Chapter Text
The Rail Tracer's arm is wrapped around Lua's neck, keeping her in place while he ties the rope. He's covered in blood and smiling, holding her close so she won't escape. Lua's dress is pristine but his fingers are leaving prints on the back of her shoulder. Ladd suddenly feels furious, itching for his gun.
"Why you dirty, rotten bastard!" Ladd screams out, gritting his teeth as one end of the rope spirals into the distance. None of them move. His hands are clenched at his sides as the train streamlines further into the darkness, and all he can think about is the fantastic, bloody mess he first saw in the conductor's cabin.
"What'll it be? It's your choice. I thought you alone were gonna kill her, right?" His taunting rings clear even in the strong wind, and he steps away from Lua. She's still, her eyes closed as she waits for death. Ladd's glare twists into something euphoric.
"Whatta guy you are, I'm in love! I wanna marry you!"
Everyone pauses. Vino's composure breaks and he coughs awkwardly, glancing between Chane and Ladd. By his side, Lua lets out a quiet cry and starts shaking from disappointment. After a time the rope tugs hard at her neck, but the Rail Tracer's arm instantly finds her again and his hold on her is so strong that her feet never even lift from the roof. The knot magically comes undone, but no one notices.
"...What'd you say just now? Are you serious?"
"Let's marry. How many times have I gotta say it, you idiot?" Ladd's voice starts to rise in frustration. Vino presses his free hand to his forehead in an exaggerated gesture, as if massaging a headache.
"We're both guys, y'know? We can't just get married. Besides, I was planning on asking this doll here to marry me. " He spreads his arms, a little helplessly, glancing towards Chane. Her eyes are wide, shocked at his confession, and she stares at him while Lua shakily slips past and begins to climb down the side of the train. Ladd ignores them all and keeps talking.
"Of course I'm serious! Just forgettabout that dame! It has nothing to do with being a guy or a gal. What I'm sayin' is, you're my sweet guy! And I wanna kill you hundreds of times more than anyone else, meaning I love ya hundreds of times more than anyone else! So let's just get married already!" He attempts an apology to Lua as she descends - she's still the woman he wants to kill most, even if he wants to kill this guy a whole lot more - but she shakes her head. His ex-fiancée begins to cry in earnest as she reaches the deck of the car below.
Vino speaks with an expression hinting at a blush, but he's too covered in blood for one to tell with certainty.
"You really love me? That girl in black over there, ever since I saw her on the platform I thought 'she's the one for me'. But thanks to your proposal, now I'm not so sure. She almost lopped off my ear too - she's made a mark in my world. Then again, you've made a mark too. You and your men have tried to kill a lotta innocent people on this train, and you killed my pal Tony..." he accuses, but with that expression his words don't hold much weight. Chane's eyes glimmer behind him. She seems to be embarrassed.
"Hey, you bastard! That was all in self-defense! And I never told Dune to kill that guy Tony o' yours either!" Ladd shouts, rushing forwards to grab at his blood-soaked uniform, but at that moment a shot fires from somewhere further along the train and hits him in the shoulder. The bullet passes clean through and barely misses the man in front of him, while a fresh spray of red covers the Conductor's unfazed face.
He suddenly pushes Ladd, forcing him to kneel, and then vaults to dodge a second shot. As he dashes haphazardly down the cars towards the sniper, the Rail Tracer calls out:
"There's a bridge comin' up soon. If you don't wanna be caught by the police you should jump off into the river. As for the lovely lady, please carve out your answer to my proposal on the roof before you go. Oh, and don't worry, I'll be thinking about you both! Bye now!"
Chane and Ladd watch him go. After the gunfire ceases Ladd stands, clapping a hand on Chane's shoulder as if he hasn't been injured at all. He laughs into her ear as she tenses.
"Guess it's your lucky day. I don't feel like killin' you anymore, not after meeting that guy. Or should I say you're not worth killing, not compared to that red monster! My heart's all a-flutter - this is love, isn't it? It really must be love!" Chane stares at him, wordlessly, and Ladd giggles to himself as he climbs back into the train to see who's left to kill.
She scratches something into the roof of the train after she's sure he's entirely inside, and then waits for the bridge.