Before The Black Cat

Sven's POV

"Train!" Sven could hear his voice rise in panic and fear as his partner started to shrink. Sven called his name again. "Train!"

When the smoke cleared, Train Heartnet, former assassin for Chronos, and his carefree and reckless sweeper partner, did not turn into a beast. Sven had to blink his eyes several times before he realized what he was seeing.

Train was a boy. A boy no older than ten years old. His clothes hung limply from his body, and his face was child-like, and more youthful. He looked around, as if he was confused.

Sven sighed. "How much money do we still owe?" For as long as Sven could remember, Train and him, and now Eve, were in deep debt.

"Quit trying to change the subject!" Rinslet Walker, the thief-for-hire, and their ally, scolded. Sven sighed. Sven was trying to distract himself from this new problem. "I've got to admit, I'm surprised. I wasn't expecting anything like this." Sven started to nod when Train's – or rather, Train's voice as a child – spoke.

"Who are you guys?"

Sven looked down at his de-aged partner. Train's voice was higher, innocent as ever and…confused. He quickly grew irritated.

"What is the matter with you, Train Heartnet? You took a bullet for me, and now you don't remember who I am? I'm Sven, your -" Sven quickly stopped as soon as he saw the confusion on Train's face grow deeper.

"How did you know my name was Train Heartnet?"

Sven stared. What the hell had happened?

Rinslet was the one who got her wits together.

"Do you remember any of us?" she asked.

Train shook his head. "I don't remember any of you. I've never seen you before."

Eve now stood up too. "Something must have happened. I could feel the nanomachines, but didn't the Doctor say that Train would become a monster? If that's not true, then something else must have happened."

"Like what?" Sven muttered sarcastically. "Having amnesia?" Sven was at total loss what to do.

"I don't have amnesia!" Train stood up now. His clothes still hung loosely from his child-like body. "I don't know you guys! I…" his voice trailed off, and he frowned in confusion. "Are you friends of my parents?" he asked suddenly.

"Your parents?" Sven repeated.

"Yes."

"Uh…" Sven desperately tried to come up with an answer. "Yes, we are."

Train smiled. "Cool." Sven noticed that his smile as a child was exactly the same when Train was…older.

I'm going to have to think about this later. "Okay, Train, Rinslet is going to get you a set of fitting clothes, and Eve, he can wear your pajamas."

"What?" Rinslet and Train both yelled outraged.

"Rins, please. Train needs a set of clothes. We could use your fashion sense right now. Please?" Sven pleaded with Rinslet until she nodded. "You," Sven told Train once Rinslet was out, "need to go to bed. It's past your bed time. It's eight o'clock."

Train pouted. "My bed time is at eight thirty."

"Not here, Train. I'll be your parent right now." Sven sighed. "Just please, go to bed."

At last, Train nodded, and went into Eve's room to find pajamas.

"Are you all right?" Eve asked.

"I don't know, Eve. It's all so confusing." Sven sat down in a nearby chair. "Train doesn't remember any of us; it's as if he's actually ten years old. I don't know what to do now."

Eve was silent as Sven talked. Then she said, "You didn't see it."

"See what?"

"Follow me." Eve walked toward her room, and Sven followed slowly.

Inside Eve's bed was Train. He looked small in Eve's set of pajamas, and was asleep.

"What I am I supposed to be seeing?" Sven wasn't certain what Eve was trying to show him.

"Look near his chest." Eve was patient. "Do you see anything?"

It was a moment before Sven understood what Eve was saying.

"The XIII tattoo…" Sven whispered.

"It's gone." Eve simply stated it as a fact.

Sven broke out in a cold sweat. "What about Hades, Train's weapon from Chronos?"

"It's gone too."

"So…this means…" Sven couldn't find a way to say it.

"This is the time before the Black Cat."

Sven waited patiently for Train to finish his breakfast. He was still stupefied that Train – the ten year old version – had no idea what milk was. Sven had put milk next to Train's bacon and eggs when he asked, "What is this white stuff?"

"This white stuff is milk." Eve had replied. She had finished her breakfast. "Would you like to try some?"

"No." Sven had done his best to hide his disbelief.

How else are you different, Train? Do you not eat what is all in sight? Do you not know how to use a gun? Are you less reckless?

"Hey." Sven turned around. It was Rinslet.

"What's wrong? Do the clothes fit?" she asked.

"Yeah," Sven said absently. "That's not the problem."

"Then what is it?"

"Train has never heard of milk."

"You're kidding." Rinslet said. She looked as shocked as he was.

"No, but Rinslet, I don't know what to do with him. I have no idea what Train was like when he was ten years old. I don't even know where he lived, or who his parents are."

"Does he even have parents?" Rinslet asked.

"That's the thing that I don't know." Sven admitted. "Train has never been a person to talk about his past, and it took me a year for him to explain about Saya. Other than that, his past life is an enigma to me."

"We're ready, Sven!" Train shouted. Train was now wearing a causal black t-shirt with light brown pants. Sven could still vividly remember his bare chest. What happened to you, Train? Sven and Eve had told Train that they were going to find a bounty. Train would stay with Rinslet, so he wouldn't get hurt. In reality, Sven and Eve were going to see Annette, a former sweeper, to see if she had any information. Rinslet had promised to a disappointed Train that they would do something fun.

They were all riding in the car together. Sven and Rinslet were in the front, and Train and Eve were in the back.

"I'm grateful Train still believes we know his parents," Sven was talking to Eve and Rinslet, now that Train was asleep.

"What if he asks us questions about them? What are we supposed to do then?" Eve asked.

"I haven't thought about that." Sven laughed nervously.

"Train's not that much different than he was now." Rinslet admitted. "He didn't know what milk was, he doesn't eat like a pig, and he's little calmer, but other than that, Train Heartnet is the same person."

"What we have to do know is get some information on him. We'll see what Annette knows, and you'll keep Train occupied."

"That will be fun." Rinslet laughed nervously.

All this time Eve hadn't said anything.

"What is it about Train again?"

Sven and Eve were at Annette's restaurant. It was usually quiet the day they decided to drop in.

"Train was shot with a bullet called Lucifer. He's now a child, but," Sven found it hard to explain, "Train is actually the age he is: ten. We don't exist."

Annette frowned. She exhaled some of the smoke from her cigarette. "Well, what am I supposed to do?"

"I don't know." Sven admitted. "Since you're a former sweeper, I thought you might know something."

"Something about Train's past?" Annette guessed.

"Yes."

Annette stubbed her cigarette and sighed. "Listen, all I know is what you know. Train was an assassin for a secret organization known as Chronos. I know that he was known as Black Cat, and he was supposedly executed for leaving the organization two years ago. Other than that, I have nothing to tell you."

"What about his parents?" Sven inquired.

"Parents?" Annette's eyebrows rose. "You know as much as I do, Sven: nothing."

"I have a picture." Eve pulled out a picture from her coat. "Maybe it'll job your memory."

The picture was a photo of a ten-year old Train grinning ear to ear. It was simple, but Annette gasped, but frantically typed on her computer.

"What is it, Annette?" Sven asked.

"Train is twenty-three years old, right?" Annette asked, still typing frantically away.

"Yes." Sven said.

"Then he's the exact same age as that boy would be," Annette muttered to herself.

Eve had heard. "What boy, Annette?"

Annette stopped typing. "Thirteen years ago I was a sweeper. Thirteen years ago I made a vow to catch this man." She showed Sven and Eve the computer.

On the computer screen there was a photo of a man. He was middle-aged with light longish-brown hair. He was sneering at the camera. The paper said that his name was Zaguine Axeloake. The bounty was $15, 000.

"Zaguine Axeloake." Sven repeated. "I've never heard of him before."

"He was big in my day," Annette said. "Zaguine Axeloake worked for a group called Zero Numbers. He was an assassin, and he was just like Train as Black Cat. He was ruthless, bloodthirsty, and cunning. By the time I caught up to his trail, he was all ready dead."

"Who killed him?" Sven asked.

"No one ever knew." Annette said. "When the police found his body, they found three bullet wounds to the chest."

"What does this have to do with Train's past?" Eve asked.

"Everything."

"Everything?" Sven repeated.

Annette nodded. "Zaguine Axeloake was the man responsible for the assassination of Train's parents. They both were against the Zero Numbers, and were about to take them down when they were assassinated. They kept a low-profile, but they were caught."

"What happened to Train?" Sven whispered.

"He disappeared. He was never found when Zaguine was killed. The posters of him surrounded the town where he grew up and onward; police were hoping to find him. Then after a year of unsuccessful searching, they stopped. The boy was ten years old. Thirteen years later, he would be twenty-three. He would be Train's age, and he looked uncannily like Train. That's why I recognized the picture."

Rinslet's POV

"Train!" Rinslet was running out of breath. Train had disappeared from her sight suddenly, and now she was searching for the now-ten-year old. She remembered doing something like this before. You're not really so different. Rinslet had promised Sven that she wouldn't lose Train. Danmit, Train! Where are you?

"Rinslet!" Train's voice interrupted her thoughts. "I'm over here!"

The boy was grinning wildly at her. He was sitting on a fountain, oblivious that he was getting sprayed with water. Despite herself, Rinslet smiled in amusement. That is so much like you, Train. Always charging recklessly into things.

"Look, Rinslet, I found a penny!" Train held up a single copper coin. "I'm going to make a wish!" The penny dropped into the water below.

"What was your wish?" Rinslet relaxed, enjoying herself.

"I can't tell you. It's a secret." Train slid down so that he was next to her. "But because you're my parents' friend, I'll tell you."

"Really?" Rinslet secretly wondered what the ten-year old Train's wish was. I almost forgot about his parents!

"I wished that Mother and Father would be safe."

"Do you mean that they're not safe?" Rinslet asked curiously. "I'm certain they're safe right now."

"I don't know," Train admitted. His brow furrowed. "I've noticed they've been quiet lately, and only speak when I'm not around – when they think I'm asleep."

"You must have ears like a bat." Rinslet observed.

Train shook his head. "No, more like a cat." He paused. "That's what Father says, anyway. I look a lot like him, but I have my mother's eyes."

Train jumped off from the water fountain. His once-happy face was troubled. "I have a feeling something is wrong."

Rinslet was about to reply when she saw a shadow move toward Train. She called out in warning, but before she could, she felt a searing pain in her head. The last thing Rinslet could remember before she blacked out was Train's frightened face.

Sven's POV

"Are the Zero Numbers still active?" Eve asked. Sven and Annette looked up in surprise.

"Yes, they are." Annette sighed. "Most of the members were assassinated as soon as the Chronos Numbers came to power."

"Because they were a threat to their power?" Eve asked.

Annette nodded. "There are only two active members today." Annette motioned Sven and Eve to come toward the computer again. "Look."

The two men were identical. Both had raven black hair and brown eyes. They were carrying guns.

That wasn't why Sven started to shake, though.

"Oh my god."

"What is it, Sven?" Eve asked.

"I know you and Rinslet didn't notice," Sven began, "but we were being followed. I could feel it, but I brushed it off. Now it could be too late."

"How could it be too late?" Annette asked.

"The guy, the assassin, Zaguine Axeloake, right? He was sent to murder Train's parents. He didn't know they had a child."

"You're saying that these two assassins will try to finish the job?"

"Yeah." Sven grabbed his attaché, and began walking out the door. "C'mon, Eve. We'd better get to Train before the Zero Numbers do."

Both of them hurried out the door.

Rinslet's POV

Rinslet groaned. She opened her eyes, and became aware that she was in a warehouse with her hands bound.

Great.

She glanced over to see Train sleeping. That was typical of him. Rinslet frowned. Something wasn't right. Then she noticed it. Train was wearing the same clothes as he wore when he was his actual age.

"Why is he wearing those clothes?" she asked herself.

"I see you've noticed."

Rinslet turned.

The voice belonged to one of the men that were on Annette's computer. He was tall, and had raven black hair. He also had a long scar on his face. It was shaped like a cross mark.

"What are you doing here?" Rinslet asked calmly.

"Surely you would know that, as famous as you are, Rinslet Walker." Rinslet suppressed a shudder. They know who I am! They're good.

"Who are you?" she demanded. "What do you want?"

The man turned towards Train, who was still sleeping. "My brother and I were members of an organization called the Zero Numbers. We," he emphasized, "are after him." He pointed at Train.

"Train Heartnet?" Rinslet couldn't believe her ears. "What do you want with him? He's just a child!"

"We're not fooled." The man that spoke walked in suddenly in the room. He stood beside his brother. "That boy is Train Heartnet, who was the infamous Black Cat." His eyes gleamed. "The Black Cat would be twenty-three years old now, not a ten year old boy. We heard a rumor that he was turned – irreversibly – into this state."

"What do you want with him?" Rinslet demanded.

"Train Heartnet is responsible for the death of our superior, Zaguine Axeloake."

"You think Train Heartnet was responsible for Zaguine Axeooake's death?" Rinslet exploded. "He was only ten years old at the time!"

"And Zaguine was the one who trained the child how to use a gun."

There was a deathly silence.

At last Rinslet spoke. "Do you want to kill Train in his weakened state? Because if you do, that's not going to happen!"

"What's going to happen?" A small cried out in the tension.

Train had woken, blinking sleep from his eyes. "Rinslet, where am I?" He looked around. He gasped when he saw Rinslet's wound. "You're hurt!"

"It's nothing, Train." Rinslet had gotten hit on the head when the two men kidnapped her and Train.

"You have more pressing issues to worry about, Black Cat." One of the other brothers spoke, glancing at Train with his icy eyes.

"Why did you call me "Black Cat?" Train's eyes rounded in confusion. "My father says I have ears like a cat, but..." His voice trailed off, realizing what danger he was in.

"Where are my parents?" Train asked, his voice trembling.

"Your parents are dead, Black Cat." The other brother sneered.

Train paled. "Dead?" he repeated. "How...?" He turned to Rinslet, tears struggling to flow out of his eyes. "You lied to me!" he shouted.

"You killed our superior, Black Cat, Zaguine Axeloake." The brother spoke, ignoring Train's sobs. "You will pay for it."

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Train wailed. "I don't know this Zaguine person! I don't even know you!"

Again, the brothers ignored Train's sobs. "You will pay for it," one said, raising the gun.

"You will pay for with your death." The other one steadied his hand on the trigger, aiming for Train's head.

"Train!" Rinslet screamed. "No!"

Before either man could pull the trigger, the door to the warehouse exploded.

"Nice going, Eve." A green-haired man with an eye patch spoke. The blond girl next to him nodded.

"Sven! Eve!" Rinslet shouted.

"Who are you?" The men who had the gun pointed at Train's head now pointed it a Sven.

"Sven Vollfied," the man replied, putting his attaché in front of him. "And Train Heartnet's partner."

The two men who kidnapped Train and Rinslet were instantly shot.

Sven and Eve immediately ran over to Train and Rinslet.

"Rinslet, are you all right?" Sven asked, hurriedly untying her bound ropes.

"Yeah, I'm okay, partner." Rinslet winked. Then her focus was on Train.

"It's okay, Train." Eve tried to coax Train to stay still. "I'm Eve, remember?"

"You lied to me!" Train yelled. Sobs wreaked his body. "You all lied to me! My parents are dead!"

"Train, listen to me!" Sven was now down at Train's height. "What the men told you was true. Your parents were assassinated by Zaguine Axeloake because they opposed the Zero Numbers. For some reason, they didn't tell Zaguine that they had a child. Train!" Sven was yelling now, as Train's sobs grew louder and louder. "You're twenty-three years old! You were the Black Cat!"

"No!" Train screamed. "No!"

Suddenly, a flash of blinding light surrounded Train. It was just like that time before when a twenty-three year old Train transformed into a ten year old boy.

Smoke blinded Sven, and he had to squint his eyes to see.

Train Heartnet was twenty-three years old again. He was crouched down, with his hands to his face. Sven could see the familiar things that Train had from the moment he met him.

His XIII tattoo on his chest.

His gun, a souvenir from Chronos, called Hades.

It was all there.

"Train?" Sven whispered, not certain if it was true. "Train?"

Train looked up at his partner. "Yeah," he said, giving a small smile. "I'm here."

It was a serene scene. Train and Sven crouched down next to the graves, putting flowers on top of them. Train was the one who lingered, seeing the graves for the first and last times of his life.

The grave on his right said that the person who was buried there was Lily Heartnet, born in the year 1958, and died in the year 1988. His mother. The grave on his left said that the person who was buried there was Oliver Heartnet, who was born and who died on the same years as his wife. His father. Train looked back one last time before signaling Sven that they should leave.

"You didn't kill them." That was Sven's statement, it wasn't a question.

"No." Train answered.

"Why?" Rinslet asked from the back seat. Eve was beside her, listening closely. "They blamed you for the murder of the man who killed your parents, and they were in the organization that assassinated them. Did you even think about pulling the trigger when we handed them over to the police?"

Train was silent for a moment. "Back when I was ten years old, I became obsessed with killing Zaguine Axeloake to avenge my parents. When he died, I didn't feel anything, and at that time, I realized I wouldn't feel anything, even if I did kill him."

"So you didn't kill him?" Eve asked.

"No. I don't think my parents would want that, anyway. They would want me to move on. Like Saya." Train added.

"Why do you think the Zero Numbers didn't tell Zaguine that his targets were parents?" Sven asked. "They must have had a reason."

"I don't know why they told him that. I guess I'll never know."

"Why didn't you visit your parents before?" Rinslet asked.

"There wasn't much time, and I just...wanted to forget." Train sighed. He flexed his back. "Time for a nap." He started to close his eyes when someone called his name.

It was Sven. "Yeah, partner?" Train asked.

"Will you be all right?"

Train considered the question for a moment. "I will be." He answered truthfully, and went into the calm blissfulness of sleep.