Disclaimer: I do not own anything from the D. Gray-man universe, everything belongs to Katsura Hoshino.

--------------

15-year-old Lenalee Li stood in line, waiting for lunch. The line was moving rather slowly that day. They only shifted a little bit each time Jeryy called out "Next!" Lenalee guessed it wouldn't be so crowded if she had waited for 20 more minutes or so. However, she didn't have the time. She was supposed to be at her brother's office in 15 minutes. Squad Leader Reever Wenhamm had told her that a mission had been assigned to her. It would be her first.

Lenalee was very excited, and nervous at the same time. She had been very young when she first joined the Order. Back then, she was not old enough for missions. And even if she were old enough, she definitely wouldn't have been cooperative enough. Back then, to her the Headquarters represented a cage, a prison and hell. Her view of the Black Order did a 180 once her older brother Komui joined. It wasn't so scary with someone she loved there with her. Soon, her hell changed into her home.

Lenalee tapped her foot impatiently. The speed that the line moved averaged slower than a turtle. Lenalee sighed in frustration. She wished she'd gotten here earlier. Or that she was pushier, like the people who had cut in line. She sighed in frustration again. Then, there was an indignant screech from a nearby table.

"Don't you dare talk like that!!!" a man was yelling.

Lenalee turned her attention to the direction of the screecher. A group of Finders were gathered in a semi-circle around a small, thin Finder who, despite his height, seemed like he was in his mid-twenties. The Finder was yelling at a boy in his late teens. The boy had long, dark hair and bangs cut straight across his forehead. A black katana was set in front of him on the table. Lenalee thought they'd been introduced before, but she could not recall his name. She thought he was quite good-looking, even with the unpleasant expression on his face. The people standing in line near Lenalee started whispering, and glancing disapprovingly at the boy.

"What's with you Finders having funerals while I eat?" the boy didn't turn around. He held a pair of chopsticks. Soba was clamped between the chopsticks, which were poised halfway to his lips. "It ruins my appetite."

"How can you say that! Have you no respect for human life?!" the small Finder screeched. The dark-haired boy smirked.

"Why do you expect me to respect your lives if you don't even value it yourselves?" the boy's voice was scornful. He put his food in his mouth, chewed and swallowed before continuing. "Everyone knows that Finders drop like flies here. Your lives have no value. Us exorcists do everything. Us exorcists are everything."

"Why, you brat! What gives you the right to act so high and mighty!" the Finder was so angry spit was flying out of his mouth. "I could take you on any day!" The other Finders voiced their agreement.

"Oh?" the boy set down his chopsticks.

He stood up, and finally faced his criticizers. He towered over the small Finder. The boy rolled up the sleeves of his exorcist robes. Without a change of expression, he pulled his arm back and punched the small Finder in the face. He cried out in pain as the fist connected with his face. The Finder staggered backwards from the blow, his friends catching him. The force of the boy's punch seemed to have broken his nose. A waterfall of blood poured down his face. He held his Finder's uniform to his nose, and the red quickly stained his white sleeve.

"Got anything else you want to say, shrimp?" the dark-haired boy stood over him with a superior expression on his face. The small Finder and his friends all glared at the boy, but none made a move. Neither did the people standing in line, although Lenalee could tell they were all annoyed with the boy. As for herself, she'd had just about enough of this bullying.

"Excuse me!" she snapped. Leaving her treasured place in line, she marched over. She stood before the boy with her hand on her hips.

"What do you want?" the dark-haired boy peered down at her.

"I think this outburst was totally unnecessary. What did the Finders ever do to you? Why can't they mourn for their friends?" demanded Lenalee.

"I don't care if they have their stupid little service. Just as long as it's not right behind me," replied the boy. "They're ruining my appetite."

"That's ridiculous! How would you feel if it was one of your friends?!" snapped Lenalee.

"He doesn't have any friends," a Finder told her.

"I can certainly see why!" growled Lenalee. She and the boy glared coldly at each other. Everyone could feel the temperature drop by ten degrees.

"Oi! Kanda! Come with me! I've got a mission for you!" Reever passed by the cafeteria with an armload of paper.

"Yu Kanda!" his name popped into Lenalee's mind.

"I know you, too, Lenalee Li. You're Komui's sister. I heard you're an exorcist," said Kanda.

"Yes."

"Ever been on a mission?"

"No. Why?"

Kanda sneered. "Didn't think so. Someone like you wouldn't last an hour out there," he informed her. Kanda picked up his katana, turned and walked away. He left the cafeteria, walking over to Reever. He followed Reever towards the direction of the stairs, refusing to help him carry anything. Lenalee glowered at his retreating back until he disappeared, and went to the back of the line.

---------------

Head Officer Komui Li was clinging to Reever Wenhamm's leg, sobbing pitifully. The brown-haired Australian man glared down at his Supervisor in disgust. Across the room, Yu Kanda had the same expression on his face.

"No, Reever! You can't! Not my baby sister! No!!!" wailed Komui.

"Komui, you know that the bosses decided Lenalee's old enough to go on missions. We've tried to keep her away from them for as long as possible. But all the other exorcists are on other missions. We need her for this one," Reever explained as patiently as he could.

"But why?!?!" sobbed Komui.

"I think he just explained," Kanda informed Komui coldly.

"Why! Why must such cruelty exist!" Komui let go of Reever's legs, and motioned his arms dramatically towards the sky.

"Hi! I'm so sorry I'm late!" Lenalee raced into the room. "There was a slight situation at lunch!"

"Don't leave me!!!" Komui tackled Lenalee in a bear hug and preventing her from seeing the fourth occupant of the room. Kanda saw her right away, and his upper lip curled in disgust.

"For goodness' sake, Supervisor, can't you be mature about this?" asked Reever. Komui shook his head, refusing to let go of Lenalee. Reever sighed. He pulled down some maps, and starting pointing. "Okay. For this mission, you will be going to the colonies overseas. Our North American Headquarters has been giving reports of strange occurrences in a forest near a Native American reserve. They have been investigating, and have confirmed it is Innocence."

"So far away!" Lenalee exclaimed breathlessly, while Komui still kept a stranglehold on her.

"That's not all. Last week, a few boys who wandered into the forest never returned. Three days before that, a group of men went in to hunt, and haven't returned either. Three days ago, the North American HQ went to investigate, and found their bodies completely drained of their innards. We now have reason to believe there is akuma involved," said Reever. "The North American Headquarters have kept the Innocence safe so far, but they haven't enough staff to bring it here. We're sending you, and a few Finders to retrieve the Innocence and take care of the akuma. Lenalee and Kanda. For this assignment, you two will be partners."

"You've got to be kidding me!" exclaimed Kanda. Lenalee finally noticed Kanda. And when she did, she couldn't suppress a loud cry of dismay. Komui echoed that cry.

"I think this is a pretty good arrangement. Kanda, you've been on plenty of missions. This is Lenalee's first time, so you can show her the ropes, no?" suggested Reever.

A greater cry of protest came from Lenalee, Kanda and Komui.

"I'm sorry. You're the only exorcists left. You'll leave tomorrow. You get to go there on a boat," offered Reever as if the boat made everything better.

Lenalee, Kanda and Komui all glared at Reever with murderous intent. Reever began to wonder if the partner arrangements were so wise after all.