One Way

Ox was right since there was no time to just be wasting around here talking, regardless of what they think if it's planned to be used as a deterrent or not. They still have to go there to uncover any sort of new information from Natalie's underground laboratory.

"We should depart tomorrow," K4 suggests.

They all look at her in agreement; this time it was going to be a little different from the Ara Sands journey. Ox steps forwards towards the sitting K4; his eyes look down at her with a serious glare.

"This time you will be driving the Nole Express. I hereby declare you the new operator of the Nole Express." He shifts his hand into his back pocket; a small sun hat was seen. It was made of brown cotton material to keep in the warmth but also to look handmade; it was a fine relic.

He places the hat on top of her head without another word; this was his final remark as the Nole Express operator.

K4, looking up at him, asks, "Why won't you come with us?"

"You can't just stay here and do nothing," Hino added.

Ox looks at them both with a warm expression; his eyes close slightly and open up slowly. He figures out a way to explain the situation.

"The wife needs to be taken care of, and obviously a war robot can pilot a train. You both have no use to me; I just trusted you with a life's work, so show a bit more gratitude, will you?"

They both fall silent, realising they are in the wrong to question Ox further; they don't push the matter.

"Thank you, conductor," they said in unison.

Standing up from the couch, the pair leave the room without ox. They start searching throughout any supplies they own from the three-month period that could be used. Opposite the storage room, there was another room; it was a temporary room for Hino, and they both welcome themselves in.

The room was basic, with a bed in the far left corner with a desk at the close left corner straight opposite from the bed. To the right of the bed, there was a window looking out into the luscious forest from the beginning. It was a nice and neat place. What got K4's eyes weren't the room or the furniture but rather the new weaponry.

"Is this what you learnt?" She stares down next to the bed; there is a shelf holding a quiver. K4 walks up to the quiver; she kneels down and picks up the wooden bow. The handcraft was definitely from a skilled maker; Ox was a good handy person in many scenarios, it seems.

The bow was illuminated by the window's light devouring the shade; the smoothness of the wood was both intricate and comforting. There was a pattern engraved into it. K4 started to pull back the bowstring with her hand, clearly struggling with the railgun hand now, but after a couple seconds she pulled it back. It was sturdy and firm, a reliable weapon it was.

"The arrows are laced with anti-electric properties as well, so it's perfect against robots." He turns to the shelf, picking up the quiver and putting it on his back; he then takes the bow from K4's hands.

K4 smirks. "Seems like we've got some competition for who might kill more robots now." Her proposal was obvious; she wanted to see who's better.

Turning back to her after finding tonnes of laced arrows, Hino doesn't change his expression. "Sure, we can do that, but don't be afraid to lose."

With their challenge done, they gather around the room and find the backpack hidden between the bed and the window, taking it up and putting the bag on themselves. They are now self-prepared for their journey towards Shilo.

K4 and Hino both start to realise the sun is setting; it was time to get an early sleep and try to set out early enough to not waste time. Putting back all the equipment they put on, Hino prepares himself for bed instantly while K4 waits.

Time passes with Hino now being fully done within a couple of minutes; he gets into the fluffy bed, the blankets embrace his figure and start to doze him off to sleep. In the meantime, K4 is lying on the floor; the hard floor didn't scar her at all in the slightest way with her strong metallic body.

The moonlight starts to overpower the sun; the calming glow spreads like a wildfire within Hino's room, and K4 starts to look at the ceiling, confused about what to do.

'We're leaving tomorrow. The journey is getting closer to the climax once more. The progress is satisfactory as well. This is great.' Her body starts to shut itself down; she enters the mindspace and summons the control panel that will finally allow her a peaceful sleep.

...

The sunlight coming through the window starts to wake Hino up; his energy was off the charts. Ready for the adventure that awaits them, K4 was already prepared to leave with the backpack on; she waits near the door.

Hino swiftly finishes his routine and starts to greet K4 with his bow in his hand and his quiver at his back.

They step out of the room, closing the door one last time before going far away. They take the steps upon the concrete pavement and get hit with the familiar sound of the train's metal floor; the train was going to be their home for a while.

The enlightening sun engulfs the sky; it beams down upon them, suggesting the slow end of winter. It was definitely a good way to begin their journey; this time, however, it was different.

Hino takes his seat in the back carriage, putting down his quiver and bow while noticing K4 has left the supply bag also within the carriage; she was nowhere to be seen.

The front carriage where the train operates from has a new person in command. K4 takes a seat at the driver's seat; she was hit with an overwhelming amount of buttons and switches that started to make her wonder if this is possible.

'Ok, relax... This should be easy for someone like me, built for everything, and this is just a mere train.' She starts using her lens to remember each button and each switch combined with the levers; this was effective due to her perfect robotic memory.

Her body turns and twists looking for a manual; there was none to be found within any compartment, next to any seat or anything, in fact. That's when she finds a familiar face looking in from the left window of the carriage.

His laughter started to penetrate the window. "Seems you need a manual." He extends his hand towards the windows; K4 opens it slightly, allowing him to slip in the manual; her golden book was found.

"Thank you, Ox; we will meet again!" She was confident in her statement based on her posing; her body started to flick through the manual. There were diagrams and words explaining each mechanism. For a war robot, it was easy instant scanning in any way.

With her new information, she starts clicking on the engine, activating the mechanisms and the lever to control the speed. With a push of her hand, the train begins to move; the station wasn't disappearing fast, but it was definitely getting smaller.

Hino in the other car Raige looks back, seeing Ox look at his train depart with a new conductor in charge; it felt like he just changed the outcome of that train's fate.

K4 looks at the tracks ahead, the familiar sight in the distance of Ara Sands, as she accelerates the handle down; the speed increases, making the station this time disappear nearly into the background. It was going pretty fast and definitely even quintupled the speed of running.

Moments passed, and the station was gone. They were passing by the plains, which got more colourful; the ara sands were in close proximity; the sandworms could still be around, but it shouldn't cause an issue.

'You will get absolutely destroyed, pandemonium. This time, Shilo will be your scrap deposit.' K4 was laughing quietly, ready to set their reunion and get it done with once