PERCY: A NEW HERO
My first fanfic. Please be nice - I worked my butt off on this. I hope you enjoy reading it. Uh.... sound ? Dialect ? Speech ? Okay, bye.
Part 1
The sun was peeping through the fluffy, cotton clouds over Tidmouth Sheds. The shed was filled with the gentle sounds of sleeping engines. Some breathed, some snored and some sleep whistled. Some were already awake. But this morning, only Percy was awake.
The 0-4-0 Avonside/Hunslet saddle tank sighed happily. He wondered what he'd be doing that day.
'Maybe I'll be delivering the mail' he thought excitedly. 'Or I might be shunting trucks for the others, or delivering dirty old coal.' His thoughts were interrupted by the shed doors opening and the Drivers and Firemen coming in.
Percy quickly shut his eyes and tried to hide the smile on his face. He loved to trick his Driver and Fireman by pretending he was asleep. But usually, they saw through his tricks and jokes.
"Percy..." whispered his Driver, approaching his engine. He chuckled silently as he saw Percy trying to look asleep, but failing.
"Not today, you old silly," he chortled. He came up and ran a finger along Percy's cold boiler. Percy tried hard, but he couldn't stop himself from bursting into laughter. A twinkle appeared in his Driver's eyes as he traced his finger back along the cool, metal curves.
"Awww, Driver..." Percy calmed down slightly so that he could talk without giggling. "That's no way to wake an engine," he squealed cheekily, yet indignantly.
"It's the best way to wake cheeky saddle tanks who pretend they're asleep," laughed his Driver, who jumped up onto Percy's smoke box to make sure his funnel was clean. He soon sprang down, and strode to the cab to light Percy's fire.
Just then, Percy heard an engine yawning as its boiler was stoked. He looked to his right. "Hi, Thomas," he said cheerfully. The blue 0-6-0 E2 Class tank engine looked at his best friend. "Hello, Percy," he replied sleepily. "You okay?"
"I'm okay, Thomas. What about you?"
"Fine, fine. A little annoyed that I've been woken this early."
"But, don't you always need to be woken this early?"
Before Thomas could reply, there was a sharp piercing sound as Percy's whistle went off. Percy shut his eyes tight. His wheels wobbled and his dome rattled. The other engines gasped and groaned as they were rudely awakened. Percy's Driver gave him a thumbs-up. "Your whistle's all good, Percy," he called cheerily. All Percy could say was," Ow."
Soon after, The Fat Controller arrived to give the engines their jobs. It was all normal jobs, as usual, but the Fat Controller asked Percy to stay behind. James chortled. "He's probably going to get you for that accident with the jam tanker, Percy", the 2-6-0 Class 28 teased.
"Shut up, James," Percy groaned.
"What?! It's true!"
"Yeah, but I've told you time after time – it wasn't my fault."
"Was."
"Was not."
The Fat Controller interrupted them. "Come on, James, or you'll be late."
James sighed. "Yes sir," he muttered grudgingly. And he puffed sulkily away.
Percy was glad that James was gone, but he felt worried inside. A knot was bubbling uneasily in his boiler – a knot of anxiety that the Fat Controller really would get him for the time he accidentally ran a jam tanker into the back of Mavis because he couldn't see her. The BR Class 0-6-0 diesel had forgiven him and vice versa, but Percy was still worried. He wheeshed uneasily.
The Fat Controller looked at Percy, puzzled. He wondered why Percy was acting nervous. "Percy? Are you okay? Is something wrong?" he asked kindly. Percy was getting more worried now. "Well, Sir, I – I thought you were going to tell me off."
"Why?"
"For that accident with Mavis a few days ago."
"No, Percy. I won't do that. Let's leave that in the past now."
Percy was relieved. "So, Sir, why did you keep me behind?"
The Fat Controller smiled. "A slight change of jobs for you, Percy. You're to work in the Quarry today. With Mavis still being repaired..." Percy cringed. "... I'll need an engine there all the time until she returns. Toby and Caitlyn will be there too."
Percy was pleased. "Yes Sir," he peeped. His Driver opened the regulator smoothly, but Percy shot down the line out of the Yards.
Percy soon arrived at the Quarry. Toby was already there, shunting. The 0-6-0 J70 tram cheerfully rang his bell when he saw Percy. Percy whistled happily in reply. The two quickly set to work shunting the coal trucks around the Quarry. The two were busy all morning, pushing and pulling this way and that until the Quarry was tidy. Percy and Toby then queued up at the water tower for a drink. 'Boy, will I be glad when Mavis returns!' thought Percy. Just then, the two engines heard a whistle. It sounded twice, loud and clear.
"Who is that?" wondered Toby.
"I don't know – I hope it's Caitlyn", said Percy.
The owner of the whistle came chuntering cheerily around the corner. It was a 0-6-0 'Jinty' Class tank engine. Her purple paint and yellow stripes shone brightly in the sun. She stopped and whistled at Percy and Toby, clearly happy to see them. "Hello, you two," she called.
"Hello, Caitlyn!" replied Toby, ringing his bell. Percy just smiled. He was always a little nervous near Caitlyn. He admired her a lot.
Ever since she arrived on Sodor, Percy had held a deep respect for Caitlyn. He wanted to be just like her. He really liked her and so did everyone else, but Percy could've very easily liked her the most. As steam twisted freely through his spokes and twirled round his wheels, Percy sighed. He dreamt that he and Caitlyn were puffing along the Main Line. The sun was setting and a thick blanket of fog covered the line. As their lamps guided their way home, Percy and Caitlyn Just stared at each other, smiling. Caitlyn could see that Percy was blushing an extremely deep red, but she too was sporting a very gorgeous looking pink. 'Percy...' she whispered. Percy listened intently. 'Percy...' she murmured again. Percy stared at her with eager eyes. 'Percy...'
"PERCY!!"
"Ahhh!" Percy's eyes popped open. He wasn't on the foggy line, he was at the Quarry. And Caitlyn wasn't talking to him. Toby was. Percy blinked quickly a couple of times. As he came back to reality, Toby spoke again. "Percy. I think your tank is full now..." He wheeshed and steam hissed through his sideplates. Percy chuckled nervously. "Oh, sorry, Toby." He puffed uneasily away and left a content Toby to fill up at the tower.
Percy happily parked himself next to Caitlyn. Caitlyn smiled. It warmed her lots to see Percy. "Are you okay, then, Percy?" she asked.
"Sure," Percy replied.
Caitlyn chuckled a little. Her quiet chuckles gradually turned into giggles. Percy was confused. "Caitlyn? Why are you laughing?"
Caitlyn calmed a little. "I'm sorry, Percy. You're covered in quarry dust."
Percy had been so happy to see Caitlyn he hadn't realized he was filthy. He looked down at his buffers; - they had a thin line of dust on them. He could feel settled dust on his boiler, running board and cab roof. Percy felt very embarrassed. He sighed sadly.
Caitlyn could see Percy was upset. She wheeshed to get his attention. She smiled and winked at him. "Sorry, Percy. I wasn't laughing AT you, honest. I'd never do that. I was just chuckling because..." Caitlyn trailed off. Percy waited. "Yes?" he asked. Caitlyn shut her eyes and wheeshed again.
"Nothing, nothing."
"No, what? What were you going to say?"
"It's fine. Never mind."
"Aw, come on."
"Nah, it's okay."
Percy sighed. His frustration cleared and he smiled at Caitlyn. He then realized he was still dirty. He wanted to go to the washdown – he wanted to be clean when he came back. Especially since Caitlyn was to work with him that afternoon. He told Caitlyn where he was going.
"I'll be back soon," he called as he set off.
"'Kay," replied Caitlyn. "See you later." She watched the small tank engine hurry away. 'Y'know, he's actually pretty cute,' the Jinty chuckled.
At the washdown, Percy was soon being cleaned and scrubbed. He giggled as water vaporised the dust from his green paint. Packs of bubbles ran down his boiler and piled in heaps on the side of the tracks. A few collected on his front buffer beam and some were settling on his nose.
Just then, James rushed in. His eyes were wide as they darted comically from side to side. He didn't even look dirty. Percy was puzzled. "James? What are you doing here?"
"Hiding. She's gonna get me." James then heard a whistle. "Shoot!" He ran round and hid behind Percy.
"James! What are you - "
"Shh!"
"But, James – "
"Shh!"
"Ja-"
"Shh!"
Percy frowned.
"Quiet. Don't tell Emily I'm here."
"You two playing 'Kiss-chasing' again?"
"Yes. Now shush!"
No sooner had James shut his mouth, an emerald Stirling Single chuffed in. She had a cheeky look on her face. She then saw Percy and smiled.
"Hi, Percy." Her heavy Glaswegian accent sounded melodic. 'No wonder James likes her,' thought Percy.
"Hi, Emily," he replied.
"Say, Percy, my mate, you ain't seen James anywhere, have you?"
Percy was about to say yes, but remembered that James was hiding. He hastily stopped himself. "Err, no. No I haven't." He could feel James' buffers go cold behind him. Both engines held their breath and waited for Emily's reaction.
Emily sighed disappointedly at first, but she then caught a peek behind Percy's bunker. A red tender with then number '5' painted on it was quivering in anticipation. She was about to burst out laughing at Percy's attempted cover-up but the proposed laughter came out as a titter. Emily swiftly cleared her smoke box.
"Oh," she said. "Okay then, Percy. I guess I'll go and look for my red hunk somewhere else..." She sounded very innocent – enough to fool both James and Percy. Her pistons hissed into life and turned her huge drive wheels along the line and supposedly out of the washdown. Percy and James sighed with relief. "Thank God," they sighed together, though Percy said "Oh, gosh."
Just then, Percy heard a loud scream and managed to catch a glimpse of a very playful Emily dragging a screeching James out the washdown. The screaming was soon silenced by the sound of intense smooching and kissing. Percy looked away, screwed his eyes shut, let his tongue flop out his mouth and pretended to throw up. 'Yeuch,' he thought.
He was soon clean and puffing back to the quarry. When he arrived, Toby had left and Caitlyn was busy shunting. Percy quickly joined her. The two shunted in silence and didn't notice each other until they were done.
"Oh, Percy!"
"Caitlyn!"
"Sorry, I didn't see you there!"
"It's okay."
Caitlyn stared absent-mindedly up to the sky. Percy looked at Caitlyn, his eyes scanning the curves and corners of her frame. Each second that went by, little Percy couldn't take his eyes off her and he also couldn't ignore a growing passion in his boiler. The more he looked at her, the more he... well, he didn't know. Percy was just infatuated with her. Caitlyn suddenly cast her eyes on Percy, who quickly averted his gaze, before red shaded his face.
"She's just – just... I – I think I'm in love with her."
Well, there ya go. The introduction of my Thomas OC, and a couple I think is just gorgeous. If only my OC were in the actual show. Oh, well. Sorry if you think I make Percy look babyish, but I view him like that. lol. Be ready for more though, cos this aint half of what's gonna happen ! XD Okay, uh... laters, lil' peoples ?