Hey everyone, it's me again! Here's the next part of Numb, which is coming along a lot faster than I expected. Short chapters though. Oh and as a warning, the OC in this chapter is going to be around for at least a few more chapters, depending what people think of him. But for now, just enjoy!

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Daytime light burned through blue eyes as the ex-Chosen reached for the newspaper he'd used earlier to cover his eyes. Rooftops weren't exactly a preferred location to sleep, but to get away from the other people living in the slum end of Meltokio, he'd climb up. His paranoia still hadn't turned off since the raid in this area a few months ago. The whole section was picked up and thrown in a small cramped cell where they had to fight for food. If not for a breakout that had been strategically planned out over a few nights, more lives would have been lost.

Grim images flashed in his partially woken mind. A woman with her baby, watching in horror as her husband, still frantically signaling for her to leave, was stabbed by a guard. Two children, battered by the crowd calling for their mother, who'd left them once the guards rounded a corner. The face of the man he'd had to kill trying to protect those two. Turning back to see the gates close behind him, knowing that he hadn't had a chance to find out what had happened to…her.

It was almost funny sometimes, how his thoughts drifted to her even now, when he should be planning how to get in, where to get the information he needed for a personal battle plan. A battle for one man against so many would take thought that he rarely had. It was spent on Sheena, remembering ever mannerisms, every loose thread on every piece of clothing. How she would refuse to smile at him in public, saying that appearances had to be kept. Her worried looks when he'd scoffed at this statement, declaring his invincibility, her arms wrapped around him once he promised to protect her, risk his life in any way.

Protect her, right. The paper over his face rose in the air slightly as he snorted. Fat lot of good he'd done protecting her. What had he planned to do, boast at them, and state his titles proudly, even if he hated them? All he had back then was worthless. Money, fame, popularity, a piece of the nobility, it was nothing really compared to the might of ancient customs and royal decrees. Especially the one that had decided his fate.

Royal Decree number two thousand and four, a real segregation one, released a week after Princess Hilda was formally introduced for marriage. It was if the king was trying not to let other women detract from his beautiful daughter. As if he'd needed to do that, with the men flocking around her, desperate for attention. No, Zelos had guessed it had something to do with his own interest in Sheena, who he'd proposed to just twenty-nine days before. Twenty-nine glorious, romantic days where he almost managed not to flirt with anyone, except old women who needed that sort of attention to feel better about themselves.

It wasn't like the royal decree thing was new either. There always seemed to be a new one, though a couple got erased because they were outdated or just useless. Like the one about apples, weird and old. Of course this one had to be different. After his lovely fiancé found something that wasn't pink in his closet and made him wear it, he'd skipped out the door, humming cheerfully and freaking Sebastian out, even if the butler wouldn't admit it. High spirits were left in his wake, and even if he was almost an hour late, he could pull off his 'duties to the Church' plea. Zelos Wilder, Chosen extraordinaire, one of the group who'd saved the world, Tethe'alla's hero, could never be wrong.

Or so he'd thought, entering the building and rushing to the meeting hall. The room was packed with noble men, most trying to catch Hilda's eye, and the others studying a diagram painted on a large banner. Beside it, in full lifelike colour, was a picture of a male ninja and a raven-haired woman, hair in a pink ribbon. Innocently, the Chosen pointed and interrupting the speech given by the king asked, "Why's Sheena up there?" There was no mistaken her, the painting was so lifelike that four years ago, he would have walked straight up and flirted with it.

"You're late" was his only answer, cold, especially from the king. He'd saved this man's life, rescued his daughter, and he was being like this, reprimanding him without looking up. How rude, he thought, climbing the stairs to an empty seat, leaning into the cushioned chair. Satisfied, the royal continued where he obviously had left off, gesturing upwards towards the pictures and speaking, "As I was saying, Mizuho people, while above those living in the slums and certain species-"

At that point another picture was lowered down from the balcony, showing an old elf, a sketch of Altessa and someone who was possibly Kate and Zelos bit his lip, reminding himself not to argue, it was protocol. That wasn't about to change just in two years. Calmer after his quick thoughts, he tuned back into the lecture. "-For these reasons, we have classified them as rank four people. They may do as they like within their own groups and with commoners, but they are beneath those of noble blood. This decree has been written up to ensure that proper order is kept."

Zelos had looked down at the king at that point, to see him looking up with a smile of smug satisfaction. This wasn't about some worry over noble blood or petty rank system; this was about him. Him and Sheena, or at least keeping him away from Sheena enough that he would lose interest and go after the princess. What a load of… "Shit. Complete and utter shit." He mumbled out loud half rolling in his semi-woken state.

The boy who had done the waking looked at the man, with a confused look on his face. "You keep shit in that little bag Mister Zee?" Oh yes, the boy. Rubbing his face and pushing the newspaper to the side, he looked up wearily. Why the young teen was still with him he wasn't sure. After saving them, the boy's sister ran off into the crowd, scared of the man who had rescued her, but he hadn't managed to shake off her brother. Her half brother, it turned out, her father's illegitimate older child. Since then, he'd woken up with a pair of brown eyes looking down at him after his nightly wandering.

"No I don't, it's…never mind, did you get any food?" Now he was awake enough to think, and not just about a ninja he had loved, there were other things to worry about. Like surviving long enough to exact revenge.

"Yeah, I filched some good stuff." Eager for praise, the boy beamed down at him and handed him the items hidden in his pocket. Some apples, a loaf of day old bread and a bottle of milk for both of them were breakfast for the two. Pickpockets were rarely any good in this area, where the punishments ended their careers early, but the boy was good. And somewhat educated, refusing to receive a name until he was a true swordsman, like in stories. "Not too shabby" Zelos mumbled, biting into one of the apples and gathering his few possessions.

There weren't many left, most of those connected to precious memories. The pictures of Seles and Sheena he'd begged Sebastian for before disappearing again to avoid capture, an old sword, a silk headband that had been white at some point, the Cruxis crystal and a small bag of gels. This was what his life was equal to now, whatever he had salvaged. What they both had, him and the boy. His precious army of two, stealing to survive. Pathetic, but it was a start.

A start, something he'd needed after three years of wandering and brooding. Though he didn't expect to live long, as if this was the final act in a complicated and tragic play. He didn't care anymore, as long as he could take them all down as well. That strange group that wielded power over the growing new world, headed by a king with personal problems. Like needing to punish a man who had rejected his daughter for someone else.

"Zee?" The childish voice brought him back to reality, and he looked down at his hands, gripped in tight fists. No matter how he felt, they would get nowhere as they were- powerless, weak and poor. Some time in the past few weeks, he'd realized what the true problem was. Living in Meltokio might put him geographically close to those he wanted to fight, but they were in the castle, surrounded by guards and unreachable. They needed inside, with recognition and political power, which they couldn't get here. Reading a stolen newspaper last night, he'd finally found a solution.

Waving a hand at the concerned boy, Zelos got to his feet, pulling his bag with him after tossing the bread into it. If they were really going to go through with his new plan, they needed to be prepared not to have food to steal.

"Go get your things. All of them." He emphasized the word, knowing that there was a secret stash of clothing and food somewhere only one of them knew of. "We aren't coming back." The words were simple, but pulled such surprise and confusion in the younger of the two's face. Not feeling overly generous, he cut off the boy's questions with a single word. "Sylvarant."

The place had come to be his ultimate plan just a night ago, reading through pointless articles for information he could use, when a small filler caught his eye. It mentioned Colette, and some grand thing that she'd done near her hometown, opening an orphanage for children of Desian victims or something. All he'd caught was her name and his mind had drifted back to the blond. How she had always come to visit him in his mansion on his birthday, making the long trek just to check up or share news of Lloyd. Her eyes clouding over whenever the brunette's name entered a conversation. She wasn't married yet. The article had shown that.

He hadn't talked to her since the marriage announcement, when he'd sent her a letter promising it would go on after all the regulations. Then, after what had happened to Sheena, the palace had given out his wanted poster, casually adding it that he had killed her, instead of them. No one would have wanted to hide him, if they even believed his story, but now, when he really needed that help, Colette was the one to go to. She would believe him at least.

Breaking from his thoughts again, he looked down to find the boy gone, probably gone to gather his things. Neither of them had anything here left and now, they were heading to the one last place where something could just be waiting for them. Like a chance to change the rules, the protocol for everyone and maybe, just maybe, find out what had really happened to the love of his life. All he had to do to find out was get going.

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Any good? Let me know by reviewing! I'm sure you all have an opinion or a suggestion for where the story is going, which I could use. So far there's no plan for future chapters, so if you have an idea, let me know!

Ciao, Tisa