A completely Allen-free chapter~ Instead, we get Lavi being sneaky. I'm so sorry about the wait, I debated over doing another chapter with Allen or giving Lavi his interlude. I went with the latter.

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Lavi wasn't surprised when he and Lenalee finished their mission remarkably early.. The rumors about Komui being overworked and understaffed must've been true if it forced him to send Lavi and Lenalee on such an easy mission. As a result, the innocence was recovered and the mission was finished in under a week-much too soon for Allen to have returned.

"So," Lavi breathed as they stepped through the ark gate, "Home sweet home?" He remarked while looking at the scientist hurrying around the entrance bay. If he was lucky at all, Bookman wouldn't have returned with Chaoji yet. It was improbable that they had returned; Chaoji was newly made an official exorcist and it was bound to take him awhile to get used to being with a General.

If he wasn't there it meant he could finally get some work done. His own work; the record Bookman left him with.

"Well, that's one place to put it." Lenalee smiled, "Seems a lot quieter without Allen, doesn't it? He's always in the entrance bay when Cross isn't working with him." He liked to see people come in and out of the ark; actually, he just liked the ark in general. That in itself was suspicious, but Lavi didn't let himself get to hung up on it.

Besides, the ark was the least of his problems.

"It sure is quieter. Seems that the scientists are sure working hard in here. Did something happen? It's only been a few days." Lavi observed, watching them work. It seemed they were messing around with the frequency of the ark-something must've gone wrong.

A lone scientist who was messing on the equipment connected to the ark looked up, "Something did happen," She explained quickly, "A gate shattered soon after some of our scientists crossed through to the North American Branch. The gate connecting us have been severed and the scientists there can't return without crossing through several other gates. But…" She smiled ruefully, "We have no way to mend the gate without that song, and none of us can play it."

"And even if you could play it, you don't have the power connecting your soul to the ark." Lavi finished and watched the young woman nodded.

Lenalee stepped forward, "Crossing through several gates is too dangerous-Central can't possibly be letting them-"

"They're not, don't worry. Until we can find a way to manually fix the gate without the use of the piano then well,they'll have to get here the old fashioned way or wait there. But it's frustrating. We're working on keeping the frequency stable in the other places though." The woman, Laura if Lavi remembered sighed, "I remember that Allen strengthened these gates just before...you know...and then he blocked off the musicians room."

Lavi remembered; on his last day that he spent locked up in that room. His room, the musician's room, he played that song over and over. He had repaired all of the gates that were brittle and strengthened them the best he could with so little time. If he had a few weeks he would have probably been able to make them last decades as the last musician did.

After that, he blocked off the musician's room. He shattered all gates leading to it. Presumably to protect the ark from Central, who would have tried to force a connection to it. Smart of him.

Laura smiled, "But leave all the worrying about the gates to us!" She said suddenly, noticing their expressions, "We're the scientists, and we care about your safety. We're trying to find a solution before they turn to our youngest recruit, you know? So let us worry about it!" She stood up to push them out the room, "go see Chief Komui, he's waiting for you to report to him."

Then she shut the door.

Lenalee and Lavi stood outside, Lenalee tightly clutching Lavi's coat, "Y-you don't think they'll turn to Allen…?"

"It's likely," Lavi stated, his eye darkening. "But I'll look into it, so don't worry. You go report to Komui, I have something to check on."

Lenalee looked at him, "Lavi..what's wrong?"

"Nothing Lenalee, just some business I have to attend to." Lsvi turned around, "I'll see you at dinner alright?"

Lenalee watched him stalk off, "Alright."

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The walk to the file room wasn't long, but it something Lavi liked to go through. The hall that the room was in was guarded by CROW, since Leverrier resided in the same wing(go figure). CROW were suspicious by nature, but by usually saying his Bookman title they'd back off. It didn't make the experience any less uncomfortable.

Nevertheless, he got to the file room just fine. Locking the door behind him he went to a shelf, scanning through it. "Hmm...that's not it." He muttered, "Where could they have put it?" He walked to the opposite shelf, scanning through the folders, "My memory isn't usually wrong, it should be around this section." Unless they moved everything around to mess with his photographic memory. It wouldn't surprise him after Bookman gave him hell for looking through the files all that time ago.

Not like it would really slow him down. The file room was big but nothing Lavi couldn't look through in under two hours.

Lavi moved to the back of the room and grinned, "Ah...here. They put the As in the back-huh, you'd think they'd put it in the middle." He pulled at the file and scanned through it.

'Name: Allen Walker

Age: 16

DOB: December 25

DOD: July 5

Cause of Death: Execution'

Obvious information. Lavi was there when the order was given, and he was one of the people to say the final goodbyes. Even Allen's final farewell letter had a special paragraph for him, as well as Lenalee and Kanda as well.

"Hmm...maybe in the next file."

'Chief's Testimony states that while Walker moved the gates there is no clear proof that he harbors the Fourteenth Noah. In fact, saying so would assume that he would be able to weld innocence despite it being his opposite-meant to destroy him. With this in mind it's improbable that he withholds any Dark Matter aside from his curse and the charges should be dropped on that account.

Inspector Link's Testimony states that in his time investigating Walker it seemed he did not show any real signs of harboring a Noah. He put his life before exorcists and took hits for them on many occasions. Akuma, which would have obeyed him if he harbored a Noah, attacked him on the account that he was an exorcists. However, the Millennium Earl tried to capture him, not kill him. It could also being inferred that Allen Walker holds the power of the Fourteenth, but not the Fourteenth himself. Whether not this makes him a Noah or capable of awakening is unknown.'

Lavi smiled ruefully, "Two testimonies rooting...or at least speaking out for Allen, and they were barely visited. Not that it would really help."

There was one more testimony, it was Allen's himself. As Lavi read over it, he snorted, "If it wasn't me reading this I'd say that his own testimony done him in. Or, at least out him deeper under suspicion."

'My name is Allen Walker, and I have been in the Order for just a year. I've come to know many of the people here, and I consider them my family. However, ha...even I can't deny how bad this looks. Hey...what if I told you there was somebody watching me? Somebody inside my head? And everything I happened to look into a mirror or something reflecting my appearance I saw this person. And on that day, when I played the piano I saw him then as well. Does that make me crazy? Or...maybe that does make me a Noah. And if that does sound suspicious even I can't deny how it seems.'

It was just about as damning as anything else stated in the file. Lavi didn't bother to look at Leverrier's testimonies because he could just imagine them based on Allen's own words. If Allen basically gave up then, in this testimony, did he really not expect the outcome? Or...by then did he just not care?

Lavi knew that his execution was inevitable, even then. He didn't expect for the ruling to be given so soon, but with Allen practically telling them that somebody was inside of his head it wasn't hard to see how the ruling was made.

Committing the file to memory, Lavi quickly put it away. He moved to pick up another file, also in the A section. It read Alma Karma, just as he picked it up he heard the door jiggle. Then he heard the sound of keys as the door was unlocked-it had to either Komui or Leverrier. Or both, and if it was both Lavi was in trouble.

He stepped back into the shadows as he saw both of them enter. Komui was following Leverrier, and it sounded like they were arguing. Link followed quietly behind them, his eyes raking over the room and Lavi pressed himself into the wall. As a Bookman he was used to becoming one with shadows but in front of a CROW it was hard to hide.

"I won't allow it! This project...not while the Second Exorcist Project is going on. The Akuma Egg will remain in quarantine...and I want the subject moved to the Asian Branch." Komui whispered frantically, "For once Inspector please...listen to my words." Komui pleaded, "Trust me, this isn't a good idea. Let sleeping dogs lie...there's no telling how Kanda will react-your already treading on thin ice with the Second Exorcist project. Do you really want him to kill you?"

Leverrier paused, reaching for the file in the same spot that Lavi already took it.

"I will let Alma Karma heal naturally then. However, if the Second Exorcist Project fails-"

"It won't! We have Allen, he's really all we need. Let's focus on trying to keep the gates in check before we mess with nature and life once more. Please, Inspector, no more."

Leverrier let his hand fall and Lavi released the breath he didn't know he was holding.

Oh thank God.

The three turned around and began walking out the door. Before leaving however Link turned around, his eyes resting directly on Lavi. Knowing there was no point in trying to hide Lavi lifted up a finger and pressed it to his lips, don't tell.

Knowing that Leverrier and Komui were down the hall Link looked away, "The Bookman's business is none of mine." He stated and shut the door. Lavi paused for a moment before crumbling to the floor.

Just what's in this file?

Lavi opened it with shaking fingers, "Alma Karma...date of birth...date of death...rebirth date...oh…" Lavi closed his eyes, "Yeah...yeah that's bad…"

He stood up and placed the file back, "And I thought this war couldn't get any more unfair…"

Life's unfair, Lavi. XD. But yeah, something darker's going on. The gates are shattering, and Leverrier's up to something with Alma but Komui seemed to have snipped it in the bud before it could happen. Leading Alma to be moved from the North American branch. Hmm...I wonder? Ha...I hope you enjoyed!