Chapter 73: A House of Cards

[rhapsody blue]

Chapter 73- A House of Cards

Authors Notes

Hey guys, sorry for the wait my internet got messed up seriously and I couldn't get my chapter out in time. This'll be my last chapter for awhile cause I'm going into overtime when it comes to summer activity. But if you guys get to the captivity scenes before I come back, I give permission to snoogen to use the scenes I already thought up.

Fuzziness was everywhere, everything seemed as if it was being viewed from the bottom of a bottle of rum. The exorcists of the NA branch disappearing one after another, just a shadow appearing before each was taken. Lione felt himself trying to run but it wasn't happening. His legs weren't responding to his will. He looked down and there was nothing and he heard a voice, a voice thats usual monotonousness wavered slightly saying “… I’m afraid you’ve lost all mobility from the legs down. You’re paralyzed.” The words were like fingernails to a chalkboard except that it was fingernails on his soul and the pain was excruciating. He felt himself begin to vanish. Systematically each finger disappeared and then his feet, hands, arms, legs, torso, and neck leaving his head which was fading fast.

Lione opened his eyes gasping for breath, as his lungs filled with air heavy with dust he choked a little only to see Ying beside his bed. She was mopping his brow.

"You had a fever while you were sleeping, but it passed." Ying placed a thermometer on the bedside table. "Lione...I have news"

Lione closed his eyes as he heard her words, drinking them in slowly. "Good or Bad?"

"I'm afraid bad, we got news from the European Headquarters."

Lione had felt this coming for a long time, he shook his head wishing that maybe he was still asleep or maybe that he was dead "Let me guess they want to shut down our branch?"

Ying nodded "Yes, but they want to hold you up for judgement against...the council, we've been setting up a room so that they may transmit a signal and hear your side of the story before they make the decision."

Liones eyes grew wider, shutting down his order was one thing but having him stand trial before the council was a little harsh. He tried to steady the stress in his throat before he began to speak "So when-" he failed, but he decided to continue but Ying put up her hand to stop him.

"In Five days Lione." the bed creaked as Ying lifted herself up from it.

She left the room and when he could could barely hear the sound of her footsteps he threw the bedcovers off with a flourish. He tried to swing his legs off the bed but it wasn't happening. Liones face fell crestfallen as if it was the first time he tried to do this. Over the past week since he recieved the news all he did was try to will his legs into moving. Lione was a fighter and the ability to walk was imperative. A vision of Jacques flooded his mind, the bastard that took his legs was also someone who was connected to him from his past. Remembering him say that the bible translated by Father Francesco was something that belonged to someone he cared for. Was it possible for Jacques to know Father Fransesco too?

Then with a sigh of resignation, Lione closed his eyes and leaned back awaiting his judgement.

Lione did all that he could do to try and not think about the upcoming trail. He played with a deck of cards, but found out that he could only play solitare which at the moment he was finding very depressing so instead he decided to build a house of cards which was knocked down when the 'gruesome twosome' (Tabby and Eny) showed up.

"Heeey Lione!"

Lione looked at Tabitha for a moment, she wasn't her usual cheery self. "Hey Tabitha, what are you here to tell me?"

"Oh nothing really important, except that the council has sent several people here to setup the room.....oh and Daniels missing."

Lione would have been surprised but instead he tried to will his legs out of paralysis for the the thousandth time. I need to start moving my branch is falling to pieces without me

"Lione? Are you okay?"

Lione looked up to see Eny's face, these days it was filled with worry for her kitten and now her worry was directed towards Lione, he then looked and saw Tabby with the same expression on her face. Pity wasn't something he enjoyed he was too proud of a person but right now he didn't have room for pride in his heart. It was filled with anguish and fear. Lione looked at the 2 girls who stood in front of him and he smiled. "Tabby, Eny" he said "I thank you for your worry but I'm okay...really"

"Bu-" Tabby began but was interrupted by Eny

"The chair should be ready by the time of the trial."

Lione nodded and the two girls made their way towards the exit. "Girls!"

They both turned around with expectant faces hoping that Lione would show a little grief.

"Bye."

The girls nodded and left the door clicking as it closed. It wasn't pride that kept him from telling them the truth. It was the mere fact that he was their leader and he needed to be strong.

The day of judgement was arriving quickly and he heard from Ying that the trial might be moved up by a day. She also confirmed what Tabby and Eny had said, Daniel was missing. Not only that, the paperwork he had to go through was mostly done. When he questioned about who had done it, his answer was recieved with a knock on the door.

"Lione its me." It was Madeline.

"My door is open to all." Lione replied

Madeline walked in she wasn't dressed in her usual clothes, her hair was in a braid that hung beside her head on her right. She was wearing green scrubs and her beautiful eyes were glinting even in the flourescent light of the medical wing. "Hey Lione, are you feeling all right? I was in bed the whole time I finally snuck out so we can speak."

Ying appeared next to Madeline "Is that so?"

Madeline was shocked and turned slowly confirming Yings presence."Ying! I didn't know you were here! I was just out getting som-"

Ying waved her hand "No need, you may continue but be quick I need to make sure you are 100% for the trial"

At the mention of the trial Madeline's face sunk, her cheeks paled and her head drooped. "Okay I'll be fast"

Ying stepped through the door and disappeared into the hallway leaving Madeline and Lione alone.

"Trial?!" Lione asked

"Yeah" Madelines cheeks flushed a little more "I'm being put under trial for leaving the Black Priesthood without any notice or anything. So you see you aren't alone. I haven't eaten for days and Zeran isn't doing so well himself, cause he's still in the coma."

"Zeran is under trial too?!" Lione gaped but then his memories rushed back "Oh yeah, let me guess he is under trial for destroying the last HQ."

"Yeah, but that isn't all. He is also under trial for insubordination, reckless behavior, and the toughest for him is that he has no Innocence so they might kick him out of the order for good."

Lione sat back, which was what he did alot and shook his head. "Did you know what I'm being charged for?"

"Yes, but I thi-"

"Failure to Lead, Losing 3 Exorcists, Losing 1 Bookman, Enemy Infiltration, Failure T Kill A Noah and for good measure Harboring a Fugitive of The Black Order...thats you"

Madeline sat quietly next to Lione "I'm Sorry" Lione looked at his legs wishing that he wasn't so helpless, but looking at Madeline made him feel even more sorry for her than he did himself.

"Don't worry about it Madeline" She looked up and he looked into her beautiful eyes, the eyes that reminded him so much of that person who he lost.

"Madeline, I'd like to ask you a question"

She looked at him with those eyes "Sure, what is it?

KNOCK

Ying walked into the room "I need to give you the poison purging shot again"

Madelines face drooped "Sorry Lione, I have to take this. The poison Amiti put into my tea had a reproduction effect which means I have to take these shots until its all out of my system" She turned around and followed Ying into the dark hallway.

Lione was alone now, his thoughts racing they will judge the three of them. Zeran, Madeline and last but not least Lione. He spent the whole day doing paperwork and that last conversation had tired him out completely. He then remembered that he was the one who did the paperwork, damn that Shadow Rave it was killing his memories again. Then the soothing noises of the medical wing lulled him to sleep. Then his dreams of disappearing exorcists began.

The fourth day before the trial was the worst, he had had that dream again and when he woke up he had a headache from hell. On top of all that Ying let him have visitors. That meant everyone was coming into the room, and the first person waiting to see him was Lyra.

When she showed up, it was her and her finder the one she brought with her to the NA HQ. His name always seemed to evade Lione.

"So your trial is tomorrow huh?"

Lione nodded his head

"Why aren't you talking?"

Lione just raised his shoulders.

Lyra started to get pissed her fist tightened and she was trying her best to keep her face from cracking into a look of rage.

"I understand me and ou have some history but that should make it easier o ou to talk to me."

Lione just stood still.

Lyra broke down and grabbed Lione by his collar and pulled him up to her face. Liones face static as ever.

"Listen Punk! If you don't start talking to me I'll pump you up with akuma blood! I found it in that comatose guys belongings!" She pulled out the vial of akuma blood. "See!"

Lyra's Finder rushed to the 2 exorcists and he slowly pried the vial out of the womans hands. "Ma'am I think hurting the branch leader is a bad way to start out here."

"Who cares?! He might not even be the leader for much longer!" she stood up straight and pulled on her uniform. "You might be looking at the next branch leader of North America."

Lione knew that the fastest way to get rid of Lyra was to not talk to her, but he hadn't expected this. This was a little to much to hold back and he might have taken her head had Ying not step in because of all the ruckus.

"Excuse me, you're appointment is over."

"I'll say when my appointment is over, thank you." when she said this Ying appeared next to her and chopped Lyra in the back of the neck She fell down and the finder caught her.

Ying helped the finder carry Lyra out of the door. Then she pulled out a remote and pressed a button to beep the next person.

Lione spent the rest of the day in camraderie with his other exorcist friends. Most of the finders who visited were really worried about Daniel. They thought he might be dead. Lione reassured them and told them that he probably just got scared after the incident and went back home to work at 'Nortons Quick Carraiges' in New Grove East, even though Lione knew that naming a city New Grove East was kinda wierd especially since it was west.

His last appointment for the day was Rinvak. She didn't show up.

Lione couldn't sleep that night so Ying gave him a special shot to put him into a dreamless sleep. The effect was immediate.

Lione's eyes snapped open. He was in his hospital room and the time was 5:38am the sun probably hadn't risen yet.

He looked around the room, and he saw the chair that had been promised to him by Enpitsu. He felt like he was going to have a heart attack his heart beating outside of his chest. The monitor on his left let out an alert warning the medical staff. They came in and gave him some sedatives to lower his heart rate, it finally started to kick in. They gave him another shot that Ying had given him the previous night. He fell asleep again.

When he woke up he was in his exorcist garb and he was inclined in a sleeping position in his new chair. He was in a room with Madeline and the unconcsious Zeran.

"Good Morning, Sleepyhead." Madeline smiled. "You ready for the day of judgement?"

Lione nodded. "Well, when does this thing start?"

Madeline sat down and shu her eyes "Any moment now, It'll be Zeran first, then me, and finally you."

"I guess they were saving the best for last."

Madeline chortled at his remark "I guess so"

Lione fiddled around with the chair trying to get it to seat him in a upright position he hit a button and this time his seat fell into a 180 degree angle. "Just a question, how do they plan on putting Zeran on trial when he's in a coma?"

Madeline came over and fiddled with the seat and got it to seat him properly "Well Ying being the genius that she is, came up with something to shock his brain into function for at least 1 hour."

"Well she is remarkable, but where is she?"

Madeline sat down again in her seat. "She is speaking with the council, along with everyone."

"Huh?!"

"Well the council is trying to get stories from the other people in the branch to see if its worth being kept open." she hugged herself and added "Their also trying to see to build up a case against us." She turned to lok at Lione and their eyes met. The worry on Madelines face was evident and a ping was heard in the room. Right above a door that Lione hadn't noticed was a red light and it was flashing.

A set of double doors swung open on the other side of the room and in came Ying with 2 tough looking Finders one on each side of her. She walked past Madeline and Lione. The look on her face was inhumanly indifferent. She went over to Zeran with both of the finders watching her every move intently one of them went to her ear and whispered a whisper that was inaudible to Lione but he read his lips and he said "Don't do anything stupid."

Ying pulled out a needle, and the 2 finders looked like they were on guard as if she put up a fight before. She put the needle up to Zerans temple and pushed it into him and he came to life with a gasp. 2 more finders came through the door with the red light and pushed the bed that Zeran was on through the doors as Ying was escorted back through the doors where she came from.

Lione and Madeline stood silent for a few minutes, as if waiting to hear the screams of Zeran come from the other room. When they didn't come they let out a long breath.

"What was that about?" Madeline finally asked

"I'm not sure but they really have us locked down."

Madeline sighed and they just sat in silence until the red light above the door started to flash again. Lione gave a look to Madeline that said good luck and she smiled at Lione as she entered the room of judgement. Lione sat quietly his thoughts starting to scare him. He was alone and what would they do to him? Then the lights flashed red again.

2 gruff looking finders walked in through the doors and they pushed Lione through the doors that would change his life.

The room was the very same room that Lione lost his ability to walk in. except it had a few modifications Inside it was dark and he was rolled onto a platform. The platform felt like it was being raised and then it went darker. a spotlight fell on him and then a spotlight fell onto the members of the council. They were on a platform raised even higher than his own effectively giving him an imposing feeling deep down in his gut. All 5 of them wore black cloaks covering their faces and they were as scary looking as ever. Lione had only 2 encounters with the council. Once when he was given his Innocence, and the second after they gave him the job of Branch Leader.

"Lione Parcoeur, I'm sure you know why you're here?" one of the voices under the cloaks said. It sounded as if it was an old man.

Lione nodded as he looked up at the coucil

"Cat got your tongue? Or are you going to just give up?!" This time this voice seemed to come from a younger male

Lione smiled "Neither, it just seems as thought you have already made up your mind. I was just waiting for th judgement."

A female voice answered "Very Well Lione Parcoeur, We have recieved many stories about you, the powerful leader of the North American Headquarters. The undefeatable man." She chuckled as she said this "Even though you couldn't defeat a single Noah. It seems as though you have brainwashed them. Just know that we the council know everything about you, and we know otherwise."

Another male spoke up different, from the previous 2 his voice was a little higher pitched "We know everything."

The next voice was most obviously the leader. His voice was strong and authoritive. "The judgement has been decided" he paused " The North American Branch will be disbanded"

The beach was beautiful, the sand was as white as snow and the seafoam colored waves hit the sand leaving a body on shore. The body was of a woman her hair long and black unkempt each strand of hair haphazard . Her eyes slowly crept open as the salty water spray hit them casing them to sting her eyes. She rolled farther up the shore waiting for her mind to clear. The thoughts of the branch and its destruction were the first thoughts to come and it woke the girl with a shock. She pushed her body up her clothes peeling off the ground, she surveyed the surroundings trying to see if there were any landmarks that maybe she could use to find her way home. There was none. She tried to stand but her legs were weak and couldn't hold her weight. As she fell she saw a figure in the distance it was on a rock a good way away.

She couldn't stand so she crawled. As she got closer she began to recognize features of the figure, it was a man and he was young. When she arrived to where the figure was it was sitting on top of a rock. He was sitting leaning back on one arm his other arm resting on his knee and his other leg wasstretched out. His long blonde hair blew gently in the salty ocean breeze as he gazed out into the ocean, as of he was a artist contemplating his next masterpiece.

The girl tried to stand again, this time she was able to stand but barely so she leaned against the rock. "Ex-" her voice was hoarse and weak so she summoned all of her energy "Excuse Me Sir."

The figure turned around, It was Blade his features lit up as he gazed upon the wrecked woman. "Stephanie!?"

Stephanie, Stephanie that name sounded so familar. Is that me? I hope so. Who is this person? Why does he know who I am? How do I know him? When I look into his face my heart palpitates leaving me breathless. His features are so attractive, but who is he? "Who are you?"

The look in the handsome strangers eyes sunk, but they lit up again. "Stephanie! It's Me! It's Blade!" He got up and he stood in front of her.

Blade? The name sounded familiar, this stranger was Blade. Then like a waves slapping the rocks her memories started linking like a chain creating this image and linking it all together. The disaster all came together and the Noah and this stranger, no this person was Blade and the last time she saw him he was injured badly. "Are You Okay Blade?!"

His face brightened even further. "Yeah, those were just scrapes. I 'm more resilient than that." He smiled but then his face changed a look of heartbreak swept across it. "But more importantly, how are you? I was worried about you I stared into this ocean looking for signs of you, I was beginning to think that you didn't make it." His eyes began to water and he moved closer to Stephanie holding to her hand tight "I'm so happy that you are alive Steph" He moved closer and one of his other hand moved behind her head his thumb stroking her cheek. He was moving closer his lips inviting and just before their lips met she saw a single shining tear roll down his cheek. The kiss was amazing, sending electricity down Stephanie she was feeling the kiss down to her toes. Her hand tightened in Blades hand, but something was wrong his hand was disappearing in hers. She opened her eyes and seen that Blade was dissolving in the soft ocean breeze. She peeled her lips away from Blade.

"I'm so sorry Steph."

Stephanie began to cry but then a gust of wind came and took the rest of Blade turning him into sand. The sand that was once Blade swirled around her blowing her tears away and then it disappeared. Stephanie fell to the ground her legs hitting the sand her tears flowing freely now. Then a shock moved through her body a splash of cold water.

Stephanie moved out of the trance, her tears now mixed with salt water. Magier stood above her, her face as sinister as ever.

"That was your 100th nightmare. I think I might want to torture your soul another 900 times." Then Magier let out a inhuman cackal that tore through Stephanie sending fresh tears down her face. 900 more nightmares of her losing the person she loved most was unbearable. She'd rather have been killed a thousand times than go through one more of those dreams.

[Schwindelmagier]

Wahaaaaaaaaa ;_;
Poor lione, poor NA HQ. Now, I really found a reason why he should visit the bar again, washing his sorrow away. So cruel, those councils. >_<
And I also feel sorry for Steph. Noahs definitely don't show mercy <_<

[rhapsody blue]

Not a bad chapter, but I have one minor critique.

Lyra is OOC. She is very free-spirited and laidback that she would not want to take the role of branch leader because of the pressure and little freedom that she will have if she becomes one. Lyra would rather give advice now or then.

Also, when she is upset, she would not be hysterical or cry. She is not an emo type. Instead she would be calm but her facial expression will show how she feels.

She would never threaten Lione because of her friendship with him. Rather she would try to cheer him up. Their conversation could be like this:

Lyra: Don't worry! I can be your character witness and tell them about your qualities.
Lione:...Please don't. You will probably make the situation worse.

If Lione becomes angsty again, she would tap him on the head with her knuckles and tell him to cheer up. She acts like a big sister to everyone including those who are older than she.

The only reason she would use brute force is when she get extremely annoyed (she has developed a high tolerance level after babysitting her siblings), which is a rarity, and she would never get annoyed at Lione. She used it on Reina because she realized that words would not get to her.

When she does threaten people, Lyra would give a cold, calculating, but calm one and delivered it with a smile to show that she meant well and it is for their own good.

Other than that, it is a nice chapter. I wonder what will happen to the branch right now and the location of the missing Daniel.

[Schwindelmagier]

One thing is sure:
Something important happens to Lione in my chapter and might involve the Branch as well ^^.
No, it will definitely involve the HQ but well, hehe...an accident will slow it down.

So, that's exactly the way Lyra acts in such kind of situation *writes down*
Interesting. It will surely help me with my chapter ^^.

[rhapsody blue]

the last post was done by my sister (not the real snoogen), btw.

[Raijatsu]

oh well the branch is disbanded.........
what shall we do now? ^^ so excited the ideas are flowing XD

[Schwindelmagier]

The ideas are flowing? That's great to hear, Rai ^^
<hr noshade size=
I just noticed that there are not that much persons of us left who are on today or were online yesterday...(in order to read the new chapter) ^^"
I mean: Athrun quited, DS was banned, Rosalefay and Djmewmew are in a camp and koenosaki is away (hopefully back quite soon, maybe already)....

[rhapsody blue]

whoa! there's not a lot of us anymore. when did az quit?

[Schwindelmagier]

One or two week(s) ago, maybe ^^. But he PMed me and told me what to do with his characters. I shall write it down, he said.