Howard Link

Appearance
Link stands at about 5'6" and weighs about 137 lbs. He has blond hair cut short in the front and left long in the back, usually tied back in a braid. There are two spots, stacked vertically, on his forehead marking him as a member of Crow.

Abilities
As a member of Crow (a special combat division of Central's assassination squad), Link was trained in combat from a very young age, making him quite the skilled physical opponent. He fights mainly with long switchblades, one hidden up each sleeve, but he has access to various types of "magic" on top of that. He has no Innocence of his own, but he knows many spells meant specifically to combat Akuma. These spells aren't nearly as powerful as the Innocence wielded by exorcists, but with them Link can hold his own against an Akuma for a short amount of time, an impressive feat in itself. He also has access to binding techniques that can weigh a target down and are not akuma specific.

Personality
Link is a very serious individual who imposes strict regulations upon himself and those around him. In his mind, rules are rules and are not meant to be broken, but he has been known to bend them on occasion should the situation merit it (one specific example being allowing Allen use of the Ark during the Level Four's attack on Headquarters even though he'd been forbidden to use his abilities without higher authorization). He's also very focused on propriety, so much so that in one of the latest chapters he refused to enter his and Allen's room for a period of time because Lenalee fell asleep on his bed in a less than completely modest state while waiting for Allen to awaken after his latest fight. He's extremely loyal to his boss, Malcom C. Levrier, though it's not entirely clear if this is due to his own personal sense of duty or something more complex.

On the whole, Link is strict and something of a nuisance for Allen, but he's far less harsh and cold than his boss. His relationships with the exorcists can be strained at times, but he's developed a small sense of comradery with them, helping Allen Walker to the infirmary after the attack on Headquarters, and later assisting them on their missions to collect innocence. He's shown a willingness to protect others, especially those otherwise helpless against akuma, and shows no remorse when banishing akuma or battling those who have allied themselves with the Noah and the Millenium Earl. Link is very intelligent (smart enough to defeat a chess champion) and usually very calm (calm enough to defeat the aforementioned chess champion while surrounded by battling akuma and exorcists). He's not particularly flexible and does not seem to want to involve himself in interacting with others more than he has to. He also enjoys sweets and is often seen reading or writing into a small book in which he keeps observations to send back to Levrier.

History
Howard Link is an inspector sent from Central working under Malcom C. Levrier (though he seems to act as more of a glorified secretary than anything else). He was assigned to supervise Allen Walker as someone connected to the 14th (the banished member of the Noah family). These duties include following Allen around through his daily activities, on missions, and even boarding with him.

After the battle with the first level four akuma and the change in Headquarter's location, Link resumed his duties shadowing Allen. Levrier also gave him another secret task of collecting akuma egg shards (an item used by the Millenium Earl to create akuma, which was captured by the Black Order and then destroyed in the ensuing battle). He gathered these shards as ordered and presented them to Levrier, who sent them to the North American branch of the Black order where they were used in rather questionable experiments.

During the orphanage attack by the second level four akuma (the Timothy arc), Link spends the fight defending civilians (and one would-be child exorcist) from akuma at great risk to his own life. By the end of the fight it looked as if Link and those he was protecting would be killed, but a mysterious figure appeared and defeated the level three akuma threatening them almost effortlessly, as well as in a manner that should have been impossible for a human. It appeared that this figure was a member of Crow that Link was familiar with, as he referred to him by name (Madarao). In the latest chapter, both Link and the exorcists have become aware of the results of the experiments involving the akuma egg shards: members of Crow altered into half-akuma in order to combat the forces of the Millenium Earl. Link was apparently unaware of these experiments if his shock at the news if any indication, and it's just after find out this news that he'll be pulled into the facility. As far as his life before this stint of surviellance is concerned, almost nothing has been clearly specified. It is assumed that, as a member of Crow, Link spent his childhood training to battle akuma, which would account for his serious and severe personality. Why he's working directly under Levrier rather than amoung the normal ranks of Crow is unclear.

Facility Facts

 * Link has been in the Facility since Week 14.
 * He continues his duty of observing Allen Walker, even without the presence of Central.
 * Link is devout in his belief in God, though his faith in his superiors has slipped since the revelation of the 3rd exorcists.
 * During Week 15, Link had a mental break down caused by spiritual crisis brought on by the existence of the Facility and those present within it.
 * During Week 17, Link was attacked and murdered by Haine. He's doesn't talk about the experience, but is still rather traumatized by it. He believes that the pain normally felt while deceased/being revived in the Facility is what Hell feels like.
 * During Week 22, Link was offered the chance to obtain an item from home.Rather than request something of his own, he asked for Komui's Innocence-repairing drill in an attempt to further aid the exorcists.
 * During Week 32 (Evil Twin Week in Manhattan), Link was kidnapped by Allen Walker's evil twin and held captive and tortured underground for several days.
 * Link is currently in an awkward relationship with Celena Schezar... awkward because Link is something of a social retard, but also because of Celena's problem of sometimes shifting genders to become Dilandau Albatou. Link feels guilty about his behavior during these swaps, but his beliefs and personal preferences will not allow him to continue the relationship when Celena/Dilandau is not female.