[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/WIA4zqR.gif[/img][/center]

[color=ec008c][h3][center]Lost Haven, Slums[/center][/h3][/color]

[color=ec008c][h2][center]"Thoughts can be a maze..."[/center][/h2][/color]

Slowly opening his eyes to the dim surroundings called home, Milo brought a hand to his face and softly rubbed his visage to wake him from the slumber he had embrace. Turning his eyes downwards, a soft sigh escaped his lips as he gently placed his feet on the ground and dusted off the bed. [color=ec008c][i]"Fell asleep in my clothes again..."[/i][/color] A neatfreak to say the least, Milo quite hated dragging in dirt from the outside world, especially into his bed. As it was, his clothes were also rather torn and he felt overall disgusting. James rarely ever commented on the strife seen upon Milo's frame after missions had been accomplished simply because he had grown so used to the sight. If it wasn't the young swordsman's blood staining his clothes, it was someone else's. 

Kaya and James appeared to be having a conversation and whether they noticed Milo or not, the boy's silent footsteps brought him towards the bathroom where he slipped out of his clothes and turned on the hot warmth of the water stream. Leaning against the tile wall, a gentle breath escaped him as the boy closed his eyes behind bangs covering them. It had been an eventful day, something which had brought in a second ally. Would she remain? Only time would tell, though she appeared to be the honest type. Too rough to be conniving and too blunt to be deceiving, Kaya was someone Milo thought he could trust but he had been wrong before. Only time would tell, as it was. 

Reaching for the shampoo bottle, strawberry scented, Milo applied the liquid to his hair and made sure to remove the scent of battle from his frame before finally stepping out of the shower and dried up. Opening a basket with clean clothes situated by the shower, the boy slipped into a pair of casual shorts and a t-shirt before heading back into the basement where Kaya and James were still talking. Though, their conversation reached an end once James dropped down in front of his computer and allowed his fingers to dance across the keyboard like he so often did. One window after the other opened upon the screen, various numbers stretching from one end to the other, each one holding a meaning understood by the young hacker but traveled past Milo's head with ease. "Oh, hey Milly!" James raised his hand in greeting for a brief moment before he continued with his work. "How are you feeling? You usually sleep for much longer."

[color=ec008c]"Wasn't very comfortable..."[/color] Sleeping in a set of used clothes stained with blood did have a knack of disturbing desired comfort, but clad in a pair of shorts and a thin t-shirt, discomfort was a foreign concept at the moment. [color=ec008c]"What about her...?"[/color] Milo continued, turning to look at Kaya as she worked on her various guns by the sofa. 

"She appears to be a really good person. I'm sure you two will get along." 

[color=ec008c]"Alright..."[/color] The boy finished, his eyes curiously scanning the newly arrived companion now sharing a home with the two. Approaching his bed once more, Milo crawled atop the mattress and brought his naked feet onto the soft foundation before reaching for his iPod. A usual sight indeed, Milo could often be seen with music in his ears and his eyes in a book. Despite his years far surpassing his appearance, Milo would often claim that there was so much he had never experienced, so much he had never seen. In truth, he had lived a very narrowed life. Sights, feelings and experiences traveled him by without as much as a pat on the shoulder. Sometimes he would ask James of the world, of what it's like out there in the vast reality called life. Though, Milo would have to be satisfied with a lackluster response as James himself rowed in the same boat. Even with eternity waiting ahead, Milo couldn't help but feel trapped in a rut at times, the thought of an endless future quite fearsome to imagine. James would eventually be gone and what would that leave? 

Closing the book in his hands, a heavy sigh left the boy's lips as he desperately raised the volume of his music in an attempt to escape the thoughts banging at the very fabric of his being. [color=ec008c][i]"Why is this an issue...?"[/i][/color] The thought spearheaded the images in Milo's mind. [color=ec008c][i]"None of this is important..."[/i][/color] He continued, silence surrounding him despite the music blasting into his ears. [color=ec008c][i]"I've known all of this since the start. What changed...?"[/i][/color] Perhaps one could call it attachment? A childish notion to some, a weakness to others and a distraction to so many, would the brotherly feelings developed for James lead to dark omens? It was commonly said that the life of a hero left no room for friends and loved ones, but if that was the case, what was the point? [color=ec008c][i]"The greater good..."[/i][/color] A sentence one would utter for oneself over and over again in a repeated chant until belief struck it with a sure shot, every hero requires an anchor. Some fought for their families and others for the good of the world but it left Milo in a state of confusion. 

Many years passed since the day of his creation and even though the thought came and went, it always left a piece behind, a question of why. A small question of why would later develop into a question of identity and even existence. Though years had passed since the thoughts knocked on the back of his head, Milo was starting to feel the knocking cracking small holes in the barrier he had built. Milo wasn't an empty creature, a shell, who hunted down blood soaked criminals in a self proclaimed crusade because he had nothing else to define his purpose with, was he? Was he...? 

Clenching his teeth at the notion, Milo pulled on a pair of socks and slid his feet into his shoes. [color=ec008c]"I'm going out..."[/color] Replacing the comfort of wool shorts were a pair of black cargo pants. This walk wasn't supposed to be one of comfort but clarity. Placing his beloved blade in a sword bag, the boy would sling the weapon over his shoulder and started towards the door. 

"Alright, don't be too long." James returned, keeping his eyes on the screen. Without an answer, Milo opened the path to the outside world and set foot beyond the threshold of protection and serenity. Many years of suppressed insecurity was bombarding him at once and walking beneath the free sky was a refreshing sensation indeed.