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Innocent Rain	By : saxonjesus Category: +. to F > D. Gray Man Views: 3947 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
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Chapter List
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Chapter 4 � The Generals Come Marching Through and Through

June 15, 2013�The
Dark Order, Main Branch

�� Allen�s head ached.
A lot. It had been hurting the entire week, and he
couldn�t tell if it was because he was angry that he�d been left behind or that
Smith had been following him the whole time. It distinctly reminded him of when
the Order had placed Howard Link as his �guardian.� Of course, Link had been
straight with Allen about his orders. Smith, on the other hand, tried to make
it look like it all was a mere coincidence when they met in the dining hall, in
the hallways, even on the way to the bathroom, several times a day. Even the
Fourteenth had gotten annoyed at the guy and was currently singing a hateful
little tune in the back of Allen�s head about what he�d like to do to the man.

�� Flay him, burn him, cut
off his limbs! Fourteen sang. Mutilate
and desecrate his smoldering remains! No one will miss him, no one will care!
We can even steal his too-large underwear!

�� Allen couldn�t
suppress a snicker at that last line. He had to admit, Fourteen
could sometimes be highly amusing, if a little dark.

�� But suddenly,
Smith was looming behind him. Again.

�� What are you
laughing at, sonny? Care to share?� There he was, trying to be subtle about
prying into Allen�s business.

�� No, not
particularly,� Allen replied nonchalantly, picking up his pace.

�� We�re expecting a
few guests this evening, and I think
they�ll want to meet you. You are Destroyer of Time, after all. And they may be
able to help you with your� affliction.
Anyway, I�ll see you in the main lobby at seven this evening,� Smith said. He
walked off, but Allen heard the man�s steps stop the second he turned the
corner. He really was hopeless at subtlety.

�� Walking quietly
until he was near the Director, he gave a quiet response. �You know, Director,
I�m not stupid. I know you�ve been following me since you sent my friends off.
There�s no need to be afraid. Noah only comes out when I�m threatened
physically. Or when I�m playing music. And wouldn�t
you believe it? I feel like singing now!� He heard feet scamper away, and he
had to chuckle a little bit. That had been easier than he�d thought.

�� Miranda walked up
to him, and the two of them spent another quiet day together, talking and
playing cards. Allen won every game, of course. Miranda took it well, though,
and Allen began to teach her some of the easier tricks. It would be nice to have
someone on equal footing who he could play against. He�d still win, of course,
Allen thought with a smile. Humming a harmless tune, he whittled away the hours
until seven rolled around. He wasn�t exactly sure who the guests were, but he
assumed they were people high up in the Order. He would have fun taking them
down a few notches�it was something he�d been taught by Cross and something
he�d been waiting to implement ever since he first became a General.

�� Allen knew
immediately that the three people coming out of the lift were Generals. He knew
by the way that they carried themselves and by the distinctive gold
embellishments on their jackets. The one leading the three was a tall African
woman who carried a belt on which a stick was held. She had sharp features and
deep, rich eyes, and her long, black hair was tied up in cornrowed
braids. She wore her Exorcist jacket proudly. It was a long number; Allen could
barely see her booted toes beneath its length. Two men followed closely behind
her, almost like shadows in her presence. One was definitely Asian, probably
Vietnamese, but Allen wasn�t quite sure. The Asian carried a blade of Innocence
in his right hand, and Allen recognized it immediately as a machete. The other
man carried a type of gun Allen had never seen before.� Further behind them was clustered a group of
three apprentices, but Allen paid them no attention, too preoccupied by the
staggering presence of the woman in front of him.

�� Allen Walker, I
presume?� she asked as she stopped barely a meter from him.

�� Yes, I�m Allen. May
I ask who you are?� Allen said, slipping into his General persona.

�� I am called Cyrah Kabbah, and behind me are
Tuan Chu and Tamas Varga.
We are the three Generals of the Dark Order,� she responded, her voice
imperious.

�� It�s a pleasure
to meet you. It is always nice to meet fellow Generals.� The woman�s face
twitched in annoyance.

�� Really, I didn�t
know we were allowing Noahs into the Order now,� she said, her voice mockingly
light.

�� I was, and am, an
Exorcist,� Allen replied coldly, and with a gesture of his hand, the Crowned
Clown settled onto his shoulders. In an instant, the African woman had pulled
the rod from her belt, and with a flick of her wrist, her Innocence crackled
forth and encircled Allen�s wrist. Crying out in pain, he dropped to his knees.
Behind her, the two men prepared to strike as well.

�� Allen looked up
into the deep, now merciless gaze, �Stop now, or I�ll lose my control over
him,� he warned, and from the twitch in his right eye, he knew it had changed
to the golden hue of the Noah.

�� The woman didn�t
even pause to consider the danger she was putting them all in, she simply drew
her Innocence back and whipped it forward again. Screaming, Allen�s face hit
the floor. His head was now pounding with the angered cacophony of the
Fourteenth screaming to be let free. His left eye felt like it was about to
burst.

�� Please, for the
love of God, stop, before I accidentally kill you all!� Allen pleaded from the
cold stone of the floor. His Innocence was curled around him like a blanket,
the only thing keeping the strong Noah at bay. Still the whips rained down on
his back. Now practically sobbing in both pain and desperation, he suddenly
shuddered and stopped. Standing slowly despite the repeated blows, he lifted
his head and met the woman�s eyes, �Since you are trying to let him out,� he
said shakily, �I will show you what I go through every day keeping him in my
head.� Allen let all of his barriers down and the Noah swept forth, darkening
Allen�s skin. The woman�s eyes widened in fear, and she took an unconscious
step back. The Fourteenth laughed in his deep, melodious voice�

----

June 15,2013�Dingolfing,
Bavaria

�� The exploding
Akuma looked like fireworks in the night sky. Lenalee alighted on the ground,
her Dark Boots making barely a sound. The two Exorcists stood in silence for a
few moments, breathing deeply, listening for any sound that would indicate
there were still enemies about. There was nothing but the soft patter of
footsteps as Lolek ghosted to her side.

�� It�s too quiet on
my side,� he mumbled into her ear. Lenalee gave a sharp nod, showing she
understood. He was right, even the cicada calls had ceased. The two walked
quietly though the small town; the streets were unusually empty. Reaching the
center of the town, Lenalee scanned the square. A small movement caught her
eye. Looking up to the statue of the Virgin Mary that topped the fountain in
the middle of the square, she noticed the shadows on the gilded lady�s face
shift slightly. Signaling to Lolek, the two crept toward the fountain. Lenalee�s
Dark Boots made no sound on the uneven cobblestone. A tiny giggle, like that of
a child, flitted lightly from behind the statue. Without warning, it exploded,
sending golden pieces flying toward the Exorcists. In its place, balancing
lightly on the fountain�s pedestal, stood a Level Four
Akuma. �

�� Lenalee didn�t
pause before activating her Innocence, launching herself at the foul creature.
Lolek was one step behind her, forming his parasitic gauntlets. She hit the
Akuma before Lolek could even blink. The Akuma�s gruesome armor cracked at the
impact, and Lenalee used the rebound force to take her high into the air.
Flipping in a slow back layout, she waited until she was almost at the peak of
her jump before shouting out to her partner.

�� LOLEK!
Knock it back toward the fountain!�

�� He looked up,
nodded, and complied, a fierce look of determination on his pale face. He broke
through its defenses with a speed that rivaled Kanda�s and had it flying back
toward the fountain the second Lenalee hit the top of her jump.

�� INNOCENCE!�
She shouted, and it lit up, ready to heed her orders. �LEVEL THREE: PIERCING
HEAVENS!� She shot down like a rocket, wind whistling like a teakettle in her
ears. Faster than the speed of sound, she drilled into the Akuma, passing
through it as if it were a bowl of pudding. She landed easily but hard on the
ground and took off at a run, grabbing Lolek�s gauntleted arm as she did so.
The Level Four Akuma exploded in their wake, destroying what was left of the
fountain. They hit the ground with the force of the aftershock, and water from
the destroyed centerpiece drenched them, but other than a few scrapes and
bruises, they seemed to be fine. Not trusting that to be the last one, Lenalee
stood up as quickly as her sore body would allow her, once again scanning the
square. She waited, shifting her gaze warily past the surroundings. In her
peripheral vision, she saw Lolek get up and do the same.

�� Noise flooded back
into the world as the Akuma�s dying flames calmed to nothing, and Lenalee let
out a breath, relaxing.

�� I think that was
the last one,� she said, her breathing still hard from exertion.

�� Lolek relaxed as
well, deactivating his Innocence before turning and gaping at Lenalee, his
mouth open in shock.

�� You� just
destroyed a Level Four� on your own?� He asked.

�� No, I had your
help,� Lenalee replied simply, shooting him a cheerful smile.

�� I didn�t do
anything; I just put it at the right angle for you.�

�� That�s helping!�
Lenalee remarked, still smiling. The Polish man sighed, shaking his head.

�� How did you get
so strong, anyway?� He asked her. �Was everyone from your time like you?�

�� No, I was a
General,� she responded simply.

�� Lolek�s eyes bugged
out, and his jaw dropped again. �Bitte?� He cleared his throat. �I mean�pardon me?�

�� I was a General.
Wasn�t it recorded?� Lenalee asked, now curious as to how much of their history
had been preserved. Not mentioning that Allen was sharing a mind with the
Fourteenth Noah was one thing, but leaving her off of the list of Generals was
different. She had worked hard for that position, and though it had taken her
from Allen�s group, which had essentially become her family, she was immensely
proud of it. She didn�t particularly care if her name was left off the page,
but she had known for a fact that Lavi had been doing the historical records
for the Order at that point. She�d have to ask him about that later.

�� No, I don�t
remember seeing it in any of the archives, but it�s possible I missed it,�
Lolek responded, sounding sheepish, as if he had missed something vital and was
now being scolded for it.

�� Don�t be upset
about it, Lolek, I�m just wondering why Lavi kept it out of the official
records Zhang xiong�that�s
Komui�made him write.� Lenalee had to smile a bit at the memory. Toward the end
of the war, there had been so much paperwork that Komui had had to go to the
Exorcists for help.

�� You really miss
your brother, don�t you?� Lolek asked softly as they began to walk away from
the square and back to the hostel they were staying in.

�� It�s like half of
my world has been torn away from me,� Lenalee said, her voice dropping to a
dynamic much quieter than Lolek�s. She felt a warm pressure on her shoulder and
realized the other Exorcist had wrapped his arm around her, pulling her close.
It wasn�t like Lavi�s flirting, or like Allen�s silent comfort; it was
something different, like an older brother offering support to his younger
sister. Lenalee felt some of the grief she was feeling lessen a tiny little
bit.

�� I know what it�s
like, losing a sibling,� he said, his voice cracking on the last word. Lenalee
turned her head to look at him and saw he was on the verge of tears.

�� Feeling like she
was prying, she asked quietly, �who?�

�� His response
didn�t come at once, and Lenalee understood that he was fighting back the tears
that seemed to want to roll down his face. Even now, his eyes were swimming
with them. �My little sister,� he finally croaked. In his voice was a grief so
deep that it threatened to eclipse Lenalee�s own.

�� She didn�t press,
and she hadn�t expected him to continue, so she was shocked when, as they
settled in their small room in the hostel, he began to speak again as if no
time had passed at all since their conversation had lulled into silence.

�� She was an
Exorcist, too. We were twins, so we both had parasitic-type Innocence. They
both formed gauntlets, and we fought extremely well together. The Generals
often commented on our impeccable teamwork. We had a very strange bond. Not
only were we connected by the same blood, we were connected by the same
Innocence. I really am only half the man I was after she died. I can�t activate
my Innocence as well as I could before, because, well, there�s only half of it
now.� He stopped to take a breath, and Lenalee put a hand on his arm
comfortingly, hoping it would take away the sting her next question would
create.

�� How?�
She needn�t say anything else.

�� We were on a
mission�we were looking for one of the last pieces of Innocence. I think we
were somewhere in Brazil. I can�t remember�� his lips turned up in a wry smile.
��all of my memories from that time have gotten a bit hazy. But I do know that
we had the Innocence. She was carrying it for us. She always told me that I�d
drop it and then we�d have to report back to Smith with nothing. It was our
little joke.� He cleared his throat loudly. �We thought all of the Akuma were
gone�and they were�so we deactivated our Innocence, glad to have the job done.
We hadn�t been expecting our enemies to be human, too. After he flung my sister
to the ground with crazy strength, he destroyed her Innocence. And then he
found the Innocence we�d just recovered, too, and he got to it. It was after
that that the Order checked its archives and found out all about you guys and
your fight with the Noahs and the Earl. We all thought it was just a myth�the
part about the Noah Clan, anyway. Any Exorcist knows about the Earl, but no one
thought about the people who had fought with him or about the Exorcists who had
fought against him.�

�� Lenalee patted his
arm again before moving her hand to rub circles onto his back. When she looked
up at his face, Lolek had a solitary tear following the flow of gravity toward
his chin.

�� No one knew who
Allen Walker was until the archives were uncovered. And the
Noahs. There used to be so many. But most of them had been killed. Maybe
that�s why they were forgotten.�

�� Lenalee thought
she heard a small note of resentment in his voice as he talked of the Noahs.

�� What was her
name?� Lenalee asked, hoping she wasn�t being rude.

�� Lolle,� he said.
�That�s actually a German name, but since our mother was German� Anyway, Lolle
was a doll. She looked very similar to me�hell, we were twins after all,
fraternal as it was. I always thought of her as perfect. Lolle was my light,
and she was extinguished as easily.�

�� You miss her more
than you let on.� It was a statement. No one needed to question the man�s
grief.

�� Like you said, a
gaping hole in my heart.�

---

June 15, 2013�Nice, France

�� Lavi shed his
outer jacket the second they stepped into the air-conditionned
room of their hotel. It had been another exhausting day. After meeting Road,
they had scoured the city again, along with the coast and neighboring areas.
The day before, they�d done Monaco, and tomorrow, they would check at the
hospitals again. They�d checked everywhere except the water itself, which was
what found him and Kanda back in their room with skin-tight
numbers Amanda and Darcy had called wet suits. Proceeding to throw off the rest
of his clothes, he heard a shocked grunt from Kanda�s position a few meters
behind him.

�� Bathroom,� he
heard the other Exorcist mumble, and a second later, the door half-slammed.
Lavi chuckled despite himself and pulled on the wet suit. It was a dark blue,
which he thought went magnificently with his red hair. As he grabbed the mask
Amanda had bought, though, he wondered what he would do about his eye. He
didn�t want the others to have to see that, especially not Kanda. Lavi blinked
in confusion. Why not Kanda? What was so different about him than anyone else?
But try as he might, he couldn�t push back the feeling of� the feeling. Why was he feeling? He tried to push it back again, but the stubborn thing
wouldn�t budge, and Lavi started to panic. He was a Bookman, he couldn�t do
something as reckless as feel�but
there it was, that feeling of nervousness that Kanda would see what was under
his eye patch, would be repulsed by
it. And for some reason, that was the scariest thing Lavi could think of, try
as he might to keep it at bay.

�� Still
contemplating his choice of headgear, he heard the bathroom door squeak open.
Glad for a distraction, he turned to look at the emerging Exorcist. His jaw
dropped. If he had thought Yuu had looked good in those tight pants Amanda had
made him wear, then he obviously didn�t know what �good� was. Lavi was
instantly glad for his perfect, photographic memory, as he would undoubtedly be
living this moment again many times. Kanda had always looked really good in black,
but the wet suit was even darker than his Exorcist uniform, and it left
absolutely nothing to the imagination. Lavi, with his better-than-perfect
vision, could see every contour, every muscle beneath the skin-tight garment.
His gaze shifted down, and he admired Kanda�s muscled legs, but as he was
looking up again, he caught himself. Blushing, he turned away, hoping the other
man hadn�t realized that Lavi had been blatantly checking him out. He heard the
fabric of the wetsuit move as Kanda shifted a little bit. Lavi bit at his lip.
He had realized in that exact moment why he had kissed the other man when Yuu
had held him so desperately. He realized why his heart pounded sometimes when
he passed Kanda in the hall. He was attracted to Kanda. It was the first time
he had actually, truly been attracted to someone. Even though he flirted with
women and admired them for their beauty, he had never actually felt drawn to
them, because, of course, that wasn�t allowed. For a Bookman, the sex drive was
fatal, and Lavi felt weak even admitting that he had fallen prey to it.

�� And really, he
should have realized that he was attracted to the other man already. After all,
they had kissed before. He thought back to that time.

---

June 21, 1889�The
Dark Order, Main Branch

�� Everyone was in a
rush, eating food, talking with friends, cramming in some extra sleep. Because that night, they went to war. Or rather, battle.
Lavi and Bookman wrote and condensed as many logs as they could. Lenalee was
sitting nervously in the dining hall, talking with friends. When she wasn�t
there, she was with her brother, grabbing his arm possessively, as if assuring
them both that she would survive. Allen was stuffing his face as much as
possible, trying to get as much energy as he could. And Kanda� he was probably
training with Mugen or meditating in his room. Krory sat and ate with Allen,
and Lavi couldn�t remember where Miranda and Chaoji were. Noise sat in the
library, concentrating on nothing, relaxing in the peace and quiet. Lavi very much
wished to do the same, but he knew he wouldn�t have time. His hand was already
cramping from overuse, and he and Bookman were nowhere near ready to leave yet.
Lavi shuddered at the thought of having to miss his last few hours of free
time. He knew many of his coworkers would die, and though he didn�t care if
they were there or not, he knew it was uncharacteristic of his current persona
to be missing.

�� With a small
flourish, Lavi finished the log he was working on, and when he went to grab
paper for the next one, he almost ran into Bookman. The small man patted him on
the arm�he was too short now to reach Lavi�s shoulder.

�� You should go
eat, Lavi. You�ll need your strength for later, as you are a far better fighter
than I. Just remember to stay objective,� Bookman said, his voice as grim as
his face.

�� Lavi nodded and
patted the man�s shoulder. �Don�t worry, Old Panda, I�ll be fine. You won�t
lose your successor to this war. Besides, I�m famished. See ya
later!� He turned and left, waving absently behind him.

�� Walking down the
ever-familiar corridors to the dining hall, Lavi let his mind wander, thinking
through the odds of survival, as he had many times that day. However he looked
at it, they weren�t promising. He grimaced to himself and then fixed on his persona�s
usual small grin.

�� When he was
halfway to his destination, he saw a movement in one of the side rooms. The
hairs on his neck prickled, and his hand went to his hammer. It was probably
just his paranoia doing weird things to his head, but he was sure that he was
in danger. Creeping back to the side room, he peeked through the crack in the
door. His eye widened as he realized someone was right there on the other side.

�� Move, Baka Usagi,� the other person said, and
Lavi relaxed immediately. It was only Kanda. Deciding he�d tease the man for
what might very well be the last time, he pushed the door inward, making the
other man move backward. He heard a growl and grinned playfully.

�� Don�t think so,
Yuu-chan!� He said cheerfully, entering the dark room.

�� And suddenly, it
hit him. This was probably the last time he�d ever see Kanda alive. He didn�t
particularly care if the man survived or not, but the fact was that he would
miss the man�s presence. It wasn�t a feeling, per se, but it nagged at the back
of his head. What if he never saw the guy again? Abruptly, panic hit him. He
didn�t want that, Bookman or not. He didn�t even realize what he was doing as
he grabbed the Japanese Exorcist by his upper arms and pinned him to the cold,
stone wall next to the door. The man gasped in surprise as Lavi roughly forced
their lips together. It was awkward and hard, but it was intense, and he felt
something very foreign in the pit of his stomach. Pulling back almost
immediately, he growled, �don�t you dare
die, you idiot,� and marched swiftly out the door and down the hall. By the
time he made it to the dining hall, his heartbeat was almost back to normal,
and he had repressed the panic he had felt just moments before. He even managed
to forget that strange sensation that had risen from the pit of his stomach
through his chest.

---

June 15, 2013�Nice, France

�� Pulling himself
back to the present, he muttered to himself, �I can�t believe I didn�t realize
it sooner.�

�� Realize what?�
Came Kanda�s voice, and Lavi flinched as he realized that the Japanese Exorcist
had moved in front of him and was now waving his hand in front of Lavi�s eye.

�� Er� that I look damn good in a wetsuit,� he replied
hastily. Kanda�s eyes narrowed, but he let the subject drop. They pulled their
Exorcist jackets over their swimwear and headed out.

�� They walked
leisurely over to Amanda and Darcy�s room and knocked. Lavi thought he�d heard
raised voices, but they stopped the moment Kanda rapped on the wooden door. A
moment later, the other two Exorcists emerged, and as a group, they walked down
the stairs, through the glass door, and down the main stair to the main lobby.
Nodding politely to the receptionist, Lavi followed the rest from the building,
trying not to stare at Kanda�s back. He was failing miserably, and he finally
gave it up as a bad job. If he was going to be attracted to Kanda, he might as
well enjoy the view.

---

�� The Finder stood
expectantly in front of two tank-things. Lavi quickly asked Amanda what they
were, and she responded, saying they were oxygen tanks. That peaked Lavi�s
interest. He really had so much to learn. Even if he was no longer the Heir to
Bookman�he winced inwardly at the thought�he still had an insatiable curiosity.

�� The Finder, seeing
that Lavi and Kanda were clad in wetsuits, handed them each a cylinder and a pair
of strange shoes much like the ones Lavi had seen in the swim shop. The Finder
proceeded to explain the mechanics of scuba diving. After a long afternoon of
instruction, Lavi and Kanda found themselves going for a test dive. Nothing
went wrong, and the Finder declared them proficient.

�� The next morning,
Lavi and Kanda found themselves on a sailboat off the coast of the neighboring
town, Juan les Pins. Surrounded by white cliffs and clear, blue water, the two
prepared to dive.

�� Don�t forget, if
there are Akuma, resurface!� Amanda shouted, waving at them from the other side
of the boat. Kanda scowled at the girl, obviously annoyed at being reminded for
the twenty-sixth time.

�� Yes, we get it,
Amanda! And if you need help, use the radio,� Lavi yelled back. They had
decided early on that two of them would search beneath the water while the
other two stayed above to watch for Akuma. Since Lavi and Kanda were both more
experienced than the other two in finding Innocence, it made sense that they
were forced to dive. Actually, Lavi was looking forward to it. It was his goal
to try everything at least once, if he could.

�� Noting the set
face of the Japanese Exorcist roughly four centimeters from his left shoulder,
Lavi realized it was time to enter the water, and he fell backward immediately.
He watched as Kanda did the same only moments later, and he heard the muted
crashing noise as his companion plunged below the surface. Turning so he was
parallel to the ground, Lavi had to admire the view. Dark green algae carpeted
the sea floor, but Lavi could see hints of the white sand beneath it. He had to
smile as he saw a chair upside down on the algae. It seemed to have been there
for a while, as plant-like organisms were beginning to grow on its metallic
surface.

�� One and a half
hours passed swiftly and uneventfully. They had scoured only a small portion of
the large bay, but they had a few days to work on this spot, and Lavi had a
good feeling about it. With only a quarter of an oxygen tank left each, they
turned upward to rest and replace the cylinders. On their seventh trip to the
surface, something caught Lavi�s eye, and he grabbed Yuu�s wrist as the man
made to swim up.

�� Wait, Yuu-chan,�
he said, using the radio for the first time the whole day. It had been
uncharacteristic of him to be so quiet, but the Finder had drilled into them
the importance of radio silence. If someone had to say something important, it
would be best if people realized right away. Interrupting the silent radio
would be the perfect way to get another�s attention. So, reluctantly, Lavi
hadn�t spoken all day.

�� Nan desu ka, Baka
Usagi?� Kanda growled over the radio, his voice made tinny.

�� Er, look over there, Yuu-chan,� he said, pointing with his
left hand�the one that wasn�t holding Kanda�s wrist. �Do you see that?� Lavi
could see some sort of sparkle surrounded by polluted waters.

�� Yanking his wrist
from Lavi�s grip, he yelled, �see what?�

�� Oh, I forgot your
eyes suck,� Lavi said drily. He looked over at Yuu and was surprised to see the
other man holding his wrist to his chest, as if he had been burned by Lavi�s
touch. His posture, even under water, seemed stiff, and Lavi immediately became
worried. Had he hurt Kanda? Remorse filled him as immediately as the worry had;
Lavi wondered vaguely why he was feeling anything at all. It didn�t make sense.
Pushing that from his mind�there was a more pressing situation right now, and
Lavi could always introspect some other time�he began to swim toward the small
glimmer of light.

�� Where the hell
are you going, Lavi?� The other Exorcist hissed icily. Lavi didn�t understand
why he was so mad, but he pushed that from his mind, too, instead deciding to
answer him calmly.

�� I saw a glimmer
up there. You�ll be able to see it in a minute. I�m thinking it may be the
Innocence, so let�s check it out. If we need to go to the surface and swim back
above water, then that�s what we�ll do. Come on, you want to get out of the
water as much as I do, and if this is the Innocence, then we won�t have to go
back in again.�

�� Lavi�s argument
met no resistance, and the two of them swam rapidly toward the light.

�� Lavi had been
correct; it was the Innocence. After a moment, the two of them had it out of
the pipeline that led to the water purification plant. The water around the
pipe began to clear, and the dark aura surrounded Lavi and Kanda as they swam
back to the boat. With only three minutes left in their oxygen tanks, they
surfaced and climbed onboard.

�� Where the hell were you guys?� Amanda yelled worriedly, smacking them
both the second they had their gear off. Shivering in the late afternoon sun,
they grabbed the towels she threw at them thankfully. Darcy came up behind her,
grabbing her around the waist.

�� That�s enough,
Amanda. They got the Innocence, so that�s��

�� That�s what,
Darcy? All that matters? They could�ve died! All for some
fucking Innocence!�

�� Feeling oddly
emotional, Lavi stood up. �This is a war,� he told them firmly. �Sometimes
sacrifices have to be made. What if this Innocence is the Heart? It�s
definitely worth dying to obtain.�

�� But what if it�s
not?� Amanda screamed, tears filling her eyes. Lavi was taken aback. Amanda was
usually good-natured, and she was rarely this emotional.

�� Amanda,� Darcy
said, holding her tighter. �Calm down.�

�� She clammed up
immediately. Hanging her head, she let out a frustrated growl. Then, lifting
her head again, she looked them in the eyes (or, in Lavi�s case, eye). �Sorry
guys,� she said in a sad approximation of her usual, cheerful tone. �I�m a
little emotional �cause I�m on my period.� Darcy
blanched as Lavi�s face burned with a blush. Looking a meter to his right, he
saw Kanda�s face light up as much as his own. He felt that strange thing at the
bottom of his stomach again, but he ignored it like he had his earlier
emotions. Life was easier to deal with when he didn�t feel.

�� They reached the
shore, and Amanda surprised them all by throwing off her shirt. Of course,
being Amanda, she wasn�t wearing a thing under it. All three men looked away.
The Finder was still tending to business.

�� Time
to go topless beach swimming!� Amanda shouted, swinging her shirt above
her head like a lasso and then launching it at Darcy, who caught it absently.
He was too busy staring at the American girl to do much else. �Oi, Darcy! Don�t stare!� Amanda scolded, coming up to the
man and poking his bare chest (he was wearing swimming trunks).

�� Im�possible,� he muttered. Amanda�s face softened slightly
before becoming mischievous. Throwing herself at him abruptly, she wrapped her
arms around him and pressed herself closely to his chest. Darcy froze, and Lavi
was forced to stop the laugh bubbling up his throat. This entire situation was
entirely too hilarious for him to contain himself. Poor Darcy didn�t even know
what to do with himself.

�� Amanda pushed back
and ran over to Lavi, breasts bouncing. Lavi wasn�t interested in the least. He
would have to add that to the list of things he was going to introspect about later.
She hugged him tightly as well, and Lavi pulled her enthusiastically closer to
him, jokingly pressing a kiss on her sun-browned cheek. A squawk of indignation
followed this action, and Lavi saw Darcy�s face growing very, very red. He let
go of Amanda hastily. He had underestimated this man�s affections for the girl.
She let him go and winked at Darcy before turning to Yuu. Kanda looked
horrified as she hugged him, too, and he froze in place like a statue. Even
after she had run into the beautiful, sparkling waves of the ocean, he stood as
still as ever, as if he would never move again. His expression was one of
utmost dread and horror. A pang hit Lavi�s heart, but it was different this
time. It made him want to� hit something�or someone� like Amanda. He sighed. Yet another thing to introspect about. He walked over to
stand next to Kanda, fully prepared to act as the other man�s shield until he
came back to the land of the living, and he watched on as Darcy followed
Amanda�s example and threw himself into the waves.

---

June 16, 2013�A
Train Station in London

�� It had been a long
trip�shorter than the ones Lenalee was used too, but still long. The two of
them were waiting for a Finder to come pick them up in one of the Order�s
sports cars. Lolek had gone to get a drink from one of the brightly-lit
machines, but Lenalee had lost sight of him in the crowd. She waited patiently
for the older Exorcist, leaning against one of the walls and watching the
hustle and bustle as people ran about the main entrance. She was shocked when a
group of three men approached. They were all bearded and seedy-looking, with
ripped and hanging clothing that looked more suited for sleepwear than for
anything else. Lenalee tried to ignore them. She knew, if she activated her
Innocence, she would be more than capable of taking care of them, but she
didn�t want to draw any attention to herself if she could help it.

�� Still they
approached, and Lenalee began to suspect that they were Akuma. No one else
would even think of approaching her. Especially since Komui had basically
abused his power in the Vatican to make her virtually untouchable. Her heart
skipped a beat as she realized what the year was again. No one here knew about
Komui, so she would probably be having problems with lascivious men again.
Parting her lips, she drew in a breath, ready to activate her Innocence the
second it was needed. Akuma or not, she�d take care of these men with her Dark
Boots. People should know that women
Exorcists shouldn�t be touched, she thought.

�� Hey, you�re kinda pretty,� the man in the middle said. He was, if
possible, the sketchiest of the three, with the longest, curliest beard and a
printed shirt that made Lenalee want to blush. The man leaned up against the
wall, getting uncomfortably close. She could smell his sweat this close, and she tried to keep her nose from pinching. �How
�bout you come with us and have a little fun, eh?� He leaned in a bit closer,
and the other two men laughed as Lenalee shrunk back.

�� But before she
could think of an appropriate response, a hand slammed down in front of the
man�s face.

�� Keep your filthy
hands off my sister!� Lolek hissed menacingly, his arms covered in the
gauntlets of his Innocence. They glowed with the green light of activation, and
Lenalee knew he was seconds from killing�or at least maiming�these men.

�� The men looked
shocked for a moment before the one harassing Lenalee laughed.

�� You don�t look
like �er brother, mate,� he said. �Looks like you
jus� wanna have some fun wit
�er, too. Sorry, mate, but we saw �er first.�

�� That was all it
took. Before Lenalee could even blink, Lolek had the man by his throat against
the wall. Lenalee became aware of just how silent
the bustling place had gotten. Glancing around from the corners of her eyes,
she noticed that many passersby had stopped to look at the fight about to break
out.

�� I dare you to say
that again, Arschloch.� Lolek�s voice was quiet, but it was
deadly venomous in a way that rivaled Kanda on a bad day. The man struggled to
breathe as Lolek lifted him far from the ground. Lenalee, realizing just how
bad the situation could get, grabbed Lolek�s left bicep, squeezing it tightly
to get his attention. Lolek looked down at her.

�� It�s okay, Brother. Let�s just go. They�re not worth your
trouble,� she said, staring deeply into his eyes, trying to make him
understand. Reluctantly, Lolek let the man drop unceremoniously to the floor.
Activating her Innocence, Lenalee stepped around Lolek and kicked the guy in
the stomach.

�� You�re lucky I
stopped him,� she said, and grabbing Lolek�s arm, she quickly led the man
outside.

---

June 15, 2013�The
Dark Order, Main Branch

�� Did you think I�d
sit by idly as you whipped Allen�s body to shreds?� The
Fourteenth sing-songed at the black woman in front of
him. He knew Allen well enough to know that he would�ve waited until she
had stopped attacking, would have let her all but whip him to death, rather
than fight back. But the Fourteenth himself was not very fond of pain. He
shared a body with the young man, and he had no reason to allow it to be
injured. Allen�s injuries were his, after all.

�� The woman, eyes
still wide and pupils still dilated in fear, began to shake. Fourteen laughed
again, turning it into a note with excessive vibrato. The woman dropped her
Innocence, as did the other two Generals and the three pitiful apprentices
behind them. He chuckled a little. It was so fun to mess with Exorcists. They were always so serious! And he
could never figure out why, either. I mean, sure, there was that big war that
traumatized them all, but Fourteen didn�t really care. He was just in it for
the� what was he in it for? Ah, yes,
Allen was in it, so Fourteen had to suffer through it
as well. Still, just the movements inside the Order were like a symphony, and
he just loved music. It was so
entertaining.

�� And then,
suddenly, the music stopped. An eerie sensation rolled through him, and he
noticed absently that he couldn�t move. Ah, it was Miranda. Fourteen liked
Miranda. There was no reason for it� oh, wait, maybe it was because Allen liked Miranda. Sharing a body with
the kid got very confusing, since he had such a strong will and mind. It was
almost overpowering, and he again cursed his idiot younger brother for
haphazardly throwing his precious memories into such an annoying host. Really,
Mana had been�a strong protest rang through his mind, and he decided to cut off
that thought, lest Allen regain control. Which Fourteen did not want.

�� He turned back to
the German Exorcist and smiled widely in amusement as she grabbed everyone�s
Innocence�save for Allen�s, of course�and dumped them unceremoniously in a pile
at the other side of the room.

�� Time Record,
resume the Generals!� She shouted. Fourteen cursed in his head, as he could not
move his mouth. Even more annoyingly, he could not make even a vibration in his
vocal chords. It made him sad. He needed them to vibrate with the music of his
voice. Miranda looked him right in the eye and said flatly, �Allen, what did
you promise Lenalee?� And Fourteen felt his presence
once again being overwhelmed by that stupid Bean Sprout brat with no manners�
Ah, how he loved those nicknames�

---

�� Allen forced his
presence to the front of his mind, effectively enveloping the Noah inside him.
He felt horrified. As she was leaving him, Lenalee had made him promise that he
would keep his control without them around. Guilt rushed through him. He hated
breaking his promises, especially those he made to his most important friend.

�� Sorry, Miranda,�
he tried to say, but his voice wouldn�t come out. Inside his mind, he heard the
Fourteenth croon a little song. She steeeaaals your tiiiime, she taaaakes your voiiiice, buuuut we looove her aaaanywaaaaay! Allen smirked. Realizing he could make
facial expressions, he looked at Miranda. �I�m really sorry.� This time, his
voice worked.

�� What do you mean,
you�re sorry?� The African General shouted, and Allen looked back at her. She
was looking around for her Innocence, but she couldn�t seem to find it.

�� I was talking to
Miranda, sorry,� Allen replied.

�� Who?�
General Kabbah asked. She looked around and jumped as
she saw Miranda, Innocence activated, only a little bit away. She let out a
rather birdlike squawk.

�� Miranda.
She reminded me that I promised Lenalee to make sure I didn�t lose control. I
guess I broke that promise, since the Fourteenth Noah came out to protect my
body. I�ll have to apologize to her properly when she returns. Now, if all this
is over with, may I explain a few things to you?�

�� No one responded,
but the black woman blinked, speechless. Behind her, the other Generals seemed
just as shocked. One, the Asian one, had his mouth hanging open in an
expression of surprise.

�� I am not a Noah.
Rather, my father, Mana, was the younger brother of one. When the Fourteenth
died, Mana put his memories into me. Ever since the incident where I controlled
Noah�s Ark, the Musician has made his presence known. He now sings or chants in
the back of my head. It�s mostly easy to ignore him, but he is very protective
of the body we share. I normally have a very tight control over him, so you
needn�t worry about me. Besides, if you didn�t notice, my Innocence is still
activated, and I haven�t Fallen yet, have I?

�� Did you really
think that the Dark Order would allow a Noah in its midst? I was supposed to be
a General from the time of the Ark incident, but I was almost sixteen by the
time they finally began to trust me again. I demand to have my General�s jacket
back, or I will not fight in this war any longer. It is something that I earned
on my own, and I do not appreciate that being taken away by some young hotshots
who think they can fight Akuma.�

�� Everyone else in
the room was silent. Even the Fourteenth had shut up in his mind, although his
chatter resumed a moment later. Then, the youngest General, the Asian, walked
up to Allen, passing by the middle-aged African.

�� My name is Tuan
Chu, and I would like to ask for your forgiveness,� he said, offering his hand.
Allen shook it, nodding in acceptance. The man turned to Miranda and waited a
moment before bowing his head slightly.

�� The Hungarian
General walked up to Allen soon after and offered his hand, also voicing his
regrets. Allen nodded again and turned to the lead General. She looked
obstinate and angry, and Allen knew he would get nothing resembling an apology
from her. Instead, she looked him in the eye and said, �I will accept you for
now, Allen Walker, but if you make a wrong move, my whip will be around your
throat.�

�� I am glad that will never
happen, then,� Allen replied. Looking back at the other two Generals, he smiled
and said, �how about a game of cards?�

---

A/N: Bitte, in German, means "please." In this case,
it means "please repeat that." If you can't figure out the curse
Lolek said, Arschloch means "asshole."
Sorry that Amanda's a whore again, but that's just her. I think we had
something else to say, but I can't remember. Also, sorry that these last two
chapters took a while--this one was really hard to write.
- 4
- 5
- 6
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Innocent Rain