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

Chapter 12: Final Run

Gordon pursed his lips and watched with a pitiful expression as the Warclaw continued to rant. "You all should die!" he cried out, "be submitted to our claws! We are the reapers to you! WE CHOOSE WHEN YOU DIE!"

He then breathed heavily, he then twinged at something, his migraine still in there and Gordon could tell he was fighting it. "We choose when you die," he said, more quietly this time, he then looked back up at all the engines, "I will purge every single one of you all, steam and diesel, I will kill you all, I will kill the people here too, throw their fleshy bodies at you all and crunch them with my claw, just like how I will rip your faces off your stupid metal bodies."

The engines all gasped and people on the lineside all took multiple steps back in fear and Gordon's face became stern. "You're dying," he called back, "what good will mercilessly slaughtering innocents do for you?"

The Warclaw then cackled a laugh, it sounded childlike like he had not used it before and was just getting used to this new expression. He then calmed down and looked back at Gordon with a deadly grin. "Pleasure."

Cries and wails came from the engines. People also ran from the platforms to the station building and away from it as fast as they could. The Warclaw snapped its claw, like an alligator. But Gordon blew his whistle, everyone went silent, even the Warclaw paused.

"I did a deal with you before," said Gordon, "it's me you want the most."

The Warclaw did not respond, he just continued to glare at the big engine.

"Then, I challenge you to a one on one," announced Gordon, "to the death, I will hold you back until you succumb to your overdose, or I will die from you."

"Just you alone?"

"Yes."

"No tricks, or runaways?"

"No. Just me."

The Warclaw grinned. "I accept this offer."

"Gordon don't do this!" called Thomas, but Gordon did not listen, he just moved over the points and came to the line that directly faced the Warclaw. He continued to stare hard at the Warclaw with his dark blue eyes, whilst the Warclaw returned it with his blood-red ones.

"Get off Matt," said Gordon.

"I'm not leaving you," protested Matt.

"We are about to ram each other, I do not want you to get hurt" whispered Gordon, "besides, I need you to do something for me."

He continued to whisper in a more hushed manner to Matt, he then nodded, patting the side of his engine's cab, and clambered down, running out of the way to safety. The engines watch in anticipation, and Edward and Thomas watch in shock. Papyrus watched with bated breath.

At last, Gordon began to move forward, no crew in his cab, no engines following him, just him. The Warclaw did the same. Both charged toward each other, and the claw rose high. All the engines watched in terror and fear as the claw snapped toward Gordon. But the big engine suddenly wheeshed steam wildly. Blocking the sight of him to the Warclaw.

The Warclaw did not expect it and gagged at the white steam before him, he braked but yelped in pain as he felt Gordon bang into him in the steam. He could not breathe and Gordon shoved him backward. The pain of cracked buffers and bent buffer beams was new to the Warclaw and that new sensation made him wail out in pain and not think straight. The two were at it with each other, both pushing each other. Another fight and who can beat the other. The Warclaw still tried to figure out a way throught the pain and he clenched his teeth once more. He raised his claw higher than ever before and the teeth of the claw looked directly at the boiler. All the engines gasp, then the Warclaw paused, he looked behind him to see to his horror, Matt climb into his cab.