Chapter 10: As No. XIII

"Your initiation ceremony is tonight," Sephiria said. "Be sure to wear this uniform to the ceremony. Here you go."

She handed me a nice dress shirt with a tie and matching pants.

"And here, don't forget this either," Sephiria said.

A black overcoat.

"You've already gotten your XIII tattoo done at our specialized underground services so you're all set. 7:00 sharp. Don't be late," Sephiria said.

"Understood, chief."

A black overcoat, eh? Heh heh. This would be very interesting.

I hadn't counted on Chronos providing all my necessary monetary funds, that was just an added plus. I bought a nice apartment several blocks away from Chronos' main operating building. It was quite convienient really.

I hastily changed to make my 7:00 appointment. After, I rushed out the front door and ran right into a person who was obviously, just like me, in a hurry.

"Ouch...oh..." the woman said.

I froze there, not sure how I should have reacted until she spoke.

"Oh, sorry...I wasn't watching where I was going, my bad," the woman said.

I nodded and pressed the button for the elevator. It arrived in a couple of seconds. She got up slowly.

"You're new here, aren't you?" she asked.

I didn't answer.

"I knew it! I can tell just my looking at your face!" she rambled on.

I turned away from her.

"What's wrong?" she asked.

I didn't answer, again.

She laughed. "Haha, you're funny, my name's Saya, nice to meet you. By the way, if you want to get somewhere, it's faster to use the stairs...bye!" she yelled as the elevator door opened.

...Then why was she riding in the elevator with me? Never mind that, oh shoot. It's only a couple minutes to 7. I ran through the elevator door, right past her and continued down the street.

One block...two blocks...red light, shoot.

I jumped onto the roof of a nearby building and leapt for another one. The only way I could make it now was like this.

Three blocks...four blocks...five blocks...almost there... Ah, the thirteenth block, how ironic.

I quickly jumped off the building roof, landed on the ground and rushed into the building. The Chief was already waiting there for me.

"Ah, just in time, Heartnet, so, follow me please. I'll lead you to the room," Sephiria said.

I nodded and trailed after her when she started walking. She lead me into a large dimly lit room with about 20 people inside.

"Follow me, Heartnet," she said again.

I followed her into the center of crowd. I caught various murmurs such as "that's him," "he's only 18," "he must really be something," and "who is this guy?"

"Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you with great honour, the newest member of the elite unit of Chronos known as the Time Guardians," Sephiria said.

She handed me a large, elegant case.

"Train Heartnet, no. XIII, I present to you the decorated black gun, Hades, as proof of your initiation into the Time Guardians," Sephiria said.

I hesitantly picked up the gun with my left hand. My hand shuddered a bit when I first grasped it, because it was a bit heavier than I thought it would have been, but it really wasn't a big deal.

"Let us work together for the sake of Chronos and maintaining peace and stability in the world," Sephiria said. "Everyone – back to your original duties please. Sorry for interrupting your activities. Dismissed."

And with that, all the people in the room slowly walked out of the room, but you could easily sense that they were in a rush. I stood there, a bit confused.

"You're wondering why I made such a big fuss over a ceremony that barely lasted 5 minutes right?" Sephiria asked.

I nodded reluctantly.

"Very simply, this was something that absolutely needed to be done. However, we erasers are among the busiest workers in Chronos. We can't waste precious time by sitting through long ceremonies," Sephiria said. "I hope you understand."

"No, it's perfectly fine."

I quickly put away the hardess in my gun holster. A perfect fit.

"Are you free right now, Heartnet? Care to join me for dinner?" Sephiria asked. "I trust you didn't have time to eat before you got here."

I thought she just said that she didn't have a lot of time on her hands. Oh well...

"Yes, Chief."

"Then, follow me please," she said.

I nodded curtly and followed her. We stepped into an elevator and took it to the top floor of the building. The door opened and the entrance was immediately flooded by bright lights. We had stepped into a first-class restaurant. I glanced at the ceiling in awe.

"This way please," a woman said as she lead us to our seats.

I followed Sephiria to our seat. We both ordered and started a gently conversation.

"Is there something you wanted to talk to me about, Chief?"

"Yes. There are a couple of rules I need to mention to you. Firstly, fighting among Chronos Numbers is strictly forbidden," Sephiria said.

And I wanted to rip apart the guy with the rocket launcher too...

"Secondly, you must never betray Chronos. Obey all orders from me and complete all your missions. If you do, you will be rewarded accordingly. If you don't, you will be severely punished," Sephiria said.

"Understood."

"Heartnet, do make sure to take care. The weapons we use may aid us greatly in our work, however, when incorrectly used, the weapons we own may end up owning us. For that reason, why do you fire the gun, who do you fire the gun at, never forget those things that are truly important," Sephiria said.

I took a long hard pause to think about what she said. After a long silent moment of speculation, I nodded curtly. Sephiria nodded gently in return.

The food arrived shortly and we both ate.

"I will call you when we need your services," Sephiria said.

And with that, I left. I rushed back to my apartment and tucked myself into bed. After all, as Chronos' most skilled assassin, I'd need the rest.