Ringing.

Ringing in my ears.

Ringing of the alarm of my phone.

Ringing.

I blinked, but my eyes were still cloudy and blurry after the explosion. There was a terrible roaring sound, and I felt the massive godzilla monster moving away. Towards Chris Pratt, probably.

We needed that train fixed, and to leave this stupid forest.

James gripped me tighter and kept running over the trees. He was shaking. Or I was shaking? Maybe we were both shaking.

It didn't take long to reach the elevated rails and side platform, skidding to a halt as James landed on it. He wasn't running, but he wasn't putting me down either.

"We need to hurry." the mist and fog was rolling in. I couldn't see the train but I knew it was ahead.

"Turn off your timer." he said.

The ringing in my ears was still present, but my eyes were clearing. I had to reach my pocket awkwardly, and finally pulled out the magic rectangle. I must have hit snooze instead of dismiss.

"What kind of fobby is that anyway?" he asked, head craned awkwardly to see what I was doing. He was very flexible. Are necks supposed to bend that much?

"Its...an antique. Shouldn't we...hurry?"

"Well...Yes...but..."

There must be some other detail to watch for then. I tried to image the coming danger. "We need to watch for ambushes? We need to plan our strategy. Tea time is soon and we need party hats..."

"No...Yes...Um?"

"What is it?"

He turned red.

"Can you...when we get there, can you introduce me? I...get nervous talking to new people."

We were dealing with zombies, enemy foresters, the ilk, and dinosaurs.

And Rock Lee had stage fright.

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"We are about to jump into battle, and you're worried about public speaking?"

"The fighting is fine, easy. But...when I open my mouth and give reports, I mess up and the wrong words come out and..." he bit his lip and continued his muttering, something about stuttering, and no offense about me and...."whenever I see new people, I just..can't word good. Not that you aren't a person, but...you don't matter...but not in a bad way..."

I smacked my forehead. Was Rock Lee like this in the anime? But this wasn't really Rock Lee. He just rocked the bowl cut hair cut and 'can do attitude'.

Except for speaking in public, I guess. He had a 'can't do attitude' about that.

"I'll handle the talking. But back to the emergency...Should we get to the action? Do we want to run in the trees or on the side platform?" I made no offer to walk myself because James carrying me was faster than me running.

"Oh. Yes, back to the situation at hand." he also rocked the Rock Lee eyebrows, as his drew tight in concentration. "Let's avoid the trees. Between the dinosaurs and the potential enemy foresters, we should should stay on the rails."

"You mean the platform..."

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So apparently I have trust issues. Because even though flying through the trees being carried by James was fine, him running over the balance beams of the rail with the forest floor beneath us was scary.

I had a short career as a gymnast when I was a child.

The balance beam and I had never gotten along. I fell off that thing so much that the gym gave my parents their money back and advised I learn a safer after school activity.

So there we were, barreling over the thin rail toward the train

"...Not that you aren't important, when I said you don't matter, you do matter, but..."

He slipped a little on the metal rails, and I felt us slide slightly. The forest floor was so far below, and that rail seemed really small. But he just jumped to the other rail easily and kept running.

Do not throw up, me, do not throw up. "I got it, Rock, I got it. Let's not talk and give our position away."

He chuckled a little. "That doesn't matter. The other foresters see us and are avoiding us."

"Um...what?" So much for being sneaky. Well, they were very sneaky, because I didn't see or sense anyone else at all.

"They probably sensed out what you are carrying us and are avoiding us. Probably what I'd do too, if I could."

I thought of the different spare parts I had and wondered exactly what else would explode that I was carrying on my person.

Exactly what is a star jump rod?

"But they are also a good buffer. If anyone comes for us, the other foresters may view them as an enemy."

So foresters weren't all on the same side. I mean, I figured it out with James in fear of his life for some reason. And also that the Zombie Queen and her forester flunkies.

"So, do you know who was with the Zombie Queen?" I asked.

"I can't say." he said.

He was fine rambling earlier, but now he can't say.

Right.

"But it's amazing that you overcame her. You must have extreme training, which I am sure you also cannot mention." He actually craned his head to look at me.

"Watch where you are running!" I said.

He nodded, knowingly.

Then the sounds of an attack came, a flash of light, fire spreading quickly on the forest floor below.

The light of the flame cut through the mist and I saw the train again.

And I saw another reason the foresters were avoiding us.

They were too busy fighting at the train.

With zombies.

I saw Hawthrone, and that lady engineer. No Lt. guy.

And there were hordes of people, trying to reach them on the top of the train.

"This isn't good." I said.