(Reverence 3, 59 / 11:45AM)

  A large abandoned beer factory nestled itself in front of them.

  Parking the van right in front of it, Jack opened the driver's side door to gaze upon the four-story-high rusted building. One of the large chimneys blocked the deadly desert sun from hitting their faces. He had both of his hands on his hips.

  Past the large abandoned beer factory was the spread-out city built of brick and wood. Lying to the very south of the city, the gleaming afternoon lights of the ocean waters were far off to its desert horizon. Tapping his left foot, he slowly nodded up and down, turning his head to the front door.

  A door blocked by layers of wood stacked behind it, the edges being nailed to the doorframe.

  (Jack’s thoughts) I know who could open those doors.

  Looking from the back of the van, Luke had already opened the metal van doors, letting out Miles, Hope, Sean, Luna, as well as Christian, and his two siblings. Sand blowing against the bottom of their black leather boots, Luke led the group toward Jack, who continued to stare at the locked door.

  Glancing at Luna, she cracked her head left to right, standing only a foot away from the door.

  Sucking in the wind toward her blotched pink boot, she pinned the bottom of her heel straight at the center. Every nail in unison breaking free from its clutches, the nails littered the sanded concrete, as the door slowly collapsed onto the floor.

  Pulling back her foot, she swept away her hair by nodding her head back.

  (Luna) Get in.

  Letting Luke and the group go in first, the first thing that Luke took note of was…

  (Luke’s thoughts) It’s hot…

  Not even one second inside the abandoned factory, air as hot as a low-burning oven blasted onto their faces. Wiping his forehead, an entire load of sweat soaked onto the leather fabric.

  Everyone hunching their heads down to the heat, the only ones that were well off were Christian and his siblings and Sean, who only fanned their collars with their hands.

  (Sean) It sure is warm here, is it?

  (Miles) I feel like I’m going to die.

  (Luna) Where’s … the water…?

  (Benn) AC…

  (Sean) Yeah, tech here isn’t that well off compared to Kepputha, so there’s no AC, but…

  Pointing toward an abandoned freezer just from the other end of the building, the door being rusted with orange mold and green moss. All gazing on the door, Luke led them toward it, while taking in the metallic structure and stability of the abandoned beer factory.

  Orange dust clouded every corner and shadow, as every one of their boots marked themselves on the dusted floor. Reaching in front of the door, Luke opened it as he stepped one foot into the room. By just allowing his entire body in, a gust of cold air slammed onto him like a hammer.

  (Sean) Eh sure, we could plan our ride-or-die mission inside of a freezer.

  Everyone let out a long sigh of relief as the frozen air seeped into their clothes, while the oven heat plowed into the room to create a chilling equilibrium. Luke, who sat down on a frost-bitten wall, knelt at the back of his head as some of his hair stuck to the ice-cold metal.

  Glistening on the frozen floor with their palms, Luke looked up toward the furrowed elf.

  (Luke) How does this room even work?

  (Sean) Haxouburg doesn’t run on electrical grids. Power only runs independently for this building, so a generator is still up in running, creating the freezer that you guys now love.

  Pulling out the paper slip, Sean extended his hand out for Luke to grab it. Taking the paper, Luke swiftly put it inside his pocket, not letting it be brittle in the frozen-like air.

  Standing up, he pushed himself with just the palms of his hands, his skin already reddening from the ice that stuck to his skin. Clapping his hands once, he got everyone’s attention, and all their eyes were soon directed toward him.

  (Luke) We all came here for one thing, and that is to raid the Zirardge family train. Unlike before, we’re going to plan this much more carefully than previously—

  Loud snoring silenced the young man.

  Glancing from the other side of the room, a red-haired man had his entire body hunched like a ball. His mouth closed, yet his vocals were active, the sweepful snores escaped from his nostrils, along his cheek being placed right along the frozen metallic wall.

  Luna, who was right near him, began to let her right eye twitch.

  (Luna) Can I kick him?

  (Luke) sighs …forget about it. Let’s just continue.

  Clearing his throat, he thumped his chest twitch with his balled fist. Letting the airways of his lungs to be open, he swept his right side bang with his other hand.

  Walking back and forth, he used the motion of his hands as he talked along with the plan. Grabbing their attention mostly on his hand signs and gestures, half of them rubbed their fingers onto their chins, as some of their nails scratched bits of leftover debris from their fight just barely half a day ago.

  (Luke) During the raid on the ranch, the decoy strategy wasn’t that well thought out, mostly because we failed to acknowledge our strengths and weaknesses.

  (Christian) How so?

  (Luke) Stealth isn’t our strong suit. Not only that, but detailed info would have improved our chances of people getting uninjured.

  Taking out the paper slip, he let the writing speak for itself.

  Everyone seeing the last line on the paper, a little bridge managed to construct itself into all of their minds. A unison of ‘ohs’ and ‘ahs’ came out of their mouths, the only person who didn’t act surprised was Luna, who rolled her eyes.

  (Luke) To raid a train, we have to be very stealthy or very gungho. We also don’t have any info regarding the train in the first place.

  (Sean) Then I propose a little solution.

  Sean pulled out a little business card from inside his pants pocket, giving it to none other than Luke who looked at the back of it. Feeling the laminated hard paper with his nails, a first and last name were barely above his nails as Luke squinted.

  Looking upward at Sean, he also dropped his hand down to his side, continuing to carry the business card.

  (Luke) This business card…

  (Sean) He said that if I needed any help, I would just give him a call.

  (Luke) So this is help?

  (Sean) Not technically, but you said it yourself that we need info.

  Bringing the card back up to his face, he read the name again.

  Miles, Hope, and Luna hovered over the shoulders of Luke, analyzing the business card that didn’t display any picture. Smacking her lips, Luna placed both of her hands onto her hips, tilting her head to the right while coldly looking at Sean.

  (Luna) How do you know this person?

  (Sean) Like I said a while back, it’s a long story.

  (Luke) What’s the business between you and Johnny?

  Sean tilted his head downward, avoiding Luke and Luna’s eyes as he stared down at the frozen floor. His fingers beginning to slug from the frozen air, he pushed back his medium-length hair with just the gaps of them, leading to some hair jabbing itself into his nails.

  Their stares getting more colder than the air, Sean sucked in a huge breath of chilled air inside his warm lungs. His throat bitten by the air, he let out all the air from his system, letting everyone see his breath with the naked eye.

  (Sean) We were friends. Me, him, and his girlfriend. He was willing to let me plan on robbing his old man, but a month prior, he started to get cold feet.

  (Luke) A month prior … that’s around the time when Lagefor was attacked.

  He then stared into the metal door that connected the freezer room to the main building, as the oven air soon began to overwhelm the frozen air. Tapping his right foot, the heel of his boot cracked open tiny amounts of ice that thawed under the black leather boot.

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  Clicking his tongue, he scratched the back of his head.

  (Luke’s thoughts) Something’s going on here. Johnny helped us in defending the city, but for him to abandon all ideas of raiding a train, something must be wrong…

  Finally, Luke turned to Sean.

  Walking toward him, he extended his right hand that held the business card, letting Sean take it back. Rubbing his chin with the other hand, he used his thumb and pointer finger to massage his jawline, while holding his chin with the gap between them.

  (Luke) I think we could reason with Johnny. As long as we explain to him the details regarding the train raid.

  (Sean) That’s more like it.

  (Christian) Back to the main topic. How are we going to raid a train efficiently without injuries?

  His body was in front of both the elf and the young man with red eyes, Christian had his arms folded down to his stomach, keeping his eyes on Luke. His siblings side by side next to him, Christian’s body began to shiver under the temperature of the freezer.

  Both Luke and Sean looked at one another with a furrowed brow, turning their heads back to Christian. Ceasing the tapping on his right foot, he also stopped the rubbing of his jawline.

  (Luke) The first thing to note is the number of guards dispatched on the train.

  (Miles) But this isn’t just a normal train we’re dealing with, the train itself belongs to The Zirardges.

  (Luna) Yeah, there’s probably going to be a shit ton of guards on every train car.

  (Christian) And worst case scenario, our little raid on the ranch would probably double the amount of guards on the train.

  (Sean) Or if we’re lucky, maybe half the amount. They could’ve put more guards on alert to the ranch.

  Tightening his fist into a hardened ball, Luke looked up toward the frozen ceiling that was covered all over with frozen icicles. The ones near the door begin to melt from the oven air, and tiny droplets of water tap onto the metallic floor, filling the little freezer room to be more tranquil opposite of the tension.

  But then Luke remained frozen in place.

  Standing still, his eyes slowly widened as he quickly jabbed his hand inside his pocket. Pulling out a black metal device, the front of it had many numbered buttons that soon jolted every Dark Angels member, including Sean.

  While the Pacithiests raised their eyebrows, staring into the out-of-place device.

  (Luke) During our raid, some of the Zirardge guards had these hidden away inside their jackets. If even their guards have these, then so does even its family members.

  Sticking out the business card toward Luke, he instantly snatched it out of the elf’s hand while he used his other hand to hold the device. Seeing a line of ten numbers on the back of the card, he punched the numbers of the card into the device, sending out large beeps and boops in the process.

  Finished plugging it in, Luke pushed the button that soon dialed the number up, causing everyone to huddle together like a can of sardines. The device was in the middle of everyone, they all watched as the device rang out its sweet melodic tone.

  (Luke’s thoughts) Come on, come on…

  After a long minute, a young man’s voice came out from the other end.

  (Johnny) H-Hello? Who is this?

  (Sean) Hey buddy! Long time no see?

  (Johnny) Oh shit…

  (Sean) So about half a day ago, sorry if I was being a bit of a troll hehe.

  (Johnny) So you all managed to escape…

  Luke gripped the device as hard as he could, as some of its metal began to crack along with its keypad glittering from the frozen air. A soft hand nestled on top of his shoulder, his body felt like a warm blanket shouldered on top of him, despite the cold air sinking into his skin.

  A hand that belonged to a young woman with blonde hair and blue eyes.

  Sean coughed out a good chunk of cold air from out of his lungs, followed by Christian and his siblings to shiver evermore from the frozen air. Putting themselves near the door, their backs began to warm up by the air from the main building, closing their eyes to adjust to the good old warmth.

  (Johnny) Why do you guys wanna raid my family’s fortune so badly?

  (Sean) Well a month prior, you didn’t mind if anyone was willing to topple down your father’s empire.

  Silence came from the other end of the device.

  Folding her arms up to her chest, Luna soon grabbed hold of the device, causing Luke to look dumbfounded. Hovering the device close to her mouth, she smacked her lips, the chilling air crusting them to a purplish color.

  (Luna) Also. Why the hell is that man with you guys?! I thought that bastard sided with the undead!?

  (Johnny) … The only rule that my father told me about is to never explain Kenichi’s story to anyone…

  (Luna) I don’t give a rat’s ass about your fathers—

  (Luke) Let’s just drop it, Luna. If his father is willing to put us in prison for messing up his tower too much, who knows what he would do to his son…

  Luna brushed the hand that massaged her shoulder, letting out an obnoxious scoff as she rolled her eyes. Passing the device to Luke again, she walked toward a corner of the room, leaning back against the metal while putting both of her hands inside her botched pink jacket.

  Sucking in another breath of cold air, he released it swiftly, his throat and vocals starting to get assaulted by the stabbing air. Both of his feet felt like thousands of ants biting onto him, it only let him buckle his knees and quench his breath.

  (Luke) Sorry, Johnny … but we need info about the train. You don’t have to help, you could even pretend to side with your family, but please tell me how many guards are stationed on that train…

  Hundred of miles north of their position.

  Inside a small room, Elizabeth lay on a bed with her hands stretching outward, her nails barely hovering over the wooden frame.

  Sitting on a small chair, Johnny had his eyes locked on the door, with the sun blazing through the curtains that failed to do its job. Some of its benevolent rays soaking onto his clothes, he used his right sleeve to brush away a droplet of sweat from his right temple.

  Hunching his back, he bit his upper lip.

  (Johnny) The train is about 30 train cars long. The number of guards for each train car are around 10 guards; minimum.

  (Luke) Oh…

  (Johnny) The rear train cars are where the least number of guards are. Think of the train as a progressive dungeon, with the front train cars being the lowest dungeon levels.

  Sean clicked his tongue, huffing out a puff of cold air that was situated deep inside of his stomach. Placing both of his hands into his leather jacket, he walked toward where Christian and his siblings were.

  As for Luke, he scratched his left cheek, his nails clobbering off spots of unwashed dirt. Both Luna and Hope hovered over both of his shoulders, their breaths were visible to Luke’s peripheral vision.

  (Luke) About the guards. Are they similar to the ones on the ranch?

  (Johnny) Mostly, but unlike the ranch, the train is highly restricted in movement. Most of the guards usually wield trench guns for close quarters.

  (Sean) Well, that sucks. Luna would’ve been our best bet if she hadn’t lost her swords.

  A scoff came from Luna’s lips, making Sean’s mouth form a sly grin.

  Coughing the inside, Sean placed his left hand onto the center of his chest, breathing in the somewhat frozen air from where he stood. Having his hands inside of his pants, a jolted shiver traversed from his toes up to his head, the air starting to seep into any hole amidst his body.

  Ignoring Sean, Luke looked away, as another breath of air flushed out of his red-nosed nostrils.

  (Luke) Is there … anything else that may be of use, Johnny?

  (Johnny) Stealthily raiding the train would be impossible. If you guys failed to raid an open meadow ranch stealthily, you have no chance of quietly raiding a train.

  (Luke) I guess—

  (Johnny) But there is a little cheat code.

  Everyone perked their ears. Luke and his group huddled close to the device, Luke had it hover in the middle of the circle, letting everyone hear equally.

  Sean walked toward where only the Dark Angels huddled, as Christian and his siblings continued to stand in the doorframe between the freezer and main building. While Jack slept soundly, Sean hovered over Luke’s shoulder.

  (Johnny) If you know the route of where the train goes, then you guys could ambush the train.

  Sort of like hitting them in the head with a baseball bat, you could raid the very front train car; which is where the fortune is stored.

  Sean began to nod his head back and forth, a small smile lighting up despite his face and body shivering.

  Luke and the others also started to succumb to the frozen air that sunk deep into their clothes, as small sniffles were soon heard from Luke and Hope. With Miles seeming to be just right at home, he began to crack his head to the left and right, as a small exhale of air was visible to the naked eye.

  (Johnny) The train goes through all over Haxouburg. But since you guys are calling from Ridgemente, then the train would arrive at the southern port at around the fifth of Reverence.

  (Luke) That’s in two days…

  (Miles) Wait a minute, the port? Do you mean in the city?

  (Johnny) Yeah, in the city.

  Everyone turned to look at Sean.

  Sean rubbed the back of his head with his shivering hands, as some of his nails dug right along his dry scalp. Leaning his back against a wall, even Hope soon formed a small glare, letting herself create a pouting face that caused him to look blushingly.

  Licking his lips, he cleared his throat.

  (Sean) Uh…

  (Johnny) But a day before the train stops at Ridgemente, there is a midway stop between Dodgerock and Ridgemente, at a wetland city named Culkia.

  (Christian) Culkia? That shithole?

  (Luke) What’s Culkia?

  Both Pacifica and Chris giggled, with Pacifica hovering her hand over her mouth as Chris balled his fist to be placed right underneath his nose. Their stomachs churning up, they both turned their bodies away while closing their eyes, leading Christian to roll his eyes.

  Swaying his head left and right, one of the corners of his lips wanted to sprout up, but a little thump in his chest pushed it down.

  (Christian) Culkia is a city in the heart of the wetlands, home to the largest population of inbred people.

  (Luke, Miles, Hope, Luna, and even Benn) Inbred!?

  (Christian) sighs … yeah, let’s drop it at that.

  Walking out of the doorframe, Christian walked toward the Dark Angels group, having his body hover over the shark-human by placing his right hand on his shoulder.

  While staring into the metallic device.

  (Christian) How do you know that we’re located in Ridgemente?

  (Johnny) The talkie-cells are different from the ones used in Kepputha. The talkie-cells here can track down or pinpoint the location of someone you’re calling.

  (Christian) That’s just your guys' technology, Haxouburg isn’t tech-driven like Kepputha or Ticia…

  (Johnny) Overall, I am not against you guys, but … the reason why I’m telling you all of this … is for you guys to give up on this.

  Sean took away the black metal device from Luke’s hand, causing Luke to clamp down on the left side of his teeth. Raising the butt of the device toward his chin, all of his fingers that gripped the talkie-cell started to crack and creak the metal within the circuits.

  His nose was red, his nostrils sweeping off excrements of mucus, not even a dry cough wept from his throat.

  (Sean) So you said all that … to try to scare us?

  (Johnny) Listen to me. Raiding that train would be the worst thing for you guys in the long run. If you do, then the whole world will make you your enemy.

  Sean let his hand that wielded the talkie-cell drop to his thigh, tilting his head down with his eyes clouded in botched dark spots. Tightening his hold on the device evermore, everyone began to walk toward him slowly, while Sean used his other hand to grab the top of his ginger hair.

  His breathing abnormal, his nostrils sweeping down load after load of barely freezing mucus, his chest began to throb and swell.

  Until another hand gripped onto the talkie-cell.

  (Luke) Sean…

  (Sean) Are you agreeing with Johnny here? That raiding the train is an idiotic move?

  (Luke) I didn’t say that, but we’re not going to raid it in the city.

  (Johnny) Thank you, Luke.

  (Luke) But we’re not going to drop the heist just yet.

  The Dark Angels, Christian and his siblings, Sean, Johnny, and even Elizabeth all perked their heads up in unison; despite Johnny and Elizabeth not being in the same room as everyone else. All together, they were drawn to the last statement that Luke spoke out, like a moth to a candlelight.

  Keeping eye contact with Sean, Luke saw the elf gawk his mouth open, along with his dark eyelids seemingly evaporating like steam. His grip still firm on the talkie-cell, Sean’s fingers began to loosen, but his nails continued to hold onto whatever metal they clung onto.

  (Luke) Listen to me, you both. I know that raiding this train would be practically suicide, right?

  (Johnny) Exactly.

  (Luke) But … how will I find the truth?

  At long last, Sean let go of the talkie-cell.

  Now having it within his hand, Luke took a couple of steps back, watching everyone staring at him with folded arms or dropped hands. The frozen air now seeping into his stomach and liver, his back slowly began to arch forward.

  (Luke) I wanted to live a simple life, a life that I could explore; but Johnny’s father holds the key to everything that we want to know. So, please…

  Raising his other hand, he already balled it into a fist, as the crackled air stripped away dead skin and dirt from his knuckles. Putting both of his feet together for a military stance, his right side bang that covered his right eye swayed to the side.

  (Luke) Bare with me as your leader.

  The Pacithiests, the Dark Angels, except for Jack, all threw their balled fists into the frozen air.

  Miles and Hope, the only ones hesitantly throwing their right hands, both had their mouths closed as if the air froze their lips. Followed by Jack’s lips being chapped by the air, it wasn’t enough to wake him from his frozen slumber.

  In return, Luke lowered his wrist down, as he continued to have it balled.

  (Luke) We’re going to leave at dawn for Culkia. As for now … let’s just rest.