A/N: This is obviously a rewrite but I hope yall enjoy!

A storm had just gone by on the island, and Tidmouth Docks was a tip. The quays had been damaged, cranes laid on the ground, buildings unstable and even a ship had sunken from some of the key's harden cement hitting it. The Fat Controller had ordered Percy and Duck to go and help repair the docks, both engines obliged and were now hard at work with shunting trucks into place where they were needed. They even helped in the big station's yards. Both Duck and Percy were finding work at the docks refreshing from their branch lines and felt a bit of nostalgia go into their smoke boxes remembering their time as station pilot.

But the sweet air would eventually turn sour and salty as a few days later, after Percy and Duck came to help, a new crane came to the docks and was temporarily sitting at one of the keys since one of the cranes needed to be repair after tipping over during the storm. He was a tall crane with dark green paint covering his frames.

Duck was looking forward to meeting him one morning as he brought some empty flatbeds. "Hello there," he whistled, "my name is-"

"Shove off you little bug," called the crane.

Duck was hurt. "Excuse me?"

"Do you want me to say it again?" quizzed the crane, turning around to look down on the Great Western engine. "Shove it."

"But you're supposed to load my flatbed!" exclaimed Duck.

"Do I?" laughed the crane, "well... if you leave those things there, then I can load them then."

"But how will you get to the third flatbed?" Duck asked.

"I can manage," scoffed the crane, "now leave me you little bug."

But Duck refused, this made the crane cross as he loaded the steel rails onto the Great Western engine's flatbeds. By the time it was done, Duck puffed away. The crane just watched him leave and shouted at him. "And don't come here thinking you'll get any favours you bug!"

Duck was very cross and when he saw Henry later that day, he told him about the new crane. Henry only chuckled. "I brought him here last night," he explained, "the workmen call him Cranky and I don't blame them, just take no notice of him and just do your work."

Duck took Henry's advice and told Percy about him later that night at the sheds. Percy was curious and took a supply of trucks to quay where Cranky was sitting. The small engine gave a peep hello, only to get a rude remark in return.

"Stop whistling you annoying little bug!"

"Annoying little bug!" echoed Percy offended, "I'm not a bug!"

"Really!" laughed Cranky, "from what I can see up here, someone could flatter you with ease! Not bugger off!"

Percy was indignant and when he saw Duck, explained his recent interaction with the crane. Duck sympathised. "He's such a rude crane," he agreed.

James had heard everything from the siding he was resting on and decided to interrupt the two tank engines. "He's been nice to me so far!" he called, "you two must be annoying him!"

"We?!" snapped Percy, "we are not annoying!"

"We haven't said anything to him but just greet him," added Duck. Then Bear came in beside James, he had heard everything.

"I'm sorry you two," he said as politely as possible, "but Cranky has been very polite to us. Perhaps you could give him space."

"Or maybe he just doesn't want little tank engines like them to be in his way!" joked James.

"James!" scolded Bear.

Duck and Percy only look at each other, they knew James had a point about one thing. Cranky was not too keen on tank engines. And it wasn't long before, Cranky began to play tricks on them too.

The next day, Percy was shunting some open wagons into a spot where Cranky could unload crates from the ships and put them into the trucks Percy was shunting. The small engine had just stopped when Cranky called down to him. "Oi! You little bug down there! You've gone too far I need you to move forwards now!"

Percy was cross. "Little bug, little bug," he muttered to himself, the small engine was too offended and angry to realise what Cranky was doing and before he knew, a crate landed on top of his smokebox. Cranky took this to his advantage.

"You silly little bug! If you can't control where you put your trucks you might as well leave! Now I'll be delayed!"

Percy was beyond furious.

Next was Duck, he needed Cranky to unload some pipes off a ship docking next to the crane. He did not want to see the crane though and so did Cranky. But the crane had another scheme within his frames. As Duck came up along the first track nearest Cranky, the crane shouted down at the Great Western engine. "You there, bug! Move to the third line, it'll be easier for me to load from over there!"

Duck didn't want to argue, so he obliged, this took time however and the Great Western engine seemed very annoyed by the time he came back along the third track. But as Cranky began to lower the pipes down, his pipes only reached to the second track right next to Duck. Cranky began to further escalate his plan.

"You stupid bug!" he yelled, "you know I can't reach there!"

Duck was cross. "You did that on purpose!" he shouted back, a full-fledged argument came between the engine and crane, and the dock manager had to order Duck to move quickly as possible back to where he once was and Cranky to load his flatbeds without fuse.

But the dock manager wasn't best please with delays and reported it to the Fat Controller, who the next morning came to greet the two engines who were about to start work. "Duck and Percy," he boomed, "I have heard about the delays you caused yesterday and I'm extremely disappointed with you. I'd like to ask what happened?"

"Beg pardon sir," replied Duck anxiously, "but we'd like to know that too."

"It's that new crane sir!" continued Percy, "he's being playing tricks with us and the one causing the delays!"

The Fat Controller pondered for a second. "Even though I will take your complaints into account, I don't have any proof of what the crane has done," he replied, "I'll have you two separated for the time being, Percy you'll stay as Tidmouth station's pilot for the day whilst Duck you'll remain here and shunt the trucks."

"But sir," protested Percy, "you know me and Duck work better together."

"I'm sorry Percy," said the Fat Controller, "but there's nothing I can really do, there will be a short investigation about the delays and I'll get to the bottom of this, right now please head to the station Percy."

And Percy begrudgingly did so. For the rest of the day, Percy shunted coaches for the mainline engines, whilst Duck worked at the harbour. The old crane was soon repaired and Cranky was sent to another part of the harbour for a temporary stay there too, an old goods shed stood beside him and two through lines were on the other side. Duck had help move him, he didn't like that at all and just ignored Cranky through the whole process. The crane was best pleased that Duck was still here at the docks, but he was glad he got rid of one of the 'bugs' as he would put it.

After Duck had moved Cranky into place, he set off towards the ship which had sank. It was being cut up on the spot since it was too much of the wreck to salvage. Duck was glad that the ship wasn't living like them engines, or the tugboat that was helping with the wreckage. "Hello Montague!" called Top Hat, as the Great Western engine came up to shunt the wagons of metal, ready to be taken to Cronk's Smelters.

"Morning," replied Duck, "how are things?"

"Well Montague the other tugs are going around the island helping where they can," replied Top Hat, "me and Warrior and a few of the Z-Stacks are the only ones repairing the damage."

"Well, I do hope you get back to your usual routines then," smiled Duck.

"Oh yes! How's that new crane getting on?" asked Top Hat, "from what I've heard from Ten Cents he needs to be more down to earth."

Duck sighed. "He's made the Fat Controller split Percy and I up over something he's done," the Great Western engine complained, "it's not fair."

Top Hat just raised an eyebrow. "Well don't expect any advice from me, I'm not a professional at this and besides, from what Captain Starr has told me, the remainder of the storm is going to coming, so you might be stuck in your sheds for a while."

Duck was a little surprised. "Remainder of the storm?"

"Indeed Montague," replied Top Hat snootily, "what was left of it within the Atlantic Ocean is coming to us, it won't be as strong and dangerous as the previous one though so there's nothing to worry about!"

"I see," said Duck, and with that, he began to shunt the loaded wagons away.

*

James and Bear were at the harbour, it was beginning to get dark, and the setting sun had only left a few red and orange spots in the sky. The two engines were chatting with each other, when Henry came in with a goods train. Then the dock manager came in towards the three of them.

"A storm is coming in," he called, "it's best if you take shelter here instead of heading to your sheds, there's a goods shed nearby, you may use it!"

James and Henry grumbled about it, but Bear obliged. "The winds are already picking up and the bridge which we use to exit the docks must be unsafe to use," he explained, as all three engines parked inside the goods shed. Cranky was right beside them, the three engines greeted him, Cranky only mumbled a "yeah, yeah" to them.

It was nightfall and the rain and wind were given Tidmouth another rough time. It wasn't as bad as the previous one, but still kept the engines' eyes open. "We're sure to be safe in this shed," assured Bear to Henry and James, but he was wrong.

A ship, which was delayed due to the storm, was trying to get to the docks, but it could not see which way to go. The ship finally found the docks though, but it was heading full on towards the sheds where Bear, James and Henry were. It didn't have time to react, and could only slow down for further impact, it crashed into docks, hit the engine shed.

"What the-" cried James, but before he knew the roof began to fall over, its roof then hit Cranky who was on the other side of the goods shed. The frames that held the roof up then went sideways, making the roof fall on top of the engines, and push Cranky over, who screamed until he hit the ground with a thud.

"Ouch!" came a muffled response from within the shed, "that hurt!"

"Oh, really Bear?" snapped another voice, "tell us something else that isn't obvious?"

"Oh, shut up James," came the third voice, "Cranky, could you live this rotten shed's roof off us please?"

"I can't!" wailed Cranky, "I've fallen!"

"What? Fallen from grace?"

"Very funny James," snapped Bear.

"He probably means he's fallen over," said Henry, "guess we're stuck here."

"I am not going to be stuck here for the rest of the night with a boat sticking it's ugly pointy thing towards me!" cried James.

"What Henry said earlier," said Bear, "shut up James!"

The storm eventually past and the Fat Controller came to the scene in his bright blue car. He inspected the damage and then came towards Cranky. "We need you to get these engines out of their... cage," he informed the crane, "but you'll obviously need to be put back up."

"Please sir!" cried Cranky, "I will help! Just put be back up right!"

"Duck and Percy will have to come and help you then," replied the Fat Controller.

"Who?" quizzed Cranky.

"I think you know who they are," said the Fat Controller with a stern face, "after all, you were the one who played tricks on them."

Cranky went pale as the Fat Controller pointed a finger at him. "That's right, I know what you did," he scolded, "and I will not tolerate cranes that disrupt my engine's work and put the blame on them! It is a shame too since you would be working here after the repairs and they're trying to help fix your new home!"

Cranky sighed and looked down to his frame, then to the ground. "I'm sorry sir," he said sadly, "I will behave much better I promise!"

"I will hope so too," agreed the Fat Controller, "but I think it's best you'd apologise to the... bugs first."

Cranky groaned, this man knew too much already. A few minutes later, after much persuasion by their crews and even Gordon, Duck and Percy arrived at the scene. Whilst the tugs helped move the ship out of the damaged quay, the two tank engines helped the crane to get back up right. Cranky was incredibly grateful and instantly helped with getting the roof off the three engines. Henry, James and Bear were relieved. "Thank you," smiled Bear, "what we've done without you?"

"Well I had to be rescued before I helped you!" called Cranky, "but I never thought it would've been done by a couple of b-b-"

"B-what?" asked Duck.

"Well I-umm... little engines! Yes, rescued by little tank engines!" Cranky replied, breathing a sigh of relief.

Duck smiled, but Percy was still insulted. "Little tank engines!" he cried, "My weight could crush a human's skeleton!"

He snorted away, whilst Duck puffed off to collect the other three engines and take them to the sheds. Cranky only rolled his eyes.

It wasn't long before Tidmouth Harbour was back repaired and back to normal. Cranky was moved the busiest part of the docks where he can help with loading and unloading bigger loads and put them on flatbeds or the ground.

Cranky is still cranky cause he is that sort of crane, but he never calls tank engines bugs again. After all, you might need them at some point in your life.