Lia drew a deep breath as she finished showering, washing off the dirt and the thin layer of sweat that had formed earlier that evening.
The mission had gone without a hitch – as to be expected of two Chronos Numbers – and Stamper's connections were all dead. The message in the Underworld would be clear: Chronos was not tolerant towards its enemies. This was especially important now, after what had happened at the world conference.
Lia stared silently at the water swirling down the drain in the shower stall. Yes, it was important… but…
She closed her eyes. It seemed… despite her best attempts to be unaffected, seeing Train Heartnet again had shaken her, right to her core. His face could make her hesitate like precious few others could; and his eyes could make her question herself like no-one else. His expression when he'd seen Elysium…
Lia opened her eyes again.
No; he was no longer part of her life. She'd made her decision long ago – if Train didn't like it, he shouldn't have left Chronos the way he had two years ago. Now, he had no right to say anything; now, Lia lived for someone else's sake.
She stepped out of the shower, switching it off as she grabbed a towel and roughly dried herself.
Glancing in the mirror, Lia paused as she stared at her reflection.
A thin but strong body met her scrutinizing gaze, muscles hardened from hours of training and fighting; curves that had once been softer but now were angular thanks to the tight muscles. A body that she should be used to but… she traced a hand over the VI tattooed on her right hip.
Dropping the hand, she turned away from the mirror as she finished drying herself. Pulling on a bathrobe, she wrapped her long hair up into the towel, piling it on her head as she stepped out of the bathroom.
"Ah, you're finally done. I thought you might have died in there."
Jenos's tone was light and joking, though there was a slightly serious note to his voice that Lia ignored.
"So, what was this oh, so important task that you couldn't tell me about earlier?" Lia asked as she settled herself in one of the hotel suite's chairs, and Jenos smiled though it was grim.
Settling himself down in the chair across from the young woman, he replied, "No. II wants all of us back, now. We're to stop everything else and investigate further into the Apostles of the Stars."
"Oh?" Lia asked, raising a brow as she surveyed Jenos. "But that's not all, is it? If you mean that… well, most of us had started looking into this before now."
"It's gotten more serious." Jenos replied. "The world conference was just the beginning; and those Taoists are starting to really become a problem."
"There's something else." Lia stated, giving him a sharp look.
Jenos smiled wryly as he admitted, "Yes… No. I has tasked 'Cerberus' and 'the Reaper' to bring Creed in."
Lia stilled at that, and her gaze darkened as Jenos continued, "The federal government has also – under Chronos's orders of course – issued Sweeper reward notices for Creed, with the reward of three billion in exchange for his capture. Dead or alive."
"Sweepers?" Lia repeated with some surprise, and Jenos nodded.
Her eyes became thoughtful as she realized, "That's to lure Black Cat in, isn't it?"
"It will also help if we can get some help from the other Sweepers." Jenos shrugged. "There is a five million reward for useful information as well."
"Although what you really mean mean is, the more Sweepers who go after Creed, the easier it will be to find his base of operations." Lia observed. "You just have to start looking where a lot of Sweepers suddenly go missing in action."
"Well," Jenos shrugged easily, "yes; I do think that is what Sephi is aiming for as well."
"I see." Lia spoke up, and Jenos cocked his head as she turned to look at him again. "But what I don't understand is why this had to wait until now."
Jenos's grin became sheepish as he answered, "I worried that if I told you before, you wouldn't be focused on the mission before you. And then you'd get hurt."
"Your worries are unnecessary." Lia answered curtly, and he challenged, "Are they?"
She didn't reply, and Jenos pressed, raising a brow, "Did you pack your medicine for today?"
"Of course." Lia replied smoothly, not rising to his bait though she did look at him sharply. "I always prepare enough for when I'm away from headquarters."
Jenos nodded, letting the subject go as he said, "Oh, but there is one more order for me."
"You?" Lia repeated, glancing back at him, and he nodded.
"Me." He emphasized, pointing to himself. "No. II contacted me to 'welcome' one Rinslet Walker."
"Who?" Lia asked, frowning, and Jenos nodded to the hotel room desk where there was a sealed folder.
"She's a thief-for-hire," Jenos began as Lia moved towards the desk.
She opened the folder, pulling out the thick file that had a small picture of a pretty young woman, probably around Lia's age, with shoulder-length purple hair, green eyes and a large heart pendant hanging from her neck.
"She's also had contact with Black Cat a few times in the recent year."
Lia didn't even lift her eyes off the paper as she asked, "And where are you to bring this 'Rinslet Walker' after you've 'welcomed' her?"
"To meet Sephi." Jenos answered, not looking the slightest bit bothered by Lia's lack of reaction to his comment.
"Her usual spot, then?" Lia muttered, and Jenos continued to watch her as Lia stared thoughtfully at the photograph of Rinslet.
"Very well." Lia sighed as she dropped the file after skimming through it once. "I guess this means I'll meet you at Sephiria's favourite restaurant. Unless you need help bringing Miss Walker in?"
"Well, I have a plan." Jenos answered with a sly smile, and Lia looked at him.
"You want to see the beauty in person." Lia noted, and Jenos grinned.
"Jealous?" He teased, and Lia just raised a brow.
Jenos laughed as he threw an arm around Lia's shoulder, saying fondly, "Don't worry, Lia – you'll always be my special girl!"
She sighed, but hugged him back, leaning her head against his shoulder as she thought about what was lying ahead.
So, it was finally to come… the day when she could finally face Creed and make him pay for what he had done.
Meanwhile
Champagne City
After Train caught robber and killer Ronald Willington, Sven stepped out of the police station with Eve.
Lighting a cigarette, Sven said with satisfaction, "Mission accomplished safely."
For once, there had been no damage done while catching their target, which meant that they could cash in the whole eight hundred thousand reward money and not have to pay some of it off to injured parties or for repairs. Not that it was all that much money compared to the debt they owed, but at least it was a start.
"We should find a place to stay." Sven mumbled, before he turned to Eve as he added questioningly, "Or is there any place you want to go see first, Eve?"
"Hm…" The young girl hummed thoughtfully, before she looked around.
"Where's Train?" Eve asked, noticing the absence of the loud and stupid chatter that usually accompanied Train's presence.
"Hm?" Sven asked, before realizing that Eve didn't know yet; he explained, "He said that he wanted to look around by himself. I'm not sure, but… it looks like he has some memories in this town."
'Probably something related to that Saya Minatsuki person.' Sven added in his mind.
Eve didn't say anything as they walked on, though she apparently also was thinking about something deeply.
It wasn't until later, when they were fishing in the local river, that Eve finally spoke up again.
"Sven." She began, and Sven hummed questioningly.
"Wasn't Train an assassin?" Eve asked slowly. "Then why is he a Sweeper now?"
"Ah, well…" Sven began, even more slowly. "There seems to be many reasons behind it."
"Many reasons?" Eve repeated questioningly, and Sven nodded.
He remained silent for another moment, before he asked Eve, "Can you promise me not to tell Train?"
Eve nodded, turning to Sven inquisitively, and Sven admitted, "I don't actually know the specific details. But, there was once a woman who changed Train's life… and she was a Sweeper."
Eve paused, thinking deeply as she wondered if there was any connection with the woman, Lia, that they'd met a few weeks ago.
"But," Sven added and Eve glanced up again, "I think she has already passed away."
Eve frowned a little, and she asked, "Is she… Train's girlfriend?"
"Gir-girlfriend?!" Sven repeated, turning to Eve in surprise. "Why are you asking such a mature question…"
Eve just waited patiently for Sven's overprotective father side to cool down. And once it did, Sven explained slowly, "In reality, I think their relationship is a little different. In the beginning, I also thought it was like that too, but…"
Sven looked up at the sky as he quoted what Train had told him, "'I'm not that close to her. But I really admire her way of living, so carefree. I think it's better to call us friends, who value the same things.' That's what he said."
"Friends…" Eve repeated slowly, pondering once more.
"Then," she asked and Sven glanced over, curious to know what she wanted to know this time. "Do you think that woman we met, Lia, knew this Saya person?"
"Huh?" Sven asked, surprised by Eve's connection.
Though, when he thought back on it, it wasn't that surprising. Eve didn't know anything about Train's past with Chronos – Sven barely knew any of himself – so it was natural that she linked Lia with Saya.
"I don't know." Sven admitted. "I doubt it, though. I think it's safe to say some of the Chronos Numbers probably knew of Train's connection with Saya, but I'm not sure any of them would have known the woman personally."
"But Lia wasn't a Number then." Eve reminded. "Train didn't know she was one when we met her – but he seemed to know her all the same."
"Heh, you're right." Sven recalled, before he shrugged helplessly.
"I really can't say, Eve. Train doesn't speak much about his past, and I've never really seen the point in asking when it's clear he doesn't want to answer."
Eve nodded thoughtfully as she and Sven stared silently out at their fishing lines bobbing in the water.
"Do you think-?" Eve began, when her line jerked.
"Oh?" Eve looked down in surprise, while Sven gasped, "We caught something! Eve! Give the fishing pole to me!"
"Um… okay." Eve answered as she handed her fishing pole over to Sven, who began to reel it in enthusiastically as he cried triumphantly, "Ha ha! Our dinner money is saved!"
"…"
Eve watched as Sven wrestled with the line, thinking back to the question she had started to ask but hadn't had the chance to finish.
'Do you think Lia might have been Train's girlfriend?'
But now that she'd had time to think on it, Eve realized it couldn't be possible. Lia was so cold and heartless, that Eve couldn't begin to think that Train and the blue-haired woman could have had a relationship. Especially when Train was himself still the ruthless killer Black Cat.
They would have been too similar in the negative aspects and too dissimilar in the positive ones… if Lia had any positive attributes. Eve hadn't seen enough to tell if she did, but she had seen that Lia's personality and Train's could never have matched.
Then again, there were Train's reactions; and something about his expression whenever Lia was brought up…
Eve shook her head.
No; if anything, she thought it more likely that Train might have had something with Saya. And since that didn't seem to be the case, he probably just hadn't had anyone special in his life before – not that difficult to imagine considering his idiotic demeanour.
So, Eve had to be overthinking it… right?
'Just to be sure.' She thought to herself as she recalled something in Train's possession. 'I'll just check that later…'
*A/N Song of the day is: Old Memory from an anime called Yosuga no Sora I believe. I found the music online by chance, and it was so pretty I thought I'd share! The link is: /QKLKTJrjL1c