"Nem, you have to get the Inganop youth for us." Zartzs focused her voice through the locomotive whistle view where Nem was stationed.
"No problem, bosslady. I'll do it."
She pressed the switch at her left to carry her downwards through a connecting tube that led to inside the first cabin car.
From there, Nem rushed to the last wagon while ensuring she doesn't slip or get taken out by the Defence Force.
Zartzs already briefed the soldiers before she arrived. All they had to do was to execute the plan. The soldiers settled before they disembarked on an alternative track.
Cascachu couldn't participate in this mission. He was too injured.
The sharpened points from the large, black mass were completely on Zartzs, leaving few to come after them.
Nem opened the wagon door while a subordinate held the directional brake that guided them through the onslaught of artillery. She threw her whip repeatedly, but violent shifts in speed and direction prevented success.
They kept their distance and continued to position Nem in the best way possible to complete their mission.
"My power not the best in these kinda situations you know." Hahbou was honest with everyone once they noticed the direction of the wagon. "Get your weapons ready for when they get close."
The vehicle's glass covering retracted and those ready to retaliate did. Their target had lowered considerably due to the carbon fibre transformation, while conversely, the end of the rosy connector bridge morphed into a ramp.
"Why am I restrained?" The Inganop uttered after waking. His handcuffs were magnetic, conjoined in an unbreakable union even with desperation to break it.
I see you under some pressure there, Hahbou. Wixin's suit gradually increased with helium as he called in.
How long it go take you to come? Hahbou was desperate for his help.
Ummmmmm. Give or take ten minutes or so.
That too long.
Well, I've already prepared my speedy route. Wixin's inflated arms created a prolonged struggle to reach the flap at the back. It took some time to unhook it, and once he did, his helium ascent became a hassle to control.
He neared the train too quickly. Unable to stop, skull to wagon made the most unpleasant of sounds. His head somehow hit the bottom of one of the cabins through a space between the tracks. As a result, the wagon wheels, and the carriage fell over. Nem stretched to shut the door but she got caught in the mix.
"Oh shucks, man!" Zartzs winced in pain as her attacks drew Ippe away.
Wixin returned to earth gnashing his teeth and holding his head with both of his arms.
The wagon tumbling its contents gave an opportune moment to strike. Many munitions flew. The cabin was punctured by Rebounders and harmed by multiple explosions.
During all of this, a newly manifested track formed beneath them. The wheels landed true and immediately continued ahead to assist in the capture of the hooded stranger.
* * *
Zazavin and Mezamica Um's deadlock broke, releasing a spectacular shockwave that dissipated the dust cloud.
"Woooooowwww, Zazavin. You're so strong." Teinova swooned.
He latched onto the lengthened end of Mezamica Um. From his height, he slobbered saliva between his eyelids to hinder his vision. Zazavin then charged his final strike. It was the most powerful carve he could do knowing that carrying Teinova and Durin prevented his full potential.
Mezamica Um had to shake him off. What Nem did with her whip on that day was terrifying. Its deadliness and precision never left his thoughts. But all that was in the past.
He got Zazavin's tongue to loosen at the same time Teinova sang a random song and Durin was oblivious to everything. Zazavin didn't mind if he flew off at warp speed as long as Teinova and Durin stayed with him as he did. He took advantage of his decreasing grip and reduced the tightness in his tongue to slide down and perform his best carving under these circumstances.
As he raced to Mezamica Um, a few rounds shot off. Zazavin was hit four times and dropped to the floor seemingly lifeless.
"Yea, sir. We neutralized the being there." said a soldier as they approached him.
"Good work there, youths." Mezamica Um's words did not match the sadness on his face.
"What wrong, bossman?"
"Nothing. Just restrain them."
Mezamica Um was displeased that his troops intervened without permission. He wanted to take out the target to boost his confidence. There were two probable reasons why he couldn't complete the job: either he was rusty or his opponent was too good. It couldn't be the reluctance to fight. His general's pep talk heightened his fighting spirit. Even so, he should remove the saliva from his eyes. They did burn somewhat.
"Zazavin, like you've gone night night." His unmoved form baffled her."Why are there holes all over your body? And what the hell are all these Defence Force douches surrounding us?" Teinova's true personality returned.
"Girl, hush your dutty trap."
"Don't tell me that, you bastards!" She weakly moved along the rosy floor.
"Just knock she out, horse."
"Missy, you not looking too good there. Best you take a rest." One normal strike was all that was necessary to pacify her.
* * *
"I fed up of this, boi." The cracks of Nem's current one-tail whip conceded. Its form shifted to a thickened handle with a bushy end and nine separate tails with slants. Each sling of the transformed whip damaged the hull.
In response, the driver pulled up the glass covering to protect their high-value prisoner as the ramp came ever closer.
They shot up the ramp. As they did, a pointed pillar came quickly towards them. Hahbou took the brunt of the attack. Her big, blue, circular frame was carted off with the driver as the vehicle was spliced into two uneven parts.
Much of the front segment raced towards Zartzs. Whatever scrap remained slid back down the bridge.
"Bossman, we running low on fuel." Ral didn't like the data she passed to her leader.
"Don't worry. I won't take much longer."
The already prominent shadow swelled.
Zartzs saw something grand coming towards her. She wasn't sure she could dodge it.
However, her wheels acted up, and all doubt wicked away. This allowed a slickness across the tracks while at maximum velocity. Sparks hopped with the excitement of reddish-yellow and orange.
Zartzs noticed a pillar coming towards her that had the girth of ten smaller ones. She didn't know what to make of it, but she would attempt the greatest round of evasive tactics yet. The flow of a strong creek was equal to her movements, wild and unrestrained by all obstacles.
While enthrallled with intense avoidance, she noticed the decline of Ippe's craft. Only a few more dodges and a window for possible victory could appear.
* * *
"Ways, boi. We up real high." Hahbou commented with shock from her precarious position on the pillar.
"Missy, I wonder if your power could work on this." The driver hoped this would work. From his understanding, his boss was trying to kill them.
"The fur?"
"Yeah. The thing that does heat and cold. So I was wondering if you could rest one on the pillar."
"That make sense you know. I don't know how you come up with that in this situation. You should come upon my head. It's going to be wild."
One of the lengths from the pom-pom clump at her pointed rear section removed an item that blended into her skin colour. What she pulled out was an old, thick coat.
The brash movements broke her grip, causing the coat to land on the pillar. Hahbou's placed her authority over it to stop it from being blown away.
Ippe neutered his smirk. The sole fat pillar broke into many to destroy Zartzs. Each carriage was punctured from behind, and the intense one thousand five hundred degree heat burnt those to a crisp. The red leather seats, the golden poles, the purple-coloured walls and more were ruined.
Zartzs fought the despair born of being eviscerated to knock off Hahbou and the driver with a sole explosion.
She anticipated their torment from such a great height. However, Hahbou ensured their landing was uneventful.
Other members performed such acts to varied results.
Cascachu normally would have intervened, but he was at his physical limit. All he could do was turn his back on his superior and escape—an action of much shame. With the nurse in his arms, he leapt through the window and hit the earth with the softness of a pillow.
"I don't need no help from you. I could manage myself." The petite nurse with an irritating voice fidgeted in his arms.
Now at some semblance of safety, he dropped her for being ungrateful.
The main carriage, which housed Zartzs's conscience, broke away. The wagons and her soldiers were left in distress. Her pace reduced. The munitions at Leaflet pounced on her with a barrage of rounds that shook her. She became easy pickings.
Like my job's complete. This gave Ippe the chance to relax as his starcraft disturbed the water.
"Like we do it there, bossman," said Ral.
"We only completed half of the objective. Everyone else at Leaflet has to complete their end." Quick, sharp pains grew in his arms. He knew this was his all. The carbon fibre retreated and the tornado was reborn.
He called to where the trio was held. He hoped La would give him a positive update. Do you have the uniforms?
Yea, bossman. We going to get the strangers out of them.
Good. The mission is nearing completion.
Durin was just awake enough to have heard some of La's and Ippe's conversation before being carted away to their holding cells near the heart of Mago.
* * *
Ippe's and Hahbou's superheated piercing pillar caused Nem's train wagon to convulse, and because of this, the hooded stranger sensed the opportunity to retaliate. He was the sole lifeform standing. The soldiers meant to guard him were either injured or dead.
He stepped over those he had slain with his somewhat rebuilt reserves and prepared for Nem to come at him.
As she leapt from the carriage, the hooded being launched letters to keep her from the guardrails.
Nem flung all nine ends to save herself. Unfortunately, she plummeted with her whip at her side.
Now there was no one to interrupt his search for a key. His hands eventually found a card with the same design as the uniforms. He wondered if this was it, so he placed it in his mouth and swiped it over the handcuffs to see if it would free him.
They fell off. He could rub his wrists without restraint.
Gusts pressed him as the twister returned to optimal performance. Facing it gave inspiration.
He walked to the totalled hovercar segment and grew a letter to great size. With several hits, it became flat. This was to ensure that no exposed part would poke or impede him as he lifted it for his linguistic powers to underpin it.
Being a few centimetres from the ground, he jumped on it and took off. The makeshift contraption settled on the cyclonic motions and he rode it with his limited surfing knowledge.
"Huh. This is kinda fun." He displayed bits of excitement towards the highs he was about to gain.
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