II: First Impressions: part III

The black van pulled up several blocks away from the target's location. The door slid open and two men quietly exited the vehicle.

Train Heartnet looked around. Surveying the area for his assignment's manor. Through the pitch black night he could see its towering steeples. What a building.

"Quite a marvelous building isn't it? The towers give it such an elegant look." Train tossed a callous glance at his so-called partner. The man smiled at him. Train turned away, not bothering to answer. He hadn't spoken a word to his partner since their first introduction on the roof earlier. There was no point in talking to him. Most likely the man next to him would be dead within the next few hours.

His partner closed the door behind him. "After you." he stated, waving his arm dramatically. Train still did not reply. He began walking towards the towering castle ahead.

Standing in front of the looming mansion. (Well technically in the shadow of the side.) Train couldn't help but consider that this assignment might be more difficult than he had been expecting. Considering there is a chance he may have to do this all by himself. He didn't know what his partner could do and currently he doubted he could do anything besides talk. Imagine how many guards they could fit in there. They could easily have positioned a sniper in one of the towers. Would his target really be smart enough to do that? He had no idea. Better to overestimate than underestimate. One leaves you feeling stupid, the other leaves you dead. Train joked to himself.

"All this for just the two of us?" He allowed himself to wonder out loud.

"I suppose they could be testing us" his partner responded, "or perhaps trying to get rid of us." So this guy does have some sense in him.

"Who knows, maybe it will be easier. Less people to get in my way." Let's see if he can take a hint.

"You're quite right. With just the two of us we'll be able to keep track of each other and we won't have to keep our eyes on five other erasers." Creed figured. Apparently not.

"We should get moving." Train decided.

Train turned and headed for the front door at the same moment Creed turned to the back. "Excuse me Train but where are you going?" Creed inquired. "Weren't we ordered to attack from the back entrance?"

"I know." Train replied without turning around.

"Then where are you going?" Creed turned around to follow him.

"The front gate. Isn't it obvious?"

"Yet, we were told to attack from the back."

"Like I said I know."

"Are you purposely disobeying orders?"

"If we go from the back it will be too obvious. We'll get ourselves slaughtered. They're probably expecting us."

"How do you know that?"

"….I don't."

"Then why are you so sure of it?"

"How about this!? I'll go through the front and you'll go through the back and we'll meet in the middle!"

"Train."

"I told you not to call me that!"

"Train listen to me. I'm your partner. I trust you. Just tell me why you think we should go through the front and I'll follow you."

"… Instinct. I can… Feel it."

"And you trust your instincts more than your orders?"

"I own my life to them not Chronos"

"Alright. I trust you. Let's go to the front."

"What?"

"I said I'd go with your idea. We should get going now. We might be able to get away with not following one order however I doubt we'll get away with being late."

"… Let's just go."

Within a few moments the two erasers stood silently in the shadows of a high stone wall.

"Train," Creed mentioned "I trust your judgment but you know we can't literally walk through the front gate."

"We're not gonna go through it, I'm going over it." Train responded.

"Over-?" Creed began to ask only to see his partner sailing over his head and land crouched on the stone barrier above him. In a flash of black he was gone. Creed watched in awe as his partner landed in the myths of their enemies. Train quickly unloaded his gun into six of them, knocking them down before any of the guards had noticed.

Immediately the guards turned around at the sound of gunshots and began shooting only to notice there was nothing there. The guards turned to each other than stared confused at the carcasses of their former comrades. When more of their numbers began dropping the security guards began to panic, shooting in random directions. An eerie deep laughter began echoing through the air.

"Would you shut up!?" A voice rang out. The guards immediately turned to the direction of the voice to see Train perched on the stone gate holding a gun. Train stared back at them. "Shit." He said before jumping out the way to dodge opened fire.

"Dammit! Who is this guy?!" One of the guard screamed. They couldn't hit him and they'd already lost sight of him. "We're under attack! Alert the boss! It might be Chro- GAH!" The guard suddenly choked as his mouth filled with his own blood. He barely had a moment to notice the thin silver blade through his chest before it was withdrawn and he crashed to the ground to join the rest of his fallen coworkers.

"Alas, I'm afraid I can't let you do that." Creed smiled letting his sword drip blood over the still bleeding corpse at his feet. Still grinning he turned to his partner. "How nice, they were considerate enough to leave the door open for us." He remarked gesturing to the entrance to the mansion now completely unguarded.

Train, of course did not answer. He walks silently towards the door and peered inside. The corridor was empty. No guards?! They must have all run outside once they heard shooting.

"How foolish, running to their death." Creed whispered over Train's shoulder. He'd apparently figured out the same thing. They soundlessly crept inside. Walking quietly through the shadows, nothing could be heard but the light tap of their feet and the nearly silent huff of their breath.

Until a few men came running down the hallway. One of them screaming: "the guys at the front aren't answering! Ya' think something could've happened?!"

"Nah, the loudspeaker could've died."

"They got cell phones don't they?"

"We're not supposed to use them."

"Well One of them could've reported. Come on! We're gonna check it out! Steve! Report this back to the boss! Issue or not he'd want a report."

Creed smirked, reaching for his sword. Yet he found his partner's hand in the way.

"Don't. Let them go."

"Train?"

"We follow that guy, he'll lead us to the head. Leave the rest. We can come back for them later."

"We were told no witnesses. What if some of them were to escape?"

"Like I said earlier, you do it your way, I'll do it mine. I don't need to be slowed down any more than I already am. " Train hissed and disappeared into the shadows after the messenger.

Train stalked the guard from the darkness, who was walking at an irritatingly slow pace. How can people stand moving this speed!? He's not getting anywhere! Train grumbled to himself. Suddenly the alarm came blazing on. So they'd found the corpses at the front. Or perhaps they'd found that nutjob he was supposed to working with. Train briefly wondered if the guy was dead then pushed the thought out of his head. His "guide" was finally picking up the pace and he couldn't afford to miss him. This guy would lead him straight to the target. If he missed him he'd be forced to check every room.

The man who he was trailing raced down the hallway towards the large door at the end. The man pushed open the door "BOSS –!" Only to be silenced as a bullet flew through his chest from behind and Train walked forward to take his place.

"Who the hell are you!?" A man in a suit with many pieces of jewelry shouted. Train ignored him. Six men. Heavily armed. They opened fired, he dodged with ease. They were all shot dead before they had a chance to reload. Train walked into the room. The target shook. The target screamed. He had a gun, yet no skill for it. Before he could cock it he was already faced forward on his desk, a bullet through his skull.

"Too easy."

He walked down the empty hallway. Not a soul in sight. what gives? Where are the rest of the guards? As he turned the corner the answer hit him along with the smell of blood.

Creed smiled at him, waving, his hand dripping with blood from his sword. "You were right. It wasn't necessary to take them all as we meet them. Once they heard a shot from their boss's room they all came running." Creed smiled. "I thought I'd take care of them while you took care of the target. Well, what do you think?" He said throwing his arms out dramatically, gesturing to the 30 some bodies that were apparently what had remained of the guards.

Damn! Train stared almost bewildered at his partner's work. Most of the bodies were sliced in half or stab through the heart, finished with a single blow. But a few, mainly the ones closer to him, had multiple lacerations. He had time to play. He'd killed nearly 30 men, had time to torture some and done it all silently, without Train noticing. "Impressive."

"Why thank you. I worked so very hard." Creed laughed.

"Impressive that You're still alive, Creed." Train's stated, walking towards the exit.

Creed joined him. "See, I knew you'd come around to it. It's far too cold just to use our last names if we are going to be partners." Creed grinned again and reached his arm out, almost placing it over Train's shoulders.

"nah. I just forgot your last name. And if you try to touch me I will break your arm." Train growled.

"What? Can you not stand blood? You have some on you yourself."

"I don't like being touched."

"Hm, that may be a problem." Creed muttered.

"What was that?"

"ah, nothing. But I suppose I must introduce myself again since my name seems to have slipped your mind."

"I don't care." Train groaned pushing open the door as they walked out into the moonlight.

"Creed Diskenth." Creed bowed. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"I said I don't –… Did you say 'Diskenth'?" Suddenly Train was reminded of a rumor he probably should've paid a lot more attention to.

"Ah, you've heard of me. I do have quite the reputation."

"Then you-you're that psychopath!"

Creed's smile dropped. "I see my reputation has betrayed me. But it's not like you have a pleasant reputation yourself. "

"I heard you killed your last three partners."

"and I hear you did the same to your last."

"I didn't kill him!"

"Really~? Then what did happen?"

"I left him to die. There is a difference."

"Is there?"

"Isn't there a difference between homicide and manslaughter?"

"Ah, you're full of surprises Train. Truly not what I was expecting nor did I expect you to be as… Liberal as you are with orders. And I'm so very glad. Honestly I was on my best behavior today. I was hoping to make a good impression but truthfully I hate following those arrogant bastards direct commands as much as you do. It seems we understand each other perfectly."

Crap! I was trying to scare the bastard off! Not make him think I'm as nuts as he is! Shit!

"I'm sure we're going to be great friends."

"I don't have friends. And don't touch me!" Maybe he'll get over it and leave me alone eventually?


I'm so sorry I haven't updated in so long. btw I got a tumblr I'm "bunny-loverxiv" on there. ...that may be part of the reason for the lack of updating.