As said on my other theory post there is a lot to Cross I want to talk about. This is wild theories, take it with a grain of salt. Also maybe very over the place.
I use the german translation as reference as it was the easiest for me to get through the volumes quick.
Alright, where do we start, where do we end?
First of all we meet Cross rather early in the series as Allen's Master and one of the 5 (then 4) Generals of the Black Order. Cross Marian doesn't contact the Order, they even thought he wasn't alive anymore as there was no sign of him in years. Until Allen shows up with Timcampy.
As the Noah start to target the Generals Allen is send out (accompanies by Lavi, Bookman and Lenalee) to find Cross and protect him/bring him back to the Black Order as Timcampy can lead them to Cross.
Cross hides in Japan, the current Akuma capital of the World, there is no humans on this island anymore aside the Noah.
He lives there just like that, drinks sake and calculated exactly when the others would need his help so he send out Chomesuke to help them. Later on he teams up with Allen and the Gang to order Allen to controll the Ark, he is eventually later on killed by Apocryphos. This as a small sum up.
We do learn that Cross searched for Nea and followed Mana around and then found Allen, noticed that he was the Host and decided to raise him until Nea takes over. In the recent chapter it is revealed that Cross is Cyrus van Campbell, Uncle to Mana and Nea. Head of the Campbell family and was only mentioned once as the weirdo of the family. That's all we knew about him till we were able to connect the dots.
Cross' Abilities
So here we come to one of his first abilities. Cross Marian can modify Akuma, there is no human known who can do that aside him.
Bookman confirms that Cross is the only one able to do so. Also Cross can shapeshift. Cross can build machines (Golems) that only can be destroyed if you use a piece of Cornelia, they can regenerate otherwise. Even scientists like Komui can't create such a being.
This lines up to the fact Cross posesses other abilities that aren't common among the humans in this world.
He can control two Innocence, something nobody else can do.
He is able to use the same ancient magic the Skulls do, the same magic the Noah are able to perform as they gain their abilities from what's granted to them.
Also Cross does not age. He's pretty much an adult as he takes over the Campbell family, yet he does look like he is clearly under 50 in every panel we see of him.
Do you know who also doesn't age?
Katherina. The other member of the Campbell family we know of. And the one Adam seemingly feel in love with, the Katherina who raised Mana and Nea.
Katherina is the same age all the time and we do know that Hoshino can draw aged characters, she looks the same no matter how old Mana and Nea are. Katherina's lullaby is the song to navigate the Ark. Was this always the case? Or did Nea change it together with Mana? Also Katherina is Eve ... I do lack more information to go into depth with her though.
But back to Cross.
Cross can summon objects/people from other Dimensions (namely Grave of Maria) due magic. Also he was able to hide from the Akuma in Japan, Akuma can smell humans and their blood, they have the urge to kill. Yet Cross had a pretty good darn life there.
Another ability is he can visit Allen in his inner world.
Though we can't be sure if that is truly Cross or Road and Cross cooperating here. Anyways Cross has a ton of abilities that are special even in the World of D.Gray-man.
To pick up the "shapeshifting" topic again along with another theory I just pointed out..
.. the Campbell Residence is most likely part of another World/Dimension. It is not accessable by humans other than through an Ark Gate created by Nea. Yes it could be that Cross just build an army of Guardians to protect the place but even then you could get there somehow.
To get to the point here: I do think Cross and Katherina aren't humans from this World. They are from a different World, a third World aside the one we know in the series and the one we know the Noah came from and that got destroyed by the pillar.
This 'flashback' of Road shows a world that is similar to the one we currently live in. This World existed for at least 7000 years.
Road and him also talk very different about the world they are in currently as if he is detached from this one. Road's host was born in this current world, but her spirit is from centuries ago.
Cross knows there is indeed several Worlds. He's super casual with Road about everything, I don't know why but was he able to get into the Ark just like that? He knows about its mechanics and all.
Why is Road so chatty with him?
Yes he is a "relative" of Mana and Nea but I don't think it boils down to this when we come to his overall role. I don't think the Noah would endure other humans in the Ark aside maybe the Bookmen, as the Noah thought they did cooperate in the past.
Cross moves between all of the sides of this war like he's not part of them, he has a cooperation with the Bookman Clan going on regarding the Campbell Residence, he speaks casually with the Noah, even the Golem Suit. He joined the Black Order just like that.
Oh and while we are at that he was not on Tyki's List of the 14th's affilates to be killed. The Earl send out Devitto and Jasdero to end him because "he's annoying", so he still somewhat differs him from just being a relative of Nea. I reread the Manga and he is indeed on the List, my bad. He's the reason why Tyki is in Japan.
And Cross is aware of the whole history of the Earl, which is another point why I think Cross is on another secret side, another World involved.
Biggest hint so far is this:
Mother tells Cross he has stepped over the border of humanity, that he got burned by the truth he had discovered.
That implies Cross has a very different and bigger role that just being the Uncle with cool abilities.
While we are at that.
I don't think Cross died. It's Apocryphos who shot him with Judgement, an Innocence that shouldn't harm humans. Why did it harm Cross?
Also where went his body? I have several ideas here:
He himself opened the Dimension he stores Maria in to hide and escape
Road picked him up through a door as the both of them clearly cooperated to give Allen the hints through his Dreamworld, Road even says she can't connect their dreams that well
The Earl. Which would be another option, Deus ex Machina if you would like to call it so
In any case we are none the wiser. I still think Cross and Katherina might not be humans from this World but another third reality we haven't seen a glimpse upon.
Overall I do have the feeling he's a bit like Howl from Howl's Moving Castle, if you have read the Book you might know what I am talking about. As Howl is indeed not from Inari but from ... Wales.
...
this has been long and I have the feeling I forgot something. Anyways thank you for reading this wild thing.
Psychology student Brian who tries desperately to figure out what’s going on, and that’s his downfall.
He meets Tim in college and it doesn’t take him long to figure out that something is up with the guy. He’s not a psychology student for nothing—he can tell something is different about him. But his symptoms never quite line up with anything he can find in his textbooks. That, and Tim doesn’t like talking about it, so Brian doesn’t push.
But then it starts happening to him too. At first he thinks it’s some sort of slump or passing cold, but it just keeps getting worse. Before long he’s skipping out on recording sessions for Marble Hornets and hangouts with Tim. He swears up and down he sees some creature out of the corner of his eye but that sounds like hallucinations.
And Brian never had hallucinations.
It’s as horrifying as it is interesting, to watch himself slip away. He loses sleep, he looses memory, even his patience starts to go. But the creature is there. The tall thing that lurks in the trees is always there.
He doesn’t go back to college in the autumn. He’s too busy reading every bit of information he can find on his condition as he pretends not to feel the hole growing in his chest. It hollows him out little by little, and soon enough his research becomes less clinical and more paranormal. He reads histories of people being haunted by things, chased by things that are just out of reach. It sounds like Tim, in a way. Brian still misses him sometimes.
But the Ark makes him forget.
At least that’s what he calls it. That empty space just outside of reality he happened to stumble into entirely by mistake one day. There’s answers in there, so he keeps going back. But it always goes wrong. The Operator always comes. It’s mocking him, he can tell. “Not yet. Not your turn yet.”
It’s frustrating.
One day he finds something peculiar. A little YouTube channel that just so happens to share a name with the student film project Brian had been apart of back when he used to be a whole person. Perhaps it was nostalgia, perhaps it was some sort of longing for connection he misplaced a long time ago, but he can’t help but click on it.
And it’s not about Marble Hornets at all.
It’s about how everything went wrong. It’s about how off things were. It’s about Alex.
And interestingly, Alex’s sudden switch up in behavior is eerily similar to what Brian had been experiencing alone for those past few years. But most importantly, it makes him remember.
Remember the day in the hospital, when Alex left Brian for dead. That night when he found Tim there, trembling and out of it, hiding away in some corner with only a ratty blanket to stop him from shivering. Alex knew the Operator was there. And he sent Brian there anyway. He probably sent Tim there too.
Obsession ensues.
He follows the channel like gospel, every tweet Jay makes, every upload, every development. But it’s not enough. It won’t be enough until he gets answers. Until he gets justice on Alex for ruining Brian’s life. For introducing him to this hell. He can’t even stand to look at his own face anymore.
But Jay is running in circles. He’s not helping Hoodie get any further in his goals. So he starts getting involved directly.
He watches Jay. He makes his own YouTube channel and starts pointing Jay in the right directions. He knows more about this after all, it’s the least he can do.
Eventually he manages to rope Tim into it too. He was there that day in the hospital, he deserves justice just as much as Brian does. And perhaps Hoodie still misses his company. Just a bit.
Until Hoodie finds the medical records. Then it’s Tim’s fault.
Why didn’t he ever say anything? Why did he keep this secret for so long? Was he ever going to open up?
It must be Tim’s fault too.
Tim knew this whole time and he never told Brian. As he began to deteriorate, Tim probably knew what was going on but still chose to let Brian drown in the static.
They stopped working together after that.
But he wouldn’t abandon Jay. And as much as he wanted to hate Tim, he couldn’t. He still needed him to get the job done.
Skeb commissions are open! Both sketch busts and pay-what-you-want options are available. Portraits can be requested through VGen only, but for PWYW you can email me at [email protected] if you would like to pay through PP invoice (tos and other info can be found at my carrd)
Check out inorheona's commissions and portfolio! | Hello, I'm Sunny, a queer digital artist!
she/they ...
