"It's a bit of a long story," Drake said, crawling out from under the row. He flopped down on the seat. Rubbing his eyes, he peeked through his hands. "You're not mad though, are you?"

"Mad?" I scrunched up my nose. "About what?"

He shrunk back. "Nothing…"

"Wait, are you following me?" I spat, the click of the tracks hummed angrily.

He gave a nervous laugh, "In my defense it wasn't my idea."

"Whose idea was it then?" I growled. Drake tried to squeeze past me, I shoved him back down in the seat.

"Woah, slow down, Phyn." He winked at me. "I don't know ya like that."

"Drake." I tightened my glare.

He rubbed his face. "Fine...I got a phone call, they said you were leaving on some big job and if I wanted a cut I should get on this train and follow you."

"A phone call from who?" I furrowed my brow.

"I don't know." He shrugged.

"Yet you did what they said?" I shut my eyes in frustration. "How does that make any sense?"

"They seemed to know what they were talking about…" Drake grumbled.

"Was it a man's or a woman's voice?"

Drake scratched his stubble. "Could've been either. The voice was really distorted."

"And that didn't make you suspicious?" I spun around. "How can you run a black market and be this naive?"

"Well...you were being secretive, and with all this government stuff. It just seemed to line up." He brushed a piece of lint off of his shoulder.

"Why were you hiding under the seats?" I waved my arms.

"Do you know how expensive train tickets are? I wasn't going to pay that!"

I rolled my eyes, heading back down the hall. "You're ridiculous." I don't need anyone knowing he's here.

"Wait Phyn! Tell me about the job." He chased after me. "How much money are we talking about?"

"There is no job, I'm not here for smuggling," I growled.

He grabbed my wrist, pulling on my arm. "C'mon, you can't fool me."

"I'm being serious, Drake, let go." I yanked my arm free, pushing him away. He froze, staring over my shoulder. A dazed look in his eye.

"What is he doing here," Murray snarled, his brown-grey coat over his shoulders swaying with his steps. Crap.

"...Do I know you," Drake stuttered.

"We've had a brief conversation," Murray said, pushing up his sleeves.

Drake's eyes went wide, he stumbled back."You're that government goon!"

Murray walked past me. "What are you doing harassing a member of my team?"

Drake squirmed, eyes bugged out. "Umm, ahh...I wasn't."

Murray turned over his shoulder, glaring at me. "Please tell me you didn't invite him."

"Of course not." I crossed my arms.

"Good." Murray moved, shoving Drake into the wall. "So why are you here, Drake? Did that cell sound tempting?"

"Phyn!" Drake wheezed, pleading with me. This is bad.

I pulled at Murray's arm. "Hey, cool it. Drake's harmless."

"Harmless?" Murray snorted, "Are you willing to bet your life on that, because that's what you're doing."

I stepped back, Drake's eyes wide. He's right...how do I know I can trust Drake? I can't Murray either. "And roughing him accomplishes what?" I asked, putting my hands on my hips. "He told me why he's here, and I have good reason to believe him." I can't trust Murray either.

Murray rolled his eyes. "Maybe you think you have good reason-"

"Just hand him over to security." I shrugged. "He doesn't have a ticket."

Drake dropped his jaw. "You can't be serious."

Murray let go of Drake's collar, his eyes searching my eyes. I leaned back against the wall. "Do you have somewhere to keep him, interrogate him?" I asked.

Murray frowned, scowling back at the smuggler. "I'm not letting him go."

"Do what you want, I don't care," I said, heading down the hall. The red occupied sign laughing at me, I crossed my arms. Oh well...

"Wait, Phyn! Don't leave me!" Drake shouted. This is for your own good, idiot. I dragged my feet, ignoring his cries. I'm more worried about that phone call...why did they send Drake after me?

Murray marched after me. "What are you up too?"

Drake scattered in the opposite direction, disappearing down the hall. I loosened my shoulders. "Nothing, absolutely nothing," I said.

Murray frowned. "Don't think I believe that for a second."

I raised my eyebrows. "You're the one who's up to something. This is called projection." I pointed at him, spotting the cabin door.

"No I'm not. I-" He froze, tightening his fists. "...Well maybe I am." He passed the entrance, continuing to the end of the car.

"Where are you going?" I asked, pausing at the door.

"I want fresh air. " Murray tilted his head. "If you want answers you might want some fresh air too." He released the door latch, disappearing outside. The door shut, the sound echoing back.

He's baiting me. I took a step closer, growling under my breath. It's far too convenient...but I don't know if I care. Reaching the door, I flicked the latch. I cracked open the metal door, the cold wind hitting my face. Pulling it shut, I stepped out.

Murray leaned on the railing, facing the distant snow powdered mountains. Zooming past, the train sped along the track. He took a breath, his coat whipping with the breeze. "It's a nice view, isn't it? Much better than the city smog."

"I didn't take you for a nature lover," I muttered, walking out to the edge.

He folded his hands on the railing. "In my younger years, not so much now."

"Too busy with schemes and disobeying orders?" I snorted.

"It was once and for good reason," Murray growled, his voice ice. He had a choke hold on the railing. That was the wrong thing to say.

I took a breath, the chill of the mountain air in my lungs. Deep blues across the range. "Sorry, that was uncalled for. Your past is your own business." As is mine.

Murray relaxed his shoulders. "Are you going to tell me why Drake's here?"

I sighed, "He thinks I'm smuggling for you guys and thought he could get in on the money. He doesn't know what we're actually up to."

"I see...so what? Did he follow you here?" Murray lifted his head.

"He just saw me on the train and assumed," I said, crossing my arms. Murray doesn't want to share, neither will I.

He sighed, "So I'm just supposed to trust he'll go away?"

I laughed, "You're the one who let him go. I told you to hand him over-"

"But you actually think he's harmless?" Murray met my eyes, steady gaze.

"Ya, he's just a idiot." I wrung my hands in my hair. I still can't believe the phone call. "I've worked with him long enough to know he doesn't have ties to Vitriol." I shut my eyes, the breeze rushing over my face.

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Murray nodded, frowning at the mountainside. "I'm just trying to get a read on this. Everything's hanging by a thread, we have no room for error."

"No room for error, yet you expect me to work with limited information."

Murray chuckled, "Why should you be luckier than the rest of us? I don't know everything either." He walked past, placing his hand on the rung of a ladder. "By every right you shouldn't exist."

"...Because I wasn't an experiment?" I murmured. Lewis was surprised by that too.

"That and the strength of your ability." He stepped up the ladder. "What the experiments have achieved is only a shadow of the old stories."

I raised an eyebrow. "You know the old stories?"

"You sound surprised?"

"No...it's just…" I frowned, biting my cheek. Careful. "Do you think there's any truth to them?" I asked, pacing closer.

"I think you're proof of the possibility. If you truly weren't an experiment." He continued to climb, headed to the roof.

"What are you doing?" I called from the bottom.

Murray swung his leg up to the top, back peering over edge. "There's more space on the roof," he said.

"You're insane," I laughed, following after him.

The wind picked up, racing momentum. I kept my stance low, steadying my balance as I stepped across the roof. The view of the mountainscape unhindered. Green covered the valley, the city far in the distance.

Murray straightened his shoulders, a devilish smirk."How much do you know about fighting?"

"Why? You're going to challenge me up here?" I snickered at him. "If I fall off I can teleport, what will you do?"

Murray crossed his arms, eyes bored. "Do you know how to fight? It's a simple question."

I shrugged. "Some, I can throw a few good punches." The tale of surviving as a street kid.

"Excellent, let's see what you got then." Murray raised his fists.

He really wants to fight me? "Are you sure? I have a big advantage." I pointed back to the ledge.

Murray nodded. "Yes and don't hold back. I'm not going to."

"Suit yourself." I pressed my thumb to my wrist. He doesn't know what he's getting into. The steady thud of my heartbeat, ready to vanish. I ran against the rushing wind, charging after him. Murray held his ground, his eyes laughing at me.

I disappeared, swinging my fist around. Reappearing behind him, I stumbled into nothing. What on earth? I blinked at the empty roof, clouds rolling through the blue sky. Where did he go? I spun around, a jab sent me flying. I gasped, keeling over. The wind whipped across the metal roof, no one in sight. This is impossible...wait, is he? I froze in place, alone on the roof. That first day...there was no where to hide in my room, in the hall with Jude...I thought my eyes were tricking me but what if... All this talk of experiments, and abilities. Murray's one of them.

I inched across the roof, paying attention to the creaks. If that invisible fist was any indication, he took up space. A thud ahead of me, I bounded after it. My feet kicked out from under me, I slid, skidding towards the edge. Blurring browns and greens, raced across my view. I rolled back, taking deep breaths.

"You could've warned me," I growled, climbing to my feet. "This isn't fair. I didn't know what I was agreeing to," I called, my only response was the wind. Smart, he knows not to give himself away.

I walked closer to the center, my heart pounding. I don't have sight...he knows I'm using sound. I closed my eyes, pushing down the rising panic. The deeper rhythm in my blood, strong, constant. An interruption in the song, an irregularity in the beat. I don't need my eyes.

I followed the rhythm to the irregularity, appearing further along the roof. I swung a kick in front of me, knocking something back. There he is. The spin of a grey cloak disappeared again. "Did that sting, Murray?" I snickered. "You gonna keep hiding your face, coward."

A strike hit my stomach, I latched my hand around his wrist. Dipping into the rhythm, we appeared mid air. I shoved him down towards the roof, flailing back.

He swung out of my grasp, grey coat flicking up. His feet slid against the metal. Landing on my feet, I leaped after the sound. I rammed into his shoulder, spinning off kilter. Oh crap. I tripped over my feet, falling towards the edge. Murray caught my wrist, arm tense. "I think that's probably enough," he huffed, yanking me back. "You'll do fine in a tough spot."

"Thanks…" I dusted myself off. "And with training too-"

"We're not going to do any training."

"We're not?" I blinked at him. "Why was I told we were?"

Murray tilted his head, pacing along the roof. "Training is the official story, we're going to strike Vitriol before anyone knows."

"So...you think someone's spying?" I lowered my voice.

Murray nodded. "With two assination attempts, I can't chance that there isn't."

"I see, that makes sense. Then you already have a plan," I said. The train tilted with the track, moving along the rolling hills.

"All up here." Murray pointed to his head. "I would've mentioned it sooner, but you never know who's listening."

I grinned. "Ah, so you trust me now?"

"I imagine teleporting gives you easier ways to make money than treason." Murray sighed, "And Oliver seems to think you're alright, and he's skeptical of everyone."

"That includes you." I raised an eyebrow.

"We have a complex history." He shrugged, dusting off his jacket. "But I trust you're competent enough to make up your own mind." He strolled back towards the ladder.

You just want me to trust you. I crossed my arms, following after him. "It would help if you were a little more transparent."

He stepped down the ladder. "About what?"

"The experiments, for one," I huffed, stopping at the edge.

"You want me to disobey orders again?" He squinted up at me.

"Did someone order you not to tell me?" I stammered, the wind fighting my voice.

"Classified means classified." Murray jumped off the last wrung. "Don't read too much into it."

"Thanks for the advice..." I sat down on the ledge. Lattice rose over the forest hills, the new city in a quiet fog. A strange weight in my chest. It's not like it's the same Lattice, not like I'm going back to the camp. Still it reminds me of that awful place.

Murray pointed up from the bottom. "Play along with the training narrative till I give you notice," he said.

I nodded, shivering against the wind. My feet finding the rungs, I climbed off the roof. I'm happy to get some level of trust. Jumping off, I landed on the platform. A resolve settled in my chest. We have a plan. We're coming for Vitriol and no ones getting in our way.

Murray swung open the door, both of us filtering back into the hall. The wind chasing our backs, we walked back to the cabin door. We slid open the door. Max's head slumped, snoring over his newspaper.

Gwen waved at us, her other hand over the briefcase. "Everything all right?" She hushed, looking between us.

"Just motion sickness" I shrugged, slumping over to my seat. Lewis's seat empty, I scratched my head. "Where did Lewis go?" I asked.

"He had a phone call." Gwen shrugged, folding her hands in her lap.

A phone call...Drake had a phone call too. No, that's silly, people get phone calls for all sorts of reasons, from all sorts of people. They have nothing to do with each other, they can't.

Gwen raised her eyebrows, turning her head between us. "What about all the shouting, what was that all about?"

Murray leaned back in his seat. "Someone angry about the bathroom being occupied. It got sorted out."

"Well...alright." Gwen frowned, shooting me a suspicious glare. I avoided her gaze.

"Max has the right idea," Murray said, shutting his eyes. He laid his head back, his breathing easing. Escaping the conversation.

The door slid open, Lewis standing in the doorway. The colour drained from his face, a slight tremor. He looks awful. Shoulders hunched over, he wandered in. Maybe I'm imagining it.

The bell interrupted my thoughts, the intercom buzzing, "You are riding with Avarice transportation. Welcome to Entryway. The next station is Lattice Central." The brakes squeaked as we drove into the station.

Max snorted, blinking his eyes open. He sat up, the newspaper crinkling in his hands. Lewis snickered, kicking his legs up on the seat."Did you sleep well, Max?"

Max glared at him, crossing his arms. "I wasn't, just resting my eyes."

"Mmhm, sure." Lewis's grin turned smug, resting back.

Max growled at him, "Ya, and what about you? Taking private phone calls in the middle of all this, if that's not unprofessional-"

"Are you being serious right now?" Lewis spat.

Max tossed aside the paper. "You complain about everyone else. Look at yourself for once."

"My grandfather died, alright?" Lewis shouted, turning everyone's heads. He slouched his shoulders, scowling at the glass. "Is that serious enough for you?"

"Lewis…" Gwen's eyes softened.

He shook his head, standing up. "You know what, no. You all treat me like I'm some sort of loudmouth idiot. Why, because I'm new? Because I normally sit behind a computer screen? Like you could anything without me."

"Lewis, sit down," Murray boomed, rising from his seat. "If you can't handle the pressure, no one's making you stay."

Lewis's eyes grew wide. "No...I just think I deserve some respect."

"Then act like you do. I'm not going to hold your hand." Murray swept his glare to the car. "That goes for all of you." A swoop of his grey cloak, he sat back down. Lewis swallowed a lump in his throat, sinking in his seat. The train stopped in the station, a hiss emitting from the door latches.

"Condolences, by the way," Max muttered, remorse in his eyes. Lewis nodded, pulling his arms in. At least that's some progress.

Heads pouring out of the train, crowds shuffling across the window. Wood and stone replaced with concrete. It's not the same Lattice. Part of me is sad to not see anything familiar. More of that same dull grey landscape. Not everything was bad...just most of it.

Gwen tossed me my backpack from the overhead compartment. "Hey...you coming?" she said.

"Ya…" I stumbled to my feet, following after the team. I threw my pack over my shoulders, looking back at the window once more. Malachi and his wide brimmed hat would fit in that picture. He would've loved this world. Convenience, comfort, and opportunities to leech off others; Avarice is built for people like him. I gritted my teeth, marching down the hall. I'm not here to reminisce. From the front of the line, Murray looked back, his cold eyes meeting mine. I'm here to end a war, and so is he. Like it or not, neither of us want to fail. That's one thing I am willing to bet on, all trust aside.