Four green carriages were winding in from the north, dragged along by an ancient diesel engine. A maelstrom of snow flurries coiled in its wake. Salvation, thought Holly. Or perhaps not. For some reason the mere sight of the clanking locomotive set her stomach bubbling with acid. Still, she was in no position to be choosy.

"It's the Mayak Chemical train," said Artemis.

Holly glanced over her shoulder. Artemis seemed even paler than usual.

"The what?"

"Environmentalists worldwide call it the Green Machine, something of an irony. It transports spent uranium and plutonium assemblies to the Mayak Chemical Combine for recycling. One driver locked up in the engine. No guards. Fully loaded, this thing is hotter than a nuclear submarine."

"And you know about this because…"

"When Alex was 7 he couldn't decide if he wanted to be a train conductor or a nuclear physicist. So he decided to be both," Artemis explained. "It took him 3 months switch careers and during that time this train was all he talked about."

Holly could feel it now. Uranium tendrils eating through the rad-gel on her cheeks. That train was poison. But it was her only chance of getting the commander out alive.

"This just keeps getting better and better," Holly muttered.

The train was closer. Obviously. Motoring along at about ten klicks. No problems for Holly on her own, but with three men down and one next-to-useless Mud Boy, it was going to take quite a feat to get on board that locomotive.

Holly spared a second to check on the goblins. They were holding steady at a thousand feet. Goblins were no good at improvisation. This train was unexpected, it would take them at least a minute to work out a new strategy. The big hole in their fallen comrade, which she pointedly noted not to mention to the younger Mud Boy, might give them further pause for thought.

Holly could feel the radiation emanating from the carriages, burning through the tiniest gap in the radiation gel, prickling her eyeballs. It was only a matter of time before her magic ran out. After that, she was living on borrowed time.

No time to think about that now. Her priority was the commander. She had to get him out of here alive. If the B'wa Kell were brazen enough to mount an operation against the LEP, there was obviously something pretty big going on underground. Whatever it was, Julius Root would be needed to spearhead the counterattack. She turned toward Artemis.

"Okay, Mud Boy. We've got one shot at this. Grab onto whatever you can."

Artemis couldn't hide an apprehensive shiver.

"Don't be afraid, Artemis. You can make it."

Artemis bristled. "It's cold, fairy. Humans shiver in the cold."

"That's the spirit," said the LEP captain, and she began to run. The piton wire played out behind her like a harpoon cable. Though it had the approximate grade of fishing line, the cable could easily suspend two struggling elephants. Another thing she noted not to tell Alex.

Artemis raced after her as fast as his loafered feet could manage.

"Can you see them?"

Alex twisted uncomfortably to look across the icy landscape through a wide gap in the debris, his stomach pinned against Butler's side.

"They're running away from us, I can't see where."

"Well at least they've got a plan," Root said. "Might wanna keep a tight grip."

Alex headed his advice, knotting his gloved hands into Butler's coat.

"How do we know when—"

Alex sentence was cut off when the cable suddenly pulled taut. The ice gave, and the three of them were twanged out of their icy tomb like bolts from a crossbow. Alex screamed, certain for a moment that his tiny body would slip right through the moonbelt.

Then they slapped against the side of the train, their reduced weight keeping them aloft, for the moment. But it was only a matter of time before what little gravity they had pushed them under the steel wheels.

Alex was vividly aware of this as he made the mistake of looking towards said wheels.

Artemis latched on to the rung besides Holly.

"What can I do?"

She nodded at a shoulder pocket.

"In there. A small vial. Take it out."

Artemis ripped open the Velcro flap, pulling out a tiny spray bottle.

"Okay. Got it."

"Good. It's up to you now, Fowl. Up and over."

Artemis's mouth dropped open. "Up and…"

"Yes. It's our only hope. We have to get this door open to reel them in. There's a bend in the track two klicks back. If this train slows down even one revolution, they're gone."

Artemis nodded, eyes fearful. "The vial?"

"Acid. For the lock. The mechanism is on the inside. Cover your face and squeeze. Give it the whole tube. Don't get any on yourself."

It was a long conversation under the circumstances. Especially since every second was a vital one. Artemis did not waste another one on good-byes.

The wind whipped along the length of the train, tiny motes of ice struck Alex's face—it reminded him of a bee sting he got when he was 5. The cold froze the tears on the rims of his eyes, sealing them shut, and practically cemented the bloody bandage to his head. The wind pounded on the crown of his head, and he nearly chocked a few times when it raced by too fast for him to catch a breath.

Alex wanted to clear his eyes, so he could see his brother on the carriage ahead of them. But his didn't dare release his grip on Butler. He couldn't bury his face against the man either, his nose was overfilled with congestion—sending more pain shooting into his forehead and down his throat.

All he could do was hold on and try to breathe.

The padlock pinged open, exposing the hatch to the wind's power. The hatch flipped upward, and Artemis tumbled through onto a pallet of barrels. Not exactly the picture of a gallant rescuer.

The train's motion shook him from the barrels. Artemis landed face up, gazing at the triple-triangle symbol for radiation stamped on the side of each container. At least the barrels were sealed, though rust seemed to have taken hold on quite a few.

Artemis rolled across the slatted floor, clambering to his knees alongside the door. Was Captain Short, and by extension Alex, still anchored there, or was he alone now? For the first time in his life. Truly alone.

"Fowl! Open the door; you pasty-faced mud weasel!"

Ah well. Not alone, then.

Camouflage now no longer needed, Alex regretted picking the light jacket. This cold was cutting through the material and shooting pins and needles into his arms. He couldn't tell if it was weakening his grip or if it'd make it impossible for him to uncurl his fingers afterwards. His ears felt the same way, hot and freezing at the same time. Vaguely, Alex wondered how fast frostbite could set in. And if Artemis would be faster.

Like a whisper he heard his brother's voice on the wind. Fingers, don't fail me now.

"On three?"

Holly nodded. No more energy for speech.

"One."

The bend was coming. He could see it out of the corner of his eye. The train would slow down or derail itself."

"Two."

Captain Short's strength was almost spent. The wind rippled her frame like a wind sock.

"Three!"

Artemis pulled with all his strength in his thin arms. Holly closed her eyes and let go, unable to believe she was trusting her life to this Mud Boy.

Alex heard a tiny click click click next to him, and forced his left eye open a crack to see Commander Root struggling to activate his piton-cord winch. Only for him to yelp when he received a most unexpected poke in the eye.

Alex's numb arm shot out without his permission, somehow catching the tiny projectile he could barely see in his hand with perfect accuracy. It felt like a small tube or vial. He couldn't tell and honestly he didn't care. He was more concerned about the idea of his eyeball freezing solid right in his skull if he kept his eyes open. And about the oils on his face freezing his expression permanently. And about the accumulation of frost turning his hair white.

Alex was worried about a great many things. None of which were the thing he now clutched in his fist.

A/N: I love it when my deep distaste for winter can be applied to my writing. Also tonight I learned that nothing motivates writing like a trio of loud roommates deciding to throw a party in the living room-forcing you to don headphones and Word just to tune them out.

Also an update: I was looking back on this and realized I skipped over a TON of story in the first book for both Younger Brother and Other Orion (what can I say I was in high school and impatient). So I'm gonna be going back and adding in those beginning chapters-which shouldn't take long as their roles in their story were pretty deep in the background.

I'm also outlining a sequel, titled "The Older Brother". Though that won't be published until after Alex and Ryn's stories concluded in The Last Guardian. But I've only got a handful of ideas right now, so if you could comment on what you'd want in that story I'd love to hear it.

Thanks for reading and see you at the next update!