"Everyday feels different... SO WHY DO I STILL VOMI-"
After Ven had finished vomiting up some wires from the drop, he wiped his mouth from the faint bit of oozing copper from his mouth.
"Geez, you really are a pussy if that hurt." Rat said with a smirk as she began to walk.
"Oh do one. Do you not have a censor Rat girl?"
"I do, I just don't use it for people lesser then me."
Ven sighed as he quickly used a portal to catch up to the other two.
The trio walked through the damp and muggy underbelly of the world, also the nickname of the city as some call it. and after about an hour of walking, they ran into a a young woman with short red hair that covered half her face, trying to defeat a dreaded beast... A dog.
"Back foul beast, you shall not beat the great future hero!" She yelled with victory in her voice as the dog licked her face, failing to notice the the three people standing behind.
Rat coughed to catch the woman's attention, which she quickly darted around with a blush of embarrassment written all over her.
"R-Rat... Why i-is my predecessor trying to undermine me right now?"
"Oh, my dear sweet little Ami..." Rat said as she put her hand on her shoulder.
"I don't have to try to undermine you. You do that to yourself. Now how about you go back to desires before I have Panila personally behead you."
Ami's face went white before laughing confidently. "S-Shut up, you're just jealous that Panila liked me over your chosen one."
"She only chose you because she's pissed I'm retiring. You're just a child compared to Biz. Plus, what are you? A hero? More like Mollia if she gave up on life, became a trash snivelling pack animal and begged for respect from those she viewed as above, even though she has no class, tact, or any sense of the word 'being loved'. How's that for jealous, you little bitch?"
Everyone, even Tidbit all remained silent... until Ami ran off crying with her dog.
"Rat. How many times are you going to make her cry? She is just a child compared to the other leaders." Uma sighed, continuing to walk ahead with Ven.
"I'll be nice to that bitch when she learns to grow a pair and act like a leader."
Uma just rolled his eyes and he thoughtfully stroked his beard. Ven and Tidbit just felt awkward after that and quickly hurried off.
And so, our amazing companions (Or mediocre mercs and merchants) pressed on towards the city, encountering trials like, walking over rocks, facing falling pebbles and most dangerous, Rat going on a two hour speal about the difference between Anime and Hentai for some reason.
And after all of that was said and done, they finally reached the train station.
"Here we are, The underbelly's finest station... Only station." Rat said with a smile as she presented it with jazz hands. Tidbit took over for Ven after the first hour of Rat's hentai conversation, so just nodded for him.
"Yes, it is pretty cool. I have never seen something like this. I always wanted to see a train with my own eyes!"
"Well, this station is owned by two undead siblings, so we should get a discount with you here."
"Is that racist?" Uma asked with a chuckle.
Rat pulled out a large wooden bat with a rat engraving on it, causing Uma to quickly back away.
"That's what I thought. Little bitch, can't even handle the Rat Stick. Fukin love my rat stick. Wanna hit someone with it now." Rat grumbled, but was quickly silenced by the roaring engine of the incoming train pulling up to the station.
"Now boarding for [Pandora's Tears]"
"This is us." Rat said as she pointed to the opening train doors with her thumb. Bit nodded and got on the train with Rat, Uma on the other handed shouted: "I'll see you in the city later, Boss."
Rat flipped him off as she got on, causing Tidbit to do the same, thinking it was some underbelly greeting.
"What a nice man."
"Yeah yeah, Bit." Rat said as she sat down at a seat with a table, motioning for Tidbit to take a seat as the train began to move. Tidbit nearly fell out of her seat, not used to being in control or even being on a train for that matter.
"So, is this how people live everyday?"
"Yeah?"
"Woooow! It's so cool! I wish I got to live like this!"
"It doesn't take much to impress you does it?"
"No it does not!" Tidbit said with a chipper voice as a lanky young undead went to take Tidbit's ticket but quickly darted off upon seeing her.
Tidbit, in Ven's body still, talked with Rat about what her job is like for awhile as they both sat idly on the train, but soon were interrupted by the intercom whirring to life.
"May Ven Misa Please come to the conductors cart."
Rat looked at Tidbit confused, but didn't ask, mostly due to the fact that she didn't care. "You're in control, Bitty. Go to the captains cart."
"Conductor."
"Don't be a smart ass." She said as she covered her face with a news paper, but Tidbit could see that Rat had already fallen asleep in the second it took for her to take out a news paper.
She excitedly ran off to the conductors car, skipping like a child in the body of a young adult man.
She soon reached the front car with a smile on her decaying face.
"Salutations!" She said with a salute, causing a short woman holding a scythe to ask bluntly. "Ven... Are you uh... Feeling alright? I mean, besides from being dead."
"OH! You must be Ven's friends, I'm the one who kept him alive, I'm in control right now, you're not going to be hearing from him again." She was trying to be friendly, but it more came off as a threat.
The lanky one pointed his sniper rifle at Tidbit. "What do you mean he's not coming back?"
"Oh, he's asleep right now, I don't know if he'll wake up."
"Well... How about we wake up our sweet captain right now?"
The short woman said as she clutched her scythe tight. Tid-Bit clapped her hands together with an innocent smile, though it freaked the two out seeing someone smiling like that, especially with Ven's face.
The duo train conductors quickly moved in to deal with, in their eyes, a creature who's taken over there boss's mind. With the lanky one firing shot's at range, while the short one charging in with her scythe.
They were surprisingly agile for undead, while Tid-bit, with help from Ven's muscle memory, barely dodged the attacks.
"Woah, wait, I'm not a threat."
"Yeah right body snatcher. We already know what you sub-minds do!" They both shouted in sync as the short one slid on the floor, aiming for tidbit's legs as the lanky one fired a shot aimed for her brain.
Tidbit clumsily used Ven's portal magic, opening one under her own feet and falling through a wall, next to the lanky one, who in turn swung for Bit. She went to block but accidentally made a portal on her hand, redirecting his fist towards the shorter one, who stumped over from the hit.
"Oww! Mementis! I swear to the gods!"
"S-Sorry... Look, let's try again?"
"Fine..."
The two jumped back, swapping weapons with each other and charging. With the short one attacking with the sniper but using it like a melee weapon, going in and firing a shot off that grazed Ven's hair.
"C-Careful! I don't think Ven would be happy if I ruined his body while he sleeps..."
She said with a sad look as the lanky one threw the scythe, but in the nick of time, Tid-Bit summoned a portal next to her side and redirected the Scythe towards her front, though accidentally hitting the train controls instead.
"Oh."
"My."
"Balls."
The three looked at each other before laughing. The train began to pick up speed, tumbling down the tracks. Now the three were actually panicking.
"What do!"
"We are dead!"
"I'm not ready to die... Twice!"
Tid-Bit thought of the best thing to do and banged her head on the rusty walls of the train, awakening Ven.
"The... Hell? Is Rat still talking about Hent- MEMENTIS AND MORIA!? ARE WE ON A TRAIN WHY ARE WE FAST!"
"Ven, portal, NOW!"
"SIZE ONE, MAKE TRAIN SMALL!"
The duo yelled at him in a panicked state as they were almost reaching the station. Ven took a deep breath and opened a portal about 2 miles in front of the train. He began channelling his magics, his body glowing with a light blue mist as he began opening up a gigantic portal to fit an entire train.
The portal began to tear open as the train came barrelling towards him at high speeds, Tid-Bit cheering him on internally.
AS he had finally opened one big enough to fit the train, he opened a hand sized train next to his foot as the train speed through.
The train raced through the portal like a gigantic bullet in one moment, only to hit his foot like a toy car bumping against a door in the living room.
"Finally... Now, BIT, WHAT THE HELL HAPPEND WHILE I WAS OUT!?" He yelled before laughing as the passengers were all mildly confused on what the hell was happening.
After Tid-Bit finished explaining what had happened. Ven sighed, sitting down next to the miniature train with a small smile.
"So Mementis and Moria are still kicking after 283 years... Well, kicked the bucket so to speak." He said as he stared at the front of the train, seeing the two waving at him from inside. Suddenly he heard a familer voice in a more high pitched voice.
"Ven... Why the hell am I tiny!?" It was Rat, who had stormed out of the cart just to moan at Ven. He and Tidbit had the brief thought of just flicking her away like a gnat, but she simply said: "Touch me, and I will burn you alive, Dead Thing."
For some reason, even though she was tiny, he still felt intimidated by her cute little words. Rat stared at Ven with a grin. "So, I'm assuming Tid-Bit broke the controls, and you saved us from most certain death?"
"Pretty much, little Rat."
"Haha. Don't call me little. I can still open a can of whoop ass. Now, I'm assuming you're going to carry the train the few miles that are left? Since, it is your fault we are in this mess. Well, your hearts fault."
Ven stared at Rat, then at Tid-Bit who awkwardly smiled before fading away. "WHAT!? Don't leave me like a ghost here! God. Fine, Rat."
And so, Ven was stuck carrying the train for the next 7 miles.
After finally arriving at the train station and resizing the train back to normal, Ven arrived in Pandora's tears. He and Tid-Bit were surprised by the glowing lights, the blinding neon lights, the images of celebrities, Ven's wanted poster being broadcast on the news, flying cars.
"Wait, wanted poster!? WHAT DID I DO?" He yelled as he quickly hid his face. "Well, we did sorta just almost cause a train to crash."
"You. You almost caused a train to crash. I saved the day as well."
Rat comes up behind the two bickering and hands Ven a phone. "This has my number on it. I'll let you wander about. Try not to get arrested, Pan already hates me."
"Pan? Who's Pan?"
"Sorry can't hear you, I'm already leaving." Rat quickly ran off into the crowds off people as the water from the cavern above leaked down, making it almost seem like rain was falling eternally here.
"Well. What now?" Tid-Bit asked with a smile.
"Well, If the duo conductors are still kicking, then I'm sure that Tika is kicking! So, I'm going to find her and maybe not die. Aaaaand find out why she killed me, and what happened... And also get the sub-minds... God, I have so much to do." Ven groaned as he sat on a bench next to a young woman with white hair.
"You okay, sir?" She asked with a smile.
"Yeah, I'm fine. Just got... Aloooot to do in this city."
"Well, this place wasn't built in a day. You might as well do one thing at a time and see what happens?"
"I guess I could? Not a bad shout, Miss?"
"Lily. That's what people call me." She said with a smile as she put her hand out to shake.
"I'm Ven. Ven Misa." He said as he shook her hand, taking note of the fact that she's the first human he's met in The Underbelly, not counting Uma.
"There aren't a lot of humans about... Why is that?"
"They mostly live else were. I mean, this city is advertised as the city of connection, but it's more just a place where the remaining Monsters decided to call home. I only live here 'cause the rent is cheap." She laughed. "And mainly because my daughters always went on about how they wanted a place where they didn't feel like outcasts. Well, Adopted Daughters. Why am I telling you my life story?"
"Cause exposition is fun?" He joked, checking out the view of the city from down where he was, even the reflections seemed to have a colour to them.
"I guess you're right. Well, Rabbit. I hope you find what you're looking for. Who knows. Maybe you'll get the bestest ending?"
Lily said with a smile as she walked off.
Tidbit appeared next to Ven on the bench with a smile. "Who were you talking to?"
"Some woman named Lily. She seemed nice."
"I'm sure she was. Right! Now, what do we do now?"
"Uhm... Shit. I haven't gotten that far yet. Plus we're wanted... Reckon we'll get lucky and find a someone who's willing to let us stay?"
Tidbit stared at Ven, even she knew that was unlikely.
So the two headed out for a walk, checking out the sights, maybe using a portal to steal some food, realising that undead can't really eat when their organs now contain wires and fibers, and then reaching the central Plaza of The Underbelly, sitting on another bench and stating up at the cave roof that loomed over them.
"Such a city. Who knew it existed... Well, I did, I jsut never thought it would actually look this way." Ven said with a laugh. Tidbit stared at the spire in the centre of the city with a look of awe. "Maybe we'll have to get in their for a submind?"
"Or maybe we'll go and blow up a candy store?" Ven joked. As the two bantered they looked across the street, seeing a young woman setting up a performance, struggling to move some boxes.
Ven, being the gentleman that he is... Sits there and laughs.
"Bit, check it out, that girl's struggling to move boxes."
"Ven. You can not say anything, you have no muscle fibres left, it's all my expert craftsmanship and heart keeping you alive."
"I... Uh... Shut up." He said with a sigh.