At last, the cavalcade reached the Steamworks, just as blue skies began to break out amidst the fading dawn. Thomas said goodbye to Percy and Bradford, and watched as his friend depart for Vicarstown, before he started to head into the Steamworks.

...

"Thomas, are you sure about this?" Matthew asked quietly.

"Of course, Matthew- Victor and Kevin are great at fixing broken down engines! Plus, they're really friendly and helpful. They wouldn't turn you away." He assured his newfound brother.

"Who's there?" Matthew jumped at the sound of a foreign accent echo off the walls- accompanied by a puffing noise.

It turned out to be a tiny red tank engine that ran on narrow gauge rails, and had hazard stripes on his buffer beam. Frightened, Matthew averted his gaze from the engine's face.

"Hello, Thomas, my friend! What a surprise to see you at the Steamworks this early in the day! How can I help you?" He asked.

"Well, Thomas answered. "I need a favour, Victor. I found an abandoned engine in a siding last night"-

"Another one- this railway just appears to have lost engines popping up left, right and centre! But forgive the interruption, my friend. Please, continue."

"His name's Matthew and he's my long lost brother." Thomas continued.

Feeling a little braver now, Matthew dared to look at Victor's face- who gave him a friendly, warm smile in exchange.

"Well, I do see the similarity," The red engine agreed, grinning.

"Wait, I thought the E2s were all gone- except for Thomas!" A yellow crane added, as he suddenly came from around the corner, carrying a lot of tools and parts on a pallet. "How did he get to Sodor?"

"I don't know, Kevin," Thomas answered.

Matthew could see that the yellow crane was friendly looking- albeit rather confused.

"How would you know that, anyway?" Thomas added. "About nearly all of my brothers and sisters being lost to the cutter's torch?"

"Well, I just heard it," Mumbled Kevin sheepishly. "I heard from somewhere that all E2s were all scrapped, except for you!"

"Either that had changed since then, or your source is not very reliable," Mused Victor thoughtfully, studying Matthew's condition. It was obvious that a lot of work had to be done in order to restore him to his former glory. He could do it, though. He did have to restore 2 engines bigger than Matthew, after all.

"So, to cut to the chase, could you restore him? Please- he really needs your help!" Thomas pleaded.

The Cuban tank engine pondered for a moment, and then he smiled. "Of course, my friend- we'll do it."

"Yay- oh Victor, thank you so"-

"On one condition, however,"

Matthew and Thomas grew confused- Matthew also felt alarmed. He hoped that whatever it was, it wouldn't be difficult!

"You, my friend, are not doing what you did when you found Hiro." Victor said sternly. "It's not worth repeating past mistakes. You will tell Sir Topham Hatt this time. And I am positive that Matthew will not face any harm- aside from his 'no scrapping engines' policy, there is also the fact that E2 tank engines are very rare- he would never extinguish an important aspect of railway history. So, tell him, or I will."

"Okay, Victor, I will!" Thomas protested. "But thank you. It means a lot to me."

"Don't mention it," Victor replied modestly. "He'll be back on the rails again in no time!"

By now, Matthew began to wonder who- or what- this 'hero' was. From Victor's words, it did sound a bit like he- or she- had faced a similar, if not the same, dilemma.

"So, Thomas, who is this hero you're talking about?" He asked curiously.

"Hiro's a friend of mine," Thomas explained. "I found him a few years ago after a contest of strength with Spencer."

"Not your wisest moment, my friend," Victor said.

"Or my most clean!" Thomas added, chuckling. "But I wouldn't give up that day for the world. I lost a contest, but I made a new friend out of it."

"We all did!" Kevin agreed.

Matthew did feel a little better that he wasn't alone on being abandoned in a siding and forgotten about.

"Could I possibly...meet him?" He asked, quietly.

"Of course you can, Matthew!" Thomas agreed. "He works on the Mainland a lot, though, so you might have to wait a little while to meet him. But you can get to meet all of my other friends in the meantime!"