A Game of Poker, Chapter 15: Illusion
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.
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.
Last Time On ‘A Game Of Poker’:
With a heavy sigh, Reever turned away again and beckoned for Johnny to follow him out.
"Let's go Johnny - I'll have him finish it in the morning.”
The frizzy haired scientist glanced towards the stack of paper as well before turning away and following the blond man out.
And Now, The Continuation
A Game of Poker, Chapter 15
Illusion
Lavi walked silently down the hallway of the Noah's compound, heart beating as quickly as a hummingbird's wings flapped inside his chest. The Tease flew quietly by his ear and Allen walked directly behind him, cursed eye alert and hyperactive from the sheer amount of Akuma in close proximity. The redhead could hear the sickening squish, squish of the eye as it rotated to angles impossible for a normal human eye in its quest for souls connected to Akuma. The white haired boy's eye had been that way since they had arrived several minutes ago.
Flashback
The redhead stepped through the glowing portal cautiously, alert for any sign of movement. Seeing none, he entered the room. Tyki's butterfly rode on his shoulder, apparently content to perch there and rest its wings. He carefully looked around, just in case a servant was hiding in a corner somewhere.
Nothing.
His eyes caught on the bed. For a moment, he felt the phantom sensation of Tyki's arms wrapped around him as the Noah bandaged his abdomen in a mock embrace. He took a step towards the bed as if in a trance, hesitantly reaching for the black silk sheets.
The sound of Allen following him through the Ark interrupted his reminiscence, followed quickly by the sound of something heavy striking the ground. He turned quickly to see that his friend had collapsed to his knees, clutching his left eye.
"Allen!"
The white haired boy waved him off as the redhead drew near. Allen moved his hand, revealing his activated eye and staring with disbelief at Lavi.
"Where are we, exactly? My eye... we're surrounded by Akuma. There are Akuma everywhere." The British boy seemed to be in shock. "Lavi?"
The hammer-user winced, looking away. He probably should have warned the other boy first, but he had forgotten to tell the Brit.
"We're in the Earl's compound. Tyki is probably somewhere on a lower floor - I think he's in a dungeon of some sort. We'll have to avoid the Akuma if we don't want to bring the entire compound and the Earl down on our heads."
The redhead pushed himself to his feet and offered the younger boy a hand up. Allen accepted it, rubbing his aching knees once he was firmly on his feet.
"So Tyki Mikk is 'somewhere'? You don't know where?" he asked, question hesitant. Lavi could tell his friend was already having serious doubts about the success of his self-appointed rescue mission. With a deep breath, he turned towards the mirror hanging between the closet and the dresser. As he stepped towards it, away from Allen, he began to concentrate.
"My eye will show me the way," he said simply. He could hear Allen moving behind him, slowly moving towards him and the mirror as if confused. The redhead ignored the noise in favor of concentrating on the image of Tyki in the cell. His perfect memory, unhindered by any drugs for pain or head injuries, helped him to quickly recall the room in near perfect detail. His chest tightened as he once again saw Tyki chained against the wall, the slight motions of his chest the only indication that the man still lived.
He could see his eye shifting colors rapidly, red and silver-white and purple and others appearing and disappearing rapidly until the changes stopped on an amber shade. The use of his power again sent a burning sensation spiraling out from his eye, but the feeling spread throughout his body much more quickly this time. He could again feel the almost pleasant but somehow hellish heat concentrate on his injuries, his wrist and various stab wounds especially. He could feel the slice on his face shut completely as he accessed his power again.
He could hear Allen gasp behind him, but kept his eyes on the mirror that was rapidly turning the same color as his eye. The glass seemed to stretch into the wall, forming what looked to be a picture of the room he stood in, but the image wasn't a proper reflection. For one thing, it included neither Lavi, Allen, nor the Ark's door and was only a sketchy picture in a dark yellow-orange shade. Slowly, the image rotated to show the door and the zoomed in close.
Lavi watched carefully, paying attention to the slightest detail as the mirrors speed began to pick up. The view went through the door and rotated to the right before moving down the hallway. It began to zip through the halls, down two flights of stairs, and down a few more hallways before it suddenly halted in front of a barred, locked door.
The picture in the mirror paused only a moment on the image before going through and ending with the image of Tyki chained to the wall. The redhead could sense that something was off - something was wrong with Tyki. He could see the Noah was in his 'white' form, skin a pale olive he had only seen when he and Allen had met the Noah. Almost as soon as he had noticed the lack of stigmata and the change in skin color, the image faded and he had no time for a closer look before the mirror was once again simple glass.
The hammer-user clenched his fists tightly, feeling his now longer nails puncture the skin of his palms. The Tease rubbed a wing gently against his ear as if to reassure him. He turned towards the other Exorcist, amber shade fading from his eye.
"He's down two floors - it will take a lot of sneaking, but we have to hurry. He's hurt."
"Hurt?" Allen sounded surprised, rightfully so. "But nothing should be able to touch him unless-"
"I know. I don't understand either." Lavi half-snapped at Allen, then, noting the other boy's shocked expression, shook his head. "Sorry. Just - can we get going? I'll lead, but I need you to warn me if an Akuma is approaching. With your eye it should be simple, right?"
Allen nodded, a look of utter compassion on his face. The boy's silver eyes flicked to the Ark's doorway hanging in the center of the room.
"What about the Ark? If we just leave it and an Akuma finds its way inside..." The white haired boy trailed off, doubtless recalling the incident with the Level Four. While a Level One or Two Akuma was fairly easy to handle, if one snuck inside the Order without anyone knowing and managed to get out into the main building-
Lavi put a hand to his right eye, running a fingertip over the burn scars surrounding it. It would be difficult to come back to the Ark if it was discovered and from the way it glowed it wasn't exactly inconspicuous. The danger was high for those sleeping unaware at Headquarters if an Akuma did manage to sneak through. Briefly, the faces of Kanda, Lenalee, Komui, Bookman, and all of the other members he had met flashed through his mind. With his perfect memory, he could recall a lot of faces.
The redhead fixed his gaze on the glowing door, concentrating again and drawing into the power of his normally hidden eye.
"Lavi, what are you-"
"I'm hiding the door. I need to concentrate - it'll only take a minute." The hammer-user could hear gentle flapping next to his ear - the Tease had taken flight. From Allen's surprised 'ah!' a moment later, he assumed the golem had flown over to fly next to the younger Exorcist or might have even landed on the other boy. He shoved the casual observation out of his mind, feeling the burning begin to spread from his eye again to encompass the rest of his body.
The old Panda would be furious if he found out what 'frivolities' Lavi was using his power for, but the redhead couldn't bring himself to care. He imagined the room empty, picturing it as it would be if the doorway was not hanging in the center. The Ark door began to shimmer a violet color. The white light of the portal slowly faded, then the Ark's door turned translucent and finally seemed to disappear. A soft purple light, almost invisible unless one searched for it, hung in the air in place of the mystical doorway.
Breathing a bit heavily, Lavi turned towards his friend. The white haired boy was staring, mouth agape, at the apparently empty space where the door had once hung. The British boy moved his gaze to the redhead, opening his mouth to ask a question. Lavi stayed quiet, allowing the other boy to speak.
"What did you do? Is the door gone, or..." Allen's voice trailed off.
"I just hid it," the hammer-user explained easily. "I'll take down the illusion once we return." He turned towards the door, hearing metal wings cut through the air until the Tease was once again flying next to him.
"Let's go," he said. Slowly, footsteps began to sound behind him as Allen followed.
End Flashback
A sudden, urgent tug on his arm drew him out of his reverie. He turned to see Allen pointing down the hall in front of them, then the white haired boy held up two fingers.
Lavi nodded, a fast, jerking motion, then turned back around and headed quickly for the nearest door. Said door was closed, but - with a glance towards Allen, who nodded - he confirmed that the room beyond was free of Akuma. With a glance at the Tease flying calmly above their heads, he confirmed that there was nothing else in the room he needed to worry about.
Lavi was just barely beginning to hear the sounds of the Akumas' machinery as the weapons traveled down the hall towards them. He quickly twisted the doorknob and shoved the door open, moving into the room with Allen right behind him. The Tease flew in silently after the white haired boy.
The sounds of the Akuma were drawing closer. Careful to make as little noise as possible, the redhead shut the door. He and Allen both winced at the slight scraping noise the latch made as it rubbed against the frame, but it couldn't be helped. The Exorcists held their breath as the grinding and humming of machinery grew louder and louder. The hammer user could almost feel the wall he leaned on vibrate as the Akuma passed.
When the sounds faded, both boys let out quiet sighs. The redhead turned to his younger friend and motioned to his own eye.
"Still violet?" he asked in a whisper. He had grown used to the burn that accompanied using his powers and hardly felt the sensation anymore, making it a poor indicator of whether or not the illusion was still functioning. His scalp and nails itched, along with his upper lip, cheeks, and chin, but that feeling could simply be residual from use of his power.
The silver-eyed boy looked closely at his face, then nodded.
"Are we close?" the Brit murmured. It was the redhead's turn to nod. They were already by the stairs they would need to take down to the floor Tyki was on. He pointed to the door with an inquisitive expression. The younger Exorcist turned his cursed eye towards the hall, then smiled at Lavi. All clear.
The hammer user opened up the door again and headed back into the hall, Allen right behind him. Tyki's golem had once again flown up to ride on the redhead's shoulder.
With a deep breath, Lavi continued forward.
In minutes, he would see Tyki again.
Line Break
Odd, indistinct noises began to filter through the heavy darkness.
Tyki groaned, shifting as he began to wake and then hissing as the movement pulled on his already hurting wrists and caused the splintered edges of his bones to grin against one another. He tried to get his tense body to relax, since stiffening up wouldn't help anything.
Loud noises - fighting? - reached his ears. He could hear small explosions and shouting. The voices - one in particular - seemed familiar, though Tyki couldn't place it. Who would fight here? His head was a bit fuzzy and thinking seemed too difficult to bother with at the moment. His headache was probably from the blows he had taken there earlier, though the coldness of the dungeon wasn't helping. The stone behind him had been heated by his body, which kept his body warm, but his head felt so hot and he couldn't even use the rocks to cool it down.
When was the last time he had been so badly injured and left without treatment? Long before he had awoken as a Noah, that was for certain.
The indistinct noises of fighting that had woken him grew louder, though the sounds were still slightly muffled. Had the fighting moved closer, perhaps just outside his room? It hardly mattered and probably had little to do with him anyway - it could just be another couple of Level Threes looking for a meal - but it gave him something to focus on while he worked to clear the haze that had settled in his mind.
Suddenly, the noises were clear and sharp, as if whatever had been muffling them had been removed. Just as suddenly the sounds were muffled again and quiet footsteps began to steal across the floor towards him. Tiredly, the Pleasure lifted his head. He winced at the way the action made the blood rush through his ears and his brain. He felt so very dizzy...
His golden eyes widened as he recognized the figure moving to kneel in front of him.
"Lavi?" he asked, the shock sending a wave of clear thought through his brain. He shook his head. This 'Lavi' was probably an illusion cast by Road, but he wouldn't be fooled by the same trick twice. Road's illusions had landed him here in the first place. "I won't fall for the same trick again, Road."
"Road?" The figure of Lavi before him seemed genuinely surprised and worried, both eyes - one green, one violet - opening wide. The illusion of the Exorcist shook its head. "I'm not an illusion, Tyki. It's really me - I came back to get you, okay?"
The Noah shook his head. Something was off about this 'Lavi'. While the copy appeared to study his wounds, eyes lingering with a pained expression on the paper seal attached to his chest, Tyki studied the illusion. The copy seemed different from the true Lavi, though Road's illusions were normally perfect-
It clicked.
If this was one of his niece's illusions, it was a very poor one. Lavi didn't have a scruffy beard or the first hints of a mustache and his hair wasn't quite so long. When the copy put its hand to the Pleasure's forehead, Tyki found yet another difference. The redhead's nails shouldn't be so long; they should be short and blunt.
Perhaps if the Dreams had waited a month and then tried this he would have been fooled, but no one could age almost a month in just a few hours.
Tyki knew he couldn't have been down here for a month already. His arms and legs would have healed, for one thing. The Earl had alluded to the fact that his healing powers were still intact, though his special abilities had been neutralized by the seal on his chest. Also, the Earl would have returned with 'toys' and 'games' to play.
This Lavi couldn't be his Lavi. The Exorcist couldn't have healed so quickly from Road's candles and surely the redhead had more sense than to try and rescue him from the belly of the beast alone. Injured or in peak condition made little difference for Lavi's chances of survival here.
"You're burning up." The hammer-user - the illusion of him - seemed more and more concerned as its cool hand rested on Tyki's forehead and then moved to feel one of his cheeks. The Noah leaned into the soothing touch for a moment before remembering himself and jerking his head away. He winced as the motion tugged on his shackled wrists.
The action drew the copy's gaze to the restraints. Tyki could see anger and fear dance a tango in the fake Exorcist's eyes as the illusion reached out to lightly touch the shackles. The hammer-user's copy was careful to avoid the raw areas on the Noah's wrists and laid its hand on the metal. It tugged the shackle lightly, apparently testing it to see if it would give. It wouldn't. The copy tested the chains next. They were solid.
Thoughts moved back and forth across the fake Exorcist's face, as if it was wondering how to break the restraints. At least Road, it seemed, knew something about how the redhead would act.
Tyki wondered what Road's game was. Was she simply here to mess with his head? The Earl had threatened to send his niece down here to keep him 'company' and his sanity wasn't exactly necessary for the Earl's scenario any more. The Dreams could do whatever she liked with him and it wouldn't matter.
"Why are you here, Road?" he asked. 'Lavi' hadn't done anything particularly horrible yet, but this had to be one of Road's illusions; it was only a matter of time. The Lavi-copy looked at him, a slight frown on its face and worry in its mismatched eyes.
"I'm not Road. What can I-" The illusion's eyes widened suddenly and it shifted its body a bit to reach into the empty hammer pouch on its leg. Within moments, the copy withdrew what seemed to be a small piece of paper. 'Lavi' held it up, showing it to the captive Noah.
Tyki stared at it in shock. It was a playing card, one he recognized quite well.
The King of Diamonds. Not only that, but he could see a short note written in his own hand along the side. Though the card was slightly curved and crumpled along the edges, as well as lightly blackened along one side with red liquid staining the topmost portion, it was still obviously the card he had given to Lavi.
"How did you-" he began, suddenly worried. Why did Road have Lavi's card? The redheaded illusion cut him off.
"You left this for me after the first night." Lavi said quietly, staring earnestly at the Pleasure's face. "I lied and told you my highest card was a ten - we both had a flush, so I 'lost'. I would have won if I had told you that I had this card."
He smiled. Tyki stared in shock. There was no way for Road to know any of that. The only two people who would know were himself and -
"Lavi?"
The redhead nodded, expression going serious again as he tucked the card into the empty holder that normally carried Ozuchi Kozuchi. He had kept the card with him mostly out of habit, even after he and the Noah had 'broken up'. The King card has been comforting even then and the Exorcist had taken to keeping it in his holster rather than his shirt pocket after nearly sending the card off to be washed with a load of dirty laundry.
Tyki's eyes narrowed. Lavi was a potential way out, yes, but more importantly the Exorcist had apparently come here alone and unarmed. The Noah hadn't heard any explosions for a while, though he wasn't sure when the fighting noises had ceased. He hadn't been listening, having been more concerned with what he thought was an illusion designed to show him his worst nightmares.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded, seeing the redhead's eyes widen in surprise. After all he had done to ensure that Lavi, at least, would survive, the redhead had just walked right back into danger seemingly without a care. The Pleasure knew he had every right to be angry, but what surprised him was the amount of fear that came with it.
Lavi's eyes narrowed in response.
"I'm getting you out of here." Expression softening, he turned his eyes away from Tyki's. "I'm not stupid - I didn't come alone. I couldn't just leave you."
Taken aback, the Noah made no further protests as the Exorcist looked once more at the chains. What had Lavi meant? A warmth spread through his chest and his anger cooled. The fear hadn't quite left, but it lessened, somehow.
Tyki shook his head.
Just what was this redhead doing to him? He couldn't remember the last time he had lost control of his temper even a bit. There seemed to be a lot of things he had lost control over lately. Of course, his inability to remember might have something to do with the return of the haze that had clouded his mind earlier. His clarity seemed to be fading.
"You shouldn't be here," the Pleasure said, tone soft. Lavi gave him a weak smile, moving to stand.
"As I said, I couldn't just leave you. I can't break those by myself-" he said, indicating the chains that tied Tyki to the wall. "-but Al-"
The door to the room suddenly slammed open. Lavi spun around, instinctively reaching for a hammer that wasn't there as the Noah's gaze shot to the open doorway. His eyes caught a brief impression of brightness and the color white before the door was slammed shut once more. Tyki blinked as the figure quickly advanced towards them, Lavi relaxing as he recognized the figure.
"I was just coming to get you." The redhead turned towards the chained Noah, motioning towards the shackles and chains that kept the other bound. "Can you get those off of him? How strong is Crown Clown?"
Allen Walker paused for a moment to study the chains as he got close enough.
"I think I can tear them.” Allen nodded decisively. “But we have to hurry - there are more Akuma on their way here.”
Neither Exorcist apparently noticed the Pleasure's shock. Of all people, Walker was the one who had come with Lavi to rescue him? He had tried to kill Allen more than once before. Just recently, he had put one of the boy’s friends in the hospital after a failed attempt at killing said friend.
Perhaps he was dreaming. He hadn't considered that, but the notion was quickly discarded. His body still ached and hurt where his bones were broken. If this were a dream, he wouldn't be feeling so terrible and there would be no Allen Walker or a dungeon. Chains, however... he preferred silk ropes, but chains would do-
He shook off the thoughts. His head felt muggy again, probably the fever Lavi had mentioned earlier. He glanced back towards the white haired Exorcist, golden eyes catching motion in the air above the Brit’s head.
The Tease. He smiled thinly. It seemed the golem was useful for more than just getting the redhead through the Ark.
Clawlike fingers reached carefully for the manacle around his wrist. He winced as the metal fingers dug slightly into the red, raw skin of his wrist, but then the iron restraint screamed and warped under the grip of Crown Clown and was torn in two. The Noah's arms fell and hit the floor as the manacle was removed, Tyki unable to get his muscles working again quickly enough to stop it.
He hissed as the impact shifted his broken bones, grinding them harshly against each other. Blood immediately rushed through his arm and hand, sending unpleasant tingles throughout the limb. Walker paused as he moved to the next manacle, Innocence-morphed hand hovering for a fraction of a second in the air before the Exorcist reached for the second restraint.
"Sorry," the white haired boy said quickly, strong grip making short work of the second manacle. This time, Walker's real hand caught his wrist and while that impact did jar the bones, it was preferable to striking the ground. Tyki heard Lavi curse quietly as the redhead gently lifted one of the Noah's now free arms. Walker moved to cut the chains holding Tyki's legs down, concentrating on the task at hand.
"What is it?" Allen asked, grabbing the shackle around Tyki's left ankle and beginning to tear through it.
"His arms are broken. Legs too, but there wasn't really enough light to tell." Lavi replied, worry evident in his tone. "We'll have to carry him."
Tyki shook his head, the ache getting worse at the motion. There was a loud sound of screeching metal as the last shackle fell away.
"I can carry him. The Clown Belt should be able to-"
"You need to be able to fight. I can't. I'll carry him." Lavi's protest was immediate and tone one that dared anyone to disagree with him. Still, Allen tried to argue.
"You're still injured. You broke your wrist- you can't be-"
"I've aged about a month since then. I'm healed. I'm carrying him."
Tyki vaguely wondered what Lavi meant by 'aging a month', but he decided to ask later. He was still awake but he was sleepy, the brief moments of clarity lent to him by his surge of emotions waning. He barely heard Allen's acquiescence, but he did notice when Lavi knelt in front of him and spoke quietly to him.
"I'm going to carry you out of here. I need you to hold on to me."
The Noah nodded, lifting his arms with effort as the redhead turned so that Tyki - with help from Allen - could climb onto his back. Lavi carefully grabbed Tyki's legs, holding him just behind the knees as the older man's chest was pressed against the redhead's back. The Pleasure's arms went over Lavi's shoulders, hanging down as straight as possible so as not to shift the bones too much. Once he was set in his position, Allen moved around to help Lavi stand up. Even with the white haired boy's help, the redhead nearly fell over before catching himself. He adjusted the older man's weight on his back slightly, holding tightly so the Noah didn't fall.
Tyki could smell the redhead's scent, his chin propped over one of the younger man's shoulders. He inhaled deeply, hardly aware of what he was doing. If either Exorcist noticed, neither said.
The sound of wings beating reached his ears before a light weight settled on his shoulder. He didn’t need to look to see what the weight belonged to as a metal wing brushed his cheek encouragingly. His golem was trying to comfort him, odd as the action was for a carnivorous butterfly.
"You remember the way back?" the redhead asked Allen. The other Exorcist nodded. "You lead."
Allen nodded, silver eyes flicking to Tyki for a moment, then back to Lavi before the parasitic-Innocence user turned back towards the door of what had been the Pleasure's prison. The Noah let his eyes slide shut as they walked towards the door, slowly drifting into unconsciousness once more.
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.
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.
Last Time On ‘A Game Of Poker’:
With a heavy sigh, Reever turned away again and beckoned for Johnny to follow him out.
"Let's go Johnny - I'll have him finish it in the morning.”
The frizzy haired scientist glanced towards the stack of paper as well before turning away and following the blond man out.
And Now, The Continuation
A Game of Poker, Chapter 15
Illusion
Lavi walked silently down the hallway of the Noah's compound, heart beating as quickly as a hummingbird's wings flapped inside his chest. The Tease flew quietly by his ear and Allen walked directly behind him, cursed eye alert and hyperactive from the sheer amount of Akuma in close proximity. The redhead could hear the sickening squish, squish of the eye as it rotated to angles impossible for a normal human eye in its quest for souls connected to Akuma. The white haired boy's eye had been that way since they had arrived several minutes ago.
Flashback
The redhead stepped through the glowing portal cautiously, alert for any sign of movement. Seeing none, he entered the room. Tyki's butterfly rode on his shoulder, apparently content to perch there and rest its wings. He carefully looked around, just in case a servant was hiding in a corner somewhere.
Nothing.
His eyes caught on the bed. For a moment, he felt the phantom sensation of Tyki's arms wrapped around him as the Noah bandaged his abdomen in a mock embrace. He took a step towards the bed as if in a trance, hesitantly reaching for the black silk sheets.
The sound of Allen following him through the Ark interrupted his reminiscence, followed quickly by the sound of something heavy striking the ground. He turned quickly to see that his friend had collapsed to his knees, clutching his left eye.
"Allen!"
The white haired boy waved him off as the redhead drew near. Allen moved his hand, revealing his activated eye and staring with disbelief at Lavi.
"Where are we, exactly? My eye... we're surrounded by Akuma. There are Akuma everywhere." The British boy seemed to be in shock. "Lavi?"
The hammer-user winced, looking away. He probably should have warned the other boy first, but he had forgotten to tell the Brit.
"We're in the Earl's compound. Tyki is probably somewhere on a lower floor - I think he's in a dungeon of some sort. We'll have to avoid the Akuma if we don't want to bring the entire compound and the Earl down on our heads."
The redhead pushed himself to his feet and offered the younger boy a hand up. Allen accepted it, rubbing his aching knees once he was firmly on his feet.
"So Tyki Mikk is 'somewhere'? You don't know where?" he asked, question hesitant. Lavi could tell his friend was already having serious doubts about the success of his self-appointed rescue mission. With a deep breath, he turned towards the mirror hanging between the closet and the dresser. As he stepped towards it, away from Allen, he began to concentrate.
"My eye will show me the way," he said simply. He could hear Allen moving behind him, slowly moving towards him and the mirror as if confused. The redhead ignored the noise in favor of concentrating on the image of Tyki in the cell. His perfect memory, unhindered by any drugs for pain or head injuries, helped him to quickly recall the room in near perfect detail. His chest tightened as he once again saw Tyki chained against the wall, the slight motions of his chest the only indication that the man still lived.
He could see his eye shifting colors rapidly, red and silver-white and purple and others appearing and disappearing rapidly until the changes stopped on an amber shade. The use of his power again sent a burning sensation spiraling out from his eye, but the feeling spread throughout his body much more quickly this time. He could again feel the almost pleasant but somehow hellish heat concentrate on his injuries, his wrist and various stab wounds especially. He could feel the slice on his face shut completely as he accessed his power again.
He could hear Allen gasp behind him, but kept his eyes on the mirror that was rapidly turning the same color as his eye. The glass seemed to stretch into the wall, forming what looked to be a picture of the room he stood in, but the image wasn't a proper reflection. For one thing, it included neither Lavi, Allen, nor the Ark's door and was only a sketchy picture in a dark yellow-orange shade. Slowly, the image rotated to show the door and the zoomed in close.
Lavi watched carefully, paying attention to the slightest detail as the mirrors speed began to pick up. The view went through the door and rotated to the right before moving down the hallway. It began to zip through the halls, down two flights of stairs, and down a few more hallways before it suddenly halted in front of a barred, locked door.
The picture in the mirror paused only a moment on the image before going through and ending with the image of Tyki chained to the wall. The redhead could sense that something was off - something was wrong with Tyki. He could see the Noah was in his 'white' form, skin a pale olive he had only seen when he and Allen had met the Noah. Almost as soon as he had noticed the lack of stigmata and the change in skin color, the image faded and he had no time for a closer look before the mirror was once again simple glass.
The hammer-user clenched his fists tightly, feeling his now longer nails puncture the skin of his palms. The Tease rubbed a wing gently against his ear as if to reassure him. He turned towards the other Exorcist, amber shade fading from his eye.
"He's down two floors - it will take a lot of sneaking, but we have to hurry. He's hurt."
"Hurt?" Allen sounded surprised, rightfully so. "But nothing should be able to touch him unless-"
"I know. I don't understand either." Lavi half-snapped at Allen, then, noting the other boy's shocked expression, shook his head. "Sorry. Just - can we get going? I'll lead, but I need you to warn me if an Akuma is approaching. With your eye it should be simple, right?"
Allen nodded, a look of utter compassion on his face. The boy's silver eyes flicked to the Ark's doorway hanging in the center of the room.
"What about the Ark? If we just leave it and an Akuma finds its way inside..." The white haired boy trailed off, doubtless recalling the incident with the Level Four. While a Level One or Two Akuma was fairly easy to handle, if one snuck inside the Order without anyone knowing and managed to get out into the main building-
Lavi put a hand to his right eye, running a fingertip over the burn scars surrounding it. It would be difficult to come back to the Ark if it was discovered and from the way it glowed it wasn't exactly inconspicuous. The danger was high for those sleeping unaware at Headquarters if an Akuma did manage to sneak through. Briefly, the faces of Kanda, Lenalee, Komui, Bookman, and all of the other members he had met flashed through his mind. With his perfect memory, he could recall a lot of faces.
The redhead fixed his gaze on the glowing door, concentrating again and drawing into the power of his normally hidden eye.
"Lavi, what are you-"
"I'm hiding the door. I need to concentrate - it'll only take a minute." The hammer-user could hear gentle flapping next to his ear - the Tease had taken flight. From Allen's surprised 'ah!' a moment later, he assumed the golem had flown over to fly next to the younger Exorcist or might have even landed on the other boy. He shoved the casual observation out of his mind, feeling the burning begin to spread from his eye again to encompass the rest of his body.
The old Panda would be furious if he found out what 'frivolities' Lavi was using his power for, but the redhead couldn't bring himself to care. He imagined the room empty, picturing it as it would be if the doorway was not hanging in the center. The Ark door began to shimmer a violet color. The white light of the portal slowly faded, then the Ark's door turned translucent and finally seemed to disappear. A soft purple light, almost invisible unless one searched for it, hung in the air in place of the mystical doorway.
Breathing a bit heavily, Lavi turned towards his friend. The white haired boy was staring, mouth agape, at the apparently empty space where the door had once hung. The British boy moved his gaze to the redhead, opening his mouth to ask a question. Lavi stayed quiet, allowing the other boy to speak.
"What did you do? Is the door gone, or..." Allen's voice trailed off.
"I just hid it," the hammer-user explained easily. "I'll take down the illusion once we return." He turned towards the door, hearing metal wings cut through the air until the Tease was once again flying next to him.
"Let's go," he said. Slowly, footsteps began to sound behind him as Allen followed.
End Flashback
A sudden, urgent tug on his arm drew him out of his reverie. He turned to see Allen pointing down the hall in front of them, then the white haired boy held up two fingers.
Lavi nodded, a fast, jerking motion, then turned back around and headed quickly for the nearest door. Said door was closed, but - with a glance towards Allen, who nodded - he confirmed that the room beyond was free of Akuma. With a glance at the Tease flying calmly above their heads, he confirmed that there was nothing else in the room he needed to worry about.
Lavi was just barely beginning to hear the sounds of the Akumas' machinery as the weapons traveled down the hall towards them. He quickly twisted the doorknob and shoved the door open, moving into the room with Allen right behind him. The Tease flew in silently after the white haired boy.
The sounds of the Akuma were drawing closer. Careful to make as little noise as possible, the redhead shut the door. He and Allen both winced at the slight scraping noise the latch made as it rubbed against the frame, but it couldn't be helped. The Exorcists held their breath as the grinding and humming of machinery grew louder and louder. The hammer user could almost feel the wall he leaned on vibrate as the Akuma passed.
When the sounds faded, both boys let out quiet sighs. The redhead turned to his younger friend and motioned to his own eye.
"Still violet?" he asked in a whisper. He had grown used to the burn that accompanied using his powers and hardly felt the sensation anymore, making it a poor indicator of whether or not the illusion was still functioning. His scalp and nails itched, along with his upper lip, cheeks, and chin, but that feeling could simply be residual from use of his power.
The silver-eyed boy looked closely at his face, then nodded.
"Are we close?" the Brit murmured. It was the redhead's turn to nod. They were already by the stairs they would need to take down to the floor Tyki was on. He pointed to the door with an inquisitive expression. The younger Exorcist turned his cursed eye towards the hall, then smiled at Lavi. All clear.
The hammer user opened up the door again and headed back into the hall, Allen right behind him. Tyki's golem had once again flown up to ride on the redhead's shoulder.
With a deep breath, Lavi continued forward.
In minutes, he would see Tyki again.
Line Break
Odd, indistinct noises began to filter through the heavy darkness.
Tyki groaned, shifting as he began to wake and then hissing as the movement pulled on his already hurting wrists and caused the splintered edges of his bones to grin against one another. He tried to get his tense body to relax, since stiffening up wouldn't help anything.
Loud noises - fighting? - reached his ears. He could hear small explosions and shouting. The voices - one in particular - seemed familiar, though Tyki couldn't place it. Who would fight here? His head was a bit fuzzy and thinking seemed too difficult to bother with at the moment. His headache was probably from the blows he had taken there earlier, though the coldness of the dungeon wasn't helping. The stone behind him had been heated by his body, which kept his body warm, but his head felt so hot and he couldn't even use the rocks to cool it down.
When was the last time he had been so badly injured and left without treatment? Long before he had awoken as a Noah, that was for certain.
The indistinct noises of fighting that had woken him grew louder, though the sounds were still slightly muffled. Had the fighting moved closer, perhaps just outside his room? It hardly mattered and probably had little to do with him anyway - it could just be another couple of Level Threes looking for a meal - but it gave him something to focus on while he worked to clear the haze that had settled in his mind.
Suddenly, the noises were clear and sharp, as if whatever had been muffling them had been removed. Just as suddenly the sounds were muffled again and quiet footsteps began to steal across the floor towards him. Tiredly, the Pleasure lifted his head. He winced at the way the action made the blood rush through his ears and his brain. He felt so very dizzy...
His golden eyes widened as he recognized the figure moving to kneel in front of him.
"Lavi?" he asked, the shock sending a wave of clear thought through his brain. He shook his head. This 'Lavi' was probably an illusion cast by Road, but he wouldn't be fooled by the same trick twice. Road's illusions had landed him here in the first place. "I won't fall for the same trick again, Road."
"Road?" The figure of Lavi before him seemed genuinely surprised and worried, both eyes - one green, one violet - opening wide. The illusion of the Exorcist shook its head. "I'm not an illusion, Tyki. It's really me - I came back to get you, okay?"
The Noah shook his head. Something was off about this 'Lavi'. While the copy appeared to study his wounds, eyes lingering with a pained expression on the paper seal attached to his chest, Tyki studied the illusion. The copy seemed different from the true Lavi, though Road's illusions were normally perfect-
It clicked.
If this was one of his niece's illusions, it was a very poor one. Lavi didn't have a scruffy beard or the first hints of a mustache and his hair wasn't quite so long. When the copy put its hand to the Pleasure's forehead, Tyki found yet another difference. The redhead's nails shouldn't be so long; they should be short and blunt.
Perhaps if the Dreams had waited a month and then tried this he would have been fooled, but no one could age almost a month in just a few hours.
Tyki knew he couldn't have been down here for a month already. His arms and legs would have healed, for one thing. The Earl had alluded to the fact that his healing powers were still intact, though his special abilities had been neutralized by the seal on his chest. Also, the Earl would have returned with 'toys' and 'games' to play.
This Lavi couldn't be his Lavi. The Exorcist couldn't have healed so quickly from Road's candles and surely the redhead had more sense than to try and rescue him from the belly of the beast alone. Injured or in peak condition made little difference for Lavi's chances of survival here.
"You're burning up." The hammer-user - the illusion of him - seemed more and more concerned as its cool hand rested on Tyki's forehead and then moved to feel one of his cheeks. The Noah leaned into the soothing touch for a moment before remembering himself and jerking his head away. He winced as the motion tugged on his shackled wrists.
The action drew the copy's gaze to the restraints. Tyki could see anger and fear dance a tango in the fake Exorcist's eyes as the illusion reached out to lightly touch the shackles. The hammer-user's copy was careful to avoid the raw areas on the Noah's wrists and laid its hand on the metal. It tugged the shackle lightly, apparently testing it to see if it would give. It wouldn't. The copy tested the chains next. They were solid.
Thoughts moved back and forth across the fake Exorcist's face, as if it was wondering how to break the restraints. At least Road, it seemed, knew something about how the redhead would act.
Tyki wondered what Road's game was. Was she simply here to mess with his head? The Earl had threatened to send his niece down here to keep him 'company' and his sanity wasn't exactly necessary for the Earl's scenario any more. The Dreams could do whatever she liked with him and it wouldn't matter.
"Why are you here, Road?" he asked. 'Lavi' hadn't done anything particularly horrible yet, but this had to be one of Road's illusions; it was only a matter of time. The Lavi-copy looked at him, a slight frown on its face and worry in its mismatched eyes.
"I'm not Road. What can I-" The illusion's eyes widened suddenly and it shifted its body a bit to reach into the empty hammer pouch on its leg. Within moments, the copy withdrew what seemed to be a small piece of paper. 'Lavi' held it up, showing it to the captive Noah.
Tyki stared at it in shock. It was a playing card, one he recognized quite well.
The King of Diamonds. Not only that, but he could see a short note written in his own hand along the side. Though the card was slightly curved and crumpled along the edges, as well as lightly blackened along one side with red liquid staining the topmost portion, it was still obviously the card he had given to Lavi.
"How did you-" he began, suddenly worried. Why did Road have Lavi's card? The redheaded illusion cut him off.
"You left this for me after the first night." Lavi said quietly, staring earnestly at the Pleasure's face. "I lied and told you my highest card was a ten - we both had a flush, so I 'lost'. I would have won if I had told you that I had this card."
He smiled. Tyki stared in shock. There was no way for Road to know any of that. The only two people who would know were himself and -
"Lavi?"
The redhead nodded, expression going serious again as he tucked the card into the empty holder that normally carried Ozuchi Kozuchi. He had kept the card with him mostly out of habit, even after he and the Noah had 'broken up'. The King card has been comforting even then and the Exorcist had taken to keeping it in his holster rather than his shirt pocket after nearly sending the card off to be washed with a load of dirty laundry.
Tyki's eyes narrowed. Lavi was a potential way out, yes, but more importantly the Exorcist had apparently come here alone and unarmed. The Noah hadn't heard any explosions for a while, though he wasn't sure when the fighting noises had ceased. He hadn't been listening, having been more concerned with what he thought was an illusion designed to show him his worst nightmares.
"What are you doing here?" he demanded, seeing the redhead's eyes widen in surprise. After all he had done to ensure that Lavi, at least, would survive, the redhead had just walked right back into danger seemingly without a care. The Pleasure knew he had every right to be angry, but what surprised him was the amount of fear that came with it.
Lavi's eyes narrowed in response.
"I'm getting you out of here." Expression softening, he turned his eyes away from Tyki's. "I'm not stupid - I didn't come alone. I couldn't just leave you."
Taken aback, the Noah made no further protests as the Exorcist looked once more at the chains. What had Lavi meant? A warmth spread through his chest and his anger cooled. The fear hadn't quite left, but it lessened, somehow.
Tyki shook his head.
Just what was this redhead doing to him? He couldn't remember the last time he had lost control of his temper even a bit. There seemed to be a lot of things he had lost control over lately. Of course, his inability to remember might have something to do with the return of the haze that had clouded his mind earlier. His clarity seemed to be fading.
"You shouldn't be here," the Pleasure said, tone soft. Lavi gave him a weak smile, moving to stand.
"As I said, I couldn't just leave you. I can't break those by myself-" he said, indicating the chains that tied Tyki to the wall. "-but Al-"
The door to the room suddenly slammed open. Lavi spun around, instinctively reaching for a hammer that wasn't there as the Noah's gaze shot to the open doorway. His eyes caught a brief impression of brightness and the color white before the door was slammed shut once more. Tyki blinked as the figure quickly advanced towards them, Lavi relaxing as he recognized the figure.
"I was just coming to get you." The redhead turned towards the chained Noah, motioning towards the shackles and chains that kept the other bound. "Can you get those off of him? How strong is Crown Clown?"
Allen Walker paused for a moment to study the chains as he got close enough.
"I think I can tear them.” Allen nodded decisively. “But we have to hurry - there are more Akuma on their way here.”
Neither Exorcist apparently noticed the Pleasure's shock. Of all people, Walker was the one who had come with Lavi to rescue him? He had tried to kill Allen more than once before. Just recently, he had put one of the boy’s friends in the hospital after a failed attempt at killing said friend.
Perhaps he was dreaming. He hadn't considered that, but the notion was quickly discarded. His body still ached and hurt where his bones were broken. If this were a dream, he wouldn't be feeling so terrible and there would be no Allen Walker or a dungeon. Chains, however... he preferred silk ropes, but chains would do-
He shook off the thoughts. His head felt muggy again, probably the fever Lavi had mentioned earlier. He glanced back towards the white haired Exorcist, golden eyes catching motion in the air above the Brit’s head.
The Tease. He smiled thinly. It seemed the golem was useful for more than just getting the redhead through the Ark.
Clawlike fingers reached carefully for the manacle around his wrist. He winced as the metal fingers dug slightly into the red, raw skin of his wrist, but then the iron restraint screamed and warped under the grip of Crown Clown and was torn in two. The Noah's arms fell and hit the floor as the manacle was removed, Tyki unable to get his muscles working again quickly enough to stop it.
He hissed as the impact shifted his broken bones, grinding them harshly against each other. Blood immediately rushed through his arm and hand, sending unpleasant tingles throughout the limb. Walker paused as he moved to the next manacle, Innocence-morphed hand hovering for a fraction of a second in the air before the Exorcist reached for the second restraint.
"Sorry," the white haired boy said quickly, strong grip making short work of the second manacle. This time, Walker's real hand caught his wrist and while that impact did jar the bones, it was preferable to striking the ground. Tyki heard Lavi curse quietly as the redhead gently lifted one of the Noah's now free arms. Walker moved to cut the chains holding Tyki's legs down, concentrating on the task at hand.
"What is it?" Allen asked, grabbing the shackle around Tyki's left ankle and beginning to tear through it.
"His arms are broken. Legs too, but there wasn't really enough light to tell." Lavi replied, worry evident in his tone. "We'll have to carry him."
Tyki shook his head, the ache getting worse at the motion. There was a loud sound of screeching metal as the last shackle fell away.
"I can carry him. The Clown Belt should be able to-"
"You need to be able to fight. I can't. I'll carry him." Lavi's protest was immediate and tone one that dared anyone to disagree with him. Still, Allen tried to argue.
"You're still injured. You broke your wrist- you can't be-"
"I've aged about a month since then. I'm healed. I'm carrying him."
Tyki vaguely wondered what Lavi meant by 'aging a month', but he decided to ask later. He was still awake but he was sleepy, the brief moments of clarity lent to him by his surge of emotions waning. He barely heard Allen's acquiescence, but he did notice when Lavi knelt in front of him and spoke quietly to him.
"I'm going to carry you out of here. I need you to hold on to me."
The Noah nodded, lifting his arms with effort as the redhead turned so that Tyki - with help from Allen - could climb onto his back. Lavi carefully grabbed Tyki's legs, holding him just behind the knees as the older man's chest was pressed against the redhead's back. The Pleasure's arms went over Lavi's shoulders, hanging down as straight as possible so as not to shift the bones too much. Once he was set in his position, Allen moved around to help Lavi stand up. Even with the white haired boy's help, the redhead nearly fell over before catching himself. He adjusted the older man's weight on his back slightly, holding tightly so the Noah didn't fall.
Tyki could smell the redhead's scent, his chin propped over one of the younger man's shoulders. He inhaled deeply, hardly aware of what he was doing. If either Exorcist noticed, neither said.
The sound of wings beating reached his ears before a light weight settled on his shoulder. He didn’t need to look to see what the weight belonged to as a metal wing brushed his cheek encouragingly. His golem was trying to comfort him, odd as the action was for a carnivorous butterfly.
"You remember the way back?" the redhead asked Allen. The other Exorcist nodded. "You lead."
Allen nodded, silver eyes flicking to Tyki for a moment, then back to Lavi before the parasitic-Innocence user turned back towards the door of what had been the Pleasure's prison. The Noah let his eyes slide shut as they walked towards the door, slowly drifting into unconsciousness once more.
TBC…
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