A/N: And here, we have another chapter. I even added a surprise character for it. Maybe you know him. Enjoy. :)
Infinity Train X Glitch Techs
Book Three: Chapter 2: The Jungle Car
Inside the car, Tulip, Gummi, Jesse, Lake, Atticus, One-One, Miko, Five, Grace, Simon, and Amber were gathered around the stump as a beetle flew off from the leaf and landed on top of a rose, making it more chrome-like and colorful to the touch as Grace was looking at her reflection smacking her lips before noticing Simon from behind.
"You okay?", Grace asked.
"This isn't going to be a normal procedure.", Simon spoke.
"You're right.", Grace agreed.
"We may already have backup, by technicality, but we're supposed to have two working harpoon packs. I don't even think we've even been this far out on the train before.", Simon responded.
"Well, luckily for you guys, I have.", Tulip grinned.
"Really? I hadn't noticed.", Simon responded.
"So, what do we have, besides pessimism?", Grace asked, taking off her belt with a green belly bag on it and handing it to Simon.
"Good idea. We might have to ration.", Simon spoke before dumping the contents to inspect them closely as Gummi looked around amidst the pile eagerly as well.
"Let's see. We have some snack bars, rope, 3 toothbrushes?", Simon asked.
"Why do you have that many?", Five asked.
"One for the teeth, two for the sneaks.", Grace explained.
"Okay, that's two more than you actually need.", Jesse commented.
"I don't even get one?", Simon asked.
"All I know is I packed 3.", Grace responded as Gummi squeaked while looking up before Simon picked up a bag of "Gorp" as well as some deodorant.
"Baggy of Gorp, Arctic Cowboy brand deodorant for summer sports perspiration?", Simon puzzled.
"That's good, because, I don't need your ripeness giving away our position.", Grace responded before Simon laughed in response and suddenly stopped, looking stern.
"Aw. You think I'm joking.", Grace grinned, brushing against Simon's small ponytail before he stood up and handed Grace back her green belly bag and she put it back on.
"It must've been funny because it's true.", Sad One grinned.
"Okay. First impressions. Looks to be a moderately sized car, Jungle-themed...", Simon began as he walked up to a tree and placed his hand on the bark, making the hand print just as chrome-colored to the touch.
"But with a little extra...", Simon continued before Grace noticed the same effect on the mushroom she picked up.
"Flare?", Grace puzzled before crushing said mushroom into pieces.
Just then, Simon noticed a small gecko climbing onto the tree and turning to Simon, who picked it up, causing it to glow a bright chrome color before it whistled as it squirmed.
"Threats seem minimal.", Simon added.
"And whistling remains catchy.", Glad One added.
"But Simon presence remains aloof and dorky.", Grace playfully added before picking up the lizard and flinging it backward, making it give a descending whistle as it fell before landing on a bush nearby.
"Dude, we're the apex, but also, we're Grace and Simon, remember?", Grace reminded.
"Yeah.", Simon sighed.
"'Yeah.' Yeah, what?", Grace asked.
"But aren't you guys a little bit concerned about the fact that Zenith and Polaris are after you?", Lake asked.
"Of course, I'm concerned. But the point is, Simon, I've seen you lead an army of kids, but I've also seen you play sock ball. You can play Super serious general guy when we get back. Until then, loosen up! Think of it as us being on leave.", Grace spoke before Simon blushed as she left before he inhaled deeply and followed her.
Then, as Grace stepped across the rocks, Simon stepped across only one before losing his balance with Miko grabbing his hoodie to stop him from falling. Later, Grace got up a small ledge before helping Simon up while the rest of the group only jumped up to follow them with Simon placing a chrome, rainbow-colored vine on his upper lip, making him look like he has a colorful mustache before Grace laughed and returned the gesture with a chrome, rainbow-colored unibrow face with both laughing. Afterwards, the two were asleep as Lake was snoring as well while Tulip, Gummi, Jesse, Atticus, One-One, Miko, and Five looking up at the sky with a butterfly landing on top of Simon's nose with Gummi squeaking as he turned to notice it with Tulip and the rest of the group that are awake turning to notice before giving soft giggles and chuckles before they were later crossing a log over the waterfall while Lake waded across the river near the log waist-deep in water.
"See? Isn't this a nice change of pace?", Grace grinned.
"Yeah. It is.", Simon agreed.
Suddenly, there was a loud snarling sound with the sound passing by the landscape as a chrome, colorful wave before a herd of multicolored squirrels popped up from the grass overhearing a giant roar, making them retreat to a nearby tree hole as they chittered.
"Uh, One-One? What was that?", Tulip puzzled.
"If I had to guess, I'd say...some kind of sabertoothed beast.", Glad One guessed.
"You sure?", Amber asked.
"It's definitely something that's sabertoothed.", Sad One responded before another loud snarl sounded, this time, scaring away the birds as they flew away, puzzling Grace and Simon.
"Huh?", the duo puzzled before the gauntlets gave off an alarm.
"What the..?", Jesse puzzled as he, Tulip, Lake, Miko, and Five looked at their gauntlets.
"Glitch detected.", the gauntlets spoke before a loud snarl sounded off again, this time, knocking the group off the log before Simon managed to use his magnetic boots to stick himself to a log and grab Grace as she was falling while Tulip, Jesse, Amber, Miko, and Five grabbed onto the log with Atticus on top of Jesse and One-One caught by Amber.
Then, just as Simon helped Grace up, the rest of the group went back up the log with Lake remaining near the log.
"You guys okay?", Lake asked.
"Yeah. Just a bit shaken up.", Jesse responded.
"All right, Tulip. Spill it.", Amber spoke.
"Huh? Spill what?", Tulip asked.
"Your gauntlets just said a glitch is detected. What kind is it?", Amber asked.
"Well, basically, the same kind you guys fought after Zenith remover the master orb in the last car we were in.", Tulip responded.
"Huh.", Amber responded.
"Well, it looks like we got glitch problems.", Grace spoke as Simon turned off his electromagnetic boots and stood up.
"Can't look for threats down here.", Simon grinned before running off.
"Be careful.", Amber urged.
Then, Simon climbed up the tree via branch and then turned on his electromagnetic boots before scaling the tree by the bark until climbing up to a point where he stands on a branch, overlooking the horizon as he placed his hand on the tree.
"See anything up there?!", Lake shouted.
"Yeah! The tops of other trees!", Simon replied.
Just then, another wave passed by, but less primal, more musical, and significantly smaller.
"I think I found something!", Simon shouted.
After a moment, the loud snarl returned just before a tree started to fall down as did another and another until Simon was running down the tree just as it started to fall down.
"Clear away! Now, now, now!", Simon urged before he jumped out to the ground and turned around to notice a tree headed for him when Grace pulled him away from the tree in the nick of time just as the source of the trees falling leapt up and scampered off, leaving behind giant wolf paw prints as it growled.
"Giant wolf prints?", Miko puzzled.
"And they almost resemble the paw prints of my people, but much bigger.", Atticus added.
"What kind of glitch is it?", Five puzzled.
"Whatever it is, we can't ignore it.", Grace spoke.
"I know you told me to loosen up, but we do have Apex Procedures for something like this.", Simon responded.
"Okay. What do you got?", Grace asked.
"When encountering a Null that cannot be overwhelmed with force, nor avoided in its entirety, the Null in question must be incapacitated.", Simon spoke.
"Hmm. Now, who could've written that one?", Grace asked jokingly.
"You know I don't like to take credit for things.", Simon chuckled in response.
"As long as it's a glitch we're dealing with.", Tulip responded before Grace gave a funny raspberry sound.
"Let's trap it.", Grace spoke.
"You read my mind.", Sad One agreed.
Later, as Simon sharpened spears, Grace brought more sticks to build a cage before Tulip, Atticus, Lake, Five, and Jesse erected a cage up on the branch as Miko and Gummi tapped on the string with gecko's attached to them.
"Boop.", Miko grinned as they did so before the geckoes whistled.
"Ah. Music to my ears.", Glad One sighed wistfully.
Later, at night, the group gathered around the campfire, or in this case, the camp light as the sticks glowed at the center like a fire.
"Did we have marshmallows?", Simon asked.
"I'm sorry, what?", Grace asked in response.
"Uh, I got some.", Amber spoke as she got the bag of marshmallows out before Gummi squeaked excitedly before jumping off Tulip's shoulder, onto Atticus' back, and then toward the bag before nibbling on one of them.
"Aw. You must've been starving, weren't you?", Lake asked as Gummi squeaked, nibbling on the marshmallow.
"This is where you want to redeem your loss at Chubby Bunny? Right here?", Grace asked.
"I maintain that I am still the champion. They didn't fly out until after I said it. Still counts.", Simon spoke.
"Well, at least someone likes marshmallows, too.", Amber grinned with a slight giggle as Gummi squeaked while finishing its first marshmallow before going straight for another one.
"Okay! That's enough marshmallows, Gummi.", Tulip reacted, picking Gummi up from out of the bag before he squeaked as Tulip rubbed him with a chuckle.
Just then, the geckoes whistled and the woods broke apart as the group overheard it.
"The Glitch.", Tulip spoke before she and the others ventured into the woods, although Grace had to get her shoe back on and caught up, and saw only a wooden cage all in splinters as it was smashed.
"Ugh. Fantastic.", Amber groaned.
"I-It's fine. The trap let us know it's here. Now, we can team up and...take it down together.", Simon assured.
Just then, there was a brief growl before it turned into a roar quickly as the source was about to pounce on Simon and Amber when he was suddenly taken up the tree by a purple hand before the source could attack it, alerting Grace enough to notice that he disappeared before the source tried again on Amber only to miss again as she saw the hand pick her up before the beast could attack her.
"Simon? Amber, where are you guys?", Grace asked.
"Make some noise so we can try to follow you!", Lake shouted.
Just then, the purple hand also grabbed Tulip (along with Gummi), Jesse, and Lake before then grabbing Atticus and One-One.
"Guys!", Grace exclaimed before she overheard a loud snarling sound from the bushes overhead as Grace began to get extremely worried, not knowing that a chrome, rainbow-like light was emitting from the bushes with a purple hand just behind her.
But before the source of the sound could attack as it pounced, the purple hand managed to grab Grace and move her into the bushes before the source missed and then turned its head to the left, revealing it to be a purple-coated, thick-maned Sabertooth Wolf before it gave a bestial howl-like roar.
Later that morning, Grace, Simon, Amber, Tulip, Gummi, Atticus, Jesse, Lake, and One-One awoke in a nest marked with a slash of four claw marks.
"Huh? Wh-what happened to the camplight? Where are we?", Amber asked.
Just then, a snarl from last night made itself known again as the sabertooth wolf made itself known as it slowly stepped forward closer to its prey on all fours, snarling.
"I think right now, we're in the lion's den. Much less a Sabertooth Wolf's!", Five responded.
Just then, it gave off plixels around it with a snarl.
"It is a glitch.", Tulip stated as she noticed it.
"And it's an actual Sabertooth Wolf! How crazy is that?!", Miko exclaimed excitedly just before the glitch pounced with a snarling roar with Amber and Grace screaming as they graced themselves before the glitch was suddenly blasted back by another roar mixed with the tuba sounds before it recovered, scratching against the Jungle ground as it slid before looking up to see two figures, one of which is a large purple gorilla with a tuba on each shoulder, wearing a brown satchel for storing items and the other a deer with reddish brown fur and antlers.
"Alan Dracula?", Jesse gasped in surprise.
Then, without warning, before it could get the chance to pounce again, Alan Dracula fired lasers at the sabertooth wolf as the gorilla picked up a rock and tossed it at the beast, forcing it back before Tulip turned to Jesse, Lake, Miko, and Five.
"Get ready to fire, guys!", Tulip urged before she and the others aimed at the Sabertooth Wolf, which recovered and gave a bestial snarl as it then moved forward, not knowing that the Glitch Techs were aiming at it.
"Ready..., Aim..., FIRE!", Tulip shouted as the Sabertooth Wolf suddenly moved quickly and fired to where it was headed before the purple blasts caught the wolf and, difficult as it was, sucked the sabertooth wolf inside before it was finally trapped inside the gauntlets as the EXP boost Sign with a number of 300,000 appeared as they beeped.
"Glitch contained.", the gauntlets spoke.
"Phew. Great job, guys.", Tulip sighed.
"Whew! Caught my first wild animal!", Miko spoke excitedly, not knowing that a barefoot girl that is quite slim with light brown skin, black eyes, and unkempt, waist-length blonde hair with a green leaf sticking over it, and a missing tooth while wearing a charcoal gray collared shirt with a dirty gray sweater vest over it, along with a sky blue necktie, matching shorts, and a dull pink bracelet on her right arm was watching from above filled with hope before she eagerly, cautiously went down the trees and lent her voice just as both Alan Dracula and the gorilla stepped forward before speaking.
"As a thank-you for fighting off that mean dog, the warriors are given ceremonial hugs from the Mighty Tuba!", the girl spoke as the gorilla in question moved its hands closer to the group.
"Wait, Wait! No, no, no, no, no!", Grace exclaimed before she and the rest of the group wound up laughing as she, Amber, and Simon ended up being tickled first before Tulip, Lake, Jesse, Miko, and Five were the next to be tickled along with Atticus and One-One before the tickles ceased and Tuba then took a deep breath and sighed.
"'Oh, no! Please!' Hahahaha! 'Oh, no!'", the girl spoke before laughing as Tuba gave chuckled while the girl put her hand on Tuba's arm.
"That's you guys! That's what you guys sound like.", the girl grinned before continuing her laughter.
"I thought you said there weren't any passengers for at least 47 cars.", Grace puzzled in whispers.
"I don't know. That's what the number tracker said.", Simon responded before he and the others got off the nest with One-One greeting her as he was not afraid to speak his mind.
"Hello. I don't think I've seen you before.", Glad One greeted.
"We're with the Apex.", Simon added, puzzling the girl before Grace and Simon turned to each other with the former giving a nod.
"You might've heard of us. Seen this wave symbol? We wanna make sure you get everything you're entitled to from the train.", Simon spoke.
"Along with some good quality emotional growth from some nice, juicy math.", Glad One added.
Nevertheless, the girl was still puzzled by what they're saying.
"As a passenger, the true conductor gives us...", Simon began before the girl interrupted with a raspberry sound and laughing as Tuba laughed along with her, annoying Simon as Grace and the others barely held their laughter.
"You aren't getting this. You see...", Simon began before Tuba quickly grew aggressive and leapt up toward Simon before roaring at him as the tubas honked as well, knocking him down to the ground on his back before picking up a rock and raising it to smash him before the girl stopped Tuba.
"No! You told me we don't hit!", the girl shouted before Tuba then sighed and pressed her hands against the ground, setting the rock down.
Then, Grace offered him her hand before Simon grabbed onto it with his and lifted himself up.
"Sorry. He can get a little excited.", Grace apologized as Tulip, Jesse, Lake, Miko, Five, Atticus, and One-One walked over to the girl.
"Hi. I'm Tulip. The cute little thing on my shoulder is Gummi.", Tulip greeted, gesturing to Gummi, who squeaked in response.
"I'm Jesse. You kinda already know my friend, Alan Dracula.", Jesse added as he gestured to Alan Dracula, who puffed his nostrils at him, making him laugh a bit.
"I'm Lake.", Lake added.
"I am ME_KO! But you can call me Miko.", Miko responded.
"And I'm Hi_5. But friends call me Five.", Five added.
"I'm Atticus, King and Uniter of the Cardigans and the Pembrookes.", Atticus greeted.
"And I am One!", Glad One greeted.
"One...", Sad One added.
"My name's Grace. Simon is my friend. What's your friend's name?", Grace asked, looking up to Tuba, who was giving a fierce glare.
"This is Tuba. She's kinda shy.", the girl replied in a whisper.
"Mm. I can get shy, too. Hey, Tuba.", Grace waved.
"Hello...", Tuba greeted somewhat begrudgingly.
"And what's your name?", Grace asked.
"Hazel.", Hazel responded.
"That's a pretty name you got there, Ms. Hazel.", Glad One grinned.
"I'm looking for passengers to help. That's what I do. Do you mind if we talk to Hazel alone? Just for a little bit.", Grace requested.
"I should stay.", Tuba spoke cautiously.
"Tuba, I'll be okay. I promise.", Hazel responded before Tuba gave a begrudging glare and stormed off.
"I will be over here...", Tuba spoke as she walked toward the pineapple pile before grabbing one and taking a big bite out of it.
"Eating a pineapple...", Tuba added as Alan Dracula was eating the grass on the jungle floor.
"Thank you, Hazel. Do you want to see something cool?", Grace asked before she then lowered her glove, showing her glowing number, astonishing Hazel as she gasped before walking closer to Grace.
"This is my number. Do you have a number?", Grace asked.
"I do.", Hazel replied before she opened her palm, revealing her number "337" with a lack of a green glow.
"But yours glows.", Hazel added.
"Simon, take a look at this.", Grace spoke.
"That's probably why she didn't scan.", Simon guessed.
"Her number turned off? That just won't do, will it? After all, how can she grow emotionally if her number is dim and constant instead of bright and ever changing? We have got to turn her number back on straightaway.", Glad One suggested.
"For once, One-One, even if you're the false conductor, I'm glad we're on the same page. We need to get her to the Apex right away.", Simon agreed.
"What's a con-conductor?", Hazel puzzled.
"Well, that's what I was trying to tell you about before.", Simon responded.
"Let's focus on numbers. We all have them. Me, you, Tulip, Jesse, Miko, Five, Lake, and Simon. But yours should be glowing. Like mine. See?", Grace spoke up before thinking of a sort of idea.
"How could we fix...?", Grace asked before she came up with an idea.
"Oh! I know! You could come back with us. That way, we can teach you all about numbers. Maybe we can get yours to glow like mine does.", Grace grinned.
"Cool!", Hazel grinned.
"Plus, you get to meet a bunch of other cool kids!", Grace added.
"Well, she's not wrong there. That's all I can say.", Jesse agreed.
"Whaaaaaaaaaa?!", Hazel spoke excitedly before realizing something and turning back to Tuba.
"Wait. Am I a kid?!", Hazel shouted before Tuba nodded while eating another pineapple in reply.
"Yes! I'll tell Tuba to pack up!", Hazel grinned before Simon abruptly spoke against it as he wasn't afraid to speak his mind.
"Tuba can't come with!", Simon discouraged.
"What?", Hazel puzzled.
"You can't...!", Simon began before Jesse held his arms out in front of him.
"Whoa, whoa, whoa! Simmer down, Simon.", Jesse urged before Grace interjected.
"What he's trying to say is that numbers are for passengers. This kind of stuff doesn't affect her. Tuba probably wants to stay in this jungle car.", Grace spoke up.
"Don't be daft! I'm not leaving Tuba.", Hazel responded boldly before Simon then spoke with Grace.
"We can't bring that null with us back to the Apex.", Simon whispered.
"She's not a Null! She's a denizen!", Tulip retorted whisperingly.
"Whatever.", Simon retorted back.
"Ugh, okay. You think we can just grab Hazel and run past the deer and that thing?", Grace whispered in response before, in emphasis, Tuba ate another pineapple whole as its juice splattered on the ground.
"Okay, Simon, listen. With what we know about Zenith and Polaris now, we can't take any chances. Not this time. We're going to need all the help we can get. Besides, she'f make a great bodyguard. She did, after all, drive that sabertooth wolf away from us before it could eat us.", Grace whispered.
"That is a valid point.", Jesse agreed.
"Ugh. All right, fine. She can come.", Simon sighed.
"Hazel! I had to give Simon a talking-to. He was a little confused. Of course we want both of you to come with.", Grace assured.
"But you are the one that said...", Hazel began.
"Actually, that was Simon. He can feel very strongly about things sometimes.", Jesse responded.
"Point is, I fixed it. We're all going to the Apex together. Isn't that exciting?", Grace asked before Hazel squealed excitedly and ran over to Tuba.
"Tuba, Tuba! We're going with Grace and the others! I'm going to see more kids! Pack up your stuff!", Hazel shouted excitedly.
"Are you sure this is what you want? We were setting up a home here.", Tuba puzzled.
"It's the moment I've dreamed of my whole life.", Hazel responded.
"Rest assured, Tuba, we'll make sure she's safe. All of us.", Atticus assured.
After a moment, Tuba gave her answer.
"Okay.", Tuba agreed before she picked up a rock and put it in her satchel, making Simon uneasy as he shivered and gulped.
"It's okay, Simon. Just imagine it's her getting ready to fight Zenith and Polaris.", Jesse assured.
"I thought you said you're done with us the last time we met.", Simon spoke.
"Well, that was before that big development since we met again. And like they say, 'everybody deserves a second chance'.", Jesse responded, slightly touching Simon as he grinned from hearing that.
"Huh.", Simon grinned.
"We gotta bring the couch!", Hazel suggested.
"That is a rock.", Tuba spoke.
"Oh. We need to take the TV for sure.", Hazel added with a grin.
"That is also a rock...", Tuba reminded.
A/N: Ta-da! Alan Dracula is included! Pretty surprising, huh? Well, that's all for now. But the next 2 episodes will be released tomorrow. Until next time. :)