Fausto was waiting in front of a room in the mansion ... he knocked the door a few minutes earlier ... but nobody answer him.
he seems nervious and impatient ,he was walking along the corridor waiting in from of that door that seemed like it dont want to open itself for him or anyone else ... the door was just closed .

this isnt like movies , in movies funerals or important deads happens in a rainy day , cloudy and rainy without sun without laughts without childrens playing in the park ...but today is a sunny day , all the people is out playing basketball or having a picnic , isnt suppose to be a sad day? a person funeral in a sunny day? thats what people call irony ...

a big smile grow slowly in Fausto^s face until the smile was a big one he couldnt avoid whisper to himself ... he whisper two words still smiling.

¨Irony Mouth ¨

he erased the smile in his face quickly and start to think again, he couldnt turn off his brain and his feelings and thought were in a hurricane turning in his mind ...

i am a murderer now ... like him , perhaps his son wanna take revenge agains me . why my justice cause problems to a entire family ? i killed a bad guy , isnt that a good thing ? but if that man would be alive , he could kill and ruined more lifes ... one life for the sake of all the others ... i thought i made a good deal ... i sell my soul to darkness but i save lots of souls from the abyss ... i dont felt myself different, i am the same than before but why Neena look at my in that way ? her sight said Murder but my head said justice ... perhaps is something wrong with me , why i have to be the one that is always agains the world ? i am always the only one that want to eliminate bad things and tried to find a way to change the world ... i am alone in this path of justice , i hope someone aggre with me and help me to fight all the injustice ...

He stop thinking a second ... the only thing that could stop the thought bouncing in his mind was his mouth , he stop the flow of thought to said what he was thinking . He knock the door again .

¨hey are you ready ? hurry up !! there is no other thing in the world that i hate more than wait ¨

Katrina stumbled at the top of the stairs under the immense burden that was her backpack. The math teacher had finally figured out that the math was too easy for her and had given her, not one, but two new math textbooks in an effort to find out exactly what level of math she should be taking. Katrina was fine with having math be easy for once; she didn't really need to have the math turn hard again. And she didn't really need two extra math textbooks. The only person who ever carried around this many pages worth of equations was Slate, as far as she knew.

With a grunt and a groan, the blonde thirteen year old repositioned the heavy backpack once more and turned the corner down the girls' hallway. Luckily her room was at the close end of the hall.

There was someone standing in front of her door. Someone called Iron Mouth and Fausto. Someone who was being very impatient.

“I'm coming. I just got out of class,” Katrina waddled up to the door, her back stooped under the great weight of Mathematics a Human Endeavor and McDougal Littell Algebra 1. She squeezed past Fausto to get to her door, which was more difficult than normal considering the dramatically expanded sized of her backpack, and staggered into her room. She let the backpack slide off of her back and onto the bed and breathed a sigh of relief even as the bed squeaked and groaned under the weight of the overladen satchel.

Not long ago, she had come across Fausto in the library. Katrina had been surprised to see him there, after he had been gone for quite awhile. It had seemed to her that he was the type who drifted in, then drifted out again. He'd even talked about living on the streets, and she had assumed he had gone back there again.

She'd been even more surprised to see what he'd been looking at. Obituaries and funeral announcements.

One thing had led to another (and Katrina's curiosity may have had something to do with the situation) and she had promised to go with Fausto to the funeral. She didn't even know who the guy was or why he was so important to Fausto. What's more, she had promised one hour of invisibility for the both of them: no one would ever know they were there.

“Alrighty. Are you ready to go?” Katrina was fairly certain he was, since he had been waiting for her. “The church is the one just down the block, right? Did you want to go invisible all the way there, or just once we arrive? Will things already have started, or are we going to get there early and find a place to hide and watch?”

Katrina bounced past Fausto and grabbed his hand on the way through the door and pulled him toward the stairs. She was feeling practically bouyant, now that the weight of the math textbooks and the thoughts of school were no longer weighing her down for the day. Despite the sad occasion, Katrina was feeling happy to be going out in the sunshine. It was time for an adventure.

Fausto was surprisingly quiet and silences ... in the other hand , kat seemed more energetic and joyful than always ... perhaps she spend a lot of time in the mansion without going out often and she was excited to go out to play a little ... to a funeral ... school sometimes make you very busy if you care about school obviously . Fausto didnt pay much attention to school so he have lots of time free to walk or think . the second was the most suitable for him ... he like to stay in the garden thinking ... just thinking , lots of thing ... stupid things like ¨what will happen if i could become a ferret for one day ?¨, even complicated things like the meaning of justice or freedom or the way to obtain justice without erased the freedom .
he talked to her while she was dragging him down the ladders ... he was confused ... he try to speak calm while Neena^s words running in his head

¨But do you really think your parents would approve of what you did?¨

¨i am ready since 2 hours ago ... but i am not really sure that is the correct thing to do , but i want to see the widow and i dont have the strenght to look at her in the eyes ... is my first time in a funeral too ... i am nervous ... i am glad you will be with me ¨

Fausto talk with her in a very sad way ... he was feeling the guilty even before enter in the funeral , Neena^s words run through is mind ¨you became the person you hate so much.¨
kat^s innocence give him a little more strength , she didnt know that he was the one that killed that man neither she didnt know that man was the one that killed his parents ... she really remind him about his mom ... in some aspect she was likes is mother . that give Fausto a warm feeling of friendship or something related to that ... like he knew her a long time ago ... he didnt know her very well but she was the only girl almost at the same age of Fausto that talk with him .

¨ïf you make us invisible now ... i would still seeing you or you will dissappear from my sight too ? i dont want to be alone in this ... i am not the strong guy i should be ...¨

¨That man may have had his own family, and you stole him from them¨

Fausto was being very quiet this morning, which was completely understandable considering their destination on this brilliantly sunny day. His words, when he finally spoke, sounded very sad.

>>>...¨i am ready since 2 hours ago ... but i am not really sure that is the correct thing to do , but i want to see the widow and i dont have the strenght to look at her in the eyes ... is my first time in a funeral too ... i am nervous ... i am glad you will be with me ¨

Katrina stopped her bouncing, or at least attempted to limit herself to what she thought might be a more respectful pace. The little skips she added every few steps were part of the natural gait she had developed trying to keep up with taller people. She was trying to be serious now, she really was. Iron Mouth actually wasn't that tall; he was only about five inches taller then her and almost the exact same height as Katrina's mother. Soon, though, he would probably sprout up like a weed and leave Katrina with a crick in her neck from having to stare up at his face, just like she did with everyone else. Still, the little skip in her step remained for now.

Katrina waited until they were down the stairs and out the door before she turned the pair of them invisible to the world. Stairs and invisibility didn't mix well, at least not for people who couldn't see through illusions to see their own feet, like Katrina could.

>>>“if you make us invisible now ... i would still seeing you or you will disappear from my sight too ? i dont want to be alone in this ... i am not the strong guy i should be ...¨

“I'll be able to see you a little bit,” Katrina answered, “but you won't be able to see yourself or me. Unless you have special vision or a lot of practice seeing through holograms and things. I'll hold you hand, though, so you won't be alone. We'll still be able to talk and hear each other, but other people will be able to hear us as well. So, if there are other people close by, we'll have to be very quiet.” No one was around right now, so it would probably be safe to start.

Katrina grabbed Fausto's hand and, so he wouldn't be startled, she gradually turned their feet invisible first. Then, faster and faster, she erased them from sight from the bottom to the top until they were completely invisible to human and most mutant eyes.

After a moment, Katrina pulled on Fausto's hand, to let him know she was ready to start walking forward again. Then, as they were walking once more, she asked a question that she had been wondering about since she first saw the research Fausto had been looking at in the library.

“I don't want to pry, so if you don't want to tell me that's fine, but who is this person whose funeral we are going to see? Why is he important to you?” That was a very personal question, so it was a good thing Fausto couldn't see her, or she'd have to try and hide her blushing cheeks and embarrassed expression.

Fausto followed Katrina down the stairs waiting for her answer , hoping to continue seeing her under the invisibility , he was really afraid of being alone , and more afraid of being alone in a funeral , and specifically more afraid of being alone in the funeral of a man that he killed less than a week ago .the night before that day a ghost haunted him while he sleep, not the man ghost , intead of him the wife showed in Fausto^s nightmares , he really dont know how she look , but in his dream he know she is the widow ... there is not much to tell about the nightmare , he only saw and hear a woman crying sorrounded by a strong curtain of sorrow . but that is enough to crumble his heart into little tiny pieces and with his heart also his determination to fight agains all the evil things crumble too... he doubt about what he did ... he was really sure it was the correct thing before knowing he has a family , now he ruined a family ... perhaps the man did all that bad things only for his family ...but isnt that the same Fausto did ? he made a awful sin only for the sake of others people or was just revenge and selfish ... in both cases he killed a man with a family ...

When they reached the end of the stairs kat took his hand and the spell started to work . slowly they feets were become invisible , and a few seconds before he couldn't saw again his whole body , or her .
the sensation of invisibility was really confuse at the beginning .he couldn't saw Kat or himself but he felt her hand holding his own .

¨you are too funny Kat ... i usually get myself lost in my thought and you want me to see through a illusion like this?¨

He tried to made a joke to made thing more softer but his voice tone revealed stress and sadness . He was wishing not to answer a question like ¨for who is the funeral ? ¨ but he already knew that he was wishing to much . despite the fact he was expecting the question he couldn't avoid to felt a painful cold stab in his almost healed wound when she asked him about that man .
Fausto felt bad when she asked about the reason to go to that funeral in particular , but she was helping him a lot . he was in debt with her, she deserve to know why they were going to that funeral.

¨i am not sure if i should answer that question , i don't want to lose you , i am always acting strong and almighty but i am really weak , i don't have friends of my age here in the mansion ... neither outside ... but i consider you a friend , i am afraid you will let me alone if i answer, i know you dont like the kind of thing i wanted to do , but hey i cant let the murderer of my parents enjoy the life like nothing happen ... but if you are asking if because you want to know ,do you remember our chat in the kitchen about Justice ?well ... i made my own justice ... i accomplished my revenge , and i killed the man that murder my parents two years ago ... ¨

he hold her hand tightly , and tears started to fall from his eyes ...he was really glad to be invisible in that moment , but he wanted to see her to figure what were she thinking ...

she sure is thinking i am a monster ... perhaps i am one ... i killed a man without remorse and i ruined and entire family only for my selfish wish of justice ... liar , that isn't justice that only is my twisted desire of blood , and revenge . perhaps i am not the son of fortune ... i am the son of Lucifer ...not that's to much ... even for me, i know that my royalty is unquestionable but the son of the demon ? don't make me laugh ... today isn't a day for laughs

¨dont let me alone in this awful day ¨

The sun was even more bright than other days , there wasn't any cloud in the sky . the blue sky of that morning was too blue that could be confuse with a beautiful lake of crystalline water .But surely was a awful day .

Katrina listened to Fausto's whole story without interrupting. She simply squeezed Fausto's hand as he talked, to let him know that she was still there, still listening.

Justice was a tricky subject. She even could understand how a person could feel that justice was necessary after their parents were murdered. She could even understand how it would seem fair, to take a life for a life. Still, he was a murderer at fifteen years old. Did he wait in the shadows and ambush the man without warning? Did he poison his drink and let the man slip quietly into eternal sleep? Did they get into a fair fight and Iron Mouth beat him? Lives were such fragile things, as easy to take as blowing out a candle in a sanctuary filled with candles. Did one less candle make the world a darker place?

Katrina looked over at Fausto, through the illusion of invisibility. There were tears there in his eyes and on his cheeks. She wasn't completely certain if they were tears of remorse for what he had done or tears of sadness that he might lose her friendship. Perhaps it was both. If anyone needed a friend right now, to help him face his guilt and his sorrow, it was Fausto. Katrina stopped walking forward and put her invisible arms around the teenage murderers' chest and gave him a hug. She now knew why they were making this sad journey on this gloriously sunny day.

“I won't leave you. I know you aren't an evil person. Everyone has good in them, even if you don't feel like you are a good person right now.”

Katrina ear him all the time ,it was really difficult to him to control his voice tone , the tears were falling from his eyes across his cheek a long time before but he was trying to dissimulate the sorrow in his voice , he wasn't doing it very well .
Kat finally hug him after saying exactly what he needed to ear “I won't leave you. I know you aren't an evil person. Everyone has good in them, even if you don't feel like you are a good person right now.” For some reason it made him feel better . He couldnt saw Katrina under that weird and amazing cape of invisibility , but he imagine her like the angel he saw the first time they meet . he always felt good and warm with her , perhaps cuz she remind him about his mother , in some ways or perhaps cuz she was the first children of his age that he meet in the mansion .

¨Thanks Kat ... i needed a hug ... you know , when you should grow up faster like i did you miss all these care only a mother can give you ...is a little embarrased to say but you remind me of my mother. you are related to her in appearance , and in some ways of do things . uhh is really difficult to talk with you seeing nothing ...sorry Kat , i am always acting like a big and almighty guy but i am really too weak for this weight . i am always happy and cheer in appearance but being invisible destroy my shell ... i cant act properly without a fake smile in my face .you are seeing me like i am , a unstable little boy that cry only for the though of being alone , only for the death of a bad person ... i am not the hero i want to be , i will not be, i am never was a hero . if all the world can be like you Kat ... if i was more like you ... perhaps the world would be a better place , the world you want without wars cant be accomplised with murdered ... if you want to make peace killing you have to kill every person in the world ... i ¨

He made a radiant smile for her, he was feeling better standing with her . but that would last for much long , cuz the funeral would start soon .

¨if you keep helping me like that you will become my guardian angel or my personal jesus¨

Fausto extended his hand to her , he couldnt saw where she was to give her his hand . He spoke with confidence and with more Life in his voice .

¨Lets go angel. i dont want to arrive late . ¨

Katrina, a mother? Somehow the idea seemed very strange to the thirteen year old. Kids were a long, looooong way off. A guardian angel, though, she had an easier time picturing herself that way.

“You know, you still can be a hero. Every day you can start over and try to be the best person that you can be. You might not have been a hero the day you sought revenge, but you can be a hero today by facing your own guilt and learning a lesson from what happened. If a person is evil for one day, then does everything they can to be good for a hundred days, that means they are still a good person. Maybe a hundred days from now you will be a hero to someone.”

Katrina gave Fausto one more squeeze before releasing him from her hug and taking his hand once more. She saw his smile through the illusion and smiled back, even though he wouldn't be able to see hers.

>>>¨Lets go angel. i dont want to arrive late . ¨

“I'm ready when you are.”

The church bells began to ring as they walked. They could hear the bells before they could see the little chapel that was just around the corner. Somewhere in the distance a city hall clock also struck the hour, then another chapel farther away joined in the chorus. It was time. Time to go to a funeral. Time for them to be quiet as they started to see more and more people dressed in black walking somberly toward the church. Time to forgive. Time to turn a new page and start fresh all over again.

Fausto didn't answer her question , but the two simply started to walk toward the chapel . the church was really near, they could hear the bells when they began to ring counting the hours .
A sentence came to his head and he just let it go without think, his mouth was more quickly than his brain . He speak quickly , he didnt notice he was saying that instead of thinking in it . he continue walking with her like nothing happen .

¨you have a especial ability to say exactly the thing the people need to hear , you have a really sweet heart, i am glad to meet you kat.¨

she was making the situation really easy for Fausto . they started to walk faster when the bells began to ring , they hurry up a little more and arrive with the last ring .they tried to made the less noise possible, but it was really easy cuz the chapel was surprisingly full . there was a lot of people around . all dressed in black , dressed with the opposite clothing the Day was wearing. all of them were wearing black clothing , they were looking all the same without distinction between familiars or friends ... all the same in that sorrowful day . wearing the color of mourn .
A middle age woman was near the entrance giving the welcome and thanks to the guests that came to visit the dead man . she seemed sad but she wasnt crying .almost not in that moment ...she was dressed in a long black dress , Fausto supposed she was the widow . in some moment she seemed to be looking at the place where the kids were , but the spell of invisibility cover them .
fifteen minutes after they arrived to the chapel the place was really full , making a little hard to move around without bumped into anyone . in that moment the widow call the attention of all the audience . the moment Fausto was fearing was coming ... she started to speak with a notorious sadness in his voice . For some reason the lines wasnt the normal ones in a funeral ... she started the memento like a normal one but she change the subject in the middle, she seemed to be saying all the things she though . perhaps the shock of lost a loved person made her a little weird ...

¨We are gathered here to give our best wishes for his soul . We are really sad with his dead , his family is still looking for the cause. i dont understand what happen , he left to go to work in the office like he always did but the next morning he never return . the police found his dead body and call me . i though it was a joke even after seeing the corpse ... neither my head or my heart could believe my beloved husband was dead ... all of us know he was a really good man that care always for his family and later for himself . he always worked hard to bring money and work hard to know we have everything for a nice life . ¨
Tears started to fall from her eyes but she continue talking even when the tears were impossible to hide .
i love him , i will miss him a lot ... i cant understand what happen that night ...
She started to cry a lot in that moment , his mask of strength crumble in the instant she said ¨i love him¨ . a boy almost in the same age as Fausto or a little more old hugged her and walked her to a more private place , he remind Fausto about the dead man . perhaps he was his son ...

Even bad boys have a family ... she is feeling the same i felt when they kill my parents ... the sorrow of being alone , the sorrow of know that you will not be able to see that person again ...what is worst ... in those moments you feel the sorrow of being alive while your beloved ones are dead ... cold corpses in a coffin ... you can only think in the fact they dead didnt affect the rest of the world , you cant understand why the sun continue raising every day when your loves are gone forever...
i did all wrong , i killed a bad person but i ruined a family at the same moment ... why i can avoid thinking in justice ? it would be more easy to live a life without my crazy desire of justice...

Katrina let Fausto lead the way into the chapel and find a place for them to stay during the service where they could see, but were in no danger of being bumped into or sat upon. Before the service started, the people went up to the coffin one at a time or in family groups. Each of the mourners laid their hands on the coffin as if to say goodbye before they turned and found their seats in the pews for the service. A small child who looked like she was about six years old laid a card that she had obviously made herself out of construction paper on top of the coffin. Her father had to lift her up so she could set it next to the large bouquet of roses that adorned the case of the sarcophagus.

Finally a woman who stood to greet the mourners and it soon became apparent that she was the wife of the deceased. Her voice broke as she stumbled her way through the words she was trying to say, until finally she broke down into tears. An adolescent boy, somewhere about Fausto's age went up to the woman and lead her back to her seat.

Katrina could see the boy's face from as the mother and son sat down again. For a brief moment as he embraced his mother he looked almost angry, but then his face crumpled into tears as well. Their grief was so personal and so private, yet they were able to grieve in front of all of their loved ones without shame, for every person in that room was linked by the man who now slept for eternity.

The pastor stood then and said a few words. Katrina wasn't really listening to them, because she was focused on the woman and her son, who were still crying and holding each other.

Finally, as one, the congregation stood and began to sing:

On a hill far away stood an old rugged cross,
the emblem of suffering and shame;
and I love that old cross where the dearest and best
for a world of lost sinners was slain.

Katrina stood also, and added her small voice to the chorus. One more voice would most likely go unnoticed amidst the large group that had gathered, but it still seemed like the right thing to do.

So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
and exchange it some day for a crown.

From where they stood, Katrina could hear the voice of the man's son. It stood out, because it was wavering a little more than all the others. The boy sang with his eyes closed and tears streaming down his face.

To that old rugged cross I will ever be true,
its shame and reproach gladly bear;
then he'll call me some day to my home far away,
where his glory forever I'll share.

Katrina felt tears forming in her own eyes. There was so much love in the room, even for a man that could have been considered evil. Did his capability to love and be loved prove that he was a good person? Did that love make him worthy to go to heaven, or wherever it was that souls went to when they left their earthly homes? She hoped that was the case. It would be a shame if all of these loving people could never again feel that tender bond with the dead man in the afterlife.

Katrina also hoped that the invisible boy next to her realized that he was loved, too.

So I'll cherish the old rugged cross,
till my trophies at last I lay down;
I will cling to the old rugged cross,
and exchange it some day for a crown.

The song came to a close with a long chord from the organ and the congregation sat down once again. More than one hand reached for tissues to wipe their eyes and noses after the heart wrenching song.

Fausto wished with all his power of will to be erased or eaten by the earth . he didn't wanted to stay there anymore ... all the persons there started to sang . their voice reach every corner in his brain , heart and soul making every cell and spiritual particle of his body feel the guilt and sorrow in a way that destroy all his strength .
the creepy monotone melody , the cold carved in his bones, the anguish , the pain ,the lonely ,the sorrow , the tears falling from every eyes . all the things in that place conspire agains him to destroy the little amount of sanity in his mind .
he felt the church , a holy place like the Aquelarre , the witches' sabbath . the place where all the corruption of the soul cross paths . his heart was accelerate , his mouth seemed to be full of wet cotton , he wanted to say Sorry but his body didn't answer his though.

¨Honor your father and your mother¨well ... i think i fail in that cuz i am not really sure mom and dad would like this ... i mean ... his beloved son transformed into a murderer ...
¨You shall not murder¨ not even in the name of justice ? who will make justice ? i waited two years for the celestial punishment ... but it never come ... i needed to do something ... i did it wrong ...
¨You shall not steal¨ ... i stole a life , i stole a person from their beloved ones ... i really deserve a punihsment ... but this is really creepy ... i felt like i am the worst trash in the world ... i think Neena exagerate a little with this ... i am really feeling bad ...

¨I feel like I'm knockin' on heaven's door, i need a true punishment , i need god rage over me but nobody would come to open it ... ¨

¨Kat ,lets go back please ... nobody would open the door ...¨

As Katrina sat back down again, after the old traditional hymn was finished, she glanced over toward Fausto. He had not stood for the song, and looking at him now, she could see why. There was a deep anguish etched into his face, and he seemed to be frozen by misery. His voice was just as tormented as his half invisible facial expression when he requested that they leave, and Katrina could tell that the hymns and speeches were like a knife in his heart that someone kept twisting to cause him even more pain.

“Of course we can go,” she whispered so only he could hear then stood, ready to go whenever he was. “I don't think anyone will notice the door in the back opening by itself. They are all too busy with the funeral to pay attention.”

Katrina wondered to herself whether it had been a good thing for them to come to the church today. Fausto was obviously in a lot of pain because they had come, but perhaps he had needed to be here in order to be healed. Perhaps he needed to face the consequences of his actions before he could come to terms with what he had done and forgive himself.

Katrina knew that she would never kill another person. Even in self defense or revenge, she could never end a life. Even murders had good in them, and if they were killed for causing the death of another, then they might not ever get the chance to redeem themselves.