Description: Like all parasitic-type innocence, Allen's Crown Clown is shortening his life span. Between his curse, having the essence of the 14th inside of him, and forcing his synchronization past 100 the process has sped up. How will he deal with it, and how will Lenalee react when she finds out he and Rouvelier have been hiding it from the others? Set after chapter 168 AllenxLenalee rated M for future chapters.
Side note: For anyone reading "Hear of a Kage," I'm almost done with the last four chapters, but I want to work on them some more-possibly do another draft of each to tighten up some of the language and plot points. I'll post them all at once when I'm done, probably around the 18th. In the mean time, I wanted to go ahead and work on this new story.
I do not own D. Gray Man or any characters therein.
A Bad Morning
It was early morning in the heart of London, a thick fog bank drifted across the city exaggerating the silence of the nineteenth century landscape. Only the lights lanterns on the ferry docks violated the pervading darkness. At the other end of the city, one white haired boy was already up, frustrated from another sleepless night.
Allen Walker sat alone inside the top room of the old cathedral serving as the Order's new European base. He looked out from a large, oval stained glass window. In the distance, he could just make out the giant clock tower Big Ben surrounded by fog. It was slightly after 4 am, and the sun would not be up for some time.
I'm home he thought. He had loved the old base, but something about London just made him feel like he belonged.
He turned back to the stairs when a sharp pain flared up his left arm into his chest causing him to wince in pain. His eyesight became unfocused and he nearly lost his balance before his head cleared. This was the third time it had happened in as many hours.
What's happening to me? There's nothing wrong with my innocence. I'm not hurt. What is it?
He continued towards the stone stairway careful to keep his hand on the banister in case it should happen again. Ever since the first time his innocence activated, he had suffered from similar attacks. In the past, they had always been very few and far between, usually happening after a difficult battle when he had pushed himself a little too hard. Never before had he experienced more than one attack in a single year, but the latest had been the eighth in the last two weeks.
Allen made it to the bottom of the stairs and turned down the hallway towards his own room. It was cold and a bit damp in this wing of old cathedral, he would have to ask Johnny to invest in furnace.
I thought. it was just the stress from the battle with the level 4 akuma, the move and master disappearing again, but this is getting too much to ignore. Allen thought. Maybe I should ask Komui to runs to tests. He immediately cringed in fear at his own thought. Komui was a sadist at best...on second thought he'd rather die.
I'm sure I'll be fine. It's probably nothing. He had just reached the door to his room when a voice called out to him.
"Allen Walker," called a man with sandy blond hair and a pencil mustache, "come with me."
The boy sighed as he turned to follow Inspector Rouvelier. The man was not evil, but he was one of the worst people Allen had ever known.
"Here I thought I was going to have wake you," Rouvelier said. "What were you doing wandering about headquarters at this hour anyway?" The emphasis the man put on the last part made Allen know it was an accusation and not a question.
"I uh. I couldn't sleep sir." Allen responded. "I haven't bee feeling well." The young exorcist rubbed the back of his head as the two made there way towards the new science department. "What's this about anyway?"
"I'm ordering the Science Department to run a series of tests on you. General Cross admitted that the 14th is inside of you right before he disappeared. We still don't know what that thing—YOU are capable of, and to be frank I don't trust you." The older man replied.
"I'm not a traitor, and why do you want to run these tests when it's not even 5 in the morning yet?" Asked Allen.
"WHY WERE YOU UP AND SNEAKING ABOUT?" The man yelled.
"Enough with the questions Walker, I still think your a spy. Why else would you be wandering about at this hour..." The two stopped in a still dusty corridor in the basement. Rouvelier opened a half rotted door into what Allen supposed must have been a wine cellar at one time. The big man motioned for Allen to enter then followed.
Rouvelier reached onto a shelf and pulled out a medical towel tossing it to Allen.
"Put this on then continue through those doors. I've sent for specialists from the Vatican itself to run theses tests. They're...very good at sifting out the truth..." A wicked smile formed on the ma's face as he turned and left the room.
He really creeps me out. Allen thought. He undressed quickly then threw on the towel. I'll get him one day, him and master both. They'll pay. He shook his fist in the air as he consoled himself with empty threats against the two men, then feeling somewhat better turned and walked through the door.
He descended a spiraling staircase for what seemed like an eternity before coming to a twin set of iron doors. Rouvelier was waiting for him at the bottom along with two others who were covered from head to toe with dark red cloaks.
"Who goes there?" the two asked in unison.
"Allen Walker, you umm...you sent for me right."
"You will follow us. You will say nothing unless commanded. You will touch nothing. You will obey all commands without question or hesitation." The two then turned and opened the door before proceeding in.
Rouvelier stood silently in the corner and grinned once again as Allen was forced to follow his escorts. The door closed behind boy as soon as he was through.
Allen noticed two things immediately. First, the new science department was shaped like a giant crucifix made up of towering granite arches. Second, it was dark. The only light was a pale glow coming from stained glass fixtures reaching from floor to ceiling. They were far below ground and Allen wasn't sure what was behind them to create the light, but he knew not to ask.
In front of him the two men stopped at a table and motioned for him to get on. Several others then came out wheeling monitors and trays with various equipment. As soon as Allen hopped up on the table two men forced him down as another tied down his arms and legs with leather straps.
"Do not resist," one said as he began taping electrodes to the boy's body before switching on a monitor. "it will only make it worse for you," said the man as he cinched down the straps on Allen's legs. "We are going to run a full analysis on your vitals as well as your innocence. Expect to be here a while Allen Walker."
"I wonder if he will scream." said another as he jotted down information on a chart. "It makes it so hard for me to concentrate, but they never seem to be able to take it for very long." The man shook his head as he reached for a syringe on the table.
"Do try to relax Allen; it really will go better for you that way." The man then took a blood sample out of Allen's left arm before disappearing, only to be replaced by several others.
WHY?! Allen thought for what must have been the 1000th time, why does this stuff always happen to me? What did I ever do?
Rouvelier sat behind an oak desk flipping through the pages of Allen Walker's newest medical charts. His men had finished up the tests less than an hour before and the sun was nearly halfway into the sky. The boy himself was brought to a chair opposite the inspector's desk, and was still laying there passed out. Obviously his men had not gone easy on the boy, not that Rouvelier wanted them to.
"Allen Walker!," Rouvelier shouted startling the 15-year-old, "Wake up. We have some things to discuss."
Allen's eyes slowly came open as he sat up and propped his head up with his hand.
"In-Inspector? What am I doing here?" Allen asked as he glanced about.
"You are here because your tests are over." Rouvelier said as he tossed the dossier towards Allen, "It seems that I was wrong, the 14th hasn't corrupted your soul...yet, but you are proving to be quite a liability."
"What do you mean?" Allen responded.
"I mean that your recklessness has caused your innocence to start draining away at your life force at an accelerated rate."
"WHAT?" Allen asked as slammed his hands on the oak desk, his face becoming pale. "I umm uh ho-how long do I have sir?"
Rouvelier stared at the boy with a stoic look for a long time before responding "Supervisor Komui is too soft. He would pull you out of the fight if he knew what was going on. I don't like you boy, but we cannot afford to lose your power now that Cross is gone."
He smiled briefly before looking the boy in the eye. "You are to continue fighting as long as you are alive and this war persists, that is the order of the Vatican. You may leave now."
"WAIT. YOU STILL HAVEN..." Howard Link came and grabbed Allen by the arm and escorted him out of the room before he could finish his statement.
"You will follow me Walker-san." Link said with an apologetic look.
"I deserve to know Link." Allen pleaded as the two walked back to Allen's room.
"We don't," Link said, "three months, maybe less depending on how many times you invocate your Crown Clown. If you want my advice, don't get hurt. Your innocence controls your body like a marionette when you are too injured to fight on your own. That only speeds up the process."
Allen stopped by his door and hung his head before turning to Link and saying "Don't tell any of the others ok Link? I don't want them to worry."
"Very well Walker-san." The older boy replied. "I would get dressed if I was you, you missed breakfast and if you don't want people to worry, you are already behind the eight ball."
"Huh?" Allen said as he looked down and realized he was still only wearing the medical towel. He blushed as he went inside his room and slammed the door.
End notes: This should be a relatively short story. I don't think it will last more than 6 chapters. All of which should come within a few days of one another. In the next chapter Lenalee finds out, and she is pissed...
