In the first carriage past the engine and boiler themselves, the second rate first class as people liked to call it, a small figure travelling with seemingly nobody to watch over them had earned quite a few concerned gazes for herself. A child in such a heavy coat all the way out here, hood over their head and a satchel held tight against their chest. Eyes cast down so that one couldn't see much in the shadows of the train, but where they did they could swear the image they had of the little one on a lonesome journey shook with the expression they could barely glimpse. That of someone on high alert, and not in a nervous manner like a child in new company would be. This one was looking out for something in particular, carrying on an agenda with themselves.
This "child" would indeed turn out to be no child at all, but Paula Creek whose current task had necessitated her presence here at the very front. She vastly preferred other means of travel, trains always getting filled with gawkers. Too many of the sort for her to really explain the situation either, and that meant she couldn't wear her mask comfortably. Not with the questions they would raise. And that set her on edge for a whole another reason, but trying to hide it any further would only end up drawing more attention to it, and so she neglected to take such measures. Besides, she had a task she needed to see to. She wasn't on the train for pleasure.
And as it would turn out, the conditions would go through a sudden and rather loud a shift. Just like had been rumoured, there was a sudden loss of speed and people ended up flung forward. Paula took the opportunity to pull her mask out of the satchel and strap it to her cranium, earning very concerned looks from people around her. Just as some nobody opened their mouth to ask, she pulled out the ratting piece and all voices fell even further silent than they already were, spare for a few moaning in discomfort after hitting their head on something or otherwise injuring themselves in the jerky stop. The Huntress confidently strode across the hallway towards the door at the other end, earning few more looks her way, but still being left well alone. Ah, and look at that, luck was on her side. Her charge was by most visible accounts completely fine. Must have been the weight keeping them anchored to his seat. Could've been nasty if he'd flown though, that was for sure.
But that was more or less where that luck ran out. Getting all the way to the window was a bit of a challenge on its own, her definitely not being the only individual with said idea. People were pushing her left, right, back and front, and some even managing such a thing diagonally too. It was a near miracle she didn't get trampled, and it could well be her only saving grace was how she could raise her voice and wave the still not loaded gun around. When would she have had time to do such a thing after all? It wasn't something these people would need to know.
As she finally reached her destination and pushed the last man in her way to the left with her gloved hand, her glance out of the window on the door explained the sudden stoppage without any doubts. Something rather integral to the continuation of this journey was missing. Namely that would have been the engine. And the boiler. Both at the same time. There were a few sparse fragments left of the latter, still attached to the carriage she as peering from and standing on one pair of wheels, but those wouldn't amount to crap when it came to getting the journey finished. And if she knew something, this hadn't been a boiler explosion. Sure, there was wood and blood scattered in many directions. But any further wreckage was missing. And the boom had been much too silent.
But that was some distressing knowledge there. Paula inhaled sharply through her mask and turned around, her eyes scanning the room where quite a few had already begun gathering their wits about them, and using them for what people do best. Panicking. Shouts rang out into the closed carriage at a volume far from appropriate for inside areas. Paula was lucky she had her hood to buffer out the biggest bite of the noise. Who would have wanted to hear shouts such as "We are stuck in the middle of nowhere!", "The engine is gone the engine is gone the engine is gone!", "Every man for himself!" and other incessant prattling that would lead them nowhere other than running each other over in their haste to kill themselves off.
"Shut your pieholes and listen, why won't you?" she shouted out, her voice partially muffled by the mask, but she nonetheless collected the attention of a few individuals. Be it that the attention was mostly the kind of attention one would give to a highwayman, a scared kind of moment judging whether to fight or set flight. She rolled her eyes behind the mask lenses. "If I wanted to get all tough-like, I would have done so already. So sit your asses down. If whatever took the engine out wanted us too, what makes you think it wouldn't already have?" A grim outlook, but as long as she didn't know what the threat was it was the most realistic way of handling the situation. Though it naturally wouldn't sit well with all, or even most. The panicking resumed.
While Paula sighed behind her mask and shook her head again, this wasn't a new situation for her. She preferred to go into a fight knowing what she was facing, and right now she had very little clue as to what anything here could stand for. So all she could do was to try and keep this lot contained before they killed themselves off. She could always hope, since if they began brawling, then there was very little her armaments could do to defuse the situation without sending the fighters to meet the reaper.
This "child" would indeed turn out to be no child at all, but Paula Creek whose current task had necessitated her presence here at the very front. She vastly preferred other means of travel, trains always getting filled with gawkers. Too many of the sort for her to really explain the situation either, and that meant she couldn't wear her mask comfortably. Not with the questions they would raise. And that set her on edge for a whole another reason, but trying to hide it any further would only end up drawing more attention to it, and so she neglected to take such measures. Besides, she had a task she needed to see to. She wasn't on the train for pleasure.
And as it would turn out, the conditions would go through a sudden and rather loud a shift. Just like had been rumoured, there was a sudden loss of speed and people ended up flung forward. Paula took the opportunity to pull her mask out of the satchel and strap it to her cranium, earning very concerned looks from people around her. Just as some nobody opened their mouth to ask, she pulled out the ratting piece and all voices fell even further silent than they already were, spare for a few moaning in discomfort after hitting their head on something or otherwise injuring themselves in the jerky stop. The Huntress confidently strode across the hallway towards the door at the other end, earning few more looks her way, but still being left well alone. Ah, and look at that, luck was on her side. Her charge was by most visible accounts completely fine. Must have been the weight keeping them anchored to his seat. Could've been nasty if he'd flown though, that was for sure.
But that was more or less where that luck ran out. Getting all the way to the window was a bit of a challenge on its own, her definitely not being the only individual with said idea. People were pushing her left, right, back and front, and some even managing such a thing diagonally too. It was a near miracle she didn't get trampled, and it could well be her only saving grace was how she could raise her voice and wave the still not loaded gun around. When would she have had time to do such a thing after all? It wasn't something these people would need to know.
As she finally reached her destination and pushed the last man in her way to the left with her gloved hand, her glance out of the window on the door explained the sudden stoppage without any doubts. Something rather integral to the continuation of this journey was missing. Namely that would have been the engine. And the boiler. Both at the same time. There were a few sparse fragments left of the latter, still attached to the carriage she as peering from and standing on one pair of wheels, but those wouldn't amount to crap when it came to getting the journey finished. And if she knew something, this hadn't been a boiler explosion. Sure, there was wood and blood scattered in many directions. But any further wreckage was missing. And the boom had been much too silent.
But that was some distressing knowledge there. Paula inhaled sharply through her mask and turned around, her eyes scanning the room where quite a few had already begun gathering their wits about them, and using them for what people do best. Panicking. Shouts rang out into the closed carriage at a volume far from appropriate for inside areas. Paula was lucky she had her hood to buffer out the biggest bite of the noise. Who would have wanted to hear shouts such as "We are stuck in the middle of nowhere!", "The engine is gone the engine is gone the engine is gone!", "Every man for himself!" and other incessant prattling that would lead them nowhere other than running each other over in their haste to kill themselves off.
"Shut your pieholes and listen, why won't you?" she shouted out, her voice partially muffled by the mask, but she nonetheless collected the attention of a few individuals. Be it that the attention was mostly the kind of attention one would give to a highwayman, a scared kind of moment judging whether to fight or set flight. She rolled her eyes behind the mask lenses. "If I wanted to get all tough-like, I would have done so already. So sit your asses down. If whatever took the engine out wanted us too, what makes you think it wouldn't already have?" A grim outlook, but as long as she didn't know what the threat was it was the most realistic way of handling the situation. Though it naturally wouldn't sit well with all, or even most. The panicking resumed.
While Paula sighed behind her mask and shook her head again, this wasn't a new situation for her. She preferred to go into a fight knowing what she was facing, and right now she had very little clue as to what anything here could stand for. So all she could do was to try and keep this lot contained before they killed themselves off. She could always hope, since if they began brawling, then there was very little her armaments could do to defuse the situation without sending the fighters to meet the reaper.