Steve: What ever happened to Karl?
Mitton: Likely crashed somewhere.
…
One morning, Edward was waiting to pick up some passengers from Thomas' train. Only one problem, Thomas wasn't there. Several passengers waited impatiently in the express train. Edward was steadily getting grumpier by the minute, as he hadn't slept much the previous night.
Let's see why.
…
THE PREVIOUS NIGHT.
"Revvin' up your engines!" sang Eagle.
"Listen to her howlin'!" sang James.
"Metal under tension!" followed Gordon and Henry.
…
"Peep peep! We're late! Where the hell is Thomas!? He doesn't usually keep us late without giving a sign of why!"
Inside Edward's cab, the driver and fireman weren't so grumpy, as they had been partying the previous night.
"OH DEAR! WHAT CAN THE MATTER BE!?" he sang. "Johnny's so long at the-"
"Never you freaking mind about Johnny!" snapped the driver. "Just climb on the cab and look for Thomas!"
"Can't you do it?"
"You do it, cause I can't be arsed to!"
Sidney then climbed above the cab and looked for Thomas.
"Do you see him?"
"I only see Eagle coming by with goods, and I also see Bertie Bus Boy in a hurry or something! No need to bother with him, maybe his driver has to use the toilet."
"He should've done so before he left, cause I'm really wishing I did." groaned Charlie.
"You should be fine." remarked Edward.
"Let's leave off, old boy." said the driver as the fireman clambered down into the cab and smacked onto the ground.
"Alright then, I'm not being a victim of hypocritical issues." replied Edward.
…
Soon enough, Edward had pulled out of Wellsworth station and was heading towards Suddery. He tuned out any unimportant sounds for the time being so that he can focus. As a result, he did not hear a horn honking and screeching tires.
"STOP! STOP! I'VE GOT THE LITTLE BLUE BASTARD'S PASSENGERS!" wailed Bertie.
"Huh, did you hear something?" asked Edward.
"Probably nothing." said his driver.
Bertie merely stared ahead, and realized it was no good, as Edward was gone. "BALLS AND BOTHER AND BOTHER BALLS!" he declared once more while Edward rounded the next bend in the distance. "Why did Thomas' fireman decide to be lazy-arsed and not come to work today?! Why did we agree to it?"
"That'll do, Bertie!" said his driver.
"Why was I not consulted on this?" asked Bertie.
"Because a promise is a promise and we must keep it!"
"Do we?" grumbled Bertie as the crossing gates opened. He drove off towards Lower Suddery. The passengers were fairly excited, as this was the first bit of excitement in a while.
"I'll either catch Edward or BUST!" said Bertie, as he briefly spotted a group of bikini clad women parading around houses.
As Bertie continued onwards, racing faster and faster, he soon raced up the Hackenbeck Tunnel. "You know, I feel like I've been here before." he pondered.
He groaned as he climbed yet another hill. "Oh my gears and axles." while toiling up the hill. "I don't think I'll be the same bus again after this ordeal."
"Stop-a your whining there." said a Barber.
As Bertie reached the top, he briefly squinted his eyes to see who it was in the distance. Sure enough, it was Edward.
"Hooray! I think I see him!" cheered Bertie happily. "Hang on a second, he's stopped at a crossing."
Bertie soon tore down the hill. "Well done, Bertie!" cheered the passengers "Go it!" He soon skidded into the yard.. Just as Edward puffed away. Edward took a moment to look back, only to hear his fireman let out a frustrated scream.
"What's wrong now?" asked the driver.
"This damn station never heard of a bathroom apparently!" groaned the fireman.
"I'm so sorry." sighed Bertie. "I feel like the worst bus here!"
"Get over yourself." remarked his driver.
"Anyone need some tablets?" asked Jem.
"Never mind." said most of the other passengers.
"After him quickly, again!" encouraged Jobling.
"Third or fourth time's lucky!"
"You think we can catch him at the next station?" they all asked the driver at once.
The driver thought about it for a moment. "Well there's a relatively good chance." he replied. "Our roads keep close to the line, and we can climb hills better than Edward does."
"Isn't Edward-a like a-bank engine?" asked the Barber.
"Shut it, Super Mario. I'll make sure." He then spoke to the stationmaster. Bertie and the passengers waited rather impatiently for some reason.
"Yes! We'll do it this time!" said the optimistic driver.
"Hooray!" said the passengers, who would've hooray'd damn near anything at this point.
Bertie soon started up with a roar, and chased after Edward once more.
…
"What a nice theme." thought Bertie happily. He soon spotted Edward on one of the newer tier bridges above briefly.
"Should we-a have a song about this?" asked the Barber.
"Great idea!" said Jobling happily.
…
"This hill's too steep! This hill is too steep!" grumbled the coaches.
"Oh I've been up worse than this!" snapped back Edward as he snorted up front. At last, they smoothly reached the top, and ran into the station with ease.
Edward briefly glanced at the sign, which read 'Suddery'. He sighed and took a moment to relax himself. "Peep peep! Get in quickly please!" he whistled as his fireman rushed into the bathroom and briefly locked himself in there.
"Now I don't have to hear his whining anymore." sighed Charlie in relief as he looked back, but the vaguely Ringo Starr-like guard only blew the whistle and didn't wave the flag. Then he heard Bertie approaching, as everything seemed to be happening at once, mostly because of Bertie swerving so many times. The stationmaster told both the guard and driver about what was going on with Bertie.
"Sorry about the chase, er, Bertie." Edward said sheepishly.
"And… you… should be!" panted Bertie.
"You alright?"
"My fault… late.. at… junction, but… you didn't know… about Thomas' passengers… oh I don't feel so good.."
"Or how much of an idiot his fireman is."
"That we.. already know."
"Beep beep! Bye Bertie, we're off!" whistled Edward happily, and he left.
"Three cheers for Bertie, hooray!" called the passengers happily.
…
Later, at Tidmouth station, Thomas was waiting in a siding.
"So, where's Bertie?" asked Henry.
"He'll be done." answered Thomas. "It's just-"
"Hang on, isn't that him?" said Henry. He smirked at Thomas. "You owe me four pounds now."
Thomas briefly glared at Henry, as Bertie rolled up.
"Hey Thomas, what was that about four pounds?" asked Bertie.
"Don't worry about it." said Thomas, trying to keep a smile for the cameras. "You're just a very good friend indeed, thank you."
"So, what happened to your fireman?" asked Bertie curiously.
"Oh yeah, apparently some fool locked him in a bathroom during the most insane party of the month." replied Thomas.
Bertie merely groaned loudly at this.
