A/N: Hey everyone, this fic has taken a looong while to come round, so please do tell us what you think! FYI, it's a collaboration between allyundefined and SoNotAnAngel.
Prolugue
A calm mist surrounded the two small, cloaked figures scaling the cliff of the Black Order's Headquarters.
"Almost there," the first one shouted to the second. "Just a few more steps."
"Oh, thank God," the second replied. "My thighs are killing me."
They climbed over the precipice and fell to their faces in exhaustion.
"We made it," the second one panted.
"We made it," the first echoed.
"Girls?" Reever's mug halted on the way to his lips. The rest of the Science Section, including Lenalee Lee, Bookman and Bookman Jr. were gathered around the cluster of screens, watching the two exhausted little figures at their doorstep.
Fifteen-year-old Sherrane Faith Taylor pushed herself off the rocky, barren ground and took in her surroundings. "Ally, get up," she told her half-sister.
"Can't," Ally May replied. "In pain."
"Ugh, I'm beginning to regret this." With much effort, Sherrane pushed herself off the ground to have a proper look. From her perspective, everything looked gloomy, dark, dull… and dangerous. The wind began to pick up again and sent a chill through her bones. She pulled her cloak tighter around her and took a few steps forward to the enormous gates.
"Do you hear bats?" Ally suddenly asked, rolling over to look up at the clouds obscuring the moon.
Sherrane spun around and found herself face-to-face with a black golem.
"Oh," she took a small step back. "Umm… we're here to see the Supervisor."
"Who're you talking to?" Ally sat up and dusted her pants off.
"Who sent you?" The girls jumped. The voice seemed to come from everywhere at once.
"Nobody sent us," Sherrane replied after catching her breath. "Our father is…" she trailed off. She couldn't speak past the lump in her throat.
"Our father was Derek Taylor," Ally offered in her place. "We've come after his…" Ally swallowed. "- after his death."
Silence filled the air and the wind seemed to feel colder, despite the girls' heavy clothes and cloaks.
"Derek Taylor?" Reever said, staring at the screen in awe. "Isn't he the weapons dealer?"
"Not just a dealer," Johnny said. "He was a Black Order scientist too! He refined the art of turning Innocence into weapons. Most of what we know is based on his research."
"He made Justice," Komui added. The room fell silent at the mention of General Cross' weapon. "But he disappeared 20 years ago, only General Cross knew of his location."
"I'd love to meet him!" Johnny piped. Then suddenly, his face fell. "But they said he died."
"So what do we do?" Reever turned to Komui. "Shitsuchou?"
Komui frowned, thinking it over. Then he seemed to come to a decision.
"The gatekeeper will examine you," the same voice spoke again.
Ally blinked. 'An examination? Father's will hadn't said anything about that', she thought. She turned to her older sister. Sherrane shrugged.
"X-RAY EXAM!!!!!" An enormous stone head set between the two gates suddenly roared to life. Its eyeballs shot out of its head to stare at the girls.
"Well, at least they didn't scream," Lavi commented to a silent Bookman. He watched the two small figures shaking in their boots but resolutely not making a sound as the gigantic gatekeeper conducted his examination.
"CLEAR!!!" the gatekeeper called.
"Open the gates, Komui spoke into the microphone. "Lenalee, will you see to them?"
"Of course," Lenalee replied.
"You better go too," Bookman said to Lavi.
"Yeah, yeah," Lavi swung his legs off the desk he had been sitting on and followed Lenalee to the door.
"Nii-chan?" Lenalee paused. "Should we tell them about the elevator?"
Sherrane couldn't suppress the awe that built up within her chest. The Headquarters of the Black Order looked even more impressive on the inside than on the outside. Ally shared the same feeling, but to a lesser degree. The fourteen-year-old was just glad to be out of the cold. She could have done without the freaky, mannequin-esque guards, though.
"Do you think they'll take us in?" Ally whispered, shivering. She couldn't shake the feeling of constantly being watched.
"Yeah," Sherrane replied, distracted by everything around her. "It's a lot warmer in here." She shrugged off her hood and cloak. Ally followed suit, a mess of red curls falling to her shoulders.
Ally yawned and rubbed her eyes.
"Sleepy?" Sherrane grinned down at her sister and redid the dark braid at the back of her neck. Ally smiled.
"Hello," a Chinese girl smiled pleasantly at them from across the hall. Her black hair had a strange green tint to it and it was tied into a pair of pigtails on either side of her head. She wore a black uniform with the logo of the Black Order. 'An exorcist', Sherrane noted.
"Yo," a boy appeared behind her. His messy red hair was held up at the forehead by a green bandana. He wore an eye-patch over his left eye, and golden hoop earrings on either ear. Both teens looked about the same age as Sherrane, though the boy might have been older.
Suddenly, the boy's eyes bugged out of his head. "STRIKE!!!" he yelled. Ally stared at him. He was absolutely adorable, but what was his problem?
"Hello," Sherrane ignored him. She smiled at them, crinkling the corners of her bright green eyes. She walked over to the pair and shook hands with the girl. "I'm Sherrane Taylor."
"Lenalee Lee," the girl replied. "And this is Lavi."
"Hey there, beautiful," Lavi took her hand and brought it up to his lips then Lenalee whacked him over the head with her clipboard. "Ouch!" he yelled. He pouted at her. Ally giggled.
"Ally," Sherrane nudged her sister forward.
"I'm Ally," Ally blushed and shook hands with them shyly.
"We'll show you to the Supervisor's office," Lenalee gestured to the steps at the far end of the hall. "Follow me."
Lenalee led them through a seemingly never-ending corridor. The way began to look brighter and as they went further in, livelier too. The silent guards gave way to the cream-colored uniforms of Finders and the white coats of scientists and researchers. The people smiled and greeted Lenalee and Lavi but generally ignored the girls.
Finally, they followed Lenalee to a messy circular room. Mounds of paper covered the floor and every other available surface in the room except for a large red sofa set before the paper-strewn desk.
"This is my brother," Lenalee led them to the tall, bespectacled man standing by the desk.
"I'm Komui Lee," he said, shaking Sherrane's hand. "I'm the Head Supervisor."
"Sherrane Taylor," Sherrane replied. "This is my sister, Ally. We… well, we have to talk to you about something." She reached into her pocket and withdrew a silver badge
"You could talk to me-" Lenalee cut Lavi off with an elbow to the ribs. He immediately fell silent, pouting and rubbing his side.
"What can I do for you?" Komui smiled, ignoring their exchange.
"We'd like to join the Order," Ally blurted out. Lavi, Lenalee and Komui stared at her. Komui was the first to recover. He smiled kindly at the girls, immediately diffusing their nerves.
"You need to be compatible with Innocence to be-"
"Not as Exorcists," Sherrane interjected. "I don't think we're the compatible type."
"As scientists?" Lenalee asked.
"As Finders," Ally answered. The rest of the room fell silent again.
"Do you understand the dangers involved with being a Finder?" Lenalee said softly. She seemed devastated by the news.
"We do," Sherrane replied. "But we're pretty good fighters. Dad taught us how to use pretty much any weapon he had in stock, so we know how to take care of ourselves."
"Maybe you could join the armory then?" Komui suggested.
"We don't know how to make anything," Ally shrugged. Then her smile turned cynical. "Dad didn't think it was right for women to work with metal."
"We do know how to use them, though," Sherrane repeated. "We could help on Finder missions in case they run into trouble."
She looked around at the small, silent crowd. "We won't take no for an answer." A determined gleam settled in both girls' eyes.
Sherrane couldn't read Komui's expression. Despite the determination within her, a small part of her hoped that they might reject her and her sister's wish. She knew it would be difficult for Ally, who had a harder, much more determined resolve, but it might be safer for them both in the long run.
"Okay," Komui said at length. "Welcome to the Black-"
"Nii-san!" Lenalee interrupted. "But they're just-"
A look from Komui silenced her.
"Welcome to the Black Order," he repeated, smiling. He picked up a small microphone and raised it to his lips. "Reever?"
"Shitsuchou?"
"We have two new Fingers in our ranks. Please show them to their rooms."
A short pause, then- "Okay."
Ally's eyes wandered to the red-haired youth sitting on the arm of the sofa. He swung his legs back and forth over its edge. He was staring right back at her, a small smile on his lips. Ally blushed and looked away. She felt a small nudge at her side and she looked up at her sister. Sherrane had a slightly amused cast to her expression.
Ally scowled, blush deepening and looked away, earning a wide grin from the brunette.
"I'll show you around," a tall, blonde man with an Australian accent appeared at the door. Ally followed him immediately, all at once wanting to be as close to and as far away from the red-headed pirate as possible.
"Thank you," Sherrane said quietly to Komui before leaving. He simply smiled at her, watching Reever fill them in on the ins and outs of the Order.
"Nii-san, they're just girls!" Lenalee began when the Taylors were out of sight. "They're even younger than the boys we take into the Order!"
"They're not much younger than you," Komui reminded her gently. "Lenalee, you know what it's like to feel the way they do."
Lenalee bit her lip to keep back an argument she knew she would lose.
"At least there are more girls around here," Lavi grinned.
Lenalee rolled her eyes, but couldn't help smiling too. It would be refreshing to have some girls around. She just hoped they stuck around long enough to make it.
End