Freenfan1412: Allen actually had both hands clenched, but I imagined that his stronger, Innocence infected hand would hardly be hurt by such a small thing. So he only noticed the right. It is nothing relevant. :)
Raenyx: Yes, Kanda had horrible diseases! There was a chapter where he mentioned it, but I deleted it as it didn't fit the story. But your words make absolute sense.
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Synthetic Soldiers
13 – Separations, betrayals and fratricides
The sun set and, a night later, rose above the exorcist encampment set far away from the walled cities. Kanda changed the wet cloth folded over Allen's forehead and tried to wake the boy up for what felt like the thousandth time. Despite his efforts, the exorcist remained trapped inside his feverish dreams.
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In one of those secluded corners that were bound to exist in every city and would be the scene of some sort of crime at least once, a man's figure emerged from a white, bizarrely shaped portal. Above it shone the number 59. As soon as he had both feet over the dirty pavement, the door disappeared without any visible command of his. He combed his hair with his fingers, trying to minimize the damage the sea winds that had made over his head just a few seconds ago, as he had previously walked on a coast that was now at least four hundred kilometers away.
Taking control of this feature of the Ark had been a taxing but very rewarding endeavor. There were few locations he couldn't go to or escape from, now. His greatest limitation was his need to have previously visited the places he wanted to open doors at, but the times when he had needed to travel as any human would were long past. More than that, a small but notable part of the Ark was now inaccessible to the other members of the Noah Clan. The Musician's Quarters now belonged to him and him only, and while he didn't have the power needed to walk past the corridor that connected it to the rest of the Ark, his dear family would find the entrance to the rooms that held the piano and the portals to Earth permanently locked.
That had to be causing his brother no small measure of frustration, he thought with a satisfied smirk. Road's door handed the girl a great power, but it was inferior to the Ark's own way of travel. More than that, there was a chance that, at times, Nea and Mana would be in the Ark at the same time, but forbidden from reaching each other thanks to the so-called fourteenth's little stunt. The Earl was likely maddened by such a possibility. Granted, Nea also wanted to circumvent the bothersome barrier and conclude his life's mission for once and all but, considering how unhinged Mana had been for a long time, he was very sure their possible proximity was more upsetting to his now older looking sibling than to Nea himself.
Mingling in the city's crowd with the ease of the lawful citizen he was not, he made his way over well-known streets until he reached a place he had visited many times before.
"Sugar?" asked the waiter after he ordered a cup of coffee.
"Only one, please. No cream," said he, as he always did. Nea liked his things simple, including his coffee. He wasn't like that silly boy, who would add so much sugar, cream and other sweet things to his drink it would become a disgusting concoct only he could drink. The Noah could still remember that head of dark red hair bending over his latest sickening creation, smiling widely before downing the thing in a couple of gulps and then chattering away about his projects with the excessive energy provided by his diabetes inducing formula. He would always sit right there –
And if Nea could hit his head against the sturdy table without getting attention, he would. Because no matter how many times he told himself he had come here to check the Order's progress in their battle against his brother, it would never be true. No, there was only one reason he periodically returned to this same coffee shop that had managed to exist for more than fifty years. To his shame and annoyance, he did enjoy the bittersweet experience of pathetically reliving the past, staring at the quality, antique wooden chair that had never been substituted, only cared for. This establishment was one of the few places that didn't change as the years passed, allowing him to believe, even if for a limited time, that he was five decades in the past, having just infiltrated this city under the disguise of a young lord and waiting for his exorcist apprentice.
The fact that this had been the place where he last saw Allen alive also didn't help.
"Thank you so much for everything," said Allen with a bright smile that wasn't appreciated by the then annoyed Nea. "I will see you soon."
No, you won't, Nea corrected the memory automatically, even if he was a tad too late. The next he would see of the young man would be a battered corpse, bathed with so much red the Noah couldn't identify where long hair ended and blood started.
This was pitiful.
Today was the last day he visited this place to indulge in wretched trips to the past, he told himself. But he always did so, and the old promise had been broken so many times it hardly carried any weight.
He had always been a person with a strong mindset and an unchangeable objective. Ever since he had been betrayed by his brother, he had wanted his blood, and nothing else. If any vivid memories plagued his mind, they would be about Mana's half of the Millennium Earl's Noah trying to devour Nea's own. There was hatred, blood and screams, and they would fuel his thirst for revenge, even as decades passed and he succeeded in nothing more than stalking his brother and waiting for the ideal moment to strike.
Now, however, his thoughts and dreams were also haunted by other remembrances, but those were from a very different time. There was hatred and blood in those also, but not screams – only the silence of an abandoned corpse he had stared at for too long, until every single detail was burned in his mind for what he suspected would be eternity.
How had the boy managed to do that to him? Allen had always been the means to an end. But the end never came, and the young exorcist was killed anyway, uselessly, by his wretched, insane brother who Nea hadn't expected he could hate any more than he already did.
Nea was a member of the Noah Clan, destined to live free of the chains of disease and old age. He had been sure, even then, that he would eventually forget. Decades passed, and Allen became a blurry, greyish memory amidst more important ones. That happened not only to Nea, but the entire world, as the once powerful young leader was slowly forgotten.
And then, all of a sudden, he was back.
Not truly back. Death had found Allen and that was definitive, Nea had seen it with his own eyes. But the whispered secrets and angry shouts saying the boy's name in the streets found Nea's ears and, once they did, everything came back to him, every memory and thought he had imagined locked or burnt by time.
He didn't believe a word – by heavens, he didn't, but it grew bothersome. In his search for his brother, Nea had to deal with many information webs. Watching as the humans fidgeted about the so called return of Allen Walker, amassing clues and supposed proofs and fanning the fire gave him a headache that didn't come from mere annoyance, but pure hatred. Nea had always despised this characteristic of humans, of deluding themselves with unfounded lies and foolish hopes instead of fighting the damn battle by themselves. Allen had been impressive, yes, but he had died, yet humans everywhere insisted on trying to revive their imaginary hero – because the Allen they pretended to know didn't exist. Allen had been a strong exorcist, gifted with a special ability and an apt scholar, but he had never been the god humans created in their heads.
Every few years, a new pretender would appear, but it seemed whoever was playing his student's role as of now was more apt at it, as many were falling for this time's ruse. The Order itself worried about it now, and Nea wanted to kill them because of it. Of what use would they be to him, if they acted like such fools?
Allen was dead. He had to be.
But the humans were so sure. They talked about seeing the Innocence, about seeing the eye, but Allen had to be dead.
He tried to picture his student fighting with long, brittle white hair tied on a ponytail as he killed Akuma with his struggling seventy years old body, and the bizarre imagery made it easy to reassure himself of the truth.
Allen was unquestionably gone.
Though ignorant of it back then, Nea had caused it.
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Kanda filled a bowl with soup and walked back to Allen's tent, that he had hardly left ever since yesterday. The place was filled with a warmth that reminded him of disease and fatigue, and he wondered how in the world one would feed a sleeping person.
Allen moaned in his place in the makeshift bed, but Kanda paid it no mind. Whatever Allen was dreaming of, it had been causing the boy to become restless and noisy, but after that he would fall back in uneasy sleep. Instead, the Japanese man stared at the bowl and then at Allen's lips with no small amount of trepidation. How would he go about this? Should he just make the boy sort of sit and tilt the bowl, hoping the food would meet a stomach and not a lung?
The boy's mouth opened, likely another of his unconscious movements, and Kanda was ready to do it and hope like hell he wouldn't choke Allen to death, when Allen suddenly moved. This time the movement felt different – conscious. A head turned towards him, eyes still closed, and hands tried to find support in the mattress. Almost dropping the bowl and its contents as he hastily placed them on the ground, Kanda placed a hand on the boy's back and forced the awakening boy to sit up. He wouldn't waste this chance.
"Allen? Wake up! Wake up, you damn bean," he said, frustration and the worry that had been gnawing him for the past hours making him even more irritable than usual. He was careful as he handled the other, though, and watched closely as silver eyes opened slowly, before flinching from the lamp's light.
"Stay with me," he said, not liking the still drowsy expression in the white haired boy's face. To his relief, however, Allen took a deep breath, ignoring the cloth that fell from his brow. He then blinked a few more times before his eyes gained focus and he started rubbing them.
"Finally," murmured Kanda, his shoulders releasing some of the unbearable tension he had been feeling the whole time. He observed the other closely, ready to start asking questions as soon as it was prudent to do so.
Allen seemed confused by the situation. Instead of jumping in surprise as Kanda thought he would, however, the boy merely stared at his hands that were relaxed and rested on his lap. Allen then slowly raised his arms, placing his hands in front of his eyes and opening and closing them, not minding his wound. His eyes then opened wide, and he seemed almost in… wonder about something.
Kanda allowed the other exorcist some more seconds to regain his bearings, but then he eventually lost his patience and harrumphed. "You gave us quite a scare, beansprout."
Startled, the boy quickly turned his head towards Kanda, staring at the dark haired man in surprise. Kanda raised an eyebrow, wondering whether Allen was absolutely awake or not. Already used to the fact he was no good in caring for sick or hurt people, he just held the other's gaze, which was now strangely alert and cognizant for someone who had been so ill. Kanda had thought Allen was in a dreamlike state, but now he knew he had been wrong: the boy seemed watchful to a strange extent.
Allen's dry lips finally parted. "Kanda?" asked he in a low tone.
Kanda raised an eyebrow at the use of his surname. "Walker," he answered drily, not amused by the other's antics. Though relieved by Allen's recovery, he felt something important was off, but couldn't put his finger on it.
As if to confirm Kanda's paranoia, Allen chuckled lowly at the Japanese's response. "I can't believe this," he said, still lost in that happy but strange smile. He rubbed his mismatched hands together, then separated them and flexed his fingers as if testing them.
"Stop flexing them, idiot. The wound has yet to completely heal. How did you manage to do that, anyway?"
Allen turned an inquiring gaze at him. "It's not-," he started, but then his eyes closed and his Innocence hand was raised to his forehead, as the boy clearly winced in pain.
"Allen?" called Kanda, worry growing inside him once more. "What is happening?"
"I..." gasped Allen, head still lowered and eyes hidden by dark fingers, "I hate this."
And just as he said those words it was over, and the boy collapsed back to the bed, muscles relaxing all at once as he apparently fell unconscious. Kanda grabbed him, however, forcing him up once more.
"Oh, no, you don't," said he brusquely, but he was more confused than anything else. Allen's eyes then narrowed in obvious pain as the boy escaped from his sleep once more, but Kanda had seen enough today that it didn't provide him any relief. The boy then sagged in tiredness, but not the one that reminded him of a coma. Finally getting a hold over himself, Allen frowned at finding himself held by Kanda, and likely at the discomfort his body had to be feeling, after hours of fever and a still healing broken hand.
"Yuu? What in the world…"
"You were found unconscious in your tent, and with a broken hand, but we know of nothing else," summarized Kanda hastily, making sure Allen was paying attention. "Tell me what happened, now."
Considering Allen's unreliable state, it would be better if they at least knew what had caused this whole problem so, should Allen fall into slumber again, they would have clues as to what they should do, or so he hoped.
Allen processed Kanda's words, at first in confusion, but then understanding shone in his eyes and the boy got up from his makeshift bed so quickly Kanda would admit, even if only to himself, that it had startled him a great deal.
"No good… this can't be happening," murmured Allen, pacing in the tent. Kanda eyed the sloppy paces and the jerky movements with a frown, but he wouldn't do anything that ended in Allen returning to his bed.
"What is happening? Because I am seriously starting to question your mental health."
He had expected some sort of scathing retort. Some provocation or insult towards Kanda's own intelligence, or perhaps Allen would just tell him to shut up. The shorter exorcist didn't seem annoyed, however, but truly worried. His eyes avoided Kanda's, as if trying to hide something.
"For how long was I out?"
"Ever since the afternoon of yesterday. You were alone in your tent-"
"Yes, I remember now," said Allen, who continued his erratic pacing in the small space. "Did something happen in my… absence?"
"Besides everyone worrying themselves sick and proving they are absolutely useless at taking care of sick people? Nothing," grumbled Kanda, remembering the other exorcists' pitiful state once they learned what had happened to Allen. Apparently, only Crowley and the rabbit were adept at healthcare but they were gone, and Kanda himself was of no use as he had mostly travelled by himself.
His words, however, seemed only to disturb Allen even more. "God, they know…"
"Of course they know. Actually, Laboun was the one who found you. We've got to tell them you're fine… or sort of fine, anyway. What's eating at you? I will ask again: what put you in that state?"
Allen hesitated, and Kanda would have pressed, but he had heard the footsteps outside. Sure enough, in a few seconds someone was opening the tent's entrance, a head of dark hair staring inside with wide, dark rimmed eyes.
"Oh… oh, I heard some noise… Allen, you are up!" said Miranda in her simpering tones, clearly emotional at seeing Allen up and well again.
"Ah, hello, Miranda. It seems I caused you all a bit of concern," said Allen with a weak smile and, though Kanda could internally applaud the attempt at looking unruffled, Allen was just too battered to play his part right now.
What proceeded was a very loud emotional display from the sobbing older woman, who then got the attention of everyone else in the encampment and quickly had the small tent overflowing with people, some left outside. He watched as the others asked the same questions as he did, but noticed, with annoyance, that Allen managed to sidestep the interrogation with assurances that he was quite fine and almost unnoticeable subject changes. Only his loyalty to his friend prevented Kanda to tell everyone about the displays of imbalance of just a few minutes prior.
Allen was clearly too tired, however, and even the thickest headed among them could see that, so he watched as the white haired boy humored their worries for a few minutes or so, before a whisper of frustration could be seen in his grey eyes.
"Now, now, everyone, that is enough," he said eventually, still under the pressure of concerned gazes, questions and offers of help. "As I said, this was all the result of a poorly executed experiment. I will be much more careful from now. Please return to your posts. It must have been tiring, to stay here for so long, but it won't be long before we are in the move once again," continued Allen, ushering everyone from the tent, and also leaving it himself.
"I thought we would have to stay put for a while more," remarked Kanda, unable to stay silent for much longer, and also doubting Allen was in a condition good enough as to plan what they would do.
"Lavi and Crowley are bound to return soon, and I rather believe they will have good news for us," said Allen, clapping his hands together. Kanda watched as the others seemed to relax a bit at Allen's cheery behavior, but he decided to pay them no mind. It was clear the others couldn't be trusted to understand Allen no matter how much more time they had spent with him, and the Japanese exorcist was more worried about the glove now covering Allen's Innocence and the backpack he had swiftly removed from his tent without calling attention.
"You look like you are leaving," said he, staring firmly at Allen's attire. It was hardly a proper traveler's outfit, but it wasn't something one would use to stay in the camp, either.
"It is just a small stroll, Yuu, I will be back soon," said Allen, acting as if there was absolutely nothing wrong with the statement, and the others – damn them all – also seemed quite comfortable with it all. Weren't they worried sick just a few minutes ago? Was he surrounded by idiots?
He wanted to share a piece of his mind, but Allen quickly turned away, telling someone or other to return to the watch post and saying he would be back before it became night once again. Unwilling to make a scene in front of everyone else, he just strode after the boy as soon as he was far away enough that he wouldn't notice.
Kanda had expected to confront him in private, but Allen seemed to be using his enhanced body almost at full extent because, as soon as he was out of the encampment's line of sight, his speed drastically improved, as he made his way in the wild with the alacrity of someone who was being pursued.
It wasn't too far from the truth.
Kanda watched as Allen disappeared amidst the trees, his purposeful jumps not befitting of the state he had been in just an hour prior. Damn brat. What had he been thinking?
"Damn sprout," he growled, externalizing his anger, and then said, "he must be really out of it if he didn't sense me, plus you up there."
Only silence answered him for the next seconds, but then there was a rustle and the Chinese woman deftly jumped from her place in the higher branches of the wet forest. Her eyes shone with worry, and he was glad at least someone here had common sense.
"He really seems out of it," said she reluctantly, as if even contemplating that possibility was deeply wrong. "Let's hope he returns safely."
Kanda snorted. So much for praising her. "I will do more than hope, I will ensure that is so," said he, before he started following Allen once more. "We will be back."
Allen fell unconscious for no reason, acted out of his mind after waking up, and now had a strong urge to leave to somewhere he had never mentioned before. It was all too sudden, too rushed and unexplainable. Something was very wrong and, whatever it was, he doubted it would be good news.
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A/N: Please leave a comment, I love reading your points of view. Some are incredibly inspiring, or point out mistakes I was going to make.
Also, I did tell some of you via PM Nea isn't possessing Allen, but I guess you didn't believe me, haha. I'm sorry but I'm not terribly fond of Nea taking over Allen… though I do love the whole Mana being the Earl thing.
I know things are pretty confusing, but there is an explanation for everything. I'm just unsure you'll like it, but it's been planned from the very start.