lostmoonchild: Konbanwa/ohayo! I would have updated yesterday (and I had full intentions) but I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one that got that "cannot display webpage" message. In all honesty I thought it was my internet connection until someone messaged me asking what was going on. Now that everything's up and running again, I can finally update.

Disclaimer: I don't own DGM so don't sue.

Chapter Ten

When it came to gathering information, bars were often the best places. Alcohol tended to loosen tongues and lower defenses enough for anybody with the right questions to be able to get answers. Of course it also helped if the right contact was made that had the ability to get his or even her own hand in a pocket or two. "What are you going to do when that new bill comes out, Cross?" A female voice questioned.

Cross glanced over before pushing a glass of deep red wine towards the blonde woman. "Klaud, you look beautiful tonight." Cross commented before taking a sip of his drink. "Were you at some fancy cocktail party?"

Klaud frowned slightly at Cross as she accepted the drink, watching him with a careful eye. It was no secret he was a womanizing bastard but he must have had something big thrown his way if he was contacting her. "What happened?" Klaud questioned.

"Some guy comes in saying his sister was taken."

"Nothing new."

"No, but you're going to love this. The Black Order's involved."

Klaud's body stiffened slightly before she forced herself to relax. "Black Order, huh? You think they'd be smart enough not to go kidnapping little girls." Klaud took a small sip.

"You'd think but apparently not."

"So what's so special about the girl other than she's possibly one of "God's soldiers" as that lunatic likes to call every poor bastard that gets charged with Innocence."

"She's been in contact with Allen Walker."

Ever since she was in her late teens, Klaud had heard stories of the infamous Allen Walker. Destroyer of Time, the first sane Millennium Earl, poker hustler, and royal pain in the Black Order's ass. It was only after the Black Order pulled her into their ranks when she was training to be a cop that she made attempts to discover the truth. After realizing what had happened to the surviving Exorcists, she fled.

Klaud had been convinced that she had left no trails that the Order could follow but somehow Cross had found her. He had left as well only four years ago and had no interest in returning but she had at least found out the rest of what she was missing. Now whenever something happened that involved the Black Order, Cross gave her the heads up so she could cover her ass.

Calmly finishing off her wine, Klaud signaled for a waitress. "Bring me a shot of Jack." Klaud told the waitress. Once the waitress had gone to get her drink, Klaud looked solemn. "Cross, you know as well as I do that Walker's been hunting to the brink of insanity for his sister and his lover." Klaud told him. "What's the girl's name?"

"Lenalee Lee." Cross showed her the picture of Lenalee.

"We both know this girl is neither Walker's sister or his lover."

"I know that, you know that. If you'll recall, Lenalee Lee was suspected at one point of being the Heart only to have it discovered that she was one of three Exorcists favored by the Heart minus its host."

Klaud nodded slightly before taking her drink from the waitress. "So what do you need me for?" Klaud questioned calmly.

"I need information. Rumor has it that Walker has a contact within the Black Order."

"And you want me to find out who it is?"

"Yes."

If she weren't so certain that this was suicide anyway, Klaud perhaps would have said no to the crimson-haired man. "You also want me to find something else out." Klaud stated.

"I want information on the ones making the Akuma. We both know it's not Walker like the Church wants to believe."

Klaud nodded slightly before throwing her head back, closing her eyes as she felt the amber liquid that was within the glass burn as it worked its way down her throat and into her stomach. She didn't know why she was even going to agree to this but she knew it had something to do with her morals refusing to let any kind of organization get away with kidnapping and blackmail. "Fine. Give me three days and I'll have your basics." Klaud told the man.

"Excellent. Same time three days from now?"

"That'll work."

Cross gave the woman a charming smile before answering, "I seem to have forgotten my wallet. If you'd be-"

"Remind me to sic my monkey on you."

As Cross slipped from the bar, he began to laugh nervously knowing full well that Klaud would set that creepy little monkey on him. Lighting up a cigarette, the man glanced off to the side before smiling softly to himself. "It seems that you've learned to be cautious of everybody that may or may not be an ally… Allen."

(*)(*)(*)(*)(*)

Allen had been in the town long enough to decide which places had the best tea or coffee and as he sat at the table across from Cross, he wondered if he hadn't somehow just set himself up. He didn't doubt there was a Finder somewhere in the area just as he didn't doubt that one of Adam's followers was in the area watching as well. Either way there would be trouble so he saw nothing different when it came to having a drink outside. "Two hundred years and who knows how many lifetimes later, you're still a womanizing bastard." Allen commented as he waited for his tea to cool slightly.

Cross grinned a little as he leaned back in the chair, nodding slightly to himself. "Nice coffeehouse." Cross commented. "I take it you've been doing good for yourself."

"I know Komui talked to you."

"Then you know I'm looking for his sister."

"You also know where she is."

"Touché." Cross crossed his arms and leaned back in the chair. "You're getting in over your head here, Allen. I mean it. You don't have the advantage of working from the inside out this time."

Allen shook his head slightly. "I'm not looking to start anything big. I'm looking to prove my innocence."

Cross lit his cigarette before responding, "Uh huh. Tell me, have you found your sister and lover yet?"

"Yes. I even found my sister's lover."

"Then you know the minute they get caught is the minute they'll be executed."

Allen looked away, his eyes falling on a familiar looking girl with spiky hair. They needed to leave. Now. "We'll be executed if we don't get out of here. Look, everybody's fine and I'm not going to let them get hurt. They're starting to synchronize with their Innocence so when the time comes they'll be able to defend themselves against the Akuma."

The girl got up and started moving towards them just as Allen's left eye revealed Akuma. "I hope you've got Judgment!" Allen shouted just as the first explosions began.

Cross jumped up and smirked as he drew his gun, ushering people to hurry away from the scene. His grip tightened when the spiky-haired girl began to laugh, her skin turning gray as her eyes turned gold. "Konbanwa, Road." Allen said pleasantly as his own skin shifted over to gray and his eyes turned gold.

With a wide grin, Allen and Road attacked each other leaving Cross to deal with the Akuma.

lostmoonchild: I couldn't help it, Road had to come in especially since I'm cosplaying her this summer at SoDak in Rapid City, South Dakota assuming I'll get to go. When I did a spell check for this chapter, I started laughing at how many times the computer wanted to put a dash after Cross so that provided some entertainment. Read and review, ja ne for now!