A/N: Hello! This is my first D. Gray-Man fic, so I hope I do okay with it, and thank you so much for taking the time to read it(: Enjoy!

Disclaimer: I claim no ownership to my most favorite anime/manga, D. Gray-Man—though I want to, so badly.x/ Credit for this story belongs to Hoshino-sensei. I only own the plot for this ficlet of mine!

Chapter 1

Time Frame — Night of January 3rd, 1895

—3rd Person POV—

~Allen~

Allen struggled for breath, ruffled, white locks flapping against his eyes and nose, slightly obscuring his vision as puffs of white fog escaped his dried lips, the bitter cold irritating his throat and making his bright, red nose runny; but this wasn't enough to deter him from running as quickly as humanly possible to the nearest train station, fear of his Master's wrath urging him on. Part of him knew he was being ridiculous, considering the fact that his Master probably wouldn't wake up until late into the next morning, and even then he'd be nursing a hangover. And by the time the General actually decided to take note of his absence, he'd certainly be arrogant enough to assume that the poor thirteen-year-old boy was working his rear off again, trying to scrape enough money in a poor attempt of paying off his never-ending debts.

Even so, Allen was not taking any chances and maintained his frantic dash, despite the burning in his aching legs. Nearing his destination, he slowed down to a hurried walk with a relieved huff, trying to catch his breath, and flipped the hood of his ratty coat on over his head to hide his stark white hair, aware that if his Master started asking questions—more like demanding—at some point, he didn't need anybody pointing him in the right direction—that is, if his Master cared enough about him finally having the brains to run away. Deliberately bumping into a tall man who'd just exited the ticket line, Allen ducked his head and muttered a barely audible 'sorry', only to receive a sneer in return. Allen blinked in slight surprise, but his guilt lessened as he continued on unaffected, with a ticket clenched in his hand (because a child buying a train ticket seemed just as suspicious as his white hair, though maybe not as much).

Ducking inside the train, Allen showed the attendant his ticket with a calmer demeanor, and was startlingly led to a private compartment, which garnered him a suspicious glance, but he was left alone nonetheless. He must've bumped into some high ranking nobleman; that would explain the lack of manners towards a street rat like him.

Allen slumped down onto the cushioned seat with a profound sigh, feeling more relaxed as the train led him further away to an unknown destination. He didn't care where it took him, as long as it was far away from his Master. Besides, it wasn't like he needed the "training"; he was much more experienced now. Though, that led to the question of whether he should head to the Order now, or wait. Eh, Allen thought exhaustedly, I can plan this out better after a nap…

With another relieved sigh, Allen stretched out his cold, stiff muscles and lied back on the seat, realizing that he fit more comfortably due to his shortened height. "At least BaKanda isn't here…" Allen muttered under his breath scathingly, with an irritated scowl. His face then softened, as he further thought about the rest of his friends and comrades, and glancing at his gnarled and blood red, left hand, he resolved that despite this setback, he would continue to protect those precious to him, including all those tortured souls that called out to him in their agony.

Unexpectedly, this caused his hand to twitch slightly, and then it began to throb and pulse with a tremendous pain that the small, silver-haired boy was forced to emit an anguished hiss. Curling into himself, tenderly holding his convulsing arm, Allen whimpered and gasped out in short, labored breaths, his pupils dilating as the fiery pain spread and ripped throughout his whole arm like a wildfire, becoming more excruciating by the second. Allen stiffened, and then began to slightly tremble as he attempted to keep in his agonized cries; it was like no other torture he'd endured before. It felt as if something was slowly searing the particles in his arm from the inside out, only getting hotter by the second as invisible flames licked hungrily at the rough surface. Allen bit his tongue to prevent the shrieks that were dying to escape, thrashing on the seat—anything to keep the blaze from searing and melting his flesh!—until he eventually felt the strong, iron taste of blood beginning to seep past his tightly closed lips to mix in with his dripping tears. Scrunching his eyes, trying to endure the torture of his excruciating limb as it was dipped in acid, scorched, and charred alive all at once, Allen eventually blacked out into blissful unawareness with an agonized whimper.

Time Frame — Morning of January 4th, 1895

With a weary sigh, Allen unwillingly flickered his gritty eyes open once he took notice of the glaring and unwelcomed light of the blinding sun… I hope I didn't sleep through the whole morning… And even if he had, it seemed it would have done no good; Allen felt an even deeper exhaustion that stemmed from his bones and made him achy all over like he'd run a hundred miles nonstop before sleeping in an awkward position. Resignedly sitting up with a tired groan, he remembered the reason for unwillingly passing out and winced as he touched his left arm that throbbed all over with a dull burn. Blinking away the bright spots and rubbing off the grit from his eyes, Allen finally chanced a look at his hand, and came to the startling realization that it was now pitch black… What in the world? the thirteen-year-old thought in bewilderment. Ignoring the slight pain, Allen attempted to clench his left hand, and realized that it had gone stiff.

The more he contemplated it, the more Allen came to the conclusion that he must've had a whiplash effect. He'd been told that Innocence evolved through the emotions and feelings of its Accommodator, and with the new mindset he had gained to become a Critical Point Breaker, his Innocence must've powered up and gone through every evolution he had ever made all at once, hence all the pain he'd been forced to endure. Despite that, it would certainly be an advantage, though it would mean that the Black Order was aware of him now. With a slightly amused grin, Allen wondered what Hevlaska and the rest would be thinking when they realized that it wasn't one of their current Exorcists that had hit Critical Point. Unfortunately, they'd also be searching for him all the more.

Allen's thought process was abruptly interrupted when the door to his private compartment was slammed open. Allen relaxed from his tense position once he realized it was just a sheepish attendant that had opened the door with a little too much force.

"I apologize, young sir. It was not my intention to disturb you that way!" The older girl gave a slight bow. Allen just gave her small smile to reassure her, trying to ignore the pain it had caused his left arm when he'd slightly jumped in surprise.

Seeing that he would respond no more, the attendant continued, "I came to see if you would like anything for breakfast. Unfortunately, the train was delayed and we will not be arriving for a few more hours."

God forbid it has anything to do with Master, Allen thought with a frown, before shrugging it off when he reasoned that his Master probably wouldn't notice his absence for another day or two, and maybe more if he were lucky, though knowing how he'd gotten into this situation in the first place, that wasn't likely. Glancing up and realizing the attendant was nervously waiting for a response—though that seemed silly considering she was years his senior—Allen finally gave the mournful reply of, "Sorry, I don't have any money."

Cocking her head, she quirked an eyebrow and answered, "That's no problem. An extra fee was included in the price of the ticket in case of any inconveniences."

"Oh," Allen answered dumbly and with a brighter smile replied, "Give me everything you've got then!"

Blinking in shock, the attendant shook her head and asked, "Like what? The cooks can make practically anything, but I need something a little more specific."

A devious smile suddenly split across Allen's face for a brief second, but before she had a chance to notice, Allen schooled his face back into his innocent façade, and cheerfully ordered a meal big enough to feed an army.

"R-right," the attendant nervously stuttered, not even bothering to question the absurdity of it all. Just before she left though, she gave him a curious look and advised, "No offense, but you might want to be a little smarter next time you lie."

A little shocked of the timid girl's accusation, Allen questioned, "Pardon me?"

"I-I'm sorry! It's just t-that I saw the big wad of money sticking out of your pocket," the attendant answered with a furious blush, clenching her eyes as if waiting to be hit.

Searching his pockets, Allen realized she was correct. With a contented smile, Allen exclaimed, "Wow! I must've left before Master could steal my winnings!"

"W-what?" she stammered in shock.

"Huh? It's nothing, don't worry about it. And thank you very much for letting me know, though I wasn't lying when I thought I didn't have money," Allen explained, feeling bad for the nervous girl. She slightly reminded him of Miranda.

"Well, then I'm very sorry young sir!" she frantically apologized again with a bow. "Is there anything else I can do for you?"

Allen was about to shake his head in a negative response, when a thought occurred to him. "Actually, yes. Do you happen to know where the train's next stop is located at?"

The young attendant blinked in surprise and then frowned, replying, "The train travels to many cities throughout the continent, so we're not usually told where we're headed. Fortunately, I do know it's a small town off the coast of Germany. It's a very far place from where we left."

"That's great! Thank you very much!" Allen didn't attempt to hide his glee. The more distance between those debt collectors and the debt-maker himself and him, the better.

Not feeling as nervous, the attendant gave him a nod and said, "Alright, I'll leave you be then."

Allen nodded and sat back, feeling a little better. Thankfully, the painful throbbing of his arm was starting to ebb away and now it just felt a little sore. He contemplated what to do once he got into town, and realized with a wrinkle of his nose that he reeked of dirt and alcohol. The latter must've been his Master's fault, and in addition, those gambling groups; though if he were to survive on his own, he'd probably have to do it a little more often 'til he joined the Order (at his age, finding a job wasn't always the easiest). So a bath should probably take first priority, or maybe actually getting a room. Or maybe getting new clothes, Allen decided looking down at his ratty and worn out clothing that was barely being held at the seams.

Allen jumped when he felt something wiggling inside his shirt. Pulling it up, he realized it was, "Timcanpy! What are you doing here?!"

Timcanpy just gave him one of those scary, sharp toothy grins that used to scare him as kid and snuggled into his soft, white hair. Allen smiled fondly, glad that his small companion had decided to follow him. Before anymore words could be exchanged one-sidedly, the door to his compartment was opened once again, and the attendant pushed in a cart carrying all the plates of foods Allen had ordered. It was surprisingly accurate, considering she had gone off of memory.

"Here you go young sir. I hope it is to your liking," she said.

Allen nodded happily and she dismissed herself hurriedly. Solely focused on the piles of food, Allen didn't notice and enthusiastically dug in along with Timcanpy. By the time they finished, Allen was completely satisfied, and deciding that he could do with a nap, he lied back on the comfortable seat, falling into nice, restful slumber, unlike the previous night.

Leisurely, Allen blinked his eyes open with a wide yawn, the early, afternoon light creating a warm atmosphere in the compartment, as the rumbling of train began to slow down to a stop. With a contented sigh, Allen slowly rose from the seat and stood, stretching out the kinks in his muscles—Timcanpy mimicking him in the background—as he slipped out of the compartment with ease. Where's my...? Allen briefly thought, before recalling the fact that he had no luggage with him. It had honestly been the last thought on his mind when he'd gone off running, and so only had the clothes on his back to keep him warm. With this thought in mind, Allen hopped out of the train, and eventually the train station, and kept an eye out for anything resembling a clothing store as he headed into town, feeling both bitterly cold and dirty, itching to take a steaming bath.

It wasn't until the poor, white-haired boy was trembling all throughout, having lost feeling in his fingers and toes a while back, and sniffling, that he had managed to stumble into a small clothing shop. Basking in the warmth that it brought, Allen stood for a moment, attempting to calm his shuddering and rubbing his hands together, before looking around to see what was available. Fortunately, the small place seemed to specialize in clothing for young boys and girls, and with Allen's current state of age, he was sure it was perfect for him (though it didn't mean he had to be happy about it!). A couple of items and accessories for kids his age were sold as well—meaning no suitcases to carry his items in, though it was unlikely he would even be able to afford one in the first place; luckily, he found a medium-sized, black leather backpack that he could make use of instead, and swiftly snatched it.

With a weary sigh—it seems the utter cold had drained him of all his earlier energy—Allen sifted through the available clothing, which there wasn't much variety of, but it suited his tastes, and though it certainly wouldn't fit him perfectly, Allen was willing to take what he could get. Before long, Allen had a pile of clothing his arms, which consisted of: long sleeved button-ups, black trousers, a pair of pajamas, and some socks and briefs. In addition, he managed to get a hold of a thick, snug looking black coat that reached down to his knees, but unlike his old Exorcist coat, it didn't include a hood; self-consciously tugging at his snowy locks, Allen eventually found a gray-knitted hat as a replacement to the green bandanna that had been abandoned somewhere back in their room at the inn. Feeling slight off-balance, the thirteen-year-old set all his chosen items down on the ground in order to get a better look, and as he bent over, he got an eyeful of his boots—at least, what used to be his boots…

Oh hell! What has Master been making me do lately?! Allen wondered in disgust, staring widely at the torn leather, dried earth crusted over, and some sort of bandages wrapped around and keeping the soles attached. Hurrying over the small shoe section in the back, Allen quickly rummaged through, desperate to find anything in his size, which fortunately came in the form of a pair of knee-length, black boots with gray lining (okay, maybe they were a little loose on his feet, but that was besides the point). Gathering everything else, Allen gazed over all of it with a critical eye, before deciding that he could afford an extra sweater—the town was absolutely freezing despite being near the sea, as he had earlier found out—a pair of new gloves, and a new ribbon in addition—and God help him if Kanda or Lavi were ever to find out that he had swiped it from the little girl's section.

Carefully folding and picking up everything he'd chosen—cautious to hold it a small distance from his grimy clothing—Allen made his way over to the small, wooden counter and set it all down, startling the clerk who'd been too distracted with a book to notice him.

"Ah, sorry about that, young man," the clerk cleared his throat awkwardly, before taking in Allen's appearance with a suspicious glare. "You do have the money to pay for that, don't you?"

"Yes…" Allen trailed off quite dryly, with a deadpan expression as he pulled out the wad of money from his pocket.

It no longer seemed to matter that Allen looked like a street rat, or the fact that the bills were even crumpled; Allen could practically see the money symbols lighting up in the man's too-wide eyes. No more words were needed to be exchanged after Allen's little display, and he was almost shocked when he actually received a good amount of change back—albeit, it was done grudgingly by the clerk.

Once Allen had folded and stored his new clothing inside his backpack, he slung it over one shoulder, boots clenched in his other hand as he smiled politely at the clerk. "Thank you, sir," Allen nodded, before leaving the shop, in hurry to find an inn. Fortunately, there was one a couple streets down, but the walk was long enough for the cold to set back into his bones, so taking the cheapest room without a thought, the small boy swiftly set up a steaming bath before immersing himself completely. Despite the practically boiling water, Allen was unwilling to let the discomfort get to him as he went to scrubbing himself clean and then simply relaxing until the water began to grow cold.

"It's a wonder you haven't started acting up," Allen muttered, running a finger over the jagged, cursed scar that ran over his left eye. "Unless…" Allen trailed off, recalling with a sigh, his little time travel mishap. Of course, being in his younger body meant that his curse had yet to evolve. Luckily for him, it appeared that only Crown Clown had been willing to catch up with him, as opposed to having his curse scar evolve as well. Briefly, Allen contemplated what could have happened if Miranda's Time Record had sent him back at a couple of more years, before abruptly shaking his head. I can't be having thoughts like these, Allen thought furiously, leaving the now-cold water and padding himself dry before rapidly dressing in some of his new clothes.

Allen thought back to his un-evolved eye again. With it like this, I can't be sure if there're Akuma in town unless I walk right past them, the small, silver-eyes boy thought with a frown, and then pulled his sweater and coat atop his already dressed form, shoving the knitted hat over his damp hair, as well as lacing up his boots, readying himself to go out on a patrol. Better safe than sorry.

The town was relatively calm, and the stroll was actually somewhat nice, now that Allen was snuggled up in thick, warm clothing. He even took the time to stop at a local tavern at one point, gambling off pretty much all the money he had left, and coming out relatively richer, much to chagrin of the regular members. Despite the confounding situation he had found himself him—it hadn't even been a whole day, had it?—Allen decided that it had been a relatively productive day, and it seemed luck had been on his side, but of course, he was Allen Walker; it had to all come to an end.

Rounding the corner with a small skip to his step, Allen literally ran into a group of Finders that seemed to have been in the middle of a heated discussion. They simultaneously glared down at him once they took note of his small blunder.

"Run along and go home, kid," one of the older men growled in irritation.

Allen frowned and was forced to resist the childish of sticking his tongue out in retaliation—the sudden difference in age hadn't affected his maturity to this level, surely? Shrugging it off, Allen continued on without a word, figuring they could do their job well enough for themselves. Unfortunately, he was only a few feet away, when his left eye unexpectedly whirred to life in continuous circles of black and blood red, the cries of the nearby, suffering soul audible to only his ears and calling out desperately to him.

Frowning in frustration, Allen ducked into a nearby alleyway, and kept his narrowed eyes trained on the disguised Akuma, who seemed to be leering at the oblivious Finders with a crazed grin. Glancing up at the distorted soul, its grotesque form was near enough that he was positive it could be nothing but a Level 2. It would be no challenge for him, but was unsure of outing himself to the Finders, and in turn, the Black Order. But releasing and saving the tortured soul took first priority, so with a silent command, he activated Crown Clown, and willed it to disguise him with its white cloak and mask. Seeing no point in pulling out his Sword of Exorcism for a lower level Akuma, he simply readied his knife-like, obsidian claws, and silently ventured out, hoping to exorcise the Akuma before being noticed by the Finders.

But the Akuma automatically sensed his Innocence and in response, shredded its human skin off with a revolting snap, revealing its big, beetle-like robotic shape. Nearby civilians shrieked in fear, fleeing the scene, much to Allen's relief, but it also captured the attention of the Finders. A maniac grin formed on the Akuma's monstrous features, and it called out with an excited giggle, "Come out and play with me, Exorcist~! I can sense you're here~! Hihihihi~!"

Before the Finders could do anything stupid, Allen advanced with a swift, graceful run, exorcising the Akuma before it managed to drag along any Finders into their fight. Giving the astonished and gaping Finders a quick nod, Allen effectively removed himself from the scene and resolved to quickly patrol the rest of the town, rather than strolling around like he had previously. His actions proved to be beneficial, as he had found five Level 1s by the time nightfall came.

"I deserve a good meal for this," Allen muttered with a petulant pout, wincing at the loud growls emitting from the depths of his back hole—err, I mean stomach. And after having a large and fulfilling meal, the small thirteen-year-old finally retired to his small, sparse room, wriggling into his pajamas before finally curling up somewhere in between the numerous sheets on his bed.

"There you are, Timcanpy," Allen murmured with a content smile, as the golden golem wiggled into the blankets and then curled around his silky, snowy locks. "Do you think I should return to the Order, Tim?" Allen continued in a contemplative tone.

Timcanpy patted Allen's forehead with his golden wing in response.

The silver-eyed boy grinned. "Of course, Tim, can't be following in Master's footsteps of running away all the time. It's not like I have anything to hide." His smile dimmed. "Except for maybe the Fourteenth…" Allen trailed off, and though he was still in the dark about that whole situation, he was smart enough to connect some of the dots for himself. The song; the Score made up of those painfully familiar symbols that he inexplicably knew how to play perfectly; the Shadow Man in the mirror, the exact same one from his dreams. And finally, his control of the Ark, which originally belonged to the Noah. There was a darkness inside of him, and not something he wanted to deal with until the time came, as it appeared that whatever was within him was still dormant in this body. Though part of him wondered what would have occurred after the Level 4 attack—it was then, when they'd all been recovering and being checked over, that the incident with Miranda's Time Record had taken place. Would Master have really answered all of his questions?

Timcanpy's abrupt tail-flick against his face pulled him from his dark thoughts, and in the darkness, Allen smiled gratefully. "Thanks, Timcanpy. You're right, I should focus on the now. Seeing our comrades would be nice, huh? Even if they don't know me yet; though repeating all my missions wouldn't be much fun, would it?" Allen momentarily scowled at the thought of having to repeat his first mission with BaKanda. In the couple months he'd been at the Black Order the first time around, before having to go look for his Master, he'd been on a couple different missions, along with the one in the Rewinding Town with Lenalee. Not all of them had involved Innocence, some of them being simple Akuma extermination jobs—which had been mostly solo missions—but it'd be better if he did retrieve the Innocence now, just in case. As well as send poor Miranda on her way since she was probably looking for a job still. Mei-Ling was too young at the moment, but Krory would have to wait. In his urge to escape his Master, he'd completely forgotten about Rosanne, and there wasn't a likely possibility that he could go and take it back without getting caught. Plus there was the fact that his Master must've kept it that long for a reason… Unless he was just being lazy.

Allen almost sweatdropped at the thought. It wasn't like he could really do much about it anyway, though it did make him curious as to what his Master must be thinking about the fact that he'd finally lost his money-making slave. Allen almost wished he could be there just to see his reaction, but if he sent Timcanpy to record the event, he'd only be tracked down.

The thought only worked to make the poor boy paranoid, so trying to curl up tighter, to the point of invisibility, Allen finally succumbed to a deep, exhausted sleep.

Time Frame — Morning of January 29th, 1895

I've finally made it! Allen thought with an ecstatic grin. It had been an unbelievably long month, but Allen had finally made it to the current location of the European Headquarters. With him he carried his usual backpack, along with Timcanpy and three raw pieces of Innocence that he hoped to get to Hevlaska soon, before he was tracked down by anymore Akuma. He'd already sent Miranda on her way weeks ago, and had recovered Innocence from his old missions—one of them being from Lala. Sadly, a fleet of Akuma had followed him when they sensed his Innocence and had mortally injured Guzol. Despite the fact that Lala managed to spend his last days with him, Allen was still incredibly guilty, since he hadn't even planned on taking the Innocence in the first place, wanting to give them their last two years together; in fact, it was his lack of sense of direction that had resulted in him being nearby in the first place, and he still continued to berate himself over it. The other pieces of Innocence had been from the Millennium Swordsman and what was thought to be the Leaf of Revival.

Allen hurried through town, eager to arrive to the one place he'd actually started to consider home, which was why he didn't notice the smaller person in his way until he bumped into her. Shaking himself off, he hurried to help her up, but was shocked to find it was—

"Ow! That hurt and you dirtied my dress!" Road whined. Allen sighed. Of course it was just his luck to bump into Road of all people, especially when he was on his way to becoming an Exorcist for the second time. He noted amusingly, that despite his small stature, he was still taller than her.

Wiping herself off, Road didn't even bother to pick up the dazed Lero, who she'd landed on when she'd toppled over.

"I'm very sorry Miss!" Allen attempted to apologize and leave as quickly as possible, but Road abruptly yanked him back by his coat sleeve before he could make his escape.

"You have to pay now! Maybe become my playmate?" Road pondered, widening her large, violet eyes and giving him an innocent smile. Allen saw right through it though, having done it himself multiple times when cheating people out of their money.

"Um, how about I buy you a large bag of candy," Allen suggested nervously, attempting to retreat before Road decided she was bored and it ended up escalating into a fight (and in a busy town like this, it might involve a hostage or two). Maybe it was a good thing he'd decided to buy his gray knitted hat, since it hid the pentagram part of the scar; even if she could sense his Innocence, he could at least avoid any of the more obvious and awkward questions for the time being.

"Really!? Yeah, definitely!" Road jumped up enthusiastically, oblivious to his internal monologue, casually snatching up Lero before she began to drag Allen down the bustling streets with surprising strength. Entering a rather bright and colorful shop, Road ordered the young, pale boy exactly what to buy her, before pulling him along once again; this time to an ice cream stand.

"Hey, I thought I was just buying you candy," Allen grumbled, paying for her chocolate ice cream cone all the same.

"Yeah, but I was bored and decided we should go on a date!" Road explained with a delicate shrug of her shoulders and a confident smirk, causing Allen to splutter in response. Why was it the weird girls who always liked him? At least she hasn't attempted to kiss me like last time… Allen thought blandly. Strolling around the cobblestone streets with a bounce to her step and holding his hand, Road began to swing their hands back and forth while occasionally licking her ice cream held in her other hand—poor Lero had been left alone and forgotten back in the candy store, unlike the bag of candy that had been carefully tied to the belt at her waist.

"What's your name~?" Road casually asked with a small grin. Sighing, Allen knew she'd find out eventually anyway, so gave her the simple reply of, "Allen."

"That's cute! I'm Road!" she giggled childishly. Allen wasn't even bothered by the fact that she'd called his name cute; anything to keep this as bloodless and harmless as possible.

"Anyway, I have to go! If I lose Lero again, Millenie isn't going to be happy~!" Road giggled again, but before Allen had a chance to sigh in relief, she gave him a quick peck on the lips.

Not again! Allen complained mentally.

"Bye-bye Allen! Thanks for the fun date~!" Road called out with a laugh at his bewildered expression as she skipped away. Allen grumbled something inaudible under his breath as he began to stock away, and blushed when he realized that some older women had been cooing when they saw them. Why did this always happen to him? At least the crisis was averted and he could finally be on his way…

Allen was beginning to feel more relaxed once he made it to the underground waterways of Headquarters. Never again… Allen thought dryly, recalling the strenuous climb he'd made up the cliff the first time around. Despite the fact that they always informed Exorcist that it had been unnecessary to climb the cliff after the fact—as Allen and Miranda had both been forced to do—and that there was elevator ready for use, in truth, it was a lie. The actual entrance was secret to those who were already a part of the Order, and was never mentioned outside of Headquarters for security reasons; even guards were usually not stationed there since use was normally reserved for Exorcists and Finders, as the platform was not large enough hold more than a couple people at once. Because of this, Allen was able to sneak inside unnoticed.

Once the thirteen-year-old made his way in, going up to some the upper levels, he ambled around aimlessly, searching for anybody that might be familiar, but found the halls surprisingly empty. Even the Science Department was void of life and Komui wasn't in his office. The only place he hadn't checked was the cathedral, and that wasn't usually occupied unless—

A sharp gasp, and then, Oh no… Allen threw himself into a sprint, hoping that it wasn't what he thought it was. Finally, slowing down to a stop, Allen took a deep breath and stepped into the open doorway of the cathedral.

Unfortunately, he hadn't been wrong in his assumption.

Allen stared with regretful eyes and clenched fists at the numerous coffins lined up perfectly throughout the room, wishing he could've made it back sooner, instead of taking his sweet time. Almost everyone was gathered here, whether they were sitting beside the coffins of their comrades or simply standing back in the shadows, mourning silently. With a gulp, Allen's searching eyes finally came to rest on the young Lenalee, and despite the fact that she was wrapped in multitudes of bandages and even had an IV fluid connected to her, she was still sitting there, weeping.

Allen continued to remain unnoticed, as he cautiously stepped forward and made his way over to her side. What can I do to…? Allen trailed off with a small frown, awkwardly standing behind her, wishing he could offer the comfort and support he knew she needed. But how would she respond to the knowing words of a stranger?

The small boy eventually came to a decision, and plopped down next to her, though even then, he went undetected by the distraught girl. The white-haired boy shifted uncomfortably, pulling his knees up, and then playing with Timcanpy to keep him distracted, but he was only able to do this for so long. Not being able to withstand Lenalee's weeping form any longer, he tugged her towards him, and being too distressed herself, the Chinese girl didn't even identify her comforter, simply grasping his coat as she continued to tremble and weep. It wasn't until her tremors eventually subsided to a manageable level, that she pulled away, rubbing at her damp, flushed cheeks and swollen eyes. Then, abruptly backing away in embarrassment, Lenalee asked in a hoarse voice, "W-who are you?"

Allen blinked in surprise, slightly fumbling in response, before offering her a kind smile. "Sorry if I startled you. I'm Allen Walker."

"H-hello. My name is Lenalee Lee," she stammered, furiously wiping her tear-streaked face before asking with a confused expression, "What are you doing here?"

Still, with his unwavering, and slightly solemn, smile, Allen wordlessly tugged off his left, white glove and wordlessly displayed his dark, mechanical-like hand. Understanding dawned on her automatically, taking in the displayed Innocence atop his hand with sad eyes, and she muttered a simple, "Oh."

"Yes, I was sent here by my Master," Allen explained gently, and then asked with a worried frown, "How are your wounds?"

Offering him a surprisingly bitter smile, she answered, "They'll heal. Unlike them." At this, she turned to look at the rest of the dreary room, in which numerous coffins laid in neat shows, with a regretful gaze.

He winced slightly, and then with a determined expression, he took a hold of her hand and squeezed it in comfort—hoping it was not too forward of him—and argued, "Which is why we have to keep fighting, or their deaths will only be in vain..."

Lenalee glanced up at him with a startled expression, and eventually conceded with small nod, "Yes. You're right." Her hand tightened around his. "I just wish…"

"I know," Allen replied with sad eyes.

Allen was unsure as to how long they sat there in a poignant silence, grieving the multitude of deaths, but as all things do, it eventually came to an end. The Head Nurse gently, but firmly, ordered for Lenalee to return to the Hospital Wing, though she only got Lenalee to agree when she, herself, allowed for Allen to come along. The Head Nurse didn't particularly care who Allen was; as long as he was healthy, her job was done.

Once the small, Asian girl had been tucked into her own, personal cot, Allen sat down beside her. She'd been determined to stay awake at first, wanting to get to know her new comrade, but her exhaustion—both emotional and physical—had finally caught up with her, and she'd succumbed to an exhausted rest. As Allen watched over her, he came to the decision of speaking with Komui later, as he was probably busy. Fortunately, Lenalee had a private room, so nobody but her and the Head Nurse knew of him, unless she'd taken the time to inform Komui, but it wasn't likely. Soon, it was nightfall and Allen fell asleep with his arms and head resting on the bed and Timcanpy curled around his neck, as if watching over them.

Allen awoke to someone gently shaking his shoulder.

"Mornin'," Allen muttered blearily, out of habit.

"Good morning," Allen heard Komui's voice reply, a little further off. Rubbing the grit and sleepiness away from his eyes, Allen finally chanced a look at him, simultaneously attempting to straighten himself up. Komui's hair was a lot longer than he'd remember, and Allen briefly wondered if it'd gotten cut off by one his Komurin's. Lenalee also seemed to be awake, as she'd been the one to shake him awake.

"Morning Allen!" Lenalee also greeted him, looking much better than she had the previous night.

"My sweet, little sister here tells me that you came here to become an Exorcist," Komui stated, gazing down at him curiously.

"That's right! Nice to meet you sir, my name's Allen Walker," Allen formally introduced himself, standing up and shaking his hand in greeting. Allen then wondered how silly he must have looked saying that, with his extremely youthful, and slightly rumpled, appearance.

"I am Komui Lee, the Branch Chief," Komui answered with a kind smile. "I am sorry for not being able to properly greet you before, but thank you for taking care of my darling little sister!"

"Brother!" Lenalee said indignantly, though she offered him a slight smile anyways.

Slightly laughing, Allen replied, "It was no problem. You looked to be busy either way."

Komui's expression suddenly turned grim, and nodding he replied, "That's right. I'm sorry you had to arrive on such a terrible day. In any case, we must get your Innocence checked by Hevlaska before you officially become an Exorcist."

Allen was about to nod in agreement when he paused and exclaimed, "Oh wait, I almost forgot!" Reaching into the inner pockets of his black coat, he dug out the three fragments of raw Innocence that he'd managed to obtain and held them up to Komui's astounded face. "This is why it took me almost a month to arrive here. I kept running into trouble."

"That's certainly impressive! I'm guessing that by now you should have a good understanding as to what an Exorcist's mission requires. Destroying the Akuma is only part of it. Obtaining the Innocence, that which gives the Exorcists power, is just as vital if we are to win this war," Komui explained to the already knowing Allen. He then gave him a curious glance. "You say it took you a month to get here?" At Allen's affirmative nod, he continued, "Who was it that sent you here in the first place? Have you already been trained by a General?"

Allen grimaced at the question, but answered it nonetheless, "Yes, General Cross. I've been his apprentice for the past year." He didn't bother telling them that the only thing he'd learned from the debt-racking man was how to gamble and how to successfully evade debt collectors.

"So the man really is alive," Komui mused.

"Unfortunately," Allen muttered, a dark aura suddenly surrounding him.

"A-Allen," Lenalee stammered, suddenly worried for him.

"Sorry," Allen said, managing to snap out of it with a sheepish smile. "Just thinking of what he put me through." He said this so brightly, Lenalee was afraid to ask.

"Well, we better go on ahead and speak with Hevlaska. Make sure to get lots of rest my dear Lenalee!" Komui exclaimed, abruptly switching from his serious demeanor, to the happy-go-lucky man with a sister-complex, as he tended to do often.

"Yes, Brother," Lenalee responded with a tired sigh, though she smiled reassuringly nonetheless.

"Come, we shouldn't keep Hevlaska and the Great Generals waiting." Komui motioned for Allen to follow him.

"Good luck Allen!" Lenalee called out to him, and giving her a final wave and smile, Allen followed Komui on the familiar root to Hevlaska's chamber.

As they made their way there, Komui mentioned, "You certainly seemed knowledgeable. Despite General Cross' elusive ways, am I right to assume that he was an excellent teacher?"

"Oh no. He was like a demon himself, so I really wouldn't be too upset if he dropped dead at any given moment. Master mostly racked up debts that he threw at me to pay and pretty much stole any money I managed to earn. Any and all information I got out of him was when I managed to get him utterly drunk," Allen replied in such a casual way, Komui had to sweatdrop. All of it was pretty much true, and Allen had come to accept this, so he was just glad he'd escaped the man's clutches.

I can't even begin to imagine what this kid's been through… Komui thought with a grimace, all of his suspicions on the elusive general being confirmed.

"If I may ask, how old are you?" Komui peeked curiously at him from the corner of his eye. Thankfully, children being caught up in the war was rare and Lenalee, as well as Kanda, were some of the unlucky few, but Allen's age left something to be desired.

"Thirteen," Allen replied, easily being able to discern Komui's thoughts with a grimace. That was the one setback he would have; his age. Not only would he have to retrain his body to be as fit as before, as well as regain all his muscle memory, but he also wouldn't be taken seriously and he'd most likely be paired up with older and supposedly more experienced Exorcists. Though Exorcists usually weren't coddled, Allen had the dreaded feeling that with his age—especially considering he looked younger than his supposedly thirteen-year-old body—he might be an exception. As much as he despised it, Allen actually hoped he'd be paired with Kanda on his missions, just so he'd be left on his own.

"We've arrived," Komui announced, interrupting his train of thought. Gazing at around the dark abyss, Allen wasn't too surprised when it was abruptly lit up by the Great Generals' presence high above them.

"Once again, God has graced us with His presence," one of them announce in a deep voice. Allen held back a snort at their dramatics. Had it really been so long ago that he'd been awed by their presence?

"The Great Generals," Komui introduced. "These are the gentlemen we answer to."

Then turning to him, Allen noticed a mischievous glint in his eyes, but fortunately, Allen knew what was coming. Trying, and failing, to keep the smirk off his face, Komui continued, "Now, show them how worthy your unique abilities will be towards the cause."

Suddenly, Hevlaska snatched him from behind with one of her ethereal tentacles and lifted him up high, but having anticipated this, Allen attempted to relax, no matter how nerve wracking it was.

"Show… me… your Innocence," Hevlaska commanded in a deep, echo-y voice. Allen cringed at the feeling of being probed from the inside, but managed to keep calm for the most part. It seemed that Komui could see right through him though, because he noticed the knowing smirk he held.

"So what do you think Hevlaska? Does this apostle of God meet your exact level of standards?" Komui called out.

Instead of responding, Hevlaska connected with him and began to announce, "2%... 16%... 31%... 57%... 83%... 98%... 115%... 127%... It appears that 127 percent is the maximum synchro rate you and your weapon, Crown Clown as it seems to call itself, are capable of."

Allen cringed when he heard the sharp clatter of Komui's clipboard hitting the metal elevator in shock. Hopefully, they wouldn't be too curious as to how he'd achieve that certain level of synchronization. As Hevlaska finally set Allen down, he looked up to see the Great Generals arguing amongst each other. He couldn't understand most of it, but he managed to catch a few words and phrases like, "general", "too young", and "not ready yet". Allen also noticed the appraising look Komui was giving him now, as if looking at him for the first time.

"SILENCE!" The general seated at the center finally shouted in a deep, booming voice after minutes of useless bickering. After gaining their attention, he continued, "A compromise, if you will? Five generals is the maximum number that is usually active, which is what we have at the current moment, so there is no immediate need for a new general. Despite General Cross' constant absence, if he has already sent in an Exorcist this young and capable, he must be doing his job." The lead general held up his hand, preventing some of the other generals from speaking up in argument. "However, despite being such a young apostle, he does meet the required criteria to become a general, so if there is ever need of a new general, Walker will be the first candidate." At this, he received a few grudging nods of agreement.

"Speaking of requirements," Komui piped up, while simultaneously retrieving the three pieces of Innocence he'd been given by Allen earlier and holding them up for a clear view. "It seems that our newest apostle managed to locate and retrieve three pieces of Innocence on his way to Headquarters." Allen winced at Komui's praising tone, suddenly feeling guilty. It's not like he'd been the one to spend months investigating the strange phenomenons, he'd just used his future knowledge.

"It was just a coincidence," Allen muttered sheepishly under his breath, while trying to ignore the Great Generals' piercing gazes.

"Nonsense," Komui argued, holding the pieces towards Hevlaska, who happily invited them to dwell within her. "Is there anything else that you can tell us about Allen's Innocence, Hevlaska?"

Hevlaska's attention turned back to him again, and gazed deeply at him for a few moments before speaking up, "Allen Walker, in the future, when darkness dominates this planet, your Innocence will produce an extraordinary 'Destroyer of Time'."

Komui began to clap enthusiastically, while gushing, "I have no idea what that means, but it sounds amazing! Hevlaska's prophesies are cryptic, but they are true~! Congrats kid, now we can actually trust you~!"

Despite knowing what would occur with Hevlaska, Allen still attempted to punch Komui, which he successfully blocked with his clipboard, which he'd picked up earlier. The fact that Komui completely enjoyed this irritated him to no end. "You really annoy me Komui, you know that?" Allen grumbled while giving him a half-hearted glare.

"Aww, but we just met! In time, I know you'll come to realize the amazing person that I am and learn to love me~!" Komui exclaimed in a confident tone. Despite his absurd statement, Allen smiled slightly. He'd missed Komui and the rest in the time he'd been gone, and despite the circumstances, Allen was glad to be back, even if it meant having to recreate the friendships he'd already made while being here. Unfortunately, he had to sit through the lecture on the Cube and its prophecy a second time—it was likely that Komui didn't trust that his Master had told it right if he'd really been drunk like Allen had insinuated—but it ended soon enough, much to his relieve. Despite his resolve on saving all the lives he'd been too slow to save the first time, being treated as the new rookie would be really irritating, but he knew he could get through it.

"I'm really looking forward to working together with you," Komui spoke up after giving him a moment to gather his thoughts. With a smirk, he added, "Just know that the pay is awful."

Allen smiled nostalgically at the old joke, and taking a hold of his hand, answered, "Right."

"Welcome to the Black Order," Komui spoke the words that he'd been longing to hear. He was finally here; he was finally home.

A/N: Well, I hope that turned out better then I thought it would.^^' Anyway, if you have any questions at all, please feel free to ask! And I know this chapter probably wasn't all that interesting; that's mostly because it was just setting up the story, though I don't even know what the story line is just yet. This was just a random plot bunny that attacked me at a random moment of thought.

Either way, I'd appreciate it if you please reviewed and let me know whether it's worth continuing this story! If it's not, I think I'll leave it as a one-shot.

[Edited: 4/9/15]