(Reverence 6, 59 / 8:14PM)

  Luna walked back to where Jenny was, her hands trenched deep into her pants pockets. With no jacket or shirt to cover her bra and chest, she let the hot wind grow against her toned stomach.

  Reaching the two, she let out a grilled frown, her eyes sinking into her cheeks as she saw this dispy of cruelty. Jenny, clutching and holding Kenichi’s corpse like a dead bride, continued to softly rub his cold and cmmy forehead.

  Her eyes averted, she looked toward the side of the train cart.

  (Luna) He’s dead Jenny. You can let go.

  (Jenny) Just let me sulk in peace … please …

  (Luna) sighs … fine.

  She may be cold, but she wasn’t heartless.

  Leaving her to wallow in her pity, Luna looked up to see the door to the second train cart door swaying open. Out the door, came out a rge group of men, all of them being in the same group as her.

  Seeing Miles carrying both Hope and Ada, Sean giving a piggyback to Eren, and Jack having Rimy in his hands and Jumbo on his back, she also noticed Sean carrying huge bags in both hands. Furrowing her brow, she stopped in front of them, her eyes focusing on both of them.

  (Luna) Is that the money?

  (Sean) Yeah … and we had to fight those two. They gave us a run for our money; literally.

  (Jack) Tell me about it. Not to mention we were both shot at.

  (Luna) Not my problem.

  (Jack) Yeah, yeah … and one other thing …

  Miles, Jack, and Sean all had to acknowledge the elephant in the room.

  Right in front of them, Luna had nothing but a rge bra to cover her chest. Their cheeks flustered a bright red, they pinned their pupils solely onto her face, as veins on their necks creaked their skin.

  Seeing they intently stared at her eyes, as if they tried their hardest to not look down, she gnced down at her chest. Huffing out a breath of dry air, she pulled out her hands, cracking her knuckles as a couple of veins sprouted near her right temple.

  (Luna) If any one of you tries to even gnce down…

  (Jack) First of all, you took them off! Second, I’m not really into fan service.

  (Sean) I don’t mind.

  (Miles) Don’t care.

  (Luna) I was on fire you asshat! If I hadn’t taken off my jacket and shirt, I would’ve burned to death!

  Her cheeks flustered a bright red, as she balled her fists and walked straight toward Jack. Grabbing his colr, he pushed down his eyes and allowed his body to be flowed by her strength. Waiting, he saw both of her eyes twitching, followed by her knuckles quivering the more she had her grip on his jacket.

  Swaying her head, she had her face several inches away from Jack’s who only looked down at her.

  (Luna) W-Where’s everybody else!? And where’s Luke?

  (Jack) The rest of the strike force should be here any minute. As for Luke, I don’t know. Wasn’t he supposed to reach your cart?

  (Luna) Yeah… he’s supposed to be.

  All of them heard footsteps from behind, causing them to turn toward the door leading to the second train cart. Exiting out the door, was the strike force, comprising Fred, Gary, Diego, Elizabeth, and Benn. Fred carried Betty on his back, while Gary had Loraine on his. Benn and Diego helped carry Stan, who looked to be one step away from crossing the other side, and Elizabeth carried Johnny in her arms.

  Out of everyone, they all gnced at the cat-girl, seeing Johnny’s face cmmed cold. Everyone’s face grew dim, their eyes pushed down to their cheeks once the smell began to trickle their noses.

  (Benn) Johnny didn’t make it…

  (Sean) No…

  (Jack) You gotta be kidding me…

  They all let their eyes avert away from the fresh corpse, with some of them trailing them down to the metallic floor beneath their feet. Even Jenny, who remained infatuated with Kenichi’s corpse, looked up to see another one being held by the cat-girl.

  Seeing a girl lose a man she promised to be with, a long tear rolled down her cheek. Fred, who gnced at the soft breathing Stan, softly tapped his foot on the floor once.

  (Fred) And Stan is barely alive … he needs to be healed like right now …

  (Miles) But Hope is unconscious. Hey Elizabeth … I hope this isn’t too much to ask … but—

  (Elizabeth) I’ll do it.

  Her voice broke through.

  Her fingers that trenched deep into his clothes, clothes stained blood, loosened, leaving her fingertips to hover over the fabric. Looking down at the floor, her eyes shrouded in dark eyebags, her voice crackled a low tone, lower than any girl.

  (Elizabeth) Just lent me Hope, and me and I could start our healing on everyone.

  (Miles) Got it.

  (Elizabeth) And if there’s a slim chance—

  (Jenny) We have to accept it.

  Another voice, reaching the low girth of Elizabeth, struck through the howling early night wind. Jenny, who cradled the corpse loosely along her p, had already let her hands droop down to the metallic floor.

  Unable to lift up her eyes, she had them sulked down to Kenichi’s lifeless irises, devoid of any color or fme. Her voice crackled, her throat quivering like a turkey, she pushed a fake smile as her cheeks wrinkled.

  (Jenny) The men we love … can’t come back from the dead … they can’t…

  (Elizabeth) But, he-he came back to life, right?

  (Jenny) Yes, he did … but … it's better to love a dead corpse than a breathing one…

  Elizabeth’s eyes dam whatever tears along her eyelids, as the crevices of them sprinkled with the salt situated near her eyeshes. Her fingers, unwilling to dig into Johnny’s cold skin and clothes, remained hovering over by a millimeter gap.

  And she nodded, lifting her head up slowly and softly. Her head was low, and her arms and hands quaked, feeling like she was losing the strength to carry him.

  (Elizabeth) You’re right …

  A loud thump grazed the air.

  Everyone, including both Jenny and Elizabeth, looked in the direction of the harsh sm. Their eyes seeing a body with light brown hair and a bck leather jacket, everyone had them widened. Simir to painting a light of hope in a dark tunnel, they felt their souls flicker, as they pushed their soles to race toward—

  (Everyone) Luke!

  Surrounded by everyone, including Elizabeth and Jenny, Luke had his face drenched on the floor. His body severed with bruises, blood, and a good chunk of broken bones, he lifted his head. Despite his vision blurred, with blood painted on his irises and pupils, he tried to conjure up a sly smile.

  (Luke) H-Hey guys…

  Luna helped him up, wrapping her arm around his neck to make him stand up. His legs and feet, wobbling relentlessly, began to tighten and convulse from the ck of oxygen soaring through his blood.

  Since he lost too much blood, he felt his head go woozy.

  (Luke) Sorry if I was the st one … I kind of got beaten up …

  (Jack) Beaten up to the very inch of your life?

  (Luke) Sorry if any of you are worried … I just feel tired—

  His vision cleared, once he saw Luna’s chest.

  Suddenly, his cheeks burned a right red, his skin pink as he looked down with focused eyes. His demeanor changed, Luna pced her hands on her waist, cocking her head left as her lips churned down. Even on the doorstep of tumbling over, he kept his feet glued to the floor, as a trickle of sweat mixed with blood swept down his temple.

  (Luna) Got something to say, huh?

  (Luke) Please put on a jacket…

  (Luna) For the st time … I was on fire!

  (Jack’s thoughts) When did this turn into gooner bait?

  Jack let off a sigh, as he looked toward the front of the train. Seeing and recognizing the yout and ndscape, he continuously trailed the never-ending dunes, all summiting and pilring sand-like mountains.

  Until he noticed a wooden sign. Squinting and wrinkling his eyes, he walked two steps forward, as the others talked about why Luna had nothing but a bra on. Ignoring their conversation, ignoring the angry words seething out from her mouth, the wooden sign that he locked on came closer and closer.

  He finally read it, and it wrote…

  “Marston Bridge” - 3 miles.

  And with a cherry on top, he soon noticed a huge plume of smoke rising from the distance.

  (Jack) Uh … guys?

  He turned his attention to the group, seeing the group swaying their heads side to side at the rge-chested Luna. Since he couldn’t wave his arms, as they were occupied with Rimy’s sleeping body, he lifted his head and trailed his words.

  Their words, their conversation still ongoing, they all looked too busy speaking with Luna.

  (Jack) Guys?

  (Miles) You could try to be a bit less reckless. Maybe you wouldn’t need to sacrifice your shirt and jacket.

  (Luna) You better drop it or else I’ll—

  (Jack) Guys!

  His voice broke through them like gss.

  Twisting their heads to Jack, they all ftlined their lips as they id eyes on the red-haired man. Nudging his head to the front of the train, his face paled, his voice jumping relentlessly as he tried to conjure up the words.

  But with a simple bite on his lip, he grilled the words like a sauced chicken, as he boomed their ears.

  (Jack) Look over there!

  They all looked to the front, seeing a rge bck cloud beginning to be seen in the distance. At the drop of a hat, everyone let their hearts sink to their stomach, with Sean in particur walking to the edge. Pushing his head to the left, while the wind smmed relentlessly upon his face, he squinted through the rippling air and traced the train tracks.

  Continuing to grow, the tracks painted the never-ending sand, leaving no metal to be un-hammered. As he did this, the wind grew silent, yet it howled and hit his face, leaving him to suffice with the dry air the more his eyes wrinkled.

  And then he stopped, once he took in the sight of a bridge…

  A bridge that looked to be crumpled.

  He instantly turned toward them, his face growing pale as he waved his hand. His palm and fingers gripping the money bag, he couldn’t raise it high, but it was enough for them to perk their ears.

  (Sean) S-Shit! We have to get off!

  Everyone began to fluster in a tight panic, leaving them no choice but to run toward the edge of the train cart. The railing, being the only obstacle in their way, was probably the easiest one to overcome after this whole arc.

  Unwilling to turn to their right, Jack, Miles, and Fred dumped the enemy’s sleeping bodies first, letting them roll through the sand. Their bodies becoming farther away, those same four men huffed air from their lungs …

  And jumped off.

  Then came Gary, Diego, and Benn, who jumped off second. Having Loraine and Stan continuing to sleep, Benn put extra precaution on Stan, as he tucked in his body so he won’t receive any bruises.

  (Luna) Jenny! Elizabeth! Jump now!

  Swallowing their saliva, they leaped off, leaving just Sean, Luna, and Luke. Their hands clutching the corpses of their beloved, they didn’t let a single sand graze or splinter their corpses' skins.

  Luke softly turned to his right, seeing the bridge already appearing in the distance.

  They were so close, that Luke configured two familiar people, who waved relentlessly at them. Knowing it was Pacifica and Christian, trying to warn them to jump off, Luke turned his head to the left, at the second train cart.

  Seeing there was still a chock-full of gold inside the safe, Luke…

  (Luke’s thought) You still left a couple of gold in there Sean…

  Ran toward the safe, leaving Sean and Luna gawking their mouths open at this sudden dispy of greed. No, it wasn’t greed, but rather Luke’s way of repaying the debt he owed—

  To Sean.

  Without swaying his arms, numbed and unwilling to raise the slightest bit of muscle, his legs pushed him the best they could. Luna, who clenched her mors, squeezed the soles of her feet, and twisted her body so she could—

  (Luke) Jump now! I could make it!

  Luna clicked her tongue, her face growing slightly pale the more she saw Luke run. Her heart, pounding endlessly against her chest, made her cover it with her hand. Trying to grasp it, cw it out, wanting to make the relentless pounding stop, she slowly ground her enamels back and forth, and then…

  Jumped off, leaping in the air as she rolled with the sand below.

  Without thinking, Sean did the same, leaving the two of them to roll right onto Christian and Pacifica’s feet.

  (Christian) Wait, where’s Luke?

  The bridge was only one mile away.

  Inside the second train cart, Luke luckily found one single bag, a bag rge enough to carry whatever gold was inside the safe. The vault wide open, Luke collected the most he could, using his arms and elbows as he couldn’t bulge his bicep or tricep muscles.

  Lowering his arms, he grabbed the bag with both hands and dragged it across the floor with his body weight. Exiting out the door, he noticed the train…

  Beginning to shake.

  Realizing he was half a mile from the destroyed bridge, Luke bit the inside of his cheeks, but not harshly. Leaving a small trail of blood to swelter and filter his gums and teeth, he squeezed his eyes and hardened his stomach.

  (Luke’s thoughts) Come on Luke! Push!

  Reaching the edge of the railing, the tracks below began to grind and burn, the friction between the two forces now at odds with one another. The screeching of metal, cwing his eardrums like he was hearing gss break repeatedly, was so cruel that he felt his ears bleed.

  But he had no blood to spare.

  Dumping the bag of gold down below, it rolled through the pavement that repced sand. His hands, staining the railing with his blood, squeezed the iron hard enough for it to shake and quiver.

  (Luke’s thoughts) Just one more push … one st push—

  He felt the floor tilt down toward its right.

  In slow motion, he felt his right heel feel the air, as his left lost its bance. The train, which now began to depart down to the canyon below, had only one passenger in tow.

  Closing his eyes, and emptying his lungs, he tore all the muscles from his shoulders, triceps, biceps, and back muscles; to work once again. Wishing for just one st push, a push strong enough for him to grab the edge of the canyon, he squeezed the floor…

  And jumped.