Warning: gore content ahead.

Chapter 2 - I'm Not a Monster

While pulling his full coaches down his branch line, Thomas finally felt relaxed and relieved from Timothy's pull on his soul. And he felt especially comfortable due to the serenity of a beautiful flower field he was passing by, and he had the time to bask upon the field's peacefulness some more when he came across a red signal.

But the harmony of the land was suddenly interrupted when a gut-wrenching screech pierced the air. Thomas instantly recognized the grinding as Winston when his little horn came from around the corner, in which he soon appeared around and clumsily approached Thomas with Sir Topham Hatt inside.

And as Thomas expected, Sir Topham Hatt finally managed to make the wobbly railway car stop next to him. Wonder what he needs this time, Thomas pondered as he put on a polite smile for his boss.

Why are you smiling for him?

"What?" Thomas whispered in confusion, glancing around to find the owner of the separate voice but to no avail.

"What?" Sir Topham Hatt spoke loudly.

"Oh, no! S-Sorry, Sir, I just thought I heard something," Thomas sheepishly explained.

Don't play dumb. You know it's me. Thomas' eyes widened when he realized it was Timothy, inside his head, that is. Timothy was prone to telepathically whispering to him from time to time, and Thomas was sick of it. But he could do nothing to stop it, and had to fake it to make it.

"Anyway, I came to ask about your driver and fireman, Thomas. Their families have called, and they are worried sick, saying they haven't seen them in weeks," Sir Topham Hatt informed with worry.

"U-Uh…" was all the blue engine could say.

Don't you dare say a word, Timothy hissed.

Then what do I say? Thomas argued.

You don't need to say anything, but if circumstances demand, then just lie.

Lie? Lie about the deaths of the innocent, you mean?

And yours. Realization once again hit Thomas in the face, and he frantically looked at the track ahead of him and Sir Topham Hatt and back again. He could easily puff ahead to escape, but Sir Topham Hatt…

I think you know good and well what to do. Timothy seemed to read Thomas' mind, which was no surprise. But Thomas figured he was right.

"Wait a minute…Sir, look!" Winston piped up as he slowly inched forward, and he saw the eerie sight of Thomas' empty cab.

"What the heavens?! Your cab, Thomas…it's…it's…" Sir Topham Hatt, too, was soon overwhelmed by shock to complete his sentence.

"Empty!" Winston finished for him, backing up in fear, "You're possessed, Thomas!"

"No, please! You don't need to fear me!" Thomas begged and slowly went after Winston and Sir Topham Hatt.

"What did he say?" Annie inquired, worry obvious in her tone.

"Did he say you're haunted?!" Clarabel exclaimed in shock.

To make matters worse, the ruckus from the twin coaches soon arose suspicion for their passengers, and they all piled to their windows to see for themselves if Thomas' cab really was empty. And when they saw the truth, it wasn't long before Annie and Clarabel were racked with cries of terror.

"STOP!" Thomas couldn't take it anymore, and gathered a small feat of strength to send out a bright red shockwave, his eyes once again flashing red as well. And as the shockwave struck everyone around the blue engine, they all froze and went completely blank, as if their memory was just wiped.

Thomas waited for a few moments for the affects to wear off, which didn't take too long when everyone started blinking and rubbing their eyes, the people shaking and holding their heads in pain.

"Oh, dear…what…happened?" Sir Topham Hatt was the first to speak, his voice groggy.

"Y-You…were just passing by when you wanted to say hello, Sir," Thomas lied with a fake smile, "A-And I-I was just taking Annie and Clarabel to Knapford to drop off the passengers."

"Oh…yes, I think I remember, now," Sir Topham Hatt slowly stated with a smile.

"Me, too!" Winston added with realization, and Thomas could then hear his coaches and passengers murmuring in agreement. His plan worked…luckily.

So, with a polite farewell, Sir Topham Hatt and Winston continued down the track, and the signal soon turned green and allowed Thomas to go on as well. The said blue engine sighed in relief, but regretted what he had just done to those people.

Well done. I'm impressed, Timothy chuckled in appeasement.

"Well, I'm not," Thomas whispered back, "They didn't do anything to deserve that."

Maybe, but it's not like you did any collateral damage. And besides, you and I both know what would've happened if they found out the truth.

Sorrow dragged on Thomas, as he knew Timothy was right once more…but he couldn't keep doing this…he wouldn't keep doing this. What he was already doing with Timothy was very wrong, but Thomas didn't want to make it any worse than it already is.

The day was ending and Thomas was heading back to Tidmouth to get some well-earned rest, but he was puzzled when he heard the familiar horn of Mavis the diesel as he came up to a junction. He was just now passing the sign to the Diesel Works, so he wasn't surprised when he saw Mavis…but she was approaching rather fast.

And when she finally stopped, her face was faint red and she sounded breathless.

"Thomas…you need to come quick!" Mavis huffed.

"Why? What's wrong?" Thomas quickly responded.

"It's Diesel Ten! When Percy was asked to deliver some supplies to the Diesel Works for Den and Dart, he took him and he's now holding him captive!"

"What?! Why?!"

"I don't know, but he said he wanted to talk to you. That's why he sent me to find you. But you need to hurry, Thomas! Diesel Ten threatened to tear Percy apart with his claw if you don't show up before sundown!"

Thomas then looked over the horizon and realized he didn't have much time.

"Ok, go to Knapford and get Sir Topham Hatt, tell him to get to the Diesel Works as fast as he can!" Thomas firmly instructed, and the female diesel engine wasted no time in racing to the said station.

And when Mavis was out of sight, he raced off to find another junction to take him to the Diesel Works.

At the said infamous station, Diesel Ten was sitting at the edge of the second level, grinning as he watched and waited with a few of his Diesel cronies for a certain steam engine to appear.

"Diesel Ten, please, let me go!" Percy begged from behind the said diesel engine, which blocked the track to keep him trapped.

"Not yet, Little Steamie. Our guest hasn't arrived, and it would be rude to end the party without him—well, until sundown, that is," Diesel Ten chuckled darkly, earning a few laughs from the other diesels.

"W-What're you going to do if he doesn't show?" Percy whimpered.

"Oh, believe me, you won't like it." To emphasize his point, Diesel Ten stretched his rusty claw towards the green engine and snapped, causing a few sparks to fly. Percy gulped in fear and inched backwards.

"Diesel Ten!" A voice suddenly rang throughout the Diesel Works. "I'm calling you out!"

The said diesel engine's grin stretched, and he rolled forward onto the lift to get down to the first floor. And once he was down, Diesel Ten was then level with none other than Thomas, who was just outside the building.

Even though it was dark, Diesel Ten could see the scowl upon Thomas' face, and he rolled forward to get a better look.

"Let my friend go," Thomas demanded.

"In due time," Diesel Ten calmly protested with a cocked brow, "Do you know why I called you here?"

"No, and I don't care! I came here to save Percy, so let him go already!"

"Oh my, such anger and determination. Where did that come from?"

"Why does it matter to you?"

"Oh, it matters greatly. You see, Thomas, I have eyes and ears everywhere—so to speak—and I've heard rumors about you." Thomas' cold expression turned soft for a split second, fearing Diesel Ten was onto him. "Rumors of a certain—power."

Thomas' eyes widened, and Diesel Ten quickly noticed, "Ah, so it is true! Tell me, where did you find it?! Where can I get it?!"

"No!" Thomas snapped and puffed forward to get in the diesel's face, "Even if this power was real, and I'm not saying it is, I'd never let you have it! You would only use it to destroy others!"

Despite Thomas' aroused anger, Diesel Ten remained calm and merely smirked at him.

"You're smarter than I thought," Diesel Ten complimented, but then he frowned, "But that won't stop me from getting what I want. Diesel, Norman, bring him to me!"

Doing as they were told, the two said diesel engines forced Percy onto the lift and lowered it to get him down; they then rolled onto it themselves and followed Percy, pushing him onto a track next to Diesel Ten and awaiting their next commands.

"You should know, Steamie," Diesel Ten threatened in a hysterical whisper, his stretched smile returning, and he extending his claw out to Percy again, "One way or another, I always get what I want!"

Diesel Ten's claw then clamped down on Percy's boiler, erupting cries of pain from the said green engine. But he didn't stop and continued to dig into the thick metal, soon going deep enough to draw blood.

"NO!" Thomas pleaded at the top of his lungs, but he wasn't equipped with a weapon like Diesel Ten and couldn't do anything, except watch his best friend writhe in agony.

Let me take over. I can save him, Timothy angrily pointed out, enraged by the destruction of a fellow steam engine just as much as Thomas.

"No, you'll only make it worse," Thomas frantically protested, panic arising higher in him.

But I can stop it, just let me help!

"I said no…"

Your friend will die if you don't!

Just then, their internal fight was cut off when they heard a large snap, and it didn't take them long to figure out it was from Diesel Ten suddenly ripping Percy's pipe right off, creating a gruesome fountain of blood and steam.

And when Percy's piercing screams were drowned out when he suddenly went unconscious, Thomas finally decided enough was enough. Without warning, his eyes lit up bright red, the whiteness turning pitch black, and his teeth growing into sharp fangs.

"Last warning, Diesel Ten: Let him go!" Thomas' voice was different, a horrible mix with Timothy's that sounded like a demonic and static growl.

"Yes, the monster has finally come out to play!" Diesel Ten cheered, his face and sides now stained with Percy's blood, and he still held the bloody pipe in his claw. But even though Diesel Ten was very amused, Diesel and Norman tried to back out of the obvious danger before them.

"I'm not a monster!"

"Don't deny the truth, Dear Thomas! If you could see yourself now, you wouldn't!"

"I don't care! You're the monster here, and so you're going to pay!"

Diesel Ten didn't realize it until it was too late. He had pushed Thomas over the limit, and he had no idea what was coming. But Diesel Ten quickly found out when he felt a painful pull on his roof, and he realized his claw was being ripped off.

"Wha-?! What are you doing?! How are you doing it?!" Diesel Ten panicked, finally dropping Percy's pipe when he lost all feeling in his claw.

Thomas stared firmly at the rustic limb to keep his hold on it, cables were quickly torn apart and blood gushed out as he continued to pull. Diesel Ten's eyes rolled back and his voice strained from the intense pain; he didn't even cry out when Thomas finally pulled his claw completely off.

Like Percy, Diesel Ten soon passed out from the huge loss of blood, but Thomas wasn't done with him yet. With his own claw, Thomas grabbed Diesel Ten's roof, digging deep to bend metal and draw blood, and he then lifted the diesel engine off the ground. Once Diesel Ten was far enough in the air, Thomas pulled the claw back and effortlessly tossed the diesel like a rag doll across the yard, and he crash landed into the Diesel Works.

Diesel and Norman were too scared to come out, fearing the wrath of demonically-evolved Thomas. But that was their undoing. For as Diesel's body skid across the concrete, thousands of sparks flew all around him and landed in some puddles of oil and gasoline.

And even though they were small puddles, it was enough to immediately ignite into huge flames. And the rest of the Diesel Works was full of flammable objects, which quickly fed the flames. Soon, the entire building was aflame, completely trapping the three diesel engines and bringing them to their fiery demise.

Thomas and Timothy watched from afar from Percy's motionless body, but Timothy was still in power as he watched with a blank expression. But then the sound of Belle's brass bell and Flynn's wailing horn pierced the air, alerting Thomas of the oncoming company.

He then remembered when he sent Mavis to get help, which mean Sodor's Search and Rescue Team is coming.

"We need to get out of here," Thomas told himself, and the ebony in his eyes and fangs quickly disappeared, but his pupils were still red. The blue engine quickly puffed forward, and faded into the fire just before the rescue team arrived.

And the sight before them was truly incomprehensible.

"Look!" Flynn called out, and the whole team finally noticed Percy.

"Belle, haul Percy back to the Steam Works! Flynn, stay here to fight these fires!" Sir Topham Hatt ordered, and the two immediately obeyed.

But as Belle pulled Percy away on a flatbed, Sir Topham Hatt worried. He worried what could have done this, and if it will come after the rest of his beloved engines, too.

They're sapient trains. I'm pretty sure they bleed.

Until the next chapter, I'm TRikiD, bye-bye!