A/N: Hey, guys! *bright smile* So you might've noticed that this chapter is a little longer than usual - the conversation took longer than I expected. *thoughtful* Turned out fairly well, too.
Thank you to AngelHeartsX, Blitza, Lena-luvs-cats, 14fox, Alaia Skyhawk, L0stWannaB1tch, Amelia Loves Anime, Firehedgehog, Shadow-X1999, Deugemia, Dragon Silhouette, RMXStudio, InsanityOwl, karina001, nikonekonyan, and Shadow Spears for reviewing!
Title: Synchronization
Author: liketolaugh
Rating: T
Pairings: None
Genre: Friendship/Family
Warnings: Slight AU
Summary: Innocences have their own wants, personalities, souls - Allen doesn't understand what's so strange about this. But then, he's always been able to see them. (Series of oneshots through the manga. Mostly canon-compliant. Maybe eventually turn AU.)
Disclaimer: I only wish I owned D. Gray-man.
They were not going to be alright.
No sooner had they returned to Headquarters than did the group split into pieces. Kanda herded those who needed it to the infirmary, Timothy was escorted to Komui's office, and Link dragged Allen to another room altogether.
Lavi caught them on their way there, looking worried and almost unnoticeably suspicious of Link. "Hey, Allen, you're back!" he greeted, as though Allen wasn't being held by one arm. "What's up?"
Allen blinked at him, faintly startled and hesitant, and Iron Hammer, lightly jogging to keep up, tilted his head and frowned at him. Concern.
Crown Clown, glaring at Link bitterly, answered for Allen. Allen speaking to Crown Clown. Link watching. Frustration, worry.
Iron Hammer's eyes widened. Alarm!
"Beansprout?" Lavi pushed.
"Walker has a few things to explain," Link said tightly, when Allen made no move to answer Lavi's query.
Lavi's eyes widened, too, and then his expression turned serious, and he reached up to pull his scarf down. "Oh. Should I get the old man for this, two-spot?"
Link half-turned around, took in Lavi's suddenly changed demeanor, and nodded. "Yes, that would probably be for the best, Bookman Junior."
Lavi nodded, shot Allen a reassuring grin, and then ran off. Iron Hammer lingered behind, a deep furrow in his brow, but when Allen caught his eye, he, too, gave him a reassuring grin and a wink.
Link took Allen to Leverrier's temporary office, where the man was working on some form of paperwork. It was abrupt and the man looked up sharply, obviously irritated, which made Allen's chest twinge with apprehension.
"Link? What is the meaning of this?" Leverrier demanded, voice low with warning.
"Sir," Link started, standing up straight and releasing Allen's arm. Allen lingered, gaze falling uncomfortably to the ground. Crown Clown, beside him, swept forward to glower challengingly at Leverrier, fists clenched at his sides. "A discovery has been made and I thought it best to report in immediately. I apologize for appearing without warning."
Helplessness, frustration.
Iron Hammer strode forward to clap Crown Clown on the shoulder and smile at him. Reassurance! Confidence.
Uncertainty. Crown Clown took a deep breath and straightened. Determination.
Determination, Iron Hammer agreed.
Leverrier looked suddenly interested. "What is it, Inspector?"
Scorn. Crown Clown glowered at Leverrier.
"Allen Walker has demonstrated the ability to see a manifested, humanoid form of Innocence," Link announced. Leverrier's eyes narrowed. "This is corroborated by Timothy Hearst, who demonstrated the same ability."
Leverrier laced his fingers together and was silent for a long moment. "I see. Tell me-"
He was interrupted when the door opened, and Lavi and Bookman both slid in almost soundlessly. They moved to stand on either side of the door, and Bookman gave Leverrier a curt nod.
The corners of Leverrier's mouth turned downward in disapproval, but he continued. "Tell me, Allen Walker, if this is true, why did you not say anything sooner?"
Allen shifted uncomfortably, but met his eyes regardless, back rigid. "I'd become used to keeping quiet about it," he said at last. "The Innocences didn't seem to mind-" Lavi inhaled sharply. Iron Hammer gave Allen an absent wink and a thumbs-up. "-and my friends seemed content to think I was insane." He offered a tight smile; he'd never minded it, but it was none of Leverrier's business.
"And you didn't think this was relevant to the investigation?" Leverrier asked, voice all smooth silk.
Allen's jaw tightened and his eyes turned from silver to steel. "No, sir."
Link stiffened, disapproval flashing through his eyes at Allen's tone, but he didn't say anything. Leverrier prompted Allen, poorly concealed anger growing in his eyes,
"Are there any in this room right now?"
"Yes," Allen said, mirroring his tone, gaze never wavering from Leverrier's. "Crown Clown is in front of me and a little to my left. Iron Hammer is beside him. Heaven Compass is-" He blew out a breath and glanced over his shoulder. "-standing to Bookman's right."
Lavi's eyes were narrow, studying Allen intently, and Allen looked away uncomfortably.
"Tell them to leave," Leverrier ordered, standing from his desk and strolling around it to stand in front of Allen, looming over him.
Allen tilted his head back and allowed his gaze to focus into a glower. "They don't take orders from me," he said coolly. He wondered why so many people seemed to believe that he was easily intimidated.
He had seen much worse than Leverrier in his limited years.
Crown Clown, though, still smarting from the incident earlier, took great offense at this, coming closer to Allen and standing just in front of him and barely to the side, baring his teeth angrily at Leverrier, who remained, of course, oblivious. Warning!
Leverrier let slip a smile that showed a hint of teeth. "If they don't take orders from you, what about their accommodators?"
"They are older than any being you can imagine," Allen said quietly, allowing the steel in his eyes to thread through his voice, silently matching Leverrier's challenge threat for threat. "They take orders from no one. Accommodators are comrades, nothing more."
"Comrades, hm? If they don't take orders…" Leverrier allowed his posture to become slightly more menacing. "Then do they respond to threats to their 'comrades'?"
Iron Hammer straightened up and gave Leverrier a fearsome scowl of his own, crossing the room to stand by Lavi, arms crossed in front of his chest and an uncompromising glare on his face. Disapproval. Anger.
Allen didn't even flinch. Instead, a cold, unkind smile tilted the corners of his mouth upward. "Do you really think," he said quietly, "that Innocences would choose anyone so easily broken? They know better than anyone what happens to exorcists. They don't take anyone unless they know they're strong enough."
Leverrier went from threatening to very, very interested, while Link, who had thus far remained silent but progressively more uncomfortable, let a small frown crease his brow - probably, if Allen was any judge, wondering what about him had caused him to be deemed 'not strong enough'.
"Does this mean they can tell you why they chose who they did?" he inquired, suddenly half as menacing but twice as intense. Allen tilted his head slightly and frowned at him.
"Of course."
"Tell me," Leverrier ordered. Allen shifted backward, the lack of challenge making him revert most of the way back to discomfort.
"It varies from Innocence to Innocence," he said, frowning. Leverrier waited. Allen let out a short, frustrated huff. "Dark Boots likes Lenalee's stubbornness. Time Record trusts Miranda to keep going even when she believes it's useless. Bloody Krory approves of Krory's ruthlessness in defending his friends."
When he made no move to continue, Leverrier pushed, "And yours?"
Allen ducked his head and then glanced inquisitively at Crown Clown; he didn't actually know the answer to this one. He'd never asked.
Crown Clown glared at Leverrier for a moment longer, but then he sighed and looked at Allen, eyes dim, but with a small, tired smile on his face. Allen staring at an akuma soul. Pride and fondness. Allen saving a young human girl. And then, Allen struggling to rise. Young Allen standing against Cosimo with his teeth bared. Digging through a trash can for food.
Allen swallowed and glanced away, almost embarrassed to have heard that. When Leverrier cleared his throat impatiently, he gritted his teeth, but answered, "He knew that I had the capacity to care for both human and akuma, like he does, and he knew that I had the will to live through anything, no matter how difficult."
Leverrier 'hm'ed, and Allen thought that it sounded a lot more menacing than it ought to. "And why would they not synchronize with, say, Inspector Link?"
Link glanced at Allen, and Allen could tell that he wanted to know that too, which was all that made Allen bite back his budding sneer; he knew that it would have benefitted Leverrier immensely if even one of his CROW had been deemed acceptable by an Innocence.
Instead, Allen sighed. This was frustrating, all of it. He'd wanted to keep this a secret, and the revelation was every bit as stressful as he'd expected it to be - worse, it was far from over. Also, Leverrier was an ass, and his new scar still ached horribly.
He looked at Crown Clown. "Why not Link?" he asked simply, knowing that Crown Clown could hear the tiredness in his voice.
Sure enough, Crown Clown's eyes softened, and he placed a comforting hand on Allen's shoulder even as he answered; Allen knew that Crown Clown hated this at least as much as he did. Link refusing to let Allen open the Ark gate. Link protecting Timothy. Frustration, disgust.
"He says that Link is too willing to compromise his own morals," he told Leverrier, and Link almost deflated while Leverrier's eyes narrowed.
"And if that changed?"
Allen looked at Crown Clown, who shrugged. Allen wielding Crown Clown. Affection. A small smile curled the Innocence's lips, and Allen smiled back.
"He won't let me go," Allen replied, confidence filtering into his voice. Leverrier raised one eyebrow.
"Even to get an accommodator who is not a Noah?"
Crown Clown's head shot up and a snarl crossed his mouth, fists clenching. Defensiveness, protectiveness, rage!
"You're very lucky he can't hit you," Allen told Leverrier, who took a startled step back, gaze sweeping the room as if he could suddenly see Crown Clown. He quickly regained himself, though, and narrowed his eyes at Allen.
"Was that a threat, Mr. Walker?"
Allen shrugged. "I don't know, was it?" He knew he was treading on thin ice, but, well. Leverrier was never his favorite person.
Iron Hammer decided to interrupt, striding forward. He stuck his tongue out at Leverrier - Scorn - and told Allen, Link taking orders from Leverrier. Dismissal. Then, with a tight smile, Caution, reassurance.
Allen took the opportunity for what it was and cut off whatever Leverrier's reply would have been with, "Iron Hammer says that Link isn't independent enough for him."
Leverrier's mouth twisted slightly. "It took the Bookman's apprentice," he pointed out, voice tainted with derision and doubt.
Iron Hammer gave Leverrier a cold smile of his own. Faith.
"Iron Hammer has faith in Lavi," Allen shrugged, carefully not looking at either of the Bookmen.
"I see," Leverrier murmured. For an unnervingly long moment, he was quiet, and then he looked at Link. "Link, you have some additional orders."
Link straightened. "Sir?"
"Monitor Allen Walker's activities with the Innocences. Record all conversations he has with them." He met Allen's eyes with a cold smirk. "Allen Walker is not to converse with any Innocences unless he provides translations."
Allen's glare returned, and Crown Clown wrapped one hand around his upper arm, matching it with twice the vehemence.
"Yes, sir," Link acknowledged, still subdued.
Alright! So that confrontation's more-or-less over, and hey, it didn't explode in Allen's face. Much. Next chapter we get to talk to the other exorcists about this, and then, if there's still time, we'll get into the Third Exorcist arc. *smile* Thanks for reading, and please review!
Also, XavierForest, I finally got around to checking that formatting issue you mentioned, and I fixed it. *laugh* Thanks.