Demon's Kiss

Allen's first mission

Lavi POV
Two months went by where Kanda trained with Allen every day. Allen was a quick learner. He grew accustomed to his innocence quickly. Today Komui had called him, Kanda, Krory and myself into his office. Allen had slowly found a way to be around me. We were getting to being friends at least. Still I didn’t push him too hard.
He sat in the chair, Kanda a guard at his back. I leaned against the bookshelves lining the wall, as far from the pair as I could get. They had developed a knack for yelling at each other over the stupidest things. Namely that, for some reason, Kanda refused to call Allen by his given name. I knew this was a sign Kanda cared about someone. Allen took it more of an insult.
The rest of us tried hard not to be around when they exploded.  Even Krory was eyeing them wearily.
“Thank you for coming.” Komui stated. He looked down at a paper in his hands. “We have word that the skulls are moving.  We do not know if Cross is with them.”
We all saw the shudder that still shook Allen's body at the name of his former Master. Kanda's hand came forward. He squeezed the still too thin shoulder. Allen straightened under the pressure. It was if Kanda infused him with energy. Komui simply watched the exchange before going on.
“That's why we are not sending you four anywhere near them.” He stated. Allen leaned forward. My foot slipped down to the floor. What? Is he side lining Kanda? The warrior was the only one who didn’t react.
“I need you four to go take over the assignment I had given to Tidal.” Komui went on. “He hadn’t reached his destination before we got the call about the skulls. He was the closest General we had.” Komui tossed the paper aside. Standing straighter he looked us over.
“I’m sending you to an island here.” He tapped the map. There was no island. “It suddenly appeared there two weeks ago. We need to know why, what it is and if it is an issue for us.” Turning he looked back at us.
“Ever finder we sent has not reported back. We lost contact with all of them just after they left the main land. You will need to take your golem's. Allen you need to go to Johnny. He has a new one for you.” Allen nodded. “Be ready to leave within the hour.” With that we were dismissed.
“OK, I can see them sending me on a fact finding mission, but all of us?” I glanced over to Kanda.
“He doesn’t know what’s going on so he is sending back up.” The samurai stated.
“More like he is sending muscle. I don’t know if I like this. Plus it being Allen's first time out.” Kanda sighed.
“Would you have gone if he stayed behind?” He asked. “I know I wouldn’t.” True. I thought. Kanda was baby sitting Allen. Krory and I would do the real work I guess.  I nodded to Kanda who had been watching me. He turned away once he saw that. We separated to go pack.
Bookman stood outside my door. I leaned against it looking down at him. “You ready?” I asked. He snorted. “Why didn’t Komui call you to the meeting?” I demanded.
“We talked about it before.” He said. He slammed my bag into my stomach. I caught it.
“If he preforms the kiss, he will be exiled. Even if he is strong enough to win. The demon will always be lurking.” Bookman told me.
Shoving off of the wall I looked down at him. “You're joking right?” I asked. He stared at me like he knew better than me. But no one knew Yu Kanda like I did. “Do you honestly think that once he saves Allen. He will just let the demon go?” I questioned. Not even Bookman would be that obvious. “He's an exorcist. He will kill it.”
Bookman looked like I had just doused him in water. He opened closed his mouth a few times. I had never seen my mentor so shaken before. I snorted. “It's Kanda, Bookman. What is it you always tell me, know thy enemy?” I hefted his bag up as well. “When the demon enters him Kanda will become our enemy. I will fight to get him back.” I began to walk away. “I know he will be fighting too.” I tossed over my shoulder. Heading down to the docks where the boats sat waiting.
Placing the bags in the boat I sat up on a higher rock to watch the finders loading up their gear. Kanda and Allen came strolling in with five minutes to spare. I leapt down from the rock I had been keeping warm. Walking up to him I stopped in front of Kanda. Slowly his eyes moved up to reach mine.
Neither of us spoke. I don’t think we had to. This mission was crazy. Not something you would send a new person out on. Komui hadn’t made this Allen's mission. He needed Kanda to go to fight whatever we find. He needed me to find whatever it was that was taking or killing his finders. Then in order to get us to agree, and work together, he had sent Allen.
“Bookman's coming along for the ride.” I stated. His lips thinned.
“I thought he would.”
“Kanda?” Allen spoke quietly at the warriors side. We both turned to look at him.  He had a golden golem resting on his shoulder. “The boats ready.” He pointed. With a nod we followed him onto it. Kanda sat across from me, right behind Allen.
“What is that?” I asked.
“He's Timcampy, my golem.” Allen smiled thrilled to have the little ball with wings. I snorted but let it go. Instead I decided to call out Kanda.
“You know he calls you those names because he cares about you right?” I asked him as the finder maneuvered the boat out of the dock. Allen blinked at me.
“Like he calls me Stupid Rabbit or Dumb Bunny. It's not that he doesn’t know your name. Or like he likes to tell you, he can’t be bothered with remembering it. Its just his way of showing he cares.” I smirked as I heard Kanda mutter under his breath something about stupid rabbit.
“He doesn’t call Lenalee or Komui anything other than their name.” Allen's chin jutted out.
“You mean sister complex?” Kanda muttered. The finder sputtered a laugh. Allen gaped at him. A smirk twisted the scowl on the handsome warriors face. It was small but it was there.
“And Lenalee?” Allen challenged. Kanda turned away.
“No.” Was all he said. I sighed.
“Lenalee stands up to him. But she is also like that annoying kid sister thing. I don’t know, he cares about her sure, but its something else with her. I haven’t quite put my finger on it.”
“Lenalee was very young when the dark boots chose her. She couldn’t control them. They chief at the time kept her locked up.” The finder began. Kanda stiffened.
“Strike a cord?” I asked him. His steel cold eyes met mine. That was it. I didn’t know all of Kanda's story, but something between his past and Lenalee's was similar. At least enough for him to show her more courtesy than he typically would show others. Using her name was like a bonding or something. Respect? Hmm. I turned away as I mulled it over.
It didn’t take us long to reach the main land.  From there we got a car to the train station. Kanda didn’t like to fly. The train took two days to get us to the town just outside of where the strange island appeared. There we saw it. Well a little of it. The finder let us use his field glasses. Even with them we could only see a grey spike sticking up out of the mist.
“The mist never evaporates.” The boat captain stated. He had agreed to take us to the island, mostly because he was curious himself. “No boats ever come back.” He said. That’s why he was going to dump us off in a smaller row boat just before the mist.
Sure let’s go get eaten by clouds. I thought as I tried to see anything through the thick white mist. Nothing else was visible. “What if it is only that spire? A whirl pool or anything could be hidden in the mist.” I stated.
“It's more than that.” Kanda said.
“How do you know?” I demanded turning to look at him.
“Bean sprouts arm.” He pointed. The thick black lines had shifted. They were a reddish brown now. I glared at it. “As we get closer, they start to line up more.” I blinked.
“You think the gate is on that island?” I asked.
“If so, who raised the island?” Kanda countered.
“Maybe it came out for Allen. Has anything changed with him in the past two weeks?” I quizzed.
“You do know I’m standing right here?” Allen was grouchy! I chuckled involuntarily running a hand over the back of my head.
“Yeah, well…” I stammered.
“Only that he has become more accustomed to his innocence.” Kanda said as if Allen hadn’t spoken at all. The short white haired male turned on him. Oh no! I thought.
Slapping a hand over Allen's mouth I asked. “Could it be the innocence in his arm connecting to the gate map?”
“That is what I was thinking.” Bookman stated coming up to stand beside me. I let go of Allen.
“They are both gifts of the gods. Joined together they may just be working through Allen. Its possible he is the only one who can reach that island.”
“The skulls were on the move…” Allen whispered.
“They might have figured it out as well. Maybe Cross ordered them to move to allow for Komui to send Allen out of headquarters?” I suggested.
“Komui probably figured it out. That Allen was the key.” Krory, who had until now been very quiet spoke up. I looked over at him.
“That could be. He's wily.” I said. Hmm. Reaching out I took a hold of Allen's shoulder.
“Let's try something…” I said. Turning Allen to face the island I gave the binoculars to the finder. “Tell me if anything changes.” He nodded putting them to his eyes. Nothing changed on Allen's arm.
“Short stack, activate your innocence.” Kanda commanded. Allen glared at him but raised his arm. The thing changed. Green light sparked out of the red markings. The arm changed to a cannon.
“Wait. There is a tunnel in the mist!” the finder yelled. We all looked at it. Sure enough a passageway had opened. Kanda and I exchanged looks. Party time. I thought.