Disclaimer: I own none of the characters of D. Gray-man. More's the pity.

This is my first D. Gray-man fic and I'm a little nervous about it. I hope you all enjoy it.

CHAPTER ONE: The Harlequin

Whose woods these are I think I know.
His house is in the village, though;
He will not see me stopping here
To watch his woods fill up with snow.

My little horse must think it queer
To stop without a farmhouse near
Between the woods and frozen lake
The darkest evening of the year.

He gives his harness bells a shake
To ask if there's some mistake.
The only other sound's the sweep
Of easy wind and downy flake.

The woods are lovely, dark and deep,
But I have promises to keep,
And miles to go before I sleep,
And miles to go before I sleep.

- -Robert Frost

The black and white striped circus tent loomed large in the valley that cut through the Carpathian Mountains. It was a strange place to set up what was rapidly becoming the most well-known of entertainments, but from all accounts its location didn't deter the wealthy patrons who swarmed to enjoy the show.

Winter was rapidly approaching and early snow dusted the gravel beneath Lavi's feet. He rubbed his hands together in a futile attempt to generate some heat and willed his teeth not to chatter.

"Damn, it's cold," he said to his companion.

Yu Kanda didn't respond but kept his eyes trained on the tent, scanning the crowd of people that were making their way inside.

Lavi hadn't really been expecting a response. Kanda wasn't verbose even at the best of times, but he had been even less so since they had been assigned this mission. He hadn't liked it worth a damn and had made his opinion of their job quite clear to their supervisor. Komui Lee hadn't flinched even under Kanda's murderous glare. The exorcist's glower only worked when there was something to back it up and Komui had been confident that Kanda wouldn't kill him. Maim him, maybe…

"This is stupid," Kanda muttered under his breath. "How the fuck are we supposed to find this contact," he sneered at the word, "in this mess?"

"Komui said we'd know him when we saw him."

"Well that's specific." Kanda's eyes narrowed as they approached the entrance. Lavi saw the other exorcist fidget irritably out of the corner of his eye. He was pulling at the collar of his tuxedo shirt as he muttered something beneath his breath.

Their mission had required them to go undercover. In this case, to wear formal dress. Only the crème de la crème were invited to this event, and the crowd around them glittered, the women in furs and their best jewels, the men in top hats and tuxedos. If it hadn't been for the contact they were supposed to meet, Lavi was almost certain they would never have been allowed inside.

Kanda began pulling in earnest at his bow tie and Lavi nudged him to get him to stop. Kanda threw him an irritated glance but he stopped fidgeting and Lavi had to smile. Despite his stunning good looks Kanda looked uncomfortable in the formal wear. He had seldom if ever seen the other exorcist in anything but the uniform all the Black Order members wore. It was a stark contrast to himself, who took every opportunity he could to express his sense of style.

"Relax, Yu, this shouldn't take long. We're only supposed to get the information we need and then we can leave."

"I told you not to call me that, you stupid rabbit," he said venomously as he turned to glare at Lavi. "This is a fucking waste of time. How the hell is this circus freak supposed to know anything about the Noah?"

Kanda and Lavi got into line behind a brightly dressed couple that were waiting to hand their tickets to the house manager. Lavi bounced lightly on his toes, anxious now to get inside and warm up. His toes were numb and his fingers throbbed uncomfortably as the cold penetrated his joints.

Lavi lowered his voice as he spoke. "I don't know. But Komui seemed pretty certain this guy would know something about them. He said that his source was good."

Kanda snorted but said no more as they approached the ticket holder. Lavi smiled up at the large man, his heart beating hard as they handed their tickets to him. He had no idea if the tickets were legitimate, but if they weren't then he and Kanda were going to have to make a quick escape.

The manager looked down narrowly at the tickets before he lifted cold yellow eyes to stare at Lavi. The apprentice bookman maintained his smile, willing his muscles to relax in order to preserve the insouciant façade.

"Hey, how's it goin'?" he asked, his grin widening as he met the large man's stare. The other didn't reply but continued to look at him in silent judgment before he finally grunted and gestured with a nod of his head toward the tent.

"Thanks," Lavi replied, unsuccessfully trying to hide the sarcastic note in his voice. The yellow eyes narrowed on him once more and Kanda pushed Lavi hard in the direction of the entrance before the house manager could reply to his acerbic response.

"Shut up," Kanda hissed and Lavi had to purse his lips to keep from smiling. Sometimes he just couldn't help himself.

The darkness was immediate as they entered the tent and for long moments Lavi couldn't see anything in front of him. Then he felt the air around him widen, opening into a vast space as dim blue lanterns shone from every direction and rose to awesome heights on cords that reached toward the high-dropped ceiling.

Trapeze swings were evident above and tight ropes flanked the sides of the ring. The ring itself was empty, hard-packed dirt stained black and white to mirror the effect of the tent. The resulting atmosphere was unnatural. It was as if they had entered a different universe, an underworld leached of color, the blue glow of the lanterns only adding to the eeriness.

Ushers dressed in stark black suits stood in the aisles, directing patrons to their seats. Minutes after entering, Lavi and Kanda found themselves lead to seats high in the bleachers. Lavi supposed that it was considered the nose-bleed section but as he looked around he noticed that the spectators here were dressed no less fine than those seated below. He deduced that where one sat was probably based on influence rather than money.

Lavi looked around the stands, searching for signs of the person they were supposed to meet. It occurred to him that 'you'll know him when you see him' was really quite vague, especially in view of how many people surrounded them. He knew nothing of their asset other than that he was male and that he worked for the circus. He stared at the ushers, trying to determine if perhaps one of them was the man they were supposed to find but he became distracted as the ring lit up, the lanterns flickering from electric blue to white.

"This is pointless," Kanda muttered next to him and Lavi shushed him as the Ring Master came into view. He was a slim man, tall and elegant in aspect, dressed in a sequined black and white tuxedo jacket complete with tails. Form fitting black pants were tucked into shiny black boots that molded themselves to his calves and a glittering black top hat was perched on his head. He waved the baton he was carrying in his right hand as he spoke.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, boys and girls, children of all ages, welcome to all of you," he drawled out in dramatic fashion. "Tonight you will see feats performed that you will never see executed anywhere else. Some of these will be exciting, some thrilling, and others downright scary."

The Ring Master's voice changed pitch with every word. Exciting was intoned sharply so that the audience's hearts leapt at the word, thrilling was spoken with a rolling tongue causing the viewers to gasp suddenly, and scary was drawn out in a low undertone and everyone shivered in their seats in response.

"So please, sit back and enjoy the experience. We promise; it's a show to die for!" The Ring Master laughed menacingly and Lavi couldn't keep from smiling. No villain could have done it better.

The lights flickered for a moment before they went out and a spotlight shone on a trapeze swing above. Lavi was trying to figure out what was bothering him about the spectacle until he noticed that there was no net below. It appeared that the artist was going to perform without any safety measures.

He smiled as he sat back, ready and willing to enjoy the show. There was no point in worrying about their unknown associate. There was nothing they could do while the show was going on. They would have to find him later.

Two hours later Lavi stirred, unsure of the source of his apprehension. Kanda too was moving about restlessly, his dark gaze narrowed on the ring below. The audience was captivated by the show, their eyes wide and empty as they stared down at the acrobats performing tricks.

Lavi couldn't understand it. As far as he could tell there was nothing special about the entertainment. It was similar to every circus he had ever been to: lion tamers, trapeze artists, acrobats, hoopers, and tightrope performers. All of the acts were perfectly normal. The crowd's reaction however was not. Whatever was holding them enthralled was beyond anything he was seeing.

The Ring Master came back out and once again the audience was held on the edge of their seats as he spoke.

"Ladies and Gentlemen: The closing act for tonight is our very own Commedia dell"Arte!"

The crowd laughed as the ring was suddenly filled with clowns. All of them were dressed in black and white in varying patterns of polka dots and stripes. Their painted white faces were heavily lined in black around the eyes and mouth, appearing all the more grotesque under the harsh white lights.

They juggled and tripped over one another. They tried to form a pyramid only to tumble clumsily into a human pile. Another clown tried to balance atop a large black ball only to fall gracefully into a headstand. The audience cheered and laughed hysterically at the antics and Lavi could feel the hairs at the nape of his neck begin to stand on end. Something was definitely off.

The clowns began to pour into the stands and Kanda came to his feet, reaching for Mugen only to remember that he hadn't been allowed to bring it. His curse was barely audible over the guffaws of the spectators and Lavi rose as a clown made his way toward them, twirling gracefully as it danced up the stairs.

Lavi was unsure whether the approaching Harlequin was male or female. Even as it pranced right in front of him he had difficulty discerning its sex. Suddenly it perched itself on the chair a step above him, performing a back bend and twisting its body so that its face appeared upside down in front of him. Lavi couldn't determine anything distinguishing about the features other than that the clown was young, perhaps in the early stages of puberty. The eyes behind its half-mask were cast in the shadows, the face caked in white makeup, lips painted a smoky black. It smiled widely at Lavi before reaching out and plucking a crimson rose from behind his head, handing it to him before he sashayed away.

Lavi eyed the rose in his hand, wincing as one of the thorns penetrated his gloved fingers. Wrapped around its base was a white piece of paper and he tentatively reached for it, unrolling it slowly.

A crisp one-hundred dollar bill was wrapped inside and on the white slip was a message lettered in stark black ink.

Meet me behind the lion cages in half an hour. The money goes in the basket.

Lavi stared down in confusion at the note until baskets on long sticks began inserting themselves into the crowd, held at their ends by black-suited ushers. The patrons began dropping money into the baskets but that wasn't what caused Lavi to gape. The women began removing their jewelry—long strands of pearls and diamonds, bracelets flashing with rubies, pendants encrusted with emeralds—all found their way into the woven containers. The women didn't flinch, didn't reveal any expression at all other than ecstatic joy for giving up their most precious gems.

What the hell?

"What the fuck is going on?" Kanda growled into Lavi's ear.

"I'm not sure. But our unknown contact gave us this." He flashed the bill and the note at Kanda whose eyes narrowed as he read the note.

"He was the clown."

"It appears that way," Lavi replied cheerfully, trying his best to ignore the fact that his hair was still standing on end from the reaction of the crowd.

He dropped the money he had received from the clown into a nearby basket, noticing for the first time that the attendant holding it was female—an attractive one at that. Her tuxedo was practically painted to her body, the long tail of her butterscotch hair caught back at the nape of her neck in an old-fashioned queue. She glanced down at his offering, the slightest smile curving her mouth as she noticed Lavi's admiring glance. She nodded her head once at him before turning and making her way down the steps. Lavi watched her graceful figure until it disappeared out of sight, whistling slightly between his teeth.

"Stupid rabbit. Next time maybe they'll pair me with someone who's past the age of puberty."

Lavi turned to see Kanda glaring at him and he smirked slightly. "Loosen up. Besides, you have to admit she was pretty hot."

"I don't have to admit anything. We're not here to gratify your adolescent hormones. We have to find that clown."

Lavi opened his mouth to argue but Kanda shut him up with a glare, gesturing with his head toward the crowd. The redhead looked around uneasily, noticing then that the vapid and somewhat empty expressions of the audience had not altered, despite the fact that the show was perceptibly coming to an end.

Thunderous applause filled the enormous tent as the entire cast of the show juggled and tumbled their way back onto the packed dirt of the center ring to take their bows. Lavi searched for the Harlequin that had handed him the note but couldn't separate the clown's androgynous form from the sea of black and white figures prancing around the ring.

"I'm going to go find this stupid circus freak so we can get the hell out of here," Kanda said, making a movement to stand.

Lavi caught his arm before he could rise. "Don't," he hissed. "They're watching us." He glanced around in a furtive way before turning back to meet Kanda's stare.

"What the hell are you talking about? Everyone is watching the show." Kanda scanned the crowd but saw no sign that anyone had even noticed their presence. Everyone was still gawking at the spectacle below.

"Trust me, Yu, they are. It's why the clown gave us the money. They would've noticed if we hadn't given anything."

Kanda scowled down at the hand encasing his arm before he jerked it from the other's grasp. "Fine. But I'm not staying in this freak show any longer than I have to."

"The clown said to wait half an hour. I think we'd better take his advice. There's something not right here."

Kanda frowned but didn't disagree. They waited until the applause had died down completely and finally the audience members began to stand, their faces still empty but for the slightly giddy smiles they all wore. Lavi shivered in revulsion, not understanding what had just happened but determined to get to the bottom of it. Maybe the Harlequin had some answers.

Kanda was furious. Forty-five minutes had passed and still there was no sign of the clown that had handed Lavi the note along with the rose. The temperature was rapidly dropping and Lavi and Kanda's breath streamed from them in perceptible white clouds. Lavi rubbed his hands together before breathing into them, his teeth chattering noticeably as he glanced back at the empty lion cages.

"God, I can't remember the last time I was this cold."

Kanda said nothing in response, too furious to reply and certain in that moment that if Lavi opened his mouth one more time to complain about how cold it was he was going to end him right there.

He hadn't approved of this mission from the start. Komui had clearly been hiding something from them when he had given them the assignment. Kanda was used to going out on missions with scanty information but never for something as serious as entering Noah territory. There was no fear in him when it came to fighting opponents but here he was, unarmed, clad in an uncomfortable tuxedo, and completely unprepared to come across their enemies. If an akuma should attack them then—

A sudden sound from behind them caused Kanda to whirl around, pinning the slight form of a boy against the lion cage bars. He wrapped his hand tightly around the other's throat.

"Wait," the boy gasped through the forceful hold. "I'm the one you're supposed to meet."

Kanda tightened his hand once more around the boy's throat to get his point across before he let him go and stepped back, keeping a wary gaze on him. The boy leaned over hacking and taking in gasping breaths.

"Sorry about that, man. Yu has some violent tendencies but you get used to it after awhile," Lavi said with a smile as the boy straightened.

"I'll keep that in mind," he managed to reply hoarsely, coughing one more time before he lifted his head to meet Kanda's eyes with his own.

Kanda for his part was taking inventory of the new presence. The boy was small, barely coming to his chin. White hair shimmered faintly under the dim light of the moon causing him to appear ethereal, enhanced by the silver gleam of his eyes. The Harlequin had rid himself of the heavy white and black makeup and Kanda could see faintly visible beneath long bangs a red pentagram and scar that traced it's way from his forehead and bisected his eye. Kanda didn't know a lot about such things, but he was familiar enough with akuma curses. The scar left upon the boy had been a bad one.

He hadn't managed to change out of his Harlequin costume and the slim lines of his figure were still clad in the form-fitting black body suit. A glittering ruffled clown collar surrounded his throat.

He was beautiful in an unnatural way and Kanda couldn't help but flinch a little at the idea. He shoved the unwelcome thought aside in favor of glowering down at the boy.

"What the hell took you so long?"

"I got held up. I'm really sorry," he replied sincerely, his brow furrowing in anxiety.

"Tch, forget it. Now what the hell is so important about your information that we had to come all the way to the back fuck end of nowhere to get it?"

Lavi stepped forward, inserting himself between them as he did so. "I'm Lavi, by the way. This is Yu Kanda. We're exorcists with the Order."

"I know who you are," the boy said, glancing once more at Kanda before he spoke again. "I've been waiting a long time to talk with one of you."

"You have?" Lavi asked quizzically, giving him a penetrating look from his good eye.

"Yes," the boy replied quietly. "My Master told me that you'd come someday."

"Your master?" Kanda asked.

"Yes. Master Cross."

"Your master is General Cross?" Lavi looked shocked for a moment before he glanced at Kanda to get his reaction. Kanda didn't return Lavi's gaze but continued to watch the boy through narrowed eyes.

"What the hell do you mean by that?"

The boy shook his head. "We really don't have time to get into that right now. They're going to be looking for me soon."

"Who the hell are you?" Kanda was extremely irritated at this point. Why were they even listening to this kid?

"The Noah have a plan and unless the exorcists do something about it a lot of people are going to die."

"And you know this how?" Lavi interjected tersely. He stared at the boy warily.

"I just do. Everyone who was invited to this event tonight," the boy hesitated before continuing. "They'll all eventually die. Tomorrow or a month from now, all of them are marked for death."

"You're saying they're going to be murdered by the Noah?" Lavi asked, tilting his head as he frowned.

"In a manner of speaking. Tonight was no ordinary show."

Kanda snorted. "I didn't see anything special about it."

The boy stared at him for a moment before speaking again. "Didn't you?"

Kanda visibly hesitated, scowling at him. "No."

He sighed. "Tonight's show was a spell. I don't know exactly how it was accomplished, but everyone who watched it tonight is going to die."

"What does that even mean? And why weren't we affected?"

"You're both exorcists."

"What the hell does that mean?"

"You've been in contact with Innocence, probably over a protracted period of time. The fact that you can even wield Innocence provided you with protection."

"That's why we weren't captivated by the performance," Lavi said.

"Yes."

"How does the spell work?" Kanda asked impatiently.

"As I said, I'm not sure. But it's a spell of enchantment. Without the source of the enchantment, the victims suffer withdrawal and eventual depression."

"Like an addiction," Lavi said thoughtfully.

"Kind of," the boy confirmed.

"Why the hell would the Noah want to do something like that?" Kanda asked, ready to punch the kid if he didn't stop being so vague about his answers.

"You saw the kind of people that were invited tonight, didn't you? The rich, the famous, the influential."

"Yeah, but why would they want to kill them?"

The Harlequin shifted his glance between Lavi and Kanda before responding.

"How are akuma made?"

Kanda clenched his teeth. "Will you just answer the fucking question?"

"I'm trying to. Imagine it: these people, the rich, the influential, they go home, become depressed over an indeterminate period of time, and eventually kill themselves. These people, they're not your run-of-the-mill villagers. They're all leaders in whatever in whatever industry, business, or government they're a part of."

Lavi's eyes lit with understanding. "If they kill themselves, they leave behind a lot of loves ones. People who'd mourn them and eventually…"

"Yes. Eventually are willing to make a deal with the Earl just to be able to bring them back to life."

"Holy shit. But isn't that kind of stupid? I mean, not every family is going to experience that kind of grief."

The Harlequin shook his head. "Actually, it's brilliant. Most of the people here tonight have families. The Earl did his research. Add to that the fact he doesn't care if hundreds of people die, or whether or not he loses the opportunity to turn them into akuma. Ether way he wins."

"But why the hell would the Earl care about some rich assholes?" Kanda asked.

Lavi was the one to answer. "He'll have a toehold over all of Europe."

The Harlequin nodded. "That many akuma in high positions, it would be easy for him."

"Well that's great," Kanda growled. "What the hell are we supposed to do about it?"

"You have to take me with you back to Black Order HQ," he replied solemnly.

Kanda and Lavi looked at each other before Kanda responded. "No fucking way! We don't even know who the hell you are."

"Or where you got your information," Lavi finished.

The Harlequin hesitated. "I've been working with Cross for awhile now. I've known that I'd have to go to the Black Order eventually. The Noah's plans have made it necessary for that time to be now."

Kanda, who had been holding onto his temper by a thread, suddenly exploded. "Listen, Bean Sprout. We don't trust you for shit. You give us this bullshit story and just expect that we're going to believe you."

Instead of answering the Harlequin pulled something out of his pocket. Both Kanda and Lavi tensed then stared down at what the boy held in the palm of his hand.

A golden ball the size of a large marble lay there. Suddenly a pair of wings sprouted from it and it began flapping until it rose, floating above the Harlequin's head.

"That's General Cross's golem," Lavi said wonderingly.

"Yes, Timcampy. I have the proof that I'm telling the truth about the Noah's plan recorded on him. I need your supervisor to see it. The General left Tim with me to prove I am who I say I am."

"And who the fuck are you?" Kanda asked angrily, his patience nonexistent.

"My name is Allen Walker."

"Well that tells me a lot," Kanda retorted, taking a step toward him.

Lavi once more got in between them, shaking his head. "Even if we wanted to we couldn't take you with us. Only exorcists and exorcist support are allowed there."

"I understand." Allen shook his head and sighed. "Is there any way you can get in touch with Supervisor Lee?"

"You know our supervisor's name?" Lavi asked.

Allen shifted impatiently. "I already told you that I've been working with Cross. I'm not sure if Komui Lee knows about me, but I've been aware of the workings of the Order for quite awhile."

"Tch, this is bullshit!"

Allen's temper finally ignited at that. "None of this is bullshit and I have the proof. Stop being such a bloody wanker!"

Kanda shifted his weight toward him, a murderous expression on his face and Lavi had to place his hand on his chest to stop him from attacking Allen.

"Calm down, Yu." He said and Kanda's lip curled, ready to tear a piece out of Lavi as well but the redhead cut him off, speaking to Allen. "We'll figure it out but it might take us some time."

Allen shook his head. "We don't have a lot of time. But if there's no other way…"

"Fuck that, let's take him with us," Kanda spat angrily.

Lavi looked shocked. "What?"

"That way if his story is shit I can kill him."

"Fair enough," Allen replied coolly but his silver eyes burned molten.

Lavi shifted uneasily for a moment but then he suddenly smiled and shrugged although the relaxed expression didn't touch his visible green eye. He was obviously still wary. "Fine. We're camped out a couple of miles from here. Let's get going."

Allen shook his head. "I have some business I have to take care of before we leave. I'll meet you in Krakow tomorrow at noon. We can take the train from there."

"What the hell kind of business could you have? You're a fucking circus clown!" Kanda shot back hotly.

Allen's eyes glinted steel but his gaze remained steady. "There are some things I need to do." He directed his next comment at Lavi. "I'm really sorry about all of this. I never wanted to cause any trouble."

Kanda snorted and Allen closed his eyes as if praying for patience.

"Alright. Tomorrow at noon in Krakow. We'll see you then." Lavi held out his hand to Allen and the younger boy smiled, gripping the hand in his own.

"Tomorrow," he confirmed, shooting one last glance at Kanda before he walked away.

They stood there and watched as his figure disappeared into the darkness before Kanda turned to Lavi. "You trust this guy?"

Lavi tilted his head consideringly. "I think our Allen is more than he appears, but I believe he's telling the truth about what the Noah have planned. I do think he's worked with Cross. There's no other explanation for why he has Timcampy with him." He sighed before continuing. "But he's definitely hiding something."

"Tch, he's full of shit."

"Come on, Yu, lighten up. By tomorrow we'll be on our way back to Headquarters. I told you this mission wouldn't take long."

Kanda glowered. "Except now we've got baggage."

Lavi only smiled.

Allen sighed as he made his way inside the tent. The clean-up crew were clearing away the garbage and putting away the equipment from the show but the rest of the cast had gone back to their trailers. He stood in the shadows, watching as the tarps were put away.

The meeting had not gone quite the way he had expected. Somehow he had pictured the Exorcists a bit differently—more like General Cross. He grimaced at the thought. Lavi had seemed nice enough, but behind his smile had gleamed something shrewd. He was certain that the redheaded exorcist was suspicious of him, despite his friendly demeanor. Yu Kanda, on the other hand…Allen shook his head and scowled. He was definitely going to be hard to convince. And he was going to have to convince the Exorcists if his plan was going to work.

"Alleeen," a cooingly sweet voice said from behind him. He didn't turn around to face the speaker but his expression closed up.

"What do you want, Rhode?" he asked coldly.

A pair of arms wrapped themselves around him from behind and he could feel the girl's breath on his neck. He suppressed his shudder of revulsion, standing stiffly as his jaw hardened.

"Now, Allen," she said sulkily, "Don't be that way. I just wanted to know how your little meeting with the Exorcists went."

"It's none of your business."

Allen could practically feel the girl pout. "Of course it is. We're family, after all."

Allen had to restrain himself from arguing but he managed it. Barely. "I don't report to you. If the Earl wants you to know what's going on then he'll tell you."

She stepped around him so that she could face him and Allen worked to keep his expression blank. "Do you have to fight it so hard, Allen? You'll be much happier once you've accepted your place here. With us. With me."

His hands fisted by his sides but his gaze remained cold. "I work for the Earl. That should be enough."

"For now," she said in a sing-song voice.

Allen didn't reply to that but stared straight ahead. "I have things to do, Rhode. So if you're finished…"

"Oh, Allen. We'll never be finished." Her smile held an undercurrent of something dark but he ignored it. She waved good-bye to him before dancing away.

There were many things he was going to miss about the circus. The Noah were not one of them. He relaxed his tense muscles through force of will before heading back to his own trailer. He still had to report to the Earl. Miles to go before I can sleep, Allen thought. His eyes closed with weariness and his footsteps were heavy as he made his way out of the tent.

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