Chapter 5
Contact
Allen tore through the streets, his sharp silver eyes darting around. His feet were bleeding from the rough roads he had run along, but he didn't care. He wasn't aware of the pain in his feet or the burn in his lungs. All that mattered was the time he had left to get help. He knew in his heart that he would not be able to escape the Noah's this time. But at the very least, he could find a way to contact the Black Order.
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*Flashback*
Tyki swore as Allen showed his cards, officially winning the game. The boy saw his expression and felt himself fill with hope.
"Listen here, Shounen," said the Noah, pointing a finger. "I can't give you your freedom directly, or the Earl would be displeased. But I can give you a head start."
Allen lurched forward eagerly, ready to run at a moment's notice. "How much time?"
Tyki pulled a cigarette out of his jacket and lit it. He thought over a decent answer, glancing over at the wall clock for advice. His gold eyes flickered back to Allen. "You have until midnight. Starting now."
Allen opened his mouth to thank the man, but froze when Tyki reached towards him. The boy cringed when he pulled Timcampy out of his pocket, thinking he was about to be hit.
The Noah puffed a cloud of smoke at him.
"However, your golemn stays with me." Allen started to protest, but found himself silenced by the wave of a hand. "Don't waste time, Shounen. The clock is ticking."
*End Flashback*
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Allen tripped on a cobblestone, just then noticing the large puddles that the pouring rain had created as he fell into one.
The pushed himself up after a moment, panting tirelessly. He swallowed for a moment, and then jumped when a large clock chimed a quarter to midnight. His body began to tremble in fear when he realized the futility of his goal. No one was around and any sign he left would be erased by his captors. Anyone he DID manage to tell would think he was crazy. No one believed in Akuma, or Exorcists like they used. And if Allen remembered correctly, there were less than twenty Exorcists in existence, making the likelihood of meeting one on that night tiny.
Allen felt bitter tears run down his face as he tilted it toward the sky. He cried silently in the rain, too overwhelmed and far too fallen to enjoy the small moment of freedom out of that mansion.
The boy collapsed to the ground slowly until his forehead touched rough stone and he just sobbed. He was defeated, ready to be pulled back into his confinement.
"Excuse me sir, are you alright?" a friendly voice asked. Allen looked up slowly.
Before him stood a man in a cream-colored uniform. On his back was an odd machine. Allen's mouth fell open in shock. Then he started to laugh in relief.
The Finder stared at him uneasily, not sure what was going on. "Sir? Is there something wrong?"
Allen smiled weakly as he wiped his eyes.
"No, nothing is wrong," he replied. The silver orbs in his face shone with a new kind of life. "I am just so relieved to have found you!"
"Uhhh," the Finder began, thinking that the figure in front of him was a senile old man. "I don't think I am who you were looking for-"
Allen stood up, smiling sadly.
"You are a Finder of the Black Order, aren't you?" he asked softly. The man nodded in surprise. "My Master told me what Finders and Exorcists looked like should I ever need their help."
Toma stared at the boy, an ominous feeling developing in his gut. "Who are you?"
"My name is Allen Walker. I am the Apprentice of General Marian Cross." Allen saw the questions in the Finder's face and shook his head. "You have to listen to me: I am being held prisoner in someone's mansion. It isn't far from here. There are these people there that are the Earl's men. I don't know what they are, but they call themselves the Noahs."
"Why are you telling me this?" Toma wondered. "You need to come with me to tell Headquarters what you have seen."
Allen's face fell slightly. "I can't. I only have until twelve until they come for me. I don't know why, but they want me alive. You, however, they would kill."
After saying this, Allen glanced up at the large face of the clock. He only had six minutes. The boy quickly grabbed the Finder's sleeve.
"Please hurry and tell them! You're my only hope. I can't even fight against them right now." Toma understood the logic in the boy's story and relented. It didn't feel right, leaving a child in the hands of the Earl.
"Alright Mister Walker. I will go. On the condition that you will stay safe."
Allen promised, and then pushed the Finder away. He wore a smile as he watched the cream-colored figure dashed off into the pouring rain.
"Try to beat that Tyki," Allen whispered smugly. He closed his eyes and once more he tilted his face to the heavens. This time he savored every second of freedom he had as he waited for the inevitable arrival of Tyki.
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The clock struck twelve. Tyki stepped out of Road's door. He looked around, thoroughly impressed by how far his prey had traveled. Who had ever heard of a twelve-year-old boy having such endurance?
"Maybe we could use him as our puppet," he mused. "I will have to speak with the Earl about that."
He began walking in the direction his instinct told him to. Tyki was very surprised to find that it actually worked when he saw the boy just standing in the middle of the street, catching the rain in his mouth.
"What a childish thing to do," Tyki remarked. The boy closed his mouth and glared at him.
"I AM a child!"
The Noah of Pleasure shrugged, not making a single comment. He approached the boy, dropping his cigarette on the ground.
"Did you have a nice time outside?" he asked casually, removing his white gloves.
Allen eyed him distrustfully. "I did, until you came along."
The Noah chuckled in amusement. The boy had a lot of bark, but he sure didn't have the bite that Tyki had witnessed when they first met.
"Shame. I was hoping you were in a conversational mood." Tyki's eyes glittered mischievously. "How hard it must be to realize that you are nothing without your Innocence. You are useless and can't even stop me if I wanted to kill you a second time."
The boy's silver orbs narrowed angrily.
"Liar!" he shouted. He lunged at Tyki, just like the man had predicted. He caught the boy in mid-leap, swinging his legs out before dropping the boy onto the ground and putting a foot on the delicate ribs.
"Me? A liar? Maybe a little. But think about it." The Noah crouched down next to Allen, staring him in the eye. "If you really were a threat to the Millennium Earl, you would be dead."
Allen bit his lip. He didn't want to believe that man. But he had to admit; there was logic in his words. Yet there was something else that hadn't been explained.
"If I am so useless, then why keep me here in the first place?" he demanded softly. Tyki grinned.
"No one ever said we couldn't use you," he replied maliciously. He opened a palm of his hand, letting out a single Tease. "I apologize if this hurts, Shounen."
Allen's vision disappeared in a brilliant flash of light.