The Will of Noah

CHAPTER 3

Tyki dragged Allen down the picture lined corridor that led to the Earl's room. The Portuguese man felt a little bad about dragging the boy because Allen whimpered every time they went over a bump in the carpet. The boy had began to wiggle uncomfortably making it hard for Tyki to keep his grip on the boy's collar.

"Tyki!" a childlike voice called from up ahead. Tyki looked up and saw Road running down the hall toward him. She reached him and jumped up, attaching herself to him. She smiled excitedly when she saw Allen, who was wiggling anxiously at this point.

"Oh Tyki, you got Allen!" she squealed, hopping down and stooping over Allen, "You're not useless after all!"

"Gee thanks!" Tyki said sarcastically, "why are you here?"

"The Earl is getting impatient," she said, playing with a piece of the struggling exorcist's hair, "He sent me to make sure you hadn't messed up again."

"Well then we better hurry up," Tyki said. Tyki attempted to start pulling the small exorcist only for Allen to start squirming more determinedly than before. Tyki huffed in annoyance and Road giggled.

"Stop squirming boy!" Tyki growled angrily. He reached down to try and grab Allen again only for the diminutive exorcist to roll out of reach. Tyki looked annoyed until a mischievous smirk settled on his face.

"Fine, if you won't stay still then I'll just have to carry you." Tyki said, crouching over Allen and sliding one hand under his knees and the other behind his back. Allen gave a muffled sound of protest as Tyki hoisted him up, cradling him bridle style. Allen began to struggle against Tyki's grip but it was no use. Road giggled at his attempt to escape and gave him a kiss on the cheek.

"Well let's go. We don't want to keep the Earl waiting!" Tyki said, beginning to walk down the long hall.

Allen continued to wiggle for a moment before accepting that he couldn't get away. He sighed internally and stopped struggling, settling himself in Tyki's arms. Allen didn't want to admit it but Tyki was very warm and comfortable.

They walked for a few more minutes until they reached a large door at the end of the hall, which opened for them as they approached. Allen immediately began to struggle again when he detected two level threes inside.

"Oh, come on, Shounen!" Tyki said, adjusting his grip, " you were being so good!" Tyki carried Allen into the room with Road following close behind. From what Allen could see from Tyki's arms, the room was most likely a ball room. What was strange was that it was filled with many numbered phones. He saw a glint of light in the unlit room and squinted to see what it was. It turned out to be the Millennium Earl walking out of the dark.

The Earl had on his ever present grin and waltz happily toward them. Lulubell walked solemnly at his side holding a peculiar black box in her hands. Road let out a happy squeal and attached herself to his back as he approached Allen and Tyki.

"Welcome home Tyki-pon!" the Earl said happily, "And I see you brought me a gift! How thoughtful! I think I'll open it now if you don't mind!"

"No, I don't mind at all." Tyki smirked. The Earl's grin turned sinister as he reached down and grasped the bow on top of Allen's snow colored head. He gave it a gentle tug and the ribbon came away, freeing Allen's mouth. The young exorcist, realizing his mouth was free, snapped at the Earl's lingering hand and growled angrily. The earl took his hand away and Tyki gave Allen a shake.

"Come on boy," Tyki scolded, "that wasn't very nice!"

"Quit playing around!" Allen hissed angrily, "what are you going to do with me?!"

"Always right to the point, aren't you Allen-kun," the Earl said affectionately, "I'm not going to tell you what we're doing because I love surprises. But since you're so eager we can start right now."

The Earl snapped his finger's and the two waiting akuma shot out and snatched Allen out of Tyki's arms. They ripped through the ribbon binding the boy's arms to his back and held him by his arms, suspending him in the air so that only his toes brushed the floor. Allen anxiously tugged at their holds, but the akuma only tightened their grips, puncturing the soft flesh of his arms, making rivulets of blood seep into his sleeves. Allen cried out in pain and stopped moving. The Earl stepped in front Allen and his grin grew even wider.

"Shall we begin?" the Earl said sinisterly. Lulubell stepped behind the Earl and opened up the box. The Earl reached into the box and pulled out a deep onyx colored circlet with a white stigmata cross on the front. Allen stared at it for a moment, perplexed, until he realized what it was. A collar.

Allen thrashed more desperately than before, determined to get away from the Earl. The akuma tightened their grip on the boy's arms, digging their claws deeper into his arms and scratching the bones. Allen let out a blood curdling scream and slumped in pain. He tried to invoke his innocence but the nerves were too damaged and only sent short stinging tremors back up to his shoulders.

"Stay still Allen," Road said sweetly, leaning over the Earl's shoulder and smiling sadistically, "It will only hurt for a little while."

The Earl opened the collar and began to stalk toward Allen. The collar had no clasp which meant that it was probably sealed with dark matter. That meant that Allen wouldn't be able to get it off. Allen panicked and began to reverently look around the room for an escape. His eyes landed on Tyki. It was a last resort, but maybe Tyki would help him. Allen stared at Tyki with wide, watering, pleading eyes, mentally begging him to help.

"Earl wait." Tyki called, walking over to them. Allen couldn't believe it, Tyki was going to help him! He was saved!

Tyki strolled toward Allen and the Earl. He stopped in front of the limp boy whose eyes were glowing with a spark of naïve hope. Tyki smirked and ducked under Allen's arm before stepping behind him. Tyki gathered up Allen's mid-neck length hair in his hands and held it up in a ponytail at the back of the boy's head, off of his neck.

"There, wouldn't want any of those lovely locks getting caught would we." Tyki said suavely, "You can go ahead now Earl."

Allen looked up, his last chance at escape crushed, the Earl leering menacingly as he slid the wretched ring around his neck. It clicked shut and Allen's body jolted in pain. He screeched, writhing in anguish as his body erupted in agony. It felt like every vein, every cell, in his body was exploding before regenerating and exploding again. It felt like his insides were being rearranged. His muscles were protesting as the electricity-like shots of pain coursed through them. Something hot and salty pooled at the back of Allen's throat. Blood? He didn't know. He coughed , trying to clear his air ways, he felt the warm liquid burst from his lips and run down his front. There was a searing sensation on his forehead, like someone was carving into it with a red hot knife. Allen cried out tormented and with his last bit of strength, he began to thrash wildly. He felt the akuma's claws go deeper into his arms, trying to restrain him. He cried out again, he wanted the akuma gone!

He heard a high pitched scream, he wasn't sure from where, and the akuma holding his innocence arm exploded. The other akuma fearfully released Allen and he crumpled on the ground. There he lay, for what felt like hours, feeling torrents of pain running through his body making him cry out and twitch feebly. Eventually the pain began to ebb away and Allen lay panting on the ground. He looked up with foggy, watery eyes as the Noah moved in around him. The last thing he saw was the form of Tyki Mikk leaning down over him, then he blacked out.