Gordon, Henry, and James were still in shock. They were not only feeling horrible at the spectacle that just occurred, but also angry at the fact that their so-called 'brilliant' plan had failed. Again.
Just then, Thomas, Percy and Emily puffed into the Steamworks, with trucks full of brand new, shiny, engine parts.
"Hello Gordon!" Thomas greeted as he pulled up alongside his blue companion.
"What about Diesel? Did your plan work?" Percy asked hopefully.
Gordon simply grumped in response. "No, it didn't." He stated, simply. That was all Gordon could say at the moment; as anything else would have resulted in yet more embarrassment. There was only so much he could take.
Needless to say, Thomas and Percy took no time in teasing the big engines for their second failure, before the two little engines and Emily looked over to the Diesel, who was cheerfully talking to workmen in a siding.
"Look at him, just sitting there." Emily groused, glaring at the Diesel.
"Looking all smug, probably chatting about all the mean things he said to us earlier," Percy added, the same look on his face.
"And guess who's coming his way," Thomas sighed.
Edward, who had come to assist the Diesel in getting Duck to Knapford, entered the Steamworks, greeting both of his friends with a smile. They chatted briefly, before Duck puffed out of the Steamworks. Things had taken a much shorter time then expected, and with that, the three left.
"That's it! Something needs to be done about this!" Emily decided.
"What are you going to do?" James asked, uncertain.
"We're going to go right over to that Diesel and tell him that we don't appreciate him hanging around our Edward!" Percy finished. Thomas and Emily agreed heartily.
"Great idea, Percy!" Henry agreed.
"For once, you've said something intelligent," Gordon admitted. "That smelly Bowler has poisoned the minds of too many around here!"
Thomas, Emily and Percy resolved to speak with the Diesel that afternoon, as soon as their work was done, and the bigger engines couldn't wait to finally have a plan work for once.
…
That night, Thomas, Percy and Emily entered Tidmouth quietly. Gordon, James, and Henry were waiting eagerly for them.
"So did you all do it?" Henry asked curiously.
"Yes," Emily answered, uncomfortably. "We talked to him, told him exactly what we agreed to tell him."
"Did you tell ol Bowler to buzz off?" James inquired hopefully.
"Well, yes…that too…" Thomas added, with just as much discomfort as Emily.
"And did he agree?" Gordon asked finally.
Thomas, Percy and Emily looks to each other before answering this question.
"No," Percy sighed, "And he's really nice now!" He blurted out, relieved to have gotten this out of his boiler.
Gordon, Henry, and James let out a loud groan at yet more betrayal.
"But it's true!" Thomas argued, "He offered to talk to us, and then he helped us with our heavy trains."
"Yes," Emily chimed in, "Did you know he helped Edward and Thomas with all of the work on their branch lines?"
"He even helped me take my mail trucks!" Percy added.
But the other engines didn't want to hear it. Especially, Gordon and James.
"Not another traitor!" Gordon grumbled aloud.
"Get out! All three of you!"
"James!" Toby gasped in shock. "You can't kick them out of the sheds! They live here!"
"We don't care," James countered angrily. "If these three want be all chummy with smelly Bowler, then so be it. But not here!"
"They don't need us!" Gordon added in. "They can go stay with the Diesel, along with that Edward too." He finished snootily.
"It's fine! The Diesel has been much nicer to me in one day than you too have been to me since I've lived here, anyway!" Percy pouted, with a tinge of sadness, before puffing off to find a shed for the night.
"Exactly!" Emily added, "We don't even want to stay here," She finished before following Percy out.
"Funny how you hate the Diesel for being rude," Thomas muttered. "You're all acting the same way he did."
"Indeed," Toby added, now angry at the treatment of their companions. And with that, he began following the other engines out of Tidmouth.
"Bah! Who needs you all anyway?" James yelled.
"We have comeuppance on our side!" Henry called.
"We will prove that the Diesel is deceiving you! It's all an act, I say!" Gordon finished, watch their friends leave the yard.
And the tender engines conferred to each other in the sheds with a new plan, and they were beyond positive it would work this time.