~Renamed it. Sorry. The other title just didn't match. Warning, there's extreme violence in this chapter. Ummmm…don't own D. Gray Man. I own the Jonah.~
Chapter 4: Tell Me What Hurts
-…THEY LED THOUSANDS OF THE SONS OF ADAM DOWN THE PATH OF EVIL…-
Ba-bump
Same dream once again. Murder all of them plus ten.
Ba-bump
-…SLAUGHTERING, LUSTING, TAXING…-
See the mask on top of him? Look at it. You know it's him.
Ba-bump
-…AND GOD WAS MUCH ANGERED AGAINST THEM…-
Feel his blood on your fingertips. Now lean down and kiss…his…lips…
BA-BUMP!
Tsume sucked in air like she was trying to breathe in all the oxygen in the room. She could feel a hoarse cry starting in her chest like a wave but she stilled it. No need to alarm anyone again. Shaking, her body filmed in a layer of cold sweat, she hugged herself again. "I…I need some air.." She whispered. Rasping slightly as she grabbed Allen's jacket from beside the bed, she looked around the room.
It was a simple four walled one in the row of five along the first level of the ship below the deck. It was practical, no personal things furnishing it besides a bed, a chest, and a mirror that seemed to have seen better days.
Tsume pulled the jacket on and then tugged on the boots. She opened the door slowly and peered out. Seeing no one, she stepped into the large hall. She was glad she hadn't woken any of her friends up. She hated to be a bother. She was starting up the stairs to the deck when she heard Lenalee gasp and say above her, "Allen, what are you doing?"
Tsume ducked out of the way and to the side, staying to listen in.
"N-nothing…!" Allen's voice sounded guilty and cheerful in a fake way. "I'm fine, Lenalee! It's nothing!"
"Allen, why are you holding your eye? Let me see."
A gasp.
"I-it's been like this ever since…with Road…" Allen sounded resigned.
Tsume's teeth were suddenly on edge. She hated that name for some reason. Road Kamelot…
"Go back to bed, Lenalee. I'm fine."
"A-Allen…Well…alright…" Suddenly there were steps on the stairs. Lenalee passed where Tsume was hiding, looking disturbed but unaware of the super human's presence. She opened the door to her room and stepped in, the door shutting.
Tsume held her breath. One more to go.
Sure enough, five minutes later, Allen came down as well, hand over his eye. He opened the door across from Lenalee's and after one longing look at her closed door, he went in.
As soon as the door shut, Tsume exhaled and walked up the steps to the deck. Fresh air blew over her, refreshing but with a biting chill. She pulled her jacket more over her and walked to the edge of the deck, looking out at the endless ocean.
Some help she was. Didn't know who she really was or what she could do besides what somebody had written in the leather book she had had for forever. Her little diary. She took it out of her large pocket in the jacket and brushed her fingers over it in wonder.
-…you are to write in this notebook every single day of what has happened to you…-
A book that couldn't get wet, couldn't burn, couldn't be stained, and couldn't be opened unless she herself did it. It seemed too good to be true, but then again, so had she she supposed. Maybe her mother had given this to her and written the instructions on the inside. Tsume had never known her mother, having been left with an old woman in a village on the coast. She had been taught English by different sailors and even explorers that had drifted into town. It was then that she found out, with some delight, she could imitate any accent perfectly. So when she spoke English, it was indeed English. And when she spoke Spanish, it was flawless Español.
Tsume lifted her head up, placing the book back in her pocket. She stared out into the distance. She hadn't been very old when she had figured out her other gifts. The book said she had them, but who believed a book? Then she tried them all. Strength…speed…and most importantly, the ability to manipulate. Her eyes helped with that for some reason. The victim would do exactly what she asked, and would keep trying to carry out that task until they died. She sighed. She'd been careful around her new friends but it was more then tempting to use on Eye Patch with his smiling attitude and hot body…
"Oi! What did I tell you about wanderin' around, missy?!" Captain Jenkins came onto the deck, looking angrier then a starving dog denied dinner once again.
Tsume blinked and put her back to the railing, hands up. "I just came out for some fresh air! I'm not doing anythi-"
"Back down below, wretch!" He yelled. "And God help yer soul if I catch you up here again!"
"Captain Jenkins!"
They both turned to see Lavi come up the steps, looking at ease and almost bored. "She's with me. I'm keeping an eye on her. I'll make sure she doesn't do anything." He put a hand on the larger man's back. "I promise."
Captain Jenkins growled and stomped back up to his post next to the boatswain.
"Thanks." Tsume sighed in relief.
"Midnight walk huh?" He leaned on the railing next to her. "Or is it suspicious activities?"
She hesitated. "Just…getting some fresh air. What're you doing up?"
"Woke up after I heard your door open." He smiled. "Don't apologize. I'm a light sleeper. It was bound to happen."
Tsume chewed on her lip anyway. "Okay…"
A silence fell between them that made Tsume squirm.
"I…I had a nightmare." She said, hating how it sounded like a confession.
"Same one?" He didn't turn."
"Yes." Tsume exhaled. "But more bodies."
"Have you…" He paused. "Have you ever…killed someone before?"
"I haven't." Tsume said softly.
Lavi relaxed. "Oh."
"I made them kill themselves."
He jerked up and looked at her. "What?!"
Tsume chewed on her lip more, not looking him in the eye. She never did. "When...when people look into my eyes…they do exactly what I want them to do until the task is carried out. So say I wanted you to jump off the ship but you were chained to the deck. You'd do everything humanly possible to jump off the ship. You…you wouldn't have a choice…"
Lavi studied for a minute, waying his options. Finally he said, "Show me."
"I…I don't think…" Tsume shook her head, unsure.
"It's alright. I give you permission." He smiled. "Go ahead."
Tsume exhaled and tilted her head up, her bright cerulean eyes meeting his. She didn't say a word at all.
Then all the sudden, she seemed to look softer to him. Like a mirage floating around in his vision. Her eyes were a brighter blue, her hair was a more luxorious brown, and her lips were just the right pink. He was infatuated with the way she turned her head to the side when she peered up at him. He leaned down, his breathing shallow, ready to kiss her…
Tsume turned her head away, feeling horrid on the inside. "No Lavi." She whispered.
He didn't—wouldn't –listen. He gripped her arms, pulling her closer. "Tsume…" He murmured, and kissed her.
Tsume was politely unresponsive.
Suddenly, he jerked back like there had been an electric shock through his system. He put a hand on the railing, standing feet away from her. His lips thinned into a straight line and he looked away from her.
"You would've tried for that kiss til you died." Tsume murmured, leaning on the railing and staring out into the ocean. "That's what I do. That's how I killed." A tear rolled down her cheek. "I'm sorry."
Lavi drew in a shaky breath. He would never tell her how nice it had been to finally taste her mouth or feel her in his arms, even if he had been manipulated into it. "It's okay. I asked for it." He nervously tugged on his hair.
They were silent for a bit, staring into the sea; her crying softly and he not trusting himself to say anything remotely close to comfort.
"Maybe you can use those orbs of yours for good." Lavi ventured half-heartedly. "Ever use them on akuma?"
Tsume blinked. "A-akuma?"
"Weapons of The Millennium Earl…?" Lavi looked at her like she was from a different planet and from what the two of them knew about her, she very well may have been.
"N-no…" Tsume looked confused. "I don't know what those are…"
Lavi sighed. "They must stay away from you. I know I would if I were them. Your whole…" He held his arms up, wiggling his fingers. "…aura reads 'I hate demons' or something like that."
That coaxed a half smile out of her. "You're making that up."
He smiled. "Would I lie to you?" He looked thoughtful. "You know…I wonder what you'd actually be like in action…like fighting action." He added hurriedly.
Tsume pursed her lips. "That's not a very good idea…"
"Why not?" Lavi looked at her. "It's just a good old spar between you and one of us…"
"It's dangerous, Lavi." Tsume said sternly. "I won't do it."
"Aw come on…" He ducked his head a little and peered up at her. "Please…?"
A slight blush crept up on her cheeks as she looked away. "You'll get hurt."
"We've been through worse."
"You don't come back after a fatal blow like I do."
"Sparring isn't fatal."
"It is when one's opponent isn't human."
"Have you ever sparred with an exorcist?"
She hesitated. "No…but-"
"We fight the supernatural all the time. We'll be alright." He waved his hand, looking at ease.
Tsume kneaded her forehead, sighing. He was incorrigible. "We'll see."
There was a large crack and the ship mast started to sway as if it had a life of its own. It suddenly started slamming down on them with a vengeance.
"Look out!" Tsume shoved Lavi out of the way with force, sending him up onto the deck with the steering wheel and a bewildered Captain Jenkins.
"MISS!!" A sailor nearby screamed as the mast came down on Tsume's back. The mast started sliding into the water, but was held back by the ropes. Tsume's limp body disappeared into the water as the sails caught the water and started filling up. The ship groaned as it started to tip, the now heavy sails dragging it in. Even if it didn't manage to capsize the boat, it would tear a good chunk of from the stress it was wearing on the ship alone.
"CUT THE ROPES!!! CUT THE BLOODY ROPES!!! LET 'ER GO!!" Captain Jenkins bellowed, jerking Lavi up.
Lavi dizzily ran over to the railing, almost falling in. "Tsume!!" He gasped and scrambled back as a level two akuma rose out of the dark water with a giggle that sounded like a baby drowning. It looked like a snake with spikes down it's spine and claws that had been detached off other animals and connected to it through some sick procedure. It's face, however was the sickest. It was like a demented doll head with sadistic signs all over it and no hair. "Your friend issss dead!" It's voice was sibilant and it grinned at Lavi, reaching for him. "Jussst like you're about to be!"
Lavi pulled out his hammer and smashed it towards the thing.
It twisted out of the way with a laugh. "An exxxoorcccissstt! How fun!" It disappeared, ducking into the water again.
"Lavi!!"
Lavi looked down to see Allen, Lenalee, and Kanda standing on the deck coming towards him. He also caught a glimpse of the akuma among the remaining sails. It was diving. "Look out!" He screamed.
There was a scream and an explosion of blood that showered everywhere. More screams and mass confusion and mayhem erupted on the ship.
"YOU IDIOTS YER GONNA GET US ALL KILLED!!! CUT THE MAST LOOSE!!!" Captain Jenkins screamed. He turned to Lavi. "It's killing my men!!"
"I got it!" Allen launched himself at the thing, arm ready to go.
"Allen no!! Your arm!!" Lenalee yelled but it was too late.
The akuma dropped a half dead sailor into the sea and snarled at Allen. It bided it's time then swung it's tail around, catching Allen in the middle and slamming him down into the sea as well.
"ALLEN!!!" Lenalee screamed.
Kanda unleashed his sword and started after the thing as Lavi joined Lenalee in searching from the boat for Allen.
"I can't find him! I can't find him!" Lenalee panicked.
"Keep looking!" Lavi yelled, looking over his shoulder anxiously. "Tsume disappeared too!"
The tail struck out again and Kanda smashed into the ship as the mast finally slid off. The ship righted itself violently, throwing some sailors into the water. Lavi held tightly onto Lenalee and the railing to stop both of them from following in afterwards.
Kanda crawled out of the wreckage, holding a separated shoulder. "Where's the akuma?!" More importantly, He realized, where's my sword?!
There was an angry yowl and they looked up to see the akuma directly above them. "You sssspoiled my fun!" It hissed, twisting in the air. "I'll have to tear your ssshhip to piecccesss now mysssself!" It dove in a straight line for the middle of the ship with an incredible speed.
It was too fast. Everything seemed to slow down though so they could see their demise. Lavi, Lenalee, the sailors, and Kanda, all watched in horror as it came closer to it's destination.
Then suddenly there was something in the way. Something remotely human that looked broken and torn like a doll. It was Tsume. From the way she stood, they could tell her back had been broken and a rib stuck out of her like someone had stabbed her with it. In her right hand was her left arm, torn at the elbow and leaving a gushing stump behind. She stood where she was and looked up at it, her blue eyes brilliant compared to her wet and bloody and broken body. "Stop." She said, her voice toneless. An unseen wave rippled from her throughout everything and everyone, leaving them with an impression to stay still. As soon as it reached the akuma, it bucked up, bending in half and starting to convulse in midair. It screamed in pain, a sound so wretched everyone shuddered.
"Come." Tsume held up her right arm and her detached left one gestured to it to come closer with a finger.
It was eye to eye with her suddenly, pleading in a sibilant, but sobbing voice. "No!! Pleasssse don't do thissss!! No it hurtssss!! Ssstop!!"
The exorcists all felt cold sweat break over them. None of them had ever heard an akuma plead for it's life like that.
Tsume dropped her left arm suddenly and buried her right fist straight into its forhead.
The akuma's doll face expanded like it was some kind of sick twisted balloon, the entire body filling out as well, and then blood started pouring out any cavity it could find. It let out a final scream, choking on it's own black blood as it poured out of it's mouth and noise and then finally exploding out it's eye sockets. An eyeball landed next to Captain Jenkins and he cursed and kicked it away. The rest of it fell to the deck and then slipped off the ship into the dark water.
Tsume ignored her arm and shambled over to them. "Where's Allen?" Her voice sounded watery, like there was some sort of liquid in her throat.
Lenalee took one look at the stump that had been her arm and retched over the side. It had been literally torn off at the elbow, tendons and muscle tissue and various other things hanging down from the stump. Every five seconds, the appendage would twitch and a new spurt of blood would decorate the deck.
"Over the side…Don't know where…" Lavi choked out, his eyes wide on the rib sticking out from under Tsume's chest. It was like the white sword of an avenging demon, bleeding eternally but never quite killing it's victim. Imagine the pain…
Tsume looked over the side and sighed, again the sound all watery. Blood was trickling out the corner of her mouth. She turned away from them and forcibly shoved the rib back in, choking back a cry of pain. She straightened up as much as she could afterwards and jumped over the side in a dive.
Kanda started to look for his sword, a little desperate now. He relaxed when he saw it embedded in the bow of the boat, glinting in the moonlight.
Crunch.
He looked down, puzzled, and saw Tsume's arm. He stepped off it and kicked it slightly with his boot, wondering if she felt that-
Suddenly it latched onto his boot, instantly cutting off circulation even through the tough leather.
He yelled and scrambled back. He grabbed a sharp shaft of wood that lay on the deck from the mast and stabbed at the offending appendage.
The wood clumsily cut through four fingers and the hand fell limp on the deck.
Shaking, he pulled himself up and went around it for his sword.
Just as he returned, an unconscious Allen landed on the deck, sopping wet.
Tsume dragged herself up with one arm onto the deck. She lay there, gasping.
Lenalee, keeping her eyes away from Tsume's arm, shakily went over to her. "You…you okay…?"
Tsume pointed with her stump at Allen. "He…He needs…CPR…he's…drowning…"
Lenalee nodded, pale, and then ran to the railing again.
Lavi hesitated then looked at Kanda.
"No." Kanda said coldly and looked away.
Lavi sighed. "Suck it up, Bookman." He muttered. "For the good of the team…" He kneeled and leaned over Allen…
"Kanda…I need…my arm…" Tsume said hoarsely.
Kanda felt a little guilty. But not too much. He was Kanda after all. She had probably felt him sawing off her fingers. He ran over and edged over to it cautiously, his sword slightly out of its hilt. Satisfied that it wouldn't move, he picked it up and all of her fingers. He walked over and dumped them next to Tsume's head, a bit unceremoniously.
Lenalee leaned over the side again.
"It grabbed me." Kanda said in explanation. "So I neutralized the threat."
"Sorry I thought you were the akuma." Tsume shuddered suddenly and her whole body convulsed as blood came pouring from her mouth.
Kanda cussed and jumped back as blood splashed over his boots.
Allen suddenly opened his eyes and started to throw up water.
Lavi turned him on his side, patting his back.
Captain Jenkins came over. "We're limping to a little island where the natives are willing to trade anything for wood. Is everyone alright?" He looked a little sad, a curious expression for such a hardened face.
"You have a needle and thread?" Tsume spluttered.
Jenkins jumped back, wide eyed, and crossed himself. "Mary…! I thought she was dead!"
"I am." Tsume rested her head on the deck, covered in her own blood everywhere. Her eyes started to close. "I am…" Her eyes shut and she was still.
"Captain, it would be much appreciated if you could get us that needle and thread and let us recuperate." Kanda said authoritatively.
Jenkins, disturbed beyond reckoning, muttered the Lord's Prayer as he walked away.
"Where's…Where's Tsume…?" Allen asked weakly.
Lavi pointed at the mass in the middle of a pool of blood and said almost reverently, "That is Tsume."
Allen turned his head away and dry heaved.
"Woah buddy." Lavi patted his back. "Relax. You almost drowned today." He rubbed his lips across his sleeve.
Allen let his head fall to the deck weakly. His eyes also started to close as he murmured, "Lavi, why are you scrubbing at your lips?"
The older boy stopped, seeming uneasy. "I'll tell you when you're older." He said uncomfortably. "Go to sleep."
Allen's eyelids closed and Lavi began again to vigorously scrub at his lips.
~End. Wahoo!!!~