(Chapter nine: bad feelings)
"Yer wrong! The lassies wouldn't do such a thing ta me!"
"They'd never lie!"
Fedora was surprisingly up early, wondering the room. She promised the kid if she ever woke up before her, she'd stay till she woke- and that was a promise she was going to keep. Fedora never wants to see tears in that kid's eyes ever again. It felt wrong to her. It bothered her so much, and she couldn't under stand why. She was looking at a blueprint the kid had, hung up- it was of the ship they were in guess she wanted to keep it around as a memory.
Suddenly the air around her felt cold, the air conditioning worked now, but she wants under any vents. She looked up and around, and was starting to feel a little frightened when a melancholy melody was being hummed. It seemed to echo through at the bedroom, near the center. When she finally felt like she should turn around, the singing stopped, and there in the room was a simple box- wrapped with red string that looked like yarn. The alarms in the older girl's head were going off, but her curiosity made her move to it.
She sat down, and looked at the box before her. Finally getting the nerves to pick it up, and turn it around. It was small, and what ever was in it, didn't weigh to much. Fedora finally opened it. Inside was a note, and a small.. It was a badge! She'd never seen a badge like this before.. At least not sold by the badge seller. It looked like a hook was on it, like one of those.. Claw machine hooks.
She decided to open up the note that came with it. It was the most cryptic things ever, and strange when she read it,
"My dear friend, I have a feeling today will not be in your favor-
Please, take this, and do be carful."
After she read it, and leaned back from the note, she heard laughter, not loud or scary sounding.. It was calm and kind. Like a trickster that meant no harm. She looked around again, and that feeling of chilling air next to her was gone. Fedora was very confused, who wrote this? How did they get onto the ship with out the alarms, or the Mafia boss shouting?
As if feeling something was wrong, the child slowly woke, rubbing her eyes. "Fedora? What's going on?" Putting the note away, and the badge on her hat, Fedora turned around, smiling at the kid.
"No worries kiddo-"
The older girl stood by idly thinking about what had just mysteriously happened in that room. Hat kid ran back and forth from her little roomba, and angry jar- somehow she convinced the used-to-be human into playing tag while the two girls waited for cooking cat in the kitchen. Apparently she was cooking up a surprise, literally, for breakfast and didn't want them to see it yet.
"Get back here, child!" Hat kid laughed as she ran from the Mafia boss, Rumbi was giving it's all when chasing its master around the ship. At least she was having fun. Fedora leaned against the wall next to the ladder that lead up to the kitchen, and slid down.
'My dear friend?' She thought. 'Who could have written that?' Fedora didn't know anyone who calls her that. She looked up and saw the jar fall off of Rumbi and started yelling when they turned to get away after tagging the kid, and Fedora smiled. 'It couldn't have been the boss jar, he calls me and the kid, girl.' DJ calls both she and Hat kid darlings, Conductor calls them lassies, heck it couldn't have been the badge seller, because he would have asked for payment! She had to have known someone before her current problem. That's the only thing that came to mind.
The older girl put her hands to her head and grunted in frustration, why was being an amnesiac so troublesome! Then something bonked into her leg-
"Tag! Your it!" She looked over, the Mafia boss was starting to get frustrated as much as she "you chase her! Hat girl is to fast for my poor mechanical friend."
Such an odd friendship he had with the sentient vacuum. Fedora smiled, a glint in her eye as she got up and looked at the kid. The child's shoulder sagged, and 'uh oh' face was made,
"Come here, you!"
Hat kid yelled, but laughed at the same time she ran from the older girl. Eventually Fedora grabbed Hat kid and raised her up into the air, child squealing as she did, then the older girl twirled around, and hugged her- Both laughing.
"Alrighty, you two!" Cooking cat was heard, and the two looked over to the kitchen door "foods ready!" A kind smile was given to them when that cat witnesses the scene before her.
The two girls looked at each other with a smile of their own, wondering what the chef cat had made that was special. Hat kid on Fedora's shoulders they hurried to the eating area, Hat kid spoke up when they opened the door "what did you make Cc!" Fedora stopped walking, and looked to the bar table they normally ate at with wide eyes.
It was different then French toast, or pancakes, or waffles! Hat kid climbed down off of Fedora and was also staring with awe, Cooking cat smiled "when you told me what happened yesterday, I thought I'd make something special today!" Cooking cat said, looking at them "not only that, but you dear-" she pointed to Fedora "you been here for an official week now!"
A week? Has it really been a week? Fedora felt like it was longer for some odd reason. The older girl smiled bashfully.
"So, I decided to make you two some thing I hasn't made in a long, long time!" The cat smiled with pride, still remembering how to make the dish she made for the two "my special Crepe stuffed with fruit! Banana slices, sliced Strawberries, raspberries! The good stuff!" Hat kid's mouth watered, already wanting to eat it "with chocolate sauce, it's complete! So dig in, before ya go!"
The child charged at the table, already hopping into the chair, Fedora sat down calmly and looked to the cat "thank you so much, Cc.. I- I don't know what else to say!" She smiled, baffled.
"Go on dear, you two deserve it." Was all she said back.
The two girls, after that nice breakfast Cooking cat made for them, they were finally back on the train, the Conductor waiting at the back for them. The train started moving once the Hat kid and Fedora stepped on, and they both greeted the yellow bird with a smile. But something seemed off to Fedora today..
"Hey there, lassies! Go on in." He pointed to the door "we're getting ready to shoot the biggest action movie in bird history!" Something seemed different with the Conductor today, but Fedora couldn't place it "the movie is gonna be, THE BOMB!" He laughed with that crazy laugh of his, just like when he had shut off the Penguin's side with wide boards. He stopped laughing and looked at the two, concern written on both of their faces. "... A-and I mean bomb in the good way, peck necks!"
Fedora squinted her eyes at him, as he nervously laughed. The two girls finally walking into the train car. Some Owls chatted about, while Hat kid ran up to go greet the badge seller, as Fedora walked she over heard the conversations and out loud thoughts from the nerdy birds.
Like 'did we load more explosives then usual today?' Or 'what are we filming today? There are no stops on the schedule..'
All of this struck her as odd. Today was odd, and more then normal! She didn't like it. She waved to the badge once she walked by, his twitchy nod confirming he noticed, and Fedora looked up to the strange contraption like helicopter floating in the room. A big red X was on it, and there was a hook that could be latched onto.. Wait hook?
Fedora looked at her hat on once she remembered the badge that was on it. A claw badge, or a grapple badge?
'Today will not be in your favor'
A chill went down her spine. Looking to her umbrella, there seemed to have been a button on it now. Did the badge do that?
"Hey, Fedora- whatcha looking at?" Hat kid asked, once she was finished chatting with their twitchy friend.
"Thinking," Fedora said, looking to the kid "I was sent this.. Badge, and was trying to piece together something.. I think my umbrella turned into a.. Grappling hook?" Which was odd, because it still looked like and umbrella.
"Wait, really?!" The child looked excited "show me! Show me!" She bounced.
Fedora sighed with a smile, "okay, hold on.." Looking to the button once more on her weapon, then pointed it up to the strange hook. It was the only thing that looked like it could latch on to. With a press, the top part of her umbrella shot out, and turned into a chained hook. Surprising Fedora, and awe struck Hat kid, with a yank from the older girl- she thought it would detach, but it only pulled the hook down and something happened.
The Tv screen lit up, and the conductor was on the other end, inside the control room. How did he get there so fast? "Alright, Lassies- listen up. I have some bad news!" The Conductor said, looking more stressed then anything. "That lever you just pulled.. It was the train's self-destruct sequence,"
"WHAT!?" The two girls yelled out, grabbing everyone's attention.
"And that ain't no joke. it'll blow up!" He said, confirming the train will go boom.
"Why would you have something like that?! Are you crazy!" Fedora yelled at him, then looking down to the now worried kid latched to her leg.
Despite the calm stance he had, the Conductor seemed.. More crazed "I need a movie with some REAL intense action! So, that's what we're gonna do!" The older girl looking at him with a scowl "the train's gonna blow in a few minutes!" The amnesic couldn't believe her ears! Why would he do such a thing?! "But!" Fedora looked back at up at him when he said that "you two can save us all, lassie! Get to the switch at the front of the train to turn it off!"
Fedora quickly switched hats, they were going to need to run, and yelled "KID! Back- now!" She pointed to her back, and Hat kid climbed on with no question.
The Conductor seemed more, angry now "and yer better make it in time, alright?!" He yelled at them "I don't care about the owls, or yerselfs, but don't you DARE blow up me train for real! It's me baby!" That last part made the two freeze.
"What?" Fedora was.. At a loss, and she felt Hat kid shift uncomfortable. How could he say that? After what they did yesterday?
"The cameras are gonna be rollin' lassies, you two hurry now! GO! Over and out!" And the screen went blank, Owls in a panic, and beeping playing in the comms while the fenced wall blocking the door went down.
Fedora ran.
When they entered the first room, Hat kid and Fedora gasped- it was so much more different then last time. There were gaps, and green oozing out of pipes on the train, cannons firing what looked like explosive eggs? Fedora jumped the first gap, then the second gap, switching on a light platform as she went. With it lit, the next door was accessible.
In the next room, it was a little longer then the last, and a bigger gap with boxed were their only way across- more green flowing down, and cannons aimed at them. Something tells the older girl, they don't want to fall into the radiating green goop, and made sure they had good fitting. Running a head, Fedora jumped onto an unstable platform, and hoped to the box in front of her, an egg flying her way- she jumped on it and landed herself to the next platform.
That seemed to have worked, and Fedora should keep that in mind. "Kid, Hold on tight!" She said, Hat kid nodding, Fedora jumped and jumped, making sure she knew where to step. However watching her step, made her misjudged how far another egg was, and Fedora got hit in the gut- singed up her suit coat and shirt,
"Fedora!" Hat kid cried
"I'm good! Don't worry!" The older girl yelled, coughing, it hit her pretty hard. The explosion was mild, and she was almost launched off, but thankfully her shoes caught onto the risen edge of the box. Fedora continued to run, Hat kid hiding her face every time something came at them, and this time a huge egg was thrown their way. Quickly jumping to the side, and forward- they made it to the end of this room. Running over the platforms- the room over was able to be entered.
The next room looked like a clear shot! And Fedora smiled, giving it her all. A band playing, while the chaos brought down their ride- guess if they were going to die, die swinging. But no one was going to die! Not when the two girls were here! A sound of cutting made Fedora slow down slightly however, and it seemed like the train car was being sawed in halves!
"What is wrong with him?!" Fedora yelled, trying her best to bounce off red balloons. She landed onto, what were those things? Where you need two people to push and pull up and down to move on a track? They landed on those, as Fedora and Hat kid watched the train fall apart, they were now exposed to the raging winds out side! Jumping along they got to a part where they needed the new equipment to continue, it got that bad!
"Head down!" She yelled, Hook shooting to the first latch that floated over a huge gap- if they fell, their bodies would be paste on the train tracks. Finally at the end of what used to the car they were on, they bounced up a springboard and now they were both on top of the train itself! Fedora watched with horror as two train cars exploded up ahead, and fly away. Adrenaline going so fast, she couldn't comprehend what was going on! But she ran! Fedora kept on running, and the kid cried out terrified.
Up ahead, another band was playing, and a few Owls cheered them on as they all panicked. Hook shot at the ready, Fedora swinging to each loop that kept them from falling, to platforms that seems to be rolling with the train! 'One, two' she counted and jumped, just like before, but then shortly stopped. There was a ring of fire, and Fedora just stopped caring about how everything was just plain unbelievable! She needed to be careful, one wrong move and they both get burned!
When she jumped, umbrella ready, she estimated she could make it over- the kid could go through it unharmed, but her? She was to big, and her pant leg ended up getting set ablaze. "Put it out! Put it out!" Hat kid yelled, As Fedora cried out in terror, stomping her leg, and hitting it with the umbrella in her attempt to put out the angry fire, it was obvious she wasn't going to make it out clean, but it'll be okay! She kept telling herself that, at least the kid will be fine!
She'll do what ever it takes to get the child to the end.
Continuing forth, now there seemed to be different colored platforms- not like the ones before, when Fedora ran onto one, it shook and collapsed- with this information, it made her keep running, once all the platforms lit and fell, they had risen again, green, and helped them move onto the next part of the train, accessible via hook shot. Seeing that they were gonna crash into a window when they swung, Hat kid tucked her head into Fedora to avoid the shards of glass hitting most of her. Once back inside the train, "sixty seconds, counting." They had a minuet left.
Fedora yelled out, anger trying to take over her body, but she needed to focus! This car was, by far, was the most dangerous one! Egg bombs, was that explosive cake?! Falling platforms. The room was filled with lava! Timed jumps, and very clumsy maneuvering got Fedora hit with another egg, and almost a bomb cake, when she kneeled over. The light platforms needed to be turned on, and jumping always seemed to be the answer! And once that was done, and nearing the last jump, Fedora almost missed and slammed her hands down- latching onto the side of the edge they needed to be on!
The older girl cried out in pain, her grip burned because of the lava heating up the room, "KID, GO!" She yelled, scaring the girl. She couldn't pull herself up like this, and if she didn't, she'd fall and the train blows up! "Turn off the bomb!"
"What about you!?" She yelled, "I don't want to leave you!"
"Please!"
Hat kid heard the desperation in her friends voice, if she went, it would give her enough to time to climb up! But.. What if she really couldn't hold on?!
"You'll save everyone! trust me!"
Tears in the child's eyes, she climbed up and ran. The door was there, and when she ran through- she saw the Conductor and the switch! Charging at the button, she stomped hard. Tears streamed down her face, as she turned around to the door.
"Oh, you made it-!" He said, "and in time!" He froze when he actually noticed the kid was alone, who was franticly looking at the door, shortly after, Fedora made her way through- with the help of some Owls. They help pull her up! Hat kid smiled.
"Just when my cut healed up.." Fedora looked to her hands. Burnt, but not to bad- it would take long, but they'll heal as well- The burning felt a little uncomfortable, and when her hands twitched they stung. The child held onto her side tightly.
The Conductor spoke up, a strange smile on his face "OH Oh oh hoo! Look at all this raw footage we got!" He turned, when he saw that the older girl was, in fact, still alive. Reviewing what was on tape "look at- look at how yer runnin' fer dear life!" He cackled, scaring the kid even more then she already was today.
There was something terribly wrong.
Fedora looked at him, with the most angry scowl she could muster.
"Oh, what?" The Conductor was unfazed though "we did it in the name of cinematography!.. And to beat that no-good DJ Grooves!" He smiled smugly "I bet he won't be able to make HALF the movie we just made!" He sighed.
"Alright, here- take one of these.. Uh- thingamajigs you like so much, you two deserve it!" He tossed to over to the kid with out a care as he talked, then he took a small gander at Fedora's hands, well no- all of her. Her suit was singed, torn- the rim of her right pant leg was toasted, right shoe scuffed up and burnt. She was a mess compared to the kid, who was just covered in soot, and small glass shards on her hat. She was also crying.
When Fedora was just.. Done with today- her angry scowl turned into disappointment, hearing the kid's quiet sobs "I can't believe.. You made us go through that." She said, as Hat kid held onto the time piece for dear life.
The Conductor saw this, and called to them "Lassies..?" Fedora looked to the ground, and Hat kid just turned her back, plain refused to look anywhere near him.
"Let's go kiddo, we need to get cleaned up." Fedora said, when the train finally came to a stop, the two left with out another word, and so did everyone else.
Leaving the Conductor alone, wondering what really just occurred today.
