Wanderers in the Dark

by AnaWolf

On the night Allen is forced to leave the Order, he comes across a secret hidden in the depths of the Ark. Now, hunted by the Noah and considered an enemy by the place that was home once, he has to search for the truth... About Mana, Neah and himself. Uncovering a web of illusions and doubts, he moves forwards, but what do you do in a war when you don't belong to any side?

32. Act Thirty-Two - A Sinner's Regret

Disclaimer: I do not own D. Gray Man in any way, all credit goes to Katsura Hoshino.

Summary: Forced to leave the Order, Allen comes across a secret hidden in the depths of the Ark. Now, hunted by the Noah Clan and considered an enemy by the place he once called home, he has to search for the truth... The truth about Mana, Neah and himself. Where he came from and who he really is. Uncovering a web of illusions and doubts, Allen still moves forward as he promised to do... But what do you do in a war, when you feel like you don't belong to any side?

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"I have been mortal, and some part of me is mortal yet. I am full of tears and hunger and the fear of death, though I cannot weep, and I want nothing, and I cannot die. I am not like the others now, for no unicorn was ever born who could regret, but I do. I regret." – "The Last Unicorn", Peter S. Beagle.

Act Thirty-Two – A Sinner's Regret

The sun spilled its golden light around as if in a long good-bye when they stepped out of the train and into a typical autumn afternoon, untouched by its soothing colors and the few characteristic aromas that seemed to persist even in the town, as a secret that refused to fade. Their travel (more accurately, escape) had been free of problems much to the relief of both. The fear had not been forgotten and, here and now, they had almost expected the train to be attacked, to be cast off its rails by a horde of akumas and to be dragged back to the Earl.

Nothing of the sort had happened.

Allen supposed they might have succeeded in losing the Earl long enough for him to be unsure of what train they had taken… Or the noise of the attacks had finally be heard above the ruckus inside the circus' tent and called unwanted attention, forcing him to retreat for a moment…

He wasn't sure, just thankful that it seemed they had been lucky this time…

Leaving the station, Allen looked around. They were among the few passengers that had remained on the train until it arrived at the last station, fear making them want nothing more than to place as much distance between themselves and the Earl as possible. The detour had been unexpected, but there was nothing to be done about it now, so he just studied the buildings and the street they were in. On another time, the curiosity that found birth in him (Heathshade was a town that made frontier with Suffolk and he had never visited it before) would have been stronger, but he was just starting to feel relieved to have escaped once more. It had been too much of a close call, a successful (unnecessary and unwelcome as it was) reminder of how a prey felt.

The difference in the Patriarch's behavior from the other time they had crossed paths had not been unnoticed, either.

"He will never stop. The Clan will never stop…" It was a fact Allen had come in terms with a long time ago, but in a way that had been focused on the manners of the war. Pieces of this frame of mind had remained after he had left the Order, enough to interfere with certain thoughts... This wasn't one of those times.

"Not me. Neah. They won't stop hunting Neah." A cold needle ran inside his spine.

God, even thinking about this matter made him sick.

It would have been better if the whole Clan still wanted him dead. For being an Exorcist, for claiming their old Ark for the Order, for being himself… But to be involved and somehow not involved at the same time like that…

He felt as if something inside him had gone rotten.

Or perhaps it had always been and he had just noticed it recently…

Coldness spread through his body. It didn't matter. It didn't have to matter. He could deal with this. He would find out when and how Neah had come to… To somehow be inside of him, and he would find a way to get rid of him. That's all. Simple.

And if he couldn't, he would just…

He would just make sure Neah wouldn't ever hurt anyone else.

"You can't say you've been good at that…" A part of his brain whispered, reminding him of Johnny, a trail of blood running down his pale face. A heavy wave came with it.

He wished he had never been involved with this. Heh… Hadn't he once even yelled at the Earl that he and Neah should stop dragging him into that particular feud?

"Yeah, like I expected either of them to listen or care." A groan was held at the end of his throat at the thought. "Noahs. Well… Some of them." He reprimanded himself mentally while glancing at Raz. As likely as she was to back him up on that rather than be insulted, it didn't mean the words didn't sound offensive in some way…

What about Mana?

He had been different as well… And yet…

There had been a time when Allen wouldn't have ever doubted Mana's love for him. Now, he couldn't help but wonder if… If Mana had been aware, somehow, of Neah's presence hiding inside him. Hadn't Raz remembered that both brothers lived with the Clan, regardless of Mana being a human? So, maybe…

Had Mana loved Allen… For himself?

"Stop. It is not the time for this." A numbness that had nothing to with tension or fear touched the corner of his heart. The drowning that had nothing to do with water stirred, reaching higher. Allen at once forced whatever attention he had to spare to their surroundings. Years of traveling helped to analyze certain aspects of a place and, at times, recognize its nature. The overall structure around was that of a small city and this area was devoted to hard work, not where one would find people born in comfort. He had seen places like this and knew the expansion of the town was focused on its inner strength and of its workers.

"Industrial area…? Or at least close to it?" He guessed, imagining for a brief moment which was the main type of work done around those parts and if they would be able to find any for themselves. What was this town's name again? His lack of sense of direction never helped in situations like this and he hadn't truly been paying attention while buying the tickets…

"Do you think we can find some job around here?" Raz gave voice to his own thoughts. "We might have to spend this night outside..." She added, not that the fact bothered either of them. It was something they had already resorted to in the past when they couldn't afford the luxury (expense) of an inn, no matter how cheap it could be. If there was a forest or any patch of wilderness close by, it would actually make things easier, since they didn't risk having to deal with policemen eager to arrest people for vagrancy or any other accusation that came to their minds and they could hunt their own food. Allen didn't think this would be a possibility around here, so perhaps they should find a corner where they shouldn't be bothered.

"We could try to get something before checking around. You know, just in case. What do you think?" As they ventured through the streets, he studied them in an attempt of getting more sense of the area, spotting one or two inns (typical ones you'd find near a train station), a few stores (some of farming products and construction materials) and food establishments. He couldn't tell the usual timeline of the area and which would be the best time/place to perform. They might not have a great audience anyways (and even less profit), but it was still too early to search for gamblers in bars and any small gain was welcomed.

"And how and where we would go then?" He thought to himself, biting his lower lip for a moment. "Well, I guess we keep going by train, not like we have many options..." A bit of a pity. He had considered taking a ship if possible, if only because he thought Raz might enjoy it. It might be a foolish idea, but it still persisted. She had never been in one before as far as he knew. "Or maybe we should try just walking to the next town, spare as much as we can? We need to check a map… Okay, first things first: We need money."

Walking at his side, Raz was reading a pamphlet she had picked at station regarding the other options of trains, if only for information's sake (after what had happened, it seemed like a good idea). And while there was no assurance that the circus that might be on London might be the one they were searching for, the sooner they reached their actual destination, the better. He leaned closer to take a peek.

"Should we take one?" She asked in a way Allen knew others would consider disinterested. He knew what she meant: There were quite a few trains destined to London. Well, at least the unexpected detour hadn't complicated those matters. "How much do we have left?"

"Enough for the next train, barely… And a few bucks to spend..." Which was just a way of saying "less than ideal" Allen thanked mentally for the time Johnny had opened that small repair services when they had met and for the weeks he and the others had spent in a single town increasing their savings as much as possible, knowing that, otherwise, their wallets would be completely empty now.

They exchanged glances for a moment.

Better to try getting at least some money before they left that night, least they arrived in their destination with nothing in their pockets, Allen thought as they searched for a good spot.

Street performances were not only interesting movements and the veneer of make-up, but there were also other details informed through teaching and learned through experience, such s the matter of location. A public place such as a park tended to be good (if the town in question was receptive enough) as the people walking there were usually relaxed and their attention easily caught.

In the absence of such, more care was necessary when choosing a place, as some establishments usually didn't take well to having performers close by and avoiding problems was always the best policy.

A corner served them well, providing the necessary space and not close to anything owned by anyone, except a long wall and an alley. A bar on the other side of the street had toilets, where their clothes were changed and some gazes followed them as they left, the curiosity undisguised. Since there weren't mirrors, they applied each other's make-up right on the street, by which time their own inner clocks gave the sensation of being close to the hour most people left work, though Allen wasn't sure if it could be trusted.

A few people looked at them, but no one stopped.

It didn't discourage either of them.

Without needing words, they arranged their things and started, a series of jumps and flowing movements the opening act. Most of those who passed by were adults, but there were two or three children who insisted on stopping to watch, exclaiming when one of the black and white creatures jumped in an acrobatic movement that seemed to defy the laws of physics they were used to.

Allen smiled to the people, one foot leaving the ground in a rhythm created by his own body while the juggling balls seemed to gain a life of their own, birds flying around him as he twirled and danced, making it seem as if gravity had forsaken its hold on him. People gasped when it seemed he was about to lose balance or that the balls would fall, only to giggle when he revealed it had been but a trick. At that moment, for the audience, he had no flesh or bones, no past or future, he was merely a dancing pierrot.

His sharp eyes needed but a quick glance to study the nature of the audience. Should Johnny have been present, he also would have noticed the difference between this scene and that from when they had met again. It wasn't so much the performance in itself or the way it weaved its enchantment, but the influence of location and the weariness that could be seen in some of the people watching.

He could already tell their earnings wouldn't be much.

Raz somersaulted backward, landing on the larger ball behind her, her feet at once finding balance, the movements graceful and precise. Her body started a sequence that wasn't unlike a dance meant to test the limits of muscle and bones alike. It would have appeared as an attempt to break herself, a self-inflicted torture, if it wasn't for the apparent serenity she seemed to convey through her flesh. Balanced in her hands, her long legs pointed to the air for a brief moment before the tip of her foot nearly touched her head.

Allen twirled and pirouetted around her, their movements trained beforehand to match each other's in a way, giving the idea that they were dancing together, weaving their acts into one.

A few more people were watching. People used to heavy work and low payments. There were a few more children as well.

Finally, after a couple more displays and tricks, came the ending act. Raz rolled the large ball closer to their luggage as Allen picked the flute and started to interweave exotics notes in a manner to touch the recesses of brains with a folk-like song of faraway lands. This time, his movements were more akin to a real dance, wild and yet gentle. Raz responded by approaching, then attempting to back away only to find herself unable to do so as her being succumbed to the spell. It was a scene with no need of words or explanation, dance and music being enough to tell a story: A maiden lost (likely in the woods), finding herself at the mercy of a faun's call, a child of the forest who had mischief in the heart and an invitation in his manners.

When Allen had first watched (and later learned) that act, it ended in a mournful note. It wouldn't have been suited for the audience, so he went with the adaptation, in which the music picked up and the girl's movements followed, the dance then becoming one of love, change and freedom rather than of a dark seduction that ended up in tragedy. Raz's body moved as moonlight on a river, and for a moment, it was easy for those watching to believe she was indeed becoming a creature of a forest, a being that only dressed in human-like form. Perhaps it was her own inhuman nature that made it easy for her or perhaps it was the secrets that Nature shares with a woman's body alone, coming to reflect on her gestures.

The music came to its final note with them close to each other and they bowed. Some applause followed, accompanied by the laughter of children and mutterings of approval.

Both had wondered about making use of their… Other abilities, to create a dance of light and darkness, but they knew they wouldn't ever dare. Their reasons went from the obvious and shared, to more particular ones.

Raz proceeded to offer a tattered purse with a serene smile crafted for such occasions. They had observed that some people might be more tolerant to part ways with a few coins if the performer collecting "donations" was a young girl.

As Allen put the materials away, he recalled that they had stumbled across two or three people who had offered a little more to both of them with implied… Less-than-kind proposals. No one had tried anything by force, but it still made Allen sick in his stomach, as well as knowing that whatever denouncement or complaint they did would have resulted in nothing, considering their "position". He knew Raz felt the same. Those people had been subtle enough, but as unaware (if such was the term) as she could still be regarding certain things (either by lack of memory or because they hadn't existed back in her days) there were quite a few social nuances that she understood well enough… As he had understood as well, even when he was but a child traveling with Mana… And, after all, it wasn't as if he had grown up sheltered from a few "facts of life" back in the circus to begin with.

And it would have been impossible to remain ignorant when having a master like Cross.

Raz returned to him as the people dispersed and started to place their earnings in a wallet. A few coins and notes. Maybe she could get a job as a temporary cleaner or waitress in London, though her experience on the latter was lacking at best.

"Well, not bad…" Allen commented as he took off his wig and the gloves, the setting sun giving a light orange hue to his clothes. Not exactly their most profitable performance, but every single coin counted. His stomach gave a little stir, but Allen ignored it. They did have enough for a cheap meal, but maybe it would be better to think about it after he had hit some bars and found some gamblers…

"Hey, would you look at that?"

Not recognizing the voice immediately, Allen's heart jumped. He turned fast, body ready to react as his mind, for a terrible moment, went to the Agents of the Central with such intensity that he saw them right there… But the vision cleared from his mind and eyes.

It was a man, a tall man with dark blonde hair falling to his shoulders in a straight curtain, a broad smile on his face as he lifted his hand in a greeting. The other at his side was shorter, his demeanor as friendly. A few strands of dark hair could be seen escaping from under his orange woolen cap.

Those were not unfamiliar faces.

Allen might have seen them just once, a little more than a year ago, but he had no more trouble recognizing them than they had with him: Those were the men who had been with Tyki Mikk on the train the first time they had crossed paths.

"Oi… I'm surprised you still remember me!" A chuckle born more of relief than humor escaped to his voice. He could only hope they were the only ones around. In her turn, Raz merely glanced from him to the others without a noticeable sign of immediate concern (or anything else) and no words, either.

"We should still leave. Just in case, right…?" Having seen those men hanging around with Tyki was enough to long for a safe distance.

But they might help. They might know the best areas to make some money…

"Well, kinda hard to forget when a kid beats ya up in a game and strips ya down, right?" The blonde's intonation was of one recalling a fun memory as he nodded to himself, his friend trying to hold a chuckle of his own. He didn't say anything else, but the truth was that the boy's looks were also a factor. That hair and the scar weren't so easily forgotten.

"What can I say, you guys had "stripped" my friend first." The mild tone of the reply and the air of innocence that no one would have believed and the emphasized word sounded more like "fooled". Allen felt a part of himself becoming lighter, just a bit, regardless of his previous reaction. Despite the hindsight, the memory wasn't a bad one (though his own "gambling side" was likely to blame)… It had been fun to compare cheating tricks (well, more like match, since none of the presents would admit to it)...

The blond's strong hand came to rest on the shoulder of the small boy wearing a mask over his nose and mouth, who looked from Allen to Raz, the girl tilting her head a little upon the attention received. She had never had much contact with children beyond being watched during the performances.

Was it Allen's impression, the fact they had seen each other only once, or was the boy somewhat thinner?

"Cool show you guys had now. Right, Eez?" The man with a cap (Momo, if Allen recalled correctly) asked the boy, who nodded slowly, remains of fascination in his eyes making him look more like a child of his age. Warmth came to Allen, as it happened when children enjoyed a performance. He offered Eez a smile of his own.

"Hey, I'm glad you enjoyed it. We…"

"Yo, TYKI! Check it out who was dancing, man!" Momo, turning to look over his shoulder, yelled.

Air froze in Allen's lungs.

Hair falling over his shoulder in a messy ponytail, a cigarette held in his mouth, Tyki offered a smile as he approached. His clothes were not the elegant ones of a lord or the white outfit he wore when displaying his true nature, but a worn-out shirt and old pants. Once more, Allen could not stop recalling when they had first seen each other… And he knew that the reasons for that expression were not out of mere amusement of meeting a boy who had one day won a game of poker against him and his friends.

"This has to be a joke…" The thought came without command, without amusement, only a wave of coldness. "How can he be here?" Upon seeing the other men, Allen had hoped that, given how busy the Noah Clan seemed to be of late, Tyki wouldn't be wasting his time by playing that human role.

Had the Earl somehow known where they were heading to and sent the Noah of Pleasure to wait for them? Were others nearby? Or was this truly just a coincidence?

He didn't risk looking at Raz. He could almost feel her own fear resonating in the air.

"Well, who would have thought?" The Noah said, surprise (Faked? Genuine?) laced with softness. His smile gave away just enough hints of its true nature to be unnoticed by his friends while neither Allen or Raz would've been able to ignore it. "What a small world, don't you think?"

Behind glasses, his stare weighted on both as he drank from what they tried to hide, savoring it for as long as it lasted. Allen's mind, like a maddened bird, tried to reason that maybe Tyki wouldn't attack with his friends right there.

At least not immediately.

The thought was of no comfort.

They had to leave. They had to leave. They had to leave!

Raz remained still. It wasn't the time to wonder how or why, her brain rushed in search of an excuse, one that would allow them to go away, to get some distance between themselves and Tyki, perhaps then it would be possible to…

"Hey," Crack said, not noticing the moment or what it carried, and indicating Raz with a nod. "What 'bout her? That your sister, boy?"

"I'm just…"

"Actually, n…" Allen started at the same time as Raz, an impulse then stopping the words and making him nod, interrupting her denial before the others could catch on. "Yes. She's my sister."

Raz made no attempt to say otherwise. It wasn't a lie, at least she didn't consider it as such. The lack of a blood connection between them was of no importance, she already saw Allen as her brother. In a corner of her heart where fear had not yet touched, warmth came. Allen, on his turn, didn't miss the way the corner of Tyki's mouth moved up briefly in amusement.

"Which means she is off-limits." The warning was not exactly in the usual sense (well, perhaps a little), yet Crack chuckled and lifted his hands in a gesture of peace even if nothing of this nature had crossed his mind. Tyki, on the other hand, made no attempt to disguise how entertained he was by that display of protectiveness.

"Oh, I see…" He nodded leisurely, his smile broadening briefly. His eyes didn't release either of them, a serpent's stare. "That's so cute. It's always nice to be with your family, isn't it?"

The emphasis, the mockery barely disguised as humor, was enough to invite a wave of sick heat to Allen's organs. It was too much like being teased with a knife before it ripped the flesh apart. He held on to the heat before it was gone, refusing to lower his eyes, no matter how much a part of him trembled.

Should they risk just running off?

"Pretty much." He said, his face's muscles moving to form a smile that had little to do with actual joy, making the subtle challenge in his eyes a bit clearer to the older male. A more cutting remark had stirred in the back of his mind, but self-preservation held it back.

This wasn't like their previous encounters.

Raz merely nodded in agreement, the movement as unemotional as a wave of a lake, not betraying how she tried to think about what to do, the best action to take. The moment they had the chance, they had to run. Nothing else mattered. Regardless of why Tyki hadn't attacked them right away, she doubted this restrain would last long.

Ignoring the conversation, the child approached Allen and gently held his costume, looking up to him.

"Come eat with us...?" His voice was low, a little muffled by the mask, not very different from how Allen remembered it, even if vaguely, as back when they had met on that train the boy had been silent until they had parted ways… He had tried to give Allen something (what, he had never known) and despite his insistence that there was no need, Tyki had given him a card deck.

Suddenly, Allen wondered how things would have gone back then if he had known everything he knew now…

The thought didn't help. It only made something, somewhere underneath the fear and caution, ache.

As innocent as the invitation was, it brought a taste of bile to Raz's mouth. Not good, not good. A glint came to Tyki's eyes that made her think of a spider sensing a thread trembling in its web.

It terrified her.

"Oh, we aren't going to stay in town…" She managed to fake a touch of apology in her tone, to which the boy turned his attention to her, disappointment clear in his eyes as he let go of Allen, the dark circles under them seeming to enhance the dark blue.

Momo's shoulders shrugged as he laughed, patting Allen's back with one hand and waving to her with the other, dismissing her refusal.

"Nonsense! A few hours won't make a difference!" He laughed and turned to Allen with mischief in his eyes. "Besides, you owe us a rematch, boy! A true man don' run from a challenge!"

The act of camaraderie that would, on another occasion, make Allen smile back, now made him uneasy. Before he or Raz had the chance to insist or come up with an excuse that wouldn't create excessive questions, Tyki gave a step further, leaning towards them in what would easily be taken as a friendly posture if it were not for his eyes.

"Are there any akumas nearby?" Allen wondered, suddenly wishing he could activate his eye without causing a commotion. For a moment, a terrible moment, he almost expected the ground to tremble beneath his feet with a gate of the Noahs' ark. For a moment, he almost felt it.

"Momo is right!" Tyki insisted. "Besides, you seem to be traveling for too long, who knows what could happen if you didn't take a rest? And there is no better thing than eating with friends." He tilted his head a little. "You're not afraid, are you?"

The mockery lacing the last words was obviously taken as part of the poker challenge by the others. Momo even said "aye, aye" in support.

"What would those three say, if they knew who Tyki really is?" Raz didn't think they would have time to say much if this ever happened. Most likely, she thought, Tyki would kill them all without a care. She considered taking off regardless of the threat, but Allen was quicker.

"Well, alright." He said, staring at Tyki with a convincing smile. "After all, it's been so long since I've beaten you in cards." Like when dealing with certain animals, the wrong move or a too fast one would only serve to incite an attack that wouldn't happen otherwise. Not that he fooled himself into thinking Tyki wouldn't seize the opportunity just as well, but at least for now, they might be able to buy time if they were careful enough.

Raz didn't understand why he had said that, but his hand caught hers in a manner meant for comfort and, against her better judgment, she kept her protest to herself. Whatever Allen was thinking, she hoped he knew what he was doing, because if it depended on her, they would be running away now, with or without a good excuse.

"Ah, anxious to strip me again?" Tyki asked, his hand against his chest in pretended shock as the group started to guide the two to a place where they claimed they could get a "good meal", the Noah staying close enough to make Raz feel like a sheep led by a wolf and hating it. If this was due to her Noah's nature or her own, she didn't know and didn't care.

"That's cruel, boy." The Noah of Pleasure laughed, genuinely, as if they were long-time friends. "You know, people will wonder what you've been teaching your sister."

Tyki was not surprised by the quick, cold glare they sent him without his friends noticing it, but he was surprised with how identical it was. He couldn't help but to wish the Earl or Road were here to witness that.

"But then we would have to really take them by force… And honestly, this is too much fun!"

For Allen and Raz, there was enough similarity here to back when Wisely had referred to them as "siblings" for both to feel a growing irritation mating with the tension in their blood. They had to…

"And what happened to what fancy coat of yours, kid? Did you lose it a card game?" Crack asked Allen, who replied with a laugh he hoped didn't sound too forced to human ears.

"Me? Lose in cards? Never. It was stolen!"

"Oh, man…" Momo groaned, scratching the back of his neck as Crack shook his head. "That sucks, that really sucks…"

Allen had a moment to wonder if this was due to his loss or because Momo had hoped he would bet the coat again in a game. He shrugged as if to say those things happened. Well, frankly he had quite liked the new uniforms the Order had designed when he had received his, the fabric more resistant while still allowing freedom of movements…

"Maybe it's not that much of a loss," Tyki suggested, then raised his hands as Momo and Crack turned to him, not hiding that they thought he must be insane to say that about a coat with buttons of pure silver. "It does suck to see that silver go to waste, but you know… That coat really, really… Didn't suit you."

Momo and Crack laughed at the joke and Allen forced himself to join in, ignoring the sting that had nothing to do with Tyki's mockery.

"Perhaps you're right." He responded, holding the other's eyes with his own, not thinking about how much truth there was in his words, just not wanting to accept that in silence. "But hey, at least this…" He gestured to his white-silver pierrot suit as they entered a small restaurant (though even the label was a little too fancy for it). "Is not pure white. That would definitely not look good on me."

Something flashed in Tyki's eyes.

"Speaking of which, we should go change," Raz interjected and Allen agreed at once. Momo just said they would get their own food and a table for when they returned as they walked away before Tyki could say anything else. As they made their way to the bathrooms, a few people glanced at them with undisguised curiosity.

A single glance was enough for them to know the place attended mostly workers, guests of nearby inns who felt like eating out and possible travelers. The buzzing of excited chatter came from here and there, joined by the warm scent of food. Allen could see why Momo and the others liked it here. There was a friendly air around that helped people to feel welcomed… This he could recognize, but could not feel in his present situation.

He took a deep breath in the unnoticeable way he had learned long ago. He wanted to think he had been in worse situations and that this wasn't so bad by comparison, but survival instinct didn't care for logic.

Had the Earl known they would be heading to that town? It sounded ludicrous, but…

Would Tyki be opening a portal to the Ark right now? Calling Akumas?

"We should leave. Now." Raz hissed as soon as they made a turn at a small adjacent wall that formed an L, keeping the toilet's doors out of sight, the only indication of their presence to the rest of the restaurant the small plaques above them. "Before he decides to knock us out."

As his eye activated, Allen wondered if, given the options, she would be reluctant to make their way out by force.

"It seems there are no akumas around…" He muttered, allowing himself some relief, however small. "None as far as I can feel…"

"At least that..." Raz sighed, though both knew it meant nothing. True as it might be that there was a range limit to how far the Akumas could hear the Noah's mental commands (except the Earl, of course, being the Master of them all), Tyki just needed to open a portal and push them through it. "We need to go." She repeated, the urgency in her tone starting to betray the fear.

But they didn't know how to do so while also avoiding a fight…

Allen could see it clearly, the both of them avoiding and attack and running, only to fall in a pool of darkness and then…

Then…

"I… I don't know…" He sighed, running his hand through his hair, trying to not think about anything else that was not an escape plan. "I don't think he'll risk fighting us right now, not with those guys nearby. Really!" He added, seeing the disbelief in her eyes. "I don't think he would do so in front of his friends. I think Tyki cares for them…"

Raz shook her head slightly, her eyes not leaving his. She knew about the time they had first met but didn't believe, for a second, that Tyki would ever truly care about any human, but she let it go. Regardless, the point remained that the Noah of Pleasure wouldn't just let them go and they both knew it.

"We can leave through the windows." She suggested, not needing to indicate the toilet's entrances right at their side. Any way out would be received with open arms. Allen considered it… If they were big enough, they could, but he wouldn't put it past Tyki to consider this sort of escape a deliberate provocation, though the Noah didn't need one.

"We need to be careful. Away from his friends, he won't need to hold back." He muttered and shook his head. He didn't know. He didn't know what to do. "Let's check, change clothes and see what we can do…"

Raz was about to argue, but seeing his eyes, decided otherwise and merely nodded.

A short wall followed the door and when she turned it, she saw at once that the windows wouldn't serve as an escape route. Side by side in a line on the top of the opposite wall, the rectangular glass blurred by the afternoon air, they provided enough light but were far too small for anyone to go through. And even if such weren't the case, there were iron bars in front of each. It might have not meant too much of a problem, but making a passage by force, even if just enough for them to escape through, would make too much noise and Tyki would at once guess what they were doing.

Still, the animal instinct, desperately holding to freedom, whispered it was their best chance. No matter what Allen said, she couldn't even entertain the idea that those humans' presence might restrain Tyki's actions. For all she knew, the moment they were back, the Ark's portal would open underneath them.

Her flesh shivered under the skin. Her organs moved as if she were already falling.

"Think, think…" She tried telling her mind as she washed her face, rubbing it with a rag, getting rid of the paint in a few seconds. The silence mocked her. To escape without a fight would be the best option. One might say they had a numeric advantage against Tyki Mikk, but it was vain optimism.

If Elana and the others were there, they might've had a better chance…

"Or he would just kill them. You know that…"

Picking a bottle and filling it with fresh water, Raz entered one of the stalls. Leaving the bag on the floor, resting against the door, she fished another piece of cloth from its insides before taking off all her clothes and shoving them back in the bag. Dampening the rag with water, she started rubbing it quickly against her flesh, knowing all possibilities of a real bath should be forgotten with the new turn of events.

The process didn't last more than a few moments and, all the while, her mind worked apart from her hands, seeking any idea, any possibility, anything that would offer a way out.

Nothing came, except for the insistent cry to run, even if there was nowhere to go, even if the predator would just follow them at once.

"We escaped the Earl, we can escape him, too!" She whispered to herself as she dressed up, refusing (or wanting to refuse) to bow down to her fears, alone though she might be with them inside her heart. Body moving as if in a trance that needed no command, she left the stall and crossed the room to the sinks. The air around had the same orange-like characteristic from outside, blurred by either air or the glass.

The cold water whipped her face again. Think, she needed to think, there had to be something they could do, anything would be better than to allow themselves to be caught! But rather than anything helpful, images came from the corners of her mind, of the portal opening under her and Allen, of the Ark and the Earl, the Clan. Her flesh convulsed under the skin in response.

Her hands gripped the sink. Her heart was beating with enough strength to hurt.

"Hail Mary, full of grace…" She whispered the prayer in her mind, hoping the Holy Virgin would be listening and would take pity upon her.

"Upon you? You are the same as him."

Her hands increased their grip.

"Pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen."

She raised her eyes to the mirror.

Her throat went dry.

Behind her, the floor of the stall, where she had been moments ago, had been taken by the darkness. Thin veins inched upwards slowly, an inky poison spreading with a life that had not been nurtured in a womb or soil. As she watched, they grew longer, stretching, blindly searching for something.

It inched towards her. In the silence, the sound of that brushing against the tiles was like a whisper.

There was a whisper. Underneath the sound of insects' paws on the floor, there was a whisper.

Raz closed her eyes, repulse now mating with fear.

Behind her, the darkness grew still. She knew it. She could feel it in herself.

Deep breaths. She had to take deep breaths and calm down.

It was part of her.

She knew she could control it.

It was alright, she just needed a moment.

It was her.

It wasn't! She wouldn't… Couldn't allow that to simply… To happen like that. Deep breaths, regain whatever control she might have over the workings of her own body, and do whatever she could in that situation.

A few seconds later, she left without looking back. There was no need to, as she knew the shadows were gone.

Back to hiding wherever the darkness went, back inside of her, she didn't know.

And at the moment, she didn't care.

Allen was waiting for her, his face clean of make-up as well, some strands of hair dampened and glistening. As soon as their eyes crossed, he shook his head, indicating the windows in the man's bathroom were useless for an escape attempt. Raz nodded and he understood it was the same with the ladies' room. His shoulders dropped.

No escape.

For a second, it was like none of them wanted to speak.

"I guess we have no choice but to bear with it…" Allen tried, hating the taste of the words, for pointing out the obvious. "At least for now…" He muttered under his breath, nervously glancing around as if half-expecting Tyki to have come to confirm if they had managed to leave without him realizing it. No wonder he had said nothing when they had walked away, the Noah was probably aware they had no means of doing so unnoticed. Biting his lower lip for a moment, Allen sighed.

"As soon as we can, we're making a run for it…" He lifted the pamphlet she had picked at the train station, his voice devoid of emotion. Again, useless words. What else could they do, after all, but hope for an opening? To make an excuse and leave wouldn't be that complicated, that would come with Tyki following them and trying to subdue both.

That was the problem.

"We'll need to do something to… To keep him away until we get on the train…" Not a perfect plan, but the most reasonable action Allen could think of at the moment. If there was a way to take better advantage of the presence of Tyki's friends…

Raz hesitated for a moment.

This was the better idea they had at the moment, but perhaps when the time came, she might be able to try something…

XxX

The fever was back.

It was not high enough to be cause for concern, but Elana still advised Lavi to take it easy, not wanting to risk the progress he'd made since his rescue. The red-haired, though claiming he was all better, had agreed to not overdo it. If this was due to concern for his own health or because he didn't feel as good as he tried to appear, she couldn't tell.

"Yet, his recovery is amazing… Anyone else would probably need months just to be able to stand up…" And while a great part of it, Elana did not fool herself, was due to the change of his Innocence, she didn't think Lavi's own resistance was undeserving of recognition. His determination to get better was obvious.

He hadn't spoken much about what the Noah Clan had done when she had tried touching the subject and Bookman had remained completely silent, merely saying what they already knew: That they had ambushed and captured. Elana had then decided to not try again until they decided they were ready to talk about it, to which the others had agreed when she had mentioned it. It wasn't that she harbored some morbid curiosity: For what she knew, addressing traumas, and talking about it could help with the recovery when the person was ready for it.

Yes, she was also curious about what information the Clan had wanted that had been so important to the point that Bookman had been able to turn the tables enough to be "allowed" to keep his and Lavi's Innocence in exchange for some of it. Power display had been involved, no doubt ("A way of saying "you're in our territory and the Innocence can't help you now, so you might as well keep it", more or less, you know?" to use Alison's words), but only to a certain degree: There was no way the Clan would have missed the chance to destroy two Innocences just like that.

She wondered if part of Lavi's torture had been also a response to that "negotiation" of Bookman…

Samuel had scoffed and later told her that he doubted the old man would ever feel like talking about it.

"I'm even surprised he joined the Order at all. Everything they do is just for the sake of that damn record. I don't know what the Innocence was thinking." He had muttered with all signs of displeasure. Elana knew next to nothing about the Bookmen lineage or whatever they liked to call themselves, but she had to admit Samuel's words seemed to resonate with what Allen had told them that Road had said.

"Perhaps that's also why he wasn't as tortured as Lavi…" Well, it was a possibility. Or was she just assuming things? It might not be related to his own "record", though. Just because he carried few visible wounds, it didn't mean the Clan hadn't found ways to hurt him…

Better to let it go for now. What mattered, at the moment, was how to best care for the two of them so they could leave soon, especially after Allen had told them about meeting an Exorcist on a nearby road. And the matter wasn't only of physical healing, but mental and emotional. As far as she knew, the best they could do was to offer Lavi and Bookman as much space as they desired, while making sure they knew they were safe now…

There were other signs that you could see, once you started paying attention… Lavi had been polite and even kind when Raz had been present, but Elana had noticed how he had seemed to recoil or be wary on those occasions, almost as someone trying to act normal while knowing there was a dangerous snake somewhere in the room. Elana thought Raz had been aware of it as well and had just opted to ignore it.

Elana sighed and ran a hand through her hair, wondering how things would go from now on. The fever aside, chances were, Lavi and Bookman would be ready to travel very soon, perhaps the next day if the fever went down, and she couldn't imagine how things would be then.

"It doesn't matter, it's not like they can go back to the Order…" But that wasn't quite it, was it? Despite how they had talked about it before, they could be faking acceptance and planning torun away and tell everyone about how they had truly been rescued, regardless of how the Order might react. God knew what blind loyalty could to someone and the Order knew how to subtle inspire something like that.

Once again, she tried to reason with herself but the concern wouldn't just go away.

If they decided, and managed, to return…

"Hey, Ela…" She turned, seeing Alison coming upstairs, watching out for the rotten steps. The blonde nodded in acknowledgment, then seeing a red mark on the girl's hand.

"What happened?"

"Hm? Oh! This?" Alison asked, glancing at the mark and then shaking her head. "Johnny tried to make some… Adjustments to that new golem he built and the thing tried to bite me. Don't ask me why." The smile in her tone indicated she had found the incident somehow more amusing than annoying. Elana couldn't deny it was a strange thing to imagine, once the new-made golem didn't even have teeth, to begin with.

She chuckled. Back when she had been part of the Order, Elana had heard about some of the… "Inventions" of the Science Department of the European Headquarters and even seen a few. Enough to teach her to keep her distance whenever she was at the main Headquarters and there was talk about something "new" being made.

"Be glad he's not Komui…" Elana said with a wink, to which Alison pretended to shiver. Komui's obsession with robots and his "Komurins" had been known to almost everyone who was part of the Order in some way. There had been times back then when Alison had thought the rumors to be exaggerated to the point of ludicrousness, but then Allen had told her about two or three robots and she had changed her mind.

"The 'improved' golem aside, is there something in your mind?" Alison asked, having recognized Elana's expression that denounced deep thoughts and, taking everything into consideration, she doubted many of them would be pleasant.

"Just thinking…" She started, to which Alison lifted an eyebrow. "Nothing important. It doesn't matter."

Alison knew better than to just accept that.

"Well, you know, if you want to talk…" She said quietly. A few seconds passed and she was thinking about whether changing the subject or giving the other some space when Elana sighed.

"Ali…"

The girl turned her face again, leaning the small of her back against the handrail, standing at Elana's side in silence.

Elana hesitated a little. It was one of the rare times when she needed to think about how to better translate what she felt into words. Alison didn't pressure her or said anything, merely looking at the taller woman with that firm gaze of hers that often revealed more than her words. Once, a long time ago, Lauren had confided in Elana that when they had first met, even before she had had a crush on Alison, Lauren had thought her deep, green eyes to be beautiful, maybe the prettiest thing about Alison's physique. The crush had faded, the opinion had not.

At that moment, Elana found herself agreeing with it.

"I'm a bit worried… About those two. Oh, they're fine!" She confessed and added at once, seeing a slight concern coming to Alison's face. "It's not that… I mean… I'm hoping they won't try to get back to the Order." The other girl nodded at the whisper, at once understanding and sighing. This didn't surprise Elana, considering how Alison had always been the most vocal of them about her reluctance regarding people who were still associated with the Order.

"Join the club." She muttered, not without some bitterness.

"I felt it would be alright once they were better, but now I'm second-guessing myself." Elana did not regret having helped to rescue those two, not at all, but the prospect of traveling with them was stirring doubts she thought she had already solved within herself. Alison took a moment to register how uncommon it was to see Elana like that.

"Ela, I'm… I'm not the best person to talk to about that…" Alison tried, slowly. "I really don't like this, you know it." Not that she had ever allowed Lavi or Bookman to realize, being always polite around them. Elana thought that, if you took out the whole matters of the Order and what-not, Alison did not dislike their company. In fact, she dared to guess there was a chance they would get along fairly well. As if to confirm it, Alison continued. "They seem to be good people, yes, but… It's not like they left the Order by choice, is it?"

And perhaps that was the main issue, the point from where all doubts were born. It had been easier to accept Johnny because he was as much of a deserter as they all were. Kanda had also made it clear he had had no love for the Order (despite how much Alison and Samuel had suspected him back when he had left) and had returned only out of lack of options. It seemed he had also kept his mouth shut about everything. Time had also been a factor, no doubt, but with the other Exorcists, such luxuries hadn't been possible.

"What did you think of them? The others?" Alison asked. Elana took a moment… Well… Miranda and one or two of the others had left an impression of being worthier of trust than she had originally thought… And she remembered Marie as a nice man… But the truth was, it didn't mean she felt that ready to trust them completely and she told Alison so.

Alison heard all this in silence, before shaking her head as Elana watched her, waiting for her input.

"I'm not sure either, Ela. There are far too many people learning about us…" She muttered, almost to herself. "It was one thing when we were about to barge into the Noah's Ark to save those two. I guess we knew we needed help and wanted, nah, needed to trust them as well. At least a little. And now…"

Now, with that over and having met those people rather than just hearing about them, there was more time to actually sort their feelings on the matter and consider the possibilities. The idea of being betrayed and of the Order learning they were all still alive was enough to make the taste of bile climb up her throat, even if (up until now) it seemed that those Exorcists had kept their word and not told anyone else about them…

"I just don't like that. Then again, like you said, some of them seem to be alright, but…" Alison shook her head, pulling her hair over her shoulder. Personal matters aside, you didn't spend a long time running away from a place, looking over your shoulder and then started to associate with people from that same place with no worries whatsoever. "I'm just kinda going with the motions." She sighed. "See, I told you, I'm not the best person you could talk to… I'm sorry."

Elana tried to smile.

Maybe… Maybe, at the end of the day, they could just hope that Lavi and Bookman would be trustworthy… And pay attention. Samuel seemed to accept the red-haired boy, but he had told Elana to watch out for the older man and she knew better than to dismiss his words as natural, but unfounded concern, or born from a scorn for the Order and its members that was too similar to Alison's.

Well… Not that the girl's feelings differed in much from anyone else's. Elana found herself remembering when she had left… When she had met the others… On some level, they all despised or outright hated the Order in a way or another, despite how much they had once loved it, how they had been ready to do whatever the superiors told them to and be glad to be of use, how they had regarded that place as home.

And how they had left…

Hell, it had taken Lauren months to be able to activate her Innocence again, so deep was her disgust.

Alison sighed, bothered that she had nothing more substantial to say to her friend, nothing that would help her feel a little better.

"I guess we can only go on…" Alison said slowly, but it sounded as if she was merely accepting the lack of options. "So far, they seem to be cool, so let's hope we're not making a mistake. If it comes to the worst," She added, her tone becoming serious. "We'll have a numeric advantage."

Elana decided she didn't want to know exactly how this numeric advantage played in Alison's mind, though she knew the other wouldn't ever take a drastic decision when there were other options available, regardless of her feelings for the Order. She found herself remembering how furious Alison had been when that Noah had called her an "Exorcist"… It was a reaction they all had witnessed before, seeing how some akumas enjoyed taunting their prey. They had found a few like that during their travels and while Alison would usually dismiss most of whatever those things said, the very moment one of them would call her "Exorcist", well… It sufficed to say Alison made her displeasure quite clear.

"That's one way to put things in perspective…" She replied slowly, focusing on what the other had said first. She truly hoped Lavi and Bookman would prove to be as sensible as they seemed and to have truly accepted that they couldn't go back to the Order… With everything going on, they all had enough problems to deal with. She tried to joke. "Don't take this the wrong way, Ali, but you're really not very good at this."

Alison shrugged, responding with a soft smile.

"Well, I work with what I have. I'm the paranoid of the team, remember?" Her tone was gentle, revealing the weariness underneath. "If you want something more hopeful, that is Lauren's department." They chuckled at it, the sound somehow undoing part of the weight they felt. It wasn't enough, but it helped in the end.

XxX

Having picked just a little food for themselves, due to both financial care and to the lack of appetite, Allen and Raz took their seats at the table with the others, ending up with Tyki sitting at Raz's side, in a sense cornering both while Crack, Momo and Eez sat in front of them. They expressed no reaction, knowing it would please the male Noah.

"Wow, boy, you're hungry, eh?" Momo asked upon seeing Allen's plate. Even if he hadn't picked as much as usual, he supposed it still might seem a lot for someone of his size.

"You don't even imagine." He managed to chuckle. Pretending it was okay. Pretending it was a normal occurrence.

"And where are you two heading?" Crack asked, his eyes going from one to the other as he cut his beef. The boy looked different from the last time they had seen him and he couldn't tell if it was just because of his clothes or the hair, longer than the last time they had seen each other.

"Just wandering around. Not too different from you guys, you know?" He tried to not look at Tyki at that. Having him so close was like being near a snake, not helped by how there was no easy way out should he decide to attack. With the proximity, it was almost like he could feel the man's enjoyment. Allen tried to hold on to the idea that Tyki would likely keep the façade until his friends weren't around, but his blood didn't care for reasonings of the mind.

"What about those other guys? The red-haired and that other foreigner one?"

"Oh, they're okay." Before he could think again, he added. "One of them was sick for a while, but he is better." He needed all his self-control to not look at Tyki. A small voice inside him (that seemed to come from the part of his heart where a tease had bitten, pulling the flesh apart) cried against provoking the Noah, but another relished it. He had never been one to merely accept the role of prey with his head lowered.

The Noah of Pleasure, on another hand, didn't know whether to appreciate the provocation (it was always more fun to play with a defiant prey rather than a cowering one) or to be annoyed by it. The rescue of red-haired brat was still a sore subject for him as much as it was for the rest of the clan.

Yet, this was a situation he wanted to enjoy as much as possible.

As good as their acting was, Tyki was a predator and he could almost feel the fear coming from them in waves. This only increased the amusement of provoking them in ways the others couldn't notice or differentiate from his normal teasing.

"Hmm, let's see… Do I take the chance and drag them back home or do I play a little more? Oh, decisions, decisions…"

With the plan of using them as bait failed and the realization Mana Walker and Mana D. Campbell were one and the same, rather than insisting on trying again, the Earl had given permission to the Clan to bring Allen Walker and Raziah back no matter what. While the idea of prolonging the game, cornering them more and more until they returned out of their own volition was most tempting, he had no problem following the Earl's change of mind either.

It didn't mean he couldn't have a little fun first, right?

Between him and the boy, Raz limited herself to eating in silence, rarely taking part in the conversation, only looking at the ones speaking, to show she was listening and not come across as rude or snobbish. Tyki could see that Crack and Momo didn't mind and probably thought she was very shy or something along those lines.

Well, he couldn't tell if they were right or not.

Crack joked about Allen's refusal to share his cheating tricks and Tyki took the chance to slip one arm pass Raz and pat the boy's shoulder with false gentleness, his fingertips making more pressure than necessary while still giving the impression of a friendly gesture. It wasn't hard to remain in that position, given that the boy had no way to distance himself and Raz was a slender girl.

Allen felt the fingernails against his shoulder, making him wonder if Tyki was subtly using his power. He tried to ignore as the Noah made some joke about winning against him later in a card game. He wasn't truly listening to the words, just the meaning underneath. At the same time, a brief shiver ran through Raz, something that couldn't be seen and barely felt. Tyki only noticed she leaning forward to avoid physical contact because he was so close. Subtle, yet deliberate display of dislike? Or was there something else? As he released the boy, his hand brushed against her back with the same warning.

"You should watch over your brother." He said suddenly, his hand closing over her shoulder as he laughed, leaning towards her. "It seems he has a talent for finding trouble." Then, deciding to push it a little, he added. "Or maybe you enjoy that as well?"

His touch could seem light to his friends, but Raz felt it as claws testing the resistance of her flesh. It was far too easy to imagine his touch had been similar when holding Allen's heart or someone else's organs, brushing his nails against them, exploring, testing, choosing the one to rip out.

"It's more like trouble doesn't know when to leave us alone." The tone was serene and nothing else, but though the movement of her shoulder to break physical contact could be taken as gentle, the brief glint in her eyes was anything but. He wondered if this was a response to his teasing, the threat, the touch, or everything together. Tyki chuckled along with the others, who either took this as playful conversation or a bad attempt at flirting gone wrong.

The conversation turned to their latest work, in a construction site nearby. Allen would've been interested, should circumstances allow it, but as it was, part of his mind remained on the ticking of the clock. The idea (if it could be called that) he and Raz had had was weak, full of holes and the chances of it working were not the best, but it was the best thing they had for now… He could only pray it would work.

If someone asked his opinion of Tyki, Allen would have to admit he wasn't sure. Their meetings had been few and far in between and the Noah tended to act in completely different ways depending on his mood. It was impossible to predict what he would do. Even now, he seemed almost human, almost a good being in his actions, the way he laughed and how he ruffled Eez's hair.

Allen wasn't foolish enough to believe that back when they had first met, Tyki had allowed him and Lavi to go despite knowing they were Exorcists due to their coat (and likely guessing Krory to be one as well, on his way to the Order) out of any sensation of disadvantage. Yes, he believed the presence of Tyki's friends had been one (if not the main) detail, but despite his murderous tendencies, the Noah of Pleasure also hadn't contacted another Noahs or called Akumas or anything of the sort…

It wasn't the same now. Partially, Allen knew, because of Neah.

The idea of dying had stopped bothering him long before they had ever met.

But the threat here wasn't of dying. And this was what made his dread greater than anything else.

At that moment, he hated them for it.

With those sensations, the meal seemed to last for longer than it should, but finally, they were done. Someone might have thought that, at some point, the atmosphere would relax and muscles would release their tension.

It wasn't so.

Raz tried to say they had to leave and couldn't stay, a pretense that might have worked, even with Momo and Crack's insistence for a round of poker, if while they were paying their own meal Tyki hadn't held them back, his hands finding the precise point between neck and shoulders, fingers again changing pressure as if testing the flesh underneath.

"C'mon, c'mon… It's not as if you're going to be late for anything with just one game! Besides…" He tilted his head, smiling. "You're acting as if you have demons chasing you!"

His voice lowering to a hiss, he leaned to them.

"Which can happen…"

Neither of them offered a reply, even with the pressure of Tyki's hold increasing, enough to wake the body to a specific nerve.

What exactly was the plan of the Noah of Pleasure? To call akumas or the rest of the Clan right away? Or was he just saying that to prolong his own fun? Allen knew all those options were possible. Damn it!

Uncaring for the lack of response, Tyki went on, as if suddenly inspired.

"Hey, why don't we make a bet?" He suggested, smiling like when he had told Allen they had come to "retrieve" him when invading the Order. "If I win when we play, you come with me. If you win, I'll let you both go."

"Oh, please..." Raz hissed to what she could only consider a mockery that she could do without. It was too ridiculous to be anything else (Allen wouldn't be so sure), as if they would ever bet their freedom like some trinket and as if Tyki would honor a bet like that should he lose. Instead of being annoyed, the male Noah chuckled softly, his fingers lingering in her neck as he let her go in a silent threat.

"Tsk, you're far too tense, Raziah. You really should learn to relax a little." His attention turned to Allen. "In a way or another, I think now it would be fun to play cards against you, boy."

The memory of when Tyki had said it wouldn't be fun to play a game with him crossed his mind, bringing along the rest of that same night. Allen tried to ignore the way his throat seemed to tighten in a response he had no control over, not knowing the way he stared at Tyki was quite similar to when the Noah had threatened to rip his heart out.

Tyki lifted his head, satisfied.

Defiant preys were really the best.

"So, Allen!" Crack asked, approaching them again. Tyki released them at once, picking up a cigarette from his pocket and watching the development. "Are you going to accept the challenge or not?"

Making a point of not looking at Tyki, Allen forced his muscles into a smile. The Noah's touch seemed to linger under his skin, spreading from his aching nerve towards the heart that recognized that touch, remembered it closing around the flesh just enough to make itself known.

"Easy…" He thought to himself. "Just bear it for a little longer… You just need to leave at the right time…"

He could only pray there would be such a time.

XxX

Ten minutes after, they were sitting down in the front courtyard of the inn Tyki and his friends were hosted, the charges included in the construction service for what they understood. It was heavy work, but none of them would ever complain about having a roof over their heads and meals on the table. As they spoke of it, Momo joked that they were like stray dogs, merely wandering from place to place, trying to survive as they could.

Allen couldn't deny it was a way of life he was familiar with.

"As I say, as long as I can have a meal, I dun' care for what I have to do." Crack's laughter as he shuffled the cards was genuinely cheerful, as it was when he wasn't facing the hunger or cold that often came in his life. Allen couldn't help thinking about his own time living with Mana. It seemed to have happened eons ago, even though he knew this was due to how much had happened in his life, rather than the actual passage of time.

He was careful to keep his own smile, to calculate the tone of his words, as he often did.

Eez sat close, leaning his back against a wall.

"We won't lose this time, kid!" Crack added as Allen examined his own cards, merely shrugging. A part of him wondered if Tyki had been serious with the suggestion of making a bet out of the situation, but he pushed the idea away, knowing better than pay it any mind. As Raz had said, regardless of the Noah of Pleasure's intentions, it was ludicrous.

It was his luck that he had already played games against dangerous people before. The debt collectors after his Master rarely had scruples or shame about taking money from a child or trying to force him to work to pay them off.

His gambling side disconnected from anything that made the situation personal, focusing more on the cards and leaving the rest for the deeper part of his mind to deal with. None of those people intended to play a fair game, yet this could be even more fun, in a strange sense. He couldn't truly ignore his fear, but through the game, he could reclaim some control over it.

His eyes raised briefly to Tyki, who pretended to study his own cards, while in reality observing him and Raz alike as the game unfolded for any signal, however small, that could denounce something about their stance. Allen's attention returned to the cards, evaluating the man's choice of movement. People said "Go" could reveal details about someone on a psychological level, but in Allen's opinion, most games could, depending on how they were played. And he was very fluent in the subtle conversation that could be made like that.

He always played to win, after all.

Tyki noticed what the boy tried to convey when he gave up some cards and nearly laughed.

"Not bad, boy, not bad" For now, he enjoyed sensing their fear, despite the way they tried to hide it. Members of the Clan as they might be (at least in his opinion), it didn't make him delusional to see the situation or their actions for what they were not.

It was enough to make his blood run with delicious excitement. Perhaps, when the time came, he would allow them a few seconds to run before he gave chase…

His eyes slithered to the girl. She remained at Allen's side, hugging her own legs as she watched the game, still as a frozen river. He thought her to be completely disinterested (perhaps even bored), but then she leaned closer to Allen to better see his cards, then going back to her original position. Tyki took a moment to wonder whether she knew the basics of such games (likely, considering whom she traveled with), but lacked the hang to be a proper player or just preferred to watch rather than take part…

Nothing else about her betrayed any sort of emotional stance, yet, the boy must've noticed something, considering the way he looked at her and how the corners of his mouth moved, almost as if replying to a smile of hers that Tyki couldn't see, before playing a hand that made Crack groan in worry.

Whether it was light's trick or the fact she wasn't actively trying to fight him, her expression seemed less… Less empty than what he remembered and leaning more towards a sort of serenity, somehow. At least, there was something in there, this much he could notice… He wasn't so much of a fool to believe she felt nearly as calm as she appeared, but had to give her credit, whether this sort of control was intentional or not.

It occurred to Tyki that, honestly, this was the most peaceful interaction they all had ever had since the boy had been forced to leave the Order.

This made him think about when he had fought Raz back in the Ark. The whole ordeal, though not lacking the pleasure he always found when fighting, had been so against the basic concepts as a person sticking their hand in the fire and not suffering any burns: A Noah fighting to save two Exorcists.

It made him want to growl.

Even if they were somewhat used to her traveling alongside Walker (some more than others) by now and having her being friends with that group of Accommodators was bothersome enough, having her being involved in the rescue of two official Exorcists had, somehow, gone beyond everything.

What was the matter with her?

At the same time this invited an intense fury, he couldn't deny the fight in itself had been somewhat… Interesting. Her training with the boy was good… Not as much as it would've been if she wasn't so stubborn, but, his displeasure aside, he couldn't call that a boring meeting.

A pity it had been brief.

As Crack and Momo groaned when the boy played another good hand, he studied her for another moment, seeking for anything that might be lurking underneath her skin, almost as a cat evaluating how to better pounce on a rat and whether or not to deliver the killing blow or to play for a while. Her head tilted to a side as she watched Crack trying to counter-attack, leaning almost imperceptibly forwards as the boy moved his cards (seemingly to organize his next move), the light reflecting on her silver anklet. Her head came to rest on her arms, but her attention remained on the game ahead.

Allen glanced at Tyki briefly, ignoring the thin smile that came to the man's face. With the Earl, they had had to run off, but Tyki had caught them in a web that demanded more caution to get free without waking the spider up. He smiled back.

If they were lucky enough, the Noah was also somehow caught in this web. It seemed he really wasn't too willing to risk blowing his cover, at least not in the presence of his friends. It was strange enough, but not something Allen would think about now. Just smile, have answers for his teasing, enough to not provoke him into attacking as soon as possible, but also without making things too boring.

Careful, careful.

Although the game against Crack and Momo was easy and fun, though filled with trickery, Allen at once noticed a certain seriousness in the way Tyki played. Subtle threats dancing with purposeful openings, at times giving a sensation of cornering him, then backing away just enough so he could breathe. It wasn't something that would be noticed by people who played for fun or who were in a more carefree situation. And if, for some reason, he had been unable to interpret what the Noah wanted to say, his smile and the occasional coldness of his eyes more than made up for it.

Yet, Allen hadn't been lying when he had told Lavi once that he never lost when playing. If it seemed he was going to lose one round, it was always part of the main plan.

"I won," He said again, revealing the last hand.

"HOW COME?" Momo yelled, nearly falling back and lowering his head on his hands, almost as if giving up. "How do you do that?" Then he looked at Raz, almost as if hoping the boy's "sister" would have the answer, but she merely shrugged briefly.

Allen kept his best smile of innocence, reserved for when he had been accused of cheating and would reply with a "What do you mean, sir?". It was one of those expressions rooted more in a certain arrangement of the facial muscles rather than any emotional sincerity, just like the smile so often offered when affirming to be okay when nothing, in fact, is okay. Just one of the classical masks of flesh.

Crack shook his head, the short hair accompanying the movement.

"What kind of life ya had to learn how to cheat like that?" And he evaluated Allen, not hiding the shock that the white-haired boy, who seemed like a perfectly nice lad, had such abilities when he was so young.

"If I told you, you wouldn't believe it." Allen managed to keep his tone light.

"Try us." The Noah of Pleasure said, nearly cooing and dragging the words, not seeming at all bothered by losing the game. The smile he offered was somehow too similar to the one the Noah of Desires had displayed when telling Allen he was a sadist.

"A far too long story…" Raz muttered as she stood along with Allen, the end of another game being the only necessary clue.

"You're not leaving, right?" Crack sounded disappointed as he looked from one to the other. Allen took a moment to register he seemed genuinely upset about the idea. "C'mon, you could spend the night here!" He indicated the inn with a nod. "Price's not high. And hey, you're free to roam around with us, you know?" He added, suddenly inspired by the idea.

"It's a good idea" That the incentive came from Tyki was not surprising. "Besides, you must be exhausted." The idea of spending the night under the same roof as him, even if hosted in an inn, had nothing attractive about it. Allen's stomach seemed to turn itself inside his body.

Raz made a point of ignoring the male Noah.

"We can't," She said simply, at the same time sensing a movement and realized it was Eez, holding the hem of her blouse. The girl blinked, without any idea of how to react to the gesture. It wasn't as if she had much direct contact with children, either.

The boy merely looked at her, half of his face still hidden by the mask.

He held on and stepped closer to her.

"Eeh, it seems Eez liked you!" Momo didn't hide the surprise. The boy wasn't the type to like strangers right away. They had all been shocked when he had been willing to give the boy that nice silver button Tyki had got for him.

The proximity wasn't enough to evoke the natural tension that always came with the touch from strangers, so, a little unsure of herself, Raz rested her hand over his head and moved her fingers slowly, in an attempt of a caress.

Eez seemed to lean towards the touch, enjoying it. His eyes gleamed a bit and, though he at once knew there would be no point insisting for the two of them to stay, he looked at Allen and then back at Raz.

"Will we see you again?"

Allen smiled.

"Maybe. You never know."

This was probably a lie and somehow, it left a bitter taste in his mouth.

XxX

"You know he is probably following us…" Allen muttered.

"I know."

Even unsure of how to sense another Noah's presence and how they were most likely too close, range-speaking, anyway, this was far too obvious.

"What do you think he'll do?"

Raz glanced at him in a way that indicated she was the one who wanted to make the question. Night had arrived, leaving only a line of fiery orange in the horizon that was being quickly suffocated by the dark blue.

Any bystander would take them for merely wandering around, carefree travelers, but their senses were pushed to its peaks, attentive for any movement or sound that broke the natural cadence of a city such as that during nightfall.

The problem was that the one hunting them down as good as they when it came down to blending in.

Allen thought for a moment in al the times he had crossed paths with Tyki Mikk (which, in all honestly, hadn't been exactly many). At his side, Raz gave him a look that plainly said she wasn't sure.

"I don't know either…" He confessed with a sigh. "Trying to predict his choices is like trying to predict the number from rolling a dice." The person might try making notes, all the analyses, and calculations, but there wouldn't be a way to predict any behavior pattern. At least not a certain one. Raz didn't seem at all surprised.

"He seems… To prefer to have his fun." That was indeed the only certain thing one could say about Tyki. Not that it helped them in that particular case.

Allen wondered if they had any chances of Tyki actually leaving them be for that night like he had done back in the Forest of Lights, following the desire he had expressed them that the two of them would submit to the Clan willingly, but could tell it was hopeless.

His shoulders trembled as he sighed again.

"I hate that…" He hated feeling a rat in a trap, running through corridors, lost, merely for the fun of someone else.

"As long as there aren't akumas nearby, I don't think he will call them… Not right away." The Noah of Loneliness started, thinking about the range limit they could contact them. "If he doesn't call for others with the Ark…" She nearly said they might have a chance, but couldn't complete the sentence.

Allen wondered if he would've time, between leaving his friends with some excuse and then opening a portal. He wasn't sure. It also depended on whether the rest of the Clan wasn't on missions of their own and whether Tyki would prefer to keep the fun to himself or not…

"I think we have a good window of time…" He muttered, glancing at the clock above the entrance of the station. It didn't matter if they took a train straight to London or Kent or anywhere else, not now. The grey hall ahead was nearly empty and the lines at the ticket office were short. Even the red cords separating the lines from one another and the boards with information seemed strangely small, adding the sense of abandonment around, though they knew this was born out of their own impressions.

Still, the station looked nearly empty.

Raz's eyes glanced around without moving as if seeking for any known presence she could not see.

"Raz, are you sure…?" Allen asked, now uncertain.

"I can hold him back." At least she hoped she did. "Get the tickets." Allen bit his lower lip, but nodded.

"If there is anyone with him… Send a shadow to me." He said with a firm glare that left no room for protest. Raz nodded as well and, after a brief glance, headed to some stairsteps following the wall that led to a platform with an iron-looking door right at the side of the station's entrance. It was a good point to watch over the street and, if she needed to get down, it would be easy to jump over the iron fence, even for a normal human.

Allen hesitated for a moment but hurried inside as Raz remained where she was, the lack of illumination allowing her to keep herself more or less unnoticeable. It would make little difference for the senses of a Noah, but they both knew the importance of taking advantage of any little detail.

Allen took his place on a line, but kept looking at the entrance, though he couldn't see Raz from where he was. Should they have known beforehand that Tyki would be there, they would have just taken another train as soon as they had left the previous one with no thought for the money issue.

"Easy… If everything works out, there will be a train here in a matter of seconds. We can do this." He knew Raz had had a point when insisting that she stayed back to attract and keep Tyki's attention while they waited for the train, not wanting to give Tyki a chance to slice his arm off and that she had some chance of holding him back with her power without calling too much attention.

Still, nothing soothed his worry.

Meanwhile, Raz didn't move. A part of her wondered if there would be a way to use her shadows to help to keep watch, as weak as the idea felt in her mind, almost a passing mist rather than actual thought. It wasn't as if she could grant any level of conscience to those things, it didn't work like that. Same with senses. As such, it also didn't feel like she would be able to see through them…

Moments like those forced her to face how little she knew about her own ability. The lack of knowledge about herself often made itself known late at night when sleep eluded her and, like in those hours, often twisted a part so deep in herself that she couldn't tell whether it was physical or not.

A group of young people passed by, giggling among themselves, unaware that monsters were lurking around the town they judged to know.

How easy it would be to twist their bodies, to expose their pulsating organs before ending their workings forever…

She ignored the thought, observing the street.

"If only Tim was still with us…" It would've been an extra help. Better than the golem they had now, that's for sure.

Tyki was right there.

As expected as it was, fear still claimed her again.

She didn't dare try looking inside the station, knowing Allen was still in the line and stood still, watching Tyki approaching, her head held still, hoping he would take her lack of reaction as a provocation of sorts. He had discarded his glasses and his steps were deliberately slow. He stopped in front of the adjacent platform, hands in his pockets and acting as if they had just met accidentally.

And he knew better than to expect her to say anything.

"With how anxious you always seem to be to get away every time we meet," He said with a pretense of disappointment. "We'll end up thinking you don't like us…"

Raz regarded him with cold eyes.

A smile sliced Tyki's face.

In a panther-like movement, he jumped, balancing himself with perfection on the iron fence in front of her.

"My, my… I still wait for the day when you'll be happy to see me."

Still smiling, he landed in front of her in a single movement that seemed impossibly light for a normal human.

"After all, we're family, are we not?" His tone was the same when he had provoked Allen with that term, only the mockery was more exposed, pulsating as a raw nerve. Raz noticed a quick movement of his eyes, probably trying to find out if Allen was nearby, preparing a sort of ambush, as foolish as it might sound to him.

Raz raised an eyebrow.

As weak as specific terms such as this could be, the immediate association she had was both with the Noahs and as well with Allen, Lauren and the others.

Tyki tilted his head before her lack of a verbal answer, raising his eyebrows. There was more curiosity in the gesture than anything else. Good. Raz knew she had to be careful. She had to hold his attention while preventing him from wanting to attack. The only way to do so was to make their interaction an amusing one, to make him not want to end things too fast.

"You really don't care?" The question was almost soft when he stepped closer. Instinctively, before she could control her body, Raz gave a step back. "Well, the Earl told us about when he found you…"

For a moment, almost as brief as the twinkle of a star, he thought he glimpsed a certain sorrow in her eyes. But it disappeared so fast that it might have been an impression.

He gave another step.

Did he know? About last time, at the circus? No, impossible. It had happened too short ago.

Tyki's smile grew as he leaned to her.

No, he was talking about that time, in the town they had met Johnny and Kanda. Not it had been better then, either.

Raz refused to move, a sound escaping from her that sounded too much like a snort of dismissal.

"Aww, that's mean, Ra-zi-ah" His voice was little more than a whisper and it sounded as if he was playing with the sound of her name. She backed away in displeasure rather than fear. The cold of the door behind her bit her back. His fingers found the junction between chin and neck, lifting her face as his nails pressed her flesh.

The touch reminded her of the night they had first met, the bloodlust she had felt pulsating from him in waves, though it hadn't been directed at her.

Her lack of obvious care, however, seemed to invite him to continue.

"You know, when you and the boy refused to come home…" Tyki carried on, curious as to whether or not he had truly seen anything in her expression. "He cried so much."

It sounded like a ridiculous lie, but it had the effect of a whip that she tried to hide. She had to ignore whatever he said. It didn't matter. It couldn't matter.

"Not kidding, Raz. The Earl cares a lot for his family." A nod emphasized his words as he watched her. He supposed she deserved points for trying, but he sensed that this had hit her. "So cold of you to treat him like that. I would say it's cruel, even…"

"And killing innocent people is what?" The answer came in a thin voice of ice, that refused to allow him to know her fear or how deep those words reached her. Despite her pretense, Tyki didn't seem to care. He had nothing to offer for his behavior that was not indifference towards his victims and ecstasy for the actions themselves.

"Hmm, perhaps, when we have the chance, I might be the one to teach you more about it… It would be interesting." He spoke as if talking about sharing the taste of the sweetest chocolate.

Raz tried to move her head to get rid of the touch, but now his fingers were firm in her face. Not with violence, merely signaling that she was better off staying still. Was it not for the need to keep him talking until the right moment came, her reply would've been an attack, regardless of her chances of winning, if only to break the contact.

But in this particular fight, it would've been counter-productive. An irony that was not unnoticed.

"And the sooner, the better. After all, I admit we're feeling somewhat… Lonely, without you." She briefly wondered if this was him teasing her position in the Noah Clan or merely a way of him being playful. He seemed about to say something else (or to start opening a portal? Damn, she had to say something) and then, changed his mind. "Road is back and she is quite excited to see you again."

He watched for any sort of reaction, as if able to dissect her with his gaze alone just like he could with his hands, separating the skin from muscle, carefully slicing each of her veins. Before those words, Raz almost frowned: She had no idea of who he was talking about, but the name was familiar, alright. Allen had spoken of her before.

Considering she had pierced his eye with a candle and nearly broken Lavi's mind, Raz didn't think it was a good thing to have her "excited" to see them again. Her plans to receive them probably involved breaking their bones and let them heal only to repeat the process.

"What for?" Her question made it sound as if meeting the other Noah girl didn't interest her at all. As natural as it was for her, it also seemed to be the sort of display that made him want to provoke her more, so she had to make use of it, as risky as it could be. "To torture us?"

For the first time, Tyki's surprise was clear and he shook his head slightly, not breaking eye contact and his other hand found her wrist as he approached more. Raz pressed her back against the door, wishing she could increase the distance between them. The coldness of the iron was preferable to his.

"Small mistake in the sentence." The sweetness did little to cover the snarl. "We don't hurt our own family… That's for humans." Both knew it to be a verbal bait, one that she accepted either way.

"No, it isn't." She said simply, with no real interest in the debate, but grabbing any opportunity to keep him talking. It wouldn't last long, she knew he had not forgotten Allen or what he had to do. For all she knew, he had already guessed their escape plan (poor idea it was) but she had to do her best. As such, she didn't avoid his stare.

The protest made Tyki chuckle softly, a deep sound that didn't resemble the laughter from when he was near those humans. With a still feather-like touch, his fingers on her neck relaxed as they slithered, coming to rest on the back of her neck.

She wished her flesh would die so she wouldn't feel his touch anymore.

"Oh, Raz… Sometimes, you seem so innocent that I feel like eating you up." He whispered, the words brushing against her. "Think, dear… What did the Order do to your dear brother, again?"

The emotional response that this particular subject always invoked came once again and she made a conscious effort to not allow the other Noah to notice it. Still, she held on to the protest, hissing between teeth.

"Which doesn't mean they're all the same." And then she added, allowing the scorn she felt to be revealed in her tone. "Or maybe you forgot the Exorcists that joined him afterward to help that red-haired?" At least he couldn't tell the bitterness in the "Exorcists" apart from the rest of the sentence. His mouth twisted. A shadow of gray ran through his face as if hiding under the skin and his eyes glistened with golden. The colors passed, but their trail remained.

Okay. Good. She had his attention.

"Don't try going for the argument that because of a few, you think all Exorcists are saints, Raz." He hissed, his annoyance mixed with boredom before his lips moved in a thin smile that had made Exorcists cry in fear. She could sympathize with them. "Not when you don't believe this yourself."

It was a truth against which there was no defense. For the first time, she avoided his eyes and those of Chaozii Han, so full of hatred and disgust, came to her along with the obvious fear from some of those others who claimed to be Allen's friends.

And, amidst it all, she recalled a hall decorated with corpses and blood and remembered her own hatred… The wave that held so many emotions she could not decipher them all… Or perhaps couldn't find it in herself to do do, it would be too much like moving a ball of yarn made of wire and glass.

"When compared to someone who brings souls from the Afterlife to use them as war weapons and others who only feel pleasure when killing…" Although her words were meant to sound as if, in the comparison, the Order came out as the better choice, it was more an attempt of pushing those images away and provoking him rather than an honest opinion. "I'd prefer to support them."

Tyki's reaction was immediate.

Her body was shaken, her back hitting the iron door forcefully, the muscles complaining against the shock and the fingers on her neck increased their pressure in a warning, as if ready to peel her skin off and dig the muscles out.

"Oh, and what do you think, little girl?" Poison dripped from his hiss and she suddenly felt his breath against her face. For a moment, it seemed he would follow through with his earlier words and bite her. "That the Earl one day woke up and said, "Hey, do you know what would be fun? To exterminate the whole humankind!", is that it?"

Raz tried to stop a sound that felt too much like a whimper, not because of him, but because she couldn't believe it herself. She knew it wasn't like that. What moved this certainty, she didn't know, but her interior once again was crushed by claws that, this time, had nothing to do with fear.

Those cold bites in her soul…

If the Earl felt the same, perhaps it wasn't so surprising he had reacted as he had during those times they had seen each other… And once more, she was full of sorrow and longing that had no end because their beginning had been lost long ago.

She felt heavy… Like she had deliberately hurt someone important to her…

Tyki carried on.

"You may have forgotten the Awakening, but I know this doesn't stop how much you want to kill them." He was about to ask her how it had felt to be near those Exorcists when everything in her had likely cried for their blood, to see the life leaving their eyes, but she looked back at him and this time, he could see she hadn't fully understood what he had said. Or perhaps she had, but not on a conscious level.

"The dream of the end." He explained. "The vision of the truth that is carried in the memories of Noah that…" He stopped himself. She was shivering.

Her soul was whipped.

Her blood rushed.

Figures without shape now clawed at her brain. Dead lungs didn't move anymore and the little air her body still held, dried up and left a desert behind. Her stomach writhed, sending echoes of pre-retching up her throat… What he spoke of… She knew what it was and at the same time, she didn't and couldn't bring herself to want to remember. Something, somewhere inside her seemed to start to take form, stirring her organs and burning her with ancient wounds and a forgotten dream and she could hear screams in her mind, a thousand voices that kept screaming and screaming and screaming…

Suddenly, Tyki was caressing her face, as if offering some sort of comfort.

To her, it felt like being bitten.

"Hey, there, there… Easy. You've already been through this…" The inches that separated them were closed as his whisper caressed her face, his fingers still brushing her skin. "Shhh, it's alright now… We're going to help you two…"

Her lungs still trying to remember how to find air, she shook her body in an attempt to get rid of his touch. Tyki kept cornering her. The caresses ended and he wasn't leaning so much over her anymore. She looked at him, letting him know what she thought of that claim of help with a glare, ignoring the remains of whatever had just assaulted her insides.

Apparently, he was amused.

"Come, you know I like the boy."

She needed to swallow a lump in her throat before she was able to speak.

"You tried to kill him, destroyed his Innocence and still claim to like him?"

"Yes, I do." He said simply, once more with no apologies to offer for his past actions, as they didn't bother him more than her question, that one could consider as sisterly protectiveness. "But I couldn't let that change the fact that he was an Exorcist, now, could I?"

The false sweetness was back in his tone and he spoke as if to a child. Raz studied him, control returning to her as her heartbeat normalized somewhat. The plan, she had to keep the plan in mind. That was all.

"Oh, so, since he has a Noah, this makes everything alright now?" Scorn came to her tone and she didn't bother with the specifics of Allen's situation. The shock leaving her body also allowed the fear to return, and she tried to hold on to another thing to bear it, as she couldn't get rid of it. Through Allen's tales and the few interactions she had had, she had already realized some members of the Clan could be twisted, but this line of thought was too much.

Yet, she couldn't help but wonder if she was that much different from the rest of them…

Was this… Was this the sort of creature she was, deep inside?

Tyki shrugged, one hand still closed on her wrist as if to stop her should she decide to leave or fight.

"Basically." He said simply. "You can't live in the past. Trust me, I was quite happy to know he is one of us." There was no lie in this. He could be a lot of things but saw no reason to lie about his own feelings.

"And what he wants matters not?" A part of Raz was well-aware she might be sounding quite childish and she saw Tyki's eyes venturing to the side. Alarm bells sounded in her mind. He was growing bored with the conversation. A little more and he would simply open a portal and toss her through it as he went to get Allen. "He does not want to be taken by Neah, just like you don't want to lose yourself in the Noah's instinct."

How she knew this last part, she had no idea and, right now, didn't care. It worked to get his attention back, at the very least. She moved her wrist slightly, almost tentatively, but his grip responded at once.

"He doesn't know everything, therefore, he can't make a clear decision." As he studied her, his eyes glinted, almost becoming golden in the shadows, the only source of light coming from the station's entrance at their side. "Have you ever thought he might become one of us? Without ceasing to be Allen Walker?"

It was a matter he had often thought about and, frankly, what he hoped would come to pass. Raz, on another hand, gave no indication of whether she had ever considered it.

She had, however. And it wasn't a subject she enjoyed spending time with. Perhaps because she was afraid of what she might feel about it. In the end, it didn't matter: She knew he wouldn't want it. Even if his case were a "normal" one like hers or Tyki's.

What else was needed, then?

"And you don't know it either, Raz…" The Noah of Pleasure continued softly, pulling that line wrapped around her organs, playing with them with his words. Although teasing her with promises of the truth and the recovery of her memories was interesting given the chance, he doubted it would be enough to get her compliance.

What a pity.

Maashima had once suggested that, by bringing one of them to their side, the other would follow shortly after. Observing Raz now, Tyki doubted this would work, regardless of how inseparable they seemed to be.

"And you're the kind and generous member of the family who'll explain everything and only wants our well-being?" This time, her disdain was almost palpable.

A cruel glimpse crossed his face. He hadn't liked that.

"Perhaps…" He said slowly, as if savoring the scenario of being in charge of her and Allen. "But I think first, you two should learn one thing or two…"

She didn't miss the thin danger in his tone, his voice like that of a blade against her flesh, but she refused to merely back down and rolled her eyes. Had enough time passed by? She couldn't be sure and couldn't risk making her move too early.

"If you're going to say we have no place in this world…"

Oh, so she did recall what he had told her the first time they had met, didn't she?

Good.

"Don't fool yourself just because a bunch of humans seems to have accepted you, Raz." His face broke into a sort of smile again, one that, unbeknown to her, was too alike the last thing Daisya Barry had seen, as he leaned to her once more. She held back a flinch. "Those mongrels tolerate your presence because you can be useful, the dirty…"

"You're free to believe in whatever misconceptions you have based on your views," She whispered, with a cold glare. If that's how he wanted to see her friendship with Elana and the others, fine. His opinion was of no matter to her, but offending them in front of her was another story. "But I'll not stand here and just let you speak ill of them."

"As for others?" Tyki continued as if she had said nothing. "They would wish for your death as soon as they learned what you are for no other reason than you not being human. You're not stupid, so don't act like you were."

Another truth that couldn't be refused.

"And would any of them know? Would a human ever know me for myself, when even I don't?"

"Then why do you stay with those guys?" It was more an attempt to defend herself than out of curiosity, but Tyki replied all the same.

"I live on the two sides, Raz. The white and the black. That's what makes life so fun."

She stood in silence for a second.

"Tyki Mikk… You're a hypocrite." There was no emotion in the statement.

Of everything she could have said, he hadn't expected that.

"What?"

Raz dared to guess his reaction to what she was about to say wouldn't be the best, yet, she carried on, her tone unalterable as if her quota of emotions had ended for the day.

"You speak of humans as vermins, yet pretend to care for those people as much as they care for you. Should they become Accommodators, you'd kill them without a second thought. That's hypocrisy."

He frowned and his voice held a warning.

"Girl, you have no idea of what you're talking about."

"Don't I?" She made no attempt to hold back the cynicism she felt. "You and the rest of Clan were furious when Yuu Kanda killed Skinn Bolic, oh, yes, I know about that. Still, you kill people just as well, even those who have nothing to do with the Order. You started this war and then get mad when someone you care about dies on it? It's grotesque."

But she had gone too far.

He pushed her against the door, one hand bringing her wrist up and pressing it as well, his other hand now holding her face, stopping her from turning away. For a moment, it seemed he would rip her skin and reveal what hid underneath it. He came close, so close that it was as if he meant to cover her body with his own.

"Raz, you don't remember anything and, because of that, the Earl and the rest of us are doing our best to be lenient with each little transgression of yours, but I'm warning you…" His face nearly touched her, golden eyes glinting in the dark with all the intention of a predator, cornering her as much as his body did. "You're on thin ice now."

His words were glass shards against her skin and she had no way to avoid them.

"Then tell me where I'm wrong." She snarled in response. "You're not keeping any sides, not really, because this so-called white side is a lie. You wouldn't even hesitate to kill those humans…"

She didn't blink as she whispered, eyes locked on his.

"Murderer."

A low chuckle came from the man's throat.

"Oh, am I, now?" Suddenly, the touch on her face became almost gentle. She knew better than to interpret this as a good sign. "And what do you think this makes you, dear girl?"

His face leaned against hers in a way that sent his whisper straight into her ear. The girl's muscles became stone and her blood was thunder, screaming for her to attack, to run, to get him away from her.

"Keep this human appearance, Raz, but don't fool yourself into thinking you're one." His words slithered inside her gently, playing with her skin along the way. "You don't remember who you are or what you've done…" His hand slithered on her neck, feeling her pulse that betrayed all her dread, all the despair, along with the whisper of the power that she held inside. "I don't think you're in any position to judge me. You have blood on your hands as well… I can smell it on you."

She gritted her teeth. He smiled.

"Yet, you don't even want to remember or understand it. You know it, you feel it, yet you merely run like a sheep." He dragged the next words, as he would've done with a knife cutting an enemy. "Little coward."

He noticed the shadows trembling behind her, responding to her distress as involuntary as her heartbeat. Back when they had fought, she had appeared to have a better control over her ability. Either it wasn't the case outside a battlefield or he had touched more nerves than she had allowed him to know.

Interesting.

"The desire to rip apart Innocence… The pleasure of it… You have felt it as well." She had, they both knew it and she hated that he did, that he could understand it. "I told you back in that forest, did I not? My, I even offered to teach youhow to do it."

She closed her eyes.

Well, it had been fun, but it was enough. He focused, ready to open a portal behind her. They would have time to discuss the subject later.

"This… This doesn't matter."

He became silent.

"Allen and I…" She started, finding her voice again. "We decided to search for our truths together. You… You can speak of "family" as much as you want to, but he is my brother… Noah or Exorcist… Innocences and the Order… They no longer have any meaning." Something besides the outright rejection (which was nearly blasphemous in a sense) made him lean back, staring in her eyes. Though she sustained it, there was a moment when Tyki couldn't tell if she was truly seeing him or even if she was altogether there. "I know I killed people, Tyki Mikk. I do."

To his surprise, something was now revealed in her. Something old, constant, and everlasting, for which there was no name and could only be accepted. It was the first time he had a glimpse of what Allen had seen several times before and he wasn't sure whether he liked it.

A cry called their attention.

"RAZ!"

She didn't even turn.

"And I'm sorry I did." She said simply.

It was fast.

Darkness came to his eyes. Not mist, but solid. Instinctively, he tried to get rid of it. No use. It felt slick, veins at the edge holding in his skin, almost pulsating. His body shook as a knee hit his stomach. At the same time, the arm that had been holding hers was twisted by ropes and his body hit a hard surface.

"And I would prefer if you didn't touch me in the future…" He heard her say, again without any sort of intonation, as he shook his head, trying to clear his vision, feeling he couldn't move his arms or legs. Her shadows (what else could it be?) increased the pressure in response. He groaned in anger, activating his power, but it had no effect. He struggled again. At least that thing started to leave his eyes… That was a relief in itself. He turned his head, confirming his impression: Black strings, like those of a spiderweb of ink, held him against the door.

"Cretina." He groaned. There were few people in the streets and those who passed by didn't seem to have noticed anything amiss, despite how Raz had likely jumped over the iron handrail. No surprise, the lack of proper illumination probably made it seem he was just standing there, perhaps waiting for someone to arrive. He struggled his arm again, rage burning his blood.

"When I get my hands on you…"

XxX

"Why didn't you call me?" Allen asked as they rushed through the station's hall towards one of the boarding platforms. The train would be here at any moment. They could do that. They could escape. They could.

"You needed time!"

"Not like that!" He looked anxiously at her. "For how long can you hold him?"

"I need to keep focus." She hissed between teeth. He understood and didn't try talking to her again. Good. Until now, she had kept the shadows in a solid-state while at close proximity. She had never tested her exact range and had no idea if she would be able to keep it for long.

Allen grumbled something to himself. No signal of Tyki, but he wouldn't feel safe until they were miles away. He looked sideways, like an anxious waiting passenger. The strong lights of the train could be seen in the night, approaching, but not fast enough for his taste.

"C'mon, c'mon!"

Raz looked back, trying to keep her control. Somewhere, inside of her, she could feel Tyki's struggles in the darkness' grasp. He was strong, too strong. She felt him invoking black matter, the same that made his star-shaped shield. No screams. He was being careful to not be noticed. Her entrails twisted with pain as he sought to slice his bonds.

"No!" She said in her mind, visualizing new strands rushing to him. It was hard. Some of them were weak, others didn't last a second.

"Raz…" Allen muttered with urgency, seeing her biting her lower lip.

"Just a while more…" She might be trying to reassure him or pleading with whatever unknown force that lived inside her. The train rushed by, starting to slow down. Allen held her hand. The effort was making her shiver.

Both forced their way through the passengers stepping down, not hearing their complaints and mutterings of disapproval, just hoping the crowd might offer a way to hide. Ridiculous hope as it might've seemed, they would take whatever they could. Once inside, they followed through the corridor, trying to breathe and to find a compartment.

"Come on!" He whispered urgently, pulling her inside the first empty one and closing the door. He had no idea if Tyki would be calling the akumas now (probably and bad) or the rest of the Clan (probably and worse). He could only pray Raz would be able to keep him still for just a little longer.

"Raz…" He tried, but she didn't respond. All her strength was focused on what she was doing, but it grew harder by the minute. Tyki was as much a Noah as she was. He had more experience, in a sense. He sliced the bonds on one arm (at least it seemed to be, she couldn't be completely sure) and as she tried to hold him back again, he somehow avoided her attack. She briefly wondered if no one passing by had noticed it…

Then again, with the poor illumination, they would more likely mistake him for a drunk lost in some daydream induced by the alcohol.

Allen held her hand. It was of no real help, but he did it all the same.

A piercing pain spread to her stomach as he cut the shadows apart.

"Bastard…"

XxX

He wasted no time. Enough of that.

Standing in the middle of the station, ignoring the people around as he hunted, Tyki could guess what had happened. To think he had fallen for such tricks… He had miscalculated his own steps. If they were somewhere else, it would be easier to cut whatever escape route those two had planned.

But it was fine. He could still fix his mistake.

The ticket office was ignored. The boy had likely been there while Raz talked to him. Were they traveling with a specific destination in mind or had they just picked the first train to arrive? He didn't know. No choice, then, but to check the trains that were there now. No akumas close enough for him to use, so he would have to open a portal and call for some.

He smiled to himself, starting to head to a corner where he could disappear without anyone noticing.

It wouldn't take him two minutes.

"Hey, Tyki! I knew you'd try seeing them off."

Tyki forced himself to smile as he turned around to see Crack. Momo and Eez were with him as well, the boy trying to see behind him as if hoping the two pierrots were still there and he had time to say goodbye again.

Fuck.

"When the Earl hears of this, I'll be in so much trouble…"

XxX

A high noise could be heard as the train prepared to leave the station. Against her will, Raz's muscles grew numb. Exhaustion claimed her and she felt as if she had been punched, probably due to Tyki's blows against the shadows.

"I need to train this particular tactic more…" She almost groaned to herself, feeling like someone who had suddenly decided to run for miles or lift weights for hours while never doing anything of the sort before.

"Damn this day…" Allen whispered as the train started to move, to which she merely made a sound of agreement. Even now, neither could force themselves to completely relax. Allen recalled Wisely saying the fear of knowing he had nowhere to run would pierce him…

He thought he was starting to understand it.

"Nonsense, that was just an accident…" He tried to tell himself. It had been unlikely and a great deal of bad luck, but they had come across Tyki by accident. It wasn't as if the man had been after them in the same manner the Earl had.

Instead of comforting him, the thought brought another one: At least this time.

He also knew that, should circumstances be different, should everything be different, he would have enjoyed seeing those people again… For a moment, Allen thought how things might have been if there was no war, no akumas, and no Innocence. If he was really just a boy with a deformed arm… Maybe, in another world, he would have carried on being a street performer… Maybe, in this world, he would even have met Tyki and his friends and start traveling with them…

He held back a sigh. Yes… It would have been nice… But that was not the world they lived in.

"I can only hope the Order, Apocryphos, or whatever, will be giving the Clan enough trouble to keep them busy."

"Raz… Did Tyki do anything to you?" For all the care the Noahs seemed to have for each other, the way Tyki had been cornering the girl with his own body had had nothing harmless about it to him. And even if he had been keeping a good distance, it was just not like the Noah of Pleasure to be harmless, be with actions or words.

"No, not really…" Her response came slowly as she considered what had happened. Yes, he had been intimidating, but it was expected. Besides, chances were, Tyki had realized her discomfort with being touched and decided to push it, or (and this sounded so likely that it came to her as a fact) it had been all part of power display, threatening her. "He just kept saying the nonsense of always…"

It was a simple way of putting things since it wasn't as if they had ever talked that much before. Nor was it to say it hadn't had its effect: In fact, Raz found she would much have preferred a physical fight.

"Oh, and what do you think, little girl? That the Earl one day woke up and said, "Hey, do you know what would be fun? To exterminate the whole humankind!", is that it?"

"You have blood on your hands as well… I can smell it on you."

"You may have forgotten the Awakening, but I know this doesn't stop how much you want to kill them."

"It's not like he said anything truly useful…" She grumbled, deciding they could talk about it later. For now, she would be content with some rest.

Allen held her hand gently. Whatever Tyki had said it, as useless as she might claim it had been, couldn't have been good or inconsequential. He doubted it.

"That damn jerk." Allen cursed in his mind. If Tyki had upset Raz… He knew she wasn't the type to be upset with every little thing, but she had already cried a lot due to their last meeting with the Earl, she didn't need Tyki pestering her for his own fun! He would not just sit by and let that pass by. Hell, both of them didn't need anyone from the Clan bothering them when they had enough on their plates as it was. "Yeah, I wish…"

He sighed.

"What a day, hm, sis?" He tried to get his voice to sound lighter than he felt and sensed Raz chuckling in silence.

"What a day, brother." She replied in the exact same manner. They laughed a little, enjoying the relief it brought.

He leaned his head against the seat, starting to relax a little despite the weight that came to his muscles. As much as the events today had been more an accident than anything else, it made him think about meeting the Earl at the circus. It occurred to him that perhaps it was like Wisely had said. Perhaps they hadn't fully understood yet how it would be to be hunted down by the Noah Clan…

But it wasn't something to be thought about now.

They were on their way to London.

They were still free.

As the train rushed through the path men had made among forest and animals' homes, they started to talk about other matters, welcoming the peace and weariness. They remained close, as if they were still too young to know more beyond their own sensations or like siblings still sharing a womb. Slowly, Raz's head came to rest on his shoulder and he leaned his own on hers, both soon welcoming the sleep that came.

---

Wolf: Uh... Hehe, hi?

Everyone: ...

Wolf: Okay, I know, I have been away for a long time and I'm so sorry.

Everyone: ...

Wolf: Are you guys ignoring me? Look, I said I'm sorry. It doesn't help that this year has been so insane for everyone. I swear I'll do my best to udpate with more frequency. I even admit Tyki wouldn't meet Allen and Raz yet, but I decide to hurry things up.

Everyone: ...

Wolf: C'mon! What else do you guys want from me?

Everyone: ...

Wolf: ... Jerks. Fine, I'm ignoring you all, too!

Everyone: ...

Wolf: OH, C'MON! Talk to me already!