Chapter 1 - Lost

So I'm supposed to abduct someone in Mugen City?

We have taken note of your ability and we found you to be perfect for the job...

What do you need him for anyway?

I'm afraid that falls into classified information...

How about the authorities?

Taken care of. Should they report to them, they'll simply lead them to a wild goose chase...

Why not get the other two instead of me? They have more expertise when it comes to jobs like this.

The Getbackers? They are not to be involved in this. The target has a connection to them.

I see. I expect my reward money to be delivered to my account as soon as I deliver the target.

giggle It's surprising that a guy your age has a bank account...

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Makubex was busy as always with his project of searching for information regarding the God of Mugenjou. Dozens of computer surrounded him and cables were littered all over the floor where he was sitting. So far, he hasn't made any progress in penetrating the database's strict defense. Ever since his brush with Masaki, the database's encryption tightened. He paused for a while and drank the cup of coffee that Sakura gave him earlier. He pulled up his sleeve to check the time from his watch.

"One o'clock in the morning? Wow, another all-nighter." sighed Makubex. He saved his work and turned off the computer. "Only three million and three more code combinations to try." giggled Makubex.

He left his workstation and headed for his room. Not a soul can be seen on the halls of the tower where Makubex was. It was eerily quiet and only the sound of his footsteps can be heard but Makubex was used to it. He reached his room and unlocked the door. Just as he was about to close the door, he heard a faint sobbing west of his room. He peeped outside to see if anyone was there but it was too dark to see. The sobbing became louder and Makubex grew more curious. He stepped out of his room and followed the whimpering.

"One of the kids must've gotten lost again." said Makubex as he pressed onward to the source of the sobbing. A few moments later, he spotted a boy curled up in the corner of the hall. He couldn't tell what the boy looked like mainly because the only light source was moonlight. He approached the boy and crouched down to comfort him. "Hey, are you lost?" asked Makubex.

"M-Mommy... I want my mommy..." uttered the boy.

"It's late. What are you doing here?" asked Makubex.

"I-I don't know. Mommy said that I should wait here but she's not back yet..." whimpered the boy.

"Oh... Well, we'll find your mommy in the morning okay? You should sleep first or you won't grow up..." comforted Makubex. Makubex faked a smile to comfort the boy but he knew too well that the mother of the child will not come back. Parents who couldn't afford to bring up their child usually leave them in Mugen city in hopes that its citizens will take care of their child. Makubex was disgusted by the notion of parents abandoning their child.

Makubex helped the child stand and led the boy to his room. He locked the door and let the boy rest on the sofa. Now he could clearly see what the boy looked like. The boy has brown hair and green eyes. He wore a blue and white jacket and black shorts. He only reached up to Makubex's chest and he almost has the same build as Makubex but thinner. "Are you hungry? Can I get you anything?" asked Makubex.

"Some water will be nice please..." said the child in a low voice.

"Okay, I'll get you some water. Feel free to make yourself comfortable okay?" smiled Makubex. The boy simply nodded. Makubex reached for a glass on his dish rack and filled it with tap water. He went back to and gave the glass of water to the boy who promptly drank it. "I forgot to introduce myself. I'm Makubex, and your name is?" asked Makubex.

"I'm... Kifune Aiyuki." replied the boy in a shy manner.

"Aiyuki huh?" smiled Makubex. He spotted something in the boy's hand which caught his attention. It was a small rectangular object with a screen and several buttons. "What you got there?" pointed Makubex to the object.

"Oh this? It's a Joy Joy Station. Mom said my brother gave it to me when I was still young." explained Aiyuki.

A Joy Joy Station? But they stopped making those when I was ten.

"Cool. I had one of those too but I gave it away." uttered Makubex. "We should probably get you to bed. It's already late." said Makubex. He led the child to his bedroom and switched on the lights. "There are some pajamas here if you don't want to sleep with those clothes..." said Makubex as he opened his closet."You pick what you wanna wear..." smiled Makubex.

"That one..." pointed Aiyuki to the blue pajama with cloud designs. Makubex took out the pajamas as well as a larger one for him. "You get dressed while I take a bath okay?" asked Makubex.

"Okay. But... you'll be back, right?" asked Aiyuki.

"Of course I will. Now get dressed okay?" grinned Makubex as he headed out of the bedroom and into the shower. He took of his clothes and let the cold water of the shower trickle down his body. He grabbed a bar of soap and started scrubbing himself.

What should I do to him? I can't say to him directly that his mother won't come back for him. Maybe Sakura can help me tomorrow. She's much better with children than me.

Makubex placed the soap back in its holder and grabbed the bottle of shampoo next to it. He squeezed some in his hand and started rubbing it in his white hair.

But... how come nobody else noticed him earlier? Maybe his mother thought that midnight would be a good time to leave her child without being noticed?

Makubex finished washing his hair and let the water wash away the thick foam in it. He grabbed a towel and wrapped it around his waist. He then grabbed his toothbrush which was in the medicine cabinet above the sink, squeezed some toothpaste in it and started brushing his teeth.

Ah I know! I'll look his name up on the net and see if I can find his parents from there.

Makubex spat the foam from the toothpaste and gargled with a glass of water. He then remembered that he left his pajamas back at the bedroom. He went back there and saw Aiyuki sitting on the bed, playing with his Joy Joy Station. Beeps and Dings can be heard from Aiyuki's Joy Joy Station. He was already wearing the pajama that Makubex lend him and his old clothes lied on the floor. "Aiyuki, you still awake?" asked Makubex.

"I was waiting for you mister." said Aiyuki.

"Lemme just get dressed and I'll be back." said Makubex as he grabbed the pajamas from where he set it as well as a pair of underwear.

He went back to the bathroom and changed to his pajama. He went back into the bedroom where Aiyuki was.

"Okay, so I'll sleep on the floor and you take the bed." said Makubex as he laid a cushion on the floor and grabbed a pillow.

"Umm... Can you sleep in the bed too? It's big enough for both of us." said Aiyuki.

"Why? Are you scared of the dark?" asked Makubex.

"No! I... I just have a condition." said Aiyuki.

"Huh? What condition?" asked Makubex.

"I have a tendency to sleepwalk mister. I need someone to make sure that I don't." explained Aiyuki.

"Oh, okay." replied Makubex as he picked up the pillow from the floor and placed it next to Aiyuki's. He lied next to the child facing the boy directly.

"Thanks mister." said Aiyuki as he wrapped both his arms around Makubex. Makubex was faintly surprised by the child's act but he kinda felt comfortable himself. It wasn't everyday that he had someone to sleep with him (no pun intended). He wrapped one arm over the boy's neck and closed his eyes. He wanted to make sure that the boy felt comfortable tonight because he wasn't sure if Aiyuki could stomach in the truth come morning. "Mister Makubex, I wish I had a brother like you..." whispered Aiyuki.

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OOC: Hope you liked that chapter. I'll be adding the next one soon enough. Reviews onegai!