Running.

I hate running.

Why did the ground have to attack my feet so rudely? Why did the air get so thin so fast? Why did I have seams of pain in my sides, was I not sewn correctly when I was assembled in my mommy's tummy?

But I hated losing, and the Naruto runners were probably all judging me from the leafy vantage points.

So run I did, much like earlier today with Yu Lin and Hawthorn. But somehow I think I was faster than before.

Zombies behind, and barneys closing in closer to the train.

Life was grand, wasn't it?

I should be studying Dead Coil, not trying to draw out the saboteur and survive a zombie thing.

Debits: equipment, assets, and drawings.

Credit: Owner's equity, i....something something i, and liabilities.

In the gloomy mist of the forest around me, the last of the bird song vanished. The world was grey and mist, browns and greens subdued as the elder trees stretched ever onward, the side walk and elevated rails the only sign of human defiance against an otherwise cold and vicious world.

I ran harder.

I didn't call out for help, because Hawthorn told it would be dangerous.

While I did not have a fob watch, I did have a cell phone. I didn't know if it kept time the same way, but it would do better job keeping time than nothing. So I had set my phone for 30 minutes, in 5 minute intervals. So far, this was the third time my phone had vibrated.

Fifteen minutes had passed and we had fifteen minutes to go. That was as long as Hawthorn would risk the people on the train to stay before the fleeing from the oncoming horde of steam-starved.

The first ninja landed in front of me. Okay, probably not a ninja, but when you run like you are from hidden leaf village, it was hard to think of someone as anything else. It was a man with sandy hair, wearing a simple suit. He even still had his jack on!

"Who are you?" he asked. He sounded like English was his second language, a rich accent warming his words.

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Wow. First time someone actually asked me for who I was. Actually, even Hawthorn still called me Miss, and Yu Lin had called me little red flower. Perhaps asking for someone's name was rude here. Or maybe it had to do with the name binding thing.

I was on guard.

Two more foresters arrived behind me. I couldn't even hear them. How had these people not taken over the world here? Maybe they had.

I had to say something. Clearly wasn't going to use my real name.

The danger was the name binder was amongst the foresters. At least, that was one of the dangers I had considered. I hadn't had time to chit-chat with Hawthorn as he and Jesseme went about trying to repair the train while being aware of the brit rated people who may turn into zombies. I mean, they were also looking for the saboteur and the zombie queen..

No, I had just taken his few words of advice and then scurried off.

I smiled at the foresters and gave an awkward wave. "I am working with the Constable. There is a situation at the train."

"What situation?"

He looked a little scary. His friends felt really scary too.

Why was this happening to me? Social anxiety cut at my very core. Maybe the backrooms would have been kinder to me after all. I had seen enough Game Theory to do reasonably well. Right?

Stupid steam-punk trains and ninjas. I was really hating life right now.

Time for the truth. It wasn't just about me. There were people on the train who needed it to work. People who may only be in danger because Hawthorn and I had caught that train. I needed to grow up.

"Name bound." I said, like a big girl. I was so scared. "There is some...shadow ilk. We don't know who was...name stolen? Can you help?"

"In a minute." said the second one "Why were you with the deputy beforehand?"

Why where they curious about me?

So it really was about Hawthorn.

Time for movie logic.

I predicted Hawthorn had spent some time in the military before becoming a police officer. Not as an officer, just some rank and file troop.

He had served in the far country side as a young man, perhaps even a teenager. In the prequel of this tv show, perhaps a made for tv movie, this would be the first time he had met Yu Lin, too, back when she was with her fancy Sect people. They had a meaningful encounter. He did something in that far place that had made a number of people mad at him.

For whatever reason, an enemy from long ago had finally found Hawthorn, though now he was a vastly different person, more wise, respected by his society. They needed to get to him, but he was always surrounded by people, and by his bodyguard and partner in the force.

Perhaps they were not the only ones after him.

The one behind me sighed.

"We need more information." said the first one again. "Where are you from, little girl?"

"Most recently, a train." I said, smiling naively.

"Where were you born?" said the second.

"I don't know. I don't remember it. I was a baby." I said. Could I throat punch them all? Would they line up nicely for me? Maybe a dinosaur would jump out and eat them and leave me completely alone.

I didn't enjoy how the shadows drew closer over me.

Why had Hawthorn sent me, when it was clearly a trap?

One of the three people was unlike the rest. A woman had been standing there, not saying a single thing, just watching. She was smaller, more narrow framed than anyone I had seen around here. Her eyes looked like they couldn't decide what size they were supposed to be.

I didn't know what shadow ilk was, but I had a feeling I was looking at one.

"What." she said, like dreamy silkiness and sticky honey. "Is your name?"