Trust

Summary: After a reaction between Kanda's and a newly retrieved Innocence fragment, the Japanese Exorcist turns into a child. With Leverrier believing that the reaction was caused by betrayal, how was Allen meant to make everyone believe Kanda was innocent? How was he meant to get Kanda to trust him when he could only remember what the Order had put him through?

Note: This story is based just after they move to the new HQ. Allen is suspected of being the 14th, but is no longer being monitored since they have no valid proof against him. Spoilers ahead for the Alma Karma arc, even though this story hasn't gone past it yet.

Chapter One

Reaction

This wasn't meant to be how the mission turned out. They had retrieved the Innocence easily enough and were killing the Akuma that had shown up to try and stop them from taking it was ease. Out of nowhere the Innocence had reacted, not to the Akuma, but to Kanda— and the only way Allen Walker could describe what happened, was that the Innocence had electrocuted the Japanese Exorcist until he passed out.

When he went to help him, he feared the worst when all he came across was the black order uniform on the ground, but on closer inspection he saw that Kanda…Kanda had…

Turned into a child? Of course, Allen couldn't stop and think about what had happened, automatically picking his partner up and then jumping out of the way as an Akuma tried to attack with the distraction, silver hues flashing in anger.

"Crown Clown!" his cloak of Innocence shot out and killed every Akuma nearby, and when he was sure that they were alone, he knelt down, shaking the unconscious child in his arms, calling out his name. "Kanda? Kanda, can you hear me? Kanda!"

When he got no response, he bit his lip, checking through the coat for the Innocence, only to find that it was no longer on Kanda. What had happened to it? Allen didn't know, but at that moment he didn't care. All he knew was, it was the Innocence that done this.

Carrying him, Allen ran off, knowing that all he could do was take Kanda back to the HQ and hope that Komui had an answer to this. There had to be a reason, right?

…Right?

Trust

By the time Allen made it back, Kanda was feverish, still unconscious and in a bad state. Innocence sparked across his skin, clearly causing him pain. It didn't take long for Komui to appear from his shouts for help, along with the Head Nurse, taking the Exorcist out of his arms and taking him to the medical wing, taking him out of the uniform he was drowning in and being attached to various pieces of equipment.

Komui turned to Allen, his brow furrowed, concern spreading across his features.

"Allen," he spoke. "What on earth happened? The last time we spoke, everything was going well—"

"I-It was the Innocence," Allen gulped, standing in the corner as Kanda was tended to, numerous wet rags covering his body to try and calm down the fever that was taking over him. "The Innocence Fragment we collected…it…it looked like it was trying to kill him Komui!"

"That's impossible," Komui answered back, shaking his head. "Kanda is an Accommodator. The Innocence wouldn't just—"

"I know what I saw!" Allen snapped. "It electrocuted him until he couldn't stand anymore!"

Both of them went silent when a sudden scream crossed the room, Kanda thrashing on the medical bed, the Innocence sparking across his arms, before they burst open and blood splattered everywhere.

"T-The Innocence…is it…?" before Komui could finish his question, a familiar voice spoke by the doorway, making Allen's skin crawl as he turned his head to look.

"It's rejecting him," the voice of Malcolm C. Leverrier drawled, the man of high authority entering the room. "Though it is not clear if that is the case. Though if it is rejecting him, then we can assume that he may be a betrayer."

Allen clenched his fists. He should have expected this kind of comment from Leverrier. Though how could the white-haired teen go against his words? He didn't even have a witness to back up his story since Leverrier, out of all the damn times, decided that he didn't need to be monitored at that moment in time. Glancing back towards Kanda, his thrashing had stopped, his body going completely still, and the blood that gushed out of his arms slowly sunk back into his skin, disappearing like nothing had ever happened.

"We should be handing him over to Hevlaska so that she can figure out what is going on with him," Leverrier continued, a glint in his eyes. "She'll be able to tell if he's a traitor or not."

"You're a cruel bastard, you know that?" Allen suddenly hissed out, only just managing to resist the urge to punch the man across the face. "He's clearly in pain and suffering, and all you can think about is checking out what is wrong with his Innocence? Are you even human?!"

The words were harsh, Allen knew this, but Leverrier just looked him in the eye, then smirked widely.

"Shouldn't I be asking you the same thing? Aren't you an ally of the Fourteenth?"

Before an argument could break out between them, Allen heard the Head Nurse speak, though not to them. To Kanda, who Allen was concerned for, but who Leverrier suspected to have betrayed the Order.

"Kanda? Can you hear me? How are you feeling?"

Dark onyx-blue hues were hazed over, the child staring straight up at the ceiling, before he spoke quietly, his voice coming out in a mumble.

"Kan…da?"

Allen felt like someone had stabbed him in the stomach. He knew straight away that Yu Kanda, the Exorcist that he thought nothing could ever happen to, didn't even know what his name was. He pushed by Leverrier and went over to the bed, the Head Nurse not even attempted to stop him, before speaking to him in a gentle tone.

"Yu?"

That seemed to stir more of a reaction from the child, who turned his head to look at Allen, trying to focus his gaze, then flatly responded.

"Who the hell are you?"

Allen simply smiled, unaffected by his cold tone, then raised his hands defensively.

"Allen Walker," he answered, closing his eyes and letting out a soft laugh. "Your friend."

Kanda continued to stare him down, then glanced to the side, then muttered under his breath angrily.

"Wipe that look off of your face, or else you'll turn out like Alma, idiot."

Everyone in the room but Allen froze at his words, the white-haired teen looking puzzled.

"Alma?" he queried, refusing to drop the smile off of his face. "Who is-"

"Allen Walker, this is an order," Leverrier's voice suddenly rang through the room, causing Allen to turn his head around slowly. "Take Yu Kanda to Hevlaska immediately."

Allen was about to protest, but Komui shook his head, as if silently telling him not to disobey, which caused him to grit his teeth and turn back to Kanda again, offering the child his hand.

"Kan-err, Yu," his gloved hand remained outstretched. "We're going to go visit Hevlaska. She's a…uhh…guardian of sorts who looks after this place. Leverrier wants to know if-"

"He wants to check if I'm compatible with Innocence," Kanda responded, his eyes growing cold as he slapped Allen's hand away, getting out of the bed. "I get it. You don't need to baby me."

Allen froze in place. Kanda couldn't even remember what his full name was, but he knew about Innocence? There was something going on, and he couldn't help but have a horrible feeling about it.

Trust

When they went down the elevator, Allen glanced between Komui, whose expression was hidden from his bowed head, and Leverrier, who was discussing Kanda's innocence, Mugen being in Komui's hands, like Kanda wasn't even there. He then brought his attention to Kanda, who was holding a blank expression, but no matter how much he tried to hide it, Allen could see it.

Trembling. He was trembling.

He wanted to reach out and tell him it would be fine, but when the elevator stopped and they came face to face with Hevlaska, he could feel the guardian's stare on Kanda, questioning what was going on.

"So was this the disturbance I felt with the Innocence?" she finally spoke, causing everyone to look up at her in surprise. "All of the Innocence I've been protecting had a chain reaction not long ago…"

"I want you to analyze Yu Kanda, Hevlaska," Leverrier ordered. "Now."

When Hevlaska's glowing tendrils stretched out, Allen felt the sudden tugging on his coat and strong grip, looking back to see Kanda, holding his ground. Not that the white-haired teen was too surprised, he reacted the exact same way when he came face to face with Hevlaska for the first time as well.

He reached down and picked Kanda up, causing him to stiffen, then reached over to Komui, being handed over Mugen with no hesitance.

"Yu, I promise you it isn't scary," he smiled, looking up as Hevlaska as she stopped her movements. "She just wants to make sure that everything is okay. I'll even go with you, if you like."

"Allen Walker, you shouldn't step in without permission-"

"Leverrier," Hevlaska interrupted. "If Yu Kanda feels more comfortable with Allen Walker's presence, then it will make my job in reading the situation easier."

Leverrier's lips turned tight, but he made no comment as Hevlaska continued forwards, picking up both Allen and Kanda, raising them into the air and pressing a tendril against the child's forehead, bringing him closer. Kanda struggled a bit, but Allen calmed him with a squeeze, watching as Hevlaska went quiet.

"Synchronization…" Hevlaska glowed brightly, suddenly withdrawing in surprise. "Synchronization, 100%."

"A Critical?" Komui called up. "That's good, isn't it-"

"It's not that which concerns me," Hevlaska interrupted. "Yu Kanda has 100% synchronization with his equip type, Mugen. But he also has 100% synchronization with a new piece of Innocence, that is in his blood."

Allen paused, staring up at the guardian.

"What…what does that mean?"

"It means a new history has been made," Hevlaska spoke clearly. "And this synchronization with the new Innocence is what caused him to transform into a child. The shock of it must have impacted him heavily."

Allen frowned. He didn't understand too much on what was going on, but one look at Leverrier, he knew that nothing good could come out of his current expression.