Chapter 51: Enter Cross Marian
Posted: April 22, 2018
AN: I won't be focusing on the Exorcists fight against Tyki too much because I want to move through this as efficiently as possible.
"Lavi-kun, Allen-kun!" Lenalee exclaimed joyfully. She was relieved to see the two of them, even though they looked worse for wear; Allen especially. A fresh trail of blood was secreting from his lips while the front of his uniform was stained and half-burnt. Seeing Allen in such a terrible disarray left a bad taste in Lenalee's mouth.
"L-Lenalee-chan," Allen coughed, slowly wiping his mouth with the back of his arm. "W-Why are you all still here? You were supposed to exit the ark through Road's door."
Lenalee hissed. "Allen-kun we weren't about to leave you behind!"
How Allen even believe that she would willingly go through that door! Her family was trapped in the ark, fighting for their very lives. Lenalee wouldn't allow herself to leave this place without them. Her family was her entire world. Without them she would crumble. Her Innocence might not be properly functioning right now, but that didn't mean that she would flee like some frightened animal. She was an Exorcist! Her primary function in life was to destroy Akuma and rid the world of evil. She couldn't live with herself if she ran away from a fight. Leaving this place while knowing her family was still here was too horrid a thought for Lenalee to even stomach.
"Allen, I tried to make them leave through the door, but Lenalee-chan put up a massive fight." Lavi forced a chuckle, rubbing the back of his neck with his hand. "Her boots might not be working but her fists sure are."
Allen managed to crack a smile from Lavi's words, but it did nothing to dispel the anger and worry he felt surging through his veins. How could his friends remain here knowing the danger they were in. Surely Lenalee ought to know better. She wasn't in any condition to fight and Chaoji isn't an Exorcist. Through remaining here, they were merely subjecting themselves to danger. They should have left the moment Lavi brought them up here.
"Y-You all need to flee right now!" He cried venomously. "I won't allow any of you to get hurt!"
"Allen, believe me. I tried my hardest to make both of them go through the doors." Lavi hissed. "Both Chaoji and Lenalee-chan refused. They're not going through those doors until Krory-kins and Yu-chan are reunited with us."
"I'll go back and get them the moment you three have safely left the ark!" Allen couldn't believe they were having this conversation now. Both Lenalee and Chaoji were more of a hindrance than help now. Allen highly doubted that they would be able to backtrack and retrieve Krory and Kanda with Lenalee and Chaoji tagging behind them. Even Lavi wasn't in the best of shape. He endured far more battles than Allen prior to his arrival in Edo. Miranda might have temporarily healed his injuries, but the moment she deactivated her Time Record his wounds, both old and new, would reopen simultaneously. The young Bookman would experience excruciating pain, and Allen didn't want to subject his best friend to any further injuries.
All three of his comrades needed to rest. Out of everyone present, he was the most equipped to continue fighting. He would be the one to retrieve Krory and Kanda. He only needed them to exit through that door then everything would be fine.
"Allen-kun, we aren't leaving!" Lenalee hollered and stalked forward, enclosing the distance between them. "None of us are willing to leave you here! You're not going to stay behind and retrieve the others while we flee!" Lenalee refused to back down. She wasn't going to leave the ark, regardless of any stunts her comrades might pull.
Allen merely glowered at Lenalee. She wasn't being reasonable right now. She wasn't able to maintain a proper grasp of their current situation. She was thinking with her heart as opposed to her head.
"LENALEE!" He roared, his voice bouncing off the walls.
Chaoji and Lavi jumped instinctively, seeming a tad afraid by Allen's sudden shift in emotions. One second he was struggling to stand and the next moment, he was nearly seething with rage.
"I will go find Kanda and Krory before the ark goes!"
"I can go too—"
Allen held up a hand, signalling for her to cease speaking. "Lenalee-chan and the rest, get out before me. In this party, I'm the one who can still move the best." He forced himself to offer the woman a kind smile. "I know what I'm saying is harsh. But please listen."
Lenalee found herself trembling. She loathed how Allen was speaking and staring at her. It made her feel like she was a small child being chided by a parent. "...I think you're cruel, Allen-kun! You always smile like that. You smile even though you know how people feel."
Fresh tears began to line her eyes. Before they could escape and steam down her face, Allen slowly leaned over to wipe them away. For once, Lenalee didn't push the younger boy away from her.
Allen found himself unable to respond to Lenalee's words. He knew that she spoke the truth. There wasn't anyway for him to deny it.
"...Allen-kun, you also refuse to leave here because of Kagome-chan, no?"
Immediately, Allen's hand froze along with his entire body.
Lenalee's frown worsened. "I-I still don't know how to properly respond to it… I'm not like you Allen-kun… I can't only perceive her as Kagome-chan now, no matter how hard I try." Her throat was starting to get dry. "I-It hurts, Allen-kun… It hurts a lot…" Those words were the most Lenalee could utter in the moment. There wasn't anything else she could say about the situation before she allowed herself to be entirely swept up with her emotions.
Allen gulped, opting to keep his comments to himself, though he did allow a few words to escape from his lips. "All I want is to return home, Lenalee-chan. I want to return home with everyone." No names were mentioned in his words, but it was obvious to Lenalee that Allen was including Kagome in the mix.
Throughout their entire journey through the ark, Allen continued to wholeheartedly believe in Kagome. He still believed that although she was a Noah, she would remain faithful to the Black Order.
Lenalee tried, she honestly tried to believe in Allen's optimistic outlook, but she found it difficult to rationalize. Kagome was a Noah. She wasn't entirely human. Within her she possessed Noah genes. Heck, there was actual Dark Matter flowing through her bloodstream. She listened to the Earl and followed his lead faithfully. She openly admitted to the murder of several Exorcists and countless Finders. There's probably even more information that she was withholding from them, even now. Who's to say that she hasn't murdered innocent humans while she was training under General Nine, or on her missions. Due to the recent rise of Akuma over the passing months, Komui typically sent the Exorcists out on solo missions. The Finders usually didn't return on those missions but the Exorcists always did. Maybe during those missions, Kagome murdered the Finders or willingly allowed the Akuma to kill them in order to evolve.
Honestly, there was so much left to discover. Kagome's reveal had barely scratched the surface of this already complex situation.
Lenalee licked her bottom lip. She honestly feared for Allen's safety. Upon returning to the Order, he would be questioned for his connections to Kagome. The Order might consider him to be an ally of the Earl given his close relationship to Kagome. The high ranking officials would take the matter very seriously. The minute they learned that a Noah had been living within their compound for several years—and having gone undetected!—would only lead to a major catastrophe.
Lenalee knew the darker components of the Order far better than Allen. Unlike Allen who willingly joined the Order, Lenalee was forced to become a member. Furthermore, she's witnessed several experiments the Order conducted on various people; children especially. If the Order managed to get their hands on Kagome, Lenalee couldn't even begin to fathom the kinds of experiments and interrogations the girl would be subjected to.
It pained Lenalee to even consider it, but the best situation would be for Kagome to return to the Earl. At least there she would be safe. It also seemed like Road and Tyki were quite fond of Kagome. Lenalee recalled how Road had swooped down and picked up Kagome right before Allen and Tyki engaged in combat. Tyki was also quite concerned about Kagome's well-being the moment she was forced to reveal her true nature. Yes, his words and tone of voice might were harsh, but the moment Kagome walked over towards him, he pulled her into his arms and kept her close. Lenalee could faintly recall the protective glimmer that illuminated the man's orbs during that brief period. He seemed to be genuinely concerned for Kagome back then. Honestly, it surprised Lenalee. Until that moment, she hadn't considered the fact that the monstrous Tyki Mikk might have people he cared for in his life. Undoubtedly, Tyki Mikk was a monster. But even monsters could love and have families, no?
Arguably, it could be said that Kagome was a monster; however she was also a person too. She was a person who loved life, loved—or at least Lenalee hoped—that Kagome loved her Black Order family, and she deeply loved Allen Walker. Kagome never vocalized it, but Lenalee knew that Kagome Higurashi loved Allen Walker. Without a doubt, Allen Walker equally loved Kagome Higurashi, if not more than she did.
The thought made Lenalee frown. It didn't stem from jealousy. None whatsoever. Prior to their arrival on the ark, she was ecstatic at the prospect of her two friends loving one another. Allen endured such a hard life before coming to the Order, and it was wonderful to know that he had someone to love and cherish. In Lenalee's opinion, it seemed like Allen forcefully closed himself off from the world after the death of his foster father, Mana Walker. It felt like Allen chose to keep everyone in his life at arms reach. He was always kind and courteous to people, even strangers. But he wasn't entirely honest with them. He refused to open himself up to the people who considered him to be family. Yet, that wasn't the case with Kagome.
When Allen was around Kagome, he really seemed to come alive. He would joke and laugh a lot more. He was always happy and smiling. Oh goodness, he would actually smile. The kind of smile that Allen reserved specifically for Kagome wasn't one of his artificial smiles that he seemed to have crafted over the years.
When Lenalee saw this smile, it never failed to surprise her. It wasn't obvious to the naked eye how different that smile was from his other ones. You truly needed to pay attention to notice it, but there was a difference. This smile was genuine and lit up Allen's entire face. It could literally light up a room. Lenalee wasn't exaggerating here.
She was entirely certain that Lavi noticed it too—his sharp eye wouldn't miss a keen detail like that. Perhaps her brother even noticed it too. He might act like a complete space cadet at times, but her brother was quite perceptive. Undoubtedly, it would break his heart to learn the truth about Kagome… It would hurt a lot of people back home to learn the truth.
Lenalee exhaled a deep sigh. She didn't want to start thinking about this now. Thinking about home made her frown. They were so close to leaving the ark, but there was still too much to do. Kanda and Krory needed to leave with them. There was no way any of them were leaving without those two.
...And it honestly seemed like Allen wouldn't be leaving here without Kagome.
Lenalee chewed on her bottom lip. She was deeply worried about Allen. She fretted about what would happen to him after this. He always managed to bounce back after difficult ordeals, but this one… this one was really hard to bear. For the second time in his life, he lost a very important person in his life. First Mana and now Kagome. The poor boy's endured so much and he's only sixteen.
Like Lenalee, Allen is still a child.
They've barely even begun their lives and they have already endured far more than most people have in their entire lives.
Lenalee could only hope that Allen would manage to snap himself out of his daze, and come to terms with reality. He needed to grasp the fact that Kagome wasn't the same person. She could never revert time and return to her old position as an Exorcist. No one here could ever forget what happened, and the minute the Order learned about it, there would be harsh consequences.
"Y-You still intend to save that monster?!" Chaoji questioned, his voice brimming with anger. His words caused everyone to glance towards him. "Don't you remember what happened a few minutes ago? Not only did she attack you, but she threatened to kill us all!"
"..."
Allen was intentionally ignoring Chaoji.
Chaoji took no offence from the actions. If anything, it merely serve to demonstrate to him how insane Allen Walker truly was.
"You're a fool for caring about that beast, you know that, Allen!"
"Chaoji," Lenalee hissed, hoping to silence the boy. Allen was already in a terrible physical state, she didn't want his mental state to suffer anymore.
"All this time, I watched you stand beside that monster… you tended to its injuries, walked alongside it like a comrade… You considered that horrendous beast to be human…" Chaoji was rambling now, seeming to loss himself in his thoughts and words. "You treat the same monsters that murdered my family with the same kindness and compassion you would bestow upon your own comrades… You truly are insane Allen Walker… You truly are a demon. You're no better than the monstrous Noah clan or those wicked Amuka!"
"Chaoji!" roared Lavi. "Stop this!"
"You're a demon! You're a monster just like them!"
Allen couldn't respond. He merely continued to remain in his current position, not even glancing in Chaoji's direction. His focus wasn't locked on Lenalee's trembling frame either. His entire attention was diverted towards the hole in the floor. Currently they were standing at the highest point on the ark. This was literally the top floor before there was nothing left but the roof of the doom itself. And like the Noah said before, this was the sole remaining structure within the entire compound. It made Allen's blood run cold, simply thinking about it. However, what captured his attention entirely was the small black figure that was flying up towards them. It was far enough away from them now, but it was moving at such an intense speed that it would reach them within seconds.
Allen's jaw dropped. It was Tyki Mikk.
"Everyone be on guard! Tyki's approaching!" Right when Allen finished, Tyki emerged from the hole in the floor. Everyone went rigid immediately upon seeing him.
"Shit." Lavi hissed before suddenly the ground before them started to tremble. It seemed like the building itself was beginning to break apart. There was probably no more than an hour left before the entire structure was gone forever.
"Lenalee-chan, Chaoji, leave through the door right now!" Allen cried and dashed forward, intending to engage the Noah in combat again.
"No way, Allen-kun!" Lenalee rebutted. "We're not leaving you here!"
"N-Now's not really the time for arguing!" Lavi hissed, his Innocence invoked as he tried to block a powerful punch from Tyki.
The Noah could only laugh at Lavi's struggles before he applied further pressure. The sudden burst in strength surprised Lavi and sent him stumbling back a few feet. During those precious few seconds, Tyki managed to unleash an even stronger attack. He hasn't budged but his attack sent Lavi flying back into a nearby pillar. Lavi dropped his hold on his weapon causing it to revert to its compact form.
Lenalee and Chaoji could only watch in dismay as Lavi let out a painful cry.
"Lavi!" Allen shouted and rushed forward to aid his comrade. However, Tyki Mikk appeared in front of him, blocking his path. Allen hissed with displeasure. He needed to help Lavi. He needed to make sure that his friend was still alive.
Allen raised his sword, hoping to push Tyki forward so that he could reach Lavi. Needless to say, it didn't work. Tyki simply needed to raise his right arm and thrust his left hand out to deliver a strong enough blow to Allen. The strength of Tyki's blast was enough to knock Allen off his feet, making him slide several feet backwards.
Lavi slowly managed to raise himself up into a sitting position. He, too, could only watch as Tyki dashed towards Allen and collected his limp body. Holding Allen from the back of his cape, Tyki started to beat him endlessly. Punches were spewed in all directions, hitting nearly every part of Allen's body from his face to his lower legs. The boy let out several cries of pain which merely served to fuel Tyki's delight.
"T-This is bad," Lavi spoke, noticing that Lenalee and Chaoji were dashing towards him. Lenalee returned his hammer to him, which Lavi gratefully took. "T-This isn't a level that we can handle." He realized grimly. The four of them were outmatched by Tyki. It seemed like none of their attacks would be sufficient in dealing with the Noah.
I suppose Kagome-chan's attacks weren't strong enough either. Lavi thought to himself. The girl had opted to remain on the lower portion of the tower and fight her uncle while Lavi fled with Allen. Allen didn't want to leave Kagome down there to combat Tyki, but Lavi didn't hesitate to leave her there. Originally, he believed that Tyki wouldn't harm another member of the Noah clan. The man might have gone mad, but surely he was still coherent enough to detect the Noah gene in Kagome. Undoubtedly, it meant that Tyki should have left Kagome alone.
Lavi started to frown. Although he would never admit it aloud, he hoped that Kagome was safe. There was no way from him to know the current status of the woman. For all he knew, she was most likely downstairs, waiting with Lero for the Earl to appear and collect them. The fat ass wouldn't leave two of his beloved clansmen in the ark to perish. Like the Exorcists were pawn for Central to control, the Noah were pawns for the Earl to use. After losing three pawns already, the Earl couldn't afford to lose two more, even if one had lost its mind.
Beyond that fact, Lavi did hope that Kagome wasn't dead. Deep down he still cared for the girl. He had lived with her for two years and worked with her on numerous missions. They became good friends. Nevertheless, Lavi wasn't like Allen. He wasn't gullible enough to believe that Kagome would return to the Order's side. Kagome was smart enough to know the danger that would befall her once Central learned about her. She would be subjected to heresy and most likely numerous experiments. The fact that a Noah could possess Innocence was an incredible phenomenon. It wasn't something that the Order would forget either. It would spark a calamity among the higher ups, and they would want to know how it worked. Furthermore, they would want to know how no one, including Hevlaska, could detect the Dark Matter that flowed through her veins.
Lavi had to admit that it, too, left him speechless. The curiosity within him demanded to know how it worked. How could a Noah actually possess both substances and live? How could Kagome survive with both life hating compounds within her body. Did the Earl inject her with something prior to her arrival at the Order? Was it because of her status as a Noah? Was it because she embodied Purity that her body was could support both Innocence and Dark Matter?
There was so much still to learn. It left Lavi riddled with curiosity. If they escaped from this place alive then Lavi fully intended to question his Grandfather about it. From the start, Bookman never seemed to fully trust Kagome. He seemed to sense something was different about her and Lavi couldn't ever fathom why. After her reveal it made perfect sense. However, it still puzzled Lavi. How could Bookman detect that? How did the old man know that Kagome was different? What did he know that he wasn't telling Lavi?
Simply put, there was even more left for Lavi to ponder about. Right now definitely wasn't the best time to contemplate the situation, yet it still plagued the very back of Lavi's mind.
He was determined to obtain the answers to his questions, and the only way it would happen would be for them to escape from the ark alive.
Determined to live through this, Lavi forced himself to stand up and activated his Innocence.
Kagome could only watch as Tyki flew high up into the air, heading straight for the Exorcists. It seemed like his top priority was to engage the Exorcists in combat. No matter how hard she tried to distract him, Tyki didn't seem the least bit intrigued. The situation made Kagome nervous. She was scared about what would happen to the Exorcists. This demon that was possessing Tyki was immensely strong and fast. He blocked Allen's attacks like they were nothing, and he inflicted serious damage upon the boy with minimal effort.
Then there was Lenalee and Chaoji too. Since Lavi was still on the ark, Kagome could only assume that those two remained as well. Knowing Lenalee, she wouldn't leave the ark unless everyone else was present. So without Kanda, Krory and Allen, she wouldn't leave. This was unfortunate news because it only made things harder for Allen and Lavi. Now they had two people to protect beyond ensuring their own safety.
If Kagome could frown right now, she would. However, she still didn't possess any control of her physical body. The unknown presence still possessed almost all control of her body, excluding her mind. Literally all Kagome could do was watch from the sidelines of her mind as her body moved and operated without her.
For several minutes now, the woman hadn't spoken to her or moved. She remained frozen in their current spot with her right hand still clutching that Dark Matter bow. All of the arrows she previously summoned were gone. All but two arrows originally missed their targets, meaning that she had managed to unleash some deadly blows to Tyki. Nonetheless, none of them seemed to phase the man. Even though his body was sporting fresh injuries, he shrugged them off before flying off to fight the Exorcists.
Kagome thought the woman would have been annoyed by that because she previously seemed quite determined to kill Tyki. However, the moment Tyki fled, the woman did nothing. Nothingness seemed to be a common theme right now actually. Nothing was transpiring within the tower right now, excluding the sounds heard off in the distance. It would seem as though the ark was finally beginning to download this tower too. Soon enough, nothing would remain. Everything would be downloaded onto the new ark and everything left here would disappear forever.
Kagome didn't intend to remain on the ark. She needed to vacate the premise immediately, but she didn't want to leave without ensuring that Allen and the others were safe. Despite knowing they hated her, Kagome still cared for them. She wanted to know they escaped from the ark alive, even if they left without Kanda and Krory.
Surely the Earl would arrive soon enough to retrieve Tyki, Lero and herself. He wouldn't leave them here to die. Though until he showed up, Kagome didn't know where to go. She was trapped within the ark and trapped within her own mind. She literally had nowhere to go.
Damn it all!
For the first time in several minutes, she heard laughter and it was escaping from her own lips. "You have nothing to fear, child. I don't intend to keep you trapped this way for much longer."
What do you mean?
The woman's words confused Kagome, then again everything about this woman confused her. Who was she? Where did she come from? Kagome possessed so many questions about this unknown person and she wanted answers.
"You'll acquire the answers in due time. But for now, I believe you should be more concerned with our current predicament… the roof of this structure will soon collapse."
Collapse?! Allen-kun and the others are up there! Kagome cried indignantly. You have to help them.
"I think not." She voiced aloud before allowing the bow to dematerialize. "I possess no concern for those humans. Their survival depends upon their will to live. Noah's aren't meant to aid the Exorcists. We exist to destroy them. It would be wise for you to grasp that."
Kagome wanted to shout the skies above and stomp her foot in protest. Who did this woman think she was, telling her what to do and with her own body, no less? It was downright sadistic!
The woman merely smirked. "No wonder Dreams find your antics amusing. You behave like a petulant child whose recently been scolded by their parent."
Excuse me?!
How dare that woman talk to her that way! Kagome wasn't a brat!
Uhh!
Kagome was seething with rage while the woman merely continued to laugh. This wasn't getting them anywhere.
"Regardless of how you feel, we will remain here. This is the best option for now. We will only get in the way if we were to interfere now. Believe me, everything will be fine. Besides that blasted womanizer should make his appearance soon."
Womanizer? Kagome repeated to herself. The first thought that came to her mind was Miroku, but that answer was clearly wrong. Besides, how would Miroku have made it onto the ark? The last time Kagome obtained any news about the man's activity was his recent transfer to the Australian branch.
The woman laughed. "Although that might be a sufficient answer, it's wrong. I'm referring to another person. A General, if you will."
The answer was immediate: General Cross.
"Precisely." She nodded. "That man has been aboard the ark before any of your little friends were forced onto here by the Earl himself."
Kagome was stunned by the newfound information. How did this woman know that? No one knew the current location of the General. It was almost impossible to accurately trace him. General Klaud and the silly twins could both vouch for the accuracy of the statement. Cross knew how to make himself disappear with barely a trace. It took the Order months to track him down, and it even took the Earl some time to locate him before too.
"I'm not able to track that man entirely. Rather, it's simpler for me to track the little companion he keeps beside him."
Timcanpy? A flash of the golden golem danced through Kagome's mind.
"Mmm." The woman clicked her tongue. "Correct, for once." The snide remark did nothing but make Kagome's anger flourish even further.
Desperately wanting this situation to end, Kagome could only hope that the Earl would show up soon. She longed to vacate the ark and return home. It would be painful to leave the Exorcists, but at least the Earl might know a way for her to regain control of her own body again, and possibly how to silence this woman for good.
Cross couldn't believe the sounds he was hearing from further within the ark. He assumed that the blasted kids had finally vacated the place with the exception of Tiedoll's brat and the vampire man. Then again, knowing his idiotic apprentice he was pretty sure the self-proclaimed martyr wouldn't leave without his comrades. It was downright pathetic sometimes how easy it was for Cross to predetermine Allen's actions. After travelling with the ingrate for several years, Cross discovered how simple it was to read the boy. He wasn't anything complex, that's for certain.
Tim fluttered its wings anxiously. It seemed like he was worried about Allen. The last time he saw the poor boy was back in the wooded forest in China. Back then, Allen truly was a sight for sore eyes with his missing left arm and war torn body. Upon uniting with Cross, Tim showed him the footage. The General agreed that it wasn't a pretty sight. He could only hope that his idiot apprentice learned to activate his weapon properly; especially after losing it for the first time.
They were all combating against a racing clock now. With little time left before the download was complete, Cross needed to complete his mission. He refused to allow the fat ass to acquire full access to a new ark and Egg. He would stop the tub of lard with the help of two very precious pawns: the Musician and Lyricist.
Just then, an ear splitting scream was heard from high above. Cross looked up and couldn't help but snort. Speak of the devil. It was his idiotic apprentice, plummeting to his death. Now that he found the boy, the bigger question presented itself. How to catch him? By the arm or leg?
Phh, the answer was obvious. The leg it was. Who knew how sweaty and disgusting that hand of his must be.
With little ease, Cross reached out and grasped a hold of Allen's right foot, stopping him from plummeting into a bottomless chasm.
"What's this, dirty brat?" He barked out, eyeing Allen with disdain. His apprentice always looked dirty, but this time he looked grimy and smelled horrible. Cross raised him up higher to get a better view. "I thought you might become a more bearable sight, but…"
Allen then opened his eyes. An all too familiar look etched itself onto his face. He knew that his Master had finally made his appearance.
"Nah, filthy!" Cross barked out. "You're exactly the same as when I adopted you, idiot apprentice."
"Err, nice… to see… you again," were the only words to escape from Allen's lips.
"What's with the happy face?" Cross asked a tad too sarcastically. "Shall I drop you? Maybe a fall on your head will remind you how to speak to your elders."
"Eh?" Before Allen knew it, Cross released his hold on his leg, allowing him to fall face first onto the stone ground. "Ow." Allen mumbled into the cold ground.
Cross jumped down onto the hard earth, shedding that horrendous Skull jacket.
Everyone couldn't help but gape at the sight of the General. For months now, the man they were searching for finally made his presence known. He was alive and somehow made his way onto the ark.
Allen slowly lifted himself up from the ground to see that his Master was watching him intently. His Master was being especially quiet too which unnerved Allen. Tim then slowly fluttered down from the sky and landed on his Master's head. Allen couldn't believe that both Cross and Tim were alive and well.
"Mmm," Cross grunted. "Looks like you've finally managed to activate that properly." He spoke, eyeing Allen's new weapon, the sword of exorcism. "But you're still rags and tatters… It's a wonder you managed to capture the affections of Klaud's little student looking like that… Here." Cross leaned forward to offen Allen a hand.
The expression on Allen's face was priceless. He couldn't blink let alone breathe because he was to stunned at the sight of his Master offering him a hand. Not once in all of years of serving—training under the man, had Cross Marian willingly offered him a hand. Opposingly, he used those hands to throw bottles at Allen, whack him over the head with a hammer or throw him off to his debt collectors.
"Eh? Ah—" Before Allen could say anymore, Cross reached out and grabbed the collar of his jacket uniform. "M-Master, what's—" Allen was slowly rising up from the ground because his Master was forcing him up. But instead of allowing Allen to place his feet on the ground, Cross threw him face forward across the gorge towards Lenalee and Chaoji.
Allen's screams echoed across the open terrain while he hit the ground with a massive bang. Dirt and debris went flying about causing everyone else to cough.
"You're filthy, idiot apprentice!" Cross roared. "You stay away too!" He spoke, referring to Lavi who wasn't standing too far away from him. "I'll keep beautiful things by my side, but dirty things shouldn't come near me!"
Lavi nearly dropped his hammer in shock. Was this really the great General Cross they went travelling across the globe to find? Sadly, it certainly was. Oh goodness.
"So you brats are still preoccupied with fighting the Noah clan? I was wondering why you all were making such a racket in an ark about to collapse but… this Noah's lost its mind, hasn't it?" Cross wasn't speaking to anyone in particular at the moment. He was too far away for Allen, Lenalee and Chaoji to hear him, but Lavi clearly heard his words.
Cross started to remove the gold chains from the surprisingly large box he had beside him. Lavi watched him intently, wondering what the General kept in such an ornate chest.
"Bookman Junior," he scoffed, managing to capture Lavi's attention.
"Um, yeah?" He gulped nervously, tugging at his uniform collar.
Cross rolled his good eye. "Tell that idiot apprentice of mine to find Klaud's little student. We'll be requiring her assistance for the second act. Hard to believe our lives rest in the hands of those two runts."
"Huh?" The General's words confused Lavi immensely. How would Kagome be able to assist them? Better yet, how were Allen and Kagome going to save them? Allen could barely fight and Kagome… well, where was Kagome anyway?
"Bookman Junior!" Cross hollered. "Tell my idiot apprentice to find the woman now! We'll need to locate her before the fat ass arrives to reclaim her and the other one."
"Uh, gotcha." Lavi gulped. "I-I'll go tell Allen right now." The sheer thought of the Earl coming was more than enough reason to propel Lavi forward. He pushed himself to run faster than before, even though his legs cried with protest. For reasons unknown to Lavi, Allen needed to find Kagome immediately. And from the General's tone of voice, it sounded like there would be dire consequences if the beansprout couldn't locate her.
"A-Allen," Lavi wheezed out, struggling to speak. "C-Cross wants you to find K-Kago-chan right now… H-He says it's urgent."
"Urgent?" Chaoji uttered. "How is finding that monster important?" Suddenly his eyes widened. Maybe the General intended to kill the other monster? Yes, that certainly had to be the answer! First General Cross would kill this monstrous demon Mikk something and then he would murder the other one, Kagome something.
Anita-sama often spoke of Cross Marian. Chaoji remembered her saying once that Cross Marian's desires to cleanse the world of Akuma and the Earl were above that of regular Black Order members. This was surely a sign sent from above! Cross Marian arrived here to save them and kill those monsters. He would slay them without hesitation.
Chaoji couldn't contain his joy. Finally there was someone aboard the ark who would seek retribution for what happened to Anita-sama, Mahoja-sama and everyone else. Justice would finally be served!
Meanwhile, Allen wasn't anywhere near content as Chaoji. He was too confused by Lavi's explanation. "M-Master wants me to find Kagome-chan?" For the first time aboard the ark, someone excluding Allen was concerned about Kagome.
"Yeah." Lavi nodded, finally able to catch his breath. "I'd suggest you get a move on, Allen. He seemed pretty insistent about it."
Allen bit his bottom lip. He desperately wanted to find Kagome and ensure that she was safe. After the tower's explosion, he didn't know where she went. He wanted to locate her, but everyone was too busy trying to fight against Tyki. They barely managed to touch him, but the man got several good attacks on each of them, even Lenalee and Chaoji.
Allen exhaled a deep breath. He would find Kagome. He would find her and bring her back. "Lavi, keep an eye on Lenalee-chan and Chaoji. I'll be back as soon as I can."
"Gotcha, Allen." Lavi could only watch as Allen dashed off, preparing to search for Kagome.
AN: The Fourteenth makes his appearance in the next chapter! Who is excited? I know I am! :D
