The Apocalypse 5: Residuum

Residuum

(art by: CrimsonRose97)

"Oh, I didn't mean to interrupt," she giggled in a playful tone. "After all, you three need your game faces on. For... what you're about to do, of course." She took another bite.

Viper narrowed her eyes and slid her hand in her jacket, ready to stab the wolf. The red Mobian chuckled and swallowed.

"I don't think you're gonna wanna do that," the wolf cooed eerily. "Risk ruining what you have planned? Tsk tsk tsk tsk tsk. That'd be a shame, for sure."

"What do you want?"

"Whoa whoa whoa!" The wolf exclaimed. "Manners? You're gonna ask me what I want before you ask me who I am? Rude."

Viper sighed and crossed her arms. "Apologies. I am Viper. What's your name?"

"Thrax," the red wolf said with a smile.  "First name, Anne."

Viper smirked. "Cute. So, what's your deal?"

Thrax chuckled. "Well, you know the Freedom Fighters, I'm sure?"

"Of course."

"Well... think of us as the... anti-Freedom Fighters. And I've been watching you closely. You and Sam and Myst."

Viper went slightly wide-eyed. She and her crew had always been careful not to ever be seen. To know that someone's been able to spy on them without their knowledge was extremely unsettling for her. Thrax watched the hedgehog's frozen expression and chuckled before she took another bite of her apple.

"Nice talk, V," Thrax said as she turned and started to walk away.

"H-Hey!" Viper started as she started to run after.

Thrax turned slightly and raised her left hand towards her. Viper was suddenly gently pushed backwards as Sam and Myst caught her. Thrax shook her finger at them before she took another bite of her apple. Viper stared at her as the wolf walked away.

"What?" Viper muttered. "She... She has some kind of... power." She stood upright and turned to the others.

"We continue, right?" Sam asked.

Viper nodded. "Absolutely." Her ear twitched when she heard the train coming. "Ride's coming." She then sighed. "She was cute, though."

**********

MTA Control Room
9:30 am

A man in a tucked-in buttoned-up shirt and jeans paced back and forth as he watched the screen that showed the subway map. "Sara? How we lookin'?"

A pink Mobian fox with long white hair turned in her chair. "Green across the board, sir."

"Good. Let's hope for a quiet morning."

**********

9:45 am

Viper watched passengers leave and board the train. "Fulton Street," she said aloud. "That leaves Chambers Street Station, Canal Street, Spring Street, West 4th Street, 14th Street, 42nd Street, 50th Street, aaaaaand 59th Street."

"You remembered all that?" Sam asked, surprised.

"I looked at the maps a lot to make sure I didn't miss anything."

"When are we gonna speed things up?" Sam asked. "You don't plan on us riding it all the way there peacefully?"

"Fourteenth Street," Viper replied. "That'll give us enough time to do our thing."