[WARNING: This chapter might have a bit of content from the episode "Duncan gets spooked," but it takes place right between season 21 and the movie "Big world, big adventures."]

Chapter 12: Iron antics.

It was a slightly frosty February 29th on the island of Sodor, Sir Topham Hatt, Gru, Lucy, Margo, Edith, Agnes, Kevin, Stuart, Bob, and some of the minions were with Skarloey, Rheneas, Sir Handel, and Duncan at the narrow gauge sheds that were in the yards of Boulder quarry. The narrow gauge engines had told them from about when Skarloey went crooked while pulling a passenger train, when Rheneas pulled a passenger during a rainstorm, and when Sir Handel interfered with George whom Agnes had never heard of before, but now Agnes was telling them about the time she had defeated Diesel 10. Bill and Ben were shunting trucks nearby, and they were having a lot of fun.

Agnes: "...And then, Diesel 10 shot straight into the sky out of sight like a rocket! After that, Diesel 10 hasn't been seen since."

Skarloey, Rheneas, Sir Handel, and Duncan were amazed, even Sir Topham Hatt, the minions, and the rest of Agnes's family were impressed by her story.

Skarloey: "W-Wow Agnes, I never knew you could gain such power from a dream."

Rheneas: "Oh yes, absolutely marvelous!"

Duncan: "Stuff and nonsense, powers don't come from dreams! You get them from drinking potions, everyone knows that."

Agnes: "But Duncan it's true, I did get my powers from a dream. And to top it all off, I got this."

With that, she revealed the gold dust omnitrix she got from Lady. As she held it up for the narrow gauge engines to see it, the big front part that looked like a speck of gold dust glistened in the sun. The narrow gauge engines stared at it in awe, it looked better than how Agnes described it to them.

Rheneas: "Wow, I cannot believe my eyes."

Sir Handel: "It's magnificent."

Gru, Lucy, Margo, and Sir Topham Hatt shared warm smiles with each other, but Sir Topham Hatt was also a little surprised at Agnes gaining so much power.

Sir Topham Hatt: "Well, I-I don't know what to say. I mean, it just doesn't seem right for a young one like you."

Edith: "Oh come on Sir, I'm sure Agnes is capable of having such power. We heard she handled it pretty well on her first try, she can do it again.

Margo: "Yeah, just give her a chance."

Sir Topham Hatt thought about this for a moment, he wasn't entirely sure. He was worried her new powers would cause damage to his railway, but he knew Margo and Edith had a point.

Gru: "Believe me Sir, Agnes will take great care of her new powers."

Sir Topham Hatt: "Hmm, I guess you're right….(sighs) Alright, I'll let it slide."

Agnes: "Thank you Sir."

Sir Topham Hatt: "I just hope it'll help you protect my railway from any harm."

Just then, they heard the sound of a freight car crashing. When they looked out into the yard, they saw that Bill and Ben were facing each other while arguing with a 7-plank truck derailed somewhere in between them.

Lucy: "Uh-Oh, looks like those 2 are at it again."

Sir Topham Hatt: "Indeed they are, I'll go sort them out."

Sir Topham Hatt was just starting to walk over towards Bill and Ben, but Agnes quickly stopped him.

Agnes: "Wait Sir, let me try."

With that, Agnes started walking over towards Bill and Ben. As she headed over, Gru, Lucy, Margo, and Sir Topham Hatt shared confused looks with each other.

Ben: "You clean up that truck Bill, you're the one you crashed it."

Bill: "No way Ben, you clean up that truck! You were supposed to catch it, but then you backed away and missed it!"

Ben: "You pushed it too hard, I didn't want to get my buffers damaged again!"

Bill: "I don't care about your silly buffers, just catch the stupid truck!"

Just then, Agnes came up to them.

Agnes: "Okay guys, what's going on?"

Bill: "Well Agnes, Ben wouldn't bother to catch the truck I was shunting to him."

Ben: "Absolutely not true, bumble-bumper here pushed the truck too hard at my buffers!"

Agnes: "Is that because you were shunting these trucks too roughly, didn't I hear Sir Topham Hatt tell you to organize these trucks carefully?"

Ben: "Oooh, you're right Agnes."

Bill: "Yeah….it was Ben's fault!"

Ben: "What, my fault!? But you were the one who chose to shunt these trucks roughly!"

Bill: "Did not!"

Ben: "Did too!"

Bill: "Did not!"

Agnes: "Alright that's enough!...it's about time you 2 started pulling your own weight."

Bill: "Uhh, yes mam!"

Ben: "Right away mam!"

With that, Bill and Ben quickly went back to work. As they did, Agnes happily walked back to Sir Topham Hatt and her family. When she got there, she saw that they each had a dumbfounded look on their faces.

Agnes: "What?"

Lucy: "H-How did you do that?"

Agnes: "I learned it from how Margo takes care of me and Edith."

After Margo heard this, she warmly blushed a deep red feeling so touched that Agnes had learned the way she takes care of her younger siblings. Sir Topham Hatt was also impressed, but still a bit shocked.

Sir Topham Hatt: "T-That was kinda impressive Agnes."

Agnes: "Thank you Sir."

With that, Agnes walked up to Margo who gave her a kiss on the forehead once Agnes approached her. Unknown to Agnes, Gru had something to say to Sir Topham Hatt.

Gru:(whispers) "When you die, she's replacing you."

Skarloey, Rheneas, and Sir Handel were also impressed by Agnes's actions towards Bill and Ben, but Duncan didn't care about it at all.

Duncan: "Bah humbug!"

Suddenly, another engine was coming up towards the sheds. Once the engine puffed up pulling 3 slab wagons (type 3) loaded with slate, the engine turned out to be Luke.

Luke was an apple green Kerr Stuart Wren with white outlining around his pistons, boiler, and cab. He had his name written in white on each side of his boiler, and he had the number 22 on the bottom front corner on each side of his cab. He had 2 tall dark gold organs on his boiler, and cherry red buffer beams with light gray buffers.

Luke: "Hey guys, you're not gonna believe what I saw at the slate quarry today."

Duncan: "A busted tin can that you made your new best friend?"

At that moment, everyone except Luke gave Duncan a confused yet disturbed glare.

Duncan: "What?"

Luke: "Nope."

Edith: "An alien spaceship?"

Luke: "Nuh-uh."

Margo: "A rock shaped like a bird's beak?"

Luke: "Better than that."

Rheneas: "Oh for heaven's sake Luke, just please tell us!"

Luke: "I found a carving in the quarry wall that was shaped like a ghost!"

After hearing that very sentence, everyone except Duncan gasped in surprise and amazement.

Lucy: "Wow, now that's something you don't see everyday."

Skarloey: "Yes, that's quite a discovery you've made Luke."

Luke: "It sure is, I would never let a ghost stand in my way to scare me!"

Duncan: "Oh really, never?"

After hearing that question, everyone once again turned towards Duncan who had a cunning smirk on his face. But this time, they were all curiously confused by what he was talking about.

Luke: "Of course Duncan, I'm not afraid of ghosts."

Duncan: "Really, not even…..The ghost of the old Iron bridge?"

While Luke, Gru's family, Sir Topham Hatt, and the minions gave Duncan a confused look, Skarloey, Rheneas, and Sir Handel started growing extremely nervous.

Sir Handel: "Oh my, not that bridge ghost that Rusty's been telling us about."

Luke: "Wait, what are you guys talking about?"

Duncan: "Oh, so ya haven't heard of it?"

Agnes: "Actually, we haven't heard of it either."

Margo: "Yeah, what kind of ghost is this?"

Skarloey, Rheneas, and Sir Handel shared nervous looks with each other, but Luke was still a bit confused.

Skarloey: "Rusty says that this is the most mysterious ghost ever to be known."

Rheneas: "Some workmen say he's only seen whenever the moon is full."

After hearing that statement, some of the minions (even Bob) were huddling with each other in fear. Even Gru started shuddering nervously, but Lucy gave him a comforting pat on the shoulder.

Duncan: "Well how about I tell y'all about my encounter with this ghost?"

Edith: "Yes please!"

Margo and Agnes just angrily glared towards Edith for her sudden outburst, but Duncan just cunningly smiled.

Duncan: "Well then, I guess y'all are in for a treat…...that means you too Luke."

Luke was still confused, but now he was also feeling rather nervous.

(Duncan's story)

(October 27th, 1999)

Duncan is seen puffing onto the old iron bridge on a misty moon-lit night with a train of slate trucks (type 1) loaded with slate, and he looked really nervous.

Duncan: "I was puffing across the old Iron bridge one foggy night, but then I saw something on the track ahead."

Up ahead, he saw a bunch of flickering lights. His driver and fireman knew that they were only insects that shine brightly at night, but to Duncan they looked like an engine.

Duncan: "I thought I saw the ghost engine Rusty had told me about, and it scared the valves out of me."

The fireflies had formed into the shape of an engine, but then they scattered away.

Duncan: "After the engine disappeared, I heard the sound of the engine splashing into the ravine below."

The sound was actually from his driver secretly throwing a rock from the cab into the river.

Duncan: "I finally realized it was the ghost, and I reversed back down the line and didn't stop until I reached the safety of my shed."

(Back to reality)

After hearing that tale from the past, most of the minions were feeling very frightened Indeed. Sir Topham Hatt held his tophat down against his chest, Agnes was cuddling up with Margo for comfort. Gru was hiding behind Lucy feeling the most frightened, but he soon realized what he was doing and regained himself. But the one who was feeling the most frightened was Luke, in fact he was so nervous that he was slightly rattling in fear.

Luke: "Uhh, t-that was a n-n-nice story D-D-Duncan."

Duncan: "Aww, did I scare little Lukey?"

Gru, Lucy, Margo, Skarloey, and Sir Topham Hatt each quickly got disturbed by Duncan's smart comment, but Luke did his best to defend himself.

Luke: "What me, scared!?(fake laugh) No, I'm not afraid of any ghosts!"

Duncan: "Oh come on Luke, admit that you're just a scaredy-engine!"

Sir Topham Hatt: "Duncan, enough!"

After hearing Sir Topham Hatt's outburst, Duncan sadly looked down in defeat. After calming himself down, he turned towards Edith, Agnes, and the minions.

Sir Topham Hatt: "I have to go, your parents are gonna take Margo to her doctor's appointment now and they'll come back to pick you guys up later tonight."

Edith: "Okay Sir, we'll be fine."

Lucy: "Okay, see ya later tonight sweetie."

Agnes: "By Lucy, be safe at the doctor Margo!"

Margo:(chuckles) "I will Agnes, don't worry."

With that, Gru, Lucy, and Margo walked off to the Grumobile while Sir Topham Hatt walked off towards his car. After they all boarded each of their vehicles, they drove away with Sir Topham Hatt's car out in front.

Skarloey: "Well our break is over, we've got to get back to the slate quarry."

Sir Handel: "You coming Duncan?"

Duncan: "Nah, I'll hang back for now. Besides, someone has to stay behind and watch the kids."

Edith just turned away while crossing her arms, but she knew that Duncan had a point.

Rheneas: "Very well then, come on Luke."

With that, Luke followed Skarloey, Rheneas, and Sir Handel down the tracks towards the slate quarry leaving Duncan alone at the sheds with Edith, Agnes, and the minions. But as they left, an idea flew into Duncan's funnel.

Duncan: "Psst, hey Edith."

Edith:(turns her head around) "Hmm?"

Duncan: "How would you like to help me play a trick on Luke?"

Edith thought about this for a moment, and she did think playing a little joke on Luke would be pretty fun.

Edith: "Alright Duncan, what's on your mind."

Duncan: "Did you see the look on Luke's face after I told y'all my story?"

Edith: "Yeah?"

Duncan: "Well, how about we give him a chance to actually meet this ghost?"

Edith: "Oooh, I'm picking up what you're putting down."

Agnes: "Edith, what are you guys getting at?"

Edith and Duncan smiled at each other sneakily, then Edith came up to Agnes and spoke with her.

Edith: "Luke says he isn't afraid of ghosts, but we just wanna see if he's also not afraid of this one. If you and the minions can help us, I'll buy you enough candy that'll last for a month."

After hearing Edith's statement, Agnes thought really hard about this. She did like candy, but she didn't think scaring Luke was a good idea. But for the candy, she had to accept it.

Agnes:(sighs) "Fine, we'll help.

But suddenly, Kevin, Stuart, Bob, and the minions angrily crossed their arms at Edith in their way of saying "What's in it for us?"

Edith: "I'll get you guys a lifetime supply of bananas when we're done."

After that, the whole group of minions cheered in unison.

Edith: "Alright, we're gonna need a few things for this plan to work. So,,we'll need some fireflies."

Kevin pulled out a vacuum for sucking fireflies.

Agnes: "Check."

Edith: "A few smoke blowers."

Stuart, Bob, and 6 of the other minions each pulled out a 5E Superior signal smoke blower in each hand.

Agnes: "Check."

Edith: "And…..a rock."

Suddenly, Agnes and the minions gave shocked looks as some of the minions dropped their smoke blowers in shock.

Edith: "Something wrong guys?"

Agnes: "Where are we gonna find a rock?"

Edith: "We're in a quarry, quarry's are full of rocks!"

Agnes: "Oh, right."

Duncan: "I'll find one for us, I'll also get Luke's driver and fireman to agree with this plan."

With that, Duncan puffed off to the slate quarry to find Luke. Agnes looked over at Edith with crossed arms, and she still had doubts of hers and Duncan's plan.

At the slate quarry, Duncan's driver and fireman were speaking with Luke's driver and fireman who soon agreed with Duncan's plan to trick Luke.

Duncan's driver: "We'll do it tonight."

As time went on throughout the day, Luke kept up his work at the slate quarry pushing slate trucks across the yard. But all the same, he kept thinking about the story Duncan had told him about the ghost of the old Iron bridge.

When dusk fell, Luke's driver and fireman were talking with Luke who was eager to finish for the day.

Luke: "If we don't go now, Rheneas will take my favorite place in the sheds."

Luke's driver: "We have to collect our trucks first."

With that, he gestured towards a line of empty narrow gauge trucks (type 3) being pulled up the incline as a line of loaded ones were being pulled down it. They could see that the plan was working, because Luke was feeling more nervous than ever.

When it became nighttime, Luke set off down the line pulling a train of narrow gauge trucks (type 3) loaded with slate.

As Luke carefully puffed down the line, he started puffing through a rather misty forest. He jumped a little when he heard the sound of a wolf howling at the moon, he quivered when he saw a snowy owl hooting at him from a tree branch.

Luke: "Uhh, I'm sure this ghost Duncan told me about isn't that scary. I mean come on, I'm not afraid of ghosts."

As Luke's driver and fireman heard this, they smiled and winked at each other. Then they both looked down on the floor of the cab behind them, there just so happened to be a large rock Duncan had found for them.

Meanwhile somewhere on the other side of the old Iron bridge, Duncan was waiting in a siding while Edith and Agnes were hiding behind some trees on the opposite side of the track with 7 glass jars of fireflies.

Duncan:(snickers) "Luke will be coming any minute, get ready on the fireflies."

Edith:(whispers) "Roger that Duncan."

As Edith was about to open some of the jars, Agnes was feeling doubtful again.

Agnes: "Uhh Edith, are you sure this is a good idea?"

Edith: "Of course I'm sure, you want that candy or not?"

Even though it didn't seem like a good idea, Agnes still wanted that candy so badly. As she continued thinking this through, Edith spoke through a walkie talkie.

Edith: "Kevin, we're ready for the smoke blowers."

Kevin signaled they were ready, and he, Stuart, Bob, and the minions readied their smoke blowers while they stood on each side of the river under the bridge. Once they turned them on, they started blowing smoke that looked just like a bunch of fog rising around the bridge.

As Luke started puffing towards the bridge, he blew his whistle and the sound echoed everywhere. When Duncan saw Luke puffing onto the bridge, that gave them the signal for the next step of his plan.

Duncan: "There he is, release the fireflies."

With that, Edith and Agnes open each and every jar 1 by 1. At the very moment all the fireflies were out of their jars, Agnes revealed a small amount of gold dust specks floating within her palm. After she softly blew them out of her hand towards the fireflies, they gold dust specks covered the fireflies and now they become under Agnes's control. She signaled them to form some type of shape, and the fireflies started floating into action.

As Luke was about halfway across the bridge, he immediately stopped when he saw something ahead. It looked like the shape of an engine, but Duncan, Edith, and Agnes knew it was just the fireflies forming into this particular shape. Once Luke saw it, he thought it was the ghost engine from Duncan's story and immediately got extremely nervous.

Inside Luke's cab, Luke's driver and fireman were ready to make their move.

Luke's driver: "Alright fireman…...bring out the rock."

With that, Luke's fireman picked up the rock from the floor. He held it out from the cab, and he dropped it straight into the river below. When Luke heard the echoing splash, he literally froze in pure fear. After seeing everything happen the way it did, Luke knew it could only be 1 thing.

Luke:(shrieks in fear) "It's the ghost, get me outta here!"

With that, Luke started quickly reversing back down the line without stopping. After he was gone, Edith and Duncan just couldn't help laughing.

Edith:(wipes away a tear) "Oh man, that was great!"

Duncan: "Oh yeah, I'm sure Luke will now learn his lesson about not being afraid of ghosts."

As Edith and Duncan continued laughing, Agnes still felt bad about doing this. As she looked ahead across the bridge, she felt really bad about Luke and wondered what would come to them.

Back at the yards of boulder quarry, Skarloey and Sir Handel were in the sheds. Thomas had brought Gru, Lucy, Margo, and Sir Topham Hatt back from the doctor In Annie and Clarabel, and Margo was still in good condition.

Sir Topham Hatt: "Skarloey, Sir Handel, your work at the slate quarry has been excellent today."

Skarloey: "Thank you Sir."

Sir Topham Hatt: "Now, where's…

But before Sir Topham Hatt could finish his thought, they all heard the sound of someone screaming in fear down the line. As they all looked ahead, they saw Luke quickly puffing towards them while shrieking in pure fright.

Margo: "What's up with Luke?"

When Luke got close enough, he slammed on his breaks and screeched to a stop while breathing heavily.

Skarloey: "Luke, is everything alright?"

Luke: "No, everything is way beyond alright!"

Thomas: "What's wrong Luke?"

Luke: "I-I-I s-saw a g-g-g-ghost, It was glowing when it came onto the old Iron bridge! But when it came across, it fell off!"

Lucy: "Geez, that sounds like how Duncan told it in his story."

Margo: "Wait wait wait, there's gotta be a sensible explanation here."

Thomas: "Yeah, someone might have done this on purpose….but who?"

Just then, Duncan puffed up alongside Luke pulling 3 blue narrow gauge coaches laughing. When Edith, Agnes, and the minions came stepping out, all of them (except Agnes) were laughing their heads off.

Edith: "Oh Duncan, that trick we played on Luke was amazing!"

After hearing this, everyone (mostly Sir Topham Hatt) started feeling annoyed about what was going on.

Duncan: "Yeah, nice touch you and Agnes did on the fireflies!"

Edith: "Yeah, and when that rock was dropped in the river to represent the ghost! Man, we sure got Luke goo-

Sir Topham Hatt:(clears his throat)

When Duncan, Edith, Agnes, and the minions saw everyone glaring at them angrily, they suddenly realized that they heard everything they said.

Edith: "They all heard that, didn't they."

Duncan: "Yeah,I think so."

Gru: "Edith Gru, care to explain?"

Realizing the jig was up, Edith and Duncan knew they had to explain what they did to Luke.

Duncan: "Alright, ya got us. We played a trick on Luke, but it was just to teach him a lesson that you should always be afraid of ghosts."

Agnes: "The minions and I were told to help out with it, but I only did it because Edith promised me a supply of candy when we were done!"

After hearing this, Sir Topham Hatt was very cross indeed.

Sir Topham Hatt: "Edith and Duncan, you have caused confusion and delay!"

Lucy: "Yeah, you 2 should know better than to play a trick like this on poor Luke!"

Agnes sadly walked up to Gru and Lucy, and she had her head hanging down in sadness. But when she felt a hand on her shoulder, she saw it was Gru kneeling down in front of her.

Gru: "Now Agnes, I know dis situation wasn't your fault. But next time, don't fall for anything Edith makes you do."

Agnes: "Okay Gru."

After that, everyone sternly turned back towards Edith, Duncan, and the minions.

Gru: "Edith, since you played this nasty trick on Luke…

Lucy: "You're grounded for a week!"

Edith gulped at this, then Gru turned towards the minions.

Gru: "As for you guys, you'll be working at Whiff's waste dump for a month!"

The minions screamed in fear, and then Sir Topham Hatt angrily turned towards Duncan again.

Sir Topham Hatt: "And as for you Duncan, you will be staying in your shed for a whole week!"

Duncan: "Yes Sir, sorry Sir."

As Edith walked over to her family, Lucy suddenly held her by her ear and kept her grip on it.

Sir Topham Hatt: "You and Gru take good care of Edith, I'll watch over Duncan."

Gru:(chuckles) "Don't worry Sir, I've got quite a few things planned for Edith."

After Edith heard this, Edith gulped knowing that Gru's punishments wouldn't be very fun. After that, Lucy dragged Edith by the ear back inside Clarabel with the rest of Gru's family.(even the minions) Before Duncan went to his shed, he had something to say to Luke.

Duncan: "Luke…...I'm sorry I played that trick on you."

Luke: "That's alright Duncan, I guess I'm not always brave enough to go up against a ghost."

With that, Duncan and Luke happily laughed together as they headed towards the sheds. But as for Edith, she wasn't happy at all.

Back at Gru's house, Gru was sitting somewhere in the girl's room giving Edith a major spanking. As painful as it was, Edith started thinking she should never have agreed to help Duncan with his plan to trick Luke.

To be continued.