MLTO C1, P3

This is the third Part of "MLIV:TO" 's first Chapter.
It was released on 04.10.2022.
== Plot ==
The train robbers are on the loose! No one shall be spared from their unquestioned power and desire for wealth! Those flamboyant bandits have been waiting for the right moment to strike a train down and they got it. 
Unfortunately, Geralt and Kaiden have been caught in the fire and might soon become victims of the same people who are trying to rob the train. And yet, they are not alone. The militia is getting close to the train and their family has already heard the news. 
Will Lady Luck be on their side today?
== Story ==
The bandits continue knocking on the door.
"Come on, you pipsqueaks!"- One of them yells- "Stop hiding like mice! Come out and give us what you've got! This is a robbery!"
Geralt stares at Kaiden and shakes his head.
"It's not looking good for us, Kai."- He says- "Those freaks are everywhere!"
Kaiden sighs.
"All I wanted was to go to a proper education facility."- He says- "But I can see that it won't be possible right now."
Geralt shakes his head.
"Keep your head up."- He says- "We still have a chance to emerge from this mess."
Kaiden raises his eyebrow.
"But how?"- He asks- "Those bandits have surrounded the train on all sides and the militia's still miles away from us! Escape is not possible without being seen!"
Geralt sighs.
"I anticipated that."
He reaches for his bag and grabs something from it. Soon, Kaiden realizes that he has grabbed two guns.
"Guns?!"- He asks- "How did you manage to sneak them in here?"
Geralt shakes his head.
"I had a bad feeling that something like this would happen. So, I convinced uncle Linus to give us something to protect ourselves."- He replies- "The officials at the station searched my bag, but decided that it's best to be ready for the worst before it happens."
He stares at the door and realizes that the bandits are about to break it down.
"Don't make us count to three!"- One of them yells- "We're gonna blast you down!"
Geralt looks back at Kaiden and hands him one of the guns.
"Things are about to become very bloody."- He says- "Are you ready?"
Kaiden nods.
"You can count on me, little bro."
Geralt smiles.
"I am glad to hear that."
The two of them emerge from their hiding spots, guns in hand.
"You want to take our money?"- Geralt asks the bandits- "Them come and get it, if you dare!"
The bandits sneer.
"That's it!"- One of them yells- "We're coming in!"
Geralt readies his gun.
"Do your worst, outlaws!"- He yells- "We are not afraid of you!"
The bandits laugh.
"Oh, you'll be afraid!"- One of them replies- "Now prepare to meet your doom!"
Kaiden looks at his brother.
"So, how many do you think there are out there?"
Geralt shakes his head.
"I think there are at least ten of them."- He says- "A respectable number, but not enough to take down a determined group of heroes like us."
Kaiden raises his eyebrow.
"So."- He says- "We're heroes now?"
Geralt smiles.
"We have always been, Kai."
He readies his gun.
"Now, get ready."- He says- "It is time to blast some fiends back into the sunset."
Without a warning, the bandits bash the door down, revealing the room within. It doesn't take them long to see the two boys.
"There they are!"- One of them yells- "Get 'em!"
As the bandits aim their guns at them, one of the bandits notices the guns in the boys' hands.
"Look out, guys!"- He yells- "They're armed!"
The rest of the bandits are confused. No one has ever dared to fight back against them... or has had the chance to do so, anyway. In their confusion, Geralt and Kaiden rush forward, successfully gunning down three of them.
The other bandits aim their guns and shoot at them, but they only manage to shoot the ground below the boys' feet.
"Hmm."- Geralt says- "It seems like you are not very good at your job."
The bandits smirk.
"Save your pleasantries!"- One of them yells- "You'll be gone soon enough!"
Geralt uses their moment of confusion to strike back at the robbers. He grabs one of them by the neck and forces another to shoot him in the head. Then, while the robber tries to reload his weapon, he uses his own gun to blow his head off.
With both bandits blocking the way out dead, the Kaos siblings have more room to fight. They rush out and grab a small back of knitting needles while the rest of the bandits approach them.
Seeing what they have obtained, they laugh.
"Really? Is that all you've got?"- One of them asks and shakes his head- "How sad."
Geralt smiles.
"Perhaps you should not underestimate the size of an item."- He says- "It could be quite bad for you."
As the bandits wonder what he means, he rushes forward and stabs two of the needles in the nearest bandits's legs. As he screams in pain, he executes him with a single shot in the head.
Meanwhile, Kaiden grabs two of the needles and prepares to attack. One of the bandits grabs him by the neck and prepares to execute him, but a sharp kick in the jaw manages to disorient him for a few seconds, giving Kaiden the change to sink both needles into his skull, ending his life in a little more than a few moments.
The rest of the bandits realize that they are outmatched. Although Geralt and Kaiden are only children, they are able to fight like a dozen warriors, giving them a very hard time. They attempt to run away, but Geralt grabs the rest of the needles and throws them at their skulls. Seeing that his brother has a plan, Kaiden does the same, helping him take the fools down in much less time than Geralt usually would.
One after the other, the merciless robbers fall to the ground, dropping all of the things that they looted from the rest of the train.
"Wow."- Geralt says- "That's quite a big haul."
Kaiden sighs.
"It's a good thing that there's two people who are capable of saving the day in time."
Geralt nods.
"We managed to defeat the bulk of their force, but I fear that the worst of them are still out here."- He says- "Keep your eyes open. I fear that this raid might be worse than we had anticipated."
Kaiden raises his eyebrow.
"How bad could it get?"
Geralt sighs, but does not respond. Instead, he kneels and reaches for a dagger that one of the bandits dropped.
"Once we get out of the train, I will try to call aunt for help."- He says- "Perhaps she knows how to take care of-- "
Suddenly, a tall and muscular bandit rushes into the train. He sees Geralt and grabs him by the neck.
"You made enemies with the wrong people, kids."- He says- "Now you'll pay the ultimate price."
Kaiden aims his gun at the bandit.
"I advise you to keep that thing away, son."- The bandit says- "You can't point that thing at the world's greatest train robber."
Kaiden raises his eyebrow.
"Is that so?"- He asks- "And what makes you thing that you're nothing more than an attention-seeking leech?"
The bandit gasps.
"How dare you!"- He exclaims- "My name is Brad and I've looted many trains in my years as a robber! People fear me because they know that I'll be the harbringer of their doom! So, what makes you think that you're not seeking my attention? Hmm?"
Kaiden sighs.
"That just proves my point."
Brad grins.
"Either way, it seems like we've caught quite a catch. There were a lot of fancy fish in the sea, but it seems like we were lead to the source."- He says- "We've been told a lot of things about you and your family. The Kaos have been helping people a lot in the past few decades and it seems like you kids are on the road to doing the same. So, we're going to simply tie you up and be done with it. Even if the cops actually manage to track you down, you'll be gone by then."
Geralt shakes his head.
"It is quite unwise to doubt our abilities to survive."
Brad smiles.
"Oh, I'd never do such a thing. Especially when you're around, Geralt Kaos."- He says- "I've heard the story about your sister. I know that you've suffered a lot. So, I'm sorry for what's going to happen to you."
Geralt glares at him.
"You are a filthy liar."- He says- "People like you never show any remorse for their actions."
Brad's eyes become more focused as his veil of lies finally falls.
"So, you see me for who I truly am. That's impressive."- He says- "Perhaps you're too smart to be kept alive."
Kaiden stares at the bandits.
"What are you going to do to him?!"- He yells- "Release my brother! Now!"
Brad shakes his head.
"I'm afraid that you've gone way too deep."- He says- "But we're only saving you. If we let you live, you're going to see much worse than us."
Kaiden shakes his head.
"This is unfair!"
Brad sighs.
"The world itself is unfair, kiddo."- He says- "Learn to accept it. Only then you'll be able to truly understand the risks that you've gotta take."
Kaiden attempts to fight back against the robbers, but is easily subdued by them. Along with Geralt, he is tied up and brought next to a nearby window.
As Brad opens the window, he whistles something to bandit on a nearby hill.
"Hey Les! We've got 'em on the spot!"- He exclaims- "On my signal, fire at will! And don't hesitate, okay?"
Leslie sighs and nods.
"I'll... try not to think about it."
He grabs the sniper rifle that is sitting on the ground next to him and aims it at the two boys. Unlike most snipers, he is aiming for their heads, indicating that he is a skilled artisan... or he tries to look like one, at the very least.
"You see what's going on, kids?"- Brad says, takes a few steps back and smiles- "The two of you probably wanted to go to school... "
Geralt shakes his head.
"Actually, only my brother was going to school."- He corrects him- "I am just trying to be a hero, like my father."
Brad glares at him.
"Well."- He replies- "Perhaps you're more dangerous than we thought, then."
He looks at Leslie, lifts his right hand in the air and makes a chopping motion.
"You've got the green light, Les."- He says- "Take 'em both down!"
Leslie prepares to fire two shots from afar, but a sudden change of events takes him by surprise. Unaware that he was being stalked until this very moment, he is attacked by a mysterious person who emerges from the bushes seconds before he fires his sniper rifle. That person is revealed to be Akira, who managed to track down the robbers well before the militia itself.
As Brad wonders what is going on, he looks at the hill and realizes that Akira has put Leslie into a chokehold. He is trying to fight back, but her grip just gets stronger with each attempt.
"Hey, you!"- He yells- "Leave my boy alone!"
Akira glares at him,
"You want me to free him?"- She asks- "Then come and make me, you incompetent fools!"
Leslie shakes his head.
"Please. I... I didn't want to be a part of this."- He says- "I don't want to end up like... like them."
Akira looks at him and shakes her head.
"Too late, kid."- She says- "You should have seen the truth before it crashed down on you."
Brad clenches his fists.
"You won't defeat us!"- He yells.
He looks back at his allies and dispatches two of them to wipe Akira out. However, they are easily taken care of when Kaiden tears the ropes down with his teeth, knocks Brad down and takes his gun, eliminating both bandits before they could even get close to her.
However, this situation gives Leslie the chance to strike back, He elbows Akira in the stomach and grabs his sniper rifle, aiming it at her a few seconds later.
"Woah! Easy there, kid!"- She exclaims- "You're making a big mistake!"
Leslie shakes his head.
"You said it yourself, miss."- He says- "When the truth comes crashing down, it's too late to change it. And it seems like you're the one who was caught in the fire this time."
He fires his rifle at her skull. However, much to his surprise, he misses.
"Hmm."- Akira says- "It seems like you're a pretty lousy shot at close range."
Leslie glares at her.
"It was just a lucky break!"- He exclaims- "I won't miss next time!"
Akira looks back at the train.
"Kaiden!"- She yells- "Now!"
Kaiden nods and aims his gun at Leslie. As the young man prepares to gun his aunt down, he fires a single bullet, striking him right in the skull and killing him on the spot. Akira takes the chance to kick his lifeless body down the hill, leaving only his sniper rifle behind.
Infuriated by his ally's demise, Brad immediately tackles Kaiden and disarms him.
"You insolent brat!"- He yells- "Les worked so hard to be with us! And you... you just destroyed every fragment of his hard work! Do you ever feel any mercy?"
Kaiden raises his eyebrow.
"I should be asking the same thing about you."
Brad shakes his head.
"You made a big mistake, kid!"
Geralt stands helplessly as Brad prepares to choke his brother. He tries to break free from his bonds, but they are too strong. The rope was made to last and it will surely hold him in place until someone frees him.
"No! Stop it!"- He yells- "What is wrong with you?!"
Brad shakes his head.
"I knew that you kids were trouble!"- He yells- "I should've just shot you myself when I had the chance!"
He looks back at his remaining robbers.
"Take the younger one down, boys!"- He yells- "Don't let him escape!"
As the robbers get closer to him, the crystal rose in Geralt's pocket starts to shine. It resonates with Geralt's feelings and emanates a bright red light that easily melts the ropes that hold him in place.
"I already lost one sibling to scum like you!"- He yells- "I refuse to lose another one!"
Suddenly, the rose starts to glow with a much brighter red light. As Geralt's rage increases, so does its power.
"Die, you fools!"
Moments later, the crystal rose lets out a powerful explosion, sending both Brad and the rest of his bandits back.
As Geralt frees Kaiden from his restraints, Brad stands back up. He brandishes a small dagger and points it at him.
"You're not going to get away with this!"
He charges at Geralt and knocks his gun out of his hands. Then, he knocks him to the ground and attempts to stab him in the chest, but the child rolls back and trips him before he could pull out the blade from the ground.
Once there, the two of them fight for the dagger, which Geralt manages to grab and stab Brad in the foot. However, before he could finish him off, one of the bandits tackles him, allowing Brad to headbutt Geralt and send him into a nearby train door, disorienting him for a few seconds.
Seeing that his brother is in danger, Kaiden decides to take matters in his own hands. He pulls Brad away from Geralt and starts to viciously punch him in the face, declaring that no one gets in the way between him and his brother. Brad easily pushes him away and grabs a small table from nearby, slamming it into Kaiden's skull and nearly killing him.
Now that his brother is unable to help him, Geralt has to fight on his own. Having recently recovered from the damage that was done to him, he soon realizes that he has to fend off the gang alone and decides to finish what Kaiden had started. Ducking behind one of the tables, he manages to fire his gun at them, killing three of them on the spot. Then, he shoots at the nearby door, destroying the opening mechanism and preventing Brad and his cronies from getting away.
He tries to fire his gun at Brad, but soon realizes that he is out of ammo.
Brad laughs.
"Hah!"- He exclaims- "It seems like your luck's finally run out!"
Geralt shakes his head.
'On the contrary."- He responds- "I still have a lot of it left."
As Brad wonders what he means, Geralt emerges and slams his gun into his face. He stumbles back and tries to grab something to defend himself with, but he only manages to fall on the ground.
Brad soon remembers that he secretly rigged an explosive mechanism to the train before he attacked the passengers. He pulls out a button from his pocket and pushes it, creating a small explosion that sends Geralt back.
As the young hero stands up, he realizes that he dropped his weapon on the ground. Brad rushes toward him, weapon drawn, so Geralt is forced to defend himself with nothing more than his bare fists.
He does his best to push the robbers' leader back. However, he only manages to hurt himself in the process and is soon subdued by the man.
"Well."- Brad says- "How does it feel to be at the bottom of the food chain?"
Geralt shakes his head.
"You will pay for this."
Brad smiles.
"Oh, I highly doubt it."- He replies- "You're nothing more than an inexperienced kid. You have yet to grow stronger."
He shakes his head.
"But we can't allow you to go any farther."- He continues- "It's the end of the line for ya."
Geralt sighs.
"If you really want to take me down, get on with it."- He says to him- "I am tired of waiting."
Brad nods.
"As you wish."
However, it is soon revealed that Geralt's submissive attitude is nothing more than a ruse. Although is not very good at using trickery in his favor, forcing Brad to execute him personally allowed him to reach for his weak point.
As Brad moves closer to him, he grabs a goblet from a nearby dining table and smashes it into his cheek. He starts bleeding almost immediately.
His goons attempt to apprehend Geralt, but Kaiden wakes up just in time, gunning all three of them down as they reach for his hands.
"What's going on?!"- Brad yells- "No! This can't be happening!"
Geralt shakes his head.
"You brought this upon yourselves."- He says- "You had so many chances to run. You could've become good and productive people. And yet, you refused to cooperate. You continued to perform your illegal activities, not caring who would get caught in the fire. And now, it seems like you will be the one who shall be burned to a crisp."
Brad makes one last attempt to reach for his weapon, but Geralt acts quickly and pushes him towards a nearby window. 
While grabbing the vile robbers' leader, he looks back and notices that the train conductor has rushed in to keep the train running while they clear it out.
"Umm. I know that you might not like this, but I need to break one of your windows."- He says to him- "I hope that this is not a problem for you."
The engineer raises his eyebrow.
"Can you promise that you'll get rid of those no-good bandits?"
Geralt nods.
"I will do my best."
The engineer smiles.
"Then feel free to make them feel the broken glass."- He replies- "We've got you covered."
Geralt nods and smashes Brad's head into the nearby window, breaking it in the process. Although the initial attack does not murder him, he is mortally wounded when his neck is pierced by a shard of broken glass.
The young hero looks down at the choking bandit leader and shakes his head.
"I am sorry. I really am."- He apologizes to him- "I guess that you had your own views of this world, twisted and evil as they were. I wanted to give you a chance to change them, but you refused it. Countless times. And now, you made a big mistake and you are going to pay for it."
He pulls out a half-finished sword from his lap and points it at his head.
"I guess that this is the best I could do for you now."- He says- "Farewell, blind one."
Brad shakes his head.
"We're not... the only... ones."- He gurgles- "Watch... your back."
He tries to say something else, but Geralt stabs him in the head, ending his suffering and preventing him from coming back.
Having defeated his first proper villain, Geralt stands up triumphantly and grabs a pair of sunglasses from a nearby table.
"It seems like the robber became the robbed."- He says and puts them on- "And he was robbed of his life."
Kaiden sighs and claps slowly.
"Very funny, little bro."- He says- "You're a natural comedian."
Geralt smiles.
"I'm glad that I lightened up the mood for you."
Meanwhile, another group of robbers stumbles into the ruined train. They approach the engineer who locks himself in his cabin, leaving Geralt and Kaiden to fend them off themselves.
"Wow."- Geralt says- "That was very... heroic of him."
Kaiden sighs.
"Regular townsfolk are too cowardly to help you out. They cheer for you, but they don't bother with stuff like fighting and defending their country. The militia is the one that does that for them."- He says- "And I guess that this man is the same as the rest of them. How sad."
As the bandits approach them, Geralt notices that some of the corpses lying on the ground are of passengers who were on the train when the robbery began. He guesses that they tried to resist the bandits and were killed by them not long after. Interestingly, none of them were shot in the head, indicating that the bandits were trying to devise some sort of a plan. What kind of plan, he cannot speculate just yet.
However, it is clear that they allowed the residents to reanimate, whether it was intentionally or by mistake. Either way, it is now their problem, as well.
One of the passengers reanimates just as the robbers get closer. Instead of attacking the Kaos siblings, however, he attacks the bandits and manages to sink his teeth into the nearest one's neck, condemning her in the process.
Then, one after the other, the rest of the passengers reanimate and attack the train robbers, taking them by surprise and killing them before they could even make a move.
"Well, the tables have turned. Literally."- Kaiden says and looks at Geralt- "Do you have anything to say about this?"
Geralt sighs.
"I just feel sad about all of the people who lost their lives today, robbers or not."- He says- "People do horrible things out of desperation. They try to take things from others without realizing that they're doing harm. And then, when everything goes wrong, they finally come to terms with their actions. And yet, they never come to understand how we, the regular people, feel about them."
Kaiden sighs.
"After what happened here, I don't think we're regular people anymore."
Geralt sighs.
"I know that."- He responds- "Our lives are about to get very colorful. And dangerous."
Kaiden shakes his head.
"Kia probably wouldn't have wanted this to happen. She's always been a pacifist and wanted to spare others instead of murdering them with her own hands."- He says- "And yet, I've come to realize that she was just too soft. Sparing others would have just made things worse. As that Brad guy said to us, you have to learn to accept it."
He looks at Geralt.
"Geralt. I... don't like the idea of having to kill others. It's a horrible thing."- He continues- "But this is the life that we chose for ourselves. We can't hold back anymore."
Geralt nods.
"I know, Kai."- He says- "So, just stand here with me. Together, I know that we can pull ourselves out of this mess."
Kaiden nods.
"And stand with you I shall."- He says- "Come on, little bro. Let's g-- "
Suddenly, one of the undead passengers lunges for Kaiden and pulls him back. It tries to bite him in the neck, but he grabs a nearby broom and shoves it between its teeth, saving himself from certain demise.
Geralt rushes forward and prevents the creature from attacking Kaiden again. He grabs it and smashes its head against a nearby wall, although the undead does not go down easily. However, the young hero does not give up. He continues hitting and hitting, until the creature stops moving.
Thanks to his brother's interference, Kaiden manages to grab his gun from a deceased bandit's pocket. Joining Geralt in battle, the two boys aim their guns at two separate sides of undead passengers and train robbers, ready to free the train from the last enemies that are inhabiting it.
"I don't know what those things are, but they seem to be quite dangerous."- He says- "Are you sure that we shouldn't just leave the militia to do the rest?"
Geralt shakes his head.
"I have read a few things about the undead. They might be slow, but they're much more dangerous in swarms. And I am sure that there is still a swarm of them out there, waiting for us."- He says- "Even if the militia arrives, they need some help to take them down."
Kaiden raises his eyebrow.
"And we're the ones who need to get the job done?"
Geralt shrugs.
"I don't see anyone else in the room."
Kaiden smiles.
"Fair enough."
He and his brother stand on opposite sides, standing back to back like in some kind of a western film. Undead surround them on all sides like a bunch of lawless hombres, ready to bring them down once they make even the slightest of mistakes.
"Then we're in it to win it!"- Kaiden exclaims- "Let's go!"
The Kaos siblings fire their guns at the undead. Surprisingly, both of them are already familiar with the right way to put them down, so it is no secret that they're going to be successful. Whenever Kaiden is unable to take down a creature in time, Geralt turns around and shoots it for him. And, from the looks of it, Kaiden himself seems to return the favor.
A few minutes of hard work later, the entire train is cleared of undead. Geralt and Kaiden let out two sighs of relief, pull the bodies out of the train and dig small graves for the regular passengers who fell in the battle and burning the robbers who are responsible for their demise.
As Geralt prepares to leave the train behind, Kaiden pats him on the shoulder and shakes his head.
"Wait."- He says to him- "There's one more person left to save."
Geralt gasps.
"Oh, right!"- He exclaims- "The engineer!"
The two of them enter the abandoned train and try to open the way to the engineer's cabin. As they finally manage to pick the lock, a reanimated man approaches the door and attempts to break through to them.
It doesn't take long for the two boys to realize that the man inside the cabin isn't (or rather, wasn't) a regular passenger.
"We were too late."- Kaiden says and shakes his head.
Geralt sighs.
"It seems like one of the undead broke in and took him down."- He says- "What a shame. He seemed like a good man, if a little cowardly."
Kaiden points at the undead man.
"But there's no undead in there!"- He exclaims- "Take a look!"
As Geralt holds the door shut, he looks closer and realizes that no undead are in the cabin. From the looks of it, the train's engineer managed to seal himself in the room while the undead were attacking the bandits, leaving the two siblings to wonder what actually happened to him.
And then, then notice a large bite wound on his neck and realize that he must have been attacked himself while trying to enter the cabin. The bite was fatal and it made him turn soon after. Or that is what it looks like, at the very least.
"I feel sorry about what happened to him. Our inexperience was the cause of his demise and I regret that we were not there to keep him safe."- Geralt says- "However, we cannot leave him alone like this. What if someone gets attacked while trying to repair the train? We must put him out of his misery. It is the least that we could do."
Kaiden sighs and nods.
"Let's get on with it."
Geralt opens the door, letting out the undead engineer inside. As he shambles forward, Kaiden grabs a shard of glass and sinks it into his skull, putting him down and closing his eyes afterwards.
"Farewell, brave engineer."- He says- "Thanks for giving us a fair shot in this unfair world."
He looks back at Geralt.
"So, umm."- He says- "What happens now?"
Geralt looks around and sighs.
"Well, it seems like the rest of the passengers ran away as the train robbers entered. We're alone in here."- He says and looks down at his pocket- "On top of that, it seems like the battery on my phone just ran out. In other words, this means that we must wait for our family to arrive."
Fortunately, it doesn't take long for Akira to find them. When she and Linus enter the ruined train, they approach their nephews and hug them.
"Oh my God!"- Akira exclaims- "I thought that you were done for good!"
Linus smiles.
"Well, I didn't."- He adds- "Good job, boys. You showed those bandits how it's done. That's for sure."
Geralt nods.
"Thank you, uncle Linus. We did our best to make them pay for their crimes."- He says- "However, it seems like our troubles are far from over."
Linus sighs.
"I hate to admit it, but it's true."- He says- "Your grandpa's on his way to get us out of here, but we still don't know whether there are any train robbers left or not."
He looks at Geralt.
"We'll be able to get away, but only if we stay calm."- He says to him- "So, please. Whatever you do, don't panic. Don't let them catch the smell of fear that you still have left in you."
Geralt nods.
"We will not allow them to use our fear against us."- He says- "They will not bring us down."
Linus smiles.
"We're counting on it."
As the four of them talk, a mysterious figure stalks them from the outside. He watches them with his evil eyes and chuckles as Akira claims that they're safe.
"Hey!"- Akira exclaims- "Did you hear that?"
Realizing that he has been noticed, the figure sinks back into the shadows, preparing to make his next move.
"Strange."- Akira says- "I thought that I saw something out there."
Linus sighs.
"Well, it might be more than just mere paranoia."- He says and draws his weapon- "There could be more than just dead people out there. Don't let your guard down."