The three of them shared a hearty laugh, the sound echoing faintly in the lively streets.
Nox leaned against the bus stop sign, feeling the slight vibration from the underground trams rattling beneath the streets. A half-ripped sticker on the pole read,
"CoreTransit, Arrive on Time, Arrive in Style!" though someone had crossed out "on Time" and scribbled "eventually."
His tail was flicking behind him, while Chet stood there… locked onto an advertisement flickering across a nearby building.
The massive holo-display cycled through flashing images, city attractions, fashion brands, but then… food.
A sizzling burger, stacked high with layers of cheese and sauce, spun slowly in the ad's projection, the words "LIMITED TIME CORECRUNCH MEGA MEAL – DOUBLE THE SIZE, HALF THE PRICE!"
Nox smirked as he caught Chet's expression, eyes slightly widened, posture stiffened, his mouth just barely parting.
"Dude… are you actually drooling?"
Chet blinked, quickly wiping his mouth with the back of his hand.
"What? No. Just… thinking. That's all."
Zee glanced down the street, her ears twitching as the faint rumble of the approaching bus grew louder.
They all fell into a comfortable silence, the excitement of their planned trip hanging in the air.
The bus rumbled to a stop, its route display flickering with static.
Coreline Midway Plazza.
The doors hissed open, releasing a gust of recycled air that smelled faintly of old metal and cheap cleaning fluid.
A robotic voice droned the next stop announcement, slightly distorted from years of overuse.
"Next stop, Midway City Plaza."
The robotic voice crackled again, slightly distorted.
"Mind the gap, and thank you for riding CoreTransit."
Nox smirked mischievously, his eyes darting to the back of the bus where a small opossum lady stood, waiting for the doors to open.
"You two go ahead; I've got a shortcut in mind."
Without waiting for a reply, he jogged toward the rear, already scheming something.
Zee sighed, rolling her eyes.
"What's he up to now?"
Chet chuckled, shaking his head.
"Knowing Nox? Something ridiculous."
They both paused at the front doors, glancing back to see what their fox friend was plotting.
Zee squinted, her tail flicking with curiosity.
"Is he... talking to the old opossum there who just got out?"
Chet tilted his head, trying to get a better look.
"Looks like it... or maybe he's up to one of his 'brilliant' plans again."
Nox, meanwhile, was casually chatting with the elderly lady, a grin plastered on his face.
The two exchanged a few words before the old lady handed Nox a small sheet of paper and walked away, waving at him.
Nox grinned, waving back before casually strolling toward the back door of the bus.
The bus driver, a burly polar bear, looked at Zee and Chet, still standing in the doorframe, and grunted.
"Are you two coming or not? I haven't got all day, you know."
Zee quickly stepped forward, raising both paws apologetically to the driver.
"Yeah, yeah, we're coming! Sorry about that."
She and Chet bought their bus tickets and stepped inside.
Chet glanced toward the back of the bus, then whispered to Zee.
"What's he up to now? Nox doesn't have a ticket, does he?"
Chet and Zee looked at each other silently.
Inside the bus…
The extra-large bus was roomier than most, probably because Chet would have collapsed the smaller ones.
The seats were worn down and patched with duct tape, the holoscreens near the front flickering in different colors.
Nox casually sat down, patting the giant seat next to him.
"Come on here. I got the best seats reserved for us."
As the two found their seats, Zee plopped down next to Nox, the extra-large seats so wide it almost looked like two separate ones. Chet settled across from them, the seat groaning slightly under his weight.
All of a sudden, the bus driver started mumbling from the front, eyeing Nox inside a built-in mirror.
"Hey, you, fox. I didn't see your ticket yet."
Chet and Zee shared a concerned glance.
"Oh gosh, what are we doing now?"
With a dramatic flourish, Nox tipped his hat to the bus driver.
"Don't worry, just a moment."
He stood up, waved his paw dismissively, and then lifted a ticket in the air, flashing it just long enough for the driver to see.
Zee's eyes narrowed.
"Where the hell did you get that?"
Nox smirked, leaning back into his seat.
"Let's just say I made a new friend. Don't worry."
Zee crossed her arms but couldn't hide the slight smirk creeping onto her face. Still, she jabbed a finger at him.
"You're so damn lucky I believe you, because if I find out you scammed that old lady."
She leaned in, voice dropping slightly.
"I'll make sure you're the next donation to CoreCoaster's lost-and-found bin."
Nox let out a chuckle, leaning toward Zee.
"No no, I would never. I kindly asked her if she still needs her ticket and turns out, no, she didn't."
She squinted at him, skeptically, though with a slight smirk tucked on her lips.
Chet sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose.
"Unbelievable. One of these days, I swear you're gonna get us all thrown off a moving bus."
The bus lurched forward, its engine humming as it rolled onto the next stop, leaving the three of them settled in for the ride ahead.
And with that, their night at CoreCoaster was finally underway.