(AN: I made this story many moons ago, I'm just now putting it up. The following review of reviews is an addition to the original document).

Only five chapters left before the epilogue!

Chaoslord678, on our antagonist: Boomer's getting his karma eventually.

TheWoosmann, on Daniella & the timeline: Thanks! And though you already know because I emailed you, for everyone else's curiosity satiation, the Daniella in the story IS SynthaRoboto's OC!

Boss Teal, on the Dr. Seuss reference: "A Lifer's a Lifer, no matter their fuel." Referencing "Horton Hears a Who!"

Guest, on Sodor's first engines: Sodor's first engines resembled those built by Richard Trevithick. Being brought to life is only dependent on random chance (20% likelihood of happening) and not the material an engine is made of.

P123: You'll see!

And now, watch as it all comes to an end! ...Part one!

A few days later, the engines were all packing up. "Say Gordon, Sir Topham Hatt already knew you didn't want to be streamlined again," James remarked. "So why'd you sing it?"

"I didn't want him to forget, now did I?" Gordon replied dryly.

"Oh."

"I cannot BELIEVE they want ME to go," Cranky, disassembled and placed into Troublesome Trucks, remarked as Henry, Lucy, Nikola, and Murdoch worked together to pull him.

"Me either," Henry agreed. "It doesn't seem right to me."

"Well, even if it isn't, we still get to show off our talents," Emily smiled. "And those who aren't participating get to spectate first-buffer!"

"Okay, that's the last of these purple guys," 'Arry said as he pulled the Culdee Fell engines into Vicarstown.

"Wow, what a marvelous place!" Eric remarked. "Man, I wish we had more variety at the mountains like this!"

"Me as well," Culdee agreed. "It is nice to get a change for once."

"Too bad it's your only chance!" laughed Scruffey. Culdee bumped his insides. "Hey, hey, watch the planks!"

Eventually, all the Lifers on Sodor had left the island. Well, except for Crana and Bertram. They watched as the GG1 passed by with a rake of Lugg Pullman Class 60 C-4. To their shock, the coaches were filled with people. Jam-packed with people. People who did NOT want to be there.

"Oh no!" Bertram exclaimed. "They're rounding them up! But for...what?"

Crana gasped as it all fell into place. "I knew it! The Railway Show is a trap! At the end of it the Anti-Life movement is going to slaughter all the Lifers in attendance and make everyone watch! They're going to use the show to establish themselves to the general public!"

"And if they don't turn all the world's Lifers in...then they'll go after the people," Bertram finished gravely. "We must figure out a way to stop them."

"But how?"

"I can help you!" The two stowaways were surprised to see Charlie with a flatbed. "I snuck over here so I could say I'm sorry but no one was here. So I wandered around trying to hide from those big scary things, and next thing you know I could hear you guys! So I got a truck!"

Crana smiled. "And now, thanks to you, my son, I have a plan."

Elsewhere, the engines were filing away. "That's a big...thing," Norman said in awe. A massive contraption resembling a stadium with various elevators had been erected around the tracks the show was to take place on.

"I'll say," Nick grunted. "It's like the Golden's, but at least four times bigger! Long enough to pick up a WECX schnabel and tall enough to fit even the biggest hicube. More than enough to fit entire trains. How much did it cost to build this thing?!"

"Alright, alright, everybody hustle in!" A blue Class 46 who stood outside the gates cleared his throat. "Everyone who's not participating goes into the lifts! Those who are, go to the back lot."

"That's my cue," Thomas said. "See you guys later!"

"Good luck, Thomas!" Rosie and Emily chorused. The six participants began to make their way over.

"What the? Oh my Loewy." Lady immediately stiffened. She turned her eyes and saw Kim puffing up to her. "Well well well, the purple twerp still thinks she stands a chance. And do you honestly think those scars are gonna make kids like you?"

"Some kids," Lady sniped back. "And that's not my purpose anymore. I'm a switcher. A legitimate businesswoman. You, on the other hand, still don't know what hard work really is, by the looks of it."

"Says the one who was comatose for fifteen years." A low growl came from behind Kim. She gulped as Nick rolled up next to her.

"Back. Off." He continued on his way. "C'mon Lady, she's not worth your time."

"Oh, please, another Cressida?"

"I should hope so." Nick snapped Pinchy's jaws. "I was her husband. And I don't appreciate being a widower, nor do I appreciate those who scorn the unjustly killed. So do us all a favor, and if you aren't competing, get out of our sight." Kim whimpered and ran away. "Pfft. Coward."

"For all her blustering, she really is," Lady remarked.

"What da crap?!" came another voice.

"Took the words right from my mouth," Nick groaned as Vinnie suddenly appeared next to him.

"Heh, interestin' paintjob, Diesel Ten. Makes you look like a turd."

"I think he looks like a bar of gold," Lady replied. "And he goes by Nick now."

"And you are? His girl or somethin'?"

The two misfits momentarily blushed before Lady shook herself out of it. "No, just his teammate. But hey, we still get more than you do."

"What do–" Vinnie groaned. "Aw, low blow, girlie!"

"I know."

"Vinnie, get moving! The sooner we get there, the sooner we can win." Vinnie sighed and puffed away, a dark gray USATC S100 taking his place. She had a long scar underneath her right eye and another slashed over her lips. "Nick."

"Caroline," he replied. "How's home?"

"Doing alright. Apparently one of Juan's brothers survived and went to Muffle Mountain."

"Juan?" Lady asked.

"EMC TA."

"But Mitch is an EA...guess they're similar enough that they consider themselves brothers."

"I suppose so," Caroline shrugged. She puffed away. Eventually, all of the Sodor engines arrived at the meeting place for the competitors. Among them was a pink-and-periwinkle PRR T1.

"Sylvia!" Lady exclaimed.

"Oh! Hi Lady!" the T1 replied, her voice huskier than expected. "I wasn't expecting to see you here!" She winced. "Ooh, those scars. What happened?"

"Engine corpse fell on my head."

"Ouch!" Her eyes landed on Nick. "Oh, hey, weren't you Cressida's husband?"

"The only." He sighed.

"I know, I miss her too. She was a good kid, that Geep." Then she perked up. "But enough about the dark past! It's time to make a brighter future!" And she left to join the other racers.

"I don't wanna sound rude, but I thought all the living T1s were guys," Nick whispered to Lady.

"She was. Gender is a bit iffy for us because we don't have allosomes, but Sylvia used to be a Sylvester. Got her vocal cords reworked and a repaint after she found herself at Woodstock."

"Ah. Well, she's not me, so it's not my business, really." They moved on, finally grouping themselves with the other Teamwork competitors. Jamie whistled good luck to them.

"Let the games begin!" the show announcer boomed.

In the sidelines, P. T. Boomer smirked. "And let the age of the living machine end."

The past is coming back to the present. Who will compete for what? Who will win what? Who will get slapped upside the head with what?

All this and more in the next chapter – Winner Takes Thrall!