Chapter Twenty- Secret's Out

"Why on Earth would Komui send you two out on this mission?" Jim asked incredulously almost as soon as the two teams came together, looking between Allen and Kanda. Allen shrugged and Kanda snorted. It seemed that neither of them knew what the supervisor's motives were.

"Maybe he did it to give the pair of you the chance to see each other again after all this time" Lanel suggested, sitting on the ground in a cloud of dust. It seemed that he'd loosened up in the last few months he'd spent with Allen. He was certainly not as uptight anymore.

Jim shook his head. "That doesn't make sense- he's dispatched Lavi and Lenalee to come here too."

Allen gave a rather evil grin. "Well, someone needs to do the mission while we're busy."

Jim and Lanel paled considerably, and Allen cackled madly. The light mood didn't last as Allen's eye suddenly whirred into action

"Dammit! Akuma!"

The others turned to face a different direction, trying to spot the impending threat.

"Fuck!"

"Crap!"

"Oh my!"

"Uh-huh" agreed Allen. "This seems familiar, doesn't it?" he asked Kanda

It was Jim who answered. "Yeah, only with less exorcists and well, you two aren't in the best of shape."

"Tch, don't be an idiot, idiot" Kanda retorted coldly.

"Well, there are less Akuma" added Allen, trying to sound optimistic, all the while remembering the situation so similar to this that had been the changing point in his life. Kanda shot him a withering glare, which he returned, accompanied by a sardonic smirk. Kanda rolled his eyes.

"Well, Lavi and Lenalee will be here any time now" Jim said. "Shall we have at it?"

0o0o0o0o0

Jim and Lanel stood back to back in the centre of a circle of Akuma. They had found some time ago than they made a good team- able to confuse the Akuma by using Lanel's illusions and Jim's innocence manifestations to destroy them. Neither exorcist seemed to be struggling with the current situation at all- using well practised combinations and attacks to clear the machines that surrounded them.

0o0o0o0o0

Kanda like wise was having little difficulty in his own battle, though he could tell he was tiring much faster than he would under previous circumstances. But still his movements were fluid and precise, and as long as no Akuma managed to land a hit, he'd be able to keep going far longer than the Akuma could. He cursed mildly as the shot he dodged managed to score a deep rent in his canteen, the healing water spilling out in a crystalline arc as he twisted away.

His discipline did not allow his mind to wander to consider how the other exorcists were faring- besides he had seen Jim and Lanel fall into their familiar fighting pattern- confusing the Akuma using Lanel's fake illusions and Jim's very real, innocence powered ones, and he had complete faith in Allen's abilities. He had to.

0o0o0o0o0

Allen scowled. Was it just him or did it seem like he'd got the worst end of this deal?

He sliced through another Akuma with his claws, watching in satisfaction as the trapped soul was released. The longer he fought however, the more he noticed several things. First of all, the Akuma didn't seem worried at all by Allen's attacks. Were they just level ones, he wouldn't have been worried by this, but they weren't- the majority were level twos, though he could recognise the rather more intelligent level threes lurking among the others.

Secondly the number of Akuma didn't seem to be decreasing, no matter how many he destroyed. Lastly, and perhaps more worrying, was the cause for the previous concerns. The Akuma were in fact decreasing in number, but his vision was blurring, causing him to see double.

"Shit" he swore as he destroyed another one, and his knees wavered.

Don't worry, you can do it encouraged the Noah in his mind, sounding oddly eager.

Allen ignored it as much as possible, breaking into a shambling run towards the closest Akuma.

0o0o0o0o0

"Jim! Lanel!" the female voice, accompanied by the rush of wind and a kick that destroyed three Akuma at once caught the male exorcists' attention.

"Lenalee! I wondered when you were going to show up!" Jim grinned, bashing the Akuma with a likeness of the Earl merrily as he turned to her. "Wasn't Lavi supposed to be with you?"

"He went to help Kanda" she replied, executing a beautiful flying roundhouse kick at an Akuma that had come too close for its own good. "Where's Allen?"

"We all became separated when we were attacked" explained Lanel. "But he'll be fine."

Lenalee nodded. "I know that, I was just curious."

Jim grinned to himself- Lenalee wasn't fooling anybody. Though she might have long since got over her teenage crush (author takes a moment to cringe as she remembers those chapters *shudders*) it was more than obvious that, though she cared deeply for all her comrades, for Allen there would always be something more.

"Come on Lenalee, the sooner we get finished here, the sooner we can find Kanda and Allen."

0o0o0o0o0

"What the fuck are you doing here?" Kanda snapped when the Akuma he was aiming for was crushed beneath Lavi's hammer.

"Nice to see you too" grinned Lavi, shrinking his hammer and twirling it expertly between his fingers. "How's it going?"

"Tch, fine until you showed up" Kanda grumbled, though it only made Lavi's grin widen.

"Aw, you did miss me!" he exclaimed, attempting to seize Kanda in a crushing hug.

"Fuck off!" Kanda growled, neatly side stepping the glomp attack and slicing an Akuma at the same time.

Lavi (for once) decided to listen to Kanda (maybe because it would be so easy for Kanda to stab him and pretend it was an accident in the heat of battle) and concentrated instead on the still attacking Akuma.

0o0o0o0o0

Lenalee, Jim and Lanel arrived just as the last Akuma exploded in a shower of sparks and metal fragments, Jim drinking deeply from his water bottle, healing the deep slash he was sporting on his thigh, an injury he got in a moment of carelessness.

"Hey Birdy-chan, Angel-chan, long time no see!" greeted Lavi as soon as he spotted them. "The Moyashi not with you?"

Jim shook his head. "He can't have gone far, let's go look."

0o0o0o0o0

Allen panted. It seemed that even the smallest of battles tired him out nowadays. He placed his hands on his knees as he tried to control his breathing, grateful that he'd at least managed to defeat the Akuma before his body decided that passing out was a good idea. The Noah chuckled darkly in the back of his mind, and Allen felt suddenly nervous, the presence was much larger than it had felt before. His vision faltered a little, greying around the edges as he lurched forward, knees weak and legs shaking like jelly.

Well, well, well, what do we have here? the Noah asked. Rather pathetic aren't we? The laugh seemed to increase in volume and strength.

"What are you doing?" Allen choked out loud; glad there was no audience to his seeming moment of madness. "I thought we were on the same side- what are you trying to do?"

The same side? A cruel, harsh laugh. I did say that, didn't I? Sorry to disappoint, but I lied. I'm not the white side of the Noah of Will.

Allen blinked dumbly. "You're not? Then who are you?"

The black side, silly. You are the white side. You know, it's rather lucky that you are so…gullible. Anyone with half a brain would have realised something was wrong the Noah said, amused. In fact, you've only helped me along, by denying your powers you've managed to blind yourself to the truth.

"Bastard!" growled Allen, fighting against the encroaching darkness, sensing the Noah's readiness to sneak in and claim his body while he was unconscious.

"Allen? Allen!"

Shit. The familiar voice was getting closer- why couldn't his backup have arrived before he was about to pass out? A little help earlier would have been useful. Oh well, better late than never. He waved weakly at the sky…wait, what? When had he fallen over? He doubted it really mattered anyway. Maybe the approaching team were carrying some of Danny's water- maybe if he was healed in time the whole Noah thing would be a non-issue.

They won't get here in time to save you sniggered the Noah mocking Allen's desperate hopes, pressing forward and smothering Allen's consciousness with its presence. If they're lucky, they'll get here just in time for me to kill them all. It ignored Allen's anger-driven renewed efforts to fight back. Oh look, Lavi and Lenalee have arrived…who shall I kill first? Lavi perhaps…Lenalee would be so shocked, she'd just stand there…the perfect easy target…

Shut the hell up! Allen snarled, cursing that the back up team just had to arrive now, of all times, and damning Komui and his decision to send out his closest friends.

Now Jim, Lavi and Lenalee would find out about his 'condition' in the worst way possible.

Kanda was the first at his side, skidding to his knees in the dust. "Moyashi? Are you injured?"

Weakly Allen shook his head. "Just…tired. Very." His eyes fluttered closed momentarily, before he forced them open again. "Yuu…" he whispered, conscious of the others gathering around them. "Don't let them see- I can feel him...taking over."

"I know" Kanda murmured. "You're eyes are changing and you have crosses."

"Shit." Allen closed his eyes again, too weak to stay awake. "Don't…let…them…see" he repeated quietly.

"Allen?" Lavi's voice carried loudly and clearly. "What's..? Holy God."

Allen flinched at the shock in his friend's voice, managing a wry twist of his lips. "Yeah, that's what I thought too."

The dark form laughed, enjoying the situation immensely.

"What are you talking about Lavi? What's going..?" Lenalee leaned around Kanda so she could see Allen's face. Before her eyes his pale complexion darkened, a light grey, dead tinge to his skin and dark black streaks trailing through his hair.

His eyes weren't even pure silver anymore- gold deepened the usually clear grey depths.

"You're a Noah?" Jim asked, as though he thought his eyes were playing tricks on him.

"Yes he is" Lanel supplied, "he awakened during his stay in the Ark."

"But that was months ago!" protested the female exorcist. "Why didn't you say something?"

"Did you know about this?" Lavi asked Kanda, who gave them all a sweeping sharp glare.

"This is hardly the time! We have to help him before he changes completely! Does anyone have the water?"

Cursing his stupidity, Lavi thrust his canteen at Kanda, who helped Allen sit up a little. "Still with us?" he asked, concerned by Allen's closed eyelids and slow, ragged breathing. To his relief, the golden hued eyes opened a crack and a small smile crossed his lips. "Just about." His hands were clenched at his sides, the only outward sign of his internal struggle. "Can't…too…strong…" he groaned and another streak of black dyed his once snowy hair.

"Drink this, if you're at full strength you should be able to fight him off." He put the lip of the canteen to Allen's mouth.

No! the Noah yelled, suddenly pushing further against Allen's mind an gaining control of his right arm- the left, still imbued with innocence was beyond him while Allen was still conscious and fighting- and tried to push the canteen away. No! No! "NO!" he cried out loud, almost successfully knocking the water aside.

"Hold him down!" barked Kanda, rescuing the flask before any of the precious liquid could be spilt.

Lavi and Jim both leapt at Allen at the same time, crushing his weakened body beneath their combined weights. "Do it!" Lavi shouted as he struggled with the violently thrashing right arm, and Kanda wasted no time in pouring the water down Allen's throat.

Eventually the weak struggling stopped and Allen's body fell limp, though his breathing was deeper and steadier.

"Moyashi?" asked Kanda cautiously.

0o0o0o0o0

Allen slowly dragged himself back to full consciousness, blinking his eyes sluggishly as he heard an almost… uneasy… Kanda say his name.

"Yeah. What's wrong? You all look terrible." He said quietly, feeling the slightly odd sensation of fitting back into his body. He could feel the Noah- no, his dark side- slinking back into the recesses of his mind, cursing bitterly at a chance lost.

His voice was hoarse and scratchy, though it hadn't been him doing the shouting.

"Allen, you're…you're…" Lenalee stumbled over her words, her trembling hand at her mouth.

Allen started to sit up, feeling his strength returning as the innocence water coursed through his body. Their expressions didn't seem to match the situation, they all looked…scared.

"What, do I have something on my face?" he asked, their nervousness rubbing off on him.

"You could say that" said Lavi, climbing cautiously off Allen's legs so he could move a little more, though he didn't move away completely, and his hand crept to the hammer at his side.

Jim wordlessly handed over a mirror that he'd just created using his innocence.

Allen blinked curiously, looking at Kanda who was still watching him carefully, Mugen unsheathed and clenched in his fist.

Allen raised the mirror to his face and gaped in shock, small tears gathering in his eyes. Only, they didn't look like his eyes anymore. The predominant colour was still the soft grey of a rainy day, but the irises also held a tinge of gold- the barest hint, but anyone who had looked into his eyes before would notice the difference. His skin, usually slightly tanned, but still pale, looked ghastly- grey tinged and like death warmed over. And his hair…he frowned and fingered a lock of once pure white hair, feeling oddly upset and angered by the change.

Five or six streaks of the darkest ebony ran through the entire length, with a couple of half-changed, two-toned locks mixed in.

There would be no hiding it now- his secret was out.

"Shit."

0o0o0o0o0

Right, I'm now back on track, but I have lots of other stuff to do at the moment, so… the next update will take about a week. I'll certainly try and make it sooner though. Again thanks to anybody out there who is still reading this piece of crap. Thank you very, very much- I'm so glad that some people have stuck by me through this, it means a lot!