The man's large stature filled the chair. Lvellie poured over the documents he had stacked neatly, reading each page carefully. Lvellie wasn't expecting visitors, enjoying the silence of the office. The writing that currently held his attention were reports of personal interest. Lenalee's and Bookman Jr.'s handwriting were distinctly different. The boy wrote in a precise manner, bold cursive, spacing his words with care, and each sentence held virtually no emotion. The girl's writing was the polar opposite. Each thought conveyed was clearly deeply rooted in how she felt about the ever growing complicated circumstances.
Lvellie believed the two different accounts were crucial. Both people seemed to be on the same page as each other. While Lavi and Lenalee's approach in retelling their personal accounts regarding their interactions or lack of with Allen Walker added up to what Lvellie knew, something didn't sit right with the man. Yu Kanda's and Bookman's reports were both distant, seeming to be unattached to the people of conflict; namely, Allen Walker and Bookman Jr. A sharp rap on the doors summoned Lvellie's attention.
"Come in," he ordered, not pleased to be disturbed. To say he was taken aback would not describe Lvellie's face properly. Dumbfounded was more accurate. Strolling forward, heading for a seat facing Lvellie, a man of equal height and presence had entered the office. The memorable long red hair and the half mask covering half their face was a quick indicator who had come to chat. Lvellie smirked, reclaiming his composure.
"General Cross Marian, what a surprise." Moving the stack of paper aside, Lvellie clasped his hands together, elbows on the desk. His grin held strong, "After being awol for so long, I would have guessed you'd be dead by now." Cross only returned the confidence, taking a seat and lighting a cigarette. Cross responded, with his own sarcastic tone, "I'm sorry to disappoint you director. I'm still breathing." Lvellie chuckled.
"Not if you keep up that horrible habit of yours. If it doesn't kill you first, something else is sure to beat it to the job," the director said. Cross was far from intimidated. Crossing his legs, Inhaling his cigarettes smoke and enjoying the release, Cross replied, "As much as I enjoy entertaining how I might die, I did come here to question you." Lvellie found the General's boastful smile amusing, and decided to humor his visitor: "And what question would that be?"
"A lots happened since I've been absent from the order," the general explained, continuing, "Everything after my idiot apprentice's disappearance is unclear. I've heard rumors, but I'm not one to put stock in other's words without good reason. I figured you, director, would be a trusted source."
'Build up his ego and I'm headed the right direction,' Cross thought, satisfied with his course of action.
"Oh? And what rumors might those be?" With Cross' bait taken, and the plan working as of now, the man pushed forward.
"Allen Walker, is he confirmed dead?" Lvellie eyed the other's face, looking for any attachment to the name Cross had spoken. There was anything but void expression. This seemed to satisfy Lvellie, and he answered the man's question.
"According to Bookman Jr., who aided Walker in his escape, claims the traitor to be deceased." Cross chuckled, his laugh dark, "I was wondering when that boy was going to get himself killed. He was an idiot in the first place for hoping to save Akuma and bring them to 'salvation.' Now, what is the status of Lavi Bookman? Is it true he's been apprehended?" The director nodded, leaning back into his chair comfortably.
"Yes, that is true. Though, interestingly enough, the boy turned himself over to the order." Cross feigned his surprise, agreeing that such a decision was not what he expected of the bookman in training. The general took this moment to make his inevitable proposition.
"I would appreciate some time questioning the boy myself. I believe he'll share information given the right encouragement," Lvellie looked skeptical.
"I assure you I've tried my share of tactic. Lavi Bookman won't change his story for any amount of 'encouragement' as you call it," the director explained.
"I'm sure you did, Lvellie. And I'm sure you remember my ideas of interrogating. I did learn from the best after all," Cross added. Lvellie looked pleased, likely enjoying the image of the boy receiving more beatings.
"Alright," Lvellie agreed, "You can talk with the boy." The two men exchanged a few more words before Cross stood, getting ready to visit Lavi's cell. Thanking Lvellie for his 'hospitality,' the man took his leave. Cross ignored the stares and surprised faces that he passed in the hallway. He wasn't concerned with people's interest in his mysterious return. Finding the familiar staircase that descended down into the lower levels of the European Branch, the firelight on the walls lighted the steep downward spiral.
'They really haven't done much with the order since I've been gone.' The man didn't hurry his pace, aware of every nick and dip in the stone steps. Cross made it to the bottom of his descend, quickly finding the room he had come for. Holding the key Lvellie had passed off, Cross inserted said key into the door, turning it to the right and allowing him entrance.
Letting the door swing open at its own pace, the rooms single occupant watched in dread, their anticipation anything but eager. What Cross saw was familiar with fear and lack of trust. His apprentice had once looked the same, before growing accustomed to the older man's presence and cynical way of thinking and doing things.
"Lavi. It's been too long." Cross stepped into the holding cell and made sure the heavy door was closed securely before saying, "How are you holding up?" The boy eased up, visibly less tense. Where Lavi sat, he looked relieved at seeing it was the general.
"Oh, it's just you," the redhead spoke, void of expression. Their face matching their monotonous words. "I'm alive. That's got to count for something." The man was acutely aware of how close Lavi Bookman was to being broken. To break a Bookman wasn't an easy task either.
"Is the plan going accordingly?" Cross questioned, walking closer to Lavi. Close up, the boy's swollen cheek became evident. His only eye that remained uncovered was nearly closing on itself. The lighting was poor as expected, but no amount of dark could hide the way the boy held himself. Sitting in a back corner tucked the furthest away from the door, Lavi sat resembling a child with his knees brought to his chest. He started fiddling with his wrist. It seemed automatic, a reflex. Something was there, small and a distraction.
"For the most part, I'd say everything's going according to plan," the redhead said. "Aside from knowing nothing about the Asian Branch since parting ways with Allen, that and Lenalee having to hear what she did, yeah; I'd say I'm playing my part splendidly." Where sarcasm would fit perfectly, there was none. Just monotonous words. Cross was not happy to see the condition of the young Bookman. He hadn't expected great things in the first place, knowing that Lvellie was in charge. However, seeing the boy up close was real.
"Lavi," Cross said the boy's name. Lavi, who wasn't accustomed to holding conversations with Cross Marion, hadn't expected the stern, still gentle tone in which the general spoke.
"I'm sorry to hear about everything that's happened in the many months you and Allen have been away from the order." Lavi found he wanted to smile, even if it was just a little.
"I'm not completely sorry. It hasn't been all bad." The older man's attention was had and he made to stand against the wall, further into the room. Lavi continued,
"I've done things bookman before I can only imagine doing. Did you know that before coming to the European Branch I had never genuinely cared what happened if I didn't come back from a mission? As long as I recorded everything beforehand. Wars were a simple matter of documenting what transpired, and not caring who won. People came and went like the hours in the day. They didn't matter." Cross interjected, asking,
"What's different now?" The boy smiled bigger.
"Everything's different. I deluded myself that I wouldn't need to rely on Lenalee and the others here at the order. And boy was I wrong," he spoke, sounding to relish in the fact that he had been in fact wrong.
"If I've learned anything, it's that I started living when I got here. There's nothing worth noting before arriving at the European Branch. Compared to now, I realize being a true bookman meant being able to look people in the face and not care what happened to them. They were just another part of history. I believed that sunsets were average, mundane occurrences.
I've met people who look forward to eating their next meal. People who appreciate the beauty of each sunset. People who understand the importance of having others backs. These should have been common knowledge, but they weren't always. And then I made connections that I couldn't sever even if I tried. And that's the best part. Even if everything isn't perfect."
"What were your thoughts," Cross started, his question full of interest, "when you first met my apprentice."
"Honestly," Lavi laughed, relaxing his legs, still holding onto his wrist, "I was curious. So many people join the order, and everyone's so different for why they joined in the first place. Whether forced or by choice, personality differs greatly too.
Allen seemed too, ok, with everything. The old panda didn't even make him raise an eyebrow. He just seemed to accept that everything was fine and ready for anything. He hadn't been a part of the order for long at the time, so it struck me as odd how comfortable he was with the way of the order. He didn't talk excessively, but I'm more than capable of making up for that," Lavi joked. "Allen was easy enough to talk to and seemed to want to listen to what myself and everyone had to say. Even Kanda, once they stopped bickering every time they were in the same room. The best of friends and enemies." Cross liked listening to the other's perspective of the place in which he had occupied for so long, welcoming a more positive outlook as opposed to his more bleak outlook, and experience. Lavi's tone morphed into something still hopeful, with a hint of something else.
"He seemed to be pretending almost, that first day I ever met him. Allen was smiling, but it wasn't all real. It felt, rehearsed. After getting to know him better, I also got to know better why he wasn't being honest with his smile. Allen was the same as most of us at the order. We learned to fake a grin because it's survival for your sanity in a place like this. We all did it. We all faked a smile until our pseudo happiness became something real. One day I realized I wasn't playing along anymore, that I actually liked seeing the people here every day. I wanted to be able to welcome them home."
Cross remembered something then, softly saying,
"When you don't have a family, you find one. Sometimes it finds you.' Allen said that once when he spoke about Mana years ago once. The thought hasn't crossed my mind for some time now."
The two sat in silence, letting their words linger for a moment. Cross broke it first,
"I raised the idiot to be anything but weak and a quitter. Allen's stubborn, and persistent. Even if it takes a while, he'll prove himself in raising above Lvellie's ideas. He'll be back eventually, and strong enough to put the man in his place. So hold on. Because I believe in Allen Walker." Lavi took the General's words to heart, deciding to put stock in the man's beliefs.
"Thank you Cross. I can hold on longer, it's the least I can do for everyone. As long as some of us still have faith, we'll be fine." The older man nodded his agreement in the dark room, finding it his time to depart.
'The boy already looks like he's been beaten, I don't even need to cover that. Thank god," he thought, both relieved and saddened at the fact that the redhead looked to be in the worst shape possible. The only plus side is that he wouldn't need to keep his word about 'teaching' him what pain was. Lvellie clearly hadn't been to visit recently.
"Good night Lavi," Cross Marion wished the other before leaving. Lavi watched where the door was, even if it was dark, and the door locking for once wasn't the familiar depressing sound.
'He's not so bad,' Lavi happily thought. It wasn't impossible to believe again, that everything could be ok again. And that notion was enough to make Lavi feel a spark of actual optimism for the first time in what felt like forever. Allen and the others would prevail, just as he himself would too.