I met my new friend through piling luggage onto a train in 1893.
"Thank you for your help!" Thomas Edison thanked Fierce Fox and I. He has short, grey hair, and wears a formal, brown tuxedo. In case you didn't know, he's a famous inventor that invented the phonograph and the light bulb. He smiled at us and rummaged through his pockets. "Say, how would you two like to come along with me to Chicago? I could use your help again." He handed Fierce Fox a train ticket, then turned to me. "And for the hero." He gave me a ticket.
"You know too?" I asked, though I shouldn't have been surprised.
"Doesn't everyone?" Thomas replied, with a chuckle. "Yes. It was in the newspaper- talking about 'Poptropica's hero' that defeated criminals."
"Wow… I'm more popular than I thought," I chuckled. "But you're pretty popular too. I have to say it before I forget- thanks for inventing the light bulb. Trust me, everyone loves it."
Thomas smiled. "You're welcome… Alice, isn't it?" I nodded. "Pleasure's mine. I'll meet you both on board in my cabin, where you can see another one of my inventions." Then Thomas wandered off, leaving Fierce Fox and I alone.
"Please stop clicking with everyone," Fierce Fox groaned. "It makes me feel like an outcast."
I laughed, though with a bit of sorrow. "I never click with anyone in my world. I'm normally shy… if there's one good thing about this hero stuff, it's that it's helping my confidence." I sighed. "Now come on, we've got a train to board."
"The wheel isn't working!" George Ferris- inventor of the Ferris wheel- cried. We were on the train, which is an old steam train, which you rarely see these days. The train has posh walls, a lush carpet, and various carriages. I felt a little bad for George Ferris, but I knew he'd be fine in the end. Fierce Fox and I continued our walk through the train; we spoke to the following people:
Nikola Tesla (Thomas Edison's rival), Gustave Eiffel (the guy who invented the Eiffel Tower), Susan B. Anthony (a feminist, basically), Eric Weisz (aka Harry Houdini), a New York Times reporter, Mark Twain (a famous author), and finally, Mademoiselle Moreau (the antagonist, Paris enthusiast and Le Monde reporter). Oh, and we picked up a pencil. Then we spoke with Thomas Edison.
"I'm going to unravel an incredible new device," Thomas explained, pointing to his device (more commonly known as a video camera). "It actually captures moving pictures! Let's try it out." He pressed a button; the engines started whirring. He beamed. "It's working! Wait here, I've got to go and find that New York Times reporter!" He exited the room, leaving Fierce Fox and I alone.
"Three, two, one." I said, snapping my fingers. The train drove into a tunnel; darkness filled the entire room.
"I can't see a thing!" Fierce Fox cried. Light suddenly returned, and Thomas Edison's device had vanished. Perfect timing; Thomas re-entered with the New York Times reporter.
"My machine!" Thomas gasped, waving his arms, before glaring suspiciously at Fierce Fox and I. "What have you done with it?"
"I don't know what happened to it!" Fierce Fox answered with shock. "It was here when the lights went out, and then…"
"My invention- stolen!" Thomas Edison cried. "The thief can't have gotten far…"
"You're right," I said, nodding. "In fact, they could be right next door." I winked. I turned to Fierce Fox. "Come on Fierce Fox, we've got a mystery to solve." She nodded, and followed me out of Thomas Edison's cabin.
"Alright, spill the beans. Who's the thief?" Fierce Fox asked, folding her arms.
"I won't tell you right now, but I did give away a clue- right next door." I replied, with a smirk.
Fierce Fox made a face. "Come on, let's just bust the thief and get rewarded. Easy."
"Not quite," I replied, biting my lip. "I say we should bust the thief with clues, rather than just tell everyone, like in the original island. We should stick to the storyline- it's safer." Fierce Fox sighed, but gave me a nod. We headed into Mark Twain's cabin, who we were accusing of being the thief (although I knew he wasn't). All we found was a manuscript for a book. After that, the train stopped moving.
"Where is that incompetent coal man?" the conductor complained. "This must be his fault!"
"The thief is now swapping some things around," I told Fierce Fox. "We need to figure out a way to bust them."
"I just remembered," the New York Times reporter approached us. "I heard somebody running past my cabin from the direction of Edison's room around the time of the theft. Maybe they left a clue outside the door!"
"All aboard!" the conductor called. We returned to the train. Fierce Fox followed me to the luggage carriage, which- unsurprisingly- is full of luggage.
"Alright," I said, putting my hands on my hips. "See how this carriage has coal smudges on it? Now-"
"LOOK OUT!" Fierce Fox cried, grabbing my hair. She shoved me down just in time; a pair of scissors landed above my head. "Looks like someone doesn't want us snooping around!"
"You got that right," I replied, picking up the scissors. "Come on, let's go out here," Fierce Fox obliged, and followed me through the train. "I may as well explain the storyline to you, so you understand what's going on. As I was saying, the coal smudges aren't actually from the coal man, although he did leave the engine room to get a snack. So he didn't stop the train. The thief did, while he was gone. The thief stopped the train as a distraction, so they could put Edison's device into their luggage."
"That luggage belonged to Nikola Tesla…" Fierce Fox gasped in response. "So he must be the thief!"
"Actually, Tesla isn't the thief," I pointed out. "The thief swapped their nametag with Tesla's, so it looks like he's the thief. All the evidence points to him as well, so the thief's plan falls into place. He has what the thief really wants. You see, the thief only stole Edison's device as a distraction."
"They did?" Fierce Fox asked. Her eyes widened. "So the thief must want us to frame Tesla, so they can get… the thing that they want."
"Bingo." I replied, with a grin.
"But why would they want Tesla's thingy?" Fierce Fox asked, her eyes intense.
"You'll see," I answered. I rolled my eyes. "It's actually for a very stupid reason."
"We need to tell everyone about this!" Fierce Fox cried, waving her arms. "So we can stop the thief!"
"No," I replied, shaking my head. "We have no evidence to prove it. That's what I meant by all the clue stuff."
Fierce Fox brushed a strand of red hair out of her face. "Then where do we get the evidence?"
"Easy," I answered, lacing my fingers together. "We need to frame Tesla."
Framing an innocent man when you know he's innocent is like punching a kitten. You know they did nothing wrong, but you're punishing them anyway. Trust me, it sucks. And it's happened to me before at school- with Chrissi and her stupid gang. Don't get me started on them.
Anyway, we spoke with the real thief, Mademoiselle Moreau (unbeknownst to Fierce Fox). She gave us the 'ingenious' idea of dressing up as the porter to bring Tesla a drink. However, only Fierce Fox could go in, as she conveniently looked like the porter. I told her what to do, and she served Nikola Tesla.
She managed to steal his luggage key (which is actually the thief's luggage key that was thrown in by the thief), and we opened 'Tesla's' luggage. Inside, no surprise, was Edison's device. And so, the poor 'kitten', was dragged away for no reason.
We returned Edison's device back to its owner.
"Tesla and I are rivals, but I can't believe he would resort to thievery," Thomas said, as we stood in his cabin. "There must be more to the story…."
"You are absolutely right," I replied, my smart-mouth taking over. I explained the whole scenario to him, like I did with Fierce Fox. We also looked at the device, which showed Tesla on the other side of the train. Dead proof.
"I can't believe it…" Thomas gasped, once I'd finished the story. "The thief wants Tesla's… transformer, you say?" I nodded. "So they took my invention as a distraction?" I nodded once more. "Peculiar indeed… but how do you know all this?"
"Err…" I bit my lip. "I figured it out."
"With that little evidence?" Thomas questioned. A small smile appeared on his face. "I've got to congratulate your detective skills, but if you knew Tesla was innocent, then why-"
"Did I frame him?" I finished. I let my arms guiltily fall by my sides. "I needed evidence, or you might've not believed me. Or anyone else. And I needed the story to progress, I guess you could say." Thomas gave me a skeptical glance. "Look, I just needed to prove Tesla's innocence. But don't worry, I'll free him."
"Don't bother," Thomas replied. "I'll tell the guards the story. They'll release him." He raised his eyebrow. "Do you know who the real thief is?"
"Yes," I answered, gazing at Fierce Fox. "And we're about to bust her."
"I'm confused," Fierce Fox said, as she and I headed back to the luggage carriage. "How did the thief get to Tesla's device? I mean, the key for his briefcase was around his neck!"
"The thief used one of Eric Weisz's- or should I say Harry Houdini's- lockpicks." I answered. I rubbed my temples. "Poor Tesla. I still feel guilty for locking him up. Maybe I should buy him some popcorn or something when we get to Chicago."
"Do you even have any money?" Fierce Fox asked, as we stood in front of 'Tesla's' luggage. I shrugged, and lifted the lid off the suitcase. A large, white napkin was covering various items; I reached down to pick it up, when-
"NOT SO FAST!" a voice yelled. Another pair of scissors flew at my head; I would've gotten hit if Fierce Fox hadn't shoved me out of the way.
"You do realize that there are more dangerous weapons!" I shouted at the thief, who scowled at me. It was none other than Mademoiselle Moreau, the Paris enthusiast.
"I will not let you ruin my plans, hero!" she growled, folding her arms. "Paris will always be the greatest city in the world!"
"Nah. New York is better," I replied mockingly, which caused Mademoiselle Moreau to bare her teeth. Fierce Fox reached for Mademoiselle Moreau's suitcase. "And now you're about to get busted!"
"I don't think so!" Mademoiselle Moreau retorted, racing off. Fierce Fox and I chased after her, grabbing the attention of nearby passengers. Mademoiselle Moreau didn't stop running until she came to the end of the restaurant carriage. She threateningly held Tesla's transformer outside the train's door, with a wicked grin. "If you tell anyone about my plans, it's goodbye to Monsieur Tesla's transformer!"
I gulped, suddenly feeling clueless. Even more, I regretted forcing Tesla into captivity. It was a mistake, and I didn't have enough money to buy everyone popcorn.
"Stupid…" I muttered, feeling like banging my head on the wall. Why didn't I figure out another way to find evidence? I should've told everyone about the thief! Gah! Stupid, stupid!
"What's going on?" a voice asked. It belonged to Susan B. Anthony, who was also on the carriage.
"Madame Anthony!" Mademoiselle Moreau cried, hiding the transformer behind her back. "Ah, I was just having a... conversation with my friends here." I could see the cruelty growing in her eyes, as she glared at Fierce Fox and I.
"It seemed like you were yelling at them," Susan B. Anthony pointed out. She raised her brow at Mademoiselle Moreau's arms, which were suspiciously behind her back. "I don't mean to be nosy, but… are you hiding something behind your back?"
"Of course not!" Mademoiselle Moreau lied, a bead of sweat rolling down her cheek. Fierce Fox and I glanced at each other.
"Uh… very well, then," Susan B. Anthony replied, though she didn't sound convinced. She smiled at Fierce Fox and I. "So, have you two solved the mystery yet?"
"They have indeed," another voice said. This time it was Tesla's voice, and he was not giving me a friendly look. I couldn't blame him. Mademoiselle Moreau gulped. "But the thief is still on board." Suddenly, I felt the train slow down, and the scenery outside stopped moving.
"We've arrived at the fair." Susan B. Anthony said, as I slowly exhaled.
Fierce Fox and I followed Mademoiselle Moreau out of the train, getting to the Chicago train station. It's a larger station than those on Wild West island, and covered in American flags and colours.
"Mr. Edison!" I cried, when I saw Thomas climbing off the train. "The thief's Mademoiselle Moreau! I don't know why I didn't say it before- my paranoia, I guess. Tell everyone. Especially Tesla. And tell him I'm sorry for framing him."
"I will," Thomas Edison replied. He eyed an aggressive Mademoiselle Moreau sprinting away. "Mademoiselle Moreau is getting away! Go after her, quickly!" I nodded, and Fierce Fox and I began the chase.
We walked right into a show full of performers. People were juggling flaming swords and feeding lions. The area looks like an Arabic area, similar to the Golden Harbour from Skullduggery. Expect there's less gold. Mademoiselle Moreau was near the end, complaining to the guards about us. Oh, the nerve! So the guards came after us. We didn't want to get caught by them, so Fierce Fox and I leaped over the lions and people juggling dangerous objects.
A snake charmer was playing his flute. His snake's head became our platform, so we climbed aboard. Then we accidentally interrupted an Indian-style dancing show, which is quite a sight for sore eyes. However, we didn't have time to admire the dancers, as Mademoiselle Moreau was still on the run. So we continued the chase, which involved knocking over a gazillion totems.
Eventually, we came to the Ferris wheel- the invention of the George Ferris.
"Stop this, Mademoiselle Moreau!" I yelled at Mademoiselle Moreau, who was climbing the carriages of the Ferris wheel. "Seriously though... you could've just dropped the transformer thingy on the train!" The thought came to my mind...
"It's more dramatic here!" Mademoiselle Moreau replied, which is another stupid response. "But a drop is a drop. Say goodbye to Tesla's transformer!"
"I'll congratulate you on being the first villain who actually doesn't want to kill or use me," I shouted back, as Fierce Fox and I leaped up the Ferris wheel. "But that doesn't mean we won't stop you!" Just as I said this, thunder and lightning filled the sky, and rain poured down. The Ferris wheel carriage wobbled slightly, and I felt weeds growing within its planks. It needed a bit of work, it turned out. But I didn't have time to worry about that.
I faced Fierce Fox. "Can you get the transformer for me? I… I don't know if I want to jump around so high." Fierce Fox shrugged, but leaped off anyway. She chased Mademoiselle Moreau around, even doing a Tarzan-style swing on a rope. Mademoiselle Moreau wasn't impressed.
"No more games!" she cried. She held out Tesla's invention. "Now, say goodbye to Tesla's transformer!" Fierce Fox climbed aboard a hanging rope, and swung down to grab it- but missed. Since when does Fierce Fox miss?!
I scrambled around on the ground, eyeing Tesla's transformer. It's worth a shot, I thought. I held out my arms, as if I was going to catch a baby. I bent my knees; the invention continued plummeting down from the sky. I bit my lip and hopped up, reaching for the invention. It brushed my fingertips; I plucked it from the sky and held it to my chest, like a baby- or a kitten. Lucky. Meanwhile, a bolt of lighting freaked out Mademoiselle Moreau; she fell down from the sky and landed in a watery cage.
"Help! I can't swim!" she cried, flailing around. Harry Houdini looked pretty pleased with himself.
"Thank you for saving the transformer!" George Ferris said, once I handed him Tesla's transformer. "Now my Ferris wheel will work!"
Grover Cleveland, the American president, smiled at us. "As a thanks, take this presidential medallion-"
"Wait, Mr. President," I said, holding up my hand. "Where's Thomas Edison? I kinda wanna say goodbye."
"Mr. Edison is back there," Grover Cleveland answered, gesturing backwards. "Showing off his device." I nodded, and followed his direction. I don't know why, but it just felt right to say goodbye. And it's polite.
Sure enough, I found Thomas Edison gloating his invention, with a proud smile. It changed to a friendly smile when he saw me.
"Hello, Alice," he greeted. "Tesla's glad to have his invention back- and he forgave you for heroically rescuing it."
"That was utter luck." I said, though I felt a little proud of myself.
"I must show you my invention properly!" Thomas exclaimed, walking up to me. "You never really got to see it, did you?"
"No… and I'd love to, but I have to go now." I replied, feeling a bit depressed. "I came to say goodbye."
"Oh…" Thomas replied. He patted my shoulder. "Well, it was nice knowing you. But maybe you have time for one test of my invention?" I tapped my chin, then nodded.
"One test." I replied. Thomas pressed a button on the device; the engine started whirring. He and I stood in front of the lens and let it record us for a few seconds. Thomas switched it off and pressed a few more buttons, before handing me a picture. It was a grainy, yet still-visible image of he and I standing together, the Chicago fair in the background.
"You can have it," Thomas said, with a smile. "It's a souvenir. Now you should probably be going! Your friend will be waiting for you." I nodded with a grin, and tucked the photo into my pocket. I felt a little weird, since I'd just taken a picture with the dude who'd invented the light bulb, camera and other stuff. Oh, and who was technically dead in my world. But at the same time, I felt bliss. The bliss you feel with a friend.
"Thanks." I replied. I raised my hand in goodbye, while the other slipped over the photo in my pocket. It was definitely something for my treasure box.