Meanwhile, back up on the surface, a grey 2-6-2 steam locomotive with coaches ploughed on through the snowy mountains of Russia, leaving the city behind, heading off to go and travel across the mountains to Paris. It would take a few days of travel from Russia to Paris, but going by rail will be faster than just walking.
Onboard, Vlad was fixing his passport, while Pooka was next to him. Vlad was writing something out with his quill, and every time he dipped it in the ink, he gave a tickle with the feather to Pooka, which he enjoyed very much.
Anya took her seat, as Braedey put one bag in the overhead section and was about to sit down next to Vlad. Pooka growled and barked aggressively to the brunette, stopping Braedey as he looked back to him.
"Oh, okay. Pooka gets the window seat..." Braedey shrugging to himself, and Pooka yipped up with a bark. Braedey now sat over to Anya. Anya played with her necklace, as she leaned back in her seat. "Stop fiddling with that thing!" Braedey said to her. "Sit up straight, remember, you're a grand duchess."
"How do you know what Grand Duchesses do and don't do?" Anya asked to Braedey with a raised eyebrow.
"I- Uh..." Braedey sighed to himself, crossing his arms. "Never mind. Sorry, I'm just trying to help." He said to Anya, while Vlad just rolled his eyes in amusement.
"Braedey, do you really think I'm royalty?" Anya asked as she slightly sat up then.
"Yes. Why do you ask, Anya?" Braedey asked back to Anya.
"Then stop bossing me around." Anya scoffed with a sharp glare back at Braedey, the brunette feeling a little shaken by breathed a sigh to himself.
"She certainly has a mind of her own." Vlad commented with a smirk to Braedey.
"Yeah. Some would hate that in a woman, but I don't mind it." Braedey shrugged to himself.
Without him looking, Anya stuck her tongue out to Braedey. Vlad smirked to himself, while he was keeping a tally chart between Braedey and Anya, and it seems that Anya had a lot more marks than the brunette had.
A little later, Braedey and Anya were both left on their own in the cab, while Vlad and Pooka were walking around the train to see what was there.
"Look, I think we got off on the wrong foot..." Braedey said firstly to Anya.
"I think we did too." Anya replied as she held up a book. "But I appreciate your apology."
"So, do you think you're gonna miss it?" Anya asked to Braedey.
"Miss what?" Braedey asked back to Anya.
"Russia." Anya replied as she stared out the window, watching the world go by as they went down the railroad tracks, passing through an old forest.
Braedey shrugged with a small smirk. "Nah."
"But it was your home." Anya frowned.
"I was only there for an occasion, but that was a long time." Braedey clarified back.
"Then, you must be wanting to make Paris your true home." Anya smiled to him.
"Well.... I don't know, maybe." Braedey shrugged back to her, much to Anya's frustration. She couldn't seem to get through to him.
"Y... you know... oh, just forget it!" Anya sighed in exasperation. Vlad walked into the cab, overhearing their little quarrel. "Thank goodness it's you, please remove him from my sight!" Anya demanded, pointing at Braedey.
"What have you done to her?" Vlad demanded at Braedey firmly, as he held Pooka in his arm.
"Me? She started it!" Braedey countered back.
Anya decided to storm off. "Just trying to have a simple conversation." She walked out of the cab, sliding the door shut with exasperation. Now mad, she stomped off down the corridor away.
Vlad lifted Pooka up in the air, speaking to him. "Oh no... an unspoken atttaction!" He said.
Braedey looked back at Vlad like he was crazy. "Wha- An attraction? To that woman... are you out of your mind?" He sighed to himself, walking out of the cab to vent some frustration out.
Unbeknown to anyone onboard the train, as it travelled on down the tracks, Rasputin's minions had finally reached the surface, and they managed to catch up to the train with ease. Then, about nine of the demons entered the train's boiler via the boiler cap, and they all began to tamper with the inner workings of the locomotive, as they steamed along down the line.
~*~*~
Back onboard the coaches, Vlad was looking over at another passport, and he saw the writing was in red, and when he checked his passport, the writing was blue. Vlad ran back to his compartment in a frenzy, where Braedey was sitting opposite of Anya, since she was asleep on the other seat, and Pooka was looking out the window.
"It's what I hate about this Russian government." Vlad snarled. "Everything's in red." He then showed his passport to Braedey.
"Red?" Braedey sat up in shock. "You're kidding."
"I propose we move to the Baggage Car. Quickly. Before the guards come." Vlad suggested, then he grabbed his bag, as Braedey got his and Anya's.
"Well, I propose we get off this train right now." Braedey spoke out off-topic.
As Braedey's back was turned, Pooka saw some demons flying by the window. He barked at them, as one of them came to the window, and it pulled a face, scaring the dog. Braedey then shook Anya to wake her up, and then got a punch in the face by her. He staggered back, as Anya sat up suddenly, looking at him.
"Oh. Sorry about that. I thought you were someone else." Anya apologised, as she sat up.
"Come on. Let's go." Braedey urged her, getting his bag, then ran. "We need to go somewhere."
Sure enough, the trio and Pooka walked up into t He baggage car, all their bags in hand. There was a lot of boxes and crates in the carriage, all the while with some good.
"Ah, yes. This'll do nicely." Braedey looked around.
"She'll freeze in here!" Vlad hissed to Braedey, rubbing his arms.
"She can thaw in Paris." Braedey chuckled to himself.
"The Baggage Car?" Anya asked suspiciously, as the boys sheepishly grinned to her. "There wouldn't be a problems with our papers, maestro?" She asked to Braedey.
"What? Oh. No, no, m'lady. It's just, I'd hate to see you monger with those commoners." Braedey replied.
Under the train, the demons flew over to the couplings at the back of the Baggage Car, and they caused it to explode with devastating force, leaving the Baggage Car still attached to the train, as they raced down the line!!
"Whoa! What in the world was that?!" Braedey yelled.
"I don't know." Vlad called back, as he now looked back at the coaches far behind them, and looking like they're stopping on the top of the slope they're going down. "But there goes the Dining Cars." He added on with worry and concern.
Pooka, meanwhile, was barking at something glowing red at the other door of the Baggage Car, leading up to the engine, getting Vlad's attention.
"Get off of me." Anya hissed to Braedey, as they were both stuck under a fallen box, which had fallen on top of them when the explosion happened.
"I'm trying!" Braedey snapped back, suddenly throwing the box away from him and Anya with no issue, much to his surprise, then he got up, and helped Anya to her feet.
"Uh, Braedey?" Vlad called from the front of the baggage car, looking out the window of the door.
"What?!" Braedey yelled back.
"I think somebody's flambéed our engine!" Vlad called back.
Braedey and Anya ran up to look out the window to see what Vlad meant. They looked to the train, and they could see fire erupting from its funnels and pistons like a volcano, an ominous red glow emanating from the cab of the locomotive, as the whistle echoed out in a demonic and Frankenstein-like manner, but it wasn't stopping!!!
Braedey managed to force the Baggage Car door open. "Something's not right." He jumped up over to the tender, then turned back to Anya and Vlad. "Hang back. I'll go check it out." He said to them. Braedey ran across the tender and the coal to the cab of the train. But, as he entered the cab of the locomotive, he saw the whole firebox and parts of the boiler were engulfed in flames, and everything was hot to the touch! "Yikes. Is there anyone here?" Braedey the saw the speedometer reaching up to 100mph, then explode in his face, making him fall back!!
"We're going way too fast!" Anya called, looking at the countryside racing by, the tracks clattering underneath the wheels of the train.
Braedey eventually returned, jumping down from the tender back into the Baggage Car. "We're stuck on a runaway! There's nobody driving this train! We're gonna have to jump!" He yelled to them.
"Did you say 'jump'?!" Anya asked in shock, just as Braedey ran to the sliding door, and forced it open, revealing the snowy countryside. "After you!" Anya offered to Braedey.
Braedey turned to Anya and Vlad. "New plan! We gotta uncouple the train!"
The demons heard this from below, and they welded the coupling between the Baggage Car and the train together, making it impossible to break open.
Braedey jumped over to the couplings, as Vlad carried a toolbox over, trying to look for something to break open the couplings. "Come on, Vlad. I need a wrench, an axe, ANYTHING." He called out.
Vlad finally gets a hammer, and hands it over to Braedey. "Here."
Braedey took the tool, and he behind to hammer at the coupling, trying to break it open. In the Baggage Car, Pooka barked at Anya, as he was standing on top of a box labelled 'DANGER: EXPLOSIVES.' Anya smiled at the dog, as she came up with an idea.
Braedey tried again and again hitting the coupling to try and break it open, but the hammer's head breaks off, Braedey throwing away the handle. "Come on! There's gotta be something in that stupid box better than this goddamn hammer!" He yelled at Vlad.
Anya then handed Braedey a live stick of dynamite, the fuse lit up. "Okay. That'll work." Braedey commented. He then placed the TNT on the coupling knuckle, and he forced everyone inside the baggage car and behind some crates. "FIRE IN THE HOLE!!" He called. Then, he turned to Anya as he held her shoulders. "What DID they teach you in those orphanages, anyway?" He whispered to her.
KABOOM!!!
The coupling was then blown apart, separating the Baggage Car from the locomotive, the engine still rumbling along, as the demons fly away from the tracks, now heading off to a viaduct a few miles away. Onboard the Baggage Car, Braedey fanned out a fire, while Vlad was trying to apply the brakes with a brake wheel.
"The brakes are out!" Vlad called.
Braedey looks. "Turn harder!" Vlad tried to do so, but instead, he tore off the wheel. He held it for a moment, then threw it away. "Don't worry. We've got a couple miles of track. We'll just coast to a stop." He said to them.
Suddenly, a thunderous explosion erupted, illuminated by a green aura of light, no thanks to the demons, as they destroyed the stone viaduct, the whole structure crumbling and falling down into the ravine below, leaving only the anchor points of the bridge. All three humans were all in shock as they looked at the bridge from their spot on the Baggage Car.
"You were saying?" Anya asked to Braedey.
Braedey now ran to the back of the Baggage Car, where there was an anchor, as well as a lengthy amount of chain attached to it. Braedey climbed down to the rear bogie. "Hand me the chain, Vlad." Braedey called out, and he then saw Anya giving him the chain. "Anya?" He asked in surprise.
"Vlad's busy at the moment." Anya replied.
Braedey sighed, then he grabbed the chain, and he tied it onto the rear bogie, securing it on tightly for the plan to work. But then, a piece of metal from the front of the baggage car nearly clobbered him, as it fell off and hurtled at him, just missing him by a few inches. Braedey was then suddenly pulled up, and he saw Anya holding his hand, smiling at him. Braedey smiled back at her, then the two saw the buffer piece crash into some trees not far off of the line.
"And to think that could've been you." Anya said out of the blue, and she then pulled Braedey back into the Baggage Car.
"If we live through this, remind me to thank you." Braedey smiled back to the auburn haired girl, and he followed her back over to the anchor.
As Braedey and Anya both prepared to push the anchor out and off of the Baggage Car, they and the demented locomotive were getting closer to the destroyed viaduct. It was only a matter of time until they reached the ravine, and come off of the tracks.
"Here goes nothing!" Braedey grunted, then he and Anya pushed the anchor out and off the back of the car, as it reeled out. "Brace for impact!" Braedey yelled out to everyone else.
Suddenly, the anchor now gripped onto the sleepers, digging in, and ripping up parts of the tracks. But then, the chain snagged and ripped out the rear bogies of the baggage car, making the front end slide off the rails, and it began to ride along sideways across the rails.
"Well, this is our stop!" Anya announced, preparing to jump off the car, she and the two males with all of their bags in hand.
"Three... two... one... JUMP!" Braedey yelled out counting down, with Vlad carrying Pooka, and everyone jumped off the Baggage Car, landing safely in the snow bank, as well as their luggage.
As the three humans dug themselves out of the snow, both the train and the Baggage Car kept going towards the destroyed viaduct, the engine chugging loudly and still spewing out flames. The demented and out-of-control train rolled off the viaduct, and it plunged into the ravine with a deafening crash. Finally, the Baggage Car came off the rails, and crashed on the train, all of which then exploded into a powerful fireball!!
~*~*~
Back down in the underworld, Rasputin was watching the whole scene happen and unfold at the viaduct through the reliquary, but he was disappointed that the demons failed in the task he ordered them to do. He was seething in fury and anger.
"Okay. Make a mental note: by road and sea is safe, but by rail is not safe." Braedey said to Vlad and Anya, as the image fades away from sight.
Rasputin, after seeing this happen, snarled and screamed out in agony, strangling himself as he yelled out in frustration and exasperation.
"Wow." Was all Bartok could say, as Rasputin slumped on the pedestal. "Hey, take it easy there. You know, sir, really you should watch your blood pressure. My nephew Izzie just keeled over one day, mid-mango. Stress. it's a killer, sir. And he's a fruit bat. No meat, no blood even." Bartok reasoned to his master.
Rasputin stares blankly at Bartok for a beat. "HOW COULD THEY LET HER ESCAPE?!" He snapped, smashing the skull he had in hand.
"Ha, wow... Ah, you're right. It's very upsetting sir." Bartok then picked up the reliquary. "Eh, I guess this Reliquary thing's broken." Bartok then tossed the Reliquary over his shoulder, and it flew through the air.
Rasputin's eyes go wide in terror, as he leaped to catch it. "You idiot!" He gasped. As he skidded across the floor, he flung out his own hand ahead, the tendons and veins still attached to the hand, as they extended out. The hand landed under the Reliquary, breaking its fall just in time. Rasputin then reeled his hand back in, now linking it back up with his arm. Rasputin then turned to Bartok, his eyes red with fury.
"Alright now sir, take it easy there. Just remember what I said to you about stress-" Bartok was cut off as Rasputin grabbed him.
"I sold my soul for this. My life, my very existence depends on it, and you almost destroyed it!" Rasputin snapped, and shoved the Reliquary against Bartok's nose.
"I get it! I get it! You break it, you bought it." Bartok responded.
"See that you 'remember', you miserable rodent." Rasputin snarled, and he threw Bartok away, then looked at his reliquary.
Bartok sulked to himself. "Oh, sure, blame the bat. What the heck, we're easy targets always hanging ... ar..."
"What are you muttering about?" Rasputin asked at Bartok in annoyance.
"Anastasia, sir. Just wishing I could do the job for you." Bartok explained back simply. "Sir, I'd give her a 'HA!', then a 'HI-YA!', and then a 'WOO-WAH!' And I'd kick her, sir."
"Oh, I have something else in mind ... something more enticing, something really... cruel..." Rasputin smiled evilly, while running one of his claw-like fingernails across the reliquary glass, as it glowed brightly...
An evil plan was coming to his mind...