Disclaimer: Don't own D. Gray-Man, never will.
Special Thanks To
The awesome beta-reader Miss Tigger, All who reviewed, All who faved, All who subscribed, All who voted and All who reads
So so so sorry about the long emptiness, even after I promised this one will be quick. OTL I have no excuses.
But before I atone for my sins at the very end, let me wish you a Merry Christmas everyone!
Enjoy.
"The plan is to rebuild Headquarters in a new location." Komui clasped his hands to together and leant his chin on them. "It's all for the sake of fighting the Earl."
Allen nodded. He sat in the usual red chaise, an island in a sea of paper in a land known as Komui's office. He had been called here, Reever was next to Komui with an expression a little on the grim side. Link stood like a guard next to Allen. He wasn't sure why he was here or why Komui was saying this to him. He had an uneasy feeling.
"Allen…" Komui continued. "You know what the "Power of the Musician" is, right?"
Allen looked down. He knew this topic would be brought up eventually, even when he wanted to avoid this until he had talked to Cross…
"General Cross referred to it as a "song". As long as one knows that "song", anybody can manipulate the Ark. We want you to teach it to us." Komui sighed audibly. "None of this is official yet, but we plan to use the power of the Ark to help establish the new headquarters and also as transportation in our missions. It would prove to be a powerful asset for our side…"
Allen stared at the pieces of paper at the foot of Komui's desk as Komui waited for an answer. A heavy silence pressed on.
Reever approached Allen and knelt down next to him. Komui and Reever both know now is not the best time for this, but they too have been pressured by Central. "Allen, we don't suspect you because you know the "song". You don't have to worry about what some people are saying…" Reever tried, rumours had been spreading.
"No, it's not that." Allen waved in hand. "It's just that…it feels wrong…"
The exorcist watched Komui and Reever's obviously confused expressions at his words. He can't tell them. He can't bring himself to talk about Mana, the code and the song to his comrades. "Having something like this inside me, something that I can't understand…it feels wrong."
Allen grit his teeth and bent over, clenching his head and leaning his elbows on his thighs. He really can't talk about this to anyone.
Except for…he carelessly did to her that time in the Ark. But he doubts she remembers all the details anyway.
Master! I want him to tell me that it's all ok. It's ok to keep trusting him. To trust Mana.
Allen could do better without such an accurate memory, but Mana's last moments were fresh in his mind.
Allen…I…Love you.
Desdemona carried a heavy cardboard box, filled with bottles of dangerous chemicals. She grunted in distaste and jerked her newly acquired tail, thanks to a certain white-haired idiot. She scowled. Why is it so unnecessarily long and fluffy? Being optimistic, she's glad it was at least black. But she wasn't an optimistic person.
She turned around to throw another round of insults at the white haired exorcist. However, she hesitated when she saw the downcast look on his face. Recently he had been looking like that a lot.
She knew. She knew he had a lot in his mind. From the guilt of not being able to protect his comrades, his own perceived powerlessness to the mysteriously suspicious behaviours of Central towards him (aka. Link), he is going through things that can aren't the very least pleasant. However, she also knew that he doesn't talk to anyone about anything. He smiles, he laughs, and he acts. Everyone knows, but he doesn't say anything.
More than that, Desdemona knew he must be troubled by his new found piano abilities, because he told her that time in the Ark. She is troubled by that strange shadow in reflections where Allen was supposed to be. She had seen it many times and it makes her uneasy. Who else can see it? She doesn't know.
She stood before him, but he kept staring at the floor blankly whilst walking. When his cardboard box bumped into hers, he glanced up like he just woke up from a dream.
"Good morning." She said in a sarcastic manner.
"Dem..." He smiled lightly in an apologetic manner and stepped back.
The girl stepped forward, pushing on his box with hers. He blinked in confusion as she stared into his eyes.
"You aren't concentrating. If you spill something else on me again, I will send you to hell myself." She threatened. She reasoned with herself, his melancholy has nothing to do with her. Even if he died it was none of her business.
Then, Desdemona froze. Allen smiled a very weird smile. It was a tired smile, but a relieved smile. A smile that felt warm. A smile that made her heart flutter. It was the most genuine smile she had seen him smile.
"Sorry, Dem. I will concentrate." He looked down again and walked past her.
She turned to stare at his back. She felt like she finally saw something real coming from him. Though that is absurd, because she had seen him cry plenty of times. But maybe this is the first time that he showed weakness whilst he was A, fully conscious and B, voluntarily.
"Dem, Allen! Put these boxes here!" Johnny waved from the other side, pointing to a pile on which boxes were already accumulating. The girl sprinted over immediately, keen to rid herself of the extra weight and dangerous potion. She ran past Allen who was spacing out again.
Allen walked forward, unable to stop thinking about his meeting with Komui and Komui's question. The song. He doesn't even know himself. He wanted a more solid answer from Cross. He needs the answer.
As he walked, his foot got caught behind a pile of stray books on the floor. His body kept going forwards, and eventually downwards. He snapped alert. In an attempt to save himself, he threw the cardboard box away to free his hands to save himself.
Desdemona placed her box down and turned just as she heard a dull thud. Inches from her head, was a boxful of potent chemicals.
A boxful of potent chemicals...
Allen successfully saved himself from an undignified face-plant. He sighed in relief, though his relief was short-lived. He heard a small yelp and glanced up.
A puff of green smoke enveloped the shocked girl. But before the green smoke could clear, a puff of blue smoke appeared, followed by a yellow one, a red one and a grey one. The last one just looked like dust though...
Allen pushed himself up and rushed towards the multicoloured smoke clump. Johnny did the same.
"Dem!" Allen called out, choking on the dust particles amongst other chemical fumes. He waved his hand around in an attempt to clear the fume. "Are you ok?"
Silence.
"Dem! Please answer!" Johnny called.
…
"I'll..." A familiar but shrill voice said in an extremely threatening tone. "Kill you!"
They saw a foreign silhouette, too small to be the girl. There was a tail...and triangular shapes sat on top of her head.
Allen froze when the chemical puff cleared.
There, sitting on the ground, glaring at Allen, was a very young Desdemona. She looked about 6. She was so small, and her oversized clothes lumped around her, hanging on her small shoulders.
Allen blushed intensely. From her tiny body, comparatively large eyes, swaying tail to the cat-like ears that were pressed against her tiny skull, there was only one word to describe her.
Cute.
He watched as her tiny eyebrows furrowed cutely in a cute frown, accompanied by the irresistible cute pout of her tiny lips. Her canine teeth had elongated and they protrude out from her lower lips, another result of the chemicals. But even though they were long, they were tiny.
Allen's heart was going crazy. He covered his face and turned away, "Cute..."
"Shut up!"
Allen was about to collapse. Her voice...her voice is killing Allen.
Reever hurried over. He paused when he saw the girl. "Hey, what a cute kid."
"I WILL KILL-!"
"Oh, this chemical gives cat ears…this one elongates the canine teeth and this one makes her younger." Reever ignored the little girl and explained to Johnny and Allen. They nodded in serious comprehension.
"CAN'T YOU ALREADY TELL WITH THE STATE I AM IN?!"
"There's one more bottle that was spilt, what is this?" Johnny held up the last bottle without a label.
Reever examined it and frowned. "Hm…I don't know actually."
Allen suddenly turned to Desdemona. She glared at him. "What?" He extended an arm and suddenly pulled her off the floor. She clung onto her falling clothes. "Wait-!"
The tall Beansprout easily lifted the little girl and held her tiny form so that she was sitting on his forearm. Desdemona blushed. She's never seen Allen like this before…his chest was broad and his arms felt strong. As the little kid she was…she felt safe and comfortable in his arms…
He turned back to Reever. "We just have to examine her don't we?"
"Good idea, Allen!" Reever nodded with even more seriousness.
The girl struggled in Allen's strong arms. "Hey what are you doing? Let me go! LET ME GO!" She slapped him on the arm over and over again.
Allen smiled cheekily. She's so tiny and weak…and cute. She's so powerless against him now. It's a wonder she can still be so demanding…considering she just lost all strength that is needed to intimidate him.
Suddenly, a sharp pain shot up from his arm and he flinched. Allen glanced down at the girl, who glared at him with the same death-inducing glare as ever. He shifted her so he can see his injured arm. There, beneath his ripped white sleeve, were three bleeding trails. They looked like scratch marks.
"Oh, I see."
The boy looked up to see Reever inspecting the girl's hand, or more specifically, her fingers, where her nails grew long and sharp. She pouted and her nails retracted into her hand. She pulled her arm out of Reever's grip. "Why would you guys waste time and make such useless things! Tell me how long these stupid effects last for!"
"You see, I think this potion has a claw-like effect." Reever nodded. Johnny nodded in comprehension. Allen just kept staring at her cute face as she pouted.
"DON'T IGNORE ME!" The girl said angrily.
"You should return to normal height and age in about 4 hours. As for the ears, the tail, the teeth and the claws…they should disappear at around the same time, in 24 hours maybe." Reever nodded more.
"24 HOURS?!"
"I think we should get her changed first. Her clothes are too big." Johnny suggested.
"Allen! Take her to Lenalee and Komui. The Supervisor has a trunk of Lenalee's old clothes!" Reever commanded.
"Yes, sir!" Allen answered enthusiastically and energetically, which earned him an unnoticed puzzled glance from the girl in his arms.
"Hey, Allen! Wait! I SAID WAIT!" The girl clenched tight onto her slipping clothes as he ran to Komui's office. He didn't listen.
Kanda passed without a comment, Lavi was about to eat Desdemona, Lenalee walked passed and squeezed the younger girl to death and proceeded with them. In a flash, they reached Komui's office.
"Brother! We need some clothes!" Lenalee opened the doors and Komui was under a paper mountain. The two teens pulled the man out.
Desdemona stood to the side, unwilling and unable to be of much help. She lifted her legs, they were…normal. She left her boots outside and her legs don't feel light. Maybe she really returned to her body as it was when she was 6.
Komui understood the situation after Lenalee explained and pulled a huge trunk from thin air.
"Dem, come here~!" Komui turned to the kid with a broad smile, which earned him a glare in return.
"Don't treat me like a kid!" She trudged over, inspecting the trunk warily.
"Then I'll leave her to you, Lenalee. Allen and I will be outside." Komui pushed Allen out, patting the kid on the head. Allen on the other hand, waved childishly at the child, who glared at him even more.
As the scientist with sister-complex and the paedophilic English gentleman exited the room, the girl turned around to Lenalee holding a black dress. "Lenalee, that…"
"Just wear it!" Lenalee seems excited. "It looks like you'll fit and you don't wear dresses normally anyway. Plus, with that tail, dresses are the only things you can wear!" The older girl wasted no time in peeling the already falling clothes off the little girl, who objected strongly.
"I can change by myself! Stop treating me like a kid!"
"No, no, no. I'll help you, I'll help you!"
After much not much struggling, the girl slid out of her uniform easily, and then Lenalee slipped the dress over her head and zipped up from the back. Lenalee stood back to admire her work and sent out love hearts from her head. "Dem, you are adorable."
Desdemona crossed her arms and pouted. She hates being treated like a kid. She knows what she's doing! She shifted herself comfortable in Lenalee's old dress. It fits, the size. Dresses and skirts restrict the movement too much, must be aware of undignified positions…
"Dem…I'll leave your clothes in the trunk. When you change back, you'll know where to find your clothes.
When the girls exited the room, the much younger one was devoured by Komui in quite the literal sense. She swatted the Scientist away with all her anger. Allen, she noticed, stood to the side. His eyes were hidden in shadows and his hand covered the lower half of his face. She blinked and tilted her head. Is he doing his melancholic things again?
Lenalee helpfully dragged Komui off the little girl, "Dem, you stay with Allen. You're not used to this body and with all the potions around, it might be dangerous. I'll keep my brother away from you, so rest assured!" Lenalee said, reliably, as she pushed Komui away and waved the two remaining exorcists goodbye.
Desdemona huffed in annoyance and crossed her arms. She glanced back at Allen, who was in the same position. She walked over and kicked his shin lightly. "Hey, what're you doing?"
No response.
"Allen! Allen!" She called.
No response.
Desdemona pouted. She's at Allen's thigh-height. Any form of intense physical assault would be undoable. However, there's one thing she can do.
The little girl prepared her finger and poked Allen extremely hard in the waist. The previously unwavering man bent over in shock. Somehow, his balance gave out and he fell onto his knees to the floor. "What was that for?!" He glanced over to the girl and his heart skipped a beat. Tiny Desdemona in a dress…The cuteness is too painful, it is unbearable. He looked to the floor again.
The girl blinked. Allen's face was really, really, really red. Is he sick? She knelt down closer to Allen, between his long legs, and looked up to see his face. Before she could see anything, his large arms wrapped themselves around her in a vice-like drip. Luckily though, she was small enough that his strength didn't restrict her breathing. "Allen? Are you alright?"
"Yeah, yeah." He muttered into her hair. "You're so cute." Allen squeezed the little girl into his chest.
"If you dare call me cute again I'll-AAHH!" The girl squealed as Allen lifted her up and off the floor. She held onto Allen's thick neck. She really isn't used to this, looking over his shoulder and down to the ground, the drop looked so far and scary.
"You know what?" He smiled, though she couldn't see it. He readjusted his arms so she was sitting on his forearm, again. "I'll take care of you until you get back to normal." She shifted until she could see his face, which was smiling so brightly. The redness was gone.
Smiling so brightly…She looked away in frustration with a forced "fine".
He smiled even more; she didn't know that was even possible. Or maybe it wasn't real. "Well, let's go eat! We have 4 hours!"
~x.X.x~
Desdemona swung her legs casually as she took small bites from her chocolate sponge cake. Her tail swung around happily and her ears were flapping a little. Allen watched her with all his attention, so focused that the food before him was untouched.
However, Allen's wasn't the only one captured by the little girl's cuteness.
Lavi was screaming "Mini-strike!" like a moron, his lunch also ignored. Lenalee was proud of Desdemona for some reason. Even the stoic Kanda stopped eating his soba and stared at the girl for 3 seconds before muttering "tch" and continued eating.
Desdemona turned a blind eye to everything around her. Her utmost importance was the cake Link made. Despite all of his stalk-ish behaviours, he makes great cakes. That's what he was doing the whole morning, making cakes with Jerry for exorcists terrorized by chemicals.
After a while, she noticed the large man next to her didn't seem to move an inch. The tall pile of plates blocking her light also did not disappear in a few minutes as she had expected it to. She turned to the side to Allen, who was staring at her with a warm smile on his face.
She blinked, getting used to the stares, and waved her hand (which was holding a fork with a piece of cake on it) in front of Allen's face. "Allen?"
Suddenly, he grabbed her tiny hand, leant in, and placed the fork into his mouth, devouring the large chunk of cake she greedily took. He glanced at her with a cheeky smile.
It took the girl a few moments to realize what he did. Her cheeks flushed red as blood rushed to her cheeks.
He. Ate. My. Cake.
Angrily, she thrust her hand forward, poking the fork (that was still in Allen's mouth) hard into the roof of his mouth.
"Mmnfgh." He jerked his head back at the pain and pulled on her hand to get the fork out of his mouth.
The girl swiftly threw the fork down on the table, stood on the bench, and proceeded to choke the life out of the English with her tiny hands. "GIVE MY CAKE BACK!"
Allen comically started frothing at the mouth.
"Aw, how cute." Lenalee watched with an amused expression.
"Not fair, small Dem only plays with Allen." Lavi said with jealousy, pouting.
Allen felt the choking is getting a little too much despite her weak strength. He reached out an arm and swept her off her feet.
"Ah!" She shrieked in shock as she found herself in his broad chest again.
He turned her around and sat her in his lap, keeping her in place with his arms that seemed so big around her. "Stop eating that cake." He picked up the fork again and grabbed a nearby bowl of salad (Link insisted Allen has to eat more vegetables). "Eat this instead." He forked up a piece of lettuce and placed it in front of her mouth with the intention of feeding her.
"Don't mess with me, Allen! You don't want to eat that so you'll dump it into me. No way am I eating that!" The girl spat with cute venom.
Allen held back a laugh. She's too amusing.
"That's not right, children need to eat vegetables to grow." He teased. "Now, say 'Ahhh'."
Instead, he got an elbow to the stomach.
"Let me go!" She pushed on his arms weakly, unable to escape.
"If I eat it, will you eat it?" Allen compromised.
"Let me go!" She repeated.
"Not until you eat the lettuce." He said firmly.
She stopped and evaluated her options. He waited with a smile. Suddenly, she leaned forward and took the lettuce into her mouth with an unsatisfied pout. "Enough?"
Allen was at his limit. He couldn't hold it anymore. He started wheezing, which then turned into snickers. Eventually, he was choking her as he doubled over in laughter.
Desdemona was at the end of her tolerance too. She had to bear with this crazy, cursed person for too long. She had wanted this to end peacefully, considering they are finally off the battlefield for a little, with no blood spilt.
But that's not happening now.
Desdemona opened her tightly clenched fists. Her newly acquired claws sprung out, the sharp tips glinted dangerously under the light.
With no hesitation, the girl jabbed all ten of her fingers into Allen's thighs.
The young man bowed cordially to the pair of elderly couple as they walked past, politely lifting his hat off in the process. The elderly man nodded and the lady smiled.
Returning his eyes back towards his destination, he frowned.
He had refrained from coming back to this place. He would gladly burn this place down once more. However, the Earl had stopped him from doing so.
At the edge of this small town, the once colourful tents were faded to a sooty yellow. The wooden frames and beams were burnt crisp, collapsing in places and rotting in others. Costumes, flyers, props, everything has turned to dust.
The man tightened his jaws. This place was a place that he despises to the depth of his soul. His childhood, his family and even his life were lost here. Lost forever.
Lost, all but one.
Mony.
On that day, she was in town gathering supplies. On that day, the Earl came. On that day, the day he last saw her, he, too, was reborn.
That day was fated, he knew. The fact that she may still be alive is enough proof. He will find her. He will find her and they will be reunited once more.
Everything will return to how it used to be. He will protect her properly this time. He will do it in this stronger body, a body that will not fail him like his last.
He will find her and protect her, just as Bidelia must have wanted.
With the help of the Earl and the Ark's abilities, he should find her in no time.
And to find her, this is the place to start.
Allen's lunch time ended quickly with a trip to the infirmary, where some doctor hastily and roughly strangled his bleeding thighs with bandages. The girl was snickering every time he screamed in pain.
"It's your own fault, admit it." She said pridefully, as usual, as she paced in front of him.
Allen flinched slightly as he sat down on a chair, next to a tall pile of books. "Dem…you…"
"Dare to look down on me again and you will receive the consequences." She stopped before him, with her arms crossed before her chest.
Allen pouted. Because of her size he underestimated her. No matter how much he wanted to disagree, he had to admit his suffering is, at most, 16% his fault…14% maybe. The rest is hers. It's her fault for being so adorable, it's her fault for being so fun to tease and it's her fault that he is so infatuated with her.
In conclusion, it's just her fault.
"Dem, Dem. I get your point." Allen nodded. He bent down and extended his arms. "Come here."
The girl raised an eyebrow and entered his strong embrace. He lifted her up and sat her on his thigh, a wrong and painful move indeed. Allen hissed under his breath and adjusted her so that she was sitting on the bit of seat cushion between his legs. To his surprise, there was barely any amount of protest at this stage. Maybe she just got used to him.
"I-idiot. Does it really hurt that much?" She turned her tiny head around and an adorable frown was above her large eyes. Her cat-ears were pressed down in worry.
Allen felt his blood rush to his head. Luckily this appearance of hers is temporary, or else he'd die, one day, of cardiac arrest. "Yes, it does hurt a lot." He nodded into her hair. "That's why you should stay here with me..." Allen hugged her tiny form and leaned into her tiny shoulder. He closed his eyes and smiled.
"A-Allen?" Desdemona said unsurely. He is acting really weird.
"Forever." He whispered in her ear. While his head is turned, he gently and lightly kissed the girl's tiny cheek.
Desdemona froze. She is not used to Allen being like this. Recently, he's becoming weirder and weirder. She swear he is either sick or have gone mad. Is he psychotic? That's the only explanation of his bi-polar behaviours. What's with this warm, fuzzy and giddy feeling he gives off. He's revolting as always, no, even more so.
When the girl snapped out of her kiss-paralysis and was ready to fire complaints to Allen, she found him asleep against her shoulder.
For the next few minutes, she stared at his sleeping face. From a non-biased point of view, Allen is lean and muscular, he has a very strong and defined bone structure but his features are soft and warm. His eyelashes are the killers, being lusciously white and shiny, and draws attention to his pair of wonderful eyes. He is a desirable human being only if he wasn't…only if he wasn't…
Allen Walker.
Yes, that just makes everything wrong. No, the individual named Allen Walker is idealistic, stubborn, ugly, stupid, melancholic, and all the negativities a human could have combined in one.
Whilst knowing that, her mind gradually blanked out. She stared at him with a tilt of her head. Not really thinking, the girl lightly returned a kiss onto Allen's cheek. She, too, fell asleep soon after.
~x.X.x~
Dong~! Dong~!
Desdemona woke to the sound of a grandfather clock ringing 2 o'clock. She gradually opened her eyes and blinked. It's warm, something large and warm is around her. She opened her eyes wider. That's right. Allen Walker is around her…his arms, that is.
She glanced up at the male's sleeping face. Idiotic is the only word that comes to mind. His face spells idiocy and his drooling is idiocy personified. He had removed his head from her shoulder and is now leaning on a pile of precariously balanced books. Precariously balanced…
The girl snapped her eyes open and quickly looked up. Is that a bottle of weirdly-coloured chemical on top of the books? And is it just her or are the books tilting?
She quickly pulled on Allen's tie, half choking and half pulling his weight off the books. "Idiot! Wake up this instance!"
Alarmed by the girl's exasperated screams, Reever looked over from a shelf and Link appeared behind Allen. Reever saw that bottle on top of the books and panicked. "No! Allen! Get away!"
Whatever the chemical was, Desdemona didn't want to be a victim of it. She executed Plan AA: Abandon Allen. Sliding beneath his heavy arms, the girl freed herself and got herself about 2 metres from the impending chemical spillage before glancing back.
Allen was drooling as the books toppled over. The English fell to the ground with the books and the girl watched as the glass bottle chattered against the tiled floor, enveloping the books and the exorcist in a puff of white smog.
She held her breath, waiting for a monster to appear.
Several seconds later, Allen emerged, clenching to his overly long hair, and screamed.
Strangely enough, Timcampy (who was next to Allen on a book, sleeping) emerged with overly long hair.
Desdemona stared incredulously. The chemicals the Science Department makes…
Reever explained something about a hair toner in the background. The girl didn't hear properly. She was escorted by Miranda who offered to help tie up Allen and Timcampy's hair. Someone tapped on her shoulder as she neared a couch.
"What?" She turned and spat.
Surprising her was a Lavi that was the same height as her. Note that she is still under the influence of that potion that made her 6.
"Hey! Now Dem and Yuu and I are all the same!" Lavi said cheerfully after accusing Reever of making weird potions. "We can now play together!"
"Yuu?" Desdemona turned to see a sulky Kanda with oversized clothes sitting on the couch. He was pointing Mugen threateningly at Reever. He was 6 too.
Lenalee offered something about putting Kanda and Lavi in her old dresses and Bookman complained about his hair turning into rabbit ears. Lavi immediately bounced away with Kanda to complain about dresses.
Desdemona placed her forehead into her palm. This absurdity. When can this chaos end, it's making her head hurt.
"Ok, ok. Come on guys!" Reever approached. "We need to get our stuff packed before we move. Everyone help! That includes you, Dem! No more slacking around!"
The girl glared. "I don't want to. You need to pay me compensation for the mental scarring caused by your chemicals before I will lift a finger to help you." She crossed her arms.
"Yes! We want compensation too!" Lavi bounded out from somewhere like the rabbit he is.
Reever stepped back from the intensity of three little kids glaring at him. (Kanda joined in too) "Ok, Ok, kids." He turned to Link, who was standing in front of Allen, watching him getting his hair done. "Link! Give these kids some cake!"
"Cake!" Lavi and Dem said in unison, obviously excited.
"Cake!" Kanda said the word too, only his was in disgust.
"Cake?" Link made the word into a question instead. "I'm sorry, I'm afraid the cake I made this morning was already consumed."
"Aww." Lavi said in disappointment.
"Che." Kanda and Dem said in unison this time.
Almost like instinct, the girl lowered her previously wagging tail and her ears were flattened. After a moment spent pouting and sulking about a lack of cake, Timcampy landed on her head. Her ears perked up again. "Tim?"
The golem flew down from her head and showed off its beautifully tied pigtails, decorated by ribbons.
"Tim, go find a mirror and take a recording of yourself." The girl suggested, intending it to be sarcastic.
The narcissistic golem flew away in search of a mirror after hearing the girl's wonderful suggestion. A larger shadow appeared behind her. The large male lifted her up from behind and habitually sat her on his forearm.
"Allen…" The girl turned and froze.
Long, silky white hair, glittering under the light like silver. Desdemona's heart skipped a beat. Allen's long hair was tied into a low ponytail. It was a simple change and yet, something struck the girl. All of a sudden, he looked so much more mature, so much more dependable, and so much more…handsome.
"Dem? Your face is really red." He said casually.
"Sh-shut up!" She stuttered and turned her face away. Ew.
"Ok, ok. Let's go carry some boxes now. You can carry the small ones." Allen glanced at the clock, "You only have one hour left until you change back." He walked over to help transporting cardboard boxes and set the girl down beside him.
Desdemona followed closely beside him. "You sound like you don't want that to happen."
He laughed coldly in response. Oh, and you would know.
Allen walked about the Public Laboratory with the child never leaving his side. He smiled, it feels like he's walking a clingy pet.
Booom~
Allen and Desdemona approached the nearest window and glanced outside. A flash of lightning appeared and soon after, another clash of thunder was heard. The male turned to the girl with a smile. She was so tiny that she was to tip her toes and pull herself up with the window sill to see outside. The adoration he had for her increased dramatically. "Dem, are you scared?"
She looked at him with a frown. "No. I'm not a kid, Allen."
You are. He kept his words to himself.
"Truthfully speaking, this kind of weather is quite wonderful. It makes my mood better." She nodded.
Allen raised his eyebrows. "Really? Why?"
She shrugged. "I don't know. When it thunders, I feel better."
"Haha. Considering your Innocence, it might be that you're in your element." Allen suggested.
"Maybe…" The girl trailed off. She glanced in the glass at his reflection. There was no Allen in the glass. That strange, smiling shadow... She frowned.
Allen looked to the glass at the same time, waiting for another lightning strike. Instead, the shadow behind him caught his attention. His troubles flooded back to him and he frowned. Strangely enough, he forgot about those things for the past three hours. Thanks to…
He saw her frowning deeply at him through the glass. He turned to her. "Dem?"
She glared at him, still frowning, and glanced to somewhere above his head. After a moment, she shook her head.
"GYAA~~!"
Everyone in the laboratory witnessed Miranda dumping another box onto Lenalee and Bookman. The usual smog appeared and Desdemona placed her palm to her face. "Not again…"
"Let's go." Allen rushed over, the girl trailing behind him.
"Meow?" Lenalee meowed.
"Meow~ Meow~" Bookman too.
Desdemona arrived next to Kanda and Lavi and saw Lavi shiver. "Gramps…you are creeping me out."
The girl deep breathed. "WHO MADE STUPID STUFF LIKE THIS?! NOW THEY'RE TALKING LIKE CATS!" The many adults around her ignored her.
"AHHH! I'M SORRY LET ME BECOME A CAT TO ATONE FOR MY SINS!" Miranda was holding that same bottle of chemicals, preparing to douse herself with it.
Allen immediately restrained her. "No, no, no! Calm down, Miranda!"
Desdemona bounded over to Lenalee and helped her off the floor. She meowed at the younger girl.
"Tch. We will be in big trouble is Komui found out about this." Kanda commented from the side.
"It's too late." Allen came to help Desdemona help Lenalee. He turned to the little girl. "Hey, you'd be complete with the meowing, don't you think?" He raised his hand to show her the bottle that Allen confiscated from Miranda.
"I'll kill you if you come within 5 meters from me!" Desdemona threatened.
Reever walked past inconspicuously. Allen narrowed his eyes at the Scientist. "I hope you don't have anything worse hanging around, do you?"
Reever scratched his head nervously. "No. No. We don't make anything like that!"
Johnny appeared behind Reever. "Yes! We would never make anything as nasty as the Supervisor!"
"Really now." Allen towered over the short Johnny and glared. Desdemona pouted, there is something worse.
"Y-yes!" Johnny stuttered as he replied. Allen's scary sometimes. "We made sure to confiscate all the really nasty things from the Supervisor!"
Click.
The lights blinked out in the laboratory. Everyone glanced around in confusion.
"What's going on?"
"Is it a black out?"
"Someone go check on the power generators!"
"HIII HIIIIII HIIIIII."
Suddenly, a high pitched voice echoed in the laboratory. Alarmed, everyone gathered closer together. Desdemona raised her cat ears, she can't tell where it's coming from.
"A…ghost?!" Miranda speculated, holding Lenalee's hand tightly.
"No way!" Desdemona denied immediately. However, she found herself subtly grabbing Allen's pants.
"Is Komui messing with us again?" Kanda proposed some plausible suggestion.
"Wait…I hear something." Marie pressed his headphones into his ear. "There are more voices than just this one voice! And it's coming closer!"
Marie looked over to the large double doors that lead into the Laboratory. Everyone else did the same, anticipating the person that will walk through those doors at any second.
"Hiii, hiii!" The voice continued to laugh as the exorcists and scientists held their breath, staring intently at the door. Only the sound of distant thunder accompanied the hysterical laughs.
After a few suffocation seconds, the large double doors creaked open in the dark. A shadow appeared in the doorway. Many squinted to see who it was. Allen and Desdemona, on the other hand, recognized the individual immediately.
"Head Nurse?" Allen stepped forward to see clearer. "It's the Head Nurse!"
"Allen, you can see pretty well in the dark." Johnny commented, still trying to squint the Head Nurse out.
"Ahh that…" Allen turned with a smile that didn't reach his gloomy eyes. "During my training we were stingy so I developed night vision."
"Che, lies. You can't see me in the dark at all." The little girl said, letting go of Allen's pants.
Allen glanced down, seeing nothing. He blinked, he really can't see her in the dark.
"ARGH!"
Desdemona jumped back at the shadow that crossed before her. She looked up to see the Head Nurse sinking her teeth into Allen's hard, red flesh of his left arm. Allen froze, and so did the rest of the bunch.
Some scientist with quick reflexes grabbed the Nurse and pulled her away from Allen. "What's wrong with Head Nurse?!"
"She's angry! Why is she angry?!" Jonny exclaimed.
"Beansprout! You weren't discharged from the Infirmary, were you?" Kanda pointed a small, accusing finger at Allen.
The mentally scarred Allen was pulled back by Reever. "I was discharged properly!"
"Allen." Desdemona was found behind one of Allen's legs. Someone lit a candle so Allen saw her. He found it extremely adorable. "She bit you…that's not normal." She analysed critically.
"Allen, what exactly did you do?!" Lavi questioned from below.
Miranda approached the Head Nurse, struggling in the Scientist's grip. "Grrr~!" She growled.
"Head Nurse! That sounds terrible! Did you catch a cold?" Miranda asked with concern as she approached the struggling Nurse.
Lunging forward, the Head Nurse bite into Miranda's neck.
The crowd acted quickly, separating the Head Nurse and Miranda 50 metres from each other. Miranda collapsed onto the floor in shock, the Head Nurse growled ferociously. Many scientists surrounded her, trying to restrain her.
"Miranda, are you alright?" Marie knelt down next to Miranda as the Scientists struggled with Head Nurse and various biting sounds were heard.
"Th-that was scary…" Miranda whispered, holding her neck. She felt her own heart beat frantically and a strange feeling came over her.
Marie flinched as Miranda suddenly turned to face him. Her expression was strangely blank. "Miranda…are you ok…"
Kach.
In a blink, Miranda's teeth were in Marie's neck. The large man flushed tomato red and the witnessing crowd simultaneously dropped their jaws. "EHHHH?!"
With a loud snapping sound, the main power chord of Marie's headphones snapped. The man stood up and grabbed Kanda.
"Kya!" Desdemona turned to the scream on the other side, where many Scientists who were previously holding down the Head Nurse started biting other Scientists. Those who were bitten then turned and bit others.
"Hey, Reever. What's going on?" Allen asked as they were backed up against a wall.
"Something, something weird is going on." Reever answered uselessly.
"Please look to the door." Link said to Allen.
The exorcist widened his eyes as more people stumbled into the laboratory. They all looked strange, with unnaturally widened eyes, veins popping at their foreheads and drooling uncontrollably.
"These guys are not themselves!" Kanda exclaimed as he kicked Marie away.
In a split second, every single affected person lunged themselves at the remaining sane group. Their inhuman growling and roaring was deafening.
Lenalee activated Dark Boots and lifted Bookman and Kanda high into the air. "Meow~!"
They glanced down at the group remaining on the ground, but they weren't visible anymore. The abnormal people have formed a mountain on the group.
"Did they get them?" Kanda frowned.
"I'm really sorry!" Light shone from between the piled bodies. "Crown Clown!"
The bodies were sent flying away and from the pile, emerged Allen, clad in his white, glowing cowl.
Little Lavi was holding tightly onto the little Desdemona in fear, the girl tried pushing the red head's face away from her as far as possible.
The abnormal ones growled as they hit the floor. Desdemona pried Lavi away from her and began running for the door, so did the remaining sane Scientists. When she turned, she spotted the idiot apologising to the people he just sent flying. She grabbed his glowing cowl and pulled his along. "Idiot, run!"
Joined by Lenalee, Bookman and Kanda, the group dashed out of the laboratory through an opening. The injured Johnny was carried by Reever. (His injuries didn't heal completely since the Invasion)
As the group dashed down corridors and alleyways, the abnormal emerged from every nook and cranny of the Headquarters. They growled and snapped their teeth. The group lost another nameless Scientist to the beasts.
Desdemona turned into another corridor and emerged at the top of a staircase. The rest of the group followed. Allen was at the very back, knocking back approaching predators.
This, is going to be a long night.
Kavi: *Kneels on ground and places head on ground*
I am so extremely sorry for the extremely long gap of deadness. I am so extremely ashamed of my lazy and procrastinating and crying-for-three-days-after-reading-the-recent-chapter-of-DGM self that I will commit seppuku. (Japanese samurai suicide of cutting open own guts)
*produces Mugen from belt*
*Prepares to stab self*
Kanda: WHAT DO YOU WANT FROM MUGEN YOU STUPID AUTHOR. DON'T DIRTY MY MUGEN!
Dem: Kanda, just let her die.
Kanda: *Takes Mugen from le Kavi*
Dem: *Offers Thora in blade form* Here, have this instead. Rest in peace.
Allen: You know what? *Amputates own left arm and forms sword* I think you should use this large sword. *gentleman-ly offers his left arm*
Lavi: Or I can smash you with my hammer. *shrugs*
Lenalee: Would it be quicker if I kicked you into space?
Kanda, Dem, Allen, Lavi, Lenalee: GO DIE, KAVI!
Kavi: *whimpers*
OTL
Review to save my life.
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