"Train-kun," the raven-haired healer spoke as she walked up to the sweeper reclining in her living room, "The boy has regained consciousness now. You can speak to him if you want."

"Thanks Tomoyo," Train smiled as he walked past her and into the small room.

"Hey kid." Train's grin did not fade away although he did cringe internally on the condition of the boy. His pale skin was whiter than snow itself, his small chest mummified in white gauze, well part of what was visible anyways, his head also covered underneath a turban of bandages.

The kid shrank back as soon as he saw Train enter the room, his scared blue eyes darting around, looking for possible escape routes, as though if he was expecting the sweeper to attack him.

"Easy there." Train said as he held up his hands in defense. "I'm going to do anything."

The boy looked at him with eyes narrowed in distrust before his gaze traveled to his leg. The instant his eyes fell on Hades, the kid's eyes widened to the size of plates as his face lost whatever small fraction of color that had been there. The boy scrambled away from him, as much as he could, till his back touched the wall against which the bed was set.

"Oh shit." Train swore mentally as he realized that the boy was terrified of him. After all, no traumatized and injured child would trust a complete stranger. Realizing this, Train decided to take his leave, Tomoyo could easily ask him about his family and when her husband, Kurogane, returned they would probably get this boy back to his family.

"You're leaving already?" Tomoyo asked, looking surprised when Train walked out of the room and headed straight for the exit.

"The kid is terrified of me. I don't think he will talk to me." Train replied as he stopped by the door, "Besides, I still have a murderer to catch." He added upon seeing the disapproving look on the healer's face.

"You and Kurogane can take him back, can't you?" Train asked her.

"We can." Tomoyo replied.

"But?" Train inquired sensing she had not finished saying what was on her mind.

"But," Tomoyo said, 'he is your responsibility Train.'

"Huh?" Yelped Train in surprise.

"You're the one who saved him," Tomoyo replied with amusement, Train's reactions were priceless.

"So?" Asked the cat eyed sweeper.

"So, you have to get him back home as well." Tomoyo clarified.

"But... But what about the target?" Train whined in an almost childish manner.

"Well he must be long gone by now." The healer replied, "You can pick up his trail after the boy is back with his family."

"Tomoyo who knows how long that might take." Train tried to convince her, "my target's trail could be cold by then."

"This is exactly why I would suggest that you hurry up and finish this job at hand." Tomoyo smirked.

"Job?" Train repeated but his shoulders sagged in defeat at one look from Tomoyo. "Fine." He grumbled, "But how do I talk to him? He seemed to be terrified of me."

"Not you silly." Tomoyo giggled, "Your gun. Leave it outside."

"You better not hide it." Train said as he unstrapped the holster from leg and set it down on the table.

"I won't." Tomoyo smiled assuringly as the sweeper walked back inside.

"Hey." Train smiled kindly as he walked up to the blond.

The boy looked up at him before his eyes darted back to his leg. Upon discovering that the gun was no longer there, the blond visibly relaxed since he did not scoot away.

That's a good sign, Train thought as he walked closer, careful not to alarm the child.

"How are you feeling?" He asked kindly, pulling a seat from the nearby study desk closer to the bed.

"Who are you?" The boy looked up at him.

"I'm Train Heartnet," Replied the sweeper.

"Why do you keep a gun?" The boy's tone was curious instead of suspicious. Suddenly, he was no longer afraid of the man.

"I use it to catch the bad guys." He answered with a grin.

"Do you get scared of them?" The child asked in a low tone as he looked at his hands lying in his lap.

"Scared?" Repeated the man as he cocked his head to one side. "Why?"

"Cuz they're scary and mean." Replied the blond.

"Nah." Train grinned cockily which caused the young boy to giggle, "What?" the ex-assassin asked in confusion.

"You're funny." The blond giggled again.

You're so funny Train-kun.

"I like you," The boy smiled. The smile was full of innocence and childish honesty. "You're not scary or mean."

"Oh… Thanks?" Train replied uncertainly as his phone started buzzing. A small exasperated sigh escaped his lips as soon as he saw the caller ID. "Hello."

"KURO-SAMA!" A girls' voice shrieked on the other end of the phone, causing Train to wince in pain.

"Hey Kyoko."

"OH MY GOSH! OH MY GOSH! OH MY GOSH!" The girl screamed, "GUESS WHAT KURO-SAMA?" The hyper girl was louder than usual. Even the blond boy was looking at him with an expression which was a cross of amusement and sympathy.

"What Kyoko?" Train asked warily as he eyed the blond boy. Okay, now he was more amused than sympathetic.

"I GOT MY LICENSE TODAY!" If Train thought that the girl was loud before, he had no idea what to think of her now, "I AM NOW A SWEEPER! JUST LIKE YOU! ISN'T THAT GREAT?"

"Uh, yeah, that's really good to hear Kyoko," the former Chronos number XIII congratulated the girl.

"IT IS. AND I'LL BE OUT FOR MY FIRST TARGET TODAY!" she sounded really excited. "I JUST THOUGHT I SHOULD TALK TO KURO-SAMA FOR GOOD LUCK."

Talk to the Black Cat for good luck? This is totally weird. But then again, Kyoko is weird too. The brown haired ex-assassin thought.

"OKAY, I GOTTA GO NOW. BYE KURO-SAMA!"

"Who was that?" the blond asked curiously whilst tilting his head to one side.

"A good friend," number thirteen replied as he pocketed the small device. "So," the catlike grin was back on his face. "What's your name kid?"

"Fai."

-0-

"Is he awake yet?" Number VII, Jenos Hazard asked the doctor who had just exited the room in which the five year old blond was being kept for treatment.

"Yes," the practitioner replied as he closed the door behind him. "But it appears shock has affected his speech. The boy refuses to speak."

"Oh," The raven haired man slid his hand into the pocket of his coat. "I guess we better report this to Sephi-nee chan."

"Sephiria-sama has already been notified," the man informed him. "She wishes for you to speak with the child."

"Me?" Jenos's mouth fell open.

"Yes," the doctor replied with barely concealed amusement.

"B-but…" the raven-head stuttered as he tried to come up with some excuse. "…fine." He grumbled crossly once he realized that nothing he said would make their captain change her mind. Number VII opened the door quietly and stepped inside.

The little blond was sitting in his bed, a small plastic IV tube attached to the top of his right hand, pumping a few painkillers and meds in the boy's frail looking body. His dull, cobalt colored eyes flickered in the assassin's direction for a fraction of a second before resuming their vacant staring at the plain wall before him.

"Hey kid," Jenos greeted the boy in a fake yet almost believable cheerful voice. Those empty azure orbs were unnerving to say the least. Never before in his life had he seen someone look so utterly defeated and broken. "How are you feeling?"

The boy acknowledged his presence no further.

"I'm Jenos Hazard by the way." He said with a grin, seating himself on the edge of the kid's bed. The child did not stir.

"Those men killed her," he knew it was cruel to say such things to a child no older than five years but it had to be done. The boy had to be brought out of his stupor. This boy… he was something special. Jenos knew it. He could feel it. "Do you know why they were after you?"

This elicited a reaction from the boy, a small flicker of emotion passed through his eyes but it was gone in less than a fraction of a second.

"Bad luck." The elite assassin had not expected him to answer but that faint whisper, which might have been inaudible to any normal person, caught his attention.

"Bad luck?" he repeated, locking his gaze on the child's expressionless face.

"They said we cause bad luck." He answered in a hollow tone, his small fists tightening their hold around the sheets.

"How?" Jenos was curious now. What could a mere child do to bring misfortune?

"He called us demons. The twins of misfortune." His body was shaking now, but not a single tear escaped his eyes.

Twins? Where was the other one?

"Just because we were born as twins," The boy whispered his tiny knuckles completely white. "He killed him and my sister."

"Who? Who killed them?" Chronos existed to protect the weak and the helpless. And he'll be damned if he didn't do something about what had just happened to this poor boy before him. "I promise we'll find him and make him pay."

"Why?" Finally that blue-eyed gaze met his, letting him see the emptiness inside, "Who are you?"

"I'm Jenos Hazard," he flashed the kid a cocky smile, hoping to "And I'll help you because that's my job. Me and my friends exist to help people like you."

"Are you a sweeper?"

"No, I'm Number VII." He answered, "I'm a part of the Chronos Numbers. So what's your name kid?" he decided to change the topic. Maybe he would try asking about the man responsible for those deaths some time later.

"Fai." He answered after a long while, his gaze returning to the whitewashed wall behind Jenos."You won't be able to get to the man who did this." The boy, Fai, added after a while. Number VII was surprised to say the least. This boy was way too mature to be just five years old. But then again, death and loss does that to everyone.

"Why is that?"

"Because he is dead." He answered simply.

"How do you know that?"

"I'm the one who killed him."

-0-

"Don't forget to come see us the next time you're around Train-kun." Tomoyo waved her hand cheerfully as she bade goodbye to her cat-eyed friend and his little companion and responsibility for now.

"And risk getting pummeled by that husband of yours?" Train paled a little bit at the thought of that.

"Oh, you know Kurogane didn't really mean it."

"I beg to differ, Tomoyo." The ex-assassin shook his head, adjusting the boy on his back in a more comfortable position. "I swear his glare alone can burn a hole through concrete. He's even scarier than an angry Sven, Little Princess and Rinslet put together."

"He loves you too Train-kun." Tomoyo giggled.

"Yeah yeah. Tell him I said hi when he comes back from his trip."

"I will."

"Bye then." He turned around, marching purposefully through the tree line in the direction of the nearest highway. He'd have to get a lift to get back to the city. Especially when he had to help an amnesiac boy, find his family.

"Bye Tomoyo nee-chan." The little blond boy waved back as he squirmed on the Black Cat's back, craning his neck to see the laughing amethyst-eyed girl.

"Oye, oye," Train warned as he felt his charge's leg slip from his grasp, "stop squirming so much kid. You're gonna fall."

"Sorry." The boy flushed.

"Train-san?" he spoke shyly after a while.

"What?" the golden-eyed man grunted as he jumped down a small rock face.

"Can I stay with you if I can't find my family?"

"Why would you say that?" he asked, unable to keep the curiosity out of his tone.

"I don't know," the boy answered sadly, "It's just something keeps telling me I won't find them again."

"Don't worry, we'll find them." he assured the suddenly miserable boy.

"Train-san?"

"Call me Train. No need to be so formal with me."

"Do you know a princess?"

"Why'd you say that?"

"You mentioned a princess when you were talking to Tomoyo nee-chan. Is she pretty like the princess's in the stories my nee-chan used to tell me about?"

"Nee-chan? Hey, just remembered something. You have a nee-chan. Can you remember what she looks like? Her name? Anyone else?"

"Um…" Train turned his head to see the little blonde's face scrunched up in concentration. "She has… green-eyes. And and… I can't remember anything else…" the boy's shoulders slumped in defeat after a little while.

"No worries, you'll remember eventually." He told Fai confidently, "In the meantime, to answer your question. Princess is the nickname I gave to a friend of mine because it annoys her a lot."

"Why is that?"

"Because…" a thoughtful expression appeared on the sweeper's face as he tried to come up with a reason. "I have no idea." He admitted after a while. "But she's like a little sister to me and it's fun to tease her."

-0-

Jenos was talking to one of his subordinates when the blond kid, Fai, opened the door to his office and peaked inside. Jenos nodded at him to come inside while bringing his discussion with the Eraser to a close. "You can collect the files in the evening." Jenos told him before turning his attention on the five-year put under his charge.

"Hello Fai," he smiled as the blond walked inside and sat down on the chair his subordinate had been occupying a short while back. The Chronos Number had been staying at the headquarters for over a month due to the sudden workload thanks to a new gang of criminals bringing about chaos in the world, so Fai was also kept here.

Number I a.k.a. Sephiria had made him the boy's legal guardian since he no longer had any family. Number VII had tried to protest but the green-eyed woman had merely smiled before dismissing him with the documents. So now, here he was stuck taking care of quiet, non-talkative yet surprisingly brilliant child. Fai was a very quick learner and had learnt all the books Jenos had provided him with, in less than a week.

That in itself had been unnerving for Jenos. The books he had given him had to be till middle school level and he had already solved their practice question papers. And one of the erasers he had tricked into tutoring the boy, had informed him with wide disbelieving eyes that he had scored hundred percent in every single one of them.

So he was now, working on high school level books and though he had slowed down considerably since the coursework was tougher, Fai was still moving at a remarkable pace.

That child was a genius.

"So, what brings you in here today?" the assassin asked gently.

"I-I…" He started in a small, somewhat hesitant voice.

"What is it? Do you need more books?" he tried to guess, the boy did not talk much, even with him. The very first conversation that he had had with the boy had been his longest one up to date.

"N-no." Fai shook his little head, his sun-kissed locks swaying wildly about his head.

"Then?" he coaxed.

"I-I…" he clenched his tiny fists by his sides as he looked down at his lap, "I-I want to be an Eraser."

"What?" Jenos Hazard yelped in a very unmanly way.

"I want to help people." He looked up, his azure eyes burning with determination.

"Maybe when you are older," Number VII spoke, his eyes betraying none of the emotions he felt as he locked his gaze with the boy's.

"But…"

"You're too young to be a killer, Fai," he said simply, flipping his file open in a manner that told the blond that his discussion was over for then. With his head bowed low, the boy left the room letting it come to a close behind him.

Once the door was shut securely, Jenos finally let his disbelief and shock at his charge's request show.