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randomfoggytiger · 7 months

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"I Think He's a Hard Kid to Love"

(Fictober, Day 23)

Inspired by these prompts and sketches (shoutout to my family members.)

*****

Scully was sitting outside her motel room, half-awake, trying to warm up in the weak, wavering sun and shockingly cold morning air.

It wasn’t working.

Mulder’s door opened and he dodged out, awkwardly fiddling with his phone while juggling his luggage. She watched disinterestedly, still glazed with sleep, as he strode across the parking lot, waiting for the call to go through. Then he was chattering, trying to place his luggage in the trunk of their rental, failing, and forcefully shoving them in with his second, impatient attempt. Scully noticed he was shocking a squirrel half to death but decided not to interfere: she didn't feel like wrangling the locals while still mentally in bed. More importantly, her coffee hadn't kicked in.

At this rate, she doubted it ever would.

She was only aware her eyes were closed because Mulder was back and nudging her shoulder, voice startlingly close as he said, “Looks like we’re still going on a little road trip, Scully.” He walked away, humming something under his breath.

Whoopee.

*****

It’s not that Scully disliked road trips in the fall-- they were gorgeous drives, made her feel grateful to be human-- but she vastly preferred them in casual clothes in her own car on her own time at home. Which was the opposite of where they were heading.

A few gorgeous red trees meandered their way past the windshield, so slowly it was easy to mistake them for friends holding hands and loping soundlessly through the woods. Now that she thought of it, the entire forest came alive through a few perfected squints and an imagination fueled by groggy awareness and pre-caffeine boredom.

“Killer trees”, their boss had said. Flat. Tell me I’m wrong, he’d meant.

“That’s what Agent Mulder… suggested, Sir. And I’m at a loss to explain the corroborating witnesses' testimony without… some degree of credit to his story.”

There had been a long, disappointed sigh. “Agent Scully, might I have a word with him?”

And they’d been promptly assigned a case close enough to drive to. Mulder had dodged all inquiries on how or why Skinner forced them away from rather than toward home; but he’d gotten her thinly veiled hints and called up Boss Man again while they packed, doing his best to wiggle them out of the obligation.

No dice.

*****

“Gorgeous,” she murmured, willing to give Nature its due now that she was a little more awake.

“Hm. What?” Mulder stopped humming briefly to shoot her a side-glance; then scanned the road to find what she was talking about.

“The scenery-- the sky and the trees and the grass. Rich reds and yellows and oranges. The blue isn’t too blue.”

He nodded as she braced herself further upright against the door. “Mm. Tranquil.”

A bluster of leaves swirled across the road, smacked the hood of the car, and whooshed away.

Is that irony, tragedy, or comedy? Scully flicked away the thought like an unwanted fuzz of lint on her skirt. She was not going to be bogged down with useless thought trails that warranted an obscene amount of energy this early in the morning.

*****

“I think I’d enjoy it more if my eyes weren’t…” Mulder made a vague handwave, drawing her attention to-- not away from-- his attention-seeking smile.

Fine. Here we go. “Mulder, you are not red-green colorblind.”

“Ah, au contraire, Scully-- my paperwork would prove you wrong.” He was enjoying this: probably had been bored out of his mind simply sitting and staring, probably waited until she could wake up enough to verbally spar before opening a topic between them, probably chose one that would annoy her even more awake.

Touche.

“Your paperwork is nonexistent because you never bothered to get tested, Mulder.”

“There’s a very big difference between Salmon and Dusty Salmon, Scully; and I’m one of the unlucky few that can’t tell that all-important difference.”

She blinked at him, enjoyed watching the swirling swaths of autumnal colors blend behind his profile. “I’d wager a lot of people can’t tell the difference between Salmon and Other Salmon. And whatever you think you have, it most certainly didn’t affect your recruitment.”

“Or it could mean the higher ups wanted my abilities so badly they were willing to fudge a bit of paperwork.” He was modest, immodest, self-deprecating, and proud all at once. How Mulder.

“Mulder, you see normal human blood and acidic green blood. You see these trees. You see my hair. Proof.” Scully formed her words precisely, smugly. “Scientific evidence.”

His hands were already diving into a sunflower seed bag, his rhythmic cracking a routine that keyed him up and settled him down simultaneously. Mulder's queue that he was meditating an interesting little comeback.

“Yeah, well, I coulda sworn your hair’s changed color over the years, Scully.”

She was crisp and professional, the very model of dignity as she sniffed at the assertion. “Lighting, Mulder-- more precisely, bad lighting. I’ll never forget the day I changed the bulbs in the office and you walked in, stood there, and stared like you’d woken up in some weird alternate universe.”

Scully preferred to refer to their workspace as the office or the office down there and not the basement or the den of iniquity like her partner did. It kept things above board-- above reproach, above criticism, above scrutiny. Above the low bar of Mulder's jokes.

Crunch, crack. “Yeah, well…”

“And my hair hasn’t changed since, has it?”

Crack, crunch, genuine smile. “You never know, Scully-- it might spring something on you yet.”

“Until it does, I’m going to soak up what’s left of this drive.”

They both swiveled towards their respective views, Scully leaning against the car window and Mulder picking up his humming in between spits and chews.

*****

It was a sleepy old town they arrived in; and a sleepy old gas station they pulled up to.

“Has law enforcement been alerted we’re coming?” Scully asked, stretching her limbs while trying to sidestep the wind.

Mulder didn’t answer. Avoiding, again.

“Mulder--”

“They, uh, aren’t going to be involved. In this case.” His eyes were fixed on the gas nozzle, swiping a finger back and forth as if studying its dimensions for the first time.

“Mulder. Why not?”

“Because this assignment is a bit… unofficial,” Mulder smirked, meeting her eyes hesitantly.

Scully straightened her shoulders, trying to pick apart his vague answers. “Skinner gave us an unofficial case?”

“He gave us an unofficial assignment.”

Visions of home and hearth and comfy clothes danced behind her eyes. “There isn’t a case?”

“There could be. We’re here to make sure it doesn’t happen.” Mulder looked from her eyes to her eyebrows to her stance, shrugged, and pretended to focus his gaze elsewhere. Again. This time it was on the leaf sticking to the roof of their car.

She sighed, let her shoulders drop, and almost, almost smiled.

*****

A man named Ernesto had a friend named Bernie. Bernie was very popular in the town, made friends with everyone, was thought of as the town’s mascot almost--

“Mulder, you make it sound like this town made an attraction out of a human being.”

--And be that as it may, everyone got along, swept up in brotherly love one toward another. However, every fall Bernie got a bit… uncontrollable, wouldn't listen to reason, and broke into peoples’ properties to get his hands on food.

“He doesn’t have enough to eat?”

He did-- does-- as it happens; but was never convinced it was enough. So, every fall the townsfolk got-- get-- antsy and tried to reason with Ernesto to keep a tighter leash on his friend. But Ernesto wouldn't-- won’t-- listen to reason.

“So we’re… what? Deployed by the FBI to be a brute force reminder?”

“I don’t think that’s quite what Skinner had in mind when he said to have a chat with Ernesto; but if you’re that bloodthirsty, G-woman, I’ll rustle us up another bad guy you can shoot at.”

“I already have two I’d like to take a potshot at; so why don’t we get this over with before my trigger happy finger gets a mind of its own?”

*****

Bernie was a bear.

Scully didn’t know if she was more appalled or amused at the sight of a full-grown black bear swamped in fall sweaters charging full speed at her; but humor won out as Mulder lunged from her periphery and knocked them both safely out of its path.

“BERNIE, GET BACK HEREEEEEEEEE!” Ernesto screeched, shrimp-thin leash flailing uselessly above his head. “BERNIE, YOU JUST GOT A HUGE MEAL ONE HOUR AGO! BERNIE--!”

Scully had a split second to process the unfolding madness before Mulder leaped to his feet and dashed for the door. She scrambled after him, wondering how in the world Skinner would know a man that owned a bear; and decided she didn’t want to know.

“BERNIEEEEEEEEEE--” echoed behind her in the town hall. How was Ernesto allowed to bring a domesticated bear into Town Hall?

“BEAR!” echoed in front of her down the front steps of town hall. How did Mulder think yelling 'Bear' would help them at all?

Her partner was pointing ahead of him at--

“That’s a werewolf lawn ornament, Mulder!” she yelled, still trying to sort through the cacophony of thoughts and strategies flitting through her mind.

He took off down the steps, looking wildly left and right. “Bernie!” Mulder veered a few paces left, changed his mind, veered right. “Bernie!”

Ernesto ran after him, sniffling back tears. “BERNIE, THIS IS THE TENTH TIME THIS WEEK-- WHY WON’T YOU LISTEN TO ME--”

Stopping to lean against the stairs' right-side wall support, Scully watched the two men circle the front lawn, regroup, and take off in opposite directions-- Mulder straight for a tempting garden they’d passed on their walk here and Ernesto weaving off to one possibly like it.

*****

A snuffling caught her attention.

Scully looked over the wall and froze, her blue eyes meeting wide, black ones.

Bear and woman stared at each other for a long, long time, his mouth wrapped halfway around a mangled pumpkin and hers flapping open and shut as she tried to emit sound of any kind.

It was only a minute-- less than-- before the bear lost interest and began chewing on his make-do snack again.

“B…ernie?” she whispered, and watched his ears swivel in her direction. “Bernie? You need to come back inside. Come back inside, wait for Ernesto.”

Bernie looked at her begrudgingly, and it was such a spitting image of her nephew that all fear vanished in a gust of wind. “Bernie. Come inside. And bring your snack with you.” Might as well let him finish and save everyone the hassle of cleaning up.

Bernie must have sensed her compromise: he rose and lumbered back over to and up the steps, taking great care to wipe all four of his muddy paws on the mat before going back inside.

*****

Before she could decide how to proceed, a loud yelp pierced the air and Scully knew, immediately, it was her partner.

“MULDER?” She turned and chased after the phantom of Mulder's footsteps-- past the werewolf decoration, stacks of raked autumn leaves, half the town, and a few more shocked squirrels.

She vaguely hoped Bernie would stay where he was.

*****

“A possum party,” Mulder explained to Ernesto, trying to clean his muddy fingers on his muddy coat. “I think I found your culprits, though some blame can still be placed on Bernie’s inadequate leash.”

Ernesto was half-listening, squeezing his pet in the biggest, most awkward hug Scully had ever seen.

She’d only witnessed the tail end of Mulder’s newest drama-- as usual-- more specifically, the many tail ends of a troop of fleeing possums, some ravaged vegetables, and her partner face-planted, business end up, in front of a very slick patch of mud. They’d have to rent another motel room in order to get cleaned up for the trip home.

Whoopee.

“Mr. Ernesto, I’m going to have to reiterate what my partner said. Your leash is inadequate to prevent Bernie from running off however he wants or chooses; and even if, as you say, he is not a menace to anyone else he is, at the very least, liable to get injured or killed if he startles someone with a firearm or runs into traffic. This is a final warning; otherwise, we’ll have to get the proper authorities involved.”

Mulder, she noticed, was highly amused-- and something else-- that Scully had taken the bad cop approach; and even more so when Ernesto hung on every word she said with beseeching eyes.

“Agent Mulder will go with you to pick out a suitable collar while I make a few final calls, Ernesto. Consider this your lucky day.”

She didn’t even care that her partner wasn’t so amused anymore.

*****

Scully hung up the call with Skinner mildly appeased, having stressed the precious time she and Agent Mulder had wasted; that Ernesto was unlikely to heed their warnings, regardless; and that they (meaning she) had gone above and beyond the call of duty and saw no reason, Sir, to do these sorts of assignments any time soon in the near future.

Their boss wasn’t concerned enough, she mused, when he thanked her for the call and hung up.

She lugged Mulder’s carryon into the nearest motel she could find, deciding that putting his essential items into piles would keep this pit stop as short as possible. While unpacking some of his shirts, the tune he was humming in the car popped into her mind; and Scully tried to place it as she unrolled a few of her partner's tank tops. Then she stopped, deeply sighed, and tossed his shirts down in annoyance before stomping back to the car.

He had had the gall to sing The Bare Necessities the entire drive.

*****

Thank you for reading~

Enjoy!

Tagging @today-in-fic and @xffictober2023 and @fictober-event

#txf #fic #Fictober #Day 23 #2023 #mine #Schizogeny #S5 #“I Think He's a Hard Kid to Love”#Mulder #Scully #fall vibes #Bernie the Bear #and shoutout to welsharcher for her opossum love

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ye-olde-sodor · 1 year

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Dream Canon Seasons and Episodes Pt 1 (Very long post)

So remember how I said the Dream Canon au was meant to be my take on a Thomas series? Well, here are the episodes! Seasons 1-5, with 50 episodes! I didn't expect this to be this long so I'm going to have to split this into two parts lol. This au is a mix of the RWS canon and the TV series canon, so keep that in mind. I'm also not too familiar with RWs canon, so if I get something wrong please let me know!

Season 1, 1981 (TL;DR Thomas goes to a Railway show)

Museum Piece: Thomas is invited to represent the NWR at York for the National Railway Muesum's Railway show. Seeing as how the railway is in a financial bind thanks to the long-delayed Beeching acts and other issues, He is sent there right away. In his rush to get there, he crashes into a crossing gate and has to get to the show another way.

Not the Ticket: A lorry is sent to take Thomas to York. While Thomas tries to tell him where to go, the arrogant Lorry insists that he knows the way. After hours of traveling, they stop at the wrong station and the driver runs of to call for directions, completely ignoring Thomas and his crew. After receiving a parking ticket, the driver finally gets Thomas to York.

Country Folk: Thomas's crew, Keith and Charlie, stay at a nearby hotel for the event. While there, they run into the crews of other famous engines, and they all become quick friends. They chat about the Flying Scotsman's tour to America, and how they're worried that he may never return. Keith recalls that Gordon is worried sick, and fears for his brother's safety. Mallard's crew, however, are confident in Scotsman's return.

Trouble on the Line: As Thomas is being repaired, he meets Green Arrow. The two become friends, and when the repairs are finished, they set out to start their first day together. All is well until a bag is thrown onto the tracks. Thomas breaks rapidly, and the sudden steam frightens a child. His furious mother complains to the manager, but Thomas is even more upset when his breaks are damaged. He is sent back for a quick repair.

Mallard and Thomas: While chatting with the Duchess of Hamilton before his Railtour with Green Arrow, Mallard arrives and gets into an argument with the two of them. Thomas disagrees with the engine hierarchy, while Mallard has a reverence for it. See "Know your Place" post here.

Thomas and the Railtour: A heavy rainstorm delays the Railtour. Once it clears, Thomas and Green Arrow double head the train. On the return run, Thomas warns Green Arrow of a section of corroded line up ahead, preventing a serious accident. Buses arrive to take the passengers home, and the two friends return to the sheds. Later, Thomas receives a special plaque from the National Railway Museum, making him an honorary member for his quick thinking.

Things that go Bump: Thomas meets two diesels named Paxton and Sidney, two older brothers to Diesel. Being big fans of the Railway Series, they ask him if he can show them some tips on shunting. He happily agrees, but while doing so accidently shoves the trucks too hard. They derail, and crash into Mallard, damaging his front. Thinking quickly, Paxton and Sidney make up a story about the trucks being from a runaway train. It works, and Thomas makes two more friends.

Ghost Stories: When a power outage takes out the shed lights, Thomas, Paton, Sidney, and Green Arrow all share their favorite ghost stories. Thomas told a tale of an engine who blew himself up in a failed attempt at revenge. Paxton told a tale about a haunted storage shed that housed horrors beyond comprehension. Sidney told a tale of a half steam, half diesel engine that went mad from its sheer power. The winner was obviously Green Arrow, who recalled a story of an old steelworks that traps engines to keep it running forever.

Rocky Rails: Green Arrow is called to help Thomas after an accident. Thomas only has minor damages, but only because he was a quick thinker. If he wasn't, he and his crew would've likely had much more severe, possibly lethal injuries. An officer states that the trucks are to blame for pushing Thomas, but they're not sentient. This raises suspicions for both engines, but they can't prove anything strange. They do, however, share the same feelings with Paxton and Sidney, who also suspect that something is wrong.

The Road Home: Thomas gets ready to leave back to Sodor. He says goodbye to all of his new friends, and heads for Tidmouth. Before he does though, he runs into Mallard again. He informs Thomas that he's been thinking of acquiring the island from Sir Topham Hatt and wants to save it from its financial burden…and from itself. Mallard explains again that Sodor is a lawless land, and that only he can save it from ruin. Thomas gets offended by this, and rushes back home to get away from him. After days of traveling, he finally arrives home, and is greeted by a massive "Welcome Home" party.

Season 2, 1982 (TL;DR Mallard launches his Master Plan)

Shake that Feeling: While Thomas' attendance at the show did help with publicity, the railway still suffers from the Beeching acts. Sir Stephen Topham Hatt the Third begins to question if he's a failure to his ancestors. Edward insists that he isn't and sets off to prove it with a survey. This backfires however, as many of the island's residents are displeased with how Stephen runs the railway and how the buses are much better. Edward decides not to show him this.

Family Ties: Gordon finally gets word about Scott...but is horrified to discover that the Americans sent one of Scott's trailing wheels to Doncaster. He screams in rage and agony over the loss of his last living brother, and the nation mourns the loss with him. All of Britain holds a memorial service and a National Day of Mourning. Mallard, after attending the funeral, leaves to get Scott's will in order. This angers Gordon beyond comprehension, and storms off back to the island.

The Good Old Days: A flashback episode that highlights Gordon's best moments with Scott. From when they were first built to the Great Railway Show of 1970, where Gordon beat Scott and reached 102 MPH. In 1979, Scott announced his tour to America, and set sail that same year. We cut back to Scott's funeral, and the outraged Gordon thundering down the line. As he goes into his shed, he looks around at the memorabilia scattered around it, and his eyes land on a family photo of him, Scott, and two of his older siblings. He breaks down even more as a storm surges on.

Gordon's Goods: Gordon refuses to pull the express and will only pull goods trains and shunting jobs. He can't go near the Mainland, not after the disrespect from Mallard. That, and because it reminds him so much of Scott. Reluctantly, Topham agrees to it, and has Diesel 10 pull the express in the meantime. He takes his first goods train without any major incidents but makes many mistakes. Sir Topham Hatt orders Edward to help refresh his memory.

Confusion and Delay: Word of Gordon's replacement spread rapidly through the island. Edward does his best to console his friend and helps him refresh himself with shunting and pulling goods. He helps Gordon through his loss by relating it to the loss of Boco, who disappeared and was presumed dead. Meanwhile, Mallard meets with Diesel 10 on the Mainland. While Mallard didn't plan for Gordon to be replaced, he uses this to his advantage. He tells 10 that he is responsible for him getting the express. This is just the beginning for him, a mere taste of what he has planned. He can give 10 whatever he wants so long as he goes along with his plans. 10 agrees to this despite his better judgement, and so Mallard takes 10 to his private shed to fill him in.

Confidence and Departures: That night, D/10 and two of Mallard's henchmen, Baz and Bernie Swindel, work to look for incriminating documents from Hatt's office. He was told by Mallard that there were rumors that most of the Sodor engines were illegally obtained and wants to see if it's true. When the men can't find the documents, they fear that they're at the Hatt's house. Just when they're about to leave, one of them catches glimpse of a hidden compartment under Hatt's desk. Opening it reveals multiple hidden documents, proving the myth. They leave the papers and quickly flee and head back to Mallard.

Ring around the Rosie: Rosie is working at Vickerstown to cover Diesel, who's engine recently failed. As she's working, she overhears D/10 talking to Mallard. The two are discussing what they found, and Mallard is ecstatic. Now, when Mallard gets the police to search the office, they can find that evidence and can use it against Hatt. Rosie doesn't understand what they're talking about, but she knows that Topham is in trouble, so she tries to flee to warn him. She's spotted by Mallard, and he yells at the other diesels in the yard to stop her. They do so and trap her in a shed. Mallard orders them to not let her go and continues with his plan.

Pockets full of Posies: The Police receive word from an anonymous tip that Topham Hatt has been handing out forged documents and committing tax fraud, so they get a warrant to investigate the claim. While they don't find the tax fraud, they do find the hidden compartment with the secret documents. They arrest him and bring him before a court. The court finds him and the Hatt Administration guilty of their business practices and the theft of several engines. As part of a plea deal, Hatt escapes jail time, but he's given a large fine and is ordered to either return the stolen engines or pay for compensation.

Ashes, Ashes: Topham is oust as controller due to the controversy, and has to pay the fine on his own, placing him on the verge of bankruptcy. He refuses to let the engines he saved be scrap, so he pays the compensations he owns. The island is enraged by this, the engines moreso then the humans. Before BR can pick their own controller, Mallard arrives to make a suggestion. He wishes to purchase the island and wants to modernize it in accordance with BR's standards. BR allows the purchase, as they wish to see Sodor modernized as well. After this, he orders for Rosie to be released, and cruelly tells her that he's already won.

We all Fall Down: The news of Mallard's purchase immediately horrifies the engines, especially Thomas. Arguments over the issue start, but Thomas remains silent. Before anyone can do anything else, Mallard arrives with the Vickarstown Diesels. He announces the new controller and the "Renovation" project that will see many improvements to the island. The malicious diesels smirk and smile at this while the more friendly ones look nervous, causing the steam engines to feel uneasy. Gordon, even more enraged, demands to know what Mallard is planning. He responds by saying he's going to help the island and wants to fix it and leaves it at that. He tells everyone to get some rest for tomorrow, as it will be a very busy few years.

Season 3 1983 (TL;DR Mallard the Master Manipulator)

First Impressions: The new controller, a man named John Skiff, arrives to give the engines their jobs. James is given a passenger job, while Henry is to pull goods trains as usual. Thomas is to go to Tidmouth to serve as a Pilot engine. He argues about his branch line jobs, to which John states that it is now Diesel's branch line. The sheds are stunned at this, and Thomas tries to argue further, but John shuts him up and threatens to take him to Mallard if he continues to argue. When the sheds fall quiet again, he lists off the rest of the jobs. Percy is to go to Diesel's branch line, Edward is to remain in the sheds for "reasons", James is to go to Tidmouth to test run a passenger train, and Gordon is to be taken to the works to be cleaned and repainted. The engines go to do their jobs, with all of them having mixed feelings about it all.

Percy and Diesel: When Percy gets to Farquar, he sees Diesel and Toby discussing the sudden changes. Percy joins in and tells them that Thomas is equally upset about it as they are, and Diesel agrees with him. He never wanted Thomas' line or his jobs; he was happy with what he had. Now he's worried Thomas would hate him for this. Percy and Toby don't want to admit it, but he's right. Thomas has been known for being possessive of his jobs due to the competition he faced on his past railway. His jealousy and need for job stability was practically built into him! They comfort Diesel as best as they can, and the three friends head out to do their jobs.

The Red Rocket: While James is happy to be back on passenger lines, he hates that it came to the expense of everyone else. After his run, he runs into Mallard, and decides to talk to him. He states that he's honored that such a glorious engine like him is in charge, but he feels as though his friends are being overlooked. Mallard responds by saying that their time will come, but for now, James is the star of the show. He's the most important right now, as he is the brand-new tourist attraction, The Red Rocket. By playing into James' low self-esteem, Mallard gets him to go along with his plans and to "enjoy himself" with the special. Even when James agrees to it, he can't help but feel dirty about it.

Henry and the Bear: Henry is struggling to keep up with all of his extra jobs, so Bear offers to help him. Mallard sees this and decides to let Bear help Henry. The two work in near perfect sync and are able to get the trains on time and were ahead of Mallard's schedule. Henry is grateful for the help, and the two form a partnership. Mallard takes Henry aside and tells him that he can't rely on others for his jobs forever. He can accept help for now, but he expects him to improve and to get better at his job. After all, Henry is the strongest here, isn't he? Or is he still that weak and sickly engine? Maybe Bear should take his place instead. Henry, not wanting to be compared to his old self, strives to do better, to be better, then any diesel on this island!

Edward's Dog Days: Edward is nervous that he's finally being scrapped, replaced, or worse...placed in a static display at a museum. He nearly jumps off the tracks at the thought of it. John finds Edward literally shaking in place when he's arrived to tell him that he's getting overhauled. Once he explains this to Edward, he finally settles down and starts to think reasonably. He has been overdue for an overhaul for some time now. Little does he know that Mallard is planning to sell Edward to a museum owner on the Mainland. After all, Edward is over 100 years old, and has no place on this new modern railway unless he's in a display case! (Disclaimer, Mallard is completely unaware that Percy is older than Edward lmao. He lets the others stay since he needs steam engines for his heritage lines and tourist trains later on). Edward is sent away to Crewe to get his overhaul the next day.

Toby's Troubles: Toby is worried about what might happen to Henrietta and the other coaches. Diesel senses that something is off with Toby, so he asks him what's bothering him. When he does, him and Diesel devise a plan to save them. In the event that Mallard does plan to replace them, Toby and Diesel will bring the coaches to Toby's old line to keep them safe. If that place fails, then they'll take them to a hidden shed on the Mainland. While this helps calms Toby, he still fears for his safety and the safety of his friends. He decides to spend as much time as he can with Henrietta and his friends as much as he can, nearly forfeiting his work. Mallard takes notice of this and plans to have Toby and his coach scrapped in secret.

Percy's New Friends: Percy finds himself working with inexperienced Mainland diesels as more and more stem engines are being displaced from their normal jobs. He gets nervous about this and demands to know what exactly Mallard is planning. Mallard states that he wants to protect the older steam engines from harm by placing them on new Heritage lines. Percy asks if he means new Heritage lines on the island, or on a different railway. Mallard states that it all depends on how well they perform. But this shouldn't be a problem for the Percy. The one-of-a-kind Percy. The splendid little Percy who can take charge when called to action. Surely he can prove himself, can't he? Percy, now terrified for his safety, strives to prove himself to Mallard, and starts to help the Mainland diesels and befriend as many as he can.

Gordon's Day Off: Gordon is at the works getting a visual overhaul. He's showered in water, covered in facial lotions and makeup, had his paint completely redone. He hates every minute of it. Just then, Mallard arrives to see Gordon. He's ecstatic to see Gordon in his new "Shooting Star" Livery and can't wait for the smoke deflectors to arrive. Gordon is confused by what he means, and Mallard explains that he ordered Gordon some custom smoke deflectors for him to match his livery, and they should be here soon. Before Gordon can object to it, he's cut off by Mallard, who states that he's going to have Gordon take a new excusive, very expensive, VIP tourist train that has state of the art luxuries and newly renovated coaches. The train will be fit for the queen herself! Surely Gordon wouldn't want to upset her royal highness? Or even Scott's legacy? Again, before Gordon can call out his hypocrisy, he bids Gordon farewell as he has other matters to attend to. Gordon fumes as he leaves, before he is pampered by the workers again.

Thomas and Duck: Thomas is furious at the whole situation. He's also mad at the diesels for taking the majority of the jobs. He sulks about it as he sees Duck in the station. He's here to teach Thomas how to be a "proper" Station Pilot, as it's been years since he was one. Mallard is standing by and is watching the two of them closely. As Duck is teaching Thomas, he explains that he should be honored to be working for an engine like Mallard, as it's the right thing for an engine to do. Enraged that Duck would just blindly follow Mallard causes him to lose his temper with both Duck and Mallard. He berates the two engines, Mallard more so than Duck, and while doing so derails and causes a fire. Duck and his crew quickly take control of the situation and puts out the fire using the water from Thomas's boiler. Mallard is impressed with Duck's quick thinking, and reassigns Duck to be the station Pilot, and orders Thomas to be taken to the sheds. He'll have a word with him later.

Thomas and Mallard: Mallard arrives at Tidmoth sheds, where he finds a beaten up Thomas all alone. He explains that Thomas' protests and attitude have gone on for long enough. Not only has he disrespected his authority, but now he's caused a fire at Tidmouth by throwing a temper tantrum! Thomas stands his ground, saying that Mallard is nothing but a tyrant, but Mallard is unimpressed. He tells him that he will be sent to Mallard's Camp on the Mainland until he decides to be useful again. Thomas, seeing that he's already in trouble, throws caution to the wind and calls Mallard out on everything. The argument with Duchess, the purchase of the island, the modernization plans (that were weakly disguised as a restoration project), and for completely uprooting their lives and what the island stood for. He even lands a few hits on Mallard's buffers! Even more enraged, the two fight until Henry returns to the sheds. Mallard orders Henry to take Thomas to Crewe and to keep him there.

Season 4 1984 ( TL;DR oh no it's the Orwell year. You know what that means-)

Reunion: Thomas and Henry arrive at Crewe, where they bump into a wheelless Edward. The three of them catch up and explain what has happened and what Mallard has been doing. Edward tells Henry that he has to pass the word onto the others about what happened to Thomas. Henry agrees but says that he'll have to play it smart as Mallard will try to stop him. He leaves for Sodor, but not before he says goodbye to the father and son duo. Thomas promises that he'll be back when he can, and Edward assures him that he'll be back as soon as his wheels are reattached.

Tying Up Loose Ends: When Henry returns, he isn't performing as well as he should, mainly due to everything that has happened. Mallard sees this and he uses this as an excuse to get rid of him as he sees him as a threat to his plans. He knows that by sending Henry and Thomas to Crewe, they would've swapped information with Edward. Henry has become a liability to his plans. He orders for Henry to be sent away to "That" Steelworks on the Mainland on the grounds that he needs to hone his skills more. Henry tries to protest, but he's quickly towed away by a loyal Spamcan.

Home Away from Home: As Henry is being towed to The Steelworks, he passes by Mallard's camp and decides to check in on Thomas. Spamcan has to take a break anyways, so they make a stop there. When the two meet, Thomas is ecstatic to see him again, but gets worried when Henry says where he's going. He tells Henry that no one escapes from there. Henry promises to get out of there and to come back for him and Edward. After staying overnight, Spamcan and Herny set out, but not before Henry tells Thomas to stay strong. Thomas affirms this, saying that Mallard can't scare him into listening, and he tells Henry the same.

The Hottest Place in Town: Henry arrives at the Steelworks, and Spamcan drops him off. He welcomes Henry to "his new home" and speeds off. As Henry enters, he sees hundreds of engines, old and new, working in the yard and in the building. He meets the owners, Frankie and Hurricane, and they explain that they save and preserve engines and put them to work. They become part of the family, so to speak. They like to challenge the engines to better themselves (something that Henry loves to do) while keeping them safe. Henry is excited by this, but remembers Thomas' warning, so he stays cautious. They show him around the place and introduce him to some of his new coworkers, such as Lexi, Theo, Merlin, and Beresford the onsite crane. They show him to his shed and say that he'll start work in the morning.

Old Ties: As Henry begins working at the Steelworks, he can't help but feel unnerved by how overly happy and friendly everyone is. So far he likes the challenge but feels that they're a bit harsh with the limited breaks. He quickly runs into even more friendly faces…and some familiar ones. 87546, or Vic as he's now called, has completely changed from when he was last seen. Henry also runs into 98462, a rude engine who was sold years ago. Both engines had become overly friendly, optimistic, and passive in a creepy turn of events. Henry finds the transformations in the engines odd and disturbing and begins to wonder if the same could happing to him.

Familiar Faces: Henry's fears of the Steelworks become valid when he re-discovers Boco, an engine who was presumed dead after a long absence. He too is overly optimistic like the others, and can't imagine leaving the Steelworks despite his worn out condition. Henry confronts Frankie about this, and she conforms that this tends to happen with engines that stay here for so long. Henry informs her that Boco was stolen from the NWR, and that they must return him. She says that they knew that, as they were the ones that stole him. They lock Henry into the Steelworks and announce to everyone that they have a new "Steel Brother" in the family, and everyone cheers. Henry realizes that he needs to form a plan to get him and Boco out of here.

Worn Out Places: Henry tries to convince Boco that they need to escape to Sodor, but he hasn't had much luck. Boco is treated as an equal here. Unlike on Sodor, all of the steam engines here treat him well, not just a handful of them. Henry argues that he has friends over on Sodor that miss him, especially Edward and the Bee twins. It's the mention of Edward that gets Boco to help Henry. They plan to use a flatbed as a battering ram to open the gates and to run to Sodor. When night falls, they see that the gates have more security than usual, and so they have to plan their escape another night.

Runaways: After weeks of being trapped, Henry finally sees his chance at getting out. He grabs a flatbed, has Boco coupled up behind him, and they prepare for the escape. They ram the gates and quickly head off as an alarm goes off. Boco spies three of the Steelworkers tailing them, so Henry takes a risk and turns sharply. The plan works, and one of the diesels derails and traps the other two. Henry and Boco hide out in a siding until morning, and they head to Sodor. Boco insists that they tell someone about the Steelworks, and while Henry agrees, he explains that they have to help the island before they can help anyone else. The episode ends with Frankie and Hurricane contacting UK authorities to report two dangerous engines on the run, and that they must be returned to their steelworks for "everyone's safety". They offer a cash prize to anyone who can catch them and return them.

Home Stretch: When Henry and Boco near Sodor, the police recognize them as the criminals that Frankie and Hurricane described and go to arrest them. Boco tries to explain the situation, but Henry gets the two of them away from the station. As he's running away, two mainland diesels try to trap them, but they fail spectacularly. The pair go back to the station at night, and quickly rush over the bridge to Sodor. Instead of going to the sheds, they hide in Henry's forest until things can calm down.

A Mile in my Shoes: Word of Henry and Boco being wanted engines spreads through the Uk and Sodor. Gordon is completely flabbergasted that Boco is still alive, as well as everyone else. He's also more concerned with Henry and what they could have possibly done to gain a warrant. Gordon, being the smart engine he is, figures out that they must've gone against Mallard and BR somehow. He goes to Henry's forest to be alone with his thoughts, only to bump into Henry and Boco. They explain what happened and Gordon is outraged by what Mallard and the Steelworks had done. He vows to keep them a secret, and vows to get the Island back from Mallard. Before they can object to the plan, Gordon runs off, leaving them behind. Without much choice, they stay in place.

Season 5 1985 (TL;DR Gordon starts a riot)

The Friend of My Enemy: Gordon sets out to get as much info on how Mallard is running the island as possible. He asks the workmen, who refer to the diesels who work for him. He confronts them about Mallard and, to his dismay, finds Diesel 10 defending him. Topham's bias towards the diesels was obvious, so when Mallard promised them proper care and respect, they supported him. He's kept his promise, and so they'll keep their end of the deal. Gordon, feeling betrayed by his friend, asks if he can at least tell him how Mallard runs the island. 10 refuses to do so, in fear of Gordon sabotaging Mallard's plans. Feeling even more betrayed, Gordon argues that Mallard's methods are causing harm to his friends. 10 takes this the wrong way and gets aggressive with him, damaging his buffers. Gordon storms off, leaving both former friends hurt in more ways than one.

James and Gordon: After Gordon's buffers are repaired, he runs into James in his new "Red Rocket" livery similar to the Duchess of Hamilton's. Gordon argues that they shouldn't be bullied by Mallard and should be helping Topham get his railway back. James argues that they've been doing great since Mallard took charge, and even if they could, they don't know how to help Hatt. Stumpt, Gordon and James decide that the only way to beat Mallard is to play his game and learn as much as they can about his plans. Then, when the home is right, form a team that's willing to stand up against him...and Gordon knows exactly who to recruit.

The Enemy of my Friend: In secret, Gordon recruits Bear and Diesel into his plan, While James recruits Toby and Emily. When James tries to recruit Percy, he refuses, saying that going against Mallard is ridiculous, and that they should absolutely not, under any circumstances, sneak around John Skiff's office at 3 am next to the abandoned shed at Tidmouth. James thanks Percy for the info and passes it to Gordon. While he's shocked that he would know such a thing, the team takes the info and plans to use it in the future.

Edward the Museum Piece Pt 1: Edward is finally finished and is told that he'll be sent to Darlington Railway Centre and Museum. Edward panics and insists that there's been a mistake, but two diesels come to take him away. For the entire trip, Edward sobs and is heartbroken that he'll never see his family again. His crying finally causes one of the drivers to snap, and as they stop at a station, he wraps a large cloth over his face for the rest of the journey. They arrive to the museum in the morning, and they remove the cloth. As Edward is shunted into the museum, he looks at the various exhibits that house old parts of engines, a model railway of what he could only assume was Stockton & Darlington Railway, and a fake station. Soon he's rolled onto a large shed in the middle of the room with 5 other engines.

Edward the Museum Piece Pt2: The engines welcome Edward to their fleet and introduce themselves. There's Derwent the clever 0-6-0, Dean the impressionable 2-4-0, Bolt the bold 0-8-0, Gasglow the timid BR class 37, and Finally, there's No. 1, who is a replica that convinced everyone (and himself) that he's the original. They welcome Edward to their Fleet and encourage him to "relax and get rid of all his sorrows". Afterall, he doesn't have to do anything here! Just smile and answer questions from the tourists! It's the perfect Paradice! No work, no workplace drama, and they're properly maintained and cleaned! Sure, they've been out of service for so long that they've forgotten their pasts, but they like it here more than their old place anyways! Edward screams internally.

Percy and The Diesels: Percy is quickly rising the ranks in the Diesel hierarchy, mainly due to his kind nature towards them. This catches D/10's interest, and he challenges Percy for leadership of the Vickarstown Fleet. Percy won the Popular vote and the shunting contest, but 10 won the strength and speed contests. In order to break the tie, a fight is to be held. Diesel tries to get Percy to forfeit, but he insists that he's got this. True to his word, Percy uses his size and clever thinking to his advantage and wins by tricking 10 into derailing, ending the fight. 10 declares him the winner and congratulates him, much to everyone's surprise. Later, Percy takes his place as the new leader, and starts his own master plan and agenda.

The Indignity: Gordon and D/10 run into each other again. With the two of them more levelheaded this time, Gordon again tries to convince him that Mallard is only doing more harm then good. Mallard is only using the Diesels as a tool, and once he has what he wants, he'll abandon them. He also tells 10 that he's regressing back into his past self. 10 ignores this and explains that, while he does agree with him to some degree, Mallard treats the diesels with respect and helps them right away. Gordon agrees that Hatt was biased, but he would've fixed it had he been told about it. The two fail to rekindle the friendship, and Gordon sets off to gather his team to start his strike. 10, meanwhile, gathers supplies for Percy's plan.

Viva La Retaliation Pt 1: Gordon confronts Mallard about his actions by beginning a strike. Himself, James, Toby, Bear, Diesel, and Emily declare a strike at Tidmouth, and demand an audience with Mallard. He arrives, and each of the engines list their demands. Mallard promptly ignores this and orders for everyone to return to their work or they'll be sent away. The engines stand their ground, but after John calls in for D/10 and others to send them to the scrap yard, the strike falls apart. Gordon tells his friends to stand down for their own sake.

Viva La Retaliation Pt 2: After the failure of Gordon's strike, Mallard determines that his judgement is too clouded by grief to make the best decisions for himself and others. He orders for the others to return to their work and to wait for their punishments. He then orders for 10 to deliver Gordon to his camp on the Mainland immediately. Gordon tries to resist being taken away, but this only proves Mallard's point to the public. 10 eventually couples up to him and drags him to the Mainland.

Double Stab: While on their way to Mallard's camp, 10 finally realizes that Gordon was right. Not just about Mallard but about himself. He tells Gordon everything he knows about Mallard's plan (Henry's journey, Edward's placement in the museum, and Thomas in Mallard's camp), and explains that Percy is planning a full-scale revolution with the help of the diesels. He explains that Percy promised to give the diesels the same benefits from Mallard but better, and that he'll keep Hatt in line if they help him get back in office. Gordon has a hard time believing it, but he'll take what he can get. They arrive at the camp at midnight and (awkwardly) wish each other good luck.