Author's notes:
Thanks to university this chapter took an eternity to write…! But now it's here and I hope you can enjoy it!
Just a slight warning: this chapter features Leverrier (who makes his appearance in volume 14). Therefore spoilers if you don't know him.
Disclaimer: D. Gray-Man belongs to Katsura Hoshino
Ellen was standing by the window in her own room looking out over the moor. As soon as the Finder was gone she had started making preparations for their departure. Kanda was turning the Innocence pen around in his hands, not really knowing what to do now that Ellen was brooding.
„Why are you so agitated?", Kanda wondered and Ellen turned to look at him. She smiled sweetly, but her usually calm eyes seemed a darker shade of gray as if a storm was coming up. Kanda thought to know that she must have been forming new plans to deal with this situation. Or maybe she was just troubled.
„Don't concern yourself over it... Have you prepared everything?".
„Tch, what should I have been preparing? My suitcase is packed, Timcampy is locked in there. I'm all set, but you keep lingering around," Kanda replied and Ellen continued smiling at him. He frowned as she turned back around and he could only see the reflection of her face in the window.
„Oh, I am not lingering... I just wanted to fill myself with the quiet of this manor," she replied.
„I see. If you are full then come on, we got to hurry back. There is no sense in delaying it," Kanda said and got up from the bed he was sitting on. Ellen turned to him, studying him quietly before replying:
„No... There is no sense in delaying the inevitable for too long." The words struck Kanda as odd but he did not know how to interpret them. What was inevitable? Was something bad going to happen? Not finding answers by himself, Kanda decided that it was best leaving now. He hoped that he would get some answers from Ellen once they were alone and undisturbed.
Ellen swiftly dealt with Miss Lane who did a poor job at hiding how pleased she was to know that the young heir would leave that fast. The white haired girl did not even bother to wait for Wedgewood and Kanda thought that this was probably the best thing to do, he wasn't really fond of the idea to waste time on that idiot. They climbed into a carriage and without any words of good-bye they already left Rosebridge Manor.
Kanda thought that for having been in the house where the beansprout had been born in, he had come to know very little of her. He now knew her real name, her human heritage, that she had been abandoned on the streets of London and that she had survived. Ellen didn't seem to hold a grudge against her late parents, in her eyes they probably were nothing more than humans, tools that created her and whose heritage she was now using to her benefit. Nothing uncommon in that, Kanda thought.
The whole mission had been rather unspectacular... The only things that still made him think were the problems with his weakening seal and his unsettling dreams. Maybe his seal should make him worry more, but right now he was rather concerned about the dreams. Of course, they were just dreams, they meant nothing at all! But somehow it wasn't very nice to now that his imagination was up to forming such strange things. Maybe he had been caught up in the moment... Kanda dared to steal a glance at Ellen. She had opened her hair again and was now looking more female again despite her clothes and lack of make-up. She still was very beautiful. A woman's undeniable charm. Good, at least Kanda was not unaffected by such vain things. On a second thought, why was that good...? Kanda snorted, which earned him an interested look by Ellen, but he ignored her and closed his eyes, shutting out everything, even his own thoughts, for the remainder of the journey back.
-
Once Ellen and Kanda returned to the Black order they found its inhabitants in a chaotic state of uproar. It seemed to Kanda that the science division was even more hectic than usual, all the Black Order's divisions where busy and out in the corridors.
„It is a lively place today," Ellen commented with a small laugh which strained Kanda's nerves even more.
„Lively? It seems as if they were preparing for a major battle! It's downright chaotic!" the general said and barely evaded a young finder that rushed past him. „Annoying bunch of useless fools!"
„You shouldn't be so irritable after a successful mission that was won not by violence, but by reason," Ellen reminded him and he looked at her. After a while, the dark haired general snorted.
„You know that this is not the way I usually fight my battles. If you don't help me then I won't get anywhere," he replied and Ellen chuckled, looking up at him with a raised eyebrow.
„Oh? Is this so? So you acknowledge that I have a participatory role in this?" Kanda frowned.
„It is all about you", he said after a while.
„No it wasn't", Ellen answered and Kanda looked at her. She smiled up at him. „It was about the Innocence and not about Rosebridge Manor", she told him and Kanda knew that they had now left the ambiguous talking. He was sure that she knew exactly what he was trying to say, after all, she had started it with her strange choice of wording.
„Tch. In the end I have the feeling that our preparation was all just a waste of time. Why did we need to be acknowledged by this guy? He found out that we are exorcists, why couldn't we just take the Innocence and go?"
„Because we gave him the feeling of doing a bargain," Ellen told him and they stopped in front of the doors to the science division.
„How?" Kanda wondered.
„He gave us the Innocence and we cured the damage he has done to himself. Of course, an ordinary exorcist couldn't have done it", she told him and Kanda snorted. „Well, what would have happened if we had just taken it?"
„I have no clue, you tell me," Kanda said and Ellen chuckled.
„Let's just hand this Innocence over to Komui Li," she said instead of answering and pushed the door open. Kanda followed her, still thinking about it. One of the troubles with Ellen was that one never knew if she was joking or being serious. Was this question relevant or not?
„Tch, not as if these idiots could cause us anymore troubles with their research," Kanda told himself and they walked up to Komui's office. They passed a queue of people wanting something from him and once they stood in front of his desk they found him totally exhausted.
„Aah... Kanda, Ellen, you've made it back," he said and yawned. „Sorry that I interrupted your mission so suddenly." Kanda shook his head and put the pen on Komui's table.
„We just finished when the finder found us. That's the Innocence", he told the man in front of him, who eyed the golden pen with confusion.
„This here?" Komui wondered and Kanda nodded. „Well done you two! I didn't expect you to finish so quickly! Really, well done!"
„What do you mean, you didn't expect us to finish? I usually do not fail my mission. At least not when there are no idiots there to ruin it," he snorted and Komui laughed lightly, putting the Innocence into a box to be taken down to Hebraska.
„That's good. Then I trust you to hand in a report with all the details," the Chinese man said and Kanda nodded. „You know why you were called back?" Komui asked and Kanda nodded again. „As you're a general you have to be present at the meeting. It's to be held tomorrow in the after-noon. You better get ready."
„Ready? Why? What should I prepare?" Kanda asked in surprise and doubt. Komui didn't say anything and just stole a glance at Ellen, coughing slightly. Kanda understood what he meant to say and nodded. „Fine. I'll prepare just in case I need to say anything".
„Fine. You can leave if you want," Komui told them and Kanda and Ellen nodded, leaving the science division. Kanda led the way straight up to their room where he paid attention to lock the door properly this time. He was not pleased at all that he had to be part of such a meeting. He knew that meetings with all the Branch Heads and someone from Central Administrations were held on a regular basis, but he never had to join one of them before. While normally such a meeting would just have bored him, now he was also uneasy because of his not quite human apprentice. Ellen put down her suitcase and went to the Lotus, stroking the glass gently before she turned away to slip into her usual clothes.
„As far as I've heard, the subjects of tomorrow's meeting are the 14th, the Ark and the Akuma Plant. Thanks to Cross' report I now have an idea what the Akuma Plant is, but I am not quite sure of its relevance. Anyway, were you aware that the Vatican knew about all these subjects and that they will be discussed?". Ellen sighed and sat down into an armchair next to Kanda.
„I was told that they received information," she replied and Kanda studied her face, „I am not that happy that this knowledge will already be revealed. Of course, for the exorcist side it might have benefits, even though I do not know how much they have come to know."
„What makes me uneasy is the fact that you are somehow caught up in the middle of these things," Kanda said and Ellen looked at him in confusion. „Well, you are the one to control the Arc because you received the power of the fourteenth, right? I don't know if you have a connection to this Akuma Plant, but the other two things give reasons enough to worry." Ellen smiled.
„Well. It must have been Mana who revealed this information. I know that he also had his plans and I don't really have much choice. I will just wait and see what he plotted."
„Your husband plotted things behind your back?" Kanda asked and Ellen continued smiling, „You were fine with this?"
„As a wife, how could I be fine with it?" Ellen asked and Kanda couldn't help smirking, „but as a Noah I didn't care that much."
„Well, at least you trust him to have set up a good plan," the general said and Ellen shrugged.
„I do not trust, I hope. He could be a bit sloppy...," she said and couldn't help frowning, „but I guess that he planned it out well enough..."
„I see... Well then I will tell you what they know," Kanda told her, „and you will determine what to do with the information..."
„Determine what to do? There's no reason for me to tell the Earl. It is not my mission to find out how much they know. And even if I knew, how should I explain how I found out?" Ellen replied with a smile and Kanda put his hand on her head. „What?"
„Then everything is fine, beansprout," he told her and she looked at him in surprise, „we'll deal with whatever these information contain later on, once we know more." Ellen nodded. „Let us go down, it's time for dinner."
„Good that you mention it, I was getting a little bit hungry," Ellen confessed and smiled charmingly which made Kanda roll his eyes, „eating in Miss Lane's company is no rewarding thing. I was barely able to touch my food."
„Why?" Kanda wondered, „do you think she'd poison your food?". Ellen laughed in amusement.
„Why are you laughing? I wouldn't put it past her. She seems like an unpleasant woman..."
„Well, unpleasant or not, poison would not kill me that easily," Ellen said in a light, cheerful tone, „therefore I am not concerned in the slightest whatever Miss Lane has planned for me."
„Hm, what humans try to do to you doesn't need to concern you," Kanda said, opening the door and stepping out into the corridor. Ellen looked up at him and smiled.
„Neither do you need to worry about it. Nothing can kill you after all," she replied and Kanda saw that she was right. „But what should I think about people wanting to get rid of me? I can laugh at Miss Lane's hate and jealousy. And I've learnt to accept how people work when they have no other choice to be selfish." Kanda looked at her in slight confusion. But she didn't appear to be in a mood to explain something which belongs to a darker side of her. Was she being considerate? Or did she not trust him enough? Kanda wasn't sure, so he just repeated his concern to get some food before the entire organization of the Black Order broke down because of the meeting tomorrow.
-
Naturally, the commotion had not died down in the slightest and the usually so quiet halls and corridors of the Black Order were incredibly noisy and filled with people. Under normal circumstances Kanda didn't even see half as many people in the Black Order! Not that he paid special attention to the Black Order's inhabitants, but it did strike him as odd. When they were in a corridor that had doors leading to the library and offices, Kanda saw another figure that he didn't normally recognize as Black Order staff. Kanda slowed down and Ellen, following Kanda's eyes, did as well. Kanda looked at Ellen, but she didn't seem surprised at all. Her face was calm, with a smile on her lips and she didn't say anything to Kanda. The man in question took notice of Kanda and looked up. No doubt about it; it was the Rome guy! He seemed to recognize Kanda, because he started walking in his direction with deliberate strides, but stopped dead in his tracks once he saw the girl walking at Kanda's side. It was kind of funny to see the boy's (he couldn't be older than 20!) expression change from strict to shocked and slightly pink. He did manage to pull himself together once Kanda reached him.
„Go on", Kanda told the girl at his side and she nodded at him. She turned her face towards Link, smiled and bowed politely, then she turned away and continued to the dining hall. The blond guy bowed as well and watched her go before he turned back to Kanda.
„You are General Yu Kanda, am I correct?" he asked and Kanda nodded.
„That's right," Kanda said, „and who're you?". The young man still seemed pretty distracted as he turned his head around to see Ellen walking into the dining hall.
„Inspector Howard Link," he replied after a while and turned his attention back to Kanda, „I came here a day earlier to see how preparations are going and to inspect the atmosphere"
„It's quite tense as you can see," Kanda told him and Link nodded, „anything else?" Link nodded once again and pulled out a leader wrapper which he handed to Kanda.
„This contains a document which summarizes the topics of tomorrow's meeting. Please study them carefully General Kanda." Kanda took it wordlessly and waited. "This young woman...," he finally started and Kanda snorted. „Is her identity known to you?"
„Yes, I know her. She is my apprentice, Ellen Walker. A young but able exorcist," he replied and Link nodded slowly, „do you have an interest in her, inspector?" Kanda asked. He was somewhat annoyed that he had to meet this guy again. He was one of the sources for stains on the beansprout's body. He couldn't help but being slightly put off (after all, this young guy had a go at her body! It was an outrageous thought!). However, Kanda also felt sorry for him. It was not as if he had managed to break through Ellen's defences, he was rather a victim pulled in by Ellen's power. A manipulated tool to delay the Vatican upon the Earl's bidding. But still, he had been rewarded for this injustice by... Kanda stopped this train of thoughts because Link was replying to his question:
„Not in particular. I have not seen any files about her person. If she is a member of the exorcists there should be some." Kanda found that it was a rather sound excuse for being just a pervert, so he remained polite.
„I have not yet made any. She's my first disciple and she's joined us quite recently." Link seemed to accept this as an answer and nodded.
„Then I expect to see you at tomorrow's meeting," the inspector said, bid him a good evening and left. Kanda just looked after him with an annoyed scowl, then he turned around and joined Ellen in the dining hall.
She looked quite amused when Kanda sat own beside her, Soba in front of him. He snorted when she started chuckling.
„Very funny, beansprout," Kanda hissed and started eating. Ellen just smiled and continued picking at her potatoes. „Don't you think that your little romantic encounter with him will have consequences? He's an inspector after all and not just someone without importance!" Ellen raised her eyes and looked at Kanda.
„Every action we take has consequences, you know that," she said and the General snorted.
„Tch. Of course."
-
As it was just too loud for Kanda's taste he wanted to get back to his room as quick as possible. Ellen didn't have any problems with it and followed him back up. She was sitting by the window, studying both the outside and the precious flower next to her. Kanda sat down at the table and opened the file for tomorrow's discussion. He quickly went though the cover page which contained the names of all the participants, then he went to the next page which was an index with all the subjects listed. Because both Komui and the Rome guy told him to prepare, Kanda decided that it might be best to go through the file and see if he might have to cover something up. Not that he knew how, he wasn't very good when it came to lying.
„Noah's Ark. A mythical vehicle that is thought to be able to travel through space and link places all over the world," Kanda read, „it is a remnant of a very old time, but employs scientific technologies which are far beyond our capacities. It is currently in the Earl's hold. Our aim is to secure it. The fourteenth. As far as our knowledge go, there have always been 13 members of the Noah clan, who have sided with the Earl. In this generation another member was born, the 14th member, thus the title. He had plans of his own and went against the Earl for which he was destroyed. His legacy is connected with the Ark. His true identity and his goal are not certain. The Akuma Plant. An object which the Earl uses to construct the Akuma bodies. It seems to be able to generate Dark Matter. Not much is known of it, but as it is the origin of the Akuma it needs to be secured." Kanda read through the more detailed information on the three discussion topics but was not really able to get any new knowledge out of it. When he turned to the last page he found an additional topic. He frowned.
„Marian Cross. An exorcist general that has been declared missing quite some time ago. While there was still sparse contact with him 10 years ago, we have lost all communication after his last conversation with General Froi Tiedoll. He was on a mission when he disappeared without finishing it. It is not known whether he has turned his back on his responsibility and the Black Order or if he has been killed by the enemy. The further course of action will be discussed." Kanda studied the document, then he looked at Ellen. So that was why Komui told him to prepare. As far as Komui knew they had a clue to Cross right here – in the form of Ellen. But how much did the Vatican know of this fact? „We will also be discussing General Cross," Kanda spoke up and Ellen turned to look at him. She seemed a bit surprised but not uneasy about it.
„Oh? Is that so?"
„Aren't you worried? Both Komui and Tiedoll know that you have connections to Cross. If this comes out tomorrow you will surely have to deal with this. What if they question you? What if they find out about your other identity?" he wondered but Ellen smiled and shook her head.
„They will not... Not yet," she replied calmly but Kanda wasn't really happy about this answer. Not yet. That meant that Ellen expected them to find out. What exactly meant her „not yet"? And what would happen if they found out about her being a Noah?
„That mustn't happen! If it did, she would no longer be able to continue as an exorcist!" Kanda thought nervously, „wouldn't we lose all chances to win the war if we force her to abandon her role as exorcist? And even if they did let her continue being an exorcist then she has no chance to be human again." Kanda shook his head. He wanted to tell her that he would not allow them to find out, that he would try to protect her humanity for as long as possible, but he wasn't able to speak the words. Just as he managed to start with a determined „beansprout", someone knocked at the door. Ellen, who had looked at Kanda, now turned her attention to the door. Kanda snorted in annoyance and went back to read his files. Ellen got up instead and walked over to it. She turned the key in the lock and opened the door. From his position at the table Kanda could very well see that it was the annoying inspector. He could also see the pleasantly surprised face of the white haired girl and the slight uneasiness on the Rome guy's part. Of course, Kanda found this intolerably irritating.
„Please excuse this late disturbance, Miss", Kanda could hear Link saying, „also my apologies to you, General Kanda." The Japanese man just lifted his hand and pretended to be busy with the files. „Miss Walker. Could I ask you to join me for a moment?" Kanda didn't protest so Ellen nodded and closed the door behind herself leaving Kanda in a very unpleasant emotional state. Kanda clenched his hand on top of the files. Why was he so angry? Why was he so scandalized? Obviously the Rome guy planned to repeat their little love-making session, so what? Why should it even concern Kanda? She wasn't his wife, or lover, or sister or daughter. He didn't have to protect her endangered virtue and he had no right to be jealous. But still, somewhere in the back of his mind he thought that it was his role in this war. It was his duty to win her over, his duty to take her away from her Noah lover. Kanda put his hand to his forehead and shook his head.
„When has the battle for humanity turned into a battle for a woman? Just because I think that the Noah lover is my opponent for „using" the beansprout it doesn't mean that he's my rival or that I have to get her to leave him for me! I just need her to forget about him, severe her ties with him and the whole Noah clan and the Earl. It doesn't matter if this happens because there's me on this side or if there's another one!" Kanda told himself and got up with a deep sigh. „If I trust Hebraska's prophecy then I'm the one who could use the beansprout to our side's advantage and with her help we will win the war. It's just that. Nothing more. I'm just getting delusional." Annoyed at himself he undressed and slipped into the bed. Timcampy was locked inside his suitcase and even though he could very well bother Ellen now he decided that he had no right to. „That the Rome guy appears again is in itself a bit surprising, but she chose to go with him on her own accord." Stained... Was she really? Could he call it that? Last time he had been quite disgusted, disgusted with the fact that she let herself be used by men like a cheap prostitute. He had been disgusted because her sexuality seemed forced to him, like another tool she used or even as if the Earl forced her to use it. It hadn't seemed right to Kanda in the slightest. But who was he to judge if she just did it because she had to or if she wanted to. Hadn't she said that it was part of her human nature? „Women control men...," Kanda said to no one and sighed in annoyance. He turned over and switched off the light. „It seems that right now I have lost. It is useless trying to convince her with reason if I have been caught by her heart..."
-
Now that Kanda left Rosebridge Manor his strange dreams had stopped. He was a bit surprised that there was nothing, but glad at the same time. When he sat up he found Ellen waiting on the sofa, her hands folded in her lap.
„Why do you look so down-cast?" Kanda asked and Ellen looked over to him, „didn't you enjoy it last night? I didn't even bother you." Ellen smiled at him and shook her head.
„That's not it. There are other things on my mind that are mildly troubling..." Kanda didn't comment on that and left the warmth of his bed.
„Let's go down", he suggested when he was dressed in his exorcist uniform and Ellen nodded, following Kanda out. He did wonder what it was that seemed „mildly troubling" to Ellen. Over what did she need to worry? And which part of her was worried? But he was in no mood to pry. Nearly at the doors to the dining hall they were joined by Rabi.
„Good morning! Breakfast, you two?" he asked with a big grin on his face.
„Apparently," Kanda snorted and took in Rabi's appearance, he seemed pretty lively and there were no plaster or bandages visible. „You seem to have recovered just fine while we were gone," Kanda remarked and ordered food.
„Of course! Don't think that such injuries will influence me much!" the red-head replied and after they all had their food, they looked for a free table. „It's packed! Everyone must be anxious about the meeting today!" Rabi observed.
„Tch. So annoying!" Kanda muttered and started eating once they finally found unoccupied seats. Rabi grinned at him, then he looked at Ellen.
„Will it be safe for you?" Rabi asked in a concerned tone, „I've heard what today's topics are..."
„That's what I've told her as well," Kanda added and Ellen smiled at both of them.
„Don't worry so much. It's not time yet."
„Not time yet? So you don't think that you can keep this disguise up forever?" Rabi asked and Ellen shook her head.
„I do not think so and neither do you, right dear Rabi?" she countered and Rabi had to sigh.
„Yes but... It still makes me worry. They will discuss Cross as well and if your connection to him becomes apparent then..." he left the rest of the sentence open. Before Ellen could reply Kanda cut them short.
„Don't discuss this here, there are too many people. And rumors in the Black Order spread like an epidemic," he told them and the two agreed not to speak of it anymore, at least not in the dining hall. However, it was apparent to both Kanda and Rabi that Ellen seemed to think that the meeting today would not prove to be dangerous to her. Both of them weren't really convinced but there was nothing one could say against Ellen. If she said „not yet" then it meant not yet. She was the Noah of Destiny after all, she was bound to know such things. Despite being so sure that she was in no danger to be discovered as a Noah, Kanda felt that there was still something that worried her a great deal. Her smile had disappeared rather quickly and she seemed absorbed in her thoughts instead of following Rabi's meaningless chatter. He was uneasy about it but he decided to wait, if there was something she wanted to tell him she would...
-
In the late afternoon Kanda put on his exorcist uniform and left Ellen with Hanako.
„Do whatever you want while I'm busy," Kanda told the two and the white haired girl nodded.
„So you're part of this discussion?" Hanako wondered and her brother nodded with an annoyed expression which caused Hanako to laugh. „You'll survive it, I'm sure. You didn't do anything wrong after all and it's a discussion, not an interrogation," she said. Kanda snorted.
„I wouldn't be too sure about it..." Kanda said, then he lifted his hand in a silent good-bye and left the two women standing in the infirmary. Kanda could hear Hanako making plans for the afternoon and Ellen's affirmative reply. He snorted, then he walked to the room where the discussion was to be held. Link greeted him politely and Kanda had to smirk when he saw him frown.
„If you were looking for my apprentice, she is currently spending time with my sister," he said and Link coughed in embarrassment.
„It is not necessary for her to be part of this interrogation. You as her general will be enough," he said and asked Kanda to come in. The black haired man did as he was told. He had never been into this room before and looked around. The ceiling was pretty high up and a circular table stood in the middle of the big room with many chairs around it. He could see the other heads of the Black Order branches as well as the other generals and some people he didn't recognize. Kanda took a seat in between Bak Chan (who was known to him) and General Tiedoll
„Ah, I'm so proud that you finally sit on this table as well! You're such a good boy, Yu!" Tiedoll exclaimed and Kanda rolled his eyes in embarrassment.
„I have heard that you took an apprentice?" Bak wondered and Kanda nodded, „this is quite surprising."
„Yes, but as I'm a general there's no way around it. She's a decent fighter," he replied, feeling a bit uneasy because of Tiedoll. What did the man actually know about Ellen? What had he figured out because of the incident at the old ruins? However, Tiedoll was pretty happy with just telling Bak how wonderful Ellen was and that he was so proud of Kanda to have taken in a pupil as beautiful as Ellen. Kanda was glad that the meeting finally started because it made Tiedoll shut up. A man in a uniform unrecognizable to Kanda entered the room, introduced himself as Malcom C. Leverrier and took a seat at the table. He seemed to be about 50 years old and his presence was quite intimidating.
„Ladies and Gentlemen. I am glad that you could all make it – all except General Cross, but that is no surprise," Leverrier started, „you have all read the files inspector Link has given you I presume. The topics that I want to discuss today are all connected. Inspector Link!" The blond man nodded and got up from his seat.
„Years ago, General Marian Cross has received the order to investigate the Akuma plant. At the same time, about 20 years ago, he stopped reporting back, but he communicated with the late General Xavier. He was more or less traceable thanks to this. As his mission required discretion his sloppiness was ignored. However, about 15 years ago, General Xavier received the mission to investigate in Japan and 10 years ago he died in the capital. Without General Xavier we lost our only means of contacting General Cross. The last time we heard from the General was when he contacted General Tiedoll and then he vanished."
„General Tiedoll. What did he tell you?" Leverrier wondered and Kanda got a bit uneasy.
„That sooner or later a pupil for me would turn up at the Asia Branch," Tiedoll replied calmly, „and that I should pay some of his debts."
„And did a pupil turn up?" Leverrier continued asking and Tiedoll scratched his head.
„Well, I'm not sure. Almost seven years later, yes. But I don't know if that was the pupil he talked about..."
„General Kanda," the tall man started and looked at the General, „were you that pupil?"
„Yes I was, however, I was not aware that General Tiedoll had been waiting for me..."
„Did you ever meet General Cross?" Leverrier asked and Kanda hesitated, „we don't know how he looks like today, but he was a tall man with red hair and a mask covering half of his face."
„I recall such a man, but it was long ago," Kanda replied carefully. They didn't need to know that they had met and they didn't need to know the circumstances. He too, Kanda realized, risked his cover to be blown.
„What did he tell you?" Link wondered and Kanda frowned.
„That I have potential, but that he doesn't like to take pupils... Then he left me on the outskirts of the capital..."
„Very well... That means that ten years ago he was still doing his work," Leverrier mused.
„Excuse me," Komui spoke up, „what is the point of asking these questions?"
„We are gathering information on General Cross, obviously," Leverrier replied smugly. „Inspector?". Link nodded.
„The Akuma plant is one of the most important tools of the Earl that is why we want to get our hands on it. This Plant was located inside Noah's Arc. This Arc is a 7000 year old vessel which is in the hands of the Earl as well. As you have surely read, it can be used to travel space without even moving from its spot. Currently the Arc is stranded in the capital."
„Stranded? Can it no longer be moved from there?" Bak wanted to know and Link nodded.
„It is not sure for certain. It has not moved in 25 years. It has been chained to the capital by the late 14th Noah. He was able to control its movement. We have received notice that the 14th Noah gave his power to control the Arc to another person."
„Our objective is to bring the Akuma plant into our possession and the only person that currently knows how to get into the Arc is this so-called „Musician" who has inherited the will of the 14th. As General Cross has been inside the Ark as Xavier has reported, we can assume that General Cross knows something." Leverrier said, then he was silent for a while. „General Kanda", he continued and Kanda tensed, „I hereby give you the mission to find General Cross, find him, infiltrate the Ark and get the Akuma plant!"
„What?! Inspector! Why he?!" Komui asked in a worried tone.
„There are two reasons, I am sure you are aware of them," Leverrier replied calmly, looking straight into Kanda's eyes. "Because he broke the critical point while on the Ark where he and other exorcists battled Noahs. And more importantly; because he has something that can direct us to General Cross' whereabouts. You told me yourself, supervisor." Komui paled and looked at the table. Kanda frowned, but then he looked at Leverrier. „General Kanda, is it correct that you took a pupil?"
„This is correct," Kanda replied and cursed inwardly. So much for keeping it a secret. Damn that Komui, why couldn't he just keep his mouth shut?
„And is it also correct that she has been the pupil of General Cross before?". Now a murmur went through the room and Kanda sighed silently.
„Yes, I have recently been informed of this fact..." Kanda said and with slight surprise he saw that Link was frowning down on his paper.
„What's the matter with him...?" Kanda wondered, but had to continue focussing on Inspector Leverrier.
„Now it should have become obvious why General Kanda has to go. Ellen Walker will play a central role in finding General Cross!"
„Inspector!" Komui protested, „please be reasonable! Hebraska's prophecy, remember what I told you!". Kanda frowned as he heard that.
„What prophecy?" Bak wondered, but nobody replied. It seemed as if only Tiedoll, Kanda, Komui and Leverrier knew what it was about.
„Going into enemy territory with the danger of Ellen falling into the Earl's hands is just unreasonable!" Komui shouted but Leverrier was not impressed by his protest.
„This is a risk that we cannot avoid. Without Ellen Walker I see no chance of finding Cross. We have to think about the end of the war. We want to win this war and we want to win before the Three Days of Darkness come upon us!" Leverrier replied forcefully and there was nothing Komui could say. „Hm. Well, either Ellen Walker will go with General Kanda or we examine her special abilities, maybe we can do without her if we had her power..."
„Ridiculous..." Komui hissed in anger but he was powerless against the Vatican's decision. Kanda shared his irritation. If they made experiments with Ellen then it would surely become obvious that she was more than an exorcist with magical powers!
„Very well... I accept the mission," Kanda finally said and Leverrier smiled at him.
„I am glad that you are cooperative. That is all I wanted to hear today, for now this meeting is over." Kanda sighed and got up from his chair once most of the other people had left.
„Just a moment General Kanda." Kanda stopped just outside the room and groaned inwardly. Of course, he wouldn't let him off that easily...! Kanda turned towards the door and saw Leverrier closing it after himself. He nodded at Link and the young man left. „Under what circumstances did you find Ellen Walker?"
„I was merely traveling through China, looking for Innocence and compatibles. I just ran across her..." Kanda explained and it was actually nothing less than the truth. Leverrier studied him for a while, then he nodded slowly.
„I see. A chance meeting it seems. But why have you taken her as your pupil? Why not the other compatibles you've found?" Kanda didn't reply and Leverrier continued asking, „why her? Who exactly is she? Where did she come from? What is she able to do?" He took a step closer to Kanda, looming over him, studying closely. „It seems suspicious to me. Maybe she's more connected to all of it than it seems. But I won't be content with half truths and lies! I will-". Kanda looked at him in confusion when Leverrier suddenly stopped talking in mid-sentence. It seemed as if the man was looking at something, not just looking, but staring as if he'd seen a ghost. He turned around and saw Ellen standing a bit behind him.
„Inspector, this is Ellen Walker," Kanda introduced her, but the strained silence continued. Not only Leverrier, Ellen was tense as well, but she managed to smile and make a curtsey.
„I am pleased to make your acquaintance," Leverrier said after a while and Ellen smiled.
„Thank you. It is an honour meeting you," she replied, then she stepped up next to Kanda.
„So you are Ellen Walker," Leverrier started after some time and Ellen nodded. It didn't seem to surprise her that he knew her. Leverrier looked at her for quite some time and even Kanda started to get uneasy. „This question might seem a bit surprising to you," Leverrier started after a while and Kanda tensed, „but did your mother work in London?". The general blinked at him in surprise. Had he heard right? He was asking about her mother? Ellen seemed a bit surprised as well, but she recovered pretty fast and nodded.
„This is true. But that was quite some time ago... I left London after I lost her... Now I'm here," she explained. Surprisingly, Leverrier seemed to be affected by what she just told him.
„I see. Fine. Now if you would excuse me, I still have work to do." With this he bowed, then he turned around and left the corridor in fast strides. Ellen smiled after him, then she turned around and walked into the other direction. Kanda was very perplexed by the scene he had just witnessed and followed Ellen. She led him straight back to their room. Kanda closed the door, locked it and grabbed Ellen's wrist.
„What's the matter?" he asked, but Ellen just shook her head. Kanda frowned and tried a different approach: „Do you know him?" She nodded wordlessly. "Did you know that he'd come?" She nodded again and Kanda let go of her hand. She walked to the bed and sat down. She let out a shuddering breath and then she threw herself into Kanda's cushions. Kanda widened his eyes in surprise when he saw this overly dramatic action, but it didn't look like Ellen played. She was truly shaken. The man walked up to the bed and sat down. He grabbed her arms and pulled her back into a sitting position.
„Pull yourself together!" he said and only let go of her arms when she nodded. She wasn't crying but she looked as if she could start anytime. „And tell me what's wrong..." Ellen was again crunching up the fabric of her skirt and when Kanda put his hand over hers she gladly accepted it.
„Yes... I will tell you..." she looked up at him with a serious face. „I will tell you my story, my 15 years of human life."
To be continued
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Notes:
Please don't hit me because of the Link stuff! *lol*
Also, next chapter will cover some things which you might or might not have been waiting for! :D