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

39. Dinner Party Part 2

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

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Train sat on the counter in the kitchen, popping horderves in his mouth that the head chef seemed more than happy to provide him with. He had removed his tie the moment he knew they were safe, so he finally felt like he was able to breathe. He smiled as he leaned back on the counter, kicking his dangling feet a little as he beamed merrily at the older woman who had been showering him with food the moment he stepped into the kitchen with Willie and Vivian.

"What did you say these were called again?" Train asked through a mouthful of food which made one of the chefs winced in disgust.

The head chef, on the other hand, smiled joyfully at him. "Macaroni bites! I'm glad you like them. The macaroni inside is homemade."

Train gave her a cheeky smile and threw another one in his mouth. "I don't suppose you'd be willing to share the recipe?"

Even if she doesn't, I'll have to try and describe these to Creed so he can make them. Then again, he might know what they are just by name.

The head chef smacked another chef who looked ready to yell at Train. "Stop scolding him! He's a growing boy! He needs his food!"

The chef rolled his eyes and stepped away from the woman who was his boss. "He's a fully grown man, not your son…"

The woman grabbed a pan that was hanging above her head, then leaned over and smacked the man in the rear before he got too far away to reach. "How about you mind your business and do your job?"

The man turned around and glared at her. "I am doing my job! You're the one who's been spoiling this guy since the moment he walked in the door!"

The woman rolled her eyes and went back to her cooking. "You're just jealous he's gotten first dibs on everything I've made!"

The man growled at her, then turned away. "No. I'm angry that you keep wasting all of our food on a stranger just because he reminds you of your son!"

The woman gave him a warning look from the corner of her eyes. "Drop it now before things get dark for you…"

Train watched as the man grumbled under his breath and walked away from her to the opposite end of the kitchen, ignoring the other chefs on his way there. The cat frowned at the woman who seemed to get lost in her own thought of a moment after that, understanding why she had been spoiling and doting all over him all evening.

She said her son would have been about my age if he were still alive… Not to mention I apparently look a lot like him. I'm not sure how true that is, but since Vivian is the one that told me that, I'm pretty sure it's true.

Train locked eyes with her and gave her another cheeky smile as he finished the last bite. "Got any more?"

The woman smiled, her demeanor seeming to change in an instant as she handed him another plate. "Cooper used to be able to pack it down like you do as well. His metabolism was just as good as yours, too. I still don't know where he put it! Or where you put it for that matter."

Train smirked as he took the plate from her and began eating once again. "What can I say? I'm an anomaly."

Willie, who had taken a seat next to Train on the counter looked him up and down, then rested his hand on his stomach. "How about we see where it's all going?"

Train wasn't sure if he should be offended or scared by that comment, but that had been how the older man had been making him feel all night.

Seriously, I can't tell if he's hitting on me or trying to dissect me. What is wrong with this guy?

Train pushed the man's hand off him and scooted away from him a bit. "I can't tell if you love me or hate me, Willie, but no matter what the answer is, I don't think I want to know."

Vivian, who was leaning against the counter on the other side of Train laughed. "That's a normal reaction when it comes to Willie. He's probably not sure himself either yet." She leaned forward and looked over Train so she could see the man. "Isn't that right, Willie?"

The man brushed her words aside and set his empty plate next to him, wobbling a little as he looked back at the girl since he just finished his third glass of scotch. "It could also be the alcohol. I get a bit hard to understand when I drink."

Train yelped when the man pinched his thigh in a manner that made him wonder if it was supposed to be sexually suggestive or aggressive.

Or maybe both…?

Either way, Train didn't want to find out and moved over even more, pushing an amused Vivian a little so he was farther away. "Whatever the case is, I'd appreciate it if you kept your vague and unsettling advances to yourself. I don't feel like being treated like a piece of meat tonight."

Vivian frowned at Train. "Guess that boss of yours really puts you through the ringer, huh?"

Train blinked at her in confusion at first, then frowned as he remembered the lies he had been telling about Creed all night. "Y-Yeah… I guess…"

I hate talking so awfully about Creed, but it seems to be the best way I can fit in.

Train jumped and yelped again as Willie reached out and started poking and pinching his torso. He pushed the older man's hands away and glared at him. "Are you tenderizing me or something?! I don't understand!"

Vivian laughed again as Willie scowled at him, mumbling under his breath as he spoke. "Just checking…"

Train narrowed his eyes at the man. "What an ambiguous and threatening comment… Checking for what exactly?"

Willie shrugged his shoulders as he finished another glass of scotch. "Won't know until I find it."

Train sighed as shoved his face full of more food. "Well, if you find it, do me a favor and don't let me know. Because I-HEY, KNOCK IT OFF!"

Willie reached up and grabbed his hair, twirling his fingers around it delicately before pulling at it harshly. Train was about to yell at him some more, but was rescued as the head chef threw a large spoon at Willie, causing the drunk man to lose his balance as he fell off the counter and sprawled out on the floor.

Train breathed a sigh of relief, then smiled thankfully at the woman. "Thank you, Pam."

The chef winked at him, then gestured to his plate. "You need more?"

Train nodded and gave her another cheeky smile. "How can I say no to such a wonderful question?"

Vivian rolled her eyes as the woman piled moved food on Train's plate. "Jeeze, I hate to agree with that asshole chef, but he's got a point. You need to save some for the rich fuddy-duddies upstairs."

Pam rolled her eyes as she handed Train his plate back. "Oh please, the only ones who eat up there are the old men who pay for women to give them company at night. All those young, beautiful women don't eat anything. They only drink."

Vivian sighed sadly. "Because that's all they can do to get them through the night… Plus their bosses will probably shame them or make them throw up for eating. Or worse… They have to keep their womanly figures, after all."

Train frowned at her as he watched her poke at her food tentatively. "Is it any better for you at least?"

The woman grimaced a little, then nodded her head. "I keep myself covered up mostly, so sometimes I think my employer even forgets I'm a woman. However, every so often his hands are reminded of it when they grasp at my tiny frame."

Train stared at her, knowing she wasn't eating because her mind was going somewhere it shouldn't and reached out to squeeze her shoulder in comfort. "Well, it looks like you can handle yourself at least."

Vivian smiled proudly. "I can. And it has gotten better when I started to stand up for myself. That's always why I think he makes me wear tuxedos to these events and tells me to pull my hair back. I think he thinks it makes me look more like a man which soothes his fragile ego about my constant rejections."

Train smirked at her as he spoke. "I think it's kind of hard to hide the fact that you're a woman."

Vivian gave him a playful smile as she eyed his hand. "Are you hitting on me or comforting me, Clay?"

Train blushed and took his hand away quickly. "C-Comforting you, of course!"

Vivian laughed at him and pushed him. "I'm just teasing you! Man, you're easy to rile up."

"Is that so…?" Willie's voice came from the ground, laying on his back as he reached his foot up and slid it up and down Train's leg.

Train quickly pulled his legs up and onto the counter, crossing them as he glared down at the man. "You're getting worse the more you drink!"

Willie laughed sluggishly, then sat up slightly so he could reach the bottle that was resting where he was just sitting. "That may be true, but I'm learning more about you."

Train frowned at him. "Why exactly do you want to learn so much about me?"

"Because you could be a sleeper agent." Vivian said as she went back to eating her food, seemingly feeling better from their previous conversation.

Train tilted his head in confusion at her. "Sleeper agent?"

Vivian smiled at him. "It's happened before. One of the bosses sends someone to spy on us to see if we're giving away any secret information."

Train blinked and frowned at her mostly to cover up how nervous he was feeling.

I guess technically I am a sleeper agent, but I don't work for any of their bosses. I'm here on private business.

"Clay isn't a sleeper agent! Someone with such a sweet face wouldn't betray us so hideously!" Pam said as she put more food on his plate, the pile growing to the point where even Train questioned if he could finish it all.

Willie rolled his eyes from the floor. "You're only saying that because of your sentimental attachment to him!"

Pan pointed the spatula in an accusing gesture at him. "This coming from a man who's drunk after only being here for an hour! Do you plan on spending the rest of the night on the floor?"

Willie thrust his full glass in the air, ignoring the bits of liquid that splashed from it. "Yes! Or at least until the walls and the floors stop switching places."

Pam sighed and turned back to what she was doing. "I stand by what I said. I don't think Clay is a sleeper agent."

Willie sat up a little, betraying his previous words as he glared at the chef. "I find it hard to believe that such a pretty boy would be driving a car for someone who's rich enough to attend this party!"

Vivian rolled her eyes. "Not all of them are rich. Some of them are just innocent women who got caught up in a dangerous game…"

Train wanted to question what she meant by that, but had a feeling right now wasn't the best time since it seemed they weren't all fully ready to trust him yet. Instead, he looked down at Willie and gave him a sympathetic frown. "Is that why you keep molesting me? Are you checking for bugs or a microphone or something?"

Willie locked eyes with him for a minute, then turned his head away, but didn't say a word. Train didn't need him to confirm verbally since the look in his eyes was enough to confirm he was correct. Train sighed and placed his plate down, jumping off the counter and beginning to unbutton his jacket and shirt.

"Fine. You want to know so bad what's going on under here, I'll show you. Maybe then you'll finally keep your hands to yourself."

Vivian seemed apathetic to the situation, but Willie was suddenly intrigued. He jumped up quickly and smacked Train's hands away, finishing the job himself. "Doing it yourself will only make me more suspicious."

Train tried to read the look on the older man's face, but it was too drunk to portray any real emotions. Instead, he sighed and allowed the man to finish the job, then spread his arms to expose more skin and prove he wasn't hiding anything.

"There, see? Nothing but me under this monkey suit. Now, if you don't mind-STOP THAT!"

Train smacked Willie's hands away as they began inspecting his body, but the older man simply growled at him and put them back where were against his chest and stomach. "Just let me inspect a bit closer."

Vivian rolled her eyes and gave the man a knowing look. "Now you're just being pervy."

Willie glared at the woman as he finished exploring Train's stomach and moved to his back. "Shut up, Woman."

Train bit his tongue and looked up, keeping his arms outstretched so the man could inspect him.

These people better know something… This is embarrassing.

He sighed and closed his eyes, his mind wandering off to Creed as if he were trying to pretend it was his companion touching him like this instead of a strange old man he only met an hour ago. It was working until he felt the man's hands slip down his back and into his pants, grabbing at his ass a bit too harshly which brought Train violently out of his loving thoughts.

Train pushed Willie away aggressively and leapt backwards onto the counter, squatting as he buttoned his shirt back up. "That's enough! There's no way I'd ever let them put a camera there!"

Willie puffed in frustration, then stumbled back to the floor, leaning against the counter's wall as he retrieved his drink that he had placed on the floor. "If you won't let me check there, then I can never really be sure…"

Vivian sighed at him as she placed her empty plate down. "Willie, come on! Both Pam and I believe him and you just assaulted him to 'check for bugs' as you so unconvincingly explained, that's enough. We trust him."

Willie waved at her from the floor. "Fine, whatever. We trust you I guess…"

Train sighed in relief, but made sure he was sitting further away on the counter just in case the man decided to no longer trust him anymore. "Thank you…"

Vivian rolled her eyes. "Goog Lord, Willie, I've never seen you being that thorough with your suspicion before! Are you sure your paranoid mind was the reason for that search, or was it your pervy hands that just wanted to touch our new, young friend?"

Willie gave her a deadly look as he glanced up at her, drinking straight out the bottle now. "Don't worry about what's going on with me, worry about yourself. He wouldn't let me do as thorough of a check as I wanted so he may still be hiding something."

Train shot daggers at the older man as he finished covering himself up again. "I told you there's nothing there! Jeeze, who hurt you to the point where you feel the need to inspect inside of me!?"

They were all silent for a while leaving nothing but the sounds of a full, busy kitchen to resonate in their ears. Train eyed them strangely, then cocked his eyebrow and asked another question. "Did I just brooch a sensitive topic?"

Willie mumbled under his breath then stood up, stumbling slightly as he walked over to the fridge, opening the door and leaning inside it. Train wasn't sure if he was actually looking for something or just using his search as an excuse to get away from the conversation.

Vivian waited until Willie's head was fully immersed in the fridge, then sighed and answered Train's question. "We're all a bit paranoid of any new staff members, but Willie especially. Over the years, we have run into a few moles, but for the most part, they haven't discovered anything too bad. However, one mole overheard Willie talking about some very… confidential information regarding Jollin and his business."

Train glanced over at Willie as he spoke, figuring that was the best time to push for more information. "What… kind of information?"

Vivian frowned and shook her head. "I don't feel comfortable telling his business to other people. No offense to you, I don't think you're a mole or anything. It's just a belief of mine. If it isn't my business, then I have no business telling it."

Train looked back at her. "Why do you trust me?"

Vivian brushed his words aside as she spoke. "Because your face is too kind and too honest to be a mole. While you're very obviously an adult, I can see the child-like innocence in your eyes. You're not here to hurt us. In fact, other than the food Pam is so graciously giving you, you look like you don't want to be here any more than we do."

Train gave her a small smile, then went back to picking at the food on his plate he was beginning to feel too guilty to eat.

Should I tell them I'm a sweeper and here to expose Jollin for the crook he clearly is? Will they be more open to speaking about him, or will that shut them up even more?

Train wanted to be honest with them, but a part of him was concerned they may clam up for fear of retaliation from their bosses. If word ever got back to their employers that they got Jollin arrested, he wasn't sure how they would fair.

There's a lot of staff here that haven't said a word who may be more than willing to tattle on these people. I'm sure Pam can be trusted, but that other chef doesn't seem like the caring type. And after hearing these stories of what their bosses have done to them, I can't imagine what their lives are like…

"I was actually convinced the moment I saw your boss molesting you in the parking lot. If you were a mole, that never would have happened. It's a common problem in our line of work and they wouldn't go that far to try and convince anyone who might just happen to be looking."

Train nodded at Vivian and gave her a sympathetic smile. "I'm sorry that happens to you…"

Vivian shrugged her shoulders. "I'm a tough girl, I can take care of myself. And like I said, I've pretty much put my boss in his place. I'm more concerned if he ever decides to swap me with someone else."

Train blinked at her. "They do that?"

Vivian laughed a little. "Oh yeah! Loads of times! This is my fourth switch actually. I wouldn't be surprised if they start moving you around as well. A guy as good looking and young as you… I can think of several men in this inner circle that would love to have you in their lair."

Train shivered at the thought, then tried to change the subject. "You seem so young… How long have you been doing this for?"

Vivian looked up thoughtfully as she mentally did the math. "About eight years now? I started young mostly because I didn't have a choice. Both my parents died when I was barely a teenager, so I took the first job I could that got my out of the foster care system."

Train could tell she was doing her best to summarize the story so she didn't have to talk about it and decided it was safe to tell his truth as well. He figured it might put him even more in their favor. "My parents died when I was young too, so I know how it feels to be alone."

She smiled at him, trying to make it look happy, but Train could see the sadness behind it and knew all too well how she felt. "I'm not alone. I have friends. Despite what it may look like, I enjoy my job." She stopped and seemed to think about what she said, then rephrased her statement. "Well, I don't like what I have to do to make money nor do I like who I work for, but I like that I don't have to worry about food or shelter anymore. Plus, I get to meet new people like you and we have a great support system among us. Right, Pam?"

Pam looked up and gave her a friendly wink. "You know I'll always have your back."

Vivian nodded and turned back to Train. "And now, you're in the group as well."

Train felt his heart sink a little, since he knew he would probably never see them again once the night was over.

Are we…. Doing the right thing? I know Jollin is a crime boss, but would his downfall lead to the demise of all these innocent people?

Train smiled at her and decided to voice his concerns. "Jollin has a reward out for him, doesn't he?"

Vivian blinked at him in confusion through a bite of food. "Does he?"

Train shrugged his shoulders. "Well, I guess maybe not him specifically, but one out on any information about him. Information that proves he's really a crime boss."

Vivian's face still showed nothing by confusion, but seemed to like Train's bluntness. "Is that so…? How did you find that out?"

Train didn't hesitate with his answer and knew it would be a great way to segway into more information about Jollin. "I overheard my boss talking about it. They're new to events Jollin hosts, so they were talking a lot about who he was before we left and in the car. Other than when he wants to molest me, they don't really act like I'm a person capable of remembering things."

Well, I guess that's half true. Creed does like to molest me on a daily basis, but he certainly knows I'm a human.

Vivian laughed at his comment and slapped the counter. "That sounds about right! However, you're not alone in being new to this event. Everyone brought new dates with them to offer to Jollin."

Train blinked. "Really?"

Vivian nodded, but gave him another confused look. "Your bosses talked about who Jollin was, but not what this event was about?" Seeing Train nod his head, she rolled her eyes. "Typical, I guess. But, then again, they may not actually know. I saw that hot piece of ass you drove here. She probably caught Jollin's eye and is the offering herself."

Train blinked at her, trying to remember the fake name Rinslet gave herself and spoke once he finally remembered it. "You mean Renee?"

"If that's your bosses name, then yes. Weird to hear a servant call their boss by their first name, but I guess it doesn't matter since they're not here to yell at you."

Train watched her pick at her food, then spoke again. "Wait… Are you telling me tonight is a night where Jollin picks his new lover?"

Vivian tapped her own nose and smiled at him. "I'm not surprised you didn't notice the kind of people who were pulling up since you were too busy being molested, but the majority of the men here are old farts who bring their mistresses or pretty little finds to offer to Jollin in hopes of getting into his good graces. Occasionally, Jollin invites someone himself and usually when that happens, we know who's going to win at the end of the night. I would be surprised if everyone up there is schmoozing her and ignoring their down dates since they know she's going to win. If they can get on her good side, they might think they can get on his."

Train felt his face pale and was happy Willie was still wandering around the kitchen and Vivian wasn't looking at him.

Shit. We need to get whatever information we can from them and get Rinslet out of here. I know she can handle herself, but I don't think she can handle a crime boss and his bodyguards alone.

Train pulled his phone out and texted Creed and Rinslet, explaining everything he just learned, then pocketed it quickly before anyone noticed. Not that it was strange for him to have his phone, he'd seen both Willie and Vivian on theirs, but he thought it might look weird for him to pull it out after he learned that new bit of information.

"If that's the case does that mean I'll only be driving Mr. Mitchell home tonight?" Train tried to make sure he sounded casual as he attempted to get more information out of her.

Vivian gave him a curious look. "Oh, so you call him by his formal name in private?"

Train was about to panic, but was able to quickly come up with a reason for it as he spoke. "...Guess he's got me trained pretty well."

Vivian gave him a sympathetic, yet understanding frown. "To answer your question: Yes. So, you may be in for a rough night if you're going to be alone with that man when you get home."

Train made himself grimace and nodded. "Don't remind me. He looks for opportunities when she's gone so he can… Well, you know."

Vivian had the same frown on her face as she turned around and leaned on the counter to talk to him. "So, they have a 'face value' relationship?"

Train gave her a bewildered look. "I've never heard that term before. What does that mean?"

Vivian chuckled lightly. "It means it's only for other people. Do you ever hear them being intimate?"

Train felt his face pale at the thought of Creed and Rinslet sleeping together. Luckily, it worked for the fake scenario they created for the evening. "Guess not… He's far more interested in her absence than her presence. And I don't need to remind you why."

Vivian reached out and patted his leg. "If you make a stand, it'll get easier. It's hard the first few times, but after a while he'll get the picture and realize it's not worth it."

Train felt like laughing at the idea of Creed ever leaving him alone, but managed to keep the gesture hidden. "Yeah, I'll give it a shot."

He gave me space when you knew I didn't want him, but now that he knows I at least have some remaining feelings for him, he's eager to get whatever he can from me. But, he still takes no for an answer. He still respects my wishes even if it hurts him.

It hurt Train too, since he wanted to do everything Creed wanted to do as well. He just wasn't allowing himself.

Willie climbed back onto the counter, grabbing onto Train's shoulder to help him up as the cat yelped and almost fell off the counter. The older man ignored the cat's glare in favor of settling next him and stabilizing himself on the counter.

Willie took another large sip of his scotch, then leaned his elbow on Train's shoulder as he spoke. "What were you saying about a reward?"

Train leaned away from him slightly, not enjoying the closeness or the stench of alcohol that left his mouth, but nodded his head nonetheless. "Yeah. It's for information on what Jollin's business is, not Jollin himself."

Willie smirked and leaned a little closer. "How much?"

Train frowned at him. "I'm not sure…"

A thought occurred to Vivian and she decided to voice her own question. "Do you think that means there are sweepers at this party?"

Train blinked at her. "What makes you think that?"

Vivian rolled her eyes. "Why do you think? Seeing as it's Jollin, the reward has to be high and this party is the best way to sneak in unnoticed considering how many new people are going to be here."

"Now that you mention it…" Willie slipped his hand underneath Train's shirt again and began fondling him once more. "I thought you seemed a bit too jacked to just be a common servant. Are you a sweeper?"

Train felt his face pale, then yanked the man's hand out of his shirt and crossed his arms against his chest. "I thought if I let you pat me down you'd stop molesting me!"

Willie scoffed at him, then laid down on the counter. "I never said that… You said that…"

Vivian looked Train up and down as if she was just noticing the same thing Willie was. "That's actually a good point. While I don't think you're a sleep agent, I have felt like you're a bit too out of place here. Be honest with us, are you really a sweeper?"

Willie laughed, then hiccupped as he spoke. "Are you here to save us from our life of misery and pain?"

It was then that Train noticed two of Willie's fingers were merely stubs, leaving the cat to believe what the punishment his boss might have inflicted on him might have been. He glanced at the woman, then back at Willie who shut his eyes, but was still paying attention to their conversation.

I still don't think I can just outright say it…

"Would that be a better situation than if I was a mole? Or a regular servant?" Train laughed a little as he spoke, trying to make his question sound like a joke.

Willie laughed as well and kicked him slightly in the shoulder. "It'd be far better than if you were a mole."

Vivian nodded. "But I guess being a servant or a sweeper doesn't really matter. It's not like you'd be able to take Jollin down anyway."

Train wanted to smirk at being able to lead the conversation back to the man of the hour without even trying. "Why do you think that?"

Willie laughed again. "You're cute, but dumb. No one can take down Jollin! He's got it allllll figured out."

Train turned his frown to the man who was trying to rest his feet on his lap. He pushed them off and scooted away a little. "Got what all figured out, exactly? I know he's a crime boss, but I don't really know much else."

Vivian shrugged her shoulders. "That's all you really need to know. You name a crime, he's committed it. But he's had the police in his pockets for so long, no one can stop him. I don't even think Chronos can at this point."

Train managed to keep his cool at the mention of the assassin organization, but he was surprised the woman had heard of them.

Well, I guess I shouldn't be considering the life she's led. She's probably heard several of the people she's worked for mention them before and Willie's old enough to know who they are as well. I guess when you're involved in the underground world, even if it's just as a servant, things like Chronos are common knowledge.

He already spoke to Sephiria about the party they were attending and she explained to him how Jollin has been on their radar for a while. They were actually the ones that called for the sweep to find out more about him. While Vivian was right that he had been doing an amazing job at keeping everything he did a secret, she was wrong about him having the police in his pocket.

I guess that's a normal thing to believe, though. While they may know who Chronos is, they may not know how far reached their influence is. Sephiria didn't get into details about why they hadn't found any information on Jollin, but considering they don't have anything to do with the Apostles yet, she probably can't tell me. But, I don't care about her silence on the matter. I'm just happy she agreed her or Chronos presence here tonight would be troublesome.

That was one of the perks of her having them as allies. She even temporarily called off the guards following Creed just to be on the safe side. Even if Jollin did have a connection with the Apostles, Chronos' presence would only push them towards a failed mission and Sephiria knew that.

This is the underground world we're dealing with. If any of them caught even a sniff of Chronos tonight, the whole place would have been shut down immediately and we wouldn't have been able to get anything.

It was true that Chronos has done missions like this before without a problem, but considering Sephiria already had Train and Creed there and they are no longer associated with Chronos, they were a safer bet.

Besides, it's not like the Apostles are actually here tonight anyway. There was no need for them to intervene.

Train was pleased with himself at getting Willie and Vivian to admit Jollin was a crime boss, but he knew the word of a servant wasn't enough. He needed more. Something that was physical or provable.

Maybe if they were willing to share what they know with Chronos or the police, but I would never ask them to do that. Their lives would be in danger and they'd have to be placed under Chronos protection. I refuse to let either of those things happen to these innocent people. They didn't ask for this life and I won't force them to go even deeper down the rabbit hole.

Feeling bold and realizing they liked his bluntness, Train tried to test his luck by mentioning another organization. "Have you guys ever heard of… The Apostle of the Stars?"

Willie sat up quickly and Vivian turned to give Train a startled look. Their spooked expression gave Train his answer, so he decided to continue. "...I take that as a yes. I heard my boss talking about them before we left… He said it was one of the things he was hoping to learn more about tonight…"

Vivian suddenly became worried for Train and she reached out and grabbed his wrist. "Clay… If your boss is asking about that group, then you need to be careful. Their bad news."

Willie didn't say anything, but his grievous nod was enough for Train to know what he meant. The cat sighed and ran his fingers through his hair. "I know… But I don't really have much of a choice right now, do I?"

Vivian sighed and pulled her hand away. "I guess that's true… I don't know for sure if Jollin has anything to do with them, but I wouldn't be surprised if he did. They're all the rage in the underground world right now. There's a lot of people who want to take Chronos down, but they're the first group that's shown signs of their plan being successful."

Train stuttered out of guilt, but he knew it looked like it was out of fear. "That's… sobering to hear."

"I'll say. I need another drink." Willie sat up and threw his body across Train's lap, reaching across the counter to grab another bottle that was on the other side of the cat.

Train sighed and pushed the man off him, still not sure if his advances were meant to be taken as sexual, mistrusting, or if he was just drunk, but not caring since he didn't want them at all. The Black Cat spun around the counter and leapt off it, taking a few steps away from his new friends as he made his way towards the door.

"I'm going for a walk. Not sure how much more of Willie's confusing and cryptic antics I can take for the evening. I also think I need to walk off the food Pam so graciously offered me." He smiled at the chef as he made his way towards the door.

Vivian chuckled at Willie's drunk mumbles, not understanding his words but also not caring. "You better be careful. If someone catches a servant walking around you'll be screwed."

"We wouldn't want them to hurt your pretty head!" Willie shouted as he rested his head on his arms and shut his eyes again.

Train smirked. "Don't worry. I'm pretty good at being sneaky."

And while they've given me a lot to go off of, we need physical evidence. I need to find some kind of documents or something if this is going to be a successful night. That was the whole point of me coming down here with the servants instead of dancing with the rich snobs, right? Besides, the longer I stay here, the worse I feel about lying to these people.

Vivian rolled her eyes and sighed at the drunk man, but spoke to Train. "Even if you do turn out to be a sweeper, there are guards everywhere and no matter how good you are, your chances of getting caught are high."

Train gave her a cheeky smile as he put his hand on the door. "I'll be back soon, don't worry about me." He pushed the door open a little, but stopped to say one more thing to them. "If… And I know this is a big if, but… If Jollin were to be taken down… What would happen to you all?"

Willie laughed bitterly. "Freedom?"

Vivian sighed and shrugged her shoulders. "He's sort of right. We'd still be working for this circle of people, but they have work outside of Jollin. And if they decided to run, they'd just take us with them."

Train nodded. "You don't think they'd kill you?"

Vivian seemed to think that over, then shook her head. "No. It benefits them more to keep us alive and working for them. We've proven to be loyal and can keep a secret, which is hard to find in this business. That's why they exchange their servants. Because we can be trusted."

Willie lifted his hand with the missing fingers and scoffed. "Speak for yourself!"

Vivian frowned at him. "Yeah, but they didn't kill you. If anything, that proves more why you'd stay quiet. Because you learned what will happen if you don't."

Train, feeling a pang of pity for the man, addressed his question to him. "Do you really think you'd be free if Jollin were taken down?"

Willie attempted to meet Train's gaze, but was unable to with all the alcohol running through his system. "Maybe at least a little…"

Vivian smiled wistfully. "It might be a start to a slightly easier life… It would at least get rid of the worst influence in our employers' lives. Jollin is the biggest crime boss we know. With him gone, our employers would scatter and we could start over." She sighed and pushed her empty plate aside. "But, it doesn't matter. Like I said before, no one's taking Jollin down."

Train gave her a compassionate smile and nodded. "I understand. It's just a hypothetical question."

He glanced at Willie and saw the defeat in his eyes and in that moment, Train knew why he had been drinking so heavily all night. He wanted to forget what his life was like.

A little bit of freedom, huh? Well then, I hope I can be of service to them.

Train gave them a two finger salute and left the room, ready to find whatever information he could to help his new friends along with his old ones.

---

The women surrounding Creed looked strangely between him and the actress, as if they were trying to figure out what the static in the air was from. After a few seconds of tense silence, the reasonable woman spoke for the group.

"Chris… Do you… Know Echidna Parass?"

Creed clenched his fists slightly as Echidna gave him a knowing smirk and took a sip of wine. "Chris, huh?" Seeing her former leader did not respond to her snide whisper, the actress looked past him towards the women and changed her smirk to a polite smile. "We're ex-lovers. It was a messy break up. Sorry you have to be caught in such an awkward situation. If you wouldn't mind, I'd like a minute alone with Chris."

The women didn't hesitate as they grabbed the mostly empty bottle Creed bought them and walked away, mumbling under their breath and catching a few glimpses at the pair before disappearing into the crowd.

Creed waited until they were out of ear shot, then addressed the woman in the evil tone of voice he had been longing to use all night. "Echidna… What are you-"

His voice was cut off by the woman as she grabbed his wrist and placed her glass on the abandoned table, taking Creed's and doing the same with his drink. "Ask me your questions while we dance. It's the best way to continue fitting in."

Creed narrowed his eyes at her as his feet willingly followed her, but his mind begrudgingly fought with him.

What are you doing?! Dancing with the enemy? And just why does she care about me fitting in? I figured she'd blow the whistle on me and turn the whole room against us.

He sighed as they reached the dance floor, scanning the room for Rinslet and feeling more anxious when he realized he couldn't find her. He allowed Echidna to place his hands in the correct spot on her shoulder and waist, then began gliding his feet gracefully along the dance floor.

After he was sure he couldn't find Rinslet, he brought his eyes back to Echidna who was smiling purposely at him. "Where's Charden? I know you wouldn't come here alone."

The actress' smirk never left her lips, as if she was proud of herself for something. "Speaking privately with Jollin."

Creed blinked at her. "What an awful blunt statement for someone as tactful as you to say. And just why aren't you calling attention to who I really am?"

Echidna shrugged her shoulders, but Creed knew it was an ironic gesture. "Maybe I'm feeling generous. Maybe I don't want to start a fight while my partner is in the middle of conducting business. Maybe we spotted you earlier on and came up with a plan. Or maybe… Our plan was to set the bait for that thief to lure both here." She chuckled as Creed spun her, then finished her statement. "Or maybe it's all or none of those things."

Creed grinned fictitiously at the woman as he led her across the dance floor. "There's the shrewd, dubious woman I recruited two years ago. If this was really a set up, why wouldn't there be more of you here?"

Echidna laughed loudly as if Creed had made a joke, then smiled sweetly at him. "Can you imagine anyone other than Charden or myself here? Sure, Doctor might clean up nicely in a suit, but there's nothing we can do about his off putting personality."

Creed sighed as he dipped her slightly and spun her around again.

She doesn't need to explain why the rest of them aren't here. She and Charden are literally the only two people in that group that can fit in here.

"Maybe they are here and you just can't see them. This isn't the only room of this mansion, you know." Echidna kept her smirk on her face as she allowed Creed to guide her around the floor.

Creed narrowed his eyes at her. "And what would the plan be if Chronos decided to join us? You know they have someone following us at all times just in case you pop up, right?" He chose to leave out the detail that no one was following them that night.

Echidna smiled up at the man. "True, but we also know you must have created an alliance with them at this point. And while we know it's true they always have eyes on you, even Chronos knows not to follow you into a party like this. Unless they have an assassin ready to strike, they wouldn't dare come here and start a war. Especially since they don't know we're here."

Creed frowned at her. "What makes you so sure of all that?"

Echidna's smile never left her painted lips which infuriated Creed. "Well, first of all, Chronos has no proof of what Jollin does or that he is working with us, so they have no grounds to come after us until they have proof. Hence that silly little sweep they have out for information on him. Second, there are plenty of innocent, young women here that are just prime for Jollin's picking. Sephiria would never want to hurt innocent people. And third-" She cut her sentence off as Creed spun her again, then smirked up at him when he brought her back against his chest. "-Your eyes just gave away that everything I said was right."

Creed cursed mentally, but made sure his face did not show how much his concern was growing. He glanced around the room again, desperate to find Rinslet, then cursed again, but that time it was under his breath allowing Echidna to hear how worried he was.

"What's wrong? Can't find your thief friend or can't find your beloved cat?"

Creed hated the way she spat out the word 'cat' and shot her a quick glare before returning to his fake smile. "Keep his name out of your mouth."

Echidna rolled her eyes. "I didn't say his name. Are you worried that if I do, someone in the room will recognize it and start searching for him? Don't worry. No matter how infamous the Black Cat is, not many actually know what he looks like. And those cute little videos you took of the two of you have been all but forgotten and erased."

Creed wanted to slap her in the face for saying Train's old assassin name and scanned the room to see if anyone heard her. He breathed a sigh of relief when he noticed no one had heard them, despite all eyes being on them. Echidna's laugh brought his attention back to her.

"Sorry for all the eyes on us. Tends to happen when you're dancing with a famous actress."

Creed smirked at her. "We both know you haven't been in anything memorable in quite a while, my dear. Is it hard finding work between your terrorist activities?"

Echidna gave him a sharp glare. "At least we're finally getting things done… Charden is doing a far better job than you ever could have."

Creed shrugged his shoulders, then spun her again. "Probably because his motivations are different from mine. We both know I was never interested in taking Chronos down. I just wanted an excuse to have my beloved near me and give him the world."

Echidna knew he was trying to pour salt in her wounds from his constant spurring of her affections and bit her tongue to stop herself from lashing out at him. As over him as she was, she was still ashamed of herself for holding a torch for him for so long. Especially seeing as how useless and unwanted her feelings were.

Creed knew he hit the right buttons and decided to keep it going. "Back then, I would have watched the world burn if it meant he would be happy and now I'll stand up against a terrorist group on my own if I have to. Just to keep him safe."

Echidna was able to smirk at this comment. "And if you don't find your thief friend soon, you may just have to do that. Tell me, where is your precious cat right now?"

Creed gripped her a bit threateningly, but kept his dancing graceful and light. "None of your business. What makes you think he's even here tonight?"

Echidna giggled. "Because despite how difficult it may be to get Train to fit in with a group of people like this, I know that woman isn't dumb enough to bring just one of you. And even if she was, you two are far too attached to each other to allow one another to go on a dangerous mission alone."

Creed smirked at her. "Is that jealousy I detect in your voice?"

Echidna rolled her eyes. "Once upon a time, yes. But now that I've experienced what requinted love feels like, I'll never look back."

Creed knew her words were chosen specifically to remind him of what he still did not have with his love, but he refused to let her know the sting her words caused his heart. "Glad to hear you're so happy with the Blood Taoist."

Echidna smirked. "Wish I could say the same of you…" She glanced curiously around the room, as if she were looking for someone as well and frowned. "Although, I'm shocked to see Shaolee isn't that woman's date tonight. But, I guess since he's a master of disguise, he could be anywhere."

Creed kept his eyes on the woman as he moved her along the floor, smirking a little as he realized she still didn't know what the number's fate was.

That means Charden doesn't know either… I don't know if that's a good thing or a bad thing, but I'm definitely not going to tell them.

Creed straightened up a little so he could look down at the woman, speaking to her in an arrogant tone. "What a clever way to try and get me to talk about Lin. You really don't know if he's alive or not, do you?"

Echidna shrugged her shoulders at his sarcastic tone since she knew it was a long shot to have him outright say whether or not the man was dead. "Had to try, right?"

He rolled his eyes. "I understand the thought process behind the not too subtle inquiry. I just expected you to approach the subject in a classier way than that."

Echidna growled. "No one's perfect."

Creed shook his head. "No. There is one person in this universe who is perfect. But, I understand someone who's as flawed as you are would never understand true perfection if it shot them right in the face."

Echidna rolled her eyes at the implication Creed made. "I'd ask if you ever thought about anything other than that foolish man, but I already know the answer to that question."

Creed ignored her blasphemous words about Train and twirled her again, knowing the piece would come to an end soon and needing to finish up so he could find Rinslet. "So, if this was all a trap to get us to come out, does that mean you're working with Jollin?"

Echidna chuckled. "I thought the fact that I mentioned Charden was speaking to him now was proof enough of that for you."

Creed nodded his head as he stepped to the side to avoid another dancing couple. "I know. I just found it odd that he would speak to such an important contact without his partner."

Echidna knew what he was trying to do, but she wasn't going to let him get to her. "Because unlike you and your cat, we have a healthy partnership. We trust each other enough to allow one to handle the business aspect while the other continues to act as the face. And I might add, my face is far more pleasant to look at than your Kitten's ever was."

Creed laughed loudly at that comment, not needing to act like it was a joke for the rest of the room's benefit since it sounded like a joke to him. "If that's what you need to tell yourself at night so you can sleep soundly, I won't be the one to ruin that fantasy. However, I will say that I am impressed with how well you and Charden work together. Your partnership is almost as good as the one I have with my other half."

Echidna knew going after Creed's partnership with Train wasn't going to work because she knew how well the pair worked together. It may have been a slow realization and she didn't understand how she ignored it for so long, but it was true nonetheless. Added to that thought process, she also knew Creed was so confident in his bond with the Black Cat that nothing she could say would shake his spirit. In fact, the more she talked about his partnership with Train, the more self-assured and polished his dance moves became. As if he was imagining she was the gunman he was still so clearly obsessed with.

She smirked as she tried another tactic to set the man off, hearing the music come to an end as they stood on the dance floor for a moment longer. She leaned forward and whispered in his ear, smiling proudly as she spoke. "I can't help but wonder… if your eyes aren't on the Black Cat… whose are?"

Creed froze as the woman kissed his cheek pretentiously and walked away. Thoughts began to race through his head as he watched the woman disappear into the crowd of people. The next song began to play as the people on the dance floor changed partners and began dancing once more. His ears started to ring a little as the actress' voice echoed through his head, barely audible as the ringing became louder and louder.

Train…

He didn't register as someone tapped his shoulder, nor did he hear the voice of the woman who had asked him to dance while he was standing at the bar. Even when she stepped in front of him and offered him a drink, he did not see her. His vision was beginning to blur at the implication someone was watching his beloved especially since he knew who that someone would be.

Doctor… If they really set this up to lure us out, he has to be involved. Especially with Lin out of the picture, Train is absolutely their number one target right now.

If Doctor was the one who had his eyes on Train, Creed knew his beloved would be in trouble. Not only would it be easy for the scientist to get into the party since the Apostles were working with them, but he also never seemed to travel without one or both of those beasts. While he didn't remember seeing Aja the last time they fought, that wolf was a mystery and just as dangerous.

I'm positive Doctor would bring both of them to try and render me and Train useless and we still haven't figured out a way around their hypnotic control over us… While I'm confident Train and I can figure something out together, we can't do that if we're not together.

Images of his cat being hypnotized by the panther then attacked by the wolf flashed viciously through his head. He saw Train's blood splash against the wall as his gorgeous golden eyes locked lifelessly onto the cat beast's gaze. Creed watched the horror movie play out in his mind as Train collapsed and fell into Echidna's portal, landing directly on the Doctor's cold lab table. He started to shake as he saw Train being strapped to the table and felt faint as he heard his beloved's scream pound relentlessly in his head.

Creed clutched his head and shook it, trying to get rid of the grisly images from his head.

I need to find Train. I need to grab him and Rinslet and get the hell out of here before anything else happens. We were prepared to fight a few thugs tonight, not the Apostles.

He didn't notice as the woman standing in front of him sighed and shoved a glass of wine in his face. "Umm… Hello? Remember me? I noticed your glass was empty, so I'm buying you that drin-Hey, where are you going?"

Creed spun around and walked away quickly, not even realizing someone was speaking to him as he made his way towards the door. Before they entered the party, all their phones were confiscated and he desperately needed to contact his beloved as soon as possible.

I don't care if they toss me out of here. I need to get to Train.

As he approached the guard who was standing at the front door, Creed somehow managed to put on his gentlemanly facade and politely spoke to the man. "Good evening, Sir. When we arrived, our phones were confiscated. Do you by chance know where they might be?"

The man looked him up and down, then frowned at his face. "You will receive your phones at the end of the night, Sir."

Creed bit his cheek so he wouldn't curse at the man. "I understand that, but my date and I need to leave a bit early tonight, so we need our phones back. Could you please let me know how I can retrieve them?"

The man did not falter as he spoke. "You will receive your phones at the end of night, Sir."

Am I talking to an NPC in a video game? What's the right combination of questions I need to ask to get him to say something else?

Creed held back a sigh and kept smiling at him. "The end of the night is not far away and there is an emergency we must attend to. We will make it up to Mr. Jollin later, but for now, we need to leave."

The man still did not waver. "You will receive your phones at the end of the night, Sir."

Creed was biting his cheek so hard now he could taste blood.

This man will not get between me and my Kitten!

Creed tilted his head slightly as he gave the sweetest smile he could possibly muster. "Are you trying to quietly tell me that we cannot leave?"

The man locked eyes with him, and spoke the sentence that was beginning to make Creed's blood boil. "You will receive your phones at the end of the night, Sir."

Creed nodded courteously at the man, then walked away before he activated his Imagine Blade. He didn't have the urge to kill the man, but right now with how concerned he was for his beloved, he didn't think he was above creating a little bit of noise until he found Train.

Guess I need to just grab Rinslet and sneak out of here with her, then circle back for Train. I'd rather just take them both and run, but I at least know Train can hold his own for a little while… Unless he's already been taken.

Creed glanced up at the large clock on the wall to determine how long they had been there for and how much he should be panicking. Seeing it had been two and a half hours, he felt his heart beating violently in his chest and began to walk a little faster. He brushed aside the group of women he was flirting with for before since he was no longer interested in gathering information from them and focused on trying to find Rinslet. He walked around the room quickly, trying to make sure he smiled at everyone he saw so as not to give away how terrified he was.

Where the hell is she?! Did they get to her as well?!

Creed tried to search for Echidna as well, just so he could keep her in his line of sight, but the actress seemed to have disappeared as well. He had a feeling she must have been going to meet Charden somewhere, but Creed wanted to get them out of there before both the leaders made an appearance.

If I had my phone, I could not only call Train and tell him to get out, but I could contact Sephiria and let her know the Apostles are here. At least then we'd have a fighting chance against them. With just the three of us and having no idea who else might be here, there's no way we could win.

Creed cursed again when he turned another corner and didn't see the thief anywhere.

Damnit! I never should have agreed to come out tonight! Charden planned this too well. He knew Chronos wouldn't come here even if we told them we were coming and he knew we'd have no way of contacting them. This is such a mess and we still don't have anything we even came here for!

The only solace he had was the fact that Sephiria would believe them when they told her the Apostles were involved with Jollin and that was enough for Creed at that point. He didn't care about the sweep anymore. He just wanted to give his beloved and his friend, call Sephiria, and come up with a better plan.

Even though I know her plan would be to storm the castle, so to speak. But at least then we'd have back up.

Creed's ears perked when he heard a familiar laugh and he turned his head sharply in its direction. In the distance, he could see a circle of men surrounding Rinslet who was sipping lightly at a glass of wine and flirting with every man that surrounded her. Breathing a sigh of relief despite not feeling relieved at all, Creed approached the woman quickly, trying to lock eyes with her so she could see the worried look on his face. It worked as Rinslet frowned at him and stepped away from the men, excusing herself politely as he met Creed halfway.

"What's wrong?" She asked as Creed took her hand and kissed it, wanting to keep their fake story going more than ever now that he knew who else was at the event.

Creed took her arm and wrapped it around his elbow, leading her away from everyone else as he spoke in a low tone. "The Apostles are here."

Rinslet's eyes widened for a moment, but she was able to calm herself down as the silver man led her to an empty corner. "How do you know?"

Creed glanced around the room again, then looked back at her and tried to make it seem like they were having a normal conversation. "Because I just danced with Echidna."

Rinslet's mouth dropped, but she shook her head and composed herself again. "That must have been nostalgic for you."

Creed rolled his eyes. "We were never a thing. Only in her eyes were we even a possibility. But, that's besides the point. She told me Charden is speaking with Jollin right now and since we don't have backup and don't know where Train is and have no way of contacting Chronos, we need to leave."

Rinset nodded, not needing to bother asking why they needed Chronos. "Train is probably God knows where by now… I gave him the blueprint so there's no way of knowing where he is."

Creed felt like crying at the thought that Train might not even be in the building anymore, but was able to keep his cool for a moment longer. "No one knows Train better than I do. If anyone can find him, it's me. I've been finding him over and over again since the day I met him."

Rinslet nodded again. "If we're going to find Train and leave, then we may have to kiss our phones goodbye."

Creed glared over at where the repetitive guard was standing. "I don't care. Train is more important. And if we find him, we can use his phone to call Sephiria."

Rinslet placed her hands on her hips. "Guess we can only hope he's had enough time to find something on Jollin. Everyone here is so passive aggressive and subtle it's infuriating."

Creed sighed. "I know, but even if they outright told us anything, it's not evidence. That's what Train was here for. We were more pawns than anything else. But, I refuse to play a game of chess when the other side has all their pieces and I am without my knight."

Rinslet couldn't help but admire the cuteness of the man's statement, but decided not to voice it in favor of getting out of there. "The entrance to the kitchen is through those doors. Do you think we can make it through there without getting caught?"

Creed looked where the woman was putting and nodded his head. "Yes. Especially with how drunk everyone seems to be getting. As long as none of our admirers come searching for us, we should be fine."

Rinslet winked at him. "I can manage a few deviant men. How about you?"

Creed smirked at her. "I've been avoiding suitors all my life in order to win Train's heart. What's a few steps to reach the man I love?"

Rinslet rolled her eyes and pushed him forward. "Then get going before someone else tries to sweep him off his feet."

Creed shrugged his shoulders and moved in the direction towards the doors. "Then I'll just have to steal him back."

Just as they were making their way over, the crowd began gathering around the large doors Creed anticipated Jollin was going to enter through. He and Rinslet were jostled a little as the party guests gathered in one location and they tried to stay off to the side so they could continue making their way towards the exit. Creed could hear the mummers of the crowd and was able to figure out that the man was finally deciding to make his appearance.

They tried to ignore the doors as they opened in favor of trying to make it to the kitchen, but it seemed impossible when all pathways that would lead them there were blocked. Creed knew he could scoop Rinslet up and easily jump them over the guests, but there way he could do that without people noticing. He cursed under his breath and tried to look for another way, but his eyes were soon drawn towards the large doors as they opened to reveal the man everyone had been talking about all night.

A man Creed assumed was Jollin's assistant stepped out first and addressed the crowd in a large, booming voice. "Ladies and gentlemen, thank you for attending this evening. We all know we've kept you waiting, but good things come to those who wait. So, without further ado… Please welcome, Jeffery Jollin."

The doors shot open as two guards stepped out on either side of the man. Creed was actually shocked to see what he looked like. He expected an older, hideous man, but instead was greeted with a middle aged man that was actually rather attractive. He had long, brown hair that framed his face in a way that made him seem younger than he really was. His eyes were a steely blue and his skin was slightly tanned. He was thin, but not muscular and wore a purple suit with a white tie and black undershirt.

He stepped to the top of the stairs and smiled down at the crowd, waiting for their applause to die down before he spoke. However, as soon as he did, Creed's ears started to ring again because of what he saw behind the man, the sight shaking him to his core.

Rinslet gripped Creed's hand tightly and cursed. "Shit… Is that?"

Creed nodded. "Yeah, that's Charden and Echidna… However, I'm more bothered by what I can see in the shadows behind them."

Rinslet glanced at Creed, not sure what he meant, but judging by the scared look in his eyes, it wasn't good. "What? What is it, Creed?"

It was quick, but there was no mistaking what Creed saw. Stepping away from the doors that were now closing behind the trio, Creed was able to see the distinct flicker of Aja's tail and Doctor's lab coat.

Does that mean he has Train and is leaving with him now, or is he going to get Train now?

He knew it didn't matter either way. All that mattered now was getting out of there and getting to Train as soon as possible.

Creed gripped her hand and took a step towards the front door. "We need to get to Train. Now."

---

As soon as Train slipped out the door and down the hall, he saw what Vivian and Willie were talking about. If Vivian hadn't told him the true purpose of this event or confirmed that Jollin was indeed a crime boss, he would have been surprised at the level of protection the party required. Luckily, thanks to his years with Chronos, he was prepared for situations like the one he was in. Normally he had Creed with him, but there were multiple occasions in Chronos when he was sure he could have handled it himself.

Creed never would have let me, though and I can't deny the amount of times he saved my ass. Back then I was too stubborn to ever admit I needed his help, but right now I'd do almost anything to have him with me.

Train pressed himself against a wall suddenly when he heard a guard cough down a dark hallway. He wasn't sure why there was no light, but if it hadn't been for the sounds of the guard, he might not have even known there was anything down there.

Is it meant to be a trap? Or a lazy guard who wants a minute on his phone and doesn't want to get caught?

Train tried to listen if he could figure it out and when he heard the man chuckle lightly, the cat rolled his eyes.

Judging by that, probably the latter.

He peeked his head down hall and saw a man facing away from him with a bright light shining at his face. Train knew that was the best moment for him to slip past him and he didn't waste a second. The Black Cat was known for being a silent killer and even now, despite the fact that Train would no longer kill, he was still very skilled at sneaking past almost anyone. What made it even easier for him now was the fact that he was able to hover himself slightly above the ground, making his movements completely unheard. The other great part was he could fly himself above anyone at the last minute if he absolutely needed to. It wasn't something he wanted to do, since there was always the chance someone would see the quick movement and catch him.

As he floated his way quickly down the hall opposite the guard on his phone, Train turned another corner, a bit annoyed at the lack of doors he was finding. There were a lot of guards around almost every corner he turned, but the doors were almost non-existent.

It'll probably get better once I find the stairs and go up a floor. The kitchen was almost all the way to the basement and even without looking at the blueprints Rins gave me, there's no way they'd keep their files way down here where any servant could stumble across it.

Still, despite how logical that thought process felt to Train, he couldn't get over the feeling his gut was giving him of checking out the rooms where he was before he went upstairs. He didn't know why, but he had a nagging sensation he was going to find what he wanted if he stayed on that floor. That was the reason why when he finally found the doors to the stairs, he chose not to go up them and turned down a different hallway instead.

The fact that there are so many guards down here where the most dangerous thing that could happen is a kitchen fire only makes me more suspicious. It also makes sense to keep files close to the kitchen because if there was a fire, all the evidence would burn up before the police got here.

Train nodded at his own logic and decided to stay where he was for now. He still hadn't heard back from Rins or Creed anyway, so he didn't think there was a rush to get back upstairs or to leave. He also was well aware he had the more important job of the trio since the sweep was to find physical evidence. If anything, his friends upstairs were a sidequest and he was the main quest.

It certainly feels like it with the amount of guards I'm avoi-SHIT!

Train ducked into a particularly dark corner and slowly slid himself up to the ceiling when he saw two heavily armed men walking towards him. They were talking to each which gave the cat time to hide himself in the darkness and float so he was above them. He held his breath as he waited for them to pass, involuntarily listening in on their conversation.

"Did you see that… thing they brought with them?" The man's voice sounded scared as he spoke, as if he were surprised at something he had seen.

The other man shook his head and sighed. "I tell ya, I know Jollin is well respected in this business, especially since he's accomplished so much at such a young age, but when he makes decisions like this, I question how ready he is for this world."

The other guard nodded. "I know what you mean. And I don't know if you saw this, but there were two of them!"

The man made a shocked sound. "Seriously?!"

The other man sighed. "Not exactly the same. It was a different kind of beast, but still not something I'd ever want to mess with."

The other guard's voice was quiet as they turned a corner and away from Train. "True…"

Train stayed where he was for a moment longer as he digested what they were talking about, then slowly lowered himself to the ground. A part of his instinct was telling him to follow them to hear more of what they were talking about, but the other part of him told him he was almost at his desired location and he needed to keep moving forward. He stood there for a second as he thought about what to do, then finally thought of the mission and possibility of finding information about the Apostles and continued on the path his gut was originally leading him.

I hope my gut wasn't leading me this way to find those guys but… I'd really rather learn more about any connections they have with the Apostles. Any physical evidence I can get will be awesome, but what I really want are documents about the Taoists.

Train knew Rinslet was more focused on the sweep than the Apostles, but he was more concerned about his former terrorist group than anything else. To him, the sweep was simply a plus, an addition to the information he desperately wanted to find about the Taoists.

After what they did to Lin, I know we need to end this. Creed keeps telling me to be patient and I understand why, but I can't stand the stillness or the silence anymore. I need to make it up to Lin for what happened to him…

What he felt about finding the Apostles was different than when he felt when he wanted to avenge Saya's death. Back then, he was still thirsty for blood but now, he just wanted to be able to protect his friends. He knew it was only a matter of time before they went after Sven or Eve or even Rinslet and he wanted to put an end to them before that happened.

I already know they want to kill me and Creed, but this is our war and our problem. We can deal with it on our own. No one else needs to get hurt.

Train clenched his fists as he turned another corner, thinking of Lin and how someone very important to him already was hurt.

...No one else needs to get hurt and I'll make sure they never hurt Lin again.

As he floated down the hall, he stopped suddenly when a door caught his eye. He hadn't even bothered to try to open the other doors since they all had windows and he was able to tell there was nothing in them, but the one that was currently in front of him was a mystery. Not only did it not have any windows, but it was thicker than the rest and didn't look like it fit in with the rest of the basement walls. As if it had been added to the mansion several years after the building was built. He tried the doorknob and rolled his eyes.

Of course it's locked. Why wouldn't it be? But, that just makes me want to get in even more.

Rinslet was prepared for him to have to break into something, so she supplied him with a lock pick which he was already quite skilled at using. He had other means of breaking into suspicious rooms like the one he found himself currently trying to get into, but those other ways would have left evidence of entry. Using a lockpick was far easier and cleaner than kicking or freezing a door down.

Before he began trying to break in, he looked back and forth to make sure no one was watching. He had been checking for cameras as well, but so far he had found none and that still seemed to be the case. Without looking at the door, he slipped the lockpick in the knob and began working to open it. He didn't need to look at what he was doing, so he was far more interested in keeping his eyes open for anyone that may be turning the corner. After a few minutes, Train was successfully inside the room. He smiled proudly, shut the door quietly behind him, and scanned the room for life. When he saw there was none, he flicked the switch next to him, allowing him full view of the room.

Train's proud smile turned into a knowing smirk at what he saw. "Told Rins I wouldn't need the blueprints."

The room was filled with filing cabinets and safes. There was no furniture, no windows, and no other doors. Train glanced up at all the corners in the room to see if there were cameras and breathed a sigh of relief when he saw none. He realized in that moment he probably should have checked for that before he turned the lights on, but he was fortunate to have been completely alone in there.

Lady Luck has always had a crush on me as Creed likes to say.

He chuckled as he fondly remembered the conversation he had with the silver man, then looked down at the floor and frowned at what he saw. There were red lights on the bottom on the floor, directly across from more red lights on the opposite wall. Train rolled his eyes and sighed as she ran his fingers through his hair.

"Seriously? What is this, mission impossible?"

This really must be the right place if they've gone so far out of their way to put up such a sophisticated security system. Wonder what I'll find here?

He looked further up the wall to see if there were any more lights higher up and smiled when he saw none.

"This is almost too easy…"

Train hovered himself high enough that he could avoid the lights and made his way over to the first filing cabinet. He opened the first drawer and pulled out a random document, reading through it and seeing it was generic crime boss information and nodded.

"Not surprised…" He pulled out his phone and began taking pictures, setting those documents back exactly where he found them and pulling out the next file.

He flipped through a few more files in that drawer, then groaned as he looked around the room.

I've only been here thirty seconds and I'm already bored. There's so much information! I need to be picky with what I take pictures of before I fill my up phone.

After seeing everything else in that drawer didn't seem too important, he shut it and opened the next one. He sighed again and rested his head against the filing cabinet, taking a few more pictures before moving to the next drawer. Train repeated this gesture with a few more cabinets and drawers, taking pictures of whatever he thought looked important and moving on to the next. He was beginning to get agitated as he made his way through most of the filing cabinets and did not find anything about the Apostles.

Maybe they aren't involved with each other after all…

He frowned as he opened another drawer of the last filing cabinet feeling like he had enough information to give Rinslet, but not wanting to leave before he checked every file for anything about the Apostles. If he had proof of that, he could tell Sephiria and she could come up with a specific plan of action.

But it's starting to look pretty bleak…

As he closed another drawer, nearly slamming it in frustration, he opened the next one and felt his eyes light up at something he saw. There was a section labeled 'A.O.S." which made his heart skip and beat and he reached for it immediately. He smirked, then snapped a picture before slamming the file shut and slipping it into his jacket. He knew all he needed was to take the picture, but since it turned out to be an Apostles related document, he knew Sephiria would want to see it in person.

Creed probably would as well. I didn't read too much of it, but it sounds like they're supplying them with weapons. Doesn't matter right now. I'm just glad I found something. Maybe now we can find them.

Seeing as that was the last drawer, Train shut it and glanced around the room again. His eyes fell on the safes and he questioned for a moment if he should check them. A part of him believed it was just going to be money or weapons, but his gut was telling him that didn't make sense and persuaded him to check them. There were three safes, so it wouldn't take long and since he still hadn't heard from Rinslet or Creed, he thought he still had time.

He was able to easily break into the first one and once he did, he frowned at the pile of guns he saw. Train sighed and picked the next one open and was greeted with a pile of ammo he believed must have gone with the guns in the other safe. The last one he opened intrigued him more than the other ones since inside of it was another small, thin box with another lock on it. Next to it was an even smaller, round container, both of which were embedded slightly into the fabric of the safe. Curious, Train picked the small box first, opening it slowly just in case it was a trap and cocked an eyebrow at what he saw.

"A syringe?"

What's so important about this syringe that they would put it by itself in such a large safe?

Train delicately picked it up and watched as the liquid inside of it sloshed around slightly. He stared at it for a bit longer before deciding he had no idea what it was and placed it back in the box. He looked back in the safe and saw a piece of paper lying where the box was and picked it up. As he began reading it, he made a frustrated sound.

It's all a bunch of science nonsense! I have no idea what it says. Maybe Creed or Sephiria will. Even Eve might be able to figure it out and considering it was important enough to keep locked away by itself, I should probably take this as well.

He pulled out his phone again to take a picture, then growled when he noticed the screen had gone black.

"Really?! You're dead?! You were literally just full!"

Logically, he knew he couldn't prove whether or not that was true since he hadn't been paying attention to his battery life, but he was angry at the object nonetheless. He shoved it in his back pants pocket, then stared at the box with the syringe. His instincts were telling him to take it with him, but he wasn't sure how he was going to get it out of there without the other servants knowing.

Should I just look for an exit? Try to find Creed and Rinslet so we can leave? I mean, I got everything we need and I even found evidence that they're working with the Apostles. I didn't read through everything, but it was enough to know they're in cahoots.

After a few more seconds of staring, Train slid the box inside his jacket, tucking it slightly into his pants to keep it secure. Luckily, the box was thin and small enough that no one would notice him leaving with it, but he needed to be careful how he moved.

I also need to make sure I stay away from Willie in case he decides to pat me down again.

Next, he grabbed the small, round container that was beside it. That one did not have a lock on it, so it was far easier for Train to open. As soon as he did, his eyes widened at the familiar vial of liquid he saw.

It's the Tao! This seals the deal! They are absolutely working with Jollin! I hope this means Jollin hasn't drank it yet and that's one less Taoist we have to deal with tonight. I don't know why he would put off taking it, but I don't care. This is coming with me too.

Train slipped the Tao into his front pants pocket since it was small enough to fit then flew himself to the door, turning off the lights before stepping out and shutting it quietly behind him again. He checked to make sure the door was locked then quickly made his way back to where he came from. As he made his way through the halls, he couldn't help but notice how empty they now were. He shrugged his shoulders and decided to walk instead of float now since he felt like he could better protect the documents he had taken with him while on the ground.

As he turned another corner, he stopped when he heard footsteps coming towards him and pressed against the wall again. His hair stood on end as the footsteps got closer, the clicking of the stranger's shoes sending chills down his spine and he had no idea why. However, what scared him more was the steps that did not sound human. That sound combined with a familiar, horrifying feeling was enough to make Train spark his body and reach for Hades.

When he heard the footsteps stop, he slowly pulled Hades out and brought it close to his face. He knew who was around the corner now and he had a feeling they knew he was there was as well. Still, he did not move and did not say anything. Train was positive the stranger was going to speak first, and he didn't want to take that away from him.

Train heard a sigh, then a voice that never failed to send shivers down his spine. "Is this the game we're going to play, Black Cat? Or are you going to come out and say hi to your sister?"

Train laughed bitterly as he cocked Hades. "If that thing is my sister, does that make you my father?"

Doctor chuckled as he took another step forward. "You're more than welcome to call me Daddy if that's what you want. I know how much you've been longing for one since yours was so tragically murdered."

Train shuddered, but kept his voice calm as he saw the man's shadow slowly approaching. Next to the scientist's shadow was Aja's then next to that was another beatslike shadow he knew had to belong to the wolf. "And what about that dog? How is he related to me?"

Doctor chuckled again. "He's not related to you, but he is related to Creed. If Aja could be considered your sister, then Aztec is Creed's brother."

Train growled and spoke through his gritted teeth. "So… You've given your precious panther a playmate to keep her company?"

He saw Doctor's shadow pet both the creatures as he spoke. "I guess you would say that. What else did you expect us to do when you two left? You were both very strong assets to the Apostles and since no human could ever replace either of you, I had to resort to… distract measures."

Train growled at the man. "You don't sound too upset about that…"

Doctor pouted even though he knew Train couldn't see it. "That hurts my feelings, Black Cat. I was distraught when you left. Then Creed's departure only made it worse!"

Train spat his next words at Doctor. "Only because you lost a prime experiment. Don't think I don't know your interest in me isn't anything outside of sick curiosity."

Doctor laughed as he adjusted his glasses. "You know, it's actually quite interesting to see how Aja and Aztec have bonded. When I infused them both with your and Creed's DNA, I hoped they would bond and work as well together as you and he do. It worked out perfectly! They are very attached to each other. Just like you and Creed, they protect each other no matter what…"

Train laughed and jumped out from behind the corner. "Is that supposed to intimidate me?!"

Doctor did not react to the shots that were fired at his head as Aja swiped her tail in front of him to smack the bullets away. Aztec then leapt forward and slashed his claws at Train, making the cat roll to the side and fly himself in the air. However, as soon as he was up there, he was smacked down by Aja who had disappeared and reappeared right behind him, swiping an electric claw at his back. Train cried out in pain as he was flung against the wall, his head slamming against it as he tried to gather his bearings.

He didn't have time as Aztec ran at him, mouth wide and dripping with saliva as he attempted to take a bite out of Train's shoulder. He barely made contact as Train slid himself against the ground, cursing under his breath as he gripped his shoulder tightly, blood soaking through his suit as he pinned his arm against his stomach to keep the syringe where it was, patting his pocket gently to make sure the Tao drink hadn't broken either.

I think the syringe is probably more important than the Tao, but I'd still like to get it out of here in one piece.

He did a somersault backwards and landed in a crouched position as he stared down at the two beasts, his back, head, and shoulder throbbing painfully as he thought about his next course of actions.

Shit! What do I do? These corridors don't have a lot of light which I'm sure doesn't affect their eyesight. Combined with that, I don't have a lot of room to move around and I need to get these documents, the Tao drink, and this syringe out of here in one piece.

"What's wrong, Black Cat? You don't seem like yourself right now."

Train glared at the Doctor, but managed to smile cheekily at him despite his apprehension. "What are you talking about? I'm better than ever!"

Doctor snickered. "Based on the blood already seeping from your body, I beg to differ. You hit your head pretty hard. You probably have a concussion so maybe you should just come with me. I am a doctor, after all."

He narrowed his eyes at the man.

He probably won't try to kill me since he still needs me alive for his experiments, but he also knows I won't kill him, so this fight could go on for hours. I don't think I can outlast either of these creatures, not to mention Doctor probably isn't alone. Is that why I haven't heard back from Creed and Rinslet?

Worry began to take over at that thought and Train gritted his teeth, somehow managing to continue smiling at the man. "No thanks. I can't help but think dying would be a better option than letting you have your way with me."

Doctor glowered at him, but his sick smirk never left his face. "You've offended me yet again, Heartnet. I'm not going to kill you… yet."

Train made a large leap backwards and into the air to avoid another swipe from Aztec. He was prepared for a behind attack from Aja and he was able to spin around and push the panther away with his wind ability before her claws had a chance to strike again. He twirled in the air and surrounded himself with a wall of ice to block the bite from Aztec, smirking at the wolf as he let out a pathetic whine and fell to the ground. Train watched as Aja flashed and appeared next to the wolf, hovering protectively over him as she growled threateningly at the cat.

"Aww, that's actually kind of cute. You were right about their bond, but I don't think Creed sounds that pathetic when he gets hit with my ice attacks."

Train cursed and flung himself towards the ceiling to avoid a lightning attack from Aja, angry at how close the blast was. He shot himself back down to the ground to avoid another bolt, then flipped over and slammed into the wall as he barely ignored another lightning strike. He cursed loudly at the narrow hallway and ran in the opposite direction where he knew the stairs were. He knew he wouldn't be able to fight them both off in such a small space with dim lighting, so he needed to get out of there.

He cried out as he felt a bolt strike next to him, burning the arm that had not been bit and narrowly missing the syringe that was still pressed against his stomach. He grabbed his pocket again to make sure the vial was still safe, then upon feeling that it was, shot a blast of ice in front of himself, jumping on top of it and using it to propel him faster down the hallway. He made sure the ice continued all the way down the hall so he didn't have to worry about constantly shooting it forward, then turned around to shoot a few bullets at the beasts. One managed to make contacts with Aja, but the others were swept away by Aztec who howled in rage at his partner being shot.

Train was about to dodge an attack from Aztec's claws, but ended up laughing instead as the creature slipped on the ice slide he left behind him. "Guess you should have made a penguin creature too, huh Doc?"

Train turned back around to see if he needed to create more ice for him to slide on, then widened his eyes as he saw how close he was to the entrance that led to the stairs. He had very quickly and quite mindlessly covered the entire floor with ice, so he had nowhere to safely stop himself as he crashed into the bottom step and fell forward. Just before he hit the stairs, he turned his body around and clasped his arms over his torso to protect the syringe and the vial as his back smashed roughly against the hard steps. When he fell, he bit down on his tongue harshly, causing him to draw blood in his own mouth as he tried to stand and make his way up the stairs.

Before he could stand up, he saw a flash appear before him and Aja standing at the top of the stairs. She roared loudly and shot a bolt of lightning from her mouth, catching Train off guard for a second as he marveled at her improved abilities before he flattened himself to the stairs so as not to get hit by it. He made a muffled scream as the electric bolt scorched his flesh, his suit setting on fire for a second as it burnt up the clothes on his back. Train unwillingly bit down on the steps he laid on, waiting for the panther's attack to be over so he could make a run for the door.

She's blocked it though. What the hell am I supposed to do?!

When the attack finally ended, Train tried to stand up, but was stopped as Aztec jumped on his back and sliced at his burnt skin. Train cursed loudly and managed to flip himself over to make eye contact with the creature. While he felt lucky Aztec was on top of him instead of Aja since she could hypnotize him, he knew he wasn't any better off as the wolf bared his teeth at him. Train felt his body freeze as the beast turned its tail into Creed's Imagine Blade, images of Lin being stabbed in the stomach flashing in front of his eyes, his nightmares returning to him in that moment as he watched the blade rise above his head.

Even though Aztec couldn't hypnotize him, he felt like he was as he watched the creature howl and hover the blade ominous over his head. He was unable to move or say anything, barely able to think let alone defend himself as Aztec brought the sword crashing down towards his face. He wasn't even able to close his eyes as it came closer to him, seeing nothing by Lin's body hanging lifeless off the blade that was about to end his life.

"Nein! Halt! Töte nicht!" (1)

Train finally felt his senses coming back as he heard Doctor yell at the creature. He shot Aztec in the shoulder, then slipped out from underneath of him as he stumbled his way up the stairs. However, in his traumatized state, he forgot Aja was blocking his path and accidentally made eye contact with her for the first time since the fight began. His body froze once more, but now it was not from fear or anxiety.

Train's mind went blank as he stared at the creature, slowly walking towards her as he reached his hand out, as if he was going to pet the beast that he felt such a strange connection with. As he made his way towards her, he didn't hear Doctor laugh, nor did he register Aja's purr, the panther preparing herself to embrace her missing half that she had been searching for. Despite the violence they had shown towards each other, deep down they both knew they belonged with one another. They had a piece of the other's soul and would only be complete if Train managed to touch her.

DAMNIT! STOP IT, YOU IDIOT! GET A HOLD OF YOURSELF!

Train tried verbally abusing himself to get him to stop, but it didn't work. It was shocking enough that he was able to think about anything other than getting to the creature, but it wasn't enough to stop his body from doing what his soul was begging him to do.

MORON! She's just going to flash you away! She's going to bring you to the Doctor's lab where he's going to dissect you! Can't you hear him laughing?!

Train could hear the Doctor's laughter echoing in the background, Aztec howling triumphantly as the Black Cat stood a few inches away from the panther.

She's going to take you away from your friends! From your life! From your freedom!

None of that worked as he took another step forward, his hand barely touching the beast as she purred affectionately at him.

...She's going to take you away from Creed…

That thought was able to make his feet stop, but his hand was still stretched out. Aja gave him an innocent, curious look, but did not break the contact their eyes had. Train stayed like that for a few seconds, his arm shaking as he tried to fight the hypnotic control. He used images of his life with Creed to get him through it, thinking of the moment they shared on the roof that afternoon, eating cookies as they basked in the sun. He imagined Creed tickling him and teasing him, giving him lessons on the piano. He heard Creed's voice sing Saya's song, then heard the man's voice tell Train he loved him and saw the silver man's adoring blue eyes on him.

I… I can't let them take me away… Not from Creed… Not from any of them.

His finger twitched as he continued to try and fight the spell, feeling Creed's lips against his as his companion's arm wrapped around his waist and held him close. As that happened, he could feel Creed's arms around his back, then winced a little at the pain of an object that didn't exist touched the cuts, burns, and bruises. It was the first time since making eye contact with Aja that he was able to do something other than flinch, shake, or move towards her.

That's when another idea hit him. His arms and legs were still not listening to him, but since his brain was, he wondered if the rest of his head did as well. He moved his jaw back and forth, then opened his mouth and bit down harshly on his tongue, drawing even more blood from the wound he had opened on himself a few minutes ago. Train growled at the pain, but was able to pull his hand back and cover his mouth. As soon as he realized he had control of himself again, he shut his eyes and threw himself in the air, making sure to keep them shut the entire time.

Train heard Doctor curse and yell more commands at the creatures, understanding every one of them and able to move his body in a way that would avoid their blows. With his eyes shut, Train pressed his scorched back against the ceiling, sliding along it and ignoring the pain as he barely avoided a slice from Aja's claws and a swipe from Aztec's swordtail. He flew himself in the direction he knew the exit was, the hand that gripped Hades clinging to his stomach to keep the drugs he was carrying in place as his other covered his eyes to make sure they did not open by accident.

When he felt his body fly higher in the air, he knew he had made his way safely out of the staircase and opened his eyes again. He fell to the ground and ran as fast as he could, tripping a little as more blood left his back and shoulders, ignoring the shouts of the Doctor behind him and the roars of the beasts. His shirt and jacket were tattered and barely hanging onto his torso, but he was unwilling to part from them since they helped keep the syringe and the Tao protected.

Wanting to know the drugs and the documents were still okay, Train removed his hand and glanced down, sighing in relief when he saw the box and folder were intact. He reached into his back pants pocket and cursed loudly when he felt the paper about the syringe was no longer there, but didn't stop his running as he heard the monsters approaching from behind him quite rapidly. He tried to pick up the pace, but when Aja launched a bolt in front of him, he was forced to stop and spin to the side quickly to avoid another one. He began zig-zagging his running to avoid the strikes, looking around the large, empty room for some exit door.

If I can just get outside or find Creed, this fight will become more fair.

However, he knew that he had already taken quite a beating and he needed to find Creed and Rinslet immediately.

If I can give Rinslet my phone, the documents, and these damn drugs, maybe Creed and I can contact Sephiria and call for backup. That is if he hasn't done it already.

A part of him was still hoping that was the reason neither of them were answering his messages, but he also didn't want it to be true since that meant he might have been walking into another fight. He cried out again when he felt Aztec's sword make contact with his burnt shoulder, digging deeply into his flesh and shoving him to the side. He slammed into a wall, blooding leaving his mouth. As soon as Aja jumped in front of him, Train shut his eyes again and shot a blast of ice in her direction. He knew he made contact since he heard her roar in frustration and he sent another ice blast to hit her again.

He knew the wolf would be coming at him next, so he shot another two ice blasts in the direction he heard the wolf's howl, then shot Hades towards where he believed the Doctor was. He heard the scientist cursed and smirked at himself, knowing he had managed to make violent contact with each of his enemies. Train kept his eyes closed as he flew himself in the air and launched himself towards a large set of doors he saw before he was thrown to the side.

These doors look too important to ignore. I have a feeling the final battle of the evening will be taking place behind them.

He landed on the ground and peeked his eyes open to see if he was in front of the door. When he saw he was, he made a dash for it, one hand still on the drugs as he ran as fast as his injured body would allow him. Just as he was about to burst through them, Aja tackled him from behind, throwing him through the door and onto a large stage. His face slapped against the slick floor as the beast slid him across the stage as if he were a skateboard. He could hear a room full of people screaming and hundreds of people's footsteps running in what he could only assume was away from him and the large beast that was on top of him.

Since the panther was on his back, he knew it was safe to open his eyes to see where he was. He looked up and was immediately greeted with a ballroom full of panicked people scattering and making their way out. His vision was beginning to blur from the blood loss and constant blows he was taking to the head, but he was able to blink a few times to give himself a better view of the room.

"TRAIN!"

He recognized that voice immediately and looked over to see Creed's panicked face at the bottom of the stairs, Rinslet was standing next to him with her gun drown and pointed towards the stage. That was when Train noticed Creed's Imagine Blade was drawn as well and pointed in the same direction as Rinslet's weapon. Train groaned and blinked a few times, unable to move under the weight of the creature on top of him, but free enough that he could adjust his head to see whatever it was his friends were pointing their weapons at.

Train chuckled bitterly as he spit out some blood at Charden's feet. "Sorry I'm late to the party, but as you can see, I was having a hard time getting my date out the door. I'm so glad she finally decided to throw me through it."

---

"We need to get to Train. Now."

Rinslet didn't fight Creed as he made his way towards the front door. At that point, Creed didn't care about getting his phone. He just wanted to get out of there, get his beloved, and leave. They'd be able to contact Sephiria later and come up with a better plan, but right now they were trapped in a losing situation so they needed to leave.

As they made their way towards the door, Creed noticed how many more guards had appeared since Jollin made his appearance. He figured that was either due to the battle he was trying to avoid or that Jollin required extra protection for whatever reason. Whatever the case was, it didn't make him feel any better nor did it change his mind of how badly they needed to get out of there.

I'm not worried about a couple of mooks. I'm sure once they see what the rest of us can do with our abilities, they're going to run. Or at least rush to protect or remove Jollin.

Creed was relieved to see the party guests didn't pay them any mind since all eyes were on Jollin. Even the guards didn't seem to care that he was moving towards the door, so he felt a bit more encouraged to move faster. Jollin was giving a speech of some kind, but Creed wasn't paying attention since he was too busy concentrating on getting to the exit.

"Some of you may have heard of the organization known as The Apostles Of The Stars, but what you may not have known is that they are here with us tonight!"

Creed's ears perked when he heard Jollin's booming voice address Echidna and Charden, his heart sinking as he tried to move himself and Rinslet a bit faster. Mummers began to erupt at Jollin's announcement, but he was able to quickly silence them as he held up a hand.

"I know there is controversy on whether or not this group is for our benefit or not, but I guarantee you, if you stick with them, they will give you endless powers beyond your wildest dreams." He gestured towards Charden, as if he was asking the man to prove his point.

Charden smiled and flicked his hand out, shooting out a wave of blood that twirled around his body, lifted his own hat, then tipped it at the crowd. When he called the blood back, Echidna waited for the guests to calm down, then opened two portals, stuck her hands through each of them, then pulled them back out. In one hand she held a bottle of wine and the other three wine glasses. The crowd clapped hesitantly as the actress poured a glass for herself and the other two men, handing it to her partner and Jollin as they raised their glasses together.

"And this is just a small demonstration! Every Tao is different for every person that agrees to take it. There is also the possibility of your power leveling up if you work hard enough." Seeing his guests were still uneasy, he gave the room a kind smile. "Before you all go running out of here screaming, I want you to just picture what we could accomplish. Imagine having an ability where you could open portals to anywhere you want in the world! Imagine being able to turn invisible or receiving super strength! Imagine what we could do and how much our influence would grow if we simply keep an open mind!"

Rinslet cursed under her breath as she continued to follow Creed towards the exit. "Was this whole event just to recruit people to be part of the Apostles?"

Creed growled. "A lot of these people are young, impressionable women who want a better life or older men who want power. That's a pretty easy crowd to persuade. But, I'm not sure that was the only reason."

Rinslet nodded, but did not stop moving. It was hard weeding through the crowd of people especially since they had all started to move closer to the stage to get a better look at Charden and Echidna's abilities.

Jollin put up his hand to stop the mummers again and spoke in a reassuring voice. "If you are at all worried, I hope it comforts you to hear that I will be taking it tonight in front of you all to prove to you there is nothing dangerous about it! At the end of the night, of course, as a finale to close this spectacular evening. You may witness me pass out, but I assure, that is all part of the process. Isn't right that, Mr. Flamberg?"

Charden, finally seeing the opportunity to speak, stepped forward. Creed glanced over his shoulder to see the man remove his hat and glasses, not bothering to study the features that were hidden underneath even though he had never fully seen what Charden looked like. It didn't matter since he knew if the Blood Taoist was going to start speaking, that meant things were going to get bad quickly.

He may also draw attention to us or order the guards to stop us. Shit, this isn't good.

Creed squeezed between an old man and his young mistress, making sure to slip the thief through as well in a way that would not jostle either of them. His heart was racing and his blood was boiling at the idea of what Charden might say or what Doctor might be doing to his Kitten.

Train… Please hold on until I can get to you…

"The Tao is truly a sight to behold and there are more just like us! We have a man who can control the gravity around anything or anyone and another who can control swarms of bugs and even create some of his own. We also have a shapeshifter and a man who can change the bullets of his gun. There's even a young boy who can control the wind, which goes to show you even a child can wield this great power."

He waited as the mummers grew again, but knew they were starting to become more accepting of the idea of consuming the Tao. He scanned the room, looking for a certain swordsman and thief, then replaced his glasses and hat as he spotted Creed slipping between the crowd and towards the exit.

Charden smirked and pointed into the crowd in the direction of the duo, making sure everyone could see who he was speaking about. "In this crowd right now is another Taoist that you have been conversing with all night! His ability, along with his partner's, who I can only assume is lurking somewhere in this mansion, is one of my most impressive I have ever seen. Creed Diskenth! Why don't you turn around and tell these people a little about yourself and the Black Cat!"

Creed froze as a group of people circled him, cursing under his breath as he glanced over his shoulder at Charden.

He had to use my name and Train's assassin name, didn't he?

Immediately, he was surrounded by gasps and whispers. Some spoke with an awed tone at hearing the code name 'Black Cat' once more, while others sounded terrified. There were a few who seemed to slowly remember his name as well, since he had used it quite willingly when he set up those propaganda videos two years ago. However, what angered him more were the hushed mumbles he heard asking where the Black Cat was and if they were going to die that night. He wanted to scream at them that Train would never kill them and was in fact probably their best hope of escape.

None of them have the right to say his name so contemptuously!

Charden's smirk widened when he saw Creed glare at him, then whispered something in Jolllin's ear as the guards moved through the crowd to retrieve Creed. The silver man took a tighter hold on Rinslet's hand, pulling her a little closer as he slowly moved his hand towards his Imagine Blade. He didn't want to be the first one to strike, but he wanted to be prepared for when they made a move.

Charden adjusted his glasses as he spoke to Creed. "Now, now, you didn't really come all this way not to show us what you're made of? You used to always love showing off your abilities." He glanced around as he searched for someone, then frowned when he did not find them. "Where is that precious Black Cat of yours, anyway?"

Creed harshened his glare at the blonde man, but made sure to keep an eye on the growing guards around him. "Currently preoccupied with something far more interesting than this party. Tell me, Charden, did you pay for the open bar, or was that stolen just as you steal everything else in your life?"

Charden chuckled as Echidna glared at the silver man. "I've learned from the best… But, I have to say, I'm a bit disappointed in your loyalty. Why don't you explain to these people how you started the Apostles, then left the second the Black Cat did?"

There were more mumbles as if the guests were confirming that Creed was indeed the man they were thinking of. The fact that Charden kept mentioning the Black Cat only solidified their beliefs and Creed knew there was no point in denying his past. "My loyalty was, and always has been unwavering. You just seem to forget who my loyalty lies with."

Charden's smirk did not leave his face, and he glanced at the guards surrounding Creed. "Are you going to show us what your Tao is, or am I going to have to give you a little… encouragement?"

Creed did not move, nor did he speak. He let go of Rinslet's hand and moved his fingers closer to the hilt of his sword, ready to draw it if necessary. He didn't want to hurt the guards since he knew they were just doing their job, but he also knew he still needed to get out of there, find Train, and contact Sephiria. He kept his eyes locked on Charden, sighed and then motioned for Jollin to make the order.

"IF MR. DISKENTH WILL NOT SHOW US HIS POWERS THEN SEIZE HIM!"

Creed wrapped his arm around Rinslet's waist and leapt in the air. He threw them over the crowd and in front of the stage, the guests making room for him to land as he set the thief down next to him. As soon as her feet reached the ground, Rinslet pulled out her gun and pointed it at Charden and Creed activated his level three Imagine Blade, earning several gasps and screams from the people around him.

Creed ignored the crowd in favor of the man who was still smirking down at him, pointing the tip of his blade in Charden's direction. "You and I both know those men don't stand a chance against me. Why not fight me yourself and give these people a real show?"

Just as Charden was about to launch his first attack, the doors behind them flung open yet again, revealing a beaten and bloody Train with Aja landing roughly on top of him. Creed's eyes widened as he took in his beloved, seeing the blood seeping down his face, catching a quick glimpse of his cat's burnt and clawed back and shoulders. Train's face was covered in bruises and scratches and his clothes looked almost completely in tatters.

"TRAIN!" Creed screamed, but kept his sword pointed at Charden.

He saw his beloved look up and was able to better see the blood that left his nose and mouth, the black eye that was slowly forming on his sparking golden eyes. His heart sank at his love's cheeky smile, knowing he was pushing through the pain he was clearly in favor of making a joke.

"Sorry I'm so late to the party, but as you can see, I was having a hard time getting my date out the door. I'm so glad she finally decided to throw me through it."

Creed didn't care about the people fleeing from the room. He was too concerned about the state of his love and what he could do to get him out of there. Behind Train, Creed could see Doctor and the wolf beast make an appearance. It was easy to keep his worried eyes off the wolf since all he wanted to do was keep his eyes on Train.

Charden's smirk turned from Creed to Train as he addressed the pinned cat. "No need for apologies, Black Cat. You're just in time for the main event."

Jollin blinked at Charden, then at Train. "The Black Cat is here?! Didn't you say he was dangerous?!"

Charden nodded. "Yes, but he seems to be a bit down on his luck at the moment. It's actually quite shocking to see him in such a state. What's wrong, Black Cat? Lady luck is not shining on you tonight?"

Train laughed as he tried to look at the Blood Taoist. "Quite the contrary, I'm pretty sure I'm alive right now due to her blessings seeing as I was ambushed by two creatures in a dark, narrow hallway with a man scientist commanding them."

Charden chuckled at the cat's sarcasm. "I guess anyone else would have been dead…"

"I'll say! Guard! Go fetch me the Tao! I need to take it now before things get too out of control!" Jollin gestured to one of the guards that surrounded him to move, his voice panicked as he spoke.

Train laughed again as the guard began to move, stopping the man from following orders with his words. "I think it's too late, things are already quite out of control. Not to mention that's not how the Tao works and I'm pretty sure your drug is ruined."

Jollin stared at him in shock. "What do you mean?"

Train adjusted his hand from it's protective position on the syringe to feel his pocket and sighed at the wetness he felt. "Unless I pissed my pants, I'm pretty sure your Tao drink is currently soaking my tuxedo." He glanced over at Rinslet and gave her an apologetic look. "Sorry, but I don't think you're getting your deposit back on this tux…"

Rinslet glared at him, the anger she directed at him coming out mostly because she was anxious about the situation they were in and worried about Train's well being. "Then that deposit is coming out of your share of the sweep! Did you get what we need?!"

Train nodded. "I got that and more. If I wasn't currently being pinned down by a monster, I'd give it to you."

Jollin clenched his fists at Train's words, knowing exactly what the gunman was talking about since he just confessed that he took the Tao. "GUARDS! SEIZE THE BLACK CAT!

As they stepped forward, Aja roared at them and slashed a claw, giving Train time to slip out from underneath of her and slide down the stairs towards his friends. As soon as he reached the bottom, Creed was kneeling at his side, examining his beloved's body with worried hands.

Jollin's eyes widened as Aja roared at him and his guards again, but Doctor's voice commanded the beast to stop as he approached the crime boss. "Sorry, Mr. Jollin, but you brought that on yourself. Not only did you try to take her prey away, but she's actually quite attached to the Black Cat. They are related after all…"

Jollin blinked at him in shock, glancing at the wolf growling behind him as he spoke. "Wh-what…?"

As the villains were having this conversation, the heroes were having one of their own. Train was immediately in Creed's arms as Rinslet kneeled next to him to scan his beaten face. Creed's body was shaking as he traced his beloved's face with his fingers, trying to wipe off any blood he could and clean as much of his cat as possible.

"Oh my God, Train, we need to get you out of here!" Creed said as he held Train lightly to his chest, caressing his hair delicately as he glanced over his love's shoulder to see how beaten his back was. "Oh, my sweet, precious Train… I should have never left you alone."

Train sighed and relaxed a bit in Creed's arms, relief flooding him at finally being in the arms of the man he loved. He rested his face against Creed's chest and curled a little closer to him, trying to lose himself in his companion for a minute so he could gather his strength enough to fight again. Fortunately, Creed was able to give him the energy and fortitude he needed to keep going.

"I'm fine, Creed, but we need to get out of here. Is Sephiria here?" Seeing Creed shake his head, Train cursed then glared a little at the silver man. "Why didn't you answer your phone?!"

Rinslet was the one to answer. "They took our phones when we got here. We need to call Sephiria on yours."

Train sat up a little and dug in his pocket to grab his phone and toss it at her. "Here. It's dead, but there are hundreds of pictures of documents on them. He then removed his arm from his stomach and lifted his shirt slightly to take the small case out from his tattered clothes. "Take this too. I don't know what it is, but it seemed important."

Rinslet opened the box and saw a syringe, wanting to question Train on it, but knowing now wasn't the time. "Anything else?"

Train had settled back into Creed's arms and caresses, but groaned as he nodded his head and dug inside his jacket to get the envelope. "Information on the Apostles. I took pictures too, but I wanted the physical documents. Sorry, the paper about the syringe got destroyed."

Creed kissed his beloved's forehead and held him close. "It's okay, Train… You did good, now we just need to get you safe and call Sephiria."

Train nodded, then frowned. "Why aren't they attacking?"

Rinslet looked at the stage and sighed in relief. "I think they're fighting over the Tao that was destroyed and the beast that attacked Jollin."

Train nodded and sat up some more, despite how badly he wanted to stay in Creed's arms. "Then we should skedaddle before they remember we're here."

"We haven't forgotten, Black Cat! WERFEN!" (2)

Train recognized the command and shoved Creed away with one arm and Rinslet away with his other. Before he could protect himself, Aja was on him again, grabbing Train in her mouth and throwing him towards the ceiling. Train wasn't able to react in enough time to stop himself from slamming into the ceiling, nor could he stop himself from falling to the ground. The power behind the beasts' toss was enough to blur his vision as he came crashing back to the ground.

The moment Train pushed him away, Creed was on his feet again and running towards his beloved once more. After seeing how bad off Train was, Creed knew he wasn't going to be able to react in enough time which meant his Kitten needed help. He watched as Train's body made contact with the ceiling, then fell back towards the ground. Creed activated his blade again and slashed as many times at Aja as he could, warding off the beast and giving him enough time to jump up in the air and catch Train before he could hit the ground.

Once they were on the ground again, he ran as fast as he could across the room, away from both the beasts who were now following them. He glanced over his shoulder and saw Rinslet dashing towards the exit, relieved to see she knew it was better for her to just leave.

If I can just distract them long enough, she'll be able to get out of here and call for help. I'm sure she can figure out a way to at least reach out to Jenos.

Creed skidded to a halt and turned around, his back against a wall as Aja and Aztec surrounded him. He could also see Echidna, Charden, and Doctor stepping off the stage and towards them as Jollin was escorted by his guards out of the double doors again.

He cursed under his breath as he held Train a little closer to himself, not sure what to do or where to go. Charden saw the panic in his eyes and he laughed loudly. "There's nowhere to run, Creed. You may as well give up."

"And hand over the Black Cat while you're at it…" Doctor said with a sick gleam in his eyes as he scanned the gunman's beaten body.

Creed growled and squeezed Train a little tighter, attempting to hide his beloved's body from the scientist's twisted stare. "You'll have to pry him from my cold, dead hands."

Echidna smirked as she opened a portal next to her. "That can be arranged…"

Creed leapt into the air and propelled himself off the wall as he avoided a portal that was opened beneath them. He ran across the room, swerving to avoid Aja's lightning bolts as he made a dash for the exit once again. Creed spun around a splash of blood that was thrown at him, then leapt over a portal that was opened in front of him as he cursed when he heard Aja getting closer to him.

Why hasn't Charden tried to control my blood? Can he not do it if I'm moving?

He thought back to the first time Charden used that ability on them and realized both he and Train weren't moving when it happened. Figuring his hypothesis was true, Creed made sure to keep himself moving, jumping into the air and kicking himself off another wall as he watched the wolf's swordtail hit the spot in the wall he had just left. He ducked to avoid a gunshot from Echidna, then held Train closer to his chest as he rolled out of the way of another blood attack from Charden.

If I just keep moving he can't control me. And maybe I can stall them until Sephiria gets here.

His running was halted when he saw Aja flash in front of him with Aztec next to her. Unable to react in enough time, Creed made eye contact with the wolf beast and he felt his body stop in its movements. His arms slowly became limp as he slowly and unwillingly lowered his beloved and dropped him to the ground. He stepped over Train's beaten body and towards the wolf, reaching his hand out to touch it.

Train's vision slowly came back to him and he cursed as he made harsh contact with the floor, then rolled over to watch his companion lose himself in the wolf. "CREED! STOP!"

His voice seemed to work a little as Creed did indeed stop, his arm shaking slightly as if he was trying to regain control of himself. Just as he was about to shout at the silver man again, Train had to roll to the side to avoid a portal that opened underneath him. He shut his eyes as he did so, praying when he opened them Aja wouldn't be staring down at him. Peeking one open, he cursed again as he threw himself to the side, biting back a cry of pain as he landed on his injured back.

He took only a second to catch his breath as he threw himself up off the ground, avoided another portal that was created at his feet and another splash of blood as he ran towards Creed again. He swerved left and right, ignoring the pain in his body as he dodged three lightning bolts from the panther beast.

I need to get to Creed before that wolf kills him!

Train threw himself in the air and over a large portal Echidna created between him and Creed, landing roughly on the other side and in front of his friend. He grabbed Creed's shoulders and shook him slightly. "Creed! Get a hold of yourself!"

Creed didn't look at Train, making the cat growl as he tried to shake him again. Seeing that still didn't work, he thought back to what broke him out of that state and reacted without thinking. He pulled Creed against his lips, giving him a hard, yet loving kiss as he held the man still in his arms. When he pulled away, he slapped Creed across the face then grabbed his wrist as he pulled them both away from a lightning attack.

He spun around, taking Creed with him as he narrowly avoided another blood attack from Charden, watching as the man's attack made contact with Echidna instead. The actress screamed as he was slammed against the wall, making the Blood Taoist curse loudly and run quickly to check on her. Train wrapped his arm around Creed's waist and jumped in the air to avoid a swipe from Aztec's tail. Unfortunately for the wolf beast, his precious partner was behind Train and he ended up slicing at the panther's feet instead of Train's back. Aja roared in pain and Aztec howled in sympathy as he ran to comfort his friend. Doctor approached them as well, trying to get them back to the task at hand, but neither of them cared as they whined and comforted each other.

Train dragged his companion with him as he ducked behind a giant pillar, pulling Creed against his chest as he caught his breath, knowing their enemies were going to find them soon. He gritted his teeth as he leaned his back against the pillar, adrenaline helping him ignore the pain in favor of checking on the man he loved.

"Creed?! Are you back with me?!"

Creed blinked a few times, then looked around, as if he was trying to figure out where he was. He locked eyes with Train and smiled lovingly at him. "Why would I ever leave you in the first place?"

Train laughed breathlessly, then kissed Creed deeply for a moment, allowing his injured body to feel just a little better when he felt the silver man return his affectionate gesture. When he pulled away, he ran one of his hands through Creed's hair, the other still wrapped around his waist as he pressed his forehead against the swordsman's.

"Did Rins make it out of here?"

Creed nodded, trying to make sure his body didn't collapse into his beloved as he stared ardently into Train's passionate, golden eyes. "Yeah. I was able to distract them enough so she could leave."

Train nodded and patted Creed's cheek fondly. "Good boy. But now, I think it's time for us to leave. I don't care how perfect you think I am or how confident you are in your skills, we can't take all of them on our own. We need Sephiria."

Creed nodded as he nuzzled his face into his Kitten's hand, taking a second to enjoy the moment he had with Train before he knew the battle would continue. "Agreed. We need to get out of here."

Train caressed Creed's cheek with his thumb, smiling at the cuteness the man in his arms was displaying before he shook his head to focus on leaving the mansion. He glanced behind Creed at the window. "Think you can break that window open?"

Creed followed his love's gaze, then nodded. "Yes, but we'll have to be fast. They're going to know where we are the moment I break the glass."

Train nodded and gripped Creed tightly in his arms as he prepared himself to run, knowing he was faster than the silver man and once they were out he would need to flash them away. "You don't need to tell me twice…"

Creed smiled at his love, as he activated his Imagine Blade again. "Ready?"

Train smirked. "Ready."

Creed extended the blade of his sword and punctured the glass, shattering it completely as the shards fell noisily to the ground. As soon as his blade made contact with the window, Train shot a sheet of ice out in front of them, aiming it upwards so it could easily lead them outside. He ran them both forward and jumped on top of it, sliding them towards the window, preparing to flash them both out of there as soon as they went through the panes. However, just before they were about to make their exit, Train and Creed had to jump in opposite directions to avoid a portal Echidna had placed at the end of the ice slide.

Train tucked and rolled, sliding himself to a halt as he tried to see where Creed had landed. He cursed and leapt to the side to avoid a bolt from Aja and another portal from Echidna. He launched a sheet of ice at the actress, pinning her arms together with his attack as he flew himself into the air. His vision was blurring as he brought himself high towards the ceiling, circling his arms to wrap up the woman in his attack. He stretched his arms tight and away from each other, securing the woman in place as he flung himself to the side to avoid another bolt from Aja.

As he floated through the air, he scanned the room for Creed, then growled when he saw Aztec had caught him in his hypnotic control again. Not only was Creed now unable to defend himself from the wolf's attack, but he couldn't stop the blast of blood that came from Charden from behind. Train watched as Creed's body went flying forward, slamming him face first into the wall. Charden did not let up as he continued shooting him with several more blasts, covering his companion in a pool of blood as he pushed and sputtered against the wall. Creed was able to push his head out of the wall and turn around, but as soon as he did, Train could see he was choking on the red liquid instead of the wall's plaster.

Train swiped his hands to the side to push Echidna against a pillar, shooting several more blasts of ice at her to make sure she could not be easily broken free. He could hear the woman screaming at Doctor for help and recognized the German command he gave Aja to release Echidna from her cold prison. The Black Cat decided to take that opportunity to lower himself to the ground, his vision coming and going as he tried to focus on where Creed was. Once he found the silver man, he made a move to run towards him, but was slammed to the ground by Aztec who had decided Train was now his target.

Train cried out as Aztec clawed at his already injured back, swiping his hands uselessly to the side to try and push the wolf off his back. The whole time he was trying to get out from under the beast, he watched as Creed slowly became lost in Charden's blood lagoon, knowing without a doubt there was no way his companion could breathe under all that liquid. Train cursed loudly and then shouted again as Aztec applied more pressure to his back. He was sure the wolf had been given commands not to kill him, but that didn't mean they weren't going to kill Creed.

This is just like that nightmare I had… Only difference is Lin isn't here…

Train clenched his hands into fists as he watched the man he loved slowly drowning just a few feet away from him. He reached out and tried to throw a blast of ice or air at Charden to stop him, but every time he made a movement with his hands, Aztec attacked again. Train had a feeling the wolf was waiting for Doctor to give another command before he did anything else, and seeing as the scientist was still preoccupied with Echidna and Aja, they might take a while.

GOD DAMNIT! I need to get to Creed!

Anger began to slowly rise in him as he watched Creed's body go limp, his hold on his Imagine Blade growing weaker and weaker by the minute. He felt his body begin to flicker with electricity, his hair standing on end as his skin sparked wildly with desperate fury. His mind went blank as he thought only of Creed and getting to him, then the next thing he knew, he was surrounded by a warm, blue hue and he was being thrust in the direction of his desired person.

Charden didn't know what to think as a ball of blue-white electricity slammed into the side of him, throwing him across the room and into the steps of the stage. He coughed up a bit of blood as he watched Train hover above him, his entire body sparking violently as he stared down at the blonde man.

Train smirked as he watched the man gawk at him. "As angry as I am at you for almost killing Creed just now, I think I have to thank you. You may have just opened the key to fast travel indoors for me."

Train shot a sheet of ice at Charden, pinning him to the stairs before flipping himself in the air to avoid a slice from Aztec. He saw a portal open above him and pushed himself backwards, rolling in mid air to dodge a bolt from Aja. As he continued ducking and dodging, Train looked over at Creed and felt his body sparking with electricity again. He growled and felt the same electric warmth engulf him again and the next thing he knew, he was at Creed's side, peeling the panting man off the wall and pulling him into his arms. He immediately began whipping the blood off his face, concentrating mostly on his mouth and nose so he could finally get oxygen into his lungs.

He heard Creed saying his name through gasps of air, reminding the cat yet again of that horrifying nightmare he had a few months ago. "Creed, it's okay, I'm here… And I think I can get us out of here now."

Creed searched the air for Train with his arms, making the gunman reach out and take a tight hold of his hand. As soon as their limbs made contact, Creed tangled their fingers together and spoke in a hoarse whisper. "Train… I… Still… Can't… Breathe…"

Train blinked in confusion. "What?! Why?!"

Creed tried to give him a desperate look, but wasn't able to behind the layers of blood that covered his eyes, despite his beloved's efforts to clean him. "Blood…. In... Lungs…"

Train's heart stopped as his breath caught in his throat. Those words made him realize how drenched his companion still was even though he whipped his mouth and nose clean. He set Creed on the ground, ready to start compressing his chest before he felt his body being shoved to the side with a large claw. As soon as he crashed onto the ground, he got to his feet and ran back towards Creed. Before he could activate his new dash ability, a portal opened in front of him, causing him to stop and slide underneath it. He shot out a blast of air to dodge a splash of blood being thrown at him, then flung himself in the air to avoid another slice from Aztec's tail.

Thinking only of Creed again, Train felt his body spark wildly as he dashed towards his friend once more. He took a gasping Creed in his arms again, then tried to dash towards the window they broke. Glancing down at his companion, Train realized Charden was still controlling the blood since it was beginning to slowly enter Creed's mouth and nose again, making it even harder for the man to breathe.

Train growled loudly as he looked up and saw thousands of portals open in front of him, making it impossible for him to move. The Apostles surrounded him, Aja's tail flickering with electricity around Train's body as he kept his eyes to the ground to avoid eye contact with the beast.

"I believe we were in a similar situation to this not long ago, Black Cat…" Charden's voice was a harsh whisper as he spoke. "Shall we make the same offer we did back then for Lin? Come with us and we'll make sure Creed doesn't die. I can easily pull the blood from his lungs any time I want."

Train gripped Creed tighter to his chest, watching as the man struggled to breathe, unable to see him beneath all the layers of thick blood that clung to his face and body. Charden made the blood appear as though it was alive as it crawled into every orifice of Creed's face, causing more strangled choking sounds to emit from the silver man.

Train kept his burning eyes on Creed as he cursed at the man. "FUCK YOU, CHARDEN!

Echidna's laugh came from his left. "What harsh words… I knew you were attached to Creed, but I didn't think you had actually fallen back in love with him…"

Train spat in her direction. "SHUT YOUR DAMN MOUTH!"

He heard Doctor's voice come from behind him, making his skin crawl as he remembered more and more about that terrible nightmare he had never disclosed to Creed. "Just come with us and I'm sure Charden will release Creed from his blood bastille…"

A portal opened in front of him, as if they were inviting him to an after party. Charden spoke again as he wrapped his blood tighter around Creed, making the silver man wrench and gag, each agonized sound he made another dagger in Train's heart. When he watched Creed reach out to him, his entire body nothing more than a giant, red lump, Train felt a tear fall down his cheek.

"Creed…" Train whispered as he pulled the man against his chest, nuzzling his face where he thought the swordsman's face was, trying to find his ear that he could speak into. The blood was slowly starting to turn into a solid mass, creating a horrifying coffin for Creed.

I know he can't hear me… The blood looks like it's entered every one of his orifices and it's so thick I don't know if he even knows I'm holding him, but… I still need to say it… Just in case he can hear me and this is the last thing I say to him.

"Creed… I love you…" Train squeezed the man one more time, then set him slowly on the ground.

All the pain he felt in his physical body was gone, having left him the moment he saw Creed slowly suffocating on the unseen blood invading his organs. Numbness had taken over the second he realized he had lost and Creed was going to die if he didn't hand himself over. As he set Creed down, and caressed the part of the wad of red he believed was the silver man's face, then spoke to him one more time.

"I love you, Creed… And I'm sorry…"

He stood up and looked at the portal, but not at any of the Apostles. "Release him now or I won't step through."

Charden nodded and slowly released Creed's face, allowing the silver man to see his beloved's face smiling down at him. His eyes widened when he realized what Train was doing, barely conscious as he locked eyes with his beloved. The blood still pinned him to the ground and he wasn't able to speak properly or say anything to convince his cat from stepping through the portal.

Train smiled at him, trying to make it look as reassuring as possible. "I'll be okay, Creed…"

Train clenched his fists as he faced the portal, then took a step forward, preparing his mind to hand himself over to the Apostles.

However, just as he was about to step into it, it closed suddenly making Train blink in confusion. "Wh-what…?"

"Heartnet! What the hell do you think you're doing?!"

Train looked towards the voice, recognizing it as Sephiria immediately as hope rushed through his body. He laughed bitterly as he fell to the ground, being reminded of how much pain he was still in as he addressed his former leader. "I was about to take a horrifying vacation… But now I'm thinking I might pass out instead."

Train watched as Echidna began a battle with Baldor and Kranz, Charden warding off Jenos and the new Number XIII as Doctor had his hands full with commanding Aja and Aztec to battle the rest of the numbers. Sephiria quickly approached Train, eyeing him and Creed wearily as the blood surrounding the swordsman left his body and returned to Charden. The closer she got, the more she could see how terrible of shape Train was in and knew Creed's body might have been deprived of oxygen too long. She didn't think either of them were going to be of much use in this fight.

"Heartnet, get Diskenth out of here. Bring him to that place you were hiding at before. As soon as I can, I'll send someone to help Creed. For now, let us take care of the Apostles."

Train didn't need to be told twice as he wrapped his arms around Creed, ignoring the pain his body was experiencing in favor of securing his silver love in his hands. Before he left, he told Sephiria one more thing. "There are innocent servants in the basement. Please make sure they're safe."

Sephiria nodded. "Of course."

Train watched as she leapt off to join the fight, then used his new dash ability to launch him and Creed through the window. As soon as they were outside, Train flashed himself and Creed out of there, praying he'd be able to get the silver man to help before it was too late.

---

Translation:

(1) "No! Stop! Don't kill!"

(2) "Throw!"