So. It's out. Enjoy.

sparklehannah (guest) - Well, I hope you enjoy this one as well. There's some plot addition, so yay!

Codename-SN - Of course Neah is gonna play a decent sized role in this, but he's mainly for later and the enjoyment of causing Allen irritation. I'm glad you're fine!

Shadow Spears - thanks for your review!

Chapter 9

"Well, kid, how you feelin?" Neah asked once Allen was able to regain his bearings after the sudden onslaught of information. He could remember his time with Cross, with the exorcist, and the death of Mana Walker. He remembered meeting the crazy clown called the Millennium Earl, and the second death of Mana Walker. There was being attacked by Kanda, who thought he was an akuma thanks to that stupid gate, and he remembered the flying ball with wings called Timcanpy.

"Like shit." All of those memories, and Allen just discovered how boring his life was. How, exactly, he was able to fall into such a stupid routine after some weird guy died and was later killed by his own hand (claw?) was beyond him. Whoever he was after changing from 'Red' to 'Allen' was an idiot that forgot everything that he was supposed to have learned from being on the street. For example, getting attached to someone like that insane man. He was treated like a dog most of the time, only there to follow and obey without speaking or resistance. The crazy man even confused him as the dog and would teach him tricks.

The time of 'Allen' was over. No more being nice to everyone, no more following those rules set by the damn cult and that Cross bastard. Then again, the time of that 'Allen' was done by the time that 'Red' took over right after the first 'Allen' had gotten memory loss. Thank the non-existent gods that an akuma decided to attack with their mind. Would it actually be thank the Earl, since he was the one to send the akuma?

Revise all of that, Allen didn't want to thank anyone. No one deserved it.

There was still the creepy guy standing in front of him with his gray skin and golden eyes. And a confused look, which Allen was proud of. The guy seemed to have one giant ass ego with a violent streak, so Allen took it as a win to be able to force the guy to concede his control.

"Well, you're still different from before, huh? What should we do about that. You wouldn't just let me take control now, would you?" Neah asked with a smug smirk on his face. Allen couldn't help but attempt a punch in his direction. He missed, but the annoyance quelled to the point where Allen was able to hold a small conversation.

"Ya see, I ain't know what I was like 'before', so ya better get that in ya big head. I also don' know what ya mean by takin' control, but that ain't happenin. No, instead yer gonna tell me what the hell is with that other broken picture and explain who ya are. I'm betten this place is my mind, so why you in it?"

"You seem to be accepting the fact that there's a person in your mind rather well." Allen leveled him with a glare.

"Well, this ain't the weirdest thing that's happened to me over the past month. Try livin with and runnin from a cult. It's worse." Neah let the talk of a cult wash over him. Allen seemed to be referencing to exorcist as a cult when he internally monologues, so though Neah was still unsure what they did to deserve this title, there was no confusion over the implied meaning.

"Well, you are still one odd little man, aren't you. I guess that's something that's never changed over the years. Most people are unable to come to terms with these developments so easily." Neah thought of the people who'd gone crazy when a Noah was attempting to take control of their body. There had been a few people who managed to resist the takeover, but those would end up committing suicide mere days later. As they should, since they fought against an apostle.

"I've dealt with crazy people before. It was only a matter of time before it was my turn." Take Mana for example. Allen of the past clearly didn't look to be a dog, yet was treated as one. Then again, if he acted like a dog, what was the difference? Allen of the present wasn't able to comprehend how he could be reduced to the memory of a dog beaten to death. Allen of the past was a wimp.

Back to the main subject, insanity. There were the circus people, some who had delusions of seeing the future, or turning into a bird. There was Mana, who was also a circus person. There was Cross whose need for physical contact pushed at the borders of being a psychological disorder (really, what was with all those women? Did his mother leave him as a child to an abusive father that locked him in a crate for days on end? That would actually make sense…), and all the other people from the cult. Kamui (aka brother complex who must have been terrified of losing his sister to the point that any amount of time away from her instilled deep terror), Kanda (extreme need to stay away from people, must have lost a close friend to some sort of torture method that only he escaped from. Was that called survivor's guilt?), and Lavi (inability to truly grow close to someone. Probably was trained to leave as soon as he began to feel any attachment to human life, and decided it was easier to stay away no matter what so he'd never be hurt again) were a couple of good examples.

So yes, Allen dealt with many crazy people during the two 'lives' that he could remember, one as Red and one as Allen. If only he knew about the third life.

Wait, that'd just be annoying. The person from before had nothing to do with the person he is now. No point in learning the past of a dead man.

"And yet you are not crazy, for I truly exist. It is time for me to be re-introduced into this world. So, little boy, just let go so I can have my way."

"Ya know, yer a pervert. Worse than Cross, since he'd never say that to a kid. Guess you're just deprived." If Neah was affected, he didn't show it. At all. Allen was a little disappointed. Most of the time when he pulled that card against an older person, especially a male, it would either make them leave him alone or attack him in a fit of rage. Either was good, since he'd be left alone or would have an easier time beating them up.

Not that it would be hard anymore, since Cross' stupid training that he could now remember. Wait, does that mean he'll have to tell Lavi that he could remember being the stupid ass Allen Walker and have to deal with the brat's excitement?

"No, child, Cross is definitely worse. I don't can for such contact with humans." Allen didn't care enough to hear what the man was saying, paying more attention to the feeling of his body growing heavier. Was he waking up? Allen had never gone through such an experience before, but he could remember that when he was in pain the last time to the point he was about to pass out, his body felt very light before being hit with all the pain later on.

Well, it was time for him to leave, it would seem. With a kind-hearted middle finger as a farewell, Allen slipped into consciousness.


"So what, you guys just sit around empty buildings and under bridges until you find a job? How do you even find food?" Lavi asked the group, still being responded with silence. Tyki fell asleep after carrying Allen for over five hours, but the rest of the group was awake. Eeez hadn't said anything to anyone the entire time after he woke up, and the other two continued to send Lavi suspicious glances. One of them even seemed scared of him, which Lavi obviously didn't deserve.

At least, he didn't think so. Allen might have told them something about him, possibly that he was an exorcist. Most people would think that was a good thing, but this guy obviously didn't. Probably thought Lavi would bring some sort of hocus pocus with him. The guy wasn't necessarily wrong, considering Lavi still had his size-changing hammer.

"Allen." Eeez whispered from Lavi's side. The kid got up from his sitting position and crawled the couple of feet that was between Allen and him. Lavi didn't know what the kid was doing, since there was absolutely no different in Allen's former state of passed out. When Allen groaned a moment later, Lavi was caught by surprise. He looked at the kid, wondering how such a brat would be able to sense Allen's awakening before a bookman could. Even though he was still considered a bookman in training, that should still be an impossible task.

"You're still here?" Allen asked without opening his eyes. Lavi couldn't help but assume the boy was talking to him, which was further confirmed by the silver eyes opening a moment later to focus on Lavi.

"Ah, yeah, didn't I say so? I mean, I couldn't just leave the little beansprout on his own forever. Also, Bookman says you're an important part of history, so of course I'm gonna follow you! I mean, since you aren't one of the exorcists anymore, we can't have both of us following the exorcist and only getting part of the history."

"Ya know, I hate yer arse, along with that cult's. Ya follow, ya carry yer own weight or Tyki and I'll cut ya loose. Till then, stay out of our way and earn yer self some cash, cause we ain't feedin' ya." Tyki looked at Allen, clear question on his face. Why Allen was being so kind to Lavi was a complete mystery, seeing his normal attitude to people was far more unpleasant. Violent, even.

He stored the information away to bring up later when the others weren't around anymore. He briefly noticed Lavi doing the same. The kid made a good bookman, though the personality was excessive. A silent follower was far more like what he would expect, seeing as that's how his inner Noah remembered the bookman that would follow him.

Tyki blocked the thoughts of his Noah before it tried to take control again. He'd never fallen to the violent rage before, and he never planned to stop fighting against it. Part of his pleasure came from being human, and that would all be lost with the Noah taking over. It just went against his current personality, as well as the one he kept at bay.

"Well, what do you guys do when getting cash? Working in stores? Begging?" Momo grinned, a sharp edge taking over the normally soft smirk.

"Oh no, boyo. It's a whole world worse. Unless ya can gain a job that pays daily, or you're real good at beggin, what you need is hard labor. Us, we got the mines." He gestured to Crack and Tyki. "They draw in a crowd and take 'em for all they're worth. Circus tricks." The others also smirked, and Allen's eyes seemed to play through the hell that Lavi would have to go through just for being part of their group. "Welcome to the street."

Lavi groaned and left the camp out area. Assuming what these guys were saying was true and it really is that hard to get a job without Bookman's help, he'd better start searching.

Allen and Eeez started to prepare their act, emptying their clothes of unneeded objects and filling them with props. Crack, Momo and Tyki headed out to search for the mining yard. There was supposed to be one in this town, but there was always a chance that they accidently missed it since they were walking from a crash site. Locations were being approximated.

"Allen, why are you different now?" Eeez asked just before they headed out. Allen silently thought about how to answer that. Even though the entire group knew he lost his memories, that didn't mean he wanted them to think of him as someone different.

"I remembered some stuff. Won't be leavin' any time soon. Those cult members were worse than I though' they were." Ah, the pain that former Allen went through under the reign of Cross. He deserved it, of course, for being such a needy brat for however long it took for him to get out of that stupid comatose state. Besides, going from one deluded master to another that was more violent and more perverted was not considered improvement. However, that brat passed all of Cross' mental torture from the debts onto the current Allen, and that was unacceptable.

Eeez didn't need to know any of this, though.

"Let's get goin' already. We got cash ta make. How long has it been since ya ate, huh? I bet everyone was too worried 'bout useless shit ta take care of ya." Eeex shook his head, disagreeing with Allen's assumptions.

"Momo make sure I was fine. But the others were worried about you or what to do with the other guy. Are we going to get rid of him, Allen? He creeps Momo out." The boy grabbed onto Allen's pant legs as they traveled amongst a thick crowd. It would be too easy for the boy to get lost, and Allen didn't want to risk Eeez being captured by someone with less than pure intents. He picked the boy up and tossed him onto Allen's shoulders. Eeez wasn't expecting this change, but he settled in after a couple moments of curiosity.

Allen noted this was a different action than what he normally would have done, but he couldn't find it in himself to care. The useless Allen was still affecting him, but if it protected Eeez than that way of thinking couldn't be too bad. For a while, at least.

"We can try to lose him, but the Bookmen are known for being able to trail their targets no matter the circumstance. From what I can remember, Lavi is still in training but with him being released by Bookman, he must be up to par." Eeez knocked Allen on the head, forcing the white-hair to realize his mistake.

Talking in a more educated way, like someone who didn't grow up around street rats and circus freaks. Like someone who was taught to be a gentleman and use words that fewer people would be able to comprehend. That wasn't like Allen. Not the current one.

"We won't be able to lose him." Allen rephrased. Eeez nodded and sat quietly while Allen maneuvered through the crowds. The two were already in their costumes and drawing attention from travelers and locals alike. Even among the normal street performers, Allen and Eeez were an odd pair. Though Allen was careful to cover up his scar with face paint so people wouldn't think of him as a devil worshiper, there was still his white hair. In addition, clowns were less popular as performers in this area of the world. Eeez was no better with his mask constantly in place over his mouth.

The day passed quickly, with Allen barely paying attention to his actions yet still collecting the same amount of income as they did in other cities. He allowed his mind to wander to the odd person residing in his mind. A Tyki outside in the physical world, and an even more annoying version of him constantly able to bug Allen would mean double the irritation emanating from Allen, in turn causing Tyki what could be a lot of pain.

There was also Lavi to take it out on, which would be far more entertaining for the entire group. Allen just might forgo the physical abuse on Tyki, instead taking it out on the true pest that had entered his life once again.

Allen's attention was jerked away from his thoughts, his focus drawn to a kid running around outside of some building. The kid had a bandana covering his forehead, and there was an older male next to him. The elder looked nearly identical to the boy, same hair style and face shape. Allen assumed the man to be the kid's dad, but that didn't fit for some reason.

Allen felt the distinct urge to punch the man in his face. His formal clothing, which Allen assumed to be traditional Japanese clothing. He'd seen it a couple of times during traveling, and Tyki enjoyed pointing out what style was from where. He settled for glaring in the man's direction for a while until Eeez drew his attention. It was time for them to head back to the group.

Tyki bumped into them on their way back, and Allen glared at him for his position on the hard earth. His glare intensified when laughter could be heard from Eeez in addition to other onlookers.

"Sorry, shortie. Didn't see ya there. Ya should try an' grow, huh? Don't wanna cause problems ta other people now." Allen bit back a retort at his height Arguing with stupid would only lead to stupid. He learned that when dealing with Kanda.

"Hey moyashi! Looks like I got a job, how ya like that? An actual job, not some street performance act like you do." Lavi grinned, all teeth, and Allen automatically knew that the redhead hated what he had to do. It probably didn't pay well, either.

"That bad, huh? Good. Bet you made even less than them in the mines."

"How'd you know, huh brat?" Lavi truly wanted to know, since Allen from before didn't seem to pick up on Lavi's hidden meanings. Being a dishwasher at a place that cooked greasy food wasn't exactly what he was hoping for, but all of the jobs requiring talking to people or dealing with facts weren't open, or weren't willing to hire him. They didn't even give a reason most of the time.

"You're a teen that looks odd, is charismatic, and can't give them a reference or family. Even I'd think you're a runaway criminal looking to rob them. Especially since you wanna be paid at the end of every day. Like I said, good luck. The mines and the streets are the only ones that don't care about your background." Lavi pouted. This wasn't the sort of knowledge Bookman would share with him, since it wasn't useful to the history of the world. Small aspects such as these were useless.

"Whatever. Let's see the cash, boys." Momo said before Allen could destroy Lavi's confidence using words. It had happened before, though the victim wasn't Lavi but a random stranger that thought he was smarter than Allen.

Lavi by far had the least, but it was enough for one, maybe two meals if he rationed it properly.

"Looks like you get to eat, kid. Congrats, you really are able to travel with us. Now ya just gotta find a better job, cause we ain't payin for yer train ticket, and if ya get caught sneaking on I ain't gonna help ya. Allen probably won't either, and don't you dare bother Eeez." Everyone nodded in agreement. It was already an unspoken rule for Lavi not to talk to Crack before the guy was able to think Lavi as separate from the cult.

Lavi didn't seem bothered by their opinions, but he did get distracted by something on the rooftops. Allen followed the redhead's gaze to two figures. One in an odd alien costume with some crazy big eye, and the other had the same form as that one guy Allen had seen earlier in the day. It seemed like a good enough person to take his annoyance out on, even though Lavi was the second best.

He resisted, however. By all appearances, the pair must be going to steal something. Who was Allen to get in the way of a couple people annoying a couple more. Besides, the second best was still right here, and Allen didn't have to chase before the kill. Metaphorical, possibly, but still accurate.