The ride to the station was long. It wasn't as hot as before as clouds had taken to the sky and were covering the sun. A storm was slowly approaching. Mild roaring of thunder could be heard in the distance. Annie lived as far from civilization as she could without moving in with the wolves deep in the hills. Rain hadn't come for weeks so the car left a cloud of dust as it rushed along the dirt road leading to the highway. No one spoke a word.
Annie had said everything she wanted back at the house when she told them about the hostility and caution exercised in the region. There seemed to be belief that something was about to happen at San Francisco so the city had been put under lock-down. Ace and Barry would have to use extreme caution when entering. Their best chance, as it were, was to take a train into the city. It would be essential that no one knew they were coming.
The ride was bumpy as Annie didn't know how to drive the car quite that well but she had insisted on driving as she would also be the one to bring the car back.
The station they entered was spacious. Bigger than any Ace had been to. The ceiling was made of glass. At some point in time it might have seemed like there wasn't a ceiling at all but someone had neglected their responsibility so the glass was stained and lightly green. Possibly algae or something of the sort.
Annie got them both tickets while they did their best to look nonchalant. As much as a giant with barely anything covering his scar riddled chest and a disgruntled man dressed in a pitch black coat with spray paint on the back could. Annie didn't take long. Soon she was back and pressed two tickets into their hands. She gave them a quick smile and turned to leave.
- Umm, Ace..
Ace looked to see what Barry was examining and looked down at his ticket. It was for a train headed in a completely different direction.
- WAIT! WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA!? THIS ISN'T EVEN THE RIGHT TRAIN!
Annie turned on her heal and smiled at Ace.
- That's the idea. They can't know you're coming. Get into the right train's cargo car or something!
With those words and a flick of her raven hair she was gone.
Ace and Barry stood dumbfounded.
- If she didn't buy us the right tickets then what was the point of buying them at all?
- Gate check?
Ace looked over his shoulder towards the doors they had to go trough. Indeed - they would require a ticket.
- How do you propose we proceed?
Ace didn't have an answer ready. He looked around and caught sight of a few signs signaling what's where. Thinking but a minute he motioned Barry to follow him and headed for a sign that said "Departure hall".
Annie had said everything she wanted back at the house when she told them about the hostility and caution exercised in the region. There seemed to be belief that something was about to happen at San Francisco so the city had been put under lock-down. Ace and Barry would have to use extreme caution when entering. Their best chance, as it were, was to take a train into the city. It would be essential that no one knew they were coming.
The ride was bumpy as Annie didn't know how to drive the car quite that well but she had insisted on driving as she would also be the one to bring the car back.
The station they entered was spacious. Bigger than any Ace had been to. The ceiling was made of glass. At some point in time it might have seemed like there wasn't a ceiling at all but someone had neglected their responsibility so the glass was stained and lightly green. Possibly algae or something of the sort.
Annie got them both tickets while they did their best to look nonchalant. As much as a giant with barely anything covering his scar riddled chest and a disgruntled man dressed in a pitch black coat with spray paint on the back could. Annie didn't take long. Soon she was back and pressed two tickets into their hands. She gave them a quick smile and turned to leave.
- Umm, Ace..
Ace looked to see what Barry was examining and looked down at his ticket. It was for a train headed in a completely different direction.
- WAIT! WHAT'S THE BIG IDEA!? THIS ISN'T EVEN THE RIGHT TRAIN!
Annie turned on her heal and smiled at Ace.
- That's the idea. They can't know you're coming. Get into the right train's cargo car or something!
With those words and a flick of her raven hair she was gone.
Ace and Barry stood dumbfounded.
- If she didn't buy us the right tickets then what was the point of buying them at all?
- Gate check?
Ace looked over his shoulder towards the doors they had to go trough. Indeed - they would require a ticket.
- How do you propose we proceed?
Ace didn't have an answer ready. He looked around and caught sight of a few signs signaling what's where. Thinking but a minute he motioned Barry to follow him and headed for a sign that said "Departure hall".
There weren't many people left on the platform. It was reserved specifically for the train they were to take and most of the passengers were already on with an elderly woman, trying to get her enormous bag trough the door in the very front of the train, being a sole exception. Getting there had been easy as the security after the gate was rather lax. A cold draft could be felt on the platform. An attendant walked up to the woman and started gesturing towards the back of the train, the woman shouting furiously. Neither Ace nor Barry could quite make out what they were yelling about, worrying a bit as them moving to the back could cause problems. But that didn't seem to be the case as, with the help of the attendant, the woman began to push the bag trough the door with an even more severe determination to succeed. Ace checked the baggage car's door - unlocked. With a silent thud it sled open. Ace motioned Berry to head on in.
- Ladies first.
- You do know men just say that to get a good, uninterrupted view at women's behinds?
Ace choked.
- Shut up.
Pushing Barry to the side, although not moving him even slightly, Ace jumped in.
- Nice ass.
- SHUT. UP!
The ride was long but they were able to enjoy it as someone had decided to move a set of furniture - four chairs, a table and one of those psychiatrist couches things. Ace spent most of the ride sitting in a makeshift throne he had created on a pile of bags while Barry laid on his back in the gold ornate couch. They had tried to map out their plan of action but found themselves stuck as the whole 'operation' had a rather large flaw - neither of them really knew where they were going or how to find the small, nondescript building they were to look for. In their haste they hadn't paid enough attention to Annie. They did have an approximate idea of where to look so they decided to cross that bridge when they get to it. Ace was used to that kind of planning as he rarely invested enough time into research to have his plans execute flawlessly.
The trip had lasted for about 3 hours when the train came to a slow stop. Ace straightened his back in the throne.
- That was quicker than I had hoped.
Barry gave Ace a look of amusement.
- Did you expect this trip to last the whole day?
Ace tilted his head and rested it on his fist.
- And maybe the whole of tomorrow.
- We should get out before someone notices us.
Ace jumped to the ground and, adjusting his coat, walked to the door.
- You really think they would get their bourgeois asses off the seats that quick?
He placed his hand on the handle and pulled it open, turning to Barry as he did.
- See - no one.
- Ace, look behind you.
Ace turned to find ten gun barrels pointing at his face. A man in a long, navy blue coat stepped in between the armed men whilst adjusting his glasses. There was a golden Diamond pin at the end of his red tie. He looked Ace in the eyes and smiled malevolently.
The trip had lasted for about 3 hours when the train came to a slow stop. Ace straightened his back in the throne.
- That was quicker than I had hoped.
Barry gave Ace a look of amusement.
- Did you expect this trip to last the whole day?
Ace tilted his head and rested it on his fist.
- And maybe the whole of tomorrow.
- We should get out before someone notices us.
Ace jumped to the ground and, adjusting his coat, walked to the door.
- You really think they would get their bourgeois asses off the seats that quick?
He placed his hand on the handle and pulled it open, turning to Barry as he did.
- See - no one.
- Ace, look behind you.
Ace turned to find ten gun barrels pointing at his face. A man in a long, navy blue coat stepped in between the armed men whilst adjusting his glasses. There was a golden Diamond pin at the end of his red tie. He looked Ace in the eyes and smiled malevolently.
