I finally updated. Finally! :D

First things first.

I am really, really sorry for not updating for an extremely long period of time.

D8 I really am- and I hope you won't be angry or upset or disappointed. I procrastinate a lot. And I also hope you enjoy this chapter and continue to read this story.

As for my other stories: I'll probably be updating Perfectly in Tune today, since I'm almost done writing the next chapter. And I promise I'll update the others too, especially Osozaki. That one is collecting dust.

Disclaimer: I don't own -man.

Thank you to all the reviewers and all the people who added this to their favourites or put it on story alert. 8D

So..enjoy!

Walk on Water

Chapter 4: Captured, Imprisoned

Allen lay awake on the white bed, staring blankly at the ceiling.

Kanda, Kanda, Kanda..

He wanted to see him, the only person he knew. Allen could almost smell the scent of lotus, the only thing that could stop the stupid heartbeat hammering in his head. Always thump thump, thump thump.

Kanda was not there; he was somewhere else, away from Allen, far, far away. His eyes widened as he heard footsteps beyond the doorway, falling in time with the heartbeat. He suddenly felt very sleepy, but the constant booming in his head did not let him.

He didn't want to be here. He wanted to see Kanda, only him.

"Hello?"

Allen froze. Was it the girl?

No, it was a masculine voice that wasn't familiar. Disappointment flooded over Allen, and he desperately tried to free himself of his bindings. If he could only carve out his heart, and everything would be over..A peaceful ending.

"Allen, are you awake?"

Allen's head rolled to the side to stare at the newcomer.

It was Komui; he had heard some of the Finders murmur the name. "You are? Good."

Allen did not blink. "If it's okay with you, I'd like to take a scan?" The voice rose at the end in a question, uncertain.

No, it wasn't okay for Allen, but he found himself being picked up by a robot with bold lettering written on it as "Komurin III". He was shoved inside of it, carried in by miniature robots, and he was left to sit in there. The constant bouncing told him the robot was walking.

"We're here."

Allen didn't respond to the sentence, and he was hauled out of the robot's stomach, only to be shoved into another machine. The bindings were undone, and Allen lashed out immediately, but it didn't do anything to the gleaming white metal walls.

Why, why-

And then he felt something stab into his arm, and his eyelids felt as if they were made out of lead and finally closed..

--

"Ah, he's finally come to." A different man wearing a white coat was bent over him, holding a copy of some weird structure that looked suspiciously like Allen.

The white-haired teen wanted to say something to them, but his throat hurt and seemed to close in. "You'll be going back to the infirmary, okay?" the man was saying. Then he directed a command to another one. "Make sure Leverrier doesn't find out, or he's screwed."

"Alright!" The other one also wearing a white coat gave a mock salute, but his eyes were serious. He slowly guided Allen out of the door.

To Allen's dismay, he was tied up again.

A kind of strangled gasp came from the man.

"What do I see here?"

"Uh, sir-" the white-coat-wearing person stammered. "I can explain-"

"Please do explain, then." Allen managed to turn his head and caught sight of an intimidating man with sharply slanted eyebrows, a moustache that was so neatly trimmed it was unnatural, and a stern frown.

The science department member gulped, and he fled immediately, leaving Allen alone standing there.

"Now, now..Allen, was it?" The frown transformed into a malicious smile, and the man's beady little eyes narrowed.

The white-haired boy didn't like this person, and he could hear the heartbeats crashing in his head like cymbals now..

Two hands reached out for him, pale and white, and Allen ran. His feet carried him as far as they could, but it was no use. They were catching up, and he wasn't so sure he could go on anymore with the bindings weighing him down.

They're coming, they're coming!

Panic forced him to run even faster, and he wasn't even sure if he was controlling his actions. His legs seemed to move automatically, like they were no longer a part of him.

They were closer. He could hear them, he could hear their feet pounding on the ground, he could hear them breathing- yes, they were definitely here.

Kanda..!

--

Allen gasped for air as he was pushed roughly into a dark, musty room.

His eyes adjusted to the darkness slowly, and he could see a tiny barred window. He heard the door slam behind him with a metallic clang, and he could've sworn the man whispered a "Goodbye" with a voice layered thick with relish.

He picked himself up and crawled over to the barred window, peering through it wistfully.

Maybe Kanda was out there, somewhere.

Yes, maybe.

You're so pitiful..I think I understand why he agreed to take up the game so easily.

The voice in his head continued.

Do you remember her, Allen? The human girl who touched your forehead, stopped the pain, broke your mind..

A nod.

Ahaha, I thought so. It worked.

Allen liked this voice, even if he only liked it a little bit. It gave him a strange sense of company, and even though it couldn't replace Kanda, it was good enough.

Don't kill yourself, Allen. It won't do any good for Kanda.

Another nod.

He'd kill himself a little later, he decided. Not now, for Kanda's sake. For the voice's sake. And for someone else, too..

The thing was, he just couldn't remember that someone else.

--

Kanda was sitting on the train with Lavi, looking out the window, until the golem crackled to life.

"Kanda, hello?"

Kanda grunted in reply.

"It's Komui. We have news."

"What news?"

"Allen."

The long-haired exorcist's breath hitched. "What about..him?"

"He's being imprisoned right now by Leverrier. The science department member we entrusted Allen with to guide him back to the infirmary was found by Leverrier, and we got it all on camera. The poor guy's scared to death here. We really tried to get Allen out, but Leverrier's the head of everything and even with Bak's support, we can't. He overrules us."

That was all Kanda needed. He pressed a button on the golem, and the call ended abruptly.

Lavi spoke up. "So.."

"Shut up," snarled the Japanese exorcist.

The redhead shrank back, cowering as his comrade's eyes narrowed to blue slits.

Kanda felt hatred rise in his chest, tightening and making it hard to breathe. It was like a little ball, hardened and completely black, sitting there inside of him- negative emotions all compacted into one small thing. Strangely, he didn't want to smash anything like the previous times he had been angry.

Just shut up, shut up...Leave me alone.

I hope you liked the chapter~

Review, please?