Chapter Text
Starlight’s Express CB was in a lot of pain. For one, he was squished between the two biggest and strongest engines in the entire yard. CB wasn’t lying about that either. Electra was double his size and Greaseball was only slightly shorter than them. Despite CB adoring crashing other trains he really did not like getting stuck in said crashes. Especially with two locomotives who won’t stop arguing.
CB could only make out a few words every now and then, which was, in all consideration, pretty good since he can barely hear over the loud ringing playing in his head.
“CB was MY race partner-” Electra screamed. For also being in the crash that left CB in excruciating pain, they didn’t look bad. They had a few deep scratches and dents and a messed up knee but that was really it. They’d probably only need to recover for a week or two before heading back out on the tracks.
“Well too bad! We are in this mess ‘cause you couldn’t give up the stupid caboose!-”
“Hey!-” was all CB could interrupt with before he hurled up oil. He had wanted to defend himself. He was no ‘stupid’ caboose.
“Shut it caboose!” Greaseball yelled. With as much CB could see of her, Greaseball looked way better off than Electra. She only had a few small dents and scratches. Looking at the two of them, CB could only imagine how bad he looked. Considering he could not move his legs and one of his arms, he was definitely in the worst condition out of the three. It made sense, he was the smallest and most fragile of the group.
“-Hey CB? CB you listening?” CB came back into focus to see Electra snapping in his face.
“We should let someone else deal with the caboose.”
“I wasn’t talking to you nitwit! How about instead of sitting around doing nothing, you go and get Wrench,” Electra spat.
“That’s really not my issue but fine. Whatever. I’ll help the two trains that made me lose the race!”
“You made me lose this race too. Now instead of complaining you can just leave. Make yourself useful. I know that's extremely difficult for you. Just telling someone about the two injured trains is soooo difficult. I understand, even the Rockies would struggle.”
“HEY! Fuck off,” with a pout, Greaseball left.
After that CB’s world was really starting to spin. At some point Electra told him that Greaseball would return or at least tell someone to come by. They said it would likely be… Their repair truck? CB couldn’t remember. CB could barely even keep himself upright at that point. All he saw right before passing out was Electra’s repair truck and a bright pink and yellow instrumental car.
+ + + + +
CB wakes up in the repair shed of the yard. His ears were still ringing but it had lessened slightly. His body felt heavy. His arm that wasn’t working was able to move but it felt like a ton had been dropped right on top of it. Same with his legs. His head was pounding.
He swung his legs over the side of the bed he was laying on and tried standing but promptly fell right over back on his bed. That crash really had done numbers on him.
“Woah there kiddo, careful! Don’t need to re-break those limbs of yours!” Momma entered the shed, then helped CB readjust to laying on the bed properly. They sat in an awkward silence for a few minutes before Momma spoke up, “So about the incident at the race-”
“I’m not sorry,” CB replied harshly, “Just send me out on my own. To another yard or something already,” CB had gone through exile at least once before. The second the yard figures out that he has a fun little hobby they kick him out. Now the whole world probably knows about his little stunt. What an absolute idiot he was. Pulling any kind of stunt in such a big race? Now he’ll have to go underground or something. He really only had himself to blame.
“That is not what we do here CB. You should know that. Exile won’t ever be an option that we decide on.”
“So you will scrap me instead? Even better,” honestly that sounds even more plausible. No one even truely needs a caboose anyways. They don’t have a true purpose in this industry anymore.
“We will do nothing of the sort. The yard has discussed what your punishment will be. We will not force you away nor scrap you. Were they both options brought up? Yes. But we would never get rid of someone. Especially when there were so many who defended you,” Momma settled a hand on CB’s shoulder.
“Who in their right mind would stand up for me… it was Dinah and Drowzy wasn’t it?” CB shrugged Momma’s hand off. He hated when she did that.
“I will say those two started it. Though there were plenty of others who followed. Really kid, a lot of trains don’t hate you.”
“Soooo I just get let off the hook? That doesn’t seem plausible,” CB knew it was unreasonable for having no punishment. There had to be some kind of catch.
“Well you will not go unpunished. Neither will Greaseball and Electra who were also a part of the mess. You will be under surveillance for quite some time and since you said you weren’t sorry for your actions, the length of the surveillance will not be short. You will not be allowed to leave the yard. At least not very far. And you’ll have more work here at the yard than outside.”
“What if I don’t follow your rules?”
“Well, the yard will have to discuss what to do going further. As long as you stay out of trouble we won’t have to get to that point,” Momma stood up and made her way over to the door, “stay out of trouble CB. I know you’re a good kid deep down. Oh and also, someone would like to have a civil conversation with you.”
“Whatever you say granny… wait… who?” and before CB could get a reply a smaller steamer rolled into Momma’s place. “Oh no,” CB muttered.
“Hey CB,” Rusty made it over to CB’s bed, “got quite beat up I see.”
“Thanks for rubbing it in steam train. ‘Karma got me~’ I know.”
“Oh chill out Ceebs. I’m not here to get back at you. I just want to make sure you’re all good. It was a bad crash, I wouldn’t wish that on anyone. Even people who hurt me, though it is quite tempting.”
“I get it. I get it. You know I’m not apologizing right?”
“And you know I wouldn’t forgive you if you did right?” Rusty mocked, “But seriously CB, what made you do it?”
“I wanted too-”
“That’s not an answer,” Rusty crossed his arms, “come on there has to be an actual reason.”
“That is my reason,” well it was only half of CB’s reason.
“You’ve always been a stubborn caboose. If you don’t tell me now, I’ll figure it out eventually,” he shook his head and made his way over to the door. CB didn’t even reply.
“Well, great talk. I’ll see you later when you heal up. If you ever need to talk I’m right here. Goodbye CB,” Rusty waved as he rolled back out of the room, leaving CB alone.
'Might as well get some more sleep since I’m going to be stuck here for a while’, CB thought as he got comfortable in his bed. His mind went to the one other reason he did what he did. He's a caboose. Nothing more than dead weight for the freights nowadays. No one truly needs a useless car in the back. He’s got to find a way to remain relevant somehow. Even if that means risking his life to have something.