Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
A.N: Hiya all....sorry for the late update T_T' This chapter was quite a pain to write since I wasn't very happy with it ( I rewrote it three times) I hope it's up to your standards. Since it took me so long, I didn't edit it very well which is why a million years of thanks goes to my beta readers MitarashiiDango and xXWhite ButterflyXx for putting up with my terrible grammar and fixing it so that ya'll could enjoy a better read~ ^^
Once again, thanks also goes to: Afael Ishtar, waterlit, Zenigami, XDrAnDomPeRsoNXD, a1y-puff, Princess of Oblivion, marufu-chan, Olivia-yuymaxwell, yay8D, BetweenBlueLines and xXShadowRebelXx for your comments and reviews, they really made my day xD So I hope you like this chapter...i did make it several thousand words longer than chapter two~ xD
Reminder:
italics - thoughts
"speech" - dialogue
normal text (prose)
-----o0o----- - dream
Chapter Three:
Hope and Hostility
It was moments before when the sun would peek over the horizon that Kanda woke up, his onyx eyes meeting the equally dark ceiling. Slipping out of bed, he walked purposefully towards his wardrobe, proceeding to get out a bulletproof vest which he wore over his sleeveless shirt before sliding a dark, silver-hemmed coat over his broad shoulders, buttoning it closed. Tugging on a pair of wrist guards, he then returned to the bed. Kanda reached down to unlatch what could only be, a secret compartment. Emptying its contents, it wasn't long before a dozen various weapons lay beside him. Reaching for the only firearm that he'd been convinced to carry,he shoved the M1911 Colt Semi-Automatic Pistol(even the name of the weapon pissed him off)...with a silencer attached into his belt, knowing that he'd rather die than use it. Damn pride. He then reached for a sheathed tanto (a Japanese "short sword") which he strapped to his right calf and concealed the remaining four blades underneath his coat and pants. Satisfied that he wasn't going to die if Mugen was somehow wrenched out of his hands, Kanda grabbed the katana from its place beside the bed, moving stealthily on the tatami mat floor. By now, the sun had begun its journey to the west, the orange-pink rays of sunrise, glanced off the opaque petals of the lotuses. The assassin pushed aside his initial reaction to glare at the flowers, knowing that it wouldn't change anything. Instead, he sat down and closed his eyes. Allowing a sense of calm to wash over him, the Japanese teen began to meditate.
~Raise Your Hand If You Love Yullen (and hug the nearest person next to you)~
Allen sighed as he stared out the window, watching the rapidly changing scenery flash and blur past. An hour had passed since he had first "boarded" the train with Kanda after a hasty breakfast and a sprint to the meeting point. Why oh why had I picked today of all days to sleep in? Kanda's foul moods don't need any more fuelling... The boy heaved another sigh then regretted it almost instantly.
Previously closed black eyes were now boring holes into his head, itching, to dice him up. Allen barely suppressed another sigh as he shifted uncomfortably in the seat. In an attempt to ignore the dark glare. Allen closed his eyes allowing his mind to reflect on this morning's events.
"Here you two," Komui said, holding out two folded pieces of brown material. He smiled as the duo threw the cloak around their shoulders, albeit reluctantly in Kanda's case. "They may not look like much, but I got these specially made for your mission in Russia."
Allen smiled brightly as he drew the cloak around him. "Thank you very much!"
"Che."
Komui returned the smile. "Don't forget to return safely!"
A ghost of a smile appeared on the boy's lips as he drew the cloak around him much like he had this morning. It soon disappeared under a much darker expression as he silently thought about the all too near future. Will that be the last time I will talk to Komui...Lavi...and Lenalee...as friends? He snuck a look at the dark-haired teen across him, carefully assuming a blank expression. I'll probably have to fight him too... His chest clenched at the thought. Dammit Mikk...you better give me the signal soon...I- Allen cut his own thoughts short. I will make it, he berated himself, furious that he'd doubt his own resolve. I have to...I'm a member of NOAH...I can't...fail.
~Raise Your Hand If You Love Yullen (and leave a review to sustain the author)~
Lavi slowly sat back to examine his now complete masterpiece. A broad grin split his face and grew only wider when Komui entered the room.
The Chinese man allowed himself a small smile as his eyes fell on the screen of his computer.
"All done," the red-head smugly stated, taking off his headphone only to put on another.
Komui handed him a folder, "You know what to do."
Lavi nodded before skipping out of the room displaying all the energy of a hyperactive 5 year old...not once had he displayed any exhaustion from having pulled an all-nighter.
The supervisor pushed aside his concern reminding himself of the troubles that lay ahead. Sitting down, Komui began exploring the now completely-hacked, private network of NOAH. A frown worked its way onto his face as he came across a 'Members' page. Only their names are listed here...not even a photo... His eyes skimmed down, memorising every name before he came to the final one. The Fourteenth...? The frown deepened, Is that what Allen is known as...? I truly cannot tell, with all these faceless names. The supervisor continued to traverse the network where he arrived at the final page. Komui's eyes widened, his blooding running cold.
Posted in bold and hyperlinked:
Target: Yuu, Kanda
He gripped the mouse tightly as he moved to click on the name.
A string of curses escaped from his mouth as the screen went black. Tearing his eyes away from the screen, he leaned down to unplug the machine. In an instant, the hum of the computer disappeared, leaving behind a silence that sent shivers down the Chinese man's spine.
After taking a deep breath and slowly releasing it, Komui took off his glasses, rubbing his tired eyes. The words which had spurred this action replayed in his mind.
It's a pleasure meeting you...Supervisor, what a delight it is to have you on our network. Now, do enlighten me... what will you do next?
~Raise Your Hand If You Love Yullen (and actually noticed these pagebreaks are changing)~
Allen woke with a start as the train jolted slightly. Realising that he had fallen asleep, he dashed the sleep from his eyes, realising that the Japanese assassin's presence had disappeared.
"I wonder where he went," the white haired boy mused aloud as his gaze returned to the window. "It's going to be cold when we arrive," he realised, staring out at the ominous clouds which had started to form. "I hope the snowfall won't be too heavy when we arrive...I was in a rush this morning and didn't have as much time to put on warm clo-"
"What the fuck are you blabbing on about?" Kanda growled as he entered the carriage, slamming the door shut.
Allen scowled at the teen. "That's none of your concern," he retorted, disregarding the previous question.
Kanda raised an eyebrow.
It was at this time that Allen's stomach made it's untimely, but undoubtedly, grand entrance. The low rumble echoed in the silent carriage.
The brow rose higher as a smirk briefly appeared on the dark-haired teen's face.
The white-haired boy cocked his head curiously as Kanda's brief amusement soured after a look beside Allen. Curious, he looked beside him only to find nothing that offered an explanation as to why the previously smirking assassin was now looking pissed as hell. Wait...why would I care? It doesn't matter...soon, this will all be over...
~Raise Your Hand If You Love Yullen (and think these pagebreaks are amusing)~
A strange silence descended between the pair as they descended the train steps, treading carefully on the icy surface. It was a wonder that trains were still running with the weather as it is. Kanda surveyed the frosty surroundings, searching for the way out.
"Che," he muttered, as he crossed the platform. He paused when he realised his partner hadn't followed. "Oi, moyashi!"
The white-haired boy didn't move from his place at the platform's edge.
"OI!" Kanda repeated, raising his voice.
Allen jumped. "Wha-?!" He spun to face the Japanese teen, shaking the snow that had settled on his hair.
"Quit daydreaming," Kanda snapped.
"I wasn't," Allen retorted, dashing over to the dark-haired teen.
"Yes you were," came the scoffed reply as they exited the platform.
The snow was falling profusely in sheets of white as the duo stepped out into the stark white landscape. Switching on their earpieces, they waited for the Lavi's call.
Allen pulled his hood over his hair as he took in the crystalline surroundings, noting that Kanda did the same. He shivered as the cold and wet substance brushed against his exposed flesh.
"Baka usagi, how long are expecting us to stand here?!" Kanda growled into the mic within his jacket.
The earpiece spluttered to life as Lavi voice barrelled into their ears. "Sorry!" he replied after a slight crackle. "The signal's a bit weak-"
Allen opened his mouth to speak but Lavi cut him off. "Don't worry it'll be fine."
"Che. So where do we go from here?"
Lavi hesitated. "About that...it seems that the snow is too heavy for any transport vehicles to run...which means, your guide won't be able to make it on time."
"WHAT?!"
"But it's fine," Lavi replied reassuringly. "You're not actually far from Lake Ladoga...if you're willing to trek through a blizzard, I can guide you. Otherwise you can wait at the pla-"
"It's fine," Allen interrupted, ignoring the hunger pangs which clawed at his stomach. "The sooner we start out mission, the better."
"But Al...it'll be dark soon and I seriously don't think ya guys should be out in the cold... A huge blizzard is comi-!"
"Just shut up and guide, rabbit."
~Raise Your Hand If You Love Yullen~
Minutes blurred into hours as the duo trudged their way through the slushy grounds. The snowfall was gradually thickening and the temperature dropped rapidly. He presumed it to be around dusk, judging by the purplish sky which peeked out from behind the clouds.
Kanda glanced beside him as he adjusted the strap on his bag, frowning when he realised Allen was now lagging behind by several feet. "Oi, moyashi, walk faster!"
The silver-eyed assassin gazed blankly back at him, it was clear that the boy was freezing.
Sighing, Kanda halted only for the little sprout to walk straight into him. "Tch. Watch where you're-" he broke off, as Allen collapsed.
The blizzard had set in, buffeting the duo with strong, bone-chilling winds.
Gritting his teeth, Kanda shifted to shield Allen as best as he could, preventing the heavy snow from burying the unconscious boy.
"Usagi," he muttered. "Finding a cave would be appreciated."
There was no reply.
Shit.
He looked around to no avail as his vision quickly deteriorated: the surroundings blurring into a screen of white. Without thinking, he picked up the sprout, cradling the freezing body against his own. Curse this mission... I fucking hate this. With a scowl, the Japanese teen made slow progress towards the village Lavi had mentioned. He just hoped his instincts were right.
~Raise Your Hand If You Love Yullen (and love this story?)~
"Fuck. Komui, we have a problem."
The supervisor looked up from beneath his pile of paperwork. "Language Lavi... What's wrong?"
"I've lost contact with them."
The Chinese man shot out from behind the table. "You....WHAT?!"
The red-haired teen clenched his fists. "I shouldn't have let them go out...I didn't expect the blizzard to come so hard and fast."
"What about a GPS signal?!"
Lavi shook his head. "We didn't place one on them...we don't want NOAH hacking into the signal and tracing the European Branch Location.
Komui sighed. "They'll be fine. They're both elite assassins. Don't blame yourself." Just pray that NOAH doesn't begin moving...
~Raise Your Hand If You Love Yullen (and think that these chapters are too long)~
The blonde woman observed the two fallen bodies with vague interest. "These must be our guests from the main headquarters," she remarked, signalling for two finders to assist her. "They must have gotten caught in the blizzard. Take them back."
"Yes, ma'am."
The blizzard had subsided, leaving in its wake a soft sprinkling of snow. The woman seemed unperturbed by the weather as she brought out her phone, dialling the number efficiently before holding it to her ear. "Walker and target have arrived."
~Raise Your Hand If You Love Yullen~
Allen blinked tiredly having woken up to the sound of footsteps that approached him. His mind felt fuzzy from the cold and need for sleep.
"Don't make any sudden movements," a female voice told him. "You're still recovering from a minor case of hypothermia."
"Lulu Bell...?" he mumbled, recognizing the voice.
"I'm known as Miss Lucinda here."
"How long do I have?"
"Tomorrow night, Mikk will be waiting. Though I must say, your target seems like quite the gentleman...It's only because of him that you aren't getting treated for missing fingers."
Kanda...a gentleman?! He helped me....why? Mulling over this new development, Allen slipped back into the darkness once more.
----------------o0o----------------
He opened his eyes, something churned in his stomach. Fear? Faces leered down at him, blurry and unkind. He couldn't make out their faces, but he somehow knew exactly what one of the white-coated people was holding. It was a syringe, its point glinting harshly in the bright lights. But this wasn't what spurned the fear within him, it was that thing inside. The liquid within swished wildly, as the white coats fought to hold him still. The sinister, inky contents were as dark as night, like his hair and eyes. The boy glowered at the figures as he struggled against the bindings which held him still. It was a waste of energy. Before long, he subdued, his strength replaced with nothing but fear. The man laughed as he brandished the needle, a twisted grin on his face. "You should be grateful, Yuu. Your life will be bound to the Lotus, and one day...you'll be grateful for it. Now hold...still."
A cry of agony wrenched itself from his lips as the cold metal buried itself deep into his chest, piercing his heart. He screamed again as he felt the scorch of hot metal traced a mark that would eventually kill him.
"Your life is bound by the Lotus... And you will feel it's power, soon enough."
----------------o0o----------------
Kanda jerked himself awake, ignoring the hammering of his pulse in his ear. "Tch. A dream," he muttered, glaring at the ceiling.
A memory...
Judging by the pristine surroundings and the uncanny resemblance to the main headquarters infirmary...this was the European Branch. Pushing all thoughts of the nightmare out of his mind, he began a mental analysis of his location, listening carefully for any telltale signs of the altitude and general environment. A frown made its way onto his face, No wind...sterile air...are we underground? It was too quiet to be underground...no slight rush of air through the granite cavities. He eased himself off the bed, gingerly testing his movement before looking around the predominantly white room. Whoever had found them, had possessed the decency and brains to leave the dark-haired assassin fully equipped, save his coat and Mugen which they placed on a stand. Flexing his stiff fingers, he reached for his coat which lay folded neatly on the table beside him. Putting it on, he then began a standard check on his weapons, checking that none of his blades, especially his pistol, had been tampered with. Satisfied that they were perfect condition, Kanda strapped Mugen around his waist, casting another look around the room. Che...where the hell is the nurse. He seemed to be the only person within the room...that and, moyashi... His gaze fell on the snowy-haired figure as an invisible guide led him to the boy's bedside.
"Oi, wake up." His voice came out softer than he preferred. He repeated the phrase once more, this time louder. There was no response. "I hate repeating myself," Kanda growled raising a threatening hand. The statement fell on deaf ears, much to the teen's irritation. With a scowl, Kanda lashed his hand at the sleeping boy only to be stopped by an iron grip that threatened to break his wrist.
"What the fu-" He cut himself off as widened eyes stared at the disfigured arm which gripped his own.
Allen narrowed his eyes at Kanda, having bolted upright on instinct. "What are you..." He cut himself off as he noticed dark eyes looking intently at his exposed arm. Knowing that there was no point in hiding it, Allen released his hold, preparing himself for the onslaught of questions to come.
Seconds stretched onto minutes as the onyx-eyed assassin met Allen's defiant gaze.
Kanda broke away first, averting his eyes. "Get dressed." He muttered as he slung his bag over his shoulder.
Allen couldn't help but breathe a sigh of relief as he obeyed.
~Raise Your Hand If You Love Yullen~
"Komui..." Lavi whispered hoarsely. "What the fuck is this?!"
The Chinese man didn't reply as he sifted numbly through the sheets in his hands.
"Brother!" Lenalee cried, tears streaming down her cheeks. "Please explain this to us!"
Komui sighed deeply. "There's nothing to explain." he replied sadly. "It's exactly as it says in those papers."
Lavi slammed his fists onto the table. "WHAT DO YOU MEAN!" he exploded. "ARE YOU TELLING ME THAT MY BEST FRIEND ISN'T HUMAN?!"
Lenalee and Komui flinched.
"Please remain calm Lavi. You know very well that it isn't like that," the Supervisor placated, brows drawn together. "There's nothing I can do but inform Kanda."
"You can't do that brother!" Lenalee protested, her pigtails swinging wildly. "Who knows what Kanda might do...you can't do this to him!"
"I can and I must." Komui replied firmly. His heart clenched as more tears welled up in Lenalee's violet eyes. "I'm sorry Lenalee...but he deserves to know." He shared a meaningful glance with Reever, who had just entered the room. The Section Chief nodded. "Lenalee," he said gently. "Why don't you take a break?" The blond man gently led the sobbing girl away.
Komui sighed once more. "This is all getting way out of hand."
Lavi could only agree as he left the room.
The Chinese man watched the red-head leave wondering if it had been right to tell them. But as comrades, they deserved to know. He sighed, looking at his now shattered mug. "First a traitor...then we lose them in a storm...and now Kanda."
~Raise Your Hand If You Love Yullen (and the chapter was NOT going to end here)~
Allen glanced up when a blonde woman entered the room, her yellow-gold eyes hidden by a pair of dark shades.
"Kanda Yuu and Allen Walker," she acknowledged. "I see that you are feeling better."
Allen quickly buttoned his coat together before nodding politely at Lulu Bell."Yes, thank you..." He asked for her name. How long have you been here Lulu Bell?
"Please call me Miss Lucinda, I am the head of this branch," she replied. Longer than I would prefer.
Allen held out his hand. "It's a pleasure to meet you Miss Lucinda."
She accepted it, shaking it curtly. As contact was broken, the French woman turned to address one of the Finders. Much to Allen's surprise, the Finder was female with brown hair and dark eyes. She looked no more than twelve.
"I'm sorry," Lulu Bell said, her impassive expression displaying little emotion. "But I have a matter to attend to. Anzhela will attend to your needs and take you to your rooms."
The girl beside Lulu Bell bowed, a shy smile on her lips. "Sir Walker. Sir Kanda. If you may follow me."
Lulu Bell caught Allen's eyes just as she turned away.
Tomorrow night, Walker.
"Che. Moyashi, quit standing there like a stunned goldfish."
Allen whipped around to glare at the teen. "The name's Allen. You're the goldfish! Just how hard is it to remember by name?!"
"Ah...excuse me?"
The duo turned their glare on the girl who cowered in return. "T-This way," she stammered.
"Che."
They had taken two left turns and one right before Allen finally decided voice the questions on his tongue. "Anzhela...Where are we exactly?"
She grinned at the question. "You've noticed that we aren't exactly underground? Well of course, you're Black Order ranked assassins." The dark-eyed girl gazed at the pair in awe before continuing on. "The European Branch is situated underneath an island on the Lake Ladoga. We are currently 76 metres below sea level."
"We're in a lake?!"
"If you put it like that, then yes...oh, we have arrived." Anzhela guided them into the sparsely furnished room.
Kanda scowled. "Only one room?!"
"A-Ah...yes, I apologise. We don't have many spare rooms in our dormitories as we are largely consisted of Red and Green Order ranks. Most of our people remain here all their lives conducting scientific research...and as it is too cold to operate field missions, we only have one room left to spare."
Allen stepped in just as Kanda looked ready to blow. "That's alright," he replied with a fake smile. "Mr Grumpy here is just annoyed from the cold."
"O-Okay...then ah, please get comfortable. Lunch will be brought to you in an hour." She left the room closing the door with a soft click.
"Che." Kanda muttered, as he walked over to the nearest bed. "She locked it."
Allen shrugged as he dumped his bag beside Kanda's. He furrowed his brows as the Japanese began tearing the room apart. "What are you doing?!"
"Idiot. What do you think?"
The British boy scowled. "I know what you're doing," he retorted, "but must you destroy the furniture while you're at it?!"
"Then why don't you do it...brat."
"I will then," Allen huffed, making his way around the shredded couch. "You can go and contact Lavi."
"Che, fine." Kanda stalked to the door, unpicking the lock easily before slamming it shut behind him.
The snow-haired boy didn't bother continuing what the Japanese man had started. Lulu Bell wouldn't bother tapping this room. On this thought, Allen instantly thought back to the woman's words. Tomorrow...will things be okay?
~Raise Your Hand If You Love Yullen (and are actually following my instructions)~
Icy wind swirled around the dark figure as it made its way across the snow blanketed ground. Che...still no fucking reception. The figure instantly melted into the trees, defying the radiant light which reflected off the icy environment. Several minutes later, the dark-haired shadow had reappeared at the lake's edge, staring intently at the glassy surface.
"Oi, Usagi. Can you hear me now."
"Yeah...I can. Where are you?" The reply was weary and emotionless -strange, for the usagi.
"Che. We're at the European Branch...we were...found and brought here."
"Is everything okay?" Concern was clearly evident in the redhead's tone.
"What the fuck, of course. The brat hasn't tried anything yet...but he's going to, soon."
"Komui needs to speak to you...but, he's busy at the moment. Call us as soon as you can."
There was a click as the connection ended.
Kanda scowled and then removed the earpiece. Tch. This has taken far too long. He slid the device into his coat just as snow began to fall. Once more, the dark-haired assassin disappeared into the darkness between the trees, travelling faster than what could be believed as human.
~Raise Your Hand If You Love Yullen (and think that Hoshino should just admit that Kanda and Allen were made to be together)~
"Tomorrow night... Tomorrow night," Allen repeated to himself for the umpteenth time as he lay on the bedcovers staring at the ceiling. It felt strange to be in a room without windows...suffocating even. The white-haired boy bit his lip at the realisation. He was going to be sleeping in the same room as his target...for the fir- second time. Allen sat up with a start. "That didn't count!" he protested aloud.
*click*
"What the fuck are you talking about now."
"K-KANDA!"
The Japanese teen arched a brow as he regarded the now blushing boy. "You're too loud, moyashi."
"Sorry," Allen mumbled, averting his gaze. What the hell is bloody wrong with me? He could feel the blood rushing to his cheeks as
Kanda's eyes remained on him. The white-haired boy continued to look away, silver eyes clouding and darkening into pools of mercury. The colour in his cheeks began to fade as Allen slowly reassembled his mask as an assassin. If this mask had been in material form, Allen would have noticed that a crack had formed...but it wasn't.
*knock knock*
Allen instantly assumed a smile, ignoring the blue-flecked gaze which followed his movement to the door.
Anzhela hesitantly opened the door, disguising the click of the lock behind her tray. "Um, Mr Walker and Mr Kanda...I brought you lunch."
"Thank you Anzhela," Allen said, as he took the tray from the girl.
"There is no need to thank me," she murmured. "Miss Lucinda sends her regards and wonders if there is anything you need."
The British assassin glanced behind him at Kanda before replying: "We'd like to contact the Main Headquarters if possible to let them know of our arrival."
Anzhela bit her lip as she began to edge to wards the door. "I'm afraid that you won't be able to use the phone until sometime tomorrow as it is currently in urgent use."
"That's fine," Allen reassured as he took the tray to the table. "Thank you for the lunch."
The dark-haired girl nodded as she closed the door. "I will bring dinner at 6:30pm. Until then, please relax and get some rest."
*click*
An uncomfortable silence instantly descended on the pair as Allen stared at the measly portions on the tray. It was a pathetic excuse of a meal, consisting of a two slices of brown bread clamped together by a thin spread of butter. "This...is lunch?! They can't even afford to feed two extra mouths?!"
"Che. Use your brain, sprout. Like hell they would actually feed us."
Allen pouted as he swallowed his portion whole. "Why the bloody hell not, BaKanda."
The Japanese teen heaved an irritated sigh as he sat down on the bed. "They aren't stupid and they fucking know we aren't here on vacation. They obviously won't welcome intruders with open arms, much less feed them."
The white-haired boy crossed his arms as he leant against the wall. These people have issues...they don't trust others within the same organisation?! This is insane... He gazed longingly at the remaining sandwich as his stomach rumbled noisily.
"Che, you and your fucking stomach. Just eat it."
Allen stared at the teen wondering if the Japanese assassin had finally lost his marbles. "What?" he responded dumbly.
Said man scowled. "Do you want to eat it or not. Don't make me fucking repeat myself."
It didn't take any more convincing for the white-haired boy to consume the other portion of lunch.
Silence fell once more between the pair as each of them submerged themselves into their own thoughts.
~Raise Your Hand If You Love Yullen~
Kanda glared at the far wall as his fourth attempt at meditation was shattered, this time by the entrance of the girl with dinner. His first three endeavours had each been rudely interrupted by the baka moyashi, whose patient nature had eventually been replaced by restlessness and the irritating need to disturb him. The lotuses only served as further annoyance as they danced in front of his vision. In the end, the dark-haired assassin shifted to face the silver-eyed boy across him, a frown lining his face. Why the hell are you doing this? Why the hell are you still here? The main headquarters are miles away.
Allen looked up, meeting his blue-black gaze with his own bright silver. "Kanda...is something wrong?"
He was nearly at the end of his patience. He was an assassin, not an actor... Kanda could feel the anger bubbling within him, urging him to shred the boy into small bloody pieces. "Nothing. Is. Wrong," he managed through gritted teeth.
He could feel the moyashi staring at him, eyes ringed with -what Kanda knew was- feigned concern.
The Japanese assassin glowered at the bed covers as he painfully suppressed his growing fury, his nails drawing blood from the palms of his hands.
"Fuck this." He spat, stalking to the bathroom without another thought. There was a loud bang as the door slid shut. It wasn't long before Kanda stood under a cascade of scalding hot water, feeling his muscles relax under the soothing flow. Kanda closed his eyes as the torrent of droplets rushed through the long black strands of his hair, travelling down his face and back before hitting the cold tiles with a hiss. He grimaced as he leaned back against the cloudy glass, its surface, ice cold against his skin. What the fuck is wrong with me?
Kanda sighed as he began the troublesome but necessary task of soaping his hair. Once this was done, the Japanese teen tilted his head back, allowing the shower to run its course through his hair. He then scoured the rest of his body with soap before rinsing the suds away.
Kanda resigned himself to the sight of lotuses as he stepped out of the shower, cringing at the sharp drop in temperature. Quelling another wave of anger, the dark-haired teen dried himself roughly then secured the towel around his waist. He lifted a hand, staring at the silvery crescent-shaped marks along his palm. "Tch, it took longer this time..."
--Flashback--
"Kanda!!" The Chinese girl attempted to drag the teen by force back to his bed. "You were nearly killed by that blow! You have a ruptured lung! Don't lie to me and tell me you're all healed. It's only been a MONTH since you went on your first mission"
The Japanese boy scowled as he broke free of Lenalee's grip. "I'm fine, Lenalee."
At this moment, the nurse returned from lunch, her face contorted with anger. "WHAT. ARE YOU DOING. OUT. OF. BED?!"
Kanda glowered at the woman. "I'm healed."
The matron dragged the scowling teen back into bed before commencing a check up on the dark-haired assassin. "You're not healed until I say you are."
Lenalee watched with watery violet eyes as Kanda glared daggers at the matron and the machines.
The machinery beeped before falling silent. The woman stood up shakily as she noticed the Chinese girl perched on a chair. "Get the Supervisor please."
Several minutes later, the Supervisor strode into the infirmary. "What's the matter Matron?"
"He's completely healed...there's not even a scar!"
Komui stared at the 10 year old boy in shock. "What?!"
"I told you I was healed," Kanda muttered.
--End Flashback--
Kanda fisted hand before slamming it into the mirror, shattering the fragile glass into a thousand pieces. He pulled his hand away, oblivious to the pain dealt by the fragmented pieces. The dark-haired teen frowned as blood welled along the cuts, beading in a line or dripping down his calloused fingers and into the sink. It was definitely taking longer to heal now...he thought darkly back to his dream that morning.
Allen burst into the room. "What in the world did you-" His pale features twisted into a look of horror, as Kanda observed his blood-covered hand with an impassive expression. The Japanese assassin didn't react as the snowy-haired boy gently washed away the crimson liquid, his mind still caught within the thoughts of that syringe.
Allen emitted a cry of shock, as the blood washed away to reveal silver scars where the mirror had cut. "What in the-?!"
Your life is bound by the Lotus...
Kanda flinched, yanking his hand free. "Don't touch me," He snarled. He didn't think... He shouldn't have-
"Well I'm sorry for caring," Allen snapped as he turned away.
The Japanese teen ground his teeth as he the silver-eyed boy shut the door behind him. When did things get so seriously fucked up...?!
~Raise Your Hand If You Love Yullen~
He held up a gloved hand with a sigh. What have I ever done to Kanda? He let his hand fall limp by his side, drawing his knees to his chest. Another sigh escaped the white-haired boy's lips. Unless...
There was a soft bang as Kanda emerged from the bathroom engulfed in steam. Allen felt the blood rise to his cheeks as the dark-eyed assassin stepped onto the carpeted ground, water dripping freely from the dark locks of his hair. The silver-eyed boy found his gaze being drawn to the strange marking on Kanda's bare chest. Unless...
The Japanese teen seemed to notice Allen's curious stare, but he ignored it as he moved to sit down on his bed. The snow-haired boy rested his chin on his knees as Kanda crossed his legs and began to meditate.
Unless...he already knows.
Allen dismissed the thought with a shake of his head, rolling onto his stomach. It's too late to worry about it now...
~Raise Your Hand If You Love Yullen (and thank you to all those who reviewed/favourited/alerted this fic)~
Kanda scowled as Anzhela entered the room. "Is the phone fucking free yet?! It's already fucking night."
"Apologies for the delay, if you'll follow me..."
The white-haired boy gestured for Kanda to go alone, after all, there was no point in him going. Anzhela smiled, nodding her head before leaving the room. He took off his left glove as their footsteps faded away. It's time...
It wasn't long beforeLulu Bell walked in, a package in her arms."This is regards from Mikk," She told him as she handed him the wrapped bundle. "He'll be meeting you back at home."
The white-haired boy received it reluctantly, thanking her with a smile. She took off her shades, revealing cat-like yellow eyes. "Even my mission is now coming to an end." She turned towards the door. "Farewell Walker, and good luck."
"Same to you," Allen replied as she left the room.
Several minutes passed before he finally decided to open the package, though a quick look at what lay inside made Allen wish very dearly that he hadn't opened it. "You must be bloody joking."
He lifted the long-sleeved black shirt, twitching at the various silts which criss-crossed the torso and arms. Chains clinked noisily as he lifted what he presumed was the sleeve. "Does this even come under the category of a shirt?!" Allen scowled deeply as he thrust it aside picking up a very tight pair of pants, which also sported a similar design. Heaving a sigh, he reluctantly shrugged off his coat letting it crumple in a heap on the floor. I'll never wear it again... He pulled on the shirt Mikk had given him with a grudging tug. It irked him to wear something so...so...
A loud bang cut through his thoughts, announcing Anzhela's entrance.
"Sir Walker...it's time."
He flung his cloak over his shoulder before taking off his other glove. "Thanks Anzhela." Allen could feel curious brown eyes fixed on his blackened arm, tracing the strange patterns that swirled on his shoulder. "Lead the way."
~Raise Your Hand If You Love Yullen (and PLEASE leave a review?)~
Kanda scowled as he sat down beside the phone, studying the large piece of machinery with a sceptic look. With a sigh of irritation, he began dialling the number Komui had provided with him. It rang twice before the Supervisor picked up.
"Supervisor Lee speaking."
"Che. What the hell did you need to talk to me about?"
"Kanda..." The scientist sounded tired, his voice strained. "Can you wait while Lavi clears this line."
"Che, whatever."
"All clear." Came Lavi's voice.
"Thank you Lavi." Komui paused momentarily with a sigh. "Kanda, I need to ask you some questions...and I'd like you to answer truthfully."
"What the fuck is this about, you damned scientist?!"
"When you got hurt in your last mission...how long did it take you to heal?"
"...three months."
"It's taking longer now, isn't it?" The question came out as more of a statement.
"Che...why the fuck does that matter?!"
"Kanda. Has your tattoo spread?"
"What the fu-"
"Answer...please."
"Tch, yes."
Komui took a deep breath before continuing. "Last question. Have you been seeing anything out of the ordinary...wolves....fish..."
"What the fuck..."
"knives..."
"I see those every fucking da-"
"...Lotuses."
Kanda's eyes widened as his grip on the phone slackened.
There was another long pause before the Chinese man spoke once more. "What I'm going to tell you next will be shocking...but you mu-"
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
Beep.
"Innocence activate."
Cough...this ain't a cliffhanger, what are you talkin' about.... Well maybe it is, but at least I'll update faster (I hope) which reminds me, do you guys prefer shorter chapter but faster updates or vice versa... Cause this chapter was damn long. And just a reminder... THIS IS AU. So have fun guessing what happens next~
Page breaks are once again courtesy of MitarashiiDango who had tonnes of fun making them up (i presume) though if you followed her instructions...I'm sure your arm will now be very sore.
Reviews are much appreciated~
--Melodicxstar--
p.s. Vote in the poll~ ^^