Hey everybody! Yeah, I didn't update this weekend, but here it is! :) Chapter 4! Hope it's you all enjoy it. Lol. I rushed my English paper for nothing... I didn't even finish it anyways, so whatever. I'll turn it in late. :( Tell me if you spot any errors or something! :) A girl can only do so much by herself. hahaha. Also, sorry if it breaks off a lot. I'm still trying to keep it like it was before. Just some rewriting here and there, plus editing.

Disclaimer: Je ne possède rien !

CHAPTER 4

Komui just realized that finding the boy wouldn't be as easy as the first time he'd run off.

In less than a day, the boy has been mentally scarred by the members of the Black Order.

Twice.

"Lavi, Kanda, search for him. If you run into anyone else who's familiar with Allen and isn't busy doing something already, request them for help."

The two paled at the idea of checking Allen's room. To them, it was a sacred place that no one would dare step near. Privacy was highly thought of at the Black Order. The simple idea of breaking in and searching his room made the both of them incredibly nervous of what would happen if they did check his room. What if when he went back to normal, he found out?

Komui looked sharply at them. He knew they would be thinking of the worst the moment he issued the order, especially since it had to do with the exorcist who held the most secrets since they joined- other than Bookman himself.

"I will give you permission and a key to his room, then-" The chief was interrupted.

"How could he get in if it was locked, though?" Lavi spoke up, still hoping the wouldn't have to enter the room.

Komui answered Lavi's question like it was the most obvious thing in the world. "Judging from his 'rough-and-tough' demeanor, I have no doubts that he can pick a lock or two."

The red headed exorcist shrugged at his answer, "True."

Komui walked towards his desk, digging through multiple drawers in the process, though, not bothering to pick them up. "Aha!" He shot up, holding a sterling silver key up high. He walked over to the two, and paused.

He glanced at them both. The three were deadly silent.

After a moment, the chief handed the key to Kanda.

"What!? Aren't I responsible enough to take care of the key?" Lavi whined childishly.

"No," Kanda spoke for Komui, causing Lavi to cry over-dramatically. "Enough fooling around, stupid rabbit. We have to find that red headed brat." The samurai sneered at the thought. Knowing him, he was most likely lost in the halls.

It was just like Allen.

The child ran quickly, the spinning halls confusing him, seeming as though they would cave in at any second, though, he trusted them not to.

His breath ran ragged, his lungs burned painfully, and his legs felt as though they'd give out any second now.

He refused to stop, though. He knew, just knew, that they were probably just giving him a head start. A tortuous head start, meant to give him hope of getting away just before catching him and crushing that hope to dust. That's what they would do. That's what they always did. He was small and weak, and that held him back.

He wouldn't be weak anymore- he promised himself before that he'd grow up to be strong. Strong enough to stand up for himself and not need anyone else to help him again. No one- not even a lying bastard clown named Mana. He doesn't need friends or support, because all he needed was himself.

Unbeknownst to Red,what he wanted would never happen. The few close friends he would make as he grew older would become the one thing he lived for- other than the pitiful Akuma whom he swore he'd continue saving until the day he died.

I can't stop now! I just need some sorta exit, but these halls 're never endin' and I ain't tryin' any o' these doors. They ain't trustw'rthy.

The child felt his knee give out painfully, sending a shot of pain down his leg. He face-planted the floor, the cuts he had gotten earlier stung painfully as sweat dripped down his face. The redheaded child was too exhausted to care, his red-brown hair clung to his face. He needed air, dammit! Why couldn't he breathe? The sound of his heartbeat was loudly drumming in his ears, but along with the sound, he heard the sound of footsteps.

The two exorcist were at Allen's door. At this point, it was more out of curiosity than need , that they were going in. Even Kanda was mildly interested in what the white haired exorcist his in his room.

Kanda stuck the key in, twisting it until hearing the click of the door being unlocked.

He and Lavi looked at each other for a moment, before opening the door. What they saw hadn't surprised them too much, but the room was incredibly sparse of any personalized decorations, other than an unusual painting on the wall. One of a clown carrying a coffin on his back. The bed had been neatly made, the white sheets were crisp and clean as though no one had ever slept in them.

Kanda walked inside, "You check the closet, I'll check around the bed and cabinets." Lavi nodded.

Kanda walked to the bedside. Getting down to one knee, he looked under the bed, finding nothing but a trunk that he assumed Allen had packed readily for his next assignment.

Lavi opened the closet door, revealing rather unusual items: two clown costumes- one fitted for a child and another for an adult- an old ball covered in dirt and scratches, and an open suit case filled with multiple pictures that caught Lavi's eye.

He felt a bit guilty for snooping around, especially since it was Allen's room, but his curiosity got the best of him. Allen had been a member of the Black Order for over a year, and yet they all knew so little about him.

"Kanda, I found something." Lavi said cheekily.

"We're supposed to be searching for the kid, not searching through the Bean sprout's stuff." Kanda spoke maturely. Lavi gave him a look. "Don't tell me you haven't been even a teeny bit curious about what he's hiding in his too."

The samurai rolled his eyes, not bothering to reply. He walked over to Lavi, where the two sat down. Lavi pulled the suitcase closer, before picking a random picture.

He held it up to his and Kanda's face. The picture was of a small, beat up child, identical to Red. He wore a green clown suit- similar to the one hanging in the closet- scowling next to a slightly pudgy clown, dressed in the same outfit as the larger costume inside Allen's closet, and kneeling down to level the two out. The child held a newer-looking replica of the ball, while wearing a deep scowl as the clown had a hand atop his head. Lavi felt even more guilty about invading in the boy's privacy now, though he would continue browsing through the rest of the photos. He flipped the picture over. In scraggily handwriting, it wrote "Mana Allen crissmas eve yeer 8." Lavi assumed that Allen had written it judging by the grammar and bad handwriting.

Kanda became more interested in the pictures as he, too, picked out a picture. One with the same two clowns. Though, this time, the child wore a bright smile, holding onto the clown dearly. Lavi's eye softened at the picture. He was beginning to understand how the rugged orphan had become so polite and kind through out the years.

A large, weathered, folded paper caught the redhead's attention. He quickly snatched it up, carefully, to prevent it from being crumpled. He opened it. It was of an old newspaper. He read the headline aloud. "Circus clown killed in carriage..Accident..Mana Walker, December..25th.." Lavi spoke uncomfortably. That explains why Allen was so uncomfortable during the Black Order Christmas Party, also dubbed as his birthday.

Lavi could only imagine how depressing it would be to have the only person you care about, die on the day he adopted you- not to mention that it was supposed to be a jolly holiday for many.

Kanda paused, glancing at the paper silently. The redheaded exorcist had attempted to read the article aloud for the both of them, but the ink from the paper had suffered damage. The ink was smudged and blurred into unrecognizable lettering.

A sad look washed over Lavi, his shoulders slumped. He only could guess how many times Allen read the article, over and over again. Only to have old feelings renewed again at the simple glance at the article. How many times had the order not been there for him when he needed them? How many times were they- his friends- not there for him when he was so upset?

And suddenly it clicked.

The permanent mask of Mana.

The child turned his head towards the direction of the sound, only to be met with the shoes of a female.

Two females.

The child glanced up, trying to get a better view of their faces.

It was the timid pigtailed girl he had seen earlier, and an older woman with dark rings around her eyes. Violet eyes widened. "Miranda, please watch over him! I have to tell Komui that we found Red!" Lenalee spoke quickly, before dashing off before Miranda could speak.

"A-Ah! I don't know how t-to watch over a child! I've only known the ones that threw r-rocks at me!" The woman cried out. The child laughed humorously, "So have I," he said blandly. The woman look at him, tears had already filled her eyes. "You mean, you've been b-bullied? Was i-it at a s-school?" The woman asked curiously, yet, in a very wavering manner.

"...A school? I don't go to no schools, plus, they woulda never 'llow me in."

The woman gave him a profound look. "Not allowed? But why not? It doesn't look like there could b-be anything wrong with you.." She said with a small bit of confidence. The child observed her carefully with silvery-gray eyes. Miranda felt something familiar about his eyes, but she couldn't quite place her finger on it.

She di'nt look like she coulda hurt a fly, could she? Nahh, too wimpy looking. Red thought, a bit deliriously, as his eyes roamed the empty hall. He'd been awake for hours on end- how? He wasn't sure, but sleeping wasn't an option. He had to keep his guard up.

He looked down, making the woman feel a little regretful about talking so bluntly. "I-I'm sorry! It's o-okay if you don't want t-to tell me!" She exclaimed quickly. The two were now sitting against the cold corridor walls. Red shook his head, 'Kids' are 'fraid of me'. They all call me freak. I guess I'm just sort of demon kid to them." He spoke allowed with a calm and collected attitude.

"But why is t-that?" Miranda asked.

The boy took off the mitten he had just put back on earlier and rolled up his sleeve to reveal a scaley, blackish red arm.

The eyes of the woman had grown to a pinpoint size.

"Don't you dare believe t-them!" The woman spoke in an unusually timid yet confident tone. The child was surprised by the change in attitude from the woman.

"Believe it o-or not, I know a 15 year old b-boy with the exact same arm." She said, her nonexistent eyebrows furrowed down.

The kid wore a bored expression, it was clear she was lying. He'd pity the next person born with the arm of one whom came from the devil. "Oh, reall'? What's 'is name?"

"Allen Walker."

"We should leave." Lavi said, placing the newspaper back in the suitcase. He was sure that he put everything exactly as it was before- hey, he was a bookman. Of course he'd remember the details. Then again, Allen was pretty perceptive, so Lavi could only pray that he wouldn't notice. "We can't linger around here forever, looking through the Sprout's stuff."

Kanda nodded, for he too was a bit uncomfortable going through the beansprout's personal items.

The closet door was shut, and the two left the room, locking the door on the way out.

They would never speak of this again.