Chapter Text
On a nondescript cliff somewhere in Europe, a brown-skinned teenage girl wearing her coiled hair pulled in four neat puffs lands on the ground with a soft thump. She briefly takes in her surroundings and reaches up to grasp the pink and gold glass charm hanging from a dainty chain on her neck. The motion soothes her, solidifying her presence on this picturesque, if not daunting, cliffside. After a deep breath, she treks across the bridge toward a massive gothic building, the Black Order Headquarters. A cold breeze whips through the layers of her Inverness coat in the oppressive shadow of the headquarters, but she powers on, unbothered. The teen pats her pockets, searching for a folded paper, and smooths it out, revealing hastily scribbled directions.
“Once on top of the cliff…cross bridge…approach stone face…” she mumbles, reading aloud as she walks. “Stone face?” Her dark eyes flit over what she believes is a wall, finding nothing resembling a face.
“What the hell is Klaud talking about?” She steps closer to the looming wall as the grating sound of static crashes through the air. She frantically looks for the source of the interruption. A faint voice begins to overpower the crackling.
“...Lena, can you bring me more coffee? Thank you- What? I’m on the speaker at the front…Oh, at the gate?” a man’s tinny voice comes through loud and clear. “Hello! You must be the young exorcist sent by General Klaud Nine; is that correct?”
The young woman shifts uneasily on her feet. Being monitored by an unknown party caused the hairs on her neck to stand on end. “Possibly. Who’s asking?”
“Oh, pardon my manners. I’m Director Komui Lee, head of the European Branch. General Klaud must have told you about-”
“Yeah, your name is written on her instructions,” she cuts him off, having read his name on the small piece of paper detailing how to get to the building.
Komui grumbles but continues. “Great! And can you give me your name? Just to verify your identity.”
“Terra Bailey,” she sets the paper aflame in her palm, having followed all the directions. The charm on her necklace glows red briefly and returns to its pink and gold state just as quickly.
“Excellent, Miss Bailey. We will welcome you into the building after a quick test! GATEKEEPER!”
Stoney eyes pop open and pierce through Terra, sending a chill down her spine. She jumps back on instinct, ready to attack, “The hell?”
“PREPARE FOR AN X-RAY EXAMINATION!” The gatekeeper bellows. Bright light shines down on her, destroying any chance of her being able to see for the next 10 minutes.
“WHAT THE HELL?!” Terra raises her fists in defense, but the exam is over quickly, and the Gatekeeper ceases its invasion of personal space. Terra blinks repeatedly in hopes of regaining some of her vision.
“All clear! You may enter.” Metal locks groan as the gates lift to allow the young girl entrance to her new home. Terra shakes off the tension in her too-tight shoulders and attempts to rub sight back into her eyes.
“It’s rude not to warn people before you temporarily blind them,” she snaps at the Gatekeeper. Flipping it the bird before she steps across the door's threshold.
Terra squints, eyes still adjusting after the Gatekeeper’s dazzling display. Down the hall, a small figure with pigtails waves at her. Terra looks around, but no one else is in the cavernous entryway; they must be looking for her.
“Terra, hi! I’m Lenalee. I can take you up to see my brother, Komui. After you’ve been introduced and had your Innocence assessed, you can rest. I’m sure you’re tired.” Lenalee rushes out, hardly giving Terra pause to answer. The taller girl hums in response but offers nothing more. The girls start walking through the halls, and silence settles between the two. Lenalee watches Terra out of the corner of her eye, appraising the new girl's stiff attitude.
“You’re staring at me.” Terra lets out an exasperated sigh. Lenalee stiffens; she’s usually stealthier than this.
“Sorry! I just…well, I’ve been the only girl here…young girl, that is, for as long as I can remember, and I guess I’m just a little excited about having someone around that’s not in the science department, a finder, or another exorcist who are all overwhelmingly guys.”
“Sounds God awful,” Terra scoffs, stomach flipping at the thought of being surrounded by exclusively men. “Guess I was lucky to have General Klaud as a mentor, even if she’s a hardass most of the time. There are really no other girls here?”
Lenalee shakes her head, “Nope, not young ones. Just me. Now, us!” A smirk plays on Terra’s face.
“Well, I guess we’ll have to be fast friends, Lenalee.” Terra’s smile spreads, dissolving the interpersonal tensions from earlier that afternoon.
“Yeah, I’d like that!” Lenalee beams back at Terra. “Come on, brother is waiting.” She picks up the pace, and Terra follows along dutifully.
~~~~~~~~~~
Lenalee swings open the door to Komui’s office, announcing their arrival. Komui’s head shifts behind a pile of paperwork on his desk, but his eyes don’t leave whatever he’s reading. Terra takes in the mess of an office, hardly noticing the grown man sitting behind towers of books and loose paper.
“Have you brought Terra?” he murmurs while scribbling something into a notebook.
“I’m right here, sir,” Terra responds, stiffness returning to her posture. This is the guy who ordered a talking wall to examine her. He can’t possibly be trustworthy.
Komui stands up and crosses over to the girls, grinning widely. A complete switch up from the serious demeanor he wore three seconds ago. “Terra! Please call me Komui! Welcome to headquarters. I’m so glad you arrived safely. From the United States of America, correct?”
“Right, Director Komui. But General Klaud and I were just in the Carribean, so I came directly from there.”
“Ah, the Carribean. What I wouldn’t do for a vacation…” Komui drifts off, imagining living life on a beach and sipping out of a coconut.
Reever snaps him out of his reverie, “Only people who do their work deserve vacations!” Komui deflates.
“So mean, Section Leader!” He sniffs. “Anyway, Terra, I hope you settle in quickly over the next few days. I’m sure Lenalee will happily show you around. Once you’ve unpacked, please meet me in the lab.” He waves them off and schleps to the back of the room to skirt his responsibilities.
“Thanks, brother! Terra, let me show you to your room.” Lenalee swivels right into a firm body. She backs up, rubbing her bruised nose. “Ow, geez, Kanda. Where’d you even come from?”
“The hallway. You’ve got to watch where you’re going,” Kanda retorts, unphased by the impact.
“Sure, sure. I was just excited to get Terra into her new room,” Kanda raises an eyebrow out of confusion more than curiosity. “Kanda, this is Terra. Terra, Kanda. She just arrived from the American branch under General Klaud!”
“Nice to meet you, Kanda,” Terra says, sticking out her hand to shake his. Kanda doesn’t take it but nods in her direction and walks off. The tension in Terra’s shoulders sears through her back, and her eye twitches in irritation.
“If all the guys are like him, I can see why you’re excited about my arrival,” Terra grumbles.
Lenalee rubs the back of her neck, “Haha…don’t mind, Kanda. He’s harmless…mostly…kind of? How about this; take no offense ‘cause he’s like that with everyone. Let’s go! Your new room awaits!”
Terra glances back at the grumpy man in an attempt to read his energy. With a blink, her eyes shift from dark brown to molten ember, allowing her to read heat signatures. She looks at Kanda and discovers that his heat levels are even. So he really wasn’t being hostile. She turns around to walk alongside her new friend, forgetting to release her power. Lenalee opens her mouth to speak but flinches back when she sees Terra’s orange pupils.
“Your eyes! What’s happening?” Lenalee staggers backward, “Should I get brother?”
“No, no, it’s fine! Look!” Terra blinks, and her eyes return to the deep brown color she was born with. “It’s part of my Innocence. I can read heat signatures. Thermography if you want to get scientific. I use it to sense people’s moods or if they’re lying. Sorry about the scare.” Terra puts her hand on Lenalee’s shoulder in apology.
“That’s cool! Why did you use it, though?” Lenalee cocks her head to the side.
“I wanted to see if I pissed off Kanda. Turns out he’s just a dickhead!” Terra barks out a short laugh and shrugs.
Lenalee laughs, “Yeah, like I said, don’t mind him. Your Innocence is so interesting! I didn’t even hear you activate it!”
“Ah, I didn’t! My Innocence reacts to my body, but if I want to damage akuma, I must activate it. Otherwise, I just summon fire and have thermography. If you ever need to light a candle, I’m your girl!” Terra points to the ceiling, generating a small flame on her fingertip.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” Lenalee giggles at the pose but is enamored by the other girl. Her power is destructive, but she clearly has enough control over it to not put anyone in any real danger. “I can’t wait to see you use it in battle!” The girls continue their enthusiastic chattering through the Order’s halls as they retreat to Terra’s room.
~~~~~~~~~~
After a quick trip to her humble abode and a rushed tour of the facilities, Terra found herself in the arms of a giant glowing blue creature named Hevlaska.
“What’s with this place and giant beasts that manhandle young women?!” Terra squirmed as she shouted down at Komui.
“I told you, Hevlaska won’t hurt you! She’s helping us assess how well you work with your Innocence. And the Gatekeeper doesn’t manhandle anyone. It didn’t even touch you,” Komui states monotonously from the ground.
“It manhandled me with its eyes !” She flails a bit more but gives up when she realizes there’s no escaping Havlaska’s clutches. Hevlaska acts on the moment of stillness, presses her forehead to Terra’s, and begins counting up percentages.
“87 percent. Your synchro rate is 87 percent. Thank you, Terra,” Hevlaska gently places Terra on the platform next to Komui.
“87 percent! That’s fantastic!” Komui cheers. Terra shoots daggers at him with her eyes.
“I don’t like you, Lee. You’re not forthcoming with your weird tests! It’s a violation! Assault!” Terra’s locket begins to glow red. Heat waves emanate from her hands and grow until they surround her entire body.
“T-Terra. Please. It’s all mandatory. C-calm down. You’re overheating.” Komui backs away, sweat forming on his brow as the room increases in temperature.
“Ugh! Fucking heart rate reactive fucking Innocence! Fuck !” Terra takes a few deep breaths, and her charm returns to its typical colors as her heart rate calms. “Start telling the truth, nerd! Or I’ll melt this damned platform. Are there any more surprise tests I need to complete?”
“N-no, but I will have to change the chain on your necklace to something more sturdy. We don’t want an Innocence like that falling off in battle.” Komui pulls a gold tungsten twist chain out of his pocket. “Our team put this together while you were settling in. It’s gold so that it matches the charm.” He says the last bit with a flourish, which the teen ignores.
Terra snatches the chain from his hand and examines it, finding it acceptable. “At least you thought this through,” she grumbles. She takes the charm off the old chain, puts it on the Order-issued version, and then puts both necklaces on her neck. Komui nods and gives her a small smile.
“Very good,” Komui presses a few buttons, and the elevator rises out of the dark pit. “Once we’re back up to the dorms, you can spend the next few days as you see fit. I’ll let you know when I have a mission for you.”
“Thank you, Komui. You’re a bit of a sniveling little bitch, but I appreciate the welcome.” Terra remarks, looking up toward the light coming from the inhabited part of the building.
“Um, you’re welcome?” Komui frowns at the insult, though his heart warms at the girl's acknowledgment. They spend the rest of their ascent in comfortable silence.
~~~~~~~~~~
Lenalee pulls Terra toward the dining hall by the hand as she speeds down the hall. “Thanks for coming with me! I’m starving and didn’t want to eat alone.” Terra follows behind the other girl, her clumsy stomps echoing off the walls as she loses her footing.
“You didn’t give me much of a choice. You kinda just yanked me out of my room once I put on my shoes.” Terra attempts to right herself, but Lenalee is moving too quickly for her to gain even footing.
“Sooorrryyy, I’m just so excited to have my first girl hang!” Lenalee turns back and gives Terra a delighted smile. Terra’s cheeks heat at the sight. No one can stay mad at Lenalee for very long.
“Happy to be your first girl hang!” Terra smiles back. The two burst through the double doors of the dining hall to find it filled to the brim with members of the Black Order.
“WELCOME TERRA!” the crowd cheers in unison. Terra’s eyes widen in shock at the onslaught of attention. After a moment of frozen staring, she breaks out of her stupor and turns to her new pal.
“You tricked me!” she accuses Lenalee without any actual malice.
“Yes, but that doesn’t mean we won’t have a girl hang today. This time, it’s more of a party. Welcome to headquarters, Terra!” Lenalee giggles, pushing the other girl into the limelight and her new home.