me, pointing through the open door.
Slowly, fearful of what I'd find in there, I moved into the room.
It was a bedroom. A teenager's bedroom. And lying on the floor was the dead Eidolon.
He had it.
I could see it, there, around his neck.
My heart leapt, and I began moving quickly towards him, reaching for the thing around his neck—
"ADAM!"
Eve.
I stopped, spinning around to see Mignon slump against the doorframe, Eve standing fearfully in the outer room. The woman at the desk had fallen down as well. Everything was suddenly shaking.
"Adam! We have to get out of here!" Eve screamed.
"Just a second, there's something I need to get!" I called back over the rumbling of the world shaking.
"We have to go NOW!" Eve screamed frantically as I turned back to the dead boy on the floor.
As I reached for the thing around his neck, I gasped. His arm had snapped up, grabbing onto my wrist. Slowly, he turned his head to look at me.
Everything stood still as our eyes met.
OOOOooooOOOOooooOOOO
I sat bolt-upright, panting and covered in sweat.
"Adam, what's wrong?" Eve asked in a quavering voice from her uncertain perch next to me. "You were screaming in your head, but I couldn't get through to you... You kept pushing me out."
I didn't answer her.
How could I?
Everything seemed so wrong now...
Slowly, mouth open and eyes wide, I turned my head to look at her. Her golden eyes were wide with fear and confusion. Closing my mouth and swallowing, I timidly reached out and touched her tummy. She was about a week and a half pregnant. She had told me that soon, in the next week or so, she'd be able to touch our baby's mind and talk to it. I had been so excited...
"What if everything turned out to be a lie...?" I asked dumbly, thinking of Mignon.
"Ad... am...?"