~Here it goes. Don't own D. Gray-man. Posting a playlist soon. Check my profile to see for sure. :)~
Chapter 5: Beauty and The Beast
The boat swayed gently as Lavi walked down towards everyone's rooms, his boots sounding on the wood. It was a sound he and the others were so sick of by now. He knocked on Allen's door. "Captain says we'll make landfall in twenty minutes or so, Allen!" Lavi called.
Allen opened the door, his eyes wide. "Great!" He looked across over Lavi's shoulder and his face turned uneasy. "…How is she…?"
"I was just going to check." Lavi sighed.
Allen turned his head to make sure no one was around.
Kanda's room was opened and empty, as was Lenalee's.
The boy turned to his elder and said softly, "Do you know why Komui set it up this way?"
Lavi shrugged. "It makes sense, don't it though? We can't exactly just have her walk in without knowing what she is. And if this new research breakthrough they have is right…" He glanced at the only closed door out of the six in the cabin. "Then we have quite the mystical creature on our hands."
"An incredibly upset one." Allen argued. "She hasn't spoken to any of us in two days!"
"Shh!" Lavi put his finger up to his lips. "I know. I'm gonna go find out what she's upset about." He turned and went to knock on the door.
Allen's voice made him pause. "Lavi?"
Lavi turned his head to the side.
"If the Noah…if the Noah are human like they say…then what is she?"
"I don't think the Noah are completely human, Allen." Lavi said quietly and knocked on the door.
Allen clenched his hands and released them, his eyes looking more then a little haunted. He turned and walked back into his room.
Tsume opened the door, her brown hair twisting softly around the curves of her face. "Hi Lavi." She said curtly, making no move to let him in.
"Hi Tsume." He smiled, then waited.
They stared at each other.
"You gonna let me in?" He finally asked, gesturing to her door. His tone was gentle, but authoritative in a way.
Tsume reluctantly parted the door more and stepped aside.
Lavi walked in and sat on her bed. "We're making landfall in fifteen to twenty minutes."
Tsume shut the door and turned to him. "Mm."
"Like the dress." Lavi pointed at the light blue gauzy gown with a heart neckline and sleeves to her elbows. She wore a black order coat over it and black slip on shoes. In fact, it was really quite flattering.
"Captain gave it to me." Tsume said distractedly. "You can't seriously be thinking of letting your boss do this."
Lavi shrugged. "He's the boss."
Tsume looked impatient. "Lavi, I'm gonna kill someone!"
"No you're not."
"Oh?! And how do you know that?!" Tsume snapped, starting to agitatedly pace the floor.
Lavi watched her, amazed. She had gotten so angry she had actually grown a spine. It was incredible. "I'm the Bookman's Apprentice, remember? I know a lot of things."
Tsume snorted and paused, looking at the door in a depressed fashion. "Run me through the plans again." She said softly.
"You're gonna walk with us to a certain point." Lavi recited, watching her carefully. "Then we'll blindfold you. After that, you're supposed to walk on by yourself to meet another exorcist. You're gonna battle this exorcist until someone says stop. Then the chief decides if you're in or not."
Tsume collapsed next to him. "I guess that's that…" She sighed, putting a hand over her eyes.
"I know you're not happy about it, but…" He shrugged. "What the chief says, goes. Talk to Lenalee. She'll tell you. She's his sister."
Tsume brightened up a little, propping herself up on her elbows. "Do you think…?"
Lavi shook his head. "I don't think she's that influential over his decisions…"
Tsume groaned, tilting her head back. "Suck!"
Lavi turned his head slightly to the side, his gaze running down her neck. "Sorry."
Tsume tilted her head back up, her hair falling over one eye. She looked like she had been doomed to an eternity in Kanda's company. "No it's okay…It's unchangeable I understand…" She resisted the urge to rest her head on his shoulder. "Thanks."
"For?"
"For…" She hesitated, blushing a little and looking up at him from beneath thick eyelashes. "For being my friend."
He smiled a little. "Yeah…" He leaned towards her a little, so close…
She moved away this time, her big blue eyes looking down at the floor. How frustrating it was for him to see the way her soft brown hair framed her face and the way it shone, even in the gray light of the morning marine layer. She turned her head to the side. "…What's it like…?" She traced circles on the mattress. "Living with everyone."
He pulled back a little, looking thoughtful. "It's…nice, I guess you could say. It's better then being alone, that's for sure."
Tsume smiled at her knees. "That's what I was hoping for."
Lavi smiled at peeked at her. "I'm glad."
-
Tsume clutched at her skirt absently as the small group halted in front of a grove of trees. She glanced around at her new found friends. "I guess…I guess this is where I continue onward alone…"
They all avoided her glance.
"We'll…We'll see you at HQ." Allen tried to say cheerfully.
Tsume smiled as best she could. "Thanks, Allen."
Lenalee took a blindfold she'd been carrying and approached Tsume slowly. "You're supposed to walk on from her until someone says stop." She started tying the blindfold. "It's not too tight, is it?"
"It's just fine." Tsume smiled and put a hand over Lenalee's. "Thanks Lenalee."
The girl smiled and squeezed her hand. "Good luck." Then she let go and stepped away.
Tsume faltered for a bit, then stretched her arms out and slowly made her way forward into the trees until she disappeared in the fog.
For a while, no one spoke; all too wrapped up in their own thoughts to voice their concerns.
Finally Allen spoke. "I'm not sure about this."
"Neither am I." Lenalee rubbed her arms in a self comforting gesture. "But he's my brother and he's the chief."
Lavi blinked. "Woah…where's Kanda?"
They all froze and stared at each other, horrorified. They knew where Kanda had gone.
"The excorcist…"
"…Tsume…"
"…They're gonna kill each other!"
They all rushed off in the direction Tsume had gone.
-
Tsume wandered absently, trying hard not to bash into anything in her path. She listened carefully, her sensitive hearing starting to pick up the little things like twigs snapping under her feet and the calls of a murder of crows in the trees somewhere…
There wasn't really a warning. Not a snap of branches or the crunch of leaves underfoot. Just the sound of the molecules in the air being parted as something sliced through them and into Tsume's neck. Her head was lobbed off in a clean precise cut and her body slumped to the ground, twitching in death's throes, as boots of her killer crunched the leaves underfoot.
Kanda stared disdainfully as the body finally grew still. This was all the mythology and legend had to offer? A sad little girl with a sob story of not knowing who she was and no wish to fight whatsoever? True, she had seemed ferocious when they'd first picked her up. But there was nothing now that she could dish out that Kanda couldn't handle. She was just too weak. He sneered and turned his back to her. "This is too easy." He grumbled as a golem flew down to him. He hadn't even unsheathed his sword. He simply tore through her with brute force. How incredibly fragile she was for being so invincible.
"Did you kill her?" Komui's worried voice buzzed at him.
"No. She's not dead. She'll regenerate." Kanda occupied himself with getting a spot of her blood off his boot.
"Alright then. Be careful though. From what we found out, she may—"
The golem seemed to spontaneously split in half, as if told to self destruct.
Kanda whirled around, sword drawn out, to see a whirlwind of leaves and dirt start up around Tsume's body. There was a bright light that seemed to shine around her and her face was twisted up as if in pain. Her eyes opened and bright white light shone out like twin light houses. Her head reattached before his eyes as her body bent and lifted itself off the ground. He watched in a sort of horrified fascination as her hands become bone white claws that stretched down to her ankles. She grew a tail, the same bone white color, and her face contorted as her jaw stretched and molded into strange jagged overlapping teeth. Her eyes were as if they'd been forced open, the ominous white light shining out of them with a vengeance. But over her chest and down her abdomen, something shone through the material of her dress. It seemed like a cross between a J and a catholic cross, like the symbol he'd seen inscribed in a mad man's blood on the floor so many days ago.
The thing let out a hiss that sounded like a fissure down to hell had opened up to swallow the doomed and focused solely on him.
He never had time to react, becoming the hunted instead of the hunter. It flew at him in a flurry of wind and leaves of the trees, claws raised like five scythes of the god of death. He got his sword up half way to block before it tore through his shoulder and brushed across his hip, leaving a wide and deep gash. He almost lost his arm. He flew backward and landed with a sickening crunch in the ground. He gasped sharply as he heard ribs crack under the shock and looked up to see the thing eyeing him, crouched down with its head turned to the side. It looked curious and sick, like a creature involved in some ungodly game.
He raised his sword, anticipating the move rather then seeing it, as it struck again. It screamed and flinched back, retreating to its original spot as a long forked tongue slowly nursed a burnt hand.
Innocence had burnt it.
Kanda tried to rise, ignoring the screaming protests of his broken body. He couldn't even feel his right arm anymore. It was lost in a sea of damaged and torn nerves.
It stopped its frantic licking and narrowed its eyes.
Kanda closed his eyes as he felt a claw pierce straight through his good shoulder and sink into the ground, pinning him. He opened his eyes slowly and met its bright white eyes that showed no mercy and no intelligent thought. He smirked shakily and spat out an expletive.
It roared in response and sank its incredibly twisted jaws into his abdomen.
It was eating him alive.
Kanda grabbed desperately onto its claw in an attempt to pull it out of his shoulder, but it paid no heed and kept up the grisly task of tearing him to pieces.
It happened so quickly. There was no warning. But suddenly the monster withdrew and left him be, crouched low with its terrible hideous claws over its ears, its bloody gaping mouth opened in a pain filled scream. Its tail lashed behind it as slowly, ever so slowly, the claws retracted and the jaws became normal teeth behind red bloody lips. The ungodly scream became a tormented cry when finally, Tsume collapsed on the ground, covered in Kanda's own blood.
Kanda drew in one ragged breath and let his eyes close.
Tsume shakily got to her knees and starred at him, horrified. She touched her mouth hesitantly, and then drew back her fingers stained in a dark red sin. She hurriedly got up and ran, tripping over herself and collapsing against a tree not far from where she started. She hurled everything that was in her stomach, sickened beyond herself.
"Tsume!"
Her head, as if lowered down by a weight, looked up slowly as Allen, Lavi, Lenalee, and a man with glasses rushed into the clearing. They were followed by two other men in Black Order garb with a stretcher.
"Oh MY GO-!!" Lenalee screamed but it was choked off, as if somebody cut off her windpipe. Her hands were all but stuffed in her mouth as she stared at what had been a very healthy young man only five minutes ago.
Tsume hung her head and started to sob.
"Tsume…?"
She looked up at Allen as he approached her hesitantly with Lavi behind him. He looked sick and pale and unsure. She hated it. She never wanted anyone to look at her like that. "I told….I told you…" She whimpered, dragging a shaky arm across her mouth. Using the tree as support, she stumbled to the front of it and collapsed to a sitting position, too weak to do anymore than that. She hung her head and sobbed into her hands.
"Tsume…you're hurt…"Allen reached out and touched her burnt hand gingerly.
She snarled unconsciously, the sound unearthly and just as horrible as it had been before.
Kanda, unconscious in the stretcher, tightened his deathlike grip on his sword.
Allen retreated quickly, stumbling into Lavi.
Tsume pulled her injured arm to her chest and stared at the ground, rocking as best she could on her knees.
Lavi put a reassuring hand on Allen's shoulder and approached Tsume slowly. "You need to have that looked at." He said firmly, standing a few feet away.
She shook her head.
"Don't be stupid." He chided gently and extended a hand towards her. "Lets get you cleaned up and you'll feel better. Come on."
She didn't move, sitting there.
He sighed and squatted down, tilting his head as he tried to catch her eye. "Can I at least see it then?"
She turned her head, refusing to look him in the eye as she slowly extended her injured hand into his palm.
He held it gently but firmly and whistled. "Wow…That's some serious damage he dealt you…"
She shot him a look.
He smiled back sincerely. "Come on Ro. Come with us."
She retreated her hand and kept her eyes to her lower left.
He sighed finally and got up, turning around. "Come on, Allen."
She looked up suddenly, jerking her head up. A panicked expression crossed her face and she stood quickly. She grabbed onto the back of his jacket, like she was hiding from everyone else.
He raised an eyebrow, smiling as he looked over his shoulder.
Allen grinned. "I think you have an attachment."
"I think I do too." Lavi said softly, his smile a bit sad. "I think I do too."
-
Tsume couldn't believe the amount of kindness everyone was showing her. It was incredible. She'd practically disemboweled Kanda and he was still talking to her. Well, probably not talking. She didn't think 'You're stepping on my foot' counted really. She was just amazed he'd healed so fast. It had been a week or so and he was almost ready to walk without the crutches. That didn't stop Tsume from losing her appetite every time she saw him.
"Ro...?" Lavi waved a hand in front of her face. "Helloooo....Earth to you? Are you still with us?"
Tsume blinked tiredly. "Hmm?"
"You're not eating anything."
Kanda glanced up at her absently and Tsume pushed her plate away queasily. "Not hungry." In fact, she didn't really like eating in a crowded space like the cafeteria. It was a little distracting to try to swallow food with the obnoxious chatter and different smells going on all around.
"Okay." Lavi gave up and started chatting with Allen.
Tsume smiled. He was so easily bored.
"Tsume can I have your plate?" Allen asked, his mouth already full of food.
Tsume shoved it over to him and cupped her head in her hands, staring off into space. Yes, it had been a week since the ill-fated arrival to HQ and everyone seemed mostly accepting, on account that they all thought she was just another human exorcist. The only time she seemed to run into any problems was when someone asked her what exactly was her anti-akuma weapon. Lavi, as a joke, had said that she turned into some kind of beast, and she didn't talk to him for the rest of the day. She smiled absently at that. It had been mean to do, but he'd deserved it for that comment. He had been extremely dismayed to learn from Lenalee that she wasn't going to speak to him til he profusely apologized.
She came out of her daze to realize that everyone had left her to go chat with someone on the other side of the room. She exhaled softly and moved to stand.
Suddenly two hands on either of her shoulders pushed her back down as two men sat on either side of her. She paused, bewildered.
The first man, red headed and bearded, smiled at her. The smell of his cheap aftershave filled her senses. "Where you going, miss? We just barely came by to introduce ourselves." He put a hand to his chest. "The name's John. John Harver."
"Please to meet you Mr. Harver." Tsume said, uncomfortable.
"My name's Timothy Leever." Harver's younger companion said. He seemed a few years younger then Harver, with black hair and a face that set her on edge.
"Hello Mr. Leever." Tsume glanced up desperately for her friends.
"What's your name, miss?" Harver asked politely.
Tsume wished they'd let go of her. "Tsume." She said quietly.
Lavi watched, stone-faced, from his position on the other side of the cafeteria.
"Leever and Harver?" Kanda asked, leaning against a pillar. He'd chosen to not demean himself any longer with the crutches, though still in need of the assistive devices to a point.
"Yeah." Lavi's gaze met the Bookman's, who was positioned to his far left. The Bookman nodded at him. "Nothing I can do about it either." He muttered.
Kanda folded his arms. "You want to do something about it?"
"She's getting harassed!" He turned his head.
Kanda shrugged. "So? She should be able to handle herself."
Lavi drew in breath to say something about the way she'd handled herself in the fight that led to Kanda's current predicament, when a slow smile spread on his face. "Yu-chan...dear Yu-chan..."
Kanda's expression was cold and flat, his word's sharp. "Not in a million years."
"I'll owe you one."
That was tempting. That actually was incredibly tempting. Having the annoying one eyed maniac under his heel would give him a sense of satisfaction, though usually short lived. He glanced at Harver and Leever and their chosen victim. Not only that but he'd at least get to pound those miserable execuses for men into the ground. "Fine." He snapped. "But you do owe me one." He pushed himself off the pillar and made his way slowly over to where Tsume sat.
"So what do you have planned for today?" Harver asked Tsume, unaware of his impending doom.
Tsume was beginning to think she should just run off, despite how awkward it would be later to explain why. "Uh..."
"Tsume, come on."
She looked up, her eyes wide in surprise as Kanda stood above her, looking more then a little angry. She stood and stepped beside him.
He smirked dangerously at Harver and Leever as he said, "Wouldn't want you hanging out with trash like them."
Leever shoved the table away and stood, getting up into the swordsman's face. "You got something to say about me, Kanda?"
"Already did."
"Oh yeah? Why don't you say it again if you're man enough."
Kanda let every word bite into Leever's head, an infuriating smirk on his face. "I wouldn't want Tsume hanging out with trash like you."
Tsume was awed. That was the closest she'd ever seen him to smiling.
Harver pulled the growling Leever away. "Come on Tim. It's not worth it."
"Yeah come on Tim." Kanda called as they started away. "Go away with your tail between your legs like the worthless son-"
Leever spun around and smashed his fist toward Kanda's face.
Tsume screamed.
Kanda caught his fist and slowly started to push it away from his face. "Are you sure you want to fight me?" He asked softly. "Really, Tim? You're boyfriend doesn't want you to though."
"Kanda I don't think..." Tsume started hesitantly.
But then Harver stood beside Leever with a serious look on his face. "Kanda, I think you've gone too far this time. I'm fighting with Leever now."
Allen stood next to Kanda. "What's going on, Kanda?"
"Stay out of it, Beansprout!" Kanda snapped.
Leever laughed. "What's the matter, Yu? Don't want your lover to get hurt?"
Kanda snarled and dove for his face.
Tsume slipped out as the mayhem started, watching with a mix of horror and disgust as a circle started around the fighters. She walked out of the cafeteria and headed for her room, certain everyone was completely mad. She wandered down the halls, heaving a sigh. Humans were ridiculous.
"Ro!"
Tsume turned to see Lavi jogging to catch up with her. He smiled. "Wow. You started a fight. Gotta be proud of yourself for that one."
She gave him an exasperated look and continued walking.
"Woah, wait!" He caught up to her again. "Chief Komui wants to talk to you about something in his office."
"Oh?" Tsume switched directions, puzzled. "What does he want to talk to me about?"
Lavi shrugged helpfully, his hands in his pockets as he walked along side her. "I do know they finally stopped analyzing your journal."
"Great." Tsume smiled. "It'll be nice to get that back. I've been writing on stray pieces of paper mostly and it's a little annoying."
Lavi knocked on the door for them.
The door opened and both of them walked into the room.
Tsume was amazed. It looked like a tornado had hit a stack of papers and no one had bothered to clean it up. She stepped cautiously, knowing how much she hated her own papers to get stepped on, but it was impossible not to.
"Please!" Komui smiled at them. "Sit!"
Tsume did, but Lavi stood next to the Bookman. She avoided the man's stare, looking at her own boots. He scared her to no end. "You wanted to see us?" She asked her boots.
Komui handed her journal over and she took it greatfully. "Quite an intriguing history you got there."
Tsume smiled a little sadly. "Thank you sir." She held her journal to her chest.
Komui cleared his throat. "After studying it, we decided that you need to go obtain as much knowledge as you can from this mysterious place in Transylvania it describes. That's why I'm sending you and young Lavi on a mission over there." He took a sip of his coffee and placed the mug back on the table.
Tsume nodded. "Alright."
"We'll be sending the others on a different mission to more or less distract the enemy." Komui glanced at the Bookman. "They'll meet up with you later. Any questions?"
"None, sir." Tsume said.
Lavi was silent, his mouth set in an uncomfortable line.
"These are the places I've outlined as most likely to be your destination. You'll have to check all of them, I'm afraid." Komui handed her some papers. "You leave tomorrow morning."
Taking that as a dismissal, Tsume stood, bowed, and left as Komui turned to Lavi. "Yes Lavi?" She shut the door on the conversation, ignoring the temptation to listen in even through the thick door. She looked over the papers he had handed her as she walked. They were all of old and historic locations with mysterious pasts and local legends. She pressed them to her chest with her journal and scuffed her boots on the cold stone floor as she walked. She was being sent on a mission alone with him, huh? Well…it could be worse…it could've been stone cold Kanda. She smiled at that and walked into her room.
-
Lavi walked out of Komui's office, disturbed and a little angry. They were making him go on a mission alone with her, hmm? Ridiculous. He stopped and let out an aggravated sigh. It just seemed too convenient. The Bookman was going off with the other group, but it would take a while for them to meet up with Ro and him. No adult supervision…out in the middle of no where… He was starting to feel for Allen when he and Lenalee went on that mission and found Miranda…
"Lavi…?"
He blinked, focusing in on the shadows. "Oh hey Ro. What's up?"
"Do you…do you not want to do this…?" She stepped into the light hesitantly. "Because if you do, that's fine. I understand."
"No I'm fine with it." He smiled, lying through his teeth.
She flashed a smile at him. Why did she seem so far away? "I'm nervous…"
"Don't be." He made as if to touch her and decided not to, his hand retreating awkwardly. "It'll be just fine." He wished that sounded more like he meant it.
She smiled a little in appreciation and then looked at the floor.
He rubbed the back of his head. Since when did this become awkward? He opened his mouth to say something but she stopped him.
"Lavi," She hesitated then kissed him on the cheek, her hand on his wrist. She pulled back slowly and whispered, "Pack warm." She turned, giving him one last small smile before walking down the hall.
He tried to focus on breathing but only for a little bit. Everything just went out the window when it came to her from then on. He floated down the hall, obviously anywhere but here.
-
Tsume was sitting in the chapel looking at the stained glass windows when Lenalee came in.
"Tsume."
The raven haired girl turned her head to the side, not looking away. "Hey Lenalee."
"We're all ready for you. Are you ready to go?" Lenalee walked past the pews to reach her blue-eyed friend. Funny that she should go here of all places.
Tsume didn't answer, her hands twitching restlessly as Lenalee came to a stop beside her. "Lenalee, who is God?"
"Well…no one really knows…" Lenalee looked thoughtful. "But he is the Father of All, I suppose. He's got a lot of names." She then smiled apologetically. "I know you can talk to him. Why?"
Tsume looked at her hands. "The Bible calls Him all sorts of names. I looked them all up because I couldn't sleep."
Lenalee kneeled next to the pew and put a hand on Tsume's knee, saying softly, "Are you frightened Tsume? Is that why you couldn't sleep?"
Tsume nodded, then looked away. She tried to clear her throat as she started to tear up. "I…I tore Kanda apart with my bare hands, Lenalee. I'm not normal. I'm not human. It's a façade, this entire…well, just me. So…if I'm not human, that gives me two options according to the Bible; I can be an angel or a demon." Tsume exhaled slowly, trying to get control of herself. "I just…I don't want to find out…I don't want to find out that I…"
"You're not a demon." Lenalee took her hand. "Honest."
Tsume flashed her a smile and took another deep breath. "We'll find out soon…God willing…" She stood, her pale blue eyes staring a hole into the wall as if she was wishing it would open up and swallow her misery. "God willing…" She whispered again, tearing her eyes away to her friend.
-
The train rumbled through the countryside, lights blaring out and banishing the darkness in the fall evening. Inside, everyone seemed to be settling down to sleep or at least nap in the dimming lights of the individual cars.
Tsume and Lavi, left to their own car, stared out into the fleeing darkness, each to their own thoughts.
Lavi was incredibly bored. He'd taken a book out and was scanning over the pages instead of reading. He'd already memorized its contents anyway. It was just something to look at besides miles of dark trees and endless fields with workers and…well…Tsume. He glanced at her now, trying to decipher her look as he licked his fingers to turn a page. She'd been oddly silent since they began the journey that day. It was a little annoying when it came to trying to start a conversation and very uncomfortable. What happened to the Tsume from yesterday in the hall? He directed his gaze towards his book. He shouldn't be thinking about that. There were other things more important in life then a fling in the hall with an immortal. He peeked up at her again, out of habit, to see her chewing furiously on her lip. She'd been doing it off and on for hours and her lip was beginning to show it. "You're lip's bleeding." He observed, lowering his book.
She blinked out her daze and let her lip roll out from between her teeth. She turned her head, looking surprised. "Huh?"
Impulsively, he leaned towards her. "Right…here…" He said as he used his thumb to start wiping away the blood that had started to pool on her already red lips. There was an instant charge as he became aware of her breathing and how it had stopped the minute he had touched her. His own breathing rate increased dramatically as his thumb left her lip. His gaze met hers fearlessly as he leaned back in his seat and brought his thumb to his mouth. "You need to stop doing that…" He licked the blood off his skin. "…Ro."
She swallowed, flushing pink, and started twisting the fabric of her jacket so hard, she ripped it. She looked away as he smiled.
"Mmm…" He leaned forward. "Does the rest of you taste this good too?"
Tsume tried to look busy with a couple of papers. "They bugged a golem and sent it with us." The papers almost slipped out of her hand. "It goes off whenever we get too close."
"Didn't go off now." He shrugged.
Tsume put her hands on her lap, but the fingers were restless. "Let me explain more candidly. It'll go off when and if our bodies or heads are touching."
Lavi blinked. "Wait so…?"
Tsume sighed. "Let me show you…" She sat next to him and leaned over his legs, as if to grab the book he'd been reading.
There was a loud beeping noise that grated their ears to no end. A small black golem flew out of Tsume's bag and around their heads, screeching an alarm.
"How do you shut it off?!" Lavi yelled over the noise, putting his hands over his ears.
Tsume reached up and caught the golem. She flicked a switch and the incessant screeching stopped. She let it go and it bounced lazily in the air before zipping back into her bag.
Lavi relaxed visibly. "Good Lord…! Who came up with that little monster??"
"The lab techs." Tsume settled next to him carefully, her eyes on the bag across from them. "They tried sneaking it into my things but I found it and they felt obligated to explain its presence." She liked being this close to him. He was like a space heater and she was so cold.
"Obligated…" He turned to look at her, a smile on his face with his eyebrow raised. "…or you made them?"
She smiled back at him, their foreheads almost touching. "I'd prefer the term 'obligated'."
He chuckled and turned his head back. "I thought you didn't like using your 'female powers of persuasion'." He laughed as she flicked his kneecap playfully. "So are they watching us right now?"
"Yeah. It's new technology they came up with."
Lavi reached across Tsume's lap for the book.
Immediately, it was out and shouting its angry protest to the air.
Lavi made a rude gesture at it. "Little bugge-"
There was a screeching sound and the two were thrown into the aisle with excessive force. Tsume landed on top of Lavi and the golem went off in a higher pitch.
The train shuddered underneath them, like a metallic beast with a wound.
"What's going on?!" Lavi yelled as Tsume pushed off of him. She reached up and stretched her hand out to the golem, ready to catch it.
A large clawed hand busted through the train wall and grabbed the device, smashing it to pieces with a twitch of the muscles. A maniacal laugh sounded as the hand retreated and a shot rippled through the air, blasting another hole in the wall.
Time slowed for Lavi as he watched with horror an akuma bullet speed its way towards him.
~The end of this chapter. Please R&R! I'd love to hear what you think about this!~