Chapter 1: Allen Walker
"I don't know where she thinks I could go," I say thoughtfully, looking around, my hands on my hips. "There's nowhere else. Just here." After a pause, I shrug and turn, starting to walk slowly around the building, "Here and wherever everyone goes when they leave. But I don't know how to get there." Leenalee had told me to make sure I stay close when I came outside, like she always does when she can't come with me. But really, I wouldn't even know how to go anywhere else even if I had the desire to.
But, I suppose, I do have the desire to. I think I'd like to go where everyone else goes. They always come back with stories. But I don't have any of my own stories. I've never left the Black Order headquarters. Not in my entire life.
Which is twelve years, by the way. My name is Levi, I'm twelve years old, and I have red hair that I always tie up in two ponytails like Leenalee's, and green eyes. I'm not sure how tall I am or how much I weigh – I can never remember, even though the doctor's told me every time I get a checkup. I do remember that I'm apparently small for my age.
I grew up here, at the Black Order, with the exorcists taking care of me. I suppose my real parents are dead, or maybe they just didn't want me. I never bothered to ask, because I have the perfect family already. One way or another, someone decided that I belong with the exorcists, and that's all that really matters.
"Is this really the right place, Timcampy?" a strange voice wonders. I gasp, spinning around. A stranger is here?! How?!
I come face to face with a boy several years older than me, with a strange mark on his eye and white hair. I quickly slap both my hands over my forehead – oh yeah, I also have a weird birthmark on my forehead that's in the shape of a star. Nobody really cares, but I've been warned by several people to never let strangers see it.
But why is a stranger here?!
I scream and turn away, running back through the front door of headquarters. By the time the door slams shut behind me, the balcony is filled with exorcists, as well as the perimeter here on the first floor. More than half of them have weapons ready. I stare at them all with wide eyes, feeling my face turning red.
"Sorry…I um, there's an outsider out there…" I lower my hands from my forehead and point over my shoulder, at the door.
Immediately, almost everyone starts asking questions and wondering.
"Did they hurt you?" Someone asks.
I shake my head and smile, "I'm okay! I ran away! Like this!" I turned and ran again, but this time without the scream, and made my way through all the people and up to the surveillance room.
"Excuse me!" a strange voice says just as I enter the room. I look at the picture that shows just outside, and see the stranger standing in front of the door.
"Nice exit, Levi," Leenalee laughs when she notices me. I blush a little bit, but don't say anything as I go over to stand beside her and everyone else who's watching the boy. "I was sent here by Priest Cross Marian. I'm Allen Walker. I would like to discuss some issues with the priests."
I giggle, "Priests." I don't know why, but I've always thought that to be a funny word. Actually, I suppose it's because priests in books take care of churches and stuff. They don't fight demons, like the exorcists do.
"A friend of the general! He's still alive after all! The boy is saying he is to be 'introduced.' Supervisor, have you heard anything?"
There's a moment of silence before Komui says, "Nope." Then he speaks into the mic so his voice is projected outside, "Take the examination from the gatekeeper behind you."
Since Allen Walker has his back to the gate keeper now, he turns back around. "Hi. Nice to meet you," he says to the gate keeper. Before he can say anything else, the gate keeper's giant face lurches forward until it's right in front of Allen Walker's face.
"X-RAY EXAMINATION. DETERMINING WHETHER SUBJECT IS AKUMA OR HUMAN," the gate keeper said as beams shoot out of its eyes and scan Allen Walker.
"Whooooa," I whisper, never having seen this before.
"Hey, come on, why didn't the girl have to do this?!" Allen Walker protests.
"Because I live here, dummy!" I yell.
"He can't hear you, you know," Leenalee reminds me.
"Where's the thingy?!" Kumoi hands me the mic and I yell again, "Because I live here, dummy!" This time, my voice echoes out of the building too, so Allen Walker hears it.
"You're an exorcist?" he says in confusion.
"HE WON'T SHOW UP?" the gate keeper speaks again before I can yell at him that I'm not an exorcist. The room falls silent, as all of us watch. "IS IT A BUG?"
Then we all see it. The star above his left eye. The gate keeper starts screaming, "THIS GUY IS OUTTA HERE! THIS GUY IS A BUG! THE PENTACLE ON HIS FOREHEAD IS CURSED! OUT, OUT! THE PENTACLE MARK IS THE MARK OF AN AKUMA A FRIEND OF THE EARL OF MILLENNIUM!"
"Wha-what?" Allen Walker starts stressing out.
"WHAT?!" Everyone in the room yells…except me. I'm silent, watching.
"INTRUDER ALERT! INTRUDER ALERT!" The gate keeper yells.
"Hey, are the Exorcists in this building…?"
"They're all okay," Robot 65 answers.
Just then, a dark shadow swoops down on Allen Walker, going in for the attack. Kanda.
"You sure have courage, coming here alone," Kanda observes.
"Wa-wait a moment!" Allen yells. "I think you've mistaken me for some—"
But Kanda's going in for the attack anyway. One of Allen's arms turns into a giant, white arm. An anti-Akuma weapon. He uses it as a shield against Kanda's sword.
I snatch the mic again and yell into it just as Kanda's going for another attack, "STOP!"
At once, everyone freezes – both the people in the room with me and the two outside. I realize I'm breathing heavily, and I swallow nervously. "Let him in," I tell Kanda and the gate keeper. "Please."
Kanda scoffs, but sheaths Mugen anyway. Over some people here, my word reigns, no matter almost what. Kanda, despite being one of the most heartless people here, or at least he pretends to be, he'll listen to me.
As Kanda leads Allen Walker inside, I push the microphone back at Komui and run out of the room, and back to the ginormous entryway. I come out on the balcony, practically throwing myself into the railing, since I don't bother to slow down.
"Why do you have that?!" I demand, yelling down to the boys. Kanda and Allen both look up at me in surprise.
"You're that girl!" Allen points out obviously, pointing up at me. Kanda scoffs again and walks away from Allen to stand against a pillar under me.
"Why do you have that?!" I demand again.
"What?"
"That!" I point to the start on his forehead. "Why do you have that star?!" He's the only person that I've ever even heard of that has a star like mine. Except mine's solid and in the center of his forehead. His is an upside down pentacle over his left eye.
"Oh, that. It's a curse. My father gave it to me when I was a kid. I can see Akuma with it," he explains. Kanda immediately steps away from the column and jumps up to join me on the balcony and starts pushing me away.
"Go," he orders.
"But-!" I try to protests, but Leenalee appears down below.
"Come on, Allen, I'll take you to see the supervisor. I'm Leenalee," she smiles at him. Between her and Kanda, I know that I won't be able to get anymore answers. Giving up, for now, I finally turn around and let Kanda push me into the hallway, and I go to the cafeteria.
