AmyNChan: Okay, two things I wanted to mention—

Saya: The first is that she actually did try the motions she's making me go through. Amy was able to use a crutch with one hand and her arm in a little sling for about ten minutes. She even added one of those medical boots to her left foot to simulate the weight of the bandages that would be on my foot!

AmyNChan: And—let's face it—since I'm not active, I gathered that Saya would be able to go a lot longer than me. Maybe an hour or so at a time with a ten minute break. XD Second thing—Hades.

Train: Each Chronos weapon is made for that specific number to use. Just like how X's (Ash's) weapon was not shifted to the next assassin to hold the number. They made a whole new weapon—a cloak—for the new number X. The old weapon wouldn't be an extension of Chronos anymore, just a useless old…thing.

Sephiria: This is why it came to be in Heartnet's possession. It would either be a trophy of a victory not yet earned or well-used in his hands. Chronos may reclaim it upon Heartnet's death.

AmyNChan: Yup! And so, without further ado, allow this story to continue! I don't own Black Cat~! *^_^*

Train kept to the rooftops for about ten minutes, encircling the town once to make a mental map. It was not a very large space by any means of the word, yet there were enough twists and turns to make it seem like a complex maze if one chose to simply run about on the ground. That could be why this was a site where they chose to test incoming sweepers despite it being in the middle of nowhere. One could possibly lose a day in how many ways there were to get lost down there.

The twenty one year old man looked around himself, searching the rooftops themselves. The man could have been constantly moving, but it looked like he was supposed to be mimicking the thought processes of an escaped con. The chances of a professional gathering attention to themselves by continuing to run in a crowd were slim to none. The best way to elude the cops was either to blend in with the masses or to find a place where no one would look.

And really, who would expect the man to be practically sunbathing on the roof?

"Hey, buddy," Train called, walking to the edge of his building. His target was a few rooftops away, but that was fine by him. He might as well have a bit of fun. "I think you've been at this too long!"

"You think so?" the man asked, a good natured smile on his face as sat up. He rubbed the back of his neck as one often does after a very refreshing nap. "It's my job to weed out the weaker of those who want to be sweepers, not the less intelligent. That's the point of the written exam."

"That's supposed to see how smart you are?" Train asked. He wondered back to the questions, but could not find anything challenging about them. "'Find the best way to survive an earthquake' and 'name five pressure points on the body you can press to incapacitate an opponent' don't seem too hard…"

The proctor laughed at that. "So you're a wise guy, huh? That's fine with me."

When he stood, the proctor was a solid three inches taller than Train himself at six foot even. There was a bandana over his head and a long wooden instrument slung over his back. There was a scar across his right eye and an easygoing smile on his face. "Rules are simple, get me to the café against my will to complete the exam. Fully conscious or incapacitated, it doesn't matter. Oh, and if you kill me dead the test is over."

"That's been an actual threat for you?" Train asked, hands in his pockets. The man's smile warped itself into a self-satisfied smirk as he drew his staff.

"'Course it has! Wouldn't be any fun otherwise!" he said. "Oh, and one more thing. Hold back and I will kill you."

"Fine by me."

Train kept his eye on his opponent throughout the banter. Any normal man with normal reflexes would have been caught off-guard with how quickly he moved and most certainly would have been whacked pretty smartly in the chest by his surprising blow. Train, however, knew just when to duck and grinned as he saw the man's surprise loom over him.

"Hi," Train grinned. He then finished the greeting with a blow to the face. The brown-haired man had certainly punched harder before, but this was enough to knock the proctor off-balance.

"So fast…" the proctor managed to say.

"Yup!"

Train rounded on the man and was surprised by how quick the counter was. However, what the man possessed in speed, he lacked for in instant strength. Train had both at his disposal and was able to push the man backwards once more, sending him straight onto his back and into a position that was not readily defensible or easy to maneuver out of. He was not about to give the man another chance to make a getaway, so his hand flashed to his holster and he pulled out his gun.

"So," Train said, holding the barrel directly in front of the proctor's forehead. "I guess this means I win. Just curious, but what level of criminal were you impersonating? It's clear you were holding back a little bit. You were going to get steadily more difficult to capture, weren't you?"

"High enough to matter, low enough to make sure you learn on the job," the proctor said, lazily putting his hands above his head. "As for getting harder, nah. I just stay on the same level to see what kind of skills the rookies have. Anyways, I'll get you back into the sweeper café and you'll get your license as soon as we're done explaining how you caught me. Got it?"

"Sure," Train said. He pulled the man up and kept a hand on the scruff of his shirt. The proctor caught on quickly and smirked.

"You knew I was going to run first chance I got."

"Wasn't hard. Half of this is capture, after all. The other half is actually getting you where I need you to be."

"Eh, you won't make a bad sweeper."

"Thanks."

"Welcome back, Sephiria."

"Thank you, Belze. What is the status of headquarters?"

"The elders have discovered Heartnet's escape while Diskenth is wreaking havoc on our guards. Number X has been dispatched to deal with the situation before he can get too far."

"I see."

"The elders demanded it number involvement and chose him specifically as he was part of the team that brought Diskenth in initially."

"Understood. And who is heading the investigation of Heartnet's escape?"

"I am."

"What have you found?"

"Heartnet was deliberately released eight hours earlier than expected. The only witnesses to Heartnet's release were of the first sent to prevent Diskenth's escape. They have, unfortunately, all perished and the paperwork has been disposed of as per Chronos regulations."

A pause. A room devoid of life save two weary souls.

"Traitors to Chronos are executed."

"I'm aware."

"If it is discovered that—"

"Sephiria."

A pause. A breath.

"I'm aware. I was aware then and I'm aware of it now."

A smile.

"You're a good man, Belze."

"You could have asked for my help!" Train said again from the front of the bike. Saya frowned.

"I was already there, I did it on my own, no one got hurt, and we have gas! I don't see what the problem is!" she retorted. The bike revved faster, causing Saya to tighten her grip. "Train!"

The bike revved again, but he did not otherwise respond. Saya huffed in irritation. Honestly, she thought Train would be pleased with the bounty she had caught while he had been off taking his test and getting certified. She thought he wanted to get a move-on. But no, the first thing he had done was stand there, angry, while she held a wad of bills out for him to take, grinning happily until she realized his mood.

Honestly. What was his problem? She was hurt, not an invalid!

Saya kept an eye on the upcoming towns. They were not anywhere she was terribly familiar with, but…

There!

An exit was coming up in twenty three miles that she had heard of in passing. She did not know the layout of the town yet, but one of her friends had set up shop there about five months ago. Maybe...

Maybe she was just being ridiculous. Maybe this was a one-time thing and he would be fine when she healed and could take care of herself.

And if he was not? If he continued to put her first in their actions, almost to the point of turning down the opportunity to move forward in their adventure for freedom, would he be able to continue with the life he so desperately wanted to live?

Thoughts of her doubts from almost five days ago returned to plague her. What was Train doing? Was he running from his old life because he felt he had to or because he truly wanted to? And now that he felt he had to physically care for her, could he know what he wanted for himself? If he spent all of his time looking out for her and getting angry because she wanted to help just as much as he could, when would he be able to know for certain what he wanted for his own life?

Saya had only known for herself after about a week out on the road all alone. It had been hard, a fourteen year old sweeper, but she had always known that this sort of life was for her. Train had not had that kind of time alone to test himself in that regard.

If I let him go off by himself now, there's a chance I'll never see him again… Saya thought. The wind whistled against her ears harshly and the bike sped up. They were now practically flying down the road and Saya reveled in the feeling of almost absolute freedom with her very best friend.

She smiled, a bittersweet weight on her heart. Her choice had been made.

"Hey, Train! There's a friend I want to visit…"

Annette Pias looked around her tiny shop and let out a deep breath. Smoke ringlets filled the empty air. She was catching a break before the front of her store had to open at one. The place was not terribly large, but food was not exactly what she sold here as a priority and thus she saw no need to invite many eating clients with large, ample room or well-lit tables or even an extravagant menu. Simple comfort food helped to pay the bills, but it was the information that kept her around.

Been a while since I had any sweeper business, though… she thought as she idly watched the smoke rise higher and higher. It, of course, dissipated into the air long before it could reach the wooden drafts at the top of her establishment. She sighed before taking another drag.

The ringing bell pulled her from her contemplation nearly half an hour shy of opening time.

"Hey, we're not open yet," she called.

"Aw, Annette, you're so mean sometimes," a slightly familiar voice said from behind the door. As soon as the young woman appeared in her line of vision, the shop keep frowned.

"Jeez, Saya, what happened to you?" she asked, gesturing to a bar stool. As expected, Saya Minatsuki could only attempt laughing the worry away.

"Got tangled up in a fight," the young sweeper answered as she took her seat and set her crutch aside. Annette shook her head as she pulled out two glasses.

"One of these days you're gonna get yourself killed," the shop owner sighed as she poured a glass of milk for her regular. She did not wait for the girl's indignant response as she turned to the accompaniment. "And you? What'll you have?"

"Milk," he answered. Annette poured the remainder of the canister into his glass without skipping a beat. It was then that she caught it. The barely exposed tattoo that peeked out behind his blue jacket with odd-shaped donut-like buttons and his white shirt. XIII.

"So, what brings you into town," she asked, deciding to trust Saya's instinct. Although young and sometimes naïve, the sweeper girl always seemed to know who was or was not trustworthy and when they were so.

"I felt like stopping by and saying 'hello'," the young woman said. "But before that, can I use the facilities? Last I checked you had free showers for sweepers...?"

"Not free," Annette said, shooting the idea down almost as instantly as it had arisen. It was a practiced line reserved for those who knew of the service. "Standard fare for five minutes of water plus shampoo and soap. Disabled showers are in the back with a plastic bag for you to cover up your bandages with."

"Thanks, Annette! Guess I should be quick then, huh? Train, there's a shower for the guys the other way. You stink," Saya pointed out with that carefree grin of hers. Not that it was any of Annette's business, but the smile seemed…off…somehow. Saya passed the fare over and headed for the back of the restaurant behind the counter. It would be about half a minute before they both heard the door click firmly shut.

"Showers in a café?" the man—the Black Cat—asked. He took a drink of his milk, making no indication of moving despite Saya had paid for the both of them to get clean. And even though she had pointed out the boy's stink—it was moderately tolerable, but if he did not bathe soon the criminals would detect him by scent alone—he stayed behind to question her.

"Sweepers only. Segregated by gender, so no funny business either."

Whatever Annette had expected after that completely serious and factual comment, it was not what she got. The Black Cat—one of the legendary Chronos Numbers who were elite assassins that could not be felled by anything short of a natural death—spluttered into his milk. He coughed and choked, thumping himself on the chest in order to breathe once more.

Annette did not bat an eye at the ridiculous behavior. What caught her amusement, however, was the shade the man's ears turned. Bright pink.

"I-I wasn't thinking about that," the man said, in a hurried tone. He was definitely avoiding eye contact.

"Sure you weren't."

"I wasn't," he insisted.

"Uh-huh."

He let out a sound similar to a strangled cat and still refused eye contact. When he cleared his throat, she knew he was finally going to get down to business as to why he had stayed behind.

"Saya's been badly injured and she refuses to rest so those injuries of hers can heal right," he said. Annette chose to remain quiet and take another puff of smoke. "As her friend, would you know of anyplace where she can lay low for awhile? Just while she heals?"

The boy was lying through his teeth. Or, at the very least, telling her only the bits of the truth that he felt were relevant for her to hear. What surprised her was the fact that she could read these things without having to study too deeply.

He was an open book. The question was why.

"I'm pretty sure the infamous Black Cat could keep her out of trouble for a few months," she said. It was casual, but they both understood what it meant. What, exactly, was his angle?

"It's hard for a dead man to protect anyone, much less someone as free-spirited and fiery as Saya. Even harder for a man on the run to do it."

"I see." Annette observed the man with sharp eyes. He was serious about finding Saya a place to stay and his last statement had been a shred of truth. She could see it in the way he sat, sipping at his milk. "I could take her in, but this café doesn't exactly stay in one spot, you know."

"How often do you move?"

"As often as it takes, but less than you I'd imagine."

Annette watched as he processed the information. She had no intention of telling him when she was going to go next or to where and he knew it. Her true business was that of information, and no information came cheaply. Especially not that which pertained to the safety of her person, her clients, and her friends. She exhaled an amount of smoke that began to lazily drift towards the ceiling.

Again, the smoke vanished before it could make it to the rafters. Annette frowned. How long did it take for a man to decide what was best for a friend? For that matter, were the two even friends? She looked at him again. He sat there, puzzling over his milk.

"What is Saya to you?" she asked. He surprised her by giving out a light chuckle as he thought about it.

"She's a pain in the butt, too loud, sleeps like the dead, and she's my best friend," he said. Annette could tell he was being completely level with her right now. He swirled the milk in his cup and watched it as it moved. "Honestly, I'd do anything to make sure she's safe. If you guys move when I'm gone, I'll find you again."

"You know there's a chance that she'll leave my shop when she recovers."

"I know. But now's not the time to be selfish."

Annette hummed as she took in the male before her. She would not have known he was an assassin by his attitude and disposition. There was something that he was not telling her, but she knew it had nothing to do with Saya. Right now, the topic was her safety and her ability to recover, neither of which Annette could refute nor refuse. She sighed.

"Is there anything else?"

"No."

"Good, then go take a shower. Behind the counter, down the hall, and door on the right. You go in the door on the left and I'm pretty sure Saya would kill you before I got the chance."

The kid's ears turned red again as he set down his milk and proceeded behind the bar.

"That was great!" Saya cheered as she steadily made her way to the front of the store. Her hair was slightly damp from the water and she had dressed herself in the same yukata she had entered in, but she had most definitely washed that, too! All it took was some soap and some determination. She had set it underneath the hand-dryer to get dry and now it was toasty warm.

Saya loved it.

"Annette, I've told you you're a lifesaver, right?" she chirped as she retook her seat in front of the bar. The older woman could only nod sagely.

"I held the Black Cat back with a little chat, so he'll be taking a few more minutes," Annette said. With the way 'chat' had been emphasized, Saya wondered what on earth they could have been talking about. Hopefully they did not try to leave her out of any leads!

Wait… was she not supposed to be leaving Train for his own good? Her smile faltered but did not crumble as she sat down and placed her crutch aside.

"So while he's busy, you should start talking."

"Talking?" Saya asked as she took a sip of her milk. She knew Annette would riddle her out, but she never thought it would be so soon. However, this was Annette and the information broker could not be left out of the loop for very long. It was her job.

"You and I both know we don't have enough time for this," Annette said. Saya sighed. The woman was right, but she wanted to pretend everything was fine for just a bit longer. That she would be able to go off on adventures with Train and run as far and as fast as she wanted to. That they would clean up the streets and have enough cash for silly arcade games and prizes and milk.

That was her dream and she knew she could not have it as it were. She needed to let it go.

"You couldn't let me pretend?" Saya chuckled sadly. She did not need to look to know Annette had shaken her head. "Mou…so mean…"

"You know that won't work."

"It was worth a shot."

"You've had your bad shot. Now tell me why you came here. It wasn't for food and a shower."

"But you have no clue how much I needed that…" Saya's eyes grew to a round and adorable shape. She knew it would have no effect, but the pose was fun to do. Annette did not budge and Saya sighed. Time to be serious. "Annette, do you think I could work for you for a few months?"

"With those injuries?"

Saya winced. She hated her injuries and the way they slowed her down, but they also gave her the perfect reason to make herself let Train go.

A blessing and such a terrible curse.

"I can still work. Take orders behind the bar, clean up tables, even take inventory. You don't like dealing with the teenagers that come into the café anyways unless they're sweepers and I could do that, too," Saya said, pointing out the one thing that got under Annette's skin. Well, aside from incompetent sweepers, but rowdy kids were pretty high up on the list, Saya knew.

"Next time I move I swear I'll make it a bar…" the woman growled underneath her breath. Saya chuckled.

"Until then, just let me work here. You won't even have to pay me anything except a place to stay!" Saya felt determination course through her veins. She would work for Annette and make Train keep going. She could not fail him, not by holding him back and dragging him down.

"When a good deal like a free worker comes up, I have to wonder what the angle is," Annette stated. Saya faltered for naught but a moment.

"Train… he…"

"Did he do something to you?"

Saya blinked, sitting up straight. The instant the question had completely registered, she was denying it with wild motions of her hands. "What? No! Train would never do anything to hurt me!"

"So what's the issue, then?" Saya stopped in her motions. She drew her hands back and looked at her milk, thinking on what to tell Annette and what should remain private. Most of it was pure and somewhat egocentric speculation, after all. However…

"I want to give him the last bit of what he's been fighting for," she finally said, smiling even though her heart twinged at the thought of being alone again. Even though she would be with Annette—should she accept her offer—she would be without Train. That made her feel lonely, like the little girl who was moved from relative to relative once again, always unwanted.

"What's that?" Annette asked.

"He's fighting to be free," Saya answered without a beat. Her resolve became stronger as she finally said it aloud. He was fighting to become a free man, and she would gladly walk into the mental shackles of her past to ensure that he achieved his goal. That he would know what his true goal was and reach it. "He can't afford to slow down and he's doing that to make sure I'm okay. He needs to be able to run as quickly as he can and have the energy he needs to get his freedom for himself."

Saya closed her eyes. Yes, this was the right move. The Black Cat was now a dying legend and Train Heartnet was almost a free man. She only need remove the shackles that she might have unintentionally placed on him herself in order for him to gain that which he desperately wanted. And she would do it in a heartbeat.

"Is this what you want, Saya?"

Annette's question should not have caught her off-guard. While Saya was openly empathetic, Annette was like the firm mother she never had. Firm almost to the point of being cross or cranky, but there when the important questions needed answering. Or asking. For this reason, Saya knew she could not lie to the woman.

"No," she said, a smile on her face even though her answer was slowly breaking her heart. "It isn't. But now isn't the time to be selfish."

Annette could only breathe deeply of her cigarette and let smoke fly into the air. Saya watched as it rose softly and quickly dispersed among the rest of the air molecules. The older woman then heaved a sigh.

"All right. Come by later in the afternoon and I'll have everything set up."

"Thank you, Annette."

AmyNChan: Okay, so the addition of the showers! I figured that since Annette's business is actually geared towards sweepers, she'd have more services for them aside from just the usual intel. Something that gives her a leg-up on her competitors. And really, which stinky sweeper running around on the streets wouldn't like a good shower?

Annette: I gotta make enough money to kick out the patrons who aren't doing any good.

AmyNChan: ehe… ^^; We love you, Annette. *^_^*

Annette: *opens her shop and begins renovations*

AmyNChan: I'm…just gonna leave her to it… o.o Also! Where's the Sephelze love!? QAQ I have found zero fics about that couple and I love them to bits! QAQ

Annette: *puts hand over my mouth when she comes back* Yo, just leave a review at the bottom and she'll get to work on the next chapter. *leaves*

AmyNChan: Annette!