The Marvel of Underworlds

8: Train Pandemonium

Cedric couldn't move. He simply couldn't. He couldn't think. He couldn't breathe. All he could do was hear the hijacker yell his name.

Even the voice inside his head was trembling.

"Who is this guy? Wha-What does he want from me?"

Still, he didn't move. The man's eyes only skimmed the passengers, glaring at them like a vulture hunting for prey. There was no way he could turn himself in. Who knew what this man would do? Would he attack him? Would he kill him?

"If you don't reveal yourself in ten seconds I'll slaughter each and every one of you," he said through crooked teeth.

Immediately Cedric snapped back into reality. His pained, befuddled expression suddenly shifted to cocky determination. He stood up, standing on the seat, darting the man's gaze towards him. The hijacker shot him the death stare as Cedric muttered under his breath.

"You looking for me?" His voice was as cold as ice, freezing whatever pride the hijacker had. Talori immediately began pulling on Cedric's wrist, trying to get him to sit down and somehow reverse what had happened. Felix froze in shock as Leonidas took hold of his transformative pendant, ready for a fight.

"Really? This is who I'm suppos' to look for? A child? Ha! This should be easy," the man grinned, dropping the passenger onto the floor. The woman was sobbing hysterically, piling tears upon tears as she crawled her way back to her family.

"Well then, this child is gonna kick your ass!" Cedric cracked his knuckles, "Cause lucky for you I know a few things about defense..."

"Ha! That's rich!" The man laughed, pointing the strange handheld machine towards him.

"Cedric, sit down," Leonidas gritted his teeth, knowing exactly what the metal machine was.

"So, I guess you want me to go with you?" Cedric spat with a determined grin.

"I guess you won't let that happen easy," he shot him the same look.

"You got that right," Cedric flashed a smile. At that, all the while standing on the leather seat, Cedric cupped his hands together, then waved them in a spherical manner. A burst of light erupted from his hands, the strands of yellow energy spinning around rapidly until forming a ball of fire. Wind and smoke billowed all around him, whipping his hair around in a chaotic fashion. Talori ducked away, afraid of the fireball forming next to her.

However, before Cedric could slingshot the fireball, an ear-splitting bang radiated throughout the car. A tiny sphere shot out of the machine, only to crack in the air and release a large explosion. At this point, every passenger was in hysteria. People tried to jump out the windows. People pushed to go to the neighboring car, all in an attempt to stay away from the danger. Cedric was blown out of the seat and slumped over in the one behind him, burns covering his left arm. He was in total shock. Never in his life had he seen something so strange.

"No way... A machine that can perform magic? Or is it just chemicals?" He thought to himself, jumping into the aisle.

At this point, Talori was standing also, as Felix used his limited magic skill to materialize an arrow out of thin air. Leonidas was in the back trying to file the passengers out to the next car over.

"Ha! And look, you got your friends to help you out?" The man mocked, followed by another fit of patronizing laughter, "You know, I've got friends too, bud."

At that, Cedric jumped to the side, barely dodging a punch from another man behind him. This was the man Leonidas pointed out earlier. After Cedric instinctively dodged the punch, he threw one of his own, knocking the other man square in the jaw.