Ashes And Rain

DGM

Chapter 10

Cross Marian?

"It's almost time." Road gleefully blurted out, twirling Lero, her favorite umbrella.

Tyki was more enthusiastic today than last night. Road knew why. He wanted to meet this Allen Walker. As did she. She couldn't wait to play with them. "When it's night we'll stalk them like wolves and tear them apart like merciless hyenas." Road sadistically and disturbingly said.

"Road, please, I don't like being compared to such wild animals." Tyki grumbled.

"That's right. You'd be a sloth because you're so sloth and serene even at a time where the war is at a climax!" Road bellowed amusingly.

"I wouldn't say that. Once I get riled up and feel the thrill, I'm more than a bored stick in the mud, well, we'll leave it at"

Road stopped spinning Lero and he stopped complaining. He was feeling queasy, saying nothing about it. He could only let out moans and groans or lero's. The usual. Anticipation rose in the air that would soon intense, morphing into dense grimness. "One hour. One hour is all they have." Road simply muttered.

Everyone was starting to get bored and tired of this. They had been scavenging the town all day and couldn't find the red-headed General. It was starting to get on their nerves. With hope, they split up into three groups of two. When none of them could find anything, they met up in the center of town. Allen was probably the most agitated of them all. If Cross wasn't at a bar or flirting with woman, he could be at the carnival, or he just wasn't there. . . . But then, Allen recalled his innocence. That's what made him the perfect hider during his game of hide, seek, and run-shoot you if you find me.

The sun was falling inch by inch from the sky. The sky looked golden and over the horizon, the glimpse of light stunned the atmosphere. It was dusk yet again. The sun had possibly twenty minutes until it fell. "Are you sure he is still in town?" Lavi questioned.

"We've turned this place upside down without a trace of him." Lenalee added.

"Perhaps he has gone, Allen." Krory mumbled, not wanting to upset Allen.

The proof was there. Nevertheless, Allen knew better than to listen to the naked eye. THere were some things it just couldn't tell you. This must be why they never found his Master. Nobody knew how to work with him. Quite literally. It didn't help his gut was telling him Cross was nearby. "No, he's here, I know it. I just know he isn't gone yet." Allen said aloud, his eyes darting around, scouting the streets.

Right on cue, a loud bellow of laughter shot through Allen. Allen paused and shuddered. He found him. He found the man he never wanted to see twice. Why did he agree to train under him again? Because of Mana?

Allen turned his head and a bar to his right stood there a little ways away. Gulping, swallowing the last of his sanity, Allen inched towards it, each step getting smaller. "Allen, hey, Allen? Where you going?" Lavi wondered, trying to grab him.

No one knew where Allen was going because no one but him knew Cross' loud, evil laughs but him. "Allen that's a bar! You can't go in there! You're underage!"

"I can't drink. I can enter." Allen retorted.

Allen pushed the fabric that hung down from the ceiling at the wide door. Smoke stung his eyes and the air smelled like a place of morphed death. Allen followed the laughing and sound of women giggling. Lavi followed him, but the others waited outside. Allen paid no heed to him.

Instead, he leisurely paced towards the harsh bellowing. Sure enough, when Allen got there, he saw red hair like Lavi's in the mist of a large crowd. Trying to get past the women, Allen said kind words and tried pushing through, but it didn't work. So he got on his knees and crawled on the disgusting floor. He had to be careful so not to be kicked in the face of stepped on. He did his best not to look up either because many of the woman weren't wearing pants or shorts. They dressed in a dress or skirt.

Making his way through the crowd, Allen found his Master. He hesitated, but got to his feet, getting in front of Cross. "Master."

The mighty fighters heard a change in the sound around them. It was quieter, a chuckling had stopped from inside the bar. The coarseness wasn't so bad so Lenalee didn't mind, but apparently the men around her thought differently. They were relieved.

Cross glared at his apprentice. Allen studied him, seeing his arms wrapped around the waists of two beautiful women. He was drunk, as usual. Yet somehow, the liquor did affect him one bit. "What do you want, Filth?" Cross demanded, voice prickly and anything but soft.

Cross was giving him a warning to leave. He was enjoying himself too much. That meant if Allen didn't go, his fate would be left in the hands of this man and if he wasn't scared for his life before now, he better be right now! The death glare from Cross was enough to send shivers down Allen's spine. "We need to talk." Allen declared unconfidently.

"Talk later, now get."

"No," Allen was surprised at himself for the confidence he held in his voice when he responded. "We need to talk now."

"Can't you see I'm busy?"

"Flirting and drinking, you always are busy! Right now you can find a new schedule!" Allen yelled.

Hearing Allen yell from inside made the other contemplate about going in, but gosh, the smell was horrid. It was unbearable. This bar wasn't like the other ones in town. "Do you think he'll be alright in there?" Miranda squawked.

"I dunno." Lenalee whispered.

"I sense a man in his presence." Krory said, ears twitching and nose wrinkling.

"Go." Cross repeated.

"No. You're coming with me even if I have to drag you, Master."

Lavi skittishly watched the argument and the women disperse from fright. The air was getting tense. Maybe dense. Lavi thought it was going to suffocate him, but before his breathless death came, Cross laid eyes on the rabbit since the lovely ladies had gone. He stared at Lavi with a stare so scary, Lavi wanted to dig his own grave and bury his body right now. Kanda wasn't this bad. Otherwise Lavi wouldn't be taunting him.

Lavi prayed Cross wasn't always this scary. "I thought I told you to get rid of them, not bring them here!" Cross screamed, grabbing Allen's collar and picking him off the ground as he stood up. "Are you deaf or just that dense?"

"On the contrary, I'm neither!" Allen shouted through gritted teeth as he kicked his feet back and forth, trying to find land. "You need to go back!"

"Like hell!"

"You're in danger!"

"Being an exorcist you're always in danger! I ain't going back! I'd rather lose a thumb!"

"You're going back! We'll force you if we have to!"

"We?" Cross questioned, getting close to Allen's face with pure rage. "What do you mean we?"

Allen gulped. What was he supposed to say? He promised to find Cross for them, but he didn't promise taking Cross there. He didn't promise to confront him. He's doing things he shouldn't have to. "Well!" Cross screamed.

"You s-see, a gro-group. . . of. . . ex-exorcists ar-are. . . . here. . . to take you back. . . . I brought. . . Well, I sort of. . . sort of led. . . them to you?" Allen murmured.

Silence. . . Silence. . . Silence. . . Silence. . . . . .

Allen wanted the silence to break. Why did he tell Cross that?

Cross released Allen, making him fall on the ground. His cigarette hung loosely from his mouth and he softened his eyes, if that's what you want to call it. Cross did indeed calm down, but his eyes were hard, sharp as a knife. "You got three seconds." Cross mumbled.

Allen was confused and too preoccupied evading the gaze as he rubbed his sore butt. "Eh?"

"One. . . . ." Cross' hand slid down his body slowly until he grasped something. "Two. . . . ." Cross pulled his gun out of it's hoister, itching it closer and closer to Allen. It just occurred to him that he had given Allen a head start to run far away. Allen inched back and Cross took baby steps towards him.

"Ho-hold on!" Allen cried.

Cross put the gun to Allen's head. Allen got on his knees as his brain tried telling him many things to do and how to react. He could rise to his feet and crawled on his knees, scared. Lavi was right behind him and he knew Lavi would get hurt as well. "Run, Lavi!" Allen got on his feet, grabbing Lavi's wrist.

"Huh?"

Allen dragged him, yanked him, forced him to move. "RUN!"

"Three. . ." Cross' fingered pulled the trigger. A loud bang echoed and the bullet dashed at them. Lavi panicked and began running at full throttle. Long before they even reached the door the bullet hit Allen's back and sent Allen flying, ramming into Lavi. They flying pair flew outside and past the group of exorcists, through a couple of buildings and, oh great, Kanda! "Time's up."

"Lavi! Allen!" Lenalee shouted, spinning around only to hear a cruel laugh behind her, making her twist her body back around. "General Cross. . ."

Dust hovered in the air. Bookman and Krory were scurrying over to the make exorcists to make sure they were, basically, alive. When Cross followed them at a slower pace, Lenalee and Miranda fret about it, tagging along. For once, Cross ignored the females.

Kanda growled and pushed the annoying brats off of him as General Tiedol coughed into his fist, supposedly trying to hide his amusement. Daisya burst into laughter and rolled on the ground in hysterics. "Boy, they sure did miss you, didn't they Yuu?" Daisya mocked.

Kanda rose to his feet and threatened Daisya with Mugen, his trusty sword, but it didn't faze Daisya. Even if Kanda would swing, he'd always missed his friends, meaning he never intended to hurt them. It was just the best way to let his anger out. . . . Daisya hoped he would never hurt his friends intentionally. "Even so, they didn't have to be so rude." Tiedol played along without even knowing it.

Kanda swung his sword at Daisya who leaped into the air and smoothly dodged it. Marie frowned, standing beside the lump of boys. "You both okay?" He asked, seeing the matter differently than his companions.

Lavi moaned, pushing Allen off him and slowly crawling away from him. His body was so sore. He just wanted to close his eye and sleep. Every bone in his body felt broken. When Allen groaned, acting like a drunk man trying to get up from a nasty fall, Lavi glared at him. "What the hell was that!" He screamed.

Seeing that Allen was disoriented and drops of blood fell down his face from a small cut on his face. Allen wiped away the blood and held his head dizzily. He was about to collapse on the ground again, but Lavi caught him. "Hey man, you alright?" Lavi didn't think he was.

Krory and Bookman ran up to them, glad to see they were alive and standing, more like lumping around. "What happened?" Bookman put forth his question, not really caring about their health, but about how this happened.

"I . . . ." Allen tried to decipher the words in his head, but he was so dizzy. He couldn't even keep himself standing up. He forgot how painful Cross' bullets were. His back ached and his chest seemed to heave as he breathed. That's when he heard the clink. He had a feeling it wasn't the bullet dropping to the ground. "Cross... Cross!"

Regaining his composure, Allen stiffened and backed away. Cross was walking towards him and nobody moved. General Tiedol just raised his hand to wave and greet like he had just seen the other General yesterday. "Why, hello Marian! It's good to see you're in good health still!" Good health as in not dead.

Cross never glanced at him, didn't respond. His eyes were fixed on his dumb apprentice and his gun was out, aimed at him. "M-M-M-M-M-Master!" Allen took giant steps back, shaking, and then tripped over a rock.

General Cross picked him up and glared at Allen angrily. By now, the girls arrived to see Cross shoot Allen in the chest again. Miranda shrieked, thinking it would harm Allen badly. It did, but lucky Allen, he felt pain, however, didn't bleed. He only cried out in pain and held his chest. He wanted to run far from Cross, but his iron grip wouldn't let him. "You god damn good-for-nothing idiot! I give you your damn space and pathetic life, take my own time you train you, and this is how you repay me? How useless you are! I can't even describe how useless and pathetic you are, idiot apprentice!" Cross shouted.

That's harsh, Lavi mentally viewed. "I thought I had it bad."

Allen was scared more than he cared about the pain. He thought this was nothing yet. "Master, I. . . I. . ." Allen stopped himself from saying sorry and kicked Cross back, falling on the ground yet again. Standing up he pumped his fist in the air. "Screw you! You're going back!"

Cross wasn't planning on Allen to retort nor hit him because of how he had been and how many times he shot him. Allen got a newly found confidence he rarely shows. Then, he had been arguing with Allen for a long, long time. It's when Cross took it a step further and turned it physical he froze up. "What did you say?" Cross growled.

"You're going back to the Black Order! Even if I have to drag you there myself!"

Now that was interesting. "Oh? Do you know where it even is?"

"No, but they do! They'll be coming with us since they were sent to retrieve you!" Allen pointed at his new friends.

Cross smirked. The boy was hysterical and oblivious. "I'd like to see you try first."

Allen glared at him. He didn't believe Allen could do anything. Cross' brow raised when Allen reached for his left hand, slowly taking his glove off. They were right outside town now, so if they fought here they wouldn't endanger lives except their own. "You plan on fighting me?" Cross incredulously inquired, scoffing. "Ha!"

Before Allen got his glove off, Lenalee cast him a look that told him to stop. The demanding in her eyes made him listen and he slipped the glove back on. No violence, okay, tell that to him, Allen notions. Lenalee stomped up to Cross and attached herself to him when he was about to turn away. He stared at her with a bizarre look as Allen gaped. "Please don't leave!"

The wheels in Cross' head turned. She was so cute. Way too cute. There was no way he could leave. The odd thing, though, she looked awfully familiar. Allen didn't like this. He hated the fact Lenalee did that. There was no reason for her to use herself to seduce him to his bidding, but as he thought about it, it may be the only way to get Cross to agree.

General Tiedol chuckled. "My, Marian, don't you think you should use safer methods in scolding your apprentice? He is your only student, you wouldn't want him to be your last, would you?"

"I don't even want him!"

Allen's expression flattened. He was so loved. "Gee, thanks."

Lenalee looked up at Cross. What would her brother say if he say this? WOuld he have the gall to stand up to Cross? Lenalee felt so bad about this imagining how Komui would act. This was maybe one thing she didn't mind him overreacting for. That's when something like Komui came to place. "Lenalee!" Allen shouted aghast and anxiousness. "How could you do that!"

"For some reason I'm having deja vu." Tiedol whispered.

Lavi laughed nervously and Kanda's scowl deepened. They were having it, too. He was acting like Komui just not as bad. "Me, too." Lavi grumbled, worried something will happen.

Lenalee stupefied when she saw Allen react. As was Cross. Of all the women Cross has 'played' with and loved, embraced and flirted with, of all the friends Allen had, he'd never gotten like that. At most he would flare with anger and walk away or tell him to knock off. Looking in Allen's eyes, he saw something else flaring that he had never seen before. He grinned.

Pulling Lenalee closer, he let his voice run as soft as silk. "I won't leave you. I'll go back with you, Lenalee."

Allen's jaw dropped. How could Master do that? She wasn't much older than Allen. He was much too old for Lenalee. When Lenalee's face bloomed the color of a rose, Allen pressed his lips together in repugnance. He turned on his heel and he eyed the circus tent from there, slowly walking towards it. "Where are you going?" Daisya asked.

Allen paused mid-step. "I'm no longer needed. I guided them to him, my work is done."

"But you said you'd drag him there!" Lavi said, not liking the way Allen was escaping.

Allen turned his head halfway around to reveal a cold eye. Cross mentally noted that he was now acting like he usually does with a different stance. "I'll be going with you, but I need to talk to Father first and tell my fam. . . friends good-bye. I'll be ready to leave tomorrow morning. I never planned on keeping away from the Order." Allen said with a flat tone.

Cross nearly snorted. Allen would have gone sooner had it not been for Cross himself, but Allen didn't want to go for because of Mana. So maybe the situation made him change his mind. "I'll come with you." Lenalee offered, starting to trail after him.

"No," Allen abruptly responded, making her stop dead in her tracks. "You stay with Master Cross. It seems you'll be the only one that'll get him to listen. . . . As long as you keep clinging to him."

For some reason, those words hurt Lenalee. Did she make Allen angry? If so, how? Why? "Don't mind him." Cross told her softly, but eyeing his own student suspiciously. "Froi, you'll explain what's going on, though I'm sure I already know."

"You won't run off?"

Cross groaned, playing with his hair. "I don't want to go, however, it seems I was bound to end up there soon." Cross was displeased with something evidently. This intrigued Bookman and he knew he had to join their conversation. Cross got even scarier when he mentioned something about it. "Bookman and your dumb apprentice might as well come. It's not like you would tell anyone," Cross stared at Lavi, rethinking his statement, "Well, if you're tempted to, I'll change that."

Lavi swallowed a lump in his throat. "Pan-uh-Bookman, can I be excused this time?"

Bookman whacked him on the head, but excused him. Someone did have to watch the exorcists this time, and it won't be Bookman. Small detail or not, if they could record history they will.

That being that, Cross, Tiedol, and Bookman took off, either heading to another bar or Mother's. "What do we do?" Krory asked unsurely.

"I suppose we follow Allen." Lavi shrugged.

Lenalee's eyes drooped. Was she the only one who had noticed Allen's change? The look in his eye? His glumness? That anger he had that wasn't directed at Cross, but her? Why? She didn't do anything to him. It hurt her just to think she did do something to him. He was a friend, no, he was family. He belonged to the Black Order. Even if they just found out about him. It was the same with Bookman and Lavi, though they were just there to record history and may one day leave. It was like Kanda who was undefined and jerky.

Allen was different from them and wouldn't create a grudge over nothing. Was she hallucinating? "Lenalee?" Marie brought her out of her thoughts.

"Uh, yes?"

"I'm sure Allen didn't mean to hurt you." Marie told her comfortingly.

Her eyes began to widen as it hit her that they all saw it, but her distraught let her kept her posture. "I think you caught him off guard by hugging Cross like that." Lavi suggested, putting his arm around her shoulder. "Besides, even if he is mad, how do you know it was directed towards Cross for using you like that? You were in front of him."

"Still. . . ." Lenalee could swear on her life she was staring at him. "He shouldn't of acted -"

"Lenalee, we can talk him about it. Assuming I'm right, Allen being the guy he is will apologize a thousand times, tenfold more than us. Come on, let's go." Lavi said, pushing her a little.

Lenalee went along with it, but when she got to the circus everyone said they hadn't seen Allen. He had to be there, everybody knew that. There was no sidetrack path he could have taken. "If you need anything, I sleep in that tent. If you can't find me I'll be in there. I mean it, if you need anything at all, come get me." Those words ran through Lenalee's mind. Maybe he resided there.

In high hopes of finding him there, Lenalee went to search for the smallest tent and when she got there, she overheard Allen talking to Mana. "You took them to Cross?"

"Yes, I did." Allen affirmed monotone.

It was hard to tell if Mana was frowning or not. "Here, wipe that blood off your face, Allen." Mana said, Lenalee guessing he gave Allen a wet cloth. "You should of approached Marian subtly. Perhaps you wouldn't of ended up so trounced."

"I did do it subtly. I got mad and things took a turn." Allen fussed.

"We need to work on your patience."

Lenalee didn't think so. Allen was very patient, for the most part. "Allen, why so glum?"

"Nothing. . ."

"Allen, I know when you're upset and when you're not."

Lenalee hugged herself, clenching her elbows. Little did she know Kanda was behind her, watching and listening. "It's not important. Going on, I'm going to the Black Order with them. I'm positive they'll be leaving tomorrow."

Mana was silent. Both Allen and Lenalee waited for a response, but he didn't give one. Time was zooming by in reality. For them, it went on forever. Then Mana found words. "It's your decision. I cannot stop you and I refuse to. All that I ask is that you be careful. When the war is done, I want my son to come back to me smiling and proud of himself as much as I'll be and am proud of you."

Lenalee knew those words well. They were the same words he brother repeatedly told her everytime she went on a mission. Come back to him so he can be proud of her even more. It was a sincere moment. "I promise I will come back, but you have to promise you'll be alive still when I do come back." Allen returned gently.

"Even in death I will be with you Allen. I'm old and frail. I may not last until the war ends."

". . . . .And that's what I fear most. Losing you, Father."

Mana gave a small 'hmpf'. "That is not your greatest fear, Allen. There's not much to pack, but pack what you need. I imagine you want to say bye to everyone."

Allen didn't answer his Father. Saying bye to them, it was an unbearable thought. He said bye to so many circuses and so many friends. He's sure they've all already forgotten him and Mary might have as well. "I don't want to. I want you to tell them I'm leaving." Allen said and you could hear him sit down on some sort of furniture.

Lenalee entered the tent, trying not to frown, but couldn't smile. Allen looked at her wearily and then turned away, eyes half open. Mana rolled up his newspaper and hit him on the head with it. He had brought Allen up better than that. He told Allen to be a gentleman and he was. Most of the time. Unfortunately, some bits and pieces of Cross had been embedded into his own personality and his old personality was slightly there. At least he could be the perfect gentleman in front of Mana. "Allen." He said sternly, well aware he was feeling a bit down for an unknown reason, but linking it with Cross.

Allen straightened his back and looked straight at Lenalee, trying hard to smile, but scowled like Kanda always is. Lenalee couldn't stand still when him like that. "Can I talk to you?" Lenalee asked.

Allen would be mean if he said no, so he nodded, glimpsing at at his Dad. He got the picture and walked out, warning him to behave and be nice. Allen stood up, turning on Lenalee. He picked up a suitcase he had owned and went through his clothes, picking out a few outfits that would be decent enough to wear at the Order. He didn't want to look like a bum despite having to live like one from time and time again. Lenalee saw that was the only thing he was going to pack. In fact, that's all there was to pack. His clothes. There was nothing else in here except clown supplies and the beds. Allen picked up his pillow and pulled something out from underneath it. Lenalee had spoken too soon.

Allen held a photo of him and Mana when he was younger. Lenalee saw he had brown hair in this one and the scar was gone. He was semi-scowling, somewhat smiling while Mana sat down on the ground, hugging him and playing around with his messy hair. Mana was smiling. He put it in his suitcase after folding it along the creases that were there already. "I thought you wanted to talk?"

Lenalee closed her eyes. "Why are you upset with me? What did I do?"

Allen didn't look at her and she hated that. Rushing over to him, slamming his packed case, moving it aside, Lenalee spun him around to look at her. "Allen!"

"It's the way you hugged Master!" Allen shouted and lots of people heard it from outside the tent.

"So he is here." Nigel said, helping Shandy peel potatoes for dinner.

Lenalee wanted to slap him in the face, but restrained herself when she saw the look in his eyes. Did he see that hug as something else? "So what? I hugged him. I hug many of my friends."

Allen soughed, sitting down, placing his elbows on his knees, gesturing her to sit next to him. The hateful flame was gone between both of them. Seeing this as an opportunity, Lenalee said beside him, neither one taking their eyes off the other. "I understand it's a hug, just a hug, but it why you hugged him and at that time. You hugged Master Cross to influence him, but you roused him." Allen murmured.

Lenalee sat there. It was like she only half understood. Allen went on seeing she was lost. "You used yourself, your body, against Cross, a seductive old coot who doesn't know how to keep his hands and thoughts to himself. He could have. . . . touched you." Allen covered a red tint on his face thinking about that. Lenalee used both her hands to cover her own. "Cross does respect women, beautiful women. He hates ugly objects and men other than himself. He's despicable and brutal. I don't mind you helping by using his lust for ladies, but not that way you did."

"I don't understand. What's so bad about a hug?"

"Lenalee, I can see you're different from every girl I've met. Most of them fall head over heels for Cross and it's annoying most of the times. All my lady friends fall for him, too. Spending time with him can change them as well. Anyway, I know you don't like him. . . . You don't like him, right?"

"What? No! I see the General as a friend, family. A very odd Uncle or something." Lenalee explained, waving he hands around the air in defense.

Allen's eyes sparkled. Lenalee loved his eyes. The gray eyes reflected what she has seen out of him and more. It made her think that maybe he learned a few tricks from Cross other than exorcism. For example, how to charm a lady. He did prove to be quite the charmer. He wasn't even trying. What if he did try?

Allen would win the hearts of many girls, she mused.

"That's a relief. Lenalee, you're different from every other girl. I admire you for being an exorcist because I know you're strong. I know you contain strength. You're a fighter. I knew you would have your dignity and your pride in being an exorcist and a woman. You have great self-respect but when hugged Cross like that, for that reason, it tore away you self-respect and I can't stand it." Allen confessed.

Gripping both hands tightly, Lenalee smiled. He was an adorable person and caring. He was being himself, but he thought things she didn't think he was thinking. It delighted her. No one has ever said that to her. It was something yearned to hear before. She never knew that until now. "Allen. . . . I'm sorry. . . I never meant to exploit myself. Had I been aware of what it looked like, I may have never done that. . . I'm sorry." Lenalee sincerely said.

"No, I should be apologizing for acting how I did. It's just when it has to do with Master, it gets to me!" Allen covered his mouth. Lenalee didn't seem to care. Even Allen had someone he disliked. Two people. Cross and Kanda. "I'm sorry, Lenalee."

OOOOOOOOOOOO

Tyki called for a special akuma. This akuma was special because it was given a power that allowed it to make humans sleepy. So sleepy that will fall asleep. This was how they were going to take advantage of the exorcists. "Make everyone go to sleep akuma. Once that is done-" Tyki turned his head to look at a handful of more akuma. "I want the rest of you to find the exorcists and bring them there. Road will activate her dream world for all exorcists to enter and akuma automatically. Understood?"

"Yes Sir!" And they were off.

The level 2 with the great and dangerous power flied over Liverpool, making sure to cover every inch. Once that was done, he checked for anybody outside the town wandering around in the dark. When he was done with that, he soared over to the circus. Many of them were sleeping right now, but all the while, a lot were awake. He sprayed its dust over the tents and the exorcists that were scattered around outside as well as inside.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Allen's eye began to activate suddenly. He got off his bed and got ready to run outside, but sleepiness flooded over him and he stopped. HIs eyes drooped. Lenalee could relate had she been more awake. Yawning, Lenalee fell on the bed and tried with all her might to keep her eyes opened blinking them many times. It was unfortunate her effort failed.

Allen slumped against a pole that helped to keep the tent up. He had fallen to the ground with a gentle thud and eyed Lenalee from where he was. He knew something was wrong. That's all he could think of with all this tiredness coursing through him. His left eye settled and he fell into blackness.

OOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO

Marie heard strange noises from the sky. Trying to pay real close attention to all these noises and blocking out the loudness around him, he put his hand to his ear. He discovered a group of akuma in the city and one in the sky. He was about to warn the others, but he got weak. Literally, weak. He was so tired and though he tried desperately to stay awake he could not. Marie fell asleep.

Lavi and Krory were also affected by this akuma drug not knowing what was going on. They got on the earth, trying to force themselves awake like other have previously tried. It was useless. It didn't work and they were soon fast asleep. Miranda had done this during everyone else's difficulties staying awake. Kanda yelled at Daisya who had just suddenly collapsed. He had fallen asleep abruptly and rudely.

Daisya was a pain, but he would never fall asleep so suddenly like that. Especially when he was very energetic. That's when he understood it wasn't him. It had been something else as he too got drowsy. He was the last to pass out, but before he did, he had gotten to the entrance of Allen's comfy home when he was overwhelmed by the dream world.

"Phase one accomplished. Next stage." Road said, her skin ashened and her eyes glowing gold like that of a cat's, a menacing smile crept its way on her face. "Let's play."

What's going to happen now?

Here's my 10th chapter. Hooray! As always, please do review and I want to thank those who have and those who have added this to their favorites list or story alert. Please continue reading and thanks for reading thus far! I appreciate it.

~ ~ ~ Anon Novelist ~ ~ ~