The midmorning 8:15 train from New York to Chicago chugged its way slowly into the Manhattan Station late at 8:25. Orion should have realized that something seemed a little off, but at this specific moment he was preoccupied – his eyes nervously dancing from one strangers’ face to another, scanning for anything out of the ordinary. 

Clinging tightly to the black bag that he had tucked underneath his arm, he continued to analyze the crowd surrounding him and squeezing tighter to the bag with each passing moment. 

Considering this was a train ride he had taken plenty of times before, he shouldn’t have been feeling as unsettled as he was. Grab a bite to eat, a glass of whiskey or maybe two if the day called for it. This time was different though; this was work and he was carrying precious cargo.

The shuffling crowd leisurely made their way aboard, which allowed Orion to slip off to the side of the platform to take inventory of what was with him. With shaking hands, he placed the bag between his feet and casually slid his hand inside the peacoat that had provided him with some sort of strange comfort throughout this. Orion’s fingers came across the butt of Raine’s gun in the shoulder holster underneath his arm. 

To be honest, he never really cared much for guns and didn’t even have his own. Luckily for him, in times when he needed one, Raine had a mini arsenal stockpiled given the relative short amount of time he had been in the states.

To the crowd around Orion, it looked as though he was bending down to check his shoe, but he was really flicking his coat far enough out behind him to run his left hand across the small of his back; feeling his secured blade. Now bent down, he was able to ensure the second blade around his ankle was also still in its place. 

Standing back up, Orion collected his things and began walking toward the train cars all the while smoothing his coat. As he got closer to the train, he pulled the dangling pocket watch from his vest pocket, 8:28. “Late as always,” he thought to himself as his eyes darted around the crowd. He effortlessly pulled his train ticket from his breast pocket and blended in with the crowd entering the train car. 

Families with playful children promptly found places to ensure they were not separated, and most others settled into their seats while Orion continued to move from car to car. 

There wasn’t anything particular that stood out as a red flag until he saw the big block letters reading “Train Car D” with a single guard standing by. The guards’ uniform was the same as the rest of the train’s crew, however the ill fit on his bulky frame seemed just a bit off. Quietly Orion flashed his ticket and the man grunted under his breath in reply as he pulled the door open. The only way to gain entry was to be connected in some way, it worked in Orion’s favor that his boss was indeed @Catalina_Rey. 

Train Car D was identical to the other cars that this train had with a couple of changes here and there. There was a much larger bar tucked off to one side with a much larger selection of  booze than even the bar car. The seats were much newer and still had the beautiful sheen that only comes from being covered in fine Italian leather. Orion continued his way to his car, nodding and tipping his cap to the somewhat familiar faces he passed from other trips he had taken to and from Chicago. 

Finally arriving at his room, he gripped the handle to the door pulling it as he did, the door scraping along the sliding door track as he entered before closing it behind himself. 

Sighing as he collapsed against the closed door, he realized that he had been holding his breath for nearly the entire time he was moving about the train. Orion looked around at the room he had stayed in so many times before; being known as a part of Seda did have its perks from time to time. 

Stepping to the left-hand side of the couch, he crouched down beside it, spinning the dial of the safe as he did. Within moments, he was pulling it opened with a creak. With one swoop, he stuffed the black bag he once clung onto so tightly into the safe. The iron door was closed and with a few careless rotations of the dial, he stood back up, removed his coat from his shoulders and threw it over the arm of the couch. Orion slipped the holster off next, checked the slide to ensure it was not loaded and draped it off of the coat rack behind the door.

His eyelids grew heavy as he moved away from the door. He slumped toward the bed kicking off his shoes on his way. The thought of getting some work done crossed his mind but sleep took over and he drifted off almost instantly

Orion awoke to the rhythmic clacking of the train’s wheels over the track. He wasn’t sure how long he had slept for but, his room was cast in a long shadow now. He swung his feet over the edge of the bed, landing with a thump as he sat up and rubbed tiredly at his eyes. Stretching his arms groggily over his head as he let out a loud yawn. He had nearly forgotten how much he loved sleep. 

His muscles protested as he forced himself to stand, his right knee cracking with a slight twinge of pain as he did. After rubbing at his knee for a moment he straightened out the collar on his wrinkled shirt. The thought crossed his mind of changing out of it into a fresh one but he didn’t have the energy for that in his still half asleep state. 

Suddenly noticing his dry mouth and empty stomach he quickly slipped his shoes back onto his feet, not bothering to take the time to tie them. He yawned once more as he slid the door open. 

Kneading at the bridge of his nose tiredly he stepped from his room, feeling a shift in the air of the train car as he did. With the exception of the clacking of the wheels the train was relatively quiet. On long rides like this there was usually at least one car dedicated to live music but there wasn’t any of that playing. He could still see sunlight peering in through the windows meaning that he hadn’t slept so long it was the middle of the night yet. 

He pushed the nagging suspicion away and made his way over to the bar, grabbing a comfortable looking stool for a seat as he did. The entire car was empty except for him and the young barman who was trying to stay busy nervously rather than actually doing anything. 

“Whiskey on the rocks, lad.” He pulled out a few crisp bills, placing them down in front of himself. “Kind of dead in here at the moment, isn’t it? Is the dinner rush on or something?”

“There- uh- ther- there was a- a thing.” The bartender stuttered in reply. 

Orion took a slow breath, pushing the tiredness away as he listened to the eternal warning sounds that were now blaring in his head. He watched as the barkeep’s hand shook enough that he missed the glass with an ice cube, it bouncing off to the floor with a clink clink. The man’s shirt was stained with sweat and Orion could see that most of the color had drained from his face making it look like he had just seen a ghost. 

The kid finally managed to fill the glass with ice and the drink, only splattering a little over the bar top as he did. Orion moved slowly and purposefully, not wanting to spook the youngster and suddenly aware of the Colt 1911 hanging behind the door in his room. Something had this kid spooked enough that he ignored the bills on the bar in front of him. 

He slipped his hand around the glass, trying his best to tune out the sounds of the train as he did and focusing on listening to his surroundings.

Orion closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing and the sounds around him. It was an acquired skill that took him quite some time to hone but it had saved him on more than one occasion. 

The heavy footsteps reached his ears from the connecting car before the door was violently swung open. It gave Orion the extra second he needed to slip off of the stool and maneuver himself beside the door with drink still in hand. The pistol came into view first as Orion grabbed at the thick wrist with his left hand. He swung his right arm with full force, still gripping the glass, into the bridge of the thugs with a crashing shatter. Shards of glass spraying into the air mixing with whiskey and glass as it did. 

The man immediately dropped his weapon and clutched at his face as he writhed in pain between train cars. Blood pouring out of his cut up face like a faucet. 

Reaching over the man’s kicking legs, Orion lunged for the handgun, unaware of the second hulking mass that was rushing in behind his partner. A heavy hand landed on Orion’s collar, hauling him to his feet with a strength that he wasn’t prepared for. He stumbled with his balance as the heavy fist caught him underneath his left eye, sending him sprawling back over one of the stools with a thud that pulled the air from his lungs. 

Orion groaned as the man was on top of him with more grace and speed than someone with his size should have had. Heavy hammer gusts slammed into Orion’s rib cage, the corners of his vision growing a shade darker. 

“Where is it?!” The man screamed in Orion’s face, pulling him up by his shirt just enough to bounce his head off of the floor with another powerful punch. “Where the fuck is it?!”

Orion couldn’t speak even if he wanted too. Stars formed in his eye sight and he suddenly felt like he was under water. He could hear sounds but there was no way to make any of them out as decipherable at this point. He tried to skirt away from the attacker but was barely able to move before a massive boot stomped into his midsection leaving him gasping for air. 

Stepping over Orion with a kick of his heel he stalked over to Orion’s cabin, crashing the door open like a storm force wind would. He disappeared into the room as Orion struggled to his feet, using a stool to the best of his ability to pull himself upright. He could here his train car being torn apart, clothes suddenly appearing flying through the air outside of the door. 

Wincing as he bent over, Orion retrieved the revolver. He cocked the hammer back before reaching over the bar and handing it to the kid cowering down behind it, tear streaks down both of his cheeks. 

“If I’m not the one walking out of that room, shoot him.” Orion knew the young man would never be able to but he had hoped holding the gun in his hand would at least calm him down a bit. 

Orion cracked his neck to both sides as he drew a slow deep breath, his ribs screaming as he did. He felt better for a quick moment as he drew the knife from his belt, the rummaging through his quarters growing more frantic now. 

He knew what the men were there for, he just wasn’t going to give it up without one hell of a fight. He knew he wouldn’t be able to face @Catalina_Rey if he did.

Keeping his footsteps as quiet as he could, even though he doubted the would be robber could hear him in the state of rushed panic he was in, Orion swiftly moved next to the opening. 

He took a few deep breaths to try and slow his racing heart before he rushed into the room, catching the intruder off guard. Orion slammed his right foot with full force into the side of the man’s knee, drawing a wounded yelp and sending him crashing into the small couch. Moving quickly despite his own injuries trying to pull him back he landed his own punch upside his opponent’s thick skull. It reverberated up his arm but he swung another and another, each connecting cleanly. Orion’s attacker grabbed at the side of his head, pawing uncontrollably at whatever damage was just inflicted upon him. 

Orion was panting slightly now, his heart threatening to burst through his chest. He wasn’t expecting to be attacked, although he probably should have and now he was caught without a plan. His only job was to protect what was Cat’s, anything beyond that was up in the air. Given the opportunity, both of these men would have killed him without as much as a second thought and neither of them would lose any sleep over it. 

He gripped tightly to the handle of his dagger, his knuckles turning white. Lunging forward at the dazed man, sinking the blade into the base of his neck with his full body weight behind it. The force sent both of them crashing into the wall, Orion bouncing off and springing to his feet as the other man laid there gurgling blood and thrashing his legs until they slowed to a twitch before not moving at all. 

He slumped back onto the floor, landing on his backside with a thud as he tried his best to catch his breath. The pain in his ribs had worked into a dull roar by now and even the slightest of movements sent a shock of pain through his entire system. 

Grumbling angrily he snapped back into the moment when he remembered his first would be attacker. Using the bed to pull himself to his feet his body protested but he ignored it and began to trudge out of the cabin. 

The echoing blast of the gun bounced off the walls, everything flashing a bright white in Orion’s eyes.

Orion stood white faced in the doorway to his room. He padded himself with both hands, frantically looking over the front of himself. With the exception of the blood leaking from the slice in the palm of his hand he didn’t seem to have any bullet holes. He had never been shot before but he assumed that he would have felt something if he had. 

Standing behind the train’s bar the young bartender was standing upright, he arm extended in front of him shaking frantically. The revolver swayed back and forth under its weight in his small hand. The kid’s face was missing any form of emotion, a blank stare drifting from his eyes. 

Slowly, Orion lifted his arms, turning his palms upwards. He took small deliberate steps until he was within an arms reach and gently pried the weapon away from the grip that was locked around it. 

He let out a sigh of relief as he tucked the gun into the belt of his pants. He winced a bit as he kicked at the feet of the attacker that was still alive. The blood didn’t seem to stop flowing and he continued to grab at his damaged face. 

Orion thought about it for a brief moment before knelt down on one knee beside the man. Someone had to have sent them and since the other guy wasn’t going to be talking anytime soon, this one would have to do. 

“I’m going to ask you once, that is it. One time.” Orion’s voice was cold, calculating. It wasn’t anything more than survival at this point and he was going to make sure that he was the one surviving. “Who sent you?”

“I don’t know!” The man croaked out through his sobs of pain, “He just said to grab the bag! That was it I swear!”

“That is a good start. You said he, who is he?”

“I don’t know! I don’t know! We never use names!” He was growing delirious now. 

“Wrong answer.” Orion peeled the man’s arm back that he was holding his face with and landed a solid fist against the already deep gashes. “Last chance.”

“I don’t know! I swear! Just let me go! Please! I just want to go home!” The man pleaded, a fearful sweat breaking out on his forehead. 

Orion sat back on his heels a bit. It was certainly possible that he truly didn’t know anything. The way his face had been rearranged if he did know anything at all, even if it was something small he would have said it. 

It put Orion in a bit of a bind. He couldn’t really let the guy leave, not after everything that just happened, but it was also poor form to be killing people on a very public train. The damage was already done though, there was enough blood that clean up wasn’t going to be easy, certainly not before they arrived in Chicago anyways. 

“Come here, kid.” He called to the bartender who still stood statue still despite the fact that they were on a moving train. “Kid!” He yelled snapping him back into reality. 

Orion lifted one leg as he instructed the kid to grab the other as he shuffled around the wood of the bar. The man fought some by kicking his legs wildly but Orion put a stop to that with one slam of the butt of the revolver to the man’s skull. 

Moving a lifeless body was more difficult than he would have thought but Orion and the kid managed to drag him to the doors in between cars. Sliding one door open, Orion watched the tracks moving along below them steadily. He swung himself around to the mans upper half and tilted him forward with a final push, sending his body beneath the train’s wheels with grotesque sounds. 

He took a moment to breath before doing the same to the other man, although it was a bit harder based on size alone. 

Finally finished, Orion pushed himself back against the wall for balance. He slipped a half bent cigarette from his pocket and lit it up, his lungs and ribs hating him for it as he did. 

He watched the kid tremble as he finished up his smoke. He felt bad for him, he truly did. He was in the wrong place at the wrong time and he was most likely going to carry that psychological baggage with him for the rest of his life. Part of Orion thought the kid would be ok, he did surprise him and pull the trigger when he never would have guess he could have but the image of so much blood and lifeless bodies bouncing along the tracks were going to be seared into his consciousness forever. 

Orion didn’t say anything as he pushed off the wall. As he passed him by he tucked a large wad of cash into the man’s breast pocket. It wouldn’t help everything but maybe it was something that could help. 

He made sure to step over the blood as he closed the door, pushing the broken lock shut out of habit. He crashed down onto the bed, too tired to stand but too high strung and wired to sleep. Shifting his weight until he sat with his back to the window, he faced the door with his gun in his lap, loaded and ready just in case. If he was going to have to ride it out until Chicago, this seemed like the best place to do it.