Vol. 4

Ch.11

Symphony

Arriving at what looked like an old factory building, Alu was surprised when she ducked inside to find it used to be a toy factory. Alu looked around. Looked like it hadn't been bought or anything, it just decayed with time on the inside. Rusted machinery and conveyor belts were around her. There was a bin of what looked like stuffing and another one for wooden carved toy parts. Another area was labeled "animal workshop", and Alu ducked into this smaller room to see the wear and tear in here as well in the form of only one or two tables left, broken shelves, and a rather sad looking stuffed teddy bear missing an ear and an eye, lying on its side, clearly covered in cobwebs.

Creepy.

Alu wondered if a deranged clown would jump out at her next. As she chuckled at the absurd thought, someone popped up behind her. "Well hello there!"

Alu nearly jumped out of her skin. Whirling, she came face to face with the weirdest looking man. With silver hair, and pale skin and a shit-eating grin he definitely looked like something that would lure small children into the back of a van. Ugh, and even more annoying— he actually did look like he was dressed like a clown. Alu grimaced. "Aren't you a little old to be scaring people, Mr. Clown?" She asked, deadpan.

"Oh ooh," the man giggled, smiling at her past his half mask. The mask had a teardrop drawn under the black eye. This man wore a braid and a small dainty Lolita-like clown hat. "You're witty! No wonder Fyodor is so interested!"

Alu stiffened. She was on alert now. This man knew Fyodor. Had he been sent? Ah shit, I think this was a trap.

No. That boy was trying to make peace.

Or he knew you'd walk right into this…shit, shit, shit. Your gullible nature is rubbing off on me! Normally I'm much sharper.

Hey! Don't go blaming me for your short-sightedness!

If you weren't in need of saving all the time I wouldn't have such shitty vision!

Jeez, I'm sorry. You can just leave me then!

Alu blocked Juubi, in a bad mood. She could still sense his bad mood and it was starting to mix with her own. "If Fyodor is so interested then who the heck are you?"

The man grinned, and he bowed. "My name is Gogol! Nikolai~ Gogol! I'm so tickled to make your acquaintance, young lady! I hear your own magic tricks are simply magical~!"

Alu was liking this guy less and less. He made Mori look normal—which was saying something considering all the back shadowing of Mori's supposedly more pedophilic nature. "Great, so you're just another fan then," Alu rolled her eyes. "Sorry, I'm not in the mood to sign autographs so can you please piss off?" She asked, smiling with flowery sparkles around herself emotionally.

Nikolai giggled. "Oooh! Bad mood I see! Let's turn that frown upside down!" He put his own fingers to his face, pushing his expression into a smile, although he was smiling already so it just looked weird.

"If Fyodor wants to talk he can come find me here, himself," Alu said, irritated. "Or maybe you're here to kidnap me?"

Nikolai paused and then he chuckled. "Kidnap you? Oh no! Fyodor merely wants me to extend an invitation for tea with him!" He grinned, and he held out an envelope. It was red in color and he just bowed gracefully, smiling all the while, to Alu.

Alu pursed her lips, eyes narrowed suspiciously. But she took the letter. "Jeez…you're an oddball," she complained, much to Nikolai's apparent delight.

"You flatter me," he said, grinning. "Well, now that you've received the letter, go on and read it!" He continued to smile. Alu was wary though. If this was a trap or would activate some ability, she couldn't actually foresee that. Dang it, Odasaku's Flawless ability would have been so handy right about now. Alu hated feeling alone and cornered but well, she wasn't going to drag anyone else into this. She had managed to get everyone to work together to stop the bombs and Gide's attempt at blowing up the little girl that had been at Fyodor's previous command. This time was different though. She'd upset the rowdy bunch at bar lupin, managed to alienate the ADA, and her only other friend was attached to a psychopathic mafia boss who has his own life to run.

She took a deep breath. No, from this point on, she had to do this…alone. It was just better this way. Better for everyone. She opened the letter. Her eyes scanned the handwritten cursive. It was actually in English which surprised her. She had been expecting Russian or —chicken scratch, honestly. "He knows English?" She asked, surprised.

Nikolai grinned. "Of course! Fyodor is a man of literature after all! He made sure to read all kinds of books growing up!"

"Oh…you know him from before now?" Alu asked, intrigued.

Nikolai seemed to giggle but he just shrugged. Alu sensed he didn't feel like expounding too much past that. "I've known Fyodor for a while," he hummed. "You could say we're like brothers!"

Alu eyed this overly-confident hyper man. Yet there was something about the way he spoke about Fyodor—like he genuinely did care about that man. Alu sighed. Why were adults so cryptic and full of bullshit and weird antics? It was making her head hurt. "What, you his boyfriend?" Alu asked, mostly to be snarky as she glanced at the note.

"Mmm, nope!" Nikolai said brightly, completely unaffected and unflustered by such a question. "We're partners though!"

"Ah," Alu said, wondering if they were gay. It was an honest question, she felt, but not exactly caring about their romantic backstory, she read over the note. It just had an address. It was for a place—not even in Japan to eat at. It looked like it was an address for somewhere in actual literal Russia? Alu sighed. "Trying to get me to leave Japan, he certainly knows how to be subtle," she remarked, sarcastic.

"Oh, well, he thought it would make it less complicated since you have those annoying little bugs from the Division of Unusual Powers buzzing around you," Nikolai explained, bobbing up and down now on his feet. He either looked like he had to use the bathroom badly or if he didn't keep constantly active he'd physically implode. Alu honestly wouldn't have minded the latter if it meant she could be left alone in peace.

"Ah, so he could speak to me without me having backup is what you're saying," she said, deadpan.

"Backup? Dear! You can fool yourself but you can't fool a magician! You don't see them as backup—in fact— I'd warrant you're actually feeling like you're all alone, neh?" Nikolai chuckled, and he strolled over to her, and Alu tensed, stepping back, not trusting this man in her space —or really near her in general. There was something about it that made her instincts stand on end. "Aw, don't be like that! I don't bite!" He pouted. He however, didn't try to encroach anymore on her space. Instead he just held his hands out like a scarecrow. "Fyodor finds it fascinating that a real demon is here, that's all! As a messenger of God he merely wants to understand you better! Isn't that nice? He only shows interest when he cares about something passionately!"

Alu sighed. No, Fyodor's interest in her was more like incredibly annoying but she eyed the address. She was tempted. She didn't have anything really holding her back to Yokohama right now. The orphans weren't even in this city anymore. They would be kept safe by the Division of Unusual powers—-although how Sakura had been captured in the first place was a burning question that Alu knew she needed answered as it had been gnawing at her ever since its conception in her mind. "Fine, I'll go," she huffed. She couldn't risk putting anyone else in danger—a man like Fyodor would only find clever ways to force her to him and Alu wanted to avoid putting anyone else in harm's way just to gain an audience with her. This was much more civil. It was like Mori said… if she wasn't careful, Yokohama would become a blood bath…

And it'd be all her fault.

Nikolai beamed, grinning. "Excellent! Simply wonderful! I'll be sure to let him know!" He took out a phone, and began to call.

"She's not going anywhere with you!" A raw growling voice barked from behind them—no, rather…above?

Alu looked up with surprise along with Nikolai.

Alu's eyes widened with shock.

Standing on the ceiling, arms crossed, none of his clothes—especially the hat— leaving his rather lean boyish figure, was a rather short man, with piercing grey-blue eyes, brown hair with orange highlights, dressed like a punk wanna-be mafioso, complete with a choker.

"Ah, I had a feeling that annoying little man wouldn't let this be easy," Nikolai chuckled.

Alu wondered if he was referring to Mr. Weird Hat here or Mori Ogai. Had this man sensed him since their conversation and ignored his presence? Alu wondered why she hadn't sensed another person with them—-was she really losing her touch? Or was Juubi just trying to prove a point that without him she couldn't be as sharp? Ugh, she didn't want to have a contest with Juubi right now about who was smarter and she could sense Juubi's smug attitude from here. So he had left her to own senses. Alu wanted to throttle him.

Alu looked bewildered at the boy standing on the ceiling. Was his ability Anti-gravity? "Who are you?" She asked dumbly.

"You don't know of him?" Nikolai asked, surprised. "That would make sense I suppose! Hehehe, should I introduce him or allow him that pleasure?"

"Oi," the boy said, curtly to Alu. "I'm surprised at you. Why are you going with this guy? It's obviously a trap. Are you some kind of stupid?"

Alu's vein twitched as she felt an angry doki pop up on her forehead. "I'm not stupid! You're stupid, Mister-Stupid Hat!" She spluttered, waving her finger at him, irritated.

The boy hopped down from the ceiling, hands in the pockets of his coat, in front of them both—though he was a good couple of yards apart from them. "Tch. Dammit. I don't like babysitting brats…" he complained.

"No one asked you to come babysit me!" Alu snapped back at him.

"Apparently it's necessary," the boy cheekily quipped. "I mean, you're about to go out of the freakin' country with this madman… and no backup…and let me guess—no actual game plan?"

Alu felt her face warm from anger and embarrassment. She didn't want him calling her out—or stating how immature she apparently was. "I like to wing it, so what!?" She griped back. "You can go back to whatever cave you flapped out from!" She barked, glaring.

"Hah?!" The boy glared back at her. "I'm trying to save you from this guy!"

Nikolai just clasped his hands together. "Oh! Fyodor will be thrilled to have more people over! Say! Fun idea! Why not come along?" He beamed at the angry young man who looked ready to throw punches first and ask questions never.

"Here's a better idea," the boy crackled, and without warning—and with a speed Alu didn't think was physically humanly possible, he appeared behind Nikolai, swinging a gloved fist at the smarmy man's smirking face. "Why don't you piss off!"

Nikolai dodged with apparent ease and the boy found himself falling on his face as he was tripped when he attempted to use his legs to balance with his anti gravitational ability which would have otherwise allowed him to float to a steady position. With a growl, he twisted his body, to try to strike but Nikolai merely tutted, kicking him square in the stomach. "I certainly wanted us to be civil… It's a shame that some children are so volatile!" He sighed, disappointed as the boy found himself flung against the wall, hard.

Alu jolted, startled. "Hey! Stop fighting you two!" She said, reaching for Nikolai. Nikolai turned to her and Alu grabbed his braided ponytail in frustration, tugging on it. "That means you too, Mr. Crazy Clown!" She griped, and Nikolai squeaked—he didn't like having his hair yanked. But he couldn't be too upset or Fyodor would be upset with him if he didn't collect the girl as ordered. He merely grinned, finally wrapping his arms around Alu.

Alu's eyes widened. " What are you doing!?"

"Shit!" The boy lunged at them both. "No you don't!" He yelled, as he reached for Nikolai's coat. Nikolai merely grinned, darkly. Alu shivered—this was a trap after all but it wasn't for her!

"Don't touch him!" She yelled at the boy with a sudden alarm.

The boy—ignoring her because he obviously knew better— grabbed onto Nikolai regardless. All three of them fell through what felt like a giant black space of nothingness. "I'm not going anywhere without you!" He said, and they all found themselves landing on a…boat?

Sitting up, Nikolai grinned, ducking out of reach of the boy's punching and kicking range, getting to his feet and dusting himself off. Alu looked around with alarm. The boy meanwhile looked bewildered. "You! Where did you take us!" He barked at the clown.

Nikolai hummed. "I took you to lunch!" He said brightly. "You're welcome!"

He saluted with a grin before he began to swagger away on the deck. "Come, come! Mister Fyodor will be happy to dine with you both—as long as you're civil." He looked at the boy, "After all…you don't want anything to go wrong, would you? Little Chu~chu," he hummed.

"C-Chu-Chu!?" The boy snapped. "That's not my name! It's Chuuya, dammit!"

"C-Chu…Chu…" Alu pursed her lips. She could see the steam coming out of the boy's ears and oddly, she had the weirdest crossover of a steam engine and Chuuya…like Thomas the train…but way weirder. She sighed, getting to her feet. It was amusing, and she was just irritated enough at this kid to start calling him Chu-Chu.

"Oi! Don't you go calling me that too!" Chuuya looked at her, exasperated and pissed.

"Then don't be an asshole," Alu countered, glaring right back at him. "I didn't ask for your help!"

"Yeah? Well! You're getting it!" He retorted, putting his hands on his hips. "I didn't sign up for this—but it's an order so I'm following orders. Don't be mad at me!"

"Mori sent you?" Alu asked, gazing at him.

"Yeah, the boss did," the boy sighed, frowning. "…Good thing too, apparently you're rather rash and impulsive. That's not a good combination you know!"

"Thanks, Mister Chu-Chu," Alu said, irritated.

"Don't call me that!" Chuuya griped.

"If you're done having a friendly quarrel, let's go see Fyodor now, mm?" Nikolai called out, sing-song to them both. Chuuya grit his teeth, but both he and Alu knew that they had no idea where they were or what waters they were on. This was, sadly, their only reasonable option. Alu could tell Chuuya wanted to run off using his ability but it was clear that he didn't know where they were in actuality any more than she did. Around them was just the ocean. There wasn't even anything in the distance that resembled land.

Alu sighed, and put her hands behind her head, walking after Nikolai. Chuuya grit his teeth like a feral animal but he quickly followed, since he still had his orders to follow. Meanwhile, the sound of a cello could be heard coming from the inside of the ship's large kitchen. Stepping inside, Alu realized there was internal seating—it was like a restaurant inside here—- and not a cheap one either. There was a glass chandelier above their head—the walls were a dark red with a black base, and it was like they had stepped into some fancy high-end restaurant—that wasn't on a boat. Alu blinked, and she glanced at Chuuya. She could tell he was just about as clueless as she was. Looking away from the pissed young man who looked like he chewed salty lemons to pass the time, her eyes fell on a familiar man sitting on a stage, playing the cello. His eyes were closed, and he continued to play the melody, seemingly lost in the music at the moment.

Chuuya grit his teeth and was about to interrupt the music playing but Alu actually grabbed his arm, to tell him not to. Chuuya paused, and looked at her. Alu shook her head, putting a finger to her lips. She looked at him disapprovingly. Chuuya was still irritated but he didn't speak, though he did yank his arm free of her grasp, grouchy. Alu sighed.

It seems she was meeting someone who was very childish. She wondered what role he played in the Port Mafia but considering Mori sent him, she knew he was no small fry. Fyodor continued to play his song.

Alu's eyes turned to gaze at him. She stepped closer, honestly listening to what he was playing. He was an excellent cellist. She could tell the way he played—he genuinely loved it. Watching him, Alu thought he had a look of a childish innocent peaceful person. But she knew better. When he would stop playing, she knew he'd go right back within himself—locked up and away from the light of morality—instead rushing to fulfill what he felt was the light of judgement—God's judgement which she wondered if he was some self-proclaimed Messiah type. Honestly, it fit his M.O. and she wondered just what could have happened to make this man the way he was today.

This man who had almost taken Sakura's life.

This man was capable of using an organization like Gide's so easily for his own purposes. Alu felt it before and she felt it now. This man was no joke. He was the real creme of the crop when it came to who was sitting on the loony bin. Alu found it odd that Dazai came to mind when she looked at his man, though.

They were different.

Dazai was chaotic and self-destructive because he felt dead inside—genuinely unliving and unfeeling. Which was ironic because Alu knew Dazai actually had a lot of feelings that he expressed even if it wasn't consciously.

But Fyodor?

Fyodor felt calm, content with his life and his role. Alu knew that between the two men—Fyodor was on the darker path because he saw everyone as tools to be used to manage his own ends. Dazai was struggling to find a reason for existing, but this man felt he had his reason and a man with conviction was far more dangerous than a man without.

Fyodor's song was sad and long but also had a melancholy breath to it. Alu closed her eyes, and she tried to feel Fyodor through this song. Yeah, he was the enemy right now. But she was here for a reason. This music—was a message. She wanted to understand it better in order to understand him better.

As Fyodor played his cello, Alu found herself forming words to go with it in her mind. She began to feel like a particular message was coming out from his Cello. She normally didn't like to sing—and not in front of people but the cello felt like it was desperately trying to articulate what he couldn't. Alu began to sing softly, her eyes now on the man playing. Alu had always felt connected to music in a way she couldn't connect to others. Music spoke to her.

Down this path I tread lightly

won't make a sound

Leave these footsteps as proof

what was lost can still be found

The light no longer reaches

where the shadows creep

The only voice you hear

is the one in your mind

Fyodor only twitched slightly—apparently he hadn't thought she'd be singing along, but he didn't miss a beat, continuing to play.

To the end of everything

humanity is always running

Man will cast stones while

the Heavens are silent

May those lost lambs find their way

But only through pain and suffering

Man can be set free from the chains

of their sins when a verdict is reached

Echoes of judgement, a reminder

This is….Crime And Punishment

Alu's voice trailed off, and she just stood silently, as Fyodor finished playing. Nikolai was also silent, though he was more fascinated than anything. Chuuya, although he was still jumpy and suspicious for understandable reasons, found himself staring a bit at Alu. He had no idea she could sing—and somehow she'd made some sort of song to go along with this mad-man's playing? Yet, it didn't feel like wordy garbage—-it touched him. He wondered if it was something that would be able to touch a psycho like this Russian man. He doubted it, but he had to admit. Alu's words flowed like poetry.

And while Chuuya normally hated poetry, he couldn't help but actually hang onto this girl's words. He glanced, tense though as Fyodor finally drew on the last note, letting its breadth ring throughout the entire room. Finally, the note ended, and Fyodor opened his eyes, gazing at Alu. He just gazed at her.