I sipped some of my cappuccino as I lazily lounged in one of Paris's many sidewalk coffee shops. Looking over my cup, I looked around and observed the people going through their businesses around me. One particular man in a poncho and brown loafers was weaving in and out of the crowd in a hurry; not caring who he's bumping into just as long as he can get to his destination.

Man! When will the time come when they'll learn to respect one another?

I set my cup down and continued reading some figures Capt. Testarossa wanted me to review.

16kl – 5143 – operation no. 5651

entry code: UNO S.U. Chynna Brown

entry sinket: UNO S.U. light orange-brown

Log: 20 15.01

entry location: Rio de Janeiro, Brazil

Hmmm... a light orange-brown – that's from the changing group... 16kl – a vindictive vixen… looks like we're having a new face today at headquarters…

Wait! 20 15.01? It's below the average! But, there's a small figure beside it…

I leaned down to decipher the minute number. I was so absorbed with what I was doing that I didn't notice that someone was beside me.

His shadow fell across the material I was reading. Broad. Tall. I heard a soft chuckle; startled, I looked up to behold the face of my boyfriend.

His face was alight with amusement and a small smile tugged the corners of his mouth. He was still smiling when he moved to sit on the chair opposite my own. He carelessly called for a waiter and ordered coffee. After that, he watched me silently with that silly grin on his face.

I ignored it at first. But seeing that rare smile made me go:

"Okay! What is it now, Toya?" I snapped.

"You have the expression of a hard-driven CEO of a multi-national company," he countered.

"What about it?"

"You usually don't have that expression. It makes you look silly," he gently laughed.

"Then, I'll keep it on."

"Why?"

"It makes you laugh," I said simply. "I rarely you genuinely laugh."

He looked surprised but took it anyway.

True, I rarely hear him laugh; rarely see those sad eyes lighten up. That was before. Now, he always has those little smiles which I'm half crazy trying to know why he always has to wear it; like he has a secret or something.

His coffee arrived and after taking a few sips, Toya reached for the file I've just been reading. He looked down at it thoughtfully. I watched as his eyebrows drew themselves into a furrow as he read through. Finished – he tossed it onto the table.

"New recruit?"

"Yap."

"And she is in your division."

A statement.

"Yes, something wrong?"

"I once knewa Chynna Brown. And she comes from Brazil."

"You know her!"

"Not exactly… I remember tailing her – observing that is."

"Is she a tenshi?"

"No, not like you. More of the gifted girl. She was a victim of the Mutant-X project."

"What!"

"She was abducted three days after I found you."

"It means that whoever is behind the project knows who are the possible ones?"

"More likely… 2 months after she was kidnapped, she was found by a fisherman on a n island off the coast of Haiti. Apparently, she refused to yield to their mechanisms but still that experience traumatized her."

"So 5243 means she has undergone therapies," I said knowingly. "But despite of all these she's okay and I think she's going to do well."

"It's all up to her new colleagues," he said, eyes glinting.

"Whatever," I said as I put the file into my knapsack. "How was your errand then?"

"Erratic."

"How so?"

"My contact, Jean Orleans, has been killed about 4 hours ago," Toya said pulling a vial out of the inside pocket of his coat.

"Is that hair?" I curiously asked.

"Yap," he smiled that little smile of his. "Police were swarming around the area so I didn't have the chance to look around. But what was interesting was that I found some hair on the windowsill of his house and…"

"You want to have it analyzed and checked for the DNA identity on the Pleiades database and…"

"I also know how much you love genetics," he said grinning broadly.

I didn't reply. I just took the vial and looked closely at the hair inside.

"Mysterious," I whispered. "Sea foam nail polish…"

"A girl then."

"Not necessarily."

"Okay, Ms. Sherlock Holmes. Just send it to Aireen. I can see that glint in your eyes which means you're getting occupied. And I don't want to spend out entire free day on hair analysis."

I let out a hearty laugh. I pulled out a plastic case, which was bearing the Pleiades seal, from my bag. I put the vial inside, sealed the case and addressed it to Aireen Tomahawk, our resident DNA expert.

I suddenly looked up and caught Toya staring at me with those eyes… sad once more.

I smiled weakly, "You once didn't have the cares you have now."

"Because once, I didn't have someone important to care for," he affectionately said.