Five weeks later, at Takai's base.

'They believe that the weapons they are creating and the people they mutate are the future evolution of humans. Kira is the outcome of an ancient race that was from another world; it came here for a short time, and then made it back to their world again. But Takai's great, great, great, grand father knew one of them, he was evil, just like Takai, and took one the creatures' blood. Trapping one of the creatures and taking the most from it. The blood had been passed down, generation to generation, until Takai finally found a use for it, in Kira.'

'My name is Kira. My designation number is four zero seven two nine. My rank and level are two. My master is Takai. My teacher is Irving. My job is to kill.'

"Hello, little one," Irving greeted as he entered the room.

"My designation is Kira," The creature answered, she didn't understand why he always called her different names.

"I know... But the name doesn't fit you," Irving answered sadly, he wanted the creature to have a soul and to know how to be friendly.

But the creature never laughed, it always had a confused look on its face. It only knew pain and fear. Irving hoped he was making a difference and helping her to have a soul, but she never showed it. She never laughed she never smiled. She was placid.

"Are you ready for today's lesson?" He asked as sweetly as he could.

"Yes" She answered, her response was never given from actual emotion or even a desire, it was simply what she had been told to say when asked that question. To her, there was no other response.

Irving knew that here he was being watched, so he introduced a new idea. "Say, why don't we go to my room? I've got a new book there I think you'll like."

The creature didn't move it just stared up at him. Irving knew he would get in trouble for doing this, but he was sure that the thing that they created had a soul and he wanted terribly to save that soul. It wasn't right just to let it die, mentally. It had to have a soul, it had to. He'd spent a lot of time with Kira, he knew her better than anyone else did.

"Kira, do you want to come to my room?" He asked and took the helmet off Kira; the helmet that Takai had put on her in order to control her easier and from far away. He expected her to simply say that this was her designated learning area and she shouldn't leave.

"I ..." Kira started. And answer was hard, she wasn't supposed to leave, that idea had never been introduced, it was breaking a rule.

"Come on. I'm your teacher, and it's class time. So let's simply go have a class," Irving said as stood up, opening the door and not waiting for her to follow. Kira followed him all the way to his room. When he got there, he shut the door and took out a book from a hidden spot behind the bookshelf.

"Here Kira," He said as he handed her the book.

Kira couldn't read. She looked at pictures in order to understand things. That is what bothered Irving because she was surrounded all day with pictures of people being killed, tortured, and even hunted down. They put TV's all over one wall of her room and she had to watch these horrible images twice a day for two hours. The collar on Kira's neck glowed and Irving looked at her urgently.

"Kira, take the book, hide it. I know you don't know what it is, but remember that I care greatly for you. I want you to be able to know when someone is trying to help you and not be afraid to let them. I want you to have a real father someday; it won't be me because I have to leave you now, but I'll always remember you. Keep the book hidden and read it at night. Will you promise to do this?" He asked desperately.

He didn't really expect her to understand anything he had said. The collar glowed brighter, and then two guards burst into the room and stood behind Kira. Irving looked at her and she looked at the floor. As the two guards stepped forward, Kira slipped the book into a little hidden pocket in her backpack.

"I promise," She whispered as a guard grabbed her and carried her out of the room over his shoulder. Irving followed; he knew they would take him to Takai.

"Hello little Kira," one of the guards sneered as he put Kira down. "Are you ready for today's lesson?" He asked.

"Don't take it out on her, it was my idea," Irving growled.

"Well? Are you ready for today's lesson?" The guard repeated.

Kira nodded slowly and the guard raised his hand high in the air. "Good," He said and brought his hand down; hitting Kira hard across the face. Kira was hit so hard that she fell to the ground. "Today's lesson: knowing only to listen to your master!" The guard yelled and took out a nightstick.

He raised it into the air and hit Kira in the side with it. She let out a scream of pain and Irving jumped forward. He was about to get the guard off Kira, but the other guard grabbed him and pushed him toward Takai's office. The other guard hit Kira again, it knocked her out, and he picked her up. He carried her to her room, shoved her in, and locked the door.

'I'm sorry,' Irving turned away and headed into Takai's office.

At Takai's office

Irving sat in a chair as Takai paced back and forth. The office was decorated in a very relaxed way. Takai usually questioned his staff in a different room, one with hot light, not air, uncomfortable chairs, and an overall sensation of death. This room was his personal office; he couldn't question his best friend in the other room. This one held a mahogany boss's desk with gold leaf finishing and a grand, throne-like office chair behind that desk. Plagues lined the off white wall and the chair in which Irving sat was deep red and gold.

"What am I going to do with you Irving?" Takai questioned, continuing his pacing and barely looking at Irving.

"That creature has a soul. I'm sure of it," Irving explained, watching Takai as he traveled back and forth.

"Irving, you were with me when I started this dream and you know as well as I do that a creature created in a lab out of the genes of an extinct species can NOT have a soul," Takai stated lightly, as if he was almost convinced that the sentence he had just uttered was a normal routine that all staff should wake up and say to themselves at least once a week.

Irving didn't answer, his gaze told that he thought otherwise and would not change his mind. Takai stopped and turned towards his friend. Irving's casual nature disturbed him. This was a serious thing! He knew that Irving would not simply fall in line; he'd always been the one to question the experiments and Takai had feared for a long time that Irving would mess with their biggest project. There was only one thing to do.

"Take Dima (Dee-Mah) and leave," Takai ordered sadly.

Irving nodded. "I understand," he said through clenched teeth. With a slight nod he rose from his seat and left the evil man to wallow in his own sins. Irving headed towards the hospital wing.

"Dima?" He called as he walked in.

Dima was a human that had signed up for the experiment when she was a teenager. She had been given the same electronic device as Kira and was basically a living computer. Only, thanks to Irving, she had a soul.

"I'm here Irving" Dima smiled. "The meeting with Kira was short...is everything alright?...you look sad," She observed and rushed over to him.

"We are leaving...might even be for good," Irving said then he smiled at her, she had wanted to leave for a long time. Dima fought back tears because she knew how much Irving wanted to help Kira.

"You said that soon the Wizards would be coming to destroy the base, right?" She started.

"Yes, they come to kill Kira," He answered with a sigh.

"Well, what if Kira does have a soul? She'd know to get away right?" Dima continued.

"And go where? Everyone that looks at her would know what she was. Someone would kill her because they'd think she was a monster," Irving replied in frustration.

"You've spent five weeks with that little girl. Don't you believe in her? Don't you believe in fate? If she is meant to live she will live," Dima smiled as she finished.

There was a long pause, until- "Your right Dima. Let's go start that clinic you always wanted," Irving smiled and together they started packing.

They packed up and Irving informed Takai that he would finish his work and leave. Takai informed him that he was no longer allowed to see Kira. Irving understood and he had a months worth of work before they could leave. Dima had to record the records of every patient into the main computer and Irving had to write down all the cures he had found. Irving didn't like Takai's plans, but he wasn't going to make Takai's victims suffer, that was why they bothered to stay that extra month.

When they finished, Irving checked everything one last time. His month had run out. He just tried his best to keep his head up high as he walked out of the hospital wing. Dima walked beside him, she would no longer have to see the mutilated bodies that came in for treatment, she no longer had to deal with the harsh attitudes of the base guards, and she no longer had to test people.

She wanted to run a hospital where she could treat people with a kind attitude; she doubted anyone would ever accept her because she was a cyborg. They walked to a secluded part of the base and were almost to the exit. Irving's eyes were almost tearing up. Kira wouldn't ever have a chance to have a soul. He stepped into the hall way and down the long path toward the exit.

"Wait!" He heard a familiar voice call out.

Irving quickly turned around to see Kira running towards them. She had her uniform on and was holding the raccoon he had given to her. Kira had something else though, something that caught Irving's eyes. Kira had the book.

"Kira?" Irving asked; he knew she would get in trouble for leaving her designated area and had probably had to sneak out.

"Irving, I don't understand something" Kira stated.

"What don't you understand?" Irving asked.

Kira opened up the book and showed him a picture of a family. Something she'd never seen or heard about before. Something he feared she'd never see.

"That's called a family," Irving explained. "That's the dad," He pointed at the dad. "That's the mom" He pointed to the mom "That's their children," He pointed to the two kids. "A family is a group of people who care for each other, at least that's how it's supposed to be."

"What if one of them dies?" Kira asked. That was it. Finally a true sign of a soul. Her job was to kill, she knew that. Now she wanted to know the effect it would have.

"Well, then there is great sadness. Every member left will be somewhat different. Perfect families have every member," Irving told her.

"Oh, can there be a family with out the mother and father?" Kira asked, the male was confusing her, was that Takai?

"Maybe I explained this the wrong way. A true family is not the people you are forced to be around. Takai is not your family. A family is who you care about and love, like friends. However, true family is the people that have a bloodline with you, even a small part. When a member of this family dies, the remaining members are never the same."

"I don't understand. Family is people you care about and love...True family shares blood?" Kira asked.

"Well, there are many definitions of family," Irving was loosing the point of this and he knew it.

"Family is many things: Relatives, godparents, and the people that love you. Families are represented by parents and children, but some parents and children don't get along. When they don't, it's a dysfunctional family...or a troubled family. If the parents and children do get along then the rules are simple. A father belongs with his family, with his son and/or daughter, and his wife. There are a lot of complications, but that's the basic idea," Dima explained.

"Oh," Kira chimed. Irving smiled at Dima; he was proud of her and knew she would make a great doctor or nurse. "Irving?" Kira said suddenly, almost shyly but with a child-like purity he'd never forget.

"Yes?" Irving answered; he hated having to leave Kira and knew he would most likely never see her again. So he at least wanted to answer and final questions.

"Are you and Dima my family?" Kira asked, her eyes shining with innocence.

Irving didn't know how to respond, he had to leave Kira, and he could never be her family. He had never wanted to hurt Kira, but did he have to know? Did he have to tell her no, that he wasn't her family? Dima looked incredibly sad; she didn't know what to say either. There was a long silence.

"Kira... you have a lot to learn about families. You are not my daughter, niece, granddaughter, cousin, and I can't adopt you," he began.

"...I don't understand."

"The truth, Kira, is never kind. You are not my family," Irving answered, he wanted to kill himself for the hurt look Kira got on her face.

"I thought you said Family was the people you loved," Kira cried, she hugged the book tightly and tears fell down her eyes. Her one glimmer of hope had been torn away before she'd even had a chance to accept it.

"Kira, you don't know how to love, do you? You don't know that love is when you'll risk your own happiness to make the person you love happy. Love is knowing when to make sacrifices. Kira, a person who has never been loved can not love until that person is shown how," Irving explained.

"Irving, I know you don't want to leave her and you want to make this easier on her by telling her that so she won't miss you, but don't. Say good-bye on good terms. Not by insults," Dima whispered sharply.

Irving looked at Kira; she backed away from him, tears streaming from her eyes. He had been the one person who had never told her she was doomed... that was until now. He relaxed his cold expression, but it was too late, he'd hurt her.

"I don't know what I did wrong," Kira whimpered. She knew she got hurt when she did something wrong, now she was hurt very badly, but didn't know what she'd done wrong.

"I want you to have a real family. Someone that cares about you; someone you'll be safe with. Bit it can't be me. I have to leave, but you can't be afraid to let yourself love someone. You'll know when you do. You'll feel it, a strange feeling that will make you smile. You'll know, you are very clever, so you'll figure it out," Irving softened his voice as best he could and patted her on the head.

"Kira, I hope someday our paths will cross again. If fate is on our sides we will meet again," Irving smiled and tipped his hat.

"Good bye, Kira," Dima waved and held back the urge to hug her; she knew Kira wouldn't understand it.

Irving said his good bye and then they slowly turned to leave, he looked back for one last look at her; it was hard to think that she would grow up to be a weapon for Voldemort. Irving knew that when the Wizards attacked, the base would be moved. It would start over, but Kira was their last shot at an ultimate ANGEL, after the battle, if Kira was killed they would just have to go on dreaming, and training the guards they had. They would eventually bring Kira back to life and start over. Irving shook his head, 'but, maybe sooner or later, something will awaken her soul and she will fight back.'