"A Conspiracy in Shadow"

"You want…a computer?" He seemed shocked as I casually threw the question into our conversation over breakfast in the outdoor porch.

"Mmhm," I nodded an answer as I took a drink of my milk.

"But Train," He laughed, looking confused as he set his glass down. "Since when have you liked computers?"

"It's a hobby I picked up while traveling with Sven," I said, emphasizing Sven's name before looking up from my plate to see his face paling.

"Right," He said quickly as the gears began to turn in his head. "Well, I'll look into it-"

"Look into it?" I asked, stilling looking up at him.

"I'll get you one as soon as possible," He said as he cocked his head, closed his eyes, and gave me that smile he always reserved for me. "I'm always interested to learn new things about you."

"Hm," I muttered through a mouthful of waffle before swallowing it hard and talking again. "I just want it for fun, ya know, learn stuff online and all that."

"Not to contact those sweepers I hope," Creed said before taking a drink from his glass and eyeing me over the rim.

"Why would I do that?" I laughed, trying to look as innocent as I could. "Besides, I kind of like it here now that I've gotten a chance to get to know it."

Creed set his glass down softly and smiled, looking over the tabletop at me.

"I know you don't enjoy it here as much as you pretend, Train," He replied and I attempted to look as confused as physically possible, maybe even a little hurt, that would get those emotions of his going so he'd drop the conversation. "But you seem to be slowly growing accustomed to this place, which makes me happier than you can understand."

I watched him as he spoke, something strange about his demeanor as he laid his fork and knife across his empty plate and took the napkin from his lap and dropped it onto the table. His eyes never seemed to meet mine as they usually would, he would look at me for a few short seconds before his vision darted off to something behind me, or on the table, or even out the windows that surrounded us in marble pillared porch.

"Hey, Creed," I tried to sound casual as I brought up what I knew was a touchy subject.

"Yes, Train?" He asked as he looked past two of the pillar lined windows to the expanse of greenery outside in the field of a yard.

"What have you and Doctor been up to lately?" I asked before adding. "I just don't see you much anymore-you always seem to be in a meeting with him, or in his lab."

"Oh, Train," Creed turned back to me and looked me in the eyes for once. "Is that why you worry about what's going on? I noticed you seemed a little quiet lately, is that why?"

"I-" I wasn't sure what to say without sounding strange. "I guess."

Creed chuckled softly before standing and closing the space between us. He stepped up in front of me before laying his hand on my cheek and leaning close.

"I'm not going to leave you alone, Train," He said softly as he looked straight into my eyes with an emotion I couldn't quite read. "Not like everyone else has."

I could only stare back at him as he kissed my forehead softly and straightened up, his hand running through my hair before he turned and headed towards the door.

"I'm sorry I have to leave so suddenly, Train," He said as I turned and peered around the back of my chair to see Doctor holding the door open for him. "But I have business to attend to, but I'll make it up to you by coming to visit you tonight."

Doctor gave me a strange smirk before following Creed out the door and shutting it hard behind him.

I made a gagging motion at Creed's last comment before twisting around in my chair and leaning back into it. I didn't have long to relax when a sudden movement made me jump and cry out.

Somehow, while I had been watching Creed and Doctor leave, Echidna had invited herself into the room and was now sitting in the chair that had been Creeds only moments before. She sat with her arms crossed and her right leg over her left. A strange smile was on her face as she studied me, the portal she had obviously come through closing behind her.

"What do you want?" I asked my tone suddenly lower as I regarded her.

"I merely came to spend time with you, Black Cat," She lied straight to my face as her smile turned into a smirk.

"Oh, that's funny," I faked a laugh before shooting another glare at her. "What do you really want?"

"I want to know what you found out while you were in Doctor's lab," She jumped straight to the chase as she leaned back in her chair.

"What?" I faked a surprised look before trying to look insulted. "I haven't been in his lab since I first woke up here."

"That's doubtful," She replied, seeing straight through my lies and acting. "I know you were in there, I have proof."

At this she slipped her hand into her coat pocket and pulled out a small tape, waving it back and forth slowly as she studied my expression. I gave her a sarcastic look before talking.

"What's a tape have to do with anything?" I asked, knowing full well what the answer was.

"You see, Train," She spat my name out as if it tasted bad. "Security tapes often come in handy when someone is trying to apprehend a criminal. In this case, I am simply trying to capture a stray cat that wandered somewhere he shouldn't have gone."

"Believe what you want," I replied, still keeping up my poker face. "But you're not going to find anything on that tape worth keeping."

"Or so you say," She replied before pushing her chair back and standing. "But when Creed sees it, he will find something on this tape that I believe will be 'worth keeping'."

And with that she dropped the tape back into her coat pocket and left the room, the door shutting quietly behind her and leaving my to myself.

I pulled my legs up onto the seat of the chair and sat in silence, thinking hard about what Echidna had said. Either she was bluffing and she and, possibly Doctor though I had been in the lab and were hoping I'd fess up if they produced a so called security tape, or she really did have proof that Creed would see in a matter of time.

Was that why Doctor had suddenly showed up to talk with Creed during breakfast? Did they know I'd been in there and seen that person? Had he found that some of his paper and disks were missing? I didn't care in the long run, but I was hoping he wouldn't notice until I at least had a computer I could study the information on. Once I knew what was going on it didn't matter if they found out and took it all away from me because I would always remember it.

With a sigh I put my feet on the floor and stood from the table. I wandered over to one of the open windows and looked onto the yard several feet below. It would be so eat to jump through the window and run for it, but I knew once Creed found me missing he would use my friends to get me to come back…it was only a matter of time after that.

I turned and leaned against one of the pillars and let my mind go blank. It had been a long time since I had been brought here, and slowly I was beginning to learn the rules and ropes of the place. I had the floor plans memorized, the electrical working of the building down to the very last switch and wire. I knew when each Apostle member took their watched shift both inside and outside, and I knew exactly where Creed slept every night.

I had slowly sketched out the map of the house in my mind, marking details such as security camera locations, where the face surrounding the grounds was shorter and taller, and every escape route possible. It was only a matter of time before I could get out of here, but there were things I had to take care of first…people I had to deal with.

I pushed away from the wall and crossed the room before leaving through the door Echidna had passed through. I stepped into a large, round library, the ceiling stretching up high above me and made of large, white paned windows. Through the glass I could see a gray sky, rain clouds slowly moving in as the morning slowly turned to early afternoon.

I glanced over and saw Shiki sitting in the corner, a book in his hands and a glare on his face as he studied me. I gave him a fake, slightly weak smile before leaving the room and entering the next.

This was the landing of the main stairs with two more sets leading up in opposite directions. One led to the west wing which contained all the bedrooms except for mine and Creeds, as well as a pool, another library, a green house, and several others rooms not worth mentioning. The other set led up to the East Wing, which contained my bedroom as well as Creeds, several practice rooms, Doctors lab, and the door to the basement, which I had yet to explore.

I took the center flight down into the tall waiting room that stretched on for several feet before leading to the main doors. On either side of the room were pillars, and beyond those were doors that led to another library and a sitting room.

With a sigh I turned back and headed up the stairs again before turning and climbing up to the East Wing. I didn't know where I wanted to go or what I wanted to do. Some days here could be so boring so that I had nothing but wandering to do.

I entered the East Wing and wandered past several doors. I passed Maro as he lumbered on his way towards wherever it was he went, and he gave me a passive smile before brushing past me and disappearing from sight.

I paused in front of my door, considering going in there and climbing out onto the roof when I heard voices. I glanced up and down the hallway, trying to locate where they were coming from as the conversation seemed to become more and more heated, words exchanged at a quick rate as they came closer.

I ducked behind the pillar closest to my door just as two figures entered the corridor from around the nearest corner. I pressed my back against the cold stone and waited as the footsteps padded closer before I peered around to see Creed and Doctor slowly coming towards me.

I ducked back around the pillar and listened hard as they continued to bicker, throwing ideas into the wind while the other shot it down almost immediately.

"It's too soon, Creed, if I may say so," Doctor insisted as they came closer. "His heart rate may be steady but his vitals are not at the level an ordinary humans should be."

"The nano-machines will fix that once he is conscious," Creed replied coldly as their voices moved even closer. "The point of nanotechnology is to make a person invincible; it will do the rest of the job for us."

"But what if it doesn't?" Doctor asked suddenly. "What if, nanotechnology aside, he dies? Then what will we do? We've worked hard on this; we don't have time to find another host."

"No, we don't," Creed said, sounding thoughtful as they seemed to come to a stop nearby. "And he's too important to our plan-we need him for Train's sake."

"I don't know of any other host that will work, which is why I insist we wait another week or two," Doctor pointed out. "If you feel he is the only way we can persuade Black Cat to truly join the Apostles of the Stars, then we must wait as a precautionary element."

"I suppose you're right," Creed replied, sounding thoughtful. "As long as I can keep Train unsuspecting then this plan should work perfectly. It's not that I don't want him to make this decision on his own, but some coaxing could do him some good."

"I see your point," Doctor replied, sounding relieved as they continued on their way before their voices faded and they disappeared from sight.

I slid out from behind the pillow and glanced up and down the hall, making sure no one was around. What had that been all about? They were doing something to someone, that figure I had seen in the bed no doubt, and they were doing it to persuade me to join the Apostles of the Stars.

It would be so much easier for Creed to force me to drink from that vile, but he knew that unless I complied on my own I would never truly join him. He was smarter than I gave him credit for I suppose, but what he was doing still wasn't right.

I had no intentions of drinking that drink of the Tao and gaining that power, I didn't need it, nor did I want it. I had been distracting him from the fact that I hadn't taken it yet, and that I hadn't truly joined them. They hadn't been on a single mission towards their cause since I had arrived, and Creed claimed it was because they were lying low for the time being until Chronos had lost track of them all together.

Whether I believed Creeds lies or not was entirely up in the air, but I knew he was up to something and now the conversation I had just overheard proved it. Something was going on, and it had to be connected with what I saw in Doctor's lab. If I could figure out who that person was, then maybe I could figure out their connection with me.

I turned and opened the door to my room before stepping inside and shutting it behind me, leaning hard against it and thinking. This wasn't going to be easy, and especially not until I got that computer. I also had Echidna to deal with. If she really knew I'd been in Doctor's lab, then I had to get that tape from her. If not, wouldn't Doctor have mentioned it in that conversation to Creed just now? Or had he already told him? Or was he afraid to tell Creed because he knew he should've locked the stupid doors?

I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair as a million thoughts screamed through my head. I had to spend time on each and every one of them, concentrating enough so that I could find an answer before moving onto the next one. This was going to be a long and confusing night…

I awoke with a start, my forehead leaning against the cold glass of the window as I sat in the bay window seat. I hadn't been dreaming or even thinking in my sleep, I had just…woken up.

I straightened slowly and turned to look at the now dark room. From my years in Chronos I knew that if you hadn't been dreaming or at least thinking in your sleeping, suddenly waking up meant your body had sensed or heard something.

I almost jumped as something touched my shoulder and turned quickly to see Creed standing there, that smile on his face and something in his hand. I glanced down to see a bottle of liquid sparkling in the moonlight, his fingers closed around the neck and the top securely on. I sighed inwardly, glad that I didn't have a drunken Creed coming to visit me in the middle of the night, because that alone would be disturbing in itself.

I forced a weak smile as he stood above me, my body tense as I waited for him to do something I didn't want, but he remained still. He reached out and ran his fingers through my hair as if I were some sort of child, before leaning forward and kissing me on the forehead as he almost always did whenever he saw me one on one.

"I came," He whispered as he leaned forward and pulled me into a tight hug. "As promised."

I didn't hug him back as he buried his face in my shoulder and breathed in deeply, I just sat there. I wasn't sure how to react to this. I wasn't accustomed to this kind of attention, not even from Sven, Eve, or Rinslet. To tell the truth, with those three, I hadn't always felt as if I was wanted, or that I belonged.

Creed pulled away slowly before pulling the bottle up and showing it to me. On closer inspection I saw the writing clear as day, telling me it was red wine, and with his other hand he pulled two wine classes from his coat pocket by their stem handles.

"I brought a midnight snack of sorts," He smiled, this one much more genuine than any I had ever seen, and in that moment I pushed away the thoughts from before and smiled back.

He handed me on of the glasses and without much troubled opened the bottle of wine, before pouring a few inches of the deep red liquid into the belled glass. He did the same for himself before setting the bottle down beside my feet and sitting down across from me.

He looked out the closed window and up towards the moon as he took a sip from his glass, before turning to me as I sat and watched him, my glass held in front of me.

"Forgive me, Train," He smiled softly and chuckled even softer. "I forgot you don't appreciate alcohol."

"I-" I glanced down at the glass before pulling it up and taking a drink.

I held back a cough as the sting of alcohol filled my senses and I felt a big light headed. Creed smiled and laughed a little louder before leaning in and clinking his glass against mine, as if toasting to the fact that I couldn't hold a drop of alcohol in my body without feeling it.

I smiled a little as I took another sip, trying to ignore the light headedness as it grew with each swallow, not to mention how hot I was feeling-honestly…this was why I hated alcohol.

"It's beautiful tonight," Creed said softly as he gazed out the window.

I turned and followed his gaze over the crashing waves and up to the stars in the black sky. It really was beautiful, not any different than every other night I sat and watched for hours, but in its own way it was.

I turned as I felt Creed's eyes on me, something I was slowly becoming accustomed to feeling here. He studied me for several seconds before sighing, but there wasn't a single not of happiness in his gesture as he leaned forward and ran his fingertips across the XIII on my collar bone.

"I hate that so many people have used you, Train," He said quietly, his finger still on the tattoo as he looked up at me. "And I'm afraid I may be one of them."

"What are you talking about?" I asked, the temperature of my voice dropping accidentally as I knew what he might say.

"I wanted you to join me so badly," He said quickly as his fingers slid from the tattoo and fell onto my free hand that rested on my knee. "But now I realize that one of the reasons you were so adamant about refusing my offer was because you knew you'd be used…"

"Maybe," I replied before looking out the window and lowering my arm that held almost empty glass of wine. "But maybe…maybe I just didn't want to join you, did you ever think about that, Creed?"

He looked up at me with sad eyes-eyes I had seen so many times full of so many emotions. Creed never felt a little of this and a little of that, it was either this way or that; he was a one ended kind of person. Either he was furious, or he was overjoyed, or, like now, he was depressed.

I watched him as he leaned over and set his glass down before taking mine and setting it beside his. He straightened back up and took both of my hands in his, holding them tightly in his cold fingers and looking at me as if his life depended on it.

"If you would just join me, Train," He pleaded, pulling me closer by my hands. "It would make me so happy."

"It might make you happy," I replied, our faces only a foot away. "But I don't know how happy I would be."

He sighed and looked down at our hands, thinking had before looking back at me and opening his mouth. But before he could talk I cut in.

"I know we had an agreement," I replied, knowing what he was about to say. "If you won that meant I had to join you, but don't you think you'd rather have me join on my own instead of forcing me?"

"That's exactly what I have been thinking lately," Creed replied softly as he looked back up at me. "Train, I want you to be by my side of your own will, not because I forced you. I've known all along if I forced the power of the Tao on you, and if I forced you to join us you would never feel loyal towards our cause and would eventually turn on me. Of course I would deserve it but-but I had hopes that one day you would come to me on your own, and I feel that now, maybe, you finally have."

I studied him as he held tightly my hands, his skin ice cold against mine. Something about his words made me understand that he finally realized he couldn't force me to join him, or at least that's what I hoped. I didn't know what he and Doctor were working on, but I knew better than to ask because he would merely sidestep the question like his had this morning.

Instead I let my hands relax in his as he leaned forward and pressed his lips against me, cornering me between him and the wall. When he finally broke awake I turned and looked out the window, a mixed feeling embarrassment and something I couldn't put my finger on making my face burn.

Creed chuckled and I turned to look at him.

"Oh, Train," He laughed as he reached out and touched my face. "You'll never learn to realize what you really want, will you?"

With that Creed stood from the bench seat and crossed the room before turning, waving, and leaving. As the door shut I turned and looked out the window, something inside me telling me to follow Creed, but something else telling me to go to bed and sleep off the effects of the tiny bit of alcohol I had had.

I stood from the bay window and moved towards the bed before stopping and glancing over at the door. I could follow Creed…he wouldn't be too far from here…but I really could use the sleep. Mentally hitting myself on the head for being as selfish as to want sleep instead of figuring out what was going on I crossed over to the door and opened it.

I stepped out into the dimly lit corridor and glanced up and down either side. As I looked to the right I saw Creed slowly walking away, his steps slow and his head hung lower than usual.

I moved into the main corridor and followed him as quietly as I could, keeping plenty of space between us so he wouldn't hear my footsteps, but, as I took another step, I realized no matter what he'd hear me sooner or later.

"Why are you following me, Train?" He asked as he stopped, his back still turned to me.

I didn't respond as I watched him standing stationary, seeming to refuse to turn and look at me.

"Well?" He asked slowly before turning and glancing over his shoulder at me. "Was there something you wanted?"

"I-" I couldn't find the words to say as he watched me stand there, something about his words seeming so much colder than they had moments before. "No-I-nevermind."

At that I turned and headed back to my room, refusing to look back or to turn around. I stepped through the doorway and shut the door, leaning against it as I listened to see if he'd followed me.

Once I was sure he hadn't I crossed over to the bed and flopped down on it, enjoying the feeling of the soft mattress as I stretched out. I pulled my legs up onto the bed and rolled onto my side so that I faced the window, my eyes on the stars as my mind drifted off.

Why had Creed seemed so cold out in the hallway when he had been nothing but warm in here? Had I made him angry by refusing his offer once again? Or was he off to visit Doctor and work on that plan of theirs and didn't want me along?

As I lay there thinking I failed to notice the sound of the door opening and shutting, and it wasn't until I felt the bed shift that I realized that someone else was in the room with me. I rolled on my back only to have something cold clamped over my mouth, whatever it was pushing hard over my mouth and nose.

I looked up, half expecting to see Echidna, or one of the other Apostles of the Stars, but to my surprise I saw Creed looking down at me with a sad look in his eyes. I struggled under what I now realized was his hand as he blocked my mouth and nose, the air refusing to enter my lung as I struggled helplessly against him and pulled at his iron like grip.

I looked back up at him as I realized I was out of air and all that I could do was continue to pry at Creeds hand and loose more air, or to hope he'd let go. I had no idea what he was doing or why he was doing this, but as I looked up and into his eyes he smiled a sad, weak smile. I felt dizzy as his hand held tighter and suddenly the room was spinning and swaying and Creed looked as if he was ready to cry as he leaned down and shushed my muffled words before kissing me on the forehead and ushering me into unconsciousness.

Hey guys! Ok, to clear some things up:

So, the end of this chapter was a bit strange, huh? Yeah, I know, and I know it seems a bit out of character of Creed to basically suffocate Train until he's unconscious, but, it'll all make sense when I write and post the next chapter, so no worries! No, Creed wasn't trying to kill Train lol, and yes it does have something to do with the storyline. Creed initially left the room because he was going to wait until Train fell asleep to do what it is he's about to do (nothing sexual!), but he realized Train was going to follow him no matter what because Train is a curious cat, so, he takes care of things, and you'll see why in the next chapter.

Also, after this chapter there probably won't be anymore updates until the 17th, sorry! I have break from school and over that I have to write a history research paper, and I've got to go apply for summer jobs to make some cash. If I do have time I'll work on a chapter, but it may not be too long, but no matter how much I write, if I do write, I'll post it on here, ok? X3

Also, Sven lovers, please keep reading because I have a secret about Sven you'll learn VERY soon, as in within the next chapter or two! I hope you didn't stop reading Niji-san, because I'm hoping to redeem myself lol. Good characters always die in stories, but in this one, good characters die with a twist at the end, so there's hope! I like Sven way too much to entirely erase him from this fic of mine. If I was gonna kill someone and erase them entirely it'd probly be Eve or something lol, Sven's too much fun to write!

Well, I didn't give away too much so there's still some suspense. I hope you enjoy and I wonder if any of you picked up on any of the hints in the chapter before this one! Well, sayonara for now, talk to you soon with more Black Cat to come! X3