~2 days later~

Day: 355 as a comrade

The Asian branch was amazing, and I almost couldn't believe that I was actually in a giant underground cave. "You look interested in all this," Lavi said walking next to me. "I am!" I said back cheerily.

"Oh and Sephiria I was wondering. what you would do if the Earl really showed up?" Lavi asked.

I looked at him surprised. He was asking me a question like that around other people? "Oh please Lavi you're ruining my good mood." I faked a laugh.

"Sorry," he faked a laugh right back at me. I turned my face away from him so that he wouldn't see the terrible expression on my face while I spoke the truth.

"I'll kill him." I answered not laughing anymore. "I'll make him pay for everything he did." I couldn't see Lavi's face but I was sire he was disgusted with me. Disgusted with my true heart that wanted to kill the Duke so much that I wouldn't even mind dying with him. I felt Lavi's hand slowly slip in to mine.

"Don't worry Sephiria. I don't judge you. I'm with you all the way."

I felt comfortable, this was how Lavi was. He never judged me.

"Ya' know a 19 year old shouldn't be hitting on a 13 year old," Kanda walked up to us from behind. He sounded bored, or angry like he usually did. Lavi quickly released my hand.

"Oh Yuu! What's up!" Lavi smiled casually.

"Stop calling me that!" Kanda hissed.

"Sorry Yu-" I covered Lavi's mouth.

"Good afternoon Kanda! How's your day been!" I said nervously only trying to stop Kanda from lopping Lavi's head off his neck.

"Why would you want to know," he glowered. I had every right in the world to be scared. Kanda was intimidating. Even after a year of living at the Order with him he was still intimidating!

"Well… I just."

"It's been exceptionally boring. I don't like it here. Nothing ever happens," Kanda replied cutting me off. I couldn't believe my ears. Yuu Kanda had just replied to one of my questions. I quickly tried to figure out what I would say next.

"Well maybe if you explored around here a little more you'd find something interesting!" I suggested. Wrong reply. Kanda scoffed.

"I was raised in this hell hole. I know it inside out."

Well bummer Sephiria. Think of something else to say! "Sorry I didn't know." I said just loud enough for him to hear.

"Dammit Yuu, can't you even be nice for a second! You're scaring her!" Lavi groaned.

"Shut up you stupid rabbit!" Kanda snapped."

"Girly haired man!" Lavi snapped back in a childish manner just for kicks.

Kanda ground his teeth together, "stupid ra-!"

"Bak is looking for you guys!" Someone called interrupting the both of them.

On our way to the Chief's office we met up with Allen. "You got the message too?" Lavi asked.

"Yeah, Lo-fa told me," he replied.

"Are you friends with anyone else around here besides Lo-fa?" I asked.

"Yeah, I know Li-kei and Shifu, but truthfully I'd rather you not meet Li-kei," he scratched the back of his head.

"Rather who not meet Li-kei?" A man in his early twenties stood behind Allen.

"C-crap! Li-kei!" Allen said out loud.

"Yes, it's Li-kei and just who was it that you didn't really want me to meet?" Li-kei smiled demonically.

Allen refused to open his mouth.

Then Li-kei spotted me. "Oh, hey there. You're kind of cute. I've never seen you around here before, what's your name?"

"I'm Sephiria Liang, you're Li-kei right?"

"Yep, Chinese huh? You're amazingly beautiful for a Chinese person. Never seen anyone as pretty as you," he flirted though I wasn't the type to buy that kind of stuff.

"Hey, Seph. We're busy, c'mon lets go," Lavi said defensively pulling me close to him. Then he shot a glare at Li-kei.

"Okay, I got it. Hands off," Li-kei grinned nervously like he was scared that Lavi would kill him if her didn't back off. Then Allen, Lavi, and I walked away.

Through our little 'detour' Kanda had gotten way ahead of us and we slowly dragged behind. "Damn that Li-kei, I didn't do what I did who knows what would've happened to you!" Lavi cursed. "What if you were to fall for a guy like that!"

"Lavi, aren't you just as much of a flirt. And I get along with you just fine," I laughed. I got a snicker out of Allen too.

"Now that's what I was thinking," Allen said.

"Quiet you two! I only flirt with girls that come up to me and want me to flirt with them. But that Li-kei just started flirting with you and you didn't even ask him to!" Lavi looked irritated and tensed all of his fingers.

"I'm fine Lavi," I giggled. "No damage done."

"Man, this Asia branch. First their director, then their workers. We should get you out of here Seph. It's unsafe for you here." Lavi groaned.

"Don't worry. What's the worst thing that could happen to me?" Right when the words came out I regretted it. Immediately Lavi's face contorted and Allen put his face in his hand.

"Hey Allen, let's finish this mission quickly and get Seph back to HQ before 'that' happens."

"Agreed," Allen replied with the same dark expression.

"Guys, by 'that' what do you mean?" Lavi and Allen's faces immediately answered my question. "You idiots! Of course that would never happen to me! The Order's workers are too nice to do 'that!'"

"You never know Sephiria, guys will be guys," Allen shivered.

"It won't happen!" I said in an that's final kind of voice. Then I began to walk faster.

"Hey Sephiria don't leave!" Lavi chased after me with Allen.

Branch director Bak's office was much different than Komui's office. First thing you could contrast was the neatness of it all, and second thing it was filled with computer screens, scanners, cameras, and all different kinds of devices. Every different screen on the wall represented everything each flying golem saw, and there were hundreds. Everything in the room was electronic or science based. "Wow," I though aloud.

"Oh, you're finally here," Bak said from behind his desk. "Komui told me to tell you what you're looking for here."

"Get to the point Blondie," Kanda hissed. Lenalee nudged him on the shoulder. "C'mon Kanda." He huffed and looked away with his arms crossed.

"Well you're looking for a girl named Shaolin." Bak continued. "We've only caught glimpses of video of her outside of the slums, but once she returns to the slums everything goes blank. We don't know where she lives, only that she lives in the slums. She's a quiet person and she doesn't come out much. She's been alive for all the centuries the Asia branch has existed. We've had pictures of her that span throughout the years and her appearance has never changed." Bak grabbed a remote on his desk and clicked it. A huge screen lit up on the wall.

The screen flickered to life and revealed a hooded and poorly dressed girl that looked like she was 17 years old, but through her tattered clothing and dirty hands you could see that she was beautiful. All the males in the room had their eyes glued to the screen, even Kanda showed slight interest. She had long silky black hair that fell almost to her knees in length like a mop. Her big brown eyes were like ones that the cutest dog in the world would have. Beautiful was an understatement to describe this girl, this girl was absolutely drop dead gorgeous.

"Holy crap," Lavi whispered. "What's a girl like her doing in the slums of Nanjing?" Lavi's question went unanswered."

"Komui would like you to head out to look for this girl right away and see if it's in any way connected to the innocence, if it is I want you to retrieve it at all costs." Bak ordered.

We all nodded and headed out.

t

I beat my tired wings as I searched around the small slum city. It'd almost been five hours since we first set off on our journey and we'd found nothing. I remembered what Bak said, she's very quiet and doesn't come out of her house much. "This antisocial girl needs to be more involved in her community!" I groaned. "You found anything Lenalee?" I asked through Lux. "Nothing," she replied. "Should we start breaking in to every house?" She joked. "If only," I replied.

The five of us had all split up and gone looking for Shaolin, but it was no use. I landed in an area with no people and my wings reduced back to the red ring on my neck. Then I went in to the slums and began to ask around. "*(1)你知道吗，用少林寺名义人吗？

The man shook his head and rushed off quickly. It was like everyone that lived here was scared of all other people. After the man left a little boy came rushing up to me. "*(2)你有什么食物?"

I remembered that I had some candy in my coat. I dug for it and handed it to him with a smile. The boy's face lit up and ran off as the man had.

All of a sudden static came from Lux, and I turned in her direction. "I think I found her," Kanda said.

"Where are you?" I asked quickly.

"The west side of the slums," he replied, and without another word I took off.

"Kanda!" I cried when I found him. "Where is she?"

"That house," Kanda pointed. It was definitely more of a hut than a house, decrepit and rotting wood, mold and moss covering the corners. Small planks of wood protruded from the sides. Lenalee, Lavi, and Allen arrived.

"And you're sure it's that one," I confirmed with him.

"Of course I'm sure," Kanda scoffed. "I saw her go inside."

Lavi decided to knock on the old door. After a long while the door finally opened just a crack. Her dark brown eye peered through the crack. "*(3)喂?你是少林?" Lenalee asked.

She nodded slowly, almost cautiously.

"*(4)可能我们跟你说话?" Lenalee asked next.

Shaolin seemed to consider it for a moment. Then her eyes made it down to the rose crosses on the chest of our uniforms. Her eyes filled with a horror that I didn't understand.

"*(5)号." She replied quickly shutting the door in our faces.

"What the hell is wrong with her!" Kanda cried raising up his foot to kick down her door. "Stupid little bitc-"

"Stop Kanda!" Lenalee cried and Lavi held him back.

"Kanda, we'll come back tomorrow and if she doesn't open up tomorrow then you can kick the door down," Lavi told him.

He glared at all of us then walked away. Allen sighed, "That Kanda."

"He's right to be angry though, I can't help but think that today was all just a waste." Lavi sighed sadly.

"Well we found where she is so it isn't all a waste is it?" I said encouragingly even though I wasn't feeling too great about it myself.

"Let's just go back," groaned Lenalee.

Everyone was upset, and I didn't blame them, I was probably just as upset, like Lavi said, everything was a waste.

Sephiria's wings

*(1) Do you know someone named Shaolin?

(2) Do you have any food?

(3) Hello? Are you Shaolin?

(4) May we talk to you?

(5) No.

Rating would be much appreciated.