D. Gray-man Fan Fiction ❯ A Game of Poker ❯ Grudge Match ( Chapter 29 )
[ X - Adult: No readers under 18. Contains Graphic Adult Themes/Extreme violence. ]
By: Bookkbaby84 
Anime/Manga: D. Gray-man Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Angst | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 12.05.2009 | Pages: 4 | Words: 5.3K | Visits: 346 | Status: Work In Progress
Anime/Manga: D. Gray-man Fan Fiction | Genre(s): Romance / Hentai / Angst | Type: Yaoi | Uploaded On: 12.05.2009 | Pages: 4 | Words: 5.3K | Visits: 346 | Status: Work In Progress
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. 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 N.H. Arawn and Misster Cackles! All remaining mistakes are mine.
Last Time On ‘A Game Of Poker’:
"Thank you, Supervisor," he said, title only slightly mocking, then disappeared through the floor. The last image he saw before the stone closed over his head were Komui's startled eyes, but he quickly turned his mind to other, more important issues.
His smirk disappeared, replaced by a narrowing of eyes and a tightening of lips.
If Lavi wasn't alive when he got out there, Tyki swore he'd kill him.
And Now, The Continuation
Chapter 29
Grudge Match
Lavi glared at his opponent, breathing heavily and holding his hammer defensively out in front of him. The Noah of Lust - aptly named, a part of him noted, since she was what he would have labeled a 'strike' eight months ago - seemed barely winded, though he could see beads of sweat forming on her forehead. He had managed to hit her once or twice, but she seemed barely affected; her white dress shirt had gotten slightly torn and there were streaks of dirt on her clothes, but there wasn't a scratch on her.
The redhead was a bit worse for the wear.
Four long, thin scratches spread from his face to his collarbone, covering his cheek and a small portion of his neck. The scratches had mostly clotted shut, but if he turned his head too much or too quickly he could feel them rip open. His Exorcist jacket was torn in a few places, but the material was sturdy and it held together. His clothes were a mess from the dirt and partially wet from when Lulubell had tried turning into water in order to drown him. He had just managed to get away from the watery limb that had reached for him, but had gotten wet in the process.
Even though he hadn't gotten badly injured yet, he remained wary of the Noah's skills. He had already seen her try and drown him like she had tried to drown Miranda more than half a year ago, but just because she had been unsuccessful in both those attempts didn't mean that she would fail if she tried that again. Lavi could feel himself tiring quickly, his weapon feeling heavier in his hands than usual.
Lavi could tell that she could sense his fatigue. Her lips quirked up just slightly, more satisfied than happy. He tightened his grip and kept his muscles relaxed, ready to move at a second's notice if she should attack.
"You should surrender, Exorcist," she said, voice matter-of-fact. "You cannot defeat me. The Master would be pleased if he were able to kill you himself."
Lavi scowled, narrowing his eyes at Lulubell.
"Like I'm just going to agree to that," he said, swinging up Ozuchi Kozuchi. "Seal of-"
Lulubell tensed, stepping away from him as her eyes narrowed, focus on what he was going to say.
"-Fire!" he finished, bringing the hammer down on the stamp that had materialized from thin air. Fire shot from the contact point between hammer and seal, spiraling and forming a huge snake in less time than it took to blink.
Lavi sent the flame-creature towards the female Noah, but Lulubell was already changing shape to counter the fire. Her body liquefied, expanding rapidly and turning translucent, then perfectly clear. Her eyes were barely visible except as indents in what was now her face and she rose up to crash down on the fire and extinguish it.
Lavi had been expecting that. He lifted his hammer again.
"Seal of Heaven!" he shouted, bringing the hammer down upon the new stamp as it appeared from thin air. Lulubell heard and he could see the huge mass of water she had transformed into jerk backwards and then still, stuck in indecision. Lavi grinned.
Perfect.
The lightning created by the Heaven Seal shot outward from the hammer, bulleting towards the currently transformed Noah to hopefully do at least some damage. The flame serpent from earlier also rocketed towards Lulubell, both attacks intent on causing damage.
A split second before either attack connected, the Lust's form seemed to shimmer and then it broke apart. Lavi stared in shock as his attacks passed harmlessly through a quickly thinning cloud of vapor, doing little but blowing the particles further apart.
Slowly, the cloud condensed in front of him. Lavi gritted his teeth and swung his hammer, but it went straight through the vapor without causing any visible damage whatsoever.
"I thought I told you to surrender, Exorcist," Lulubell said, her head slowly reforming. Her lips were twisted into a slight frown that grew deeper as the rest of her body began to take shape. The redhead backed up a step, glancing briefly to either side of the Noah and gauging his chances of escape. Lulubell noticed and stepped closer, forcing the Exorcist to take another step back.
Not sure how much ground was left between him and a sheer, fatal drop, Lavi chanced a quick glance over his shoulder.
Less than ten feet separated him from a very nasty fall.
A displacement of air in front of him was his only warning. He jerked his gaze forward again, bringing his hammer up just in time to block the sharp edge of Lulubell's transformed arm. While he had been distracted, she had turned her arm from fingertips to elbow into the blade of a double-edged sword. They sprung apart, Lavi stumbling two steps backwards as he tried to get his balance. Lulubell recovered first and struck at him again. He blocked, but was forced to take another step backwards. He didn't dare glance over his shoulder again, digging his feet into the ground and trying to force Lulubell back. She held her ground, not conceding an inch, and leaned forward. Lavi was forced back another step, glaring across their crossed weapons at the Lust. He was certain she was using her ability to make herself heavier. There was no way a woman of her build could weight so much.
"Ozuchi Kozuchi-" he said, muscles straining as the weight against his Innocence increased. "-extend."
Lulubell's eyes widened as the hammer began to shove against her, forcing her backwards, but then her eyes narrowed and she turned to water and slid suddenly to the side. Lavi watched in horror as his hammer shot past her, immediately stopping the extension and beginning to bring it back
It was too late. Lulubell reformed almost instantly, arm transforming to the sword once more as she stepped forward, inside Lavi's guard. He could try to sidestep her, but she was too close and he knew he wouldn't make it out of her reach in time. Panicking, he began to step backwards as Lulubell struck towards his chest. Lavi felt the blade slice open his jacket and nick his skin as he completed the step.
His foot came down on mostly empty air. His eyes widened as he felt himself begin to fall backwards, his boot scraping the side of the drop-off and his own weight dragging him down. Desperate to save himself, he swung his hammer and caught the edge of the courtyard with the head of Ozuchi Kozuchi. He winced as he was suddenly stopped, wincing again when the sudden pull of weight caused the hammer to slip back an inch. He held on to the handle, suspended precariously by his Innocence over the sheer drop.
Over the head of the hammer, he could see Lulubell step closer and look down at him. Her eyes held no pity and she lifted a foot to brace against the hammer's head. Lavi's voice was stuck in his throat, fear coursing through him. His breath was coming in quick pants and he could feel his heart speeding up, pounding in his ears as he watched, helpless.
"Goodbye, Exorcist," she said, kicking the hammer head free. Lavi heard the sound of the metal scraping against the stone and then felt gravity take a hold of him once more. He began to fall, hammer starting to slip from his shock-slackened grip. His eyes were wide but unseeing, voice still stuck in his throat. The wind around him began to pick up as he fell faster, arms and legs paralyzed by shock and disbelief. He could see Lulubell appear to shrink as he fell, but before she had disappeared completely from sight he felt himself slam into something warm and firm.
It took him several heartbeats to realize that he had stopped falling.
He sucked in a huge breath, lifting up his head to make it easier as his brain scrambled to catch up with what was happening.
He had stopped falling in midair, something catching him behind his knees and across his shoulders. His Innocence had shrunk to fit into his hand and he still held it in a death-grip, blood oozing slowly from the minor cuts he had gotten from the sharp point on top of the hammer's head. He was still alive - his neck was sore from having snapped back as he was caught and he hadn't fallen nearly long enough to hit the ground.
He hadn't died.
What the hell had caught him?
A familiar scent wafted passed his nose and he stilled, eyes going wide. He turned his head towards the source of the smell, feeling the arms - for they were arms - tightening their grip on him.
He stared in mute shock at the man holding him, unable to move except for his eye. His eye traced rapidly over Tyki's face, lingering briefly on the stigmata and then simply taking in the light gray of his skin, rememorizing features he already knew. After a moment, he met the older man's golden eyes.
His heart still hadn't calmed down, racing from the drop and the Pleasure's proximity, but there seemed to be a heavy weight in his chest now too. Knowing his relief and longing had to be clearly displayed in his gaze he looked away, wrapping his arms around his torso to avoid throwing them around the older man. He shrunk in on himself, feeling Tyki's shoulders slump ever so slightly at his reaction. The Noah's hold on him remained firm, seemingly effortless.
Lavi's voice stuck on everything he wanted to say but wasn't allowed to. 'I'm sorry' was chief among those phrases, but he couldn't apologize. If he did, Tyki would ask what he was apologizing for and then Lavi would have to explain about Bookman's orders. If he did that...
"Thank you," he said in a low voice, trying to keep his tone flat. He could feel Tyki shift but refused to look anywhere except at his crossed arms. He wanted so badly to kiss the man that held him, but that would be a mistake. He couldn't say 'goodbye' a second time. It was too much to ask of him. "When did Komui release you?"
"Minutes ago," Tyki replied, voice equally flat with an undercurrent of anger. Lavi flinched as the Noah's grip tightened, fingers digging into his bicep and thigh. Tyki apparently didn't notice as he began walking back up to the battlefield. "Had I been any later you would have been dead."
The anger in the man's voice was sharper than Lulubell's knife and Lavi fought the urge to shrink in on himself even further.
"Thank you," he said again, then fell silent. There was plenty he could say, but nothing that would help him keep his promise to Bookman. His chest tightened and his lungs shrank, making his breaths come in shorter and more painfully.
Tyki sighed softly, some of his anger apparently leaving him.
"I don't need your thanks, lov-"
"Don't call me that," Lavi choked out quickly, knowing his resolve wouldn't hold up against that word. Tyki's steps paused briefly, then he started walking again.
"Fine then, Exorcist. I don't need your thanks." Tyki's voice was almost a snarl, especially on the word 'Exorcist'. A spike of pain went through Lavi and he closed his eye in response, drawing in a shaky breath. He had brought this upon himself, he knew that, but that didn't meaning hearing Tyki refer to him as 'Exorcist' so coldly didn't hurt terribly.
Lavi, with his eye shut, didn't see Tyki's golden eyes dull in pain at the redhead's rejection of the pet name the Noah had used since their first night.
The few remaining steps to the top were covered in hurt silence. Lavi heard the quiet sound as Tyki's shoes made contact with the stone and opened his eyes, already missing the warmth of the older man's arms holding him though Tyki hadn't let him go yet.
"You-"
Lavi looked up at the sound, seeing Lulubell stare in shock at the Pleasure as Tyki released his legs and set him down. The Exorcist's knees wobbled dangerously for a moment, but he remained standing. He didn't look at Tyki or speak. Just being near the man and knowing what had happened between them was painful enough.
"Me," Tyki acknowledged and Lavi's heart clenched at the sound. He could hear the smirk in the man's voice and he could picture the expression in his mind; the attractive twist of lips in an equally attractive face, a confidence that drew him in like a moth trying to reach the sun-
"Lavi."
The redhead looked towards Tyki. The Noah didn't look at him, keeping his eyes on the woman standing feet away from him.
"Leave. Go fight with the other Exorcists," Tyki said, voice flat. Lavi nodded, turning away. He bit his lip, then looked back.
"Be safe," he said. He turned away immediately and began to run towards where he could see the others still fighting.
Behind him, he could hear the fight between Lust and Pleasure begin.
Line Break
Kanda sliced through two Level Twos in one clean strike, severing the head from one and cutting the other in two. He could feel sweat soak his hair and his jacket and he wiped angrily at his forehead with the back of one hand before leaping at his next opponent. He could see a white blur travel passed him, able to identify it as Lau Shimin only when the transformed monkey landed on a nearby Level Three and bit into the armor covering its head. The air was thick with smoke from dead Akuma, but there was still seemingly no end to the mechanical monsters.
He could hear Chaoji shouting as he punched through the Akuma with his strength, the Innocence-made gauntlets he wore allowing his hand to shove through the tough metal as though it were paper. The crack of a whip was heard distantly and Kanda could see the white blur that was General Nyne's Innocence-beast take off for his next opponent.
He hadn't seen or heard from Bookman or Marie in some time, but he didn't have time to wonder about it. Sometimes sacrifices were necessary in war and there were still enemies on the field. He needed his concentration, especially when said enemies seemed endless and he was quickly tiring. He was fairly certain the other two Exorcists he could still hear fighting were getting at fatigued as he, meaning it was only a matter of time until they were all casualties unless something changed. Soon.
Kanda lifted Mugen and the illusion sword, closing swiftly on another Level Two.
"Eight-Flower-" he began, but was suddenly cut off as the Akuma he had targeted exploded suddenly. The sound seemed impossibly loud, as if many explosions were occurring simultaneously. He brought his arms up to shield his face as the force of the explosion blew him backwards and he hit the ground hard, landing ungracefully on his ass and rolling once before coming to a halt. He picked himself up off the ground, scowling furiously as he got to his feet.
The scowl faded into an expression of shock.
The number of Akuma had been decreased by half. Half of them couldn't have been killed in an instant by any of the Exorcists currently fighting; had Komui found reinforcements? What Exorcist could do that? A General?
Kanda glanced around quickly, trying to figure out what had caused the sudden decrease of the enemy's forces. His eyes caught on a certain Noah setting a familiar redhead down and he scowled, his question answered.
The idiot beansprout had told him about one of the Noah's abilities, but Kanda wasn't about to be grateful to Tyki Mikk for anything. He wasn't even sure it was the Noah who had ordered the Akuma to self-destruct. Even if he had, why hadn't the fucker just ordered all of them to self-destruct and save the Exorcists the trouble?
Cloud Nyne and Chaoji had probably managed it somehow. He nodded to himself, accepting that answer.
And speaking of the idiot beansprout...
With a growl, Kanda abandoned the others to finish off the few Akuma remaining. Chaoji was fairly hopeless, but Nyne wasn't a general for nothing. Kanda had been heading to Allen's side when he had gotten lost in the swamp of Akuma, but now he was free to continue on.
Allen had been fighting the Earl, alone, and that was just suicidal. Kanda growled low in his throat and sped up, mentally cursing white-haired dumbasses with death wishes.
Line Break
Lenalee panted, pressing her right hand against her left bicep. Bright red blood trickled out between her fingers. Small scratches covered her body, all inflicted by Road's candles, but she hadn't gotten seriously stabbed yet. Her Dark Boots kept her just barely ahead of the wax weapons, ensuring that she received no more than superficial scratches each time.
Road giggled, twirling a bloodstained candle between her fingers as she walked slowly forward. Lenalee had tried kicking her a few times and had landed some solid hits, but each time Road's broken bones had regenerated in a matter of seconds, reforming right before Lenalee's horrified eyes.
It had driven home just how pointless this fight was. Road's real body was not here. She was the Noah of Dreams and if Lenalee wanted to do any real damage, she would have to find Road's real body in a dream. At least Road's candles were not quite fast enough to keep up with the speed of Lenalee's Innocence, so the Noah couldn't harm her either.
The two were locked in an impasse, both unable to inflict any actual damage but neither able to abandon the fight and let the opponent go free. Lenalee couldn't leave Road free to attack the others and Road wasn't about to let Lenalee go to assist the other Exorcists.
As if hearing her thoughts, Road suddenly giggled. The sound was so sweet a person might have been fooled into thinking Road was an innocent schoolgirl.
"This is rather boring, isn't it?" Road asked candidly, still twirling the bloodstained candlestick in her hand. "I want to see my Allen and make sure the Earl isn't ruining him. Allen would make a wonderful addition to my doll collection."
Lenalee's eyes narrowed but she didn't let herself react to Road's words beyond that. The girl was trying to goad her and she wasn't about to fall for it.
Road's hand suddenly snapped into stillness, her fingers gripping the colored wax tightly. Lenalee's heart jumped, startled, but the Noah made no movements to attack.
"I also," Road said softly, looking at a point over the Exorcist's shoulder, expression suddenly flat and cold. "Need to remind Tyki that nobody leaves our family."
Narrowing her eyes still further, Lenalee lifted her right leg and kicked out, snapping her hip over for extra power. Road jumped up and over the strike, doing a neat ariel before landing on her feet. She was still looking off into the distance.
Lenalee made a soft noise of frustration and moved to attack again when Road's eyes moved back to meet her own. She hesitated and Road smiled, again looking every inch a sweet schoolgirl.
"You were my doll once, weren't you? Your hair was much prettier then, but you look cute now too," Road said, smile widening. Lenalee took a half step back, suddenly uneasy.
"Why don't we play a game?" Road asked conversationally, tilting her head cutely to the side. She lifted one arm and pointed. "If you win, I'll let you go help him."
The Exorcist's gaze followed the direction Road was pointing in. She could see Allen fighting the Earl, crimson spots visible against the white of Allen's Crown Clown cloak.
"Allen!" she said, taking a step forward before remembering herself. She looked back at Road warily.
"If you win?" she asked uncertainly. Road's smile turned slightly sadistic.
"Then you're my doll. I'm sure Allen will be surprised when I go over and say 'hi' while wearing your coat."
Lenalee took a deep breath, determination showing in her eyes. She needed to get to Allen soon and help him, but fighting this way would never work. She couldn't defeat Road by fighting her like this. She had to play by the Dreams' rules, in the Dreams' world, or else she'd never win.
She nodded. Road chuckled and clapped her hands together excitedly.
"This should be fun," she said, expression turning malevolent. Lenalee's eyes widened in shock, but she had no time to back out as blackness spread out from the Noah's body and engulfed them both. The last things Lenalee heard as her consciousness faded from the real world was the sound of insane giggles and the sound of her own body hitting the ground.
Line Break
Krory studied his opponents, his black-and-gold eyes narrowed at the two brats. They had yet to transform into Jasdevi, which Krory counted as a blessing. They were hard enough to fight separately and when they were joined as one they were an extremely difficult opponent.
At least fighting the Akuma beforehand had allowed him to fill up on their blood. He had drunk as much as he could without the virus they carried affecting him. He could feel it crawl beneath his skin, like sharp pins in his veins, but that wasn't enough to kill him. He would need every drop of that power to fight the Noah twins. Krory had noticed them watching him while he had fought and had known exactly what was going to happen the moment the Noah joined the fight.
When the Earl had raised his hand and motioned the Noah forward, Devitto and Jasdero had made a beeline for him, firing off one of their Red Bombs. Krory had dodged the fireball easily enough, but that was all the time Noah's Bonds had needed to catch up to him.
Their last fight had been a draw, both sides too near death to even think about fighting as the Ark had collapsed around them. This fight was not about the war between Exorcists and the Earl and his Noah, between the Black Order and the Akuma; nothing as noble as that. For the Noah, this was a grudge match, plain and simple. For Krory, it was a chance to teach the pair of brats a little bit about respecting their elders.
He flexed his hands, feeling the blood-armor that had formed over them respond. He had finally gotten used to using it on his last mission, though it was still not something he used often. It seemed fitting that he would be fighting this particular enemy just as he had gotten used to using his blood as a weapon; it was during his fight with them that he had discovered this ability.
There was one more ability he had discovered during that battle - the ability to send his blood completely out of his body for a short time and control it - but he hadn't been forced to such an extreme since he had fought Jasdevi in the Ark. It had left him comatose for weeks and he wasn't sure what effect it would have on him if he were forced to resort to that for this fight. He didn't want to find out. Even after Devitto and Jasdero were defeated, there was still the matter of the Earl and the other Noah.
At least they hadn't managed to hit him with their Trick Glasses yet. Krory would still be able to sense them even if they did manage to befuddle his eyes, but mistaking what was in his surroundings today could very easily be deadly.
Devitto met his glare, lifting his gun. Jasdero, standing next to him, did the same and giggled.
"Pretty good, freak," Devitto said, slightly out of breath. Krory bristled at the insult, but kept his stare even.
Devitto's finger tightened on the trigger.
"Green Bomb!"
Energy shot from the guns of both Noah, instantly merging into one large bullet made out of a thick jelly. Krory jumped, somersaulting over the projectile and reaching down with one clawed hand as he fell towards the brats.
The pair lifted their guns, targeting his falling body.
"Blue Bomb."
Krory cursed quietly and lifted up his arms to protect his face as the bullet of ice slammed into him. It barely arrested his motion and he continued to fall, straightening out his arms to break off the ice that had formed the second he was through the 'bomb'. He landed heavily in front of Devitto, momentum sending him rolling into the Noah's legs. The dark-skinned brunet fell with a surprised yelp, knocking his head against the stone ground with a loud 'thunk'. Swearing loudly, Devitto began to push himself up and get back on his feet, but Krory wasn't going to waste the opportunity. He shoved the Noah's down, his hand on the other's neck, legs straddling the other's chest to keep him down, and reached for Devitto's gun with his other hand. He felt his nails just barely scrape the younger man's wrist before Devitto jerked his hand away and brought the muzzle of the gun up underneath Krory's chin.
At the same moment, he felt Jasdero's gun pressing into the back of his head. He froze, hand still gripping Devitto's neck. The brunet was scratching at the blood-armor, trying to dig his fingers underneath Krory's hand and free his neck. Krory tightened his hold in response, but then the sound of two fingers being tightened on two different triggers met his ears.
He turned his head slightly, just enough to see Jasdero's still-smiling face.
"Remove your gun," he said. He flexed his hand on the pinned Noah's neck. "He will be dead before you can fire."
Jasdero laughed, clapping his free hand to his mouth as if trying to muffle the sound. Krory could feel the gun slip from behind his skull and relaxed minutely. The muzzle pressed underneath his chin began to drop and he relaxed further.
"Nope!" Jasdero said chirpily, aiming his gun at his darker-haired twin. Krory's eyes widened as he saw Devitto's aim had switched to the blond. Before he had time to react, to even do anything, both Noah pulled the triggers and shot the other in the head. Krory saw Devitto smirk as he faded into smoke, his head around the bullet wound disappearing first. Within seconds, Krory's hand held nothing but smoke and moments after that he was sitting on the ground, still staring at the stone where he had just had his opponent pinned.
He heard a low chuckle behind him and instinctively rolled forward, just in time to dodge the spike of golden hair that pierced the stone he had just been sitting on. He stood quickly, lifting up one armored hand to block the strike aiming to slice off his neck. The lock of hair slammed into his arm and sent Krory stumbling to the side, but his block held. Before he could reach over and yank the offending strands free from their owner's head, Jasdevi retracted the lock and stood before Krory, rubbing his neck.
"Not bad, vampire," Jasdevi said, actually wincing. Krory could see faint bruises in the shape of his fingers on the Noah's neck. "If it weren't for our telepathy, you probably would have killed Devitto."
Krory scowled, drawing himself up to his full height and glaring at the blond. Jasdevi stared back at him, smirking.
"I am not a vampire," Krory said firmly. "I am Arystar Krory."
He flexed his fingers again as the Noah just kept smirking. He hadn't gotten to teach them a proper lesson back on the Ark, but it was high time he did.
TBC...
A/N: I know this chapter was probably not the most interesting, but some things needed setting up. ^_^
Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed my new Lucky fic, Canis Luna! CL will be updated again next week Sunday. AGoP will be updated the week after.
Please remember to review if you Favorite!
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 N.H. Arawn and Misster Cackles! All remaining mistakes are mine.
Last Time On ‘A Game Of Poker’:
"Thank you, Supervisor," he said, title only slightly mocking, then disappeared through the floor. The last image he saw before the stone closed over his head were Komui's startled eyes, but he quickly turned his mind to other, more important issues.
His smirk disappeared, replaced by a narrowing of eyes and a tightening of lips.
If Lavi wasn't alive when he got out there, Tyki swore he'd kill him.
And Now, The Continuation
Chapter 29
Grudge Match
Lavi glared at his opponent, breathing heavily and holding his hammer defensively out in front of him. The Noah of Lust - aptly named, a part of him noted, since she was what he would have labeled a 'strike' eight months ago - seemed barely winded, though he could see beads of sweat forming on her forehead. He had managed to hit her once or twice, but she seemed barely affected; her white dress shirt had gotten slightly torn and there were streaks of dirt on her clothes, but there wasn't a scratch on her.
The redhead was a bit worse for the wear.
Four long, thin scratches spread from his face to his collarbone, covering his cheek and a small portion of his neck. The scratches had mostly clotted shut, but if he turned his head too much or too quickly he could feel them rip open. His Exorcist jacket was torn in a few places, but the material was sturdy and it held together. His clothes were a mess from the dirt and partially wet from when Lulubell had tried turning into water in order to drown him. He had just managed to get away from the watery limb that had reached for him, but had gotten wet in the process.
Even though he hadn't gotten badly injured yet, he remained wary of the Noah's skills. He had already seen her try and drown him like she had tried to drown Miranda more than half a year ago, but just because she had been unsuccessful in both those attempts didn't mean that she would fail if she tried that again. Lavi could feel himself tiring quickly, his weapon feeling heavier in his hands than usual.
Lavi could tell that she could sense his fatigue. Her lips quirked up just slightly, more satisfied than happy. He tightened his grip and kept his muscles relaxed, ready to move at a second's notice if she should attack.
"You should surrender, Exorcist," she said, voice matter-of-fact. "You cannot defeat me. The Master would be pleased if he were able to kill you himself."
Lavi scowled, narrowing his eyes at Lulubell.
"Like I'm just going to agree to that," he said, swinging up Ozuchi Kozuchi. "Seal of-"
Lulubell tensed, stepping away from him as her eyes narrowed, focus on what he was going to say.
"-Fire!" he finished, bringing the hammer down on the stamp that had materialized from thin air. Fire shot from the contact point between hammer and seal, spiraling and forming a huge snake in less time than it took to blink.
Lavi sent the flame-creature towards the female Noah, but Lulubell was already changing shape to counter the fire. Her body liquefied, expanding rapidly and turning translucent, then perfectly clear. Her eyes were barely visible except as indents in what was now her face and she rose up to crash down on the fire and extinguish it.
Lavi had been expecting that. He lifted his hammer again.
"Seal of Heaven!" he shouted, bringing the hammer down upon the new stamp as it appeared from thin air. Lulubell heard and he could see the huge mass of water she had transformed into jerk backwards and then still, stuck in indecision. Lavi grinned.
Perfect.
The lightning created by the Heaven Seal shot outward from the hammer, bulleting towards the currently transformed Noah to hopefully do at least some damage. The flame serpent from earlier also rocketed towards Lulubell, both attacks intent on causing damage.
A split second before either attack connected, the Lust's form seemed to shimmer and then it broke apart. Lavi stared in shock as his attacks passed harmlessly through a quickly thinning cloud of vapor, doing little but blowing the particles further apart.
Slowly, the cloud condensed in front of him. Lavi gritted his teeth and swung his hammer, but it went straight through the vapor without causing any visible damage whatsoever.
"I thought I told you to surrender, Exorcist," Lulubell said, her head slowly reforming. Her lips were twisted into a slight frown that grew deeper as the rest of her body began to take shape. The redhead backed up a step, glancing briefly to either side of the Noah and gauging his chances of escape. Lulubell noticed and stepped closer, forcing the Exorcist to take another step back.
Not sure how much ground was left between him and a sheer, fatal drop, Lavi chanced a quick glance over his shoulder.
Less than ten feet separated him from a very nasty fall.
A displacement of air in front of him was his only warning. He jerked his gaze forward again, bringing his hammer up just in time to block the sharp edge of Lulubell's transformed arm. While he had been distracted, she had turned her arm from fingertips to elbow into the blade of a double-edged sword. They sprung apart, Lavi stumbling two steps backwards as he tried to get his balance. Lulubell recovered first and struck at him again. He blocked, but was forced to take another step backwards. He didn't dare glance over his shoulder again, digging his feet into the ground and trying to force Lulubell back. She held her ground, not conceding an inch, and leaned forward. Lavi was forced back another step, glaring across their crossed weapons at the Lust. He was certain she was using her ability to make herself heavier. There was no way a woman of her build could weight so much.
"Ozuchi Kozuchi-" he said, muscles straining as the weight against his Innocence increased. "-extend."
Lulubell's eyes widened as the hammer began to shove against her, forcing her backwards, but then her eyes narrowed and she turned to water and slid suddenly to the side. Lavi watched in horror as his hammer shot past her, immediately stopping the extension and beginning to bring it back
It was too late. Lulubell reformed almost instantly, arm transforming to the sword once more as she stepped forward, inside Lavi's guard. He could try to sidestep her, but she was too close and he knew he wouldn't make it out of her reach in time. Panicking, he began to step backwards as Lulubell struck towards his chest. Lavi felt the blade slice open his jacket and nick his skin as he completed the step.
His foot came down on mostly empty air. His eyes widened as he felt himself begin to fall backwards, his boot scraping the side of the drop-off and his own weight dragging him down. Desperate to save himself, he swung his hammer and caught the edge of the courtyard with the head of Ozuchi Kozuchi. He winced as he was suddenly stopped, wincing again when the sudden pull of weight caused the hammer to slip back an inch. He held on to the handle, suspended precariously by his Innocence over the sheer drop.
Over the head of the hammer, he could see Lulubell step closer and look down at him. Her eyes held no pity and she lifted a foot to brace against the hammer's head. Lavi's voice was stuck in his throat, fear coursing through him. His breath was coming in quick pants and he could feel his heart speeding up, pounding in his ears as he watched, helpless.
"Goodbye, Exorcist," she said, kicking the hammer head free. Lavi heard the sound of the metal scraping against the stone and then felt gravity take a hold of him once more. He began to fall, hammer starting to slip from his shock-slackened grip. His eyes were wide but unseeing, voice still stuck in his throat. The wind around him began to pick up as he fell faster, arms and legs paralyzed by shock and disbelief. He could see Lulubell appear to shrink as he fell, but before she had disappeared completely from sight he felt himself slam into something warm and firm.
It took him several heartbeats to realize that he had stopped falling.
He sucked in a huge breath, lifting up his head to make it easier as his brain scrambled to catch up with what was happening.
He had stopped falling in midair, something catching him behind his knees and across his shoulders. His Innocence had shrunk to fit into his hand and he still held it in a death-grip, blood oozing slowly from the minor cuts he had gotten from the sharp point on top of the hammer's head. He was still alive - his neck was sore from having snapped back as he was caught and he hadn't fallen nearly long enough to hit the ground.
He hadn't died.
What the hell had caught him?
A familiar scent wafted passed his nose and he stilled, eyes going wide. He turned his head towards the source of the smell, feeling the arms - for they were arms - tightening their grip on him.
He stared in mute shock at the man holding him, unable to move except for his eye. His eye traced rapidly over Tyki's face, lingering briefly on the stigmata and then simply taking in the light gray of his skin, rememorizing features he already knew. After a moment, he met the older man's golden eyes.
His heart still hadn't calmed down, racing from the drop and the Pleasure's proximity, but there seemed to be a heavy weight in his chest now too. Knowing his relief and longing had to be clearly displayed in his gaze he looked away, wrapping his arms around his torso to avoid throwing them around the older man. He shrunk in on himself, feeling Tyki's shoulders slump ever so slightly at his reaction. The Noah's hold on him remained firm, seemingly effortless.
Lavi's voice stuck on everything he wanted to say but wasn't allowed to. 'I'm sorry' was chief among those phrases, but he couldn't apologize. If he did, Tyki would ask what he was apologizing for and then Lavi would have to explain about Bookman's orders. If he did that...
"Thank you," he said in a low voice, trying to keep his tone flat. He could feel Tyki shift but refused to look anywhere except at his crossed arms. He wanted so badly to kiss the man that held him, but that would be a mistake. He couldn't say 'goodbye' a second time. It was too much to ask of him. "When did Komui release you?"
"Minutes ago," Tyki replied, voice equally flat with an undercurrent of anger. Lavi flinched as the Noah's grip tightened, fingers digging into his bicep and thigh. Tyki apparently didn't notice as he began walking back up to the battlefield. "Had I been any later you would have been dead."
The anger in the man's voice was sharper than Lulubell's knife and Lavi fought the urge to shrink in on himself even further.
"Thank you," he said again, then fell silent. There was plenty he could say, but nothing that would help him keep his promise to Bookman. His chest tightened and his lungs shrank, making his breaths come in shorter and more painfully.
Tyki sighed softly, some of his anger apparently leaving him.
"I don't need your thanks, lov-"
"Don't call me that," Lavi choked out quickly, knowing his resolve wouldn't hold up against that word. Tyki's steps paused briefly, then he started walking again.
"Fine then, Exorcist. I don't need your thanks." Tyki's voice was almost a snarl, especially on the word 'Exorcist'. A spike of pain went through Lavi and he closed his eye in response, drawing in a shaky breath. He had brought this upon himself, he knew that, but that didn't meaning hearing Tyki refer to him as 'Exorcist' so coldly didn't hurt terribly.
Lavi, with his eye shut, didn't see Tyki's golden eyes dull in pain at the redhead's rejection of the pet name the Noah had used since their first night.
The few remaining steps to the top were covered in hurt silence. Lavi heard the quiet sound as Tyki's shoes made contact with the stone and opened his eyes, already missing the warmth of the older man's arms holding him though Tyki hadn't let him go yet.
"You-"
Lavi looked up at the sound, seeing Lulubell stare in shock at the Pleasure as Tyki released his legs and set him down. The Exorcist's knees wobbled dangerously for a moment, but he remained standing. He didn't look at Tyki or speak. Just being near the man and knowing what had happened between them was painful enough.
"Me," Tyki acknowledged and Lavi's heart clenched at the sound. He could hear the smirk in the man's voice and he could picture the expression in his mind; the attractive twist of lips in an equally attractive face, a confidence that drew him in like a moth trying to reach the sun-
"Lavi."
The redhead looked towards Tyki. The Noah didn't look at him, keeping his eyes on the woman standing feet away from him.
"Leave. Go fight with the other Exorcists," Tyki said, voice flat. Lavi nodded, turning away. He bit his lip, then looked back.
"Be safe," he said. He turned away immediately and began to run towards where he could see the others still fighting.
Behind him, he could hear the fight between Lust and Pleasure begin.
Line Break
Kanda sliced through two Level Twos in one clean strike, severing the head from one and cutting the other in two. He could feel sweat soak his hair and his jacket and he wiped angrily at his forehead with the back of one hand before leaping at his next opponent. He could see a white blur travel passed him, able to identify it as Lau Shimin only when the transformed monkey landed on a nearby Level Three and bit into the armor covering its head. The air was thick with smoke from dead Akuma, but there was still seemingly no end to the mechanical monsters.
He could hear Chaoji shouting as he punched through the Akuma with his strength, the Innocence-made gauntlets he wore allowing his hand to shove through the tough metal as though it were paper. The crack of a whip was heard distantly and Kanda could see the white blur that was General Nyne's Innocence-beast take off for his next opponent.
He hadn't seen or heard from Bookman or Marie in some time, but he didn't have time to wonder about it. Sometimes sacrifices were necessary in war and there were still enemies on the field. He needed his concentration, especially when said enemies seemed endless and he was quickly tiring. He was fairly certain the other two Exorcists he could still hear fighting were getting at fatigued as he, meaning it was only a matter of time until they were all casualties unless something changed. Soon.
Kanda lifted Mugen and the illusion sword, closing swiftly on another Level Two.
"Eight-Flower-" he began, but was suddenly cut off as the Akuma he had targeted exploded suddenly. The sound seemed impossibly loud, as if many explosions were occurring simultaneously. He brought his arms up to shield his face as the force of the explosion blew him backwards and he hit the ground hard, landing ungracefully on his ass and rolling once before coming to a halt. He picked himself up off the ground, scowling furiously as he got to his feet.
The scowl faded into an expression of shock.
The number of Akuma had been decreased by half. Half of them couldn't have been killed in an instant by any of the Exorcists currently fighting; had Komui found reinforcements? What Exorcist could do that? A General?
Kanda glanced around quickly, trying to figure out what had caused the sudden decrease of the enemy's forces. His eyes caught on a certain Noah setting a familiar redhead down and he scowled, his question answered.
The idiot beansprout had told him about one of the Noah's abilities, but Kanda wasn't about to be grateful to Tyki Mikk for anything. He wasn't even sure it was the Noah who had ordered the Akuma to self-destruct. Even if he had, why hadn't the fucker just ordered all of them to self-destruct and save the Exorcists the trouble?
Cloud Nyne and Chaoji had probably managed it somehow. He nodded to himself, accepting that answer.
And speaking of the idiot beansprout...
With a growl, Kanda abandoned the others to finish off the few Akuma remaining. Chaoji was fairly hopeless, but Nyne wasn't a general for nothing. Kanda had been heading to Allen's side when he had gotten lost in the swamp of Akuma, but now he was free to continue on.
Allen had been fighting the Earl, alone, and that was just suicidal. Kanda growled low in his throat and sped up, mentally cursing white-haired dumbasses with death wishes.
Line Break
Lenalee panted, pressing her right hand against her left bicep. Bright red blood trickled out between her fingers. Small scratches covered her body, all inflicted by Road's candles, but she hadn't gotten seriously stabbed yet. Her Dark Boots kept her just barely ahead of the wax weapons, ensuring that she received no more than superficial scratches each time.
Road giggled, twirling a bloodstained candle between her fingers as she walked slowly forward. Lenalee had tried kicking her a few times and had landed some solid hits, but each time Road's broken bones had regenerated in a matter of seconds, reforming right before Lenalee's horrified eyes.
It had driven home just how pointless this fight was. Road's real body was not here. She was the Noah of Dreams and if Lenalee wanted to do any real damage, she would have to find Road's real body in a dream. At least Road's candles were not quite fast enough to keep up with the speed of Lenalee's Innocence, so the Noah couldn't harm her either.
The two were locked in an impasse, both unable to inflict any actual damage but neither able to abandon the fight and let the opponent go free. Lenalee couldn't leave Road free to attack the others and Road wasn't about to let Lenalee go to assist the other Exorcists.
As if hearing her thoughts, Road suddenly giggled. The sound was so sweet a person might have been fooled into thinking Road was an innocent schoolgirl.
"This is rather boring, isn't it?" Road asked candidly, still twirling the bloodstained candlestick in her hand. "I want to see my Allen and make sure the Earl isn't ruining him. Allen would make a wonderful addition to my doll collection."
Lenalee's eyes narrowed but she didn't let herself react to Road's words beyond that. The girl was trying to goad her and she wasn't about to fall for it.
Road's hand suddenly snapped into stillness, her fingers gripping the colored wax tightly. Lenalee's heart jumped, startled, but the Noah made no movements to attack.
"I also," Road said softly, looking at a point over the Exorcist's shoulder, expression suddenly flat and cold. "Need to remind Tyki that nobody leaves our family."
Narrowing her eyes still further, Lenalee lifted her right leg and kicked out, snapping her hip over for extra power. Road jumped up and over the strike, doing a neat ariel before landing on her feet. She was still looking off into the distance.
Lenalee made a soft noise of frustration and moved to attack again when Road's eyes moved back to meet her own. She hesitated and Road smiled, again looking every inch a sweet schoolgirl.
"You were my doll once, weren't you? Your hair was much prettier then, but you look cute now too," Road said, smile widening. Lenalee took a half step back, suddenly uneasy.
"Why don't we play a game?" Road asked conversationally, tilting her head cutely to the side. She lifted one arm and pointed. "If you win, I'll let you go help him."
The Exorcist's gaze followed the direction Road was pointing in. She could see Allen fighting the Earl, crimson spots visible against the white of Allen's Crown Clown cloak.
"Allen!" she said, taking a step forward before remembering herself. She looked back at Road warily.
"If you win?" she asked uncertainly. Road's smile turned slightly sadistic.
"Then you're my doll. I'm sure Allen will be surprised when I go over and say 'hi' while wearing your coat."
Lenalee took a deep breath, determination showing in her eyes. She needed to get to Allen soon and help him, but fighting this way would never work. She couldn't defeat Road by fighting her like this. She had to play by the Dreams' rules, in the Dreams' world, or else she'd never win.
She nodded. Road chuckled and clapped her hands together excitedly.
"This should be fun," she said, expression turning malevolent. Lenalee's eyes widened in shock, but she had no time to back out as blackness spread out from the Noah's body and engulfed them both. The last things Lenalee heard as her consciousness faded from the real world was the sound of insane giggles and the sound of her own body hitting the ground.
Line Break
Krory studied his opponents, his black-and-gold eyes narrowed at the two brats. They had yet to transform into Jasdevi, which Krory counted as a blessing. They were hard enough to fight separately and when they were joined as one they were an extremely difficult opponent.
At least fighting the Akuma beforehand had allowed him to fill up on their blood. He had drunk as much as he could without the virus they carried affecting him. He could feel it crawl beneath his skin, like sharp pins in his veins, but that wasn't enough to kill him. He would need every drop of that power to fight the Noah twins. Krory had noticed them watching him while he had fought and had known exactly what was going to happen the moment the Noah joined the fight.
When the Earl had raised his hand and motioned the Noah forward, Devitto and Jasdero had made a beeline for him, firing off one of their Red Bombs. Krory had dodged the fireball easily enough, but that was all the time Noah's Bonds had needed to catch up to him.
Their last fight had been a draw, both sides too near death to even think about fighting as the Ark had collapsed around them. This fight was not about the war between Exorcists and the Earl and his Noah, between the Black Order and the Akuma; nothing as noble as that. For the Noah, this was a grudge match, plain and simple. For Krory, it was a chance to teach the pair of brats a little bit about respecting their elders.
He flexed his hands, feeling the blood-armor that had formed over them respond. He had finally gotten used to using it on his last mission, though it was still not something he used often. It seemed fitting that he would be fighting this particular enemy just as he had gotten used to using his blood as a weapon; it was during his fight with them that he had discovered this ability.
There was one more ability he had discovered during that battle - the ability to send his blood completely out of his body for a short time and control it - but he hadn't been forced to such an extreme since he had fought Jasdevi in the Ark. It had left him comatose for weeks and he wasn't sure what effect it would have on him if he were forced to resort to that for this fight. He didn't want to find out. Even after Devitto and Jasdero were defeated, there was still the matter of the Earl and the other Noah.
At least they hadn't managed to hit him with their Trick Glasses yet. Krory would still be able to sense them even if they did manage to befuddle his eyes, but mistaking what was in his surroundings today could very easily be deadly.
Devitto met his glare, lifting his gun. Jasdero, standing next to him, did the same and giggled.
"Pretty good, freak," Devitto said, slightly out of breath. Krory bristled at the insult, but kept his stare even.
Devitto's finger tightened on the trigger.
"Green Bomb!"
Energy shot from the guns of both Noah, instantly merging into one large bullet made out of a thick jelly. Krory jumped, somersaulting over the projectile and reaching down with one clawed hand as he fell towards the brats.
The pair lifted their guns, targeting his falling body.
"Blue Bomb."
Krory cursed quietly and lifted up his arms to protect his face as the bullet of ice slammed into him. It barely arrested his motion and he continued to fall, straightening out his arms to break off the ice that had formed the second he was through the 'bomb'. He landed heavily in front of Devitto, momentum sending him rolling into the Noah's legs. The dark-skinned brunet fell with a surprised yelp, knocking his head against the stone ground with a loud 'thunk'. Swearing loudly, Devitto began to push himself up and get back on his feet, but Krory wasn't going to waste the opportunity. He shoved the Noah's down, his hand on the other's neck, legs straddling the other's chest to keep him down, and reached for Devitto's gun with his other hand. He felt his nails just barely scrape the younger man's wrist before Devitto jerked his hand away and brought the muzzle of the gun up underneath Krory's chin.
At the same moment, he felt Jasdero's gun pressing into the back of his head. He froze, hand still gripping Devitto's neck. The brunet was scratching at the blood-armor, trying to dig his fingers underneath Krory's hand and free his neck. Krory tightened his hold in response, but then the sound of two fingers being tightened on two different triggers met his ears.
He turned his head slightly, just enough to see Jasdero's still-smiling face.
"Remove your gun," he said. He flexed his hand on the pinned Noah's neck. "He will be dead before you can fire."
Jasdero laughed, clapping his free hand to his mouth as if trying to muffle the sound. Krory could feel the gun slip from behind his skull and relaxed minutely. The muzzle pressed underneath his chin began to drop and he relaxed further.
"Nope!" Jasdero said chirpily, aiming his gun at his darker-haired twin. Krory's eyes widened as he saw Devitto's aim had switched to the blond. Before he had time to react, to even do anything, both Noah pulled the triggers and shot the other in the head. Krory saw Devitto smirk as he faded into smoke, his head around the bullet wound disappearing first. Within seconds, Krory's hand held nothing but smoke and moments after that he was sitting on the ground, still staring at the stone where he had just had his opponent pinned.
He heard a low chuckle behind him and instinctively rolled forward, just in time to dodge the spike of golden hair that pierced the stone he had just been sitting on. He stood quickly, lifting up one armored hand to block the strike aiming to slice off his neck. The lock of hair slammed into his arm and sent Krory stumbling to the side, but his block held. Before he could reach over and yank the offending strands free from their owner's head, Jasdevi retracted the lock and stood before Krory, rubbing his neck.
"Not bad, vampire," Jasdevi said, actually wincing. Krory could see faint bruises in the shape of his fingers on the Noah's neck. "If it weren't for our telepathy, you probably would have killed Devitto."
Krory scowled, drawing himself up to his full height and glaring at the blond. Jasdevi stared back at him, smirking.
"I am not a vampire," Krory said firmly. "I am Arystar Krory."
He flexed his fingers again as the Noah just kept smirking. He hadn't gotten to teach them a proper lesson back on the Ark, but it was high time he did.
TBC...
A/N: I know this chapter was probably not the most interesting, but some things needed setting up. ^_^
Thanks to everyone who read and reviewed my new Lucky fic, Canis Luna! CL will be updated again next week Sunday. AGoP will be updated the week after.
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