Meanwhile at the Candy Kingdom's train station, Finn was assisting the evacuation. Hundreds of civilians crowded the boarding platform in haste to leave the city. Since the other kingdoms have agreed to take a neutral stance from the war, they have effectively closed their borders to prevent any candy citizen from entering. Their leaders reasoned that they didn't want to be involved if it meant harboring spies unknowingly. Fortunately, Princess Bubblegum had already prepared a contingency plan. She would send her people towards an undisclosed location where it was guaranteed to keep them isolated and safe. Although her subjects resented her actions from recent events, they proceeded to travel towards this unknown destination because they had no other choice.
It was hectic in the station as the refugees boarded the final train. Guards were stationed near the boarding platform in an effort to maintain order, but it was not enough. People still rushed and fought against each other in a desperate effort to claim a spot on the train.
"Women and children first," the guards shouted. They were assembled beside each other, shoulder to shoulder in front of the bystanders. The whole process involved a game of push and pull as the crowd attempted to board the transport in one swift motion. In time, the situation became worse as the guards used excessive force to subdue the public. At first, they used nonlethal tactics which involved using pepper spray. But as chaos progressed the guards became brutal enough to melee with their shields and crossbows. Men and women were screaming as they witnessed a friend or family member sustaining multiple beatings. Ironically, the people endangered themselves more so than the Fire Army.
At the Grasslands, the Supreme General of the Fire Kingdom was sitting down inside his personal tent. On his desk, he had several map layouts of the Candy Kingdom. He studied them thoroughly, verifying the markings that indicated the positions of his military unit. Near his desk, he also had his cell to display the time.
Suddenly, the clock on the screen switched into a caller id. The general darted his eyes towards the phone as it began to ring. He picked it up and quickly discovered who was contacting him. "Yes," he answered.
"Brother, what news do you bring to me from the front," Phoebe asked.
He cleared his throat, "The first battle was a success, sister. Bubblegum's forces have proven to be no match for our might. However, she has left a minefield to stall the invasion. I've talked it over with the other analysts if going around it is the best option, but that'll take too much time. They said it would be more ideal to clear a direct path towards the Candy Kingdom especially with the resources we have."
"I see," she replied. "Just so you know, I plan on making an appearance once the kingdom is within reach."
Her brother nodded, "Of course, I know you like to lead by example. I'm sure the men will appreciate it."
"Before I go, do you have anything else to report?"
"Nope, that's everything," he replied nonchalantly.
A brief silence lingered until she replied again, "I'll see you soon."
He hung up his phone and shrugged to himself. "Probably no big deal," he thought.
Finn was frustrated. Despite his intervention to maintain the peace, the station remained chaotic. All the other trains have already departed but there were still people left who needed to evacuate. Only one transport remained at the boarding platform and it wouldn't be long until it started its departure.
The conductor inside the locomotive made final checks before takeoff. He pressed a few buttons and checked several of the gauges indicating fuel, engine temperature, and electrical power. After a few moments, he nodded to himself in satisfaction and grabbed the transponder nearby.
"Finn," Starchie radioed. "Do you read?"
The blond hero was called in the middle of fight, being outnumbered 5 to 1. It wasn't difficult to his liking, but he had greater concerns for the general public. "I hear you Starchie," he replied. "What's your status?"
"We're just about ready to go," the candy malt replied.
Finn ducked and strafed sideways to avoid a person using a makeshift club. Then, he grabbed the person's hand that wielded the weapon and performed a judo throw. The person went airborne for a few seconds until he collided into the other four combatants, knocking them into unconsciousness. Finn dusted his hands and replied, "Ok, just hold on for a couple more minutes. We still have more refugees we need to pick up."
"I'll do my best, but you must hurry! It doesn't look like things will get better anytime soon."
"You got it. I'll talk to you later." Finn hung up his cell and focused his gaze on another group of thugs disturbing the peace. He drew out his primary weapon, called the Finn Sword when he noticed they held spears and crossbows. Apparently they managed to overpower some of the guards nearby that Finn had to focus on them as high value targets. He would try to knock them out first, and only use lethal force if he had no other choice.
The men fired their weapons in several directions claiming dozens of bystanders. As their victims fell nearby, some of them paused and quickly looted any valuables. Others on the other hand, continued their murder spree for their own amusement. The situation was becoming out of hand as the number of guards dwindled in the area. Crowd control reinforcements were called to the scene, but it would take at least 5 minutes before their arrival. Judging from the escalating conflict however, it seemed like that would not be quick enough for Finn's convenience. As a result, he had to settle for whatever resources he had left which in this case included around 20 guards along with himself.
Somehow, Finn couldn't understand the logic of the situation. He was aware the Fire Army was being held back from the Grasslands and he figured the civilians would have a headstart to flee to safety. Despite the advantage, civil unrest grew in the train station and before he knew it, a riot began taking place. The evacuation was running relatively smoothly as far as he recalled, until the last transport remained. He questioned himself if the fiery army was approaching nearby, but turned down that possibility when the alarms didn't go off. This was something else, and he continued to think of the cause as to what made the people go berserk while repelling the armed rioters.
He dodged and deflected some of the arrows in his way. As he got closer towards one of them, one guy reversed his grip on the crossbow and attempted to melee the hero. Finn twirled and ducked using the man's weight and momentum to flip him over the shoulder. His opponent landed flat on his back, out of breath, and was quickly knocked out as Finn delivered a quick punch to the face.
Another rioter noticed the fight and smiled evilly as he aimed his weapon towards the hero. Finn's eyebrows lifted in shock, but he dove away in time before it was too late. Finn sprinted as he kept his stance low to make himself a harder target while a trail of arrows followed his tracks. He was fueled by adrenaline and he leapt high in the air with a somersault until he landed near the shooter. The man was baffled that he missed all his shots and before he knew it, he was swept off his feet until he landed on his back and was knocked out moments later.
"Starchie," Finn called. "Get this train outta here! This place is getting uglier by the second that I don't wanna chance it!"
"On it, Finn! But what about you?!"
"Don't worry about me. You guys should have a good headstart by the time the Fire Army gets here!"
"Alright, I won't stop for anything! And Finn, it was nice knowing ya."
"It was nice knowing you too, buddy. Take care of yourself and may Glob be with you."
Finn continued the fight as he and the remaining guards assembled in a horizontal line formation in front of the boarding platform. Baggage and personal belongings scattered the floor along with bodies from both sides. The station that was once in pristine condition was now smeared from blood and debris. It was hard to believe the place changed so drastically within a short time, but it became possible.
The locomotive slowly moved as the engines started up. Soon, it began picking up speed as it made its final departure from the Candy Kingdom. The transport moved fast out of downtown until it gained enough speed to take off in midair. Finn suppressed a smile as he took a quick glance, then shifted his gaze back at the rioters who were enraged they missed their only chance of escape. With the mass majority of the refugees accounted for, Finn could now make his own escape. He already knew most of the kingdom's layouts by heart that it shouldn't take long for him to leave. As far as he was concerned, his services to Bubblegum and her people came to an end. The only thing he had to do now was survive the oncoming onslaught until the military arrived.
The human and the guardsmen readied their weapons as their enemies charged towards them with vigor. Soon, both sides clashed at each other with swords and clubs. Men shouted in pain and fury as they exchanged cuts and concussions across the body. Finn made a mental check that backup would arrive roughly around 2 minutes, but at that moment he felt as though time moved deliberately slow.
As the battle progressed, Finn noticed his allies fall around him one by one. It didn't take long for the human to realize that virtually all the guards were defeated. Now surrounded by thieves and murderers, Finn gripped his sword and began to engage them with extreme focus. As he fought, he parried a blow from one enemy and performed a counter on another. Men dropped in pairs, sometimes in threes as they tried to overwhelm the hero, but they were clearly outmatched. This wasn't the first time Finn fought by himself against large numbers. In fact, it became a routine experience for him whenever he explored dungeons for treasure.
Finn's enemies continued to attack relentlessly as they swung their fists and melee weapons. Finn maintained on the defensive and alternated tactics by diving in the air, countering basic strikes, and deflecting more arrows. The human was immersed with the battle so much he didn't realize the military came to his rescue. As a result, most of the rioters diverted their gaze towards their new contenders and charged with renewed energy.
The troops instantly lobbed several tear gas grenades to subdue the crowd. In seconds, the majority of the area was obscured with thick clouds of smoke and the sound of coughing and gagging followed afterward.
Unfortunately for Finn, the guards were unaware of his presence and as a result ended up losing consciousness along with the rioters. His eyes watered and he couldn't breathe. He dropped his sword and fell on his hands and knees until he finally collapsed on his left side. As the fighting subsided, Finn could vaguely see the men approaching his position before blacking out.
