A/N: Merry Christmas, everyone!(: I hope you've all had a wonderful holiday on the day of our Lord and Savior!n_n
Sorry that I wasn't able to get this chapter out sooner. I really wanted to, but this chapter really didn't want to write itself. I don't know why it was so difficult to write it, but I hope it's not too much of a pain to read! I mean I wrote it, it got erased, I think I cried a little, and then I eventually wrote it again! But don't worry, all this time hasn't gone un-wasted! I have big plans for this story, and though for the longest time I didn't know where I was heading with it, I finally have a good idea on how I'm ending it!:D
And thanks so much to Mas2009, ultima-owner, Ennael, Not-Gonna-Update, Sora Arashitori, Takei Daloui, leafpool5, kickassdani, Yuki F. Karasu, negimarules52, bougainvillea blossom, OtakuDrag0n, hobozrule, ShimmeringCrimson, Guest, 9foxgrl, Kiomori, Sakura Hyuga, xXxPhantomxXx, Eliza, Pheonix Autumn (x2), taiShafie, Guest #2, and AnimePriest for all of your amazing reviews! I feel so special when you give me all that enthusiasm and encouragement! It's very much appreciated!(;
Oh! And before I forget; some readers pointed out that they thought Kanda should have been shocked or angry (or both) that Allen knew about Alma. I'd just like to remind you all that Kanda already knows that Allen was actually with Alma. Although it's not common knowledge, it's not a secret that Allen was supposedly 'kidnapped' by him. And considering that Kanda was at Central for weeks being interrogated, it would have obviously come up. Haha, I'm sure if you mentioned it in a review, you've already gotten this same explanation.(:
I know that the chapter is kind of short, but I hope you enjoy it nonetheless!^.^
Disclaimer: Alas, there is nothing more that I yearn for than for D. Gray-Man to be continue. And though I am admittedly a slow updater, this manga would not have been abandoned the way it was if it I were to own it! (No offense meant, Hoshino-sensei!)
Chapter 11
Time Frame — Night of September 3rd, 1895
—3rd Person POV—
~Allen~
"… Alma?" Allen wearily called out towards the abnormally silent boy. His reaction had certainly been strange. No insults or complaints about Kanda. No whining or even bursting into dramatic tears. Alma had simply slid down into a sitting position against the dark wall, a small, contemplative frown etched onto his boyish features. In response, Allen quietly sat next to him, allowing the dark-haired boy to gather his thoughts.
After a couple of moments, Alma finally remarked in a subdued voice, "Yuu really hasn't changed…"
At a loss for what to say, Allen frowned slightly, but decided to let Alma continue to work it out for himself.
"I know I should have expected, but I guess I just really hoped that this would be the one grudge he could look past," he whispered.
Squeezing his shoulder in a comforting manner, Allen offered him what he hoped was a reassuring smile. "Hey, we all know how much of a stubborn asshole Kanda can be. Don't worry, a few knocks to the head and I'm sure we'll eventually make him see reason."
The humorous declaration successfully elicited a small laugh from Alma. "Don't I know it?!" A fond smile tugged at his lips, as Alma recalled the many vicious and bloodied brawls it had taken for the two to become friends.
Unfortunately, it seemed Allen's smile of relief had appeared too soon. Abruptly, Alma shot to his feet and began to anxiously pace back and forth, hands curling into fists and his expression darkening. Before Allen could utter a word, Alma began to rant with agitation, "Ugh, but what on earth could I say to change his mind? He really is a stubborn asshole! And I can't think of anything I could say that would make things better. I just… At the time, I really did believe dying to be the best option. But now…" Trailing off with an exhausted sigh, Alma slumped back down next to Allen.
"But now…?" Allen gently prodded with a solemn look.
Heaving another sigh, Alma, rather than answering, asked softly, "Do you know how we were created, Allen?"
Frowning, Allen despondently recalled what he'd read back in Asian Headquarters and replied with a small, "Yes."
Alma scoffed. "But Yuu still continues to move on, as the Order's puppet. I don't understand how he can! … Why did they do this to us, Allen?"
Allen wanted to say that they'd been desperate. That they'd been looking for a new way to win the war. But he knew he couldn't. After reading through what exactly had been done to them, he knew half of those experiments had been unnecessary. They'd been greedy for information, wanting to learn and gain needless data. And that wasn't even counting the fact that they'd violated the bodies of deceased Exorcists as well as using Akuma cells to create them. They'd crossed far beyond the metaphorical line. They'd distorted and twisted it for their own selfish gains, and Allen would not stand for that.
"I'm sorry, Alma," Allen whispered. He was about to further console him, but unexpectedly, a sudden thought occurred to Allen. And another; and then another. And before long, Allen began to connect the dots, creating a disturbing picture that first made Allen cringe and then scowl, angered. Rapidly rising to his feet, Allen mirrored Alma's earlier actions as he began to pace back and forth, his mind racing a million miles an hour.
"What's wrong, Allen?" Alma furrowed his brows, worried for the distressed boy.
Raking his hands through his snowy locks, Allen only distantly heard him as he began to slowly work through what he'd just discerned. Alma and Kanda had been created with Akuma cells. But how had those Akuma cells been retrieved? Maybe the Akuma themselves; but hardly were there ever any remains left after being destroyed. Maybe an Akuma had been captured? In any case, the point was that they must have retrieved those cells somehow, and through trial and error, those scientists had believed that they had gained adequate results. Of course, it blew up in their faces once Alma went on his rampage, but despite the tragedy, Central was persistent. But they couldn't think to try the exact same experiment all over again, could they? They knew the results of their first attempt…
And once he ran through all these thoughts, Allen remembered. Remembered what they were attempting to gain. General Cross' mission was to attain the Akuma Egg. The birthplace of all Akuma. And to Allen, it was clear what they planned to do with such a thing. They were determined to win this war, and using the enemy's own weapon against him, no matter how immoral, was something they were willing to do.
"Allen!" Alma called, literally shaking him out of his stupor. Blinking his wide eyes, Allen came back to reality, noticing Alma standing before him with a concerned expression.
"We have to destroy it." It took Allen a moment to realize that he'd spoken aloud, but he didn't bother to explain as he thought about it further. In the original timeline, they had actually obtained it! Thankfully, it had ended up getting destroyed, but at the cost of some of the scientists' lives. Even so, recovering even a small piece could have been disastrous. Allen briefly wondered what would have resulted from that, and just as quickly shoved the unwanted thought to the back of his head. It would be different this time. He was certain of it.
Alma's frown deepened. "What are you going on about, Allen?"
Taking a deep breath in order to control his nerves, Allen superstitiously looked around the great, empty corridor, before glancing back at Alma. "Not here," Allen whispered, "It has to do with you-know-what…"
Alma scrunched his face up in confusion, unsure of what he meant, but with the white-haired boy being unusually secretive, he finally figured that it most likely had something to do with his time traveling. Alma couldn't blame his paranoia. He'd seen enough golems flying around to make him a little paranoid himself.
Offering him an understanding nod, Allen gave a sigh of relief, and they both sprawled back down onto the floor, right against the wall in exhaustion. After another moment of silence, Alma muttered, "What a mess. What are we going to do?"
With a humorless chuckle, Allen replied, "One step at a time, Alma."
"Why do I get the feeling that I already know what that first step is?" Alma pouted, knowing all too well that he'd have to face Kanda sooner or later.
Allen simply smiled slightly, amused. It wasn't too long before Alma slumped against him, falling into a deep, restful sleep. Too weary to even think about getting up, Allen followed his lead. It wasn't until the early hours of the morning that the two boys were found, curled up next to each other in a calm slumber.
Time Frame — Night of September 3rd, 1895
"Allen? Alma? What are two doing out here?" Allen vaguely heard the familiar voice. They sounded amused. "Come on, you two. It's time to wake up."
With a defeated sigh, Allen blinked his sleep-filled eyes open, still feeling groggy. Carefully sitting up, Allen began to stretch out his stiff muscles, mindful of Alma, who refused to wake up. Seeing Lenalee's entertained expression, Allen offered her a sheepish smile.
"Don't tell me you got lost yet again," Lenalee remarked, attempting―and failing―to hold back her laughter.
Scratching his head sheepishly, Allen explained, "No, we were just tired from running around all day yesterday, so we sat down for bit, and then ended up falling asleep I guess."
Shaking her head in amusement, Lenalee suggested, "Well you two should go freshen up and have a quick breakfast. Brother wants you two to go to his office as soon as you can."
"Do you know why?" Allen frowned slightly. It'd be odd if Komui was already sending them out on a mission, taking into account that they'd only arrived yesterday. He usually tended to give Exorcists at least two or three days of rest in between missions, even when they were short on Exorcists. Plus, there was the fact that Alma had only been here for a day―and it wasn't exactly a great day, mind you―and he had yet to receive a uniform.
Lenalee thought about it for moment, before replying, "I think it's to get Alma registered in, since you guys didn't come back yesterday. Plus, Johnny needs to take his measurements."
Nodding, Allen decided to double check and asked, "Do you know if he'll be sending us out on a mission, soon?"
"He might," Lenalee shrugged helplessly. "A lot of the Exorcists are still out. Ever since that disaster at the Asian Branch, practically all of them were sent out by Central to help the CROW with the search, but once it ended, Brother just gave out missions to different groups rather than wasting time by having them come back. Lavi and Daisya had only shown up two days ago, and Brother already sent them out on a mission last night."
Allen made a face. "Those two on a mission together? I feel so sorry for those Finders!" This elicited a laugh from Lenalee. "What about Kanda?"
"He only just arrived from Central yesterday, but if I were to guess, Brother would probably send him with you two," Lenalee explained, with a small, guilty frown. Noticing Allen's questioning glance, she elaborated, "Miranda and I are off missions until further notice, since we're helping Krory settle in and are beginning training with him. I believe Brother is pulling General Yeeger in for a more official apprenticeship, though I believe it will only last a couple months since it seems Krory already has a good hold on his Innocence."
Smiling, Allen nodded in understanding. Originally, the war had begun to heat up, so an apprenticeship for Krory had never even been considered. "I'm glad. Krory is very quiet and shy, so I'm happy you'll be guiding him." Lenalee beamed, and a thought occurred to Allen. "Lenalee, I'm really sorry for what happened back at the Asian Branch."
She stared at him in confusion for a second, before furiously shaking her head. "No! If we'd been paying attention, you wouldn't have gotten lost in the first place!"
"Maybe, but I didn't mean to worry you that whole time I was gone," Allen said sincerely. Though he didn't regret saving Alma, he still felt guilty for leaving her behind, bearing in mind that he'd been there to accompany her in the first place.
Smiling softly, Lenalee said, "It's alright, Allen. I'm just glad you're safe."
"How was your training?" Allen distinctly remembered his frustration while training with Fou himself. She was vicious.
"Certainly a lot more difficult than I expected!" she exclaimed. "Honestly, if Brother knew some of the methods Fou used, I doubt he would have ever allowed me to go! But it did me a lot of good. I know I've gotten stronger!"
"That's great! I'm proud of you, Lenalee," Allen grinned.
A small blush lit up her face, and she suddenly said, "Well, you better hurry on, Allen, before Brother falls back asleep. I have to go meet up with Krory and Miranda!" And with that, she rushed off. Allen stared after her in surprise, before shaking it off. Now came the grueling task of waking up Alma. It's like he went back into a coma every time he fell asleep…
"Alma! Come on!" Allen grunted, forcefully pulling the dazed boy along.
"'m comin'," Alma mumbled blearily.
Glancing back at him, Allen asked in an incredulous voice, "Why are you still so tired?" They had both already showered and ate breakfast. You'd think that would be enough to awake the normally energetic boy.
Alma exhaled deeply as he came to an abrupt halt, causing Allen to stare at him in question. After a moment of silence, Alma ran a hand through his hair as he continued to frown. Avoiding the white-haired boy's gaze, he finally explained, "I kept having nightmares last night; about what happened that day. After Yuu found me."
Allen nodded in understanding, and then cringed slightly, as he recalled what Lenalee had told him earlier. "Err, Alma, about Kanda…"
Turning his tired gaze back to him, Alma asked, "What about him?"
Before Allen could explain, they were interrupted by the loud call of, "Allen!" They both turned to see Reever headed their way. After greetings and introductions, Reever said, "I was just going to let you know that the Chief was asking about you."
"Ah, yes. We were actually just headed to his office," Allen nodded with a smile.
"Then I'll be sure to send Johnny on his way, so he can assess your measurements," Reever smiled at Alma.
"Thank you, Reever!" Alma gave him an enthusiastic grin, despite his exhaustion.
They then continued on their trek to Komui's office. Entering, Allen was relieved to see Komui was actually awake. Then again, waking him up with that ridiculous method might've actually lightened up Alma's current mood. "Komui?" Allen called.
The bespectacled Supervisor glanced up and graced them with a smile. "Ah, yes. Alma, Allen, come in. I believe someone still needs to be registered?" At their apologetic looks, Komui assured them, "It's alright. I know all about what happened with the General yesterday. Now let's see…" As Allen and Alma took a seat on the couch across from Komui, he began to dig through the monstrosity of paperwork on his desk, until he was able to pull out a thin, crumpled packet from underneath one of the stacks. "Here," Komui handed it to Alma with a reassuring smile. "I know some Exorcists have special circumstances, so it's alright if you do not manage to fill everything out."
"Err, Komui? Shouldn't he be visiting Hevlaska first?" Allen pointed out to the oblivious Supervisor.
Komui blinked, and casually took a sip of his coffee. "Hm, yes. That sounds like an excellent idea." Abruptly, he jumped up and hurried out of the room, calling back, "Come along, boys~. I think we should give Hevlaska a visit~!"
Allen sweatdropped.
"Who's Hevlaska?" Alma inquired as they followed after the idiosyncratic at a much slower pace.
Allen contemplated his answer before replying, "She's a little intimidating at first, but she's in fact very gentle and kind. She'll be the one to identify your level of synchronization with your Innocence."
Unnoticed to Allen, Alma went rigid, recalling with a cringe the countless, excruciating synchronization tests he'd undergone back at the Asian Branch. Inhaling a shaky breath, Alma stumbled after him. He'd come to trust Allen, and if this is what he needed to do, he'd go willingly. Much to Alma's disappointment, the journey to Hevlaska's chamber was brief and they were soon facing her great, humanoid form. Alma's dark eyes widened at the sight of her, scarcely being able to fully intake her complete appearance.
"Gah!" he yelped, as she suddenly wrapped a tentacle around his form, and was hauled up without warning, but before he had a chance to protest, what seemed to be her forehead rested against his own figure. He cringed. Whatever she was doing, it felt unpleasant. Like she was poking and prodding at his insides. He almost gagged.
"3%… 18%… 36%… 57%… 63%… 79%… 91%…" Hevlaska pulled back and murmured in her echoing voice, "Your maximum synchro rate with your Innocence appears to be 91 percent." To Alma's astonishment, she simply set him down back onto the platform.
"Err, that was it?" Alma blinked, shocked at the seemingly harmless procedure. Albeit, it had been somewhat unnerving, but no agony had come upon him like he'd expected. Glancing up, he noticed Komui's curious expression and suddenly, Allen's devastated one.
Hastening over to his side, Allen rushed in a panicked whisper, "I'm so sorry, Alma! I should've been more clear! I'd forgotten what the synchronization tests were like for you…"
Alma nodded numbly as the other boy trailed off. "It's alright."
"Is everything okay? Allen? Alma?" Komui requested, observing their huddled forms with inquisitive eyes.
Noting that Alma was still in a stupor, Allen swiftly responded, "Ah, it's nothing, Komui. I think Alma just went into a bit of a shock. He'll be fine!"
Komui managed to unsuccessfully conceal an amused smirk. "Right. Happens to the best of us!"
Before Allen had a chance to comment on the other's sadism, Komui clasped his hands together and eagerly turned back to Hevlaska's tranquil profile. "So, Hevlaska! What is in store for Alma's Innocence?"
Alma faintly shuddered as the luminous form of Hevlaska turned back to him, breathing words over him in her resonating voice. "Alma Karma, in this impending struggle, when all hope has been forsaken, your Innocence will bring forth the 'Burning Guide in this Darkness'."
"Oooh~! That certainly sounds remarkable! Nice job, kid! You undoubtedly have a great destiny ahead of you!" Komui effused.
"Uh, thanks," Alma muttered with a blink, unsure of what to do in the face of Komui's enthusiasm. Allen shook his head in exasperation, but they thankfully headed back soon, in order to face Komui's monstrosity of paperwork. Fortunately for Alma, he was only required to fill out a minor fraction of that atrocity.
Back in Komui's office, Alma began to carefully write. He was sorely out of practice, and Allen had to occasionally assist him. Alma was embarrassed to find that he didn't know the answer to one of the first, simple questions. Turning to Allen, he tried to whisper, "Allen, I don't know my date of birth…"
Unfortunately for him, Komui heard him. Surprise colored his tone as he asked, "You don't know when you were born, Alma?" Self-consciously, Alma shook his head. He'd technically been "born" at the age of nine, but even then, it's not like they had ever celebrated it. According to Allen, it had been around seven years since then, and though that technically meant he should've been sixteen, Alma appeared to have only aged around four years. They eventually figured that it might've had something to do with the fact that he was barely being kept alive. The malnutrition had probably severely affected his bodily development. Allen supposed that it would've improved if the scientists had taken him again, since they would have needed him to be in top shape, but Alma would take this over that any day.
"I think I might be around Allen's age," Alma finally suggested.
Komui nodded in agreement. "Yes, you two do look quite young."
Allen's eye twitched in annoyance, before he recommended to Alma, "How about we put your birth date as January third?"
"What's so special about that date?" Alma tilted his head to the side, curious. But Allen simply shook his head. He couldn't exactly tell him that that had been the day in which he'd traveled back from the future; the day that had changed everyone's future. Especially Alma's. At least, not in front of Komui. Shrugging―and having noticed the discreet glance Allen had shot at Komui―Alma simply wrote it down, and then asked, "And the year?"
Swiftly doing the math in his head, Allen finally answered, "1882. It means you'll be fourteen in a couple months."
Soon enough they were done with the paperwork, and Johnny hadn't taken long in measuring Alma. Before they could leave though, Komui called them back. "I'm sorry, I know you've just arrived Alma, but I'm going to have to send you out on a mission already. You'll be accompanied by Kanda and Allen, so I'm sure you'll be fine." At this he gave them each a pamphlet with all the critical information on it, giving Allen an extra copy. "No one has been able to locate Kanda as of yet, but I'm sure he's somewhere around, probably training. You can let him know what's going on sometime today."
Allen internally sighed in relief, for the sake of Alma. Their meeting with Kanda had been postponed for now. Unfortunately, he'd forgotten to mention to Alma that there was a possibility of Kanda accompanying them in the first place, and now the dark-haired boy had frozen in shock. Thankfully, Komui was oblivious as he began to brief them.
"The Finders have come across yet another odd occurrence. I belief it is in a port town, down in Spain, so you'll simply take a boat, rather than going back to the mainland to take a train. As for the strange incidents going on…" Komui trailed off with a small frown.
"How bad is it?" Allen asked with a grimace of his own.
"Frankly, the Finders have not been investigating for very long. There have been threats written throughout the town. In blood, might I add. Normally, we would assume this to be the work of a human criminal, but the ashes of the victims being covered in pentacles says differently."
As Allen flipped through the pamphlet, he saw pictures of the victims, and warnings of further slaughters to come, crudely drawn across walls in dried up blood. Allen scowled, knowing those must've been done long before the victims had been killed and turned to ash. Allen sincerely hoped that the Noah hadn't become active. "How soon do we leave?"
"The boat will be leaving tonight, probably after dinner. Prepare adequately. I don't know how long this mission will take," Komui advised with a solemn expression.
"Right," Allen nodded.
"When will I receive my uniform?" Alma suddenly asked, recalling that he didn't have one yet.
"Johnny should have it done sometime this afternoon, so he'll drop it off at your room then."
Allen then turned to Alma as he got up, "Come on, we should probably go pack up and look for Kanda."
Alma stiffened and wearily followed after the white-haired boy.
Time Frame — Night of September 3rd, 1895
"So, what do you think?" Alma beamed. Allen discreetly rolled his eyes, knowing that Alma was only happy because he'd managed to elude Kanda so far, though Allen couldn't find it in himself to blame him.
"It looks good," Allen simply nodded with a small smile. Alma had finally received his Exorcist uniform, courtesy of Johnny. The black uniform consisted of a sleeveless, button-up jacket with a hood on it, heavily lined in silver, and with a loose, black long-sleeve underneath to cover his arms. His black trousers were simple, with only silver lines on the sides, and his dark boots zipped up at the front, similar to Allen's.
Flipping the hood atop his head, Allen heard him mutter, "At least it means I can hide from Yuu for a bit longer…"
Deciding to tease him a bit, Allen remarked, "Wow Alma, I never figured you'd be this scared of Kanda."
Alma pouted. "You know it's not that…"
Sighing, Allen simply nodded, and then said, "I know, but sooner is better than later. And the mission will go more smoothly if we can confront Kanda soon, rather than in the middle of it. It'll only cause chaos, especially if he recognizes your Innocence in the middle of battle…"
"Yeah. Alright," Alma finally agreed.
"Let's get going, the boat will be leaving soon." And it was a reluctant Alma that trudged after him.
It seemed Alma was pretty determined in his avoidance. They had been aboard the boat for days now, and Kanda had yet to take much notice of him. Then again, it didn't help that Alma had resolutely pulled the hood far over his head and had maintained a meek personality―an attitude loathed by Kanda. The only real acknowledgement he'd gotten was a small sneer in his direction, before Kanda had abruptly stopped taking notice of either of them.
"Alright," Allen muttered under his breath, "This is getting ridiculous!" Abruptly taking a hold of each of their arms, Allen began to stride determinedly down the side walkways of the boat, and away from the milling crowd of passengers. He dearly hoped this confrontation wouldn't turn into destructive combat. At least they were nearing land, just in case the captain suddenly decided he was throwing them off board.
"Beansprout! What the hell?!" Kanda growled, but Allen was too stubborn to release him just yet. Alma squirmed a bit, before stumbling after him in resignation. Once they managed to reach a small niche that seemed relatively private, Allen finally released them and turned to look at them. Kanda had an annoyed scowl, but fortunately, didn't stomp off. It was hard to tell what Alma was thinking with the hood shadowing his face, but Allen could take a guess.
Allen took a deep breath, and slowly began, "I know this isn't going to exactly be easy, but you guys need to figure this out. What has been done, is done, but we have figure out the now."
"What the hell are you going on about, beansprout?" Kanda narrowed his eyes further, arms crossed.
"It's…" Alma surprisingly spoke up, and then hesitated. He shifted awkwardly, and rather than saying anymore, he slowly lifted his hands to his hood, gently tugging it back. "It's me, Yuu. I'm back."
"What. The. Fuck?" Kanda snarled, beyond enraged, pressing Mugen harshly against Alma's neck.
"Y-Yuu," Alma gasped pathetically.
"DON'T FUCKING CALL ME THAT!" he roared, with an instant slash of his katana.
Fortunately, Allen managed to pull him away in time. "Calm down, Kanda! You're attracting attention!"
"The hell if I care!" Kanda snapped, breathing heavily. But then, he noticed the small crowd gathering in their direction. "Damn it!" Kanda suddenly shoved his way through the milling people, and stormed off.
"Are you boys alright?" one of the workers was brave enough to ask, as Kanda disappeared around the corner.
"Yes, sir," Allen gave him a weary nod, placing a hand on Alma's shaking shoulder. "We just upset him a bit, is all." He then turned to Alma. "Come on. We'll let him cool down for now."
Time Frame — Morning of September 10th, 1895
Shockingly enough, it was Kanda that sought them out.
"You better have a fucking good explanation for this, beansprout," Kanda growled, abruptly slamming the door to their room open. Allen startled so badly, he fell out his chair. Rather than take any comfort in the amusing scene, Alma merely tensed and avoided any eye-contact whatsoever with the seething Exorcist. "Well?!" Kanda demanded, nearly crushing the doorknob in his fierce grip.
Trying to make light of the situation, Allen merely rolled his eyes as he picked himself up. "Sheesh, Kanda. I know you're pretty stupid, but at the very least, try using your brain every once in a while."
Kanda gritted his teeth. "I don't have time for this, you damn beanspro—"
"Then pay attention," Allen surprisingly bit out. "What the hell do you think is going on? That I was taking a walk in the park, and then suddenly came upon your long-lost friend? No. Get a fucking clue, Kanda. Whatever the hell you did to him all those years ago, he survived, and then got tossed aside by those damn scientists like an unwanted, broken toy." Allen breathed heavily due to his outburst. Alma and Kanda seemed slightly shocked by it; almost as much as Allen, but he wasn't planning on taking it back. "Kanda, you were interrogated because you were suspected of breaking him out. Well, newsflash; I'm the one who broke him out. I was never kidnapped… Anymore stupid questions?"
Kanda simply narrowed eyes, lips thinning as he finally crumpled the doorknob in his fist. "Just one. Am I right in guessing that he tried to kill you at first?"
About to defend him, Allen was surprised when it was Alma who spoke up instead. "Well, it's a little scary to wake up in an unknown place when you've been in a coma for the past seven years."
Kanda sneered. "Still didn't stop your homicidal tendencies, did it, you little brat?"
"At least I haven't been acting as the Order's marionette this whole time!" Alma shockingly glared back, unwilling to back down in the face of Kanda's temper. All of a sudden, he deflated. "I'm sorry, Yuu. I just don't understand how you can keep doing their bidding. Not after discovering that…"
"Because I still have unfinished business from before. This my best bet… Alma. And I won't let anyone, get in the way of that," Kanda finally replied, remaining stone-faced.
"Okay, Yuu," Alma nodded, attempted to bring out his customary grin, but no one spoke after that.
The tense silence was finally broken by Kanda, as he turned his back on them. "The boat's already at the docks. We should get going."
They gathered their belongings and finally made their way off the boat, the tension never quite leaving them as they continued to not speak. As they made it into town, their sharp ears all caught the sharp sound of a cackle in the distance. Swiftly examining their surroundings, Kanda finally spoke up, "What the hell is that thing?" Glancing over to where he'd pointed, they were just able to make out an armored, humanoid figure in the distant sky.
Allen frowned, knowing exactly what it was. "It's a Level 3!" he called, as he began to sprint, shoving aside the crowds.
"Ah! Wait up, Big Brother!" Alma shouted, quickly running after the snowy-haired boy.
Kanda blinked, astonished at the title. "… The fuck?" Shaking it off, he immediately hurried after them, all the while yelling, "What the fuck did you do to him, beansprout?!"
IMPORTANT A/N: Please read! I need a favor from all of you! You see, I'm having a bit of a debate on who I should make the Host for the Heart of Innocence, but I'm still having trouble deciding. So, would you all terribly mind going over to my profile and voting on the poll I set up? It would mean so much to me!(: Because I already have a poll though, I will not be accepting review votes! I want this to be as anonymous as possible, because whoever becomes the Host won't be revealed until much later in the story! Thanks!(:
By the way, I've published some new D. Gray-Man FanFictions since I last updated this story, so you guys should go ahead and check them out, if you haven't already that is!n_n
Oh, and just so you know, I'm probably going to skip the whole fight with the Level 3, since it won't contribute much to the plot. Plus, I've got much bigger things planned for the next chapter!(; Thank you for reading everyone, and please don't forget to review!:D