Arc 3 - Chapter 39: Train Holdout III

Running and gunning, Christian and Pacifica tried their best to reach the van. With Christian being the only one throttling his bones in static, it wasn’t until his barrel burned red, and he stopped firing. Flickering the trigger, again and again, nothing came out.

“Shit!”

Like using a riot shield, all of the deflected lead struck the ground, the train, or up toward the sky. And with a simple leap forward, the muddied grass stained Vivy’s heel, while zipping the air like a falcon.

Her right arm thrusted back, bleach cultivated within her palm. Creating a javelin spear, she threw it like some olympian athlete.

“Here!”

The tip of the blades screeching through the wind, it wasn’t until it struck near their feet. Exploding upon impact, the force of the explosion sent them to tumble forward.

Rolling through the ground, Christian and Pacifica groaned as Vivy pushed up a smirk.

“Oh that’s not all!”

Using the same hand, she gathered enough bleach to cultivate that same spear. Waving the weapon like it was a rag, it was then she slid her right foot back, and threw the trident straight at her.

But unlike last time, Pacifica had her hands thrusted out. Still laying on the ground, her whole chest locked down while she glared with red eyes.

‘Not today girly…’

And out from her palms, was a simple spray of acid. Like a blob with no texture, no technique, it collided against the bleach spear. Its blades striking through—

It exploded.

Christian and Pacifica shielded their eyes, before getting up. Sensing that he hadn’t clocked in any bullets, he carried his Thompson with his right, while his left was thrusted into his pocket.

‘Got to find more ammo…’

Pacifica treaded the ground lightly, with the soles of her feet carrying her body. With her right hand low to her side, a whisper of acid had circulated around her knuckles.

Vivy meanwhile carried two things. Being both her shield, and her javelin, the tip of it gleamed under the lowering sun.

“Come get me!”

Leaping forward, Pacifica did the same.

As the two scurred off dirt, Pacifica arched her head back, and then right to left. Doing this repeated motion, she tip-toed like a crab walking on a sunny beach.

Using her acid, Pacifica had her knuckles covered like gel. Throwing punches, throwing missed strikes, her toes were light on the ground. Even when she barely missed some of those throws, the explosions from behind worsened. Her muscles radiating the shockwaves, she couldn’t shiver—

While avoiding slashes from both her shield and javelin.

“What’s the matter?”

Raising her shield, Pacifica threw a punch, but her acid and knuckles collided with her shield. Droplets spreading out from all over, Pacifica leaped back, and scraped her boots with the dirt ground.

“Can’t land a hit cowgirl?”

Instead of throwing her javelin, she twirled it by having her hand on the bottom. Sliding back her right foot, the tips of her weapon narrowly grazed Pacifica’s body.

Taking two steps back, Pacifica arched her neck, and saw the javelin graze the tip of her nose. Being on her toes, she swerved around like she was avoiding the plague, and yet, Vivy kept her eye on her.

Seeing Pacifica maneuver her head, as well as her body, she tried to thrust and punch. When Vivy launched, Pacifica took that window, but she would close it fast. Watching the fight with spectator eyes, Christian had the barrel aimed at the two.

But his grip wavered.

‘Damnit… can’t get a good grip…’

Hellish thoughts came to play, thoughts that he pushed down long ago. His vision blurred, if he pulled the trigger, he could harm her. Pacifica. But he can’t lose another one. Each punch, each dodge and leap, the two girls fought with only their weapons.

Christian’s finger twitched. His breathing fastened, all of his mind was on the fight. He felt eyes flicker, as reality before him tried to—

[Run Christian! Run!]

—He heard a gunshot.—

His eyes widened, and he lowered his Thompson. No smoke trailed from the barrel, as his eyes took in the fight that had finally ceased.

Pacifica jumped back, and saw Vivy standing still like a deer in headlights. Both her shield, and her javelin soon dissipated. The bleach crumbled like a cookie, and she fell on her knees, as warmth grew in her stomach.

‘What is…’

Unable to move her hand, she coughed, her saliva already basked in dryness. While the boy behind her lowered his mauser. Smoke sizzling from the barrel, he glanced at the gun, his face paled and full of sweat.

“Christian!”

‘I… is she going to die? I-I hope not…’

Looking like he shot her liver, Chris began his run toward his siblings. Having his eyes on Vivy, she didn’t look to lose her strength, but her whole body shivered. Trying so hard to walk, to even stand, what Chris had done was rob her of it.

Reaching Christian and Pacifica…

“I told you to stay in the van!”

“But you guys needed help! And besides, you didn’t take the shot!”

Christian frowned, and his hands that gripped his rifle tightened. Trying so hard to dig his fingers in, to chip away the metal, he shook his head. Walking toward the train, his mind doing what it could to erase those old memories…

He exhaled air through his nose.

“Whatever, let's just help out Benn and Hope. Those two are dealing with Betty of all people.”

________________________________________________________________________

He shut his eyes, and held his breath.

For a split second, he thought he was one with the angels, or that’s what he thought. Opening his eyes slowly, his irises took in the barrel that fluttered gun smoke. But blinking once, and then twice, he felt no pain be against him. Glancing to his bottom right, he—

Lead struck right near his hand.

[When it comes to elders Miles, they could be sour or sweet.]

A small voice whispered in his right ear.

Pulling back his right hand, he lowered his sawed-off to his side. Glaring at the chubby man, his eyes didn’t dare break away. The more he breathed, the more he huffed in, he kept his posture all demanding.

[If they’re sweet, treat them like candy. But if they’re sour, treat them like lemons. You do know how lemon cars are treated right?]

“You’re lucky that I’m merciful.”

Finishing up the last of the guards, Luna and Luke were exhausted with sweat. Especially Luna. Her knuckles swelled in red, she had spent most of her energy merely punching people.

Pushing his uzis into his holsters, Luke accessed the carnage they created. Moving his eyes to Luna, her breathing was out of place, completely faltering. Looking like she was doing her best to keep hold, he gave her a nod.

“You okay Luna?”

“I’m fine. Let’s just get out of here.”

“Right…”

The two of them walked toward Miles, who had Doug whimpering like a dog.

Their eyes looking down on the richest man in the world, that same man who pushed them as sinners, Luke wanted to glare, but he couldn’t. For a man who is corrupt and full of greed… Luke couldn’t necessarily hate him.

At the most, he really disliked him.

“We won’t kill you. We’re not a group that specializes in death.”

“W-What…?”

“All of our bullets are low-caliber, meaning most of our attacks are non life-threatening. But, we can’t just let you go either.”

Luke had both of his hands steady on his sides, his fingertips hovering over his pants. Letting Luna and Miles be the ones to shadow him, their frowns worsened the more they laid eyes on him. For such a rich man, his soul was completely corrupted, glitched beyond measurable.

“We don’t specialize in making people spill… but the Pacithiests could help us out with it.”

“Why you… you—”

—They heard a chainsaw.—

Luna instantly paled her face, and felt her whole stomach drop. Slowly turning to her left, the beginning night dawned the horizon. Lanterns needed to see, what stood in between the first train cart, and the second, was a man. But to see that man, light was bestowed not with lanterns…

But embers.

Moving metal, ricocheting chains, the sparks that flew from the motors made them silent. Miles and Luke took a step back, their eyes pinned on the man who wore black. It wasn’t one chainsaw but two, and the tips of them narrowly touched the metallic floor.

The back of Luke’s hair rose, even though the man only stood tall and firm. It was as if his whole existence was a danger.

“Sorry Doug.”

His boots treading the metallic floor creakingly, his chainsaws lit up the night in glamor. With each step, his thud reverberated the metal beneath their feet.

“I was tending to one of our injured snipers. She was hurt badly.”

Luke and Miles walked back, while Luna stumbled onto her bottom. Crashing onto the ground, she felt no feeling in her legs, no warmth to bestow her to walk. Let alone run.

Luke glanced at her, and thrusted his hand to her collar. Dragging her by force, he immediately paled his face.

As the two men turned away quickly.

“R-Run!”

________________________________________________________________________

Sean had a smile, a quivering one that reeked of fake.

Benn had on a frown, his eyes glued deep into Sean’s irises. Knowing that disagreeing with him would be risky, Benn took that gamble. Keeping his boots locked to the ground, he didn’t dare take a step forward.

“Luke’s our leader. Whether you disobey, or obey, is what determines between a soldier or a traitor.”

“So you think I’m a traitor then? After all that I did?”

“Luke’s easy on you.”

Sean took a step forward, his smile beginning to break the more he laid eyes on him. For such a frowning man, such a normal resting face, it made him grow a vein upon his right temple.

“W-What?”

“If any one of us was leader, we would’ve abandoned you. If it weren’t for Luke’s mercy, we wouldn’t be in on this.”

“Luke this, Luke that, don’t be an uncle Tom for that prick!”

Benn took a step forward.

His grip on his machine gun firm, his fingers dug deep into the metal. Shaking it, trembling it, he felt a sudden shift to how he felt. Like he was holding in something… the demons inside of him swerved and wandered.

“Watch your words.”

“Or else what? I can juke you, mess with you, and play with you like it’s ‘pin the tail on the donkey.’”

“But it isn’t just me.”

From behind, Hope, Christian, Pacifica, Elizabeth, and Johnny all stood side by side. Even though they didn’t point their weapons at him, they studied Sean’s relaxed face, and the way his eyes grew from white to red.

Christian stepped right next to Benn, their shoulders inches from grazing one another. Staring at Sean, all of their eyes were glued upon him. No matter where, no matter the reason, they couldn’t allow Sean to do what he wanted.

“With all of our combined strength, we won’t let you leave. Either you accept that we’re heading back, or we’ll drag you by force.”

Sean scoffed. Having his Thompson still stroked on his arms, he had his finger on the side, and he had the barrel to the ground.

“Fine. Then I guess—”

—Benn froze.—

Without hushing Sean, Sean sealed his lips himself, as he recognized that creepy feeling. That lingering feeling which blustered his skin to rouse sweat. Hope felt it too, making her freeze.

Elizabeth and Johnny felt a tingling feeling, while Christian and Pacifica felt nothing. In fact, Christian raised his right eyebrow up.

“What’s the matter? What’s going on?”

Nobody responded. Not even Hope could give him an answer.

Like someone had pointed a gun at him, Benn immediately flickered his nose up. The direction being east, his fingers only crinkled the strain on his machine gun.

‘Something isn’t right… no animal can muster a smell that bad…’

But the stench grew muskier. The more he inhaled through opened nostrils, the longer he felt the need to vomit out his stomach. Crinkling his forehead, down to his jawline, he swayed his head back and forth before realizing…

‘Unless if it’s rotting.’

He picked up many more of it. Two, four, eight, sixteen, the quantity multiplied by the power of 2.

Pointing the barrel of his machine gun forward, he immediately had his finger on the trigger. He didn’t have good hearing, but his nose inhaled the familiar scent that he was familiar with.

“Everyone. Stay alert.”

“What is it sharky?”

“We’re not dealing with Zirardges any more.”

Hope aimed her barrel at the same direction Benn pointed at, followed by Sean.

Unwilling to get frustrated any longer, the threat before him made him trickle with sweat. Same with Johnny, he followed their stance, as he saw the way their faces grew pale.

“Then who are we dealing with?”

“You’ll find out soon enough.”

A woman’s voice came from behind.

Unwilling to look back, they knew that a quick glance would blind them. Keeping their eyes forward, Christian and Pacifica burdened their eyes red.

“Think of this as our trump card. Our present from us to you…”

Many of the bushes rustled, but the night only made it so they could hear. He tried to peer into the green, the dark green that quickly turned to black, but he heard trucks.

As if they held something, he heard metal shake. Closing his eyes, he perked his ears, and allowed all of that noise to blunder his eardrums. Taking in the info, the clues, it was about time before his worst fear came true.

“But be warned, they’re faster than they look.”

All in unison, the bushes in front of them withered in black, but they could sense they were trampled upon. Not by animals, but by cages. And within those cages…

Screams screeched their ears, pushing the five of them to walk back. Benn waited, his finger inches from pulling the trigger.

“Save us!”

Their outlines were finally seen.

Charging at them with full force, Benn held his breath, and forgot how to shoot for a single second. Taking a step back, he pulled down the barrel, giving light to the undead who dashed.

“Hope! You and Sean back me up! Same goes with you Johnny!”

“On it!”

“Back you up!? Yeah so long buddy!”

Running toward the opposite direction, Sean narrowed his eyes and ran to the train. But blocking his path, was a woman with short gray hair. Her hands thrusted outward, she spread both of her feet apart.

“Unsight.”

“Wrong person sweety.”

Unable to comprehend the voice near her, she widened her eyes, but she thrust her right foot out. Already taking counter-measures to his clone, to his blessing, she leaped back as sweat floundered her cheeks.

Having both of her hands balled, she saw Sean having his eyes shielded from her curse. Gritting her teeth, she lowered both her hands, and pushed herself forward. Thrusting back both of her arms, she set her glaring eyes on him.

“I’m afraid you’re the wrong person boy!”

But before she could land a punch, she side-stepped to the right. Narrowly avoiding a gunshot, she felt her soul on the tip of her throat. Finding gun smoke, the sight of it worsened his cheeks and neck.

“Curse you! You have no right to participate in this!”

“I’m afraid I do!”

Having her eyes shielded shut, she was lucky that Betty’s curse didn’t blind her in time. Pointing her gun at her, Hope kept her boots glued to the muddied grass.

As the bullets rang to her right.

With Benn, Johnny, and Christian laying covering fire, Pacifica had nothing to do. Instead of battling the liches, she turned around, and ran toward the van. Because they were trying to escape, transportation would be needed.

“Come on Chris! To the van!”

She stopped with screaming boots.

Arching her body back, she bent her back to the point where it almost cracked. Seeing a javelin fly pass her, she quickly turned, as the bottom of her boot took anchor. Staring at the woman who threw it, her eyes growled in red.

“I thought I beat you down fine?!”

“I don’t go down easily…”

Walking back, she slid her left foot, and narrowed her eyes. Seeing that she could barely stand up straight, her exhaustion robbed her to fight, but she still stood

‘Looks like I oughta go for round 2.’