Disclaimer: I do not own D. Gray man. I assure you, if I did, I would not be writing fan-fiction.

Summary: The Second Exorcist plan was closed after the Alma Karma incident and Kanda has long since buried his pain under a mask of sheer unpleasantness. But when things become desperate, and the Order considers reopening the Second Exorcist program, Kanda might have to reopen old wounds to protect his friends from becoming victims of the Second Exorcist program themselves.

Pairings: Lavi/Kanda, minor Allen/Lenalee, Marie/Miranda

Rated: M for language and some sexual content in later chapters.

Author's Note: And here is this week's chapter. Please remember to review.

Chapter three: Reopened Talks

"Bak," Kanda's voice cut through the air, just as sharp as Mugen. The blond felt every hair on the back of his neck raise and he stopped dead in his tracks. "What are you doing here," the samurai's voice right behind him, so close that Bak could actually feel the hot breath on his neck.

Damn it, Bak spun around, shame written all over his face. He hadn't even heard Kanda come up behind him! He can be like a cat when he wants to.

"Kanda," he said, dragging a fake smile onto his face, and cursing God, Leverrier, and everybody else who had put him in this situation. "I was just coming to see how everybody was doing…haha," he trailed off into a nervous laugh, rubbing the back of his neck. Did it sound like he was lying? It sounded like a lie. Could Kanda hear it in his voice?

The idea sent a bolt of panic down Bak's spine. Kanda had never been really very tolerant of liars.

"Hmph," Kanda crossed his arms, staring at Bak. It screamed that he suspected Bak was up to something.

Bak looked up at the ceiling to avoid the chilling gaze. He knows, Bak shifted uncomfortably from foot to foot at the thought. He knows we're talking about reopening the second Exorcist program. He's pissed.

"Che. Damn slacker," The Exorcist shook his head in apparent disgust, unable to decide if Bak was lying.

The Asian Scientist immediately took the opening. He laughed again, rubbing the back of his head with a smile. "Well, it's so boring at the Asian Branch," He said, continuing on with his lie, even managing to make eye contact with Kanda again for a moment.

It was a mistake.

Immediately, the Second Exorcist's eyes sharpened, like an animal smelling fear. "Che. You're talking about it again," there was no question there; it was merely a statement.

How does he do that? Bak wondered, knowing he'd probably never know. Kanda had always been more instinctual then smart; there probably wasn't any logic or reasoning to the statement. The Japanese man just knew.

"Yes," Bak admitted. He didn't want Kanda to beat the truth out of him. "Everyone is already here," He confessed, glancing down the hall. When he turned back, he realized that Kanda's jaw had clenched. The tension rolling off of the Japanese would have probably killed a small rabbit with its intensity. He hesitated, before reaching a hand over to touch Kanda's shoulder, in a semi-comforting manor. "Don't worry. Komui and I won't let it happen," he said firmly, to hopefully sooth Kanda.

"…I doubt you can," was all Kanda said. For a moment, there was heavy silence. Then Kanda spoke again, "Do what you have to do. You people always do," he said, shaking off Bak's hand and striding down the hall.

Bak sat, staring at the documents that had been laid out in front of him, packaged neatly in two folders.

Alma Karma. Yu Kanda.

His fingers drummed against the desk, teeth clenched so tightly it was giving him a migraine. An identical copy of the folders lay in front of the other branch members. There were photos, photos that would have made anybody sick. The first photo was of two young boys, one with a smile that was like the sun, despite the blood on his arms and legs. The second boy had a face like an angel's, marred only by a scowl that had to be a devil's. There was blood on that boy too, and more of it. It ran in rivers down his chest and stomach. Alma Karma, and Yu Kanda.

Do what you have to do, Kanda's words echoed in the back of Bak's head. You people always do.

Had his parents felt like they had to do this? Had they felt like harming those boys had been something that needed to be done? Had torturing those boys been a necessity for his mother? Had experimentation on living, breathing, children so been important for his father?

You people always do.

Bak shook his head. Whatever his parents had thought, he knew what needed to be done.

Do what you have to do.

The first photos of each boy were bad.

The ones that came after were much worse. One showed a bloody body on the ground; had it not been clearly labeled at the bottom of the page, it would have been impossible to tell whose. Alma Karma. Another photo was just of an arm, attached just barely attached at the elbow by skin and a few tendons. Yu Kanda. All of the photos were the same; blood, bone, broken flesh...

The results of Alma Karma's rampage.

Yet, only three of the six people in the room looked particularly agitated. "Why the hell are we even talking about this?" Bak demanded, slamming the folder shut, unable to look at it anymore.

Leverrier smiled, and pointedly ignored the question, watching as the others looked over the files.

"It's interesting," Louis Fermi was the next one who spoke. Bak whipped his head around to glare at the Middle Eastern Branch Leader. The file on his desk was flipped open to a picture of Alma. The normally smiling face was blank, and the young boy's eyes were vacant, probably imaging that he was in a better place. It was one of the most disturbing pictures that Bak had ever seen. Bak opened his mouth to interrupt – to protest that it was not interesting at all - but a tug on his sleeve stopped him. He looked down, to see Komui staring intently at Louis.

Bak swallowed his words and folded his arms across his chest, muttering. Bastards; every last one of them!

"It's interesting, but the results are obviously inconsistent. Maybe if there had been more successes in the past it would be a viable option, but as of right now it looks like it would be just a waste of resources," the scientist said.

There was one other part to it. It was wrong, horribly, horribly wrong. But as far as Bak could tell, the Middle Eastern Branch chief didn't care about that. The Asian branch leader would have words with Fermi once this meeting was done. During the meeting if his temper was pushed much further.

"I agree," Andrew Nansen chimed in. "It would only be worth pursing if the results were more clear cut. Right now, it's an interesting concept at best. Not worth really talking about."

Komui nodded along was well, looking strained. "There doesn't seem to be any," Komui cleared his throat, obviously struggling with the lack of morality in his words, "Benefit." Bak scowled, hating the words, but knowing that Komui had to be objective in his words. These were scientists here; they dealt almost exclusively with facts. Results were key; feelings were not.

Bak grit his teeth.

Renny spoke up, next, also looking agitated. "Besides which, we already spoke about this after the incident, nine years ago. We already decided that the Second Exorcist experiment was a disaster, and that it was best to shut it down. Nothing has changed," she pointed out. Bak suddenly remembered that her father had been killed in the aftermath of Alma's rage, along with his own parents.

Leverrier continued to smile, "A lot has changed," he said very calmly.

"Like what?" Bak demanded, continuing to look restless. The whole conversation was insane. There was nothing that had changed. Even if something had changed, there was no reason to be talking about this; nothing in the world could change the fact that what had been done to those boys was evil.

The fake smile never left Leverrier's face. "Kazana Reed, Chalker Laboun," He started off.

"What he hell are you talking about?" Bak demanded.

"Tina Spark," Leverrier's voice rose over Bak's, "Gwen Flail, Sol Galen, Kevin Yeegar, Daisya Berry and Suman Dark. We have lost eight Exorcist's; one of them a General, in less than one year."

There was an intense silence in the room as that sunk in. "We lost...that many?" it was Renny who spoke. Nobody had been unaware that many lives had been lost over the past year, but it was still an incredible number. Eight lives in less than a year. Not even counting finders. But that wasn't an excuse.

"We still can't reopen that experiment again," Bak said, aiming to shut down this line of conversation as quickly as possible. "We've already burned the bodies. They're at rest now; we couldn't use them if we wanted to," And they didn't want to. Bak didn't want to anyway.

"It doesn't matter. More Exorcists will die; we need to make sure that we have resources to use them after death." Bak could see that Leverrier's silver tongue was having an effect on the others in the room. The effect was particularly visible on the Middle Eastern Branch chief and the Oceanian Branch chief. The next words hit even harder; "We are already endanger of loosing more."

At this, it was Komui who looked up, and Bak swallowed, knowing the influence that the words were having on Komui. His sister was an Exorcist, his only family…and she was in danger of dying every moment of every day. The last thing that Komui would want was for Lenalee to be forced into the Second Exorcist program.

But at the same time, more people like Kanda around would reduce Exorcist's like Lenalee's risk.

Bak scowled; this whole damn conversation was ridiculous. "So what? Shall we turn everybody into Seconds and just be done with it then?" He asked sarcastically, and was instantly gratified with a look of shame on Komui's face.

Levrrier turned to Bak, face expressionless. Bak had a feeling that was exactly what the Inspector wanted to do to the Exorcists. It chilled him to the bone. "I didn't say that," he said slowly, deliberately. Bak still wasn't sure that he believed him. "My point is, we need to keep our numbers up."

"And reopening the Second Exorcist program is the best way to do that?" Bak snapped.

Leverrier smirked at Bak, something that made the blonde's blood boil. "Yes. Reopening the Second Exorcist program would be a way to keep our numbers relatively stable. By giving them the same advantages in death as Yu Kanda, Exorcist's would be able to serve for longer periods of time."

"But-" Bak started to protest.

"If you'll look back at page thirty-four in your folder," he instructed, ignoring Bak. Bak hesitated, before reluctantly doing as told, feeling that he wasn't going to get anywhere with Leverrier just yet.

He was surprised to see that it was another photo of Kanda. Or more accurately, he was surprised to see that it was a recent picture of Kanda, taken only a year ago. He was wearing one of the older models of the uniform and was smirking at something.

It had been taken on Kanda's eighteenth birthday, Bak remembered. It had been a disaster of a day for everybody who wasn't Kanda. Lenalee had baked a cake; Kanda had refused to eat it, no matter how much she begged him to try it. In fact, the cake had ended up splattered against a wall, if he remembered correctly. Lavi had bought the man a present, which had been destroyed in Kanda's fit of rage when the redhead had started off with 'I brought you something, Yu.' He'd roared curses at Tiedoll when the General had called him son, vehemently denying that they were family, something that Tiedoll had brushed off with a smile. That had only served to infuriate Kanda more. He'd fought with the Finders over trivial things, and yelled at the Scientists for causing trouble with their experiments, before choosing to eat his dinner in his usual seat: away from everybody else.

But when asked for a picture, he'd just smirked. "If it will get you all to leave me the hell alone," he had said, eyes glimmering. Bak had never shook the feeling that Kanda had been very amused at the efforts that had taken place that day, if he hadn't outright enjoyed it.

"That is Yu Kanda," Leverrier, voice dripping like honey. "He's been with the Order for almost ten years now," Bak's jaw clenched.

"We know who he is," the Asian Branch director ground out.

He was ignored again.

"He his physically fit, healthy, and an excellent Exorcist," Leverrier continued to wrap his terrible words in silk and bows. "He has taken on over three-hundred, sixty-nine missions to eradicate Akuma of varying levels, or retrieve innocence. He has been hospitalized only twenty-one times for injuries of varying degree; that is just a little over twice a year. His average time spent in the hospital; two days," Bak was struck at how the inspector could twist facts so politely.

Hospitalized twenty-one times, since he'd started taking on missions. Not counting the hundreds of times that the boys had been left to recover on their own. Or the injuries he refused to have looked at.

"If you'll take a look at the other Exorcist's statistics at the back of your folder," Bak unenthusiastically flipped the folder to the back. He was instantly assaulted by rows of tiny numbers and columns, all of them residing next to an Exorcist's name.

"You'll notice that most Exorcists are hospitalized an average of four times a year. Combined with the fact that the average time spent in the hospital is at least a week, it becomes apparent that Kanda's regenerative ability, as well as additional strength as a Second Exorcist have benefited not only the Order greatly, but himself as well." Bak's face went from agitated pink, to about to erupting-volcano red. The only good thing about it was that the hives were starting to blend in with him complexion.

"Excuse me," Bak started, starting to stand up at the same time that Renny tilted her head listening. Louis merely raised an eyebrow and Andrew leaned forward, chin resting on his hands. Am I the only who cares? "Are you suggesting that what we did to that man benefitted him?"

He felt a hand suddenly grab at his sleeve, and looked down to see Komui had grabbed ahold of him. The Chinese man had irritatingly silent throughout the entire encounter. But looking down at Komui, he realized that he looked extremely pale. He hates this too, Bak reminded himself, but he can't say anything. "Bak," his voice was strained, "Sit, down," he said very carefully.

Bak hesitated for a moment, before doing as he was told.

Leverrier stared down at Bak "That is exactly what I'm suggesting," he said coldly. The silence that followed in the room was like that of the uninhabited artic. The silence continued for almost a full minute before Leverrier continued to talk, as if he hadn't just said one of the cruelest things he'd ever said.

"Exorcists are tools. But tools are only any good when they are whole and unbroken. By giving Exorcist's the same abilities as Yu Kanda, we would have an extreme advantage in this war!" The Inspector spoke passionately, but all Bak could hear was venom spewing from his mouth.

"What advantage," Bak roared back. "The time and money it would take would far out-way any benefit!" If he had to argue with statistics, so be it, but it wasn't going to happen damn it! "We don't have any dead Exorcists to make Second Exorcists out of either! Even if we did, it would take years to make bodies for them! Not to mention the fact it would take even longer for them to learn how to use the innocence again! Their Sync rate would be unstable at best; as would anybody who we forced into the program! Look at Alma!"

The Inspector spoke more calmly, "Look at Kanda. He is successful. Thanks to your family. And that is why you, Mr. Chang, will be heading this experiment," Leverrier jabbed a finger at the Chinese man.

"Me?" Bak pointed to himself to make sure that he was being heard correctly. What was wrong with this man? Was he not making himself clear? There was no way in hell he as doing this! He would never do something like that to an Exorcist.

He was not his mother; he was not his father. He wouldn't - couldn't - do that to anybody.

"Your family's spell is what made the regenerative ability possible in the first place, isn't it?" Bak was silent; it was true. He cursed his family mentally for putting him in this position. "And the Second Exorcist program wouldn't have been possible without that ability."

"…Yes," Bak admitted, staring down and once again cursing God, Leverrier and everybody else who had put him in this position. "But-" he tried.

"Then why shouldn't you head this experiment?"

Because it was immoral. It was terrible. It was something that only the devil would suggest. None of those arguments would hold up against Leverrier though. Bak struggled for words, struggled for a way out, "We…lost all of information regarding the regenerative ability during Alma's rampage," he tried to reason with Leverrier. "The Second Exorcist wouldn't succeed without it."

"Then you will rebuild the information," Leverrier said calmly.

"From scratch?" Bak demanded, "That would take years! We would be better suited in building them better equipment," He protested.

"We don't need to build from scratch," Leverrier said coldly. "We already have a working model; you can use that as a base to rebuild."

For a moment, Bak didn't understand at all. No, it was more actuate to say that he just didn't want to understand what was being asked of him. His words were slow, deliberate, "You want me…to use Kanda…to rebuild the regenerative power…to make more Second Exorcists?" Bak questioned, voice raising several octaves.

"Yes," Leverrier smiled as if Bak were a particularly slow child who had grasped a very simple concept "That is precisely what I want."

"I won't do it!" Bak slapped the desk, teetering on the edge of fury and disbelief.

There was no way he would do that to Kanda. They had asked enough of Kanda – they had asked enough every Exorcist in the Order! How could this be happening?

"You will do it," Leverrier said coldly. "And you will start as soon as you were able."

"According to who!" Bak demanded. "You?" He growled. The Inspector couldn't make him; he was powerful yes, but only because he reported directly to the pope. It was Komui who held power of the science divisions; he was the Chief for a reason.

"He's right, I won't approve it," Komui said quietly. His jaw was clenched, and his body language screamed that he'd like to strangle Leverrier right there and then. But he was much calmer in his words that Bak.

"You don't have to approve it," Leverrier said with a very distinctive smirk that screamed he had been waiting for Komui to say just that. He slid a letter out of his pocket and placed it on the table.

For a moment, the two men could just stare at the unopened envelope.

"That is the pope's seal." Bak said quietly after a few minutes, feeling every ounce of defiance he had leave him. They had lost the battle, and the war all at once.

"Yes," Leverrier took a seat for the first time since the start of the meeting. A king taking his place among peasants, those who could only bow down to his will. "The pope wants this holy war to be done and over with. He has approved any means, that I deem necessary."

Bak swallowed. "You can't be serious," He breathed, no longer sure what to do. Nobody could disobey the pope. The Vatican supplied nearly all of the Order's funding; and the rules they imposed were clear; you cannot disobey the church. Not unless you wanted something terrible to happen to you.

He looked over at Komui, to see if there would be any support. The other scientist was silent, and Bak realized he was thinking about what would happen to his sister if he fought this order.

"I am deadly serious."

Bak was alone. He had no choice.

You do what you have to do.

"Kanda will never agree to it," Bak said forcefully. "I won't do it without his permission." Damn the pope. Damn them all.

"You leave Kanda to me," Leverrier's smile returned to his face, and Bak could only pray that Kanda would be smart enough to see through whatever deception that the bastard had planned.

You people always do.

Author's note: Please review.