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 Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 7:45 pm
 Creed was lost. It was an entirely unfamiliar and unwelcome sensation to have no idea where you are; especially when the only memories you possess are ones of leaving some massive organization and plotting some sort of revolution. Was he someone important? Were there familiar faces around?
It had taken a while to get used to this quadruped form… but something told him it might be temporary. Something to do with little machines running amok. While that wasn’t exactly comforting at least it wasn’t anxiety breeding either. Running into a few of the other inhabitants here had yielded much information about the world – it was similar to where he’d come from if more… uncivilized. A world, as far as he was concerned, that was just as bad as the place he’d left behind. Something uncivilized and barabaric would only result in the same cruelties and the same ironfisted reign by greedy, corrupt masters and Creed simply couldn’t have that. Perhaps this was the revolution that wouldn’t stop nagging at the back of his mind? To revise and rebuild this untamed land? That had to be it. Build a base of operations from which to strike out at the injustice of this world. Reform it in better fashion and ensure those in current power could not corrupt the world any longer.
Silver tails flicked as he wandered, lost in thought. Something was missing, however, something important – a vital figure in this whole grand plan; something he held in highest regard but he was stuck for remembering. The only clue: a gun crafted of orichalcum and emblazoned with the unlucky number thirteen. Perhaps if he found the owner, this fog would clear and he could get back to business.
However, first things first. One cannot plot a revolution if one does not know where one is. And that meant Creed had to find his bearings. A group of those strange fox creatures had mentioned a headquarters over to the west. Perhaps that was a good place to start.
With that, the Taoist assassin headed off through the brush, using the setting sun as a guide for a westerly route.
Grumbling as a branch thwaped his nose, Creed broke it off and left it to rot at the base of the bush. There was too much flora and fauna here but that could be fixed soon enough.
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Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 7:52 pm
 The world seemed to unravel like fraying yarn beneath his paw prints, and it never stopped. Daily he watched it come apart, and each time it got worse and worse. There was no end to the horrors he endured now. Sometimes he was just the idea of the nightmares, and other times he was daydreaming of the people he'd killed, people he'd captured and people he'd lost. There were so many and it never ceased. Over and over. Couldn't something be done to stop these images? The reel inside of his mind wasn't very obedient, and he kept a straight face far too much lately. Hadn't this all been easier at some point? It must've been... back when all he liked was eating, milk and staring at the sky.
That was peace.
But what was it now? Where was it even? Was it anywhere within the strange kitsu's reach? Memories were deceiving him and he didn't trust himself, let alone anyone else. Barely could he hold up his thoughts these days, but nobody else would get involved. He hated doing things like that. It was always his style to go in head first, guns a blazing and nobody to back him up. At one point, there had been someone... a few people, and then they vanished. Prior to this... there had been him.
Something in his head shivered when he thought of Creed. There was something bad about him, but his life seemed tempting. Then again, so was Sven Vollfied, another old partner; Eve, Rinslet Walker, and ...her... Saya Minatsuki. In his heart, he'd always had a soft spot for woman and children, but Saya... his first friend, she'd been more important. That's what his mind said anyway, but that was wrong.
None of those people existed. They were all in his mind... and as he walked the stray and lonely path and heard the bell around his neck jangling, he wondered what it would've been like to have been that person. The assassin, the sweeper... the human. The anything. It was probably fun. And despite himself, despite how lost he seemingly was, he smiled.
A genuine smile worthy of the former Black Cat assassin.
And throughout the landscape, the bell jingled.
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Posted: Thu Apr 10, 2008 8:19 pm
Creed’s ear flicked at the sound of a cat’s bell. At first, he thought nothing of it. Probably someone’s stray cat, out hunting a bird… but… as it continued to ring out something in Creed stirred. It called to him and demanded his attention. A gut reaction if you will, and the Taoist never ignored these sensations; to ignore instinct would spell your doom.
Thus, his ears swiveled to focus upon the direction the jingling was coming from and he moved, standing tall, walking with the confidence he always had. That ringing was too rhythmic to belong to a cat… or at least the typical kind of cat. He was hard to spot under the trees for the shadows allowed him to blend in well – dark on dark.
After some time of following the sound trail, Creed paused as a flash of blue stuck out among the foliage ahead. Forward then. Silently, he padded after the other, coming up from behind. Something about this one was familiar… he couldn’t quite place it. But they were tied together somehow, Creed knew.
Stopping some paces behind Train, Creed arched a brow, “A bell like that will get you killed.”
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Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 3:23 am
It was like every other time, every other moment, every other meeting. There was nothing different or special about the circumstances, and there wasn't anything to hide. If he was surprised that someone had come up behind him, he hid it well. Yet, the cocky grin he'd been wearing to greet the other with sort of ...faded away... when he turned to face the speaker. It was like something fell out from under him and if he ever felt horror like that in his previous memories, this was most certainly it.
The colors, the voice, the way he stood, should've been indication enough, but something in Train's head would not let him grasp at what stood there. And so he plastered back on a broken sort of smile, proving some sort of insanity but also a massive wave of relief, and then let it widen into a truer grin. There were things he knew, and things he did not. This would always be true no matter what, but something about this particular truth would never change.
The smile. Once, he knew, long ago, he'd had none. Then he met Saya, and he always smiled. If he was happy, it was big. If he was fighting, it was cocky. And other times, he just did it to stay that way. There had been a time when he could never have been serious for long, and when he wasn't alone, this was true. A memory was wavering and threatening all this... it was the sort of thing you can't really ignore.
A part of him knew he should be staring blankly at the other, or he should grin cockily, and so his face became a mixture of both and that of confusion. He obviously knew who the other was... but why were his dreams running around? Was he losing his mind? Dreams didn't just appear as things like him... but the voice sounded solid enough.
"Oh?" If he could've folded arms, he figured he would've, and if could've looked on with a cool grin instead of the mottled thing he held on is maw now, he would've. But all these things escaped him as he stared Creed Diskenth down. Old habits die hard, even if they're fake.
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Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 12:34 pm
Despite himself, the small, arrogant grin grew as the other turned to properly face him. But it hid the inner ‘enlightenment’ as Creed’s mind and memories swirled about in a vast vortex, flashing images at his mind’s eye until it locked onto a single image; a single, undeniable sense of familiarity… of respect and partnership. Some might even call it obsession. Cruel and a little unhinged, his smile spread as he dipped his head in a slight bow. Everything else paled in comparison to this find.
He knew what the mysterious gun was now. Knew with absolute clarity what and who stood before him.
The only being alive he respected.
Number Thirteen. Black Cat. … “Train.” Just the one word was spoken but it carried with it heavy connotations.
Still, something was off… something was not quite right. The terrorizing look, the fierce coldness that had accompanied the best of the Numbers, it was there but hovering beneath the surface of that smile. The Black Cat never smiled… only performed with absolute efficiency; perfect and beautiful.
Padding forward, Creed Diskenth came to stand before Train and shook his head, “What’s happened to you? A bell? ….A smile?” He gave the other a once over with a look of distaste, “They have corrupted you, Black Cat. Where is the perfection, that unspeakable coldness that drew me to you?” All at once it was as though he was speaking to a friend, an idol, a lover… Respect and disgust danced with each other, blended perfectly in the cool, confident tones of the Taoist.
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Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 12:54 pm
And he knew.
It was true. The memories. The murders. The savior. The life. The food. The touch. The feel. The taste. Everything. All of it... had been true and real and ... tangible. There had been a gun. There had been a job. There had been a man whom he had hated and respected, and that man was standing on all fours, just like he was, right before his very golden eyes.
And he knew....
There would be no lying anymore.
"Creed," he muttered, letting the attempt at a smile fade. It just wasn't possible to talk to this man with a smiling face, and he was right. He'd always been right. The world had caused destruction, and now Train wanted a taste... just to prove he wasn't crazy. Who he was proving it for however... he didn't know. All he knew is that he wanted to. And so he let his eyes sharpen, just like the old days... far before any memories of being a furry creature, and far before his Sweeper days way back when. He gave the other a stare, and then followed up with a more appropriate smirk.
It was getting easier.
"You're here." He ignored the question. He'd never liked them much anyway. "How?" Instead, he preferred to ask his own. Information was always good to have. Without the proper information, mishaps could occur... and those were simply a bother.
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Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 1:21 pm
Creed’s expression brightened into something akin to great happiness as Train’s expression sobered. Those idiotic scientists must have screwed up the nanomachines… that’s why they were on four legs like this… and why he couldn’t remember things properly. But those worries for another time. Train was here… and Train had properly embraced what he was meant for. “That’s it. Just like that. Perfect.”
Laughing lightly at first, Creed shook his head. After all that had happened, he’d finally cornered the legendary Black Cat and Train was his. His and his alone. No stupid little girl mutant, no annoying cop… The laughing grew in volume and insanity as Creed silently gloated over this victory. “Train. My partner. Why wouldn’t I be here? I need you. The how is irrelevant. The how is always irrelevant when the end is worthy.”
He turned and withdrew Train’s signature gun, purplish grey eyes alight with pride as he offered the infamous item, “Though I believe you are missing something.” It was augmented for use by a kitsu… some strange twist of fate or, more likely, another screw up by those damned scientists.
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Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 1:36 pm
For a moment, he frowned. The principles of freedom clearly couldn't be held in check if he went back to being partners with Creed. Saya's teachings would be gone, and all the milk he'd given her all that time ago would've been wasted. But ... and he rather nearly laughed at himself for this ... it didn't matter anymore. None of it. He wanted to taste what it had been like... all he had were scattered memories, but nothing of the truth.
The only truth was that the memories weren't lies and that he was here in this situation right now. Now in the present. And for a guy like him, the present was everything. Wasn't it? The past didn't go away, but history repeated itself. And so he could let this part replay. He could go back to Creed. Partners again.
Yes. It wouldn't be so bad. Killing could be avoided... they didn't really need to kill did they? Perhaps he'd hold these ideas to himself. Best not to let Creed know everything... after all, how could you trust someone like that? Between their partnership there was a long time of distrust, and he still couldn't let it go.
And then... he saw Hades.
Orbs of gold went wide as saucers and he reached out for the gun, taking it and running his paws over it. He could use this... his gun. There was a hole that filled up in his chest. He hadn't realized how very much he'd missed it, and now that he had it again he felt complete. He felt... in control. And control was good.
He smiled.
A knowing dangerous smile.
Words, were unnecessary. He could let the other do the talking, for he surely would. Something about Train's perfection with assassination had never quite made it past Creed, and the other seemed always eager to chat with him. Once upon a time, they had been perfect together too. And oddly enough, he found himself wondering what it would be like to do that again.
It was tempting.
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Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 3:43 pm
Creed watched the gears of the Black Cat’s mind at work through those golden eyes. He seemed reluctant, somehow, and the Taoist frowned slightly. What could be holding him back? Didn’t he know he was supreme just as he was? Without the… he paused in thought as another memory clicked into place, slowly expanding the mosaic out from the central image of Train. Saya. That witch. Was her spell still befuddling Train’s mind? With a sharp look, he glanced around as though expecting the meddling gnat’s ghost to be nearby. Had he not already removed that distraction?
He opened his mouth to speak, wind Thirteen ever closer to him but stopped himself as Train’s smile sharpened and grew dangerous. A chill ran up Creed’s spine then, and he returned the smile with his own cruel grin. With paws tingling and victory signing in the back of his mind, Creed Diskenth produced a rose from out of his jacket and sniffed it daintily.
Nearly complete.
“There is much to be done. As always, Black Cat, you are a keystone. Together… together we shall strike terror into those who would rot in opulence and fill this world with strife.” Tossing the rose up into the air, he drew his Imagine Blade and shredded the rose so that petals fell softly around them. He fixed his eyes on Train’s, confident, cunning, cold…, “With you by my side tyranny shall fall.”
There was an ethereal light in them as he grinned at the other, “Join me, Train.” He almost cooed those words, beckoning for the assassin to stand by his side.
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Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 7:13 pm
Like that flower, Train gotten the feeling that the world would also shatter. Everything would become a blur of power and sides. Of alliances. Destruction and righteousness. Doing it Creed's way meant sacrifices, obvious ones. Lives. Killing.
Blood.
Death.
Just like his friend.
And around the Orichalcum gun, his paws began to tremble. There was something frightening about doing this. He couldn't at all remember the feeling of pulling the trigger. Only of the lies he took and the promises he made. These too would be shattered, but not with that Imagine Blade... with his own choice. Could he... could he really betray all of this for a momentary satisfaction?
He wanted to know. There were things that needed to be done. This place had taken everything from him. Everything he once had. He was this... this monstrous thing now because of this place. Reforming it wouldn't do any harm. It would be good. Just like he had believed in the Chronos Numbers, so too could he believe in his old partner.
After all... they wanted the same thing: justice. And they'd worked together before. Creed was the best choice if Train was to have a partner, and in a place so unfamiliar, he did need a partner. He hesitated only a moment longer and then cocked his gun, examining it.
"What's first?"
And just like that, he gave in. Promises rippling and vanishing beneath the engravings on his chest and gun. Bell ringing hopelessly in the wind. Eyes sparkling with a madness far unlike Train Heartnet the Sweeper or Train the kitsu. It was a madness of the Black Cat, number Thirteen. The most precise and perfect assassin that had ever existed, or so people had said.
In his mind, he made apologies to old friends, to new ones, and to this world. But goodness would be carried out, and sanity restored. And in the long run... that was all that mattered. Not the how it was done, but the end result.
Like Creed had said.
And Creed was always right.
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Posted: Fri Apr 11, 2008 7:39 pm
Creed was… jubilant. Well and truly jubilant. “I knew you’d join me… Knew you’d see things my way. I’ve missed you, Black Cat.” Again that purring adoration permeated his words as Train cocked his gun.
Misfortune incarnate walked the earth once more. And he was under Creed’s control. It was enough to make the Taoist giddy. With a broad smile, he ushered Train away, “First we find a base of operations… and gather the finest fighting force this place has to offer. Lead by us.”
Creed had to be careful though… he wasn’t so stupid as to dismiss that earlier indecision. Something was soft within the assassin, a permanent crack that could be exploited unless properly protected. He would see to it that that weakness was buried… hidden away from the prying, disgusting hands of people like Saya who sought to corrupt Train’s perfection. They would have to reach through him to get to Train.
And yet, beneath the boiling deception and possession, Creed knew also that he probably wouldn’t be able to handle another betrayal by Train. He’d cracked the first time… would shatter the second, or worse.
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Posted: Sat Apr 19, 2008 6:21 am
That was that. The plans were being laid and had already begun to move the gears. Motion pushed a machine on and nothing could go without being affected by something else. By agreeing to this crazy idea, he had started up the machine and there would be no stopping until it was complete or everyone died.
Death? Hah. The assassin had met Death. He'd met that Grim Reaper of fates, and had had an altogether pleasant conversation with the black cloaked menace. He'd stared him in the face many a time, and had seen him come and go for every person the trigger cracked for. If he met him again, he'd laugh.
He wasn't gonna die. Not that easily. He never liked the idea of dying anyway, it wasn't his style. He set his face into a more serious one, almost obeying orders but not quite. They were partners, they worked together. They reviewed the job and they did it. No questions, no second guesses. Train knew the way Creed worked, and assumed vice versa. They were partners... they'd been good at it.
Still... he couldn't break the smiles. Before her he'd never smiled, and then afterwards, he would break out a cocky sort of grin. He held it now, undiminished. "Do you have any in mind yet? And a location?" Straight to business. He wasn't really one for cheeky nothings like the stuff Creed was dripping with. That sort of affection came in the form of his work, not really in words. Not anymore.
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Posted: Sun Apr 20, 2008 1:49 pm
"Of course." Creed replied, smirking, "There is a place called Headquarters that deserves some investigation. However," He paused to regard Train with a look of deviousness, "That will only be a cover. A trail to send any would be opponents on the wrong trail. Everything according to plan." Laughing once more in that not quite sane way, Creed started off.
He had the Black Cat at his disposal, a favourite companion and toy. Nothing would be able to stand in their way once the tides of fate started to turn in their direction. Grinning to himself, the dark-clad kitsu started to make plans. How he would approach people... he needed some hook, some allure. Something ironic that would draw out those with a desire to truly change the world.
He needed followers. Obedient tools like the Black Cat who had so willing stepped into his web.
The end justified the means. Train understood this, and would understand - wouldn't question. He was too perfect to lower himself to such trivial questionings. The Black Cat was misfortune incarnate, pitiless and cold.
A perfect weapon.
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Posted: Mon Apr 21, 2008 9:05 am
There was a nod as he adjusted himself. The assassin was listening attentively to the words his partner spoke. Partner? Had he ever really needed a partner, or had he simply tolerated them? It really didn't matter, so long as they didn't get in the way of the job. And with this, it seemed Creed would be the one giving him the jobs, for the other obviously knew a great deal more about this plan. For a moment, his mind seemed to calculate this and found it strange. Mere moments ago he had been barely on the edge of a breakdown and now he was here, coldly wondering who would be destroyed first to accomplish their goals. With his precious gun back in his paws now, he wouldn't be stopped by silly thoughts like his former ones. Nothing could stop him, and as soon as he thought it... he knew it wasn't true.
There was one. But he knew he'd never find her, and so there was none, in truth.
"And you will tell me about this plan in detail, I assume." Merely, the assumption was added for formality. It wasn't a question, it wasn't even a comment. It was a demand. He liked to have everything at his disposal when he went through with something. Unless it was unnecessary to the mission, he prided himself on being quite familiar with the situation at hand... beforehand. That was how he worked, and that was why he was still around at the end of the night. (Of course, technically something had happened and he was no around under a different night sky, but it was all the same.)
The weapon's eyes had narrowed and become more like the catty slits they had been a long time ago. Thin slivers of gold streaks that could stare anyone down and make them realize they were about to die. Many people would try to deny that look, but he always got them in the end. And he wondered... would he be able to do it again? After everything... could he actually kill? Injure... sure. But kill? Could he kill again? He wasn't quite sure, but he knew he'd have to try. To falter in a life or death situation would mean his own death, and he'd been too perfect for such a silly mistake to kill him.
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