A Memory Not Soon Forgotten - Chapter 1
Lavi extended his hammer to a size five or six times his own, smashing it down with all his strength. In an instant, the opposing Akuma disintegrated into a pile of nothing. With a clumsy smile on his face, Lavi rested the handle of his hammer across his shoulder as it moved to its original size.
"Well that was easy!" he blurted. He looked over his shoulder. "Hey Allen! You done yet?"
Allen's claw ripped through the final demon and he returned Lavi's stare. "Yeah, thanks for the help."
Lavi shrugged. "Hey, I helped. And you looked like you had it covered." He moved the small hammer from his shoulder and placed it in its holster, brushing his hands together to clear them of the dust.
"Well, there wasn't any Innocence here. Should we head back?" Allen queried, the Crowned Clown no longer in sight.
Lavi shrugged again. "Guess so. It's not like we have anything better to do."
"Allen! Lavi!"
Lavi leaned back a bit, his head staring upside down at the black golem he'd been asked to take with them. "There's a new Exorcist at the gate. Komui wants you guys back now." It was Lenalee's voice.
Lavi turned himself right side up again and saluted. "Got it!" he replied in a cocky tone. The transmitter switched off as Lavi fixed his head band back into place. With a final adjustment to his orange scarf, he followed Allen back down the road they'd come from.
* * *
A small purple butterfly hovered over the scene of the destroyed Akuma. With a flit of its wings, it landed on the extended discolored hand that called for it.
"Well now, a new Exorcist?" the man repeated, stroking the tips of his butterfly's wings. His index finger and thumb clutched the brim of his hat as he raised his face, revealing the stigmata crosses that aligned themselves across his forehead.
"It does seem the Black Order intends to make more trouble for us." He turned his back on the scene and the opposite direction of Exorcists was the path he walked.
"I do believe it's my task now to let the Earl know," said Tyki Mick.
* * *
Lavi's footsteps came to a sudden halt when Allen stopped walking to keep himself from crashing into his fellow Exorcist. "Eh, what're we stopping for?" Allen's face was smooth, so he assumed it wasn't anything along the lines of an attack. But then why did he stop? Lavi cleared the distance between Allen and himself in a few strides and followed his line of sight. When he caught sight of what had stopped Allen's steps, he tilted his head to the side.
"The new exorcist?" he guessed.
Allen nodded his head. "Probably. But…."
"But what?" Lavi turned to his friend and froze. Allen's cursed eye was in affect and it was eyeing the girl.
"She's an Akuma?!"
Surprisingly, Allen shook his head. "Yes it's true my eye is reacting to her, but…Akuma have a soul attached to them. I can't see anything." Lavi turned his eyes back on the girl. What should they do? Chances that the girl was following the Earl were an easy 50-50. But it was just as easy a 50-50 that she really was an Exorcist.
"Hello!"
Allen looked up. She was calling to the gate as he had done when he first arrived.
"My name is Kendle Bassett and I'm here to request a meeting with a supervisor!" she called.
One of the many golems that surrounded the Black Order's large tower flicked to life and hovered over the girl's head. She smiled at the sight and held out her hand. The little golem landed on her palm without a moment's hesitation.
"May I ask who I am speaking with?" she said. So she knew what the golems were.
A pause, then, "My name is Lenalee Lee. Nice to meet you."
Kendle smiled. "Nice to meet you too Lenalee. I came to speak with a supervisor. Could you help me out?" There was another pause. Lavi guessed she was conversing with the science department or Komui.
After a moment or two, the golem lit up again. "Komui is the head of the Science Department here. He's cleared you. But if you don't mind, he'd like you to wait."
"Oh? And why is that?" Kendle didn't sound as though she was accusing or getting upset, just questioning.
"Two of our exorcists are coming back from their mission. He'd be more comfortable he said if the two of them cleared you too." Lavi braced himself, expecting the girl to be offended or start yelling at them. Instead, she surprised him yet again by smiling and releasing the golem back into the air.
"Of course, I'll wait." She collected her suitcase from the ground and set it up right, sitting down. Turning to Allen, he waited for him to decide what he wanted to do.
"Let's go." Allen stepped forward from where he'd been bystanding and walked up to the girl with a friendly expression on his face. Kendle caught sight of him almost immediately and stood up, offering her hand for him to shake.
"I'm Kendle Bassett," she greeted. Well at least she was friendly when she spoke to people in person. "A Miss Lenalee told me two of the Black Order's exorcists were coming back and a Komui wanted them to check me out. Make sure I wasn't evil or something along those lines." She chuckled. "Can I assume you are them?"
Allen took her head and shook it formally, giving her a smile Lavi could tell was slightly forced. He seemed comfortable though, like being around her wasn't a problem. "I'm Allen Walker. And this is Lavi."
Lavi waved childishly, giving her a smile. "Nice to meet ya." Kendle smiled.
"Oh, so you're Lavi." Lavi blinked, straightening his back. This girl knew who he was? How?
"How do you-"
"Oh, I've heard of you before," she explained, releasing Allen's hand and reaching down to take hold of her suitcase. "Well Allen? Do I pass?"
Allen flinched. "Oh right…Yeah. I don't see a problem." He replied.
Kendle clapped her hands. "Yay~ Alright, Lenalee I pass!" she called up to the golem that continuously hovered above her.
"Kay, gate open."
The gate clashed with the rock walls as it slid open. Kendle adjusted her suitcase in her grasp once more before walking inside. She seemed fascinated with the place, a smile always on her face. He took another look at Allen: his eye was acting up again. Lavi turned to Kendle, trying to find what was wrong. They'd already deduced that she wasn't an Akuma of any sorts; the lack of a soul attached to her body was obvious proof of this. So…just who was she?
* * *