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

75. Denouement

Belze stood over the body of Durham, Aja by his side as Aztec wreaked havoc on the remaining Shooting Stars. Number II had given the canine specific orders to leave the children alone, so he glanced at the wolf to make sure he was obeying. Seeing that he was, Belze turned back to the dead gunman.

Number II frowned in disappointment.

Greatest gunman in the world… What a ridiculous statement for such a weak man to make.

From the moment he stepped out of that portal, the gunman had not been able to get a leg up on anyone. It didn't help that he entered the fight still injured from his previous encounter with Number X, but it was obvious he wouldn't have stood a chance even if he was at his best.

And with the help of Doctor's beasts, he may as well have thrown in the towel the moment he entered the fray.

Belze felt Aja rub her head against his injured arm, purring loudly as she nuzzled into him. Number II winced slightly as the panther's snout brushed against his wounded shoulder, causing Aja to lick his wound.

Belze sighed and rolled his eyes.

If this is how affectionate she is in the heat of battle, how will she be on a quiet day at Chronos?

He smiled as he thought of Aja and Aztec roaming the halls of Chronos Headquarters, allowing himself a moment of entertainment at the image of the creatures lurking in the halls of his command center.

The fact that they can change size would make it even more entertaining. I'd love to see them sneak up on the Elders during a meeting.

Belze chuckled quietly and pet Aja's head. "Gutes Mädchen." (1)

Aja purred a little louder and pressed harder into him, but made sure to avoid his injuries. Which was rather impressive considering how many he was plagued with.

Yet not a single one of them came from this man lying before me.

Despite how pathetic the gunman was, Belze was surprised at how easy it was to dispose of him. He was so surprised, he decided to kick the man just to make sure he was in fact dead.

Seeing no reaction, Belze sighed.

How did this man find the gall to claim to be the greatest gunman of all time when he worked in the same organization as the Black Cat?

Belze had never personally battled with Train, but he had seen him in action. Even if he hadn't, the legend that followed him was enough to convince any man of his strength.

Number II scanned the area to check on how the war was going. Most of the Shooting Stars were dead and the majority of the children were knocked out and tied up. David and Emilio had been keeping an eye on them, making sure they remained alive.

I understand why Sephiria ordered us to not kill the children and in all honesty, it wouldn't feel right killing a child even if they've been poisoned with the Tao or Nanomachines. However, I can't help but wonder what the Elders will do with them.

Belze had been meaning to ask Sephiria the long term plan for the Children of the Apostles, but he hadn't gotten the chance before she left.

Sephiria… I wonder how she's doing?

Number II turned his gaze in a random direction, squinting his eyes as if that would help him see the woman.

Train and Creed must have joined her by now. I'm sure she's okay.

Still, he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. His leader wasn't in the best shape when she left, and with how late Train and Creed joined her, she must have battled with Charden alone for far longer than she should have.

Sephiria… Please be okay…

"Number II? Is something wrong?"

Belze glanced over his shoulder at Beluga, who was standing a few feet behind him. Number XI was covered with bruises and drenched in blood, but Belze could tell most of it wasn't his.

Do I really look that worried that he'd come over here to check in on me?

Belze turned around, scratching behind Aja's ear as he spoke. "What is our current status?"

Beluga stood tall. "Most of the Shooting Stars are dead and the Children's numbers are diminishing. We've made sure to tie each one of them up and set them aside as ordered."

Belze nodded. "And what of the Taoists?"

Beluga knew what the man was asking and did not hesitate in his answer. "Seeing as you just erased the gunman, all that's left are the Bug Taoist and the one that controls gravity."

Belze frowned and scanned the area. "And how are they doing?"

Beluga spoke in an assured tone. "On their last legs. I know it may be too early to speak so confidently considering we're still in the middle of battle, but we may as well call the kettle black."

Belze looked over his shoulder again at Number XI with an eyebrow cocked.

Beluga allowed himself a rare smirk. "Our victory is guaranteed at this point."

Belze nodded. "What of the sweepers? I have not seen them in quite some time."

Beluga frowned. "The thief and the older man have not been seen, neither has Number VII which leads me to believe they are together somewhere. You know how attached Jenos is to that woman. There's no way he'd leave her alone."

Belze nodded in agreement. "And considering how everyone seems to be here, that must mean they aren't battling. Could they be…?"

Beluga shrugged. "I am unsure. But, considering how the Bio-girl and that teenager are able to fight with such strength, I don't think their friends are dead."

Belze felt a bit of relief wash over him at that thought.

They are innocent. They shouldn't have been involved in this war in first place, and they don't deserve to die here.

"Where is the Bio-girl and that teen? I haven't seen her."

Beluga raised his arm and gestured to the left. "They have been battling a small group of The Children for quite some time now."

Belze followed the man's arm and frowned. "Why have they not finished them yet?"

Beluga shrugged. "If you would like to check on them, we have everything handled here."

Belze turned around. "What about Shiki and Maro?"

Beluga gave his leader a resolute look. "They are weak and out numbered. Even without the aid of you and those beasts, we can take them down."

Belze scanned the area to see how many Shooting Stars remained and noticed there were only a handful left, each one of them barely able to stand.

Last I saw those Taoists, they were barely hanging on as well. And if something happens to the Black Cat's friends…

He didn't want to think of what would happen if any of Train's friends were killed. Not only would he not be able to forgive himself for allowing innocent civilians to die, but it would ruin their alliance with the Black Cat.

Even if they swore to never kill again, having Train and Creed on our side is a huge asset to Chronos. We can't afford to lose them because we allowed their friends to die.

Belze clenched his fists.

I can't let them die. Especially not when I can help them.

The sweepers were not in the best shape the last he saw them. Even with how strong Eve was, it was clear exhaustion was taking her.

And without her, the teen will surely fall.

As he thought of the people the Black Cat cared about, Belze was reminded of a member of their own organization.

Train cares about Lin a lot as well. Just as much as the rest of the sweepers, if not more, and Number X is injured as well. Heartnet was able to heal him, but it wasn't enough.

"Where is Number X?"

Beluga frowned, confused by his leader's sudden concern about Lin's whereabouts. "Helping the other numbers take down the remaining Taoists."

Belze visibly relaxed. "Keep an eye on him. Not only was he injured, but the Black Cat cares about him. And we need him. Don't let him get distracted by Heartnet's absence and put himself in danger."

If something were to happen to the sweepers and Lin under my watch… Train would never forgive Chronos.

Beluga nodded. "Understood. I will personally keep an eye on him."

Belze turned to Beluga, rigid valor shining brazenly in his eyes. "Erase the remaining Taoists and Shoot Stars, but do not kill the children."

Beluga bowed his head. "Understood."

Belze glanced at Aztec from the corner of his eye. "I'll leave Aztec with you. Not that I don't trust you to take care of the rest on your own, but he will be invaluable in helping wrap up."

The sooner we wrap it up, the sooner I can go after Sephiria.

Beluga nodded. "We'll make sure everything is wrapped up quickly and smoothly here."

Belze nodded, then turned to Aja. With his hand still resting on her snout, Number II spoke a German command to her.

"Knien." (2)

Aja lowered her body until she was laying on the ground, giving Belze room to climb on top of her. Once he was settled, the beast stood up and enlarged her body.

Belze gripped her fur and gave another command. "Fliege." (3)

Aja threw her body in the air and flew it in the direction Belze was leading her in. They glided across the trees, the panther's tail brushing against the leaves as Number II scanned the area for the sweepers.

Fire. I should look for fire.

The last time he was looking for the sweepers, he was able to find them due to the teen's destructive Tao. He was actually impressed with how well the girl was able to control her powers. Considering how cataclysmic her Tao was, especially with the setting they were in, it was perplexing how she hadn't burnt the entire forest down.

As he scanned the forest, a burst of red caught his attention. Belze turned his head in the direction of the explosion and gave Aja two more commands.

"Richtig. Niedriger." (4)

Aja turned to the right and lowered them until her paws fell flat against the Earth. The second the panther was on the ground, Belze leapt off her back and ran towards the battle raging in front of him.

With his weapon at his side, Belze charged at the girl standing behind Eve. She looked to be about Eve's age and size, and her body was glowing an eerie orange. It was obvious she was a member of the Apostles' and was about to attack, which Number II was determined to stop.

Belze reared his weapon back and threw it forward and down at the girl.

Just as he was about to make contact, Eve turned around and thrust her Nano-created shield between Belze and the Taoist.

Number II blinked in confusion at the girl. "Why are you stopping me?"

Eve glared at the large man and gestured towards the other girl. "She's on our side."

Belze's look of confusion did not lessen. "What?"

Eve rolled her eyes and pointed to another girl who looked to be in her late teens. Her hair was made of snakes and her eyes burned with a vengeful fury.

Eve hardened her glare. "Attack her! I convinced the younger one to join our side."

Belze repeated himself. "What?"

How do these people convince so many of the Apostles to turn?

Before Belze could voice his impressed confusion out loud, he leapt forward and cut a lock of the girl's snake hair away moments before it bit into the back of Eve's neck.

He watched as the head half of the snake slithered and hissed on the ground for a moment, then spoke again. "Is there anyone else you've recruited that I should leave alone?"

Eve shook her head. "No. That's it. But we can handle it! We don't need your help!"

Belze sliced his weapon all around to cut the wave of snake hair that lunged at him. "Well, neither do my numbers. This war is almost over and I'm just here to help speed it up."

Eve let out an indigent growl as she ran forward and cut away another snake before Belze could. "I said we don't need help! At least we don't need your kind of help…"

Belze cut away another one of the seemingly limitless snakes. "My kind of help?"

She thinks I'm going to kill them.

Belze gave the girl a sincere look. "I am under strict orders not to kill any of the children, and I do not intend to break my orders."

Eve glared at the man. "Not intending does not equal refusal."

Belze frowned. "I do not want to kill any of them. It has never been, nor will it ever be, my goal, purpose, nor my motive to kill a child. No matter who they are, or what they've done."

Eve stared at the man for a few seconds, then froze when she saw something out of the corner of her eye. A layer of purple fog was slowly surrounding their feet, and something was running full speed towards them. She could tell by the way it was moving what, or rather, who it was.

Eve grabbed the large man's arm and flew them in the air, just enough to avoid the purple fog and dodge the ape boy running at them. She grunted as she struggled to hold the man, but did not let go. She knew she couldn't let him fall into the fog.

Kyoko's fire entered the fray soon after their departure from the ground, which was now covered in an inferno.

"Damnit…" Eve muttered as she attempted to fly them higher.

Belze looked up at the girl and frowned, then raised one of his hands to his lips. He stuck his fingers in his mouth and whistled. Within seconds, Aja was floating underneath them, scooping both Belze and Eve onto her back.

Belze gripped the cat's fur and spoke another command. "Hoch!" (5)

Aja flew higher and Belze turned to Eve. "Eve… I'm not going to kill any of the children. Not only would it break our alliance with the Black Cat, but it would break my promise to Sephiria, and taint my soul."

Eve continued staring at Belze, then sighed. "Fine. I can't say with conviction that we couldn't use your help. Or that I want this war to continue…"

Seeing Belze was about to leap into action, Eve grabbed his arm and said one last thing. "Just so you know, each of their Tao are powerful, but the only Nanomachines they have are healing ones. They cannot attack with them."

Belze nodded. "Understood. Now, let's end this. NIEDER!" (6)

Aja reacted quickly to the man's powerful command and lowered them back to the ground.

Belze leapt off the cat with Eve following close behind. Kyoko's fire had dissipated as had the purple fog that once covered the ground, leaving Belze to wonder if the fire had burnt it away.

He didn't know what that fog did, but he didn't want to find out and if Kyoko's fire had been the reason it was gone, he was happy about it.

As soon as Belze was on the ground, he ran at the boy who looked very much like an ape. He had no idea what any of their powers did, but since the boy's was visible, Belze was able to work out approximately what his powers were.

And I can definitely take him.

Number II ran at the boy, weapon aimed out in front of him as his feet kicked up dirt. The ape boy smirked and sprinted towards Belze, using his arms to propel his body forward.

Belze glared at the boy as his spear glinted against the sun, ready to pierce the young Taoist's flesh. Just as it was about to enter his shoulder, the boy's hands stretched out and wrapped around the tip of it, holding it inches away from his body.

The boy smirked at Belze, his ape-like arms stiff and tense. "You must be Number II. It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm Noah."

Belze narrowed his eyes, using whatever strength he had left to shove his blade forward. However, no matter how hard he tried, all it did was push the boy back.

He hardened his glare and gritted his teeth. "No need for the pleasantries. This war has gone on long enough."

"You can say that again!"

Belze felt a light pressure wrap around his shoulders, causing his gaze to move down. Seeing a purple fog coil around his torso, Belze looked in the direction the new voice had come from, and saw a teen boy standing on the thick branch of a tree a few feet away.

The teen smirked at him, both of his arms extended as a purple cloud encased his hands.

"That's Luke. He's sort of our leader."

Belze growled as the fog around him became colder, numbing his arms and torso. That was when Number II realized what the boy's powers were.

It's some sort of numbing agent. But, there could be more to it.

Suddenly, Belze felt warm and watched as the smoke was consumed with a swirl of fire. Within seconds, the fog was gone and Number II's arms were freed.

He spun around to see Kyoko grinning at him. The girl's hair was matted in blood, her face was covered in bruises and cuts, and her clothes were caked in layers of dirt.

Despite her disheveled appearance, her annoying, chipper personality remained. "Hello Belze-san! Nice to see you've joined us. Kyoko found out the smoke can be easily destroyed with fire."

Belze couldn't help but smirk.

Guess that's why a fire hasn't taken over the forest yet. They keep cancelling each other out.

"Yes, and it's really quite impressive if I do say so myself." The teen named Luke leapt from the tree and landed between Belze and Kyoko.

He smirked at Kyoko, a demented gleam in his eyes as he spoke. "Cute and powerful. I think I'm falling in love."

Kyoko narrowed her eyes and huffed out a cloud of black smoke. "Kyoko's heart is spoken for!"

Luke rolled his eyes. "Oh, the Black Cat again? What's the the big deal. He's just a dude with a good shot."

"Train's a lot more than that." Eve's voice entered the conversation as she flapped her wings and hovered about the group. "And you'd understand that if you met him in person."

Luke sighed. "Again you're to convert me? Give it up! We're not as weak as that one!"

He gestured to Annie who was dueling with Charlotte. The girls were battling back and forth, Charlotte's snake hair swirling and twirling around Annie's rays of light.

Eve frowned down at the teen boy. "...Love isn't a weakness."

Luke rolled his eyes and created a cloud of smoke around his feet. "Enough chat. Let's fight!"

He threw both his arms forward and aimed them at Eve's flying figure. Before the girl could deflect the attack, Aja leapt into the air and electrified her body, destroying the purple smoke that shrouded the sky.

Eve blinked in confusion at the panther, then looked down at Belze who nodded. Eve returned his nod, then turned both of her arms into swords and flung herself at the ape boy that Belze had been waging war with.

Kyoko shrieked as Luke threw a cloud of fog at her, retaliating with her own fire burst. She ran backwards, her hands up in the air in a defensive position as she shot blast after blast of fire at him to counteract the fog.

As a blanket of fog surrounded the teen girl's feet, Aja leapt to Kyoko's side and sparked the ground around her. As the fog dissipated again, Kyoko turned to face the panther.

She smiled as she locked eyes with the beast, feeling a familiarity as they stared at one another.

"Kuro-sama…" She whispered as she gently pet the large cat's nose.

She pressed her forehead against Aja's, and shut her eyes. "Thank you…"

A sarcastic voice broke up her metaphorical reunion with the Black Cat. "Oh, brother! I can't even compete with a real cat?!"

Kyoko turned around and glared at the boy. "Shut up!"

The boy smirked and threw his arms forward. "Make me!"

Kyoko and Aja launched an attack on the boy at the same time, their fire and lightning mixing together to create a small explosion in front of Luke. The boy Taoist was flung several feet in the air and backwards, shoving him into a large tree that cracked upon impact.

Kyoko blinked in confusion, then turned to Aja who seemed pleased with herself. The panther's purr made Kyoko giggle and reach out to pet her again.

"You're pretty cute! Kyoko doesn't understand why you're helping us, but we appreciate it."

Luke stood up and glared at the girl, then looked to the side as Noah was shoved against the tree he had just cracked. Belze stood a few feet to the left of him, his spear pointed at the Taoist as Eve fluttered ominous next to him.

Out of the corner of his eye, Luke saw Charlotte being pushed against the tree as well as she desperately tried to catch her breath. Annie stood on the opposite side of the tree, her entire body covered in an orange hue as she glared mournfully at the trio.

Luke frowned at her. "You're really going to betray us?"

Annie returned his frown, and nodded. "I want to be with Leon."

Luke rolled his eyes. "Useless girl…"

He turned to the rest of their opponents. Belze was taking careful steps towards them, the tip of his spear glinting horrifically as his eyes bore holes into his head. Eve lowered herself to the ground, landing elegantly on her feet as she held her sword arms at the ready.

In front of them was Kyoko and Aja, the cat snarling and sparking her body as the teen girl spit out a wisp of fire. The resolved look in their eyes sent a shiver down Luke's spine, but he managed to shake it off and return their glares.

"We're outnumbered, Luke." Charlotte pointed out, her heart racing with fear. "What should we do? Should we throw in the towel?"

"As if!" Noah shrieked, tossing the girl a glare. "I'm not giving up now! They'll have to rip my arms from their sockets to make me give up!"

Charlotte frowned. "If we give up now, they might go easy on us."

Luke shook his head. "No. I overheard Number II talking to Eve. They're not going to kill us. So even if we're outnumbered, we're still even since they're going to go easy on us."

"You may be right, but you should listen to Charlotte." Eve took a careful step forward, lowering her arms. "There's been enough bloodshed. Let's end this before more people are hurt."

"The Apostles are done. Durham is dead, as is Doctor and most of the Shooting Stars. I am certain the three traitors are dead as well." Belze took a step forward, but did not lower his weapon.

"And most of your fellow Children of the Stars have been incapacitated. Giving up would be the wiser decision here."

Luke growled at the man. "Shut up! We're not giving up!"

With that last obstinate sentence, Luke slammed his hands to the ground and covered the Earth with his purple fog. He glared at his opponents, aware they were outmatched, but his pride would not let him admit it.

"We are the Children of Charden. The Children of the Apostles! And we will not retreat! WE WILL NOT TURN TAIL AND RUN!"

Belze watched as the smoke surrounded his feet and spun his weapon on the ground, removing the fog that settled around him. Eve flew herself in the air again and flapped her wings to remove even more of the smoke.

However, it was all moot as Kyoko and Aja launched another attack and destroyed the fog.

Belze saw the angry, panicked look on the boy's face and frowned. "You had your chance to retreat… Now we have no choice…"

He raised his weapon, speaking another German command to his new pet. "Attacke!"

---

Train's gun was aimed out in front of him, panting for breath as he glared at Charden. The Blood Taoist smirked at the Black Cat, a spiral of blood coiling around his filthy body.

Next to the gunman was Creed, kneeling on all fours with his head lowered. A few feet to the left of Charden was Jax, who was hovering about six feet in the air, half of his body glowing a bright orange and the other half shining an electric blue.

The building shook again, but Train did not waver. In fact, he took a step closer to Charden, positioning his body between his lover's and the Apostles' leader. Creed was in horrific shape, and Train was going to do whatever it took to keep the man he loved safe.

He's doing worse than anyone else here, and I know it's because he doesn't have the Nanomachines.

Charden and Jax did not use their attack Nanomachines much, and Train was certain it was because they didn't have time to hone their skills.

It doesn't matter much, though. They heal so fast, it's hard to cause any serious harm.

The building shook again, and Train took a step closer to Creed. If the building fell apart, he wanted to make sure he was as close to his partner as possible. Just in case he needed to fly them both away.

"Charden… Do you not see how precarious this building is? We can't stay here."

Jax scoffed and rolled his eyes as Charden widened his smirk. The Blood Taoist shrugged, raising his arms slightly to show off more of the blood surrounding him.

"Is the infamous Black Cat scared? Can't you fly?"

Train clenched his fist and narrowed his eyes, deciding a witty retort wasn't worth the effort.

I must be getting weak if I'm too tired to banter with him.

"...This has gone on long enough. We can't keep going at it like this. None of us can." He took another step closer to Creed, standing directly in front of him.

Charden chuckled and swirled the blood circling his body a little faster. "None of us can? I don't know about you, but Jax and I are doing quite well, wouldn't you agree, my boy?"

Jax smirked and brightened the dual colors of his body. "Feeling great. I could go all night."

Train's lips slowly curled into a smile and a chuckle escaped his control. "That's what she said."

Behind him, he could hear Creed chuckle as well, which alleviated the worry in his heart a bit.

I'm happy to hear he's still able to laugh. I guess I've got enough strength to crack wise a little.

With the strength of Creed's laughter to motivate him, Train stood taller and gripped Hades tighter. "Doesn't matter what your stamina is, you know this war has to end."

Charden chuckled again, speeding up the blood around his body even more. "You're right about that, Black Cat. If we want peace to finally reign upon this planet… we need to set the two of you, and Chronos, to rest."

The moment his sentence ended, Charden threw both his hands forward and launched the blood that circled his body at the cat and Creed. Train reacted quickly and shoved his shield arm in front of himself and his lover, pressing his body forward as he endured the crest of blood.

My arms are getting weaker… I don't know how long I can hold this shield for!

He turned around and looked at Creed, frowning as he watched his Stallion try to stand. As exhausted as he was, he knew his fiancé was in worse shape.

I have to protect him! I won't let anyone hurt him!

Train turned back to Charden and saw movements coming from Jax. The boy clapped his hands together, rubbed them against one another, and created a small, orange-blue ball. Train had seen the young Taoist do that before and knew how it was going to end.

Is his goal to destroy this building?!

The cat cursed and concentrated on his Nano-created shield, expanding it as wide and tall as he could. The last time that the boy's electrified grenade came at them, Train's shield was barely enough to protect them.

And I don't know if Creed is able to protect us with his shield.

Train gritted his teeth and grounded his feet, using whatever strength he had left in his legs to prevent the blood from pushing him back. The roof was tilted and he and Creed were very close to the edge. The more blood Charden sent at him, the closer they were pushed to the threshold.

They're not trying to destroy the building. They're trying to push us off the edge!

Train stared at Jax, watching as the boy added more and more mass to it.

What an anti-climatic way to try and kill us. Like he said, I'll just fly Creed and I to safety.

However, Train knew that wasn't the case. Chances were it was another way to mess with the cat. He had been playing defense to Creed for the last several minutes and Charden was doing whatever he could to hone in on that weakness.

Creed is not a weakness, he's a strength.

Seeing the grenade had grown quite a bit and feeling his body still being pushed back, Train growled and aimed his gun at the boy's hand.

Wonder what'll happen if I do this…?

With his virtuoso gunman skills, Train aimed Hades at the Tao created grenade and waited for Jax to release it. The cat watched as the boy threw his arms forward, then backwards, then released the bomb.

Train didn't want his bullet's collision to kill the boy, so he waited until the grenade was a few inches away from Jax. As soon as it was, he fired a shot and watched as his bullet crashed into the Tao-created bomb.

The moment the bullet hit the grenade, Train spun around and threw himself at Creed. He wrapped his arms around his lover, pressing the man tight against his chest and ran across the roof with him.

Train made sure to move them towards the center of the roof instead of the edge. Even though he could fly, he didn't want to have an airborne flight. Especially when he'd have to float both him and his fiancé while battling what had to be the two most powerful Taoists in the world.

And as much as I want to get this fight away from this building, the air is not an option.

The ground wasn't much better either. He didn't want to fight such dangerous men with so many obstacles around.

We really just need this fight to end!

As he ran away with Creed, he felt and heard a massive explosion erupted between the four of them. He didn't need to look back to know it was caused by his bullet hitting Jax's grenade, so he continued running both he and Creed to the center of the roof.

The force of the explosion caused Train to lose his footing, which was shocking considering how nimble he normally was on his feet.

The cat tightened his hold on his lover, pressing Creed's bloody head against his shoulder as they flew backwards, then rolled their bodies around so he was the one to land on the roof instead of Creed.

When they landed, Train let out a grunt and waited for their bodies to stop sliding. As soon as they did, he lessened his hold on Creed, pushing the man away from him so he could see his partner's face.

With a worried expression, Train cupped his lover's cheeks. "Are you okay?"

Creed coughed as smoke entered his lungs, nodding as he rested his head into Train's hands. "Yes… Yes, I'm okay… I'm okay…"

Train frowned as he watched his Stallion cough, his heart breaking as he ran his fingers through Creed's grimy hair. It was matted and stained with so much blood and dirt, the normal silvery locks Train adored had turned into a gruesome crimson.

Train massaged his lover's cheek with his thumb and kissed his forehead. "We need to end this."

Creed nodded again, but continued coughing. As soothing as it was to have his Kitten shower him in love, his body was too weak and achy to appreciate it. "Yes… We do."

The silverette clenched his fingers to make sure his Imagine Blade was still there, and tried to relax into his beloved's gentle caresses. "Was that explosion from you?"

Train smiled proudly at his partner. "It was! How'd you know?"

Creed smiled as he rested his head into his love's chest, ignoring the mud and blood that stained the fabric. "Lucky guess… Did you look back?"

Train snickered. "Of course not."

Creed sighed, breathing in his Kitten, relieved he was still able to smell Train's sweet scent despite his deplorable state. "Good… Cool guys don't look at explosions."

Train laughed and squeezed Creed a little tighter to his chest, activating his healing bots to fix some of his lover's wounds. "Well, I am the coolest guy there is."

Creed giggled, smiling peacefully as a refreshing warmth encased his body. "That's true…"

Realizing what his beloved was doing, Creed opened his eyes and pushed Train away. "Don't! You need to save your strength!"

Train returned his partner's glare. "Let me heal you!"

Creed gave his lover a stubborn look, barely able to see him behind the blood dripping down his face. "No."

Train growled at his partner. He had been trying to heal Creed throughout the fight and the swordsman had been refusing his help. He knew Train was at his limits for his Nano use, and he wanted his love to use whatever he had left on himself.

The Black Cat opened his mouth to scold his partner, then widened his eyes and gasped for breath. He removed his hands from Creed's cheeks and clawed at his throat.

Creed blinked down at his beloved, his heart stopping as he watched Train struggle to breathe. "Train? What's—"

"—You're right, Black Cat. It's been fun, but we need to end this. It's gone on long enough."

Creed turned around to look at Charden, who had one hand stretched out towards Train.

The Taoist smirked as he watched the life leave the gunman's face. "...It's time for you to die."

The moment Creed saw Charden's face, he realized what was happening and visions of his near death experience returned. He had been wondering why Charden hadn't tried to strangle the life out of them yet, but the man's words answered his unspoken question.

He's been toying with us. He knew he could end our lives at any moment, but he didn't want to.

Creed gave his beloved a panicked look.

He wanted to play with us as much as possible first…

The silver man clenched his fists and ground his teeth as he watched Train struggle to breathe. A savage rage boiled deep inside him, the sight of his lover knocking at death's door being exactly what he needed to awaken the strength he needed to fight back.

Creed pushed himself off his love, rapidly attached his blade to his hip, and quickly spun around to face his opponents. He shoved both his arms out in front of him, and concentrated on activating his shield on both of his arms.

He didn't know if it was going to work, but he needed to try. For Train's shake.

The silverette glared at Charden's proud face, and watched as it turned into confusion as both his arms transformed into two separate Imagine Shields. Once he created the shields, Creed shoved his arms together and leaned forward.

As soon as he did that, a coral ray of light shot from his arms and towards Charden, knocking the Taoist flat on his back. Jax was by his side in the blink of an eye, checking to make sure his very intact hero was okay.

Creed heard his beloved coughing behind him, signaling that he was able to breathe again. While it was relieving to hear his cat was okay, it wasn't enough to make him feel safe.

Creed ignored the fact that his legs felt like jello and encased them in his apricot globe. He kept his arms stretched out, his eyes remaining locked on Charden's enraged face, watching as the man shot waves of poison at him. If looks could kill, Creed would have been dead.

I haven't seen him look that furious yet. It's probably because he meant for that to kill Train.

That confirmed that the Blood Taoist had been playing with them up until that point.

And now that he's decided it's time for the war to end, he's furious we're defending ourselves.

He watched as Charden stood up and pushed Jax away, shooting his arm out again, copying the previous gesture he made when he tried to kill Train.

Creed growled and tightened his muscles, digging deep within himself to find the strength he needed to thicken his shield.

For Train… I have to do it for Train…

Creed shut his eyes and thought of his Kitten, his heart lifting as an image of the gunman's cheeky smile entered his mind's eye. Hearing his beloved coughing behind him and taking a few deep breaths, Creed opened his eyes again.

With a look of determination on his face, Creed poured everything he had left into his shield, and watched as it shimmered beautifully against the setting sun. He watched as Charden and Jax's figures blurred slightly, letting Creed know it was working.

It's getting stronger. I can do this. I can protect Train!

Creed smirked when he saw Charden's expression harden, his face contorting in aberrant malice as he jerked his arms back to his side and turned to Jax. He began reaming into the young Taoist, who seemed to be confused why he was the one getting screamed at.

He can't control our blood through the shield! Which means he can't strangle us.

Creed felt sweat pouring down his forehead, his heart going a mile a minute as it tried to pump oxygen into his lungs.

Too bad I don't think I can keep it up… Train's right. This needs to end. Now.

Without looking back, Creed spoke to his beloved. "Train! Are you okay?!"

Train coughed again and again and gave his lover a thumbs up even though he knew Creed couldn't see it. "Peachy! What the hell are you doing?"

Creed was relieved to hear his love's melodious voice. "What does it look like I'm doing? I'm protecting us!"

Train pushed himself off the ground and approached his fiancé. He frowned as he watched the man's legs and arms tremble, his soul shattering as he watched the man he loved struggle to hold himself up.

"Creed…" Train whispered as he placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "You can't keep this up. You need to let me heal you!"

Creed shot an angry look at his Kitten. "No! You can't waste your Nanomachines on me. We still have one last Hail Mary, remember?"

Train squeezed his partner's shoulder, then lowered his head as he spoke. "I know…"

He knew Creed was talking about his Railgun, the move that nearly took out an entire forest when he first discovered it.

Since it took so much out of him and he could only use it once a day, he and Creed agreed he was only going to use it for emergencies. He would have used it as soon as they saw Charden, but when they were inside the building, there wasn't enough space to assure no one would die.

But now, that was no longer a concern.

However… there is one more concern…

"Creed… I… I don't know if I can do it…"

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

Train glanced at Charden and Jax, who seemed to be discussing how they were going to break through the shield. "I don't know how much longer I can keep using my Nanomachines. I don't know if you've noticed, but I haven't been using them as much for a while now."

Creed frowned. "That's why I keep telling you to stop trying to heal me! We need your final move to end this battle."

Train stared at his hands, feeling the Nanomachines coursing through his digits as he spoke. "But… If I don't heal you… you could—"

"—Shut up."

The calm, determined tone Creed used caused Train to lift his head and lock eyes with his lover.

Creed smiled at his partner, hope, confidence, and fortitude shining radiantly in his eyes. The silver man's smile sparkled vibrantly and spoke volumes of ambition and love only Train would understand.

Creed made sure the expression remained on his face as he spoke in a serene, adoring tone. "Train. Shut up. I'm not going to die. I refuse to die as long as you bless the planet with your presence."

He wanted to reach out and cup his beloved's cheek, but he knew if he did that, the forcefield around them would disappear. "Charden could drain every drop of blood in my body and my heart and soul would revive me. As long as I know you are mine, as long as I know our futures are intertwined, I will not die. I will not leave you behind."

Train stared at his lover's face, and smiled as he read Creed's unspoken desires. He smiled, reached his hand out, and cupped his fiancé's cheek. The cat leaned forward and placed a tender, but earnest kiss against the man's lips, allowing them a laconic, but meaningful moment.

The cat smiled when he felt his partner return the warm affection of his kiss, then took a step closer to the man. Even if it was a fleeting moment, Train didn't want to let it slip through his fingers.

He's right. He won't die.

He placed his other hand on Creed's other cheek and pressed a little harder into the man's face.

We won't die.

Train pulled away and pressed his forehead against Creed's. "Together… right?"

Creed chuckled and smiled. "Of course. Always."

Train stepped away from his lover and aimed Hades in front of himself, mentally and physically preparing himself for what was to come.

He began concentrating his Nanomachines and Tao into the weapon, locking his gaze onto his opponents. "Alright, Stud. Let's do this!"

Creed smirked, his heart lifting at his beloved's words. "I love it when you call me Stud."

Train laughed. "More than when I call you Stallion?"

Creed shrugged. "They each have different connotations in my opinion. One is more loving, the other is more… amorous."

Train cocked an eyebrow at his partner. "Keep it in your pants, Stud. For now at least. I'll deal with your… let's say, impressive problem later."

Creed smirked and winked at his love. "Promises promises."

Train grinned, then turned back to their opponents who seemed to have devised a plan of their own. He nodded, and hardened his glare.

"I'm ready."

Creed nodded and lowered his arms, removing the shield around them. The moment he did, he leapt behind his beloved and took a deep breath, clutching his side as he gave his body a moment to recover.

The second the orange globe was gone, Train smirked as he felt electricity consume his body. He knew his eyes were glowing with a reddish, blue spark, and he felt his unruly, chocolate hair standing on end.

According to Creed, I look like a God who has descended upon Earth to wreak havoc on its ungrateful humans.

Train licked his lips as he focused all his strength into his beloved weapon.

I'll use his fanciful imagination to get me through this!

Just as Train was about to pull the trigger, he felt his body freeze and was unable to breathe again. It only lasted a few seconds as Creed leapt in front of him again and re-created his shield, granting the cat immediate relief.

Creed glanced at Train to make sure he was okay, then turned back to Charden when he realized he was.

The Blood Taoist lowered his arms, his eyes burning with the intensity of a thousand suns as he glared acidic animosity at his enemies. Jax was blinking in confusion at his hero, signaling whatever he did was not a part of the plan they discussed.

"I don't know what you were about to do, Black Cat, but judging by the look on your face, I can't allow it to happen…"

Train rubbed his throat and stood next to Creed. "He… Stopped me."

Creed growled, his arms shaking from exhaustion. "I know. We'll just have to try again."

Train panted as he looked his lover up and down, then nodded. "Yeah… Yeah we will…"

We'll keep trying until we get him.

The cat glared at Charden, who was encasing his body in blood again as Jax flared his body with a red, heated aura again.

Train glared and held Hades at his side.

We won't give up!

---

Eve glared at her opponent, flicking her arm to transform it into a spear. She set her eyes on Luke, lifted her arm, and charged at the boy who claimed to be the Children's leader.

Luke returned the girl's glare and pointed his hands at the ground. As he watched Eve approach, he circled his arms at the soil beneath him, releasing his fog and creating a purple mist that encased his feet.

The boy flicked his wrists in Eve's direction, sending the mist at the girl who quickly sprouted wings and flew above it. She had been caught in his purple fog before, which resulted in the inability to use her legs.

Controlling my limbs seems to be his primary tactic. Which is actually a pretty good plan.

Considering they had the Taoists outnumbered, pinning them down was the Children's best tactic. It was also clear no matter how obvious the disparity in their strength was, the Children of the Apostles weren't going to give up.

Eve kept her eyes locked on Luke's face as she hovered above the purple cloud. She watched as the boy growled in discontent and curled his arms up, the strained, panicked look on his face increasing as his body trembled from exhaustion.

When he curled his arms up, his smoke rose from the ground and towards her, lightly brushing against her exposed stomach as she flapped her wings faster to escape it. She flew higher in the air and watched as the sweat poured down Luke's forehead.

He growled louder and threw both his arms in the air, making all the smoke that once covered the ground circle Eve's body.

The Bio-girl cursed as the numbing agent of the cloud paralzyed her body, causing her wings to stop. However, instead of gravity forcing her to the ground, her body went stiff and she remained still in the air.

Damnit…!

She gritted her teeth and tried to free herself, but to no avail. Her legs were pinned together, and one of her arms was pinned to her side while her spear arm remained uselessly extended in front of her.

Eve saw her spear arm shaking as she tried to free herself, and cursed again when she saw no change in her position. She was trapped in a thick cloud of smoke she could only just barely see through.

"Jeeze, it's about time… I need to catch my breath…"

Luke's voice sounded tired and strained, but determined nonetheless.

"I gotta hand it to you girls… You're really giving me a run for my money!"

Eve growled, wanting to reply to the man, but unable to move her lips.

Behind the smoke, Eve could see the boy leaning forward with his hands resting on his knees, panting as he stared up at Eve.

He's at the end of his limits. If I can just break out of here and catch him, he'll be done.

"...Guess I shouldn't be surprised. All you're doing is proving the legend of your strength and will to be true."

Eve narrowed her eyes, then glanced to the side when she saw something move. Behind the thick, purple smoke, the Bio-girl could see a flash of familiar red.

Kyoko's up!

She and Kyoko had been going back and forth attacking the boy while Belze, Aja, and Annie went after Charlotte and Noah. The sweepers were getting weaker, as were their combined attacks, but they knew they still had the advantage.

Kyoko shook her head as a bit of smoke left her lips, her arms wrapped around her stomach as she gasped for breath. Judging by the pained look on her face, Eve could tell the girl's ribs were broken. And after the attack she just witnessed Kyoko endure, Eve wasn't surprised.

Can the Tao heal something that serious?

As the teen gathered her bearings, Eve looked back at Luke, relieved to see he was still trying to catch his breath. With how hard and strong the sweepers had been going after him, Eve wasn't surprised he needed a moment before jumping back into battle.

Gives me time to send a silent message to Kyoko.

When she saw Kyoko was finally on her feet and looking for Eve, the Bio-girl locked eyes with the teen girl who blinked a few times in confusion at Eve.

Good thing his fog doesn't control my breathing or eyes.

The girls stared at each other for a few minutes, then Kyoko glanced at Luke who was still coddling his wounds. Kyoko looked back at Eve, nodded, then approached the boy, a whiff of fire escaping her lips.

Kyoko made sure to be careful with her steps so as not to alert Luke of her presence. When she was a few feet away from him, she stopped, threw her head back and shot a sizable blast of fire at the Taoist's feet.

Luke shouted an obscenity and jumped in an attempt to avoid the fire. However, he did not react fast enough as the hem of his pants caught fire. The blaze began quickly crawling up the rest of the torn fabric.

Luke panicked and began patting his pants in hopes it would put the fire out. As he did that, the purple fog leaving his hands stopped, but the fog around Eve's body remained.

Seeing that was enough to distract the boy, Kyoko turned to Eve and set another wave of fire at the fog surrounding her. Eve shut her eyes as she felt the heat of her friend's fire encase her, waiting for the inferno to do its magic.

Just as quickly as the fire came it vanished the moment it met the fog. Within seconds, the purple mist that encased the Bio-girl's body was gone, erasing the numbness that once consumed her and freeing Eve's small limbs.

As soon as the feeling returned to her arms and legs, Eve flapped her wings to prevent gravity from taking over and sending her crashing to the ground. She noticed Kyoko also managed to set fire to Luke's tattered jacket, further distracting the teen and giving Eve times to recover.

She watched the boy pat every inch of his clothing as he rolled in the dirt. Eve smirked, proud of her friend for setting their opponent on fire without causing him any harm.

It's especially impressive considering she was able to do it even with all the injuries she's endured, and how exhausted she must be.

Eve smirked at Kyoko for a few more seconds, entertained by the girl's joyous laughter at the boy's pathetic attempt to put the fire out. She then turned back to her opponent and rolled her shoulders, aiming her spear at the Taoist again.

As flapped her wings and flew towards Luke, subtly transforming her other arm behind her back. She was sure the fire was distracting him enough that he wouldn't see what she was doing, but she didn't think she could be too careful.

Especially not with how close to the end we are!

When Eve was a few feet away from the boy, she slipped her arm from behind her back to reveal she had turned it into a giant, comical net. Despite the humorous look Eve was sporting with one arm in the shape of a spear and the other mimicking a net, she kept the steadfast look on her face.

Luke finally put the fire out and when he did he looked up, widened his eyes, and tried to scramble onto his feet. However, the Taoist was not quick enough. When he finally managed to stand, the girl's net slipped underneath his feet, forcing the boy back onto the ground.

He tried to crawl away, but Eve expanded her net and scooped up the rest of his body, closing up at the top to seal him in.

"ARGH! WHAT THE HELL IS THIS?!" Luke struggled in the Nano-created net, flailing his arms between the holes as he tried to free himself from the girl's clutches.

Eve ignored the teen's question and pinned her arm-net against a tree, shoving Luke's back against the splintering bark. Most of the trees around them had either been completely or partially destroyed, but she managed to get him against one that was mostly together.

Once the boy was pinned, Eve spoke with steely resolve. "You know you can't win."

Luke snarled at the Bio-girl and pointed his arms at the ground, excreting another purple cloud beneath them. As he formed his new fog, he glanced behind Eve and saw Kyoko standing sternly behind her.

She smirked and winked at Luke, secreting another flicker of fire from her lips as she gave the Taoist a two finger salute.

Luke growled, cutting off his purple fog as he spoke in a disgusted tone. "Is… Is this your arm…? Am I trapped in your fucking arm right now? THAT'S FUCKING GROSS, DUDE!"

Eve snarled and took a step forward, shrinking her net enough that it pinned his arms and legs together. "Why are you fighting for that man? Why are you fighting for a group as destructive as the Apostles?"

Luke rolled his eyes, ignoring the net as it pressed against his face. "Are you going to give me another speech about how Charden isn't worth all this effort? That the Apostles aren't worth all this effort?"

He smirked as he watched the Bio-girl's eyes narrow. "The Apostles' malfunctional members and malicious ways have nothing to do with why I'm there. I don't even care about their impossible goals! I'm with them because they were the only ones that saw me."

His expression softened as he locked eyes with Eve. "Charden is the only one that saw potential in me. He's the only one who saw my worth, and he was the only adult who never turned his back on me."

Luke clenched his fist and gritted his teeth, the anger simmering in his stomach ready to boil over. "Every time I thought I had a home, it turned out to be a lie. Every time I thought I had someone I could rely on, a home to feel safe in, they kicked me out and cursed my name. No matter what I said or did to make up for my stupid mistakes, no one ever listened."

His eyes began to burn as he fought the urge to let a tear loose. "Charden not only freed me from the hell that was my life, but he gave me a home. He gave all of us a home. A place that we could thrive, a place that we could heal…"

His eyes shone brightly as he finished his statement. "...A place where we can get stronger than we ever imagined."

Eve knew that look in the boy's eyes all too well and a shiver went down her spine.

He won't listen to reason…

Despite her pessimistic, but truthful thoughts, Eve was determined to keep trying to connect with the boy. "I understand that more than you realize."

The memory of Sven buying her ice cream after she escaped her prison filled her mind's eye, causing a smile to slither along her pale lips.

"There are people who care… people who will give you a home, people like S—"

"—Like that old man of yours? Oh, Please!"

Luke scoffed and turned his head away, as if he couldn't stand to look at the girl any more. "Trust me, I've met plenty of adults like that over the years, and they always end up abandoning you. One way or another, they leave."

He looked at Eve out of the corner of his eye. "And your precious Sven is no different. He's just lasting longer than the rest. That's all. He's not special."

Eve felt a momentary flash of rage rise within her, but took a deep breath and pushed it aside.

She didn't want to give up, so she tried another tactic. "You don't want to die, do you?"

Luke rolled his eyes, but did not answer.

Eve frowned. "Staying with the Apostles is a death sentence. Belze is choosing not to kill you now, but there's no telling how long he'll keep that promise for."

Luke looked Eve up and down, then glanced over at the battle happening between his comrades and Number II. Charlotte was on the ground, crawling away from Aja who was sparkling ominously. Belze was on top of the panther, his weapon aimed at the girl as the two conversed with one another.

A few feet away from them were Annie and Noah, the ape boy doing a little better than Charlotte, but it was easy to see Annie had the upper hand. And judging by how close Belze was to being done with Charlotte, their chances of winning were growing dimmer and dimmer by the moment.

"If you give up and hand yourselves over, I'm certain Chronos will go easy on you."

Luke growled and turned back to Eve. "And by go easy on us, you mean lock us away for the rest of our lives?"

Eve frowned. "Is that worse than death?"

Luke threw his head back and let out a hysterical laugh. "Of course it is! Who the hell wants to spend their lives in a prison?! If I wanted that, I never would have joined the Apostles in the first place! I would have continued letting life imprison me."

He stopped laughing, lowered his head, and locked eyes with Eve again. "I'd rather die fighting for the Apostles than hand myself over like a coward."

Eve growled, then noticed Luke managed to stick out a finger out of the net without her noticing. The entire time they had been talking, Luke had been discharging a slim, steady stream of fog. It fell subtly to the ground and circled Eve's feet, which she realized she could no longer feel.

Eve heard Kyoko take a deep breath behind her, ready to vaporize the mist with her Tao. However, the teen did not act fast enough to prevent Luke from controlling the Bio-girl's feet momentarily.

Using his purple smoke, he forced Eve away from him, causing the girl's feet to give out from underneath her. She fell face first into the fog which swiftly consumed her petite figure. The numbing sensation took over immediately, but Eve knew it wouldn't last long.

But, it was long enough for her captive to escape.

When Eve fell, her arm slipped away from the tree, setting Luke free. At that exact moment, Kyoko's fire freed her as the purple mist disappeared.

As soon as the sensation returned to her body, Eve was on her feet and ready to make another grab for the boy, but she was too late. Luke was sprinting away from the sweepers and towards his comrades.

Eve threw herself in the air and towards the fleeing boy, flapping her wings as fast as she could. She heard Kyoko running beside her, but the girl wasn't able to keep up with Eve's flying.

However, the Bio-girl did not stay airborne for long. Just as she was about to scoop Luke back up in her net, Eve felt her wings give out as they disappeared into her body. Eve fell to the ground face first, skidding along the dirt as both her arms returned to normal.

Eve pushed herself up and looked down at her hands, growling in discontent.

"Damnit!" She muttered as she tried to reshape her arms. "Not now! Not now!"

"What's wrong, Eve-chan?" Kyoko asked as she slid on the ground next to the girl. "Are you okay? Why'd you stop flying?"

Eve gritted her teeth as she tried to reshape her arms again. "It's… my Nanomachines… They're exhausted. They can't keep this up for much longer."

Kyoko frowned, then looked over to where Luke ran off to. He joined in the fight with Belze, Aja, and Charlotte, attempting to paralyze the ruthless panther.

The teen bit her bottom lip, then turned back to Eve. "Can you activate your net?"

Eve glanced at the girl, then took a deep breath and concentrated on that shape. Her arm reformed the shape of the net, but she was only able to make it big enough to barely fit one person in it.

She grimaced. "Yes, but I don't think I can change anything else. I think this is it…"

We have to make this work!

Kyoko nodded, and smiled as if she was able to read her friend's thoughts. "Then just concentrate on doing that. Kyoko will take care of the rest!"

Eve blinked at the girl's back as she ran away and towards their enemies, fire seeping out of her mouth like a dragon bent on protecting its treasure. As she watched Kyoko run, Eve smiled and ran after her.

When Kyoko reached Aja, she leapt next to the panther and gave the beast a cheeky smile. Aja's tail flickered as she brushed up against the teen, who laughed and pet her on the head.

Belze, who was still sitting on top of the large cat, frowned in confusion at the two, then gave his beast a command. "Aufmerksamkeit!" (7)

Aja turned away from Kyoko and back to their enemies, a low growl emitting from her monstrous maw.

Kyoko turned to face Luke as well, who had taken a defensive position over Charlotte, covering the two of them in a thick, opaque cloud. Even from behind the purple fog, it was clear Charlotte was losing consciousness, and Luke was determined to protect her.

"Why are you covering your friend up in that fog?" Kyoko asked, her trademark child-like curiosity getting the better of her.

Luke glared at the girl. "Shut up…"

"He's using it to numb the girl's pain. She's been injured pretty badly."

Kyoko blinked up at Belze, then turned back to the Taoist. She was barely able to see him behind the fog, but what she could see was enough. Charlotte was bleeding profusely, sweat and blood caking her previously flawless skin.

Kyoko growled and turned angry eyes onto Belze. "You said you wouldn't kill them!"

Number II narrowed his eyes. "She did it to herself."

Kyoko blinked. "What?"

Belze gestured to the girl's hair. "She lost control of her Tao. I was simply trying to talk some sense into the girl when those… things began attacking her."

"They react to Charlotte's emotions! When she has conflicting, anxious, or scared thoughts, they turn on her!"

Eve approached the group at that exact moment, and stopped in her steps.

They react to conflicting thoughts? That means…

Belze nodded. "I was able to work that out on my own. I've actually been keeping an eye on her to make sure she didn't accidentally kill herself."

Eve blinked up at Belze.

Guess he really doesn't want to kill them.

"Aww, that means you're trying to ease your friend's pain and paralyze her snakes so they don't attack her. How sweet!"

Luke growled at Kyoko, unable to hide the panic in his voice. "I SAID SHUT UP!"

The Bio-girl glanced at Luke, noticing the boy was too preoccupied with keeping Charlotte safe. She even saw his eyes drift over to the other battle Annie and Noah were having, frowning as the panic in his eyes increased.

He cares about his friends.

Eve felt an empathetic, pitiful feeling grow within her. Luke was so distracted by what was going on around her, he hadn't noticed Eve was standing a few feet behind them.

He must be distraught if doesn't know I'm here. He's been on me like white on rice.

Eve met Kyoko's eyes, watching as the Firebreather gave her a subtle nod. The Bio-girl nodded in return, and turned her arm back into a net. Her heart fell when a pang of pain stabbed through her flesh.

We gotta do this quickly!

Kyoko turned back to Luke as Eve made her way towards them. "Aww, why aren't you sweet on Kyoko anymore? Don't you still think Kyoko's cute?"

Luke ground his teeth, his eyes burning with a savage rage as he spoke. "SHUT UP!"

Out of the corner of his eyes, Belze saw Eve approaching from behind and took note of the net that had taken the place of her arm. He looked back down at Aja, who was growling at Luke, waiting for her next order.

Glancing between the sweepers, Belze spoke to his new pet in a calm tone. "Warten…" (8)

They have a plan. Judging by the childish net, it's just simple enough to work.

Aja relaxed, but kept her eyes on Luke.

Kyoko frowned. "You know, if you go with Chronos, Kyoko is sure they can fix her up. Isn't that right, Belze-san?"

Belze nodded. "Yes. But, we'd need to get her there quickly. Especially before her hair eats her alive."

Luke growled, aware Charlotte's hair would continue attacking her if he discontinued his fog. The only thing that kept them still was his Tao.

"Shut… Up…"

Kyoko sighed. "Boy, that's cold! Kyoko thought you cared about your friends!"

Luke's arms began to shake not just from exhaustion, but from the profound rancor he was feeling. "You don't know me…"

Kyoko shrugged as she glanced at Eve. The Bio-girl was only a few feet away from Luke.

"Yes, but… Kyoko knows pain when she sees it…"

The teen took a step closer, her arms opened wide as if welcoming the Taoist into her embrace. It was all a ploy to catch the boy off guard, but she was hoping he was too distressed to see through her plan.

"Kyoko knows what it's like to lose people you care about… To feel like you can't trust adults."

Belze cocked an eyebrow at the girl, shocked to hear such profound words leaving her lips.

Kyoko continued taking careful steps toward the Taoists as Eve stood just outside the brimming smoke. "You know… Kyoko joined the Apostles for the same reason."

Luke couldn't help but laugh. "Really? From what I heard, you only joined because you had a lady boner for the Black Cat."

Kyoko pouted. "Rude! Kyoko met Creed-sama before Kuro-sama. And Creed is the one that recruited me! Kyoko agreed to join because of him. Because of what he said. Kuro-sama just sweetened the deal."

Luke scoffed. "We're not joining you…"

Kyoko sighed. "Kyoko didn't say that. Kyoko just said she understands where you're coming from! Probably better than anyone else!"

Luke snarled, then spat on the ground near Kyoko's feet. "Don't compare me to a lowly turn coat sweeper like you! I'm loyal! And at least I didn't join because of a cute face and tight ass!"

Kyoko couldn't help but giggle. "Oooh, are you noticing Kuro-sama too? Sorry, he's too in love with Creed-sama to notice anyone else."

Luke's entire body was shaking with rage as he stomped his foot on the ground. "SHUT UP!"

Kyoko winked. "Sorry! Kyoko talks too much. NOW!"

As soon as she said that, Kyoko spat out a wad of fire at the boy's smog. Luke let out a violent scream as he slammed his hands onto the ground, doing whatever he could to keep the smoke going. He knew if he lost his fog, Charlotte might kill herself with her Tao.

The boy was able to counteract Kyoko's fire breath for a few seconds by pouring whatever strength he had left in his fog. His vision was blurred from the sweat falling down his brow, arms trembling from fatigue, knees ready to give out under him.

But, he refused to give up. Not when his friend's life was on the line.

Kyoko narrowed her eyes and did everything she could to douse Luke's fog in flames, but the boy was doing an amazing job keeping her at bay. It was clearly taking a toll on his body, but his resolve kept him going.

Aja noticed Kyoko was struggling to keep her fire breath and let out a furious roar. Belze jumped off the panther when she leapt forward, watching as his beast aided the teen sweeper.

Luke gritted his teeth, then released another rapacious, barbaric scream as he fell to his knees. His deafening howl increased in intensity and fierceness as he poured even more of himself into his fog, but he knew he couldn't hold on. Especially not with the panther supporting Kyoko.

Luke watched as his fog mixed with the fire and electricity for a split second, before the powerful red and blue hue took over his scintillating purple. Feeling depleted and broken, Luke slumped forward and did nothing to stop the fire raging around him.

He sulked on the ground for a moment before he looked up and saw Annie had Noah pinned to the ground. A bright, orange aura was coiled around the boy's small body, pinning his arms together, burning his flesh.

Luke chuckled, aware there was nothing he could do to help his friend, no matter how desperately his heart wanted to save him.

He heard footsteps approaching from behind and quickly turned around to throw himself down on Charlotte.

"NO!" He shouted as he threw his body forward in an attempt to protect her.

He stopped and blinked in confusion as Eve's net arm turned into a small hammer, which she used to tap Charlotte's head. Before Luke could retaliate, the Bio-girl turned her arm back into a net and dropped it down on the teen's head.

Luke glared up at Eve's sympathetic face, growling as he spoke. "I GOT OUT OF THIS BEFORE, WHAT MAKES YOU THINK I CAN'T DO IT AGAIN?!"

Eve deepened her frown. "Because you're clearly too weak to lift your arms let alone use your Tao. You're done."

Luke was foaming at the mouth, rage consuming his entire heart as he shot his eyes down to Charlotte. The girl's eyes were closed and her breathing was steady, signaling she was still alive.

"I knocked her out so her Tao wouldn't keep attacking her. She's fine. She's safe."

Luke turned back to Eve and screamed. "SHUT UP! I'LL KILL YOU! I'LL KILL YOU AND ALL OF YOUR FRIENDS MYSELF!"

As he screamed, a portal opened a few feet behind Eve. All eyes fell onto the dark hole, Kyoko running to the other side of Eve to protect the girl from potential harm. No matter how much her body hurt, the teen knew Eve was not in any condition to attack new threats.

Aja growled and stepped closer to the hole, Belze at her side with his weapon aimed and ready.

Number II glanced at Luke, who looked more confused to see the portal than relieved. "When did you call for backup?"

Luke shook his head and swallowed. "That's… not our backup…"

Belze frowned at the boy's terrified and perplexed expression, then turned back to the hole. His heart froze but his feet moved quickly when he saw the familiar figure walking through the portal.

"S… Sephiria…?"

Sephiria stepped out of the portal, Christ aimed forward as she glared at the teen on the ground. She glanced at Belze, sending him a quick smile before returning her gaze to the child.

"You're finished. Give up now and Chronos will lighten your sentence."

Luke's body and face were frozen, but his heart was racing. He wanted to shake his head, wanted to scream at the woman he'd never give up, but it was impossible. And it wasn't just because of his wounds and fatigue. There was something about the woman's presence that sucked the life out of him.

Still, he managed to stammer something. "N… No…"

"LET GO OF ME YOU LITTLE BITCH!"

Luke looked to the side to see Annie limping over with Noah in tow. She was dragging the boy behind her with her ray of light, but she didn't look to be in any better shape than he was.

Annie grunted as she threw the boy at Eve's feet, then sat on the ground and wiped her lip with the back of her hand. "There! It's done. Now tell me where Leon is!"

Eve glanced at Noah, then turned to Annie. "Run. Now. Go!"

Annie blinked at Eve a few times, then nodded and ran off. She didn't understand why the Bio-girl was telling her to run, but the urgency of her voice didn't leave any room for question.

"N… no…" Luke whispered again as he watched Noah struggle against his orange binds.

He looked back down at Charlotte, hope slowly leaving him as despair took over. "No…"

"It's okay." Eve's voice came in quietly as she knelt next to him. "You're safe. They aren't going to hurt you."

Luke glared at Eve, then looked back to Sephiria. Belze was now standing on one side of her, his weapon aimed at the boy as Aja stood loyally at his side.

"DON'T GIVE IN, LUKE!" Noah screamed from Eve's feet. "CHARDEN WILL NEVER FORGIVE US IF WE DO!"

Sephiria's voice entered Luke's ears in a sharp, harsh tone. "Charden isn't long for this world. Especially now that I've entered the game again."

Luke looked up at the woman, once again feeling as though his soul was being sucked from his body. The moment their eyes met, Luke knew he wouldn't be able to form words. Even if he was able to, it was clear Number One would have cut his tongue off with her sword.

Despite his fear, Luke had to know. "How… How are you… alive…?"

The last time he saw Number One, she was knocking on death's door and on her way to battle Charden. Not only was the woman back and looking much better, but she was hinting at Charden's life coming to an end.

Sephiria glared and took a step forward. "It's over."

Belze noticed Sephiria suppressing a limp and frowned. He took in the rest of her body, noticing how it seemed as though she was going out of her way to use her tattered clothes to cover up her wounds.

She's bandaged up as well. She looks like she's better than what she was before, but still barely able to stand.

His leader's legs were shaking and her sword arm quaked, her hair matted in blood and sweat. Everything about the woman screamed she was not okay and was going to collapse at any second, but you wouldn't know that by looking at her eyes.

Belze couldn't help but smile.

She's alive… that's all that matters. Wounds can heal as long as she's alive.

Number II looked back at the portal and noticed Echidna was staring at him through the abyss. When their eyes met, Belze saw the uncertainty in her eyes, but also the remorseful, apologetic glimmer that shined ever so slightly in her sad orbs.

As they stared at one another, understanding crept over Belze and he let out a quiet breath of relief. While maintaining eye contact with the actress, Number II gave her a thankful nod.

Echidna smiled, a single tear slipping down her cheek as she nodded in return. Then, she disappeared back into her black hole. The portal vanished into thin air, the air around where it once was sparking in its place.

Belze turned back to Sephiria, smiling at the woman he respected more than anyone else.

Sephiria shoved aside the overwhelming enervation she was feeling, ignoring the way her legs shook and her arms trembled. The Apostles' new doctor tried to make her stay, but Sephiria refused.

"You're not well enough! I know you want to help Chronos, but if you go now, you'll pass out before you even step through the portal!"

Sephiria pushed Allie's hand away and rolled off the bed. In her haste to get out of there, she wrapped the tattered remains of her clothing lazily around herself, being sure the worst of her wounds were covered.

"There's nothing that can keep me in this Hellhole a moment longer." She stepped towards Echidna, glaring at the actress. "Release me."

Echidna frowned. "You can barely stand."

Sephiria clenched her fists and gripped her sword. "I've fought in worse shape."

Allie walked over to the stubborn Number One. "Lay back down! You can't fight in a war as intense as this one if you can't even hold your sword. Don't think I haven't noticed Christ is still by your side."

When Allie's arm wrapped around Sephiria's elbow, Number One yanked it free and continued scowling at Echidna. "You said you wanted to help. You can help by letting me go."

Echidna sighed. "I don't think releasing you in the shape you're in is going to help the correct side."

Sephiria narrowed her eyes and purposefully pointed the tip of her blade at Echidna's throat, as if to prove Allie wrong. "And which side is the correct side in your eyes…?"

Echidna's body stiffened as she eyed Sephiria's arm. It was shaking subtly, letting the actress know the woman was in no shape to be fighting. However, despite her clear fatigue, Echidna still feared her.

The Apostles' leader narrowed her eyes in return. "...We've discussed this. I want this war to end. And I want it to end with the least amount of bloodshed as possible. Which is also why I don't think I should release you."

Sephiria took a step closer, ignoring Hue's quiet shriek as she drew a droplet of blood from Echidna's throat. "Release me, and I will make sure it ends. No matter what."

Echidna backed up, putting her hands up as she spoke. "...I made a promise."

Sephiria cocked an eyebrow. "To who?"

Echidna sighed. "To Hearnet… To Diskenth."

Sephiria frowned at the woman, looking for a hint of dishonesty and felt frustrated when she saw nothing even close to that. If she did make a promise to those two, Sephiria had an idea of what it might be.

Number One took one more step closer. "And why should I believe you?"

Echidna locked eyes with the woman, making sure Sephiria saw the sincerity in her face as she spoke. "Because… I know what it's like to love unconditionally."

Sephiria froze at the woman's words, feeling a wave of fury washing through her before an image of Belze passed in front of her.

She shook her head and pushed her blade a closer. "Take me to Charden."

Echidna shook her head as well. "No. Never."

Sephiria clenched her fist. "Then I guess I'll have to find my own way out."

Echidna's expression did not change as she felt more blood fall down her neck. "Wouldn't you rather check in on the others? Don't you want to know how they're doing?"

Sephiria made sure her expression remained unreadable. She knew what Echidna was hinting at, but didn't want to admit out loud she was worried about Belze. Deep down, she knew Train and Creed would ultimately be okay, especially since they had each other, but she didn't feel so certain about the others.

Another image of Belze flashed before her eyes as the dream from her mini coma returned to her. She couldn't deny she was more worried about his well being than anyone else's, and she couldn't deny she was in no shape to fight Charden. No matter how much she wanted to.

After staring at the woman for a few more seconds, Sephiria lowered her blade. "Okay. Take me to the others and maybe I'll trust you after that."

Echidna rubbed her neck. She swiped her arm to the side and opened another portal.

"After you, Ms. Arks."

Sephiria wanted to look at Belze and express her truest feelings for the man, but she knew that wasn't the right moment. Half of the war was ending right in front of her, and she already knew Train's friend had been set free. She was at Chronos Headquarters with Aliane and Eathes.

The monkey gave up too. We just might be able to end this war before we're all dead.

Number One took a step towards Luke, allowing her rigid resolve to shine brightly in her eyes. "It's over. Give up before we're forced to erase you."

Luke bit his lip, glancing between his friends and Number One, then lowered his gaze to the ground. As he did that, he noticed the rest of the numbers were appearing around him, each one of them with their weapons aimed down at him.

From somewhere behind him, Luke heard a deep voice speak to Sephiria.

"Number One, we've disposed of the Taoist known as Shiki and Maro."

Sephiria turned to Nizer, who was standing on the other side of Luke. "Erased?"

Luke's entire body trembled at the man's response. "Yes. And the children are knocked out and restrained. None of them have been killed."

Sephiria was shocked at the feeling of relief briefly gracing her heart.

Belze did it. He really did it.

While the woman was disappointed in herself for not being there to help, she knew that wasn't the time for self loathing.

Sephiria pushed more of the pain she felt to the side. "It's over. The Apostles are done."

Luke stared at the ground, his body trembling and his heart racing. The corner of his lips curled into a slight smile and a small chuckle escaped his control. The chuckle slowly turned into a full on fit of laughter, and the boy threw his head back as he cackled at the sky.

When he stopped, he slumped forward again and spoke in a low, defeated tone. "I guess… there's nothing that can be done. Especially not with the infamous Number One back on the case…"

Luke raised his head to meet Sephiria's gaze, regret, hate, and sadness dancing in his eyes as he spoke. "We're all your, Ms. Arks. Just please… don't kill her."

Sephiria looked down at the unconscious girl and nodded. "You have my word."

She gestured with her head to the other numbers and the next thing Luke knew, he was being pulled to his feet and handcuffed. The moment the cold metal hit his hot skin, the teen felt infinitely weaker, as if all his power had been sucked out of him.

Curious, he tried to activate his Tao, then released a bitter laugh. "Nothing. Figures…"

He watched as the assassins lifted Charlotte to her feet as well, cuffing her despite the fact that she was still unconscious. He was positive she was given the same Tao suppressing cuffs as he was, meaning she was even more powerless than before.

Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Noah being cuffed too, watching as the boy's ape arms returned to normal the moment he was bound.

Seeing the younger boy struggle, Luke sighed. "Don't fight, Noah. We're done. The handcuffs suppress your Tao anyway, so it's useless. Besides…

He looked at Sephiria. "The fact that Number One is back after what she's been through, we don't stand a chance. Sephiria Arks… is immortal."

Noah blinked. "Is… Is Charden… dead?"

Sephiria ignored the boy's question and turned to her numbers. "Take them to Chronos Headquarters. We'll meet you there soon."

The numbers nodded, then began dragging their prisoners away.

Belze waited until their team was out of earshot, and turned to ask his leader a question. "Is Charden dead?"

Sephiria frowned and lowered her head. "I… don't know…"

Belze stared at the woman for a moment, then opened his mouth to speak but was interrupted by someone else.

"Where's Train? Is Train okay?"

Number One and Number II looked up at Lin, who was practically crawling over to them. He was the only number who had not left when Sephiria ordered them to, and she wasn't surprised to see he was still there.

And he probably won't leave until we find Train.

Sephiria frowned. "Train is fine. We need to tend to your wounds immediately."

That's only a half lie. I believe Train is alive, but I have no proof of it.

Lin sighed in relief. "Good… That's good to hear."

Sephiria frowned, then rubbed her head, glad that Lin didn't hear any deceit in her voice.

Everything hurts, but I need to find those idiots and help them.

"Sephiria's right, we need to get back to Headquarters and settle these new prisoners in. After that, we can catch up with the Black Cat and Diskenth."

Sephiria glanced at Belze out of the corner of her eye. She hadn't said any of that, but she understood why he was saying it.

On any other occasion, I'd be angry at his protective behavior, but now…

Despite the fact that they were being watched, Sephiria couldn't help herself. With her empty hand, she reached out and took a gentle hold of Belze's fingers, squeezing them slightly as she spoke to Lin.

"We'll get back to them." She looked at Eve as she spoke her next words. "I promise."

Eve smiled, then nodded, finally allowing her body to rest for a moment as she spoke. "I… need to find Sven. Before anything else… I need to find him."

Lin wanted to fight back, tell Sephiria that nothing was more important than finding Train, but the despondency in Eve's voice calmed him down.

Number X frowned at the girl, then fell on the ground next to her, leaning his petite frame against hers. "I'll come with you… then we can find Train and Creed together."

Eve smiled and closed her eyes, resting her hand on Lin's knee as she activated her healing bots. "You could use a shower as well."

Lin chuckled and patted the girl's head. "Look who's talking…"

Kyoko collapsed on the ground in front of them, falling at the duo's feet as she closed her eyes. "Kyoko needs a nap and a bath! But, she'll settle on a short rest before we find Kuro-sama and Creed-sama."

Eve smiled at her friend, extending her other arm to heal a deep gash on Kyoko's back. "We'll be together again soon."

The Bio-girl knew she didn't have the strength to heal all of their wounds, but she had enough left to at least seal up their biggest ones.

Sephiria, still holding Belze's hand, smiled at the trio. The three of them had their eyes shut, resting against one another, practically clinging onto one another as they relaxed their bruised and damaged bodies.

"We'll send out a few Chronos medics to help you and the others. Go find your old man." She glanced at Lin and frowned. "And when he comes to, let him know Aliane got the Black Cat's friend back to Chronos safely."

Eve opened her eyes and looked down at Lin, noticing the number had fallen asleep. She smiled at the small man, then turned back to Sephiria, mouthing words of gratitude to both her and Belze.

Sephiria returned the girl's smile, then frowned when she felt something brush against her shoulder. She looked over and noticed Aja was pressing into her, purring wildly as she cuddled against the woman.

Belze smirked and pet the giant beast's head and spoke to his leader. "Did you forget about our new friend here? She could take most, if not all the prisoners and the numbers back to Chronos in no time."

Sephiria blinked at Number II, then at Aja. She frowned and rested her head in her hands. "That's right… How could I forget how this creature's abilities work after being tormented by them for years?"

A howl from across the forest brought her attention to Aztec, who was standing about a yard away from them. He ran towards Sephiria, Aja, and Belze, his tail wagging as his tongue rolled around playfully in his mouth.

Sephiria felt the ground beneath her shaking as the beast approached, stabbing her sword into the ground to keep herself stable as the wolf ran to Belze's other side.

She stared in impressed shock as Number II pet both the powerful beasts, then spoke again. "We can use her to help clean up as well. We can't leave the dead behind."

Belze nodded and pulled Sephiria along with him as he climbed on Aja's back. "We can still catch up to the other's and get them back to Headquarters."

Sephiria allowed Belze to pull her along, but refused his help when he offered a hand to bring her onto Aja's back. No matter how much pain she was in, she refused to let anyone help her climb onto anything.

Once the numbers were settled on Aja's back, Sephiria turned to the sweepers and Lin. "We'll send medics back the moment we get there. In the meantime, stay alive."

Eve smiled at Number One, happy Sephiria wasn't going to try and convince them to come with her. Nothing in the world was going to stop her from getting back to Sven.

"It'll take more than a few flesh wounds and blood loss to take us down. You know that, Sephiria."

Eve and Sephiria shared a smile, then Belze gave the panther a command, and the two disappeared together. The lightning bolt that took them both was nostalgic for the sweepers, since it looked exactly like the one Train always used.

"Train…"

Eve looked over at Lin who was now fully asleep on her shoulder, smirking at the wistful look on the number's face.

Eve patted Lin's knee. "We'll find him soon…"

As the three sat and rested together, another portal opened, sending Eve on high alert.

Oh please… no more… please no more…

Out of the dark hole stepped a small, thin woman dressed in a long white lab coat. She held a large briefcase in one hand, and she eyed the trio with interest.

The portal closed behind her as she took a step forward. "Long time no see. Do you remember me?"

Eve blinked, then widened her eyes and dropped her jaw. "H… Hue? Allie… Hue?"

Allie smirked. "Yes I'm here to help. What do doctors usually say? Where does it hurt?"

Eve blinked as the woman walked over to them, placing her briefcase on the ground as she rummaged through it. "Um… Uh… Every… where?"

Allie nodded and began tending to Eve's wound, but the Bio-girl pulled her arm away and gestured toward the people laying on her.

"No. Them first. I still have my bots."

Allie sighed and turned to Kyoko. "Your bots are probably depleted. You need to rest before they can do anything of real use."

Eve nodded. "I know, but still… them first."

Allie frowned, then nodded. "Whatever you say… That's what Echidna told me to do anyway."

Eve cocked her eyebrow. "What?"

The scientist sighed again as she began working on Eve. "Echidna told me to tend to your wounds while she went after Charden. She waited until Chronos was gone so I wouldn't be arrested before I had a chance to heal you."

Eve blinked at the woman in confusion then sighed as she realized she didn't have time to delve into the insanity of the Apostles.

Whatever… I don't have the strength to question this strange turn of events. As long as she heals them, I don't care what her motives are.

Eve looked down at Kyoko, who looked as though she had fallen asleep, and cupped the girl's cheek as Allie continued healing her.

She saw the teen mouth Train's name and smiled. "Don't worry, Kyoko, we'll all be together again soon…"

---

Train grabbed Creed's arm and yanked him to the side as one of Jax's lightning bolts whizzed past their faces. The gunman then wrapped his arm around Creed's waist and pulled him backwards to avoid the next three bolts.

Train knew under any other circumstances, Creed would have been able to avoid the attacks on his own, but with the shape his partner was in, he wasn't too sure of that. The swordsman wasn't doing well and with how difficult it was turning out to be to shoot his Railgun at their opponents, Train wasn't going to let Creed out of his sight.

As happy as Creed was to have his beloved's arm around him, he couldn't help but wince in pain. Train's arm was pressing against his cracked ribs, shooting wave after wave of pain throughout his body. His Tao wasn't able to keep up with his wounds.

As Train sprung them backwards, he felt his lover convulse painfully in his arms and lightened the hold he had on the man. He looked over his shoulder and noticed a pillar from the upper floor was protruding through the roof, so he decided to make a run for it.

Train slid his arm up Creed's waist to his chest and pulled the silverette back. Jax was not letting up on his lightning attacks, and Train knew just one bolt could mean the end of his fiancé.

As he was being dragged away from the fight, Creed glanced at Charden and saw the Blood Taoist glowering at Train. When the blonde man raised his hands and curled his fingers in a familiar motion, Creed gritted his teeth and raised his hands as well.

He didn't have much strength left, it was difficult just holding his arms up, but Creed still managed to form his Imagine Shield again to protect his beloved from being strangled.

Charden's only been going after Train. He must know I'll be easy pickings if Train gone.

Train had been protecting him non-stop since the last failed rail gun attack, and it was obvious Charden and Jax noticed it. As pathetic and weak as Creed felt, he was grateful for his Kitten for taking such good care of him.

He also needs me in order to fire the shot. More specifically, he needs my shield.

When they made it to the protruding pillar, Train pulled Creed behind it and leaned the man against the crumbling structure.

Train eyed his partner up and down with a worried frown on his face. "Are you okay?"

Creed nodded, his arm wrapped around his waist as he tried to smile at his beloved. "I'm fine."

He could barely see his Kitten's beautiful face behind all the blood and sweat coating it, but he could tell by the tone of his voice he didn't believe Creed.

The swordsman tried to straighten up. "I mean it, Train. I'm fine. Let's just get this shot in and finish this."

Train continued staring at his lover, wanting nothing more than to wrap the man in a tender embrace and forget the war that never seemed to end.

However, he restrained himself and peeked around the pillar. His eyes followed the path he had taken to rescue Creed and noticed Jax's lightning bolts left medium sized craters on the roof.

Train ducked back behind the pillar. "Do they not care if the building collapses with us on it?"

Creed chuckled. "Probably not. They're probably prepared to have this battle in the air."

Train gritted his teeth. "Well, I'm not ready for that. As many times as we've practiced fighting while airborne, I've never used the Railgun in the air. There's no guarantee we'll win that way."

Creed sighed and looked up at the sky. "I know, Train…"

Even if this building falls apart, we won't give up. We'll keep fighting until the bitter end.

Creed looked at his lover and smiled. He reached a hand out and grabbed Train's fingers, pressing them to his cheek as he spoke. "We'll make it out of this together, Train…"

Train smiled at his partner and gently caressed his cheek. "I know we will."

Creed continued smiling at his love until he saw movement out of the corner of his eye. His instincts kicked in and he leapt forward and pressed his hands against the cat's chest, shoving his lover away from him.

Train stumbled backwards, but was able to steady his feet in enough time to leap over the sheet of ice Jax sent at their feet. When he saw the sheet expanding, Train rolled backwards, then kicked himself up in the air and hovered a few feet above the roof.

However, Jax's ice attack did not stop when the Black Cat left the roof. It curled up and into the air, following Train. The gunman growled and flew himself higher, extending his hands to defend himself against the seemingly sentient ice.

Train launched a lightning bolt from each of his hands directly at the ice. The moment it made contact, the ice shattered and fell back to the ground, raining small particles of semi frozen water onto the roof.

As soon as the ice was gone, Train scanned the area for his fiancé, praying neither of their enemies had gotten to him. His heart stopped and he let out a sharp curse when he noticed Creed had been pinned against the pillar with Jax's ice.

The swordsman struggled against the icy bind, his fingers just out of reach of his Imagine Blade that had fallen to the ground. Train assumed it must have been knocked from his grip when he was bound to the collapsing pillar.

He deactivated it so he could concentrate more on his shield, so it was nothing but a hilt when he dropped it.

A few feet in front of Creed stood Jax whose body was glowing an augural shade of orange. The look in the boy's eyes sent chills down Train's spine, and he knew what was about to happen.

"OVER MY DEAD BODY!" The cat shouted as he angled himself at his partner and shot down towards the man.

However, before he could get within ten feet of his lover, Train's body fell straight onto the roof. As soon as he landed, the cat rolled on his back and wrapped his fingers around his throat.

The cat gasped for air as he twisted on the crumbling building, ripping at his esophagus with his fingers. He spread his lips as wide as he could in an attempt to get oxygen to his lungs, the taste of blood tainting his mouth.

Train gritted his teeth as Charden's sinister voice slithered into his ears. "Our hope is that it is over your dead body…"

Charden stepped off a wave of blood he rode to get to Train, smirking at the Black Cat's writhing figure. "Your protective nature is so predictable. All we have to do is put your precious partner in a dangerous position, and ride in on your horse to save him… Then become a sitting duck."

The Blood Taoist chuckled as he approached the gunman, his hands extended out as he strangled Train with his own blood. "Or should I say, sitting cat?"

Train glared as best he could at his opponent, but he couldn't hold onto the dirty look for very long. The expression was impossible to maintain with life being quite literally drained from him.

Creed…

The gunman tried to roll around to check on his lover, gasping for air as he frantically scanned the sky for any signs of Creed.

Creed… Creed…!

As he tried to spin his body around, Train felt his arms being forcibly removed from his throat. Still gasping for air, Train stared in confusion at his limbs, fighting whatever force was compelling his arms to move on their own.

While struggling to regain control of his limbs, the cat felt his legs growing heavier as they too were pinned to the crumbling building.

What… the hell…?!

Train's vision began to blur, the world around him spinning as he tried to reach his lover.

Creed… I have to get to Creed…

Train didn't know what was happening to him, but he didn't care. All he cared about was making sure Jax hadn't killed Creed. He was more panicked about not being able to make sure his lover was okay than he was about the blood pooling in his mouth.

Creed…

Train could barely hear Charden's chuckle as he stood just a few inches away from the pinned cat. "Watching the life drain from the infamous Black Cat is so satisfying…"

Despite the fact that his vision was blurred from lack of oxygen, Train was able to see Charden's loathsome face as it hovered above him. Judging by the way his breath brushed odiously against his battered flesh, Train knew the man was only a few inches from his face.

Charden smiled wickedly at him. "I can't imagine a more delightful sight than that of the Black Cat slowly leaving this world…"

Charden watched as a wad of blood erupted from the gunman's mouth. "Maybe watching you enter the next world will be more entertaining…"

As Train tried to glare up at Charden's deranged grin, he suddenly realized what was keeping him to the roof. The Apostles' leader had not only taken control of the blood in his throat, but also the blood in his arms and legs.

And he's using it to pin me to the roof…

Still, all he cared about was making sure Creed wasn't dead. And the fact that Creed hadn't done anything to at least try to save him disturbed Train even more.

Creed… I have to get to Creed!

He struggled as best he could against his invisible binds, trying to use his Tao to float himself in the air and away from Charden, trying to spark his body and electrocute the man, attempting to freeze him with his ice ability, but nothing worked.

He felt consciousness slowly ebb away as he attempted to activate his Nanomachines. He tried to extend his arm to shove Charden away, tried to turn his limbs into anything blunt to fight back, but again, it was to no avail.

Not like this… I won't go out like this!

It was getting harder and harder to cling to consciousness. As hard as he tried to keep his eyes open and his mind clear, the imminent darkness slowly consumed him.

Not like this…

Charden's laughter grew as he watched the Black Cat's eyes flutter close. "Bonsoir, Monsieur Black Cat."

He clenched his fists tighter, watching as more blood poured out of Train's mouth. "It was a pleasure knowing you."

Train's eyes fanned closed and his tense muscles relaxed, unable to fight the Taoist anymore. Blood dribbled down the corner of his lips as his face slackened, his fists uncurling as his body laid enfeebled on the roof.

Creed…

As if hearing Train's silent call for help, the cat's partner released a powerful scream which was soon followed by an explosion. The dramatics of the commotion brought a bit of life back into the cat as his eyes shot open he gasped for breath again.

"C…Creed…!" Train gasped out his lover's name, but was still unable to move his arms.

That… explosion…

He recognized the sound of the explosion and judging by the orange cloud that was hovering above his head, Train had a feeling he knew what happened.

"N… No… Creed…"

As the worst case scenarios began swimming in his head, Train was surprised when the next gasp of air he took permitted oxygen into his lungs, and he was able to move his arms and legs.

Train rubbed his throat and took in as much air as he could, pushing himself in an upright position as he coughed out another wad of blood.

"Damnit…" He muttered in a hoarse voice, lowering his head between his knees in hopes that would ebb the pain throbbing against his temple.

"Train! Train, are you okay?!"

Train's face was pulled up by a pair of pale, lithe hands, each one firmly cupping his cheeks. The cat blinked a few times, coughing up more blood as he waited for his vision to return.

However, he didn't need his vision to know who was speaking to him. The man's voice was tattooed onto his brain.

"Creed…" Train reached out and grabbed the man's threadbare shirt. "What… How…?"

Creed pressed Train against his beaten and bloody chest. "It's okay… You're okay…"

Train could tell Creed was talking to himself, sighed in relief, and comforted the man as best he could. "Yes, yes I'm fine. But, what the hell happened?"

Creed frowned at his beloved's hoarse voice, and squeezed Train a bit tighter in his arms as he spoke. "I used Jax's blast to get out of that ice prison he was trapping me in."

That was when Train realized how cold and wet Creed's body was, and he slowly pieced together what must have happened.

The gunman let out a weak chuckle. "Got trapped in an icy tomb, did you?"

Creed buried his head into Train's dirty hair. "Not as bad as the blood bound one Charden had you trapped in."

Train pressed his face into Creed's chest, laughter slowly creeping up his sore throat as he spoke. "We both almost died…"

Creed smiled, then laughed quietly along with his beloved. "We did… but, we didn't!"

Train nodded and let out a long, tired breath. "That's true… We didn't."

And we won't.

The building rumbled again, causing the men to lift their heads and scan the area. That was when Train realized the orange aura he saw above his head wasn't from Jax's explosion, it was from Creed's Imagine Shield.

He couldn't help but smile at that realization.

Always thinking of me first…

Train was thrown from idealistic thoughts as the building began violently shaking. Both of his and Creed's eyes fell to the corner that was closest to them, watching it as it vibrated for a few seconds before it crumbled away.

Train's ears perked as he heard more rumbling happening on the other side of him and he turned his head in the direction of the new sound. The couple watched as that corner of the building met the same fate as the other.

"This is bad…"

The building shook again, forcing the partners to grab onto each other.

Train growled. "Any more sudden movements and the whole building will fall apart."

Train heard his lover curse and felt the man tremble in his arms. The cat turned to face Creed, realizing he was struggling to keep his shield up.

That's it. No more games. We have to end this.

"Are you two done with your little reunion?!"

Train and Creed turned to Charden and Jax, the boy Taoist floating in the air as the Blood Taoist did his best to ignore the way the bricks were separating beneath him.

Charden spread his fingers, sending a slow, steady stream of blood at his opponents. "I don't understand how you two are able to have so many heartwarming reunions in the middle of battle when you've barely left each other's side."

Train smirked, his body rocking back and forth as the building swayed. "You'd understand if you didn't treat your lover like garbage. Where is Echidna, by the way?"

Charden's blood red eyes shined abhorrently at the cat. "Shut… up…"

Train's smirk turned into a cheeky smile. "What? No witty retort? No comical banter or half assed insult? I mean… sitting cat? You really couldn't come up with anything better than that?"

Seeing the blood around the man beginning to boil, Train knew he was hitting the right buttons and kept going. "You must be slipping if that sharp mind of yours isn't able to come up with something more clever than that. You passed up a perfectly good Schrödinger's cat joke!"

Train held onto Creed's shoulder. "I'm not sure what the joke would have been, but you're a lot smarter than me, and I bet if you were in better mental shape, you would have thought of one."

Creed chuckled weakly next to him and gripped tightly at Train's hand. That was the only signal Train needed to know his lover wasn't doing well.

He glanced at his Stallion out of the corner of his eye, watching as the silver man gave him a quick nod. It was a subtle gesture to let Train know he was ready to be lifted from the building.

The structure shook again, and it was easy to tell there weren't going to be many more warning shakes left before it fell.

The blood surrounding Charden was boiling so intensely it looked like a maroon ocean just before a tsunami hit. His arms were shaking with rage, and his eyes glowered malevolently at the pair in the orange igloo as the building's vibrations became more and more unstable.

"Enough…" Charden muttered venomously, his lips twitching with furor. "I've… had… ENOUGH!"

When he shouted that last word, a furious influx of blood escaped his arms and poured into the splitting bricks. The force at which the maroon liquid exited Charden's limbs and entered the decaying building was so powerful, it forced the structure further apart from itself.

Charden either didn't notice, or didn't care that he was aiding in the building's collapse as he ejected even more blood from his arms. His arms were vibrating vigorously, the expression on his face inhumane, but he did not waver in his stance.

Train wrapped his arms around Creed, ready to fling the man in the air as the building rocked. It was clear it was not going to remain standing for much longer.

Train pressed Creed against his chest and spoke in a quiet voice. "Looks like we're going airborne. Are you ready?"

Creed nodded, concentrating as hard as he could on the shield around them. He could tell it was fading in and out, but he was afraid to let it go. He didn't want to risk his beloved getting strangled again.

As the building vibrated and Charden's blood continued pouring between the bricks, a few of the thick blocks floated like debris in a rapid river. Train took quick, anxious note of the state of the building, then turned back to Creed.

He squeezed Creed's cheeks and turned the silver man's head so it was facing him. "Creed. When I say so, let go of the shield. I'll take it from there."

Creed widened his eyes and shook his head. "No! I won't risk it, I won't—"

Train cut his partner off with a quick, deep kiss, preventing Creed from speaking his apprehensive words.

He pulled away and smiled at his lover, pressing their foreheads together as he spoke. "Creed… Trust me."

Creed stared into his Kitten's eyes, swallowing thickly as he tried to comprehend the man's words. When the building swayed, he returned his lover's smile and shut his eyes.

"Okay… Okay, I trust you, Train."

Creed took a deep breath and tangled his fingers as deep into Train's tattered shirt as he could. "Always and forever…"

Train kissed Creed on the head, then jolted his head to the side when he heard Charden let out a barbaric, demoniac roar. He watched as the roof gave out from underneath the man, the bricks quickly crumbling away as Jax flew himself at the older man.

The young Taoist wrapped his arm around his mentor's waist, plucking Charden from the roof before it completely collapsed. The two floated in the air, blood continuing to pour out of Charden's arms and towards the men still on the roof.

As the blood splashed in front of him, Train scooped Creed up in his arms and flew them in the air as well. The moment his feet left the building, a loud, thunderous crack resounded in the sky as the Apostles' home crumbled away brick by brick.

Smoke filled the sky, surrounding the four men, making it impossible for them to see one another. Train coughed on the soot and ash, his arms shaking as he tried to hold Creed as close to his chest as he could.

Charden's last attack made me too weak… I don't know how long I can hold Creed for.

Train never had a hard time soaring through the sky with his lover in his arms before. In fact, he did it quite often as a leisurely, romantic activity, but after battling for as long as he had been, after all the damage he had endured, and with how fatigued he was, he had no idea how long he could keep them airborne.

I'll only get one shot at this! And it might do as much damage to us as it will to them.

Train felt Creed cuddle as close to his chest as he could, his lithe fingers digging into the tattered remains of his shirt as he squeezed his eyes shut. Despite the smog and smoke the collapsing building created, Train could see Creed's shield was still fading in and out.

Every time it fades out, more smoke gets trapped inside our dome. And my lungs still haven't recovered enough from Charden's attack.

He tried to cough quietly so as not to upset Creed and cause the man to drop his shield. They needed to keep it going as long as they could.

Train scanned the sky looking for Charden and Jax, unable to see them behind the thick, gray cloud polluting the sky.

The cat coughed again and asked his finance a question. "Where's your Imagine Blade?"

Creed coughed as well. "I… I don't know… I used it to repel Jax's explosion to melt the ice prison, but… but it slipped from my fingers after that."

Creed gripped tighter to his beloved's shirt. "I… I lost it…"

Train frowned at his lover.

He sacrificed his blade to save me…

Train pressed his head against Creed's hair. "We'll find it when this is all over. I promise."

Creed nodded. "Do you still have Hades?"

Train nodded as well. "Yes."

The cat saw the shield disappear again and squeezed Creed tighter. "Just a little longer… Just hold onto it for a little longer, Creed."

Creed did not respond verbally, but seeing the shield around them shine a bit brighter, Train knew he was listening.

Train saw a flash of red pierce through the thick smog surrounding them and cursed. Without another word, the gunman flew both himself and his lover to the left, dodging a massive stream of blood Charden threw at them.

How can he see us?! I can't see them!

As the cat squinted into the fog, he saw a familiar electric blue flash quickly in the cloud. Again, Train muttered a curse and flung them higher into the air. He didn't know where the smog ended, but he was determined to find it.

I have to find it if I'm going to see where to aim my shot.

When he saw another stream of blood coming from his left, and another lightning bolt coming from his right, Train worked out his opponents were not able to see him. They were firing blindly into the smog in hopes they'd hit the men.

I can't stop moving. Creed's shield is fading too much right now. I can't rely on it to protect us.

At that point, Train just wanted to leave the fog and pray Creed's shield could hold on just long enough that Charden wouldn't be able to control his blood again. If that happened while they were aerial, he knew that would promise their demise.

Train swallowed as he soared in the air, twisting his body left and right, up and down to avoid the attacks. They came so inconsistently and recklessly, Train could tell they were desperate.

Yeah, well, I am too!

Seeing a bit of light a few feet ahead of him, Train angled his body in the direction of it and moved them as fast as he could. He saw the shield around them fade in and out again and gritted his teeth.

Faster! I have to go faster!

Train could see the flashes and blue and red mixing together every so often, each one of their attacks getting too close for comfort. He kept his eyes locked onto the literal light at the end of the tunnel, holding Creed close to his body as he flew speedily through the sky.

As he got closer to the light, Train's ears perked when he heard an explosion erupt from behind him. However, he refused to look back since he knew what was going on. Instead, he increased his speed even more.

Almost there!

Another explosion burst behind him, except that one landed only a few inches away from his feet. The force of the blast caused his body to spin in the sky, Train's lean frame twirling viciously, momentarily disorienting the cat.

As his body rotated, Train felt his grip on Creed lessening and he panicked. He watched as Creed's eyes widened and his hands reached out to grab him, clinging to the gunman's shirt at the last minute.

Just as Creed was settling back against Train's chest and reactivating his shield, another explosion landed directly on the cat's back, burning his flesh and destroying his shirt.

The shirt was the last thing Creed had to cling to and as it turned to ashes on Train's torso, the swordsman's fingers had nothing to grasp.

Train let out a loud curse as he watched Creed fall from his arms. The pain from the explosion was nothing compared to the pain of losing the grip he had on his lover, and his heart froze as he watched the silver man plummet to the ground.

Knowing Creed didn't have his Imagine Blade to lessen his fall, Train steered his body in the direction of the swordsman. The only fortunate thing about the situation was Jax's explosions had cleared enough of the smog out of the air that Train was able to get a clear view of his falling lover.

NO!

Train locked eyes with Creed as the silverette reached his arms out as far as they would go, trying to grab onto any part of his Kitten that he could.

I WON'T LOSE HIM!

Train gritted his teeth and let out a pathetic scream, activating the Nanomachines in his arms. He thought he depleted all of the bots in his body, but in his desperation to get to Creed, the cat managed to call upon them one last time.

"CREED!"

Train screamed and extended his arms just enough that his hands were able to wrap around Creed's fingers, and he squeezed as tight as he could to his Stallion's thin digits. The silverette ground his teeth and twisted his fingers around his beloved's, activating his shield again the moment he knew he was secure.

The Black Cat hissed and grunted as he pulled Creed back up into his arms, sliding one arm under the swordsman's legs as the other wrapped around his back.

Train hovered his body in the air, pressing Creed's face against his bare chest. "I'm sorry… I'm so sorry, Creed!"

Creed shuttered, then buried his face into Train's chest. "Don't apologize! Go! I can't hold this shield for much longer!"

Train nodded, then scanned the sky for their enemies. Jax's attacks had cleared most of the smoke out of the air, giving the gunman a better look at their surroundings.

On the ground were the remains of the Apostles' hideout, bricks scattered and piled along the Earth, leaving Train to wonder if there was anyone left inside.

Train flew to the left as another wave of blood was sent at them, then to the right to avoid a lightning attack. He looked up and saw Charden and Jax floating about a hundred feet away from them, the boy with his arms still around his mentor to keep him afloat.

Train gritted his teeth and glared at the duo. "This is it. I'm done with this war!"

Charden returned the cat's look, snarling at him as if he were able to hear the gunman's words.

Train stared at the man for a moment longer, then looked down at Creed as he pressed Hades against the cat's chest.

Creed gave his lover a weak smile. "Train… It's time. I… I can't hold it any longer."

Train smiled at his partner, then took his trusted weapon from the man. Without another word, Train sparked his body with his electrical powers, concentrating them into Hades as he searched for whatever Nanomachines he had left.

Come on, come on! Don't fail me now!

Train shut his eyes and dug deep, focusing on the small pool of bots that remained inside him. His face contorted in frustration when he realized how few were left. He needed to rest in order for the bots to replenish, but there was no time for that.

Lady Luck… I need you now more than ever…

As if the fabled deity heard him, Train felt a swell of bots dancing deep within him. He snickered and spoke his words of gratitude out loud.

"Thanks…"

Train opened his eyes, his hair standing on its end, a variety of blue and orange hues surrounding his lean frame as he licked his lips. His eyes shimmered emphatically, his natural amber orbs pairing perfectly his electric blue and potent orange.

His heart beat powerfully against his damaged ribs, the blood coursing through his vein scorching his insides, sending his adrenaline over the edge. He allowed those sensations to build and grow since he knew the stronger they were, the stronger his attack would be.

This is it…

He locked eyes with Charden, smirking at the way the Blood Taoist's hands desperately tried to control the blood in his throat. However, Creed's shield remained strong, protecting his Kitten from the Blood Taoist's attack.

The silver man scraped his nails violently against Train's chest, trying to let his love know he was at his limit. His body shook, and his skin felt cold, but he held on, screaming at the top of his lungs to Train.

"NOW, TRAIN!"

Train smirked and aimed his gun at Charden, making sure it was ever so slightly to the left to ensure he did not kill the man.

"THIS IS THE END, CHARDEN!"

The moment Train pulled the trigger, Creed let his shield go. The couple was thrown back, and Creed wrapped his arms around his beloved neck to make sure they were not separated.

He didn't know how far they would be thrown, what shape they would be in when they landed, or even where they would land, but he knew he wanted to stay close to his beloved as he could.

For Charden, the entire scene played out in slow motion. He struggled in Jax's arm, screaming at the boy to fly them away from the massive ray of light aimed at them.

However, the size of the light was too vast for them to avoid. It didn't matter which way Jax took them, there was no way to completely avoid it. Still, he did his best to obey his mentor's orders, flying them as high in the sky as he could to get away from the blast.

It wasn't enough. As they were flying through the air, the blast smacked into Charden and Jax's side, instantaneously knocking the boy out and sending them both careening out of the sky.

Charden, who was still conscious, fell out of Jax's arms and away from the boy, the light surrounding them blinding him as he searched the sky for his lackey. His heart stopped when he spotted Jax, his gut twisting when he saw the lifeless expression on his protege's face.

He immediately began fearing the worst.

"No…"

He reached out to grab the boy before he got too far away, wrapping his arms around Jax's inert figure and pulling the boy against his chest.

"No… What have I done…?"

The ray of light dimmed enough that Charden was able to see the ground rapidly approaching. His entire body felt numb, leaving him to wonder if he was even alive.

Echidna…

The Blood Taoist smiled as he shut his eyes, a tear escaping his control since he was certain he had expired from whatever that ray of light was, and decided it wasn't worth fighting anymore.

"I'm sorry…"

Charden did not notice the portal that opened beneath him, bringing him closer to the ground to lessen his fall.

"Charden? Charden, are you okay?!"

Charden's eyes fluttered open when he heard that voice, his heart racing when he felt those supple, soft fingers caressing his face.

E… Echidna…?

As he opened his eyes, his vision was greeted with the most beautiful sight in the world.

He smiled and leaned into the hand that was caressing his cheek. "Echidna…"

Echidna smiled at her lover, running her fingers through his hair as she spoke. "Yes… It's me, my love… I'm here."

Charden shut his eyes, squeezing Jax against his chest. "Echidna… I'm… I'm so sorry…"

A tear fell down his cheek and he pulled Jax's head closer to his face. "I'm sorry… I'm sorry…"

Echidna sighed in relief, and she allowed her emotions to finally show. Tears poured down her porcelain cheeks like a teeming waterfall, the salty liquid seemingly limitless as the actress's soul finally felt at peace.

"It's okay, my love… I forgive you…"

She leaned her head against Charden and Jax, her heart feeling full for the first time in what felt like an eternity as she embraced the men she cared about more than anyone else in the world.

"As long as I have you back… I will always forgive you…"

---

A/N: Next chapter will consist of wrapping up and more, possibly followed by an epilog. I have ideas of what to write for it, but it might end up just being in the next chapter. I haven't decided on that yet. So, we're looking at definitely one more chapter, maybe two.

Thank you all so much for your patience and loyalty while I finished this story. I hope that most of you are still reading, and I hope all of you that are still enjoy it. It's been a long journey, but we're almost done, and I can't thank you enough for sticking with me.

Stay tuned! We're not quite done yet.

Translation:

"Good girl."

"Kneel."

"Fly."

"Right. Lower."

"Up."

"DOWN!"

"Attention!"

"Wait…"