Prologue:

The Administrator pinched the bridge of her nose and rose from her seat, throwing the cigarette stick harshly onto the hard, cold ground. In a short while, its burning tip extinguished and died away as thin wisps of grey smoke rising up to the ventilation unit.

"What were you thinking Spy?!" she screeched at the figure on her one of her many screens, "a child in our base and you dare inform me as if you're proud of it!"

The Blu Spy calmly cradled the child in his arms, trying to intimidate the woman looking at him through the monitor. "No need to get violent, Helen," he said coolly with a smirk, "I know you want us to keep fighting, and that is exactly what this child is for."

"Enough with the riddles, Spy- just tell me what this child is doing in our base!" Helen demanded fiercely.
"This isn't any child," answered Blu Spy calmly, "this is zhe Red Spy's boy."
The Announcer was suddenly silenced and stood frozen on her spot. As soon as she got out of her trance, her glare returned and she gritted her teeth at him.
"And so?" Helen hissed meanly, "that doesn't make him less of a target."

"But it does make him more of a utility."

As soon as the words escaped his lips, the Administrator sat down and listened to what the mercenary had to say, and when his elocution was over, Spy proved once more why he was hired to be a patient and devious backstabbing assassin.

Chapter 4: (After 10 Years)
It was winter in Boston and a young boy walked the paved sidewalk with hunched shoulders, his head faced down and his eyes focused on the ground. School just ended and he can't wait to go home.
His hands gripped the straps of his backpack and carried on walking. He shivered a bit and let out thick, white, foggy breath. His eyes scanned the perimeter from time to time, staying vigilant, as if something were to pop out and eat him any moment.
Then, the path before him darkened. The boy raised his head and discovered a big, bulky kid's shadow hovering above him, along with two others behind him.

"If it isn't Nathan-"
"Let me pass, Roger," the boy huffed out quietly, annoyed, "I don't want any trouble."
Nathan stepped aside, trying to get a new path when the kids blocked him once more.
"Let me pass!" Nathan said loudly.
"What if we don't want to?" Roger asked intimidating Nathan, slamming his fist against the palm of his hand.
"What are ya gonna do about it, face-ache?" another kid teased meanly, poking Nathan's face thrice with his gloved fingers.
"Lay it off!" Nathan yelled, stepping away from them. But before any of them could even come up with a comeback, the boy started to run away, angering the group even more.

"Get him!" Roger ordered and immediately, the three were on Nathan's tail. Their prey was a fast runner, probably due to the fact that he has spent most of his time running away from them.
But they still caught up to him just as he hid himself inside the confines of a junkyard.
"Let me go, ya chickenheads!" Nathan yelled as Roger snatched his backpack from him and started flinging his victim's stuff out and into the air. It was either Roger is a big kid, or Nathan was just really small.
"I forgot to mention," Roger suddenly blurted out, turning to his wingmen with an evil chuckle as he threw the now empty bag into the snow, "last Thursday, Nathan was the only kid in class whose dad didn't show up."
"My dad was busy!" the poor child quickly said, trying to defend himself.
"Busy?" another kid snickered, "is that what happened last year also?"
The third member, who wore shady glasses, stepped up and joined in the bickering. "My ma says that your ma is a slut, and you ain't even carrying your father's name."
"Don't talk about my ma, or I'll lay way your face onto a sandbox!" Nathan bawled, pushed himself away from Roger's grip and punched the bad-mouth hard on the cheek, sending the shady glasses flying and landing on the thick, white snow.

For a moment, they were all in shock of what Nathan just did until the fallen kid rose up and placed his glasses back on.
"Why, you little good for nothing-" but he didn't finish his sentence as rage overtook him and pushed Nathan really, really hard.
And then, something happened.
Nathan collided onto a pile of scrap and trash, stacked nearly as high as a young tree, and Nathan caused something wedged in between to come off as he accidentally laid an arm on it, making the entire stack shake and rattle as it became unbalanced.
Roger and the two other kids noticed this and froze on the spot, realizing that Nathan was dangerously close to the diverging structure and as quick as a flash, the entire thing gave away, burying the child under heaps of metal, plastic and rubber.
"Roger..." the kids whimpered as they backed away.
"Q-quit bein' babies!" Roger scolded, obviously as nervous as his other friends, "Let's go!"
And so the children ran away as fast as Nathan had and left the scene before anybody could come and see them.
Underneath the pile, Nathan was having difficulty breathing and searing, undeniable pain whacked his tiny, bruised body.
"Help!" he whispered as audibly as he could, "anybody!"
Mustering all his strength, he freed an arm and poked it through an open shaft, exposing his hand and wrist. Then, after a few more struggles, Nathan couldn't take the blinding pain and passed out.

I didn't know what happened to me...all I know is that everything was black. Pitch black. It was cold...so cold that I felt it right on my skin. I needed my ma, I need anybody. It hurts too much. And then, I saw a good amount of overpowering light grow from a tiny dot, getting bigger and bigger until it swallowed me whole. What was happening?

"Nathan, honey?" a loving, familiar voice came, "are you alright?"
"Ma?" the young boy whispered. "What happened?"
"Thank goodness you're awake!" the woman exclaimed, nearly in tears as she hugged and kissed her son on bed.
"How did I get here?" Nathan asked, looking at the new surrounding before him. This must be a hospital room, the child mused, the mellow walls and the strange beeping machine next to him gave it away.
"Our neighbor found you while he was looking for something in the junkyard, we were very lucky he called the police in time!" the woman explained frantically, "You worried me, sweetheart!"
"I'm sorry ma..." the kid replied, feeling terrible, "it won't happened again, I promise."
In response, she placed both hands on Nathan's cheeks and gave him another kiss on the brow.
"The police have told me that our neighbor told them that you were being bullied," his mother said sternly, "why didn't you tell me anything?"
"I didn't want to..." the boy quietly replied, a little relieved that somebody actually saw the incident.
"You should have, Nathan," added the woman, "and to think that all those times when you told me you ran into a pole, you were actually getting punched in the face."
"I just..." stammered the boy, "I didn't want to bother you."
"Oh sweetheart, you'll never bother me," she assured him, "why are they after you anyway?"
Nathan bit his lip and looked down as he fiddled with his hands, not wanting to look at his mother.
"It started a year ago," he answered quietly, "I accidentally sat on their seat in the canteen and...they haven't stopped bugging me ever since."
He suddenly paused and his lips turned into a thin line. At the brim of his eyes, tears were starting form.
"They always tell me that I don't have a dad...and they tease me about it after Family Day is over." he added painfully and the woman saw a single tear escape her son's eye.
"Son..." she said softly, "I'll go talk to the doctor, you just rest here."
"Kay, ma." was all Nathan said, and he watched her leave.

Outside, the woman placed her hands on her bare arms and let them run up and down her cold limbs. There was a lot playing in her mind right now; what Nathan just told her...scarred her. She had no idea that this is what he went through every day for a year. She felt as if she...
But in the middle of her pondering, a warm material wrapped itself over her back and shoulders, causing her to look up with a startled expression on her face.
"Is he here, mon amour?" came the soft voice of a Frenchman. His familiar face aged with weariness, but his eyes still held their warmth and strength. The grey wisps at the front of his head greatly contrasted with the black hair neatly swept all the way back.
Rising to her feet, the woman wrapped her arms around him, nearly crying with joy. "It's been 10 years..."
"I'm sorry," Spy whispered in her ear, embracing her back, "but I had to keep low profile; I do not want to endanger you anymore."
"What are you doing here?"
"I heard that a boy named Nathan Tester was crushed beneath piles of scrap and rubbish after being cornered by three boys," Spy answered coldly and looked at her, "he carried your name."
She nodded. "You weren't able to sign his certificate...but he's alright now," the woman said softly and eyed him for a moment. "Did you find Adam?"
Spy sighed heavily and bowed his head. "Adam is gone." He said huskily.
"W-what?" the woman stammered shakily, hoping he meant it differently.
"During one of our missions a few years ago, I managed to corner zhe Blu Spy in an area without surveillance and forced him to tell me everything he knows about Adam," he began quietly, "but he told me that my son died three days after he took him. I wasn't able to control myself- I stabbed him multiple times before dropping him off zhe railings of a balcony."
The woman gasped. Spy noticed the tears that fell and quickly wiped them away with his fingers.
"Unfortunately, he respawned," Spy grunted as his fingers folded into fists, "and from then on, I practiced extreme prejudice on him."
The woman bit her lip and looked at him once more. "Don't give up please, I don't believe him...Adam is alive- I know it!"
He sighed. "I hope your faith strengthens me cheri," he replied and shook his head, "none of this should've happened." Spy leaned closer and gave her a kiss on the forehead. He then grabbed her hands and held them tight. "I want to see Nathan."

The boy laid down peacefully on his bed, inspecting the bruises on his broken arm when the doorknob clicked and in came his ma...and a man he has never seen before.
"Ma, who is he?" the kid asked, "a friend of yours?"
"Yes, sweetie," the woman replied, trying to hide her face from Nathan, "and he will watch over you while I run some errands. I'll be back before 9."
Spy smiled as the woman grabbed her bag, smiled at them and left the room to go do her business.
For a moment, the room became silent and awkward until Nathan grabbed a piece of paper and pencil on the table and started to draw.
"Do you like drawing?" Spy asked suddenly.
Nathan nodded. "Yeah...I do it a lot; don't have much friends."
"What do you want to do when you grow up?" he asked again.
Nathan placed his paper and pencil back on the table beside him. "I ain't sure..." he began, "but I want to find my dad."
The Frenchman sat still and stared at the boy, who laid his head on the pillow. "Are you mad at your father?"
Nathan looked at him as the stood up and went to sit over a stool placed next to his bed. "A bit," he confessed, "he wasn't there on ma birthdays, on family days and he has been givin' me and ma a hard time."
Spy's face stirred up in confusion. "How?"
"Kids at school tease me, especially Roger, how I always don't have my dad comin' on Family Day," Nathan weakly replied, "they think my ma is a slut...just because I have six older brothers and I don't carry my dad's name. I'll show them one day. I do have a dad."
Spy became quiet as anger and guilt began to settle in him; hearing these accounts from the mouth of his own son made him want to shoot himself. He ruined his son's life, and he couldn't even comfort him as his father. He was so mad at him, at those people who is making Nathan's life hell, he was just mad...until he saw the boy drifting to sleep. He then started to soften.
"Do you want to know a secret?" Spy whispered gently, and smiled when Nathan nodded drowsily. "Your dad will come...that is a promise."
"How are you sure?" Nathan asked quietly. Spy leaned in and lowered his voice even more.
"I just know..." he replied and placed the blanket over the boy's chest to keep him warm.
"Mister...what's your name?" Nathan asked.
Spy gave him a warm glance. "Just call me Mr. Peterson." he said and sat down once more beside the child.

In a few minutes, Nathan closed his eyes and slept comfortably.
Spy smiled warmly as he looked at his son; it's been ten years since he last saw him as an infant and now...
"He's all grown up." the man told himself as he swept the child's matting hair away from his bruised forehead. Spy then leaned down and kissed Nathan's brow the same way he had kissed Adam's when they were babies.
Then, the Frenchman took one of the boy's hands and caressed the back of it with his thumb. He just stared at the child blankly, as if he were in a trance, and didn't make much of a sound until Nathan's words echoed in his head.
He couldn't take it anymore; it was all too much. And for the first time in ten years, Spy succumbed to his emotions and shed tears for his son once more.
He brought the hand onto his cheek and sobbed as quietly as he could. Compared to his, Nathan's hand was quite small, and he felt the vulnerability that this boy has...but he also sensed an inner spark that will ignite. He wasn't going to be oppressed, he was going to fight for himself...and for those that he loved. Spy kissed that hand and placed it onto his cheek once more, trying to make the most of this rare opportunity that he may have again in a long time; the time when he will finally fulfill his promise. He stood up, got a yellow box from his bag and placed it quietly on the wooden, polished table beside Nathan's bed.
Hours passed and Spy still held on to his son's hand. Ultimately, the mercenary felt the weakness in his body brought upon by the long hours of work he had to do today and the days before today. He let out a tuft of air, signaling his fatigue, and drifted to sleep as well.
The door opened and in came Nathan's ma, and as she lay eyes on the two, a pleasant warmth surged from her heart. Spy stirred and quickly woke up, wiping his face to straighten any traces of slumber that might be present.
"No, just sleep," the woman insisted, "you must be tired."
But Spy gently shook his head. "Walk with me."

Once outside, the couple strolled the empty halls and let the cold air keep them closer than before. He still had his coat, and an arm, wrapped around her. Deep inside, the two were instantly reminded of the spark that caused them to fall in love with each other.
"You know...it gets lonely when you live alone in a big, cold house without anybody to talk to, to lay down with," Spy confessed sadly and quiet.
The woman leaned closer and gripped his arm a little tighter, as if trying to comfort him, letting the man know that she never wanted them to part again.
Spy looked heartbroken when he said "You have piles of money sitting at the corner, but you can't use any to make your son happy...or to at least bring one back."
They stopped in their tracks and stood still as their feet brought them into the chapel of the building.
"What do you wish for?" asked the woman and let his hand grab hers once more.
Spy smiled a bit as dreams and wishes of the past swam in those big, hopeful, blue-grey orbs of his. "I want to marry you and live under one roof with you, your sons, Nathan...and Adam." He smiled warmly. "That's all I ever want, cheri."
Overcome with emotion, the man's hands moved to grab the sleeves of his coat that were around the woman's shoulders and brought the garment down to her waist. He then tugged at it gently to bring his cheri close to him; so close that every inch of space ever present was now filled in as they pressed their bodies together.
"That's all I ever want too." the woman replied and slowly closed her eyes as Spy leaned down to kiss her. His lips began to fondle with hers; gentle at first, but as soon as the two progressed further, Spy began to passionately take over and make his territory inside her mouth.
The mercenary pulled her even closer as he held her waist, and her fingers softly held his face, and she felt the rough stubble that grew on his jaw and chin. He was a beautiful man who gave her another chance to build a beautiful family. Even though their situation is getting worse, she could tell that he was trying hard to keep it together.
At last, they pulled away and the Frenchman once more looked deep into her eyes.

"Je te aime..." he whispered
"It's been ten years since you've said those words." the woman replied quietly, her eyes wet with sorrowful emotion.
"Don't cry, mon amour," Spy said, "someday-someday- we will be together, and we will see each other every day; I will go home, and you'll be by my side...none of us will be lonely."
The woman smiled and added, "And maybe you could pick Nathan up from school, bring him home and help him with homework...he's struggling with math."
"Just like his dad..." Spy chuckled, "I left something in Nathan's room; tell him...it's from daddy."
The woman nodded with a beam on her face.
They then walked arm in arm back to Nathan's room, the dimly lit corridors not dulling the brightness the couple felt in their hearts.