AN: I hope this is an improvement from my song fic. That was just…... a disaster. Anyways this is for all the 004 fans that have been waiting so patiently!

"Hello?" Albert pushed open the door to an old house. The floors were covered in a thick blanket of dust and creaked under his weight. "Is anyone here?" He sighed sadly. 'What happened to them? Where did Hilda's family go? How did the house get so…dirty?' He kicked a left behind chair which instantly broke into pieces.

"I haven't been gone this long! All I did was deliver a lion!" He quickly left the forsaken home and knocked on a neighbor's door. An elderly woman with bright white hair and thick glasses answered.

"Why, hello young man! What can I do for you?"

"Do you know who used to live in that house?" he asked pointing across the street to the forlorn building.

"Why yes! I used to. They left years and years ago." 'Years and YEARS!? It doesn't make sense!!"

"Why did they leave?"

"I believe the father of the little family wanted to get away from Germany. After his daughter Hilda's death, bless her soul, I think that this old country held too much pain for him and his wife." Albert caught himself on the doorway wall. 'DEAD!!!? how is that possible!???'

"Thank you for your answers, but I must be on my way now." The woman smiled kindly at him and closed the door gently. Albert's limbs felt heavy with sorrow as he trudged back to the old house. 'Dead…dead…' was what kept running through his mind. He stumbled through the doorway and up the damaged stairs to where Hilda's room used to be. All of her things lay there, untouched, exactly as he remembered them if not a little paler with age. He sat down on her bed and hung his head. Crying was never something he did often, but now he couldn't stop himself. Tears fell on the floor the tiny puddles clearly visible in the gray dust.

"Hilda…"

Joe waited silently on the street curb right outside an abandoned house. He resisted the urge to go after 004. 'Might as well let the man morn in peace. I couldn't imagine reliving that pain again.' he thought. He sprang to his feet as he heard slow, heavy footsteps approaching. As he turned he saw 004 walking towards him with his head down.

"Are you alright?" Joe asked him. Albert's gaze lifted from the ground to rest on Joe.

"I will be." His eyes were red and his face was tear stained.

"What happened?" Albert sat down on the curb next to where Joe stood.

"I just discovered someone I dearly loved has died." Joe already knew but acted surprise. He hoped he was convincing. "Has that ever happened to you?"

"Well my mother died when I was born, which put me in an orphanage all of my childhood. Then the priest that took care of us all was killed in a fire…" Joe couldn't believe he explained it so simply. That instance was when his life truly started to collapse. Albert looked at him sympathetically. Then his expression changed to that of curiosity.

"I've heard that story before some how." Joe had hoped that would happen. The empathy he had shown towards Albert made his mind wander. "A number."

"Number?"

"I have a number…Three? No, no four! 004!" He grimaced and squeezed his eyes shut.

"It all makes sense. No it doesn't! Hilda died while u were gone a few days.' But the house…You must have the wrong house maybe the one next door…No; I would never forget that house. I went in her room! It's the right one…You are human Albert, human!...I'm a Cyborg, a monster…a weapon." 009 sighed sadly.

"I'm sorry-"

"Don't apologize. I remember now. A dark room…you couldn't free us. Don't Joe; it's not your fault." He rose and faced 009. "Let's go get the others."

This mental trigger was hard so I hope it isn't a disappointment. You realize that song fic. has only 1 review and that was from me messing around? Yeah I reviewed my own story. Hahaha oh wow.