Chapter 1:

The night was cold and wet. Though it had been raining earlier that day, it seemed as though the clouds could not stop their fountains of water from pouring down. It was the perfect night for death. The rain would wash away whatever evidence was left. Zero believed in that. The pair stood silently over the limp body of another Sacrifice. Kouya stared at his blood-stained clothing with vacant eyes. She knew she would hurt the poor boy, but killing him? Was that really necessary? She reached to stroke his soaked hair, but Yamato stopped her.

"No, Kouya," she said. "You'll just wake him. Use a spell to send him away from here." Kouya nodded.

"You will leave this place," she chanted. "You will go back to where you belong, like a bird returning to its nest." She shielded her eyes as the torn boy disappeared in a flash of white light. She didn't know where to send him, so she sent him to another Fighter unit.

Soubi closed the door to his professor's office and sighed. His friend Kio was waiting for him with a lighter in hand. Soubi turned to him and stood patiently while he lit the cigarette in his mouth.

"Did you make it in time, Soubi?" Kio asked.

"Just barely," Soubi replied, "but my paints haven't dried yet." Kio put his hands on his hips.

"That's what you get for hanging with that Aoyagi-kid again, you bastard," he scoffed. "You're lucky the professor's put up with your all last-minute works." Soubi heard a faint knock at the door. It only sounded once. He approached the door slowly, extinguishing his cigarette in a nearby ash tray. He rested his hand on the doorknob and pressed his ear against the cool metal door. He heard heavy breathing on the other side. Someone was waiting for him to answer the door. He slowly turned the knob. Then he threw open the door.

"What the--?" Kio cried as a young boy fell through the doorway to the floor. "Who the hell is that?" Soubi lifted the boy into his lap and gently brushed his hair out of his eyes. The boy was soaking wet and shaky.

"He's alive," Soubi murmured. "Kio, bring a blanket over here," he said. "This boy's shivering." He began to unbutton his soaked shirt, and he gasped in surprise. Etched across his heart was the word, 'Trustless'. Soubi ran his fingers along each letter, tracing each one perfectly. He was the Sacrifice of another Fighter unit.

"I found a blanket," said Kio. He stopped in his tracks when he saw Soubi with the boy's shirt unbuttoned. "Honestly, Soubi, save the kinky stuff for me," he said, rolling his eyes.

"Kio, you know me better than that," said Soubi. "I'm not a pervert." He gently stroked the boy's hair in a fatherly manner, watching him carefully for signs of his waking. Kio shook his head and headed back toward the sink with paintbrushes in hand.

"Whatever. You should send him to the orphanage once he wakes up," he said, turning on the faucet. "Maybe they'll find his family for him."

"We can't do that," Soubi protested, "not when he's in this condition. I'll take him with me when I leave." As he wrapped the boy tighter in the blanket, he thought about taking him to Ritsuka's house. Surely Ritsuka wouldn't mind. After all, since when did he ever take Ritsuka's words seriously? Soubi smiled as he propped the boy's head up against his chest. Surely Ritsuka wouldn't mind. Surely he wouldn't.