Yu-Gi-Oh! Fan Fiction ❯ Ryou Bakura: Chaos Master ❯ Driving the Sooooooul Train ( Chapter 14 )

DISCLAIMER: I don't own Yu-Gi-Oh. Takahashi does, and this chapter was partly inspired by Final Fantasy VI, which is owned by SquareSoft.

 

In the minds of normal humans, ten minutes didn't seem long enough to come up with a plan that'd save them from hours of needless battle. But in Sami's mind, who at this point was pissed to admit she wasn't human, ten minutes registered as an eternity of boredom. She sat in the booth with Ryou and waited, watching as their friends murmured and discussed, plot and plan. But it didn't do any good. None of them were particularly knowledgeable in trains or ghosts, Sami included. As it was, the ghosts inside the train were already getting curious about the newcomers on their home. They began popping in, wandering around, and generally spreading a feeling of complete and utter unease through everyone. Some tried poking to get attention, but when one came too close to Sami, she sliced its hand off as though it were actually human. The ghosts got the message after that, and most just left her alone. For a second, Ryou wondered if she actually solved their ghost problem.

 

“Can't we come up with anything?” Joey asked, when no one had said anything for nearly five minutes. The only idea they'd come up with was sneaking under the train, but Ryou had disproved that by reminding Mokuba about how physics worked, and that if they even attempted it, the sheer velocity at which the train was traveling would either kill or smear them across the tracks. And, as much as the plan promised a quiet escape… or death, more likely, Ryou had no intention of being murdered by a vehicle. Sami actually managed to laugh when he explained this, and they all turned to her. She didn't say anything to either prove or deny Ryou's explanation. She merely found it funny. Taking her sword in her lap, she ran a finger up the blade lovingly. Ryou winced when he saw it actually made a cut on her. She didn't notice it.

 

“I still say we run down the train and kill anyone who gets in the way,” she told them, “With such little space already, the only thing we can do is get up, close, and personal with our problems. Besides, fire works effectively well on ghosts. If I light one, they'll probably leave us all alone.” Ryou looked at her critically. That might've been true, but the fact that they had such little space already was key. If she went too overboard, she'd kill them. Which would then destroy their world.

 

“…I really don't think you're going to want to do that. If you light a fire, you're going to ignite the entire train!” Ryou reminded her, and when she gave him an `and?' kind of look, he added, “You'll kill us, too.” Sami looked down.

 

“…oh yeah,” she said, and her brows creased, “Damn it, I could use a drink right now.” Ryou glared at her again. Right then, in a crisis like that, alcohol wasn't exactly a good way to be making decisions. He just sighed and shook his head. Sami obviously wasn't going to help them out now. Likewise, Rex just snorted and wrote something on his notebook. Ryou wasn't so sure it wasn't a warning of some kind, though asking for a drink wasn't illegal. But fighting while intoxicated had to be, and Rex didn't actually search to see if Sami wasn't carrying anything on her. He put his notebook away, and then looked up as the roof rattled from the wind. That's when he saw the trapdoor. And grinned. That was something none of them even suggested, and it seemed to be the best plan of action. He pointed up.

 

“Anyone feeling like raising the roof?” he asked. Sami gave a questioning look as Ryou looked to where Rex was pointing. The ladder was a bit old, but Joey tested it by throwing himself at it to see if it'd break. It held. Which, considering Joey's strength, was a miracle. Ryou looked over at Sami. It wasn't that he didn't trust Rex's judgment, but he also worked with Sami to save his world before, and he tended to want her opinion before doing much of anything. Especially if anything could've gotten him killed. Since they were dealing with a world full of demons, he was sure anything would get him killed.

 

“Do you think it's safe?” he asked her. She looked at the ladder closely, looking for any signs of cracks or breaks within the wood. It withheld the years amazingly well. She turned back and gave the thumbs-up.

 

“We probably won't die if we climb up,” she replied easily, “Of course, that's not to say we won't fall off if we have to fight on the roof.” Ryou's eyes flashed warningly, and everyone else stared at her wide-eyed, wondering just why she felt that would actually assure any of them. She just shrugged, ignoring their unease, and climbed up the ladder herself.

 

The blustery rain and chilling wind were stark contrasts to the warmth and cozy atmosphere of the interior of the car. Ryou found himself shivering, and was only partly relieved to see he wasn't the only one doing so; everyone except for Sami and Yami were freezing cold. The two in question, however, didn't appear to have been affected by it. They were considering the rooftop. It was wet, and Sami was stressing that she was concerned that they'd slip if they tried to go too quickly. Yami agreed, too, but they couldn't find a way to absorb the water. Neither had a spell that would allow that. Ryou struggled to get to Sami's side. She glanced back just a second to acknowledge him.

 

“What's the status?” he asked her. He noted that she looked worried now. She pointed down the train, and Ryou found he couldn't even see the front car. Just how far back was it?

 

“Roof's slippery, so we have to be careful,” she told him, though they both knew that was redundant, considering the weather, “Chances are, the controls are in the engine car. We can't see it from here, the train's too damn long, but we should be able to get there. Let's go. The quicker we are, the better.” Ryou nodded, and turned back to gesture for the others to follow them. Sami led the way across the roof, and Ryou found her worry to be very warranted. The rain was making the trip hard enough; the wind caused many of them to slide around, their weight being too little to provide enough gravity to not be swept away. Sami ended up using a tiny chunk of her power casting a spell just to keep them from being knocked onto the tracks below. Finally, though, within a few gruesomely long minutes, they managed to make it to the edge of the train. And they managed to find their first problem, which consisted of crossing the gap.

 

“Um… Sam? You got a spell to fix this?” Joey asked, as Sami turned and saw that ghosts were starting to come onto the roof after them. She blasted three of them with lightning, and then turned to see what Joey was talking about. And she cursed angrily. The gap was over ten feet wide. No human in existence would jump that, and she couldn't carry all of them and not get caught in the rush of undead. She'd have to use more magic.

 

“Elatch du Zellos!” she screamed in what Ryou hoped was Esper language, “Damn it all, we're going to have to jump across and hope we make it.” She didn't need to look back to know that everyone behind her was staring at her. And then came the question she expected all too often.

 

“ARE YOU INSANE!?” Rex yelled, aiming his gun and firing three shots at a ghost, which missed entirely, “We can't cross that to save our skin!” Sami, as usual, didn't like being questioned. She gave the would-be detective a flat stare, and grabbed Ryou's wrist.

 

“You're just going to have to trust me,” she said, and jumped over the gap, pulling Ryou with her. He screamed, and then felt energy propelling him over the impossible gap, leaving only when he touched the roof of the next car. Likewise, when he opened his eyes, he saw Sami was already working on carrying the others with her magic.

 

“Holy crap, we actually lived through that!?” Joey exclaimed, “Dude, that's sweet!” Sami just nodded, but her face went grim again. Ryou saw that the ghosts were trying to cross the gap as well. And they were succeeding. Sami knocked some down with a fireball as Yami sent out waves of energy from his puzzle. But it didn't appear to be doing much of anything; more just kept coming.

 

“Sons of bitches!” she growled, and Ryou nearly reeled at her language, “All right, let's go before they try possessing us. I don't want to deal with that again.” Ryou and Yami looked particularly disturbed with her remark, but they continued on. The train rounded a bend, and both Yami and Joey had to keep grips on Mokuba and Yugi before they slipped off. Sami took the rear now to protect them from the onslaught of ghosts, and she held up well. Fire, as she said, seemed to be the most effective spell against them, and she seemed to have a never-ending supply of it. They went out like lights, and the death count kept rising as she backed up toward the end of the second car. She was glad to find she didn't need to tell them to jump again, this time the gap being small enough to clear.

 

“FREEDOM!” Joey roared, picking Mokuba up and flying across. Rex, Ryou, Yami, and Yugi followed his lead, and Sami impaled another ghost with her sword before leaping across, her wings flapping to guide her against the wind. She landed, and flew down the ladder; holes dotted the roof of the train, and she didn't trust it to not cave in. Unfortunately, she found her next problem.

 

“What's wrong?” Rex asked, when he went down and found her nearly breaking the door right off its hinges. Any longer, and she might've succeeded in it.

 

“Damn train's latched and the roof's going to fall in,” she growled furiously, “Gap's too big to jump, too. We're in trouble now.” Rex watched as she yanked on the knob even harder than before. He heard metal scraping on the wooden floor, and almost told her to stop. Except that if she didn't break the door, they'd be fighting ghosts forever. Finally, she said, “Elatch du Zellos! Rex, tell me you have a damn lock pick!” Rex's eyes widened in disbelief. Why she'd think he of all people had one was a mystery not even he'd look into.

 

“Of course not! I'm a detective, Sam,” Rex reminded her, “Breaking and entering is against my job protocols.” Sami's lips thinned. Of course he'd give her that bullshit. She nearly forgot he actually worked for the law, what with him being so damn good at his job. She flatly turned to Ryou, who followed when she shouted her Esper slander again.

 

“Can you pick the lock?” she asked in exasperation. Ryou's face paled. The look of frustration told him that if he actually answered, she might lose it. But if he didn't answer, she'd definitely lose it. He shrugged nervously. And that was enough. She knew he had no idea what to do, and in uncontrolled anger, she threw her head back, her eyes flashing red.

 

“BAKURA, YOU FUCKING IDIOT! HOW COULD YOU NOT TEACH RYOU HOW TO PICK A DAMN LOCK!?” she screamed as loudly as she could, and then huffed a bit, trying to control herself. She forced her attention back on the lock. She didn't risk using magic in case she really did set the train off, but there wasn't much else they could do. She kicked at the door, but it didn't budge. Frustrated, she called Joey over, and with her and Rex, all three of them charged at the door. It fell in a pinch under their combined strength, throwing the three of them into the chamber. Ryou ran in, jumping over them to reach the dusty table, which held an equally dusty book on it. He opened it up and read it as Sami stood.

 

“What did you find?” she asked curiously, walking toward him.

 

“Some sort of log. It says we need to pull down two levers to stop the train,” Ryou replied, “Listen to this: `Pull down levers 1 and 3, but leave the middle alone. That will signal the automatic emergency brakes and stop the train.” Sami blinked as Ryou looked back at her. She appeared slightly confused, even though the directions were crystal clear. But when she next spoke, Ryou found her confusion was actually just more curiosity.

 

“What happens if we pull the second lever by mistake?” she asked. Ryou flipped through the book, but it didn't say what the consequence of that particular action was. Maybe there was none. Except that there were six levers. Why bother making six if only two worked?

 

“Maybe the lever code just won't work,” Ryou concluded, closing the book, “Either way, at least now we know what to do.” Sami nodded, until a scream caused them both to jump. Yugi rushed in, and Ryou heard crashes outside. He could only guess what was happening out there, and he prayed to anyone that'd listen that Yami was winning the battle.

 

“Sami! The ghosts are back!” he cried. Sami's eyes widened, and she rushed out, not caring that she nearly bowled Rex over again to get there. Ryou followed quickly, and saw her throw a massive fire blast at the ghosts, incinerating many of them to dust. Those that survived had been knocked so off-balance that they fell off the tracks and could no longer keep up. Sami just laughed mightily. Ryou doubted they'd be a problem now unless they were stupid as well as dead.

 

“Move!” she commanded firmly, and no one hesitated. They rushed down the car, stopping just short of the gap. This time, a thin catwalk allowed them passage. Sami quickly pushed them onwards, stopping just once to unleash another massive blast of magic. This time, she chose lightning to be her harbinger of wrath. The light was blinding, and she used it to buy them more time. She rushed across, panting from the effort of her previous spells. Ryou guessed they were close to being beyond her actual limits.

 

“Open the engine!” she called, “I'm going to disconnect the cars!” Ryou nodded, trusting her decision. He ran to the door and threw it open. At first, it stalled. But with Joey's strength, the door gave. Then, they heard another mighty blast of lightning. Ryou was worried Sami was going overboard with power, but he wasn't about to stop her. She was winning. He looked over and saw that she nearly had the cars disconnected. One more heavy slam of her tail broke the metal connector in half, both halves slipping off. Slowly, the cars separated, and the car they just exited from began to slow, and then reverse back down the tracks.

 

“Take that, you ugly sacks of crap!” Joey laughed as a few brave souls decided to jump the train and try to chase them on foot, only to fail miserably. They were no match for either the train or Sami's massive spells.

 

“Why don't you losers haunt someone's grave!?” Rex taunted, as they ran into the engine room. It was sparse. All that adorned it was a furnace for burning coal, and a set of six levers on the back wall. With a flicker of her eyes, Sami sent Ryou to complete the operation. He pulled down the first and third switch, and slowly, the train rumbled. A whistle blew outside.

 

“It worked! We're slowing down!” Yugi exclaimed, as they began to walk out of the car. Then, the train gave a furious shake, nearly throwing them off. It turned from a black, to a bloody crimson color. Ryou felt an amazing power surge coming from it, and he clutched Sami's arm. She looked mildly alarmed, but unafraid, as usual. How anyone could've been that calm was beyond Ryou. He was personally ready to shit his pants.

 

`So it was you who stopped my progress through Winbourne!?' came a dark, angry, deep voice. The wind itself seemed to die down under the rumble. Joey looked around, wondering just where the voice had come, but Sami pointed at the train. He stared at her finger in disbelief.

 

“Does this train actually talk!?” he asked, eyes widening. Sami gave a curt nod, and the train laughed.

 

`Mortals are so idiotic!' the train roared, and exclaimed, `But enough! No mortal shall stop my progress. I will run you into your graves!' Sami's eye twitched. Ryou wondered what was wrong until he heard the engine rumble. Then Sami was on the move, already dashing away as she screamed the one thing she knew they'd understand and follow without concern.

 

“RUN THE HELL AWAY!” It wasn't even necessary. Everyone was already following her, including the train. And they knew it was only a matter of time before it sped up further and mowed them into the dirt.

 

“Why… the hell… are we fighting… a fucking train!?” Joey wheezed, as they tried to run down the tracks. Sami turned quickly and blasted a huge wave of lightning. It knocked one headlight out, causing a decent chunk of damage, too. But it also threw half the tracks into blackness, making it harder to see where they were going. If the forests on the sides of the track weren't so thick, Ryou would've suggested running into them. He guessed the forests, however, would've been likely to attack them, too. In a world full of evil magic, anything could've killed them.

 

“How the hell are we supposed to hit it if we're running!?” Mokuba demanded, as they jumped or crawled over a fallen tree in the tracks. The train merely sped over it, crushing it as splinters flew off into the dark night. Ryou silently wanted to know how they'd accomplish that, too, but as usual, Sami's answer was just vague enough and simple enough to confuse them all.

 

“Just hit the damn thing!” she yelled behind her, and stopped as everyone rushed past. She threw another incinerating blast of wildfire, and Ryou was sure the train should've at least slowed from the beating. But it didn't seem to deter the train in the least. And Sami wasn't able to move while casting such a devastating spell. He stopped. He had to help her. He closed his eyes, wishing he'd brought the Zerrkandrr with him. And suddenly, he felt the weight of something heavy in his hands. He opened his eyes. It was the Esper sword in question, glowing blue. It heeded his call. He grinned. Now he could rip that train a new doorway.

 

“Ryou, what are you doing!?” Sami yelled when he threw her forward as hard as he could to keep her away from the train. He turned around, gripping the sword, and leapt up, slashing the second headlight and making gash upon gash on the metallic exterior. At first, it appeared that Ryou's attacks did nothing short of making the engine furious, but then, his cuts began to get deep enough to tap wire. Jolts of electricity ran through every cut Ryou began to make, and slowly, the train began to halt. When he touched a pool of energy, the shock sent up his arm told him it was where Sami had previously aimed her inferno. One last slash connected with that magic, and the interior began to explode, a shower of flaming sparks erupting inside of the engine. Ryou felt the train rumble, and withdrew his sword, scrambling to get off of the front and out of the way. He fell to the ground and got up running, quickly making it back to where everyone else was. Without a word, they all ran from the train as loud bangs and explosions sounded. The headlights, damaged as they were, flashed for a second, and then fell dead. The entire train was motionless, and carefully, Ryou stepped forward, sheathing his sword.

 

“…did we actually kill it?” Joey asked in the hushed silence, walking over toward the engine. It didn't rumble, which meant they at least damaged it a little. Sami nodded, placing a calming hand on Ryou's shoulder. The poor boy was trembling all over, and she didn't know if it was because he had been zapped with energy, or because he was actually scared. Either way, he was shaking and she had to calm him a bit before they continued.

 

“…looks like we did,” she answered, until the train's lights flashed for a second. Her eyes turned to slits. She partly expected that, but it still perturbed her how many hits the train took to stop. However, upon hearing the low rumble of the train's voice, she realized the battle had been won.

 

`You… you have bested me. Mere mortals have bested me, the train of Hell!' the train rumbled in disbelief, and then the whistle let out a long sigh, `Very well. I shall take you to the city of Desbin. But first… let me pick up the souls of the dead who've slipped here unknowingly.' Everyone looked at each other, no one knowing just what that meant. Sami looked at Ryou. His skin paled from the energy used for his last attack. She had to take the lead for him. She stepped forward, her sword in her hand cautiously. Even if the train admitted defeat, years of battle told her not to take risks.

 

“Very well,” she said carefully, slowly, “But then… those ghosts… were they souls of the departed here?” Ryou couldn't really understand why Sami was so cautious. He no longer sensed any maliciousness in the train. But Sami was skeptical about what it said. Did she know anything more? She must not have, for she said nothing else nor made any accusations.

 

`Yes, but they are souls that refuse to pass on,' the train explained, `It is my duty to take the souls of the dead and send them to Oblivion to rest. That is why I attacked. I assumed you were here to stop me from that. I see now, I've made a grave mistake.' Sami nodded, looking down. She saw Joey move forward a little, and almost went to stop him. Except that they weren't in danger. She'd just be wasting her time.

 

“Man, now I feel bad that we busted you up!” Joey exclaimed, slumping a little in guilt, “There anything we can do to help, man?” The train just rumbled in laughter, the loud noise echoing through both sides of the expansive forest.

 

`No. My parts will reappear soon enough,' the train said, and opened its door, `Now, please board. Waste no time, mortals.' Sami walked on first, and beckoned the others to follow her. They did so, and immediately, the train rumbled onward.

 

It seemed to take only a few short minutes before they reached the train's next stop, where it let them out. Coincidentally, it looked almost exactly like where they'd boarded in the first place; gray grass spread in all directions, and the same dark road stretched north and south endlessly. But this time, they departed upon a stone platform, the only landmark they'd seen for some time. Sami and Ryou turned back, and slowly they began to see the souls needed to be picked up. Ryou wondered if it was due to Sami's power exuding around him; no one else seemed to see the souls. At the last two, however, his mouth dropped open. He saw faintly his mother, and his little sister.

 

“M…mother!?” Ryou called, eyes tearing up, “Amane!?” The train whistled, and began the slow crawl down the tracks. Ryou took off toward the end of the platform, and then watched helplessly as the train slowly began to speed up. He would've jumped, except that Sami had caught up and grabbed his shoulder to stop such an attempt. Not that it'd have actually done anything. His family was dead, though he did note that his father wasn't among the spirits.

 

“Ryou, stop,” Sami said gently, but firmly, “There is nothing you can do. Let them pass.” Ryou turned to her, not even bothering to hide his tears. He couldn't believe she would say that to him! He was in such pain! But… then again, she had lost friends and family as well. She understood his desire, possibly even acted upon it herself. And she found it futile. She refused to let that happen to him. Ryou wanted to be grateful, but right then, seeing his own mother and sister was too much.

 

`Ryou…' his mother called, and he looked up, `Ryou… my little boy… I'm so sorry… my little Ryou…'

 

`Don't make me haunt you, stupidhead!' Amane called from behind her mother, brows creasing as she watched Ryou shrink from view, the train rounding a bend. Ryou just hung his head, trying to get a grip on himself. They'd been gone long before now, and he had to just accept that. Besides, they had other problems, too. And he had Yugi's support concerning this. Sami let go of him, and silently left him, walking down off the platform and toward the others. Joey moved to walk over to where she came from, but she stopped him with her sword.

 

“Leave him,” she said firmly. Joey hung his head and walked back. Sami just turned, keeping her silent watch on Ryou. He stood on that platform for many minutes, neither speaking nor moving. Sami wondered if he was even breathing. But finally, he came down after several contemplative moments. He reached Sami, and looked down at her. She looked so serious… but he sensed a gentleness in her, too. She sympathized with him.

 

“They're really gone,” he said, feeling oddly detached as he spoke. Sami's lips thinned sadly, and she clapped his shoulder.

 

“You knew that long before now, my friend,” she replied, and the strength in her voice somehow seemed to refresh him, “Now it's time you moved on. Move, but never forget.”

 

“I just… I don't want to lose anyone else,” Ryou whispered, “Not Yugi, nor Bakura… nor you. Nor anyone.” Sami chuckled softly, a small smile creeping onto her face. At times like these, it was good to have her around. She had an underlying strength, that even when someone faced the very worst, her words always made them feel stronger. His voice hadn't even cracked as he spoke.

 

“We all eventually die, Ryou,” she reminded him, though it felt more like she was talking to all of them, “Not a single one of us isn't mortal. But rest assured our times haven't come yet.” Ryou nodded. She sounded so sure of it, but part of him was still worried. She herself had been shot, had lost enough blood to die by normal human standards. Then she and Yami had both nearly died from the lightning storm before they'd landed in Winbourne. Too many times, Ryou had been shown how mortal his strongest friends truly were.

 

“I can't help but worry,” he said slowly, “I'm sorry… You're so strong and fearless, Sami. And here I am crying about my mother. I just… I'd lose it if I lost anyone else. I'd jump right off after the train.” That same small smile reappeared on the older woman's face. She looked at Ryou so knowingly; it felt like he was looking at his own mother, her kindness felt so strong.

 

“You wouldn't have the selfishness to jump,” she reminded him gently, “As for my being fearless… call it mere cynicism. I've learned too much that people come and go. Life is too fragile, and it's shown me that I don't want to get too attached. Don't become like me, Ryou.”

 

“You mean bitchy and sarcastic?” Rex interjected, and Ryou actually laughed, “Sam, I doubt anyone could beat you at that. Except for maybe Kaiba, but you could just kill him for it.” Sami's eyes narrowed flatly. She'd nearly forgotten such an idiot was still around. She blamed it on the fact that she was worried for Ryou's sake.

 

“Likewise, I could kill you, too,” she reminded him bluntly, and turned toward the grassland, “Now let's go before I actually act on it, asshole.” Ryou just sighed, fully expecting her bitchiness to kick in soon. It was nice to know she could tap into it at any given time. Rex just snorted, ignoring her as she walked past him and further into the grass, taking some vague route no one yet could determine.

 

“Don't make me shoot you,” he grumbled in response, as they began to follow her. She just laughed at him. Silently, Ryou didn't want to tell him that she'd already been shot and all it did was knock her down for a few minutes. He'd probably take it to mean she was the bane of all that was justice and police-oriented. Guns, after all, were the staple means for cops to kill criminals.

 

“Go ahead. Can't guarantee I won't be pissed as hell when I deflect it, though,” she replied easily, not even caring how easily a human would fall before a gun, “Just know that when you do, I'll shove my sword so far down your throat that you'll be shitting metal for three days.” Ryou saw Rex shiver. That was a threat he knew she could back up. Wanting to avoid the unnecessary bloodshed, Ryou bit his lip and quickly changed the subject.

 

“Sami, where are we heading now?” he asked her. She stopped suddenly, as though she hadn't quite thought that part out for herself. She scratched her ears nervously. It was painfully obvious she hadn't thought that part out.

 

“Well… the train mentioned a place called Desbin,” she said after a minute, “We'll go there, and we'll see if we can find anything.” Ryou just blinked. That was, of course, the obvious choice of action. But what he, nor anyone else, could understand was how she knew where to even go. Was she just guessing? Ryou asked her that, and she just laughed. She didn't even give an answer. She just continued on as though she knew exactly what she was doing. So, of course, Rex didn't believe for a second that she did.

 

“What the hell!?” he called, as they tramped down the grass, which they found to their dismay to be damp, “Okay, we're supposed to just follow her without even knowing what the hell we're doing!? In what reality does that work!?” Yugi just chuckled as he and Yami walked to catch up to Sami. They didn't have a problem with that. Likewise, neither did Joey or Ryou. Mokuba seemed to be the only one who had common sense, at least in Rex's mind. Ryou just shrugged as they continued, Sami eventually finding a stick and using it as a torch for them to see with. Off if the distant horizon, she could see the sky was black. It must've been nearing midnight by then.

 

“It could be worse,” Ryou reasoned, speaking just loud enough for Rex to hear, “We could be walking into a pit of lava.” Unfortunately, if he actually thought that was going to help, or was even remotely funny, Ryou was wrong. Rex wasn't even smiling. His brows creased and he scowled. He didn't trust Sami nearly as much as everyone else. Then again, he had no reason to.

 

“It doesn't matter where we're going! This is reckless endangerment!” the flustered man cried, clutching his cap, “Damn it, if we were in Domino, I'd have her arrested for this! I'm not getting paid enough to deal with this crap!” Ryou glanced over flatly at Rex. He didn't have to come; he only came to appease his boss.

 

“I guess it's a good thing we're not in Domino, then,” Ryou stated, “Now, you can either try trusting Sami and hope we're safe, or you can stay here. Either way, the rest of us are going.” Then, he stalked ahead. Rex just watched him for a minute, truly floored with the fact that Ryou trusted Sami implicitly. No, not just Ryou. Everyone was trusting her to dig them an early grave. And that technically didn't make it reckless endangerment. Rex couldn't have stopped this if he tried. Sometimes, it sucked to be a cop.

 

“What a dumbass,” Rex growled, stuffing his hands into his pockets and then walking after Ryou. To hell if he'd be left behind because he didn't trust their assumed leader. To hell if he'd be fired for it, either. Rex Raptor would investigate this incident, even if it killed him. And with the knowledge that Sami was leading them, that was more than likely the case. Sometimes, it really sucked to be a cop.

 

-----------------------------(End Chapter)

 

Through some miracle that no one can explain, Ryou and his friends actually managed to kill a train. And now, they must go to the city of Desbin to get some information. Can they find anyone willing to help them, and will they get back to their own world? Find out next chapter, so click that Review button!