A/N: I said that we would be back in the present in this chapter. I was wrong. Apologies, but I feel this is a necessary transition.
Thanks for leaving reviews, that means a lot to me.
Please feel free to point out my mistakes. This hasn't been checked, I haven't had much time lately, unfortunately.
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Synthetic Soldiers
6 – Admirable new world
The General, accompanied by a small but powerful team of Asian Exorcists and a couple of finders, approached the site of the destruction.
The Black Order's Asian Branch had a deficit of Exorcists powerful enough to be Generals. It was a problem that affected them worldwide, but even more so in this continent. Because of that, they had to ask for the help of members from all around the globe.
Even then, it was rare of them to enlist a high ranker to a mission so simple as checking the aftermaths of a battle. Not only that, but he got the help of temporary subordinates. It was a situation that was out of the ordinary... terribly so.
Laboratory number six. His mission was to try to discover who had attacked it. Tiedoll had known of its existence, but had never been very privy to the sordid details. He knew they could be no good, ever since he learned it was the place where one of the Artificial Exorcist projects happened. No matter how much of an influential position he held, the ones who truly controlled the Order knew it would do no good to inform people such as him – those who had some empathy left in their hearts.
Even now as he inspected the site, the man was not fully aware of whatever used to transpire in the underground system. He watched as the Exorcists and finders started the more manual labor of actually delving the heavy rubble in the hopes of finding clues about the perpetrator.
So much destruction, so much power. An entire base gone in a day, throwing the Order in chaotic confusion. Who could have done it, if not the Earl or one of his most powerful servants? Everyone assumed they already knew who the culprit was.
But with his decades of experience in the traumatizing field work, Tiedoll had grown an instinct for the presence of the enemy. It was like his senses were more sensitive to the trails they left behind – the fearsome Dark Matter. Even weeks after an attack, a site would still reek with the remains of it.
So why was it that he couldn't feel even a single trace of the evil element?
A few hours of exploration, with his help – his Innocence was very useful in the manipulation of the wreckage, in ways no human power could imitate – started making him decide they would probably have no answers. Until now, all they had done was removing the broken bodies of the fallen workers. Men and women all dressed in white who, even in death, didn't seem to have peaceful expressions. Some didn't have a face left to identify. Others were members of the Crow, robes indicating their high ranks within the Order. That established even more the possibility of the Earl being the culprit, but something wasn't right, and he hadn't lived this long by not trusting his instincts.
After finding more pieces of broken machinery and deceased people, he started losing hope of completing his mission. Tiedoll didn't feel particularly fond of the goal of informing the Black Order, but he had always been curious about what happened in these undergrounds, and whether it could be as terrible as those who had visited seemed to think.
Moving another part of a fallen concrete wall, he found a new body, but that one almost made his heart stop. That wasn't a body that should be found under this debris – no, such a person shouldn't be in this place, before or after its annihilation.
Because, dangling out of the heavy concrete wreckage, was the small and bruised arm of a child.
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He couldn't remember when it was the last time that waking up was a pleasant and slow experience. His body was enveloped in warmth, and he rested over a very soft surface. Low noise that was impossible to identify surrounded him, but it was soothing, somehow. Nothing hurt – his body felt perfectly fine.
And that absurdity was what alerted him, and made him open his eyes and sit up quickly, blinking fast in order to have an idea of his bearings.
This would be far from the first time Yuu woke without remembering about willingly going to sleep. Still, the place he awakened in was always the same. Because of that, he expected to see the same scenery he woke up to every day in his life – grey and white and the steely cleanliness of the laboratory, together with its usual eerie silence.
The preposterously different place he opened his eyes to, however, had him opening his mouth in surprise. It was the absolute opposite of his expectations.
He was in a room that could, more than anything else, be described as warm. The walls were painted a soft cream color. The furniture was made of a dark brown material. The floor was a soft, dark green and the covers over him were very colorful, more than anything he'd ever seen in his life. There were many, many more details in this room that were new to him, but those were what he noticed first.
A quick recollection of his last moments of consciousness before somehow ending here flooded his mind. Alarmed, he looked at his body, temporarily forgetting about the world around him. He was clothed in light blue pants and shirt with dark blue trimmings. He frowned – that wasn't like any of the uniforms he was used to, even the ones to sleep. More than that, however, what surprised him was the absolute lack of pain. He felt so well it was hard to believe in it and, in order to test that, he started moving and stretching, but his body let out no complaint. Pushing his strange shirt up, he saw, to his surprise, that his seal was still there, now strong in its black color – very much like Allen's still was.
Allen! He jumped out of the bed, mind quickly becoming busy with thoughts of the smaller boy. He could remember the last time he saw him, and all the things Yuu said – he winced in embarrassment. He could also remember Allen's promise that he would somehow synchronize. Where in the world was the white haired boy?
And, before that, where in the world was he?
He stepped away from the bed, noticing how soft and warm the flooring felt below his bare feet. It was very pleasant. Coming close to a door, he observed it was closed. It was possible to break through, perhaps, but he was afraid of taking rash actions in an unknown place. Deciding to discover more about it before making a decision, he walked towards a strange piece of furniture. Pulling one of the drawers open, he saw it was filled with different pieces of fabric. They were also very colorful. Unused to such a bright sight, he started picking one by one, running his hands through them before letting them fall over the floor. They all had different patterns and textures. He was only used to variations of white, gray and black. Somehow, it felt good to rest his eyes over things that were so different.
Forgetting about the beautiful fabrics – they were all covers and clothes, apparently – he stepped towards a window. First he opened the part made of glass, and then the one made of wood. The sounds he heard before became louder. He expected to see another room when he opened it.
The sight before his eyes took his breath away, however. It was a far cry from what he thought he would see – terribly so.
Out there, meters below where he was yet so close, there were more people together than he had seen in his whole life, and they were so strange. Many were dressed in different clothes, some as bright as the colors he found in his exquisite room. They talked animatedly and walked here and there, laughing and speaking things he couldn't understand. The place outside was filled by many buildings and pathways everyone seemed to come from. That impressive sight, however, was quickly forgotten because of what was over it.
Above the whole place was an enormous, expansive blue. It was brighter than any ceiling he'd ever seen, and seemed so, so far away – impossibly so. In the middle of it was the source of light, the brightest lamp he ever saw, so bright he was forced to look away. Dotting the blue ceiling were many soft looking traces of white, that looked like the softest cotton. It was everywhere, and seemed to have no end.
"The sky... it is like the largest ceiling you can imagine, and you can never touch it. It is blue, but sometimes it changes. No matter what color it is, though, it is always beautiful."
"We are going to leave. Today or tomorrow. I promise."
"I swear we will be out of here soon."
"Sky," he breathed in awe, unable to turn his gaze away. Allen had done it! Somehow, Allen had followed through his plan. They were out! He didn't know how long he spent watching the scene before him, before the sound of a doorknob turning distracted him. He turned towards the opened door with a big smile.
"Allen?"
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Tiedoll worriedly wondered about what he should communicate to the Order. They would call him soon, and he would have to think carefully of his words by then.
Knocks interrupted his thoughts. "Enter," said he, already waiting for the only person who could be there.
The young boy, already used to this word, opened the door and stepped inside of the room. Tiedoll looked him from head to toe, and was pleased to see that, this time, the youngster hadn't made a mess of himself. The little Exorcist had been making sure to explore every inch of the house. The simple things the long haired boy would find so interesting made the situation quite endearing. Tiedoll gestured with his hand, signaling that he should approach.
"General," said the boy with a heavy accent. That was one of the few English words he knew.
"Yes, Yuu?" he asked patiently.
The boy's face scrunched up, and Tiedoll felt bad for him. It must feel terrible, not being able to communicate. But for the boy's own good, he would have to learn English. It was the language of the country he was taking Yuu to.
"Hmm..." the boy was pensive, clearly trying to come up with the correct words. After some contemplation, he finally gave up. Using a gesture Tiedoll learned meant 'come with me', the boy stepped away from the room. Amused, Tiedoll followed him through the small house.
And then the smell of burning wood hit his nose, and Tiedoll knew something was very wrong.
Unaware of the adult's alarm, Yuu continued his very nonchalant march towards the kitchen, which was flooded with dark smoke. The central table was being consumed by fire, and it threatened to reach the rest of the furniture.
"Fire!" exclaimed Tiedoll, before quickly dousing it out with water, using a hose he was suddenly very glad this rented house had been equipped with.
After the dangerous ordeal had been dealt with, all that remained was a black circle in the kitchen and, over it, the remains of what was once the table they dined in, dripping wet.
Yuu, who Tiedoll had temporarily forgotten about, had remained in the place, watching the whole scene and his guardian's struggle with fascinated eyes. Tiedoll stared at him.
"Fire," concluded Yuu with a solemn nod, and that air of accomplishment he carried whenever he learned something new. He then picked a box of matches – the cause of the whole trouble – and easily lighted one. He then proceeded to stare at the tiny flame with interest, before it consumed the wood stick and burned his fingers. With a yelp, he threw it away. The flame fell in a nearby trash can and quickly ignited it.
Tiedoll watered it so fast that it didn't have time to destroy the house. He then quickly snatched the box from Yuu's hand. The boy didn't seem to understand what was wrong.
Suddenly, the world of discoveries of a curious child didn't seem so appealing, anymore.
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At first, Yuu had been terribly defensive against the first adult he saw after waking up. No matter how different he looked from the lab personnel, mistrust for older people was a defensive mechanism he had ingrained in his mind. Because of that, he had tried to avoid the man's grasp and leave the place. When that proved to be impossible, he attacked. This man didn't dress like a Crow, so he should be able to overwhelm him physically.
It seemed, however, that his tall caretaker was a wielder of very powerful magic. He had quickly restrained him, rendering Yuu's natural strength useless. There was no punishment, however. The man seemed troubled at having to hold Yuu down.
Then he opened his mouth, and Yuu couldn't understand a word of what he said.
Initially, the dark haired boy thought the man, who he would later learn referred to himself as General, had been enchanting something, but those words felt like they were part of a normal conversation. Yet, he couldn't understand even one of them.
Unable to leave the place, he started a strange relationship with this person. They had yet to speak to each other properly, but could communicate through gestures, and the General never seemed to be hostile.
At first Yuu asked himself if he was wronging Allen by not trying harder to leave this place, but the fact was, if he couldn't even fight off this one person, what chance did he have against the many others that roamed the pathways outside, seemingly endless in their numbers?
So he reluctantly stayed, and tried to be compliant to this person, at least for the time being. It seemed to be the most convenient thing to do. But there was also another important factor that played on his cooperation.
Two weeks had passed, and he had yet to go through a single synchronization test.
Never before had he been so peaceful. He still tensed, waiting for the moment his situation was proved a farce and he was forced through the torture of always. But this had yet to happen and, very reluctantly, Yuu started to believe that maybe, and only maybe, he wouldn't have to be hurt anymore.
He was 'outside', after all.
Even though he wasn't allowed outside of the confines of the house, just being able to watch the movement through the window felt like incredible freedom.
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It wasn't a sudden change: fall had been morphing into winter for a while now, the drop in the temperature and the frozen water being a prelude to what was to come, what everyone expected. Everyone but one boy, thirteen years old in body but three in soul, who woke up once to see the world covered in white.
Well, I should have expected this, Tiedoll admonished himself, when the surprised gasp came from his young charge in a morning and he quickly left his temporary studio in order to see what it was. Sudden shouts and frenzied questions became a routine ever since the child learned how to speak English. The boy knew so little of the world, yet indirectly supplied Tiedoll with knowledge of the consequences of the Black Order's Artificial Exorcist projects. No matter how endearing he found the curious child to be, that absolute innocence and ignorance had a dark cost translated into years of horrible suffering left behind.
So there should be no surprise in Yuu's reaction to his very first winter, and his quick dash to the boy's room stopped when he saw him.
Yuu was leaning on the window. He had recently opened it, so the chilly air dropped the room's temperature and a few snowflakes fell in the otherwise pristine wood floor. He was leaning so far towards the outside Tiedoll feared he would jump out, and so he readied himself to make a grab for the boy should he really try to do so. The old General walked towards the boy, putting a hand on his small shoulder. When there was no reaction, he positioned himself by the child's side, and was entranced by the utter fascinated look in the small Exorcist's face.
"Winter guy?" asked a small voice, and Yuu now looked at the Black Order veteran with a questioning gaze, before returning it to the far more fascinating view of the outside.
Already used to strange statements from his charge, Tiedoll didn't blink. "Who?" he asked, knowing Yuu wasn't referring to him.
"Winter guy comes and makes things cold, by running around and touching them with his frozen fingertips," whispered the boy, still staring at the scenario that was very normal for anyone else but which, for him, had to be a spectacle.
"Allen said this?" asked Tiedoll, mentioning the boy Yuu talked about sometimes. Allen seemed to have been a strange child who had explained some things about the world to Yuu, accurate even though he supposedly had never left the laboratory. It was strange to think the other boy, described by Yuu as a short and loyal younger sibling, would have said something so imprecise. Then again, it wouldn't be the poor child's fault – it was a surprise he even knew about anything.
"No," answered Yuu with a lower voice, taking Tiedoll out of his contemplation. "Alma."
Ah, Alma. Yuu talked so little about him, sometimes Tiedoll wondered whether the boy had truly existed.
"Oh, that's right, Allen said there is no winter person, and that things change by themselves. From flowery to... um, fall, and then this white stuff?"
"The order is spring, summer, fall and winter," explained Tiedoll patiently.
"Winter exists?" asked Yuu with curious eyes, absolutely trusting. It was endearing, albeit a little painful, to watch.
"Not the... winter person. But winter, as in the season. The same way we were, weeks ago, in fall. Do you understand?"
Yuu nodded solemnly, as if he should have known that from the start. The wind got chillier and made Tiedoll tremble. He had half a mind to close the window, but he had learned the boy had incredible health. He had yet to catch even a single cold or have a lasting scar.
I hope he never has to deal with diseases and wounds, for the rest of his life, he thought, staring at the child. It is the least he deserved.
But that seemed like such a naive hope.
"Hmm, General," said Yuu with a reluctant voice, not removing his gaze from the snowy lands.
"Yes, Yuu?" he asked good-naturedly.
"Allen said... that we can play with it. That it's fun," he said, running a finger over the window ledge in atypical shyness.
Tiedoll felt his heart warm. That was what life with Yuu was like, a poignant mix of happiness and pity.
He guided the excited boy outside. The false report to the Black Order in his study could wait.
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Eventually, Yuu was allowed to go outside, but only if he stayed very close to Tiedoll and didn't speak to strangers. The boy followed through his caretaker's orders without a problem. Not only did he enjoy going out, but he also never felt like trying to speak to other people. They felt unsafe, anyway.
The General seemed to think the same. At first, Yuu thought the man was a very happy and carefree person. As time passed, however, and the Japanese boy learned to read the man's expressions better, he noticed there was always some sort of tension within his caretaker, something that worried him a lot.
Tiedoll started telling everyone they met that Yuu was his adopted son, whose name was Kanda.
At some point, he started saying that to Yuu, too, even when they were alone. And so, the boy started wondering whether that was becoming the truth.
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Tiedoll stared at the boy he called to his study. It was early in the morning, and he had just woken up. Yuu usually didn't like having to stay still for such a long period of time but, just today, he wasn't fidgeting at all. Perhaps he noticed that what the General was going to say was important. The young teenager had always been very perceptive.
The day had finally come. The thought of it had tormented Tiedoll ever since he first got hold of the child and decided to personally take care of him. This past year had been tense. They were always fleeing, always trying to deceive the Order one way or another, in an attempt to shield this poor boy.
But he wouldn't be able to protect Yuu forever, he knew he wouldn't. That's why he knew he had to do this today.
It didn't stop it from being painful.
The boy still stared at him expectantly. Tiedoll picked, from a nearby cabinet, a treasure he had kept securely locked for too long. Something he found with Yuu the first day he saw him. It was still hidden between folds of fabric but, as soon as he held it before Yuu, the boy's eyes widened and he flinched, as if sensing the importance of what was being put in front of him.
"Yuu..."
"General, what is this?" asked him in a strained voice. He seemed torn between the wish to touch and explore, and the wish to run from it and never come back.
Tiedoll slowly took away the covering from it, before revealing the object to the world. There was Yuu's Innocence, strange and deformed, but still holding an impressive power. The power of God's crystal.
Yuu recoiled instantly, taking quick steps towards the door, his gaze never leaving the object.
"Stop," commanded Tiedoll in a fierce voice. He hated doing this. Hated it, more than anything. But it had to be done.
"General..." murmured the boy, eyes widened with fear. "This is... Innocence..."
"Yes, it is," confirmed the older man, not surprised Yuu knew the name. But that didn't necessarily mean the boy truly knew its essence, what it truly was.
Yuu shook his head. He hadn't left the room, reluctant to disobey, but his eyes still shone with fear. "Why..."
"I'm sorry, Yuu. I hate to do this. But I don't want to hurt you. You know that, don't you?"
The boy seemed reluctant to answer. His eyes never left the source of his fear. The reason was quite obvious. His most painful experiences must have been before this very same object. Forced synchronizations that never harmed the crystals, but would destroy the humans who dared to try to become the chosen ones... even if they never actually had a choice to begin with.
"This is not synchronization, because you already did it, Yuu. They hurt you many times, but they managed it. They made you an Exorcist. You have been one, ever since that last day in the laboratory. Don't you remember?"
The boy automatically shook his head, but it was obvious that he was thinking about back then. And whatever he was thinking about, it couldn't be pleasant.
"This Innocence already recognizes you. It won't try to harm you. It won't deny you anymore," he continued. Though the boy shook and uttered denials, Tiedoll knew he was listening to his words. "I need you to take it, Yuu."
"No... General, I don't want to."
"You aren't a mere experiment anymore, Yuu. You are this Innocence's Accommodator. The only one in this world."
"NO!" screamed the boy, backing away. "Why do I have to? Why, Gensui? Everything has been fine until now. We've been living well," complained the youngster, tears spilling from his eyes in an uncharacteristic show of sadness. It was heartbreaking. The amount of distress the simple sight of the Innocence could cause to the small Exorcist was immensurable.
"I know, Yuu-"
"We have been fine," protested the boy once more. "Why must... why must you-"
Tiedoll finally couldn't stand it anymore. He had planned to finish this as soon as possible; to hand Yuu his Innocence as quickly as he could and deal with whatever happened afterwards. But this boy was very much like a son. How could he remain unmoved by this scene?
Turning away from Yuu for a moment, he put the Innocence over his desk. Then he turned back to the boy, approaching him. The young Japanese seemed much more willing to come closer now that the dreaded weapon was out of the man's hands.
"Why? General... I don't want to," reaffirmed the boy, seeming smaller than ever. Tiedoll tried to approach the boy, hoping to put a calming hand on his shoulder. Instead, however, and to his immense surprise, Yuu jumped to his arms in a swift movement. The boy's strength almost knocked him backwards. The thin arms encircled his waist. For a moment, shock stopped him from moving, before he finally encircled the boy in an embrace, too.
Yuu had always been against physical contact. To finally be able to share a hug with the boy meant so much for the pseudo father, yet the situation made it all a bittersweet moment.
"Let's just stay as is, General. Please?" asked him, and Tiedoll hated himself, because this was the first thing Yuu asked him from the bottom of his heart, and he would still have to deny it.
"Yuu... I care about you very much, and I would love to take this weapon away from you," he started.
"Then do it! Please, General. I... I thought it was over," he confessed against the older man's chest.
It hurt him to do so, but Tiedoll pushed the little Exorcist away from him, keeping him at arm's distance, because he needed to look the boy in the eyes.
"Yuu, listen to me. This cannot last forever. I am very sorry. I would love to, but I cannot... you've been with me this whole time. You have noticed we aren't completely free, haven't you?"
"Yes... we must lie and hide. I will hide very well. I won't speak to strangers, as you always said. I always did as you said."
"I know, however-"
"I won't ask to leave the house anymore," tried the boy in despair. "I have bothered you, haven't I? I won't mind staying here. I... I... have to find Allen. But, right now, I won't leave the house. Is that alright? Please don't do this."
"We've always been fleeing. It has been difficult, but worth it. You are very sought after. Our enemies will want you, both of them, and that is why we hide, why we live differently from everyone. However... that is not enough, anymore. The circle is closing, Yuu, and, as each day passes, they are closer to getting us. To getting you.There will be a time when no matter what name we take and what story we create, they will still get us. And then, it will start again. Everything you have been through. You will be back in the Black Order's hands."
"The... Black Order..."
"Yes. The ones who controlled the laboratory. The ones who need Exorcists, no matter what. Yuu, I am incredibly sorry to say this, but... you cannot live like a normal person. You will, unfortunately, confront them someday. Or the Akuma, the monsters created by our enemy, the Earl. That is unavoidable. The only chance you have against them is by having your weapon."
Reluctantly, the boy stared at the dreaded Innocence that lay over his mentor's desk. It was clear that, this time, the General wouldn't relent, no matter what.
"This is your best chance of ever finding Allen. The only one you have, maybe."
That seemed to settle it.
Stepping towards the desk once more, Tiedoll picked the Innocence and presented it to its Accommodator once more. The boy seemed positively sick, yet determined. That proved how much the mysterious Allen was important to him. Overcoming this fear was a very big and difficult step to take.
Considering all the emotional pain this talk had caused, the simple reaction of the Innocence with its wielder was anticlimactic. Still, Tiedoll had seen this happening many times to other people, and that is why he assured Yuu he wouldn't have to deal with the same pain of before. The weapon easily turned into its true form once held by its Accommodator – a big, albeit a little rudimentary long sword. Time and training would improve it.
From that day onwards, Yuu Kanda became Tiedoll's Exorcist Apprentice. It was a difficult transition, and the General always feared for the teenager's life. But such was the destiny of an Exorcist, he knew very well; the moment Innocence chose a person, they would never live as an ordinary human. So if Yuu couldn't live a peaceful life, the General would make it so the boy could at the very least live.
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The moment came: the day when their goals clashed. There was much General Froi Tiedoll had to work for, and Kanda's heart had always been restless, never forgetting about his missing friend.
Tiedoll tried to force a serene expression on his face, but pain could still be seen through it. "I have done everything I could for you. This dear wish of yours also became mine. I hope, more than anything, that you will find your friend, Yuu," said the man sincerely. He never once dared to question whether the mysterious Allen was alive. It was clear the boy's existence was what motivated Yuu to keep going, and he would never extinguish that flame that kept his apprentice – his dear son – alive.
"You have helped me greatly. I will someday repay you," said the tall Japanese solemnly. Now eighteen years old, Kanda surpassed his mentor in height. That didn't alleviate the older man's worries in the least, however.
"I'm sorry I couldn't do much to help your quest."
"You taught me how to fight and survive. More than that, you gave me this," said Kanda, holding a file up.
"Are you sure this is the right person?"
Kanda opened the folder for what had to be the millionth time. Tiedoll had made sure to gather every file on every Exorcist who had 'Allen' in their name that he could get his hands on. One of them had stood out.
ALLEN WALKER [deceased]
Exorcist – European Branch
Born in December 25th, 1750 (estimated), England
Weight: 60kg
Height: 170cm
Relatives: Unknown
Innocence: ( ) Equipment (x) Parasitic left arm
Above the scarce data was the picture of a young man. He sported a small but charismatic smile, and long, dark red hair locks framed his face, which was very unfamiliar to Kanda.
The scar over his eye, however, left him no doubt. This was the person his Allen used to be, and he would somehow use this information to find the actual one, no matter what.
Closing the file, he carefully stored it in his backpack.
"I am more than sure. It can only be him," said Kanda. "Well, I am going."
"Are you certain?"
"What?" asked Kanda, frowning at his teacher. He had never been more determined about anything in his life, and never expressed any sort of reluctance when it came to meeting Allen.
"This world... it isn't what you expected, right?" asked Tiedoll with a soft voice. "You were taught by your little friends and, sometimes, by the workers who experimented on you. They have always painted this place as perfect. Doesn't it hurt, to know that it is so far from what they told? It is filled with enemies and traps. No one can walk upon it while retaining their innocence."
Kanda rolled his eyes, but answered his worried mentor. As this could very well be their last moment together, it wouldn't do to leave the older man unnecessarily worried. "General... this world is corrupted and perilous. However, it is still more than I ever expected. There is nothing better than being out. The Black Order and the goddamned Earl are ruining it. We only have to destroy them, that's all."
"Simple as that, Yuu?" laughed the General sadly.
"Yeah. See you, old man," said Kanda and, with a respectful bow that didn't match his apparently rude words, he departed.
He would miss his mentor, but his heart was light with the knowledge that he was finally taking action.
His target: Allen Walker. A hint? He is somewhere in the planet.
This would suffice.
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