D. Gray-man Fan Fiction ❯ A Game of Poker ❯ Unconscious ( Chapter 12 )

A/N: This is my first multichapter fanfic for the DGM fandom! Yay! I'm fairly new to the fandom, but hopefully I haven't made any unforgivable mistakes.

 

Warnings: YAOI, which means BOYS LOVING BOYS. If you dislike that, then the back button is easy enough to find. Please click that and leave. Limes are in the future, and lemons in the uncut versions (not on fanfiction(dot)net). Maybe some OOC, spoilers for the end of the anime later on.

 

Disclaimer: I don't own these lovely characters, that honor belongs to Katsura Hoshino. (Though if Hoshino-sama ever has a sale, I call dibs on Tyki… what?) I don't own anything but a copy of the anime series and all volumes of the manga in English. Anything you don't recognize (like the plotline of `A Game of Poker') does belong to me. Everything else… not so much. Please don't sue.

 

Kudos to the awesome SisterWicked of AssHat Productions (a group I am now a proud member of), who got me started on Lucky and lets me use 'lovely'! Beta'd by Misster Cackles! All remaining mistakes are mine.

 

MORE LUCKY: I have a new oneshot for this pairing called `A Question of Eternity' if anyone would like to read more of my Lucky work!

 

Last Time On `A Game Of Poker':

 

"Tease!" he called, summoning the butterfly-shaped golems that dwelled within his body. They began to pour out from inside of him, many larger than the width of his hands though most were the small, black colored butterflies all of the Tease began life as. They filled the air, fluttering and hovering as Road's illusion world continued to spread.

 

And Now, The Continuation

 

A Game of Poker, Chapter 12

Unconscious

 

Lavi stumbled through the door, tripping down the three steps and landing hard on his uninjured side. The impact made him wince, but he quickly pushed himself to his feet and turned back towards the door Tyki had just shoved him through. Out of habit, he noted the obvious state of decay the Ark was in.

 

Unlike the pristine white of Allen's Ark, the Earl's 'buildings' holding the doors were already brown with age and crumbling. The pavement beneath Lavi's feet was cracked and the entire place stank of mold, almost like an old tomb. The only visible plants by the street were dead and withered. The Exorcist quickly pushed his observations to the back of his mind with an irritated huff. He wasn't sure what the older man had planned, but he couldn't just leave Tyki to face Road, the Earl, and all the Akuma by himself.

 

Lavi was aware that he was hurt - it was impossible not to notice, as he was getting dizzier and dizzier from the blood loss and his wounds throbbed painfully. He didn't care. The redhead staggered towards the door, motions as quick as he could make them with his injured body. All of his attention was solely on the portal out, a desperation he was unfamiliar with sinking into his muscles as anxiety made his breath come quick and uneven. Tyki's Tease fluttered by his head, following him.

 

There was no way he would abandon the Noah to fight alone, not after all the Pleasure had done to save his life. Even if he didn't have that debt hanging over his head, Lavi was fairly certain he wouldn't be able to think of any alternative paths besides going right back to the Earl's hideout and rashly trying to save Tyki.

 

Just as he put his foot on the first step, light began to shine from the door. Lavi's eyes widened, seeing the explosion a split second before he heard it. It was far too late to dodge as the sound filled his ears. A hot wind picked him up off his feet and flung him backward. He cried out as his back struck the crumbling wall of a building on the opposite side of the street.

 

The impact rattled him, sending a painful jolt through his body. He was certain that he had heard a distinct, worrisome 'crack' when his arms - flung straight out like he was being crucified - struck the crumbling brick of the building. Ancient and rotting or not, brick was still brick. His head hit the wall hard, stunning him temporarily. Lavi's body slowly collapsed to the ground, a miniature shower of rock dust, pebbles, and bits of wood from the exploded building pelting him. He lay there for several moments, stunned.

 

Slowly, arms shaking, he pushed himself up. The redhead coughed wetly as the motion stirred up the settling dust, pushing himself to his feet as soon as the racking coughs subsided. He coughed again as the dust and rocks and wood pieces fell off his back, dropping to the ground and stirring up yet more dust. He staggered forward, away from the rubble towards where the door should be. He wiped at his face, able to feel the grainy bits of dust clinging to his skin. At least the fall hadn't shoved any of the candles in deeper, since he was in terrible enough shape as it was without extra help.

 

He stopped in shock seconds later, the Tease flapping around his head. Where the door should have been was only a smoking crater, the buildings to either side burned black. He stared, dumbstruck. A lump rose in his throat, choking him as he fell to his knees. The pebbles and wooden splinters dug into his knees and he could feel the cracked pavement scrape off a few layers of skin, but he couldn't bring himself to care. He no longer possessed the strength to stand.

 

Tyki was strong but the Earl was stronger. Lavi wasn't sure if the Noah could pass through one of Road's illusions, since the Dreams's illusions weren't quite 'of this world' and with so many high level Akuma...

 

Lavi shook his head violently. The situation would have been fatal for an Exorcist, but Tyki was a Noah. Hadn't Allen said something about Noah being able to order Akuma to self-destruct? It at least worked on Level Two's, if he was remembering correctly, and a Bookman never forgets.

 

Even so, though the older man had that advantage, one Noah could not hope to take down Road, who was rumored to be the eldest of the clan, despite her appearance, and the Earl, all by himself. The Pleasure would need help as quickly as possible and now that the redhead was thinking, he wasn't foolish enough to find a door that would lead him back to Tyki and almost certain death. As much as his heart cried out and begged him to go back, he would not. The older man had probably destroyed the Ark's door to protect him and if he went back, he would undo what the Noah had worked for. With his wounds, he would only be a burden.

 

But what could he do? He couldn't just abandon Tyki-

 

A sharp bite to his ear brought him back to the real world, his hand coming to swat the Tease aside as it continued to gnaw on him. The butterfly flew away from the hand, circling Lavi's head angrily. It was almost like when Tim-

 

Timcanpy.

 

Allen.

 

Allen would help. The white haired boy had never hated the Noah and wanted to save them just as much as he wanted to save the lost souls of the Akuma. The Crown Clown sword had been born out of that purpose, hadn't it?

 

He had to get to Allen. The British Exorcist was probably at Headquarters and even if he wasn't, then Komui or Reever should be able to contact him. The white-haired boy controlled the Ark, so he could even immediately go to Tyki's side and help.

 

He had to get back to Headquarters.

 

Gritting his teeth, Lavi pushed himself to his feet. At the swift motion, his head swam and blackness swarmed in front of his eyes. He staggered, almost tripping over some of the debris from the explosion before catching his balance. The hammer-user put a hand to his head, shutting his eyes as he willed the dizziness to subside. He could hear the Tease's wings flapping by his ear, then a soft weight on his shoulder as it settled there. Wings brushed his face lightly, almost encouraging.

 

Slowly, he lowered his hand. The dizzy spell had mostly passed, but it was a bad sign. After he found Allen he would have to get to the infirmary as quickly as he could. He just hoped his body held out long enough for him to find the white-haired boy. Darkness still hovered on the edge of his vision and his mind was fogged, making it hard to think.

 

He couldn't pass out here. He had to get to Headquarters.

 

"Show me the way?" he asked the Tease, turning his head slowly to look at the golem perched on his shoulder. Even that cautious movement sent his head swimming. The Tease flapped quickly and took off, moving in front of the Exorcist and hovering there. Lavi took a step forward, following. The butterfly turned and began flying, pausing every few seconds so Lavi could keep up. Each step was dizzying and the blackness threatened to overtake him. The blow to his head had probably given him a concussion. Now that he thought about it, he did feel nauseous...

 

He stumbled along after the butterfly, blinking and squinting as he tried to overcome the fog wrapped around his brain. He closed his eyes for a moment, bringing his hands up to rub his temples.

 

Something light hit his face and he stopped, opening his eyes and blinking at the Tease that had just landed on his nose.

 

"Huh?" he asked, crossing his eyes to get a better look and then uncrossing them again as the motion increased his headache. He moved to take a step forward but the golem bit down on his nose.

 

"Ouch! What was that-?" he asked, but stopped when the Tease took off and began to fly towards the ground just in front of Lavi. The redhead watched as the butterfly's body sunk without any visible resistance into what looked like solid concrete. Demonstration done, the Tease flew back up to hover in front of Lavi's eyes. Slowly, the butterfly began to fly to the left, making what looked like a wide circle around what the redhead presumed to be a hole in the Ark's floor.

 

Cautiously, the Exorcist began to follow the path the Tease had made, moving around by the edge of the street inside the Ark until the butterfly golem once again moved to the center. The redhead noted that they passed several doors, at least half of them almost falling off their hinges. The other doors were likely in use, since some were wide open and other just barely ajar. He continued to stumble after the butterfly, legs like jelly.

 

The Tease carefully guided him around two more smaller holes, then stopped, hovering in front of a squat, dilapidated building. The wooden door seemed to be in fairly good repair, set into the houselike structure at street level. With a grateful smile, the redhead staggered to the door and put his hand on the handle. His head was more fogged than ever - it took him several minutes to recall what Headquarters looked like. The darkness that had waited at the edge of his vision had crept stealthily along to claim most of his sight and his head throbbed. The dizziness made it hard to stand and he could feel himself swaying, but he held onto the cold metal of the door.

 

He had to get to Allen.

 

The entrance hall to HQ would have to do for his arrival. Arriving anywhere else could cause a panic, since this Ark was clearly not their Ark. He would be attacked before anyone realized who he was and in his state he could hardly fight off Allen or Kanda until someone realized that he was Lavi.

 

Wings fluttered by his ear as Tyki's golem landed on his shoulder and settled there. The redhead chuckled dryly to himself as he opened the door.

 

"So you're coming too? Might not be a bad idea..." No one in the Order would be likely to believe that a Noah helped an Exorcist, but with the Tease as proof he might be able to convince a few skeptics. He stumbled through the door, just remembering to pull it shut behind himself to close off the portal before his legs gave out.

 

He collapsed onto the floor of the otherwise deserted entrance hall in the Headquarters of the Black Order, eyes shutting as the darkness finally overtook him. The butterfly fluttering frantically around his head was the last thing he saw as his eyes slid shut.

 

Line Break

 

Allen munched thoughtfully on his food, listening to Lenalee as the Chinese Exorcist spoke. The amount of food in front of the white haired boy was almost triple what it normally was, since he hadn't been in the cafeteria or eaten properly for almost a week. Kanda sat next to him, completely healed and pretending to ignore his two dining companions as he had soba for the first time since his fight with Tyki Mikk.

 

"-he has just been so out of it and distracted lately. That's not like him. I'm getting worried."

 

"Krory said he'd ask about it while they were on their mission." the white haired boy offered helpfully. "Lavi knows he can talk to any of us. We just have to wait for him to be ready."

 

Kanda gave a huff of disagreement, picking up some soba with his chopsticks. Allen elbowed him, though he didn't strike as hard as he could, causing the Japanese Exorcist to drop the noodles back onto his plate. The swordsman shot him a belligerent glare.

"Watch what you're doing, moyashi." he growled. He had been crankier than usual since he had lost the fight, but Allen couldn't help but feel an enormous sense of relief that Kanda was once again awake to snap at him. The swordsman had woken up shortly after Lavi had left the previous day and had almost immediately requested another mission. Komui had denied him one, since Mugen was still undergoing repairs.

 

Even though relief was his chief emotion, he couldn't let Kanda see. He glared back at the other male, eyes narrowed.

 

"How many times do I have to tell you it's 'Allen', BaKanda?" he demanded. Kanda turned away from him, obviously unconcerned.

 

"Che." The dismissal was made all the more obvious as the Japanese man picked up his steaming mug of tea and took a sip. The British boy opened his mouth to speak when he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. He turned instinctively towards it, ire with Kanda forgotten. His eyes widened as he recognized the source of the motion.

 

One of Tyki Mikk's carnivorous butterflies was just behind Lenalee's head, flying straight at them.

 

"Lenalee! Duck!"

 

The girl heeded the warning instantly, years of fighting having trained her to act on such cries from an ally before thinking. She bent, pressing herself to the table as Allen activated his Innocence and reached for the golem. It evaded, flying above his clawlike fingers, but didn't deviate from its course.

 

"Allen, what-" Lenalee began, turning her head to see what the British boy was trying and failing hit. Her eyes widened, a gasp escaping her lips. "A Noah? Here?"

 

The Tease flew out of Allen's reach, flying in a circle above their heads. No one else in the mostly empty cafeteria seemed aware of the small drama happening at the Exorcist's table. It wasn't as if Allen's Innocence was an odd sight, especially not with Kanda sitting at the same table.

 

"A Noah?" the swordsman echoed, reaching instinctively for Mugen before remembering he didn't have his weapon at the moment. A look of irritation crossed his face as he scanned the lunchroom suspiciously. "Where?"

 

"The butterfly." Allen said quickly. Kanda's eyes fixed on the flying creature, darkening in anger as he recognized the golem.

 

"One of his, isn't it? He can't be far away." the Japanese man said, hand flexing as if around the hilt of a sword. "He has much to answer for."

 

Lenalee cautiously straightened, her eyes also fixed on the Tease.

 

"Why isn't it attacking?" she asked. Allen shrugged, not looking at her. The motion cost him. As if spurred by her question and sensing the white-haired boy's momentary distraction, the butterfly suddenly dove. It flew at the female Exorcist, causing her to let out a choked cry of alarm. Allen reached for the golem, clawed fingers swiping through the air but not hitting the metal creature. It moved swiftly around his slicing fingers, coming to land gently on the bridge of Lenalee's nose. All three Exorcist's froze, Kanda drawing in a sharp breath.

 

The Tease's wings opened and closed, alternately revealing and hiding Lenalee's wide, frightened eyes.

 

"Don't move." Allen said unnecessarily. Lenalee made a small noise of acknowledgment, careful not to nod or make any sort of motion. The British boy could feel his heart pound, mind racing a he tried to figure out how to get the creature away. Lenalee didn't seem to be in pain - had the creature not bitten her yet?

 

Odd, but it was only a matter of time.

 

He couldn't simply stab the golem, since his Crown Clown would pass right through it and into Lenalee's face. His claws were not made for grabbing things, so delicately gripping the butterfly's wings and tugging wouldn't work. Slicing at it could very well rip scars into his friend's face. Even if they would have had Mugen, the sword wouldn't be of much use given where the Tease had landed.

 

"Allen?" Lenalee's voice broke into his thoughts. "I-It hasn't bitten me yet." Her frightened expression had melted into one of awe. "I don't think it means any harm."

 

She held up her finger in an invitation for the butterfly to perch on that instead of her face, much to Allen's disbelief. He could hear Kanda's shocked 'ha' next to his ear, meaning the Japanese man was just as surprised as Allen. The Tease was dangerous - even if Lenalee hadn't fought Tyki, she had certainly seen what the man could do with even one little golem.

 

The Tease ignored the finger and flew back into the air. It turned and began to head for the lunchroom doors and then, as if noticing that none of the Exorcists were following, it circled back and flew around their heads before moving once again towards the doors. It paused, hovering between the three at the table and the way out.

 

"Maybe it wants us to follow?" Allen suggested hesitantly, not sure of the creature's motives, if such a thing could be said to have motives. He kept Crown Clown activated, regarding the Tease with suspicion.

 

"Follow a butterfly?" Kanda asked, turning back to his food in disgust. "I have better things to do, moyashi."

 

Before Allen could speak, the Tease was back. It swooped down and grabbed one of Kanda's long forelocks in its teeth, yanking on the hair and drawing a half pained, half-surprised yelp from the Japanese Exorcist. The swordsman swiped at it, knocking his hair free and putting a hand to his head where it had been abused. He glared at the offending golem. The butterfly seemed to ignore him, fluttering over to Allen and gently biting into the material of his clothes. The Tease pulled the white haired boy towards the door urgently.

 

"I think you're right, Allen." Lenalee said, standing. She looked directly at the butterfly, determined. "Go. We'll follow."

 

The British boy nodded in agreement, standing as well. Kanda, resigned, sighed and set down his chopsticks. He slid off the bench then stood and followed the other two out the door.

 

Line Break

 

Tyki panted heavily, arms hanging by his sides as sweat soaked his shirt. He wasn't injured, of course, since he hadn't allowed anything to touch him, but he was dangerously close to exhaustion. It wouldn't have been such as issue if his opponents weren't so much better off. The Akuma had been destroyed early on, but ordering them to self-destruct had taxed his mental resources. It had taken quite a bit of willpower to order the Level Threes to self-destruct. The explosions had rocked the room and blasted two of the walls to smithereens. The sturdy rocks that had once made the walls now littered the floor, now only so many pebbles and chunks of stone.

 

Most of his Tease had been destroyed, but they had managed to attack the Earl and Road several times. The Earl had faint scratches from where the golems had tried and failed to bite through his skin. The man's favorite coat was now in tatters. Tyki couldn't help but be pleased about that. If not for one small thing, he would be very happy with himself.

 

The Earl didn't seem angry at the loss of his coat. Facial expressions meant nothing as the man was always smiling, but his aura had gotten no more murderous than when he had first entered the room. In fact, the Earl seemed incredibly happy for the situation, all due to an odd sheet of paper the man had in his hands.

 

It was a long rectangle with strange, black symbols Tyki was unfamiliar with on the front side. It was apparently a talisman or seal of some sort. It was nothing good, not from the way the Earl kept trying to hit him with it. Logically it would pass right through him, but his instincts told him to be wary and he had dodged the scrap of paper every time.

 

Road was barely damaged, since her healing powers were strongest of all the Noah. Tyki had made sure to break her illusion quickly, stepping through one of the wrapped walls of Road's dream dimension. She hadn't attempted to box him in again, for which he was grateful. Stepping through the wall had taxed his strength - it was as if he had been trying to walk through peanut butter without the use of his powers. The wall had resisted his passage through it, as if it never wanted to let him out. Air had never tasted sweeter than when he had finally broken free. Road, at the moment, was nowhere to be seen, but the older man could hardly worry about where she was when the Earl was an immediate threat.

 

The Earl waved the paper.

 

"Now now, Tyki-pon, hold still." The Earl's voice was a mockery of polite sweetness. "A silly little piece of paper is hardly a thing to fear."

 

"You saying that only makes me more wary of it." Tyki replied, moving his arms up wearily to guard himself. The fat man stepped closer. The Pleasure's legs were tiring, which would make dodging difficult.

 

"Tyki!"

 

The Noah jerked instinctively towards the sound, eyes opening wide as he recognized the voice. Surely the Exorcist hadn't come back, had he?

 

Except that he apparently had. Tyki froze in place. Lavi stood just feet away from him. The redhead's green eye was open wide with shock and fear, so similar to the stricken expression Lavi had worn the first time the Noah had tried killing him that it sent a chill through Tyki's body. What was the Exorcist doing back here of all places? Didn't he understand that it was dangerous?!

 

"Lavi-!"

 

He had been paused a second too long and had forgotten where he was. Something hit his chest with the force of a sledgehammer. Tyki stumbled back, stunned and gasping for air; the blow had knocked the wind out of him. He tripped over a rock, falling hard to the ground. The stones dug harshly into his back.

 

He didn't understand. Nothing should have been able to touch him. Nothing!

 

His body felt as if gravity had decided to pull on him with ten times its usual strength. His every limb felt weighed down, thick and heavy. His chest, where the blow had struck, felt like it was on fire. His shirt had somehow been torn in two, the front open and cloth pooled by his sides. He burned with the fires of hell itself and then the flames moved. They burrowed deeper into his chest, scorching him down to what seemed to be his very core. His hair was plastered to his forehead, damp with sweat and only getting wetter as his body tried to sweat out the immense heat moving inside of him.

 

His stigmata faded and disappeared. He could see his hands and see his skin as the gray color evaporated into a lighter, almost white shade. His natural olive skin was back and he hadn't desired to turn `white'.

 

Footsteps approached. The Earl. Tyki gritted his teeth and did his best to lift his head to glare, but he couldn't. Everything felt so heavy...

 

Where was Lavi? Had he already been killed? When had the redhead managed to sneak back?

 

"What did you.. do to me?" Tyki managed to say, voice choked as he questioned the Earl. He lifted a hand, vaguely noticing that his weapons had disappeared, and moved it to his chest. Something that felt like paper met his fingers, if paper could be that hot without combusting. He drew back and let his arm fall by his side, eyes clouded by the pain.

 

"It's a rather complicated paper seal, though you wouldn't have seen this one before, Tyki-pon," the Earl replied happily, stepping forward to loom over the Noah. "I specially designed this one in case I ever needed to discipline one of my Noah. Sadly enough, I've had cause to use it a number of times."

 

"How-?" Tyki ground out, breath shallow. Specially designed or not, it should not have been able to touch him!

 

"How did I get it to connect?" the Earl asked, guessing the Pleasure's query. "Not all of the Noah are tangible, but there is one weakness all Noah share. The ink I use for these is special - instead of destroying Innocence, I grind it up and mix it with the ink."

 

Another set of footsteps approached, these much lighter than the Earl's had been. Road came into view above Tyki as well, her expression distant and cold.

 

"Wonderful work on the illusion, Road-chan. You were right - it did distract him enough."

 

The childlike Noah nodded, a sweet smile forming on her lips. It didn't reach her eyes.

 

"Of course, Earl. I haven't forgotten my loyalties."

 

The Lavi he had seen had been an illusion. The redhead hadn't come back.

 

An enormous sense of relief washed over him, even as he watched the sole of the Earl's shoe rise above his face. Just as quickly, the black sole began to descend and pain blossomed across the Noah's face as it struck.

 

Then he knew no more.

 

TBC…

 

A/N: Hope you all enjoyed! Thanks for reading and sorry about the cliffie. I will update in another 4-5 days, but in the meantime be sure to check out `A Question of Eternity'! Please drop me a line and know what you thought.