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Disclaimer: I don't own Black Cat!

Chapter 19: Farewell

Sven POV

At the hospital, I sat on the bench, worried. Some doctors and nanotechnology specialists checked on her unconscious condition in the closed room. In front of me, Train leant his back against the wall, standing casually. I saw bandage on his forehead. His main wound was hidden under his white shirt and blue jacket. Two hours ago, a doctor treated it. The nasty wound gotten from his fight with Adam.

"How can you be so quiet? Don't you realize Eve's condition is serious?" I became annoyed to see his calmness.

"Don't worry about it. She'll be just fine," he stated.

"How do you know that?"

"Someone told me."

"Who? Sephiria?"

He remained silent, and it could mean 'yes'.

Train POV

"I want to smoke." Soon Sven left me since all the rooms in this floor were non-smoking ones. Well, in this situation, it was natural for someone like him really needed smoking.

Sitting and waiting patiently, I remembered what happened after Adam and I went out from the broken base, when we were at the forest.

It was my last minute with him.

FLASHBACK

"You bastard!" I snapped after he told me that he had a remote control to activate and inactivate system in his pants pocket. I meant ... how could I not be angry? He had pushed me to death to know what I felt. He even let Princess to join us to face it on purpose. I felt like being used, something had been stolen from me. I let my guard opened, and that was because of this damn brat.

"I have a good reason, you know? Just blame yourself for being so damn stubborn and reserved," Adam said back ignorantly, taking a pill from his pocket and swallowing it. "Now I'm satisfied. I get what I want."

He smiled, realizing that I was controlling my urge to exterminate him. But come to think of it, my anger was in vain. He already knew everything, and I hated him to the core. What if he spread the news that Black Cat actually had a heart?

Ugh! I hated for being vulnerable.

"I should leave now." He eyed the sleeping Princess in my arms. "I know you'll take care of her well, Black Cat. Don't disappoint me, and don't worry, she's just tired. She'll be fine soon, not more than a day. I promise."

I nodded.

He smiled humbly. "I'm sorry to bring this to you all. Without a heart, nanomachine is only a killer machine, so that I wanted to make sure about something." He mischievously grinned after emphasizing the word 'something'. "But now, I dare to say, Eve isn't a threatening creature anymore. She would no longer think about the purpose for which she was created, and she wouldn't think to have any reason to go back to her former nature, because there's someone important to her, and that someone also thinks that she's precious."

I looked at him, secretly admiring him for telling and apologizing to me. Who knew that he was nice at the end?

"I must go before your friends catch me." Two black wings appeared on his back.

"You said you needed one or two days to transform again. Liar!" I frowned.

"I told the truth. But I didn't tell you the whole thing that I also had a pill for it." He said, reminding me about a thing he swallowed a few minutes ago.

"Why don't you give it to Princess too?" I demanded.

"I just made one for myself."

I cursed him silently. Definitely sneaky brat!

"See you later, Black Cat!"

"I don't want to see you again."

He laughed. He knew it was joke. Then he started flying.

Well, it seemed this was a good time to say something to him before I had good chance (or bad one?) to meet him again.

"Thanks, Adam! Take care of yourself!"

He was stunned to hear it, but slowly he smiled sincerely, giving a look of good boy into my eyes. "Why, you're welcome, and thanks for your advice. Oh! It's Tynan anyway."

"Tynan?"

"My real name."

I nodded before seeing him flying fast, leaving Princess and me.

END FLASHBACK

Thinking of it, why should I worry about Princess? Even Tynan could assure it. Geez, Sven was too excessive. But then again, he was a parent. It was fine to act like that.

"Heartnet."

I heard feminine voice called my surname, then I saw Sephiria approaching me. I knew this would come. Time to report the mission to her, which was much better than report it to the big bosses in Chronos H.Q.

Together with Belze, she took me to the Japan restaurant, a favorite eating place for her.

"I'm waiting for your report, Heartnet," she started.

"Well, you were there with me. What should I report now?"

"Yes, we were. The remained Eden data and Chronos members' data were saved. The nano project of Jock Morris has been destroyed. He has been caught, together with Troy Wolff and his father. The mission looked accomplished. But for me, it wasn't completed yet."

"So, what do you want to ask?"

"About Adam."

I narrowed my eyes as the boy's name was mentioned.

"Why did you let him go? You know he's dangerous," she demanded.

"I had two reasons."

She nodded, giving me a chance to elaborate.

"Firstly, we had agreement. You asked me to get back the Eden data and Chronos members' data, and catch Jock Morris. So, Adam is not my point in this mission."

Again, there was a silent disturbance among us for a few seconds before I said, "Secondly, I think he isn't as dangerous as you think. He was there for the different reason, and it wasn't related to the previous Eden project to destroy the world. He just wanted to get what he wanted, and he did finally."

"So you mean that since he got what he wanted, you let him go?" Belze questioned.

"Yes."

"What did he want?"

I swallowed hard. It would be difficult for me to give the details. Thus, for several minutes or more, I just kept my mouth shut.

"Heartnet, we're still waiting for your answer!" Sephiria asked decisively.

"It's … certainty."

"About what?"

"… about … Princess."

"I see."

Strangely, after I said that, she looked satisfied as if she knew the details even without me telling her clearly. Something was missing here.

"Let me guess, you've checked on Adam's identity," I smirked.

She smiled. "You're right. Surprisingly, we didn't find any criminal record from him. I know that he was the adopted son of the nanotechnology researcher. Very smart. Creative. From the first times I realized Jenos and Xiao Li's failures, I had a feeling that someone special was behind this. I was interested with the organization's name. AC. Anti-Chronos. I thought he named his organization like that because he hated Chronos. But Jock Morris admitted he was the one who named it, not Adam. Even that boy told that he just wanted to deal with someone who quitted from Chronos so the name shouldn't be related to Chronos. This made me think about something. He just wanted to make Chronos wouldn't get involved without killing them, because who he was waiting was not the Chronos members, but the quitted one."

I was speechless.

The quitted one? So that's my title in Chronos organization now?

"It seemed Adam knew you a lot since the first Eden Project ended, or maybe since he realized that Eve was taken from Torneo's house, being raised by an ex-IBI agent and an ex-Chronos member," Sephiria spoke. "Based on what you said about certainty, Sven Volfied is out of category. He adopted Eve so there's nothing that should be ensured. But you, you disappeared suddenly. You made the boy to think something odd about this, especially after knowing that you were the one who shot the real 'Adam' three years ago and saved Eve. So he wanted to make sure by doing this project."

I growled inside. That devious kid ….

"You knew, but why do you ask me?" I frowned.

"I just need confirmation that what I thought and predicted was right."

I sighed. Thoughts. Predictions. Plans. Reports. Missions. Confirmations. Orders. Decisions. Those were very Sephiria's vocabularies.

"So, does our agreement end?" I questioned.

She nodded. "I've transferred the reward to your account. You can check it whenever you want."

"Thanks, Sephiria." I nodded in relief, even though deep inside, I was disappointed. It was not that I would be difficult to get more money. It was just hard to get a high level mission. Surely the sweeper business was lucrative, but it wasn't very challenging. In fact, sometimes I was bored.

"Can I leave now?" I asked again, standing and being ready to leave.

"Not yet. I'd like to offer you another thing, and it's the main reason why I asked you to be here with us. Please sit down again."

I did what she ordered.

Another thing? Seriously? Will it be a big mission again?

I could not wait to know more. I had prepared myself to hear about whom I should deal with and what condition I should face in the mission. Yet, what I heard were not them. It was just one question. It was ….

"Heartnet," she called my name seriously. "Will you join us again as a Chronos member?"

Sven POV

"Where were you?" I eyed Train suspiciously while sitting on the long bench. Since my fatherly instinct raised greatly after knowing what he felt towards my daughter, somehow I didn't want him to be close to her.

"Sephiria and Belze invited me to have dinner," he replied curtly, sitting not far from me.

"Something's wrong?"

"Nothing." He looked away.

"Damn it! Just spill it out!"

He didn't give me any response. It was obvious that he would never give me any explanation about the thing that he called 'nothing'. This made me guess that what he was thinking now was about her.

Difficult topic, yet unavoidable. But Train and I should face it. It was for her sake anyway.

"Look, Train," I started, getting his attention. "Eve's happiness is my happiness too."

He nodded. So I continued, "I ... I already know what you feel towards Eve."

Surprisingly, he was still calm. He just stared at me seriously, waiting for me to say something first.

I smiled smugly. Good. This was what I expected from him now. No silliness. No denial, and whining attitudes, since the one that I wanted to talk was him.

Black Cat, as known as XIII of Chronos, whom I first met in the Lib Tyrant's party (A/N: Black Cat Anime eps 1), was an epitome of bad luck, nightmare, and mystery in the underground. He could come suddenly and take his target's life without hesitation. His skill, strength, speed, and determination were his fortes in hunting. Things that made him feared by all Chronos' opponents.

A true loner. A reserved, rational, ruthless, and very stubborn person.

On the other hand, Stray Cat, the childish part of him, was his alter ego. The face that he showed to us to make himself more approachable and less intimidating. A form of gratitude for meeting a woman named Saya Minatsuki. Yet, it was not his true one.

His true one was Black Cat in solitude. The time when Black Cat had his free time alone. The time when Black Cat was not on duty. At that times, he became the real him. The real Train Heartnet. The one whom I wanted to talk with ... since this matter greatly dealt with his and my daughter's future.

I saw him as a dependable man, and I believed that he could protect Eve without any help from others. If there was person that I trusted to take care of Eve, it was only him. However, it wasn't enough for me yet. He should do something more to gain my final trust.

"So what do you expect from me? If it's true," He asked frankly.

I replied carefully, "I just ... I mean ... she deserves a man who can protect her and also give her much opportunities to show her talents, bringing out the best in her. A strong and dependable man. But there's still one point left with you."

He gazed at me, being alarmed, while waiting for my next words.

"It's stability, Train."

Eve's POV

What I saw was only darkness. I had run everywhere, screaming Sven's and his name frequently. But there was no response. This made me scared.

Why am I here? Alone? Am I still … alive?

He freed me from the big glass. Still, we couldn't escape from the closed weird base, and then … then … I didn't remember what happened after that.

Did we die together? But why can't I find him? Does God straightly send him to Hell? But I am a killer too. He should send me to Hell too. I should be with him. But why am I alone now? Where is he? Where am I?

"Eve …."

I heard a masculine voice calling me.

I knew who the caller was. It was not him. Indeed. He never called me by name. He created special nickname for me, and since then, he called me with it.

"Eve, try to wake up …."

The voice got nearer, making me slowly sense my own body.

I opened my eyes, as Sven and a doctor and a nurse looked at me worriedly.

"She gained her consciousness," a doctor stated.

"Thank God." Sven ruffled my hair.

"Don't let yourself sleep again, Eve. We don't know when you can gain your consciousness again," the doctor asked me kindly.

I nodded, fighting against the drowsiness.

When the doctor and the nurse left me with Sven, I looked around.

"What are you searching for?" he questioned, looking so confused although I felt that he knew who I was searching for.

"Where is he?" I asked back.

"Where is who?"

"T-Train." I was so nervous, saying his name. Then I saw a worried glance from my father, seeing my slightly burnt face.

But before he could reply, the nurse came to my room, bringing dinner.

I had my dinner lazily so Sven had to force me. He said that food could get me better soon. However, I would not surrender at this time, becoming a stubborn girl. I didn't listen to what he said, and for the first time in my life, I had a different view with Sven. It was not like I didn't want to be a good daughter for him, but it was difficult to eat since I didn't have any appetite, and not only that ...

He gave a long, defeated sigh as I didn't do what he asked.

"I'll eat my breakfast tomorrow morning," I pleaded.

He didn't say anything, just looking away.

"You haven't answered my question, Sven." I reminded him. "Where's he?"

"Look, Eve. Doctor said that you should take a rest …."

"Sven." I called him curtly, signaling him for not changing the topic.

But he remained silent. This made me sense a bad intuition. I felt like I knew something that he was trying to hide.

Slowly, I felt a burning sensation on my eyes.

"Sven, can you do me a favor?" I questioned hopefully.

He eyed me as if he asked what he should do to please me.

"Please leave me alone now."

"But Eve …."

"… please …."

After he left me, I didn't hide my tears anymore. I knew that Train was gone because of Sven. But strangely, I didn't hate my father. I just regretted myself for not being there when he tested on Train's capability to assure my future.

I was so stupid. So weak. Now I didn't know when I could meet him again. Now I lost my chance to tell him what I felt. Well, maybe I could call him soon or later. But then again, when he left me three years ago, he changed his number immediately so no one could contact him.

He always thought that he could come and go freely, like a stray cat. Well, he was. No one could order him. No one could control him. He had no master. He was the master of himself. But, didn't he realize that since I put that bell on his neck, I also gave him signal about something? Or did he just think that I wanted him to be a good stray cat?

I sniffed silently, letting my tears roll on my cheeks while I was laying down on my bed. Sadly, I looked at the window, seeing the dark sky and many thick clouds. It would rain soon.

Train's POV

It was raining heavily. But I was still walking without any care, letting my head and body soaked.

My bangs covered my thoughtful eyes. What Sven told was ringing in my ears. It hurt. But I didn't blame him. He had the right to make sure that his daughter's future was fine.

Stability, huh?

I had thought of it. But I didn't know what I should do to get it. A stray cat had full freedom to do what it wanted, but it never had steadiness.

When I was still in Chronos, I wanted to be a stray cat so bad. I wanted to do what I wanted. But now I knew that freedom was not everything. Being bound was not too bad as long as it could make the ones whom you care were happy, since their happiness were your happiness.

Now I stood in front of the big building. The place that I hated to come. One of Chronos headquarters. I chuckled, thinking about when the last time I entered it.

Something in my head didn't want me to enter. It didn't want me to go back to my old self. Was it afraid of something?

Of course, it didn't want to be a killer anymore.

But another voice in my head encouraged me to enter, saying: You know that one day you will face this, not to be a stray cat forever.

To be continued ….

Will Train join Chronos once again? Will Eve meet Train again? Find the answers at the next chapter. ^ ^