A/N: I live! A quick warning of language, slight gore, and a reference to a disturbing urban legend. This chapter will give only a hint about Dusk's past, but I'm planning to explore that a little more once I get done with this story. Anyway, on with the show!
Not long after that, Dinah, the dinning car that gave Dusk to CB, managed to sneak in undetected, well, almost undetected. Dusk lifted her head, and trilled, alerting CB that someone new had arrived. CB smiled warmly.
"Hey, Dinah," he tensed up a little when Greaseball glared at him. He knew the diesel was suspicious of him with Dinah. Jinx rubbed against their legs, breaking the tension between them.
"Hello, CB." Dinah nodded in acknowledgement. She jumped a little as she felt something soft brush against her leg, and looked down to see CB's cat looking up at her, and purring. Dinah smiled, and picked her up off the floor.
"Why hello! I haven't seen you in a while!" Dinah scratched the cat's chin. The cat closed her eyes, and purred.
"You've seen this cat before?" Greaseball sounded rather... uncertain, strange for the usually overconfident diesel engine.
"Yes, I gave to CB because I was afraid you wouldn't like her. Is there something wrong?" Dinah held the cat close, afraid she had done something to anger Greaseball.
"No, I'm fine. I was just wondering." Greaseball had gone back to his old self again. Whatever that was eating at him, was now pushed to the back of his mind.
Dusk could tell Dinah, and Greaseball were a couple. She felt happy for them, but her joy quickly faded when the thought of a couple brought back the memory of that one day... that dreadful day. She felt tears begin to form in her eyes, and she quickly pushed that cursed memory to the back of her mind. She could not afford to break her cover right now.
Dinah situated herself in the corner, still holding the cat. She steered clear of Coal. She knew what he was doing to those weak and defenseless humans, and she wanted nothing to do with him. She grew pale when she noticed a patch of dried blood, human blood, on his forearm. She shifted nervously. The sight was stomach churning. Greaseball noticed Dinah's reaction, and whispered in Coal's ear.
"I told you to clean up afterwards. You know she can't stand the sight of blood. Remember last time she saw blood on you, when she passed out?" Greaseball growled softly.
"Look, I'm not perfect. You can't expect me to be spotless. Besides, it's barely noticeable. Not to mention, the workers will become suspicious if they see me out this late at night headed for the showers. Look, I don't want to wash if off in here because I don't want to frame my bud fir murder, unlike that human who was believed to have killed two kids." Coal spat quietly. He couldn't help, but smile at his handiwork. The two human children didn't stand a chance against the machine he threw them into. Their bodies were reduced to a mushy, and bloody mess. The uncle of the two children was presumed to be mad to begin with, so it provided the perfect cover. It was infamous enough it had become an urban legend that teens, and young adults tell each other, and pass down from generation to generation. He had left a legacy for the humans to remember him by.
"Well, how do you plan to deal with it then?" Greaseball crossed his arms.
"Simple," Coal smirked, and licked the blood off his forearm. Everyone exclaimed in disgust, and before Greaseball could catch her, Dinah fell to the floor, unconscious.
"You asshole! You know she can't stand gore!" Greaseball was furious at Coal.
"What else could I do? Just roll on outside, and say 'Hi, I just fucking killed a human! Haul me off to the fucking scrapyard!?' " Coal bared his teeth. Thick black smoke billowed from his nose, and between his teeth as a fiery glow could be seen at the back of his throat when he spoke. He looked like he was ready to reduce the whole train yard to rubble. Electra stood up, and opened his mouth to speak.
"Coal, you know CB does not want you to fight anyone, let alone a close friend of his. All I ask of you is to refrain from violence. I do not wish my master to become involved." Krupp, who had been silent this whole time, now bared a scowl on his face, the first warning. Electra sat down, and let his armaments truck do the talking.
"Or what?" Coal let out, what sounded like, a soft growl. Greaseball snickered. It must be hard to be intimidating for Coal when he can't even let out a full blown growl. Krupp reached for the gun in his holster.
"I am afraid I will have to end it before it even begins." Krupp gave Coal the second, and final warning. Coal snorted like a dragon, smoke billowed form his nose as he calmed down, and his fire lowered. Coal reluctantly sat down on the couch. Krupp nodded, relieved that he didn't have to use force.
Dusk wiggled out from underneath Dinah as Wrench sprang into action, checking Dinah for wounds, or trauma. Dusk whipped around when she heard the armaments truck snicker softly. She narrowed her eyes. Clearly, he enjoyed watching others suffer, almost like her, but this was just embarrassing. The money truck beside him sighed in relief. Either he was glad the armaments truck prevented as fight, or he was glad to see she was okay.
"Your coach is fine, Greaseball. She will come to in a few minutes... like last time." Wrench sighed, and shook her head. "Coal, you should have washed it off in the sink. We can use bleach to get rid of the blood in it."
"Oh please! It's not the end of the world when someone passes out." Coal scoffed, and rolled his eyes. Jinx looked at CB, and meowed.
"What? You hungry?" CB raised an eyebrow. Jinx scampered into the kitchen. CB chuckled, got up, and followed her.
Hmm... Now that you mention it, my fire is getting a tad bit low. Do you have anything I can chow down on?" Coal raised an eyebrow at the caboose.
"Yeah, go on, and help yourself." CB nodded.
Dusk lapped up her tuna salad, and fresh cream, a rare treat, as she watched the engines, and components sit down together, and enjoy their meal. She was unsure if they were bloodthirsty predators, but they seemed civilized enough. Dinah eventually came to, and joined them. Dusk watched their every move, ready to flee if they showed any signs of aggression towards her. CB must have lost his appetite after the fiasco with Coal, which was understandable, but Dusk had seen far worse. If there one thing that she learned while she was in the service, it was the fact that war was Hell on Earth. She stiffened a little as Coal stood up. Apparently, he had eaten his fill. She watched him like a hawk as he put his dishes in the sink.
She hunkered down in the corner, steering clear of the engines. Once they all had their fill, they stuck around for a while, catching up on the more interesting events, and rumors of the week. She stayed close to CB, feeling more comfortable around the caboose she knew, rather than a complete stranger. After a few hours, they all left, leaving her, and CB alone once again. CB sighed, stood up, and started to clean up. She wanted to help him, but she couldn't reveal her secret to him, at least not yet.
When he was done, he went straight to bed. Dusk leapt into bed with him, and kept a watchful eye over the caboose. She still found it difficult such a sweet, and kind person, er, caboose, was haunted by the shadows of his past, just like her. At least she wasn't the only one who felt tortured around here. She caught herself nodding off, and shook her head. It was late, and she was tired, but she needed to watch over the caboose she had grown to adore. Within an hour, she had fallen asleep.
A/N: Phew! The urban legend I'm referring to goes by two names: "Farmer John's Slaughter House" and "Meat Grinder". It's my favorite urban legend because of the creep factor it has. Next chapter will be up shortly. Until then, see you later!
