~ Forever ~
Komui hustled down the hallway, calling out Leenalee's name as if his life depended on it.
"Leeeeenaaaaaaaleeeeee!" I screeched, cupping his hands around his mouth.
"Jeez, Supervisor, what do you want to see Leenalee about so badly?" asked an executive.
"I need to show her something~" he piped.
Scuttling down the hallway, he entered the cafeteria where he saw Leenalee at a table with all her friends. "Brother, what are you screaming about so early?" she huffed, annoyed.
"I want to show you something, now hurry~~~" he yelled.
With an agitated sigh, she stood up and followed her brother to the elevator. Pushing a series of buttons, the elevator descended to the bottom of the Dark Order Head Quarters.
"But, what's so special at the bottom of the HQ? Nothing's down here." She inquired.
"Oh, but Leenalee, something IS down here. Actually, SOMEONE is down here. And he is very dangerous, and he will possibly be joining you on a mission sometime soon." He explained, cradling his coffee mug.
"But, Nee-san, if this person is so dangerous, then why is he going on a mission?" she asked, confused.
"Because he is very powerful and can kill Akuma better than any exorcist here, other than the Marshalls." He explained. "His name is Cheshire, and his innocence has a very high synchronization rate, due to its parasitic relations to him. Right now, he's been deemed mentally insane, but we've tested him, and he seems stable enough. His innocence takes the form of black water that spouts from the air around him, and he can use it to morph his body or turn it into weapons or projectiles. He can instantly become very small, or the size of a sky-scraper in a matter of moments." He explained, more joyfully then necessary.
"But, Nee-San, why has he been deemed mentally insane?" she asked, wearily.
He suddenly turned very serious, almost grave. He hesitated, almost looking as if he'd told her too much already. "5 years ago…well, he always fought Akuma with this girl. Her name was Alice. You know, Bak-Sama's Sister? Right, well they were the best of friends. They shared everything together. When they were children, they shared toys, and when they were teenagers, they shared meals, feelings and inner-most thoughts. They knew everything about each other." He began. A shadow passed behind his eyes, almost as if he were considering whether to continue or not.
"Well, one day…they had both gone out on a mission. They did it all the time, and it was just like any other; a sighting of some Akumas around a nearby town. Well, they never made it to the Akumas. A few hours later, Cheshire returned with her….. Most of her in his arms. Her arms and legs were missing, gaping wounds left untended. She looked as if she had been run over by a train. Bak-sama went up to him, and asked him what had happened." He was barely murmuring the words now.
"What did he say…?" she whispered, her voice cracking and shaking.
He paused for a moment, and said,"He said that he had killed her."
Cringing at the look of bemused horror on Leenalee's face, he continued.
"Bak called him a bastard and asked him why he did it. He only responded that he did it merely because he had wanted to. Several trials after that and we were convinced he had done it only because he had wanted her dead. We were all confused as to why he would kill his best friend, but he wouldn't answer. It was always the same. 'Because I wanted to.' We deemed him mentally insane, and have locked him into a high-security room at the bottom of the establishment. If he would kill his best friend, he would have no problem killing a complete stranger." He finished.
Leenalee was violently shaking and looked as if she'd throw up. "But…if he's such a monster, then why is he alive?" she murmured.
"Because Hevlaska believes him to be a potential Marshall. We're pressed for exorcists already, so there's no way we'd give up a chance for a Marshall." He explained.
The Elevator ground to a halt at the very bottom of the HQ. They stepped off and followed a long hallway to the very end, where there was only one room. They walked inside, presenting a wall of glass, with a table full of mechanical controls and blinking monitors. Inside was an extendedly decorated room, full of plush pillows and books. Inside the room was empty.