Jane has decided to leave the city and while she was just walking out, she heard the faint sound of a train in the distance.
Jane leaves the city and sees a train.
Jane: At least there's some form of transportation here.
Jane walks towards the sound of the train.
Jane: Maybe if I hadn't been running at full speed, I'd have more energy to run... I guess.
Jane moves towards the train, her pace quickening despite her fatigue.
Jane: I'm so close.
Jane: Wait, I'm on a hill.
She stumbles down the hill, navigating around trees, boulders, and rocks, and finally reaches the train station. Jane steadies herself, brushes off the dirt, and approaches the ticket counter. She places 90 silver coins into the jar and receives her ticket before boarding the train.
Jane: I don't know how much those tickets were, but he probably got more than his daily salary.
The train starts moving. Two children outside make a gesture to the conductor, who notices and honks twice. The children jump around in joy before running back toward the city. The train picks up speed and heads into the distance.
Suddenly, a universal gate opens up. The wind is strong, pulling anything without magical energy away. The train moves through the gate, and as it does, sleep gas is released through vents inside, sending the passengers into a peaceful slumber. Jane feels herself nodding off.
Jane: Sarah, do you know... never mind. Let me stop calling you that. System, do you know what's going on right now?
System: Yes, the train has vents that release sleep gas to help the passengers rest during the journey. I can help you stay awake or fall asleep.
Jane: Awake.
The heist begins as the train speeds through a desolate stretch of track, surrounded by nothing but jagged rocks and a dull, overcast sky. The cabin lights flicker briefly, and Jane notices shadows moving in the corners of her vision. She grips the armrest tightly, her senses heightened despite the gas.
System: Warning. Unknown entities have boarded the train. Do you wish to engage stealth mode?
Jane: Not yet. Let's see what they're after first.
The faint sound of footsteps echoes through the carriage. Jane peers through the narrow gap between her seat and the next, catching a glimpse of three masked figures moving swiftly. Each one carries a bag slung over their shoulders, and their movements are too coordinated for ordinary thieves.
Jane: Great. A train heist. Just my luck.
System: Probability analysis suggests they are targeting the vault car located three sections ahead.
Jane: Of course they are.
Carefully, Jane rises from her seat, moving silently down the aisle. The other passengers remain slumped in their seats, oblivious to the unfolding danger. She steps over a dropped scarf, her eyes fixed on the intruders.
As she reaches the door separating the carriages, one of the masked figures turns abruptly. Jane ducks behind a column, holding her breath. The figure pauses, scanning the area, before signaling to the others and proceeding forward.
Jane: (whispering) Too close.
She inches closer to the vault car, where the intruders have already begun setting up equipment. They attach a small device to the vault's reinforced door, its screen blinking with an ominous countdown.
System: Detonation in 90 seconds. Recommend intervention.
Jane: No kidding. Any suggestions?
System: Disable the device or incapacitate the operatives.
Jane scans the area, spotting a maintenance hatch above her. She quickly climbs up, positioning herself directly above the vault car. Through the grate, she watches the intruders work, their focus entirely on the vault.
Jane: Time to crash the party.
She removes the grate silently and drops down, landing in a crouch. Before the intruders can react, she grabs the closest one and knocks him out with a swift blow. The others whirl around, but Jane is already moving, disarming the second with a sharp kick and pinning the third against the vault.
Jane: You've got 60 seconds to explain yourselves before this whole train knows you're here.
The remaining intruder struggles but doesn't speak. Jane tightens her grip, her patience wearing thin.
System: 45 seconds remaining.
Jane: Fine. I'll figure it out myself.
She releases the intruder and quickly disables the device, yanking its wires free. The countdown halts at 12 seconds. The intruder lunges at her, but Jane sidesteps, using his momentum to throw him against the wall. He slumps to the ground, unconscious.
Jane: (dusting off her hands) And that's how you handle a heist.
System: Impressive. The train's security team will arrive shortly.
Jane: Let's hope they don't ask too many questions.
Jane: You two, tell me where the others are before you join him. And if you lie, just know I can sense magical energy all over the train.
One of the intruders hesitates, but the other cracks under the pressure.
Intruder: Fine! There's another group in the engine car... they're taking control of the train.
Jane: Thought so. What about the others?
Intruder: A decoy team is holding up security in the dining car. That's all I know, I swear!
Jane: (narrowing her eyes) You better hope that's the truth.
She binds the two intruders with cables from their own equipment and locks them in a storage closet. Then, she heads toward the engine car, her steps quick and determined.
System: Multiple magical signatures detected ahead. Prepare for potential combat.
Jane: Always ready.
As she approaches the engine car, the air grows tense. She peeks through a window and sees four more masked operatives working on the controls. One of them appears to be a mage, his hands glowing faintly as he manipulates a rune etched into the control panel.
System: Suggest neutralizing the mage first to prevent further tampering with the train's systems.
Jane: Agreed.
She opens the door just enough to slip inside, staying low and out of sight. Grabbing a wrench from a nearby toolbox, she hurls it toward the opposite end of the room. The loud clang startles the operatives, drawing their attention away from the controls.
Jane strikes quickly, targeting the mage. She delivers a precise blow to his wrist, disrupting his spellcasting and rendering him unconscious. The remaining operatives scramble to react, but Jane is faster, using her environment to disarm and disable them one by one.
With the engine car secured, she examines the control panel. The rune glows faintly, its energy still affecting the train's trajectory.
System: Warning. The train is being redirected toward an uncharted gate. Recommend countering the spell immediately.
Jane: Got it. Walk me through it.
Following the system's guidance, Jane carefully dismantles the rune, neutralizing its energy. The train lurches slightly before stabilizing, resuming its original course.
Jane: (exhaling deeply) One problem down, one to go.
System: Remaining hostiles detected in the dining car.
Jane: Let's finish this.
(I might get back to this project on any break that is a free day, week, or month or summer because school is putting me at a standstill for this project and any error I find or see when looking back on these will be fixed please forgive me)