"Jump!"

Anubis saw it at the same time Jules did, and the pair leapt out of the way at the moment that a gunshot went off. Except, what followed was no ordinary bullet; and Jules looked down with wide eyes as the ground where she and Anubis had just been exploded from the impact of what appeared to be a ball of pure energy.

"Hehehe..."

The pair looked up sharply as they landed, and Jules frowned at the man who stepped out of the shadows to face them across the dimly-lit street. Dressed like a cowboy with a strange, beak-like mask with sharp teeth covering the lower half of his face to give his facee a strangely avian quality, the man cocked his revolver as he approached them with a wild, excited gleam in his hawk-like eyes.

Jules recognized him as one of their targets - Durham Glaster - and she tensed while Anubis's glare hardened as he too recognized their opponent.

"End of the line, Numbers." Durham said cockily and Jules scowled.

Her own gun already in hand, Jules stood ready to fight while Anubis lifted his hands - his gloved hands. And the Orihalcon claws built into the gloves glinted slightly in the faint light as he drew them up, ready to charge.

But they were suddenly alerted to another presence as the hairs rose on the backs of their necks and their heads snapped up. The pair leapt away once more as a blast of lightning suddenly came shooting down toward them and they barely avoided being killed.

A second man, built like an ox and whom Jules recognized as another of their targets, Katashi Touma, stepped up from the far end of the street, his eyes dancing literally with sparks. Jules glared at the man as she landed beside Anubis as they each faced one of the threats.

"What was that?" Anubis growled, and Jules shook her head tightly.

Katashi laughed, making the hairs rise on Jules's neck once more at the sound, and he mocked them, "You don't know? And I thought Chronos Numbers were supposed to be good."

"What are you talking about?" Jules asked tightly and both Durham and Katashi smiled cockily.

"Ki." Durham replied with the condescending attitude of a snobby adult speaking to a child. "It's what gives my shots power and Katashi his abilities. And it's what is going to hurt you, make you scream, before it kills you."

"I'd like to see you try." Anubis sneered at them, and Katashi's smile turned manic at the challenge. Jules felt her hair rise again as electricity sparked in the air and she glanced back sharply.

"Anubis!" Jules shouted in alarm just as a firework shot up into the sky above the city.

The bright explosion of lights almost masked the sound of lightning cracking as Anubis barely managed to jump away in time to avoid the lightning blast that shot his way and smashed into the earth, though he was unable to avoid being singed entirely. Jules then grunted as she was forced to dodge another powerful blast of ki sent her way - followed by another. And another.

"You're worrying for him. How delightfully pathetic." Durham's eyes glinted with malicious amusement as Jules was forced to dance away continuously under his heavy and never-ending fire. "You don't seem to realize just what you've gotten yourself into yet!"

Jules grit her teeth as she dodged ball after ball of energy, Durham seemingly never running out of ammunition despite the fact that he was holding what looked like a regular, six-shot revolver. He was right; she hadn't realized what she and Anubis had gotten themselves into. But they were learning very quickly and Jules wasn't sure she liked what she was seeing. She wasn't sure she liked it at all.

A city away

Train sighed as he finally made it home… and it appeared the city was celebrating something as colourful explosions lit up the sky.

"Fireworks." He muttered. "No wonder it's noisier than normal."

'While I'm stuck unable to see Jules.' He thought morosely. 'I'll have to get Saya to leave a note for her in our secret place… we'll need to talk.'

"Hm?"

Train frowned as he reached his apartment door to find a note wrapped around a blood-red rose sticking out of his door.

'What's this?' He thought, plucking the rose and note out of his doorway with a puzzled frown. Unfolding the note, he skimmed it quickly.

'To my beloved partner Train,

Tonight I will release you from that evil woman's curse. Please wait patiently.'

The letter was unsigned, but Train knew instantly who it was from; there was only one person in the world who called him their 'beloved partner'.

"Creed."

Train's hand snapped to his pocket, and he almost reached his cellphone before he thought through what he'd read. Creed had referenced a woman, and Train's first thought had been Jules… but what if it was Saya? The note had been left in Train's door, in the same building that Saya lived in but also the building Jules frequented. But his room was untouched, which meant Jules hadn't come back just yet. And that meant that Saya could have been placed in danger either way if Jules was the target and decided to visit her after she got home and didn't find Train.

Turning swiftly, Train dashed down the stairs. He needed to check Saya's place first; he needed to know who Creed was after before he could decide how to react.

At the edge of the city

Jules dodged yet another ball of energy, before her eyes narrowed.

She was tired - not physically, though it was draining to keep running and dodging - but of the fight. Anubis and herself had been disadvantaged in that they'd been unprepared to fight Taoists, but now they weren't surprised and could judge the situation more clearly. Katashi wasn't particularly bright though his ability to fight long-range without moving a finger placed Anubis at a disadvantage as the Number fought best in close-range. That said, he was still a Number - one of the best of Chronos's best. Durham, Jules could tell, was a skilled marksman and gunman; but she had trained under Train.

'Time to put an end to this.' She thought as she met eyes with Anubis easily as the fireworks lit up the whole city, and she saw the same steely determination in the Number's gaze.

It was time to show their opponents exactly what they were dealing with.

In the city's centre

Train raced out of his apartment building, chasing the trail from Saya's room. Her door had been ripped apart, but the minimal damage inside her apartment had told Train that the quick-witted sweeper had taken the fight outside as soon as she could. He saw no sign to indicate that Jules had come back in the time he had been locked away, and Train could only assume she was still out on a mission.

The question was, what was Creed doing? Why was he after Saya? What had he meant in his note about a curse?

"Dammit." Train cursed as he dashed along the streets while the fireworks burst in bright colours above him.

At the edge of the city

'Got you.' Jules thought viciously as she pinned Durham down while his revolver skid away across the cobbled street.

The gunman's hands were trapped beneath her knees as she sat on him, unyielding in her strength despite her smaller body. Her own gun lifted to point down at Durham's chest, but then the cowboy's eyes flashed with triumph.

"Got you." He rasped, before he opened the mask covering his mouth.

And Jules's eyes widened as she saw the hidden miniature cannon inside the Taoist's mouth just before it lit up and flashed up at her.

"Lia-ARGH!"

The last sound Jules heard was the sickening sound of flesh being ripped and blood spurting that followed Anubis's yell; the last thing she saw was a giant flash of light as the Taoist's ki exploded out of the gun in his mouth right before her face.

In the city's centre

Creed slowly approached Saya where she lay trembling from her wounds on the ground in the middle of the abandoned alley, her gun still raised from where she had fired and broken his sword blade cleanly off the hilt to stop him from attacking three innocent children. Three children who were now safe… but Creed's wrath was focused on her once more and she no longer had the strength to fight for her life that was already ebbing away.

"He..." Creed scoffed as he approached her, the broken blade of his precious sword in his bare hand.

But he ignored the way it cut into the skin of his palm, just as he ignored the bullets lodged so deeply into his left and right knee and thigh that in theory he shouldn't be able to walk from the pain. Then again, Creed was too used to pain and the thrill of killing was too great for him to stop now as he gazed down at Saya as she lay dying before him.

"It looks like you don't even have the energy to pull that trigger again." Creed smirked. "What a shame… hehe."

"Ugh..." Saya bit out, unable to do anything as she watched him raise the blade above his head, ready to swing down on her.

The fireworks burst beautifully above, the lights glinting off the blade as Creed said calmly, "Well then, I'll put you out of your misery-"

Creed broke off; or rather, he was silenced as a fist slammed into his cheek and he was sent flying back, crashing into the ground and tumbling away from Train as the Black Cat appeared protectively before Saya.

"Creed!" Train snarled, even as sweat dripped down his face from all the running he'd done in his search for them."You… what do you think you're doing?!"

Creed sat up, his right cheek throbbing from the impact of Train's fist and sending pure joy through his body. But not as much happiness as the pure look of fury that Train was sending him way, those gold eyes glinting the way Creed so fondly remembered.

It made Creed smile, and he giggled and commented as he got to his feet, "You came faster than I thought, Train."

Train's temper flared at Creed's laughter, but Creed said placatingly, "I know the reason why you're mad. But please don't be mistaken, this is all to help you."

"Help me?" Train repeated, frown deepening as confusion mingled with his anger.

"That's right!" Creed explained. "That woman," he gave Saya a contemptuous look. "Wants you to fall for her evil. It's just that you haven't realized it yet. So I came to kill her, to help you…?!"

Creed's eyes widened - it was the only reaction time he had. And then Train's fist slammed into his right cheek, and Creed staggered back while Train snarled, "Don't play around."

Expression dark and filled with a killing aura that would scare off even the bravest men on earth, Train snapped viciously, "Do you have a death wish?"

Creed spat out blood, eyeing Train warily. As much as he appreciated that glint in Train's eye, Creed had no desire to have Train angry with him.

"Right now, it's useless to explain anything to you." He murmured.

In a blink of the eye, Creed leapt up and away, and Train watched Creed go with some surprise as Creed landed high up on the roof of the nearby building.

"I shall leave before you kill me." He announced, looking down at Train and Saya one more time with longing in his dark eyes. "Since she already has no hope left. If she dies, maybe you will think clearer. Then you will realize, what I did was right."

With that, Creed turned and ran off, and Train yelled furiously, "Come back here-!"

But he stopped, surprised, when a hand clutched the back of his coat weakly. It was not enough to really pull him to a halt, and he could easily break away if he wanted; but he didn't and Train turned in shock to look down at Saya as she held onto him with what little strength she had left.

"Train..." She whispered, despite the blood dribbling out of her mouth. "You don't need to be mad… I fought him out of pure instinct... "

Train's eyes fell on the pool of blood that was growing beneath her body and he almost didn't hear her as Saya continued weakly, "Don't worry about him… I have something to tell you. Do... you want to hear it?"

"Stupid, stop talking!" Train ordered as he knelt beside his friend quickly. "I'll take you to a doctor, just-"

"Actually..." Saya went on anyway, ignoring him. "I was going to move soon."

"Hey, I told you to stop talking!" Train yelled at her as he pulled her into his arms anxiously, but Saya again ignored him.

"I've made this city my base as a sweeper… for a long time now..." She smiled up at him weakly. "You've started… to laugh… and love Jules… You're both happy now..."

Train's heart clenched as Saya's eyes fluttered before she breathed and continued.

"I thought… there isn't really anything much to do here anymore..."

"Saya..." Train's brows knitted together as he tried to hold his emotions back. It was clear she was going to die now, in his arms, and Train didn't want that. "Look, let's get you to a hospital..."

"For me..." Saya went on, apparently unable to hear him. "Being able to meet you and Jules… made me very happy. I've been… many places… met many people..."

She smiled up at him thought tears started to fall down her face now as the life left her body.

"I have never had someone to call a friend.. Except you two."

Train stared, stunned. And for the first time since he was twelve years old, Train felt his heart actually break as Saya whispered, "Why am I crying? That's so weird..."

The fireworks crashed above them, lighting up the sky and Saya's gaze lifted to the moving lights for a moment before she looked back at Train.

"Train…" She whispered. "Promise me… you and Lia… will be… happy."

"Saya..." Train murmured. Saya just looked at him with peace, before her eyes slid shut and her tiny breaths stopped. Train gripped Saya tighter, willing her silently to come back - but he knew better than anyone that there was no coming back from death.

Bowing his head, Train allowed himself to shed one tear for his friend. One tear, that splashed on Saya's cheek as Train's entire body trembled with grief. Thunder sounded in the distance and, raising his head, Train looked up at the brightly-lit sky just as another batch of fireworks exploded in reds and yellows and blues, before the first of the rain began to fall, as though the heavens were weeping with his heart.

Present

Train sat for a moment in silence, staring unseeingly at the ground. Despite their curiousity, Sven and Eve waited patiently for the man to arouse himself from his thoughts to finish his story.

Eventually, Train stirred, and he lifted his head to look at his friends again.

"After that, I couldn't stay in Chronos anymore. Not when it grows monsters like Creed; not when it made me into a monster too. I wasn't sure what Creed was thinking at the time but I knew I wasn't going to stay where I was trapped. I made my plans to leave immediately. I sent a mail to Jules to check our regular hideout where I'd left a message letting her know the time when I intended to break into Chronos to retrieve Hades. I asked her to meet me at a specific point where we often snuck out together, and I made it clear I was asking her to leave with me for good. We had to move quickly, before any Numbers were called into the area."

Train lifted his gaze to the sky.

"But when I got to Chronos, there were men already waiting for me. They knew the exact time when I would arrive; they were prepared. I only got Hades back because the Numbers hadn't had time to arrive yet. I barely managed to escape before the first of them started to arrive."

Sven and Eve exchanged looks at Train's revelation - at the implications.

"And… you're certain it was Julia who betrayed you?" Sven asked at last, and Train looked back at his friends with unreadable, thoughtful gold eyes.

"There were erasers waiting right outside the vault where Hades had been locked, and they were also waiting at the exact place where Jules was supposed to meet me." Train replied heavily. "I was only as specific as needed for Jules to know my plan - my message would have been difficult for most anyone else to decipher. That was why… when I saw the trap waiting for me… I always assumed Jules had betrayed me. That she had ultimately chosen her brother and Chronos over me."

"Would she have?" Sven asked and Train shrugged.

"Family - that is, her brother - meant everything to her. I think she loved me too… but if it came down to me or her brother? I was never certain who she'd choose and I don't think she knew either until it came right down to it."

"But you don't think she could have done it." Sven noted shrewdly. Train nodded.

"At the time, I didn't think." Train admitted. "Jules… she was my life. The idea that she could have betrayed me… it was too much, right after Saya died. I didn't think, I just felt. I felt pain and I had Hades, so I ran from it. From all of it."

He leant back, tilting his head up to stare at the sky once more.

"Now that I look back, I regret it. I was wrong, I should have trusted her enough to at least hear her side. I don't even know what she was doing the night Saya died. Did she finish her mission? Did she find out about Saya and hate me? If I could go back, that's what I would do - go to her directly. But now, too much time has passed and I don't know what to do."

"Talk to her." Sven said gruffly.

Train looked at him in surprise and Sven continued, "You now realize that maybe you were the one in the wrong, not her. It could be what hurt and changed her, or it could not. But only she can tell you the answer to that, and only when you've talked to her can you decide what you're going to do next."

Train's lips curved up into a smile, and he nodded.

"Yeah..." He looked up at the sky again with the smile still on his face. "I will."

"You're not going to look for her now?" Sven asked, raising a brow as he saw the way Train was peacefully sitting back. Eve looked equally curious as Train's got up.

"The Numbers will be chasing Creed." Train answered, a faint grin on his face as he looked back at his friends. "And for whatever reason, Jules hates me right now. She won't make it easy for me to find her; but if we all go after Creed, we're bound to run into each other at some point. It'll be catching two birds with one stone."

"What if you're already fighting Creed when you do meet her again?" Sven pointed out.

Train's smile widened but there was a determined line to it now.

"Then I'll capture him," Train replied. "And if Jules runs as soon as I'm done catching Creed, then I'll chase after her."

Sven nodded while Train turned back around and walked away, adding in his thoughts, 'The way I should have done two and a half years ago.'

Several days later and many miles away

In a room overlooking the city, a slender figure stood in the moonlight streaming in through the window. Hands clasped behind their back and over the long hair that fell well passed the waist, the figure stood still as a statue. Dark eyes gazed from behind frameless spectacles at the sleeping city below, thin brows pulled slightly together in thought; and the man exhaled deeply as he reached a conclusion.

"Xiao Li."

The man turned at the call, and he smiled with the faintest emotion at the person standing in the doorway to his room. With one simple flick of his hand, the Chronos Number removed his disguise, letting the mask he'd worn all day fall away as he greeted his late-night visitor.

"Lia." Xiao Li greeted the blue-haired woman standing in his doorway, and she raised a brow at him.

"You seem different." She observed. "Did you find someone interesting after all amongst all the Sweepers you've contacted?"

"You could say that..." Xiao Li answered as he took a step away from the window and towards the lithe woman still standing in his doorway.

"Oh?"

He could tell from her tone that Julia didn't particularly care what he had to say; her eyes were already drifting shut as Xiao Li lifted his hands and placed them on her hips.

"I happened to meet Black Cat."

Her response to his casual statement was instantaneous.

Lia's head snapped up and she fixed him with an intense look that could have made grown men cower - though not Xiao Li Lin.

"He is also going after Creed." Xiao Li continued nonchalantly, as though he couldn't feel the curiosity that was burning off Lia. He didn't ignore it for his own amusement, however, even if he might have for anyone else. For her sake, he pretended not to see the way she was giving him her full attention for once; the way a longing flickered deep in her grey orbs; and the way fear for that longing suppressed all other emotions. It had been a long time since that guy's name had had this much of an effect on her.

"I have given him one of the game CDs I intend to test all the Sweepers with. If he succeeds in solving it, he will join the association I have started to organize and head to Creed's location with the other baits."

"... I see."

Lia turned her head away, looking for all the world disinterested in what Xiao Li had left to say; but he knew her better than that. Xiao Li suspected he knew Julia Hazard (at least, the way she was now) better than even Black Cat did… though no-one could match up to Jenos. Jenos did and probably always would know Lia the best, having seen all her changes from an innocent child to a headstrong teenager to the broken adult she was now.

"You know, I'm curious."

Lia glanced back at Xiao Li questioningly, and he felt her tense when he noted casually, "I never knew the Lia that Jenos sometimes speaks of - the one who smiled and laughed easily."

Lia looked away, but Xiao Li just leant in closer; pressing his mouth close to her ear, he breathed, "The Lia who wanted freedom from Chronos."

Her eyes snapped back to him and Xiao Li read the anger that flared there with a neutral expression on his own face.

"Not that I understand that." He continued, leaning back again though he kept his hands on Lia's hips. "But still, I'm curious as to who that Lia was and what she was like. The Lia I don't know, but who a certain Black Cat knew intimate-"

"Shut up. Now." Lia hissed, her blue eyes dark and filled with a real, burning anger rare to see in the cold Number. "Unless you want me to cut out that tongue of yours."

Xiao Li tilted his head slightly and he examined her thoughtfully.

"He can still have such an effect on you."

Her eyes, if possible, grew flintier but Xiao Li leant in then, pulling her against him and burrowing his head into her neck as his hands moved further down, and all conversation between them ceased.

*A/N Song of the Day: Dear You from Higurashi no Naku Koro ni. The link is: /VjNVPO8ff84