"Peekaboo!"
Green Arrow screamed in sheer terror after he felt a slight bump on his rear bumpers.
"My whatever Scotsman did to you really threw you through a loop didn't it?" Truro laughed at him. "I knew he had a bit of a malicious side but he really did get to you huh?"
"You didn't see what I saw!" He screeched at the other engine. "Spencer was there too and so was Gordon!"
"And yet they seem to be fine with Scotsman, you on the other hand seem to be acting like a frightened little child," Truro pointed out.
Green Arrow only glared at him.
"I know what I saw," he ground out. "He was moving without steam, something took control of him."
Truro only gave a soft hum.
"He seemed quite normal when Spencer and Bittern spoke to him," Truro said."I would argue that Spencer and Scotsman even made up to a certain degree."
He paused before giving a sly grin.
"Probably to avoid his ghostly wrath," Truro taunted.
"Stop it!"
Truro sighed.
Green Arrow had clearly been shaken by whatever had happened to him. Whenever the others teased him, the V2 was visibly frightened and terrified.
He almost felt sorry for him. Almost.
Truro hadn't forgotten the fact that Green Arrow had gleefully taken a sadistic pleasure in wanting to hurt the Flying Scotsman.
"There's a Steam Gala on Sodor in a week's time to celebrate the Return of the Flying Scotsman and to raise money for his rebuild," Truro informed him. "A lot of famous Steam Engines have been invited."
"And I care because?" Green Arrow said annoyed.
"You've been invited," Truro said and Green Arrow looked appalled.
"No," he growled out. "I won't go."
"The Flying Scotsman invited you himself," Truro said and Arrow looked horrified.
"Why?! I won't go! I WON'T!" Arrow snapped angrily.
The last thing he wanted to see was that terrifying ghost engine.
"I don't think you should decline," Truro said as he raised an eyebrow. "Lest you incite his wrath."
Truro said the last bit teasingly but the look on Arrow's face told him that he genuinely believed the Scotsman would rip him asunder.
"Easy, I was joking," Truro assured him. "From what Bittern told me, Scotsman wants to know what happened to him. He has no memory of what happened and you were the only engine present before Gordon and Spencer showed up. He's confused and wants answers."
"I don't have answers, I just know what I saw," Arrow said angrily. "What does it matter? Ghost or not Scotsman still has the respect of the others. He's more popular than ever now."
"You should speak to him," Truro pushed and Arrow glared at him annoyed.
"I already did."
"When he isn't half asleep and confused from waking from his coma," Truro frowned. "You simply mumbled sorry and ran away."
Arrow looked away from Truro and didn't say anything.
Truro sighed.
"They're saying the new Director is a Gresley, specifically the direct bloodline of Gresley, she tried to hide it but apparently Sir Robert and the Scotsman recognised her," Truro informed him. "And the new chairman of the board is a Stainer. They're calling them the Iron Circle now, a group of humans with ties to our history. They've made an alliance to restore the farce that Cain left behind."
"And you're telling me this because?"
"Because if you're not careful, you might end up on someone's bad side," Truro warned. "Lady Olivia is actively hunting Cain's conspirators and is not pleased with you but the Flying Scotsman's throwing you a bone. Use it wisely."
Truro pumped his pistons leaving a very worried Green Arrow on his siding to sit and contemplate.
The other engines mumbled and hissed steam at him when he came near them. They shot him glares and looked upon him with great disdain.
Green Arrow had been tolerated before but now he was beginning to understand how Tornado had felt when she had been new and distrusted. He was beginning to regret coming to Sodor's Celebration of Steam Gala.
"What's the matter little Arrow? You're looking kinda pale," An engine he recognised as Braunton jeered at him. "Afraid the spooky ghosts might get you?"
Next to him Pendennis Castle burst out laughing and the both of them started taunting him with stupid ghost noises.
Green Arrow's face went red and he chuffed off quickly to avoid drawing the attention of any other famous engines present.
'I should never have accepted that invitation,' Green Arrow grumbled to himself. 'This was all just a plan the Scotsman made to have me humiliated in front of his friends.'
He was in such a rush to get away from the gathering of famous engines at Ulfstead Castle that he didn't look where he was going and accidentally found himself buffer to buffer with the very last engine he wanted to see, Tornado.
Her face twisted into a glare and she stared at him while blowing off a huge amount of excess steam in his face.
"What are you doing here?" She thundered angrily, looming over him menacingly. "Don't you have other places to be a pest?"
"The Flying Scotsman invited me," he mumbled barely over a whisper. "So I came."
Tornado stared him down before giving a blast of steam which startled him.
"I don't see why he did," she snapped. "Such an unrespectable engine."
Green Arrow felt self conscious as he could feel all the other engines staring at them.
Once, Tornado had been the one embarrassed and upset as Green Arrow had insulted her in an attempt to appease the others to gain some social standing among them.
Oh how the tables turned.
Now he was the one cowering in the presence of a deadly storm that threatened to tear him asunder.
"I'm sure Scott has his reasons," Tornado said, scrutinising him carefully. "Can't imagine them being good for you though," she added with a smirk. Without another word she backed away and left to take another train of rail enthusiasts to the castle celebration.
Green Arrow watched her leave silently, a heavy feeling in his boiler.
When he had last seen the Flying Scotsman he had been extremely dazed and confused after shortly waking up from his coma.
The Scotsman hadn't even recognised him; he had been so out of it.
Now however it seemed that the Scotsman had recovered and demanded an audience with him wanting answers.
The driver and fireman who had been assigned to him were cold to him and he knew that they were Olivia's personal choice. They had made it very clear that if he misbehaved even slightly, he would suffer consequences.
He felt fear as they directed him to the private berth of the Flying Scotsman.
Bittern stood outside, almost as if on guard, while workers milled about to and fro.
"Well, well, well, look who it is," Bittern greeted him as he came closer. "Looks like I lost a bet. I didn't think you'd answer Scott's request."
"Yeah well, me neither," Green Arrow grumbled, not looking at the grinning A4.
"Look at you finally taking responsibility for yourself," the A4 smirked and Green Arrow gave a sigh.
"It's not like I was given much of a choice," he said, finally looking at the A4.
"Ah yes that Ms Olivia," Bittern said thoughtfully. "She has a tight grip on the railways. You won't be getting away with your old ways anymore. Speaking of."
They both gazed over to the door of the Scotsman's private berth. Said woman had emerged from it. She was dressed in a LNER Green three piece suit, her dark hair done up in a braid and a green conductors hat on her head. Gold was embroidered on her lapels and gold metal plates shone in the early morning sun.
She looked as stern as ever and had a commanding air about her.
"Good Morning Ma'am," Bittern greeted her cheerfully. "You look extremely handsome."
"Thank-you Bittern," she smiled at him.
"Doesn't she look wonderful Arrow?" Bittern asked pointedly at Green Arrow.
"Yes ma'am you do," he said, trying to keep a cool face. On the inside he was terrified beyond belief.
Ms Olivia only gave Arrow a stern look.
"I was against you coming here today," she said and Arrow looked at the ground. "But the Scotsman was very insistent."
Green Arrow found there was nothing he could say.
Ms Olivia pointed at him with a stern finger.
"Any funny business, ANY threats or harm towards Flying Scotsman and I will have you turned into an exhibit, is that understood?" She threatened angrily.
The look on her face told him that she was deadly serious and he believed that she would follow through on any threat.
"Yes Ma'am," he said solemnly. He didn't want to test the waters with her, especially not if she was who she was rumoured to be.
Her two assistants opened the door to the Flying Scotsman's private berth and his driver ushered him forward with some resistance.
"I just saw Green Arrow," Tornado bit back angrily. She ignored Spencer who was sitting beside Gordon as they waited for the celebration to start. "He actually answered Scott's request."
"Huh," Gordon said with a curious look. "Scott always said he was a coward."
"Oh he is," Spencer said. "Always spreading rumours and setting up engines against each other to try and get a better standing. He was tolerated for the longest time because he had sensitive information on other engines."
"Well, I can't see him doing anything with Ms Olivia," Gordon remarked. He glanced at Tornado. "Your old engineer is one tough nut to crack. The Fat Controller seems terrified of her."
Tornado didn't say anything, she just glared at Spencer.
"Why do you have to be here?" She snapped angrily catching Gordon off guard. "Bittern is representing the A4's, you're not necessary."
"The Duke and Duchess wanted to come to the Gala, I'm not participating in it, Scotsman did not invite me," Spencer explained.
"If that's so then you can go away now," she snapped harshly and Gordon was surprised at how rude and blunt Tornado was.
"Tornado, why are you being so hostile?" Gordon asked, confused.
"This idiot tried to have me scrapped or demoted!" She yelled angrily. "He tried to trick me into making me look like a common thief for stealing the Queen's coaches!"
Spencer was silent. He looked regretful at his actions.
"I-" Spencer struggled to think of anything to say. "It was a long time ago, Ms Tornado."
"I don't care! You made me look like a fool in front of the Queen and the Coronations and Mallard! I still get teased about it! It wasn't fair!" Tornado snapped angrily. "If a Scotsman hadn't stopped me I would've been in disgrace forever!"
Spencer was quiet for a long moment
"I'm truly sorry, Ms Tornado," he said quietly.
Tornado stared at him angrily before going off to pick up her train with an annoyed huff.
"All these stupid idiots today!" They heard her snap angrily in the distance
Gordon glanced at her moving away before looking towards Spencer.
"So that's why my brother tricked you into a lagoon," Gordon said and Spencer sighed angrily.
"Look it wasn't my best moment alright, Tornado was brand new, Scotsman had just become her mentor, I saw her as a legitimate threat," Spencer admitted.
"But to scrap a brand new engine? Of course they wouldn't do that!" Gordon stated. "Don't be ridiculous!"
"Look I sometimes don't think things through alright?"
"You mean always."
"Shut up."
As Green Arrow entered the private berth of the Flying Scotsman he instantly felt the atmosphere bizz with electricity. The air smelt of polish and wax as well as freshly buffed metal and new oil.
Before him the Flying Scotsman sat gleaming brilliantly, his green coat almost reflective, his wheels all polished and rust free and his fire burning brightly. There was a name plate hung over his forehead, 'North Western Railway' and he was in full steam. Arrow noticed he only had one tender however.
He looked almost as if he had been newly built and had rolled out of the steamworks. Arrow was amazed at the change from when he had first seen him but gazing into the Scotsman's eyes he could see that it was a facade.
He was still extremely sick, his eyes had a feverish gaze to them, despite his dazzling appearance.
The Scotsman said nothing, only staring down at him awaiting Arrow to speak.
"Only one tender?" Arrow spoke up and the Scotsman narrowed his eyes at him.
"I only need the one now," the Scotsman answered curtly. "I'm not going on any long trips any time soon. I gave it to Tornado."
Arrow didn't say anything for a long while. He was petrified but at the very least the Scotsman was awake and didn't seem overly hostile.
"Why did you ask me here today?" Arrow asked quietly. "I don't want to be here."
"Then why did you come?" Scotsman asked pointedly.
"I was afraid of your wrath and…" Arrow gave a side eye to the doors of the berth. "Ms Olivia didn't give me much of a choice."
"My wrath?" The Scotsman asked slightly amused. "Because I'm apparently a Ghost Engine now?"
Green Arrow looked away from the Scotsman.
"I know what I saw," he bit out angrily. "Cain tried to cut souvenirs off of your cab but then you started moving and chasing me. You had no steam, you didn't even wake up, it was like you were possessed or something!"
"I was aware the entire time Cain was cutting into me," Scotsman admitted. "I remember yelling then nothing. Something dragged me into the darkness, I think it was…"
The Scotsman trailed off. He seemed deep in thought.
"Are you sure you didn't see anything unusual when I attacked you in that mine?" He asked Arrow and Arrow frowned.
"I don't think," he paused. Then he remembered something. "I saw a faint figure, on your running board I think, I don't know, I was in a panic."
"Interesting, Gordon saw the same thing," the Scotsman commented and Arrow gazed up at this. "Maybe I'm not going insane."
Green Arrow gazed at the Scotsman curiously.
"Is there any reason you insist on antagonising Tornado?" Scotsman asked changing the subject.
Arrow frowned.
"I do not antagonise Tornado," he growled out angrily. He faltered under the Scotsman's sudden glare. "At least not any more. She doesn't take my nonsense any way these days."
"Then why did you in the past? She was a sweet girl, she genuinely thought you were her friend but then you turned around and stabbed her in the back," Scotsman growled angrily.
"I didn't want to, I wanted to be her friend! Really I did!" Green Arrow cried out."But the other engines kept making fun of me!"
"So? They made fun of Tornado too, they had for years," the Scotsman said pointedly."If you truly wanted to be her friend you would have stood up for her and protected her!"
"Alright! I get it! I'm a dirty coward! I GET IT!" Green Arrow suddenly yelled at the Scotsman. "You don't need to make me feel any worse."
"Is that why you joined Cain? Because you couldn't stand up to him?"
"I…" Arrow paused, a guilty look upon his face. "I have my reasons."
"Oh? Please dear cousin, tell me whatever I did to offend you?"
Green Arrow glared briefly at Scotsman before looking away from him.
"I was promised a rebuild by Cain's father, he treated me like a King, told me I was his favourite but then you came along and took my place!" Green Arrow said angrily. "Then everyone ignored me and I got abandoned in a shed for several years! I almost got turned into an exhibit!"
Green Arrow stopped, close to tears but he held them back and glared at the Scotsman.
"Then it felt like you took Tornado from me, I was her friend, but I guess a dusty old engine can't make friends with the shiny new ones can they?" He snarled angrily. He glanced at the crew he had.
"I want to leave!" He snapped at them. "Get me out of here right now!"
The crew glanced at Scotsman. The Scotsman closed his eyes and gave a small sigh.
"You may but please talk to Tornado," The Scotsman implored. "She's still deeply hurt by what you did."
Green Arrow stared at the Scotsman. He didn't say anything as his crew took him out of the Scotsman's presence. He only glared at his larger cousin with a hurt gaze.
