A/N: Sorry, it was an exhausting day, so I'm barely getting to posting this at like 1AM. Anyway, thank you to jy24, Lena-luvs-cats, Takei Daloui, and The Moyashi Beansprout Midget for reviewing as always! Enjoy.

Disclaimer: Still don't own anything.

Chapter 12

Time Frame — Morning of January 13th, 1896

—3rd Person POV—

~Allen~

His screams echoed painfully throughout the Order. And the other members could only wince with sympathy as they muttered between themselves, "Oh hell, he's doing it again. Poor kid…"

"Allen?" Lenalee experimentally poked the dazed boy. "Are you okay?"

"Perfect as can be!" Komui answered for him with a beam, polishing his pointy, silver tools. "His Innocence arm is quite spectacular! Held up against my drill like nobody's business! So, everything seems to be in precise order!" Glancing at the white-haired boy without an ounce of remorse, he added, "Your arm might be a little sore, but it should be fine by tomorrow."

"A little sore?" Allen hissed, cradling his throbbing arm.

Lenalee chuckled nervously, "Sorry about that Allen. I promise you Brother wasn't just being a sadistic freak… At least, for the most part."

Komui pouted. "I'm offended you would even say that about me, dear sister."

"I'm not," Allen spat, forcing himself to get up from the reclining chair Komui had strapped him to earlier. "That was fucking torture, if I ever seen it—or in this case, experienced it!"

Komui patted him condescendingly on the head, before quickly retracting his arm at Allen's fierce scowl. "Really? I was sure I was going easy on you." Before Allen could burst into a tirade, Komui swiftly continued, "Anyway, before get to the debriefing of the mission, a quick visit to Hevlaska is due for you, Allen."

"Who's Hevlaska?"

"2%... 16%... 31%... 57%... 93%... It appears that 93 percent is the maximum synchro rate you and your weapon are capable of," Hevlaska concluded, voice echoing serenely throughout her chambers.

"What's a synchro rate?" Allen wondered. Traveling with Cross, he'd never had a need for all these technical terms since real-life application had been more a constant for him. Though the term did have a ring of familiarity to it. It might've popped up in one of his readings, but he couldn't be sure.

As she began lower him back down onto the platform beside Lenalee, the enormous, specter-like figure clarified, "The number indicates your ability level when activating your anti-Akuma weapon. The lower the synchro rate, the more difficulty you'll have activating, putting you at a higher risk for permanent damage."

"That is quite impressive though," Komui murmured, gifting Allen with a look of scrutiny. "We haven't had an Exorcist with that high of a synchro rate since the last war. The only reason we even have Generals is because most of them lived through at least the ends of the war, and were forced to level up in order to eradicate the mess of Akuma the last Earl left behind. But with the lack of threat from the Akuma, it has grown difficult for Exorcist to connect on a more personal level with their Innocence…"

Allen cringed, recalling exactly how Crown Clown had come to be. And it certainly hadn't been by choice.

With a worried frown, Lenalee cautiously observed him, before hesitantly asking, "Allen, how is it that you synchronized with your Innocence weapon?"

He sighed, hands fisting slightly, and glanced away with an uncomfortable shrug. "I was kind of forced to, for my own protection. One of those, live or die scenarios…" Meeting their curious and slightly concerned gazes with an unsure expression, Allen finally admitted, "It was a Level 3."

"A-a what?!"

"That's unheard of! Not since the last war!"

Allen grimaced. "Yeah," he shuddered, recalling the way his curse scar had burned and his stomach had upturned, being forced to watch the writhing, and mutilated soul. "It was horrific. That thing was going to slaughter me, but my Innocence arm reacted at the last possible second and helped me escape. I'd be dead if it weren't for Crown Clown."

"I see," Komui murmured, shifting his glasses. He then turned to Hevlaska and asked, "Is there anything else you can tell us about Allen Walker's Innocence?"

Hevlaska vibrated as she produced an echoing chuckle. "You ask me the same thing every time, Komui. But I'll respond nonetheless. There is no need for prophecies in times of peace. Even the Innocence shards can attest to that."

Komui huffed, and as he continued his argument with Hevlaska, Lenalee stepped closer to him and asked, "Allen, how old were you when you were attacked by that Level 3?"

Allen winced. "I was seven," he confessed.

Her violet eyes widened in horror. "Oh my… But attracting that sort of attention at that age… how did you survive?"

Tossing a distracted Komui a superstitious glance, Allen divulged in a barely audible tone, "I've actually been travelling with Cross since I was a little kid."

"Oh!" Lenalee exclaimed softly, surprised. After a moment of thought, her brow furrowed into a deep frown. "But… where was Cross when all that happened with the level 3?"

His pained smile was answer enough. Nevertheless he replied softly, "I don't know. He never did tell me."

"Alright kiddos!" Komui abruptly clasped his hands eagerly, and Lenalee and Allen instantly jumped back, suddenly realizing how close they'd been standing. Fortunately for Allen, Komui had been too distracted to notice. "Time for the mission debriefing. Follow me to my office and I will tell you all about a little place we like to call the Rewinding Town!"

A/N: A shout out to Takei Daloui for helping me rationalize how Allen would come by having his upgraded Innocence form.(:

Also, I'd like to explain how it is the Order has Exorcists like Timothy and Mei-Ling, but not ones like Miranda. I know it's backwards compared to canon, but I figured that in this AU it would make sense. Without an ongoing war, the Black Order now has a lot more resources to spend on seeking out Accommodaters, so I felt it would make sense if they were to find someone like Mei-Ling (a fortune teller), Timothy (the kid with a blue gem smack dab in the middle of his forehead), or even Krory (a rumored vampire; I doubt Cross would keep Rosanne for that long in this AU) at a younger age because they've had their Innocence for a lot longer. Miranda would be the most likely to be overlooked because it isn't until she actually activates her Innocence that it really becomes apparent. So there's my logic!

And I might as well let you know that the only canon Exorcists that have yet to be found are Miranda and Chaoji.

Also, some Exorcists you won't recognize. I'm pretty much pulling names out of the list of Exorcists massacred by Tyki in canon. Sol Galen being one such example.

Don't forget to review!