Lia opened her eyes slowly, blinking them as they refocused.
"Ah? You're awake?"
Lia's eyes slid over and she blinked again as she saw a familiar purple-haired young woman watching her.
"… Rinslet… Walker?" Lia asked, her voice a little scratchy.
Rinslet nodded, and she suggested as she looked at the blue-haired young woman lying on the bed, "Have some water. You've been out for quite a while."
"… Thanks…" Lia answered slowly as she sat up. Her left shoulder and right side throbbed but it wasn't anything she couldn't survive.
Taking the glass Rinslet offered, Lia took a sip, testing herself. When it went down smoothly, she took larger gulps, drinking the entire glass as she hydrated her deprived body.
"How are you feeling?" Rinslet asked as Lia lowered her glass. "Can you remember what happened?"
"What happened…?" Lia murmured as she glanced around the room.
She frowned as she remembered vague parts, and she asked as she turned back to Rinslet, "Where am I?"
"In my hotel suite." Rinslet answered. "We took you to a hospital, but…"
"We?" Lia asked sharply, glancing up at Rinslet, who nodded uncomfortably.
"Train, Sven, Eve, and I." She elaborated, watching as Lia's eyes narrowed.
"Do you remember falling into the lake?" Rinslet asked tentatively, and Lia replied stiffly, "Yes. And I remember waking up briefly and seeing Black Cat."
''Black Cat', huh?' Rinslet thought to herself. 'You called him 'Train' when you weren't quite so cognizant.'
"You saw me at the hospital, didn't you?"
Rinslet started at Lia's question, the young woman's piercing silvery-grey eyes fixed on Rinslet as she read her reactions.
"Yes." Rinslet answered hesitantly, knowing there was no point in lying. "Do you remember it?"
"No." Lia replied, closing her eyes. "But I can guess what you lot might have seen."
"Ah…" Rinslet muttered, before blinking as Lia started to get up from the bed.
"Um, you probably shouldn't move-" Rinslet began, fluttering her hands slightly in front of the other woman nervously as she tried to get Lia to lie back down.
"It's fine." Lia replied, waving Rinslet away. "I know my own strengths and weaknesses, and I am not so injured that I cannot move."
Rinslet watched unsurely as Lia got to her feet, the woman glancing down at herself as she checked herself over.
"You have questions." Lia remarked as she looked back at Rinslet. "As do I."
"Yes." Rinslet admitted, and Lia answered, "One question each now. Then I would like to take a shower if you don't mind. I will change my own dressings. We can speak some more after that, if you would like."
"Oh, um…" Rinslet muttered, shrugging. She guessed… it was okay?
"What would you like to know now?" Lia asked, waiting patiently.
Rinslet hesitated, biting her lip. There were so many, and yet… of course, the most pressing was…
"What was Train to you when he was still in Chronos?"
Lia stared at Rinslet for a moment, those clear yet unreadable silvery-grey eyes boring into Rinslet's green ones. Rinslet felt uncomfortable, as though Lia were reading her very soul, but she stared back determinedly, wanting to hear an honest answer.
"… He was my supervisor; or 'warden' may be closer." Lia replied, and Rinslet blinked.
That… was what Train had said. And yet…
"At the time, Chronos determined that I needed to be kept under watch. Black Cat was the one chosen for the job." Lia added tonelessly in explanation, before her eyes sharpened. "Now, my turn."
Rinslet nodded – the young woman was probably going to ask where Jenos was. And what was Rinslet going to tell her? That he might be dead? How could she do that?
"Why are you investigating a woman named Professor Tearju?"
Rinslet blinked in shock at Lia's question, before she looked out the doorway and into the hotel sitting room outside the bedroom. There, on the table, was her laptop, the screen just visible in the reflection on the mirror that faced Lia's bedroom.
"How – no, when did you see that?" Rinslet gaped, and Lia answered, "I am a Number. Now, answer my question please."
Rinslet gaped, but nodded. She hesitated slightly as she explained Train's predicament (given that she thought Train should have been the one who did so) and added how Tearju was the leading scientist in the field of nanomachines and so probably the most able to help Train.
"He has been turned… into a child?" Lia repeated at the end, and Rinslet nodded.
"… I see." Lia murmured, and Rinslet withheld a sigh. Seriously, did this woman never say anything about what was on her mind?
"I will take a shower now." Lia continued as she walked towards the bathroom.
"Huh? Ah, wait!" Rinslet called and Lia glanced back. "Aren't you… going to ask about your brother?"
Rinslet saw a flash of some emotion pass through Lia's eyes before the young woman turned away again as she answered, "He's not here, and you informed me of no excuses when I woke up – that tells me everything."
"Ah…" Rinslet muttered as Lia started forwards. "Oh, wait!"
Lia turned again, looking a little annoyed, but it turned to surprise as Rinslet explained.
"I have some spare clothes for you."
Rinslet pulled out a shopping bag from the wardrobe.
"Your old clothes were ruined, but your size is a little different from mine so I just bought you some new ones. There's underwear, too."
Lia blinked as she took the bag, saying slowly, "Thank you… I will be sure to repay you. For this and the hotel."
Rinslet shrugged as she replied seriously, "Cerberus saved me from Creed. I owe them – and you – for that, so don't worry about it."
Lia was silent for a moment, and Rinslet wondered if something was the matter. But Lia finally just said, "Thank you," before she disappeared into the bathroom.
Rinslet sighed as she went back to her laptop. She returned to searching up information on Tearju and trying to find a picture for Sven to track.
She'd just found one – and been stunned by what she saw – when someone knocked on the door to her hotel suite.
"Room service." A voice called, and Rinslet frowned as she turned to the door.
'I didn't send for any…' She thought to herself, puzzled, as she went to check.
Rinslet opened the door, only to have a huge bouquet of roses thrust in her face while Jenos beamed, "Hi!"
"…"
For a long beat, Rinslet could only stare at Jenos in shock as she got out, "J… Jenos…"
"Hoho, we meet again Rinslet!" Jenos greeted, smiling widely and charmingly.
Rinslet stood, stunned, before she got out, "You… You're still alive…"
Her fist clenched, and she punched through all the roses as she gave Jenos a swift right upper hook while yelling, "Why the hell didn't you give me a call when you're still bloody living in this world?!"
Jenos landed with a crash, looking up while clutching his head sheepishly; he'd been hoping for a slightly sweeter welcome but he couldn't say he was entirely surprised by Rinslet's reaction. She had already proved herself to be quite a firecracker.
'Ah well… that's part of her charm.' He thought to himself with fond resignation, readying to make a funny quip.
He paused, however, when he saw real tears shimmering in Rinslet's eyes though she didn't let them fall.
"… I'm… sorry." Jenos answered honestly as he got back up. "I had a lot of loose ends to tie up after that."
Rinslet frowned at that, cocking her head questioningly.
Some time later
"I see…" Rinslet murmured as she sat in the sofa across from Jenos, both inside her hotel suite room. "Belga has…"
"He died the way he wanted to." Jenos replied firmly.
He closed his eyes briefly as he remembered his old companion, who had died to give Jenos and Nizer their chance to live. He then opened his eyes once more as he turned to Rinslet, asking seriously, "There's another thing. I heard you were looking after Lia – is that true?"
Rinslet looked startled, but she nodded.
"She's the one in the shower right now." Rinslet explained, and Jenos nodded.
"How is she?" He asked seriously, and Rinslet hesitated.
"She's…"
How could Rinslet respond? Lia hadn't looked all right at all the last few days; but she'd looked like her normal, slightly intimidating and annoying self when she'd woken up.
"That about sums up Lia." Jenos sighed in agreement when Rinslet hesitated. "Let me ask it this way – how is she physically?"
"Ah, she's healing." Rinslet answered, finding that an easier question. "Both her shoulder and side were cut deeply but they've been dealt with."
"That's good." Jenos murmured, before he looked at Rinslet shrewdly. "So, why is my sister in your hotel suite and not, say, a hospital?"
Rinslet blinked again before she hesitated, and Jenos smiled wryly.
"So, you've already tried taking her to a hospital."
Rinslet nodded, even though it hadn't been a question but Jenos's observation.
"How… did that happen to her?" Rinslet asked, unable to help her curiosity. "Train…"
She noted the way Jenos's eyes went just slightly cold at the name.
"He said that she didn't used to have that fear."
"No, her phobia of hospitals is very recent." Jenos replied. "Two and a half years, in fact."
Rinslet waited, hoping Jenos would say more. When he didn't, she tried a different angle.
"We met No. X."
"Ah, Xiao Li." Jenos said, an odd look crossing his face and his tone a little strange.
It wasn't like he disliked Xiao Li – at least, from what Rinslet could tell – but… it was as though there was something he wasn't quite comfortable on regarding the other Number. Maybe he knew Xiao Li was sleeping with Lia?
But Rinslet had another pressing question, so she looked over Jenos's momentary expression as she said, "Yes, him. He seemed to think Train was to blame for Lia's change."
Jenos smiled without humour, and he said lightly, "Ah, Rinslet my dear – you may be beautiful, and cunning at times, but this is one time I'm afraid you'll have to be disappointed."
"Just tell me this." Rinslet pressed. "Was Train really to blame for her…?"
She trailed off politely but her tone and gaze was firm as she waited for answers. Jenos went silent for a moment, and Rinslet observed as he seemed to stare off into space.
"I… had never actually met Black Cat." Jenos remarked at last, and Rinslet blinked in surprise – she hadn't expected that. "That time at Creed's castle was the first time I'd ever seen him in person."
"Oh." Rinslet murmured, not sure how to respond.
"However, my sister did know him." Jenos continued, still staring off into nothing.
"And though I do not know the full details of what happened between them," he turned at last to look back at Rinslet, "in my mind… he is certainly the one I place the most responsibility on for how my sister changed."
Rinslet sat taken aback, startled by Jenos's honest and rather cold admission.
The shower suddenly shut off, and Jenos's mood lightened once more as he turned expectantly to the bathroom door.
Several minutes passed before the door opened, and Lia stepped out of the suite bathroom dressed in a simple white shirt and black pants and with her hair once again in a tight ponytail behind her head.
"Oh. I thought I heard voices." Lia noted as she spotted Jenos beaming over at her. "So, you've finally come then?"
"Huh?" Rinslet asked, while Jenos pouted as he said, "Now, is that any way to greet your brother after we almost died?"
"You didn't. Only I did." Lia observed, and Jenos grinned.
"Oh, I also have a gift for you in the car." Jenos informed Lia, and she asked bluntly, "Is it Elysium?"
"Of course. We found it in the ruins of that blasted castle."
"Wait, hang on!" Rinslet protested, interrupting the siblings as she pointed at Lia. "How did you know he was coming?!"
"He's my brother." Lia answered with a raised brow at the other woman. "Of course he was going to come to get me. The fact that he wasn't here yet meant he was busy, but I knew he'd come at some point."
… Yes, the irritating Lia was definitely back. Rinslet pursed her lips while Jenose bounded over to hug his sister, though he was careful of her injuries.
Lia let him, and – where Rinslet couldn't see – her hand curled into Jenos's suit jacket, holding it tightly as her hand shook just slightly. He felt it, but instead of saying anything he simply hugged her tighter for it. There was nothing to be said anyway, and that was all she'd needed.
Lia let him go and Jenos released her with a fond smile. Kissing her cheek, Jenos led Lia with him back to the sofa across from Rinslet.
"Now." Jenos announced as Lia settled in him. "There's one more thing that I need to tell you; you especially, Rinslet. It's important… for your safety."
Rinslet tilted her head in confusion, while Lia also glanced at her brother questioningly.
Meanwhile
Train and Sven's room
"Let's have some snacks!" Kyoko announced as she brought out her stash from her school bag. "Come on, Eve! This is for you!"
She handed the younger girl a bag of chips, which the blonde girl took with a hesitant, "Thank you."
"Mr. Black and Mr. Moustache! Do you want some?" Kyoko called, looking over at Sven and Train where they were on the other side of the room.
"Mr. Moustache…" Sven mumbled, feeling depressed, while Train called, "Hand over the onion chips if there are any!"
"Yes! We have some!" Kyoko chirped brightly as she handed another bag of chips to Train.
Kyoko returned to the bed to chat with Eve, and Sven turned to Train expectantly.
"So, what are we going to do now, Train?" He asked. "Are you going to start looking for some men working for Chronos?"
"I think we'll just have to wait." Train admitted thoughtfully. "They'll eventually show up sooner or later."
"What?" Sven asked, and Train pointed out, "After all, they are actively looking for us. All else fails, they'll find Lia, and Rinslet can point them in the right direction."
Train chewed on a chip as he added, "I also walked back from the streets without trying to hide my steps; makes it easier for them to find us."
Sven hummed in thought as he placed his cigarette back in his mouth… Before he and Train both stiffened.
Eve also looked up from the bed as she felt the deadly aura coming from their bedroom door.
Only Kyoko seemed unaffected as she asked, "What's wrong with you guys?"
"Hey… this feeling…" Sven began slowly, and Train smirked as he answered, "Yeah. I didn't expect them to be this quick."
There was a faint sound outside, like a chain clinking, before something suddenly burst through the door, smashing the entire thing to pieces.
Train barely dodged the metal ball that flew passed him, attached to a thick chain link, as it continued its trajectory and went smashing through the entire wall on the other side of the room, blowing out the brick along with the windows.
"Ah!" Sven gasped, while Kyoko cried, "Oh!"
Train looked to the doorway as the metal ball zoomed back on its chain to its owner, a tall dark-haired man in a black suit.
"Hah! There you are, Kyoko Kirisaki." The man smirked as he held up his metal ball weapon, while behind him stood another male with a helmet over his head.
The helmet's visor was down, covering the man's eyes… and showing them the number IV marked on the left visor.
"… Of course, it had to be you two." Train muttered with a wry smirk as he gazed at the two newcomers. "Baldor and Kranz!"
*A/N Song of the Day: Krone from Guilty Crown. The link I found is: /d10_sLHZNhA