“Where is it?” Jerry's booming voice echoed throughout the science department. He slammed down the jug of drink he had forgotten was in his hands when he rushed out of the kitchen. The special flour he ordered to make Kanda's soba noodles has been ending up in the science department’s deliveries. He had been working on fixing this for months now.
“It's over here.” Johnny called tapping the fifty pound bag sitting on his desk.
“Thanks Johnny.” Jerry slung the large bag to his shoulder. Without long he scooped up his picture of drink, heading back to the kitchens.
Krory had just finished his large cart of food. He smiled at Lavi who walked in talking to Allen about his latest dream where Kanda appeared as a pole dancing stripper. “He was quite good!” the lanky pirate teen commented.
“I bet.” Allen agreed with a chuckle. He got his cart, Jerry poured them both large glasses of the drink he had been carrying. Kanda appeared behind them. These were the last three to get breakfast this morning. Jerry knew Kanda had gotten in late from a mission the night before.
They sat together as Jerry kept their drinks full. Allen was listening to Kanda and Lavi yelling about something. Jerry tuned it out, just a typical breakfast. That was until he heard something really strange.
Not only did Kanda's voice crack, but did he just call Lavi a doody head? Jerry leaned out his window to check on the boys. He could only see Kanda. Who appeared to have shrunk since his exorcist coat was hanging in heaps off of his shoulder.
“Ah, someone better call Komui.” Jerry called over his shoulder. He went out to check on the others.
They were naked, that was the first thing he noticed. They also appeared to be about eight years old. Allen was standing on top of the table yelling at Kanda that if he couldn’t be nice he was going to beat him with his meat stick. He held a large salami stick in his hands like a sword.
Lavi was laughing so hard at Allen that he couldn't breath. Kanda was trying to get on top of the table but every time he got close, Allen whacked him in the head with the meat stick in his hand.
“Knock that off you stupid immature bean sprout!” Kanda wailed grabbing at Allen's feet. Allen activated his innocence to swat Kanda away.
“Oooh I have a hammer!” Lavi yelled pulling out the weapon from his pile of clothing.
“What happened?” Komui asked rushing in. He ordered finders to get the three boys to a lab. The finders went to grab the slippery little devils, but suddenly the three began working together.
Allen leapt down from the table with Kanda's help. Kanda kicked the finder trying to get a hold of Allen. Now that they were on the same level Kanda looked over to the white-haired youngster.
“You are still a short stack!” he cried.
“Yeah, well fuck you Kanda!” Allen yelled. The others gasped they had never heard the polite boy swear. Lavi was running around gleefully evading the finders.
“Come on, this way!” he cried. The boys dodged between the finder rushing to meet up with the red-haired instigator.
“Little hammer, big hammer grow!” Lavi yelled the other two took hold of the expanding handle.
“Lavi!” Bookman yelled coming into the room. The boy laughed.
“You can't get me you old panda!” he screeched turning the handle so they flew out the window. They landed on the edge of the island. Lavi called the hammer back only to find that Komui and Bookman had hitched a ride.
“Hey no fair!” he screamed.
“Your eye, Lavi.” Bookman said gently the boy reached up and realized his eyepatch wasn’t there. He pouted, slapping both hands over his injured eye. He walked over to the short old man. Bookman adjusted the eye patch to fit the much smaller head.
“Thank you.” Lavi whispered. Bookman put his arm around the youngsters shoulders.
“Come along. Let's get you sorted out.” He said not unkindly.
“What?” Allen yelled. “That's it! You're just gonna slink off?” Lavi looked back at him. Sadness filled the one eye they could see. He nodded slowly then buried his face in the old panda’s robes allowing him to led them back to the house.
“Well we're not quitters, right Kanda?” Allen cried. Kanda snorted.
“Right!” he agreed taking a stance to fight the taller men. Komui pulled Mugen out from behind his back.
“Kanda, if you want to play with Mugen you have to get big again.” He had the sword loosely in his right hand.
“Don't do it, it’s a trap.” Allen cried.
“Its my Mugen. Sorry Allen.” Kanda finally got his name right only to betray him.
“You're just like all the others!” Allen screamed. “Just go and leave me! I hate you, Yu Kanda!” he screeched before turning to run into the trees.
“Oh, Allen.” Lenalee cried. “Komui, he's in such pain.” She shivered remembering her own lonely days.
“Find Cross. He maybe the only one that can reach that kid.” Komui ordered her.
“Yes sir.” She agreed. Kanda came to stand with them.
“Come along, Kanda.” Komui held out the prize to the small child. The last look they had of the scarred child was disappearing into the shadows from the woods. Seven finders ran after him.
Komui got Kanda to the lab with Lavi. “Where's Allen?” Lavi asked.
“The finders are getting him.” Komui reassured him. The science people were already checking the boy over. Kanda was helped upon a table.
“Do you really think that's best. They boy is scared and alone?” Bookman said. Komui drew in a deep breath.
“There is so much we don’t know of Allen's past. I’m not sure where his head is at. I sent for Cross.” Bookman shook his head.
“I doubt he will come to save the boy again.” With that he went to see what they found about Lavi.
“Me either.” Komui whispered. Who else could reach the frightened child.
“Please help him Allen can't think I betrayed him.” Kanda pleaded.
“I will.” Komui said.
Allen was alone in the woods. It wasn’t the first time he found himself alone, hungry and nearing nightfall. It was more common than not really. He sat perched high in a tree. Due to his anti Akuma arm he was really great at climbing. The finders were calling his name, but why would he go to them. They would just betray him like all the others.
“Boy! Get your ass down here and get inside!” Allen flinched at that voice. The one he obeyed without question. He scurried down the tree, slipping away from the finders he came up toward the house.
Cross stood there slightly in front of Komui and Tidal. He was smoking. Cross snorted seeing him. “Damn I forgot how small you were.”
“Sorry Master.” Allen hung his head as he waited for Cross to tell him what to do.
“Well get inside, Chef has food for you!” he barked. Allen scurried past running down the hall to the cafeteria.
“You could be nicer to the boy.” Tidal reprimanded Cross.
“Being nice to him didn't get him into your clutches now did it?” he demanded blowing smoke up into the darkening sky.
“Kanda, you're grumpy.” Lavi said. He was sitting on a metal table looking at the other boy who refused to talk to him. The door swooshed open. Allen was led in hanging onto the hand of Lenalee.
“You're so pretty, Lenalee!” Lavi cried.
“Shut up you stupid rabbit!” Kanda yelled.
“Bite me.” Lavi retorted.
“Now boys.” Lenalee scolded. Kanda jumped down from the table.
“I'm sorry, bean sprout.” He muttered.
“Anarchy is not his thing.” Lavi was now laying on his side starring down at Allen.
“SHUT UP!” Kanda bellowed. Lavi laughed.
“Where's Mugen?” Allen asked as Lenalee prepared a bed for them all.
“I couldn’t lift it so they put it up there.” Kanda pointed to where the sword hung on the wall. They went to lay in the warm place Lenalee had made for them. She sang them a lullaby to put them to sleep.
The next morning Allen was awoken by shouting. “Don’t call me Yu!” Kanda screamed.
“You don’t have your sword; you can’t kill me.” Lavi taunted sticking out his tongue. “Yu Kanda, Yu Kanda!” He sing songs until Kanda chased after him.
Awhile later Allen was sitting in the cafeteria eating when Kanda went into the kitchen. Since Allen was finished, he wheeled his cart up to the kitchen door. Kanda was on the cutting table pulling out knives.
“What are you doing?” Allen asked.
“I want the biggest one!” he held up a large butcher knife triumphantly. “I’m going to kill a rabbit!” he howled hoping done and running out the other door. Allen giggled; this was fun. Allen knew most of Lavi's hiding places. He found the taller boy hiding in a dark hall. Lavi peeked out to see who it was.
Allen skipped down the hall, arms swinging at his sides as he sang:
1 2 Kanda’s coming unglued.
3 4 Lavi’s heads on the floor
5 6 grab your sticks
7 8 run for the gate.
9 10 let's have some fun again
“Allen that isn't funny!” Lavi cried. Allen paused thinking.
“Ok how’s this.” He began to skip again.
1 2 Kanda’s coming for you
3 4 better lock your door
5 6 he’s gonna cut you into sticks.
7 8 you'll meet your fate
9 10 don’t call him Yu again
“THAT’S NOT ANY BETTER!” Lavi cried.
Allen giggled. Then you heard it. “I hear you, stupid rabbit!” Kanda's footsteps came running down the hall behind Allen. The smaller boy laughed gleefully, jumping out of the way. Lavi's face paled. He had nowhere to run.
Out of a side door Lenalee stepped out. She saw the three boys. Jumping in front of Lavi she smacked Kanda on the head with her clipboard. She yanked the knife from his hand.
“Yu Kanda that's not nice. If you boys can't play nicely, I will stick you in dog crates!” she yelled face red. Kanda mumbled an apology. A second before he became his teenaged self again. Neither Lavi or Allen changed yet. Kanda turned to smile cruelly at Lavi.
“Don't you dare terrorize that child, Kanda!” Lenalee cried. She activated her boots kicking up she knocked him unconscious. Lenalee used his tattered clothing to cover his private areas blushing profusely while the others giggled behind their hands. With the help of Allen's anti Akuma arm they dragged him back to the science department.
Just as they entered Lavi grew back up. He caught his eye patch, quickly fixing it. Johnny rushed over with a blanket. “Why hasn’t Allen changed?” he asked.
“Isn't it obvious?” Lavi said. “He's a parasitic type. He drank more of the potion then we did.” This made since. They decided to keep Allen in the science lab until he changed back. Lavi helped them get Kanda on a table.
“Now, Allen…” he turned around. “uh where's Allen?” he asked.
Johnny, Lenalee and Lavi ran out to find the lost child. Cross and Tidal were sitting together in the foyer as they ran by.
“What's wrong?” Tidal asked. Lenalee briefly explained.
“You lost Allen, again?” Cross stated. He snorted. “Good thing you didn't know him before Manna got his hands on the kid. A right terror.” He laughed hard. “Now that kid I could have taught a thing or two to.” He chortled.
“We need to find him before he gets hurt.” Lenalee cried. Cross stood up.
“Don't worry your pretty little head. The kids a master at taking care of himself.” He snarled. He crushed out his cigarette.
“BOY!” he bellowed. “IF YOU ARE NOT HERE IN FIVE MI UTES NO DINNER TONIGHT!” he screamed. He sat back down.
“You can't treat a child like that!” Lenalee cried.
“No wonder the kids a mess!” Lavi exclaimed. Three minutes later Allen was bent over panting at his master’s booted feet.
“Ss ssoo sorry sss sir!” he gasped trying to catch his breath.
“That’s a good boy.” Cross patted his head; he stroked the white hairs between his fingers. “Now, no more trouble Allen. Do what the nice lady says.”
“Yes master.” Allen slunk over to Lenalee head bowed.
“Let's go watch some movies.” She suggested. Lavi put his arm around the thin frail shoulders.
“We can stop by Jerry's and get movie snacks.” Allen only nodded. He didn ‘t lift his head to look at them.
Sometime during the night, the potion wore off. When Allen came to breakfast, he was his usual polite teenaged self. He heard Cross was leaving. He finished his meal then went to say goody bye to his master, only to discover the man left without a word to his pupil.
Allen came up to the front windows. He was hidden behind the massive doors from the voices on the other side. He watched as the carriage carried his master away.
“Well, it at least proved Cross cares for the kid.” The first voice said.
“What makes you say that? He treated him worse than a dog.” Another asked.
“He came when he heard the boy was endanger.” The first voice said. “And stayed until he was fine once more. That is not like the Cross we hear about, Komui.” The first voice added. Allen saw the short panda walk away hands behind his back.
