a/n: Part of the way through this, we were watching Winnie the Pooh. I don't think Baka and Kanda will be watching that any time soon, but if you want a laugh try and picture it.

Even better, try to picture Kanda as Piglet (you have to have watched the movie to understand in this case)…and then spit out whatever you're drinking/eating because this is laughable yet true in a disturbing way. Don't understand? Watch carefully~. Muahahaha. *runs from Mugen*

We don't own D. Gray-Man. Duh.


Kanda handed Harforth the file back when he returned. "Find anything useful? I told you that she couldn't be the 'demon' though. He was running a massive drug operation that burned down forty years ago. I don't care if she's using anti-aging cream or whatever, she wasn't there."

"What happened to everyone else involved?" Kanda inquired.

"Most of them died. Three survived of the two hundred, but all of them are hospitalized here. Whatever caused the place to go up, it wasn't just a mistake like the police on scene said. Someone or something was there that caused three people to lose their minds," Harforth grimly said.

"The file says the place burned down in Greece. How did they end up here?"

"The mental cases got on a train and made it up here without anyone noticing. They wanted away from wherever they started as fast as they could go. Since they were already up here, we took them in."

"Greece to Poland is a long way for three crazy people," Kanda commented doubtfully. The doctor's mood for helping him had done a 180.

"From what we've found out, it looks like something was covering their tracks. We only discovered who they were by accident because someone recognized their faces on a wanted list. The police had no idea where they'd vanished to, and couldn't pick up any traces. In their states, they should've left plenty of evidence for the police to follow. Something's not right with what happened. Do you still think that your apprentice is connected somehow?"

"There are several things that seem to be not right with her, and I'm already aware that she knows and has relations to people she can't possibly know."

The doctor gave a contemplative 'hm'. "To treat them, we need a better record of what happened. If your solution to your apprentice's mysteries helps it, I'll lend you a hand."

"Right. Now where the hell did my apprentice run off to?" The woman at the front desk had merely shrugged when he asked, pointed in a general direction, and returned to signing her name and dating the paper in front of her.

"Go check out Harry Copperfield*. The strange and baffling tend to end up near him. I don't think he's actually insane, but he ended up here because a bunch of people think he is insane." Harforth gave him directions.

Kanda left the office, and followed them up a few flights of steps and down some hallways. He pushed the door open to the room, and immediately rubbed the bridge of his nose. The doctor had been right. Strange things were pulled towards the man. A cat was sitting on top of the man's back, triumphantly announcing reigning superiority in the room. A dog was standing a bit of a ways back from them, and Baka was sitting on his back, arms folded over his head with her chin resting on them so her head was right above his. The bunny was sitting behind her. A nurse was standing in there, exasperated.

She looked up at him and pointed at Baka. "She's yours?"

At that point Kanda didn't care what the 'yours' was supposed to mean. "Yeah," he simply said. "They allow pets in here?"

The nurse** snorted. "They followed him here. Try telling a mammoth it can't come in. It'll get in anyway. And the cat's a cat."


Noise looked up as they approached. "What on earth could've happened to you between there and here?" he asked, taking in the level of Kanda's Pissed-Off meter. He didn't have to see to feel it. Baka's lighter footsteps padded alongside his.

"An irritating amount, apparently," Kanda growled in response. "We've got nothing left to do here. Let's go."

Noise turned and directed them towards the train. They boarded, and settled down into the compartment. Marie turned as the other two started speaking again. He was a bit surprised they were there, as he had been told he would be meeting with two Exorcists and an apprentice, but their presence had gone unannounced. They had spoken about Kanda hadn't said anything about them either. There was something strange about them. He never heard them breath, and their heartbeats were nonexistent.

The silence remained unanimous until the two he'd heard talking started again.

More trains. Hear my overflowing happiness. Not to mention the sarcasm as a side dish.

What?

Never mind.

But-

Just never mind, damn it. There was a short pause, as if the speaker was rolling their eyes. Seriously, can't we get somewhere with something to do?

I think you have too much fun with your job.

Shh!

With that, the conversation ceased.

The voices had a strange ring to them. They had the same echo as one heard when the listener is on the other side of a wall. Noise turned in their direction, hoping they would explain their presence. Kanda had yet to say anything, and Baka's slowed breathing said she was probably unconscious.

On that note, the only exorcist who would have been able to hear the conversation that was about to take place went to sleep.


You idiots,a voice snarled.

We are very sorry, I assure you,another one said.

(Neither of us care if you're sorry. The point is, you both screwed up. If you both continue to cause problems, you can leave. And paying your rent once in a while would help our attitudes, mind you!) The latest voice was one that stated control, and would tolerate no nonsense in its presence. It had an underlying tone of anger to it, but the words were spoken in a matter-of-fact way.

Look, we'll try to keep our mouths shut. It's not our fault everything is becoming a disaster.

Listen up, all of you. Things are not going off the deep end. We were not expecting the Fourteenth to be at the Order, no. This doesn't mean it hampers our ability to do our jobs. As long as we stay away from Allen Walker, the Noah shouldn't be able to learn of our existence. It shouldn't even be a problem if he does. Whatwillbe a problem is if any humans learn of what is occurring under their noses. This can be prevented if you don't continue speaking near someone who can hear you.

Alright. I am sorry for creating distress.

You're my source of distress as always and you never seem apologetic about it.

(I will come over there if you two don't quit it.)

What do you want us to do in the mean time? We can't do much with Noise Marie here when he can hear us.

(Yes, I know. ...) She was silent for a minute, so long that anyone else would've asked her if she was still awake. However, these people were used to waiting. They knew that she had gone through every possibility and covered many possible consequences of each one by the time she finally spoke. (Hmm... How long can you two stand each other?)

The other two voices paused, and if there had been corporeal appearances of them at that moment they would've been looking at each in contemplation. Then they both asked simultaneously, How long would we need to?

(That is what I am asking. A day, from past experiences, seems to be to be a good estimate.)

That doesn't sound far off, one of them dryly commented.

We can only get a day? the only male speaker asked, sounding discouraged.

(You two will go on a search every day, and circle us as we make our way towards wherever we go. Report back every night.)

Y'know, usually one would make this sound more like it were an option just for courtesy, even if they knew we would already be doing it. Just saying.

(This is your suspension for being fools.)

Ah...

(Ishtar**, does this suit you?)

Yes. Although, if I could join you I would be happier, Ishtar said, muttering the words. The measures we are taking must surely be overrating the obstacle.

(Whether or not it is, it is better to overrate than to underrate and be caught by surprise. Experience has told us as much. Many times.)

I remember.

(When we were in Beijing is a good example. Or Angel Falls. Or Siberia. K2 would be the tallest mountain in the world right now if you hadn't underrated-)

Yes, yes, Ishtar irritably said. I said I remember!

(You also tend to say things without meaning them, and not listening to the advice given to you.)

Out of all the ones I could have been stuck with, I had to end up with the two that talked and the enemy.

Surely you don't regret our presence that much!

Some days you make it very tempting. Rest, you need to move out in the morning.

One of them was not interested in doing such. What about the obstacle? The Fourteenth? What will we do about him?

(The Fourteenth is dormant right now. We do not need to worry about him too much.)

We did not come out of isolation to hide from somebody who is not a threat.

They all paused. The last voice waited for a response, the one to respond waited to see if he had anything to add, and the other three waited for a mauling to take place.

(Noah do not just decide to assist the Order. While it was not his intention, they usually would not provide help in any way whatsoever, even if it is involuntary. If his plan is not one that will be beneficial, then it will have been for the best when it turns out that we were not out in plain view. If it turns out to have been entirely innocent-pardon the pun-, then we will have nothing against us.)

Thevoice started to speak, but (the voice) answered the unspoken question. (I do not care about any complaints the Order may bring up if we do make contact with the heads. They would be nothing without us, and they had better admit it.)

The voices were silent for the rest of the night. There was nothing left for them to discuss.

I'm hungry.

A sigh. We'renot going to last the day.


"Who were the two people talking yesterday?" Noise asked. "They don't seem to be here now."

Kanda snapped his head around to look at him. "What? Who?"

"You didn't know them?"

"There was nobody there but Baka and I."

Marie frowned. "Kanda, there were voices. They were commenting on what you and Komui were talking about, whether you heard them or not, and then in the train, one of them was bored. I thought you knew them and were just ignoring them. What made me ask is that I couldn't hear their heartbeats. I can't now either."

Kanda frowned.

"Down the street, next to the lamppost nearest the crossroads down there. Fairly tall. Recognize him?" Marie asked, interrupting the current conversation.

Kanda shot a glance to the mentioned place. "That's Barry. Where are the voices right now?"

"I don't know," Marie replied, a bit happy he was able to say that, since from Kanda's tone the two voices would be nonexistent if he had said 'Over there'. As it was, he gave an unsatisfied grunt instead of running off while brandishing his sword. "They haven't spoken since yesterday, and I can't hear their heartbeats to say where they are."

With a note of amusement, the thought ran through his head that he might not have. The little girl seemed to be taming him. He could now see why the generals agree to give him the apprentice. At the moment, she didn't appear to even be paying attention to the conversation, instead choosing to look at some posters they passed on building walls.

"Then why'd you bring it up?" Kanda snapped.

"I figured you want to know either way, considering they seemed to be talking to you and Komui when you called him. From what they said, they know something about the oddities you two were discussing."

Kanda frowned angrily.

They continued down the road they took, and Barry launched himself off the wall with his back and moved to join them. "Long time no see, you two."

"Could've been longer," Kanda immediately shot back.

"Someone needs to learn to live a little…"

"Don't start, please." Marie sighed.

Barry squatted down next to Baka. "So, you're his apprentice?"

Kanda paused in his stride, turning to watch. So long as it wasn't directed at him, watching Baka mentally shoot people was a great past time. It was almost like having a weapon against stupid people with him.

Baka stared Barry down within seconds.

"O…kay…" he drawled out. " You're apprentice is kind of creepy, you know that?"

"Tch," Kanda replied. "You haven't looked up yet."

Confused, Daisya glanced up without moving his head. Two red eyes stared back down at him, the very incarnation of a devil's. With a yelp, he jumped and tried to shake it off. Kanda rolled his eyes at the antics and moved on. Noise shrugged and followed, while Baka trailed behind them. The exorcist continued his attempts to shake off the rabbit, which clung ferociously on despite the lack of visible effort.

"Komui said that there was something going on here?" Marie asked when Daisya finally caught back up to them, aimlessly swatting at the air above his head.

He grunted. "Yeah, there's a bit of a problem going on, but I'm not really sure what. A Finder reported some strange things going around in this area, and they think it's an Akuma. I haven't been able to find one yet, but there have been some people disappearing so there's a likely chance that it is an Akuma."

"Has there been any pattern?" Marie asked.

Daisya gestured at the posters Baka had taken interest in. "Yeah, there's been a circus going around the area. Doesn't stay long, but it returns soon enough. As far as I can tell, a lot of people disappear from the circus grounds."

"Not Akuma attacks…" Baka murmured, almost imperceptibly. Kanda was the only one standing close enough to hear it. Noise and Barry were discussing where the circus was now, and when the next attack should be.

"Why not?" Kanda asked. He hated it, but she did know things that she could have no way of knowing. But as far as he knew, she had never lied or bent the truth. The closest thing she had come to that had been the first twenty-four hours with her, when she had acted as an innocent little girl.

"If it walks like a duck, if it quacks like a duck, then it's probably a duck hunter pretending to be a duck or a platypus," she responded. "Ducks don't walk, they hop."

"So this is someone pretending to be an Akuma?" Kanda said slowly, trying to make sense of what Baka was getting at. "They're not all that well known outside of the Order. How would someone imitate it?"

Daisya had come within hearing, and snorted in disbelief. "I seriously doubt it. Where'd you get that idea from?"

Baka gave him a cool level stare, one that Marie could even hear through the silence. "Akuma don't have a sense of self-conservation, for the most part," she said. "That's why they tend to be quite destructive when they attack. They can wipe out whole towns, as they have demonstrated, and don't even run from Exorcists. Why would they be discrete about their killings here? There's no point to it."

"So you don't think these are Akuma killings?" Noise quietly asked.

"Oh come on," Daisya huffed. "I've been in this area for a month. I didn't waste all that time for any damn Akuma to not even be here."

Baka gave him a look that clearly stated how much of an insolent twit she thought he was. She didn't speak, as if she knew that words were not required.

Daisya narrowed his eyes in response, while Kanda watched on with the faintest amusement. Barry opened his mouth to say something, and broke off with a sharp sound as the rabbit bit him again on the arm. He did his best to swat it off, and Marie gave a small chuckle as he failed yet again.

He continued, choosing to ignore the rabbit, "That's all you're going off of?"

"I can continue."

"We can go without that." To Kanda, he said, "Your apprentice is nuts."

Marie was about to intervene on the part of the girl, when, surprisingly, Kanda snorted, and said on behalf of his apprentice, "Devious and creepy, yes. Crazy, no. If so, I would've been able to dump her a long time ago." Baka seemed strangely satisfied with that statement.

Daisya muttered something inaudible under his breath, but didn't press the matter.

"So what do we do, either way?" Marie asked, bringing the conversation back into a safe area. "Whatever it is, we still need to stop it."

"Tch. We'll be leaving anyway. Let someone else deal with it."

The other two ignored Kanda, and Barry replied, "I guess we can split up and try to catch the Akuma. If it follows the pattern, it should attack any time soon, within the next two days."

"Like it gets hungry," Baka murmured pointedly.

Daisya looked ready to snap. "Akuma can get hungry."

"The Millennium just simulates the feeling so they act more violent."

"Both of you!" Marie scolded, doing his best to hold them back without being physical. He sent a pleading look Kanda's direction, but the other Exorcist was shunning them all at the moment for ignoring him. "If you quarrel all the time, this team isn't going to work."

Daisya threw out both his arms in Kanda's direction. "He quarrels with everybody all the time!"

"He's behaving right now."

Kanda didn't respond, but Daisya looked exasperated by his sudden decision to become a dormant volcano.

"Weren't we going to start working?" Baka reminded, already past the conversation and obviously having absorbed almost nothing from it. She was, however, far from oblivious on the ways of manipulation, including praise. "You know this town and area better than any of us do now or will in a few hours of searching," she said to Barry. "Where should we go?"

The art of praising, however slight it may be done, has been used many times, and will always work in some way. He didn't reply with a smart remark, rather, "There are three main roads out of town, one going south-east, another east, and the other north-east. To the west are rugged hills, and they're a pain to get through. Most of the disappearances came from people in the open space between this town and three others, an area to the east of here."

"The best time to find the Akuma will be when it attacks. If we don't get it tonight, how long will we have to wait?" Marie asked. They were getting odd glances from people passing in the street, as they stood there in an oddly formed quartet. Pulling into the shadows of an alley some minutes ago had helped some, but they weren't all that inconspicuous.

"The intervals have been anywhere from a week to three."

"If we don't catch it on the next attack, we have to move on," Kanda said with no room for argument. "We have a more important mission to get to."


*Hm, this sounds familiar to the Dresden Files, now doesn't it... If you want a funny mystery series, go check it out.

**Just a nickname, she's not the actual goddess. (And we're ignoring the whole female fertility and sex parts. I mean, it was Mesopotamia and that area. Just ignore it.)

The names of the speakers in the different (ways) was because, when you think about it, you don't say the name of whoever you are talking to all that often in a conversation. Yes, we might have also not wanted to mention their names period, but still.