Chapter Six

"Hello, Black Cat…" He said quietly, though we could both hear him perfectly well.

"Heya, Won. Didn't expect to see you again so soon. Didn't you say you needed more training before you could beat me?"

"Well, I think I may try my hand once more in combat with you. My bounty has gone up since last we met. If I recall correctly, it is now forty million. I know that you won't kill me. So if you win, please feel free to take me in." Won said. I held my arm out, holding Train back.

"Wait. I'll fight Won this time, Train. I've studied some of the same martial arts as he practices."

At this, Lugart laughed, and sighed. "Ah, you're hilarious, young lady. Do not try to bite off more than you can chew. You are liable to choke."

"He's right, Eve. I know better than anyone that you're a great fighter, but this is between Won and I. Try to give us some space. Won, perhaps we should go to the park where there's more space to fight. We wouldn't want to involve any helpless civilians, would we?" Train asked. I looked over at him. He had certainly become slightly more mature if he was trying to avoid causing collateral damage.

"Very well. Let us go quickly. I have a job to do in town, and I don't doubt that you do as well."

"Actually… We were just about to move on. If you know of any good bounties, we'd be grateful." Train said with a light laugh. Lugart laughed as well.

"You were just as confident and relaxed back then. I found it extraordinarily irritating. Well, here we are. Let us fight." Lugart said. Train looked at me, and I stepped back to sit under a tree, sliding down, and sighing, knowing that I couldn't do anything, but wanting to help more than anything else.

"So, Black Cat. Did you enjoy the movie? I heard you talking about how much you love Lovecraft's works." Won said.

"Actually, I didn't like it as much as you would think. It stayed fairly true to the short story, but it was somehow diminished just by the mere fact that it was on screen. Not being able to see it in the short story did a great deal to add to the tension and mystery that surrounded it." Train said, surprising both Won and myself with how astute he was being.

"I felt the same way. Part of the beauty of a story like Colours out of Space is that you can't see it, and have to imagine what it's like, and thus, it adds to the feelings of dread. It's always been a fact that the enemy that you can't see is more frightening than the enemy that's known to you."

"I agree. Lovecraft's literature, Music of Erich Zann, Colours out of Space, they thrive on the fact that the villains as such, are inherently unknowable, and terrifying in how cold and 'outre' they are." Train agreed. Vincent smiled, seeming to approve of Train's analysis.

"Very well said, Black Cat. I never knew you were such an aficionado of pulp literature. I'm impressed at your intelligence. It will make this kill all the more satisfying." Lugart said before flickering and seeming to disappear.

Train seemed completely unconcerned, though, simply standing there. Won circled around, and chopped Train on the neck, causing Train's legs to crumple under him. I recognized the attack. A chop at the base of the neck to put him into a coma.

Fortunately, Train seemed to be fine. Even I wasn't sure of how he managed that, but he stood back up, taking his gun out, this time, and taking his time loading it before snapping it into place and aiming it.

"Won, come on. You tried that same starting move last time. I remember it as if it was yesterday."

"Yes, well… I was hoping that the fact that I've become faster in three and a half years would have changed something. Well, fire away. This is supposed to be a fight."

"I'll preserve my bullets. A good gunman doesn't fire bullets randomly and without reserve.

"The best gunmen in the world can kill anyone with a single bullet. I won't claim to be able to do so with you, but I can certainly try to disable you with it." Train said. I saw him quickly preparing the gun as he spun it around on his finger, and playing with it.

Then he grabbed it by the handle, and fire a single shot toward Won's knee. Lugart moved quickly, and so the bullet didn't sink its shot, but it hit the knee area, and now, Lugart was walking with a limp, severely slowed by the bullet. Thereafter, Train immediately fired another shot, this time hitting Lugart's knee dead center. Train could have stopped there. But Lugart didn't seem to be done.

"You conniving bastard. What a rotten trick to pull…"

"Oh, don't pull that one on me. I was fighting intelligently. Now, although you are strong willed enough to ignore the pain, your leg is weakened, and you can't move as quickly."

Lugart lunged at Train to attack, but made a fatal blunder, his left leg buckling under him, and Train chopped him on the head, knocking him out cold.

"Oh yeah. I guess I failed to tell you this. But the second bullet I fired had a nerve killing agent in it. Even after you do get that bullet out, it will have released enough of Sven's nerve toxin that you won't be able to walk for quite a while…" Train said, hefting Won over his shoulder, and walking over to me.

"Well… We got Won. Do you want to take him in, or should I?" I asked Train. I knew what he was going to say, but I still thought it was at least polite to ask.

"Do not presume, little girl," Lugart said with an arrogant smirk, struggling to stand, and finally getting up, still looking woozy from blood loss and pain. "That you could overpower me was I to resist. I will submit only to Black Cat." In fact, I didn't doubt that I could overpower him with one hand behind my back given the condition he was in.

"You can come along with me, Eve. We haven't finished our date yet, right?" Train asked. Hearing this stated so bluntly in front of Lugart caused me to blush slightly.

"R-right…"

"Ah… I see… Well, I must admit, Black Cat. You have good taste in women…" Lugart said approvingly in his typical thick Germanic accent.

"Thanks. But I'm not Train's girlfriend. The feelings are one sided. Train is kind enough, though to have taken me on a date."

"Kind? The Black Cat?" Lugart asked with abject disbelief. I looked at Lugart with an ice cold scowl.

"You have no idea of what Train is like! I admit that when we first met, I could only see the killer in him, and assumed that he could never change.

"But he's a good man, and his time with us has made him a completely different man. But you don't get to complain. If you need help walking, Train and I will assist you, but you are under arrest." I snapped. Won sighed, and nodded, putting his hands out. Train slapped a pair of cuffs on him, and we walked toward the police station.

I was truly impressed with Train. He had improved over the three years he had been gone. He had defeated Won with two bullets, and nary a wasted movement. He had only used hand-to-hand combat to distract Won, then fiddled with his gun as he loaded the bullets, using that as a further distraction, then shot twice, using the first bullet to disable Won, and the second to cripple him.

I didn't doubt that even if Won ever did walk again, that he would never be an assassin again, given the crippling blow that Train no doubt dealt to Won's knee.

"Train? Why did you choose his knee to attack? It's such a small target, and it's constantly moving." I said as we walked toward the drop-off point for Lugart Won. Train thought for a moment, then shrugged.

"I just thought that it would be ironic for a man who was so proud of his speed and dexterity to be crippled. Oh, hold on. I have a magnet that can get the bullet out. Hold still, Won…" Train said, taking out a small magnet that had a strange look to it, and seemed to hum lightly.

"One, two, three…" Train said quickly, putting the magnet up to Won's left knee. Won hissed in pain as the bullet flew out, and attached to the magnet.

"The bullet has a small piece of Neodyminium in the tip that is attracted to a magnet. Thus, I can pull it out when I need to. Though, it does do a bit of damage coming out…" Train said to me, standing back up, and walking along again.

After we dropped Won off and collected his bounty, which I was sure would have us set for a while, Train and I went on with the rest of our date. I bought a few books in town, some of them relating to teaching myself something new. Now, I was planning to work on Krav Maga. But the question I was asking myself just yesterday came back to me.

"Hey, Train?" I asked, blushing again. I say again that blushing is not common for me. I'm rarely embarrassed, and I rarely blush. I am told that I have the most amazing Poker face, mostly by Jenos, who is always terribly frustrated by his inability to beat me in Poker. Train looked at me, surprised as well by the way I was acting. No doubt he also thought I was acting like a blushing little schoolgirl.

"Yeah, Eve?" Train asked. In that moment, though I had not forgotten what I planned to ask, I found that I couldn't ask it. Was it because I didn't want to bring up painful memories for Train? Maybe. Or was it because I didn't want to know the answer myself? After a few minutes of Train looking at me, I got over my hesitance.

"O-on the night that Saya died…" I started nervously, shivering slightly, now. Train looked at me, surprised, and he even seemed slightly sad.

"You said that she told you that she was planning to leave town; that she had stayed too long in one place. Y-you… Were planning to confess to her, weren't you? You always told us that she was only ever a good friend who changed your life, but that isn't true, is it? You loved her, didn't you?"

For a moment, Train seemed unable to speak, caught with no breath in his lungs. He had the most unreadable look on his face that startled and almost frightened me. After a moment, though, his face relaxed, and he sighed, nodding.

"I've always said that you're too observant for my own good. Yes. I was deeply in love with Saya, and I planned to tell her as much. I was pretty sure that she didn't feel the same way. But to hear that she was planning to leave town… I-it really hurt me like no bullet, no knife, no punch ever could. So, you were right, Eve, when you said that Saya essentially 'dumped me'.

"We were never actually dating, but I felt closer to her than I had to anyone else in my entire life. Does that satisfy your curiosity?" Train asked. I was breathless. I could see the pain in his eyes. I had never intended to hurt him. I just nodded numbly, unable to say anything. Finally, though, I spoke again.

"Sorry. I-I shouldn't have asked."

"No, no… It makes sense that you would want to know. I've been so secretive… Well, we're at the ammo shop. I'll be right back. You don't have to come in if you don't want."

"I'll come." I said, putting a hand on his hand and walking in with him.

"Hey, there… What can I help you with?" The man asked as we walked in. I jumped slightly. I hadn't expected to be greeted so quickly.

"Hey… I need .500 S&W Magnum bullets." Train said casually. The gun shop owner looked surprised.

"You don't see too many people who are even able to shoot a gun that big, let alone who are inclined to have one. You just a gun enthusiast?"

"No. I'm a sweeper. I haven't got much time, though. I'll just take three boxes of the bullets."

"Alright… Be right back. Um, you got a license, right?" He asked, looking nervous for a moment. Train replied in the affirmative, and the gun shop owner disappeared into the back, and returned a few minutes later with three boxes of 25 bullets each.

"96.61 Euros, mate." The man said. Train put the money down, and left with the bullets. I hurried after him.

"Hey, Train… You seem to be a little more serious since you came back. I'm not exactly complaining, but it's certainly a little bit unnerving." I said, feeling that Train's new more focused attitude was slightly strange. And although I said that I didn't mind, it, perhaps it wasn't as nice as I wanted to make myself think back when I was thirteen. I blanched when I saw Train grinning and looking at me.

"Are you complaining about me being more serious? I thought that was what you wanted. You and Sven always admonished me for being such a goof-off… So I became more serious in my time away."

"Well, yeah… But… You're not you. I complained about your laid back laissez-faire attitude, but it was your cool, calm demeanor that balanced out my grumpy attitude, and Sven's seriousness and intensity."

"Well, if you'd like, I could goof around a bit more. You seem to have changed a fair deal yourself. You've really grown. You've become so beautiful… It's almost awkward being on a date with you." Train said to me, causing me to blush once more. Again, I feel I can safely say that I usually don't blush.

But then, I haven't seen Train in three years, and perhaps in that time, I began to attribute the legendary status that his title of Black Cat brought him, even though I knew intellectually how different he was from the ruthless, ice cold killer that most people made him out as.

Over those three years, I didn't attribute such dangerous qualities to him as most people did. But rather, I began to see him as the summit of everything that I aspired to be as well. I started to see him as lofty, almost unreachable in his power, perhaps both physically and romantically. In truth, I knew almost nothing about him. Train didn't talk about himself much, least of all, perhaps, to me. But the things I started to believe were intimidating and even a little terrifying on occasion.

"I-I'm not really… Th-that beautiful… I just…" I hesitated, and Train chose that moment to speak up again.
"Don't say that. You're…"

"So if you really think I'm that beautiful, why don't you love me!?" I snapped angrily.

"Who says I don't love you? I love you just as much as I would love my own family. You and Sven are the closest thing to family that I have… You really aren't going to let me off with a 'not telling', are you?" Train asked, surprised at how aggressive Eve was being.

"No! I'm not!" I snapped, pushing Train up against the wall and staring straight into his golden, catlike eyes. I was once more shocked by their beauty. His eyes, indeed his whole face, shone with a feral beauty that refused to be tamed.

"But…"

"It is because I'm ten years younger than you, isn't it?" I demanded. I felt stupid, acting like such a child. I promised myself that I would call Tearju later. I figured that she would doubtless have some interesting insight into my dilemma.

"No… That's not it. I invoke my right to keep my trap shut." Train said with his typical goofy flair. I sighed despondently. It was just like Rinslet had said. I would never force the answer out of Train. He would tell me when he was good and ready, and I would just have to accept that. I didn't know it at the time, but his answer would come sooner than I thought. I looked up at the sky and smelled the air. It was a wonderful smell, the smell of autumn leaves.

"Fine…" I snapped. "Let's go back to the base…" What can I say? I was angry. Train was being as evasive as ever about talking about himself and it irritated me. He knew plenty about me, and likely about Sven as well, but neither of us knew much about him except that he was once the dreaded Black Cat. I felt a little proud that I knew that he liked Pulp Fiction, and that he had been an avid collector.

"Train…" I said, taking a deep breath, and steadying my temperament so that I could at least enjoy the time we had left on our date.

"Yeah, Eve? Do you really want to just go back? It's only 1600h. Sven probably doesn't expect us till 1800 or 1900h at least."

"We can stay out a bit longer if you want…" I said quietly. "But I have a question. You know a lot about me, and probably about Sven as well, but I must admit that I know almost nothing about you. Probably the fact that you were ready to ask Saya out, and the fact that you love Pulp Fiction are the two most personal things I know about you."

"Was there a question in there, Eve?"

"Well… I just want to know more about you. We're supposed to be friends, right? Even if you don't reciprocate my feelings, we're at least friends, right?"

"Okay. Well… What did you wanna know?" Train asked, seeming completely open to any question I had.

"Have you ever had any girlfriends before Saya?" I asked, skipping straight to the most personal question I could think of. Perhaps that was wrong. Maybe it was a mistake, but Train took the admittedly strange question in stride, and nodded.

"Yeah. I had a few short term, casual girlfriends back in my time in Chronos. This was back before I became Number Thirteen. I was a bit less serious back then, and tried to enjoy life a bit more. I went on a few dates with a girl I met at this or that place. I told you about Sylphie. None of them were serious relationships, and I entered them knowing that."

"Did they know that? Did you make them aware of the fact that you weren't terribly serious about the relationship?" I asked. I was feeling dumber by the moment. Of course he had. The Train I knew would never lead a girl on with promises he couldn't or wouldn't keep.

"Yes. I always told them that I moved around a lot, and that the relationship probably wouldn't last long. Most of them accepted that."

"You say most. There were some who didn't?" I asked, interested now. He was really being honest with me, now. There was no filter on what he was telling me. This was so different from what he was like before. Before, he appeared to be a completely open book, but if you scratched the surface, you would inevitably notice the layers that he had put up to hide the truth.

I felt sure that this was what Saya had wanted for Train, so I felt grateful to her that she was able to catalyze that change in him. Creed had slowed his change when he killed Saya. But now, he was completely open… Well… Mostly. He still wouldn't tell me about his feelings for me.

"Well, there were several women who decided against a relationship with me for that reason. No hard feelings. We just didn't get together. But there was one woman… Actually… This is kind of a funny story, hahaha…" Train said, laughing with an almost nervous laugh. "There was one woman who…

"Well, she was beautiful, and caught my attention right away. I decided to ask her on a date, and she accepted. So, at the end of the night, I followed the usual song and dance. I thanked her for the date, and told her I'd like to see her again. But I also told her that I worked for a company that had me moving around a lot, so I couldn't have a serious long term relationship with her. She nodded and said that she could accept that.

"But over the next few dates, I could tell that she was becoming attached, and, beyond that, it was almost unnerving the way she seemed to cling to me. I definitely wasn't used to having anyone, much less a woman with whom I was only supposed to have a casual relationship, clinging to me like I was her husband to be or something.

"Well, I found out that she was a detective, and that she had done an investigation into my background. Who I was, what I did, where I had gone. This was inherently dangerous because she had unwittingly learned far too much about Chronos, as she had even found out that I was being considered as a candidate for the Chronos Numbers.

"She did research into them as well and even infiltrated the top layers of Chronos to discover the elders. She had to be erased. She knew far too much. Whether she had simply fallen in love with me and wanted to know more about me, or whether she was suspicious, and wanted to know the truth, I'll never know. Sephiria told me to kill her myself.

"She said that since I was the one who opened the proverbial door that it was my obligation to kill her and get rid of any information she had. So I fulfilled her orders… Don't look at me like that, Eve. After that, I didn't get involved with any other women until Saya came along. And… Well, you know how that went.

"It seems like everyone I associate with is cursed by me. I really liked that woman. I could have had a longer relationship with her and not regretted it. But my position was a curse. It was the same with Saya. I loved her, but fate is a fickle mistress, as they say. Eve… I know why you're asking me all this. You should give up.

"It's not that I don't find you attractive. It's not that I don't think I could be happy with you…" Train said. This made my heart flutter, even as my stomach was churning, not only with nerves, but with disappointment. "It's more that the only women that I haven't caused trouble for were the women with whom I wasn't being serious. Perhaps I've given up on having a…"

I was done listening to Train talk like that. So I simply put a finger up to his lips, and kissed him once more. The feelings that coursed through my body were like fire. It was amazing.

"You don't need to say anymore, Train… I'd follow you no matter where you go. I'd fight by your side against any enemy." I said, feeling more determined now than ever. Train stopped my rant, though, with a kiss on the forehead.

"Thank you, Eve. You don't know what that means to me. But I don't think I could stand to look at myself if I let you die on my account. I might just have to follow you into the afterlife… Besides, I'm pretty sure that even if I didn't, Sven would kill me. So I'd end up in the afterlife either way. But… If I'm going to die, there's nobody else whose side I'd rather die by… But really, Princess…"

"Don't call me that…" I snapped irritably."

"Sorry. Eve… Really, Eve, I've really had nothing but bad luck with the women in my past."

"What about Sylphie? She's still alive, isn't she? You said that you and she parted ways… Not that she died."

"Oh, her… Well… I wasn't really serious about her. It was nice to have a partner, and my relationship with her was fun… But I never planned to be serious about it. She got that, and after a while, she wasn't satisfied with it, so we broke up. No big deal." Train said. I could sense something a little deeper than that in him. It was like he really did like her, and was serious, but from what he told me, he felt like he couldn't afford to be serious about any relationship he was in.

"I-I see… Do you intend to be serious about me?" I asked, being completely serious. "If you don't, don't even start a relationship with me. I won't have my teammate and best friend break my heart with broken promises…"

"Eve… I would never lie to you… And… I think if there's anyone I could be serious about, it would be you."

"So, why did you come back?"

"I told you… I didn't come back. It was nothing more than coincidence that we met. But after that, I came back half hoping that you could find a way to convince me to stay. Being alone is lonely, and after having gotten used to having a partner, it just wasn't cool with me anymore. Does that answer satisfy you, Eve-chan?" Train asked, causing me to feel the heat rising to my face. I nodded, feeling completely numb.

"Let me ask you a question, Eve-chan… Did you accept this date to try to convince me to go out with you?" Train asked. I started slightly, wanting to deny the fact. But I knew that he would catch me in such a lie.

"Yes… I wanted you to see that I could show you a good time… That I could be as spontaneous as you… That I could be as mature as any girl your age."

"But Eve-chan… I like your calm and collected demeanor… Spontaneity is fun… To an extent" Train said. "but I like your tendency to calculate before you do anything. Those are some of the things I like most about you, some of the things that I like about Sven. You're so completely different from me that… But we should really get back. Sven'll start to worry if we don't. The sun's already going down…" Train said to me, smiling and brushing the hair out of my face.

"Thanks for taking me on this date, Train… It was really nice…" I replied, taking his hand and pulling him in to kiss him on the lips. Again, I found that I succeeded where Kyoko failed every time. Once more, I felt fireworks exploding in my heart. I couldn't believe how lucky I was. It seemed odd, perhaps.

I had such an antagonistic relationship with Train before, or rather, perhaps the antagonism was one sided, and perhaps I was merely being what the Japanese would call Tsundere. But as Train wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me in closer, kissing me back, I was happier than ever that Train had taken my first kiss.