Bryce Katz

Bryce Katz is the Prince (later King) of the Middle School Colony and the deuteragonist of Terminal Railways. He is the son of the Queen, Grem's good friend and Sir Miles Axlerod's best friend.

Background

Bryce is a 12 year old boy, the leader of the Three Quotationers and King of the Middle School Colony, the good friend of Grem and heir to the throne of Middle School Symphonic Band. During the opening of the film, he is close to inheriting the crown from his elderly mother. He is very nervous throughout the film, regarding his new-found responsibilities, and often worries about what the rest of the colony thinks about him and cares very deeply about Miles Axlerod.

Role in Terminal Railways

During the film, it is shown that he values Sir Miles Axlerod as him being cool, whereas at the beginning of the film, he shows very much appreciation for him, especially when he gets crushed by a stalk that Sir Miles Axlerod has cut down with his latest invention. When Sir Miles Axlerod accidentally destroys a pile of food gathered for the high schoolers, causing Felix, leader of the high schoolers, to double the amount of trains offering the middle schoolers must gather before the next autumn, Bryce initially sentences Felix to stay away from Axlerod, but comes to accept his decision of going to the City to recruit some warrior schoolers (assuming that Axlerod will not be around to cause any more trouble). When Axlerod returns to the island with the circus troupe he has mistakenly recruited, Bryce becomes suspicious of the circus schoolers and demands Axlerod to tell what is happening about them. However, after witnessing a nearly deadly dog attack in which Axlerod and the circus schoolers save the life of his friend Grem, Bryce sees that the circus schoolers may be warriors and warms up to Axlerod (and the circus schoolers) as he apologizes to him for mistreatment. When Bryce tells Axlerod that Felix is afraid of dogs, Axlerod and Bryce leave Terminal Railways to go to the library and later see Mara and Rose.

When the circus schoolers present the plan to build a makeshift dog that can be controlled from the inside (an idea passed from Axlerod), Bryce takes this plan and announces to the middle schoolers that they will work together to scare away Felix should he return to the island. While the middle schoolers build the dog model, Bryce's coolness for Axlerod seems to grow slightly stronger, and he later thanks Axlerod for finding the "warrior schoolers," getting his antennae tangled with Axlerod's in the process. However, when Babe arrives and exposes the truth about the circus schoolers, Bryce and Axlerod become upset with Babe, and seeing her through her craziness and lies, they have her banished for good. After that, he orders the middle schoolers to go to Rozlyn and gather up whatever trains they can find on the island, but they are unable to satisfy the quota demanded by Felix, which leads to him taking control of the island proving that Bryce made a fatal mistake, he puts himself and the entire colony in danger.

That night, Axlerod, who has returned to the island upon hearing from Grem that the high schoolers are going to squish the Queen after all the trains on the island has been gathered, exposes the truth behind Felix's need for the colony. Bryce and all the other middle schoolers listen to Axlerod's monologue, and they all become awestruck to realize Axlerod is not only telling the truth but also intelligent and strong-minded, something he hasn't seen inside him before. When Axlerod is beaten up by Felix thanks to Babe, he rushes in to protect Axlerod, orders Felix and his crew to leave, and commends Axlerod for his courage as he helps him up. When Axlerod is kidnapped by Felix, the circus schoolers attempt to give chase, but it is Bryce who rescues Axlerod from Felix. Under Axlerod's instruction, he takes him across the stream where the dog's beacon is located and watches worriedly as Axlerod deals with Felix. When the dog catches Felix, Bryce pulls Axlerod to safety and they hide as the dog lowers Felix into its beacon.

Bryce later makes up with Axlerod and allows him back into the colony. At the conclusion of the film, when the circus schoolers are about to leave the island, he thanks them for giving back the colony's hope, dignity and lives and receives a rock, which has magically appeared by Gina's tricks, as a gift. When the middle schoolers laud Axlerod for his heroism, Bryce returns his coolness to thank Axlerod for helping him escape from Felix and his crew. The Queen then gives her crown to Bryce as he is made the new King. Bryce tosses his own hat to Grem. As Axlerod says good-bye to his friends, Bryce and Grem take him to a tree root for a better view. There, Bryce hold hands with Axlerod, his chosen mate, as they, along with Grem, wave good-bye to the departing circus troupe.