Author's Note: Hey guys! It's been a long time. I had meant to update this yesterday (or today, as in some timezones it is still the 31st) on the third anniversary for this baby, but I had a fever and I totally forgot. Albeit, here it is, the long awaited return of the story. Once 225 came out, something made me miss this story so much, and ever since I felt like I've had unfinished business with it, so hopefully I'll be updating more often for the time being. Let's aim for a new chapter by late August/early September. I don't know if anyone's still reading, but if you are, thanks for sticking around for three years now. Enjoy the new chapter.
Back in her room, Devina sat glaring at the manuscript Lavi had brought with him the day before. She felt anger rush out of her every pore at the mere thought of him, and she was gritting her teeth a little too hard before she exploded. "Idiot, idiot, idiot!" she fumed, before kicking the edge of her bed. She winced, gripping her swelling toe while jumping on one foot. "Ugh, that idiot!"
She grabbed the manuscript carefully before she walked out of her room, walking past two doors before she stopped at the third. She knocked twice and waited with prompt impatience for the redhead to answer.
She was surprised when Bookman opened the door and stepped out of the room to greet her. "Lady Devina, how can I help you?" he asked, before his scrutinizing gaze landed on the ancient manuscript.
"Ah, I came to return this to L-lavi," she stammered.
"I didn't know you understood Gaelic, my Lady," the older man said.
Devina's heart hammered in her chest. "I- I don't. Lavi left this behind and I came to give it back," she offered the manuscript and wanted to run back to her room when the old man's fingers secured it.
"I don't think it wise to indulge in romantic endeavors with a Bookman, Lady Devina,"
Devina's heart thumped as she attempted to keep her face from betraying any emotion. She was about to deny his statement, when the door opened behind Bookman. "Gramps, what's taking you so lo-" he halted as he noticed her. "Devina?"
"I'm going in, brat. Don't be too long," Bookman warned and went inside.
Lavi stood in the doorway, leaning against the doorframe. "Can I help you with something?" he asked coldly.
Devina's eyebrows were raised as she watched him. She wanted to physically hurt him. "What the hell is your problem?" she snapped, and Lavi jumped at her tone.
"Keep it down, gee," his arms were raised defensively, before he peered behind him and stepped off the doorframe. He grabbed her arm and led her into her room, closing the door quietly.
"Does he scare you so much?" she challenged, her tone dripping venom as she hoped to provoke him. She wanted to instigate a fight, to shout and yell and maybe even land in a punch or two.
"Wh-what?" he asked, surprised.
"Bookman," she answered, tapping her foot while crossing her arms.
"I don't want to deal with his questions later. I don't want to have to explain to him why you're being so loud," he said, sounding annoyed.
She really was going to kill him. "Why am I being loud, then?"
"I don't know," he said quickly.
"Why are you avoiding me, Lavi?" she demanded.
Lavi feigned his surprise well. "What? When did I avoid you?"
Devina scoffed. "Are you serious right now? Are you fucking serious?" her voice rang across the walls, stinging through her own ears, forcing her to bite down a wince.
"Devina, calm down," Lavi ordered.
"Do not tell me to calm down, you oblivious prick!" she retorted. "You… go from being incredibly nice and absolutely honorable… to a fucking brat in less than a second. How do you do it, huh?" she shouted, poking him with a finger. "I was so fucking right about you, wasn't I? I'd admitted to you that I could never truly read you, how I never know what you're thinking, and now you've done it. You are exactly what I thought you were," she hissed at him, and felt immediately drained.
Lavi sighed, "Aren't you exaggerating a little?"
Devina blinked several times, "Exaggerating, am I?" she was suddenly aware of how close she'd gotten to him as he fueled her rage. "You're an infuriating imbecile, and a jerk," she raised her arm to push him, but Lavi stopped her wrist with his hand.
"I'm not avoiding you," Lavi finally said, and she lifted her gaze to meet his. "I just need some time."
"You need some time?" she reiterated.
Lavi seemed to be choosing his words carefully. "I'm sorry if I've-"
"Is it about what I said?" she interjected. "Is it because I said I loved you?" she pressed.
"Devina," he pressed.
"You can't pretend nothing is going on here, Lavi," she was speaking so softly now, and she didn't know whether he could hear her or not, but she went on. "You can't go around touching me all the time and keeping me company and saving my life and staying the ni-"
"Devina, nothing is going on between us." He interrupted with finality, expertly hiding how deterred he was at her not denying her feelings for him.
Devina felt something sharp prick her heart. She hadn't realized it till she started saying it, but she was sure something was going on between them. She was sure it wasn't just her, because if it were, Lavi wouldn't have spent so much time with her lately, neglecting Lenalee. He wouldn't have asked her all these questions the night before, even if it was a spur of the moment, and he wouldn't have avoided her when she'd said yes, she loved him.
Lavi watched her frozen form, while something gnawed at his heart. He was about to take it all back - retrieve his statement and apologize and confess his lies - to shake her out of it, when she smiled.
"Okay," she said bitterly, "you can keep lying to yourself, Lavi," her eyes darted to meet his, and he saw the tears she was holding back threatening to tip over. "You are a coward," she whimpered, before she ran out of her room, their shoulders brushing as she left him and his cold heart alone.
It was raining heavily in the busy streets of London, and Devina was running. Her heart pounded and her legs throbbed as her feet trudged forward. She was completely soaked, water had seeped through her uniform, making it stick to her skin. She suddenly felt something snake around her waist - an arm, before she toppled to the ground, a shock of red hair in her face. He was laughing. He was laughing so hard, his tears mixed with the rain, and Devina couldn't help but laugh along with him. Her hand ran to thread through his auburn wet hair, and her fingers stayed there. She repeated the motion as he tried to catch his breath with his head resting against her breasts.
"Lavi," she said softly.
"Hmm?" He barely managed.
"I'm freezing," she rested her chin on top of his head.
"You are?" He asked, before he sat up and pulled her against him, tucking her into him. His arms wound around her, sheltering her almost completely. She hummed in contentment, her forehead pressing into his shoulder, before she sighed. Her lips pursed and she kissed the skin peaking through his shirt. His breath hitched and his head tilted back as he closed his eyes.
Devina smiled triumphantly, her lips working their way to his throat and his chin. His breaths were labored and when he turned his head to face her, she screamed.
His light skin was darkening to a near gray tint, his hair blackening and growing bellow his waist. Seven stigmata marks began to etch across his forehead, while his visible eye turned golden, with a tiny mole beneath it.
"T-tyki?" She gulped.
"Have you missed me, Devi?" he smirked, a swarm of tentacles breaking out of his back and latching onto her, one particularly stubborn tentacle twisted around her neck and obstructed her airway.
Devina woke up, clutching her raw throat. She must have been screaming before her eyes opened. What the hell was that…? She bit her lip as her mind went over her dream. Why was she dreaming of Lavi… like that? She tried not to think about his disturbing transformation into a certain Noah of Pleasure when something fluttered by her side.
"There's been an attack! To all Exorcists and members, please report to Lab Five! All the Generals, and the following Exorcists, please report to the front of Gate Three of Noah's Ark: Noise Marie, Miranda Lotto, Devina. To Gate Three, immediately!" Her golem relayed.
An Attack? How...?
Devina jolted to her feet, wondering where Allen and Link were, and why the latter wasn't hovering above her when she had woken up, but she managed to guess Allen had probably sensed the attack somehow, and he rushed to help first. She winced as she realized she was probably running late. She needed to give her friend a hand.
She activated her Innocence, and she was encased pearly skeleton that seemed to be her Innocence's real form. Her face hid behind the skull-shaped mask, while her chest and abdomen were protected with an outer ribcage. The black cape dragged behind her as she ran.
She bumped into Miranda, and was tremendously grateful because she had no idea where the gate was. She followed the older female and they ran into Marie.
The three of them arrived at an open area with several people monitoring screens Devina had never seen before. One of the gates was perched in midair, with the number 3 at its center; it wasn't shaped like a door, but several fractured fragments. The sight momentarily took her breath away.
She forced her eye away and found Komui speaking to one of the men by the monitoring screens. A man (Devina had yet to meet) was standing behind Komui; he had an air about him, so similar, yet more dreadful than Link's.
"Isn't it weird to have you show up so late, Chief Officer?" the man asked, and Devina saw Komui's shoulders shrink.
"My sincerest apologies, I had a few errands to run," Komui replied stiffly.
"Did it have anything to do with Lenalee, by any chance?" the man asked, and Komui made a startled sound. "Where is she?"
"She's in the Medical Wing with Lavi." Devina's heart swelled with relief, and she wanted to punch her gut for caring about the stupid redhead. "Under such an attack, an Exorcist who has no access to their Innocence should stay put rather than deter others or harm themselves." Komui murmured, choosing his words carefully.
"Is that so?" the man asked with a mocking expression. "In a worst case scenario, she can go see Hevlaska, then."
Devina saw Komui's closed fists shake, and she stepped in. "She won't have to, we're here to save the day. Right, Chief Officer Handsome?" she gave him a wink, and he faltered.
"D-devina, what are you still doing here? Get through the gate already!"
She pouted. "Yes, yes. I'll be off, then, please take care of-" but she was cut off when someone shoved her out of the way.
"Komui! What's the situation?" Kanda asked by her side, and Devina grunted in response.
"What are you doing here, Kanda? You're supposed to stay in your room!" Komui asked, sounding exhausted.
"You think I can just sit and wait?" Kanda shouted, but stopped when Komui smacked his hands down the table, shaking the monitors.
"It's impossible! There's absolutely nothing you can do right now, you'll get in everyone's way." Komui snapped angrily.
"Komui, you ba-" Devina gripped Kanda's arm with one hand, before smacking the back of his neck with her other hand.
"Shut up, bakanda! Go to your room!" she snarled.
It seemed to anger the older male. "You little bi-"
"Kanda, please listen to her." Komui said, his voice cracking. "I can't let you die here."
Devina told herself not to fall apart. She'd never seen Komui's composure falter, and it was heartbreaking to watch. She felt like embracing the Chief Officer, but somehow it seemed wrong to do so before the strange man. She saw Kanda's face twist, before he hissed and walked off briskly. Marie called after him, and it was the first time Devina heard the blind man's voice. He made a move to chase after Kanda, but Komui stopped him.
"Wait, Marie, I have a job for you and Miranda," Devina turned at that, ready to climb the stairs that led up to the gate. "You, too, Devina," Komui stopped her. "Please support Allen-kun and the others who are fighting in there,"
"Yes, yes, old man, now let us do our job and you do yours," Devina said, feigning irritation, but it still earned her a small smile.
The three Exorcists stepped through the gate, and reappeared in the lab Devina visited the night before. It took them only a moment to realize they were falling. The gate had thrust them right on top of a dimensional sucking device, reappearing in midair above it, forcing Devina to create three pairs of circular platforms beneath her and the remaining two Exorcists' feet. They were immediately swarmed by an Akuma army. There were so many of them, more than Devina had anticipated, and she felt a thrill pulse through her blood. She was itching to destroy those demons, or at least her Innocence did; she couldn't believe her Innocence was finally cooperating with her and following her every whim. She felt giddy with joy as it pushed her limbs forward and easily created the familiar pearly swords and knives floating around her, ready to pierce any Akuma in sight.
Miranda activated Time Record, stopping Allen from being sucked into the dimensional hole. Devina realized he was standing on the Egg's golden frame gradually getting sucked out by Miranda's time reversal; his Crown Clown had sent white strips to try and keep the Egg from falling back into the Earl's clutches.
Devina flew toward him, offering him her hand. "How's it going, Allen?" she smiled gleefully.
Allen's face brightened. "Devina, I have never been so happy to see you. It's not going so good. We really need all the help we can get," he sighed, taking hold of her extended arm, having materialized enough space on her platform to accommodate him.
Devina jumped when she heard a new voice. "That's a pretty extravagant ride, brat,"
The voice seemed to belong to a giant of a man. He looked as rough as he sounded, his entire body guarded by a metallic armor.
"Now, now, tell us how you'd like to die, pitiful Akuma?" He joked as he, Cross, Klaud, Miranda – who was perched on top of Marie's broad shoulder, and another frizzy haired man with a mustache and glasses all hopped onto the Egg.
Devina floated to the side, letting go of Allen once she made sure he had his footing. "It's getting a little bit crowded, isn't it?" she asked.
"Get cracking, Devina," she heard Klaud say, and she cracked a smile in response.
"I'm on it, ma'am," but her movement ceased when she saw one of the giant large Akuma sprawled diagonally across the laboratory; its long arms launched toward the rubble surrounding the dimensional hole, currently halted due to Miranda's Time Record, while its face drew nearer to them as it stared at them dumbly.
"I shall proclaim myself a lucky son of a bitch to be feasting on you," the armored man yelled, but Devina was on the move while he blabbered on.
She sent out sharp double-edged blades straight into the Akuma's circular face. Due to the close proximity of the attack, the blades cracked through the hard surface of its head and went running in each and every direction, tearing the Akuma from the inside out.
Devina stepped back and tilted her head to the side. "Oops, I guess I overdid it," she scratched the back of her head, while meeting the Exorcists' surprised gazes.
The armored man groaned, "That is unforgivable. You stole my thunder! Who are you, kid?"
"She's my last surviving disciple, Sokaro. Touch her and I'll kill you," Klaud answered for her. Devina recognized his name, he was one of the Generals.
"Couldn't you at least dress her better for the occasion, Klaud?" Cross grumbled, and Devina twitched at his antics before she realized she had forgotten to get out of her sleeping attire in her haste, a skimpy tank top and black boy shorts.. Klaud didn't bother answering him, and Devina chose to imitate her Master.
"I'm not gonna kill her. She at least has more spark than any of you," was Sokaro's response, before he moved to stand beside Devina. "Well, I'm gonna let loose now. Make sure you don't stand in my way."
"Shit!" she heard someone shout and turned to see Reever. He was enclosed behind one of the Talismans, as it secured him inside a transparent, mildly protective cube that a Level Three was tearing at.
She jumped forward, but Allen landed in front of the Akuma before she could, and he kicked it back. She quickly formed a large blade and rammed it through the Akuma's chest, slashing until she tore it in two separate halves.
They didn't have any time to rest, the army of Akuma was continuously merging together, forming a dozen giant Akuma in its stead.
"You don't understand, this is like a dream come true!" Sokaro shrieked before he released two spiked rings that seemed to be part of his armor at first glance. He clapped them together, causing two enormous sharp blades to appear on each side of the circle in the center. Devina didn't want to go anywhere near his Anti-Akuma weapon.
Before he could begin though, Devina felt a cold breeze wash over the area, and she realized it was because of the older man with frizzy grey hair and big glasses. His Innocence had a defensive ability, a garden of sorts that had covered all the injured members of the Science Division.
"I'll leave the researches to you, Froi," Devina heard her Master tell the older looking male.
"I don't mind it, Klaud. With the four of us here, there's going to be a little extra baggage. Only if that delinquent hasn't lost his touch," the man named Froi was another General Devina has heard of, Tiedoll Froi, was his name.
"Are you talking about me, by any chance?" Cross appeared next to her Master, and Devina couldn't bite back her smile. She could tell she was going to get on very well with Tiedoll.
"Listen to you chatter, old man," Cross muttered. "Well, let's end this already," he broke into a grin, "Judgemnet, activate," and he held up his silver pistol.
"Lau Shimin, activate!" Klaud cried out, lashing her whip. The little monkey on her shoulder jumped to the ground. Devina felt her heart thumping in excitement. She hasn't seen the gigantic simian in a long time.
The simian, twice the size of her mistress now, attacked one of the giant Akuma. Lau Shimin bombarded the Akuma with several balls of dark energy, released with each and every hit from its fists.
Lau Shimin proceeded to land hit after hit into the giant Akuma's face, ramming it against a wall before it finally fell and began to disintegrate.
Cross turned to Klaud, "whoa, you're good."
"You should get to work, too," Klaud chided.
Cross grunted. "That's a word I really dislike."
Her mistress lashed her whip behind him. "Would you like to be whipped? You, too, Devina. Get moving!"
"Not a bad idea," Cross smiled, while Devina jumped, turning to one of the large Akuma. She was about to jam it through the eye with her blade, when Cross's bullets ran through it, only to reappear and shoot through another Akuma to its left. Three Level Threes appeared behind Cross and he spit out his lit trademark cigarette, which hovered above his head as he shot the Akuma, in the few seconds it took to catch the falling cigarette between his teeth on its way down.
Devina disliked that womanizer who shrouded himself in mysteries, but she had to admit he was pretty badass. "Uhh, K-klaud, I think we're all set," she grumbled, crossing her arms.
Right across from them, atop the Earl's Egg, Marie reported the cease of Akuma activity back to Komui.
Komui was relaying orders regarding the Egg when Devina caught sight of Allen and Bookman. She made her way toward them, and realized they were evacuating all those who haven't been sheltered by Tiedoll's Innocence yet.
"Reever, please evacuate to a higher floor where the gas won't reach you. Everyone, you do the same," Allen instructed. "Devina, can you help those who can't walk? I'll go look around and see if there's anyone we haven't helped yet." Devina nodded, already helping a limping researcher up; he had brown hair and kind hazel eyes. "Reever, aren't you listening to me?" Allen asked, his voice strained with annoyance.
"Everyone, please listen to Allen. I can't go up there yet. Some of our modified comrades have gone through one of the gates. They may still be there, someone has to check…" Reever held up a hand to shield himself from the gas.
"Alright, I'm coming with you." Allen said determinedly.
"Me, too!" the men around all cheered.
"Wait, what do you mean by "modified comrades"?" Devina quipped after delivering the limping man to safety.
"They're people… who were turned into Skulls." Reever's voice cracked.
"What are skulls?"
"They're magicians who work for the Earl. Their job is to keep the Egg safe," Allen quickly answered when Reever couldn't. Devina had more questions, and she couldn't really wrap her head around the concept of turning humans into those creatures, but she knew it was best to help silently for now.
As they made their way toward the gate Reever mentioned, one of the gas tubes came off the ceiling and it was tumbling toward them. Devina and Allen slashed it together, breaking it in half and sparing their comrades any further injuries.
Allen was the first to see the shape that now appeared on top of the Egg. It was a several-armed, and humanoid with its entire body spread across the Egg; Miranda was stuck inside its chest.
"Devina…" Allen's voice wavered. "I need your help with something."
Devina turned around to look at him. "What is it, Alle-" and then she saw the new creature and Miranda inside her. "What is that?"
"That's Lulu Bell, she's the Noah that led the attack earlier. Listen, you can control your bones in solidified form, right?" Devina nodded, unable to tell where he was going with this. "Can you control them in liquid form as well?" he asked.
Devina thought about it. "I- I can try?"
Allen beamed at her. "Excellent!" He then leaned in to whisper his plan in her ear.
"You two should go and help them!" Reever shouted. "We've got it under control."
Devina looked at them dubiously, but she had no choice but to trust them. "Please, don't do anything reckless until we're back," she placed her hand against Reever's shoulder and looked him straight in the eye.
"Y-yes, of course. Now go!"
"Let's go, Allen!" Devina yelled. Allen set off and she followed him.
The two barely made it in time. The Generals were relentlessly launching their attacks against the Egg and Lulu Bell, who was using Miranda as a shield to protect the Egg. The Egg had almost been fully submerged into the dimensional hole now that Miranda's Innocence had been subdued.
Allen, encompassed in Devina's Innocence, rushed into Lulu Bell's body and picked up Miranda swiftly, before the three of them surged forward, out of Lulu Bell and into the Egg. The two of them slipped through a crack in the Egg, and Devina released as many blades as she could, while Allen slashed at the Egg from the inside. The cracked hole at the top was growing larger, before the Egg finally shattered completely.
"Stop it! If you harm the Egg any further, it will be irreparable!" Lulu Bell screamed. "DAMNED EXORCISTS!"
Allen jumped up and out with Miranda in his arms right when the Egg erupted and expelled Devina after him, and she recovered on one of her planks.
"You're despicable!" Allen frowned at his Master, once the hole swallowed the Noah and what remained of the Egg.
"I believed in you, idiot," Cross smirked, and Devina wanted to punch the smirk right off his face.
"It's a good thing Devina jumped in to help him, otherwise he wouldn't have been able to breathe inside that Noah," Klaud glared at the red haired general.
Allen and Devina landed on one of the upper floors, followed by Marie, who took the woman from Allen.
Bookman rushed in and checked her pulse. "She's fine. She just lost consciousness," he explained before he saw Allen stand up. "Allen?"
"I'm worried about Reever and the others, so I'll-" Devina had never seen Allen's left eye react to Akuma before, but she realized that it was doing exactly that at the moment. A silver screen appeared and his eye turned black while his pupil reddened. His face was colored in several shades of shock at the sound of approaching laughter.
Devina didn't need Allen's eye to justify the dread that was approaching. Whatever it was, it had a terrible, horrifying presence, and the hairs on Devina's arms and legs stood on end. She had never been a coward, but a strong urge to run filled her, to flee and never look back. Devina gulped as she tried to scan where this creature was.
She broke into a run. "Allen, go warn the others! This is…" she had started to yell and then she was forced into a turn, and the sight she stumbled upon turned her vocal chords rigid.
The men she and Allen were helping earlier all lay in a crimson pool. Johnny was sprawled on his stomach, trying to crawl forward.
"J-johnny…" she whispered, and his head turned to look up.
"Devina… it's all my fault… I was trying to save Tapp, but the Akuma isn't dead, it's-" Johnny stopped talking, and Devina saw him look beside her.
She hadn't realized he was there, but Allen was suddenly next to her and his face was probably mirroring her shock and disbelief.
One of the Science Division's members was hanging upside down; he began calling Allen's name when he saw him, until black stars began to appear across his skin, infecting him with Akuma poison. "We tried… to hold on… Sorry, Allen…"
Devina forced her eyes shut as he began to turn into dust. When she opened them, she noticed a shape above the spot where the man had disappeared. It was twice as large, but Devina swore the crystal form nearly looked like a human's, an angelic woman whose long locks swayed with the cold. Her protruding stomach began to shatter before they even got close enough to investigate, when the laughter resounded. She couldn't help the shudder that went up the length of her spine.
And then it appeared.