Holly pressed her foot down a little further, and the engine picked up speed just as it should.
"This replacement driveline is probably better than what this jalopy had in it in the first place," she noted.
"I'm just glad that you're driving instead of Usagi," called Twilight from her seat in the back. Usagi evidently took offense at that.
"Hey! I'm a great driver! I'm going to pass my driver's exam with flying colors!"
"You're not," stated Alucard.
The van, while more full than it had been before, seemed far more peaceful, if only because it was no longer jolting back and forth across the road. Twilight's plan had worked wonderfully, and after a little trimming with the Neutrino's laser cutter mode, the new driveline was in place, and they were on their way. They were making good time- they had nearly made it to Terre Sombre before midnight.
"We've got to be close by now," said the unicorn.
"And we are," replied Holly, pointing out the window at a passing sign briefly caught in their headlamps, which read "YOU ARE ALWAYS WELCOME IN TERRE SOMBRE!"
"Woo-hoo! We're here!" cheered Usagi.
Holly peered up the road from her several-phone-book perch. "Huh. It's a pretty big town compared to the others, but where's all the traffic? Shouldn't there be more?"
"Maybe they're all in bed?" Jack suggested.
Alucard pushed his sunglasses up further.
"No. There is death in the air."
Holly took the van out of gear and brought it to a gentle stop. She kicked the release on her captain's chair and swiveled back to face the rest of her passengers.
"How much death?"
"A lot," the vampire replied.
Holly kicked her feet up onto the center console. "Why don't I go scout ahead? If there's another team out there, it'd be good to know in advance."
"I'll go with you," offered Twilight.
Alucard undid his seatbelt. "I must accompany Miss Sparkle."
"Hey, sounds good to me," shrugged the elf. "The more of us out there, the better chances we have."
Luffy flipped his hat onto his head excitedly. "Then I'm going too."
"You two guard the van," instructed Holly. "We'll be back."
The expeditionary party set out from the van and travelled into town on foot, passing silent buildings and wrecked cars by the light of Twilight's horn. Holly drew her Neutrino as the four moved onward down a deserted road.
"Yeah, Alucard, I'm thinking that you're right. This place is pretty… dead. Are you sensing anyone out there?"
"No, police elf. For the moment, we seem to be alone."
Twilight cautiously charged her magic up a bit further. "The second you hear or see anyone, tell us, okay?"
"I shall, Miss Sparkle."
Holly held up her free hand, indicating for the rest of the fighters to stop.
"There's a barricade along the road up there," she whispered. "I'm going to go fly over, and see what's on the other side."
Twilight and Alucard nodded their approval, and the elf took off, circling over the wreckage before coming back in for a landing.
"You're going to want to see this."
Twilight's magic deposited Luffy in a smoking pile on the pavement, which he was not pleased with.
"Hey! Why don't you warn somebody before you do that-"
He realized that the unicorn was ignoring him, as was the vampire and the elf. They were all gazing silently at the ground, for beyond the barricade lay a truly gruesome scene. Hundreds of bodies were strewn across the ground, piled against cars, and hung from low windows. Twilight placed her hooves over her eyes.
"Oh, it's… worse than in Southville," she gagged.
Even Holly was having a little trouble looking at the carnage close-up. "Who could be worse than Dio?" she wondered, hand over her mouth and nose.
Alucard moved toward a single body that sat alone, facing the sky. It was a girl, not much older than most of the child warriors, clad in a bloody special-forces suit. One of her eyes had been removed, and an arrow protruded from the other.
"I have a feeling it was her," he grimaced.
"And that arrow- that's one of Katniss'," confirmed Holly. "Did she-"
Alucard wrinkled his nose. "She is not here. She escaped."
"If we didn't see her on the road or back in Southville, she must be moving the other way- along the road, like we are," Twilight hypothesized. "If we can move- ugh- faster than she does, we should catch up to her."
Alucard fished a glove into one of the girl's tactical pouches and removed a single gold coin, which he flicked squarely between Luffy's eyes.
"You heard Miss Sparkle. Let's move."