Disclaimer: I own nothing save for Tobias, Micah and Lyra. I couldn't stand to see Sephi as the only female of the Numbers.
This is completely AU.
Please bear with me. I have only seen Advent Children. I have not played any of the games that relates to these characters. Everything I know is from asking friends who know more about it than me.
When I read the Black Cat manga and watched the anime series, this idea came into my head as me and my friends are cosplaying as the TURKs next year.
Anyway, on with the show.
Chapter Two
Jenos and Lyra walked through the streets of Midgar towards the Chronos headquarters within the city. It was located within a small building down a side street that was not easy to find except if you knew where to go. Lyra kept glancing at Jenos as they walked, waiting for the inevitable attack that he would make on her, and any other female they happened to pass. Jenos kept a hand in his pocket as they walked sensing they were being watched. Lyra did not want to acknowledge the two following them, but they knew what they had to do. Keeping a firm grip on the files she was carrying. Jenos headed down a side street and Lyra followed closely beside him, when he stopped suddenly.
"We have to do something about those two. They can't know where headquarters are." He told Lyra.
"I agree." She replied to the man at her side. His demeanour changed instantly at her words.
"You do? Really? I think history has been made! My precious Lyra has finally agreed with me on something! This must –" His sentence stopped short as a fist landed smartly on his cheek. Lyra stood silently fuming at him.
"Do you have to be such a jackass all the time?" She asked. A small laugh could be heard from above them. Lyra looked up to see Number Thirteen looking down at them. "Oh, Train." Train jumped down from the top of the building he had been standing on watching the other two Numbers. He landed with the cat-like grace he was known for. Lyra stood in awe at the man that stood before her. Jenos smiled slightly at him.
"Sephiria was worried about the two of you. You were taking too long. I suggest you get a move on and not keep her waiting." He told the two.
"I couldn't agree more." Jenos replied, a small smile playing on his lips. "There is just one problem."
"Two problems. I can take care of them. You two go on." Train told them. Both Lyra and Jenos started to yell at the Black Cat. "Fine, do as you like then." He told them turning to look at the entrance to the side street. The two Apostles stood watching them, smiles on their faces. Lyra bit her lip and looked down at the files. As much as she wanted to fight, the files were more important.
"Go, we can handle them. After all, they're just TURKs." He told her with a smile. Lyra frowned and looked at the two people. A school girl in her uniform and a man with blond hair and a tall black hat. She was not so sure they were TURKs.
"I don't think they would employ children in the TURKs Jenos. I think they're something else." Lyra told him.
"Either way, quick fingers and I can handle this. Go, Sephiria is waiting for your report." He told her. She nodded once and ran off down the street. Jenos and Train looked at each other then back to the entrance.
"Quick fingers huh? Have you been hearing stories about me?" Jenos asked, with a smirk.
"If you ever had any success then there might be stories." Train replied, and Jenos balked.
"I have a great success rate!" Jenos argued. Train gave him a side-long look.
"If it was that successful you would have already won Lyra over." Jenos stopped at this. It was true and he had to admit it. He laughed heartily, running a hand through his hair.
"You're right of course. She can be so cold sometimes." Train smiled to himself and looked at the two. Neither had moved. "What? What's that look for?" Train walked forward, leaving Jenos to wonder what the look meant.
"Can we help you?" Train asked. The man in the hat looked towards them, a smile splitting his features.
"Perhaps, but we were wondering if you would lead us to Chronos's headquarters." The man replied.
"Aw Charden, does that mean we blew it?" The girl asked.
"I'm afraid it does Kyoko. He will not be pleased." Charden explained to the girl.
"Why were you following us?" Jenos asked, joining Train.
"We were told to stupid." Kyoko replied, sticking her tongue out at the two men.
"Seems she knows you." Train told his companion with a smile.
"Hey who you calling stupid, you dumb kid? Shouldn't you be in school?" Jenos yelled at her. "And you could have supported me instead of siding with that brat." He continued to yell at Train.
"Shouldn't you be in an old people's home?" Kyoko retorted. Train laughed at this as Jenos went white as a sheet.
"Who you calling old?"
"Kyoko please. We have a mission to fulfil." Charden told her. Kyoko looked up at the older man and smiled.
"Sorry Charden. I was just having some fun." Charden gave a small smile.
"Well, we do need to lose these two." He hinted at her, and she smiled widely, clapping her hands.
"Really? I can?"
"I don't see why not. Just be careful of the buildings." Kyoko turned back to the two men and smiled.
"Sorry old guys but we have a job to do, and you two aren't part of it." She told them. Both glared at her as they felt the air around them begin to rise in temperature. Before they really knew what was happening, a giant fire ball came at them from the girl. Both men managed to dodge the blast as it sailed past them and down the street.
When the fireball dissolved, the two strangers had gone. Jenos and Train looked at each other as they realised where the two of them had gone.
"She was right. They weren't TURKs. They can't do anything like that." Train told Jenos.
"Why is she always right?" Jenos asked more himself than Train.
"We should get after her before they catch up with her." Jenos's eyes snapped at this as he got back onto his feet. A new fire ignited within him.
"Let's go. She would have taken the long way back to headquarters." Jenos told him, running off in the same direction as the fireball had gone. Train quickly caught up after the initial shock of how quickly Jenos had run after Lyra. Together the two of them ran through the streets of Midgar, trying to catch up with the woman.
Lyra ran quickly through the streets, the files pressed close to her chest as she went. As soon as she was sure she was far enough from the side-street that she had left her companions in, Lyra took to the rooftops. She easily jumped over alleyways, and ran across the roofs with complete ease as she neared headquarters.
Just when she thought she would be safe Train appeared next to her. She gave a start but kept running, changing direction immediately. It looked like Train but it was completely made of blood. She wrinkled her nose at the smell of it.
"Nice trick." She called, as she turned around to face her opponent whilst jumping over an alleyway at the same time, releasing a shuriken in their direction. She was as surprised as the man that she had missed him, but struck his hat as it fell off from the force of the blow. He stopped and glared at her slightly as he picked his hat off the ground and dusted it down before removing the offending object and dropping it on the ground at his feet.
He returned the hat to his head and adjusted it until it sat right. Kyoko appeared in front of her whilst she watched the strange man actions. She would have to collect that later. It would not do to have one of her shuriken's laying around. She sensed the other girl's action a second too late as fire caught her on the shoulder and burnt the clothes from her back.
Lyra screamed in pain and changed direction yet again. Not a good move for the Number as Kyoko was in a far better position to keep up with her than what she was to manoeuvre on the rooftop. Kyoko blasted her again, and she jumped down between two buildings to avoid the stream of fire that was aimed directly for her head. She gave a small sigh of thanks as she landed on her feet in the alleyway and ran back the way she had come.
If Train and Jenos were still alive the three of them might stand some chance of surviving. As it was, she could not protect the files and fight them at the same time. She ran further on, heading for a market place nearby. It was crowded which she would be eternally grateful for. She slowed her pace to a walk and tried to blend into the crowd, grabbing some cloth and pulling it over her head to hide her hair and suit jacket. If they were still on the roof, they would not be able to see her easily. However, she had to stay in the thick of the crowds to avoid any detection.
Charden and Kyoko stood on the rooftop and looked down at the crowd below. Kyoko was getting bored with having to chase the woman around Midgar. It was not very exciting, though she had been able to let loose a few times. Charden scanned the crowd closely, trying to find their target. He sighed in annoyance, unable to find her.
"Let's go Kyoko. We've failed." Kyoko looked up at him.
"That sucks." She replied to the older man. "I was hoping to have some fun." He smiled slightly.
"I know, but those people down there have nothing to do with this. It would be unfair to get them involved at such an early stage as this." Kyoko frowned.
"I suppose so." She paused in thought. "So what now?"
"We will have to go back and inform Creed that we've failed in our mission." Kyoko winced at this slightly.
"Man is he going to be pissed." She shrugged her shoulders. "Can we at least get something to eat before we get chewed up and spat out?" Charden smiled. That was Kyoko for you. Give her food and she was happy.
"Of course. We might as well." Charden replied and Kyoko clapped her hands in joy.
Jenos and Train stood on the rooftop that had not long been vacated by Charden and Kyoko. Train picked up the discarded shuriken that was lying there. It had the Roman numeral nine engraved on it, a sure sign that Lyra had been that way. Jenos was stood looking down at the market place, looking for anything unusual. Train pocketed the shuriken and went to stand beside Jenos.
"I wonder what happened?" Jenos asked.
"Whatever it was Lyra was able to get away. If they had fought, this marketplace would not be standing." Train replied. Jenos smiled slightly at the words. It was slightly comforting to know that she was still alive. "You know you might get on better with her if you stopped acting the way you do with her." He turned and looked at Train with a quizzical expression. "Just a thought." He kept his eyes on the crowd below, and grinned. Jenos saw the smile and looked in the same direction. There she was alive and well. Both men jumped off the building at the same time and headed in her direction.
"You know they call that dish destiny don't you. It's because when you eat it, whoever you happen to talk to is part of your destiny." Lyra froze at the words. They were alive. If Jenos was not so much of a prat she might have actually hugged him. Honestly, that man was so annoying. Lyra looked down at the food in front of her.
"Well, since you started talking to me first, I guess it doesn't matter." She told him, smiling to herself. She heard Train snicker and Jenos grasp at some words. She turned and faced them. "They've both gone. I wasn't sure if you two were alive or not." She told them.
"Ah, you do worry about me." Jenos replied, clutching his heart with his hands.
"Yeah, I worry you might have brain damage or something." She left a slight pause before continuing. "Come on, we should go. Sephi will be waiting for us." She looked at Train. "You coming?" He nodded once and followed the woman. The walk was a quiet one, each lost in their own train of thought, wondering about the two they had come across. Whoever they were Sephiria was not going to like it one little bit.
They entered headquarters in silence and headed towards Sephiria's office. They got in the lift and Jenos pushed the button for the right floor. However, instead of the lift heading upwards, it went down into the depths of Midgar. No one knew the building existed. No one knew about Chronos, or if they did they were the worst kind of people you ever wanted to meet.
The building they had entered was a small two-storey building that did not look impressive. However, the building was merely a ruse as the main structure was underground. The lift binged as it stopped and the doors opened. All three walked out, bumping into Baldor and Kranz as they went. No one said anything to each other. Baldor and Kranz worked together and often without orders. None of the Numbers really saw eye to eye with the two of them, but nobody could deny that they were good at getting results.
Train stopped outside a door. "Good luck with Sephiria. I'll see you around." With that he walked through the door and left the two of them standing in silence. Lyra hugged the files closer. So much had happened since they had been sent to see President Shinra, and yet it had felt like no time at all. She sighed and headed on with Jenos.
They stopped at a door at the end of the corridor and knocked. "Come in." A smooth female voice sounded from within. Lyra took a breath and entered the office, with Jenos close behind him.
"Sorry we're late Sephi. We ran into some trouble." Lyra told the older woman. Sephiria raised an eyebrow as she set her tea cup down and looked at the two Numbers. She motioned for the two of them to sit down and give their report.
