Title: The Kid (Aka, "Peta can I keep him?")

Summary: What if, instead of marking Alviss with the Zombie Tattoo and leaving, Phantom had decided to take him home? (Note: not slash and not serious!)

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The time was during the first War Game in MAR Heaven. The setting was the Chess Pieces' floating castle. And it was just another ordinary day for the Chess Pieces. An ordinary day for MAR Heaven's resident bunch of psychopaths wasn't normal by any stretch of the imagination, but it was surprisingly boring. It mostly involved training for battle or lurking in separate rooms. (No wonder they were planning to take over the world. They really had nothing better to do.)

However, a small bunch had gathered in front of the castle, awaiting the return of their glorious leader Phantom, who had gone to make a brief visit to the Cross Guard in order to sow terror in their enemy. (Or, as Peta had put it, Phantom had gotten bored and wandered off looking for playmates.)

Peta himself, having nothing more exciting to do, was perched atop a gargoyle waiting for Phantom's return. Rolan had followed him. The boy claimed to want to show Phantom his newest ARM ability, but he didn't really need a special reason to wait for Phantom. Candice hadn't bothered to think of any excuse. She and Rolan were passing the time by playing some sort of card game together. Normally, it would just be the three of them waiting for Phantom, but today Halloween was there as well. He'd managed to break one of his minor ARMS (on purpose, Peta suspected) and was planning to wrangle a more powerful one from Phantom as a replacement. Typical.

Peta was the first to spot Phantom approaching. Candice saw him second, and stood up abruptly, squealing, "Phaaaaaaaaaantom! You're back! You—what is that THING!?"

The thing was tucked under Phantom's right arm. Peta stared at it, closed his eyes, and then took another look. It was still there. And "it" appeared to be a small, struggling boy perhaps ten years old, with black hair and blue eyes. Who was currently screaming his head off.

"Phantom," Peta began, striving to sound dignified but forced to shout to be heard over of noise, "what exactly have you done this time, and more to the point, why?"

Phantom dropped the child onto the ground. "Isn't he adorable?"

Peta gritted his teeth. "That isn't the point. The point is, we're the future rulers of MAR Heaven, not a day care facility."

The child stopped screaming and fixed Peta with the scariest glare he'd ever seen on anyone under four feet tall (which was pretty scary, if not enough to faze a Zodiac Knight.) The brat declared, "MAR Heaven doesn't belong to you guys! You're just a bunch of pathetic losers who don't stand a chance against Boss and the others!"

Advancing menacingly, Halloween snarled, "You'd better watch your mouth!"

Peta was about to warn Halloween that he'd better not kill the thing before they found out what Phantom wanted with it, but the child acted first. He scooped up a rock and hurled it at the Chess Knight. Now, Halloween had defended himself from countless deadly attacks from high ranking ARMS, and if he'd been attacked by another ARM user he would have countered easily. However, it had been years since anyone had thrown a rock at him. Such a pathetic attack was completely beneath his notice, and he ignored it.

The rock collided into his forehead with a resounded thud, and he toppled over backwards.

"Excellent aim!" Phantom said cheerfully.

"Don't encourage him!" Peta growled. "Phantom, who is this brat?"

Phantom shrugged. "Well, I was having a little fun with some of the Cross Guard's foot soldiers, and this kid showed up. He marched up and demanded that I stop killing them. He wasn't afraid of me in the slightest! It was remarkable. Just the kind of courage I look for in my Chess Pieces." He casually dodged a stone the boy hurled at him.

"So you just decided to bring him home? Even for you, this is a bit much."

"Is he going to join us now?" Rolan asked curiously. He was fanning Candice, who had apparently fainted.

"Apparently," Peta sighed.

"I'll never join you!" the boy spat. "You lying murdering bastards!"

"Where did you learn such bad language?" Phantom asked, not sounding particularly upset.

The kid turned his glare on the leader of the knights. "And you! Just let me get my hands on a weapon, and I swear I'm going to kill you! I'll rip off your arms and legs, then stab you through the heart, then pull off your head and stomp on your brains!"

Phantom beamed. "Isn't he just the cutest thing you've ever seen?"

Peta moaned.

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Author's Note: This is just a little idea I had. I may continue the story, if I have continued inspiration. If you have any ideas for another chapter, please tell me!