Chapter One: New BeginningsSir Stephen Hatt had recently stepped down from being that North Western Railway's Controller after many years. No one felt this as much as his son, Richard, who had stepped into his father's shoes and taken his place as 'The Fat Controller'.
The engines had assembled so Richard could properly introduce himself officially.
"Hello everyone; as you all know I will be taking over as controller of the railway. Glad to see you all could make it."
The engines warmly welcomed their new controller.
"Now, as my first executive order, I will be extending thr Ffarquhar Branch Line (Thomas's branch line) to Ulfstead. It will take a lot of hard work, but I know we can do it."
"Work will begin once the plans are complete; I have my best engineers working on it right now, and they have said they will present the plans by the end of the month."
The engines were excited.
"Now you all get a good rest; tomorrow is going to be a big day and we must be prepared."
Meanwhile, D-11 was talking to Reginald Walkins.
"Tomorrow we go to the mainland; first day of the hearing" D-11 said to Walkins
"Let's just hope that we can prove them correct." Walkins replied.
Heinrich Bauer walked in "I know I'm not going to be of much help, but perhaps I can come along as moral support?" He asked.
"Not much help?" said D11 and Walkins together. "Honestly, you've got to stop thinking that you're not too important. After all, without you, there'd be no Numbered Diesels. And of course you can go."
The Colormen, lead by Man In Amaranth Pink, had successfully rebuilt the bridge, so several hours later D-11, Walkins and Bauer were on a train to the mainland. In addition to suitcases, they had several files which they hoped would convince the government of their case.
They pulled into the station; it was quiet,and they had to wait for their cab (or limo, given D-11).
Coincidentally, the station they had been dropped off at was one where a major rail accident had occurred years prior.
As they talked, a sleeping engine woke up from one of the locked sheds. Through the crack in the doors, he could hear a familiar voice and just barely make out who was on the platform.
"Can it be? Yes! It is! Father! Father! it's me!"
But Walkins couldn't hear the diesel, he was focused on what D-11 was saying.
"Ah, good, our ride to the hotel is here; let's go gentlemen." He said, as the three men picked up their bags and walked away.
"Father..." Diesel 3 said sadly from his shed.
But that scene reminded
Biblically Accurate Angel about Toy Story 2, so let's watch it!
"Nooooooooooooooooooooo..."
"Father..."
"I finally defeated Zurg!"
After that nostalgia trip, we cut back to the station, Where Diesel 3 sadly watches his "father" walk away as the others head to their ride.
"Are we looking for a cab or limo?" Bauer asked D-11
"Actually, I was looking for my milkshake..."
*SLAP!*
"A limo."
As they walked by the sign with the station name, Walkins stopped for a moment.
"Oh... I remember this place. This... this is where Diesel 3 caused that accident years ago." He sighed sadly as he looked in the direction of the shunting yard.
"What happened?" asked Bauer.
"Well..."
"...it was 1989. Diesel 3 was shunting, and going about his business. One minute, everything was fine, but the next, everything went straight to hell. You see, he shunted some boxcars onto the station platform track. No one knows why it happened, but it did. The boxcars were shunted there, and then an express train came through that had no intention of stopping. It crashed into the boxcars. In a panic, Diesel 3 backed up, and wound up hitting some flatbeds of pipes very hard. They were filled with pipes, and they wound up falling onto the adjacent track, and derailed an incoming freight train. No one was killed, but more than 600,000 pounds in damage was done, and more than 120 people were injured. No one trusted Diesel 3 after that. He was locked up in a shed and never let out again" he said sadly.
"Oh wow," said Bauer as they reached the limo.
"He's probably still there; if we win the hearing, you we can get him out D-11?" He asked
"Yes, definitely," said Diesel 11.
Meanwhile, construction on the Ulstead Extension had begun. They engines were working harder than ever.
"Wait, I said that they were working on the plans for the ulfstead extension" the writer reminded himself.
Though construction crews had begun assessing the area for safety concerns, and land surveyors had to see that there was a safe route to take, and at the same time making sure they would have minimal impact on the environment.
"I really don't want to have to cut down those trees of we don't have to; those are a rare species after all" one of the surveyors pointed out.
"Indeed," said the new Fat Controller. "That'd cause to much confusion and delay."
"Just like your father, eh?"
"Well, what else am I supposed to say?"
Meanwhile, after the success of Paulie the Sea Train's efforts against the wave, the NWR decided to fund Tug's plans for a Sea Train route from Sodor to the Isle of Man, and work on the floating track was being headed by the Star Tugs...
Warrior was towing the next section of track to where it would be attached...
"I never thought I'd see the day a train would run on water, who would of thought that day would actually come..." he said to himself...
But there was a problem with the sea train.
Concerned about the future of Top Hat, Frank and Eddie, they needed to make plans
"Well, what if we dedicate Top Hat solely to commercial/freight, and the sea train strictly for passengers?" One investor suggested
"Seems like a fair plan" said another investor
Back to the Colormen, 4 were leaving the great hall for a week to search out hidden secrets of the colorfolk. Those 4 were the men in Emerald Green, Neon Blue, Light Yellow, and Mauvish Shade of Purply Orange.
******************
Hohenheim was sunk. In the past few days, SOM had bathed him in salt, burned his hair off, and applied electric eels to painful orifices, plus other things too terrible to mention.
"We gotta get loose!" He said to the Cushion. "What do we do?"
"Well, we could use the eels I smuggled in to electrocute the guards."
"How'd you sneak in an eel? For that matter, how'd you touch one?"
"Apparently, my immunity to Pain extends to electrocution."
Suddenly, Hohenheim smelled a smell he recognized, a mix of Old Spice and Honey.
"Oh, please, Horned One, not him!"
Honeybadger walked in. "Hello, bloodsuckahs!"
"You little string of curses that can't be repeated! Why are you working with these infidels?"
"Because VEC has lost sight of the Horned One's true goal. Working with them allows us to fulfill that goal. Why don't you join us? We will rain evil upon the land like rain!"
Hohenheim thought for a second, then decided. "Cushion, I day we throw this guy an eel."
"I'm not familiar with that term. Does it mean GGGGRRRRRAAAAAAHHHHH!"
"I would never work with people who tortured me, and definetely not a **** like you." Hohenheim turned away as Honeybadger shot honey at the eel.
"So, ready for tomorrow's torture?"
"Actually... I've got a plan."
Meanwhile The Colormen were trying to decipher what that warning from those mysterious aliens meant...
"But what is it about wood that they hate it so much?" Man in Blue asked
"Daniel; it's time". Woman In Blue said.
"ok; lets go" he said.
at the Great Hall the Colorfolk had gathered to mourn the one Colorman lost in the battle: Man In Egyptian Blue.
"The only fatality of that battle- and he took one of them with him. I... don't know what to say, except that he was a great man and will be missed."
Meanwhile, Man In Pink was furious.
"They let him go? After all that Bronze Mage did to us, they let him go?"
"Look, it's not that bad. He was just doing his job. And let's not forget he removed the mind-control curse from us."
"Well, yeah, but did he remove that curse from the Man In Bronze?"
"Um... no? I think?"
"Exactly. It's appalling."
"Look, I'm not going up against him again. If I were you, I'd do the same."
&&&&&&&&&
On Misty Island, a large pile of jobi wood was being prepared for the aliens. VEC was weakened without Hohenheim and Co, but he Duplicator clones could follow simple instructions and had been doing all the physical labor.
"Chessmaster, have you found Hohenheim yet?" Asked Vivian.
"Blackmagei is preparing to magically locate him as we speak. Why not help her out?"
"Okay. We have to find him!"
"Yeah, it's just not the same without him."
So Viv ran to Blackmagei.
"Blackmagei! Blackmagei!"
"Yes, m'dear?"
And Hercules took off his disguise...
"Sir? You fell asleep at your desk again!"
"Sorry, Alaine. Running a railway is more stressful than I thought."
"Well, Thomas derailed at Farquhar yard again. I think there's some bent rails there."
"Great... Get a track repair team down there."
"They get weekends off, sir."
"Who's bright idea was that?"
"Your father's."
Hatt sighed. "Great. What next?"
"Um... the coaches need cleaning, the coal supply is running low, the visiting engines are..."
"GAAAAH! How did my dad manage this?"
"Merchandise deals, mostly."
"Merchandise won't get Thomas back on track. What can we do?"
"Let's go out for a milkshake and-"
"Alaine, I'm married."
"So?"
"Have you realized that wives come to conclusions faster than you can say 'We're just friends'?"
"Richard? Are you talking with another woman?!"
*Facepalm*
"Oh for heaven's sake, what the heck am I writing?'" The writer asked, confused. He took a deep breath and went back to the story.
Man In Bronze walked up to the pinks.
"Well, he didn't have too; I had the tapestry take it away." He explained.
"That seems kind of lazy in terms of a resolution" man in pink said.
"Well, perhaps. But here's the thing, there's this phenomenon called Chekhov's gun, where everything that comes up in a story has some significance and will appear later on in an important context."
"That's ridiculous! There's no way that everything that comes up in a story is significant." Woman in pink argued.
"Well according to the rule, never bring up anything that you don't intend to do anything with". Man In bronze said.
"Oh please, I can prove right now that is nonsense...watch." Woman in pink said.
Just then, a man passed by. He was riding a unicycle, wearing a gorilla suit, had a big grin on his face, he was playing the banjo, balancing a bottle of wine on his head and screamed "HHEEELLLOOOO!!!!" As he passed by.
"See? And I guarantee you he's not going to be brought up again, mentioned, seen, or even used in a larger context." Woman in pink said. "He'll be of no significance"
Man in bronze couldn't argue there.
Meanwhile, the new controller had figured out how to resolve the situation.
"Call the workers in, tell them it is an emergency and they will get time and a half for whoever responds to the scene." Hatt said.
Meanwhile, on the mainland Bauer, Walkins and D-11 were settling into their hotel. They were just walking into the lobby.
"Good evening Mr... "D'Levin?" the concierge said, confused, reading the reservation.
Bauer and Walkins looked at D-11 confused.
Diesel 11 was confused himself.
"What part of 'Diesel 11' makes you say 'D'Levin'?"
"Well sir, the card says "Mr. D'Levin" , see?" The concierge showed them.
*Flashback
"Yes, I'd like to reserve three rooms for a few weeks" D-11 was calling the hotel
"And who is the party, Mr..."
"D-11" D-11 said.
"D-11?" The person on the other end said. then she thought the phone line may be having problems, so she wrote on the reservation "Mr. D'Levin"
"Ok, its all set; have a good night"
...
Back in the present.
"So your name is "Diesel 11?" The concierge asked.
"Yes, I've legally changed it in the past..." replied D-11
"Oh... Ok... Um... Right this way sirs..."
Meanwhile, in the writing room, Toz was berating Frank for coming up with something so nonsensical earlier.
"Hey, like I said, it proved a point; there's no way everything in a story is significant"
Toz could only sigh as he went to write for the story next...
Hohenheim was making a plot to escape. It required the unique talents of his fellow inmates, but he thought he could pull it off.
¥¥¥¥¥¥¥¥
Vivian burst into Blackmagei's room.
"Ah, right on time. My Spieglasse will locate our fallen friends, make no mistake."
On another part of the VEC's home island, Sickoia was looking after the Duplicator.
"Has he come out of the coma yet?"
"No; I'm doing everything I can, but I haven't been able to figure it out."
"Well, let us know when he wakes up" The general said.
Hivemind was "trying out" the duplicator clones that were made prior to duplicator entering the coma. "You know, I think they were on to something; these clones have a much better physicality than most people I've taken over in the past. If he can make enough of these..." Hivemind had an interesting idea.
"Wait a minute... Wasn't the General captured by SOM?" asked Doomboy
"Umm..." said the fake General before he pulled up a mask and revealed himself as three of the moles on stilts...
"Ah we've been had!" yelled the trio of moles as they fled Misty Island, and somehow escaping VEC...
Anyways, back to Hivemind's plan... "these could be far more effective than taking over typical people" he reasoned.
Elsewhere, Raios had just finished communicating with his lord, Metalicana, when Monet walked in...
"Greetings Commander, I've come to give you an update on the prisoners..." said Monet
"Glad to hear that Monet, now tell me the status of all of the ones we've captured so far, plus I have something to tell you about after..." replied Raios
Monet responded, "Well each of their status is as follows:
The Cushion - One with the least amount of injuries, due to his troublesome ability, so other 'methods' of torture have started to break him, mostly through sound and vision, so not much valuable information has been gathered...
Inflicted Injuries: Bleeding from ears
Eddie Denim - A man with the ability to manipulate people through sound from instruments, sound torture has been spotted to have no affect on him... Methods of inflicted 'treatments' to cure this problem range from beatings to forced labor...
Inflicted Injuries: scarring across body and various pulled muscles
Lock-On John - A man with sniping abilities that are rivaled to none, he is still human, so normal still work on him... They range from beatings to his chest area, to scarring one of his precious eyes...
Inflicted Injuries: Internal bleeding, scarring across face (notably one of his eyes), and a few broken ribs
Captain Dynamo - From gathered Intel, we learned he was essentially a human battery, so we try to overload his body with electrical currents, though he can surprising hold large amounts, we still fry his insides with this method everyday for twelve hours straight, and is slowly working...
Inflicted Injuries: Internal electrical frying is destroying his internal organs...
Lightning Man - A man who can summon lightning but has bad control over it, we've been using that to our advantage, we currently have him in a metal suit and force him to use the spell, causing himself to get shocked, if ordered are not followed, the Lizardmen are allowed to use any force necessary to get him 'co-operational' again... This goes on for fifteen hours straight...
Inflicted Injuries: Heavily internal damage from electricity, claw cuts across body, muscle fatigue from armor
Kniitwiit - The strangest one of the bunch, I've had the Lizardmen attach him to ropes and had him dangled upside down for hours on end, ranging from 11-13 hours a day, raised and lowered, creating some stretching across his body...
Inflicted Injuries: stretchmarks, rope burns, battered body structure
Silent Night - The only female captured and surprising one of the top three to still be staying strong throughout the trials, excluding the Cushion for obvious reasons, I've personally handled her torture, creating cuts across her body for at least 14 a day, and I've had to increase the amount of 'girl talk' I get to have with her... She is constantly bleeding and I just make it worse, though she has still not cracked...
Inflicted Injuries: Cuts across a majority of her body, constant bleeding...
The General - A member of the top three who are staying strong, I've allowed Stein to handle his torture... from what I hear, he dangles the General in the middle of his 'beast pit', and let's his army of monsters rip apart the hardened warrior's body for 18 hours a day... Still has not cracked...
Inflicted Injuries: Various claw marks, beaten shell, scarred torso
The Blood Alchemist A.K.A. Hohenheim - The one who has held out the longest, barely saying anything, he's received the worse amount of torture compared to the rest of the group he came in with due to his high probability of important Intel, we've had him constantly beaten and whipped for 20 hours straight a day, but like the other two, has barely said a peep...
Inflicted Injuries: battered, bruised, scarred, heavy breathing when noise is actually heard from him...
The Drunken Mystic A.K.A. Qrow - Though not a member of VEC, he currently has information we need for other important matters needed to further our agenda, so he is priority number #1, ever since he helped with 'those two's' escape, we've had him beaten 23 hours daily, and he is still holding out on the information we require...
Inflicted Injuries: Point of near death...
"Duplicator Clones" - at the time we did not realize how useless they were as prisoners, and learned their's no way of controlling them, I let the Lizardmen do whatever they wanted with them...
Inflicted Injuries: Currently being digested...
Also the guards who let 'those two' escape, have been terminated, so an incident will most likely not happen again..."
"I thank you for the updates Monet, but I have bad news for you..." said Raios
"What is it Commander?" asked Monet
"Our Lord has deemed that at this current time, the information gathered is either useless or outdated, so for now he wants me to send all of the currently valuable prisoners to Impel Down..." replied Raios
"Yes Commander, I do not question our order, so I'll have the Lizardmen prep for their transfer and the arrival of Warden Magellan then..." responded Monet
"Good, I look forward to you and Stein personally greeting his arrival with me when I call for you..." said Raios
"Yes Commander..." replied Monet as she left to get everything ready...
"Well Bronze, your move..." Raios said to himself....
Meanwhile, Adriana and Ruth were hiding out in a forest...
"I can't believe Qrow sacrificed himself for us..." said Ruth
"I wish I had seen a future were we had been caught, but ever since Shear to come get back at us, my visions have become clouded..." replied Adriana
"Well we can't go back to the cart, or exactly stay hidden out here forever, so where shall we go?" asked Ruth
"I can't believe I'm saying this, but we must go to the Great Hall for now, that's the safest place for us right now..." answered Adriana
"But Shear's there and..." said Ruth before she was interrupted
"There is no time, though I can't see this clouded future ahead of us, their was one dire event I was able to see and we must warn the Colormen in order to keep the people of this land safe..." said Adriana
"Alright, but just because I'm following you, doesn't mean I agree with your plan..." said Ruth as the duo headed towards the Great Hall...
Meanwhile, Viv and Blackmagei were watching Hohenheim through the spell.
"Oh Horned one... what have they done to you?"
"And who are they?"
Just then, several lizard men walked in.
"Did they just say Impel Down?"
"Oh, not that! We have to do something!"
Around this time, Man In Egyptian Blue was being laid to rest.
Per his will, he wished to be "buried" in traditional Colormen practice.
Though not very common due to the desire to be buried with family, historically the traditional Colormen laying to rest ceremony was done for almost every Colormen of the first era, and most of the "intact" lineages during the dark era.
Within a quiet part of the forest, there lies a perfectly carved stone slab the size of a mattress. No one knows who made it or how it got there, but it is this slab upon which Colormen are typically laid to rest.
Wrapped in a simple shroud, the body is placed upon the stone, and after the family and friends have had a chance to say farewell, the body is left alone. Within the next few days, the body mysteriously vanishes; with no trace of where it has gone.
The symbolism of this burial lied in that it marked a Colorman's return to the earth from which he came. There have been notable exceptions-For those who follow a particular faith, they will often be buried in accordance with their customs. In other instances, some family lines have family crypts where they bring their deceased to. Not many were built though, so few lineages follow this custom.
Man in Egyptian Blue was laid to rest on the Slab. As family and friends said farewell, his son was the last to say goodbye.
"You've done so much dad; I will do my best to live up to the legacy" he said, before turning around, leaving his father alone to become one with the land he fought to protect.
Back on Misty Island, VEC was researching Impel Down.
Though they were having little luck...
"Impel Down... Where have I heard that name before?" asked the Bronze Mhe who had assembled some big name members of VEC
"It's too bad the Blood Alchemist isn't here, for he seemed to know much about Metalicana and his forces..." said Chessmaster
"Yeah... But wasn't someone else researching SOM... Who was it again?" asked the Bronze Mage
"Me..." said a voice, and the group turned to see Chaos standing in the door...
"Chaos, thank goodness you did that research on SOM... Could you tell us what Impel Down is?" asked the Bronze Mage
Chaos responded, "Yeah... Hell..."
Back in SOM's dungeons, the younger members of VEC were wondering what Impel Down was while the Blood Alchemist sat in the corner worried for his comrades...
"Hohenheim tell us what this Impel Down place their sending us to is..." asked Lightning Man
"You seemed so worried since they've mentioned the name..." said Silent Night
"Impel Down... Otherwise known as the Great Underwater Prison... Is a maximum security jail run by SOM that no one has ever escaped alive from... It's run by the Poison Man, Warden Magellan... Once you go in, you never leave unless summoned otherwise by Metalicana... It's considered hell on earth..." replied the Blood Alchemist
The younger members of VEC gulped while Qrow just kept looking at the ceiling fading in and out of consciousness...
In Raios' office, Shalltear came to tell him a very special group had just arrived...
"Commander, Warden Magellan is here, and he brought some of his top guards with him and someone else..." said Shalltear
"Who?" asked the Shadow Sorceror
"Vados, sir..." replied Shalltear
"So our Lord sent his personal attendant along too to make sure things go smoothly, eh? I should of expected I'd have to see 'her' again... So get Monet and Stein, we have to make sure they don't destroy anything... Err... I mean make a good impression..." said Raios
"Yes Commander..." Shalltear responded as she went to get the other two..,
Back on Misty Island, Chaos was finishing telling the group about Impel Down...
"Are you sure this is accurate?" asked the Bronze Mage
"Yes, though what little information there is since it's such a tight security prison..." replied Chaos
"Well... I can't believe I'm saying this.., But I think we have to ask the Colormen for help on this one..." said the Bronze Mage
"But Bronze, what makes you think they would want to help us rescue our members?" asked Vivian
"SOM has a prisoner that the Colormen need, so he could be used as a good bargaining chip to get their help..." he replied
"Who?" asked Inferno
"The Drunken Mystic..."
Meanwhile, Man In Pink and Woman In Booger Buster had prepare a trap for VEC. And they'd managed to catch Kraka Toa in it. Now they were drilling him for information.
"Don't you guys remember our nonaggression act with VEC, part of the deal was return the captured members, so why do you still have him imprisoned?" asked Man in Blue
"Oh sorry Daniel..." replied the duo...
"Plus we were coming on our own accord..." said the Bronze Mage as he and a select group of VEC members entered the Great Hall...
"Why are you here Vile villain?" asked Man in Pink
The Bronze Mage responded, "We've come to ask for your... Argh... Help..."
Or rather, they entered the area outside the Great Hall.
"I presume the protective charms of the Hall are still active?" The bronze Mage said.
"Yes, they are. It's nothing against you, but the ancestors made sure the Great Hall would never be harmed." Man in Blue stated. "So what is it you need help with?"
"There's a dark force working against us..."
Meanwhile, Diesel 11, Walkins, and Bauer were getting settled in their hotel rooms; they'd have a couple days to prepare for the hearing.
In D-11's room, he suddenly got a knock on the door.
"Hi, I'm looking for the guy who goes by D-11?" The man said.
"That would be me; what can I do for you?" He asked
"I'm Tyler Morris; I have a late night show and I sympathize with your cause. I'd love it if you and Mr. Walkins could appear on my show; I was planning on doing a show for the diesels to raise awareness in support of them, and id be honored to have the owner of the diesels and the engineering genius behind them on the show." He said.
"And what about Heinrich Bauer?"
"Who's he?"
"The man who is the most integral part with the Numbered Diesels, but sorely overlooked."
"What do you mean?"
"He built the prototype; Walkins himself has said if he didn't meet Bauer and acquire his plans, he never would have been able to get the diesels working at all" D-11 explained.
"Really?" He asked. "That makes him quite important"
"Sure, bring him along."
"When is it?"
"The show is tomorrow night; don't worry, I'll make the arrangements. You'll be able to reach the public before the hearing; we'll do our best to try and win them over." Tyler said as he left.
D-11 went to the neighboring rooms.
"Walkins! Bauer! Got some great news!" D-11 said as they came out
"You proposed to Nessie!"
"Uh... no. We're going on tv to promote our cause!" D-11 said to them.
"Great! That aught to help us."
"Indeed."
Just then, there was a knock at the door. Diesel 11 opened it, and in came Jenkins.
"I know I literally am of no help at all with the hearing, but as your butler I still felt obligated to come" he explained.
"Well, I'm glad you came."
"Oh, and by the way," said Jenkins, with a twinkle in his eye, "How are the preparations going?"
"We're looking into all the incidents to see if there is anything that could indicate third parties were to blame in these accidents, or at the very least that these accidents were just that, accidents. We haven't found much, but we'll keep searching." Walkins said.
"We're also going to try and highlight the diesels that didn't have accidents, to show they are reliable." D-11 said.
"Ah, that sounds fine... Wilbert!"
"Say what?"
"I found out that you're name is really Wilbert!"
Diesel 11's face went red. He didn't speak for a moment, and then–
"**** YOU JENKINS! IT'S DAVID!!!"
"Finally!!!" Jenkins said ecstatically.
The old guys just shrugged and went back to business. "So about this 5000 XL fellow; how can we explain him if he's pretty aggressive?" Bauer asked.
"No idea; I didn't design him. What are your thoughts?" They asked D-11
Diesel 11 had regretted his outburst, so he just stood there, growling for a bit.
"Hello? HELLO?!"
"UH... sorry. Let's put it this way: if a person were to have an aggressive personality, i.e. swearing and such, but didn't try to hurt anyone, he wouldn't go to jail, would he? Same with Diesel 5000 XL."
"Fair point. But let's hope that is enough for the government" Bauer said.
"I want to find out if there was more to these incidents. Take Diesel 3, he never would shunt the cars into a platform like that... So what could have happened just before that is what I want to know" Walkins said.
"Good point. I suppose we'll have to sleep on it tonight."
Just then, a familiar face walked into the room...
"Oh hello Mr. D'Levin, I came to help you again in your case..." said the man...
"Who are you?" asked Walkins
"Sorry, I didn't introduce myself, I'm Atticus Wright, but you can call me Finch, I'm come to help win your case as your legal council..." responded Finch
"Oh, yeah, you were the Attorney who went against me when I got sued a while back, but I hired you to be my personal lawyer, nice to see you again" replied D-11
"I suppose we should properly introduce ourselves while we are at it" Jenkins said "Mr Wright, I am Jenkins, I am D-11's butler".
"I am Reginald Walkins, I built and designed the numbered diesels; i am here as the primary expert on the diesels along with David here."
"And I am Heinrich Bauer; in terms of the trial, I cannot do much, but I am here as moral support" he explained.
"So... who called you here and why are you here to help us?" Jenkins asked.
"I'm mostly here to help with your legal paperwork, but I'm also here to argue on your behalf when certain circumstances arise..." replied Finch
"Like what?" asked Walkins
"Mostly the legality of running the diesels and whether or not it was actually fair in banning them from running on the railways..." Finch responded
"That would actually be quite helpful" Bauer pointed out.
"Indeed; I can testify to the technical nauture of the diesels, and the diesels themselves, but I'm clueless with regard to the legal end of this. It is a good thing you showed up after all." Walkins said in agreement.
"So, do you want us to catch you up on what we know so far? It's pretty much David vs Goliath at this point and we should bring you up to speed so you're on the same page as us" Bauer suggested, then D-11 and Walkins nodded in agreement.
"Well I've read a bit of the file, but I would love to here the whole story in pretty good detail..." replied Finch
"Well, there are a series of incidents that make up the core reasoning for their banning; they have been blamed for a series of accidents that the official reports of the time concluded their APS were faulty and unreliable. Should we review the incidents?" Walkins said.
"We'll do it in the coming days; there is still some time we have before the trial." Finch said.
"Hey, I had an idea; what if we brought the Diesels to the mainland? Granted, they would have to come by flatbed, but a chance for people to directly interact with them might change opinions." Bauer suggested.
"Could you arrange that on short notice though?" Walkins asked D-11?
*Knoc, knock!*
Walkins opened the door.
"Yes?"
"Where should I put your Diesel engines?"
Walkins stared.
"Faster than fax, sir!" Diesel 11 said, quoting Peppermint Patty from Peanuts. "I had the same idea as you Walkins; so I took the liberty of bringing them over; they'll be in a rail yard where they will be displayed properly for the time being." D-11 explained. "Tyler Morris gave me his card before he left; I'll give him a call and we'll film some segments during the day for tomorrow night's show." He added
"Well, we'd better get some sleep then; tomorrow is going to be a big day" Walkins said.
The men nodded, then returned to their rooms.
Finch went down to the desk to arrange for his room to be in the same hallway as the others.
Before he could enter, however, he was grabbed from behind.
"You'll be coming with me," said a voice.
It was the last Finch heard before he blacked out...
In the morning, Diesel 11 went to talk to Finch about something... but found his room empty.
There was a note on the bed.
"1f y0U ₩Ant ¥0Ur fr13nD bacK, pay u$ £50,000. LeaVe it aT the locat1on on th€ mAp."
"Oh dang."
Diesel 11 raced up to find Walkins and Bauer. They alerted the police. The kidnapper was rather sloppy though, and they found him. It would take some time before he would talk though, but they did figure out Finch was alive; they just didn't know where.
In the rail yard where the diesels were kept, D-11, Walkins and Bauer were interviewed with their diesels for segments to be used later that night. Going in chronological order, first they focused on Bauer and Diesel 0; where the story really began.
Meanwhile, Finch woke up. He found himself in a dark cave with a woman holding a knife to his throat.
"Ah, Mr. Wright, I see you've woken up."
"What... the hell..."
"I shall explain. You see, you have been kidnapped to be..."
"Hold it right there" as some suited men came walking into the cave.
"What the, who are you?" She said.
"We're from the 3WSR legal department, and we've become concerned with how dark this story is getting. Torture, kidnapping... for heaven's sake this is supposed to be a kids show!" The lawyer fumed.
"Well, well, the story needed drama, and..."
"The fate of the diesels is on the line, isn't that drama in itself?" The lawyer pointed out.
"Wait a minute, wasn't there a whole battle just a few pages ago?"
"That was different, that was plot constructive. This is just drama for the sake of drama." the lawyer pointed out.
"So what are you going to do about it?" the woman asked.
"We're going tooooooooooooooooooooo that ****ing hurt!"
"I thought you said it was a kids show," mocked the woman, as she got away... with Finch, no less!
"Where are you taking me?" cried Finch.
"I'm taking you to another plaaaaaaccceee guh!" In her haste to get away she slipped and fell, and knocked herself out as she hit her head.
"Geez... well, that's what you get for interfering with one of the most important plots right now" Finch said as he dusted off his suit. "Now, where the heck do I go to get back to the hotel?" He asked himself. Though not kidnapped anymore, he was in a worse dilemma now: he was lost.
Back in the yard, Bauer was finishing up his story.
"...and after I sold my plans to Mr. Walkins, that was the last of my involvement with the diesels" he said to the interviewer.
Meanwhile, TheGuysCast, ND-11, VEC76, Lord History, Franz, and Gut were meaning with a secret member of the SOM, which TheGuysCast had heard of.
"We are against the Vile Evil Confederacy after they locked up Not Diesel 11 for a while. If you are also against the Dimensional Colorfolk we would request your help. After the death of CGT and the meeting of TheGuysCast we have gone against the Dimensional Colorfolk, as they want to destroy every Diesel 11, including Not Diesel 11. We will need special help against Lukas Hirt, the new Dimensional Man In Lime" VEC76, the leader of the counterparts said.
"Any questions?" VEC76 asked.
"Me" Lord History said. "Frank trapped Franz in a tesseract; so who is this?" He asked, pointing to Franz.
The writer stopped to think "well, it was pretty lazy of me to write Framz off so early; perhaps he needs a chance... But tesserercts are inescapable, so how do I go about this?" The writer asked himself. Then he had an idea
The Counterparts had found the Unicorn Tapestry and wished Franz free with the tapestry's limitless power...
Anyways, Finch eventually made it back to the hotel, grabbed what he needed, and went to help with the interview Team Numbered Diesels...
Back to Bauer, as they finished up with Diesel 0, they went over to Walkins with Diesel 1 and Diesel 2
"So, I built the diesels in phases. Phase one was these two diesels here, plus Diesel 3, as hunter" he began with.
At Ulfstead, the plans had been finalized, and were presented.
"We had to do some refuting because this forest is home to a rare species of tree, but I think this will do" the designer explained as he went over the plans.
"Excellent work!" said Sir Richard. "I believe we are ready to begin."
Construction began over the next couple days. It was only a branch line, so bigger engines could not directly access the area to deliver supplies.
The day groundwork was to begin, Thomas, Percy, Edward, James and Duck were called to collect several flatbeds of rails and sleepers for the new line.
"Now, these supplies are needed at the construction site as soon as possible; be sure to get there quickly" Hatt informed the engines.
The engines coupled up to their trains and were on their way.
"This new line will be great; maybe we'll get to visit Stephen more often" Thomas said to Percy.
"I hope so" Percy said excitedly.
"Get a move on you two; these supplies won't move themselves" Edward told the two of them.
Percy was still thinking of how great the new line would be, so much so, that he didn't pay attention to what was ahead...
But Percy's driver was.
"Woah, watch it Percy!" The driver said as he pulled the brakes. They stopped in front of an overturned tree on the rails.
"Oh dear... thank you driver, it is good to know that you are there to watch out for me." Percy said.
"Not at all... after all, I'm not some mindless drone that just exists to help you run without regard for your actions" the driver said.
Percy sighed with relief; then they called Harvey to come and remove the tree.
After several hours of shooting, Walkins, Bauer and D-11 had finished talking about the diesels for what they were doing here.
"That should be good; we'll be doing the bulk of the "campaigning" if you will during the show" the producer said as the crew began packing up.
After talking to their diesels a bit more, they left to get some lunch.
Diesel 11 had some manicotti, Walkins had souffle-o-fish, and Bauer had a hamburger, no mayo.
***************************
The Bronze Mage and Man In Blue were discussing plans.
"So it's agreed. 10 Colormen, 10 Colorwomen, and 10 VEC members will go together to attack this "Impel Down".
"I don't like my people being outnumbered 2-1."
"We're not going to double-cross, if that's what you're implying. We need you to stop these guys."
"Fine. But we take the army-in-a-can."
"...deal."
"Ocean Man has finished his surveillance of Impel Down. Apparently these guys call themselves Servants of Metalicana."
"Wait, I'be heard that name before... I think it was Man In Steel..."
"Anyway, they apparently have a lich, a harpy, a Stoneman or something similar, a eastern mage, and something else. Oh, and... don't spread this around, bad for morale..." BM lowered his voice, "Honeybadger."
"Wasn't he part of VEC?"
"Yeah, until *whisper whisper*"
"That's hilarious! Calling you Dankmemez..."
"Some of us aren't over that. Hey, wait, I never mentioned that..."
"Oh, er, well, I have Fourth Wall Awareness..."
"Really? Me too."
There was an awkward silence, broken by the sound of Woman In Japanese Carmine rapping in the room next door.
"Um..."
In the Archives, Man In Gold was working as usual, trying get another shelf organized. He had been on this particular one for two weeks, but was only about 40% done. "and this is one of the less-filled shelves" Man In Gold sighed.
Just then, Woman In Silver came in, Man In Gold looked up.
"Oh...hello. I wasn't expecting you; I only come out of the archives on Sunday when there isn't business" Man In Gold said, surprised.
"Just wanted to say hello..." replied Woman in Silver
Meanwhile Woman In Japanese Carmine replied, "Two women are here and they have to tell the two of you something and the Man in Steel..."
So the duo were led to were two familiar gypsies were waiting...
"Daniel Erdagovern, I've always wanted to meet you and you..." said Adriana to the Man in Blue and the Bronze Mage
"Adriana, Ruth, why are you here?" asked the Man in Steel as he group the four of them...
"I've come to warn you, I've had two visions of the possible future, and one very recently, it's about what you're planning right now..." replied the Soothsayer
"How do you know about that?" asked Man in Blue
"I can see the future Daniel, and the strategy you have is a very bad one..." responded Adriana
"How is it bad exactly?" asked the Bronze Mage
"You're strategy will not work, from what I've seen, this prison us heavily guarded, and a group that large would trigger alarms instantly... " said Adriana
"Bronze I forgot to tell you one thing..." said Chaos appearing out of nowhere
"Ah Chaos, well what is it?" said the Bronze Mage recovering from the shock of the no longer invisible Chaos
"From my little Intel, the entire prison is made out of Vallerium, at least the walls are, so normal breaking into it is out of the question... And it's an underwater prison, and to get into it, the entrance raises up from the sea, this process is such a pain that they've set it up so the entrance stays open for once a year, so if we do this, we only get on shot..." replied Chaos
"Yes in in one of my visions, this big group was not entirely successful, only half made it in not captured, and eventually they were stopped by a strange poison man, no one made it out in what seemed to be these 24 hours the invisible one talks about, and my other vision tells me if some of those members in the prison don't make it out, an upcoming battle for all of you will end drastic for all of you..." said Adriana
"So how will we rescue my comrades and the Drunken Mystic then?" asked the concerned mage
"I think we need a new plan, a stealth attack possibly , one or two people should sneak into the prison..." said Man in Blue
"Yes but who would go on this now seemingly sucidial mission?" asked the Bronze Mage
"I'll go..." said the Man in Steel
"Really Steel?" asked the Man in Blue
"Qrow's my friend, I have t go get him since it's my fault he was captured in the first place, plus I have some business to discuss with that damn Alchemist and the people running the prison..." replied Man in Steel
"If only Silent Night wasn't captured, I would send her with you..." said the Bronze Mage
"I'll go with the Colorman Bronze Mage, and sneak him in to the Prison, but I'm leaving you in once I get you past the front door, whatever we use to get there, I'll have to discuss with my magic..." replied Chaos
"Alright then, the plan is as follows, I'll call Man in Bright Turquoise to teleport you two near the entrance, Chaos will turn himself and Steel invisible to sneak Steel in to the prison, he'll then leave and hide Man in Bright Turquoise, because who knows how far it is, and it will waste energy if he leaves, so Chaos will stay with him and hide him with his invisibility a good distance away... Steel will break all the people we've discussed out, and then before the 24 hours ends, will return to the exit with them in tow so Man in Bright Turquoise can teleport them all out of there, sounds good?" asked Man in Blue
"Right, I'll go get ready, I'll have then out before we head out, wish me luck..." said Man in Steel as he gathered his things to get ready...
Meanwhile, Raios, Stein, and Monet were meeting with their very special guests from Impel Down...
"Welcome Warden Magellan, and you Vados, to our humble base of operations..." said Raios
"Yes, well, where are the prisoners we need transferring?" asked Magellan
"Stein, take Magellan two the prisoners, I have a few things to discuss with Vados..." said Raios as the Stone Assimilation Man took the Warden to the transferees...
"Well, I'm surprised you didn't greet your sister properly..." said Vados
"Well, I have more important things to worry about, and well is my glorious sister the personal attendant to our Dragon King here with us?" asked Raios
"Well, our Lord asked me to personally escort Magellan here, and since the entrance only stays open for 24 hours, he had me teleport him here from the entrance since it would take to long to transfer the prisoners by boat..." replied Vados
"Well then, you better get going don't want to keep our Lord waiting to long..." said Raios with a fake smile
"Yes, definitely..." replied Vados with just as fake as a smile as her brother...
"Monet, please lead my 'loving' sister to where the others are..." said Raios as the Harpy led Vados to the prison cells...
At the cells, VEC was getting a good look at the head of Impel Down, the Warden Magellan...
"Holy crap, he looks like a demon..." said Lightning Man
"More like Satan himself..." said Lock-On John
"Alright Prisoners quiet down! This Way!" shouted a Lizardman
"Have fun in Hell!" shouted another
"Cause you certainly won't have fun anywhere else after going there!" shouted a third as the trio of Lizardmen began to laugh...
"Quiet you fools, or your else you'll make Magellan mad..." whispered a guard that came with the Warden...
"Oh crap he's steaming..." whispered another
Magellan was turning purple, a strange liquid was now forming all over his body, and when it dripped off of him, it melted the floor..
He said, "Subordinates should know respect when a higher officer is among you, learn respect or learn to die!" he shouted as he flicked some of the liquid off of his hands and onto the three Lizardmen...
"Ah it Burns!" shouted one
"It's burning me alive! Get this stuff off of me!" shouted the other
"Antidote, their must be antidote!" shouted the third
"Insubordination ends it death, that's how I run my prison..." said Magellan, "Come on I don't have all day, we have vacant cells to fill..."
"Yes Warden Magellan Sir" replied the Impel Down guards that arrived with him...
Monet then entered the room with Vados...
"Ready to begin the transfer?" asked Vados
"Yes Mistress Vados, open the portal now please..." replied Magellan
So Vados used the staff she was carrying on the ground, and a portal to a strange entrance jutting out of the sea was in front of everyone, she then said, "Alright then, We'll be going now, so tell my brother to take care and that Mommy never loved him, bye", and ensemble of prison staff and prisoners went through the portal...
"So what do we do about those three?" asked Stein
"Well Magellan's poison kills anyone unless they have the antidote, which we don't have, so I guess leave them there and have some others clean up the bodies later..." replied Monet
"Sounds like a good plan..." said Stein as the duo left the prison with the sound of agonizing pain behind them...
On the other side of the portal, the ensemble was getting sorted out...
"Well Magellan, my work here is done, our Lord needs me for more duties elsewhere, I entrust these prisoners under your watch..." said Vados
"Yes Mistress Vados, our Lord can trust me with keeping these prisoners under control and Impel Down's record of no successful break-ins or breakouts exactly the way it is, at zero..." replied Magellan
"Good, it was nice seeing you again for the first time in five years, so long..." said Vados as she opened up another portal and disappeared to who knows where...
"Alright Men, sort the prisoners out and take them to the correct levels, I want them there in under an hour ,or else their will be hell to pay, do I make myself clear?" shouted Magellan
"Yes Warden Magellan Sir..." replied the guards as the VEC members, plus Qrow, were taken to the correct levels in Impel Down in less than a hour...
************************
That night, many on the mainland tuned in to watch "Big Issues with Tyler Morris;" the upcoming hearing was big news and this would be the first major broadcast on the diesels in years.
"Good evening everyone, and welcome to Big Issues. As we have heard recently, the numbered diesels are in the news again. They are legends in the world of engineering; when they were built back in the 60s, they were the first and only diesels capable of self-movement. To accomplish this before computers, and the fact that this has been near impossible to replicate, shows just how advanced they were. But in the early 90s, a series of accidents caused them to lose repuation and be perceived as "evil". However, having met about half of the diesels earlier today, I assure you all, that isn't the case at all. So, tonight we will try to show you all that what we think we know about the diesels is incredibly misunderstood, and hopefully convince you all that they are safe to run.
Now, onto my guests for this evening. We have Mr. Reginald Walkins, the engineering genius behind the Automated Programming System, the device that makes engine self-motion possible. We have Mr. David D'Levin, the current owner of the numbered diesels, and in a Big Issues exclusive, we have Mr. Heinrich Bauer, the German Engineer that Mr. D'Levin and Mr. Walkins say without whom, the diesels would never have come to be. Gentlemen, welcome." Tyler Morris said as he gestured to the guests sitting on his couch.
"Guten nacht" Said Bauer
"Good evening" Said Walkins
"Pleasure to be here" finished D-11.
"Now, before we get into the diesels, there is a question that is on a lot of people's minds. Mr. D'Levin, you are a very successful businessman and entrepreneur, sohow did you find out about the diesels and become interested in them? After all, its not everyday someone decides they want to collect engines for a living" Morris asked.
"Well, I've been a Thomas fan from a young age, reading the Railway Series and watching the TV Series for years. My favorite Thomas anything was Thomas And The Magic Railroad, due to Diesel 10. When I found out that a brother of his was being searched for, I dropped everything and set out to find him."
"Ah, yes. Many of those who live outside of the U.K. only know of Diesel 10, and that is because of the movie based on real events, isn't that right." Morris asked them.
"I think we are getting ahead of ourselves" Walkins replied.
"Ah, yes. If we are going to talk about the numbered diesels, we have to start from the beginning. But as it turns out, their story does not start in England... it starts in Germany, where earlier today, I met the engine that lead to the development of the numbered diesels.
The studio screen turned on to the footage shot earlier that day.
"And here is my pride and joy...Diesel 0" Bauer said as he gave Morris and his crew a tour of the prototype.
The narrator spoke "though it may not look like much now; this engine is the precursor to what would eventually become the numbered diesels. Diesel 0 was designed and built by Heinrich Bauer, a brilliant engineer who is largely forgotten from numbered diesels history. When we met Diesel 0, we were surprised to hear that he called Mr. Bauer "Papa," the German equivalent to daddy."
"Why do you call Mr. Bauer Papa?" Morris asked Diesel 0.
"He built me and took care of me; that makes him my papa" Diesel 0 said.
"Diesel 0 was built and could operate successfully, but there were several limitations.
"He couldn't do a steady deceleration or acceleration; he could only suddenly stop and start, and the APS was prone to overheating; he couldn't operate for more than six hours before his APS would risk breaking down" Bauer explained.
"Were you frustrated, that you could only driver yourself for six hours before your system would become too hot?" The interviewer asked Diesel 0.
"You betcha."
"Eventually, some time had passed and Bauer lost interest in self-moving diesels. But that was when another engineer came in: Reginald Walkins, a British engineer who had the same idea, but had trouble with figuring out where to start."
"Do you consider meeting Bauer and getting his plans that day a blessing?" the interviewer asked Walkins.
"Oh yes," said Walkins.
"Walkins acquired the plans and went on to have great success with the numbered diesels. Bauer, however, was largely forgotten."
"Do you feel ripped off by what happened?" The interviewer asked.
"In some ways, yes. I hold nothing against Walkins, but for him to be called the father of automated diesels, and to have not even a mention of me anywhere in the engineering community; it was devastating" Bauer explained.
"Do you two believe Bauer deserves more credit in his role for the diesels?" The interviewer asked D-ll and Walkins.
"Aye," said some random Scottish dude.
"And who the hell are you...?"
"Aye'm Reg'nald! Aye've cam too giv ye some'in'."
"Hey, we're in the middle of a very important show, get him out of here!" and security took him away.
"As I was saying, do you two believe Bauer deserves more credit in his role for the diesels?" The interviewer asked D-ll and Walkins.
"Of course!"
"If it was not for Bauer here, I would never have been able to build Diesel 1, and all subsequent diesels" Walkins explained.
The narrator continued talking, as it showed video from earlier that day. "Walkins would go on to build what he called his "Phase One" Diesels: Diesel 1, 2 and 3"
"And over here, we have two of my three phase one diesels" Walkins showed the interviewer. "Diesel 1 and Diesel 2 were designed as regular diesel engines, with their only special quirk being that they could move on their own. Diesel 3 was a dedicated shunter, but unfortunately remains lost." the narrator said.
"Do you hope to get Diesel 3 back?" The interviewer asked.
"Absolutely; we know where he is, but they just won't return him to me" Walkins explained.
"Walkins success here lead to him becoming creative in phase II, where he decided that the APS could be upgraded to perform more complicated tasks."
"I was quite eccentric back in my day" Walkins quipped as he talked to the interviewer. "I decided that I wanted my diesels to be of some sort of service to the railway, so I ended up creating what I call civil service diesels." he explained.
"Diesel 4 was a crane engine, inspired by the famous crane tank engine Dubsy, Diesel 5 was a track maintenance diesel, specially built with two purpose built cars for him, and Diesel 6 was equipped with a foam cannon, to fight fires. Though Diesel 5 remains missing, we were able to meet Diesel 4 and Diesel 6" the narrator said.
"And unique among this phase, these guys actually needed crews to help them; due to limited range of vision, 4 needed an outside eye to help him direct his crane, 5 needed someone to inspect the rails after cleaning them, and 6 needed help aiming the cannon and reloading his canisters." Walkins explained.
The narrator picked up again "though 4 and 6 now work for Sodor Fire and Rescue, Diesel 5 is now obsolete, having been succeeded by faster, more efficient models"
"Since Diesel 5 is obsolete, what are the plans for him after he is rescued and restored?" The interviewer asked Walkins and D-11
"It'll ultimately depend on if we win the hearing. If we do, he'll definitely be restored."
"In Phase III Walkins went on to experiment with gauge, Building the Minimum gauge Diesel 7, mountain engine Diesel 8 and narrow gauge Diesel 9. Though Diesel 7 is still in the amusement park where he worked for so many years, We had the opportunity to meet Diesel 8 and 9."
...
"Phase IV is the only phase to date that D'Levin has managed to completely recover. Diesel 10, 11, 12 and 13 are reunited and as you can see, Diesel 10 isn't the only one with a claw."
"They were built for scrap and salvage moving and removal; cleaning up rubble, if you will. Though Diesel 10's depiction in the movie some years ago gave a lot of people the wrong ideas." Walkins said.
"Poor Diesel 13 here used to have a claw; but it constantly broke down and had to be removed. Sadly, Diesel 13 went on to work for only 7 months; his constant problems and breakdowns proving too much for Walkins to bear."
During the interview, low and behold, Diesel 13's engine began smoking.
"Does... that happen a lot?" The interviewer asked.
"More often than you think" Diesel 13 said sadly.
...
"Phase V saw a return to basics, as Diesel 14 was built to be a regular diesel like Diesel 1 and 2. Diesel 15 was built to be a Garrett, and Diesel 16 was broad gauge, and Diesel 17 was a rail car. Only Diesel 14 and 16 have been recovered though, and none of the Phase VI or VII diesels have been recovered either.
"Ultimately, we want them all recovered, and that is our goal" D-11 explained.
Back in the studio, the video ended as Tyler Morris began asking questions live.
"so how is the diesel ownership now?" He asked.
"D-ll here owns the diesels, having bought them from their owners as he found them... except Diesel 6, he's owned by Sodor Fire and Rescue, hence the logo on his side" Walkins explained.
"I sold my Diesel 0 to a scrapyard for 2000, and he bought it off them for 3000; at least I can still see him" Bauer smiled.
"I hope you have a big enough shed" Morris quipped.
"I've got the whole Dieselworks," Diesel 11 returned.
The narrator continued on, in between questions posed to Diesel 11, Walkins, and Bauer. Soon they had come to the end of their discussion.
"Well, it's been nice talking here, and such..."
"You're not going yet, are you?"
"Um... is there anything more?"
"Well, we kinda had a trivia show planned for you. Two rounds, ten questions per round, in the first round, one of you will lose, in the next, there will be the ultimate winner."
"Sounds fun! Let's do it."
"Alright then. Question 1: What plane was sent out to find Flight 19 after the squadron disappeared in the Bermuda Triangle, but ultimately disappeared itself?"
"Martin Mariner PBM-5," Diesel 11 answered promptly.
"Good! Next question..."
'In the early 2000s, what song was rated by Roling Stone Magazine as the greatest song of all time?"
"Hound Dog", said Walkins.
"Nope," said Morris. "The correct answer is..."
"Like A Rolling Stone by Bob Dylan," said Diesel 11.
"Good! Next question..."
"What term is often applied to describe the bombing raid that took place in London by the Luftwaffe during World War II"
Walkins opened his mouth, but could not form words... he knew it all too well, having lived through it, and losing members of his extended family.
"Uh... Mr Walkins?" Tyler asked... but Walkins looked as though he was frozen; even after all these years, he could still hear the screech of the Stuka's siren.
"The... The Bl... The B... The... B-Bl... The B..."
"BLITZKRIEG!!"
And Metallica started playing.
"Wait, what am I doing?" The writer undid that
D-11 waved his hand in front of Walkins face, concerned; nothing.
"Walkins?" He asked
"What? Oh, sorry, musta been that milkshake I had for lunch. The answer is the Blitz."
"Correct! Next question:
Though disputed, Jackie Brenston and his Delta Cats are often credited to having played the first rock and roll song; what was that song?"
***************************
The trivia round had been great fun, but the time had come to wrap up the show.
"And I urge you good people to look at the engines themselves... they are not the monsters the media made them out to be; they are grossly misunderstood and you just need to give them a chance" Walkins appealed to the audience.
The show was coming to a close, so Morris asked for some final words from his guests.
"Diesel 0 will never be able to run on his own again; his APS is a "rust cake" now, and will never operate again. That doesn't mean the rest of the diesels should never run again though. I'll strictly be there as moral support, but I'll be there for D-11 and Walkins as they defend the diesels" Bauer said.
************************
Man In Blue was talking to Steel before he left
"I don't know how they got that much Vallerium, as it is a Colorman alloy and a secret only we possess, but we'll hang that lampshade when we come to it. Anyway, I just want to let you know- all you have to do is avoid contact with it. remember, Vallerium only works when it is in direct contact with your skin, so basically, avoid touching it, and you'll be fine.
At this time, Man In Bright Turquoise was in a sort of "plane between dimensions" as he was planning the best drop off point for the two of them.
He could not risk going into the prison, but he could observe it unnoticed. He brought up what was essentially a one-way mirror and observed what he could see, unknown to the SOM members.
"Very interesting indeed" Bright Turquoise said. "I should tell them this before the mission" then he ended the "transmission" and prepared for his role.
Man In Steel was thinking about Man In Blue's warning about Vallerium.
"Good thing it's only on the outer walls and select cells, like Chaos reported... Well I'm ready, let's hope the other two are as well..." said the Man in Steel...
He went to the entrance of the Great Hall, waiting for Chaos and Man in Bright Turquoise, he was wished good luck by a few Colormem before the two he was waiting on arrived...
"Ready?" asked Man in Bright Turquoise
"As ready as I'll ever be..." replied Man in Steel as the trio teleported to the legendary underwater prison...