A Game of Poker, Chapter 13: Awakening
Title: A Game of Poker
Author: Bookkbaby
Rating: Teen
Warnings: YAOI
Summary: LUCKY Pair. It started as a simple game of poker, but a little white lie from Lavi changes everything. ['If you lose... you spend the night here, with me, and let me do whatever I want with you.']
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. Randomly long author’s note this time, I know.
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.
Super special awesome thanks to Misster Cackles, who is now my beta! All remaining mistakes are mine.
SPECIAL DEDICATION: This chapter dedicated to artemis89 who has kindly offered to translate my fics into Italian!
IMPORTANT NOTE: Please be kind to my beta. She won’t tell you what will happen next any more than I would. She’s kind enough to read these for me and help me with my mistakes so you can read the polished version. If you have any complaints or questions, please address them to me.
Last Time On ‘A Game Of Poker’:
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.
And Now, The Continuation
A Game of Poker, Chapter 13
Awakening
"Will he be all right?"
"The doctor said he'll be fine, but he probably won't wake up for-"
Lavi slowly drifted back to consciousness. What on Earth were Lenalee and Allen doing in his room? He'd been having the strangest dream, where Road had kidnapped him and shot him full of spikes, then Tyki had come and tricked the Earl and Road into thinking that he was dead. Tyki had wrapped his wounds and taken him to the Ark, then shoved him through and then he couldn't see the Noah anymore-
His eyes shot open. That hadn't been a dream.
He could see movement next to the hospital bed he lay in, but it didn't concern him at the moment. If that hadn't been a dream, then-
"Lavi!"
Tyki was still at the Earl's stronghold, fighting. He shoved himself to a sitting position, giving a small cry at the pain as an IV drip ripped out of his arm and the motion pulled on his as of yet unhealed wounds. He gritted his teeth, turning towards the motion he had noticed earlier. As he had expected, Allen, Lenalee, and, to his fleeting shock, Kanda sat in the chairs reserved for visiting the sick and injured. The female Exorcist seemed shocked that he was sitting, her expression mirrored by the white haired boy who sat next to her. Kanda's eyes were only marginally wider than usual.
Lavi ignored the two dark-haired Exorcists and focused his attention on his British friend. Allen would help him, right? The other boy didn't hate Noah - Kanda would probably rather run Tyki through than help him fight, no matter who it was the Pleasure was fighting. Lenalee might be convinced to help, but the only person he could be sure of was Allen.
"Allen!" he said desperately, reaching forward and grabbing the younger Exorcist by the vest. Silver eyes widened in shock at the action, but Lavi didn't care. "I need your help. I have to go back - he's going to-"
"Lavi!" Lenalee said, shocked, reaching out to try and remove the redhead's hands. "Calm down! You're injured - you shouldn't be moving around yet!"
Lavi shook off her hold, fists clenching Allen with an iron grip. He stared into the white haired boy’s eyes, pleading with him to agree to help.
"Let the stupid rabbit do as he wants - if he dies, it's hardly our problem." Kanda said grumpily. The redhead ignored him too.
"Please Allen, I have to go back and I need the Ark or else he could-"
"Who, Lavi?" the British Exorcist asked, compassion in his expression even if comprehension was absent. The younger Exorcist's hands reached up to gently grip the desperate redhead's. "I'll help, but you need to tell me who I am helping!"
The hammer-user opened his mouth to speak, but another voice interrupted him.
"Yes, Lavi, tell us who."
The redhead's eye moved to the previously unnoticed, short figure leaning against the wall behind Allen. Bookman's eyes were narrowed keenly as the old man regarded him, expression one of disappointment. Lavi's voice caught in his throat and made it hard to breath, but that was nothing compared to the numb disbelief he felt when he spotted the clock hanging above his mentor's head.
How long had he been unconscious? If that clock was right, then...
"Who, Lavi?" Allen asked again, voice soft.
"How long have I been out?" the redhead asked in lieu of an answer. He turned back towards the white haired boy but dropped his gaze, staring at the bed he sat on instead of his friend. He could feel the concerned gazes of the Chinese and the British Exorcist bore into him as well as Bookman's piercing gaze. Kanda's stare was curiosity laced with concern.
The clock had to be wrong. So much time couldn't have passed-
"We found you about six hours ago, Lavi." Lenalee said gently. She moved closer to the bed, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder as he numbly released the white haired boy's vest. Lavi sat back, a lead weight dropping into his stomach. Six hours? Tyki couldn't have fought for six hours against the Earl and Road. The Noah, by now, was probably-
He must be-
"Lavi?" Allen asked, leaning forward and trying to catch his eyes. "What's wrong? Who needs help?"
It was too late. He had been too late.
Something inside him seemed to collapse. The warm feeling he had felt around Tyki seemed to burst and spill out, replaced by a void where the warmth used to reside. He hadn't realized how much space inside his supposedly non-existent heart that heat had taken up until now, when it was had turned cold and aching.
"Lavi?"
Lenalee's worried voice broke him out of his thoughts. He looked at her, startled, then looked at the other three people by his bedside. All four Exorcists were staring at him with concern - even Kanda's expression was now more concern than curiosity.
There was nothing to be gained by telling them now. It was too late. Perhaps later, when he felt up to it, then he might tell them, but not in front of Bookman. The old man was disappointed enough in him already, he didn't need to give the old Panda any more ammunition. This, of all things, he was not willing to take criticism on. He could not listen to his mentor lecture him on not getting attached to Tyki, which is exactly what would happen if he tried to tell the truth now.
The redhead forced a smile onto his face, looking directly at the Japanese Exorcist as he forced a strangled laugh around the lump in his throat.
"There you are, Yuu-chan! I was having this terrible nightmare where you were getting eaten alive by mad rabbits. What a relief! You're safe and sound! Oh good!" he babbled, aware he wasn't anything like his usual self but trying his best to sound natural. He turned to Allen, noticing the worry intensify in his friend's eyes. "I guess no one needs help after all, Allen! Yuu-chan's just fine!"
He faked a yawn, then lay back down in the bed. The could feel the others watching him, faintly surprised that Kanda hadn't threatened to kill him yet for repeated uses of his first name. The redhead continued with his act, though he knew there was no way they would think his actions natural.
"Well, I'm just exhausted, so I think I'll take a nap. Goodnight! Yuu-chan, be careful not to go near any mad rabbits!"
Kanda muttered something about needing to get away from a 'mad rabbit', but the comment had no real venom.
"Lavi?" Allen asked cautiously. The redhead could hear the rustle of cloth as the white-haired boy stepped forward. "Are you... feeling all right?"
Lavi could hear the other boy move closer, probably looking to see if he was actually asleep. The redhead did his most convincing impression, anxious for the others to leave. He just wanted to be alone right now - well, to be honest, he didn't want to be alone, but he didn't want his friends with him. There was only one person's company he desired at the moment, and that person was probably-
He swallowed the word, not wanting to think it. To think it would make it real and he didn't want it to be real. Once everyone left, there was one thing he had to do to prove to himself whether or not Tyki was... gone, but he would not remove his eyepatch in front of the others. Bookman already knew about his eye, but he would disapprove of the use Lavi had in mind and would probably try to stop him.
"It might be the pain medication." Lenalee whispered softly, obviously not intending for the hammer-user to hear. "Supervisor Komui said it made some people a little... strange."
"Still mad at him for not telling you Lavi was missing?" Allen asked quietly. The redhead could hear Lenalee stand.
"He should have told us the moment Krory called. We're Lavi's friends - we have a right to know. We could have done something-"
"The stupid rabbit got himself into that mess." Kanda said, though again Lavi noticed the distinct lack of venom in his friend's tone. "At least the idiot didn't get himself killed."
Lavi pretended to stir, hoping one of them would get the hint and leave.
"Kanda-" Allen said warningly, not picking up on the hint.
"What do you want, moyashi?" Kanda returned, voice promising a fight.
"Stop it, you two!" Lenalee demanded. Lavi pretended to stir more, a pained moan escaping his lips as the motion pulled on his injuries. He felt less pain from them than he had expected - he only felt them at all when he moved too quickly or pulled too much, but that was likely due to the pain medication Lenalee had mentioned.
They still didn't seem to pick up on the hint. Anxiety rolled through him.
"What do you think about the butterfly?" the Chinese Exorcist asked her two companions. A rustle of cloth indicated that one of the male Exorcist's had shrugged - probably Kanda, since Allen spoke next.
"It led us to Lavi in time to bring him here. The Head Nurse said that our early discovery of him probably saved his life. Even if it is one of Tyki Mikk's golems-"
Lavi moaned loudly at that, turning slightly in his bed as if they were disturbing his sleep. Sharp pain that had nothing to do with his physical injuries ripped through him at the sound of the Noah's name.
A door opened somewhere. Rapid, light footsteps approached. Lavi almost grinned to himself, but he didn't feel much like grinning.
"What are you three doing here? Visiting hours are long since over and you're disturbing my patient!" The voice of the Head Nurse was impressive, managing a quiet boom though the redhead had no clue how such a thing was possible. Her voice wouldn't wake anyone who was already asleep, but to anyone who was awake it seemed as if she had shouted.
"We're very sorry! We were just leaving." Lenalee said apologetically. Lavi could hear her usher the two male Exorcists out the door. Bookman had likely already left when Allen and Kanda were arguing. He could hear the Nurse walk over to his bed, sighing in exasperation as she noticed the IV had come out of his arm. He almost tensed in anticipation - the Nurse wouldn’t stick around by his bedside and talk, so she’d be leaving soon and he could finally get on with what he intended to do.
With quick, practiced motions, the Nurse picked up the IV line and inserted it into the vein of his arm as it had been before he had woken up. He was careful to keep still, the minor pain of the needle hardly even felt through the medication in his blood and it was nothing compared to the pain he had felt when pretending to die to aid in Tyki's deception.
The Nurse turned and soft footsteps carried her away from his bed. A door shut moments later and the redhead opened his eyes once more. He glanced carefully around his bed, looking for anything that would serve as a looking glass. Anything with a reflection would do.
His eyes landed on the bedside table. A bloodstained silk shirt was folded neatly on top of it, a glass vase of flowers next to it. Lavi could already tell that the fine material had been cut - likely to avoid hitting the stakes he could remember striking his body before Tyki had pushed him into the Ark - but a dull sense of relief flooded through him and he reached for it. Lavi picked up the shirt and held it to his chest with one hand while he eyed the vase.
The glass was clear and the water and dark stems visible through it provided some reflection. It would have to do.
With his free hand, he reached for the eyepatch covering his right eye. It would be the first time in a long time he had used it, but he had to know. He pulled the patch up over his head, opening his multicolored eye and blinking a few times. He wasn't used to having this eye uncovered, though he made a mental note that he may need to rethink that. He didn't want to land in Road's clutches or the Earl's again and be unable to defend himself simply because he couldn't take off an eyepatch when tied up.
He focused on the vase of flowers, seeing his own reflection stare back at him. The image was slightly distorted by the curve of the glass, but it would work. He concentrated on his memories of Tyki, the man's face, the emotions he felt when he was nearby, how the man's smirk could mean a million different things depending on how he twisted his lips. His chest ached more deeply as the memories flooded his mind, but he had to concentrate.
"Show me Tyki Mikk," he whispered, shutting his normal eye. He could feel his right eye burn, but the sensation wasn't exactly painful. It was more like a tingling sensation and it quickly spread to his entire body as he carefully concentrated on the image in the glass.
His eye color rapidly swirled, from red to gold to violet to a myriad of other colors before settling on a white-silver color purer than Allen's eyes. His reflection dissolved, a circle of blackness taking its place. Lavi waited impatiently, feeling the tingling sensation increase to a true burn along his chest and burning like hell along his stab wounds. His left wrist - which he just noticed had a cast on it, chalking up his inattention to the drugs he had probably been given for the pain - itched and burned, but the sensations were almost pleasant. His scalp itched. Pain began to filter back into his senses, his wrist aching and other injuries throbbing madly, but he didn't take his eye off the dark circle reflected on the vase.
He willed it to show him an image, anything at all. It shouldn't take this long to find someone, no matter where they were. If it stayed black much longer, Tyki really was-
The darkness flickered, a hint of white light shining through. The redhead leaned forward anxiously, staring intently as his stomach began to complain. His nails dug into the bed, growing minutely by the second. Slowly, painfully slowly, an image began to take shape.
Lavi could feel his entire body relax, a relief so strong it was almost frightening rushing through his veins.
Tyki was alive. The man was sitting limply against a wall somewhere, but the redhead knew that his eye would have shown him nothing if the Noah was dead. He could even see the white lines forming Tyki's chest move evenly in and out, indicating that he was breathing. He was alive.
The redhead wanted to praise whatever deity was responsible for the Noah's continued existence, but when he looked closer he could see that the older man was shackled in place. An odd paper seal was on the man's chest, one Lavi wasn't familiar with but it couldn't be anything good.
He had to get Tyki out. Lavi needed to get back to Tyki and free the Pleasure, maybe even bring him here to protect him since the Earl was surely furious. The Order might take him in. At the very least he could plead the man's case, but if worst came to worst he was certain that the combined powers of an Exorcist and a Noah would be enough to bust out of whatever jail the Order had at its disposal. One could not protect against both dark matter and Innocence easily, after all, not to mention the elements Lavi had at his disposal when he used Ozuchi Kozuchi.
The Pleasure couldn't stay where he was. Lavi needed to free him. Tonight.
The redhead let the image fade, sitting back and breathing heavily. His stomach growled angrily at him, but he paid it no mind. His injuries tingled still, but that faded as the white-silver color faded from his eye and was replaced by the cycle of otherworldly colors once more. He moved to tie his eyepatch back on, then set it on the bedside table. He would need his eye's other abilities, since he had no clue where his Innocence was (probably in care of Hevlaska, not that he had time to stop by and convince her to let him have it back) if he was going to get through this in one piece.
He swung his legs over the side of the bed, a bit dizzy but nothing he couldn't handle. His nails were slightly longer than normal and the pain medication's effect had disappeared, but he had expected such consequences. He was fairly certain he had only used up a day or two at most of Time with the brief vision he had asked for. His injuries had healed a bit, but he would still need to be careful when moving or lifting anything to be sure that they wouldn't tear open again. The redhead lifted a hand to the bandage he could feel on his face, yanking it off entirely. That scratch, at least, would have scabbed over and be well on the way to healing. He traced it with his fingers.
He briefly considered going after Allen and explaining, but the white haired boy could be anywhere and was likely surrounded by people. The time it took to explain the situation fully could be too much - Tyki was alive now, but the redhead could feel his own anxiety grow with each passing second. The Earl could start torturing the Pleasure at any moment or could kill him before the Exorcist managed to get back and save the older man. He had needed the help earlier, but now the situation had changed.
The Noah wasn't fighting, so all he would need to do was sneak into the Earl's headquarters and locate the older man while avoiding the Akuma, the other members of the Noah clan, and the Earl himself and then sneak out while probably carrying the Pleasure. All the while he would need to hope that no one discovered him or the piece of the Order's Ark he would need to take with him, since he would be almost completely defenseless but for the power of his eye.
He took a deep breath, pulling on the bloodstained shirt Tyki had given him. He didn't know where the Tease had gotten to, but he had no time to search for it. Desperation lent his feet strength as he stood up and began to move silently towards the door of the infirmary. His injuries complained, but they were minor in comparison to the strange mix of hope, fear, and longing that spread further through his body with every step.
Line Break
"Wake up, Tyki-pon."
A voice was calling him back from unconsciousness, but he didn't want to leave the darkness just yet. It wasn't comforting or any nonsense like that, but the endless void was preferable to that voice.
"Tyki-pon, I do believe I told you to wake up. Are you going to listen?"
The Noah tried in vain to hold onto the blackness surrounding his mind, keeping him oblivious to his surroundings, but it vanished as if he was trying to grasp smoke. Something hit him hard across the face. His head snapped to the side, knocking harshly on the wall he leaned against. Reluctantly, his eyes opened.
"Now see, wasn't that easy?"
Tyki turned towards the Millennium Earl, hearing the soft clink of chains as he moved. The Maker towered over him and he could feel his legs and body chained to the floor and wall, respectively. His wrists were held in shackles, keeping his arms pinned out as if the Earl planned to crucify him.
The Pleasure had to smirk wryly at that. It wouldn't be the first time the Manufacturer had crucified someone, nor would it be the last. Still, he knew the man well enough to know that the Earl wouldn't kill him without 'playing' some first.
He looked around. The room was lit by a large candle in a candle holder next to the Earl's feet, a torch on one of the walls, and the few, flickering beams of light from what were probably more torches on the outside of Tyki's cell. His eyes kept searching, mildly surprised that he and the Manufacturer were the only two - three if one included Lero, who floated silently behind the Maker - in what he assumed to be a dungeon. He wasn't familiar with this part of their base as he had never had cause to visit the lower basements.
"Where's Road?" he asked. The Dreams normally assisted the Earl with disciplinary measures - the last time a Noah had grown a conscience, he had heard and seen things he had never wanted to see again. He had never expected that he would one day be in the so-called 'traitorous' Noah's place.
"She's retired for the night. She isn't as eager to help me with you, I suppose, but I'm sure I'll convince her to come around soon enough. Perhaps Road-chan can entertain you for a few hours with one of her little illusions, hmm?"
A chill of fear snaked through Tyki's body. Road's illusions were not something he wanted to deal with, not when he had a sneaking suspicion that she'd somehow use his strange emotions for Lavi against him. He went silent, doing his best to project an air of confidence though he was chained and helpless. His chest didn't burn so badly now, or maybe he had simply gotten used to the pain, but his body was still so heavy. He couldn't access his powers at all - this was the first time since he had awoken as a Noah that he had felt so helpless.
The Earl leaned forward, Lero flying closer to hover just over and behind the fat man's head.
"Now before we begin, I just want to ask you a few simple questions." The Earl's smile was insincere and malicious. "Why did you betray your family for that brat, Tyki?"
The lack of honorific, even that ridiculous addition to his name the Maker had been so fond of, was not a good sign. Of course, being chained to a wall in a dungeon wasn't exactly positive either, but the lack of honorific truly drove home how far his actions had distanced him from his 'family'. The Earl would still be using the honorific if there had been any chance of reconciliation or any way for the Pleasure to become what he had once been and had been happy to be.
Good riddance. Even the almost nonexistent sense of loss he had felt before, when fighting Road and realizing that she would never again see him as a favorite uncle, was greater than the loss he felt now. In fact, he felt more free now than he had in a long time, despite his current physical state.
"Call it a whim," the Pleasure responded, smirking wearily. There was nothing he could do now to save himself from his fate and he didn't intend to disgrace himself by struggling uselessly. He wasn't the type to beg for any sort of mercy either. "Or you could call it a bet, I suppose. I bet that you wouldn't find out and I lost." He attempted to shrug casually, hearing the chains rattle and clack at the tiny motion. His body still felt so heavy, though he was getting used to the sensation. "Perhaps I shouldn't have entered into such a high stakes game, but you win some, you lose some."
"Perhaps you shouldn't have," the Manufacturer agreed, turning to Lero. Humming, he extended his hand to grab the umbrella's J-shaped handle and tugged. Electrical sparks flew from underneath the golem's folds, the handle lengthening as the Earl drew something from Lero. The electrical sparks finally died down only when the object had come free completely.
When the Earl turned back to Tyki, still humming, he held a hammer in his hands.
"I thought this weapon would be most fitting," the Maker said brightly, tapping the large head of the hammer in one heavy palm. "It is getting rather late - far past the time I usually retire. I'll simply have to come back for you in the morning, but in the meantime I don't want you to do anything bothersome, like attempt to escape."
The fat man lifted the hammer, still smiling.
"The chains should be enough, but just in case I want to make sure I have extra insurance. 'Hedge my bets' if you will."
The Noah stared at the hammer. It was so similar to the redhead's, yet it wasn't. Strange how the stupidest things could send a pang of longing through him, especially given his situation. He barely even registered the Earl's words and then the hammer came down onto his forearm. Not expecting the sudden attack, Tyki gave a yell as the hammer smashed into his arm. The Earl lifted the hammer and struck again. His arm shattered under the second blow and the hammer continued through to the floor, scraping against his skin as it slid off his broken limb. The arm sagged in the shackle, but his wrist was firmly secured in the ring of metal and the limb didn't slide free. Besides the break it would bruise something fierce, but the blunt instrument hadn't drawn blood.
The Manufacturer straightened up, lifting the hammer.
"You make a lot more noise than the Exorcist," he observed pleasantly, thoughtfully tapping his weapon. "I was hoping it would take more to make you scream, but I've hardly even begun and you're already shouting."
The hammer came up again as the Maker shifted focus to Tyki's other arm.
"You disappoint me, Tyki."
The Noah bit his lip as the hammer smashed his other forearm. Without his powers, he could do nothing but try not to cry out again as he felt the bones splinter and then break under the force and his wrist pull heavily against the metal shackle but not fall through.
"Oh good! That's much better."
The Pleasure shut his eyes, concentrating on better memories as the Earl moved and lifted the weapon once again. Tyki's leg felt the impact this time. His shin bone bruised, then splintered under a second blow and then broke entirely under a third. His skin had torn and blood ran from the small dents formed by the hammer's edges. His throat was raw from holding back cries, but he had to endure. He wouldn't give his former employer the satisfaction, especially since Lavi had been strong enough not to cry out. If the redhead could, then so could he.
He gave a choked gasp as his other leg got the same treatment, shin breaking under three powerful blows from the hammer.
The Manufacturer moved back, surveying his handiwork.
"I think that will do for now. You can look forward to the same thing in a week, once your bones heal. The Noah family heals so quickly - it lets me do so much more with one of you when you go bad." The Earl beckoned Lero over with one hand, who had watched the entire exchange silently. "I believe the phrase goes 'every cloud has a silver lining'?"
The Noah mustered up a glare, sagging in his shackles and leaning against the wall for support as he tried to glare as menacingly as he could at the Maker.
The Earl gave a jaunty wave and bent over to scoop up the candle providing half of the room's light. The man turned to leave, his pink umbrella-like golem trailing behind him with a last look at the trapped Noah.
As the cell door shut behind the Earl, the room went dark, illuminated by only a single torch on the side wall. The Pleasure shut his eyes, leaning his head back against the wall. His arms and legs were useless lumps of flesh and they hurt, sending stabbing pain along his nerve endings. The man let himself drift off into sleep, feeling two vague and contradictory desires. He wanted the redheaded Exorcist with him, even though he was, for reasons he couldn't understand himself, glad that Lavi was far, far away.
TBC…
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Author: Bookkbaby
Rating: Teen
Warnings: YAOI
Summary: LUCKY Pair. It started as a simple game of poker, but a little white lie from Lavi changes everything. ['If you lose... you spend the night here, with me, and let me do whatever I want with you.']
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. Randomly long author’s note this time, I know.
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.
Super special awesome thanks to Misster Cackles, who is now my beta! All remaining mistakes are mine.
SPECIAL DEDICATION: This chapter dedicated to artemis89 who has kindly offered to translate my fics into Italian!
IMPORTANT NOTE: Please be kind to my beta. She won’t tell you what will happen next any more than I would. She’s kind enough to read these for me and help me with my mistakes so you can read the polished version. If you have any complaints or questions, please address them to me.
Last Time On ‘A Game Of Poker’:
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.
And Now, The Continuation
A Game of Poker, Chapter 13
Awakening
"Will he be all right?"
"The doctor said he'll be fine, but he probably won't wake up for-"
Lavi slowly drifted back to consciousness. What on Earth were Lenalee and Allen doing in his room? He'd been having the strangest dream, where Road had kidnapped him and shot him full of spikes, then Tyki had come and tricked the Earl and Road into thinking that he was dead. Tyki had wrapped his wounds and taken him to the Ark, then shoved him through and then he couldn't see the Noah anymore-
His eyes shot open. That hadn't been a dream.
He could see movement next to the hospital bed he lay in, but it didn't concern him at the moment. If that hadn't been a dream, then-
"Lavi!"
Tyki was still at the Earl's stronghold, fighting. He shoved himself to a sitting position, giving a small cry at the pain as an IV drip ripped out of his arm and the motion pulled on his as of yet unhealed wounds. He gritted his teeth, turning towards the motion he had noticed earlier. As he had expected, Allen, Lenalee, and, to his fleeting shock, Kanda sat in the chairs reserved for visiting the sick and injured. The female Exorcist seemed shocked that he was sitting, her expression mirrored by the white haired boy who sat next to her. Kanda's eyes were only marginally wider than usual.
Lavi ignored the two dark-haired Exorcists and focused his attention on his British friend. Allen would help him, right? The other boy didn't hate Noah - Kanda would probably rather run Tyki through than help him fight, no matter who it was the Pleasure was fighting. Lenalee might be convinced to help, but the only person he could be sure of was Allen.
"Allen!" he said desperately, reaching forward and grabbing the younger Exorcist by the vest. Silver eyes widened in shock at the action, but Lavi didn't care. "I need your help. I have to go back - he's going to-"
"Lavi!" Lenalee said, shocked, reaching out to try and remove the redhead's hands. "Calm down! You're injured - you shouldn't be moving around yet!"
Lavi shook off her hold, fists clenching Allen with an iron grip. He stared into the white haired boy’s eyes, pleading with him to agree to help.
"Let the stupid rabbit do as he wants - if he dies, it's hardly our problem." Kanda said grumpily. The redhead ignored him too.
"Please Allen, I have to go back and I need the Ark or else he could-"
"Who, Lavi?" the British Exorcist asked, compassion in his expression even if comprehension was absent. The younger Exorcist's hands reached up to gently grip the desperate redhead's. "I'll help, but you need to tell me who I am helping!"
The hammer-user opened his mouth to speak, but another voice interrupted him.
"Yes, Lavi, tell us who."
The redhead's eye moved to the previously unnoticed, short figure leaning against the wall behind Allen. Bookman's eyes were narrowed keenly as the old man regarded him, expression one of disappointment. Lavi's voice caught in his throat and made it hard to breath, but that was nothing compared to the numb disbelief he felt when he spotted the clock hanging above his mentor's head.
How long had he been unconscious? If that clock was right, then...
"Who, Lavi?" Allen asked again, voice soft.
"How long have I been out?" the redhead asked in lieu of an answer. He turned back towards the white haired boy but dropped his gaze, staring at the bed he sat on instead of his friend. He could feel the concerned gazes of the Chinese and the British Exorcist bore into him as well as Bookman's piercing gaze. Kanda's stare was curiosity laced with concern.
The clock had to be wrong. So much time couldn't have passed-
"We found you about six hours ago, Lavi." Lenalee said gently. She moved closer to the bed, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder as he numbly released the white haired boy's vest. Lavi sat back, a lead weight dropping into his stomach. Six hours? Tyki couldn't have fought for six hours against the Earl and Road. The Noah, by now, was probably-
He must be-
"Lavi?" Allen asked, leaning forward and trying to catch his eyes. "What's wrong? Who needs help?"
It was too late. He had been too late.
Something inside him seemed to collapse. The warm feeling he had felt around Tyki seemed to burst and spill out, replaced by a void where the warmth used to reside. He hadn't realized how much space inside his supposedly non-existent heart that heat had taken up until now, when it was had turned cold and aching.
"Lavi?"
Lenalee's worried voice broke him out of his thoughts. He looked at her, startled, then looked at the other three people by his bedside. All four Exorcists were staring at him with concern - even Kanda's expression was now more concern than curiosity.
There was nothing to be gained by telling them now. It was too late. Perhaps later, when he felt up to it, then he might tell them, but not in front of Bookman. The old man was disappointed enough in him already, he didn't need to give the old Panda any more ammunition. This, of all things, he was not willing to take criticism on. He could not listen to his mentor lecture him on not getting attached to Tyki, which is exactly what would happen if he tried to tell the truth now.
The redhead forced a smile onto his face, looking directly at the Japanese Exorcist as he forced a strangled laugh around the lump in his throat.
"There you are, Yuu-chan! I was having this terrible nightmare where you were getting eaten alive by mad rabbits. What a relief! You're safe and sound! Oh good!" he babbled, aware he wasn't anything like his usual self but trying his best to sound natural. He turned to Allen, noticing the worry intensify in his friend's eyes. "I guess no one needs help after all, Allen! Yuu-chan's just fine!"
He faked a yawn, then lay back down in the bed. The could feel the others watching him, faintly surprised that Kanda hadn't threatened to kill him yet for repeated uses of his first name. The redhead continued with his act, though he knew there was no way they would think his actions natural.
"Well, I'm just exhausted, so I think I'll take a nap. Goodnight! Yuu-chan, be careful not to go near any mad rabbits!"
Kanda muttered something about needing to get away from a 'mad rabbit', but the comment had no real venom.
"Lavi?" Allen asked cautiously. The redhead could hear the rustle of cloth as the white-haired boy stepped forward. "Are you... feeling all right?"
Lavi could hear the other boy move closer, probably looking to see if he was actually asleep. The redhead did his most convincing impression, anxious for the others to leave. He just wanted to be alone right now - well, to be honest, he didn't want to be alone, but he didn't want his friends with him. There was only one person's company he desired at the moment, and that person was probably-
He swallowed the word, not wanting to think it. To think it would make it real and he didn't want it to be real. Once everyone left, there was one thing he had to do to prove to himself whether or not Tyki was... gone, but he would not remove his eyepatch in front of the others. Bookman already knew about his eye, but he would disapprove of the use Lavi had in mind and would probably try to stop him.
"It might be the pain medication." Lenalee whispered softly, obviously not intending for the hammer-user to hear. "Supervisor Komui said it made some people a little... strange."
"Still mad at him for not telling you Lavi was missing?" Allen asked quietly. The redhead could hear Lenalee stand.
"He should have told us the moment Krory called. We're Lavi's friends - we have a right to know. We could have done something-"
"The stupid rabbit got himself into that mess." Kanda said, though again Lavi noticed the distinct lack of venom in his friend's tone. "At least the idiot didn't get himself killed."
Lavi pretended to stir, hoping one of them would get the hint and leave.
"Kanda-" Allen said warningly, not picking up on the hint.
"What do you want, moyashi?" Kanda returned, voice promising a fight.
"Stop it, you two!" Lenalee demanded. Lavi pretended to stir more, a pained moan escaping his lips as the motion pulled on his injuries. He felt less pain from them than he had expected - he only felt them at all when he moved too quickly or pulled too much, but that was likely due to the pain medication Lenalee had mentioned.
They still didn't seem to pick up on the hint. Anxiety rolled through him.
"What do you think about the butterfly?" the Chinese Exorcist asked her two companions. A rustle of cloth indicated that one of the male Exorcist's had shrugged - probably Kanda, since Allen spoke next.
"It led us to Lavi in time to bring him here. The Head Nurse said that our early discovery of him probably saved his life. Even if it is one of Tyki Mikk's golems-"
Lavi moaned loudly at that, turning slightly in his bed as if they were disturbing his sleep. Sharp pain that had nothing to do with his physical injuries ripped through him at the sound of the Noah's name.
A door opened somewhere. Rapid, light footsteps approached. Lavi almost grinned to himself, but he didn't feel much like grinning.
"What are you three doing here? Visiting hours are long since over and you're disturbing my patient!" The voice of the Head Nurse was impressive, managing a quiet boom though the redhead had no clue how such a thing was possible. Her voice wouldn't wake anyone who was already asleep, but to anyone who was awake it seemed as if she had shouted.
"We're very sorry! We were just leaving." Lenalee said apologetically. Lavi could hear her usher the two male Exorcists out the door. Bookman had likely already left when Allen and Kanda were arguing. He could hear the Nurse walk over to his bed, sighing in exasperation as she noticed the IV had come out of his arm. He almost tensed in anticipation - the Nurse wouldn’t stick around by his bedside and talk, so she’d be leaving soon and he could finally get on with what he intended to do.
With quick, practiced motions, the Nurse picked up the IV line and inserted it into the vein of his arm as it had been before he had woken up. He was careful to keep still, the minor pain of the needle hardly even felt through the medication in his blood and it was nothing compared to the pain he had felt when pretending to die to aid in Tyki's deception.
The Nurse turned and soft footsteps carried her away from his bed. A door shut moments later and the redhead opened his eyes once more. He glanced carefully around his bed, looking for anything that would serve as a looking glass. Anything with a reflection would do.
His eyes landed on the bedside table. A bloodstained silk shirt was folded neatly on top of it, a glass vase of flowers next to it. Lavi could already tell that the fine material had been cut - likely to avoid hitting the stakes he could remember striking his body before Tyki had pushed him into the Ark - but a dull sense of relief flooded through him and he reached for it. Lavi picked up the shirt and held it to his chest with one hand while he eyed the vase.
The glass was clear and the water and dark stems visible through it provided some reflection. It would have to do.
With his free hand, he reached for the eyepatch covering his right eye. It would be the first time in a long time he had used it, but he had to know. He pulled the patch up over his head, opening his multicolored eye and blinking a few times. He wasn't used to having this eye uncovered, though he made a mental note that he may need to rethink that. He didn't want to land in Road's clutches or the Earl's again and be unable to defend himself simply because he couldn't take off an eyepatch when tied up.
He focused on the vase of flowers, seeing his own reflection stare back at him. The image was slightly distorted by the curve of the glass, but it would work. He concentrated on his memories of Tyki, the man's face, the emotions he felt when he was nearby, how the man's smirk could mean a million different things depending on how he twisted his lips. His chest ached more deeply as the memories flooded his mind, but he had to concentrate.
"Show me Tyki Mikk," he whispered, shutting his normal eye. He could feel his right eye burn, but the sensation wasn't exactly painful. It was more like a tingling sensation and it quickly spread to his entire body as he carefully concentrated on the image in the glass.
His eye color rapidly swirled, from red to gold to violet to a myriad of other colors before settling on a white-silver color purer than Allen's eyes. His reflection dissolved, a circle of blackness taking its place. Lavi waited impatiently, feeling the tingling sensation increase to a true burn along his chest and burning like hell along his stab wounds. His left wrist - which he just noticed had a cast on it, chalking up his inattention to the drugs he had probably been given for the pain - itched and burned, but the sensations were almost pleasant. His scalp itched. Pain began to filter back into his senses, his wrist aching and other injuries throbbing madly, but he didn't take his eye off the dark circle reflected on the vase.
He willed it to show him an image, anything at all. It shouldn't take this long to find someone, no matter where they were. If it stayed black much longer, Tyki really was-
The darkness flickered, a hint of white light shining through. The redhead leaned forward anxiously, staring intently as his stomach began to complain. His nails dug into the bed, growing minutely by the second. Slowly, painfully slowly, an image began to take shape.
Lavi could feel his entire body relax, a relief so strong it was almost frightening rushing through his veins.
Tyki was alive. The man was sitting limply against a wall somewhere, but the redhead knew that his eye would have shown him nothing if the Noah was dead. He could even see the white lines forming Tyki's chest move evenly in and out, indicating that he was breathing. He was alive.
The redhead wanted to praise whatever deity was responsible for the Noah's continued existence, but when he looked closer he could see that the older man was shackled in place. An odd paper seal was on the man's chest, one Lavi wasn't familiar with but it couldn't be anything good.
He had to get Tyki out. Lavi needed to get back to Tyki and free the Pleasure, maybe even bring him here to protect him since the Earl was surely furious. The Order might take him in. At the very least he could plead the man's case, but if worst came to worst he was certain that the combined powers of an Exorcist and a Noah would be enough to bust out of whatever jail the Order had at its disposal. One could not protect against both dark matter and Innocence easily, after all, not to mention the elements Lavi had at his disposal when he used Ozuchi Kozuchi.
The Pleasure couldn't stay where he was. Lavi needed to free him. Tonight.
The redhead let the image fade, sitting back and breathing heavily. His stomach growled angrily at him, but he paid it no mind. His injuries tingled still, but that faded as the white-silver color faded from his eye and was replaced by the cycle of otherworldly colors once more. He moved to tie his eyepatch back on, then set it on the bedside table. He would need his eye's other abilities, since he had no clue where his Innocence was (probably in care of Hevlaska, not that he had time to stop by and convince her to let him have it back) if he was going to get through this in one piece.
He swung his legs over the side of the bed, a bit dizzy but nothing he couldn't handle. His nails were slightly longer than normal and the pain medication's effect had disappeared, but he had expected such consequences. He was fairly certain he had only used up a day or two at most of Time with the brief vision he had asked for. His injuries had healed a bit, but he would still need to be careful when moving or lifting anything to be sure that they wouldn't tear open again. The redhead lifted a hand to the bandage he could feel on his face, yanking it off entirely. That scratch, at least, would have scabbed over and be well on the way to healing. He traced it with his fingers.
He briefly considered going after Allen and explaining, but the white haired boy could be anywhere and was likely surrounded by people. The time it took to explain the situation fully could be too much - Tyki was alive now, but the redhead could feel his own anxiety grow with each passing second. The Earl could start torturing the Pleasure at any moment or could kill him before the Exorcist managed to get back and save the older man. He had needed the help earlier, but now the situation had changed.
The Noah wasn't fighting, so all he would need to do was sneak into the Earl's headquarters and locate the older man while avoiding the Akuma, the other members of the Noah clan, and the Earl himself and then sneak out while probably carrying the Pleasure. All the while he would need to hope that no one discovered him or the piece of the Order's Ark he would need to take with him, since he would be almost completely defenseless but for the power of his eye.
He took a deep breath, pulling on the bloodstained shirt Tyki had given him. He didn't know where the Tease had gotten to, but he had no time to search for it. Desperation lent his feet strength as he stood up and began to move silently towards the door of the infirmary. His injuries complained, but they were minor in comparison to the strange mix of hope, fear, and longing that spread further through his body with every step.
Line Break
"Wake up, Tyki-pon."
A voice was calling him back from unconsciousness, but he didn't want to leave the darkness just yet. It wasn't comforting or any nonsense like that, but the endless void was preferable to that voice.
"Tyki-pon, I do believe I told you to wake up. Are you going to listen?"
The Noah tried in vain to hold onto the blackness surrounding his mind, keeping him oblivious to his surroundings, but it vanished as if he was trying to grasp smoke. Something hit him hard across the face. His head snapped to the side, knocking harshly on the wall he leaned against. Reluctantly, his eyes opened.
"Now see, wasn't that easy?"
Tyki turned towards the Millennium Earl, hearing the soft clink of chains as he moved. The Maker towered over him and he could feel his legs and body chained to the floor and wall, respectively. His wrists were held in shackles, keeping his arms pinned out as if the Earl planned to crucify him.
The Pleasure had to smirk wryly at that. It wouldn't be the first time the Manufacturer had crucified someone, nor would it be the last. Still, he knew the man well enough to know that the Earl wouldn't kill him without 'playing' some first.
He looked around. The room was lit by a large candle in a candle holder next to the Earl's feet, a torch on one of the walls, and the few, flickering beams of light from what were probably more torches on the outside of Tyki's cell. His eyes kept searching, mildly surprised that he and the Manufacturer were the only two - three if one included Lero, who floated silently behind the Maker - in what he assumed to be a dungeon. He wasn't familiar with this part of their base as he had never had cause to visit the lower basements.
"Where's Road?" he asked. The Dreams normally assisted the Earl with disciplinary measures - the last time a Noah had grown a conscience, he had heard and seen things he had never wanted to see again. He had never expected that he would one day be in the so-called 'traitorous' Noah's place.
"She's retired for the night. She isn't as eager to help me with you, I suppose, but I'm sure I'll convince her to come around soon enough. Perhaps Road-chan can entertain you for a few hours with one of her little illusions, hmm?"
A chill of fear snaked through Tyki's body. Road's illusions were not something he wanted to deal with, not when he had a sneaking suspicion that she'd somehow use his strange emotions for Lavi against him. He went silent, doing his best to project an air of confidence though he was chained and helpless. His chest didn't burn so badly now, or maybe he had simply gotten used to the pain, but his body was still so heavy. He couldn't access his powers at all - this was the first time since he had awoken as a Noah that he had felt so helpless.
The Earl leaned forward, Lero flying closer to hover just over and behind the fat man's head.
"Now before we begin, I just want to ask you a few simple questions." The Earl's smile was insincere and malicious. "Why did you betray your family for that brat, Tyki?"
The lack of honorific, even that ridiculous addition to his name the Maker had been so fond of, was not a good sign. Of course, being chained to a wall in a dungeon wasn't exactly positive either, but the lack of honorific truly drove home how far his actions had distanced him from his 'family'. The Earl would still be using the honorific if there had been any chance of reconciliation or any way for the Pleasure to become what he had once been and had been happy to be.
Good riddance. Even the almost nonexistent sense of loss he had felt before, when fighting Road and realizing that she would never again see him as a favorite uncle, was greater than the loss he felt now. In fact, he felt more free now than he had in a long time, despite his current physical state.
"Call it a whim," the Pleasure responded, smirking wearily. There was nothing he could do now to save himself from his fate and he didn't intend to disgrace himself by struggling uselessly. He wasn't the type to beg for any sort of mercy either. "Or you could call it a bet, I suppose. I bet that you wouldn't find out and I lost." He attempted to shrug casually, hearing the chains rattle and clack at the tiny motion. His body still felt so heavy, though he was getting used to the sensation. "Perhaps I shouldn't have entered into such a high stakes game, but you win some, you lose some."
"Perhaps you shouldn't have," the Manufacturer agreed, turning to Lero. Humming, he extended his hand to grab the umbrella's J-shaped handle and tugged. Electrical sparks flew from underneath the golem's folds, the handle lengthening as the Earl drew something from Lero. The electrical sparks finally died down only when the object had come free completely.
When the Earl turned back to Tyki, still humming, he held a hammer in his hands.
"I thought this weapon would be most fitting," the Maker said brightly, tapping the large head of the hammer in one heavy palm. "It is getting rather late - far past the time I usually retire. I'll simply have to come back for you in the morning, but in the meantime I don't want you to do anything bothersome, like attempt to escape."
The fat man lifted the hammer, still smiling.
"The chains should be enough, but just in case I want to make sure I have extra insurance. 'Hedge my bets' if you will."
The Noah stared at the hammer. It was so similar to the redhead's, yet it wasn't. Strange how the stupidest things could send a pang of longing through him, especially given his situation. He barely even registered the Earl's words and then the hammer came down onto his forearm. Not expecting the sudden attack, Tyki gave a yell as the hammer smashed into his arm. The Earl lifted the hammer and struck again. His arm shattered under the second blow and the hammer continued through to the floor, scraping against his skin as it slid off his broken limb. The arm sagged in the shackle, but his wrist was firmly secured in the ring of metal and the limb didn't slide free. Besides the break it would bruise something fierce, but the blunt instrument hadn't drawn blood.
The Manufacturer straightened up, lifting the hammer.
"You make a lot more noise than the Exorcist," he observed pleasantly, thoughtfully tapping his weapon. "I was hoping it would take more to make you scream, but I've hardly even begun and you're already shouting."
The hammer came up again as the Maker shifted focus to Tyki's other arm.
"You disappoint me, Tyki."
The Noah bit his lip as the hammer smashed his other forearm. Without his powers, he could do nothing but try not to cry out again as he felt the bones splinter and then break under the force and his wrist pull heavily against the metal shackle but not fall through.
"Oh good! That's much better."
The Pleasure shut his eyes, concentrating on better memories as the Earl moved and lifted the weapon once again. Tyki's leg felt the impact this time. His shin bone bruised, then splintered under a second blow and then broke entirely under a third. His skin had torn and blood ran from the small dents formed by the hammer's edges. His throat was raw from holding back cries, but he had to endure. He wouldn't give his former employer the satisfaction, especially since Lavi had been strong enough not to cry out. If the redhead could, then so could he.
He gave a choked gasp as his other leg got the same treatment, shin breaking under three powerful blows from the hammer.
The Manufacturer moved back, surveying his handiwork.
"I think that will do for now. You can look forward to the same thing in a week, once your bones heal. The Noah family heals so quickly - it lets me do so much more with one of you when you go bad." The Earl beckoned Lero over with one hand, who had watched the entire exchange silently. "I believe the phrase goes 'every cloud has a silver lining'?"
The Noah mustered up a glare, sagging in his shackles and leaning against the wall for support as he tried to glare as menacingly as he could at the Maker.
The Earl gave a jaunty wave and bent over to scoop up the candle providing half of the room's light. The man turned to leave, his pink umbrella-like golem trailing behind him with a last look at the trapped Noah.
As the cell door shut behind the Earl, the room went dark, illuminated by only a single torch on the side wall. The Pleasure shut his eyes, leaning his head back against the wall. His arms and legs were useless lumps of flesh and they hurt, sending stabbing pain along his nerve endings. The man let himself drift off into sleep, feeling two vague and contradictory desires. He wanted the redheaded Exorcist with him, even though he was, for reasons he couldn't understand himself, glad that Lavi was far, far away.
TBC…
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