Hiya! Longer chapter and a bit of a time skip. Not much, just a few months. We also have a returning character! Ah...read and review! Also send Hoshino lots of love and prayers because the chapter has been pushed back again and I feel that she might not be feeling well again.
~six months later~
Lenalee was serving coffee to the scientists when it happened. As a general, she was hardly suited for serving coffee. It was frowned upon by the higher ups even when she was a simple exorcist, and now that she was a general she was scolded in numerous occasions for it.
That never stopped her, because general or not she wouldn't stop trying to care for the personnel of the Order. They were all overworked, tired, and clearly weren't keeping their health up. Her brother especially-for all the absurd things he did he surely made up for it when he finally did get to work-and that included working himself into an early grave.
"Where's Leverrier?" Lenalee asked idly, as always making a point to avoid the inspector at all costs. She, while a lot more confident in her choices, still had a small fear of him. That, and she was sure if he even attempted to make conversation with her she'd punch him.
Komui smiled tiredly, "He's in the Asian Branch overlooking something-I think some project."
"He didn't run it by you first?" Lenalee questioned.
"It's probably just plans he's going over-and he doesn't really run stuff by me anymore."
Reever popped up from underneath whatever machine he was building, "Isn't he supposed to?"
"Since when does he do that?" Komui retorted, "Ah...what's the point of being a Chief if it's not recognized?!" He whined, "Anyway, I'm not too worried."
Lenalee smiled, "Yes, it'll turn out-"
The door slammed open, scaring everybody inside. Without any notice, somebody stalked through.
"C-Cross!" Komui exclaimed as the General walked in.
Lenalee stumbled over her feet to greet him, almost spilling coffee in the process. It had been a while since she'd seen Cross-since anybody had seen Cross really and it was always a shock when he reappeared.
"General! You're back!"
"Those damn Noah are chasing me again."
Lenalee nervously nodded, "You didn't do anything to make them upset did you…?" The last time Jasdevi chased him he stuck them with his debts, and they had a tantrum as a result.
Cross grunted back and Lenalee knew it happened again. At least they couldn't beat on them this times. Jasero and Devit were like spoilt brats and when they merged it only got worse. Lenalee didn't think she could handle another one of their 'Cross is a deadman' tantrums. The ark was enough for her.
Lenalee laughed lightly, "Well, can't be helped."
"You're outfit." Cross leaned into her space, ignoring Komui's squawk of protest, "You're a general."
"Yeah! And Kanda too. Though, we can't travel around until the Noah stop chasing us-you went off the face of the Earth so we couldn't contact you to tell you to come home. Seriously don't do that again-we know you can take care of yourself but the Noah-"
"Stop worrying about everyone, it'll make you ugly." Ignoring Lenalee's cry of protest, he stalked towards Komui, "Komui." He nodded.
Komui smiled, "Please don't leave...again…" He sounded exasperated, "You can't just jump off the face of the Earth! Do you know how much central yelled at me for losing track off you-you were still under investigation! Do you know how much paperwork and arguing I did to get you out of the hole you dug yourself into?! Honestly-"
Lenalee stifled a giggle as her brother went in to scold Cross. He often got like this nowadays, and seeing him so stressed out was oddly endearing. Saddening, but endearing. Seeing him fight so hard for Cross was the most effort she saw him put into a case since Allen.
"Yeah, yeah, listen to you more got it." Cross repeated, clearly not listening.
"Cross...ah stop walking away! Don't ignore me!" Komui reached a hand out, "Cross?" He called out, quieter. The change in tone shocked Cross enough to get him to turn around.
"What?"
Komui smiled brightly suddenly, looking relieved, "We were starting to get worried about you, welcome back."
Cross rolled his eyes, "Still as sentimental as always."
Lenalee smiled gently, because at times like this, when everything was so calm...it reminded her of why she stayed here. Why she didn't disappear like Cross did-now that she absolutely could as a general.
At times like this, the Order felt like home again. Even without Allen's charm and sweetness, it was beginning to feel warm again.
Maybe she'd convince Lavi(who talked less now, and joked around even less), and Kanda to walk with her through the gardens. Both were becoming too isolated for their own good.
Lavi got some leeway since he was a Bookman heir and Bookman gave him hell for being so affected by Allen. She missed his old jokes though, and wanted to see him smile genuinely again.
Kanda was just as cold hearted as ever, but that would never stop her. Allen would want them to still be close.
Ha, maybe I'm finally healing.
"Lenalee?" She turned quickly to her brother, "Yes big brother?"
"More coffee?" He asked pitifully, raising his now empty cup. Lenalee giggled and walked forward. Her eyes caught the picture of Komui's desk: it was a nice one. The four of them(Allen, Lavi, Kanda, and her) always took great pictures together.
Yeah...I think I finally am.
"Right."
~insertlinebreak~
His body was breaking. Cracking into a million pieces like clay. It hurt, it hurt like hell, but he was healing. He was healing and that was all that mattered.
Above him came a worried voice.
[Allen! Speak to me, are you okay?]
Allen groaned softly in reply, his vision blurring. It had been going on for months now, the tests. Each time grew more painful, and Allen began to grow more restless each time they were brought up.
[Allen, a few more times okay?]
He was healing rapidly, the broken skin smoothing over until he was healed.
"O-okay…"
There was a man overlooking today. Allen had seen him a couple of times before-never much. By him was someone he saw a lot more. A tall man with blonde hair. Sometimes he saw him sitting in the cafeteria- sometimes alone, more often with Johnny or Lou Fa.
Malcolm Leverrier and Howard Link.
Every time they overlooked, he was pushed harder.
Another try. He flew back with the blast, crying out in pain. He heard Lou Fa scream, and from the pain knew some limb had flew off.
[Halt the tests!]
He heard Johnny shout it, but another voice overpowered his.
[Again]
Leverrier.
He still wasn't healed, he still couldn't talk. Only a few seconds had passed and while his upper body was healed his face was taking a bit more time.
[He can't take that much! He needs a break!]
[Again.]
It was said sterner now, without any room for protest.
Allen was lifted and he moaned weakly, "W-wait…"
[One more time Allen. One more.]
"O...okay.."
Another try.
This time he screamed. He heard the door slam open and he was hurriedly picked up. Somebody was crying, he couldn't see well enough to tell who. He was crying as well, so maybe it was him.
"Allen…"
"Professor….?" Allen went limp.
~insertlinebreak~
"Leverrier, Allen couldn't handle that last test! What if he didn't regenerate?" Bak exclaimed once he shut the door the the inspector's office.
"Yuu Kanda handled-"
For, who stood by Bak, quickly interrupted, "Kanda was different! That time was different! Back then, Kanda had Alma." Ten years ago, when Kanda and Alma were made out of those same birthing pits.
When Bak's parents were still alive and they hadn't realized how messed up it all was. It was different then.
"And I suppose you would definitely know this."
"I have been alive for many years as the guardian of this Order, I saw Kanda and Alma go through these same tests! Don't talk to me like I haven't seen this! You, inspector, do not understand what happened ten years ago! Two best friends forced to battle to the death!" For hissed.
Leverrier nodded, "And the strongest survived."
"No, Alma wanted to die. If they were both fighting because they wanted to live, the battle would have never ended." For breathed, "I know it. I won't let that happen to Allen."
"Is this because you want to protect the second or because you cared for the previous Allen Walker?" He questioned, leaning in.
The statement shocked the scientist and the spirit into silence.
After a long pause, Bak began to speak through clenched teeth.
"I won't pretend like I approved and agreed with Allen's execution. We killed him just because he moved the Ark. There was little proof that he harbored the Noah. So yes, my loyalty-our loyalty to him doesn't fade. No matter what form he takes."
Bak turned on his heel, "If you're going to interfere with our project again I recommend you only send Link next time, yes?" Before shutting the door, "Too many people see the project and something just might slip."
After he closed the door and turned down the hall, Bak pressed his back to the wall and slid down.
~insertlinebreak~
Allen was awake.
He had been awake since a hour after he passed out. It was because of his brittleness according to the head nurse, but he was fully healed now. They let him go back to his room, where he sat on the floor.
Timcanpy was playing his lullaby to him, trying to coax him to rest more. Allen only smiled sweetly at him, rubbing at his sore ribs.
"I'll rest in a bit, Tim." He promised, but the lullaby refused to stop. Allen mindlessly hummed along. He didn't know why, but the song felt familiar. Intimate almost, like he knew it from somewhere.
Allen laughed quietly, "But I've only been alive for a few months, and I've been doing the tests."
The tests.
Leverrier.
Allen suddenly felt sick. He held his head, shaking it slowly, "That's not something I should think about."
Timcanpy nuzzled his head, trying comfort him.
"You know what Tim? Leverrier...I don't like him. Something about him seems...bad. If the Order is supposed to be good, why is a bad man here?"
He sighed, "And the tests…"
At first, months before, he took them in stride. It was a long road to change his mind. Lou Fa and the others kept rooting for him, but it was hard. It hurt.
Allen looked at his hand, still bandaged. The head nurse was like a demon almost, and refused to let him leave without bandages.
He tried to keep being hopeful, but the tests were painful. The pain was something the professors didn't understand because he healed seconds later. Even so, he could still feel the thrum of pain, and most importantly the ache. His chest still hurt, his back and limbs still burned.
His lips curled into a grimace as pain shot through them when he flexed them. The soreness would go away soon.
That didn't change his feelings about the test.
"I hate them."
He hated the tests, but he loved the scientists. So where was the middle ground? It was like hating prison, but loving the wardens. He didn't want to hate the Order, and the scientists even less.
It was hard though.
The lullaby was suddenly played louder, and Allen looked at Timcanpy. The golem was practically forcing him now, biting at his hair and pulling in the direction of the bed.
"Rest. Okay, I got it Tim. You don't have to be so forceful." But he knew that it was a lie, because if it wasn't for Timcanpy forcing him into sleep, he would never rest. That happened a lot to him, not sleeping.
He spent some nights wandering the Order, counting each step before he made it to his room again. The Order was so big he always forgot places(that and he just got lost easily because some things transcend even through rebirth) so he was always surprised to find new places.
Other nights he spent staring at the ceiling. Or he read books. He was especially fond of reading. He never went outside, he wasn't allowed. So he learned things about the world by reading.
He found out the sky was blue.
He found out that grass was green.
He found out that trees were brown and green-but only in the summer and spring. In the fall the leaves change colors and in the winter there were no leaves. There were people of different backgrounds, all speaking different languages. He found that he spoke English, and that most of the people in the Asian Branch were bilingual between some language and English.
There were so many things out there that he didn't know.
Allen couldn't wait until he had the freedom to experience it.
I feel bad about what I'm doing to poor Allen...