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

46. Fleeting Hope

Disclaimer: I do not own Black Cat or its characters

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Creed rested his chin and arms on the table, his eyes listless as he stared at the music box meant for Train. He turned the small crank and opened the lid, watching the gears inside turn as he allowed the quiet music to play. It sang its tune for a few minutes and when it ended, Creed turned the crank again. He had been repeating that gesture every day since he had come to. The music was the only thing that gave him hope anymore.

Train will come back…

He kept telling himself that every time he played the music box. He had a feeling the amount of times he played the song was starting to wear on Sephiria's nerves, but he didn't care. He needed to hear the song to keep him sane and grounded to reality.

Hearing the woman hold back a frustrated noise, Creed sighed and decided to ask her a question. "What did you need to give to me?"

Sephiria eyed him wearily, then dug into a bag she brought with her to the sweeper hideout. She came over to read the files they collected from the Apostles mansion and give Creed something for Train, but she didn't want to hand the object over until she had his undivided attention. Creed swore he was fine and could process whatever she was going to say, but based on their interaction thus far, she could tell that wasn't true.

What I'm giving him will be a reminder of what the Apostles are doing to Train, but hopefully it'll let Creed know we're prepared to reverse the drugs they're putting in the Black Cat's body.

When she found the object she was looking for, she zipped up her bag and placed the box on the table. She frowned when Creed turned the crank of the music box again and cleared her throat to get his attention back on her. Sephiria made eye contact with him to make sure he was focused on her and nothing else, then pushed the box forward, signaling Creed to take it.

Creed grabbed the box, opened it, then stared at the syringe filled with a strange liquid inside. "More drugs?"

Sephiria could hear the unease and his voice and sighed again. "Yes, but this drug will actually be helpful. It'll reverse the Chronos' drugs in Train's system."

Creed lifted his head quickly and blinked at the woman. "Really?"

Sephiria was surprised how optimistic Creed sounded, making her believe he was only thinking about the positive side of the drug.

That's a good thing. He needs something to perk him up. Something to give him hope other than that damn music box.

Sephiria nodded. "Yes. So it's important you keep in on your person at all times and give it to Train the first chance you get when we find him."

Creed frowned. "What if someone else gets to him first?"

Sephiria gave the silver man a knowing look. "You really think any of us will be able to beat you to him when we finally track him down?"

The silverette smiled a little, then shook his head. "I guess not…"

Number One nodded again. "Besides that, you're probably our best bet to get close enough to him to be able to administer the drug. If there's anyone he's going to trust under the Apostles' influence, it's you."

He stared at the syringe with the same ambition in his eyes he had whenever he looked at Train. "How much do I give him?"

Sephiria frowned. "That's where it gets complicated…"

Creed looked at her, the hope in his eyes faltering a little at her statement. "What do you mean?"

She sighed again and leaned back in her chair and stared directly at the man, giving her eyes a break for a minute from the Apostles' files. "That syringe should be enough as a first dose, but he might need more. It all really depends on how much they've given him and how much they've altered the Chronos' drug. There's also the chance it doesn't work at all if they changed our recipe too much."

Creed sulked in his chair, putting the syringe carefully in its container as he brought his attention back to the music box. "Oh…"

Sephiria watched him play the music box again and frowned. "Even if they altered the drug, this should still work. The main ingredient of the drug cannot be changed, otherwise it won't work. So, even if they changed it, this drug will still work. We may just need to give him more doses later on."

Creed nodded in understanding as he whispered something under his breath, then spoke to the woman again. "How many doses do you think we'll have to give him?"

Sephiria sighed yet again, doing her best to be patient with the man since she knew he had been through a lot in the last week. "As I said, that will depend on how much they've given him and we won't know that until we see him."

Creed nodded again, turning the crank on the music box as he spoke. "How will we be able to tell how much they gave him before we know how much we should give him? And won't that be too many drugs coursing through his system at that point?"

Sephiria was quiet for a second, making sure to choose her words carefully so as not to upset the man further. "Our doctors will take his blood and give us an amount after that. However, they said this syringe will be fine no matter what for Train's first dose. There's even an anaesthetic in it that will relieve any pain he might be in and make him go to sleep."

Which I'm sure, like the rest of us, he's been lacking and is in desperate need of.

Creed froze at her words, it being the first time someone said out loud that Train was most likely going to be in pain when they found him. He held his breath and his fingers twitched as he began to think of the shape his beloved was in.

Train will come back… And I'll be sure to bring him back to the light. I'll make sure to take care of him. No matter what, I'll be there with him. And once I have him back, I won't leave his side for a minute ever again.

Creed finally let out a breath and nodded as he rested his chin on the table, staring at the music box as he spoke. "Understood…"

Sephiria eyed Creed in slight discontent as he played the music box for the hundredth time, but noticed one of his hands was clenched protectively around the case with the syringe in it.

Guess that means he got the message. As long as he gives that to Train, we can save him.

Sephiria frowned at the dismal look that seemed to be tattooed on Creed's face. Despite the swordsman's hopeless look and as much turmoil he was in, Creed had been a monumental help in tracking the Apostles down. He found their hideout two days ago, but unfortunately, it had been hastily abandoned. However, they could tell that Train had been there, but it seemed as though any useful information was taken with them.

We weren't able to find anything. Not a single file on the Chronos drug or what they've possibly done to alter it or even whatever experiments we know Kanzaki is conducting on Train. The only files we found were on alliances we already knew about and weapons we already knew they had. There wasn't even anything on the kids they're experimenting on or the Nanomachines we know they've obtained.

It was almost as if the Apostles kept everything important or incriminating packed up and ready to go at all times. Sephiria was sure that was the case and Creed confirmed her thoughts, but that didn't stop them from tearing the house apart. When they were done searching and saw Train wasn't there, Lin wanted to burn it to the ground, but Sephiria made sure to reign him in. As much as she could sympathize with the man, that statement worried her deeply since he never acted violently before they lost the Black Cat.

He's been getting worse. It's been a full week since Train's been gone and he still hasn't slept and barely eaten. If he doesn't rest soon, he's going to collapse or worse.

What made his behavior more disconcerting was the fact that Sephiria was sure Lin knew even though they didn't find anything about where their enemies took Train or what they were doing to him, that didn't mean they couldn't find valuable information in their hideout. There were Chronos men searching every nook and cranny at that very moment, which meant there was still a chance they found something hidden deep within their layer.

Although, I doubt it. Anything important enough to hide in a secret, hard to find place would have been one of the first things they took with them.

She sighed, ignoring Creed playing the music box again and tried to focus on the papers in front of her. She was at the sweeper's hideout where they were Chronos guards posted everywhere. There were more stationed at the music school just in case the Apostles decided they weren't done with the place, but she had a feeling they wouldn't be showing up anywhere in public anytime soon. But, it didn't hurt to station people wherever she thought they might show up and it wasn't like she didn't have the resources for it.

However, I am starting to wear Chronos thin. The Elders agree we need to pull out all the stops, but that's mostly because they're concerned about having to fight Heartnet along with the Apostles. They don't care about his safety, they care about winning. If we found out Train was dead, they'd probably be relieved.

Sephiria gripped the papers she was holding it a bit too tightly, ripping them slightly. She took a deep breath to calm herself down.

I need to keep it together. I can't fall apart like everyone else is. I need to be strong.

Sephiria looked over at Lin and frowned. The man was slumped over Eve's laptop, typing away furiously for what she knew were signs of Train or the Apostles. The bio-girl had left it open for him to use since she was off with the sweepers hunting down a lead. Sephiria wasn't hopeful about it, but she knew they needed to follow up on every hint or lead they got. They had gotten a few good tips by following the useless ones, so maybe the one they were tracking down would lead to something bigger.

I doubt it, but it doesn't hurt to try. Every little bit helps. I'm just happy Diskenth is back with us.

She moved her eyes from Lin to Creed. The man had been incredibly useful since the moment he woke up. He took control of the situation immediately and they were able to find a lead on the Apostles and Train within a day. She would have been surprised if it was anyone else, but considering it was Creed and he was pretty much an expert on finding Train, she figured she shouldn't be.

If anyone can find Train, it's Creed. It's like he has a sixth sense that is completely dedicated entirely to tracking the Black Cat down.

She felt her body relax a little at the thought and was able to concentrate on the paper in front of her. Just as she was refocusing on the task at hand, she glanced at Creed again and noticed he was turning the music box again, seemingly ignoring the pile of papers in front of him

He's doing a pretty good job hiding it, but I can tell Creed is doing worse than the rest of us. And the last two days he's gotten worse again. I'm worried he's going to fall back into his shocked and helpless state.

Sephiria knew they couldn't have that. They had gotten so much work done since he came to and if he went back to being a useless heep, she was worried they'd never find Train. The cat had been with the Apostles for a week now and as strong as the man was, there was no way he could hold out forever.

While they didn't know everything Kanzaki was doing to him, they did know the Chronos' drug had something to do with it, which meant they were trying to control Train and most likely use him as a weapon. That was a scenario they couldn't afford for so many reasons. One of which was if that happened, she'd have to kill Train. However, she also knew if they had to go against the Black Cat, it was going to make their war with the Apostles more impossible than it was already turning out to be.

If Creed loses his mental and emotional capacity again, we might lose this war and Train…

Sephiria watched Creed turn the crank of the music box again, noticing another tear had fallen from his eye and she sighed. "What is the music box for?"

Creed jumped a little and sat up, looking at Sephiria as if she hadn't been there for the last several hours. He looked down at the box and felt another tear fall. "It was for Train… I was going to give it to him the day he disappeared…" He sighed and fingered the box delicately. "It was for this birthday…"

Sephiria eyed the box with Creed and frowned slightly. "Are we going to lose you again, Diskenth?"

Creed took in a deep breath and wiped his tears away, then shook his head. "No. I'm here and I'm not going to stop until we find Train."

Despite the tear stains running down his cheeks, Sephiria could see the conviction in his eyes and knew his words were true. As Creed began looking through the papers, she glanced back at Lin again. "Has… Number X's mental state improved at all?"

Creed looked quickly over at Lin, then went back to the papers immediately. "No. None of our's has."

I guess you could argue mine has since I'm no longer frozen in bed, but I don't know how true that is… Being conscious and thinking about what's happening to Train is so much harder than just giving into the numbness.

Creed had to slap sense into himself every so often to stop his mind from shutting down again, but the longer Train was gone, the harder it got. He accidentally fell asleep for a few hours the other day and it turned out to be the worst decision of his life since not only did he have the most terrible nightmare he ever had, but he was almost not able to get out of bed. The dark numbness took over again the moment he opened his eyes and if it wasn't for the fact that he punched himself in the face, he may have been stuck there again.

Although, I guess if that happened again, Lin would just beat the crap out of me until I came too.

Creed smirked a little as he flipped through the files on the table. He and Lin had been working together beautifully to find Train and it was actually refreshing to be able to get along with the number. Creed had tried to be friends with him for a long time or to even just get along with the assassin, but Lin never wanted a part of it. He fought with Creed every chance he got and made sure the silver man knew how much he wanted Train. For a while, Creed even saw Number X as a threat to his relationship with Train.

And he was a threat for quite a while. However, I don't have any harsh feelings towards Lin. I understand we both want Train for ourselves which makes it impossible for us to ever truly see eye to eye. But, now that we're both working to bring him home, we're finally able to get along.

Creed sighed as he thought of the relationship Train had with Lin. It was the hardest time of his life. What made it even harder was the fact that despite Train never loved Lin the way Lin loved him, Creed could tell his beloved was happy when he was with Number X. It may not have been the same level of happiness Creed gave him, but he was still happy. Happy and peaceful. And even then, even when Creed's heart was continuously ripped out of his chest, thrown to the ground, and stomped on as he watched his Kitten form a bond with another, he still tried to be civil with Lin. Even when Lin went out of his way to make sure Creed knew Train was his lover.

A bit ironic how we weren't able to get along for the last two and a half years. We both love Train so much you'd think we'd be able to bond over our mutual feelings at least to some degree. Instead, we've spent most of the time we've known each other fighting over Train. I won in the end, so maybe that's why it's easier for me to like Lin.

Creed felt another tear fall as he watched Lin pull at his hair, his eyes closing slowly as his head fell forward slightly. He could tell Number X was about to fall asleep, and Creed decided not to stop him. Even if he fell asleep for a few minutes while sitting in front of the computer, it would be more rest than he's gotten in the last seven days.

I actually kind of hope he does fall asleep. He's going to be useless to us if he keeps acting as impulsive as he has been.

While Creed was able to keep Lin in check to a degree, there were still too many moments when Number X overreacted and chased a led away. Creed wanted to yell at him, but he knew it wouldn't get them anywhere. They both wanted Train back more than anything else in the world and Lin was a great resource. Not only was his resolve strong, but he had the same set of skills Creed had. Added to that, Lin had more reach than Creed did due to Chronos. There were several occasions when Lin was able to find something that Creed couldn't because of his connection with chronos.

But, he needs to rest. And I know Sephiria won't disturb him either.

Creed sighed in relief when he noticed Lin had fallen asleep and looked back at Sephiria. He got the woman's attention and gestured for her to look at Number X. When she did, Number One nodded in understanding and went back to her papers.

"We shouldn't disturb him. He needs to rest."

Creed nodded in agreement. "My thoughts exactly. And I'd rather he pass out here than when we're out on a mission. I don't feel like carrying his passed out ass."

Sephiria didn't bother to acknowledge Creed's statement since she knew they both needed to get to work. However, she glanced up at him and noticed he was still silently crying and tried to change the subject a little.

This might not be the best subject to change to since it's not really pleasant, but anything is better than thinking about Heartnet's fate.

"How has your head been?"

Creed jolted his eyes up from the papers and blinked in confusion at the woman. "What?"

Sephiria sighed. She was aware it was strange for her to outwardly show concern for others, but lately, she had been feeling as though she had to. For whatever reason, she felt like she had to mother the men around her since they all were acting so fragile.

It's so unbecoming of the leader of Chronos to baby a bunch of fully grown men. Especially when one of those men is currently an assassin and the other used to be. But, I guess I can't blame them. It's not like either of them had mothers anyway.

Sephiria looked up at Creed and allowed her moment of kindness to show through her eyes. "Your head. How's it been from the brain injury? When the doctor saw you a week ago, he said it looked like it was healing. Have you felt the difference?"

Creed stared at her for a few seconds, his heart warming a little at the comforting look his former leader was giving him.

Am I really that pathetic that Sephiria is asking about my wellbeing? Or is she slowly losing her mind like the rest of us and thinks she's a kind, caring person? Or is her demeanor softening because she feels like she needs to take care of us?

Creed shook his head and then gripped it tightly, realizing it still hurt. "It still hurts and it has been hurting every second of the day since…" He stopped himself and shook his head again, choosing to feel the pain of the headache instead of the pain of losing Train. "...But, I think the short term memory is getting better. I haven't forgotten a single thing since I came to."

However, that might be due to the fact that everything we've been has been for Train. I won't know for sure if it's better until we find Train.

Creed sighed and finished his statement. "But, even the headaches I think are caused by stress. They don't feel the same as they did before… all this happened. I don't think I'll know for sure how I feel until this is all over."

Sephiria sighed, realizing it was impossible to avoid talking about the Black Cat's kidnapping. It seemed like everything they talked about somehow led back to that horrifying truth.

"Thank you for trying to change the subject, Sephiria. But I don't think anything will get my mind off this. And I don't think I want it to. I don't want to lose focus."

Sephiria nodded and went back to what she was doing with the papers. "That's good to hear."

She heard Creed crank the music box again, but did not look up at him. She sighed quietly so he wouldn't hear her. As sick as she was of hearing the song, she had a feeling Creed kept doing it so he would hang on to reality for a little longer. The methodical nature of his gestures made it seem like he wasn't even aware he kept doing it. As if every time he was about to give in to the numbing state he was in three days ago, something or someone took over his body and made him play the music.

It must remind him of Heartnet. But, it doesn't matter. If it helps keep him with us, then he can play it until my ears bleed. I just hope the gears don't break.

"Shit…"

Sephiria looked up at Creed and noticed he was flipping the box over and opening up the bottom of it. "What's wrong?"

Creed mumbled another curse as he messed with some of the gears inside it. "It keeps jamming. It was pretty old when I bought it, but I found a way to fix it."

And I need it to stay in good shape for when we find Train. I still need to give it to him.

Sephiria watched as the silver man fiddled with it a little, then turned the crank again, and sighed in relief when it worked.

I shouldn't have thought about it breaking...

Curiosity got the better of her and she decided to question the music further. "Why is that song so special?"

Creed stared at the box, a small smile on his face as he hummed along with it. "It's a song Saya used to sing. Train found it in a music store during those six months he disappeared and saw it as a sign from her."

Sephiria blinked. "A sign for what?"

Creed sighed as the song stopped and he played it again immediately. "Everything really. A sign of his freedom. A sign to move on from the hurt he was going through… A sign of the life he was supposed to lead. A sign that he was on the right path."

A sign that he was finding the light again…

Creed smiled wistfully as he imagined his beloved playing the music box for the first time.

He probably looked adorable the first time he turned the crank… And he probably looked adorable when he was kicked out and banned from the store for not buying anything. He looks adorable when he does anything…

However, his smile faded and his eyes widened as he remembered his earlier thoughts.

"But… What if there was something happening to Train that… changed who he was as a person? Something that didn't just make him emotionally unavailable, but something that… Something that turned him back into the notorious killer Black Cat."

Creed stood up quickly, startling Sephiria a bit as she looked around the room as if Creed heard an enemy approaching. She put her hand on Christ in case they were about to be jumped. "What?! What is it, Diskenth?!"

Creed felt his entire body starting to shake as he stared forward, not seeing anything as his eyes locked onto the wall. "I can't believe it didn't occur to me what she was doing…"

Sephiria frowned and lowered her guard, beginning to realize Creed's reaction didn't have anything to do with an upcoming attack. "What are you talking about?"

Creed felt his whole body go cold and just as quickly as he stood up, he fell back down, pushing the chair back slightly as he slumped forward in it. "That… That woman… She… She planned this… She was distracting me from getting to Train…"

Sephiria cocked an eyebrow at him. "Diskenth, if you don't tell me what's going on, I'm going to lose my uncharacteristic patients."

Creed blinked a few times at her, then stared forward again. He lowered his head into his hands and pulled at his hair violently. "Echidna… That day when they took Train… I was going to meet with him, but I ran into Echidna. She was asking me all kinds of questions about what I would do if Train changed…"

Sephiria was slowly starting to understand and she leaned forward slightly. "What do you mean 'if he changed'?"

Creed felt the numbness taking over again as guilt wrecked his soul.

I'm such an idiot! Why did I let her distract me?! Why didn't I realize what she was doing?! Why didn't I follow her into the portal?! She wasn't going back to the Apostles layer… She was going to get Train! That's why her phone rang. It was those bastards calling her to come pick up Train…

Creed slowly curled himself into a ball on the chair.

It was all a trap… It's all my fault…

"I'm such an idiot…"

Sephiria watched as the man slowly began to lose the light in his eyes. It was already dull due to the loss of Train, but seeing it disappear completely reminded her of how close to being nothing Creed Diskenth really was.

She stood up and walked across the table so she was standing in front of Creed. Before he finished crawling into himself, she pulled her hand back and slapped him as hard in the face as she could. And considering that she made sure to use her sword hand, it was pretty hard. She was sure there was going to be a bruise on his cheek later.

Creed fell out of the chair and clasped his cheek, then stared up at a steely looking Number One. "S-Sephiria, wh-what-"

"-Don't, Diskenth. You know why I did that." She made sure her voice portrayed the gravity of the situation he almost put them in.

Creed stared at her, hand still on his cheek as he slowly felt himself calm down. Once he did, he nodded and stood back, then sat back in the chair. "Thank you, Sephiria."

Number One glared at him, then took her seat across from the man again. "Did I smack some sense into you?"

Creed nodded and took a deep breath. "At the time, I didn't know what Echidna was talking about. But, now…" He looked at the Chronos' leader gravely. "I think we both know what she meant…"

Sephiria thought about his words for a second, then sighed and leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms across her chest. "She was implying inserting the Chronos' drug into Train's system. She was distracting you with horrible fantasies of what they were going to do to him while they were taking him." She clenched her hands into a fist and looked angrily at the window. "That's… Such a twisted plan…"

Creed was too distraught to nod his head. Even though Sephiria had slapped him straight, he still felt the cold embrace of his impending numbness and needed to speak again before it took him over again. "She's a sick and twisted woman… Just look at the organization she's running…"

Or the man she calls her lover…

Creed blinked as he remembered the rest of the conversation, then spoke his thoughts out loud. "Why would she bring up Charden if she was trying to distract me from getting to Train? And how would she know I was on my way to Train in the first place?"

That's a stupid question. Any idiot knows if I'm not with Train then I'm on my way to see him. She was probably stalking us until she found me alone, told Nica and the others to attack Train, and kept me distracted while that happened. I'm such an idiot...

Sephiria turned to give the man an inquisitive look. "What are you talking about?"

Creed ran his hands anxiously through his hair, trying to imagine what Train's gorgeous chocolate locks felt like as he spoke. "The way she was talking made me think that even though she was using Train as an example, she was really talking about Charden. I was so convinced I thought he might have been dead or even that you took him."

He stopped and replayed the woman's words in his head, making sure he didn't forget anything about their conversation so he was giving Sephiria accurate information.

I'm sure the only reason I remember it is because it has to do with Train. Or maybe my brain injury started healing back then.

"Was it possibly just a red herring?"

Creed looked up at Sephiria, giving the woman a confused look. "What do you mean?"

Sephiria glanced at Lin to make sure he was still sleeping and continued. "If she wanted to distract you, what better way to do it than to compare Train to Charden? I imagine you must have been pretty skeptical and angry with her, correct?"

Creed thought about what she said, then nodded. "Yeah… Yeah, I was pretty pissed…"

I think I was more angry by her presence than anything else. But, I also took pity on her…

Creed clenched his hand into a fist. "I should have known better…"

Sephiria wanted to agree with him, but she knew that would just be cruel. It was clear he was beating himself up enough for the both of them. "Was there a fight?"

Creed shook his head, grateful he could still feel how much it hurt. "No. She was unarmed. She even let me check her for any hidden weapons. I had my sword pointed at her throat the whole time and she didn't even flinch. And she was the one that offered to let me search her."

Sephiria frowned in confusion at that. "If she didn't want to fight and didn't attack, then what did she claim she wanted? Other than proving she was unarmed, what did she say to make you not attack her? Other than the fact that she was unarmed."

Creed looked a bit embarrassed when she acknowledged he was going easy on the woman because she was weaponless. "It would have been wrong to attack her since she was defenseless…"

Sephiria sighed, but smiled a little at his comment.

He really has changed a lot. I couldn't imagine the old Creed ever saying something like that.

"She claimed that she just wanted to talk." Creed idly flipped through some files as he answered her question.

Sephiria's frown deepened. "About what?"

Creed sighed and ran his fingers through his hair again. "Like I said, it was about what I would do if Train changed, but she made it sound like she was talking about Charden."

Sephiria sighed. "Did she actually bring up Charden?"

Creed thought about what she said. "No, I guess she didn't. But, when I brought up Charden and she got really flustered. So much so that I believed it proved my point."

Even though it didn't show in her face, Creed's statement surprised Sephiria. "Then maybe it wasn't a red herring…"

Creed sighed in frustration, leaned on the table, and turned the crank on the music box again. "You're talking in circles now, Sephiria. Do you think it was a red herring or for real?"

Sephiria furrowed her brow. "I didn't even consider that it might have been a genuine conversation…"

Creed felt another tear fall as he imagined his beloved playing the music box's song on the piano. "There's no way it was genuine, Sephiria. You and I both know what it really was…"

Sephiria watched Creed silently cry again as he listened to the music box. She thought about his words and while she agreed that it made sense the conversation with the actress was only a distraction, she couldn't get over how strange it was for the woman to come unarmed.

It's true that everyone in the Apostles is a sick, twisted, terrorist bent on bringing the world to its knees, but I they also aren't stupid. I can't see them showing up unarmed to an encounter with someone as strong as Creed.

Seeing that Creed was lost in his sad thoughts again, she thought about speaking her idea out loud, but decided against it. He seemed hell bent on believing it was a trap to distract him while they kidnapped Train and she didn't think she could convince him out of it. Besides, he was probably right.

I know believing the conversation was sincere might make Creed blame himself less, but he's too distraught to hear the logic behind my idea right now. He also probably wouldn't agree. Honestly, even thinking it to myself it sounds crazy. Why am I even entertaining the idea that the Apostles would simply want to 'talk' to Creed about relationship manners?

She shook her head, inwardly chastising herself for thinking something so absurd and looked back at the papers in front of her. "There will be plenty of time for self hate and blame later. Right now, we need to stay focused and concentrate on the task at hand."

Creed took a shaky breath and nodded. "I know, Sephiria…" He felt uneasy as he cranked the music box again and asked his former leader a question. "Are you… not angry with me?"

Sephiria's demeanor was hard to read as always, but at least she was blunt with her words. "Yes, but not with you. It's not as though you knew what their plan was when you ran into her."

Creed wiped his tears away as he played the music box again and continued looking through the papers. "I guess that's a fair point…"

Sephiria nodded. "And it's also not like you were foolish enough to follow them. If you did that, then I would have been angry with you."

Creed gave her a curious look. "Really? You don't think it was dumb not to follow them?"

Sephiria nodded again. "Yes. While I see the appeal of jumping through the portal to find out where the Apostles are, that's an extremely foolish thing to do all by yourself. If you had Heartnet with you, maybe it would have been smarter, but not by yourself. As strong as you are, Creed, you aren't invincible and I don't think you can take all of the Apostles on by yourself."

Creed smiled a little as he thought of his beloved again. "That was my logic too… and I think if Train was there, he absolutely would have jumped through the portal. With or without me. You know how impulsive he is."

Sephiria smirked a little as well, careful to make sure Creed didn't see it as she imagined the Black Cat jumping head first into the fray. "He's a foolish man…"

Creed laughed quietly, happy he was still capable of feeling even a small amount of joy. "Foolish, but amazing and perfect in every way…"

Hearing the loving tone in Creed's voice brought Sephiria's attention to him. She felt her heart break for the man as she watched his eyes go immediately from adoring to depressed, knowing he was fighting his hardest to accept the pain in his heart instead of the numbness.

I can't imagine what it's like for him… Or for Lin…

She looked over at the sleeping number and frowned. "Let's…. Not tell Lin about the conversation you had with Echidna. He can't handle anything else."

I feel like the smallest thing will make him fall completely apart. He's so fragile right now…

Creed glanced at Lin and nodded. "I understand…"

Creed knew she didn't want to tell Lin to spare both himself and the assassin. If he found out Creed was on his way to see Train when he was taken, but was distracted by the Apostles, Lin would not only completely fall apart, but he'd blame Creed for it.

And our short lived friendship will end. Lin can hate me all he wants after we find Train, but right now, he needs to work with me. If he finds out about my idotic blunder, he'll never forgive me and we won't be able to work together to find Train. And we need to work together.

Creed growled as he grew frustrated with the papers in his hands. He threw them on the table and leaned back in his chair, closing his eyes for a minute as he tried to concentrate on the song the music box was playing. "This is pointless, Sephiria. We're not going to find anything in these Apostles files. We both know they took anything valuable with them."

Sephiria understood Creed's frustration, but couldn't let him know that. "We won't know until we look through them all with a fine toothed comb."

Besides, Creed needs to rest. I know reading through papers isn't exactly relaxing, but at least he's not moving. Since he won't sleep, this is the closest we'll get to him resting.

Sephiria tried to convince the silver man to sleep while they continued working, but the most he rested for was a few hours. Even that small amount didn't seem tranquil since Creed woke up covered in sweat, panting like a wild animal. It was obvious he had a nightmare and no one needed to ask him what it was about.

"I'm really happy Sergey found this in my pocket…"

Sephiria watched as Creed smiled at the music box, tears still brimming his eyes as his face grew distant. "I have to say, those musician friends of yours have been quite useful despite not having any combat skills."

Creed nodded, a forlorn smile still on his face. "They're good people…"

Anastasia was as well… I hope Dae is taking good care of her business until I can.

The day his teacher died, Dae and Francisco attempted to take her body to have cremated like Anastasia wanted, but Chronos stepped in and said she was evidence. Some of Chronos' lackeys were in the middle of 'cleaning up' when his friends came by to take her body and they didn't know what to do. The Chronos members who were there had no idea who they were and almost arrested them for being Apostles. It wasn't until Sephiria showed up that they finally believed Dae and Francisco's story and let them go.

Sephiria said she still needed to take Anastasia's body, but she also said she'd respect her wishes and return the ashes to us.

Creed looked up at the woman, wiping the tears away as he spoke. "Is there… an update on Anastasia?"

Sephiria looked at Creed, her face still illegible as she spoke, but her voice was unusually kind. "We're cremating Anastasia as we speak."

Creed felt a dagger stab through his heart at the reminder his teacher was dead and nodded. "Thank you, Sephiria…" He took a deep breath and tried to make his voice not sound so pathetic. "Did you find anything more?"

Sephiria shook her head. "No. And I didn't think we would. It's just protocol."

Creed nodded his head again. "Yes, I remember."

There was a pause as they looked through a few more papers, then Creed spoke again, asking the woman a question he had been scared to ask, but knew he needed to. "Are we really not going to talk about how you were right about… those people?"

Sephiria stopped her movements for a second, then continued. "What do you want me to say, Creed? Do you want me to yell at you? Rub in your face that I was right? What does that get me? You are clearly blaming and punishing yourself enough. Do you really hate yourself so much that you want me to make you feel worse?"

Creed grimaced at her stern words, knowing she didn't mean to hurt his feelings with them, but she did nonetheless.

Probably because I already feel like the scum of the Earth, so she's right… Anything she says about those people will hurt me.

Creed shook his head, not wanting to delve too deep in his guilty thoughts and get himself off track. He had enough to worry about and adding his guilt and self-pity over being betrayed by people he considered family was only going to waste their time. And they had no time to waste. There would be plenty of time for all their self loathing later.

Still…

Creed glanced at the woman again as he picked up another pile of papers. "...I guess it's just unnerving to not hear you bring it up at all."

Sephiria sighed, put her papers down, crossed her arms on the table and gave Creed a deadly, furious look. "I told you not to trust them. I told you I believed they were Apostles, yet you chose to ignore my warnings and even invited them into your home. You were all immeasurably foolish for allowing yourselves to get closer to them, and you only have yourselves to blame for the situation you're in. You dug your own grave and possibly Train's by not listening to me." She went back to the files, her face returning to it's normal indecipherable one as she continued her work. "Feel better?"

Creed stared at her for a second, then, for whatever reason, began to laugh a little. It was a sad, bitter laugh, but laugh nonetheless. "Believe it or not… yes."

Sephiria shrugged her shoulders, but did not look at the man. "Probably because you think you deserve it. Which you do. But, considering what you've been through, what you're putting yourself through, and what you've lost, it's not worth wasting our time on making sure you know how asinine and thick-witted you were being. We have too much to do."

Besides that, Creed only trusted them because his teacher and Train trusted them. While it's easy for me to blame Creed , it's even easier for me to blame Heartnet. But, saying that to Creed would be worse than blaming him entirely. Which is what he's doing anyway.

Creed sighed, then nodded. "Right…"

She's being unnaturally kind to me. But, I guess she understands that losing Train is punishment enough…

Creed rubbed his eyes and went back to work. Considering Sephiria seemed intent on not making him feel bad, there was nothing more to talk about. He could continue hating himself silently and even berate himself after they found Train, but right now he needed to work. He couldn't let anything get in the way of him finding his lover and he needed to make sure he directed all of his attention to whatever was going to help him find Train. And, as much as he hated doing it, what might lead them to his beloved was reading through the seemingly endless pile of Apostles' files.

Hold on a little longer, my love. I'm coming for you…

Creed glanced over at Lin one more time and frowned. He stood up and walked over to the couch, grabbing a blanket that was there and gently placed it on the sleeping number. Before he went back to his seat, he checked his pulse to make sure he was sleeping soundly and didn't pass out from exhaustion. Seeing that his breathing and pulse were both normal, he went back to his chair and noticed Sephiria was giving him a confused look.

Creed read her mind and decided to answer her unspoken question. "Maybe if he feels a bit cozier, he'll sleep for longer."

Sephiria frowned, then looked over at Lin. "I will never understand why you are so kind to him after everything you've been through…"

Creed shrugged his shoulders and went back to the files. "It's because of everything we've been through that I'm so nice to him."

Sephiria looked back at Creed. "But, even when he was in a relationship with Train, you were kind to him. And I know for a fact Lin was never welcoming of your presence around Hearnet."

Creed sighed and nodded. "I know, but Train cares about him which means I care about him. Besides, we share a common interest: Getting Train back. And if he gets sick because he refuses to take care of himself, I can't use his skills to track down my precious Train."

Sephiria smirked a little again. "That sounds more like the Creed Diskenth I once knew…"

Creed somehow managed to make a mock offended look. "I certainly hope not! Train would never have me again if I turned back into that! And then Lin would swoop in and claim my beautiful feline for himself. And then he'd become my enemy. That is, if we're still assuming this is the scenario where I am my old self again."

Sephiria stifled a bit of laughter, happy to see the silver man was able to find a bit of joy, even though she could tell it was fleeting since he played the music box again. "You created this scenario, not me."

Creed shrugged his shoulders and allowed himself to get lost in the quiet tune again. When it was done, he played it again, making sure the music never stopped. He needed it to keep him grounded in reality. It was the weight he tied to his feet to keep him from floating away into nothingness. As Sephiria and Creed worked through the pile of papers, the door opened revealing his sweeper friends. Neither of them turned to face the people entering the house, since they wanted to make sure they stayed focused on the papers.

"Did you find anything?" Creed asked Eve as she slowly approached.

Eve sighed and shook her head. "No…"

Creed finally looked up at his friends and blinked when he noticed one was missing. "Where's Rins?"

Sven was the one to answer as he sat raggedly on the couch, Kyoko sitting on the opposite end as she rested her head on the arm of the couch and shut her eyes. The older man leaned back into the cushions and sighed. "She went to follow another lead. She didn't say what it was, but she said it was more promising than the one we had."

Creed watched as Eve grabbed a blanket from the hall closet and placed it over Kyoko. The silver man sighed and pulled out his phone. "Should I call her?"

Sven shook his head, crossed his arms against his chest, and shut his eyes as well. "You can try, but I don't think she'll answer. She sounded pretty eager." He opened an eye and peaked over at Sephiria. "Jenos is with her."

Sephiria nodded, but did not look at him. "I know. He's refused to leave her side and I don't care as long as he keeps doing his job. Which he is."

Sven nodded, then relaxed more into the couch, smiling as Eve placed a blanket over him as well. "Thank you, Eve."

Eve nodded, but did not return his smile as she looked over to see Lin was sleeping. She sighed in relief and slowly approached the man. "Glad to see he's finally sleeping."

Creed watched as Eve tucked him in a bit more as he spoke. "I'm not sure he had much of a choice. With how long he refused to sleep, I think his body finally made the choice for him."

Eve nodded, then took a seat next to Sven, cuddling with her guardian under the blanket as she shut her eyes. "Did you guys find anything?"

Creed sighed as he looked at Sephiria who was still looking through the papers. "No. And I don't think we will, but we have to keep looking."

Sephiria nodded. "That's right. And we can't get distracted."

Eve opened her eyes for a moment, then asked a question. "Have you slept, Creed?"

Creed nodded his head. "Yes. Last night. Two whole hours."

Eve sighed and shut her eyes again. She knew that wasn't enough, but she also knew he wouldn't listen to her. Instead, she snuggled into her guardian. "Wake us up in twenty minutes."

Creed nodded. It was only a few minutes later when his music friends walked through the door, Sergey being the first to enter. The first thing the Russian man's eyes landed on was Creed just as they always did and he approached the silver man.

"Any updates?" Sergey asked as he approached the swordsman.

Creed shook his head, but did not look up. "No. And be quiet! Can't you see people are trying to sleep?"

Sergey frowned and looked around the room, noticing Aimee and Dae were situating the blankets on their friends a little more while Fransisco went to the kitchen to unload the groceries they bought. "Oh… My bad."

Creed jumped a little when the Russian man placed something in front of him on the table, blocking his view of the papers. He was about to get angry, but his heart stopped when he saw what it was.

Train's ukulele…

He reached out and fingered the string gently, noticing how out of tune it was. His heart and his hands were shaking as he asked the blonde man a question. "Where did you find this…?"

Sergey's frown never left, since he knew Creed was only going to be more upset about the reminder that his beloved was gone.

All of Anastasia's music schools belong to Creed now, but we're dealing with the business while he finds Train. I'm sure he'll take it over once everything is back to normal…

He chose not to think about what would happen if their worst fears were realized and Train was dead. Instead, he answered the man's question. "It was on Anastasia's desk. You said Train never left anywhere without it, right?"

Creed felt another tear fall as he picked up the instrument. "Right…"

Train must have brought it with him while he waited for me… I'm so happy to see it's safe…

Creed brought it to his chest, hugging it as if it were Train as more tears fell from his eyes.

It's a sign… It's a sign that Train is safe. It's a sign that we're going to find him in one piece. Maybe he'll be a little out of tune, but just like this ukulele, I can fix that as long as he is alive.

Creed clutched it tightly, rocking back and forth as more tears began to fall from his eyes.

"Train…"

As he buried his face into the instrument, pretending it was his beloved's chest, he didn't stop Sergey from squeezing his shoulder compassionately. Dae showed up at some point as well and grabbed his other shoulder, then Aimee approached him from behind and wrapped her arms around his neck.

As he sobbed a bit longer, allowing his friends to comfort him, he heard Aimee whisper in his ear, the first words she had spoken since that day at the music school. "We'll find him, Creed…"

Creed let out another sob and nodded his head. As he sat there and cried in the arms of his friends, the door opened again. The person behind it didn't seem to care that everyone inside was trying to sleep as she slammed the wooden object violently against the wall, standing in the doorway with a triumphant look on her face. Rinslet's entrance was so loud, it woke everyone else in the room up.

Sephiria sighed in frustration. She was the only one who was not frightened by the sudden entrance. "How do you guys ever get any work done here with so many people constantly entering? You may as well replace your door with a revolving one."

"I've thought of it…" Sven said as he sat up and rubbed his eyes, making sure not to jostle Eve too much as he looked at the thief.

Creed blinked at the woman, seeing how smug she looked and felt a bit of excitement return to his heart. "Did you find anything?"

Rinslet smirked. "Yeah. Get your shoes on and follow me."

Creed was on his feet in an instant, a still groggy Lin following after him as they walked outside. The silver man had a determined look on his face as he spoke. "I haven't taken them off."

"Diskenth!"

Creed stopped and turned around, carefully catching the box Sephiria threw at him. He looked at the box, then at the woman who was quickly walking towards him. As she passed him and stepped outside, she patted the silver man's shoulder. "Let's go."

Creed smiled and clutched the box to his chest, then turned around and left quickly with her.

I'm going to bring Train back. No matter what.

---

Aliane watched as Train absentmindedly ate his food. She no longer had to feed it to him since most of his strength had returned to him and his body was completely healed due to the Nanomachines. He was also no longer chained to Doctor's experiment bed since their leaders made it clear they needed him at full strength for their upcoming mission. However, he was still chained, but more 'humanly,' if that was possible, and on a real bed instead of a torture chamber bed. The toture bed was still in the room, as if to remind Train what would happen if he tried to escape again.

That won't happen again. He's too doped up on that drug to even think about disobeying.

Train was still being kept in the Doctor's lab which Aliane didn't like. Her leaders insisted on keeping Train locked up, but she wished they'd at least let the cat stay in a real bedroom. She knew it couldn't have been good for his psyche to sleep in the same room he had been tortured in. Not that there was much going on in his head other than to obey orders. The amount of Chronos drugs they put in Train's system was scary and Aliane was beginning to wonder if he was ever going to be the same again.

I know he could easily break the chain and make a run for it. He's not weak or in pain anymore, so the fact that he isn't even trying is proof enough that they've warped his mind. I wish he had gotten away that first time he tried to escape…

Aliane almost faced Charden's wrath for cleaning up after Train's near breakout, but Nica had stepped in and claimed she was the one that cleaned up the glass. She was usually the one that did clean up in the hideout and Doctor did admit he had seen her in there in the past cleaning the bathroom he never used. However, he hadn't seen her there since they caught Train, but Nica was quickly able to fill in that loophole by saying she was giving them space to work with the Black Cat, but could no longer take it anymore and had to clean at least the bathroom in the lab. She still had the code to enter, after all. Doctor hadn't changed it yet.

And considering how anal she gets with cleaning, Echidna believed her and was able to calm Charden down. However, I don't think Echidna believed her either. I think she just realized what Nica was doing and what would happen to me if Charden decided to blame me. Echidna has been reigning Charden in a lot more lately, so I think she was trying to spare us both.

Aliane was aware the lie wasn't believable, but Nica came up with it on the fly and only just happened to overhear the conversation. She was even able to cover up why the window was broken by saying she saw Aja's tail crash through it while she was cleaning. When asked why she didn't tell Doctor, she said she didn't see the point. Aja wasn't hurt and she cleaned up the glass, so she didn't think there was any harm in the little secret.

And when asked why she didn't think Heartnet would use the open window to try and escape, she played dumb and said she hadn't even thought of that. She said when she saw Train, he was still chained to the bed and so out of it hadn't even crossed her mind.

They tried to turn it back on Aliane by saying she shouldn't have unchained Train, but she said she didn't think he would have been able to eat or drink properly while laying down and chained up. Also, since he looked, as Nica said, completely out of it, she didn't think he could stand let alone walk across two rooms and jump out of a window.

It took some convincing from us and Echidna, but in the end they believed our story and allowed me to continue to bring Train his meals. Although, I think they only let me feed him because no one else wants to do it. They're aware Train needs to eat in order to act as their weapon, but they all seem to think it's a chore they don't want to be bothered with.

It didn't matter to Aliane since she wanted to feed Train. It was the only way she could check to see how he was doing. However, every time she saw him, she felt worse. Even though he was physically in tip top shape thanks to the Nanomachines, he was emotionally and psychologically gone. Every time she tried to start a conversation with him, he gave her or the wall a blank stare, as if he didn't understand anything she was saying. But, when she gave him something that sounded even remotely like an order, he was alert and prepared to take action.

As much action as he can take while still chained to the wall…

Aliane sighed as she fingered the chain attached to the wall. The bed Train was on was pushed against a wall, collar around his neck with a chain hanging from it that locked into a heavy bolt on the wall. It was long enough that he could stand up and move around a little, but not so long that he was able to walk more than a few feet away from the bed. It was also the only chain keeping him on the bed and wasn't made of rubber, so she knew the gunman could easily break free, but he chose not to.

His freewill is completely gone. I know the chains are just a precautionary measure, but the fact that he hasn't even tried is… terrifying. He has no urge to be free again. And judging by the way he stares blankly all day, his mind is void of any individual thoughts.

Alaine frowned as he released the chain.

I wonder if they let him keep his choker? I can't see it on the metal collar.

She looked over his frame and noticed how his muscles had grown slightly despite his immobility. She knew that was also due to the Nanomachines. It looked like they didn't just heal his body, they also strengthened and expanded his muscles. He was also far more flexible which she only knew because she overheard Doctor updating Charden on his condition. Apparently, the Nanomachines didn't give him the same abilities they gave Eve. While he was more agile, athletic, flexible, and strong, he wasn't able to transform his body into different shapes. The most he could do was bend his body more and slightly enlarge his muscles. They also somehow enhanced his Tao ability, but at a cost. Whenever the Nanomachines pushed his Tao to the limit, it caused Train an immense amount of pain.

I guess it's comforting to know his humanity hasn't entirely been taken away. I know the real Train would have rather died than put something like that into his body.

She sighed again as Train finished his plate and set it to the side. He turned to her, a vacant look still on his face as he spoke. "What are my orders?"

Aliane frowned. She knew he was only asking because Doctor started testing his abilities and willingness to obey. Kanzaki made sure he kept the golden man confined in his lab, but while the room was a prison for Train, it was also a training room for the Black Cat. The different settings he had for Train's weather control abilities could be used to contain his powers, but also enhance them. The room's walls and ceiling could expand or restrict, which meant Train could use his wind abilities if the room was bigger, but had to stop when it got smaller. However, even with the smaller room, Train had been able to learn how to battle in restricted areas.

Which is something I know he struggled with before, but only because I overheard Doctor saying that to Charden as well. I wonder if Doctor made that lab to hinder and help Train on purpose, or if it's just a coincidence the lab works in his favor as well as his prison.

Train was even able to learn how to make use of the rubber room by using his ice ability instead of his electricity. When the room was heated to prevent his ice abilities, Train learned that he could still use his lightning, but had to be careful since that created more heat and too much heat could start a fire or explosion. But, again, that only helped improve Train's abilities since it forced him to learn how to better control the strength and precision of his powers.

Aliane noticed Train was still waiting for a response, and she sighed again, taking the tray away from him as she spoke. "No orders, Train."

Train nodded at her, then moved back so he was leaning against the wall, legs crossed as he continued staring forward. She could tell by the look on his face that his mind was still empty, but his body was alert and ready for an attack. That was another thing Aliane noticed that broke her heart. Despite how void of emotions and thoughts Train was, his body was always on edge. As if he was waiting to be ambushed at any second and was prepared to attack.

Aliane was quiet for a moment longer, then spoke again, hoping she could find something to reach the Black Cat. "Train…"

I can't mention Creed's name. Doctor made that very clear since Train usually goes ballistic when he is reminded of his partner. It sucks, because I know that is the one thing that will break him out of this which I want more than anything, but I'm scared of what will happen to me if that happens.

"Train…" Aliane said quietly, squeezing the man's knee as she spoke. "How are you feeling?"

Train gave her a harsh look, one she was used to getting from the Black Cat as he spoke. "I'm well enough for my next mission."

Aliane sighed and retreated her hand, rubbing her face before she spoke again. "That's not what I meant, Train… How are you feeling emotionally?"

Train's harsh look hardened for a moment, then changed to slight confusion. "I don't understand the question."

Aliane frowned and tried to explain. "Are you sad? Scared? Angry? Frustrated? Happy? Well, I know you can't be happy. How can you be in this situation…"

Train stared at her for a moment, then responded. "Angry."

Aliane lowered her head. "That's what you said yesterday too…"

Train blinked at her, then went back to staring at the door across the room, as if he expected someone to walk through it at any minute. "Why would I feel anything except anger? Isn't that what I'm supposed to feel? What else could there be?"

Aliane looked up at him, tears in her eyes as she spoke. "You could feel joy… Freedom. Peace." She paused before she said her next words since she wasn't sure how he would take them. "Love…"

Train turned his head and blinked at her again. "Love?"

Aliane smiled hopefully. "Yes, love! You've felt love before! One of the strongest loves I've ever seen. Do you remember?"

Train gave her a momentary strange look, as if he was contemplating the idea for a minute, or if he was remembering something, then shook his head. "Love doesn't exist."

Aliane felt like collapsing to the floor in tears for the man since he could not, but managed to keep her cool as she took a deep breath and tried a different tactic. "Do you remember anything before your time here, Train?"

Train did not look at her as he spoke. His full attention was brought back to the door. "Why does my life before matter?" He lowered his head a little and whispered his next words. "Why does anything matter…?"

Aliane heard the sadness in his voice and felt a bit of hope return to her. If Train was capable of feeling sadness, then he was capable of feeling more and she needed to push that thought onto him. "And how does that make you feel, Train? How do you feel knowing nothing matters?"

Train looked away from the door, locking eyes with Aliane as he spoke in a rough, low voice. "I feel nothing but contempt and hatred."

Aliane felt her heart freeze from the look Train was giving her, since she knew it didn't belong to him. She was sure she was staring at the same man who she knew used to mix milk with pizza, the same man who ran into the living room of the sweeper house and threw Creed's freshly made cookies at them. The same man she saw glue pages of the newspaper together just to annoy Sven, the same man she saw wear Eve's books as hats so he could get her attention, and the same man that used to ask Rinslet way too many questions just to watch her face turn red with rage. The same kind man that used to let her sit on his lap when he believed she was his friend who needed comfort. The same man she used to fight with Kyoko over.

...The same man that used to smile so carefree. The same man that used to be so full of life, it was impossible not to be drawn to him. The same man that used to stare at the clouds and sun bathe on the roof with Creed.

But now, Train's trademark cheeky smile was replaced with an angry scowl. His lively eyes had dulled over with a vacant pain and his free spirited soul was chained up both literally and figuratively. His childish personality was completely gone and the compassionate, empathetic heart that invited her into his home had hardened and turned cold. Train was no longer the happy-go-lucky trickster she met all those months ago. Instead, he was the calloused, cold blooded assassin Aliane knew he never wanted to return to again.

Aliane wasn't sure when Train looked away from her, but she noticed he was staring at the door again. Not wanting to give up, she asked another question. "Do you want to be free?"

Train blinked at the door, then at her. "Free?"

Aliane nodded. "Yes. Free. Do you want to be free?"

Train frowned a little in confusion, but the angry, empty look in his eyes did not change. "What does that mean?"

Aliane sighed and tried to think of how she could describe freedom to someone.

How would Train describe freedom?

"Freedom is… when you can choose what you want to do. If you want to have ice cream for dinner, you can. If you want to run away to another country and never be seen or heard from again, you can. If you…" Again, she was careful with her next words. "If you… want to be with someone… If you want to live happily with them… you can if you are free."

Train's look did not change as he spoke. "Why would I want any of that?"

Aliane felt her heart break a little more for the cat. "Why wouldn't you want any of that?"

Unless you've truly forgotten what it was like to be free…

Train looked back at the door. "All of that sounds pointless."

A single tear fell from the young woman's eye which she wiped away quickly.

What can I do to make him remember who he was? To make him understand what it's like to be free… To make him understand who he really is.

Aliane hadn't slept since they brought Train to the Apostles. She knew it was completely her fault that Train was their prisoner and she knew it was her fault that he had been tortured to the point of losing himself. It was her fault Train had turned into something even worse than what the Black Cat was and she could never forgive herself.

I know I said I had my feelings under control and I was prepared to see him die, even kill him myself if it came to it, but… I wasn't prepared for this…

She didn't just feel guilty about what she did to Train, but she felt guilty about what they did to the rest of the sweepers. She knew she had feelings for Train the moment she met him, but what she didn't realize until their mission was successfully completed was how much she cared about the rest of them. She actually found herself missing them and even wishing she could go home to them. With Train.

"KURO-SAMA, HOW COULD YOU?!"

Aliane glared at the girl as she sat herself on Train's lap and wrapped her arms around his neck. "Who's Kuro-sama?"

"That's what Kyoko calls Train." Eve said in her normal monotone voice as she showed the guests where they could hang their coats.

She frowned as she noticed how thin and torn they were, positive the outerwear wasn't enough to protect them from the chilly air. Winter may have been reaching its end, but that didn't mean it was time to pack up the sweaters and take out the shorts. Knowing they would be looking for any signs of whether or not they could trust these people, Eve made a mental note of that, since it was a point in the direction they were just a normal family who was having a hard time.

Aliane made a strange face the mention of another girl's name. "Who's Kyoko?"

Kyoko fumed at the girl who was still on Train's lap. "Kyoko is Kyoko!"

Aliane rolled her eyes. "Okay, but who is Kyoko?"

Kyoko puffed out a breath of smoke as she glared at the other girl which seemed to amuse her more than anything else. "Oooh, do you speak in the third person? That's so… dumb."

Aliane chuckled a little at the memory with her rival. She knew back then and she knew now that neither she nor Kyoko ever had a chance with Train since he was head over heels in love with Creed. She was also pretty sure Kyoko knew that too, but that didn't stop them from fighting with each other over the cat. It was hard not to want to take ownership of Train's heart. He was an incredible man with a benevolent heart. Besides wanting to win the golden man's heart, she also enjoyed annoying Kyoko. No matter how much they fought, Aliane actually liked the teenager and she knew Kyoko liked her as well.

That's why she was kind to me when she felt like I needed it… but I betrayed her trust as well.

Aliane wiped another tear away as she played another memory in her head.

Aliane looked more than offended as she clutched her hand in a fist and put it to her side. "Friends are supposed to share…"

Kyoko crossed her arms against her chest. "You're not Kyoko's friend…"

Creed saw Aliane about ready to explode, but Eve had stepped in and stopped it before anything could happen. "Aliane, tell me what happens when someone has low hemoglobin?"

Alaine looked down at the shorter girl quickly and suddenly her mind began to think about the question which seemed to make her forget about the earlier rage she was feeling against Kyoko. "If a disease or condition affects the body's production of red blood cells, the hemoglobin levels may drop. Fewer red blood cells and lower hemoglobin levels may cause the person to develop anemia."

Eve nodded and smiled proudly at the girl. "Correct. Go back into the dining room and read more about the cardiovascular system."

Even though she was faking the pain of her fraudulent parents' broken marriage, Eve had made sure to distract her with their studies. Despite the fact that the bio-girl was younger than her, she took it upon herself to not only act as a positive role model for Aliane, but to give her as much kindness, understanding, and compassion as she could. The girl she playfully called her sensei not only cared about her, but trusted Aliane enough to let her in their home.

And I broke her trust too… I never deserved it in the first place…

Aliane looked back at Train and noticed he had been unflinching the entire time. His eyes were still locked onto the door and the only time he moved was when he blinked or took in a breath. If it wasn't for those movements, she wouldn't have been sure he was even alive.

"That's no excuse to come out here by yourself! You should have told me and I would hav-"

He was cut off as Nica pressed her lips against his, making the sweeper's body freeze at the contact. Aliane smirked at the duo as Eve looked her over, the bio-girl seemingly unaware of the kiss that was taking place as she made sure her student was okay. Watching the two embrace, Aliane could tell Nica wasn't doing it as part of the act. She genuinely wanted to kiss the man she had been attempting to woo for the last few months and from where Aliane was standing, it looked as though Sven was enjoying it despite his body's frozen state.

Nica made the kiss last longer than she intended, but then again she didn't intend for the kiss to happen in the first place. When she finally pulled away, she wrapped her arms around Sven's neck, pressing her body against the green haired man's as she nuzzled her face into his shoulder.

She smiled warmly at finally being able to express her feelings for the sweeper, even though she knew it was going to be a short lived relationship. "Thank you for always caring about me."

Sven blinked at the empty air behind her, not sure what to do at first. Finally, his body reacted on its own as he wrapped his arms around her back, pulling her close to his chest as he rested his cheek on the side of the woman's head. "What else would a gentleman do?"

Aliane felt her heart break even more as she remembered witnessing the first kiss Nica and Sven shared. She knew they had feelings for each other long before that, but Sven had too much respect for her to make a move of his own or accept any of her advances. After that kiss, their relationship began almost immediately. Nica confided in her the next day they had consummated their relationship and Aliane knew the older woman only told her that because it meant the sweepers trusted them completely. However, that didn't change the happiness in the older woman's eyes.

She tries to hide it, but I can tell she's not doing well. I even caught her crying a few times. I know she's hurting in more ways than one, and I know her feelings for Sven are powerful and real… No matter what she says.

Aliane tried to bring it up with her a few times, but every time Nica would turn her away immediately or deny it vehemently. She said over and over again it was all part of the mission and even laughed at Aliane once for believing she truly loved Sven. Nica said that only proved how amazing her acting skills were if she was able to fool her, but Aliane always noticed how her voice shook when she spoke. As if she was trying to hide the pain she felt. As if she was trying to hold back the unstoppable tears of breaking the man's heart.

If she's not making fun of me for 'falling for her act like that man did', she's changing the subject completely or refusing to talk about it.

Still, time and time again, Aliane tried to broach the subject with the woman in an attempt to comfort her. Their relationship had started out as comrades on a mission for the Apostles, but after all the time they spent together, they had gotten close. Aliane cared about Nica, and she hated seeing the woman in so much pain, even if she would never admit it.

She fell in love with Sven… and she still loves him. I know, because I know how she feels… Maybe not as strongly since I know Train and I are never going to be, but I can still empathize.

Aliane sighed as she leaned back in her chair, studying Train's body for any signs of his former self. As strong as she now knew her feelings for the man were, she knew it was completely and utterly futile and one sided. Train loved Creed and Creed loved Train more than anyone else. It was impossible to ignore the bond and affection they had for each other and it was foolish to think anyone could come between them. They were meant to be together. They belonged together and they fit perfectly with one another. She wanted to compare them to puzzle pieces, but that didn't do their relationship justice. It was almost an insult to the men to compare them to a simple game.

"Pleased to meet ya! I've been looking forward to seeing the famous pianist in person. Sergey won't shut up about you. Is he your boyfriend or somethin'?"

Creed widened his eyes, then sighed as he covered his face in shame as Anastasia laughed again and answered for him. "No, but he certainly wishes that were the case. I'm sure he'd be ecstatic to hear you say that. In fact, I hope we didn't just blow a dog whistle to summon him."

As if Creed actually believed that, he glanced down the hall, then sighed in relief. Aliane laughed, then cleared her throat to get the silver man's attention again. Creed looked back down at her offered hand, then took it firmly in his own, smiling cordially at her.

"Pleased to meet you as well. I've never met an oboe player in person."

Aliane laughed again as she clutched her instrument in one hand. "Oh boy, I hope I live up to the hype! That is if there is hype… Is there hype? What have you heard about us?!"

Creed blinked at her, then chuckled lightly at her dramatic behavior, reminding him of his beloved. "All good things, I assure you. Do you mind if I hear you play a little?"

Aliane nodded. "Do you know Williams' 'Oboe Concerto in A Minor'?"

Creed frowned a little as he thought, then nodded his head. "A little. Honestly, it doesn't matter what you play. I'd just like to hear you play."

Aliane stared at Train as she played out the day she met Creed. The silver man had been so kind to her. So understanding. He wasn't at all like the man Echidna and Charden described to her. He was a sensitive and warmhearted person who immediately took pity on her. While she hated when people pitied her, she knew that was the point of her fake sob story and she was actually surprised how he was not only ready to believe her, but do whatever he needed to do to comfort her.

He took me to the main stage to try and comfort me and he didn't care when I jumped on his beloved. He even silently told Train to let me hug him since he thought I needed the comfort from a handsome, friendly stranger like Train.

She laughed a little as she played out the rest of that day all the way to the moment when she met the Black Cat in person.

"Creed… Is this your boyfriend?" Her smile was wide as she spoke, as if she was being bewitched by the cat.

Train felt his whole body get hot and knew his face was turning an even brighter shade of red. "Wh-what?!"

The girl reached out and pinched his cheek, squeezing it a little as she giggled merrily at him. "He's so cute! That other guy I thought was your boyfriend wasn't bad either, but this one is definitely adorable! Much more handsome than that weirdo."

Train felt his heart freeze a little at the girl's statement, blinking as he tried to gather what she had just said. "Wh-what other guy…?"

Anastasia did not let go of his cheek as she spoke. "That Russian guy, Sergey. He talks about Creed a lot so I thought they were a couple."

Train felt his face pale a little and leaned over so he could look at Creed, as if he wanted to hear the silver man say that was not true. Creed sighed adoringly at his kitten and shook his head subtly. "You know it's not true, Train…"

Aliane felt another tear fall from her eye as she played out the day in her head. Not only was it the day she met Train, but it was also the first time she was able to see how much he and Creed cared about one another. Even though they were not together at that point, the love they had for each other was clear as day. The only reason she didn't acknowledge it was because she had to make sure to put on a love-strick teenager act.

And now all I can think about is how I broke them apart again. Just when they were reclaiming the happiness they once had and the happiness they deserve more than anyone else.

Aliane took a deep breath as she stared at Train, the guilt taking over her body as she freely released a sob. It wasn't like Train would notice her tears and even if he did, he wouldn't do anything about them. Mostly because he probably wouldn't understand why she was crying let alone what it meant when someone cried.

"Train…" She let out another sob and rested her head on the cat's knee. "I'm so sorry…"

"I really hope you say you aren't Creed's boyfriend. You're too cute to be locked down with someone else!" Aliane continued laughing at his face, even though Train had no control over what it did due to her overbearing hands.

He pushed her hands away and cocked an eyebrow at her. "I'm sorry, who are you?"

The girl's face did not change as she began to play with Train's hair instead. "I'm the newest member of the music family Anastasia has created. I play the oboe."

That didn't really answer Train's question and he was beginning to get annoyed with her affectionate behavior and was about to push her off when he felt Anastasia grab his arm firmly. He looked down at her and saw the warning look on his face, but wasn't sure what she was trying to tell him and glanced over at Creed. Seeing his eyes matched the cautionary look the woman had, Train decided to leave the girl be and rephrase his question.

"Got it. But do you have a name?" Train said as he tried to pull his head away from her.

"Aliane! But you can call me Buttercup. And I'll call you Sugarplum." She giggled at her own comment, twirling his index finger around Train's spiky hair as she spoke.

Train made an uncomfortable noise and looked to Creed for help. The silver man simply shrugged his shoulders and stepped off the stage elegantly, walking over to his beloved as he tried to untangle the girl from his hair.

Creed giggled and helped Anastasia stand, ignoring the scowl his cat gave him. "That's what you get for being so cute, Sugarplum."

Train narrowed his eyes at the silver man, then sighed and pushed the girls hands away as they tried to pinch his cheek again. "I'd prefer if you didn't call me that. I have enough nicknames I go by, I'm starting to lose track."

Aliane laughed loudly and pinched his cheek again. "He's funny, too. Cute and funny! I like him."

"I'm so sorry, Train…" Aliane sobbed again, not caring that the man she was crying on didn't care about her pain, nor did he even seem to recognize she was still in the room. "I'm so sorry… I… I didn't know this was going to happen… I didn't…"

But you did know it was going to happen, didn't you?

Aliane shook her head and began talking to herself since Train wouldn't. "No! No, I didn't know this was going to happen! I-I thought-"

You thought they were going to kill him, right? Well, they did, didn't they?

Aliane blinked at her own thoughts and stopped her tears. "Wh-what?"

The voice in her head laughed. A voice she knew was her old, sadistic self that used to vocalize regularly.

Look at him! You think this is living?

Aliane shook her head. "No! H-He's still alive! He's still breathing! He has a pulse. He-"

You really think Train is still alive? He's an useless husk! An empty cell!

Aliane did as her voice said and looked at the man. "No… He's not-"

He's nothing but a weapon for the Apostles to use at their will now. That's all they wanted out of him and you knew that from the beginning. You knew that was their goal the moment you went on that mission to earn his and his friend's trust...

Aliane's head shaking got a little slower as she began pulling at her hair, trying to shut up the evil voice in her head. A voice that used to control every bit of her body, but she felt diminishing over the months she was staying with the sweepers. A voice that she hadn't heard for the last seven days until now.

You did this. This is your fault.

Aliane shook her head again. "No…"

You went on this mission knowing what was going to happen… and you succeeded.

Another tear fell from her eye. "Stop it…"

The voice laughed again.

Congratulations.

Aliane suddenly froze, stared at Train's lifeless face for what felt like an enerity, then stood up and moved towards the lock on his chain. "Screw this. I'm getting you out of here."

She turned her arm invisible and slid it into the lock around Train's neck. She felt around inside the metal for a few minutes, making sure she moved quickly before anyone walked in the room and eventually was able to undo the lock. As soon as it unlatched, Aliane reached out with her visible hand and caught the collar, putting it on the bed behind Train as she glanced at the door.

She looked back at Train and grabbed his arm, attempting to get him to move. "Let's go."

Train blinked at her, seemingly not aware the collar had even been removed. "Go where?"

Aliane frowned at the man. "Home."

Despite the angry, empty look in his eyes, Train tilted his head in confusion. "Home?"

Aliane nodded and tried to pull him up again. "Yes. Home. To your friends. To Sven, Eve, Kyoko and especially, to Cr-"

She cut off her own words when she heard someone punching in the code at the lab door. Aliane cursed and clasped the collar back on Train's neck, for once glad he wasn't fighting for his freedom as she used the collar to take it away from him again. Her hands were shaking as she slipped her invisible arm back into the device, trying to lock it from the inside again before whoever was behind the door made their entrance.

Shit! If they see the collar isn't on him, they'll either kill me, or punish Train. I'll have to try and get him out of here later.

Just as the door opened, the lock on the collar clicked closed and she slipped her hand out, grabbing the empty tray and putting it on her lap as if that would make her look more innocent. She even took the spoon in her hand, trying to make it look like she was feeding Train so she couldn't have possibly been doing something traitorous. With her other hand, she grabbed the napkin that was there and dabbed at Train's face with it, as if she was cleaning him off like a mother would their child. Luckily for her, Doctor and Charden didn't seem to realize she was there. They were engaged in a heated conversation Aliane assumed through context clues was about the children they had been trying to turn into an army of weapons.

"When will they be ready?" Charden asked, the lack of patients in his tone evident as he glared at Kanzaki.

Doctor visibly bit back an eye roll as he answered his leader's question. "As I stated earlier, most of them are ready now, but the rest still need more time."

That frustrated Charden and he let the scientist know it. "And how much more time do you need?"

Aliane tried to pretend she wasn't listening to their conversation as she focused entirely on Train. Despite that fact that the gunman was staring at the pair who entered the room, it was obvious he wasn't listening to what they were saying either. Not that he really could even if he tried. It seemed like he only recognized commands and questions.

But, I can tell by the way Charden is talking our leader is falling even more over the edge. And the unhinged look in his eyes confirms that.

Everyone in her group knew that Charden was slowly losing his mind, but it seemed like it was getting worse. He was beginning to rush their missions instead of making sure their plans were full proof. There was a mission that night that wasn't originally meant to happen for another week, but Charden moved it up based on Train's condition. Considering the Black Cat was physically better, the Blood Taoist didn't see why they needed to keep waiting.

And of course because Doctor wants to get back to his experiments on Train, so he's more than happy to get this mission over with.

Aliane frowned at Train as she pulled the napkin away and offered him the water. He took it willingly, then handed it back to her when he finished the glass, the whole time not making eye contact with her.

I wonder if I can get him out of here before tonight? I doubt it. Now that Doctor and Charden are here, they'll probably kick me out and test Train's obedience until it's time for the mission.

She glanced at the men who had stopped in the middle of the room to continue their conversation, then looked back at Train.

Maybe I can break him free during the mission. We're all supposed to go, so maybe I can create some kind of distraction and slip away with Train. He listens to commands and I can turn him invisible… Yeah, this might be the perfect opportunity.

Aliane held back a smirk which was easy to do when she saw the continued emptiness in Train's eyes. She jumped when she heard someone clear their throat behind her, knowing it was either Charden or Doctor and did not want to make eye contact. Since she already knew what they were going to tell her, she grabbed the tray on Train's lap and made her way towards the door.

Charden's commanding voice stopped her before she could leave. "There's been a change of plans for the mission tonight. We won't be needing you."

Aliane blinked in confusion, her heart sinking as she stared up at the man. "Wh-what?"

Charden narrowed his eyes at her. "Did I stutter? Or are you hard of hearing?"

Aliane lowered her gaze and shook her head. "No, Sir. Understood. Thank you for informing me of the change."

Before she left, she looked at Train again who was staring at her, but it was clear he didn't actually see her.

Guess I'll have to break him out of here after the mission…

As she put her hand on the door, she was stopped again, but that time by Doctor's voice. "You also will no longer be bringing Heartnet his food. Watts is going to take over that duty."

Aliane turned around quickly, her eyes wide as she stared dumbfounded at the man. "WHAT?!"

Both men gave her a shocked and angry look, signaling that she had said the exact wrong thing. She stood there for a minute, shaking subtly as she bit down at her tongue, trying to stop herself from screaming at them. Instead, she tried to speak calmly.

"With all due respect, Sirs… Watts doesn't have Train's best interest in mind. He may not even feed the Black Cat out of the pure hatred he has for him and if you want Train to be in the best physical shape possible, it's better you leave it to someone who-"

"-Someone who has affections for the Black Cat? Someone who has sympathy for him?" Doctor narrowed his eyes at the young woman. "Someone who might help him try to escape?"

Aliane blinked and looked away quickly. "Th-that's not what I meant…"

Charden turned to Aliane and crossed his arms against his chest as he spoke. "Watts know better than to starve the Black Cat. Despite the obvious contempt he feels for Heartnet, he's aware we're not done using him and wouldn't deprive him of food. He knows what the consequences of that will be."

Aliane lifted her head to look at Charden, ready to protest again, but stopped herself when she saw the look on his face. She lowered her head again and nodded dolefully. "Understood, Sir…"

She looked at Train, holding back a tear and a sob as she left the room quickly. As soon as the door closed, Charden turned back to Doctor, beginning their conversation about the upcoming mission immediately.

"Is he going to be ready by tonight?"

Doctor nodded his head as he pulled a syringe out the small fridge, walking over to Train with it in his hand. "Yes."

Charden watched as Train offered the man his arm without Doctor asking and frowned. "Then why are you giving him another injection?"

Doctor knew Charden wouldn't be able to see the annoyed look on his face, so he didn't bother hiding it. "Precautionary measure. Also, if we want to use him for a while, he needs to take a shot of this at least once a day if not more. And if we want him to kill you know who, I can't let up on the doses he's given since he still can't hear that man's name without undesirable results."

Chaden glowered at the man. "I thought you said you were going to try and make Heartnet have a bad association with that man."

Doctor sighed. "I tried, but without being permitted to torture him, there's only so much I can do."

Charden wasn't happy with that response. "Can't you alter his memories? Make him forget the man entirely? And his friends?"

Doctor took another syringe from his pocket and took Train's blood, the cat once again offering the scientist his arm without any objections. "If I had access to drugs like that, don't you think I would have done that by now?" Once the vial was full of the gunman's blood, Doctor turned around to put it in the small fridge, giving Charden a sick look as he spoke. "Besides, would you really trust me with drugs like that? Giving a man like me the Chronos drugs was dangerous enough, can you imagine what I'd do if I could change someone's memories?"

Charden sighed and took his glasses off to clean them. "I don't want to…"

Doctor smirked. "That's right."

Charden watched the man work a little longer, then asked another question. "Don't you require that man as well? Should we have Heartnet take him prisoner before we have him kill him?"

Doctor shook his head. "No. What I need is that man's DNA. And I don't need him alive to get that."

Charden nodded. "Good. I wouldn't want to have both of them here at the same time. That would not end well…" He watched as Doctor took Train's pulse and did a general physical on the man, noticing how obedient the Black Cat was. "When was the last time he fought you on anything?"

Doctor thought about that for a minute as he checked Train's reflexes, then answered his leader. "Yesterday morning he was hesitant when I told him to begin his first training session and even looked at me as if he was going to kill me, but it ended rather quickly and he went through the rest of the session with no problems."

Charden nodded. "And how did the session go?"

Doctor rolled his eyes since he knew Charden couldn't see his face. "As it says in the files I gave you, it went perfectly. Not only is he completely healed, but his Tao has improved."

Charden leaned against a nearby wall as he watched the madman work on the Black Cat. "And the Nanomachines?"

Doctor smirked. "While they aren't working exactly as I expected, they're still doing a wonderful job. He heals all wounds almost immediately and he's more agile. I also don't know if you've been able to tell, but his muscles have grown. I know that has to be the Nanomachines since it's only been two days since he started training again. There's no way they would have grown as much as they have in such a short amount of time."

Charden eyed the cat, seeing what Doctor was talking about and asked another question. "Will they keep growing?"

Doctor shrugged his shoulders. "No idea. Only time will tell."

Charden sighed and shut his eyes as he spoke. His sleeping had gotten worse, so the best way he found to stay sharp was to shut them whenever he wasn't using them. "And he really hasn't tried to escape? From what you've said, it sounds like he's more than capable of it right now."

And I'm not sure we could stop him if we tried. He's too strong now. Which is why we need to make use of him, get him to kill Creed, then kill him.

Doctor nodded. "He hasn't tried at all. He's completely in my control."

Charden frowned, but kept his eyes shut. "But will he listen to my orders? Or Echidna's?"

Again, Doctor nodded. "Yes. He listens to any orders given to him. I tested it out with a few of the other members. Which is also why we need to be careful. If we run into those friends of his or even Chronos and they shout a command at him, he might listen. Especially if it's that man or Sephiria."

Charden opened his eyes and cocked an eyebrow. "Why Number One?"

Doctor checked the chain around Train's neck, just to make sure it hadn't been tampered with. "Because she was the one he took orders from when he was with Chronos. I believe the drug has made him think everyone is Sephiria, which is why he listens to everyone."

Charden frowned. "I guess that makes sense… But it would be better if he listens to us over anyone else. Including the other people in the Apostles. If Aliane isn't to be fully trusted with the Black Cat, then neither is anyone else. Is that something you can fix?"

Doctor looked over his shoulder at the man and cocked an eyebrow. "Are you asking me if I can put a pecking order in his brain? And am I correct in assuming you and Echidna are to be his top commanders? Sort of like the Elders are to Chronos?" Charden nodded and the scientist smirked. "Yes, I can do that."

As Charden watched Doctor lift Train's collar a bit, he was able to see there was still a bit of bruising there. "Why have the Nanomachines not healed that wound on his neck? Does that mean they aren't working to their fullest?"

Doctor shook his head. "No. It's been tricky finding the right combination between Chronos drugs and the Nanomachines since they don't work well together. That's one of the reasons he had such a hard time keeping food down. All the drugs in his systems were at war with one another and needed time to get used to each other. Now that they've made peace in his body, the wound caused by Chronos' drug can finally start to heal."

Charden gave the man a confused look. "I thought you said he wasn't digesting food because the Nanomachines took over his organs."

Doctor resisted the urge to sigh in frustration. "Yes and I just said the combination of the drugs and Nanomachines was just one of the reasons. The Nanomachines merging with his body and the torture were other reasons. Now that he's had time to settle, he's the perfect weapon."

Charden smirked. "Wonderful."

Now we just need to move forward with our plans so we can finally be rid of him and Creed.

His thoughts reminded him of another question he wanted to ask Doctor. Probably the most important one of all. "When will he be ready to kill our former leader?"

Doctor smirked as he turned away from Train to face his leader. "Very soon."

While that pleased Charden, it also made him weary since it sounded like Train was still very attached to the silver man. "I thought you said just mentioning his name sets him off? What makes you so sure he'll be ready soon?"

Doctor stepped away from Train, writing down a few things in the notebook he kept of the Black Cat, not looking at Charden as he spoke. "Because it's getting weaker. I test him every so often to see how he responds to the man's name and the last few times his reaction was much more subdued. Instead of going completely ballistic, he got sad and started to waver in his obedience."

Charden gritted his teeth as he cursed under his breath, then spoke. "And how do you get his obedience back after that?"

Doctor noted his leader's anger, but chose to ignore it. "By giving him more of Chronos' drug. I also have a theory that if he heard Sephiria's voice, that might get him back as well. Other than that man, she's probably the most likely candidate for Train to listen to over anyone else."

Charden cocked an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

Again, Doctor held back an annoyed sigh. He hated explaining things to people, since it seemed like no one ever understood anything he said. "Until I can fix it as you just requested, he will listen to anyone's orders no matter who they are, but if he is given conflicting orders by two different people, it will depend on who it is that is ordering him."

Charden nodded, slowly beginning to understand what Doctor meant. "So, until you fix it, if you and I gave him conflicting orders, he might not know who to listen to, but if I gave him orders, then Sephiria told him to do something that contradicted that, he might listen to her over me?"

Doctor smiled proudly at his leader. "That's right, Charden-sama. And our former leader is involved in that commanding line up as well. I imagine he may listen to Number X over us as well and maybe even his sweeper friends, but I'm not as confident on that as I am with Sephiria and that man."

Charden nodded, then was quiet as he watched Doctor write a few times down. He glanced at Train and frowned disapprovingly.

The Black Cat is certainly not the same man he was before. He's not even the same as when he was running the Apostles with Creed and his current state barely fits the description of when he was with Chronos. I wonder why that is…?

Believing Doctor may know the answer to that question, Charden addressed his lackey. "Why is Heartnet so… different?"

Doctor stopped his writing and looked at his leader. "What do you mean? Wasn't changing him the goal?"

Charden sighed and adjusted his glasses. "I know, but what I mean is even this isn't what I expected of the Black Cat. He certainly has that angry, deadly look back in his eyes, but… everything else about him is so… meek. So fragile. Other than the vacancy and hatred in his eyes, this is not what I expected the true Black Cat to be like."

Doctor frowned at his leader, then looked back at Train. Charden was right. The Black Cat was not as intimidating as he used to be. Kanzaki had a feeling that once Charden saw him in action, he'd be singing a different tune. However, watching sit Train in front of him, slumped over slightly, eyes not taking in his surroundings, his mind and spirit clearly broken, Doctor could understand why Charden was confused.

He smirked as he answered the blonde man's question. "You remember how emotional Heartnet was, correct?" See his leader nod, Doctor continued. "Well, his emotions are also connected to his power. That's why his eyes change colors when he's experiencing different emotions. Whenever he's feeling a strong emotion such as anger or pain, he gets stronger."

Charden frowned. "That didn't answer my question."

Doctor sighed and tried to elaborate. "What I'm trying to say is I've found a way to not only subdue his emotion, but use them to our advantage."

Charden sighed and rubbed his tired eyes. "Explain it to me like I'm the idiot you believe everyone is."

Doctor snickered and continued. "I've managed to perfect the drug to the point where he's emotionally unresponsive to everything except questions and commands, yet when he does have a strong emotion, it's ten times as strong, which will make his abilities ten times as strong. The Nanomachines help with that as well since the escalation of his abilities puts an extreme toll on his body and he needs to be healed rapidly. When his Tao is activated at that extreme level, it tears his body apart from the inside out and the Nanomachines keep him together."

Charden nodded in understanding. "Does it cause him pain?"

Doctor nodded. "An unbearable amount of pain. But, does that really matter?"

Charden shook his head. "No. That still doesn't explain why he's so subdued right now. Shouldn't he be angrier than ever? He's a prisoner being tortured and given drugs every day. Why isn't he tearing us apart?"

Doctor smirked at his leader's cleverness. "He's not reacting to anything we're saying or what we're doing right now because he's used to this. He believes it is his normal life now since he sees everything else as pointless. The change I made to the drugs also makes sure he stays subdued until we need him to take action. I made that change because I figured we wouldn't want to deal with the Black Cat exploding and going on a kill spree."

Charden nodded in understanding. "Impressive, Doctor."

Doctor's smirk changed to a cocky smile. "I know." He turned back to his notes to continue writing his observations. "What time are we leaving for the mission?"

Charden checked the clock on the wall. "Four hours. Make sure he's ready to go in three."

Doctor nodded. "Understood. Do you want to stay to see what he's capable of?"

Charden thought about that for a second, then shook his head. "No. Just make sure he's ready."

Doctor nodded again. "I will."

Charden watched as the scientist waved at him, his back still turned to the Apostle leader as he seemingly wrote a novel about the Black Cat. The Blood Taoist studied Train's lifeless form one more time, seeing nothing more than a weapon and not feeling an ounce of sympathy for the man as he scanned his limp body. Instead, what he felt was confidence and hope. He wasn't even aware how strange of a feeling that was to have when looking at someone who had been kidnapped, beaten, tortured, and drugged for a week. Any human emotions he had reserved were reserved for his lover, since she and their goal to take down Chronos was all he cared about. He didn't care if the Black Cat was in pain. As long as he could complete his mission and live happily in a new world with Echidna, nothing else mattered to him.

He smirked at the image of himself and his partner achieving their goal, then turned on his heel and left quickly.

It's all coming together. We might be able to win this war after all…

---

Creed glanced over at Lin whose leg was visibly shaking. He could tell the number was anxious, but his constantly vibrating leg was making his anxiety worse.

Not to mention we've all been kneeling here for several hours. If I could shake my legs, I would, but they've fallen asleep.

Creed reached out and put a firm hand on Lin's knee, forcing him to stop shaking it. He rolled his eyes as the shorter man gave him an angry look, then glared at him. "Your restlessness is making me nervous..."

Lin hardened his glare and pushed Creed's hand off his knee. "Are you saying you aren't anxious already?!"

Creed sighed and looked back down at the docks they had staked themselves out in front of several hours ago. "Of course I am! But if I let it get the better of me, I might miss something."

Lin rolled his eyes and turned back to the same spot Creed was looking. "Well, if you keep looking at me, you also might miss something. So, keep your eyes forward, Diskenth."

"Both of you shut up! I thought you were becoming friends?" Rinslet muttered from behind the two of them. She was farther away since she had no intention of fighting if it came to that. Her role was to run off with Train if she had the chance.

I seriously don't understand why they think I'm capable of that. I know Sephiria gave me the knock out grenades, but on what planet do they think I can actually hit the Black Cat if Train's really gone back to his old self?

She frowned at that thought and scanned the people around her. They were standing up on a tall hill, looking down at the empty docks the thief heard through her connections would soon be the location of an exchanging of weapons with the Apostles and a known weapons dealer. It was really pure luck that she found it and it was the best lead they had gotten in the last two days, so they weren't going to pass the opportunity up.

Sephiria even brought all her assassins with her. I know this isn't going to be the final battle, but with this many people, maybe we can at least get Train back.

The most infuriating part was they had no idea if Train would be with them and if he was, would they even be able to take him? Sephiria gave Rinslet the grenades knowing full well she didn't stand a chance against the Apostles, but also was aware she was a good shot. That made her the best candidate to try and apprehend the Black Cat, but Rinslet wasn't sure about that.

If he really is back to his assassin self, there's no way I can hit him! Hopefully everyone else will be able to distract him enough and I can make the shot. Otherwise, we might be screwed.

She looked over at Sephiria, not sure if Number One was even breathing with how still she was. Rinslet looked around herself, picking out the hidden locations of most of the numbers, but not able to find anyone. The only one who made themselves known to the thief was Jenos. He was sitting on top of a tall tree and when he saw the woman's eyes scan over to him, he smiled and waved at her, making Rinslet roll her eyes despite the blush on her face.

That man is so idotic sometimes! Can't he see how stressed out I am?! How stressed out we all are?! Why is she just smiling and waving?

She felt a hand pat her shoulder, making her jump a little. She looked down at the Nano-girl, a serious look on her face as she spoke. "Don't worry, Rins. Sven, Kyoko, and I will make sure to stay by your side the entire time."

Rinslet smiled warmly at the girl. "Thanks, Eve…"

Eve pulled her hand away and looked down at the docks with everyone else. "Your job to retrieve Train is too important to mess up."

Rinslet felt the color drain from her face. "Are… Are you insinuating you don't think I can do it?"

Eve nodded. "Yes."

Rinslet drooped her head, feeling more stressed than ever. "Thanks for the vote of confidence…"

"Don't worry, Rins-chan! Kyoko believes in you!"

Rinslet looked at the teen girl, noticing that although her words still sounded immature, the look in her eyes and her demeanor was anything but that. She was crouched in a ready position like everyone else, her eyes forward and ready to pounce as soon as they were given the go ahead signal by Sephiria. Despite the fact that they were following Creed's plan, they were all relying on Number one to tell them when to attack since she was the most level headed on them all. Rinslet smiled slightly as she looked at the determined, mature look in the teen's eyes.

She's really growing up… I guess she's not really a kid anymore. She'll be eighteen soon and with everything she's been through, she's probably more grown up than we give her credit.

"But just remember if you can't do it, we're here to back you up."

Rinslet sighed in defeat again as Eve's emotionless voice brought her spirits down once more. As much as the girl had grown up, there were still social skills she seemed to lack. "You really know how to keep a girl's spirits up, don't cha, Eve?"

Eve shrugged her shoulders, but did not look away from the docks. "I'm just telling you the truth. What's wrong with that?"

Rinslet frowned at the girl. "You could try to word your thoughts in a way won't make me feel dejected."

Eve glanced at her out of the corner of her eye. "We don't have time to spare feelings. Just keep your eyes on the mission."

Rinslet sighed again, wanting to argue that rewarding her with confidence instead of punishing her for something she hadn't even failed at yet might work better, but she knew it wasn't worth it. Besides that, Eve was right. They needed to keep their eyes on the mission.

Maybe I should just tell Sephiria to give these grenades to someone else... It'll only take one Apostles member to stop me.

Rinslet looked at Sephiria, about to say something when Creed's hushed voice spoke.

"I see someone!"

The tenseness in the air thickened as everyone readied their weapons. The rest of them could see what Creed was talking about, but none of them recognized who the person was. Well, no one except Rinslet.

Rinslet moved forward, leaning between Lin and Creed who were at the front and pointed at the man who made an appearance. "That's my contact! What the hell is he doing here?"

Lin frowned. "Maybe he has a death wish?"

Rinslet didn't like the deadliness the number took on recently, but understood why. She sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "I guess it could have something to do with the woman he's with."

Creed leaned forward a little, pulling out his Imagine Blade as he spoke. "Who is she?"

Rinslet squinted again, making sure she was right. "That has to be Sheri Roberts, the woman the Apostles are supposed to be meeting to make the exchange with. I'm surprised Chronos doesn't know who she is."

"We do." Sephiria said, suddenly appearing behind the thief, making Rinslet jump crudely. "She's on our wanted list. Pretty high bounty, too. Guess she really wants to make a name for herself."

Rinslet caught her breath and frowned, knowing exactly what Number One meant. It was well known in the underground world that Sheri Roberts only got involved with illegal weapons and drugs because she wanted people to remember her name. However, instead of doing something worthwhile like starting an innovative business or trying to cure a disease, she decided to fall in league with criminals. She didn't even need the money. Her family was rich, but she was bored with her pampered life and hated her family so much she'd do anything to make them angry. It was one of the driving forces of her life.

And what better way to get the world's attention and piss off daddy then to do business with a known terrorist organization?

Rinslet looked back at the docks, then noticed Creed and Lin getting a bit too twitchy for her liking. She wanted to say something to calm them down, but she knew neither of them would listen to her. All any of them were thinking about was getting Train back, but those two had been inconsolable since the cat was gone and were far less patient than everyone else.

I'm surprised they've lasted this long without charging in there demanding answers.

As she thought those words, she heard Sven's voice from behind her and heard the green haired man moving towards them.

"Creed! Stop!"

Rinslet fell backwards as Sven pushed her out of the way and grabbed the silver man's shoulder. Creed turned around to glare at Sven, his Imagine Blade activated despite not realizing he had turned it on.

"I just wanted to get closer!" Creed whispered at the older sweeper.

Sven returned his friend's glare. "If we get any closer, they'll know someone is watching them! We can't make a move until we see Train with our own eyes. Remember?"

Creed sighed and looked over to see Belze was also holding Lin back, the number fighting against Number II's strong arms as he too tried to get closer. Creed frowned, then nodded his head as he wrenched his arm out of the sweeper's grasp. "...I know that. I'm the one that said it, remember?"

Sven sighed and knelt next to the man. "And it was a good idea. But, you need to keep your emotions in check and remember your own words. Otherwise we might not get Train back."

Creed looked Sven up and down, only just now noticing how bad off he was. His face was drawn and tired, bags under his eyes, and he wasn't wearing his normal, cleanly pressed suit. It was then that Creed realized how unfair he was being to the man.

I know he's worried around Train and wants to get him back just as much as the rest of us, but he's also working through his own heartache.

Creed read Sven's face and frowned. He could tell the older man was thinking about the woman who toyed with his heart.

Nica really messed him up.

Creed reached out and kindly patted the man's shoulder. "You didn't do anything wrong, Sven."

Sven tried to return the man's kindness with a smile, but found the expression impossible. "Thanks, Creed. But you and I both know it's going to take more than that to convince me."

Creed frowned and was about to speak again, but was cut off by Lin's eager, yet hushed voice.

"THEY'RE HERE!"

All eyes went forward as they watched a portal open. Creed and Lin needed to be restrained again as Echidna stepped out. As soon as Creed saw her, he gritted his teeth and clenched his hands, the guilt and anger rising rapidly in his chest as he remembered the conversation he had with the actress. The conversation that prevented him from getting to his beloved before it was too late.

He felt Sven pulling him away again, then looked back and saw his friend shaking his head, a knowing frown on his face. Creed sighed and nodded his head, then turned back to the scene unfolding below them. The next person to exit was Shiki, followed by Maro and Nica. As soon as the woman came out, Creed felt Sven stiffen next to him, knowing the green haired man was doing his best not to run forward and attack the woman just like he almost acted impulsively towards Echidna.

Creed smacked Sven on the back of the head to knock some sense into him. When the older man turned to give him an angry look, Creed smiled and patted his back kindly. "Don't lose your cool. If I can keep myself calm, then you can keep yourself calm."

Sven smirked a little, knowing what Creed said was true. He nodded his head, took a deep breath and focused on anything except the woman that used him. However, when the next person came out, all of the sweepers froze, each of them doing whatever they had to do to keep themselves from rushing forward foolishy. Watts stepped out and looked around the area, then immediately walked over to the dock to stare out into the ocean.

Creed felt his pulse racing and his vision begin to blur from rage. As angry as he was at every other member in the Apostles, Watts was near the top of his scumbag list. The only one who was higher was Doctor and possibly Charden, but considering that Creed was pretty sure the leader only took Train as a gift for Kanzaki, it was easier to put Watts above him.

Creed clenched his fists and gritted his teeth as she stared at the back of Watts' head, praying his Tao would level up again so he could shoot fire from his eyes and attempt to injure the man from the distance they were at. He knew he could extend his Imagine Blade to reach Watts and push him off the edge of the dock, but he also knew that was an impulsive feeling and would only hurt their ambush. They were still waiting for Sephiria to give the call of when to attack.

These hasty feelings are indicative of my old self. I need to keep them in check. I'm not that person anymore. And I never will be again.

However, as he watched Watts stare at the water, images of Anastasia's dead body began resurfacing in his head. He saw the man stabbing her repeatedly with his Tao daggers, remembering every detail of his teacher's death as Aimee described it to him. As much as Creed wished the girl didn't go into such great detail about what happened that day, he knew she did it because she didn't want to be alone in her misery. She wanted someone else to share the memory with and since Train wasn't there to lighten her burden, she unloaded it onto Creed.

Watts not only took Anastasia's life, but he broke an already broken girl. He destroyed Sergey, Dae, and Francisco. He broke the hearts of her countless students and teachers. He attempted to break my family apart. Attempted to break me.

Those words seemed to be enough to give him the determination he needed to stay put. It was a reminder that while Anastasia was gone, they were still there. Despite her death, they were all still alive, ready to fight back, and above all else, they were not broken. And no matter what they were ready to get Train back.

No matter what it takes, we will bring Train home.

Doctor exited the portal next and Creed was shocked to see he didn't have Aja or Aztec with him. That made the silver man's heart skip a beat since he was sure that meant Train would come out of the hole any second. He held his breath and heard Lin flinch and twitch next to him, aware Belze was working harder to hold the man back. Creed was sure Number X had put the same pieces together that he did and they were both ready to jump out and grab Train the moment they saw him. The only thing that held him back was Sven and the idea that there was no guarantee that Train would be there at all.

This impromptu mission has no promise that they will be bringing Train with them. While we know they're trying to turn Train into a weapon, we don't know if they prepared him enough to actually take him out on a mission yet.

That thought made Creed's blood boil. The idea of his beloved being prepared and treated as a weapon made him sick. He even felt himself swallow back a bit of bile, shaking violently as a disgusted chill went down his back. To him, Train was the farthest thing from a weapon. Train was the kindest, softest, gentlest man he had ever known. He was Creed's partner. His best friend. His lover. If there was one thing he was sure of other than his undying love for his beloved, it was the fact that Train Heartnet was not a weapon.

He nearly jumped forward and felt Lin do the same as the next figure left the portal, since they were both expecting it to be Train. Luckily, they were both stopped. The fact that Doctor didn't have his beasts with him only confirmed in Ceed's mind that Train was going to be with him. If he didn't have his pets to command, it made sense he'd bring his new weapon instead.

However, instead of Train, it was Charden. Creed watched as the leader of the Apostles stepped forward, a serious look on his face as he addressed the group of people in front of him. It was a rather large group of guards that surrounded Roberts, which Creed couldn't help but bitterly laugh at. It was crazy to think that the woman believed her guards would protect her from anything let alone the Apostles.

Seeing the portal close, Creed's heart dropped. "Is Train not coming?"

Sven lowered his head and let Creed go. "It doesn't look like it…"

"Why did they bring so many people?" Sephiria questioned mostly herself, but Creed noted how Belze, who was standing next to her, gave her his full attention. "If this is supposed to just be a simple exchanging of weapons and money, why would he bring some of his strongest people?"

Creed growled an answer at the woman, even though he could tell she wasn't looking for one. "Watts being one of their strongest is up for debate. The only thing his daggers can hurt in an innocent old woman."

Everyone heard the fury behind his words and didn't respond. Sephiria on the other hand, gave the swordsman a stern look and made sure he heard the valor in her voice. "Diskenth, are we losing you?"

Creed looked at her, his eyes reflecting the same resolve her's did and shook his head. "No. Can we make a move yet?"

Sephiria looked back at the scene and shook her head. "No. It looks like a normal drop off at the moment. I can only assume they brought this many members because they want to be ready for an attack."

Lin growled and punched the ground. "But we outnumber them! We should make a move now while they're not paying attention."

Belze grabbed the number and yanked him back, making sure he had a secure hold on him in case he tried to jump out of the bushes again. "We're waiting for Sephiria's orders."

Sephiria nodded approvingly at Belze, then gave Number X a firm look. "I'm aware we outnumber them and I'm not concerned about losing this battle. I'm concerned they'll retreat the moment they realize we're here and we'll lose our chance to follow them to Heartnet."

Creed put the pieces together quickly, and nodded his head in understanding. "Charden would know he's outnumbered and wouldn't dare fight a battle he knows he can't win. But, he's not foolish enough to not come prepared for a fight, especially since he knows how hard we're going to be working to find Train. Hence the heavy artillery."

Sephiria nodded at Creed, then looked back to the docks. "We need to wait."

Lin wasn't satisfied with that response and made sure it was known. "Doctor never shows his face in public without his pets. That has to mean Train is with them! Which means we need to jump down there and be ready to take Train." He looked back at Rinslet when he said that last statement, making sure the thief was ready.

Belze jerked him away even though he didn't make a move and glared down at the shorter man. "We wait for Sephiria's order."

Creed frowned deeply at Lin, understanding how he felt all too well. He wanted nothing more than to run down there and beat them all to a bloody pulp until they told him where Train was. However, he knew if he did that, they might lose their opportunity. It was hard enough to find the Apostles, but now that they had Train, Creed had a feeling they'd be even more obscure in their appearances. The fact that they found them now was lucky, which Creed couldn't help but think was a sign from his love.

Lady Luck loves Train almost as much as I do. I have no doubt she has a hand in this situation, and I'm not about to disgrace my beloved's God because I'm antsy. I trust Sephiria. She'll know when to make the call.

"What are they talking about?"

Creed turned around to see Sephiria asking the new Number XIII that question since he had binoculars and could read lips. That was only the second time Creed had ever seen the man, the first time being when he and Train took on Chronos themselves and he nearly died to protect his Kitten. The man seemed impressive back then, but Creed still didn't think he was worthy of replacing someone as incredible as Train.

I guess that's not his fault. No one will ever be able to match Train. I can only assume he's constantly compared to the Black Cat, which I must imagine drives him insane.

Kazuki frowned and responded to his leader. "They're just talking about the weapons which don't seem to be anything out of the ordinary. They're probably for the Shooting Stars unit. They mentioned the Tao a few times as well, but-Wait! They just mentioned the Black Cat!"

Both Creed and Lin ran over to the man and tried to take the binoculars, but Sephiria stopped them both and gave them a stern look. "Number XIII is the least biased of anyone here. That's why he's conveying the messages."

Lin cursed under his breath and looked back down at the docks as Creed lowered his head in defeat. While everyone in Chronos was trained to read lips, Sephiria had Kazuki do it since he had zero emotional attachment to Train. While it could be argued other than Sephiria and Lin, the rest of the numbers had no emotional attachment to Train, but they still personally knew him and Number One wanted whoever was the least biased to interpret the meeting. She was concerned anyone else may have read too much into something and caused a panic.

That's a reasonable order which is why I'm not fighting it, but it's killing me to have to wait for this man to convey the message. Especially since it's obvious he has a little crush on Sephiria and is only telling her what's being said. I know she's his leader, but it's almost as if the rest of us aren't even here.

Creed glared at the man, growing impatient with his lack of communication. "Well? What are they saying about Train?"

Kazuki frowned and pulled the binoculars away, answering Creed's question by addressing Sephiria. "They've only really mentioned that they have him. It doesn't seem like Charden wants to talk about it."

Creed breathed a sigh of relief.

That means Train is still alive…

Sephiria nodded. "Probably because they're using Heartnet as a weapon. And if that's the case, that would make him a very powerful weapon and I'm sure Charden doesn't want to divulge that much information to people they don't know."

It was Lin's turn to glare hotly at Number XIII. "What else are they saying? And address your question to me, not Sephiria. I'm the one who's asking it!"

Kazuki looked at Lin, then at Number One who nodded in agreement. It was clear she understood what the man was doing as well and was trying to make what their relationship was clear. Kazuki frowned at his leader, then looked at Lin as he spoke.

"Roberts seems really interested in Train, but Charden is going far out of his way to stick to the conversation about the weapons. Doctor has spoken a few times about the Black Cat, as if he's a proud father speaking of his son."

That thought made Creed shiver and glare down at the scientist. "That sick son of a bitch…"

They were silent again as Kazuki read their lips and relayed more of the conversation. "From what I'm gathering, it seems like although Charden doesn't want to talk about the Black Cat, he is hinting at Heartnet rejoining them."

Lin scoffed indignantly. "That's a damn lie…"

Sephiria sighed. "While it is clearly against Train's will, if our hypothesis is correct, then what Charden says is true."

Creed felt his body go cold at the realization that they were right about what his Kitten's fate had been the last seven days. "...They're using Chronos' drug on him."

Sephiria addressed her next words to Creed. "Do you have the new drug?"

Creed nodded and patted the breast pocket of his thin jacket. "Right here."

When Sephiria looked away, Creed patted his other pocket to feel the music box that was sitting there. He brought it with him everywhere he went as a reminder to stay rooted in reality. When he knew no one was paying attention to him, he played the music just to make sure he didn't slip away from them again.

But right now, I feel more alert than ever. Despite being itchy to make a move, I'm more determined than ever.

"What are they saying now?" Creed asked Kazuki, not looking at the man as he spoke.

Number XIII sighed and pulled the binoculars away. "It looks like they're completing the deal. Meaning this meeting is going to be over soon."

Sephiria frowned as she watched the Apostles take the weapons, Charden and Echidna handing over what looked to be an envelope that she could only assume was full of money.

"Do we make a move before they leave?!" Sven said, the anxiety in his voice clear as he grabbed Rinslet's arm, ready to run off with her and Eve to prepare themselves to grab Train if he showed up.

Sephiria weighed the pros and cons in her head. It was a tough call to make since she was concerned that the Apostles would run off before they had a chance to grab anyone to question them about Train's whereabouts, but she also didn't want to pass up the opportunity that was so graciously presented to them.

I've also given the order not to kill Charden, Echidna, or Doctor since they'll be the one that will know where Heartnet is. There is a big possibility they are keeping Train somewhere their lackeys don't know about since Charden may only trust that information with his inner circle.

Seeing they looked like they were about to leave, Sephiria was about to give the command to attack, but stopped when they heard a loud rumble of thunder in the distance, putting all her hairs on edge. The electricity in the air grew and all eyes were glued to the docks below them. Roberts and her people seemed to be confused at what was going on, whereas Charden and Doctor had a smirk plastered on their faces.

The entire area lit up with a bright flash of blue, blinding everyone in the area for a moment as a giant burst of lightning appeared in the middle of the docks. When the light faded, Creed heard Lin gasp wildly and attempt to jump towards the man floating in the air between the Apostles and their weapons dealer.

"TRAIN!"

He was jerked back again by Belze, who looked to Sephiria for their command. "Now?"

Sephiria pulled out her sword and nodded. "Now!"

Creed didn't need to be told twice as he leapt out of the bushes and sprinted towards his beloved. He was the first one down the hill with Lin and Sephiria close behind. As they made their appearance, Roberts' guards attempted to escort her away. Train didn't acknowledge his friends were there as he turned to chase the woman before she left. It was clear his only target was the weapons dealer, but none of the sweepers or Chronos were sure why.

"TRAIN!" Creed called out, trying to scream above the chaos that was happening around him. Train was so close, yet so far and it didn't seem like he heard Creed.

As Creed tried to run towards his beloved, he heard Charden's voice shout a command from behind him. "BLACK CAT! EYES FORWARD! NO MATTER WHAT, DO NOT LOOK ANYWHERE EXCEPT YOUR TARGET!"

Train nodded and did as he was told. Although, it didn't matter much since with the amount of people who were fighting it would have been impossible to pick out any one individual.

Creed cursed again, then tried to stop himself as a portal appeared in front of him. He fell to the ground and skidded himself to a halt, stopping his body from flying through it. The swordsman was on his feet in an instant, but another portal appeared above his head, making it impossible for him to jump over the blackness in front of him. He tried going to his left or right, but found Echidna had blocked off those paths as well, leaving him trapped in her dark prison.

Creed cursed and tried to call out to his beloved again. "TRAIN! TRAIN, CAN YOU HEAR ME?!"

"It's useless, Creed! Don't you remember my portals block out all sound from the outside world as well?"

Creed turned to see Echidna walking towards him, an elegant smirk on her face as she eyed the silver man with disgust. Creed growled and pointed his sword at her, reminding him far too much of the conversation they had a week ago.

"...Was it a trap?"

Echidna blinked in confusion at him. "What was a trap? This?"

Creed gritted his teeth and spat out his next words. "NO! That bullshit conversation you trapped me in a week ago! Was that just a distraction to keep me from getting to Train so you could take him?!"

Echidna blinked again, then slowly seemed to understand what he was saying and lowered her head slightly in guilt. "That's… That's not what we're here for…"

Creed watched as she pulled out two grenades, holding them each in her perfectly manicured hands. Her eyes stayed on the ground as she said her next words. "We're here to test the Black Cat's obedience!"

Creed blinked in surprise, the woman's statement answering all of his questions at once. It made sense now why Train was going after Roberts. She was an easy target and they wanted to see how far they could push his cat. If his beloved couldn't handle something as simple as killing a weapons dealer, then they would need to do more work on him.

And Train will never forgive himself if he does kill her even if he was under the influence of a drug when it happened. I need to get out of here and stop him!

Creed sliced the grenades in the air between him and Echidna, making sure he did it when they were still close to the actress. She screamed out in frustration and slight pain, giving Creed a minute to find a gap between her portals. He turned around and frantically searched, hoping he could find an opening before the smoke dissipated.

As soon as he saw a small gap between two of her portals he ran towards it, sliding on the ground and tucking his arms and legs in tight so he would fit. As soon as he was on the other side, he was on his feet and searching for his beloved once more. It was difficult with the battle that was happening. The Apostles and Chronos were having an all out war and Creed couldn't tell who was who as he scanned the area. He occasionally saw bursts of blood he assumed were from Charden or saw explosions he assumed were from his sweeper friends. He even saw a few sword slices here and there, which he was sure came from Sephiria, but overall, there was too much smoke and debris floating through the air for him to see anything.

Creed coughed on the smoke and debris, trying to wipe the foggy dust aside so he could gather his surroundings. "TRAIN! WHERE ARE YOU?! CAN YOU HEAR ME?!"

"CREED!"

The voice did not belong to Train, but he did recognize it. He watched as Eve flew down in front of him, her air acting as a helicopter which pushed the smoke aside enough to allow him full sight of her. As happy as he was to see she was okay, he panicked when he realized that meant she had left Rinslet's side, who was the one in charge of knocking Train out.

"Where's Rinslet?!"

Even frowned and kept her air moving, making sure they could see each other. "I don't know. We all lost each other pretty quick. Where's Train?"

Creed cursed and clenched his fist. "I don't know. But with how visibly his Tao is, he can't hide for long, right?"

Eve nodded. "Right."

On cue, they heard a loud crack of thunder, then felt by a huge gust of air. The burst blew all the smoke away, clearing the area and allowing the two of them to see more of what was happening. Creed didn't bother to look around to see who was battling who. Instead, he blocked his face with his hand to prevent wind or smoke from blinding him, squinting his eyes as he desperately tried to search for Train.

"TRAIN!" He screamed out again and could hear Lin's voice shouting for the Black Cat as well. Still, there was no response from his beloved and despite the constant lightning attacks he saw in the distance, he could not see Train.

"DAMMIT!" He shouted again, trying to fight against the relentless wind.

It's almost as if he's trying to keep us away from him. Are they commanding him to do that?

The wind stopped and Creed looked up to see Eve had created a large shield with her hair, blocking the wind from pushing them both back. Creed took that moment to glance around her shield to try and find Train. He saw his cat in the distance, hovering above the water as Roberts and her men tried to escape on their boat. It was clear several of her guards were down, but Creed couldn't tell if they were dead.

If Train has resorted back to his Black Cat status, I think they're still alive. He usually left the lackeys to me while he dealt with the main target.

His heart dropped when he saw Train beginning to create tidal waves in the water with his wind ability. He cursed again and asked Eve an urgent question. "Can you get us closer to Train?"

Eve frowned. "I'll try… I'm having a hard time staying in one place as it is. I don't remember his wind attack being so strong."

Creed felt his heart break. "Me either…"

As much as he wanted to sing the praises of his beloved's strength, he knew that Train's increased powers must have had something to do with what the Apostles had been doing to him. He wasn't sure what they could have given to him to make him that much stronger, but whatever it was, Creed was positive it wasn't something Train would have ever agreed to. His Kitten always wanted to earn his strength through his own means. Train considered gaining strength through means outside of hard work and training was cheating. Even the Tao was something Creed had to talk him into.

And if he wasn't so desperate back then, he would have never agreed to it.

Eve took as many steps forward as she could, fighting the brutal wind Train created as best her small body would allow her. Creed looked behind them and noticed everyone else had been pushed back towards the woods. He could see Sven, Rinslet, and Kyoko in the distance hiding behind a tall tree as they had a heated discussion. Creed assumed Sven must have been trying to come up with some sort of plan to get them closer to Train, but it was clear nothing was going to work. Not only would the wind push back anything they threw at the gunman, but they were above sea level now. Rinslet would have to time her throw perfectly so that it exploded in the air right next to Train.

And as good a shot as she is, I don't think even she could do that. I guess my plan isn't going to work… I need to take a page out of my beloved's look and improvise.

As Eve continued moving forward, Creed felt someone crash next to him, nearly knocking him over. He looked over and saw Lin had taken cover behind the bio-girl as well.

"What are you doing?!" Creed yelled in annoyance, trying to be heard over the wind. Lin should have been helping Chronos fight the Apostles, not taking cover behind Eve.

Lin glared at him, shouting as well so he could be heard over the Black Cat's storm. "What does it look like I'm doing?! I'm helping you get to Train!"

Creed growled at the man, but decided not to fight him on it. With how unhinged Train seemed to be, he couldn't deny that he could use all the help he could get.

He nodded and put his hands on Eve's back, trying to help the girl who was putting all her strength behind her movement. "Let go get our man back."

Lin laughed bitterly and did the same thing Creed did, adding his strength to their movements. "It's nice to hear Train is 'my man', but we both know that isn't true."

Creed smirked as they made their way forward, the silver man glancing around Eve every so often to see how close they were. He saw Roberts and her men try to get on their boat, the men firing shot after shot at Train who was unaffected by each one. Even though the cat had been using the wind to block the attacks from his enemies, Creed believed it must have been in part to keep them away from the gunman.

Echidna's first attack was to make sure I couldn't get over to him and now he's creating a powerful storm to keep everyone away, not just his target's guards. And I know how hard it is for him to control more than one weather pattern at once. Especially lightning and wind.

The fact that Train was using his lightning and wind confirmed to Creed that his love was being ordered to keep his friends away from him. Train had told Creed many times he tried to avoid using his wind control at the same time as his lightning because the wind made it hard to aim the bolts. The only time he ever saw Train use them at the same time was to practice, or in desperate situations.

And taking on such a small fry like Roberts is not a desperate situation. I'm actually surprised it's taken him this long to deal with her.

That told Creed Train wasn't completely gone yet. Someone like that woman was nothing to Train at his weakest, and right now it was obvious that he was at his strongest. The idea that Train hadn't killed the woman yet even though Creed was sure those were Charden's orders, combined with the fact that he was working so hard to keep everyone away from him was all the silver man needed to confirm his conclusion.

"If Train realizes we're here, that might snap him out of it." Creed finally decided to speak his thoughts out loud.

Lin blinked at Creed as they continued moving forward. "Why do you sound so sure?"

Creed smirked. "Because I know Train…"

This is all a test for Train. They gave him an easy task to accomplish to see how willing he was to kill again. Because they're working him up for a bigger kill…

Creed shook his head at that thought since he was pretty sure he knew what that bigger kill was going to be. But, he couldn't think about that right now.

I have to focus. I have to get closer to Train and let him see me again. I'm sure if he sees us, it'll break whatever spell the Apostles have casted on him. That's why Charden ordered him to only look at his target. He's worried if Train sees us, he'll wake up.

Creed could tell based on how Train was acting, they made alterations to Chronos' drug. Creed patted his jacket pocket again to make sure the syringe was still there and sighed in relief when he realized it was.

Hopefully it works.

Creed leaned forward so Eve could hear him better, shouting so he could be heard over the wild wind. "I need to get close enough to Train to give him this!"

Eve looked at the syringe and gave Creed a strange look. Creed put it back in his pocket and gave her a reassuring look. "Just trust me, okay?"

Eve nodded her head and continued pushing forward. It was difficult, but with the help of the men behind her, she was able to get them to the edge of the dock. When they got there, Eve could feel how much stronger the wind was and assumed that must have been because of their close proximity to Train. She opened up a small hole in her hair shield to check how close they were and to see if where Train was.

The girl frowned and shouted at the men behind her. "This is the closest I can get. There's no way I can fly us with this wind he's creating! Why is it so relentless?"

Creed looked through the hole as well, his heart shattering to pieces at the look he saw on Train's face.

He's not himself. He doesn't even look like how he did when we were with Chronos or the Apostles. His eyes are empty, yet filled with rage, but… now it looks like it's because the life was drained out of him. As if the Apostles took his spirit and soul away from him.

Creed pulled the syringe out again and clutched it tightly. "I'll get you back, Train."

"What's the plan, Creed?!" Lin yelled as he watched Creed peek through the hole.

Creed looked at Lin as he asked the number a question. "If Eve throws us at Train, could you use your cloak to block the wind long enough to get us to Train?"

Lin thought about it for a second, then nodded his head. "If that's all we can do, then yes. I'll make sure it happens."

Creed nodded, then turned to Eve to ask her a question the girl already knew the answer to. "I can do it, Creed, but you're going to have to cut through the air with your Imagine Blade as well as Lin's cloak. That's the only way I can get a clear shot."

Creed smirked and leveled his blade up to its third form. "Not a problem."

Eve nodded, then turned half of her hair into a large sling. However, doing that caused them to be pushed back a few feet since she had to sacrifice some of the shield. She grunted and tried to dig her feet into the ground, grateful the men behind her were as strong as they were.

She kept her eyes forward as she spoke. "You ready?"

Lin and Creed both nodded, their weapons drawn as they situated themselves in the sling. Creed crouched down and pointed his sword forward, Lin wrapping his cloak around the two of them to prevent the wind from blowing them off the sling.

Before Eve threw them, Lin said one more thing to Creed. "Don't cut Train!"

Creed rolled his eyes. "You know I'd never hurt Train!"

Without further warning, Eve launched them both through the air, Creed's blade slicing through the wind like a knife through butter while Lin's cloak helped give them the lift they needed to stay in the air, blocking the wind that surrounded them. As they got closer, Lin positioned himself so he was slightly in front of Creed, ready to throw his cloak out in front and underneath them so the silver man could launch himself off it. They didn't discuss him doing that, but as they flew through the air, Number X realized it was their best course of action since they were losing lift and speed.

When they were a few feet away from Train, Creed noticed his beloved had something in his ear. It only took him a few seconds to realize it was an earpiece and Creed could only pray his cat wasn't about to receive another command. His prayers went unanswered as Train threw an arm down and to the side, not looking at the men who were quickly approaching him. As he scooped his hand up, Creed looked down, knowing what he had just been ordered to do and not sure how to stop it from coming.

A large tidal wave rose recklessly from the water, giving the men very little time to react. Creed attempted to point his blade down and extend it to the ocean floor, knowing it couldn't be too deep since they were only about twenty feet away from the dock. He even turned to grab Lin's arm to make sure the number didn't fall into the ocean as well, but the closer the water got, the more he realized there wasn't going to be enough time for his blade to make contact with the ground.

And with how bad the currents are from Train's wind and lightning attacks, I don't think we'll be able to keep ourselves from drowning!

Creed shut his eyes, preparing to hit the ocean, but shot them back open when he felt something soft land underneath of him. He looked around and noticed Lin managed to slip his cloak under both of them, the weapon floating the pair in the air to prevent them from falling into the water. While half of it kept them above water, the other half was pointed up to block the unyielding winds. Lin cursed as he turned to Creed.

"That didn't work!"

Creed growled at him. "I can see that!"

Lin looked back at Train, trying to keep his cloak in the air while fighting against the powerful gusts. He felt lucky that they just so happened to fall at a particular point where the winds weren't as strong.

The number made an annoyed noise and voiced another question. "He really is trying to keep us away from him, isn't he?"

Creed nodded and looked towards the boat where Roberts was. He was happy to see the woman was still alive. Every breath she took signaled how much Train was trying to fight against his orders to kill her and it gave Creed hope that they could still get him out of there in one piece.

Maybe he'll be a little mentally unstable, but hopefully this syringe will help.

He wasn't sure how much longer the woman was going to last. She was hiding behind the hem of the boat with what remained of her guards standing on either side of her, trying to shield her from the wind. Their faces were panicked and Creed could tell they didn't know what to do.

Creed pointed in the direction of the boat. "Can you get us closer to the boat?"

Lin looked over at where the silver man was pointing and frowned. "Why?"

Creed turned to Lin as he spoke. "Because if we let Train kill that woman, he'll never forgive himself. Even if he is under the Apostles control, you know how he is."

Lin felt his heart sink and nodded. "Right. I'll do my best."

Now that they were stable, Creed had a moment to stab his sword into the water and began using it as a row to help Lin along. Lin only had so much control of the cloak, but he was able to use its sharp edges to help Creed peddle them along. There were about fifteen feet away from the boat and the closer they got, the stronger the winds got and the more violent the water became. They didn't let any of that stop them as they used all their strength to keep them moving forward.

Creed was grateful when they finally reached the boat since the waters had gotten impossible to steer through. Creed reached out and grabbed the rim of the boat, taking hold of Lin's arm and yanking the number on board with him. As soon as they were both on, Creed deactivated his blade again and ducked down, making sure his body was pinned against the floorboards so as to avoid the winds still cutting through the air.

He looked over at the fighting still happening on the docks, noticing Chronos and the sweepers were doing their best to get closer to Train as well. He couldn't see Sven or Rinslet anywhere, but Creed had a feeling they had abandoned the idea of using the knockout grenade on his beloved. He was grateful for that, since he wasn't sure it was going to work anyway.

If they can help keep the Apostles at bay, I think that's a better plan now. Sven and Rinslet are clever enough to realize that and while Rins thinks she's not a match for them, she's a lot stronger than anyone gives her credit for.

"I'm forever grateful for Sephiria keeping them away from us." Lin managed to gasp out.

Creed looked over at the panting Lin, only just now realizing how exhausted his body was as well. Fighting that wind had been one of the hardest things Creed had ever done, and it only made him worry all the more what the Apostles had been doing to his Kitten.

I know Train's strong, but this is absurd! I often compare him to a god and my Kitten picked the wrong time to prove me right.

Creed knew Train's Tao was very closely attached to his emotions, so he had a feeling that whatever changes they made to the drug probably took that into consideration. He also believed that Train's unwillingness to kill, but feeling the need to follow orders probably created a whirlwind of emotions for the cat. That must have been what made the storm so strong.

Aimee described his powers that day at the music school as otherworldly and I knew that had to do with being betrayed by those people. He's always stronger when he's feeling strong emotions.

He glanced at Train and noticed a tear falling from his eye, knowing his beloved was doing everything he could to stop himself from killing again.

My poor Kitten…

"Are the other men dead?"

Creed noticed Lin was looking at the fallen guards and shook his head. "No, so we don't have to worry about them. When we were partners at Chronos, he left the lesser men to me while he went after the target."

Lin made the grave connection and nodded. "And since he's clearly reverted to that state, he's leaving them alive…" He looked up at Train and felt his heart break. "But… isn't he worse now? Doesn't that look scream that of a man who will kill anyone?"

Again, Creed shook his head. "No. He's still in there. I can see it. That's why Roberts isn't dead."

I'll shine the light back in your beautiful eyes, Train. Just hang on a little longer!

Creed looked over at the woman and began crawling towards her. He could hear Lin's voice shouting at him as the number followed after him. "What's the plan?"

Creed shrugged his shoulders and shouted back. "I don't know! I'm taking a page out of Train's book right now." He could feel the confused look on Lin's face and smirked to himself. "I'm winging it!"

Creed crawled his way over to the woman and her guards, none of them even noticing his presence as they tried to fight the wind. When Creed leaned his back against the wall next to him, the boat rocking back and forth furiously, the others finally noticed he was standing next to them. One of the guards wrapped his arms around the woman and glared at Creed.

"WHO THE HELL ARE YOU?!"

Creed glared at the man. "I'm here to save your dumb ass!"

Roberts looked at Creed from over the guards shoulder and asked her own question. "Are you with the Apostles?"

Creed gave the woman a disgusted look as Lin pressed himself against the wall as well. "No! I'm with Train!"

The woman gave him a confused look. "Who's Train?"

Creed pointed to the man that was causing the storm. "That's Train."

The woman's eyes widened as she made the connection. "Wait, Train Heartnet?! The Black Cat?!" She glanced back at the legendary ex-assassin and felt her body shake with fear. "Why is he trying to kill us?"

"He's not trying to kill you! The Apostles are trying to kill you. If Train wanted you dead, can't you gather by now you'd already be dead?!" Lin glared at the woman as he spoke, pulling out his cloak again to prepare for whatever plan Creed came up with.

The woman swallowed thickly and screamed wildly as the boat rocked even harder, signaling the cat was beginning to lose whatever control he had left. "Are you sure he isn't just toying with us before he kills us?! That sounds like something the Black Cat would do to his victims!"

Creed didn't know how he did it, but somehow he managed to reach his hand out and slap the woman hard in the face. He gripped the wall behind him again tightly, starting to feel sick as the boat's rocks became even more frantic. "Train never did that! He killed with one shot every time! He never let his targets suffer!"

The woman was about to protest, and Creed slapped her again, mostly because it felt good to let his stress and anger out on someone who he could already tell was completely useless. "I already told you I'm with Train, so just trust me when I say he doesn't want to kill you."

The boat's rocking got worse and he could tell it was going to flip over at any moment. When it settled, Creed spoke again. "What choice do you have right now?"

The woman bit her lip, then spoke again. "Fine! I don't care who you are or what your relationship with the Black Cat or the Apostles are, just get me the hell out of here!"

Creed nodded, then looked out at the water on the other side of the boat, noticing how it was much calmer than the area around Train. He glanced at Lin and gripped the wall as the boat got closer and closer to capsiding. "How far can you stretch that thing?"

Lin blinked up at Creed, then glanced down at his cloak. "About a hundred feet. Why?"

Creed glanced over at where the docks were, noticing it was a bit farther than that and turned to the guards. "How far can you both jump?"

The men frowned at him, looked at each other, then the one that was still holding Roberts spoke. "With a running start, fifteen feet."

Creed smirked. "That's pretty far for an average person. You better get ready to run."

He looked back over at his beloved, feeling himself wanting to weep for his Kitten since he could tell he was in more than just emotional pain.

He's working so hard not to kill this woman that his powers are going into overtime and I feel like that's causing him an extreme amount of pain. I don't think he's noticed Lin and I are here either. Probably because we crawled and then hid behind the wall. He also might be too high up in the air to see us. Besides all that, he's too focused on Roberts right now to see anything other than her.

"You got a plan, Creed?"

Creed looked and Lin and nodded. "I do. It's a bit risky, and we're going to be relying on luck as well as skill, but I think it'll work.

As long as Train's God keeps smiling on me, we can do it. I can save this woman and get Train back on land where it'll be easier to subdue him.

Creed pointed his hand out in the direction of the dock. "On my word, throw your cloak out as far as possible and aim towards the dock. I'm going to take the woman and run as fast as I can along it, then use my Imagine Blade to launch us into the air and on the pavement."

Lin frowned. "That's a dumb plan for more than one reason. First-" He boat tilted again, cutting off the number's sentence for a second, but once they were settled he continued. "-First, when my cloak is stretched out as far as it can go, it's not as strong. It might not be able to hold the weight of you, the woman, the guards, and take a stab from your sword. Second, that leaves me on the boat by myself. What am I supposed to do?!"

Creed waited for the next rocking of the boat to stop as he answered the man's concerns as best as he could. "We're going to run as fast as we can and I'm going to stab my blade into the ground under the water, not your cloak. As for you, my hope is that Train will notice Roberts is back on the docks and go after her, leaving you to get yourself off the boat."

Lin still didn't think it was a good plan. He wanted to point out that even though the waters on the other side of the boat were calmer, it was still going to be hard for Creed to stab his blade into the water. He also wants to point out he was relying on the guards being able to actually make the jump with them and he also wanted to point out he was only speculating the distance to the docks. Added to all that, Creed was relying on the winds not knocking them off the cloak as well. However, as he opened his mouth to object to the idea, the boat rocked again, nearly tilting on its side as the occupants on board clung for dear life. When it calmed down again, Creed took a deep breath and answered Lin's question.

"If you've got any other ideas, I'm open to them! Like I said before, I'm taking a page out of Train's book and my gut tells me it's going to work."

Lin frowned at Creed's words since they reminded him of something Train might say. He wanted to protest, but seeing the stubborn look in the silver man's eyes reminded him of his sweet love, and he could never say no to Train.

"Okay, Creed. Just give me the word."

Creed nodded and grabbed the woman from the guards arm, ignoring her struggles as he flung the weapons dealer over his shoulder and smacked the guard that tried to fight him. The silver man waited for the waters to settle and readied himself to run. As soon as he felt it was safe, he nodded and Lin shot his cloak forward and as far out as it would go. Creed didn't bother to see if the guards were following him since he had to concentrate on getting the woman to safety. If they decided to stay on the boat, chances were Train would ignore them in favor of their boss.

When Creed made it about half way down, he activated his blade, extended it forward, and thrust it into the water as far as it would go. When he felt it catch on the bottom, he threw himself and the woman up into the air, ignoring her screams as he launched them high in the sky. He believed his plan was working until he felt a strong gust smack him in the back, forcing him forward and down recklessly as he crashed into the wall of the dock. Roberts slipped off his shoulder and flew several feet away from him on the docks, landing with a loud thump against the pavement.

Creed clung to the edge of the docks, his legs dangling several feet above the water as tried to see if the woman was okay. When he finally found her, Creed could tell she had passed out from fright as her unconscious body laid motionless on the ground. Before pulling himself up, Creed made sure the syringe was still safe in his pocket and sighed in relief when he realized it was. Just as he was about to pull himself up, he heard the woman's guards calling to from behind him and then watched as they reached the edge of Lin's cloak and leapt towards the docks. The first one landed relatively okay on the docks and he rolled safely on the pavement, then leapt to his feet and sprinted towards his boss. The second one was a bit less graceful and one of his feet landed on Creed's fingers, making his hand lose its grip and fall to the side.

Shit! I don't know what will happen to the drug if I fall in the water!

He was able to throw his hand forward again and grab the ledge once more, then pulled himself up and onto the docks. Once he was on solid ground again, he laughed wildly and fell to his back. He ran his hands against his face and tried to catch his breath, realizing how much he was shaking from adrenaline.

I never have to come up with a plan on the fly! Usually, I just predict where Train will go off script and plan for that. But, I guess I can see the appeal of not following orders. No wonder Train does this so much. It's exhilarating!

That didn't change the extreme stress he felt at the moment. As much fun as that was, he didn't see himself doing that again unless he needed. He was definitely the sort of person that needed a plan, even if the man he loved was going to ignore it and do whatever he wanted.

It's just one of the many reasons I love Train… Where is he?

Creed sat up and looked around, noticing Train had disappeared. He looked back towards the boat and saw Lin standing at the edge by himself. He noticed the number was looking up with a shocked look on his face. Creed followed his gaze and gasped at the image of his Kitten hovering like a god amongst the clouds. His entire body was glowing a fantastically bright blue that seemed to get brighter and brighter with each of his arm waves. He slowly turned into a bright shade of white, burning Creed's eyes as he tried to block the magnificent sight of the Black Cat with the back of his hand. Train let out a painful, agonizing scream, then suddenly vanished, leaving nothing but silence and smoke behind him.

Creed looked around frantically, noticing the battle with the Apostles had made its way back to the docks now that the wind stopped. He didn't take note if everyone was okay since he was too preoccupied with trying to find his beloved.

"TRAIN!?"

Just as he was about to get to his feet, a bright white light appeared in front of him. Creed watched wide eyed as the light slowly disappeared and revealed a glowing, omniscient Train. His back was facing Creed, so he still didn't see that his lover was right behind him and he took a step towards his target. The cat didn't bat an eye, nor did he deviate his focus from the woman in front of him. Her guards tried desperately to shield her with their bodies, their legs too weak to run from the fear the Black Cat was instilling in them as he slowly approached.

As Train stepped closer, his body flickered with electricity, his eyes shining a radiant shade of white as he spoke his old trademark words. "I've come to deliver some bad luck…"

"TRAIN!" Creed screamed again even though he was sure his beloved didn't hear him.

I need to stop him before he does something he'll never forgive himself for!

As he stumbled to his feet, syringe in hand he didn't notice the music box had fallen out of his pocket. It was already wound up, so as it fell to the ground, it began to play the quiet tune that had been soothing Creed for the last several days.

Train froze and his ears perked at the noise. His body slowly relaxed and the electricity surrounding him began to dissipate. "Saya…?"

He looked over his shoulder and saw Creed standing there, syringe in hand with a panicked look on his face. Train's eyes widened and tears began to rush down his face as he stared at his partner, his legs quivering beneath him.

"C-Creed…"

Train fell to his knees and gripped his head, pulling his hair psychotically as he began bashing his head against the pavement.

"C-Creed… I-It… I-It h-hurts, C-Creed…" He wept loudly as he fought against the drug and the days of torture, his mind feeling like it was splitting as he desperately tried to hold onto reality. "S-Saya… It hurts…"

It was then Creed was able to see how terrible his beloved looked. His skin looked like it was breaking, blue lines cutting through every part of his body, giving his blood the appearance of an electrical current. While his eyes were a bright azure mixed with white, Creed could see the redness behind them, making it clear he had been crying. Despite how awful his Kitten looked, the one thing that confused and concerned Creed the most was how quickly his wounds were healing then reopening. It was as if his body was breaking apart, but healing itself far faster than the Tao ever could.

What the hell did they do to him?!

Creed widened his eyes and picked up the box, running towards his beloved with the syringe raised high in the air. "I've got you, Train!"

When he was just a few feet away from his Kitten, a portal appeared before him and Charden's face poked out of it. Creed felt his body clench up when the Apostles' leader reached a hand out and took control of his blood. All he could do was watch as Doctor stepped out of the other side of the portal, a syringe of his own in his hand that he stabbed into the Black Cat's neck.

"NO! YOU BASTARDS, LET HIM-"

His voice was stopped as Charden began to choke him, making the silver man choke violently. He flashbacked to the day the Blood Taoist almost killed him and felt his mind begin to sink back into its numbing state once more.

Charden smirked. "This is oddly reminiscent of our previous encounter, isn't it? Sorry, but we can't have you talking to our newest weapon. We can't risk him hearing your voice."

Creed glowered at the man, but could only watch helplessly as Doctor stabbed his beloved with another syringe that he could only assume was Chronos' drug. The only bit of optimism he got out of the scene was that the guards managed to get Roberts out of there and thus sparing his love the agony of killing someone

No… Train… He said he's in pain…

Creed felt his vision beginning to blur as he scanned the fight happening around them. He could see Sephiria and Lin desperately trying to reach Train, but were continuously blocked by other Apostles members. He saw Rinslet trying to sneak up from the forest to throw a grenade at them, but she was swooped up into the air by a large bug, then dropped unceremoniously towards the ground. Jenos managed to jump in and catch her before she hit the ground, but it seemed like other than that, they had no hope of getting Train back.

No… NO! I WON'T LET THEM TAKE TRAIN AGAIN!

Creed clutched at his Imagine Blade, activating it to level four and slicing it towards Charden. With one, swift movement he cut the Blood Taoist's arm off, leaving nothing but a bloody stump behind. The blonde man screamed out and fell back into the portal, releasing Creed from his hold as he disappeared into the dark void. Creed landed on his feet, ignoring his flurry vision as he ran around the portal and to the other side, absolutely positive Train was still there.

As soon as he reached the other side he froze. "No…"

Creed fell to his knees and dropped his Imagine Blade. "No… Train…"

He leaned forward and clutched his hair, slamming his head on the pavement as he tried to fight the numbness from taking over again. "BRING HIM BACK YOU BASTARDS!"

Creed sobbed wildly as he lifted his head and stared at the empty space where Train had once been. The only thing he had left of his beloved was a burnt mark his electrical flash had caused. As he let the tears flow freely, he could still hear the music box playing its tune, a grim reminder of how close he was to getting his lover back.