Disclaimer: I do not own D. Gray-Man or any of its characters.

Isabelle Dark's head turned in her sleep as she unconsciously registered the sound of a child calling out for her. She groggily opened her eyes, vaguely wondered why it was so light in her room. Had she over slept? No, this was not sunlight, but what was it? Fire.

Isabelle bolted upright in her bed and stumbled towards the door, desperate to reach her child, only to recoil. Flames had engulfed the entire wall in front of her and the other walls as well. She was trapped with no way to get out and no way to reach her child.

"Elysia!" she called over the roar of the flames, chocking on the smoke.

"Mommy!" the tiny voice answered sounding terrified. Isabelle tried to contain her emotions and think logically to find some way out but it was impossible. She collapsed to the floor, staring at the flames with tears rolling down her face. A section of wall in front of her collapsed and she shrieked, scrambling back and falling into a fit of coughing.

She saw five-year old Elysia beginning to toddle toward the flames to reach her mother but Isabelle let out a cry of alarm. "No Elysia! Stay where you are!"

Elysia looked confused and scared but sat back down obediently. It took all of Isabelle's self-control not to run through the flames herself. Sitting there waiting for death, watching her child about to die, every instinct screamed at her to go to Elysia but she knew she could not.

"Mommy, where is daddy?"

This question caught her off guard and she was sent reeling into a whole new set of emotions as she realized that she would never see Suman again. She had not seen him for years and her heart ached for him. Would he be able to go on after losing his family when he barely survived being separated from them?

"I don't know sweetie," was all she could say.

"Daddy will save us," Elysia stated with such conviction that Isabelle almost believed it for a moment when a beam fell from the ceiling, pinning Elysia under it. Isabelle screamed and dove through the flames, pulling Elysia out from under the beam and holding her close. Together they burned, the flames hungrily devouring their bodies. Their cries rang out through the silent, still night.

oOo

Leverrier sat in high anticipation and slight annoyance. Why was the coach driver going so slowly? Maybe he would get rid him after this. Excitement buzzed beneath his skin like an electric current as he saw the hotel come into view around the corner. He was only a few minutes away from gaining what could very well be his biggest asset ever.

oOo

"Are you sure you want to do that?" twelve-year-old Allen taunted an agitated looking Suman who was holding a bishop over the board uncertainly.

"Who taught you how to get inside people's minds?" Suman said, firmly placing his piece on the board.

"I learn from the best," Allen replied coyly, a smile playing on the corners of his lips. "Knight takes bishop." He sat back, arms smugly crossed over his chest as he looked triumphantly at Suman.

Outside the carriage turned the corner, making steady progress.

Rook takes night." Suman laughed at the look of bewilderment that crossed Allen's face as he realized he had been trapped.

A feral grin appeared on Leverrier's face as he pulled up to the hotel.

Queen takes Rook. The game of chess took on a more serious atmosphere as each opponent worked harder to outwit the other.

Leverrier entered the hotel.

Bishop takes queen. Check.

The phone rang.

Allen let out a breath he didn't know he had been holding. This phone call would buy him the time he needed to think over his next move.

"I'm watching you," Suman said giving Allen a mock glare as he walked towards the phone. "Hello?" Suman said into the receiver, still staring Allen down.

"Is this Suman Dark," a voice crackled through.

"Yes."

There was a slight hesitation before the other said anything. "This is Section Chief Reever. I am terribly sorry to inform you that your wife and child-"

"No," Suman said, running a hand through his hair and sinking down onto the edge of his bed in despair. "No, this can't be, it can't," he said in a futile attempt to deny what he already knew to be true.

Reever carried on, determined to finish delivering his message before he lost his wits and could not do it anymore. "They perished in a fire."

"You were supposed to protect them!" Suman yelled on his feet now, grief replaced by rage. "How could you let this happen!?"

"It was too late when we found out. I'm so-"

Suman slammed the phone down, cutting off Reever's words. He did not need to hear empty apologies. He kicked the door frame and sat down on the bed, holding his now throbbing foot. He swore a few times until the anger subsided to be replaced by sobs he could not hold in.

Allen sat, watching the display in shock. Never before had he seen Suman so emotional about anything. He was at a loss for what to do, having never been in this type situation before. What on earth could cause Suman such heart wrenching sorrow? He got up and stood awkwardly, wanting to do something to console his distressed master but feeling intrusive for witnessing this deeply emotional moment.

Eventually Allen decided it would be best just to give Suman some privacy and sat down again, studying the chess board. Absentmindedly his hand reached out and moved his piece.

Pawn takes queen. Check mate.

The door opened silently and Leverrier stepped in letting it slam behind him. Allen jumped at the sudden sound and Suman got to his feet, trying to compose himself and wiping the tears off of his face.

"I am here to retrieve Allen Walker." Leverrier's voice was cool and even, his face expressionless as though he were oblivious to the emotional state of the man he was addressing.

"No." The word was said with so much finality that anyone else would have left it at that but Leverrier was not anyone else.

"As your superior I order you to leave Allen Walker in my custody." There was a slight hint of annoyance in his voice now.

"I will not give him to you!" Suman pointed an accusing finger at Leverrier and continued to shout at him, his face reddening. "We had an agreement! Keep my family safe and I would do whatever you told me to! Well they aren't safe! They're dead! And you did nothing for them! I owe you no loyalty! I WILL NOT LET YOU TAKE THE LAST THING I CARE ABOUT FROM ME!"

Allen was shocked. His eyes widened and he inhaled sharply as the words took him by surprised. So that was why he had been so distraught earlier. He knew he should feel horrible for what had happened to Suman's family but he couldn't find it in himself. Instead he felt a startled joy arising in his chest at hearing Suman say so clearly that he cared for him.

Suman's words, however, had the opposite effect on Leverrier. His face contorted into a twisted mask of beast like rage. He began to rush forward at Suman only to stop as an expression of surprise and pain replaced the previously inhumanly terrifying look on the man's face. A white-gloved hand slowly emerged from Leverrier's chest, clutching a frantically beating heart that shuddered before ceasing all movement forever more.

The hand's owner sidestepped Leverrier's corpse before it collapsed into a motionless heap on the floor. Allen blinked, thinking his eyes were fooling him for a moment but when the man's appearance remained unchanged he was utterly bewildered.

The man was dressed in a tailored black suit and top hat. His skin was an ashen gray while his eyes were amber. He set Leverrier's heart on the table and peeled of his bloodied gloves, depositing them in the bin. He let out an annoyed huff. "Another pair ruined, this is almost more trouble than it's worth. I wonder how many I've ruined lately." He put a hand to his chin and the other to his elbow as he looked up at the ceiling, a contemplative look on his face. Then he straightened, seemingly having remembered that Suman and Allen were there.

"How rude of me, barging in here without even introducing myself. I am Lord Tyki Mikk," he said as he took off his top hat in a sweeping motion and bowed, plucking a button from Leverrier's coat and inserting it in the pocket of his suit jacket. Tyki straightened, smoothing back his wavy black hair, revealing a line of crosses across his gray forehead. He moved to place his top hat back on his head when a focused blast of air shot him towards the wall but the collision never occurred. To Allen's utter astonishment he simply vanished through the wall. The only evidence that he had ever been there were a corpse, bloodied gloves and a heart on the table.

Suman stood, arm still extended and innocence activated forming a small but powerful air cannon on his metal gauntleted hand. Powerful tremors were running through his body. He was starting to lose control of himself after all the events of the night. His frightened eyes turned to Allen and his mouth opened as he was about to say something but suddenly he went rigid with terror as he fell to his hands and knees, revealing the ash skinned man standing behind him. Suman grabbed at his chest frantically as he found himself unable to draw a proper breath, his frame shuddering as he painfully coughed blood onto the floor.

"What did you do to him!?" Allen shouted at Lord Mikk who was looking at Suman's misery as one would look at a particularly fine piece of art.

"I punctured both of his lungs," he answered in a tone that one might use when remarking on the weather.

Suman was drowning in his own blood. This realization filled Allen with terror and loathing for the one who had done this. He raised his red, withered left arm, activating his innocence. The glowing green cross on the back of his hand brightened. The light engulfed his entire arm, transforming it into a bone like claw.

He sprang at the unwelcomed intruder, catching him by surprise as he had been so absorbed in watching his victim struggle for life that he had taken no notice of what Allen had been doing. The claw tore through the coat and shirt, making deep gashes in the man's shoulder. He swore as he whirled around, catching Allen's innocence transformed arm and hitting him over the head. The last thing Allen was aware of as he slipped into the black oblivion was the sound of Suman's blood splattering on the floor.