Black Equation (Special Chapters)

"Ten Years Ago"

"Ten Years Ago"

"Wah! What a pretty house!"

She did not say it out aloud, but seeing the twinkle in her green eyes, Gneiss knew exactly what her thoughts were. Her pursed lips had morphed into a silly grin, and her steps had a skip on it. He basically had to pull her back or else she would have flown all the way into the front door of the stylish white villa.

"Did we arrive?" Her plump, squirrel cheeks were pink with exhaustion and excitement. After all, they did travel nonstop for hours, despite her body seemingly and suspiciously full of energy. "Is it here? Is it here?"

Gneiss could not help but let out a helpless sigh. It was indeed true that ignorance was bliss. "We are here."

From inside, he could hear the sound of children talking and laughing. There was even music from a piano coming from the second floor. Gneiss never appreciated music before, but this piano piece sounded magical and soothing. Together with the steady chirping of birds from the trees and the gentle swaying of the wind, he knew that he had found a good place for her.

He crouched in front of the seven-year old Faye, cupping her tiny hands towards his thudding chest. His hands were sweaty. He was nervous. Anxious. "Do you . . . like it?"

"I love it!"

Frank and straightforward, as usual.

Seeing her cheerful smile, he wondered, had she never realized that they were in an orphanage?

"That's good." His gaze softened as he slowly searched her face for any trace of injury. Aside from the sallow marks on her skin caused by the submarine being submerged under the sea for days, there was nothing wrong with her. The aftereffects of the sedatives had long worn off. Even the redness in her eyes had vanished, as if she had completely forgotten the traumatizing incident days prior. Maybe in her young mind, everything was just a nightmare.

Her bright, fearless eyes curiously watched his own face. Coughing slightly, he pulled away, still not used to her bold stares.

"From now on, you will live here," he bitterly smiled.

And you will forget everything about us.

Gneiss believed that Creed would survive this ordeal. It had to. There was the Master, and 01, even his own teacher fighting in the frontlines. The Equations, the strongest agents, would take the battlefield. Once the enemies had been dealt with, the two of them would return. Only, he had no idea how long they would have to hide. It might take months, or years, or even decades.

Worst case scenario . . . No! He shook his head. The Master would never let that happen. Especially after the Mistress . . .

He shuddered, briefly biting his tongue. For her daughter's sake, he had to stay true to the rules and be the field agent he was trained to be. Gneiss struggled to put on a mask of calmness. He knew, that if he failed even this, that Abcidee Faye Creed would inevitably be placed in danger.

That would mean failing the expectations of the Mistress.

"'You'?" Faye blinked, her expression turning abnormally serious. "Not 'we'?"

Stunned, Gneiss forgot what his next words were supposed to be. Since he had met Faye, he had long accepted that she was an airhead. Living with a carefree attitude, her character normally made other people feel at loss and bewildered. Why was she so sharp today, of all days?