To Find An Exorcist (Sequel to TBAE)

Tres

Three Years Ago

The strange man smiled. "What do you mean, my lovely child?" A glint shone in his glasses. "Don't you remember? You're Fifteen, the Noah of Deception." He helped the girl up, taking a handkerchief and wiping the blood from her forehead, exposing distinct stigmata. "And I am Adam."

<~~~~>

The door to Komui's office suddenly slammed open, and in came Malcolm Leverrier with his accomplice, Howard Link. Leverrier made his way to sit at Komui's desk, and Link set a box down on top of it. "I would agree with you about those theories, Komui," Leverrier said, Komui's expression though obviously not pleased about the special inspector taking seat at his desk. "The cause of these akuma in Joark is not of Matthew Tate." He looked at each person in the room slowly, excluding Link.  "The culprit... well, you all know her well." And then he let out a small, amused snort. "Correction. You all knew her."

Komui bit his lip. He didn't speak. "..." Malcolm smirked. "So... then you did know, Komui..? And why would you report it to this pair of exorcists before the Vatican?" He tilted his head in mock confusion. "Oh, wait. I know why..." He said, before Komui could reply. He looked around to Allen, Lenalee, Komui, and finally rested his eyes on Kanda. "...you must've been intending to make this a rescue mission of some sort..."

Leverrier stood up, looking at Komui directly, who's eyes were now downcast. Every word that Malcolm said was something that he could not deny. It was true. He was going to have Allen and Kanda sent on a mission to investigate and hopefully rescue Naomi. Though, he hadn't even considered how he would revert the Noah girl back into exorcist, if that was even possible. But how exactly did Leverrier find out? And never mind that, because Malcolm would surely tell the Vatican, and then Naomi would be a sworn Noah enemy and target for all the Black Order and Vatican, and he surely couldn't hope to rescue her then.

Komui stiffened a bit, and looked at Leverrier with a light glare. "Of course not... I was merely going to have them investigate to confirm the rumors. No more and no less. I wouldn't see a reason to inform the Vatican over such a trivial matter."

Malcolm grinned, the way a predator might once his pray had fallen for a trap. "Link.. please do the honors.." Said boy did as told, opening up the cardboard box before dumping out its contents onto Komui's desk carelessly, not even bothering to pick up what fell on the ground. Scattered everywhere were photographs. One particular photo slid near Kanda's foot and he picked it up, his eyes widening at what he saw. "Naomi.." he breathed out. Malcolm glanced at Kanda, appearing smug at Kanda's reaction.

"Well now, I wasn't completely certain, but now I know for sure.." He walked over to Kanda, tilting the now-grown man's chin up to look up at Leverrier directly. "So that woman is the presumed dead Naomi Kurosu, then~"

Kanda scowled, shooing Leverrier's hand off him. "No, don't be ridiculous. Naomi is an exorcist..." Kanda denied, sounding more like he was convincing himself than Leverrier. But by then the damage had already been done - Leverrier had gotten the information he needed.

Leverrier turned his gaze back to Komui, smirking, "I wonder what the Vatican would have to say about this... perhaps the European branch of the Black Order is converging with Noah? My my..."

Komui's eyes slowly widened. "..you wouldn't-"

"I already have," he interrupted. "And I'll have you know that this entire building is now locked down and under maximum security and surveillance. Until we're done investigating, nothing is getting in or out."

Komui stood in shock, his fist slowly clenching by his side. "..." Lenalee and Allen's expressions were surprised as well, and all they could do was sit there in silence, trying to process what was going on.

Leverrier smiled. "And that does mean that you won't be able to complete your precious rescue mission you were attempting..." He began to walk out the room, Link in tow. "Oh, but don't worry... we'll send a group of our own to capture and execute the Noah." And with that final statement, the door was slammed closed, leaving the four there alone.

Komui dropped to his knees, and then onto his side, rather suddenly. "..." Lenalee's eyes widened, "brother?!"

Komui held out his hand to her. "...I'm okay..." he mumbled. Allen frowned at that and looked at the ground. Just what was going on? He sighed softly, glancing at Kanda. Kanda had gone completely silent after his short exchange of words with Leverrier. But the way Kanda had said Naomi's name... is he longing to see her again? Allen didn't know, and Kanda probably wouldn't answer him. The ever-silent exorcist still held the photo between his fingers, scrutinizing it.

Compared to the Naomi that Kanda knew, the one he saw in the photograph was nearly foreign, but admittedly tempting to stare at longer than necessary. Her gray eyes that once held a loving softness were now that cold, bright Noah gold. And the soft smiles that once adorned Naomi's face were now replaced by a grin that leaked of insanity and power. Her hair had certainly grown longer, and from what Kanda could tell from the photo, it was now held back by a ribbon.

Kanda couldn't tell much else from the photo he had since it only was a view of her face, as were all the other photos - several angles of her face. However, it was evident that Naomi had matured and grown from the girl she was to the young adult she currently is. Kanda looked around at everyone in the room. First Allen, then Komui, and finally Lenalee. Each one of them looked back at him, and then, they all picked up a photo, closely examined it the way Kanda had, and in their own time, slipped it into their pocket and got up, leaving.

<~~~~>

"The stage is set. The performance has only begun."