Demon's Kiss

Prophcies

Kanda's POV
“We should take him to headquarters. He will be safer there.” Bookman stated. I still stood stock still between Allen and Lavi, Mugen clutched tightly in my white knuckled fist.
“Kanda?” Tidal tried to reach out to place his hand on my shoulder. I flinched away.
“It can’t be him.” I breathed, my body shaking although I knew they couldn’t see it.
“You knew it the first time you saw him, didn’t you?” Lavi's voice grated only every nerve. My eyes flashed angrily at him.
“Why didn’t you?” I demanded.
“We never had the knowledge of the patterns. Lavi told me about you, Kanda.” My mouth became a thin line. The Bookman knew of me, great.
“We don’t have a lot of time. He is going for the contingent.” Tidal warned.
“We have to go.” Bookman ordered.
“I’m not going anywhere until someone tells me what is going on!” Allen cried.
“Then I’m sorry about this bean sprout.” I whispered. Spinning I punched him. He stumbled back but I caught him in my arms. Sheathing Mugen I picked up the unconscious body. Gazing down at his serene face I sighed.
“Kanda?” Tidal whispered. When I looked at him his face was in awe.
“Shut it old man!” I yelled storming into the apartment. I laid Allen on the couch. Quickly I tossed as much of his clothes into a bag as I could. Storming into my room I did the same. Coming back out I saw Lavi kneeling on the floor by Allen's head. I kicked him, hard.
“Stay away from him!” I bellowed. Lavi scrambled to his feet.
“You need me to help you!” he yelled back at me, without raising his voice. How does he do that?
“I don’t need anyone!” I snarled as I marched up to Allen. Gently I picked up his thin frame.
“Then let me carry him out of here.” Lavi demanded holding his arms out for the boy in mine.
“Only if you find a way to kill me.” I hissed. Lavi laughed.
“And you don’t need anyone? Not even Allen Walker?” he arched his eyebrow. I growled shoving past him. Hurrying down the stairs I reached the front door.
“Hold up. You have your hands full, let me scout ahead.” Lavi slipped past me, an iron hammer in his hands. He walked out. I waited gnashing my teeth together. A moment later he reopened the door.
“They are a block away, we have to hurry.”
“Tidal!” I cried. He flung out his staff, calling on the true maker of Eden. The wagon appeared momentarily it flashed than transformed into a black SUV. We raced forward.
Lavi held the door open for me. I didn’t put Allen down. Instead I slipped inside with him still in my arms. The truck lurched forward. We were off. I could hear the howls of the demons around us. Cross. My neither world creatures had little effect on him. He was from the same realm as them.
After about twenty minutes the howls died away. Lavi and Bookman had gone on top of the SUV to fight. I stayed protecting Allen. Now the little gnome slipped back into the front seat. Lavi’s long frame emerged outside the window to the back. I rolled it down for him to climb in. We entered the tunnel.
A glowing blue light surrounded us. Helveska had reached out to protect us. We drove directly onto the island. A few quick turns and we were in the underground tunnels beneath the orders headquarters.
Allen stirred. I smiled down at him. “I am sorry…” I began. His fist struck my mouth. He sat up.
“We're even.” I glared at him.
“Stupid Moyisha!” I raged. Shoving him off of my lap I slipped from the truck. The others exited it a moment before it vanished. I caught Tidal's arm before he faceplated the ground.
“Come on, General.” I looped his arm over my shoulder.
“What is this place?” Allen sked looking up at the darkness around us.
“Most of us call it home.” Lenalee stated. She stood on the side of a river. Boats bobbed in the water behind her.
“He used up a lot of his power to get us here.” I said dragging the near unconscious Tidal forward. A hulking figure emerged from the darkness. Noise took the General's other arm. Lavi flung one bag at Allen. He shouldered the other. Together with Bookman and Lenalee they lead the way inside.
We used the lift to get up to the main rooms. Two orderlies waited for us. The head nurse ordered them to take Tidal from us. We reluctantly allowed them too. A man in a white lab coat stepped up next. He glanced at our motley band.
“Lavi, why don’t you put Allen's things in that empty room beside Kanda's.” he stated in a too cherry voice. When Lavi took both bags to turn away, the man adjusted his spectacles. He eyed Allen.
“So, we have the golem.” He said.
“He isn’t made of clay you moronic sister complex!” I shouted. Both his cheeks and Lenalee's turned bright red.
“That’s just it, Kanda. We have no idea what he is.” His knowing eyes scanned me, liar. I shook my head at his smirk.
“Who, uh who are you? Where am I? What is going on?” Allen asked. The scientist stepped forward. Holding out his hand to Allen he introduced himself.
“I am Komui Lee. Chief of this place and big brother to my sweet Lenalee.” He beamed at the girl.
“This is the Black Orders headquarters.” He went on. “Many exorcist call it home.” He added. Allen opened his mouth. Komui dropped his arm across his shoulders.
“An exorcist is a warrior who has been chosen by innocence to battle evil.” He explained. “Did he see your creatures?” He asked not turning to look at me.
“Yes!” I retorted.
“Those creatures are part of Kanda's innocence. Mugen is the holder of his power. Lenalee's boots are hers. Lavi's hammer…” The red head had returned he twirled the iron hammer in his hand.
“Little hammer big hammer grow, grow, grow.” He cried. The hammer grew to match the boys height.
“Is his.” Komui finished.
“How do I…” Allen began.
“Later we will take you to Helveska.” Komui stated. “Cross used to be a member of the order, but he changed when he heard of a prophecy. A legendary one at that. You see there is evil all around us. We fight the demons that make their way into our world. But this prophecy…” he shook his head.
“It states a key will be born. One that will unlock hells gates. A soul so tempered and beaten it will bring about the apocalypse allowing demons to rule once more.” Lavi stated. By this point we had reached the messy office of our beloved eccentric chief. Komui kicked some papers out of the way as he lead Allen to a set of chairs facing an over flowing desk.
Allen sat in one chair, I moved to stand behind him. Komui leaned against the desk, Lavi shifted to the bookcase, Bookman sat in the chair beside Allen. Lenalee moved to the side of the desk. Noise had not followed us in.
“So you think I am this key?” Allen asked, his strange gaze flicked up to me.
“No.” I said. Stepping around him I knelt before him. Taking his arm I turned it to reveal the pattern on his skin. “We think you are the gate.” I said. He flinched away from me jerking back into the seat. I lowered my hands.
“Or more like the gate keeper.” I said. “These patterns maybe the map needed to find the gate.” I added.
“Once we find it, we could, in theory, destroy it before the key is found.” Lavi said.
“There is the chance that in order to destroy the gate we must destroy its keeper.” Komui stated softly. I sprang to my feet. Inches from the man’s face he never even blinked as our eyes met.
“There are many ways to do so, Kanda, without killing him. Don’t forget your own prophecy.” He reminded me. I growled. Stepping back.
“Wait, what's Kanda's prophecy?” Allen asked.
“That is for him and him alone. As its keeper I cannot go against him by telling anyone of it.” We all looked back at Allen. Komui knows its him. Knows he is the keeper. Anger flooded me. How was I going to keep him safe? My prophecy. The one given to me as my second life awoken. I would feel love but once. I alone would love the gatekeeper unconditionally. I would become the guardian of the keeper. I closed my eyes pinching the bridge of my nose.
“Tell me Kanda…” Komui's voice broke into my anguished thoughts. “is he the keeper?” I never felt like strangling this man more than this moment. I glared at him. His open face so innocent regarded me.
“Yes.” I hissed. “And you will all have to come through me to get to him.” I added. Shifting my stance to cover Allen as my hand dropped to the sword on my hip.
“We are not your enemies, Kanda.” Bookman stated.
“Let's get him to Helveska. There maybe options we have not considered yet.” Komui stated.
“Oh, Allen. Don’t try to leave here. Not only is it impossible if you don’t know how, but Kanda and Noise are good friends. They are the best tracker and warrior we have.” Komui tossed this over his shoulder as if it were an after thought. I was not going to be his jailer. I snarled but took my place beside Allen as we headed out to the lift.
“I never stood a chance.” Lavi said shaking his head. “No matter how much I cared for him, I was never the one meant to love him, was I?” My eyes flashed dangerously back at the pirate.
“It's ok. His heart is only broken, not shattered. You were already bonding it together even as I tore at it. The demons curse.” He shook his head. That’s when something else struck me.
“The demon's kiss.” Lavi's green eye grew round.
“Kanda you can’t!”  he cried at me. Could I withstand it? Would it give me the strength to prevail? I started to turn away as the open lift came up.
“Kanda, don’t go…” Allen's soft voice pulled me back. I couldn’t leave him. We stepped onto the platform together. There were many options.