Chapter Text
Allen knew exactly one thing about Cross Marian and that was all he needed to know.
Cross Marian wanted to kill him.
He didn’t know why Cross wanted him dead, or even why he’d shown up at Mana’s grave, asking if he wanted to be an exorcist, but that memory of Cross holding his gun to his head, ready to pull the trigger, had been seared permanently into his mind and so Allen had run.
Allen hadn’t managed to get far, not with how much pain his body was in, or how how the throbbing in his left eye was quickly building to migraine levels, or how he could barely string together a coherent thought that wasn’t RUN, but he did manage to hide himself away in a small dark alley, panting hard as he clutched at his eye, and his left arm burnt with a pain that felt like the fires of hell.
He could hear Cross calling for him, looking for him wanting to kill him.
Allen whimpered softly and pushed himself further into the shadows. He was confused and scared and in pain, and he knew Cross had the answers he wanted, but he couldn’t face that man when he also knew he wanted to kill him. A shadow passed in front of the alley, the silhouette of Cross looming down towards Allen’s hiding spot, and for a terrible moment Allen thought the rapid thumping of his heart would give away his location, and Cross would blow his brains out across the wall behind him. But the shadow moved on, and left Allen alone.
Until the small golden golem appeared.
Allen stared wide eyed in fear at the strange flying creature, recognising it from when it had followed Cross around, and certain that it was going to rat out his hiding place to its master. But that never happened. Instead the golem landed on Allen’s shoulder, settling himself down happily as Cross’s voice rang out over the town again.
“Tim? Timcanpy where have you got to you useless golem!”
On his shoulder Tim bared his teeth slightly, though made no other move to return to his master, or even expose Allen’s impromptu hiding spot. Allen stared at Tim fearfully for a few moments longer before he relaxed just a little.
“You stopped Cross from killing me.” He mumbled softly, moving his hand from his eye to give the golem a tiny pat. Tim leaned into the touch and his body almost seemed to rumble with a purr. Allen pet Tim for a few moments longer before he whimpered and returned his hand to his left eye.
Cross seemed to be moving on, leaving both Allen and Timcanpy behind, and with the fading threat of death Allen simply felt exhausted. Gently he scooped Tim off his shoulder and cradled him in his arms, Tim seeming to grow to better fit into Allen’s arms as he hugged the golem close.
“Don’t wanna go with Cross, he wants to kill me.” Allen mumbled quietly, tears streaking down his face, mingling with blood coming from his left eye. “But I’ve gotta,” Allen broke off to hiccup as the tears fell faster, “I’ve gotta keep walking, like M-Mana said!”
And with that Allen was sobbing, his chest heaving and aching as he cried and cried. And eventually, far quicker than it felt for Allen, exhaustion took over and he fell asleep, face wet with tears and blood, and clutching Tim tightly to his chest as he whimpered and twitched in his sleep.