Chapter 8
The trip through the tunnel didn't look like it was going to be particularly difficult. It wasn't boring, either, with all of the science and history lessons Dr. Axon gladly gave. Well, not at first. Even though the facts were interesting, Glitch got tired of them pretty quickly. Rev laughed when she noticed him tuning Axon out at some point. The Droid scientist didn't notice, of course, and carried on and on: "The caverns of Iron Star are hundreds of millions of years old! It all used to be underwater, can you imagine? In fact, studies reveal that the planet itself used to be abundant with water. Can you believe it? A sand pile like Iron Star! It is said that the Morbots included it when they first forged the planet. But a number of factors led to a reduction…"
"That's cool, Dr. Axon." Glitch tried to appear like he was still listening.
Dr. Axon was giddier than he'd ever been. He turned into a fanboy. "Oh, I simply cannot wait to collect samples!" he gushed. "These rock formations likely have not been seen by anyone for years, much less studied."
"Um, if you don't mind me asking, Feeble…" Melvin piped up from close behind the old bot. "…how much farther must we go?" he questioned.
Glitch shook his head with amusement farther behind. Melvin was undoubtedly the "scaredy-Droid" of the posse. But Glitch thought that in the best way. He knew from the visions Void showed him earlier before that Melvin had fighting spirit. He saved Axon from Exavolt. He was merely a shy soul, definitely anxious. Right now, the caverns were really making him jumpy. Even though Glitch had his headlight on to help show the way, he still found something to flinch from. A tiny bug fell on Melvin's left hand and he frantically swatted at it.
"Eek!" he shrieked.
"Fear not, matey." Feeble answered Melvin with a chuckle. "It be not much longer, aye. The Morbots kept some gateways hidden from view, to keep 'em away from marauders. But that was a long time ago. Much of these lands during that period were overrun with pirates, thieves, and mercenaries."
"Mercenaries?!" Melvin fretted.
"Aw, Melvin, don't worry, man!" Glitch reassured him. "It's fine! All that stuff was a long time ago like Feeble said. You ain't gotta worry about mercenaries around here now."
Rev inched up behind Melvin without him knowing. As soon as he glanced past his shoulder, she startled him with a "Boo!" Melvin yelped and jumped. Everyone laughed, including him once he saw there was really nothing to worry about. Rev gave him a hug. "Aww, Mr. Melvin, never change!" she warmly told him.
...
Vlax angrily tore down a wall of cobwebs at the head of his team. It had to be the tenth one already. He started the search with high hopes. A recent finding from Mil intelligence revealed that Glitch was still alive. Satellite images last showed him traveling the desert by vehicle with a group. When Dr. Exavolt appointed Vlax to lead the expedition to apprehend him, he gladly accepted the assignment. The best part? The Doctor didn't care if they brought the miner back dead or alive. Same as before, only this time, Vlax was the one in charge. That was what excited him most. He knew this time, the job would get done, because he was the one running it. Not that insufferable Lieutenant Ivy or pompous General Epsilon!
He rubbed his mission in their faces before he left. They both tried ignoring him, as Vlax suspected they would. Jealous curs, he thought to himself. They knew he was better than the both of them combined. He was the best commander out of the group, no doubt. Now, he had an opportunity to show them, everyone, that Colonel Vlax was the greatest commander to have ever graced the Mil Empire! How he longed to have Glitch's severed head resting under his foot before his very own military. He was confident Dr. Exavolt would let him take over the entire Mil army when the time was right.
At first, he felt he'd finally satisfied his taste for revenge after blowing Glitch to smithereens. It was the same way Glitch destroyed him. It was only fair, poetic justice at its best. But even after General Epsilon delivered the headshot, the task wasn't over. They were ambushed before they could finish the job. The bot behind it escaped with the Droid soldier. The failure infuriated Vlax. He couldn't believe how the operation was foiled when they were so close to succeeding. In his mind, this new mission was his chance at redemption. His bloodlust was at its peak once again.
Up until now. Though they'd only been searching the caverns for a little more than 15 minutes, it was already fixing to drive Vlax insane. The tunnels seemed to be leading him and his squad in circles. None of the ones they chose so far were correct. He eventually had to stop to collect himself. He should've figured searching the tunnels would take time. Patience wasn't exactly his strong suit. But he was Vlax. Colonel Vlax. He was a glorious leader, and a glorious leader always knew what he was doing.
"Uhh, Colonel?" One of his troops lightly tapped his shoulder.
"WHAT?!" Vlax angrily faced him.
"With all due respect, sir," the Mil grunt said, "do you have any idea where we're going?"
"You dare question me, you insolent speck?!" Vlax spat. "I am your superior! I have been gifted with more glory than you can possibly comprehend with your pitiful grunt mind!"
"'K." The Mil grunt shrugged.
Vlax realized how he lost his composure and calmed himself. He readjusted his decorated armor and righted his posture. "Ahem." He cleared his throat. "Do not question my ability again, grunty," he chided. "I know what I am doing."
None of the grunts looked like they believed him. Vlax held back all of the vile things he wanted to yell at them. Why couldn't Dr. Exavolt assign a more competent group of men to him? Vlax knew he deserved a fit battalion, a more seasoned one at that. But grunts? These tin-headed cadets were newer than his most recent wax job. It was insulting. He forced himself to dismiss his gripes.
Ever so rudely, Vlax shoved past his soldiers to go back the way they came. He took them out of the tunnel they were in and returned to the cavern entrance where it stemmed off. He settled on the tunnel in the very center. It had to be the right choice. It was the only one left. Vlax quietly cursed himself, frustrated with all the time they'll have wasted if this happened to be the correct one all along. His squad followed him inside for the bajillionth time.
...
Glitch and the others grew warier the deeper they ventured into the tunnel. It was becoming increasingly smaller as they traveled through. The walls closed in tighter around them with each passing minute. They had to squeeze and inch themselves between them before long. Not too much longer after that and they had to crawl. Glitch didn't get nervous very often, but this made an exception. He'd underestimated the tunnel. It felt like it was shrinking. He had a foot get caught more times than he would've liked and it bugged him quite a bit. He wasn't alone. One of Rev's tires got stuck, but she got it free with Melvin's help. Dr. Axon thought he felt something crawl up into his hat and couldn't get it out because of his compromised position.
Glitch wanted this to end soon. Really soon. He looked up to try and find Feeble at the front of the group. He could hardly make him out past the rapidly narrowing walls. He could see his feet poking out from under his robe and that was it. "How much farther, Feeble?" he yelled to him. "It's gettin' a little cramped in here, dontcha think?"
"I share Glitch's sentiments!" Dr. Axon wasn't too much farther behind the soldier. "Any deeper and we will find ourselves in a bit of a fix, I am afraid!"
"Urgh. Nice pun, Dr. Axon," Rev said. Her strained comment could be heard from right behind the scientist.
Melvin was the last in line. "Might I inform everyone that I'm claustrophobic?!" he fearfully mentioned.
"Worry not, me crew!" Feeble's surprisingly calm voice rang out from up front. "This be the final obstacle! The gateway be straight up ahead from here!"
"Thank goodness!" Rev's voice bordered worry and relief. She was having to shield her head from the dirt that kept coming down on her.
Another few minutes of struggled crawling dragged by. It felt like eternities before they finally reached the end of the narrow stretch. It expanded a great deal, and Glitch gave a relieved sigh when he saw that he could stand. Dr. Axon, Rev, and Melvin emerged after him one by one a second later. Axon was finally able to see what slipped inside his hat. As soon as he pulled it off, a small, snake-like creature wriggled out of it and dropped to the ground. It frightened Axon, but it frightened Melvin at least ten times more. He jumped back, flailing his arms with a scream.
Once things calmed down again, they all looked around. The stretch had widened off into a large opening. Glitch glanced at Rev, and simultaneously, they noticed they no longer needed their lights. Rev turned off hers and Glitch did the same with his. He followed everyone else's eyes to the softly glowing object at the end of the tunnel. The group could only stare quietly in awe at first.
Feeble broke the stunned silence. He laughed out loud. "Ha! What'd I tell ye, landlubbers?" he said. "Didn't I tell ye the gateway be here?"
Glitch examined the map with Dr. Axon. The old nomad explorer couldn't have been more right. The first circled spot, the Morbot gateway they were in front of now, wasn't just located near the canyons. It was literally inside it, hidden away like Feeble mentioned. Glitch looked up at Axon. The aging Droid scientist was clearly thrilled as he gave him a wide, happy grin. "X marks the spot!" he quietly enthused.
Glitch went up to Feeble and placed an approving hand on his shoulder. "Looks like you know your way around after all!" he admitted. Feeble had proven him wrong. He might've been a bit off his rocker, but he indeed knew the lay of the land. Glitch wished he'd had more faith in him.
"Well, what're ye standin' here with me fer, huh?!" Feeble's sudden irate scream startled everyone, including Glitch. He impatiently pointed him to the gateway with his ancient metal finger. "Hurry up with the power chip, lad!" he ordered. "I ain't gettin' no younger!"
"Ok, ok!" Glitch held up his hands. "I don't have it, though. Rev does."
"Arrgh, get over here, Sally!" Feeble motioned for her to come closer.
Rev quickly wheeled herself over. She quietly stood before the gateway with Glitch. She pulled the power chip out of her hip pouch and moved closer to him. Glitch shifted his focus between her and the chip. She was holding it out for him to take.
"You're the hero." Rev's optics were endearing. "You do the honors."
Glitch gladly accepted it. He reached forward to take it from her. As he grabbed the chip, however, she placed her free hand over his. The touch froze him. It was one of reassurance and trust. He'd never experienced anything like it before. It encouraged him. He took the power chip finally and walked up to the Morbot gateway. The gateways were closer to portals than everyday doors. The ancient entrance in front of him now was similar to the one in Droid Town, just with a slightly different shape. It was partly built into the rocks. It was deactivated at the moment, but not for long. Glitch felt around it until he found the spot for the power chip. He inserted it, and the Morbot gateway immediately sprung to life. He and the others shielded themselves from the powerful light that briefly radiated from it. It reduced to a prominent glow eventually, one not much stronger than the glow it had when they came upon it. The runes engraved along its exterior were lit up now, as well. Glitch stepped back to join the others. The gateway in Droid Town had the same reaction when it was activated. He saw the area where he'd normally place his hand to open its portal. He didn't need to this time. The gateway just needed to be turned on.
"Yahoo!" Rev cheered. "Alright! One down!"
"Well done, everyone!" Dr. Axon praised.
This was the most prideful Glitch felt in a long time. "Ok," he said eventually, "now that that's done, is there an easier way outta here, Feeble?"
He was waiting to hear Feeble's response when something cold and firm jabbed the back of his head. Glitch fell completely still. He knew what it was already, and so did everyone else. Rev, Feeble, Dr. Axon, and Melvin all backed away nervously when they saw Glitch held at gunpoint. He slowly peered over his shoulder to see who it could possibly be. "Ugh, great," he muttered.
It was a Mil grunt. He was quickly joined by his fellow soldiers as they crawled out of the narrow crevice and stood in the cave opening. They were all covered in cobwebs for some reason. The final bot to emerge was Vlax. He was no different. He chuckled deviously when he saw Glitch. He confidently strode up to meet him and his group.
"Mercenaries!" Melvin cried.
Glitch locked eyes with Vlax. At first, it was almost hard to take the second in command seriously with the string of web dangling back and forth from his head. But then their last encounter flashed through Glitch's mind, and he had to fight down a wave of searing anger.
"Well, well!" Vlax exclaimed. "If it isn't my favorite rebel miner and his new friends! And you've also found a gateway for us, how kind of you!"
"How'd you find us in here, Vlax?" Glitch cut to the chase.
"Technology is a wonderful gift, no?" Vlax said. "But you lowly Droids wouldn't know that when you live under a rock pile."
Glitch forced himself to overlook the insult. Vlax's superiority complex was more pronounced than ever.
"Speaking of which," he continued, "your little hometown was graced with visitors while you've been gone!"
"What are you talking about?" Glitch demanded.
"The army of new Milbots Exavolt was kind enough to send the Droids' way," Vlax replied. "But don't be too alarmed. It was merely a small way of telling your precious commander to back down. He and the other Droids were spared…sort of!" Vlax stifled a snicker. "There will be a new Droid Town in the near future. One under Mil rule. You are quite lucky. You won't be around long enough yourself to witness it!"
Glitch was ready to explode. The information was more than enough to rile him up, but he tried not to let it. He remembered the others. He didn't want to do anything to jeopardize their safety more than it already had been.
"But enough chitchat." Vlax's sharp, accented words cut through his thoughts. "You are coming with us, miner, with or without your life. That part is up to you. Them, as well."
Vlax's remaining soldiers trained their guns on the rest of the group. Dr. Axon, Rev, Feeble, and Melvin all placed their hands above their heads. Glitch's core sunk with guilt at the sight of their worried faces. He shamefully turned his head. He got them all into this.
"Men!" Vlax snapped his fingers as he spoke. "Bring them along. Chop, chop, we've not all day."
"Yes, Colonel!" His squad responded accordingly. They quickly collected Glitch and his four companions. Against his every instinct, he reluctantly complied. He simply wasn't in a position to fight back. He was weaponless, outnumbered, and wounded. Never in his life did he ever feel more defenseless. His feeling of failure continued to inflate as they were forced back through the tunnel crevice.
But Glitch didn't have much more time to lament. As soon as they left the caverns, a harsh blow across his head rendered him unconscious. Vlax had given his men the order with a subtle hand gesture. The others received the same treatment. The five of them fell limp at their captors' feet. Once they were out, Vlax contacted his employer. "Oh, Dr. Exavolt!" he sang. "I have a special surprise on the way! I hope you like your presents gift-wrapped!"
His maniacal laugh echoed off the canyons.
...
The sound of triumphant laughter and cheering rattled Glitch awake. He lifted his head and looked around. He had no idea where he could be. He seemed to be inside a crate of some kind, but the dark didn't provide many clues. All he could decipher was that the space appeared to be moving at a rapid rate. The movement caused the floor beneath him to vibrate powerfully.
He listened to the voices more carefully. The celebratory laughs and cheers were faint. They came from another area, one that Glitch was currently closed off from. He tried moving, but he immediately realized he'd been restrained with wire. Hands tied behind him, legs tied in front. Glitch wriggled around to see if he could free either, but it was no use. The only thing he managed to do successfully was sit himself upright. He wondered how long he'd been out cold. Through the dark, he could see crates, boxes, and other cargo surrounding him. He was able to just make out the word on the crate closest to him: DYNAMITE.
He was still trying to figure out what to do when he noticed something flickering at him from the corner of his eye. Glitch looked to his right to see another pair of optics fluttering open. Like him, the bot was just coming around. Their optics were blue, so they must have belonged to Dr. Axon. He croaked out a small, confused sound as he came to his senses. His eyes lit up all the way when he spotted Glitch. He shook his head at Axon, telling him not to speak. He motioned his head toward the voices coming from the opposite area.
A third pair of optics pierced through the dark. Glitch and Axon peered to their left. They were Melvin's eyes. He jolted awake and nervously glanced back and forth. He calmed down once he noticed Glitch and Axon staring back at him. They both shook their heads at him to keep him silent. Melvin nodded to show he understood.
There were two more optics in the corner. The three of them looked over. Glitch recognized those vibrant green eyes from anywhere. Rev slowly came to and lifted her head. Relief washed over her when she saw she wasn't alone. The four of them sat staring at each other for a few moments. Glitch knew their thoughts were mutual. They were all wondering where Feeble was. He was in the crate with them, surely.
Subsequent irate screams gave them their answer. Feeble bolted upright in his bindings, cursing and shouting at the top of his lungs. Glitch's core dropped. He should've figured this would happen. "Feeble, shut up! Cut it out!" he hissed at him.
By the time Feeble heard Glitch and quieted down, it was already too late. The voices outside stopped. They'd heard the commotion. Everyone waited for the moment when someone stormed in to discover them all awake. It happened immediately. Heavy footsteps were followed by a Mil soldier bursting through the door. He flipped the light on, revealing himself and the rest of the room. Vlax's callous glare pierced into his five captives one by one. He chuckled. "Ah! So the little Droid family is awake!"
His words came out a tad differently. They were slow, impaired. The reason for it quickly dawned on Glitch. He exchanged a glance with the others. They saw it, too. The laughter they'd heard was apparently from a small party the soldiers were throwing.
Vlax half-walked, half-stumbled closer to the group. Despite being as drunk as he was, he was still able to adequately articulate himself. "I hope…I hope you are all enjoying the train ride," he sputtered, snickering.
"Train ride?" Glitch repeated. "We're on a railroad?" The rumbling under them made sense now. Glitch realized he could make out the sound of rattling steel from the railroad itself as they rode over it.
"And the Stating the Obvious Award goes to…" Vlax rolled his eyes at him.
"You had us knocked out in the dark," Glitch retorted.
"Whatever," Vlax said. "Anyway, yes. We highjacked a Droid-operated railway system for our purposes. It is efficient at getting us to and fro out in this pitiful desert."
Glitch skimmed over the cargo. That explains the dynamite, he thought. He wondered if the Mils knew about it. They checked the train's cargo when they took it over, surely.
Out of the blue, Vlax knelt to their level. He focused on one bot in particular. Glitch meticulously eyed him back. Vlax might've been drunk, but that didn't mean he was going to let his guard down in front of him. The longer he studied Vlax's Milbot face, the more intensely the anger in his chest rose. All he could see in that moment was the bot who blew him apart in the desert that night. But Glitch managed to keep his cool. He'd get out of his restraints somehow. And when he did, it would be game over for the not-so-great commander Vlax.
"Where's the train takin' us?" Glitch maintained a calm, steady tone.
Vlax laughed again. The alcohol definitely had him in spirit. "To our outpost," he said afterwards. He continued slurring his speech a little. "It is only a few hours away. Not too long, not too long."
He burped mid-explanation. Glitch instinctively recoiled from it. He almost preferred Feeble's B.O. to the stench of Vlax's alcohol breath.
"Anywho…" Vlax carried on like the burp never happened. "…a carrier will come and get us from there. You and your little Droid friends will come back with us to our main base. From there, you will get to see the Doctor!"
He broke out yet another sluggish laugh. Glitch gave him time to settle back down before saying anything. His distaste for Vlax was still there. It drove him to push his buttons. "You're a colonel, huh?" he piped up, smirking.
The question really caught Vlax's attention despite his drunkenness. He couldn't help but answer. "Am I a…am I a colonel?" he stammered. He almost sounded offended. "Of course I am a colonel! I was always a colonel. Even when I served under General Corrosive. And I am the greatest colonel to have ever—"
Glitch cut him off with a head-butt. The blow to Vlax's face sent him sliding across the railroad car's floor. He sat up in a momentary daze. Oil from his freshly cracked forehead leaked between his drunken eyes. Glitch raised himself up from his successful attempt at a middle finger to Vlax. He caught a glimpse of Rev's reaction in the corner close by. Her face betrayed surprise and approval.
But Vlax's shock didn't last forever. It was quickly replaced by fury. He aggressively advanced on Glitch. The Mil officer's inebriation didn't stop the force of his fist. He uppercutted Glitch in his wounded midsection. Pain radiated from the site of the punch, and Glitch couldn't help but crumple forward with an agonized yell.
"Glitch!" Rev cried.
Vlax smiled down at him while he was on the floor. "I hope that demonstrated my rightful place as a leader for you," he grumbled. "In case you needed a clear example. When I return, it will be to collect you for your demise."
"You nor my brother shall get away with this," Dr. Axon shot at him.
"Oh, shut up, old man," Vlax dismissed.
He turned to leave their car. He was halfway to the door when he saw Rev tied up in the corner. He briefly knelt down to acknowledge her. This made her very first time encountering Mils. There was a combination of hatred and nervousness in her eyes as they beamed at Vlax.
"A she-Droid!" His smirk returned. "I have only heard about those. You are the first one I have ever seen! So pretty, so delicate."
He ran a finger along Rev's cheek. She automatically recoiled from the touch. It left her visibly disgusted.
Vlax withdrew his finger. "None of my men have seen one for themselves, either," he said, still smiling. "Perhaps that will change soon."
He finally left, sliding the car's door shut behind him.
"FILIBUSTER! METALHEAD! SCALLYWAG! DOG!" Feeble shouted after him.
They all turned their attention back to Glitch. He was still hunched forward, grunting. The pain from the blow was terrible. He feared it only damaged his wounds further. Dr. Axon managed to inch closer to help. "Here, my boy. There, there," he soothed. "I am going to have a look."
Glitch allowed Axon to pull him upright with his mouth. It looked funny, but it was the only way he could raise him with his hands tied. He gave Glitch's midsection a thorough once-over. He couldn't tell if anything had torn or come undone beneath the wrapping.
"Is he gonna be okay, Axon?" Melvin asked.
"I hope so," Dr. Axon answered. "I will not be able to tell for certain unless I can remove the bandages."
"I'll be all right for now," Glitch muttered. He raised his optics to the door Vlax just walked out of. His gaze hardened into a seething glare. For the first time since he lay in pieces—since he locked eyes with Vex—he was seeing red. Literally.
"We so gotta get outta here," Rev insisted. "I do not wanna feel that creep's greasy finger on me again. Mils are so gross. Ugh!"
"What do we do?" Melvin questioned.
"We're gonna get the hell off this train, that's what." Glitch felt his determination come back once his pain ebbed. "But Vlax and his cronies are gonna get it first."
"Aye!" Feeble exclaimed. "I got just the thing fer that!"
He twisted his body to get something from behind him. He pulled it around in his mouth. Glitch, Rev, Axon, and Melvin all gawked at him in disbelief.
"Feeble, old chap!" Dr. Axon sounded both shocked and angry. "You mean to tell us you've had your dagger this entire time?"
"You be right about that, matey!" Feeble answered past the blade's handle. "Had it hidden in me robe! The ignoramuses never checked."
"And you're just showing us this now?!" Glitch yelled, outraged.
"Arrgh!" Feeble pridefully held the dagger up in the light between his jaws. "A true captain never reveals the cards up his sleeve," he stated.
"Feeble, we're tied up!" Rev fumed.
"I know that, lass!" Feeble defended. "I ain't totally blind!"
Glitch hung his head. The guy had no clue.
Feeble was able to untie himself first. The dagger cut through the wires like nothing. He moved on to Dr. Axon and Melvin, who were closest to him, then Rev and finally Glitch. It was a little difficult for him to stand after the gut punch. Rev steadied him when he staggered. He met her gaze. To his surprise, she had an impressed look. "That head-butt was epic," she whispered to him.
The compliment made Glitch smile.
The railroad car's sliding door had a small, square window allowing a view out. Glitch peered through it. Vlax and his men were in the car just ahead of theirs. They'd all gone back to singing and drinking, with loud, anthem-style music playing from a radio.
"So what's the plan?" Rev asked.
"Everyone get back into position and pretend you're still tied up," Glitch instructed. "Feeble, pal, I'm gonna need you for this!"
Before long, Vlax and his men were able to hear shouting over their music. They realized it was coming from the car behind theirs. Vlax let out a frustrated huff and rubbed his temples. It sounded like the smelly old Droid. Vlax glared at his soldiers. "Well don't just sit there, you imps," he snapped. "One of you go and see what all the fuss is!"
The grunts exchanged a few looks. Eventually, one of them advocated themselves and got up. He armed himself with his Level 3 SPEW and ventured to the next car over to investigate. He angrily slid open the door and looked around. "What is going on in here?" he demanded.
Glitch and the others were all sitting how they were when Vlax left.
The Mil grunt knew something was up, though, and probed further. "We heard yelling back here." He readied his weapon. He pointed it directly at Glitch. "Dr. Exavolt wants you dead or alive, rebel. Talk now, or you die," he threatened.
Feeble threw himself at the grunt with a fierce cry while he was facing away from him. He leapt onto his back.
"Was?!" The Mil grunt tried throwing Feeble off, but it was no use. The pirate turned explorer kept a tight grip around his neck. He placed his dagger up to the grunt's throat and turned him toward the door.
Glitch got up and moved in closer. "Gimme your gun," he ordered.
The grunt did what he was told.
Glitch and company emerged from their railroad car. Vlax noticed them and spat up his whiskey. He quickly shut off the music and jumped to his feet. "What the devil…?!" he started. "Men, attack!"
"I don't think so."
Glitch motioned for his group to bring forth their hostage. Feeble kept his dagger at the Mil grunt's throat while pushing him forward with Dr. Axon's help. Vlax hesitated.
"Let us off the train and you don't lose one of your men, " Glitch told him.
Vlax laughed suddenly. "Oh, please!" he said. "Do you honestly think I have an iota of care for a single grunty?"
He drew a pistol from underneath the table where he was sitting. He aimed it toward the group. Without warning, he pulled the trigger. Feeble and Dr. Axon jumped away from the Mil grunt, just in time before Vlax's bullet traveled through his head. He immediately fell limp.
"Alright," Glitch said, "Plan B."
Vlax ordered the rest of his team to open fire. Glitch and the others dove for cover behind the booths throughout the railroad car. The soldiers continued spraying their bullets. Their ammo traveled throughout the rest of the train; it reached beyond the next car. A few bullets sliced through the cargo. One crate carried alcohol. The bullets shredded through the crate itself and shattered the bottles. The liquid spilled onto another crate: the dynamite Glitch first noticed. The alcohol seeped inside. Another wave of bullets ricocheted close by. It generated a spark strong enough to light the explosives.
Meanwhile, Rev was tucked under the booth across from Glitch's. She looked at him with a hint of concern in her eyes. "Stay where you are! I got this covered!" he called to her. He had to raise his voice over the gunfire.
"What are you gonna do?" Rev yelled back.
"I got a gun, remember?" Glitch held up the SPEW he commandeered from the grunt. He saw Rev's eyes light up with hope. He winked at her before throwing himself into action. He leaped out from under his table and unloaded his rounds during his dive through the air. He cleared out the Mil soldiers firing closest. Glitch jumped to his feet once he hit the floor and began taking out the rest of them. He advanced farther up the car with every Mil he neutralized.
There were more than Glitch initially thought. A sizable handful of them swooped in on him from farther up the train. His close combat came in handy for them. He ran at one soldier and kneed him in the chin, then elbowed another as he came up from the rear. One Mil managed to grab hold of Glitch, but it didn't take long for him to get thrown off. Glitch launched him into the remaining wave of Mil grunts closing in, knocking them all down.
Glitch glanced behind him when he was done. "Guys, follow me!"
The others came out of hiding and joined him. They saw all of the subdued soldiers along the floor and looked up at Glitch. The four of them were all impressed.
"Well done, my boy!" Dr. Axon praised.
"Aye, a good job indeed, lad!" Feeble agreed.
Melvin eagerly nodded. Rev stayed silent, too, but her astonished green optics told Glitch what she was feeling. He briefly scanned the railroad car. A certain someone was missing.
"Vlax got away. He must've moved up a few cars." Glitch gestured everyone forward. "C'mon, let's get 'em."
He led them through the remaining cars. They stopped and searched each of them with the hopes of Vlax turning up in one. Glitch and the others had reached the last one when they finally heard Vlax's voice just further beyond. It was coming from the cab up front. Glitch waved for the others to hang back while he sneaked farther up to listen to his conversation with the driver. He carefully peeked through the window.
The driver was a Droid. Vlax and his men were forcing him to operate the train for their needs after taking him hostage. At the moment, Vlax had his pistol up to the bot's head. Glitch could see him cowering from the barrel behind the controls.
"What is taking so long?" Vlax's words were terse. He seemed to be sober now. "Hurry up and get this steaming pile of junk to my outpost!"
"I-I'm moving it as fast as it'll go!" The driver trembled against the gun. "The train's already at its top speed!"
There was no reason not to believe him. Glitch could tell the train was being pushed to its limit by how fast it soared over the tracks.
Vlax let down his pistol. It was a confusing response, seeing that he was clearly still fed up. He wasn't letting the driver off, though. He drew his Rocket Launcher in place of the pistol. The driver took one look at it and stifled a scream. Vlax grabbed the Droid by his shirt collar. "You see this?" he threatened. "How would you like me to send the entire train up in smoke with your body tied to the front of it? Sounds like fun, no? We know about the explosives you are carrying. It is a bit early for a light show, but no matter!"
Glitch swung open the door leading into the cab. Vlax saw him.
"Well, look who decided to join us!" he exclaimed. "I will have to put my plans with you on the back burner, my friend." He patted the driver on the back.
"Leave him outta this, Vlax. Let him stop the train. I'm not gonna tell you again."
Something violently jerked the cab back and forth. Glitch had to steady himself against the rocking. He pulled out of the cab to see what happened. The others hurried up the front car to meet him.
"What was that?" he asked.
"There was just an explosion!" Dr. Axon reported.
"The dynamite!" Glitch remembered.
They were met with even more aggressive rocking. It went on until part of the train gave in and yanked to one side. It was the half that had been sent up in flames. It continued tugging in one direction, threatening to dislodge from the railway. Glitch could feel the front half being dragged with it.
The train was derailing.