A Different Fate

by Musal

What if Train didn't know Creed killed Saya? What if he believed it was Chronos? What if Train helped Creed create the Apostles to get revenge on Chronos? What happens when Train learns the truth? CxT

47. Don't Give Up

Disclaimer: I do not own Black Cat or its characters

---

"I thought you said he would obey orders?!" Charden's voice was beyond furious.

"This wasn't a failure. This only means he needs more of the drug." Doctor's voice was calm so as not to further anger his leader.

Charden punched the wall. "How the hell are we supposed to get him to kill Creed if he won't kill a woman he doesn't even know?! A criminal at that!"

Doctor sighed. "As I said, this is not a failure. We were using Roberts as a test to see if he would kill. Now that we know he will do everything in his power to stop himself, I know how much more of the drug I need to give him."

Charden growled. "He nearly killed himself to stop the murder! He proved that he'd rather die than kill again!"

Shiki was the next to speak. "We should just be done with him."

Doctor's voice was on the verge of yelling as he spoke. "And just what do you mean by that?"

Shiki matched his tone. "You know what I mean. We should just kill him while we still have the chance. He's too powerful now."

Doctor snarled at the shorter Taoist. "That was the point…"

Shiki punched the table. "The original point was to get him to kill Creed and use him to further Doctor's experiments. Then, it changed to using him as a weapon which, if you recall, I was actually on board with. But now that we see he still won't obey orders even after being pumped of those drugs morning, noon, and night and being tortured on almost a daily basis, I think it's time to cut our losses and kill the Black Cat."

Charden growled at the man. "We still need him to kill Creed…"

Shiki sighed and tried to calm himself down, since he knew that would anger his increasingly unstable leader. "I understand that, Sir. But, as you just accurately pointed out, if he won't kill a stranger who is a known criminal, what makes you think he'd kill his partner?"

Charden was quiet, then responded with a hushed voice. "That may be true…"

Doctor slammed his fists on the table and a chair falling over could be heard. "NO! I'm not done with him yet! I've already started to fix the problem and if you give me more time, I can have him ready soon! Just give me more time to play with the drug and I'm positive you'll get the results you want!"

Shiki spat out his next words. "You keep saying that and it keeps not happening! How much more time do you need?! How much until it's too much?! How much until the Black Cat breaks out of his marginally submissive state and decides to take his rage out on us?! You've made him too strong, Doctor! Why the hell did you have to give him the Nanomachines?! His Tao ability was strong enough! Now it's going to be nearly impossible to kill him unless we do it now while he's trapped like a rat!"

Doctor was quiet, most likely staring daggers at the Bug Taoist as he spoke. "He's going to be our most powerful weapon if you just give me time…"

Shiki punched the table again and screamed his next words. "YOU'VE HEAD YOUR TIME, KANZAKI! AND YOU MAY HAVE POSSIBLY DOOMED US ALL WITH YOUR SICK EAGERNESS TO LEARN ABOUT THE BLACK CAT!"

Charden slammed his hands on the table and shouted at both of them. "BOTH OF YOU SIT DOWN AND SHUT UP!"

Aliane felt her face pale and her body get cold all over as she listened in on their conversation. She had her ear pressed against the door of the Apostles' conference room while Charden and his inner circle had a debriefing on yesterday's mission and she already knew it did not go well. Not only did Train nearly kill himself with his intense level of emotions, but he didn't kill the target. While Aliane was impressed with the man's unwavering resolve never to kill again, she knew that didn't bode well for his future.

And the fact that they're talking about killing him now proves that. If Train doesn't start to obey orders, he's not going to survive much longer...

What also made the mission a failure was that Chronos and the sweepers attacked them. Charden was prepared for the ambush, which was why he brought some of his heaviest hitters, but the battle was far worse than any of them expected and none of them came back in good shape. Shiki was still battling with internal bleeding after going toe-to-toe with Baldor and Kranz and Maro was nearly burnt to a crisp by the fire breathing girl. That news shocked Aliane since she didn't peg Kyoko as the type to want to hurt someone that seriously, especially with the promise she made Train. But, from what she heard happened at the docks, it sounded like she wasn't acting like herself. None of the sweepers were.

Nica said Sven looked at her as if he were looking at a monster. He didn't hesitate to attack and even managed to get in a few shots at her.

Nica told her everything that happened while Aliane tended to her wounds. She was put in charge of taking care of Nica and Echidna while they recovered which gave her time alone with the woman who used to be her fake mother. Echidna did not tell her anything important, but Nica was more than willing to talk about the night in great detail. Aliane had a feeling that was because she needed someone to talk to after her heartbreaking encounter with Sven. She told Aliane the story as she tried to hold back tears. Nica put on a brave face, but Aliane could see right through it.

I think she's more emotionally hurt than physically. Echidna's upset as well, but I don't think it has to do with the mission. She's been upset about something for a while, but won't tell me what it is.

Echidna was in terrible shape as well as she tried to fight off several Chronos' assassins on her own. She was currently resting in her room, waiting for her Tao to heal her body. Doctor was probably the least injured of them all, but that was because he took cover so he could continue giving Train orders. Nica said she didn't see the scientist at all, but it was clear he was there doing something since Train didn't stop his storm or his attack. Charden, on the other hand…

Charden lost his arm! Creed sliced it right off! How the hell is he able to hold this meeting with just a stump?! And Shiki should be resting as well, but he refuses. These people are absolutely insane!

Aliane knew that used to be one of the reasons she joined the group, but after seeing how far they were willing to go to achieve their goals, she was starting to think she didn't belong. She still regretted not trying to follow them on their mission and try to help the sweepers get Train back, but after hearing how chaotic it was, she didn't think she would have been able to do anything.

I guess I could have turned invisible and avoided the storm Train created, but what would I have done then? It's not like I could ever hope to overpower the Black Cat. Especially with how unstoppable he is right now.

While Charden made sure to bring his best men with them on the chance Sephiria would show up with all her numbers, it still didn't turn out to be enough. The only reason he didn't bring everyone with him was because he knew they weren't on their way to the final battle and he needed to leave a few members at the hideout in case Chronos showed up thinking Train was still there. Kenneth set up a barrier with his Earth controlling abilities and Doctor's beasts were circling constantly, keeping an eye out for an attack.

He said he wanted me to stay behind for that reason as well, but I know that's not the real reason. Despite the successful mission in capturing Train, Charden doesn't trust me.

Aliane knew her leader was right in not trusting her and she couldn't say she trusted any of them anymore either. The only one she remotely trusted was Nica and even that was only to a certain point.

At least she still talks to me and keeps me in the loop about what's going on…

Nica also told her that Train had created a storm in order to keep his friends away from him, which nearly tore his body apart and made the entire battle almost impossible to fight. They were constantly being pushed away from one another so fighting the strong winds along with Chronos was absolutely absurd in her opinion. However, it seemed like doing that was injuring Train as well. Like he was tearing himself apart with his own powers. Nica told her that if it wasn't for the Nanomachines, Train may have killed himself to keep the sweepers away.

I know that's not the only reason he went as overboard as he did. He was also trying to fight his urge to obey orders since he made a vow to never kill again. His Tao is directly connected to his emotions, so he must have created a terrible conflict within himself which pushed him overboard. He must have been in so much pain…

Aliane shook her head to stop herself from thinking about that and tried to continue listening to the conversation. They began speaking in quieter voices which made it difficult for her to hear, but what she did hear sounded like they were still debating killing Train. She pressed her ear harder against the door, praying they wouldn't figure out she was listening in.

I turned myself invisible just in case anyone came out, but I'm still worried Shiki will sense my presence. That's why I refuse to slip myself through the wall and stand inside the room. That Bugman is somehow able to tell where I am.

Aliane sighed, remembering that was the reason she decided not to try and follow them on the mission. She had a feeling Shiki would sense her presence and tell Charden. With how unstable her leader was and the fact that she had been walking on thin ice the last eight days, she was pretty confident if she made one more misstep, her life would be over instantly.

I know I shouldn't be listening to this conversation. I know I should be sneaking off to check on Train or try to break him out of here, but it's too risky right now. Besides, I can't get in even if I tried. Doctor set up some kind of barrier that blocks my powers and he changes the passcode to the door every day. If they're that suspicious of me, I don't understand why they don't just kill me? Am I really still useful to them?

From what Nica told her, the sweepers and Chronos were injured in battle as well. She didn't know the extent of their injuries, but it sounded like it was enough to at least put them out of commission for a while. Which meant it might be a few days until they tried to save Train again.

This will be the Apostles' perfect time to kill Train...

Aliane clenched her fists and pushed her head a little harder against the door. She wanted to make sure she knew what their plan was before she came up with one of her own. Her Tao allowed her to turn invisible and to move through objects and people, but she could choose when to activate each of those abilities. Right now, she chose only to activate her invisiblity. She didn't want to accidentally slip through the door and be caught by Shiki. And as long as no one or nothing bumped into her, she was able to listen in on their conversation with no problem.

But I can't hear anything they're saying now! Is it possible they know I'm here and are speaking quieter on purpose? No… Someone would have come out by now if that was the case.

She heard footsteps coming from down the hall and turned her head to see who they belonged to. Her heart stopped when she saw Watts walking towards her, a tray of food in his hands that she knew was meant for Train. Aliane pressed her back against the door as he passed her, making sure not to make any physical contact with him and thus disrupt her abilities. As long as she knew it was coming, touching objects and didn't turn her visible. It was only when she was caught by surprise that it interfered with her powers.

She glared at the man's back, then flipped him off since she knew he wouldn't see her.

According to Nica, he left the battle with no more than a few scratches. Other than Doctor, he was almost completely unarmed.

He had a few of his fingers broken, but with the Tao along and Doctor's help, he was pretty much back to normal. However, the worst injury he endured was pretty bad. He was stabbed in his eye by one of the numbers, which forced him to wear an eyepatch. But, that didn't seem to affect Watts emotionally or physically in the least. In fact, he actually seemed to like the new look and said he was actually grateful for the injury since it taught him to stay on his toes.

But now he has to learn how to throw his daggers with terrible depth perception. While he might think he's doing great, he's at his weakest right now since his abilities rely on the accuracy of his vision. He may be in for a rude awakening during his next battle.

Still, the fact that he was walking around like nothing happened to him and looking down at Echidna and Nica for taking a break infuriated Aliane more than anything else. She knew the scenario of being a fake family was only for the mission, but during all those months alone with one another, it was impossible not to start to care about them. While it was difficult to get close to Kenneth because of his obvious insanity and inability to ever fully grasp any situation, Aliane and Nica had gotten close and she thought there was at least somewhat of a bond formed between them and Watts as well.

But, I was wrong. He's ecstatic that the mission is over and is enjoying seeing Train in this miserable state… I haven't seen Train since they told me to stop feeding him, but I can tell how much Watts enjoys his pain. Whenever he brings Train his food, he comes out with a big smile on his face. The bastard!

She sighed in relief when he passed by without noticing her, then turned back to the door. Just as she was about to listen in again, another idea occurred to her.

...Listening in on their conversation is pointless. I can't hear anything and I need to figure out how to get to Train. Even if I can't break him out right now, I can at least see what Watts is doing to him… And I need to see what kind of shape he's in.

She watched Watts walk away for a few seconds, then stepped away from the door and followed him. Even though Watts was too dimwitted to ever notice her when she was invisible, she made sure to keep her distance so he wouldn't hear her footsteps. Her ability helped her accomplish a lot of really impressive feats, but it did not make her silent. Her voice could still be heard and if she moved too fast, her steps could be heard as well.

Watts is an idiot. As long as I'm quiet, I should be able to slip into Doctor's lab no problem when the door is open. Assuming the barrier is only on the doors and walls and not through the entrance itself, I should be fine.

She watched as Watts turned a corner and stopped for a second to make sure no one else was going to turn the same corner. She had made that mistake before and ended up bumping into Maro and was nearly knocked out cold by the large man. Even though Maro was resting right now, she knew there were other people roaming the hideout and any one of them could have turned the corner at any moment. When it happened with the large Taoist, the worst that happened was the man berating her. If it happened now, Watts would know she was following him and wouldn't hesitate to let their leaders know. He had started looking for any reason to get her in trouble.

He wants me dead almost as much as he wants Train dead. He even suggested it to Charden when Train first tried to escape and I was accused of helping him. Well… I did help him, but that's not the point! The point is Watts wants me out of the picture and he'll do anything to make it happen.

Once she believed it was safe, she turned the corner, keeping her back pressed against it just in case someone came out of nowhere. As she continued following Watts, she made sure to keep herself in the middle of the hallway, just in case anyone came out of the rooms on either side of them. Every member had their own room except for the Shooting Stars who all shared a large room filled with cots, so it was a pretty large house. People were walking around at all hours of the day and night and since they needed to constantly be alert, most of the time the members moved rather quickly. There were countless times she nearly had a heart attack from someone suddenly bursting out of a room she passed by and since she couldn't afford to get caught right now, she needed to be extra careful.

She noticed she was starting to fall behind Watts and needed to pick up the pace. Her hope was to slip into the room quickly after him, so if he got too far ahead, she wouldn't be able to. Doctor only shared the code with Charden, Echidna, and Watts so anyone else that wanted to get in had to be with one of them. Then again, no one else really wanted to go in. They were all too worried that Train would snap at any minute and kill whoever walked through the door.

That's why Watts brings him his meals. Other than me, he's the only one that wants to see Train. Charden, Echidna, and Doctor claim they are too busy to feed Train and since they don't trust me to do it anymore, Watts is their only option.

Aliane clenched her fists in anger as she glared at the man walking in front of her. She knew the only reason Watts wanted to see Train was because he enjoyed watching the gunman suffer. Even though Train was pretty much just a motionless hunk of flesh, chances were Watts got a kick out of seeing that. Just the fact that they won and Train was their prisoner was enough to make the sick man smile sadistically.

He's a monster. But I guess I'm no better… It's my fault Train is being tormented like this… It's my fault he's probably going to die soon…

She now knew without a shadow of a doubt that she was not okay with watching Train die. When they were putting on an act, she had convinced herself that she was ready for it, and would have even done it herself, but it was now obvious how untrue that was. She didn't know if she had been lying to herself all those months, if she changed her mind after seeing what they were doing to him, if it was Charden's change in demeanor, or if it was all of those things combined, but none of that mattered. All that mattered was Aliane didn't want to sit back and let Train die and she was going to do whatever it took to save his life.

Even if that means putting my own life on the line. Train doesn't deserve this. He's too sweet and kind to ever deserve this.

Watts finally made it to the door and Aliane picked up her pace. She was hoping if she got close enough, she could see the passcode and possibly keep it in mind for the future. Even though Doctor changed it every day, there was always the chance that he repeated codes and she could get lucky one day.

I doubt it. Doctor's too smart for that, but you never know. Right?

She cursed inwardly when she realized she didn't make it in enough time as Watts unlocked the door and pushed it open. Aliane ran as fast as she could while still being quiet and managed to slip in behind him before the door shut and locked again. She leaned her back against the door and caught her breath, trying to make sure she stayed quiet as she waited for her adrenaline to wear off.

Thank God the barrier isn't through the doorway as well...

She watched as Watts approached the Black Cat, a disgusted, yet prideful look on his face.

Watts dropped the tray of food just out of Train's reach. "What a pitiful sight you are, Black Cat."

Train did not look at him. His eyes were still glued to the door, as if he could see Aliane standing there. His silence seemed to amuse Watts as he kicked the tray towards him, but not enough that Train could easily reach it.

"Well? Aren't you going to come get your meal?"

Again, Train said nothing making Watts laugh triumphantly. As if the cat's state was due to him.

I guess it is partially due to him. He really sees Train as nothing but a nuisance and he won't admit how strong the Black Cat is.

The smirk on Watts' face did not change as he spoke. "What's wrong? Kitty not hungry?"

Aliane shivered when she saw Watts crouch down slightly, making the same noise a person would use on a house cat. Except he was using the sound to call a man chained to a wall instead of a cat. Watts laughed and stood up again, lifting his foot and lightly stepping on Train's food with it. When he pulled away, Aliane could see his shoe mark left on the mushy food the cat was forced to eat.

Watts snickered as he wiped his foot on the lab floor. "I'll just blame you for that stain if Doctor asks." Again, he looked at the gunman, but that time he frowned. "Heartnet, I order you to come get your food."

Train's eyes finally fell to the man. He then stood up and walked over to the tray. His chain tightened and pulled against him as he reached his limits, but could still not reach the food. Watts laughed maniacally as Train reached out to grab the tray, his fingers just brushing against it as he desperately tried to follow orders.

Watts began to tear up with how much he was laughing and wiped his eyes as he spoke to the cat. "This is so pathetic! I can't believe the legendary Black Cat has been reduced to this!"

However, his laughter ended as Train used his Tao to bring it closer to him. Once he had it in his hands, he stared unblinkingly at Watts and asked a question. "What are my next orders?"

Watts growled at Train's ability to follow orders despite the odds stacked against him. "You can choke on your food…"

Train blinked, then frowned. "That goes directly against the Leaders' orders not to die."

Aliane knew who Train was referring to when he said 'The Leaders'. They were Charden, Echidna, and Doctor. That's what Train began calling them and she had a feeling it had something to do with what he called the leaders at Chronos. She ignored those thoughts in favor of another.

Does that mean if the Apostles try to kill him, he'll fight back? Does he still stand a chance if I can't get him out of here before that?

She shook her head.

No… If they come to that conclusion chances are he'll listen to Charden's orders not to resist over Doctor's. There seems to be a ranking in his mind. I'm not sure how they managed it, but Train listens to Charden and Echidna first, then Kanzaki.

Aliane could only assume it had something to do with the ranking that Chronos had, but she couldn't be sure. She also was surprised Doctor had made their leaders Train's top picks to listen to, but that was most likely because Charden made sure he followed orders. As much as Doctor wanted to make Train his own personal weapon, he was still far too frightened by Charden to go against his orders.

Watts continued staring at Train who was giving him a blank, yet deadly look. After a few minutes of silence, Aliane could see Watts's fist clench up and begin to shake.

"You know, it really pisses me off when you look at me like that…"

Train's face did not change as he spoke. "Like what?"

Watts growled and spit at the man's feet, pointing a finger at him as he spoke. "Like that! Like you want to kill me, yet don't care if I die! It's contradicting and infuriating!"

Again, Train's look did not change. "Why would I care if you die?"

Watts gritted his teeth. "Because I am your superior. You've supposed to listen to what I say and value my life…"

Train's empty, violent look faltered slightly as he gave the man a confused frown. "That directly contradicts The Leaders' explanation."

Watts blinked, then lowered his finger. "What does Charden say?"

Train's face went back to its carcinogenic, barren look. "Charden says he, Echidna, and Doctor are my superiors, but everyone else is a fellow assassin. However, I am to listen to your orders, but only if they do not go against what their orders are."

Watts smirked a little. "So, if I asked you to cause harm to yourself, you'd have to listen?"

Train shook his head. "No. Doctor says only he and the leaders can cause me pain. And I am not to fight it if they do."

Aliane growled under her breath, making sure she was quiet enough so Watts didn't hear her.

Dammit! There goes any hope of him being safe in the worst case scenario…

Watts rolled his eyes, then crossed his arms against his chest. "Guess that was a long shot… Then what can I ask you to do?"

Train's face remained the same. "I'm afraid I cannot properly answer that question. Please ask another."

Watts laughed again. "Man, you're like a computer now! What a robotic response."

Train did not move nor did he even begin eating his food. He hadn't even gone back to his bed since he was waiting to be ordered to do so.

Watts cocked an eyebrow, then gestured for him to sit on the bed. "Go ahead and eat your food. Doctor always checks to make sure you've finished everything."

Train nodded, then did as he was told. As he sat back down on the bed, he began his bland meal of mush, making Watts wince. "You actually enjoy that garbage?"

Train stopped eating and looked up at the man. "Does that matter?"

Watts sighed and sat on the floor a few feet away from Train. "Guess not. Nothing matters for you anymore."

Train nodded in agreement, but did not continue eating. Watts let out a loud, frustrated noise. "Keep eating you piece of shit! And hurry up! I'm not allowed to leave until you finish."

Train nodded again and continued eating. Watts watched him for a few seconds, then continued their one-sided conversation. "I can't believe you follow every order you're given except to kill. That should be the easiest order for the Black Cat to follow."

Train did not respond to the man since what he said was clearly not a question or a command. Instead, he kept eating, his deadly gaze now locked onto the food as if he was going to kill his already dead meal.

Watts continued watching him in silence for a bit longer, then sighed and leaned back on his hands, stretching his legs out in front of him. "Do you remember anything before being here?"

Aliane was shocked to hear him ask that question, since she had asked Train that same question not long ago. It was clear that Train was far more gone now than he was then, so she was just as curious about his answer as Watts was.

Train stopped eating again and gave the man a puzzled look. "I don't understand the question."

Watts rolled his eyes and stared up at the ceiling. "It's like speaking to a child… I'm asking if you remember any of your friends."

Train blinked in confusion. "Friends?"

Watts made another angry noise. "Yes. Friends. I don't really understand the concept of friends either, but you certainly had a lot of them. You were Mr. Popular. You even had a fan club." He thought about what he said, then chuckled. "Though, I guess the Black Cat has a fan club as well. Except, those people are far different from the fangirls and fanboys you surround yourself with."

Aliane could hear the jealousy in the man's voice and rolled his eyes.

Is that what his hatred of Train is based off of? He's jealous?! What's wrong, Watts? Bullied too much as a kid? Did the popular girl in school turn you down for prom? What a fucking baby.

Train's confusion grew, almost as if Watts was speaking language from another planet. "Sweepers?"

Watts sighed again. "Why do I even bother? I really don't care if you remember anything. It'll actually be to our benefit if you can't remember your friends… or that guy."

Aliane knew Watts was talking about Creed, but was making sure not to use his name.

Can he still really not hear Creed's name without going crazy? Or are they just being careful?

"Are you done?" Watts asked as Train began staring at him again.

Train nodded his head and stood up. "Yes. What are my next orders?"

Watts laughed at the gunman's words and stood up. "What a good little kitty you are." He put his hands out, but did not move closer to Train. "Give me your tray."

Train nodded again and walked forward, once more not able to reach the man as the chain around his neck jerked him back slightly. He stood there with his hands stretched out, trying to give the man the tray.

Watts laughed loudly, then gave another command. "Don't use your Tao abilities. I want you to personally put the tray in my hands."

Aliane gritted her teeth as she watched Train nod his head submissively and try to follow orders. She could see the skin around his neck beginning to turn red with how hard it was squeezing. The look in his eyes was frantic, as if he was worried about what would happen if he didn't obey orders. That look broke Aliane's heart more than anything else since it was so unlike Train and it was especially unlike the legendary Black Cat. What made the whole scene worse was the fact that Train made it clear he could use his abilities to help him escape, yet he chose to stay.

He's broken…

Aliane jumped away from the door quickly when heard someone punching in the code. She managed to avoid being hit by it just in time and ran across the room, closer to Train. Charden and Doctor walked in, the Blood Taoist's sleeve hanging limply where his arm once was as they stepped up behind Watts.

Watts heard them approaching and quickly stepped forward to grab the tray from Train and turned around. "He finished his food. May I leave?"

Doctor gave him a knowing look. "Did you step on it again?"

Watts stiffened a little, then shook his head. "No, of course not! Why would I do that?"

Doctor adjusted his glasses and gestured towards the camera in the corner of the room. "I suggest you tell the truth before I check the cameras and decide you're lying."

Aliane's heart froze when he said that.

I'm glad he mentioned that because now I know I need to stay invisible once they leave. That also makes it trickier to figure out how to get him out of here.

She glanced at a door that appeared to lead to a similar room Train had tried to escape at their last hideout.

Most of these hideouts are laid out the same, so I think it's safe to say it's the same layout back there. I wonder if that's an option again…

Watts grimaced, then lowered his head slightly. "...I did."

Doctor glared at the man, then stepped away from him to retrieve more of his Chronos drug. "If you do that again, you'll have a worse fate than the Black Cat. There are all kinds of bacteria on your shoes and despite how strong Heartnet is, his immune system is shot from the amount of drugs pumped into his system."

Charden seemed surprised by that and questioned the man. "Does that mean he's fragile?"

Doctor shook his head. "Only to viruses and bacteria. That's why his diet is so specific and he must finish all of it. To counteract that."

Charden nodded, then turned to Watts. "Give the Black Cat his food as it is presented to you. To alterations. Understood."

Watts nodded. "Can I leave?"

Charden brushed him away with his hand and didn't bother to watch him as he left. He then turned back to Doctor as he gave the gunman another shot of the drug. "How much of that are you going to have to give him now?"

Doctor sighed as he pulled out another shot and inserted it in the cat's neck, noting the bruise was completely healed now. "Twice as much."

Charden sighed. "Do you have enough?"

Doctor nodded. "I do."

Charden watched as Doctor checked the cat over again. "Do you know what happened at the fight that caused the cat to freak out like that?"

Doctor frowned and looked at Charden. "It wasn't the presence of his partner?"

Charden shook his head. "No. Echidna mentioned she saw Heartnet stop himself from killing Roberts before he knew that man was there. It was when he turned around and saw his partner that he began to totally lose his mind."

Doctor nodded in understanding, then shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know, but I'll look into it."

Charden wasn't happy with that response and let it be known through his tone of voice. "If he's disobeying our orders and there's more than one trigger than will bring him back to reality, then Shiki's right."

Doctor froze, then looked over his shoulder at his leader. "Come again?"

Charden sighed. "Shiki's right. If Train isn't going to kill a stranger, he definitely isn't going to kill that man. And if that's the case, we're better off to kill him now when he's under our control. We won't be able to defeat him without the drug in his system."

Doctor clenched his fist. "I'm already starting to fix it. Trust me. You can even say his name now without the Black Cat losing his mind."

Charden gave him a skeptical look. "Is that so?"

Doctor nodded. "Yes. I tested it out earlier this morning. With the presence of Aja of course in case it didn't work."

Charden gave the man an uneasy look, then gestured for the scientist to demonstrate.

Kanzaki nodded and turned to Train. "Black Cat, do you know a man named Creed?"

Train blinked a few times, then looked up at Doctor. "Who?"

Doctor smirked, and turned back to Charden. "See?"

Charden waited for the Black Cat to respond with something more, even going so far as to activate his Tao in case of an attack. When he saw Train do nothing, he relaxed a little. "How did you get such fast results? And why didn't you do this sooner?"

Doctor sighed and stepped away from his human weapon. "I've been working on this since the day we brought him here, you know that. Science takes time and I've finally been able to find the right combination that will help lead us towards the Black Cat disposing of Creed."

Charden watched as Train did not respond to the man's voice again, then looked back at Doctor. "But if there's another trigger, we need to prepare for that as well."

Doctor shook his head. "I don't mean to disrespect Ms. Parass, but I think she might have misinterpreted the situation. It was quite chaotic and there was a lot of noise. How does she know Train didn't hear Creed call out to her and that's what triggered him?"

Charden thought about that, then nodded his head. "That does make sense."

Doctor rolled his eyes, but made sure the Blood Taoist didn't see him. "Of course it does. What else could Heartnet possibly care about as much as he cares about his lover?"

Charden mulled that over, then nodded his head. "True… Are you saying that you were able to fix the trigger of hearing Creed's name, but nothing else about the man?"

Doctor's face took on a frustrated look. "Not yet… That's why I made it clear before the mission yesterday that Heartnet couldn't look at any of his friends."

Charden growled at him. "Then how are you going to fix the possibility that Creed's voice is a trigger? Or the trigger of even seeing his partner?"

Doctor smirked. "I've thought of that and already started on it as well. We still have the old videos from when they ran the Apostles, so I began using that. I started with just a few seconds and he was okay, but he did start to have a reaction after the first minute."

Charden rubbed his eyes with his one hand. "And you really think you can change that?"

Kanzaki nodded. "Yes. If I can get him to be unaffected by Creed's name, I can certainly fix the rest of it."

Charden glared at him. "You better stay true to your word, Doctor…"

Aliane frowned.

Great. So I can't even use Creed's name to hopefully break him out of this. Maybe if I had a picture or something I could, but there goes that plan.

Aliane listened for a little longer, but their conversation slowly changed to something unrelated to the Black Cat. She took that moment to slip past the men and towards the back room where she believed the bathroom was. She was hoping that Doctor didn't have the same barrier set up throughout the room that prevented her from getting into the lab.

I also need to be quick to activate the part of my Tao that allows me to walk through walls. I need to go visible for a second to do that.

She tucked herself in a corner that was near the back door and farthest away from the men and curled herself into a ball, making sure the camera didn't see her either. She waited until both of their backs were facing her, then held her breath as she quickly turned on her other ability. She made herself invisible again immediately after doing that, then waited to see if either men took note of her presence. Seeing they did not, she breathed again, making sure it was quiet.

Before she went through the door, she tested out powers on the wall next to her. Aliane breathed a sigh of relief when she saw her hand went through it and stood up. She kept her eyes on the men as she slipped herself through the door, holding her breath once more until she was safely on the other side. She began to breathe again as soon as she knew she could, then smacked her cheeks to keep herself going.

Right. Don't give up yet! You know Train is still fighting somewhere in there. And if he can fight in his condition, there's no reason you shouldn't be able to as well.

She nodded to herself, then walked through the bathroom door as well. She sighed when she saw the state of the window. It was completely covered with a thick sheet of concrete.

What else did I expect?

Aliane stepped over to the window and checked to make sure her hand could slip through it. Seeing that it did, it answered her question of how far Kanzaki's barrier went.

He only did it to the front part of his lab. Probably because he didn't expect me to be this bold. They're right not to trust me, but they're wrong to underestimate me.

She sat down on the floor and tried to think of her options, choosing to stay where she was since she didn't feel safe being in the same room with those men.

I already know saying Creed's name won't work and I don't have a picture of him or a recording of his voice. Could I break his lock again and convince him to run with me?

Aliane shook her head.

No… I tried that before and he refused to move. The collar and chain is really just for show for Charden. Train really has lost the urge to run away.

She sighed and punched her head.

Think! Think! Could I turn him invisible and slip him out the wall with me? He might be too heavy for me to carry, but he can float as well. We should be able to fly ourselves away to freedom, right?

She groaned quietly and pulled her hair.

No, that won't work either. That means he'd have to obey my orders over Doctor's and I'm sure he's told Train not to escape no matter what. And since he said himself he was ordered to listen to that madman over the rest of us, he won't obey my order to escape.

She whimpered a little as another thought occurred to her.

Besides that, what if there's someone watching the camera at all times? If Train suddenly disappears they're going to know it was me. With how careful and well thought out all of Doctor's schemes have been, there's no way he wouldn't have some lackey stationed at the cameras at all times.

Aliane felt a tear fall from her eye as she realized something else.

...And if I leave with Train, where will I go? It's not like I have a family… Or friends. Train and his friends were the closest I ever got to a real home with people who care about me… And I know they won't take me back.

She also knew that leaving with Train would make her an enemy of the Apostles as well which meant she would never be free. She was already on Chronos wanted list, so she wouldn't be able to find a home in the underground world either, but with her terrorist comrades turning against her, that gave her even less of a fighting chance on her own.

...Is it too much to think Train will accept me into his group again if I save him? Or if I offer to work with them to bring the Apostles down? He forgave Creed for what he did. Why wouldn't he forgive me?

Aliane let out a quiet sob as she answered her own question.

Creed's situation is totally different than mine. Creed had his choices and sanity taken away from him by Chroons. He wasn't himself when he betrayed Train. I had multiple chances to do the right thing, yet I chose to betray their trust. What Creed did was out of his control. What I did was absolutely my choice. It doesn't matter how much I changed, we're all in this situation because of me.

She sobbed again and curled herself into a ball.

I have no one to blame but myself…

She gave herself a few minutes, then took a deep breath, wiped her tears away and went back through the wall. Once she was back in the room with Charden and Doctor, she turned off her phasing ability and watched as Kanzaki pulled out another syringe and approached his leader with it.

"Are you sure this is what you want to do?"

Charden rolled his eyes. "Haven't you been begging me to insert the Nanomachines into my body since day one? Why are you so hesitant now?"

Doctor frowned. "Because it's going to be very painful and it'll put you out of commission for a few days. It tortured the Black Cat for two days straight and he wasn't fully acclimated for five. Even then, it'll take quite a while for your arm to grow back."

Charden cocked an eyebrow at him. "What's your point?"

Doctor sighed. "My point is that other than Heartnet, you are our strongest asset and if we were to be without you for five days and we're attacked, we could lose our war. Especially since right now half of us are unable to fight."

Charden smirked. "I'm touched at your acknowledgement of my abilities, but that's precisely why I want to do this now. I need all my limbs intact if we're going to win, and I know Chronos was injured during their battle as well. As much as they want Heartnet back, Sephiria isn't foolish enough to come rushing in after that fight we just had."

Doctor frowned, still unconvinced of the man's logic. "What about Creed?"

Charden thought about that, then shook his head. "I know he wasn't injured in the battle, but as desperate as he is to get Train back, I don't think he's reckless enough to go after the Black Cat by himself."

Aliane's heart skipped a beat as a plan began to form in her head.

Doctor nodded, then gestured towards his leader to step out of the lab. "Then we need to make sure you are comfortable before I inject you with this. It'll start to take effect right away and I don't want you to collapse on my lab floor."

Charden nodded, then left the room with Kanzaki. Aliane gave it a few minutes, then looked over at Train. Her heart shattered further at the vacant look in his normally bright, golden eyes and she walked over to him.

If Train and the rest of them never forgive me, it's what I deserve. But, that doesn't change the fact that this is my fault and none of them deserved this. They were kind to me when they thought I needed it, and I broke them apart…

She reached out and gently ran her index finger through Train's hair.

I broke him.

Making sure she stayed invisible, she gave Train a small kiss on the cheek, then whispered in his ear, quiet enough that the cameras wouldn't hear her just in case they were recording audio as well.

"I'll be back, Train. And I'll be back with help."

She stepped away from the cat, giving him one more sad look before discreetly activating her phasing powers again. She slipped out the wall behind him, floating off in the direction she prayed she'd find Train's partner.

---

Creed sat on the couch of their hideout, both his legs shaking wildly, head resting in his hands as he listened to the arguments that had been ringing in his home since their fight with the Apostles. Anyone who wasn't injured badly hadn't slept in the last twenty hours, and that included him.

"We can't just sit here and do nothing, Sephiria! Creed said Train was in pain! He said it looked like his body was falling apart!" Lin shouted at his leader, either not caring or forgetting that she could order him to be erased despite his assassin status.

Sephiria narrowed her eyes at her subordinate. "That's exactly why we need to sit here and do nothing. We need to come up with a plan and recover. Need I remind you that you haven't gotten a decent night's sleep in nine days?"

Lin growled and punched the table he was in front of. "I KNOW SEPHIRIA! BUT I CAN'T SLEEP KNOWING TRAIN IS LITERALLY FALLING APART!"

Creed felt his legs shake even more at Lin's words as the image of Train passed in front of his eyes again.

He was like a piece of glass slowly breaking… His body looked fragmented and his eyes were soulless…

Creed clutched his head tighter, trying to block out the image as well as the people arguing next to him. He needed to think, but their non-stop fighting and constant reminder of what Train looked like that night made that impossible.

I can't think about anything except how desperate and hurt Train looked… It wasn't just his body that was falling apart, it was his heart and soul too…

Sephiria waited for Lin to finish assaulting the table, then spoke in a firm, calm tone. "Are you done?"

Lin didn't respond. Instead, he fell to the floor in a heap as he tried to catch his breath.

Sephiria sighed and addressed her next question to Creed. "You said it looked like his body kept repairing itself?"

Creed nodded his head frantically, unable to control his emotions as he tried to answer the question. "Y-Yes… But he kept falling apart after that… It was like his body was trying to explode from the inside, but something kept fixing him… And…."

Creed let out a pathetic sob and shook his head.

...And the look in his eyes was almost begging me to kill him… When he saw me, he didn't look sad, upset, or even scared. He looked like he was desperate for a way out… Desperate for an escape from his pain… And like he thought death was the only way.

Sephiria watched as Creed slowly fell apart again and could tell a simple slap in the face wouldn't work. Instead, she tried to keep him tethered to reality with their conversation. "And…?"

Creed shook his head again rapidly, not bothering to wipe the tears that fell from his eyes. "...And nothing. There was nothing else to him. He… He was empty…. Empty and in pain…"

Sephiria frowned at the silver man, then looked back down at Lin. The number had somehow curled himself into a ball and was beginning to rock back and forth. She glanced between the two of them, her heart breaking as two of the strongest men she knew put on one of the most pathetic scenes she had ever seen. She allowed them a moment in their sadness as she addressed a question to Belze.

"Any word from the erasers?"

Number II shook his head. "No. But they're checking everywhere you told them. If there's any signs of where the Apostles disappeared, they'll find it."

Sephiria nodded and looked back at the men with a broken heart, but an emotionless face. They were two of the only people who weren't damaged in the battle, which was why none of her other numbers were present. While her assassins were okay for the most part, Number One was aware that they were being worked to their limits and they all needed a break. Despite the fact that they were highly skilled assassins, they were human beings in need of rest. And none of them had gotten a decent sleep since Train was captured. That was why she ordered them all to retreat to their homes and rest. There were a few that tried to protest, but that was easy enough for Sephiria to silence. And while they were resting, she was using her lower level assassins to do whatever they could do to track down the Apostles.

Kazuki was the worst off physically speaking, yet the loudest with his protests. I don't care if they think they're ready for combat, we're all about to collapse so we need a break. And this is the best time for it. The Apostles are most likely recovering. After all, their leader lost an arm.

Sephiria decided to question Creed again. "You're positive you took his arm, right?"

Creed nodded again, still unable to control the speed of it. "Yes… Sliced it right off…"

Sephiria sighed. "That means they're probably licking their wounds which is what we should be doing as well. Both of you should be resting."

Creed shook his head. "N-No… No… Can't sleep… Won't sleep… Not without Train… Never again without Train…"

Sephiria frowned at the man, then glanced up at Belze as if he was going to have the answer. Number Two shrugged his shoulder as he watched Lin cry on the floor, not sure how to handle the defeated state of the men.

Number One tried once more to talk about the state of Train. She knew it was a difficult conversation for Creed to have, but she still had so many questions. "You said before that his body kept fixing itself, right?"

Creed nodded. "Y-Yes… Like he couldn't contain the power that was inside him, but there was something keeping him together… Something that wouldn't let him explode from the force swelling inside…"

Sephiria frowned and looked at the ground. "Why is that…?"

"Is it possible he was injected with Nanomachines?"

Sephiria threw her head up at the new voice and made eye contact with Eve. "What?"

Eve stepped into the room, leaning against the wall as she spoke, her body still feeling weak despite the rapid healing the bots in her body gave her. "We know they have access to Nanomachines, right?"

Sephiria nodded. "Yes. You said you sensed it in those creatures. Did you sense them in Train?"

Eve sighed. "No, but I might not have been close enough. Or the wind may have made it impossible for me to sense anything other than that. Or maybe there's not enough in him for me to sense, but it's enough to heal him." She looked at Creed, even though she wasn't sure if he'd be able to give a coherent response. "Did his healing look anything like when I heal? Or when those beasts heal?"

Creed froze for a second as he unwillingly replayed the sight of Train healing in his head, then felt himself beginning to panic more. "Now that you mention it… y-yes…"

Sephiria stiffened when she heard that. "That makes everything far worse than we imagined…"

Creed stared at the wall for a moment, then slowly began to retreat into himself again.

Train… I'm sorry…

Sephiria watched as Creed and Lin slowly those whatever reason they had left and frowned.

It's useless trying to get them to listen to reason right now. This girl is at least speaking sense. Even though it looks like she's been to Hell and back. Which actually isn't far off from the truth.

Instead of trying to slap sense into the men, she turned to the girl. "If Train does have Nanomachines in them, is there a way to get them out?"

Eve thought about it, wincing slightly as she leaned on a still tender part of her arm. "I might be able to extract them from him using my own Nanomachines, but… it'll be a painful process. Just like receiving them is a painful process…"

Sephiria frowned as the girl shook the forlorn look off, then nodded firmly. "I can do it."

Sephiria nodded. "That's good to know…"

And if we give Train the drugs to reverse the Chronos' drug, we still have a chance to get Train back. There's still a chance we don't have to end his life.

She looked back down at Eve, her heart breaking for the young girl who had already lived such a traumatic life.

From the day she was born, she was looked at as a weapon. She's endured so much pain and suffering, I find it hard to believe she's really all right under that strong facade. She's probably just trying to be strong for everyone else.

Sephiria admired the girl more than she let on. She had proven her resourcefulness and strength time and time again and it did not go unnoticed by Number One. Even at their lowest, Eve always somehow managed to keep a level head and moved forward. She always did what needed to be done no matter what.

Feeling a moment of kindness take over, something that had been happening a lot more recently, she asked the girl an unrelated question. "How's Sven?"

Eve gave the woman a curious look since that was the first time she had ever referred to her guardian by his first name. "He's… stable, but still unconscious. Kyoko is awake, but Maro broke too many of her bones. We need to wait for her Tao to heal them. I did all I could with my Nanomachines, but considering the shape I'm in, there's not much more I can do for either of them. Especially since Rinslet needed my help as well."

Sven used his Vision Eye as well and since he's still getting used to using it to its fullest, he might be out of it for a while. It really took a lot out of him.

Sephiria nodded in understanding. Eve was damaged pretty badly during the fight, but that didn't stop her from healing whoever she could. Sven and her friends came first which Number One had no problem with since she knew her numbers could take a beating. Eve even offered her services to herself and Belze, but they both declined. They could tell bringing all those people back from the brink of death was too much for her to handle and they wanted to make sure she rested as well.

She's too strong of an ally to lose and in the current shape she's in, she's in no condition to fight let alone heal more people. Besides, Belze and I can handle ourselves. A few broken bones is nothing when it comes to war.

She grimaced a little as she leaned against the wall, reminding herself that her ribs had not healed yet. She brushed Number II aside and shut her eyes for a moment. She knew her second in command was hurting as well, but he was more stubborn than she was and would never let his pain show. Despite her resolve and strength, she knew she needed to rest as well. With so many of them out for the count right now, there was no way she could take the Apostles on in the shape that she was in.

We all need to rest. It's the only way we can get Train back.

She opened her eyes and looked back at Creed, frowning when she saw he was falling back into his depressed, useless state. Even though she was sure her words wouldn't work, she tried again to talk some reason into him.

"Creed… As you said, yesterday was merely a test to see how much Train would obey and after seeing that he was fighting the orders to kill, they're not going to be making a move any time soon. If we want to get Train back, we all need to be in our best shape. You need to sleep." Sephiria was hoping logic would get through to him.

Creed shook his head again, his legs vibrating violently as he spoke. "No… What you say is true but… But, Train won't be able to rest. I-If… If he's not obeying every one of their orders then th-that… that means his punishments will get worse… H-His torture will get worse…"

They might kill him… Now that they see he won't kill even with Chronos' drug, they might just cut their losses and kill him…

Sephiria was able to read the look on his face and responded to his unspoken concerns. "They won't kill him, Creed. You saw how much more powerful he is. Even if they tried, they wouldn't succeed."

That's another reason we need to get Train back. Not just to save him from the horrifying fate the Apostles have set up for him, but because if we can't get him back… I know I'll have to kill him…

She gripped her swords as she spoke.

And with how strong he is now… I don't think I can…

Creed shook his head again, slowly rocking back and forth as he voiced his sullen thoughts. "No… They can certainly kill him. H-He… He may not have k-killed anyone b-but… b-but he still listened to them… I-If they wanted to k…. Kill Train… They… still have the control over him t-to make it happen… Besides that…"

…Right now, Train wants to die…

As if reading his thoughts, Sephiria slammed her sword on the table, slicing it in half and making everyone in the room jump. "STOP WITH YOUR PESSIMISTIC THOUGHTS, DISKENTH! IF THERE'S ONE THING I KNOW ABOUT HEARTNET, IT'S THAT HE LOVES LIFE!"

Everyone stared at her for a moment, the room fatally silent as she slowly sheathed her sword again. "You disappoint me, Creed. I would expect you of all people to know that as true."

Creed blinked at her, his body slowly going numb again as he tried to process her words. After a few moments, he slowly shook his head and turned back around to stare at the blank wall in front of him. "You didn't see him, Sephiria… It's because I know Train so well that I could tell what that look in his eyes was..." He choked back a sob, trying to think about anything except how his beloved's golden eyes flashed with an almost irreversible hopeless look. "...It was like he was begging me to kill him… To end his pain…"

Didn't you just say almost? That to me says you know all is not lost!

Creed shot his head up at the familiar voice and looked around the room. "Saya?"

As he scanned the room, all he saw was Sephiria and Belze beginning another fight with Lin who seemed to be trying to leave the hideout to search for Train on his own again.

Creed frowned as he looked up. "Saya? Is that you?"

There was silence for a moment, then the girl's voice echoed in his ears again.

I'm pretty sure I just heard you think to yourself that Train was almost irreversibly hopeless. That means even you know he's not totally gone yet. He's still in there, Creed. Don't give up! Remember, Train needs you!

Creed laughed bitterly as he fell back into the couch. "And I need Train… But… Even if I find him… Can I bring him back?"

The silence that followed his question was longer than the last and began to make him think the girl had left.

"Saya? Are you still there?"

He thought he heard her make a strange noise, then she spoke again.

Sorry, Creed. There's an old woman here who refuses to let me speak to you alone. I actually think you know her.

Creed's heart skipped a beat at the teasing tone in the sweeper's girl's voice signaling that she was positive he knew who it was, and he held his breath as he spoke the woman's name.

"...Anastasia?"

Creed suddenly saw a wisp of smoke appear in front of him, then saw his teacher's transparent figure appear before him. Creed sat up quickly and rubbed his eyes, then looked behind himself to see if anyone else was seeing what he was seeing. He frowned when he realized the room had gone completely black, leaving him to sit alone on the couch.

Am I dreaming… or am I dead?

"OW!" Creed clutched his head and turned back around to see Anastasia glaring at him, cane raised above his head and ready to hit him again.

Anastasia growled at him as she spoke. "First you sit like a useless hump for four days, then you let Train get away, and now you're sulking and trying to convince yourself that Train is dead?! What the hell is wrong with you, Idiot?!"

Creed frowned at her, then felt a tear fall from his eye. "Is that really you?"

Anastasia rolled her eyes. "You're not dead if that's what you're thinking. And even if you were I'm so pissed off at you right now that I would make sure you were sent back to the world of the living just so I didn't have to see your stupid face!"

Creed felt a tear roll down his cheek and somehow managed to laugh at her comment. "Then why did you choose to reveal yourself to me now?"

Creed yelped again and clutched his head as she smacked him with her cane again. "WHY DO YOU THINK?! BECAUSE YOU'RE BEING A MORON AGAIN!"

Creed frowned and rubbed his head. "I'm not being a moron… I'm being logical…"

He yelped again and again as Anastasia continued beating him with her cane, not sure how it could cause him harm since it also looked transparent. "YOU ARE ABSOLUTELY ONE-HUNDRED PERCENT BEING A MORON AND MORE! DO YOU REALLY THINK TRAIN WILL GIVE UP ON LIFE THAT EASILY?!"

Creed frowned at his mentor, looking around the room again only to notice he was still completely surrounded by darkness. The only things in the room where himself, his teacher, and the couch. He frowned and turned back to the woman.

"You're sure I'm not dead?"

Anastasia rolled her eyes. "I already told you you weren't! And you know I hate liars."

Creed smiled sadly and lowered his head. "Then considering how much it hurts when you hit me, that means I'm not sleeping. Which means I've just completely lost my mind. Wonder if I'm back to the comatose state…"

He jumped back a little as Anastasia leaned down and stared him in the face. "What does it matter what shape you're in right now? Isn't getting Train back all that matters?"

Creed frowned, then let out another pathetic sob. "Yes… Yes I know Train is the only thing that matters! That's all I've always known! He's all that's ever mattered to me, but… but…"

Anastasia pinched his cheek roughly. "Everyone knows that anything said before a 'but' doesn't really matter. So, if you finish that sentence, all you're saying is that Train doesn't matter."

Creed blinked at her, tears still falling from his eyes as he glared at the teacher. "You know that isn't true…"

Anastasia rolled her eyes and pulled away from him. "If it isn't true, then why are you allowing yourself to think about anything other than getting Train back? Why are you sulking again while Train is fighting for his life and his freedom? Why don't you get off your sorry ass and do something about it?!"

Creed growled at her and stood up quickly. "I AM DOING SOMETHING ABOUT IT! WE ALL ARE! AND WHO ARE YOU TO TALK?! IT'S NOT LIKE YOU CAN EVEN DO ANYTHING TO HELP! AFTER ALL, YOU'RE THE ONE THAT DECIDED TO DIE BEFORE WE WERE READY!"

Anastasia watched as Creed covered his mouth, his eyes wide and apologetic as he sat back down in the chair. The old woman laughed merrily and patted his head. "That's the Creed I was looking for. Now, you just need to hold onto that passion."

Creed sighed, then leaned back into the couch. "I think I liked you more when you were dead…"

His teacher laughed again and smacked him gently. "Don't worry, I am very much still dead and you are very much still insane. But, at least now you can use that insanity to find your beloved. And when you do, can you give him a good smack for me?"

Creed blinked at her. "Why?"

Anastasia sighed sadly. "Because he gave himself up to save my life…"

Creed felt his heart break and lowered his head, then smiled a little. "Train is certainly too kind for his own good…"

Anastasia scoffed. "The word 'kind' isn't what I would use in that situation. He was just acting like a martyr. And I hate martyrs."

Creed chuckled and ran his fingers through his hair. "You hate a lot of things…" He raised his head to look at his mentor. "I'll be sure to deliver the message to Train when I see him."

Anastasia gave her student a proud look. "I told that girl I could talk more sense into you that she could."

Creed blinked. "Are you talking about Saya?"

The old woman nodded. "Yeah. She's a great kid, but very annoying. Much like you're beloved. It took me eight days to convince her to let me talk to you. Talk about stubbornness. She insisted she knew what she was doing, but after what I've witnessed, I couldn't take it anymore so I shoved her back and made her be quiet."

Creed smiled, trying to imagine his teacher and Saya fighting over who got to beat the sense into him. "I don't even want to know how you managed that…"

Anastasia shrugged her shoulders. "She'll forgive me. She always does."

Creed gave her a confused look. "You and Saya have been speaking a lot?"

She nodded. "Yup. Other than my wife, she's the only person I've really spoken too. I can see why Train was so drawn to her."

Creed smiled wistfully. "You found your wife again?"

His teacher returned his smile. "I did. And if I can find her even when she's dead, then you can find Train while he's alive."

Creed stared at her for a second, then nodded. "You're right. If an old bat like you can find another old bat, then I can certainly find my beloved cat."

Anastasia rolled his eyes. "Please don't make such obvious rhymes in my presence. You're better than that."

Creed chuckled. "Are you sure about that?"

Anastasia glared at him, then smacked him with her cane one more time. "You don't have time to give me that look or to rhyme. You've got a prince to save, don't you?"

Creed rubbed his head, her words reminding him of the first conversation they had with one another, proving to him that it really was her. "Glad to see you aren't making assumptions about the one who has slain my heart."

Anastasia smirked, knowing exactly what Creed was referencing. "I would never make that mistake again. You've made it far too clear who owns your heart."

Creed nodded, then stood up. "Thank you, Anastasia…"

Anastasia smiled up at him, her transparent body slowly beginning to disappear as she took Creed's hand in her own. "Please remind those other miscreants that I love them… And that they can go on without me." She paused, a tear falling from her eyes as she looked at her student. "And… Tell Aimee I'm watching her… And I'll always be watching her."

She took a deep breath, trying to compose herself as she spoke what might have been her final words to Creed. She didn't know if she'd be permitted to have another conversation like that one with him. Looking down at the hand that held Creed's, she could see that she was beginning to disappear even more. It was hard to concentrate on holding the man's limb.

She smiled despondently and looked back up at Creed's face, reaching out to wipe his tears away as she spoke. "Tell her that I'm proud of her. And that I love her. And…"

Creed watched as the woman stopped speaking again, knowing she was going to disappear any moment now. Her sentences had become disjointed as well, letting him know she was having a hard time keeping the connection to the living world open. He clung to her hand a little tighter, hoping that would give her the strength to hold on a little longer while she finished her sentence.

Anastasia gripped his hand and sighed peacefully. "And… this last bit goes for all of you… Tell her and the others that… as cliche as it may be… I will always be with you… Truly."

Creed nodded and choked on another sob, smiling at his teacher as he spoke. "I will, Anastasia. I will."

She let go of his hand, closing her eyes as she slowly allowed herself to disappear. However, she shot her eyes open and locked eyes with Creed one more time. She gave him a stern, angry look and pointed an occurring finger at him. "And don't mess up my business! Remember what I said! If you let it fail, I'm going to haunt you for the rest of your life!"

Creed chuckled and wiped his tears away, watching as the woman disappeared completely. "I won't let it fail, Anastasia… I promise."

"Diskenth? What's wrong?"

Creed turned around quickly and noticed everyone in the room was staring at him. He was standing up, his hands outstretched as if he was still holding onto his teacher. The silver man blinked at Sephiria, then looked back where his teacher once was and sighed sadly.

"N-Nothing… I must have dozed off for a second…"

Sephiria watched as Creed walked around the couch and towards the door. "Where are you going?"

Creed opened the door, then turned back to them. "For a walk. I need to clear my head."

Eve tried to follow him. "You should really be resting, Creed. I know you didn't sustain any injuries from the battle, but you still need to rest up before we go after Train again."

Creed smiled at the girl and patted her head kindly, even though he knew she hated that. "It's okay, Eve. I feel better after that little catnap. And if you really want me thinking at my best, you need to let me do what I need to do to clear my head." Seeing the stubborn look in her eyes, he wrapped his arms around her and pulled her in for a hug. "Just trust me, okay, Lil' Princess?"

Eve blinked at the hug, her heart warming at hearing the use of her pet name since no one had called her that since Train left. It reminded her of the irritating man she loved to annoy and made her feel at peace for a moment. As if Creed was channeling Train.

She sighed and nodded, returning his hug as she spoke. "Okay, Creed. Just be careful, okay?"

Creed chuckled and flicked her forehead, just like Train always did. "When am I ever not?"

Before anyone could answer his rhetorical question, he walked through the door and closed it behind himself. Eve blinked at the closed door, swearing she just saw Train for a moment where Creed was standing.

She felt a tear fall from her eye, then laughed quietly to herself. "Depends who's asking the question? Is it Creed, or Train?"

---

Aliane was waiting outside of the sweeper house she once stayed at with her fake friends, waiting for any kind of movement. The blinds were drawn, the lights were off, and there were no cars outside, but she figured they were trying to make it look like no one was home. She could tell with her Tao that everyone was in there and could also see Chronos was with them.

It makes sense that they wouldn't try to find another location to stay at. That would make it harder for Train to find them if he managed to escape.

She went to the sweeper location she used to live at mostly because she believed it would be the best location for Train to find even if he was bleeding profusely or knocking on Death's door. Staying put made sense because it was easy for Train to go out of instinct and she was positive they'd want to make it as easy for him to find them as possible. Even if it meant the Apostles could find them as well. That logic was sound enough for her, so she thought Creed and Chronos would have come to the same conclusion.

I guess there was always the possibility that they had a secret place to meet in case of emergencies, but I didn't think they'd go back to the mansion. It was too far away for Train to reasonably get to even with his Tao ability.

As she stared at Creed looking like he was ready to throw up, she knew she made the right choice. Lin was on the ground next to the couch, looking as though he had completely lost his mind while Sephiria seemed to be trying to talk sense into them both. Number II was standing faithfully next to her, looking like he was ready to fight which was one of the reasons she had not moved since she got there.

And why I refuse to make myself visible or move any closer. Even if I wanted to move, what am I gonna do? Knock on the door and ask them to pretty please forgive me because I've seen the error of my ways and I want to help them get Train back? Sephiria would kill me before I could even get one word out!

She sighed and lowered her head. She was sitting on the edge of the sidewalk across the street, staring at the sweeper hideout with desperation and determination in her eyes. She had been there for several hours, but her resolve refused to let her move. After hearing what the Apostles might do to Train and knowing that Charden now had the Nanomachines in his body, she knew she couldn't wait. She had to find the sweepers and help them get Train back.

It sounds like Doctor was able to convince Charden not to kill Train, but I don't trust that man enough not to change his mind. Especially with Shiki and Watts campaigning for his death.

She shivered at the image of Shiki and Watts walking up and down the halls of the hideout with 'Kill the Black Cat' signs in their hands. It got worse when Maro and Durham joined in the protest, since she knew they also wanted nothing more than to end Train's life.

The only one who really wants him there is Doctor. Even Charden isn't happy about his presence. He is just aware that they can use them and thinks it's the only way to kill Creed.

Aliane blinked at her own thoughts, realizing she was not longer including herself in the Apostles' fold anymore. She didn't know what was going to become of her after all this, but she knew for a fact that she would not be going back to the Apostles.

I'd rather die than go back with them. Which is what I'm sure will happen to me… Whether it be by Chronos hands or the Apostles, someone is going to end my life.

As she watched Sven sleep through the walls she frowned. Eve was sitting next to him, dabbing his forehead with a cloth and Aliane felt her heart break when she saw a tear fall from his eye. It was obvious he was in physical pain of their battle with the Apostles, but she could see the emotional turmoil as well. Based on the way he was tossing and turning, she had a feeling he was dreaming about Nica. When she saw he was talking in his sleep, she knew they weren't pleasant dreams. Aliane played with the idea of asking Nica to come with her, but she knew she wasn't in the physical or emotional state to handle that.

Even if she was, would she come with me? I can tell she's viewing Charden the same way I am and I wouldn't be surprised if she ended up betraying them like I am, but does she have the courage to do it?

She knew Nica was a strong willed person, but it was hard to be strong around someone like Charden. It was terrifying to even think about betraying him, let alone actually going through with it. The final push that she needed to go through with her betrayal was the fact that the Blood Taoist already didn't trust her, so she didn't think she had much to lose. With Watts trying to throw her under the bus every chance he got, she knew it wasn't going to be much longer until he finally found the one thing that would call for her execution.

I think I left at the best time. Now I only hope I can bring someone back there before they kill Train. Even if it's just one of them, it'll be enough. We have to get him out of there now.

Aliane finally pulled her eyes away from the injured sweeper and looked at her old rival. Kyoko was sitting up in her bed with a laptop on her knees. Both of her arms were in a cast and her head and chest were bandaged up as well, but that didn't stop her from doing whatever she was doing on the computer. Aliane figured she was probably looking up any information she could about the Apostles or Train and she couldn't help but admire the girls' tenacity.

I know the Tao will heal her injuries, but I can still tell she's in pretty bad shape. But, despite that, she's still working hard to find Train. I'll give her this: She's got moxie.

She smiled at the teen girl, then watched the thief who was sleeping in the room that was Train's. Number VII was sleeping in a chair next to her, holding Rinslet's hand for dear life as he occasionally winced from pain in his sleep. He was wrapped up in bandages as well and Aliane could tell he wasn't doing well, yet despite that, he was making sure not to leave the woman's side. Rinslet may have tried to act like she didn't care about Jenos, but judging by the way her hand clung to his even though she was asleep, Aliane knew she cared.

Their bond is actually pretty incredible. I've only met Rinslet a couple of times, but Number VII comes up in the conversation at least once. Ignore it all she wants, but she obviously loves him.

Her eyes darted to the hallway when she saw Eve finally walking away from the sweeper and towards the people in the other room. Aliane cursed herself for not being able to read lips, but could tell they were talking about Train.

What else would they talk about right? Just based on the few hours I've been watching them, they're a mess trying to find Train.

She glanced at Creed and noticed he had fallen asleep, but was seemingly having some kind of strange dream. Her eyes darted towards Lin as he stood up suddenly and started storming towards the door, being held back by Belze with Sephiria screaming orders at him.

Especially Creed and Lin… They look almost as bad as Train does.

She felt a tear fall from her eye at that thought. She knew it was impossible to ever reach the amount of pain Train was in, but it was obvious the men who loved him were very close to that level. She felt the guilt rise in her chest again and more tears fell from her eyes. However, she only permitted herself to cry for a few seconds as she slapped both her cheeks.

This is no time to cry! I need to help Train and these are the people who want him back more than anything else. Probably even more than they want to defeat the Apostles. Which is crazy considering I'm sure that's all Sephiria thinks about.

Aliane cocked an eyebrow as she watched Creed suddenly stand up in his sleep, his hands reaching out to hold something that wasn't there. The rest of the people in the room seemed just as confused as she was as they all stared at Creed with a shocked look on their faces. Eve made a step towards the man, clearly calling out to him as Sephiria unsheathed her sword for the second time. She could tell they were ready to attack and Aliane was beginning to worry they had somehow spotted her.

Shit! Should I run?! There's no way I can take on all of them! But I can't leave until they hear what I have to say!

She stood up quickly, getting prepared to do whatever she needed to do then watched as Creed looked around the room. Another short conversation commenced that ended with the silver man walking towards the door. Aliane was prepared to begin following the man, but stopped when he gave Eve a hug. She felt her heart warm at the image, happy to see they were still able to find comfort in each other despite the hardships they had been through.

They really are a family… I can't believe I threw away such an amazing life. They were so good to me… So kind. So warm.

She felt herself longing to be with them again and even took a few steps towards the door. She stopped when the door opened and Creed came out. The invisible girl waited to see which direction he was going, then followed behind him quietly. Before she began trailing the swordsman, she quickly turned herself visible again, activated her phasing ability, then became transparent once more. It was hard to maintain both those abilities at the same time for more than an hour, but she knew she needed to be more careful with Creed than with Watts. Creed was better at detecting stalkers than the other man was.

I also don't know what he'll do when he knows I'm here. Actually, scratch that, I know what he'll do. He'll attack without hesitation, which is also why it's better to have my phasing activated as well. As hard as it is to maintain them both at the same time, it'll hopefully keep me alive long enough to talk to him.

As she followed Creed, she started thinking about when she could make herself known to the man. She needed to make sure she revealed herself sooner rather than later so as not to lose control over her invisibility and phasing. But, she also didn't want to do it while they were still so close to the hideout. If she did it too soon, Aliane was pretty sure Creed would alert Sephiria immediately. Not that the swordsman needed Number One's help. Creed could take her on with both his hands tied behind his back. However, she knew he would most likely assume she wasn't alone and wouldn't hesitate to call for backup.

And if his back up consists of Chronos and a Nanomachine girl, no matter how injured they are, I'm no match for them all. If that happens, I may as well shoot myself now. Not that I have a gun on me or anything. I wanted to come unarmed so Creed will hopefully trust me. Besides that, my gimmick is mostly distraction, support, and defense.

As Creed turned a corner, Aliane didn't bother waiting like she did earlier with Watts. Even if someone turned the corner, they would walk right through her. While they may have felt strange for a second, it wouldn't be anything that would alert Creed. The person would feel like they just walked through a cold spot.

And as careful as I want to be, I can't be too slow. I need to make sure I get to him before I can no longer maintain this state.

She already felt herself getting a bit tired and figured that must have been because she hadn't trained in a while. She was too preoccupied trying to set Train free and leave the Apostles herself. Training was the last thing on her mind.

Although, I guess that needs to change soon. With the way my role in this war is going, I may end up being on my own so I need to at least be able to defend myself.

Aliane shook herself of the depressive thoughts and continued following Creed. As she walked, she began thinking about what she would say to him.

What can I say? Sorry I took your beloved, but I kind of realized I love him too and I want to save him as well? He'd never believe me!

Still, she held onto the hope that he would. After all, she was alone. There was no way she'd come alone with no weapons to talk to Creed Diskenth. She was no match for him even if she had the entire Shooting Stars unit backing her up. As he turned another corner and made his way into a nearby abandoned park, Aliane frowned.

Where the hell is he going? Does he even know? Is he just wandering around?

After about thirty more minutes of following the man, he finally stopped in front of a large lake she never knew existed. Despite the fact that the park had clearly not been taken care of, it was quite beautiful. She was shocked that after all the months she had stayed with them she had never been there, but maybe that was for a reason. Maybe the lake was a special spot for Creed that he didn't want to share with anyone else.

Or maybe he only shared it with Train. They had a lot of secret language I never understood. But, judging by the look on his face, I don't think he's ever been here either. He probably just found it by chance.

Aliane watched as Creed picked up a pebble and skipped it across the water. He did it a few more times, seemingly trying to break his record for how far he could skip it and she smiled at the adorableness of it. She never would have pegged Creed as the type to skip rocks to help him think.

And I'm sure that's what he's doing. I don't think he'd wander off on his own at a time like this without something in mind. It looked like it was getting pretty heated in there, so he probably needed to be alone for a minute.

After a few more stones were thrown, Creed sat on the grass and stretched his legs out. When he looked up at the sky, Aliane saw that he must have been crying during the entire walk. His eyes were bright red and his cheeks were flushed with sadness. It was obvious the walk did not clear his mind, but that didn't stop her resolve to talk to the swordsman.

It's just a matter of finding the right moment. But, I need to find it soon. I already feel like I've been gone too long and who knows what they've done to Train during this time.

Her musings were interrupted as Creed spoke. "I'll find you Train… No matter what…"

She felt her heart shatter into a million pieces and couldn't help the next words that left her mouth. "I can bring you to Train if you let me."

The next thing she saw was the tip of Creed's Imagine Blade at her throat. She froze and put her hands up, even though she knew the silver man couldn't see her. His eyes were locked onto where she was, but she could tell he was confused since he didn't see what his sword was aimed at.

That was so fast! I didn't even see him stand up let alone draw and activate his blade! Man, he's on a whole other level than me!

"SHOW YOURSELF!"

Aliane swallowed and spoke again. "If I show myself, that will give you the opportunity to kill me. Can you promise to at least hear me out before that happens? I don't have any weapons."

Creed's heart froze when he heard those words and replayed the scene with Echidna that kept him from getting to his beloved. "I've heard that lie before. Judging by your voice, I'd say this is Aliane? If that is your real name. And since I can't see you, I can only assume it's because your Tao is activated, which means you're invisible."

He narrowed his eyes at where he heard the voice from and noticed the grass had formed itself in the shape of her feet. Creed glared at the spot and pushed his blade forward. "Which also means I can't kill you if I do this!"

Aliane squeaked in fright as the blade was shoved through her neck. She concentrated entirely on staying invisible and intangible because as long as that blade remained where it was, one slip up would end her life.

Oh boy, I am so glad I activated both of my abilities!

She looked pleadingly into Creed's eyes even though she knew he couldn't see them. "Are you really going to resort to the life of a killer so easily? Even after everything Train's been through, he hasn't reverted. Don't dishonor him! He's still fighting!"

Creed blinked at the spot, another tear falling from his eye as he spoke. "Train… Is still alive?"

Aliane nodded her head even though she knew he couldn't see it. "He is! But he might not be for long if you don't hear me out!"

Creed waited for a moment, but did not remove his blade. "Give me one reason why I should trust you."

Aliane froze at his statement, not sure how he was going to take her next words. "Because I love Train too."

Creed frowned at the tone of her voice. It certainly sounded true, but he wasn't sure. "That was your story when you were our friends. What makes you think I'd believe you now that I know who you really are?"

Aliane thought about it, then decided to turn just her eyes visible. It was even more difficult to reveal just one part of herself while still maintaining the rest of her ability, but she knew she needed the man to see the truth in her eyes if he was ever going to believe her. She looked at Creed with the same devoted, resolute look she had whenever she looked at Train. She allowed her heart to speak through her eyes, not bothering to fight the tears that fell.

"I know Train will never love me back and I'm fine with that. I've made my peace. He's proven he loves you too much to ever even consider being with anyone except you, but I can't continue to watch him suffer. I need to get him out of there and I need to do it now before they kill him!"

Creed locked onto her eyes, looking for any insincerity but only saw the depth of her feelings for his Kitten. He knew that look all too well. It was the same look he and Lin had whenever they saw Train or even thought of him. A look he knew was impossible to fake.

It's impossible to resist my Kitten's charm. Is it possible the only thing she didn't fake during her time here was her feelings for Train?

Creed tightened his grip on his blade. "Where's Train?"

Aliane did not deactivate her eyes as she spoke despite how difficult it was. "If you'll just come with me, I can bring you to him."

Creed did not like that way that sounded and he made sure she knew it. "On what planet do you think I would believe anything you have to say?! Especially after that stunt Echidna pulled!"

Aliane blinked in confusion which Creed was able to see since she kept her eyes visible. "Stunt? What stunt?"

Creed cocked an eyebrow. "You don't know what she did?"

Seeing Aliane's eyes shake, Creed frowned.

That means nothing. Echidna didn't have to tell them that part of the plan for it to work. All Aliane needed to worry about was taking Train away from me.

Creed tightened his grip on his sword. "Doesn't matter and doesn't change my mind. If I just wait here long enough, will Charden show up? Is that the plan this time? Cause if that's the case, that gives me a better chance of finding Train than if I go with you."

Aliane frowned even though Creed couldn't see her lips. "That's a really dumb plan if you ask me."

Creed glared at her. "Even dumber than the plan of someone as weak as you coming to fight me on your own?"

Aliane sighed. "What do I have to do to convince you that I'm not here to fight? I thought my eyes would be enough to let you know I'm telling the truth, but since that didn't work, what will?"

Creed hardened his glare. "Nothing."

Aliane gritted her teeth and clenched her fists. Her frustration and stress was beginning to get the better of her and she finally snapped. "WE DON'T HAVE TIME FOR THIS! Train isn't dead yet, but they're talking about killing him right now! Please! If you want to see Train alive again, you have to trust me! As soon as you have him, I'll turn myself over to Chronos and accept whatever fate awaits me. Just please, please believe me! Please come with me to save Train!"

Creed faltered slightly at the woman's words. They matched the sincerity of her eyes and Creed was beginning to have a hard time not believing her.

No… It's all part of the act. This is some kind of distraction they have set up while they take the rest of my loved ones. It has to be. There's no way she actually has feelings for Train. There's no way someone as monstrous as her could ever feel something as beautiful as love.

As Creed spoke those last words, he knew they weren't true. He used to be just like her, if not worse when he was with Chronos, yet despite that, he managed to fall head over heels in love with Train. With just one look, Train was able to slay his heart and consume his every thought. With just one word, Creed fell to knees in worship of his beloved and with just one smile, Train had made sure he belonged to the cat forever.

It's not fair to say a monster cannot love… I was a monster when I fell in love with Train and I knew my feelings were true. And they still are. Now more than ever.

As he imagined what it would be like to be with his partner again, he watched Aliane's eyes and knew they mirrored his. While he understood it was impossible to ever truly match what he felt for Train, that didn't change that her feelings were coming off as genuine. No one could ever match how much he loved Train. The only one who could ever hold a candle to him was Lin, but the number wasn't there to confirm what he was believing.

"Please, Creed. We don't have time for this! Every second we waste is a second closer to death for Train. Shiki is trying to convince Charden to kill him, but Doctor managed to spare his life. But… I know that's not out of any care of Train. He simply isn't done with Train yet…"

Creed felt like a bucket of ice had been poured down his shirt. "What… has Doctors been doing to Train?"

Aliane laughed bitterly and allowed more tears to flow. "Do you really want me to tell you that? Like I said, we don't have time for this! We need to leave now and go get Train!"

Creed continued staring at her, making sure they never broke eye contact as he tried to work through his thoughts. He wanted to contact Sephiria and the others, but he was aware none of them would be of any use in a fight at the moment. Lin was the only one other than himself that was in somewhat physically good shape, but the number was so exhausted from stress that Creed didn't think he'd last long in a fight. He wouldn't be surprised if Lin had collapsed from exhaustion in the time he had been away from the hideout. And while Sephiria and Belze were standing, he was able to tell they were sporting some pretty intense wounds that both of them refused to show.

I'm positive Sephiria has several broken ribs and Belze has been walking on a broken leg and fractured shoulder. Even though I'm sure they'd still put up a decent fight, they could be walking to their death if they follow me. No one else is capable of taking on the Apostles right now except for me.

Creed knew even though he was the least harmed from the fight that didn't mean he'd be any safer when entering the Apostles' layer on his own. Still, he couldn't shake the feeling his gut was giving him that Aliane was telling the truth. The look in her eyes told a story that he didn't particularly want to hear, yet he knew meant not only was Train will alive, but now was the best time to get his beloved back. Now was the best time to take Train back in his arms.

But, if I go now, that means I'm going alone. I refuse to endanger anyone else's life and I know Train wouldn't want me to do that either. Leaving now means I'm choosing to pursue a wild goose chase for my beloved on my own.

Creed chuckled quietly at himself.

Is that really out of character for me? I was willing to destroy the world for Train. Why wouldn't I be willing to sacrifice my own life for his?

The dilemma he was facing right now wasn't about giving his life for Train. He'd do that in a heartbeat. The dilemma was if he was actually going to end up rescuing Train by sacrificing himself. If he was going to put his life on the line for Train, Creed needed to know his beloved would actually be saved. If Aliane was lying to him, there was the chance he was throwing away his life for nothing, then what was the point? He couldn't find Train if he was dead. There was the chance everything she said was just a trap to get him away from his friends so they could kill him.

Creed snarled at her. "I'm walking into an ambush if I go with you alone…"

Aliane hardened her gaze. "By all means, invite whoever you want! The more the merrier in my opinion, but we need to leave now if you want to save Train. I can't promise how much longer Doctor can convince them to keep Train alive. Especially since Charden is going to be out of commission for a few days."

Creed blinked in confusion at that. "What do you mean?"

Aliane felt her body get cold as she explained the situation. "Doctor gave Charden Nanomachines to help regrow his arm, but the process of bonding with the bots is extremely painful and takes a few days to come into effect. He should be out for about five days and I don't know if the rest of the Apostles will wait patiently for their leader to recover to kill Train. Most of them believe now is the best time to kill him before he kills them. They think Train will snap any minute and destroy the entire layer and if they know Charden isn't around to stop them, now might be their best opportunity."

Creed nearly passed out at the news he was given.

Charden… Has Nanomachines in him now too?

That pushed him closer to trusting the girl since he knew it would have been a terribly dumb idea to divulge such sensitive information to the enemy. Even lying about something that big was idotic since it didn't gain them anything. Besides all that, if they really wanted to send someone he might trust, why would they send one of the people who literally just betrayed him?

Although, I guess out of all the people in the group to trust, she'd be the closest to it. She was pretending to be a teenager with a diagnosed disorder and she claimed to like Train. If there was anyone I would directly relate to, it would be her.

Creed shook his head, not sure what to do. "I… I just… I don't… I can't…"

Aliane could tell he was having an internal war with himself and tried another tactic. "Train calls your name out every night… He doesn't sleep much and he doesn't sleep for long, but every time I've been near him when he's fallen asleep, he's called out to you… Along with Saya. And he keeps repeating a question I don't understand."

Creed's ears perked when she said that and he raised his head to make eye contact with her. "What… what question does he keep asking?"

Aliane felt another tear roll down her cheek as she spoke. "He keeps saying, 'Together?"... I don't know what it means, but the anguish in his voice is unbearable…"

I don't know if he's still asking that question since they won't let me near him, but I can't imagine he'd forget to repeat such a painful thing like that.

Creed's world stopped when he heard Aliane say that. It was the final nail in the coffin he needed to convince him to go with the traitorous girl. He felt his hand start to shake in fright, yet the sun suddenly felt brighter. He could hear the birds singing in the background and he shut his eyes as the wind brushed gently against his skin. If he listened close enough, he could actually hear his Kitten's voice asking him that question, Train's hand stretched out towards him, trying to pull Creed into a tender embrace he ached for more than anything else in the world.

Train… My Kitten… I miss you…

When he opened his eyes, he saw Saya's spirit floating the clouds, giving him an encouraging smile and a confident nod before she disappeared just like his teacher did not long ago.

If I go alone now… it could mean my death… However, I'm more than willing to take that chance if it'll even give me a sliver of hope to see my Train again…

Creed watched a cloud pass by that looked far similar to that of a cat to be a coincidence. That was the last sign he needed to know his beloved was using Aliane to reach out to him. Her words and her actions were his lover's last bit of hope to bring him home.

"Always, my love… Always…"

Creed locked eyes with the girl again and pulled his Imagine Blade away. "Okay, I believe you. Take me to Train."

---

Creed ducked behind some bushes with the woman and frowned at her. "I'm sorry, I guess I'm just not understanding how your abilities work…"

Aliane sighed. "I know it's complicated, so let me try to explain again. I can turn invisible and I can phase through objects and people. I can also transfer both of those abilities to someone else, but maintaining them both at the same time is difficult. When I'm just doing it to myself, I can usually keep them both going for an hour, maybe longer if I really push myself. But, if I add someone else into the mix, that will probably reduce the time for about thirty minute. Does that make sense?"

Creed nodded slowly. "I guess… That just sounds awfully inconvenient…"

Aliane frowned. "What do you mean?"

Creed glanced at the house to make sure no one had seen them yet. He saw Aja, Aztec, and a few of Shiki's bugs patrolling the area, but they were still far enough away and well hidden that none of them had seen him yet.

And based on what she's telling me, she shouldn't be wasting her time limit of her abilities right now. We need to save it to get to Train.

"I mean, those powers are incredibly useful, but the fact that it sounds like you need to choose one or the other makes it inconvenient."

Aliane sighed. "I can use them both at the same time. I just can't keep it going for very long. Especially if I'm transferring it to someone else."

Creed nodded. "I get it, that doesn't change my opinion. It sounds to me like you need more training."

Aliane gritted her teeth and wanted to respond sarcastically, but knew that wouldn't be a good idea since Creed was only barely trusting her.

I actually don't think he's trusting me at all. I think he's just accepting the risk because he's so desperate to get Train back.

Aliane nodded in agreement with. "I know. That's the plan once this is all over."

Creed sighed, then ran his fingers through his hair. He started doing it on purpose to try and remind himself of Train. "Is there anything more to your abilities?"

Aliane nodded. "I can float. However, no offense, but I think you're too big for me to carry."

Creed shrugged his shoulders. "No offense taken. You're not a very large person."

Again, Aliane wanted to say something in retaliation, but she knew she had no right. It wasn't like Creed had said anything that was offensive or untrue. She knew she was small for her age. It was the reason why she was able to convince people she was a teenager for so long.

"So, where are they keeping Train?"

Aliane pointed up to the top floor to the window that was sealed shut. "That's Doctor's lab. The window is sealed shut because Train tried to escape that way at the last hideout."

Crede smiled proudly. "That was when Train destroyed half the forest, wasn't it?"

Aliane nodded. "Yup. And even though he hasn't made any more attempts to escape, they're not taking chances."

Creed blinked in confusion at that. "He hasn't tried to escape at all?"

Aliane shook her head. "No. They have a single chain around his neck that I know he could easily break through especially since he has Nanomachines fully merged with his body now, but he hasn't tried anything. He's broken…"

Creed felt the world getting dark. "So, it's true? Train… has Nanomachines in him now?"

Seeing the woman nod, Creed clutched his hair.

Train was against Nanomachines when we were running the Apostles. This is like his worst nightmare coming true!

Not only did his beloved lose his friends and his freedom, but he now had a bit of his humanity taken away. And from what Aliane was telling him, Train wasn't even permitted to have his own thoughts. On the journey to the Apostles hideout, Aliane was letting him know the shape Train was in and how he seemed completely devoid of any emotions. She said he didn't even seem angry, despite the deadly look in his eyes.

Doctor has truly turned him into a weapon…

Creed slapped himself lightly and shook his head to stop the darkness from taking over again. "If Train is still calling out to me in his sleep and refusing to kill, all is not lost yet."

Aliane nodded, not aware Creed didn't mean to say that outloud. "Right."

Creed ducked behind the bush a little more when Aja flew around the house again and confirmed a few things with the woman. "So, Train won't leave on his own, correct?"

Aliane. "Correct. I thought maybe if he saw you, he might leave, or even if he heard your voice, but I'm not sure. Doctor's been continuing to make all kinds of changes to the Chronos' drug to make Train have no reaction to you and I know he's rushing it now since a lot of the Apostles are calling for his execution."

Creed shivered a little at that thought. "So, essentially the more he remembers me, the more his life is in danger?"

Aliane nodded again. "Yes. And since it seems like he refuses to forget you, I don't know how much longer we have. I could be wrong and Doctor could have found a solution in the time I was gone. He's been moving fast enough that it's completely possible, but if that's true then we're facing the issue of him not knowing who you are. And if that's the case…"

Creed smiled sourly. "And if that's the case, Train will most likely try to kill me. Because that's their end goal with him. Am I right?"

Aliane hesitated for a second, then nodded.

Creed sighed. "I don't care about my life, but Train's is too precious to waste on anything."

And I know if he kills me, that will surely mean he's next. Even if they want to keep using him as a weapon, I'm certain it wouldn't be for much longer.

"What's the plan?"

Creed blinked at Aliane. "You're asking me?"

Aliane frowned. "Of course I am. Isn't that your thing? Aren't you like… some kind of genius or something?"

Creed sighed. "I'd like to take that as a compliment, but it's hard when my lover is only a few yards away, yet I cannot reach him. You said Doctor set up some kind of barrier to keep you out of his lab, right?"

Aliane nodded again. "Right. I was only able to get in because Watts was bringing him his meal, and I was only able to get out because the barrier is only for the front of the lab, not the walls against the house."

Creed nodded in understanding. "So, you can float and phase yourself back into the room where Train is, but you can't take me with you because you can't carry me up that high and Train won't come with you." He looked around the area and frowned when he noticed none of the trees were high enough or close enough to reach the room his love was being held. "Normally I'd just suggest I carry you to the top of a tree and I throw both of us forward, but that's too great of a distance even for me…."

He touched his Imagine Blade.

I guess I could also launch us forward with my Imagine Blade, but that seems too risky. I'd have to be absolutely perfect with where we land. If I miss and we end up in the wrong room or I lose my hold on Aliane, we'd both be screwed.

Creed wanted to treat rescuing Train as a stealth mission so as to avoid fighting anyone in the Apostles. He didn't even want to mess with a Shooting Stars member since he knew that would alert the entire castle to his presence. The best plan they could come up with would be to get to Train, give him the shot of the new drug, and bring his beloved home. Creed was hoping that there was enough anesthetic in the syringe Sephiria gave him that it would knock Train out and he could just carry his beloved home.

Or it works so well that he goes back to himself and will leave with us willingly.

Creed patted his pocket where the syringe was, then patted his other one where the music box was. Last time when Train heard it, it seemed to wake him up so if Creed's presence wasn't enough to snap his Kitten out of it, then hopefully the music would be.

A thought occurred to Creed and he turned to ask the woman a question. "I assume you're able to phase objects through walls and make them invisible as well, right?"

Aliane nodded. "Yes. As long as it's not something like a giant tree or an entire building, I can transfer my abilities to it as well."

Creed took the syringe out and handed it to Aliane. "Could you phase in there and give Train this shot?"

Aliane blinked at the drug, then frowned. "More drugs?! Are you sure that's a good idea?"

Creed sighed. "This one is different. This one will hopefully knock Train out and counteract the Chronos' drug in him. Sephiria told me to give it to him the moment I saw him."

But I was too late the first time around…

Creed shook his head and stared at the woman.

Aliane's frown did not leave her face. "...Are you sure you want to trust me with this?"

Creed shook his head again. "No. I'm not. But it sounds like I don't really have a lot of options. What I really want to do is just break down their door and bust Train out of there, but I can't do that. That's just asking to be slaughtered. I know I'm taking a risk by giving this to you, but if everything you say is true, I don't have time not to trust you. We need to take action now."

Aliane stared at Creed for a few more seconds, then down at the syringe. As she took the drugs, something deep inside her told her to check the lab.

"Hold on…"

Aliane activated her Eyesight and looked through the wall where Train was supposed to be. She froze and her heart began to beat faster when she saw nothing by an empty room.

"...Train's not there."

Creed widened his eyes and looked at the house. "What?!"

Aliane tried to scan the whole house to see where he was, but there were too many people to pick out the Black Cat. "He's not there. I forgot to tell you another part of my powers. I can see through objects and people as well. And looking through the whole house, I don't see Train anywhere."

Creed felt his entire body get cold and his world began to spin with the possibility of no longer having Train in it. "Then where is he?!"

"He's not far, trust me…"

Aliane and Creed turned around quickly, the silver man activating his Imagine Blade immediately as the girl turned herself invisible. Doctor snickered at the two and adjusted his glasses as he addressed the pair. "My dear girl, you didn't really think I wouldn't figure out what you were up to, did you?"

Aliane swallowed thickly. "H-How did you…?"

Doctor pulled out his phone from his pocket and played a security video. It showed the image of Train sitting on the bed by himself when suddenly a bit of his hair began to move. Aliane cursed herself when she realized that was when she ran her fingers through his hair, then left the Apostles hideout to find Creed.

"Dammit…" She mumbled as Doctor put his phone away.

Creed wasn't sure what Aliane was cursing to herself about, but he also knew he didn't care. Doctor had shown himself and after seeing just a short clip of what his beloved had been living with the last eight days, Creed was ready to explode with anger and grief.

"Where's Train…" Creed growled, his words sounding more like a command than a question.

Doctor snickered again, his glasses glinting in the sunlight. "As I said before, he's not far…"

Creed pointed his blade at Kanzaki's throat. "NO MORE GAMES! WHERE. IS. TRAIN."

Doctor noted how Creed was not asking and smirked wickedly. "You really want to see him that bad? I promise you, he's not the man you once knew…"

Creed gripped his blade, then felt something brush against his back. He did not move, but watched as Aztec slipped around from behind him. Creed shuttered, remembering if he made eye contact with the beast he would be under its control and made sure to keep his eyes on Doctor. Soon after that, he heard Aliane make a startled noise and saw Aja appear out of the corner of his eye. He cursed inwardly, beginning to worry if he was going to live long enough to see his beloved again.

"Why aren't they attacking?" Creed asked wearily.

Doctor snickered again. "Because I've commanded them not to fight you. I'd rather see you die at the hands of your beloved Black Cat."

Aliane was the one to speak next, but made sure she was still invisible. Even though she was pretty sure Doctor could find a way around her abilities, she wanted to keep the syringe in her hand a secret. "Why aren't the other Apostles out here?"

Doctor smirked at her words, but kept his eyes locked onto Creed's face. "Because they don't know you're here."

Creed gritted his teeth. "Why?"

Doctor sighed and adjusted his glasses again. "I thought I told you before? I want to see you killed by your precious partner. If they knew you were here, they'd all come running out and kill you before I had a chance to show them what the Black Cat is capable of. I need you to be killed by Train in order to prove to the Apostles that he is a weapon. I need you to be murdered at the hands of your love so I can keep using him for my experiments…"

Creed snarled at the scientist, then smirked bitterly. "So, you've given up all hopes of bringing me back into the fold?"

Doctor blinked in confusion. "I never wanted you to rejoin the Apostles. I merely wanted your DNA to continue improving Aztec's skills. As long as I act quick enough, whatever I need from you I can get from your corpse."

Creed ground his teeth so hard he felt like they were about to shatter. "You fucking monster…"

Aliane turned herself visible since she knew her powers were pointless right now. She needed to save them up to help Train if necessary anyway.

"They're going to come out once they see the fight taking place! You really think you can keep that a secret?!" She knew the Apostles' arrival would not be their saving grace, but she tried to make it sound like Doctor's plans had holes in it.

Doctor nodded. "I'm aware. Which is why we need to move away from this place. Wouldn't that be to your benefit as well, Creed-sama?"

Creed did not lighten the look on his face, but he mulled Doctor's words over.

I understand what he's doing but… he's right. The farther Train is from the Apostles' hide out, the better. It'll put a safe distance between us and his prison and give me more opportunities to bring him home. Added to that, it'll stop the Apostles from joining in on the battle and give me more of a fighting chance to subdue Train…

Creed nodded, but did not lower his blade. "Where do you want to go?"

Doctor snickered and pulled out what looked to be a handheld transceiver from his lab jacket. "Why don't we ask your beloved that?" He turned it on, then spoke a German command into it. "Blitz." (1)

Creed blinked in confusion, but didn't have time to voice his thoughts as he, Aliane, and Doctor were flashed away by a lightning bolt. When they reappeared, the first thing Creed noticed when he looked around was Aja and Aztec were not there.

Why would he leave them behind?

He took in the rest of their surroundings and noticed they were in a field in the middle of nowhere. It was absolutely vacant. Not even a tree or a bush. The grass looked as though it was dying, and it stretched out as far as Creed could see.

He really doesn't want any interruptions during this...

Aliane crouched on the ground next to him and began dry heaving, somehow still able to slip the syringe into her jacket pocket, making sure Kanzaki did not see it.

Doctor frowned at the woman, watching as she wiped her sleeve across her mouth. "You'll get used to it just like Creed and I have."

"Why didn't you bring your pets?" Creed activated his blade again and repositioned it back at Doctor's throat.

Kanzaki chuckled. "As I stated before, I don't want the Apostles to know this battle is happening. If they were to come with us, that'd be a dead giveaway to Shiki and his bugs that something was up and they'd try to follow us. They can't know anything until Train brings your head back on a pike."

Creed smirked at the man. "You're really that confident Train will kill me? I saw with my own eyes he wouldn't even kill a criminal. Besides, Aliane has told me you only just got him used to hearing my name. What's he going to do when he hears my voice? Or sees my face?"

Doctor adjusted his glasses again despite the sword threatening to slice his neck open. "Let's just say when Train sees you, he won't actually be seeing you."

Aliane coughed and looked up at the man. "Who will he be seeing?

Doctor smirked at her. "Honestly, I have no idea. I knew I needed to make sure Train was ready to kill Creed-sama before Shiki convinced Charden to kill Heartnet and after I learned of your betrayal, I knew I needed to move fast. But, there was no way I'd have the right combination of the drug ready in enough time, so I added something different into his system."

Creed was beginning to shake with rage. "What did you give Train…"

Again, Doctor noted how Creed's sentence was not a question and chuckled. "It's a concoction of my own. I wasn't sure if it was ready yet, but after showing him a video of you and getting no reaction out of him, I figured it must have worked. I'd love to share the recipe with you, but I'd like to patent it first."

Creed spat at the man's feet. "A video means nothing. He could still recognize me when he sees me in person."

Doctor nodded in agreement. "True. I am taking a risk which is why I gave him four times the amount of Chronos' drug a few hours ago to make sure he's utterly dependent on my orders. Seeing as he just willingly transported all of you here, I'd say it's already working."

Creed scowled at the man as she spoke. "Train brought us here?! He can't transport people without touching them!"

Doctor laughed in amusement. "The old Train couldn't do that. His abilities have improved in his time with us. And I plan on improving them even more once you're dead."

Creed spoke through gritted teeth. "Is that because of the Nanomachines?"

Doctor cocked an eyebrow at him, then at Aliane. "You truly are betraying us, aren't you?" He sighed and looked back at Creed. "Possibly. It's a rather new trait of his that I haven't gotten to test out yet. However, it's a safe bet to make considering how much the Nanomachines have improved his abilities overall."

Aliane glared at the man. "Are you saying that you've trained Train to respond to your commands?"

Doctor rolled his eyes. "Despite how I may treat him, Heartnet is a human, not a dog. I didn't train him to do anything. He knows what 'blitz' means. He was simply following orders. All he can do now is follow orders."

Creed screamed in agony, tears falling from his eyes as he sliced at the air in front of Doctor. He could no longer handle hearing the man talk about his beloved as if he was nothing more than a weapon and needed to lash out at the scientists. However, his blow was blocked by Hades. Creed blinked at his beloved who had suddenly appeared in front of Kanzaki, his body sparking with electricity as he attempted to push the silver man back. Creed locked eyes with his Kitten searching his normally spirited gold orbs for any sign of recognition or love, but saw only hatred, anger, and emptiness. He no longer looked like he was going to die, but the way he looked at Creed confirmed that Train didn't know who he was.

Creed's eyes welled with tears and his heart sank to his feet. "T-Train…?"

Even if Train heard his words, he did not respond to them. Instead, he pushed the swordsman back and stood protectively in front of Doctor. Creed skidded to a halt next to Aliane, focusing on nothing other than his cat who was staring at the silver man as if he was a stranger.

"TRAIN! TRAIN, M LOVE! DON'T YOU RECOGNIZE ME?!"

Again, Creed wasn't sure if Train couldn't hear him or was choosing not to listen, but he did not respond. Instead, he ran towards Creed, full speed, and shot several bullets at him. Creed blocked every one of them then watched as Train flashed away from in front of him only to appear behind him. Creed turned around quickly and blocked several more bullets and flipped in the air and backwards to avoid a lightning attack. Train launched four more forcing Creed to continue his flips until he was several yards away from Doctor and Aliane.

Creed cursed to himself when he saw how far away he was from the girl.

Dammit! She still has the shot! I need to get it into Train before-

His thoughts were cut off as he was lifted into the air and thrown harshly towards the ground. Creed coughed wildly when his body made contact with the Earth and felt himself being lifted up again and again. After Train attempted it the fourth time, Creed reacted by stabbing his sword into the ground to stop himself from hitting it. However, doing that caused him to pop his shoulder out of his socket. Creed gritted his teeth and threw himself forward and into the air, barely avoiding another lightning bolt that signed the ends of his hair.

Creed spun around and began running back towards Aliane. As he sprinted, he gritted his teeth and popped his shoulder back in. His hairs stood on end again as Train flashed next to him and attempted to shoot him in the face. Creed managed to duck and roll away from his beloved before that could happen, then sprung himself to his feet to avoid another lightning attack. That one was so close that it burned the sleeve of his shirt and a bit of his flesh. Creed groaned at the pain, then jumped to the left to avoid a large blast of wind.

I refuse to attack Train! I won't even upgrade my blade to level two for fear of accidentally hurting him. He's not himself right now. I will not hurt him! He's in enough pain…

Throughout the fight, Creed was able to catch a few glimpses into his Kitten's eyes. Behind the empty, angry hatred and distorted view of his surroundings, Creed could still see how much pain his beloved was in. It was clear he had been ordered to kill and somewhere deep inside Train, somewhere behind all the drugs, torture, and experiementation, his love was still fighting. As many attacks and as hard as Train appeared to be trying to kill him, Creed could still tell he was holding back. Despite all the odds stacked against him, Train still refused to go back on his promise to never kill again.

And I won't let you make that mistake, my love. It doesn't matter that I'm the target, I'll make sure you don't break your promise and I'll make sure to bring you home without laying a hand on your beautiful head!

Creed cursed and flipped to the side, narrowly avoiding yet another lighting attack. However, when he landed on the ground again, he slipped and fell forward on the thin sheet of ice Train had ready for him. It was so thin Creed didn't even see it, but it was still thick enough that it didn't break when he landed on it. Just as he was about to get back on his feet again, Train was on top of him, attempting to hit him in the face with Hades. Creed flipped over and avoided the blow by blocking it with his blade.

As he laid there beneath the man he loved more than anything else, Creed allowed a tear to fall down his cheek in hopes that it would reach his beloved. "Train…"

Train said nothing in response and did not let up on his attacks. He lifted Hades in the air and slammed it back down on Creed's head, screaming as he tried to break through the silver man's sword. Creed blocked that attack along with the next one and the next one, the palm of his hand digging into his blade as he barred each of his love's attacks.

Creed tried to reach Train again with his words, hoping there was something he could say that would snap his lover out of it. "Kitten, please! Snap out of it! WAKE UP!"

Train paused for a second when Creed used his pet name, but shook his head quickly and fired a shot next to the silver man's head. Creed blinked at the purposefully missed shot, then panted wildly.

"Train? Kitten, is that you?"

Train was froze for a second, then he gripped his head and started to scream. He jumped off of Creed and pulled his hair. Creed noticed that his lips were moving as if he was having a conversation with someone who wasn't there. The swordsman was quickly able to put together what was happening and growled in a furious rage.

He has an earpiece in! Doctor is giving him orders to kill, but he's still fighting it. That's why he purposefully missed shooting me in the head!

Creed didn't bother to think about how close he had just come to death. Instead, he yanked his blade out of his hand and ran over to his partner. "TRAIN! DON'T LISTEN TO HIM!"

Train froze when he heard new orders being shouted to him and spoke to Creed for the first time. "Th-that… Th-that goes against what the Leaders are saying…"

Creed stopped a few feet away from Train and frowned. "The Leaders?"

Train gripped his head even tighter and let out a violent scream. His entire body slowly began to glow with a bright shade of blue, which slowly turned into white, which then exploded into black. Creed blocked his face as the force of the window around his beloved pushed him away, his feel skidding across the dead grass. When he felt like he was getting too far away from his Kitten, he stabbed his Imagine Blade into the ground to stop himself. Smoke and dust surrounded the area where his love was, making it impossible for Creed to see what was going on behind the black cloud he knew Train was in.

Should I go for Aliane while this is happening? Or even Doctor?

Creed gave one last longing look to the chaos that Train was creating around himself then bolted in the other direction. His goal was to get to either Aliane or Doctor, whoever he reached first. Aliane had the drug that could be Train's only hope and Doctor was the one giving his lover commands. If he was able to stop Kanzaki from speaking to him even breaking the device that relayed his messages to the Black Cat, maybe Creed would be able to talk sense into him.

When he was about halfway back to where the fight started, Creed felt himself being thrown in the air and spun around wildly. Creed felt like he was going to be sick from the sudden movement, but didn't have time to lurch anything up as he was slammed to the ground again. He landed face first onto a rock embedded in the Earth, breaking his nose and bruising his cheek. He felt himself being lifted in the air again and was ready to stop himself from hitting the ground with his Imagine Blade, but he felt his body being turned around so he could see Train floating towards him.

Creed froze at the sight of his partner. He looked very similar to how he looked the other night when they were working through his storm on the dock, but more demonic. Train was floating in the air, his eyes white, his hair wisping fiercely around his face as his entire body sparked with an electrical fury. His hands were fogging over with mist, letting Creed know Train was about to wrap up him in an ice attack. Creed learned how to get himself out of that attack from their training sessions, but considering how much stronger Train was now, he wasn't sure if it would be the same.

Guess I'm about to find out!

Creed activated his sword to level two even though he said he wasn't going to. He figured if he wasn't going to use it against Train, it would be okay and he could downgrade it the moment he had a chance. He tried to lock eyes with his cat, but it was impossible with the chaos that was still happening around him. Creed tried to call out, but his words were replaced by his scream as Train threw an ice dagger at his shoulder. The silver man blinked at the attack, since it wasn't something he had ever seen his love use before. He shouted again when Train threw another dagger at him, cutting open his shoulder, then the next one cutting open his cheek. The next one landed deep into his shoulder, causing Creed to groan and pant painfully.

Creed managed to bend and twist his blade to cut the next few daggers out of the air. He ignored the pain in his shoulder as he sliced wildly at the rapid ice blades being thrown at him. Train shot Hades as well, a few of his bullets electrical, a few of them normal, but Creed was able to move fast enough to all of them. However, as Train picked up the pace of his attacks, he began throwing Creed back and forth in the air, making it difficult for the silver man to concentrate on where his attacks were coming from. The confusion was enough to make Creed miss a few daggers and bullets and he took a bullet to his thigh and a dagger to his arm.

Creed shouted and tried to call out to Train again. "I WON'T FIGHT BACK, TRAIN! I KNOW YOU'RE STILL IN THERE! PLEASE, LISTEN TO ME!"

Creed growled as he sliced another dagger out of the air, then hissed in pain as another cut his stomach. He managed to block a bullet that was aimed for his face and another that was aimed for his stomach, but could not block the one aimed at his shin. Hades' bullets embedded itself into his bone and flesh, the pain and blood loss he was enduring almost too much to bear, but he knew he had to. He knew he couldn't give up until Train was by his side again. He knew no matter how much pain he was in, no matter how much his heart was breaking, Train had been through much worse in the last eight days.

I won't give up…! I'll bring Train back to the light no matter what!

Creed was able to see the tears falling from Train's eyes again. His skin looked like it was breaking apart then fusing back together at a much more rapid pace than it was last night. Creed was able to work out that Doctor was shouting commands at him faster than at the docks which meant Train's attacks were faster and therefore his body was breaking apart faster than usual, causing the Nanomachines to go into overdrive. And as Creed looked at Train's face he could tell it was causing him more pain than it had the other night. With the next barrage of his bullets and ice, Creed was able to see the bones of Train's fingers for a split second, before they were healed up and good as new again. It happened again and again and Creed saw more tears falling from Train's eyes, eyes that were begging Creed to put him out of his misery.

Creed screamed wildly, tears flowing relentlessly from his eyes as he continued slicing the attacks away from himself. "I WON'T DO IT TRAIN!"

Suddenly, he was dropped to the ground, landing on his injured legs causing him to cry out painfully. He groaned and raised his head to see why Train had dropped him. His beloved was slowly lowering himself to the ground, clutching his head once more as he screamed a powerful, blood curdling scream. Creed's skin crawled and his heart shattered when he watched Train land on the ground and curl into a ball, desperate to get away from the pain and the orders that were being shouted into his ear. Creed pushed himself up and looked over his shoulder to see if Doctor was still trying to control him and smirked at what he saw.

Aliane decided she couldn't sit back and watch anymore. She was using her abilities to turn herself invisible, phasing in and out of Kanzaki to distract him enough so he couldn't give orders. Despite being much smaller than Doctor, Aliane still managed to get in a couple of hits on the man. The scientists had no hand-to-hand combat skills to speak of and Creed could tell by the way Aliane moved she could handle herself just fine. It was clear she had some kind of martial arts training. He saw Doctor try to catch her in his Tao a few times, but apparently he couldn't do it when she was invisible.

I think Doctor needs to see his opponent in order to trap them. He can't send them to a dream world if he doesn't know where they are.

Creed smirked when he saw the girl grab the transceiver that was giving Train orders and floated away with it. When she was about halfway in the air, she turned herself invisible again, making it impossible for Doctor to trap her. Creed nodded in approval at the space where he saw the girl disappear.

That's a useful skill. Now she just needs to learn how to hone it better. I'm glad I decided to trust her.

Creed turned back around and saw Train rocking back and forth, pulling at his hair and he mumbled something under his breath. Creed didn't know what his beloved was saying, but he could tell he was slowly losing even more of his mind and possibly trying to talk himself out of it.

"I'm coming, Train…!"

Creed tried to stand up, then fell back to the ground. He cursed at the blood seeping out of his legs and began crawling to his Kitten instead. Train wasn't making any moves to attack him or run away from him, so he thought that was going to be his best chance to try and bring his love back to the light.

"I won't give up, Train! I don't care how much blood I lose, I don't care how much pain I'm in, and I don't care if they chop my legs off! I will never give up on you!"

When he was only a few feet away from his cat, he reached out to try and touch Train's shoulder. The gunman suddenly stopped moving, then lit himself up with the brightest electrical forcefield Creed had ever seen his lover create. Creed shut his eyes to avoid the bright light, but did not stop crawling forward. He didn't care if he had to throw himself into an electrical barrier to get to his beloved. He'd walk through fire to get to Train, so in his mind lightning was nothing to be scared of.

The alternative of losing Train is worse than the idea of being burnt to a crisp. I won't let him get away this time!

Creed kept his eyes closed and continued moving towards his partner. He could feel the heat of the electricity burn his face and hair, but still he kept moving. Every time he reached out, he prayed that he would feel the shock of the barrier since that would mean he had made it to Train. Even though his eyes were closed, he knew he was getting closer to Train because the heat was getting more and more intense. The hairs all over his body stood on end and he knew his fingers were burning, but still he did not stop. Nothing was going to stop him from holding Train in his arms again.

"Train!" Creed shouted, hoping his love could hear him from behind the barrier he created between them. "Train! Please! LET ME IN!"

As he reached out his hand again, he felt someone grab both of his wrists and flip him over so he was laying on his back. His eyes were still shut, but he knew it had to be Train since he could feel his flesh burning under the owner's fingers. Creed gritted his teeth and fought through the pain since he knew whatever pain he was in, Train's pain was worse.

"T-Train…!" Creed shouted, still not sure if his love could hear him behind the forcefield he could still feel scorching his eyelids. "Train… I love you."

The electricity stopped and Creed opened his eyes. He hoped that his words had gotten through to his Kitten, but seeing the dead look in Train's golden eyes, he knew that wasn't true. Train deactivated all of his Tao abilities, yet he still held a look of pure, empty hatred in his eyes. He stared at Creed as if he didn't know the man and the silver man felt more tears fall.

"Train…"

Creed felt one of his hands be released as Train pulled out Hades and aimed it between his eyes.

"Train… Please, Train. I love you…"

Again, there was no response as Train cocked his gun. Creed stared helplessly into those golden eyes he loved more than anything else in the world. He tried to raise his arm to block the blow or even grab his Imagine Blade again, but the ice dagger was still deep in his flesh, nearly reaching the bone. His blood loss was too great and his vision was beginning to blur."

"Train…"

Another tear fell from his eye as he saw a ghostly image of Train smiling cheekily at him. He saw another one of Train laughing happily, then another of his beloved sleeping peacefully. The next image he saw was of Train eagerly eating a meal Creed had prepared and the next was Train sitting in his arms as he played the ukulele. Another flashed before his eyes of Train smiling lovingly at him, and Creed smiled in return, even though he knew it wasn't real.

"My Kitten…"

He felt Hades press against his forehead and shut his eyes. The last image that flashed in front of his eyes was Train sitting at the piano as he played Saya's song. That image forced Creed's eyes opened and his hands to dig into the shirt pocket. As he wrapped his fingers around the music box, he breathed a sigh of relief upon feeling none of the daggers or bullets had destroyed it, and he couldn't help but think that was due to Saya's spirit watching over them.

Before Train pulled the trigger, Creed shoved the box in his love's face, allowing the quiet music to speak for itself.

Train froze and stiffened, staring at the small box his target was offering him. He felt his hand beginning to shake and his hold on Creed's wrist weakened. "S…. Saya…?"

His eyes drifted over to the man that was underneath him and felt like something clicked in his head. "Cr-Creed?!"

Creed smiled at his beloved. "I'm here, Train…"

Train looked at Hades, his hand shaking wildly as he dropped the gun. The world around him was beginning to spin as he tried to figure out what was going on and he leaned back and clutched his head again. He started banging his head against Creed's chest, crying wildly from the pain he was still in and the anguish his heart felt at realizing what he had almost done. He tried to form words, but he was too delirious to form any real sentences. Instead, he cried and made pathetic, unintelligible nonsense.

"Train…" Creed wrapped his arms around his love's back and pulled him closer, rubbing his beloved's back as he stared up at the sky. "Train… My love… I'm here…"

Train started to rock back and forth in his arms and managed to somehow form words. "It… hurts… Creed…"

Creed felt his heart break and kissed Train's head. "It's okay, Train… I've got you… I'll make the pain go away…"

Creed suddenly saw Aliane appear behind the Black Cat with the syringe in her hand. She looked at the silver man for confirmation and Creed nodded his head. As soon as he did that, Aliane gently injected the gunman with the new drug, waiting until the entire contents of it were inside the cat. Once she was sure it was completely empty, she pulled it away slowly, making sure not to hurt the man.

Creed felt Train's tense body slowly relax in his arm and sighed in relief. He kissed Train's head again and snuggled his face deep within his chocolate locks. "I've got you, Train… And I'm never letting you go again."

Aliane sat on the floor and watched the two, wiping the tears away from her eyes as she spoke. "Is the drug supposed to knock him out or should we be worried?"

Creed checked Train's pulse and nodded. "It's the drug along with general exhaustion. His breathing and pulse are normal. No need to be concerned."

Assuming we can get out of here quickly. Where is the Doctor?

Aliane answered his unspoken question. "I managed to lead Doctor away from here, but I don't know how long we have until he comes back."

Creed nodded, then took the earpiece out of Train's ear and crushed it in his fingers. "Then we need to get going."

Aliane nodded, picked up Train's gun. "Can you stand?"

Creed groaned at the pain in his legs, but nodded his head nonetheless. "I can stand and walk at least long enough to get us away from here. I'll call for help as soon as we're safe."

Aliane nodded again and helped Creed stand up with the cat in his arms. She then grabbed the man's arm and turned them both invisible. Creed shivered at the feeling, then gave her a curious look.

"You said I need to start training more, right? What better way to start than to make sure no one finds us while we bring Train to safety?"

Creed smiled, then frowned. "Why can I still see you?" He looked in his arms and saw his beloved as well. "And Train?"

Aliane smirked. "Because you're invisible with me. To us, everything appears as normal, but no one can see us. Trust me."

Creed chuckled and adjusted Train in his arms. "You're full of surprises, aren't you? Any more tricks up your sleeves?"

Aliane thought about that, then snapped her fingers. "Oh yeah! I can slip my body into other people's and control them momentarily. That's one of the ways I was able to get Doctor away from you guys."

Creed blinked at her. "How could you forget something as useful as that?"

Aliane shrugged her shoulders. "I don't really think. I just act. Sorry I keep leaving out details of my powers. I'll be sure to be as truthful as my memory allows me from now on. Even though I don't think we'll have much time together once we get back…"

Creed frowned at her, knowing she didn't mean to say those last words out loud.

She knows Sephiria is going to arrest her as soon as she sees her. I… I don't know how I feel about that, but right now I can't think about it. I need to get Train home.

Creed looked back at his beloved and snuggled his face against Train's for a moment, breathing in the man he missed more than anything else. His heart, mind, and soul felt complete once more and he knew he was never going to let Train leave his side ever again.

You're safe now, Train… I won't let anyone take you ever again...

He was sure the only reason he was able to hold Train was from his pure force of will to get his Kitten home and now he could only hope that feeling would last long enough until they got to safety.

My love for Train can get me through anything. I may collapse once we're home, but at least he'll be safe.

However, none of that would happen if they didn't get home quickly. Doctor could show up out of nowhere with those beasts and try to kill them and take Train back. But Creed wasn't going to let that happen.

No one will ever hurt Train ever again.

Creed frowned as he scanned the area, trying to figure out where they were.

"Which way?"

Aliane pointed in the opposite direction the Doctor went. "This way. It may not be the right way, but at least it's away from that sick bastard."

Creed nodded and adjusted Train again. "Right. Take us home, little girl."

Aliane's eye twitched and she mumbled under her breath. Creed knew she didn't want him to hear what she was saying, but he could tell she was trying to stop herself from being rude to the man. The silver man chuckled lightly as he gripped Train tighter in his arm, giving him a gentle kiss on the forehead.

"We'll be together always, my love… No matter what."

---

Translation:

"Flash."