As usual, thank you everyone who took the time to review. I know, I know, it's been forever since I updated, but don't worry, I'm not dead yet!
MitarashiiDango- Yeah, death to old ladies! I do rather like to kill off my OCs.
Darklink231- The whole thing blow over, so soon? But that would be so easy!
Addenza- I'm glad you like it!
Edenforest1- Sweet defenceless old lady with a walking stick of doom! Pity that she couldn't use it to bash the Akuma in!
Glon morski- Well Marie does have super ears, and can listen to the sound of innocence… *grin* you'll just have to keep reading!
Kawaiinojutsu- Don't feel sorry for her, she was a busy bodying old bat!
Marufu-chan- It's a job, I can't complain- it pays for my food at uni! Another one who's sad that Nelly karked it? How strange...
A1y-puff- Your birthday is on the same date? Ace. Can't wait for the art! And yes, more running away for Allen. In fact, he's run so fast he avoided being in this chapter all together!
Ramenluv- Shifty looking? Poor William, I'm not sure that was the look he was going for!
MidnightEmber- What will Marie do? Hmmm… good question…
CrimsonKitsune333- I'm so happy you love this story despite my inability to update with any type of frequency! More cookies? But I'm heading to the beach… fat… costume… oh what the hell *munches*
TheMostIgnorantOfUsers- Welcome aboard! Thank you very much for reviewing! I'm glad you're not offended by the slow pace, since there's not much I can do about it since each chapter takes an age to write! And having Kanda and Allen in different countries kind of puts a spanner into the relationship works!
MiniBloodyMurder- Yes indeed. What will happen now?.
XxMissyRandomxX- Marie is so under-rated! I'm on a mission to spread the Noise Marie love!
AnimeFreak4261- Hmmm, Allen and Kanda meet up soon? I guess that could be arranged! Thanks for reviewing!
SweetKakes35- YES! Somebody who spotted it! Thank you!
Kayday- Yes, we need Kanda to find out where Allen is hiding… How else can they share the love fuzzies?
Naruta13- You love it when characters suffer? You meanie! (lol, me too!)
Harrylover101- well then, just for you, an update, finally!
Duistere- Well, I might let Allen go back to his natural colour… eventually. Maybe… I'm glad you're enjoying Decline so far!
OMG, I am so sorry this chapter too so long to come out. Not only was I working, but I managed to get a couple of days off to go and join my family on holiday, so although I was able to write almost the entire chapter in the car on the way down, after that it kind of got put on a back burner. BUT! Back to normal now, so in-between shifts I'll be getting the next chapter done. And as an apology, this chapter is a little longer than average.
Predictably when Marie and Crowley walked into Komui's office upon their return, the supervisor was napping.
As usual the floor was carpeted with unfinished work and unread reports, so much so that it was impossible to even see what lay beneath, much less avoid walking on whatever it was, so the two exorcists just walked over everything (hopefully the oddly shaped objects beneath the rustling papers were future robot parts- it would save them the trouble of destroying the robot on completion). They looked at each other, then at the report that Crowley carried. No doubt if they put it down on the desk it would soon become lost among the coffee stained papers, and as much as the report contained nothing but the sparse details of their now completed mission, it would be a pain to have wasted their time on a report destined to become a new layer of floor decoration in Komui's office.
With a sigh Marie approached the sleeping supervisor. "Lenalee's getting married" he informed the snoring man wearily.
Immediately Komui sat upright, a loud "Noooooo!" erupting from his mouth before he'd even opened his eyes. "Not my precious L- oh" he said, catching sight of the two bemused exorcists. "Back so soon?"
Crowley handed over the report while Marie ran through the happenings of the mission.
Komui listened inattentively while scanning the single sheet of paper.
"After the initial attack in which there was one fatality and one survivor, there was no further sign of Akuma presence" Marie explained. "And there was no sign of any innocence in the area either."
"Really?" Komui asked surprised, glancing up. "How unusual." He read a few more lines of the report before frowning and skipping back. "Pallas?"
"The boy who survived the Akuma attack" Crowley told him. "His gran was killed in the attack."
Komui's eyes widened slightly. "Yet he survived? How? Did you notice anything unusual about him?" He was mainly talking to Marie, who tended to notice more than the average person. As Komui suspected, Marie had indeed noticed something, but it appeared that he was unsure whether to voice it.
Crowley shook his head. "I didn't sense anything strange about the kid, did you?" he asked, turning to his mission partner.
The other man said nothing for a moment, then he too shook his head.
"Very well" said Komui, though he gave Marie a considering look. "Go and rest up, there will be another mission for you in two or three days."
The two exorcists made to leave the room, but Komui called out: "Marie, just a moment, I need a quick word."
The vampire-like exorcist gave the other man a sympathetic look before making his escape, worried that he too would be dragged back into the office.
Once the door closed, Komui looked up at Marie. "So…" he began, wondering what to say. The fact that Marie hadn't said anything about this Pallas character and what he truly though, either meant that he didn't know whether Komui could be trusted, or he didn't know the so-called French boy's true identity.
If it was the former, then it was safe to assume that Marie was on Allen's side, as many of the people in the Order secretly were.
Marie was looking at a point over Komui's head and said nothing, waiting for the supervisor to continue.
"Pallas" the supervisor mused aloud. "Interesting name, don't you think?"
Marie's sightless eyes somehow managed to give Komui a look as though re-evaluating the man's intelligence.
"Pallas is the name of an asteroid discovered in 1802 by an astronomer called Heinrich Olbers" Komui informed the perplexed man. "But it is also the origin of the name of the element Palladium-" and here he gestured to a small, rather shapeless sculpture of a brilliant silvery-white metal that was almost buried under the toppling stacks of paper, forgetting for a moment that the other man couldn't see it. "-a rare metal, similar to platinum." He glanced up at Marie, whose broad face looked slightly uncertain. "Very pale, almost white.
Marie attention sharpened immediately.
Komui sighed, feeling suddenly drained. "Did he look well?"
"Supervisor?"
"Come now Marie, both you and I know that nothing gets past your ears. You can hear the voice of the innocence, can you not?"
Marie didn't answer- he didn't need to- Komui knew more about everyone's innocence abilities than anyone else in the Order.
"I know you don't believe he betrayed the Order, do you?" Komui pressed, an earnest expression on his face.
Slowly Marie shook his head.
"I'm not your enemy, Noise, and I'm certainly not his. If you don't believe me, you can check with Kanda, since he too knows the true situation. Of course, I'd rather you just trusted my word."
Whether it was the revelation that Kanda was in on the whole thing, or perhaps he saw something in Komui that made him trustworthy, but Marie let out a long slow breath and nodded once. "He seemed tired" he began thoughtfully. "Probably not eating enough- the area is hardly wealthy- and his innocence is weaker than when he left. I'm not sure he can even still invocate."
Komui looked worried, running a hand over his tired face. "Do you know what he plans to do now?"
Marie sighed. "He mentioned moving to Paris" he said "but he could have changed his mind."
"Thank you" Komui said, nodding and rearranging his beret absently. "I'll see you in a couple of days" he added by way of dismissal.
Marie turned to the door, pausing with his hand on the doorknob. "How long do you think he can stay hidden?"
Komui bowed his head, his glasses flashing in the light. "Hopefully as long as he needs to."
0o0o0o0o0
Lavi thumbed idly through the book laid open on his lap, though he had stopped taking anything in a while ago. He leaned on one arm, chin in hand, and allowed his eye to trail lazily over the words while his mind was otherwise occupied.
Now, 'Lavi' may act like an idiot, but the Bookman apprentice was far from being stupid, and while the rest of the Order may have blindly accepted that one Allen Walker had betrayed them and finally gone over to the 'dark side' as it were, Lavi was not one to take everything at face value.
He had noticed the changes occurring to the younger exorcist over the last few weeks before he vanished, the fatigued look that many just put down to hard mission after hard mission, the blatant disregard for his personal appearance.
Lavi had heard some gossiping finders musing that perhaps Allen was finally loosening up, but Lavi knew the truth- Allen wasn't loosening up, he was unravelling at the seams.
Many would have missed the flashes of a cold bitter emotion that sometimes clouded silver eyes, or the way Allen's gloved hands would clench as though holding himself back from hitting something, or even someone, and his gaze would always try to slide unseeing past reflective surfaces, face a rigoured mask of loathing.
Lavi also knew that Bookman was as aware of these changes as he himself was- and not only because the old man had taken him aside and told him, very seriously, to make sure he didn't forget his place- he was only there to watch and record, nothing more.
So Lavi held his tongue, no matter how many times he wished to go to the younger exorcist who, despite the fact that it went against all teachings of the Bookman clan, had come to be like a little brother to the redhead, to offer comfort, to tell him that despite what6 it seemed, Allen was not truly alone in this ordeal, but Lavi knew he could not. The line between the apprentice he was and the persona he was portraying was already blurred and he feared that such a step would erase it completely.
With a sigh he closed the book, dropping his head onto its cover and closing his eye. He didn't for one moment believe that Allen had deserted the Order- that he'd lost out to the fourteenth for control over his body. It just didn't add up. However unusual Allen had been acting that morning, he was in no doubt that it was still Allen in that body. And he didn't think that that had changed in those few minutes between the alarm going off and Allen disappearing through the Ark. Come to think of it- that alarm going off had been very convenient- Allen probably wouldn't have got away if Komui hadn't set one of his robots loose… Lavi's brain shuddered to a halt, his mouth falling open unattractively as everything finally slotted into place.
He stood abruptly, ignoring the book that he should really put away before old Bookman found it and chewed him out for his disrespect for the library, and was gone through the doors before he even realised he'd moved.
As he approached the supervisor's office he spotted Crowley leaving hurriedly and raised a hand in greeting. "Hey Crow-chan" he called "how did the mission go?"
The tall thin man smiled morosely. "There was no innocence in the area after all, and very few Akuma." He gestured to the door he'd just come through. "If you're here to see Komui, he's just talking to Marie" he said. "I'm going down to the cafeteria now, perhaps I'll see you later?"
"Bye Crow-chan" muttered Lavi absently, frowning at the office door in consideration. As a member of the Bookman clan, he was able to demand access to and meeting going on within the Order, but something told him he'd learn more on this side of the door. He glanced around, searching for eavesdroppers (other than himself) and pressed his ear to the wood.
"Pallas" he heard Komui say. "Interesting name, don't you think?" This momentarily confused Lavi, what did this have to do with anything? He listened to Komui's explanation, but it wasn't until the end of the little speech that Lavi's attention was hooked. "Very pale, almost white. This was it, they were talking about Allen. Marie didn't answer. Did Marie know where he was? Komui's next question made him sure of it- so wherever Allen was, Marie and Crowley had bumped into him on their mission… only Crowley hadn't looked like he'd just run into their supposed traitorous ex-comrade…
"Did he look well?"
Lavi wanted to know the answer to that question as well, but Marie seemed to be being deliberately obtuse. Maybe he didn't realise Komui was the one who helped Allen escape?
"Come now Marie, both you and I know that nothing gets past your ears. You can hear the voice of the innocence, can you not?"
With his ear pressed closer to the door, Lavi let out a silent 'ah' of understanding- of course, Marie wouldn't have necessarily recognised Allen himself, but Crown Clown would not be able to disguise its voice from those sharp ears.
"I know you don't believe he betrayed the Order, do you?"
Personally Lavi thought that Komui was taking a great risk. He must have been very stupid or else very sure that Marie was on Allen's side, but Marie must have made an answer indicating the negative, because Komui pressed on quietly, meaning Lavi had to lean closer to the keyhole to hear better.
"I'm not your enemy, Noise, and I'm certainly not his. If you don't believe me, you can check with Kanda, since he too knows the true situation. Of course, I'd rather you just trusted my word."
If Lavi's heart had been weaker, it may well have stopped working at that moment. Kanda knew? The Kanda Yuu? How on Earth had that antisocial bad tempered exorcist managed to get in on the great conspiracy before Lavi himself had?
Perhaps it was the news that his somewhat brother, of all people, were on Allen's side, despite their famous antagonisms, that made up Marie's mind, but he began to talk, and Lavi listened eagerly for any information about Allen's well being.
"He seemed tired" he heard Marie say slowly, as though thinking hard about his answer. "Probably not eating enough- the area is hardly wealthy- and his innocence is weaker than when he left. I'm not sure he can even still invocate."
Scrubbing a hand over his face, Lavi frowned. He knew that Allen was able to take care of himself in a normal situation, despite his contradictory slight frame, but now? Already stressed and forced into confrontations he would usually have no trouble with had he been eating enough to satisfy his innocence… Lavi was well aware of the strain parasitic innocence put on its accommodator, and the added weight of the fourteenth Noah hanging over him…
"Do you know what he plans to do now?"
"He mentioned moving to Paris but he could have changed his mind."
"Thank you" Komui said "I'll see you in a couple of days."
Lavi realised that this meant the meeting was at an end and was about to make his escape before he was spotted when Marie's question caught his attention.
"How long do you think he can stay hidden?"
There was a short pause before Komui answered, and when he spoke, he sounded a lot more tired than he had at any other point during the conversation. "Hopefully as long as he needs to."
Lavi blinked as the office fell into silence once more and quickly moved away from the door as the sound of the handle being turned reminded him that Marie was about to exit. All thoughts of talking to Komui were now gone, his mind blank except for one thought. He had been right- Allen's disappearance- escape, he now realised- had all been planned, and though Komui had not said so explicitly, he suspected that more than the supervisor had been involved- it would never have gone so smoothly had Link not been included in some way. So what could they have been planning to do to Allen that was so terrible that Howard Link, uptight and stiff and a stickler for the rules had helped him get away? He made a mental note to ask Bookman, since he was positive the old man would know. Perhaps he had not informed Lavi because he didn't trust the redhead's ability to not get involved, but Lavi didn't have time to be hurt about that now. Komui had all the answers he wanted, but he suspected he'd have a hard time convincing the supervisor that he could be trusted (and for some reason, that hurt more than the fact that Bookman obviously didn't think he was able to do his job). No, Lavi had another, completely different source to pump for information. He just had to find him.
0o0o0o0o0
As Lavi predicted, Kanda was outside training, despite the terrible oppressive humidity and the turbulent sky that promised a storm. The clouds were black and brooding and there was a staticy feeling in the air that threatened lightening.
As soon as he thought it, a low rumble of thunder growled across the sky and the trees shifted restlessly in the steadily strengthening wind.
As usual, the Japanese man had obscured his eyes with a blindfold, his bound hair moving with the wind and Mugen held at the ready.
The fact that he himself wasn't moving told Lavi that the other man knew he was there and was waiting for him to state his business. And leave as soon as he had.
Since Kanda already had his sword drawn, Lavi figured it was safer to not open the conversation with the usual 'Yuu-chan'. He suspected that if he did, it would just start up a round of maim-the-rabbit and he'd not learn anything but how pissed off Kanda was that day, depending on what injuries he went to bed with.
Apparently Kanda was getting impatient, because he tugged the blindfold off irritably and turned dark eyes to Lavi, one eyebrow raised.
All in all, the expression was rather mild compared to the looks that Lavi was used to receiving, but Kanda's not-quite-relaxed stance, drawn sword and hair flying in the growing gale, backed by yellow tinged storm clouds while thunder grumbled threateningly struck a rather intimidating image and for the first time Lavi could appreciate why so many people were afraid of him. Not that he was, of course, he'd known Kanda for years and knew that beneath that scary exterior, Kanda was as soft as a kitten. Really.
"Hey Kanda," he said, watching as first surprise and then suspicion settled on Kanda's face.
"What do you want?" For Kanda the question was positively polite and Lavi grinned.
"I was wondering if I could have a word with you about Allen."
The suspicion on Kanda's face doubled, fine eyebrows contracting into a sharp frown. "What about the Moyashi?"
Mentally noting the continued use of the nickname (petname he snickered to himself) Lavi glanced up at the sky. "Shall we go inside? It looks like its about to-" a drop of water hit his face, then another, before suddenly the whole forest was filled with the sound of splashing water and visibility was reduced to almost nothing. He could only tell that Kanda hadn't moved because the black metal of Mugen reflected the lightening that scored across the sky. "-rain" Lavi finished, though the word was lost in the storm. He sensed rather than saw the eyeroll Kanda sent in his direction as he returned Mugen to its sheath before walking away. Lavi fell into step beside the dark haired man, neither saying anything.
By some unspoken agreement, they ended up in Kanda's room, the elder of the two being unusually tolerant. Perhaps he was grateful to have someone to talk to about what was going on, but more likely he wasn't even thinking about what he was doing- ever since Allen had gone, the Japanese man had been oddly distracted and introverted, and though he was no less rude than usual, it took more time to wind him up as his thoughts appeared to be turned inwards. "What do you want?" Kanda demanded to know, turning to Lavi and crossing his arms over his chest.
Lavi took this as an invitation to launch himself onto Kanda's bed, arms folded behind his head and knees bent, right foot resting on his left thigh, looking utterly relaxed.
Kanda scowled.
Lavi raised his hands defensively. "Hey, calm down. I really do need to talk to you about Allen."
Still Kanda said nothing, but he relaxed slightly and sat down on the floor, leaning back against the wall. Finally he said: "what makes you think I have anything to say about that traitor?"
Lavi sighed, looking extremely put out. "I don't think he's a traitor" he closed his eye, listening as Kanda shifted uncomfortably. "And neither do you."
He opened his eye when that statement got no verbal response, to find Kanda glaring at him. "Fuck you Usagi, don't tell me what I think!"
"So you do think he's a traitor?" Lavi questioned with a smirk and a raised eyebrow.
Kanda's glare intensified and he grit his teeth in annoyance.
"Come off it Yuu-chan" Lavi admonished with a wicked grin "I know you know all about it. I overheard Komui telling Marie how he helped him escape and your name came up." The redhead sat up and swung his legs over the edge of the bed. "So you tell me what you know, and I'll tell you why Komui decided to include Marie in this little conspiracy" and he waggled his eyebrows temptingly.
Kanda remained stony-faced, but inside he was thinking hard. If Lavi already knew about Komui's involvement and hadn't blabbed… but what if Lavi was lying and trying to set them up? Would Lavi really do that? He didn't think so, but the redhead was more than 'Lavi' he was also Bookman Jr. Kanda only just managed to stop himself from shaking his head in confusion. Besides, Link was in on it too, and Lavi surely wouldn't have guessed that- and information for Leverrier always went via the blond braided inspector… dammit, he hated these kinds of situations.
"Leverrier ordered the Moyashi to be detained indefinitely and studied in order to gain information on the Noah clan." Kanda said, the words coming despite the fact that he hadn't really decided whether to tell Lavi anything or not. "The supervisor and inspector Link arranged for him to escape using the Ark."
"And how do you know all of this?" Lavi asked, satisfied that his earlier thoughts had been right.
"The Moyashi told me."
"Allen told you?" Lavi asked incredulously.
Kanda scowled, sure he'd had the exact same conversation with Komui. "You know any other Moyashis?" he asked peevishly.
"Well, no," Lavi admitted. "But I didn't you actually talked. I thought it was always just flir- bickering."
Kanda didn't catch the slip. "So, what were the idiot and Marie talking about?"
"What? Oh- nothing much- only Marie ran into Allen on his last mission."
"WHAT?!" Kanda exclaimed, n his feet in a flash. Then he saw Lavi's surprised, but still smugly knowing expression and sat back down almost sulkily. "I thought he was in disguise, how did Marie know it was him?"
Lavi rolled his eye. "You grew up with the man, you know what his hearing is like."
"He recognised Crown Clown?"
"Yup" Lavi said, punctuating it with a sharp nod. "But Crow-chan didn't recognise him, so it's alright."
"Che" Kanda said, turning his head away as though he had little faith in Crowley's abilities.
"He's going to Paris now," Lavi added. "Hey" he said suddenly. "Aren't you going there on a mission soon?"
"Day after tomorrow" Kanda grunted absently, already lost in his thoughts.
Lavi let him indulge in a little wool-gathering while he looked around Kanda's room. He'd only been in here once or twice before, but as far as he could tell nothing had changed since his last visit, which had been months before. Except… he cast a furtive glance at Kanda, who was wearing a small frown and staring at the floor as though it held the secrets of the universe, before rolling off the far side of the bed and snagging the bloodstained grey material from where it poked out from under the bed and holding it up. His eye widened as he recognised the material for what it was.
"Um… Yuu? Why is Allen's vest in your room? Covered in blood?"
Kanda's head jerked up and if Lavi wasn't mistaken (and it wasn't often he was), a small, very faint blush was spreading across Kanda's nose and cheeks and the tips of his ears turned pink.
At least that reaction proved Kanda not injured Allen in some way and kept the bloody clothing as some kind of souvenir. Lavi knew that if he spoke then Kanda would refuse to speak, and for good measure probably pull out his sword and behead him, so instead he kept quiet, waiting for Kanda to decide to talk.
"Forgot to give it back" Kanda said at length, getting to his feet and sitting down on the bed, taking the vest from Lavi and turning it over in his hands, an odd expression on his face.
"Why is it covered in blood?" Lavi asked, dreading the answer.
"Che" Kanda scoffed "idiot punched a window, cut his hand. We stitched it up." The explanation was succinct and to the point, but Lavi still felt he was missing half the story. It was unlikely that Kanda would add anything to the account despite how much Lavi wanted all the details. Especially since the blush that Lavi had seen earlier was still lingering, if only faintly.
Instead he asked "why did he punch a window?"
The expression on Kanda's face tightened. "The Fourteenth" he growled.
Lavi nodded in understanding and got to his feet. "Well, I've got things to be doing. Panda and I are leaving tonight. Good luck on your mission." He paused with his hand on the doorknob. "And if you see the sprout, don't forget to tell him that you love him!" And he ran through the door before Kanda could do more than blink at him.
"USAGI!"