A/N: And here, we have another chapter for today. And in this one, Mark Hamill will lend his voice for the next character making his debut. :) I do hope you enjoy it.
Infinity Train X Glitch Techs
Book Three: Chapter 6: The Campfire Car
Hazel was still laughing while shedding tears of joy before she opened her eyes and noticed that her hands and legs have changed and were now just as light green with claws on her fingers and toes just like Grace before becoming mystified as she looked at her hand and then felt the shell on her back as she looked back at Grace.
"I'm a...turtle person? Just like her...", Hazel spoke in awe before changing back.
"Wait. You just changed back.", Miko spoke in slight surprise.
"Mm-Hmm.", Hazel grinned.
"Wait. Does that mean...?", Grace puzzled before trying her best to change back herself, but failed before groaning.
"Maybe your changes haven't quite finished kicking in yet.", Glad One guessed.
"What are you guys so freaked out about?", Simon asked.
"Well, didn't you just see what happened?", Five asked.
"See what?", Simon puzzled.
"We'll talk about that later. Just don't take action like that again if I haven't given you explicit orders, okay?", Grace responded.
"Are you pulling rank on me?", Simon puzzled.
"No, Simon. Hazel and I just...we just need some time to relax after what just happened.", Grace responded before she picked Hazel up and walked away.
"Yes, Ma'am. I'll wait by the exit.", Simon responded before he went off in another direction, looking for the exit as Tulip and the others turned to Tuba.
"It has been very stressful today.", Tuba pointed out.
"Good point.", Amber agreed.
However, Tulip and Gummi turned around to see them going someplace else and grew worried for them with the latter squeaking as Grace and Hazel went to another part of the forest before later looking around during the night at the beautiful trees when they passed an anthropomorphic lantern holding a cup of hot cocoa.
"Bright out tonight, huh? Or is it just me? Get crazy.", the lantern spoke with a chuckle, puzzling the two before Grace and Hazel looked down to notice the two rocks below them.
"Well, if you didn't want to come here, you should've said so.", the female rock spoke.
"Oh, and I'm sure you wouldn't have complained about whatever choice I made.", the male rock responded sarcastically.
"Where would you have picked, then?", the female rock asked.
"The lake.", the male rock responded.
"Oh, we're rocks, Martin! We can't swim.", the female rock complained once response.
"I love it when you get angry.", the male rock grinned before he and his girlfriend gave hugs to each other and kissed.
Grace and Hazel simply shrugged before noticing a small campfire with a pinecone scoutmaster telling a scary story to the troops.
"And then, the squirrel scratched again. 'Where are my little seeds?' Then, louder, 'Where are my little seeds?!' Boo!", the scoutmaster spoke before the troops screamed.
Then, the two noticed a Lake with the full moon in view before heading out there. When they got near the lake, they sat down next to each other with the full moon reflecting off the water before Hazel spoke to Grace.
"So, that was...surprising to say the least.", Grace spoke.
"Mm-Hmm.", Hazel nodded.
"I mean, first, Simon saved Tuba and wheeled that Bane guy, and now you're a turtle girl like me, but apparently, a bit more experienced at this than I am and that was only your first time.", Grace stated.
"Yeah. You don't think Simon would wheel me too, do you?", Hazel asked, not knowing that a man with red goggles completely covering his eyes and a dark blue robe over his person noticed her and the gradually mutating Grace.
"No. No, he won't. We...just won't tell Simon. Okay? He doesn't need to know. At least not yet. We'll wait for the right moment to tell him before then. Until then, we can't let him see the shell, okay?", Grace spoke.
"From the looks of things, it may be difficult. Luckily for you, I'm here to help out with that.", the man spoke as he walked up to them just as Grace noticed a tech gauntlet.
"You're a Glitch tech?", Grace asked.
"More like a Tech Specialist, but yeah. The name's Kazar. And you two are?", Kazar asked.
"Oh. I'm Grace and this is Hazel.", Grace greeted.
"Hello.", Hazel waved.
"Nice to meet you. By the way, do you two mind if you hold still?", Kazar asked.
"Not really. Why?", Grace asked.
"Just testing something. And you all better come out before I do this.", Kazar responded before Jesse spoke up.
"Aw, man! How'd you know we were there?", Jesse groaned before he, Tulip, Gummi, Lake, Amber, Atticus, Alan Dracula, One-One, Miko, Five, and Tuba all got out from the bushes near the lake.
"You weren't exactly hard for my goggles to spot from behind those bushes.", Kazar spoke before he scanned the two of them and then noticed the x-rays on both Grace's and Hazel's bodies showing an infrared with the former being surrounded with a field as the outer layer seemed dark blue while darkening all the way to a purple and then light pink at the center while the latter's was surrounded by a similar field, but darkening all the way to red at the center, both of which were surrounded by an invisible green, Glitch-like energy band seen only in infrared.
"Just as I suspected.", Kazar spoke.
"What is it?", Grace asked.
"Tell me. Were you always human before?", Kazar asked.
"Uh, yeah? Why?", Grace asked.
"Because it involves your current condition: the reason you're slowly mutating into a turtle person in the first place.", Kazar responded.
"Wait. You know what's happening to them?", Amber asked.
"I just scanned them and ran an analysis. Of course I know what's going on.", Kazar responded.
"Care to elaborate?", Tuba asked.
"Of course. Right now, Grace and Hazel are surrounded by the glitch's invisible field seen only in infrared waves. While Grace's field is just progressing thus far, Hazel's field has already manifested for the longest time, a few months at best.", Kazar explained as he showed the x-rays of their bodies in their current state.
"But we haven't changed.", Five responded.
"Because you haven't made long enough contact. Like you and your friends thanks to your uniforms, Denizens like Tuba are immune to the field's effects.", Kazar replied as Tuba nodded.
"The only beings the field affects are passengers who either get close enough to the field or touch whoever the field is enveloping.", Kazar added.
"But that's doesn't really explain how I started changing when I first met Haz...", Grace began before realizing something.
"Wait a minute. What if somehow, Hazel became the host?", Grace realized.
"What?", Hazel puzzled.
"Are you sure about that?", Tuba asked.
"Well, it does seem like the only thing that makes sense.", Grace responded.
"That, and the field is strongest with her. So strong, in fact, it must've affected her number.", Kazar responded.
"So, that's why her number was turned off.", Glad One gasped in realization.
"Exactly.", Kazar responded.
"But even then, I'm sure Hazel didn't mean it. She must've contracted it a while back without even realizing.", Grace guessed.
"Maybe so, but if anyone gets their hands on her and tries to extract the Glitch in her body, there could be disastrous consequences.", Kazar spoke.
"So, that's why Zenith and Polaris are after her. They're trying to get their hands on her power so that they can use it to wreck the apex!", Miko realized.
"We can't let them do that!", Hazel exclaimed as she turned into a turtle quickly.
"And that's why we're going to keep your form a secret, so Zenith and Polaris wouldn't be able to go after you. So, you have to stay calm and take big breaths. In...and out.", Grace suggested while taking deep breaths before Hazel followed suit and reverted back to normal.
"Since you're all looking for the exit, I think it's best if I come with you. Who knows what else could happen out there?", Kazar suggested.
"You got it, sir.", Five responded.
"Way to make things dark. I like you.", Sad One spoke.
Later in the morning, Simon saw Grace and the others heading out toward the exit.
"You guys were out there for a while.", Simon responded before noticing Kazar.
"Who's that?", Simon asked.
"Simon, this is Kazar. A glitch tech like Tulip, Jesse, Lake, Miko, and Five, but more like a tech specialist.", Grace introduced.
"With Zenith and Polaris out there, someone has to help plan a counterattack when they attack again.", Kazar responded.
"So, you're like a lead strategist?", Simon guessed.
"And analyst, of course.", Kazar responded.
"He does seem like a good sort.", Tuba spoke.
"Great. Let's go. The Apex are still in the next car. We'll finally figure your number out, Hazel will assimilate, we won't need to babysit, and we'll be ready for Zenith and Polaris the next time they attack. Pretty soon, everything will be back to normal. Well, close to normal, anyway, what with Hazel being included and Tuba being our bodyguard. Now, you'll see how much better it is to live with passengers.", Simon spoke before turning to Kazar.
"And, uh..., what's your name?", Simon asked.
"Kazar.", Kazar responded.
"Yeah, Kazar. I'll even name a couple of characters in my book after you and Hazel. Really smart and really brave ones. Would you like that?", Simon asked before blinking.
"I have no idea what to say.", Kazar responded.
"I know. How cool is that?", Grace asked.
"Wow. Thank you, Simon.", Hazel responded, just as baffled as Kazar before Simon grinned.
Then, the group of 15 left the exit with a door opening in the next car with a few people wearing gray jumpsuits with a One-One logo on the right breast of each one, light gray tank tops, a wristwatch on one's left hand, black belts with another One-One emblem as the buckles, and a black backpack for holding the gear walking out and passing by Tulip and the others.
"Something about those people seem familiar.", Glad One spoke before the main group arrived inside a sort of canyon car.
"Huh. No sign. Well, they're probably further in. How'd they even survive against Zenith and Polaris without us, it's just...", Simon began before looking back at his radar only to notice that the big red circle was now behind them.
"What?! But it showed them in here! It's not like we passed them.", Simon spoke just before Tulip, Jesse, Lake, Miko, and Five's gauntlets all rang out alarms with the danger symbol flashing on them before the gauntlets all broke down with small explosions as the screens turned off with the Glitch techs taken aback, especially Gummi, who squeaked in reaction as he jumped.
"Oh, schmup.", Miko spoke.
"What just happened?", Tulip asked.
"There's only one glitch that can give off a signature that powerful. The Omega Glitch.", Kazar responded.
"What is the Omega Glitch?", Simon puzzled just before the door opened behind them before the group turned and saw a few familiar faces.
"What have you kids been doing to the train cars?", Amelia asked.
"What have you guys been doing to the train cars?", Lena and Damien shouted in unison at the same time Amelia spoke.
A/N: So, what'd you think? Pretty surprising, isn't it? That just leaves 4 more overall episodes left and they'll get especially darker whenever Polaris shows up, just so you know. Until next time. :)