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Rupert checked his gun and holstered it, then peered briefly over the bushes at the two chatting Toppats standing next to the train.
“Alright, Stickmin,” Rupert said quietly, “Galeforce might’ve trusted you to come up with a plan, but you’re still doing what I say after we’re on that train.”
Henry pulled out a black hat with a red ribbon and peeked inside it.
”Stickmin,” Rupert sighed, massaging his forehead.
Henry stuck a hand into the hat, seemingly feeling around for something.
“Train to be a magician some other time,” Rupert whispered crossly, watching one of the Toppats head towards a passenger car and climb aboard.
Henry glanced at the train and kept rummaging around in the hat.
The remaining Toppat closed the cargo car’s door and joined his friend in the passenger car.
”Any day now, Stickmin!”
Henry smirked, then grabbed Rupert’s wrist.
“What the hell’re you—“
Rupert’s stomach dropped and his vision spun; suddenly he was lying flat on his back and staring up at the ceiling of the train car.
Henry leaned over Rupert and dropped a black hat onto his face.
”Stickmin?” Rupert panted, grabbing the hat and putting it on. “How the hell did you do that?”
Henry put his own black hat on and shrugged, then grinned and gestured with both hands.
”Magic.”
“…Alright, whatever,” Rupert muttered, taking a couple deep breaths until his stomach settled. “Let’s just get Macbeth.”
Henry nodded and followed Rupert towards the front of the car.
”I’ll handle the controls,” Rupert said quietly. “Keep an eye on my back and do whatever necessary to get my attention.”
Henry nodded.
Rupert opened the door and stepped inside, walking quickly down the aisle and trying not to make eye contact with any Toppats.
When they reached the next car Rupert let out a sigh when he saw it was empty.
”Get ready,” Rupert muttered, checking through the window into the conductor’s car, spotting Macbeth inside with his back to them.
Rupert opened the door slowly and stepped inside just as Macbeth turned around.
”What are ya doin’ here?” the conductor asked, his wrinkled brow furrowing even more. “Everythin’s fine. Ah’ll call if somethin’s...”
Macbeth’s eyes narrowed and he pulled out a hefty firearm.
”Didn’t think I’d have to use this,” he chuckled.
Rupert shoved Henry back through the door and bolted through the car.
Henry stopped only a moment to open the next door and they both tore through the crowded passenger car.
An alarm suddenly blared as the train began to slow.
”Great,” Rupert growled, running after Henry into the car they’d apparently magically boarded.
Henry turned and slammed a foot into the door, crumpling the handle, then gestured urgently.
“Alright,” Rupert said through gritted teeth.
Henry opened the car door and hopped out; Rupert followed suit.
Henry stopped suddenly next to a yellow train car.
”What’s the holdup?!” Rupert yelled. “Keep running!”
Henry glanced up at the yellow train car, then rifled around in his pocket.
”Stickmin, what are you doing?!” Rupert yelled, running back and raising his gun when he saw Toppats approaching.
Henry grabbed Rupert’s arm and yanked him closer.
”Hey!” Rupert snapped. “I’m trying to save us, Stickmin!”
”Hold it!” a Toppat yelled.
Henry held up a square object and pulled a cord on it.
Rupert felt a powerful jolt and everything flipped upside-down before his vision went black.
Rupert retched and began coughing harshly, spitting out water until he could finally gasp for air.
He lay still for a moment, occasionally coughing, then glanced around to see Henry crouched next to him.
“Stickmin?” Rupert wheezed.
Henry leaned back and sighed, wiping his forehead, then held up a beacon.
”Someone’s coming for us?”
Henry nodded.
”Great.”
Rupert shivered, suddenly noticing his clothes were soaked.
“What happened?” Rupert muttered, shaking his head.
Henry raised his hands when Rupert tried to sit up.
”I’m fine,” Rupert grunted. “You hurt?”
Henry shook his head.
Rupert sighed and stared at the dark sky.
”That could’ve gone better…”
He glanced down at the train car they were on and heard water flowing.
”We’re on the Dogobogo River…and is this the money car?”
Henry grinned.
“Well…that’ll make things a bit better,” Rupert said, eyebrows raised. “The Toppats might be behind schedule now. With luck it was enough to stall the launch.”
Rupert looked at Henry, noticing his clothes were dripping wet.
“I fell in, didn’t I?” Rupert sighed. “You pulled me out…thanks.”
Henry waved a hand and shook his head.
”Guess we just gotta wait,” Rupert muttered, lying down and closing his eyes. “Least we didn’t drown…”
Henry tapped Rupert’s shoulder.
”I’m fine,” he said, shrugging Henry’s hand off.
Rupert stared at the stars for a while, trying to calculate how long they’d been drifting down the river.
”Don’t think I was out long thanks to you,” Rupert mumbled. “We’ll have to drift a while longer until we hit shore, I think…maybe another couple hours…”
He closed his eyes and rolled onto his side, drawing his legs up to his chest.
Henry tapped Rupert’s shoulder again a while later.
”What?”
Henry pointed at the sky and Rupert looked up, eyes widening when he heard a helicopter.
”That’s one of ours!” he exclaimed. “Quentin or Charles, maybe…”
Rupert stood quickly and waved an arm, but only for a moment before he saw stars and staggered backward.
He felt his foot slip but Henry grabbed him and yanked him away from the edge.
Rupert groaned, his head throbbing and the ground spinning beneath him, and he thought he heard voices but they were being drowned out by a ringing in his ears.
Someone patted his back and stood him up, then pulled his arm over their shoulders.
”Rup?” a voice said close to his ear. “Can you hear me? Can you walk?”
Rupert squinted through the darkness.
”K-Kon?” Rupert said, starting to shiver harder, but he was able to begin trudging along with Konrad’s help.
”Yup. Hang in there, bud. Not too far to the chopper now.”
“Where’s Stickmin?”
“He’s already there,” Konrad said. “We’re gonna get the money car back to base in a couple hours.”
As they walked slowly along Rupert tried to keep his eyes open, but each time they fluttered shut it was harder to stay awake.
”Stay with me, Rup,” Konrad urged. “We’re almost there. And you know what? We found Dave! He’s alright!”
”Dave?” Rupert mumbled, opening his eyes halfway.
”Yeah! We found him in the orbital station’s brig! He’s in rough shape but they took him to get checked out. Last I heard he was gonna be fine.”
Rupert lowered his head and let out a long sigh of relief.
“I’m gonna…gonna visit him when we get back…”
”You’re gonna have to get checked out first, man,” Konrad laughed. “Alright. We’re here.”
Rupert was lifted into the helicopter and laid on a backboard.
”Hey Price, glad you’re back!” Charles called from the cockpit.
”Me too…”
Rupert stared wearily at the pale blue sky.
”Were we out there all night?”
”Yup,” Konrad answered.
He took off Rupert’s soaked jacket and put an emergency blanket over him.
”You can rest now,” Konrad said. “You’ll be alright.”
Henry walked towards the cockpit, clutching a blanket around his shoulders.
”See, he’s fine,” Konrad muttered. “He explained everything. No idea how he does these things.”
”Me neither…” Rupert mumbled, closing his eyes. “Not complainin’, though…”
”Yeah…same here,” Konrad said, giving Rupert’s shoulder a pat. “See you back at base, Rup.”