On the dawn of the next morning, Braedey, Rose, and Scooby-Doo awake before the sun even rises above the horizon. Since they're still used to American time than the British Timezone, they were up bright and early for the day ahead. So, the three of them opted to see if they can help the engines get ready for the day.
"Who should we wake up and get ready first?" Rose questioned softly, so they don't wake up the engines.
"I'd say we go for Henry and get him fired up. He has to take out the Flying Kipper first thing in the morning." Braedey answered. "As well as Percy. He's got to take the mail."
"Oh, yeah. The fish train and the mail. Those two are the first to get going before anyone else, from what I remember from the books." Rose nodded back in acknowledgement.
So, being as quiet and as careful as they can be, Scooby, Rose, and Braedey got to work with starting up Henry and Percy's fires. After they dinner some worker's aprons, they got some rags burning inside their fireboxes, then shovelled in some coal from the tender and coal bunker of both engines, until they got a good fire going and burning nicely. Percy and Henry soon awoke to the feeling of their fireboxess burning, the warmth spreading through their boilers, making them feel nice and comfortable. After a few moments of Henry and Percy getting fired up and their steam pressure now up to the proper levels, both Braedey and Scooby got their shed doors open, now revealing the slow-approaching dawn. Henry slowly chuffs out of the shed first, heading off to the docks to go and collect the Flying Kipper train, Percy exiting the sheds next to go collect his Mail train. Once they left, their shed berth doors were closed for the time being.
"Wow. That was easy." Rose commented softly.
"It can be when you know what to do and how to respond and adjust to it." Braedey shrugged back casually, wiping the coal dust and oil off his hands with a rag. "Well, let's see if we can get the others ready before dawn."
"Right." Scooby saluted with his tail.
Sure enough, for the start of the morning, Braedey, Scooby, and Rose helped out to get the other engines fired up and ready for the day ahead. They started with Thomas and Toby, then they got to Gordon, with the blue tank engine soon going off to get the coaches set up at Knapford, the wise old tram engine watching on as the two young children and Great Dane got the others (except for James) ready for the day. After they were all done, they watch on as Gordon departs the sheds to go and take the express, James also watching on.
"Have to say, you three have done so well." Toby complimented to the trio. "For those who have little experience, you performed like professionals. Well done to you all."
"Thank you, Toby." Rose thanked with a bow and a smile on his face. "That means a lot coming from you."
"Of course." Toby smiled back to them. He then looks to the horizon in the distance, just as the sun was starting to appear. "And look at that, the sunrise. This is one of the best sights to see first thing in the morning here on Sodor."
The trio now take a look, and they got the lovely view of the rising sun in the distance from where they're standing. Scooby looks on with a smile while wagging his tail, while Rose and Braedey watch on, the two of them leaning against one another as they gently held hands. Toby cannot help but smile on at his friends' newcomers to their home, seeing how lively and happy they are being on Sodor and having the experience of a lifetime.
~*~*~
Later that morning down at Killian Station, Gordon was waiting impatiently for Thomas and his BranchLine train. Right now, he was counting down the seconds for Thomas to arrive. "Five... six... seven... eight..." Gordon counted to himself impatiently, looking over to a clock at the station platform.
"Who do we appreciate?" Gordon looks over to the opposite platform, and he could see Thomas now pulling into the station with his two coaches Annie and Clarabel coupled up behind him. "Practicing your numbers, Gordon? That's a good engine." Thomas teased.
"I am counting how many seconds late you are." Gordon stated firmly with a glare.
Braedey climbed out of Thomas' cab, then made his way around the front to look over at Gordon. "We're not late, Gordon. You must've miscounted." He interjected. "We were running on time and without delay."
Gordon now looked over to something on the platform. "What does that sign say?" He questioned to both Braedey and Thomas.
Thomas and Braedey both now look to a sign next to them over on the platform. It was painted in a similar green and cream colour scheme to the express coaches, with the creamish spaces having some writing to be put up, and it was made to address the passengers. The sign reads...
SODOR RAILWAY
Really Reliable and Right On Time
Sorry for delays during repairs, we are making this a better railway.
Sir Topham Hatt
"'Sodor Railway. Really reliable and right on time'." Thomas reads aloud. Gordon huffed at this. "'Sorry for delays during repairs. We are making this a better railway'."
"'Signed, head of the railway, Sir Topham Hatt'." Braedey finished reading the sign casually, then looked back at the big blue engine. "Hmm... how very informative."
"But, you weren't on time, little Thomas." Gordon criticised, getting straight to the point.
"And you're being bossy, Gordon." Thomas said back, and this made Gordon stop and just frown back at the blue tank engine. "Now, please excuse me. I'll be off and meeting Mr. Garcia. He's looking after us, while Sir Topham Hatt takes a much needed holiday." He added.
"Mr. Garcia? Who's he?" Braedey inquired curiously. This was the first time he's ever heard of someone like this, abut the way Thomas spoke of him, he sounds like a nice fellow.
"He's a close friend of Sir Topham Hatt, and I think he comes from where you, Rose, and Scooby-Doo live." Thomas answered in explanation to him. "Mr. Garcia pops in every now and then to check in on us and see if we're alright and assists Sir Topham Hatt to keep us on time and that nothing is wrong."
"Well, I think we can take care of ourselves." Gordon huffed indignantly. "Not that we already have two meddlesome children and a talking canine to deal with."
Braedey looks back at Gordon. "What did you say-?"
"GET OUT OF MY WAY!!!" A voice roared.
Suddenly, something very big and very fast rockets right through the middle track between them, kicking up dust and dirt at the engines and brunette boy, and it rocketed off down the line.
"I HAVE UNFINISHED BUSINESS HERE, AND I WANNA FINISH IT FAST!!!" The voice roared out.
The two engines and Braedey look on as they saw a large diesel rocket past them, the diesel painted in tan with small olive stripes on the sides, the massive machine racing away in a cloud of dust as it heads down the mainline.
"Oh, Diesel 10's back! Hoo-hoo!" Gordon shivers aloud, his entire body and frame shaking and rattling from when the later diesel races by.
As the dust settled after the diesel had raced by, Gordon, Thomas, and Braedey were all covered from their funnels to their wheels and from head to toe in dust and dirt.
"That's the same diesel Rose, Scooby, and I saw yesterday when we arrived..." Braedey spoke out. He then stopped and looked at the two steam engines. "Wait. Diesel 10? That's the name of that diesel.
"Yes. Ten out of ten." Thomas answered in clarification to the young brunette. "For his devious deeds and brutal strength. A blast from the past, who hates steam engines!"
"So HE is the diesel who was sent away after causing that derailment and unrest on Sodor years ago that you talked about last night." Braedey deduced. "And without Sir Topham Hatt here to keep him in line, who knows what he might do."
"M-maybe, we do need Mr. Garcia here after all. On time." Gordon cleared his throat, and looked over to Thomas. "And I guess that Mr. Braedey Martin and his friends will keep us going, and maybe be able to solve this mystery."
Thomas wondered if what Gordon had said will work, but we wasn't too sure. So, after Braedey got himself undusted and cleaned Thomas' face, the blue tank engine steamed out of Killian Station and heads off down the line with Braedey onboard, along with his two coaches Annie and Clarabel behind him.
~*~*~
Later on that morning, Thomas and Braedey, without Annie and Clarabel, were making their way back to Tidmouth. The blue tank engine steamed across a large stone brick viaduct known by the engines by the name 'The Big Dipper', and the two of them were in wonder at what Diesel 10 said regarding his 'unfinished business' here on Sodor.
"Hmm. If Diesel has unfinished business, there's sure to be trouble right around the corner." Thomas thought to himself aloud, as he steamed away down the line.
"Well, as Fred would say, we've got ourselves a new mystery on our hands." Braedey commented as he leans out of Thomas' cab. "Or buffers, in your case."
Soon, the two of them had arrived back over at Tidmouth Sheds, and Braedey looked back as he saw James sitting alone in the sheds, not looking too happy. Rose was standing nearby as she was trying to coerce and calm the red tender engine, while Scooby was standing nearby, just as Thomas began to reverse down into a siding next to James' berth.
"Hey, fellas." Braedey jumps out of Thomas' cab and lands on the ground safely, which got Thomas's attention, and without noticing, he bumped right into the buffers with a clunk.
"Botheration!" Thomas cried out, his eyes spinning wildly.
"Ooh." Rose winced. "That looked rough."
"You weren't concentrating, Thomas. Lucky for you that the buffers are there." James criticised and pointed out to him.
"That's what buffers are for." Thomas hissed steam. "To stop engines from crashing." He stated. "And by the way, what are you doing here in the sheds, James?" He questioned in confusion.
"Oh, you don't know." Braedey realised that Thomas hasn't been told about what happened to James yesterday with the coaches and trucks in the yard.
"I'm been feeling a little blue, which isn't so hot when you're red." James told Thomas, and he got a confused expression from the blue tank engine. "I was naughty after crashing into some coaches, and Sir Topham Hatt told me to think of all the ways I can be really useful. Then, I could come out again." James now clarified to Thomas, and the blue LBSCR E2 smirked.
But, unbeknownst to Thomas and the others, something very big and menacing was slowly lurking its way towards the sheds and the engines, a low humming of its engine ominous and menacing as it traversed the rails.
"He's just trying to make a better railway for steam engines." Thomas began to tell James.
James looks over, then his eyes widened in horror as his face turns pale upon what he saw lurking towards the sheds. "Uh, T-Thomas..." He spoke out in fright. Rose wondered why, then as she turned around, she pales in shock as if she's seen a ghost.
"Oh, no..." Rose muttered. Scooby and Braedey can also see this as well, them looking in horror.
"Sir Topham Hatt says the harder we work, the less we'll need diesels to help." Thomas finished, but he didn't notice what was next to him, James or the kids.
"Help YOU?!" Diesel 10 mocked Thomas, then he laughed evilly, once getting noticed by the blue tank engine.
Both Thomas and James, along with Scooby, Braedey and Rose, were scared of the large menacing BR Class 42 diesel before them, especially since he has a large mechanical hydraulic claw sitting on top of his roof.
"You will always need help. Because steam engines are cowardly, cranky, worn-out hunks of metal, who couldn't hurt a fly!" Diesel 10 mocked them.
"No, we're not!" James interjected, getting angry at Diesel 10.
"Yes, you are." Diesel 10 said calmly back.
"Are not!" Rose snapped back.
"Are too!"
"Are not!" Braedey called.
"Are too!"
"AREN'T!" James snapped sharply.
"ARE!!" Diesel 10 now growled out, gnashing his teeth together, eyeing the two engines and the two children. "Now, I've come back, to find a lost steam engine." He declared.
"What?" Thomas, James, and the kids were confused of what Diesel 10 was telling them. What was he talking about? First unfinished business, and now, a lost steam engine?
"And I'm gonna destroy her, AND DOMINATE YOU!!" Diesel 10 then moved his huge mechanical claw towards the engines, and snapped it at them like it was a hungry animal.
"Rikes!" Scooby yelled, jumping into Braedey's arms suddenly.
"Whoa-oh!" Braedey was taken aback and he fell to the floor with a thud along with Scooby.
"And then, you'll be nothing but useless scrap!" Diesel 10 then placed his claw back on his roof with a sinister smile. "Right, Pinchy?"
"Big bully." James muttered, and he looked at Diesel 10 rolling away, laughing maniacally. "Stink off!"
"What a hunk of junk." Braedey grumbled, he and Scooby dusting each other off as they got to their feet.
"An arrogant machine." Rose agreed with Braedey.
"We're Really Useful Engines!" Thomas stated firmly, and the tank engine suddenly puffs away with a firm expression on his face. "You won't dominate us, and you won't destroy her! We won't let you! Neither will Mr. Garcia. I have to fetch him now!" With that, he left Tidmouth, leaving James and the kids in the sheds.
The four of them look on as the blue tank engine puffs away from the sheds. "What Lost Engine?" They asked in unison.