Hey readers! X3 It's time for the next (but not quite the last) chapter, yay! I know it took me a while to write/upload this and it wasn't quite on time but now here it is! Enjoy them, I hope you do at least… I've been re-watching the Black Cat anime and it helped me with the fight scenes. It was a lot of fun to work the Chronos Numbers in; they're so cool haha…especially that Sephiria! Well, enjoy the latest chapter in this story and I hope you enjoy!

There have been some updates in my not-so-interesting life lol. Classes have begun and I've become even MORE busy, and…the exciting part, I now have a boyfriend! It's a guy I've liked for quite some time now and finally got around to tell and, well, it worked out and now we're dating! It's only been about three days but here's hoping it lasts…I really like him…lol. ANYWAYS, onto the story that took me FAR to long to post, and I really AM sorry…

Train

………………………………………………………….

A Cat's Fight

"What the hell was that supposed to mean!?" Sven growled as Doctor's image flickered and disappeared from in front of us. "He was absolutely NO help!"

"Like you expected him to be?" I asked sarcastically before re-holstering Hades and mounting the motorcycle. "Now get on, we have to find a way into this thing."

Sven got on behind me reluctantly and we were off, roaring over the rough terrain and what was Eden. The Doctor had warned us that if we entered Eden we would not be able to get back out…that our memories wouldn't let us. That didn't make any sense to me at the moment but I had a feeling it soon would.

"Do you really have to go this fast?" Sven called over my shoulder. "You're going to get us thrown off!"

"Are you honestly complaining about my dri-" But my sentence was cut off as pain shot up my upper arm and ripped it's way out.

I looked up just in time to see a form standing directly in front of us, their weapon aimed in our direction. I veered to the side and slammed on the breaks, the tires squealing on the strange terrain as we came to a bumpy stop.

My right hand immediately flew to my left arm where it was throbbing with pain. I pulled it away to find my fingers covered in red, the torn fabric of my coat sleeve revealing a deep cut on my upper arm. I clamped my hand back over it, trying to stop the bleeding before looking up just in time to duck away from another shot.

Another jumped down beside him, a gold chain clenched in his hands with a deadly looking ball swinging from it.

"Who are they?" Sven asked from behind me as we watched one another.

"Chronos Numbers…" I breathed, an icy feeling taking me over.

If some of the Numbers had turned sides we could be in for a lot more trouble than we realized… I pushed Sven off the back of the bike and threw myself off as well, narrowly missing the ball as it swung where our heads would have been. I rolled away from another blow and jumped up, yanking Hades out of its holster and aiming.

"Ah, Thirteen," The first one greeted, readying another one of his arrows. "I see you finally made it."

"What the hell are you thinking?" I growled, studying both of them as they did the same. "You thought you'd try to take down Chronos too? Don't you realize Mason is going to get you all killed?"

"Ha!" The second one laugh sardonically before swinging the ball again, forcing me to duck out of its path. "Like we'd believe a traitor like you! Wasn't it less than a year ago that you left our ranks to "live freely"?"

"As if that's the same thing!" I shouted back, cocking my gun. "What you're doing here is wrong! You're killing innocent people!"

"They're not innocent!" The first one retorted smugly. "They've done wrong and are paying for it."

"Then you will pay for what you have done wrong as well." A voice I knew all too well broke through our conversation. Sven and I turned to see Sephiria standing behind us, her sword still sheathed but ready to be drawn at any moment.

"Sephiria, what are you-"

"Thirteen," She looked to me. "I will take care of these traitors, you must find Eve."

I studied her for several seconds before nodding and turning to Sven who quickly mounted the motorcycle. I dodged an oncoming arrow before jumping onto the bike as well and revving the engine.

We took off, flying towards the two Chronos members before skidding low beneath their attacks. I yanked the bike back upright and flew between the two of them before they could attack again, leaving Sephiria to face them.

We continued on our way up the body of Eden towards the head, Sven yelling to me that it was most likely the only place where we'd be able to enter it.

It wasn't long before we were under attack again. A blade wielded by yet another Chronos Number shot down in front of me, missing my throat by centimeters as I jerked backwards. Though it had missed my face it did, however, slam into the front tire of the motorcycle, sending us and the bike flying through the air.

I landed hard, skidding for several feet before coming to a stop only a few feet away from the drop off that was the side of Eden. I looked up to see Sven lying further away and the bike even further, smashed and smoking as it lay in ruin.

My instincts kicked in as a sound different from the wind met my ears. I rolled to the side and stood quickly, dodging an onslaught of attacks from the knife wielding Chronos member. I ducked and dodged, the blades barely missing me and giving me no opening to arm myself.

I ducked just in time to miss another, but as I did my attacker turned his attention on Sven who had pushed himself to his knees. I stood quickly and whipped Hades up before aiming carefully and pulling the trigger. One of the knives was sent flying through the air before stabbing into the back of Eden, the Chronos Number freezing directly above Sven.

"Don't even think about it," I growled, sounding more like my old Chronos self than I would have liked.

He turned slowly, his single knife still as deadly as both, and advanced on me. He skillfully dodged my gunshots, before lunging forward and slamming full into me, luckily the blade missed.

We rolled several feet before I felt the floor beneath me give out and I was falling through the open air towards the smoking city below. I felt fear begin to take over as I assessed my situation, the air whipping past me and howling in my ears.

I unhooked the string that was connected to the handle of Hades before launching the gun through the air and back towards where I had fallen from.

"Sven!" I screamed through the air, hoping against all hope that he would hear me and see the gun, but as the gun hit its length and began to fall back towards me it seemed my plan might not work as well as planned.

I felt myself turn with the air currents, falling through the rushing and howling wind when suddenly Hades jerked and I was holding on with all I had. I looked up to see a dark shape standing where I had been moments ago, and before I knew it I was flying upwards, back towards Eden.

When I finally landed I hit hard and rolled, my back slamming into the wreckage of the motorcycle. My fingers refused to relax around the hilt of Hades, but as I opened my eyes I saw the Chronos Number lying unconscious on the ground a few feet away and Sven next to what looked like a wolf standing over me.

I took in a deep yet shaky breath, struggling to stay calm as I sat up and looked up at Sven then back to the wolf. It took only a few seconds of investigation to see the golden Roman numerals imprinted within its black fur and it's strangely gilded tail that lashed through the unforgiving wind.

"Are you okay, Train?" Sven asked urgently as he glanced over his shoulder, seeming to be expecting another onslaught.

"Yeah, fine," I sighed as I ran my fingers through my hair. "But…who are you?"

The wolf shifted slightly as I addressed him before bowing his head low and speaking, to our surprise, in a rough voice.

"My name is Anubis," He spoke, his voice clear but harsh. "Lady Sephiria sent me ahead to assist you so that you could find the core of Eden."

"So you belong to Chronos?" Sven interjected suddenly, making me look up.

"That is correct," He nodded slowly. "But for now that is irrelevant. We must move quickly before Eden attacks."

I nodded quickly before standing and raveling the cord back into Hades handle with the single push of a button on the hilt. I looked to Sven who was giving me the same look. We had no idea where to go from here.

"The entrance is ahead," Anubis spoke suddenly from below. "At the base of the creatures head."

Without bothering to ask how he knew that we set off, leaving the wreckage of the motorcycle behind and running along the rough terrain of the strange creature. At this point those inside had to know we were out here, or that something was going on, but for now Eden remained calm and dormant, gliding along through the air towards its first destination.

"There!" I heard Sven yell from beside me. "Up ahead!"

I followed his pointing finger to see a pair of flat doors that were set at the base of Eden's head so that they were point of the ground, just as Anubis has said. We pushed forward until we were practically standing on them when a loud explosion sounded form behind us.

We turned on the spot to see smoke rising from below, billowing up over the sides of Eden and fogging up the air around us. I looked around, sure we were under attack, until another explosion pierced the air and I realized it was coming from below.

"What's going on?" Sven yelled as we both rushed towards the edge, Anubis ahead of us.

"Eden is initiating the attack," Anubis spoke as we leaned over to see the sight below. "It has finally begun."

Below lay a scene of wreckage and chaos. From our height it was hard to make out details, but it was obvious that the small town beneath us was behind blown to smithereens.

A strange golden rain was emitting from Eden's gaping mouth and was falling over the city's residence as they ran for safety. My stomach turned and felt as though it had dropped into icy water was I watched the rain fall on the people below.

The moment he strange golden light hit a person a glowing cocoon seemed to wind it's way around them until they were lifted up and into Eden's mouth. Person after person fell pray to Eden's latest attack as buildings lay in ruin around them, smoke continuing to rise along with the residence of the town.

"This is terrible." Sven shook his head as I backed away and turned from the scene. "What do you they to do with all those people anyway?"

"Mason believe they have done wrong," Anubis began to explain. "He believes that those with tainted souls should be used to power Eden. He believes it will cleanse them and make them worthy of passing on into paradise."

"That's insane!" Sven spat, rounding on us as if it were our fault.

"I must agree," Anubis nodded his shaggy head before turning back to the doors. "Which is why you must reach the core of this monster. The sooner it is destroyed the sooner this insanity will stop."

"We can reach the core," I said calmly. "But we can't destroy it. Eve is in there and there's no way we're letting Mason take her down with him."

Sven nodded and we were off again, moving as quickly as we could towards the doors. We knelt down and pried at the metal slabs, sliding them apart only inches after working for several minutes. Anubis stood guard as we worked, listening as the sound of the Chronos Numbers fighting their enemies grew louder by the minute.

By the time we had the doors opened at least a foot the sounds of fighting had grown much louder. We could see small explosions and dust rising from just beyond the closest hill.

"They are approaching," Anubis warned us as he hunched down and watched as several figured made their way over the hill and walked towards us.

I recognized them immediately as the traitorous numbers of Chronos, not a single ally amongst them. They stopped and fanned out in a semi circle, surrounding us and leaving us nowhere to go but to jump from Eden's head.

"Number Thirteen," One of them spoke, though I couldn't tell who. "Your attempts are futile. Give up now and we may let you live."

"Yeah, right," I spat as Sven worked at the doors beside me. "I'd be an idiot if I believed anything you said."

"Don't move." Another said as they lifted their weapons simultaneously as I went for the doors again. "We have been ordered to keep you away from Eden. To kill you if we have to."

"If you're trying to scare me it's not going to work," I smirked as I took hold of the door that Sven hadn't gone for. "I'm past caring what you people do and don't want me to do."

And with all the strength left in us Sven and I pulled the door open, the metal screeching against the tracks as though they hadn't been opened in years.

There was an eruption of noise as the ex-Chronos Numbers weapons launched into action. I shoved Sven forward who was already on his way through the doors before following in close pursuit.

We stumbled down the steep flight of metal steps before ducking beneath the threshold of the doors to avoid any further attacks.

"Sven!" I yelled as Sven jumped from the final step and turned to look at me. "Help me!"

He rushed back up the stairs and to my side as we each took hold of one of the doors and pushed with all our might. Slowly but surely the doors began to shut, as though they were never meant to be opened in the first place, until the light from beyond shone in through the narrow crack between the doors, washing our faces with light until the doors slammed shut and we were left in darkness.

…………………………………………………………………………….

Okay…so I'm REALLY hoping to update soon. I'm terribly sorry this chapter took SO long to get finished and posted…it's really terrible of me. But now we're off into Eden, which is a far more exciting thing to write about in my opinion so that should promote some kind of creative thought in this empty head of mine lol. I do have classes, which equals tons of homework so I have to squeeze it in between homework, work, and class, but I definitely will for you, my loyal readers! The next chapter is sure to be filled with more action and a lot of confusing information that might even leave me going, "What the-?", so I hope you're looking forward to it because I'm excited to write it!

Train X3