Confusion

Tawny

I woke up when Train did. He jerked awake like he'd had a nightmare. Then he got out of the car and stared out at the sky. I considered going to him.

No. He looks like he just needs a few minutes alone right now.

Then he went over to Tubby's motor-bike.

I leaped out of the car and ran over to him, catching up my tail and leaping on behind him right as he started moving.

I'll give him credit, he didn't skid from surprise. "Get off, Tawny. This is too dangerous for you."

"I'm a sweeper, Pussy, and I saw my parents burn practically right before my eyes. You can't talk me out of coming along."

He was silent after that, and so was I.

Then…

"Just stay out of my way."

"Fine." I held onto his coat with my claws and just let the wind blow my hair. I wasn't worried; in the month before I'd lost my parents, I'd gotten a gun. I practiced with it until I could draw it and fire pretty quickly from its holster behind my back and under my hair, either with my hand or with my whip.

Yeah, I could even fire it with my cat-o-nine-tails! My aim, either method, still needed work when faced with a moving target, but I could use it.

Sven

Eve woke me up and told me that Train was gone. So was Tawny.

Okay, the fact that Tawny was with him made me feel a little better, but I still took off after them. He couldn't go it alone, and I don't know how good Tawny is as backup!

Tawny

When the sun rose, we got to this old building, and it looked like chaos had happened inside. Train ditched the bike and started leaping inside. I bounded after him.

When he slowed down, I only barely managed to stop running before crashing into him, considering he didn't warn me.

"Train?"

He was ignoring me.

Then he got in a fight with Creed, and all I could do was watch and wait. I stayed against the wall, hoping I wouldn't be noticed; an unnoticed backup is a surprise attack.

I was impressed: Train could shoot from any motion and still have his bullet on target! Of course, Creed kept slicing Train's bullets, so that didn't help.

Finally, there ended up a standoff: Train's gun was pointed at Creed's face, and Creed's glowing sword was next to Train's neck. But I was at the wrong angle! What was I supposed to do?

Shoot, Train. Why won't you shoot?

I heard the answer to that from Creed, or some sort of explanation on Train's past. He'd been part of Chronos, and a heartless killer who only believed in himself.

Then a sound caught my attention. Sven and that other girl were prisoners, and manacled to the wall!

"Train! Don't do it!" Sven yelled.

He fired at a black smoke thing that was coming from another angle while I was gliding over to Sven.

"Hey, what's up?" I whispered.

"Tawny! What's going on?" he whispered back.

"A lot of pointless mumbo-jumbo. Hold still while I think about this." Then I slipped back over to somewhere behind Train.

Then some other guys came in through a door, and one identified the girl as Rinslet.

That was before Creed had a temper tantrum and slashed the whole room apart, including parts of the floor! Mister Romance fell from the roof and yelled that he'd always loved "Rinslet Walker." Sheesh.

"Too bad; all these distractions while we're trying to bond as men." Creed's words just sounded wrong to me, considering he was talking to Train. But the real problem was that running was only barely an option: there were only about five floor spaces left, and they weren't connected to each other!

Sven yelled at Train something about how killing Creed wouldn't get Saya back. Who's Saya? Then Creed threatened Sven with his sword.

I was just reaching the point of "I'd had enough of this nonsense" when suddenly the castle started shaking and collapsing!

Sven and Rinslet started falling, still strapped to their prisons! I leaped after them, wishing I either was a good enough shot to break their manacles or had some other sort of plan. Then I started searching with my eyes for something to catch with my whip.

Eve caught hold of Sven and Rinslet with her hair, but she was struggling and carrying a boy as well, so I didn't try to catch hold of her burdens.

Then the manacles were broken! I looked back up.

Train!

I have no idea how we all got to the ground safely. I know somehow, Train caught me, Sven and Rinslet, and then we ended up in the water.

While we were driving, Sven guessed that Train saved us because the Numbers were out of his system. Then he asked who Saya was: "A girlfriend?"

My ears were perked, waiting for and partly dreading the answer.

Finally, he said, sounding really sweet, "It was nothing like that. She was more like a close friend."

Whew. That means I still have a chance.

Then Eve ruined the moment. "Whoo. So that means you got dumped, right?"

We ignored that.

"By the way, Tawny?" Train twisted around and looked at me with a smile. "Nice gun you've got."

"WHAT?" Sven and Rinslet all but screeched. "You've got a gun?"

"You noticed that, huh?" I leaned forward and pulled it from its holster. "Yeah, I've got one, but I'm not very good with it yet. I mean, I can shoot it quickly, but my aim still isn't very good with moving targets, which is why I didn't use it back there. I'd rather not kill someone on my own side, or any innocent bystanders."

"Hm. That's a problem." Then Train sat back again in his seat. "Maybe I can teach you at our next stop."

I smiled. "I'd like that." Then I leaned forward and gave Train a quick kiss on the cheek. "Thanks."

His reaction was pretty funny - he twisted around and stared at me, but by then I'd sat back and was pretending I hadn't done anything.

Train caught a cold by our next stop. I swear it had nothing to do with me.

I went into the bathroom for a quick sink-shower and to change my uniform – the white one was starting to go grey. I'd randomly picked one from my suitcase, and it ended up the pink one. I hesitated.

Well…I don't know if I'll get super powers from this…but since we're fighting people with super powers, it's only for the best.

I came out of the bathroom just in time to hear Eve predict bad luck to Train.

This evening, Train suddenly decided to bail and get a job. Eve went with him, and so did I. I mainly wanted to keep him out of trouble.

We were staring at the wanted posters when suddenly we heard a sing-songy "Oh Mister Black!"

"Oh no," I said, matter-of-factly.

She tackled down Train and tried to kiss him, but he pulled a cat from somewhere and she kissed it. Then she stated that she'd quit the Apostles of the Star and came to find him.

I helped Train up, there ended up a small fight, and then the sprinklers went off and we ended up the only people in the bar.

He tried the treat she'd made for him. Somehow I doubted she knew how to cook, but he said it was actually pretty good and a little spicy.

More than a little, by the look on his face and his dashing around afterwards.

Then the bar blew up.

I still don't know how I survived a section of the roof falling on me when the Black Cat wasn't there. I finally found Kyoko and Train. Train had just taken a bullet for Kyoko, by the look of it. I pulled out my own gun and carefully aimed, hoping that the creepy guy with the gun would hold still long enough. Train hadn't taught me anything about hitting moving targets yet.

The guy left before I could shoot him, though. "Let's just say I look forward to seeing your appearance the next time we meet."

Huh?

I vaulted over to Train and Kyoko, who was going overly emotional.

We got back to the hotel and Kyoko crashed through the window, trying to catch Train again. Finally, I'd had enough with her. I unwound some of my whip and with one twitch caught her around the waist.

"Ow! Hey!"

"If I wanted to hurt you, Kyoko, I'd have swung the whip harder. Lay off, cats don't like getting that much attention."

Then things got weird: Train turned into a little kid!

A/N: Episodes 12 and 13 gain credit.