[Fic] RAID
“So what are you saying, then?” Tyki wondered, eyes narrowing as he watched the Cross swing, haphazardly, on the chain that held it up.
“I’m saying,” Rhode drawled, eyes flickering back and forth between the object and Tyki’s bored expression, “Do you-you weren’t even listening. Haven’t been. Have you?”
Tyki sighed, kicking the pew in front of him, “Is there a reason? I’ve been listening to your babble since we got here, Rhode.”
“If you’d actually been paying attention you’d know it wasn’t babble.”
“But it is.” He kicked the pew again, chewing on the end of his cigarette and tasting the ash on his tongue. Tyki grimaced, “How long are we supposed to wait here again? This isn’t exactly the most…comfortable place to be in.”
The Cross still continued to sway.
Rhode snorted, “You’re still white enough to know the evils of sin Tyki-and to feel bad about them.” He felt a hand delve into his hair and frowned as the sickeningly sweet breath ghosted just past his nose, “you’re so pure compared to the rest of us. Do you even get it?”
“No. I don’t.” He shoved her away, and stood, stretching, “Now if you don’t mind, we’re only supposed to stay in the perimeter, correct?”
“If you don’t want to get shot down, stay in the building.”
Tyki smirked, “You’re forgetting they can’t touch me.”
She tilted her head as he walked through the first pew, then the second, “Can you really concentrate that much?”
Tyki held his hand up in a mock wave, “We’ll just wait and see, won’t we?”
“You’re an idiot.”
But thankfully he never heard her.
- - - - - - - - - -
“You really are an idiot, aren’t you, boy?” Lavi groaned and forced himself upright, eyes dazedly looking around to collect equally blurry surroundings.
“What?”
“He’s saying you’re an idiot.” A younger voice piped up from somewhere to the left and Lavi groaned again.
“Rhode, don’t talk-its obvious your voice hurts him.”
“And what about you?”
There was silence for a moment, and Lavi groaned again, “Wha--?”
“Do you need water?” The blurry face of a dark skinned man appeared somewhere to his left, and he frowned, “We have plenty here, though we’re willing to fetch more if you need it.”
“Not to mention fresh bandages.”
“And ointment.”
Lavi rubbed at his eyes, groaning again, “Can you….tell me where I am first?”
“That depends,” the girl (Rhode?) hummed, “where were you supposed to be?”
“Taking a walk.” That was easy enough, “I was supposed to go check on a friend.” He was thankful he remembered, after all, Allen would never say it but he could tell he had been upset about something lately. A good friend was always there when one needed them, right?
Except it was obvious he wasn’t there. Oh so very obvious.
“And what does this friend of yours look like?” Rhode inquired again, “We might have seen him. Or Tyki might’ve,” she pointed to the dark man on his left who sighed.
“Though I highly doubt he would have been stupid enough to come here on a night like tonight.”
“Which reminds me,” Lavi tried sit up a little more, eyes still unfocused, “why did you call me an idiot? That’s not-”
“What you are, yes, yes,” Tyki(?) waved it off, handing him what appeared to be a bottle of water, “they all say that. Then what on earth were you doing in the middle of a Gun Raid?”
Lavi’s face paled, “A…Gun Raid1.”
“It was only a Class D2,” Rhode informed, “Though that’s not too great, all things considering.”
“And it certainly isn’t safe enough for a civilian to be out in.” Tyki cut in, turning to grab at something behind is back, before turning around again and holding it out, “I believe this is yours, but I don’t see why you wear it.”
Lavi blinked once, then twice, staring at the ruined piece of fabric held in Tyki’s hands, “That’s…my bandana.”
“I figured as much,” He barely caught the twitch in the other man’s lips, but it was there, and Lavi almost wondered why, “But as you can see it got…ruined.” He placed the fabric across his knees, and immediately Lavi grabbed it.
Wasn’t I wearing this, though? Even if his vision wasn’t at its best, he could still feel the tears of defined bullet holes,
“I was wearing it though.” He whispered, throat suddenly far too dry, “I-was wearing this-” He wasn’t panicking, no, he was far from it. He swallowed again and then, shakily, asked, “I got shot didn’t I?”
Rhode giggled, “Actually, no, you didn’t.”
Lavi blinked. What, “But-but how could I have-”
“Thank Tyki.” He was suddenly aware of the extra pair of eyes on him, but ignored them as he whipped his head back to gawk, “He’s the one who saved you. ‘Pulled a little magic’, as the saying goes3.” He felt his blood run cold for a second time that evening (when had the first been? Oh right, when he saw the alcohol) as those words slowly settled in, “You should be thankful.” The words whispered in his ear.
He couldn’t speak. He couldn’t move-he couldn’t-
“Rhode, stop.” Tyki sounded tired, but that didn’t matter.
“But why?”
“He doesn’t need to know that.” His eyes steadily met Lavi’s own-yellow with a backdrop of grey. Why hadn’t Lavi noticed it before? Rhode was the same. They weren’t even trying to hide what they were!
“Y-You’re-the ones who-”
“Made the Gun Raid happen?” Rhode snorted, “No that was someone else. Something else, if you wanna be more specific,” Her lips stretched into a grin and Lavi blinked again, rapidly, “We’re actually just minding our own business waiting for this Cross to fall. It’s bad luck you know.” She waved off past Tyki and Lavi squinted to get a better look.
He wished he hadn’t.
He really wished he hadn’t.
“What are you-”
“Rhode.”
“What?” She snapped, “We can’t exactly let him leave now, can we?” Her voice was muted to his ears as he watched the chain (rusted and old, how had it not been replaced yet?) continue to sway dangerously, the bottom of the Cross sharpened in a way that had been once desired as fashionable when this church had been built.
They had learned about it in school, and in horror stories, how the podium would be splattered with blood from the priest in the penchant that it would fall. How the people would scream in terror, because this was God's Will and God's Will had spoken.
It had only been a story, though. Lavi never quite found it believable, and he had laughed-he had laughed.
But now-no.
No, no, no.
“Allen!”
- -END- -
1 -Gun Raid: (shortened form of Gun Resistance Advancement Intelligence Division) Part of a Larger Organization; its motives aren't clear but they are known by the public for their quick and often violent attacks using varying kinds of Guns.
2 -Class D: This is referring to the different Classes/Levels that Gun Raids are classified as. They range from A-F, F being the least violent while A is the most violent. Sectioned off yet again into two more groups (A-C and D-F) , with D-F being civilian attacks (either small scale, or seemingly pointless attacks taking place in Civilian areas), and A-C being large scale (taking place in cities of interest, often targeting important people, places, or events).
3 - Pulled an Extra Bit of Magic: Used as slang for those who make use of a special skill that does not come naturally (such as a supernatural ability). Also appears to be a popular saying in tandem with the Gun Raiders (either as victims, members, or enemies it isn’t specified).