"Keep walking, Allen. Promise me."

The words kept repeating in his head. A tiring message that played on repeat in the depths of his mind. A warning, a curse, and a blessing rolled in one. The words had been the driving force back then when Allen almost lost himself to the pain of losing Mana. It had been a curse, an insistent urging that forced him through another day, even with his mind in scrambles.

Cross must've been struggling with him back then.

He wondered sometimes. If Cross too had seen someone else in him. Allen was more than aware that it was the brashness of Red combined with the soul of Eve that had caused Mana to see Neah, the memories of Allen too unforgivable to be remembered completely. Truly, the only sign that Mana had acknowledged Red as Allen at all was the name he gave him.

Had Cross seen Mana in the polite shell that had been named Allen, or had he, like Mana, only seen Neah? Or perhaps he'd only seen the older version of him, the version of him that wore glasses and played the role of the mastermind. It had been simple before the mess that originated thousands of years ago made itself known, before Eve and all the problems connected to her dub wicked claws into Allen's very soul. Back then, Allen would simply have to live with the fact that Mana merely saw Neah, that all the time they had spent together simply was an illusion. All he had to reconcile with then was that Allen, Red, never mattered.

That impression had been scraped weeks ago when a mere silver of his old self had appeared and forcefully mended the bond between Allen (him/her/them/it?) and Neah. Before Mana had caught on to the new game that had begun without Allen's consent. Before Allen as a person was important.

Allen could only, as he laid nestled in the finest of material, wearing nothing but Mana's shirt and Neah's old pants, remember the short (far too short, why did he convince Nea-) period when everything had been fine. Back at Eden where Mana never would've found them. Never would've gotten the opportunity to hurt him. Where Neah never would've-.

For the briefest of instances, a small flicker of pure fury flickered before dying out again. What was the point? He couldn't fight, not Mana, not when he was this weak and especially not when so much of Eve's nature had awoken.

Running away wasn't an option either, Mana had made sure of that.

(-eep walking, -len. Alway-)

Allen almost wanted to smile, his default expression itching to form, but he couldn't. He was too damn tired.

A soft knocking came from the door.

He should answer. Ask the person (she really was bold) outside to step in for a moment, tell him what was on her mind. Maybe laugh a bit, ask if she could sneak him something from the kitchen.

No longer.

"Allen?" Road asked from outside the room, the barest of trembles apparent in her otherwise high-pitched voice.

No one would answer her.

No more.


Neah couldn't breathe!

The distant sound of glass shattering and running footsteps combined with yells was the first thing Neah could register as he forcefully coughed up the liquid occupying his lungs.

"14th!" Voices shouted, questions and exclamations firing towards him in a rapid tempo, each and every voice fighting to be heard, not realizing that all Neah could hear instead was a disharmonious mess.

"Shut up." He coughed out roughly, efficiently putting a stop to the screaming and shouting. He blinked a bit, eyes unable to adapt to the glaring light.

"14th." A familiar voice said, familiar enough for Neah to make the barest of attempts to spot the speaker.

Ah.

"Glasses."

Komui sighed but didn't protest, clearly counting Neah remembering him at all as a win. Dark eyes merely observed as the newly resurrected Noah, trembling rose up from the floor, fingers clenching and unclenching around nothing in an attempt to wake the limbs from their sluggish state. He warily brought up a shaking hand, taking in its whole appearance, how unharmed it was despite Neah clearly remembering getting crushed under the weight of the mansion.

Yellow eyes warily scanned the crowd, only the barest of frowns revealing exactly how uncomfortable the being truly was. The almost cat-like eyes snapped back towards Komui.

"This is beyond your abilities. How exactly did you humans manage to get your greedy paws on this information?" the 14th growled, eyes flashing as muscles tensed in preparation to fight.

"Cross Marian sent us instructions," Komui revealed after a couple of tense seconds. Waving the opened envelope lazily in the air as he fought to remain calm and at ease. An act that was getting progressively harder to go through with as the glare got more murderous for each second passed.

"Cross? He wouldn't."

"Your resurrection apparently outweighed his dislike for the Order." Komui said lightly, causing Kanda, who stood at the very back of the laboratory to huff.

"Dislike? More like hatred." Neah grumbled before reaching out with one hand, eyes never leaving the envelope securely held in one pale hand. Komui grinned.

"What's the magical word~?"

"Give it to me or I'll take your arm as well."

"Ahaha… No need to be so violent." Komui nervously laughed as he obediently handed over the envelope, discreetly making sure that the Noah never got within skin-contact distance. Well, perhaps not so discreetly as the self-satisfied glint in the yellow eyes told a different story.

Neah remained silent as he quickly mulled over the quickly jotted down words that covered the paper. He would recognize this handwriting anywhere.

"This isn't from Cross." He said slowly as his eyes once again meet Komui's.

The man sighed.

"Not the letter no, but the envelope. The letter itself is written in Allen's handwriting."

Neah inspected the envelope that had earlier been ignored in favor of the letter, and sure enough. It was definitely from the red-haired bastard, his handwriting almost as familiar to Neah as Allen's was.

He sighed somewhat ruefully.

"Well. As pleasant as this wake-up call was. It seems like it's time for me to skedaddle."

A wave of muted protests in varying intensity washed over the room. The Finders and the oddly dispatched Exorcists present all showing varying signs of disbelief and anger.

"You're not going anywhere, Noah." A particularly brave Finder spoke up, hands tightly gripping the talisman shield.

There was a wet sound before a dull thud sounded in the deadly silent room. The Finder's head rolled around a bit before stopping completely, facing the floor as the body limply collapsed. The silence immediately broke as the sound of weapons being drawn echoed in the room.

Kanda snarled before leaping forward, landing just ahead of the makeshift front containing Finders and the odd Exorcist.

"You-" He snarled as Neah merely eyed him back in disinterest.

"Any other complaints or can we call it a day?" He droned on, not in the least faced by the pool of blood that steadily grew in size.

"That was unnecessary," Komui said chillingly, his normally jovial tone completely gone.

"Was it?" Neah challenged, "I won't let any of you take charge of me. Better men have tried and failed." He hissed.

"He spoke out of line, I'll admit, but kill another one of my Finders and you'll have more than the Millenium Earl on your hands." Komui snarled.

Neah smirked. "So Exorcists are fine?"

Komui smiled just as icily back. "Of course, that is if you want to tell Allen that you're the one who killed his friends."

Neah froze.

Komui's eyes crinkled, his smile widening just a tad. "Didn't think so."

A snarl escaped through Neah's clenched teeth as he glared at the man, whatever mask he'd worn earlier gone.

"Don't be so smug, I bet you don't even know where Allen is." The silence was telling.

Komui awkwardly cleared his throat. "Well, that is…"

"Do you?" Kanda spoke up. Neah turned towards the Exorcist. "You died. How do you know where Allen is?"

Neah's lips pinched as he glared at the man.

"I know where he is." Neah spits out grudgingly. "But his whereabouts is none of your concern."

"I owe that moyashi," Kanda rebuked, almost equally reluctant. "His whereabouts does concern me."

"Well." Komui coughed somewhat awkwardly, stuck between the two glaring men. "We'd like to continue with our original plan."

"What?" was hissed out as the Noah's eyes flickered, attention divided between the Exorcist and the branch chief. "Tag-team the Earl?"

"Essentially, yes. Until further notice that is."

Neah threw his head back and laughed.

Of course, of fucking course.

"Until the Order gets their sticky hands on Allen you mean."

"We have officially pardoned Exorcist Allen, he has nothing to fear from us." Another head scientist spoke up, an odd tone to his voice that Neah immediately latched on to.

"Not with Allen perhaps, but don't for a second believe that I'll let Eve be taken by you lot."

The Order members immediately bristled, the Exorcists particularly, no doubt egged on by the Innocence they were bonded to.

"The Heart should be amongst us!" An Exorcist snarled, voice strangely disturbed as the green crystal flared up in response. Neah vaguely recognized him.

"Eve wants nothing to do with those cursed crystals," Neah responded angrily before forcefully taking a calming breath. "You betrayed them, you have no right to whine and pull on their skirt like a spoiled brat." He continued calmly, "Know your place.".

"I see." Komui spoke up, something close to regret flickering in his dark eyes before it was quickly snuffed out. "Then I guess we have nothing more to discuss. Kanda?"

Neah jumped back, narrowly avoiding the wide arch of the Innocence blade.

"Fuck all of you." He snarled out before kicking a bench in the long-haired man's direction.

Finders and scientist fluttered around like chickens without heads, desperately scuttering away in an effort to dodge the raging tornado that was Neah and Kanda as they thoroughly tore their way through the room. The exorcist furiously dogged the Noah's every step, sword slicing through the air, Neah's the neck the clear target. Neah pettily ensured to crush at least some of the scientist who were stupid enough to be within reach, Allen wouldn't complain too much about some unimportant scientist.

"Noah!" Kanda snarled as the being once again narrowly dodged a swipe, the inhuman grin plastered on the pale face. Despite how long that body had been out of function, Kanda grudgingly had to admit that the being's speed and strength rivaled his own.

A gunshot interrupted the impromptu fight.

"General Cross Marian!" Komui exclaimed in surprise. Although the envelope had clearly been written by Cross, Komui had figured that the envelope had been written before Cross 'died' and had merely been held by an accomplice to be handed over when the time was right. Even if there had been reports of a Cross look-alike, Komui was to world-wary to truly think that Cross had managed to fake his death as thoroughly as he must've in order to trick them so thoroughly. "You're dead!" he couldn't help but blurt out stupidly.

"Dead inside, yes."

The Black Order members stared at him stupidly, more than a little caught off guard.

"Cross." Neah growled, massaging the bridge of his nose. Not even an hour into his second resurrection and already he felt like slaughtering a smaller city. "What have you done with my nephew?"

The red-head crooked his head slightly, the barest inclination of a frown gracing his features for a slight moment before it was wiped away by a purely exasperated expression as he huffed.

"Don't look at me, clearly my brilliant teachings weren't enough to pierce through that thick, self-sacrificing, skull of his."

Neah barely contained a growl and instead took a deep breath.

Well… Cross wasn't technically wrong per-say. Allen did have a thing for jumping into the closest disaster available only to then suffer as his martyr-tendencies made themselves known.

Neah would never admit it to anyone, even if he was threatened with death, but it might've been preferable if Allen learned some of Cross's self-preserving behavior. Instead, excess exposure to misery and tragedy seemed to have the opposite effect, making Allen even more self-sacrificing compared to how he was before. How that even was possible still mystified Neah.

Neah had to interrupt his own thoughts as he easily sidestepped the swing of an Exorcist. Neah briefly glanced at the dark-haired man without concern before freezing.

Snarling he kicked the exorcist sending the shorter man flying through the air and crashing into a brick wall. The man slumped, leaving a dent in the wall behind as he collapsed into a lax pile on the floor, blood slowly trickling from where his head had impacted with the wall.

"Mr. Campbell!" Komui snarled as a couple of finders rushed towards the fallen man. Kanda grimaced but didn't move, weapon still drawn and posture ready to pounce.

Neah turned towards the Branch Chief with a murderous look in his eyes.

"Are each and every one of you fucking daft!? Letting this infested vermin slink around your headquarters! Are you fools willing to risk everything with your petty little game!?"

Komui quietened, a confused look crossing his features before it pinched in anger once again.

"Exorcist Chaozii Han shall be severely reprimanded for attacking unprovoked but do not assume we'll let you kick around our members as you please."

Neah looked completely dumbfounded before realization flickered in his eyes.

"You idiots." He snarled. "Have you had no interaction with Fiedla? The 6th disciple? Through all these years?"

Cross sighed.

"You killed the late host almost 20 years ago, Neah. This incarnation has only recently awakened." He reminded him, even as he walked over towards the fallen man. Carefully nudging him with the barrel of his Innocence.

"What are you saying?" Komui asked weakly. "Chaozii is loyal and dedicated to-"

"It wouldn't be a willing or even necessarily a conscious betrayal." Neah snapped irritably as he flicked his hand, removing beads of blood with a grimace. "That's the beauty of Fiedla's ability."

He eyed the pale Branch Chief, expression completely neutral.

"Did he fall sick?"

You could hear a pin drop in the room, despite it being almost the size of the headquarters dining room. Komui had if possible paled even more, as had the men and women in lab-coats.

"Were the symptoms strange? Difficult to match with a certain affliction?"

Neah started to slowly walk towards the frozen Branch Chief.

"Did you assume it was somehow connected with a Noah, only to leave it be as he recovered a couple of days later? Seemingly unchanged?"

He stopped, just barely within an arm's distance, peering up at the slightly taller man. He tsked slightly, a narrow smirk replacing the expressionless mask he'd worn before, the yellow eyes icy and dark, altogether making a rather sinister look.

"Amateurs."

He left the Branch Chief where he stood, taking measured steps towards Cross. Eyeing him silently, internally comparing him to the man he had known so very long ago. He looked a bit scruffier perhaps, definitely more tired and the stress-lines that would smooth out if he relaxed his expression back then were now deep enough that they most likely would remain as shallow dips in his skin.

"Huh. Still look like shit." He said after a good minute of looking, an almost genuine grin on his features.

Cross rolled his eyes.

"Still a fucking brat. We can't all take a 17-year-old power nap." He snapped back devoid of bite.

Neah merely hummed lightly, eyeing the slouched figure against the wall with just the barest of frowns.

"You think the cat's out of the bag yet?"

Cross hummed lightly.

"No fucking clue. Maybe, maybe not." he threw a quick glance towards the stone roof. "but considering that fatso hasn't completely leveled the building in order to get to you I figure it's fine."

Neah considered that.

Mana knowing wasn't really a concern in Neah's opinion per-say, other than Allen, he had nothing to threaten him with and considering Allen's punishment… Neah grimaced lightly, familiar fury churning in his stomach. It felt as if it was clawing on the inside of his stomach, eager to crawl out through his throat and unleash the unholy slaughter that alone would sate it.

He was getting derailed.

If he knew Mana as well as he thought he did, him knowing would just lead to a messy cat-and-mouse game with fewer stakes, considering that Allen was already caught. It might even be good for Allen, giving him the time to recuperate and heal as Neah drew Mana on a merry-goose-chase through the country.

No, what worried Neah was the possibility of the disciples moving on their own. Mana was relatively easy to predict, and matters such as his second miraculous escape from death would definitely light a spark in the obsessive man, successfully ensuring a permanent tunnel-vision until Neah got caught.

Mana wouldn't consider other deciding factors, such as Noah and Akumas as long as Neah was just barely out of reach. It would be a delicate balance though, Neah bitterly acknowledged. If he was too far away, Mana definitely would use whatever he had at his disposal to smoke Neah out into the open again. And considering Mana's position as the Millennium Earl, he'd have a lot more at his disposal than what Neah would manage to scramble together, even if he did bunt together with the Black Order, however momentarily it would last.

But if the disciples were moving on their own, well. Neah honestly wouldn't be able to predict them at all. One wrong move and he'd either end up, bound and tousled up, at Mana's feet or quietly killed before anyone notified Mana at all.

None of the possible alternatives seemed particularly appealing. The only tempting part of the worst-case scenario was getting reunited with Allen again.

Neah's heart clenched painfully.

He should never have let Allen convince him to leave Eden.


"You must eat." Road insisted stubbornly, irritatedly clenching the apple piece a bit too hard, squishing it beyond recognition. Pouting she let the mush fall back to the plate to rejoin it's equally squished siblings before picking up one of the remaining, whole apple slices.

Allen still remained silent, curled towards the window that showed nothing, back stubbornly turned towards Road.

Road sighed silently, letting the apple slice fall back to the plate, this time still whole.

"Allen."

No sign of movement.

Road bit her lip before standing up, rattling the utensils carelessly spread out on the porcelain plate.

"I'll leave then." She said, perhaps a tad too loud, despite making no move to actually leave. She waited for at least some movement, the slightest of signs that he was listening, that he was there.

The crumpled figure remained exactly as he had been since she went in. Shoulders hunched and face gingerly laying on the big, white pillow. White hair carelessly spread over the pillow. It had long since grown out of the shorter style he'd worn the first time she met him since his de-aging. Still, it was far from the length it had been once when it still had been red like fire instead of the snow-white color it had today.

Road knew that Mana would never let Allen cut it again, not until it had reached the length it had been once before. Even so, Road felt no fear at the prospect of Mana forcing Allen to color it, she knew that the color difference was valued dearly by the older man since it made it much easier to differentiate between both versions of Allen.

In the beginning, it was a protective measure enforced by Mana so that the fury that he felt towards the past Allen wouldn't taint the Allen he knew now. Now, perhaps it merely was an effort to divide the blame between two parties so that Allen, younger and more impulsive than he was before, wouldn't get all the punishment.

Cause Road knew, almost intimately, how much worse the punishment could've been.

But now, seeing the result, she might have to reconsider.

Had Mana dealt any more damage to the almost frail-looking body, currently swaddled in blankets, he would have shattered in an unrepairable way.

Things… Looked bleak. But Road refused to believe that so much damage had been dealt in such a short amount of time. No, Allen would recover, he would scream at Mana who would yell just as much back. They would cry, maybe yell some more, but would reconcile in that way only the three of them had ever been capable of doing, and then, finally, they would begin to heal.

Road inhaled sharply as she turned on her heel and left, shutting the door behind her, taking an almost indecent amount of glee in the way the door rattled at the force.

They would heal, and then Allen would never leave again.

Road's eyes flashed.

It seemed like it was time to visit Maitora.


AN: Haha… How long has it been? Two years?

Tbh I'm amazed if there are still people reading this. Oh well, here you go you, poor souls. An update where nothing gets done! Yay!

I promised that this wasn't abandoned, and it isn't! I'm just very, very, very slow. So thank you for your patience!