26Genre(s): Romance; Mystery; Action
Pairing(s): Train/Eve; Leon/Mea; Charden/Kyoko; Sven/Tearju; Jenos/Rinslet; Rito/Lala
Rating: T+
Disclaimer: Don't own Black Cat or any of Kentaro Yabuki's other works.
Note(s):
So… I first started this story way back on March 16, 2008; which means that this work of fiction is just five (5) days short of being eleven (11) years old (as of this update), and that same number of years without an update! Is that an FF record? I very much doubt it, but it's noteworthy nonetheless. Back in 2008, this story was called "A New Topic", and it was started simply as an attempt of mine to do a multi-chapter story with Train & Eve as the main romantic focus. Back then I had just finished the manga (which I loved) and the anime (which I found… so-so) and was just enamored with the series.
So what gives? Well, I recently re-read the manga and I found it just as captivating as before! The characters, the actions, the drama (somewhat), the humor, etc. All of it works. So, I got inspired on a story on how I would want to see that story continue. And, rereading this story I had here and the reviews and comments it got, I realized that maybe the best place to tell my inspiration is by reviving this fiction. And thus, here I am, trying just that.
So, if you're interested in reading a continued adventure of Eve, Train, Sven and the rest, with a romantic / dramatic spin focused on Train and Eve and a few other couples, do read on. And don't be surprised if you see some other characters from other Kentaro Yabuki's series, like To Love-ru or Mayoi Neko Overrun.
Two (2) Days Before The Assault.
She couldn't quite fathom the idea of what she was even doing.
On one hand, it wasn't unusual, in the many books she read, for a character to seek out another in a time of nervousness or unease, if only for some solace or company. It was late at night, the ideal time for such developments, yet she couldn't quite picture herself acting this way. Not that she'd classify her state as "nervous", really, a more fitting term would probably be "anxious". After all, it had been her idea to push them towards this goal. To tell her team, both her paternal figure and man who had saved her Sven Vollfied and her dimwitted rival and third-wheel in this entire thing Train Heartnet, to do their job proper and finally put an end to all the madness and death that the criminal Creed Diskenth and his overdramatically named Apostles of the Stars have brought upon the world.
On the other hand, she wasn't like a character in any of the books she had read. From non-fiction accounts of history, economics, philosophy, poetry and science to fictionalized accounts of classic literature, drama, science fiction (which contained a healthy dose of things she knew for a fact were far from fiction, but she digressed) and the like; the characters found in those were rarely like her. They did things or acted in ways she'd never, usually as a way to move the plot along to the convenience of the author. This was way more common, obviously, in the works of fiction, were reality could be bent in order to reach the desire outcome. So, when a character would seek out comfort, they would go out, in the middle of the night, to their parents', friend's or significant other's room, because they were scared to sleep alone. But she wasn't like that.
She was Eve, a young clone of a world renounced scientist outfitted with an additional organ that fed her bloodstream with hundreds and thousands of miniscule machinery called nanomachines which allowed her body to morph and transform into anything imaginable as long as it fit within the realms of physics accounting for her mass. She wasn't a scared little girl about to go to war, but rather, a fellow sweeper, albeit unlicensed, getting ready to go capture a big target alongside her teammates and the alliance they had joined.
So why, she asked her reflection before she exited the motel room they had been given, opening the window and stepping out towards the roof; is she searching for him of all people to give her a hint of solace? She could try and fool herself an say that the only reason she was seeking him out was because Sven had told them to move along without him until he could better train himself for the battles to come; leaving her with no one else but Train as company. No Sven, no Rinslet, no Tearju, not even that dimwitted Kyoko who could at least keep her amused with her stories and childlike glee at practically everything. No, just her, and him, in a two-bed motel room. When she couldn't fall asleep, she reopened her eyes, and the bed next to hers was long empty. It irked her how he could slip out of the room so easily without her noticing.
It irked her even more that she now found herself up in the roof, in the middle of the night, with him just resting there stargazing like he hadn't a care in the world. Considering him, he probably thought he didn't, but she knew better.
"Can't sleep Little Princess?" he asked her without even turning to her, but it wasn't like she was trying to sneak up on him or anything. The use of the nickname he gave her, which she didn't much allow anyone to call her that except him for some reason she couldn't quite comprehend, made her feel a little bit more at ease and a little bit more annoyed at the same time. It was a usual contradiction of feeling whenever he was involved she had learned.
"Could ask the same about you," she replied, her tone monotonous as usual, but with a hint of annoyance thrown in for good measure. She heard him chuckle softly at this, and without invitation, she took a seat a few feet from where he lay, hugging her knees against her chest and staring at the boy before her.
"Cats usually nap," he replied, and she wondered what sort of mental hallucinations one had to fancy in order to take one's codename so seriously. He was called the infamous "Black Cat" after all, but more because he was a bringer of bad luck to his targets back when he was still a hired assassin, rather than because he acted like an actual feline. Except perhaps for the fact that he did seem to have nine lives, but he very much needed that for what was to come in just two days' time.
"Cats also lick themselves clean," she retorted, and this time his laughter was harder, down to him having to sit up straight to avoid chocking.
"Now that's an image," he mentioned, finally turning to face the blonde girl besides him, as she hugged herself tighter, the chill of the night making her a bit colder than she had anticipated. Perhaps coming outside in just her pajamas had not been the brightest of ideas. Then again, Train was wearing just a simple shirt and shorts, and he seemed none-the-wiser to the dropping temperature. Did he need reminding that cats weren't cold blooded? "Although I'm kinda surprised you followed me up here," he continued to say, "I didn't wake you, did I?"
"No," she stated, giving him a simple answer to a question she was sure he already knew the answer to.
"If you can't sleep, you could always play that video game again," he told her in a playful tone, which caused her to immediately glare at him. "Hey, don't look at me like that. That console was expensive, we should get some use out of it somehow."
"We should sell it…" she suggested.
"That's what I was thinking actually," he agreed, his expressions lighting up quickly. "Let's say we get half what we spent, that would still net us enough to-"
"…and buy more books," she finished.
"-buy more books, and, hey, wait a minute!" he shot up, sounding outright offended at the suggestion. Eve merely looked on, most of her features hidden away by her posture, only her bright eyes and golden hair visible. "I paid for that thing! Thanks to Sven deciding to leave us by our lonesome I had to take care of all our expenses! This motel ain't cheap, and I'm low on milk bottles as we speak!"
"And I'm out of material to read," she calmly stated.
"And I'm out of milk to drink," he shot back.
"Find a cow," she suggested mockingly.
"Go steal a newspaper," he retorted, to which she just rolled her eyes and he felt irked.
"…Let's make a deal, shall we?" she proposed, and he felt a slight shiver hit his spine the moment he saw a glint in her bright magenta eyes. "Whichever one of us catches Creed first, gets to spend that money how they see fit."
"You're betting my own money against me?" he asked incredulous, narrowing his eyes slightly at the younger girl. She didn't seem to care about that little detail, as she said nothing else on the matter, only kept her eyes fixated upon him. "…You know what Little Princess, you're on! Just so that I can show you just how far stronger I am to you, I'll bet my own money against you, just because of who much of a guarantee I have at earning it back. So you better be prepared to…" he paused for dramatic effect and even gasped out loud for good measure, "…reread an old book! Oh, the horror!"
"You're on," she replied, an even in her hushed tone, he could still see the fire in her eyes and the conviction behind her words. The Little Princess was already counting on that money to expand her ever growing library, and Train would feel a little bit guilty if he stopped her from gaining that knowledge and pleasure she was seeking. But whatever guilt he felt would be so worth it just to see her defeated face as he bought more milk and drank it in front of her. Maybe he could even read the label out loud for added insult? Oh, what a dastardly plan he was concocting!
"…Train?"
"Oh, yeah?" he stopped his evil mind from imagining "a pouting Eve turning her hair into drills to try and catch him as he gloriously ran circles around her with his victory milk in tow"; turning to the girl with a raised eyebrow, "I'm totally not thinking about how big a loser you're going to be, no way whatsoever! I'd never take joy in-"
"…If I did catch Creed…" she began, gave a soft pause, her eyes shifting to the side briefly, then turning back to face the young dark haired man before her. "If I somehow managed to do so, would that make it harder for you to move on?"
The question took him way more off guard that he ever thought Eve could. Not only was it the fact that she was outright certain she could catch the lunatic, which to be fair, Train himself believed that she had a better shot at it than most of the Sweepers in the Alliance (whoever they were to be, if any). But rather, that she was outright concerned with his feelings. She had been doing that a lot lately, and it was weird.
"I dunno," he replied honestly, resting his back once more on the roof, his arms crossed behind his head to function as pillows, with the starry sky as his roof. "To be honest, if you did catch him, I'd find it hilarious. I'm sure Creed would be bonkers for sure… more that he usually is, I mean. But, for me to "move on", I think I already did, didn't I?"
She didn't reply, since it didn't feel like a question aimed at her. He seemed to be asking himself that, his expression the same as it was when he told her and Sven about his past with Creed. About his past with the woman named Saya. And while Eve was not an expert in love of any sort, she could tell how much that girl meant to Train. How much losing her hurt him. How much her last words to him haunted him still. Because he didn't understand their meaning; because he couldn't find a way to honor them properly.
"You can forget about me."
Eve herself would have no way on knowing how to do this. If something were to happen to Sven, if he told her that, how could she? How could she rip out of her heart the memories of the person who most means to her? And she knew, that Saya was different to Train. A different kind of love. He had been clear that they never saw each other as a couple, just as friends, but what did he mean by that really? Are friends supposed to be that close? Were they really just friends, or more? She'd never ask him outright, but she wondered.
"I guess even I don't know," Train replied, answering his own question as he always did, without a proper answer. "But, don't let that stop you, okay. When we get there, you fight with everything you have. If by some miracle Creed has a massive case of diarrhea and you somehow reach him taking a shit and you knock him out face first into the toilet and manage to capture him, you do so okay, don't keep him ass-up waiting for me to arrive so that I can feel good about myself, okay… because I don't want that image to haunt me for the rest of my life."
"…You are disgusting," she replied, and he chuckled again, but it was cut short when he felt her move. He turned to face her, and he saw the Little Princess edge closer to him, and lay down beside him on the roof; part of her hair morphed into a pillow and another into a blanket, covering her completely. He had no idea she could do that, but he felt like she was just showing off.
"That's an impressive use of that power, you know?" he complimented, waiting for her to brag about it.
"Not really," she mentioned, "Once I fall asleep it will revert back to normal, and I don't think I can keep it up for too long anyways. I'll just keep it on while I'm here, then go back inside. Normal people don't sleep like this."
He quickly stoop up, which caused her to turn slightly to him, curious. She heard him say "wait here" as he quickly moved down from the roof and into their motel room, all with the fine dexterity of a trained street cat. He emerged from the same window moments later, with pillows and a thick blanket in hand. She eyed him strangely at this. "Train," she began, "We are not supposed to take those materials out of the room. What are you even doing?"
"I'm going to show you just how good sleeping under the stars really is, but since you're such a wimp when it comes to cold," he ignored the glare she gave him when he called her a wimp, focusing instead on setting the blanket in place, as in, throwing it on top of her without warning which caused the girl to jerk about underneath it as her concentration was blown and her transformations were reverted. She poked her head out of the blanket, careful not to rip it, but her eyes glaring daggers at Train. He gave her a mischievous grin, then softly threw a pillow on her head and lied down on the space next to her. "Now, that's better, you get a blanket to keep yourself cozy, while I get a good pillow to sleep in. The cold is one thing, but a little comfort is never a bad thing."
"…Idiot," she murmured, but she was sure he heard it. Regardless, Eve covered herself properly with the blanket and placed the pillow under her head. She noticed how Train had taken the blanket and the two pillows from the bed he had been using in the motel room, because they smell like him. Or rather, like the cologne he usually wears. It was odd, because she was sure it was a much cheaper brand than the one Sven uses, but she adored it still. Not that she'd ever tell him, or anyone, but it was such a captivating scent. One she was sure drove girls like Kyoko crazy. Maybe even Saya…
She shook her head, she didn't need these kinds of thoughts. The cologne was good, that was it, but even it couldn't fully mask the scent of fresh milk and gunpowder that Train carried with him everywhere.
And it was like this that she fell asleep, lost in the scent of the Black Cat, the worries that plagued her mind as vanquished as any other threat he had ever come across.
/
Eight (8) Months After The Assault.
"Right, I forgot to say this!" Train spoke out loud, ending the moments of silence that had befallen the crew once they had gotten on their car and begun to head towards their newest destination. Rinslet Walker had just given them additional Intel about another possible job, and they were on their way towards it. Sven was driving as he usually did, as the man would seldom allow Train to drive unless it was an outright emergency. Honestly, he'd consider allowing Eve the wheel before Train if she was of age. Train was on the passenger's seat, admiring his newly fixed Hades gun, while Eve sat at the back, her head rested on her arm by the open window, towards Train's side of the car. "Sven, thanks for fixing Hades."
"…Is it really okay?" the older man asked, his eyes fixated on the road, but noticing the puzzled look the younger man gave him. "Fixing Hades…"
"What are you talking about?" Train asked, his smile ever present, "You did me a favor, didn't you?"
"Hades is…" Sven began, and Eve paid close attention to his words. She had a good idea what he was going to say, as she felt the same way as soon as she saw that the gun had been repaired. "A token from your days with Chronos. Must've been a good chance for you to part with it. And get yourself a new replacement."
"Part with it, eh…?" Train replied, considering the suggestion as he looked out the window, smiling at the feeling of freedom the road gave him. "I had a chance to throw Hades away a long time ago. When Saya died, I used that as an excuse to leave the Organization. I challenged the Elders, and had Hades taken away from me. Back then…" he continued, his mind replaying the events like a movie. Eve, too, imagined them, like she did with every book she read. The mental image of Train other life, the version of him she's never met. "I had the choice if escaping without Hades, but I didn't do that. Instead I race up that Chronos building. Retrieved Hades and disappeared from their sight. That's reason's simply enough. I've always believed that the past isn't something that one can cast away so easily. It's part of who you are, it's the same for everyone. You can't go on living if you can't carry the weight of your past."
Sven said nothing, but he understood what Train meant. He had, after all, similar baggage to carry. Eve, on the other hand, had her attention focused entirely on Train. It was rare, she knew, to hear him open up like this. To express himself as such. Just like she had told him after their most recent capture they made, she never imagined him as a romantic, but every now and then he would say things that resembled the words of the best of poets and the greatest of authors… Then he'd say something stupid and ruin what little admiration he had earned from her, but she was used to it by now.
"So you have to appreciate the harvest that you sowed," he continued, lost in thought turned to speech, and it made her heart skip somehow. How such poetry could exit that mouth was beyond her, but she cherished those moments, no matter how sparse they were. She liked this side of Train, not that she'd ever tell him. Or anyone for that matter. "You have to decide how to live, in the present…" he carried on, "Ah, but I've already decided how to live mine."
If this were a book, Eve imagined, this would be the point where his story would end. Where the legend of the greatest assassin turned Sweeper, known and feared as the Black Cat, came to a satisfying conclusion. A happy ending, if you will, but to her, it felt like something else. Because life wasn't always like the books…
…And if his story was ending, hers was just starting.
"Hey Little Princess, look!" Train quickly shouted out, sticking his head out of the passenger's side window and pointing forwards. "It's the city Rinslet mentioned: Sainan City! Damn, it does look pretty big!"
"Train, get yourself inside, you look like a total maniac doing that, and we are supposed to be undercover," Sven reprimanded him, but when the younger man did nothing, he grabbed Train by the belt of his pants and pulled him inside, which caused the Black Cat to shriek as he nearly hit his head against the car door.
"You're such a sourpuss, you know that!" Train stated with a pout.
"And you are beyond immature," Sven mentioned, frowning at the city's welcome sign as if it had any fault. "What kind of Sweeper goes into a city making such a ruckus? What part of blend in don't you get?"
"What's wrong with that?" Train asked, and he sounded genuinely curious. "You know what could be fun, if when we find the guy, we-"
"You are not screaming at him to make him run away," Sven cut him off before he could make the suggestion, and by the look of childish anger in Train's face, he hit the nail on the head. "It doesn't make it more fun."
"Is does too."
"Does not."
"Sven?" Eve asked, hoping to stop the childish squabble from starting, since just as she foretold, the serious and interesting Train had been replaced by the stupid and moronic Train, and she was done listening to him.
"Yes, what is it sweetie?" Sven's tone immediately took a turn to the parental, to which Train muffled a laugh since it seemed like Sven became more and more paternal to Eve with every passing day. The man could outright overstep Tearju the few times the scientist attempted to become more involved in Eve's life, which seemed to shock the older woman but she knew she was not to argue against it. Sven was, for all intents and purposes, Eve's guardian. Train's too, if Rinslet's mocking were any indication.
"Can we see if there's any bookstores around?" Eve asked in the sweet, hopeful tone she always used when she spoke to Sven, which caused Train to give her a mocking baby gesture to which she responded by sticking her tongue out at him.
"Oh sure, I'm sure there's one around here somewhere," Sven quickly responded, which caused Train to turn to the man.
"Oh, me sticking my head out draws attention, but taking her to a bookstore is a great use of our time, huh?" Train asked, even if he already knew the answer.
"Eve just had a successful hunt today, she deserved a reward," Sven replied, eyes glued to the street signs for any indication of a nearby bookstore or library. "Besides, while she's there, I'll gather some information on our next target around town."
"Wait, what do I do?" Train asked, having noticed the emphasis on the "I'll" Sven had used.
"You will stay with Eve."
"What?! You expect me to babysit the Little Princess just as we get to a new city?" Train felt utterly taken aback, which was not helped by Eve mimicking the baby gesture he had done earlier, which irked him some more.
"Actually, she's babysitting you," Sven corrected, as Train felt Eve's inner laughter, somehow. "If I let you just roam about, we'll lose sight of you for hours. I already spoke to Eve about this. Every time we reach a new area, you are to remain with either one of us for the first few hours until we adjust. Once we pick out a place to stay, then you can vanish if you want."
"Oh, come on!" Train cried out in desperation, crossing his arms against his chest and pouting, in a fine display of immaturity if there ever was one. "You treat me like if I was younger than her."
"Mental maturity is a thing that alludes you," Eve murmured.
"I heard that," Train turned to face the short haired Little Princess in the backseat, who stuck her tongue out at him again alongside transforming her hair into more tongues, also stuck out at him.
"Kids, behave," Sven mentioned, feeling like they both got more immature with age, Train specially.
After a several minutes of driving about, the trio did eventually find a bookstore, which seemed to be bigger than the ones they had gone to previously. Eve's eyes lit up at the sight of it, as she could barely contain her excitement at brand new reading material. Train's facial features remained the same, with a childish pout all the way through the drive and to the moment they arrived. Sven repeated his instructions to the two, which they both nodded to. Sven then gave Eve a tight hug as she got out of the car, which caused the recently turned thirteen year old to blush and murmur something along the lines of "Sven, there are people" since she was now a big girl. Train opened his arms and motioned Daddy-Sven for a hug, who promptly closed the door on his face and screamed at him to stay put until he returned.
And just like that the Black Cat and the Princess were left at the bookstore. Without saying a word to each other, the two entered, with Eve walking so quickly that it seemed she was running, as if she wasn't fast enough she'd be left without a book. Train merely strolled along, wondering how to escape without Eve noticing, until something caught his eye. There was a display near the entrance, showcasing their "hottest releases", or so the sign read. Amongst various books was a graphic novel collection, with a cover art that Train found amusing.
"Darling in the Franxx," Train read aloud, noticing the nice art style the graphic novel possessed as he opened the cover and skimmed through the pages. At this he covered his mouth with his palm like a little kid finding a secret stash not meant for him. "…Kinky."
Eve moved about, at a steady pace, through the aisles of books. The bookstore was big, but so was her collection. And despite her fondness for almost everything, she had begun to notice how her tastes were refining. She was no longer content with any book, as she was more critical of character development, story progression and plot holes. It annoyed her, how her critical side ruined her enjoyment sometimes, but it made for a more worthwhile experience when she did find those gems that satisfied her taste and more. So she scavenged about, again and again, through the same aisle once, twice, thrice; lost in the world of indecision.
"Boring," she muttered to herself, as she tossed another book onto the ever-growing pile, having decided it would be for the best to scour through every one of them if need be. Sven would be a while after all, and she liked making Train squirm. Her eyes narrowed as she searched the bookcase for another, and another, and another. She looked and looked, but nothing caught her eye. "Why do all these books look so boring?" Eve asked herself, her tone borderline depressed.
While she may have asked herself this, she knew the answer well. She had probably read about all of these topics from her other books. Maybe reading all the time hadn't been the very best or wisest choice, since she would have to run out of material eventually. Eve flinched. 'Out of books, with nothing new to read?'
Her eyes scanned the entire bookcase. Nothing. She had read pretty much about every single topic. And the new books that came out every now and then were either awfully similar to the ones before, pointless sequels or just plain stupid. This caused Eve to sign in almost defeat. What was she supposed to do now in her spare time?
She shook her head, instinctively taking the time to fix her hair before she remembered she had cut it short a few weeks ago. She liked the look, and it didn't affect her abilities in the slightest, but she still felt odd. Sven had assured her she looked "very pretty" as he had put it, and Rinslet had praised her greatly on the choice. Even Tearju, if only through video, had complimented her look, although Eve had refrained from mentioning on how she had chosen it to purposely distinguish herself from the scientist.
"It really suits you Princess."
She shook her head again, to stop the blood from flowing upwards. Eve decided she needed an expert opinion, not on her hair, but rather on her selection or lack of thereof. So she moved about and reached the counter, where a young woman stood behind the register. Her name tag read "Sairenji".
"Excuse me miss," Eve spoke to the young lady, most likely a teen about the same age as Kyoko, who seemed to be too busy with her phone to notice Eve approaching, as evident by her sudden jump at hearing the younger girl's voice.
"Yes?" she quickly replied, before noticing the golden blonde girl before her. "Why, hey there, how can I help you sweetheart?"
"Is there any book in this library that isn't about biographies, autobiographies, history, science, mathematics, languages, religions, or; if its fiction, something similar to "Heart-Pounding Survival", or from the same author perhaps?" her stern and serious tone made Sairenji give Eve a confused if bemused look. She never had had such a young girl ask such specific questions.
"Erm… Heart-Pounding, huh? That author hasn't made anything new as far as I know for a while now," she spoke up as she made a mental checklist of various books that had been selling pretty well which she could recommend. "Wait, that's right," Sairenji realized, an imaginary light bulb lighting up beside her head. "One of our recent releases has been a big hit with our teen demographic. It's not as serious as the Heart-Pounding series, but what it lacks in tone, it more than makes up for it in romance and drama."
"Oh, romance," Eve sounded so dejected at the suggestion that Sairenji felt like she had insulted the little lass.
"Not a fan of tween books?" she asked, taking a guess. Maybe she was still not at that age, a late bloomer she'd imagine.
"Nothing against them," Eve mentioned, her eyes scanning around, checking to see if Train had not yet bailed. He hadn't, which was surprising. He was reading something, which was insanely surprising. "They're just so unrealistic in their depiction, filled with nothing but clichés and forced twist in the plot that I can barely read a few chapters before I call it quits."
"I see," Sairenji mentioned, before she leaned against the counter closer to Eve, which caused the blonde Sweeper to shift herself back a bit at the sudden approach. "Could it be that this young lady here has not been in love herself, I wonder?"
"…That would not change my interests," Eve defended.
"Perhaps," Sairenji continued, "Or perhaps you could envision yourself in those romantic journeys, falling in love with the dashing hero just as the heroine herself is," she mentioned, and before Eve could object, she placed a book onto the counter.
Eve read the cover, "Yamato Gensouki", with what seemed to be a finely dressed young girl in the cover alongside a white haired swordsman besides her. The labels placed it as a Romance, Mystery, and Action story, with many accolades and acclaim.
"This is the romantic bestseller?" Eve asked, glancing at the cover a bit more. Whoever designed it had talent, she admitted, but there was a very well-known phrase when it came to situations such as this. She'd always follow it.
"Indeed," Sairenji cheerfully told her, before placing her index finger in the cover, over the young female lead. "Her name is Iyo Kaguya, a young princess from a far off land in the middle of war. He," she shifted her finger towards the boy, "is a young assassin for hire that is tasked with killing her. His name is Shion Shirogane, and without spoiling anything, it's not as easy as it sounds."
"Wait a minute…" Eve mentioned, noticing something. "So this is a romance between these two, right?"
"…Ah, well, in essence, yes," Sairenji replied, trying not to downplay the book. "I mean, there's a lot more to their relationship, but trust me, it's a magnificent read."
"But it's a romance between a princess and an ex-assassin?"
"Yes, in a way it-"
"Don't want it," she cut Sairenji off, pushing the book towards the young lady. "Anything else?"
"But, why?" Sairenji asked dejected, "You don't like princesses?"
"…It's not that," the young Sweeper tried to explain, her face a bit flushed and her eyes shifting downwards. "…It's just that-"
"Oh, there you are," Train's voice interrupted her, and she felt herself shiver at him remembering he was there with her at the worst possible moment. The young man walked towards the counter, and it was here Eve could see how Sairenji's eyes widened at the sight of Train approaching, likely forgetting all about Eve, which irked her for some reason.
"H-How can I help you?" she stammered a bit, but her tone still came off flirty, which Eve recognized from how Rinslet and especially Kyoko spoke to Train. Did Saya also speak to him like that?
"Oh, don't mind me," he replied, not noticing the look the girl was giving him or being so used to it, he was no longer bothered by it. "I'm just here to accompany my Princess."
"Oh, I see," Sairenji responded, the sheer sound of just how dejected she became quite evidently clear, so much so that Eve visibly cringed. What in God's name did all these women (and Creed, because of course) see in someone like Train? He was handsome, that much she couldn't deny, but every time he opened his mouth he would ruin it all. "Lucky girl, I say," Sairenji continued, and Train gave her a puzzled look.
"I guess," he replied, "Not sure why you'd think so, though."
"Not many guys wait for their girlfriends while they're out shopping," she replied, and both Train and Eve almost choked on nothing. It was one thing for her to be crushing on Train, but to think that he and she were a thing? Like, seriously? "I hope she knows how lucky she has it."
"Oh," Train said, as a mischievous grin appeared on his face as he turned to an ever redder Eve. "You hear that Princess, you have it made."
"We are definitely not like that!" Eve corrected, her face bright red and the tip of her hair pointed out, on the verge of transformation thanks to the sheer embarrassment.
"Oh! Oh I'm sorry, you're with her," Sairenji corrected, realizing her mistake. But then she paused. Had it really been a mistake? He seemed not to mind, but her? She seemed about to die right then and there, and as a teenager herself, Sairenji knew how such things felt. She also noticed something else. His nickname to her, "Princess", alongside the gun holstered to his hip. The Princess and the ex-Assassin. It all made sense now. So she gave the pair a knowing smile, and added, "I was just suggesting to your Princess on what book she should buy, since she seemed a bit undecided. I insist on this purchase, my dear."
"…I-hey!" she began, yet quickly turned to Train in surprise when the Sweeper took out his wallet and gave Sairenji the cash needed for the payment. It wasn't an inexpensive book either, being a top seller and recent release to boot. "You don't have to pay for it, and I didn't even decide yet."
"I remember promising you one, once," Train told her, and she recalled the night and the conversation, but she was sure she never managed to accomplish her side of the wager. He had. Like always. "You did more than enough, way more than I could have at that age," he replied as if he had read her mind. "Besides, if I leave it up to you, we'll be here until we're kicked out by closing time. Can't have Sairenji stay here after dark, now can we?"
Did he notice how his tone made girls stammer and instinctively lick their lips? He had to notice that effect he had, Eve had noticed it. And it annoyed her. 'He's not that big of a deal', she'd scream inside her mind, 'Look elsewhere.'
"You can call me Akiho," the clerk now called Akiho Sairenji told him, her desire for the brown haired, golden eyed young man clearly evident by her body language.
"Akiho, I'd have imagine you'd have a cute name," he replied, and Eve was unsure if he was flirting back or not. She'd never seen him flirt, unless shooting people counted as flirting for him. Then his recent words came back to her, about how he had decided to move on and focus on the present. Did he mean this? Moving on from Saya? With another girl? "Train Heartnet," he introduced himself, and it annoyed Eve to no end how every single girl how heard his name swooned at the mention of it. And she knew why. He had a cool name, she admitted, but come on. "Nice to meet ya."
"The pleasure is all mi-"
"Can you give me the receipt, please?" Eve cut her off, and Akiho looked down for a moment, before giving Eve a knowing smile that annoyed her further, before she finalized the purchase and gave the Princess her book, a bag to carry it, and her receipt. She now had new material to read, if only to get herself and Train out of that bookstore.
/
Three (3) Years After The Assault.
Near the mountain tops, in a secluded area where they had been left at, watched over periodically by Chronos to ensure the following of protocol, the once world famous actress Echidna Parass found herself finally alone for the moment. She had finished preparing his bath and helping him in, which in itself was a time-consuming task but thankfully he had grown more apt at handling it. He could finish everything by himself, only needing assistance when it came to getting redressed and being brought back to his room. It hurt, seeing him like this, and it made her wonder if she had done right by allowing that girl to remove his power from him.
Or perhaps, she had been wrong all along by giving everything up in order to please him, a man that never wanted her as much as he wanted the world. Or as much as he wanted him.
Creed Diskenth was still the same as he had been after the assault, almost three years ago to this day. His mind, broken alongside his weapon, left him in a state of near catatonia. Some days he'd react better to treatment, he'd speak more, and he would even attempt to walk. Others, he'd go back, he'd be silent, he'd hurt, he'd become violent.
She hated seeing him like that. But she had faith that someday, he'd get better. That he would be the man she fell in love with, whose conviction was enough to shake the world to its very core, despite how evil in nature they had been. As she walked down the hallways that made up their new estate, both a home and a prison, she begun to ponder what she should do with this time to herself. Read a little? Watch something on the television? Perhaps just to see if any of her prior costars had made any news lately. She'd never tell Creed, but she missed the spotlight. The glamor. The fans. It hurt to throw it all away sometimes.
She decided to watch something, so she made her way towards the living room, but her eyes widened as she did. She took out her concealed gun in a flash, shooting to her left side without hesitation, causing the bullet to his against one of the many knight armors they had on display. The armor fell down entirely, and she kept her gun pointed at it.
"I've been within these walls for years," she spoke up, her tone menacing and her gun pointed between the cracks in the armor. "I know how many of those we have and where they are posted; you do not belong there."
"My, my, how observant, sca~ry," the "armor" spoke up, which caused Echidna to feel a sense of dread at the display. As if on cue, the armor began to morph, its body changing shape and size and taking the form of a smaller, hooded individual. She realized it had not been an intruder inside the armor, rather disguised as the armor.
She shot again, without hesitation, but the intruder effortlessly dodged the bullet and lunged at her, knife at hand. Echidna blocked the knife with the side of her gun, reeling back thanks to the strength of her attacked despite the size, but managing to hold her footing. She then took another shot, with her gun still aimed to the side as the knife was still pushing it aside. The intruder seemed confused by the display, but the appearance of two portals, one to where the gun had aimed and another behind them, made her plan clear. The bullet entered one portal, then exited the other, hitting Echidna's attacker squarely on the back, causing the figure to stumble back and fall down within moments.
Echidna would not risk it. She shot again, and again. She emptied her gun on her attacker's fallen body, making sure to hit as many vital areas as she could. It was here she noticed that her attacker was different from how she would have imagined. It was a young girl, evident by her body, as her tight, black leather outfit left little to the imagination. Not the best attire to bring to a gun fight, Echidna mused, but stranger than that was how young she looked. Fourteen? Fifteen at most.
Not that kids couldn't be killers, as she imagined Leon must be around that age by now.
But, wait? Was she seeing this right? The shots, she saw them connect, but why… why wasn't there any blood whatsoever?
"Don't tell me!" she realized her mistake, and motioned quickly to reload, but at that very same time, the young girl's eyes shot open, her mouth bringing about the most menacing smile Echidna had ever seen on anyone so young.
"Too late!" the girl announced gleefully, as she stood up without bending her knees or her elbows, straight up from the ground, and lunging towards Echidna once again with equal ferocity, which was once again met by the pistol as a barrier. The girl kept attacking with the knife, again and again, and Echidna couldn't help but notice how awkwardly she was holding onto the knife. Or rather, how she wasn't holding at all. It was coming straight out of her hand.
"Just like-!" Echidna realized, gritting her teeth as she made multiple portals appear, using her mastery of the Tao powers to gain an advantage and garner some distance from the would-be killer, but the girl quickly adapted. She flipped over one of the portals, landing on her hands, and brought down her leg at Echidna, and it was her Echidna confirmed her suspicion. The girl's leg transformed, just like how Eve's could, into a large machete that came down towards her. Echidna barely avoided the attack, which cracked the floor under them in two, but at least Echidna had been unscathed…
…But why was she bleeding?
She glanced down, her abdomen cut cleanly open on one side, causing blood to start flowing out at an alarming rate. She needed to tend to that, and fast, or risk losing consciousness within a few minutes. But, even more important than that, she needed to reach Creed. But, she looked on, how had she been cut? She had avoided her leg, she was sure she had. Unless…
"You are a very good fighter," the young girl praised, her tone so cheerful it irked Echidna, it was just like Kyoko in a way, but with a hint of mockery. "Most people would not be able to avoid that, oh no they wouldn't. Your Tao thingy is pretty cool, too, but you still didn't see both of my attacks, didn't ya?"
As the girl spoke up, Echidna eyes widened. She finally saw it. Her hair. A red ponytail, long enough to reach past the girl's waist, morphed into a knife at the very end. Her hood had been peeled off at this point, revealing a set of menacing magenta eyes and dark red hair that resembled overflowing blood.
"You're a weapon," Echidna realized.
"Gasp!" the girl mockingly acted out, "I am?"
"Do you know who you are attacking?" Echidna asked, hoping to at least distract her enough so that she could get her portal ready to reach Creed quickly. "Do you know who protects us?"
"You are members of the Stars-thingy," she replied, readying her ponytail-turned-blade, "And you are protected by the mean men from Chronos. They failed to save us, and you, you hurt us. You created me, yet, you left me. That was mean Aunty, very mean."
"Only Eve was created by that!" Echidna shouted out.
"My sister's another matter entirely!" the girl screamed back, as she lunged once more at Echidna. "I'm the true demon! Mea Kurosaki, pleasure to kill you!"
"Thanks, but no," Echidna replied, opening the portal right beneath her feet, falling into it before Mea could reach her. She closed it just as quickly, only hearing as Mea screamed out an "oh, come on!" as the two women were separated from one another. Echidna fell onto the bathroom's floor, clenching her still bleeding side, and knowing she had mere moments to grab Creed and get them both away from this mess before that crazy girl found them. Then, as she turned to Creed, her eyes widened even further.
He was there, still on the bathtub, but with his entire body forcefully submerged under, only his remaining arm out on the surface, motionless. Her entire world came down around her, and she realized her mistake. That "Mea" girl had not been the only attacker. And they had been aiming for him all along. She was so shocked that she didn't even feel the attack that sent her crashing towards the nearby wall.
She looked down. And entire pipe was run straight through her torso. It didn't even hurt, really. She could see the person responsible, and she felt her blood boil. This had been the man who had hurt Creed. A defenseless and sick Creed. The man stood before her, his stance proper, and he rolled up his long sleeves, while seeming to study his surrounding just in case anyone else appeared.
"My apologies," he spoke up, and she recognized the sight of him as a man Creed had mentioned as a possible member of the team, back when they were still in the planning stages. A professional killer, Lugart Won, a man who has not been seen for years, even from before the assault. "Nothing personal Miss Parass, it's just business, you understand. For what it's worth, I am a fan of your filmography."
"…Remember the twist at the end of "Jigen Bakuju"," she asked him, her tone so very soft as she felt she lacked the strength to properly talk. He stopped, pondering her statement for a moment before his eyes widened at the realization. Too late to stop her, really, as she had already activated another portal between them, with three loaded grenades falling down on the spot. Three years is enough time to prepare for anything, and she had much time to spare.
The resulting explosion turned a good portion of the estate into rubble, and from outside, a pair of eyes saw it all. The fighting, the screaming, the blood, the torture, the ending. The eyes saw it all, and hundreds of miles away, Eve woke up screaming.
~I~
