Hey guys! I'm back with another chapter! I don't have much to say here other than I've been busy for the past few weeks moving into an apartment for college, but that isn't exactly abnormal... anyways, let's stop stalling and get on with the story!

Disclaimer: I don't own BNHA or -man, all rights go to their respective owners.


Chapter 11: The Hypocrisy of a Clown

"Ryo! Hurry up and get down here, dinner's ready!" the loud voice of a hefty-woman called out from the other side of the room. The boy who was the room's occupant, Ryo, simply ignored his mother's calls and instead turned up the volume on his laptop. The video he was watching was a recording of the most-recent U.A. Sports Festival. The battles of Class A, in particular, he found positively fascinating.

"Woah," he mumbled as he witnessed the explosive climax of Izuku Midoriya's battle with his classmate, Shoto Todoroki. The sheer destruction both of these students left upon their battlefield was simply awe-inspiring. It was beyond impressive, especially when you considered the fact that both of the combatants were still students.

"So this is what it means to be enrolled in U.A.'s hero course..." Ryo thought as he lightly brushed a strand of his light blue hair out of his eyes. "They really are on a whole other level." The boy bit his lip. "How frustrating," he mumbled. As he fidgeted around in his seat, his gaze slowly shifted over to the large All Might poster which hung over his bed. His dream was to become a great hero just like his role model, and so, immediately after graduating middle school, he enrolled in his high school's hero course. Sadly, even though he was trying his best, all of his efforts were always overshadowed. "Man," he sighed, "this isn't even a competition. If you want to be a good hero, you practically have to go to U.A." Sadly, for him and an uncountable number of other students, U.A.'s entrance exam was simply too daunting a task. Only the best of the best got in, that was just how it was. "I guess that's just fate," he sighed, "after all, it isn't like I even had a chance with my quirk." He wasn't like those kids at U.A. or Shiketsu, his quirk was far from being what one would call 'powerful'. His ability allowed him to change the friction of various surfaces. For example, if he wanted to, he could make a shaggy carpet as slick as ice. Or, in extreme cases, he could increase the friction of the air itself to slow criminals down. However, while his power sounded useful, in reality it was anything but. It simply wasn't strong enough for him to make any noticeable impact. At the most, his quirk could only affect a handful of square meters. Which was probably the largest reason why he failed U.A.'s entrance exam.

"Ryo! I'm not going to ask again! Get down here already! Your father wants to talk to you about your studies!" his mom called again. This time, the boy slumped over in defeat and groaned.

"Coming," he moaned as he pushed in his chair, straightened his clothes, and headed out into his house's main hallway. Dotting the walls were numerous plaques and picture frames containing various badges, awards, and papers of recognition. His father was a fairly respected member of the police force, and did his best every day to help the citizenry. Of course, he was almost always overshadowed by the heroes and was rarely recognized by the media, but his father didn't mind that. In fact, both him and his father saw the lack of public recognition as a good thing. "After all, it isn't the police's job to hog the spotlight," the boy thought as he stared at a framed newspaper clipping.

"Oh, there you are, Ryo," his father said from the dining room. He was still wearing his police uniform, and had deep shadows under his eyes.

"Long day?" the boy asked his father, who nodded. "Thought so." Before his father had the chance to speak, Ryo walked into the kitchen and picked up a bowel of his mother's freshly-made ramen. As he did this, his mother handed a similar bowel to her husband and turned on the evening news.

"Goodness, that boy again?" she said, "I wish they'd lay off the poor lad already." Ryo frowned when he heard that. His mother could only be talking about one person, and that was Allen Walker.

"I still don't understand why you're so shocked about this," he said as he slurped up a few noodles. "Walker's a student enrolled in U.A.'s hero course, and he killed a villain during what was supposed to be a class trip. That's not something that you see everyday. Hell, this is the first time I've heard of such a thing happening." While it was true that sometimes a villain's death was unavoidable, for a student to commit such an atrocious act wasn't something the present's hero-driven society could easily accept.

"Dear, I know it may be hard to hear, but Ryo is right," his father said as he sipped his tea. "What that boy did is unjustifiable for someone in his position. He didn't even have a temporary license, and yet he killed a villain. Sure, he did it to save others, but such an important decision shouldn't be left up to a mere boy. That's one of the first concepts they teach you in school, is it not?"

"Yeah," Ryo responded, "we're always trained to call for help in those situations." Even though a small part of him sympathized with that student, Ryo understood perfectly well why the media, and even U.A. itself, were trying their best to knock Walker down. "It does make me wonder though..." the boy thought as he stared out the window, "what would I do if I was in that situation? Hell... what would the other members of U.A. Class A do?" Sadly, that query was one that he wasn't able to answer.

"Well... what's done is done," his father spoke as he reached for his chopsticks. "No use worrying over a boy that we don't even know. Instead, Ryo, why don't you tell me about your hero studies? I've heard they've been going wel—" he stopped. "Oh boy, dear, I think someone's at the door."

"Really?" his mom wondered as she got up and headed for their home's front door. "Well I'll be damned..." Ryo heard his mother mumble. His father was blessed with incredible hearing, it wasn't a quirk, but at times, he and his mother swore his sense was good enough to be qualified as one. "You're right!" she called out. "It's probably one of your coworkers! Should I tell them to come back later?" she asked.

"Eh, go ahead and open it. It might be important," the man sighed as he scratched his temple. With that, Ryo soon heard the sound of his mother slowly opening their front door. The squeak of its hinges this time was... odd... to say the least.

"Hmm..." he thought as he munched on some onions, "what's that smell?" He wasn't sure why, but for some reason, he just couldn't get the scent of soot out of his nostrils. "I think it's coming from the front door." His curiosity got the better of him, and slowly, he turned his head towards the entrance. That was when he saw the body. "Mo... mom..." he mumbled, partially in shock, "mother!"


Allen couldn't help but jump when his brain finally processed what he was looking at. "Is that a golem?!" he thought as his jaw dropped to the floor. At his reaction, the priest giggled and laughed.

"Have you seen these things before, Mr. Walker?" he said as he raised the familiar device up to the light. "Back when I was still in college, I read an article or two on these interesting little gadgets. They're called—"

"Golems?" Allen cut him off.

"Yes," the priest said, clearly shocked, "do you... know about golems, Mr. Walker?" At his question, Allen could only swallow his shock and nod. How was he supposed to respond in this situation? It wasn't like he could just say, "Oh, yes, I used them back when I was an exorcist hundreds of years ago".

"I've read about them once or twice," he mumbled, practically whispering, as he hesitantly reached out to touch the machine's metallic exterior. The cold sensation he felt as he coddled it in his palm was oddly nostalgic. "This reminds me of Timcanpy..." he thought as he politely handed the device back to the priest. "Why do you have this?" he asked. "And why even bother showing it to me? What's the point?" Technically, the two of them had just stepped out of a confessional. To cheer him up, the priest wanted to show him something. Was this really supposed to cheer him up? In response, the old father just shrugged and grinned.

"Consider it the curiosity of an aging relic," he said as he turned back to Walker and patted him on the back. "There are thousands of similar relics scattered all over the world," he said, "these things are as common as shark teeth."

"If that's the case," Allen mumbled, "then what's so special about this one?" To be honest, he was more curious to find out exactly how the priest managed to procure such a well-maintained golem, but that wasn't a question he could easily ask without arousing suspicion.

"Oh, this old thing?" the priest scoffed as he tossed the golem back into its box. "It's nothing that unique, I just wanted to show you cause I thought it'd cheer you up!" Allen cocked an eyebrow, what in the world was that supposed to mean? "Hah! Are you disappointed, Mr. Walker?" he exclaimed with a hearty chortle. When the boy didn't respond, he frowned and leaned over, locking eyes with the young student. "Are you okay?" he asked.

"Is something wrong?" the boy responded, taking a hesitant step back.

"Well, you see, I'm just worried. I thought that kids your age loved little trinkets like this," the priest continued as he took a seat on one of the altar steps. "I mean, don't you find it strange?" he asked.

"What?" Allen asked as he joined the priest on a lower step, causing the man to start smirking.

"Blimey... you really don't realize it, do you?" he sighed. "You can't be older than sixteen or seventeen, and yet you've already lost the curious glimmer in your gaze that drives so many new heroes. Were your Christmases so bleak that you can't even recall the joyous feeling of opening gifts?"

"I'm not sure what you're trying to say..." Allen responded, clearly confused.

"Hmm," the priest frowned as he turned his gaze up to the ceiling, "in that case, this problem is probably something you'll have to figure out yourself," he said as Allen got back up to get a closer look at the golem. "Heh, he's not even shocked at seeing such a strange thing. When I first laid eyes on that little golem I thought I was seeing things. After all, how could such an old organization even make something like that?" he thought as he shrugged. "Then again, it isn't like the Vatican even knows that much about that golem's makers in the first place. As a matter of tradition they usually send every sanctioned priest an artifact like that, and yet we barely understand them. God definitely works in mysterious ways."

"Father?" he heard Walker say from the altar's summit. "Are you okay? You're spacing out." The man laughed and shook his head.

"No, no," he said, "I just find you interesting. You definitely have much to improve, Mr. Walker. However, if you can manage to do it, I have no doubt that you'll make an excellent hero someday." Yet again the boy frowned at his words. He probably didn't know what he exactly meant when he said that he'd have to improve. "Sadly, Mr. Walker, you'll have to figure those things out on your own. That's what it means to be an adult." The priest knew that the young hero in front of him was heading down a turbulent and windy path. All it would take is one mistake, just one slight misstep, and he could be lead astray. "I'll be praying for you, Allen Walker," he thought, "hopefully you'll be able to prove me wrong."


Two hours later...

The sunlit streets of the city looked almost utopian as Allen slowly made his way down one of the main sidewalks. It was rather late, and the sun was just about to dip below the horizon. The orange hue which covered the area gave the town an unsettling feeling to it, enough to make one's skin crawl. It reminded the exorcist of times long past, when he'd have to constantly check over his shoulder for akuma. Eventually, after taking a few shortcuts, he ended up on the northern edge of town. "If I'm remembering correctly, this place should be right next to the slums," he thought as he stared up at the moon, which was now slightly visible. He still couldn't get the priest's words out of his head. "Maybe I really am jaded," he mumbled to himself. "Heh," the boy chuckled, "if Mana was still alive he'd call me a hypocrite." After all, what good was a clown's smile if it was nothing more than a mask?

"Father! Let me ride on your shoulders!" he heard a young boy say from the other side of the street. Even in a place as dull as this, there were still examples of the idyllic happy family. The child was wearing a pair of All Might overalls, and looked absolutely adorable.

"I wonder," Allen thought, "whenever I road on your shoulders, Mana, did onlookers ever see me in this light? Did they ever see me as just another happy child?" It was such an abstract idea, but more than anything, he always wanted to live a simpler life. However, such a dream was nothing more than that, a dream. Yet, even though it was an impossibility, Allen found himself grinning at the mere idea of it.

"A family, huh?" he mumbled to himself as he walked across the street. U.A. was just a few steps ahead. Sadly, for him, a quiet night wasn't in the cards. For the second his foot landed upon the school's property, he felt a chill run up his spine. It was a feeling that he had experienced before. One that told him that danger was near. Instantly, he turned around to survey the nearby rooftops. At a glance, nothing seemed to be amiss. However, his exorcist instincts told him otherwise. It was extremely faint, but looming in the skies above was a faint trail of smoke and soot. An average citizen or hero would've written it off as nothing more than the leftovers of a smoky cookout, but he knew better. Without a moments delay, Allen tossed his abstract feeling of calm aside and bolted towards the source of the smoke. His muscle memory soon took over, and before he knew it, he was leaping and parkouring over the city's rooftops. It took him only a handful of moments to arrive at the scene, and when he did, he felt his stomach twist. Before him was an apartment, similar to that of the Eiichis, that had been burned to the ground. If you were just a passerby, the damage wouldn't have been obvious as the building was paneled with brick, but from his position he could see just how bad it was. "Something tells me that this was more than just a simple housefire," he thought as he gritted his teeth and jumped down into the building's charred remains.

Instantly, he saw the corpses. There were three in total. A teenage boy judging by the frame, and what appeared to be his two parents. Their bodies had been so badly charred that they were practically unrecognizable. In fact, the only reason he was able to gleam that much from the corpses was because he'd seen similar sights before during his time as an exorcist. There were still a few lit embers scattered about the place, but it was obvious that the fire had long since sputtered its last spark. Whoever did this was long gone. And yet, even though that was the case, Allen knew exactly who the culprit was. "There've been more victims," he thought as he pinched the bridge of his nose. The killer that had wiped the Eiichis off the face of the Earth had struck again. Without thinking, Allen immediately started to inspect the area. Obviously, there was practically no evidence thanks to the fire, but he could at least learn a few things about the victims themselves. "It appears that the father was a policeman," he mumbled as he dusted off a partially-melted badge. Similar burnt pictures and awards were scattered about the premises, some of which were still mostly intact. "Ryo, is that the boy's name?" he whispered to himself as he read the back of one of the photos.

"Sorry, kid," he said as he stared at the youngest victim's body, "I couldn't save you." After giving the family a small prayer, Allen proceeded to head deeper into the destroyed home. Besides the living room, which had the occasional photo or frame, the rest of the areas had been completely torched. All that remained in there was nothing but soot and ash. His search continued on in this unfruitful manner until he finally arrived at the boy's room. And what he saw, while not exactly surprising, pained his heart to no end. "It seems like this kid was studying to become a hero," he thought as he stared at the mostly-charred All Might poster which hung above the child's bed. That picturesque smile sent memories of his classmates bubbling to the surface, and brought up an emotion in him that he hadn't felt in a long time. Namely, frustration and hatred. "Dammit..." he cursed, "is this really all my efforts can amount to?" He kept trying his hardest, and yet, no matter what he did, all that remained was sadness and dead bodies. These negative feelings momentarily consumed his mind, and for a brief second, he instinctively called for his innocence. Of course, these feelings weren't enough to actually activate his anti-akuma weapon. And, in the next moment, he calmed himself down and regained control. However, that one instance where he let his power slip was enough, it was enough to send chills down peoples' spines, and brought the hero who had just arrived outside to his knees.


Metal Meister grimaced as he and his entourage walked up to the desolate building. "I've got to admit," he started, "I didn't expect for there to be more victims so soon." As the corrupt hero stood there in thought, several policemen hurried past him. There were far more than there were when he visited the Eiichis' burned household. This was because that, after the media made a public announcement of the Eiichis' killing, the police were given permission to setup an criminal profile for this case. Since, with this incident, there were now multiple homicides, they were now operating under the guise of tracking down a serial killer. This meant that they could receive funding from the main office, and the number of personnel assigned to the case was also increased dramatically. Due to the volatile nature of the case, the team was also allowed to request a hero's aid in case they were attacked by the culprit or some other villain. Since he knew most of the men from this precinct, it was child's play for him to snatch the role.

"Metal Meister! You're already here?" a nearby lieutenant called out to him as he, along with a couple of detectives, slowly made their way towards the building. In response, the hero simply frowned and nodded.

"Yeah, I can't just stand around when some no-name villain is making a mess of my town," he said as his eyebrows narrowed. This was getting ridiculous. Serial killers weren't exactly rare in this era, but for a villain to butcher two whole families in such a short timespan was getting on his nerves. "It doesn't help that both of these are happening either in or near the slums. Shit..." if there were any more victims the government would probably dispatch an investigative team to his agency. If that ever came to pass, it would only be a matter of time before his unsavory dealings were made public. He'd have to be careful. "Hey, chief, is it okay if I go in with the forensic team?" he asked the lieutenant.

"Hmm," the man mumbled as he scratched his chin, "as long as you don't touch anything and stay near the entrance, it should be fine. But remember, Metal Meister, you're here as a guard. I don't want to be an ass about this, but unless something happens, I'm required by law to request that you remain on standby. Got it?" the policeman ordered.

"Yeah, yeah," Metal Meister groaned as he waved the officer off. If this really was the same killer, there probably wouldn't be anything to touch anyways. And so, after taking a second to gather up a small team, the hero made his way towards the apartment's front entrance. However, right before they could open the charred front door, something strange happened.

"Ah hell, what is it now?" Metal Meister heard an officer call out as the man rubbed his head.

"What's wrong?" he asked. Before the man could answer, the officer yelped out in pain before falling down to the ground.

"It's... a song..." the policeman said as he clutched his forehead. "I don't know who it is... but someone's singing. My head... it feels like it's going to split open!" he cried as another terrifying side effect reared its ugly head.

"My God," Metal Meister thought, "this man's crying blood!" he called out as he desperately tried his best to elevate the officer's head. "Does he have a concussion?!" he thought as he bit his lip. "No... that wouldn't make any sense. And what's this song that he keeps talking about?" Sadly, he didn't have the time to contemplate such questions. Right now, he had to ensure that this man didn't die on his lap. "Somebody! We need a medic! Hurry up and get over her—" he stopped. For there was no one left standing to heed his call. The entire regiment was either knocked out, crying in pain, or vomiting. All of them were also crying blood. And before he had the chance to do anything about it, Metal Meister noticed something warm dripping from his eyes as well. Before he knew what was happening, an unbelievable wave of nausea, pain, and lightheadedness washed over him. Along with these debilitating symptoms came a strange song, in an unbelievably beautiful voice, that reverberated endlessly throughout his head. It sounded as though an angel were singing directly into his mind, and with every word came a feeling of inexplicable terror. "Stop..." he thought, "make it stop!" he cried. However, the pain didn't cease. In fact, it only got worse. And, right when he thought that it was too much to bear, it suddenly vanished. "What... what the hell..." he mumbled as he struggled to pull himself off the ground. The officers who were rendered unconscious by the strange song were also starting to wake up. And soon, besides the blood stains on their cheeks, everything returned to a strange sense of normalcy.

"Metal Meister!" the lieutenant called out as he rushed to the hero's side. "What was that?! Are we under attack by a villain?!" he screamed as he immediately reached for his gun. In response, all Metal Meister could do was stare in silence. It took nearly twenty whole seconds for the man to regain his composure. However, once he did, he immediately took command and got to work.

"Everyone!" he yelled. "Did the drones or bordering officers detect anything strange?! Also, make sure you're all okay! If anyone's still unconscious take them to the hospital immediately!" Even though he was a crooked man, that didn't mean he couldn't take command when the time called for it. Once he gave his orders, the police immediately got to work and took care of their wounded. Without a moment to lose, Metal Meister grit his teeth, turned around, and immediately rushed for the apartment's front door. "Judging by the timing of that attack, my gut tells me that the perpetrator is somewhere nearby. Since we've got people patrolling every inch of this area, the suspect can only be here!" instantly, he wrapped his strong hands around the door handle and swung the door open. "Hey, bastard, we've got you now! Come out with your hands u—" yet again he was cut off. However, this time it wasn't due to an attack. No... the reason for the hero's shock now was for a much simpler reason.

"Hey... am I interrupting something?" a familiar voice whispered from inside the apartment. Metal Meister recognized the voice instantly. And when his brain finally processed what was happening, he could only frown and shake his head.

"God dammit," he cursed as he locked eyes with the aforementioned thorn in his side, "what the hell are you doing here, Allen Walker?!"


Thirty minutes later...

"So this boy isn't the one who attacked us, Metal Meister?" the police lieutenant asked the hero as he stared daggers at the white-haired student. "Sorry, but I find that hard to believe. We were attacked and then conveniently we find a student at the scene of the crime. C'mon, don't be so stubborn, it's obviously got to be him!" Metal Meister sighed, this man was being unnecessarily stubborn.

"It should be obvious, you dumbass!" he yelled as he slammed his fist against the interrogation table. "As I've told you multiple times before, this kid has a connection with the first victims! Plus," he started as his eyebrows twitched in annoyance, "he's a curious student who just can't do what he's told!" As he yelled, the corrupt hero frowned and turned to angrily grimace at the boy.

"Heh... sorry... I just couldn't help myself. I thought that someone was in trouble," Walker said as he stared depressingly at the ground. In response, Metal Meister smacked the boy on the back of his head.

"If that's the case then the first thing you should've done was notify the police or a nearby hero! Need I remind you that you've been banned from participating in internships or anything to do with hero work?! If your school caught wind of this incident you could've been expelled!" he screamed as he turned to the lieutenant and gave the man a small bow. "Speaking of which, thanks for keeping this under wraps," he said as the officer sighed.

"I don't like it," the man said as he returned to his seat. "But, seeing as it's you who requested that I keep this off the books, I can't exactly say no." Yet again, the lieutenant groaned and turned his gaze back to Walker. "We'll turn a blind eye this time, boy, but be more careful next time. Even if you have a connection with the victims, that doesn't give you the excuse to go wandering around crime scenes! Especially given the poor timing of your arrival! Speaking of which..." he continued as he stared at Metal Meister.

"Again," he sighed, "even though Walker was there, there's no way that he could've been the one who attacked us. For God's sake the boy doesn't even have a quirk! If you don't believe me check his student papers! Plus, he was also attacked, right?" the corrupt hero asked the boy, who nodded.

"Yeah, it happened around the same time you guys first arrived. I was exploring one of the back rooms so I doubt any of you heard me crying," he said as he locked eyes with the corrupt hero and officer. The honest look to them was simply baffling, almost as if Allen Walker was still an innocent child who had never told a lie. Needless to say, it was more than enough to convince his interrogators.

"Fine..." the lieutenant sighed as he jabbed a thumb towards the nearest exit. "Get going back to class, Mr. Walker, I'm sure you and yours are busy preparing for the culture festival, right?" he spoke as he and Metal Meister got up to leave. "I'd really like to talk more, but we've got to get going. Leave the investigating to the adults, kid. Don't worry, we'll catch the bastard who did this, and..." the man paused, "we'll also nab the prick who assaulted a regiment of officers in broad daylight. So, be a dear and focus on your studies, okay?"

"You heard the man, Walker," Metal Meister responded as he headed for the nearest door. "Be more careful next time. If it wasn't for the fact that you don't have a quirk, you'd be heading for court right about now," he said.

"Got it," the boy answered as he pressed his forehead against the tabletop. "I'll try my best. Good luck out there!" Allen stayed in that position for what seemed like hours, waiting until he knew for a fact that the two men were long gone. Once he was certain that he was safe, the boy got up from his bow and stretched his arms. "Damn," he thought, "when I first fell into this time period I'd never believed that my most useful ability would be my poker face." As he slowly made his way out of the precinct building, the exorcist frowned and stared down at his left hand. Truth be told he knew exactly what had caused the "assault" so many officers were talking about, and it was all thanks to Lavi's excellent reports. "If I remember correctly, this phenomenon happened before with Lenalee." It appeared that his innocence had somehow activated, and then lashed out at the officers in an attempt to protect him. "I'm a parasite type," he thought, "so maybe my innocence responded to my emotions that time when I was in the apartment." His hypothesis wasn't exactly far-fetched. In fact, if he thought about it, it made perfect sense. Innocence wasn't something he completely understood. And, given what happened to him back in China, where Crown Clown repaired his heart, it definitely seemed like his innocence had a vested interest in keeping him safe.

"Still..." he mumbled as he balled his left hand up into a fist, "I never would've believed that it'd be so powerful." For his innocence to take out an entire regiment like that on its own was bizarre, to say the least. "Does this mean I've grown closer with Crown Clown?" he mumbled as his eyebrows narrowed. He had no idea. But if he were correct, and the innocence really was responding to his emotions in order to protect him, that would mean he had uncovered another way to use his power. Of course, it wasn't anything crazy like an evolution of his innocence or anything like that. In fact, if he were back in his time, this "power" would've been practically useless. The Science Section would've written it off as just a strange quirk of his innocence, something that couldn't feasibly be used in battle against akuma or the Noah. However, given recent circumstances...

"Let's try it!" he thought as he started to survey his surroundings. It didn't take him long before he found what he was looking for. Namely, a nearby civilian. "Sorry," he mumbled as he raised his left arm towards the man, "but I'm going to have to use you for a second." With that, Allen closed his eyes and focused, rousing his innocence, but not activating it. Soon, as he'd predicted, something strange happened.

"Holy!" he heard the civilian call out as he clutched his head in pain. "Is somebody singing?! What's going on?! I—" the man opened his eyes. "Huh? What just happened?" Allen heard the man mumble as he slowly walked away. "God," he said, "I must've hit my head on something." With that over and done with, Allen bit his lip and lowered his arm. It wasn't exactly easy to control, but with some practice, there was a chance he could make use of this strange quirk.

"An ability of innocence that only harms regular humans," he whispered with a frown. "How distasteful." Then again, it wasn't exactly surprising. He did have the last active piece of innocence left in the world, after all. If humanity had really been going centuries without being exposed to the substance, then that could explain why that specific quirk of it had become so much more powerful. It was kind of ironic, in a way. He'd been through numerous battles, but, no matter how many physical scars he had, it was the buildup of mental ones that led to this discovery. "Damn," he hissed as he stared up at the sky, "you've really been putting your apostle through the wringer, haven't you?" The overcast clouds danced in an almost-comical fashion, and for a second, Allen felt the weight on his shoulders get just a little bit lighter. However, unbeknownst to him, fate had other plans. Life was a two-sided coin, and just as Walker thought he'd gained something, an equally bad anomaly had just appeared on his wheel of fate. And he was staring at him now, from a nearby rooftop.

"So, that's Allen Walker, huh?" a shadowy figure mumbled as he snapped his fingers, creating a violent spark of flame. "This kid seems to have taken an interest in my hobby," the man continued as he made his way down into the bustling city streets. "A youth's intuition should be rewarded. So, Mr. Walker, why don't we get you a little trophy for your hard work?" the figure said as he turned his gaze towards the slums. There, in one of the back alleys, he found what he was looking for. "It's been a long while since my last confession," he thought as a grin surfaced on his lips. "Why don't we go and pay the father a visit?"


Author's Note

Yeah sorry about the whole "waiting a month to release" thing. Thanks to the whole situation in the real world and my own personal issues I was forced to put writing this chapter off, but, luckily, the personal problems are behind me so I managed to get this bad boy out! I'm really curious to see what your reactions are to some of this, as this is really when I put the "crossover" squeeze on this whole story! Speaking of which, thanks to everyone who has left a review! They're really helpful! Anyways, that's all for me, I'm going to go ahead and close this off here and I'll see you guys in the next chapter of A Tale of Two Endlings!

Chapter Twelve: The Start of a Hard Battle