Good news everyone! Annabelle is going to be making an appearance in a friend of mine's -man fanfiction. She told me she'd begin working on typing it up so that she can post it sometime. Her pen name is Leila Crimson. Once she gets her stories up, you should check her out, she's pretty good. Oh! And you should also check out my friend London Do-chan! She's been working on a Hetalia fanfiction for some time now and its first six chapters are up.
Chapter Ten
Annabelle stormed down the hallway toward Komui's office, pushing down anyone who got in her way. As soon as she arrived, she noticed that Lenalee was just leaving. Lenalee almost didn't recognize Annabelle until she saw the anger in her face.
"Bel–I mean Annabelle. You're back!" Lenalee shouted cheerfully.
Annabelle rolled her eyes. At least she's learned something while I was gone. At the sight of the slender Chinese girl, Annabelle exclaimed, "Damn it Lenalee! How in the nine rings of Hell did you find out about my parentage?"
"Sorry, I heard it from my older brother." Looking at Annabelle more thoroughly, Lenalee stated, "By the way, you look lovely now that you've grown up a bit."
"Did it ever occur to you that there may have been a reason as to why I never told anyone that I was Cross's daughter?"
"No, why? Why wouldn't you want people to know?" the girl was genuinely confused.
"I thought you might say that," Annabelle said, disappointed with herself for asking such a stupid question aloud. "Look, I wanted to keep my true parentage a secret because firstly, I'm not ready to assume a new last name and I don't really see Cross as my father. Secondly, since I've been here, I've heard things about Cross that I really don't like and, since most people believe that the apple doesn't fall far from the tree, I really don't want to be viewed as the daughter of a drunken man-whore!"
"I'm sorry Annabelle," Lenalee apologized, "I didn't know you'd be so upset about it or else I wouldn't have done it."
"Yeah, yeah," Annabelle said, seriously doubting that the other girl really meant any of this. "And I think I've lost a couple of brain cells just being in your presence."
Lenalee turned to the scarlet-haired girl and began to shout, "You don't have to be so rude you know! I've been trying to be friends with you since we were little and you've just been nothing but a jerk to me so I don't even know why I try anymore!"
"I never wanted to be your friend!" Annabelle shouted back at the Chinese girl, "I thought I made that clear from the beginning!"
"I was trying to help you!"
"With what? My grieving over the death of my parents? Fat lot of good your perkiness did for me! When I'm grieving, a perky voice is one of the last things I need to deal with!"
"I'm still going to try and be your friend," Lenalee said sincerely, without shouting.
"And I don't care," Annabelle said, the words coming out more rudely than she'd meant them too, but she was too prideful to apologize, "Try all you want girly, you'll earn my respect when you can beat me in a fight."
"Fine!" The other girl agreed, "I'll fight you someday, but not now. I have work to do."
"As do I," Annabelle said, walking down the corridor, away from Lenalee.
As she sauntered on down the corridor, she couldn't help but think about how well Lenalee had developed over the years. Staring down at her own breasts, she compared them to Lenalee's. She did the same with her hips, waist, height, and facial structure.
Let's see, Annabelle thought, well, she's taller than me, and skinnier, but I've got more curves. Her facial structure is more girlish than mine, but my eyes are more mature-looking. Not to be vain, but due to personality issues and intellect, I think I win. But how many good guys go for tomboyish, brainy girls? Hmm…
As she pondered this, Reever's voice sounded over the intercom. "Allen Walker, Annabelle Cross, and Kanda, please report to Chief Komui's office right away," it said.
Oh great, Annabelle thought angrily, now everyone and their brother knows that Cross is my biological father. Half of the time I can't even bring myself to say "Cross" and "father" in the same sentence, let alone with the words "is my" in the middle of the two words.
She turned completely around and wandered back in the direction she'd come from, wondering what the crazy Chinese man had in store for her today.
As she entered, she saw that Kanda had already arrived and was sitting on the end of the couch that was closest to the door. As she sat down on the far side of the couch, she glanced at the samurai. He was much taller than her now and his hair was much longer too. She also noticed that, underneath his black Exorcist coat, he wasn't wearing a shirt. Annabelle couldn't help but stare at her rival's stunning, muscular torso. She didn't know she was doing so until he said, "What the hell are you staring at you stupid Sparrow?"
His voice was so deep and extremely manly, enough to make any sane girl drool, but Annabelle was somewhat less than sane and snapped out of her stupor, saying "Only your pathetic lack of clothing on your upper body dumbass. Put a shirt on or something, jeez! And why am I a sparrow?"
"Because you talk too much yet are not beautiful enough to be a dove."
Why you! Come here, I'll rip your guts out you…you…you stupid Cat Man!"
"Is that the best you can do?" Kanda asked as Allen, Reever, and Komui walked in, "Listen here Sparrow, I don't care if you're a girl, I'll cut your throat here and now if you so much as touch me!"
"Why is that? Afraid of a woman's touch are we? Maybe you'd prefer that of a man's instead!" She laughed.
"Why you idiot Sparrow!" With that, Kanda unsheathed his Anti-Akuma weapon, a sword known as Mugen, and charged the couch to get to Annabelle.
Annabelle readied the Genesis Bow, pulled back the silver string, and stood her ground as an arrow materialized out of nowhere.
However, as she readied herself to fire, she found Section Leader Reever Wenham standing between her and her foe. "That's enough," he said, "We have more pressing matters to discuss other than your relationship."
"We are not in a relationship!" Kanda and Annabelle shouted at the same time.
"You sure sound like it," Allen said as he sat between his fellow Exorcists.
"You stay out of this Bean Sprout," Kanda said to Allen, "This is my battle."
"Heh, Bean Sprout," Annabelle said, chuckling, "That a pet name for your boyfriend over there?"
"What?" Allen asked clueless and hopelessly naïve, "Boyfriend?"
"I am not into men," Kanda said sternly.
"Sounds like someone's still in denial," Annabelle said, taunting the Japanese man.
"Enough already!" Komui and Reever yelled.
"Now, do you want to know your assignment or not?" Komui asked.
"No way," Annabelle said, randomly noticing that the tall Chinese man had gotten a haircut and his once long hair now flipped outward, "I am not going on a mission with the new guy and Mr. Moody! Oh hell no!"
"The feeling's mutual," Kanda said, "Having the Bean Sprout and the stupid Sparrow tag along is just going to slow me down anyway."
"Well excuse me Mr. Keep Up or Go Home," Allen said, offended by the taller man's words, "I personally have no great love for you either."
"Ahem!" Reever said, clearing his throat to get their attention, "Would you guys knock it off and pay attention? We've received reports of a house in Scotland that only appears on Sundays, Thursdays, and Saturdays. On all other days, it disappears as if it never even existed. We believe Innocence is involved."
"And you need all three of us, why?" Annabelle asked.
"Because you and Kanda don't work well together by yourselves and Allen needs someone to keep him from getting lost," Komui explained.
"Why not just send me and Annabelle?" Allen asked.
"Because she also gets lost easily."
"Hey! Not as much as I used to!" Annabelle protested.
"Also, we believe that you, Allen; and Annabelle will be able to help us find General Cross. Allen because he was Cross's apprentice and Annabelle because she's Cross's daughter."
"Well, that explains the most unladylike temper then," Kanda said, glaring at Annabelle.
"Yeah?" Annabelle asked, "And what, pray tell, explains your effeminate hairdo Kanda?"
"Why you! You're dead meat Sparrow!" Kanda said, standing and again, unsheathing Mugen. Annabelle stood as well and drew back the string of her bow again, the unused arrow materializing much faster than it had before. They began to brawl as Reever and Komui gave Allen the mission's finer details.
"You kids have fun," Komui said, smiling that ear-to-ear grin of his.
"Allen," Reever said, "Here's the dossier. I figured you'd be the most responsible one in the group, so hold tight to it."
"One question," Allen said, "Why Kanda? Why not send Marie, or Lavi, or Bookman, or even Krory?"
"Well," Reever began, "Marie and Krory are both on missions and Lavi and Bookman have secret Bookman stuff to do. Besides, Annabelle needs to get over her hatred of Kanda at some point. I think the three of you will eventually find out that you have more in common than you think."
"Right," Allen said, unsure of the Australian scientist's words.
However, without another word, Allen grabbed Kanda by the hair with his left arm and Annabelle by her forearm with his right and dragged the two of them out of the office and into their mission.
Later on, after the three Exorcists were long gone, Komui called all of the Science Division members together for a meeting. Once they all sat down, Komui smiled and began to speak.
"Now then, we all know that our beloved young Annabelle is, in fact, the only known child of General Cross."
"Yeah," a corpulent man wearing a stocking cap said, "And what does that matter?"
"Well Tapp," Reever said, addressing him, "We believe she can help us find him."
"Oh, I see," Tapp said, you could practically see the light bulb appear over his head.
"Don't listen to him boys," Komui said, smiling his notorious grin, "Do you men know the saying 'The apple doesn't fall far from the tree?' Well, gentlemen, I'd like to make a wager with you all."
"We're listening," Johnny said.
"Whoever wins this bet won't have to do any work for an entire week." Komui said.
"So what is it already Chief?" Reever asked, gaining interest, seeing as how he did most of the work in the entire Division.
"Who do you men think that Annabelle Cross will spend the night with first?" Komui asked, smiling.
"Wow. Just wow Chief." Reever said, "That's very mature."
"Oh you know it'll happen eventually!" Komui said, dismissing his subordinate's comment, "So, are you boys in or not? Remember, the reward for winning is a week's worth of vacation from work."
"You sure about this Komui," a ghost-like creature called 65 asked.
"Yes."
There was a long pause, as if the men were considering whether or not to play Komui's game.
Finally, Tapp Dopps spoke up. "I'm in," he said, and there was a chorus of "Me too's" following.
"Brilliant gentlemen," Komui said. Then, smiling, he pulled a dealer's cap and a notepad out of nowhere and said, "Now then, gentlemen, place your bets!"
By the end of the meeting, everyone had placed their bet, starting with 65, who bet that it would be Daisya. Tapp bet on Lavi while Johnny bet on Marie. A bearded man with glasses by the name of Russel bet that it would be Allen, while Reever placed his bet on Kanda. Finally, Komui placed his bet.
"I think it will be one of the Clan of Noah," he said boldly.
"Boss," Tapp said, "You're sick."
"That's just weird," 65 said.
"Why Chief," Reever asked him.
"It's the most logical choice," Komui explained.
"I don't get it," Johnny said.
"You see," Komui began, "It can't be Allen because she doesn't seem interested. She and Kanda hate each other and besides he probably has some secret girlfriend we don't know about. Marie's blind and that just seems boring. Daisya looks more like a wolf than a human. And finally, Lavi's not allowed to have relationships with anyone because he's a Bookman."
"Chief," Reever said after Komui's explanation was finished, "That is the dumbest thing I've ever heard out of your mouth."
"Yeah," Russel said, "You prepared to lose Komui?"
"Not a chance," Komui said, smiling confidently.
"We'll see about that," Reever said, preparing himself for a week's vacation.
I'd like to thank you all for putting up with the wait for so long. You're all so very patient! This is the newest installment in Annabelle's story. You may have noticed that she was a bit meaner to Lenalee than was necessary. There's a purpose behind that that will come much, much, MUCH later on in the story. I'll also be posting chapters eleven and twelve after I get them typed up. However, I don't know when that will be because I've been busy babysitting this summer as well as taking driver's ed. I'm done with the driver's ed so that frees up my time at night, but the babysitting takes up my time during the day. I've actually halted the production of chapter thirteen until I get eleven and twelve done. Please R&R to tell me how I'm doing, I really appreciate you all and your opinions as well.