12: Darkness

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Eve...Why? Why did you...

Sven clenched his fists and stared at the girl as she turned to leave. He reached out towards her and released a low moaning sound as his heart was torn apart before his very eyes. Once again he felt the searing pain of defeat and once again Eve was there...

But surely she would not have...

"Grr...Aizen! Show yourself dammit! Stop hiding behind your illusions and face me!" Sven pushed himself up onto all fours, opening up the wounds in his gut. He cursed under his breath and looked back up to Eve who had glanced over her shoulder to study him. Her eyes bore that same vacant curiosity behind them.

"Eve...Please...It's me, Sven..."

She stared back coldly, unblinking, emotionless, lifeless. Her hair morphed back into blades and she studied the glistening weapons with child-like fascination, almost as if she had never even witnessed her own powers before. She turned back to Sven and then gazed over into the distance. She nodded as if in agreement, though no-one had uttered a single word.

Then, she left. Strolling off casually without a care in the world.

"Eve! Eve! Please come back!" Sven cried weakly, "We came all this way...We came here to save you! So why? Why did you..." He trailed of, unable to speak as he became lost to grief.

Sickening laughter assaulted him; echoing around the room and bearing down upon him like a tidal wave of sound. Sven's eyes narrowed and he traced the sound to a lone figure standing in the corridor before Eve. She came to a stop beside him and then turned back to face him.

Eve...What are you doing? What have they done to you? Or am I just seeing things?

The stranger entered the room and at once a crushing presence pressed down upon the wounded heroes, forcing them all back onto the ground. A wiry young man with thin spectacles studied them with an inquisitive stare. He adjusted his spectacles and laughed again.

"Wonderful! So wonderful! It is truly touching to see how devoted you are to such a worthless cause!" He clapped in mock applause and grinned from ear to ear. "Your love for that stupid little girl is unfathomable!"

Sven cursed, bringing up bile to the back of his throat.

"She's remarkable isn't she? The ultimate killing machine. Quite a power your little Eve has if I must say so myself...But it is lacking. Maybe it's because she was too weak to wield it properly? Maybe she's too soft to truly harness her power? But either way, the solution was simple indeed!"

"You...bastard! What have you done to her?" Sven snarled, his rage subsiding with the excruciating pain of simply breathing.

The sinister man chuckled devilishly and spread his arms wide, holding his hands out flat on either side as he proudly explained, "I have done nothing to your precious little plaything! Brain-washing or some such act is just foolish, not to mention barbaric! All I did was set her free!"

Sven gasped, blood soaking between his teeth and dribbling down his chin, "W-What?"

The mad scientist patted the girl on the head and smiled. "Eve was built specifically for warfare. She is a bioweapon designed to be utilised in combat situations of any and all natures. She is versatile in all conditions and is the future of unarmed combat...Yet you stood in the way of her destiny and changed her fate. You bluntened her blades and made her weak! This is her way of paying you back. She has severed her ties with you and has become what she was born to be, the ultimate killing machine!"

"N-No..." Sven stared at the girl he had grown to adore. He had always known that she was originally just a mindless tool bred for war. This was what Eve was designed for from the very beginning. But he couldn't accept it. He didn't want to leave her and so he tried to change her. He forced her into a different life. This was the terrifying path Sven saved her from...Was this what she really wanted?

"Eve...I'm so sorry I tried to change you...I just...I just thought you...You..." He couldn't finish. It was so unfathomable that the fallen sweeper just couldn't bring himself to say it. Once again he found himself in denial, unable to accept what was happening. It just didn't seem right! Eve was a kind, sweet girl. He knew that. She was happy...Truly happy...She adored Sven and Train and she cherished every moment they had spent together. So why now? Why now would she turn her back against everything that had happened and revert into a monster? It didn't add up.

But if that were true, then why had she attacked them? Was she afraid? Had Aizen threatened her? She must have been terrified and alone all this time, surely Aizen could have influenced her...It had to be Aizen!

"Aizen!" Sven snarled through gritted teeth and clouded eyes. He struggled to find his feet again and collapsed back down onto his wounded stomach, sending waves of searing pain throughout his body and forcing out a cry of sheer agony.

Eve watched on with a look of unperturbed indifference. She looked bored.

Aizen! What did you do to her? What did you do to Eve you sick son-of-a-bitch?

The madman just laughed, his spiteful mirth dripping venom. His applause was merely salt in the wounds. "Marvellous! Marvellous! More, more, more! The stage is set, the curtains soaked in blood! Encore, encore! Ha ha ha ha!"

Eve watched the man and to Sven's shock, she smiled. It was faint, a barely perceptible shift in her delicate lips, but he was certain that he saw it. She was enjoying this...

"Eve...Why? I did everything...Did everything for you..."

"Sven," She interjected, her voice as cold as ice. Sven instantly fell silent, compelled to listen to her. The young girl, skin like porcelain, eyes like diamonds, stepped forward ever so slowly. Her expression was as always unreadable, stuck in an ever indecisive stare. She didn't look like a monster. She did not have the eyes of a predator. There was no anger or hatred burning in her eyes so why then was she doing this?

"Eve...Please..."

"Die."

Before that single uttered curse could be processed in Sven's fractured mind, he saw her hand, saw it morph into a length of sharpened steel. He saw his own stunned reflection in the weapon's gleaming surface as it sailed through the air towards him.

Time slowed and came to a rushing halt as the world was pitched into darkness...Darkness splattered in specks of crimson. Tiny raindrops of scarlet. Sven tried to speak, but his jaw hung open, slack and unhinged. His whole body seized up and paralysis borne from fear dug it's claws into his grief-stricken soul and trapped him in place as slowly, Eve drew her blade out from deep within his chest.

Sven stared wide eyes at the remorseless look on Eve's face. She withdrew her blade and watched on, bored as he slumped over to one side and rolled onto his back. The last thing he saw before the darkness claimed him, was his precious Eve, kneeling down over him. Her soft blonde hair trailed down to brush over his cheeks and forced tears to flow. He wanted to reach out and hold her, to just hold her close one last time, but his body refused him his wish.

She observed as his cheeks paled and his muscles went slack. She watched him as weak convulsions wracked his mortally wounded frame. She watched as the pain became as clear as lake water, etched upon his features. Then, she extended her hand down gracefully and stroked his cheek.

Eve? Are you...

"Sleep," She whispered like a soothing lullaby, "sleep and never again shall you wake." She pressed her slender fingers over his eyelids and brought them down. They did not re-open. Sven did not resist.

The others watched on in horror. They could not believe their eyes.

Train snarled, his eyes glazing over with searing rage. He grit his teeth and pried himself up from the ground. Waves of blinding pain surged through his lacerated left shoulder, but he pushed on, rising to his feet, albeit shakily.

"You...What have you done to her?"

The mad scientist chuckled. "How heart-warming. You still believe that she is pure and that we were the ones who forced her into this? Your faith is touching, really."

"Answer me!" Train roared. "There is no way in Hell Eve would ever hurt us! How dare you toy with her as if she's just a tool! She isn't a monster and she never will be! I swear I will bring her back to her senses if it's the last thing I do!"

Szayel smirked, "Is that so young man? Well as much as I'd love to see you pour your heart and soul into protecting that thing I would much rather kill you myself. I have my orders you see, and there is a very high price upon your head. To think, if I claim each of your heads and brought them to Lord Aizen, I would be ever so famous!"

"Bastard...If I have to kill you first then so be it!" Train drew his pistol and lined up his shot. His vision was blurring and he couldn't think straight. All he knew was that he couldn't lose! He just had to survive...Just a little longer...

"RRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAGGGHHH!" Train charged.

Szayel just smiled and waited for him, one hand placed loosely upon the hilt of his sword.

Train leapt high into the air and fired, muzzle flashes like lightning brightening the room. The bullets soared towards the madman who merely stepped lazily around them. As the young warrior dropped from the sky he drew his sword and the two blades clashed in a rain of sparks.

"I will kill you for what you have done!" Train howled, only provoking his foe to laugh mockingly right in his face. Spittle flecked the boy's cheeks and at once he became lost. The Black Cat within him pounced.

With unimaginable speed Train smashed the side of his gun against Szayel's jaw, knocking him back a few steps. While he re-gained his composure Train thrust his sword deep into his heart, or lack thereof. With the man pinned on the edge of his sword he lined up a shot and fired point blank into his face.

"DIE!" He screamed at the top of his lungs, his wounds spurting bright red blood and showering himself and his opponent.

Szayel's face became lost behind the screen of smoke spewed forth from the barrel of Hades. But from behind it his sickening, taunting laughter echoed out. Train hastily swiped at the smoke, clearing it away to reveal a shield hovering over him. His eyes narrowed and he leapt out of the way before a large blade hacked down into the spot where he once stood.

Eve stood by the scientist and turned back to study his injuries. The front of his white lab coat had become stained in his own blood and a vicious tear ran around the gaping hole in his chest. He was panting heavily, yet he still retained an arrogant smirk on his face.

"So this is what they call the Black Cat? Impressive. Your speed and reflexes increased drastically. You actually landed a hit on me. In fact if Eve hadn't interfered I might have been killed!" He chuckled deeply before slapping the young girl and knocking her to the floor. He turned and stomped on her back. "Don't ever interrupt me again! Do you understand?"

"Eve!"

"Yes...Master..."

Train's burning glare suddenly softened. The murderous spark in his eyes faded and his resolve wavered.

"What...What did she just say?"

"Hmm?" Szayel cupped a hand around his ear and smiled. "What did she say? She called me her master. I bet she never called you that before. That's because she didn't trust you. She loathed you!" He said this, all the while still smiling.

Train cursed under his breath and charged again, roaring with the ferocity of a pride of lions. Once again their swords met in a rain of sparks and as the two crossed swords their raging spirits fought against one another in an unseen duel. The ground beneath them splintered and cracked and as the force behind each blade became too much to bear they each leapt back to the edge of the crater, only to rush in for another strike. Train hacked down upon his most hated foe but Szayel danced out of harm's way and spun around gracefully, bringing his sword around with the momentum only for it to hit Hades. Train pushed away with his gun and thrust his sword back at the madman. His blade pierced the fabric of his coat but failed to pierce flesh. The narrow evasion left Szayel still open and so Train lashed out with his right leg, catching him with a fierce roundhouse kick. The scientist was send staggering back and in a fit of rage threw himself back into the fray slicing down with immense force. Train guarded with his sword and fired several shots into his stomach.

Szayel whirled away and screamed in a frenzy of rage. He did not graciously accept defeat. Not when so much was at stake. He could into accept to be beaten by a mere human. He had to prove himself and prove his rank amongst the Espada. He could not let his pride be scarred by a pathetic human!

The two crossed swords and shockwaves erupted from the site of impact. They both roared like wild animals as they hacked away at each other fighting strike by thunderous strike without managing to land any further hits.

They both leapt aside and caught their ragged breaths. From far aside, Creed and Ichigo watched on in stunned awe. Meanwhile, Eve stared vacantly at them, uninterested in the violence.

Train caught a glimpse of her and snarled. They had changed her, made her into a soulless shell. Just like Torneo Rudman. Just like back then he would save her...Would show her what her true self is. He would bring her back no matter what.

With a mighty battle cry he raced off across the cracked battlefield and barrelled into Szayel. The two grappled on the ground and the madman threw several jarring punches to throw his assailant off. As the two rolled away they rushed in again for more chances to kill. Each man went for the jugular but their equally impressive skill prevented either one from dealing a mortal wound to the other.

The battle raged on as each man drained themselves of their energy. After many fierce bouts with no victor the two retreated to opposite sides of the room and tried to catch their breaths. They wheezed painfully as their bodies overworked themselves to accommodate the strain of their prolonged battle.

Szayel wiped sweaty strands of pink hair from his eyes and growled. "How dare you...How dare you try to steal my glory! I have grown tired of this charade! It is time to draw the curtain on this pitiful production! Prepare yourself, Black Cat! This shall be the final act! Sip, Fornicaras!"

The madman took his sword and lifted it high above his head, then turned it so that the tip was facing himself. Then without a moment's hesitation he pushed it down his throat and swallowed his own sword. Train was too stunned to react and remained in place. Szayel licked his lips and chuckled, his voice becoming distorted as his body suddenly swelled. His entire body became bulky and continued to grow to the point of exploding into a thick suffocating cloud of dark mist.

For a moment there was complete and utter silence...

But then there was laughter, sickening, bone-chilling laughter...

Everyone gasped as the mist cleared, aside from Eve who stood still and motionless like a China doll. Her face as calm and composed as ever.