The Wrath of Electra

The seventh book in 10th Grade year (2011-2012) and the twentieth in the series, this story also takes place in the world of Starlight Express and introduces Max, Paul and Shaquille. The time is March 2012.

Summery
The kids are practicing for their school play, a modified verision of Robin Hood, when they suggest to Armand that Thomas and Rusty watch from backstage. They journey to railway from Starlight Express where they meet Rusty, Pearl, Thomas and Buffy. Thomas had just suffered an accident before the kids arrived and was takening a rest. Armand questions why Wrench isn't around to fix him and Rusty explains that she and the other components when with Electra who left to be converted to steam. The conversation is interupted when Lukas appears, as a big fat hopper car. He constantly acts as a nuisance to the others until Willa singes him with her firebox.

Later Rusty is taking the 'passenger' when he finds Thomas struggling with the 'freight'. The problem is that some of the classmates have become freight cars themselves and joined the train (it's the same case in the 'passenger' with the passenger kids), this includes Lukas who seems to be the reason why the train is at a standstill; even with Armand, Willa and Leah pushing from behind the train is stopped. As Rusty, Armand and Thomas figure out a plan the 'passenger' starts rolling away by itself... unintentionally. Rusty and Armand give chase down the hill and at the bottom discover that Electra has returned, but not converted to steam. He's still an electric and still bent on avenging himself and bringing the railway to his modernization plan. His components have been converted however, but only for upgrades to their systems. Electra toys with everyone; threatening the steamers with non-existence and arrousing the rolling stock and electric engines with his electrical current. It's not until Armand causes Danielle to get pulled into Electra's magnetism that the electric engine finally stops and leaves. The others are freed from his spells though Danielle is stimulated by the electrical experience and wants Taylor to try it on her (Armand claims her mind disoriented durning the buzzing).

Later Rusty drops off Pearl at the coach yard and leaves to help Thomas and Armand move the goods train. Pearl retired to the coach shed only to find Electra waiting for her. She is captured and stunned by Krupp.

Rusty and Armand let Thomas go back to the yard to rest as he is still sore from his accident. Rusty and Armand try to manage the 'freight' alone but due to the added weight they lose control on the hill and become a runaway. The Rockies and Hip Hoppers break free and cause a tunnel to collapse, creating a buffer for the train to stop into. This works but Rusty's safety value is damaged during the proceedure. Armand takes the train the rest of the way by himself and then takes Rusty back to the shed.

Buffy finds Thomas on a siding and they both talk to each other. Thomas tells her about his branch line and offers to show her it if she ever visits Sodor. During their converstation the two realise that they have grown affectionate towards each other. They are about to have 'a moment' when Katherine intrudes, much to their irriation, wanting an engine to take her back to the coach yard. Thomas takes both Buffy and Kat to the coach yard and leave them there to find Rusty.

Rusty's next assignment is the next 'passenger' round, but since Rusty is unable to do so, Armand offers to take the train himself. However, arriving at the coach yard, he finds himself seduced by Duvay into a trap. Electra appears and reveals that he has captured the coaches and programmed them to his will. Then he sets Joule onto Armand.Joule tortures Armand and sends him into a state of shock.

Sometime later, Rusty is repaired and talking to Thomas, Dustin, Flat-Top, Max, Paul and Shaquille (Max and Lukas's exchanges) when Willa, and Leah appear searching for Maud. Seconds later, Bobo appears, hauling Ashley and Olenka; the latter two accusing Rusty of not arriving to pull the passenger and hitching a ride with Bobo. Control then speaks over the megaphones announcing that the 'passenger' is twenty minutes late. Rusty and Thomas are puzzled: Armand is not one to mess up on a job deliberately. Just when they are suspecting Electra to be the culprit, Danielle and Hannah appear. Danielle reveals to everyone that Taylor has gone to Electra to learn how to electrify her stimulatingly. Rusty and Thomas rebuke her and explain to her that Electra plans to take control of everyone he desires and Taylor, being an electric engine, is a likely target for him to hypnotise into his will. Danielle realizes her mistake and everyone goes off to find Armand. They eventually find him in the scrapyard, out cold. Bobo, Dustin and Ashley try to revive him but Armand is picked up by the scrap magnet and along with Ashley is taken to a conveyor belt leading to the smelters shed. Everyone heads inside to rescue them. Hannah finally brings Armand back to life by her electro-magnets absorbing the electricity putting him out-cold. Armand manages to climb off just before the chance of falling into the smelting pit.

After relaxing from the intense moment, everyone is confronted by Greaseball who is searching for Dinah. Rusty and the others agree to help him search for her and use Hannah's electromagnets to lock onto Electra's frequency and find his lair. Upon arriving, they are captured by Electra who reveals to them all the coaches and electric engines he captured and turned into his slaves. Armand continually insults Electra, making him lose his temper and accidentally set them free after shorting out a lethal lightning bolt. The steam engines and the kids fight against the slaves while Armand chases after Electra. Eventually catching up, Armand opens up Electra's fusebox and rips out different wires and cords until Electra dies down and the slaves are released of his spell.

With everything returned to normal, the kids prepare to return to Green Meadow. Thomas, Rusty, Pearl and Buffy join them to watch their performance of Robin Hood. At the end, Thomas commented that it was an okay show, but that Armand needed to work on his accent.

Kids

 * Willa
 * Danielle
 * Olenka
 * Alisa
 * Rose Tui
 * Katherine
 * Alana
 * Hannah
 * Maud
 * Leah
 * Armand
 * Taylor
 * Lukas
 * Max
 * Paul
 * Shaquille
 * Sophia Eve (Mentioned)

Trains

 * Thomas the Tank Engine
 * Rusty the Steam Engine
 * Greaseball the American Engine
 * Electra the Future Electric Engine
 * Pearl the Observation Car
 * Dinah the Dining Car
 * Buffy the Buffet Car
 * Ashley the Smoking Car
 * Duvay the 1st Class Sleeper
 * The 2nd and 3rd Class Sleepers
 * Rockies 1, 2, 3, and 4
 * Hip Hoppers 1, 2, and 3
 * Flat-Top
 * Dustin
 * Krupp the Armaments Truck
 * Wrench the Repair Truck
 * Joule the Dynamite Truck
 * Volta the Freezer Truck
 * Purse the Money Truck
 * Bobo the French TGV
 * Annie and Clarabel (mentioned)