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Komui leaned over the control panel in the surveillance room. “Reever, who is that?”The scientist sighed. “Chief, you can’t keep forgetting your letters,” he said. “You’re lucky I swiped her letter before it got buried under the paper rubble, sir.” He held the letter, dressed in blue gold and sealed with a general’s stamp. “Here ya go.”The corner of Komui’s mouth twitched and he grabbed the letter and examined it for a moment. “Tiedoll sent her?” he asked, breaking the seal.“Yeah, weird isn’t it? Last time I remember, she was sent back from America.” Reever sighed. “It’s three in the morning… how did she even stay awake? She looks disheveled.” He stiffened. “Wait, this is an island. How did she swim this far out?”“Not sure myself,” the Chief replied. “Usually they at least try to announce themselves too, but she’s eerily quiet…” Komui frowned. “We need to send exorcists to greet her. Just in case she’s an Akuma.”“Well, who do we send?” a gentle voice replied.The team jumped and turned around to see Lenalee standing in the doorway, her usual collection of filled mugs in her hands for the team. She looked at the screen to the young woman who was walking slowly forward towards the doors. “Is she… an exorcist?” she asked, setting the tray down nearby. “Her uniform is unique.”The girl was a young adult, perhaps her mid twenties. She wore a uniform that bore no sleeves, a pair of high-waisted shorts, and low cut boots that left the majority of her extremities bare. She looked like a young one, maybe in her late teens or early twenties— it was hard to tell at the angle the golems flew to capture her visage. Her locks faded from brown to a flaxen blonde, and her wide eyes… something was very wrong with them.Her eyes glowed a bright green-white, like a pair of fireflies caught in a frantic death waltz, and her exposed skin faintly glowed as well. When she swayed side to side, the glow of her eyes trailed slightly like incense smoke in a burner at Mass. Though her legs were shaking and her body was covered in scratches, her gaze was unwaveringly fixed on the Order’s main building.She leaned forward and slammed her arms into the door, a motion that echoed loudly through the halls but did not break the lock.Lenalee turned around at the sound of it. “That was a lot.”Komui nodded. “She’s likely an exorcist, given she has a letter from Tiedoll,” he said, breaking the wax seal on the parchment. “Let’s see…”Lenalee engaged her Dark Boots. “I could easily go out there and handle her, brother,” she said, turning to walk away. “Besides, I don’t think that waking the boys is a great idea after this move—““Wait,” Komui replied. “Come back here, there’s details on her.”Lenalee, slowly walked back. “Oh?” she asked. “Now that you mention it, you didn’t really tell me her name or anything.”“Mia Fiore, age 24. Joined the order pretty early on,” he said. “According to this letter, she’s one of Tiedoll’s pupils.”“Do you think Kanda would know her?” she asked. “Maybe I should go and get him to—““Don’t,” Komui replied. “You know he’s been recovering from the big move out here.”Lenalee frowned. “But he knows her best,” she said. “I mean, he’s at least got to know something.”“Lenalee, you just got used to your new boots. Don’t you want to run more tests?” Komui asked.The young girl frowned. “You just don’t wanna deal with Kanda’s temper yourself,” she said. She turned towards the door. “Can’t I at least get some sort of backup?” she asked as she crossed the threshold and stopped.Komui paused. “Allen has been up all night lately. Seems he’s got a lot of thinking time he could use a distraction from. Go check to see if he’d like to help.”Lenalee nodded, and a quick burst of air followed her heels as she launched forward.Komui held a hand to his face. Not only was it too early in the morning for any of this, but additionally he was concerned about the use of her Boots indoors jeopardizing the new structure they had just begun to inhabit. They’d just gotten here, for goodness’ sake, what would he tell Central if another building were destroyed?After pulling his hand away from his face, he continued reading the note from Tiedoll.“Komui, a bit of a warning about her— she has the tendency to sleepwalk. It’s not by any means of her own accord, however— her Innocence is directly entangled with her brain, spine, and nerves. Sometimes, when she’s asleep, it stays awake and moves her around.”Komui paused. “A parasite type? And a possessive one at that, it seems.”“Whatever you do,” Tiedoll wrote, “do not engage in inexperienced melee combat with her. The powers of her Innocence are less tame when she is asleep, not to mention it’s more defensive of itself. Your best response is to send either someone familiar with her or someone with long range. Ideally, both.”Komui stood up as he finished the letter. “Oh no.”Reever raised an eyebrow. “What’s wrong, Chief?” he asked.The Head of the Branch finished his coffee and began running for the door. “She was right to suggest him over Allen,” he said. “Reever, I need more coffee. Please alert Kanda and Lavi, quick!”———————————As it always was, the night was quiet. Save for the whistling of the wind through the dead branches of nearby willows, little could muffle the footsteps of its host, Mia, as it guided her to the doors.“You are quite heavy hearted as of late,” it said to her, trying to fill the quiet night with banter. Like always, its accommodator was not listening. How could she? After all, the slumbering ones don’t make good conversationalists.“I got us to the Branch, as you know,” it said. “When you wake up you’ll feel less upset.” It looked around at the ground, puzzled by the sea-level surroundings. “Last time we showed up, it did seem more… vertical.”The gates opened in front of the figure. From them, a young man and a young lady slowly walked forward, both of which were dressed in black and red. One had hair like snow and a shining cape draped over his shoulders. The other’s eyes glowed bright in the moonlight and her boots were adorned with butterflies. “Exorcists,” it whispered, catching the aroma of energy radiating from the two.“Hey!” the young girl called out. “Mia, right?”It froze up. It hated this part, always did. “U-um…” it began. “Yes?”There was a brief second of silence before the other spoke up. “Lenalee, my eye isn’t acting up or anything. She’s definitely human.”The girl, Lenalee, spoke back. “Yeah, Allen. Komui said she was from Tiedoll Unit.”Allen tilted his head. “Mia, right? Your eyes look strange for a human.”It knew it wasn’t going to keep this up much longer. It needed to get inside the Order since it was chilly outside and its accommodator hadn’t slept in a while. But the two were standing in the way.It caved. “I… don’t know how to explain this to you, but my… my accommodator is asleep right now,” it said.Lenalee stepped back slightly. “Your… accommodator? So, wait, you’re Mia’s—““Yes,” it said, walking forward. “Apologies, I’ve never seen an Innocence like either of yours.” As it reached the two, it stretched its arm forward. “Can you hel—“Immediately, a weighty thud came between the three. The dust kicked up, obscuring the view of those on the ground, and a few shadows fell to greet the trio.“Sorry, Allen!” A plucky voice spoke. “Komui told us to protect you.”“Protect us?” he asked. “She’s an Exorcist, Lavi, what’s there to worry about?”“That thing is not Mia, shortstack,” a colder voice replied. “That’s her Innocence.”As the dust cleared, Lavi could be seen standing on the blunt of his hammer, and Kanda was already approaching Mia from her front.“Yuu, what are you doing?” Lavi asked. “Komui told us not to make contact with her!”“Guess you weren’t listening to the rest of what he told us,” he said. “And don’t call me that!”The Innocence smiled through Mia as the swordsman approached. “It’s you,” it said. “Oh, Kanda, we missed—“Kanda drew Mugen and held it to Mia’s throat. “Disengage, Lazarus,” he said, an icy stare shooting against the green glow of Mia’s eyes. “You know how distressed she gets when she sleepwalks.”“Well… you’re still no fun,” it huffed. “I just made it here and you don’t even want to catch up?”“No.” Kanda lunged and hit Mia, but despite it being at her neck, the sword bounced right off, producing a set of sparks and a smirk from Lazarus.“You’re eager as ever!” the Innocence replied. “Are you really going to fight me this early in the morning?”Kanda frowned. “Lazarus, you know how dangerous you are when you act on your own. Don’t you remember what happened to our mentor?”“You wouldn’t understand my bouts with Tiedoll. He made it fun,” Lazarus said. “I doubt you’ll allow the same.” It tore off Mia’s gloves and threw them on the ground. “Unless you’re willing to prove me wrong.”“Lazarus, there’s nothing fun about attacking people, especially when Mia needs to rest. Deactivate so we can get inside!” Kanda said.“Make me,” it said.Kanda closed his eyes and sighed. “Fine, but I’m not holding back just because Mia’s a girl.”Allen leaned forward. “Kanda, what’re you doing?!” he yelled, watching as he wound up for another strike.“Stay out of this, dumbass,” Kanda said, swinging down. Lazarus crossed Mia’s arms into a shield formation and caught the blade before pushing it back.Allen stepped forward to stop his comrade from possibly injuring her, but Lenalee grabbed his arm. “Wait, look!”“Hm?” Allen said. “She’s not gonna hold up against—““Just look at those two,” she insisted.Though Kanda was going through the trouble of speedily trying to get a good opening, Mia’s skin was barely scratched by his blade. Allen rubbed his eyes a bit and squinted, watching as the Innocence puppeting her was enduring hit after hit. “She’s not too hurt by the thing. He’s barely leaving scrapes.”Lavi stepped off his hammer and twirled it a bit. “Not just that,” he added, “but a majority of her own swings are from her arms.” He held a hand to his chin. “Hmm… I wonder…”Allen frowned. “I still don’t get why we shouldn’t be fighting her. I mean, Kanda can’t have all the fun.”Lavi smirked. “Komui told us her gifts don’t do well against distance fighters like me, and since she’s from Tiedoll Unit she’s had a history with him. He’d know best how to disarm her.”Kanda slashed his sword against one of Mia’s ankles. Though it would’ve harmlessly hit her under ordinary circumstances, this time there was a deep slice in her ankle. Lazarus screamed briefly and knelt.“Dirty bastard, deactivating for a brief moment just to hit my legs,” it hissed. “You’re kidding me, right?”Kanda frowned and stepped forward. “Deactivate, Lazarus. I don’t want to hurt either of you.” He leaned down.“Well, you certainly do a bang-up job, don’t you?” it replied, swiping him across the face. A strong hiss filled the air where its hand connected.Kanda groaned as he was sent skidding across the ground towards his comrades. He was still wide awake, certainly, but as he stood up, Allen caught a glimpse of his right cheek. Muscle and sinew were exposed, and Allen could make out a few teeth embedded in a jawbone. Though the skin around his wound seemed cauterized, it began to stitch itself back together with thick strings of blood and epidermis.Lazarus smirked. “Not lookin’ so hot, you down for the count already?” it teased.Kanda glared back, no words to be said. There wasn’t any need— if this person wasn’t a comrade, if he saw a Level 2 or an Earl sympathizer acting like this, they’d already be dead.“Oi, Yuu,” Lavi said, stepping forward. “Lemme take a swing.”“Idiot,” Kanda said, pulling himself back up. “Lazarus, stop making us harm another Exorcist!”Allen whistled. “Well, you certainly proved why I shouldn’t be over there. What the hell was that?”“She messes with molecules within a close range of her, usually meaning that she can alter their state in some way through contact,” Kanda said, his face continuing to heal. “Usually Mia can control it while she’s awake, but since the Innocence is attached to her brain, she can’t control where Lazarus takes her in her sleep.”Lenalee smirked. “This is the most I’ve seen you talk about anybody, Kanda.”The swordsman stiffened and stood up fully. “If I said nothing, you dunces would go in and get yourself killed,” he spat.Allen sighed. “There he is again…” he said to himself.“How… how long have you known her?” Lenalee asked.“Since Tiedoll took me in,” Kanda said quickly. “And that means I’ve known Lazarus for about the same amount of time.”A pillar of flame shot up a short distance from them as Lavi invoked a stamp.“Lazarus? The Innocence has a name?” Allen asked.“Doesn’t yours have some goofy name?” Kanda asked.“It’s not goofy, it’s a neat name!” Allen huffed.“Sure, whatever, shortstack,” he replied.“Kanda…” Allen growled.“Allen?” Kanda questioned, face still deadpan.Lenalee cleared her throat. “Is it just ‘Lazarus’ or…”“Tree of Lazarus, but Tiedoll and Noise have just called it Lazarus when it speaks.” Kanda huffed. “And it’s annoying, just my luck.”Lavi skidded back but stayed firm on his feet. “So if she touches me, it’ll burn? Doesn’t seem very fair at all!” he called.“Lazarus messes with molecules through contact,” Kanda shouted back. “Not just burns, but general physics. You have the advantage here so don’t screw it up!”Allen launched forward. “Lavi, I’ll work with you. She can’t keep track of both of us!”Lazarus grinned. “Ohoho, now this is gonna be fun!” it said. Clenching Mia’s fists, its arms began to crackle with a strong electrical pulse. “Which one of you wants to play first?”Allen swung at her arms. “How about me?!”As his sword hit its arms, the sparks gave off resistance before it pushed him off. The mild scrapes on Mia’s forearms were all the weapon could do. “Criticality already?” it asked. “Lucky boy.”Allen tilted his head. “What?” he asked.“Oh, nothing,” it said. “I’m a lot more able to read your Innocence when I’m active. You’re quite a special case.”“You’re just flattering me, aren’t you?” he asked. “It’s not that funny.”“No, I mean it!” it replied. “Seriously, if you want, you could just deactivate and we can have a talk about—“WHAM!Lavi’s hammer struck it square in the back, sending Mia into the nearby wall. “Nice job, Allen. Your distraction worked great!”Allen chuckled awkwardly. “Yeah… distraction was exactly what I was going for there… definitely…”Lenalee shouted from off to the side. “Kanda, don’t—“But the swordsman was never one to listen. By the time the dust from the wall settled, Kanda was already at Mia’s throat with his Migen swords. One was held against one of her arms, and the other was laid against the other arm as well as her neck. His lower leg was firmly but gently planted against her midsection.Lazarus smiled. “There’s your fighting spirit. I missed that,” it said. “Do you always have less fun than your friends?”“You’re a bastard,” Kanda replied.“As are you,” it retorted. “At least I’m under no illusions of it.”“Deactivate, Lazarus,” he said. “She needs medical attention for her ankle because of you.”“Alright,” it said, voice bitter from his comment. “Thanks for the interesting time. See you again soon, okay?” After a moment, Lazarus went slack and Mia’s eyes stopped glowing. Her slight luminescence faded and Mia began to cough.Allen frowned and ran over. “Mia!” he shouted.“Huh… whuh…” she groggily moaned. “Where… did I make it to Headquarters?” she asked. “Wait, is that you, Kanda?”Kanda removed his leg and deactivated Mugen. She slid down the wall a bit and sat there for a moment.“Don’t tell me that it happened again,” she said. “Kanda, you had your weapon on me again.”Lavi approached with Lenalee. “What was that?”Mia looked up at him. “Nevermind, your reaction says it all.” She suddenly jerked her leg up as her ankle stung. “Ouch!”Lenalee looked at Lavi. “Can you and Kanda take her inside? Allen, keep her talking— we need her awake.” She began to run towards the door.“Where are you going?” Allen asked.“I’m getting my brother, what else?” she asked.“I-Isn’t he usually sadistic? I mean, his surgeries are really painful and—““No, it’s fine,” Mia said. “My legs have always had a high pain tolerance.”Allen continued to speak a little bit more to Lenalee just to get more details on the new face at the Branch.Kanda silently picked her up and glared at Lavi. “Well, are you gonna help me or?”Lavi raised an eyebrow. “You look like you can handle her yourself,” he teased. “Are you really that exhausted alrea—““Get over here before I choose to stab you.” Kanda glared at him. “I mean it, stop dicking around.”Lavi nervously laughed. “Alright, alright. I’ll help you, grumpy gills.”As Lavi put Mia’s arm over his shoulder, he smiled. “So how long have you been at the order?” he asked.“Since I was 14,” she replied. “But that was ten years ago.”“You’re 24?” he asked.“Going on 25,” she replied.“…You look real small for 24.”Kanda scoffed. “You’re really using this time to flirt with a stranger, Lavi?”“Yuu, that’s not what I mean,” he replied. “She’s very small for her age.”“Stop calling me that,” he said.Mia smiled. “Seems not much has changed with you, Kanda,” she said. “Well, aside from the growing you’ve done.”Kanda huffed. “I could say the same. It’s been a while since I saw you,” he replied. “I see Lazarus is still lively as ever.”Mia nodded. “It’s gotten stronger since the last time we spoke,” she said. “But I’ve been mastering its capabilities as well. Most recently, I’ve learned to densify my muscles in my arms.”“That certainly explains why Lazarus punched Kanda a good twenty feet,” Lavi chuckled. “Left a bad mark, too.”Mia sighed. “I’m sorry, Kanda, I’m really trying to have more cooperation with—“Kanda put his free hand up. “Don’t. You always apologize when you know your Innocence has a mind of its own. If anyone should apologize,” he said, voice growing gravelly, “it’s Lazarus.”Allen, who had waved Lenalee off, turned back to the rest of the team. They began to walk, with Allen walking slightly ahead and looking back at her. “Mia, you’re pretty strong.”“Thanks but…” Mia said. “That’s just my Innocence. I’m still learning, even now. A lot of time, it’s like my Innocence wields me.”Lavi smirked. “That’s new, don’t think I’ve ever heard of that kind of reversal,” he said. “Can’t imagine it feels good in the morning, though.”Mia laughed, coughing a bit. “Yeah, always leaves me needing a hot soak or a compress.”Kanda huffed.“Are you… okay?” Mia asked. “Lazarus hit you really hard.”“You know I’ll heal, why do you care?” he asked quietly.“Because it still hurt, didn’t it?” she said. “Just because you got stitches doesn’t mean people aren’t allowed to worry.”Kanda looked away. “You should be more worried about yourself.”Mia smiled softly and looked to the ground as the clack of heels echoed inside the building. “Same as you ever were,” she said.“Tch, that’s what you think,” he said. “I could say you’ve grown more idealistic.”“Blame Tiedoll,” Mia replied. “The man showers his pupils with attention more than most. But of course, I’m sure that you knew that during the attack.”Lavi frowned. “By the way,” he said, “why didn’t you just use a gate to get here? We have those now.”Allen turned a corner and the rest followed suit. “Lavi, you don’t remember? I can’t open those unless I’ve been there before. The North American Branch is one place I’ve yet to see.”“You can just… do that? Is that a part of your Innocence, um…”“Allen. Allen Walker,” he said. “I said my name earlier but that wasn’t when you were awake.”“Yeah, I often have to be told twice,” she said. “Once for each of us.”Allen smirked. “I can’t imagine how scary it must be,” he said. “Sharing a space— a body— with another being. And Innocence, no less.” He looked off to the side. “I wonder if that’s how Crown Clown feels about me…”Mia chuckled. “It’s kind of a funny thought, isn’t it?” she said, carefully stumbling over the infirmary threshold. “Ow… are… are we almost there?” she asked.“Why yes, you are!” a chipper voice said. “I heard Kanda fileted your ankle.” There was a stately man who came down the nearby stairs, a man who looked older than Lenalee but a lot like her. He wore a white lab coat with a Order crest on the front as well as a matching beret. In his hands was a blue mug with a pink rabbit.The swordsman frowned. “Her Innocence was out of control. What choice did I have?”“That’s no way to treat a lady, Kanda!” the man said. He took out his glasses and folded them open before adjusting them on his face. “Good to see you, Miss Fiore.”Mia smirked. “You too, Mister Lee.”“Please, you know Komui is just fine,” Komui said. “How long has it been? This last year has been quite eventful so time is a blur lately.” He walked up to her, carefully giving her an initial glance.Mia nodded. “If I recall, I came here about three years back. It was to help Tiedoll with the status reports as well as making sure he didn’t wander off. You know how little he likes bureaucracy.”Komui pursed his lips. “Yes, quite. I don’t suppose you have anything new regarding his whereabouts since we moved in here.”Mia shook her head. “Last I heard he was visiting Milan. I wonder what he’s doing all the way out there…”“Isn’t that your hometown?”Komui asked, ushering the group over to the nearest medical table.“Yes, that’s where I met him for the first time. It feels so long ago.” She paused as Lavi and Kanda hoisted her into the bed. Allen was already wincing at the sight of her ankle. “Come to think of it,” she asked, “I arrived at the order around the same time as Lenalee, if I’m not mistaken.”Komui breathed in slowly. “That was a decade ago, yes. I wasn’t even at the order yet.”“Well, you’re here now, and I’m glad,” Mia said. “Could you please fix my ankle?”Komui pulled out his gear. “You sure? It’s a sensitive spot.”“I don’t feel too much down there, believe me,” she said. “Worst case I’ll wince a little.”Allen raised an eyebrow. “You’re… you’re not scared of his equipment? I always found it creepy!”As Komui began his work, Mia hissed a bit and arched her back against the table, but soon settled down. “No, I’m afraid that since I used to be paralyzed from the waist down for most of my childhood, my nerves in that area have atrophied a good bit. I can still feel my legs with Lazarus attached, but I’d likely be unable to walk should my Innocence be extracted.”Kanda leaned back and stood. “I need to go,” he said.Lavi frowned. “Yuu, where are you going?”“I’m going to the dojo, don’t bug me with that name again,” he said, quickly walking off.“Well, he’s in a grumpy mood, grumpier than usual,” Komui said. “And that’s saying a lot.”“Probably from arguing with Mia’s Innocence,” Lavi said.“Your… Innocence?” the Director asked. “Tiedoll warned me about it but… it speaks?”“Always has, I thought you already knew that,” Mia replied. “Lately it’s been developing a few… features. Feature that probably made Kanda upset.”“You mean the childish personality?” Allen asked.“Childish, competitive, independent to an extent…” Mia said. “Lazarus and I only just agreed to communicate through a journal.”“And you can’t tame it?”“Well no— I’m unconscious when it takes hold. But it’s a very good fighter against Akuma, thankfully.” Mia sighed. “Please don’t take it away.”“Miss Fiore, we hold no intention of doing such a thing!” Komui sighed. “However, you should probably try and apologize—“Mia winced again. “I already tried, he told me the only one who needs to apologize is Lazarus.”“And how do you suppose we do that?” Allen asked.“Intercept it at night,” Mia said. “Before my Innocence was understood, they thought I was an extremely lucid sleepwalker.”Lavi grinned. “So just wait until you leave your room and start wandering?”“Yeah, pretty much.”Komui exhaled and smiled. “Looks like you’re done. Though I want to examine the scrapes on your arms before we visit Hevlaska,” he said.“Sure. I think Frosty here might’ve been responsible along with Kanda for that one,” she said, pointing to Allen before giving her arms to the Director.“Frosty?” Allen asked, confused.Mia curled a bit. “I-I’m sorry, if you don’t like it I can—““No, no!” Allen replied. “Just… that’s a new one. Lemme think about it for a bit, okay?”“Sure,” Mia said.Komui sighed. “Alright, these shouldn’t be anything nasty. Just be sure to get a good soak before bed.” He turned to Allen. “I made you a list of food items to get prepared in the dining room for her, since she probably is going to need her strength back. I trust you understand why it’s so long.”Lavi frowned. “And what about me?”“You’re carrying her to Hevlaska. I figured you’d like to take more notes since parasite types aren’t so common.” Komui said. “That and I’d rather not slip a disc trying to carry someone.”Lavi exhaled. “Alright, fine.” He set one arm under Mia’s legs and another behind her back. “Easy there, I’m gonna make sure you get assessed and then I’ll take you to go eat.”Mia smiled. “Thanks… Lavi.”

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Allen was struggling not to eat any of the food that had been listed. The sheer volume of the food was similar in size to his usual, though perhaps a little differently spiced and certainly more suited to a Southern European diet. As he examined the dishes, he began thinking about what kind of person she was.Many of her dishes were rich in garlic and pesto, and she had a large tiramisu cake to get through as well. She had several of her own familiar ones such as panettone and risotto. The carbonara he saw, however, was probably the most difficult to resist, as the smell of cured pork made him want to cry.He promptly left the table and approached Jeryy for a moment. “Hey, I know you’ll be happy spoiling me but is it possible to do all of that again? And maybe add my favorite food to that?”“Kid, you’re killin’ me!” Jeryy replied. “Heh, I’m only joking, you know how much I love your requests! Another order, comin’ up! Just don’t get too lonely before your little date!” He winked at Allen.The young man held his hands up. “Jeryy, it’s nothing like that! She’s new and since she eats like me I figured I’d accompany her for a bit. You know, to make her feel welcome.”“Hmm? Most people confident in their answers don’t need to explain themselves,” the cook teased.“Jeryy, she’s almost 9 years older than me!” Allen said.“Oh, looks like we got ourselves a mama’s boy!” Jeryy teased. “Don’t worry, Allen, I know you’ve got your eyes on someone else. I see it all the time.”“Thanks, Jeryy, but since we moved I haven’t really been able to consider any of that. Still, thanks for watching out for me.” Allen wasn’t sure who he was looking at according to the cook— usually he was looking at whatever was on a platter in front of him. Still, it was a bit heartwarming to have a friend like him trying to make sure he wasn’t too lonely.As he turned around and began to walk towards the food, he noticed a familiar tall and brooding figure enter from his left. “Kanda? Didn’t you say you were going to train?”The swordsman eyed him. “Yeah? Is there a problem?”Allen narrowed his eyes a bit in exasperation. “You’re usually in there for hours, why are you here?”“I want to eat. Why the fuck else would I be in here, shortstack?”“It’s Allen.” Allen frowned. “You’re in here for another reason. Is it because of Mia?”He bristled a bit and curled his lip. “Dunno what you’re talking about,” he said. “I just want my soba, I want to eat, and I want to leave.”He turned to order, and Allen stepped out of the way as he continued to speak. “Kanda, Mia said Tiedoll trained her, is that true?”Kanda silently received his meal, his eyes locked on the noodles and tea. “Yep.”“And she knew you when you were first enlisted, right?” Allen asked.There was a slight hesitation as Kanda turned around with his food, but was still locking his eyes down to the soba noodles. His hands gripped the tray a bit tighter and there was a barely visible swallow. “Yes,” he said.Allen paused before continuing. “How old was she when you met her?”“Why the hell does it matter?” he asked, getting irritated. “She was older than me and that’s all that matters,” he said.“Geez, no need to be so touchy,” Allen said.“I wouldn’t have to be touchy if you didn’t ask me stupid questions, shortstack,” he said through gritted teeth. He stomped over to a nearby table and sat down, trying to calm his nerves with food. As he snapped the chopsticks, he noticed how the joined end had split unequally.Allen followed him and stood there staring and waiting.Kanda looked up momentarily after a swallow. “What are you still staring at? Buzz off,” he said.Allen smiled. “You want to wait for her here, don’t you?”“I don’t need to wait for anyone,” Kanda said. “Quit grasping at straws, it’s pissing me off.”Allen grinned. “If you don’t need to wait, why didn’t you take the food back to your room?”“Please, Jeryy wouldn’t let me get away with that,” he said.“I’d absolutely make a one-time exception!” Jeryy chimed in.Kanda growled. “My point,” he said, “is that I want to eat in the mess hall and I don’t plan on staying much longer than that.”“So, you do plan on staying,” Allen said.Kanda slowly huffed before slurping up more noodles. His free hand wandered to his pocket, where he pulled out something made of black leather. He tossed it at Allen before speeding up his eating.The young man caught the item in his hands, where he noticed the red silk stitched inside— it was a pair of gloves. “These are Mia’s,” he said.Kanda stood up and drank the rest of his tea. He then walked his tray back to the drop off point.“Kanda? You’re done already?”“Yep, all your questions ruined my mood.” He turned and began to walk away. “I’m sure you’ll say hi to her for me regardless of if I ask.”———————Lavi carefully set Mia down as they reached Hevlaska. She recently came to reside in a new room that was just as large, just as deep, and just as dark as her last. She glowed with grace as she approached the Chief and the Junior Bookman.“I see that you’ve returned,” Hevlaska said. “How is your bond with Lazarus?”Mia carefully stepped forward. “It’s been too long, I think I need your assistance to answer that question.”Lavi kept quiet for a moment. He had remembered having his weapon assessed, but he’d only witnessed one parasite type assessment, and it was Krory’s. This was still new territory, even if it wasn’t completely brand new.Better keep my eye on this then, he thought.Hevlaska nodded. “Last time I checked was three years ago,” she said. “Are you ready, child?”“One moment.” Mia fished around in her pockets. “Oh joy,” she said softly. “I forgot…” The exorcist turned to the Chief. “Komui, sir— I’m supposed to be sedated for this.”Komui paused for a moment before snapping his fingers. He stuck his tongue out slightly in concentration as he dug deep into his labcoat pocket. “Come on, I always keep them in case Bak decides to mess around…”Lavi frowned. “Komui, what exactly are you talking about?”The scientist pulled a small tin of mints from his coat and grinned. “Here we go!” he tossed them to Mia, who caught them. “They’re slight sedatives. Fast acting, sends you into a low-activity deep sleep.”Lavi shivered. “You’re really weird, you know?”Mia popped open the tin. “How many should I be taking?” she asked.“Hmm… you’re not exactly a regular human with a parasite Innocence. You likely have a massive metabolism rate,” Komui pondered. “I’ll be honest, I’m not entirely sure myself. Each of those mints are supposed to last about five minutes.”Mia sighed. “Just my luck, I get to play guinea pig.”Lavi braced himself as she took half the tin. There was no way that would normally be safe, and yet she still stood. But her legs were shaking, and he knew she wasn’t going to last very long.Mia carefully undid her jacket, the buttons snapping and shifting against fabric as she wrestled it away. She laid it on the ground and walked toward Hevlaska’s ethereal form. She wore no shirt beneath her coat, and as she faced away from the boys, the glow from beyond framed her small shoulders and spine in a luminescent white.“Hevlaska,” she said, dropping the tin. It clattered and rested halfway between her and the boys. “I’m slipping under. It’s time.”Lavi lunged a bit as Mia fell forward, but Komui put an arm out. “Keep your eyes trained on her, Lavi,” he reminded.The young woman was caught by Hevlaska’s tendrils, cushioned momentarily as more began to raise her into the air. Her bare chest heaved slowly but clearly within the giant assessor’s grip, and though she was slack she was hardly without expression. The furrow of her eyebrows as the veins crawled along her face spoke volumes more than any one book ever could.Lavi looked at the scientist. “Dude, she just took half of your crazy weirdo pills,” Lavi said aloud. “You’re not worried about her?”“Not at all,” the scientist replied. “Because Lazarus is attached to her nerves— especially her brain and spine— it’s always at least slightly active. Sleeping only makes it more tempted to come out of hiding, so we use something to directly affect brain chemistry so both of them can’t react.”Hevlaska solemnly nodded. “Tree of Lazarus, welcome home. You’ve been quite active since we last crossed paths.”Komui grinned. “Hevlaska, how has this apostle been faring with her bond with Lazarus?”“Allow me to assess this accomodator’s Synchro Rate…”Lavi stood in awe at how frightening and yet beautiful Mia’s slumber appeared. She hung in the air, suspended by glowing locks of hair that clung to Hevlaska, and every breath she took appeared labored as she was examined. He wondered if the deep sleep meant she wasn’t even dreaming, simply trapped in a state where she fought through her own fear of never waking again.And then one of her feet twitched. Lavi pursed his lips and drew his weapon.“Lavi, what are you doing?” Komui asked.“It’s already wearing off!” Lavi said. “I saw her move.”Komui’s eyes widened. “Lavi, grab the mints and go administer them quickly!” he said. “I’m not sure how her body will hold together if her Innocence activates during an assessment!”Lavi nodded and ran forward, sliding to pick up the mints and using the mallet end of his hammer to anchor him to the ground. “Extend!” he called, invoking his Innocence’s abilities.Hevlaska carefully maneuvered Mia to be more reachable. “The process isn’t complete, I need more time or this could feasibly do—“A crack formed in her spine, where a pair of spectral wings broke out like spines hatching an egg. Lavi shivered for a moment before leaning forward and holding the mints against her open mouth, pinching her nose with his thumb and forefinger to force her to swallow. Tears streamed down her sleeping face as the Innocence within her attempted to burst out.Lavi could hear, just barely, a piercing screech.And then, the wings retracted and her back closed. She went completely slack. Lavi pulled his hand away and allowed her to gently huff as Hevlaska finished her work.Lavi’s foot slipped from the edge of his weapon and he fell towards the floor. But before the ground could greet him, an arm grasped his coat. He looked up to see another spectral arm.Lavi sighed with relief. “Thanks Hevlaska.” He fell about a foot to the floor and crumpled over, staring up at Mia.Komui walked over and offered a hand. “Good work, she could’ve blown up if we weren’t careful!”“Huh?!” Lavi said, pulling himself up. “Whaddya mean?”“Lazarus is so finely woven into her nervous system that activation might be fatal during assessment,” he said. “I saw it when Allen joined us here… or wait, was that because of the anesthetic? Regardless, trying to activate under medicinal influence is probably not great either.”Lavi nervously looked at his new acquaintance. Everything seemed like a hazard for her, even now. And she used to be paralyzed, so Innocence didn’t save her so much as replaced her old problems with new ones.Hevlaska gently brought Mia in front of Lavi and paused. “Her Synchro-rate is resting at 71%. It seems her progress has done her well, though the difference in her waking life and her sleep poses a discrepancy of approximately… 8%.”Lavi held his arms out and took hold of the sleeping exorcist. Her bare chest gently raised and lowered as she recovered, and her arms and legs would twitch as she slept.Lavi felt a blush creep across his face. It was true, this lady was in his strike zone and was pretty, but his feelings were a mixture of attractive confusion and a strange distaste while she was this vulnerable. She was asleep, after all, and had just been through an assessment that only made her look like hell.He was so caught up in this confusion, he didn’t have time to realize that Mia’s hand had reached out to touch him.“My…” her voice rang. “You wear your emotions on your sleeve, don’t you?”Lavi froze and stared at her. Her eyes were still closed but she was clearly not right. “Y-You’re already awake?” he stuttered.“Of course.”Lavi glimpsed the glowing green as her eyes opened.“Why wouldn’t I be?” Lazarus asked.Lavi couldn’t move or speak. The air around him was swirling in a strange and eerie way that made him feel both giddy and slightly nauseous. He wasn’t sure if this was just his nerves or if it was Mia’s but he carefully tilted Lazarus forward and set it down.As the Innocence-possessed human began to walk forward, Lavi touched his cheek. There was no burn, no mark, nothing at all.“Komui, sir,” Lazarus said, reaching the Chief. “Relax. I’m not your enemy.”Komui was shaking a bit— it had clearly been a while since he had seen Lazarus awake like this. “How are you?” he said, trying to collect himself.Lavi picked up the jacket on the ground and started walking towards them. As pretty as her bareness was to him, now wasn’t the time to be asking such questions or daydreaming. Not when he was learning something new.“I’m… fine…” Lazarus said, still irritated. “Just fine.”“Oi, Lazzy!” Lavi called.“Lazzy?” it replied, turning just in time to see the coat dropping towards it. “Agh!”Lavi smirked. “You need to stay warm, don’t you? For you and your accommodator?”Lazarus was frozen for a moment, but it soon smiled back and took the coat. “Thank you… um…”“Lavi. Just Lavi,” he said. “I’m a Bookman, we don’t really do last names… or really names in general.” He grinned. “Lavi will do just fine, though!”Komui slowly regained his nerves. “It’s been far too long since we last spoke. You sound different than before.”“My language has gotten more advanced since last time,” it explained as it buttoned Mia’s jacket. “Unless you mean my timbre, which is impossible.”“Is Mia sleeping well with you walking around like this?” Komui asked.“Mentally? Yes, she gets the same amount of sleep as any other human. But physically? She wakes to aches and pains she never built,” it said. “How are we supposed to function?”Komui thought for a moment. “Have you thought of letting Mia have a few days, and then negotiating a similar time for yourself?” he asked. “Certainly working out a schedule for it in that journal of yours could be ideal.”Lavi paused. “Wait, how are you… I’m a little curious, Lazzy, how are you feeling all of this? You don’t exactly have—“Lazarus frowned. “A soul? A mind of my own? Abody of my own?” it angrily replied. It tightened a fist, whichbegan to spark.Komui walked closer. “Lazarus, don’t take his words so harshly— he’s trying to learn so he can record. All part of his responsibilities,” he assured.Lazarus bit its lip and huffed. “You sure? Sounds like a nosy little pr—“Lavi chuckled nervously. “Relax, relax, I just want to understand how you work. You’re honestly one of the more fascinating Innocence that I’ve seen. And that’s saying a lot given what my colleagues are packing.”Lazarus smirked and its eyes shifted around a bit. “I could show you what I’m capable of, you know,” it said. “A good 1-on-1 fight.”Lavi frowned and scratched the back of his head. “I don’t really wanna get my face burned off, thanks,” he said.“I can do more than that, Lavi,” Lazarus replied. “Bending physics is a speciality. If your body could handle it, I could show something extra fun and dangerous…”Lavi took a step back and held his hands up. “Listen, usually I’m the forward one here but… y-you’re on another level aren’t you?”“Well I saw you looking at Mia like that, so it wouldn’t surprise me,” it replied. “But that’s not exactly what I mean.” It stepped closer.PSHEW!Komui pulled a small tube away from his mouth. “And that,” he said, “is my normal method for keeping Bak away from my sister.”Lavi noticed a dart in Lazarus’ neck. “Geez, Chief, no need to hurt them even more!”“Bastard,” Lazarus coursely said. Mia’s body went limp for a moment, and then Komui fired another shot.“Komui, what the hell?!” Lavi asked. “Stop darting her.”“That one’s adrenaline. She’ll be right as rain soon!”Lavi frowned. “Man, the cocktail of drugs you put in her are gonna make her sick…”Mia’s eyes fluttered open, the burning orange-brown glancing around as she confusedly woke. “How long was I out? Did everything go okay?”Lavi carefully plucked the darts from her, each one causing her to whimper a bit as they were extracted. “Sorry, Lazzy decided to pay us a visit suddenly. But the good news is that your assessment was successful.”Hevlaska watched them quietly, but spoke up to greet Mia. “It seems like there’s still some communication barriers between you two,” she said.“Yeah…” Mia said, eyes downturned. “But what exactly am I to do? Ever since the attack in Barcelona, Lazarus has gotten more careless and wild. I’ve woken up with gashes before.”Komui held a hand to his chin. “Barcelona was a serious hit to our forces and was a tragedy that took an emotional toll on our team here,” he said. “When the Exorcists and Finders were found dead, their comrades were beside themselves.”Mia nodded. “I got a letter from Tiedoll about…” Her eyes began to well up and her legs began to shake. “A-About Daisya…”Lavi came close and held her hand. “Easy, you look like you’re about to keel over,” he said.Komui nodded. “Was Lazarus close with Daisya, Miss Fiore?”Mia thought for a moment. “That’s something I haven’t asked. It seems like they would have gotten along well though— they both seem to despise boredom.”Komui pursed his lips. “Communicating with your journal would probably be vital for resolving this then, hm?” he asked.Lavi scratched his head. “Or I could talk to it,” he said. “I dunno, it’s kinda fascinating.”Mia raised an eyebrow. “Fascinating?”“Well yeah. Your Innocence presents itself with a personality. Maybe if I can talk to it, I could…”He trailed off. Was he betraying his responsibilities with this? He wondered if he was in any way qualified to be involved with something so personal. Though, to be fair, this wouldn’t necessarily affect the outcome of the war… right?“Lavi, are you okay?” Komui asked. “You spaced out there.”Lavi shook his head to clear his mind. “Yeah, I’m fine. Mia, I’d be happy to help if it means getting you and your Innocence to get along better.” And of course, I get to spend time learning and understanding a pretty new face, he thought.Mia gently nodded. “Thank you,” she said. “I’m… sorry but I’m starving and I can’t think straight right now.”“Oh right!” Komui said. “I sent Allen to ask the cook to prepare your favorites for you! I had an old list from when you first arrived here.”Mia grinned. “You kept that old thing? My handwriting was terrible then!”“It’s still legible,” Komui said. “Besides, Allen is gonna feel a lot less lonely eating— you two could probably spend quite the time talking over your meals.”“Yeah, if that list was anything like what I saw, you and him are gonna be Jeryy’s favorites for a while,” Lavi said.Mia buckled a little, still working off the slew of medication she’d been dosed with. “I think my legs are still weak.”Lavi pondered for a moment. “Komui, give us a lift.” He placed his arms behind her and tilted her back. “I’ll get her there.”Mia looked up at her assessor. “Hevlaska,” she asked. “Any update on the prophecy you had for my Innocence?”“Hmm…” Hevlaska thought. “You still have much of the same as you always have— ‘Though the flower in the snow has twinned, they dance together from the same root. Do not be fooled; though they are conjoined, they both bloom apart.’”“Thank you,” Mia said. Her brow furrowed. “Please rest well, Lady Hevlaska.”Lavi felt her legs quivering as the platform began to rise. “Are you alright?” he asked. “You sound worried.”“Why?” she quietly asked. “Why is Lazarus being so difficult? I don’t understand…”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Allen perked up when he heard the sound of boots clacking against the floor. His eyes locked with his fiery-haired comrade Lavi, who was holding the newcomer in his arms. The young man grinned as he caught sight of a red streak across his friend’s face.

“Hey, Lavi!” he said, trying to pretend he hadn’t noticed. “Is… is she okay?”

“Yeah, I’m fine, just exhausted,” Mia said, waving.

“From… from the assessment?” Allen asked.

“Her Innocence is passively activated,” Lavi said. “Hevlaska’s abilities could have been dangerous.” He carefully set Mia down near the table.

The young woman’s eyes lit up as she looked over the culinary display. “And it’s all still hot?” she asked.

“Yep,” Allen said. “Your assessment wasn’t too long. Though…” he paused for a moment, “you

did

miss Kanda by a hair. Seemed to wanna talk but didn’t like that I was there.”

“Pff, what else is new?” Lavi asked.

Mia sighed. “I don’t know what to do with him sometimes,” she said. “He’s never gotten along well with others.”

“Yeah, you can say that again,” Lavi said. “I can’t count how many fights Yuu and Allen have had since they’ve met. I’ve gotten bruises from trying to break them up.”

Allen shuddered. “I just wanted to enjoy my afternoon.”
Lavi shook his head. “Dude, you absolutely instigated it last time.”
Mia smirked. “Then I guess not too much has changed,” she said. “He’s still a wallflower.” She picked up her drink and held it up. “Cheers!”

Allen smiled, holding up a glass of fruit juice. “To your homecoming.”

Lavi thought for a moment before turning. “I’m gonna get some rest,” he said. “I have a lot of records to solidify, tonight included. I’ll try to get done soon enough to catch you sleepwalking, okay Mia?” He turned away. “But first… hey Jeryy!”

As Lavi went to order food to take back to his room, Mia and Allen began digging into their food. Mia was a very dainty eater. A fast one for certain, but her movements seemed almost fairylike in their delicacy. Allen, on the other end, was willing to demolish everything in front of him with an alarming ferocity.

Mia smirked. “It’s funny, you remind me of a younger Kanda.”

Allen coughed for a moment and slammed his fist into his chest. A bit of rice spluttered from his throat. “E-excuse me?!” he asked, unintentionally sounding cross in the process.

Mia put her hands up. “I didn’t mean it in a bad way or anything!” she explained. “I just mean that before he settled down he ate pretty ravenously.”

Allen raised an eyebrow. “Before he settled down?”

“Well yes,” the young woman said. “When he was a kid he went through some…

really

rough conditions. He didn’t really know how to act normal for a while, so every time Tiedoll or I would make food, he was the first to finish his plate and usually asked for seconds.” She smirked, her eyes glinting in nostalgic memory. “He was a

very

funny child.”

“What made him so feral?” Allen asked, chuckling a bit at his choice of words.

“Feral? No, this was food anxiety.” Mia thought for a moment, her eyes darting around as she surveyed her food. “He… he spent a lot of time underground— his guardians sheltered him to the point of suffocation and misery. I can’t really give many details though— it’s not my story to tell.”

Allen nodded. “I had no idea,” he said. “Is that why he’s such an asshole all the time?”

“He’s a goal-oriented person, Allen,” Mia said. “Having known him for almost nine years, I’ve watched him set a goal and follow it to the end by whatever means necessary. More a person concerned with the ends than the means. If he’d not been a part of the Order, he likely would’ve done some highly treacherous things.”

“So what you’re saying is that the Order is a leash,” Allen said. “This place is home, though, at least to me.”

“Yeah, and to an extent I agree,” Mia said, continuing her eating. “But war is war, and there are always sacrifices in every fight. Me for example: if it weren’t for my Innocence I couldn’t walk. But it also binds me to the service of the Order. I’m sure you felt similar during your training.”

Allen scratched his head. “I suppose you do have a point,” he said. “Although, the friends I’ve met here have become much of my reason to fight. It can’t be all gloom!”

Mia sipped her drink. “Oh no, I

absolutely

agree with that one. I wouldn’t trade my friends for the world. Noise and Tiedoll especially.”

“You’re lucky your Master wasn’t so cruel,” Allen said. “It always seemed like Cross made me do things for sadistic reasons.”

“Eh, Tiedoll isn’t afraid to step back during a fight either,” Mia said. “He’s taken breaks from battle specifically so he could sketch our fights. Was very much a fan of trial and error.”

“Isn’t that risky?” he asked. “You aren’t all capable of repelling the virus.”

“That’s correct, but Tiedoll never pushed us beyond what we could bear,” she said. She pulled the plate of tiramisu over and dug in. “He’d rescue us if things got too much.”

Allen smirked. “Big eater

and

a big talker,” he said. “Two things you didn’t give a first impression of.”

“Looks are often deceiving, I guess,” Mia said. “Though once I know I’m safe my guard drops.”

“Bet yer glad you’re home,” Allen replied.

“Yeah, with everything that’s been happening with the North American Branch, I can’t feel happy knowing that I was so far away from where I began.” Mia looked at her food and paused. “I’m glad I’m out of there, the sort of things they’re doing to revolutionize the war are frightening.”

Allen tilted his head. “What do you mean?”

Mia frowned and froze up. “S-sorry, I…” she looked around. “I wasn’t supposed to talk about it. Some of the apostles there have suffered burns because of me.”

Allen thought for a moment. “You… do you struggle to control it?”

“Sometimes,” she replied. “Usually it isn’t a problem, but like I told Komui before I got here— ever since Barcelona, Lazarus had been acting out.”

Allen sighed. “You haven’t even touched the carbonara. I can’t tell if you stop eating when you’re sad or if you’re sad because you stopped eating.”

Mia took a breath in through her nose. “You’re right,” she exhaled. “I just got here and I’m already stressed out. I mean, your cute friend volunteered to speak with Lazarus tonight. I’m just hoping things go over alright— bad things have happened when people get on its nerves.”

“You mean your nerves?” Allen joked.

Mia smirked. “Fair play, Frosty.”

“There’s that name again,” Allen said. “You sure like nicknaming everyone.”

“Yes, it helps me remember faces better. Names are easy, but faces are more tricky.”

“Surprised you didn’t use my scar as a reference point,” he said. “It’s a pretty unique feature.”

“Well I could but… nicknames based on injuries seem cruel, don’t you think?” she asked. “That does have me curious, though— how

did

you get that?”

Allen looked to the side for a moment. “It’s a curse,” he said.

“Like… figuratively or?”

“No, when I turned my father into an Akuma he cursed me. I can see Akuma souls with it, the ones who were traded away to the Earl,” he said. “My eye gets irritated sometimes though, hurts like hell.”

“You have a unique advantage on the battlefield,” she said. “No wonder Komui talks you up.”

“Yeah, well, I guess it can be useful. It made it easy to determine that Lazarus wasn’t inherently hostile towards the Order.” He stirred his drink as he pulled his carbonara forward to eat. “Can’t imagine what Kanda would’ve done if you’d been a threat. I mean, he nearly cut me open when I joined.”

“The Gatekeeper always had troubles with reading if there’s interference,” Mia said. “Wouldn’t be surprised— the Gatekeeper never seemed particularly serious.”

Allen huffed. “You’re telling me, I could’ve died!”

Mia pushed her last plate away. “Wow, I usually take longer to eat… guess I’m really hungry. Or tired.” She paused. “Probably both.”

Allen smirked. “Well, I don’t want to ask if you’re full already, but… since I shared in your favorites, mind if I share one of mine?”

Carefully, he slid a plate between the two of them. “Mitarashi dango, made from scratch by our beloved cook.”

Mia smiled. “Never had this before,” she said, gently taking one of the skewers. “Is it healthy?”

“It’s glutinous, but it also has tofu. I’d say it’s probably pretty healthy,” Allen said. “Not that it goes anywhere, considering my arm.”

“Fair. Carbs have become my biggest fuel source, right up there with protein.” She took one of the dumplings off the skewer with her teeth. “Oh. Oh wow,” she said.

“I know it has some savory to it as well,” Allen added. “But it’s a really good snack.”

Mia nodded. “I can see why it’s your favorite. Fits you very well, personality wise.”

Allen chuckled. “Thanks, but… lately there’s been a lot of questioning myself in terms of who I am. Just…” he trailed off for a moment as he stared into his fruit juice.

“Um,” Mia asked, “Allen?” She waited a few more moments before waving a hand in his face. “Are you okay?”

“Whuh?” Allen asked, as if snapping from a dream. “Sorry, I… can I change the subject?”

“Sure,” Mia said. “You seemed very stressed there, it’s worth the change.”

“Thanks.” Allen twiddled his thumbs for a moment and then spoke up again. “Lavi said he was going to talk to Lazarus? Is Lazarus… sentient then?”

Mia tilted her head back and forth. “I’m honestly not always sure myself. Would it have desires and wants and fears without my brain? Would it want to travel even without me? Some days it’s hard to tell where I end and Lazarus begins because of how intimately close we are.”

“Do… do

you

think it’s alive like us? Like humans?”

“Logically, I’m meant to say no,” Mia said. “It’s Innocence, a weapon gifted to mankind by God to take down Akuma. Whoever heard of such a thing as an Innocence with feelings?” She shifted a bit on the bench.

Allen smirked. “There’s more to it than that, isn’t there?”

Mia nodded slowly. “In all honesty, with the way Tiedoll has always been a patient teacher— including when Lazarus walks at night— I can’t help but believe the answer is yes. Master goes so far as to have late night chats with it just to keep it company.”

“Tiedoll acts like a father to all of his pupils, right?” Allen asked.

“Yeah. Noise and I were his older ones, then Kanda, then Daisya. Now he has Chaozii to train,” she said. “I suppose you find a lot of accommodators when you just wander.”

“Heh, if only my Master took that advice,” Allen groaned. “Most who are assigned to his unit are put there without any input. At least that’s how I assume it’s done. He doesn’t exactly like reporting to the Order.”

Mia grinned. “Sounds like a charming guy,” she teased. “Granted, neither does Tiedoll, but at least he’s been laser focused on finding new apostles.”

“I wouldn’t say it was an

entire

loss with me,” Allen said. “After all, he trained me while he was tracking down the Akuma Egg.”

Mia paused and looked down, visibly swallowing. “Right, you and him found that…

thing.

” She finished her dango. “Hey, I hate to cut things short but… can you help me get to my room?”

Allen paused, then smiled. “Yeah. Just show me where.”

Lavi scratched his ink carefully into the parchment. Slight divets in the pulp gathered the black pigment like an aqueduct as his letters swirled in a language only truly understood by his clan. His work was always difficult, but today, it was even more so.

He stared up at the clock. 5:15. The sun was already up and he still hadn’t gotten a nap in.

Dammit,

he thought.

Oh well, at least I got 5 hours before she arrived.

He leaned forward, continuing his writing.

What a fascinating Innocence,

he thought.

Then again, aren’t they all? Each is unique, perhaps unique to their accommodator, perhaps just on their own.

Lavi felt a blush across his cheeks.

And what a beauty, that girl. Absolutely Strike Zone material…

He stiffened and pursed his lips, writing more frantically. What the hell am I thinking? She’s an Exorcist, and I’m a Bookman. I can’t be having such attachments, everyone knows that. He exhaled. I should know better.
The light clink of boots came down the hall, a rhythmic beat of hard rubber against cold stone. Never faltering, never changing, the same beat over and over without fail. With it, a gentle breath. A familiar airy breath that Lavi heard only a little while ago.

“Mia,” he breathed.

He stood up after finishing a sentence and haphazardly set his pen down, a splatter of ink lazily dotting the page like a tiny feather. He hurriedly walked to the door and momentarily looked back at Bookman, who was fast asleep as usual.

“Dammit, Panda,” he said under his breath. “Why do I have a bad feeling about this?”

He quickly opened the door and looked around the open atrium. Down a ways, her back turned to him, was the Exorcist. He nodded to himself and followed, jogging to catch up.

Mia paused. “Who’s there?” she asked, turning around.

Lavi stopped in his tracks as he caught sight of the glowing eyes. “H-hi, Lazzy,” he stumbled.

It tried to hold in a chuckle. “Stalking already? I thought you were gonna go slow,” it said. “What’re you doing, creeping behind my back?”

Lavi’s face began to flush red. “Stalking?!” he asked, indignant that it would judge such a poor intention. “I told Mia that I would talk with you.”

Lazarus pouted. “About what?” it asked, its tone clearly wary.

“Well,” Lavi said, “about why you’ve been acting up. Mia and Komui are concer—-“

“Acting up?” it said, its voice getting more harsh. “Whaddya mean, ‘acting up?’” It stepped forward. “Mia sent you to ask? You sure it wasn’t

Kanda

?”

Lavi paused.

The heck does Kanda have to do with this? Mia hasn't seen him in over a year,

he thought.

Sure, they both knew Daisya but… hmmm…

“Why do you think it would be Kanda?” he asked. “Is it because he was close to Daisya, too?”

Lazarus began walking towards the apprentice. “Don’t talk like you understand,” it hissed. “I was headed to Kanda’s to give him a piece of my mind.”

“You mean

Mia’s

mind?” Lavi joked. He chuckled and held his hands up as the other Exorcist reached him. “I’m just kidd—“

It lunged, grabbing the arm closest to Lavi’s weapon. “It’s not funny!” it yelled, twisting his wrist tight to immobilize his hand. “I’m real, too!”

Lavi’s eyes widened as it grabbed around his throat and slammed him against the nearby wall. The mortar behind him cracked and the bricked crumbled inward a bit at the force of its blow. “Laz…” he wheezed.

“

I’m a person, too! Don’t you understand that?”

it shouted. There were tears forming in its eyes.

Lavi kicked Lazarus backwards, allowing him to breathe again. “What the hell?!” he said. “What’s your deal? I just want to understand why you’re so bent out of shape!”

“I’m… I’m fine!”

“You clearly aren’t!” Lavi replied. “Look, you got mad at me when I started talking about Kanda. You said you were gonna give him a ‘piece of your mind’. Is there something troubling going on between you two?”

Lazarus frowned. “No,” it replied through gritted teeth. “But you’re not supposed to actually

care

, right?”

Lavi looked down and held his sore hand. “Yeah, you’re right,” he breathed. “I’m not supposed to care.”

Lazarus turned and began walking away, back down the route it was going before. Mia’s legs began to speed up as Lazarus pushed her forward. But before it could go too far, a hand touched its shoulder.

“And yet, for some reason,” Lavi said, his voice sounding from right behind it. “I

do

care.”

Lazarus turned and stared at him, a look of indignance shrouding its inner surprise with him.

“Maybe it’s because both of you are so prett—“ Lavi couldn’t finish his sentence, as Lazarus took its other hand and smacked him across the face.

A dizzy feeling began to overtake his eyes, a tingle shooting from his cheek down to his toes as though every atom were a card getting turned over. He panicked at the shudder his muscles felt and he could barely keep focus as he drew his hammer.

“I’m not a prize to be won, you hear me?” it said. “It’s bad enough that Mia’s a pretty girl, but to get objectified?”

Lavi lazily breathed out his words as he wound up. “Big… hammer, little…”

Lazarus looked at him, realizing too late what had happened. “Oh… oh no, no no no, not again!”

Lavi felt everything shift around him, as though the walls were made of grey taffy being pulled away from him, and his arm grew heavier. Or rather, his

hammer

grew heavier.

That shouldn’t… be happening,

he thought.

I can barely think.

As he lost balance and hit the floor, a series of blurry yellow lights glistened in the distance. Lazarus could be heard, albeit louder and more resounding, shouting at someone further away.

“Wait,” it said. “Wait, don’t do this! Lavi is—“

“

BIND!”

As Lavi’s vision stopped blurring, he looked up to see Mia, lying unconscious and covered in some sort of spell tags. The floor seemed to stretch a great deal between him and her. Something was wrong, very wrong.

“Link?” a familiar voice called. “What’s wrong?”

Lavi looked up to realize the inspector was standing right behind the young woman. He quickly unbound her and tucked the tags back into his sleeve. Lavi wondered what those were, as he swore he saw them while Cross was being escorted back to his room after an escape attempt back at old Headquarters. The literal calling card of a CROW agent.

From around a nearby corner, Allen appeared. “Link, what happened?”

“I found her out here, Walker,” he said. “I swore I heard Lavi here too, but…” Link paused. “Allen, you didn’t see him on your way over did you?”

Lavi panicked as Allen approached, as he realized that the distance wasn’t a coincidence. Allen towered over him more than 20 times over. He held his chest as it hit him all at once.

Whatever Lazarus did to him, he’d been shrunk.

No matter,

he thought.

I can just stretch my weapon places to…

As his hand brushed his holster, the metal he was used to feeling was absent.

“Hm?” Allen said, reaching down a short distance away and plucking up Lavi’s weapon. “Link, it's Lavi’s Anti-Akuma Weapon.”

Link bent down and picked up Mia. Carefully pulling her over his shoulder, his eyes locked with Allen’s. “What? But doesn’t he always have that on him?”

“Yeah… and he isn’t the type to just abandon it like this…”

Lavi panicked even further. Without his weapon, he’d have to walk everywhere. “Allen!”

“Huh?” the teen said. “Lavi?”

Lavi frowned. “Allen, down here!”

Allen’s eyes widened as he turned towards a nearby balcony. “Lavi, I’m coming to give you your hammer, hang on!”

“No, wait, All— oomf!” Lavi wailed as the gust from Allen’s far-too-close steps caused him to fall backwards. He pulled himself back up and dusted himself off. “Great, this couldn’t get any worse,” he said.

Link was still pulling Mia over her shoulder when a pair of boots came down the hall.

“Chief Komui? Weren’t you asleep a bit ago?” Link asked.

“Got a second wind when I heard the altercation down the hall. Though I could use more coffee— I’m already running low…”

“Do you ever drink anything else?” Link said.

“No, nothing satisfies my thirst quite like my morning coffee in a pretty blue mug,” he said. “Or is it my addiction that’s satisfied? Hm…”

Link frowned. “Well, I found this one out here. Had to bind her to make the rampage stop,” he said. “Additionally, Allen found Lavi’s hammer but… no sign of Lavi.”

Komui frowned. “He’s not the type to desert his duties, either,” he said. “Where on Earth could he be?”

Lavi, who’d taken the opportunity to climb onto the ankle of Komui’s pants, felt like he could mentally kick himself.

This is the kind of shit Kanda warned me for,

he thought.

This is why Komui asked for distance fighters.

Komui turned and began to walk, forcing Lavi to bite his lip to avoid speaking. He knew what kind of scientific sadism Komui was capable of, and if he made his presence known… Lavi shuddered at the thought of what he’d do to him.

Link walked ahead of Komui, who followed beside him. “You look like you already know what’s happened,” he said.

“Not quite,” Komui replied. “But I have my theories. Let’s take Mia to my office. I have a spare cot she can rest on until she can talk to us.”

Link nodded, and picked up his pace. “I need to get back to Walker soon, otherwise Lvellie will be displeased.”

Komui rolled his eyes. “Understood,” he said.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Kanda groggily woke up. He almost never slept in, almost never felt it was a good idea— time asleep was always time wasted.

Almost

always.

But last night, he couldn’t help it. His mind had been racing since Mia had come back and the rage at Lazarus’ audacity must’ve made him tired. The memories of the young woman showing up in his life was something that drove him nuts.

She looks so similar, but so much different,

he thought.

She isn’t the one, there’s no way she could be with how old she was when we met, but… God, this is fucking with my head!

He looked at the clock above his door.

5:30… dammit…

He threw his covers open and quickly got up, pausing for only a moment as the head rush sent his world tilting for a few seconds. After his vision returned to normal he threw on his pants and sleeveless shirt and pulled his hair back with the red ribbon on the table in the corner. He pulled a cardigan out of his chest of drawers and lazily threw it over his shoulders.

Pausing for a moment, he stared at his hourglass, where the lotus it held was slowly losing petals. “It feels so distant…” he murmured. “How long was I asleep? 20 years? 30? Was it the full 90 years?”

He held a hand to his forehead. “Mustn’t forget.”

He took Mugen from its rack above his bed and scoffed. “I’m getting worked up over a girl, I’m beyond ridiculous this morning. Should have never slept in.”

He pulled open his door and quickly locked it behind him before heading down for breakfast. Today was more frigid than usual— the winter was probably hitting soon. But even then, Headquarters was now closer to London than ever— not exactly the snowiest weather in this country.

As he walked, he wondered why Lazarus had been so hostile, especially to him. Granted, he and it had

never

been on good terms, but usually the latter would hide its feelings through gritted teeth or a fake smile.

I still don’t understand why it’s so adamant in remaining active, it drains Mia’s energy and makes her duty as an Exorcist more difficult,

he thought.

Surely an Innocence of all things would understand that duty.

He scowled and tightened his fist.

And where exactly does it get off thinking it’s allowed to just do as it pleases because it has access to her nerves?

he thought.

It’s an Innocence for God’s sake!

“Kanda!” a chipper voice called. “I can hear you stomping out there!”

Komui was already up and clearly had drunk his coffee recently. Kanda paused as he heard his voice, but soon began to walk forward again.

He felt his shoulders snagging on his cardigan as he was pulled backwards. “Hey, what are you—“

“A word, Kanda,” came the Inspector’s voice.

“Let go of me, vulture,” he said. “Aren’t you supposed to be watching that beansprout?”

“This involves you,” Link said, dragging him into Komui’s office. “I’ll get back to the mess hall when I am done explaining the situation.”

Kanda struggled until he broke from Link’s grasp, falling to the floor on his back. As he stood, he indignantly began to shout towards the Branch Chief. “Situation? What, did he get himself in…to…”

Across the room, only a short ways from Komui’s desk, was Mia. She was unharmed, but completely unconscious. Kanda felt a swirl in his stomach.

“What is she doing here?” he asked, swallowing his spit and inhaling.

“She was found in the corridor near the rooms a little bit ago,” Komui said. “We figured that you’d know more about why she was sleepwalking.”

“Dunno,” Kanda said. “She tends to do that.”

“Kanda, don’t play dumb with us,” Link said. “We heard an altercation between her and Lavi.”

Kanda shrugged. “So? Mia fights with people all the time when she’s cranky.”

“Her? Or Lazarus?” Komui asked.

“No difference,” Kanda said plainly. He turned and began to walk towards the door, waving one of his hands nonchalantly. “You don’t need to bother with me, just wait for her to wake and—“

“Lavi is missing,” Link replied.

Kanda stopped dead in his tracks.

Oh no,

he thought.

She… it didn’t…

“We found his weapon lying on the floor,” Komui said. “You were closest with Lazarus, did something happen to Lavi?”

Kanda swallowed harder than before.

Fuck, it did.

“Probably,” he said. “Did you search the building yet? Maybe his holster was loose.”

“Kanda, you may not be chummy with him, but he’s part of our ranks. If there’s anything that happens to him…”

Kanda heard paper shuffling along the slightly littered floor nearby and jumped a bit. “Komui, do you have

rats

in here?” he asked, slightly disgusted.

“Beats me,” Komui said with a shrug. “Considering that I’ve spilled a couple snacks in here, I wouldn’t be surprised…”

Kanda narrowed his eyes and slowly walked towards the paper he saw motion from. He squatted down and hovered his hand over the sheet and pursed his lips. If his suspicions were correct, he would be having a stern discussion a lot sooner than he’d like.

Hell, I might need to sleep again if I’m this pissed.

“Kanda, what are you doing?” Komui asked, tilting his head.

Kanda bristled and turned his head up to the Chief. “Checking for rats.”

“Kanda, are… are you okay?” Link asked. “The moment we told you Lavi is missing, you got tense.”

Kanda frowned. “What does that have to do with anything? Lavi is a soldier like the rest of us, right? Anyone we don’t have is a safety risk.” He went back to the paper and picked it up.

Nothing.

Kanda sighed in relief.

Maybe my mind is playing tricks on me,

he thought.

But he’s gotta be somewhere nearby. Wait… why am I caring?

He stood up. “Is Marie here?” he asked.

“No, but he’s coming back this evening,” Komui said.

“Then you’ll find him this evening,” Kanda said. “Where is that stupid rabbit’s weapon?”

“Geez, Kanda, no need to—“

“Where is it?” he asked again, more firm this time.

Link cleared his throat. “Walker has it. I’m on my way there, I could accompany—“

“No.” Kanda stood up and began to walk out of the room. “Komui, make sure Mia knows Lazarus pulled off another compression.”

“Compression?” Komui asked. “Kanda, wait, what do you mean?! Come back here!”

Kanda booked it towards the mess hall, not intent on sticking around. The sooner he located Lavi the less people had to be involved in this embarrassing mess.

Dammit, Mia. Why does your Innocence act this way?

he thought.

Why haven’t you figured out how to fix it on your own?

His thoughts continued to reel as he ran, doing his best to outrun the Inspector that was surely trailing him.

Lavi panicked as Kanda ran down the halls. The Junior was clinging desperately to his clothes and trying to climb, hoping to slip into a pocket or reach the far-off ledge of his shoulder.

Maybe then he’d actually hear me,

he thought.

The way he watched Kanda’s face go pale was the clearest sign to Lavi that he

knew

what Lazarus had done. He’d almost caught him beneath the paper, thwarted only by Komui’s distracting questions. He’d managed to creep away from Link, which he’d only decided after Kanda began to act strange. Everything was starting to add up.

What was that about “compression” though? He pondered for a minute, thinking about Mia’s Innocence and how it worked. “Kanda said she messed with molecules,” he thought aloud. “Maybe when I shrunk, she pressed everything tighter together?”

He gripped the fabric of Kanda’s trousers with one hand and wiggled the fingers of the other. “I don’t

feel

compressed,” he said. “Then again, what exactly is that supposed to feel like? Am I supposed to be stiffer? More dense?”

As Kanda descended the stairs, he began to jostle more. He carefully reached up each time his body bounced up and grabbed more fabric, climbing up further as he went. Nevermind the fact that he felt sicker than ever with all the motions he was being subjected to— Lavi had to climb fast to hopefully get the pretty boy’s attention.

Doesn’t help that my arms are real tired,

he thought.

I don’t wanna think about what a fall from this height would do to me…

As Kanda reached the bottom of the stairs and his surroundings settled down, Lavi kept hoping that perhaps someone would speak to him just to slow him down a bit.

“Kanda?” a higher voice called.

As if on cue, Lenalee came up to Kanda from his front, causing him to stop. For a moment, the swordsman tried to sidestep around her, but she blocked his way. Lavi held on for dear life as he swayed back and forth.

“What do you want?” Kanda grumbled. “Can’t you see I’m going to get breakfast?”

“Morning Kanda!” Lenalee said. “I didn’t see you in the dojo. Did you get better sleep today?”

“No,” Kanda said. “Move.”

Lavi climbed a bit higher, watching as Lenalee continued to speak with him. She looked so much different from this angle— Lavi could see the details in her skirt, the fidgeting of her fingers as she held a tray of mugs, and how almost every strand of hair wavered. It was odd how much harder her beauty struck from this view.

Lavi shook his head, reminding himself that even though she was

very

pretty, he needed to reach higher ground. He brought up a hand to grab another fistful of cloth…

…only for Kanda’s hand to come in for a scratch. He panicked and leapt sideways, not sure if he’d regain his grip as he tried to move away.

Kanda could probably crush me with how small I am now,

he thought.

Gotta be more careful.

Lavi had reached his waist at this point, and he now had two options— continue up Kanda’s back, or risk it and jump to his ponytail. As Lavi made the best of the slight divet where Kanda’s trousers met his top, he weighed his options.

Continuing up Kanda’s shirt was risky as the fabric was more slick and less likely to hold him well. In addition, the fall from this high up was even more likely to kill him if he wasn’t careful. He also had to worry about Kanda trying to smack him should he think that the Junior was a bug.

But his ponytail wasn’t ideal either. Not only was it long, but it swayed more than the rest of him. He’d be swinging hard enough to be flung against a wall should his grip fail him, not to mention he could get himself tangled easily.

However, while climbing up his shirt provided stability, Kanda’s ponytail provided safety from swatting hands. It was certainly a risk, but if Lavi’s training in his youth allowed for strength training, hair was just as simple as rope-climbing, right?

“I wish you wouldn’t worry me so much, Kanda,” Lenalee said. “But is that really true, that he’s missing?”

“Idiot couldn’t have gone far.”

“Yowch,” Lavi said to himself. “Didn’t think I was that much of a bugbear.”

Maybe getting his attention isn’t the best idea,

he thought.

Then again, he knows Mia and Lazzy best.

“Hey, Lavi’s our friend, you know it’s just as bad to talk mean about someone behind their back, right?” the young lady replied.

“As if it matters. If he got himself into an altercation with Mia, names are gonna be the least of his problems,” he said. “You should go check with her, she’s up with your brother in his office.”

Lavi sighed.

Well, he’s not wrong, I’d definitely rather be called names than this…

As Kanda began to move again, Lavi’s ankle twisted a bit against the seam of his comrade’s pants. He bit his tongue to avoid shouting and pulled it free before realizing it was now or never about making a decision.

After a moment of thought he breathed in and pushed his legs off of Kanda’s back, launching himself directly into the thick strands of hair that hung from the swordsman’s head. And almost immediately, Lavi got a reaction.

Kanda turned around, flinging his hair around a bit as he spun to hopefully see who had touched his back. After he registered little more than dead air, he shuddered before agitatedly punching a nearby wall. “I’m getting jumpy over nothing…” he grumbled.

Lavi almost wanted to laugh. This was by far the most embarrassed he’d seen Kanda thus far, and that included the two years he’d been at the Order prior. He filed this in the back of his brain for later purposes as ‘more spook-prone when hungry’.

Lavi began the arduous climb up Kanda’s ponytail, which despite being more wobbly was ultimately the easier climb. Should he get tired, the Junior could easily tangle himself temporarily to regain strength. Though with this revelation, he almost felt a second wind.

Almost.

He ground his progress to a halt when Kanda rounded the corner into the mess hall and began walking towards Allen, who was engaged in conversation with both Krory and Link.

How the hell did that bastard get here before— right, Lenalee distracted him…

he thought.

There are

way

too many people in here, I should hide.

Lavi began tangling himself into Kanda’s hair, doing his best to hide as much of himself as possible. He was lucky to be close to his shoulders— the wide wall Kanda served as helped to obscure him further and kept whoever he spoke to from suspecting anything.

“Beansprout,” Kanda said.

“Hm?” Allen asked, looking up from his massive breakfast. “Oh, hey Kanda! Surprised you’re coming up to—“

“No time, where’s Lavi’s hammer?”

Link frowned. “Kanda, you can’t just ask that all of a sudden!”

Krory frowned. “What is happening right now?”

“It doesn’t matter, I need it,” Kanda said.

As he leaned forward towards the boy, Lavi bounced against his back. He fought the urge to yell and instead used that moment to make progress, shuffling up the center of his ponytail while remaining obscured.

“Hold on,” Allen said. “What do you need it for? I want to find Lavi and return it to him.”

Lavi wanted it back too, and he wanted it bad. Movement was so much harder like this and he missed the high-flying life.

“Tch, as if

you’ll

find him. You don’t even know what’s happened to him,” Kanda scoffed.

“And you do?” Link asked. “Are you going to elaborate on that?”

Kanda stiffened and scowled at the Inspector. “Dunno, Inspector. Depends on how badly you want your nose broken.”

“Kanda, Komui needs to know what you meant by ‘compression’,” Link said.

“Compression?” Allen asked. “You mean like, something being squashed together?”

Lavi held a hand to his face.

Well, he isn’t too far off…

he thought.

Link shook his head. “Allen, this isn’t helping our case. Whatever happened to Lavi, Lazarus was involved. And now Kanda is being uncooperative.”

“Uncooperative?” Kanda asked.

“Uncooperative?!

No, I just think you shouldn’t get involved in the mess that Mia’s Innocence causes.”

Allen raised an eyebrow. “You’re really gonna keep being a grump about Lazarus?” he said. “It just wants to play.”

“It doesn’t ’just want to play’, it’s petty and vindictive and will be an absolute nightmare if you let it,” he said. “And despite her best efforts Mia

still

can’t work out that little bug.”

Allen stood up from the table. “She’s been grieving, Kanda. It’s been a few months since Barcelona and she said Lazarus—“

“I didn’t ask for your input,” Kanda growled, getting closer to Allen’s face.

“I didn’t ask for your permission!” Allen replied, matching Kanda’s motion.

“You lookin’ to start shit, beansprout?” the swordsman asked.

“It’s Allen, you dumbass,” the young man replied. “And maybe I am!”

Lavi frowned. He needed to do something and fast. Since Kanda was leaning forward again, he planted his legs against Kanda’s back and pulled hard and fast on some of the strands of his hair.

“Ow, hey!” Kanda groaned, grabbing the top of his ponytail. “Who the hell just—“

Link frowned. “Kanda, are… are you okay?”

“Who the fuck pulled my hair?” he shouted.

“Nobody did,” Krory quietly said. “Did you… did you get enough sleep last night, Kanda?”

Lavi snickered and pulled again.

“There, there it is!” Kanda said.

Allen cackled. “Kanda’s finally snapped!”

Kanda scowled before breathing in. “Forget it, I’m going to eat. If you wanna find out anything, go ask Mia yourself.”

Kanda turned around and walked towards the kitchen to get his morning meal, causing Lavi to swing a bit within the pretty boy’s hair. It wasn’t as bad as further down, but he still worried that he was going to get himself caught by a wandering hand.

“Jeryy,” Kanda said.

“Soba?” the chef replied.

“Yeah. Soup. Tea eggs. Macha,” Kanda said. “…please,” he added.

“Alrighty, one bruised ego special, comin’ up!” Jeryy replied.

Lavi’s nerves tensed as Kanda stood against the wall, supporting himself with one foot. There wasn’t too much space for his hair to move, but just enough for Lavi to finish climbing up to the top of Kanda’s head using the wall as a support for his legs.

As he pulled himself over the ribbon at the top, he surveyed his surroundings. Finders and Exorcists both were having their fair share of food this morning, with Allen noticeably taking up a mountain of plates. Krory was sipping his tomato juice and had sat down next to Miranda, who was taking her time to sew a button back into her uniform.

He looked at the top of Kanda’s head and eyed it for a moment before snapping his fingers. “5 centimeters,” he said. “That’s how small I— whOA!” As he shouted, he fell down and face planted into his soap-scented hair.

Kanda lurched forward as his name was called. Lavi watched as he took his food and, after a moment of pause, quickly and slightly bowed his head and silently went to sit down. Lavi gripped the strands of hair on top of Kanda’s head and stayed down for a little longer as Kanda picked a quiet corner.

Kanda sighed and sat down before lifting his hands up and bringing them towards the Junior Bookman.

Lavi’s stomach lurched as he realized just how small he was compared to the man’s hands. He began to contemplate retreating, not knowing if the samurai was willing to be gentle with him if he found out he pulled his hair.

“You’re not clever, you know that, right?” Kanda muttered, hands slowly and carefully unwrapping the ribbon. “You pulled it, only you’d be stupid enough to piss me off like that…”

Oh God, he knows,

Lavi thought, and yet he smirked.

He’s close, but he can’t exactly feel that I’m already up here, can he?

Kanda began rifling through his hair with his fingers. “Damn, okay then… coulda sworn…”

Lavi’s duper’s delight was short lived as Kanda abruptly tilted his head forward to put his hair back up, causing him to tumble off the edge of his head…

…and directly into his soup with a yelp and a wet plunk.

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Mia stirred to the sound of papers shuffling. It was a slow wake, one where if she opened her eyes she’d likely see figures in corners. She knew better than to fight her paralysis, and she was happy to wake up somewhere indoors at the very least.She listened to the world outside. A familiar voice, a lilting and doting voice, was busy discussing an important matter with a young lady, who seemed to be very concerned about… something. Both voices were muffled, and listening to them was like swimming to the surface of a lake of honey.“…so that’s the details of what I know thus far,” Komui’s voice finally said. “Kanda left in a rush, saying something about Lazarus performing a compression.”Mia’s heart almost skipped a beat, and the pain of it sent her bolting upright as her eyes snapped open. “Oh God,” she shouted.Komui and Lenalee looked at her. “Well, good morning,” the Chief said. “You look tired.”“Who did Lazarus compress?” Mia said, trying to pull herself off the cot. As soon as she stood, her legs gave out and she tumbled onto the floor, only barely having enough time to break her fall with her arms. “Ow…”
Lenalee rushed over and pulled her up as Komui came closer. “Hey, take it easy— you just woke up. Lazarus was walking around again,” she told her. “You’re probably still numb from overclocking.”Mia tried to push her legs off the floor. “I need… to start searching…” She buckled again.Komui came to her side and pulled her up, sitting her in the cot and examining her. “Mia, you just woke up, your blood sugar is probably low, and your Innocence likely sapped energy,” he said. “You know better than to push your luck.”“I can’t just…” Mia said before taking a deep breath in. “Okay. What happened?”“We aren’t sure,” Komui replied. “We were hoping you could shed light on that.”Mia frowned. “Please tell me what you know first. I need to know how serious this is.”Lenalee nodded. “Here,” she said as she handed the young woman a coffee. “Drink, it’ll wake you a bit more.”“Thank you,” Mia replied, taking a sip. “What did you witness?”Komui pursed his lips. “Well, I didn’t see anything, but Inspector Link and Allen found you alone in the hallway with Lavi’s weapon nearby,” he said. “Link had to restrain Lazarus, but the arcane arts he used must’ve knocked Lazarus out immediately.”Mia set her cup down in her lap but still held it firm. “Alright, I think that’s a simple picture,” she said. “I just hope Lazarus didn’t overdo it this time. Its compression ability has been this way for years.”“So you heard about that?” Komui asked.“I have a variety of sleep disorders, including sleep paralysis, so yes. I heard you.” Mia took another sip and sighed. “You said Lavi was compressed?”“Well, nobody said that— Kanda only told us that you pulled one off,” he said. “Wait, so you know what happened to Lavi?”“Why wouldn’t I? I mean, when Lazarus and Master Tiedoll had their sparring sessions, occasionally he’d ask it for a demonstration,” Mia said. “Kanda would’ve known what happened as well— he’s witnessed the results before.”“And what exactly do the results entail? If Tiedoll is still with us, then we can at least cross death off the list of possibilities, right?” Komui asked.
Mia shook her head.Lenalee held a hand to her mouth. “So Lazarus… k…killed…”Mia noticed her comrade beginning to shake. “No, no no no, not that. Don’t jump to conclusions just yet.”Komui came over and held her close. “Mia, please explain. What does compression mean.”“Well, when it’s Akuma, due to the nature of my Innocence’s interaction it leads to an inward collapse or implosion followed by an outward explosion. This destroys them, naturally. But when it happens to humans…” Mia swallowed hard. “Humans affected by compression are left at a fraction of their height until it’s undone.”Komui nodded. “And your Innocence being connected so strongly to your nerves always has a passive activation.”Lenalee’s eyes remained wide, but were no longer teary. “So… Lavi is—““ Shrunk ?!” Komui asked. “Am I understanding that correctly?” His eyes began to shift around the floor.
“Yeah,” Mia said.
“Well, can’t you just undo it? You’re its accommodator, right?” Lenalee asked.“Well, even if we find Lavi, decompressing him presents a problem,” Mia said. She carefully stood up and walked around the desk towards Komui’s desk chair.
The Chief turned and watched. “What sort of problem?”Mia breathed in and out as she firmly gripped the edge of the chair’s back. “Innocence, activate,” she whispered, lifting the chair slightly.It only lasted a fraction of a second, but as she lifted, it seemed almost as if the entirety of the chair were swallowed up into her hand. She outstretched her arm to Komui and opened her hand, showing him the same chair, now successfully compressed.“Chairs are not people,” Mia explained. “They’re simple and easy to understand.”“Lazarus is attuned to your body,” Komui extrapolated, “so it already knows how to compress people because it understands human anatomy.”“So the only one who can fix this is Lazarus,” Lenalee said. “What exactly do we do?”Komui grinned. “We could always knock her out again, maybe interrogation would w—“Lenalee frowned. “Brother! You know that’s not going to make Mia feel any better about the situation!” she said. “Besides, we need to find Lavi first!”Komui sighed. “You’re right,” he said. “Besides, there could be some useful data I could glean from examining Lavi at his new stature.”Lenalee crossed her arms and stared at him, clearly unamused by his dedication to science.“If we can find him,” Mia said, carefully turning the chair over in her fingers. “See how small this is now?”Komui leaned in and looked at it. “Indeed,” he said. “That’s what, a centimeter?”“My emotional state and Lazarus’ aren’t always in sync. As a result, if I’m relatively well or at least managing, I have fine control. But if Lazarus is in a foul mood as it’s been for the past few weeks, it could be anywhere from seven to one.” Mia swallowed. “If he was out in the halls, foot traffic is a hazard.”Lenalee thought for a moment. “Without his Innocence is has no way to get far. He has to be nearby,” she said.
Komui shook his head. “Lavi wouldn’t be keen on staying in place. He probably hitched a ride.”Mia thought for a moment. “Wait, you said Allen and the Inspector were here, right? Maybe he’s using them to get around the Order.”Komui’s eyes widened. “That’s why Kanda was worried about rats…” he breathed. “Lenalee,” he said.“Yes?” she asked.
“Go check the Inspector and Allen for any Lavi-shaped bugs. They should be in the mess hall,” he said, bending over to look through the papers that were already scattered on the floor. “I have to start looking around the office, maybe he’s still close by.”Lenalee nodded. “What about Mia?”Komui thought for a moment but continued shuffling. “Well first,” he said, “she needs a proper breakfast. It’s nearly six and she’s still without food.”Mia halfheartedly chuckled. “Heh, I always forget my grumbling stomach,” she said. “Nervous habit.”“But after that, then what?” Lenalee asked.Komui stopped looking and bent back up. “Then,” he said, staring directly at Mia. “Then she’ll need to expend as much of her energy in the training room as quickly as possible.”Mia stepped back a bit, concerned at what he was demanding of her. “But, why?” she asked.
“We need you in a sleepwalk state again,” he said. “If Lazarus can fix this, we need it awake.”Mia nodded solemnly. “I’m… I’m sorry for troubling you so much,” she said. “I just got here and—““Mia…” Lenalee said. “This isn’t your fault.”Komui nodded in agreement. “Lazarus is a unique entity that’s still in the process of being understood, even after a decade. It’s much like the human brain itself, full of mysteries and always adapting to change to handle survival.”Mia sighed. “I want a sparring partner,” she admitted. “I’m going to struggle to get tired if I don’t fight.”“Go with Lenalee,” Komui said. “You and Allen can meet up that way.” He went back to bending down and looking.
Mia turned and nodded to Lenalee. “We better hurry— I don’t want your friend getting himself flattened by a stray foot.”
Lenalee bit her lip and furrowed her eyebrows. “Please don’t talk like that,” she asked. “I… it’d be too much.”Mia breathed out and put a hand on her shoulder. “We’ll… we’ll find him. I’m sorry, I shouldn’t be so pessimistic.”Lenalee nodded. “It’s f—“Mia squeezed her shoulder gently and slammed the suddenly fully sized chair against the floor. “Don’t lie…
please. Deception doesn’t suit you.”Lenalee looked to the floor. “Okay. Thank you.”Mia and her began to walk out of the office. The older of the two sighed. “Someone’s gotta be tough on you, seems to be the only way you’ll care about yourself.”“Usually my brother is the one to ensure that,” she said. “But he’s been very protective since the former Headquarters was attacked.”“So you’ve been complacent in your self care because someone else has covered it for you,” Mia finished. “Hmm… perhaps later we should go to the bathhouse to recover?”Lenalee laughed. “That’s across the grounds!”“So’s the cafeteria!”As the girls left the administrative wing, their chatter echoed against the walls and faded into the morning air.Kanda looked around for a moment as he heard the sound of Lavi nearby. “Dammit, show yourself already,” he said, looking in his immediate vicinity. He checked his legs in case his teammate was clinging.
The swordsman huffed. The entirety of this scenario was embarrassing. He hated having to worry about anyone, especially Mia. Her tendency to beat herself up over a function of her Innocence was annoying.A memory surfaced; a close call from almost nine years ago where Lazarus had only made things more complicated. A compression of someone who was left unable to protect him or anyone else.He shook his head. I don’t need to be protected, he thought. I’ll heal, and they…He sighed. Mia might have been okay given how entangled her Innocence was with her body, but Tiedoll and Noise? he thought. All because that thing wanted to play games.And it was all happening again. Lazarus is out of control, Mia can’t get a grip, and the rest of the Order has to deal with the consequences. What a pain in the ass, he thought. And because I know her, they make it my problem.He sighed. He needed to dig into his meal before it got cold and have a moment to think about where Lavi could’ve gone. He jammed his chopsticks into his soup and gently pulled the noodles from the broth.
He looked over at Allen, who was busy continuing his conquest of his own hunger pangs, and began tracing his steps. Beansprout and his babysitter were in the hallway of the lodging house when he was compressed, and since they didn’t see him he’s gotta be pretty small.He carefully held the noodles to his lips as he continued. From the office— room? Didn’t even realize he had a spare office in that building, he’s supposed to… right. From his “office”, I went to the mess hall. If he hitched a ride with me, that would explain the hair-pulling…He firmly held the noodles in his mouth and began to slurp, watching as Link found his way over to Allen to keep up his watchdog act. And I swore I heard that idiot’s voice a moment ag—“Yuu, be caref—mmmph!” Lavi called. His voice was unmistakable, but when Kanda looked around, he still saw nothing.But he certainly felt him in the next moment. Like worms in a fist, he felt the tiny Exorcist trapped behind his lips. He almost gagged at the thought that Lavi had fallen into his soup, but he knew there was no other explanation.He pinned whatever it was against his hard palate, bit into the soba and swallowed, half to make sure his mouth was clear and half to make sure he wasn’t going mad. If it was Lavi, he was safe against the roof of his mouth and he’d surely protest.“Agh, Yuu! Lemme out, I’m—“Kanda’s eyes widened and he quickly spat out his teammate into his free hand, staring daggers at him as his stomach churned. Lavi fit easily into his palm, and weighed as little as one would expect given that fact. “Found you,” he said.“H-Hey… Yuu…”“You dumbfuck,” Kanda said, putting more noodles into his mouth in anger. “You could’ve been killed.”“You tried to swallow me!” Lavi said, wobbling as he tried to stand. “You almost killed me!”“I needed to make sure you weren’t a roach,” Kanda said nonchalantly. “Not my fault that you squirm like one.” He swallowed again, watching as the Junior Bookman shuddered a bit. “Guess I don’t have to tell Jeryy.”Lavi quickly fumed. “Kanda, what the heck is going on?! You’re acting like you don’t want people to know.”“That’s because I don’t,” Kanda said. “This problem is between you, me, and Lazarus. The more people know, the more stupid the situation will get.”Lavi held a hand to his chin. “So you’re embarrassed,” he said. “Of Mia. Why so harsh on her? She’s just a lady.”“It’s not about that,” Kanda grumbled, watching as Mia and Lenalee entered the room. He noticed the former’s eyes drifting towards him and reacted. “Stay quiet.”“What do you— waugh!” Lavi yelped as Kanda curled his hand around him and casually set it down.
Kanda felt the lively protests of his comrade as Mia approached. “Morning,” he said. “Heard you had a hard time sleeping.”“Kanda, I know what you’re doing,” Mia said, clearly not amused. “I’m not 16 anymore, I know how to handle my anxiety.” She sat down. “Have you seen him? Lenalee and I were going to search.”Kanda frowned. “Search all you want, has nothing to do with me.”“Kanda, he’s your friend, right?”“No, he’s my teammate, just like you, Noise, and—““Daisya?” Mia asked.
He glared at her. “Why are you so bold, saying his name so loud?” he asked.“I know how to keep my grief healthy, Kanda,” she said. “He was one of us, too. And if Lavi is missing, we owe it to those who have fallen to protect our living.”Kanda groaned. “I just want to eat my noodles,” he said. “I can’t really give you any leads right now— I already checked myself head to toe and I haven’t heard a peep from him.”Mia frowned. “Alright,” she said, miffed and red in the face. “Take off your cardigan then. Prove it.”“What?” he shouted. Allen and Lenalee looked at him and he hesitated. A bit quieter, he continued. “You want me to take this off when this place is chilly? Are you crazy?”“You’ve been acting weird about it in front of Komui, and probably others too. Now get up before I upgrade to a strip search,” she said.“And if I say no?” Kanda replied as he tucked his Lavi-occupied hand in the process of folding his arms.
“Then I tell Tiedoll the next time I see him that you’ve been dying to talk with him,” Mia replied.Kanda’s lip curled. “You wouldn’t dare.”
“I would, though. And I’d watch,” she replied.Kanda sighed. “Fine just… let me have another mouthful of noodles, please.”Mia gestured to his bowl. “Be my guest.”Kanda rolled his eyes and took another slurp. He knew he was going to need to think fast, otherwise Mia would find him in his hand. It was bad enough that his spit coated the little bastard, making it more difficult to keep a grip on him, but to have him be this squirmy wasn’t ideal for hiding him in any pockets.He looked at his tea and smirked a little, putting his hand over the rim of the ceramic cup. As his fingers relaxed to go and clutch it, Lavi carefully plopped into the green liquid. Kanda slurped up his noodles and coughed a bit before holding the drink to his lips.
“Yuu, what’re you doing?!” Lavi yelped, barely heard as Kanda sipped his tea. The Junior Bookman swam close to the man and smacked his upper lip. “Hey, are you listening to me?”Kanda waited for a moment before whispering back to him, a request so faint that it barely resounded inside the cup. “Don’t struggle or I swallow,” he said.“Are you serio—“Kanda took a heavy swig of the tea, managing to drag Lavi back behind his teeth before holding him to the roof of his mouth so he could clear his airway with a swallow. “What did I tell you?” he whispered, listening as the movements of his tongue produced a shriek.“This is worse than Krory’s Castle. At least there the flowers smelled nice— your breath stinks!” Lavi shouted, pushing against his teammate in the tight space. “Why can’t you put me in a pocket?”“You’ll squirm and she’ll find out,” he said. “Now shut up.”“Ugh, fine. Just go quick before you make me barf with all your movements,” Lavi groaned as he kicked Kanda’s palate.
Kanda stood up and quietly spoke. “Alright,” he said, slowly working the cardigan off his shoulders. “Just get it over with, I have to go clean up and dress properly.”Mia circled the table, grabbed his cardigan and pulled it off, shaking it over the table and looking across the surface, followed by her rifling through his pockets.“No dice,” she said. Her eyes drifted and locked onto Kanda. “I’m checking your pants.”“Excuse me?” Kanda said, snarling. “I’m not gonna let—“Mia grabbed his ankle and pulled him forward. Kanda panicked as he felt his precious cargo slipping back a bit too far as he was thrown off balance and he coughed to clear his airway. Fortunately, Lavi was pushed forward by the force of his lungs rather than getting himself any further back.“Kanda!!” Lavi called, frightened. “Don’t—“Kanda coughed again, this time as a warning not to speak. The thought of Lavi swimming in his breakfast make him absolutely sick to his stomach, to the point that a cold sweat broke out and he swore he was about to get hives by the mere thought of it.And then, from the corner of his eye, he saw Allen making a beeline for him. Oh hell no, he thought.Kanda pulled his leg away and stamped his leg. “I’m not a dog,” he said. “Quit checking me for fleas!!”Mia frowned. “I’m not done,” she replied. “Other leg.”“No, screw that,” he said, pushing away the rest of his tray and backing off. “You’re attracting Allen’s attention and I’m done.”Mia sighed, momentarily thinking on it, nodding her head as she mulled over his request before turning around. “Fine, I suppose that you just want him dead then,” she said.Allen sped up. “What the hell, Kanda? He’s our friend,” he said. “What if he gets crushed?”Kanda scowled and looked at Mia. “You told him?!”“I’m not sixteen anymore, like I said,” Mia said. “You can’t keep trying to protect my feelings like a fragile flower and you can’t—““Don’t tell me what to do,” Kanda replied, almost automatic. He paused and shook his head, trying to clear his thoughts. “If you want to find Lavi, the last time I saw something suspicious was—““When you were getting antsy about your hair being pulled!” Allen said. “He’s probably somewhere here in the mess hall!”“Well, he isn’t wrong,” Lavi said. Kanda poked him in the side with the end of his tongue. “Yuu, that hurts!”Mia looked at Allen. “Do you think he’d still be in Kanda’s hair?” she asked.“No,”
Allen said. “I watched him check that. He isn’t there. Maybe the floor?”
“Worth a shot,” Mia said. “Kanda, you’re helping us.”“No, I’m not. I’m getting my uniform and then taking a bath,” he said.
“How can you be so heartless?” she replied.“I slept too much, something is making me stressed and that’s the result. Don’t add to that, princess,” he said, getting close to her.Mia frowned. “Do you want to get into a fight? Because if you want to fight, I’ll be in the dojo, I’ll have fun smacking you around like a ragdoll after—““Um…” Allen said.“What?!” they both said in unison.Allen held up his hands. “I-I just… you two are acting like Kanda and I normally are.”Mia pursed her lips before gesturing up and down with her hands as she breathed and calmed herself. “Fine. Enjoy your bath, Kanda,” she said.
Her words were laced with a venom, and as Kanda walked away, leaving the rest of his breakfast behind, he seethed at the audacity of her to be upset with him when he was right.It wasn’t until he was outside of the mess hall and halfway back to the lodging house that he began to speak. “Now I’m the bad guy for wanting her not to cry, stupid Lazarus, fucking everything over…”“Uh, Yuu, I’m still in your mouth,” Lavi reminded him, prodding his tongue with his heel. “Lemme out?”Kanda grimaced and stopped walking for a moment, spitting the Junior out and into his open palm. “Whoops,” he flatly said.
“Ugh… great, now my clothes are stained,” he said. “I think I need a bath, too…”“I’m not going to the baths,” Kanda said. “I’m going back to my room and we’re gonna make a plan,” he said.Lavi sat up. Strings of viscous clear fluid hung from him as he pulled himself up. “No way!” Lavi said. “I need to at least rinse off.”“I’ll shove you under a faucet for a sec, it’ll be fine,” Kanda replied, carefully and cautiously walking again towards the doors of the lodge.“I’m person, Yuu,” the Junior replied. “Not a dirty plate!”Kanda frowned. “I can’t let anyone see you or they’ll run their mouth,” he said, walking through the hall and up the stairs.
“Mia told you to stop treating her like a kid. She’s older than you, right? Maybe you should listen to your elders at least a little bit,” he said. After a moment, he snapped his fingers. “That’s it!”
“What’s it? What stupid idea do you have in mind?”“Well, I need to get back to my room first, think that’s doable?”“Sure?”After climbing a few more floors, Kanda sighed. “Okay, your room is—“Lavi leapt off Kanda’s hand as soon as they reached the next floor, forcing the swordsman to lunge and grab him again. Lavi yelped as he was caught in a tight fist, squirming as expected. “Oy, loosen up a bit!”
Kanda held his fist up and stared him down. “You could get hurt like that, don’t do that again or Komui will kill me for it.”“Kanda?” a gravelly voice asked. “Are you okay?”Kanda and Lavi both turned their heads to stare at Bookman as he lazily came walking forward. “If I’d woken up at a better time I’d have given you my sleep, clearly you need it more than me…”Kanda frowned and grew flustered. “Well—““Old coot!” Lavi shouted, waving his now freed arms. “I knew you’d get up without me!”Bookman squinted. “Wait a moment, is that…”Kanda began to turn and walk but felt the full force of the old man yanking his hair, causing him to fall to the ground. Lavi was sent soaring as he fell, and was only halted by a pair of gentle, wrinkled hands.Lavi panted. “Thank God you caught me,” he said, huffing as he curled over on all fours in his Master’s palm. “For a second there I thought you’d—“Bookman plucked him between his thumb and forefinger and squinted. “No wonder you couldn’t wake me up like you normally do,” he said as his apprentice hung by the back of his shirt. “You’ve gotten yourself into a heap of trouble, as usual…”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Lavi broke out in a cold sweat as Bookman examined him, the caps on his fingers clicking as they turned him over in his palms. The manhandling was worse than with Kanda, as at least he never had to question if Kanda would drop him. “Hey, gramps, chill with the motion, I’m gonna be sick!”

“Fascinating. Mister Kanda, you said this was the result of Miss Fiore’s Innocence?” Bookman asked.

Bookman had been kind enough to bring the two of them back to the room where he and Lavi stayed. The books didn’t litter the floor like the old place, but there were clearly more shelves than most other bedrooms.

Kanda sat in a chair across from Bookman, with little more than a table with Lavi’s notes between them. Bookman had been looking through what had been written thus far before he asked any questions.

The swordsman looked at him. “Yeah, it’s from Lazarus,” he said. “Damn Innocence uses Mia to speak for itself and makes decisions without her input at times.”

“I see,” Bookman said. He eyed his apprentice and curled his lip a bit. “You went chasing after a girl and got yourself into trouble, how predictable.”

Lavi continued his frustrated kicks as Bookman grabbed him around the waist. “Listen old man, you know I’m supposed to be writing this stuff down,” he said. “Geez, could you put me down? If I keep having to hang like this I’m gonna puke!”

Bookman rolled his eyes and gently set Lavi onto the book on the table, still watching him carefully as he sat up from the tumble. “Even if you were doing documentation, that’s not any excuse to put your life in danger,” he said, lowering his head to glare closely at him. “How do you intend on performing your duties to our Clan, let alone act as an Exorcist, like this?”

Kanda groaned. “You’re sure you aren’t gonna squeal to the rest of the Branch about this?” he asked the elderly man.

Lavi huffed— this man’s embarrassment was cringeworthy to watch. The Junior was already under the impression that Kanda knew about this condition’s possibility, which possibly could explain why he was apprehensive, but to be outright embarrassed by his teammate through no fault of her own?

What the hell did he see in the past?

he thought.

Bookman nodded and looked to the tiny Exorcist. “What my apprentice gets his nose into is my responsibility,” he told Kanda. “If you need me to not tell unnecessary parties, I’ll make sure not a sound is made. I can’t speak for the pipsqueak on the table though.”

“Oy, Gramps!” Lavi shouted. “Don’t talk like I’m not here!” The Junior frowned.

Ugh, he’s really disappointed in me for the mess I’m in…

he thought.

“Good, because he squirms and makes it impossible to hide in my pockets,” Kanda said. “Hiding him in my mouth seems to be the only option that keeps him quiet.”

“Ah, so that’s why he smells like matcha,” Bookman said. He leaned in close to the tiny Exorcist. “And now that I see it, your clothes are greener than usual.”

Lavi fumed. “As if I had any control over where I was shoved!” he shouted. “Panda, just gimme a damn cup of water to wash myself and my clothes already!”

“Is that any way to speak to your superiors?” Bookman asked, grabbing him carefully around his ankle. “This is an excellent opportunity to observe and you want to screech and kick like an impudent child.”

“Yeah, yeah,” Lavi said. “I already told you though— there’s nothing interesting to document when you’re locked behind a set of pearly whites unable to see anything!” He began kicking again. “And can you

please

stop grabbing me!”

There was a shrill whistle across the room. The small stove, which had been set up in their room to allow for Bookman to take his herbal medicine, had a ready kettle. The elder dropped Lavi back into the center crevice of the book with a tiny thump and went to take it off the flame.

Lavi frowned as he pushed himself off the paper beneath him. The fall was maybe about ten feet to him, but ten feet directly onto one’s skull could’ve been deadly. “You old coot, you’re gonna get me killed!” he said. “Could you

try

to keep me alive?!”

Bookman then walked to the nearby bookshelf and pulled a box out. “I know you had tea before, but would you care for some more, Mister Kanda?” he asked.

“No,” Kanda said, looking at Lavi for a moment. “No… thank you.”

Lavi watched those eyes of his. He wasn’t sure if Kanda was experiencing annoyance or concern. Maybe it was both.

As if he’d ever kiss and tell,

the Junior thought.

Bookman brought the kettle over and poured water into a small round cup. “Kanda,” he said, filling the cup to the brim. “Tell me about your history with Miss Fiore.” He shot Lavi a knowing glance, a look Lavi could immediately recognize as an order to remember, before quickly going to search for another item.

An order he was hardly wont to ignore. He began removing his clothes, a move that caused Kanda to jump before averting his gaze. “What?” Lavi asked, slipping off his shirt.

“Should I really be seeing this?” Kanda asked.

“You see me in the baths all the time, why is this any different?” Lavi asked.

“No, it isn’t any less weird in the baths,” Kanda said.

“I’m smaller, there’s less of me to see,” Lavi said. “Gramps asked you a question, by the way— better not keep him waiting.”

Kanda rolled his eyes and looked as Bookman dug through a nearby drawer. “She was there when I first began walking with Tiedoll,” he said. “She was sixteen by that time, six years my senior.”

Lavi watched as the swordsman took a swallow and his eyes drifted away from any focus. He wasn’t sure what Kanda was remembering, but the distress on his face was clear. As he finished pulling his pants off, he moved to the makeshift “tub” but kept his gaze trained on his colleague.

Bookman nodded and pulled out a small box the size of an inkstone. “Alright, so she was sort of a big sister type, correct?” he asked, coming back over to the table.

A pained look flashed across Kanda’s face, and Lavi spoke up. “Kanda, you don’t have to be embarrassed over having a girl look out for you.” He smirked as he threw his trousers away from him. “Hell, I’d be over the moon to have a girl like her taking care of m— HEY!!”

Bookman grabbed his apprentice around the waist and plunked him into the water. Lavi screeched, realizing the water was still hot and struggling to cope with it for a moment. “Geez, old panda, don’t treat me like a lobster! Too hot, too hot!”

Bookman frowned. “Don’t say such things about a lady, you know better,” he said, carving a tiny chunk of soap with one of his finger caps and holding it out. “Here, wash up.”

Lavi, still in shock by the heat, shakily grabbed the bar. “Th-thanks…”

Bookman sighed. “Kanda, it seems to me as though you have trouble speaking with her,” he said. “What stops you?”

Kanda huffed and crossed his arms. “Trouble? There’s no trouble talking with her,” he said. “The trouble lies with Lazarus.”

“Lazarus?” Bookman asked, curious.

Lavi’s eyes narrowed. He knew that look well. Bookman’s eyes would momentarily gloss over and he’d either clear his throat or break out in a cold sweat.

Kanda nodded. “The Innocence she has is attached to her nerves. Likes to walk her body around at night and inconvenience anyone it crosses paths with.”

Bookman swallowed, and Lavi watched as a telltale sweat began to break over his forehead. “Gramps, you good?” he asked.

“During my training…” Bookman said, thumbing through Lavi’s notes, “I recall an anomaly that could’ve been similar. There was a gentleman fighting out in the wilderness against himself. He was screaming with twisted wings sprouting from his back.”

Lavi remembered Mia’s examination mere hours ago.“What… happened to him?” he asked.

“He died, obviously,” Bookman said. “Or rather, he became a Fallen One.”

Lavi stood up in the water. “Wait, so you’re saying that Mia is a host to an Innocence that’s… taken lives?”

Kanda frowned. “Even more of a nuisance,” he said.

Bookman shook his head. “It wasn’t on the account of the Innocence. It was because the user lost their faith and grew to hate God and Innocence,” he explained. “If Mia has been an accommodator for a decade, as my apprentice’s notes suggest, she’s probably got a strong hold on a high Synchro Rate.”

Lavi breathed. “At least that is a relief.”

Bookman sighed. “That doesn’t account for why Lazarus is being so erratic, then.”

Kanda pondered for a moment. “It seems to want to pick fights with new people and with me,” he said. “Why, though?”

Lavi smirked as he pondered, slowly trying to put pieces into place. “Maybe… it’s more than just wanting to play,” he said.

Kanda raised an eyebrow but stayed silent. Bookman walked towards a shelf to grab another item.

“Maybe… Kanda, what was Lazarus’ relationship with Daisya?” Lavi asked. “Mia mentioned him earlier.”

Kanda’s eyes narrowed for a moment before a thoughtful glimmer sparked in his eyes. He held a hand to his chin. “Those two… they got on swimmingly,” he said. “They always sparred together later in the evening and were evenly matched.”

“Daisya was a casualty in Barcelona,” Bookman said. “His loss likely has made both Lazarus and Mia distraught.”

Kanda shook his head. “So you think that…

thing…

is grieving?” he asked.

“I didn’t quite go that far, but now that you’ve put it such a way, it perhaps could be that…” Bookman picked up a pen and a nearby sheet of paper.

Lavi leaned over his makeshift tub. “Old man, what’re ya doing?” he asked.

“Hush, boy,” Bookman replied, scribbling notes.

Kanda pinched the bridge of his nose. “How can it grieve? It isn’t even human, it doesn’t have to worry about anybody at all!”

“Well,” Lavi said. “It

is

attached to her. Maybe if Mia still holds memories of Daisya, or still holds some noticeable grief, it may be acting on that.”

“No, that doesn’t make sense either,” Kanda said. “Its personality is so much different from hers.” He looked at his tiny comrade as he ducked back into the water. “This isn’t the first time we’ve seen Innocence act on its own, this could be another case.”

“Whatever the case may be, what do we do from here?” Lavi asked as he resurfaced, running his fingers through his thick hair. “We’re sitting around twiddling our thumbs.”

“I suggest you lay low here,” Bookman asked.

Kanda stiffened up and scowled.“I can’t be wasting my day jus—“

“Not you,” Bookman said, pulling a handkerchief from his cloak. He plucked Lavi from the water and bundled the fabric around him. “Just him. His clothes should be dry an hour from now.”

Lavi struggled against the confines of the fabric prison he’d been forcefully shoved into. The humidity from his bath clung to the walls and left him feeling smothered. Not helping was the fact that his mentor was actively trying to dry him off, and rather forcefully at that. “Gramps, lemme go! It’s sweltering in here, I can’t breathe!”

Kanda chuckled, the corner of his mouth twitching as he stood. “Thanks for keeping this between the necessary parties only. I don’t need the mess getting out of control.”

Bookman nodded. “It’s what I was born for, after all. A word of advice, though.”

Kanda tilted his head and listened.

“You ought to examine your own relationship with Lazarus. There may be a more pressing matter in the present that needs to be addressed,” he said. He followed it up with a knowing smirk. “But you didn’t hear that from me.”

Kanda studied those words for a moment before turning around. “If you’re not here in an hour, where will I find you?” he asked.

“Oh, you’ll find me here, I have work to do, after all.”

Lavi popped his head out from one of the folds of the handkerchief and watched Kanda close the door. “Hey, old man?” He asked, turning his head around to face him.

Bookman, begrudging at that name, replied. “What is it?”

“You… you know something about Lazarus, don’t you? Something you didn’t want to tell Kanda.”

Another bead of sweat formed along his forehead. “Old records, part of the archives but ones I documented decades ago.”

Lavi squirmed his way out up to his waist before Bookman took a finger to his head. “H-hey! I’m not some kid, I know how to dry myself. Hands off!”

Bookman nodded and gently set him down on the table next to his notes. He could barely make eye contact towards Lavi. “What… what is it like, being so small?” the old man asked, a curious lilt to his voice.

Lavi wrapped his “towel” around his chest and began wiping himself down. “Well… mobility isn’t great, but the view? There are ways I could easily eavesdrop and record like this.” He paused. “You’re going to write that, aren’t you?” he asked.

“Perhaps, though since this has affected you in particular, I’m not sure how anonymous the notes can be. Perhaps my journal is more appropriate—“

“Panda, we’re getting off track here,” Lavi replied.

“What do you mean?” Bookman asked, not bothering to acknowledge the nickname.

“Your memory is just as sharp as mine, you know what I mean. How did you come across Lazarus?” he asked.

There was a long pause. The ringing in Lavi’s ears seemed to take hold as Bookman plucked the tea cup from behind him. Bookman seemed to be searching for an adequate way to answer, and as he settled back on Lavi, he drew in a deep breath.

“What you hear from me, you are not to tell Miss Fiore, do you understand?” he said.

Lavi watched from below as the old man swallowed, a motion that was accompanied by a wince. His mind wandered as he speculated to himself. Did the geezer know Lazarus up close? Was it a long distance from which he saw the Fallen One it had created?

Bookman slammed the cup down behind him, though it likely only seemed that way from Lavi’s perspective. “Put your clothes in the water and get scrubbing.”

Lavi rolled his eyes. “I don’t have a washboard.”

“A luxury you can’t afford at that stature, I’m afraid,” he replied.

Lavi groaned and picked up each piece of clothing. Why he threw each piece rather than drop them safely in a pile together was beyond him. “Well, tell me already.”

Bookman nodded. “Lazarus has gone through multiple accommodators since its discovery, each of them resulting in total rejection of a host,” he said. “In total, I’ve seen four rejections, with the oldest at age 21.”

Lavi paused as he rounded the cup. “So, Mia would be its oldest accommodator thus far,” he said.

“That is correct,” Bookman said. “And despite that, she’s a dead woman walking.”

Lavi’s stomach churned. Despite being decently older than him, she appeared to be around his age. “What…” he swallowed painfully as a lump formed in his throat. “What do you mean by that, old man?”

“Lazarus is already beginning to act out,” he said. “Unless the two of them can work out the sore spots that hold each of them back, I see it ending as all the other vessels did.”

Lavi pressed his lips together and scrubbed his clothes, all the while continuing to ask questions. “And I can’t tell Mia because?”

“You’re still a Bookman,” he said. “Don’t forget your duty to observe just because you think she’s cute.”

“Right,” Lavi said. “So I’m meant to observe even if she… y’know…”

Bookman nodded.

Lavi nodded in reply and kept his head down.

Are you crazy?

he thought.

Another Fallen One would be more damage to the war, would be a danger to both of us, would… no, I have to keep my role first. Write first, question later.”

“Lavi?” Bookman asked.

The Junior jumped at the sound of his Master’s voice. “Geez, don’t spook me like that,” he yelled.

“You got lost in thought there.” He paused. “…sorry for assuming you were lazy waking me up this morning.”

“Honestly, I don’t think I could climb to the top bunk if I tried,” Lavi said. He chuckled, though his mind was still reeling from the knowledge he now had to bear. “Thanks, sir.”

Mia wiped the blood from her nose. “You really know how to swing that claw,” she said. “If I hadn’t done anything to make sure I was protected you would have cut right through me.”

“I can’t exactly train on you with my sword,” Allen said, bracing as he was thrown back a bit. “It doesn’t hurt humans, it’d cut right through you.”

“Well, you could always work on strength training and try to break through the web of nerves Lazarus has,” she said. “If you hit me with all your strength, you should be able to—“

“I need a break before I do that,” Allen said. “I’m… I’m nervous hitting a lady, let alone another human, with a weapon like that.”

Mia snickered. “You’re too funny!” she said. “Believe me, if I was scared of boys I wouldn’t have sparring matches with you. Thanks for the concern though.” She breathed in, then out, followed by a laceration appearing in her forearm. “Oh.”

Allen panicked. “Mia!” he said. “You’re injured, you should get to the inf—“

“Infirmary?” Mia said. “Yeah, probably,” she replied. “Care to… walk with me?”

Allen deactivated Crown Clown and smirked. “Yeah. Maybe we can talk about what happened.” He looked at Link, who was sitting nearby on a bench and reading, occasionally glancing up.

Mia nodded to herself and went over to that bench, where she had a towel waiting. After picking it up, and after pulling one of the ribbons from her shorts, she carefully wrapped her arm. “So, you mean what happened to Lavi, right?”

“Well, you already told me, but never really clarified,” Allen replied. “When Lazarus compressed him, he shrunk in size?”

Link closed his book. “Seems to be that way,” he said, examining Lavi’s hammer. He twirled it between his fingers. “During my brief disappearance I went to get it checked by Hevlaska. She gave me some enlightening information— Lazarus disables the use of an Accomodator’s Innocence when compressed.”

“Correct,” Mia said. “For that reason, Lazarus could be deemed as a threat to safety when not acting reasonably. I’ve seen that firsthand, so since then I’ve made it a priority to take more initiative when it happens rather than cry about it like I used to.”

“The good news is she was able to tell me that the Iron Hammer still recognizes Lavi as its Accomodator,” he said. “Therefore, he’s likely still alive.”

Mia breathed a sigh of relief. “Good,” she said. “He’s stayed safe while wandering the grounds.”

Allen tilted his head. “You said you have experience with that kind of endangerment?”

“Heh, yeah…” Mia said. “Though the recipient had been through it multiple times before, it was only when we had Kanda traveling with us that things started getting worrisome.”

Link tilted his head. “Who… who did Lazarus touch?”

Mia smiled, her eyes distant with nostalgia. “Master Tiedoll, of course.” She beckoned as she turned around. “Come on, let’s get inside to the nurses, they’ll wanna stitch me up.”

Allen was frozen in place for a moment, taken aback by how casually she admitted what happened. Tiedoll was a strong fighter, a General who shouldn’t have lost to Lazarus so easily. Surely there had to be a reason why he’d allow that to happen! “Why would he let Lazarus do that to him?” Allen blurted.

“You know how he is,” Mia said. “Always looking for new perspectives. He wanted to draw the things that were lurking in the grass up close. Though at the time I was still a mess when it came to waking up to him smacking me in the nose.”

As the boys followed Mia, the younger man caught up to her.

“So he was…” Allen carefully pinched his fingers to illustrate, perhaps to only an inch of space between. “Right?”

“Hmm, closer to… this,” Mia said, adjusting his estimate by pulling his fingers further from each other. “You should’ve seen Kanda’s face— I’ve never seen his mouth open that wide. Probably never will again.”

Allen snickered, wondering what would have happened had something similar occurred with his own Master.

I bet it would be easier to keep him from running from me,

he thought.

Certainly he wouldn’t be able to push me around and be so harsh either if he were stuck in a—

Link bumped directly into him. “Walker,” he scolded. “Were you daydreaming again?”

Allen flushed a beet red and began to walk faster, catching back up with Mia. “No, no, definitely not, just trying to figure out where my friend went is all!” he lied.

“And the after the shock of it wore off, we were ambushed by Akuma,” Mia continued. “Noise, Kanda and I were alone without the General to defend us, and there were multiple Level 2s.”

“And Kanda had just joined? He must have been scared,” Allen said. “He was what, ten years old?”

Mia pursed her lips and nodded. “He wasn’t scared though, mostly furious with Master and with me. Though… seeing me cry took him aback a little.”

“Huh. He doesn’t seem to like when Lenalee cries either,” Allen noted. “Does he have a soft spot for girls?”

Mia smirked. “If he does, he certainly doesn’t show it. He’s about as willing to punch me during a sparring match as he would you.” She paused. “Okay, maybe not

you

, considering you two don’t seem to get along too great.”

Allen rubbed the back of his neck. “We’ve laid each other out over some petty things, but in all fairness, he’s usually the jerk about it,” he said.
“And you seem to be excellent at instigating,” Link recalled. “Can’t count how many times you picked on him during the virus outbreak.”

Allen shuddered. “Don’t remind me of that, I still have nightmares about getting bitten.”

Mia rounded a corner into the infirmary building. “Kanda tries to avoid Lazarus if he can help it. Being without his weapon makes him fidgety, so if he got compressed, he’d likely—“

Allen was already daydreaming again, wondering how that would even look.

Kanda being that fragile?

he thought.

I don’t know how easily I could hold back from teasing him. I mean, he always refers to me by ‘Beansprout’, so to hear him try to call me that looking like…

that…

I don’t know if I can take the thought…”

Mia stopped and turned as she heard Allen snickering. “What?” she asked.

“Sorry just… imagining finding Kanda like that… he’d never hear the end of it from me and Lavi,” he said. He clutched his forehead. “He teases me about my height. Suddenly being on the receiving end of that would really tick him off.”

Mia shook her head and looked at Link. “You really have a case on your hands, don’t you?”

“You ought to see him when he’s in his room,” the Inspector replied. “If he’s in a fowl mood from a fight, he’ll doodle pictures in his—“

“Journal,” Allen said, grumbling. “It’s a journal, and it’s mine, so I can write whatever I want.”

Mia sighed. “That reminds me— I should check mine when I get back to my room.”

Allen nodded. “Maybe Lazarus left you some clues as to why it’s been acting so weird,” he said. “At the very least, it would be good to know why it went wandering the halls.”

“Miss Fiore?!” a voice called. “It’s been years!”

The group turned to see the Head Nurse bounding quickly down the hall. “You’ve grown a bit since then. Well, your hair at least,” she said, closing in.

Allen smiled. “Hey Head Nurse,” he said. “I may have uh, gone a bit too hard with the combat practice.”

The Head Nurse’s eyes narrowed as she spotted the makeshift compress on Mia. “Mia, you

let

him do this?” she asked.

“Umm… yes?” she sheepishly replied. About a quarter second after, she followed with a look of concern. “Wait, don’t—“

“Allen Walker!” the Nurse began. “How dare you hurt my little Mia! Have you no shame? Hitting a woman so hard, where did you get off thinking such a thing is appropriate?!” She grabbed his shirt and started shaking him.

“Nurse, calm yourself, it’s not that big of a deal,” Mia said, trying to pry them apart.

“You hurt my little daughter from the North, you’re despicable, Walker!!” she shouted.

Allen felt his head beginning to throb as the Nurse accosted him. “I swear I wasn’t trying to hurt her or anything!” he shouted through the shaking. “Really, I—“

Mia pulled the two apart and began snippily speaking at the Nurse in a language that wasn’t English. Her voice was loud and staccato, a far cry from the soft voice she had when Allen could understand her.

Link leaned in and spoke in Allen’s ear. “Nothing like two Italian women getting into a shouting match,” he said. “It’s strange how her personality shifts with language.”

“You speak German, I’m certain your demeanor is just as different,” Allen replied. “Or am I off base here?”

Link groaned. “I guess there’s a bit of a difference. Not like it matters— words are words.”

Mia and the head Nurse had a moment of silence between them before they both began to laugh. The latter hugged the former and welcomed her home.

Mia stepped back after the embrace. “So, my arm?”

“Oh, good God, you bled on my frock,” the Head Nurse said. “Come now. You two boys as well.”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Kanda breathed as he dried himself off after his bath. He needed the relaxation after the tense morning he’d experienced. Given everything, it was probably long overdue anyway.

He looked at the buttons on his jacket, how the face he bore reflected in the tiny panels of silver. He already wasn’t fond of the same face he’d looked at for the past 9 years of his life, but to see it broken only made it more clear how badly the dysmorphia could affect him.

He shook the gross feelings from his head and got dressed.

Out of sight, out of mind,

he thought.

“Hey, Kanda,” a deep voice said from behind.

The swordsman, jumpy from the hour of silence he’d been granted away from his comrade, drew his blade and pointed, only stopping an inch or two from his squadmate’s face.

It was Noise Marie.

Kanda swallowed. “You’re here early,” he said, retracting his weapon and sheathing it. “I thought you would be here in the evening.”

“Master and I had a client stiff us on funds,” Noise replied, fiddling with his headphones. He was still fully clothed as he looked down at Kanda. Well, blankly stared to be accurate, as he’d lost his vision long ago. “And it isn’t morning anymore— it’s 2 PM. Isn’t it early to be bathing?” he asked.

Shit, did I fall asleep again?

Kanda huffed. “What business of yours is it when I clean myself up?” he asked, pulling his trousers up and tightening his belt.

“Kanda, if you’re having nightmares, you ought to tell someone in the nurse’s station— they might have sleep aids.” Noise shook his head. “You’re too proud sometimes.”

“It’s not…” Kanda trailed off as he caught himself. He was not about to incriminate himself in front of Noise. “You’re getting worried about nothing.”

Noise nodded. “Maybe you’re right,” he said. “In any case, I heard Mia got here all by herself. Or… maybe it was Laz?”

“Don’t talk like that thing is a person, remember what you’re dealing with,” Kanda said. “Had to fight it off with old dirty tricks.”

“Ankle slashes?” Noise asked. “Just when I thought you would be above it, too.”

“Yeah well, you’re the one I learned it from, don’t be so proud of it,” Kanda replied. He looked away as he pulled his coat over his shoulders and plucked a red ribbon from his coat pocket. “So, what have you heard since you got here?” he asked, his mouth occupied by the ribbon as he began to tie up his hair.

“Hmm, well, I only got here an hour ago, so I haven’t heard too much,” Noise replied. “Though, it’s funny you should ask— I was passing by the training area and swore I overheard Allen and Mia talking.”

Kanda huffed. He had to act as naturally as he could, given who he was speaking with. “So? None of my business.”

“Well, Mia was explaining compression.”

Kanda bristled. “And? Beansprout’s probably just curious about her Innocence,” he replied. He turned to face Marie, who only shot him a knowing glare. It was made extra intense by the fact that Noise couldn’t really see him, as the gloss in his gaze was startlingly cold.

“What?” the swordsman asked, tightening the ribbon.

“Somebody crossed roads with Lazarus, didn’t they?” Marie asked slowly.

“Why would you assume something like that?” Kanda said, hurriedly putting his boots on.

“Kanda, there’s no reason why such a thing would come up unless someone got into a mess,” he said. “That and you can’t keep your breathing steady enough for me to buy what you’re saying. Who did Lazarus shrink this time?”

Kanda frowned. “Fuck,” he said. “Look, clearly you’re a better observer than me, all things considered. Whose voice is faintest?”

Marie paused. “Hmm…”

Kanda finished dressing and began to walk away, only to get grabbed around the waist and flung over Marie’s shoulder. “Hey, let me go, Marie!” he shouted. “You can’t treat me like this, you

know

how I feel about situations like—“

“Take me to him,” Marie said. “Take me to where Lavi is.”

“Find him yourself,” Kanda said, continuing to kick. “I don’t want to get more people involved than…”

As he was lugged out of the bathhouse, he noticed a familiar presence in his peripheral looking his way. “Oh,

God no.”

Across the plaza, Froi Tiedoll sat, observing the birds with birdseed and looking over his sketchboard. Despite the distance, that peculiar twinkle in his eyes when he saw him still managed to be visible. “There you are!” he called.

Noise turned and walked towards him, which swung Kanda away from eye contact. “Master,” Noise said. “Kanda’s come to say hello.”

“Marie let go of me this instant,” Kanda screeched. “I don’t need to see him right away.”

“Yuu,” the older man said, looking up completely from his charcoal sketch. “It’s good to see you.”

“Old man, I told you not to call me that wh—“ Kanda was interrupted by a harsh jostle from Noise. “What the hell, Marie?”

Tiedoll grinned and resumed sketching. “I heard Mia got back safely,” he said. “Have you two been getting along?”

Kanda grumbled as he tried to tear himself from Noise’s grip. “We’ve got along fine.”

“He says he’s still struggling with Lazarus,” Marie replied. “Something about having to injure it to make it leave.”

The General frowned. “Yuu, you know it isn’t nice to be so rough with your siblings.”

Kanda frowned. “Sibling.”

“Yuu…” Tiedoll groaned. He huffed and held his sketch out in front of him. “Look at that, a gorgeous picture. Glad I visited earlier to refresh my memory.” After standing up, he circled around to Kanda and smiled. “You ought to be more kind to Lazarus, Yuu… it may not meet your expectations of personhood, but when it acts on its own regardless of Mia’s wishes you should take it seriously.”

“Says the one who’s constantly getting himself compressed when traveling together!” Kanda shouted.

“Now, Yuu,” the General said. “Is that anyway to talk to the one who raised you? Or to talk about your older siblings?”

“You’re killing me, old man,” he said. “Look, I don’t need a lecture right now, Noise and I have somewhere to be. Isn’t that right, Marie?”

Noise nodded in agreement. “We have to go see Mia,” he said, setting Kanda down. “Though I heard Komui call me to his office just now, so I may as well let you two go together.”

“What?”

Kanda hissed, getting closer to Marie’s face. “You seriously expect me to go and—“

“I think it would be preferable since Komui said something about a rat infestation. Best not to put you through the trouble,” the tall man replied. “Unless you’d rather have Master see.”

Kanda swallowed. While he was grateful that Noise was willing to cover for him, he was less excited about having to visit with his Master. “I’ll spare him his old fragile heart,” he growled.

“Oh, Yuu, you know I love all of God’s creatures,” he said. “A little rat isn’t going to sc—“

“No!” his apprentices replied in unison. They looked at each other for a moment before Marie chimed in. “Master, I was asked personally. If you want, you can come

after

your visit with Mia in the nurse’s station. I’m certain she missed you while she was away in America.”

Tiedoll smiled. “I’m sure you’re right,” he said. “Come with me, Yuu, I’ve wanted to catch up.”

Kanda breathed a hefty sigh. “Thanks Marie for handling… the rat infestation.”

Noise held up a thumb and waved the two of them off. “Good luck with Mia.”

Kanda groaned as he walked away. As soon as he got a reasonable distance from his comrade, he piped up. “What’s your deal anyway?” he grumbled. “Nobody would fault you for seeing things the way I do.”

Tiedoll sighed. “Yuu, you wouldn’t understand the sort of creature that Innocence is,” he said. “It’s very rare that a parasite type would act on its own like that, so seeing Lazarus up and about should be celebrated.”

“What’s the point? At the end of the day, it’s still a weapon,” Kanda said.

“While it may be a weapon, it’s also attached to a very sweet and very kind girl. As such, it shapes itself around her and becomes like its host. That may include old parts of personality that Mia may have buried.”

“And? Doesn’t give it the right to harass me into playtime,” Kanda replied.

“Well, from what I know, Mia was heartbroken about her comrades in Barcelona. Though she was more sisterly to you and Daisya, Lazarus always wanted to play around.”

“I’m not its babysitter,” Kanda said.

“I’m not asking you to be,” Tiedoll said. “I just think you’re hearing and not listening.”

“Those are the same thing,” Kanda said.

“No, no,” his Master replied. “You’re hearing what Lazarus is saying but you’re not taking it in, not trying to understand.”

“Look, we’re talking in circles at this point,” Kanda said. “If there isn’t anything to understand, there’s nothing to listen to.” He frowned and sped up. “Let’s get to the nurse’s before—“

Tiedoll grabbed his arm and grabbed him around his chest in a hug. “Yuu, Lazarus lost a friend that day and so did Mia. You of all people should know how tough it is to lose someone.”

Kanda bristled and scowled, wiggling his way out of Froi’s grasp. “Don’t talk to me about losing people,” he hissed. “Bringing that shit up just to tick me off, what right do you have?”

Tiedoll thought for a moment. “I’m sorry.”

Kanda paused. “And?”

“And nothing,” Tiedoll said. “I just figured you’d understand why Mia and Lazarus have been hurting so bad.”

Kanda looked to the ground. “You never apologize without trying to convince me of something.”

“I’m not going to change your mind unless you’re willing to be open to it,” Tiedoll replied. “You’ve always been set on a goal the moment you set your eyes on it. After all, that’s why you’re still searching, right?”

Kanda breathed in, then out. “Yeah,” he said. “I suppose you aren’t wrong.”

Tiedoll smirked. “And you certainly weren’t happy when Daisya passed either, did you?” he asked.

“No,” Kanda said. “I kept wondering if he got to Heaven safely. Kept wondering if that place would even let…” He trailed off, beginning to see the dark confines of a place he tried to forget. His hands began to shake.

A warm hand took his, causing him to flinch and pull away. His Master smiled.

“Gotcha out of that really quick,” he said.

Kanda groaned and moved forward again with Tiedoll.

“I can’t wait to see her,” Froi said. “I drew her hometown for her room and brought her sweets.”

“She’s a grown woman, sir,” Kanda said, shaking the earlier thoughts away.

“Nobody is too old for candy, you know,” Tiedoll replied. “You want some? I have extra.”

Kanda held a hand up. “You know I don’t care for those.”

Tiedoll nodded. “Maybe another time.”

Kanda rounded a corner into the building and began walking down the corridor. “Why do you insist on Lazarus being treated like…

that?”

he asked.

“Well, because our talks were always fruitful,” he said. “You know that with Innocence I’ve always spoken softly and never inhibited its travel should it need to find an accommodator.”

Kanda frowned. “You know how much pain I went through just to get Mugen to respond.”

Tiedoll nodded. “But that’s no reason to weaponize your experience against someone else. What would you do if you said what you say to Lazarus to Mia?”

“She’d—“ Kanda’s eyes widened as he spotted Komui down the hall, his power tools in hand.

Tiedoll turned. “Wasn’t he supposed to be getting rats with—“

“Ey, Komui,” Kanda called, his panic fueling him. “What’re you doing here?”

“Fixing up Mia’s nerves,” he said. “Why do you ask?”

“Because you’re supposed to be helping Marie with the rat infestation in the dorms. 5th floor,” Kanda said, glaring heavily at him as though he could melt steel. “Remember?”

Komui looked into the nearby room, then to him. “U-uh, yes!” he stuttered. “Of course! Lemme just get out of your hair then. Where did Marie pinpoint the rats to?”

“Bookman’s room,” Kanda said.

“Ah yes, lots of little nooks for them to hide in and no way to just fumigate the whole room,” he said. He carefully adjusted his glasses before pushing past the two of them. “A challenge but a welcome one. Well, bye-bye then!”

Tiedoll sighed. “That… was odd.”

“Yeah,” Kanda said, quickly walking forward and turning into the room.

“Oh, hey Kanda.”

The familiar sight of a white-haired comrade staring at him, the same vaguely plastic grin, gave Kanda pause. He swallowed and stepped forward. “Surprised you stuck around. Usually after a match you’re in the mess hall recovering.”

He looked at Mia, whose wounds had been stitched and worked back into place by both the Head Nurse and Komui. Carefully, he pushed past Allen and walked toward her. “Mia, are you… okay? You look pale,” he said, his tone matter-of-fact.

“I'm fine, that drill really knocks the wind out of you,” she said, rubbing her arm. “Did you find him yet?”

“Find who?” Tiedoll called, stepping into the room. Kanda flinched at the sight of a large bouquet of blinding white flowers and wondered where he got them before registering the chisel in his left hand.

“Pops!” Mia replied, shuffling off the examiner’s table. “You’re here! I thought you were in Milan…” She tackled him in a hug, sending them both to the ground.

“Oof!” Froi groaned as he crashed, the flowers dissipating with his focus. “You’ve grown quite strong since we last spoke,” he said. “How much can you lift now?”

Mia smirked and quickly grabbed his arm, yanking him upright. Kanda grimaced as he heard a few joints pop.

Mia frowned. “Oh, sorry, I may have gone a bit too hard,” she said.

Tiedoll laughed. “No, no, honestly with a force that strong you could run a chiropractor out of business.” He rolled his shoulder and hissed. “On second thought…”

Mia frowned and took a look at his shoulder blade. “Here, it’s a slight misalignment.” Before the General could protest, she grabbed his arm and popped it back into place. “There.”

“Hmm…” Froi mused, looking to her arm. “You were sparring again?”

“Afraid so,” she said. “Frosty here is a speedy one too, barely had any time to harden my skin for it.”

“I’m sorry, what?” Allen asked. “You mean that wasn’t just bare skin?”

“No, if you’d cut me without it the damage likely would’ve made me have to scream more when Komui used his tools,” she said. “My nerves can only hold for so long, but they aren’t immune to cuts.”

Kanda smirked. “If you were observant, beansprout, you would’ve remembered how I disarmed her this morning,” he said.

“It’s Allen,” the other young man replied, his anger slowly boiling under his smile. “Do you really think I forgot when Lazarus attacked us?”

Tiedoll sighed as the boys continued to bicker. “Mia, is this true?”

His pupil frowned. “Master, I don’t understand why Lazarus is still acting up. I’ve gone through so much healthy grieving, I’ve prayed, I’ve taken long walks and knitted while talking aloud to Daisya. I’ve gone through so many routes of grief.”

“Hmm… so it’s not grieving due to a part of your brain holding onto regrets,” he said.

“Of course not,” Mia insisted. “I mean, do I miss him. I took my time grieving. But in my journal, I see little scribbles that look like him,” she said. “Lazarus seems to miss him even more sorely.”

Froi nodded. “Seems the flower has really begun to grow apart from the stem, don’t you think?” he asked.

“Hevlaska’s prophecies often come true, but…” She balled her fist. “How can we both grow if it’s still suffering from the past?”

Tiedoll smiled. “Mia, Lazarus is a creature of God, an entity that naturally doesn’t understand what it means to be human. Don’t you think losing a friend like that would be hard for anyone?”

Mia nodded. “But what am I to do? I can’t just forget he existed.”

“Maybe the trick is to meet Lazarus at a place of compassion,” he said. “And perhaps to remind it that there are still living people willing to fight alongside it.”

Mia looked at Kanda. “Master, I appreciate your optimism, but… the only ones that it really knows well are your pupils. Kanda is not good at showing empathy toward it.”

“He’s not a feelings sort of person,” Froi replied.

“You know what I mean, sir.” Mia sighed. “He doesn’t even think of it as anything more than a weapon.”

Froi grabbed her shoulder. “You and me, let’s go out in the hall. Something tells me the nurses are gonna be in here soon.”

Mia nodded and turned with him as the arguing continued between the boys. She knew that leaving them alone was a horrible idea, but when her Master asked her to talk or walk with him it meant he was going to discuss a sensitive matter.

Tiedoll closed the door behind the two of them. “Mia, you remember where he came from, correct?”

The young woman nodded. “Of course,” she replied. “We found him wandering out in the fields. Looked like he hadn’t bathed in a week.”

“Two weeks,” Tiedoll clarified. “I remember he didn’t even want to speak. And it looked like he hadn’t eaten anything in that time, either,” he said.

“You know that never stopped him, right?” Mia replied.

“Of course,” Tiedoll said. “Yet I was adamant to get him food, and you were there for him.”

“Yes, but not Lazarus,” Mia said. “Lazarus wasn’t as strong as it is now, and hardly as controlled. And when you got compressed, the poor boy was mortified.”

“He clung to Innocence because he had no choice,” Tiedoll said. “He’s only really discussed why with the two of us and with Noise.”

Mia downturned her gaze and crossed her arms. “So you’re saying he doesn’t trust Lazarus because it’s an Innocence? Despite the fact he wields the same powerful tool?”

Tiedoll shrugged. “He has reasons to despise the Order, to despise the curse cast on his shoulders,” he said. “His grudge is deeply interwoven into his own issues he has yet to resolve.”

“Issues he can’t resolve, not until—“

“I know, Mia, I know. But the sooner he at least

tries

to play nice, the sooner my twins will be able to reconcile with their younger brother.” Tiedoll grinned. “Now, I heard there was a rat infestation Komui had to take care of.”

“Oh?” Mia said, a bit confused. “Who told you that?”

“Noise.”

Mia swallowed. “Forgot he could hear that far,” she said, her face turning red. “Any peep from the Chief about where the ‘rats’ are?”

“Oh, yeah,” Tiedoll said, cheerfully. “Bookman’s room.”

Mia sharply inhaled. She knew that someone had found Lavi at this point. But how he got up to that floor from Komui’s makeshift office in the dorms was still a mystery.

Unless, of course, Kanda wasn’t being entirely honest, given he was heading in that direction. But how he got through the pat-down she’d performed was surely a sign that he was honest.

She thought for a moment again and ran through his routine. He asked to eat some of his food, to take a sip of tea.

What if…

she thought to herself.

Kanda opened the door from the room and walked out, a scrape across his face still healing over. He dusted off one of his shoulders. “What’re you two talking about?” he asked.

Mia smiled politely with venom locked behind her teeth. “Oh, just catching up,” she said. “Master, why don’t you go find Noise? I’m sure he could use your help with the rats.”

Kanda frowned. “I’m sure you and Tiedoll have more than just a few minutes worth of things to discuss,” he said.

“Not as much as I have to discuss with

you

, Kanda,” Mia said. “As it happens, we can all walk to the dorms while we’re waiting.” She marched past him and grabbed the edge of his ponytail before yanking.

Tiedoll frowned as he followed. “Mia, you’re being so rough with him!” he nearly whined.

Kanda’s head whipped back and he was knocked off balance with a noticeable crack to his neck. For a few moments, it didn’t seem like there was any sound coming from him, but soon afterward he woke again and began to screech.

“How dare you pull on me like this! Fucking let me go, you banshee bitch, I’m not a— nnngfff!”

Mia yanked again and wrapped his hair around her hand. “I’ve gotten stronger since the last time you saw me, so don’t think I’m not willing to discipline you for being so facetious with me,” she said, dragging him outside and across the courtyard. “Master is going to go and find the “rats” you spoke of, and you and I are gonna have a

little chat

in my room,” she said.

“Men aren’t permitted on the women’s floor,” Kanda said. “Ow, stop pulling!”

Mia pulled him up by his hair as they reached the lodging house. “Stand up,” she commanded.

“I’m not a fucking dog, don’t talk to me like that!” he shouted, turning around to look at her as he rose from the floor. He stepped forward and looked down at her with a scowl.

Tiedoll moved between the two of them and smiled at Kanda. “Yuu… why don’t you give Mia her gift.”

“I don’t wanna give her shit when she chooses to pull me around like an animal on a leash,” he said. “Why should I now? And what do you even mean by that?”

“Because,” his Master replied as he dug through his pocket, “I think you’ll find these useful in getting to the

root

of the issue.” He produced a small lumpy item packed in a colorful handkerchief. It was tied with red ribbon and there was a slight citrus aroma wafting from it.

Kanda rolled his eyes before glancing at the haphazardly packaged item. “What are they?” he asked, cautiously grabbing it.

Mia frowned. “You know that I know there’s a gift, right? I’m right here.”

“I know, but having him give it to you and Lazarus is more important to me than anything,” Tiedoll said. “Now, I have to go and help your brother with his task. Don’t make a mess while I’m away!”

After watching him jog away, the two members of Tiedoll Unit looked at each other. Neither wanted to speak at first, instead giving each other venomous glances, but then Kanda broke the silence.

“Are we going to your room or do you want to stand there?” he asked, looking down at the gift he now carried. “I’d rather go there without you pulling my head around.”

Mia nodded, but was still clearly upset. “We have a lot to discuss about Lavi,” she said. “But first, let’s get up there— nobody needs to overhear us.” She turned and walked to the nearby stairwell. “That

is

what you wanted, right?”

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Lavi struggled as the tight wires wrapped around him, squeezing his limbs and holding him strung out within the confines of a mechanical box. He wanted to kick himself, he was practically already doing it mentally, and he cussed under his breath as he realized what the device he was captured in was made for.
As he braced for whatever the worst was to come, he retraced his steps that lead here.He’d slipped out of the room during Bookman’s afternoon sabbatical, having made it clear that he did not want to be kept inside. It didn’t matter what size he was, his Master reusing a cricket cage was hardly a place fit for him, especially since he had nothing to tide over his boredom. There wasn’t even a soft place for him to nap.Lavi may not have had his hammer, but he wasn’t unarmed. From his place on the high shelf, he had easily surveyed his path to the floor. He had a knife in one of his boots, too, which he brandished against the thin bamboo bars that confined him. After slicing through his prison, he began to carefully make his way over to the edge of the shelf and began going row by row to the bottom.About halfway to the floor, his foot had slipped, sending him into a heap of papers that barely broke his fall. Though his bones had ached, Lavi wondered why he hadn’t broken anything from what felt like at least 3 stories up. He pulled himself from the papers and resolved to find his way to Mia himself.
After slipping beneath the door, he’d found himself watching as residents in the halls swept past. Among them was Komui, who didn’t seem to be looking particularly carefully as his fast paces barreled towards the Junior with his companion Reever in tow.“Sir, are you sure you need me for this? It’s a rat infestation.”“That was a cover,” Komui replied. “Kanda’s antsy about too many people figuring out what happened this morning and I didn’t want to alert anyone else in the wing.”Lavi dove back against the wall to avoid getting squashed. He may have been able to handle a fall from high up, but getting crushed under someone’s shoe sounded like an awful way to bite it.“And what is going on, sir?” Reever asked, frowning. “This isn’t some ploy to get me to do your chores, is it?”Lavi debated even alerting the man of his presence. For all he knew, the man would try and push the limits with dozens of stress tests. He didn’t feel too good ending up under a magnifying glass like a pinned insect, so he held his tongue.But just down the hall, at the other end, was a familiar face, a towering man whose eyes were affixed forward. “Noise!” he said quietly, waving his arms. “Noise, are you there?”“Lavi?” Noise said, considerably louder. The two scientists looked at him. Lavi held a hand to his face.
“He’s close?” Komui asked. “Good, hopefully I can assess his condition and—““Shit, shit….” Lavi whispered, backing himself against the door he’d crawled from. “Noise, don’t let Komui get ahold of me.”Noise smirked. “Komui, what a surprise. Didn’t know you were looking for him, too.”Reever looked at his boss. “What… Chief, this is all really confusing,” he said. “What is going on?”Komui sighed. “Reever, one of our exorcists used their Innocence against another and it’s produced some… interesting effects. Things you’ve likely imagined coming from the vials we used to have back in the old storeroom.”Noise nodded. “Lavi’s shrunk and we need to make sure that he’s not in trouble,” he said. “Though, I can hear him just fine,” he assured.“Well that’s all fine and dandy,” Komui said. “But that’s not the reason I’m frantic. When Kanda clued me in by calling it a rat infestation, I was reminded that I had Komlin trappers roaming the facility.”Reever looked at him. “So? You have the rat-traps out, so what? With his weapon he can handle a few—““That’s the problem,” Noise said, coming a bit closer. “He doesn’t have his hammer with him.”As Lavi’s face grew pale with the realization of how dangerous his surroundings had become, he failed to notice the cable tightening around his leg. He was too busy wondering what kind of freaky machines Komui was making now, too busy wondering how close one of them was, to move his foot a bit further away.And suddenly, he didn’t have to think about it as all, as he was pulled down and under the door with a yelp.Lavi swallowed as he brought himself back to the present, locked in the dark confines of the Komulin device that whirred and whistled around him. To his surprise, it wasn’t in the process of killing him— not yet at least— so he didn’t have quite the intensity of fear he probably should have.He shouted at the top of his lungs now, intent on making certain the Austrian comrade could hear every sound he made. “Noise, get me the hell outta here!!” he screeched.Outside, a series of violent shakes could be felt, surely the work of the robot’s pursuers missing his vessel. “Dammit,” Lavi said, pulling against the cables cutting off circulation to his arms. “These restraints are too tight…”A steady buzz sounded from within the dark chamber as he continued to struggle, a sound that came from above and in front of him. “What the hell…”A tiny surgical saw appeared to be slowly inching closer aimed right down the middle of his lower half. “Oh hell no.” He knew what that thing was for, and he did everything to wiggle one of his legs free, but to no avail. His limbs were all firmly spread away from his torso. All he could really do was hope they reached him before anything could happen.A muffled voice called from beyond, a voice that was distinctly Marie’s. Following the cry, dozens of razor-thin slits appeared in the walls of the trapper’s main chamber, allowing thin slivers of light to pour in. Lavi thrashed against his restraints as they loosened slightly.Then, quickly, the telltale wires of Noel Organon cut through the bot and scattered its pieces, causing the rest of the device to collapse. Lavi braced for the debris, forcing his arms over his head and curling himself into a ball.Lavi panted. It was over, whatever was about to happen was stopped. His heart raced and he could barely hear the sound of the rubble around him shifting.“Lavi!” Reever called. “Lavi, are you okay?”Lavi’s vision, which had been blurry, began to correct itself. He felt a gentle hand scoop him up and lift him into the air. “Ugh…”Komui looked at him. “Lavi, stay with us,” he said.“Komui, I’m fine,” Lavi groaned. “I’m just shaken up by that thing.”Reever, who was holding him, furrowed. “This is so much more dangerous than any of the vials, Chief.” He watched as Lavi pulled himself up. “You doing okay?”Lavi held a thumbs up and took a deep breath before screaming at Komui. “What the hell was the buzz saw for?!!” he asked, throwing his arms up. “You coulda cut off something important!”Komui grimaced and rubbed at the back of his neck. “Y-yes, well… that’s sorta the point of the device.”Reever looked at him. “Sir, you said it was for killing rats.”“It's for killing the rat population, what better way to do that than to cut it off at the source?”Lavi fumed. “I coulda lost my—““Now, now, let’s all calm down,” Noise said. “Lavi, are you hurt anywhere? Any injuries?”“Well, no,” Lavi replied. “Not even ones I probably should have sustained. I mean, I fell a few stories onto a very small amount of support.”“Alright, well at least that still works as intended,” the exorcist replied. Komui looked up at him, puzzled.
“You sound like you know how this all works,” Komui asked. “How is it possible to avoid injury from that high up?”“Lazarus’ compression enigmatically reduces size and weight, but increases durability,” Noise said. He held out his hand. “May I?”Reever paused. “You’re sure he’ll be safe?”“Just because I can’t see doesn’t mean I’m incapable of being careful with him,” he said.
Lavi yelped as his perch moved to meet Noise’s hand. Lavi swallowed a bit, noting that because he was a taller man his hands were larger than average, not to mention that with his weapon they likely were capable of more force. He carefully stepped off.After a moment, he felt himself moving a bit more in a bounce as Noise gauged him. “Marie, what the heck are you doing?” he shouted.“Sorry, trying to get a good idea of how badly Laz got you,” he said. “Mind laying down for a moment?”Lavi sighed. “Better than falling off,” he said. “Dunno if I could handle a trip to the ground from here…”Komui had a finger to his chin. “So his durability is a lot higher than normal,” Komui said. “How exactly did you figure that one out?”Noise smirked, feeling at his friend’s relative height compared to the rest of his palm. “Chief, you should know how density affects durability,” he said. “Yeah, looks like it was pretty upset, Lavi. Not at you, mind you, but certainly your height is an indication of a loss of restraint.”Lavi carefully sat up. “Well, what do we do now? I can’t exactly do any part of my job like this.”“Not to mention you’re not safe without your Innocence,” Reever said. “Where is that?”“Pretty certain that Inspector Link has it,” Komui replied. “Reever?”The scientist frowned. He knew that lilt anywhere. “You want me to go find him, don’t you?” he asked.Komui pouted. “Pretty please?” he asked.
Reever huffed. “Fine.”As Reever went down the hall, he and another figure brushed shoulders. “Hey, watch—““Sorry!” the General replied, chuckling. “I’m checking in with Noise.”Lavi yelped as the fingers of his teammate closed around him like one of Krory’s flowers. “Marie, what th— mmmfhhh!”Muffled beyond the walls, the Junior could hear Tiedoll asking about the rat infestation. Lavi was confused, wondering if it was really a great idea to be calling the situation that. But more pressingly, Noise’s fingers were getting tighter around him, likely out of nerves.Lavi frowned and kicked at the walls around him. “Marie, you’re gonna squeeze me!”“Lavi?” Tiedoll asked. His voice sounded bewildered.
Komui sighed. “Since Mia is one of your pupils, you have every right to know.”Noise gripped even tighter, and Lavi panicked.“Chief, is it really a good idea to tell Master this? Kanda wanted to keep matters between as few people as possible.”Lavi felt his breathing getting constricted and he knew he had to do something. One of his legs was bent a little strange as well, making the force of his prison extra uncomfortable. “Marie!” he gasped, barely able to make a sound. “Stop holding me so tight!”“Marie,” Tiedoll replied. “What’s been going on with Kanda and Mia? I just spoke to both of them and they’ve been fighting over something,” he said.“W-well,” Marie started.Lavi drew the knife from his pocket and dug it into Marie’s palm. “Lemme outta here!” he shouted.Almost immediately, Marie’s palm unfurled as he flinched in pain, sending Lavi flying for a second before crash landing into another person’s hand. Lavi’s eyes followed up the arm of his safe landing until his eyes locked with Froi’s.Tiedoll smirked. “Well,” he said. “No wonder Yuu was on edge earlier. Good evening, Bookman Junior. How have you been?”“H-hey gramps,” Lavi replied, still a bit dazed from the fall. “Feeling… pretty vulnerable, to be honest.”Marie looked down at his hand and carefully pulled the knife from his skin. “Maybe not too vulnerable,” he said, carefully dropping it back to Lavi. “Why’d you stab me?”“Dude, I couldn’t breathe in there!” he said. He quickly picked up the knife and stashed it into one of his boots. “It’s fine, better to get back to the bigger problem,” he said. He paused and chuckled from his nerves. “Relatively speaking, I mean.”Komui adjusted his glasses. “What do you mean?”“Well, we need to get me back to normal, and we need to keep Lazarus away from Kanda,” Lavi said. “It’s pissed with him about something and if I’m just an innocent caught in the crossfire, who knows how bad it could be if Kanda gets himself into hell with it.”Tiedoll frowned. “Well, that’s no good,” he said, standing up straight. “I just left Mia and Kanda to have a chat in her room.”“And she’s tired out pretty badly…” Komui said, his face paling.
Noise frowned. “Master, you still have the lemon sweets, right?”Tiedoll shrugged. “I absolutely don’t anymore.”“What’re those for?” Lavi asked.
“Lazarus is drawn out by particular tastes,” Tiedoll explained. “Usually it’s a way to more easily get its support in a pinch. It likes lemon, I suppose.”Noise nodded. “It does unfortunately mean that Mia disappears for a bit, but Mia would need to be the one taking it to bring Laz out, so it isn’t unwilling.”Lavi frowned. “So you armed Kanda with the one thing that could put him at risk?”“I’m sure that he’s fine!” Komui said.Tiedoll looked to the ground for a few moments before carefully reaching forward. “Sorry, Noise,” he said.Lavi yelped as the General grabbed him and cradled him against his chest. He couldn’t quite make out much of his outside surroundings, but through a crack in the man’s fingers he could see that he was picking up speed.“Master!” Noise shouted, his footsteps echoing off the walls as he gave chase. “Where are you going?”“If Lavi can fit under her door, he may be able to stop Mia before she gives into a bad temper,” he said.
“She’s in her right to be upset, sir!”“I know, but if Lazarus is as angry as the young man says, we can’t let it touch another comrade,” Froi said.After a few more moments of running, Tiedoll carefully brought his hands forward and down to the floor. “Go,” he said. “Her room number is 406.”“Um, aren’t I supposed to not be on this floor?” Lavi said. “I mean, girls are cute but seeing them from all the way down here is kinda spooky.”“Nobody is going to see you like they would for me. Besides, every moment you wait is another chance for something to go wrong,” Tiedoll explained. “I’ll go get backup just in case things get… explosive.” “Can she do that?” Lavi asked aloud.“Oh yes, they both can.”Mia sighed and locked the door behind her. “So, where do I start?”“Likely with the rat infestation,” Kanda said, crossing his arms. He looked around the barren room and frowned— the only things in the room aside from the two of them were an airy set of curtains and an old wooden foot locker. “Did we… go to the right place? There’s nothing here.”
Mia smiled, though there was a noticeable bite to her glare. “Right,” she said, moving to the storage. She carefully pulled a shoebox from the luggage and took out a set of small chairs and a tiny matching table.Kanda smirked. “You brought dollhouse furniture?” he asked. “That’s got to be—“Mia grabbed the table and raised it above her. In one moment, it was in the air and the size of her hand, with her fingers clutching two of the legs. In the next, she’d slammed down a full table right next to Kanda with a heavy thud.Kanda swallowed a bit. “You’ve been practicing,” he said. “You wouldn’t happen to be able to—““No,” Mia curtly replied, uncompressing the two chairs and setting them on both sides of the table. “I can’t fix Lavi’s issue.”“Right…” Kanda said, carefully and cautiously sitting down in one of the chairs. “Look, you know how I feel about—“Mia scoffed as she brought the shoebox to the table. “Here we go, you’re here to make excuses.”“You brought me here,” Kanda said as he bristled. “You wanted to talk to me.”Mia brought out her bed with a clonk and began flicking small pieces of fabric, letting them unfurl into proper bedsheets. “What exactly do I even say, Kanda? You tell me you don’t know where he is, you act suspicious, you pull sleight of hand on me, and you use code words like I wouldn’t know what you mean.”“Noise came up with that term,” Kanda corrected. “And you know why I want to get this solved. The less people in the way the less danger we put our troops in.”“You’re treating Lazarus and I like we’re a hazard to be avoided!” Mia said, roughly tucking her sheets. “We can handle ourselves.”“Then why is Lavi even in this mess?” Kanda asked. He set the candy package on the table as she bustled about the room, unloading her furniture. “Surely Lazarus would be under control by now if this didn’t happen.”“Kanda, I’m trying, ” Mia said. She pulled her journal from the foot locker and brought it over to him and opened it about a third of the way in before setting it down in front of him. “What am I supposed to do when it keeps drawing him?”Kanda rolled his eyes. “Beats me. Dunno why it even cares.”“Kanda, it’s attached to my nerves. It feels because it has a tool to feel,” she said. “It‘s experiencing concepts it has no idea how to deal with and you’re acting like it’s no big deal.”“It really isn’t a big deal,” Kanda said. “It’s a weapon, a thing meant to destroy Ak—“There was a flash of red as Kanda felt a sharp pain across his face. He sharply breathed in and stared at his comrade as she registered what she’d done. For a moment, her eyes softened as her hand completed its motion. But in the next, her brows began to slant and her mouth opened. “Don’t you remember how badly you wanted to live? How Mugen came to you?” she yelled. “Don’t you remember that they chose us?”Kanda scowled and grabbed her arm, knocking her back and onto her bed as he stood. “Don’t talk about things you weren’t there to see!” he yelled back. “You aren’t my parent!”Mia’s eyes stared up towards the ceiling. “I…” she said, her voice beginning to waver.Kanda’s eyes widened before he frowned and walked toward the door. “I’m leaving, this was a waste of time,” he said.As his hand reached for the door, a dart-like object whizzed past his fingers and dug itself into the keyhole. Kanda looked down as he watched the pencil Mia had pulled from her luggage burn into the lock and melt the insides into place.
As he turned, he saw the candy bag lying open on the table, a handful of lemon candies having been spilled across it and onto the floor along with the red ribbon that held the paper shut. Mia had popped one into her mouth and was making her way over to the swordsman.Dammit, Tiedoll,
he thought.
Of course it’s the lemon ones.
Kanda backed away and moved around the room, trying to keep a safe distance between the two of them. “Mia, I—““I’m so sick and tired, Kanda,” she said, her voice beginning to grow weary. “I’m tired of the lies, tired of you treating me like a fragile wreck, and tired of… of…”Her eyes fluttered as she fell forward. Kanda grabbed her around the waist and gently tossed her onto the bed like a hot blanket, as he had no intention on keeping direct contact. He then backed up and drew his sword, waiting patiently for the worst. Shit, he thought. This is the fourth floor, too. Can’t be breaking windows either… Mia’s foot twitched and Lazarus pulled her body away from the covers. “Ugh, that Inspector sure can…”Kanda braced himself as its eyes locked onto him. For a moment, there was nothing strange within the room— no sound, no breeze, nothing at all.And then he saw the way Lazarus clung to the bedsheets, its fingers— Mia’s fingers— leaving burning prints in the white fabric. “Good afternoon, Kanda,” it said.The swordsman swallowed again. He had no way out of the room and there was no way that he could fight in such close quarters without heavy property damage. Not that I mind, he thought. I’d just rather not have Komui bitch at me. “Kanda!” a voice called, quiet but familiar.
Lavi, the swordsman thought. Where though? As the Junior waved his arms from behind the table leg, Kanda glanced in his direction. How did you even get in here? Lazarus moved off the bed. “Kanda, talk to me,” it spoke. “You still haven’t said hello.”“I-I…” Kanda stammered, still trying to think of a way out of this mess. His eyes wandered until he looked at the small gap under the door, which was now halfway across the room. If I… no, that’s too risky, there’s no way… right? As Lazarus grabbed his shoulder, he knew his time was up. The Innocence grinned as he swallowed his spit.“Hi,” he said, slowly sheathing his weapon. “Let go of me. I’ll help you grieve but you need to let me leave first.”“How exactly are you planning to leave this room?” Lazarus asked. “The lock is melted shut.”Kanda ducked under its arm and began to run, only for Lazarus to grab his arm and twist. Kanda lurched forward and yelled. “Dammit, this is why I don’t like talking with you!”“No, it’s because you don’t see me for what I am!” Lazarus yelled.“And what’s that?” Kanda asked through a series of sharp breaths.Lazarus looked to the side for a moment, then smirked and flung him onto the bed before pouncing on top of him. It grabbed the duvet and forcibly pulled it over Kanda before the sparks in its arms descended and struck the fabric with an icy chill. Kanda fell against the floor as the blanket frosted over and restrained his arms.“Lazarus…” Kanda said, struggling to get his arms free. “What the hell are you doing?”Lazarus, who’d taken the moment to walk over to the table and lean down, pulled Lavi into the air. “You didn’t think I forgot how you’ve made me feel, did you?” it asked, setting its tiny captive on the bed for a moment. “And you never thought once that maybe asking me to deactivate was hurtful?”Kanda glared at it, confused. “Since when have you felt hurt ? When have you felt anything ?”Lazarus shouted and slammed its leg into the side of Kanda’s head, sending him and the blanket into the nearby wall. The duvet shattered around him and clattered to the floor like shards of frosted glass. His nose bled a bit as he looked at his assailant. “Since the day I lost my friend, Yuu!” it shouted. Tears began to stream down its face. “You act like I can’t grow, can’t feel… like I’m not experiencing humanity for myself in all its terror. I’m scared, Yuu… I’m scared of these feelings. They hurt.” “Laz,” Kanda said. His comrade bolted forward as it tried to stand firm.“Don’t ‘Laz’ me!” it replied, grabbing at his arm. “I’m going to do exactly what I set out to do and you’re not going to stop me.”Kanda couldn’t think clearly. An Innocence that felt— that felt fear, pain, and grief— was unheard of. Hell, an Innocence being sentient and speaking like this was unheard of. He didn’t know where Mia ended and Lazarus began with the way everything worked.But he did know what it meant to not understand a feeling, to be driven mad by the fear. He thought back to when he had escaped into the wilderness with Mugen in tow, still covered in viscera under the canopy of the night. He felt a growing pain in his stomach with each passing hour, a feeling he came to understand was called ‘hunger’, and how until then he thought it was a sign he would surely die.And all throughout that fortnight with no food, the single thought that replayed over and over, a mantra of insanity he feared would never end.
‘I want to live.’

----- CHAPTER BREAK -----

Kanda felt the prickling sensation of Lazarus’ power as it overtook him, starting from the arm and growing in intensity as it shifted through his body. His sword grew heavy at his side and he felt it burst from the harness as his vision grew more blurry. There was a stillness in the world as it tilted, as if the pace of the kaleidoscope of life had been set in motion long ago, and Kanda came to realize what was happening to him.

Yet he did not fight it.

Not after everything he’d heard and seen. Not after it had clicked. To fight would be to show some semblance of pride when he knew there was none to be had in shunning a comrade. So he did not fight the compression as it grew to its apex.

As soon as he felt his body growing hot like an iron brand, it stopped and plunged him back into the relative “cold” of the room. He hung by his arm and blinked as his surroundings focused again.

“Kanda!” Lavi called, followed by a short muffling sound.

The swordsman yelped as Lazarus flung him up and grabbed him out of the air, causing his limbs to be pressed against his torso in an uncomfortable manner as he gasped for air.

“Ugh! Put me down, dammit! This is demeaning enough!” Kanda said, watching as Lazarus brought the two of them over to the foot locker by the bed.

Kanda’s thoughts were racing as he looked around, both amazed and horrified by the change in view. He had expected to see everything far away and expansive, but what he hadn’t counted for was the sheer weightlessness being thrown gave him. He swore he’d fallen slower than he was meant to, but that wasn’t possible.

Lazarus carefully moved Lavi from one hand to the other, consequently pressing him and Kanda together as it fished through Mia’s belongings.

Kanda squirmed as he felt his comrade’s panicked breath against his neck. “Could you breathe any louder?” he asked.

“Hey, Yuu,” Lavi said, removing his face from the crook of his friend’s neck. “Bit too close for comfort, dontcha think?”

Kanda scowled at him and pushed his face away. “We don’t talk about this. Ever. Got it?”

“Aww, c’mon, Yuu, it’s not that— nnggrh!” Lavi said.
Kanda had shoved his knee against Lavi’s crotch as a warning. “Shut the fuck up about it.”
“Yeah… gotcha.” Lavi’s face paled. “Yuu, please leave the jewels alone…”

Lazarus grinned and set down an empty jar with a cloth lid. “This’ll have to do.”

Kanda’s movements grew frantic as he noticed the glass vessel. “Lazarus, what the hell are you doing?” Kanda said, trying to fight against its fingers. “I’m not a bug, don’t put me in there!”

Lazarus paid no attention to Kanda’s complaints as it pulled the cloth lid open after taking away the rubber band. Carefully, its gentle but firm fingers maneuvered the two of them into the jar. Lavi, having been sandwiched and squeezed pretty hard, put up little resistance. But Kanda had braced his legs against the rim.

Lavi, already down at the bottom, forced himself upright and against one of the walls of the container. “Kanda, look out!”

Lazarus frowned and grabbed one of the swordsman’s legs before abruptly pulling him upside down. It barely had enough time with Kanda disoriented to get him inside the makeshift prison. Soon after, it quickly grabbed the cloth and pulled it over the rim before fastening it shut.

Kanda screeched as he pulled himself back on his feet and tried to jump, a futile effort that was met with a smirk from his captor. “Dammit, Lazarus, lemme out!”

“You can’t run and get in danger if I keep you like this,” it replied as it picked up the jar. “Plus you’ve more than earned time in the clinker.”

“You crazy bastard,” Kanda replied. Lavi grabbed his leg as he tried to pull himself upright, only for the both of them to go tumbling against the glass as their comrade tilted the jar. “Dammit, stop moving!”

Lazarus grinned. “I need to keep you until Master comes home in a few hours,” it said, shifting forward.

Lavi stammered. “L-Laz, that’s the thing! Tiedoll is— waghh!”

Lazarus carefully set the jar back inside the foot locker and closed the lid. “Don’t worry, I’m sure Kanda knows already how many people he’d hate to see get caught up in my embarrassing antics.” The last few words felt poisonous in the air as they resounded above.

Lavi frowned. “Laz, that’s not funny.” He paused, not hearing anything from beyond the dark space they now occupied. “Lazarus.”

“Don’t even bother,” Kanda replied. He muttered something beneath his breath, something Lavi was having difficulty hearing.

“I’m sorry, Yuu, you’re really quiet,” Lavi replied.

“Shut up!” Kanda said. His voice wavered slightly and Lavi could see in the dim light that he was holding back his own shaking. “It’s…” He mumbled again and buried his face in his legs.

“Hm….” Lavi carefully leaned against the opposite wall. “You’re trying hard to understand.”

“And yet I’m still stuck in a jar with you,” he said. “I found out too late what I was doing to a teammate and now it’s made them dysfunctional.”

Lavi chuckled halfheartedly. “You’re still thinking about this tactically, huh…” He walked a bit closer. “Look, I don’t know what happened to you in the past. But it sounds like both of you and Mia had no choice.”

Kanda looked at him. “It isn’t your business what happened to me.”

“And I’m not asking you to tell me,” Lavi said. He unsheathed his boot knife. “I’m just telling you what I understood from your conversation. And the way I see it, you’re punishing both of them for a life that neither of them chose.”

“Lazarus chose Mia, didn’t it?” Kanda said, standing up. His eyes were still looking away. “That was a choice.”

“But Lazarus didn’t choose to start feeling. It just sorta… happened,” Lavi said, shrugging. “And because Laz knows you, I’ll bet it was hoping you’d understand.”

“So, it’s because I shut people out,” Kanda said.

“Probably, yeah,” Lavi said. He paused to tap on the walls with the knife. “Yeah, that’s not right.”

Kanda watched as Lavi continued to tap in different spots. “What are you doing?”

“Shh…” Lavi started tapping on the glass. “I need to find a flaw in the glass.”

Kanda frowned. “What are you talking about?”

“Glasswork is prone to flaws. Chips, cracks, inconsistent thickness— it’s all a possibility. If we combine my sleuthing with your raw strength, we should be able to get out of here.” Lavi frowned. “Though so far I’m struggling…”

Kanda chuckled. “I thought you were dumber than this,” he said. “And I’m right— clearly the best option is to escape through the roof, since it’s made of fabric. If I boost you up you could use the brief window to make a slash at the top.”

“Dude, that’s too high, did you forget just how small we are?” Lavi asked.

Kanda grimaced. “This would be easy work if I still have my weapon,” he groaned. “We’re sitting ducks for just about anyone to find us.”

“Yeah,

if

they find us,” Lavi said.

“Oh, they’ll find us,” Kanda replied, putting a hand to his chin. “Noise hears just about everything in the damn building.” He paused before raising his voice and standing up. “Right… right! Dammit, how did I forget that? Noise!”

Lavi nodded and shouted out, following his lead. “Noise!!” he called. “Noise, it got worse! Yuu’s—“

Kanda covered his mouth. “Lavi, don’t.”

Lavi frowned and pushed his arms away from him. “Yuu, you know that we have to get outta here, and it’s all over. You’re in the same boat as me, it’s okay to—“

“That’s… that’s not why I stopped you,” he said. “Noise? Noise!” he called.

Lavi pursed his lips. “Okay why are you calling ou—“

“Shut it,” Kanda said. “Noise? If you can hear me— please don’t tell that asshole what happened to me.”

“Ah,” Lavi said under his breath. “That’s why.”

Kanda sighed. “I don’t need more salt in the wound,” he said. “As soon as we get out of here, I’m going to demand that I get back to normal.”

Lavi looked around a bit. “Kanda,” he asked, “you aren’t feeling

unsafe

are you?”

The swordsman’s stomach churned. He didn’t want to think about what that Beansprout would do to him if he found him like this. Him, his master, even Lenalee… he despised the thought of being this helpless.

Lavi continued to tap on the glass. “I’ll keep tapping until I find a spot.”

Kanda scoffed. “Do you think I don’t know what you’re doing?”

“Giving you space?” Lavi asked. “Look, you don’t want to talk about what bothers you and frankly if I ask I’m the only punchable thing in here should you get pissed.” He continued his work. “If you’re not up to speak about your clear issues then you don’t have to say anything.”

“Clear?” Kanda asked. “Clear?! Yeah, as if you have everything figured out about me.”

“You close yourself off from people, you’re never happy except when you’re working on your own, your sleep schedule genuinely makes me worried that you’re mentally ill. I don’t have to be a scientist to know that you’ve got screws loose,” Lavi said. “Not that I’m much different anyway.”

Kanda growled. “We aren’t anything alike,” he said. “You chose to let your guard down. I know better.”

“There it is. You're shutting me out, trying to find reasons to be a contrarian when there’s absolutely no point to it,” Lavi said. “These are the same lines in the sand that you draw with everyone, meanwhile I’m on the side watching you and your opponent act similar.”

“How the hell are Lazarus and I alike?!” Kanda yelled. His voice bounced off the glass and left it ringing as the rest of the air fell silent. Kanda huffed for a moment before sighing and leaning his back against the glass wall.

He knew already. He knew that Lazarus didn’t understand many feelings, that what it wanted was to feel validated and normalized for its experience. Kanda wasn’t sure how it could be a person without Mia’s brain— it probably couldn’t— and yet it

was.

It was a person feeling vulnerable and in agony over it.

Just as he felt now that he was trapped without a weapon, he’d given that feeling back.

Maybe,

he thought,

maybe I deserve this…

No, that can’t be right

, he thought.

I don’t control its temper. God, this all fucking sucks.

He held his head, angry,

seething

even. His hands shook, and the rage was so intense as he struggled to place this emotion he felt that he failed to register the tears streaming down his face.

Lavi stared at him in the low light of the locker. “Kanda, are you—“

“How… how do I bounce back from this?” he asked, barely audible as he breathed it out. He slid down the wall and hugged his legs. “Lazarus did this to both of us and it wasn’t right. But… but if I was thinking for a goddamn second it wouldn’t have happened. So what do I do?”

Lavi smirked and held out his hand. “Well, it starts with getting outta here. Come on, I think I might find a weak point soon.”

Kanda frowned and hesitated before taking his comrade’s arm. As he was pulled to his feet, he wiped his eyes. “Don’t tell anyone about

this,”

he said, gesturing to his face and keeping his eyes cast away from Lavi. “I don’t need it getting out that I cry when I’m angry.”

Lavi smiled. “Bookman’s honor, then,” he said. “Besides, we owe it to Mia to keep the two of them in balance with each other.”

Kanda frowned. “What’s that supposed to mean?” he asked.

Lavi paused. “O-oh nothing, I just notice that things tend to be a hell of a lot worse when they can’t agree is all.”

Kanda’s eyes narrowed for a moment, but as he made note of Lavi’s tone of voice he was interrupted by the sound of a door crashing open outside. And as he heard the first of the voices to call out from beyond the cold walls of the foot locker, his blood grew comparable to an ice floe.

“Kanda!” Allen called as he stepped over the door. “Lavi? Where are you?”

Link, who was never far behind, scoffed at his ward’s destructive handiwork. “Walker, they’re going to charge us for damaging the door, you know.”

“Would you rather it stay shut?” Allen asked. “The lock was melted, what would’ve happened if Mia were caught in the room when a fire broke out?” He looked at his new friend, who sat on the bed and was knitting. “Speaking of which.”

Lazarus looked up and carefully plucked the earplugs from its ears. “Oh, hey there… um… Allen, right?” it asked.

Allen paused. “Oh, looks like you’re awake!” he said. “That’s good, because we’ve been trying to talk to you all day.”

“All day?” Lazarus asked, fidgeting nervously with its fingers. “Wait, what time is it?”

“Early afternoon,” a mellow voice replied.

Lazarus stood up. “Wait… Froi, you’re here already?” it asked.

Tiedoll’s eyes widened before softening as he stepped forward. “Now is that any way to talk to—“

Lazarus smiled, though its eyes kept flicking around the room. “Sorry, you know how I am.”

“Indeed,” Tiedoll said. “Have you seen Lavi today?” he asked, adjusting his glasses.

Lazarus nodded. “Saw him this morning,” it said. “Why?”

Tiedoll’s mustache fell a bit as he grew more serious. “Lazarus, you know why.”

Lazarus frowned back. “Fine, I saw him this morning,

and

I accidentally compressed him in anger.”

“Anger?” Allen asked. “You were mad at him?” He wasn’t sure why it would be angry at the redhead— he was amicable most of the time and when he wasn’t there was a good reason.

“No,” Lazarus said, gripping the bedsheets.

“Then who?” Allen asked.

“Allen,” Tiedoll said. “I appreciate that you want to help, but making a wrong move here would unequivocally put you in the crossfire.”

Lazarus crossed its arms. “I can hear you, Tiedoll,” it said. “You’re treating me just like he did.”

“Lazzy,” Tiedoll said, his eyes softening again.

Allen began walking further into the room as a familiar sight caught his attention. Jammed into the corner, almost obscured from view, came the glint of the black metal of Mugen. He stepped toward it, tilting his head as he tried to verify what he thought he’d seen.

Lazarus grabbed his arm. “Why are you looking over there?” it asked.

Allen swallowed as he felt the heat of the Innocence’s power against his wrist. “Laz, let go,” he sternly said. “You’re going to set me on fire.”

Lazarus growled and pulled him back toward the door. “You shouldn’t be poking around my room,” it said as it let go. “Besides, if there was anything in here Mia would’ve seen it when she put the furniture out.”

“Oh, she would’ve seen something— I made sure Lavi got in here when Mia was talking with Kanda,” Tiedoll said.

Link bristled. “You old coot! We’re already not supposed to be on this floor and you knowingly let a pervert like him poke around?”

Tiedoll shrugged. “Had I known that part I would’ve been at least hesitant, sorry,” he said.

“Wow, very convincing, sir,” Link muttered.

Allen raised an eyebrow. “Knowing that Lavi got in here and he didn’t immediately show himself, clearly he was spotted.” He looked at Lazarus. “And with Mugen being left unattended, I don’t think Kanda’s in a great position either…”

Allen admitted he was surprised by Kanda not holding his own against Lazarus, though perhaps it was due to the small size of the space that he couldn’t fight back.

Either that or he finally grew too proud to hit a girl,

he thought.

A loud crack broke the boy’s thoughts. Both Lazarus and the General, the latter of which was trying to subdue the former, turned their heads towards the direction of the sound. Link’s eyes narrowed and he walked further into the room.

Allen looked around. “Lavi? Kanda?!” he called. “Was that you?”

Link stopped at the foot of Lazarus’ bed when he felt his hair being grabbed. He carefully turned and looked to the puppeteering Innocence, whose hands were both occupied— one by the Inspector's braid, the other by Tiedoll trying to hold it back. “Let go,” he said, turning and grabbing its arm. “Please, I don’t want to have to restrain you.”

Lazarus hissed and let go of his hair, instead grabbing his arm back and squeezing. “Stop telling me what to do,” it said. “All of you just want to deny me what I have a right to feel.”

Tiedoll frowned. “I’d be happy to let you talk, but letting it out on others isn—-“

“You know that Kanda wasn’t random,” it replied. “I’m tired of him constantly telling me to go away.”

Allen watched as Lazarus’ eyes began to well. Its fingers twitched in anticipation and Tiedoll, who had read it for years, had sense to immediately let go of its hand, causing Lazarus to tumble into Link and lose focus briefly. Unfortunately for the young man, he was right behind the Inspector and went down in the collision along with them.

As soon as they’d all fallen, Lazarus immediately stood and panicked. “I-I…” it began, nervously playing with its fingers. “Shit, this is bad…”

Link pulled himself off of Allen for a moment and stared at him, bewildered that he’d fallen onto his ward. “Walker, are you okay?” he asked.

Allen was about to answer when he noticed the Inspector shaking. He looked like he was breaking into a cold sweat as he stared at— no,

through—

him. “Link, I’m more worried about you.”

“I’m… I’m fine, just a sudden dizzy spell.”

Lazarus began to tear up before turning and running out of the room, shoving Froi to the side as it bolted.

Tiedoll turned momentarily. “Lazarus! Don’t… oh good grief…” He looked back into the room and grimaced. “Sorry Inspector, you aren’t going to enjoy what you’re about to go through.”

Link glared at him, barely able to register him through a haze he seemed to be fighting. “What are you… talking about, sir?” he asked.

Allen blinked as Link collapsed back onto his chest. At the same moment, he watched as his extremities almost seemed to pull away from the ground and shrink, like fairy floss in water or even a Jericho Rose curling up its bloom as the water dries. He painfully swallowed as he realized that had Lazarus released that anger sooner, he’d be in the Inspector’s place.

A few moments after Link had stopped shrinking, he pulled himself up. “Ugh… Tiedoll, what was… that…!!”

Allen looked down at him and sheepishly grinned. “H-Hey, Link, glad you’re okay at least.”

Link seemed to be breathing heavier, and Allen could tell that this was a change in perspective he was grossly unprepared for. “Walker,” the Inspector said. “This isn’t good…”

Allen gently scooped him up and got to his feet as Tiedoll came closer. “That’s three people affected now,” he said, looking to the General. “Sir, we can’t let anyone else get caught up in this.”

“We still don’t know where the others are,” Link said. “And Walker’s right— who knows where Lazarus went.” He looked around. “This is going to take a moment for me to get used to,” he added.

Allen grinned and brought him to his shirt pocket. “Jump in,” he said.

“Walker, I’m not suffering the indignity of becoming some pocket pet,” he said.

“Link, I’m doing this so I can have my hands free and you’ll stay safe,” he said. “If you would rather be out in the open though…”

“No, honestly you’re right. I just don’t want to look stupid,” he said, carefully sitting down and scooting to the edge of Allen’s hand.

Allen sighed and carefully tilted him into his pocket, a slight surprised yelp sounding from his warden. “Are you okay?” he asked.

“A bit abrupt, but I’ll live with it,” Link said, poking his head out of the shirt pocket. “Now, I’m fairly certain that they’re in the foot locker to your left.”

Allen looked down to it. “And how did you figure that out?”

Tiedoll smirked. “It kept making glances to the foot locker,” he said.

Link nodded. “I picked up on that too,” he said. “And once I stepped towards it, the lengths that it went to to avoid me getting too close were proof enough for me.”

“There’s only one problem,” Tiedoll said. He reached down and pulled on the lid, bringing the box slightly off the ground before it thunked back onto the floor. A shattering glass sound could be heard inside. “It’s locked.”

Allen’s eyes narrowed as he heard, though muffled and faint, the voices of his friends. “Lavi! Kanda!” he said, quickly kneeling down and holding his ear to the box. “Are you okay?”

Link fell as Allen jostled a bit. “Walker, don’t move so suddenly,” he chided, floundering as he tried to stand upright again.

Allen listened for a moment as the noise settled down before a clear reply graced him.

“We’re fine, though Kanda might need some assistance,” Lavi called.

Allen broke out in a smile. “You’re okay! You’re both okay, that’s good news!” he said before getting back to conversation. “Wait, you said he needed assistance?”

“Yeah, he’s got a nasty wound from the jar breaking. Threw me out of the way,” Lavi replied.

“Dumbass,” Kanda said. “You know I’ll be fine soon, don’t you even

think

about getting me sent to the medical wing.”

Allen smirked. “Kanda.”

“Don’t ’Kanda’ me, asshole,” the swordsman piped up. “Just get us out of here. This place sucks.”

Tiedoll shook his head and sat down next to the box. “Yuu, we don’t have a key to the box,” he said. “And you know how dangerous using a weapon to open it would be. Not to mention destructive…”

“Can’t the Beansprout lockpick his way into here?” Kanda asked. “Surely if he can get out of handcuffs…”

Allen nodded. “I don’t have anything to pick the lock with.”

Tiedoll glanced over at a small object that had fallen onto the floor. “Inspector,” he said, picking it up. “Looks like you dropped Lavi’s hammer.”

Link glared at him. “You know how Lazarus works, right?” he asked.

“I’m just teasing,” the General said. He pulled his ear pick from his pocket. “Here, Allen,” he said. “You’ll have better luck with this.”

Allen looked at him as he hesitantly took it. “Are you sure?” he asked. “This is your only one.”

“

Was

my only one,” Froi corrected. “I got a new one while visiting Italy because I bent that one a little too much. Besides, I’d rather save my child than let him suffer any more in the dark.”

“Shut up, old man!” Kanda yelled. “I’m not your kid.”

Tiedoll stood up, smirking at the comment but not responding to it. “I need to go find my twins. I’ll be back to talk with my little Yuu.” He began to walk out.

“Wait!” Link called. “Tiedoll!”

“Yes, Inspector?” the General asked.

“You still have Lavi’s weapon,” he said. “Where are you taking it?”

“I’ll drop it off with the Chief,” Froi replied. “It’ll be safer with him.” He waved as he left.

Link nodded. “Walker, be sure to grab Kanda’s sword from the corner,” he said. “We don’t want that getting lost either.”

Allen nodded, but was still knelt by the box. “First, before anything else, let’s get them out of there. I can’t imagine either of them are thrilled.”