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

72. Writing on the Wall

NO! STOP!

A small voice screamed at Creed from the dark corners of his mind. The voice was murky and aphasiac, nearly unintelligible behind the deranged howling that filled his head as he sliced his sword at Train.

STOP IT!

Despite the voice's best efforts, the desperate, paltry whisper was drowned out by the preponderant wail of violence that squalled turbulently in his mind. The voice was one Creed was all too familiar with, since it once consumed his every thought, drove his every action, filled him with lethal logic, and governed his compulsions.

This isn't right…

The voice's words were indescribable to Creed as he slashed savagely at his fiancé. He could barely hear the virtually imperceptible hum of the drowned voice, which was slowly fading more and more until it was fully submerged in the clamor of violence thriving powerfully in his head.

Train…

His beloved's name was the last thing the voice whispered, too tired and beaten to keep going. The vision of Train began to blur, the immaculate figure Creed was obsessed with becoming nothing more than a nebulous image the swordsman could barely recognize as human, let alone the man he loved.

Instead of screaming out Train's name, Creed released a primitive shriek that resounded horrifically in the sky. He ran full speed at his lover, only seeing a black blur that his mind was insistent he destroy.

The silverette extended his blade until its toothy mouth was only a few inches from Train's face. Just as Creed did not recognize his Kitten, his Imagine Blade did not see the Black Cat either. Instead of giving the golden man the puppy dog look it always did, it growled viciously and its empty eyes gave the gunman a cruel look.

Just as Creed's weapon was about to bite Train's shoulder, the golden man leapt backwards and threw himself in the air. Despite the change in the cat's location, Creed's blade did not stop. It stretched into the sky and towards the floating gunman, its mouth opened as wide as it could.

Train flung himself higher in the air, his golden eyes turning a malevolent shade of red as he glared down at his opponent. Just like Creed, he did not see the man he loved. All he saw was a target he had to eliminate.

It did not matter that the man he was trying to kill held his heart. It did not matter that his target was the man he had given so much of himself to. It did not matter how much the man consumed his every thought, and how much space Creed occupied in his mind. Only one thing repeated in his mind.

Kill… Kill... Kill…

Every moment he had spent with Creed was entombed deep in his mind. The love and life they shared was forgotten, the promises they made to one another were obliterated by his bloodthirsty rationale. The intimate moments they had spent in bed together vanished from his memory, and the passionate love making Train cherished had vacated his heart.

Kill… Kill... Kill…

Train growled as the blade attempted to take a bite out of his arm, swiping it away with his wind ability as he threw himself to the side. The cat twirled his body around so he was facing the silver man, then threw his hand forward and shot a lightning bolt at him. With his other hand, he removed Hades from its holster and shot three bullets at his target, each one aimed at a vital point in the swordsman's body.

Creed's Imagine Blade spun around to protect its master, twisting its body to deflect the lightning attack, then swallowed the three bullets before they could embed themselves in his chest.

With another monstrous howl, Creed ran towards the Black Cat, crouched down, and threw himself in the air. He launched himself high enough that he was eye to eye with Train, yet he still did not see the man. All he saw was a black, distorted figure that he needed to kill.

Creed reared his arm back and slashed his weapon down on Train, aiming at the man's skull. Before it made contact, Train slashed his arm up and pushed the blade away with another wind attack. The strength behind the wind pushed Creed higher in the air, forcing his body away.

With an animalistic growl and crazed look in his eyes, the Black Cat flew towards the swordsman. With both his arms aimed at the silverette, Train threw another lightning bolt at the man with one hand while the one that held Hades released a beam of ice.

Creed stretched his blade out so it could chomp the ice before it reached him, but he was not quick enough to block the lighting attack. The bolt hit him in the shoulder, forcing his body back a few feet before it began tumbling towards the ground.

Creed growled in pain when the lightning hit him, but barely registered the attack behind the immense befog that plagued his vision. All he was able to register was the primal sensation of pain coursing through his shoulder.

As the silver man veered out of the sky, his Imagine Blade reacted instinctively and twisted itself around so it was aimed at the ground. Creed extended his weapon until the tip of it was embedded in the ground, preventing the silver man from plummeting to the Earth.

Train, noticing his target had not fallen, flew himself faster towards his mysterious opponent. With the hand holding Hades, the gunman shot another stream of bullets at the man, making sure each one was again aimed at a vital spot.

Creed snarled at the golden man, then lowered himself by shortening the length of his blade. He fell quickly towards the ground, one of Hades' bullets skimming the top of his head, cutting through a few unruly silver locks.

Seeing his attack missed and his target was getting away, Train swirled his other arm in a circular motion, creating a whirlwind around Creed's descending body. Creed, who was still stabilized on top of his blade, felt the air around him growing violent and snarled.

He swayed on top of his sinking blade and gripped tighter to the handle, his malicious eyes locked onto the dark blur that was attacking him.

Before the ambiguous, enigmatic figure Creed did not know was his beloved threw him off his blade with his tumultuous storm, the silverette yanked his sword out of the ground and allowed his body to fall.

Before gravity could take over, Creed's body floated a little higher in the air, moving backwards slightly until he finally hit the ground. His landing was not as graceful as he intended, and he rolled his ankle on an uneven part of the earth.

The pain was so miniscule that he did not notice it and was on his feet in an instant, blocking another lightning attack from the man he did not know was his fiance. He threw his blade in front of his face to block another lightning attack, but was not quick enough to protect himself from the ice Train threw at his ankles.

Creed fell face first onto the ground as his ankles were pinned together by the gunman's ice. He gnarled like a beast at the sudden change in his position and pushed himself up to see the fuzzy figure moving rapidly towards him.

His mouth was filled with blood, his shoulder sizzled from Train's lightning attack, and his head throbbed from the bullet he barely managed to dodge. His physical condition, combined with the fogginess in his brain, made it even more difficult to understand what was happening.

All he knew was he had to end the life of whatever was attacking him, and all he could hear was the demonic voice repeating the same word over and over in his head.

Kill… Kill... Kill…

When the nebulous figure was only a few feet away, Creed narrowed his eyes, and let out another barbaric growl. He twisted his body and threw his arm up in the air, extending his blade again as its capacious maw opened wide.

Train was unable to avoid the blade's massive mouth as it threw itself back, then forward at such a fast speed the gunman barely saw it coming. Before he could react, the sentient sword threw itself forward and down at the Black Cat.

Train let out an agonizing, irate howl as Creed's Imagine Blade took a large bite out of his shoulder. The golden man's arm quickly shot over to the injury, the pain making it impossible for him to concentrate on keeping his body afloat as he swiftly fell from the sky.

Lin watched as blood seeped between Train's fingers as he careened out of the sky and crashed onto the ground. Once he hit the earth, the cat slid along the ground until he collided with a tree a few feet away from Creed.

"What… What the hell is going on…?!" Lin whispered anxiously, too stunned to move. "Why… Why are they attacking each other so viciously? Why are they attacking each other at all?!"

Lin felt himself growing more and more angry as he watched the couple rip each other to shreds. Both men were on their feet again, their weapon's clanging together as they released the same nefarious howl.

Number X knew he needed to stop them, but when he tried to run forward, his injured leg gave out from under him. The moment he hit the ground, Lin pushed himself back up but the moment he applied pressure to his left leg, he collapsed again.

"Damnit…" Lin muttered as he punched the ground.

Train didn't finish healing all my wounds. I think my leg is still broken.

Lin felt his heart snap in two as he watched the men fight. It was obvious neither of them knew what they were doing, but he had no idea how or why they were so hell bent on doing it.

I… I can't help them… I'm still too weak. I'm not knocking on death's door anymore, but I can barely stand.

Lin lowered his head and punched the ground over and over again, muttering more curses under his breath.

Hell would freeze over thousands of times and pigs would soar freely and regularly through the sky before either of them would even think of landing a violent finger on the other.

Lin winced when he saw Creed's blade slice a large gash in Train's chest, ripping his shirt open as blood leaked from his lithe frame. Creed spun around to dodge another one of Train's lightning attacks, but failed as his back ended up getting burned from the hot rod.

What the fuck is going on?!

Lin widened his eyes as he replayed the brief seconds he spent in Train's arms, suddenly remembering that Shiki was standing only a few feet away from him at the time. In the chaos of Train and Creed's abrupt shift in demeanor, Lin completely forgot the Bug Taoist existed.

With fury bright in the small man's eyes, Lin turned a heated gaze to the mini Taoist and spoke in a low growl. "What the fuck did you do to them?!"

Shiki glanced at Lin from the corner of his eyes. "Excuse me?"

Lin hardened his glare then took a chunk of dirt he had balled up in his fist and threw it at the small man. "YOU KNOW WHAT THE FUCK I SAID!"

Shiki leaned away from the pointless attack, perplexed why the man chose to chuck dirt at him instead of slicing him with his cloak. "Well, that was stupid… Why not draw your weapon? If you really want me to talk, you know that's the best way to get information from me."

Shiki stared at the man for a moment, studying his features and taking in the condition of his body. He could tell by the determined look in the number's eyes that he was too weak to fight, which explained why he wasn't drawing his weapon.

Shiki smirked. "I see… Guess that moronic monkey and useless gunman managed to do some good after all. Is that also why you're not rushing to protect your beloved?"

Seeing Lin ground his teeth, Shiki chuckled. "Considering the shape you're in, it's wise that you're not attacking me. You wouldn't last a minute against one of my bugs as you are now."

Lin gritted his teeth and boldly asked his question again, emphasizing every word he spoke. "What. Did. You. Do. To. Them?"

Shiki rolled his eyes. "You're a smart man, Number X. What does it look like I did to them?"

Lin finally blinked, then looked back to the fighting pair.

I've… Seen Train act this way before… Back when we rescued him from the Apostles.

Something clicked in the number's head as the pieces began falling into place. He locked onto Train's face and felt a familiar, searing pain stab through his chest. It was the same feeling he got the first time he saw Train after freeing him from the Apostles.

"But… How…?" Lin asked, trying to think of when they could have poisoned him. "He… He was acting normal just a few minutes ago… How-"

"-I could explain the details to you, but to be honest, I don't quite understand them myself. Hue used a plethora of extremely scientific words and as brilliant as I know I am, I only truly understood about half of them."

Lin blinked again at that name. "Hue? Are you talking about Allie Hue?"

Shiki widened his smirk, even though he knew Lin couldn't see it behind his concealed face. "The very same. I was surprised how useful she's turned out to be. She perfected Kanzaki's drug without his help."

Lin turned his head back to Train and Creed, his heart weeping for the lovers who were clearly incapable of controlling themselves. "You better elaborate before I lose my patience…"

Shiki sighed. "And what exactly do you think you can do with the condition that you're in?"

Lin shot another glare at the man. Had the fire in the eyes been real, it would have burnt holes through Shiki's rags. "Tell me. Now."

Shiki frowned. "I already told you I don't entirely understand it myself. Besides that, I don't see how I can benefit from giving you more information."

He glanced at his former leaders, enjoying watching the pair spill each other's blood, then looked back down at Lin's acrimonious, desperate eyes. He felt absolutely no sympathy for the man. In fact, he enjoyed how pathetic and infuriated Lin looked.

However, he also realized that telling Lin more might further break his spirit, and decided to give the already broken man more details.

"But, if you must know more… I don't see what harm it could do."

Shiki turned his body away from the fight and towards Lin. "Hue took Doctor's supposedly perfect alteration of Chronos' drug and made it better. Not only is it fast acting, but it renders its victims even more primitive and violent than the previous drug."

He glanced at his former leaders. "It makes whoever consumes it fight whoever is in front of them until they're dead. And they will not stop until they are positive they are dead."

Shiki turned back to Lin and finished his thoughts. "However, the best part is they aren't aware of what they're doing. As soon as one of them dies, the other will come to and see the dead body of their partner with no recollection of what happened."

He looked back at Creed and Train, enjoying how much damage they had done to each other. "...But I'll be more than happy to retell the tale in great detail. Thus breaking their spirit and leaving them prime for Charden's picking."

Lin could tell Shiki didn't mean to say that part out loud. He was clearly worked up over the possible future Train and Creed held, and couldn't hold back his elation.

Lin shook his head. "How the hell did you get this damn drug in them in the first place?!"

Shiki rolled his eyes again, snapped his fingers, and made a small mosquito appear. "Modification of a few of my bugs' DNA. Don't bother asking how Hue did that bit. That's the part I didn't comprehend."

Lin continued giving the Taoist a confused and agitated look. He understood the individual words Shiki was saying, but the way he blended them together to form various sentences confused him. Everything Shiki said was lost in translation.

Bottom line is he managed to drug both Train and Creed with his bugs. But when-

The number's eyes widened again as an image popped into his head.

That mosquito… I must have been one of Shiki's! That's why Train seemed to panic after it happened. He must have known something was up.

"But… The reaction was almost instantaneous. How is that possible…?"

Shiki, yet again, rolled his eyes. "Did you not listen to anything I just said? The new drug is fast acting. Almost instantaneous."

Lin shot another fiery glare at the short man. "But that was impossibly fast. Train couldn't even finish a sentence before it started to kick in!"

He barely had enough sense to tell me to get away as soon as it bit him!

Shiki laughed. "Yes, it is unbelievable. Remarkable, really. That woman is proving to be more useful than Doctor."

Lin gritted his teeth. "This seems very unlike Charden. I thought he would want to kill them himself. Why is he okay with them killing each other?"

Shiki gave him a patronizing look. "Charden isn't stupid. While he would love to kill both Diskenth and the Black Cat himself, he is aware of the bigger picture."

He turned his gaze back to the battling lovers and smirked. "The endgame is to destroy Chronos and rid this world of their influence. To forcibly take the governing platform they have and hand it over to the Taoists and allow us, the only true power of the world, to rule."

The Bug Taoist crossed his arms. "That is the most important thing for the Apostles. That is the goal Creed lost sight of in favor of crawling after the Black Cat. Charden does not have such distractions, and he's aware taking on both those men alone could mean his death."

Shiki narrowed his eyes as he watched the men draw more of each other's blood. "As I said before, while Charden would love nothing more than to kill them both himself, but he knows that would put our endgame at risk. By having one of them kill the other, he not only ensures the Apostles' success, but also weakens the survivor."

He turned back to Lin. "Can you imagine what one of those men will do without the other? They're so codependent I don't know if they'll be able to aim their weapon straight let alone take down Charden."

Lin shot daggers at the short man. "That's a very flattering way of saying Charden is a coward."

Lin couldn't help the choleric smirk that slid across his lips. "What's that look for? What else did you expect me to gather from that length, overly dramatic monologue you spewed out of your wretched pie hole? Everything you said was just a roundabout way of saying Charden is scared of their combined strength."

He turned back to the fight, grimacing at how violent the duo was getting.

Creed's attacking Train so quickly his Nanomachines and Tao are having a hard time keeping up with the wounds. And Train's not giving Creed a chance to heal either.

Lin turned back to Shiki. "Your leader is a coward and so are you for siding with him."

Shiki clenched his fists. "...You are in no condition to spit such acidic words."

The Bug Taoist slipped his hand into one of his many bandages and pulled out a seal. Number X narrowed his eyes and flung the tip of his cloak forward and immediately destroyed it.

"And you are in no position to judge what condition I'm in." Lin hardened his glare and kneeled on his non-broken leg. "I don't need all my faculties to beat your weak ass."

Shiki released a low growl, then threw another seal in the air to summon a wasp. The creature's wings vibrated rapidly as it's massive, black eyes locked onto Lin's prone figure. The wasp flew itself high into the sky, then dove down towards the injured assassin.

Number X leapt back as best he could with his broken leg, barely avoiding the wasps as it plunged to the ground. Dirt and dust littered the sky as the bug flew up, hovering several feet above Lin.

The petite man shielded his eyes from the blazing sun that stung his eyes when he looked up at the winged monster. It remained there for several minutes, causing anxiety to grip Lin's soul. He knew he wasn't in any condition to begin another battle, but it seemed he had no choice.

Noticing the bug was diving down, Lin widened his eyes when he saw it was heading stinger first down at him.

Number X scuttered back and pushed himself into an upright position, dragging his broken leg along the ground with him. He tightened his hold on his cloak and threw it forward as if it were a whip, praying he'd make contact with the massive bug's stinger.

When he felt his cloak make contact with something, Lin positioned the end of it in front of his body and twisted both his hands around the fabric. When he felt his weapon tighten, Lin pulled both his arms back and lifted his body so it was a few inches off the ground.

Seeing the wasp getting closer, he was able to tell his cloak had successfully made contact with the stinger and was currently helping his ascent into the air. When Lin felt as though he could swing his body, he did so immediately and gained the momentum he needed for what he wanted to do.

As the wasp got closer and moved out of the sun's oppressive beams, Lin gritted his teeth and kicked both his legs forward, ignoring the pain that seared through his broken limb. That was enough to swing him underneath and behind the oversized wasp as its stinger embedded itself in the ground instead of his chest, as was originally intended.

As the bug reared back in an attempt to free itself, Lin felt his body lift high into the air as the force of the wasps' descent threw him up enough that he could see the creature's back.

Number X quickly retracted his cloak then threw it forward again. He managed to snag one of the wasps wings before he fell, then used it to yank his body forward. With a lumbering thud, Lin landed on the creature's back and fell face first onto its throbbing torso.

Feeling the wasp still trying yank its stinger out of the ground, Lin clawed at the beast's smooth back. Unable to get a hold on anything and feeling his body slip down the bug's torso, Lin looked around to see if there was anything else for him to grab onto.

The monster's wings flapped wildly and his body shook viciously, making his fall off its back all the more imminent. He tried to steady hit footing, then grimaced as his broken leg throbbed painfully at the motion.

Deciding that was getting him nowhere fast and it was only a matter of time until the creature freed himself, Lin secured his hold on his cloak and whipped it in the air again.

He shot his head up and searched for the closest tree. Seeing a low hanging branch just above the wasps' head, Lin shot his cloak forward and wrapped it around the tree's protruding limb.

With his good leg, Lin kicked himself off the struggling insect and began climbing up the cloak. When he was about halfway up his weapon and almost to the tree, Lin felt the wasp jerk ferociously back as it finally pulled its stinger from the ground.

Lin reached his left hand out and grabbed the branch, pulling himself up and into the tree. Still dragging his broken leg, the petite man squirmed his way to the trunk and pressed his back against it.

Number X shut his eyes and punched the bark, gritting his teeth in frustration. "Shit… Damnit, fuck, shit!"

He winced at the pain that coursed through his bloody first, shaking it slightly as he let out a long breath. "I'm sorry, Train…"

It's all my fault… If I wasn't so weak, I wouldn't have been used as bait to distract Train…

Lin opened his eyes and scanned the sky, then jutted his middle finger out to no one in particular. The fact that Charden knew exactly when he needed to drop him through the portal meant he was watching them.

It means he's probably watching all of us. What other explanation could there be?

At the rate they were going, Charden and Echidna were going to be in tip top shape for the final race while everyone else stumbled to the starting line.

I wonder how Sephiria and the others are doing?

Lin felt the tree shake slightly, causing him to wrap his weapon defensively around his arm. The shaking wasn't drastic enough to make him think it was another one of Shiki's bugs, but it was enough to draw his attention to the branch directly next to him.

Number X shot his weapon forward, then stopped at who he saw crouching there. As if his leader had heard his worried thoughts, Sephiria's bruised and bloody figure sat just a few feet away from him. Her sword was drawn in a similar fashion that Lin's cloak was, but her face was far more stern and alert than his was.

Lin blinked a few times, then lowered his weapon. "Sephiria? Sephiria, are you okay?!"

Number One brought her sword back to her body and looked the man up and down. "I should be the one asking that question. Where have you been?"

Lin sighed and leaned back against the tree. "Fighting Taoists with Aliane…"

Sephiria leaned closer to the man. "Does that mean the girl is still with you?"

Lin shook his head. "No… Echidna only dropped me through the hole this time…"

Sephiria cocked an eyebrow in confusion. "Parass brought you here? Why?"

It was Lin's turn to cock an eyebrow at her. "Do you have eyes? What the hell have you been doing that you can't see what they've done to Train and Creed?"

Sephiria blinked a few times. "What are you talking about?"

She scanned the area, finally realizing the damage that had been done to that particular part of the forest.

I've been too busy dealing with Maro that I haven't had a chance to check in on those two.

After fighting with the sumo Taoist, she was able to confirm he had indeed leveled his Tao up. His moves were far more powerful, and it seemed he was capable of doing more than just pinning someone to the ground. The last attack she was caught in was one she had never seen before, and it nearly killed her.

"All of this is from—"

"—Yes, this damage was from them. They're fighting each other."

Sephiria's eyes shot back to her subordinate. "What?"

Lin gestured in the direction of the lovers' battle. "I can't see where they went, but if we follow the trail of decimation, you'll see what I mean."

Sephiria stared at the man, then opened her mouth to question him further, but Lin cut her off.

"It's that damn drug. One of Shiki's bugs has been infused with a new version of it, bit them, and now they're going to keep fighting until one of them kills the other."

Sephiria stared at the man's defeated frame for a few moments, able to tell he was somehow blaming himself for the whole fiasco. However, judging by the destruction of the forest, she knew she didn't have time to comfort the man.

He's details on the situation are vague, but they're enough to let me know we need to focus on getting to those men before it's too late.

Sephiria slipped her hand into her tattered coat pocket to make sure her phone was still there. She gripped the device, praying it still worked. "Do you still have your recording of that song?"

Lin began patting himself down, then cursed when he realized his phone was no longer on him. "No… I must have lost it during my fight…"

Sephiria pulled her phone out of her pocket, checked to make sure it was working, then pocketed it again. "We need to get to Heartnet and play the song."

Lin rolled his head so he could see his leader. "I'm not sure that will work. You didn't see him, Sephiria… It's… It's worse than last time."

He turned his head in the direction he believed his Sweetness had gone. "...I'm not sure anything can reach him right now, not me, not that song, not even Creed. "Besides…"

Lin gestured to his broken leg, then the rest of the wounds on his body Train hadn't gotten a chance to heal. "How do you expect me to keep up with you?"

Sephiria kept staring at the small man, disappointment evident in her eyes as she took in his pathetic form. After a few seconds, she leapt over to the branch he was sitting in, leaned down until they were eye to eye, then slapped him in the face.

Lin's hand shot to his cheek and gave his leader a surprised look. As strict and stern as she had always been, she had never struck one of her subordinates.

He opened his mouth to protest when Number One slapped him again, then a third time, then a fourth time. The fifth time she raised her hand and watched him flinch, then lowered it to his chin. She gripped it tightly and yanked his head up until their eyes met.

Once she was sure she had his attention, she spoke in a firm tone. "You're better than this, Lin. Don't give up. Train needs you."

There was something about the look in her eye combined with the tone of her voice that struck a poignant chord in Lin's heart. She rarely referred to her numbers by their first name.

That was when he finally took in the woman's condition. Not only was she covered in blood and bruises, but her clothes were torn and it looked as though she had been favoring one of her legs. Even the hand she used to grip Christ with was swollen and red.

She's in bad shape, yet she's still standing. She's still fighting and still holding onto the unwavering conviction that we can save them. She didn't even question it.

Lin sighed, then pulled his head out of Sephiria's grip. "You're right… as usual. Let's get going."

Sephiria nodded, then pulled away from the man. Just as she was about to speak again, the branch they were sitting on snapped, and the duo fell to the ground.

Number One acted quickly and aimed her sword towards the ground, stabbing it into the earth before it was too late and she broke her other ankle. Lin also saved himself by slipping his cloak underneath himself, using it to help slow his descent.

When they settled their feet on the ground, Sephiria felt the air around her shift and immediately sliced her sword in the air. She had spent enough time fighting Maro to know what that sensation meant, and wasn't going to fall for it again. Especially after feeling how powerful his attacks were when they made contact.

It completely changed the battle and my wellbeing from barely scratched to nearly shattered.

She shot her head to the left and saw the obese man throwing a ball of gravity at her that tore up the ground as it traveled across. Sephiria spun her body around, ignoring the pain in her ankle as she built up the momentum she needed to cut the ball of air in half.

Once she knew she had enough power to achieve her goals, the swordswoman leapt into the air, sliced her sword down, and cut the invisible attack in half. She landed gracefully on the ground and slipped into the cut she made against Maro's attack.

Out of the corner of her eye, she saw Lin stumble forward and whip his cloak outwards, snapping it in the face of a large wasp she spotted while she was fighting Maro. At the time, she assumed it was Shiki fighting Creed and Train, but now she knew it was Lin.

Number X snapped his cloak forward again and wrapped it around the insect's face, pulling his arm backwards and slamming it into the ground. He gritted his teeth at the pain his body was in, but shoved it aside in favor of the new goal Sephiria had planted in his mind.

Don't worry Train… I'm coming!

Lin brought his cloak back and eyed the massive beast standing behind him.

I won't let your story end this way!

---

"What the fuck just happened?!" Aliane demanded of Eathes.

The monkey let out a pathetic yelp as the small woman shoved him backwards. "I-I have no idea! I swear!"

Aliane put more force behind her next shove. "There's no way you're that ignorant what Charden's plans are!"

Eathes shrieked as Alien's next push caused his heel to trip over a rock and he fell backwards. He landed head first on the ground, grunting as he stared up at the infuriated woman.

Seeing his fall was not going to dissuade her from advancing, Eathes crawled away. "It is possible! The only time any of them tell me anything about their plans is when I have to do something. And I had nothing to do with this!"

Aliane clenched her fists. "What are you talking about?!"

Eathes winced at her rage. "The only reason I was sent to fight Number X was because Charden knew I'd be able to distract him. Like the last time when we nearly killed him."

Aliane remembered what Eathes was talking about. It was shortly after Train ended his relationship with Lin, but before he re-started it with Creed.

That was before I met them in person, wasn't it? I can't remember anymore. So much has happened that the memories are melding together.

Even though Aliane wasn't there to witness the tragedy, she heard the story re-told enough by the other Apostles to know exactly what happened.

Aliane shook her head. "So, that's all you know about Charden's plan? That you were sent here to distract Lin in hopes of taking him out quickly?"

Eathes nodded. "Yes! Beyond what my individual orders are, I have no idea what Charden has planned!"

Seeing Aliane wasn't convinced yet, Eathes added one last thought. "Even if he did mention something about this, I'm positive I didn't listen. I tend to zone out when they start talking strategy… Unless my name is mentioned."

Aliane slowly took in his pitiful, tense form for a few seconds as her mind wandered.

Why is he so afraid of me? Does he not think he can take me on his own? Or does this have something to do with the deal Lin made with him?

The fact that he was scared was proof he didn't know what was going on. If Lin's disappearance was part of their original plan, Eathes would have attacked right away. Not cower like a wimp.

That was when Aliane remembered how confused both Eathes and Durham seemed to be when they saw she was with Lin. It verified that not only did they not expect to see her working with Chronos, but they didn't expect her to even be alive.

Besides, Charden's smart enough to know Eathes is too stupid to disclose all his plans to. From what I remember, he barely unveils his plans to Echidna let alone anyone else in the group.

Aliane finally unclenched her fists. "That sounds like something a coward like you would do."

Seeing the woman relax, Eathes let out a breath of relief. "Thank you…"

Aliane gave him one last glare. "This doesn't get you off the hook. You have to help me find him."

And we need to figure out why that portal opened underneath him.

Aliane reviewed the moment Lin fell through the portal, hoping it would give her answers.

He looked like he was about to pass out, so I reached to help. However, he fell through the hole before I could.

The small Taoist shook her head in frustration. "Come on. Let's get going."

Eathes frowned as he watched the girl walk away. "Why don't we just keep moving forward? Aren't your orders to find that kidnapped woman?"

Aliane rolled her eyes. "You're just saying that because you believe your freedom is contingent on finding her."

Eathes picked up the pace of his walk to catch up to the woman. "I won't lie and say it isn't a factor in my reasoning, but am I wrong in saying that your orders are to find that woman?"

Aliane slowed the pace as she pondered the Taoist's words. "It is… But…"

I can't just ignore the danger Lin could be in… There's no way they'd drop him through a portal with good intentions.

"What if they brought him to the Apostles Layer? What if they're keeping him prisoner to further distract the Black Cat and deter your orders?"

Aliane stopped in her steps. "That… didn't occur to me."

Damnit! Why does he have to suddenly find some intelligence?!

"I'm sure you've figured out that since they were able to drop him through a portal means they're watching all of us, not just the Black Cat and Creed."

Aliane bit her lip. "Yeah… That did occur to me…"

I figured that was going to be the case before we even got here. Charden was always spying on them.

"So, the way I see it, if you want to find Lin and this woman. Then I think we should stay on track. Isn't that what Lin would want, anyway?"

Again, she pondered the Monkey's words, realizing the truth behind them.

He's right. Lin's number one priority was getting to the Apostles to save Train's friend. And if they have him locked up as well, that's all the more reason to find their layer.

"...If they took Lin to their layer, they'd probably keep him alive to tease Train, right?"

Eathes blinked at the woman, shocked she was asking his opinion. "I don't see the point in killing him just yet. If that's what his plan is, then what's stopping him from doing the same to the Black Cat, Creed, and Number One?"

Eathes tapped his chin in thought as he stared up at the sky. "Actually, that brings up another interesting point. What if they did drop all those guys right in Charden's lap? What if they separated the rest of us to make it easier for Charden to take down those three. They are the first people on his kill list, after all."

Aliane was getting a bit angry at how true the monkey's words were. "...We'd know the answers to all these what-if scenarios if you PAID ATTENTION IN THE MEETINGS!"

Eathes frowned. "Oh, like you ever did? I'm pretty sure I recall you zoning out just as much as I did."

Aliane sighed. "I barely attended any meetings… I wasn't there long enough to be a part of many."

Eathes couldn't help but smirk. "Yet, I still remember those that you attended, you seemed to be spacing out."

Aliane shot him another heated look. "Why the hell have you been watching me at the very few meetings I attended? Actually, no, don't answer that. Because no matter what your reason is, it's going to be creepy."

Eathes sighed as well. "So… Are we going to keep heading towards the Apostles' layer?"

Aliane rolled her eyes. "How do we even know we're going in the right direction? Didn't you say you were guessing which was the right way?"

Eathes perked up. "I didn't want to say anything and get your hopes up, but I'm beginning to recognize our surroundings! I think we're getting closer."

Aliane cocked an eyebrow. "Really?"

Eathes nodded. "Yup! Which makes me more convinced they took Lin hostage."

Aliane frowned. "But, why would they take just Lin and not us? Especially after seeing you're helping us get to them."

Eathes sighed. "Because like I said, they might be using him to mess with Heartnet. You saw the condition he was in. I wouldn't put it past Charden to show the Black Cat how close to death Number X was knowing it would distract him and therefore make Charden's victory easier."

Aliane gave him another glare. "Don't sound so confident in Charden's victory. Especially not with Lin's deal now on the line."

Eathes blinked in confusion at her, suddenly feeling nervous. "Wh-what do you mean?"

Aliane smirked, happy to see him being knocked down a few pegs. "Do you really think I'm going to honor his promise now? As far as I'm concerned, you can rot. I only need you to get to the Apostles."

Eathes shivered, then set his body in a defensive position. "Then what's stopping us from fighting right now?"

Aliane rolled her eyes again. "Because, despite my personal feelings for you, you know you're still safer with me than with Charden. After all, like you said, he's watching us. Which means he knows you've already betrayed them. And you know as well as I do, I will be far more forgiving than he will."

She turned her head to give him a stern look. "I mean… that's assuming you get me to where I need to go."

Eathes relaxed his stance. "Then… the deal is still on?"

Aliane sighed. "I never said it was off, I said it was on the line. Meaning, it's going to be harder to accomplish since it now looks like we'll be breaking into the Apostles' layer during their final battle to rescue an injured Lin and a kidnapped princess."

Eathes blinked at her a few times, then nodded. "Understood… Turn left at that double trunked tree up there. I recognize it because it's so weird looking."

She nodded, then scanned the sky, paranoia taking her over as she reached out and took an aggressive hold on Eathes' wrist. As soon as she did that, she activated her Tao again, turning them both invisible.

Eathes jumped at the small fingers wrapping around his wrist, then shivered at the strange sensation. "What the hell are you doing?!"

Aliane continued scanning the sky. "Turning us invisible. If we're as close to the Apostles as you say, that means security will get tight. And we're on a rescue mission, not a fighting mission."

Eathes blinked a few times, then looked down at his body. As if reading his thoughts, Aliane spoke again.

"Don't panic, you should still be able to see me and yourself, but no one else can see us."

Eathes still seemed a bit skeptical, but nodded. "Right. Good idea. It's not like I want to fight anyone anyway."

Aliane sighed. "Of course you don't… Just make sure my hand is always touching you. Otherwise you'll turn visible again and most likely be fucked."

She continued walking forward, allowing Eathes to lead the way.

---

Damnit! Where the hell are they?! How big is this forest anyway?!

"FIND ANYTHING YET?!"

Eve rolled her eyes as Kyoko sprung into the air next to her for a split second, then fell back to the ground.

Does she have to keep using her Tao that way? She's going to set the whole forest on fire!

Eve lowered her body so Kyoko's next jump wouldn't have to be as drastic as the last in hopes she'd tone back her leaps. If it wasn't for the fact that she wanted to find Creed and Train, she would have been walking on the ground next to the rambunctious teen.

"No." The heat from the girl's fire breath was beginning to make her sweat. "Stop that!"

Kyoko noticed Eve's frown before she fell, then quickly asked her question the next time she popped up. "Stop what?"

Eve ignored Kyoko the next time she used her fire breath to propel herself in the air. It was obvious her request was going to require a conversation, so Eve lowered her body to the ground.

We don't have time to talk, but I really don't want her to start a forest fire.

As soon as Eve landed, she grabbed Kyoko's wrist to prevent her from launching herself in the air again. The teen blinked at Eve, as if she didn't understand why she was on the ground.

Eve sighed. "Stop that. I've told you a thousand times, you're going to start a forest fire."

Kyoko frowned. "But, this is one of the few times Kuro-sama said Kyoko can use her abilities."

Eve rolled her eyes. "I'm pretty sure the promise was to use it as a means of self defense."

Kyoko nodded. "Originally, yes. But, Kuro-sama told Kyoko not long ago it will be different for the final fight. He said Kyoko can use it as much or as often as she feels necessary."

Eve frowned, then flicked the girl's forehead. "I don't think using it to throw yourself in the air to have a conversation with me counts as necessary."

Kyoko pouted as she rubbed the spot Eve flicked. "How else am I supposed to keep up with you while you're flying?"

Eve rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on from the girl's disregard to the world around her. "You understand why I'm flying, don't you?"

Kyoko smiled and nodded. "Yes! It's so you can better spot Kuro-sama and Creed-sama! But, how is Kyoko supposed to keep up if she doesn't use her abilities?"

Eve stared at the girl for a few minutes, then sighed in defeat. "Guess I don't have a rebuttal for that…"

Kyoko frowned. "Does that mean Kyoko can keep using her abilities to keep up?"

Eve shook her head. "No. I'll just slow down. How are your wounds?"

Kyoko looked over her body. "They're okay…"

Eve frowned as she scanned Kyoko's body. Her Nanomachines were reaching their limit after their fight with Watts and Kenneth, but the break they took after the battle gave her enough energy to heal most of her friends' wounds, and give her the strength she needed to fly.

It's still not enough. Kyoko at least has Tao to help heal her, but she's still in pretty bad shape.

She glanced behind her shoulder, as if she could see the friends they left behind.

But… Sven and Rinslet are still in bad shape…

Eve jumped when she felt a hand resting on her shoulder. She turned around to see Kyoko giving her a sympathetic look. "Sven-sama is going to be fine. Jenos is staying behind with them, remember?"

Eve sighed, then nodded. "I know… I just… wish I could have done more to heal them. They don't have superhuman abilities like we do."

Kyoko's frown. "Yes, but they're strong. They won't roll over and give up so easily!"

Eve frowned as well. "I'm not concerned about them giving up. I'm concerned about someone coming along and finishing them off."

Kyoko shivered at Eve's cryptic words. "No need to be so ominous…"

Eve glanced over her shoulder again. "Can't help it. You saw the shape they were in…"

Kyoko watched the girl for a few minutes, seeing Eve for the age she really was for the first time. She had known the Bio-girl for such a long time, yet she had never seen her look that scared and anxious before. With how mature Eve always acted, it was easy to forget how young she still was.

Kyoko squeezed the younger girl's shoulder. "They'll be fine, Eve. You have to trust them."

Eve stared into the older girl's eyes for a few moments, then lowered her head. "You're right…"

She's matured a lot. The old Kyoko would never be able to talk so reassuringly to me.

Eve took a deep breath, then gave Kyoko a confident look. "You're right. I have to trust that they'll be okay. If I don't, I'll be too distracted to find Creed and Train."

Kyoko's face brightened upon seeing Eve perk up, and she gave the small girl an enthusiastic nod. "Right! Now let's keep searching for Kuro-sama and Creed-sama!"

Eve watched as Kyoko began walking in the direction the Nano-girl had been leading them. Even though she didn't know where she was going, her spirit was contagious.

Eve followed Kyoko, choosing to walk instead of fly for a bit to give her Nanomachines time to rest. She knew that when they finally found their friends, she was going to need her bots.

She gave Kyoko a small smile as she walked a few feet behind the girl.

To have the optimism and courage needed to keep moving forward even after everything we've been through… She really is turning out to be quite an amazing woman.

Eve chucked as the girl tripped over a rock, then turned around to curse out the inanimate object.

Then again, I guess it's easy for someone as ditzy as her to be hopeful.

Eve didn't think Kyoko ever fully comprehended what was going on around her. She simply followed whoever she believed to be the strongest.

And right now that's me. And it'll be Train when we find him.

Despite her pride, Eve found herself envious of the girl's one track mind.

To be that carefree even in the face of danger… Must be nice.

Eve smiled as she thought of someone else who was very similar to that.

As much as I like to poke fun at Train for being an idiot, he's actually very smart, he just chooses to remain calm under extreme stress.

The Bio-girl chose to keep that idealism in mind as she picked up her pace.

Even Creed, who's arguably the smartest person I know, is able to stay calm and joke around in the worst situations. So, it really has to do with perseverance and strength, not intelligence.

Eve straightened her body as she walked, using Kyoko's optimism to keep her heart strong, and the perseverance of the men she was searching for to keep her feet moving.

I'll stay strong. For all of them.

In her zoned state, Eve didn't realize Kyoko stopped walking. She bumped into the fire breathing girl, then stepped back and gave her a confused look.

"Why'd you stop? We have to keep going."

Kyoko tilted her head and pointed to a tree several feet ahead of them. "Doesn't that tree look like it was struck by lightning?"

Eve blinked, then followed where Kyoko's hand was pointing. Her eyes widened and she began running in the direction of the tree. "That's exactly what it looks like! Good eye, Kyoko!"

Eve could hear the teen running behind her and did not stop and out of the corner of her eye, she saw a gust of wind knocking a tree down.

"Did you see that?!"

Eve nodded, but did not look back at Kyoko. "I did. It's definitely them! Hurry!"

Eve ran faster, knowing Kyoko would keep up and hurried her way through the forest. She zig and zagged around the trees, jumping over several large branches that had been torn from the trees and over large holes in the ground.

They're close! I can feel it!

As soon as Eve passed a tree, she came to an abrupt halt as a bolt of lightning hit the ground in front of her. She then saw Creed leaping out from behind a tree only a few inches away from where the bolt hit, his Imagine Blade drooling as he reared his arm back.

Eve smiled, then started running towards the man before a voice stopped her.

"EVE! STAY BACK!"

Her body was wrapped in silky fabric, which yanked her back and behind a tree. The moment she was pulled behind the tree, Eve saw another bolt of lightning hit the spot she just occupied. She looked around the tree and saw Kyoko turn and duck behind the same tree Eve.

Eve looked down at the fabric wrapped around her body, relief flooding her when she realized who it belonged to. "Lin?! Are you okay?"

Lin rested his body against the tree, his eyes shut as he tried to catch his breath. "Train… Creed… Fighting…"

Eve frowned. "Of course they're fighting. Why wouldn't they be?"

Lin shook his head. "No… No, you don't understand… They're-"

Kyoko gasped and finished the man's sentence for him. "They're fighting each other?! Why?!"

Eve widened her eyes at the girl's statement, then turned her head to peak around the tree. She felt her blood go cold as her eyes confirmed Kyoko's statement.

"What… What the hell…?"

"It's that damn drug again…" Lin gasped out. "Shiki… Shiki got them with his bug and… and this one's different. It's stronger… faster acting."

Eve turned back to Lin. "Have you tried Saya's song?"

Lin gave her an angry look, even though he wasn't mad at the girl. "What do you think we've been doing?! Maro and Shiki are keeping us away from them."

Eve frowned, then looked back around the tree to see Sephiria being thrown in the air by one of Maro's gravity attacks. She stabbed her sword into a nearby tree, preventing her from flying further into the air.

"Besides, have you seen the shape of me? I can barely stand, let alone fight!"

Eve turned back to Lin, suddenly realizing how terrible he looked.

She didn't know how much she could help but, she knew she needed to try.

She kneeled down and activated her healing bots. "I'm not in any shape to be healing, but I'll see what I can do."

Lin frowned at the girl's statement, sighing in relief at the warmth they provided. After a few seconds, he pushed her away. "Then don't waste… your strength. We're going to need it…"

Eve glared. "Let me at least heal you while you give us more information on the situation."

Lin opened his mouth, then closed it when he realized he didn't have the strength to fight her. "I told you what I know. Do you have a recording of Saya's song?"

Eve frowned, then removed one hand from Lin's chest and patted her pocket, grimacing at the crumbled mess she felt. "I think my phone is broken…"

Lin cursed and punched the ground. "Damnit… It's all up to Sephiria then."

Eve brought her hands back to Lin's chest. "What the hell happened to you?"

Lin sighed and shut his eyes. "So much…"

Eve frowned, then glanced around the tree, noticing Kyoko had run to lend Sephiria a hand.

He needs a break. May as well keep him here for a minute.

"Lin… Talk to me. What's going on?"

Lin opened his eyes and gave the girl a desperate look. "At this point… I'm not even sure myself anymore. Everything's… everything's happening so fast. I… I…"

Eve frowned, able to tell he was having a hard time speaking behind his panic and pain. She could tell the man was on the verge of a nervous breakdown, and she needed to prevent that from happening. If Lin's inner state matched the obvious turmoil of his outer state, Number X's life would be in danger.

Even more than it already clearly has been.

Eve pinched Lin's cheek, giving him a stern look, and speaking in a commanding tone. "Then just start from the beginning."

---

Charden leaned forward on the couch, smirking at the large screen in front of him. "This is turning out better than I expected… Do you think they even recognize each other?"

Jax, who was standing behind Charden, smirked as well. "It doesn't appear so, Charden-sama. The look in their eyes is pure emptiness."

Charden snickered and relaxed back into the couch's cushions. "The look of a true killer… In all the years I've known those men, I don't think I've ever seen them look like that."

He rested his elbow on the arm of the couch. "Even the first time we gave Creed the drug, he did not look like that. Nor did Train when Doctor was incorporating it into his system."

Jax nodded. "Hue's alterations to the drug really is a game changer. I'm impressed with the woman's ability to make such quick and drastic changes to it."

Charden kept his eyes locked onto the battle happening between his former leaders. "From what I understand, she's been working on it far longer than we realized. Isn't that right, Dear?"

Echidna didn't bother to face her partner. Her vision was too occupied with the horrific sights of the final battle, her mind filled with fatalistic ideas that ate at her soul.

With each side battle coming to an end, the actress felt more hope slipping away, only to be replaced with despair and cynicism.

How can Charden remain so calm and confident during a time like this?

Her eyes fell to the screen that held Sven laying on Nica's grave with Number VII and the thief resting a few feet away from him. While it was obvious Sven was sleeping, it was clearly not a restful sleep. Every few seconds, he tossed and turned, his thin lips mumbling Nica's name.

Echidna sucked back a tear before it could crawl down her cheek, her keen eyes glancing over to Jenos and Rinslet. The thief also appeared to be lightly sleeping in her lover's arms, but Number VII was wide awake and alert. It was clear he was expecting a fight at any minute, and he wasn't going to let anyone hurt those he loved.

Nica… I'm so sorry I couldn't give you the ending you wanted…

As she stared at the screen, she replayed the moment when Nica died, her heart breaking all over again.

All because of that monstrous man… I should have fought harder to keep them apart. He's had it out for her for a while.

As much as Watts might try to claim Nica's death was an accident, Echidna wasn't going to believe him. While Nica may not have been his target, it was clear he knew what he was doing.

Number VII should kill Watts while the others are sleeping. The world will be much more peaceful without him.

Echidna jumped when Charden cleared his throat, realizing he had invited her into the conversation he was having with Jax.

She blinked a few times before speaking. "I'm sorry, Darling, what did you ask?"

I know I should be paying attention to him, but it's hard when our entire organization is falling at the hands of Chronos and a few lousy sweepers.

Charden gave her an annoyed look, but did not yell. "Didn't you say Ms. Hue has been working on the Chronos drug behind Doctor's back since the day we got it?"

Echidna continued blinking, then nodded. "Yes."

Charden gave her an approving smile. "While I'm annoyed she did not tell me what she was doing, I can understand why she did it. Doctor most certainly wouldn't have let her conduct experiments on her own, so I suppose she did what she had to do to get the results we're currently witnessing."

Jax frowned in confusion. "But, who or what did she experiment on?"

Charden glanced over his shoulder at the boy. "Who and what do you think?"

Jax blinked a few times before understanding slowly enveloped him. He nodded, then turned back to the screen, aware the conversation was no longer necessary. And Charden hated talking about unnecessary things.

Echidna held back a smile as he watched Kanzaki's lifeless eyes stare up at the sky, his blood staining the ground.

Hue hated what she was doing, but she knew it needed to be done in order to earn her place in the Apostles.

Hue knew Doctor was considered the prized scientist of the group, and she had been ordered to do whatever he told her to do. Despite her irrefutable intelligence, she was reduced to nothing more than his assistance.

And considering how much more undeniably sane she was, I don't understand why she had to take such drastic measures to ensure her safety.

Echidna jerked her head to the side when she felt a hand rest on her shoulder. She at Charden, who's eyes were still locked onto the screen, smirk painted on his sinister lips.

"There's nothing to fret, my dear. We knew there were going to be casualties, and so far it is far less than I expected."

Echidna felt her mouth open slightly in shock. "This… This is less than what you expected?"

Charden nodded. "Yes. I did not expect Watts or Durham to still be alive. I'm shocked the sweepers were able to convince Number VII not to kill Watts, and I'm floored to see Number X did not kill Durham."

Echidna frowned. "But… Eathes betrayed us, Aliane is still alive, and so far we have not managed to kill any of the sweepers or the numbers. Even Leon has seemed to turn coat."

She glanced at the spot the boy once laid, noticing he had disappeared. She didn't know when he left the area, but after what she witnessed happening between him and the Bio-girl, she had a feeling he was going into hiding until the war was over.

I don't know what his plan could be. There's nowhere he can run and after what he did, there's nothing I can do to help him. Charden will surely track him down and kill him.

Charden shrugged. "And they will be dealt with appropriately when the time comes. I am not concerned about either of those cowards. They're time will come."

Echidna was not surprised by his response, and continued voicing her concerns. "Not only have we not managed to kill any of the numbers or sweepers, but we've lost most of our Shooting Stars… and the children are dropping like flies."

She turned her gaze back to Doctor's body. "And Kanzaki… Not only is he dead, but those beats have sided with Number II. They are obeying his orders without hesitation. He's surely going to find Sephiria and use them to finish off Maro and Shiki."

Had it not been for Charden's quick thinking in dropping Lin into the battle, Shiki and Maro would have been done for. She was amazed Maro was still standing, but now that Eve and Kyoko joined the fight, she wasn't sure how much longer that would last.

And the Bio-girl is healing Number X's wounds further, which means he will most likely be a threat again soon.

"...And Aliane has disappeared with Eathes. Without Shiki here to detect her presence, she might be able to save that woman, and we will lose our bait."

Charden remained quiet for a few seconds, waiting to see if his partner had any more complaints. "Have you said your piece, Darling?"

Echidna gave him a perplexed look, then gave a hesitant answer. "I… suppose…"

Charden gently ran his index finger through Echidna's hair. "As I stated earlier, I am not concerned about the traitors at all. They are weak and no longer of any consequence to us. As for how many we've killed."

He turned back to the screen. "While the numbers and sweepers may still be alive, we've killed most of their underlings and weakened many of their more powerful assassins. Along with that, we've removed Number VII, the thief, and that old man from the fight."

Charden relaxed further into the couch. "While it's a shame they are still alive, it's clear they have no intention of continuing the fight. Not that they could even if they wanted to. Number VII took far too many hits for that woman, and I'm sure he knows he cannot go on."

Echidna frowned as she eyed the trio. "Then why don't we finish them off now? I assume that's the plan anyway, so why not get it over with now?"

Charden chuckled. "Because it would be a waste of resources. We will deal with them after we've dealt with their heavy hitters… Who also don't seem to be doing well."

He gestured to the screen Sephiria, Creed, and Train occupied. "At this rate, one of those men is guaranteed to kill the other and while Number One has received back up, Maro's last attack left her far too injured to put up a decent fight against me. And with how distracted she is with helping those men… she's sure to receive even more wounds that will cripple her."

Charden licked his lips. "She's as good as dead."

Echidna sighed again. "And what about the Bio-girl and that teen? They seem to be in decent shape, and that girl is healing Number X."

Charden nodded. "True, but the Nanomachine girl is reaching her limit. Haven't you been able to tell?"

Echidna turned back to the screen.

I guess… she has been slowing down.

"As for the teen… She's not a threat, and Number X will be far too distracted by the Black Cat to continue. He might even get himself killed by his beloved if he keeps trying to interfere."

Charden drummed his fingers on the arm of the couch. "As for Aliane and Eathes coming for our prisoner… who cares? If they do get her, Heartnet won't know until he gets here. And even if he finds out she's safe, he won't turn back now. As far as I'm concerned, she's served her purpose. If I cared or was even worried a little about that woman, I would have killed her by now."

Echidna had no rebuttal to anything he said, and decided to bring up their next issue. "And what of Doctor and his beasts? With them obeying Number II's order, Chronos has the advantage."

Charden sighed. "While it is a shame to have lost those beasts, I'm certain we can get them back. All we have to do is kill Number II in front of them, and they will listen to us again. As for Doctor…"

Charden clenched his fists, waves of fury wafting off him as he spoke. "...After all he's put us through, after all his shortcomings… I say good riddance."

Echidna couldn't help but smile at her partner's words. It was a shock, but also a relief to hear he was glad to be rid of the mad scientist.

However, it wasn't enough to quell all of her fears. "But, until we get them back on our side… Number II will use those beasts to kill most, if not all of our allies."

Again, Charden shrugged. "The only people we need to win this war are currently in this house. That's why I made sure to keep us all here. So we would be in tip top shape to take on anyone who trespasses on our property. That includes Hue. She's going to be the perfect replacement for Doctor."

The actress was surprised to hear Charden say that. "You're… really not at all upset at Kazanki's death?"

Charden clenched his teeth. "Like I said before, good riddance. It's a shame to lose such a brilliant mind, but he was more trouble than he was worth. And now… he can greet our enemies at Hell's gates."

The Blood Taoist relaxed slightly as he finished his statement. "And once the war is over, we'll pick up the Apostles who have not betrayed us… and kill off the rest."

Echidna winced at the man's words, then glanced at the screen that held Nica's grave.

...It's probably too much to ask him to feel sympathy for that woman.

Turning back to the screen with Creed and Train fighting, she frowned.

As much as I hate those men, I need them both alive… I don't think just one of them can stop Charden, especially with Jax by his side.

Echidna knew it would be impossible for one of them to be at their best if they knew they had killed their lover.

"How long does the drug last?"

Charden glanced at Jax. "Hue said it will last until they kill someone. Doesn't matter who, just as long as they kill anyone."

Jax nodded, satisfied with the answer and went back to watching the war. The slight glee in his eye indicated he was enjoying the bloodshed.

Echidna kept her eyes locked on Creed and Train. "...And at this rate, one of them is going to end up killing the one person they would never wish harm on."

Charden widened his smirk. "One can only hope…"

---

Train blared out an abhorrent shout as he threw both his arms to the ground, summoning two massive bolts of lightning. The jagged, electrified spikes pierced the sky with their omnipotent force, the cacophonous cry he released nearly shattering the sound barrier.

Creed let out an monstrous wail that matched the howl the Black Cat freed from his virulent maw as he slashed his Imagine Blade above his head, its mouth was as wide open as it could go. The sword's toothy cavity salivated ferociously as it prepared itself to consume the gunman's attack.

However, the blade was only able to devour one of the bolts, leaving the other one free to do as it pleased.

The silverette reacted quickly and leapt to the side in an attempt to avoid the lightning attack, but not quick enough to avoid it completely. Creed let out another wail, but it came out far more arduous and harrowing than the previous one as the bolt chiseled out a large, gashly cavern along the swordsman's left arm.

Despite the substantial, gaping wound now residing in Creed's shoulder, the man managed to roll continuously to the side to dodge the stream of bullets Train shot at him. The state of the silver man's mind was the only thing that allowed him to ignore the pain that surely poured through his body.

When he heard the last bullet release from the blurry figure's chamber, Creed ceased his rolling and froze in a kneeling position. His mouth frothed as he ground his teeth, his demoniac eyes staring carcinogenic venom at the onyx blob belonging to the unit he had sworn to kill.

Noticing the anonymous blur was running towards him, Creed kicked himself off the ground and sprinted at the nameless figure, his blade dragging on the ground, creating a fog of dust that billowed dismally behind him as it cut viciously into the Earth.

Train reloaded his gun, his bloodthirsty eyes pitching nefarious daggers at his target. His mind had reached a point where he was unaware of his own violent actions. The cat lost all his faculties, rendering his body nothing more than a carcass he was wholly incapable of controlling.

The two continued rushing recklessly towards one another, neither of them seeing the other as they foamed at the mouth. The idea of slaughtering the unknown, dark, distorted figure both excited and enchanted them in a psychotically demented way.

When the men were only a few feet from one another, their maniacal eyes met, but they did not see the other. Train's normally ambrosial amber hues gleamed disgustingly with an infernal shade of red as every pore in his body oozed with malicious intent.

Creed's trademark cerulean, pious, love filled eyes glossed over with a murderous glow, a look he had not held even when he was in his peak assassin state. The hatred that pervaded his soul would have been painful if Creed was capable of experiencing any emotions other than pure, unadulterated rancor at the moment.

After several more thunderous, accelerated steps towards one another, the two finally met and thrust their weapons forward in an attempt to shield themselves from their assailant's attack. The moment Train's gun met Creed's sword, powerful sparks erupted between them.

Tragically, they were not the sparks the lovers normally shared.

Train glared daggers at the inky blur that was only a few inches from his face, unable to identify the individual as the man he loved, the man he promised to spend the rest of his life with.

Instead of seeing the man that had a firm grasp on his heart, he only saw an obsidian creature his inner fiend was hellbent on slaying. Instead of his mind being filled with ardent thoughts of love, the same word played on a continuous loop over and over again in his head, a horrendous melody that would not cease.

Kill… Kill… Kill…

The Black Cat leaned his limber body forward as he tried to push his opponent back. He growled maliciously as he eyed the dark figure, his arms shaking at the immense force colliding with Hades.

Train did not hear the feral snarl Creed breathed into his face. All he could hear was the all-consuming voice of death repeating the same word over and over again.

Kill… Kill… Kill…

A third, unknown force slipped between the men, shoving them away from one another. Neither Creed nor Train comprehended who or what pushed them apart. All they saw was a third black blur that stood between them.

Their murderous eyes fell on the new opponent, noticing the sharp object it held at the exact same moment. They were immediately able to establish the danger of said object, diagnosing the threat it possessed instantly and sprinting in the direction of the new threat.

The murky figure shouted something neither of the men understood and threw itself in the air. Train did not hesitate to follow after the unknown being as he flew himself up and after it, leaving his previous target on the ground.

Creed narrowed his eyes at both creatures, then extended his blade up and after them. He dashed towards his enemies, his sword stretching itself as his feet remained on the ground.

After a few seconds, Creed felt something wrap around his waist and yank him back. His feet skidded across the ground and he struggled against his newest setback, unable to recognize the voice that called out to him.

"CREED! STOP IT! CAN'T YOU SEE WHO YOU'RE ATTACKING?!"

Creed didn't even glance over his shoulder to see who was screaming at him as he roared and yanked his blade from the air. He slashed down at the mass that was encasing his waist, not hearing the distressing wail the petite figure behind him released.

Eve brought her extended arms back to the rest of her body, grimacing at the nasty gash Creed's sword left. She bit her bottom lip to disguise the pain she was in, watching as her Nanomachines worked to heal the wounds.

It's slower than usual… I can't keep this up for very long.

Eve looked up to check on Sephiria and Train. She frowned as she watched Number One narrowly escape the gunman's ice attack as she used Christ to cut it out of the sky. The ice shattered and littered the sky, melting in the sun's rays.

Hearing Creed release another homicidal roar, Eve jerked her head back to the ground and watched as the man propelled himself off a tree and into the air after the Black Cat. Train let out a violent, but painful cry as the tip of Creed's blade sliced open his back, blood trickling down his already abused flesh.

Eve watched as the cat's bots worked to heal the gunman's body, noticing how much slower his Nanomachines were working.

He's wearing himself out as well.

Eve knew Train's bots were strong enough to last for quite a while, so the fact that they were starting to visibly weaken was troubling.

"He didn't hear the song."

She glanced over to see Sephiria standing next to her, the woman covered in sweat and blood which Eve could tell was not just her own. She didn't know when the swordswoman appeared next to her, but she knew it didn't matter.

The Bio-girl cursed and watched as Creed and Train landed on the ground to continue their fight. "Damnit! What are we going to do?"

Sephiria narrowed her eyes at her former assassins, then glanced over her shoulder to check on the rest of their comrades. Considering the shape Lin was in, he and Kyoko were doing an excellent job at keeping Maro and Shiki at bay.

Although it seems as though Lin's appearance distracted Train and inadvertently put Heartnet in this precarious position, his and the sweepers' presence couldn't have come at a better time. And I'm glad Eve was able to heal him enough that he could fight alongside us again.

She was relieved that Lin was no longer on the brink of death, and she was also grateful to have another ally join their side. Especially when they lost two of their strongest assets.

Sephiria subdued a wince, ignoring how terribly her body trembled. She knew she was beyond exhaustion and nearing collapse, but she couldn't let the natural decay of her body stop her from winning their war.

Maro's attack really did a number on me, and now that I'm fighting both Creed and Train without trying to kill them, the hits keep coming.

Sephiria placed a hand against her ribs. "There's nothing else we can do except stick to the plan. We have to knock Train out of his trance first and then he can bring Diskenth back."

Eve frowned as she watched the men tear each other apart. "But, even if we get close enough, what if Saya's song doesn't work? What if it's not enough?"

Sephiria clenched her fists. "Thinking like that will get us nowhere. We have to knock the sense back into them."

Eve looked at Sephiria out of the corner of her eye, noticing the deplorable state she was in. "Sephiria… You should let me heal you."

Number One shook her head and stiffened her body in an attempt to hide how enervated she was. "No. You're at your limit. We can't waste your Nanomachines on such frivolous things."

Eve sighed. "Making sure the leader of Chronos and one of our strongest allies is in her best shape is not frivolous. Did you forget we haven't even gotten to Charden yet?"

Sephiria unclenched her fists. "Trust me… I haven't forgotten."

That's almost all I can think about…

Eve activated her healing bots. "Then let me at least heal your more dire wounds."

Sephiria slashed her sword forward to deflect a wayward lightning bolt from Train. "No time. We need to get to Heartnet while he's on the ground."

His attacks are getting sloppy. He must be getting tired as well.

"We need to put a stop to this violent lover's quarrel before one of them does something they'll regret."

I don't want to imagine what one of them will do with the knowledge that they killed the other…

Before Eve had a chance to try to heal her, Sephiria ran off in the direction of the downed Black Cat. Train was currently lying prone a few yards away as Creed attempted to dig himself out of a tree the cat flung him into.

Sephiria ignored the silver haired man in favor of the golden eye sweeper.

I'm positive if we can bring Train back, he can bring Creed back.

Sephiria dug into her pocket and pulled out her phone again, double checking to make sure the recording was still up. Seeing that it was, Number One hovered her finger over the play button, ignoring the languor that riddled her legs.

Now might be my only chance. I have to get to him before he gets up.

When she was only a few feet away from Train, she cranked the volume up and readied her blade. Noticing her target was about to stand, Sephiria ran faster and thrust her blade forward.

With only a small cut to the Black Cat's throat, Sephiria managed to pin Train onto the ground, holding Christ against the man's neck.

Hearing him snarl at her and feeling his body tense, Sephiria knew she didn't have long. Number One shoved the phone next to the gunman's ear and hit pay, her unsteady fingers gripping firmly to the rectangular shaped technology.

This has to work…

Sephiria stiffened her body and tried to steady her blade, her eyes locked on Train's savage face as she waited for his response.

This will work!

As the song began to play its quiet melody, Sephiria watched for any signs of change in the man. Seeing his chest heaving violently and his eyes still burning an intense shade of red, Number One pressed her phone closer to the cat's ear, praying that would be enough.

Come on, Heartnet! Snap out of it!

After a few seconds, Sephiria noticed Train's breathing was beginning to slow down, and his face was gradually relaxing. His hard, angry expressions began to soften, and bits of amber slowly surfaced behind the blazing crimson that consumed his eyes.

Sephiria let out a quiet breath of relief as she watched the Black Cat's lips begin to mouth the dead sweeper's name.

It's working!

She continued staring down at her former subordinate, then noticed his eyes beginning to glaze over as another wave of rage overtook him. Again, the muscle in Train's body tensed and his angelic features began to harden.

Sephiria felt Train's fists clench and watched as the speckles of gold vanish, disappearing in the horrific sea of red that, once again, permeated his normally blithe eyes. As she stared at the Black Cat, she saw a few electric sparks flickering off his face, a sign he was preparing to attack.

Realizing it didn't work, Sephiria leapt off the cat before he could electrocute her with his Tao, then flipped her body backwards to avoid a lightning bolt. When she sprung off left hand, Sephiria gritted her teeth as an excruciating surge of pain shot through her arm.

Dammit! That's the wrist that's broken.

Feeling the electricity that filled the air, Sephiria fell to the ground and began rolling away. She made sure to avoid her broken wrist as she coiled away from Train's attack, keeping the momentum of her body going in hopes the cat would not be able to land a blow on her.

As she felt her back crash against a tree, Sephiria quickly spun around to the other side of it, barely dodging the sheet of ice Train shot at her. As soon as she pressed her back against the tree, Sephiria felt her legs give out as her body slid down the tree.

Maybe I should have taken that girl up on her offer. At least to heal my broken bones.

Number One covered her head with her arms when she felt another sheet of ice hit the tree, shaking its branches as a few leaves fell from its limbs. Train did it again and again, fiercely rattling the colossal tree Sephiria had chosen to take refuge behind.

I can't afford to stay here. I need to get my phone and-

Sephiria's eyes widened as she patted her pocket, realizing her device was no longer there.

"Shit…!" The woman mumbled as she searched the area around her.

Seeing nothing, she waited for Train's next attack to end before she glanced around the tree to the spot she was just at. She cursed again when she noticed it was lying in pieces a few feet away from where she had pinned Train down, its scatter remains taunting her.

It must have gotten destroyed in my hasty retreat.

Sephiria punched the ground. "Damnit…!"

Number One shook her bruised hand, grimacing at the pain that shot through her body when she wiggled her broken fingers. She glanced down at her digits, glaring at them as if they had somehow accosted her.

I'm going to have to wield my sword with my other hand. Not that it's in any better shape.

Sephiria crouched forward again and covered her head as Train threw another sheet of ice at the tree, causing more leaves to fall down on her. The cat repeated the attack again and again, and Number One could hear the bark beginning to crack on the other side.

He's going to knock the tree down at this rate.

The next attack pushed the woman forward, and Sephiria threw Christ into her less damaged hand.

Why would he destroy the tree? Why not just walk around it and attack me head on?

Sephiria glanced around the tree again and frowned at the emptiness in Train's face. She didn't know how it was possible, but it seemed as though even more of his sanity had left him.

At that point, Sephiria wasn't sure if Train even understood what a tree was. The way he was attacking it, Number One was starting to think he thought the tree was his opponent.

Is it possible the song made him worse? No… that doesn't make sense. I must have just pissed him off by pinning him to the ground.

Sephiria felt a wave of dizziness take over for a second, her vision blurring and her mind going momentarily foggy. She shook her head, then punched her temples, trying to get her eyes and mind to focus.

I can't give up!

Sephiria knew she couldn't face Charden alone, especially with the shape she was in.

Not that Train and Creed are in any better shape after fighting one another for so long. But, at least we'll be of more use together than apart. And they had healing abilities.

On top of that, they had Eve, Kyoko, and Lin. True, their shape was deteriorating the longer the fight dragged on, but she believed their combined efforts would be enough to defeat Charden.

Lin is going to have to forget about his goal to save Train's friend. We'll have to get her together after we defeat Charden.

Sephiria knew the woman's imprisonment would be a distraction to Train, but she also knew Aliane was most likely still looking for her.

She's resourceful. She can do it.

Sephiria chose to accept that thought as truth since she had no other choice. She cursed again as she felt the tree splintering behind her. Her head jerked up when she heard something cracking, and she widened her eyes at what she saw.

It's going to fall. I need to move!

Sephiria stabbed her blade into the ground and tried to push herself up. However, when pain engulfed her body, Number One froze, then fell back to the ground. She tried to pull herself up again and again, but each time she fell back to the ground.

"Shit…!" She muttered again, her body trembling from a harrowing fatigue she had never felt before.

The tree released a deafening crack and Sephiria felt it beginning to fall. She looked up at the falling bark, her vision blurring again as she tried to roll her body away.

As she struggled to stand, she felt a small but powerful force wrap around her damaged frame and fling her away from the tree. Her vision was still blurred, so she wasn't able to see who her rescuer was, but judging by the petite arms that coiled around her waist, she knew who she had to thank

"Where's Creed?"

Eve gritted her teeth as she flapped her wings, barely able to raise them even a few feet in the air. Once she was certain they were safe, Eve dropped the woman and landed insipidly on the ground.

The Bio-girl rolled on her back, eyes shut as she tried to catch her breath. "He's… fighting Train again…"

Sephiria pushed herself up on her elbows and turned her head to look back where she knew the cat was. The tree she was hiding behind had fallen to the ground, and Creed's Imagine Blade decimated it. The silverette was now throwing himself in the air at the Black Cat, who shoved a powerful gust of wind at him.

Creed flew a few feet into the air, then extended his blade until it reached the ground, stopping his body from being thrown too far from his opponent. The swordsman swiftly lowered himself onto the ground and ran at the Black Cat, who darted towards him as well.

Sephiria turned back to Eve, her vision blurring again as she spoke. "It… It didn't work…"

Eve opened her eyes and turned towards Number One. "What?"

Sephiria fell onto her back as well. "The song… It didn't work."

Eve gritted her teeth and punched the ground. "Damnit! It didn't work at all?"

Sephiria coughed. "It looked like it was starting to, but… it seemed like he was able to ignore it. Like the drug was able to cover it up after he heard it…"

Eve frowned. "Is it possible it didn't work because it came from your phone?"

Sephiria blinked at the girl, barely seeing her as she spoke. "What do you mean?"

Eve sighed and shut her eyes again. "Is it possible it didn't work because it wasn't authentic?"

Sephiria shook her head, frustrated at how muddled and murky her mind was. She could barely hear what Eve was saying, let alone comprehend the girl's words. "If you're hinting at something, then you need to be more blunt."

Eve winced at the pain in her ribs. "I'm saying, maybe he needs to hear Creed sing it."

Sephiria rolled her eyes. "That's not going to work. The only way we know to get Creed out of this state is Train. So, if we can't bring Train back, we can't bring Creed back."

Eve nodded in agreement. "I know… But… what about the music box?"

Sephiria shut her eyes. "Maybe…"

Damn, just a single word is hard to get out…

Eve swallowed. "It's… worth a shot, isn't it?"

Sephiria held back a groan. "Doesn't Creed have the box? Wouldn't we have to get it from him? And even if he does have it, what are the odds that it's not broken?"

Sephiria opened her eyes when she felt Eve's hand fall on her shoulder. "What is that?"

Pathetic… I can't even see something when it's shoved right in my face…

"It's the box. I grabbed it from Creed's pocket while I was distracting him."

Sephiria blinked over and over again, then shut her eyes. "How the hell has something so small and fragile survived this madness?"

Eve wrapped her petite fingers around the box. She had been asking herself the question since the moment she spotted the small bump in Creed's pocket. "I don't know…"

A part of her believed Saya's spirit was keeping it safe, and a part of her believed it was pure luck. However, based on the way Creed had snuggled it into his pocket, Eve couldn't help but hope there was a small part of the man that was using everything it had to fight the drug and keep the box safe.

Maybe there's a part of him that knows this box will save Train. It could just be wishful thinking, but that sort of optimism is what's going to keep me going.

Eve brought the box up to her face. "...Lady Luck has always had a thing for Train, right?"

Sephiria smirked. "Right… Then, let's go get that box to Train…"

Number One took in several shallow breaths as she prepared to sit up. However, as soon as she moved her upper body just a few inches off the ground, she fell back down and inadvertently let out a moan.

Eve frowned at the woman, then activated her healing bots.

This time, I'm not going to ask for permission.

The girl extended her golden locks and inserted them into Sephiria's body, shutting her eyes as she concentrated on the more serious wounds in Number One's body.

Sephiria shot her eyes open and stiffened her body the moment she felt the girl's tentacle-like locks enter her chest, gripping the grass beneath her fingers firmly. She wanted to protest, but the soothing warmth that filled her body made it impossible for her to fend off Eve's life saving locks.

Despite how alleviating the sensation was, Sephiria's stubbornness broke through. "I told you to save your strength."

Eve rolled her eyes. "And I told you that we need you. At least let me heal your broken bones."

Despite herself, Sephiria nodded. "Fine. If you insist."

Eve smiled. "Thank you."

Sephiria allowed the girl's bots to fill her body, shutting her eyes to block out the sun's intense rays. She felt the pain slowly ebb away and the dizziness began to fade. Number One opened her eyes to check her vision, relieved she could see again.

After a few minutes, Eve pulled her hair out and sat back on the ground, quietly catching her breath as she spoke. "There… That should be the worst of them. I should warn you though, that it won't erase the pain completely."

Sephiria brought her hands to her face, flexing them with a determined look on her face. "I can deal with pain."

Eve chuckled. "Good. Can you move?"

Sephiria pushed herself off the ground, turning in the same direction Eve was looking. She watched as Train wrapped a sheet of ice around Creed's body as his Imagine Blade roared.

"Yes. Then let's go."

Eve put her hand up to stop the woman. "Asking if you could move was not an invitation to jump right back into the fray. You need to rest and let the Nanomachines settle."

Sephiria cocked an eyebrow at the girl. "Settle?"

Eve nodded, despite the deceitful sentence she just uttered.

This is for her own good. She needs to rest and this spot seems far enough away from the battle for that. I didn't heal all her wounds, just the ones threatening to kill her. She still shouldn't be fighting.

"Yes. Settle. For at least ten minutes."

Sephiria hardened her gaze. "Absolutely not."

Eve rolled her eyes. "Stubborn woman…"

Sephiria opened her mouth to protest only to stop when she heard the sound of thunder erupt above her. Both women shot their eyes up, preparing themselves for an attack from above.

Number One's eyes widened at what she saw. "Belze…?"

Number II, along with the rest of her numbers and Doctor's monsters, floated high above their heads. As if sensing Sephiria's presence, Belze looked around the massive cat's back, smiling in relief when he saw Sephiria.

"Sephiria!" Belze's voice sounded more elated than he intended it to.

Sensing her new master's emotions, Aja lowered herself to the ground, Aztec following her lead. When all four of their paws were on the ground, the numbers readily leapt off the creatures, spreading themselves out as they awaited Sephiria's orders.

Number One stared at Belze as he stepped off the panther's head. "What are… What have you…"

Belze kneeled down on one knee and bowed his head. "Doctor has been taken care of, and his beasts now follow my command."

Sephiria gawked at the man, for once at a loss for words as she stared at her second in command. However, after a few seconds of stunned silence, the woman pushed herself off the ground and walked over to the man that bowed to her.

When she was standing in front of Belze, she fell to the ground again and wrapped her arms around his broad shoulders. Number II jerked his head up and gave his superior a shocked look, reaching his arms out as if to return the woman's embrace, but feeling as though he needed permission first.

"Sephiria…?" Belze whispered. "Are you… Okay…?"

Sephiria nodded. "Yes… I'm fine, Belze."

Belze smiled, then wrapped his arms around the woman's back. "That's good to hear…"

Eve watched the warm reunion with a small smile on her face for a few moments, then threw her eyes up when she heard another familiar sound. She gritted her teeth at the hole opening behind Chronos.

"SEPHIRIA!"

Sephiria and Belze looked up at Eve, then turned their gaze to the portal opening behind them. Out of it came a seemingly never ending wave of Shooting Stars and children along with Durham, whose mask was no longer on his face.

Number One and II broke apart and readied their weapons as the rest of the numbers threw themselves into the fray. Belze followed after them, but Sephiria held back for one second to say something to Eve.

"Go to Train and Creed! We'll take care of them while you take care of our boys!"

Eve nodded. "Right! Got it!"

Eve ran in the direction of the dueling men, choosing to use her normal body instead of her Nanomachines.

I need to conserve them. Especially after healing Sephiria.

When she was just a few yards away from them, Eve looked down at the box in her hand, but did not stop her feet from moving.

Please let this work…

Eve skidded to a halt when a lightning bolt struck the ground in front of her, jumping back a little as a small fire broke out on the grass. The Bio-girl gripped tightly to the box and locked her determined eyes onto her fighting friends.

This will work.

She leapt over the fire, able to tell it wasn't strong enough to grow and ran full speed at Creed and Train. It could have just been her paranoid, fatalistic imagination blinding her vision, but she could have sworn the lovers' blood splattered across the sky like a horrific Jackson Pollock painting.

I know this will work. I have faith!

Eve used the strength of her faith, and the fortitude of her determination to continue propelling herself forward. Her eyes focused on her friends, tunnel vision taking over as she sprinted towards them. She leapt over several rocks, ignoring the pain shooting through her limbs as she twirled around a ball of ice that missed Creed.

Eve checked her hand again to make sure the box was okay, and sighed in relief when she saw it was.

Almost there!

Creed roared as he slashed his blade recklessly in front of him. Train expertly dodged every slash, then covered his hand in a thick layer of ice. The cat shoved his arm forward, using it to block the sword from slicing him in half.

The silver man gritted his teeth and pulled his blade back, hacking it down on Train like a hammer in an attempt to break his ice shield. With each slash Creed made, Train reshaped the ice on his arm to reform the shield his enemy was making.

The Black Cat growled and shoved his arm forward, pushing Creed onto the ground. He leapt into the air with his arms raised high, his fingers electrifying as he fell down on the man.

Creed's Imagine Blade curved its body around and absorbed the electric shocks. However, the heat of the attack burnt his filthy, bruised face. Despite that, Creed pushed himself off the ground and threw his blade forward, aiming at the gunman's face.

Train roared and threw himself forward as well, shoving Hades in his face to stop Creed's blade. Again, their weapons clashed and sparks filled the sky as the men stared directly into each other's eyes. Still, recognition did not overtook either of their visions.

After a few seconds, Creed released a terrifying shriek as reared his sword back. His Imagine Blade's tongue lolled disgustingly in its mouth as its eyes stared heinously down on the Black Cat. The sword smirked, then opened its mouth wide as Creed lowered it down onto the gunman.

Train returned Creed's shriek as he sparked one of his hands with electricity and gripped Hades tightly in his other. He shoved his gun forward, aiming the barrel at his target's face as his finger rested lightly on the trigger.

The anonymous, black object standing above him had left himself completely open and even if it was just for a split second, Train's instincts weren't going to ignore it.

Kill… Kill… Kill…

Just as he was about to pull the trigger, Train's ears perked as a reticent, almost hesitant melody entered his ear. It was a peaceful tune that wafted into his mind and filled his body with a serene warmth. There was something about the euphony that made his body freeze and his heart beat slow.

"S…" Train whispered as the hand holding Hades shook. "S… Sa… Saya…?"

Train blinked and suddenly his ears were filled with an animalistic screech. Before he had a chance to gather his bearings, the cat rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding Creed's blade that embedded itself in the ground.

Train rolled a few more times before he skidded to a halt, shaking his head and rubbing his eyes. "What… What the hell…?"

His mind felt like it was coming out of a coma, but his body felt like he had been put through a meat grinder.

His ears perked again when Creed's barbaric roar entered his ears, and he stared up at the man in shock. He ducked to avoid the attack, then ran ahead a few feet. Hearing his lover screaming wildly behind him, Train glanced over his shoulder, but did not stop running.

"CREED?! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!"

"TRAIN!"

The Black Cat turned his head at the familiar voice and saw Eve waving him over to her. Not understanding what was going on, but able to quickly piece together it wasn't good, Train sprung wings from his back and flew at the girl.

He had questions, and he had a feeling Eve had answers.

His departure from the ground prevented him from getting hit by Creed's next attack, and he flung himself in the direction of Eve.

My entire body feels like it's on fire, but my brain feels like it's filled with rocks!

The cat wrapped his arms around the girl and scooped her up into the air, confused why she wasn't using her Nanomachines as well, then flew them both into a nearby tree.

When he felt like they were high enough, Train set Eve down on a thick branch and sat next to her. "What the hell is going on?! Why is Creed acting like a maniac?! Why does my body feel like it's been thrown off a waterfall?! Why weren't you using your Nanomachines now?!"

Eve panted, staring at the cat for a few seconds before she shook her head and tried to answer. "You and Creed… Were bitten by one of Shiki's bugs that held a new version of Chronos' drug. It's fast acting and extremely potent. You and Creed have been fighting to the death for the last several hours. As for why I didn't use my Nanomachines…"

Eve looked down at her arm and flexed her muscles. "...I'm on the brink of collapse. I don't know how much longer I can last."

Train blinked, noticing the music box in her hand as her words sunk in. "...New drug? Wait…"

He suddenly remembered what happened before he blacked out and began scanning the ground. "Where's Lin?! Is he okay?!"

Eve sighed, relieved to see the man had returned enough to his former self to show concern for someone else.

Last time it took him forever to even remember who he was let alone who everyone else was. Maybe the potency of this new drug makes the after effects less powerful.

She didn't know how the new drug worked, but it made sense that once the users were set free from its influence, it left their system quickly. Something that powerful may not have had the force to keep fighting once the user came to. It looked like it was meant for a sprint, not a marathon.

Knowing she didn't have time to analyze the new drug, she answered Train's question. "He's fine. I healed him."

I guess 'fine' is a relative word in that sentence, but he is alive.

Train shook his head again, then brought his hands to it. "Wait… So, wait, Creed is still-"

"-Still under the influence, yes! You need to fix him! Now!"

Train blinked at the girl, finally absorbing the shape she was in and feeling his heart shatter.

If that's how bad she looks, I can't imagine what shape everyone else is in.

Train looked down at the ground, noticing Creed was pacing the area like a hungry lion. Something about the way his partner dragged his feet and blade along the ground sent a chill down his spine and made his blood cold.

Creed…

He stood on the branch. "Don't worry, Eve, I'll wake the sleeping beauty with True Love's kiss!"

Eve rolled her eyes, but couldn't help the hopeful smile that crept across her lips.

He's back… He's definitely back.

Deciding not to look a gift horse in the mouth and continue to question how the new drug worked, Eve nodded. "You would make a joke like that at a time like this."

Train frowned. "Who says I'm joking? I'm absolutely going to kiss him. That's what brought him back last time."

And if Saya's song still worked on me, a kiss should still work on him.

Train didn't understand why he was able to shake off the drug so easily, but he assumed it must have had something to do with it being different. However, he knew that didn't matter at the moment and he pushed himself away from the tree.

Let's hope it leaves Creed just as quickly.

As the cat fell, he kept his eyes locked onto his murderous fiancé. As soon as he landed, Creed turned around and fumed at him, saliva dripping down the corners of his mouth as he approached the cat.

This is the worst I've ever seen him look. He doesn't even look human!

Train rolled to the side to avoid a slash from his blade, then leapt in the air to dodge the next one. He shrouded both of his hands with ice and shot two sheets forward, aiming them at Creed's feet.

The silver man whipped his blade around and shattered the ice, but Train did not let that stop him. He knew pinning the man down with an ice attack was the best way to humanely restrain him, which would make it all the more easier to kiss him.

And I don't want to hurt him. Based on the way he looks, I've already done quite the number on him.

Train grimaced as he watched his lover's blood covered face scowl and destroy the next two sheets of ice. From what he remembered before he blacked out, neither he nor Creed were too badly injured, but now he could tell his partner was suffering.

Train somersaulted to the side, then sprung up on his feet and flipped himself backwards, dodging three more attacks. He put up a sheet of ice between him and his Stallion, knowing it wasn't going to survive the man's next attack, but needing something to slow him down.

"CREED!" Train shouted as he created shield after shield to block his lover's blade. "CREED! SNAP OUT OF IT!"

The cat knew screaming at the man wasn't going to work, but it was an instinctive reaction.

As Train threw another sheet of ice forward, he aimed it at Creed's feet and smiled when he made contact. He watched the silver man fall backwards and onto the ground, then shot another sheet of ice forward and around his arms.

Creed released a boisterous scream and struggled against the ice that Train veiled his body with, flicking his wrist frantically in an attempt to use his blade. Train thickened the ice, then slashed his arms down to break his connection with it.

"Creed!" Train said as he ran over to the man. "Creed… Creed, can you hear my voice?!"

Seeing man spit and sputter boorish nonsense at him, Train frowned.

Creed… You must be in Hell right now…

Train took a few steps forward, fighting a tear from falling down his cheek.

"Don't worry… I'll bring you back…"

When he was standing in front of Creed, Train stared at the man's savage face. "It's okay, my Rose… I'm here for you…"

When Train leaned down to plant a gentle kiss on his lover's lips, he felt Creed's hand shoot forward and wrap around his throat. Apparently while he was fixated on the silver man's primitive figure, Creed's Imagine Blade sliced open his ice prison and released its master.

Train let out a strangled cry as Creed's fingers closed around his throat, cutting off his air as he pinned the cat to the ground. With his other arm, Creed threw his sword high in the air and let out another brutal scream.

The silverette yanked his hand away from Train's neck and wrapped it around his blade's hilt, then threw both his arms down. The tip of his blade was aimed at the cat's chest, falling quickly towards the area that hid his heart.

Despite the burning sensation in his throat and the violent gasps of air he was taking, Train managed to reach out and grab Creed by the collar of his shirt. Using the sturdiness of his lover's still body, Train pulled himself up until he was face to face with the silverette.

The moment Train's lips pressed against Creed's, he felt the tip of his lover's blade pierce his chest. Instead of pulling away and yanking the blade out, Train pulled himself closer, embedding the sword deeper into his chest and deepening the kiss.

Creed froze when he felt a sultry pressure against his lips, his arms shaking as his Imagine Blade dug deeper into whatever it was penetrating. He blinked his eyes a few times as the fogginess left and the black blur in front of him became clear.

Creed widened his eyes and released his blade when he realized what was happening. He placed his hands eagerly on either side of his beloved's face, cupping his cheeks as he hungrily kissed his lover.

"Train…" Creed whispered between his pecks, slipping his tongue into Train's mouth to taste his beloved. "Train… Oh my precious, beautiful, Train… Are you okay?"

Train smiled as he fell onto the ground, Creed's blade still in his chest as he allowed his body to relax. He wrapped his arms around the back of his fiancé's head, weakly tangling his trembling fingers into the man's silver locks.

He's back…

Train smiled as his lips met Creed's over and over again, relief flooding through him as a chilly tingle blanketed his body.

Creed's back… He's okay…

Train's fingers began to slacken and his body quivered as his vision weakened. A loud, deafening ringing entered his ears, blocking out Creed's beautiful words of revere. He shivered and fought to open his eyes, aware the power behind his lips was lessening as blood drained from his body.

"I'm… I'm so glad… you're okay…"

Train's words were quiet, but Creed's ears were able to pick them up. The weakness behind his beloved's sentence frightened him, and Creed pulled away from the cat. That was when he realized how pale and lifeless the man's face was getting, his brilliant, golden eyes growing duller and duller by the minute.

"Train…?" Creed asked as he felt Train's body relax beneath him. "Train… Train, what's wrong?!"

That was when his eyes finally took in the rest of the scene, and his heart stopped at what he saw.

"No…" Creed muttered as he leaned back, his hands shaking as he stared at his blade that resided in his love's heart. "No… No… Train… No…"

Train smiled at his partner, then reached out and cupped Creed's cheek. "I'm… I'm so glad you're okay… Creed…"

Creed shook his head and wrapped his arms around Train's lithe frame. "No… Train, no… No, don't do this…"

Train continued smiling at his lover, his eyes shutting as numbness and oblivion took over. The ringing in his ears was too loud for him to hear what Creed was saying, nor did he understand why the beautiful man looked so distraught.

"Creed… It's okay, Creed… We can… We can start planning the wedding now…"

Train's fingers trailed down Creed's cheek, his arm becoming too heavy for him to support.

"We can… We can start living our happily ever after… We can… We can…"

Train smiled as his arm fell to his side, his head rolling over as his eyes slowly shut. The last thing he saw before his lids met was a familiar young woman dressed in a white Kimono. She was smiling painfully at Train, a tear falling down her cheek as he clutched her chest.

"I… Love you… Creed…"

Creed's heart stopped, time freezing around him as the world dissolved into nothingness.

"No…"

Paralysis engulfed his body, no sound entering his ears, the only sight his eyes absorbing being the lifeless body of his beloved.

"No… Train…"

Just as quickly as his heart had stopped beating, it began beating again, but now it was going too fast it nearly exploded out of his chest. He pulled Train's body close, resting his forehead against his Kitten's as a flood of tears began falling down his pale cheeks.

"Train… Train…"

Creed did not feel the tears that stained his cheeks. All he could feel was the cold body of his lover, all he could see was the lifeless face of his fiancé, and all he could hear was the silence that left his stiff lips.

"Train…"

Nothing matters… Nothing matters anymore…

Creed squeezed the man to his chest, too numb to feel the man in his arms.

"Train…"

It was all for naught… Everything is pointless…

"I love you…"

Life… is meaningless…

"Well… Looks as though Hue's drug worked exactly as planned."

Creed did not recognize the voice, but he was aware there was someone standing behind him.

"What are you going to do now, Creed Diskenth? Are you going to avenge your precious Black Cat?"

Creed felt a fiery ball build in the pit on his stomach. It grew rapidly, gaining speed and power at an alarming rate as a fiery best began swelling deep inside him.

Creed's body began shaking, his arm still holding tightly to Train as he slowly released a vociferous, ear-splitting scream. An opaque white aura surrounded the duo that exploded upward and outward, splintering any trees that were within a thirty foot radius.

After several minutes, the aura disappeared and Creed stood in a large, barren circle. The grass had been torn up around him and Train, leaving dirt and mud in its place. In one hand, Creed held his Imagine Blade, whose eyes were shedding uncontrollable tears.

In the tormented man's other hand was what looked to be an orange shield that wrapped around his arm. Its eyes burned brightly with a profound, yet restrained rage, as if it was using all the hurt and anger Creed was feeling to bring itself into existence.

The orange color dripped down Creed's body and trailed behind him like the train of a dress, wrapping protectively around the Black Cat's inert figure.

Creed stared vehemently at Shiki, who had been flung several feet away from the scene by the violent burst. The swordsman was surrounded by his friends as well as Maro, but he did not pay them any mind. All he saw was the Bug Taoist, visions flooding through him as he finally remembered what Shiki had done to him.

"You…"

Creed's voice came out as a hysterical whisper, his throat hoarse and fragile, but at the same time potent and smooth.

"...Will pay for taking Train from me."