Chapter 2 - Truth about the Potion

Red woke up to a splintering headache, sitting up, he put his hand up to his head. He could also barely make out what the other people in the room were saying.

"Cross... potion... Allen... Red... slowly... re-aging... past..." He faintly heard the talking and tried to focus on who was talking. There were only two other people this time, the crazy scientist(Komui) and some red-headed lady-man.

"Ah! He's awake!" He heard the scientist exclaim and Red looked over at him. The red-headed man walked over and studied him, then grunted, "He seems to be the age when he traveled with Mana." The man said, looking at Red in the eye.

Red looked down confused as new memories entered his head, Mana, the truth about Carla, traveling, his new name, the dog, leaving the damned circus. "Mana..?" His voice sounded a bit kinder, but still held the roughness and accent. Komui knitted his brows and looked at the papers in his hand, "So... it does slowly re-age the affected person."

The red-haired man sighed and took the papers from Komui, "Shit... In a couple days we'll have to deal with..." He looked over at Red and bent down, "What is your name?"

"Red, but ta clown named Mana keeps callin' me Allen. A-And on some days, he'd call me... Nea?" Red looked confused, and he also felt confused on the inside.

"I see... He's losing it..." The man whispered, giving Red a saddened look. "My name is Marian Cross. But you can call me Cross. Komui! Inform the others about Red's condition." Cross ordered and the scientist nodded, running off.

Cross looked back at Red and saw the conflict and confusion in the boy's eyes, but it still had their sharp edge. "Where is he..? Mana?" Red asked, his accent growing weaker and Cross patted Red's head.

"He'll be home soon. For now we'll look after you." Cross stood up and walked out of the room. Pulling out a cigarette, he lit it and leaned against the wall. "It seems he doesn't remember being here earlier." He mumbled, looking over at the watchdog, Link.

"Did he mention anything about the 14th?" Link asked and Cross sighed, "No. Can you leave the boy in peace for now? Soon, something will happen to him and just in case, I need to talk to a certain someone." Cross left and went over into Komui's office, taking the phone and dialing a number.

"Mother? Yeah, it's me. Listen... it's about Allen..."

"CROSS IS ALIVE!?" Lavi yelled as soon as Komui told them the news.

"Yes, and it seems Allen doesn't remember us." Komui finished, looking at Johnny, Reever, Lavi, Lenalee, and Kanda. "He's still Red, but now he's the age where he first began traveling with Mana."

"Allen..." Lenalee looked worried. "I wonder... is his next aging when... he... you know... tried to bring Mana back?"

Everyone stayed silent as they thought about it. He'll slowly have to revert back to his original age, meaning he'd probably soon have to go through having the hole created in his heart as well. Unless the Science Department could come up with the antidote soon.

"Anyway, we need to help him. It seems his injuries from before healed when he aged, meaning the abused period in his life has ended. He still has his accent and everything, the cold glare included. But it does seem he's warmed to people a bit. I saw more emotion in his eyes... more than he'd show us even now." Komui added the last part to himself.

Cross walked in and Tim ate his cigarette. "Listen here brats, Allen will soon in about two days age again. As you may have predicted, his next growth will be when he makes a contract with the Earl to bring Mana back. But judging by how much he aged this time, it will be after the process of being cursed." Cross sat down and looked at them seriously. "Let's just say, the next age will be hell. Literal hell."

"Why's that?" Lavi asked and Tim sat on Cross's head, getting comfy.

"It will be hell because Allen will have to endure the pain that was caused to him. Physical and mental. Let's say, the pain lasted a month. Allen yelled and screamed till he lost his voice the whole time as convulsive pain coursed through the left side of his face. I had to literally hold him down to stop his thrashing as I tried to clean the wound. The left size of his face was also swollen and red, you could barely recognize him." Cross crossed his legs and lit another cigarette as he watched everyone's expressions change. "After that, I had to play father and help him as he was traumatized. He never moved from the spot on the bed and barely slept. His heart was damaged, and it seriously affected him. He didn't even touch his food. I had to... never-mind that, let's just say I had to take care of him. When I finally got him to talk, he had on the Mask of Mana, which as we all know, became permanent on him."

Everyone looked down, and Lenalee nearly broke down into tears. Lavi looked grim and thought about the always smiling boy. Kanda kept his stone face, but on the inside, he though about how he and Allen both had pretty fucked up lives. Komui didn't know how to feel. They sat there in the sad silence, now knowing what to prepare for.

The next day, Red was talking with Lenalee and Lavi about Mana and how to do some tricks. "He also taught me how ta preform this one cool trick! I tol' 'im I wanted to be a cool clown afta' all! Ya see, Mana is ta only one who'd treat me human, though he kept callin' me the same name as 'is dead dog."

"I-I see." Lenalee said, glancing at Lavi who still had on his everlasting grin. Fake, just like Allen's.

"It's getting a little late, how 'bout we head on to bed so we can get up tomorrow and have more fun then?" Lavi stood up and Red glared at him, disappointed. "I don' wanna."

"Come on. Besides, Mana said he'd come back tomorrow night." Lenalee gave him a smile and his face brightened at the mention of the name. "M'kay!"

Lenalee traded a glance with Lavi and nodded, picking the small bony boy up, they made their way to Allen's room. Placing him in the bed, they gave him the brightest smile they could and left the room. Cross and Komui were already there, Cross holding a rope. "Mother suggested it. Seeing as I had a little trouble last time, she mentioned maybe it'd go easier with this rope."

Komui and Cross entered the room and drugged the sleeping boy, tying him up in the rope, all four of them waited for when Allen would wake up. With his dreaded screams.

Sudden screams woke Komui and Lenalee. They bolted into Allen's room to find Cross and Lavi already there. Lenalee gasped at the sight, Allen's hair was white, like how she knew him, but his face, it was just as Cross had said. Allen was screaming his head off and Cross tried to straddle him, so he could pop some drugs into Allen's mouth to make him sleep, but Allen's thrashing through the rope made it hard.

Cross looked over at Lavi and said something they couldn't hear over Allen's screaming, but it seemed Lavi understood because he ran out of the room.

Komui ran over to Cross to try and help him and Lenalee stood guard at the door, just in case any wanderers don't get to mortified. She saw Lavi return with Kanda and Link following him.

"Oi, baka usagi, who's screaming and what's happening?" She heard Kanda yell and Link seemed to realize before Kanda it was Allen. Link ran into the room and Lavi told Kanda that Allen had aged and that he was in pain. When Kanda entered the room, he froze and his eyes widened a small bit.

"Moyashi..?" He asked as Link ran beside Allen.

"Marian Cross what is happening?!" Link demanded, glaring at Cross before returning his attention to the screaming boy.

"He aged, now help me and bind him before he brakes the ropes!" Cross yelled and Link stared at Allen for a few moments, before pulling out his talismans and binding Allen.

Cross told Kanda to hold Allen down as he struggled in the bindings and Kanda complied without saying anything. He dropped Mugen into Lenalee's hands and walked over, holding the boy down. Cross grinned and finally got the meds into Allen's mouth. Allen slowly began to calm down and soon passed out, leaving the room in silence.

"She was right. It IS easier the second time!" Cross laughed and then stopped, realizing the tension in the room. "So, you guys can go rest and we can take turns watching him. This only lasts two days right? I can handle first shift." Cross pulled over a chair and Link sat on his bed. Everyone else left the room and Link began to glare at Cross.

"Explanation. NOW." He ordered and Cross got comfy in the chair.

"Fine! God you're so uptight. Listen closely for his next age..." Cross began, measuring the ages till he reached 16.

Chapter end! Review if you want and I'll see you next time!

Bye!
~Stormi