"Get that away from me!" Lavi cried, scooting backward on his hands and feet.

Komui towered over him; a devilish grin spread across his face. "Just try it! It'll help, honest!" He shoved the vial towards him, the black liquid fizzing up as though it were carbonated.

Lavi pushed it away with his free hand, the other keeping him steeled in place. Komui was surprisingly strong and-oh god, were those bubble shaped like skulls!?

"Like hell, I'm drinking this!" He snapped, desperate tears pricking the corner of his visible eye. He shoved back with enough force to send the vial slipping out of both their grips. It sailed across the hallway, landing promptly into Allen's hands. Like it was boiling to the touch, he immediately yelped, and tossed it into the air again.

"My precious creation!" Komui wailed, rushing after it.

Lavi used the wall to help him stagger to his feet. "Allen, take one for the team!"

"Huh!? No way!" He retorted, head snapping around to glare at him. "I had to last time-you take one for team!"

Lavi was too busy trying to get Allen in a headlock, for ah, sacrificing purposes, that he didn't see how it happened. Just heard a startled shriek.

They both froze, Allen shoving Lavi's face away, and Lavi's arm wrapped around his neck. They looked at each other, then bolted to the corner.

On the other side, a small group had formed.

Komui had been power driven into the wall at this point, Lenalee's handiwork if he had to guess. She was crouching beside Miranda, Kanda lingering several feet away with a scowl. Glass shards were scattered along the floor and Miranda's lap, an inky fluid dripping from the ends of her hair.

It didn't take him long to deduce what had happened.

"Miranda," Lenalee exclaimed. "Are you alright!?"

"Y-Yes.." She moaned, then seemed to collect herself. Her sunken eyes shot wide with realization, and she bowed her head. "I-I'm so sorry! So sorry, so sorry!"

Well, this was an interesting development. Lavi skipped over to them, the corners of his mouth curling in a smile almost as devilish as Komui's had been. "So, how about it, feel any different Miranda?"

"Lavi.." Lenalee shot him a warning glare.

He took a step back. Whoops. Shouldn't push it.

Miranda didn't seem to mind. She sat straighter, running her fingers through her sticky hair. "Ahh... I do kinda feel faint.."

Then it happened. It was all a matter of horrid timing, really.

Lavi had taken her hand to help her up, Lenalee still fretting at her shoulder, Kanda clucking his tongue and starting to walk past. As his foot hit the floor beside them, and Miranda's bent knees began to straighten, her eyes shot open, releasing a blinding light. The same light erupted from her mouth when she released a strangled cry.

"Ah! Miranda!" He heard Allen yell from somewhere far off.

She swayed on her feet, and all three made an attempt to catch her.

The light stretched farther upon contact until they'd been enveloped in a giant ball. Grandfather clocks with the same permeability as ribbons threaded through the bright cocoon, and he could've sworn he heard a faint tick-tock, tick-tock.

"M-Miranda!" Lenalee yelled, face two shades too pale. "Deactivate your inno-"

Her words were lost as the entire room spun and spun until he couldn't remain standing any longer. Darkness dotted his vision, steadily growing wider and wider until it had engulfed everything.

The sky bore over him, a lifeless shade of gray. Smoke from a factory clumped together where the sun should've been, slowly leaking into the clouds. Birds fluttered by, their wings slapping the air with such friction, the noise created reached his ears.

Must've taken a nap. Yawning, he pulled his arms behind his head. But, when his elbow hit something soft, he stiffened. That wasn't right.

Beside him, a girl was sprawled out on the... cobblestone? Knees at his head, short bangs covering her eyes.

For a dull moment, he wondered how 'Lavi' would react. Would he freeze up? Crack a joke? Become frantic? Yeah, the last one sounded like 'Lavi'. After all, he cared deeply for his comrades.

"Lenalee!" He bolted upright, shaking her until her eyes fluttered open.

"Hmm?"

A wave of relief swept over him, and he leaned back on his haunches. Okay, so maybe some of that concern had been real. He frowned deeply at that. Probably, not a good sign.

"What's wrong?" She mumbled through a stifled yawn. "What's going on..?"

"Dunno," He lied, sheepishly rubbing his neck to really sell it. "Just woke up here."

By the looks of it, her lunatic brother's little 'helpful potion' had sent Miranda's innocence out of whack. Must've warped them somewhere, and since her innocence rewound time, his conclusion could only be that place was...

Well, somewhere certainly interesting. The old panda was gonna love this.

As the bookman's apprentice, he was very intrigued himself, but 'Lavi' didn't care.

"Huh? Ah, Kanda!?" Lenalee's eyebrows shot up, and she crawled past him.

He turned, finding Kanda leaning against the wall, arms wrapped defensively around Mugen.

"Yuu-kun ~!" He sang cheerfully, warranting a glare sharp enough to shatter glass.

"Stop calling me that. You damn Usagi."

Lenalee gave them both a stern look. Then she sighed. "Do you know where we are? Last thing I remember, we were at the Order..." She gasped. "Miranda!"

"She's not here." Kanda muttered.

"And Allen!? Oh, and what about my brother!"

Lavi grimaced. Her brother was an afterthought? He'd be in tears if he could hear this. Lavi would be sure to tell him all about it later. Revenge for making him run all around the Order. Although, couldn't complain when it came to the result.

A snort, "Haven't seen them." He practically shoved a folded newspaper into her face. If it had been anyone but Lenalee, he would've hit them with it for sure. What a softie.

"And if you want to know where we are, see for yourself."

Fighting a grin, he scooted closer. So, he wasn't the only person who'd figured it out. How cunning, Yuu, He hummed inwardly, but outwardly, he feigned curiosity. "What do you mean, Yuu?"

"Don't call me that."

Lenalee sucked in a sharp breath, fingers clamping over her mouth. "B-But if this date is right, then.."

Yup. "We're seven years in the past, and in London no less!" He said, forcing his eye to go wide. The London part he hadn't deducted yet, but in all honesty, Miranda's innocence could've dropped him in Antarctica for all he cared.

This was going in the archive for sure!

She set the newspaper on the ground, head drooping.

Lavi stiffened, as did Kanda. She wasn't going to cry or anything... right?

He was starting to reach for her, when she leapt to her feet, causing him to nearly tumble over from surprise.

"We have to make sure the others aren't here as well! We'll search the city!"

Lavi blinked up at her, a genuine smile spreading on his lips as Kanda clucked his tongue, earning a scolding glare from her.

"Well, I dunno about Miranda or your cra-brother," He affirmed quickly, hiding his near slip up behind a cough. "But if Allen's here, I'm sure he'll be wherever the food is."

"Who cares where beansprout is," Kanda muttered, not giving any sign of moving.

Lenalee turned to him. This time, Lavi couldn't see her expression, for which he was grateful. Judging by the faint trace of fear in Kanda's eyes and his ever-so-paling skin, it must have been terrifying beyond belief.

"You're coming too." She marched to the end of the alleyway, shooting them a look over her shoulder. "Well, are you two just gonna sit there?"

Shaking himself from his momentary stupor, he slid the mask of 'Lavi' back on.

A wide, cheerful grin. "Of course! C'mon Yuu-chan!"

He barely ducked Mugen's blade. He felt the ends of his hair slice off with a sickening slishhhh. Note to self, no more harassing Kanda.

For the next five minutes.

He scampered after Lenalee, who'd already gone ahead. Most people would be working about now, so it wasn't crowded. If their friends were here, it shouldn't be too difficult to locate them. Not that he was helping; his interest was directed in gathering data. He followed her from street to street, scribbling notes in the small journal he always kept on hand. Kanda couldn't care less what he was up to, and Lenalee was too occupied with her search.

They'd made it several blocks when a small kid bumped into Kanda.

"My bad." He apologized, before disappearing in front of another gentleman.

Lavi frowned, barely managing to catch a glimpse of the kid despite the lack of people. He faded from person to person like a ghost, and in the end, all he could see was a dirty vest and a scruffy ponytail of ruddy hair.

Did he..?

Lavi stared at Kanda, who pointedly ignored him.

He did, didn't he?

Oh, this was going to be entertaining.

He waited, letting another hour pass before stopping and clutching his stomach.

"All this walking has helped me work up an appetite! I say, we search the nearest restaurant for signs of Allen! Kanda's paying!"

"Hey!" He snapped, swiping at him with Mugen again.

Lavi stumbled out of the way, ravishing in the startled looks this action brought to them. "Woah, woah, calm down Yuu!"

His face did a weird tick, before morphing into pure rage. "I'll kill you!"

"Stop it you two!" Lenalee snapped, "Honestly, can't you go anywhere without causing a ruckus!?"

"But Lenalee," He fake pouted. "I don't have my wallet!"

"Sheesh. I can pa-" Her hand froze in her pocket. "I don't... I left it in my room.."

Silence.

Then, Kanda, the softie he was, dug a hand into his pocket. "Only this once."

Lavi drank in every detail. The slight crease in his brow as he gave in, the twitch beginning on the edge of his lips when he realized his wallet was missing, his teething grinding and eyes sharpening when he figured out why that was.

"That little pickpocket! I'll kill him!" He snarled, unsheathing Mugen again.

If I laugh I die, if I laugh I die, if I laugh I die, He chanted to himself, biting his lip so hard he could taste metal.

"What do you mean 'little pickpocket'?" Lenalee frowned, rescuing him.

When Kanda turned his wild gaze on her, Lavi took the chance to muffle his barely contained snickering into his palm. He was so telling Allen when he got back to the present. Back. To the present. Huh. He hadn't thought that far.

How were they going to do that?

He considered bringing it up, but since Kanda was already rushing back the way they'd come, he stored the question for later.

"Ah! Kanda!" She yelped, rushing after him.

Lavi counted to three, then chased after them. "Yuu! Wait up!"

"Shut up!"

By the time Kanda finally cooled his head a little and realized racing around the city blindly wasn't going to help, they were out of breath. More than that, the streetlights were flickering on, signaling the beginning of dusk.

A stubborn mule he was.

Lavi had no regrets. He and Allen would have many weeks worth of jabs when this was all said and done.

A loud huff from Kanda snapped Lavi back to the present. Well, to the past, actually.

Lenalee sat crisscross on the cobblestone, head inclined to the sky. "If we don't have any money, then where are we going to sleep tonight?"

Oh. The prospect of teasing Kanda had seemed so fun. Lavi hadn't considered the end result. He had to stop doing that.

Silence engulfed the three, and Lavi felt slightly repentant. Until he noticed a crumpled flyer laying by the curb. He scooped it up, flattening it against his torso before reading.

"Aha!"

They stared at him, an unspoken question brewing in their minds.

"I think I have a solution for that!"

He held it out for them to see.

"The.. Circus?" Lenalee stammered. "How will that..?"

"We can offer to do all the odd jobs to repay them for a nights stay! Me and the old panda have been in a similar situation when we were trave-" He broke off with a subtle chuckle. That was close. He almost revealed too much. "Anyways, I'm sure they'll be glad to have some extra free hands pitching in, ya know?"

"I guess.." The uncertainty in her gaze cleared a little. "Yeah, it's worth a try!"

He beamed at her. "Of course, it is! Yuu, what do you think?"

He raised his palms in surrender when he found Mugen pointing at his throat.

"Worth a shot." He growled. When he turned and sheathed his sword, it was clearly reluctantly.

Still pissed over his wallet. Before the end of the night, someone was going to get it, and that person might just be Lavi.

Praying some circus folk gets testy and receives the wrath of Kanda instead, he lead the way. According to the directions on the bottom of the flyer, it should be just up the block. Turns out, that was a ten-minute walk.

The sky was a deep purple, black clouds and smoke matting over the moon, so their only source of light were the streetlamps. Lavi had no trouble reading, though, and they'd made their way to the field of tents before anything else could go wrong.

"Where do you think the owner would be?" Lenalee said thoughtfully.

"You mean the Ringmaster?" He chuckled. "In the main tent, probably. And that would be..." His index finger circled each tent, settling on the largest. "That one!"

A crowd was filing out, signaling they'd just missed the show. That was for the best anyways. Made it easier to charm their way in if everyone was exhausted.

They were nearing the largest tent when a loud yell stopped them in their tracks. It took a minute, but he managed to pinpoint the source.

A clown dressed in all white was standing in front of a tree, his foot repeatedly slamming into the roots. No. That didn't seem right.

He edged closer, ignoring the annoyed glare Kanda shot him.

Closer and closer, until he saw a small figure curled in on itself.

Ruddy hair, check

Ponytail, check.

Vest, check.

"Looks like we've found your pickpoc-"

Kanda surged past him, stubbornly slamming into his arm.

"Ah, hey, Yuu!"

Without a word, Kanda grabbed the clowns shoulder, spun him around, and smashed his fist into his face.

Ah, thank you, God.