Shades of Gray

o.O.o

Mr. and Mrs. Gray were determined to love their baby boy despite having found him abandoned, despite his disfigured left arm with the strange cross, and despite the feeling that their little Allen always seemed just a bit, off…

Over the years he wailed no louder than any other infant, fell no more often than any other clumsy toddler, and seemed to blend right in with the other children.

He was the cutest thing in their rose colored eyes with spiky red hair, round silver eyes and the pudgiest little cheeks.

The Grays came from an old bloodline that had come from England, and mixed with Japanese. Over many years they'd managed to accumulate wealth and worth to their name. With Allen being their only child they showered him with all the finest toys, best clothes, tastiest foods, and anything else the small boy asked for. They hired the finest tutors and had him receive the best education available.

But over the years their endless doting and cooing and awing became less frequent, and the hugs and kisses that were so natural before, became more forced over time.

Trying to blame it on the boy's red and disfigured left arm, the Grays sought the best doctors worldwide, but nothing could be done for the mangled limb except continuous therapy to increase mobility and functionality.

They continued and tried to live with the belief that there was just something wrong with the boy, and if fixed then they would be able to love him again, but they couldn't run from the truth.

The problem didn't lie with Allen but themselves.

The small boy they'd found that day would never be able to replace the baby that had shared their blood and flesh. The baby who had died in a miscarriage only days before they discovered Allen. No matter how hard they tried to love him, it would never be the same. The Grays came to this conclusion when Allen was eight.

However, the Grays were not cruel people and so they did not turn the boy out on the street, they just… kept him at an arm's length. Figuring it was better to give the boy anything he could desire and provide him with only the best, all in some (unintentionally) sick attempt to make up for what they could never give him.

Little Allen was confused and upset when his mom and dad stopped reading to him at night, and no longer wanted to share eskimo kisses with him.

He wondered if he could have done something to cause his momma to look at him with such pain in her eyes like the time she'd broken her arm catching him after he'd fallen out of a tree but at least she'd had a bright relieved smile on her face then. He worried if he'd disappointed his dad in some way to cause him to look at him so sadly like he'd let him down by eating the last slice of cake again only a lot worse this time.

But over the years he was distracted by his studies and the nanny read to him at night, and the nanny shared an eskimo kiss with him whenever he did something good, and the nanny baked his birthday cakes with him.

By the time he was eleven Allen wondered if there was something wrong with him. All the other kids had normal arms and all the other kids walked around with their parents who always seemed to have time to spare an affectionate hug or kiss.

Something Allen hadn't experienced since he was very little. He tried to ask his nanny but the woman had only looked at him with a sad frown and eyes brimming with pity.

That night, nanny hadn't come to tuck him in and so he'd crept down the stairs to find the woman crying and yelling at his parents who could only look away, guilt creasing their faces.

For a few days after that, his parents had actually been around more often, but it hadn't lasted and the gestures of affection had seemed forced and cold.

Allen didn't ask any more questions.

o.O.o

"Nanny Laura!" Allen leaned back in his chair lazily waiting for the reply he knew would come.

"Yes dear?"

Came the voice of his nanny, stern and aged with time but still fondly, like it had for nearly all of his 15 years of life.

"I want more cake!"

He hollered at his open door. He fiddled with a pen while the sound of footsteps came up the stairs and then into his room.

"Hmph, really Allen you're not going to have any room for dinner if you keep eating cake, this is your fourth slice already!"

Allen ignored the comment, they both new he could eat three cakes and still be hungry after dinner. He greedily reached for the tantalizing slice, but frowned when Laura held it just out of his reach.

"A-A-ah, what's the magic word?"

Allen glared at the middle aged woman, still stretching his arms out for the plate holding the delicious chocolate cake.

"Oh come on, I'm not a kid anymore."

His nanny gave an exasperated sigh and relinquished the cake to him with a slightly irritated,

"Exactly, it's about time you learned some manners young man."

Allen responded with an eye roll as he devoured the sweet chocolate cake in a few bites.

Laura swiped a hand through his messy red hair in what she probably thought was an affectionate gesture but also managed to take quite a few strands with it. He waved over his shoulder at the woman in a shooing gesture and didn't bother turning around as she sighed and left the room. Her footsteps retreated down the stairs and he paused in his devouring of the cake as a small smile settled on his lips.

Laura was the only one to ever treat him like he was her kid. She yelled at him, fretted over him, and to an extent loved him. She'd shown him a majority of the love he'd ever experienced in his life. When the kids in the town had shrieked at his arm and throw rocks she'd been there to wipe the tears away from his scraped face and kiss all his scratches away. She had been there for as long as he could remember.

He finished his cake with one last bite and went back to reclining in his chair. His bangs tickled his eyes and he attempted to blow them out of his face. Only to have them come back down from their brief flight and stab him in the eyes. Leaning back in pain the already precariously tilted chair gave one final wobble and fell back, sending him crashing to the ground.

He gave a groan and rolled over until he could scramble back onto his hands and knees to stand up. Darting his eyes up he tried to focus a glare on the cursed bangs, mumbling about how it was their fault that he had fallen and that they ought to treat the owner of the head with more respect.

Straightening up Allen turned to his door when a scurry of footsteps pounded up the stairs and a worried looking Laura burst through concerned about the noise he'd made whilst under attack from mutinous hair.

"Are you alright Allen?!"

She was slightly out of breath and he felt a flash of guilt.

Running a pale hand through his hair he shrugged.

"I'm fine, but I think I need a haircut."

He sneered at the accused bangs hazing his vision. Laura's shoulders relaxed and she gave a small sigh of relief.

"Would you like me to get the good scissors out Dear?"

Shuddering at the thought, Allen insisted they go out to town instead. The last time the woman had tried "trimming" his hair with the good scissors he'd been like a hairless rat for weeks.

Grabbing his favorite brown jacket and a pair of gloves, to cover his normal and not so normal hand, he motioned for the nanny to follow him.

The walk to town wasn't that long and he grudgingly admitted to himself that he needed the exercise after poking at his soft belly. Sure he wasn't fat, but he definitely wasn't taking on any assassins today.

o.O.o

They strolled down the street at a leisurely pace enjoying the pleasant weather. Tuning out Laura's rambles Allen opted for watching the clouds float overhead.

They dotted the bright sky like weird mushed marshmallows. He was interrupted from his thoughts about how marshmallows were delicious and that the inventor obviously deserved a reward for bringing such amazing deliciousness into the world when he collided into a tall wall. He stumbled backwards and glanced up at said wall, a scowl molding his features in anger that a wall dare block his way.

Said wall, however, was glaring back and reaching for a sword. Hm, said wall was actually a woman with long dark raven hair and blue eyes that happened to be narrowed dangerously in his direction. He opened his mouth to tell the lady off, his temper sparking, when the woman spoke and turned out to not be a woman at all, if the deep voice was anything to go by.

"Watch it you peasant!"

Allen bristled and reared up in all of his 5'6 might to tell the girly man off when Laura placed a hand on the back of his head and forced him and herself into a stiff bow.

"I apologize on behalf of my employer, p-please excuse us your Royal Highness."

Allen started at Royal Highness and only then realized that a semicircle of armored men stood around this girly man with swords half drawn.

How he'd managed to run into this giant wall without getting his head cut off, he didn't know. He would just blame the clouds for looking so tempting.

The girly man glared venomously but backed down. Allen muttered a few profanities that should have had him executed on the spot before bowing once again and walking away, putting as much space between those dangerous swords and his delicate neck as he could.

He brushed past another woman and didn't bother to slow down, even when she gave a hurried apology, dark pigtails bobbing as she bowed her head.

"Allen! Where are your manners!?"

He ignored his Nanny's comments and increased his already brisk pace. That girly prince man had rubbed him the wrong way and the only thing that was going to make him feel better was at least five more strawberry cakes.

His nanny just shook her head. It was just like Allen to get angry over the smallest things and storm off like a teenage girl.

o.O.o

Laura sighed as Allen proceeded to purchase an obscene amount of cake. If it had been anyone else the shop keeper would have laughed and asked the kid to move along but Allen's appetite was famous.

After their run in with Royalty, and Laura had explained to Allen that that was the Prince, Yuu Kanda, and not just some random "girly man," he'd made a beeline to Johnny's Pastry shop.

She was tempted to remind him the reason they'd come to town in the first place, but the content look on the boy's face as he balanced 7 wobbling boxes kept her mouth shut. She could always get out the good scissors later.

It always mystified her how that boy could be so klutzy, but when it came to food he could manage any acrobatic feat. She could only shake her head as Allen waved to his bespectacled friend Johnny, who also happened to own the small shop, and almost drop everything he was holding. Only to have a miraculous save with his left hand, and right foot, of course.

"Only you Allen, only you."

o.O.o

Allen was in a fairly decent mood that evening after devouring three whole cakes. He pat his belly and loosened his shirt with a few tugs. It really was a wonder he wasn't obese yet. He stretched himself out on his bed eyes heavy and senses dulling.

He'd just about slipped into unconsciousness when a piercing scream ripped through the still air.

He jolted up in his bed, heart pounding and limbs flailing.

Alright, calm down Allen, it was probably a part of your imagination that totally wasn't just a scream.

His inner ramblings were interrupted by another blood-curdling shriek.

The air was chilled. His body was stiff with fear and every hair on his being stood up.

Slowly twisting his head around, Allen watched as his bed room door creaked aside like the opening curtain to a play all about the demise of Allen Gray.

His mind screamed at his body to move but he could only sit there helpless as a slight hooded figure was revealed behind his door.

The sarcastic annoying part of him wanted to scoff and knock the small person aside, but the sudden glint of a knife slipping from the folds of the dark cloak immediately killed any of those thoughts. Allen Gray might have had a lot of bark but that was about it.

"Well what do we have here..?"

The girl's voice sounded young, but at the same time like she would still just smile and laugh if someone offered to cut off all her toes and peel away all her fingernails.

His eyes widened and he gave a stuttered reply.

"I, w-what are you doing in here, you can't, whose screams where those!? What's going on!"

The girl let out a giggle that didn't really match the whole hooded knife wielding look, but sent a chill nipping down his spine and triggered major warning bells in Allen's head.

He finally managed to find some strength and hastily scoot himself backwards away from the figure, only resulting in the tangling of his limbs with his sheets and a very ungraceful tumble from his bed.

"Unf!"

The figure gave another peal of laughter and fixed him with an unblinking stare. His heart pounded as she edged a step forward into a pale ray of light from the window.

The pale light from his window illuminated dark skin, glittering ringed golden eyes, dark short spiky hair, and strange cross like scars all across the girl's forehead.

The girl approached him in what could have been a lioness going in for the kill and leaned over his twisted body. The edges of her spiky locks tickled his fore head. The blood roared in his ears and his arms and legs were tense and cramped after being locked into a twisted position. But he didn't dare move an inch.

"Now aren't you just the cutest little thing?"

Her breath was hot on his face and he almost didn't see the knife flit to his throat. She dragged its tip along his throat, just hard enough to leave behind blossoming beads of red. He gritted his teeth and tensed his legs to shove her tiny body as far away from himself as he could.

The girl's eyes lazily trailed down his torso to his legs, which he'd begun to slide over ever so slightly. She sighed and locked her eyes on his in an unwavering hold, the knife in her hand resting just a little heavier on his throat than before.

"Do you really think that's a good idea? When I'm the one with the knife?"

Allen watched in fear as the girl brought the blade still dripping with his blood to her mouth and ran her tongue along its edge.

He didn't think it could get any worse when his pants were suddenly very warm and very damp. The girl's eyes widened in realization and she gave a giant burst of laughter. Allen thought he saw a few tears dampen her dark cheeks.

He was mortified, and more afraid then he'd ever been in his life. Shaking in his own piss with blood dripping down his neck he wished this girl would hurry up and just get on with it.

Ripping through his cloud of fear, screams of agony filled the air like fireworks.

His eyes bulged and he gaped like a fish.

"I-Is my family okay!? Laura! What did y-you do!?"

His voice shook and he willed it to stay even, he didn't want to show this freak just how terrified he was. Though he bet she could make a pretty educated guess.

"Oh you mean those pathetic bags of water the Grays?"

Her golden eyes widened.

"We painted the walls with their disgusting guts and watched every last revolting drop of blood leave their dead piles of skin and bones."

Allen felt bile rise in his throat and he thought he was going to be sick. The walls spun and the floor seemed to slip away. He suddenly forgot how to breathe and it felt like his heart was going to leap right out of his mouth.

"As for the servants," she drawled, "well, we're letting them choose how they want to die-" she pouted and shook her head. "-my family isn't getting to play too much, all the servants always seem to opt more towards the less quick and less painful options."

He felt a vicious sneer twist his mouth and the curses leaped from his mouth.

"You sick twisted creature, I fucking hate you, and I'm going to kill you!"

He lunged forward, twisting free of his sheets, before the words had finished leaving his mouth, but could only grab at air. With adrenaline pumping and pure rage blinding him, the knife in her hand didn't seem like such a big deal, not even when it slashed through his left eye and left him partially blind, the blood spurting out of his fresh wound.

Swinging wildly, he hurled himself at her petite body, trying to inflict some pain to make up for the agony he was feeling inside.

Laura's kind and slightly aged face was flashing in his mind along with the other servants who'd only ever been kind to him, a selfish and spoiled brat. Even his parent's cold faces flashed in his mind's eye.

The gnawing feeling he'd felt had rapidly grown into full on vultures ripping apart his insides until there was a gaping maw and his body felt hollow and ravaged.

Even with his desperate lunges and swings the girl just danced out of his reach all the while laughing. The knife she held seemed to flash through the air and cut him over and over again before he'd realized what had happened.

Then her laughter subsided to chuckles and she stopped evading him long enough to slam his head to the floor.

"Hahaha! Haaah, oh I think I'll keep you!"

The girls face twisted, showing all her teeth and a malicious curling of her blood stained lips.

"Besides, I'm sure he'll be able to find some use for you."

Allen's eyes widened as he saw the girl through his bloody vision kneel down with a damp cloth and smother his mouth and nose.

"Oh my god…"

The words slipped out of his mouth before he could stop them.

"Oh, there is no God here."

It was only a matter of seconds until he had succumbed to the dark depths of unconsciousness.

o.O.o