03 || Attacked by Akumas

“Sorry, we don’t have any more rooms available.”

“Try another place; we have no vacancies.”

“Go away exorcists. You’re not welcomed here.”

Claire winced as the door was slammed in their faces. Kanda, on the other hand, looked the same as usual. “Well, at least the last one was honest and said he didn’t like us.”

“Che,” Kanda turned and headed away from the inn.

“Where are we going now?” Claire quickened her pace to catch up with the taller male. “And would you slow down? My legs aren’t as long as yours.”

“That’s not my problem.” He stopped and turned to the girl, “Instead of being useless, how about you try to find a place for us to spend the night?”

Claire stopped in her tracks to prevent bumping into the foul-tempered boy. She smirked and said, “What, the almighty Kanda wants help? I thought you said that you didn’t work with others and to stay out of your way?”

Kanda narrowed his eyes at the girl, che-ed, and continued on his way.

“Ha, good luck finding a place to sleep tonight.” Claire rolled her eyes and headed the other way. “I wonder which place will actually let me stay the night. I don’t want to sleep on a cold bench.”

Claire gave a depressed sigh at the thought. Sleeping on a bench didn’t seem too appealing to her, especially with what she was wearing.

“My legs are so cold.” Claire puffed up her cheeks and stuck her lips out like a puffer fish. She'll be sure to put in a request for longer pants when she gets back to the Black Order. She entered an inn that she and Kanda had not gotten to yet and went up to the front desk. She mumbled to herself, “Let’s try something different this time.”

Claire cleared her throat briefly before dinging the bell to request for the presence of the owners.

“Good evening.” A person appeared and greeted Claire. He was middle aged and had a very large build, a curled moustache spread above his lips. He was going to be an easy target. Men his age always liked young, youthful girls her age.

“Hello sir, do you have any rooms available?” Claire gave an innocent pout as she blinked repeatedly up at him with her glistening eyes.

“We actually just booked our last room to the couple that was here ten minutes ago.”

Claire sighed and sniffed as she wiped a tear from her eye, “I really need a room, but there aren’t any left at the other inns. I guess I’ll just sleep outside in the cold tonight.”

“O-oh! Hold on for one moment. Let me see if I can find an empty room for you.” The man said, winking at Claire before rushing off to the back room.

Perfect. She inwardly smirked at his reaction, holding back her gags. These types of guys are so easy, but so creepy.

Not a minute later, he came back with a grin, “I managed to free up a room for you.”

Claire continued her facade and beamed, “Oh really? Thank you so much!”

The man rubbed the back of his head and let out a goofy laugh at Claire’s sweet sounding giggle. It made her want to bang her head against the wall for using such means to get a room for the night in the first place.

“No problem, just come this way.” He led her towards the room in the back and unlocked the door for her. He handed her the key. “So is it just you for the night?”

Claire thought of Kanda. Hmm, should I allow Kanda to share this room with me, or should I keep it all to myself and laugh at him? The second option is very tempting...

“I’m actually waiting for someone.” Claire smiled.

“Alright.” The man nodded and grabbed her hand, placing a kiss on the back of her palm, “If you need anything, I’ll be at the front desk. Don't hesitate to come talk to me."

Claire smiled and ducked into the room, “Thanks again for the room!”

Before the man could say anything else, she slammed the door closed.

“Yuck.” Claire stuck her tongue out and stared at her contaminated hand. She headed to the bathroom and used half the bottle of hand soap to sanitize it. “Never again.”

Claire showered and changed into a set of clean clothes before deciding that she’d go find her subordinate, “I think I’ve let Kanda suffer enough. I’ll go find him and gloat.”

Claire skipped out of the inn, making sure that the male from earlier didn’t see her, and looked around for Kanda while she ate a baked potato. “He has to be around here somewhere.”

As she walked deeper into the city, she started to get an eerie feeling. She didn’t like it one bit, so she quickened her pace. When Claire noticed that there was someone, or something, behind her, she made a sharp right turn and ran off.

“Oww, my potato!” Claire whined when she was slammed against a building, the potato falling out of her hand.

“Lady... exorcist...” a raspy voiced called from ahead.

Claire looked up to see that it was a level one akuma that had attacked her. She narrowed her eyes at the thing, “You! You made me waste a perfectly good potato! I’ll get you for that!”

The akuma charged at the girl. She closed her eyes and positioned her hands in front of her as though she was about to shoot an arrow with a bow.

“Bow of judgement, I call upon you.” Claire chanted. A bow and arrow began to fabricate in her hand. Once the process was complete, her eyes snapped open as she aimed at the akuma. When she let go, the arrow spiralled towards its target, hitting it dead on and destroying it.

“Stupid akuma.” Claire let out a huff and headed towards her abandoned potato. She picked it up and dusted off some dirt, “I don’t like wasting food. It should still be okay to eat. There’s the five minute rule after all.”

Before Claire could take a bite out of her potato, her eyes widened as she felt the presence of another akuma, but it was too late. The akuma swung its arm towards the girl and knocked her at least fifty feet away into a brick building.

The akuma let out a ghostly laugh and floated towards the female exorcist, “Exorcist...”

Claire weakly looked up through one eye at the akuma above her, her left eye closed as she winced from her right arm that broke her fall. She noticed that there was blood gliding down her skin, “Fuck...”

Claire’s eyes squeezed shut as the akuma charged at her. However, she never felt any impact or pain. She looked up to see a certain raven haired fighting off the akuma. She wasn’t sure if she was glad that he helped save her from total oblivion, or to make fun of him once this was all over about how he went back on his word and saved her anyway even though he said he wouldn't.

“What are you just sitting there for, you blockhead?” Kanda shouted from a distance away, “Are you just going to let the damn akuma kill you that easily?”

Claire scoffed, “Heck no, who would you bitch at if I died so soon?”

Claire prepared to shoot again. As Kanda was trying to slice through his enemy, Claire’s bow appeared in her hand. She struggled to hold it up since her right arm was injured quite badly, but she managed to hold the bow up long enough. Right before her arm gave out, she let go of the arrow and it flew towards the akuma, hitting it squarely in the face. Kanda took this chance to swing his sword at his opponent and finishing it off.

“Thank god.” Claire breathed out before collapsing to her knees as she clutched her arm. The akuma had been defeated.

As Claire was trying to catch her breath, Kanda swaggered over and looked down at her, “You’re already down after a small injury?”

“Small? Look here Ka—”

“How can you let a level two akuma injure you like that? Pathetic.” Kanda scoffed.

Claire gaped at the Asian male. Did he just come over to make fun of her? Ha, well two can play at that game. “I thought you said you wouldn’t help me if I became a hindrance.”

“Yeah, and I’d finish you off if that were the case.” Kanda finished.

“Then why did you help me?” Claire asked.

Kanda snorted, “Because you found us a room for the night.”

She gave the male an incredulous look, “That’s why you saved me? If that’s the case, forget it. I’m using that room by myself. I got it after all. Go sleep on the street.”

Kanda rolled his eyes and put out his hand, “Whatever. It’s starting to get dark out; let’s go.”

Claire chuckled but took his hand anyways as she leaned on him for support, “Yeah, I’m getting tired. The first akuma had the nerve to attack me when I was out looking for you to tell you that I found us a room.”

“There was a first one?” Kanda quirked an eyebrow.

“Yup. It made me drop my potato too.” Claire pouted as she scanned the area for it. Finally seeing it, she pointed and requested for Kanda to take her over to it.

“Forget it, you can just get a new one back at the inn.”

“But it’s such a waste of food!” She insisted.

“It’ll be food for the ants.”

“Can you give me a piggyback ride back then?”

“No.”