Thank you for the4 great response to the last chapter! You people make me so happy!!
ramenluv- and here is that update, just for you! I'm glad you like this story!
MitarashiiDango- and I shall give you more!! Haha- Link has his reasons for being smug, but I'm not telling you what they are!
a1y-puff- yes, a new identity. Of course, I can't do too much to Allen… I'm glad you liked that, I personally thought that Kanda announcing that Allen was sharing secrets with him would seem very strange to anyone!
MidnightEmber- haha, wait no more! Here it is, as promised. I'm so happy you are enjoying Decline. Makes me know that my free time isn't being wasted!
JuliaSuna- my dear, any review is better than no review! I don't care how long it is, as long as its there! (that could be taken sooo wrong…) I just like hearing what people think!
XxMissyRandomxX- Well, he is slightly noticeable what with all that white hair and a freaking scar on his face- not good for going incognito… As for what Kanda will do… I have no clue!! :P ps its trying to do that weird thing where it doesn't show your name again... BUT I WON'T LET IT! *cue evil laughter
xRandomosityx- wait no more!
MiniBloodyMurder- he's stressed? What about me! Lol, not really. Guess it would make anyone depressed to be in that situation…
darklink231- yeah, Allen always gets it rough doesn't he? What a lot of faff to go through to stop himself from being killed… sigh.
CrimsonKitsune333- Now usually I'd make a crack about getting cyber-fat from your cyber-cookies, but since I'm moving out and haven't been food shopping for 3 weeks to deplete my food store to save carting that along too, I'm living off pasta and beans, so your cookies are very welcome!! I'm glad you're loving Decline!
Like OMG I'm going crazy today. I'm moving out of my uni room on Sunday, so today I've packing, writing, cleaning and eating all at the same time!! Nightmare! … I just started with 'like'… shoot me now... Shorter chapter than I've been managing lately, but you'll forgive me? Right?
It was not five star accommodation, it wasn't even up to the Order's rather Spartan standards, but there was a bed, admittedly it was nothing but a shabby straw filled mattress on the floor, and a sink with a single tarnished tap that dripped water intermittently, but the water was clean and free from dirt and rust. The toilet was in the form of an outhouse in the yard, but all in all Allen had lived with a lot worse. Heck, much of his early childhood had been spent on the streets where beds were the cobbles of the dirty pavement and a toilet was some rumoured mystical device that only the impossibly rich could even hope to own. And just what was clean water anyway?
Allen tried to avoid any thoughts that informed him that he might yet have to return to that way of life. The thought made him feel more ill than he probably should have. As a child he had been dirty and street roughened, and even later, with Mana, the circus life had not particularly encouraged cleanliness, even if his adoptive father had managed to improve his manners and language considerably. The years with Cross however were a different story entirely. The redheaded general abhorred dirt and Allen had had to quickly learn to be as much of a neat freak as his master out of necessity. Of course, as soon as the general had Allen trained to clean up after him, he became a bit of a slacker himself, but somehow Cross' lessons had always stuck with Allen, so much so that he had a slight obsessive compulsiveness when it came to untidiness and dirt. Lavi had always been his worst enemy in that department. Slob.
Luckily he had managed to persuade an old woman to house him for a few nights in exchange for helping her with her chores. This was something Allen was sure he'd have no problems with- it seemed that he spent earning money for Cross to fritter away he'd done just about every job going.
Now however, the morning chores were finished and he had a couple of hours free before they began again, and Allen sat looking at the bottles ranged on the windowsill, helpfully labelled in Komui's untidy handwriting.
It was the last two that particularly held his attention right now.
He had already used the one that made his hair hang well below his shoulder blades. He didn't mind the effect- he'd had a similar style before thanks to Komui's potions disaster in the move to the new headquarters building, and though unlike the previous one this transformation was permanent, it was nothing a pair of scissors couldn't cure.
No, the last two bottles contained dye. One for his eyes and the other for his newly long hair. He scowled accusingly at them. Though being cursed by one's adoptive father was not something he'd recommend to anyone, he couldn't deny that the white hair and bright silver eyes felt normal to him now. Of course, he could happily live without the scar, which was currently hidden beneath concealer, but it still felt odd to be returning to the almost forgotten, rather dull browns of his childhood complexion. Like he was losing a part of himself. Which he supposed was the whole point of the dye anyway.
When he was finished he studied the reflection in a small cracked mirror critically, ignoring the lurking shadow over his shoulder. The overall effect wasn't too bad- his pale hair and eyes had always made him look washed-out, but with deep brown hair and eyes only a shade or two lighter, his whole complexion seemed darker somehow, like he had a faint, fading tan. He blinked a few times, watching his strange new reflection mimic the action.
"I prefer you like this" the Noah informed him, the shadow's grin broadening. "Now you look much more like my previous body. All that white, it didn't suit you- too pure."
Allen decided to ignore the Fourteenth- he couldn't risk the old woman walking in on him talking to himself, even if it was only internally. It was going to be hard enough explaining why his appearance had changed so drastically in the space of two hours. Luckily the old dear rather liked him, easily befriending the polite young man who asked for nothing in exchange for saving her ancient bones. And he also suspected she knew far more about what was happening than she let on, from the way that her shrewd eyes watched him. Hopefully he'd be long gone before word of his whereabouts reached the Order anyway.
With a sigh he pulled the hair-band that Komui had supplied from his pocket and tugged his long hair into a low ponytail before turning and examining the contents of his suitcase that were spread across the mattress. At some point he'd have to exchange the bulky case for something easier to carry and less conspicuous- all exorcists travelled with suitcases, and while the one Komui had given him was of a different design to the standard one, it was still something easily spotted.
The case had contained several long sleeved shirts, though only one was his usual white. The rest were either off white or a pale beige colour. There were a couple of vests, one a slightly too big brown one and the other a well tailored, though still a little too long black one, which, judging by the bow tie tucked into its pocket went with the crisp white shirt. The pair of black trousers and dress shoes in his size completed the suit, though for the life of him he couldn't understand why Komui thought he needed one while on the run. The other two pairs of trousers were brown and altogether, though it was clearly a well planned wardrobe, Allen found himself missing the monochrome uniform of the Black Order.
He gave himself a rough mental shake- now was not the time for such thoughts.
A last root through the clothes turned up several pairs of gloves among the underwear, most white but one black and one dark brown pair also revealed themselves.
It looked like Komui had thought of everything.
With a last sigh he turned away, tucking his gloved hands into the unfamiliar pockets of his trousers before heading downstairs to help prepare lunch.
The old woman, who was named Helen but insisted (fiercely) that everyone called her Nelly, greeted him warmly when he reached the kitchen.
She stood back, arms folded over her ample bosom as she regarded his new appearance appraisingly. "The colour suits you William" she said in approval, giving a sharp nod. The English words she used were heavily accented, but she had maintained that Allen, or William as he had introduced himself, continue to use his native tongue so that she could practise the language she hadn't used in many years.
Allen smiled in response. "Thank you. I must say, as odd as it is to have my hair and eyes back to normal, I'm rather glad to be rid of all that white." God he was lying through his teeth! He hated it! Absolutely hated it!
Nelly didn't seem to notice the rather pained expression on Allen's face as she gestured to the pile of potatoes with a knife. "Just those to do now, William You worked so hard yesterday and this morning that I thought you needed a break."
He forced himself not to bow to her as he spoke, a habit he'd picked up from spending so much time in the East, and instead offered her a smile. "That really wasn't necessary Mrs.- Nelly." Something else he kept forgetting. The woman was all for manners, but his overly formal, sometimes stiff way of talking resulted in a wallop around the back of his knees with her cane. He'd been reprimanded twelve times in the day and a half he'd been staying with her and had no desire to repeat the experience. "I would gladly do more to repay you for your kindness."
"Nonsense boy" she scolded, then slipped into her native French to articulate properly. "You may not have told me what's going on, but I'm not stupid, and I know a good person when I meet them. And if whoever is looking for you comes knocking, you were never here."
He smiled gratefully. "Thank you" he said in English, before switching to French to make sure she understood. This was one of those rare times that he was actually grateful that Cross had dragged him all over the world. Not only did he know French and German, but had a fairly decent understanding of Japanese and a smattering of Spanish. "You don't know what that means to me, really. I wish I could tell you more, but I don't want to put you in any danger should someone come looking for me."
She patted him fondly on the shoulder. "Don't you fret about me, dear. You should start worrying more for yourself."
Allen had nothing to say to that: it wasn't the first time he'd heard it, after all.
0o0o0o0o0
Kanda didn't think she could look more depressed if she tried. He watched Lenalee morosely poke at her food, but so far she'd not once attempted to eat anything.
Beside her, sitting directly opposite Kanda, Lavi was doing better at disguising his thoughts, but the pensive silence and thoughtful frown gave away his true feelings.
Eventually Lenalee lay down her fork and sighed, looking around the noisy crowded dining hall.
Everyone was sitting clustered in small groups, heads pressed close together and urgent words being exchanged. It appeared that Allen's desertion had caused quite the stir.
Every now and then someone would cast a quick look over at the three exorcists, no doubt wondering whether they knew any more about what was going on. Perhaps if Kanda hadn't been sitting there, they would have attempted to question Lenalee and Lavi, but as it was the curious finders and scientists contented themselves with making their own speculations.
Lenalee looked on the verge of tears. "I just don't understand. Why would he leave?"
Lavi turned and blinked at her, as though only just realising she was there. "Maybe it's not Allen any more."
She scowled at him venomously. "Don't even say that! That doesn't make any sense! We saw him that morning, and he was perfectly normal then!"
Which wasn't completely true, Allen hadn't been acting completely normal for weeks, but neither of the two men at the table bothered to correct her about that, although Lavi said: "well, actually, he seemed almost too normal, y'know? Like, completely back to how he was before all this happened, He was really cheerful when I spoke to him that morning."
"Then why would he leave?" she asked again desperately. It was no secret that she cared a lot for all her comrades, and she seemed honestly distressed that something had been bothering one of them to this extent and she hadn't noticed. This gave Kanda some satisfaction- that he had spotted the problems when those who claimed to be closest to Allen hadn't noticed a thing. Then he frowned, wondering why he cared at all.
Lavi must have spotted the expression on Kanda's face, because he looked at him interestedly. "What is it Yuu? Do you know something?"
Kanda managed to stop himself from flinching in surprise: he thought he was better at hiding his thoughts better than that. Obviously Lavi and Lenalee were not the only ones unsettled by the recent events. He scowled at the red head to disguise his shock. "Don't call me that!" he snapped to buy time. Well, that and it was an automatic reaction by now, even though he knew no matter how many times he asked, no, demanded, threatened Lavi to not use his given name, the redhead only took it as encouragement to continue. "And I don't care why he's gone. Good riddance. Maybe now we can get on with some real work instead of waiting for some stupid Moyashi-Noah to murder us in or sleep."
Lavi's eye visibly darkened in anger in response to Kanda's answer, but he kept his tone light and joking as he teased the shorter man. "Waiting for him to kill us? Are you admitting that you'd lose?" he said with a grin.
Kanda slammed his hands on the table, but didn't get a reply out, because, so quick that his brain didn't register the motion until after the event, Lenalee had raised a small hand and slapped him soundly across the face.
"Don't you ever, ever talk about Allen like that again!" she cried, and the room fell silent. "Whatever's going on, I'm sure there's a good reason for it! He hasn't deserted the Order, he just hasn't!" she stormed away as soon as the previously unshed tears began making their way down her face, leaving the room to fall back into excited, speculative whispers about the latest development.
Kanda sat, hardly believing that she had just smacked him. Of course, it wouldn't be the first time she'd hit him- usually it was with a clipboard, but this had been serious… she really meant to hurt him with that hit. He inwardly cursed his policy which stopped him from returning the strike. Well, his policy and his intended target's older brother who would cheerfully castrate him and then kill him for good measure for even touching her.
Lavi gave a low stunned whistle. "Wow, Yuu-chan, you really pissed her off." The redhead got to his feet, adjusting his headband absently. "She's right though. There must be something more to this than we've heard. The sprout would never just up and leave without good reason."
Kanda watched the other exorcist walk away before releasing a frustrated sigh. He didn't need Lavi to tell him that- of course there was something else going on. And he knew exactly what it was. What he couldn't understand was why no one had been told what the higher ups had planned to do with Allen. Even if they couldn't be told about Komui's involvement in the escape, surely they should know that everyone's favourite exorcist was going to be carted away, experimented on, even killed? No one would blame him for doing a runner with that hanging over his head.
There was only one explanation as for why that little detail had been suppressed and only one person in Headquarters that could have issued the order. He stood abruptly, drawing the attention of a group of nearby gossiping finders. He ignored them. He was off to have a little word with Howard Link.