Janus followed Itzel as they passed through the next section. A set of terrified eyes darted towards them as they sprinted through the entrance door. The family turned their heads from their window to the pair darting by. The father held his two children underneath his arms as they took a cursory glance at Janus and Itzel. Janus looked back briefly before continuing to follow behind his partner.

"We need to hurry up, Janus!" Itzel said as she waved at the door leading into the upcoming section. "All of these sections probably have families like this one in here. There's a lot at stake!"

"I know, I know!" Janus replied. He looked back towards the window. The sand cloud stayed at a steady size, following the Transporter closely. "What are we going to do if this vehicle doesn't have the weapons that Mag talked about earlier?"

Itzel managed to open the door. "It'll be up to us then."

"You think we can take out a Sand Carver by ourselves?"

"Either that or we let it take us out and everyone else on here!"

Together they made their way to the front of the Transporter, passing by families and riders that were too focused on the incoming threat to pay them any mind. They stopped in front of the Pilot's Section. Itzel brought up her projection to try to access the area, only to be greeted with a robotic voice.

"You are not authorized to enter this area."

"Great." Itzel began bashing on the door with the side of her fist. "Mag!" she shouted. "It's us! Itzel and Janus! Let us in! We want to help!"

There was a short pause of silence. The door slid open with Mag standing in front of the entryway. "You two want to take on the Sand Carver?" he asked perplexed.

Itzel gave the man a nod. "We're a couple of Exterminators. If you're going to need some help, there's no one else on this Transporter that would be able to do a better job."

"That's fine with me. And Gurk is still with Sheila?"

"Yes sir," Janus replied.

"Good." Mag turned his head to the inside of the Pilot's Section. "Is it all right if I let these two inside here? They're both Exterminators."

"That's fine with me," a voice from inside the pilot's area replied.

"Come on in," Mag said as he stepped to the side. Both Itzel and Janus made their way into the room; it was narrow yet sleek. A single seat was placed towards the very tip of the Transporter. Sitting in it was a well-dressed man in a spiffy black uniform and a matching black cap. His eyes were focused on the digital screen that floated in front of his face.

Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

"Did you find out if this thing has got any weapons stashed away on it?" Itzel asked Mag.

The pilot turned his head around, nodding in the direction of a slim door adjacent to the door. "They should be right over there."

Mag opened the closet. Attached to a set of hooks were two weapons. Each was made of a black gunmetal that glistened once the door opened. On the left side was the long spear that Sheila had mentioned earlier. It had a long shaft with a pair of soft grips towards the center and back end. A small button was embedded in both sections. The tip was a shining silver that had a blue glow that pulsated from the center of the blade.

On the other clip was a sleek gun that resembled an angular bazooka. Jutting out from the side was a small screen. Mag reached over and took the gun off the shelf. Pointing it downwards, he pressed a button on the screen and the device lit up, sending the pulsating blue glow coursing throughout the various crevices of the weapon. The gun then blipped three times and let out a low hum.

"This thing's ready to go," Mag said.

"You ever fired one before?" the pilot asked, keeping his eyes focused on the radar. A red dot continued to trail in the back of the screen.

"This model?" Mag said as he eyed the gun by angling it from side to side. "No. But I've used ones just like it before. Is there a place where I can fire this thing?"

"You want to try firing it from an open window?" the pilot said. Mag looked out the long glass panel that wrapped around the room.

"Nah. Don't think I'll have enough room to get every possible angle. Got a hatch that leads up to the top of this Transporter?"

The pilot's eyes drifted towards the ceiling. "You'll need my clearance to get through there. Give me a second." The pilot got up from his seat and activated his projection. As he began to input an authorization code, the entire vehicle rumbled. Everyone in the room staggered back save for the pilot who was knocked to the floor from the sudden movement. From the rear sections of the Transporter, a mixed blend of cries and shouts carried out to the Pilot's Section.

"Sounds like it's getting impatient," Itzel said with her arms spread out to keep her balance. Janus and Mag helped the pilot back up to his feet.

"I need to get to the top of the vehicle now," Mag said. The pilot nodded and continued to input his code. The hatch unlocked and as the pilot opened it up, a long ladder slid down, stopping just a foot above the floor. Mag threw the straps of the gun over his shoulder before slinging the entire weapon across his back. He put one hand onto one of the rungs of the ladder and began to climb.

"Are you going too?" Janus asked Itzel as he watched her take the spear out of its hook.

"Yes. Are you going to stay behind?" Itzel placed one hand and one foot on the later.

"I've got a few Techniques now. I might be of some help."

"I won't grill you for staying down here. We've never fought anything like a Sand Carver before."

"If I stay down here and you two aren't able to take out that Essencima, I'll be a goner along with everyone else on here." With both hands, he motioned for Itzel to resume her ascent.

"You're starting to have a real Exterminator's mentality. You know that?" Itzel said, mustering a smile before looking upwards as she began climbing again.

"I know. Don't remind me or I might have a change of heart." Janus stepped onto the bottom rung and followed Itzel.