Chapter 12

The group gathered in the living room three days later. Charden and Shiki were the only two who answered the call.

In total, Eve concluded, that would mean that there are eight of us going.

Train had convinced Creed to let Leon go with them. Creed, though reluctant, grudgingly allowed it, but gave Leon the same warning that Sven gave her: one slip up and they'd be sent back to the manor. Leon was a bit more stubborn about it than Eve was, but agreed to those terms.

"We don't want to deal with Bade's men," Creed said. "That would drain us of too much energy. I asked Echidna to send us directly to the floor where Bade would be located at. If he isn't there, we'll wait and hide any weapons we find there."

Satisfied with this plan, Echidna opened a wormhole to their location. The room looked empty.

One by one, they stepped inside. Eve entered after Sven and before Train. Looking around, she realized that it this room was styled much differently than the one she was held in. She walked over to the window and looked outside.

"It's a street," Eve said. However nothing looked familiar to her. It didn't look like any of the streets she could have walked on the way to Cait Café.

"This guy's good," Leon stated, also looking out the window. "If ya want to hide a tree, hide it in a forest. This is Rubek City."

"How do you know that?" Eve asked; her head went fuzzy. Rubek City: the city where she and the others swept for Gyanza.

Leon pointed at the various shops he recognized—one of them being an orphanage he stayed at for a brief time just before joining the Apostles of the Stars.

Eve shivered.

"Are you cold?" Leon asked.

"No," Eve stated. "I'm fine, really. Thanks for asking though." She stepped away from the window and looked around the desk. She pulled out a gun and checked to see if it was loaded. She took out the cartridge and the bullet inside it before setting it back in place. Eve locked eyes with Train. "Here," she said, showing him the cartridge, "extra ammo." She tossed it to him.

He caught it. "Thanks," Train said. He pocketed the cartridge and Eve threw out the extra bullet. Eve went back to searching, ignoring Leon's intense gaze.

"What's wrong?" Leon demanded.

"I told you," Eve snapped, "nothing. I just want to stop Bade before someone else gets hurt."

"Don't we all," Leon growled. Eve ignored his stare, though it felt as hot as coal against her back.

"Is there something I can help you with, Leon?" Eve asked, getting fed up.

Leon turned away, examining the bookcase. "Nope," he said.

Eve glowered at him, but turned away and looked for more weapons.

Leon cursed under his breath. Eve ignored him, finding another loaded gun on the shelf behind a Chinese pot. She unloaded it and threw the cartridge to Sven this time.

Leon also found one and did the same, but pocketed it for his own use.

Eve blanched. "Do you know how to use one?"

"Yeah," Leon stated. "I know how to use one."

Somehow that doesn't make me feel any less nervous, Eve thought.

"I think we got every gun checked and unloaded," Sven said to Creed, handing him a gun and cartridge of his own.

"Good," Creed said. "We've got plenty of time to also find a hiding spot if we have to."

"Ya think so?" Train asked. "Cuz this is way too easy."

"Maybe," Creed said with a shrug. "I just think we're early. Either that, or Bade's out somewhere."

"Would Bade walk around in broad daylight?" Charden asked.

"Possibly," Shiki answered, looking at the Peppered Moth on his hand. "But according to our surveillance, he's just come back. I'd hide and quick."

"Our surveillance?" Train asked.

"He means his bugs, Train," Sven stated.

Train laughed nervously, "right."

The next five minutes were filled with scurrying to find a hiding spot.

Creed, with Charden's help, got into the chair at the desk. He spun it around to face the window. Charden folded the wheelchair and hid it behind the red velvet curtain. Leon hid behind the other curtain. Train jumped into an empty vase. Sven and Charden hid behind the bookcase. Shiki, Leon, and Eve hid behind the couch.

Two minutes, filled with nothing but thick silence where hardly anyone breathed, passed.

Eve kept her gaze at her hands, not wanting to look at Leon. He touched them gently, demanding her attention.

"I love you," he mouthed.

Eve bit her lip, wondering why this had to happen. She shook her head, not wanting to look at Leon again for that moment. The door opened and Bade walked in.

"And tell them to—stop."

"What is it, Sir?"

'Shhhh," Bade said. He treaded gently across the floor, as though walking on eggshells. "Someone's in here."

Eve bit her lip, schooling herself to stay down until Creed or someone wiser than her gave the command.

"You look good, Bade," Creed said, Eve heard the chair squeak as Creed turned around to face his brother. "For a wanted man, that is."

"Who are you?" Bade asked, his voice full of malice.

"You know perfectly well who I am, Big Brother," Creed lectured. "Since you didn't listen to me over the phone, I figured we'd have to talk face to face."

"About what, Little Brother—if that's who you really are."

"About your motives against Train Heartnet," Creed stated. "I do admit that he left me crippled, but that is not a fault of his. It's mine."

"Now, Creed," Bade purred. "What is this really about?"

Eve shivered. Don't let this fear rule you, she told herself. That's it! I'm afraid of Bade. Eve wasn't so sure if realizing her fear at this moment was the best time to realize it, but she couldn't help it.

"I told you what this is about. I don't want you hurting Train for something that is not his fault."

"But it is his fault, Creed," Bade shouted. Eve jumped, biting her lip harder, when Bade's fist crashed onto the desk.

"It isn't, Bade," Creed said.

"First," Bade shouted. "He poisons you against me, then he finds some witch who leads him astray, even after you kill him she still holds him in her grasp, then you try to take over the world and he thwarts your dream once again!"

"And what dreams are those? The dreams of a madman, Bade. That's what we were. What you still are."

"I'm perfectly sane," Bade growled.

"For the love of God!" Creed shouted. "You killed an innocent woman, Bade! You butchered her! She was engaged to be married! She was part of a family that loved her! By all right, Bade, you don't even deserve to live! I don't deserve to live for killing Saya Minatsuki! And yet, Train let me live even after all that I did to her."

Silence followed. "Kill him," Bade ordered. Three gun shots where heard as were screams.

"Now" Creed shouted. Everyone jumped out from their hiding places and Eve saw that Creed was perfectly alright, smoke rising from the barrel of his gun.

Eve transformed her hand into a gun and fired at the men who approached her. She saw Bade rush at Train who aimed his gun at the madman.

"DIE, TRAIN!!!" Bade shrieked, pulling out a pistol from his coat. Eve raced towards them and tackled Bade to the ground.

BAM!!!

Eve slammed Bade to the ground. Bade let go of the gun and slammed his fist into Eve's jaw. "Little rat!" he shouted, straddling her and clutching at her throat.

Eve felt her lungs retract and gasped for breath. She tried to pry Bade's hands off of her, but he held on tighter.

"Get off of her!" Someone shouted. "Somebody help me get her off."

Bade's hands were wrenched away from Eve's neck and she coughed, trying to get as much air back into her as possible. Train leaned over her.

"Eve, oh God, Eve are you alright?"

"I think so," Eve gasped. Train engulfed her in a tight hug. "Hey," she muttered, hugging him back. "I didn't freeze."

"Not funny," Train muttered.

Bade flung off the person who wrenched him off of Eve and aimed a gun at him. Bam-bam!

Bade was tackled to the ground again and the gun was wrenched away from him.

Charden knelt over the body. Eve glanced at him and her stomach flipped.

"He's dead," Charden said, closing Leon's eyes.