Chapter Seven:
It was perfect, absolutely brilliant. After all, there was a limit to the strength of Tao. Echidna was no fool. Against the numbers and Heartnet's misfit group of Sweepers? With so few comrades, their chances of success lowered with each new Sweeper signed on to the renegade band.
As she briskly walked through the hallways, her thoughts ran wildly about her. Schemes and plots rushed in her head, each critically weighed for the dangers. All had a similar goal; get Train Heartnet out of the picture. If she had to kill him, so be it. The only thing that stopped her--She didn't like getting her hands bloody, and if Creed were to ever find out, he would destroy her.
She walked past a mirror, sparing a brief wandering eye at her reflection. Scoffing at the image, her mouth stretched into a cruel sneer. She was beautiful—an idol across the land for both her looks and acting skills. Why was she fated to always vie for the affections of the man she loved? To have Black Cat scorn his advances only made the wound still that much more. She would gladly take any ounce of attention Creed would give her, even if only for a moment.
Taking a deep breath, she stopped before the closed doors before her. "It's now or never." She mumbled under her breath, the sound barely echoing through the desolate halls. She pushed the door open, finding it strange not to use her powers for the smallest thing. She couldn't give any hint of her powers here, in case Shiki had his crystals looking for any tao use.
There he was, restrained to a bed with wires attached to his body. There was a mask covering his face, for which Echidna determined it was either giving him extra air or a sleeping gas.
"It's a shame that you won't be able to be a part of this glorious moment, Train Heartnet. I've hated you for so long—for mocking Creed and turning down all his offers. He is a great man, yet you just think he's a lunatic." A manicured nail came down, caressing his high cheekbone. "But now… after this incident, I can't help but wonder if I'm actually glad for it. Creed wouldn't bother a second glance at me with you by his side." Train's eyebrow twitched, as if he was stirring from whatever dreamscape he was trapped in.
Seeing him here, pale and still stirred a chord in her heart. He had never laughed at Echidna for her feelings. The other Apostles simply raised an eyebrow, as if to say she was delusional for even thinking Creed would be interested or return her feelings.
Echidna pulled away and pulled a dagger out of the folds of her outfit. She had never attempted such a task, but she willed her mind to morph her powers to complete the task she had assigned herself. "I will free you, Black Cat, from this misery." She sliced the palm of her hand, feeling the blood trickle down the blade and onto the white sheets Train was tucked into. She then leaned down, slicing a thin line underneath his collarbone. She then smeared some of her blood into the wound. She tossed the bloodied knife into a nearby trashcan.
Train barely flinched throughout the process. Echidna waited for the blood to pool slightly in her hand. Then, she dipped a finger into it, leaning over to draw symbols on Train's chest near the cut. She pulled back. Already it looked like the wound was red and infected.
She then lifted her sleeve and marked similar foreign symbols onto her skin. "When the time is right," she turned away from him, "it'll all be over."
A distant boom resounded throughout the foundation of the castle. Echidna quickly covered her sleeve. She glanced around the lab, looking for anything that may be of use to her. The Doctor had already mysteriously disappeared, leaving his lab and Heartnet unguarded and protected.
Another boom, closer, made Echidna halt any search for bandages to cover up her work. The chances were low that anyone would bother to look down in the basement for the former assassin. "I must go help Creed!" With the flick of her wrist, a portal opened and she leapt through it.
The symbols smeared across Train's chest and forehead glimmered in the glow of the computers and dim lights. Train's eyebrow twitched once more, and slowly two golden eyes opened.
…
The Sweepers were advancing through the surrounding grounds of the headquarters of the Apostles of the Stars. They had gained more numbers than they expected, but when the rumor about the legendary Black Cat, assassin-turned-Sweeper, wasn't involved the numbers decreased.
Luckily, the dedicated few that stayed behind showed great power and potential. Despite the ominous feeling in his gut, Sven couldn't help but hold onto the small flickering candle of hope. They may very well be able to help Train.
Eve, Rinslet, and Sven were charting a different course on the island than the other Sweepers. For one, Sven couldn't stand the theatrics and drama associated with larger groups. Another—well, the Apostles weren't any prey to take lightly. To set off loud explosives and all but signal their location was a little too risky. Especially for a rescue mission.
"I smell blood." Eve quietly whispered. Fain memories rushed through Sven's head. Rinslet cast the younger girl an odd glance, before looking around her surroundings with a suspicious and slightly worried glance.
"Lead the way, Eve." The blonde haired girl nodded, taking off towards the castle with the two adults following behind her.
"Sven. Shouldn't we be going away from the blood?" Rinslet hissed to the older man. He looked at her and gave a slight smile.
"They must have taken off his collar. Rins, Eve is pretty good at finding our lost little cat." The lavender-haired woman could only curiously look at him and continue to follow the two.
Eve stopped at a wall, looking around. "It's here. Somewhere."
"Well, let's have a look arou—" Sven let out a small cry as his foot hit air where the ground should have been. The grass shimmered as he fell through into a vortex of darkness,
Topside, Eve looked down at the hidden portal. Rinslet raised an eyebrow. "Well, I suppose that that… thing is going to lead us to Train?" With a curt nod of affirmation from Eve, the two took a step of faith and allowed themselves to fall down into the abyss.
The darkness lasted for only seconds before the darkness gave way to a dimly lit room. Eve fell onto Rinslet, who let out a low 'oof' at the unexpected weight. The two crashed into a sprawled Sven, who only managed a weak groan under the pressure of the weight.
Eve quickly scrambled off upon hearing this moan, dragging Rinslet off him as well and rushing to his side. "Sven, are you ok?" Worry shined in her wide eyes.
Sven, hand massaging his aching ribs, allowed Eve to help him up to a sitting position. "Yeah, I'm okay. Thanks Eve." He grunted and looked around, "Where are we anyway?"
"I'm not really sure." Rinslet said, looking around as a chill crept across her body. She rubbed her arms to try and fight the goose bumps crawling on her flesh. "It looks like a… lab?"
A hoarse voice from a corner of the room startled the trio and made Rinslet 'eep' and jump a bit. "Sven… Rins? That you?" From the shadowy corners, a figure took shape and seemed to stumble towards them.
Bloodied symbols were crusted onto his skin. A red slash across his chest was oozing blood and a clear fluid. His skin was pale, his cheeks flushed, his eyes glazed, and form slumped against the support of the wall he propped himself up against.
Eve's eyes widened at the appearance of their missing comrade. "Train!"
TBC
Author's Note: An update! Is it the apocalypse? Thanks to all the patient readers who have probably thought this story was dead. Notable thanks to: Ash, Hitokiri Shinzui, Ms. Unlucky, Trainsgirl13, and especially fan-fan31. Fan0fan may not know it, but her review was in my inbox, waiting for the right time to provide a bit of motivation. So this chapter will probably cause readers from way back when to go back to chapter one, but I hope it was worth the wait.
Red Tail
