Episode 10: The Choo-Choo Train of Destiny

Brrring.

"Can someone get that?"

Brrring.

"Anyone?"

Brring.

"Sorry, I'll get it." Booker dropped his files and picked up the phone. "Fluffytown Police! How may I direct your call?"

Screaming on the other end forced Booker to yank the receiver away from his ear.

"I understand, madam." The screaming didn't stop. "Yes-yes, I understand. I don't know why the train is here either, but-"

"It's not the Dogstar!" Copper shouted from the other room where he and K.K. were examining Edgar's notes.

"I'm being told that there are no Dogstar on the train, madam. Yes, that's right, no Dogstar. Yes, madam, your Gyroids are going to be safe. Thank you for your concern." Booker set down the phone and wiped his brow.

"So," he said, entering Copper's office to find papers spread out all over his desk, "why is the train here again? Sorry for asking."

"I don't know how it got here," Copper replied tersely, "but apparently Edgar is using it to return to Capitaltown and try and sort things out there."

"Yeah," K.K. said, still staring out the window. "There's something about this I don't like, though. It's too easy."

"We don't have much of a choice, though," Copper said, exhaling slowly. "If Edgar doesn't go to rescue Rei, then they might put her on one of the ships, and then she'll be out of reach. Furthermore, he could use the computers at SPOOK to find where the Dogstar ships are located and expose them."

"Which would make them have to leave or risk punishment by the Galactic Nations," K.K. finished. "I know, it sounds doable, but I just hope they can make it happen. In the meantime, we have to hold Fluffytown." Reluctantly, he turned away from the window, picked up one of Edgar's plans, and chuckled at it. "We'd better bring Tom Nook in here. He'll want to see this."


"Now departing for Capitaltown," came the eerily calm voice over the loudspeaker as the doors to the train shut with a hiss. "I regret to inform all passengers that the dinner car is closed at this time."

"Like anyone could eat at a time like this," Olivia said, sitting at a felt-cushioned seat.

My ear picked up a low growling sound and my hand went straight to the sheath at my belt.

"Sorry," Tangy said, rubbing her stomach, "the food talk had me going."

"Oh." I slowly lifted my hand.

"Remember what we said about being jumpy with the sword?" Olivia said, glaring at me. "I don't want to see anyone's head taken off, especially mine."

I lurched forward as the engine started and the train began to come to life. Smashed against the wall, I felt my own stomach growl.

"Sorry," I said, clenching the seat as the train gained speed. I sucked in my breath, forcing myself to calm down and fight the feeling of being on a roller coaster. Olivia and Tangy didn't help matters much by flopping down on seats opposite each other. Olivia stretched out her arms and yawned.

"What?" she said upon catching me looking at her. "It's comfortable. Might as well relax."

"Yeah," Tangy said, cracking her knuckles, "Consider it a vacation."

"Easy for you to say," I said, looking out the window and wishing I hadn't, "it's your vacation money." I walked down to the end of the cabin and started back up.

"Stop that," Tangy said as I passed her, "pacing makes me nervous."

"I'm not pacing, I'm just..." I stopped. "Okay, so I was pacing. I can't help it, though, especially with--"

There was a large thud on the roof of the train. I reached for Monique's sword and drew it, but the sisters threw themselves in front of me with swords drawn and ready.

"--that."

There was another thud as the roof caved in. One more thud crashed it through, kicking up a layer of debris. A lone figure stood in its midst as it cleared.

"You!" I growled.

"Hi, Edgar." Rover flexed a pair of metallic gauntlets over his forearms. "Ooh, you brought friends, too. No problem!" Inhaling slowly, he knocked his fists together. "Of course, none of you are going to make it off this train."

A flash of white came up behind Rover, clutching a sword to bring down on Rover--

--who raised one arm and blocked it effortlessly.

"You don't believe me, do you?" he asked with a sneer, executing a snap-kick that vaulted Olivia several rows down the corridor. As she struggled to get up, Tangy rushed at Rover and I came in behind her. Rover blocked both swings and threw us off of him. I hit the ground and saw stars for a moment.

"You like these?" he said, flexing his gauntlets. "Lord Nefarious wouldn't give me my new body, so I had to settle for some cool tech instead. So sleek, so powerful...I love it!"

"What a geek," Olivia muttered as she rose to her feet. Rover's ears perked and he turned to glare at her.

"Don't...call...me...that!" he shouted, running back over to her. She threw up her sword to block his first blow, but took the second one and fell to her knees.

"No!" Tangy threw herself on Rover's back, hissing and scratching at him with her claws. Rover flailed about the cabin, trying to get her off, then seized her by the arms and threw her into Olivia. Both sprawled out against the edge of the cabin and did not move. Rover turned to me, an evil grin on his face.

"Hi, Edgar!" he said mockingly to me as I gripped my sword with both hands. "You know, that was a brave display you had back at Fluffytown. Ever since then, there's one thing I've wanted you to do..."


"He wants me to do WHAT?" Tom Nook fumed, pacing back and forth as K.K. Slider held the paper in his hand detailing Edgar's plan.

"You have to admit it's pretty clever."

"But...but it's my merchandise!" Nook jumped up and down in place. "He wants me to use my merchandise!"

"It's for a good cause," Copper said, crossing his arms. "Consider it a tax writeoff, if you will."

K.K. lost his composure at this and started laughing, pounding his fists against the desk.

"Uhh..." Booker raised his index finger.
"Look at it this way, Tom," Copper said, ignoring both Booker and K.K, "if the Dogstar invade Fluffytown, they're going to expect a big discount on your products. I think one hundred percent would suit them just fine!"

"One hundred percent..." Tom Nook pulled out a calculator, realized he didn't need it, and let it fall to the floor.

"Uhh...is anyone..."

"Yes, Booker?" All eyes turned to him.

"Is anyone watching the town?"

Everyone glanced nervously at each other.

"Here's an idea, Booker." Copper walked over and patted his partner on the shoulder. "Why don't you do it?"

"Err...yes, sir. Sorry, sir! I'll be more careful..."


I let out an "eep" as Rover struck the floor where I had just sat and caved it in several inches.

"I know you want me to die," I said, scuttling away from Rover with my hands, "but shouldn't you be a bit more careful about how you use those things?"

"Tell someone who cares," Rover growled as he smashed another section of floor. Grabbing onto a seat, I swung myself up and around Rover, kicking him in the back of the head. As he staggered forward, I felt a brief sense of triumph. That ended when he turned and punched me in the face.

When I came to, five Rovers were coming to attack me. I shook my head and reduced his number to three, but another punch to the face sent me staggering. Turning back, I saw that there was only one Rover now, and he'd gotten stuck in one of the holes he'd made.

"See?" I said, pointing and chuckling. "Should have listened to me, doofus!"

"Don't call me a doofus!" Rover shouted, yanking his foot out of the hole and falling over.

Veins bulging in his wide eyes as he rose to his feet and punched at me again. And again. And again.

"Why won't you just stop?" Rover screamed. "Why do you have to mock me?" He punched at me again, but it sailed over my head as I ducked and his fist broke open the door to the cabin, exposing it to the rush of the outside air.

"Because my mission is too important," I hissed through clenched teeth. "Because there's someone I care about." I brought my sword up with whatever strength I could find as Rover brought his gauntlets down again. The two met with a loud clang and separated. Rover prepared to bring the gauntlets back down before noticing the large crack that had appeared in them.

"And," I finished, panting heavily, "because...I don't...like you."

Currents surged over the surface of the broken device. Flailing his arm around, Rover managed to get it off.

"I don't get it," Rover said, shaking his head at the piece of junk on the floor. "Do all these people mean that much to you?"

"Well, duh," I said, grinning. At the gesture, something snapped in Rover that hadn't yet snapped somehow. He ran at me with abandon, leaving himself totally exposed. One solid kick in the chest sent him through the air and out the open door. Racing to the edge, I saw him tumble several times as he hit the ground and came to a stop. He shouted something that sounded like "Aww, nuts!" and slowly disappeared from view.

"Good riddance," I muttered, resheathing the sword. At this point, I noticed the trail of blood running down my face. As I searched the cabin for a handkerchief, Olivia came to.

"Edgar..." she murmured as if waking up from a dream. "What's wrong? You look terrible."

"Yeah, we all got roughed up quite a bit. Rover's gone, though."

"Oh." Olivia sat upright and blinked rapidly. "Well, that's great. Are we there yet?"


"Are they here yet?" Copper asked Booker, whose lower half was visible to them as he stood on a ladder, looking out over the town with a pair of binoculars.

"No," Booker said.

"It could take 'em awhile, you know," K.K. said. "Everyone knows their part now, so we might as well chill out." He tipped his chair back.

"I see something!"

The chair fell over with K.K. in it.

"What is it?" Copper asked, urgency rising in his voice.

"Yeah, what is it?" K.K. said groggily.

"Boats...they're coming from the water." He dipped his head back into the station, a fearful look on his face. "The Dogstar are coming."