(Luke’s thoughts) Shoot, shoot, shoot.

  A video game yout of crates and boxes appeared in his path.

  With his rocket boots letting him soar through the air, he narrowly avoided their edges with just the skin of his teeth. As well as preventing the hurricane of bullets narrowly striking his feet, some of the bullets scraped against his leather boots.

  Yet even still, Luke continued to soar.

  (Luke’s thoughts) Shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot!

  The train began to accelerate.

  Its wheels start to turn and scream against the old metal tracks, Luke grit the back of his teeth before almost tumbling against a rge crate. Barely having his feet on the ground, the fmes from his heels sended him soaring yet again. Barreling and swerving around the st of the wooden crates, he was finally free from hitting any obstacles—

  His soul shingled with that same reverb service bell.

  (Luke’s thoughts) Shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot, shoot—Shit!

  Widening his eyes, he spun around to the right, narrowly avoiding a metal pole but…

  He dropped to the ground.

  Having his arms and legs spread out, he quickly pushed himself back up on his feet, as the st train cart of the train soon passed in front of him. Stomping once with his right foot, the fmes from his heel plowed to the pavement, along with his other heel. Rising from the ground, Luke continued to push himself to the st compartment of the accelerating train, but…

  As if gravity was pulling him down, Luke soared up and down, the gap between him and the train growing evermore. Gncing down at his boots, the yellow fmes began to fan out and in, which could only mean…

  (Luke’s thoughts) No! No! No! Why is the fuel running low at this time!?

  Pcing his right uzi into his holster, he extended his right hand outward to the ever-escaping train, his palm trying to grasp it like a toy. Not dreaming, but living, both of his jaws clenched shut while his body tightened like an anvil being dropped upon his back.

  Like blowing out a candle, his rocket boots faded away with the wind.

  His entire body smmed onto the railway tracks, his left hand still gripping his uzi. His right cheek being jabbed by the jagged metal, both his hands trembled violently as his finger id to rest on the side of his gun.

  Getting up, rocks and pebbles clung to his jacket and pants like glue. Some of them sinking deep into the ripped tears of his clothing, Luke paid no mind to it as he stared at the runaway train.

  While pcing his left uzi back into his holster.

  (Luke) Damn … damn … d-d-damn it—

  He turned to gnce in back of him.

  His body had its own brain, and his left hand extended out just as a creature passed through him. Being overridden with his body’s muscle memory, he let himself be dragged, his left hand gripping the reign of a galloping creature. Both boots starting to tear against the metal, he gnced up at the animal.

  Repcing his frown with a smile, his lips curled upward to the halfway between his ears and jawline.

  (Luke) I-Its you! I thought you rode with the other Pacithiests!?

  The same green donkey. The one that helped Luke escape the ranch, as well as helped him reach Dodgerock; was now helping him save his friends.

  Pcing his other hand onto the rein, he helped himself onto the back of the donkey, his breathing hard while giving the donkey a little kick on its thigh. Sending the donkey to gallop the fastest it went, the gap between him and the train finally started to decrease.

  (Luke) Come on faster!

  Something out of a Western movie, Luke was finally closing the distance on the runaway train, his smile brightening along with his hands tightening. Meters away from the very back train cart, Luke steadied himself, straightening his back as he pulled out his left uzi.

  His left hand wielding a gun, he only needed to jump on board.

  But out of the back exit door, an agent cdded in bck aimed his revolver straight toward Luke. Without thinking twice, the agent pulled the trigger, sending the bullet straight to…

  Luke swerved around the bullet. The centimeter gap increased, and the back of his teeth began to chip his enamels, leading him to aim his weapon at the agent.

  (Luke’s thoughts) I’m sorry…

  Just as the agent’s finger pushed halfway into the trigger, Luke sprayed only a couple of bullets into the agent. Unable to fully push the trigger, the agent slumped down onto the metal floor, blood seeping from his stomach like a small flowing creek.

  His eyes darkened, Luke pced both of his feet onto the back of the donkey, his bance unreal as he lunged straight to the train cart. Landing stomach and chest first onto the metal floor, his left hand still gripped his uzi, his left cheek pstered on the ground as he saw the agent bleeding out.

  Slowly, he pushed his body to stand, while looking at the agent who coughed out a ball of blood.

  (Luke) I’m sorry about this … but I have to get back my friends.

  Plunging his left hand inside of his jacket, his knuckles scurried the inside of the fabric, his skin feeling the warmth of the leather that indulged in the desert sun. Taking out a nearly empty bottle of the sample he was dosed in, some trial of liquid was still kept inside.

  Tossing it to the bleeding agent, Luke walked toward the front door, his right hand pced firm. Tainted with sweat, it stained against the metal, all the while he pushed it to sway.

  (Luke’s thoughts) This is it.

  A pair of hooves cnked on the metal.

  Turning around, Luke saw the green donkey huffing and puffing in back of him, drool trailing out from its mouth. Raising his left hand, he scratched the back of his head, as the green donkey had its nuzzle inches away from Luke’s nose and face.

  (Luke) You stay here ok. I don’t want to put you in any harm.

  A blow of air smmed onto his face, squinting his eyes as the donkey raised its nuzzle and mouth up. Pushing its ears back, it averted its head away from him, blowing in and out from its nostrils like it was steaming out anger.

  With his left hand, he patted the donkey’s neck, feeling the prickly hair that pinched his palm.

  (Luke) Now be a good boy or girl for me and try not to hurt yourself.

  Letting his hand drop down to his side, he finally let his feet trail the inside of the train compartment.

  Stepping into the dimly lit room, Luke took note of the luggage and suitcases filling the cabinets, the wood on its st hinges as it held the teared-up bags. Looking from right to left, Luke took out his uzi from his right hip, his barrel lowered down to his waist rather than his shoulder.

  His left hand unarmed, he had it pced into his leather jacket.

  (Luke’s thoughts) Looks like a luggage compartment for the guards. But I guess agents are now what I have to deal with.

  Previously, there were 32 train compartments that made up the Zirardge train, with Luke being dead st on the 32nd. When he and the others first raided the train, the first compartment was outdoors, resembling that of a video game boss fight yout. On the second and third, both were indoors, with the second holding the money and the third holding the emergency brakes.

  Taking in this information, he gnced at each corner that held shadows, his finger on the side of his uzi.

  (Luke’s thoughts) I just hope that they are all in the st compartments… bound up together at least…

  The door leading to the 31st train compartment swayed open.

  Pcing his back against the very corner of where the door opened, he made sure all of his body was submerged with the metal, the darkness enveloping him like a shadow. Holding his breath, not even the decibel of a moving muscle unleashed from him, his beating heart loudening against his ears.

  Right next to him, two agents ran toward the other end of the cart, their pistols pointed downward as they noticed the agent that Luke shot.

  (Agent #2) This is Agent Mills! Agent Rotten has been shot! I repeat! Agent Rotten has been shot!

  The two agents looked toward the green donkey subtly sitting on the edge of the train.

  Furrowing their brows, Mills gnced at his buddy, who started to walk toward the donkey trailing its eyes through the moving ndscape. Pcing his hand on the green donkey, a steaming huff puffed out from its nuzzle, leading the agent to back away.

  Giving Luke the perfect chance to enter into the 31st compartment.

  (Agent #3) What should we do with the donkey?

  (Agent Mills) Just leave it be—wait … if the donkey is here … then …

  Mills looked toward the closed door, a lock already in pce.

  Both agents widening their eyes, they sprinted toward the other end of the train cart, their pistols swaying up and down followed by their cheeks flushing red. Reaching the door, both used their shoulders to tackle it, but it only left them forming bruises.

  Pcing their guns inside their holsters, they began banging the metal door. Having a cell-talkie amongst their chest pockets, Mills churned his lips toward the tip of the speaker.

  (Agent Mills) Luke Fenix is inside the train! I repeat! Luke Fenix is inside the train!

  Inside the 31st train compartment, lines and rows of seats were organized and structured neatly.

  The seats were cushioned with cotton, and the color of them was dyed a turquoise-gold, the same color as the exterior walls of the train. The interior walls were vished in chrome, and chandeliers from above lit up the room, as Luke traced his steps carefully on the metal floor.

  Halfway through the 31st cart, a gunshot rang from behind.

  (Luke’s thoughts) What the?!

  Taking cover from behind a seat, Luke overheard the metal door that he locked kicked open. Two guards stormed through the door, they ran right into the center ne of the train cart, leaving Luke to…

  Pull out his left hand.

  Blind-throwing his left hand back, the piece of crystal that flew straight to the sprinting guards smmed right in front of their feet—

  A shockwave trickled through the metal walls.

  His palms were already pced into his ears, tinnitus couldn’t pry against them, but one couldn’t be said for the two agents. Gncing to his left and right, all the windows split like sand, shards littering the floors with most of the seats in the center blown away.

  A small cotton storm circled the area, Luke sneezed once before standing up and walking to the door.

  His left hand on the door handle…

  It pushed open. Letting his entire body jump backward, his feet failed to grip the metallic floor, causing him to tumble to a row of seats.

  (Luke) Ah!

  Hitting his head on one of the seats, a group of agents all pinned their barrels on the lying down Luke. Without thinking, all of them opened fire, leaving Luke to roll away like a rollie-pollie.

  His luck worked overtime, not a single bullet shot at him, with one or two striking near his head. Jumping over a row of seats, he pced his body firmly against his cover, while blind firing into the crowd.

  The rest of the agents took cover behind a row of seats, with one agent getting shot, since a shriveled yelp soothed out from his throat.

  (Luke’s thoughts) Looks like I got one.

  Jabbing his hand back into his leather jacket, he pulled out a small gss vial, the capsule filled to the brim with a brownish-orange gas. An oily liquid lingering on the bottom, Luke shook the sample once before popping his head out of pce. His head out in the open, it was the perfect opportunity for the agents to shoot him dead, but…

  Their eyes widened at the young man throwing the sample at them.

  With no choice but to dodge to the left and right, the gss shattered. Shards pinching their pants and hands, the real problem was the gas that flowed through the air around them.

  In no time, all the agents who got up pced their hands onto their throats, as drool soared out from the corners of their lips. Some of them remained on the ground, their eyes stained red, tears and mucus running through their faces as the gas continued to thicken and worsen.

  (Luke’s thoughts) So this is what Gemma went through…

  With no time to dwell on the past, Luke sprinted toward the gas.

  Pulling out a handkerchief, he pced his left hand onto his lower face, covering his mouth and nose followed by shutting his eyes. Passing through the brown-orange gas, his skin blistered against the thick air, but it was only a couple of seconds before he lunged to the 30th compartment.

  Opening his eyes and unclogging his mouth, he took a big breath of the train air that wasn’t polluted with Bromine.

  (Luke’s thoughts) And Bromine is far less potent than mustard gas.

  Putting his handkerchief into his pants pocket, instead of his jacket, Luke fast walked while looking around the cart. Noticing that it was the exact same yout as the previous one, Luke took note of his eyes beginning to tear, the effects of the Bromine gas still lingering on him.

  Wiping away his sleeve would be the end for him since his jacket was coated with leftover remnants of gas. Squinting his eyes, another group of agents plowed out from the 29th compartment.

  This time, all of them wielded metal batons.

  (Luke’s thoughts) Throwing fulminated mercury or bromine won’t work this time.

  Holstering his right uzi into his hip, he lunged his left foot back, while curling his fingers deep into his palms. His hands formed into fists, he raised them up to the height of his face, his eyes gring at the group who pushed their smirks to the bottom of their ears.

  Even though his vision blurred, his luck didn’t.

  (Luke) Bring it!

  The leader of the pack lunged straight toward Luke, raising his arm as the metal baton barely touched the ceiling. Activating his blessing, Luke lunged to the right, followed by his left foot extended to trip the agent.

  Smming his face onto the metal floor, blood scraped from his nose.

  As the agent pushed himself back up, two other agents sprinted headfirst into Luke, his blessing taking him to jump back to avoid the sshing metal. Gliding to the left, he let his feet take control of his body, leading him to pce his back against the wall.

  Pressing both of his palms firm, Luke’s legs buckled as he watched the two agents plow their battens straight onto Luke’s…

  Luke crouched down.

  (Luke’s thoughts) What is this feeling…

  Hovering his butt above the floor, Luke made a sideways kick, his foot causing both agents to falter like statues. Getting up from just the soles of his feet alone, he slipped right to avoid the leader agent's baton strike.

  The more he dodged, the more that funny feeling came to him…

  While the baton narrowly avoided the right side of Luke’s face, Luke found a defenseless spot, since the leader’s right arm was too extended. Upon instinct, he balled his fist and thrust his hand straight into the man’s stomach, causing him to gasp for air upon impact.

  (Luke’s thoughts) Why do I feel like I could fight…

  Running toward him yet again, Luke jumped back as the same two agents thrust their batons, the tips of the hard metal barely grazing his chest.

  Lunging, right, left, back, his eyes let him calcute and perceive the threat before even reacting. As if his mind was on autopilot, every decision that he made was governed by his body alone, like his instinct was running the show.

  Because of this, Luke balled not just his right but his left hand, while kicking one of the agent’s knees, causing him to sm onto the ground. Just as his knees were mere inches from the ground, Luke thrust his white-knuckled fist straight toward the agent’s cheek.

  Making the agent roll his eyeballs into the back of his head.

  (Luke’s thoughts) I feel strong … I feel it…

  Arching his head back, a metal batten scraped the tip of his nose, narrowly dodging in the st millisecond. Clenching both of his teeth, the soles of his feet glided through the metallic floor like a dancer, a dancer that honed the bald of…

  (Luke’s thoughts) So this is Togo…

  With his basic Togo and his blessing of instinct; Luke felt invincible.

  Raising his right foot, the top of his boot propelled itself straight to one of the agent’s hands that wielded his baton. Sending the metal flying through the air, the baton smmed against the metallic wall.

  Steam hissing from the tips of his teeth, the agent began walking backward, his face growing pale while drool leaped from the crevices of his lips.

  (Luke) Enough. Just let me get to my friends.

  (Group Leader) Do you think we’ll let you?

  The group leader wiped away the creek of blood from his nostrils, the red liquid already molesting his upper lip. Staining his forearm sleeves red, the group leader spit out a small dose of blood lingering in his mouth.

  Landing onto his bck leather boots, Luke gnced down at his boots for one second before tilting his eyes forward. His hands balled and raised to cover his face, his knuckles creaked sharply, his breathing fastening.

  (Luke) I just want to save my friends. I didn’t want this fight to begin with.

  (Group Leader) Yet you used chemical warfare on my friends. Only true psychopaths use gas to fight their opponents.

  Luke let his fingers loose.

  Gncing at the 28th compartment door, he took note of the simir design of the cart he was in. For one, the cart was vastly empty, with no decorations or furniture varnished. Noticing a couple of strands of hay littering the floor, it looked to be a stable for animals, more or less the holding of green donkeys.

  Coming to that conclusion, Luke pced both of his hands into his leather jacket.

  (Luke) I know that my methods of fighting are … controversial.

  (Group Leader) Controversial?

  (Luke) But if it means that I get to fight another day, then…

  Bringing out his right hand, another gss capsule nestled into his sweat-filled palm, the exterior gss humidifying with the warmth. Pushing a small smirk on his right lip, the group leader, as well as the pale-faced agent, charged themselves toward—

  Luke threw the capsule.

  (Luke’s thoughts) Call me a murderer.

  The gss shattering, a cloud of ice cwed around both agents, while Luke spirited away. His back and back legs all shuddering and shivering from the sudden decrease in temperature, began to numb, leading Luke to feel as if a colony of fire ants ate and stomped all over.

  Meanwhile, the two agents who were right on his tail…

  One of them tripped onto another.

  Both agents tumbled onto the ground, the entirety of their bodies were coated in a thick yer of ice and frost that turned their bodies blue. As if they were stuck in a freezer for an entire day, their eyes reddened and bled from their corners, their breaths glued to their parched throats like glue.

  (Group Leader) A-A-AH!!

  Screaming from the top of their lungs, the two agents crawled on the metallic floor, their frosted and iced bodies too thick for thawing.

  Unable to even curl their fingers, chips of their skin peeled off like old stickers.

  Their saliva and mucus froze up from within, it began to feel like their throats and windpipes were on fire, as only coarse gasps rang out of their mummified vocals. Seeing nothing but white, their eyeballs scrunched up like candy wrappers.

  (Luke’s thoughts) I’m really sorry…

  Leaving the freezing agents to suffer painful deaths, Luke’s eyes darkened evermore as he began another trial.

  _____________________________________________________________________________

  (Reverence 6, 59 / 7:31PM)

  All of them heard gunshots.

  Their faces perked toward the commotion coming from the other train compartment, one of them stood up from the ground. A woman, having blue eyes and blonde hair, bit her lower lip the more she heard the gunfight ensuing from the other end.

  (Hope) Something’s going on.

  (Benn) An intruder?

  (Hope) Can it be?

  Clutching her hands together, she pced them onto her chest, whilst staring into the window-cking metal door.

  Her right foot tapping along the floor, her breath came in short gasps the more she heard the air being pierced. Gss shattering, metal denting, everything that she imagined what a standoff would look like was happening just in the previous cart.

  Her fingers dug into her palms, she lowered her head.

  (Hope) Can it be him…?

  (Sean) Why would he rescue us…

  Sean leaned the back of his head onto the metal wall, his palms resting well on the floor below. Scrunching up his eyes, his nose wrinkled while keeping his hardened stare toward the ground, followed by Hope’s stare at him.

  Her throat quivering, Sean tucked his knees into his chest.

  (Sean) He knows going back here would lead us into more trouble for him and everyone. So why…?

  (Miles) Cause Luke doesn’t know when to give up.

  Miles pushed both of his feet, his hands drooping motionless to his sides.

  Unwilling to curl his fingers into his palms, his eyebags circling his upper and lower eyelids worsened the more he pced himself into a dark shadow. The evening sun unable to glossom him orange, Miles averted his eyes from both Hope's and Sean’s gazes.

  (Miles) During that duel, Luke had that look in his eyes. If he’s willing to go into that depth to bring us back, then…

  (Hope) L-Luke promised.

  (Miles) Promises are always going to be broken in some way.

  Miles pced his hands into his pockets, as the strands of hair overpping his forehead trickled his upper eyelid.

  Her nails stabbed themselves into her skin, and a slight crease of blood drew. Letting her cheeks drop, her right eye twitched once, before trying to push a wavering smile that quivered.

  Unwilling to gnce at her failing smile, Miles pced his left palm onto his eye while staring into the abyss through the metallic floor.

  (Miles) Not everyone’s as lucky as him.

  (Fred) Luck huh…

  Fred tucked his knees and head in like a turtle, resting his knuckles on the cold metal floor that shriveled his skin. His eyes peered into the evening sun, his eyes couldn’t gleam at the falling star, his pupils burning themselves at the soft sight.

  Remembering his failed attempt at unliving, his white scleras began to turn red, his nostrils pushing out air from his pink lungs.

  (Fred) Does it come down to luck in the end? Do you … do you think—

  (Stan) We discussed this Fred; Luke didn’t hog all of our luck.

  (Fred) I know that…

  (Stan) But still.

  Gunshots soon ceased from the other compartment, the chaos fading away like waking up from a dream and forgetting about it the next day. All of their heads turned toward the door, and all of them had their eyes pushed down, along with their feet glued to the shriveling floor.

  Another person stood up, a woman with botched pink spots ced around her leather jacket and pants. Her hands motionless to her thighs, she slowly walked toward the door, her back hunched with strands of hair blocking her eyes.

  (Hope) What are you doing?

  (Luna’s thoughts) L-Luke…

  Pressing both of her hands onto the handle door, her fingers dug deep, denting the golden handle with both her arms bulging. Churning it down, a hand gripped her shoulder, a hand smooth and reeked with blisters.

  Keeping her eyes pinned on the metal door, Luna knew the person halting her from opening the door, which caused her back to hunch.

  (Hope) Why do you treat Luke cruelly…

  Her entire body began to tremble violently, the door handle cracking as its hinges started to tear apart from Luna’s strength. Having her jaws clenched shut, a low growl crawled out from her throat, leading Hope to jab her fingers onto Luna’s shoulder more.

  (Hope) During the first days of training, you treated him like crap. I just … don’t understand how someone would like someone who would treat them horribly…

  The door handle broke.

  Having the metallic handle with her right hand, it crumbled and withered like wax melting underneath the summer sun. Finally turning around, Hope saw Luna’s gring eyes, causing her to let go of Luna’s shoulder.

  Unable to speak, Hope averted her eyes.

  (Luna) Why are you bringing this up? Out of all times.

  (Hope) Luke is the only one that puts up with you. Everyone knows that.

  (Luna) Shut up…

  One of her hands balled into a fist, her knuckles trembling hard while her other hand dropped the already crumbled metal handle. Another low growl pushing out from her parched throat, Luna hissed a stream of air in between her upper and lower teeth.

  Grabbing a hold of Hope’s colr, her fingers creased and wrinkled the bck leather. Red straining the entirety of her eyes, her coarse breathing only worsened the more she stared into Hope’s blue eyes.

  (Hope) He’s not some pet or toy that you guard like a guard dog.

  (Luna) Shut the hell up…

  (Hope) He gives you treats, and you growl at anyone who dares to touch him, who’s the real pet?

  Luna let go of Hope’s colr, pushing her away while turning to look at the metal door; before kicking it.

  Her right foot hammering straight into the center, a loud bam traversed and wrinkled the metallic interiors of the cart, the wave crawling around her body. Huffing and puffing from both her nostrils and mouth, her shoulders pushed up and down as if she sprinted a mile.

  A small sniffle perked Hope’s ears.

  (Hope) sighs …

  The tanned woman smmed both her knees to the metallic floor, her eyes on the verge of tears while looking down. Unwilling to gnce behind her, Hope knelt beside her, pcing her left hand on her upper back whilst darkening her face.

  Her hand shaking and trembling, Hope followed Luna’s example, her lower eyelids forming a dam.

  (Hope’s thoughts) Where are you Luke…?

  The door handle in front of them turned downward.

  Leading the door to sway open, the chandelier lights from the previous compartment shone onto the two women’s faces, their eyes pinkish red and irritated from their salted tears. A young man, who wielded two micro SMGs with both his hands, had light-brown hair, a side bang covering his right eye, and most importantly.

  Red eyes.

  Already in front of them, everyone perked their heads at the sight of the young man, noticing his skin reddened and blistered like a shrimp. Gasping in all the air inside of the room, their eyes widened at the man that they all knew as their…

  (Luke) I’m right here, just as you promised.

  Leader.

  Both Luna and Hope’s throats quivered under the man who was younger than both of them, he pced both his uzis into his holsters. Like always, he pushed both of his lips to form a warm smile, a smile that let out warm tears from both of their eyes.

  (Luke) Come on, we got a train to stop.