„Speaking"

Thoughts"

Neah talking telepathic"

Scarlet-Nin: I finally posted another Chapter! Thought I am not quiet sure if it´s that good. I kind of wrote it in a hurry, so sorry for that.^^´ Hope you enjoy it anyway!

Disclaimer: I don´t own -Man!

Chapter 3

Allen, Link, Lenalee, Kanda, Miranda, Lavi and Krory were now dressed in plain white pants and shirts. It was all that Mother had for them. They stood at the door, waiting for the money to go shopping.

Allen was slowly getting impatient. "Where is that good for nothing womanizer!?" He thought annoyed while he had his arms crossed in front of his chest. He did not want to wake up like he did and then wait, just to do some task that his Asshole of a Master should do. He should probably talk to someone about what Neah-The Fourteen said to him, but to who? He couldn´t got to any of the people here and he would let hell freeze over before he went to his Master.

Lenalee looked worriedly at Allen. She noticed how he got more angry and how he flinched when someone brushed past him. She wasn't naïve or obvious, no matter how many people thought that. You couldn´t be obvious when you were fighting in the war. It meant instead death.

She smiled sadly to herself. "So Allen still doesn´t trust us, huh?" The thought hurt her more than she would like to admit. But she couldn´t be angry at him for that. They after all locked him up in a dungeon like he was a ….a monster. She should have tried harder! If she had done that, maybe Allen wouldn´t have to go through so much.

But she was scared again. That they would do something to Komui and the others. She was scared that she would be locked up again. That they would take her little freedom that she had.

Lenalee clenched her fists tightly and lowered her head a little. She noticed that her thoughts turned more angsty and all, she felt like that when she was younger after all, but now wasn´t the time for that!

Miranda fidgeted on her spot next to the door. She could practically feel the tension in the air and she didn´t like it. Not one bit. But what could she do? She was useless after all! She couldn´t even use her Innocence probably now! Oh god, what if they were attacked and all!? S-She wouldn't be of any use!

Miranda tried to blink back tears. That wasn't true! Sh-She was good for something! S-She knew that! It was just the potion of Komui that made these thoughts stronger than before!

Krory stood nervously next to Miranda. He was thinking about how he could comfort her. He saw her uncertainty in her eyes. He himself didn´t like their situation, but he couldn´t do anything. He felt the uncomfortableness swell up in him. He didn´t have a good childhood ether, but he would try to ignore these feelings for now. No matter how sick he felt at the thought of going out. He was scared that he would be called a…a monster again or something like that.

He carefully laid a hand on Miranda´s shoulder and saw how her head snapped to him. He gave her a comforting smile and she smiled back.

Kanda was scowling while he was slowly getting annoyed. He knew he wasn´t the only one when the glare on the Beansprouts face meant anything. Kanda always knew that the Beansprout had a short temper like him, but this was a bit overreacted for him. The Bean wasn´t someone who got annoyed easily by something like this. It wasn´t normal for him.

Then there was the thing where he started cussing. The polite so much that it was creepy Allen Walker, who always smiled cussedand glared at his Master. Now, that made Kanda interested in what kind of Past the Bean had. Normally he wouldn´t have cared about that, but…..he owed the bean that much.

Even he knew it was a cheap excuse, when he said he wanted to make sure that the annoying Sprout stayed out of trouble. Okay, so it was true partly, but that wasn't the only reason. He wouldn´t admit it but he counted the Bean to one of his closest friends….not that he would tell him that. Never. He´d rather die.

Kanda felt his hands twitch. He saw how the rest of them were fighting with their personality changes. Kanda would admit that he felt a bit sadder and more frustrated than usual, but now that he knew that Alma was resting in peace, he no longer felt such bitterness. He would have to thank the Beansprout for that. Anyway, he could proudly say that he was the most observant in their group close behind the Usagi, but he was a Bookman. They were trained to notice such things.

What made Kanda´s blood boil was when he heard why the Wachtdog was still alive. That damned dog would have been dead if Allen didn't interrupt. Kanda wouldn´t let the damned Dog out of his sight when he was near Allen. That low bastard deserved everything Kanda would throw at him. Oh and how Kanda would make sure that Link knew that he loathed him. What would happen if he told Lenalee about it?

Kanda smirked and leaned back against the wall.

Link had felt a glare on the back of his head for a few minutes but ignored it. He knew that the Exorcist Kanda Yuu didn´t like him. He couldn´t even be mad at him about it. It was totally understandable. He hated himself too for betraying Allen Walker like that. He tried to crush these feelings but he felt like the worst piece of crap when he admitted it to him. That heartbroken, but knowing and understanding smile that Walker shot him.

And the forgiveness, he so selflessly had given him.

"O-Oh….that makes sense. …..i-it´s your duty, r-right? ..Don´t worry I un-understand!…Link! You are hurt! Come on! I will bandage you up!" Allen smiled at him with empty eyes. Eyes that would haunt Link in his nightmares. Link let himself be dragged by Allen and tried to ignore the glares of Jonny and Kanda and the trembling of Allen´s hand.

Link clenched his teeth. He was a Crow! He didn´t need these feelings! Look where such feelings got his adoptive Family! Tewak, Madaro and all the others are now slaves of the Noah!

"Yeah, for the same species you give your loyalty to." A voice whispered into his ear. Link flinched and tried to push these thoughts away. It was his duty to follow the Fourteenth. And the Fourteenth killed the other Noah back then. He couldn´t be so bad.

"Was it worth it to betray him for that? To betray him for the same Organization that experimented with the others?" The voice hissed in his ear and Link felt guilt and regret spread through him. That was one of the reasons why he stayed so close to Walker as possible, in hope to compensate.

"You just want to make yourself feel better, you Coward!" The voice sounded more angry now. Now that Link thought about it…..he never heard the voice before and it didn´t sound like his conscience. But the voice had a point no matter how hard Link tried to deny it. He just had to hope he isn´t going crazy.

Lavi narrowed his eye with a grin. He looked them all over. He saw every movement they made. It was all burned into his head. He saw the glare that Kanda shot Link by every chance he got. How Link seemed to battle with something that bothered him. How Krory comforted Miranda who tried to hide her insecurities. How Lenalee tried her best to be brave to not cry even thought she bust be terribly lonely without Komui. How Allen appeared to be more cold, distant and angry.

Lavi didn´t try to let it show but his memories got to him too. In his childhood when he just began his training as a Bookman he loathed humans. Every Memory he saw was of war, cruelty and other inhuman things that made him disgusted. He shouldn´t have felt such things when the first rule was you don´t have a heart but it made him so angry. He just wanted them all to disappear. What sense made it, when such low beings got to live? There would always be war.

Lavi´s grin got more brighter and more fake. "No need to worry the others." He would tell himself. Someone had to be the mature on here! He would take that roll on.

Cross walked around the corner towards them. It was a second before Allen would have exploded. He smirked at them and Allen got even more pissed off.

Cross stopped a in front of them and raised an eyebrow. "What are you brats still doing here?" He asked bored. The others looked at him in disbelief. Lenalee stepped forward. "B-But we need money!" She retorted. She could understand why Allen didn´t like the man so much. Sometimes he was unbearable.

Cross snorted. "And where should I take that from? You have the Idiot there. He knows what to do." He replied while he pointed at Allen. Allen shot him a scowl and stormed out of the door.

Cross grinned and moved back to the kitchen. "GET MOVING!" He ordered as he walked away. The others frowned, scowled or glared and tried to catch up with Allen.

"Man, such an Asshole. Poor Allen." Lavi commented while he tried to locate Allen. He sure was fast when he wanted to be. Kanda snorted. "Understatement, Baka Usagi." He answered while he glared at the people who gave them weirded out looks. The people wisely kept their distance and looked away.

"There´s Walker!" Link finally found Allen. He just bumped into a person and now walked away with a smirk. They run to catch up to him.

"Allen!" Lavi yelled while he hugged Allen from behind. Allen flinched and shot Lavi a scowl. Lavi moved back and hide behind Lenalee. "I think I liked the older version better!" Lavi thought while he sweat dropped.

Lenalee moved forward. "What do you have there Allen?" She asked curiously. Allen held something in his hand. Allen shot her a dark grin. "Money of course!" He answered with a grin. Miranda and Krory gasped. "But Allen! You didn´t!" Miranda said shocked. Allen rolled his eyes. "Oh please. That guy sneered at me and he walked into me. I just pick pocket him." Allen retorted while he counted the money.

Link shoot him a disapproving look together with Lenalee. Kanda couldn´t be careless. "So how much?" Lavi asked interested with a mischievous smirk. Allen smiled in satisfaction. "Enough." He answered in victory.

"Where is the next shop where we can buy things?" Krory asked while he looked around. They were in the town, but they had no idea where to go.

They all groaned.

"Great and the streets full with people too!" Lavi complained. It was true, they could easily get lost if they aren´t carefull.

"Well, we can´t split up, so that option is out of the window." Lenalee sighed while she looked around in hope to find something like a clothing shop. They needed clothes after all too.

"W-We could ask someone? Or just walk around till we find something." Miranda suggested quietly. They perked up. "Good idea Miranda!" Krory praised with a smile. Lavi gave her thumbs up. Miranda blushed in embarrassment.

Allen snorted. "Yes, we could. We just have to be careful that we don´t get lost or that we don´t ask someone who´s an complete asshole." He muttered to himself. The others shoot him a look that said "Worry-about-yourself!"

Link suddenly had an idea. He moved forward and grabbed Allen´s hand. Allen flinched and frowned at Link. The others looked at them weirdly.

Link looked away to hide his light pink cheeks. "It makes more sense if we hold hands, so that Walker doesn´t get lost. He is after all one of the shortest here, no offense Walker." Link explained calmly as he held Allen´s hand more tightly.

Allen sighed in annoyance and decided to let it go. Someone grabbed his other hand. He looked up and saw Kanda glaring at Link. "If that´s so Watchdog, I will help. After all we need somebody to keep him in line. I don´t think the fragility of your body now could handle it." Kanda mocked with a smirk. Link glared back annoyed at the insult.

Allen tried to push back bad thoughts.

A hand raised in the air and hit him across the face. It reeked of alcohol and Allen felt the sting of the punch. Oh, how he wanted to beat the person who punched him up. The second punch hurt slightly less than the first, but maybe it was because his body became numb. Every touch was always painful so he tried to avoid contact as much as possible. He heard that hated ugly laugh and then everything went black. "Know your place, Red! You damned Freak!" a voice sneered. That was the last sentence he heard.

"Allen?" Allen´s head snapped up at the voice. He looked at Lenalee and saw big concerned Purple eyes staring at him. "Are you alright? You looked pale there for a moment…." She trailed of worried. Allen smiled at her. "Yes, don´t worry. Everything´s fine. I am fine." He answered in an even voice, but they all picked up the wavering tone of his voice. They decided to let it go for now.

"I think I will tell General Cross about it." Lenalee thought worried. She knew that the General cared about Allen. They all knew it. He just used tough love. It wasn´t healthy for Allen to keep everything bottled up. Hopefully the General will know what to do.

"I am fine. I am fine!" That thought was Allen´s lifeline. He always tried to assure himself with that. If he said it often enough he will believe it, right? That sentence made him feel more safe, even if he knew it wasn't true. He could always pretend.

"Ah? Pardon me. I don´t want to interrupt, but you have friends standing there waiting for you to let them in, right? Wouldn´t it be more productive if you…..I don´t know trusted them a bit more?" an annoying voice Allen knew all too well nagged at him. Allen growled in his mind. "And here I thought I got rid of you." He hissed. Neah chuckled softly. Just as Allen wanted to cuss at the Noah that made his life hell, he felt something squeeze his hands.

Allen was dragged along by Kanda and Link. "Come on, Beansprout. We don´t have time to wait for your slow ass!" Kanda grumbled as he walked. Link shot him a frown. "What he meant was that we have to hurry, Walker. I am sure you are hungry." He corrected sternly. Allen nodded and picked up his pace. He ignored the light blush on his cheeks and how he felt more safe and comforted when they held his hands. He didn´t need protection!

Neah was silent when he noticed that Allen calmed down. A gentle smile spread over his face.