Teddy and Kona were taken aback by Gear’s uncharacteristic loss of composure. In a few seconds his usual snarky and snide mannerisms all but faded. What remained was a demeanor more befitting of one informed of a rabies diagnosis. To hear such panic coming from Gears was unsettling and inspired a vacuous hole of anxiety within Teddy, and haunted Kona to a degree she thought not possible. Gears feverishly rubbed his temples in frustration, his welded grin emanating agitation despite its permanence. Teddy and Kona hesitated to voice their concern at his newfound sudden burst of ire, lest they fan the flames. Even so, the uncertainty ate away at Teddy, but he could not find the words that would simultaneously garner direct answers, as well as quell the vexation that possessed his cohort.
“Okay, okay! Jesus Christ! I know what they say, ya can’t be mad at a newborn for spittin’ up. But, guy, you really shat the bed this time!” Gears said with a slight stutter in his voice.
“I assure you, there was no fecal matter involved in our decision making. Gears, please just enlighten us as to why you are in such a state,” Teddy said, stepping closer with a concerned glint to him.
“Yeah, buddy! You’re scaring us here! Y-You’re making it sound like we did something bad…” Kona interjected with a stammer.
Before Gears could deliver answers himself, a shrill siren blared across the cabin, its static laden hiss reverberating across the metallic walls. The siren continued for nearly a full minute, and with its screech, an orange tint flooded the interior of every train car. The alarm ceased all conversation and activity as the masses stared up in confusion and annoyance at the sudden shriek. Though most were apathetic to the siren, those who were privy to the nature of this notice stared up at the speakers in anticipation, their eyes dilated with excitement.
After several minutes the siren finally ceased, and in its wake, the sound of someone clearing their throat could be heard all throughout the train.
“Attention passengers of the Midnight Train! I’m sure you’re well aware of it at this point, but for those who are stupid, it is my privilege to announce that an amber alert has been declared!” The sickeningly raspy voice jeered.
Upon hearing this, passengers on the train erupted into a frenzy. The mood within each car was brimming with energy that would put most sporting events to shame. The still apathetic mood of the masses came to a boil, as the news sent everyone into their own unique states of shock and awe. Some of the weaker, more frail passengers hid beneath seats and shivered in terror. While the more burly, towering passengers readied their weapons and grinned with devilish delight. And the more burlesque passengers simply continued to dance. Even the library car, which was once a hall of hushed voices and whispered intrigue, might as well have been a locker room post victory. No tale within these tomes could quell the stolen intrigue of the passengers.
The voice seemed to snicker at the sudden bout of energy before continuing, “Now don’t get too excited everyone! You don’t even know who we’re looking for. Let me finish, nimrods.”
The crowd began to settle down ever so slightly as everyone leaned close to whatever speaker they were nearest and waited with bated breath. Those eager to hear the news looked no different from children on Christmas morning, while those trembling in fear carried an anguish akin to one facing lethal injection. On both ends of the spectrum, the anticipation was intoxicating. The tension on display was enough to put the finest hydraulic press to shame.
“The little rat bastard loose on the train tonight is described as a young girl between the ages of eleven and twelve. Witnesses state she is no more than five feet tall and has jet black hair and bright red eyes. Wowza! A real predator on the loose tonight, right folks?” The voice beckoned.
A flurry of noise erupted within every train cabin in response, as many began to discuss what they had just heard further. The excited voices were practically chanting in their discussion with one another, the volume comparable to Wall Street in its heyday, and was just as soulless. Many remained quiet, and eagerly awaited the rest of the target’s description.
The voice attempted to clear its throat, the wet vibration of the phlegm that lined its throat echoed across the train, “She looks like a little lost lamb, but don’t let it fool you! This is an amber alert everyone. Remember, search and destroy! Get her before she gets you and everyone else on the train! Don’t try to reason with her or yourself, only let fear drive you!”
The masses only grew more agitated as fear began to sow betwixt everyone, their chattering growing more discordant and unruly. A riot was surely brewing as people shoved and pulled at one another, the tension only rising by the second. Teddy, Gears, and Kona soon noticed this and eased into a corner of the library car that seemed to be the closest approximation of safe one would find on this death trap. The three of them kept their backs firmly on the train’s wall, while each of them eyed the room for anything they could fashion into a weapon if the situation called for it. And needless to say, the situation had them on speed dial. The shift in mood carried a bloodthirsty tinge to it that even put Gears on edge, his change in demeanor only furthering the anxiety brewing within Teddy.
The voice’s cracked red lips curled into a dastardly and vexing smile before it uttered into the microphone, “...And she’s right behind you!”
This was enough to finally shatter the thinly supported veneer of order within the train. Some cars erupted into stampedes that were volatile enough to send the entire locomotive rocking back and forth on its tracks. The rocking soon got to the point that one would not be at fault for believing that they were aboard a cruise ship, the Titanic to be exact. With the sudden pressure, many of the train’s facilities and mechanisms began to buckle and burst. Scalding steam spewed out from random crevices onto the faces of unfortunate passengers who were simply at the wrong place at the wrong time. Service drones were deployed and attempted to remedy the chaos caused by the rambunctious train attendant, but were soon pulled into the maw of her cruel jest as the stampedes soon overpowered them.
While many of the cars erupted into wanton destruction fueled by the attendant’s egregious claims, much of the violence was more focused within the other cars. Focused on one another, to be exact. Many began attacking each other, despite knowing for a fact none of them matched the description of Kayda. None too eager were the masses to be first blood amidst the rancorous barrage. Glass smashed into the flesh of some, while splintered wood gnashed with the exposed skin of others. Hair was torn from scalps, while wires were ripped from torsos. Glass components were shattered, while flesh was rent. Blood and sparks collided as the carnage only surged, all while the sickening orange hue that bathed every train car continued to pulsate almost in tandem with the violence on display, invoking the wrath of those who dwelled in the infernal pit.
The trio were steadfast in their position, unwilling to so much as take a step forward lest they be swallowed by the unwavering, senseless violence that continued to unfold before them. Whenever someone would eventually find their way within the vicinity of their safety, Gears took it upon himself to shove them away with all his might. If he allowed any altercations to spread to them, they would surely be separated by the carnage, never to see each other again in one piece. Kona aided in this, albeit to a more compassionate degree, as she apologized with every push. However, before they could hear her words of remorse, they were typically already within the storm of mutual destruction. Teddy could only watch in horror at what he not only unleashed on his fellow passengers, but also onto Kayda.
If the swaying of the entire train’s hull was anything to go by, she was likely witnessing the very same violence. The thought of her being subjected to this brutish display of panic sent him spiraling and slowly, he could feel himself dissociate as the fervent screams and unruly panic faded into the background of his consciousness. Soon, all he could hear was a dissonant shrill ringing while his eyes glazed over, his dread garnering a stronghold over his composure as his posture began to waver. Though he consisted of wire and tin, he swore he could feel what he approximated to be his blood pressure rise to levels that would kill a whale. He knew all too well that if he possessed lungs, he would be gasping for air.
Teddy’s legs began to buckle under the sheer amount of pressure he had begun to exert onto himself, and in his lapse in composure, he grasped onto Gears. Gears noticed Teddy’s profuse trembling and attempted to help him regain his composure, steadily leaning him against the wall. Teddy grew unresponsive to Gears’s inquiry to his condition, and in concern, Gears lightly slapped Teddy’s face, in a rather curt attempt to garner any kind of attention.
Gears looked at Kona, “You got any water on ya that I can splash on Ted? We need something to snap this guy outta it! Either he’s having a senior moment, or throwing a temper tantrum! Could be a little bit of both.”
Kona cooed, “Aw, he’s entering his terrible twos! Or, he’s got dementia now. I don’t know which is cuter!”
“Nah, it just looks like a good ol’ fashioned panic attack. Come on, Ted. Now ain’t the time to have a hot flash, or go into heat or whatever it’s called! Snap outta it!” Gears pleaded, lightly jostling Teddy while propping him against the wall.
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The shaking seemed to pull Teddy from his stint of despair, as a glint returned to his eyes. The overbearing ringing instantly ceased, and all at once, the sounds of the rampage assaulted his consciousness. His eyes narrowed into a scowl as the bellowing screeches from the passengers began to overstimulate Teddy once more. He longed for the distance he was bathed in not too long ago, and found himself attempting to dissociate from the situation once more. Knowing he put countless lives in danger was a weight he wanted to forget, but the reality unfolding before him would not loosen its grip on his conscience.
Teddy turned to Gears, “I did not anticipate this in the slightest… Please know this was not my intention! I simply wished to find Kayda as soon as possible, and thought appealing to an authority figure aboard the train would be a proper course of action!”
Gears grunted, “Trust me, you don’t strike me as the kinda guy to instigate a riot for the hell of it. I forget that you ain’t exactly streets ahead when it comes to The Vale. Please, Ted, when you feel like you gotta make an executive decision with any of these chuckle fucks running around, take it up with me first. Everyone in this era has a degree in unmitigated horseshit.”
“Duly noted, I will keep that in mind. Far be it from me to deny you the very reason we have you traveling alongside us. I stepped out of my areas of expertise, and for that, I must offer my humblest apologies!” Teddy pleaded.
“No need to apologize to me, guy, save it for Kayda. You pretty much put a target on the kid’s back! Well, that’s if any of these bozos decide to start looking for her instead of beating the piss outta each other,” Gears said, shaking his head at the scene before him.
“Do you mind elaborating?” Teddy inquired.
“Right, right,” Gears said, rubbing his temples in frustration, “You’re a long way from Texas, Dorthy, alright? Things are gonna be familiar, but different. For starters, amber alerts. They wanna find her, yeah, but when they do, she’s gonna be a mess some poor schmuck janitor has to clean up. Amber alerts are declared when there’s a kid running around that’s a threat to the masses. I’m talking bomb strapped to them most of the time. It ain’t your grandma’s traditional mugging.”
Teddy tilted his head, “I take it that children carrying out robberies in this manner has grown common enough to warrant the, frankly egregious, relabeling of what I consider an amber alert to be?”
“Give the man a prize!” Gears said in a mockingly jovial tone, giving Teddy a thumbs up, “Sorry, didn’t mean to be a dick, it’s my default. But yeah, you put a bounty on her. I mean if you’re mad at her, that’ll show her, right? Declaring your kid a safety risk is one hell of a punishment. That’ll teach her to run away. Good trick to have in the hat when they become teenagers.”
Teddy slumped against the wall and slid down into a sitting position, rubbing his head in agitation, “Oh goodness gracious! How is it that every time I attempt to remedy a situation, I go and only bolster the risk put forth?! Time and time again I throw caution to the wind and overlook the world’s eccentricity. When will I learn my lesson?”
Kona lowered herself to Teddy’s level and patted his shoulder, “Hey, buddy, remember what I said? Don’t beat yourself up again, we aren’t gonna find her on the floor feeling sorry for ourselves? She needs us now more than ever.”
“Yeah, the only thing ensuring she ain’t turned into swiss cheese is us. Ya can’t blame yourself like that. You said it yourself, there ain’t no way you could’ve known. You’re way outta your element, and no sane person would have assumed amber alert means kill this kid on sight. You have way less of an excuse though, blondie.” said Gears, pointing at Kona.
“Excuse me! It’s my first time leaving Needles! I couldn’t have known either. You can’t fault a country gal for not knowing the ways of the big city," Kona said in a stereotypical southern twang.
“That’ll do, pig, that’ll do,” Gears snickered.
Teddy took their words to heart, and eventually forced himself to relent to their message of goodwill, and took it upon himself to bury the seeds of doubt that were blooming within him. Despite his decision to entertain the notion he is not entirely to blame for the situation, he could not bring himself to uproot the doubt, and instead merely pruned it for the time being. For now was not the time for self reflection, but instead, the time to act.
“Right then, if I am to let go of any notions of failure or self doubt, then the two of you must disregard any frivolities on your part. Both of you are most certainly right, Kayda’s safety hinges on our due diligence. If we are too busy mucking about with self loathing, or film references, then she is that much closer to certain doom,” Teddy said, struggling to regain his composure, but confident all the same.
Kona patted Teddy’s back, “That’s the Ted we know! You should’ve died like five times by this point, but you haven’t! A little riot won’t change that!”
“It’s good ya didn’t spiral too far with this. This ain’t gonna be your last riot in The Vale,” said Gears bluntly.
“Doesn’t mean it’s not special though! Everyone remembers their first time! Aw, I wish I brought my camera, this is totally scrapbook worthy!” Kona swooned, smiling at the thought of newly created memories, “Oh! Do you think it’s Kayda’s first riot too? How cute!”
“I remember mine! I sold a bunch of tickets to folks outside a stadium in The Littoral one time, but only five of them were real! The schmucks started tearing each other to shreds! All that for a dog show!” Gears chortled.
“The ol’ Willy Wonka!” said Kona, smiling in amazement.
Teddy gently clapped his hands together in an attempt to garner their attention once more. Though he found solace in his newfound compatriots, their eccentricity was in line with everything he’s witnessed, much to his chagrin. Despite this, he respected their earnest efforts to comfort him, and tried to conceal his now brewing frustration.
“Perhaps we could reminisce about such memories at a later date? I would be remiss to allow our search to be delayed any further, for my own personal misgivings were cause enough for our extensive intermission.” said Teddy.
“Totally! Let’s find her! We’re probably closer than we know! Unless she, ya know,” Kona began to emote and gesture in an indecipherable series of pantomimes.
Gears narrowed his eye, “What the hell does all that mean?”
“Jumped off the train and got eviscerated on impact-”
“Alright! Let’s try not to give Ted a heart attack, we just got the poor bastard to wipe the snot off his face,” Gears interrupted.
With wide eyes, Teddy shifted away from them and marched directly into the carnage without a word. and with vigor they had not seen in him before. He flowed and careened through the mass of tumbling and tangled limbs with ease, seeming to completely ignore the blood that continually splattered on him every so often. Through sheer willpower, Teddy abstained from strife, poising himself to a degree above such frivolities that everyone knew not to engage him. He turned his proverbial nose up in disgust at the crowd, and tried to carry himself in such a way that others would assume he was in a tax bracket above them and be in awe. In actuality, this is how you get mugged. To a degree though, his faux stoic apathy did garner some results. His dismissal of his surroundings was actually the solution they had been waiting for. Everyone was engaged with someone, their acts of violence stuck in a senseless loop that only continued as retaliation evoked retaliation. With everyone being hyper focused on one another, Teddy was able to slip by largely unnoticed.
Kona and Gears looked on, initially in horror, as they saw Teddy’s head poke out above the riot. For a moment, they were certain a fiend was displaying Teddy’s head as a trophy to the masses with an unwarranted sense of pride, as they were both certain he was not that hard to kill. However, as soon as they saw his hands waving them towards him, they both let out a sigh of relief. Gears chuckled at Kona’s concern, trying to shift attention away from his own act of distress, but Kona was quick to point this out and gave him a playful punch on the shoulder. A bashful Gears simply shrugged, trying his best to bury any notion of concern on his part. The two of them shared a brief laugh before peering back into the borderline insurmountable crowd that had vexed and barricaded them into their safety corner up until this point. Taking note of what Teddy did, they simply nodded at one another, and plunged into the carnage.
Just as with Teddy, the masses of wriggling appendages and stray rows of teeth looking for flesh to rend were none the wiser to the presence of the interlopers. Barring the occasional shove, and stray stream of blood, they soon reached Teddy’s location with little to no resistance. Finally in the presence of some approximation to personal space, Gears stretched his arms out, and Kona gasped for air, as if she had been hoisted from the briny depths.
“Wow! That was actually kinda fun! I wonder if those fast food playgrounds were like that, it felt like I was crawling through one of them tube thingies I’ve seen in pictures,” Kona said, high fiving Teddy upon her arrival.
Gears shook his head, “Eh, those had a little more blood in them. Keep an eye out for a staph infection. If you get one, that means you got the genuine greasy ball pit experience.”
Kona smiled excitedly, “Oh yeah! The rumored prize with every kid’s meal!”
The two shared a laugh with one another while Teddy opened the gangway door, eagerly gesturing for them to take their leave. Teddy was close in tow behind them, taking a moment to gently close the door, so as to not alert the masses that a few escaped their grasp. Being who he was, Teddy couldn’t help but feel like he could have done something to remedy the situation before it got to that point. This tinge of guilt tugged and weighed on him as he began to formulate solutions that would prove to be all for naught, as the distance between them and those languishing in the violence grew ever larger. Maybe there’s a book on conflict resolution in there, and maybe someone will find it. A whole lot of maybes, but that’s just how life is. Leaving the library car to their own devices, the trio set forth on the gangway to the next train car, merely three cars away from the edge of the train.
The chill breeze that caressed their bodies while they continued their journey unsettled Teddy to the point he could feel himself shivering despite his inability to truly feel cold. It felt as if death itself was breathing down his neck, and was slowly entangling him in a most grim embrace. Its grip around him was as tight as his grip around the door handle, and as he pulled the towering metal slab open, so too could he feel uncertainty pull him ever closer.