51Train stood partially to the side, watching the scene before him with slightly narrowed eyes as Stamper Wilson approached their group. Approached 'Black Cat'.
Woodney stood, confused, with his left arm that bore the '13' marker writing on it still raised as he faced Stamper. The fake 'Black Cat' was clearly unable to understand why his latest adversary continued to approach him, instead of running away at the mere name of the legendary killer 'Black Cat'.
Train, of course, knew better.
For one, he knew Stamper's face from a Sweeper capture poster – the man was worth a fair amount as a hit man in the underworld, and currently rumoured to be working for an important and deadly arms and drug dealer. And as for the other reason… well, Train wasn't surprised someone had come to challenge 'Black Cat'…
Sven and Eve stood on Woodney's other side, also watching silently, as Stamper casually lit a cigarette before he looked back at Woodney.
"Watch this." Stamper informed the other, chubbier man, as he flipped a coin high into the air.
Stamper suddenly lifted his pistol, firing three consecutive shots in the air, and Woodney flinched while Eve observed as the coin fell to the ground with three perfect cuts around it from where the bullets had punched holes in the metal.
Stamper's underlings all gasped in awe, smiling triumphantly at their leader's display of power, while Stamper turned back to Woodney.
Stamper looked the man up and down through his glasses, before he smiled menacingly as he asked, "What do you think of my skill? Having me as your opponent shouldn't be a problem, right? Black Cat?"
It was very clear that Stamper knew Woodney wasn't the real Black Cat, and that the hit man had noticed Woodney's incompetence, not only in a fight, but also in the ability to stay calm when faced with danger. The hitman was now just playing with his food, teasing Woodney before he chewed him up and spat him out.
Sven was watching Woodney pensively, noticing the fear radiating off the darker-haired man, before he glanced over at Train. Eve also perked up in surprise as Train moved, stepping in front of Woodney casually.
"That's not enough!" Train called loudly as he covered Woodney both literally and figuratively. "It's way too early for someone like you to challenge him!"
"Huh?!" Stamper's men cried, surprised and annoyed by the disturbance, while Stamper just frowned as he examined the younger man who'd challenged him.
"Who are you?" He asked, puzzled, and Train grinned as he answered loudly, "Me? I am… the Black Cat's disciple!"
Behind Train, Woodney, Sven, and Eve all had the same dumbfounded looks on their faces at his declaration… though the later two for different reasons from the first. Sven couldn't believe that was the cover Train had chosen while Eve wondered – yet again – if Train was truly just stupid.
Woodney, however, was in genuine shock as Train declared to Stamper, "It's not your turn yet to fight with my master! A mere disciple like me will be enough to handle this!"
Stamper smirked, while Woodney said to Train in a shaky voice, "Hey… hey, what are you blabbering about? You'll be killed!"
"Mr. Stamper, we'll-!" One of Stamper's underlings began as he reached into his jacket for his own gun, but Stamper cut in, "Don't make any unnecessary moves."
Stamper sniggered slightly as he looked back at Train, and he murmured, "The Black Cat's… disciple, is it? How very interesting."
Sven's one eye, the one not covered by his eyepatch, narrowed while Stamper chortled, "Without having a warm up event first, how could this show be perfect?"
Train just smiled back mysteriously, and Stamper lifted his still burning cigarette.
"Here's the signal." He informed Train, before flicking the cigarette out of his hand.
Woodney gulped, while Sven, Eve, Train, and Stamper watched the cigarette fall towards the ground, though their trained eyes also kept an eye on the whole surrounding area as well.
The second the cigarette's tip touched the ground, Stamper raised his pistol with a triumphant 'Ha!'
But the joke was on him, and he let out a confused noise as a black, decorated handgun came flying at his face, smacking him hard on the nose and breaking it.
"… He… threw it…?" Stamper gasped as he stumbled back from the force of the blow while blood spurted from his broken nose.
Train meanwhile whipped his Hades back towards himself, using the extendable decorative ropes on the butt end of his gun to pull it back to his hands. With practiced ease, he snapped Hades back into his right hand while he leapt high into the air, just as Stamper looked back up again.
"You… little brat…!" Stamper started to snarl, holding his bloody nose with one hand while he lifted his pistol with the other, but Stamper froze in shock as he saw something tattooed under Train's left clavicle, just visible above his shirtline: the number 'XIII'.
And then Train smashed his foot right into Stamper's chest, sending the man flying back and into a cart of potatoes.
There was a moment's silence as Stamper's men gaped in shock and horror at their fallen leader, while Train landed neatly on his feet a few paces away.
"… People like you aren't worth wasting any bullets on." Train commented casually.
Woodney stared in shock, while Stamper's henchmen gathered around the fallen man anxiously.
Sven meanwhile turned to Eve as he explained, "That's how it is, Eve."
"Eh?" Eve asked, looking up at the older man.
"You asked earlier, what I meant about the burden of 'Black Cat's' name." Sven explained, referring to Eve's question as to why Train and Sven had continued to stick around Woodney even after knowing he was masquerading around as Black Cat.
"This is it. Sometimes, by using the Black Cat's name, it's possible to frighten away your enemies. But at other times, it'll provoke an even greater number of enemies into fighting you."
Eve turned to stare at Train as Sven finished quietly, "For two years, he has… lived like this."
"Mr. Stamper! Hang it there!" Stamper's underlings were crying as they gathered around Stamper, while Woodney stared, stunned.
First of all, to take out such an impressive opponent… His eyes travelled over to Train as he noted: an ornate black gun, powerful, and the tattoo on his left chest in roman numerals…
A thunderbolt hit Woodney as he finally realized the mistake with his own tattoo.
"You bastard!" One of Stamper's men, clearly the second in command, cried as they turned to Train angrily. "You'll pay for this!"
Train just lifted a brow as he saw the way their feet were positioned to run – clearly, for all their angry words, they were going to flee before they could be killed.
"We'll get y-!" The underling continued to shout, when a gunshot sounded.
Train blinked as the man suddenly crumpled, a bullet lodged right in the centre of his chest.
"Wha-?!" The others cried as the man fell to the ground, dead.
Woodney flinched again, while Sven and Eve gasped in shock. Train meanwhile glanced sharply up to the roof on his right, his eyes narrowed as he zeroed in on the shooter. But when he saw the figure crouched on the roof, his eyes widened and he stilled in the way he only did when caught by actual surprise.
"How did she get here without any of us sensing it?" Sven wondered, as he too spotted the woman. Eve also stared up at the newcomer, tensing in wary anticipation as the strange woman lowered her still-smoking, black rifle while keeping her gaze on the group below.
The sniper was young, around twenty if Sven had to take a guess, and very beautiful. With her piercing silver-grey eyes and long dark-blue hair tied up in a high ponytail that swung behind her in the wind, the woman was a true femme fatale. This assertion was highlighted by the fact that, while her neat black pants suit and overcoat covered everything appropriately, it did little to hide the woman's slim but defined figure.
But what really caught Sven's attention was more than this woman's beauty; it was the way she screamed 'danger' in a way that made the very hairs on his body rise in apprehension. And not because she had just effectively killed a man, but because of the look in her eyes as she stared down at them contemptuously from her place on the roof. The look was cold, remorseless, and one he was familiar with – they were the eyes of a killer.
Sven tensed, his hand tightening on his trusty suitcase as the woman leapt down from the roof, landing easily on her feet, just as another of Stamper's men demanded, "What did you do, you bi-?!"
He broke off with a squeal as the strange woman lifted her rifle, the sunlight reflecting a little off the gold and silver highlights on the sides of the weapon, and pointed it at the man's head.
"Eep!" The man gulped, while she gave him a cold, sharp glare, before she turned her eyes back on the man she'd landed in front of.
"Who knew I'd run into you here, Black Cat." She spoke, her voice as cold as her gaze as she stared at Train. "You really must bring bad luck."
"Julia."
Sven glanced at Train in surprise as the younger man greeted the young woman tonelessly. It was more than just the fact that Train knew her – it was Train's tone and his expression that worried Sven.
Train looked tense, his muscles tight as he stood stiffly. It was clear he was surprised by something, either this woman's presence or her appearance; and… there was a flicker of something that Sven couldn't quite read. It looked… almost like pain.
"It's been a long time." Train continued, and the woman – Julia – just returned coldly, "And it seems you've become sloppy in that time. What was that?"
She gestured towards Stamper, and Train bristled slightly as he replied in a tone so icy Sven glanced at him in surprise, "It's not any of your business anymore, is it? Lia."
There was something in the way he'd said her name that made Sven glance at Train once more. It was… sarcastic; as though that wasn't what Train would normally call her. Did that mean they weren't close, even before this unexpected meeting?
"Was it ever?" Lia shot back scathingly, giving Train another frosty look. "But I'd appreciate if you backed off from my target now."
"Your target?" Sven repeated incredulously, while Train's brow furrowed.
Lia ignored Sven as Stamper's men started to try to back away with their unconscious leader while she wasn't looking.
They froze instantly, letting out squeals as Lia suddenly fired at them, the bullet just missing one of their heads as it cut the man's cheek when it sped passed.
"Where do you think you're going?" Lia asked flatly, and the men squeaked as they turned to face her while she started walking towards them.
"Wait, please! Don't hurt us!" They cried as Lia came closer, but she ignored them as she looked at Stamper.
"Hang on!" Sven called as Lia raised her rifle again. "What are you doing?"
"What I was sent to do." Was her short reply as she cocked her rifle at Stamper.
"Wha-?!" Sven cried, when suddenly Train stepped right in Lia's line of fire.
Her eyes narrowed, but Train didn't move as he stated in a serious voice, "He's not even conscious to fight you."
"You may take the credit for that." Lia returned flatly, and Train's eyes narrowed.
"What happened to you?" He asked abruptly, and Sven frowned while Lia's eyes went even colder. "You're not like this – you would never have killed someone who isn't even able to defend himself."
There was a beat of silence, and then Lia smirked slightly.
"You want to know what happened?" She asked, as she lowered her rifle, and leant in closer to Train.
He frowned as he looked into her silvery-grey eyes, wondering what she was doing, when she abruptly grabbed him by the shirtfront and dragged him towards her.
"Ah?!" Eve gasped as it looked like Lia was going to kiss Train, while Sven cried in alarm, thinking she might sneak an attack on his partner, "Train!"
But Lia swept passed Train, and he could only watch – too stunned to react – as he was pulled aside while Lia swung her rifle around Train's body.
A black, curved blade popped out from the rifle body, which extended smoothly at the same time into a long handle, and Train sucked in a sharp breath.
"NO!" Sven yelled, starting forwards but it was already too late.
Lia's scythe cut Stamper's neck, slicing it open and no doubt killing the man on the spot.
Woodney fainted while Eve flinched, unable to believe what she had seen. Lia straightened slowly, the scythe held in both hands as she wielded it easily into a more casual stance behind her.
Train stood frozen in place, feeling strangely numb as he could only stare in shock at Lia's weapon. Or, more specifically, at the silver number engraved onto the side of the scythe blade: 'VI'.
"You're a…?" He bit out, while Lia just stood with her scythe still held behind her.
"Ah…" Sven also gasped.
He had never imagined this young woman to be one of the Chronos Numbers. Not that her killing aura hadn't been strong enough to be one of the legendary assassins – because it definitely had – but…
'I thought Train was the youngest Number ever at eighteen?' Sven thought as he glanced at Train. 'This woman can't be much older than that – though, it seems Train didn't know she was a Number, so maybe that explains it. She could have joined later… But how does he know her, then?'
"Gah!"
Sven glanced over as Stamper's men backed away from Lia with looks of pure fear.
"It-it can't be!" One gasped as he stared at Lia's scythe in terror. "The 'Reaper'!"
