A/N: A tentative plot bunny I came up with about an hour ago. You're welcome.
Disclaimer: I own nothing!(:
Prologue
Time Frame — Morning of December 25th, 1895
—3rd Person POV—
~Allen~
Allen hummed softly to himself as readied himself for the day ahead, slipping on his clothes with ease and scooping up water from the basin as he proceeded to wash his face. And as he combed through his tangled hair, he couldn't help but frown at his reflection—at the glowing, white locks and the angry, red scar that had always set him apart from everyone else. For as long as he could remember, these features had defined him, but Cross—his guardian—had never once given him an explanation, despite seeming to know the history behind it all. The only thing he'd ever bothered to explain was the meaning of his left arm—Innocence.
Stormy eyes threw one last, scrutinizing glance at his appearance before he exited the bathroom, and straight into the thick envelope that smacked him across the face.
He sighed. "Good morning to you too, Master…"
"That's my birthday present to you brat," the elder Exorcist grunted from across the room, relaxed against an arm chair as he twirled a glass of wine in his hand. "Don't expect anything more!"
"Do I ever?" Allen huffed as he leaned down to pick up the envelope. Admittedly, the fact that Cross had thought to give him anything at all was a shock in and of itself. Sometimes, Allen thought him to be the devil in disguise, but somehow, he still found it in himself to be grateful. After all, if it weren't for the redheaded General, he'd still be stuck at the circus, being terrorized by that asshole, Cosimo.
Tearing it open, the now, fourteen-year-old tugged the letter out, silver orbs flitting over the small, printed words in quick succession. "A-an acceptance letter?" he stammered, astounded.
"Rose Cross Academy, mandated by the Black Order, and funded by the Vatican. It's the actual place Exorcists go to learn to train their Innocence weapons and be taught the history of the Holy War. And of course, where Central can keep tabs on them just in case another war breaks out. The apprenticeship you've had with me for most of your life is an old tradition that is no longer practiced. And if I gave a rats ass for any of the assholes that run the place, I might've stuck around to teach worthless brats like you," the General explained casually, taking a sip of his wine, acting as if he hadn't just dropped a bombshell on Allen.
The teen could only gape before he demanded, "Rose Cross Academy? The Black Order? You mean there's still more of us?! Why the hell did you make me believe that they had disbanded once the war was over?!"
General Cross took his sweet time answering as he took out a cigarette and lit it up. "Because, I wanted to be sure you were ready before you came anywhere near them." He took a drag. "They're a bunch of idealists that like to brainwash everyone into thinking that they're God's gift to the world, but you know its history, isn't the right idiot apprentice?"
Allen nodded somberly, thinking back to all the files Cross had had him study, detailing all the sick experiments they'd performed during the war. "But they're still not…?" Allen wondered.
Cross scoffed and nodded over to another thick file that sat at a nearby table. "Guess what I just dug up on them?"
Warily, Allen stepped forward, but unwilling to touch the file, he simply leaned forward and read aloud, "The Second Exorcist Project…?"
"Greedy bastards," the General sneered. "You can read all about it on your travels. Just make sure to dispose of it before actually arriving." Cross stood and snatched the file before abruptly tossing it at him. "I'll also be leaving Timcanpy with you." The golden golem fluttered over and landed on Allen's head, but the young teen hardly noticed.
"Wait! If they're still up to everything you told me about, why did you inform them about me? Why do you want me to join them now, all of a sudden?!" Allen demanded as Cross headed for the doorway of their temporary room.
The redhead paused and briefly turned to him. "Because I've taught you everything I think you need to know. Despite the Order's bloody history, the other Generals at the Academy are competent enough to teach you more, if you want to continue hunting for the Strays. I was just making sure you wouldn't be brainwashed."
The General walked through the doorway, and Allen could only stare, speechless, before Cross turned to him once more. "Also, there's one more thing I omitted from you. I never did inform you of the new Millenium Earl's human name. He goes by Neah Walker."
By the time Allen was able to process this, Cross had already disappeared.
A/N: So I was desperate to write something today, but I've just about completed all of my stories, with the exception of Incipient (I'm working on it, I promise!). For one, I knew I definitely wanted to write an Allen x Lenalee fic, because this pairing deserves more love. And I know I'll lose readers because of this, but I don't really care.
With the way things are going in canon though, I knew it'd be impossible to have the setting there, but I didn't want to write a modern AU (it just takes away from the magic, you know?). But apparently, despite it having been two years since I wrote it, I still have people wanting me to continue D. Gray-Academy, so I kind of just did a mash up of everything!(: Haha, I hope this is satisfying enough, because even if I wanted to continue D. Gray-Academy, I still haven't come up with a plot for it!(x
And I know I'm not one for prologues, but I was too lazy to write a full-length chapter.(x Also, I wanted to see how readers would respond to this new idea of mine, so leave a review and let me know!(:
P.S. If it wasn't clear, the war was won 35 years ago. This is pretty much an AU in which Neah defeated the Earl.