Sweat ran in rivulets down Allen's scarred back as he hung up the phone, rising from the tangle of sheets and reaching for his shirt.
The dark-skinned men behind him watched him dress, leaning back against the headboard and pulling a cigarette out of the case he kept in the nightstand.
"So, what did your lover have to say? Why was he too busy to entertain you today?" he questioned smoothly, placing the cigarette between his lips and lighting it.
The whitenette didn't answer until he finished buttoning up his shirt, taking the time to consider what Kanda had just told him.
"The panther has finally started to discover his true power while interrogating Kon," he informed his partner, turning around once his upper body was once again covered. "Soon, he'll be learning that he's the key piece to all of this."
His-more scantily clad-companion let out a soft, rueful noise.
"The irony that we had the catalyst for our destruction within our ranks all this time and we never even knew it," he mused almost to himself.
He took a drag from his cigarette.
"He still doesn't know about you, though?"
An unbecoming smirk stole over the white-haired Eidolon's pale lips, looking extremely out of place on his youthful features as he shook his head.
"Of course not. He still thinks I'm his naïve, infantile moyashi," Allen sneered the old, hated nickname in an unnaturally high, mocking voice.
Tyki snorted at his obvious rancour.
"Well, that's one over him, at least," he stated encouragingly, blowing out a smoke ring before shifting into his next topic. "And it should keep suspicion off you after you perform your next mission."
Allen arched an eyebrow, folding his arms across his chest.
"What do you mean? Why would anyone suspect me of whatever this mission entails?" he queried shrewdly.
"Because it involves a friend of yours," Tyki replied enigmatically.
He took another pull from his cigarette before elaborating.
"Lord Orochimaru wants you to kill the Bookman kid as a punishment for your lover leaving the Eidolons-but he can't know you did it."
It occurred to Allen that he probably should have been at least somewhat reluctant to carry out this assignment-not that he actually had a choice-but he wasn't. He'd stopped feeling remorse for all the terrible things he'd done in Orochimaru's service a long time ago.
He nodded.
"That shouldn't be a problem," he commented confidently. "When do we leave?"
Tyki's dark hips curved in a smile.
"Now."
It wasn't terribly difficult to locate their target: all it took was Allen making a single phone call and asking Lavi to meet him later that day.
The two Eidolons arrived at the arranged meeting place about fifteen minutes early, Allen standing out sharply in his white cloak and silver mask.
God's clown is about to sin
The long fingers of his gloved hand trailed over the familiar stone walls, remembering when he'd lived here, when he and Kanda and Lavi had all lived here. This had once been the Exorcists headquarters in Japan, but now that the Eidolons had absorbed most of the Exorcists into their ranks-and killed the rest-it was an abandoned building, perfect for their periodic meetings.
Fitting that their relationship would end where it had begun
"Feeling nostalgic, Allen?" Tyki commented mockingly from behind as his gaze continued to wander over the place he once pretended to call home.
Allen let out a quiet, rueful scoff, dropping his hand and removing his mask.
"Just recalling what it was like, living here under false pretenses," he stated honestly, a single corner of his mouth lifting. "Seems appropriate that I'd return in the same manner."
Tyki stepped up beside him, casting a swift, searching look in his direction. "Are you certain you're ready for this?" he asked lowly, gold eyes narrowing ever so slightly.
Allen met his gaze without flinching.
"Yes," he replied unhesitantly, flexing his fingers at his side. He jerked his chin back toward the entrance. "You should go now; you don't want Lavi seeing you, or else that could blow the lid off this whole thing."
Tyki gave a soft, humourless chuckle. Allen knew he could easily conceal himself if he wanted; obviously, he wanted to get rid of him. But that was fine.
"Remember: it can't look like it was you," the Noah reminded him before slinking into the floor in a blur of blackness, leaving Allen alone.
The former Exorcist exhaled soundlessly, feeling a curious lack of trepidation for what he was about to do. In fact, he felt quite the opposite.
Despite everything they'd gone through and how long they'd known each other he actually felt excited at the prospect of murdering Lavi
He was an Eidolon through and through
When he heard the door opening again, followed by the sound of footsteps, he felt a shiver of electricity down his spine. This was it.
"Hey, Lavi," he turned around to greet the new arrival, feigning his usual cheerful tone and pasting a smile on his face. "It's good to see you. How have you been?"
"Honestly? It hasn't been very much fun with you off the radar and Yu off with his new crowd," the redhead replied, giving Allen a jokingly admonishing slap on the arm. "What have you been doing without Kanda to boss you around?"
Allen's nostrils flared slightly, but he forced himself to remain light and friendly-even as he prepared to end his companion's life.
"Oh, I've found ways to keep myself busy," he stated ambiguously, beginning to call up his power, making the shredded ends of his coat begin to stretch out toward Lavi. "My world doesn't revolve around him, you know."
Unnoticed by the redhead, those white strands of fabric detached from the article of clothing and floated up behind him, morphing into candles with pointed ends.
"Well, it sure seems like it sometimes," Lavi commented obliviously, winking to let Allen know he was only teasing. "Is that why you called me? Because you were lonely without your boyfriend?"
Allen affected a laugh, taking care not to betray the viciousness he was currently feeling.
"Actually, there was something I needed you to do for me," he said, still in that falsely casual tone, eyes drifting to the candles, making them move so that the points were aiming directly at Lavi's throat and back.
"Oh? And what was tha-?" Lavi cut off in a grunt, pitching forward as the candles rammed into him, piercing right through his windpipe and through his back into his chest.
Allen didn't even bat an eyelid while his-former-friend keeled onto the ground, a brown stain spreading rapidly over his jacket and blood pooling around his neck on the floor.
"You just did it," he declared with a mirthless smile, stepping over Lavi's body and exiting the building again without a backward glance.
Or an ounce of remorse
Sasuke found his brother on the roof of the compound, sitting on the flat surface with an elbow propped on his upraised knee and his other leg stretched out in front of him, staring impassively out at the empty grounds.
The corners of his mouth twitched as he felt a distinct sense of nostalgia; that was a position he'd seen Itachi in many times before. It was odd, seeing it again after being apart for so long.
"So, you've killed DEidara and sent the Panther after another of the Noah," Sasuke observed by way of a greeting, coming to stand next to his brother and watching him out of the corner of his eye. "I assume there's a bigger plan hidden in there somewhere?"
Itachi didn't say anything at first, instead simply continuing to gaze out into the gray sky, ivory features remaining as blank and unreadable as ever. Sasuke was used to that, though, so he didn't push; he knew that, if Itachi didn't want to answer, there was nothing he could do about it.
He stayed where he was, though, and waited-just on the off chance that Itachi would.
And, after about five minutes of silence, he finally did.
"This may have started because Hiwatari wanted payback for his turning, but the people he required to get that vengeance all have their own grievances. Therefore, precision is required; we must dismantle them systematically, and dissolve their control over the world by distracting them so they lose their grip."
The younger Uchiha raised an eyebrow; as usual, Itachi's statement was so cryptic that he just barely understood it. He should have expected his brother wasn't going to tell him what he had planned; he hadn't wanted him involved, after all.
But that was too bad. Sasuke was here now, and, after what the Eidolons had done to him, there was no way he was backing out. Which meant he wasn't going to just let this matter drop.
"And how does Hiwatari think we're going to do that?" he pressed, pushing his hands into the pockets of his jeans.
Itachi still didn't look at him as he answered in his usual bland tone.
"We are beginning by eliminating each of our targets individually, then we will start tackling the larger picture." this time, he surprised Sasuke by actually giving some specifics before lapsing back into his usual vagueness.
Sasuke's other eyebrow rose to join the first. That last bit about the 'larger picture' didn't match with what he'd previously said, or the impression Sasuke had gotten of Hiwatari when he'd met him. From what he'd seen, the incendus was only concerned with taking all his venom out on Kon; he didn't think Hiwatari would really have his mind on anything beyond that.
His lips compressed into a thin, bemused line; Itachi had let something slip.
"And what exactly is the larger picture?" he queried carefully; he was almost certain his brother wasn't going to tell him-and he was right.
"Nothing you need to concern yourself with," the elder Uchiha responded enigmatically, getting to his feet and finally glancing in his brother's direction. "As I've previously stated, you are not a required player in this battle; your role is going to be quite infinitesimal compared to the rest of us."
Sasuke's face darkened. He didn't like the sound of that.
"I may not be one of the people you wanted involved in this fight, but I can still be a valuable weapon-you know that. Don't bench me just because you want to protect me," he argued fiercely, stepping into Itachi's path and blocking him from leaving.
Itachi didn't blink-nor did he really reply to Sasuke's argument.
"You are not the one I need to be focusing on right now," he said softly, turning and leaping off the edge of the roof before the younger could say anything more.
Sasuke frowned; Itachi's last words there-and his abrupt departure-couldn't mean anything good. There was obviously more going on here than met the eye-and Itachi was apparently the only one who knew it.
That made Sasuke wonder what was going to happen if and when anyone found out.
"Any ideas on where I could find her?" Kanda asked his companion pointedly, posture deceptively relaxed.
Tekla shook her head.
"You don't need me to tell you where to go," she revealed, much to Kanda's surprise. "As the Shifter, you can also track people with your mind-as long as you know them, or, if they have powers, you can sense any time their abilities are used for any purpose."
The raven-hair's brows furrowed again.
"How do you know so much about what I can do? If I'm, presumably, the only Shifter out there, where are you getting your information from?" he wondered, feeling a distinct sense of scepticism.
The barest trace of a smile curved the chestnut-haired woman's unglossed lips.
"One of my powers is being able to detect an individual's potential, their capacity for both mundane action and supernatural," she explained, an interesting hint of cockiness entering her voice. "I knew everything you could do from the first moment I saw you."
Kanda's nostrils flared; he was about to get angry at her for not telling him about his powers from the beginning-but then, he decided against it. He probably wouldn't have believed her, anyway, and he didn't feel like starting another fight. So, he just took a deep breath and moved on.
"Okay," he conceded, unfolding his arms and rolling his shoulders. "So, how do I use that ability, then?"
Tekla stepped closer to him, laying a firm hand on his arm and looking directly into his bright, flashing eyes.
"Just think about it-about her," she instructed quietly. "Call up your memories of what her powers are, what they look like, what they can do. Try and see where their signature was most recently left behind."
Kanda did what he was told, closing his eyes and focusing his mind on what he knew of Road Kamelot, recalling everything he could about the Noah of Dreams.
Tyki Mikk's adoptive niece the representation of the dreams of Noah, the first apostle of God
Though she was over fifty eyars old, she liked to walk around in the form of a young girl-and, more often that not, that was exactly what she acted like. She could open doors-portals-to other places, create pocket dimensions and trap people there, plant suggestions in human minds and turn them into her living dolls.
She liked to use candles as weapons; turn their bottoms into points and impale her victims with them
This will lead to the last place you'd expect
It was that last part that did it-the candles-an image of the familiar wonky pink candles, conjured from thin air, already lit, blossomed within his brain. They were floating in the center of an unlit, derelict chamber in a building he recognized all too well.
His eyes flew open.
"She's at the former headquarters of the Japanese Black Order," he declared in what was almost a growl, frown returning even deeper than before. What would Road be doing there? The majority of the Japanese Exorcists were all either dead or had joined the Eidolons; the only thing that place was used for now was occasional meetings between Allen, and Lavi-
Oh. No.
"What?" Tekla quipped, seeing his eyes narrow and his jaw clench.
Kanda shook his head. There was no time to explain it to her-or to form an actual plan. If Road had used her powers there, then that meant she hadn't been there alone-and since the only people who went there anymore were both his friends…
Without answering, he turned around and sped out of the compound's exit, heading straight for his former place of residence.
When he got to the former headquarters of the Japanese branch of the Black Order, he could still sense her power-but he didn't hear or see anyone.
Feeling an immense sense of foreboding, he unsheathed Mugen and held the glowing katana out in front of him as he began to methodically search the unlit halls for any trace of his target.
As he neared the center of the building, a distinctly potent odour began to fill his nose, and he wrinkled it, eyes narrowing. He kept walking heart thudding in his chest as he hoped that that smell didn't mean what he thought it did, that it wasn't coming form what he thought it was.
Unfortunately, though, when he found the source, it was exactly what he thought it was.
Lying face down on the floor of one of the inner balconies surrounding the tower was a body with a bloodstained black jacket, and a very familiar head of red hair.
Lavi, Kanda declared bitterly inside his head, jaw tightening as he lowered his sword to take a closer look at his friend's corpse.
He felt a lump rise in his throat, growing larger the longer he stared at it. There was no doubt in his mind that this was because of him; the Eidolons-or more specifically, the Noah-had no other reason to go after Lavi except to punish Kanda for leaving and joining Hiwatari's quest to destroy them. This was, without question, all his fault, and he knew it.
The cost
But how had Road known that Lavi even came here anymore? How had she been able to get him here? He couldn't have been meeting Allen, otherwise Allen's body would most likely be lying right next to his. So, what had the young Bookman been doing here on his own?
Kanda's teeth gritted in anger. Whatever had happened here didn't really matter; all that mattered was that Road Kamelot had killed one of the only people he cared about. He could see where her candles had stabbed through Lavi's chest-and throat-and that sight made him more intent on going after her than he had been before. He was going to find her, no matter what-and he was going to make her pay.
Clenching his hand around the hilt of his sword again, he closed his eyes and repeated what he'd done earlier to try and locate the Noah of Dreams; he used his knowledge of his target in order to track her.
It took a lot less effort and time than before: in a few moments, he was able to see where she'd gone after here, and his expression darkened into one of steely determination.
His friend's murderer was not going to get away with what she'd done.
Nothing is what it seems
"Allen Walker."
He heard the voice reverberating throughout his room the second he stepped inside it after returning from his mission, and an involuntary shiver rattled his spine.
He turned around, and a gloved hand closed around his throat, slamming him back into the wall and lifting him off the floor. When he looked up, he found himself staring into a familiar pair of remorseless obsidian voids.
"What do you want?" he demanded, trying to sound as if he didn't really care-as if he wasn't actually extremely unnerved by the other man's presence in his quarters.
Those swirling black coals bored into him, completely empty of emotion or anything resembling humanity, as the speaker continued to hold him in place.
"I know what you did, Walker," Itachi declared, and the softness of his voice was more terrifying than if he yelled. "You told your lover about my past with the Vampire Lords and the Eidolons in order to convince him not to trust me-when really, the person he shouldn't have been trusting all along was right in front of him."
It was a simple statement, but the way he said it gave Allen a strong sense of foreboding, like it was more of a threat, and the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end-though he did his best to hide it.
"At least I'm only keeping one secret from him-you were keeping a whole shitload," he attempted to argue, leaning his head back against the wall to try and put some space between Itachi's hand and his windpipe.
He had to fight down a scream when that grip suddenly tightened.
"And yet, your secret is the biggest one of all," Itachi quipped, the twin blades in his eyes spinning more rapidly than ever. "And I think it's time Kanda knew."
Allen stared, unable to conceal how rocked he was by that statement.
"You wouldn't tell him," he said uneasily; the truth was, he had no idea what Itachi would or wouldn't do. The Reaper was just too unpredictable for that.
As if reading his mind, the barest trace of a smile curled the blacknette's pale lips.
"As a matter of fact, I would-but I have a much better idea."
His thumb pressed against Allen's pulsepoint, and Allen couldn't hold back a scream as he made the mistake of looking up into those crimson orbs, finding himself suddenly held completely immobile by their gaze.
That deep, fluid voice took on a dangerously silky undertone and echoed within his ears, making it impossible for him to deny its words. "I know you killed your friend, the future Bookman, and made it look like the work of Road Kamelot. He was Kanda's friend as well, and now he's going after her to get justice."
"But he isn't going to find her tonight. You're going to intercept him, and when you see him, you're going to tell him where your true loyalties lie-and where they've been all along."
As much as he wanted to, Allen couldn't argue with that command; Itachi's powers of compulsion were far too strong. All he could do was nod.
But that wasn't enough for Itachi.
"Swear," the Reaper insisted-and Allen had no choice but to obey.
"I swear," he vowed aloud, unable to stop himself, voice coming out dazed; but the oath was binding. He had to do what Itachi said; he was physically incapable of not doing it now.
The Reaper stepped back and finally released him, apparently satisfied. His eyes returned to their normal shade as Allen slumped to the floor at his feet, rubbing his bruised neck.
"You cannot renege on that promise, Walker; when you find the panther, your secret's going to be out, and your master's plan to get him back on his side is going to fall completely to pieces," he commented, an almost triumphant note in that normally glacial tone of his. "I look forward to that."
With that elegant parting sentence, and a flurry of shadows, Itachi disappeared.
Once he was gone, Allen let out a quiet, mutinous curse. Itachi was right; that promise he'd just made was really going to fuck with Lord Orochimaru's plans…
The image of Lavi lying on the floor of their former shared residence, his jacket stained with blood and his throat sporting a distinctive hole was still fresh in Kanda's mind, fueling his every step. It'd been a long time since someone he'd care about had died-but it wasn't the first. He'd made a promise to himself after his parents were murdered that he wouldn't let anyone close enough for it to hurt if he lost them-but that damn baka usagi had somehow gotten past his defenses-and now gone and gotten himself killed.
His lips thinned, and his fingers gripped Mugen even tighter. To say he was angry would be a gross understatement.
As he neared the dimly lit headquarters, the sound of rushing air punctuated the night, and then, he saw the last thing he expected: his partner, Allen, making his way toward him from the building's entrance.
"Hello, Yu," the white-haired teen greeted his lover with mock affection, an unfamiliarly cruel gleam in his guileless gray eyes.
Kanda halted in his tracks, consternation furrowing his brows.
"What the fuck, short stack? What are you doing here?" he demanded, his sword shaking in his gloved hand.
Allen's upper lip curled into an uncharacteristic sneer, and Kanda's hackles rose as he removed the glove on his left hand and pointed one of the claw-like fingers at Kanda.
"Let's see if you can guess, lover," he pulled away the collar of his white shirt, exposing his throat and revealing the familiar crimson mark there-something Kanda hadn't see in a long time.
When he saw that, he couldn't do anything but stare-and the other former Exorcist let out a cold, mirthless laugh.
"Nothing?" he said coolly. "Not even a clue as to what this means?"
When Kanda still didn't respond, he let out a withering scoff, replacing his collar before dropping the bombshell. "I'm still one of the Eidolons, darling."
Kanda was struck dumb, and his mind went into overdrive. That couldn't be true; Uchiha couldn't have been right. Allen loved him, and had been the one thing that kept him from being completely heartless all these years; how could he still be a part of the most heartless organization in the world? How could he have been lying to Kanda for all this time.
He swallowed hard, managing to force out a single word in response. "What?"
"You heard me," Allen retorted with a cold glare, folding his arms across his chest. "I'm still an Eidolon-in fact, I've been one this whole time."
"Since when?" Itachi suddenly materialized at Kanda's side, fluidly asking the question that Kanda was too stunned to form.
Allen's gaze snapped to him, nostrils whitening and gray eyes hardening into granite. Itachi was undaunted, though, staring him down without blinking.
"I don't like repeating myself, Walker," he pressed, dark coals narrowing dangerously.
"Since before I joined the Exorcists," Allen answered, appearing to struggle not to let the words out-but Kanda didn't seem to notice. He was much too caught up by the words themselves-especially with what Allen said next: "Joining them was actually a mission-and so were you."
Kanda's jaw worked furiously to contain the fury and hurt that threatened to overwhelm him at that statement. He couldn't believe this.
"If that was all I was, why stick around this long? Why tell me you loved me? What the hell were you playing at?" he hissed.
Allen's sneer grew.
"You were convenient," he drawled ruthlessly, eyes simmering with something Kanda couldn't identify. "Letting you believe that I loved you gave me a way in, and gave me someone to keep me amused when I wasn't at headquarters, so I figured, where's the bad side?"
Kanda lost it at that.
"I'll show you the bad side, you lying, cheating, son of a-,"
"Kanda, leave it," Itachi interrupted sharply, holding the panther back from lunging at Allen, his dark voids narrowing even further on the white-haired teen. "He'll get what's coming to him one way or another."
"Fuck that shit," Kanda spat back, fighting to get past the elder, eyes blazing. "That asshole probably helped Road kill Lavi, so whatever's coming to him is not going to be enough."
His eyes grew even stormier as they turned back to his-now former-lover.
"You-I trusted you. I actually put my faith in you-and letting me is going to be the worst-and last-mistake you ever make," he vowed, icy tone dripping venom.
Finally stepping away from Itachi, Kanda cast one last scathing look at Allen, then disappeared with a puff of smoke.
Itachi watched him go, obsidian gaze completely void of emotion; but a strange sort of triumph entered them when they returned to Allen.
"Your debt has been paid," his voice penetrated the younger's head, finally lifting his compulsion-but it was a moot point, as he made clear an instant later. "And now, you have no one keeping me from devouring your pitiful soul. So, enjoy your next few days, Walker, for they are now numbered."
His eyes flashed in the darkness as he departed after Kanda.
not the best closing to that last scene but oh well. the rest worked out well.