A Game of Poker

Warnings: YAOI, which means BOYS LOVING BOYS. If you dislike that, then the back button is easy enough to find. Please click that and leave. Limes are in the future, and lemons. Maybe some OOC, spoilers for the end of the anime later on.

Disclaimer: I don’t own these lovely characters, that honor belongs to Katsura Hoshino. (Though if Hoshino-sama ever has a sale, I call dibs on Tyki… what?) I don’t own anything but a copy of the anime series and all volumes of the manga in English. Anything you don’t recognize (like the plotline of ‘A Game of Poker’) does belong to me. Everything else… not so much. Please don’t sue.

Kudos to the awesome SisterWicked of AssHat Productions (a group I am now a proud member of), who got me started on Lucky and lets me use 'lovely'! Beta’d by N.H. Arawn and Misster Cackles! All remaining mistakes are mine.

Special Dedication to Silver Affection, since she is an awesome friend!

Last Time On ‘A Game Of Poker’:

What could he do? He was no fighter. All Komui knew how to do was sign papers, help invent better tools for Finders and Exorcists, and try to protect the Exorcists and especially Lenalee as best he could. Going out and trying to help would only get him killed.

All he could do was grit his teeth and watch, and so he did.

And Now, The Continuation


Chapter 33

The Dark

Arystar Krory was dying.

She sighed, crouching behind the body of the only man she had ever been able to love. Her dark eyes briefly passed over his limp form. The puddle of blood around him had stopped spreading and was slowly congealing into a terrible mess. She could hear his heart slow down and start skipping. His breath came in long wheezes, probably caused by blood in his lungs.

"You really are hopeless, aren't you, Arystar?" she asked him with a quiet sigh, parroting a question she had asked him last time he had been this close to death. Oddly enough, that time had been directly after a fight with the Bonds of Noah as well.

She reached out her hand towards him and laid her palm on the side of his face. Her loose sleeve dragged along his shoulder, but no blood stuck to the material.

"After surviving last time, you're giving up now?" She smiled thinly and laughed bitterly, removing her hand. "Then what did you kill me for?"

She couldn't sense any response to her question. She took a deep breath, words coming more quickly and with less thought to her lips.

"You can't die yet. You'll end up going somewhere I can't follow."

Still nothing.

"Arystar."

The pleading note in her voice had struck something. She could feel the faintest response from the Exorcist's mind and so she called his name again.

"Arystar..."

Now there was a definite response and a real smile quirked her lips as Arystar's hand twitched. He wasn't gone yet.

"Arystar, please stay with me a little longer?" she asked, reaching out to touch him again. She leaned over him and gently touched his face, studying it wistfully for a moment before speaking again. "Don't go off to heaven without me just yet."

She swallowed heavily when she felt his consciousness fade again. Last time she had seen him, she had been able to coax him to cling to life, but now there was nothing. His injuries were too much; he had lost too much blood.

Arystar was going to die.

She turned her gaze from his slack face towards the blood spread around his body. She narrowed her eyes hatefully for a moment, but then her expression softened. She reached out and drew her fingers through the blood, though none of the sticky liquid clung to her and the Innocence within it didn't burn her.

"Innocence..." she said slowly, a half-pleading note in her voice. "I know you can hear me."

She waited as though expecting the blood to react, but nothing happened. She continued, voice growing steadily more desperate as she felt Arystar's life slip away. His heartbeat was slowing to almost nothing.

"You're the reason I met him and you're the reason I lost him. Don't take him away from me again," she asked, voice holding only the faintest hint of a tremble. If the Earl had never thought that Arystar Krory the Third was suspicious, he never would have sent her there to keep an eye on him. She never would have met Arystar and he never would have killed her.

They would never have fallen in love.

"Please?" she asked. Her request might not be worth much, but the Innocence was mysterious even to her. She suspected that the Earl understood the substance better than she ever could, but her former master would obviously never share the information with an Akuma. At least, he wouldn't share it with a mere Level Two.

Beneath her fingers, the Innocence stirred. She smiled, withdrawing her hand as Arystar's spilled blood began to glow a faint, unearthly green. The Innocence began to flow back into Arystar's limp body, slowly at first and then flowing faster. The blood moved smoothly back into the Exorcist's veins. Color returned to Arystar's flesh and his heart began pumping faster, though it was still too sluggish to be a normal heartbeat.

She watched Arystar for several seconds more, watching as the newly returned blood flowed within his body. Where he had been wounded and the veins and arteries had been cut, the blood ran as though those passageways still existed, moving through thin air as if contained by tissue. She watched in fascination and then turned her gaze towards her beloved's face.

He was still breathing and the sound was stronger than before. He didn't wheeze, which made her think that the blood in his lungs had moved back into his veins.

He would be all right.

She leaned forward and pressed her lips to his. The illusion of contact brought her some measure of comfort, even if she couldn't actually feel him.

She stood, tempted to stay but knowing that her time was short. She smiled thinly one last time, watching Arystar's life move through severed veins.

"Thank you, Innocence," she said softly. She forced herself to turn away. "Goodbye, Arystar."

Eliade disappeared. Where she had stood, a single, perfect red rose lay on the ground.

LINE BREAK

Tyki spun, narrowly dodging a quick thrust aimed at his middle. He dropped beneath the follow-up strike; a slice aimed towards his side. He could feel the edge of the Earl's sword catch the ends of a few strands of his hair, neatly slicing them, just before he phased through the ground.

Tyki walked through the dirt as though it were air, heading left to hopefully gain some distance between himself and the Earl before he phased back through the earth.

He put a hand to his neck, expression darkening as he traced the thin cut the Earl had made on the delicate tissue. Tyki had a few other injuries; a deep cut low on his left leg, a slightly worrisome injury that ran from right shoulder to left hip, and smaller, minor scratches on both of his arms. There was a thin, nearly invisible layer of powdered Innocence on the Earl's sword; something Tyki hadn't noticed until it was almost too late. His muscles were starting to ache from the strain of blocking the Maker's powerful attacks, but at least it seemed like the fat man didn't have any more of those talismans he had sealed Tyki's powers with last time they had fought. The Earl had either used up the Innocence he had collected in providing all the Noah with weapons and coating his sword or had simply assumed that the weapons would be enough and not bothered to make another seal.

It was a small blessing, at least. He couldn't afford to lose his powers now. This fight was too important.

Something dark stirred within him, something that reveled in death and pain, and he brutally tried to suppress it. Still, it whispered promises of power in his ear and prodded subtly at his mind, looking for any weaknesses in his mental defenses so it could take over and wreck havoc. Tyki's scowl darkened and he shoved that 'something' further into the dark corner he kept it in. That power was dangerous; the first and only time he had used it, it had consumed him completely. He couldn't afford to lose his reason now.

Taking one last deep breath, he quickly headed back above ground. As much as a bit of a rest would help, to shore up his mental walls if nothing else, Lavi was still fighting and he couldn't leave the redhead alone to face the Earl for long.

LINE BREAK

Lavi braced himself, legs spread and knees bent to absorb the impact as he brought his hammer up to block the Earl's downwards sword strike. Metal met metal with a loud shriek and he winced at the noise, arms straining to keep the heavy sword away from him. It was times like this that he wished that his eye was actually useful in combat. The only ability that would be helpful in this situation would be his ability to cast illusions, but that took too much time and concentration for him to do it while fighting.

The Manufacturer withdrew his weapon, sliding it along the hammer with a screeching sound that hurt Lavi's ears, and then attacked again. The Earl brought his sword around, aiming a slice at the redhead's neck. Instead of blocking, Lavi ducked under it and took two quick steps around to the Earl's back. He lifted his Innocence and spun it around twice in the air before bringing it down hard on one of the glowing seals floating in the air.

"Seal of Fire! Hellfire!"

Flames quickly grew from the end of the hammer and formed into a huge snake. The snake opened its mouth in a silent roar of fury, instantly moving to attack the Earl. The fat man had caught his balance after his failed attack and turned just in time to be engulfed by the fiery serpent. Lavi watched, panting heavily and arms and legs shaking from exertion, as the fire he had summoned drove the Earl back several feet. He kept his guard up, watching warily as the Earl burned.

This wouldn't be enough to kill the Maker, but Lavi was losing energy quickly. Ozuchi Kozuchi felt heavy in his hand and sweat and blood soaked his Exorcist's uniform. Bits and pieces of his shirt and jacket had been sliced cleanly off, small wounds marking where each strike had landed.

The middle of the serpent suddenly exploded outwards, smoke surrounding and choking the nearby flames before slowly dissipating as the fire further from the blast slowly died. Lavi tensed, muscles on hair-trigger for any sight of motion.

A blur of white shot towards him. Lavi struggled to lift his hammer into proper blocking position, but he was half a second too slow. He cried out in pain as the Earl's blade bit deep into his shoulder, but his hammer was up high enough to prevent the strike from going all the way through. He gritted his teeth and held his block as best he could as the Earl leaned his weight into his sword.

Lavi hissed as his arms began to weaken and his opponent's weapon began to slide further in, scraping the bone. The Earl chuckled, stepping forward and putting more weight behind his attack. Lavi's knees buckled.

The pressure on his hammer and his shoulder was suddenly relieved and Lavi collapsed to his knees, moving one hand from his weapon to clutch at the freely-bleeding injury. He heard a loud crackle of energy and looked up.

Tyki stood in front of him, arm still extended from where he had pushed the Earl's weapon up and away from Lavi's body. Dark energy surrounded both of the Noah's arms from elbow to fingertip, protecting his limbs from the sharp edge. Lavi struggled to his feet, forcing himself to stop holding his wounded shoulder and grab Ozuchi Kozuchi's handle. His grip was slick with blood, but he should still be able to swing the Innocence without issue. His shoulder would burn every time he did it, but at least his grip wasn’t compromised.

He had just gotten to his feet when the Earl attacked again. The fat man leapt towards Tyki, aiming his strike at Tyki's waist. The Noah blocked the attack, the energy around his lower arm growing. There was a noise like thunder when the Maker's weapon struck the energy and both men were blown backwards from the impact. Tyki slid along the ground five feet, coming to a stop a brief distance behind Lavi. The Earl slid a few feet back, less than ten feet from where the Exorcist and the Noah stood.

The redhead lifted his hammer, gritting his teeth at the pain in his injured shoulder.

"Seal of Earth," he said, bringing his hammer down on the glowing stamp. "Earthshaker!"

The dirt directly beneath the seal split and shifted, cracks spreading rapidly as the ground shook violently. Columns of dirt began to rise where the ground had split, creating a defensive wall thirty feet high and four feet thick in seconds. Lavi again let go of his Innocence with his right hand, reaching up to press his hand to his shoulder. It still hadn't stopped bleeding, though it had slowed somewhat.

"Damnit..." he cursed quietly, tightening his grip on it. He was already starting to feel a bit dizzy from the blood loss; if he didn't stop the bleeding soon, he could pass out. Creating that wall had bought him at least a little time.

"How's your shoulder?"

Lavi tensed at the hint of concern in the older man's voice. He turned pointedly away from Tyki, still clutching his injury.

"It's fine. That wall won't hold for long," Lavi replied. He steeled himself and looked towards the Noah. Tyki's expression was almost one of worry, though there was more than a faint undercurrent of anger. Who it was directed at, Lavi didn't know. He swallowed heavily and bit his tongue to stop from reassuring the older man that he was all right.

Tyki reached out a hand -- the energy around it had dispersed -- and moved as if to touch Lavi's shoulder. The redhead jerked away, lifting up Ozuchi Kozuchi to prevent the Noah from coming any closer.

Tyki's stunned look was almost worse than the pain from the wound. Lavi squeezed his eye shut and turned his face away from the older man.

"Don't touch me," he said coldly. The arm that held his Innocence shook. "I don't need your help, Noah." He put as much scorn as he could into his voice, hoping it didn't come across nearly as false as it felt.

Tyki's hand dropped back to his side.

"Fine." Without another word, Tyki moved away from Lavi. The Noah gathered energy around his lower arms and hands again and faced the wall the Exorcist had created. Not a moment too soon, either; the moment Tyki had settled in place to watch for the Earl's reappearance, an area in the wall that was the width of three men and the height of two exploded outwards. There was a blur of movement and suddenly the Earl was back, sword over his head. The Earl brought the weapon down, aiming to cleave Tyki's skull in two.

Lavi's heart leapt with fear and he tried to lift Ozuchi Kozuchi with one hand. The motion was slow and ungraceful and he cursed his body. He moved his second hand to the handle of his weapon and lifted it, rushing forward.

Tyki brought both hands up to block the attack, crossing his arms at the wrist. The blade struck the energy surrounding the Noah's arms and Lavi could hear the Noah's shield crackle fiercely. Tyki's legs were bent at the knees to give him a lower center of gravity and one foot slid backwards to provide the man with better balance. Tyki's arms shook from the strain as the Earl leaned forward, intent on forcing the Noah to the ground.

Lavi gritted his teeth and continued darting forward. The Earl suddenly eased up, standing straight and taking one hand off his sword.

Alarm bells began to ring in Lavi's head when he saw the Earl reach into his coat, apparently grabbing for something at his side.

Tyki also straightened up, but he didn't back away. He moved forward to attack, drawing back one arm to punch the Maker. He let his fist fly just as the Earl drew a knife that looked sickeningly familiar.

The bottom dropped out of Lavi's stomach. He had thought that Tyki had thrown the knife embedded with Innocence far away; when had the Earl retrieved it?

"Seal of Fire!" he shouted, bringing Ozuchi Kozuchi down. "Hellfire!"

The fire snake roared to life seconds too late. Lavi watched as Tyki's strike connected with the Earl's face and then saw as the Noah's expression turned from smug to stunned as the Maker's dagger buried itself in the Pleasure's abdomen.

The flame serpent summoned by Lavi's Innocence shot forward and surrounded the Earl, picking the man up off his feet and throwing him back into the dirt wall Lavi had created minutes ago. Not trusting the fire attack to hold the Earl back for long, Lavi lifted his hammer again.

“Seal of Earth! Earthshaker!” He brought the hammer down and a wall of dirt rose up, forming a semi-circle around the Earl and the fiery snake. The wall rose high and thick above the Earl and the summoned serpent; hopefully it would buy them a few minutes. With that threat temporarily neutralized, the Exorcist could turn his attention to other worries.

The redhead turned his back to his opponent and ran to Tyki's side. The Noah had fallen to his knees, one hand pressed to his abdomen where the dagger's hilt stuck out. The tip of the blade could be seen protruding from the Noah's back.

Lavi knelt in front of Tyki, setting down his Innocence but keeping a hand on it. He moved his other hand to Tyki's shoulder, trying to get the man to straighten up. Tyki coughed blood, hissing as he straightened his back so Lavi could get a look at the wound.

Lavi swore.

"You idiot," he said thickly, watching bright red blood seep out around the metal and stain Tyki's shirt. Tyki chuckled weakly, hand shifting to the hilt of the knife.

He only vaguely noticed the sound of an explosion behind him, but paid it no mind. He tightened his grip on Tyki's shoulder and began to stand up. Tyki looked at him in confusion, hand still on the hilt of the dagger.

"We have to get somewhere safer than this so we can bandage that," Lavi bit out, trying to keep his voice from betraying the worry he felt. He could hear the wobble in his words and bit his tongue to stop himself from speaking. Innocence was poisonous to Noah and if they just left that dagger, Tyki might very well die from the contamination if the wound itself didn't kill him. The Exorcist forcefully chilled his voice and pulled on Tyki's shoulder. "Come on, stand u-"

Tyki suddenly wasn't watching him. The Noah was staring at something behind Lavi mouth opening to shout some kind of a warning. Eye suddenly wide, Lavi turned, hand tightening on his Innocence and bringing the hammer up to block.

Tyki shouted his name the same second the Earl swung his sword, a horizontal slash aimed for Lavi's waist.

Lavi couldn't move fast enough.

Pain exploded in his side as the Earl's attack found flesh, the Maker's sword cutting in just below Lavi's ribs. The weapon was stopped by Ozuchi Kozuchi, but the block was too little and too late; the Maker's sword was several inches into Lavi's body. The damage had been done.

The Earl twisted the blade as he drew it out, severing more veins, arteries, and inflicting more damage to the redhead's organs. Lavi collapsed, blood pouring from the fresh injury. His numb fingers let go of his Innocence and he pressed both hands to his side, trying desperately to hold in the blood flowing out of him. Blackness swam at the edges of his vision, quickly growing stronger and denser as every beat of his heart forced more of his life through the wound.

He gritted his teeth, fingers digging into his flesh as he tried to ignore the pain. He moved one hand to try and push himself up, but his hand slipped on the slick mud created by the quickly-growing puddle around him. The darkness in his vision swelled.

Lavi tried to get up again, but his arm wouldn't move. His legs were too heavy and he could feel the rest of his body slowly giving in.

His eye slid shut and he could feel his muscles involuntarily relax. He slumped against the ground, not hearing the voice frantically calling his name as he passed out.

LINE BREAK

Tyki stared at the limp form of the Exorcist, hoping the redhead was simply unconscious. Lavi's skin was an unhealthily pale shade and getting even whiter. Tyki had seen many bodies in his time, probably more than his fair share, but nothing had chilled him quite like this. Blood had never seemed so red and he couldn't recall ever seeing so much of it come from another person's body.

His hand tightened around the hilt of the knife in his gut. He could feel the energy from the tiny shards of Innocence seep into his body, poisoning him though just this amount wouldn't be fatal. When he had first been struck, the darkness inside of him had surged forward, fighting tooth and nail for control. Tyki had beat it back, but it circled his mind, watching closely for an opening. That, more than anything else, had been what had caused him to fall to his knees. The darkness was inching closer and infecting his brain as surely as the Innocence in his abdomen was infecting his body.

"That's one, though I don't think he's quite dead yet..." the Earl said cheerfully, lifting his sword and positioning it just over Lavi's chest.

Tyki's body reacted without conscious thought. He moved forward and snatched Lavi's limp form from the ground, holding the redhead protectively against his body. He could feel Lavi's blood soak his shirt and his grip tightened, tense with worry.

He couldn't let Lavi die just yet. He had too many things he needed to ask the redhead, questions that he'd never get the answers to if Lavi died here and now.

So many mixed signals...

The way Lavi had lain with him their final night. The way Lavi's voice had gone flat when he had told Tyki that their relationship was over.

The way Lavi had seemed to want to kiss him after he had saved the redhead from falling to the bottom of the cliffs. The way Lavi had snapped at him when he had almost called the Exorcist 'lovely'.

The tenderness in Lavi's voice when he had murmured 'be safe'.

How Lavi had flinched away from him when he had tried to look at the redhead's wounded shoulder.

The tremble in Lavi's voice when the redhead had tried to help Tyki with the dagger still buried inside his abdomen.

Lavi couldn't die here. Tyki would not let him. He would protect the redhead as much as he was able and after this battle they would talk. They would talk and perhaps fall into bed again and, if all went well, spend the night together and wake up the next morning in each other's arms. Tyki didn't know when that had become his fantasy, but Lavi was an essential piece of that picture.

He glared at the Earl, doing his best to radiate malice and danger even though he knew that his strength alone was not enough to defeat the man. The Earl stared evenly back at him and hefted his sword, aiming it at the Noah.

"Do you volunteer to go ahead of him then, Tyki?" the Maker asked, voice filled with murderous glee. "I'm sure I can arrange for you to meet him at the gates of Hell..."

Tyki's glare darkened. He could feel the blackness in his mind creep forward in anticipation, reaching out for him. Whispers of power floated past his ears, promises of strength and speed if only he would accept the dark.

He couldn't afford to lose his reason, but he needed that power now.

He squared his shoulders, eyes taking on a determined gleam. If Skinn had been able to do it, then so could he. He took a deep breath, steeling himself for the outcome, whatever that happened to be.

Without a second thought, he reached forward and embraced the dark.

LINE BREAK

The noise of someone clearing their throat behind Komui drew his attention back to where he was rather than the fight he couldn't help with.

The Head Nurse stood behind him, several members of the medical staff arranged behind her in a neat row. Her expression was severe and she gave Komui a critical once-over before deciding that the Supervisor had no injuries that needed immediate tending and moving on to her original business. He supposed Chaoji had told the Nurse that the battle was breaking up; the sturdy male Exorcist had staggered back to the building, half-supporting General Cloud Nyne as she faded in and out of consciousness. Komui had sent the pair to the medical wing immediately to get fixed up. Neither had been in any shape to fight.

"My team and I shall head out into the field and treat all friendly personnel. I assume you have no objections?" she asked briskly. She waited.

Komui nodded shortly and then glanced back out over the battlefield. The only fight he could see was Lavi and Tyki against the Earl. All the other battles seemed to have ended, leaving Exorcists dead, dying, or unconscious on the ground.

"Avoid the battle with the Earl. Bring anyone that can be moved to the safety of the building. Finders-" Komui turned to address the small group of white-robed men and women that had trickled out of the building. Most had either followed the medical staff or had wandered out on their own when the noises of explosions had died. "-you are to assist."

At his words, the Finders that had been watching the battle with the Earl broke into action. Komui listened with only half an ear as the Head Nurse delegated certain areas of the battlefield to her staff. He vaguely noted when the medical staff began to disperse, traveling with small packs of Finders and field medical kits to see if there was anything they could do.

Some Finders had medical training -- if nothing else, they could help carry unconscious Exorcists back into Headquarters.

Komui clasped his hands together quietly, leaning his face into his hands and closing his eyes.

"Please let none of them be dead," he whispered. It might be unrealistic to hope to make it though such a massive battle without Exorcist casualties, but the death toll was high enough with just the Finders who were now only piles of dust inside their robes. The Order didn't need to lose their warriors too.

He lifted his head and opened his eyes, looking out over the battlefield. Small groups of Order members moved along the dusty, bloody ground. He could even see one group heading directly for Allen and Kanda while another group treated the Exorcists Chaoji hadn't been able to carry back with him.

"Lenalee..." he murmured, sitting down heavily on the steps of the building. He took off his beret and ran a hand through his hair.

He still hadn't been able to find his little sister and he could not move from the steps. He was in charge, meaning he had to be accessible. He couldn't go haring off on his own when there might still be enemies lurking around.

None of them here on the steps had the ability to fight. The energy cells for the guns were empty and Komui doubted anyone had a good enough aim to hit the Earl while missing Lavi and Tyki. There had been no melee anti-Akuma weapons developed for the Finders yet.

All they could do was watch.

A sudden scream rent the air, loud and unfamiliar. Komui jerked his gaze towards the source, eyes widening in shock and incomprehension.

Tyki Mikk was kneeling on the ground in front of the Earl, dark energy radiating from his body. Strange appendages that looked like a cross between vines and centipedes fluttered almost angrily around the Noah, swiftly encircling Mikk's body as more of the strange vines appeared. The Earl was backing up as though afraid.

It was Tyki Mikk who was making that loud, almost inhuman scream. Komui stared, disbelieving, as the energy around Tyki began to rapidly condense, completely obscuring the kneeling man, and then the energy suddenly exploded outward.

Komui put up an arm to shield his face as a great gust of wind blew passed him and nearly knocked him over. He could hear shouts of surprise and even a few of pain, but he paid those little mind. What was more important was that blast and those vines, because if he remembered the reports from the Ark Incident correctly...

He lowered his arm, glasses slightly askew, and turned his gaze back towards the battle.

His heart sank when he saw Tyki Mikk standing where he had been kneeling seconds ago. Komui couldn't make out many details, but Mikk's skin was definitely darker and he had what looked like wings made out of the odd vines sprouting out of his back. His hair had grown at least a foot in under a minute and the Noah's clothes had definitely changed to some kind of strange armor.

Komui suddenly recalled Lenalee's frightened description of Tyki Mikk's transformed self, both the physical and the characteristics.

He swallowed heavily.

What Lenalee had described had been little more than a vicious beast, a monster with the shape of a man but none of man's reasoning or logic. The possessed Noah had attacked with incredible amounts of power and a kind of intelligence, yes, but it was an alien intelligence. The Noah had been vicious and cruel and that was what still sometimes haunted Lenalee's nightmares.

If Mikk had lost all of his reason...

Komui slumped where he sat, sudden weight crushing his shoulders.

If Mikk couldn't reason, would he still remember that he now belonged with the Order? Would he remember that the Earl was his enemy, not his master?

Komui buried his face in his hands.

What had he done?

TBC…

A/N: I’m sorry about the lateness of this chapter. Personal circumstances have prevented me from posting. 34 is not yet written, but it should be up (hopefully) within a few weeks.