Changes in the Wind - Part III: Gordon and the Extinct Ones

Chapter 8: Run

As the three engines were towed all the way to the designated yards by the Warclaws, Gordon could only think about what could happen to him, Lucy, and Eileen. They could be scrapped there, to make it a clean job for them, be in some sort of prison for steam engines, or just be used as ransom. All of this could be a possibility, but soon as they arrived. Gordon was shunted away from Lucy and Eileen. "Wait," he said, "we should stick together."

The Warclaws did not respond, pushing the other two engines away, both terrified of what could happen. Gordon couldn't do anything to stop them, he was just shunted away to a separate part of the dark yard. The yard didn't even feel like a yard, there weren't many sidings, only points leading to different parts of the yard, but were hidden by tall dark buildings with chimneys rising high up into the air. Gordon found it to be very menacing.

At last, the Warclaw moved Gordon to a dark shed, with a rusted roof and no walls, only steel bars holding it up. As the big engine was shoved in, he noticed a familiar shape that look just like him.

"Papyrus," he cried, as he was pushed up next to his brother.

His younger brother did not respond, he was conscious and seemed not too damaged at all. Only his front running board was slightly crooked with a few scratches across his paintwork. But his face was pale and he just stared at the sleepers below him. Gordon then heard the growl of the Warclaw behind him, which moved back down the line and away from the pair. The big engine looked back to his brother with concern.

"What happened?" he asked.

Papyrus continued to stare at the ground. "...We were betrayed," he said darkly, "by that O2."

"Hector?" quizzed Gordon, but Papyrus only grunted a response to it.

"...They came for us a few hours ago, we were all huddled up... in the sidings, five of them came to us," he continued, finally looking back at his brother, "they killed half of us. Only a few managed to escape. They captured me and a few others... I don't know why they let some of us live. But still..."

He looked at his damaged front buffer beam. "We weren't left untouched by their claws."

Gordon sighed. "Gregory was heavily damaged," he said, "the other O2, Hector used all of us as a deal to keep him and his brother safe from the cutter's torch. But Gregory was knocked off the rails. Then I managed to convince the Warclaws to let Lucy and Eileen live. But... they were taken away."

"Same with the ones that survived," Papyrus sighed, "most likely taken to be cut up at the scrapyard."

"Eileen and Lucy make no sense though," replied Gordon, "the Warclaws pondered what I said, thought about what I told them and they agreed with what I had said. They decided to take the other pair with me as well. But I'm guessing we're more important."

Papyrus raised an eyebrow, and his eyes stared hard into his brother. "What do you mean, the Warclaw pondered what you told him?"

"They actually listened to me and accepted what I said," replied Gordon, "it's pretty straightforward."

"Straight forward?" said Papyrus, "there must be more to that!"

"No... there is not."

"But that's ridiculous," scowled Papyrus, "because Warclaws do not think... they only take given orders and do what they are told. They were going to kill Eileen and Lucy... but they didn't because you convinced them? A rogue engine convinced Warclaws to spare other engines' lives?"

"...Ermm..." said Gordon, he was quite unsure of what to say to Papyrus, "yes."

His brother looked away, lost in thought. "But Warclaws don't do that..." he said, "they have never thought..."