Take Back the Light

Chapter 19

If it had been just Eli and Trixie walking into the train car, the workers probably wouldn't have started to immediately open fire. But when Alana walked in behind the two disguised members of the Shane Gang, the three realized that if they'd wanted to be more subtle, Alana's lack of a Blakk Industries uniform and bright, multicolored hair wasn't going to help their cause.

The second the door swung open and Alana, Eli, and Trixie walked into the first equipment car, the four ghoulslingers opened fire, including the two that were directly on either side of the entrance.

Alana and Trixie dove for one of the ghoulslingers, Eli for the other. Alana winced as she felt the dark energy in the car, but gritted her teeth and blocked out the coldness. Trixie shoved the worker to the ground while Alana grabbed his right arm and shoved it upwards as the ghoulslinger pulled the trigger to his blaster, sending a Grimmstone crashed into the ceiling instead of into Alana's torso.

"Heads up!" Eli suddenly yelled. Alana felt a surge of dark energy behind her and ducked down. A Harmashelt from the worker Eli was fighting soared by where her head had been a moment ago, crashing into one of the prototype Mechas tied down in the train car.

"Switch me!" she called. Eli nodded and she and him switched places. As she moved, Alana pulled out her blaster and fired a Bubbaleone at the other ghoulslinger. The pink slug expanded and swallowed up the worker, crashing through the doors and releasing him on the small platform where Sam stood.

Sam gasped and leaned back, hesitating before raising her right leg and kicking the worker square in the chest, sending him toppling off the train.

"Nice!" Alana called while she began firing at the two workers on the far side of the car. Eli and Trixie, who had defeated their own worker, shoved him onto (and then off of) the platform as well before opening fire on the last two ghouslingers.

"Wait, was that the Gray girl?!" one of the slingers exclaimed, lowering his blaster and scowling. Eli took advantage of the situation, firing his Arachnet. The purple slug wrapped a web around the ghouslinger, yanking him away from his associate and throwing him toward Eli, who grabbed him by the shoulders.

"Not that you know of," Eli said with a smirk before shoving the worker out onto the platform and off the train. Trixie fired a Hop Rock that blew the last worker against the wall, knocking him unconscious.

Sam stepped inside the train car, her eyes wide.

"I can't believe stuff like this is normal for you guys," she laughed.

"You're not doing too bad," Eli said, taking deep breaths as the four walked down the train car, looking around at the cargo. Mechas, crates labeled as engines and hydraulics.

"It would've been a mess if Blakk got ahold of all this," Trixie noted. "And this is only the first car out of three."

"Luckily, we had our girl on the inside," Alana said, smiling at Sam.

"Glad to be of service," Sam said. She sighed and straightened out her blazer. "Well, on to the next car?"

"Yep," Eli said with a nod, leading the way to the door. "We'll all get on the platform and detach this one. Kord and Pronto are following close behind, and as soon as we disconnect this, they'll work demolition for a few minutes before catching back up."

"After that, we just keep going till Blakk finds us," Trixie said, loading her blaster as the four reached the next door. Alana frowned suddenly, stopping as the other three kept walking forward.

Something felt wrong.

"Ready?" Eli asked, turning to the girls. But he stopped and stepped forward when he saw Alana hanging back, staring at the door.  "What's wrong?"