Disclaimer: I don't own anything.
A.N: Damn... seriously. I DEFINITELY wanted to update before this. *sigh* I'm so sorry... but school is being an absolute pain in the ass... so, I probably won't be able to update any faster than this. HOWEVER, it's the holidays... so scrap that I WILL update soon! D;
Once again, thank you MitarashiiDango and xXWhite ButterflyXx for beta-ing~~ =]
AND MY THANKS DEFINITELY GOES TO: lilac gurl, moshimellow, waterlit, Afael Ishtar, Nimadel, Ribbonseal, Zenigami, Dead-Bitch-by-Overload, marufu-chan, Princess of Oblivion, akiko555, KyuubiKitsune111, Suki Doll, 62, (), xXShadowRebelXx, TwilightHaseo, Lord Makura, vampirechick810, AngelicDemon97, AnimeCrazed121 and ShadowOfTruth for your support, your love and your kind comments. Thank you SO much for all your reviews and I hope you like this chapter~ ^^
Reminder:
italics - thoughts
"speech" - dialogue
normal text (prose)
-----o0o----- - dream
--text-- - memory/flashback
THANK YOU FOR YOUR SUPPORT~!!
Chapter Five:
Reason and Reckoning
Allen smiled as Rhode bounded up to meet him and Lulu Bell.
"Allen~!" she squealed as she grabbed his hand, dragging him up the steps of their home.
"Ah...Hi Rhode...it's sure been a while." He allowed himself to be led through the vast mansion, playing along with the blue-haired girl. Thoughts of last night's dream tumbled restlessly in his head, each memory weaving in and out of his vision with cruel clarity.
"Hey look Jazzie, Al's back!"
"Al? Where?" The blond turned wildly to search for Allen, his words tugging at the grotesque stitching over his mouth.
"There you stupid idiot," Devitto snickered, backhanding his twin with the barrel of his gun. "Are you blind?"
"Shaddup Dev," Jasdero howled, waving his own gun in return. "I'll get you for that!"
Allen massaged his temples as the twins took off down the hallway, gunshots echoing long after their footsteps had disappeared. "They're...lively as usual..." he noted bemusedly.
Rhode rolled her eyes in response. "Those retards never learn."
"You shouldn't insult your brothers, Rhode," he scolded lightly. "...Did you dye your hair again?"
The blue-haired girl pouted, as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Don't you like it?"
"No...no-I mean yes I do like it...wasn't it purple before?"
"I got bored of purple...so I dyed it blue," she explained with a grin.
"Doesn't my darling Rhode look lovely with blue hair?" Sheryl gushed as he enveloped the pair in a hug.
"She certainly does," Allen amended as he carefully extracted himself.
"What are you doing home so early?"
The trio all turned to face the new voice, identifying the person to be none other than Tyki Mikk.
"You're so cold to your dear brother!" Sheryl cried, as he moved to embrace the dark-skinned man.
Mikk ducked under the oncoming pair of arms and glared at the man who shared his blood. "Don't call me 'dear'," he growled. "It's disturbing."
"Morning Mikk," Allen said politely. "It's been a while hasn't it?"
"Allen Walker... You've grown since I last saw you."
Allen scowled. "Of course I have, Mikk."
"Please, call me Tyki...we're family after all."
"Tyki darling!"
"Not you," Mikk snapped at his brother.
"Well it's seriously been great seeing you all after so long..." Allen stifled a yawn. "But I'm practically dead on my feet, so if one of you would show me my room...."
"I-" Rhode began.
"I will." Mikk interjected, staring pointedly at his niece. There was a silent exchange between them before Rhode pouted. "Fine," she relented. Then grabbing her dad's hand, she waved at Allen. "I'll see you at dinner."
"About your target..."
Allen narrowed his eyes at the dark-haired man. "What about him?"
"I'm leaving the interrogation to you," Mikk replied, moving smoothly down the dimly lit hallway
"What!? But that's Rhode's job!" Allen protested, hurrying to keep up with the man's long strides. He expects me to torture Kanda...?! -I...
"Rhode has other matters to attend to." The gold-eyed man said, stopping suddenly. "Your mission isn't over until you find him."
Allen sighed. "I know..."
"You can't stomach torturing your ex-friend?"
The white-haired boy stiffened at the accusation, his silver eyes flashing angrily. "The fourteenth may be inside me... But I will get him out of me. So don't make me out as a weak and pathetic traitor," Allen exclaimed hotly.
Mikk held up his hands in plea of innocence. "That wasn't what I meant at all, Allen. I'm sorry you thought of it that way."
The silver-eyed boy stared at the floor, embarrassed by his outburst. "Don't apologise, it's my fault. I'm sorry."
"There's no need to be sorry, it must be hard on you," Mikk replied as he pushed open a door marked by the number 14. "Welcome, to your new bedroom."
Allen's jaw fell open as he stepped into the richly furnished room. Silver eyes surveyed the room dumbly as Mikk led the boy further into the room, treading lightly on the soft white carpet.
Sunlight streamed through the large windows that lined the enormous room, splashing pools of gold on the otherwise silver and white room. Allen approached the huge bed hesitantly, his eyes fixed on the intricate silver embroidery that swirled across the moonlight quilt.
"Mana," he murmured quietly as he traced the familiar pattern that instantly brought a song to mind.
Mikk smiled as he placed a hand on Allen's shoulder. "Do you like it?" he asked, snapping the boy out of his reverie.
"Of course!"Allen replied, tearing his gaze away from the bed. "I - it's lovely."
"I'm glad to hear that."
"Thank you...who-?"
"It was the Earl's idea," Mikk interrupted, answering the unfinished question. "And mine, of course. I figured that after all you'd been through, you needed a place where you could think."
Allen smiled gratefully.
"Well I'll leave you to rest. I have some matters to attend to..." Mikk crossed the room in several steps, arriving at the door in a matter of seconds. He waved as he closed the door behind him. Allen stiffened as he caught the tail-end of the sentence. "Matters...concerning your red-haired friend."
~Please review for the sake of all the braincells lost when the beta reader hit the author's head~
Lavi abruptly sneezed, causing various members of the white and black order to gaze at him in concern.
"I'm fine," he reassured them, with a saluting gesture. "Only a bit o' dust."
"You're pushing yourself too hard," Reever commented with a sigh.
"I'm fine, I'm fine," Lavi replied.
"Reever's right," Lenalee said, a small frown twisting her pretty features. "What's going on that's so important that you've been skipping meals and sleep for?"
Various members shared glances between them as Lenalee held the red-head under her scrutinising stare.
"I'm just worried for them," Lavi finally replied, heaving a sigh. "I mean, they're in suspicious territory y'know... I don't want them to get injured just 'cause I was slacking off or somethin'.
The chinese girl seemed to accept this answer, and handed him his cup of coffee. "Just take a break soon."
----------------o0o----------------
"Aww, ya even gave him a pet name!"
"Shut up."
--
Why?
--
"So...which way do you swing?"
"WHAT THE FUCK?!"
--
What?
--
"Are you feeling okay, Allen? You're really red..."
"Woah Al...do ya have a fever?"
--
"Let me remind you, this is a long-term mission...don't forget who you really are."
--
I know...
--
"Don't touch me."
--
"Is this mission too harsh on you?"
--
I knew...
--
"What the fuck are you blabbing on about?"
--
Kanda?
--
"You can't kill me."
--
What? Why would I-
--
"Shut the fuck up."
--
But I-... You-
--
We...
--
He was drowning in a whirlpool of delusions...a swirl of faceless masks and wordless songs.
----------------o0o----------------
Silver eyes flew open to meet the stardust canopy of his bed as the white-haired boy lingered between dream and reality.
"Alleeeeen!! Allen? Are you awake? Alleeeen?!" There was a pause. "Hmph~ Well, you're target's awake!"
My target...? He could feel the ice cold material that pressed against the back of his head, soaked with his own tears.
There was an audible sigh as Rhode turned away. "Geez, the least you could do is reply after I went to all that trouble of telling you that Kanda-"
Kanda...?!
"- was awake..."
Awake?
Allen wrenched himself free of his sheets, sticky with his own sweat. Kanda's awake... He... I...
The silver-eyed boy froze, his hand hovering above the silver handle of his door. What am I doing...? Allen closed his outstretched hand, letting it fall back by his side. "I must be going delirious," he sighed as he turned away from the door. He flinched when an image of Kanda reached out towards him before dissipating into thin air.
--"Quit staring at my hand and take it."--
Allen slammed his hand into the door, leaving a visible dent. Calm down Allen... This is only temporary... A side effect of that godforsaken dream. The white-haired boy raised his hand to the scar that ran through his left eye and curved around his cheek. He...he had to keep walking... He'd promised Mana... He-
--He was drowning...drowning in a whirlpool of delusions...a swirl of faceless masks and wordless songs.--
~Please review for the sake of faster and more frequent updates~
Onyx orbs took in the white surroundings of the cell, narrowing under the force of the harsh lighting. It was cold, and the white stone walls pressed icily against his bare back. Kanda frowned at this realisation, glancing down in irritation at his sudden lack in clothing. The frown only deepened when a sharp stab of pain alerted him of his injuries.
Che...they actually treated my wounds.
He pressed his thumb experimentally on the bandaged area, scowling when blood began to seep through the bandage. "Shit," he muttered, cursing his slowing regenerative ability. He could picture the lotus hourglass he hid so well within the depths of his wardrobe - hidden, from curious eyes and his own. Kanda closed his eyes, leaning his head back against the wall.
No fucking retard would want to see their life in an hourglass let alone a goddamn pink flower. His scowl deepened as his thoughts turned to the lotuses which awaited his return to the visual world - blooming...wilting...fading...
His opened his eyes when the moyashi stepped into the room, bringing with him the smell of soap and...
Fear?
Allen knelt down, drawing level to Kanda's face. "Kanda."
The dark-haired assassin didn't reply, noting that the white-haired boy purposely avoided meeting his eyes. "Che."
Silver eyes narrowed at the statement, but his face remained void of emotions. "I'm here to ask a few questions..." the Moyashi continued. "And it would be in your best interest to answer them."
"Like hell I'll answer any of your questions."
Allen slammed his hand into the wall, his deformed arm coming millimetres from Kanda's ear. "Realise that I would prefer it if you'd answer the questions without me having to resort to other methods," he warned, still refusing to meet his eyes.
Kanda arched a brow, his mouth quirking in amusement. "Do what you want."
"I'll tell you one more time," the sprout said. "It would be in your best interest if you answered my questions."
The Japanese teen scowled, his patience wearing thin. "I don't give a shit. You might as well kill me because I am not going to answer any of your fucking questions."
Allen pulled his hand back, standing up with a sigh. "I'm not going to kill you, but I can use this..."
Kanda stiffened as Allen brought out a large syringe filled with pale orange liquid. The tip glinted cruelly in the bright lighting, causing images of his nightmare to resurface.
--"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."--
He could feel sweat beginning to bead along his brow as the white-haired boy knelt to meet him once more. "Why aren't you even fighting?"
The dark-haired teen frowned. Why wasn't he resisting? What would he gain from getting that injected into him?
"Che. That load of bullshit doesn't work."
Allen glanced at the needle, a small smile lifting his lips. "Oh this?" He held the tip towards Kanda's exposed chest, letting it hover above the tattoo. Kanda flinched, his dark gaze fixated on the syringe.
--A cry of agony wrenched itself from his lips as the cold metal buried itself deep into his chest, piercing his heart--.
"This," Allen continued, his voice sounded far off, "is a prop." The previously cold tone had shifted into one of mock cheerfulness.
"A prop," the dark-eyed teen echoed, tearing his gaze away from the damned object.
"Yes, yes." Allen brushed his finger against Kanda's brow, bemused. "You reacted just like the report predicted..."
What the fuck?!
"...I wonder what your reaction would have been if I had used black liquid-"
How the-
"-should I have strapped you to a table?" The conversational tone was slipping, being replaced by what - he couldn't tell.
Allen paused, his expression once again becoming blank. "So tell me Kanda... Who was that man?"
"Like hell I know," he spat, smothering the confusion and fear that threatened to arise. -heck, if I knew...he'd be long dead.
"For heaven's sake! Stop being and idiot and think - just for a second - about what - "
"Why do you even care?" Kanda interjected, rendering the boy at a loss for words. "I'm the enemy, aren't I?"
Allen met his eyes for the first time, drawing him into an abyss of moonlight silver. "Right back at you. Why the bloody hell aren't you fighting?!"
"Why didn't you kill me?"
The white-haired boy looked away, standing up abruptly. "Like I said before, who ever said anything about killing?" Allen crossed the small cell, arriving at the reinforced platinum door in four large steps. He glanced back at the Japanese teen with a small frown.
"Lotuses, huh..."
~the beta reader(s) apologises for any mistakes missed in this fic~
Allen slid the door behind him, closing it with a satisfying click. Heaving a sigh, he leant back against the door, its chilly surface pressing against his sweat soaked shirt. To think Kanda was next door all along, Allen thought as he made his way to the bathroom. An involuntary shiver ran down his spine as he faced the large mirror which stretched above the pristine sink. A figure grinned at him from behind his reflection, its eerie black face beside his own pale features. Allen scowled at it, resisting the urge to shatter the creepy smile into a thousand pieces. Annoying arsehole is still here. I need to find 'him' soon...
The white-haired boy turned on the tap, watching the water gurgle down the drain before bending over to cup his hands underneath/beneath the numbing flow. Kanda didn't seem to know who he was... Dipping lower, he splashed the water onto his face, savouring the contact. Allen repeated the process several times before cutting off the steady stream of water. The British boy suddenly doubled over, as a severe coughing fit racked his body. Allen winced as droplets of blood splattered into the sink, sending a jolt of pain up his throat. What in the –
Another bout of coughing passed through him leaving him gasping for air. Allen steadied himself on the bench as he swayed from lack of air, drawing in shuddering breaths. Oh God... The silver-eyed boy exhaled slowly as he leant back against the wall. Bloody hell....what is going on?
~The beta reader encourages you one more time to review for the sake of a kanda and allen plushie that will arrive on your doorstep at 8:00 pm the very next night~
"Lotuses." Kanda repeated, glaring at the door. "First Komui then Moyashi... How the fuck do they know?!" The dark-haired assassin took his anger out on the wall behind him, grunting in annoyance at the bruises which resulted. It took a full five minutes before they faded away. "Che. This is getting seriously fucked." Kanda scowled as he surveyed the tiny cell once more, going to great lengths to ignore the flowers which flitted teasingly around him. "I need to find him soon...but instead I'm screwing around in this godforsaken cell!"
The door suddenly swung open, revealing a pale figure that stood stark against a wall of darkness. It stumbled into the room, slamming the door behind.
Onyx eyes widened as silver eyes stared at him through a curtain of white hair. "Moyashi...?!"
The white-haired boy sat down hard on the floor, leaning against the silver door. "Just let me....sit here..." Allen licked the blood off his lips giving a weak smile. "I know you hate me, so if you want to kill me....by all means, do."
"What the fuck?!" The Japanese teen growled, "What the hell is wrong with you?"
Allen gave a strained chuckle, "I have a NOAH within me...he's going to take over me soon... That's why-" He began to cough, spitting blood into his hand. Kanda frowned as he waited for the coughing to subside, his gaze fixed on the boy opposite him. NOAH? Inside him? What the hell is he blabbing on about?"
Allen finally stilled, lifting his head once more. "I need to find that man." Kanda found himself being drawn into the silver pools once more, slowly getting sucked in amongst the specks of grey.
"Che," he finally replied, looking away. "I won't listen to your bullshit. A NOAH inside you...don't fuck with me, moyashi. No idiot would fall for that!" The dark-haired assassin narrowed his eyes when Allen merely smiled. "What if I set you free?"
"What."
The white-haired boy slowly stood up, his expression suddenly clear of any pain he had previously displayed. "I said. What if I set you free?"
"I know that." Kanda snapped in return. "But why the fuck would you do that, baka moyashi."
"My name is Allen," the sprout automatically corrected, scowling. "It's for my mission."
"You're mission," Kanda said, his tone sceptic. "Just what is you're goddamn mission?!"
Allen heaved an irritated sigh, crossing his arms. "I already told you Bakanda! I need to find him to get this bastard NOAH out of my body!"
"Che, yeah. And I'm the reincarnation of God."
Pale featured twisted into an annoyed frown as Allen crossed the room to glare down at the onyx-eyed teen. "Like you have anything to say! I'm not the one who sees flowers everywhere!"
Kanda stiffened, his gaze darkening. "What the hell do you know."
"Everything." The British boy replied. "You're life is Bound by the Lotus."
"How the-"
"You can't see them can you..." Allen interjected. "The flowers.... Around me."
Kanda didn't respond, his face having assumed an impassive expression.
The white-haired boy stepped closer, bending down slightly. "Do you want to know why?" Allen reached behind his neck to unclasp a previously unseen chain. On the end of it looped a string of wooden beads which circled to form what could presumably be a bracelet. The white-haired boy let the chain fall to the ground, holding the bracelet between two fingers.
The Japanese teen flinched when an ice cold hand pressed over his eyes, while nimble fingers slipped the wooden beads onto his wrist. Allen quickly stepped back.
Onyx eyes dilated in shock as the dark-haired teen stared around at the room. Allen stifled a laugh at the assassin's expression, whose brain seemed to be struggling to come to terms with this new development. "Kanda...?"
Said teen looked up with a start, his brows drawn together in a frown. "Why the hell did you give this to me...!?"
"You really don't know what you are....do you?" Allen murmured.
The Japanese teen scowled. "I'm fucking human. Wha-"
"No…" Allen cut in as he knelt own in front of the dark-haired teen. Silver eyes softened, as they traced over the still figure.
"No...you're not."
And uh.....sorry for the cliffy? – I couldn't resist it ^^; i mean.... this ff is suspense afterall right?
Please review! And once again, page breaks are courtesy of MitarashiiDango.
Signing out,
--Melodicxstar--