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

50. Reuniting

Disclaimer: I do not own Black Cat or its characters.

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Pale, lavender eyes opened slowly, then squinted at the morning sun that radiated indecently through the window panes. A thin, feminine hand blocked the offending star, an annoyed sound leaving her delineated lips as she made a swipe with her hand to open a portal. Echidna rolled her body away from the window, then reached her hand behind her back to slip it through the manmade black hole. Her weakened state made opening the portal painful, but the sun burning against her eyelids increased the agony in her head, which ended up hurting her more than using her Tao at the moment.

I need to start using my Tao again, anyway. I can't keep avoiding it because my body is too weak to sustain my own powers.

As soon as her lithe fingers wrapped around the silky fabric of the curtains, the actress yanked them shut, shrouding the room in a soothing darkness. She kept her eyes shut as she sighed in relief. Her head was vibrating painfully against her skull, and the last thing she wanted to be greeted with first thing in the morning was the ever-present and bothersome sun.

The injuries she sustained from their run-in with Chronos and the sweepers at the docks were quite substantial, and since her Tao was still at a low level, they had not healed yet. Broken and fractured bones took longer to heal then cuts or scrapes. Even impalements and gunshot wounds healed faster than bones. She didn't understand why, but Doctor had made it very clear that was simply how the Tao's healing power worked.

If only I could level up my Tao like Charden has, I'd be able to heal faster. Then I wouldn't be stuck useless in this bed.

However, what bothered her more was the fact that she couldn't get rid of that persistent headache. Kanzaki had also made it clear that every day human ailments like headaches or stomach aches were not something the Tao was equipped to heal. Meaning, if they were to get a cold or a stomach bug, the Tao wouldn't do anything to help them recover. They'd just have to take over the counter medicine and heal like any other normal human. While it annoyed Echidna beyond belief to still have to succumb to such basic human weaknesses, it was worth it to still hold onto at least a bit of her humanity.

But, this headache has been attached to me like my shadow in the afternoon sun. Or better yet, stalking me like an overly zealous fan.

The actress moaned in pain, then rolled over, resting the back of her hand against her forehead. She slowly opened her eyes, staring up at the ceiling with arduous intent, as if thinking was a chore for her foggy and pain stricken brain.

Which actually isn't too far from the truth… Each one of my thoughts are consumed by Charden and what he's becoming…

That wasn't anything out of the ordinary considering her love for the Blood Taoist, but lately thinking about her partner caused her nothing by anxiety, agony, and apprehension. It used to be whenever she thought about her future with the man, her heart would swell with hope that they would be rid of Chronos influence in the world for good, and finally be able to live happily ever after with one another. But now, their future together felt more impending and ominous than a classic fairytale ending.

If Charden keeps going down the path he's going on… There's no way I'll be able to bring him back from the other side… He'll be trapped in his dark and corrupt thought with no way out.

Echidna stared up at the ceiling, clenching her fist slightly as she thought of her lover.

No. No, I won't let his story end like that. I won't let our story end like that. As long as I'm around, the darkness won't take him over. I'll be his guiding light, no matter what.

However, she knew the 'no matter what' part of her thoughts meant surrendering in their war against Chronos. Charden had been completely obsessed with their demise, so much so he was even beginning to consider incorporating the Nanomachines into his body. After seeing what they did to the Black Cat and the children they were experimenting on, Echidna knew that was a terrible idea.

Not to mention that it will also push him further away from both me and humanity. I understand he might become unstoppable with those bots in his body, but that's still no reason to give up who he is as a person. That's no reason for him to give up his humanity entirely.

She covered her face with her hands, rubbing her forehead to attempt to rid herself on the pain. The woman's body flinched painfully as her thoughts centered on the fight at the docks, remembering what happened to her partner when he encountered their previous leader.

Creed… With one swipe of his sword, he may have sealed the deal on Charden's choice regarding the Nanomachines…

She replayed the horrifying incident in her mind over and over again, her vision dominated by it every time she shut her eyes, and she was positive it was one of the reasons her head refused to show her mercy. Charden was moments away from subduing and possibly even disposing of Creed Diskenth once and for all when the swordsman sliced off her lover's arm.

The scene happened so fast, yet played out in slow motion in her eyes. She heard Charden's scream and immediately opened a portal to him. Unlike when her partner was almost killed by Chronos during that party, Echidna leapt into action right away, opened a portal up to the man she loved, and jumped through it to save him.

Instead of being paralyzed in fear, I was able to react in enough time to save him from a worse fate. Even though it seemed like Creed was more concerned with getting to Heartnet, Charden was still weak and I wasn't going to risk the chance Diskenth was willing to return to his old habits to save his precious cat.

However, rescuing her lover cost the actress a lot. She was engaged in a battle with several of Chronos' numbers, and as soon as she turned her back, they took advantage of her exposure. The back of both of her legs were sliced open by the new Number XIII's rocket powered blades, her back was completely lacerated from Number VII's Orichalcum wires, and her side was impaled by VIII's spiked ball.

The last blow given to her by Baldor actually pushed her through the portal which, as painful as it had been, was the only beneficial part of her encounter with the multiple assassins'. By attacking her so heedlessly, Number VIII had pushed her through the black hole and towards her lover, giving Echidna the opportunity to pull both Charden and the Black Cat out of the frany before Creed caused any more damage to the Blood Taoist.

If it hadn't been for his brutal attack, I wouldn't have made it in time. The rest of the attacks nearly crippled me, but Number VIII was able to give me the push I needed to get to Charden in time. Literally.

Thinking of her injuries caused them to pulsate painfully, and she soon found it impossible to continue laying on her back. However, as soon as she rolled to her side, she groaned sorely and turned to her otherside. The amount of injuries she had endured made it difficult for her to sleep, which is also why she was certain the throbbing headache remained.

If I could just sleep, maybe I could clear my head a little and finally rid myself of this damn headache. And if I can get rid of the pain in my head, maybe I can get rid of the pain in my heart…

She clutched her chest, then sighed desolately as her mind drifted back to thoughts of her lover.

I've barely seen him since that night at the docks… Even though he's stopped by to check on me, he can never stay long. And, as much as I want him to stay with me, I understand why he can't.

Ever since she and Charden had officially become lovers, they spent every night together. But, due to her injuries and the Blood Taoist's cluttered schedule, he had been more distant. Since she was currently out of commission, Charden was assuming full responsibilities of the Apostles, and Echidna knew how much time that difficult task took up.

It's like trying to herd a pack of feral cats. Still, I wish he could at least stay for a meal… Or at least rest himself. He needs to recover as well. Probably more than the rest of us.

Although Echidna believed his Tao had leveled up enough that his healing factor was quicker to respond to his injuries. Other than his arm, he might be completely better. She really just wanted him to rest so she could not only lay next to him again, but also give him a minute to breathe. His mental state had been getting worse, and Echidna prayed that if he slowed down for just a minute, maybe he'd see what he was putting himself through and take a step back.

But… I guess what I really want is for him to stay with me for a while…

It was true that she needed her space so she could recover, but that didn't mean she missed him any less. Not only had her worry for the man increased, but her need and want for him to be at her side had grown as well. Her fear for his humanity and soul had been growing every day, and it seemed like the only time a flicker of his former self came out was when they were alone together. And she was hoping the more time they spent by themselves, the more of a chance she had to keep him tethered to her world.

And tethered to me…

The more she thought about their future, the more she was beginning to think her enemy was correct. Creed didn't say it in so many terms, mostly because the swordsman didn't really understand what she was talking about, but his advice made it clear what she had to do if she wanted to save the man she loved from turning completely into a monster.

I have to give up the war on Chronos. I have to give up our dream of taking them down and freeing society of their control. In order to save Charden… I have to force him to give up the one thing he's wanted more than anything else out of life.

She clutched her head as it pounded violently, rubbing her temples in an attempt to sooth the pain engulfing her skull. The thought of convincing Charden to give up taking Chronos down had occurred to her, but that proved to be impossible the first time she even hinted at it. His entire demeanor shifted to the darkest and most volatile she had ever seen, and Charden never turned his barely hidden, dangerous rage on her before that moment.

I'm usually the only one that can get him to calm down. To him, I'm what the Black Cat is to Creed: His only light in this bleak and depressed world…

As soon as she learned that having a conversation about their future goals was not going to work, she tried to explain to her lover how she felt about his sudden personality change. However, Charden was so detached from his emotions that he wasn't able to understand what she was going through. She was able to get him to infer what her emotions were, but as much as he wanted to soothe her aching heart, he didn't understand what she wanted.

It's almost like he doesn't see how much he's changed. He's so obsessed with the thought of winning against Chronos, he's unable to see how much his own reflection has changed.

Echidna tried using leading questions to guide her lover down the correct path, but that didn't work either. Then, she tried to be a bit more blunt with her words, but again it was futile. When she was finally completely open and honest with her partner, Charden snapped at her again and the entire conversation turned into an argument. Which was also something they never did.

And that was the last time I saw him… Was that yesterday afternoon, or was it last night? I can't remember. I've been sleeping so much that all my days are beginning to meld together.

The actress knew she needed as much rest as possible if she was going to be at her best and be able to stand at Charden's side, but she absolutely loathed laying uselessly in her room. The fact that Charden might still be angry with her made her inert behavior all the more tortuous. She wanted nothing more than for the man to walk through the door, take her in his arms, and confess his love to her with the same adent tone he used the first time he spoke those three coveted, ethereal words to her.

"I love you, Echidna."

Echidna blinked in confusion at the beautiful man, and not just because he had removed his hat and glasses, giving her the ravishing view of his flawless face.

She opened and closed her mouth a few times, then finally spoke in a pathetically shaky voice. "Wh-what…?"

Charden smiled warmly at her, fell to one knee, and took her delicate hand gently in his own. "I love you, Echidna. And I believe I have for some time now."

The woman was at a loss for words. She had been dying to hear those words for such a long time, but had previously prayed they came from another man's lips. However, she had long let go of that dream when she realized Creed only had eyes for the Black Cat, and there was nothing in the world that would sway his heart in any other direction.

Echidna shook her head, still unsure how to respond to the captivating man's passionate words. "I-I… I don't… I…"

Charden's loving smile turned wistful as he wrapped his strong fingers around her soft hand. "You don't need to say it back to me, my dear. I just wanted you to know how I felt. I understand if your heart still belongs to that man, but I pray one day you'll see how he was never worthy of your presence or your love. He was never worthy of holding a heart as exquisite as yours."

Echidna's heart jumped into her throat and quaked tremendously when the Blood Taoist's other hand tenderly cupped her cheek, caressing her smooth skin lightly as his mesmerizing eyes locked onto hers.

Added to the man's beauty, the scene was coincidentally perfect for Charden's confession, the setting sun along with the warm breeze made it seem far too cliché to be real. The waltzing wind brushed armously through the trees, making the leaves glide melodically against one another, the birds' celestial tweets accompanying the plants as if the Blood Taoist had paid for their musical performance.

The fact that nature seemed to be singing sweet, harmonious music in the background made the moment all the more romantic, and Echidna couldn't help but chuckle lightly at the theatrical mood. She knew Charden well enough to realize he must have gone out of his way to make the moment absolutely perfect. His mind was too plan oriented, and his methods were too meticulous to be anything less than that.

Charden cocked an eyebrow at the woman, not sure why she was laughing and decided to voice his concerns for the actress's mental state. "Echidna? Are you okay?"

Echidna covered her mouth with the back of her unoccupied hand, then spoke between her bouts of amused giggles. "You even prepared my favorite meal and served me my favorite drink…"

Charden's face faltered even further as he slowly began to piece together the woman found his confession to be absurd. He sighed in defeat and regretfully released her hand, standing up from his spot as he turned away from his partner.

"I guess I shouldn't have expected any less… If you'd like space from me, I understand. However, I hope this doesn't affect our professional relationship. I'd hate to lose you as a partner. You are a valuable asset to my heart and Apostles' end goal…"

Charden reached towards the table to grab his drink, ready to leave the woman alone, but needing the comfort of wine to soothe his broken heart. "I'll just take this and be on my wa-"

His words were cut off as Echidna grabbed his wrist and pulled his face down towards her. Using her other hand, she clutched the collar of his shirt, bringing the blonde man's face inches from her own. Within seconds, she made the distance non-existent as she pressed her lips softly against Charden's.

The Blood Taoist widened his eyes, too distracted by the sudden kiss to respond in enough time before Echidna pulled away and smiled adoringly at him.

"How can someone so smart also be so dumb… I love you too, Charden."

Charden blinked a few times, then smiled warmly at the actress as he leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Echidna's back. "Thank you, my dear…"

Echidna sighed blissfully and leaned into the man's arms as she pressed her face against his shoulders. She shut her eyes and allowed the serene embrace of love to encompass her aching heart. The three magical words may have come from an unexpected speaker, but Echidna was able to accept them with even more vigor and desire than she originally thought possible. She had waited a long time for her unrequited love to be returned, and she was overjoyed at the man who had been able to return them.

A tear fell from the woman's eye as he replayed the moment in her head. It was the most divine and heavenly moment in her life, and now that she saw what had become of the man that gave her such a celestial memory, she wanted nothing more than to travel back in time and embrace the person Charden used to be. The man she missed with all her heart.

She knew that man contemplating taking the Nanomachines into his body was not the man she had fallen in love with, but that didn't change her feelings for Charden one bit. She still loved him more than anyone else in the world, and wanted nothing more than to salvage his soul. Echidna knew his original heart was still beating in his impeccable chest. She saw it in his perfect eyes every time they laid together as lovers.

He's still in there, I know it…

Echidna turned her head to gaze at the closed curtains, remembering Creed's words of bringing his beloved back to the light no matter what the cost. She reached a hand out towards the window, as if she was reaching for a brighter future for her and her partner.

Charden, please… Why can't you see I'm just trying to help…? Why can't you see what you've become...

As she stared at the closed blinds, she frowned deeply at the bright sun and lowered her hand

Wait… what time is it?

She grimaced as she raised her arm again and reached for her phone, groaning once more as she stretched her aching limb across the bed and towards her nightstand. It was a difficult task to accomplish, but she managed to wrap her fingers around the device, then shot her eyes open at the time.

It's nine-thirteen?! How the hell did I sleep so late?!

She attempted to lift herself up with her other arm, but fell back down on the mattress with a light thump. The actress growled at her own weakness, then pushed herself up again, resting the back of her head against the headboard of her bed. She unlocked her phone to check for messages, even though she didn't see any notifications on her locked screen.

Why the hell didn't Aliane wake me up? She's supposed to be here by eight sharp.

Aliane had been going out of her way to make sure she paid a visit to Echidna's room like clock work. Even though the girl hadn't been tending to her for very long, Echidna knew what time she was supposed to stop by, since the actress made it very clear before she initially passed out.

And with how thinly the ice she's skating on is, there's no way she'd miss an appointment. Something's going on. My guts is telling me that as well.

Echidna hissed quietly as she flipped her legs over the bed, pushing her body towards the edge and leaning forward to catch her breath.

I'll go check on her. I'm glad she's close enough that I don't need to use my Tao.

After a few minutes, she reached for the single crutch Aliane brought her, then propped her body up with the contraption. She absolutely hated that she needed it in order to move around without the use of her Tao, but she couldn't ignore the instinct that told her to check on the girl.

I hope Charden didn't decide to kill her even after all that convincing I did. I thought he agreed she was still useful and to keep her alive for a bit longer.

Echidna didn't save the girl out of any affections she might have had for her. In all honesty, she didn't particularly care for the girl especially after hearing her feelings for the Black Cat. As far as she was concerned, that man had far too many people obsessed with him that adding yet another person to his personal fan club seemed like a waste of time. His strength and grit alone did not make up for the immaturity and general foolishness he possessed. She hated how he never took anything seriously, yet somehow always managed to come out on top.

Honestly, at this point falling for that man is so cliché. He's nothing but an annoying pest.

During her annoyed thoughts of the man she hated more than anything else in the world, even more than Chronos, she managed to make her way towards the door. Walking was a slow and arduous process for Echidna, but she knew she was going to have to start making it a habit if she was going to get better soon.

I can't let my muscles grow weak. I have to start moving around more, so this is the perfect opportunity to see what kind of shape I'm actually in.

She was also hoping that she'd be able to see Charden and console her breaking heart that her partner wasn't angry with her anymore.

I know requesting to have a meal with him would be asking for too much, but would a civil conversation with him hurt? Even if it's about taking down Chronos, I don't care. I just want to talk to him without him losing his temper.

She pushed her unpleasant thoughts aside in favor of walking through her door and down the hall, towards where she knew Aliane's room to be. Echidna figured the girl simply might have been sleeping in. It was something she had been known to do in the past, so the actress didn't think it would be too strange to catch Aliane snoozing past her alarm.

And luckily her room isn't far away from mine. That's another reason why Charden put her in charge of taking care of Nica and me.

Ever since her fumble with the Black Cat's near escape, the girl had been under a microscope. She was going out of her way to try and get back on the Apostles' good side, and one of the ways Charden said she could do that was by taking care of their fallen members.

So the fact that she wasn't on time to check in on me is unsettling. It only makes this feeling in my gut even worse. I can't help but think something happened last night.

Echidna always trusted her gut instincts. They weren't always correct, and sometimes, her former feelings for Creed being a prime example, they got her into trouble. However, what she was feeling at that precise moment wasn't something she could ignore. There was something deep in her chest that was telling her to check on more than the girl.

Why do I have the urge to check on the Black Cat as well? Watts has fed him his breakfast by now, so if there was something wrong, he would have reported it already.

She sighed as she finally made her way to Aliane's room, lifting her hand to knock on the door. Echidna shook her head and rolled her eyes.

I'm her leader and she's late to tend to me. Why am I bothering with niceties such as knocking?

She wrapped her manicured fingers around the knob and turned it, noticing it was unlocked and smiling proudly. Aliane may not have been around the Apostles' hideout for very long, but Echidna had gotten to know her pretty well. And she knew she never locked the door.

I don't know why she insists on leaving it open, but then again I don't really care. And right now, it's coming in handy.

As soon as she opened the door, she peaked her head inside the room. "Aliane?"

Hearing nothing in response, she opened the door wider and stepped inside. She frowned at the empty room, scanning the bed for any lumps to signal the girl may have still been sleeping. It didn't take her long to realize it was vacant, since all the blankets were thrown about and the sheets were ripped from the mattress.

She's not here… Is it possible she's just running late and is preparing our meals?

Echidna winced at the pain in her head and rubbed her temples as she leaned against the door.

I really don't want to walk all the way to the kitchen. That's much too far for me to travel in this condition. And just this little amount of movement has made the idea of using my Tao even more unappealing.

As pathetic as she knew her current situation was, she knew it was the truth. The house wasn't nearly as large as the mansions Creed set up for them all those years ago, but it was big enough to house all of their Taoists along with the children and Shooting Stars members.

Damnit… Maybe she's in Nica's room and they got caught up in a conversation. That woman's room is just the next door down.

Deciding that checking the other woman's room was a better idea than walking all the way to the kitchen or using her Tao, Echidna stepped out of the room and into the hall, shutting the door behind herself. As she turned towards Nica's room, she frowned at the man walking down the hall with a tray of food she knew was meant for the Black Cat.

Doctor has him on a specific diet. There's no one else in the house that's eating gruel like that.

The fact that Train was eating such bland, lifeless food pleased the actress to no ends. Heartnet adored food, in fact he was nearly obsessed with it, so the mere thought that he had to consume something that looked as though it was meant for a dog put an amused smirk on her face every time it popped into her head.

"Watts… Are you bringing that to Heartnet?"

Watts stopped suddenly at the woman's voice, seemingly not realizing she was there. He bumped into a wall, then blinked with his one good eye at the woman. "Wh-what?"

Echidna rolled her eyes.

Probably not the first time he's bumped into a wall. His depth perception is probably really messed up with that missing eye of his.

Seeing the man still giving her a confused look, Echidna sighed and rubbed her forehead. "Did you lose half of your hearing along with your sight?"

Watts swallowed visibly, then shook his head. "N-No, Ma'am. I heard you. I just…"

Echidna frowned. "...You're just concerned I'm going to tell Charden and your life will be in danger?" Seeing the man nod his head, she sighed again. "I won't tell Charden…"

Not that I think he'll listen anyway…

She froze and her heart stopped, then locked eyes with Watts as she spoke. "Does this mean no one has checked on the Black Cat since last night?"

Watts blinked at her. "I… I guess so…" He watched as her already pale face turned even more white. "Why? Is that a problem?"

Echidna growled at him, then turned the opposite direction she was walking.

Shit! Is my gut right?! Did something happen last night?

Watts watched as the woman limped away, following after her, making sure to keep his pace slow so she would fall behind. "I don't understand. Is something wrong?"

Echidna turned to glare at him from the corner of her eye. "I won't know until I check on the Black Cat…."

Aliane isn't in her room… And Watts didn't check on Heartnet when he was supposed to… There has to be a connection to that.

"Ma'am… May I ask why you're not using your portals to check on the Black Cat?"

Echidna sighed and rubbed her eyes. "Because Doctor has some sort of shield put up to prevent entrance without using the door. It's the same thing keeping Aliane out of there."

"Echidna… If you just explain to me your concerns, I could run ahead and check on him for you. It was on my way there anyway."

Echidna hardened her glare on him. "Why the hell are you so late to bring him his meal? Kanzaki was very clear on the Black Cat's schedule. We need to follow it if he's going to be strong enough to kill Creed and act as our weapon."

Watts swallowed again and looked away from the woman. "I'm… I'm sorry, Ma'am… It won't happen again…"

Echidna snarled at the man as they made their way down the hall.

He's only just started being polite when he realized Charden was willing to kill him if he disrespected me. Honestly, his ass kissing nature drives me insane.

If there was anything Echidna hated more than the Black Cat or Chronos, it was people who sucked up to their bosses in an attempt to get ahead.

His ability isn't even that impressive. He's got the killer instincts and the rage to destroy Chronos at any cost, but he's egotistical and lacks the discipline to even try to level up his Tao. If he's even capable of it.

Echidna had learned through all her practicing that some Tao simply didn't level up. While she had gotten better control of her's, she didn't think it progressed the same as Charden, Creed, and Train's did. No matter how much she trained or how hard she worked, it seemed like all that happened to her body was that she got physically stronger and more skilled with her ability.

And as much as I want to keep up with Charden, it doesn't seem like I can. Which is just another reason why I feel like he's slipping from my grasp.

She shook herself of her depressing thoughts, then gestured at the man to run ahead. "Go on and get the Black Cat his food. I'll head back to my room to lay down. Report back to me on his status the moment he's finished eating."

Watts nodded his head, then ran down the hallway towards Doctor's lab. Echidna sighed and leaned against the wall, her crutch no longer enough to keep her steady. She felt her body beginning to tremble from exhaustion, her fatigue yet another reminder of how pitiful her circumstances were.

So weak… I hate feeling so weak…

She watched as Watts turned the corner and ran down the stairs and continued making her way back to her room. As soon as she made it there, she threw the door open and headed straight for her bed. She allowed her crutch to fall unceremoniously to the ground, then collapsed onto the mattress quite inelegantly. Echidna didn't care how clumsily she might have looked dropping onto her bed, she could tell her body wasn't going to be able to stand for much longer anyway.

I'll leave the door open so Watts knows he can come in. With how much ass kissing he's been doing, I don't doubt he'd knock at my door even if the Black Cat turns out to be dead.

As soon as she was on the mattress, she rested her aching head against the pillow, shutting her eyes and rubbing her temples. Her thought began to wander back to her lover, saddened that she didn't run into him on her short journey out of her room.

I really am pathetic right now. I only walked a few feet down the hall and I'm exhausted.

She frowned, feeling another tear fall from her eye as her wistful thoughts took over again. "Charden… I hope you're okay…"

Just as her body was relaxing, she heard quick footsteps approaching her door. The next thing she knew, Watts came running through the door, smacking his face into the frame as he gave the actress a panicked look.

Echidna sat up at the sudden entrance, the adrenaline in her body enough to make her ignore the pain that shot through her body at the sudden movement. "What is it?"

Watts caught his breath, then rubbed his brow, nearly pushing his eyepatch off with it. "The Black Cat isn't in the Doctor's lab… and neither is Doctor! Isn't he always there?"

Echidna's heart stopped, but her body moved on its own. As dred and uncertainty took her over, she all but forgot about the pain she was still in. "Shit…!"

She grabbed her crutch and ran out the door as quickly as she could, shoving Watts aside as she moved. The woman began limping down the hall towards where she believed Charden might be, shouting at Watts as she made her way to her lover.

"Have you seen Charden?!"

Watts ran after her, shaking his head as he spoke. "No, Ma'am. I haven't seen him since Doctor gave him the Nanomachines."

Echidna stopped again, her world beginning to spin at the man's words. "...What?"

Watts nearly bumped into her as he walked. "Doctor gave Charden the Nanomachines. He asked for them in hopes that he would grow his arm back. You didn't know this?"

Echidna clenched her fists, then punched the wall. "No… No, I didn't know…"

He's keeping secrets now? What else isn't he telling me?

She looked at her trembling hand, remembering what the Black Cat had gone through to merge with the Nanomachines, and knew Charden wasn't going to be any better.

He probably can't move. Possible even knocked out. I have no choice.

Echidna dropped her crutch and cut a hole in the air in front of her, opening a portal to her partner's room. Before she stepped in, she turned to Watts. "Gather everyone in the house immediately. We have to leave."

Watts blinked at her. "What? Why?"

Echidna looked over her shoulder and glared at him. "Are you really questioning your leader at a time like this?! Your laziness has cost us precious hours and Chronos will most likely be here any minute! The Black Cat, Aliane, and Doctor are gone, and we need to leave before we are trapped in a fight we're not prepared for!"

With Charden most likely out of commission due the Nanomachines, we're missing our strongest member. We need to leave now.

Echidna opened up another portal for Watts to use, wincing painfully at the gesture. Opening one portal was difficult enough, but opening two nearly made her vocalize her agony.

She glanced at Watts again, scowling furiously at him for his idiotic blunder. "Use this portal to exit to our next hideout. Gather all the important information and every member of the Apostles including the children. And do it now. Stop wasting time and move!"

Watts jumped at her harsh words, then nodded his head and ran off to find the other members. Echidna didn't watch him disappear. Instead, she stepped into the portal that led to the room she believed Charden would be resting in. It was one of the spare rooms Doctor used for the children, and was most likely the best place for him to rest.

And if I know Doctor, he would have made sure he was away from everyone else while he accumulated the Nanomachines into his body.

She sighed in relief when she saw her lover sleeping on the bed, running her fingers through his hair wistfully as she spoke. "Oh, my darling… How could you be so impulsive and foolish…?"

Another tear fell from her eye as she gently touched the arm that was slowly reforming, jumping slightly when the blonde man twitched at her caress.

He's covered in sweat too… He must be in so much pain…

Echidna kissed his forehead, then gently lifted the man in her arms. She may have been weak, and he may have been heavy, but she felt strength swell through her as the man's body became lighter. Her love for the Blood Taoist was all she needed to get him through the portal, and to their newest hideout.

---

A violent bump caused Creed's head to slam against the window he was sleeping against, and he groaned in frustration. He lifted his head and rubbed the spot that hit the glass, frowning as he blinked his eyes open a few times.

Did I fall asleep…? I don't even remember it.

When he sat up, he felt someone adjust against his arm, making him look over at the beautifully placid scene happening next to him. Train had his arm wrapped tightly around Creed's elbow, his face burying firmly into the silver man's shoulder, as if he was afraid his partner would vanish the moment he let go. Train was clinging to him so tightly, Creed couldn't feel his fingers.

I don't care how tightly he needs to cling to me to make him realize that I'm really with him. He can cut off the circulation to my entire body if that's what he needs to remember that I'm here.

Creed smiled warmly at his beloved and brushed Train's cinnamon hair out of his glorious, golden eyes, and sighed blissfully.

Time and time again, I am awed by his beauty… Even when his heart is bedeviled with harrowing memories of torture, Train somehow manages to remain just as meticulously blissful and innocet as ever.

Creed rested his forehead against his lover's head, kissing him again and again as he allowed his thoughts to be continuously consumed by the sublime man resting against his body.

Train Heartnet truly is an angel sent from Heaven... That's the only explanation for his divine, celestial artistry.

"No… No, stop…" Train muttered as he tightened his hold on Creed, his face contorting in pain as he spoke. "It… hurts… Stop!"

Creed's heart began breaking at his beloved's words, a horrifying reminder of what his Kitten had been through. When he felt his beloved's trembling fingers dig into his muscle, the swordsman turned his body towards his kitten, and slipped his hand underneath the Chronos jacket Creed forcefully provided him after they got into the car. Both Train's and Creed's shirt had been discarded at the barn, but his beloved was still cold and exposed, which caused the silverette to acquire one from a low level eraser lackey. He also didn't want Lin to keep his cloak wrapped around his Kitten.

Acquire is the polite term I'm using. I won't lie and say that a small part of my old self didn't come out in my need to make sure Train was as comfortable as possible.

Despite the covering, his Kitten's torso was still bare, which is why Creed took the coat from an eraser.

"Train… It's okay, I'm here…"

Creed gently glided his fingers up and down his beloved's back, tickingly his soft skin lightly as he whispered adoringly into Train's ear. "I won't let anyone hurt you ever again, my love… I promise…"

As Creed tenderly kissed his head and continued caressing his lover's silky skin, Train slowly relaxed into his arms, his face changing from one of agony to tranquil sleep.

"Creed…" Train whispered, nuzzling his face into the silver man's bare shoulder as he returned to his peaceful slumber, his dreams now filled with thoughts of his lover and the life they shared together.

Creed sighed in relief, kissed his love again, then glanced over at the other occupied seat in the car. Just as Train was clinging to Creed, Lin was clinging to the Black Cat. Number X had his arm wrapped around the gunman's elbow as well, resting the side of his face against the cat's shoulder. The three of them had created a strange sort of cuddle train, and as much as Creed wanted to shove the assassin off and claim Train's body for himself, he didn't want to disturb his beloved's sleep.

Especially since it seems like he just fell into a peaceful one. Sure, the nightmares have been popping up every so often on our ride home, but it seems like he's more capable of losing them.

Seeing Lin seemed to shine a little more light into his beloved's eyes, which made Creed optimistic for his Kitten's future. If seeing just one of his friends brought Train more to reality, then seeing the rest of his sweeper family might be exactly what he needed to fully come back to the light.

I can't wait to see the look on his beautiful face when he sees them all again.

Out of habit, Creed reached for his phone to text their friends they were bringing Train home, but angrily remembered it was completely broken. Obviously, Train didn't have his own on him, so he asked Lin to send the sweepers a message. Number X agreed it was a good idea to give them a heads up, but neither of them were sure if anyone would get the message before they arrived.

However, with how slowly we're moving, they might all have time for breakfast before we get back. Why is it taking so long to get home? I feel like we've been driving for far too long!

He glanced up at Sephiria, noticing the woman was still awake despite how tired she must have been. Her steely, blue eyes were locked onto the car in front of them and Creed knew why. That car held Aliane and Number II, and the only reason she wasn't in it was because she wanted to drive with Train in case the Apostles attacked.

She also said it was to keep an eye on him in case he flipped out again, but I know it's really because she's worried about him. She wants to know that he's okay.

He smirked when he noticed Number One glancing back at the Black Cat, making sure Sephiria didn't see his amused smile since it would only earn him an annoyed scowl.

She cares about Train more than she lets on. I could tell that even when we were in Chronos. It never made me jealous since I could tell it was a sibling love. Even if it wasn't, it would be inappropriate for the leader of numbers to be with one of their assassins.

Creed frowned when he thought of Number II, knowing full well there was something far more intimate going on between the leader of the numbers and Belze. Whether it had actually come to fruition or not, he wasn't sure. Creed could absolutely see Sephiria refraining from acting on her obvious romantic interest in Number II due to the improperness of the relationship. And, since he had no evidence of their relationship other than the passing glances they gave one another, Creed could only assume that as strong as their feelings were for one another, nothing had actually happened.

He sighed and shook his head.

It's none of my business.

Creed glanced out the window, continuing to caress his Kitten as he spoke. "Sephiria… is the driver lost or something?"

It took the transportation longer than expected to find them, which severely increased the amount of time it took to get home. While they waited, Creed and Aliane informed Number One of where the Apostles' hideout was. However, at the rate they were moving, Creed was positive the terrorist would have moved before they had a chance to get to them.

And we were in no condition to go after them back at the barn and even with the reinforcements Sephiria brought, we didn't have the manpower to take them on. Besides any of that, we needed to get Train home, and that need has not changed.

Sephiria sighed and shook her head. "No, Creed, we're not lost…"

Creed frowned and looked down at his beloved again. "Then why is it taking so long to get home? And while we're on the subject, why did it take so long for them to find us in the first place?"

Sephiria gave a heated glare to the driver who winced under the intimidating woman's eyes. "Because on their way to us… they did get lost…"

Creed felt the uncomfortable silence take over the air in the car, then sighed into Train's hair. "So what makes you think we're not lost now?"

Sephiria glanced back at Creed. "Because I know the way back. The issue is the ground we're traveling on. The barn you were hiding at was inordinately remote, so we've only just discovered roads that were actually meant for cars to travel on."

Creed frowned and rubbed his head, remembering how he was woken up when they drove over one of the many bumps they had been driving on. When Sephiria mentioned how they had finally found a road, he was able to notice how much smoother the ride had become.

Good. I don't want anything to wake up Train.

Creed smiled despite the bleak words he was about to speak as he rested his face against his beloved Kitten's head. "At this rate, the Apostles will have realized Train is gone and run away again."

Sephiria clutched the hilt of her sword. "Don't you think I've realized that?"

Creed could hear the anger in her voice, and took his eyes off his Kitten for a moment to stare at the woman. "Then what do you intend to do about it?"

Sephiria was quiet for a moment before she spoke. "Nothing."

Creed blinked in confusion. "What?"

Sephiria looked at him out of the corner of his eyes. "You heard me, Diskenth. I intend to do nothing."

Creed frowned. "Why?"

I mean, it's a reasonable conclusion to come to. I just didn't expect her to so readily accept that as our only option.

Sephiria sighed and looked out the front window of the car. "Do you really think we're in any shape to fight the Apostles right now? I guarantee you the rest of the sweepers are no better off than when we left them, half the numbers are still out of commission, and to top it all off, you, Train, and Lin are weak right now as well. Even if the Taoists are injured, we don't stand a chance against them."

Number One stopped her sentence as she looked back at Creed. "I'm surprised you didn't think of that either."

Creed sighed as well, resting his head against his Kitten's as he spoke. "I did… I guess I just wanted to hear it coming from you as well."

And yet I'm still surprised to hear it come from such a steadfast woman.

He kissed Train's head, then questioned Sephiria about something else that had been on his mind. "Do you think it's all a trap?"

Sephiria looked back out the window. "You mean do you think the girl is only handing herself over so they could find us and strike while we're weak?" Seeing the man nod in the rearview mirror, she frowned. "The thought occurred to me, and I've been meaning to ask you for your thoughts about it as well."

Creed unwillingly pried his eyes away from Train as she spoke to the woman. "What do you mean?"

Sephiria kept her eyes on the mirror, but went from Creed to Train. "Does it… make sense that this is a trap?"

Creed followed Sephiria's eyes back to his cat. "No, not entirely." Hearing the silence from the woman, he continued talking. "There's no way they aren't weak like us. They have to be licking their wounds as well. As much as it pains me to say this… now would be the best time to strike."

Sephiria nodded in agreement, upset that the silver man had some to the same conclusion as she did. "And now is the precise time we cannot attack…"

Creed sighed and kissed his Kitten again. "To make matters worse, Charden is out of commission at the moment… And when he wakes up, he'll most likely be stronger than ever… Not to mention it seems like the Apostles inner circle seems to be falling apart."

Sephiria's eyes widened as she turned around wildly at the silver man's passing comment. "What are you talking about Diskenth?"

Creed pressed his face against his beloved's hair, breathing in his intoxicating scent for a moment before responding. "I really don't know much about the Nanomachines they gave him, but I think the internal struggle within the Apostles' ranks has something to do with the conversation I had with Echidna."

Sephiria kept her eyes locked on Creed's despondent ones. "You mean the conversation you had with the actress before Train was taken?"

Creed shuddered at the thought, then nodded his head. "Yes… Aliane's words confirmed that there's something going on with Charden's personality, and it's starting to tear their organization apart from the inside."

Sephiria rolled her eyes, then glared at the car in front of them. "You seem awfully trusting of that girl despite what she's done to us… What makes you think we can trust her?"

Creed frowned. "I don't trust her. But, the way she freely offered the information made me think she was telling the truth. She was trying to subtly convince me to spare Nica as well… and maybe even Echidna…"

Sephiria's eyes harden on the vehicle holding their prisoner. "I hope you didn't offer something you have no authority over."

Creed sighed. "I didn't. No matter what any of those women did to help us get Train back, it doesn't change what they did to all of us."

Sephiria nodded her head. "If you heard all this information from Aliane, then I'm going to take it with a grain of salt."

Creed rolled his eyes. "I agree we shouldn't trust her, but why would she willingly offer us a strength of our enemies? She gains nothing from that."

Sephiria was quiet for a minute, then responded. "That may be true… but that doesn't mean I'm going to readily believe her."

Creed nodded. "And we shouldn't, but we should at last hear her out. Even though she wasn't there for long, she might know something. And she can at least tell us more about Charden's mental state and the Nanomachines. As I stated, I don't know much, but she spent a lot of time in Doctor's lab. And she's quite clever. If there's anyone who will know what's going on with his experiments, it's Aliane."

The silver man stopped his sentence so he could pull Train closer to his body and kiss his head again. "So, could you maybe hold off on erasing her for just a little while longer so we can talk to her?"

Sephiria watched Creed through the mirror again. "If I didn't want to hear what she had to say, then I would have killed her right on the spot."

Creed let a small smile loose, then snuggled his face back into Train's hair. "Good to hear."

"You're going to be interrogating her with me, Diksenth."

Creed blinked, then turned his head to face the woman. "Excuse me?"

Sephiria narrowed her eyes at him. "I know you intended on staying by Heartnet's side, but considering you're the one that's convincing me to listen to the girl before I erase her, then you need to be there with me. Besides that, I think she might be more willing to cooperate if you're there."

Creed whimpered quietly as he pressed his face back into Train's hair. "You're so cruel, Sephiria… Keeping a man as passionate and needy as me away from my beloved Train…"

Especially after not seeing him for an eternity!

He pouted as he squeezed Train closer to his body. "So cruel…"

Sephiria rolled her eyes. "You're as dramatic as always, Diskenth. You'll have plenty of time to reunite with him later. The doctor will need space to look at him anyway."

That didn't make the silver man feel any better, but he knew it was no use arguing with the woman. Once she had her mind set on something, he never let it go.

And I guess I can't blame her for wanting me there. She's right, Aliane will probably feel safer with me nearby and she might be more willing to talk.

Aliane made it clear that she believed she was going to die at the hands of Chronos and even seemed to have accepted it. But, that didn't mean she wanted to die. While Creed didn't think her guilt would allow her to hold back any information from Number One, the plan of keeping Creed in the same room while they examined her seemed like a sound one.

As much as I hate to be apart from my beloved, she's right when she says I'll have time to reunite with him later. Besides, I need to give Train as much time as he needs to recover before we can lay together as lovers again.

As much as the silver man wanted Train to throw himself at Creed, he didn't think that would happen so soon. He had a feeling his Kitten was going to need time to get settled back in before that could happen.

Creed sighed and snuggled his head back into Train's hair, giving him another kiss as he spoke to the Chronos' leader. "Whatever you said, Number One…"

Sephiria glanced in the mirror again and smiled a little at the reunion her former assassin's were reveling in. Despite the fact that Train was asleep, it was clear the Black Cat was enjoying every kiss and touch the silver man was providing him, and each form of contact seemed to be healing the gunman.

And soon he'll be back with his other friends as well. Hopefully that'll help bring him back to his old self. No. I'm sure it'll help. If his reaction to seeing Lin is an indication of anything, it's that the more he sees people he cares about, the closer he gets to beating what the Apostles did to him.

Sephiria felt her blood boil at the thought. The idea of someone as strong and resilient as Train being tormented to the point of being as broken as he currently was not only infuriated her, but frightened her a bit as well.

If they can manage to break the Black Cat… then they can break any of us. That is, if they can get their hands on us first.

Sephiria glanced at Train's peaceful face, watching as the gunman whispered his partner's name when Creed kissed him again.

No, I'm wrong about one thing. Train isn't broken. He's still fighting.

Sephiria looked back out the windshield of the car.

And we'll keep fighting too.

"Ma'am, we're approaching the sweepers' hideout."

Sephiria rolled her eyes at the driver. "I can see that." She turned to look back at Creed. "Start waking Train up."

Creed nodded and turned to his beloved. "Train… Train, wake up."

The swordsman used his free hand to gently shake his partner awake. As much as Creed didn't want to let go of his Kitten, he knew he had to if he wanted to get his lover into a real bed so he could keep sleeping.

Seeing his Kitten stir only slightly, Creed sighed and tried again. "Train, if you don't wake up, I'm going to have to tickle you awake."

"What was that?" Sephiria said with a curious look in her eyes.

Creed giggled and brushed her words away. "Nothing, Sephiria. Don't worry about it."

The silverette turned his attention back to his love, deciding to continue using his gentle methods instead of his threatening ones.

Train will never forgive me if Sephiria finds out that he's ticklish.

As much as it amused Creed to envision what Number One's face would look like if she saw the legendary Black Cat struggling against a tickle onslaught, he didn't want to embarrass his Train.

"Train… My Dearest Train, we're home. It's time to wake up."

Train moaned groggily, batted Creed's nudging hand away, then buried his face back into his partner's shoulder. His tired brain made it difficult to fully comprehend what Creed was saying, but no matter what it was, there was no way it was more important than the quiet sleep he had finally obtained.

Creed sighed at his cat, then ran his fingers through Train's hair. "Train, my love. You need to wake up so you can go back to sleep."

Train snorted at his lover, then repeated a line he felt like he had said to Creed far too many times. "That's a contradiction…"

Creed giggled then leaned forward and kissed Train's head again, feeling like he was never going to get enough of the way his partner's hair gingerly grazed his lips with each peck. "I know it is, Kitten, but it's still true. I want to get you into an actual bed."

Train moaned again and clung tighter to Creed's arm, shaking his head in protest. "But I'm sooo comfortable right now… Why can't we just sleep here for a few more hours?"

Creed smiled warmly at his love, caressing his cheek as he spoke. "Because you'll be more comfortable in a bed."

Train pouted. "Says who?"

Creed smiled warmly. "Says me."

As much as Creed wanted to be annoyed with his beloved for being so childish and not following directions, he couldn't help the overjoyed sensation that his stubborn Kitten was showing more of his true colors. After seeing Lin, the swordsman was able to see more of Train's old self coming out. He was even able to tease Creed and annoy Sephiria when they were waiting for the car to arrive at the barn. His playful nature and irritating banted with the woman proved that he was still in there. Train just needed more normalcy in his life, and possibly more of the antidote.

Which will be given to him as soon as the doctor gets there.

Sephiria informed Creed the doctor was running late for whatever reason, and as much as it annoyed the swordsman to know Train would have to wait for more medicine, he was also a bit grateful.

That will give me time to spend with Train. I'm sure I can convince Sephiria to let me be with him until the doctor gets here. Her interrogation with Aliane can wait at least that long, right?

"The fact that he's not taking your words as commands and following them without question is a good sign, I think."

Creed looked at Sephiria and nodded. "I agree with you one-hundred precent, except right now, I really do need him to listen."

As the silver man tried to push Train off his shoulder, he realized the golden man was heavier than he should have been. He frowned as he leaned over his cat's figure to see Lin was still pressing the entire weight of his small body against Train's side.

For a man as petite as he is, he sure is heavy.

Creed looked down and noticed Lin was also still clinging to Train's arm, then rolled his eyes. "Lin, you need to get up as well so Train can get up."

Lin moaned and shook his head, making it clear he was awake despite his languid protests. "Who says either of us have to get up?"

Creed sighed and rubbed his eyes. "I'm pretty sure it was me. And I'm saying it because we're home. And we need to get Train into his real bed. Understand?"

Lin frowned and tightened his hold on Train's arm. "No. Train said he's comfortable, so we should stay here."

Creed glared slightly at the smaller man. "Did you even hear me when I said we're home? You know a bed is better for Train, so stop being stubborn and clingy and get off so I can get Train up."

Lin lifted his head from Train's shoulder, blinking drowsily as he looked out the window. He sighed and reluctantly released his hold on Train. "Fine…"

Creed nodded in approval as he watched Lin regretfully open the door and step out of the car. As soon as Number X let go of the cat, Train wrapped both his arms around Creed's torso, making it even more difficult for the silver man to even want to wake his Kitten up.

He's so freaking cute, I can't stand it!

Creed sighed and shook his beloved again. "Train… Get up. We need to go inside."

Train suddenly sat up, his face blank and his voice monotone as he spoke. "Yes, Master. Which way?"

Creed jumped at his love's sudden movement, then whimpered sadly when he realized what he just did.

Me and my big mouth… I was so overjoyed with how much of his normal self was coming out just now that I forgot to phrase my sentences carefully.

"Train…" Creed said as he ran his fingers through the cat's hair. "That wasn't an order…"

Train blinked at him in confusion, then began to show panic in his amber eyes. "I'm sorry, Master... I'm afraid I don't understand…"

He gave Creed a pleading look, showing the silver man he was doing his best to fight the drug, but was unable to. "What… Do you want me to do?"

Creed whimpered at his cat, then took his beloved in his arms. "Oh, Train… I'm so sorry, my love..."

Sephiria glanced over her shoulders at the men and frowned. "That didn't last long…"

I thought the fact that he was arguing with Creed meant more of his old self was coming back. But, that only lasted a couple of minutes. I guess we really do need to be careful with what we say to him.

Creed shook his head in defeat, squeezing his anxiety ridden lover even tighter. "No, it didn't…"

He pulled away slightly so he could look at his Kitten, his heart breaking at the vacancy in his glorious golden eyes, desperate to find the light somewhere in their amber abyss. As he searched Train's stunning, bright depths, he saw the obvious fear and consternation that was there, and knew that meant his love was trying to fight the drug.

As much as it hurts to see him so void of emotions, it's comforting to see he's at least beginning to be able to fight the drug without much prompt from me.

"...But, it was better than nothing, right?"

Creed used one of his hands to pat the music box in his pocket, making sure it was still there in case he needed it.

Don't worry, my love. Saya and I will protect you. We'll make sure you're never alone again.

Sephiria blinked at Creed in confusion, still not used to the once deranged man to be so reasonable and optimistic in his world views.

Three years ago, if someone had told me I would not only be working alongside Creed Diskenth, but he was a reasonable, optimistic, and caring man who refused to kill, I would have arrested them right on the spot for incurable insanity.

Not wanting to dampen his light, she nodded in agreement as she opened the door. "Right. Let's get him inside."

Creed nodded, then took a gentle hold of Train's hand and pulled his beloved out of the car with him. As soon as they were outside, the silver man's ears were greeted with a chipper, obnoxiously, loud voice he hadn't heard in a while and honestly hadn't missed.

"KURO-SAMA! IS THAT YOU?!"

Guess they got Lin's message…

Creed turned to watch Kyoko run out of the hideout towards them, her arms outstretched towards Train as she approached. The silverette could tell she was properly prepared to tackle the Black Cat in an overly enthusiastic hug, and even though Creed was willing to let the girl embrace his lover, he did not want her to do it in such a potentially violent way.

I don't know how Train will react to her presence let alone being tackled to the ground by the girl. He might snap and attack her.

Creed moved to step in front of Train to stop the girl, opening his mouth to scold the fire breathing teen, but was roughly pulled away by the man he was trying to protect from the rhapsodic teen. As Creed fell to the ground, he groaned and tried to stand up, the sudden contact with the harsh earth reminding him how sore his body still was.

Even with the cat nap in the car and all the healing the Tao has done, it still hurts to move so suddenly let alone be shoved to the ground.

Creed moaned painfully as he tried to stand up, but was pushed back by Train's wind ability. The cat reacted instinctively and used his Tao almost immediately when he saw the girl running towards them, sending the silver man several feet away from the car and Chronos, as if that was going to keep him safe from what Train saw as an obviously impending danger.

"Don't worry, Master! I'll protect you!" Train sparked his body as he spoke, quickly raising his hand and aiming it at Kyoko. "Surrender, or face the consequences, Cierra Vega!"

"Vega…?" Creed questioned as he watched his beloved's fingers glisten with electrical sparks.

He recognized the name as a crime boss they were ordered to take down during their first year as partners at Chronos, but had failed miserably. It was a particularly hard mission for Train too since she was running a child sex trafficking rig, and the Black Cat always had a soft spot for women and children.

He's confessed to me that that mission has haunted him even after all these years.

As Creed tried to stand up again, he fell back to his feet when his leg muscles gave out from underneath him again. It seemed that his body was finally starting to feel its exhaustion not just from his battle with Train, but from the many miles of walking he did with his Kitten in his arms.

Shit…! Should I just command him to stop?

Just as Creed was about to open his mouth, he watched as Sephiria leapt in front of the cat, blocking a lightning bolt with her sword that he aimed at the teen. She swiped her blade up to break apart a sheet of ice he sent next, glaring at the man who was losing sight of who he was once again.

He fell back into the control of the drug so quickly. And just when I was beginning to believe he'd get better when he saw more of his friends.

Sephiria opened her mouth to order Train to stop, knowing he'd listen to her if she gave him a command, but was thrown in the air by another wind attack. She was ill-prepared for the attack, and ended up flying high in the air, landing her rather farther away from the Black Cat and the fire breathing teen. Belze was out of the car in an instant, running after his superior to make sure she wasn't harmed.

Creed watched as she landed gracefully about a yard away, cursed under his breath, and turned back to Train. Again, he tried to open his mouth to shout at command at his beloved, wanting to make sure he didn't hurt Kyoko, but his voice was drowned out as the low level erasers attempted to jump on the gunman. Their battle with the Black Cat ended very quickly as Train swiped his hand and brushed them all aside as if they were nothing more than dust in the wind.

During the entire ordeal, Kyoko remained rooted to the spot, as if she was not sure what to do or how to react to the attacks from her crush. Logically, she knew she should have used her Tao to at least protect herself, but she was so thrown off and hurt by Train's actions, she was unable to do anything except stare at the man she had been longing to see for the lsat nine days.

"Kuro-sama… Don't you recognize Kyoko?"

Train gritted his teeth and glared at her, taking a step towards her as he spoke. "Shut up! Your tricks won't work this time, Vega!"

As he tried to take another step forward, Lin leapt over to him and wrapped his arms around the cat's waist. He didn't want to command his sweet love to stop, but he also didn't want him to hurt the girl. And the absolute last thing he wanted was to hurt Train. No matter what, he was not going to draw his weapon on the man he loved. Even if he turned his attacks on him.

"Train… That's not who you think it is!" Lin shouted as he squeezed his sweet cat. "That's Kyoko! She's a friend! She's-"

Train grabbed Lin by the back of his shirt and ripped him off, using his wind ability to push him back so he was on the ground next to Creed. "Don't worry, I'll protect you as well. Just stay back and let me deal with the target."

Creed watched as Lin skidded next to him, seeing the number refused to draw his weapon on Train and completely understood why.

I won't draw my sword on Train either. We just need to get through to him another way.

Creed stumbled to his feet and pulled out the music box, running as fast as he could towards his Kitten before he did something he was going to regret. "TRAIN, WA-"

"Train…? Is that you…?"

Creed stopped when he heard the new voice, knowing who it belonged to right away. It was much more muted than Kyoko's and Creed's heart sank when he saw the blonde bio-girl stepping out of the house.

Shit! Eve, get the hell out of here until I can subdue Train!

Train's eyes immediately turned to the new person, and his face lit up with an intense rage Creed knew belonged to the man's former assassin self.

"Kierra Gentry… How the hell are you alive…?"

Creed knew that name as well. She was Vega's second in command and a woman Train had inadvertently killed. Despite what either of the targets were doing, the gunman had no intention of killing them. Even at his lowest, the Black Cat didn't kill women or children. Something Creed used to think was a weakness, but had learned to love and respect over the years. Killing Gentry had always haunted Train as well, since he imagined it was his mother being murdered all over again. To that day, Train still hadn't gotten over it.

Doctor must have really done his homework on Train's past targets. Just how much of Chronos files did they manage to steal?! What else do they know about our past?

"TRAN, THAT'S NOT-" Creed tried to shout at Train again, clutching the music box in his hand as he attempted to approach his beloved once more.

He muttered more curses under his breath as he was pushed back again by his love's wind ability, nearly losing his hold on the deus ex machina he knew would get through to his Kitten. He looked up and noticed Eve had taken a defensive position in front of Kyoko, since the teen seemed incapable of reaction let alone protecting herself.

She must be in shock. As annoying as the girl is, Train would never do anything to hurt her. He cares about her.

Train stood strongly in front of Creed, putting his arms out to protect the man he believed was his commander. "Stay back, Master! These women are dangerous!"

Creed growled as he tried to get back on his feet and shout at Train to stop, desperate to protect the man he loved from causing himself even more pain than he was already in. However, the cat had created a stronger wind storm, drowning out the silver man's voice. The strength of it pushed Kyoko back towards the house, pinning her against the wall as she screamed in fright. Creed cursed as he tried to get past it, but with his body finally beginning to feel its fatigue, it was nearly impossible to fight against his lover's immense strength.

Damn my body! It sure did pick the perfect time to give up and collapsed from exhaustion! Probably because I teased it with a short rest.

Creed clutched the box he was holding tighter and continued trying to move closer to his love. Now wasn't the time to think of the inconvenience his body was causing him. He needed to get to Train and stop him from hurting someone Creed knew he cared about.

He looked over to his left and saw Lin was caught in the same whirlwind of air, confirming that Train really was trying to protect Number X from what the cat perceived was a dangerous situation as well.

He's trying so desperately to protect us both… Where the hell are Sephiria and Belze? It shouldn't take them this long to get back to us!

Those thoughts sparked the silver man to look around for Number One, since it wasn't like her to stand back for so long and let something like that happen. Kyoko was an innocent child and Sephiria never allowed innocent people to be killed or even harmed for that matter. However, when he heard the woman's booming voice, he knew where she was and what she was doing.

"HEARTNET, STAND DOWN!"

Just as quickly as the wind storm started, it suddenly stopped. Train turned to face the Chronos' leader, placing his hands back to his side.

He turned to Sephiria and bowed slightly. "Yes, Ma'am."

Sephiria sighed in relief, then put Christ back in its sheath, realizing she had gotten through to the Black Cat and she wasn't going to be needing it anymore.

I hate to give him orders in his submissive state, but I didn't really have a choice.

She glared at Train, the scene becoming reminiscent of back when the man was under her command. "Look again at who you were about to attack and tell me who you see, Heartnet!"

Train blinked in confusion at the woman, but did as he was commanded. His eyes widened when he saw Kyoko's teary eyed face staring at him in shock. Her body was pressed against the wall of the house and hair tangled from the wind storm. The girl's face was tired and drawn from lack of sleep, but it seemed as though the adrenaline of the storm and sudden attack woke her up.

Eve remained standing in front of the fire breathing teen, her golden locks turning into a shield to protect Kyoko from what was clearly an unstable Black Cat. Despite the defensive position her small body took on, the anguish and grief that shrouded her normally bright, virtuous eyes were easy to see even from behind her wall of hair.

Train's entire demeanor changed and his body relaxed as his brian slowly put together who he had heedlessly tried to kill. "Kyoko…? Lil' Princess…?"

Creed sighed in relief.

If he's calling Eve by her pet name, he must be back to normal. Guess I didn't need to use the music box after all.

Still understanding how much control the small object had over his beloved's free will, he pocketed it again, patting it gently as if that was going to keep it secure.

If Sephiria was able to help Train find his sense again with just a simple command as telling him to look at who he was attacking, that means his mind is healing faster than we thought.

Creed didn't know if it was the antidote or the fact that he was slowly seeing his friends one by one, but he also didn't care at the moment. To see the spark of life return to his beloved Train's spirited, bright, amber eyes was enough to make more tears fall from the silver man's orbs.

Kyoko screamed joyously, forgetting that the Nano-girl had just potentially saved her life as she pushed Eve aside so she could get to her crush. She threw herself at Train and buried her face into the older man's neck, tears flowing liberally down her face as she let out an intractable glee at seeing the golden man again.

"Kuro-sama! Oh, I'm so happy you're okay!"

While no one was surprised at the teen's reaction to seeing Train again, everyone was shocked to see the cat actually return the girl's embrace, since that had never happened before. The gunman even went so far as to spin the girl around in the air, eliciting a rather unexpected, genuinely jubilant squeal from the girl.

Kyoko has made a plentiful number of delighted noises in regards to Train, but there was something pure and childish about that one that made the reunion come off more as two tried and true friends reconvening. The transparently exuberant smile that was clear on both of their faces made the entire scene almost too wholesome to watch.

However, Creed kept his eyes on the duo, watching as more life returned to his sweet Train.

He's coming back! It's working! Seeing his friends is helping him regain his true self!

As Train put the teen down, Kyoko did not let go until Eve approached from behind. The bio-girl yanked the teen off the cat, then stared angrily up at Train.

Train smiled nervously at Eve, not sure why she was giving him such an indignant look. "Did I do something wrong Lil' Princess?"

Eve tilted her head in confusion. "What? Of course you-"

She cut herself off when she saw something moving out of the corner of her eyes. The blonde girl turned her head and looked at Creed who was waving his hands and giving her a beseeching look, as if he was trying to tell her he'd explain Train's lapse in memory later.

The Nano-girl sighed and turned back to Train. She trusted Creed, so if he was silently begging her not to push the incident on the cat, she wasn't going to. She knew he'd explain everything later.

Eve reached her arms up and wrapped them around Train's neck, pulling him down to her level so she could give him a hug as well. "Welcome home, you dumb cat…"

Train's eyes widened at the contact, shocked the girl was overcome with enough emotions to hug him for the first time. Slowly, his anxious smile turned into a warm one as he wrapped his arms around the girl's petite frame as well.

Train lifted her in the air similar to how he had with Kyoko. Instead of spinning her around, he held his friend tight against his chest and in that moment, Eve returned to the little girl she was when the cat first met her. With their reuniting hug, they were able to travel back to a simpler time when all they had to worry about was when and where their next sweep was going to be.

Eve embedded her face into Train's shoulder, but lifted her eyes so she could see Creed. He was beaming resolutely at her, nodding his head as if accepting the girl's silent thanks at bringing Train back home.

"Train? Is it really you?"

Train opened his eyes and looked up from the girl in his arms as he locked eyes with his sweeper partner. Sven had limped up to the open door of their hideout, leaning against the frame as he fondly eyed the golden man holding the bio-girl. He was without a shirt, but there were so many bandages wrapped around his body none of his skin was visible. The older man's head was wrapped up as well, and Train could see the scratches and bruises on his face.

"Sven?" Train questioned as he squinted his eyes, slowly placing Eve back on the ground. He looked over his shoulder at Creed, waiting for the man to give him confirmation on who he was seeing. "Is that Sven?"

Creed wiped a tear from his eye, elated at seeing his Kitten returning more and more as his friends left their house. It seemed like he was even starting to recognize them with little help.

He's coming back...

Creed nodded. "Yes, Train. That's Sven."

Despite his partner's words of confirmation, Train was still fighting the Chronos' drug, so he carefully approached the man his lover said was friendly. His clouded mind was trying to tell him it was another target from his assassin days, but seeing both Kyoko and Eve had started to recreate his old life in his head, and his heart was able to take over and reassure him that it was indeed Sven.

That was the man that took him in when he needed someplace to call a home. The man that called him a friend when he thought he was going to be alone for the rest of his life. The man that helped him achieve the life he wanted to have. The life Saya wanted him to have. It wouldn't have made sense that an old target would be with his sweeper friends anyway.

Sven took a step towards Train, then grunted in pain as he stumbled forward, his injuries still making it difficult to walk even the short distance from his bedroom to the front door. The only reason he was even awake was because of Kyoko's cry of joy, Sephiria's commanding shout, and the sudden storm that appeared outside that gave him hope that his friend had finally returned home.

It may have been a slow process to get to the door, but he somehow managed. The only reason he was able to make it by himself was from the support the walls of their hideout provided. But, it seemed like he made it too late to figure out what that violent burst of wind that nearly knocked the house down was about. After seeing Train, he assumed it was the cat's doing, but he wasn't sure why the gunman would attack their house.

Train's eyes widened when he saw the green haired sweeper start to fall and jumped forward to catch the man. The cat held onto Sven's elbows for support, making sure the older sweeper didn't fall.

The cat smirked at his friend as he spoke. "Man, what happened to you? Getting too old to even make it to the door, Geezer? Did you get into a fight with the lawn mower or something? I know that thing's had it out for ya for a while!"

Sven glared at the Black Cat, then punched him on top of the head. "Shut up, you lazy cat! Are those really going to be the first words I'm greeted with after getting my ass kicked to find you?!"

Train blinked in confusion. "What?"

Sven frowned at his impulsive friend. "What do you mean 'what'? Don't you remem-"

Eve cut him off as she approached from the side and patted Sven's shoulder. The sweeper looked at the girl curiously as she shook her head, then sighed as he read her silent message. It seemed that having a conversation about the battle at the docks was off limits at the moment.

Still confused, he glanced up at Creed who was slowly approaching from behind, seemingly having a hard time walking. The silver man frowned and shook his head as well, adding to the girl's directive not to bring up the fight.

Sven gave the swordsman a confused look, which Creed responded to with a sigh and a knowing looking. That was all the sweeper needed to confirm that Creed intended to tell them everything later. And judging by the confused look in Train's eyes, there was going to be a lot of explaining to do.

Sven looked back at Train and smirked. Whatever may have been causing the cat's confusion could wait. He was just happy to have his troublesome friend back.

Sven shook his head and patted Train's arm. "Nevermind. It's good to have you back, Train."

Train's confusion turned into another smile as he helped Sven stand up. "It's good to be back…"

"As much as I hate to break up this bromantic moment, I think I deserve a cute little reunion like the rest of you. After all, I'm the reason we found him the first time around."

Train looked from Sven to Rinslet as she stepped up behind the older man from inside the hideout. She was leaning on Jenos for support as she clutched her side, which was wrapped in several layers of bandages. Similar to Sven, her face was banged up as well, covered in bruises and scratches and dressings were wrapped tightly around her head too. Her arm appeared to be casted as well, confounding Train even more what happened to his friends to put them in such miserable shape.

The cat was still helping the older sweeper stay up as he gave the thief yet another curious look. "What first time?"

Rinslet brushed Eve's ploring look aside as she spoke. "Yeah, yeah, I got the message when it was ever so subtly given to Sven. Train doesn't know what we're talking about. I assume his memory is messed up from the drugs?"

She looked at Creed when she said that, the silver man walking up from behind his beloved, and he nodded his head in response to her question.

She nodded in return, then looked back at Train. "Don't worry your annoying, little head about it. Just get inside and get some rest."

Creed froze at Rinset's unknowing command, waiting to see how his beloved was going to react.

I know she's not necessarily high on his mental chain of commands, but he might listen to her considering it's still techincally an order.

Creed held his breath as he eyed his love, readying the music box again just in case. However, as he held tight to the miniature jukebox, the weight on his heart lifted when he saw the golden man's trademark cheeky smile grace his immaculate lips, his heavenly voice responding to the woman in a very Train-like, playful manner.

"Trying to get me into bed already? I think there are two men you need to have a conversation with before you make such an offer, Rins."

Rinslet blushed in aggravation as he pointed into the house. "SHUT UP AND GET INSIDE, STUPID CAT!"

Train smirked, wrapping Sven's arm around his neck and pulling him up slightly so he could help walk the man inside. "Geeze, no reason to yell, Rins. Can't you tell everyone's tired?"

He may not have understood why, but he could tell all of his friends were exhausted beyond belief, and he didn't want to keep them awake any longer.

Rinslet's face turned an even brighter shade of red as she glared at the cat walking past her. "I'm pretty sure I told you to shut up! God, you're just as stubborn as ever!"

Train looked over Sven's arm at her and winked. "You know you love it."

The woman pushed Jenos off and tried to run after the Black Cat to attack him, but was caught by Number VII as she nearly fell to the ground, her injuries still too much for her body to properly walk let alone attack a legendary ex-assassin. However, her painthreshold wasn't so low that it stopped her from spewing a stream of curses and threats at Train as he walked Sven down the hall to his room.

Creed walked into the house as well and watched the scene with pure elation in his eyes. He could already tell being home was doing wonders for his Kitten's mental and emotional well being.

"Looks like Heartnet is already beginning to feel like his old self again." Sephiria said as she stepped into the house behind Creed.

Lin followed directly after Number One and he immediately walked after the cat, stepping down the hall after his sweet love in hopes that he could get Train to bed before he started obsessing over his other friends' injuries. Eve and Kyoko walked inside after the number, pursuing the gunman as well, their thoughts mirroring Lin's. Creed could even hear his family scolding Train for not immediately heading to his room first.

The silverette giggled when he heard Sven yelling at Train, despite the fact that the green haired sweeper was the one the Black Cat was helping.

That's very in character for Sven, though. He always puts his friends before himself.

Creed smiled down the hall at his friends as he responded to Number One. "Like I said before, we just needed to get him home. Now that he's with his family, I'm sure recovery will be much easier."

Sephiria nodded, then gestured for her lower level lackeys to pull an imprisoned Aliane into the house. "I'll give you until the doctor gets here to get settled in with the Black Cat. Then I need you to come out here while we interrogate the girl. I also suggest you use that time to rest. I need your mind to be sharp during the questioning."

While Creed was relieved he didn't have to ask for the time with Train while they waited for the doctor, he frowned at the thought of still having to be apart from his beloved, even if it was just for a few minutes.

I guess I already agreed to it, so there's no turning back now. I just don't know if I want to start praying the doctor takes his time getting here so I have more time with Train, or if I want him to get here quickly so I can get this over with and be with my Kitten sooner.

The silver man frowned as the ex-Apostles girl walked into the room, still trying to see if he could get out of the examination. "Why don't you question her at Chronos headquarters?"

Creed glanced at Aliane whose eyes were cast to the floor forlornly. Despite that, the silver man could tell she was grateful the sweepers were too distracted by Train's return to see her.

I can't imagine what their response to her presence would be. I guess it's for the best.

Sephiria turned to face him. "Because I already made it clear that I want you to be there for the interrogation. And I know you won't want to be far from Train, so there's no way I could convince you to come with us. And I don't think Train will want you to be far either."

Creed stared down at the defeated girl, deepening his frown. "Was she in the car alone while Train was having another breakdown?"

Sephiria matched Creed's frown, and turned to the girl as well. "I… guess she was…"

Did she really not try to escape while we were dealing with Train…?

Sephiria glanced back at the silver man, noticing he was thinking the same thing, but decided to ignore it in favor of giving him an order. "Go get Train settled in. I'll let you know when the doctor is here and the interrogation is about to start."

The silver man sighed and walked down the hallway towards his love, going to help him get Sven back to bed before he put Train to sleep. "Yes. Ma'am…"

---

Three Sparks flickered in the vacant air, their power slowly growing as three figures gradually shaped from their electrical glow. As they grew, two of the sparks took the form of beastail creatures, said monsters landing on all fours gracefully as the static around them evaporated into the morning air. The third and final figure revealed a humanoid shape, which haltingly changed into the Doctor who landed with a quiet thud in a wooded area he had never seen before.

The scientist fell to his knees and caught his breath. The transportation method he used was not the reason he felt so frazzled and worn out. He had done it enough to get used to it. It was the events leading up to that moment that had drain him of his strength and wits.

Damn Chronos… Showing up at the worst moment. If I couldn't take the Black Cat's head back to Charden, I could have at least taken Number X's. I could have even used it as proof that I can control Heartnet.

Doctor clutched tightly at the wet grass beneath him. He didn't bother to acknowledge the prevarication of his own thoughts. The fact that he was in the middle of nowhere, yet again, without Creed's dead body and without the Black Cat's protection meant he had absolutely no control over the legendary assassin, and probably never fully had it in the first place.

What would my story have been coming back with Lin's head and not the Black Cat? Tell Charden they killed each other and I left Heartnet's body behind? They would have never believed me.

Still, if he came back with at least the corpse of just one of their enemies, he might have had a chance to regain his leader's favor. Doctor cursed and pinched the ground, staring at the damp earth in front of his face as he tried to think about what his next moves would be.

Damnit... What should I do? I can't go back to the Apostles' layer right now. Not to mention they may have changed locations by now.

Doctor glanced up at the sun and tried to gauge what time it was based on the star's position in the sky. He sighed and sat back on his knees, running his dirt ridden fingers through his hair as he worked it out.

It's after nine… That means the Apostles are probably awake by now and figured out the Black Cat is gone. And that woman is clever. She'll probably be able to work out Aliane and myself are missing too, along with my beasts and understand what happened. After that, she won't hesitate to move to the next hideout.

He wondered how the woman planned on moving with her partner down for the count, but again, he knew not to underestimate her. Especially with the disgustingly tender feelings she had for the Blood Taoist, there was no way she was going to let them all stay there and wait to be slaughtered by Chronos.

As powerful as the Apostles are, Chronos still outnumbers us. Even if they're hurt, Sephiria will not pass up the opportunity to take us out while we're weak.

He growled and looked away from the sun.

And now they have the Black Cat back…

During his short encounter with Number X, he was able to work out Train hadn't made it back home yet. He thought that was going to be his best moment to kill the assassin and save his own skin, but as soon as he saw the rest of Chronos show up, he knew that plan was short lived and they most likely had Train back home by now. Before they arrived, he even contemplated tracking down Heartnet, Diskenth, and the traitor as soon as his beasts were called to him.

But, it took too long to call them to me and there was no way I'd be able to take on Chronos by myself. Even with the help of my beasts, I wouldn't have stood a chance.

Aja brushed up against the side of him at those thoughts, as if she knew what her master was thinking. He smiled slightly and gently pet the large cat, scratching under her chin as Aztec approached from the other side. The wolf took a defensive position next to him, as if he was prepared for a fight.

Doctor frowned at the large dog.

I don't think we need to be concerned with getting attacked right now. I may not have ordered Aja to take us to a certain location, but I don't think she'd take us somewhere that wasn't safe.

As soon as his precious monsters arrived, Doctor knew he had to get out of there right away. He didn't bother to question where Aja was taking them, he just allowed the panther to follow her instincts and bring him somewhere safe. He trusted her enough to understand not to bring them anywhere their enemy might have been.

But she might have brought us somewhere the Black Cat used to travel, however, this place doesn't look familiar to me. Where are we?

Feeling the panther brush harder against him and hearing the creature purr, Kanzaki sighed and scratched behind her ear. "Where have you taken us, my monstrous little feline?"

Aja's only response was another purr. Obviously, he didn't expect the creature to actually respond to his question. It was more to himself than to her anyway.

Nevertheless, I'm going to have to figure out where she took us so I can figure out my next course of actions. Even though I'm sure the Apostles have moved by now, I believe I can figure out where they've gone. I just need a second to breathe and to gather my bearings.

He adjusted his glasses as he scanned the area. He was still in the woods, but he could tell the location was different than the place he had chosen to bring Train to. There was no rhyme or reason as to why he picked out that specific spot. It just happened to be far away enough from the Apostles' hideout and secluded enough to be the best spot to try and kill Creed without interference.

A lot of luck that plan did me… Still, at least we were far enough away from the hideout that Charden wouldn't have been able accidentally stumble upon me. It also meant when Chronos inevitably finds Creed and Train, they wouldn't be able to easily find the Apostles as well.

Not that Doctor really cared about any of the Taoists' lives. He was more concerned about his experiments and the opportunity the group had given him to conduct more research. Kanzaki didn't care about the people in the organization. They were merely pawns for him to use to gain as much knowledge as possible. He honestly didn't even care about taking Chronos down. That was just a byproduct of his cooperation with the group.

The scientist sighed as he stood up, being helped by Aja even though he didn't need it. He patted the panther's head kindly, then slowly walked out of the thicket of trees. Doctor could see they were at the edge of the forest, which meant there might have been a town not too far off. And if there was a town, there was a chance he could find a place to rest while he came up with a plan.

I'll have to figure out what to do with these two, but that shouldn't be a problem. I can always have them wait in the woods and call them with my whistle it I need them.

Doctor patted the whistle he had tucked into his shirt, then nodded in confirmation at his own thoughts. As he stepped out of the woods, he turned around to face the beasts that were loyally following him. They both stopped, tilted their heads in unison, and gave him a confused look. Doctor smirked at the sight.

Any sane person would call the scene horrifying, but I can't help but see the adorable nature these two monsters hide in their fiendish eyes.

"Bleibe." (1)

Both creatures sat their enormous hides on the ground, giving the man a saddened look as he sighed and scratched their heads. "Don't worry, we'll figure something out. For now, you need to wait here while I figure out where we are."

Both the beasts leaned into his gesture, and Doctor pulled his hand away, they laid down on the ground next to each other. Aztec curled himself against Aja, the panther twirling her tail around the wolf's as she rested her head against her paws. Doctor watched the scene with adoring interest, then turned away from the heartwarming display of monster love in favor of the town he could see in the distance. It was only about a mile away, and he could tell even from the distance he was at, it was a pretty secluded town.

That's good. I need secluded right now. That means there's also a chance none of the people in town will know who the Apostles or Chronos are.

As he walked towards the town, he discarded his lab coat, tossing it to the side as he straightened out his black shirt. He glanced down at his body, trying to see if there was anything else suspicious about his appearance. After losing the coat, he looked like an average person. There was nothing strange about his physical appearance that would let off the air of a mad scientist.

I keep myself as plain looking as possible on purpose. No one suspects the average looking white man with glasses.

As he walked down the small hill towards the town, he ran his fingers through his hair, trying to make it appear as flat as possible. He also used the sleeve of his shirt to wipe off any dirt he might have had on his face, but without a mirror, he wasn't sure how good of a job he was doing. However, he knew it didn't really matter. He could always say he was a lost hiker that finally found civilization.

And my hiking gear just got lost along the way. No one will be suspicious and maybe I can even get free lodging for the day.

As he made his way down the hill and closer toward the city he picked up the pace. Even though he believed Aja would have brought him somewhere safe, that didn't mean he wanted to be out in the open for long. Chances were the panther brought him somewhere Train had been before, which meant there was still a good chance he was about to walk into a city the sweepers had lived in for a short while. That's another reason why he ditched the lab coat.

If the sweepers do happen to live here, the last thing I want is for rumors to spread about a man in a lab coat entering the town. This place looks paltry enough that gossip could spread quickly.

That thought sparked Doctor to take his glasses off, snap them in two and toss them to the side as well. He didn't need to rely on them fully to see. They were half for show and half for short distant vision, and it was just one more thing he had on his person that might lead his enemies to figure out where he was based on his description. Kanzaki even ran his fingers through his normally tamed hair to mess it up a bit. He figured not only did it not fit his normal appearance, but also helped give him the illusion that he was not who he said he was.

It also fits the lost hiker story better. It's great being a normal looking person. No one ever suspects you.

Doctor knew if he had the strange color hair Creed had or the unique looking eyes Train's, it would be far more difficult for him to fit in. Even having Charden's long, blonde hair would have made him stick out like a sore thumb. However, with his normal black hair, uninteresting brown eyes, slightly pale skin, and average build, he knew he could blend into any crowd with ease.

When he was just a half a mile away from the town, he noticed someone running towards him. He stopped and froze to the spot, worrying that maybe everything he had been thinking was false.

Shit, who the hell would be running towards me at such a strange speed?

The person who was running didn't seem to be frantic with their motions. In fact, the more Kanzaki inspected their figure, the more he could tell it looked like an average woman out for a morning run. He sighed in relief, then began waving his hands in the air to get her attention.

"Hey! Over here! I could use some help!"

It disgusts me using this meek voice, I need to gain favor with the people in this small town so they'll let me rest for free.

He thought about taking the town by force with Aja and Aztec, but that would cause a ruckus and might lead his enemies to him. Right now, the Doctor needed quiet and isolation, so he didn't want to raise any eyebrows as to where he might have disappeared to.

Not that I know where I am either. I'm sure this woman could help me.

The woman in question stopped running and glanced over at the man. Doctor could see a confused look on her face as she changed direction and ran over to him. He smirked as he approached.

Looks to be an average woman out for a run. Perfect.

When she was just a few feet away, Doctor could tell the woman wasn't much older than he was, and she was wearing a matching jogging outfit, confirming his earlier thoughts. Kanzaki ran up to her, faking a limp as he moved closer to the woman and began to act like he was out of breath as well, taking on a look of gratefulness as he threw his arms out towards her.

"Oh, thank God!" He shouted as he pulled the woman into a hug. "I didn't think I'd see civilization again!"

The woman blinked, then hesitantly returned the man's hug. "A-Are you okay?!"

Doctor sighed and nodded his head, pulling away from the woman as he held back his appalled grimace at actually embracing another human being. "I am now! I was on a hike in the woods when I fell down a cliff and lost my bag. The fall must have knocked me out, because when I came to, the sun had set. I was aimlessly wandering all night trying to find the exit, and I was beginning to lose hope until I saw that town up ahead."

The woman frowned and looked the man up and down. He was wearing all black, his dark hair was a mess, and his face was covered in dirt. Judging by the way he was limping towards her, the woman was able to tell he wasn't lying. Despite the fact that his clothes did not seem consistent with what someone might wear while hiking, everything else about the man screamed that he needed help.

The woman sighed and ran her fingers through her sweaty hair. "Man, you're lucky you ran into me on my morning run! You might have been a goner otherwise."

Idiot woman. I'm only a half a mile away now. I could have made it on my own.

He made sure not to vocalize his thoughts, and instead smiled thankfully at her. "Yes… Yes thank you." He pointed towards the town. "Is there possibly lodging available in the town? My phone was in the bag, so I have no way of calling anyone."

The woman frowned. "Sorry, but the town's too small for that. There's nothing really there that brings in tourists, so we don't have hotels or motels or anything."

Doctor allowed his anger to show in his face, but made sure it looked more like desperation than fury. "Then… could you possibly lead me to the nearest town that does provide lodging?"

The woman tilted her head in confusion. "And just how do you plan on getting there with that leg of yours? The nearest town isn't for miles. There's no way you can walk there. You'd need to drive or at least take a bus or something."

Kanzaki sighed. "Then… could you bring me to the nearest bus stop…?"

The woman frowned again. "Do you have money?"

Doctor grimaced, trying to play into the pathetic lost and injured man role. "No…"

Again the woman sighed. "And before you travel anywhere, don't you think you should seek medical attention?"

The madman smirked. "Actually, I am a doctor. That's why I wanted lodging. So I could tend to my injuries myself."

Perfect cover up to not have her look at my fake injuries.

The woman cocked an eyebrow at him. "Isn't it just easier to let someone else do it?"

Doctor shook his head. "No. I'd rather do it myself."

She rolled her eyes and crossed her arms against her chest. "That's a bit arrogant, don't you think?"

Seeing the man shrug his shoulders, she sighed again and grabbed his arm, placing it around her neck so she could help him walk. "Follow me, you can come to my house. I was supposed to meet with a friend today, but seeing as how many times he's cancelled on me, I think it's only fair I cancel on him for once."

She pulled Doctor along with her as she looked over her shoulder and smirked. "Besides, it's not every day I run into an injured man who just so happens to be a doctor. You wouldn't also happen to be single, would you?"

Doctor smirked.

This situation is getting better and better.

"How about you get me to your home first where we can get to know each other a little better…"

The woman laughed wildly as she dragged him towards the city. "Sounds like a plan! I'll just make the call on the way there."

Doctor watched as the woman took out her phone, and pulled up the name of the man she was going to call. His eyes widened and his heart stopped, wondering if he actually saw what he thought he saw.

Wait… was that…?

The woman's fingers moved too quickly for him to really get a good look at the name, and now that the phone was pressed against her ear, Doctor wasn't going to be able to confirm what he believed he saw. When he heard the woman growl and hang up the phone, he tried to get another look, but again her movements were too quick.

Damnit… Maybe if I stick with her long enough I can get my hands on her contacts and see if I'm right.

"Damn that man! Now he's not answering his phone?! It went straight to voicemail."

Doctor frowned sympathetically at the woman, feigning his pity for her. "That doesn't sound like much of a friend to me…"

She sighed and put her phone away, much to Kanzaki's disapproval. "They've… been going through a lot lately. Not only did they just rekindle their relationship with one another, but it sounds like it's been trying times for the two of them. I don't really believe the stories he's giving me. I feel like there's more to it than he's letting on."

Doctor cocked an eyebrow, intrigued by what she said. "Oh? And what do you think is going on with them?"

The woman sighed again. "No idea, but I can't help but think they're in some sort of trouble… He wanted to surprise his lover for his birthday back in April by meeting me for lunch or something since we're old friends, but he cancelled last minute and has been cancelling ever since."

Doctor's heart began to pick up speed.

The man's lover's birthday is in April…? This is turning out to be too much of a coincidence…

Wanting to push for more information, Doctor asked another question. "So… These friends of yours… Do they live in town?"

The woman shook her head. "No. They actually live pretty far away. Which is why it's hard to set up a date."

Doctor nodded, ignoring the adrenaline rushing through his body. "I see. And just… Who are they exactly?"

The woman gave him a confused look. "Why do you care?"

Doctor shrugged his shoulders. "Just making conversation. If you're going to help me recover, the least I can do is take an interest in your life."

The woman smiled and nodded. "Makes sense. Well, they're both men, and they are very attractive. It's honestly a bit irritating how good looking they are since they are obviously completely crazy about one another. They had a bit of a falling out a few years ago, but have since sparked their wild flames of love again, and it seems like nothing is going to tear that apart. The man I was trying to call even came back to this town just to buy a specific music box for his boyfriend for his birthday."

Doctor was beginning to realize more and more who she was talking about. "Music box?"

The woman nodded, adjusting the man's arm around her neck as she continued pulling him towards the town. "Yeah. I know it sounds strange, but apparently his boyfriend found it while he was staying here and became obsessed with it. That's what sparked the guy I tried to call to come here and buy it for him. And apparently he was subtly looking for me as well."

Doctor was intrigued even further, beginning to think that the woman may have been important to Creed and the Black Cat. "And why would he be looking for you?"

The woman smirked. "Because like I said before, I'm an old friend of his lover's. In fact, I apparently am the reason he decided to become a sweeper! I even gave him his first official sweep! Not to mention I ran into him at the prime opportunity in his life. He was at his lowest and really needed a friend. I think I'm some sort of symbol of the future for him or something."

She laughed wildly at the thought, a cheerful noise that grated at Doctor's ears. "Who would have thought a simple woman like me would become such a beacon of hope for a strange looking stray man?"

Doctor smirked. "Strange looking, you say? I thought you said they were attractive…"

The woman nodded. "They are, but that doesn't mean they're not weird looking. The man I just tried to call has silver hair and crystal blue eyes, and his lover has messy brown hair with golden eyes. Not to mention their bodies are to die for! Man, what I would give to have such a low body fat percentage. Here I am, literally running my ass off and I still have this bit of chub!"

She grabbed the small amount of arm fat she had as proof, and frowned. "Some people have all the luck… I could starve myself all day and run ten miles and I still wouldn't be in as good of shape as they are."

Doctor didn't hear anything the overly talkative woman said after she described the men. He smirked at the unknowing confirmation she had given him as to who she was trying to call. It suddenly made sense why Aja brought him to that town.

And she even freely offered up the fact that she's important to them… This could be my ticket back to the Apostles along with bait to lure those sweepers out.

"I'm sorry, but I'm afraid I didn't catch your name. I'm Kraig. It's a pleasure to meet you."

Kanzaki chose to give a fake name, just to be on the safe side. He wasn't ready to use the woman yet, so if she managed to get a hold of his enemies, Doctor didn't want her to mention his name.

And if this woman is as important to those two as she's making herself out to be, I want to keep my contact with her quiet. At least until I can get her back to the Apostles' new hideout. After I figure out where it is.

The woman gave him a cheeky smile and shook the man's hand that was hanging on her shoulder. "My name's Effie Mayberry. But my friends call me E."

Doctor smirked and shook her hand as best he could from the awkward angle. "E… It's such a pleasure to make your acquaintance…."

He lowered his head so the woman wouldn't see the sinister smirk that was slithering across his odious lips. "I have a feeling this is the start of a beautiful relationship…"

---

Translation:

(1) "Stay."