By the time Diesel 10 had returned to Sodor, the Dieselworks was in a state of chaos. Arry had been brought in after breaking down for the umpteenth time. He had become gravely ill, and no one could pinpoint exactly what was wrong with him.

Paxton, who has just returned from working at the Blue Mountain quarry, was sitting beside Denny, who was looking ghostly pale. Denny had become rather listless, which both frightened and worried Paxton greatly. He had just lost Dexter, and now it seemed that he was about to lose Denny too.

A sharp, anguished yelp caused Diesel 10 to turn his eyes towards Daniel, who the workmen were trying to pull down his eyelids. "What are you doing?!" Diesel 10 barked at them, "You're hurting him!" he snapped, clanking his claw crossly.

"They're just—" Daniel paused, wincing in pain, "trying to get my eyes closed—ouch!"

"Is that really necessary?!" said Diesel 10.

"Well, not exactly—ow! But some of the other engines said that my thousand-yard stare was unsettling," said Daniel.

"Who said that to you?!" Diesel 10 snapped, "It's not your fault that you're blind!"

Paxton gulped. "That was me…I'm sorry…" he said, looking down.

Diesel 10 sighed. "He can't help the way he looks, Paxton," he said.

"I'm sorry," Paxton said as his eyes filled with tears, "I didn't think closing his eyes would hurt him…I'm sorry…"

"To be honest, I didn't think it would hurt either," said Daniel.

"I…I didn't mean to cause you pain! This…this is too much! Dexter d—died…Denny…Denny's dying…Arry's sick…" Paxton choked back a sob. "Diesels on the mainland are…are getting scrapped! A bad man is doing h—horrible things to engines—a—and what if—what if one of you a—are next?!"

Aurora sighed sadly as she stepped down from Diesel 10's cab. She went over to Denny and sat on what was left of his bufferbeam. Curiously, she had pulled out her phone and began to take pictures of Daniel. Then, she hopped down from Denny and took pictures of him.

"What the hell are you doing?" said Lorelei.

"Taking pictures," Aurora responded.

"Yeah but why?" said Lorelei.

"Well, I think if stuff like this is exposed to the general populace, people will be more inclined to want to change how disposing of unwanted railway equipment is handled," said Aurora.

"You know, that isn't a bad idea," Lorelei said as she scratched her chin.

"Pffft, what good will it do? It's not like it's illegal to cut us up and torture us," Diesel scoffed.

"It oughta be illegal!" Daniella snapped. Diesel backed up a few feet, remembering what had happened the last time he tested Daniella's patience. He quite clearly remembered the dents left in him after she had clamped her claw down on him.

"Alright," Lorelei said, turning to Daniel, "What do you know about Tiberius Hatt?"

"He's a greedy bastard who despises the fact that we're alive," Daniel replied. "He got this idea in his head that only humans should be…aware. He finds it abhorrent that machines can be alive. Also, like I said, he's greedy. He makes a lot of money off of scrap metal, and because of people becoming afraid that us engines will become disobedient, they gladly sell their…their unwanted ones to him,"

"That explains why he thinks you all should be completely subservient," Lorelei muttered.

"Yeah…I know he did awful things to Denny. I used to hear him scream and cry," said Daniel.

"How did ya survive that place?" said Daniella.

"Well, like I said, I'd been frozen stiff for years…when I finally started to be able to move again…I kept on acting like I was dead whenever I heard him or his engines. That's how they didn't notice…until a couple days ago," said Daniel.

"What did they do to you?!" Diesel 10 barked.

"Not much, 10. That jerk of an engine Jarred saw I was alive, and he told me I was…I was gonna be ripped up by the Reaper…I didn't know that was Dani…" said Daniel.

"Wait a minute!" Lorelei interjected, "Jarred and Tiberius both know that Daniella is the engine known as the Grim Reaper, and they both know that you and her are the same class!"

"Maybe…he did it…" Denny paused, gasping softly, "to scare you…like me…when he said…those things about…Miss Reaper…" Denny trailed off. His voice was now weak and strained, which caused both Diesel 10 and Lorelei to look at him with concern. Paxton frowned, trying his best not to cry.

"I think if those asshats wanted to use Daniel against us they woulda kept him hostage or delivered him dead," said Daniella.

"It is a bit strange, I was due to be cut up and melted down next week," said Daniel, "I really don't know…it kind of doesn't make sense," he said.

Lorelei shook her head. Then, her phone rang. Almost immediately after answering, she let out a loud exclamation of "Oh, you have gotta be fucking shitting me!" turning to Daniella, she let out a sigh. "C'mon girl, we have to go pick up some more engines,"

"Oh for the love of—" Daniella grumbled as Lorelei climbed into her cab.

As soon as they had left, Denny seemed to turn even paler, which at first didn't seem possible. Then, His eyes shot wide open and his face seemed to quiver.

"Denny?!" Paxton said in alarm.

"What's happening?!" Denny said in a shaky whisper, "D—Did the power go out?"

"What're you talking about…the lights are still on," Paxton said nervously. He couldn't shake the feeling that this was not going to end well.

"Oh no…" Paul muttered, "Denny, we're still here," he said.

Not far from the Dieselworks, Daniella had braked without warning. "We have to go back," she said.

"Daniella, what the hell?!" Lorelei exclaimed.

"Something's not right!" Daniella said urgently. She couldn't quite explain it, but she had a very unsettling feeling, much like she'd had when Diesel 10 had become ill.

Reluctantly, Lorelei took Daniella back to the Dieselworks. There, much to her dismay, Denny was desperately fighting to keep his eyes open, staring somewhat blankly, and looked much worse than before.

"Aww no…" Daniella said as she got on the turntable and positioned herself so that she was right in front of Denny. Reaching out with her claw, she touched his trembling cheek. "Don't fight it lil one," she said softly.

"I'm scared…" Denny whispered.

"Nothin' to be scared of," Daniella assured him.

"B—But…" Denny said weakly.

"Close your eyes an' relax. It won't hurt at all," said Daniella.

"Just…do it, Denny," Paxton said shakily, "S—She's probably right…a—and…" Paxton gulped, blinking back tears. "I'm gonna miss you," he said.

With no more strength to speak, Denny slowly closed his eyes. Now, the only sign of life was the occasional twitching of his eyelids, which had become more feeble by the second, until finally all movement ceased.

"D—Denny?" Paxton choked out. When only silence met his statement, he burst into tears. Despite multiple attempts from Daniella, Diesel 10, Lorelei and Paul to soothe him, Paxton was inconsolable. Finally, Daniella coupled up to Denny and took him back to the scrapyard.

That night, Paxton cried himself to sleep. He was utterly devastated, having lost two of his brothers; both of them having died right in front of him. Everyone was worried about him, as no one had ever seen him so upset before. His friends could only hope that he would be alright.