WARNING! This story contains SPOILERS and YAOI! Also a few minor OCs, so don't kill me.
Whew...this chapter took longer than I expected. Beware! Plot twists ahead! And yes. I DID just change it into a yaoi fan fiction! Happy fan girls? Just kidding. I like yaoi too. 3
CrownedClownn: Yea, Allen does seem to act a bit like Naruto, but that's just the way he is. He's much more epic. Don't worry, Moyashi 3
MitarashiiDango: Yes! This is where my horrible naming and titling skills have culminated! Kanda is a Fallen One, hence, Fallen! Not predictable at all... ^_^;;
Rated: T [for violence and language] Bold: Used only in dreams or flashbacks to indicate the main character's lines. Italics: Used to indicate dreams, flashbacks, and thoughts.
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Chapter Four: Breaking
"Hahaha! Catch me if you can, Yuu-chan!"
"You idiot rabbit!! Give that back right now!!"
"Never!"
"Uh...L-Lavi...you should probably give it back to him..."
"Why? Yuu-chan is so much fun to mess with!"
"Don't call me by my first name, baka Usagi!!"
"Woops! Gotta run!"
::
Kanda's eyes glared at the unfortunate redhead who was pinned to the wall. Rabbits just never learn...
::
"I swear, I'll slice you from that damned eyepatch all the way to your toes, you idiot!!"
"Ooh~! Yuu, is that a promise?"
"L-Lavi..."
::
Oh yes, the rabbit was going to pay. He was going to pay really hard. A smirk curved across Kanda's features and the shorter exorcist beneath his strong hands flinched; the impudent grin wavering a little.
"Oi...Yuu, I was only joking around..."
::
"Teeheehee-woops!"
"I've got you now, baka!!"
"I told you stealing Mugen was a bad idea, Lavi..."
::
"Um...Kanda, go easy on him, ok? He was just kidding around..."
"Che..." Kanda's blue eyes narrowed as he ignored the white-haired beansprout and his hold on Lavi's shoulders tightened, causing the redhead to wince. "Idiot Usagi, I swear I'll kill you."
Sweat was clearly evident on Lavi's forehead and he swallowed. "What's that Panda? More work? Ok, I'm coming!"
The samurai leaned closer to Lavi, glaring. "You can't get away that eas-."
With either a lapse of reason or just brazen boldness, the redhead drew forward quickly, planting a sloppy kiss on Kanda's lips. That stunned the exorcist long enough for Lavi to wriggle out of his grasp and go flying down the hallway at top speed. "I love Yuu~!"
Wh-Wh-What the F*CK WAS THAT?!
He was jarred into his senses by a snort as a certain other annoyance was struggling unsuccessfully to stifle a laugh. Face growing suddenly hot, Kanda hastily scrubbed his sleeve across his mouth and made a show of gagging, then whirled around to glare at the boy. "You say one damn word and you'll die too, Moyashi."
Allen didn't bother to stop smirking as his hand covered his mouth and he nodded a few times. The samurai hissed a curse to himself and snatched up his sword from where Lavi had dropped it on the floor, plowing down the hall in the same direction the rabbit hopped. His blood was boiling and he glared left and right, daring anyone to ask him what was wrong. No one was foolish enough to do so. All gave him a wide berth. Except one.
Kanda mentally groaned as a tall dark figure approached him. The past few weeks, he'd been watched, no, babysat, by a man named Mono Fei, and it wasn't doing a thing to help his already pissed mood. He could feel the veins popping as the odd man spoke; his heavy foreign accent un-placeable.
"Afternoon, Mr. Kanda. It's four-o'clock."
Without a word, he paused, sent Lavi a mental death glare down the hallway, and followed Fei. His head tilted downwards, silently avoiding the eyes of those who watched a raven-haired samurai with a reputation of having a superiority complex calmly following a scrawny man like he was as gentle as a lamb. Gritting his teeth angrily, Kanda couldn't help but smirk ruefully at his situation.
"Che..."
::
The second the enraged exorcist was out of earshot, Allen burst out laughing, holding his gut. "Hahaha!! Sweet Earl...that was so priceless! I'll have to thank Lavi for that later..." He grinned to himself and stooped. The library was empty now, and he stacked up overturned books that had been disturbed in the wake of the chase.
"A brief moment of humor is good. Too bad you'll have to kill them all."
The grin disappeared from the boy's face and he narrowed his eyes.
You shut up.
"You can't silence me forever, boy."
A shadow appeared in the doorway, and Allen whirled around to face it. He let out a sigh of relief when he recognized Link's face. "You scared the hell out of me." He received no answer. Sighing, Allen finished straightening the papers and brushed past his personal shadow. Link followed him down the hall, never once keeping him out of sight.
This had been going on for weeks now ever since Allen had learned of Kanda's secret. He had an idea that that was the reason for the extra-vigilant watch, but wasn't quite sure how Link had found out. Heading towards the cafeteria, the young exorcist passed countless windows. The familiar dead face followed him, drifting along through the windows, seen only by himself. Allen purposely kept his head turned away.
Reaching the cafeteria, he spotted Lavi at the food counter and the corners of his mouth twitched as he strode over.
"Oi, Lavi! You're still alive?"
The redhead turned and his one emerald eye instantly brightened as it recognized Allen's face.
"Haha, yea! There's no way my dearest would hurt his secret love!"
He grinned ear to ear and Allen couldn't hold back a smirk.
"You really pissed him off. I've never seen him so surprised! But really...did you have to go so far as to kiss him?"
"Psh...of course!" Lavi suddenly glanced around and grabbed Allen by the elbow, pulling him aside. He looked pointedly at Link, but the man didn't move and didn't say a word, simply standing beside Allen. "...There's no way to get rid of..." His thumb jerked at Link, and the blonde man's face hardened into a scowl.
"Ah...sadly no. But Link only records stuff about me, so it's alright." Allen said quietly, casting a warning glance at the man in question. As usual, Link didn't respond, but his notebook closed and got tucked under his arm. Lavi sighed and lowered his voice, leaning close to Allen.
"...Ok, so you know how I have the rights to look at confidential files? All confidential files kept by Headquarters. Even...exorcist files."
Allen's eyebrow quirked in confusion and Lavi's voice went still softer.
"Well...I won't tell you how but...I have reason to believe...."
His eye shifted back and forth, leaning in to whisper into Allen's ear. The white-haired boy's eyes flew wide.
"Kanda wh-?!"
"Shh!!" Lavi's gloved hand clamped firmly over the exorcist's mouth before he could finish his shout. Other people stared at them for a second and then went back to what they were doing. Link blinked, but said nothing. "No one else can know!!"
Allen's eyes were still wide and a spark flickered through them. Holy akuma...oh dear holy akuma...I never... A sudden sensation started burning in his throat.
::
Kanda flexed his arm once or twice as the nurse from Central finished taking his blood. The arm was slightly sore but the small prick had healed almost instantly, thanks to his accelerated healing rate. The man with the mismatched eyes stood in the corner, writing down Earl-knows-what on his clipboard. Brushing his long ponytail over his shoulder, Kanda stood and rolled down the sleeve of his uniform.
"Mr. Kanda, it's also Friday. Hevlaska is almost ready for your session and the Inspector is waiting."
"You don't give a damn about what happens, do you Fei? Just like everyone else from Central?"
Fei took out a pair of spectacles and placed them carefully on the bridge of his nose. The fluorescent lighting made his one golden eye stand out.
"My job is to do my job."
Kanda hissed bitterly and bumped Fei's shoulder as he roughly brushed by him, walking quickly down the well-known path to the elevator that would lead him to his weekly torture.
"That's what I thought."
::
"Hey, Lavi, I have stuff to do. Take care, alright?"
Allen's signature smile flashed as he waved at his friend.
"Sure thing! And good luck with...you know what!"
A flush tinted Allen's cheeks and his grin faltered. He nodded at Lavi and turned, walking alongside Link. I'm insane...I really am insane... Passing Lenalee in the hall, the boy smiled and waved. Lenalee smiled brightly.
"Afternoon, Allen-kun! You got my brother's message right?"
"Yea, I did, thanks Lenalee-chan. I'm off to do it right now."
"Alright, be safe!"
"I will."
The brief exchange ended as quickly as it had begun and Allen continued towards the wide hallway that led to his place of sanctuary.
"Walker-san, we'll need a doorway to France and Russia as well. I just received the call."
Allen nodded. Lately, his duties included opening doors through the Ark so that exorcists didn't have to travel far to get to their destinations. Central had been extremely pleased to find this convenience now readily available and had lost no time in setting up a system. Allen was to open doors utilizing his abilities as the host of the Musician's memories.
Sighing to himself, he glanced at a window in passing and scowled at the Fourteenth's reflection in the glass. Central might have found this useful, but they had no idea what kind of stress it put on Allen himself. Every time he tapped into that darker side of him, he felt more and more ill at ease. He'd recently begun to hear a voice speaking to him. Link interrupted his musings.
"Be glad. Today, I've been instructed to wait outside."
Well, at least there's that.
"Let's try something different today, boy."
How many times have I told you to get out of my head?
"And how many times have I listened?"
...I hate you.
"I know."
::
About twenty minutes had passed since Kanda left the private room of the clinic. About ten of those minutes had been spent with Hevlaska. And exactly one and a half minutes of that had been agonizing pain.
The voices of the scientists were nonexistent. Fei's voice, which had been droning the occasional "yes, sir" and "no, sir", was also nonexistent. Leverrier's harsh raspy bark could barely be picked up. Kanda was surrounded by the sharp electric sounds of innocence crackling down his sword and his vision blurred as wave after wave of pain jolted through his body to his very core.
"That's it...percent...almost..."
Bits and pieces of the conversation below reached his ears, and he strained to listen closer, but the increasing pain deemed that impossible. His body was burning. Boiling. Searing. Melting.
No...stop...I can't take anymore!
The tattoo had spread already up to his shoulder and was curling its fingers around his collarbone. Suddenly, a huge burst of searing pain rent through his body like pure energy was tearing him in two. He could no longer feel a thing except for the force trying to rip him apart. Kanda opened his mouth to cry out in agony, but nothing left his mouth. Electric shocks flew up his arm like lightning, burning every inch of flesh in its path.
Then just as soon as it had come, the pain disappeared. Leverrier's sudden cry rang in his ears and then faded into nothingness. Darkness flooded over him as Kanda's body went limp.
::
A sudden darkness had clouded the boy's mind the moment he pressed down a key of the perfectly white piano with obsidian black keys. The tune became vivid in his mind and he wordlessly flitted fingers over the keys, repeating what unknown memories told him to. Allen's body began to detach itself still further from what was going on around him. Shaking his head, he tried to concentrate. He was opening three doors; one to France, one to Russia, and one to India.
"You got it wrong. You're playing it wrong. Let me do it."
What are you talking about? I'm playing it how I always play it.
"No, no. That's the wrong tune. Let me show you."
Allen's fingers added new notes to the song on their own. He heard a cry of protest from someone outside. Then the voice faded into silence. A deep darkness crept around him and he felt sleepy.
Why am I so tired?
"You're trying too hard to focus. Just relax and let me handle the work this time."
No...I don't...trust...
Sleep was closing in on his mind. The young exorcist became deaf to the cries of Komui and Link outside the Ark's quickly closing entrance. His eyelids drooped and the intricate pattern of his scar began extending upwards onto his forehead.
Don't....trust...
"Relax."
Trust...so...
"Rest."
...tired...
::
One golden eye and one green eye both widened in shock. Fei had stopped writing. In all his years working with Leverrier and Central, he'd never seen such a thing in his life. His supervisor was grinning cruelly and shaking hands as the scientists presented them in a rush. The whole room was in an uproar.
Glancing over to where Kanda's burnt body lay on the stretcher, Mugen in shattered shards by his side, Fei swallowed. Amazing...simply...amazing... He was interrupted by a hearty clap on the shoulder.
"I hope you recorded every last detail."
Straightening up, he nodded to Leverrier. "Everything, sir. Congratulations." Leverrier's mouth was curled into a victorious smirk, and rightfully so. The brown-haired assistant also smiled as he witnessed the Inspector's glee. Everything they had worked for, all those long years of research, had finally paid off.
Number Eight, Yuu Kanda, had reached 100% synchronization.
::
Komui could only blink silently. The Ark was gone. Disappeared. With Allen inside of it. He turned to stare stupidly at Link. The man stared back. The silent exchange could very well have been spoken.
"What the hell just happened?"
The Supervisor nearly jumped out of his socks as the alarm bell rang, jarring his senses. Akuma! He turned and raced out of the Ark room, pulling the second alarm. Another bell sounded, pitched half a note lower than the first. The halls flooded with bodies, swarming to go through normal procedures. Scientists snatched up devices to hold akuma. Exorcists activated their weapons and burst through the front gate. Komui's heart pounded in his chest as he ran to the front gate and looked out. The sight made his blood run cold.
Akuma of levels one through three surrounded the Order. There were thousands, no, tens of thousands. The afternoon sky had turned black as night and a jagged scar of bright white light shone directly above the horde of akuma. Silhouetted against the glowing light was an all-too-familiar figure; a small male with a flowing cape and an elongated claw. The seven crosses that marked a Noah were clearly evident on his forehead and his eyes glowed golden. The figure glanced over the force of exorcists gathering to oppose him and a cold laugh caught in his throat.
"Good...evening..."
Komui's heart stopped.
Allen...
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Now, now, don't hate me. I just absolutely love cliffhanger endings, and thus love to torture you guys with them! I hope you get why the chapter's called "Breaking" now. Lame title but...I like it, so too bad. ^_^ Next chapter...A Broken Promise.