Ten

Sven was startled awake. He tried to remember what had happened since the elevator but his mind was a blank. He must have blacked out. But now where was he? It was dark, not pitch black, but it was still hard to see. There was a horrid stench, of something he knew all too well. In his many years as a homicide investigator he had grown to recognise the smell of blood.

It was a horrible odour, not that is smelled truly disgusting, but the fact that there was a lot of blood around to create a noticeable smell...That was the worst part.

Sven twisted his head to the left, ignoring the searing pain in his neck. He couldn't see anything so he turned to the right. This time he could make out someone standing nearby, perfectly still, almost like a statue, but the sinister hissing breaths that came from the person were more than enough indication that they were very much alive.

"Creed! You cowardly dog! Hiding in the darkness against an injured foe! Have you no shame?"

The hissing stopped. The shadow moved forward in a sudden surge of movement and before he could process it a heavy fist collided with his chin. He spat out a mouthful of bloody spittle and tried to spot Creed again.

"You have the nerve to insult me; that must mean I haven't broken your spirit then, officer. I do apologise."

"Apologise?" Sven cocked his head to one side.

A rough slap made his head spin. He dazedly looked around but he was hit again and again. The fourth hit was with a flat, blunt object...Though Sven guessed that there was at least one sharp edge on the weapon. It might have been a mistake to anger him...If he had kept his mouth shut he might have spared himself enough time to find a weapon and sneak up on him- No, there was never a chance.

Creed was an assassin. He was specially trained to be unstoppable, a shame they chose such a mentally unstable recruit for their army. They had merely given this monster the tools he needed to become the ultimate killing machine.

"I shall destroy you. I will break you until you are begging me to take your worthless life. Your investigation is over. You will never stop me!" Creed's voice was sounding more and more agitated. He was getting aggressive and there was no doubt what that meant...

Sven felt the knife drag across his shoulder. He winced but did not give his tormentor the pleasure of hearing him cry out. He gritted his teeth as the blade sank in through his coat, through his skin, deeper through his flesh.

"Not a sound eh? Maybe I'm being too gentle?" Creed cackled as he twisted the blade in the wound.

Sven lost all composure and let out a wracked shriek of complete, utter agony. His whole body instinctively threw itself forward and he writhed about on the ground as blood pumped out of the wound. He tried to cover it with his hand but Creed thrust the knife into his forearm on the same side. The blade mainly got his coat but it cut a nasty trench in his arm. He scrambled backwards but Creed booted his chin, forcing him to stare up at the blackened ceiling.

He was seeing stars. Bright splotches of colour floated across his field of vision and he felt incredibly dazed. His head swayed from side to side and slowly rocked forward.

Creed drew his arm back and then stabbed him in the gut. Sven's arms flopped by his side, defeated. He lost all sense of hope and was barely able to breathe. Blood flecked his lips and he coughed roughly, his throat so dry it felt like it was lined with sandpaper. His battle was over. It was impossible. He thought he had followed the leads perfectly, that he had cornered his foe. He sent several units out to see him claim victory over his opponent. He was going to be famous for catching the vicious criminal. He was ahead for once...

So why? Why did it all go wrong? Why were all of his fellow officers dead? Why was Eve trapped down here? Why was he confronted by a stranger? Why was he lying here in a puddle of his own blood with his favourite suit a mess, his body mangled, beaten and broken, covered in cuts and bruises?

Where had he gone wrong? Everything was going according to plan...Now he was going to die. Eve was going to die too. The town would still be in danger, more would be slain, more would suffer...

Defeat seemed like something out of movies and video games...Something trivial. If you failed a level, you could always start again, the restart button always beside you. In the movies the hero would get knocked down, but he would always get back up. He would always win in the end of the day...

Defeat in reality was different. It made you feel useless, like your whole purpose in life was nothing more than a misguided dream. It made you feel unimaginable pain; it made those around you suffer. It dragged them down into your pit of despair. People died, not actors who could clean themselves off and do a second take. Not cartoon graphics that would just disappear and reappear. These were human lives. When they were torn apart there was no way to fix them.

Sven felt worse with the overwhelming guilt. He had brought good men to their deaths. He had failed to protect Eve, even when he promised her he would. He was powerless in the end. He had just brought more lambs to the slaughter. He had endangered everyone, he had let them down. He had failed miserably. Now he was to pay for it, as Creed said...With his worthless life.

"Sven?" A tiny voice asked fearfully.

Sven leaned to one side and stared past Creed to the small figure standing in the doorway. Even in the darkness, her beautiful golden hair shone with its own light, like a stray star trapped in this dark abyss.

"Eve?" He rasped. His eyes were half closed and they were still drifting lower and lower. He could feel his life slipping away. He could hear Eve's heart wrenching sobs.

"Sven...Don't die. Please...You're all I have left...Please...Stay with me, always...Don't...Don't die." She was trembling. Her eyes were wide. Tears ran down her cheeks in thin streams at first but soon they were pouring like miniature water-fountains.

Eve...I'm so sorry. Please forgive me.

Eve fell forward onto her hand and knees, her sobbing intensifying until she could barely breathe.

Creed whirled away from Sven and approached the young girl, an underlying chuckle whispered under his breath. He grabbed her hair and threw her into the floor. "I told you to stay in your room! Now I shall punish you! I'll make sure you don't move without permission again!" He yanked the knife out of Sven's gut and spun it around in his pale, bony hands.

Sven leaned heavily against the wall, sliding down as he lost all support. His eyelids fluttered as he went in and out of consciousness. He knew it was only a matter of time now...

Creed kicked Eve in the ribs and rolled her onto her back. He kneeled down slashed across the front of her dress. Blood spilled out over the large tear and ran down over her body, soaking her. The blade had gone deep into her stomach.

She tried to keep quiet but the downhill battle with her sanity was lost. She screamed with all she had left.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGGGGHHHHHHHH! SVEN! SAVE ME!" It wore her out and she nearly passed out throughout the desperate plea for help. Her protector did not move. His chest was no longer rising and falling. The one thing she never imagined happening had finally occurred. Sven was gone.

Creed glanced over at the unmoving body and then turned back to Eve, his sickening smile back again. "It seems your saviour is no more Eve. But do not worry, you shall see him again very soon...In Hell!" The last word came out as a horrifying inhuman growl. He raised the knife up high and snarled with malicious glee. Just as he tried to bring it down he was stopped.

Someone was holding his arm, preventing him from swinging the knife down into his prey. He glared at the one who dared intrude on his torturous games and his eyes widened when he recognised the tattered white suit.

Sven appeared to be barely conscious, his eyes lazily moving from Creed to Eve and then back again. He tried to smile but it was too much for him. He merely gave a slight nod in Eve's direction.

"You! How can you even stand? You should be dead by now!" Creed roared insanely.

"Shut up." Sven snapped.

"What?"

"I said...Shut up." Sven grunted.

Creed's grin contorted into a hideous scowl. He howled like a demon as he threw Sven off of his arm and shoved him into the wall. Sven remained standing, despite the erratic trembling in his knees. He couldn't stand straight and he relied on the wall to keep him upright.

"I won't...Let Eve die." He told himself, though it was loud enough for the others to hear. "I'll protect her...Always."

Creed glared down at the girl and stomped on her lacerated stomach. She screamed and Sven rushed forward, hurling his body at the foe, tackling Creed to the hard ground. The two grappled but Creed easily overpowered him. Creed pinned him down and slammed Sven's head into the floor.

"You stupid idiot! Why won't you die?" Creed was really losing it now. His fragile sanity had shattered under the pressure and now he was descending deeper into madness.

Sven coughed violently and stared deep into Creed's venomous glare. "I promised Eve."

"Promised? That is no explanation! Why are you persisting so? How can you still resist when you should have died like all the others! You are just vermin! How can you still be alive?"

Sven tried to chuckle, but instead made a strange sputtering noise like a broken engine and spat blood all over his chin. "I must...Save...Eve..."

"SHUT UP!" Creed smashed Sven's head through the floor again, this time he could feel it split beneath him and his head broke away a section of the stony ground. He was about to black out when he was snapped awake by a deafening gun-shot. Creed flew off him as like a fisherman swept off the rocks by rough seas.

Sven turned his head to see the mysterious assailant stroll calmly into the room. A fluttering black coat wrapped around his thin, athletic frame and two yellow cat's eyes glared out through locks of wild brown hair. The eyes...There was no mistaking them. Just like he appeared in the files. It was him, Train Heartnett...The Black Cat himself!

Creed cackled as he dragged himself to onto one knee. "Train? Is it really you? You came for me?"

Train did not reply. He craned his neck towards Eve and studied her in silence. He then looked over at Sven and stared deep into his eyes, boring through into his soul. When he was done with the silent observation he walked between the two injured ones and approached Creed.

"Train!" The madman was overjoyed. His eyes were wide and he was crying tear of unbounded happiness. "You have arrived! You followed the trail perfectly! You're here now...That means we can finally...We can finally create a new world!"

Train made a strange noise, somewhere between a growl and a brief laugh. "Creed. You actually thought I'd help you?"

Creed cocked his head to one side. "Huh?"

'BOOM!'

Blood spurted out of Creed left shoulder. The whole arm went slack and he stared down at it in disbelief. "Wha-what?"

Train raised his gun, a large, ornamental pistol with a Roman numeral XII on it. Smoke rose from the oversized barrel. "I would never help you Creed. You always were...And always will, be nothing but a crazed lunatic."

"No!" Creed was begging now. "I am not crazy! You and I were supposed to bring this world to its knees! We were going to slay the weak and-" Another bullet went into Creed's kneecap. He toppled over onto his side and cried out in alarm.

Train spat at his feet. "I'm not like you. I don't ear your petty grudge against the world. I don't despise innocent people and condemn them just for living their simple lives. I would hate to live in 'your' world Creed." The words were like poison to the broken psychopath. The man he idolized was turning him down.

Creed wiped tears from his eyes and crawled towards Train, a hand extended in a desperate plea for aid.

Train shot him in his other shoulder, leaving him trapped on the floor. He then walked up and stepped on his chest, effectively pinning him down. Creed was done for. His reign of terror was now over...Though his assailant may not be much better.

Creed's eyes were wide open, tears streaming out freely, and an unbearable look of betrayal on his pallid face. "Train! Why are you doing this? You and I were destined- Ack!" Train pressed his boot down on Creed throat, shutting him up.

Train's cold feline eyes bore straight into his maniacal foe. For a moment it seemed like Creed was lost in a trance as he stared dumbstruck up at his hero.

"You can take your 'new world' and your destiny. You can take your grand idea and shove it up your ass because I will never associate with low-life scum like you! Understand?"

"Train..." Creed sobbed. "What curse has befallen you? Why have I been forsaken?"

Train pointed his gun squarely at Creed's forehead. "It's over Creed. When you are rotting in Hell make sure you apologise to those innocent women."

Creed was about to speak when a bullet exploded right next to his cheek. He stared up at his executioner and choked on his dying words.

Train didn't even blink as he pulled the trigger. The finishing blow was dealt with one climactic explosion as fire erupted from the barrel and a heavy bullet burst forth, penetrating Creed's skull and piercing his brain.

The once hideous, grinning face was now a splattered mess. Creed was dead. Never to terrorize the town again, though the damage he had caused was irreparable.

Train glanced over his shoulder at the others and sighed. "I have already called for an ambulance. I suggest you try and get to the foyer while you still have the strength."

He made to leave but Sven stopped him. "Wait! Train...What side are you on?"

Train closed his eyes and bowed his head. "You suspected me didn't you? You fell for Creed's feeble little plan. He hoped by making me the suspect, his crimes would instil enough fear for him to take over and create his 'new world'. Only a psycho like him could possibly do such a thing, but I had to stop him. It was a wound to my pride to have him do such things in my name."

"So...You're a...Friend after all?"

Train chuckled. "No. I live without friends, or allies. Just know that I am not your enemy and you are not an enemy of mine. My life is to deal death to those I am ordered. I am no hero. I am no saint, but I am not the monster you think I am. I am merely a stray cat...trying to survive in a cruel world..." With that he vanished, running off into the darkness.