icedragon54: lol, there is absolutely nothing wrong with it. I just thought that was especially funny as that's the first time I've even been glomped out of my almost 900 reviews.


Requiem of Time: Chapter Fourteen - Allen


"The name's Allen… Lavi," Allen corrected on reflex, but with a smile. It had been a long time since he had been called that.

Everyone noticed the second thick scar on an otherwise flawless stomach, but it raised no comment from his former friends. Allen and scars were like Fou and cursing; it was expected, although they all did wonder what could have been strong enough to actually injure the Marshal.

"So how's it going in here?" Lavi continued, poking Allen in the head for reference. "I hear the Fourteenth's asleep again."

Several tensed at that, Lenalee and Miranda mainly, with a look from Sarah and Bookman, yet Allen simply grinned evenly and readjusted his top hat. "Nice and quiet. It's been a nice two month vacation for me. Good evening, Lenalee, Miranda, Finder Kevin, Bookman. Fancy meeting you here of all places."

Being the eldest, Bookman spoke of their mission. "Marshal Walker, the other Marshals are being targeted by the Noah in search of the Heart of Innocence. Headquarters has ordered us to guard you and bring you back to Headquarters so that you and the other Marshals may be better protected."

"I'm sorry, Bookman, but I'm afraid there are more pressing matters at the moment. However, you are free to stay with me until I'm done," Allen answered in a voice that didn't suit his current body, the same that he had used as leader of the third faction, as a Marshal of the Dark Order; it sounded strange coming from that small, younger form, yet its effect was not diminished. He was not to be opposed.

After regarding him for a second, Bookman lowered his head in consent. "Very well. We shall accompany you and hopefully Marshal Cross."

Allen smiled at him, with an encouraging nod to Kevin - Allen took note of but didn't mention the missing limb - and turned towards the brothel before them. "Yes, let's go meet my- murph!" His voice became muffled when he collided into two rather large lumps located conveniently before his face.

Allen took a step back to see what exactly he ran into, only to see two rather sharp eyes glaring down at him from a massive woman. Oh boy, Mahoja. "Oh, excuse me, ma'am. I'm-"

"We don't serve young brats or first-timers," the large woman interrupted forcefully in Chinese. "Get outta here!"

Allen twitched at that. He wasn't used to being treated as a kid again. "Wait, I-"

Mahoja's eye glinted darkly as she grabbed Allen and lifted him clean off the ground by his coat alone, still glaring. Allen knew she could probably tear him apart like that. Her arms were thicker than his body. She pulled him in close, and then whispered in English, "Excuse my rudeness." Ah, yes, Allen reminded himself, everything is encoded. "I will take you to the Master's room. Please, go around to the back entrance." The bald, muscular woman smiled at him, though in his current predicament Allen found it hard to smile back. "We are supporters of the Order." She stuck her tongue out, revealing a black cross tattooed there.

A few moments later, they were inside, and again, they were floored by Anita's beauty when she was dressed in her elegant robes and makeup. Except this time, there was an addition to the beauty. Namely, a red haired man with a white mask, with eyes closed behind half-glass spectacles, dressed in a black coat with a gold lining, and of course with a saucer of wine in one hand.

"Master," Allen greeted casually upon catching sight of the man, while Sarah's cheeks lit up in a sudden blush.

Cross Marian opened his eyes, taking in the sight of all those before him. "I thought you said it would just be us two."

Allen's eye twitched as he smiled. "Well, it was supposed to be, but when you abandoned me back in Germany things got a little changed around."

"Is that so?" Cross muttered, taking another sip of his wine. He turned his attention to Lenalee, Sarah, and even Miranda, and smirked his heart-melting smile. "That's not to say I mind the additions." Allen was surprised to see Anita laugh when all three girls looked to the floor, blushing.

"Welcome to my shop. My name is Anita," the Madam greeted finally, and that painted smile on her face had Lavi "Strike!" again. "What can I do for you today?"

Allen bowed politely before her. "Excuse me, my companions and I are here to accompany my master across the ocean to the island country Japan."

The woman smiled at him, as if expecting it. "So you are Allen Walker, then. Pleased to meet you. Cross-sama has told me much about you."

Allen blinked at that and looked back up, although his master had his eyes closed again and his face neutral. It wasn't like his master to speak of him, except for invoices.

Anita continued. "We have rooms set aside and prepared for all of you. The boat will be ready by tomorrow, if needed then. For those of you above eighteen, I have a fine selection of women you may choose from for the night, free of charge."

Lavi and Allen's faces grew excited at that, if for different reasons, when Bookman hit Lavi across the head and Lenalee began dragging him out of the room. The Chinese Exorcist sent a polite smile back at Anita. "Oh, no need for that, right Lavi?" she growled the last part at the groaning man - currently eighteen in body.

Allen was about to make a comment, but he stopped when all eyes - particularly Anita, Cross, and Mahoja - turned to him. Err, right, they think I'm fifteen and certainly wouldn't believe me. Well, at least Miranda is here. Said woman was still blushing at the floor from the smile Cross had given her.

"Master," Allen addressed instead. The man looked up at him again, his one eye still expressionless. "When would you like to make plans for Japan?"

"I already have," Cross commented simply. "I will head out first and make a path to get into the Ark, while you stay here to confront Suman Dark, Tyki Mikk, and restore Crown Clown before following. You can make your own plans for your friends, although it is too dangerous in Edo to bring them all. It is dangerous even for us Marshals alone."

Allen nodded, and he began pulling Miranda out of them room when she turned to argue. He would speak with his master later that night, but first he had to get things settled.

Allen and the other Exorcists gathered in an empty room, with Bookman, Meilin, Kevin, and Sarah included. After a brief catching up, their conversation turned to chaos.

"Alone?!" Lenalee nearly shouted.

"Wait, you are giving me Meilin as another apprentice?" Allen asked Bookman.

Allen's other apprentice smiled at the small girl, "Hi there, I'm Sarah."

"Marshal Allen "Musician" Walker, you will not-"

"Oi, I'm planning on getting Chomesuke-"

"Marshal Walker, please reconsider-"

"Yes, a second-"

"Hi there, Meilin. My name is Allen-"

"I told you, Allen, that friends fight together-" A vein appeared in Lenalee's forehead when she realized she was getting nowhere in all this commotion. "SILENCE!" Everyone went quite suddenly, blushing at their actions. Taking a breath, Lenalee continued, "Now, what was this about you going to China alone?"

Allen met her stare evenly. "The more people who go the more dangerous it is. Master and I are the only ones who could get into the Ark without any risk, and we are also the only ones needed in order to take it."

Lavi spoke up. "Allen, I know you never met her, but I think I can prevent Chomesuke from self-destructing. Please, I need to go as well, even if only to the shoreline and back."

Bookman frowned at him. "You've mentioned her before, Lavi. Who is this Chomesuke?" Lavi stiffened at that suddenly.

"Allen," Lenalee interrupted in an attempt to save Lavi. "We can handle ourselves. Friends don't leave other friends to battle alone. I'm coming with you, whether you like it or not."

Miranda seemed just as firm. "As am I."

"You are not," Allen argued, his voice going dangerously low. "Only I can meet the Noah unscathed, and again we are walking right into the heart of them. On top of that, I'm worried about those black cloaks that keep appearing whenever I am near the Noah. That's what gave me both of these scars right here, and they can't even be touched by Innocence. It is too dangerous for you who can fight only with your anti-Akuma weapons."

There were no arguments after that, unsurprisingly, as each took cautious peeks at the whitish blemishes of distorted flesh on his stomach. Each spoke of the brutality of the injury, and of the danger of what caused it. Both Miranda and Lenalee remembered such cloaks from the rewinding town, and to hear that there were more (or the same one returned) was unsettling.

"Now," Allen continued. "All of you are to remain at the Asian Branch's Headquarters while I complete my Innocence, while Meilin needs to head back to Headquarters for proper training. She is too valuable to keep exposed out here in China. Kevin, you will accompany her back to England. Her useful ability will keep you out of any unexpected Akuma trouble."

Kevin twitched at that. All that traveling, from England to Germany to Romania back to England to Spain and finally all the way over to China… Just to head back to England… With no Marshal Walker. Sometimes he wondered if God was laughing at him.

"Sarah, you are doing great in your training so far, but as I'll be heading to Japan I won't be able to complete your training until after. I'm sorry but I'm going to have to leave you alone with some friends at the Asian Branch," Allen finished.

Sarah nodded. "I don't mind staying with Branch Head Bak, and that Fou sounds interesting to meet." The Exorcists stared at her, wondering exactly how much Allen had told her. Everything, Allen thought to himself with amusement.

"Well," Allen said, standing, "we are done here." Lenalee seemed to be struggling with herself, wanting to help him but knowing he was right about the danger. There had to be a way to help him, if only to get away by flying, yet she knew Allen wouldn't leave any Noah alone to meet their end by one of those cloaks.

The door closed behind Allen.

****

"Allen," Lavi addressed as he stepped out onto the balcony.

"Hmm?" Allen asked, leaning over the rail as he stared up at the illuminated sky. The city's lights seemed to burn away the stars. Lulubell-chan is probably crying right now for her failure to kill me.

"If you aren't going to let me go, can you at least help me with Chomesuke?"

"That modified Akuma you mentioned before? Out of curiosity, why are you so concerned? Master combines that spell with Innocence so that when they self-destruct their souls are released and enter Heaven. I've seen the spell itself, and I've tested it out as well, as you know."

Lavi nodded, but it was hesitant as he also leaned against the railing. Those sounds coming from the rooms below were very distracting. "I remember, Allen, but… But I would like her to remain alive for a bit longer, if you know what I mean?"

"I do."

"Did I serve you well, master?" the broken, battered modified Akuma asked in a pained voice.

Allen nodded, tears leaking down his face as Crown Clown resumed its place over his shoulder. She had served him well, and for a long time. She was an Akuma, of course, but she was also a friend. It was painful to see her go.

"Good."

Then she exploded.

"Yet we both know that Cross ties the limit to their bloodlust, and with the Earl in Japan that bloodlust will overwhelm her quite fast."

Allen frowned. "I will not remove that limit. They only explode when they turn back into death-seeking machines. I won't let this Chomesuke, modified or not, return to that. It will hurt her more than death will to know what she is doing."

Lavi's grip tightened on the railing. "I know that. I've been thinking about this ever since I woke up in this time. Please, is there any way…?"

Allen finally turned away from the bright city to face his friend, smirked slightly. "Does she mean this much to you, this modified Akuma named Chomesuke?" Lavi turned to face him, but Allen was already heading back inside. He raised a hand in parting. "When I see her, I'll specially modify her and do whatever I can. Just be ready to face the Order when I do, Lavi. My faction doesn't exist yet."

Lavi was left there to his thoughts.

Allen later knocked on the door Mohoja verified as Cross's room. A hatless and shirtless Cross answered, a cigarette burning between his lips.

"What do you want, idiot apprentice?" Cross actually seemed a bit annoyed.

"Am I interrupting something?" Allen asked with a smirk, seeing Anita under the covers near the back of Cross's room.

Cross grunted and stepped outside the room, closing the door behind him. "What do you want?"

"To. Talk."

Cross didn't seem surprised, merely staring at him with that same cigarette leaving a small trail of smoke. Allen hated being short, knowing how pathetic he must look next to the muscled form of his master, but he was not intimidated. His cold grey eyes were steel as they stared back.

Finally, Cross said, "An interesting thing occurred on my way here after we parted."

"You mean after you left me with your debt," Allen deadpanned.

Cross coughed into one hand. "Yes, well, said thing was a little birdie, and it just happened to jog my memory on a few things I had forgotten."

"Like what?" Allen asked, curious and cautious as to what his master was getting at. It had the wonderful aroma of 'getting out of talking' coming in waves.

Cross waved a hand, opening the door again as he stepped back. "It's a bit long, I'll tell you tomorrow morning."

"Oh, no you don't!" Allen growled, his right hand stopping Cross from moving back. "We are talking right now."

Cross stared back with those neutral eyes again - Allen wondered again why his master was acting so strange - before Cross said, "That first Level Four Akuma, the one that attacked Headquarters, didn't just prove that the Earl could have destroyed it at anytime. It told me he could right before I finished it off. We'll speak tomorrow." Cross stepped out of Allen's grip and closed the door in his face.

Allen was struck numb. He hadn't told his master that. That's what he was trying to get at. His master knew that… as if he had been there, as if he had been the one from that future. Isn't that what he meant? Did he mean that he 'remembers' that future by "jog my memory? Allen asked himself. He was half tempted to break down the door and wrest the answer from his master, but he didn't.

Stubbornly, Allen sat down right across from the door and decided to wait. He would wait there all night, just to be sure his master didn't get away in the morning. No more would he be denied his answers!

****

The next morning, Allen stood up excitedly when he heard movement inside Cross's room. Pressing the communication earpiece he currently shared with Miranda, he asked, "One last time, are you sure he didn't slip out the window?"

There was a crackle before Miranda answered pleasantly, "I'm sure, Allen."

Excited now, Allen patiently waited for the door to open. Finally, he heard the knob turn and out stepped… Anita. Allen blinked at the woman, and she blinked back. Then, the Madam lifted an elegant eyebrow. "Have you been outside my door this whole night?"

"Is Cross still in there?" Allen asked, eager to get his answers.

Anita blinked again, before frowning. "What do you mean? Cross left last night, after you interu- knocked."

"…He left?"

"Yes, when it was still dark out. Is something wrong?"

Allen took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. Then, "CURSE YOU MASTER!"


AN: Like I said last chapter, I had four chapters at the ready, so after this is two more most likely to be posted tomorrow and the day after. And, being the genius I am, I figured I could be writing my primary in the meantime and eat through a few thousand words.

Well, that was quite the amount of less reviews last chapter, but I'm glad we got that squared away before push came to shove. Then again, that could have been because of the length... Meh, Lurking (Confounding) Variables always give things a twist, as you peeps in Statistics know. Regardless, I'm surprised at the lack of total opposition... And now I'm rambling. Well, I guess I'll just end this with a nice "Cya tomorrow."