Dark: Hola again my companions!

008: -Glancing at Dark- I don't think I'll ask…

Dark: Forgive me for taking so long with this chapter… But I hit another block, until listening to Michelle Branch's "Sweet Misery."… Strangely enough, I just started listening, and inspiration hit me!

002: Yeah. It hit her so hard, it reduced what smarts she had left.

Dark: -Sideglare- Start the story. Oh, I do not own Cyborg 009… Never have, never will!

Endless blue. That was all those ruby orbs could absorb. Wisps of white would often intervene with the vast blue sky, but they evanesced. Just like everything else had. His back to the charred rubble; and his face to the sky and the heavens that was somewhere farther up. The Father told him that heaven was actually a hidden place, of good virtues and good souls. He liked to believe it was just behind the sky, wherever that could be. He'd ask the Father now, but… The Father wasn't there anymore. The last loved one in his life, gone. The good priest, who took care of orphaned children and taught the greatest virtues… He was gone.

His parents had left, or at least, his mother had. From what the Father told him a long while ago- a sigh escaped him, wondering where the time could go- that his mother held on to him as an infant, until she could make it to the church steps. And when she set him down on those steps, the last, delicate, threads of her life had been severed completely. It all happened on one cold snowy day, 18 years ago.

As for his father, there was no trace of him. He had merely disappeared. No bit of information was found on him, so the boy knew neither parent. But, the Father seemed like a true father to him, so he wasn't completely sad. He went from infant years to boyhood, to a teenager… To days ago, on his 18th birthday. [1]

His hand felt the ashes that were once his home. It burned, overnight. Just like that it was all taken away. Remnants of pews and statues survived the inferno, along with portions of the walls, but the feelings inside, were gone. A flare seemed to light within the one ruby orb that wasn't obscured by the mahogany bangs. The dark secret inside him was the source of it. It continued to stoke the fires of anger and rage that burned within the chasms of his soul. To find that blade, deep within the form of the Father, surrounded by the flames that devoured everything in its path. Someone had killed the Father that night, and the authorities apprehended the wrong person. Him.

They honestly thought he of all people committed the murder. They were going to take him… He honestly couldn't remember where. All he knew was that they were driving, and it was pouring. Then the crash happened, allowing him the chance to escape. But they had followed him to the cliffs, and there was no other way out. In the flurry of the moment, he jumped. The sensation of the cold waters, just being forced against him, was enough to send him into a state of unconsciousness.

Waking up on the beach wasn't a pleasant feeling. The salty water left an aftertaste; the sands clung to his clothes. His skin felt clammy, and his head suffered from several headaches that threatened to tear his skull apart if he allowed it. But even so, he had managed to rise, and walk away from the shoreline.

He wasn't sure on how he could manage to avoid social contact, long enough to walk it back to the church site, but he did. Hiding and running, like those huge games of hide and seek he used to play with his childhood friends… But that was a long time ago, and this, was much different.

So here he lied, motionlessly, while looking up to the skies above. The police had taped off the area, but they didn't check it in the daytime. It'd be his usual routine. Lie there in the daytime, and when the sun started to set, hide in nearby bushes and wait for dawn again. And slowly, the anger would die down again, replacing itself with despair. And that despair and fury would slowly eat away at him, until the day nothing was left. And what scared him was; he was half hoping for that day to come. But the other half, it compelled him to go over memories of childhood. They gave him comfort, albeit a little.

Fatigue slowly overwhelmed him, and the aching in his head had increased to the point that every sound was amplified to the extreme. And yet, there was a dull thudding somewhere. He widened his eyes, as if that could help him in understanding where the soft thudding came from, but then it stopped.

Just above him, was a face. A girl's face. Blonde hair framed her porcelain features and aquamarine eyes. They reminded him of the tranquility of the sea, but these held more emotion. Flooded with, what was it? Worry? Pity? What?

"Oh my goodness…" She spoke softly, her voice sounded sweet. He was reminded of the pictures of angels he'd sometime see around the church as a child. But there was a difference. She was real. Maybe he did reach heaven after all, and could see the Father and his parents again… A feather light touch drew him out of his thoughts, and he felt his body slowly being lifted upwards.

"Why are you all alone here?" Ruby and aqua intertwined for a moment's silence.

His voice seemed completely alien to him, when answering with, "I… I don't have anyone to go to. The one who I knew, the one who took care of me, died." A few moments had passed when he realized that she was looking him over. Something struck inside his mind. He was still a criminal, right? So wouldn't that mean that this girl in front of him knew about…

"Come with me then." It wasn't what he expected. "It's cold out here, and besides, it's about to rain. And I'm not about to let you catch a cold out here." She held a hand out for him, and he slowly took it, rising to his feet. It wouldn't do good to argue now…

"By the way, my name's Francoise. And what's yours?"

The boy took a deep breath, as they walked towards a small blue car parked nearby. "My name is, Joe."

"Joe…" She appeared to be testing his name, with her eyes taking on a distant look. "That's a nice name." She smiled at him, and slowly, he smiled back. Something about her was different from other people. He couldn't place it, but it was there. He couldn't figure out whether or not she was really an angel, but that really didn't need to be answered for the time being.

Since the Father had told him, a long time ago, sometimes an angel can be found in a normal person.

[1] On the website I saw, it said that the said incident happened o his 18th birthday. I'm not certain though…

Dark: As you know, it's an AU (or partly AU), but it does have actual events from the anime. I don't know what compelled me to write this… Might be "Sweet Misery", might be the soda I had, might be the extra ten cookies I ate earlier… Oh well. I'll figure it out somehow. In the meantime, I'm stuck with having to ask my dad to read these before I post these pieces up to be sure that it seems okay.

To Cyborg0021: Yeah, you could say he was reunited… And I hate Writer's Block as well.

To Moon Shaddow: I'm starting on the fluff stuff, but as stated, Writer's Block took a lot of good ones.

To QueenofDarknessYetAGorefest: Thanks! Didn't think I could actually get you to cry on that one… By the way, can't wait to see your next chapter. And I'll try work on the emotional style… But I need a really good inspiration to hit me- NOT literally!

007: -Grinning, while holding 006's pan behind back-

006: -Whaps him with rolling pin- Give me that! -Takes pan and goes off to kitchen-

To Holli: -Sheepish look- I remembered to change the summary, but now it's changed to this one. Thanks for pointing that out. To be honest, I'm not sure if I'm happy or sad about the last one either.

To GoldAngel2: I saw that episode so many times… And I had to incorporate my thoughts on his thoughts in the episode into a little piece. Hope I brought out his emotions fairly enough in character.