A/N: Aren't you all proud of me?! It took me less than two months to update this time!:D And for those of you who don't know, that's actually quite an accomplishment for me!(; But to be honest, I could have probably had this chapter out a lot sooner if it weren't for school. This week, I finally decided that I couldn't take it anymore, so I skipped breakfast and stayed up past my self-appointed bedtime so that I could write!(: It was pretty slow going, but I've finally finished!^-^
And thank you very much to XzDaFelixZ, NirvanaFrk97, kickassdani, bougainvillea blossom, Firehedgehog, Shad0wReaper133, Snipperita, the3leonine, Yenaya, Gamma Cavy, wittyusernames, TOOLAZYTOLOGIN, Seraphinit, Whoa, Lucia Tsukiyomi-hime, gaara king of the sand, w- easy enough, skidney, Dana, Ennael, Vangran, hobozrule, Anne Camp aka Obi-quiet, leafpool5, and 9foxgrl for all being awesome reviewers!:D You guys always manage to make my day with your lovely comments!:3
So, the chapter starts out a little bit slow, but do not fret my lovelies! It'll be worth it in the end!(; I promise~!
Disclaimer: Ha! Yeah right! I certainly don't own anything, but this silly plot of mine! Unfortunately... );
Chapter 8
Time Frame — Morning of June 25th, 1895
—3rd Person POV—
~Allen~
Allen strolled around the halls of the Order in a carefree manner, satisfied with the scrumptious breakfast Jerry had just cooked for him. Currently, he was headed for Komui's office, though he wasn't in much of a rush. After all, it was early in the morning, and he was certain Komui had pulled yet another all-nighter. In short, it meant his supervisor was passed out. Allen smiled in amusement at the thought, and then began to wonder what mission Komui would assign him on. He sure hoped it was with one of his friends. He hadn't seen much of them lately, and though Allen didn't mind some alone time, it meant his thoughts were free to do what they wanted without any distractions, and they always led him back to his troubles. Specifically, the conversation he'd had with Road just a month ago. Allen frowned slightly as he once again went through the all the words Road and he had exchanged.
Flashback
"E-excuse me?" Allen backed away from Road, wide-eyed.
"You heard me, Allen! You're the Fourteenth. You know what that means, don't you?" Road questioned him in a harsh voice, eyes narrowed.
Allen shook his head, and tried to explain, "L-look! I honestly don't! All I know is that I have a Noah inside of my head, but that's it!"
"And that's enough! How do you know about us?" Road demanded.
Allen stayed silent for moment, before briefly replying, "I have my sources."
Road scoffed, "It was that meddlesome Cross, wasn't it?!"
Allen didn't reply, which only caused Road to assume that the answer was yes. They stayed quiet for a while, both unsure as to where they should take the conversation, but they couldn't very well stop there! Too much had been revealed…
"Are you going to inform the Millenium Earl?" Allen finally spoke up.
Road glanced back up at him, and seemed to think about it for a moment. "No… I can't."
"Can't? Why not?" Allen was perplexed. Road was too loyal for her to keep this sort of secret from him.
"Because!" Road exclaimed with pain-filled eyes. She took a deep breath to compose herself, and continued, "It has to do with a series of events from my past. I don't know how things will turn out this time, but neither side is ready for it. For now, we'll wait. He'll eventually figure it out himself."
Allen nodded in agreement, and hesitantly asked, "What were these events you speak of?"
She glared. "You're with them,Allen. Until you realize the truth and join us, I'm not willing to tell you of our history."
Allen didn't argue. He knew she had that right, and despite the Noah sleeping within him, Allen wanted nothing to do with their cause. In spite of some of the Order's sick experiments, the Noah Clan was far worse. Either way, he wasn't ever planning on giving into the Noah. With these thoughts, Allen finally replied with a nod of agreement, "Then I guess I'll never know."
"I doubt that," Road frowned.
Allen ignored that and said, "So you're positive, Road? You won't tell anyone of this?"
Road gave him an even more fierce glare, easily picking up on his thoughts. If anyone on his side found out, he'd be killed for being a "traitor". "Look, Allen, if you ever dare kill any of my family, I will expose you to them. You'll be branded a traitor, and will have nowhere to go. Understand?"
It was worse than any physical threat she could have offered. It was a blow straight to the heart. Softly, Allen said, "He killed them, didn't he?"
Road faltered, and abruptly turned from him, not bothering to reply.
"Look Road. If I ever kill one of your family members, it'll be because I'm defeating your clan. Not because some crazy Noah managed to take over my body. I will fight this."
She slightly turned back to him and gave him a small, solemn nod. Shifting uncomfortably for a moment, a small smirk suddenly lit up her face. "Not if we kill you first."
Allen chuckled softly and responded, "Yeah, I guess there's that. Come on Road, we should get going, or I might be missed at breakfast."
Road giggled slightly, remembering Allen's appetite, and soon left Allen back in his own room.
End of Flashback
Allen shook the thoughts away, as he neared Komui's office. He wasn't seeing Road for the rest of the year, so he didn't need to worry about what positions these events would put them in. He just hoped it wouldn't cause the Noah to act out much swifter than they had last time…
Pushing Komui's heavy door open with a groaning creek, Allen flipped the light switches to Komui's office on. Ruffling his snowy hair with an exasperated sigh, Allen began to wade through the towers of paperwork towards his snoring supervisor. A small giggle startled him slightly.
"Need a little help there, Allen?" Lenalee offered with a small grin, standing at the doorway. Not giving Allen a chance to respond, she rapidly activated her Dark Boots and flew over the mountains of paper in one, quick motion, landing harshly on top of Komui. The pain actually managed to startle him awake with a pained shout.
This is how they must have woken Komui up before I came… Allen chuckled darkly at Komui's wounded expression. He totally deserved that.
Unfazed by her brother's agony, Lenalee simply jumped off him and onto the couch, deactivating her Innocence. "So, why have you called us here, Brother?" And it was all done with a chipper smile, which was soon directed towards Allen who'd finally caught up to her.
Momentarily giving them a kicked-puppy expression, Komui finally straightened up with a small clear of his throat. "Erm, well, I know how you've been begging to receive some special training, Lenalee. Unfortunately, all the Generals are currently busy trying to find accommodators, as per usual, and it'll be quite a while before any of them decide to return to Headquarters. But, I think I have found an alternative!"
Perking up with bright eyes, Lenalee exclaimed, "Really?!"
Giving her a proud grin, Komui elaborated, "Yes! I was thinking, I could send you to train over at the Asian Branch. They have a guardian deity named Fou. I was speaking with Bak Chang earlier this week about it, and he suggested her!"
"Err, not meaning to rain on you parade, but what does that have to do with me?" Allen finally piped up, attempting to keep his grin at bay. Was there a possibility he could actually visit the Asian Branch…?
With a clasp of his hands, Komui replied, "Well, I need someone to protect my dear Lenalee, of course! Therefore, you have been assigned as her bodyguard, Allen!"
Lenalee gave him a tight grin, and slowly asked with a small twitch of her eye, "What are you trying to insinuate, Brother?" Allen winced slightly, knowing that questioning Lenalee's ability to defend herself was one of the worst mistakes anyone could make.
Cringing, Komui immediately crouched down behind his desk and rapidly squeaked, "Um, what I meant to say is, I'm sure you could use a good friend while you're away!"
"That's what I thought!" Lenalee responded with a satisfied smile.
"And I'd love to accompany Lenalee," Allen chuckled softly, amused.
"Why are you all so cruel to me?!" Komui cried dramatically.
Time Frame — Night of June 25th, 1895
"And then, Lavi tripped him and scolded him for being such clumsy lady, saying he could learn a thing or two from me! I'm surprised Kanda didn't maim him!" Lenalee exclaimed, as she bent over in fits of laughter. Allen joined in, causing Timcanpy to roll of his head from the sudden movement, almost tripping over himself as she finished describing how Lavi and Kanda's last meeting had gone. Both were practically drunk with laughter over their antics.
They were currently making their way off of the boat that had carried them over to the main land, and would soon be on their way down to China, where the Asian Branch was located.
Wiping away the tears at the corners of his eyes, and lightly apologizing to Tim for waking him up, Allen finally calmed down with a deep breath and asked, "So how come your so eager to receive more training? I thought you were a pretty skilled Innocence wielder." They'd been so busy catching up while they were on the boat, that it had slipped Allen's mind to ask her previously.
Humor momentarily forgotten, a small frown tugged at Lenalee's facial expression. "Well… Brother's been really worried about me lately. More than usual, at least. Every time I return from a new mission, I appear to be even more damaged than I had been from the previous one. I'm not getting careless, I just… The Akuma seem to be getting stronger. I'm not."
Frowning, Allen came to an abrupt halt and gently placing a hand on her shoulder, he asked, "Are you okay, Lenalee?'
"I—…" Lenalee took in a deep breath in order to compose herself. "Of course I'm alright, Allen. I'm not totally useless!" She offered him a reassuring smile.
Allen grinned back as they continued their stride down to the train station, and then inquired, "Have you been trying to train on your own?"
"Every day!" Lenalee exclaimed with a furious nod. "But lately, it seems that they are practically working all the Exorcists to death—thankfully it has yet to reach a literal meaning. Anytime I'm home, everyone else is gone, and even then, I'm usually not around for long. Though I secretly think that Komui has been assigning me the lighter load of work. Still, it's more difficult training on my own because even though it feels like I might be improving, it isn't always the case. Anyway, I'm just glad you get to come with me, Allen!" Lenalee beamed at him.
"Anything for a friend!" Allen replied with a fond smile.
Time Frame — Afternoon of July 1st, 1895
"Woah," Lenalee murmured softly, and Allen silently agreed with her as Fou led them through the entrance of the Asian Branch where they were soon met by the supervisor himself.
"Hello!" Bak Chang cheerfully greeted them. Or, more like he greeted Lenalee you could say. Allen sweatdropped slightly as he was completely ignored, recalling the multitude of photos that the supervisor owned of Lenalee. What a creep… At least his crush hadn't reached the level it had previously, otherwise Allen was pretty sure that he would've freaked and broken out into hives.
"Ah, and who are you? Komui never mentioned another Exorcist would be joining us." Bak had, after non-stop blabbering to poor Lenalee, taken notice of the white-haired teen walking beside them.
Jolted out of his thoughts, Allen shook his head and answered, "Um, well Komui thought Lenalee could use a friend while she was away and asked me to tag along."
Bak frowned slightly and lightly wagged his index finger at him. "Alright, but just so you know, we don't allow any riffraff around here so don't go wondering off!"
"Err, right," Allen sweatdropped. Looks like no one had taken the time to inform Bak that he had a slight… directional dysfunction, though Allen preferred to refer to it as "unplanned misadventures" (see Chapter 5 – Kidnapped). There really was no way to fix it.
"Allen is a gentleman!" Lenalee immediately piped up, coming to defend his honor.
"Of course," Bak indulgently replied, as he continued to stroll throughout the corridors.
"Hmm…" Lenalee furrowed her eyebrows into an annoyed frown. Giving her clenched hand a gentle squeeze, Allen offered her a tender smile and said softly, "Thanks." Relaxing her tense muscles, Lenalee returned his smile.
Thankfully, Bak finally decided to make himself useful and decided to give them a tour. Allen raised an eyebrow and asked, "Err, Mr. Chang, aren't you the supervisor?"
"Yes!" Bak exclaimed proudly.
"Well… Don't you have work to do?" Allen pointed out quite bluntly.
CRASH!
Bak stumbled and smashed into a pile of crates, knocking them over and spilling some of the content atop himself. Allen blinked as a pile of lab equipment shattered and tumbled everywhere. Bak finally managed to let out a strangled, "W-what?" Lenalee attempted to muffle her giggles beneath her hands.
Unfazed, Allen continued to ask, "As the supervisor, shouldn't you be working on managing the branch instead of giving out tours to the newcomers?"
The little progress that Bak had made in order to stand up was then demolished as he crashed back down while shouting out, "F-Fou!" In an instant, the red-head from earlier appeared by his side. Taking in his disheveled appearance, Fou face-palmed.
"What is it?" she grumbled.
"Help… tours… mphgn…" Bak passed out.
"I'm not your stupid secretary!" Fou yelled at him, thinking she was being asked to give them a tour herself. Once she realized he was no longer conscious, she scowled and said to them, "Alright! Let's go you midgets!"
"Ah, shouldn't we help him?!" Lenalee exclaimed in slight distress, earlier humor forgotten.
Crossing her arms behind her head in a casual manner and walking ahead, Fou called back, "Nah, he'll be fine! I'm sure Sammo will find him eventually and freak out enough for the three of us." Chuckling at how true that statement was, Allen pulled the reluctant girl along before they lost Fou, looking forward to getting acquainted with the guardian deity.
Being given a tour by Fou was… interesting to say the least. Whereas someone would normally give a historical background of the foundation, all Fou did was point out every embarrassing moment Bak had had in very part of the facility. It was honestly more than they could take! By the third story, Allen and Lenalee were leaning heavily against each other, unable to keep their laughter at bay as Fou continued to describe Bak's first hive attack in between snickers. "In the end, he ended up cuddling with Sammo to get him to calm down!" Fou grinned, causing Allen to laugh harder as he recalled the large man that was always at Bak's beck and call.
"Aha! I remember that down in this hall, Bak was trying to lead some new recruits to their stations and leaders, but one of Komui's gifts went completely haywire and…" Allen grinned widely in amusement as he listened to Fou continue her newest tale on the humiliating life of Bak Chang. Some of these stories were pretty ridiculous!
"Huh?" Allen blinked, suddenly distracted as Timcanpy flapped his wings against his face, winning over Allen's undivided attention. "What is it, Tim? Is something the matter?" In reply, Timcanpy frantically bobbed his little, golden body up and down. "What's wrong?" Allen frowned, slightly worried.
Timcanpy suddenly paused in his frenzied flight, and floated still for moment. Just as Allen was about to speak up again, Tim's round form trembled slightly as it released a loud, hungry growl. "Hey, you've got a good point there, Tim! I'm pretty famished myself. Hey, Fou! Do you think…" Allen unexpectedly trailed off.
The hall was utterly devoid of life with the exception of himself. Allen didn't know whether to scream or cry.
Time Frame — Midnight of July 2nd, 1895
Slightly delirious, Allen stumbled along yet another passageway. He'd been utterly lost for hours on end and there had yet to be anyone in sight! Exhausted, Allen finally stopped mid-stride and leaned his back against the wall before finally slumping down onto the floor. He tilted his head back and closed his eyes, attempting to disregard the fact that he was both lost and starving. Squirming a bit, Allen managed to find a comfortable position to rest. He knew he'd be found eventually, so there was no point in tiring himself out.
Just as Allen began to drift off, something broke through his drowsiness. Was that… a voice? A voice! Allen abruptly bolted up and searched the still empty corridor. Maybe he'd been dreaming…? Shrugging it off, Allen leaned back against the wall… Wait! There it was again! Staying in position and paying attention more closely this time, he finally came to a realization.
The voice was coming from the other side of the wall. Allen listened carefully.
"…—ou sure it won't be too dangerous? Looking at it, I'm not sure if you'll be able to handle it. … I don't know. We were only able to properly install it a few years ago. Moving it now, especially to a location that far-off, could do some serious damage. … Yes, I know! But another Artificial Disciple Project after only a few years is risky! …The Vatican? Fine. But know this, we are not held responsible for any casualties it could cause at the North American Branch. You've been warned. … Yes, I am perfectly aware of its state of comatose, but who knows what could trigger it! … Alright, we'll expect you tomorrow. Just know that we'll only lead you to its location, after that, Supervisor Chang and the rest of you will be responsible for it. I want no part in it."
Allen's frown continued to deepen further as the man's dialogue broke off. Artificial Disciple Project? Casualties? State of comatose? What exactly was going on around here?
Getting back on his feet, Allen carefully looked about the dim hallway, narrowed, moonlit eyes finally landing on a door further down the wall he'd been leaning against. Wondering if it could lead to the same room the man had been in, Allen hurried over to it and twisted the handle. Locked. Switching over to his left hand, Allen simply contorted the doorknob until it snapped off with a small crack, which he then threw aside as he discreetly slipped into the room. Who'd ever been there previously had already vacated the enormous room, which was in a great state of disorder. This much was obvious despite the dimness of the room. A mess of lab equipment and papers were left in chaotic piles covering the tabletops, some of it even scattered onto the floor. By the gathering of dust, Allen could tell that no one had truly been here in years.
Allen continued to observe the room until his silvery eyes caught sight of a large, glass case in the farthest side of the room, standing upright. Was that… a person in the tangle of tubes? Throwing caution aside, Allen hastened over towards it, accidentally tripping over a book carelessly thrown onto the ground. Regaining his balance, curiosity urged Allen to pick it up. It wasn't very large and the cover simply read: Alma Karma. Flipping it open, Allen skipped over the intro, which he realized included many of the scientific terms as well as the involved scientist that he knew nothing about.
The "Second Exorcist", as it's come to be known, is what was born from the research of the Artificial Disciple Project in its first attempt at forming the actual model. The theory was that if the brains of Exorcists were to be preserved and to regain a new body after death through the use of Akuma cells, the Innocence might be compatible with a new disciple. It only ever resulted with two test bodies.
Allen swallowed thickly, attempting to keep his stomach at bay. He felt like he was going to be sick, but he forced himself to read a little further. And further. And further. Dizzily, Allen warily lowered himself to the ground, attempting to not gag.
As the evidence has shown, the test subjects continued to progress at a tremendous rate. Despite their continual demise from forcing synchronizations tests with the Innocence, it slowly began to respond to them, which was an immense advancement compared to regular test subjects.
Regular test subjects… Allen vaguely recalled his encounter with Suman when he became a fallen one, and took a few, deep breaths. He then continued to read.
It was an unfortunate occurrence when both test subjects began to regain the memories from their previous lives as disciples, which had been closed off to them, as they would interfere with the growth and development of the test subjects. Fortunately, one of the test subjects was conserved before it could be brought to its termination. The other one was unable to be stopped in time; the test subject was known as "Alma". The rampage of the test subject Alma resulted in the deaths of a total of 46 lab personnel. It was a massacre; the only one being left alive was the other test subject that partially destroyed Alma.
Allen had to take another break when he realized he was almost ripping the pages apart by how rigidly he was gripping them. He was trembling, there was a lump in his throat, and his eyes were burning fiercely. Allen felt like he was a breath away from breaking down. And then his eyes, which were filled with countless emotions of grief, landed on the next sentence.
This test subject had come to be known as Yuu.
The small book was brutally torn apart as Allen released ragged breaths. He didn't understand! What was this?! It was so heartless and wretched! How could…? Why…?
Licking his dry lips, Allen took in a shaky breath, trying to calm his anger. It would do him no good at the moment.
He stared harshly at the shredded pieces of paper that had once made up the book.
Until Alma stops regenerating, Yuu…
Eyes widening, Allen desperately searched through the scraps of paper, hoping to find whatever it was that ended that sentence. He only found one possible answer.
… will be torn apart, limb by limb…
"Damn," Allen cursed underneath his breath.
After a short while, Allen finally regained the strength to rise back up, albeit, he was still a bit shaky. Trying to compose himself, Allen began to make his way over to what had caught his interest earlier on, before he'd tripped over the dreaded book. Nearing the massive, glass case, Allen's eyes widened, absolutely horrified. A boy, around his current age, was trapped inside, floating in a murky liquid at its center with bulky tubes connected throughout his body, as if preserving him. The boy was clearly damaged. Thick, colossal scars littered his body, never properly healed which caused his skin to appear uneven and discolored in certain places. His head appeared to have received the worst of the damage. The left side was slightly puckered and pink, as if half of his scalp had been forcibly ripped from his skull and had just barely managed to create new skin around the wound. The other side was covered in a thick main of hair that floated about his body, making its accurate length unclear.
Allen briefly recalled that Alma had only been "partially destroyed". Pressing his hand against the glass, Allen whispered, "Alma…"
Unsurprisingly, he received no response. From what he could remember of the man's words, Alma was currently in a state of comatose. As he thought about it further, Allen came to another realization: they'd be taking Alma to the North American Branch in order to continue the Artificial Disciple Project.
Clenching his hands into fists, Allen growled under his breath, "Not if I can help it!" Carefully gazing around, Allen wondered how he could release Alma without being both drenched and crushed by the tubing. He didn't think about the fact the Alma was in a coma, or the fact that he had nowhere to take him. He didn't even think about the fact that interfering with such matters in the way he was could brand him as a traitor. All Allen was focused on was preventing yet another tragedy.
Activating Crown Clown with a silent command, Allen leaped onto the metal beams of the low ceiling. It only took one swipe of his claws to shatter the glass. Before Alma could land into the mess that had been created, Allen commanded the strands from his cape to catch him. Leaving Alma enveloped in the glowing white threads, Allen leaped back down and began to carefully snap all of the tubing, taking care not to further hurt the young boy. Finally finishing with a soft sigh, Allen led them a ways away and cautiously laid the unconscious boy down, seating beside him afterwards.
Allen wondered what his next course of action should be. Was there even a way of awakening a comatose patient? … Could bringing up Kanda be the trigger? It made sense, though Allen wasn't sure what sort of feelings this would invoke in Alma. It was Kanda that had fought with him in the end, but the book, unsurprisingly, had made no mention of what their previous relationship was like. Ultimately, Allen would probably sound ridiculous, but he certainly couldn't give up before he tried.
"You're Alma, right? I'm Allen. I honestly don't know much about you, just what the scientists said, but it was enough. Enough to know that whatever you lived through is something that no one should have to experience. Not even someone as stupid as Kanda," Allen rambled, chuckling slightly. He continued to talk. Mostly about Kanda. Sometimes about himself. Allen was determined. It wasn't until the early hours of the morning that Allen received a response. A small of twitch of Alma's right hand. It was all Allen needed to lie next to the other boy and succumb into his exhaustion.
Time Frame — Afternoon of July 2nd, 1895
Blearily, Allen blinked his hazy eyes open. Where am I…? Abruptly sitting up as he recalled last night's events, Allen groaned from the blood rushing to his head. Blinking away the dark spots, he finally managed to bring himself to a shaky stand. The room's lights were still dim, and it appeared they'd yet to be discovered. Silver eyes widened frantically when he began to hear a soft thrum of voices from a nearby door—not the same one he'd entered through last night.
Didn't that man say they'd be expecting them tomorrow?! Allen recalled anxiously. Noticing that the voices were increasing in volume, Allen swiftly hoisted Alma's small, frail body onto his back and began to sprint in the direction of the other entrance, stumbling slightly, weak from the lack of food he'd received in the past day. Fortunately, he managed to escape and shut the door just the other one was being opened. Gasping with relief, Allen continued his hurried run, unsure of where to go.
They'll raise the alarms soon! Allen realized uneasily. If he were to have any chance of fleeing with both their lives, he was going to have to break out before they did, otherwise they'd both be in for it. Pausing, Allen frantically searched along the large corridor, not knowing where to go. With a determined frown, Allen activated Crown Clown. Desperate times called for desperate measures.
Knowing he probably had less than a minute, Allen began to tear through every nearby wall. He'd destroyed up to two when he reached the outer wall, where a pair of small windows, high up towards the ceiling were located. Using the majority of his strength, Allen leaped up, gasping softly when he finally made it, tightly clenching onto Alma to prevent him from slipping off. Breaking the window with a swift kick, Allen soon made it into the woods located outside.
I'm sorry, Lenalee. Allen distantly heard the blaring alarms as he continued to jog rapidly through the thick foliage.
Time Frame — Morning of July 5th, 1895
Trembling hands gently set Alma on the ground, before Allen himself collapsed roughly onto the thick undergrowth. They'd been journeying throughout the forest for days, barely surviving on just water from the ponds and rivers they'd come across. Unfortunately, Allen wasn't sure how much longer Alma would survive. Forcing water down the boy's throat was one thing. He wasn't sure how he would manage to feed him any actual food they would need to survive—at least, whenever it was that they'd find any. On the bright side, Allen had made some progress with Alma's awakening. Alma's responses were small, but more than expected. An occasional twitch of a muscle, irregular breathing at times, and at one point, he'd clasped his small hand onto Allen's coat.
Allen was pretty sure most coma patients didn't recover this quickly, but he certainly wasn't going to question it. It also had to be taken into account that Alma had been left to himself, with only sporadic checkups every couple months. There had never been anyone to speak to him. With an exhausted sigh, Allen wondered if he'd made the right decision. Out here, there was less of a chance to survive. They were barely making it as it is. But then, he recalled the way that book described their suffering, and he couldn't stand the thought of anyone else having to endure what Kanda and Alma had.
He briefly wondered if Lenalee was alright. Allen hoped she'd be okay while he was gone. It appeared that he wouldn't be back for quite a while.
Checking up on the still slumbering Alma one last time, Allen finally relaxed and decided to sleep at last. It had been a day or two since he last had, and there was no telling when this would be his last chance.
Time Frame — Night of July 5th, 1895
"Mommy, is he dead?" Allen hazily heard the voice of a young girl. It only took him a couple seconds to recall what was going on, causing him to abruptly bolt up. Wide-eyed, Allen frantically took the scene in. Alma and he were currently residing in a small hut, also occupied by an older woman and a small child.
"Wha…? What's going on?!" Allen asked, anxiously. The fact that he was still half-asleep didn't aid Allen's sanity.
"We found you and your friend dead, near the well!" The little girl immediately piped up with a toothy grin.
"Oh hush, Chun!" the older woman scolded her. "Here, drink this up!" she ordered Allen as she lifted a cup of water to Allen's dry and cracked lips. Greedily, he drank it up in one gulp.
"You better hope that friend of yours awakes soon! He is close to dehydration," the woman continued in a scolding tone, handing Allen another cup of water. Somberly, Allen stared down at the clear water and didn't reply. Finally noticing Alma lying next to him on the large cot, Allen carefully began to pour the water into Alma's mouth, strategically pinching his nose, and then massaging his throat to help him swallow. Noticing his actions, the woman slightly shouted, "What are you doing?!"
Unfazed by her tone, Allen murmured in a soft voice, "He's in a coma."
"Ah. Well then hopefully, he won't be in a coma for much longer. Otherwise, he'll be dead within days," she replied sternly. Allen flinched slightly, acknowledging the truth in her words.
"Right," Allen muttered.
"I have to go run a few errands with Chun. We'll be back in an hour or two. You may make yourselves at home." And with that strict order, she shuffled out of the tiny hut, tugging the little girl, now known as Chun, along.
"Bye bye not-dead boy!" Chun called out with a giggle, just as they disappeared through the door. Allen chuckled slightly, before finally contemplating the matter at hand. Was there any way to truly wake Alma up soon? A monstrous growl interrupted Allen's thoughts. I'm starving! Allen internally whined.
Standing on shaky limbs, Allen cautiously made his way over to the small kitchenette. Though the cabinets were practically overflowing with food, Allen made sure not to take too much, knowing how large of an appetite he had. After stuffing himself as much as he possibly could—it was truly never enough—Allen took a couple of fruits and vegetables and began to chop them into tiny pieces before tossing it into a bowl. He then began to mash it up, attempting to liquefy it as much as he possibly could. Unsure of how long it would be before Alma awoke, Allen knew that he needed to find a way of feeding him actual nutrients. He wouldn't be able to survive on water for much longer.
Determined, Allen swiftly finished up and was soon pouring what he could down Alma's throat. It was slightly difficult, as it wasn't as liquefied as it could have been, but he managed. Done, Allen set the bowl aside and lied back down, managing to relax slightly. With a tired smile, Allen began his nightly routine, in which he simply spoke to Alma in an attempt to awake him. Allen wasn't sure how long it would take, but he was unwavering in his decision.
"… That's when I first met Kanda you know. He was, and still is, quite the jerk. Was he like that as children? I'm sure he was. I can't imagine him any other way. I wonder what you were like, Alma…" Allen finally trailed off after non-stop talking. He really did. It didn't take much of a guess to know what Kanda was probably like. It wouldn't shock Allen to know that he'd probably terrorized Alma.
He chuckled for a moment before awkwardly trailing off. Despite wanting to help Alma, Allen's troubled thoughts always brought him back to what he'd read about Alma. The massacre. So tormented by the memories from his previous life that he'd gone into a killing rampage. Allen didn't know what to make of it. Alma's innocence had finally activated and he'd been in so much agony that he'd actually killed the only thing he'd ever known. A small, tiny part of Allen didn't resent him for—though he'd never admit it. Some of the experiments those scientists had done had been sick on so many levels. It still made Allen's gut churn every time he recalled the level of detail that book had reached in some places. But Allen wasn't one to excuse plain murder. So, why was he so determined to help this boy?
It was a question Allen had yet to answer. Still, Allen wondered if Alma's pain would still be his dominant emotion once he became conscious. It was a troublesome thought. If it were to happen, he wouldn't be sure how to handle it. In truth, he knew nothing about Alma, and would have no way of calming him down. Fortunately, it would be a while before he'd have to deal with it.
But maybe, just maybe, he spoke too soon.
"I—…!" Allen wheezed, silver eyes practically popping. A pair of small hands were crushing his windpipe.
"Who. The hell. Are. You?" the other boy snarled threateningly, dark eyes narrowed into slits.
A/N: Hehe, I was actually going to continue the chapter way past this, but I kind of got lazy, and decided to update instead!(x Plus I gotta go do my homework and study for like three tests that I have tomorrow, so I have to go! Thank you for reading though, and I really hope you enjoyed it!^.^
Please review and tell me what you all thought!(: