So, I'm finally done! Sorry for the long wait. D: But yeah, I hope you guys enjoy and thank you for reviewing! Seriously, it makes it worth it. xD
Disclaimer: I've been through this about six times already. I don't own now back off lawyers.
Give me the liberty to know, to utter, and to argue freely according to conscience, above all liberties. - John Milton
Komui Li was walking amiably through the Black Order, having avoided his secretary sent from hell by ducking behind a Finder and having that Finder point in another direction. Congratulating himself on his success, he made a quick trip down to the cafeteria to chat with Jerry when his Lenalee senses started to tingle.
Spinning around, he glanced side to side, startled that it would ring off as he started to walk down calmly towards where the forbidden hall was. His Lenalee…his Lenalee defiled by perverts?! No way, not as long as he was alive!
Lenalee, he thought with a fiery burning passion that could be felt almost a mile away. I'll save you from the perverts who hit on you!
As he passed the Science Headquarters, old timers to the main branch recognized that aura, especially Reever who dropped a book he was carrying and charged towards Komui who realized Reever had caught onto his plan and began to sprint.
"Oh no you DON'T Supervisor! I thought your secretary would keep you working, but you end up sneaking for that THING again!" Reever yelled, grabbing the Supervisor's jacket while dragging his feet into the floor.
"But Lenalee's in trouble!" Komui yelled, struggling towards the room where Komurin was held. He finally managed to grip the handle bar tightly, glaring at Reever who began to pull as hard as he could. "I have to protect her!"
"You don't even know where she is right now!" That caused Komui to start bawling for his sister as Reever groaned, his face getting to know his palm very well. Through gritted teeth, he tightened his grip on the bawling Supervisor's jacket. "Lenalee is a strong girl so please Supervisor, I'm asking you this. STOP WORRYING ABOUT HER!"
Deflating visibly, the Supervisor then nodded, giving up his death grip on the handle to Komurin's room.
"I still want her coffee. Bridget's is no good."
Reever sighed, still dragging him off. "I know you do."
Meanwhile, somewhat near by, the exorcists were relaxing to the best of their abilities. That mean basically avoiding the French man the best they could.
Lenalee had taken to using her Dark Boots to avoid the French man while the others had used their innocence more than once on the man, especially Kanda, who was very twitchy with his blade as of late.
"You're already going?" the French man asked as Arthur glared at him, watching as Francis tended to a blade slash on the wrist, a la Kanda in his berserker mode.
"Of course we are," he replied tersely, eyes narrowed. "There is no time to waste. We need to get to Russia."
"Hmph, why are you in a rush to get over there?" Francis asked with a frown as Arthur sighed, shaking his head.
"As much as I don't like him, he offered to help and he is a formidable foe against our enemy," the British man replied as Francis's frown grew deeper.
"You know he's losing it don't you?" (1)
Arthur glanced at the French man who for once was serious. "Losing what's left of his sanity? I knew that already," he answered as Francis looked uncomfortable then shook his head.
"With his people growing more discontent, I fear for the Russian," Francis admitted as Arthur's thick eyebrows shot up, surprised at his words.
"You? Concerned for Ivan's sake?" he asked, careful to use the country's human name, as the exorcists were in the room next door. Arthur was a bit confused. Wasn't it Francis who attacked Moscow in 1812 back when…back when he burnt down Alfred's home in a fit of rage? Why was he so concerned?
"You must admit, we were somewhat close, besides his burning down Moscow after I captured it."
"If close means you shirking away every time we happen to see him," Arthur jabbed as Francis glared at him.
"In any case, even if he is a bit on the…shall I say creepy side, he still is…" Francis shook his head with a tired smile. "Well…you know."
Arthur realized after a moment's thought, that he had meant to say, "One of us," to which, he understood that sentiment. They were all countries in the end, one who held the burden of their people. Even if they didn't get alone, they still understood each other.
Well, Arthur corrected, glancing wryly at Francis, not really.
"In any case, we'll set off," Arthur said as Francis nodded absentmindedly, thoughts a thousand miles away, while staring down the hallway.
"God speed on your trip Angleterre," Francis spoke with a small smile, turning his gaze towards him, as Arthur glanced at the closed door then nodded a slight grin on his lips.
"I hope for the best to you as well, France."
"Well, isn't this rare?" Alfred spoke up as Matthew joined him from the kitchen where they just were. No they weren't listening the entire time, a hero would never eavesdrop! "Both Arthur AND Francis aren't trying to kill each other!"
"It's called putting aside the petty differences that separate you," Francis said with an angry swish of his flowing blond hair as Alfred just grinned.
"See, I knew you guys could get along!" the boy claimed as Matthew sighed, shaking his head.
"What the bloody hell are you talking about?" Arthur snapped as the door opened and Allen appeared with a smile on his face and more food in his mouth. Arthur blanched as Allen glanced at him with a slight smile.
"Is anything wrong?" he asked as Arthur shook his head blankly. "I just went to the kitchen for more food." Allen hid the fact that he had heard clips of their conversation. It wasn't his business anyway about Russia.
"Well," he began as the attention turned to him. "You have to admit, the two of you were trying to rip each other's faces apart most of the time we were here. So we just all thought you two hated each other to no end."
"Well," Francis cut in, eyebrow twitching. "Our relationship is like yours and Kanda's. We both hate each other but we know when to work with each other."
Allen twitched as well, rather angrily. "Don't compare me to BaKanda!" he snapped as Kanda appeared in the hallway.
"What was that you damn Moyashi?!"
"You heard me, I don't want to be compared to you!"
"You two, calm down!" Lenalee lectured as the two glared at each other then took a step to the side, glaring bullets into the wall.
"We'll be going then," Matthew spoke as Francis's lip shook then he hugged the boy tightly. The boy yelped as Francis let go, ruffling his head.
"Come back safely alright?" he said gently as Matthew smiled, leaning into the embrace.
"I will Papa…"
After a few whacks from another advance on Lenalee, Francis said his good byes to the rest and watched them go, a slight frown on his face. "Protect them Angleterre…"
A few weeks later, a relatively calmer trip, the group had arrived in Russia, heading for Moscow. Alfred glanced around the country, shouldering his pack. "You know I'm surprised," he said with a wide look. "There's no Akuma attacking us as of late."
"Git, you say that and they'll appear!" Arthur snapped as Alfred held up his hands.
At that exact moment, Allen's eye activated as he sighed tiredly. "He jinxed it."
Lavi held out his hammer, activating it with a spin of the wrist. "Well, if we don't get practice, then we won't get anywhere right?" he called with a smirk as Kanda raced ahead, eyes narrowed and Mugen activated.
"Nigentou!" Kanda yelled as he crashed through a wave of level three. There were about five level three, and one level four. A bit much to handle but it wasn't as if they were outnumbered. The Japanese boy ducked swiftly, kicking an Akuma out of the way as Allen arrived in front of the pack.
Lifting his blade, he took no concern of Kanda and slashed through the Akuma with a loud yell. "What the fuck Moyashi?!" he roared as Allen smirked at the roar, but ignored him as he raced forward again.
Alfred pulled out a rifle from his pack and whooped loudly. "Hell yeah!" he yelled, as Arthur whacked him hard, causing him to fire a wild shot. "Ow!" Alfred complained as Arthur glared at him.
"Don't go overboard," he hissed as Alfred gained a subdued face, nodding.
"Alright," he mumbled as he reloaded his gun and fired again. Lavi watched as the shot rang true and struck an Akuma back, the bullet taking its affect as he narrowed his eyes.
He as well…and Matthew…this was too coincidental, it couldn't be like that.
Lavi lost count, how many times that the innocence rumor had been false or those who claimed to be exorcists. Considering there was one hundred and nine innocence in the world, there was no chance that there would be so many innocence users in one place, even if it were just three more people.
Kanda glanced at Lavi and scowled, kicking him in the shin and promptly tripping the Bookman Junior away from an attack. "Pay attention!" he snapped as Lavi winced. "It doesn't matter how or when they got their innocence. It's all the same situation anyway isn't it?"
"Geeze, Yu, no need to be so tough," Lavi chided, rubbing his bruised shin as Kanda glared at him.
"You get my point," he gritted out as he swung his blade again, slashing through another Akuma.
Matthew glanced around rapidly and then with his eyes clenched shut, he held out his pistol and shot. He never liked to shoot a gun but as a country, he had tried to put that feeling behind him. Protecting people such as the people behind him was more important than his personal feelings.
"Waltz, Misty-Wind (2)!" Lenalee yelled from above, forcing Matthew to dodge the tornado sent his way as the girl yelled her apologies then turned towards the Level four.
Or, she was about to when the Level four stopped in its steps, clutching its head. "N-No! What did I do? Stop it!"
The three countries were confused when Arthur heard Allen suck in a huge breath and race forward, blade outstretched. "O-Oi! What the hell do you think-!" he yelled as the boy refused to stop, pounding his feet to catch up with the now shrieking Akuma.
"MISTRESS NOOOAAAAHHH!"
Lenalee, with a burst of speed, tackled Allen away as he struggled against the grip the girl had against his waist when both Kanda and Lavi added their weight to the boy.
"Stop!" Allen cried, his eyes flushed with tears. "Stop it! The soul!"
Lenalee refused, eyes narrowed as she remembered the other time, that time and the first encounter with a Noah. It had almost ended up the same way…she wouldn't let it happen again.
Arthur, Matthew, and Alfred could only watch in a sickened awe as the Akuma screeched shrilly then began to bubble as it opened its mouth, staring at Allen whose left eye was now bleeding, acting as tears.
"…Sav…e…me…"
Its body slowly corroded as the head remained, letting the Akuma feel every last bit of pain as it opened its mouth and screamed. The exorcists and the countries, even if they didn't have Allen's eye, could see and feel the Akuma's pain and even Arthur had to look away for a brief moment.
Allen could see the remnant soul falling into the abyss, forever captured and never to be free again. He bit back a sob as he tightened his fists, glaring into the distance as his friends got off him and the countries walked up to them, eyes wide.
As they did, shrieks of laughter filled the cold field they were in as a girl, standing on an umbrella in the air arrived on the scene. "That never gets old Allen Walker, does it?"
"Only to a Noah with a twisted sense of humor, it doesn't," he replied bitterly, somewhat used to the Noah's sick games as Alfred stiffened, fists clenching. The Akuma had mentioned a Noah and…the Noah of Wrath… Arthur realized this as well as he took a step in front of Alfred, glaring at the girl.
"Ah, so the Earl wasn't wrong! There are those people here!" she exclaimed as she jumped off the umbrella and to the ground with ease. The remaining level three dipped its head in a hurry, not wanting to blow up as its more powerful counterpart did.
"Shall we play a game?" Road asked as she watched for their reaction.
"What are you really here for?" Lavi bit out, still angered at the violation of his memories back in the ark.
"Just a little fun," Road answered, smirking. "And some answers from those three over there."
"What's there to ask?" Alfred replied, hand tightening on his rifle as Matthew watched his older brother carefully. "We're just off to help a friend."
Road laughed, shaking her head. "You can't think I'm that stupid do you?" she asked as Alfred narrowed his eyes. "I'm the eldest of the Noah! These things don't escape me!" She turned to the exorcists who also had their hands on their own innocence. "Do you know who you've been traveling with?"
"Does it matter? All they want is to help a friend," Allen replied harshly as Road made a clicking noise under her breath.
"Oh Allen, you seemed to have not let go of that martyr complex of yours," she said with a frown as Allen growled. "These people," she began with a smirk before Arthur lifted his gun and shot once towards her. Taking no regards to the gun shot at her, she continued. "These people are not hu-!"
"That's enough da?"
A cold wind passed through the field as Road backed off cautiously, noticing the innocence sparks on her skin when the wind hit her.
The others stared as Arthur lowered his pistol, eyes narrowed. A tall figure with a scarf wrapped around his neck loosely walked up slowly, a childish smile on his lips as he nodded, while pausing in thought before speaking again. "Mm, that's enough da."
"Oh, another one of you," Road growled as he smiled at her then dipped his head slightly to the exorcists.
"Ivan Braginski," he said a hint of a savage killing glint in his eyes. "A pleasure to meet you da."
(1): This is before the Bloody Sunday strip, probably the thing that cracked him finally. He's still creepy but not to that point in WW2.
(2): …Misty Wind? Is that correct?
So Russia appears! I'm so excited to write for him. 8D And as for Road…well, I hope she's characterized well. ^^;
So about this chapter, I got an idea from Cestrescir about Komui, so…yeah. I hope this makes up for the lack of the Black Order throughout the last chapter.