"And Mikal, you haven't said a word since the journey began! Are you okay?!" Jenny suddenly turned to him with a curious look.
"I'm fine," Mikal replied. "I'm just keen to listen to your conversations. Most of them seem too personal to interrupt, so I'm following along quietly."
"Mikal, you're an important part of this group. You've interacted with the hybrids longer than any of us. Maybe you know some secrets or mysteries about them?" Jenny pressed.
"All I can say is that the hybrids are controlled to protect the secret societies after their transformations. I don't think they're allowed near the leadership—just used as fighters," Mikal answered.
"Have you ever come across their main bases? What do they look like?"
"I only found one laboratory. I don't know if it was the main or a temporary base. But they do have huge labs where we were kept before the hybrid injections. The bases are heavily guarded with vast armies, and strict protocols—almost cult-like in their rituals."
"Thanks for the info, Mikal. As you remember more, you might prove useful later," Jenny said with a hopeful smile.
"You're welcome! I hope I can recall more as we go," he replied optimistically.
"Good! Now, everyone, we need to get closer. The maintenance is almost finished from what I can see!" Jenny urged.
---
Thirty minutes later, the station master called the queues after a successful technical check.
The queues stretched long before Jenny approached the search guard.
"May I see your backpack, ma'am?" the guard requested.
Jenny complied. After inspecting, the guard eyed her sharply.
"Ma'am, I can see you're pregnant. Out of respect, may I ask what these weapons are for?"
"Oh! Umm… These are for simulation training. We came from Sultan military camp and were given permission to benchmark Melon Air Base, which is affiliated with our camp. Being heavily pregnant, I couldn't train fully—only part-time studies. My maternity leave begins in my eighth month. I was allowed to benchmark alongside my allied group. So, if you'll kindly excuse us, we intend no harm."
"Are you sure about that? Where are the permits that back this up?"
"My ally Nick will show you on his phone. Unfortunately, they weren't manually written—just digital copies, to avoid losing them," Jenny explained.
Nick pulled out his phone and showed the guard the digital permit. After scrutinizing it for a moment, the guard finally allowed them onto the train.
The group took their seats and began chatting to relieve tension.
"That was close! Wow, Nick, I didn't know you were so good with digital arts!" Elizabeth exclaimed.
"After high school, I got into multimedia editing. At first, I was terrible, but with practice, I became decent," Nick explained.
"Don't celebrate yet. Let's not count our chickens before they hatch. He who laughs last laughs best—always remember that," Mikal warned.
"What do you mean?" Nick asked, curious.
"I saw a spy eyeing us suspiciously before moving closer to the guard. Remember the CCTV cameras around the stations? If the spy checks our story from station to station, we could be in trouble," Mikal whispered.
"The spy looks like an escort guard. We should be very cautious," Nick whispered back.
---
An hour later, heavily attired giants boarded the train. Dressed anonymously from huge hats to baggy jackets and boots, they came in large numbers from every entry. Some sat right in front of the allied group.
The group grew suspicious and huddled close, whispering.
"Guys, do you think what I'm thinking?" Nick whispered.
"Yeah. The hybrids must be camouflaged in these attires. Mikal was right—the spy probably checked the CCTV footage at both stations. But what if we're now suspects?" Elizabeth asked.
"It means we might be arrested at the next station or ambushed on this train. We need to stay calm. They might not have noticed us yet," Jenny said firmly.
"But just in case, grab your weapons as soon as possible!" Jasmine urged.
The group fell silent, hearts pounding, some sweating as the tense journey continued.
---
The train entered an underground route, known only to the secret society for clandestine use. Inside, the lights brightened automatically, but outside was pitch dark. The giants quickly took inspection positions.
The leader roared, "Silence! We have reports of passengers overheard discussing pursuit of a puzzle book! Footage confirms their suspicious excuses at two stations! Show your ID cards immediately! This train has been diverted to a secret dungeon. We apologize for the inconvenience; everything will return to normal soon. Please bear with us."
ID checks began. The allied group trembled as the process dragged on.
As the giant leader neared their seats, Nick silently signaled an attack countdown to the group.
Suddenly, a duel erupted. The allies used swords and daggers to fight their fierce opponents.
Outnumbered, they struggled as enemies closed in quickly.
Nick fought determinedly, trying to reach the captain's cabin to take control of the train.
"Hey! I need backup! I have to drive the train!" Nick shouted.
"We've got you covered!" Elizabeth called back.
Suddenly, Jenny screamed, "I'm captured!"
The leader grabbed Jenny hostage.
"Stop this nonsense, or the baby and the girl die! You really don't want that!" he threatened.
Nick turned, distracted—and was hit from behind.
"Nick!" Jenny yelled helplessly as he collapsed unconscious.
"One more step and your friend dies!" the leader warned.
"We surrender," Mikal said helplessly, lowering his weapon. The others followed suit.
---
Tied up inside a sleeping berth, the group sat in silence for much of the journey.
"Nick! Nick! Wake up!" Jenny shook him.
Nick's eyes fluttered open. "What happened? Where am I?" he stammered.
"Don't tell me you lost your mind!" Elizabeth fretted.
"Nick, we're captured by the hybrids on this train! Please try to remember!" Jenny urged.
"Hybrids…" Nick murmured, holding his head.
Jasmine showed him the forged photos on his phone.
"Remember this was your earlier plan?"
Nick looked closely. "Oh! Crapaud missions!"
"Yes, but the hybrids hijacked the train to a secret dungeon. They held Jenny hostage to force our surrender and knocked you out just as you tried to fight your way to the captain's cabin," Jasmine explained.
"Okay, I get it. But how do we get out of here? We're in deep trouble," Nick said, now alert.
"The ropes are tight, and our weapons are gone. We need to think outside the box," Jasmine said.
"But not too tight—if you could reach Nick's phone, maybe we can find a sharp edge to cut the ropes," Lama suggested.
After moments of thought, Nick suddenly said, "I have an idea. If we turn the bed upside down, maybe we can use the sharp edges to cut ourselves free."
"That's a good idea, but we have to be quiet," Elizabeth whispered.
"How can we turn the bed silently?" Jasmine questioned.
"If we creep our hands to lay it down slowly, it's possible. We need to drag ourselves from one edge to the other and then lay it horizontally—upside down might be impossible quietly," William suggested.
"Yeah, upside down is too risky. Let's just turn it horizontally and struggle a bit," Jenny agreed.
The group quietly coordinated, dragging themselves and the bed slowly without attracting attention.
---
"Okay, let's cut the ropes!" Nick directed.
Four members positioned themselves at the edges, using the bed's edges to cut the ropes. Incredibly, they freed themselves and helped the others.
"Now what? No weapons!" John whispered anxiously.
"Check if the door is locked," Jasmine said.
Nick confirmed the door was locked.
"We're really trapped. If we want to go out, we must find weapons first," Nick said.
"How about one of us escapes through the train roof to the captain's cabin? The leaders are likely to be there, and our weapons might be located there," Lama suggested.
"Okay, but it should be four of us—for safety," Jenny agreed.
Lama, John, William, and Nick volunteered.
They quietly opened the windows and climbed to the roof, then tiptoed to the cabin zone.
Nick signaled, "Lama and William, stay close behind. John and I will burst in first. Our goal: fight the hybrids and find our weapons."
They nodded and prepared.
John and Nick crashed through the windows and fought the hybrids inside. Unfortunately, the hybrid leader wasn't there, but they found some guns held by the captains.
Lama and William joined the fight. They subdued the guards and captains.
---
With more guards rushing in, they fired wildly at the locked door area.
"We've got company! We need to drive the train and hold them off!" William said urgently.
"Nick and John, work on driving. Lama and William, cover us!" Jenny ordered.
Nick and John took control of the train while Lama and William stayed alert, battling the hybrids at every angle.