Cross My Heart
Chapter 26: Coup de Main
Several loud bangs roused Kanda from his unintentional doze. The Japanese exorcist blinked in confusion as he tried to reorient himself to his surroundings. The only light in the room came from the faint moonlight filtering dimly through the window, and Kanda wondered just how long he had been asleep in Bellerose's room as he carefully got to his feet. His back ached from crowding himself up on the windowsill for the second day in a row, and his neck protested his sudden movement as he glanced over at the bed. Bellerose was sprawled out on her back with her arms and legs thrown out around her, meaning she hadn't moved at all since flopping tiredly down on the bed several hours before. There was another insistent bang-bang-bang on the door, and Kanda scowled as he picked his way across the dark room. He miraculously didn't encounter any obstructions, which gave him just enough time to affix a dark look on his face before he wrenched the door open under another loud bang. Kanda felt his anger waver slightly when he found himself turning his gaze down to the wriggling, bejeweled child everyone called Timothy. The red-haired child blinked up at Kanda in confusion for several silent moments.
"Why're you in Chloe's room?" the young boy finally asked. Kanda bit down on his automatic sarcastic response and settled on staring at the child in the hopes he would state his reason for trying to blast his way through Bellerose's door. Timothy quickly grew tired of waiting for Kanda's answer and spoke again. "Whatever. Is she here?"
"What do you want?" Kanda had tried to keep the annoyance out of his voice but wasn't as successful as he thought when Timothy frowned up at him in response.
"I wanna know why I don't have missions anymore."
"Come back later." Kanda started to close the door, but Timothy shoved a foot in the way to keep it open. "Oi, I said—,"
"Look, just tell her that I'm old enough and strong enough to help out, so I shouldn't be left behind. I'm tired of watching people around me get hurt when I can fight!" Timothy puffed up his chest and tried to put on a brave face, but the determined expression quickly dissolved into a tear-filled one. Kanda regretted leaving Mugen at the windowsill as he stared down at the red-haired child.
"Ever thought that maybe you're staying behind for a reason?" Kanda asked before Timothy actually started crying.
"What?"
"Someone has to protect this place and the people in it too like that teacher of yours." Kanda did his best not to sigh at the hopeful look blossoming on Timothy's young face. "So don't blame the generals for leaving you behind when you've been given the most important job of all." Timothy digested those words for several quiet moments. Kanda was contemplating kicking the boy's foot out of the way when the red head retreated to the hallway on his own. "Understand?" Kanda asked.
"Yeah. Thanks, Kanda." Timothy smiled up at the Japanese exorcist then skated off down the hallway. Kanda waited until the clack-clack-clack volumefaded to a less grating level before closing the door.
"That was quite nice of you." Kanda scowled while turning the lock. A soft click sounded before yellowish lamplight illuminated the room. "Wipe the frown off your face, Cabrón. I know you secretly like being nice to people."
"Go back to sleep, Bellerose. You're talking nonsense," Kanda shot back as he turned around. Bellerose was sitting up, and she stretched her arms over her head with a yawn. "Who told you to get up?" he hissed when Bellerose pushed the covers back and swung her legs over the edge of the bed. The dark circles under her eyes hadn't faded, nor had the tension in her shoulders. Her red hair cascaded wildly over her shoulders and down her back, adding to the overworked and overstressed rumpled look she had going and making Kanda frustrated once more at young Timothy for waking her.
"Thanks for staying with me. Just like old times, huh?" Kanda tried not to read too much into the red head's statement and squashed down the boyish hope blossoming in his chest. Bellerose opened a drawer in her bedside cabinet and pulled out a familiar hair tie. She quickly pulled her hair back with Kanda's borrowed hair tie (it had been ages since she had stolen it from him during their epic sparring match) as she headed for the door. Kanda reached out and caught the barefoot red head by the bicep when she was passing him. "Kanda?"
"Our briefing was less than three hours ago, Bellerose. The other stuff can wait." Kanda could feel the weariness in Bellerose's trembling muscles as he held her arm.
"Unfortunately it can't wait." Bellerose reached up and placed her hand over Kanda's. "Thanks for the concern, Kanda. You should get some sleep yourself if you've been on the windowsill all this time." When Kanda tightened his grip slightly, Bellerose grinned up at him. "It's not like I'm leaving or anything. Promise."
"If you won't wear shoes, wear a sweater," the Japanese exorcist said in a very Froi Tiedoll-like manner (not that he would admit it aloud). Kanda released Bellerose in order to slip off the dark cardigan he had put on before the first meeting with Komui that afternoon, and the red head pulled the sweater on with a slight smirk.
"Tiedoll would have a field day if he heard you say that." Bellerose chuckled when Kanda's face rapidly flushed, and she exited her room with the Japanese exorcist staring after her in confusion and frustration. "Don't go anywhere, Cabrón. This won't take long!" the red-haired girl called over her shoulder as she walked into the hallway—all loudly enough to inform any other resident nearby who was in her room. Kanda kicked Bellerose's door closed and locked it in retaliation for the public decree when she claimed to be mad at him.
"Insufferable idiot," the Japanese exorcist hissed as he fell face-first onto Bellerose's bed. He kicked off his shoes after a moment then wriggled his way under the sheets without opening his eyes. A few minutes of sleep wouldn't hurt, and Bellerose's bed was much more comfortable than her windowsill.
Miranda fidgeted in the hallway as she glanced down at the note in her hand. She had checked and rechecked the hallways as she walked to make sure she wasn't being followed, and even though she had gotten to the spot on the map without anyone noticing, she couldn't help but wonder why she was being summoned for a secret meeting. The electric lantern knocked lightly against the wall when Miranda took a nervous step to the side. Miranda flinched at the sound and glanced around to make sure she was still alone.
"Miranda?" The German exorcist whipped around and saw Chloe strolling toward her. The red-haired general smiled tiredly as she came to a halt beside Miranda. "I'm glad my directions were legible." Chloe pressed a hand against one of the bricks, and the wall began to open under the touch. "Ah. Did you remember to bring a lantern?"
"I did." Miranda flicked the lantern's switch to light the device, and Chloe motioned for the German exorcist to enter the newly created hole in the wall first. Chloe stepped through the impromptu doorway then pressed another brick. Miranda couldn't help but be awed as the wall closed back up as if the bricks had never moved in the first place. A third set of footsteps approached the female exorcists, and Miranda blinked in confusion when her lantern illuminated a familiar figure emerging from the darkness around them. "Allen?"
"How did you manage to lose the inspector?" Chloe asked as the white-crowned exorcist drew to a halt beside Miranda.
"He's doing my mission report since I beat him at cards yesterday."
"Perfect. I don't want to keep either of you too long," the general said before a yawn burst past her lips. Chloe sat down on the ground and motioned for Allen and Miranda to do the same. Once the exorcists were seated with the lantern placed in the middle of them, Chloe took a deep breath. "I need your help."
"Come again?" Miranda said after a silent moment.
"I need your help," Chloe repeated. "Will you both lend me your strength however I ask you to?"
"Of course we will! You don't have to ask us that, Chloe," Allen replied with a confused frown.
"I want to give you both the choice in this. We don't have a lot of control over how we're used in this war, so if I can give you the opportunity to choose, I plan to do so." Chloe smiled wearily at the bleakness of her words. "I want you to think about it for a day before you answer. Let's meet in the Cafeteria for dinner tomorrow night. You can give me your answer then." The red-haired general climbed to her feet. "Miranda, would you mind leading Allen back the way he came with your lantern? I feel terrible about having Allen have to find his way out without a guiding light."
"O-Okay." With Miranda's assurance, Chloe stepped back into the darkness, leaving two very confused exorcists in her wake. "Allen, what was that all about?" Miranda asked while getting to her feet. She reached to pick up the lantern only to have Allen grab it first. The British exorcist shrugged in response to her question then held out his arm for her to take. Miranda glanced up at Allen as he led her down the opposite corridor.
"It was Chloe's way of telling us that this mission may be the last one for us," Allen replied after several silent moments. "The Earl is making his move, and she wants us to choose how we fight while we can still choose. Ah, we're at our exit." Allen pressed one of the stones on the wall, and an opening appeared like the one Chloe had opened earlier. "I have to get back to Link before he realizes I didn't actually go get a snack from the Cafeteria. Thanks for lighting my way here, Miranda. I'll see you tomorrow." Allen handed back the lantern then silently turned and walked toward the male dormitory. Miranda switched off the lantern then made her way back to her room. There was a lot to think about before tomorrow night.
Cloud Nine knew she was getting a visitor when Lau Jimin uncurled from his blanket nest on the bed and stared at the closed door. A few moments later, there was a sharp knock on the door.
"Come in," she called without looking up from her book. The door opened as Cloud turned the page, and she glanced up from the printed words only when Lau Jimin leapt off the bed and scampered over to the visitor. Chloe smiled and knelt down in front of the monkey, allowing the animal to climb up her body and sit atop her shoulder. Lau Jimin grabbed a tiny handful of the red head's ponytail and pulled insistently. Chloe chuckled while slipping a hand into her cardigan pocket.
"Here you go," Chloe said while holding a long piece of fruit jerky out to the monkey. Lau Jimin squeaked in appreciation then snatched the sweet snack from her hand. The monkey quickly leapt off Chloe's shoulder into the closest empty chair to devour his prized snack. "How're you, Cloud?" Chloe got to her feet and brushed imaginary dust from her dark sweater. Cloud had seen Kanda Yuu wearing that very garment a few hours before, and one of the boy's hair ties was currently keeping Chloe's long red locks together at the nape of her neck. An interesting development considering the information Froi had divulged several months before…
"Just fine, all things considering. And you?" Cloud sent the red-haired girl a knowing look before the girl could change the subject. Chloe let out a heavy sigh then flopped down on the couch at Cloud's feet.
"I'm better than I was before Jordan," she replied, knowing the older general was already putting together some pieces.
"I heard a certain exorcist has been shadowing you since you got back from Jordan. That and he's been acting as your doorman." Cloud smirked when Chloe let out a short groan. "Timothy was quite excited to tell me all about his talk with Mr. Kanda after dinner."
"I knew I should've grabbed him before he got too far." Chloe covered her flushing cheeks with her hands.
"A candy bribe doesn't work on the boy anymore. Trust me." Cloud Nine placed a scrap of paper in her book to mark her page then set it in her lap. "I know you didn't come here just to talk about Kanda or feed Lau Jimin. Spit it out so we can both get back to our last hours of freedom." Chloe let her hands drop to her sides as a frown appeared on her lips.
"I have a bad feeling about this mission," the red head finally admitted.
"And that's different from any other mission?" Cloud watched several emotions filter over Chloe's suddenly too young face. Cloud hadn't been much older than Chloe when she became an exorcist, and she had quickly lost all innocence she might've once had once she was faced with the harsh realities of war. But Chloe had always seemed to be the most rational of the younger exorcists. She relied on facts to inform her opinions and actions, so she didn't generally act spontaneously or reactively. And it didn't take a General to figure out just what was bothering the teenager. "You're concerned about leading your peers to their entirely possible deaths," Cloud stated more than asked.
"It doesn't get any easier, does it?" Chloe sat up when Cloud didn't bother to answer the question. She looked over at Cloud while wrapping her cardigan tighter around her body. "How do you get through it?"
"When I was your age? An expensive bottle of wine. That and lots of sex." Cloud couldn't help but chuckle when Chloe's face suddenly became redder than her hair. "Don't act like that didn't occur to you already. I just voiced what you were truly thinking."
"I think I'll stick with a different option for now." Chloe held up her right hand in front of her. Pale blue light shot forward from her index finger then she wrote something in the air in a language Cloud had only seen a handful of times but didn't understand. There was a brief flash of light then Chloe caught something that seemed to have fallen from the air. The writing dissolved a moment later, revealing a silver flask in Chloe's right hand. And said flask had been seen in the hands of a nosy inspector when he thought no one was watching. "I couldn't find any wine, so I hope this will suffice," she said with a smirk.
"That's definitely not from Jerry's stash," Cloud said after a curious beat. Chloe's smirk grew impossibly wider. Cloud had a feeling the red head's expression wasn't only due to obtaining her prize from the inspector. The magic Chloe could also wield was eerily similar to Marian Cross's own power, but her control over the mystical element was far greater than his had ever been. Chloe had been struggling to stabilize her mystical abilities since the odd mission to France. During the long missions to various outposts and branches for "research," she had regained her control over the unstable element.
"Of course not. It's from Leverrier's desk," Chloe confirmed victoriously. The red head unscrewed the flask lid then took a swig of the contents. She let out a content noise as she swallowed the mystery liquor. "That's good stuff."
"I suppose we should finish this before the inspector realizes it's gone," Cloud said while holding out a hand. Chloe extended the flask to the older general without hesitation. "This means you're sleeping on my couch tonight. Don't complain if Lau Jimin wakes you up for a snack," Cloud said after taking several liberal sips of the stolen alcohol.
"I can't refuse an offer like that," Chloe replied with a grin.
"However, you're going to deal with Kanda Yuu as soon as the Cafeteria opens for the day. I've heard food is the best way to make amends. Or was that 'laughter is the best medicine'?" Cloud shook her head with a sigh. "Regardless, I want you out of here at breakfast. Understand?" Chloe nodded then snatched the stolen flask back for another drink.
When his dream suddenly dissolved from blood, death, and lotus flowers to endless bowls of soba noodles, Kanda knew something was amiss. He could actually smell the noodles in his dream, and his stomach rumbled in response as the hunger he had ignored before going to sleep woke up with him. In his sleep, Kanda had managed to move across the bed until his back was firmly pressed against the wall. The Japanese exorcist sat up with a yawn and pushed his hair from his eyes. The sun had risen on a new day while he was dreaming. Kanda heard a muffled thunk and turned to the source of the noise. Bellerose was in the process of placing a food tray on the crowded bedside cabinet, and she smiled when she saw Kanda blinking back at her in confusion.
"Good morning. I grabbed some breakfast and brought you something too." Kanda shifted forward to grab the tray so Bellerose could climb onto the bed as well. The red head shuffled over to the other side of the bed and leaned back against the wall the Japanese exorcist had been pressed against a few moments before. Chloe patted the spot in front of her, and Kanda took that as his cue to place the tray down on the mattress where the red head wanted it. He removed his soba from the tray and was reaching for his chopsticks when he saw that all Bellerose had to eat was a pair of apples and a small block of cheese.
"That's it?"
"It's only breakfast. I'll definitely need more for lunch." Bellerose grabbed the small knife on the tray. "I'll share if you want any."
Kanda shrugged then started in on his noodles. The pair sat in comfortable quiet as they ate. As Kanda finished off his meal, he saw a teapot and two cups sitting on the tray. He placed his dish and chopsticks on the tray then poured two servings of tea. Kanda held out a cup to Bellerose, and she hastily shoved a bite of apple and cheese into her mouth so she could take the tea. Jerry had evidently played with the brewing of the tea. There was the bitterness of green tea with a subtle hint of peach in the aftertaste, and Kanda quickly drained his cup at the unique flavor combination.
"Jerry said you would like the new tea," Bellerose commented as Kanda refreshed his cup. She quickly cut another slice of apple and a thin piece of cheese then held it out to Kanda. "Since you're trying new things today, try this too."
Kanda took the offered food and popped it into his mouth as Bellerose had done. He enjoyed the sweet, crisp taste from the apple with the sour taste of the cheese, and he held out his hand while swallowing. Bellerose supplied more apple and cheese a moment later. "Where did you go?" Kanda couldn't help but ask after eating his second treat.
"I had a chat with Miranda and Allen then talked with Cloud Nine for a bit." Bellerose munched on more apple and cheese as she began cutting more pieces for consumption.
"That took all night?"
"We had a lot to talk about." Kanda stared at the red-haired girl skeptically for a moment then held out his hand again. Bellerose smiled as she shared her breakfast, and Kanda relished in the pleasant warmth bubbling up in his chest at seeing the red-haired girl outwardly happy. He chewed thoughtfully on the fruit and cheese as he watched Bellerose sip her tea. There were dark circles under her vibrant eyes but her expression continued to brighten the more she shared her food with him. Her long hair was draped over her left shoulder in a low ponytail, which drew his attention to the fact that his cardigan sleeve had fallen to her left elbow, exposing her toned arm and his borrowed hair tie. Kanda purposefully reached out and grabbed the hair tie, and Bellerose tracked Kanda's movements as he released her hair from its precarious binding then dragged his knuckles down her bare arm. The Japanese exorcist smirked internally when he felt Bellerose shiver at the sudden physical contact. He pulled his hand back to pocket his formerly stolen hair tie. A tense silence fell over the exorcists as Kanda watched Bellerose and the red head stared down at her arm.
"Thanks for breakfast, Bellerose," he finally said. Bellerose blinked owlishly then glanced up at Kanda. Her bright eyes seemed to be staring right through Kanda. The Japanese exorcist shivered at the intensity of her gaze, and he swallowed dryly as the warm feeling in his chest rapidly spread through his body. Bellerose broke eye contact with him after several moments to place her cup and the small knife she had been using on the tray. She then reached for Kanda's cup, brushing her fingers against his and lingering there for a second too long before pulling back to place the cup on the tray in front of her. The red head cleared her throat while dropping her hands and gaze back down to her lap.
"Kanda…" She trailed off for a moment to take a deep breath. "A while back, you asked why I couldn't tell you what was going on. I couldn't tell you because we honestly didn't know what was happening. I thought it would be better to keep everyone in the dark to keep worry from spreading, and evidently that was the wrong call to make. I'm not asking you to forgive me for that, but I promise that I'll tell you everything you want to know from now on." Kanda mulled over what Bellerose had said. It was as much of an apology as he was going to get, and the gap that had been between them was rapidly closing back up.
"I'll hold you to that, Bellerose," Kanda murmured to break the residual silence. Bellerose smiled at his answer just before a yawn burst past her lips. "Did you even sleep last night?"
"On Cloud Nine's couch for a bit." Bellerose let out a second yawn while raking her fingers through her loose hair. "Lau Jimin isn't as pleasant a wake up call as you are." Kanda's eyes widened even as he watched Bellerose's face rapidly flush at her admission. She cleared her throat then moved toward the edge of the bed, grabbing the tray with one hand as she passed it. "I'll-I'll go take this back to Jerry," Bellerose stammered out while getting to her feet. Kanda reached out and caught a handful of the red head's borrowed sweater before she could scamper off. Bellerose let out a soft noise when her forward progress was abruptly halted. Kanda slid to his feet then reached around to take the tray from Bellerose's hands. He placed the tray down on the bedside cabinet as Bellerose slowly turned to face him.
"Pleasant wake up call, huh?" Kanda couldn't help but smirk when Bellerose's already flushed cheeks turned a darker shade of red. He released his grip on the cardigan so he could reach out to gently cup Bellerose's burning cheek. The red-haired girl inhaled sharply at the touch as her eyes widened. "What's got you blushing like a schoolgirl, Bellerose?" the Japanese exorcist had to ask.
"Cloud Nine and I…talked," Bellerose replied while shifting her gaze to the side. Kanda raised an eyebrow at that response but didn't break the tense silence quickly filling the small room. "She…um…she told me to talk to you, and…and…" Bellerose's voice faded away as she shifted her weight from foot to foot in a nervous manner.
"Spit it out, Bellerose." Kanda's tone was soft and teasing despite his harsh-sounding words. Bellerose let out a short sigh then locked eyes with the Japanese exorcist.
"We could die in two days, so I'm not wasting what time I may have left." The red-haired girl took a bold step forward into Kanda's personal space so that her breath ghosted over his neck and a slight tilt of her head upward would bridge the remaining distance they had been toeing around for months. Kanda couldn't keep the content hum from rumbling through his throat when Bellerose finally lifted her chin and kissed him. Whatever the future held, Bellerose was right—there were far better uses for the time they had together.
Miranda did her best to smile as she sat down beside Allen at dinner. Allen paused in mid-bite to wave a cheeseburger filled hand in her direction then continued consuming his feast. Miranda quietly sipped her soup as she mulled over her decision for the umpteenth time that day. She had no qualms about her answer—of course she would help Chloe with whatever she and the other generals had planned despite the secretive nature of said battle plan. But a small part of her still doubted her own ability to be truly useful, hence the continuous cycle of thought.
"Ms. Lotto, how are you this evening?" Miranda let out a surprised yelp at the vocal intrusion to her thought. Junior Inspector Link blinked back at the German exorcist but was unfazed by her response.
"I-I'm doing well. And you-you, Mr. Link?" she finally responded.
"Never better. Walker, I have to turn in our paperwork. Do not—,"
"Leave here without you. I know, Link," Allen interjected with a dismissive wave. Link frowned at the cold response then turned on his heel and made his way toward the Cafeteria doors. Instead of tucking back into his meal at the inspector's departure, Allen leaned forward and rested his elbows on the table with a long sigh.
"Is everything all right, Allen?" Miranda had to ask. It wasn't like Allen to be impolite, even with those he loathed.
"We had a bit of a disagreement this morning over the level of supervision I should have," Allen replied softly. Miranda tried to conjure comforting phrases or at least an encouraging word, but her musing was cut off a second time by a tray being placed on the table in front of her with a soft clang. Chloe sat down and began uncovering the dishes Jerry had prepared for her.
"I hate to say I'm thankful for that, but I am right now," the red-haired general said while glancing up at her fellow exorcists. "So, what have you both decided?"
"I-I want—I want to help you." Miranda was slightly taken back by the sudden strength in her tone but put on what she hoped was a resolved expression anyway. Chloe nodded in approval then turned her gaze solely to Allen. The white-crowned exorcist lifted up his head after a long moment.
"I want to help while I still can," he stated with resigned conviction.
"It's settled then. We'll meet in our original spot tomorrow after the final briefing. But in the meantime, let's eat." Chloe picked up her fork and began eating her meal, prompting Allen and Miranda to do the same with their own dinners. "Any interesting gossip going around?" the general asked once several quiet minutes had passed.
"Besides that Leverrier is furiously hunting down the person who stole his holy water, only a little rumor about Kanda." Allen smirked when Chloe let out a small cough at his statement. "Timothy told me that Bakanda was in your room yesterday, Chloe."
"So what, Moyashi?" the exorcist in question said before sitting down at Chloe's side. Allen blinked in confusion at Kanda voluntarily sitting across from him in a public area but quickly recovered when the Japanese exorcist scowled.
"What were you doing in Chloe's room, Bakanda?" Allen asked with a wicked grin. Miranda watched Chloe shift slightly in her seat as everyone waited for Kanda's answer. The Japanese exorcist picked up his chopsticks and pointed them at Allen.
"Why were you in Lenalee's room yesterday, Moyashi?" Allen's face rapidly flushed, and Kanda blinked in momentary shock before smirking in victory. Chloe smiled into her food as she took another bite, and Miranda didn't miss the way Kanda's gaze softened slightly at the red-haired general's expression. Allen cleared his throat and made several failed attempts to speak before finally pointing his fork at Kanda and glaring at him.
"Look Lena, it's a party!" Lavi interjected as he and the Chinese exorcist approached the table. The Bookman Junior sat himself down at Miranda's empty side while Lenalee sat down beside Chloe. "Moyashi, why're you doing an impression of a tomato?"
"Apparently someone added extra spice to his meal," Chloe replied. Allen quickly nodded and fanned his face with his gloved hands. That roused a laugh from Lavi and Lenalee, which quickly got the remainder of the table laughing (even Kanda despite his attempts to hide his mirth behind a coughing fit).
The longer the exorcists talked and joked, the more their somber moods lifted. Miranda silently observed her table-mates with a wistful smile. She couldn't record this time and make it last permanently, but she would always hold the memories of their last supper together fondly.
The next morning came too fast for all involved, and the teams silently stepped into the designated Ark gates with somber expressions.
Waiting was a game Froi Tiedoll was well versed in. The older general had a great deal of patience and appreciation for watching landscapes shift and change over the course of a day or a period of visits. The valley had been peaceful and still when the group arrived in the late night hours, but just at midday, the trees, streams, and even the sky were blotted out by mechanical bodies with grotesque faces and numbers etched cruelly into their skin. Even in daylight, akuma managed to bring a shadow over the quiet land. Only in this instance, there was no Innocence to chase after or people to kill. As soon as the battle began, this quaint valley would wither and die from the tainted akuma blood and dying machines alone, meaning the war would cost the world yet another innocent place for the sake of winning.
Tiedoll glanced down at his feet at the ward stuck to the rock making up the cliff the exorcists were using as a vantage point. There was a similar ward somewhere buried deep in the valley courtesy of the Third Exorcist named Madarao, and that ward was the reason behind the massive swarm of akuma. The ward near Tiedoll was supposedly a shielding ward that deterred the akuma from coming up from the valley into the sprawling town a few miles away. Whatever the wards were, they had worked a little too well. Tiedoll was making some mental calculations about how many akuma his band of exorcists could take on when his transmitter let out a soft beep and a short burst of static.
"This is—uh—Redbird. All is hot and well. Sound off."
Tiedoll chuckled to himself when he heard Chloe's hesitation at her codename over the transmitter. The (very) young general had made a compelling argument about getting to pick her own moniker, but Tiedoll and Cloud sided with Sokaro in that instance much to the teenager's chagrin. "Art here. It's quite cold but the subjects have finished arrived," Tiedoll replied while wrapping his new coat tighter around his body. The mass of mechanical bodies seemed to be making the cool wind blow harder against the vantage point.
"Storm here. The rain finally stopped." There was an extra sharpness to Cloud's voice that had Tiedoll temporarily forgetting about his discomfort. Cloud spoke like that when a plan started to veer from its intended course, and Sokaro cut in before Tiedoll could voice his observation over the transmitter.
"Spikes in. The babies stopped crawling in." Sokaro had replied in his usual sing-song tone without using his assigned code words at all. The other three generals had become experts in interpreting Sokaro, so they didn't miss a beat in their reports.
"I'm gonna write you guys a list of 375 reasons why I hate the desert." Chloe sounded almost playful in her coded response, which drew another chuckle from Tiedoll and an audible sigh from Cloud.
"Only if I get to lecture you on the 415 different types of clouds." Cloud countered in the same teasing tone Chloe had used.
"I'd take clouds and the desert over the 350 flowers here." Sokaro actually sounded putout by his number.
"I'm enjoying the 400 angles of view for my next painting," Tiedoll finally replied after taking a quick tally of the akuma down in the valley. "Do I have time to get my easel set up? I would love to get started on what should be a masterpiece!"
"I need to consult with the hosts before I can answer that. Redbird out."
Tiedoll nodded at Chloe's reply then turned to face his ragtag group of exorcists in various degrees of sitting and standing behind him. Chaoji scrambled up to his feet with a clumsy salute while Lavi lifted his gaze from the dirt he had been tracing patterns in for hours. Bookman hopped down from his perch on the stone Lavi was leaning back against. Madarao didn't move from his position a few feet behind Chaoji, but his odd-colored eyes finally moved away from the circling swarm of akuma and over to Tiedoll.
"The hosts need a few minutes to get completely set up. Mark half an hour to put on your best smile and get your presents ready for my signal to open the doors," Chloe replied over the transmitter. "Everyone needs to remember to wear their party hats or your invitation is revoked."
"Understood. We're prepared to dance." Cloud's voice regained its hard edge, but her words were rather mischievous for someone usually so serious.
"Hurry up over there, Redbird," Sokaro ordered.
"Trust me, the results are worth waiting for, Spikes," Chloe countered in a clipped tone as if she was trying to multitask.
"We'll be patiently waiting for the doors to open," Tiedoll said before Sokaro could sass back at the teenager. When he didn't get a reply over the transmitter, Tiedoll walked over to his group of exorcists. "We've been given a half hour window before we'll begin our simultaneous strikes," Tiedoll began after a silent moment. "Make your preparations as needed since this will likely be a long and drawn out battle. Watch out for each other, and do everything in your power to make it out alive today. Oh, and make sure your Dark Order pin is secure over your heart. The pin will allow the Science Department to track your location and will act as a short-range transmitter should you get separated from the group during or after the battle for some reason. Any questions?" Tiedoll turned away from the exorcists after a long minute of silence so they could prepare for the upcoming fight without interference.
The exorcists were finally one step ahead of the Noah Clan, and hopefully the Dark Order would be celebrating glorious victory instead of immense loss in the aftermath.
Author's Note: So the last time I updated this story was November 2014...wow it's not 2014 anymore! Just as a disclaimer, I have been working on this story since the last update, but life, work, grad school, etc. ate up my time. This particular chapter has been sitting on my computer for 2 years being updated when I had a few moments. I also had some writer's block in how to move forward until a couple of weeks ago. That being said, I can't promise to have this story finished any time soon. I haven't abandoned it either, I promise! Thanks for sticking with me! ~BR136
Also, a "coup de main" is the military term for a swift pre-emptive strike (at least Wikipedia says that's what it means).