Chapter 8

The Black order

His eyes opened slowly and looked out the window of his room. It was day out, as it usually was in the ark -not that it couldn't be night time either, just that the Earl liked it to remain day time at all times. Something he tended to hate.

The light rays hit his face, and he grumbled his displeasure and turned the other way, giving the window his back and snuggled into his pillow that wasn't really his pillow at all.

Road was sleeping soundly in front of him with absolutely no clothes, and just the expensive fabric of his blanket to cover her, not that she would care either way nor neither did he. He too was wearing no clothes and only had the blanket to cover the lower part of his body seeing as Road had taken most of it.

A smile formed on his lip as he looked at Road's cute flushed, sleeping face, and snuggled his nose into her hair and wrapped his arms around her bare torso.

She had spent the night with him after the meeting concluded, and after everyone had either left to do their own thing or gone to sleep. Of course, this wasn't the first time they've been together, and it wouldn't be the last so the others were used to it by now except for Sheril and the Earl, who thought that they were both too young for such things, even though they were far from being children. He's nineteen, an adult in his own right, and Road -well Road was even older than the rest of the Noahs except for the Earl. So both of them were far from being children, and they could make their own decisions even though the others still treated them like children, especially Tyki.

The Noah of pleasure always took every opportunity to tease them both, even though he was one of the few who actually supported them being together. The rest either didn't like them being together, or they simply didn't care like Tryde. He honestly appreciated that some of them supported their relationship, but at the same time he wished they wouldn't make such a big deal out of it.

He sighed, and burrowed his nose closer into her shoulder and Road gave out a soft sigh. He loved these little moments together, and he wished they would end… but at the same time.

His eyes shifted to the far wall, and looking through Road's thick hair he noted the time on the case clock that stood against the wall. It was eleven, incredibly late for one such as Sheril, Lulu and pretty much any respectable member of their family, but incredibly early for the likes of Jasdevi and Skinn who woke up in the evening to prowl the street in search of exorcists. He and Road, on the other hand, were a bit of in between. They woke up late, but not as late as Jasdevi nor as early as the others, they woke sometime in the afternoon to Lulu's great displeasure, as well as Wisely who thought them lazy. Still, though they didn't care, and usually they sleept into the afternoon but today was different. He needed to go search for Cross and begin his new task. A task he was more than happy to begin.

Sliding closer, and putting his lips against Road's ear he pressed a tender kiss on her soft skin.

Slowly she began to regain consciousness, and stir on her spot meanwhile he continues to kiss her neck.

"Up already?" she asked, her voice laced with amusement.

"It's late. Gotta start the day early," he mumbled between kisses, and Road chuckled.

"Who's this new Allen I see here?" She asked, turning her head to look at him, stopping Allen's slow administration to her neck.

"Perhaps I kidnapped him in the middle of the night as you were sleeping, and I disguised myself as him?" he teased.

"Oh? How did you manage to do that?" she asked following along with him.

His smile broadened, and he raised his hand and pulled her hair out of her eyes to look at them both.

"Perhaps if you hadn't been snoring so loudly, you mighta noticed." he joked, looking at her completely serious.

Her reaction was instantaneous, as she completely turned and grabbed his pillow from under his head, and whacked him with it. Keeping it on his face, as if trying to choke with it, meanwhile, he couldn't stop laughing.

"I. Do. Not. SNORE!" She growled, and lifted the pillow up one last time and brought it down on his face one last time with so much force that she tore the poor pillow in half. Meanwhile, Allen's fit of laughter intensified

"Yea you do! If I hadn't known better I would'd have thought it was Skinn who was sleeping beside me!" he laughed loudly, his eyes closed tightly shut, lest he got some of the feathers in his eye, and awaited the next blow. However, the next blow never came.

Slowly, and tentatively he opened one eye and his arms braced for a surprise smack that never came.

Road was seating beside him, with the pillow covering her modesty and with her mouth open in a gasp.

"What did you just say?" she asked, shadows clouding her eyes making her look terrifying.

Allen's eyes widened, and he shook his head from side to side comically. "No, no, no I take that back, I said you're beautiful!" he stammered but Road continued to glare at him with the same terrifying look.

Last time he had done something to anger her, she had trapped him in her dream dimension for a week with barely anything to eat or drink. She often did that to him when they argued, but last time was definitely one of the worse occasions and just the thought of it made him shuddered. Never let it be said that Road isn't terrifying. Cute innocent girl appearance or not, she could be incredibly evil.

"Really? Because that's not what I heard." she murmured, and Allen gulped.

Both of them looked at each other, Road like she was looking at her prey, while Allen looked at her like a rodent about to be swooped from his hideout.

He really, really didn't want to piss her off, and he really, really, really didn't want to stand before the Earl and embarrassingly explain why he had been gone for an entire week. Not to mention that he didn't have that type of time at the moment. He had an exorcist to find, but at the same time he couldn't say anything, and risk angering her further. So all he could really do was stay quiet, and wait.

Road continued to glare at him until she narrowed her eyes and Allen knew that his end was near. However, that never came and instead, she sighed and slumped herself back on the mattress.

"I'll forgive you. For now," she added quickly when she saw his smile return. "And just because you've got places to be," she said sadly. Sad that he'd be gone, and that she didn't get to punish him.

Allen lowered his hands, and cocked his head to one side and looked at her inquisitively.

"You don't want me to leave?" he asked, all amusement gone.

"Of course not. You may be arrogant, annoying, and a complete utter idiot, to the point that I don't understand why I put up with you. But still, you're my annoying, arrogant idiot, and I'll miss you." she pouted.

Allen looked at her in shook, but then he snapped himself out of that shock and his eyes shut closed for a brief moment, then he gave out a deep rumbling chuckle. She rarely ever admitted that she would miss him.

"Is that so?" he asked, with a smirk that he knew most would see as arrogance, but to Road he knew she liked that cocky smirk of his.

Slowly, Road leaned in and, getting closer and closer until their noses were almost touching. "Yes." she almost whispered and lowered her lips to his.

Their lips connected softly, almost tenderly which was odd from her. Often time their kisses were anything but tender, nothing about Road was tender or sweet. She was demanding, and rough with everything she did and love was no different, which is why he was confused but he went along with it.

Tentatively she opened her lips, and Allen not wanting to disturb the tender moment slowly pressed his tongue inside her mouth in order to deepen the kiss. He didn't dominate the kiss as he usually did, instead, he melded his tongue with her's in a sensual dance. Both of their eyes were gently closed, and their noses brushed each other gently.

He wasn't used to this gentleness, but he found he could learn to enjoy it.

Suddenly a loud knock emanated from the door, and Road almost jumped off of the mattress as they both turned their faces to look at the closed door.

"You both better be awake and not doing what I think you're doing!" Sheril's voice growled from behind the door, and Allen wanted to groan.

"Guess fun's over." He smirked turning his head to look at her, both their eyes connecting.

He didn't want to leave her behind, and she likewise didn't want to let him leave. Perhaps love was too strong a word to describe their relationship, but they both couldn't deny that they cared for each other. He'd known her since he was a small boy, and though he found her annoying the first few years he'd known her, in time he realized that life in the family without her would be quite dull.

"Fun's never over." she sang, and brought her lips closer and planted a small kiss on his nose and with that she let go of his hands and rose off of him and went to the edge of the bed.

He watched her with his head resting on his open palm as she rose, and the bed sheets slid off her body slowly, falling to the floor.

With her back to him, she just stood there as tendrils of black smoke overcame her body and in the blink of an eye, she stood in front of him fully clothed, with her usual dress.

"Are you just going to lay there all day staring at my back?" she asked teasingly, as she turned to face him.

"That was the plan," he smirked, and Road smirked back.

"ALLEN WALKER COME OUT HERE THIS INSTANT!" yelled Sheril, banging his fist on the door.

This time Allen groaned, and flopped his head back on his pillow, meanwhile Road laughed.

"Better get going before he blows up the entire Ark." she teased and without looking back, she made her way to the door and slowly opened it.

Allen lifted his head and looked at her as she disappeared through the crack of the door, and glared at Sheril for a brief moment, who also, glared back at him murderously.

The door closed, and Allen slumped his head back on the mattress once more.

He hated Sheril, he hated everything about him ever since he was a small boy, and Sheril hated him in return simply because he is the host of the fourteenth, and now because he was dating his adoptive daughter. When he was young he'd often get into fights with him, fights that either Tyki had to stop or even worse the Earl. Usually, he'd get scolded, and grounded for arguing with Sheril, only for him to do it again. But now, he saw that the older Noah wasn't worth his time, to his great annoyance. When he was young he was more temperamental and hot-headed, and he still was to some extent, but after he grew out of his phase and after he met Wisely who taught him to use his head a little more he began to calm down. Which was great, because he put the entire clan through horrible grief by destroying things around him in fits of anger. He didn't do that anymore, but sometimes he had almost been driven to that point, but now that he was leaving for who knows how long, he could finally relax and take a vacation away from the clan.

A knock emanated from the door startling him from his thoughts, and raising his head from the mattress.

"What?" he growled, hopping that it wasn't Sheril coming back to scold him for an hour.

But it wasn't Sheril this time. This time, it was a deep, strange voice that didn't belong to anyone in the clan. "I got a letter for you Noah sama." the Akuma said gently as if it was afraid to anger him.

Allen looked at the door confused. 'A letter? What bloody letter?' he thought to himself.

They didn't get letters, no one in the clan ever mailed letters to the others, and that was unlikely to ever change so who did the letter come from?

Unwrapping himself from his sheets, he rose from the mattress and walked to his dresser where he took out a pair of trousers and slowly slid them on. He left his chest bare and went to the door and opened it.

One of their Akuma servants, the ones that looked human with a star on their forehead, stood in front of the door holding out a letter with its head bowed.

"Who did this letter come from?" he asked, taking the letter from the Akuma, not at all fazed by the trapped human soul of the monstrous thing, nor the usual awakening of his eye every time he looked at an Akuma.

He honestly didn't know why his eye did that, or where he got the scar, but when he had first laid eyes on an Akuma he had been terrified, to say the least, but now it annoyed him. It only proved more and more that he wasn't really like the others.

"I do not know Noah sama. Another lesser Akuma approached a level four and asked him to deliver it to you by name. Said it was important." the Akuma explained, and Allen looked at the letter and turned it to see if there was a name written on it, but it was blank.

"You're dismissed," he said simply, not even looking back as he shut the door on the Akuma's face.

Who could have mailed him? There was, of course, one individual he could think of, but at the same time -how did he manage it?

Looking down at the letter as if it was an enigma, he walked to the centre of the room and tore the golden seal off and took out the letter and read.

The words were beautifully slanted, and written with a stark red pen. However, the words themselves made him flare his nostrils in annoyance.

"Good job brat, you even managed to convince me. Meet me by the European branch's forest at 9 pm tonight. Come on foot, don't use the ark. We don't want to draw any unwanted attention to ourselves."

Cross.

Allen growled and crumbled the letter in his fist and turned it into ash. How did he even know what had happened? How did Cross know so much? He didn't know, but it was starting to worry him, and greatly annoy him.

Even by letter, and mere writing he still managed to annoy him. Cross was just too damn cocky, arrogant, and -he had to admit- too smart for his own good. In all his time as a Noah, he had never met anyone like him before, and that put him out of his element. But then again, that only made the chase more enjoyable.

He opened his hand, and let the burnt ash fall on to the ground and walked to the piano on the corner of the room. He had left his white shirt on top of the lid when he'd undressed last night, and seeing as he didn't want to look for another one he grabbed it and slid it on.

It was a bit crumpled up, but it'll do for now. Either way, if their plan worked then he'd be wearing different clothes very soon.

With his shirt now on, there was only one last thing to get. His eyes drifted to the keys of the piano and landed on a red ribbon. He lifted his hand and made to grab it, but before he did his eyes landed on the sheet of music laying on the keys.

It was a simple composition, nothing too fancy, just something he had written for Road. He had almost finished it, and he had meant to show it to her last time, but one thing lead to another and he never got the chance. Now the piece will remain unfinished until his return…or he could take him with him.

Changing the trajectory of his hand he grabbed the sheet, folded it and tucked it inside his pocket, and then he grabbed the ribbon and tied his hair back.

Now ready, he walked to the centre of the room once more and opened a doorway that would lead him to Europe. And so, with nothing more than what he was carrying he walked through the doorway, not saying his goodbyes to anyone, knowing full well that Road wasn't expecting to see him again for who knows how long. She always did know everything.

Once on the other side, the doorway closed and disappeared.

It was dark out, damp, and mosquitos flew around him, so basically he was incredibly annoyed and angry at the whole situation.

When he had stepped out of the ark he had walked to the town near the European branch and made his way inside the local tavern. The tavern itself was just a dingy room that served the lowest quality of alcohol and only had a few poker tables. Basically just the perfect tavern for him. He had played poker with the locals to pass the time and beat all of them -of course- but it didn't prove to amuse him, it was just a way to pass the time.

When the sun began to set, and nighttime came, he exited the tavern much to everyone relief and made his way to the very forest everyone recommended him not to go into, saying that it was haunted and that those that ever went in only came back with missing memories and sometimes not at all. Of course, he knew those were just a bunch of wives tales meant to scare away any who approached the headquarters, and a way to remain anonymous to the locals. However, he was far from a local and far from being a regular human so he'd be fine. He was mostly right.

Upon entering the forest and walking for what felt like hours, he'd bee swarmed by mosquitoes and gotten his foot stuck in a few puddles filled with mud, and to top it off it had begun to rain ever so slightly. So yes, he was absolutely miserable and incredibly annoyed to the point that he was fuming.

Damn Cross for telling him not to use the ark. Damn the Black order for being so deep inside a forest. And damn the Earl's orders to remain as a stupid human, and not allowed to use his powers. Honestly, how could humans tolerate walking everywhere? How could anyone survive without the use of the Ark? He honestly couldn't know, but he did know that if he didn't calm down he might end up burning everything to a crisp.

Taking a deep breath, he composed himself and kept walking down the forest. He had to compose himself and get used to his current situation if he wanted to achieve anything.

'Just think about Cross dead.' he kept telling himself after he nearly destroyed the entire forest after walking into a cobweb and almost swallowing the spider.

'How far is this thing anyway?' he asked himself, stopping and looking ahead but not seeing anything but trees, and bushes.

He was definitely in the middle of nowhere, and what's worse he had no idea where he was, which wasn't odd. It was one of his weaknesses, his lack of direction which caused him to get lost often. Though, before when he had gotten lost he had more or less found his way back, but now he was utterly lost, and had no clue as to where north or south were due to how dark it was. And not just that, he was lost and near an exorcist headquarters, that probably already knew he was there, and that thought put him on edge even more.

"Lost?" asked a familiar deep voice, and Allen froze on the spot and turned around.

Cross was standing by a tree, with a cigarette upon his smiling lips and his hat covering half of his face.

For a brief moment, Allen was overcome with the immense need to simply just kill the man, and wipe that smile off his face, but then he heard a voice in his head that sounded a lot like Wisely telling him to just relax, and think about the heart.

"I never get lost," he growled defiantly, and Cross snorted and once more he was overcome with the need to just kill the man where he stood.

"Sure you don't kid." he shoot back, and pushed himself off the tree and walked to where he was standing, meanwhile Allen just stood his ground and looked at him straight in the eyes, not at all hiding his dislike for the man nor his anger.

Once Cross was in front of him, and the light of the moon shun on half of his face Allen noticed he was dressed the same way he was when he first met him. He still wore the same half mask, and glasses, as well his usual golden general uniform, with his pistol that hung from his waist. His overall appearance wasn't odd, but what was, was the fact that he was completely dry and devoid of mud, while he on the other hand was almost completely drenched and his boots were completely muddy.

How on earth did he manage not to get wet in the rain? And how did he look like he had just stepped out of a room rather than walked through a forest like he did? He honestly couldn't know, but what he did know is that he hated him even more for it.

'He probably thinks it's some sort of joke, making me walk all the way here.' he thought to himself, his hate for Cross increasing, as he looked up at him with murderous eyes, while Cross looked at him unfazed

"Well then?" asked Cross, puffing a large cloud of smoke.

"Well what?" asked Allen, his voice dripping with annoyance and hate for the man.

"Are you ready to do this? To convince thousands of people that you're an exorcist, and to live among them?" he asked, grabbing the stub of his cigarette and letting out another puff of smoke.

Allen scoffed and opened his mouth but then closed it, unsure of himself. He never thought about that, that he would have to live among exorcists or that he would have to convince everyone that he's an exorcist himself. He. The one who -alongside Jasdevi- killed humans for the fun of it. And now that he was here and being asked that, he honestly wasn't sure. He was an incredible liar, but could it take him that far? There was only one way to know.

"I wouldn't be here if I wasn't," he replied, not sounding as confident as he would like.

Cross grumbled and looked him over for a brief moment as if determining if he was telling the truth.

"Good then, let's get into the ground rules," he grumbled, and Allen's brows shoot up.

"Rules?" he asked.

No one said anything about rules, he wasn't even good at following the Earl's rules, much less Cross.

"Yes rules, so listen up brat," he growled, and Allen's hands curled into fists.

"One," he said by bringing one finger up. "While in the order, and while you're looking for the heart you're not to harm any humans in any shape or form." He declared, and Allen opened his mouth to argue but before he could Cross brought up another finger and spoke again.

"Two. You're not to tell anyone you're a Noah, or use your Noah powers what so ever. Even though I'm sure the Earl already told you this, I really have to emphasize it. No blowing up the headquarters."

Before he said his last rule, Cross let out a puff of smoke and brought a third finger up. "And thirdly, you are to act and pretend like you're my apprentice. This means you can't behave like a total spoiled, arrogant, brat who thinks he knows better than anyone." he declared as a matter of factly.

Lowering his hand, both Allen and Cross looked at one another in silence as Allen tried to process everything he just heard.

Rules? Not being able to hurt anyone? Not being able to use his Noah powers -granted he'd already been ordered to do that. But lastly, was the one he couldn't tolerate or even agree to. He had to pretend to be Cross's apprentice? And not just that but he had to pretend to be some meek exorcist who followed Cross's every whim? There was absolutely no way he heard right, and absolutely no way he would agree to that.

"Excuse me?" he asked in disbelief, those words being the only thing he could think of. But Cross didn't even attempt to explain himself, as he let out another puff.

"I already told you, so listen well when I'm speaking to you brat. Those are my rules, and terms for helping you out. So If you break any of these rules I'll expose you to the order, and make sure that you nor anyone in the Noah clan ever sees the heart -that is if you're up to it." He mused, and Allen gritted his teeth but didn't say anything.

He felt that if he opened his mouth he might do something hasty, and something he might end up regretting along the line, so for once in his life he stayed quiet. For now at least. After everything was said and done, he was going to be the one laughing in the end.

Cross gave him his back, not at all nervous of the fact that he was looking away from him, already knowing he wasn't going to try anything.

"Oh, also." he turned around once more to face him.

"I can't really trust you if I'm not around. So to make sure you follow my rules, I'll have my golem follow you everywhere you go. His name's Timcanpy, and you'll find he can be quite useful if he ends up liking you that is." he grumbled, and from behind Cross's back a golden golem flew to Allen coming face to face with him, as if saying his hello to him, meanwhile Allen just looked at the flying golem with confusion.

Confused that he was just standing there, letting Cross order him around. And confused that he felt that he knew this golem somehow, almost as if he'd seen it somewhere before.

With their greetings over with, Timcanpy flew behind Allen and hovered behind him by his left.

"Also, that innocence of yours… I need to know more about it." he practically ordered, and Allen glared at Cross once more.

"As if I would tell you." he growled, and he heard Timcanpy flap his wings faster as if agitated by his anger.

Cross raised one brow as if amused. "Were allies now, whether you like it or not. So you need to give me more information in order for us to help each other."

"That's funny because becoming allies was never part of the deal." he scoffed.

Once more, Cross let out a puff of smoke before he spoke again. "It wasn't, but neither of us can achieve anything if we don't trust each other." he declared, and once more Allen scoffed.

If he recalled it was Cross who refused to tell him why he sought him out, and it was he who came to him not the other way around. And it was he who knew a vast quantity of secrets, and yet it was him who demanded him to reveal things to him and to trust him, while he kept his secretes to himself. So no, there was no way he was going to trust Cross, or become his ally.

"That's rich coming from you. Because if recall, you refused to tell me why you're helping me." he hissed angrily, but Cross was not at all fazed, in fact, he looked like he knew he would say that.

"I did, and I still won't reveal my reasons to you because you accepted my help knowing that I wouldn't tell you anything. So, me keeping secrets from you is part of our arrangement. However, I did say that I would tell you more about Nea, and I will keep my word. Now it's your turn to tell me how your innocence works." he ordered, and for the first time, Allen's mouth almost fell open in shock.

When had this happened? When had Cross switched the tables on him so quickly? Why couldn't he get a footing on his schemes, or figure out his motives? It was like he was some unreadable book, he couldn't understand and that frustrated him.

"Did I mention I'm going to find out more about your innocence regardless?" he asked, snapping him out of his shock.

"What'd mean?" he asked with a frown.

"I mean that when we walk into headquarters, your innocence will be examined so you might as well tell me now."

Once more his shock returned. No one told him his innocence shard was going to be examined, and something Cross definitely should have mentioned! Now what was he going to do? From the moment he walked into headquarters and from the moment his innocence was examined, they will know right away that his innocence was unlike anything they've seen before, and that would definitely be a bad idea.

"You said nothing about an examination!" He growled, now worried that the plan would fail.

"I didn't think it was important enough to tell you." He admitted, slightly confused about Allen's reaction.

"Not important enough! My innocence is unlike any other, and if they examine it they'll easily find out I'm a Noah." He spat, and for the first time Cross seemed concerned as his brow furrowed and he looked at him thoughtfully.

Allen knew it was actually his fault for not telling him about his innocence ahead of time, but he assumed Cross already knew, seeing as he knew almost everything about him. Would it be so shocking to for him to know that he has a converted innocence? He thought not, but clearly, he had been wrong.

"I see… well if you tell me what's so different about it I might be able to help you." He said thoughtfully, and Allen glared some more, only to give in and sigh.

He was forbidden to use his innocence unless in dire circumstances, and he was not to show it to anyone outside of the clan. However, the Earl did say he was only to use his innocence while away, and he'd already come this far. He'd managed to convince the entire family of his plan, and lied to the Earl so he might as well take it all the way.

Once more he sighed in defeat and placed his left hand on his other wrist and without thinking it furthers he pulled.

Instantly and effortlessly, his right arm slowly became a sword as he pulled his arm off. When the process was done, he stood before Cross with a white and black great sword on his left hand, and a stump for a right arm. His sword -to all who knew it- looked exactly like the Earl's only his was white.

Allen looked down at it and grimaced. He wasn't a fan of the sword, even though it was useful and a powerful tool for sure, but in the end, it was an innocence he had tried to destroy countless times. And sure every attempt to get rid of it hurt incredibly, but having a blasted innocence upon his arm was worse. He had tried to get rid of it by using his dark matter to blast it off, to even getting Tyki to cut it off, but no matter what they did it would return. However, every time it did return it changed more and more. Every time he destroyed it, his arm would return in a hue of black but then turn to red soon after. But after years of attempting to get rid of it, his arm stopped turning back to red and remained completely black, and what's more, he didn't feel the same disgusting innocence powers from it no, it felt almost like dark matter at that point, as if it had been converted and twisted into something else through so many years of pain and torture.

Raising his sword up, and looking at Cross he offered it to him to inspect, knowing full well he couldn't use it against him.

Cross walked up to him, and accepted the sword and turned it from side to side inspecting it with a sure eye.

"It's the same as the Earl's I'll give you that, but you're right it does feel different from other innocence. If I had to explain it, I would say it feels wrong, why is that?" He asked raising his eye away from the sword to look at him instead.

Once more Allen thought about not telling him, but then once more he knew he needed to in order for the plan to work. If anyone knew a way to get out of the Order inspecting his left arm, then it was Cross. He may not like it, but he had to trust him to some extent.

"That's because it's a converted innocence." He explained, and as expected Cross looked slightly shocked at the answer as his one brow shoot up.

For the first time ever Cross didn't know something, and he relished on the fact that he knew something he didn't. Unfortunately that didn't last very long.

"A converted innocence?" He asked as if he had heard him wrong.

Allen nodded and took the sword away from Cross who simply gave it back without a fuss.

"Yea, and why not? You convert Akumas don't you? Well, I converted my innocence." He said offhandedly, and Cross hummed and arched his brow.

"How did you manage it?"

"Like I'd tell you." He shoot back and returned his arm to its natural state in the blink of an eye.

"So you don't know." Cross scoffed, and Allen's brows twitched.

'Don't kill him.' He told himself for the hundredth time, yet no matter how many times he said it he still wanted to throttle the man.

"But all things aside, I see how this could be a problem, but something I can easily overcome," he said offhandedly, and watched him as he turned around and walked away. Meanwhile, he stood there, confused.

"How?" he asked from where he stood.

Cross waved his hand, gesturing for him to follow, but Allen simply stood his ground. He was going to get some answers, even if he had to rip them from him.

"Oh no, you're not going anywhere." he snapped, taking a step towards him, while he simply stared back.

"I've come all this way and all I've gotten is mosquito bites, and a trek through a bloody forest, so I won't leave until you tell me something!" he seethed, while Cross just stared at him the same cold, and an annoyed expression upon his face.

"Are you quite done with your ranting? Because my hat is starting to get wet." Cross grumbled and once more turned his back to Allen, and walked away meanwhile he stood there shocked.

No one had ever spoken to him that way, even Sheril or Skinn or even Jasdevi didn't risk angering him in such a way, not when he could pulverize them on the spot. In fact, the only ones that got away with it were the Earl and Road who he would never use his powers against no matter how angry he may be. However, Cross was neither of those people, and a dam inside him broke.

Allen grit his teeth, and his mind clouded in anger he grasped his right wrist and brought out his sword once more. After materializing in mere seconds he brought the sword up without any struggle with just one hand and lunged at Cross who still had his back to him.

Before he landed his blow, a few things happened in mere seconds and in such speed that he barely even registered it. Cross turned to face him once more, with an inhuman amount of speed, his coat swishing with the air. Next, he took out his gun and fired what must have been six bullets but for the life of him, he could only see one, as said bullet grazed his arm, cutting his shirt but no injuring him. Lastly, once he landed in front of Cross and brought his sword down to cut him cleanly in half, Cross brought his gun up and dug the barrel into his jaw painfully, leaving him with no choice but to stop his sword's decent a hair away from Cross's hat and both of them stood that way for what felt like ages.

"Tell me, what would my death given you? Satisfaction? Perhaps the pleasure of killing the person you know is right? Now tell me, is that really more important than winning this war? Than finding the heart and destroying it?" he asked, his usual annoyed voice now one of anger.

On the other hand, Allen simply stared at him, his brows furrowed and his nostrils flared, as his grip on his hilt tightened to the point he thought he would break it in half, meanwhile his lips were set to a thin line. he felt that if he said anything he might actually kill Cross, not to mention that he has his gun buried on his jaw and could shoot him dead at any point.

Cross dug his gun further. "Because I don't know about you but killing you would make my life easier, but I admit I need you to finish my task. And if you think that I can't end your life, I just shoot eight rounds all of them hitting their target and you didn't even notice. So if I had wanted you dead you'd be dead, so can we both work together quietly?"

Both Cross and Allen looked at each other for what felt like ages, neither one said a word or moved meanwhile both of them were deep in thought.

He knew Cross spoke the truth. Killing him would only gain him a brief satisfaction, finding the heart was ultimately more important than anything else, even if he did get under his skin. The truth was that he needed Cross, and apparently, he needed him for some unknown reason, so both of them had to find a way to work together whether they wanted to or not.

Allen glared holes at Cross for one last time, then slowly pulled his sword away, and turned it back into its natural state, meanwhile Cross put his own gun away.

"Much like you, I could have killed you in a heartbeat, if I was allowed to use my real powers, not to mention that you have information that I need. That being said, I'm not going anywhere unless you tell me something about the fourteenth." he scowled, meanwhile Cross just fixed his hat not at all in a rush to answer his question.

"Very well then, if you insist," he grumbled in displeasure and turned his head. "Much like you, the fourteenth hated me, and I hated him in return like I hate you. Now come along and do try not to fall behind."

With that Cross turned his head once more and left, leaving Allen behind.

"Seriously, that's it?" He asked from where he stood, and across shrugged, his form disappearing behind some bushes.

"For now at least. If you want to hear more you better come along before the storm hits." He called back, his form nowhere in sight. And all Allen could do was growl and follow the exorcist.

Lenalee Lee walked through the halls of headquarters, with a clipboard tucked under her arm, and her hair flowing from side to side.

General Cross had just returned to headquarters, after years of being absent, and what's more, he brought someone stranger along with him. By the looks of him, he was probably around her age and is a parasitic accommodator by the looks of his arm. But that wasn't strange at all, she was used to seeing many exorcists come and go with very odd types of innocence. What was strange, however, was his neck long snow-white hair and gray eyes, but what was even stranger was the red pentagram scar that trailed down the left side of his face. Technically speaking, said symbol was a symbol of the Millennium Earl and thus would make him an enemy, but Cross insisted that Allen was no such thing and that in fact, he is his apprentice.

In all her years in the Order, and for as long as anyone she knew could remember, Cross had never taken an apprentice. He was known for being a bit of a loner, and quite strange due to his obsession with science and magic, something the order still couldn't quite understand to this day. So how on earth Cross managed to learn magic when very little was known about it? They will never know and was one of General Cross's many mysteries, and now one more was making his way towards her following said General.

"General Cross sama, it's so good to see you." she beamed, as Cross stopped in front of her and so did the new stranger.

"Lenalee, sister of Komui if I remember correctly?"

"That's correct." she beamed once more, and Cross simply nodded and took a step sideways to reveal the white-haired boy standing behind him.

She had looked at him from a monitor back in her brother's office, but she could barely see from that thing, and now that she could look at him she realized that he was actually kinda cute. He had a very soft looking face, and his expression looked so innocent she wondered if he was really a battle-worn exorcists and not someone who'd just been taken away from his family. And though his hair was messy and damp from the rain -in fact his entire body was soaked- she found it interesting how his hair still looked pristine as it was tied behind by a red ribbon. Overall, he was quite handsome, and if she wasn't in a relationship she would ogle him some more.

"Allen, this is Lenalee Lee assistant, and sister of the chief of branch." Cross introduced.

The boy known as Allen looked at her for a brief few seconds, as if inspecting her, then he smiled and extended his hand to her.

"Nice to meet you, my names Allen. Allen Walker." He said cheerfully, as he leaned his head to one side.

Lenalee took a step forward and accepted his hand, and shook his firmly, and looked at him in the eyes. There was something odd about him, something she couldn't quite place, but she paid it no mind. He seemed like a nice individual, and she was probably overthinking.

"Well I must get going now, your brother is waiting for me to give him my report and talk to him about Allen staying with us. So why don't you take Allen and show him around? I'm sure he'll appreciate that." he asked, and she watched with amusement as Allen quickly shifted his eyes to look at Cross worriedly, but Cross didn't even glance away and simply walked away and left them behind.

"Well then, if you follow me I'll show around," she said cheerfully, and Allen smiled back and followed her down the dark halls, and Timcanpy followed.

So somebody asked for an early update, and so I obliged.

Really should have broken this chapter into two, but I really wanted to get the story going and show Allen in the Black Order.

So hope you liked this chapter, and next time you'll maybe get to see Allen's first mission as an exorcist, so be excited about that.