Author's Notes: I know, I know.. This isn't a CompMats chapter. I've actually posted this already on Tumblr via my long-dormant fic-blog (very long-dormant...), but I never got around to posting it on here somehow? Likely because it was made while I had my old laptop... That shitty, shitty laptop...
"Oy Rusty, are you sure you don't want to play with us?"
The wet springtime air had settled into the AV trainyard, sending every train inside as rain cascaded down. At the boys' units, Rusty found himself with Flat-top and Caboose. It would've been a quiet night alone with Pearl, but she had made it home with her friends, and the brake truck had managed to bring over a handheld tablet with a few games to try, something the brick truck had been eager to see what the excitement was over when Caboose told them about it at morning check-in.
But the steamer declined, a full basket of dirty clothes in his arms. "I'm sure, guys. Besides, Belle's gonna kill me if I don't get my laundry done."
"Here, Rusty," Caboose offered, standing up and leaving Flat-Top in the sofa alone after showing him how the tablet worked. "I'll help you out with it."
As the two trains rounded the corner into the laundry room, the sounds of Flat-top playing on the tablet could be heard, between laughs of amusement and swear words of failure.
"He sure is enjoying that thing, ain't he?" Caboose laughed as he folded a large towel on the running dryer.
"I'm surprised he's able to even focus on it," Rusty said as he tossed the basket's contents into the washer. "He can hardly focus on work, let alone brushing his teeth in the morning."
"You think something's wrong with him?"
"Nah. He's plenty smart, but Poppa just says he wants to do everything he can at the same time."
"So then he's crazy?"
"More like easily distracted."
The two trains chuckled between themselves until a sharp blood-curdling scream sounded from the living room. They rushed into the living room, the worst thoughts racing through their mind, but rather than finding the worst, all they found was Flat-top huddled to one side of the sofa and the tablet on the floor.
Rusty rolled over slowly to the sofa. "What's wrong?! Why'd you scream?"
"That DAMN GAME can b-BUGGER OFF FOR ALL I CARE!"
"What game..?"
"THE ONE ON THE THING, YOU PRICK!"
"Calm down, Flatty, it ain't doing you any harm." Caboose picked up the tablet and tapped the screen. It lit back up to show a dark "Game Over" screen that flickered and flashed. "What, this game scared you?"
The brake truck whimpered, his dignity all but thrown out the window. "Y-yeah... You mean to tell me I'm the only one it scared?"
"So far, yeah," Caboose nodded, handing the tablet off to Rusty, who looked at it with confusion. "You can try it out if you like, Rusty."
"It looks a little odd," Rusty said, pressing the "New Game" button and taking a seat on the chair on the side wall. "But it doesn't look all that scary to be honest."
"Y-yeah, you try beating it, ya damn steam-for-brains..." Flat-top flung a leg over towards the steamer. "You sure it ain't scared you, CB?"
Caboose waved him off. "It's not near as bad as people have made it out to be. The controls are a little weird though."
"A little weird? I've had better luck maneuvering you guys past overpacked stacks of freight than running this- SHIT!" In one fast motion, Rusty jumped and threw the tablet back over to the couch and quickly stood up. The "Game Over" screen flashed triumphantly on the screen.
Flat-top sneered at the steamer, his dignity somewhat restored. "Ain't so high and mighty now, are ya?"
Rusty, red-faced and shaking, ran an unsteady hand through his hair. "S-shut up, Flat-top!"
Any comments are appreciated! Also feel free to guess at what game they're playing, if you'd like!
