Sorry, this took longer because I wanted it all in one (longer) chapter instead of two itty bitty ones. I think it might be the longest so far.

I do not own D Gray Man.

Chapter 26- Something strange

Shit. Shit, shit, shit. The word kept circling Kanda's mind. He had just stood there and let Allen leave, just watched as he walked through Road's dimensional door and disappeared to god knows where. His inability to stop Allen from leaving made him angry at himself, and he needed to vent that anger on the closest thing he could. This just happened to be a large number of Akuma. He ran his fingers down the back of Mugen's black blade, coating the infinitely sharp katana in silver light. He got to work.

Lavi watched the proceedings from his viewpoint, aware of the Akuma that were circling the tower, waiting for him to make his move. Jim looked on in horror as Allen wilfully went through the strange heart shaped doors with a short fat man holding an umbrella and three girls, all of whom looked like they were still in their teens. The smallest one looked about his own age, the oldest around Allen's. The other one was somewhere in between, perhaps about 15. The doors closed and then were gone.

A shout from below drew his attention to Kanda who was fighting the Akuma. He looked pissed. "ARE YOU TWO GOING TO HELP OR JUST STAND THERE ADMIRING THE VIEW?" Very pissed.

"What are you doing Yuu-chan? We can't beat them all!"

Kanda didn't answer, choosing instead to decapitate an Akuma in a spray of black blood.

"Shouldn't we help him?" Jim asked looking towards Lavi.

"Allen's going to be furious; he didn't want to have a fight."

"Allen's not here right now, we need to make a decision" Jim sounded uncharacteristically assertive.

"Alright. You stay here; you can use your innocence as a long range weapon and stay out of the way."

Jim nodded, although he hated the fact that Lavi was protecting him. To prove he wasn't completely ineffectual, he dropped a variety of heavy objects that he imagined into being onto the rather stupid Akuma, who just stood around idiotically wondering why pianos were falling from the sky.

Lavi used his hammer to slide to the ground, ending up back to back with Kanda.

"Just like old times, eh Yuu?"

"Shut up."

The Akuma slaughter continued.

"Time to give him back to them." Road began creating a dimensional door.

"Assuming they're still alive." Perdita stood a little way back, her arms folded across her chest.

"Those Akuma are weak and stupid, the Earl didn't want the exorcists to die just yet."

"It's a shame we had to hit him so hard, that's going to leave a nasty mark."

"Are you worried about him Perdy?" Francesca mocked

"Of course not!" the irritable Noah snapped back. "Is the note ready?" She changed the subject quickly.

Francesca waved an envelope. "Here we are!" She slipped the envelope into the black coat of the unconscious man lying at her feet.

Road's door fully materialised and she pushed it open.

Kanda turned at the sound of the door creaking open, the Akuma forgotten. Luckily the Akuma didn't seem keen on attacking now that the three Noah were standing in the square once more. Giving him a knowing smile, Francesca tossed out the senseless body with surprising strength, watching as it rolled to a stop a few feet away from the battle-worn exorcists.

"The Earl has finished with him now, you can have him back!" Road grinned cheerfully, stepping back though the door way, followed closely by her companions. "See you later!"

Lavi appeared beside him. "That was definitely odd."

Kanda nodded, kneeling by Allen's side. Apart from a small cut on his brow bone and a rapidly swelling black eye, he looked unhurt.

"I'm new to all this, but that seemed a bit too easy." Jim joined them, having walked down a recently materialised set of steps on the outside of the tower. These vanished as he reached the bottom, his head swivelling as he watched the Akuma beat a hasty retreat. "Shouldn't we go after them?"

Lavi shook his head. "We came here to get the message from the Earl. We don't know what happened in there, we'll have to wait for Allen to wake up and tell us. Until then, we'll get out of here. This mission's over."

Kanda watched as Allen's eyes opened slowly, and focused in on his face.

"Kanda?" He sounded unsure.

Kanda let out a sigh of relief, before turning his anger on a very drowsy Allen. "Baka Moyashi, why did you go off like that? You might not have come back at all!"

Allen blinked confusedly, wincing as he closed the swollen eye. "Huh?" He looked unsure as to who Kanda was addressing.

Kanda rolled his eyes and opened his mouth to speak again, but was elbowed out of the way by Lavi.

"What did the Earl say?"

Allen frowned. "I…can't remember. The door closed, it was dark…there was someone there…then, nothing." He sat up, his hand to his head. As he moved a white envelope dropped from the inside of his coat, the sudden movement dislodging it. "What's this?"

With trembling fingers he broke the seal on the letter, sliding the paper out and unfolding it.

Dear General Walker,

Thank you for our little chat, you were most helpful. I look forward to talking with you again.

Allen looked up to the others, whose faces wore a mixture of surprise and disbelief. "I…didn't tell him anything…I don't think…"

Although no one doubted Allen's story for an instant, the whole incident was a little…odd. Lavi offered to make the report to Komui. He told the others he'd do it while Allen got his injured head checked out, but actually he really wanted to see both Komui and Bookman's reaction to the whole situation.

"So, what do you think?"

Komui lowered the note thoughtfully, looking over to the senior bookman. "Well…as much as I believe Allen, I know he'd never do anything against the order, it is a very odd situation indeed. I have a feeling that not everybody is going to believe Allen's story. It's all a little too convenient."

Lavi leapt up, enraged. "Which is exactly why the Earl did this! It must be part of his plan to undermine the Order by creating distrust!"

"Lavi…"

"Where is Walker now?" Bookman asked.

"He's having his head seen to." Lavi paused. "Boy, that came out wrong. He got knocked out and is sporting a rather fetching black eye."

Komui nodded. "Once that's over, can you ask him to come down here? We need to discuss further action."

Lavi nodded, recognising the dismissal. He left the room, but he wasn't going to go away just yet. Closing the door, he pressed his ear to the crack.

"It does seem rather…convenient as you said." Bookman's voice was the first to speak.

Komui was silent for a moment, as though pondering his reply. "Perhaps the Earl has something over him?"

"The boy is an enigma, not even we bookmen know of his past, other than what is common knowledge to the Order. And there are things that have happened that in the recent past that could concern the elders."

"It could be perfectly innocent, of course. We know nothing of the powers of the newest Noah. Lavi told us the girl was there…the boy could also have been around. It is possible that they did something to his memory."

Bookman stood; Lavi heard the noise of his boots on the floor and began to move away from the door in a hurry.

"We need to question Walker about this. And his team individually too, in case they noticed anything strange."

Komui shook his head. "I don't know what good that will do. The boy worships the ground Allen walks on and Kanda…well…"

"I'll work on Lavi." Bookman nodded to Komui and opened the door, leaving the supervisor alone, too troubled even to sleep.

Allen stared around the room as though he'd never seen it before. Kanda was growing concerned, Allen was acting a little stranger than usual. Of course, he was bound to be a little out of it…he'd lost half an hours worth of memory in that dimension and had a massive thump across the face to boot. But still…

He was interrupted by an unusually grave Lavi knocking in the door. "Komui wants to see him. Alone."

Kanda nodded. "Come on Moyashi. The supervisor wants to see you."

"Please don't call me that, I don't think it's appropriate. My name is Allen."

Lavi stared in disbelief and Kanda actually gaped.

Those Noah really did a number on him… Lavi looked at Kanda's hurt, uncertain expression. "Don't worry Yuu-chan, we'll get this sorted" he whispered quietly. "Are you coming Allen?" he added.

"Sure." Allen grinned widely, his old radiant smile.

Did they regress him or something...he's like a kid!

Inside Komui's office however, he was back to his newer, calmer self. The chane was scary. "I'm sorry Komui, that's all I can remember. The doors closed. The voice of the Earl faded away…and a new voice spoke. It was a male voice, but all I could see were eyes. Then my head hurt and everything went black. I woke up back in the hotel."

Allen's words smacked of the truth; it was obvious that he recalled nothing else. But the people above him, well they would take some convincing.

"We'll call in the Generals again. I believe you but there may be some trouble further up the ladder. I think it's imperative we get the Generals onside to help convince everyone else."

Allen nodded. "I understand. Thank you for believing me, I know it can't have been easy for someone in your position."

Komui sighed. "Send Kanda in please."

"So nothing odd? Nothing out of character?"

"He was a little nervous, but that's who he his, it was to be expected in this situation." Kanda's voice was blank and even, displaying none of his inner fury. They think Allen is a traitor? Hadn't they already been through this? Did someone higher up have it in for him?

"So there was nothing different at all in Allen's character?"

Kanda glared at the supervisor. How many more times? "No."

"Very well. Please send Jim in."

Jim shook his head. "I know I haven't known Allen as long as you have, but I spent a lot of time with him since we did meet, travelling and training together, and I know that whatever happened behind those doors, Allen is telling the truth. The Order and the people here mean everything to him, he would never betray us!"

Komui sighed. "I know that all too well, Jim, but I have to explore every avenue. You must understand that to the elders who have no experience fighting the Earl first hand, going out there with a non-combative team looks very suspicious. Allen himself said he didn't want to fight."

"But that's who Allen is! He would never have forgiven himself is someone he was responsible for was hurt if he could have prevented it. He'd have done he whole thing alone if he could!" Jim was close to tears now.

"I know Jim. I know."

Kanda was dumbstruck, his chopsticks raised halfway to his open mouth. Lavi had stopped eating, his fork dangling unattractively from between his teeth. Jim's own huge collection of meals lay forgotten. Jerry sobbed uncontrollably behind the hatch, and every other person in the dining hall had frozen. The world had stopped turning, and it was caused by one person.

Allen was slowly making his way through an average sized portion of some Russian slop, savouring each mouthful.

Slowly…average…savouring…

Lavi broke the silence first, dropping his fork with a clatter as he opened his mouth. "Hey, Allen, is everything alright?"

Allen looked up, momentarily confused. "Sure, why wouldn't it be?"

"Are you…feeling ok?"

"Of course! Why wouldn't it be?" he repeated

Lavi looked between the stew-like dish in front of Allen to Jim's own tottering pile of poorly positioned plates.

"Oh, I'm just not that hungry, that's all."

This statement was greeted by a resounding crash as several people passed out in shock.

"EHHHH?"

"I don't get it either," Allen quickly interjected, "but since we got back I haven't felt that hungry." He noticed the troubled looks on his companion's faces. "Don't worry about it, I'm sure I'll be back to normal in no time!"

It was getting worse. Each passing day something would change. Most people didn't notice, but Kanda saw all those small changes, and each one deepened his anxiety. Of course, some of those changes were so big, so gargantuan in their deviation from the norm that nobody could miss them.

Apart from the obviously not increasing size of his meals, there were several strange and worrying changes that began to rock the foundations of the Order that everyone knew and loved.

Firstly, Allen never asked people to not call him General when it slipped out by accident. In fact he seemed to relish in it.

Secondly, he wasn't overly concerned by some of the open distrust and hostility shown among some of the people in the building, which Kanda was sure would have normally bothered him. Instead he shrugged it off, even when they were alone and Kanda asked him how he was.

Allen also appeared strangely moody. He snapped at Miranda, telling her to either stop crying or go and do them all a favour and throw herself off the roof. Kanda had once said something similar to her himself, but hearing it from Allen's mouth made it more…sinister. He looked like he actually meant it.

Whether she had thought it was an actual order from a General or she really did feel that wretched, several finders had to pull her away from the very long drop from the roof before she could go through with it.

When Allen had come across Krory crying for some little known reason in one of the side corridors, instead of offering comfort, Allen snappishly told him to grow up and act like a man for once, shocking the gathered finders.

When Lenalee approached him to tell him off for acting so horribly (in her words 'Kanda-ish') he turned on her and told the 'stupid little whore-bitch' to find someone else to 'fuck-over'.

Kanda, who neither liked nor disliked Lenalee (though if pressed, his inclination would have been towards 'dislike'), thought that this was one step to far and told Allen so.

That was when Allen dealt the final blow. Whirling on Kanda, ignoring the fact that the hallway was filled with a collection of exorcists, finders and scientists, he belted out, his face red with fury, "WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE TALKING TO ME LIKE THAT? WHERE DO YOU GET OFF TELLING ME WHAT TO DO?" He paused for breath, ignoring the shocked horrified faces of the gathered people, ignoring the fact that the crowd had grown since the start of his rant, his voice echoing through the halls of the order.

Lavi looked up from the book he was poring over. He knew that voice, though he couldn't hear the words. He didn't need to; the malice was conveyed by the tone alone. Dropping the book with a thud, he began running towards the shouting.
"I AM SICK AND TIRED OF YOU BEING AROUND ME! WHEREVER I TURN, YOU'RE THERE, THE WORLD'SMOST ANNOYING SHADOW! JUST FUCK OFF AND LEAVE ME ALONE! I HATE YOU, I CAN'T STAND YOU, AND I NEVER WANT YOU TO TOUCH ME AGAIN!" Allen panted, his face glowing with rage and the effort of the prolonged shouting.

Kanda, by comparison was pale. Paler than he had ever been on his life. He looked ill, as though he would be physically sick if he attempted to open his mouth. He swallowed a few times before raising his eyes to meet the frenzied grey eyes of his former lover. Eventually he spoke. "I'm sorry I have made you feel this way." He gave a low bow of respect. "I will never overstep my boundaries again, General Walker."

Lavi pounded up in time to hear Kanda's last words. Already the Japanese man was walking away, his head held high, although tears glinted in the corners of his eyes. He ignored the presence of those traitorous drops of water and walked through the crowd into the empty corridor. Lavi chased him. "Yuu-chan, what?" he was cut off by Mugen at his throat.

"The deal's off baka. You better start running."

Not even a round of maim-the-rabbit could help lift his spirit. He slumped back to his room for the first time in many long months. It was cold, empty, unloved. But that was okay. It was just like him.
News travels fast within the order.

Komui was intrigued, wondering what had caused the sudden, dramatic change in Allen's behaviour. However, when he heard about the 'whore-bitch' remark, he called Allen to his office for a severe dressing down. It was then he got a taste of new Allen for himself. Allen's response to said dressing down was to give Komui the finger an saunter away, leaving the supervisor speechless.

The Generals could not arrive soon enough. Everyone hoped that this new, shocking and very scary version of Allen was as a result of the tension resulting from being suspected as a traitor.

The Generals and Komui gathered in the meeting hall, silently taking their seats.

Cross was absent from the meeting from the point of view that he had vanished and there was no time to track him down.

Komui began to speak.

Kanda paced his room. Something strange…Had there been something strange about Allen after he woke up? He had been disorientated, as is he didn't recognise his friends, his own nickname…

Kanda continued ponder this as he cleared a path through the thick layer of dust coating everything in his room.

"So that is the situation. I would be glad to hear your thoughts on the matter Generals." Komui looked expectantly at the gathered exorcists.

Allen leaned forwards, his arms hidden beneath the table as he waited for his future to be decided.

Kanda stopped pacing. No, it couldn't be…it wasn't possible…why didn't he see it before? Why was he the only one to see it now? He grabbed his katana and without pausing to strap it on, he pounded from his room.
"I have nothing but the highest regard for you, General Walker, but what news that has reached us most recently has not worked well in your favour." Cloud began. "I wish to postpone giving Walker my support until such time that this current reckless behaviour has settled."

"I agree with Cloud. Nothing you have done since you returned from Prague has shown that you are loyal to the Order's cause." Sokaro slammed his palm on the table.

"I understand the experience must have been difficult for you, but that does not excuse your behaviour." Tiedoll's serious voice changed dramatically, sounding an awful lot like Komui did when on an 'I love my sister' rant. "And how could you treat my poor Kanda-kun like that?"

The other two Generals glared at the sobbing frizzy-haired man.

Komui sighed. "In that case, I have no choice but t-"

He was interrupted by the door slamming open. A man stood silhouetted against the light that suddenly streamed into the room, momentarily blinding the occupants.

Allen's eyes narrowed as he saw the naked innocence sword in the intruder's hands.

"Kanda…"

Kanda strode forwards purposefully. As he moved the piercing light of his invocated blade caught the tears falling freely from his glittering eyes.

The people at the table were too stunned to move. Kanda moved beside Allen, who watched him mildly. "Is there something the matter?"

"How dare you?" The whispered voice held venom. He lifted Allen by the collar, dragging him to his feet. He spoke louder, his arm drawing back, prepared to strike. "How dare you?"

Allen turned his head to the side, looking confused and cute and adorable and utterly innocent.

"HOW DARE YOU!" Kanda bellowed, his arm moving without warning. Blood coated the remaining Generals seated at the table. Komui's pristine white uniform becoming drenched in gore.

Kanda watched the light fade from the grey eyes, feeling only a twinge of regret. With a satisfied noise, he slid his blade from the body and threw it onto the table. "How dare you?" he asked the corpse softly.

A/N

O.O what do you think?

I'm kinda happy about this chapter, though the line about Kanda and his room made me want to cry.