Hana: I forgot it was Saturday today~!
Kanda: Good. Fucking. Job.
Lavi: Be nicer, yeah? So~ Hanashi no XavierForest own D. Gray-man, just this story, so enjoy the new chapter!
Hana: I don't remember inviting you into this one, Lavi...how'd you get in here?
Lavi: I have my ways~
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+ - Chapter 29 - +
Waiting...it appeared to be the only thing he could do these days...and really, Yu Kanda could only wait so long before he felt like strangling someone...namely that annoying rabbit sitting across from him right then. There were better ways to pass time, wasn't there?
"...and so there were these crazy girls totally—Yu? Oi, you listening?"
"Of course not."
"Don't be a meanie," Lavi chided childishly. "Yu should be nice to his bestest friend."
"I'll slit your throat with this knife if you don't stop calling me 'Yu'."
"EEK!"
"Had it coming." Bak sighed, placing the orders Kanda and Lavi had ordered ten minutes prior. "Can't you two not disrupt the other people in this establishment?"
"You look tired." Lavi said, otherwise ignoring the previous plea. "FBI, professor, and server...no offence, but maybe you should stick to one job."
"I'm fine, Lavi." Bak grumbled, "Eat up, pay, then please leave."
"You're almost as cold as Yu," Lavi grumbled.
Kanda glared at the redhead. "Don't call me that!"
"I find that somewhat offensive," Bak said with a sigh. To be compared with Kanda was just downright rude.
Lavi pouted and huffed. "Fine. I won't tell you what I found."
"Spill it before I spill your internal organs all over the floor," Kanda growled out, itching to pull out Mugen. Which was at home, because he was sick of Lenalee confiscating his beloved heirloom whenever he attempted to slice her boyfriend, and Allen giving the thing to one of his friends when arguments arose. The latter situation used to be fixed with an intense round of 'persuasion', but that wasn't the point. Mugen was safest when hidden up high where neither Lenalee nor Allen couldn't reach. Not that Kanda really needed to be hiding it from Allen nowadays.
"I knew you would be curious~" Lavi grinned, before his normally goofy demeanor faded to an air of seriousness. "I used some of gramps' connections to see if anyone had seen or heard anything."
"The fuck was your grandfather?"
"A historian." Lavi told his friend, practically shrugging it off, "But seriously, I think the information is going to be pretty useful."
"Then fucking get on with it."
"A second set of eyes had already been taking tabs on one Malcom C. Rouvelier. It is confirmed a hundred percent he's working, in some way, with Apocryphos."
"Is there proof?"
"As we speak, Tokusa should be receiving the long and boring report anonymously."
Sucks to be him, Kanda thought to himself. He didn't say it aloud though. His mind was too busy processing the idea that suddenly popped into his head and made him sit up straighter in his seat. "Does the report mention Allen?"
"Not directly, but there are mentions of Raku peppered in there...and where your father might be concerned..."
"Would also involve the moyashi." Kanda finished.
Bak, for his part, stared blankly at the duo. "Pardon me, but was I supposed to be hearing this, or should I have been elsewhere?"
"Nah, it's fine Bak." Lavi said. "You are in the FBI yourself. I think excluding you would be an insult or some shit."
"I'm flattered," Bak blandly replied, unimpressed. "But should you be talking about this in a public place?"
Lavi gestured around the café, easily pointing out just how empty the dining area was. "This is actually why I'm here to begin with, my good man."
To the comment, Bak only sighed. "Walked into that one, I suppose."
"Che."
"I told Tokusa to get back to you as soon as he's done reading the report," Lavi said, continuing on with the earlier topic. "I thought you'd prefer to know if it was important right away."
"My personal preference is to have my fiancé back where he belongs."
"Hey, every little tidbit helps." Lavi pointed out. "I had one of my guys try following Cross under the request of Lenalee...she's right about one thing. It looks like he's hiding something."
"I'll safely assume that Cross managed to lose your tracker." Bak said, crossing his arms. "For what I can tell, perhaps they assumed it was one of Rouvelier or Apocryphos' men."
Lavi picked up his cutlery from where it sat beside his plate, deciding that he may as well dig in. "We could always try having one of the girls put a tracer on him."
"What good would that do?" Bak spoke up, "I heard he's elusive as they come."
"But he would let his guard down a little if it came to women." Kanda pointed out. "Che. Damn rabbit has to have a fucking point."
Lavi chuckled in response. "One of us has to. At least in this case."
Kanda ignored that in favour of asking, "So who'll do it?"
Lavi thought on that for a bit. Lenalee had failed to get any information the last time, and that attempt meant that Cross might still be on guard. "He's used to having Chomesuke around. Why don't we use her?"
"Would she be able to, is the real question here." Kanda said. "They're not exactly on the best of terms, last I checked."
"That means she's safe." Lavi stabbed the meat on his plate and cut off a smaller piece. "He won't put the moves on her." The redhead popped the chunk in his mouth.
"I'll take your word for it." Sighed the temperamental FBI agent. "Fine. Call her up, and see if there's anything she can do."
"Right~!"
"I feel this might be a bad idea." Bak grumbled. "Who's paying for your meal?"
"Lavi." Kanda said as he stood. "I'm gone."
"Eh!? YU! No, don't leave me!"
"I have kids waiting for me back home, moron. Have fun dipshit." The Japanese had shrugged off Lavi's complaints as he stood. "Call Sachiko. Stop wasting me time."
"Ever the ray of sunshine, isn't he?" Bak asked once Kanda left.
"That's Yu for ya..."
Bak rubbed the back of his neck and eyed the untouched food on Kanda's side of the table. "Are you eating that, or should I take it back?"
"I'll probably just take it home." Lavi truthfully answered, "I'm gonna have a long night on my hands anyway."
. . - * - . .
"If you're awake at this hour, you're both in trouble." Kanda called out, as he took his shoes off at the entry. When he got no response, he nodded in approval, and quietly walked into the living room where the kids were, in fact, sound asleep. Timcanpy resting comfortably between the duo.
The room had boxes that had yet to be shut, and yet to be filled with the proper items they were marked with. Kanda had gotten word just the other day the place was his. It was a bittersweet moment, as he was hoping to have Allen there to celebrate. "I hope we can welcome him home..." A quiet voice admits, and Kanda was quick to spot a lone blue eye looking to him in sadness.
"I thought you were sleeping, Lala." Kanda sighed.
"I was...but I miss him..."
"You need to be patient."
"You miss him too," Lala grumbled, and snuggled further into Timcanpy. She scrunched up her nose; Tim needed a bath.
"Che." Kanda looked away and gritted his teeth. It killed him to have gone so long without being able to able feel the familiar warmth of Allen's body resting comfortably in his arms, and he hated going to sleep alone at night. This had to wrap up soon. He couldn't take much more. "Of course I do."
"So hurry and find him..." Lala muttered, already on the verge of sleep once more. "We all want him home again..."
Kanda listened quietly as Lala's breathing became even in sleep. He sighed, and went into his room, leaning against the door once he entered his room. "I want him back too."
(* - *)
"Finally!" Tokusa growled out, hands in the air and his back bent back on the chair, "Finally, I read through all this bullshit."
"I thought the silence would last at least until I've finished reading." Hevlaska lightly jibed. "Have you found anything in what you were sent?"
"Yes, though I'm certain someone out there hates me." The CROW muttered. "Hopefully this means I'll be able to see the outside world again soon."
"You make it sound like you're a prisoner."
"Certainly you haven't felt that way while living here."
"Touché." Hevlaska noted.
Tokusa's body slumped as he looked tiredly over to his work partner. "I just want to get out of here before I start going grey."
"I want Malcom to be revealed as the hell bringer he truly is." Hevlaska solemnly added her two cents. "What do the files say?"
"Everything we could ever hope for in putting Rouvelier behind bars, and no bail."
"And Apocryphos?"
"Well, one disaster at a time, it seems."
"That's too bad," Hevlaska sighed. She pursed her lips and stared at the computer. "That young man won't be pleased."
Tokusa snorted and shook his head. "We shouldn't expect that all the answers and proof would just fall into our laps. Kanda knows as much. He wouldn't have gotten his hopes up."
"I suppose dealing with Malcom is a step in the right direction."
Tokusa doubted he could agree any more than he already could. "Makes me wonder. Is Rouvelier a far more dangerous man for releasing Apocryphos back into the populace, or is the dangerous man still Apocryphos?"
"I'm sure Apocryphos is the worst. Still," Hevlaska looked at Tokusa without a shred of regret in her eyes or in her heart, "getting rid of Malcom first means that Apocryphos won't be released later on. It's a necessary first step."
The CROW almost laughed. "I doubt Apocryphos will even make it to court. Kanda's probably planning on killing the bastard."
"I see...perhaps more the better for the general populace."
"The greater good in that aspect...unless they end up killing each other...which does seem like a scenario to happen."
Hevlaska quirked a brow, "How do you mean?"
"I don't know what this sonnova bitch has connections to, but damn, we got voice audio of self-conversation on sweet old Malcom muttering about plans to off Apocryphos."
"And you're certain Apocryphos may have similar thoughts to getting rid of Malcom."
"Yes, I'm positive." The CROW affirmed, "When your toy breaks to a certain point...you can't keep it much longer, now can you?"
"That's a rather unpleasant view on human life," Hevlaska noted. She'd have to get her sister away from Malcom before he and Apocryphos finally decided to kill each other. Maybe the woman would like a holiday.
"But is it not how our friendly neighborhood madmen thinks?"
When putting it that way, Hevlaska had to agree. "Well, you aren't wrong."
"Because I'm absolutely right," Tokusa proudly chirped, before sobering up to say, "Still, with that mindset, I'm surprised that Allen is alive. I'm sure he would have broken already, so I wonder why he wasn't thrown out."
"Because he was considered that disgusting man's 'angel'."
Tokusa blinked, looking around the room in confusion. "...Madarao?"
"Computer." Madarao's voice sounded.
"How long were you there for?" Hevlaska inquired, genially curious of that, and the fact he even hacked Tokusa's computer like that. How did he manage to accept the video call remotely?
"Long enough. Tokusa, you know what we have to do, correct?"
"Take out Rouvelier?"
Tokusa's image on the screen nodded, "Be quick. Make sure no innocents are mixed up in the crossfire."
"Wait? We're actually killing him?" Tokusa leaned closer to the computer, a smirk on his lips. "Not just talk?"
"I suggest beating the information out of him." A new voice says, before her face pops into the screen. "Once we milk him dry of what we need to know, then we can get rid of him."
"That's almost unlike you, Tewaku."
"Just from the information I have now is enough to have me make an exception or two."
"Torture it is then," Tokusa laughed. So long as Rouvelier died, Tokusa didn't care what happened to the man. Once Rouvelier was out of the picture, he'd have a lot more free time. Mainly because he wouldn't have to monitor the bastard's calls anymore.
"Be swift. And make sure every ounce of information is extracted." Madarao directed.
"Will do, General." Tokusa said with a salute.
"Don't be a smart aleck."
Tokusa grinned at the response. "Sure." He looked at his partner in crime who was watching quietly by his side. "Do you feel comfortable with us talking about killing your brother-in-law? 'cause if not, I can take the computer elsewhere."
Hevlaska released a weary sigh and grimly answered with, "I gave Malcom enough chances. Whatever happens next is what he deserves."
"Well, at least think of a nice trip to go on with your sister." Tokusa advised. "This way, should an investigation arise, you'll have an alibi...and she won't be subjected to witnessing something she needn't."
"Try Paris," Kiredori tonelessly suggested. "Apparently it's snowing over there."
"Or Hawaii," Tokusa joined in. "Though it might be cold."
"Hmm...I've already seen Paris, and we've both been to Hawaii. Quite lovely there...perhaps the Philippines..."
He was an honest man, who made an honest living, taking care of his daughter who had an illness he didn't even know had a cure. Perhaps it was his desperation to cure his ailing child that caused him to turn to one of the most dangerous men in the world. Not that he knew who that man was at the time.
His daughter was doing better these days. For that he was thankful. But how long would it last? The answer had come back to him barely five years after the fact when he came home one night seeing the bespectacled killer leisurely reading a book in his favorite chair. It was there Suman Dark was threatened by the murderous Father to take away his only remaining family.
"Dad, are you okay?" Suman jerked up, looking over his shoulder, seeing his daughter in the doorway.
"Everything is just fine."
"I don't think it is...you haven't been sleeping, you jump at every little thing..."
"I'm perfectly fine, sweetie." Suman realized, much to his chagrin, his replies sounded automatic to his own ears. He supposed that was natural at this point, he didn't need his child to worry about grown up matters...on the other hand, she wasn't as much a child as she used to be. She was sixteen now. "I just have a lot of work to finish up."
"There's nothing to worry about." He said, in hopes to assure his only child. "What on earth are you doing up this late?"
"...I couldn't sleep."
"Do you want something warm to drink?" Suman asked, already moving towards the kitchen. "Hot chocolate, perhaps?"
A half smile found its way onto Jamie's lips as she softly shook her head. "I'm not a child anymore."
"Everyone loves hot chocolate. Age doesn't matter." Suman knew that what he was doing, that trying to distracting her with light banter, wouldn't work; Jamie was a smart girl. To keep her from seeing the look on his face, he didn't look at her when he said, "Even if you're no longer a child, you'll always be my child."
And as her father, it was his duty and desire to protect her for as long as he was able.
Even if it meant laying atop a bed of nails, or trek across burning coals. Both to which he may as well be doing.
Either way, he doubted he'd be around for very much longer. Suman had heard of what Apocryphos was doing to some of the other people he worked with. He'd seen the news reports.
How much longer would it be before he was on the receiving end of that horrid man's wrath?
Not long, he guessed.
"Dad?"
Suman tried to smile and pushed all thoughts of his future to the side. "Do you want a big mug?"
"I guess so," Jamie said with a small shrug of her slight shoulders. "Will you have one with me?"
"Of course I will."
... ... ... ...
I really did forget today is Saturday xD Woo~!
R&R doesn't stand for Rest and Relaxation, even if it's obvious how much I need it. Leave a comment and let us know how we're doing, and feel free to favorite this work to show it some love! Follow this story so you never miss and update, and of course, don't forget to check out my Co-author's works, and until next time, we'll see you again on...
Light within Darkness!
