Hana: Hey all! Been a while, huh?

Allen: ...

Robin: Maybe a little too much a while.

Hana: You really can't blame me this time...life is full of shit, especially around the holidays. But that's over, it's a new year, and I thought, 'let's get this chapter posted once I check it!'

Allen: Neither Hana nor Xavier own D. Gray-man. Enjoy the new chapter.

Hana: ...I feel like I'm in trouble with this bean sprout for some reason...

... ... ... ...

+ - Chapter 51 - +

"You shits! Let me go!" The lackey couldn't say anything more...amusing? Wisely noted, a bored expression on his face.

"Gotta be more original than that." Devit cackled. "Do you know who you're dealin' with?"

"We're Jasdevi!" Jasdero preened, holding the gun to the captive's temple. "We wanna see brain matter splatter along these walls. Give us a little more fun before then, hee~!"

"Hold off on the brain matter for now, Jasdero." Wisely spoke up, feeling his migraine worsen with the thoughts from every single POS that they came across. As annoyed as he was, he still needed to interrogate the people they managed not to kill with the trigger happy twins. "Now, good sir. Where is Apocryphos holding one Kanda Yu, hm? Or perhaps you would like to tell us where that charming supervisor of his is?" Not that he really cared for the Hitler clone. But courtesy was still a thing, wasn't it?

"I don't know," the lackey spat, and Wisely instantly recognized it as a lie. Unless they were one of those monsters who could hide their thoughts from him, lying was an impossibility.

"I said no brain matter, but you two can shoot him elsewhere so long as he doesn't die straight away," Wisely mused. He massaged his temples with a thumb and forefinger. "We still need information from him."

"You think he'll squeal if we shoot his junk?" Jasdero asked in mock wonder. Whether or not he was serious even Wisely wasn't sure. But he could feel all the color drain from his face as he slowly stepped away from the blonde-haired twin.

"Shoot his junk? Jas, Jas, Jas, where is your honor as a man?"

"Honor?" Jasdero asked.

"Y'gotta shoot him here first!" The black-haired twin fired his gun, the bullet piercing through the hand that was attempting to sneak something out of its owner's pocket. The unnamed lackey screamed in agony, holding his now crippled appendage close to his chest. "Try that again, and I swear the next thing I shoot is your dick. Got it, Practice Target?"

"What fun little toy are you hiding?" Wisely inquired, golden eyes gleaming once the man thought of the item he attempted to pull out prior. "Oh, a bomb? How crude. You were going to blow us up."

"A bomb? We'd all explode?" Jasdero asked.

"So stupid," Devit laughed. He waved the muzzle of his gun along the man's body, loosely aiming at different appendages before moving on to the next. "He would've killed himself too!"

"Stupid~"

"Y-you're m-monsters!"

"Oh? We're monsters?" Wisely almost purred, "As former NOAH, I suppose that wouldn't be too far off."

"So~" Devit spoke up once again, "Where's our precious bean sprout's future spouse? Tell us, and maybe we'll only maim ya beyond recognition."

"H-he-'s...HE'S GOOD AS DEAD!" The flunky screamed out. With his uninjured hand, he grabbed a remote from his vest, before he could activate his last resort, his wrist was grabbed in a harsh grip, nearly breaking the bones.

The normally cheerful blonde-haired male had an unsarcastically solemn expression, as he squeezed harder on the man's wrist, forcing the remote to fall. "Didn't we say you won't be using that toy you got?"

"I guess you're the one who's good as dead~" Devit preened. "So, Wise. You got anything from his brain?"

"I have. Seems Allen's group is on the right track to finding him." He raised his phone up, showing that there had been an ongoing call, "Everyone knows now~"

"So that's why you had your phone on just now." Raku's voice sounded. They heard Cross snort in the background.

"I thought he was butt dialing." Allen's unamusable tone of voice stated. "But, it's nice to know we're going the right way...but does this mean you've been tracking us, Wisely?"

"Of course I have been."

Robin's voice was amused as she spoke, "Thanks for getting us such valuable information, Wise."

"Wh-when did you...?"

If it were possible, Wisely's grin spread to the point of threatening to split his face. "My phone's been on for a while. I've had this group call going on since we got here."

"I'm not paying your phone bill, by the way." Allen's stated, point-blank. "Now, if you excuse me, I have an idiot of a man to find." Allen's line went dead, leaving the other parties still on.

"That was interesting." Tokusa noted. "So, if Allen's group is on their way there..."

"We will meet up with him." Link spoke up. "Everyone else should be sure to deal with any other loose ends still hanging about."

"Best plan if I ever heard one." Cross said. "Well, I'm out. See you punks whenever."

"If my son isn't in one piece, Apocryphos has more than hell to worry about." Raku stated, before hanging up.

"Enough dawdling. Let's go make sure the boy doesn't get too reckless." Tyki said, before hanging up himself.

Wisely hung up his own phone, replacing it into his back pocket. "Seems your services are no longer required, my good sir. We'll go check up on Roulevier, but again, we don't necessarily care for him to begin with."

If the nameless man had anything to say, he never had the chance to say it.

(* - *)

Allen placed his old claw on his hand. The glove was familiar and foreign to him now. "One last time. This time my blades will savor the taste of a man who wronged me in all the worst possible ways."

"Poetic." Robin said. "I didn't know you were such."

"Everyone has a side none are usually aware of." Tewaku pointed out. "Okay, that all said and done, let's get his fiancé the hell out of here."

"And should Apocryphos get in our way, I'll strike him down." Allen said with definite resolve.

If he could, he'd like to wrap his claw around that monster's dick and slice it right off. That way, at least, he'd never have to worry about the bastard doing the same thing ever again. Not that Allen expected Apocryphos to make it another day.

Robin glanced at Allen, a tight smile curving her lips. "So you're hoping we run across him then?"

"I don't want to see him again," Allen admitted quietly, "but at the same time..."

"You're itching to beat his face in?"

His expression mirrored Robin's, save for the hint of something dark within his eyes. "Not just his face."

"Fair enough." She amended. "You get first strike."

"Do you get first strike if we find Rouvelier?" Tewaku asked seemingly out of the blue.

Looking to the other woman, Robin asked in confusion, "I wouldn't mind knocking him a new one, but...why do you ask?"

Tewaku pointed just ahead, and there sneaking away from his own captivity was none other than Malcolm C. Rouvelier.

... ... ... ...

Next chapter isn't ready just yet...but ah, hahaha with FF not really alerting of PMs, I think we may need an alternate way to get these chapters done now...-sweat drops- FF PLEASE PUT THE PM ALERTS BACK ON ALREADY!

As much as I need it, R&R doesn't stand for Rest and Relaxation. Leave a review and let us know how we're doing~! Show this story some love by favoriting, and why not give a follow so you can stay up to date with a new chapter once it goes live? Be sure to check out my co-author's works if you haven't already, and until next time, we'll see you again on...

Light within Darkness!