Diesel screamed as he raced down the line.
"Help me! Help! A large engine's chasing me!" he wailed.
"You can run but you can't hide!" Vinnie chortled from behind him.
Diesel continued his pleas as he scurried through the dark and gloomy countryside. The dim moonlight provided a little bit of vision for Diesel, though not much. He gasped when he noticed Vicarstown Station looming in the darkness.
"Yes, I'm saved!"
On the track next to him, he could see a train of trucks and a cloud of steam billowing into the air.
"Whoever's there, help me! Please! I'm being chased down by a monster!"
"A monster, eh? You'll pay for saying that..." Vinnie scowled and he rushed forward, threatening to bump into the back of Diesel. Diesel surged forward and hurried into the station. Quickly, he came to a halt next to the engine, who was hidden in the dark.
"Oh, thank goodness! Whoever you are, please! Alert the Fat Controller! I'm on the run!"
The engine looked over and a swaying light revealed the hidden engine to be Emily. Her jaw dropped as she noticed Diesel, still in his Great Railway Show shunter livery.
"Diesel! What are you doing here at this time of night?"
"I told you! I'm on the run!"
"Really?! From who?"
Diesel nervously indicated towards Vinnie, who now puffed out of the dark and into the beam of the swaying lamp. Emily's eyes bulged with fear when she saw the devious look on his face.
"H-He's here too?! Why?! I thought he went back to North America!"
"He missed his ship... think he blames it on me..."
Emily glanced back and frowned.
"Where's Paxton? I saw him at the show with you."
Diesel's eyes widened as he looked around frantically.
"Paxton?! Oh no, where on earth is he?!"
"Hello!"
Diesel and Emily gasped as Paxton rolled alongside Vinnie.
"Paxton, look out!" screamed Diesel suddenly.
"Huh?"
Paxton jumped with fright as Vinnie snarled at him. He smiled sheepishly as the eyes of the large tender engine pierced into him.
"Uh... Heh heh... Lovely night isn't it-"
Before Paxton could say any more, all four engines heard nearby running footsteps. Onto the platform stepped the Fat Controller, sweating a little as he had just run up a flight of stairs. He wiped a little moisture from his brow and adjusted his top hat.
"Phew... Now, what-"
He broke off as he surveyed the scene. Diesel, Paxton, and Vinnie didn't dare make a sound. At last, he found his words.
"What in the world is going on?! Why is there a Railway Show engine here? And... is that you, Diesel and Paxton?!"
Paxton looked desperately to Diesel for help.
"Um, it's... actually quite a long story," Diesel chuckled nervously.
The Fat Controller crossed his arms.
"Well, by all means, do tell. It had better be a good one too."
All three of them gulped at once. Emily smirked to herself as she puffed away.
The sun rose up, giving a heavenly glow to the sky as the dawn of a new day began. Philip was already awake, eager to start his work in the yard. He hummed a tune to himself as he arranged a set of tankers. Stafford was also awake as his batteries were being charged for the morning, albeit not necessarily from his own choice.
"Ugh, do you have to sing that song, Philip?" he muttered as Philip passed him, "I like the peace and quiet of the morning, and I'd rather you not spoil it."
Philip smiled sheepishly.
"Sorry, Stafford. I'll try and be quieter."
"Good..." Stafford muttered, closing his eyes in an attempt to relax. The boxcab instantly braked and looked back with excitement.
"Oh! Did you hear about my experience at the Great Railway Show?"
Stafford's eye twitched as it opened.
"...I believe you told me, yes."
"Oh? I don't remember that. Ah well, I'll tell you again!"
He looked around, noticing Harvey loading some lumber, and Molly getting a drink at the water tower.
"Look, Stafford! More engines for my audience! Hello, Harvey! Hi, Molly!"
The two engines glanced at Philip and smiled.
"Oh, hello Philip," said Harvey.
"...hi," said Molly shyly.
Philip grinned as Stafford rolled his eyes.
"Would you two like to listen to my incredible adventures at the Great Railway Show with Stafford? It'll be lots of fun!"
"I don't have much else to do," Harvey chuckled, "It'd be a pleasant way to start the day."
"I suppose," Molly said quietly, "I mean, uh... if you don't mind."
"Of course I don't!" Philip said happily as Molly and Harvey chuffed closer, "It was a perilous adventure, with action, suspense, and heroism!"
"Is that so...?" asked Stafford dully.
"Indeed, and it was all me!"
Molly's eyes widened with surprise.
"Really? That's impressive!"
Philip smirked.
"It was if I do say so myself! See, there were various international engines there, but one of them was a big bully named Vinnie! I accidentally backed into him and he got a bit cross with me. Then I ran into him again, and he got covered in coal. It was pretty funny! Then it gets really interesting! I was cornered by a turntable well!"
Harvey and Molly gasped together as the boxcab attempted to pause suspensefully.
"Then what happened?" quizzed Harvey.
"Tell us, tell us!" Molly urged.
"Well, I used my powerful strength to push him over the points and I escaped! Then the klutz ran into a pylon, and it fell on him!" Philip began to laugh. "It was so hilarious!"
"That must've hurt," Molly said, wincing.
"Oh, it probably did, but he deserved it, and it was all because of me! He was quite intimidating, being very big, but that didn't stop me!"
Harvey chuckled.
"I don't think you have the strength to pull a very big engine like that, Philip."
Philip pouted.
"Nonsense! You believe me, don't you Molly?"
Molly smiled.
"Of course I do. You were very brave, Philip."
Philip smirked smugly at Harvey.
"See? I'm very brave!"
"Sure you were..." mumbled Stafford.
"Molly, do you honestly believe Philip can haul Vinnie?"
Everyone's attention was diverted to Gordon, who was getting ready for his morning express run. He came to a stop next to the boxcab and chuckled. Molly gulped and looked at her buffers.
"Well, um..."
"See, according to Thomas, you cowered in fear while he, Ashima, and the other shunting challenge competitors saved your cab from being bashed into that turntable well," Gordon said to Philip.
The boxcab scoffed.
"How would you know? You weren't even there."
"I did say 'according to Thomas', Philip," Gordon replied firmly, "Besides, it's only logical that a little engine like you wouldn't have the strength to pull such a big engine."
"Just as I said!" said Harvey proudly.
Molly blushed with embarrassment.
"Oh... oh dear... I really am rather idiotic, aren't I..." she said with self-pity.
"Nonsense," replied Gordon kindly, "You just didn't know all the facts because someone didn't tell the story correctly." The express engine glared at Philip, whose cheeks grew hot with anger.
"Oh yeah? Well... Uh... You weren't there to help me when I wanted you to! You could've easily helped me against Vinnie, but you chose not to! You wanted me to be bullied!"
Molly gasped with shock. This caught Gordon off guard; he couldn't believe Philip would say such a thing. However, he quickly regained his composure.
"Philip, what are you suggesting is ridiculous! My boiler had just blown up in The Great Race, and Flying Scotsman had taken me back to the yard, leaving me immobile, so I couldn't help you even if I wanted to!"
"Stop making excuses!" Philip roared, "You're not a good engine after all, are you?!"
Molly's face went pale.
"Calm down Philip, I'm sure we can talk this-"
"This is our problem," Philip retorted, "Not yours."
Molly stood agape as the little diesel glared at Gordon.
"If you're so mean that you don't want to help with my bullying problem, then I won't shunt your coaches anymore! Hmph!"
Gordon could feel his steam pressure rising from anger, but he knew if he said the wrong he'd only make things worse.
"Philip, listen. It's not like that. It's-"
Philip looked away.
"I have actual work to do, instead of talking to a bully like you. Good day to you, big engine!"
He rolled triumphantly away. Silence fell over the yard for a moment.
"That was... unexpected," Harvey said slowly.
"Yes, and a little intimidating," Molly commented.
Gordon grunted.
"Yes, being childlike, his tantrums are unbearable. He doesn't listen to reason sometimes. For instance, he still thinks he won that blasted 'race', even though I was filling up on water the whole time."
"That's Philip for you," Stafford chuckled, trying to lighten the mood.
Molly glanced back nervously.
"Is... Is he going to be alright?"
"He might be after he cools down. I'll stay out of his way until then," Gordon replied, "Now, I need my coaches shunted."
Stafford smiled weakly.
"My batteries are charged now, so I could do it for you, Gordon."
The big engine glanced gratefully at the electric shunter.
"Oh, thank you, Stafford. That would be most helpful. I'll see you at the station."
He whistled and puffed away. Molly bit her lip.
"I hope their conflict is solved soon... I like to be a peacekeeper and all, but I'd rather stay out of things like this."
"Agreed," muttered Harvey, "Reasoning with Philip is like talking to a wall."
"That... isn't... uh... You're right," Molly admitted.
"Now you know how I feel," Stafford quipped as he scurried away to shunt Gordon's express coaches.
Gordon backed down into the station, still a little flustered by Philip's outburst.
"Bother..." he grumbled, "Sometimes looking out for that little fellow only gives me a headache..."
"Don't feel bad, Gordon," Stafford said helpfully as he began shunting the coaches into position, "I believe what you said."
"I don't feel bad, Stafford," Gordon replied huffily, "It's simply irritating. If I could've helped him, I would've, but I was trying to deal with my own issues at the time. He simply doesn't understand that."
"Give him or a day or two," Stafford suggested as he braked, "I've come to realize that he doesn't get angry very often. He's a pleasant little engine, albeit maddening at times."
"The irony is that's part of what concerns me," said Gordon, "I've never seen him so cross before."
"I can attempt to talk to him," replied the electric engine, "In an hour or two, at least."
Gordon was about to reply when a loud and worrying cough got his attention.
"Oh no... Is that...?"
Gordon's guess proved to be correct as a sickly Henry puffed next to him.
He coughed again as black smoke flew from his funnel; his face was green, and worst of all, he looked miserable.
"Goodness, Henry! What happened to you?" Stafford asked worriedly.
"I..." Henry coughed before attempting to speak again. "I must've gotten some bad coal. They soon realized it was filthy, so they took it away. It would explain why nobody else is sick and I am... How joyful..."
Henry groaned weakly.
"Must've been the fish! Being around it for so long must've finally gotten to you...!" Gordon grinned.
Henry glared at him.
"It's not..." Another cough erupted from his mouth as Gordon and Stafford winced. "...funny."
"I was only trying to lighten things up," Gordon muttered, "I do hope you feel better, Henry."
Henry attempted to smile.
"Thank you, Gordon..."
He whistled and chuffed away, sneezing along the way. Gordon cringed.
"Poor Henry..."
Diesel and Paxton looked worriedly to each other as the Fat Controller paced the platform.
"I am most displeased with you two. Instead of doing your work, you waste some valuable paint and gallivant off to the Mainland to participate in the Great Railway Show!"
"I... I'm sorry, sir," gulped Paxton, "I... I r-really didn't want to..."
The Fat Controller glanced at the devastated green diesel; this was the first time he had genuinely gotten into trouble, and he wasn't exactly taking it well. For a moment felt sympathy for Paxton, and almost wanted to go easy on him. He then remembered the severity of the situation and his brow lowered.
"Perhaps not, but this whole 'following Diesel' mess has got to end, Paxton. You're only bringing yourself down by doing what he says."
The naive diesel looked down at his buffers in shame.
"Yes, sir..."
The Fat Controller then glared at Diesel.
"And I assume this was your idea, just like it was with the other diesels disguising as crates."
Diesel chuckled nervously.
"Well, heh heh..."
"No, I've had enough of this. You two, go to the Dieselworks to have that paintwork removed and have your old liveries painted back on. I'll deal more with you later."
"Yes, sir. Right away, sir. Sorry sir," said Paxton with guilt as he scurried away. Diesel said nothing but slowly followed. Then, the Fat Controller glanced at Vinnie, who had remained silent the entire time.
"Emily's told me you've missed your ship to get back to your home, correct?"
Vinnie scowled.
"Yes, sir..."
"Fair enough, but would you mind explaining why you were chasing Diesel in the middle of the night?"
Vinnie's scowl immediately left his face. A twinge of panic ran through him as he realized he couldn't find any excuses.
"I, uh... He... called me an idiot... and uh..."
The Fat Controller sighed and rubbed his forehead.
"Oh, I feel a headache coming on... Look, just go to the Steamworks and be looked over. A ship will come in about a week to pick up Ashima, so you can take that one as well. However, you'll have to stay here until then."
Vinnie rolled his eyes as he began puffing away.
"How exciting..."
The Fat Controller gazed in Vinnie's direction as he left. He squinted, having noticed his attitude.
"Hmm... I'll have to keep an eye on him..." he told himself.
At Crovan's Gate, Sir Handel was waiting for a goods train from the North Western Railway. He was growing impatient, and he blew his whistle to show it.
"Oh, come on! Where is he? I have a schedule to keep to!"
"Why don't you shut your trap..."
Sir Handel's eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when he saw Vinnie rumbling through the station.
His face turned pale as the engine smirked slyly at him.
"Uh... y-you're not the goods train, a-are you...?"
"No, I'm going to your stupid Works to be 'looked over'. It's bad enough here already without annoying little engines like you. Now shut up before I make you."
Vinnie didn't say anymore as he puffed away, but it was enough to terrify poor Sir Handel.
"W-what a big e-engine..." he stuttered.
Near the front of the Steamworks, Kevin lowered a new shipment of axles.
"All done!" he declared proudly, surveying his work.
"Oh, how special. You lowered a box... Any idiot can do that."
Kevin looked up and gasped when he saw the looming presence of Vinnie slowly coming towards him.
"Uh... hello there, and welcome to the Crovan's Gate Steamworks!" the yellow crane recited anxiously, "W-what's your business here?"
Vinnie's eyes narrowed.
"My business here is to get inside the building..." He surged forward, causing Kevin to drive backward in an attempt to escape. "...but with a little fool like you in the way, I can't... Now get out of my way before I damage you beyond repair..."
Kevin gulped as he nervously drove off the track.
"Yes, uh... whoever you are..." he said.
Vinnie looked around, eyeing every corner of the Steamworks.
"Not too bad... I've seen worse," he muttered.
Kevin smiled.
"Thanks!"
"I wasn't talking to you..." the American engine thundered.
The crane winced and quickly drove away in fear to fetch Victor.
A few seconds past and Victor puffed along one of the narrow gauge tracks.
"What is going on? Where are-"
He stopped as he noticed Vinnie in the entrance. The big engine smirked.
"Is someone finally going to do their job right?"
Victor scowled.
A half hour later, Gordon slowly came to a halt at Crovan's Gate. As the passengers disembarked, he couldn't help but notice his connection to the Skarloey Railway. Sir Handel's teeth chattered and his eyes darted in all directions. The express engine chuckled.
"Well, Sir Handel!" he needled, "Who's a scaredy engine? You, apparently!"
Sir Handel's brow lowered.
"You would react the same way if you saw him..." he said darkly.
Gordon raised an eyebrow.
"Who's 'him...?" he asked curiously.
Sir Handel's dome quivered.
"He's terrifying, Gordon... He's blue, has bars over his face, and is the biggest engine I've ever seen in all my years!"
Both of Gordon's eyebrows shot up in surprise.
"What?! That's impossible!"
"How?! I saw him with my own eyes!" cried the little engine, "He said terrifying things to me too! His voice alone is enough to make your boiler run cold!"
"But... that would mean..."
"Yes, big blue sausage... I'm back."
Gordon and Sir Handel gasped as Vinnie came to a stop on the track alongside the express engine. The American engine smirked.
"Surprised to see me...?"
For a few moments, Gordon wasn't sure what to say. Sir Handel, now very scared indeed, quietly slipped away with his passengers. At last, Gordon found his words.
"What are you doing here, Vinnie? This isn't your railway."
Vinnie's smirk slipped away to an angered expression.
"I know that, you kettle. I missed my ship, and now I have to stay here until another one can come back for me."
Before Gordon could respond, Hank puffed alongside Vinnie, with Henry in tow.
"Hank? What are you doing?" Gordon asked.
Hank heaved a sad sigh.
"I'm afraid Henry's illness is so bad it can't be ignored now," he replied, "I saw him broken down on the line, so my driver alerted the Fat Controller. Now I'm taking him to the Steamworks."
Gordon glanced at Henry, who looked even worse than before.
"Oh, my... What's the cause?"
"I remember someone saying it was his boiler, though I'm not really an expert on the subject."
Henry tried to reassure Gordon but was so ill his lips moved without any sound coming from them.
"I know,'" Hank said sadly, "It's a sore sight."
Vinnie chuckled as he recognized him.
"He's the engine I saw at the Great Railway Show! Heh heh, he came in last! Now, look at the poor hunk of scrap! He's probably too weak to be any use at all."
Hank and Gordon both scowled.
"Henry's much more useful than you'll ever be!" Gordon fumed.
"Oh, you're all too sensitive," Vinnie scoffed, "Can't anyone make a joke anymore without someone being offended?"
"For your information, you're supposed to do Henry's work while he's in the works," Hank said sternly.
"What?! You can't make me do that! Your top hat has no control over me!"
"He has custody over you while you're here," Hank smirked, "Ya better get movin'."
Vinnie seethed with anger as he left the station. Gordon clenched his teeth as he watched him go.
"I really don't like that engine..."
"Neither do I," replied Hank as he began puffing away, "We'll just have to make the best of it while he's here."
The express engine sighed as Henry rumbled past.
"I suppose so..."
Later, at Knapford Yards, Philip was refueling on diesel. Any thought of Gordon had left his mind by now, and he felt a lot more cheerful. He was especially happy when the yard manager walked up to him.
"Oh, hello sir!" the boxcab beamed, "Am I doing a good job?"
The manager chuckled.
"Don't worry, you are Philip."
"Ha, I knew it!"
"But you'd do an even better job if you could shunt Henry's next train."
Philip grinned excitedly.
"Oh, yes sir! I'll get right on that, sir!"
The little diesel honked his horn and scurried to work. The manager chuckled again and walked away. Philip found Henry's trucks on a siding and smirked.
"Heh, this'll be easy!"
A shunter coupled him up and he began to pull. The train was quite heavy, and Philip's little wheels whirred on the rails.
"Oof, this is harder than I thought it would be..."
He attempted again, when...
"What kind of yard is this?! Nothing's organized around here! Everyone's running around in circles, not having a clue what they're doing! Huh, just like I'd expect from Sudrian engines..."
Philip froze in place immediately and his eyes widened with fear. He quickly shut them in an attempt to block out the voice.
"It's just a nightmare... It's not real... Wake up, Philip-"
"Oh, it's you again..."
Philip opened an eye and looked back to find exactly who he didn't want to see.
"Vinnie!" he almost whispered.
"The one and only. What are you doing here?"
Philip gulped.
"I, uh... I live here," he stammered.
"Well, doesn't that explain everything! No wonder this yard's so dysfunctional! Back home, our yards are perfect. Everything's where it's supposed to be/ We don't have idiots like you as station pilots."
"Well... I... uh..."
"Get back to work shunting my trucks..." Vinnie said slyly, "Or I'll make sure you regret it..."
"B-b-but... H-Henry's supposed to pull this train," Philip stammered.
Vinnie rolled his eyes.
"That heap of scrap got ill, so I'm taking over for a while."
The boxcab shook with fear.
"G-g-great!" he said, plastering a fake smile.
Vinnie snickered, enjoying every second of his torture.
"Now... get my train ready..."
"Yes, Vinnie! Right away, Vinnie!"
Vinnie cackled as Philip quickly started to cross the junctions to get the trucks he needed.
At last, Vinnie's train was ready, and he had turned around so he could back down onto the trucks. Philip winced as Vinnie scowled at him.
"You're the reason I missed my ship... You're the reason I ran into that pylon... You're the reason everyone thought I was an idiot!" He paused to take a breath. "When I come back... you will pay for all that you've done to embarrass me..."
"B-but... why did you come after me in the first place? This could've all been avoided if you had just left me alone," Philip squeaked.
Vinnie laughed as he began leaving the yard.
"It's just hilarious to watch little engines like you squirm..."
Philip's face paled.
Meanwhile, Thomas slowly chuffed into the yard, eyeing each siding carefully.
"Hmm... I wonder where Philip put them this time..." he chuckled to himself.
"Hello, Thomas! Over here!"
Thomas followed the sound of Annie's voice. He couldn't help but chuckle as he saw that Annie and Clarabel were on the siding next to the water tower.
"There you are!"
He quickly ran over the points, and gently backed down onto Annie.
"Thomas, have you noticed something strange about Philip?" Clarabel asked worriedly.
Thomas frowned, rather puzzled.
"I believe I haven't. Then again, I haven't seen him in a while. Why do you ask?"
Clarabel squinted and winced.
"Because I see him, alone on that track over there," she said, "You'd think he would be racing around."
"Really? Are you sure?" asked Annie.
"No, my eyes aren't playing tricks on me, Annie! There he is!"
Thomas looked back and gasped; Clarabel was right. Philip sat by himself by the coal hopper.
"Cinders and ashes! I better go see what's up..."
"But what about our train? You can't just cancel it, you know," Annie said tartly.
Thomas smiled sheepishly.
"I know. Don't worry; I was early to pick you up anyway. We have a few minutes to spare."
"If you say so... Just don't get too carried away."
Thomas gradually chuffed closer and closer to the boxcab.
"Philip...?" he said quietly.
Philip looked back and smiled with relief.
"Oh, thank goodness it's you, Thomas! I need someone to talk to, and nobody else is around!"
Thomas raised an eyebrow.
"Why? What happened?"
Philip sighed.
"Thomas, you remember that big scary bully from the Great Railway Show, don't you?"
Thomas grimaced, as unpleasant memories came flooding back to him.
"Yes, though I wish I'd forget..."
"Well, he's b-back on S-Sodor."
Thomas gasped in horror.
"No! The Fat Controller wouldn't dare!"
"I think Henry is having some kind of problem, so that's why the Fat Controller is bringing him in. But... I'm scared."
Thomas realized what Philip was worrying about.
"You mean he's back to bullying you? I suppose that's what I'd suspect if I'd known sooner."
"Exactly, Thomas, and I don't know what to do! He's going to come back later today, and he threatened me, saying he's going to make me pay! I'm not at all prepared fo what could happen! I just want someone to help me..."
"Why haven't you told the Fat Controller, Philip? That would be the logical thing to do."
"M-maybe but... I'm scared to do that too. Vinnie will only resent me even more if I do that, and I can't imagine what he'd try and do if I told anyone..."
"I see."
"Thomas?"
Thomas noticed that tears were welling up in the boxcab's eyes. He cringed at the sight.
"Yes, Philip?"
"Why does he have to pick on me? What did I ever do to him? I tried asking him, but he only said he thought it was funny!"
Thomas sighed deeply, wondering how he could phrase his reply without making him feel even worse.
"Well, Philip... I think what he said was true."
The yellow and green diesel sniffed.
"What...?"
"He didn't seem to have much motivation, besides you bumping him. It's possible he has interior motives, but I can't imagine what they are."
"But... Why, Thomas? Why is he such a mean engine?"
"Some engines are just not very friendly, I'm afraid. From what I've heard from the others, it seems you bumped into him a couple times, and for some, that's enough for someone like you to become a target."
"But... those were accidents! I apologized, yet all he did was chase me down in front of all the other contenders!"
"Bullies don't really care if it was an accident," Thomas said gravely, "Once they see a chance to latch onto someone, they will."
"Oh..." Philip whimpered, looking down at the rails.
Thomas hated to see Philip so scared but wasn't sure what he could do about it.
"Hmm... I'm afraid I have to go back to my trains, Philip. I'll see you later. Just... watch out, alright?"
Philip gulped, not wanting to see Thomas go.
"Well... alright, Thomas. If you must..."
Thomas whistled and began to puff away, taking one last glance at the little diesel.
Soon, Thomas was backing down onto Annie and Clarabel again.
"Did it go well?" Clarabel asked with concern, as she and Annie have heard the whole thing.
"I'm not sure," their engine replied as he was coupled up, "I'm just so worried about him. I mean, facing Vinnie's terrifying even for me!"
"I sure hope it all works out in the end. I can't bare to think how scared and alone Philip is!" Clarabel wailed, "What a tragedy!"
Thomas sighed as he passed Philip, who was still on his siding.
"I hope so too..."
At Knapford Station, Gordon had already pulled into Track 1 to exchange passengers that had come from Thomas' Branch Line. He looked back impatiently, scanning the track for Thomas.
"Bother. Thomas is late again..."
"I'm not late! I'm perfectly on time!"
Gordon smirked as Thomas puffed into Track 2.
"Are you sure about that?"
"Indeed I am," the tank engine said triumphantly, "Besides, there are more important matters than the time at the moment."
"What could be more important than my train being on time?" Gordon grinned.
"Philip, for a start," Thomas replied.
Gordon stopped grinning and frowned. Thomas was a little confused by this.
"What's wrong, Gordon?"
Gordon snapped out of his thoughts and chuckled nervously at Thomas.
"Nothing, Thomas. Carry on."
Thomas squinted but decided to regardless.
"Well, I'm sure you've heard by now that Vinnie is back."
"Yes," replied the big engine bitterly, "I met him at Crovan's Gate. Horrid engine, he is... Had no respect!"
"Exactly, and he's back to bullying Philip!"
"He is?!"
"I'm afraid so. I'm not sure what to do about it. Since I have to run my branch line, I can't be here to look after him. Even if I was, I would be no match against Vinnie."
Gordon was now very worried; even after Philip declaring he was a "mean engine", he still wanted to have him safe.
"Oh dear..."
His guard blew the whistle and waved the green flag. Gordon whistled and began leaving the heaved a sigh.
As Gordon began to leave Knapford Junction, thoughts swirled around his funnel.
"Philip did say I didn't help him before... It was a rather irrational thing to say, but... hmm..."
He chuckled to himself as the station flew farther and farther away.
"Now's my chance to show him I really do care."
It was now a few hours later, and the sun was lower in the sky.
Philip was back at work in the yard, though he still felt rather glum. He kept looking around nervously, watching to see if Vinnie had come back yet.
"Hello, Philip."
The boxcab shouted in terror and was about to run away when Gordon puffed alongside him.
"Calm down, it's only me," he said reassuringly as he came to a halt.
Philip glared darkly at him.
"Oh, what are you going to do now? Cheer on while Vinnie bullies me?"
"Nothing of the sort. I've finished my last express run until the evening, so now I'm going to try and help you."
"...how do I know this isn't a trick?" Philip asked suspiciously.
"Because I am not the type to chase after an engine, even if I dislike them. I thought you knew me better than that."
The diesel looked down at his buffers.
"Well... I... uh..."
"Just trust me, Philip. I know I wasn't there for you at the Railway Show, for obvious reasons, but I can be here for you now. However, I can't if you won't let me."
Philip thought for a moment and discovered that what Gordon said made sense. He sighed and looked up at him.
"Alright... What's your idea?"
Gordon grinned.
"We're going to outsmart that engine."
Philip smirked.
"Go on..."
"What?! That's your idea?!"
"Of course. You don't like it?"
"I'll be smashed to bits!"
Gordon had just explained his idea to Philip, and he was now getting more and more anxious about it.
"Nonsense. I'll be here in the goods shed watching. If something goes wrong, I'll intervene. Alright?"
"I still don't like this." Philip wailed, "I mean-"
"Yoo hoo, station pilot!" called an all too familiar voice, "Come out, come out, wherever you are!"
Philip gulped and glanced back at Gordon, who slowly entered the shadow of the goods shed. An old truck raised an eyebrow as he backed next to him and some other old rolling stock.
"Are you going to be here forever like us...?"
Gordon glared at him and shuddered.
"Ugh, smelly, old trucks..."
"I'll take that as a yes."
Philip looked back ahead and slowly rounded the bend. Vinnie's eyes instantly met his, and he grinned wickedly.
"Ah, hello again, boxy..."
The boxcab attempted to hide his fear and looked him in the eye.
"You think I'm afraid of you? Well, not anymore! You're just as much of an engine as I am!"
"Oh, look at the big boy! He's all grown up!" He chuckled, "I'd be impressed... if I didn't hate you."
"You never explained why!"
Vinnie surged forward and banged into him, and he flew into a set of buffers.
"Ow..." the diesel groaned, eyes flying in circles.
Gordon gasped.
"Philip!" he said under his breath so Vinnie couldn't hear.
Vinnie was about to push him through the buffers when Philip flew past him in a burst of fear. The big engine gritted his teeth with irritation as his front rammed into the buffers instead.
"I see you've gotten faster since the show..."
"I am very fast!" Philip needled, "I beat-"
"I don't give one puff of steam who you beat! Probably a steamroller!"
Philip stopped bragging and became scared again.
"My task must be completed... That blasted tank engine and Ashima didn't allow me to push you into the turntable well..." He smirked slyly. "Well, now I can as there's no-one to stop me..."
Philip's eyes bulged but attempted to look calm.
"Can't catch me!" he shouted teasingly and he raced away.
Vinnie growled as he left the siding. Philip noticed how fast he was going and began reversing into another long siding.
"Hah, idiot! You may have speed, but you don't have wits!" Vinnie cackled as he reversed to the points.
Philip couldn't help but giggle.
"Or do I?"
"Huh?"
He silently signaled to Gordon to puff out of the shed. Gordon smirked and slowly made his way to Vinnie's track. Philip chuckled and glanced at the nearby signalbox. The signalman looked up from his book and gasped with horror as he saw Vinnie rumbling down the line.
"Huh?! What's going on?!"
He squinted and saw Vinnie getting closer and closer to Philip.
"Oh no!"
He switched the points and Philip scurried away.
"Bye, bye!"
Vinnie was shocked.
"Hey, that's no fair! You can't leave! Get back here now!"
But Philip didn't, and Gordon sneaked up behind him big engine banged into Vinnie, who sailed over the points.
"What?! No, no, no, no, no, no! Hellllppp!" wailed the American engine.
"Huh. I didn't know I had that much strength," Gordon muttered to himself as he backed into the goods shed again so Vinnie wouldn't see him.
"Are you here forever this time?" the old truck asked.
Gordon rolled his eyes.
Emily was exiting the station with some passengers when she saw Vinnie's situation. She immediately braked and whistled to alert him.
"Look out, Vinnie! You're going to crash!"
Vinnie looked ahead and gasped. The large engine was going too fast to stop, so he smashed straight through the wooden buffers and plowed right into an old, abandoned building.
"Oh, I can't watch!" Emily exclaimed as she slammed her eyes shut.
Molly scurried up in the opposite direction with some empty trucks. The shy engine gasped in horror as she saw the accident unfold.
"Oh, my! What happened, Emily...?"
Emily opened her eyes and winced at the damage.
"It seems Vinnie was bullying Philip and he clumsily smashed into that building over there. It was lucky it's abandoned."
"Oh dear..." said Molly worriedly.
More rubble covered Vinnie as he spat out some debris.
"Ohhhh..." he groaned, "My boiler's smashed..."
"Serves you right!" Philip grinned and he honked his horn with delight.
Gordon chuckled as he slowly puffed out of the goods shed.
"Well done, Philip. You did well."
"I had a good teacher!"
Vinnie glared with hate at Philip.
"I'll get you someday..."
"I doubt you will," the boxcab needled, "You already tried twice and failed! I'd like to see you try though!"
"Would you...?"
"...well, no, but... I still beat you!"
Vinnie just scowled.
Inside his office, the Fat Controller had heard the noise and glanced out the window. He squinted when he saw Molly and Emily standing still at the station.
"I wonder what's going on..." he muttered as he put on his top hat.
He opened the door and quickly walked over to Emily's track.
"Emily, would you mind explaining why you and Molly are simply idling about instead of delivering your trains?"
Molly's face turned red with embarrassment as Emily chuckled nervously.
"Sorry, sir, but look at the yard! Something's happened!"
The Fat Controller did so and jumped back in surprise when he saw Vinnie in the wreckage.
He gripped his top hat as he stormed towards the yard. Emily and Molly glanced at each other.
"What on earth is going on here?!" he asked severely to Vinnie, "Why have you crashed into a building?!"
Vinnie groaned in somewhat fake pain.
"I... I don't know, sir... Oh, it hurts so much! Will I ever run on the rails again? Will I ever pull another train? Will I be scrap-"
"Vinnie, you're evading the question. It's clear you have something to hide."
Philip scurried up behind him.
"I know what happened, sir!"
The Fat Controller whirled around to face him.
"Do you now?"
"Of course I do! He's the one who bullied me!" Philip declared.
The Fat Controller raised an eyebrow.
"Bullied you?"
Vinnie ground his teeth together.
"Yes, sir!" exclaimed Philip, "We met at the Great Railway Show, and, I suppose, he wanted revenge!"
"What did you do that would warrant revenge?"
"Uh... I bumped into him a couple times, sir... Heh heh..."
The Fat Controller glared at Vinnie, who now looked nervous.
"I see. But how did he crash into the building?"
"Well, sir, he was chasing me, and he thought I was cornered on that siding. However, I rushed out in time, he couldn't stop, and smashed into the building."
"I saw it, too, sir," Emily said from the station, "and so did Molly. Didn't you, Molly?"
Molly's eyes widened as pairs of eyes gazed at her.
"Um... well... I suppose... I mean, uh... yes, I did..." she said anxiously.
The railway controller nodded in thought and then turned back to Vinnie. Vinnie gulped.
"Well, Vinnie, it seems your actions have been exposed. On top of the destruction of property and carelessness, you bully one of my engines! This is unacceptable, Vinnie, and I'd hope that deep down you know it too."
Vinnie only rolled his eyes in response.
"I'll go to the Steamworks to check on Henry once I'm done here. If he's still being fixed, I'm sure I can split his work among my bigger engines, so you won't be working on my railway any longer. I don't want such an engine doing so. The ship can't get here , so I'm afraid you'll have to stay on Sodor until the end of the week. However, you will be confined to a siding without any coal or water, so you can't move until it is time for you to leave. Do I make myself clear?"
"...yes sir," Vinnie mumbled.
Gordon winked at Philip, who winked back.
Soon, Hank had arrived to help pull Vinnie from the wreckage. He seethed with anger as a chain was attached between them.
"It's engines like you that give our country a bad name," he said darkly, "When will you learn your lesson?"
Vinnie didn't reply, though he did think.
Every time I go after that boxcab, I get smashed... Huh... Why even bother... The little bug isn't worth it...
He glanced at Philip, who was now smirking at him.
"This is what happens when you mess with the wrong engine!" he said.
Vinnie rolled his eyes. By the time Vinnie was pulled out of the wreckage, he was dented, scratched, and in disgrace. He didn't feel sorry for anything that he did, but he did feel rather humiliated.
"Stupid Sudrians..." he muttered, "They did it all on purpose..."
"Well, well, well! Look what we have here!"
Vinnie looked down to find Thomas puffing behind Philip and chuckling.
"I won't ask how this happened because it's pretty clear how it did!"
"Is that so, Thomas?"
Vinnie scowled as Ashima puffed alongside him.
"You..."
"Indian engine? Shouldn't you be that new branch line?" Philip asked.
Ashima giggled.
"I'm still working there, silly. I just came down here to collect some supplies for the yard."
"Oh."
"Indeed it is, Ashima!" Thomas replied cheekily, "Vinnie's a very clumsy engine!"
Ashima smirked at him.
"Indeed he is!"
"Go away, the lot of you," Vinnie demanded, "I want to be alone."
But the two tank engines just laughed.
"Only because you're in disgrace!" Thomas grinned.
"That's what you get for being a bully," Ashima added.
Vinnie just grunted.
"I'm so bored..."
A week later, Vinnie had been transported by Hank to a coach siding by Knapford, and he immediately grew restless.
"It's your own fault," replied Emily as she puffed past.
Vinnie rolled his eyes. Gordon backed down onto his express coaches on Track 1, which were once again being shunted by Philip. The two engines smiled at each other as Vinnie looked on with disgust.
"Pah! You'd never see me being so silly..." the express engine said smugly.
Just then, a familiar whistle filled the air. Gordon and Philip's faces lit up in anticipation.
"Henry!" cried Gordon.
The green engine came to a halt on the track parallel to Gordon and chuckled.
"In the metal! Finally, they managed to clean out my boiler. So, what did I miss while I was away?"
"Oh, nothing. Just me being tortured by everyone," Vinnie snapped from behind.
Henry looked back and gasped.
"That's who the Fat Controller got to replace me?"
"Not exactly," Gordon replied, "It's a long story. I'll explain tonight."
"Alright then." Henry grinned. "Should be interesting. But why is he banged up like that?"
"He-"
"He crashed into a building!" Philip burst out.
Henry glanced back at Vinnie again and chuckled.
"Well, you may have won the strength competition, but you certainly lost the battle of intelligence!"
The engines laughed and Vinnie just scowled.
"I can't wait to go back home..."
Author's Note: I know a lot of people don't like Vinnie, but I just couldn't resist. I also developed Diesel and Paxton's story even further because I figured I had to or else people would wonder what happened to them. I wonder if that'll be its own deal later. Hmm...! Fun fact: I actually originally wrote this around July, with Thomas, Donald, and Douglas as the stars alongside Philip. It... wasn't very good, to say the least, so I decided to rework this for this new project. The next installment combines Ashima and Vinnie into... something. I won't say what yet, but... just look out for it whenever that comes. ;) Don't forget to review, though for some reason it isn't displaying the ones from Beauty and the Beast... Huh, I wonder why...