….

The akuma were mainly level ones and twos but their attacks were well coordinated. Allen presumed it was only because the Noah was there, directing them like some kind of puppeteer. With that said… he didn't know where she had gotten too. Surely she wouldn't let the akuma do everything.

But more importantly, why did a Noah have to show up now of all times? It just didn't make any sense to Allen as he weaved his way amongst the akuma.

A claw came down on him as Allen felt his entire body being crushed through the concrete. He felt several ribs snap before he focused his energy in his cowl and pierced the akuma with the white ribbons.

He picked himself up quickly and moved back as three more came at him. Flipping over one akuma, Allen redirected the coils and skewered several more. The action caused a huge explosion knocking him against the wall.

Allen panted heavily as he leaned off the wall trying to stand on his feet. Blood flowed from a cut on his forehead obscuring his sight. He blinked the blood away and dived to the side as an akuma emerged from the black smog, its arm going through the wall where he once stood.

He braced himself for impacted but flames stretched out in front of him and engulfed the akuma. Allen grimaced at the heat before it died down and Phoenix appeared briefly, cutting across his line of view.

She merely looked at him with a mischievous smile and disappeared through a gap in the wall. Allen sighed before charging forward and drove his left claw into another akuma and swung it into another. The akuma smashed through another building before another took its place.

Allen didn't have time to move before he was sent skimming across the ground like a pebble across water. He panted as he struggled to pull his legs underneath him. His whole body was hurting but Allen knew he shouldn't be complaining.

He finally got up and managed to dodge the next attack thrown at him by the akuma. Allen swerved to the right and run his claw through the akuma before paring off yet another.

Where were they all coming from? He honestly didn't want that answer but the thought was too disturbing to ignore as he caught sight of a tornado ripping through a wall opposite him.

He recognized it instantly and headed towards it finding Lenalee vigorously defending Maisy, Amelia and Timothy from three level twos. Allen lunged forward managing to catch two of them off guard and destroyed one of them.

Lenalee used the distraction to destroy one herself as she landed next to Allen.

'Are you all right?' Allen just raised his eyebrows at her.

'Yeah if you mean that I'm still in one piece,' he said curtly as Lenalee scowled at him. Of course he wasn't okay, he was heavily bleeding in several places for heaven's sake!

'That isn't funny Allen…'

'Sure it isn't, I bloody hurt everywhere,' Allen gritted his teeth as the last remaining akuma hovered above them as if patiently waiting for them to finish their conversation.

'Let's have this discussion later,' he muttered as he shot several white ribbons at the akuma. The akuma dodged but haven't counted on Lenalee appearing behind it.

She twisted in the air and threw a kick at it but it was blocked. Her leg was suddenly grabbed and she was hurled towards the ground. Allen gathered as much energy into his claw before unleashing it.

'Cross Grave!' the akuma hadn't had time to avoid it and was destroyed. Lenalee sat up and sighed with relief while Allen scanned their surroundings for any more akuma.

'It that all of them?' Lenalee wondered as Allen shrugged. He couldn't sense anything but it was still too early to say.

'Maybe Phoenix got the last of them,'

'Someone call?' Phoenix stumbled across concrete rubble towards them. Her uniform was slightly battered and a few bruises were visible across her pale skin. Allen shrugged before turning to Amelia, Maisy and Timothy.

'It should be fine for now but we still have that Noah to deal with,' Timothy was the first to jump out of hiding. Even after everything he had a look of excitement written over his face.

'That was so cool, when can I do that?' Allen couldn't help but face palm while Phoenix laughed.

'Certainly not anytime soon,' came Maisy's astonished reply as Timothy pouted at her, saying she was a wet blanket.

'Hopefully we can get out of here… wherever we are…' Lenalee murmured unsure herself as Allen frowned and gazed around. Something felt off now that dreaded feeling renewed in his chest as he gazed off towards the inky blackness away from the building.

A single footfall echoed towards them making them freeze. It was coming towards them at a slow and steady pace like they weren't in a rush.

'It's amazing how precious a human treasures their memories~' Allen's silver eyes scanned around him till he saw the Noah casually standing beside a damaged wall. The umbrella she held was open so he couldn't exactly see her head.

'What are you babbling about now?' He snarled at her, as she turned rounded to face him.

'Heh heh~ I wonder~?' Suddenly an old woman appeared beside her. He was overcome by a sense of familiarity by the stranger while he heard a gasp behind him.

'What is Mrs Frazer doing here?' It was Maisy as she held her hand over her mouth. Sharp pain shot through Allen's head as he grimaced. He held his head and struggled to stay on his feet.

'Allen…?' Lenalee exclaimed in concern as he felt her stand next to him.

'It's probably my injures…' Allen winced when more pain rippled through his head; he bit his lip to prevent him from screaming.

'Or maybe you're mind is trying to remember something you forgotten~' the Noah chuckled darkly and twirled behind the old woman who didn't seem the least fazed by it.

'Leave Allen alone!' Lenalee shouted at her but Allen growled at her for being too loud. The Noah laughed amusingly as the umbrella she held closed and pointed at them.

'Deal with them~,'

The woman's body twisted and contorted before it ripped apart revealing a pale humanoid form. Small wings sprouted from its back and a strange looking halo hovered over its head.

'Shit!' He barely heard Phoenix curse but his head was pounding too much to make of his surroundings. Though he could feel the lingering presence of several more akuma.

'There are more of them?' Lenalee said in disbelief. Allen shook his head to try and clear the pain as he stared around them. She was right as several level ones and twos surrounded them.

'Time for round two exorcists~' the Noah once again disappeared from view and Allen struggled to keep his head straight.

'I'll go…' Phoenix began but Allen stopped her by holding out his arm.

'Don't… that akuma is mine just protect the others,' Allen moved forward despite the protest coming from Lenalee and the ache in his head. He swiped at the akuma but it easily blocked the blow.

Allen flipped over it, gripping onto its shoulders with his left hand and flung it further away from the others. The akuma just giggled as it righted itself before it smashed into anything.

Holding out its hand, a dark purple orb was summoned and sent towards Allen. Allen had barely enough time to dodge it as it he wrapped his white cowl around him. He felt the impacted shudder against his body as he was pushed back a few metres.

'Why are you blocking it Allen~?' Allen gritted his teeth as he recognized the taunting voice of the Noah girl. He couldn't see her as the akuma lunged at him. Allen blocked one arm with his claw and twisted around and kicked the akuma to knock it away from him.

'Shut up!'

Allen threw a punch with his right hand but it was caught and he was thrown against the ground and pinned. He clenched his jaw before summoning the ribbons from his cloak causing the akuma to wield back.

'Don't you want to remember~?'

He couldn't help but curse. The Noah was making it difficult to concentrate as he tried his best to not think about her words. He just needed to focus on fighting, no matter if this used to be his former foster parent.

'Shut up!' Allen demanded getting tired of this constant teasing. The cross in his left hand flared up with his ever-growing rage. The Noah's voice seemed to laugh out from the blackness as he fought on.

Then a sharp pain in his head cause him to falter and the akuma punched him in the gut. Allen lurched over and threw up whatever was in his stomach and coughed. He wasn't finished as he glared up at the akuma who barely seemed affected at all by their short fight.

In fact, it was smiling down wickedly and it just further pissed him off. With a sweeping kick, Allen smashed his foot into its smirking face and caught it off guard.

'What's wrong Allen~?'

Allen clutched his head as the pain became unbearable… he couldn't bare it anymore!

'Leave me alone!' Then everything fell to darkness…

….

'…'

She quietly looked out the window overlooking the street underneath as she hummed in mild amusement. Her gaze though was firmly fixed on the Welfare Centre on the opposite side of the hospital they were visiting.

'Something wrong Road?' A man sat next to her playing around with an unlit cigarette. His head was leaning on his hand that rested on the armrest of his chair.

'He broke my dream, Uncle…' Road whined as the man beside her smirked before lazily looking at her with his brown eyes.

'I told you he was entertaining,'

'I hope you two aren't messing around with things you shouldn't,' a voice chipped in sternly as both Road and her uncle stared at another sitting beside the hospital bed.

'What's more important is why you are all loitering about here? I don't mind Mana visiting but there was no need for you all to visit,' the woman who occupied the bed said accusingly at them.

Mana gazed up from his position on her left while a man in his mid-to-late thirties sat on her right and looking a little hurt.

'Why does my daughter have to be so cruel~?' The woman sighed hopelessly before she stared at Road.

'What were you doing by the way?'

'Playing with some exorcists that happened to be across the street,' Road giggled childishly as Mana got up and glanced out the window.

'I think you over did it cousin…' Mana groaned aloud as he saw several hospital staff being called over to the Centre. Road continued to giggle sadistically.

'He has a point Road, if you had managed to break that seal on the boy…' the man to the woman's right spoke gravely as Road pouted.

'I know Millennie, I know,' she sighed disappointingly. Her Uncle chuckled beside her and Road glared at him.

'Maybe so but father, shouldn't you be doing other things,' the woman said quietly as the man beside her paused.

'A break or two won't stop the inevitable, dear,' the man replied as he wrapped his hands around hers.

'It's just mild pneumonia and the doctors have given me the all clear for tomorrow,' the woman protested back.

'Besides, isn't it your duty as the Millennium Earl?'

….

Dun dun dunnnnnn!

Hey guys sorry about the really, really late update but I have many reasons why but I'm not going to list them because then it will sound like I'm making excuses.

Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this and please leave a REVIEW!