[Edited: 02/21/15]

Chapter Two: Devastation

Looking after Kuroko, Alexandra mused, was a lot easier than she had originally thought.

The child's extraordinary level of intelligence made it seem like she was simply in the company of someone around her age, much to her anxiety and assurance. Anxiety, because the child's intellectual capabilities just didn't match his appearance and the history lurking behind the child's existence wasn't exactly a pleasing story. Assurance, because this lessens the burden that she has to carry with regards to starting a new life as new individuals.

On the other hand, however… what did cause problems for the young woman was Kuroko's personality.

Or rather, his lack of personality.

He had no particular preferences over things and if asked a question, he never answers. He simply takes what was given, does what was being said, and absorb what was being told. He does everything through instinct, Alexandra thought, terrified.

Kuroko was a being- the embodiment of instinct and of intelligence itself. This was how he was made, how he grew up, how he was taught, and how he was supposed to 'work'.

To answer when ordered to, to talk when told to, to act when directed to, to fight when commanded to, and to kill when instructed to…

Is this what the facility was trying to make? A puppet? A marionette that dances with their every command? A weapon meant to conquer and rule? A tool to be manipulated by the government? A monster to be controlled?

Alexandra frankly felt like screaming in frustration, sickened and disgusted by the mere thought of how low humanity has fallen to use an innocent child for the sake of 'their country' and for the 'sake of peace and justice'.

However, what disgusted her more was the fact that she has aspired to become one of them.

And this tears her apart inside.

She had never wanted to reach that point of her life where she questions the purpose and significance of all the decisions she made and all the actions she took. She had never wanted to be a fool who had come to realize what exactly she was doing after she was forced to go through a situation that determines whether she lives or not. She had never wanted this.

However, this time around, whatever she thought of doesn't matter anymore.

Because it happened.

Wishing or hoping wouldn't cut it; there's nothing that she can do now.

That's why this time around, she knew that she can't stop or turn back now that she was head-deep under the grave that she dug for herself.

Because maybe…

Just maybe…

…her goal wasn't to save Kuroko from the unfortunate circumstances that he's currently going through.

Maybe it was to prove herself.


6 years later…


"What's wrong?"

Kuroko usually wasn't the type of person to think or depend on illogical-based thoughts such as the feeling of premonition but as odd as it was, the only thing that was running inside his mind was the vague sense of apprehension.

"…I feel uneasy," he murmured quietly, subtly trying to conceal the realization from surfacing on his face when Alexandra's smile slightly fell apart. He could have easily mistaken that action for surprise but the sudden change in her demeanor told Kuroko everything that he needed to know.

It wasn't that something felt wrong.

Something was wrong.

"…W-what made you say… that?" The woman's voice trembled as she spoke, but none of them acted like it did.

"Please don't think that I'm ignorant as anybody else, Alexandra-san," he began in his usual tone of indifference and nonchalance, his hands balling into tight fists inside the pocket of his dark coat. He felt cold; unbelievably and extremely so. It might be the weather, but the way how his stomach twisted told him that it wasn't. "You had been rather busy these past few weeks, and you rarely leave your room nowadays."

And then he pointedly stared at Alexandra's damp sleeves.

"What else could that suggest and imply?"

A small and forced laugh immediately followed after the short moment of silence that fell on the two.

"Now, that's not true, Kuroko!" The bespectacled woman laughed loudly- way too loudly for it to be real. "Why would I be crying?"

Though a mere child, Kuroko's gaze admittedly pierced through Alexandra's own when he spoke.

"The please answer truthfully, Alexandra-san. What were the contents of the folder that you have received approximately three weeks ago?"

Alexandra's laughter died out as her smile dropped, her dark green eyes widening in fear and shock. Something about her expression said that she was expecting this to happen but even still, she didn't appear to actually be prepared for it.

And then, there was silence.

Cold, unfeeling and unsympathetic silence.

The woman's hands helplessly fell at her sides as tears cascaded down her pale and flushed cheeks, a bitter smile spreading across her face as she gazed at the young child who she had grown accustomed to calling her younger brother for the last six years.

Painful, she thought. It felt incredibly painful.

"I…" she began softly in a broken whisper. "…I'm sorry, Kuroko… I-I… I have to go… I have to go back to Italy… back to that place… back to that hell… back to them… It's not safe for you anymore… The government has found me and I-I can't let them get their filthy hands on you! Not now, never again! Never in a million centuries…! They can do whatever they want to me… but I… you alone… my younger brother… I will never surrender!" she cried as she pulled the young child into a trembling embrace, eyes tightly closed in what could have been regret or frustration.

She didn't want to see it.

She didn't want to see Kuroko so broken like that.

She didn't want her younger brother to be hurt.

But still, she wouldn't be able to forget it.

She will never be able to.

That look of pure devastation… That look of utter surrender and defeat…

For the first time in six years, Kuroko showed emotion.

…And that was the first and the last time that he did so in front of her.

TBC…