Chapter 3

Happy Moments: An Interval

Place - Black Order Headquarters Britain
Level 9 - Meeting Room

Time: Early Evening

Standing in the midst of Komui's messy office are three male exorcist, namely Noise Marie, Daisya Barry and the ever so stoic Kanda Yuu. In front of Komui's desk stood a girl with an elaborated chignon tied on her lower neck and long tight black pants that covers everything. Her calf-length boots continuously made a shifting noise as she moved from time to time, nervously awaiting her first order.

"Since you're a new member at a time this crucial, you are assigned with a mission to find General Froi Tiedoll, who is also a teacher to the three exorcists standing behind you," Komui said light, nodding his head towards the people standing behind her. "You will join his team, and be a part of Tiedoll Unit. He will teach you everything about the ways of an Exorcist, as you will be his new student. He loves new apprentices. He's been requesting for a 'daughter' since- well, since a long time ago, so you'll be just fine with him."

Laia smiles sincerely and bowed at Komui, thanking him for assigning her to Kanda's team. She grew fond of Marie and Daisya as well, and appears pleased with the arrangements when she turns around and gave a silent scream of triumph with Daisya. Kanda scowled.

Turning towards the three exorcists standing behind her, Komui started on a more serious tone.

"All of you will be assigned a mission to find General Froi Tiedoll and bring him back to HOME. If said General is not willing to or rejects the idea to return, all of you will guard the General and makes sure no harm befalls on him or on either of you. The war is approaching upon us, and there are dark times ahead the future. The number of Exorcists is dwindling, and I want each of you to guard your allies and your own lives against perils. Am I clear?"

"Yes!" all of them answered at the same time. Daisya grinned at the prospect of finally be able to kick some Akuma's butts and a new 'sister' joining their group. His bell-innocence jingled happily at the prospect.

Daisya and Laia quickly become fast friends, much to the dismay of Kanda. As both of them skipped happily like little naïve children in front of Kanda and Marie on their journey to find General Tiedoll, Marie took the opportunity to corner Kanda.

"Kanda?" Marie started, noting the said Exorcist turned his head slightly towards Marie's direction judging by the sound of his hair sliding against his uniform.

"What is it?" Kanda said coldly. Marie almost smiled. The Exorcist always covers up his emotions well. Sometimes he wondered if the Asian Exorcist smiled at all, or be happy at some point in his life. It was always darkness, and he was afraid for the young Exorcist's future if he keeps immersing himself in darkness.

"You like Laia-san, don't you?" Marie continues, asking the question directly and awaiting for the Asian Exorcist to fall into his trap.

The blind Exorcist smiled to himself in triumph when Kanda's heart rate increased with a strange louder thumping sound. That was the only answer he needed, but he know Kanda would just outrageously deny about it.

"Don't screw with me, Marie," Kanda hissed dangerously. There is the reply from Kanda. Marie's smile widens more when Kanda's temperature seemed to soar right up into the sky, his breaths coming in short pants while he seemed to turn murderous all of a sudden.

Marie knows everything that is to know about Kanda. Well, at least that is what Kanda had told him. The blind Exorcist knows the constant watch and staring from Kanda directing towards the only female in their little group. Whenever there is a gasp coming from her, Kanda would immediately snap his head towards her without hesitation, only to force himself to grit his teeth in jealousy at the sight of Daisya getting closer and closer to her. Marie chuckled to himself at the thought that Kanda's jealousy is ignored by two of the possibly most ignorant Exorcist he had ever seen apart from Lavi Bookman. But Marie knows better.

Daisya Barry had a sister. For all he knows about Daisya, his sister would be around Laia's age. Marie guessed that Daisya had probably missed home at one point, and when Laia joined the Tiedoll Unit, he rejoiced at the prospect that he could finally find someone to treat as a sister. Daisya treated Laia like a big brother would to a little sister, and Kanda, who is extremely ignorant in the emotions department, grew jealous at the sight of the both of them stuck together. They eat together; they sit together in a train, hell, when they booked a room for the night Daisya had insisted that Laia held his hand while they slept! Marie knew just how protective Daisya could be when it comes to his family, and all of the Exorcist members of the Black Order are families to Daisya.

Another explosion of laughter and giggles came from both Daisya and Laia, laughing like there is no tomorrow freely. It appears to be a case that Laia had challenged Daisya to a dare of walking without support on a narrow pavement without the aid of his Innocence, and he had outwardly failed at it no two steps later. She had graciously stepped and skipped on the narrow pavement like a graceful gazelle with Daisya staring at her accomplishment jealously. He decided that Laia would have to fail as well when he made her trip, and she had fallen right over Daisya while he landed in scum and mud. It was their laughter that jolted Marie from his train of thoughts. Marie thought that their laughter is supposed to be a good thing, as there are dark times ahead of them. There is no other time better than to laugh right here and then, living happily for the time being before they are again thrown mercilessly into war and battles with Akumas.

Kanda, however, had another idea regarding their laughter.

Noisily drawing his Mugen, Kanda's murderous intent soared with the intimacy displayed in front of him and he chased Daisya down with his Mugen while the Clarity Bell Innocence user ran for his dear life with Laia laughing behind them. Such was their happy memories regarding their journey towards finding General Tiedoll.

Place-New Black Order Headquarters Britain
Cafeteria
Time: Early Morning

After finishing donning on his new Exorcist outfit, Kanda strode out of his room and proceeds towards the cafeteria. The usually quiet hall echoes with sounds of metal pots meeting the ground while Finders started to gather around at the far end of the hall. Rolling his eyes at the sight of the pitiful Finders possibly crying over some dead friend, Kanda strode towards the counter and pressed on the desk bell, calling on the High Chef, Jerry.

"Morning, Kanda Yuu-san!" Jerry came over cheerily and blushes at the sight of the beautiful male Exorcist. "What can I do for you? Don't tell me it's Soba and Ocha again."

The chef whined in an unsightly manner when Kanda orders Soba, Tempura and Ocha regardless of Jerry's desperate attempt at trying to feed Kanda Yuu other food options such as Sushi and Pastas. Sighing dramatically, Jerry scooted away from the counter and barked orders for the Ocha while setting out to make Tempura and Soba himself.

While waiting for his meal, Kanda leans on the counter and gazes out to the new cafeteria. Sure, it's large and high ceilinged, but he didn't like it at all because of all the noise and echoes it generated. It affects his concentration, and he noted to himself that he is much more volatile in this new Headquarters.

He liked the old headquarters better. Despite being a hell hole, as he had dubbed it a long time ago, it felt more 'homey' than this new hell hole.

A loud commotion sounded somewhere behind the vast cafeteria once again, his eyes flitted quickly to the source and found that a particular Finder – which he remembers to be moderately tall and extremely beefy – suddenly sprouted and towers over everyone in height. The facial expression of that Finder strikes him as odd, as he looked as if he's choking of some sort. It was a while before the fact finally dawned upon him that someone is actually holding the Finder clear off the ground.

"Strangely," Marie stepped into the Cafeteria and came up to Kanda's side. "I seem to recall that a certain Exorcist had done this often. I've forgotten who that person is, but if my memory jogs me well that Exorcist might have been a 'he' with long black hair…"

A vein popped over Kanda's temple and he gritted his teeth at Marie's teasing. He had been so temperamental back then, and he didn't change much since then, and continues to be a pain in the ass to most Finders other than Toma.

"You're quite right about it, Marie," an annoying voice joined Marie's teasing, and he knew without turning around that annoying person is Allen Walker, the 'old, aged' kid. "BaKanda had done it at a regular basis, and I am not surprise if no Finder is willing to work with him. I mean, he's so mean! Why are you so mean, BaKanda? You're so mean!"

Hurling his best glare towards the now grinning Allen Walker, Kanda prepares to commence a fight with the white haired Exorcist right here and now if not for the infuriating intervention coming from Allen's watchdog, Howard Link.

"What is it with you two cats and dogs!?" Link said frustratingly, stepping right in between the arguing pair of Exorcist. "Can't you two just stop arguing for one day? We're in dark times and preparing for an oncoming war and here you are arguing about something meaningless. How childish can two of you be?"

"Link, we're not childish!" Allen protested angrily. "This is a fight between a man and a man, mind you!"

"You're just a kid, Moyashi," Kanda poked incessantly, relishing in delightfully when Allen's vein popped out of his temple as well. "You're not a real man. You have no right in declaring a fight between a man and a man."

"You're stupid, so you're not a man!" Allen screeched angrily, lunging towards Kanda and preparing to fight him till death. Link rolled his eyes and grabbed the back of Allen's collar, effectively halting the white-haired Exorcist.

"Says who!?" Kanda's turn to lunge in for the kill, and Marie had to wrap an arm around Kanda's torso to stop the Asian Exorcist from shredding Allen into a meat pie. "You stupid little Moyashi! I dare you to repeat that!"

"Now, now," Marie said calmly, one arm still keeping a tight grip on Kanda's torso while another placed on Allen's chest, keeping them apart and trying his best to stop the argument from escalating into something more dangerous. "Allen, why don't you go up ahead and order your food? Kanda, I trust that Jerry had almost finished preparing your food. Go up ahead and check it out."

"You've gone too far this time, Laia Elfreya!" a loud voice exclaimed from the crowd at the far end of the cafeteria. Everyone snapped their heads towards the direction at the sound of Tiedoll Unit's only female Exorcist's name.

The group was quick to abandon their meal and pushed apart the sea of Finders to find out what had happened. Their eyes widens in surprise at the sight of Laia – wearing her long white woolen cardigan on top of a dark blue camisole and sky blue bedroom slippers – steadily holding a large beefy Finder, who might as well be 3 times her own size clear off the ground without even so much as putting an effort. It would be a comical sight to behold were it not of the Finder's face steadily turning a shade of deep red.

As she stared at the Finder through her long lashes with an icy cold loathing gaze, Laia slowly tightens her grip on the Finder's collar, suffocating him slowly and watches as he wriggled in pain while suspended clear off the ground in midair.

"You dare to disturb my meal time, Finder?" Laia said in a low threatening tone, her icy emerald gaze burning deep into the Finder's mind, torturing him from within with her mind powers. The Exorcists watching by the sidelines stood their ground, not knowing what to do when it comes to Laia. Hell, not even Madarao – her Supervisor slash watchdog – stood in and stops her. Instead, the Third-Exorcist watches onwards indifferently.

"Enough!" one other Finder emerged from the crowd and pulled at Laia's extended arm holding the suspended Finder above ground level. "Stop it! You're suffocating him!" the Finder said defensively, using all his might to pull Laia's grip away from the suspended Finder's collar. Even as a man, the second Finder couldn't even loosen her grip, and she is not even 6' feet tall like the others surrounding her!

She appears to be annoyed by the interventions, as her cold emerald eyes flashes towards the annoying intervener angrily. In mere seconds her eyes landed upon the intervener, the Finder flew out of her field and slammed into the wall.

Laia is a natural powerful user of Telekinesis and several mind powers, courtesy to the crazed 1st Apostle, the Earl of the Millennium, who had done experiments on her and make her a monster of sort with various useful powers. . It was a long, long time ago; approximately 7000 thousand years has passed, and not only did her powers not diminish, they escalated to a terrifying degree and it made her the deadliest Exorcist ever to graze upon the World.

But not without a price.

"It seems that you desire an early ticket to hell, Finder…" Laia said coldly in her low threatening tone, drawing the Finder higher in the air with ease. "Tell me then, do you wish to die here at the new Black Order's Headquarters' Cafeteria under my power, or do you prefer to die on the battlefield? I shall gladly be your ferry guide to the otherworld…"

"Laia…" Allen called her from the sides softly. At the sound of the familiar white-haired Exorcist and her name, Laia flicked her eyes towards him and finds herself surrounded by several other familiar Exorcists staring at her. Pulling her lips into a thin line, Laia releases her grip on the Finder and closed all mind connections with the Finder. Her bedroom slippers shuffles against the floor noisily, the sound of it rang loudly in the now quiet cafeteria as she advances towards the now kneeling Finder.

Crouching down, Laia said to the pathetic Finder. "I thank you sincerely for being brave and willingly put your lives on the stake by venturing into the very heart of dangerous Akumas lair to collect valuable information for the Order and for us Exorcists. I am grateful that you are willing to do so for nothing in exchange," her eyes changes direction and she looks around at all the Finders surrounding her, icy cold eyes connecting with all of them, "-but I cannot be the sole reason for you all to hate."

Standing up from her previous crouching stance, Laia said in a deep booming voice. "Despite the 14th being my brother 7000 years ago, my own kind abandoned me first just for being a little different, and now, you are doing the exact same thing what my kind did to me 7000 years ago, secluding me aside when all I did is stand on your side and fight the Earl without ever once complaining the toll it takes on my fragile body and how painful it is when an Akuma pins you on the ground with a spiked mace just so I could save a dying Finder. So tell me now, in your opinion, am I on the Earl's side or on your side, because if you can't even figure that out by yourselves, then I will end your life, right here and right now. I will kill you and put an end to your sufferings of being a pitiful Finder for the Black Order, and all you have to do is ask."

"Laia!"The sound of Lavi's voice echoed towards her. Lifting her head up, she watches as Lavi jogged towards her and panted heavily. Collecting himself, Lavi stood up straight and smiled down brightly at her, flashing his best charming smile at her.

"Bookman," Laia addresses the rabbit-head with a slight nod, her eyes remaining blankly cold, ignoring Lavi's obvious flinch at the cold address and the sound of his surname.

"Komui requested you," Lavi said, placing both of his hands on top of her shoulders and bending down to her level, coming face to face with her, hoping to catch her eyes. She did not return his gaze. Sighing to himself, Lavi continued, "He said he'll see you at Hevlaska's domain, and that afterwards you are to return to the hospital ward by the matron's orders."

Laia did not appear to have acknowledged Lavi's words. However, she turns towards Madarao's direction, who had stood up and moved towards her. Turning back towards Lavi, Laia gave him another nod and strode out of the cafeteria.

Stopping suddenly, Laia turned her head slightly to the side and said in the same low threatening tone, "The next person who crosses me again will not be as lucky as this person today, O Pitiful Finders. I am kind, but all of you made me what I am today. This is all you're doing. Blame no others but only yourself. I shall slaughter the next person who badmouths me, and I will do it the way I slaughter an Akuma."

With a sweep of her white woolen cardigan, Laia strode out with Madarao behind her in all the glory of her bedroom attire.

With his Innocence arm, Allen gripped Madarao's upper arm and glares into his eyes.

"Why didn't you stop that, Madarao?" Allen hissed angrily. "Why didn't you stop her?"

"I am not obliged to do that, Exorcist Allen Walker-sama," Madarao said with a slight bow at Allen. Amongst all the Third-Exorcists aka CROWS members currently resides within the new Black Order's Headquarters in Britian, Madarao and his little sister, Tevak, is the most polite and civilized members. "I am to watch and supervise her 24/7. That is my only order."

"Allen Walker," Link called Allen, and the white-haired exorcist releases Madarao and watches as he walks away and joins Laia at the end of the corridor leading towards Komui's new office. "She is out of your reach now, Walker. Leave her be and you might just live long enough to see the daylight."

Angrily, Lavi grabs a fistful of Link's front clothes and pulls him closer. "Comrades do not leave each other to die alone, Howard Link. You don't understand that because you are not an Exorcist, and you are not compelled to fight in the field. Your only job is to supervise, and that's all, so shut your mouth about us Exorcist and do your job like the dog you are."