Hey guys, how're you?? I'm FINALLY back… I was in Europe for the entire month of May visiting Paris, London, and Florence. It was sweet but I really needed a break by the time it was over…and here I am taking one! I realized how terrible I've been at updating this story, especially with how things have been lately, so I decided that I'm going to update with not only one, but TWO chapters this time….sadly I've run out of time currently and only one chapter is finished, but it's long! The second is halfway done and I promise it will be up within the week. Don't lose faith in me! X3 I'm having fun getting into Eden, and I've been re-watching the anime to get into the mood. I want to change the idea quite a bit since the show's version, well, sucked…hehe!

Secondly, let me say this… You are all amazing, and beautiful people! Your comments were so supportive and you were all so understanding…thank you for your support and care, it means a lot. It's nice to know you have friends out there who really do care : ) Because of that I plan to write some extra awesome chapters, including something for you TrainXCreed fans…hehe (you guys have been very patient). You guys are the COOLEST readers I could've asked for, and your comments have been so sincere and simply awesome to read. Thank you all for your wonderful words, and for those of you who have helped me make the story stronger. You rock!

Also, you'll notice some changes in my version of Eden. I left out Tearju (Eve's creator), because…I don't particularly like her lol. I also left out the little kids Leon is friends with (in the anime) because they served no purpose but to be…"cute". The Chronos Numbers are of course in this, but I decided to put Shiki on Creed's side instead of Mason's unlike the anime. Sven is going to have more involvement in this version because I know he has fans out there, and so will Creed. Mason is also going to be much more involved and evil. The show rushed things and I plan to slow them down and add detail. I hope you enjoy it! So, without further ado, the story moves on!

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A Cat's Temptation

Evening was falling on the outskirts of the city as we settled into the small rooms we had booked at a nearby hotel. We were all tense, and because of that we were all extremely tired as well. Tempers were running short along with patience, and so we thought it might be best of we all got some sleep, no matter how little it was.

I stood out on the balcony of the room Sven, Rinslet, and I were sharing. Creed, Maro, Echidna, and Shikki were in the next room, and in the one neighboring that were the newly arrived Charden and Kyoko. I steered clear of that room for fear of being broken in two by Kyoko who seemed to have springs built into her feet and a magnet that attracted to only me. Sven had thought it best that Rinslet, he, and I room together due to the fact that he still didn't quite trust the rest.

The wind blew in over the desert landscape, whipping in the heat-something I had hoped for a break from. I watched as the sands shifted, the wind blowing my hair about and twisting my short coat around my shoulder. I listened to the sounds downstairs as the rest of the group ate dinner and went over the plans for the next day-or whenever something actually happened.

I had begun to doubt the assumption I had made earlier about where Mason would strike. What if I had been wrong and Mason was busy taking out smaller towns as we spoke? I turned and gazed off towards the horizon, resting my elbows on the railing and letting the wind play across my face. I let my eyes shut slowly, a mixture of fatigue and boredom taking over me.

"I would ask why you've taken to spending your time alone," A voice I knew all too well cut through the silence, making me jerk and spin around. "But I know I wouldn't get an answer."

I stared up at Creed who stood in the doorway, a soft smile on his face as he stared at me as well. He had changed into far more casual clothing and had obviously abandoned his followers, he and I being the only ones on the floor as far as I could tell.

"It is worth a shot however." He said as he shut the balcony doors behind him and came up beside me, staring off towards the horizon like I had been.

"What is?" I asked, turning slowly so that I faced him.

"Asking you why you prefer to be alone." He replied calmly, his eyes flickering up to mine.

"I-I just felt like it," I replied, turning away to look off at the disappearing sun.

"There's more to it than that," He replied, but I could tell he wasn't going to push any further. "You could eat something, you know."

"I'm not hungry." I replied bluntly.

"Whether you are or aren't is up to you," He replied as he shifted closer. "But I would like to know that you're ready for tomorrow."

"We don't even know if it's going to happen tomorrow," I muttered. "For all we know Mason's killing people somewhere else."

"No," He said shortly. "This is the right place. We just have to wait for the right time."

"How do we know that?" I turned back to look at him, our eyes meeting and reminding me of the time we had spent together months ago. "How do we know we're right?"

"What you're really concerned about is if we've made the right decision for your friend." He straightened up and stepped closer so that we were only inches apart. "We will find her, and we'll find her in time."

"You don't know that," I muttered, turning away to look out onto the sandy landscape. "What if my assumptions get her killed?"

"Either way no matter where we had chosen to go you would be feeling this doubt," He said and I jerked as his fingers hooked under my chin and pulled my head around so that our eyes met. "You have to trust yourself."

I stood there in silence, staring up at him as I felt the warmth of his fingers on my skin. I wasn't sure what exactly was going through my mind-if anything at all-but whatever it was it was keeping me there.

He leaned forward slowly, and my mind yelled for me to move away but my body refused to listen. I felt a strange shiver run up my limbs and into the core of me as his lips pressed against mine and his grip on my chin tightened.

He hooked his free arm around my waist and pulled me into him as he kissed me again and again. I stood still, feeling him all around me as my body shook with excitement and fear. I wasn't sure what I was doing or why I wasn't pushing him away, but at that moment there wasn't a single ounce in me that wanted to do so.

His hand moved away from my chin to the side of my face, pulling me closer as he deepened the kiss. I took a step forward so that our bodies met entirely and kissed him back, excitement shooting through me like electricity.

My hand shook as it took hold of his back, my fingers tangling in the fabric of his shirt as he kissed me over and over, his hands wandering along my body as if he had never touched me before.

He shifted and pushed me backwards until my back met the wall beside the door, his hands on either side of my head as his body pressed against mine. I jerked as I felt his hardening length pressed against my inner thigh until he shifted and pressed it against my own.

He began to grind slowly as his mouth worked against mine, forcing me to hold back a groan as my stomach tightened from the feelings. He pushed his torso against mine over and over, my fingers digging into his arms until I couldn't hold it back anymore and let out a deep moan.

I let my head fall back and felt his lips against the skin of my neck, his tongue trailing down until he kissed my collar bone. I moaned again from his lower motions and felt his lips travel over the mark on my chest, his lips hesitating there.

"Creed," I breathed as he pressed harder against me. "I-I can't."

His motions slowed before they stopped entirely and he pulled away to look at me, his expression confused. I lowered my eyes, the feelings from seconds ago still coursing through me as I tried to ignore them.

I pushed away from the wall before opened the balcony door and slipping inside. I crossed the room quickly and stepped into the bathroom, shutting and locking the door. I turned, my back falling against the door before I slid slowly to the ground, my body still shaking.

I listened to the silence for the longest time until I finally heard Creed's soft footsteps leave the room. I sat there in the silence, my body screaming for me to finish what Creed had started but the other half of me ashamed for what I had even attempted. I knew part of me had wanted it-in fact part of me still did-but deep down I couldn't do it…not now…

"You had better get some sleep," Sven's voice broke through my thoughts as I sat, my back facing him, on the bed we were sharing. "We have a long day ahead of us tomorrow."

I turned slowly, my eyes catching him for a moment before falling to the ground. I turned away again, staring out the glass balcony doors and into the dark sky. I felt the opposite side of the bed dip down as Sven's weight fell on it before his fingers touching my shoulder.

"You know…" He hesitated for a second before squeezing my shoulder. "No matter what happens…nothing is anyone's fault."

I took in a deep breath before letting it out, my should sagging under his hand. Part of me was filled with fear for Eve, but the other part of me was filled with the shame from hours ago…how was I supposed to do this?

"Yeah," I shrugged his shoulder off before slipping my shoes off. "You're right…we do need to get some sleep."

The morning came faster than I would have liked. Bright sunlight beat in through the open balcony doors as the hot desert wind washed over my already warm skin. I rolled out from under the covers, dressed quickly, and headed downstairs.

The entire group stood around a table at the far end of the hotels eating area. A map was spread out over the tabletop and Sven was pointing to a section of it and explaining something to a group I was surprised to see, and a group that set me on edge.

The first to see me was, of course, Creed. He stood off from the rest of the group, as put off as I was by the new additions. His eyes drilled into mine with a mixture of emotions I couldn't read, yet before my eyes fell away from his nervously I caught the slightest glimpse of a smile forming on his lips.

I walked up to the rest of the group, stepping up next to Sven and meeting eyes with the head of the newest members.

Sephiria Arks deep eyes locked onto mine as they always had when I was a member of Chronos. She had been set in charge of me when I was initiated and had therefore watched me like a hawk. If I had done anything wrong she was the one to punish me, and if I did anything right she was the one to tell me I could do better. She had replaced Zagine in some ways, but I didn't loathe her like I had him.

Sven's voice was drowned out in my mind as my eyes wandered from Jenos, to Belze, Anubis, Beluga, and finally Nizer, all of which had their eyes on me as well. I turned away to actually listen to Sven, but the new feeling of anxiety that had settled over me was beginning to eat away at my attention.

It wasn't long before we found ourselves loaded into our cars again, or in Chronos' case, helicopters. Sephiria had pulled Sven and I aside and asked us to ride in the helicopter with her, so it was up to Rinslet to drive Sven's car, much to her "delight".

The helicopter took off with a jerk as the back hatch closed, the desert heat seeming to evaporate around us as we climbed in altitude. Sven made himself comfortable in one of the benches against the wall next to Jenos who immediately struck up a conversation with him (lucky for Sven he had picked the nicest of the Chronos Numbers).

I on the other hand was directed to the back where Sephiria was standing, peering out one of the small windows.

"You wanted me?" I asked, folding my arms definitely.

"Yes," She turned to me, the desert sun shining on her face from the window. "I needed to ask you-"

"If I had figured out how to destroy this thing of Mason's?" I asked, sighing. "The answer is no. I have no idea what it does, where it is, or how to take it down, but I will after I see it. There's really no way of knowing until you're looking at it, if that makes sense."

She studied me for several seconds and I half expected her to tell me I made absolutely no sense before chucking me out of the helicopter, but she simply closed her eyes and nodded before looking at me again.

"I trust you, Thirteen," She said calmly before gazing out the window again. "But I do not trust all of those among us."

"Are you talking about Creed?" I asked, slightly defensive. "Because he's changed a lot since you saw him last."

"As I said before, I trust you," She looked at me without turning her face away from the window. "But if this fails it will be on your shoulders that it does so."

It was my turned to study her as I attempted to read her lack of emotion. I had never been able to predict or understand her, and it was obvious that nothing had changed there.

"It won't fail," I said, and I couldn't help but sound agitated. "We're going to figure this out, and we're going to get Eve back."

And with that I turned away from her, crossing the small space and taking my seat next to Sven. I wasn't about to let Sephiria get to me.

I leaned my head against the wall behind me and stared up at the inner workings of the helicopter. I wasn't sure what we were getting ourselves into, all I could hope for was that we would be able to keep Eve safe and get her away from the madman known as Mason. The problem was…I wasn't entirely sure we could.

I was brought crashing back to reality as the helicopter took a sudden dive before making a shaky recovery. Noise erupted all around me as the Numbers went into action, their bodies going rigid as Belze moved to the front to regard Nizer who was piloting the machine.

"We're under attack!" Nizer shouted to the rest of us.

Sephiria moved quickly, pushing past Belze and peering through the windshield. There was a loud explosion somewhere nearby and the helicopter shook violently, sending Sven forward in his seat, his attaché case skidding across the ground and into a covered mound that stood against the opposite wall.

I stood quickly, ignoring the shaking floor, and stepped up beside Sephiria. Just below us stood the city, only instead of the pleasant, heat ridden scene we had seen yesterday it was now filled with fire and smoke. I looked up just in time to see an explosion take out several buildings, rubble flying through the air.

Nizer pulled up and we gained in altitude, giving us a better view of the scene forming outside. I felt the air catch in my lungs as the thing responsible for all the chaos came into view.

At first it looked like some kind of alien space ship floating over the once peaceful town, but at a better look it appeared to have human features. At the front there was a vaguely detailed face of a woman, as if it had been carved from wax. There were no eyes, nothing that made it human, just the form of it. Its body was flat, forming the rest of the thing, and stretched out hundreds of feet behind it. Pipes, tubes, and electrical wires spun in and out of its form, creating more of a machine than a creature.

It let out a strange beam of orange light from its gaping mouth, taking out two more buildings and shaking the helicopter, sending Sephiria into me. As the rubble cleared we caught a glimpse of what looked like glowing orange balls floating up from the ruin and into the thing, the spots where they entered glowing slightly before going back to normal.

"So," Sephiria spoke from beside me, her hand still tight on my arm from where she had fallen. "That's Eden."

"I need a way out of here," I said as I pushed my way to the back of the helicopter and looked for something I could get out with.

"We can't land," Jenos pointed out as he stood, looking at me as though I were quite insane. "If we do we'll blow up with the rest of it."

"But we can't sit up here the entire time and watch it happen," I shot back as I knelt down to look under the seat. "Isn't there anything here that'll get me out of here and onto the ground?"

I turned, my eyes falling on the cloth covered mass I had seen before. I snatched Sven's attaché case off the ground and shoved it into his hands before taking hold of the cloth and pulling it away to reveal a shining, black motorcycle.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" I said before glancing back at Sephiria who looked as though she might intervene. "Sorry, but I need to borrow this."

I pulled the bike away from the wall and stood it upright before mounting it. I signaled to Sven to get on board who warily did so.

"How exactly are you planning on doing this?" He asked as he sat awkwardly behind me on the bike.

"Like this," I said and I reached up, yanking down the handle that opened the back hatch.

The panels moved away slowly, filling the compartment with wind as they revealed the desert landscape beneath us.

"Nizer!" I turned and yelled, his head turning to show he was listening. "Get us over that thing!"

Sephiria nodded and the helicopter shifted immediately, moving towards Eden faster than before. Several minutes later the sand was replaced by the back of the thing, the unsteady terrain threatening to be difficult.

"Hold on," I warned to Sven as I took hold of the handles and turned the bike on, revving the engine as I waited for Nizer to slow the helicopter. "Let's go kick some ass!"

"Train! I really don't like thiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiis!" Sven's voice was all I heard as I hit the gas and we flew out the back of the helicopter and towards Eden.

Sven's arms wrapped painfully around my waist as we flew towards Eden, the sound of the helicopters blades dying away as we grew closer and closer until finally, with a painful jerk, we landed.

I turned the bike and skidded to a halt, my heart racing from the adrenaline.

"I cannot believe I let you do that!" Sven cried as he practically fell of the bike and snatched his attaché case away from where he had stowed it. "You could have killed us!"

"Yeah," I smiled in his direction as I still sat on the bike. "But you know it was fun."

"It was NOT fun! It was-" But his voice broke off as we felt the ground beneath us shudder.

I glanced around warily as we waited for something to happen, but as the shaking began to die away we were left with nothing but the sound of the wind whipping past our ears.

"This place is beyond strange…" Sven muttered from beside me, his eyes surveying the scene. "I wonder where Eve is?"

"Not here," I shook my head as I turned to gaze up at the back of the things head. "She'll be somewhere inside is my guess."

"And a good guess that would be." A voice came from behind us, making us both spin around, gun's ready.

The Doctor stood behind us, his thin fingers pushing his glasses up as he smirked in our direction. I tightened my grip on Hades automatically, anger coursing through me at the sight of him.

"Where's Eve!" Sven shouted, his anger getting the best of him.

Doctor's smirk grew wider as he shoved his hands into his coat pockets.

"Like every being its power is at the heart of it," He spoke in riddles. "But I doubt either of you could make it that far."

"Wanna bet!" I snapped before firing Hades, the bullet grazing what would have been his shoulder but passing directly through him.

His image flickered slightly, as if he were on a TV screen with a bad signal. He let out a deep laugh before pushing his glasses up again.

"Nice try, Black Cat," He smirked. "But as this is not my real body you'll have a hard time doing any damage."

"I swear if you hurt Even I'll-"

"Empty threats will not suit you well, Mr. Vollfied," Doctor shot him any icy look. "But as it is all you both can hope to accomplish it is time I bid you farewell. Know this, however…once you enter Eden there is no going back-your memories will not let you."