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There are rumors around the Battle Subway. There always have been. Speculations of Ingo and Emmet’s perfect synchronization, that the regional champion has been a frequent face, how the Subway’s caverns were built by an ancient kingdom. They were a bit of fun to pass between passengers awaiting a battle.
That was before the third Subway Master arrived.
Some say he had never seen a train before he suddenly appeared. Others argue the way he glares at the cars is a simple dislike for the constant motion. The contradictions satisfy no one. All agree, though, that the way he appeared from thin air one day, already matching the twins’ every train analogy, already having earned the full support of their two-car train, was uncanny.
There have been whispers that he bewitched the Subway Masters somehow. He certainly had worked their way into their clockwork dynamic, how else could he have done it? Though those theories fade slowly away. His team is omnipresent beside him - a minccino on his shoulder sometimes dethroned by a rufflet, and a fraxure by his side - and none of them can learn hypnosis. The passengers have checked.
Some say that they saw him as a passenger months before his first appearance. He talked of trains as if they were steel-types waiting to consume them all. He spoke of cellphones as if he couldn’t fathom their existence. He rambled on and on to his minccino about a world he did not understand. No one knew if it was true, but most believed it.
The subway caverns were built by an ancient kingdom, it was said. One that stood for truth and ideals, the very same concepts the subway master blathered on about. One that could explain the odd traditions they’ve seen aboard the train that belong to no known region. One that could have stood firm with someone who could command respect as he did. There was no way to prove it, but stranger things happen underground than a haunting.
There is a blackout on the train one day. A passenger has gone to battle. When they return, they are distraught. They ramble on about how they had insulted Emmet in the heat of battle, how Ingo came to his defense, and how the third appeared at the doorway once the brothers departed for the breaker room. They say they did not understand what language he was speaking. They say, in his quiet rage, his eyes glowed red like a yamask in the night.
There is silence, then sparse, nervous laughter that dies quickly. Another rumor to be spread aboard. And yet, in the days that follow, no one mentions the tale again.
The rumors of the Battle Subway are spoken in hushed tones. They strain to be heard over the heat of battle, the enthusiasm of the conductors, and the clipped demands of their third beyond the holding carts. They sometimes delve into the oddities of the twins, but more often speculate on the newest addition. Whispers say that he is a ghost from another time. Most will scoff, perhaps voice the absurdity of the notion, but all notice when he wanders through their car with that faraway look in his eye. All respect him when he blinks, glares, and snaps calmly at their scrutiny before departing. All want someone to follow him as he disappears into the shadows of the next car. No one does.