Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Dawn broke over Tracy Island, the sun just peeping over the horizon and bathing the small dwelling in a golden light, infiltrating the cracks in the proud house resting atop one of the numerous hills that littered the land. Birds greeted the new day with a burst of song, each trying to outdo each other. The only other sound that could be heard was that of a few of the occupants beginning to awaken. They too had their morning routine in order to greet the new day, and before long, running water could be heard as showers were turned on, the smell of bacon wafting teasingly out of the now open windows as one of the many doors slid open and revealed a figure slipping silently out for his morning run. Nowhere was there any evidence that there was more to the island than originally met the eye, no clue as to the secrets the family residing there were hiding. The island did its job well. Looking like a paradise for the supposedly playboy sons of a billionaire, there was no hint that this was the base of the world's most advanced rescue organisation.

One son, however, had no desire to join his brothers in greeting the new day. In his mind, dawn was something that was only ever seen if a rescue had kept them out until extreme times, or if they were in another part of the world at the time it broke. Virgil had no desire to be up and beginning the day this early, not if he could help it. Exhaling in satisfaction in his sleep, the artistic son of the legendary Jeff Tracy merely rolled over, his legs kicking away the covers as the sun already began to bring with it a heat that very few places dealt with on a regular basis. He didn't notice, however, too used to allowing his body to automatically react in order to acclimatise to the change in temperature. Virgil honestly did not see the point in rising at the same time as Scott and Gordon, not understanding their need to get going so early. In his view, they could be called away at any time, meaning that he was going to take his sleep when and where he could. Unfortunately for him, a certain younger brother did not understand his reasoning behind staying in bed, and Gordon knew nothing could wind his brother up as much as a rude awakening.

One arm slipping under his pillow, Virgil found that he was practically smiling in satisfaction in his sleep, some part of his mind beginning to claw its way back to consciousness enough for him to know that he was still able to relax for a few hours more. Rolling over again, the heat bringing with it some form of restlessness, Virgil suddenly found himself receiving an unexpected – and unwelcomed – shower.

Sitting up spluttering, he unhooked his hand from under his pillow in order to brush his now sodden hair out of his eyes, blinking the sleep out of them at the same time. Huffing in annoyance, it came as no surprise to see his immediate younger brother now standing at the foot of the bed, clearly trying to keep some sort of distance between them in order to make sure that Virgil couldn't reach him without moving. And knowing what Virgil was like first thing in the morning, Gordon knew there wasn't much chance of that happening.

"Morning, sleepyhead." he called, his voice annoyingly cheerful as he grinned down at the dishevelled appearance of his brother, despite the glare that he was being subjected to. On some occasions, the glare did have the power to make the redhead squirm a little; Virgil was his older brother, after all. However, when the artist had hair sticking out at extraordinary angles and was clearly not awake enough to keep his eyes fully open, the look lost its power somewhat.

"Wha' the hell you doin'?" Virgil slurred, deciding that sitting up was too much effort and collapsing back into his pillows, only to immediately wince as his wet hair stuck unpleasantly to the back of his neck. Running his hand behind his head in order to try and relieve the sensation at least a little, Virgil decided that when he was more awake, he was going to murder his brother. He would just have to wait and see what way seemed like it would produce the most satisfaction when the time came to do it.

"Thought you said that you wanted to be up early today?" Gordon responded, shrugging his shoulders in a non-committal manner, his eyes sparkling at the look he received in return. Both Tracys knew that Virgil had said no such thing, and pushing himself into a more upright position once again, Virgil voiced exactly what he thought of his brother's answer.

"Whoa, easy tiger," Gordon laughed, holding up his hands in mock surrender at the language that came out of his brother's mouth. It was only then that Virgil noticed the handle of the bucket draped over the prankster's arm, the now empty container swinging freely, almost as if mocking the young man, claiming that it had the power to wake him up in the morning.

"You don't want Scott to hear language like that, do you?"

"Gordon, go away," Virgil moaned, flopping back down again and rolling over, burying his face in the soft fabric of his pillows. Maybe if he just pretended that Gordon wasn't there, his brother would oblige and disappear. To his delight, quiet footsteps did leave the room, and Virgil shut his eyes again, deciding that even with wet hair, he might be able to manage a few more hours sleep. After all, his brain had never properly come round enough in order for him to have to stay awake now.

Just as he was beginning to drift again, Virgil felt the contents of at least two more buckets being emptied over his back, drenching both him and his bed at the same time in icy water, making him shudder violently even as he sat back up.

"GORDON!" Running footsteps were all that answered his shout, however, even if the redhead did pause for a fraction of a second in Virgil's doorway in order to chuckle at the appearance of his big brother. He didn't hang around for long though, not when he took in the sparks flying from Virgil's eyes, coupled with the fact that the artist had stood up properly now.

Any thought of sleep was suddenly driven from Virgil's mind as he glared at the shadow of his fleeing brother. Knowing that he wouldn't be able to get any more rest now, not considering the state of his bed, Virgil decided that revenge was something that, just this once, was best served hot.

Wrenching his sodden tee-shirt over his head, the pilot of one of the world's biggest machines jogged bare foot across his bedroom floor, pausing in the doorway as he listened for the sound of Gordon's footsteps. It was still early – something he was less than happy about – meaning that he knew Scott would still be down on the beach. His father might be up, but would either be in the kitchen or in his office, doing his morning checks on what was happening with his numerous businesses, not to mention receiving any reports from the agents they had scattered around the world. Whilst Alan did not have the ability to sleep in as late as his brother, he had not yet developed the unnatural early rising of the rest of the family, clinging to the one last thing that made him just an ordinary teenager rather than a member of International Rescue. And with John being up on Thunderbird Five, Virgil knew that any movement he could hear would be his troublesome brother.

Sure enough, his pause paid off, and he could hear the quiet footsteps of Gordon trying to sneak down the stairs without his brother knowing where he was. Smirking in satisfaction, despite the fact that the look was somewhat ruined by being punctuated with a wide yawn, Virgil dragged a hand through his hair as he crept towards the stairs, wincing at the wet feeling under his fingers. One thing worked to his advantage though. From the years working in school productions, Virgil knew how to move with stealth. After all, it wasn't as if he could make his presence known in between acts, that was not how it worked. Virgil had developed the ability to move almost silently, something he knew his brothers – especially the younger ones – found to be an annoyance.

Stealing silently down the hallway, Virgil broke into a jog as he caught sight of the back of Gordon's head vanishing through the lounge door. The room had access straight to the pool, and Virgil – whilst not normally being up at the same time – knew his brother's routine. If Gordon reached the water before Virgil caught up with him, then the artist would be forced to wait. Speeding up, Virgil ran flat out through the kitchen, yanking open the door and sprinting past a surprised Kyrano who was busy gathering some sort of plant in their small kitchen garden. The lounge might have direct access, but it wasn't the only route to the pool. There was no way Virgil would be able to sneak up on Gordon in that particular room; there were too many things in the way that would have given away his presence. However, by going this way, Virgil was hoping that he would be able to cut off Gordon's escape route.

Hearing the double doors sliding smoothly open, Virgil picked up his pace once more, skidding around the corner and coming to a panting halt just as Gordon stepped out of the door, his eyes sparkling with amusement as he took in the sight of his breathless and wet brother attempting to block his way to the pool.

"Problem, Virg?" Gordon asked innocently, but Virgil wasn't fooled. He could see by the way Gordon had tensed and the movement in his eyes as they flickered to each side of the pool that his brother was attempting to work out an escape strategy. Virgil was confident that Gordon wouldn't head back inside; the water-loving Tracy would automatically take the outside world as a means of escape rather than heading back indoors if given the chance. Despite the fact that he had a fuming brother blocking his way, Virgil knew that it would not provide the younger man with a good enough reason to head back into the safety of the house. It was just a matter of waiting to see which way his brother would attempt to bolt.

"Guys?" Instinctively turning his head, Virgil had to smirk at the expression on Scott's face. There was a look of resignation present as he took in Virgil's sodden appearance – not to mention the fact that his brother was up and awake and the sun had only just risen. Gordon was standing in the doorway, a towel draped over his bare shoulders, a grin firmly in place, and his legs tensed, a clear indication that he was about to move. Having four younger brothers, one of them being a known prankster, Scott didn't even need to ask what was going on. It was just a matter of stopping the pair of them from killing each other. Or more specifically, stopping Virgil murdering Gordon. Scott still needed them on rescues, despite claiming that his own 'bird was far superior. Besides, it would just mean a hell of a lot of paperwork, something that the Field Commander found to be more than tedious.

With his head turned towards Scott, Virgil only just caught Gordon's movement out of the corner of his eye. Having expecting his brother to run one way or another, Virgil was not prepared for the redhead to run straight forward, pushing against Virgil's chest and causing him to stumble backwards, although Virgil knew instantly his brother had been careful that the artist wouldn't fall. What Gordon hadn't noticed, however, was the sun lounger directly behind Virgil, and, feeling it collide with the back of his knees, Virgil felt his training take over automatically. Letting his body fall, he tucked his legs into him as he dropped, rolling neatly over the sun lounger and landing on his feet in a tight crouch. It was harder to say who looked more impressed, Scott with his raised eyebrows over on the far side of the pool, or Gordon with his gobsmacked expression. The prankster had frozen mid-stride, one arm outstretched from where he had been in the process of throwing his towel down, his head swivelled with wide eyes as he watched Virgil's actions.

"What?" the artist eventually muttered, beginning to feel self-conscious at his brothers' stares. He knew they had seen him do something like that before; they all had a habit of pulling off unusual stunts during a rescue when the situation demanded it. But usually someone's – if not their own – life was in danger when rational thought was driven away, and Virgil knew it was far from common for something like this to happen at home.

"You need to get up early more often," Scott commented lightly, finally beginning to move around the pool, a grin firmly in place. What Virgil hadn't seemed to realise was that his own face had mirrored that of his brother's. He had looked as surprised as the rest of them that the stunt had actually worked. Scott knew full well that his younger brother didn't realise how he looked: the stunned expression coupled with wet hair dripping into his eyes made the young man look a picture. It reminded the oldest Tracy son of the little boy who had pulled his big brother out into the pouring rain just to show him the frog he had found in the garden one time. His smile turning fond, Scott shook his head as Gordon snapped back into reality and dived smoothly into the safety of the water, barely making a ripple as he did so and making sure that he was out of Virgil's reach for the time being at least.

Reaching Virgil, Scott stuck out a hand, nodding at the appreciative grin Virgil shot him as he helped the younger man back into an upright position. For a moment, the pair watched their brother in the water, both of them still marvelling at how effortless Gordon could make the action look, despite having seen it hundreds of times before.

"I'll just have to kill him later," Virgil eventually mumbled, turning back around and letting another yawn stretch over his face. Now that the chase had worn off, the artist was more than aware of the time of day.

"Don't make a mess," Scott responded companionably, joining his brother in walking through the lounge towards the kitchen, both grinning in appreciation at the smells wafting through the house. With their grandmother visiting friends back in Kansas, Kyrano almost seemed like he was trying to prove he was just as good as the Tracy matriarch at looking after the rest of the family and had practically been outdoing himself with the meals that he had been preparing. Not that any of the Tracys minded, however. If there was one thing they were never going to complain about, it was the sudden excess amount of food that had appeared on the table.

When they reached the kitchen door, however, the two men made to walk in opposite directions. Pulling up short as Virgil headed towards the stairs, Scott froze in the kitchen doorway.

"Virg? Where are you going?"

"Back to bed," Virgil moaned, dragging his feet a little in order to illustrate his point. Remembering the state of his own bed, however, he rolled his eyes with a long-suffering groan. "Or maybe I'll steal John's, he'll never know."

"Don't think so, man." Moving forward, Scott simply grabbed his brother by the arm, almost marching him into the kitchen. It was only then that Virgil was glad he had never got around to putting a clean shirt on before taking off after Gordon, for he knew that had he been wearing something, Scott would have just grabbed him by the back of the collar - it had been done before.

"Scott, let me go." Virgil found that his voice was coming out as nothing more than a pathetic whine as he was pushed onto one of the bar stools, Scott striding in the direction of the coffee machine after fixing his brother a look that clearly told him to stay put. Resting his elbows on the counter, Virgil dropped his head into his hands. He should have known that his oldest brother wouldn't have let him go back to bed. Scott seemed to have a weird – in Virgil's mind, anyway – rule that once they were up, that was it.

"This will help." Hearing the quiet tones of the resident Malaysian, Virgil lifted his head in time to see a laden plate being slipped in front of him, all of the artist's favourites just waiting for him. Smiling in gratitude, Virgil was surprised by how hungry he felt; normally he couldn't stomach the thought of food this early. Tucking in, it took him no more than about thirty seconds to realise that Kyrano had really outdone himself this time.

"Kyrano, yo'e t'e b'st," Virgil mumbled, the words barely audible around his food.

"Virgil, that's disgusting." Sliding into a seat opposite his brother, Scott slipped a mug across the counter before taking a sip of his own coffee, eyebrows raised in something that could resemble horror as he watched Virgil almost inhale his food. All of them were known for being able to make a meal disappear in a matter of seconds, but this was practically setting a new record. Virgil, however, was too busy eating to acknowledge his brother's words.

Taking his own laden plate from Kyrano with heartfelt thanks, Scott didn't realise that he was almost matching his brother's speed as he began to eat, causing Kyrano to move away, shaking his head at their antics. If there was one thing he had learnt about the Tracy family, it was to never get in between one of the boys and their food. Although their father wasn't much better than the horde more commonly referred to as his sons.

As if knowing he was being thought about, Jeff himself suddenly materialised in the doorway, smiling in greeting at his oldest son before his eyes fell on the still-eating Virgil. His eyes widening in surprise, he looked back at the elder brother, hoping that he would be able to provide some sort of answer as to why the tradition of a lifetime was suddenly being broken. Swallowing awkwardly, Scott knew precisely what his father's look meant.

"Gordon," he said simply, and Jeff rolled his eyes with a smile, heading towards the coffee pot himself. No more needed to be said, that one name told him everything. And if he was completely honest, Jeff wasn't sure he wanted to know what his fourth-born had done to get his brother out of bed. Although judging by the water trails down Virgil's back, he had a very good idea anyway. As Jeff took a seat next to Scott, silence fell over the kitchen, a companionable atmosphere spreading out. There wasn't a silence because no one knew what to say, but because nothing needed to be said.

"Morning."

Hearing the quiet and heavy voice of his youngest son, Jeff glanced up with a smile, only vaguely aware that Scott was mirroring his actions exactly. Running a hand through his hair, Alan didn't seem to blink at the sight of Virgil being up, almost as if he had been expecting it. With a sigh, Virgil knew that his littlest brother had probably known what Gordon had been planning all along - they weren't known as the Terrible Two for nothing.

No sooner had Alan sat down when Gordon appeared as well, immediately heading to the far side of the table and sitting in between his father and oldest brother, shooting Virgil a cheeky grin, safe in the knowledge that his brother couldn't touch him there. The look that his sibling responded with, however, made the prankster more than aware that Virgil was not going to let it go. So, he might not be able to touch his younger brother at the moment given his current position, but there was still the rest of the day. Gordon couldn't stay there forever.

"Any news?" Scott eventually asked, his open-ended question including not just Jeff's businesses, but worldwide with the rescue organisation as well. He knew from the time that Jeff had arrived in the kitchen that his father had also been checking in with the agents, the time differences meaning he was often forced to do it at strange times of the day.

"Not really. Penny still hasn't been able to find out much on whoever it was that tried to photograph the 'birds on the last rescue, although she isn't going to give up anytime soon. Apparently she is getting Parker to dig out a few of his old contacts."

Simultaneously, grins split across the brothers' faces as they thought about their London agent. No, there certainly was no way that the aristocrat was going to give up any time soon. Virgil wasn't even sure that Lady Penelope even knew what the word 'failure' meant; she certainly didn't know when to admit she wasn't going to find anything.

"I told you, I could have gone after them," Scott said, sounding slightly annoyed as he glanced at his father out of the corner of his eye. Despite their own disagreement that morning, Virgil and Gordon exchanged looks, one wincing slightly whilst the other rolled his eyes. Scott certainly hadn't likedhis commander's instructions to return to base immediately after the potential threat had made itself known, and the fact that Penny had no further ideas about who was behind it was clearly not sitting well with the oldest Tracy brother. A potential threat to International Rescue was a potential threat to his brothers, and Scott simply wasn't going to allow that.

"And I told you no," Jeff responded firmly. He knew that Scott was only looking out for the rest of them, but there was no way his father was about to put him in any kind of danger over someone who had attempted to photograph their machines. Thanks to the sensors aboard Thunderbird One, whoever it was had fled with nothing. Jeff simply wanted to know who was showing an unnatural interest in them.

"What happened?" Alan asked, but immediately fell silent at the look Gordon gave him, one that clearly said he would explain later. Despite being on Five when the row had taken place, Virgil was surprised that Alan hadn't already heard, the way his father and oldest brother had been yelling at each other was certainly loud enough for it to have reached the most distant 'bird.

"John's reported in a couple of potential rescues," Jeff continued after a moment of awkward silence, determined to restore the mood of relaxation into the kitchen. He knew that Scott's view on the matter had not changed, but neither had his father's and Jeff had no desire to restart the argument again.

"How's his cough?" Virgil asked, finally pushing away his plate with an explosive sigh of satisfaction now that he no longer felt hungry. Feeling the look Scott was giving him, he adamantly kept his eyes on his father, who smiled gently at him.

"Virgil, he is fine. If he wasn't, do you really think he would have wanted to head back up for his rota?"

"Yep," Alan responded, rocking back slightly on his chair and hooking his legs around the legs of the chair, supporting himself against the counter whilst ignoring Scott's pointed look. "He hated that I got to be the first one up there after Brains' new updates."

"Not helping, Al," Gordon broke in, smirking at the look that had come over Virgil's face.

"I still think it could be bronchitis," the medic muttered, frowning as he tried to recall the exact way John had said he was feeling before heading back up to Five.

"Virgil, it was just a cough, son." Jeff broke through his son's thoughts gently, knowing that unless he could convince his son otherwise, Virgil would have hijacked Three and launched off through space before Jeff could even say "Thunderbirds."

"You know how cold he got on that last rescue, Gordon too. They both had it, and look at Gordon now, right as rain." Reaching over, Jeff ruffled his son's hair fondly, smiling at the pretend affronted look the redhead shot him as he attempted to flatten his hair, despite the fact that he was only making it worse.

"He won't be by the time I'm done with him," Virgil said darkly, glaring at his brother, who merely smiled sweetly back, albeit it with a hint of challenge in his look.

"Time out, you two, it's too early in the morning." Deciding that it could be a very long day if Virgil and Gordon were at odds with each other the whole time, Scott attempted to intervene, but only found that Virgil merely shifted his slightly murderous look onto him instead. Being more than used to it, Scott folded his arms across his chest and stared impassively back, almost daring his brother to try something. Both he and Virgil knew that Scott could wipe the floor with his younger brother if need be; there really wasn't a lot Virgil could do to try and get back at him.

"I'm going to talk to John," Virgil declared, standing up from the table and picking his plate up as he did so. He could hear the rest of the family also beginning to move, knowing that they all had things they needed to be getting on with. As Gordon and Alan disappeared upstairs, clearly with the intention of getting dressed properly, Virgil found himself face to face with his earthbound older brother.

"He really is okay, Virg, promise. I spoke to him last night, and he didn't cough once."

"I'll be the judge of that," Virgil responded, making to brush past Scott, not yet in the mood to forgive his brother for not letting him go back to bed. What he could do with was a nice long chat with the Space Monitor; it had felt like an age since he had a proper conversation with John, both of them being kept busy by respective things.

No sooner had he stepped into the lounge with the intention of using his father's desk, however, Virgil found that his plans were somewhat dramatically changed as a piercing noise cut through the silence of the house.

They had a rescue.

Chapter Text

Quickly hitting a switch, Virgil continued with his original purpose and patched himself through to his missing brother, although any thought of a pleasant conversation with John had been dashed from his mind. Immediately, the Space Monitor's portrait morphed into the real thing and John glanced up from where he was scanning through various readings, obviously trying to gauge the scenario from what he had been told. Briefly catching Virgil's eye, he smiled a small smile, one that was only seen when a rescue came in, almost as if John was apologising for what he was about to say. He said nothing, however, knowing that he needed the rest of the team to be present before he could report.

Sliding smoothly out of the way, Virgil felt as if he was standing to attention as his father came sprinting into the room, throwing himself down at his desk before turning to face his second-born, quickly taking control of the situation. Glancing at Jeff as he straightened in his chair, his posture strictly business, Virgil found himself watching the man turn from father into Commander. There would be no petty squabbles here, no payback for unwanted wake-up calls.

As Scott's footfalls came thundering through, arriving only seconds after their father, Virgil could hear the signs of Gordon and Alan also heading their way. Now that the Commander and Field Commander were present, however, John began his report, knowing that the others would be briefed on the way if necessary. He himself had briefed his brothers via the comms in the past, lack of time meaning the 'birds needed to be launched as quickly as possible. Considering the location of this potential rescue – it was still up to Jeff to say the words that made it official – the blond was confident that they had plenty of time to carry it out, so he was able to deliver the report whilst the boys were still at home. Besides, it made deciding who was to go and who to stay a lot easier when they had the full picture, not to mention deciding which pod was needed.

"Go ahead, John," Jeff ordered. To outsiders – despite the fact that they would never see him in this role – his voice sounded stern, but his sons knew him better than that. It was his way of putting on a front, of showing that it wasn't affecting him having to make a decision that could not only spell out the consequences for any victims of the rescue, but also for his own family. As Gordon and Alan came sprinting into the room, Gordon clutching onto the edge of the couch as he attempted to get his breath back, John launched into his report.

"Major fires springing up almost in a line along the banks of the Mackenzie River. The local rescue services are managing to control a few of them, but their resources simply don't stretch far enough to tackle them all, so they have called for help. What do you think, Father?"

For a long moment, silence fell across the lounge, all the boys waiting with baited breath as they watched for the signs that meant their father had made a decision about what their next course of action was going to be. Everything they did in the rescue business came down to Jeff making his decision, and with a nod of his head, the Tracy patriarch made up his mind.

"Boys, you're off to Canada. Scott, leave now, scout ahead and brief your brothers on where the machines are needed most. We might not be able to tackle them all either, we'll have to work closely with the local services."

"Yes, sir." Without wasting another moment, Scott strode across to his lamps, and in a blink of an eye, had vanished from sight.

"Virgil, take the Firefly in Pod three."

"Yes, sir." Echoing his brother's words and movements, Virgil also moved across the room, heading for his own hidden entrance. Before he could vanish, however, his father called him back.

"And take Gordon with you." Nodding in acknowledgement, Virgil also vanished from view, Gordon shortly following suit. Despite their differences, the pair of them knew that they would work together without the slightest issue on the rescue. After all, it wasn't just their father who changed from family member to member of International Rescue when a call came in; all of the boys did.

Pausing for a moment as he waited to clear Scott for take-off, Jeff turned his attention back to John.

"John, I need you to set up clear communications with the local authorities, Scott will need to know where to land. We are also going to need their full co-operation if this rescue is to be carried out in the shortest time possible."

"Already on it, Dad." Catching Jeff's eye, John smiled, a reassuring look that made his father almost seem to deflate where he sat. Now the boys were on the way, there was nothing else their commander could do but sit there and worry about them. Just at the right moment, Kyrano appeared in the doorway, a tray of coffee balanced in his hands and Tin-Tin directly behind him. Father and daughter slipped almost silently into the room, Kyrano immediately handing his boss one of the steaming mugs and trying not to grin at the look of appreciation that shot over Jeff's face. Tin-Tin navigated herself onto the couch, shooting Alan a reassuring smile at the put-out expression that she immediately knew meant he was not needed on this rescue. Sighing, he managed to return the smile, albeit it not with his usual enthusiasm, and slipped onto the couch next to her.

"Thunderbird One approaching danger zone." Immediately sitting up from his somewhat slouched position, Jeff opened up the communications between Base and his eldest son, causing Scott's portrait to be activated.

"How's it looking, son?"

"I can see why they needed help, that's for sure. I've made contact with the team on the ground and patched the co-ordinates through to Virgil of where he can leave Two and where the Firefly is needed the most."

"F.A.B. Stay in contact, Scott. Base out."

Watching as his father disconnected, Scott masterfully brought his baby down to land in the designated area. Quickly running through the basic post-flight checks to make sure the engines were safe, the pilot unstrapped himself from his harness, jogging through the 'bird even as Mobile Control started to unload itself. By the time the rescue services received the all-clear to join the Field Commander, Scott had everything ready to go.

Ten minutes later, a call came crackling through his radio, informing him of his brothers' arrival. Thanking whoever it was out there under his breath for a good time in their approach, Scott had enough time to warn the rescue workers of their arrival before the great hulk of Thunderbird Two was lowered gracefully from the sky. Despite claiming that his own 'bird was better, Scott had to admit that whilst One had the elegance that Two was lacking, the green machine dwarfed her sister. Sending the rescue teams off to their designated areas, Scott turned with a tight smile to see Gordon jogging over, the rumble of the Pod door indicating that Virgil was getting the Firefly ready for action.

"What's the plan then?" the redhead asked the moment he was in earshot of his brother, the dismissal of the local services meaning that they had slightly more privacy than the Tracys were used to on most rescues.

"Virgil should take the Firefly over to sector seven," Scott ordered, making sure that the comms were up and running in the Firefly so that Virgil would be able to hear as well and so save him having to disembark only to get back in again. Sure enough, no sooner had Scott finished speaking than the Firefly changed direction. The flashing map on Mobile Control's screen had been doubled up in the command area of the Firefly, meaning Virgil was seeing the same thing as his brothers and knew exactly where he had been told to go.

"F.A.B." The reply sounded slightly tinny over the comms, but Scott was still pleased with the signal in the area. Rescues were never harder than when there was a communication problem, and with a safe frequency established that he could use to address the local fire services, Scott was certain that the rescue wouldn't cause them a problem. It did make things a lot easier that people weren't in direct danger, meaning it wasn't left to the Field Commander to decide who they should try and rescue first.

"And us?" Gordon asked, leaning causally against Mobile Control as he waited for his brother to tell him what was needed. Glancing over at him, Scott couldn't help but smile in amusement, reaching out a gloved hand and ruffling Gordon's hair, pleased to see his younger brother looking so relaxed, despite the fact they were on a rescue. He knew full well that Gordon was completely focused on the job; there could be no denying that. But it seemed that the redhead too was feeling the benefits of not having to literally be pulling people from the flames. It certainly made their job a lot more pleasant.

"We, kiddo, are going to get suited up and tackle the smaller ones along this stretch by hand whilst Virg tackles the big ones."

"F.A.B," Gordon acknowledged, pushing himself into a standing position and setting off at a jog back towards Thunderbird Two to collect the equipment they would need in order to carry out Scott's plan. Gordon could only hope that it was as quick and straight forward as the initial briefing had made it sound. Of course, it wasn't that straight forward, the fact that the local rescue services couldn't handle the situation was evidence enough of that. But of all the rescues the redhead had been on, this was certainly making it into the top ten easiest. Assuming, of course, it went that smoothly.

Just before he disappeared up the ramp into Two, he paused, twisting back around to face Scott. His older brother was still facing him, but talking in a quiet tone into his watch, and Gordon knew immediately that he was talking to John. Scott didn't often report back into Base during a rescue, not unless there was something that needed reporting, instead keeping his nerves steady by talking to his immediate younger brother, whether John was in space or down on Earth.

"Hey, Scott!" Calling over, Gordon waited until he knew he had his brother's attention before shooting the older man his trademark grin. "Less of the kiddo, old man!"

As Scott stepped forward slightly threateningly, Gordon disappeared up the ramp, laughing as he did so.

Nearly two hours later, and Gordon stepped away from his final smouldering heap, glancing around automatically to see where the next fire was. For a moment, his eyes didn't register what he was seeing, but eventually, a grin split over his face. Scott was just finishing next to him, and Virgil had extinguished all along his patch plus more, doubling back around to help his brothers in their section. Tapping his watch, Gordon raised it to his mouth.

"Scott?" For a moment, his brother didn't answer; too busy adamantly beating back a fire that simply refused to go out. Eventually though, the oldest Tracy was victorious, and answering Gordon's call, he glanced back along the track as he did so.

"Have the locals reported in?"

"Yeah," Scott sounded as exhausted as Gordon felt. Despite the rescue not being as emotionally difficult as some of the ones the brothers had been sent on, there was no denying that it was still hard work. "They're all done; they've headed back towards the towns to make sure there is nothing that we've missed."

"So we're all done?" Glancing around him, Scott came to the same conclusion as his little brother, and, un-strapping his helmet, he tore it away in a flourish, running a hand through his hair to stop it sticking to his forehead.

"We're done," he confirmed, causing Gordon to also remove some of his own safety gear. He knew the benefits of it, neither he nor Scott would have been able to tackle more than about two fires each without it before the heat and smoke got too much. But Gordon couldn't deny that he hated it, hated the feeling of restriction it left him with.

"What's that?" Walking over to his brother, Gordon tipped his head in the direction of something behind Scott. Turning around, the Field Commander groaned out loud when he realised what had drawn Gordon's attention. Reporting in to Virgil, John and Base that the fires were extinguished but that something needed to be checked, he led the way over to the tall structure that had just made itself visible through the smoke. As soon as it became clearer, Gordon echoed Scott's earlier actions and groaned.

The crane, whilst certainly not one of the largest that Gordon had seen, still loomed somewhat impressively over the two Tracys as they stared up at it. It wasn't the metal structure that was giving them cause for concern, however, but the half a dozen crates swinging freely from it, tied on with what looked like some strong rope. Rope, however, didn't normally last long against fire, and as Scott gave his brother a pointed look, Gordon sighed dramatically before placing his helmet back on.

"I'm on it," he muttered, before jogging towards the crane. A quick visual scan over the structure caused Gordon to be satisfied that it would be secure enough, and before Scott could say anything, Gordon had begun to swing himself through the metal, quickly gaining height as he made his way towards the crates. The boys couldn't leave until they knew that the boxes were secure, it could just be an accident waiting to happen otherwise.

Hearing a rumble of engines come closer before stopping completely, Scott glanced over his shoulder in time to see Virgil jump down from the Firefly, running a hand through his hair as he did so and grimacing at the mess that came away. Even in the machine, Virgil had still managed to get himself dirty. Scott had no idea how his little brother always seemed to manage to get himself covered in dirt, no matter what role he played in a rescue. None of the others – himself excluded – managed to do so. In fact, John was the complete opposite, you could stick the guy in a mudslide and he still walked away with barely a mark on his uniform. It was a mystery to his older brother how he managed it, that was for sure.

"Where's Gords?" Wandering casually over, Virgil glanced around for his younger brother, but quickly followed Scott's pointed look and turned his eyes towards the sky. Sure enough, Gordon could be seen on the top of the crane, handling himself with ease as he quite clearly checked the crates in order to make sure they were secure. Shaking his head with a fond smile, Virgil was not in the slightest bit surprised that Scott had sent their brother up there rather than going himself. The Field Commander would have already run his eyes over the structure to make sure it was secure, and knowing no harm could come to Gordon unless he was an idiot, had leapt on the opportunity to get the prankster to burn off some more of his energy. There was nothing worse than travelling home with an adrenaline-high Gordon. Considering who the redhead would have been travelling with, Virgil shot Scott a grateful smile, receiving a smirk in response that quite clearly showed that his brother knew exactly what was going through his head.

"I'll get this lot packed up," Virgil eventually said after watching Gordon for a few more moments. There could be no denying it, Gordon handled himself with ease, even given the somewhat precarious position he was letting himself dangle at.

"F.A.B." Scott responded, his eyes once more back on Gordon. "We won't be long here."

Nodding in acknowledgement, Virgil set off once again towards the Firefly. Now that he knew the fires were extinguished, the artist wanted nothing more than to be able to go home and hit the shower. Now that he thought about it, Virgil couldn't help but groan as he remembered the state of his bed. Whilst probably being dry by now, Virgil knew he was still going to have to change it. Grinning as he shook his head at Gordon's antics, he swung himself with ease back into the driver's seat and restarted the engines, slowly making his way back to his 'bird.

Watching him go, Scott didn't notice Gordon drop to the ground from a short distance up the crane, immediately bending into a crouch to absorb the impact and rolling slightly, only to grimace afterwards as he caught sight of the mud stains smeared over his uniform. The crane was situated right on the river bank, and Gordon could only assume whatever was being suspended in the boxes had something to do with the rushing water underneath.

"We're all secure and good to go," Gordon reported, strolling casually over to Scott and making the older man jump somewhat violently, causing Gordon to smirk. Virgil wasn't the only one who had the ability to move with stealth when required.

"The boxes are secure?"

"Yeah, they aren't going anywhere."

"Good, that means we can get home. I, for one, am starving."

"Starving? After the amount..."

Breaking off mid sentence, Gordon frowned at something behind Scott's back. As if sensing his gaze, Scott made to turn around, only to be stopped by Gordon's shout.

"Scott! Duck!" Immediately following his brother's command, Scott tensed, dropping into a controlled crouch even as his eyes roamed the surrounding area for anything that could have proven a threat. After seeing nothing, his eyes fell on his copper-haired sibling. Gordon looked nothing short of astonished, his eyebrows disappearing into his hair line as he stared at his brother, the corners of his mouth twitching. As Scott frowned quizzically at him, Gordon completely cracked, finding himself bent over double as he quickly became breathless with laughter.

"What?" Scott cried, beginning to feel a little self-conscious as he stood back up again, deciding that nothing was about to take his head off. Unable to form a response, Gordon merely pointed. Turning on the spot, Scott could see nothing. Eventually though, his eyes were drawn towards the ground, and sure enough, three ducks were making their way out of the river, clearly satisfied that fires had been extinguished and the threat had passed. Feeling a blush begin to work its way up his neck, Scott turned back to Gordon, rubbing a hand through his hair as his brother continued to laugh. Glancing upwards, Scott suddenly frowned.

"Gordon! Duck!"

"Oh how original, Scott."

"No, DUCK!" Catching onto the tone in his brother's voice, Gordon followed Scott's eye line. The crates that had been suspended by the crane above his head had looked stable enough when Gordon had checked them for any fire damage, but even as he watched, one broke free, swinging wildly as it plummeted towards the earth. Or more specifically, plummeted towards him. Gordon was vaguely aware of Scott moving forward, yelling at his brother to get down, but Gordon found himself frozen to the spot, watching with wide eyes as a certain death came rushing towards him. Scrunching his eyes shut, finding that his body was unable to react in time, Gordon was certainly not prepared for a rushing figure to suddenly catch him around the waist, pulling him down and out of the way.

Shutting his eyes and mouth tightly as he held onto his brother, Virgil let the momentum carry them through the mud, the dampness of the soil below causing them to slide with ease out of the way of the falling crate. Not a moment too soon, either, for as soon as he had Gordon clear, Virgil felt the edge of the crate miss his leg by a fraction of a millimetre. Unable to stop their slide through the mud, Virgil instead just tightened his grip on his little brother, adamant that he was not letting go until he was sure that Gordon was completely out of harm's way. Something brushed past his face, causing Virgil to grimace at the sensation of something feathery, until their movement was suddenly and abruptly stopped as the pair of them crashed into something solid. Not hearing a surprised cry, Virgil finally let out the breath he was holding, pushing himself into a kneeling position and glancing down at Gordon.

"You okay, kid?" he asked gently, only receiving a wide-eyed stare in response. "Gordon! Answer me, are you okay?"

"Duck," Gordon responded hoarsely, pushing himself upright and staring back at the smashed crate which rested precisely where he had been standing. Letting out a shaky breath, Gordon turned back to Virgil, only to frown when he suddenly realised that he appeared to be missing a smother hen.

"Where'd Scott go?"

Glancing around, Virgil felt his breath catch in his throat when he too noticed that their older brother seemed to have vanished. Glancing back into the mud, he quickly was able to pick out Scott's footprints. Immediately wincing, Virgil shut one eye as he stared at the prints. The footprints vanished exactly where their skid mark came to a stop, but another skid mark led the way straight down to the river.

"Gords..." Virgil said slowly, drawing his brother's attention to the marks and knowing by the look that shot over the prankster's face that he was thinking the same as his older sibling.

"Oh gees..." Gordon muttered. As one, the two Tracys slowly raised their eyes to the river, just in time to see a head break the surface, spluttering indignantly.

"Nice swim, Scotty?" Gordon called down, trying to hide the fact his hands were letting out involuntary tremors.

"Scott?" Virgil found that he was moving again, grasping his brother by the forearm as Scott made his way over to the bank and helping his brother haul himself free of the water. "God, Scott, you're soaked."

"Really?" Scott responded drily, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "I hadn't noticed. You okay, Gords?" His eyes flickering over to his little brother, Scott had to admit the only reason why he wasn't letting the pair of them have it with everything he had was because if Virgil hadn't been there, Gordon would never have moved in time.

"We scared the ducks," Gordon muttered, letting out a shaky laugh as he glanced back towards the crane, his eyes refusing to look at the smashed crate any more. Within a few seconds however, his laughter got the better of him, and bending over with his hands on his knees, Gordon found that he was struggling to draw a breath in even as tears built up in his eyes. He just couldn't stop the laughter from exploding out of him, and yet Gordon knew the situation was far from funny. Feeling Virgil's hand rub soothingly over his back, Gordon attempted to force himself to listen to his brother's reassuring words.

"Come on, Gordy, that's enough. Deep breath, buddy, deep breaths. You're okay."

Finally Gordon managed to regain control of himself, smiling in appreciation at Virgil even as he wiped a shaky hand over his eyes. He had been in near-death situations before, but they didn't normally happen after the rescue was finished.

"They were secure," he practically gasped, eyes fixed on the end of the rope that now had nothing swinging from it.

"Maybe you just missed one," Scott began, trying to sound reassuring, but not realising that he was simply fuelling Gordon's rarely-seen temper.

"I do not miss things on rescues, Scott. They were secure."

"I'm sure they were," Virgil broke in, shooting Scott a glare. Whilst he felt for his brother - the guy had just been dumped in a river, after all - Gordon's quick burst of hysteria showed the medic the accident had rattled him more than he was going to say, and Scott questioning his judgement was not going to help matters.

"Come on, guys, let's go home. Gordon?"

"What?" Gordon muttered, his eyes still fixed on the top of the crane. But no longer was it the ropes that had drawn his attention, but something else entirely. Convinced he was seeing things, Gordon kept his eyes locked on the spot that had caught his attention in the first place. As Scott and Virgil began to walk away, Gordon knew full well they had not seen anything. The redhead wasn't even sure whether he himself had or whether it was merely his eyes playing tricks on him, but the aquanaut could have sworn he had seen something move up there. The crane had been deserted when Gordon had scaled it, that was for sure, but he had never once glanced down the other side. Someone could have easily been standing there the entire time and he would have never noticed.

"Gordon? Are you coming?"

"I'll just be a moment."

"Are you okay?"

"Yeah. You two go ahead, I just want to check something." Scott looked like he wanted to say something to his brother, but Virgil quickly caught him around the arm and began to pull him away, knowing that if Scott attempted to pull rank now, Gordon would simply explode. He had a very good idea of what Gordon was about to do, and if his brother wanted to double-check the rest of the crates for his own peace of mind, Virgil was not going to stop him. Not if it meant that he would have a calm passenger on the way home.

"Come on, Scott, we need to get you into something dry," Virgil muttered, receiving a glare from his older brother as he spoke. If there was anything that Scott hated more than having to sit still for any length of time, it was Virgil fussing around him.

Waiting until his brothers were practically out of sight, Gordon set off at a run back towards the crane, immediately swinging himself up through the structure once more. For one horrible moment, he thought he was going to slip as his mud-splattered hands refused to grip, but with an added push of his legs, he quickly brought himself into a secure position at the top. Glancing down on the far side, Gordon let his eyes scan the area, but there was no one in sight. Even so, there was something about how smooth the mud on that side was that caused the prankster to frown. It was almost unnatural, as if someone had smoothed it over in order to hide their footprints. Biting his lip, Gordon turned back to the crates. Edging his way along the metal bars, he carefully balanced himself once more as he leant out to where they were swinging almost wildly in the non-existent breeze, simply adding to Gordon's belief that he had not been the only one up there lately.

Picking his way along the wooden planks leading out to the crates, Gordon found his eyes once more drawn to the planks. He could just about make out his own muddy footprints from before, but there was something wrong with them. Crouching down the best he could, Gordon frowned quizzically, trying to work out what it was that was playing on his mind so much. Eventually though, he figured it out, and with a pounding heart, Gordon stood back up again.

Some of his prints were clear and defined, obviously indicating where Gordon had stood in order to check that the crates were secure. But some of them were not so obvious, the edges smudged and blurred somewhat. Following the smudged prints, Gordon found himself standing next to where the empty rope was swinging freely. Any doubts he may have had instantly vanished as he looked at the rope. Someone else had been up here, attempting to use Gordon's footprints as a way of masking their own, but they clearly had slightly bigger feet, meaning someone with Gordon's keen eye had been able to pick out their route. What the redhead was finding more disturbing, however, was the intention they had come up here with.

For the rope was now level with his eye line, and with just a quick glance, Gordon knew that something was very wrong. The ends of the rope were not frayed in the slightest as would have been expected if the rope had been subjected to damage from either the fire or the intense smoke.

Instead it was clean cut.

Chapter Text

The journey back was a quiet one. For some unknown reason, Gordon didn't voice his suspicions to his brother regarding the accident. His fingers were closed around the rough end of the object sitting in his pocket, yet Gordon stayed quiet. He was sure Virgil wouldn't believe him. After all, it wasn't as if either he or Scott had seen anything, and Gordon was already ashamed of how he had reacted after the crate had fallen. He had faced death more times than he would like to remember and yet had still found himself somewhat hysterical this time. Maybe it was just how surreal the whole thing had been – the ducks, the crate, Scott ending up in the river, Virgil's impeccable timing...

As if sensing Gordon's uncharacteristically reserved mood, Virgil too stayed quiet, his own mind going over the accident. He had decided that he would double back and join his brothers after not being able to catch sight of them when he had stored the Firefly. With the pod locked up and ready to go, he had set off at a casual stroll towards where he had last seen them, convinced that Gordon would not yet have finished checking the crates and he would have time to meet them before all three headed back to the 'birds. He couldn't say why, but something had given him the sudden urge to run, and before he knew it, he was hearing Scott yell at their younger brother to duck. Sprinting into the area, Virgil had taken in the sight for only a split second before instinct took over and he had flung himself at Gordon. Shuddering slightly as he glanced over at the redhead, Virgil grimaced at the faraway look in his little brother's eyes. No matter what Gordon said, this latest accident had shaken him.

Before barely any time had passed, Virgil was radioing through for permission to land, Gordon finally snapping himself out of the circles his mind had been travelling in and helping his brother run through the post-flight checks. With years of practice at working together behind them, the pair were done in only a matter of moments, yet the silence stretched on between them as they journeyed upstairs.

Stepping through to the lounge, Virgil winced at the look his father immediately shot him. Scott was already there, and judging by the shorts and open shirt he was now wearing, not to mention the telltale signs of a towel having been dragged somewhat ferociously through his hair, Virgil knew that his brother had been back for long enough to get changed. That was the one thing he envied about Scott getting the faster 'bird. It might mean that he had to be at the rescue zones for longer, but it also meant that he was able to get home and changed before his brothers. Not that Virgil would ever tell him that, however, his brother's head was inflated enough when it came to One's capabilities.

"We'll leave the debriefing until after you two have got cleaned up then, shall we?" Jeff asked casually, sitting back in his chair as he took in the sight of his two mud-splattered sons, a smile crossing his mouth as he did so. Why was he not surprised to see that the pair of them had come back filthy? The day Virgil returned clean would be the day Jeff wondered about the existence of IR. Glancing down at himself, Virgil grimaced before shooting his father a sheepish grin. Grabbing Gordon – who had yet to say anything – by the arm, he pulled his brother from the room.

"I see what you mean, Scott," Jeff said as he watched his sons disappear, returning to the conversation he had been having with his eldest before his younger brothers had arrived home. "Definitely quiet."

Scott had had long enough between drying off and waiting for Thunderbird Two to land to give his father a quick summary of the situation. Considering he had arrived home still practically dripping water he hadn't been able to get away with saying nothing, since Jeff had immediately wanted to know what had happened to warrant the state of his son. He was sure he had sent them to tackle fires, not a flood. Due to the communication channels being open between the 'birds on the way home, Scott too had taken note of Gordon's silence. Normally when they were returning home, Virgil was doing all he could to shut the redhead up, but this time, barely a word had passed between them.

"Do you think it is because he was sure he checked them? It's just unnerved him that he made a mistake?"

Catching the note in Scott's voice, Jeff turned towards his oldest son.

"Don't you dare pull him up on it, Scott Carpenter Tracy. If he is this quiet, it means he knows the consequences of what could have happened as a result of him making a mistake, especially as he was nearly the one to experience those consequences. You pulling him rank on him isn't going to help."

"Dad, I wasn't going to!" Scott protested, shifting uncomfortably at how easily his father had been able to read him. He wasn't going to deliberately do it, that was for sure, but Scott was almost certain that something would have slipped out of his mouth during debriefing, and considering the mood Gordon was in, it could have been dangerous. Whilst generally being the most laidback of the Tracys, when Gordon snapped, his brothers were surprised the entire world didn't feel his fury. He took after John in that sense – it took a lot to get them worked up, but when their storm hit, it lasted a lot longer and with a much greater intensity than any of their siblings'.

"Mm hmm," Jeff responded, sounding more than disbelieving as he took in Scott's shifting stance with amusement. How the Field Commander thought he could persuade his father otherwise was beyond Jeff; he had sat through enough debriefings to be able to tell how the boys would react just by the way they asked for permission to land. Not that they realised that, however, they all thought they were able to hide their emotions whilst still being in rescue mode. From the rest of the world, maybe, but from their father? Never.

"Hey, Scotty."

Glancing up, Scott relaxed from his awkward position as he caught sight of Alan standing in the doorway, leaning casually against the frame as he watched his older brother, almost as if he was trying to get the measure of Scott's reaction to the rescue. The youngest Tracy had not been in the room when Scott had reported the accident, and his oldest brother had no intention of telling him just how close it had been for Gordon.

"Hey, Sprout. You okay?"

"How'd it go?" Alan asked, moving further into the room and once more resuming his position on the couch, leaning back comfortably with one arm slung over the back as he waited for Scott's response. Knowing that Alan was hoping he hadn't missed out on a good one, Scott grinned.

"Nothing special. Numerous fires needed putting out. We did so. End of story really."

"What force was needed from the Firefly?" Alan pressed, ever the quizzical one for details on the rescues. Before Scott could answer him, however, their father cut in, standing up from his desk as his eyes twinkled over to his youngest son.

"Wait until debriefing, Alan. I'm sure Scott doesn't want to have to run through the same information twice. Where have your brothers got to?" Just as he made to stride over to the door in order to inform the two missing sons that they needed to hurry up before they forgot the details of the rescue – something that had been known to happen in the past – Virgil reappeared. Striding into the room, he moved straight past Scott and collapsed onto the sofa next to Alan, causing the younger man to have to remove his arm fairly quickly in order to avoid being squashed.

"Gordon not back yet?" he eventually asked, finally having realised who was still missing. Jeff wouldn't connect through to Five until all were present, knowing that John hated having to just sit there and watch whilst keeping an ear out for any potential rescues at the same time.

"I'll go find him," Alan volunteered, attempting to navigate his way around Virgil and climb off the couch, not made easy by the fact that the more artistic of his brothers was practically sitting on top of him. Watching Alan's struggle, Scott grinned.

"I'll go." And so saying, the Field Commander strode from the room, pausing at the foot of the stairs for a moment in order to collect his thoughts. It wasn't just the fact that Alan was having trouble moving that had Scott wanting to go. Gordon was the quickest of them all when it came to scrubbing down after the rescue, and thinking back on his brother's quietness on the way home, Scott knew immediately that there was something else going on. They had all messed up at some point on a rescue; there was always so much going on that it was almost inevitable for something to go wrong. But never before had Gordon taken it so personally, that was more Alan's normal route than his immediate older brother's.

In a way, it was his supposed mistake that had Gordon hesitating from going down the stairs in order to join the rest of the family for the debriefing session. He knew that he would have to move soon, his father didn't like having to wait for too long, but instead, Gordon found himself perched on the edge of his bed, the end of the rope in his hands. It didn't matter how much he stared at it, no obvious answer revealed itself other than the fact that it had clearly been cut. Gordon couldn't say what with - something sharp if it could glide through this thickness of rope so easily - but he found that he had a more worrying thought on his mind. He knew that he had checked the crates securely; there was no way that this rope was the slightest bit frayed when he had looked at it. Despite what Scott said, he would have noticed. And yet someone had clearly cut it after Gordon had been up there. Shuddering slightly, Gordon suddenly threw the rope across the room, his burning glare following it. As soon as he had returned to ground level, he had stayed in the same position until Virgil pushed him out of the way. Meaning that whoever cut the rope must have known he was standing directly underneath. This was no mistake on his behalf; someone had attempted to kill him. The big question was: who?

"Gordon? You coming down?"

Hearing Scott directly outside of his door, Gordon jumped to his feet, fixing a smile back on his faceand bounding across the room. Pulling it open, he quickly moved past his brother, taking the stairs two at a time and skidding to a halt at the lounge door. Pausing, he twisted back to regard his brother's much slower descent.

"Come on, Scott, we're all waiting. I know you're getting old and all that, but whilst some of us are still young? Please?"

Darting through the door with a laugh the instant he heard Scott pick up his pace, Gordon practically slipped across the floor on his knees, coming to a smooth stop in front of Alan and Virgil. If there was a manoeuvre he had practised more than once, it was this one. Kneeling upright, he proceeded to grab Alan's ankle, yanking his younger brother off the seat and onto the floor, before springing up and claiming the seat for himself. As Alan turned around with an indignant expression, Gordon found himself gripping on tighter to the cushions as Virgil too turned towards him, eyebrows raised.

"What's up, Allie? You like it down there, don't you?"

"I'm going to kill you, Gordon," Alan responded threateningly, standing back upright before grabbing his brother by the legs. No matter how much Alan pulled, Gordon merely tightened his grip, making adamantly sure that the younger man would not be able to succeed in budging him from his now comfortable seat. Out of the corner of his eye, he was vaguely aware of Scott entering the room, a grin splitting over his face at the fact that Alan was getting Gordon back for him. Trading amused glances with his father, Scott simply stepped back in order to see what was going to happen.

"You aren't moving me!"

"Oh yes I am!" Alan yelled back, pulling harder against Gordon's legs, determined that he was going to get his seat back. Glancing over his shoulder, he couldn't help but grin at the look Virgil shot him over Gordon's head, the latter having slipped down somewhat in his seat despite desperately still holding on. Before Gordon knew what was happening, Virgil grabbed his brother by the shoulders, pushing him forcibly forward at the same time as Alan gave another tug. Unable to go against the pair of them, Gordon slipped somewhat gracefully from the seat, landing in a heap on the floor. Before he could move, Alan had darted past, jumping back on the furniture with a shout of victory.

"Are we ready now, boys?" Jeff finally broke in, the amusement in his tone reflected by the smile dancing across his face, eyes sparkling as he watched his sons' antics. It was nice to see them this relaxed, especially after a rescue. As Virgil swung his legs up, resting his feet on Gordon's shoulders and forcing the younger man to stay on the floor, Jeff patched them through to Thunderbird Five.

The debriefing only took half an hour, all three boys reporting on their role in the rescue, Alan finally getting the information he had been desperate for. John chipped in the few bits he knew with regard to how the fires had started, having kept communications open with the local services, but the teams had no new informationfor them. For all International Rescue knew, it had been an accident, nothing more.

Gordon, however, kept quiet from his position on the floor. Until he had any further proof – especially since he knew Scott's ideas regarding how the accident had happened – the redhead had no desire to voice his suspicions. How was he supposed to say that he believed the fires were deliberate and that the whole rescue had been some sort of set-up in order to hurt them? He didn't even know whether the person had been after him, the Tracys or International Rescue. Or was the aquanaut really just seeing things when all it had been was his own mistake, and simply didn't want to acknowledge that? There was nothing he could say that would not immediately cause panic, something he was not prepared to do until he had further proof that there was something to panic about.

"Oi, fish feet." Giving his brother a nudge in the shoulder with his heel, Virgil brought his brother back to reality just as Scott strode from the room. The redhead hadn't been listening to the idle chatter being passed between the rest of the family for a while now, knowing that the debriefing had finished so he wasn't needed in terms of International Rescue. The rest of the family had, of course, noticed his silence, but knowing that something was troubling his brother, Virgil had sent round a look that clearly told the rest of the family to not push the water-loving Tracy.

"Hmm?" Gordon responded, blinking as he suddenly became aware of the fact that the rest of the family were watching him, curious and slightly concerned expressions etched into their faces. Twisting around, he finally dislodged his brother's feet from his shoulder even as Alan stood up, making to follow Scott from the room.

"You coming? We're going to the pool."

"I'll be there in a sec. John? You busy? I need a favour."

"You okay, Gords?" John voiced not only what was going through his mind, but that of his younger brothers' and his father's at the same time. It was most unlike Gordon to not butt in as much as he could in a debriefing, but this time he had barely uttered a word. John knew how Scott felt about the accident - he had voiced his concerns on his journey home - and that was why he had left the room now. A glance between him and his brothers had given away the fact he wanted them to press the younger man about what was wrong, but hadn't wanted to say the wrong thing. Despite not uttering a word, the rest of the family had agreed on the fact that they would be more likely to get an answer out of Gordon if he was in the water. At least that way, any sign he was getting stressed would be immediately vented through a couple of furious laps, rather than exploding in a rarely seen temper.

"Yeah, I'm good, just need to check something."

"We'll meet you out there then, squirt." Grabbing onto Alan's arm, Virgil proceeded to drag him out of the lounge, only vaguely aware that he was mirroring the exact way he had removed Gordon from the room barely an hour ago. Realising that his fourth-born wanted some time alone with John, Jeff also stood up, muttering something about needing a coffee and striding from the room, telling Gordon that he could use his desk.

Waiting until Gordon had picked himself up off the floor and settled down in their father's big chair, propping his feet up on the desk as he did so, John fixed his brother with the look that made the redhead feel like the older man could see straight through him.

"So what's wrong?" John asked somewhat bluntly, knowing that tact never worked with Gordon. Besides, the fact that he had waited until the rest of the family had gone until he voiced whatever it was that was troubling him told John that his brother was unsure about something. When Gordon was certain, John had never met anyone with more confidence in voicing that opinion. But when he wasn't so sure, however, Gordon could be as quiet as his older blond brother.

"What makes you think that anything is wrong?" Gordon asked, leaning back in the chair and swivelling it from side to side slightly, doing anything to avoid John's piercing gaze. "Maybe I just wanted to talk to my awesome big brother?"

"Now I know something is wrong," John responded with a laugh. Gordon suddenly sat up straight, placing his feet back on the floor as he leant forward. Locking his fingers together, Gordon rested his chin atop of them, not realising how much like his father he looked as he in turn fixed John with a stare.

"You keep the readouts from a rescue, don't you, Johnny?"

"You know I do, for a while, anyway. It makes debriefing easier when things aren't certain. Why?"

"Do you have the heat sensor one?"

"I do, but..."

"John, did you notice anything? Anyone that shouldn't have been there, going in the wrong direction to be helping with the rescues?"

Frowning at the almost desperate tone in Gordon's voice, John sighed heavily, running a hand through his hair as he did so.

"Gordy, I can't help you. You know what it is like with fires, the readings are all over the place. I don't recall noticing anyone else, but I was too busy monitoring the rescue teams when it happened."

"When what happened?"

"Come on, Gordon, I know why you are doing this. Everyone screws up occasionally, we're only human, even Scott despite what you and Alan may think." His attempt to cheer Gordon up almost fell on deaf ears, however, as Gordon continued to frown in contemplation, clearly wanting to trust John, but unable to shake from his mind's eye what he had seen at the accident zone.

"I checked those ropes, John, they were secure."

"And I believe you, squirt. But you were up a crane; that thing has metal poking out all over it. All it would have taken was a slight gust of wind and it would have sliced straight through one of those ropes."

Biting his lip, Gordon had to admit that John's explanation made sense. But it didn't explain the footprints. But now he was thinking about it, Gordon suddenly found that he was no longer certain of what he had seen. Did someone smudge his footprints, or did he smudge someone else's? After all, he'd seen no one around, and when he was in his rescue mode, not a lot could get past the redhead. Was he just being paranoid?

"Gordon?" Waiting until Gordon had turned his attention back to his space-bound brother, John smiled gently. "It was an accident, kid. They happen. All that matters is that you are okay."

"I am so not a kid, space-face," Gordon moaned good-naturedly, smiling his first genuine smile since the incident. John was right, accidents did happen. Who would be trying to kill him, anyway?

"You okay?" John asked, watching his little brother closely. He could almost see the raging thoughts going on behind Gordon's eyes, but on seeing the smile, felt himself relax somewhat. If Gordon could accept that things did sometimes go wrong, it would certainly make things a lot easier between the redhead and his oldest brother. John knew that Scott had already run his mind over the chances that someone had been trying to hurt his little brother, it was what made Scott, Scott. But after running various scenarios past John on the way home, even the Field Commander had to admit he didn't see how someone could have done it without being seen. Accepting that it was an accident, however, only meant that Scott knew Gordon might have messed up.

"Yeah, sorry, John. Just been watching too many movies, I guess. Stupid, isn't it?"

"Hey," John butted in, hearing in Gordon's voice how upset the young man was. John wasn't surprised; after all the guy had almost been crushed on a rescue that should have barely caused them any trouble. "It's never stupid, Gordy. Not to me. If you believed someone was there, you had every right to be suspicious."

"Thanks, John. I better go and stop Alan kicking Virg's butt."

"Good luck," John responded in mock sincerity, the pair of them trading knowing grins. If Virgil still believed that Alan knew about Gordon's wake-up call that morning, the youngest Tracy wouldn't stand a chance. Just as Gordon reached out a hand to disconnect himself from Thunderbird Five, John spoke again.

"Oh, and Gordon? Tell Scott to give me a call, won't you, kid?"

"F.A.B., Johnny. Talk to you later." And with that, Gordon signed off, wondering what John needed to talk to Scott about. Whatever it was, Gordon wasn't going to complain; he had a new desire to put as much distance between him and his oldest brother as possible. As Field Commander, Scott didn't like it when any of them made a mistake on a rescue that could potentially endanger lives.

Wandering out of the room, his mind full of different ways the rope could have been cut without anyone being there, Gordon found his new desire didn't last very long as he practically crashed headlong into Scott. Stumbling backwards, he glanced up, startled, as a pair of hands grasped onto his shoulders, steadying him.

"Steady on." Scott said lightly, his eyes searching his little brother's face for some indication of how the talk with John had gone. If there was anyone who would be able to get through to the water-loving Tracy, it was John. The two of them had always been close, despite the bond between Gordon and Alan, and if John was on the case, it was the one time Scott was prepared to step back and let his younger brother take over.

"John wants to talk to you," Gordon mumbled, suddenly becoming very interested in his feet as he refused to meet Scott's eye. His big brother, however, knew immediately what the redhead was doing – not to mention feeling. Capturing Gordon's chin in his hand, he tilted the aquanaut's face towards him.

"You did good out there, Gords. You did good." And so saying, he let go again, moving past Gordon and reaching out a hand to ruffle his kid brother's hair on the way past, laughing out loud at the response he received for his actions. He knew by the complaint that came out of Gordon's mouth that he was going to be okay, that he had accepted that Scott didn't blame him for the accident. As if he would, however. Scott had honestly thought that his heart was going to stop when he realised that he wasn't going to reach his brother in time and that Gordon seemed incapable of moving. One thing the dip in the river had done, however, was help him snap back into reality.

Glancing over his shoulder as Scott disappeared into the lounge, Gordon grinned, feeling a sudden weight being lifted from him. Navigating his way through the hallways and out through the kitchen to double back around to the pool, he found himself pausing, grin still firmly in place as he took in the sight before him. Virgil had Alan swung over his shoulder, but was still struggling to hold onto his younger sibling as he pulled the blond over to the pool. Making to dump him in, Virgil certainly wasn't expecting Alan to react in the way he did.

As soon as he had left the safety of his brother's shoulder, Alan reached out a hand, latching onto Virgil's wrist even as he fell. With an almighty splash, both brothers hit the water at the same time, Gordon diving in straight after them. As he pushed Alan under the water before darting out of his brother's reach, Gordon found himself floating lazily on his back as he gazed up at the sky for a few moments. Life here was everything he could ever ask for. Who would want to take that away from them, especially considering how much good they did the world on a day-to-day basis? No, he was definitely being paranoid thinking that someone was after them.

As Virgil grabbed him roughly by the shoulders and dragged him under, Gordon pushed the thoughts of the cut rope firmly from his mind.

Chapter Text

Virgil was leaning casually against the railings overlooking his 'bird, drinking in the sight of the powerful machine with appreciative eyes. It gave him something of the chills when he looked down on her like this, taking in the full scale of the giant green Thunderbird, knowing that he had complete control of her whenever she was in the air. When he was flying, there certainly was no way he felt her size; she handled like a dream, something he knew was only possible thanks to the island's resident genius.

"Hide me!"

Visibly jumping as Alan came charging through, taking shelter behind his brother, Virgil found himself snapped out of his musings, slowly turning to face the younger man with an expression that clearly said that he wanted an explanation. Luckily, Alan took the hint.

"Dad's in a business meeting with Scott."

"So?" Virgil prompted, still at a complete loss as to why Alan would be seeking safety down in the silos. After all, normally when Scott was tied up in Tracy Industry business - something that all of his brothers knew he hated, although the Field Commander still had not plucked up the courage to tell their father – Alan and Gordon took the advantage of the lack of older brother breathing down their necks. The look on Alan's face, however, told Virgil that he was somehow missing the point.

"Come on, Virg," Alan moaned, peering around his brother guiltily before ducking back again. "You know what Scott's been like lately; he keeps wanting me to take over."

"I thought you wanted to be more involved in the business side of things?" Virgil said, sounding more than perplexed. Only a few months ago, Alan had been bouncing at the opportunity to sit in on the meetings. Despite him not admitting it, it was just as obvious now as when he was a small child that he idolised the oldest Tracy brother. Even now, Alan looked up to Scott in a way none of the rest of them did, and all the brothers knew how much the youngest wanted to be like the oldest. If Scott couldn't make it onto a rescue – something that had not yet happened, despite their father threatening it more than once – then it would be up to Alan to fly One, if he was on Earth. Personally, Virgil believed that was why Scott was adamant about not sitting out any rescues - he himself knew that he hated the idea of handing Two over to Gordon. And their father had agreed that it wasn't fair on his eldest to supposedly be in charge of the boys' training and be expected to sit in on the meetings, meaning that once again, Alan had jumped at the chance of taking on a role his big brother normally undertook.

"Not this one."

"Why not?"

"Virgil, they are already having to run the meeting past John to translate it, I don't want to have to sit and listen to that. Besides, I know why Scott wants out; he wants to talk to Brains about his latest update ideas for One."

"Let me get this straight," Virgil sounded incredulous as he turned to properly face his little brother, hands resting lightly on his hips in an uncanny impression of his father. "You don't want to take over simply because you don't want Scott to be able to tinker with his 'bird whilst you're in the meeting?"

"Maybe," Alan said sheepishly, as he glanced away, rubbing his hand across the back of his neck as it burnt slightly, knowing that he had been caught out.

"I should tell Scott where you are for that," Virgil continued, beginning to sound slightly threatening. Before he could say anything else, however, Scott's loud voice came bouncing through the silos.

"Alan Tracy! Get your ass up here, little brother; I need to kick it into next week!"

"Looks like they are done."

"Please, Virg," Alan begged slightly, as if realising for the first time that heading to this particular part of the silos meant he was cornered unless his artistic brother decided to help him out.

"I don't know..." Virgil pondered, smirking at the look of panic that went shooting across Alan's face. What he honestly expected Scott to do other than give him a dunking in the pool, Virgil had no idea, but he decided that just this once, he could help the kid out.

"Oh go on then, in you go."

A look of relief darted across Alan's face as he sped forward, swinging off the railings and dropping lightly through the service hatch on top of his brother's 'bird, crouching lightly inside Thunderbird Two, hidden from sight unless Virgil decided to give his presence away. Shaking his head at his brother's antics, Virgil smirked. Why did it not surprise him that Alan could drop that easily? It did, however, make him wonder how many times his little brother – both of them, in fact – had used the service hatch as access to a hiding place. It was an easy way into Two without having to open the pod, something that would make enough noise for the whole villa to hear.

No sooner had Alan dropped out of sight than Scott came strolling onto the platform, eyes darting around before he came to a stop, glancing at his younger brother.

"You looking for Alan, by any chance?" Virgil asked lightly, a hint of a smile playing across his mouth as he took in Scott's annoyed stance.

"How did you guess?" Scott muttered darkly, before sighing and running a hand through his hair. Little did he realise that the object of his search was practically directly under his feet.

"What'd he do this time?" Virgil asked with a small laugh, accidentally glancing towards the service hatch before catching himself and casually lifting his eyes again. Luckily, Scott was now mirroring his earlier position of leaning on the railings, fingers linked as he stared with unseeing eyes across the silos, almost as if he didn't notice that he was looking at a collection of the world's most advanced machinery.

"The tyke dumped me with the meeting. He must have known it would be in a different language! It's enough to make anyone's head spin."

"How did he get out of it?"

"He said something about needing to ask Gords something and gave Dad that look which normally means he wants to talk about the 'birds," Scott groaned, moving his arms so that his elbows were resting on the edge of the railing and letting his head drop into his hands. "And Dad fell for it. I thought it just meant that the Terrible Two were up to something. He's used the 'birds as an excuse before. Do you remember? It was the time you got covered in paint?"

"As if I could forget that. Were they planning something then?" Virgil asked quietly, wondering if Alan had just taken him for a fool. Involuntary, his eyes once more darted towards the service hatch, almost as if his mind was sending out a warning that it wouldn't only be Scott who Alan had to hide from if he had tricked the artistic brother as well.

"Nope, Gordon was asleep."

"Asleep?" Virgil repeated, sounding incredulous as he turned to face Scott. "What the heck is Gordon doing asleep?"

"Search me. I swear it's as if the kid has run out of energy ever since the accident."

"Scott, that was two days ago."

"I know, Virg." Scott sighed heavily, the idea of something troubling his little brother and him not being able to help clearly getting to him, even if he hadn't told any of the others. Virgil too knew how he felt, he had been keeping a close eye on the water-loving Tracy ever since his latest brush with death, especially considering how quiet Gordon had been on the way home from the rescue. It simply wasn't like Gordon to let things affect him so deeply, and Virgil knew he was not the only brother worrying.

"Have you spoken to John about it?" Virgil asked, his fingers already beginning to drift absent mindedly towards his watch in order to contact his brother. As Scott shook his head, clearly indicating that he hadn't yet had the time –something Virgil was not at all surprised about considering it had taken them the best part of those two days trying to clean the mud off the machinery – Virgil patched them through to their brother, momentarily forgetting that Alan was hidden below and so could hear every word. Without giving John a chance to say anything, Virgil got in there first.

"John, we need your help."

"¿Que?" John shot back, immediately smirking at the groan coming from his oldest brother, just visible in the corner of the screen from where he was peering over Virgil's shoulder.

"English, dude, English."

"No entiendo Ingles," John continued, his grin growing wider at the scowl on Scott's face. He had seen the way his big brother's entire posture had tensed up when the meeting had started, knowing that his normally calm Field Commander didn't understand a word of what was being said. Whilst the boys knew a vast range of languages between them – their job dictated it, since communications could be difficult at the best of times – Scott didn't know Spanish.

"John," Scott growled warningly, but found himself falling silent again as Virgil's pointy elbow collided with his ribs.

"It's Gordon, John."

"What's wrong?" Immediately, John was sitting further forward, concern jumping into his eyes as all traces of humour vanished. Shaking his head fondly at John's reaction, Virgil glanced over at Scott. The younger two said that the team medic and oldest brother were the worst when it came to smothering reactions, but there could be no denying John was just as bad. And when it came to the youngest member of their family, even Gordon had a side to him that Alan hated.

"He's asleep," Scott said bluntly, causing John to let a low whistle of disbelief slide through his teeth, immediately knowing why his brothers had called him.

"Is he okay?"

"We were hoping that you could tell us," Virgil said quietly, sharing another look with Scott, concern reflected in their eyes. "What did he say to you after debriefing the other day? He seemed alright when he got to the pool."

"I thought he was okay. He told me he was going to let it go."

"Let what go, John?" Scott pressed. He had received something of a talking to from his space-bound brother after the debriefing, John pushing him not to say anything to Gordon about potentially messing up on a rescue. But apart from that, the two brothers had said nothing regarding that conversation. In Scott's mind, if there was something that John felt they needed to know, he would tell them. Otherwise, his conversation with Gordon was just between them. With their little brother acting out of sorts, though, even two days after the event, the three older ones felt that it could no longer stay a secret, not if they were to be able to help their brother.

"He didn't think the accident was an accident," John reported, biting his lip in contemplation as he thought back on the conversation.

"He hinted towards something like that at the accident zone," Virgil said softly. He too was frowning in an attempt to remember precisely what had been said. "Don't you remember, Scott? He almost flipped out when you suggested it might just have been a mistake."

"He had just been hysterical, though, Virg," Scott commented, suddenly feeling guilty. What if Gordon had been voicing what was troubling him and his biggest brother had simply not been listening?

"I think he thought that someone had been attempting to kill him - or any of you, - and that he had just been in the wrong place. He wanted me to check the sensors to see if I could see anything."

"And could you?" Virgil asked quickly, finding that his heart was suddenly beating very fast. Despite Gordon's suspicions, Virgil could honestly say that he had thought the accident was nothing more than that, only not wanting his brother to explode on him, had kept quiet, trying to keep the redhead calm. People said the craziest of things after near-death experiences, and just because Gordon experienced them more often than most, why should he be any exception?

"Come on, Virgil, you know what the sensors do around fires. Even at ground level they send the readings mad. Then move away by a few thousand miles... What do you think I got?"

"Sorry, John," Virgil apologised, knowing that the distance between them and whoever was space-bound could often be an issue in the event of a stressful rescue.

"But that doesn't mean that I've stopped looking," John responded smugly, grinning at the look on Scott's face. If they thought the blond gave up that easily, then they really didn't know their brother very well.

"Anything?"

"Not yet, but if I can continue to improve the focus and pinpoint your exact positions, I should be able to tell one way or another if someone was there or not. Hopefully that will put Gordon's mind at rest."

"Or prove that someone is out to kill us," Scott said quietly, immediately wiping the grin off John's face and causing Virgil to sigh deeply.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it," Virgil muttered. "Thanks, John. We should talk to Dad, Scott."

"F.A.B."

"Keep me posted, guys?"

"Will do. See ya later, Johnny." And so saying, Virgil disconnected them. Standing in silence for a few moments, an unspoken weight seemed to have settled over the brothers, both of them thinking about the repercussions John's findings could have for the family.

"Come on, let's go and find Dad," Scott eventually muttered, slinging a comforting arm around his brother and leading Virgil from the silos.

They had almost made it to their father's office when Virgil suddenly stopped, feeling like an icy cold bucket of water had just been thrown over him. Shutting his eyes with a groan, he felt more than saw Scott's piercing gaze.

"Virg, what is it?"

"Alan," Virgil mumbled, unable to believe he could have been that stupid. "He heard the entire conversation."

"You mean he was there?"

"Yep," Virgil winced, wondering what the news would have done to Alan. Never mind the potential thought of someone being out to hurt his brothers, they had kept from their youngest member just how close it had been for Gordon, not to mention how he had lost control slightly on the rescue. It wasn't as if they were deliberately trying to keep him in the dark, but with the responsibility of being an older brother came the natural instinct to protect the younger ones. Even if it meant protecting them from the reality that things weren't always as safe as the older ones let on. Alan wasn't naive; he knew that all rescues were dangerous, he had been on enough himself. His brothers had simply not felt the need to let him know about the accident considering it wasn't the rescue as such that had caused Gordon's latest brush with death.

"What are we going to do?"

"We're going to talk to Dad first. We need to know what he thinks, that will tell us how to deal with Al." And so saying, Scott grabbed Virgil by the upper arm and pulled his unresisting brother down the hallway, only pausing long enough to rap on his father's door before entering without waiting for a response anyway.

"Dad, I think we may have a problem."

As the door shut with a snap behind Virgil, the two brothers began to lay all their concerns on their father, wondering if – just like when they were younger – Jeff would be able to make all their troubles disappear with a simple word.

TBTBTB

Crouched where he was, Alan found his breath was catching in his throat as he struggled to process what he had just heard. To begin with, he had been hard pushed not to laugh considering Scott hadn't believed his reason to get out of the meeting - and with good reason as well, since Gordon hadn't even been in the house when the boys had entered their father's study nearly an hour before. But then the conversation had moved on, and Alan had found himself frozen with a racing heart as his brothers discussed precisely what had happened on the rescue. Despite still not knowing any of the details, Alan had heard enough to know that Gordon could have been killed. And that at least one of the elder Tracys thought it had been a deliberate act rather than one of the accidents that could easily happen on a rescue. But none of them, not even Gordon himself, had thought that the final member of their team might like to have been informed about what had befallen his brothers.

Finally gaining movement back in his limbs, Alan unfolded himself from where he had been crouched. Almost absent mindedly bouncing on his toes, he sprang lightly upwards, grasping the edge of the hatch with his fingertips before pulling himself out of the hole. For a moment, he rested lightly on top of his brother's most prized possession, a mixture of anger and hurt running through him before repeating the action and landing lightly on his feet back on the platform. After what he had heard, he knew that Scott and Virgil had gone to see their father, clearly hoping that Jeff would have some answers. Wondering if his usual partner in crime would be any more forthcoming about the event, Alan sped silently from the silos, taking the stairs two at a time and creeping into Gordon's room.

His brother was still asleep, spread out across the bed and taking up the whole thing. Staring at him from the doorway, Alan bit his lip. He wasn't surprised that their older brothers were worried about the prankster. Gordon was normally one of the first up, the last to go to bed, and the one who spent the whole day bouncing. For him to crash out like this was a clear sign that something was troubling the usually happy-go-lucky man.

"What are you hiding from me, Gordo?" Alan whispered softly, moving further into the room as he continued to watch his brother. Finally letting his eyes sweep the room, Alan felt his frown deepen at a half-obscured object on the floor. Crossing the room and crouching down, Alan glanced over his shoulder at Gordon before tugging the end of the rope towards him. His mouth going dry, the youngest brother suddenly had a very good idea of what he was holding, especially considering the clean cut of the end.

"What are you doing, Allie?" Hearing a sleep-heavy voice from behind him, Alan spun on the spot guilty, turning back towards the bed as he did so, only to see Gordon sitting up. Leaning on his elbows, the aquanaut was watching his little brother in bewilderment.

"Oh nothing," Alan responded drily, allowing the annoyance to make itself known in his voice. "After all, it's not like any of you tell me what you are doing!"

"Okay... One," Gordon began, sitting up properly and swinging his legs off the bed, wondering where this accusing tone had suddenly come from, "What the hell is that supposed to mean? And two, what are you doing in my room?"

"You know what it means!" Alan responded heatedly, refusing to let his mind acknowledge that his brother had only just woken up, meaning that at this given moment in time, Gordon probably didn't have a clue what his brother was on about.

"Alan, what the hell?" Gordon exclaimed, coming around the bed to stand over his brother. As soon as he saw the rope in Alan's hand, however, he swallowed hard, the younger man's previous comment suddenly making sense.

"Don't give me that, Gordon!" Alan yelled back. Before anything more could be said, however, the other members of the family materialised in the doorway, having been drawn to Gordon's room by the raised voices. As soon as they saw what was happening within, Scott and Virgil exchanged concerned looks, knowing immediately what was going on as their father stepped through the doorway.

"What's going on, boys?" he asked in a tone that his sons knew meant he was expecting an answer.

"Ask them," Alan snarled, turning his annoyance on the two older brothers standing in the doorway, throwing the rope away from himself as he did so. Gordon not telling him he could partly understand, the redhead hadn't voiced his suspicions to anyone other than John. But for Scott and Virgil to deliberately keep him in the dark, well, that hurt.

"Come on, Sprout, don't be like that," Scott began reassuringly, stepping through the door himself and taking a few steps towards his brothers, though knowing to keep his distance from Alan's fiery temper.

"Like what, Scott? Worried about what happens to my brothers when they are out on rescues? That's rich coming from you. But then again, I guess no one forgets to tell you when one of us nearly dies!"

"It wasn't like that," Gordon interrupted, finally having made his brain wake up enough to catch up with the row now blazing in front of him. He had hoped having a lie down would have made things easier for him to understand, not make the problems even worse.

"No?" Alan demanded, rounding on Gordon as he spoke. "Then why did no one tell me?"

"For the same reason you want to know! Scott snapped, sitting down on the edge of Gordon's bed and letting his head rest in his hands. It was times like this that he hated the very existence of International Rescue. Not only could it threaten his family physically, it also had the capability of driving up barriers in a way nothing else could.

"What do you mean?" Suddenly, the heat had disappeared from Alan's voice as he stared at his biggest brother, no longer certain of where the argument was going. He was sure that his brothers had just been trying to leave him out of things – it wasn't like it would have been the first time.

"Come on, Al, why did you want to know so badly? And don't say it was because we should have told you as members of the same team."

For a long moment, the silence stretched on between the brothers, settling over them heavily and causing the smallest of noises to be amplified.

"Okay, awkward," Gordon eventually muttered, his eyes darting back and forth between his youngest and oldest brother, wondering who was going to be the first out of the pair of them to break the eye contact. It almost looked as if they were locked in the same sort of staring competitions the boys had participated in when they were children, only this time, winning or losing had bigger consequences than an hour of teasing from the victor.

Watching Alan bite his lip as he stared at Scott, clearly beginning to sense exactly where this was heading, Jeff was suddenly reminded of just how young his son was, how young they all were considering the pressures he placed on them on a day-to-day basis. Excusing himself, he quickly strode from the room, barely aware of the look that shot between Gordon and Virgil over his exit.

"Answer the question, Alan," Scott pushed, knowing that unless Alan said it for himself, he wouldn't accept the point his big brother was trying to make.

"I was worried about him," Alan eventually whispered, glancing over at Gordon as he spoke and so breaking the eye contact with Scott. Moving across the gap between them, Gordon squeezed the younger man's shoulder reassuringly, an unspoken message being shot between the two brothers.

"Exactly. You want to protect him. And that works both ways, Alan. We didn't tell you because it had nothing to do with the debriefing. Gordon is fine. There was no need for you to worry."

"The way you, Virgil and John are?" Alan asked, an ironic smile ghosting his lips as he sank into his brother's chair, running a hand distractedly through his hair as he did so, letting out an explosion of breath at the same time.

"Hang on," Gordon suddenly interrupted, glancing between his older and younger brothers in apparent confusion. "Why the heck are you guys worried?"

"You were asleep, Gords," Virgil finally spoke, leaning against the doorframe as he took in the tired complexion of his little brother in concern.

"I was tired," Gordon exclaimed, gesturing wildly with his hands at the same time, although it didn't escape Virgil's notice that the redhead's eyes were darting around the room, refusing to hold the medic's gaze for any length of time. Folding his arms across his chest, Virgil merely raised his eyebrows. As soon as Gordon caught his gaze again, the redhead seemed to deflate slightly, knowing that his older brothers wouldn't have been convinced for a moment.

"Smother hen," Gordon muttered darkly, under his breath, sitting back on the edge of his bed now that he knew keeping up pretences was just a waste of time.

"Look at us," Scott eventually said, a forced laugh escaping him as he moved across the room until he was standing behind Alan. Letting his hands rest lightly on his little brother's shoulders, Scott found himself smiling gently as Alan allowed the contact, a clear sign that he had calmed down. Hoping that he wasn't pushing it too far, the oldest Tracy son opened his mouth again.

"You okay, Allie?" he asked gently, giving the younger man's shoulders a squeeze at the same time. "You get why we didn't tell you, don't you?"

"I get it. Doesn't mean I have to like it," Alan mumbled, causing Scott and Virgil to trade relieved smiles. Alan was never going to completely back down; it went too far against his nature. But for him to say that he at least understood, well, his brothers' could ask for no more than that.

"And you..." Virgil took over now, turning his attention to his water-loving brother and fixing Gordon with a look that had the redhead groaning, almost sure he knew what was coming before Virgil opened his mouth again. "You are undertaking a full physical as soon as you are awake enough to do it."

"What?" Gordon yelped, springing to his feet and glaring at his brother indignantly. He had expected Virgil to make some sort of comment about his health, but not that. As Virgil held his gaze steadily, Gordon knew that he wouldn't be able to get out of this.

"You'll have to catch me first!" With a sudden spring, Gordon was across his room, charging past Virgil and sprinting for the stairs. With a smirk, Virgil casually stuck out a hand as Gordon sped past; latching onto the back of his brother's top, almost being pulled off his feet as he did so.

Hearing a thud, Alan and Scott traded amused grins before heading for the door themselves, wondering who was going to be victorious this time. One glance into the hallway told them that it was Virgil who had managed to get his way, practically sitting on top of his brother as he pinned the wriggling Gordon down.

"Gotcha," he commented lightly, leaning back to avoid Gordon's attempts to swing at him. "Ooh yeah, definitely need a physical. I mean, did you see that attempt at a punch? Even Tin-Tin could hit better than that."

"Virgil, you're a complete-" Whatever Gordon was going to say to insult his brother, however, was cut off as a loud siren signalled the arrival of a rescue. Climbing to his feet, Virgil pulled Gordon up with him, and all else forgotten, the four brothers took off for the lounge.

Chapter Text

Jeff had already connected through to John by the time the rest of his sons made it into the lounge, nodding at them as they came thundering in. Scott instantly moved across the room, standing by his lamps, ready – as always – to be whisked into action once his father gave the command. As John filled the rest of the family in on the situation they were flying out to, Virgil found himself watching Gordon. His brother looked pale almost to the extent of exhaustion, even though his eyes were bright and alert at the idea of a rescue. There certainly had been something about the accident a few days before that had thrown the young man, especially if – as Virgil suspected – it had been stopping him from sleeping.

Floods had crippled a small, local area in Canada – exactly the same location as before - the authorities not having the manpower to evacuate everyone. A dam had broken in the river, and Virgil knew immediately it was because of the fires which had started all of this trouble. One glance at Scott and the artist knew they were going to the rescue, whether Jeff said the words or not. The Field Commander was clearly feeling responsible for the disaster, probably believing they should have checked the danger zone more thoroughly when they had left the last time. Virgil couldn't help but think they perhaps had more pressing issues at hand, considering Gordon's brush with death.

"Virg?" Hearing Scott calling him, a sense of impatience underlying the concern in his voice, Virgil snapped himself back into reality, his eyes resting on his big brother. Scott looked like he was just about to disappear from sight, both hands resting lightly on the handles of the lamps, but his head was turned towards his younger sibling, clearly having picked up that his brother had not been as focused as normal.

"I'm with you, Scott." Offering Scott a tight smile, Virgil sighed in relief as his brother nodded sharply before disappearing from view. The last thing he wanted was for the Field Commander to think that his mind was not focused fully on the job.

"Virgil, I want you to take..."

"Do we need Four, Dad?" Virgil interrupted, cutting his father off mid-flow. He didn't mean to interrupt the man but he knew that on this occasion he needed to get his opinion in first. An order was a lot easier to overthrow when it had not yet been given. And given the nature of the rescue, Virgil knew his father well enough to predict what the man had been about to say.

"John?" Handing the question over to his second-born, Jeff found that he was watching the more artistic of his sons closely. Something seemed to be distracting Virgil, and as his eyes flickered between his immediate older and younger siblings, the father had a very good idea what it was. He too had been concerned about Gordon's behaviour, but he knew the prankster would get enough smothering from his brothers without being subjected to it by his father as well. If the young man had something that he wanted to say, Jeff knew his son well enough to know that Gordon wouldn't be able to keep it hidden for long. He was definitely the most vocal out of his sons, even when something was troubling him.

"Nope, the water isn't deep enough," John reported, after letting his eyes scan momentarily over the information he had managed to obtain from the rescue zone. Judging by the lack of co-ordination on the ground, the main problem seemed to be that no one knew what they were doing. The flood had spread, but was slowing down. It was just a matter of getting the people to safety, something that Two and the hover slides would be able to handle. Once his brothers were there, however, the blond was sure that it would be a relatively straightforward rescue. With a wry smile, John knew that lack of organisation wouldn't stand a chance against Scott, and knowing what his brother was like, he would probably have everything ordered and ready to go before Virgil got there. If there was one thing Scott hated more than people being in danger on a rescue, it was the ground teams not working effectively together. In the Field Commander's mind, disorganisation cost lives, potentially his brothers'.

"In that case, I'm taking Alan," Virgil said shortly, nodding at his youngest brother and causing a smile to leap onto Alan's face even as he ran for the entrance. Stepping up to the hidden access for his slide, Virgil paused, glancing back over his shoulder at Gordon.

"Don't you dare, Virgil," Gordon said quietly, his voice sounding almost desperate as he locked eyes with his big brother.

"What's going on?" Jeff barked, his own eyes swivelling between his sons. Whilst he wanted Virgil to get a move on, experience had taught him that anything that was affecting his sons to such a degree that Virgil wouldn't take Gordon on a rescue was better cleared up before he left. The last thing his father wanted was for Virgil to have his mind distracted whilst on the job.

"Until you clear that physical, I can't risk you on a rescue," Virgil responded, his voice equally as soft, whilst inside he was wincing. He sounded more like Scott when he spoke like that, but there was no way he was about to let his little brother out into a potential deadly situation whilst he was looking this run-down. Especially since it was clear Gordon hadn't let the accident go, despite promising John he would do so. All in all, Gordon was not acting like Gordon, and there was no way Virgil was going to let him risk his life until he was back to his old self.

"Please, Virg..." Gordon pressed. It wasn't so much that he minded Alan going on a rescue; they took it in turns if the situation didn't need them both and Gordon had been the one to tackle the fires, after all. But he had expected that since the situation this time involved a flood, he would be the one to go. When it came to dealing with water, there was no doubt who was the strongest member of the team. No, what had him feeling more than let down was the fact that Virgil didn't trust him enough to know his own condition in order to make a judgement as to whether he could handle a rescue or not. Yes, the redhead might have been a little tired, but he knew full well Scott and Virgil had both attended rescues feeling worse.

"Sorry, Gordon," Virgil replied shortly, activating the entrance and disappearing from view, not giving his brother a chance to say anything else. Seeing Alan hesitate at the note in Gordon's voice, the water-lover sighed.

"Don't keep him waiting, Al." As Alan also disappeared, Gordon sat down heavily, only to glance up on feeling the weighty stares of his father and remaining brother.

"What was that, Gordon?" Jeff asked, knowing by the defeated look of his fourth-born that taking a more aggressive approach definitely wouldn't get any answers out of his son.

"Virgil doesn't think I am fit for duty," Gordon muttered dully, looking down at the floor as he spoke.

"And are you?" Jeff asked, his tone kind and gentle. He had the utmost trust in the boys to know whether they could handle a rescue or not. He knew that they would never admit to being hurt or in any sort of pain, but was also well aware that they would not risk other people's lives on that decision. If Gordon said he could handle a rescue, then his father believed him.

"Yes!" Gordon responded heatedly, looking up and meeting Jeff's eye. "I'm just a bit tired, nothing I can't handle."

"Then I'll talk to your brother when he gets home," Jeff promised, before turning his attention back to John. "Do we have any further information coming in from the accident zone?"

"Not yet, Father," John reported, only to break off when a coughing fit interrupted him. Raising his eyebrows, Jeff found himself subjecting John to the same look that he had just given the astronaut's younger brother.

"You told me that it had gone."

"It has, for the most part," John protested, grinning sheepishly at his father and causing Jeff to sigh with a fond smile.

"I'm going to find Kyrano and the coffee pot. Contact me immediately if your brothers reach the danger zone before I'm back." And so saying, Jeff strode from the room, muttering something under his breath about troublesome sons as he went.

"You alright, Johnny-boy?" Gordon asked, not realising that he was sounding more like himself than he had done for days.

"Are you?" John shot back, although his words were somewhat softened by the gentle smile on his face, in order to reassure his brother that he was not doing the same as Virgil and not trusting him.

"Stupid medic," Gordon muttered darkly under his breath, making his feelings about Virgil's behaviour more than obvious. John, however, didn't quite know what to say. On one side, he hated seeing Gordon like this, and had it been for any other reason, he would be joining his brother in insulting Virgil. But having spoken to his brothers already regarding their copper-haired sibling, he knew that this time Virgil had cause to be worried. John knew that it wasn't Gordon's physical state that the team medic was worried about, but his mental one. After all, if Gordon was so determined to think that the accident had been caused by someone trying to kill him, where was the line going to be drawn? Was every accident from now on going to mean something more to the aquanaut?

"He's only watching out for you, squirt," John murmured, suddenly glad that he had the distance of space between him and his younger brother. At least that way, if Gordon took it the wrong way, he could simply disconnect. Luckily for him, the redhead seemed to know what John was getting at.

"I know. It just would have been nice if he decided to tell me that before he was heading out on a rescue." Running a hand through his hair, Gordon found himself glancing at his brother's portrait, wondering when it was going to morph into the real thing to signal that he was approaching the danger zone. Whilst he hadn't said anything, Gordon hadn't been able to stop his heart from beating slightly faster when he'd heard the location of the rescue. It was not far from the river, not far from where his accident had been. Wondering if a nice easy rescue was what was needed to put his mind at ease, Gordon exhaled sharply, shooting his brother an apologetic grin.

"That's better," John commented with a smile of his own, more grateful than he could express to see understanding reflected in Gordon's eyes. Wondering if he could make the grin more genuine, the blond decided to push it slightly. "You know how spontaneous Virg likes to be."

As the younger man chuckled, John let out a gentle sigh, glad to see the old Gordon returning. If that hadn't done the trick, however, John would have had no idea what else to try. Whilst his artistic brother had many talents and characteristics that defined him, spontaneity was certainly not one of them.

He couldn't help but echo his brother's previous thoughts, however. If they could carry off a nice, simple rescue without any mishaps, the turmoil of thoughts in Gordon's mind would hopefully be put to rest. What concerned John more, however, was that 'nice' and 'easy' didn't seem to focus in the Tracy vocabulary when it came to rescues.

"Alan, I want you to gear up and work with the teams responsible for the gas leak that has sprung up on the far side." Scott's voice was low and professional as he gave his instructions, glancing at the information in front of him. The majority of the buildings had been evacuated by the time they had arrived; only a large shopping mall on the far side still contained potential victims. Scott was sure the gas leak was just the pipes not being able to take the influx of water, but he still wanted everything under control. If it was their fault this had happened, he was going to make sure it didn't happen again.

"F.A.B." Alan replied, turning on his heel and almost bounding away, causing his older brothers to exchange amused looks. Despite turning from their little brother into a mature member of the International Rescue team when out on a rescue, there could be no denying that Alan's enthusiasm for the job outstripped nearly the rest of the family's put together.

"Virgil, you're with me. We need to get the people who are still trapped in the store."

"How?" Virgil couldn't help but question, wincing as he took in the sight of the swirling water. John had been right when he said that it was not deep enough for Four to be needed, but it couldn't be far off. He was just thankful the local rescue teams had got themselves sorted during their flight over and had managed to clear the vast majority of the buildings; it would certainly make their job a lot easier. Scott was just glad that Gordon wasn't around. This close to the river, he was not sure his brother would have been able to handle it. Not having heard the last few comments that passed between his brothers, Scott had no idea that it was Virgil's request to have Alan on the rescue. The Field Commander just assumed that Base had decided that the youngest member of their team could do with some experience in different situations; Gordon was normally the one to be sent out on floods.

"We'll use the hover slides. Get the most vulnerable out first, then work out some sort of order. The water's not bad enough to cause a real threat, but we need to move."

"F.A.B." Virgil acknowledged, making his way back towards his 'bird as he spoke. One quick glance over his shoulder revealed Scott securing Mobile Control before turning to follow him, Alan just visible in the distance where he was clearly organising the ground teams. Waiting for Scott to catch up with him, Virgil found himself smiling gently as he watched Alan. The kid sure knew how to handle himself on a rescue, that was certain.

"You coming, Virg?" Scott asked as he finally caught up with his brother, only to realise that Virgil had stopped. Following Virgil's eye line, Scott had to mirror the artist's grin as he watched Alan. Despite his doubts when IR had been set up as to whether his brother would be able to handle the strain of the rescues – especially considering that he had still been at the stage of disagreeing with everything his father said - the Field Commander was the first to admit that he had been wrong about the youngest Tracy.

"Do you think I did the right thing, Scott?"

"What'd you do?" Scott asked, surprise lining his voice. Suddenly realising that his eldest brother had already made his way down to the silos when Virgil had all but forbidden Gordon from coming on the rescue, the younger man quickly outlined the situation. With one hand resting on the doorway to the Pod, Scott stopped, eyebrows raised.

"You'd make a good commander, Virg," he commented quietly, before making his way into the green machine and pulling out some of the equipment they would need to rescue the trapped victims. Virgil paused for a moment before following his brother in. He wasn't sure whether he should feel insulted by that comment or not.

"And by the way," Scott called out, shifting the slides forward one at a time so Virgil could lift them down.

"I would have done the same thing. If he is not up to it, he can't come, end of story."

Realising that Scott was firmly in his rescue mode and so would have done more than forbidden his brother from coming if it meant keeping him safe, Virgil pushed the matter from his mind, knowing that he would be forced to face the consequences when they got back to Base. There was no way that Gordon would simply let Virgil's refusal go. One thing Virgil didn't want to do however was dwell on it now, not when there was a rescue – and victims – needing his attention.

"Please, Sir, do not push, you will be out of here in no time!" Finding himself yelling over the noise, Virgil was more than glad that this appeared to be the last run they would have to do to get the victims out. He was cold, soaking wet, and thanks to the water levels continuing to rise despite Alan's attempts to keep them level, the rescue had turned out to be slightly trickier than the team medic had first anticipated. Matters were not helped by the fact that whilst the gas leak had been contained, the manager of the store was conspicuous by his absence if nothing else. With a slight grin as he aided a woman to her feet and began to guide her over to the waiting transportation, Virgil knew precisely how his biggest brother was feeling about that. If there was one value that Scott had picked up both through his time in the military and – unless Virgil was much mistaken – helping raise his younger siblings, it was that the captain stayed with the ship, no matter the circumstances. The fact that anyone with the slightest bit of seniority had vanished by the time the boys arrived on the scene had obviously grated on the Field Commander; Virgil could see it reflected in his eyes.

Hearing a shrill whistle, Virgil's head instantly shot up, his gaze scanning the room until it rested on his oldest brother. With so many people around, the boys couldn't risk using names - especially not Virgil's due to its rarity - instead being forced to find other ways of communicating with one another. Each Tracy had their own signal so the others would know who was after their attention, and as his eyes finally locked on Scott's, Virgil dipped his head to acknowledge that he was listening.

"Start the move out." Scott's voice seemed to carry across the room despite the fact he had barely lifted his tone, causing Virgil to roll his eyes somewhat irritably. He had to admit, whilst he had always looked up to the older man, there had never been anything he was really envious about, apart from one thing. No matter what the situation was, Scott always managed to make himself heard. Virgil felt like he was beginning to lose his voice after trying to keep the trapped shoppers calm, one man in particular grating on his nerves due to his loud protestations that he should be one of the first out. Normally, the boys listened to the reasons when someone declared something like that, and then took appropriate action. But when pushed, the man had simply boasted that his car was the most expensive in the parking lot and that he wanted to get it away from the destruction. Little did he realise that his announcement had just moved him straight to the back of the queue. Despite their own wealth, if there was one thing the Tracys hated more than a bad rescue, it was the arroganceof those more fortunate than others.

Beginning to lead the people who were closest to the door through the swirling mass of debris, Virgil found all other thoughts pushed from his mind as a woman directly behind him stumbled. Spinning around faster than most could contemplate, he caught her by the forearm, gently drawing her back to her feet and smiling reassuringly at the look of gratitude she shot him.

Watching his brother's actions, Scott found a fond smile crossing his face. Leaning against the wall with his arms folded across his chest, the Field Commander found that there wasn't a lot for him to do as Virgil led the last victims to safety. Watching his younger brothers on a rescue always gave him something of a thrill, although the feeling was constantly dampened by the worry that something would happen to them. Thinking about their last rescue, Scott sighed deeply, lifting his watch as he did so.

"Come in, Thunderbird Five."

"Reading you." John's cheerful reply instantly came bouncing through the space between the brothers, causing Scott's smile to return. John always managed to sound cheerful when he was monitoring their progress, despite the fact Scott knew it drove him mad being so far away.

"We got any more life signs?" Scott asked, suddenly sounding weary as Alan splashed his way through the store towards him now that the victims had all been safely extracted. If Scott thought he was wet, it was nothing compared to his little brother.

"Al, what have you been doing?" he couldn't help but ask, sounding incredulous even as he cut off John's reply to his previous question.

"Trying to see if I can find some way of stopping the water," Alan reported, shooting his brother a look that clearly said Scott should have figured that one out for himself. Curious as to whether Alan had managed anything – Gordon was normally the one for those sorts of ideas – Scott frowned quizzically.

"Well?"

Dropping his gaze, Alan shook his head.

"No idea. We need Gordon for that." Once more meeting his brother's gaze head on, Alan frowned. "Talking about Gordon..."

"Not here," Scott muttered, glancing around him as he did so. The last place he wanted to discuss what was going on in the prankster's head was in the middle of a danger zone. "So, Johnny, any more life signs?"

"Yeah, one," John began hesitantly, surprise lining his voice as he had to change his original answer to his only older brother. There had been no more signals indicating that anyone was out of place when he had checked a few moments ago, but suddenly one had appeared, seemingly out of nowhere.

"Where?"

"Furthest point of the building, at the back," John reported, frowning in turn as Scott and Alan glanced at each other.

"I'll go," Scott eventually muttered, noticing the slight shivers Alan was trying to hide. "Go and get dried off and tell Virg to pack up Mobile Control for me, I want to get a move on when this is sorted. We apparently have a brother to sort out."

"He's okay, you know," John protested, knowing that they were talking about Gordon. Scott, however, didn't answer, and the older of the two blonds knew that his brother wouldn't believe it until he could say the same words himself, with a clear conscience that they had done everything possible for Gordon. Wondering whether he should give his younger brother a heads-up on the smothering that was coming his way, the astronaut disconnected, knowing that Scott was just about to cut the link anyway.

Forcing his way through the water, Scott rolled his eyes as Alan refused to move. Knowing precisely what was going through his younger brother's head, the pilot twisted his own back to look at Alan, a gentle smile on his face.

"I've got this, Allie. You go back to Virg, and if I'm longer than twenty minutes you can fly One back to base."

"I never believe you when you say that," Alan muttered, but turned all the same. For Scott to say that, it meant he was confident that the rescue was over and once he had found whoever it was that John had suddenly picked up, they would be free to go home. Just because he was the youngest didn't mean that Alan didn't worry about his older brothers in the same way he knew they worried about him.

Waiting until Alan had disappeared from sight – for Scott knew that he had a habit of following despite being ordered the other way – the older man then set off towards the back of the building, hoping that he was going in the right direction to where John had picked up the heat signal. Why anyone would be this far back the pilot had no idea, but people's minds didn't necessarily work rationally in the face of potential danger, something Scott had discovered the hard way on one of his first rescues.

"Hello? This is International Rescue, can anyone hear me?" For a moment no sound met Scott's ears apart from his own footsteps splashing noisily across the floor. The water level was lower here, making movement far easier and causing Scott's spirits to lift slightly. He had thought it would have been worse further back, meaning it was definitely a relief to find that was not the case. He hated it when the boys thought that a rescue was over and then an added complication made things ten times worse. He moved past the various stores and found himself following the signal through what looked like a restaurant. Past the slightly floating tables he went until he reached the kitchens. Still the signal was leading him through, and before long, Scott found himself in the store room.

"Hello?" Calling out once more, Scott came to a stop, spinning slowly on the spot as he searched for whomever it was that was back there. Wondering if John had perhaps been mistaken – for Scott certainly couldn't see anyone – the Field Commander had just made up his mind to turn back around again when the smallest of movements in his peripheral vision made him stop. Turning sharply, he splashed his way across to where he had seen the movement and, peering over a large crate, found himself gazing into a pair of wide, frightened eyes.

"Hey, there." Instantly, Scott's tone softened as he shifted the crate out of the way before crouching down in front of the child. The girl could have been no older than five, the blue eyes and blonde hair instantly capturing Scott's heart. Even though the child was a girl, the pilot saw Alan, coming to his brother in the middle of the night because there was a monster under his bed. Despite Scott making the show of checking, the five-year-old had been adamant that he was going to be eaten, refusing to go back to sleep until Scott offered his own room as sanctuary.

"How about we get you out of here then, missy?" Offering her his hand, Scott found that his eyes were automatically searching the area around them in order to see if he could see anything else. He knew that John had only reported one reading, but Scott was worried about the fact that she seemed to be out here on her own. His eyes resting on what appeared to be large cabinets lining the back wall, the pilot frowned even as the little girl finally grasped the offered hand and pulled herself to her feet. Pushing the matter from his mind, Scott began to lead her back the way he had come, wondering if carrying her would make things easier when the water got slightly deeper; she was only a tiny thing. To his surprise, the girl resisted the movement, instead beginning to tug him back towards the cabinets.

"Mommy!" she stated somewhat frantically, tugging on Scott's hand until he gave in and allowed her to pull him over. The last of the cabinets was partly open and, as a rush of cold air hit him, Scott suddenly realised what they were. It appeared that the Field Commander of International Rescue had just found the freezers. Wondering if that explained why John had only picked up the girl's life sign at the last moment, Scott felt his frown deepen. Desperately hoping that her comment didn't mean what he thought it might, Scott slipped his hand from the girl's, crouching down in front of her once more.

"Where's your mommy, sweetie?"

Instead of answering verbally, the girl instead grabbed onto Scott's hand once more, tugging him frantically towards the open door. Biting back a groan, Scott waited until they were level with the door before drawing them to a halt again.

"Is she in there?" As the girl nodded frantically, Scott bit his lip, worried about what state the woman was going to be in when he got to her. Those freezers were cold for a reason, and if she was wet from the flood as well, Scott knew that he didn't have much time - if she was even still alive. Raising his watch for backup, the pilot frowned at the static he received back, only to realise that the components of the freezer had managed to scramble the signal. It was the same back on the island, meaning that every time his two youngest brothers couldn't be traced, Scott still knew where they were.

"Honey, I need you to listen to me very closely." Bending down to her level once more, Scott knew that he needed to get her out of here quickly, even if it was to shield her from the truth of what could be waiting in the freezer. "You see this path? I need you to follow it really carefully. Can you do that for me?"

"Mommy."

"I know, honey, I know. But if you can get outside, you can find my buddies for me and they can come and help me help your mommy."

"'Kay."

And just like that, the girl slipped her hand from Scott's, running back through the water and heading out towards the main part of the store. Hoping he had done the right thing in sending her away, Scott took a deep breath, squaring his shoulders and wrapping his jacket around him as he made his way to the open door.

"It's just a bit of cold, Scotty," he muttered to himself, forcing himself to take a step closer and receiving another buffeting of cold air for his troubles. Pushing all other thoughts from his mind – there was a victim in there who needed his help – Scott strode forward, only pausing momentarily as he entered the large container, shivers immediately beginning to rack his form.

"Is anyone there?" Despite not actually expecting an answer, Scott still found his heart sinking as nothing could be heard. Taking a shuddering breath, he began to search, wondering if the woman had tried to pull herself into a corner in a vain attempt to keep some of her warmth.

A few moments later, however, Scott came to the conclusion that there was no one there. The girl must have been mistaken, for the shivering pilot could find no evidence of anyone. The thick ice lining the place had been broken only by his movements, a clear sign that no one else had been in here in the first place. Knowing that he needed to get out of there or risk hypothermia himself, Scott turned.

Only to find himself looking at a solid wall. The door had been shut.

Chapter Text

Virgil found himself leaning against the Pod door watching Alan absentmindedly out of the corner of his eye as the young man tried to pack up Mobile Control, but most of his attention was fixed on the police leading the victims away. The local authorities had finally managed to get up to the mall, saying the water levels further down had prevented them from getting close enough until now. Despite Scott having told Alan to get Virgil to clean up Mobile Control, the older brother had merely subjected Alan to one of his looks which soon had the younger man doing it himself. Hiding his smirk, Virgil found that he had stopped watching the victims and now had his focus fully on Alan. Whilst all the boys knew how to shut down Mobile Control, it was usually Scott who did it, Virgil occasionally taking his turn when the rescue dictated it. The others, however, always struggled. John now flatly refused after Gordon had almost stopped breathing from laughing so much at the elder blond's struggles, only to then fail when he'd tried to do it himself.

"You do know that if you'd hit the green button first it wouldn't be whirring at you, don't you?"

"Shut up."

"Fine, just helping." Folding his arms across his chest, Virgil let his smirk be seen as Alan turned to glare at him. If he wasn't going to accept help then Virgil felt like he had every right to laugh at his brother. Eventually though, Alan managed to store the machinery away properly, although Virgil felt the sudden need to check it himself, despite Alan's grumblings. Finally, however, they were done. And there was still no sign of Scott.

"Where is he?" Virgil murmured, gazing back towards the mall as he did so as if hoping that his brother was suddenly going to materialise just because Virgil wanted him to. It wouldn't have been completely out of the ordinary if the oldest Tracy brother had done just that; it had happened in the past.

"He said after twenty minutes, I could fly home," Alan responded, his voice equally as soft. Despite the words, Virgil knew that was not what Alan meant. Whilst the younger man may have jumped at the opportunity to fly his brother's 'bird home, they both knew that in reality, Scott would have never have let him. If the oldest brother said that after twenty minutes, Alan could fly home, it meant that he was going to be back in about fifteen. And yet at least half an hour had passed since Alan had emerged dripping wet from the store with instructions from their Field Commander to pack up and be ready to move.

"We'll give him another five," Virgil muttered, unable to deny the feeling in the pit of his stomach. It was a feeling that he was more than used to; having his brothers, especially the younger ones, out on a rescue constantly left him worrying. One thing he wasn't as used to, however, was having the feeling emerge because of his older brother. He was sure that everything was fine - this was Scott, after all - but even so, something didn't feel right. Shaking his head, Virgil pushed the thought firmly from his mind. They had enough to worry about with Gordon being convinced that someone was out to kill them; Virgil didn't want to start thinking along the same lines. Even so, he had tried to reach his brother when Alan had emerged alone, wondering what the pilot had been playing at. Only static had come back, but Virgil had just assumed it was because Scott was busy.

Five minutes passed, however, and there was still no sign of Scott. Sharing concerned looks, Virgil lifted his watch even as Alan began walking back towards the mall, clearly with the intention of going in to find his brother.

"Alan, stop!" Yelling after the impulsive young man, Virgil was not in the slightest bit surprised when Alan refused to heed his words. Stumbling along after him, he quickly pressed a button on the gadget, lifting it to his ear as he did so.

"Scott? Scott, are you reading me? Come in, Scott!" There was no response to his calls, however, and speeding up, Virgil drew level with Alan just in time to hear his brother curse in a way that would have made their grandmother blush if she had heard it. Virgil didn't have the heart to say anything though, not when he caught sight of what it was that had Alan cursing. The water had continued to flood into the store, wedging the doors shut with the pressure. It had to be at least up to Virgil's shoulders by now, and was still rising. And his older brother was in there somewhere.

"Alan, back to Two, now. I want Brains' lasers and breathing equipment."

"F.A.B." Alan responded immediately, spinning on his heel and sprinting towards the Thunderbird, not thinking to question his brother for a second. They were all used to Scott giving orders on a rescue, but when their older brother wasn't around, the rest of the family could still work effectively together, it was what made International Rescue such a success.

"Come in, John."

Hearing the note in Virgil's voice, John's previously happy tone vanished, a strictly professional one taking its place. Having spent so long listening to his brothers without being able to read their body language, John had become very adept at being able to tell what sort of thing they were calling him for just by the way they connected.

"What's wrong?"

"Johnny, I need you to pinpoint Scott's location for me."

"F.A.B. Stand by, Virg."

Bouncing on his toes, Virgil spared a glance over his shoulder back towards his 'bird, just about able to see Alan emerge with the equipment they needed in order to force their way through the doors. Virgil was just glad they had been able to keep the water in check whilst civilians had been present, it would have made the rescue a lot harder, otherwise.

"Virgil, I can't find him."

Shutting his eyes, Virgil took a deep breath in through his nose.

"What do you mean, you can't find him?"

"Exactly that!" John snapped, not meaning to lose his cool with his little brother, especially as Scott clearly wasn't around to help keep Virgil calm. He couldn't help it though, he had still been trying to figure out where that one signal had suddenly appeared from and now Scott's had vanished on him. "I can pick up the signals from you and Alan no problem, but I can't locate Scott's."

"Okay, okay," Virgil muttered, beginning to pace back and forth as he waited for Alan to catch up with him again. "Is there anyone else in there?"

"No," John reported instantly, his eyes scanning the flashing signals he had in front of him. The vast majority were just the everyday heat signals that the average person gave out, enabling him to direct his brothers to any victims. Virgil's and Alan's, however, were made far more distinctive by flashing the colour of their sashes. What was missing, however, was a flashing blue signal. It was as if Scott had just vanished.

"But I did have someone appear out of nowhere earlier."

Thinking over his brother's words, Virgil suddenly felt his breath catch in his throat as he let out a long groan. As Alan came skidding to a stop next to him, dropping the equipment in an untidy pile at their feet and flexing his arms out again to get the blood flowing, Virgil glanced at him.

"I bet I know where he is. A mall like this must have places to eat, right? John, have you got any cold patches showing?"

"Yeah, at the back of the...ooh... Freezers?"

"Yep," Virgil confirmed, bending down and handing Alan an oxygen mask, picking one up for himself at the same time. Beginning to suit up, he voiced his thoughts. "You know how it drives Brains mad that he can't get it to work around the freezers at home. And a store like this is bound to have them. If heat signals are appearing and disappearing randomly and there is no other way in or out, it must be the only explanation."

"It has to be Scott though, doesn't it?" Alan said with a grin as he checked Virgil's suit for him, having just been subjected to the same thing himself.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, if anyone was going to get shut in a freezer, it would be Scott. The guy is always hungry!"

"Oh, very funny!" Virgil snapped, hefting the laser into his arms at the same time.

Flicking a switch so that it would only be his artistic brother that heard him - not their younger sibling - John spoke softly in his brother's ear.

"Don't snap at him, Virg. You know how he can take after Gordon when he is stressed, making inappropriate comments. You're gonna need the kid to help you here, don't piss him off."

"But..."

"Virgil."

Scott may have been best known for being able to control all four of his younger siblings with just one word, but John was a big brother too. And right now, Virgil needed him. There was a note in his voice that only seemed to appear whenever Scott wasn't around. John knew by the way Virgil suddenly exhaled sharply that his brother was making an effort to calm down. The last thing anyone needed – especially if Scott was in trouble – was Alan in a temper; the kid's had been known to be somewhat legendary.

"Sorry."

"That's better. Come on, Virg, go and find Scotty."

"F.A.B. Oh, John?"

"Yeah?"

"Keep the line open?"

"Sure, kiddo. I'm with you, Virg." Smiling gently at the pleading tone in Virgil's voice, John did just that, going back to seeing if he could boost the signal from Scott's watch and therefore pinpoint his older brother's exact location. There were not many occasions where Virgil turned to him just because he needed a big brother to help him out, but whenever he did, John always made sure that he was there.

"Alan, stand back." Unaware of John thinking about his role as a big brother, Virgil found that he was doing exactly the same thing. As Alan made to protest, the artist sighed irritably, trying to keep his temper. Once he started cutting through the door, it would be left to the water to determine the next course of action. And if the force of it rushed outwards, Virgil knew the dangers involved, especially if the laser was still activated. He needed Alan out of the way just to make sure that there was someone left standing to go in and get Scott.

"Al, please. Just make sure that everyone is out of the way, I don't know where the water is going to go." Trying to make Alan feel like he was doing something useful, Virgil could only hope that his little brother hadn't seen through the obvious flaw in that plan. Virgil really didn't know where the water was going to go, meaning that both brothers were more than aware he could be directly in its path. The look Alan gave the older man told him precisely what he thought of the idea, but much to Virgil's relief, he moved to the side. Luckily, some of the people crowding around were beginning to get too close, and, as Alan moved to take control of the situation, Virgil was just glad that his brother would be out of harm's way. Lifting the laser once more, Virgil took a deep breath before turning it on.

The glass of the door didn't stand much chance. As soon as the heat from the laser began to melt through the door, Virgil attempting to guide it in a circular motion, the water took over for him. Feeling the pressure begin to increaseas trickles began to make their way out of the crack, Virgil sprang backwards, just as the rest of the door gave away. Virgil was vaguely aware that Alan had materialised behind him, steadying his brother as Virgil tried to regain his footing. The pair of them could only watch for a few moments as the water gushed from the shattered door, swirling around their feet before beginning to trickle away. The level was still much higher than Virgil was happy with – he knew that they were going to have to swim it – but at least they were in. Making to stride forward, the medic visibly jumped as his watch suddenly vibrated again.

"Virgil, I've got him!" John's excited voice barely registered in Virgil's mind until Alan had taken over, voicing the one question that the medic had managed to form.

"How? If it is freezers, even Brains hasn't worked out what blocks the signal."

"I just have to re-route the polarity of the signal..."

"John, shut up," Virgil interrupted, not unkindly. Having solved a problem that their usual genius had been baffled by, Virgil was not in the slightest bit surprised at how ecstatic his brother was sounding. Virgil, however, had other things on his mind.

"Where is he? Where's Scott?"

"Right at the back of the mall. Past all the normal stores. Just keeping going through, it's the furthest point, straight ahead of you. He's about five foot in from the left hand wall."

"F.A.B. We're on our way. John, does the signal work both ways? Can he hear me?"

"Should be able to," John responded, his brow furrowed as his hands danced frantically over the machinery in front of him. If he was honest, he wasn't completely sure what he had done in order to retrieve the signal from his brother's watch, but he knew that they would have to work fast. The technology embedded in the devices strapped around each brothers' wrist gave a readout of vital signs, and John knew that Scott's temperature was getting worrying low. Not wanting to worry Virgil further – for he could hear in the medic's voice how frantic the younger man was getting – John instead opted for trying to force the signal into a reliable reading. He had to admit, he was terrified that it was suddenly going to vanish again, and that this time he would not be able to get it back.

"Scott? Scott, can you hear me? Come in, Scott!" Repeating his frantic calls, Virgil could feel Alan's gaze on him, knowing that the youngest Tracy was just as worried as he was. After trying for a few more moments, Virgil connected back through to John.

"It's no good, John, I still can't get through."

"Virg," John began hesitantly, worry clawing away at him to the same degree as his younger brothers. One thing he was glad about, however, was that the connection to the island had been cut. The last thing Gordon needed right now was to be hearing this. "Virgil, the connection is open. He's just not answering."

"Alan, we need to move!" With authority back in his voice once more as John's words sank in, Virgil approached the door cautiously, forcing his legs forward despite the water's constant attempt to hold him back. Stepping gingerly over the broken glass, Virgil allowed the water to take his weight, flipping forwards and beginning to kick strongly through the water. It might have been a challenge to stop his knees from constantly bashing on the floor, but he knew that he was making faster progress than had he been trying to walk it.

For a few moments, the two brothers ploughed their way strongly through the water, Alan wishing for the second time that it had been Gordon who was here rather than him. Each of the boys could hold their own in the water, their island lifestyle meaning that they were stronger in the water than most. But there could be no denying that whilst they were good in the water, Gordon was at home in it. Alan was sure that his immediate older brother would have been able to find the source of the flood and so prevent it from getting to this stage in the first place. And if he hadn't, he certainly would have reached Scott in quicker time than Alan and Virgil were managing.

Finally, after what seemed like a life-time to the sodden artist, Virgil swung his feet under him, planting them firmly on the ground, hearing Alan mimic his actions from behind. The water was shallower back here, only coming up to about Virgil's waist as he glanced around him, but it was still pouring in. Letting his eyes flicker over to the back walls, Virgil knew he had found the freezers. Thinking about John's last comment regarding Scott's location, he knew immediately it had to be the one on the end which held his brother; it was the only location that matched the astronaut's words. Trying not to groan out loud at the firmly shut door, Virgil spared Alan a glance over his shoulder.

"You okay, Sprout?" he asked gently, any previous annoyance vanishing as he took in Alan's slightly pale complexion. The younger brother nodded tentatively, but it didn't escape Virgil's notice that his eyes hadn't moved from the door of the freezer, he too having worked out where Scott was.

"Come on, let's go get him." Keeping his voice reassuring, Virgil splashed his way across the room, lifting the laser into a more secure position in his arms as he did so. He had brought it with him for some reason, and, sparing the door another glance, he now knew precisely why. Just as he made to activate it, however, a hand on his arm stopped him.

"You can't use the laser, Virg," Alan muttered, swallowing hard as he moved past his brother, getting closer and closer to his oldest sibling's temporary prison.

"Why?" Virgil demanded, chewing on his lip as he watched Alan. They were running out of time here, that was for sure. Who knew how long Scott had been stuck in there?

"You don't know where he is," Alan responded, turning back to face Virgil, the anxiety the medic was feeling echoed within his little brother's eyes. "What if he is right behind the door?"

"Guys, you're running out of time!" John's voice cut like ice through the air, causing Virgil to throw the laser down, striding forward until he was level with Alan. If John had regained the signal, it would mean that he was able to monitor Scott's condition to a certain extent, and if the usually calm brother was sounding anxious – and letting it be shown in his voice – then there was something to worry about. Seizing hold of the handle, Virgil put all his weight behind it and pushed as hard as he could, willing the wheel to turn.

When nothing happened, Alan rushed forward, joining his brother in attempting to force the door open.

"Come on!" Virgil yelled, his frustration and worry lending him strength, but still it refused to move. He knew, even without John's comments, that Scott had been in there for too long. It killed him to barely have a foot in between him and his brother and yet still be unable to help his older sibling.

Without warning, however, the handle suddenly gave, and, moving out of the way, the artist was just in time to help Alan stay on his feet as the younger man stumbled with the sudden movement.

"Scott!" Running into the freezer as soon as Alan was steady, Virgil felt his breath catch in his throat when he caught sight of the slumped figure of his oldest brother. He was still conscious, but only just, vicious shudders racking his frame as he shivered uncontrollably.

"Scott, come on, look at me!" His voice was almost a shout as he dropped to his knees and crawled the last part. Virgil barely noticed the cold himself, adrenaline rushing through him as he reached out a hand, grabbing onto one of Scott's cold ones as he did so. Fumbling slightly, Virgil attempted to feel for his brother's pulse - desperate for a sign that his brother was going to be okay - but found himself slipping forward himself. Forced to let go in order to use his hand to steady himself, the medic had never been as grateful for John's calming voice as he was at that moment.

"Deep breath, Virgil. You aren't going to help him by losing control. Get Alan to help you if you need it, just regain control."

Following his brother's advice, Virgil breathed in deeply, shutting his eyes as he did so. Hearing Alan enter the freezer behind him, he opened them again, allowing the medic in him to take control. Reaching out his hand again, he latched onto his brother's wrist, feeling a rush of relief hit him at the unsteady pulse he could feel under his hand.

"Scotty, c'mon, you need to wake up."

"Don't wanna...five m'ntes..." His voice slurring, Scott shifted slightly, looking as if he was trying to force his eyes open before deciding that it was too much effort.

"Gordon's going to eat all the pancakes unless you wake up," Virgil continued, trying to shift Scott's weight. Sending Alan a pleading look over his shoulder, the elder of the pair smiled in gratitude as Alan joined him in an attempt to drag Scott to his feet. Once up, it was more of a challenge to get the man to take his own weight; instead Scott kept slumping forward, clearly not paying the slightest bit of attention to their pleas for him to help them.

"Just wanna sleep..."

"No time for that, big brother."

"B't cold..."

"That's right, Scotty, it's too cold here. You need to get up and then you can go somewhere warmer to sleep."

"Warmer? Warm good..."

As the two conscious Tracys attempted to drag the third from the freezer, Virgil found himself biting his lip. Scott always remained strong; it was what kept the rest of the family going in a rescue. With Scott around, nothing could go wrong, no matter what the situation. Hearing him so weak and with no apparent idea what was going on around him was crushing his younger brother, and, taking one look at Alan, Virgil knew that he wasn't the only one thinking the same thing.

Finally free of the freezer, Virgil found that his hands were finally beginning to respond to him again and, resting Scott on the ground, he quickly strapped one of the spare masks across his brother's face. Alan seemed to know exactly what Virgil was planning, and reaching past his brother, he hefted the laser into his arms, striding forward. Within only a few seconds, he had disappeared back into the water, clearly making sure their route out was clear. Once the water could be used to take Scott's weight, Virgil knew that the pair of them would just get in each other's way. At least this way, the youngest could go ahead and prep Two for when Virgil managed to get Scott out.

"You have to play the hero, don't you, Scotty?" Virgil found himself mumbling as he got himself ready for the journey through the water. He may have had his hands full on the way in with the cutting equipment, but he knew without having to think about it that he would be a lot more conscious of where he was going on the journey back since his brother was depending on him. Hoping that the cool water - compared to the freezer, the water suddenly felt warm – would help to bring Scott back to his senses a little more, Virgil spared one last glance over his shoulder before turning his back on the freezers.

Hooking his hands under his brother's shoulders, Virgil allowed the shallow water to take Scott's weight as he began the slow task of towing the older man back through the water. When the level began to rise again as he made it back through to the main part of the store, Virgil let go of Scott momentarily before crossing one arm over his brother's chest. Kicking off, he slowly but surely pulled his brother through the water, finding his mind drifting over the various things he hoped that Alan would have ready by the time they got there. One thing was certain, however, and that was they had to get Scott's temperature up - and fast.

Despite it feeling like a lifetime, only a matter of moments passed before Virgil found himself regaining his footing, stumbling through the shattered door and emerging, blinking, into the setting sun, the afternoon clearly having begun to draw to a close. Whether it was Alan, or the local services finally doing their job, someone had cleared any stragglers from the area, meaning that the Tracys were left to themselves as Virgil shot Alan a grateful grin at the hover stretcher his brother had had time to fetch.

Between them, they managed to shift Scott over onto it and, before he did anything else, Virgil pulled off his brother's sodden boots and jacket, knowing that they were doing him more harm than good. As Alan began to pick up their fallen equipment without a word, knowing that Virgil would want to make a move back to base as soon as he could, the elder brother set off at a jog back to his 'bird, only one destination firmly in mind as he casually controlled the stretcher with just one hand. Scott had fallen still, and although him being unconscious worried the hell out of his brother, Virgil was not as concerned as he would have been had they actually found him that way. With Scott still being partly alert when they had got there, Virgil had a very good idea of how far the hypothermia had spread, meaning that he knew they still had time. Whilst the pilot wasn't completely out of danger, Virgil was fully aware that it could have been a lot worse.

Realising just how many times he had been forced to bring one of his brothers into the sickbay, Virgil had Scott on one of the beds within a matter of seconds, it being a procedure he was familiar with, but never happy about. Stripping off the wet layers from his brother, Virgil set the thermal blanket to a temperature he was certain wouldn't give Scott any more complications, before reaching into one of the lockers overhead.

He had just finished taking his brother's temperature and checking him over for any other injuries when Alan came stumbling in. Before the youngest brother could say a word, however, Virgil shot him a look that had him groaning. Having experienced it too many times in his lifetime, Alan knew that he wouldn't stand a chance.

"What?" he demanded somewhat haughtily as he waited for his brother to explain what the look was for this time.

"Get into something dry, Al."

Blinking in surprise at the gentleness in his more artistic brother's voice, Alan complied for once. Within record time, however, he was back in the sick bay, grateful for the warmth the dry uniform was offering.

"How's he doing?"

"Temperature's beginning to rise," Virgil reported, glancing at the machine he had wired up to his brother. He knew bringing Scott's temperature up too fast would be just as problematic as not raising it at all.

"What can we do?" Alan asked quietly, sitting down on the opposite bed and staring at Scott's still form. If the force of the look alone could have brought their brother back to them, Virgil knew Scott would immediately have been up and bouncing around. There certainly was some sort of intensity in Alan's gaze.

"Nothing for now, we just have to let the blanket do it."

"Good," Alan responded, suddenly shooting Virgil a grin. "So you can go and get changed."

"Alan, I don't think..."

"You just said there was nothing we could do, I'll call you if anything does something it shouldn't – including Scott – and you'll actually get feeling back in your fingers."

Opening his mouth to protest, Virgil shut it again with a grin, ruffling Alan's hair as he moved past. He had to give it to the kid, he could make a good point when he needed to. That didn't mean, however, that Virgil wasn't about to get changed in the quickest time possible - even beating Alan's speed - before he was back in the sick bay. Whilst being subjected to an amused glance from his younger brother, Virgil was grateful when Alan didn't say anything. He wasn't sure how much more he could take.

Both of them watched Scott's form in silence. Virgil found that his eyes were bouncing between the monitor clutched lightly in his hand, onto his biggest brother, and then flickering across to his youngest. Alan had done well out there; he had managed to keep his cool, something Virgil was not sure he had done. He hadn't exactly left the island on good terms, not with everything that had happened with Gordon, and now this? Luckily, before his thoughts could take a darker route, Scott shifted.

Out of his chair like a shot, Virgil crouched next to his brother's bed.

"Scott? Scotty, are you with us now, man? Scott?"

"Virg?" Sucking in a sharp breath, Scott opened his eyes, looking around him in confusion before his gaze finally focused on the concerned face of his brother, Alan hovering uncertainly in the background. He too had stood up when he'd seen Scott's movement, but now he didn't quite know what to do that wouldn't get him in Virgil's way.

Reaching out with a smile, Virgil let his fingers comb through his brother's hair in a way he had done more times than he could remember with his younger siblings.

"Welcome back, Scott."

Chapter Text

"No way!"

"But you have to warm up."

"Alan, come near me with that and you are on 'bird cleaning duty for a month."

"What's going on?" Virgil had only popped out of the sick bay for a few moments in order to update John on the situation. He in turn had promised to keep their father informed without Gordon finding out. How he was planning to do that, Virgil had no idea, but he knew that he trusted John to manage it. The first words that had come out of Scott's mouth as soon as he had realised what had happened – although that was something that had admittedly taken nearly ten minutes - were that their copper-haired sibling could not find out. Before he could push the matter any further, John had called in and, promising Scott that he would at least wait until they got back to the island before matters got taken any further, Virgil had left the sick bay in order to get a bit of peace. He had no more desire for Scott to find out that his younger brother had practically lost his cool when things got out of hand than Scott had for Gordon finding out. Returning to the sound of raised voices, however, Virgil found himself standing in the doorway, arms folded across his chest. One glance at his oldest brother had Virgil sighing somewhat irritably.

"Scott, lay back down. Now."

"But, Virg..."

"I'm not telling you again," Virgil responded threateningly, letting his eyes glance at the locker almost above Scott's head. Following his brother's gaze, Scott swallowed.

"You wouldn't."

"I would," Virgil responded simply. Scott may have been their field commander and biggest brother, but when it came to the medical side of things, Virgil was still able to pull rank on the stubborn man. After Scott's refusal for help had once nearly cost him his life, Jeff had made sure that his eldest understood that when Virgil gave orders that could affect their health, all the boys followed it, Scott included.

"Now get back into bed."

For a moment, Scott glared at his brother who simply returned the gaze coolly, knowing that Scott had to do as he was told or risk a relapse. And that was something that Virgil was simply not going to allow to happen. Scott may have been determined to get out of bed, but Virgil was just as determined to keep him in it.

Sighing irritably, Scott finally did as his brother asked and swung himself back into a more secure position on the bed. Virgil knew that had he returned even a few seconds later, his oldest brother would have been out of bed completely. It was amazing how much power the medic seemed to suddenly gain just by glancing to where the sedatives were kept. He had only ever been forced to use them once on any of his brothers, more often than not the threat alone being enough to keep them in their place. Despite his grumblings, he knew it would work with Scott this time. The pilot might moan constantly for every second that he had to spend in the bed, and Virgil knew that as soon as his back was turned Scott would be up again, but the field commander also knew that if his little brother carried out his threat, he wouldn't be able to keep an eye on the rest of them. It was better to be stuck in bed than sedated.

"Now, what's going on?"

As Alan smirked, Virgil inwardly winced at how much like their father he sounded. Not shifting though, he merely turned his gaze onto his youngest brother, raising an eyebrow pointedly until Alan started squirming. Very slowly, Alan brought something colourful out from behind his back.

Virgil found himself frowning as he tried to work out what it was that the younger Tracy was holding. Realising that Virgil had no idea, Alan gave the item a quick shake, and Virgil felt his jaw hit the floor.

"Where the hell did those come from?"

"Where do you think?" Alan responded, his smirk growing wider as he took in his brother's horrified expression. For in his hand rested a pair of socks. But even Alan had to admit that he wasn't sure if "sock" was the right word for the fluffy, luminous yellow things he had in his hand. He knew that should he put them on, they would come up to his knees at least.

"When I next see Gordon, he's dead," Virgil said lightly, crossing the sick bay and snatching the offending items from Alan's hand before throwing them across the room, letting them land safely in the waste box. "I'm not having things like that in my lady."

As Scott burst out laughing, Virgil turned to look at his brother again, just in time to see him place his feet back on the floor. Sensing he had been caught out, Scott grinned sheepishly up at his younger brother, who in turn just shook his head in fond bemusement.

"Come on, Al, you've got a 'bird to fly home."

"What?"

This time, no look from the medic could make Scott get back into bed. Throwing the blanket that had been wrapped forcibly around his shoulders to the floor, Scott was up and across the sick bay within a matter of seconds. Springing after him, Virgil gritted his teeth as he held onto Scott's arm, desperately trying to stop the man from going any further.

"Virg, get off. I'm fine, there's no need for Alan to do anything. The Sprout just needs a nice sit down on the way home, don't you kiddo? Come on, Virgil, let go..."

"Scott," Virgil panted, shooting Alan a look for help over his shoulder. "Shut up and sit down. You aren't going anywhere."

"Stop overreacting, Virgil, I'm fine. Just need a nice little fly to clear my head."

"Over my dead body," he snarled, digging his heels in to try to stop Scott. With Alan's help, Virgil finally managed to drag his older brother back to the bed, pushing him down on it forcibly. As Scott once more protested – loudly – the medic felt his patience give out. Instructing Alan to keep Scott in the bed – with the slight threat of revealing some things that Alan had been hoping Scott wouldn't find out if he didn't – Virgil crossed the room once more. Reaching into a locker, he heard Scott give out another shout of protest when he saw what was in his brother's hand. Before he had the chance to properly shrug Alan off, however, Virgil had snapped the restraint around his brother's wrist, fastening him to the bed.

For a moment, silence fell across the brothers as Virgil and Alan tried to get their breath back.

"Let me go." Scott's voice was quiet and deadly, but Virgil found that he didn't particularly care. If Scott wasn't going to take seriously the fact that he could have quite easily died if it hadn't been for John boosting the signal and guiding them to where their missing brother was, then Virgil was just going to do it for him. He knew that his brother hated it whenever Alan had to fly One – each Tracy was more than possessive of their own craft – but even so, there was a line, and Scott had just crossed it.

"Alan, go and start pre-flight checks and tell Base we're on our way home," Virgil ordered, his eyes locked in a staring contest with his older brother as he spoke, only just turning his head to acknowledge the blond. Alan nodded and left in silence, knowing that there was something far deeper going on between his brothers. He had a feeling that a row was about to blow up quite spectacularly, and he had no desire to be in the middle of one for the second time in a day. Thinking back on finding out about Gordon's thoughts, Alan couldn't believe that it really was the same day; it felt so long ago now.

"Virgil, let me go, now. Alan can't fly home."

"Yes he can," Virgil argued, sitting down on the edge of his brother's bed as a wave of weariness crashed over him. It was alright for Scott, he hadn't had to go through the thought processes of working out whether his brother was too cold to survive or not. He hadn't seen the completely weakened state Virgil had found him in. He hadn't had to pull a semi-conscious brother out through a flood, only to have him pass out as soon as they thought he was safe.

Feeling a hand softly squeeze the back of his neck, Virgil looked up to see Scott leaning forward awkwardly, his face strained as he tried to hold himself in an upright position without using his hands. His eyes were soft and understanding though, and despite being on the receiving end of having to be rescued this time, Virgil knew in that one look that his big brother did understand how it felt. They had all been in enough troubled situations for him to know precisely what Virgil was thinking.

"I'm okay, you know," he whispered gently, trying his best to reassure his brother and so remove the slightly haunted look from Virgil's eyes.

"You might not have been."

"Thank god the girl got out to get you, then."

"The girl?" Suddenly, Virgil felt full alertness return to him as he gazed at his big brother. Scott had leant back against the pillows, shutting his eyes sleepily. Hearing Virgil's tone, however, he opened them again, frowning at his brother quizzically.

"The only reason I went back there was because some little girl told me her mother was trapped. There was no one there, but I sent her back out anyway."

"Scott, no one came to get us. The only way we had any idea where you were was because of John being a smart-ass as normal."

"Wait a minute..." Scott was sitting up again now, confusion spiralling within his eyes. "Where did she go, then?"

"She must have just found her mother outside or something. John checked the area, there was definitely no one left inside. Whoever she was, you got her out safely, Scotty."

"I hope so," Scott muttered, resting back once more with a sigh. Glancing at him, Virgil couldn't help but smile. No matter what he had just said, he knew that his brother was still worried about the girl; the way his brow crumpled above the bridge of his nose was a clear sign that he hadn't listened to a word. Making to stand up, Virgil jumped when Scott somehow managed to latch his hand around his brother's wrist, despite it being tied to the bed.

"Let me go?" His voice was softer this time, more pleading. Virgil, however, was not fooled in the slightest. Until Alan was airborne, Scott wasn't going anywhere.

"Later," he muttered, moving out of the sick bay. Unable to stop himself, he had to grin at the annoyed shout that followed him out as he just left Scott stuck there. If he was honest, Virgil thought it served his brother right. If Scott had just done as he was told for once, rather than having to turn everything into a battle, they would have been on their way home long before this. And despite having changed into dry clothes, Virgil had to admit that he was anxious for a nice hot shower. There was something about this place that was giving him the chills, and he didn't think that it was just his submergence in the water that was causing him to shudder slightly.

Finally making his way up onto the flight deck almost an hour after he had first returned to his 'bird, Virgil practically threw himself into his command chair, exhaling sharply as he sagged into it's comforting position. The chair was almost moulded to him now, and shutting his eyes briefly, Virgil sighed. There was something about sitting in the chair that made him feel as if he was once more in control of the situation.

"Thunderbird Two to Base."

"Are you alright, son?" His father's tone, not to mention his immediate response, meant that Virgil knew John had made good on his promise to let Jeff knew precisely what had been going on during the rescue. Not sure whether Gordon was in earshot or not, Virgil decided to play it safe.

"Yeah, everything's fine, Dad. Just leaving the danger zone now."

"F.A.B. Virgil. He's not here, by the way, John's distracting him. How's Scott?"

"Stubborn ass," Virgil responded, although his voice lacked any real enthusiasm as he automatically ran through the pre-flight checks. He should have known that his father would have been able to pick up on the note in his voice, however, and sure enough, Jeff was soon voicing his concerns.

"I'm just tired, Dad," Virgil said quietly, even as he gracefully lifted his craft from the ground, spinning her around and pointing her towards home. He, for one, would be thankful when the island came into sight. Hovering for a moment, Virgil barely touched the thrusters before sending himself shooting forward, the accident zone quickly becoming a distant spot on the horizon. The more distance he put between him and the place that had attempted to take another Tracy life, the more Virgil found himself relaxing.

"Where's your brother?" Jeff eventually asked, starting to feel a little bit uneasy about the fact that Scott seemed to be doing as he was told and staying in the sick bay. He knew his eldest son well enough to know that never happened, and the father suddenly found himself worrying that the boys hadn't been honest with him about the condition of their brother. Before Virgil could answer his father, another voice beat him to it.

"Right here." Stumbling slightly as he crossed the flight deck, Scott threw himself none too gracefully into the seat next to his younger brother, pausing for long enough to smirk at the gobsmacked expression on the artist's face. Sparing his father a glance, Scott knew that he must have looked pale at the very least, if the look of concern the man was shooting him was anything to go by. He knew that Jeff would soon be trying to order his son back into bed, but luckily for Scott, Virgil spoke first.

"How?" Virgil said blankly. One look at his father, and he knew that the man had a very good idea of what his middle son had done in order to try and keep Scott in bed. Jeff had to admit that he had wondered what was going on when it was quite clearly Alan on his own informing base that he was leaving the danger zone, knowing that Scott never relinquished control if he could help it. Too grateful that he would be getting all three of his sons back in roughly one piece, however, he hadn't dwelled on it, the thought only returning when Virgil too appeared to be alone.

"Parker," Scott responded with a grin, folding his long legs up under him so that he was curled up. Virgil took one glance at him and set Two on autopilot, climbing out of his seat as he did so.

"Virgil, what are you doing now?" Scott asked, sounding exasperated as his brother disappeared from his eye line. Virgil didn't answer, however, but before Scott could move, he felt a blanket being draped over his shoulders from behind. Without a word, Virgil sat back down again, taking control of his 'bird once more and ignoring the look that his father was shooting him. With a soft, grateful smile, Scott seized the corners of the blanket and pulled it around him further, resting comfortably back in his seat as he watched his brother fly with an expert hand. Watching him out of the corner of his own eye as he guided his 'bird casually over the smooth terrain, Virgil found himself grinning as Scott gradually fell asleep.

TBTBTB

"'ott... 'cotty... Scott!"

"Wha-. What?" Peeling his eyes open, Scott glanced around him in confusion before following the hand resting on his shoulder and finding himself looking into his father's smiling face. Sitting upright, he looked around him frantically, his frown only deepening as he realised that he was still in Thunderbird Two. The blanket he had pulled around his shoulders was still there, but there was another draped across his legs as well. Uncurling himself, Scott could only wince as he attempted to straighten out his limbs.

"Where's Virgil?"

"Showering," Jeff responded, his eyes twinkling as he sat down in Virgil's usual seat. There was no other word for it; Scott simply looked cute, reminding his father of the little boy who never wanted to go to bed despite the fact that he was almost dead on his feet.

"How long have I been here?" Scott muttered, rubbing a hand across the back of his neck as he stretched out his other arm, yawning as he did so. He didn't even remember falling asleep, but he had to admit, he was feeling a lot warmer now than when he had first escaped from the sick bay. Thinking about the restraint still hanging off the bed, Scott had to smile. The look on Virgil's face had been worth it.

"Long enough." Reaching out with one hand, Jeff ruffled his son's hair as he spoke, a fond smile on his face. He had to admit that he had been more than worried when Virgil had come up from the silos alone, but when he had declared that his brother was asleep, all concerns had been banished. If Scott could stay asleep, then his brother would be able to gradually bring his temperature back under control without Scott kicking up his usual fuss. But nearly an hour had passed since they had landed, however, and Jeff knew that unless Scott moved soon, he was going to end up stiff. Those chairs were not designed for someone of the field commander's height to be curled up in them for any length of time. Despite knowing that he had to awaken his son, Jeff had still hesitated, watching his child sleep for a few precious moments, just revelling in the fact that Scott had made it back alive.

Putting up with his father's action – for he knew that he had no choice in reality – Scott leaned back into the chair with a sigh. For a few moments, a companionable silence fell over father and son before a thought suddenly hit Scott and he sat bolt upright with a gasp.

"What about Gordon?" he cried, running his own hand through his hair. He had tried to stress to his brothers that he didn't want their water-loving sibling to find out that there had been another accident – for Scott was adamant that was all that had happened – not when it had taken them all of this time to try and get through to him.

"He knows," Jeff said softly, watching Scott sag again in apparent defeat. Waiting for a moment, Jeff paused long enough for his son to glance at him before smiling. As Scott frowned in confusion, Jeff continued.

"He knows all about how Alan tricked you into Two and then managed to basically hijack One whilst Virgil kept you distracted. And that as part of their master plan they cuffed you to the bed. Which is why I had to come down here: because no one had thought to free you and therefore you hadn't been able to get out yourself."

"Great," Scott muttered, shaking his head but finding that he was smiling anyway. It was definitely better to be on the receiving end of Gordon's comments than for the prankster to believe that someone was trying to kill them. Scott knew they had been lucky, however. If the accident had been of any other nature, it would have not been so easy to hide it. The sooner they could set the redhead's mind at ease, the better. Hit by a sudden thought, Scott suddenly grinned.

"So, of course, I would want to seek revenge on Alan?"

As Jeff groaned - the long-suffering sigh of a father who had put up with too many wars between his sons – Scott jumped to his feet. Unfortunately for him, however, he moved a little too quickly considering all that his body had been put through, and Jeff found himself leaping up after his son, making it across the short distance just in time to steady him by the elbow.

"Slowly, Scott, slowly. Come on; let's get you upstairs before he decides to investigate further."

"What are we going to do about debriefing? We can't overlook that it happened, and yet we can't exactly tell him."

"I don't see why not," Jeff began, wondering why his sons were so adamant about keeping their brother in the dark. The father was worried about his fourth-born, that was for sure, but something told him that it would not be any use trying to hide it. After all, they had tried to hide what was going on from Alan, something that failed quite spectacularly and ended up causing more harm than good at the end of the day.

"Dad, he can't know," Scott all but begged, coming to a stop as his father attempted to lead him out of Virgil's 'bird. Stopping as well, Jeff turned to look at his son, taking in the pleading expression with a sinking heart. He knew that look meant that Scott was in full protection mode and nothing and no one was going to convince him that telling Gordon was in his brother's best interests.

"Fine," he sighed, giving up any attempt to reason with the man before he had even started. He had found out the hard way that when Scott believed he was looking out for the others, it was a quick and easy way of sparking up his temper if his father tried to disagree. In all honesty, though, Jeff knew that it was rare Scott wasn't right about something. He had practically raised Alan himself as it was, not to mention taking control of the others on more occasions than the father wanted to admit to. But on the rare occasion Jeff believed something should be done differently, a clash of tempers could be seen that rivalled even Alan's.

"We'll get John to distract him again then, I'm sure he won't mind." Making to walk off again, Jeff groaned at the way Scott flinched. "What?"

"We might need John. Something Virgil said about the only way they found me being because of him."

"Fine!" Jeff snapped, throwing his hands up in surrender and walking off, a quick glance over his shoulder reassuring him that that Scott was going to be okay on his own. Something told him that he just wouldn't be able to win this one. John had already had words about keeping the accident from Gordon, meaning Jeff knew instantly that Virgil would be thinking the same thing: he was more than outnumbered.

Watching him go, Scott bit his lip, wondering if he was perhaps pushing this too far. At least if Gordon knew, they would be able to work as a family to help him. But as he moved forward again, the oldest brother decided against it. From what had already been said, Virgil was already forcing his brother through a number of tests in order to make sure that the younger man was fit for duty, and Scott was loath to do anything that would make him worse.

Making his way slowly up through the silos, Scott took a moment before entering the lounge in order to pull himself together. The last thing he wanted was for Gordon to be able to figure things out for himself, for Scott knew that then the accusations would fly; he and Alan could be amazingly similar when it suited them. Hearing Gordon laugh, Scott knew the time had come to face his brother, and all he could do was hopethat the younger man didn't pick up on Scott's latest brush with death. Pushing the door open, he leant casually against the frame as he watched the scene within.

After only a few moments, Alan seemed to sense his presence and turned towards the door, concern flickering momentarily into his eyes before he glanced casually at Gordon and made a visible effort to keep his face neutral. Virgil was not as quickin being able to hide the relief on his face, but luckily for him, he was standing behind Gordon, meaning that John and Scott were the only ones who could see his expression.

"So..." Gordon began, grin firmly in place as he stared at his oldest brother, clearly trying to gauge how Scott was reacting to Alan's supposed behaviour at the accident zone. Raising his eyebrows, Scott turned his gaze onto his youngest brother, tipping Alan a wink as Gordon followed his eyes, a clear indication that he knew what was going on. Alan momentarily smiled, before swallowing hard as Scott's face clouded over.

"Alan, you have five seconds to run before you are dead. And Virgil, you'd better not be far behind him for coming up with the idea of cuffing me to the bed." Meaning the last part of his sentence slightly more than the first part, Scott had to smirk as Alan practically bolted for the door, his laugh bouncing back behind him. He knew the kid wouldn't go far since he had nothing to really fear, but for Gordon's sake, they had to keep up appearances. Virgil, however, walked slowly across the room, ignoring the warning looks coming from his biggest brother as he gave the older man a visual check over. Despite it feeling like a lifetime to Scott – constantly resisting the urge to see Gordon's reaction to what was happening in case that made it more obvious – Virgil finally backed away. Something about the look in Scott's eye must have meant the younger brother suddenly realised that Scott had meant what he said about Virgil cuffing him to the bed, for he suddenly took off.

"Guess debriefing is being saved for later then?" John asked casually, regarding the suddenly empty room in amusement. Grinning, Scott realised that their antics had meant that they had effectively killed two birds with one stone: explaining to Gordon why it was Alan flying One home, and also managing to delay the inevitable debriefing at the same time. As Gordon turned to face Scott expectantly, Scott felt his grin widen.

"Fancy helping me kill the Sprout?" he asked, laughing outright at Gordon's expression. It wasn't often that he and Scott were on the same side against Alan, that was for sure.

As the pair of them took off, supposedly in hot pursuit of their younger brother, Jeff stepped gently through the opposite door, having heard the whole thing. Sitting down heavily in his chair, he couldn't help but run a hand through his hair as he turned to face the still-active portrait of his second-born.

"Are we doing the right thing, John?" he asked gently, gazing wistfully at the door and the sounds of pursuit coming from the other side.

"Scott hiding the fact that he almost died?" John responded, sounding almost bitter as he watched his father. "Probably not. He's going to shrug off every attempt Virgil tries to make sure he is alright by using Gordon as an excuse. And as for Gordon... who knows, Dad, who knows."

As silence fell between the two men, Jeff found himself wondering, not for the first time, whether he had done the right thing in setting up International Rescue. He could have lost his son out there today, but more worrying was the fact that he could quite easily be destroying his family because of it, even back here in the apparent safety of the island. Already the lies were beginning to spread between the boys. How much further was it going to go?

Chapter Text

Gordon was awake enough to realise that the sun had only just graced the horizon, but relaxed in the knowledge that he didn't have to get up yet. Scott might not have let go of that part of his military past and was often up at the same time as the sun, pounding along the beach with an energy Gordon knew that Virgil could barely comprehend at that time of day. But despite being one of the earlier risers of the family, the redhead had no desire to be up quite that early. Besides, it wasn't often he could just lie there and listen to the sound of the ocean crashing onto the rocks below his partly open window, a cool breeze wafting tantalisingly into the room.

This morning, however, it seemed that some members of the family had other ideas. The prankster was allowing his mind to wake up enough to think back on the rescue of the day before and the fact that all protocol had apparently been destroyed: first Alan mucking around and tricking Scott into flying One home, and then completely skipping debriefing in order for said older brother to chase the younger around the island for what felt like half the night until giving up, swearing that revenge was still coming. Before he could think on it any further, however, Gordon felt a hand latch around his ankle. Having four brothers, the redhead immediately reacted, seizing hold of the head board, his fingers biting into the soft wood as he struggled against whoever it was that had decided he needed a wakeup call.

Glancing over his shoulders as they began to burn with the effort of holding on, Gordon was not the slightest bit surprised to see Alan standing there, his face twisted in concentration as he attempted to drag his brother from the sanctuary of his bed. What was surprising, however, was seeing Scott standing next to him, a wide grin on his face as he watched Alan's struggles. Even more so than that was the fact that Virgil was standing next to them, although as Gordon glanced at him, he attempted to stifle a yawn at the same time.

"What's going on?" Gordon asked casually, forcing his fingers to relax in order to get a better grip. He knew that Alan wouldn't be able to move him - the incident on the couch only a few days before gave him that much knowledge. And the relaxed tone in his voice would no doubt work as a way of winding his little brother up, knowing that Gordon barely had to try in order to resist his efforts.

"I believed I promised you a thorough physical," Virgil responded smugly, also watching Alan. No matter what angle the younger man took, he simply could not shift Gordon. In a way, Virgil wasn't surprised. Whilst not being the tallest of the Tracys, there certainly was something solid about Gordon, the constant swimming building him up to a strength that rivalled even Scott's.

"At dawn?" Gordon practically yelped, sounding incredulous as he stared at his brother. If Virgil was willing to get up this early just to put Gordon through his paces, then Gordon's bout of paranoia had obviously affected the team medic even more than the younger man had believed. After talking to John, and then having had the confrontation in his room, Gordon had to admit that he was letting go of the idea that the rope had been cut; there were too many alternative solutions being suggested that offered evidence to the contrary. And the fact that the last rescue had gone without a hitch, despite being in a similar location, meant that the redhead had been feeling more like himself again. He himself blamed the tiredness due to being up half the previous night pouring over a diagram from Brains regarding updates to his 'bird. Normally, he simply handed it over to the resident genius, letting Brains work his magic before taking whatever update had been installed out for a spin, usually voicing his approval straight afterwards. But there had been something about this particular moderation that had really caught Gordon's imagination, and caused him to completely lose track of the time. If he'd known how his brothers were going to react to him merely having a bit of a rest, he would have never done it; it simply wasn't worth the hassle.

"Who knows when you are going to be needed," Virgil responded, sharing a look with Scott as Alan still failed to move their brother. "If you can pass it at this time of day, then you can do it any time."

"You, my dear brother," Gordon replied sarcastically, trying to work out what the older ones were planning by the unspoken messages darting between them, "are seriously twisted."

Before he could say anything else, however, he finally worked out Scott's plan, only a second too late. Nudging Alan gently out of the way, the oldest brother moved up the bed as Virgil stepped into Alan's previous position.

"Don't!" Gordon yelled, beginning to laugh at the same time. Digging his fingers in further, he knew he would not be able to hold on against the combined strength of his two earth-bound older brothers, and before he could react further, they had both lunged. As Scott slipped his hands around Gordon's shoulders, Virgil grabbed onto his ankles, and between the two of them, they lifted their brother clear off the bed. That wasn't all they had planned though, and as Virgil adjusted his position to stop Gordon kicking him, Alan ran ahead to check the path was clear.

Between them, the three Tracys carried the fourth outside, Gordon attempting to fight them off with all his might whilst making sure that he wouldn't be dropped in the process. He should have known that Virgil would come out with something quite spectacular when he said that he wanted to give his brother an examination. Apart from the annual ones they all had to undertake in order to make sure that their training and reflexes were up to scratch, the only other time the boys were subjected to one was when something had gone wrong. Gordon was sure Virgil tried to seek revenge on whichever brother it was who'd made him worry in the first place by coming up with something quite inventive for the tests.

Realising where they were headed, Gordon merely held his breath as Scott and Virgil carried him outside, and his suspicions proved to be right as he was thrown unceremoniously into the pool. Resurfacing, he shook the water out of his eyes, grinning at his brothers as he easily treaded water, wondering what they had coming next.

"Is that it?"

"No way," Virgil responded with a laugh, sharing a grin with Scott. "That was just payback for the other morning."

"Virgil!" Quicker than a flash, Gordon scrambled out of the pool, charging towards his brother as he did so. If it was revenge they were after, then it was a level playing field, meaning Gordon could give as good as he got. As Virgil took shelter behind Scott, Gordon adjusted his course in order to make sure that he made both brothers pay for their role in what had just happened. Scott, however, had other ideas. Stepping sharply to one side as Gordon ran at him, he grabbed the younger man by the arm, pulling his soaked brother into him and locking his free arm across Gordon's chest, pinning him in place.

"Now, Virg."

Before Gordon could ask what Scott's latest instruction meant, his artistic brother had lunged forward. Seizing Gordon's left arm – the one that wasn't quite as firmly pinned by Scott – the medic proceeded to draw a phial of blood from his brother.

"What was that for?" Gordon yelled, wincing slightly as he glanced down at the small bubble of blood that had begun to trickle down his arm now that Virgil had withdrawn.

"Full physical, Gords," Virgil responded, his voice far softer than beforehand as he locked eyes with his brother. "Means I want to do the full works."

"Virgil, I..."

"I have to know that you are okay," Virgil cut in, and for a moment the two brothers merely looked at each other. Knowing that he wasn't going to have much choice, Gordon sighed, nodding his understanding and receiving a grateful smile in response.

"Atta boy, fish feet."

Rocking his body back, Gordon twisted away from Scott, breaking free of his brother's hold as he did so. Now that was done, he knew that there would be more coming, especially if Virgil really did want to reassure himself. Not that Gordon was worried, however. He knew that he was fine, and if it meant running around the island for a day in order to prove it, then that was fine by the prankster, especially if it meant getting the two smother hens off his back. Hit with a sudden idea, Gordon secretly grinned to himself, knowing precisely how he was going to repay them for putting him through it.

Scott finally let go properly, stepping away from his brother, but Gordon was only half-listening as Virgil began to outline his plan of the tests they were going to put their brother through in order to make sure that he was fit and ready for duty. Instead, he was concentrating hard on trying to make some of the colour drain from his face, made slightly easier by the fact Virgil had just taken blood from him.

"...and then...Gordon? Gords, are you okay?" Breaking off mid-sentence, Virgil turned to face his brother properly, a frown emerging as he took in the slightly glazed look on the younger man's face.

"Virg, I..." his voice faint, Gordon paused for just a moment, waiting to make sure that he had both Scott and Virgil's attention, before allowing himself to fall forward. As he had predicted, Scott managed to get in between him and the ground, catching Gordon as he fell. As the older two immediately crowded around him, Gordon made sure he kept his eyes shut, although harder still was keeping the smile off his face, especially as he could hear Alan chuckling behind him, his younger brother clearly knowing precisely what Gordon was up to.

"Do you think it was taking the blood?"

Hearing Scott's anxious voice, Gordon knew that he needed to bide his time in order for this to work. Move too quickly, and his brothers would still have the adrenaline rush he knew he had just provided them with in order to catch up with him. Wait too long, however, and Gordon knew that he wouldn't be able to move quickly enough himself.

"I don't know," Virgil responded hesitantly, and if he wasn't after revenge on his brother for doubting whether Gordon was up to a rescue, the redhead would have felt guilty for putting that tone in the older man's voice. "He's never reacted before, that's why I thought I would get it over and done with."

"Guys, you do know he is fine, don't you?" Gordon could quite clearly hear the laughter evident in Alan's voice, but despite his words, it appeared the older two were not prepared to back off just yet.

"What do we do?" Scott continued, ignoring Alan, who merely laughed again. "Wait here until he comes round or get him to the infirmary now?"

"I don't want to move him..." Virgil began, but before he could continue, Gordon knew that his time had come - otherwise they would start to believe Alan. Opening his eyes suddenly, Gordon heard Scott suck in a sharp breath as the prankster just grinned.

"Gotcha!" And with that, Gordon sprang to his feet, breaking through his brothers and running at full speed for the beach. For a moment, there was a stunned silence, before an outraged shout from Scott was coupled with the sound of running feet, and Gordon knew that both Scott and Virgil were after him. Without having to look, Gordon knew that Alan would be following at a more leisurely pace, not seeing the need to rush, but wanting to stay close enough in order to be able to see the events unfold. If Gordon knew his brother as well as he thought he did, he had a feeling the blond would be patching them through to John at the same time, giving their missing sibling an idea of what was going on as well. Although knowing what John was like, it wouldn't have surprised Gordon in the slightest that the dawn start – if not more – had been his idea.

Putting on an extra burst of speed as he heard his older brothers thundering along behind him, Gordon had to admit that this was the best he had felt since the accident. If Virgil wanted him to prove that he was fit for duty, then this certainly was the way to do it. Jumping the last few steps down onto the beach, Gordon continued his mad dash for a while longer, his feet pounding rhythmically into the sand. Knowing that he couldn't try and hide from them – the sand was giving away his route rather obviously – Gordon opted for going straight on, wondering how long it would be until they caught up with him – or he ran out of beach. He was glad he was only wearing shorts for bed, and even more grateful they happened to be an old pair of swimming ones. It meant that they were drying off quite nicely, not hindering him in the slightest. Something suddenly loomed up in front of him, making Gordon skid to a halt, his jaw dropping in disbelief.

"Whoa!"

For spread across the beach, a giant obstacle course had been constructed. Glancing back over his shoulder at his approaching brothers, Gordon knew by the way the pair of them had slowed to a walk, identical grins evident even from the distance Gordon was at, that they had managed to get him exactly where they wanted him. With a groan, Gordon knew there was a reason they had chosen the pool as a starting place. Last time Virgil had tried to force Gordon through the test, the younger man had simply disappeared for the day. It was clear that he wasn't giving the prankster a chance to pull a Houdini this time. There was no way to get across the beach unless it was by going through the obstacles, meaning that if Gordon wanted to escape from his brothers, he was going to have to complete Virgil's course.

"What's wrong, Gordon?" Virgil called, sharing a look with Scott as the two of them stalked ever closer, unable to keep the grin off his face. Despite worrying about his brother, Virgil had to admit that doing things this way was definitely less stressful than putting Gordon through a scheduled programme. The redhead's need to be his own person meant that it was almost an automatic reaction for him to rebel against anything that was structured - unless they were on a rescue. He would definitely have to thank John for thinking this up, not to mention Scott for constructing it. When he had put forward the idea to his oldest brother, he hadn't expected the man to jump on board with quite as much enthusiasm as he had. John had a feeling it was Scott trying to prove that he too was fit and ready for duty, something Virgil had been dubious about since the man's own accident.

"Absolutely nothing," Gordon shouted back, smirking as he watched them walk closer. They were making a mistake if they thought that a mere obstacle course would prove that he was not fit for duty. Letting his gaze flicker from Virgil onto Scott, Gordon frowned at the fact that his brother had one hand clasped behind his back. His body automatically tensing, Gordon narrowed his eyes, trying to work out what it was that his brother was about to do, for he knew by the way Scott's eyes were flickering around that he was waiting for the opportune moment.

"Gordon, duck!" Alan suddenly yelled as he came up behind them, clearly being able to see exactly what Scott was up to. Knowing by the look on Alan's face that the kid meant it, Gordon dropped to the ground, breaking his fall with a neat roll just as something whistled past his head. Turning from where he was crouched, Gordon could see something quivering out of the nearest wooden support for the obstacles. Glancing back towards his brothers, Gordon was just in time to see Scott and Virgil turn to face Alan, incredulity etched in both of their faces. Thinking it was because Alan wasn't supposed to have warned him, Gordon smirked as he stood back up again.

"I thought you were going to give him more warning than that!"

Even this far away from his brothers Gordon could hear every word, and his jaw dropped in disbelief once again.

"What? You said you would fire when I gave the signal," Alan argued, his gaze slipping from Scott and onto Gordon, flinching somewhat as he caught the look his brother was sending him. Offering him a sheepish grin, only to receive a teasing glare back in response, Alan rubbed his hand across the back of his neck.

"You are a traitor, Alan Tracy," Gordon called, mock anger in his voice as Alan shot him another grin, slightly stronger this time.

"What can I say? The enemy has strong persuasion tactics."

"Enemy?" Virgil demanded haughtily, trying to keep both of his younger brothers in his sight at the same time. "Chose your next words very carefully, little brother, or you might find out just what those tactics may include."

"Guys?"

"Bring it on then," Alan responded playfully, both he and Virgil ignoring Scott's attempts to interrupt them.

"Guys?"

"You are going to regret that, Sprout."

"Will you two please stop? Gordon's made a run for it!"

"He's what?" Finally registering Scott's voice, Virgil turned back to the obstacle course, a grin splitting his face as he caught sight of Gordon disappearing over the top of the wall, before quite clearly dropping to the ground the other side.

"What's round the other side, Scott?" he asked, already moving forward. Whilst he knew that his brother had no other way round the course other than to complete it, he still wanted to be able to monitor Gordon's performance the whole way around. He couldn't make a decision if he didn't know how the redhead was doing.

"Either a long swim or opening the vents from the outside for Thunderbird Two and getting back up to the house that way. And you know how awkward those vents are when you're on your own. Not to mention this is Gordon we are talking about, meaning that it is probably going to be the swimming option."

"Nice one."

Feeling Scott fall into step with him, Virgil picked up the pace slightly, eager to gain on his fleeing brother. He could sense Alan hurrying along behind them and, with a sideways look at Scott, both men grinned, speeding up again. They may have been testing Gordon, but it certainly wouldn't hurt to put their youngest member through his paces either.

Gordon, however, had no desire to follow the course through on its regular path. He couldn't help but feel as if the obstacles were only part of the test, and that just completing the course would not be enough to convince Virgil that he was really able to carry out a rescue. His brother certainly had a flare for creativity, and whilst suspecting it was Scott who had laid out the actual course, Gordon knew that Virgil had something else hidden up his sleeve.

Sprinting through the first part of the course in what he knew to be a record time, Gordon quickly came to a halt. With a quick glance behind him to make sure the others couldn't see what he was doing, he began to walk backwards in his own footsteps, springing onto a nearby rock once he had reached the spot he was aiming for. He knew that he didn't have long, but he had long enough to leave a few unwelcome surprises for his brothers. Glancing at the net he had just crawled under, Gordon found himself measuring the length to the ropes hanging off the corners before tipping his head back and gazing at the rock that was jutting out slightly above his head. With a predatory grin, he set to work. He would show them what happened when they tried to leave him out of rescues.

TBTBTB

Breathing heavily, Alan was determined that he was not going to be left behind as Scott's pace got more and more punishing, even Virgil dropping back slightly instead of keeping it up. Waiting for his brother to finish crawling out from under the net, the blond looked around him, trying to force the oxygen back into his lungs as he did so. Frowning as a slight smudge caught his eye, Alan only half heard Virgil's call for him to hurry up, instead finding himself peering at a nearby rock, wondering whether he should be suspicious that it was covered in sand. He knew how Gordon's mind worked – there were some privileges in being part of the Terrible Two, after all – and Alan knew full well that his immediate older brother was not simply going to run through an obstacle course, not if he thought that Virgil was being unfair.

"Alan, move!" Knowing that when Scott used that tone of voice, he had no choice; Alan pushed the matter from his mind and bent down, making to slip under the net. The course no longer seemed just about testing Gordon, Scott instead taking the opportunity to time both Alan and Virgil as well, much to the latter's annoyance. How was he supposed to keep an eye on Gordon if he had to push himself?

Just as Alan lifted the net, he glanced up in time to see Scott make a sprint for the next obstacle, clearly showing that it wasn't just Virgil who wanted to keep an eye on their copper-haired sibling. Just before he reached the wall that he was supposed to be scaling, he suddenly stumbled, using his hands to break his fall before bounding up again.

"Scott!" Instantly Virgil was by his brother's side, concern etched into his face. Scott never stumbled during anything physical; it was what annoyed John so much. Yet the fact he had clearly just done so told Virgil that despite what he was saying, Scott was still feeling the effects of his time in the freezer.

"I'm fine, Virg," Scott practically snapped, hating the fact that his younger brothers had witnessed his moment of weakness. He was feeling the effects slightly, but he would be damned before they knew that. "Alan, stop dawdling and move!"

As Scott shot off again, Alan rolled his eyes. He hated it when his brother tried to give orders, especially when he wasn't up to full fitness himself. With a cheeky grin, the youngest brother glanced down at the net before stepping onto it, making to walk over it rather than bother with the tedious task of scrambling on his stomach. He had just reached the centre of the net, however, when he felt it move below his feet.

Too late did he notice that instead of being used to anchor the net to the ground, the ropes were suspended above his head, hooked expertly around a small piece of rock jutting out from the side of the cliff. With a yell of surprise, Alan made to throw himself forward to try and clear the net, but he couldn't move quickly enough before it gave a sudden jerk and swung into the air, leaving him trapped inside.

"Virgil!" Yelling for his brother, Alan blushed slightly as Virgil turned back, not having got as far ahead as Scott. He hated having to call for help. Virgil's eyebrows practically disappeared into his hair line as he took in the sight of his brother swinging in mid-air, stuck in the same net he had just crawled under.

"I don't even want to know how," he muttered, more to himself than Alan as he moved forward, clearly intending to go and free his brother. Wondering if this was Scott trying to catch Gordon out, or the latter trying to get back at the rest of them, Virgil had to admit that he was more alert than normal as he crept slowly along to where Alan was hanging. Before he could get there though, his question was answered for him.

Having missed the rope by complete accident the first time he had crossed it, Virgil was not expecting the knot to suddenly tighten around his ankle, pulling him off his feet as he did so. Immediately sitting up, Virgil bent forward, intending to slip the rope from his foot, but before he could do so, another lassoed out of nowhere, dropping expertly around his opposite wrist. As fast as he moved, Virgil wasn't fast enough as the rope tightened, pulling him flat out on his back with a yell of surprise. With both ropes pulled tight, Virgil was as stuck as Alan.

Hearing a noise from behind one of the larger rocks, Virgil awkwardly twisted his head around to see Gordon climb out, grin firmly in place as he took in his brothers' positions.

"Have I passed yet?"

"How did you know?"

"I knew what Alan would do," Gordon responded with a shrug, glancing up at his suspended brother as he did so. "And I knew that you wouldn't just leave him there. So, have I passed?"

"Not yet," Virgil said, pausing in his struggles to free himself in order to lock eyes with his younger brother. "You still have to take out Scott."

"Done," Gordon said simply, striding past the net and, as he did so, reaching up with one hand and grasping Alan's wrist lightly. As his brother shrugged him off, confusion spiralling in his eyes, Gordon smirked, pocketing Alan's watch without the younger man noticing what he had done. He should have known that there was more to the obstacle course than just the actual obstacles, but judging by his words, Virgil was the only one who had been relying on Gordon not taking it at face value. That would certainly work to his advantage in taking down Scott.

"Gords, can't you let us up first?"

"So you can warn him?" Gordon said lightly, turning back to face his brother. It was only then that Virgil realised that he couldn't reach his watch, meaning that he had no way of warning Scott. And whilst Alan might not have noticed Gordon stealing his watch, Virgil had, and he knew that Gordon had as good as passed the test, whether he could take down Scott or not.

"Laters." And with that, the aquanaut bounded away, his feet making barely a sound as he sprinted to where he knew Scott would be waiting for the others.

One thing that wasn't working in his advantage, however, was the element of surprise he thought he had. Scott had heard Alan yell for Virgil, and had thought nothing of it. But when Virgil had let out a cry of surprise, the pilot had frozen, automatically raising his watch as he did so. He received no answer from either of his brothers, however, and tensing, Scott found his military past beginning to take back over as he slowly spun on the spot, eyes wide and alert.

"I know you're there, Gordon!" he yelled across the apparently deserted beach, trying to work out where Gordon would be able to take shelter. What he wasn't expecting, however, was the tip of something cold being placed against his neck.

"How right you are," Gordon responded, holding the edge of the pipe with a steady hand. He knew that in order for Virgil to be completely satisfied that Gordon's reactions were precisely what they should be, he would have to take down Scott in order to prove it.

Despite knowing that Scott would be harder to stop than the other two, Gordon was not expecting his brother to react so quickly. Bringing his arm sharply up, Scott rolled his shoulder as he spun on the spot, hitting Gordon's arm away and causing the pipe to clatter harmlessly to the ground. Both of them knew that it had only been for show; now was when the real fight began.

Before Gordon could regain his senses after Scott's sudden movement, the older brother had moved again, forcing his hand up through the gap between Gordon's arm and his side, bending it back as he did so and causing his little brother to be bent over double. Without thinking about it, however, Gordon simply allowed his torso to twist, weakening Scott's hold and grabbing onto his brother's wrist as he did so. His attempt to drag Scott down, however, didn't go according to plan as Scott simply rolled over Gordon's back, dropping into a tight crouch on the other side and flicking one leg out to the side as he spun slowly in a circle.

Caught off balance as his legs were swept from under him, Gordon hit the floor, but instantly flipped himself over backwards and rested in a tight crouch. Out of the corner of his eye, he could make out Virgil and Alan coming to watch. He knew that it wouldn't have taken Virgil long to free himself, but it had given Gordon the chance he needed to tackle Scott without them automatically interfering.

Rising to his feet, Gordon found that he and Scott were almost circling each other, waiting for an opening in the other's defences. If it had been any of the others facing Scott, they would already be down, but Gordon stood more of a chance. He had been through practically the same basic training in the military as his brother, and could certainly hold his own against the elder Tracy. Without warning, he threw himself at Scott, taking the man by surprise and bowling him over.

Scott quickly used his height to his advantage and managed to flip the pair of them, but a quick knee in his stomach stopped him from straddling Gordon properly. As Gordon made to move again, Virgil quickly cut in, knowing that the pair of them would let stubbornness surface and things would begin to get dangerous - he knew what they were capable of. Not to mention the fact that Scott could have easily died the day before, something he was still adamant that Gordon could not find out about. Virgil wasn't about to let his little brother discover it by realising that his opponent was weaker than usual, that was for sure.

"Okay you two, that's enough. Gordon, congratulations, you are hereby fit and ready for duty."

"And?" Gordon prompted, propping himself up on his elbows from where he was sprawled across the sand.

"And?" Virgil questioned, clearly not having a clue what his brother was talking about. As Scott suddenly snorted with amusement as he hauled himself to his feet, Gordon shot him a grin, knowing that the older man had figured out what the younger was heading towards. Glancing at Scott, Virgil sighed heavily, realising what Gordon wanted.

"And I'm sorry for having doubted you."

"Awesome," Gordon responded, jumping to his feet and digging his hand in his pocket. Pulling out Alan's watch, he caught the younger man's eye, grinning apologetically as he threw the gadget over, Alan just about managing to catch it. Making to stride off, Gordon paused, turning to face all three of his brothers once more.

"And I'm sorry for getting worked up about the accident, and for not telling you myself, Al. I swear I've let it go this time, especially as you were all obviously fine on the last one." His voice softer than before, Gordon chewed on the bottom of his lip, trying to make himself believe his own words. As Virgil returned his look steadily, he suddenly grinned.

"Race ya!" And with that, he shot off towards the house, Scott giving Alan a nudge in the back to send him after his partner in crime and so allow him to talk to Virgil in peace.

"Do we tell him?" Virgil asked hesitantly, glancing at his older brother in concern. Scott was staring after Gordon's retreating back, a frown on his face. As they watched, Alan drew level with his older brother, and hearing Gordon's laugh bounce back down the beach towards them, Scott sighed.

"No. He's happy now, leave him be."

"But Scott..."

"Virg, no more accidents are going to happen, we've just been careless. There is no point getting worked up over something that doesn't matter."

Not liking it, but accepting his brother's word, Virgil allowed Scott to lead him back to the house, wondering if they were doing the right thing.

Chapter Text

By the time Virgil reached the house his mind had raced through every reason for and against telling Gordon what had happened. Despite not liking Scott's logic, the younger man had to admit it did make sense. But what was troubling him was that things never had much of a chance of staying a secret when they lived on an island. Alan especially had a habit of just blurting things out whenever he got annoyed, the revealing of Christmas presents year after yearhad meant the brothers had learnt to not trust him with anything important. Virgil knew it hadn't worked well with Alan not being told about Gordon, but he couldn't stop the suspicion that if Gordon found out they had been keeping something from him for fear of the effect it would have, Alan's outburst would seem like a mere whisper compared to what he would come out with.

"Virg? You okay?" Scott's quiet voice brought his brother out of his musings and, blinking, Virgil spared him a glance, realising that they were standing on top of the steps about to walk straight into the house. The artistic Tracy didn't even remember climbing them; he had been too lost in thought.

"Are you?" Virgil shot back, referring to Scott's slip out on the course.

"Why wouldn't I be?" Scott answered, frowning at his brother. He knew though, knew precisely what Virgil was getting at. He should have known that Virgil wouldn't have let his fall go unchallenged, but he certainly wasn't going to let the younger man know that he was feeling far from alright. Virgil had enough to worry about without knowing that his older brother kept experiencing moments of double vision.

"Whatever," Virgil muttered, brushing past Scott and moving into the cool shade of the hallway. The temperature had certainly risen whilst they had been out there, another reason why Virgil was glad to have it over and done with.

"What was that for?" Suddenly, Scott was in front of him, hands on hips as he stared down at his younger sibling, annoyance in his eyes as he waited for an explanation for his brother's dismissive tone. Forcing himself to keep calm, Virgil returned Scott's piercing gaze steadily.

"Nothing," he answered simply, making to move on again. He knew Scott wouldn't believe him in the slightest, but he just hoped that his brother let it go, for he had a strong feeling that if he did not, Alan would not be the only one proving how vocal he could be when wound up. He knew full well Scott was lying when he said that he was fine. All his life Virgil had kept a close eye on the health of all his brothers, not just Scott. He knew when they were fine, and when they were not. But if Scott was simply going to play the stubborn card, then two could play that game.

"Virgil, answer me," Scott ordered, moving to block Virgil's route again. Coming to a stop, Virgil felt his steady look slip into nothing more than a glare.

"Giving me orders again, Scott? You seem to be doing that a lot lately. Especially when it comes to telling me to lie to my brother."

"Virgil, keep it down," Scott hissed, sparing a worried glance over his shoulder, but Gordon remained safely out of earshot. Rolling his eyes, Virgil shook his head, pushing past his older brother and stalking towards the kitchen, desperately hoping that Scott wasn't about to follow. He should have known better, however, as Scott quickly fell into step with him.

"You know my reasons for that, Virgil," he said quietly, clearly wanting a reaction from his brother. All he received was a withering glance in response.

"I know your reasons. But that still doesn't change the fact that you are trying to pull rank to keep Gordon in the dark."

"Virgil, that's not true!" Scott cried, and Virgil knew by the look in his brother's eye that Scott truly hadn't meant for that to be the way it had come across. But by now, Virgil was too worked up to let it go.

"So you didn't mean it. Yet that is what has happened."

"Can I make it up to you?"

"Let me tell Gordon."

"And make him paranoid again? Don't think so," Scott practically scoffed, unable to see where Virgil was going with this. The younger man had originally agreed to keep quiet about what had happened, and considering it was Gordon's health which could potentially be affected by the news, Scott had thought that his brother would jump at the chance to protect his younger brother; he always had before. After all, it had practically been Virgil's idea to not tell Alan in the first place, meaning Scott had no idea why this was so different.

"It's because it is his health," Virgil shot back, coming to a stop in the doorway, not realising Kyrano was directly behind him, observing the confrontation in his usual quiet manner. "If we tell him, we can work through it with him; this morning proved that he is fine. But what happens when he simply overhears something, the way Alan did? And not tell us that he knows? You saw him after his own accident, there will be no telling what he might try and do. Then how paranoid do you think he will get, Scott, knowing that his brothers lied to him!"

"Virg, this is Gordon. How much do you think he can hide from us without us noticing?"

"Exactly, this is Gordon. Scott, you know how much he hid from us after the accident. It was only Dad who saw how depressed the kid got; we didn't notice - too busy trying to cheer him up with stupid jokes. If there is one thing that Gordon is better at than the rest of us put together, it's hiding things."

"John's pretty good," Scott muttered, running a hand through his hair as he spoke, knowing that he was fighting a losing battle with this one. Sometimes he hated being the oldest brother. Virgil was alright, he was just thinking about protecting his younger sibling. Scott had to somehow work out what was the best course of action to help them both.

"I don't care if... Wait, what-?" Suddenly realising what Scott had just said, Virgil paused in mid-tirade, his mind distracted from Gordon and onto what his older blond brother might be hiding.

"Nothing," Scott responded dismissively, brushing past Virgil and moving into the kitchen, just about acknowledging Kyrano's presence.

"So now you are trying to keep me in the dark as well? Anything else you're holding back on, Scotty?"

"Virgil, please, just drop it." Scott sank wearily onto one of the bar stools, letting his head rest in his hands as he propped his elbows up on the counter. This was not the way he had thought things would pan out when he had decided that it was safer that Gordon didn't know how close his oldest brother had come to not making it back from the rescue.

"Then you drop this whole protection crap, Scott, it's not helping anyone!"

"Virgil!" Scott was on his feet again, anger spiralling out of his overly bright eyes as he glared at his brother. Virgil, for his part, was glaring back with equal intensity. Neither Tracy was prepared to back down on their stance, both adamant that the opposite course of action was the right one.

"Boys?" Ever the peace maker, Kyrano stepped up between the two brothers, the furious looks seeming to melt in his calming presence, Scott sitting down heavily again. Before anything else could be said, Tin-Tin came slowly into the room, a frown on her face as she took in the atmosphere in the room.

"Father? Scott? Virgil? What's going on?"

"Nothing," Scott muttered, and instantly earned himself a warning glance from the girl's father. One thing was for sure - Kyrano might put up with them snapping at each other, but he was not going to let them turn on his daughter.

"Tin-Tin, can you get Mr Tracy for me?"

"Sure," Tin-Tin responded, confusion lining her voice. With a last, long look at the boys, she turned and left the room.

"Kyrano, there is no need for that, Dad doesn't need to know."

"It involves you and your brothers, so your father needs to know."

As Scott opened his mouth to argue back, Virgil gave him a sharp kick on the ankle.

"Just drop it."

"Like you have?" Scott instantly shot back, and, as Virgil made to make an angry retort back, Kyrano stepped between them again. This time he seemed to know that the boys had gone too far to simply let matters go, and, taking Virgil by the upper arm, he pulled the younger man away from his brother, putting physical distance between the pair of them. Luckily, Jeff chose that moment to arrive; his brow crumpled as Tin-Tin led him into the room. Instantly crossing the kitchen, she went and stood next to her father, his arm snaking around her shoulders and holding her close as they waited for the scene to unfold.

His eyes glancing around the kitchen, Jeff sighed deeply. He was already worrying over what was happening between the boys with the lies that seemed to be bouncing around the house and one look at the positions of his two sons and he knew things were escalating, especially considering the fact that Kyrano was still positioning himself in between the boys, clearly ready to stop them from going for each other should he need to.

"What's going on?"

"Nothing," Scott said for the third time in only a few moments, suddenly becoming very interested in the worktop as he refused to meet his father's gaze. If Scott wasn't going to answer him, however, Virgil decided that he should just do it for him. After all, it wasn't like he was going to take Scott's side on this.

"He wants to keep Gordon in the dark over what happened."

"Thanks, Virg," Scott muttered bitterly, earning himself another withering glance from his brother. Knowing that if he delayed, things would escalate further, Jeff snapped into action.

"Virgil, go into the lounge."

"But..."

"Now, son! Don't make me tell you again. Scott, with me." Striding from the room, Jeff paused in the doorway, shooting his boys meaningful looks over his shoulder until they both began to move. Taking the first part of the route together, their father leading the way, the two brothers refused to say a word to each other. Just as Virgil made to turn off to enter the lounge, Alan suddenly appeared. A look of astonishment crossed his young face when he caught sight of the matching surly expressions his brothers were wearing.

"What's going on?" he asked, his eyes darting between the three older members of his family, clearly not sure who he should be addressing in order to get an answer.

"Nothing you need to concern yourself with, Alan. Can you make sure that Gordon doesn't come down?"

Nodding his understanding – his expression giving away the fact that he was suddenly aware of what this was about - the youngest member of the family turned on his heel and bounded away again. Nudging Virgil in the right direction, Jeff waited until his son had entered the lounge before shutting the door behind him.

"Come on, Scott," he sighed, continuing to lead the way towards his office. Standing back to let his oldest son enter before him, Jeff raised his watch, keeping his voice quiet as he connected through to Thunderbird Five.

"Hey, Dad, what's up?" John's response came almost immediately, a clear sign for his father that his son was not in the middle of something.

"John, I need you to talk to your brother."

"Which one? I do have several."

Despite himself, Jeff had to smile. He could almost picture the smirk on his son's face, and shaking his head in fond amusement, he knew that John would be able to sort Virgil out. At least, hopefully, better than Scott was at the present time.

"Virgil. He and Scott are disagreeing over the Gordon situation."

"Why does that not surprise me?" John muttered, his tone somewhat resigned. "I thought the tests this morning would sort the pair of them out, but on second thoughts, I should have known they would make things worse."

Confused, Jeff had to frown. He knew that Virgil had planned to put his brother through his paces and, hoping that it would work as a way of getting the older brothers off Gordon's back, Jeff had let them go through with it, a quiet word with the redhead meaning that he had also accepted it.

"What do you mean?"

"If Gords had failed any of the tests, Virg and Scott would have united over what needed to be done next. Now they have to accept he really is okay. Scott is still going to want to look out for the kid, whereas Virgil always has had more of a head-on approach. No doubt Scott thinks that if Gordon never finds out, everything will be fine, whereas Virg will be sure that he will discover it somehow and be the worse for it."

"You're in the wrong profession, son," Jeff said, astonishment lining his voice. It had always amazed him how John managed to read his brothers – both older and younger – so well, despite not being on the planet half the time any more. It was what made him such an effective Space Monitor, often picking up on things that the rest of the family were missing. The astronaut couldn't see his brothers most of the time, meaning he had learnt to listen in a way none of the others could manage.

"So what precisely do you want me to do, Dad?"

"Just...keep him calm until I've spoken to Scott," Jeff responded, running a hand distractedly through his hair as he glanced back towards his office door wondering how he was going to get through to his son. Whilst all the boys had a stubborn streak in them – they were their father's sons after all – Scott was possibly the worst when it came to looking out for the rest of them.

"F.A.B." John confirmed, his mind already racing over different ways of being able to keep his artistic brother calm. Whilst generally Virgil and Scott were practically inseparable, when something managed to drive a solid wedge between them the results could often be explosive.

"Oh and Dad?"

His finger almost touching the button that would have disconnected him from his distant son, Jeff paused. Once again, he could hear the smirk in John's voice, and bracing himself, he wondered what was coming.

"Good luck," the blond said simply, cutting the connection from his end. Sitting back in his command chair miles above the earth, John sighed deeply. There certainly was some sort of storm brewing on Tracy Island, especially if his brothers were arguing with each other. Despite reassuring Gordon to the contrary, John himself hadn't completely dismissed the idea that someone else could have been present on the rescue. The sensors may not have picked anything up, but John knew how all over the place they were when a fire was raging. Whilst not confirming anything, they also hadn't ruled anything out. And then there was the whole freezer episode... Scott had been adamant that it was nothing more than an accident and so, knowing what they were putting Gordon through, John had stayed quiet, but as ever, his mind was racing.

"Virgil, come in." Hitting a switch in front of him that would connect him to his younger brother, John decided that he would wait and see how Virgil reacted before deciding on a plan to keep him calm. After all, this wasn't the first time he had been made to play peacemaker between his immediate older and younger brothers. Despite being regarded as two of the closest siblings, Scott and Virgil had always had their moments, especially growing up. Virgil's early teenage years coinciding with Scott's later ones had meant there had been more than one spectacular row - sometimes even going further than that - that sent the rest of the house running for cover.

"Sent to babysit me, Johnny?" Virgil's reply, whilst sounding slightly irritated, was not as furious as John had been dreading.

"You okay?"

"Grand."

"Come on, Virg, you've got to give me more than that." Trying to make his own voice sound slightly like he was whining, John grinned in satisfaction as he heard Virgil chuckle. He knew full well that the younger man would know precisely what he was up to, but the fact that it was working was all that the Space Monitor cared about.

"Why does he always think that he knows best?" Virgil eventually muttered after a few moments of silence. John immediately knew which "he" his brother was referring to, and, wondering if this meant they were going to actually get somewhere, John found himself sitting up straighter. His father may just have asked John to keep Virgil calm, but the second-born knew Jeff was aware that his son would be able to do more than that; John always had a way of being able to get through to his brothers, no matter what the situation.

"Maybe because most of the time he does?"

"Oh stop being such a smartass, John!"

"Charming."

For a long moment, silence fell between the two brothers, John knowing precisely what was coming next, but just waiting to see how long it took for Virgil to crack. Nearly a full five minutes passed before Virgil did just that, and before long, was laughing, causing his brother to smile. Mission complete.

"Ready to try again, little brother?" Without waiting for Virgil's response, John knew it was time to push the matter. "What's really going on?"

"He wants to keep what happened from Gords. I get why he is doing it, John, I really do, but look what happened with Alan. Do you really think that we can manage to keep it from him forever and just hope that he never finds out?"

"Virgil?" John asked quietly, wondering whether he was imagining things. He could have sworn by the way Virgil had worded his tirade that this had nothing to do with Gordon. "Who this is about? Gordon, or Scott?"

"Gordon!" Virgil said strongly, his flash of temper showing that he was lying. "I just want the kid to be alright, yet Scott has to come in and start giving his orders and pretending like he is the only one that wants what is best for him. He's my brother too, John, why doesn't Scott get that?"

"Now tell me again that this is about Gordon," John responded, smirking. He knew he would get to the bottom of the issue eventually. Whilst in a way this really was about their water-loving sibling, John knew what the real issue was. It wasn't lying to Gordon that had Virgil so worked up, it was the fact that Scott had told him to do it. Or, judging from the messages he seemed to be getting here, ordering the younger man to do it. No wonder Virgil was annoyed, John knew that he would be too. But he could also understand Scott's need to look out for them both; it was what was causing such a conflict in the first place.

"Oh go to hell," Virgil muttered bitterly. He had never worked out how John always managed to get him to admit precisely what the problem was.

"Then you're coming too, short-stuff," John responded smugly, knowing they were making progress. Now Virgil had stopped pretending that this was all about Gordon – even if that truly was what he had believed himself – they would be able to get somewhere.

"So is it really Scott giving his orders that has got you worked up?"

"I'm not worked up!"

"Just answer the question, Virg."

"Yes!" Virgil responded heatedly, knowing inwardly he was completely denying his previous claim that he was not worked up. Jumping up from the arm of the couch from where he had been perching, Virgil rolled his neck, strongly resisting the urge to start pacing. There was something about the way John almost seemed to be able to read his mind that meant the artistic Tracy was sure his brother would know what he was doing before Virgil had even started.

"Try again."

"No?"

"More like it." Mirroring his father's early actions, John ran a hand through his hair as he lent backwards with a sigh. He had always been able to sort out their problems, he just seemed to have a way of knowing whether his brothers were lying to him or not. Scott could do a similar thing, but when he was partly the cause, his big brother intuition seemed to suddenly be lacking as his own stubbornness came to the surface. As Virgil refused to elaborate, John raised his eyebrows.

"Any time today, Virgil. Come on, tell me. What is this truly about? And no more lies."

"He could have died yesterday, John," Virgil muttered quietly, sounding somewhat drained as he perched back on the couch, sinking fully into the cushions this time. "And he wants to act like it never happened just to stop Gordon getting worried."

Knowing they had finally reached the root of the problem, John pondered the best way of tackling it. Despite agreeing with Scott about wanting to keep their redhead safe and happy, Scott was risking his own health doing it. What if he and Gordon were alone on a rescue and he felt the effects of the near-disaster? Gordon wouldn't know what was wrong in order to know how to react, meaning the results could potentially be lethal for the oldest brother.

"Virg, you know that Scott never takes his own health seriously, especially not when he thinks he can protect one of us in the process."

"But that stubbornness is going to get him killed, John!"

"Knock knock! You in there, Virg?"

His head spinning around sharply, Virgil felt his heart sink as Gordon's voice echoed down the corridor, a thankful warning that he was heading straight for the lounge.

"John, it's Gordon!" he practically hissed, suddenly worried that his raised voice would have travelled further than he originally thought. It would certainly solve all of their problems if Gordon had heard his tirade, but even Virgil didn't want his younger brother finding out that way.

"What are you going to do, hide?" John responded drily, and immediately, Virgil felt himself calming down. John was right, there had been nothing in Gordon's tone to indicate that he had overheard something he shouldn't have, and so, taking a deep breath, Virgil stood up.

"Virg, flick me onto the big screen," John suddenly ordered just as his brother's shadow hit the door. Doing as he was asked, Virgil spun to meet Gordon, trying to hide how hard his heart was pounding. He had no idea why John wanted the communications to be flicked over to the portraits rather than Virgil's watch, but he trusted his older brother to know what he was doing.

"What'cha doing all cooped up in... Oh, hi, Johnny." His voice trailing off as he caught sight of the active screen, Gordon smiled, plonking himself down gracefully in their father's usual chair, swinging his feet up as he did so.

"Hi yourself, squirt." John responded with a smile, catching Virgil's eye over Gordon's head and, when he was sure that the redhead was preoccupied, winking at his brother. Smiling in return, Virgil dipped his head in understanding. With the screen activated, it just looked as if Virgil had shut himself in the lounge to have a proper chat with his big brother. Whenever any of the boys wanted a long talk, they all tended to use the portraits rather than watches, it just made the whole thing feel more real, as if John was really in front of them rather than being thousands of miles away.

"What are you two old women gossiping about then?"

"You," John responded flatly, ignoring the frantic looks Virgil was shooting him. He had trusted the astronaut to be tactful about this whole thing, and yet the artist had to admit he had no idea where John was going with this.

"About how awesome I am?" Gordon asked, shooting Virgil a grin over his shoulder as he did so. Forcing his mouth into a smile, Virgil turned away, letting the ocean draw his gaze as a way of avoiding having to make eye contact with Gordon.

"Something like that," John said with a laugh, letting his hand slide smoothly over the controls in front of him. With Gordon looking the opposite way to where Virgil was standing, the space monitor casually hit a couple of buttons, sending out vibrations to Virgil's watch, causing him to visibly jump and turn back around, glaring at the screen at the same time. Smirking, John raised his eyebrows pointedly, clearly trying to tell his brother to relax before Gordon got truly suspicious.

"Virg was just telling me that you aced the tests this morning."

"Naturally," Gordon responded smugly, crossing his arms behind his head as he began to swivel slightly on the chair. His tone growing serious, he shot his artistic brother a slightly accusatory glare. "Not that you should have expected anything else. I've been fine all along, you know."

"Sorry, kiddo," John answered for Virgil, seeing in his brother's eyes that he was having a hard enough time keeping things together as it was. Gordon's timing couldn't have been any worse. Just as Virgil was letting his defences down, letting John get to the root of the problem, he had been suddenly forced to once again act like nothing had happened.

"That might have been my fault; I wanted to see if the obstacle course would work. So, what did you do? Virgil here has been a bit...reluctant to say the least about how you managed to pass."

As Gordon launched into a step-by-step account of what had happened that morning – not in the slightest bit surprised Virgil had been holding back on the details considering the way his younger brother had managed to defeat him – the artist muttered some comment under his breath about needing a drink, and left the room, more than conscious of the burning stare on his back. John was definitely not finished with him, of that Virgil was sure.

Not sure what else he could do, Virgil did indeed navigate his way into the kitchen, rolling his eyes at the sight of Alan and Tin-Tin sitting next to each other at the bar, taking it in turns with the tub of ice-cream in between them.

"Nice work, Al," Virgil muttered, pouring himself a coffee as he shot his youngest brother a slightly dark look over his shoulder.

"What?"

"John's talking to Gordon."

"So?"

"The same Gordon you were supposed to be keeping upstairs."

"Oh crap!" Alan cursed, jumping up from where he was sitting, although what he planned to do next, Virgil had no idea. "Does he..?"

"No," Virgil answered heavily, hitching himself onto the nearest stool and letting his forehead rest against his mug. It was going to be one of those days, he could just feel it. "Thanks to John's quick thinking."

"Virg, I'm really sorry..."

"Whatever," Virgil muttered, cutting off Alan's apology. Looking up, he caught the kid's eye, sending out a message that he knew the younger man hadn't meant for it to happen. The last thing he wanted was to be arguing with another brother.

"Are you questioning my judgement?" Hearing the raised voice, both Virgil and Alan jumped, making their way to the door simultaneously. As Alan pushed it open gently, Virgil knew instantly that the voices were coming from their father's office.

"It's my right as your father and commander to question your judgement."

"There is nothing to question!"

"Don't you dare take that tone with me, Scott Tracy!"

"He so should have let John take Scott rather than me," Virgil muttered, unable to stop a wry smile from flickering across his face. As Alan turned towards him questioningly, he shook his head, not willing to go into the argument any further; John's cross-examination had been bad enough. Before he could say anything else, however, the office door burst open, and even from the angle they were at, the two brothers could see Scott storming towards them. Seeing two of his younger brothers watching him, even as the lounge door reopened and a third appeared, Scott stopped short.

"What's wrong with you lot?" he practically snapped, not in the mood for anyone else telling him that he was in the wrong. His head was throbbing with more intensity now, and considering no one seemed to believe that what he was doing was the right thing, Scott didn't want to deal with anyone else.

"Scott, are you alright?" Virgil asked quietly, momentarily forgetting his own disagreement with his brother as he took in the ashen complexion of the older man, wondering if Scott realised quite how much he seemed to be swaying on the spot.

"For the last time, I'm fine!" Scott yelled, causing his father to appear in the office doorway, disapproval written all over his face.

"Scott..."

"Scott!" Cutting off his father, Virgil dove forward even as Scott's eyes rolled backwards into his head and he pitched forward.

Chapter Text

For a moment, Jeff could only watch as Virgil skidded along the floor on one knee, somehow managing to get in between Scott and the floor, catching his brother awkwardly. Due to the angle and Scott's dead weight, Virgil was unable to hold his brother up for any length of time and quickly lowered him down again.

"Infirmary, now!" he practically barked, and, hurrying forward, Jeff made to help his son.

"What about...?" His question hanging in mid-air, Alan stepped forward uncertainly, clearing wanting to help, but not knowing what he could do that would mean he wasn't in the way. Glancing at him over his shoulder, Virgil knew precisely what his youngest brother was going to ask. What they should they do about Gordon? The redhead looked slightly stunned to say the least as he watched his father and brother with Scott, but Virgil couldn't help but notice there was a strange light burning in his eyes, a look there that Virgil was not expecting to see.

"No time."

"I can get John..."

"Alan, what's the point?"

Sensing his father's warning look at his blunt tone, the medic sighed irritably, hooking his hands under Scott's shoulders and half-lifting his brother. As Jeff took Scott's feet, the two of them somehow managed to hoist him back into the air and slowly but surely, the two of them began to carry the pilot towards the one room in the house he hated more than anywhere else. Gordon snapped himself out of his daze, jogging ahead to make sure the way was clear and most likely darting into Brains' lab on the way past to let him know what was going on. Other than Virgil, the resident genius was the one all of the boys trusted when it came to their health. In fact, since he didn't moan at them for not reporting an injury in the same way as their brother did, all of the boys had gone straight to Brains more than once if it meant avoiding the wrath of Virgil.

Sure enough, as soon as Virgil and Jeff finally reached the infirmary - Jeff motioning to Alan to open the doors and so give them access to the array of medical equipment waiting within - Gordon was not the only one in there.

"W..w...what h...happened?" Brains stuttered, pushing his glasses further up his nose as he waited patiently for the Tracys to dump Scott – somewhat unceremoniously – on the nearest bed. Almost instantly the father found himself forcibly nudged out of the way as Virgil bustled around, hooking his brother up to a variety of different monitors, his brow furrowed as he muttered to himself, clearly trying to work out precisely what had caused his brother's collapse. When no one answered Brains – three out of the four Tracys being slightly unsure of what to say for fear of Gordon's reaction – Virgil eventually opened his mouth.

"He was being too stubborn for his own good."

"T...that doesn't, uh, h...help," Brains muttered, trying to sidle closer to the bed to examine the patient for himself, only to find that he was subjected to the same treatment as Jeff and pushed out of the way. Virgil had always been the same way: if he could do a job, there was no way he was about to let someone else try and do it for him, especially not when it concerned his brothers' health. Glancing over his shoulder as Gordon hitched himself onto the opposite bed, his legs swinging freely as he tried to keep out of the way, Virgil knew that they couldn't hide it any longer. Not if this was the consequence.

"His body temperature is far too low."

"W...why?" Brains asked, causing Jeff to curse softly under his breath. With everything else that had taken place over the last day or so, he had completely forgotten that the debriefing for the rescue had never happened. This was the very reason why he had always insisted one took place, just in case something like this happened. Everyone on the island needed to know of any problems the rescuers might have, keeping secrets just didn't work in their organisation, despite its very existence being the biggest secret of them all.

"That's what happens when you get stuck in a freezer," Gordon responded casually, causing Virgil's hands to slip from where he had been trying to set the thermal blanket to the right temperature before draping it over the still form of his oldest brother. Instantly, a deadly silence spread throughout the room, Brains frowning in confusion as he glanced between the Tracys. Jeff shut his eyes, taking a deep breath before slowly turning to face his fourth born.

"How long have you known?" he asked quietly, not being sure whether he should be worried by Gordon's relaxed posture. Leaning on his hands, Gordon lounged back on the bed but raised an eyebrow at his father's question. Not knowing where the family was going with this, Brains muttered some excuse and quickly bustled out of the room, clearly not wanting to get in the middle of things.

"Practically since the guys got home. Well, I knew something had happened then, just didn't know what until this morning."

"How?" It was Alan who spoke this time, confusion lining his voice as he stared at his usual partner in crime, wondering how Gordon could be taking it so calmly. He knew how it felt to be left out from knowing something that could have cost one of the brothers their lives, but, unlike his explosive reaction, Gordon simply shrugged.

"It was easy. Sorry, Al, but if I've never been able to get Scott into the sickbay of Two, there is no way you could have tricked him in. And Virg, do you really think I would believe you helped Alan? I know what you are like on rescues."

"And the freezer part?" Virgil asked quietly, returning to his task. Within moments, Scott was almost obscured from view under the blanket, but, his eyes flickering to the screen that was monitoring his brother's temperature, Virgil was satisfied that it would not take very long before Scott regained consciousness; his body had reacted well to the blanket. The medic knew this had only happened because his stubborn older brother had refused to let him check him out properly once they had returned to the island, claiming they needed to keep it from Gordon. He was just lucky that people had been around when he had collapsed; there could be no telling how bad it might have been otherwise. Running a hand through his hair with a sigh of relief, Virgil sat down heavily on the end of Scott's bed, his attention completely focused on his immediate younger brother. Jeff pulled up a nearby chair, swivelling it around until he was sitting next to Scott, before also turning his attention to his son.

"Alan," Gordon responded simply.

"I didn't say anything!" Alan exclaimed immediately. He turned to face Virgil, innocence plastered over his face supporting his words. For Virgil's part, he simply let his eyes flicker back to Gordon. If the redhead had already figured out that something had happened just from the way they were behaving when they arrived home – something that Virgil should have known would have provoked suspicion, considering how lax about their usual protocol they had all been, even Jeff - then he knew that Alan wouldn't have needed to say anything. Sure enough, Gordon's next words confirmed his suspicions.

"You didn't have to, Sprout."

"So how did you know?"

"Your face."

"Oh charming," Alan muttered, sitting down on the floor and crossing his legs as he did so. The look in his baby brother's eyes didn't escape Virgil's notice as he glanced across at Scott before removing the pilot from his eye line. Sighing, the medic made a mental note to check on Alan later. The kid had always looked up to their oldest brother in a way that bordered on worship, and the rest of them were well aware of how much it affected the young man when something happened to the elder.

"What do you mean, son?" Jeff prompted, still at a complete loss as to where Gordon was going with this. He knew that whilst Alan hadn't liked being kept in the dark himself, he certainly wouldn't have gone against his brothers and let the redhead know. The fact that Virgil and Scott were disagreeing as it was didn't matter, their younger brother didn't know that at the time.

"When you told Tin-Tin that you couldn't reach the ice-cream she wanted and she suggested getting Scott to go and get it."

Shutting his eyes with a groan, Alan rested his head in his hands. He had completely forgotten that Gordon had been in the room for that. All he had thought about was there was no way that Scott was going into another freezer; the image of his barely conscious brother was still burnt into his mind's eye. If he was honest, whilst he may have realised that Gordon would have picked up on his reaction – despite normally being partners, there were occasions where even Gordon would play the big brother card – Alan didn't know that his brother was already on the way to figuring out what had happened. If Gordon hadn't thought something was wrong, he would have been able to gauge nothing from Alan's reaction.

Watching him, Virgil sighed. Only Gordon would have been able to figure out what had happened through reactions like that. Thinking about his troublesome brother, Virgil found he was hard pushed not to mirror Alan's actions and groan out loud when he thought back to something Gordon had said on the obstacle course. He had claimed that he was letting it go because nothing had happened on the previous rescue. But even when he had uttered those words, the aquanaut had had some idea that something was going on, even if he hadn't yet worked out precisely what. Had he been testing his brothers, waiting to see whether they were going to come clean with him or lie to his face? Wondering if the blunt tactic would work this time, Virgil opened his mouth.

"Are you okay, Gordy?" Whilst his voice was low, Virgil found that he was watching Gordon closely, waiting to see if there was the slightest flicker of emotion that would betray him. For his older brother was sure that the younger man was simply going to brush everything off. It came as a bit of a surprise when Gordon turned to face him head-on.

"Why wouldn't I be? Think I might be worried that something weird is going on? I mean, it's not like this is the second accident to happen in as many rescues, both ones where people's lives weren't in direct danger as such. It's not like the rest of my family decided that lying to me might be better than telling me that my brother nearly died. So wouldn't I be okay, Virg?"

Shutting his eyes, Virgil swallowed hard. This was precisely why he had disagreed with Scott about keeping Gordon in the dark. Whilst Gordon's voice had been light-hearted, sounding just like his usual self, Virgil found that made his words cut even deeper.

"Now you know what it feels like," Alan muttered under his breath, causing Virgil to roll his eyes.

"Not helpful, Alan."

"What would you know about what is helpful or not, Virgil? It's not like anything got kept from you!"

"Yeah, maybe because I've been the one who has had to save their asses both times! Don't tell me I don't know what it feels like, Alan!"

"Boys, enough!"

Both Virgil and Alan immediately fell silent at their father's tone of voice, knowing automatically that they had gone too far. Alan sank further down on the floor, but Virgil glanced across to Gordon. Or, at least, to where Gordon had been, for all that remained now was an empty bed. Turning so he was looking at his father, Virgil was surprised to see Jeff on his feet. He hadn't heard either of them move, finding that his annoyance with Alan had clouded his senses to everything else. But he knew that it wasn't just Alan he was annoyed at, but the whole situation. Things should have never got this far in the first place.

"Virg, gerroff my feet."

Jumping, Virgil leapt up in surprise, Alan scrambling up off the floor as both brothers came to stand side by side, identical smiles stretching across their faces as Scott glanced up at them, trying to sit up. Realising what his brother was trying to do, Virgil stepped forward at the same time as Jeff, both of them instinctively putting hands on Scott's shoulders, trying to force the pilot to stay still.

"Let me up," Scott protested weakly, trying to dislodge his father's hand, seeming to think that it would be an easier task than removing Virgil's.

"No way."

It was his brother who answered him, however, and, putting more weight behind his hand, Virgil glared at him.

"Virg..."

"No, Scott. If you hadn't been so adamant about hiding things from Gordon, this wouldn't have happened.

"Virgil, shh!" Scott hissed, his eyes darting around the room. It came as a surprise to see Alan watching his struggles, but no Gordon in sight. Thinking that perhaps the rest of the family had been able to cover up his collapse, Scott smiled in relief. Seeing the smile – and correctly interpreting it – Virgil frowned down at his stubborn brother.

"He knows, Scott."

"You promised you wouldn't tell him!"

"No one told him, son, your brother figured things out for himself." Jeff's words did what their hands could not, and Scott fell back against the pillows with a long groan. The fact Gordon wasn't in the room showed just how well that had gone down.

"Is he..?"

"We don't know if he is okay or not; he left when Alan and Virgil were arguing," Jeff continued, shooting the sons in question meaningful looks. Sitting back down on the edge of the bed, Virgil rested his hands against his knees, leaning forward slightly. That was the second time he had had that argument, although with two different brothers. He couldn't help but think he was lucky that John had been able to calm him down, it would have been worse if the star-loving Tracy was annoyed at him as well. All he had wanted to do was what was best for his little brother.

Knowing what he was thinking, Scott leant forward again.

"Not having a good day, Virg?"

"It wouldn't have been so bad if you hadn't been so damn stubborn."

"You know me, Virg," Scott said softly, a touch of a smile ghosting his lips as his brother turned to face him. He had no desire to continue the argument with Virgil, especially considering it would have been more than pointless as Gordon had already discovered what it was they were arguing about. Besides, it was Scott's job as the big brother to try and make Virgil feel better, not worse. "You didn't think I was going to make life easy for you, did you?"

"Would have been nice if it was a bit easier," Virgil muttered, suddenly feeling drained. It had been a long day as it was, what with deciding to do the obstacle course at dawn to beat the heat – regardless of the reason he had given Gordon – then his initial argument with Scott and now this. It wasn't even lunchtime yet, and Virgil felt like it should at least be early evening.

"It's not exactly been easy for the rest of us either, you know," Alan mumbled, more under his breath than to his brothers as he copied Gordon's earlier position and pulled himself up onto the opposite bed. Taking a deep breath, Virgil had a horrible feeling he knew where this was going. Despite Scott's accident, Alan certainly hadn't the chance to get over what had happened to Gordon, let alone anything else. No sooner had he found out than they had been rushing out on another rescue, another one with slightly dangerous consequences. His previous outburst had already shown that he was fired up, something that was not going to have been helped by Scott's collapse.

"Alan, we told you the reasons behind that..." Virgil began, feeling Scott tense up next to him as the older brother worked out what was going on.

"Just like you told Gordon? That went down really well, didn't it?" Alan snapped back. Feeling his temper beginning to get the best of him, Virgil stood up. Immediately Scott grabbed onto the back of his shirt as Jeff stepped between the two brothers.

"That is enough, the pair of you! What has happened has happened. Admittedly things have been rather shaken up over the last week or so, but there is no need for you to take it any further than it has already gone."

"But Dad -"

"No, Alan. I don't want to hear another word about it. I'm going to be speaking to you all individually about what has happened. Not so much the accidents, they are just unfortunate. But this sudden need to lie to each other, it stops. Now! Lives could be at risk if you lot are acting like small children."

And with that, Jeff strode from the room, pausing long enough to give Scott a swift, but searching look, clearly trying to reassure himself that his oldest son would be alright. Alan followed his father out almost immediately, refusing to meet the eyes of either of his older brothers, clearly not knowing what was going to be said next. No sooner had Alan left than Scott finally let go of Virgil's shirt.

"What happened?" he asked simply.

Virgil knew instantly that his oldest brother wanted to know what had sparked the two of them off before Scott came round.

"He's still angry that we didn't tell him about Gordon."

"And you?" Scott prompted, and, smirking, Virgil knew that he should have known Scott would have realised that Alan wasn't the only one who was worked up. Normally, Virgil was able to hold his temper against his younger brother, unless something had already managed to wind him up beforehand.

"You were being a stubborn ass," he responded truthfully. For a moment, a stunned silence fell between the two boys, until Scott suddenly let out a laugh, reaching forward and ruffling his little brother's hair.

"Virg, did you really expect me to do anything else? You would have been worried if I had let you check me over, admit it."

"Oh shut up," Virgil muttered, feeling the tension drain out of him at Scott's words. He knew Scott wanted to keep his accident from Gordon, just the way Gordon had wanted to keep hisfrom Alan. Yet the only difference between the two occasions was that Virgil had agreed with his brother about Alan. And as for Scott letting the medic check him over, the day that happened without a fight was the day Virgil knew something was seriously wrong.

Before anything else could be said, Virgil's watch suddenly beeped, and, with a smile, he patched the pair of them through to his other older brother.

"Hey, Johnny."

"Virg, are you with Scott?"

"Yeah, why?" Voicing his confusion, Virgil couldn't help but share a puzzled frown with the said brother as John spoke again.

"Can I speak to him?"

"John, why didn't you just call Scott?"

"I wasn't sure whether he would be able to reach his watch."

Virgil couldn't help it; he had to burst out laughing as Scott let out something that sounded like an indignant splutter. After all, that was not the first time Virgil had had to restrained his older brother just to make him stay put; Scott was notorious for not staying in bed when he should.

"Just patch yourself through to him, John, he can reach."

"Where are you going?" Sticking out a hand, Scott made Virgil pause halfway through crossing the room, turning back to face his brother as he did so.

"To find Gordon. We've got some explaining to do."

"Let me know how he is?" Scott all but begged, and, nodding, Virgil turned to leave. Whilst he by no means trusted Scott to actually stay in the infirmary now that he was left on his own, with John talking to him the medic was not as worried as he would normally be. He knew that John would quickly inform him if there was any change in Scott's condition, and, despite not being on the Earth, the blond was scarily talented at being able to make any of the brothers do something. Apart from himself, if there was anyone the artist was happy to leave Scott with, it was John.

He had just exited the infirmary, intending to do precisely what he had just told Scott he was going to do, when raised voices drew his attention. Recognising Jeff's voice, Virgil momentarily pushed thoughts of Gordon aside and crept down the hallway towards the voices. It didn't take him long to figure out that it was Alan his father was arguing with. Shaking his head, Virgil moved past the closed office door, pausing by one of the many windows scattered downthe hallway. Letting the calming movement of the waves draw his attention, Virgil sighed heavily. He knew he wouldn't have to look very far to find Gordon; he was almost certain where he would find the water-loving Tracy. What was playing on his mind more was his father's previous words. What was going on with the family that they were arguing and finding the sudden need to lie to each other? It was not something they had ever done before, and yet over the last week, it had just been lie after lie, attempting to keep one brother or the other in the dark. Alan was right when he said that no one kept Virgil in the dark, but as he crossed his arms over his chest to try and hide his sudden shudder, Virgil thought back on his response. He had been forced to pull his brothers free of potentially deadly situations in both rescues, and he knew deep down that it was only luck he had made it in time for both. They couldn't keep relying on luck.

Forcing himself away from the window, Virgil couldn't help but wonder whether he was suddenly mirroring Gordon's thoughts. If he knew that they couldn't keep relying on luck, did that mean he too thought that there was a chance that there could be another accident? That, just maybe, the accidents were not as accidental as Scott was still claiming. He had no idea how Alan was feeling about them - he hadn't had the time to monitor his little brother, everything had been moving far too quickly since the youngest member of the family had found out. He knew that John had managed to persuade Gordon that the ropes could have been cut by an accident, but thinking back on the conversation they had had in the silos, he knew that his star-loving brother hadn't ruled out the possibility that someone had cut them.

With a sigh, Virgil shook himself free of his musings. He knew that if either John or Scott caught him thinking along those lines, Gordon wouldn't be the only brother that they were suddenly being cautious around, but with everything that had happened so far, Virgil knew that he wouldn't be able to face the concerned looks. Deciding it was about time that he found his missing sibling, Virgil walked slowly down the hallway and into the lounge. Just as he had predicted, Gordon was in the pool. Crossing the room, the artist came to a stop by the doors, his hands resting lightly on his hips as he watched the redhead in the water.

Despite having a presence about him on land that made everyone aware of when Gordon had entered a room, there could be no denying the elegance he possessed when he was in the water. It took Virgil a few moments to allow his eyes to adjust to the speed his brother was moving at, barely making a ripple in the water. Whether Gordon saw him when he came up for air, Virgil could not have said, but the younger man certainly gave no sign that he had. In a way, Virgil hoped his brother hadn't seen him, it was better than the alternative - that he was being ignored.

How long he just stood there, watching Gordon move effortlessly through the water, Virgil could not have said. But after watching his brother complete a perfect turn and send himself forward again, Virgil found himself frowning as Gordon suddenly slowed down. Coming to a stop, the redhead broke the surface, giving Virgil a glimpse of a pain-filled face before he disappeared under again.

Without thinking, the big brother and rescuer in Virgil took over, and he was out of the door before his mind had even registered that Gordon was in trouble. Ripping off his shirt as he ran, the artist was thankful that he had already been wandering around barefoot as he took a running leap and dove into the pool. With a few strong strokes, he reached his brother. Diving under, he hooked one arm around Gordon's chest, striking for the surface with the other.

Immediately coughing as they broke the surface, Gordon found himself leaning back on his brother gratefully as he took in welcoming lungfuls of air. For a moment, he just rested his head against Virgil's shoulder, barely aware of his brother towing him slowly to the side.

"Stupid cramp," he muttered quietly, sounding utterly exhausted. Pulling them onto the steps, Virgil refused to let go of his brother until they were both sitting waist deep in water, Gordon stretching out his leg with a groan as he did so, causing Virgil to wince in sympathy.

"Taking it out on the water a bit too much, kiddo?"

"Something like that," Gordon muttered, not wanting to go into the reasoning behind why he had been pounding out lengths quite so desperately. He knew it had been dangerous going at that speed without warming up properly, it was one of the lessons his old coach had driven into him relentlessly. But he had been so annoyed with everything that was happening within the family that Gordon had found he didn't particularly think about what he was doing; too busy focusing on burning off some of the frustration. He knew it wasn't the fact that they hadn't told him which was the issue; he hadn't exactly gone out of his way to let Alan know about his own accident, after all. No, that wasn't the case, not without him standing up and admitting he was a hypocrite. It was the fact that the three of them had quite clearly lied to him about why it was Alan flying One home, constructing a whole cover story and thinking that they would actually be able to get away with it.

"You okay, fish?" Virgil asked gently, slinging an arm around his brother comfortingly as he took note of Gordon's uncharacteristic silence. He had a strong feeling it was not the cramp that had restricted the words from his normally vocal brother.

"What's happening to us, Virg?" Gordon asked quietly, staring at the water as the sun danced across the top, glistening prettily. Following his brother's gaze, Virgil once again sighed. He had been thinking the same thing himself.

"I have no idea, Gords."

As the two brothers simply sat there, side by side in the water, an awkward silence fell between them. There could be no denying that something was going on, whether it was related to the accidents or not. One thing was for sure though, and that was that both brothers were thinking the same thing. It stopped. Today.

Chapter Text

Virgil wasn't sure how long the pair of them simply sat there on the edge of the pool, their ankles still submerged in the water, but eventually, Gordon was unable to hide his shivers from his older brother. Despite the sun burning down on them brightly, there was an unusually cool breeze wafting around the island, bringing with it a chill that seemed to be infiltrating the family itself. Climbing to his feet, Virgil offered his hand, grinning as Gordon allowed himself to be hauled to his feet.

"Go and get dried off, fish-feet."

"You too, Virg," Gordon responded softly, his eyes flickering over his equally sodden brother. As Virgil glanced down at himself and grimaced, Gordon had to smile. It was typical Virgil to notice that Gordon was shivering, but not to realise that he himself was mimicking his brother's actions. As Virgil turned away, splashing his way out of the pool, Gordon called him back. As his big brother turned, a quizzical look on his face as one eyebrow raised in expectation, Gordon smiled gratefully.

"Thanks," he said simply, but Virgil nodded, a smile of his own emerging once more. Nothing more needed to be said. Gordon wasn't simply thanking his older sibling for rescuing him from the cramp, but for trying to protect him in the first place. Having known precisely what his brothers would have been thinking considering his own mind had gone through the same thought processes when he had been hiding his accident from Alan, Gordon knew they were only looking out for him by not telling him what had happened to Scott. He had been angry at the time of Scott's collapse, unable to believe that the pilot would risk his health in trying to keep the incident a secret, but the look on Virgil's face had soon settled the growing frustration. The artist clearly hadn't been any happier about that particular aspect than Gordon had, and judging by the argument the redhead had overheard that morning, he knew Scott was more than aware of how his younger brother was feeling about it. He could only hope that now at least the two of them were growing frustrated with the state the family was in and something would be done about it.

"Any time, Gords. You know that, don't you?"

Nodding his understanding, Gordon followed his brother out of the water, knowing that Virgil's words had a deeper meaning than at first appeared. A talent the brothers had developed over the years of having to monitor what they said at a rescue meant they had a knack for being able to say a lot with just a few words. Picking up his speed, Gordon knew that he didn't need to answer the older man; Virgil would be able to see that he had understood and accepted the message.

What he hadn't seen, however, was the deviant smirk that slipped onto Gordon's face as the prankster in him once more began to surface. Moving past Virgil from where he still stood frozen on the steps, Gordon waited for a moment. As soon as Virgil had lifted a foot and begun to take another step forward, the younger man shot out his hand, colliding it strongly with Virgil's shoulder and pushing his brother back into the pool with an almighty splash.

Splashing his way to the surface for the second time within about half an hour, Virgil was not the slightest bit surprised to see that his younger brother was nowhere in sight. Hauling himself from the water, he grabbed what he supposed was Gordon's towel, dragging it through his hair and draping it over his shoulders. Picking up his discarded shirt, he too meandered back into the house, determined to get back to the infirmary, but knowing Brains would have a fit if he walked in soaking wet. Making his way towards the stairs, Virgil pulled up short when he caught sight of Gordon lurking in the hallway, a frown on the prankster's face even as he bit his lip. The older brother had expected the young man to be in hiding, knowing that Virgil wouldn't normally let a trick like that pass. On this occasion, though, the artist was just too thankful that his little brother was feeling enough like himself to have done it in the first place. Not that he was going to tell the troublemaker that, however; he had a strong feeling Gordon would see how far he could take it.

"You okay, squirt?" he asked quietly, but still managed to make his brother jump violently. Gordon had quite clearly been so lost in thought that he hadn't even heard Virgil enter the house. Offering his now even wetter brother a sheepish grin, Gordon found his eyes involuntary drawn back to the shut office door.

"Just wondering where Al is," he admitted, still chewing on his lip. Glancing at Virgil once more, the redhead found an almost smug look on his brother's face. "What?"

"Nothing." Virgil responded innocently, his smirk widening.

"Virgil, what?"

"Overprotective big brother!" And with that, the artist bounded up the stairs, his laughter bouncing back down at his stunned younger sibling. Being one of the younger members of the family, there were not many occasions where Gordon had to play the big brother card; he tended to prefer the younger one. With Scott and John constantly in their protective mode – and with a wry smile, Virgil knew the Terrible Two saw him in the same way – there was often no need for Gordon to do so. But when he did, however, he was a force to be reckoned with. There would be no escape for Alan this time, not with Gordon on his case.

Having the quickest shower in Tracy history in order to try and drive the slight chill from him, it was no time at all before a dry Virgil was walking more slowly down the stairs again. Gordon had moved in that time, but whether he had found their youngest brother or not, Virgil had no idea. Everything seemed quiet, so at least it meant that tempers were being kept at this precise moment. Considering how everything had been lately, that was not something Virgil could honestly say had been happening over the last few weeks. First with Gordon's accident, and now this, Virgil knew that fuses had been shorter than they normally were. Not being sure whether he was about to walk into an empty room, Virgil took a moment to compose himself before allowing the infirmary doors to swish open.

To his surprise, the bed remained obviously occupied. If he was honest, Virgil had not expected that to happen. Considering Scott knew that his younger brothers had been arguing, the artist would have not been the slightest bit surprised if he had made a run for it whilst Virgil had been going after Gordon. Taking a few steps closer, however, he knew the reason why. With a fond smile, he stepped right up to the bed, gazing down at his now sleeping brother. Adjusting the blanket almost automatically, Virgil sank into a nearby chair, his eyes fixed on Scott. The steady rising and falling of his oldest sibling's chest calmed the younger man down in a way he was not expecting.

"What's happening, Scotty?" Virgil whispered. It wasn't that he was expecting a response from Scott; the older man quite clearly couldn't hear him. It was more the need to say something, the need to voice his confusion to an older brother rather than a younger one. Despite doing his best to reassure Gordon, Virgil had to admit he was beginning to think along his brother's train of thought. They had always had accidents; it was a risk of their job, they all knew that. But there had been something strange about the last two. The fact that it was the movement of an object that had caused the problems - the crates in Gordon's case, the freezer door in Scott's - had made Virgil begin to think. Normally, accidents involved something giving way, or a mistake on their behalf. This was something different.

Before he could think any further, however, he felt his watch suddenly begin to vibrate. Frowning, Virgil stood up. A quick glance at Scott showed that whoever was sending out the emergency signal had remembered to disconnect the oldest brother from the communications. Jogging slowly out of the infirmary, Virgil waited until the doors had swished silently shut behind him before raising his watch.

"Dad? What's going on? Why's the emergency signal been activated? Is there a problem?" Without waiting for a response, Virgil found he was continuing on his jog, automatically heading towards the lounge even as he spoke.

"We may have a rescue, Virgil. We need you in the lounge, now."

Nodding, Virgil quickened his pace and set off for the lounge as quickly as possible. Pushing the door open, he came face to face with the rest of the family, John's active portrait bringing the absent blond in on the conversation. The older brother, however, was clearly not paying any attention at all, his back turned to the screen as he worked furiously away at something.

"What's going on?"

"Scott still asleep?" Jeff asked with a smile, and just like that, Virgil knew why he had been silently summoned. Grinning, Virgil nodded, his eyes flickering over to his two younger brothers. Gordon looked far more relaxed than the last time Virgil had seen him, and even Alan offered his older brother a somewhat apologetic grin, something which Virgil immediately returned.

"John, status report."

"Hmm..?"

"John?"

His father's tone finally gaining John's attention, Virgil couldn't help but smile as John finally swivelled his chair around to face the family, looking slightly put out that he had been interrupted in what he was doing. His brother had always worn that expression, even when they were kids and someone had interrupted the blond with his homework. It was nice to know that despite the changes the family had been forced to go through over the years, some things remained the same.

"Report?"

"Oh, report. Right."

Unable to stop himself, Virgil found that he had to smirk along with his two younger brothers. Whatever John had been focused on quite clearly had been taking all of his attention, for it took the astronaut a couple of moments to seemingly collect his thoughts before launching into the reason why he had contacted them in the first place. He had signed off from Scott when he realised that the older man had fallen asleep, hence why Jeff knew not to sound the klaxon. He had to admit, the father had jumped rather violently when John had all but yelled for him not to hit the emergency signal. Once his son had explained the reasoning, however, Jeff had to agree with him. If Scott knew there was a rescue, it would be almost impossible to stop him going short of physically restraining him. Whilst the launching of the 'birds would disturb him – for no one could sleep through that – it would be too late for the stubborn pilot to do anything other than sulk about it. It was a lot less hassle for everyone doing it this way.

Just as John opened his mouth to deliver the report that had the whole family – minus Scott – gathered in the lounge, a sudden coughing fit overtook him, causing his father to lean forward in sympathy. Virgil however, merely crossed his arms across his chest and glared at John's portrait.

"How long left until the end of his rota?"

"Three days, four hours, 57 minutes and," Alan broke off momentarily to glance at his watch, "23 seconds." As Gordon snorted in amusement, his younger brother shrugged, boyish excitement lighting up his face. Virgil couldn't help but shake his head fondly. He should have known Alan would be in countdown mode. The week before a rota changeover always had the earthbound Tracy getting more and more excited. John because he wanted to be back amongst his beloved stars, Alan just because the novelty still hadn't seemed to have worn off for the kid.

"Pretend that didn't just happen," John interrupted, returning Virgil's pointed glare with one of his own. He hated it when any of his brothers decided that he needed looking after, it was the one thing that could drive the normally calm Tracy to insanity. When Virgil merely rolled his eyes rather than commenting further, John continued.

"We've got a rapidly declining situation in Malaysia. Severe weather is causing the ground to loosen, and I'm already getting reports through of homes being destroyed as the ground is moving."

"So a landslide, basically?" Gordon cut in, not seeing why his brother had to explain things the long way when a simple word would have been enough to give the family a full picture of what was happening.

"You could say that." John had no choice but to agree with his little brother's way of thinking.

"Mr Tracy?"

All the Tracys – not just Jeff – jumped as Kyrano's quiet voice floated out of the shadows from where he had been standing, clearly ready to act should his boss need him. Or more specifically, need coffee. Knowing what was going through his friend's head, Jeff smiled gently and nodded. This was more than just any old rescue. Their friend's home was potentially in danger this time.

"Boys, prepare to launch. Gordon, take Four. Depending on the situation we may need to dam the river as well whilst we're there. You know what to do."

"F.A.B." Three voices chorused at the same time as the three earth-bound brothers sprang into action, vanishing through various points scattered across the lounge. John barely waited until the family had moved before turning back to what had previously been occupying his attention. With his back to the screen, he didn't try to hide the frown crumpling his brow as he attempted to make sense of what it was he was seeing.

Barely even noticing Alan excitedly ask for permission to launch from One's silos, John worked steadily through Virgil's launch as well. It was only when Virgil began to report in statistics and timings for the rescue – a job his older brother should have been doing – did the blond finally work out what it was he was seeing. Feeling the colour drain away from his face, John spun his chair back to face his father.

"...just make sure you boys are careful. Virgil, I'm relying on you to keep your brothers safe; we don't want any more accidents."

"F.A.B."

Swallowing hard, John found that he had to shut his eyes for a moment as Jeff's words washed over him. None of them wanted any more accidents, only the second oldest brother was no longer sure things were as simple as that.

"Johnny?" His father's gentle voice finally breaking through his thoughts, John opened his eyes, only to see Jeff leaning forward in concern, a frown of his own making its way onto his face as he took in the complexion of his son.

"What's wrong? Is it the cough, are you feeling ill?"

"Dad..." John's whisper cut straight through Jeff's ramblings, and the father instantly knew that something was very wrong. Not noticing a shadow appear in the doorway, Jeff kept his gaze fixed on John. His son looked nothing short of scared.

"John, what's going on? What's wrong?"

"Dad, they weren't alone."

"What do you mean, son?"

"The accidents... Dad, they weren't accidents. I've been trying to improve the read-outs from the fires ever since Gordon asked me to, and since managing to boost the signal from Scott's watch, I've been doing the same from the flood as well. Dad, someone was there both times."

"And I've just sent them into another rescue," Jeff whispered, mirroring John and feeling the colour drain from his face. Before anything else could be said, another voice cut through their conversation.

"I'm going after them!" Scott declared loudly, already turning on his heel and beginning to walk away. Without having to think about it, Jeff knew that his oldest son was heading straight for the family jet. The last thing that he had intended was for his son to find out that his younger brothers had flown into a situation that was potentially more deadly than normal. Springing from his seat, Jeff made to go after Scott, desperate to stop the impulsive young man from doing anything rash, but someone beat him to it.

Barely seeing Kyrano's movement, Scott was not prepared for a strong hand to close around his wrist. Angrily turning, the pilot glared at his friend.

"Let me go, right now. I'm going after them, and there is nothing you can do to stop me." Scott's voice was quiet, but just like the rest of the family, Kyrano knew that was far more deadly than if he had been shouting. Someone was threatening his family and Scott was going to make sure nothing happened to his brothers. Anyone who tried to get in his way was just being foolish. Ever the calm one, Kyrano didn't so much as blink, however, instead reaching out his other hand and grasping onto Scott's other arm.

"Damnit, Kyrano, let me go! You can't stop me; I have to get to them!" Beginning to realise that Kyrano had no intention of letting him go again, despite the fact that the Malaysian had yet to utter a word, Scott began to struggle in earnest. Crossing the room, Jeff knew he was going to have to join in the attempts to calm his son down, for nothing would get Scott more worked up than feeling helpless when it came to not being able to help his brothers. Whether Scott was more weakened from his latest brush with death, or whether the quiet strength that Kyrano seemed to possess was greater than Jeff had given him credit for, the father wasn't sure. But he could only watch – open-mouthed – as Kyrano casually dragged his son back into the room, almost as if he couldn't feel the pilot's furious struggles. Pushing him down into the nearest seat, Kyrano finally relinquished his grip on Scott's arms, but as the young man tried to rise from his seat, he moved behind him. Placing his hands on Scott's shoulders, he instead kept him down.

"Stand down, commander!" Jeff yelled, knowing that when Scott was this worked up, trying to address him as a son simply didn't work. Moving in front of him, he shot Kyrano a grateful look and received a soft nod in response as the man kept Scott pinned down.

"Let me go!" For a moment, Scott didn't seem to hear his father's words, instead continuing to fight against Kyrano, but eventually he seemed to realise that he wasn't going to be going anywhere and sagged back in the seat.

"There is nothing you can do to help them, you know that, Scott." With Scott seemingly calming down, Jeff crouched in front of his son, the way he had always done when the man was just a child. "You'll only draw more attention to them. They already know to be careful. Besides, it's a different continent this time; whoever it is has only acted in Canada. They are going to be just fine."

"You don't know that," Scott pressed, his voice taking on a pleading note that had Jeff groaning. It was clear that the Field Commander had no desire to let the matter go, and sure enough, he quickly began to rise from his chair again. With a roll of his eyes, Jeff nodded to Kyrano whilst hitting a button on his watch at the same time. Exerting pressure, the faithful manservant forced Scott back down again, causing language Jeff normally forbade to come sprouting from his son's mouth. Before anything else could be said, Brains came panting into the room, his quick mind assessing the situation even as he glanced between Jeff and the case he had in his hand.

"Dad...don't." It didn't take Scott more than a few seconds to work out what was in the case, especially by the way Kyrano's hands tightened in warning on his shoulders again, clearly preparing for another escape attempt.

"I need you to calm down, Scott."

"But they need me."

"John needs you too," Jeff responded quietly, letting his eyes flicker back to his second-born. True enough, John was working away, obviously trying to monitor anything and everything he could on this new rescue. But the slight tremors in his normally steady hands showed that he was finding this as hard as Scott was. Unfortunately, being stuck out in space meant he couldn't go charging off to the rescue in the same manner as his older brother.

"They're not supposed to be out there with only one medic; I should be there," Scott argued, clearly not going to let it go. He had followed Jeff's gaze towards John, but his younger brother had met his look. Jeff was right in thinking John was struggling not to react in the same way as Scott, for the blond couldn't hide the look in his eyes when Scott had met them. He wanted the Field Commander out there as much as the said person wanted to be out there, he just didn't want to say it.

"Virgil can handle it. Besides, it's not like Gordon and Alan can't handle themselves Have faith in them, Scott."

"But Dad..."

"Brains?" Glancing over his shoulder at the genius, Jeff didn't miss the way Scott suddenly swallowed, or the way Kyrano automatically tightened his grip. Even so, Scott still somehow managed to wriggle free from the Malaysian, and, as his son sprinted for the door, Jeff cursed under his breath. Sometimes he just had no idea where his son got his stubbornness from! Making to go after him, Jeff felt the concern crash over him once more as Scott stumbled. Before the accident, that was something that never usually happened. Regardless of Scott's protests, it was clear that he was still far from fine. Kyrano was onto the young man before anything could be said, however. Before Jeff had the chance to react, Brains had crossed the room, pulling open the case as he did so.

Within just a few moments, Scott was attempting to fight off the drug, but the anger was clearly draining from him as his eyes began to flicker. Between the three men, they somehow managed to navigate his lanky form onto one of the nearby couches. Knowing that this was a family issue, both Kyrano and Brains quickly excused themselves, disappearing almost silently out of the lounge as Jeff sat down heavily next to his son. Brushing his hand through Scott's hair, he sighed deeply.

"Have to look out for them," Scott mumbled sleepily, unknowingly leaning into his father's contact.

"They can look out for themselves, son," Jeff responded gently, staying where he was until Scott had finally fallen asleep properly.

"Was that really necessary, Dad?" John's quiet tones caused Jeff to shut his eyes for a moment before turning to face his next son.

"Do you really think that Scott would have backed down considering what he had just overheard?"

"Dad, I'm sorry. I didn't realise he was there..."

"It's okay, Johnny, you couldn't have known. I didn't know he was there either. Now, how about we get back to the rescue at hand and see how your brothers are doing?"

"Do we tell them?" John asked uncertainly, biting his lip. It wasn't often that Jeff saw his son look so conflicted, for John was always the one with answers to things. It was just another sign of how much the discovery had unnerved the older members of the family. Jeff knew precisely what was going through his sons' heads, simply because the same thing was going through his. It wasn't so much that someone was clearly trying to hurt them, but more the fact that it was the youngest three that were potentially in the firing line at this moment in time.

"If we can get Virgil on his own, yes. But I don't want Gordon knowing, not yet. Nor Alan, his reaction earlier was too explosive."

"F.A.B," John responded miserably, turning back to monitor the readings. It wasn't so much that he had anything to study, but he couldn't face looking at Scott. If anything did happen out there, the pilot would never forgive himself.

Blissfully unaware of the turmoil that the island was in, Virgil could honestly say that the rescue was going according to plan. Well, as much to plan as it could considering they were dealing with the unpredictable forces of Mother Nature. With a calm and steady hand, he was flying his 'bird with ease over some of the more isolated areas, Gordon hanging in the platform below him, helping those who had been stranded on board before they flew them to safety. It was amazing how many people made it out onto the roofs of their houses once they realised that International Rescue was in the area. The artist was desperate for this rescue to go without a hitch, if only to prove to his father and oldest brother that they could handle things without Scott. And the fact that it was in a completely different part of the world to the last two rescues definitely helped set his mind at ease. The way his two younger brothers had immediately started joking around as soon as they had landed and got a plan of action established had certainly helped calm Virgil. He wasn't used to being the oldest one. It probably helped that one of the rescue victims had such a large, walrus style moustache that his attentions had been distracted by trying to stop Gordon and Alan laughing at him too obviously.

Virgil wasn't the only one feeling more relaxed. Almost leaning against Mobile Control as he took note of the rest of the readings, Alan couldn't help but admit he was loving his job. He knew it was wrong to admit it, especially considering lives were in danger, but it was his chance to show that he was a mature member of their team. With Virgil needing Gordon's expertise in handling the platform, the older brother had no choice but to allocate Alan Scott's usual role of manning Mobile Control and helping to direct their progress. Thinking back to the last rescue, the youngest Tracy only hoped that one of his brothers would be able to give him a hand packing it away again. With a smirk, Alan shook his head in fond amusement as he set about patching through another set of co-ordinates to his airborne brothers.

"International Rescue?"

Hearing a heavily accented voice coming from behind him, Alan quickly made sure that he masked his expression to one of neutrality - the "rescuer" face they had to wear when they were out in the field.

"How can I help..?" His voice trailing off, Alan swallowed hard. The man's giant walrus moustache suddenly didn't seem as funny as when Gordon had first pointed it out to his little brother on landing. Although something told him it wasn't the moustache which had lost its amusement value, it was more the shot gun aimed directly for his head that had wiped the smile off his face.

Chapter Text

Watching the world whizz past him as Virgil steadily turned Thunderbird Two around once more, Gordon found himself leaning on the railings of the platform. This was the one occasion he could really understand Scott's need to fly. The wind was in his hair, the landscape spreading out for as far as the eye could see. If it wasn't for the area below him being almost lost to the landslide, Gordon could have stayed like this forever.

"Gordon, are you coming up, or not?" Virgil's slightly amused tones echoed out through his watch, and it was only then that the redhead realised his hand had been resting on the button that should have winched him back into Two, but had yet to press it. With a rueful grin, the prankster let his fingers exert pressure on the button and, slowly but surely, he felt the platform begin to be pulled up into the safety of the ship flying gracefully above him. The first time he had done this, to admit that he had been terrified would have been a slight understatement, but now Gordon loved the sensation. His confidence in his brother's flying abilities – not that he would ever tell Virgil – meant he felt completely safe. Thinking about whether people were safe or not, the water-loving Tracy decided to get an update from his youngest brother. The last communication had indicated that now this drop off had been completed, they were finished. Gordon, however, wanted to double-check before he made it all the way back into Two.

"Mobile Control, come in. You there? Are we done now?" Waiting for a moment, Gordon frowned. It was unlike Alan to not immediately respond, normally with some smart-ass comment, especially when it was Gordon wanting information. The older man knew the kid wouldn't dare do it to Scott, or even Virgil, but they had their own ways of dealing with the tension of a rescue.

"Mobile Control?" Feeling the roof of his mouth begin to go slowly dry as his heart began to pound uncomfortably, Gordon knew his frown was deepening.

"Confirmed, Star-boy, situation under control."

As Alan disconnected again, Gordon immediately knew that something was very wrong. It wasn't the slight tremor in Alan's voice, but his choice of words. Anxious to keep secrecy maintained within the operation, all of the brothers had nicknames for each other when they were out on a rescue. If there were a lot of inquisitive ears around, said brother would know that they were the one being addressed without the use of their name being made public. Needless to say, 'Star-boy' was not Gordon's nickname, but John's. Something was wrong.

"Virgil, swing back towards Mobile Control, now!"

"Gords, what's wrong?" Confusion mingled with concern in Virgil's voice, but even as the platform continued its steady journey into Thunderbird Two, Gordon felt the ship begin to turn. Wishing that Virgil could get more speed out of her, Gordon found himself clinging on tightly to the railings, his knuckles turning white with the effort. It wasn't the flying as such, but more the need to vent his worry in a physical way.

"Gordon?"

"Alan just used the wrong name."

"Alan used the wrong name?" Virgil repeated slowly, not being sure where Gordon was going with this. He himself had several names for Gordon, not all of them acceptable enough to say out loud, especially not if their grandmother was present. So what if Alan had called his brother something different for once?

"And he was formal," Gordon continued, knowing that it wouldn't take a moment for Virgil to realise where he was going with this. Despite being the most relaxed member of the family anyway, Gordon had certainly noticed that Alan tended to mirror him out on a rescue, worry leaking into sarcasm. Scott and Virgil just had worry turning into stress. John, on the other hand, never seemed to worry, always keeping a cool about him that Gordon couldn't help but envy.

"Do you think something's wrong?" Virgil asked, not being able to keep the concern out of his voice as the same worry that had his younger brother gripped in its claws now beginning to eat away at him. "Hang on, Gordon, I'm getting something from Base."

For a moment, all went quiet, only the slight murmuring of Virgil's voice filtering back through to Gordon where he had clearly turned away to address whoever was on the other end. Drumming his fingers anxiously against the railings, Gordon found he was attempting to strain his eyes in order to peer across the landscape, desperately trying to locate Mobile Control. As much as he tried, however, Gordon couldn't see anything. Scrubbing a hand wearily over his face, Gordon found his mind beginning to wander back to the conversations and atmosphere that had infiltrated the house of late. But before he could think too much, Virgil suddenly swore violently, his voice loud enough to reach Gordon's watch, even though the redhead knew his brother was still facing in the opposite direction. Opening his mouth to question what was going on, his heart pounding even harder, Gordon found that he had to hold on with a slight yelp as Two suddenly sped up without warning.

"Virgil, talk to me, man!" Gordon eventually yelled, hearing Virgil cursing away to himself as he pushed his 'bird, seeming to forget that he had a brother hanging on underneath.

"The accidents weren't accidents," Virgil reported shortly, his eyes fixed on the control panel in front of him as he forced more speed out of his lady, only the thought of getting back to Mobile Control and his youngest brother lodged in his head.

"What?" Gordon asked, a cold feeling in the pit of his stomach taking hold, almost like a hand squeezing his heart. He had been trying to make himself put those thoughts aside, knowing that the rest of the family had been worried that he was getting paranoid. Gordon had to confess, he had been more apprehensive about coming out on this rescue than he would have ever admitted to his brothers. With the rescue being on a completely different continent to the previous two, however, he had forced his discomfort to one side. Could his refusal to consider his fearspotentially cost his little brother his life?

"Virgil, we've got to get back to Alan!"

"What do you think I'm doing?" Virgil snapped, pushing the throttle even further and cursing when the ship didn't speed up enough for his liking. Hearing the tension in his brother's voice, Gordon didn't say anything else. Holding onto the railings with one hand, he moved the other until he was unclipping his harness, making sure not to tell Virgil what he was doing. He had never been so thankful for the slow movement of the platform. It meant that although he was higher than before, Gordon was still suspended under Thunderbird Two, and unfastening himself, was left standing on a slightly unsteady platform with no support in the slightest.

After what felt like an age to the frantic brothers, Gordon finally got a glimpse of Mobile Control, the low sun winking tauntingly off the machinery at him from across the land they were speeding over. He knew by the way Virgil had fallen silent that he too had seen it. Squinting towards the machine, Gordon felt his frown return when he couldn't see his brother. Letting his eyes roam the surrounding area somewhat frantically as Thunderbird Two got closer and closer, Gordon suddenly gave a shout of alarm.

He could just about make out the blue of Alan's uniform, about five paces away from Mobile Control, his back firmly against a nearby tree. What caught Gordon's attention more, however, was the man standing in front of his younger brother. As the sun caught the weapon in his hands, Gordon hitched himself up onto the railings. Wobbling precariously as he held on tight, the redhead crouched on top as Two shot even closer to the pair before suddenly slowing down dramatically and almost throwing Gordon out.

"I can't get close enough; the trees are in the way!" Virgil shouted, making Gordon more than aware of the fright in his brother's voice. He knew that Virgil had been just as concerned as him that something was going on with the family - their conversation by the pool had been evidence enough of that.

"Can you take him out?" Gordon yelled back, knowing that the watches were powerful enough to have picked up his words had he whispered them. But, like Virgil, he had the need to voice his fear.

"Not without taking Allie down too, they're too close!"

"Don't worry, I'm on it."

"Gords?"

"Get me as close as you can."

"Gordon, what the hell are you doing?"

"Do you want to save Alan or not? Just get me closer, Virg."

As Virgil complied, Gordon braced himself. The whirring of Two's engines drew the attention of both Alan and his attacker. Not sure whether his baby brother could see the reassuring look Gordon was attempting to shoot him, the redhead instead turned his attention back to the man. Even from this distance, Gordon could make out the leer twisting his face into an even more unpleasant sight than it had been before. Mockingly slowly, he raised the gun again, pushing Alan further back into the tree as he pushed it against the young man's throat. Glaring, Gordon knew the time had come. Virgil was not going to get him any closer; he had already lowered both Two and the platform as quickly as he could, almost as if he knew what was going through his brother's mind. It just showed how scared the artist was considering he hadn't tried to stop Gordon, knowing that this was the only chance they would have.

As the man turned his attention back to the youngest member of the family, Gordon launched himself off the platform.

"Oh fu..." The rest of Gordon's sentence was driven from him, however, as the wind stole his words, practically knocking the breath out of him. For a split second that seemed to last a lifetime, the redhead could only swear violently as he seemed to just fall through the air, but eventually, he remembered his training. Bracing himself, Gordon fell towards the pair, immediately slamming straight into the man, sending them both sprawling across the ground in a tangle of limbs. Virgil couldn't have lined him up any better.

Trying to regain his breath, Gordon looked up in time to see Alan staring down at him, open-mouthed.

"Just thought I'd drop by," Gordon muttered, somewhat shakily as he pushed himself up into an upright position, wincing as his wrist throbbed somewhat. Virgil was going to have a field day over this one. When Alan seemed incapable of answering – definitely something to be concerned about in Gordon's mind – and instead just gaped at his brother's sudden arrival, Gordon narrowed his eyes.

"You okay?" Nodding mutely, Alan let out a somewhat hysterical laugh.

"I can change that." An icy voice came from behind the , Gordon found the attacker had actually been pushed from his mind, his crash landing only leaving him with thoughts about whether his brother was okay or not.

"Alan, get out of here," Gordon said quietly, his tone dark and dangerous.

"But..."

"Run."

"That's right, little Alan. Run along. Run back to Daddy."

As Alan made to move forward in anger, Gordon sprang to his feet, catching his little brother around the arm and shoving him back again.

"Now!"

Finally catching onto the note in Gordon's voice, Alan backed away a pace or two, swallowing hard. He had never heard his brother sound as deadly as he did right now. Alan knew that the frustration and emotions of the last few weeks were taking their toll on Gordon. After all, despite not knowing that the accidents had been confirmed to be anything but, Alan knew that his brother had been on edge ever since the original mishap.

"What makes you think that I'm going to simply let him go?" the man asked, his voice as deadly as Gordon's as he brandished his gun once more. Regarding the weapon coolly, Gordon paused for a moment before swinging his arm up. Catching the barrel of the gun in his open hand, he immediately closed his fist around the gun, before twisting his arm and pulling sharply. If the man was surprised by Gordon's actions, he certainly hid it well, but was unable to hold on as his gun was wrenched from his grasp.

"Primitive weapon anyway," he muttered, a gleeful smile springing onto his face as he caught sight of Gordon's defensive stance, especially the way he had moved in front of his younger brother. Alan, for his part, was torn over what to do. He didn't just want to leave Gordon, even if it was to get help. On the other hand, it had only been a matter of hours ago in all reality since he had witnessed the fight between Scott and Gordon. There was no way his older brother was defenceless.

For a long moment, the two men simply stared at each other, Alan hovering uncertainly behind Gordon. He could make out Virgil bringing Two in for landing and knew that it wasn't going to be long before the third brother arrived, probably bringing back-up with him. Glancing over his shoulder, the man followed Alan's gaze, his eyes narrowing as he realised that he was running out of time. Sensing Gordon's movement out of the corner of his eye, he turned just as the redhead made to swing at him.

Gordon had been expecting the man to at least lean back out of the way of his punch the second he realised that his actions had been seen, but he certainly had not been anticipating the grin to widen on his opponent's face. Before Gordon could think about what was going on, the man's eyes flashed yellow.

"Gordon!" Unable to stop himself, Alan couldn't hold back the cry of horror as his older brother immediately dropped to the floor. For a moment Gordon lay perfectly still, before he bucked, almost as if trying to escape from something.

"What are you doing to him?" Dropping to his knees beside his fallen brother, Alan felt tears catch in his eyes at the pain etched in Gordon's face. He had seen his brother look that hurt only once before, an incident which had nearly stolen the carefree Tracy from the family once and for all.

"Alan...run..." Gordon grunted, desperately trying to see through the pain that was lancing through his head, but finding that his little brother's face was weaving unpleasantly. It was as if a thousand tiny knives were stabbing away inside his skull and, no matter what he tried, Gordon couldn't escape from the immobilising pain.

"Now this is more like it," the man commented almost conversationally as he watched the two brothers, pain reflected in both of their eyes.

"Stop it!" Alan screamed, but the man only smirked, his eyes glowing once more and causing Gordon to cry out before he could stop himself.

"Let him go."

A third voice cut into the conversation, cool and calm. As Alan looked up, he felt a rush of relief crash over him at seeing Virgil standing there. The man's gun was resting in his brother's hands, and when nothing happened, Virgil placed it against the back of the attacker's head.

"Let. Him. Go." he repeated slowly, making a show of flicking the safety off the gun. As the resonating click echoed into the silence, the man cast a look of loathing at where Gordon was sprawled across the floor.

"You're International Rescue, you save people, not kill them."

"Do you want to test that theory?" Virgil responded coldly, pushing the muzzle of the gun further into the man's head. To Alan's delight, he winced slightly, before allowing his eyes to fade back to their normal, empty colour. Almost immediately, Gordon let out an explosion of breath, gasping as the pain finally subsided.

"You good, squirt?" Virgil called over, not moving the gun from the man's head as he forced him to take a few steps to the side, allowing the artist better access to his brothers.

"I'm good," Gordon panted, flopping back down and shutting his eyes, trying to get his breathing under control. Before Virgil had to think about what to do next, the screeching sound of sirens and men shouting reached their ears. As the man cursed, Alan found he was watching the stranger closely. He almost didn't seem bothered that he had been caught, but instead just looked like it was nothing more than an inconvenience.

"Virg..." Alan began, but the man's movements stole his words from him. Twisting his head awkwardly, he locked eyes with Virgil for a split second before letting his own flash yellow again. As Alan cried out, Virgil found himself flying through the air, landing with a thud next to Gordon. Sitting up with a groan, his fingers scrabbled across the floor for the gun, but by the time he looked up, the man had gone.

"Virgil! Are you alright?"

"Dammit!" Virgil swore, lashing out at the ground. The local services had caught sight of what had happened and knew not to bother approaching the three men, instead changing direction and hurrying after the escape route of their mystery attacker.

"It's gonna be okay, Virg," Alan muttered softly, not knowing how to react to his brother's temper. Reaching out a hand, Alan caught Virgil by the shoulder, giving it a gentle squeeze before dropping his arm again. Catching the uncertainty in his younger sibling's voice – and actions - Virgil forced himself to exhale sharply. The kid already looked shaken up enough, he certainly wasn't helping matters.

"Al, the rest of the accidents weren't accidents."

"You think it was him?" Alan asked, the cold feeling that had taken over Gordon's stomach jumping into his as he swallowed hard.

"Now we'll never know," Virgil muttered, pushing himself upright. For a long moment, he stared intently at his baby brother.

"Did he hurt you, Sprout?"

"No, Gordon got here first. Virgil, what's going on?"

"I have no idea, Al. C'mon, let's go home. Are you going to be alright to fly?" To his surprise, Alan let out a bitter laugh.

"It doesn't really matter, does it? Gordon sure as hell can't fly and we have two crafts to get back to Base."

"Alan..."

"Sorry, Virg. It's just...I didn't think you guys would get here in time."

Smiling gently, Virgil knelt upright, leaning forward and clapping his brother on the shoulder. Alan seemed to freeze for a moment before throwing himself forward. Taken by surprise, Virgil only paused for a split second before returning the hug.

"You're okay, Sprout, you're okay." Reaching around with one hand, he ruffled Alan's hair as he drew back, running his eyes over the younger man. Despite not normally trusting Alan when it came to his health – he could be as bad as Scott – Virgil had to admit that he did look okay. And with the fear beginning to subside from his eyes, Virgil knew the kid would be alright in getting home. As Alan let out an explosion of breath, running a hand through his own hair, it seemed that the youngest member of the family and organisation realised himself that he truly was okay. Watching him for another long moment, just to reassure himself, Virgil eventually crawled over to Gordon.

"Up and at 'em, kid," he called gently, trying to hide the tremor in his voice as he shook Gordon slightly by the shoulder, receiving a pained groan for his efforts. The realisation that Gordon was still conscious was enough to make Virgil sag in relief, sending out a silent prayer of gratitudeto whoever was out there.

"Five m're m'tes?"

"'Fraid not, sunshine."

As Gordon opened his eyes, Virgil smiled sympathetically. Looping his arms around Gordon's shoulders, he gently helped the younger man into a sitting position.

"Alan, can you get packed up and head back to Base? We need to let them know what happened."

"Do we want Scott knowing?"

Before Virgil could answer, Gordon cut in, although his voice was practically trembling with the effort of talking.

"No more secrets," he said softly, catching Virgil's eye. Thinking back on the conversation they had by the pool, Virgil nodded.

"Besides," the artist continued, slipping behind Gordon to help the younger man support his weight better. "After what we heard from Base, he might already have an idea."

"Good luck to them then," Alan muttered, shooting Gordon one last, long, searching look before sighing heavily. Turning on his heel, the young man set off at a jog back to where One was waiting, pausing to stop by Mobile Control. For once, Alan packed the machinery away with no problem, his desperation to get back to the safety of the island seemingly giving him the knowledge of what to do. Watching him as he worked, Virgil eventually turned back to his other younger brother.

"Okay, squirt, no more pretending."

"What?"

"Alan's out of the way now. No more younger brothers to pretend in front of." As soon as Virgil finished speaking, Gordon sagged back against his brother with a groan, making the artist more than aware that he had been right about the aquanaut. He knew the man well enough to know Gordon would never show how much he was hurting in front of Alan.

"Come on, let's get you home. You know Scott will walk out here if he hears before we get back?" Slowly, but surely, Virgil pulled Gordon to his feet, keeping his arm firmly around the younger man. He couldn't hide the anger he was feeling towards their mysterious attacker, especially given the way his brother seemed to be having trouble putting one foot in front of the other.

"Virg, I don't feel so good..." Gordon eventually muttered, weariness causing him to lean more heavily on his brother. He had no idea what the man had done to him, but the aquanaut knew he had never experienced pain like it. He had survived a hydrofoil crash that should have killed him and yet this outstripped it by far. As Virgil turned to face him, Gordon swallowed hard, trying to get his eyes to focus on his brother's face.

"Gordon? Come on, man, stay with me, we're nearly there." As Gordon made some sort of grunt in confirmation, Virgil hitched his little brother's arm more securely over his shoulder, taking as much of the younger man's weight as he could. Speeding up as fast as Gordon could physically manage, it still felt like an age until the welcome sight of Virgil's most prized possession came into his eye-line.

"Virgil?"

"Go ahead, Alan, get back to Base. We're good here, and someone needs to defuse Dad."

"And you're leaving that to me?" Alan's slightly incredulous response caused Virgil to smile. Of all the brothers – apart from possibly Scott, given the pilot's adamant nature – Alan was the least likely to be able to calm their father down. The two men were too similar in order to get on all the time, especially in a situation like this.

"Get John to help?" Virgil suggested lightly, trying to hide the concern in his voice as he once more had to pause to hitch Gordon back up again. The younger man almost seemed to be struggling to stay conscious, and Virgil knew that unless he got him back to Two quickly, they were going to have bigger problems to deal with. He just didn't want Alan knowing. It may have been the older brothers that were genuinely regarded as the smother hens, but that didn't mean the younger ones didn't have that same stubborn, protective streak. Alan had no younger brothers to look out for, so he just made sure he did it for his older ones. If the kid knew the state of his immediate older brother, it would be almost impossible to get him back into One.

Just as Virgil finally began pulling his brother up the ramp into Two, a roar of engines made him look skyward. Unable to stop himself, Virgil had to sigh in relief at the sight of Thunderbird One quickly becoming nothing more than a streak on the horizon. That was one brother escaping to the safety of the island. All that remained now was to get his other younger one back home in one piece.

Gordon seemed almost incapable of helping Virgil as the artist navigated him into the sick bay of his 'bird. To Virgil's mind that just showed how bad he must have been feeling, for normally Gordon would be running in the opposite direction. Scott may have held the record for escapes from the infirmary, but none of the brothers took it calmly. Forcing his brother onto the nearest bed, Virgil stood back for a moment, running his eyes over the younger man critically. Gordon looked nothing short of awful. His face was beyond pale, a sheen of sweat beading his brow as it took all of his efforts to remain sitting up. As Virgil watched, he slowly began to turn another colour and, quick as a flash, Virgil practically threw the nearest bowl at his brother, just in time.

Wincing in sympathy as Gordon proceeded to empty the contents of his stomach, Virgil perched on the bed next to him, rubbing his hand soothingly over his brother's back. After a few moments, Gordon sat back up properly, wiping a shaky hand over his eyes from where the harsh retching had caused them to water.

"That's better," he muttered, and, handing his brother a glass of water, Virgil had to admit that the aquanaut was looking better. He knew that the release of tension could often help clear a migraine, and judging by what Gordon had just been through, that seemed to be the case. Standing up, Virgil fixed his brother with a look that had the redhead groaning.

"You know the drill, kiddo," Virgil commented, correctly interpreting his brother's groan and crouching down in front of him. "Follow the finger."

Gordon had either truly run out of energy, or seemed to know that Virgil wasn't going to be moving until he had complied with the older man's instructions, but for once he did as he was asked. When his brother stood up, reaching into the overhead lockers and pulling out his penlight, Gordon groaned again. As Virgil turned to look at him, the redhead made a show of lying down, burying his head in the pillows.

"Gordon..." Virgil began, a hint of warning in his voice when he realised that his troublesome brother had no intention of playing along any longer.

"Just let me sleep, Virg," Gordon's muffled voice responded.

Biting his lip, Virgil frowned down at his brother. A small amount of colour had trickled back into Gordon's cheeks, and the fact that he was obviously feeling well enough to fight against Virgil made the artist contemplate letting his brother do just that. If there was something serious enough to affect him on the short journey home, Virgil knew he would have already spotted it. With a wry grin, he knew that Gordon was not going to have a chance when they got back to Base. Not with their father and Scott around. Not to mention that whilst John may not even have been on the planet, the star-lover certainly took his big brother duties seriously and had a way of making the others do as he said, despite the distance between them. No, there was no way Gordon would escape from a thorough examination once they returned to Base. For now, however, Virgil was content to let his brother rest.

"Sleep well, squirt," he said softly, gently ruffling his brother's hair and walking slowly from the room. Pausing in the doorway, Virgil sighed deeply as he looked back at his little brother. Gordon's breathing had evened out and Virgil was sure that the younger man had already fallen asleep. Hoping it would provide the swimmer with some relief, he eventually walked out of the sick bay.

Crashing into his command chair, Virgil scrubbed a hand wearily over his face, his tired mind trying to process everything that had just happened. Despite there being the possibility that someone was after them, Virgil found that he hadn't properly contemplated what that meant. Seeing the man casually aim the gun at his littlest brother's head, not to mention what he had then done to Gordon... It gave Virgil the shudders just thinking about it. Was this man the one responsible for everything that had happened beforehand, despite the rescues being on completely different continents? Or was there more than one person out to kill his family?

"Base to Thunderbird Two."

Jumping violently as his father's voice rang over the comms, Virgil reached out a hand and flicked a switch, finding himself face to face with his father. For a moment, Jeff just stared at his middle son, before letting out an explosion of breath.

"You look like crap, Virgil."

"Nice to see you too," Virgil muttered, unable to stop the small smile dancing across his mouth. His father's blunt approach had been precisely what he needed, and, stretching himself up, Virgil sat up straighter, beginning to let his hands dance through their routine checks of the controls.

"How's Gordon?" The humour had immediately vanished from Jeff's voice and, letting his eyes flicker over to the man, Virgil could easily make out the worried frown and the look in his father's eye.

"He's sleeping. I think he is going to be okay. Is Alan back?"

"Yes. I've sent him to change."

"How is he?" As the engines rumbled into life, confirming that they were ready to transport the Tracys home, Virgil skilfully brought his 'bird into the air, barely looking at what he was doing as he waited for his father's reaction.

"More shaken than he would say, but able to give us a run-down of what happened. The man got away?"

"Yeah," Virgil sighed heavily, feeling his anger sparking back into life. "The local services couldn't find a trace of him and the scanners aren't picking anything up."

"We'll find him, son. He won't get away with this," Jeff promised, narrowing his eyes as he caught sight of the anger flaring to life in his son. "Come on, get your brother back to Base, I want to see him try and escape Scott."

"F.A.B." Virgil confirmed, grinning at the teasing note in his father's voice. As always, Jeff had managed to calm him back down again, seeing the danger signs of one of Virgil's fiery explosions almost before the artist had registered it himself. Disconnecting himself from the island, Virgil turned his 'bird, pointing her towards Tracy Island.

It was time to go home.

Chapter Text

Ruth Tracy sat comfortably back in her armchair, a nice cup of tea next to her as she waited for her old friend to come back through from the kitchen. Despite adoring every moment she spent on the island, the old woman had to admit she enjoyed being back in Kansas. She wouldn't swap her family for the world, but living on an island with her son and five grandsons was enough to make any woman want to leave for the seclusion of an old farm now and again. How the boys would manage without her, she had no idea, but when Jeff had all but pleaded with her to take a vacation, well, she couldn't refuse. Not to mention that the look he had given her was the same one that always had her crumbling, and she knew that he knew it.

"Oh Ruth, do come and see this."

Hearing the excited note in her friend's voice, Grandma pulled herself to her feet, pausing for long enough to set her cup down. She thought that she seemed to spend most of her time running around after someone – normally her own son – but there had been a note in the other woman's voice that had caught her attention.

"What is it, Evelyn dear?"

"Do come and see. It's those fine International Rescue boys on the television."

Immediately feeling her pulse begin to quicken, Grandma hurried her way into the kitchen, attempting to keep her face neutral as Evelyn motioned for her to pull up a seat. Lowering herself almost shakily into said seat, Grandma steeled herself before looking up. She knew the boys hated being filmed out on a rescue, but it wasn't often that the reporters managed to get away without the boys noticing.

"...and as you can see, one member seems to be on the floor, whilst the others are trying to make the assailant back away. No, wait..." As the reporter turned away to mutter something to her cameraman, her hurried tones making him zoom in on the image he was capturing, Grandma felt her heart catch in her throat. Even from the distance they were at, she could make out her boys. There could be no doubt that it was Gordon on the floor - his sash colour was clearly visible to his grandmother. How many times had she had to wash that damn thing? As she watched, whoever had dared to hurt her boys suddenly turned, and the old woman could not cover up her cry of alarm as Virgil went flying through the air, landing with a thud next to his brother. Luckily, Evelyn looked just as horrified as she did.

"Who would want to hurt those nice young men, after all the good they do? They remind me of your boys, Ruth, dear. The elder two always came to help my Kevin out on the farm in the summer... Ruth? Is everything alright, dear?"

Grandma, however, was incapable of answering. The man who had dared attack her grandsons had run for it, the emergency services in hot pursuit. The camera remained firmly on the Tracys, though. Despite being grateful that their faces weren't being broadcast everywhere, Grandma couldn't help but curse under her breath in a way she knew she had picked up from the boys as she realised she had no way of making sure the boys were okay. Virgil had sat back up, and as she watched, she caught sight of Alan throwing himself forward. To the rest of the world, Grandma knew it wouldn't be clear what was happening, but knowing those boys the way she did, she knew without a doubt that the youngest Tracy would be reassuring himself with a hug. He had always been the same, ever since he was a young child.

"Ruth?" Evelyn prompted, a frown lining her face as she took in her friend's look of horror. She knew it was horrific to think that anyone would dare hurt the members of International Rescue, but her old neighbour looked nothing short of scared. Luckily, her questioning timed exactly with Virgil helping Gordon to his feet, and as the camera turned away Grandma let out a sharp breath, facing her friend once more.

"Sorry, dear. If you'll excuse me for a moment...?" As Evelyn nodded, confusion spiralling in her eyes, Grandma made her way out of the kitchen and up the stairs. Entering the room where she was staying, she made sure to shut the door firmly behind her before turning her attention to the phone sitting by her bedside. Without hesitating, she snatched up the receiver before dialling a well-known number.

"Kyrano? Yes, it's Ruth, dear. I need you to get my son for me." Finding she was almost clucking her tongue in impatience as the loyal manservant jumped to do her bidding, Grandma glanced down at the hand resting in her lap, frowning in annoyance when she noticed that it was trembling slightly. She had seen the boys walk away, knew that they were going to be alright. But it didn't stop the anxiety from rushing through her as the image of Virgil flying through the air replayed itself over and over again in her mind's eye. Eventually though, a soft voice on the other end signalled Jeff's arrival even before he had turned his attention to the receiver.

"Jefferson? It's your mother."

The flight back to Tracy Island had never seemed to take as long as it did right now. Virgil had kept communications open in the sickbay, making sure that he would hear the second anything changed with his brother, but Gordon slept on. Gordon wasn't the normal brother to suffer from migraines, and Virgil could only hope that he would be up and about in no time. Sighing wearily, Virgil couldn't help but groan as he realised this would be the second physical he would have to put his brother through in almost as many days. Gordon was going to love that.

"Base to Thunderbird Two."

"What's up, Dad?" Concern immediately back in his voice as he connected through to his father, Virgil had to frown at the stressed-out features of the man. Jeff hadn't looked that bad when he had first made contact, and that was without knowing how Gordon was. Wondering what on earth could have happened in that short space of time to warrant the new look, Virgil felt the panic begin to rise in him again.

"Can you call your grandmother when you get back?"

Whatever Virgil was expecting, it wasn't that. Almost jolting his 'bird as his hand slipped momentarily from the controls, Virgil took a moment to regain his composurebefore turning back to his father, his face incredulous.

"What?" he gaped, not actually being sure whether he had heard the man correctly. To start with, he had no idea how his grandmother would even know something was wrong, but even if she had just called for a routine check-up of her boys, Virgil knew that his father wouldn't have contacted him now in order to tell him that. Something bigger was going on.

"Virgil, the news teams caught the event. Everyone saw what was going on, her included."

Swearing violently, Virgil realised just how bad things must have been considering his father hadn't picked him up on his language throughout the whole of the rescue. Normally, despite the situations they were in, Jeff managed to balance his father and commander's duties. To his middle son, however, the fact that his father hadn't reacted just showed how very wrong things were within the household. Not to mention that when Scott was around, there was not a lot the younger brothers could get away with. Scott didn't seem to know how to switch off his big brother mode, and, frowning at the uncharacteristic silence from his oldest brother which had been maintained throughout the whole of the rescue, Virgil glanced back at his father.

"Where's Scott? Does he know? I haven't heard from him the whole time we've been out here; I thought he would be making contact as soon as he found out about Gords. Hell, I thought he would be making contact as soon as he found out the other times weren't accidents."

When Jeff refused to answer, instead sighing deeply and studying his hands folded in his lap, Virgil felt that familiar stab of concern jab at him again.

"Dad, what's going on?"

Without saying a word, Jeff stood up. As Virgil watched, his father made a show of turning his watch, letting the image pick up the rest of the room. Virgil caught sight of his older brother spread across the couch.

"What happened?" he all but yelled, his heart pounding uncomfortably hard at seeing the position his brother was in. "Did he collapse again? I knew he wouldn't have stayed in the infirmary..."

"Virgil, he didn't collapse."

"Then what?" Virgil responded bluntly, not being sure why else Scott would be simply lying there, not with everything else that had been going on. Even on a good day it was almost impossible to get the pilot to stay still.

"He overheard John reporting that the rest of the accidents were deliberate," Jeff muttered, sitting back down again, but finding that his eyes were locked on his oldest son. Now that it came to admitting out loud that he had had Scott sedated, he felt a dull flush begin to work its way up his neck. John's earlier words came floating back to him and Jeff couldn't help but wonder whether his actions had been a little extreme. "He wanted to get out there, no matter what."

"Dad, did you do what I think you did?"

"Brains did," Jeff admitted. He knew that Virgil would be instantly aware that their resident genius had only done so on his father's orders, but it would set the more medically-minded of his sons at ease knowing that it was an experienced hand which had administered the drug.

"He's gonna love that," Virgil muttered, turning his attention from the screen and back onto the controls in front of him. "Dad, I'm coming into land. Can you clear me?"

"Cleared, son. See you in a moment." And with that, Jeff once more disconnected, letting Virgil focus all his attention on steering the giant of a ship back into her secret station. He knew that his son would be able to do it with his eyes shut, it was a manoeuvre that he had had more than enough practice in, after all. Jeff just wanted a moment to compose himself. He hadn't admitted to Alan why Scott was asleep on the couch, but the youngest member of the family had been so distracted when he arrived home, Jeff wasn't completely sure whether he had noticed his brother or not. Confessing it to Virgil made him realise just how jumpy the news of the 'accidents'had made him. He thought he had reacted pretty well, keeping calm in order to reassure his sons. The fact that he had been so desperate to stop another one potentially putting himself in harm's way showed that was obviously not the case.

"Base to Thunderbird Five." Knowing that Alan was still showering – the young man tended to completely lose himself in the rushing water when something was bothering him – and that Virgil still needed to run through the post-flight checks before waking Gordon up, Jeff wanted to get the opinion of his calmest son.

"Dad?" John's response came through almost immediately and Jeff couldn't help but wonder whether his son had been as anxious as he had about the rest of the family. "How are they? Five's sensors picked up the news report. I saw what happened. Virg and Gords? I was going to contact Virg, but thought he might disconnect; you know how he can be..."

"Are just fine, son," Jeff quickly interrupted, causing John to sit back with a sigh of relief. His father couldn't help but notice the way the astronaut's eyes flickered over to the corner of the screen, however, clearly checking on his oldest brother.

"He's not going to be happy," John muttered softly, knowing that he wouldn't have to explain to his father who he meant. Despite three of his brothers having been hurt and threatened, they were not the ones John was most worried about. He couldn't pretend that his heart wasn't still racing with the adrenaline rush of horror that had shot through him at seeing the news report, but something told him that the real battle was yet to come. To find out that three of them could have so easily been killed whilst he had basically been sleeping was not going to sit well with Scott, that was for sure.

"He'll just have to deal with it," Jeff responded firmly, locking eyes with his second-born pointedly. He knew that if John thought he was going to stay firm with Scott, he would be able to get through to his big brother, possibly even making him back down. Inside, however, Jeff was wincing. He was not looking forward to his eldest child waking up again, especially considering his reaction before.

"Dad? Are they back yet?" Alan's silent arrival practically made Jeff jump before he turned to face his youngest. His wet hair was still sticking up at awkward angles, and there was a look in his eye that made Jeff want to pound his fist into whoever had done this. Alan was the youngest, the most protected. And yet this maniac could have still easily killed the young man. And judging by the look on his face, Alan knew it as well.

"They're just landing now."

"Dad, what happened to-?"

The question hanging in mid-air, Jeff followed Alan's gaze only to find himself looking at Scott again. Sighing deeply, the father had a feeling it was going to be a very long day.

"I'll explain later," he muttered, standing up as he did so. "Alan, I'm going down to the silos. Virgil might need some help with your brother. Can you stay here and keep communications open? I don't know whether we'll need Brains or not."

"F.A.B." Alan responded, sounding somewhat miserable as he perched on the edge of the couch, only just missing Scott's feet.

No sooner had Jeff disappeared through one of the concealed entrances when he felt his watch vibrate.

"John?" he sighed, knowing immediately why his older blond had contacted him straight away. John had always been the most observant of his sons, and it came as no surprise that Jeff's excuses had been as transparent as glass to the space monitor.

"Was that the best excuse you could come up with, Dad?" John asked, sounding a mixture of amused and exasperated. "You might need Brains? You left him in a room with a sedated Scott by using that excuse?"

"It worked, didn't it?" Jeff responded, slightly sharply. He could tell by John's sigh that his son knew that he was beginning to overstep the line, especially considering how stressed his father already was. He knew what John was getting at though. Alan had been through too much on the rescue already, and not knowing how they were going to find his brothers, Jeff had no desire for him to be faced with anything else. He turned to Gordon more than Scott for reassurance, especially if he was trying to avoid bringing the smother hens down on him. With Gordon out of action, things were about to become a lot more stressful for the youngest son. As John disconnected – although not before his father caught the signs of another coughing fit – Jeff sighed heavily. He had been looking forward to the rota change over, determined to get John down to Earth and rid him of the cough. But now, he wasn't so sure about how he felt about Alan being up there alone.

He didn't have time to dwell on it any longer, however, as he soon found himself face to face with the looming giant machine. Punching in the access codes, he quickly followed the sounds of movement and found himself in the sick bay.

Trying to ignore the bile rising up with worry over what he was about to find, Jeff stepped forward quietly. It came as no surprise to realise that Virgil knew he was there, his son sparing him a quick glance over his shoulder before turning his attention back to what he was doing. Watching his middle child fiddle with some of the equipment, Jeff found his frown deepening.

"Virgil, what's going on? What's wrong with your brother? Tell me!" As Jeff 's voice rose with worry, Virgil finally put down the piece of machinery in his hand and sat down heavily on the end of Gordon's bed, not seeming to realise he was mirroring Alan's positioning with Scott upstairs. Running a hand through his hair, Virgil sighed heavily, making his father immediately regret his choice of words. He could see how worried his son was, and raising his voice wasn't going to help matters. Crossing the sick bay, he rested his hand lightly on Virgil's shoulder. Giving it a comforting squeeze, he repeated his questions in a softer voice.

"Nothing, as far as I can tell," Virgil muttered, glancing over at his sleeping brother. "I just thought it would be easier to do some of the tests before he woke up, especially if we have to deal with Scott as well."

"Don't worry about Scott, son. I'll deal with your brother, he won't get in your way."

"Good luck with that," Virgil mumbled, sounding exhausted. Crouching down in front of him, Jeff knew what was going through his son's head.

"You did all you could, Virgil. From what Alan has told me, you saved their lives."

"Dad, Gordon jumped off the platform. He was lucky the fall alone didn't kill him. And when I saw him on the floor like that...I just froze. I couldn't get Two close enough, I didn't think I would be able to land her in time."

"But you did, Virgil."

"Dad..."

"Son, stop it," Jeff interrupted gently, knowing that if he didn't distract Virgil now, his boy would get more and more worked up about what could have happened. All the boys were the same, especially the older three, although the Terrible Two could have their moments.

"Dad, someone is trying to kill us, and judging by what has happened so far, they are getting very close to succeeding." The helplessness in Virgil's voice immediately got through to Jeff, but this time his father had no words of comfort to offer him. Jeff knew that Virgil was right, and he could still hear John's cry of alarm when he picked up the news feed from the rescue, the panic that Jeff himself was feeling reflected in his son's voice. It was only chance that Gordon had managed to get to Alan in time, and that Virgil had then been able to get to them both. Rubbing a hand over his eyes wearily, Jeff knew that it had only been luck that had kept his boys alive this long. Virgil's quick reactions at pulling Gordon out of the way... John boosting the technology to find Scott... and now today... They couldn't rely on chance any longer.

"Come on, Virgil, let's get Gordon upstairs."

Nodding his understanding, Virgil rolled his neck as he climbed to his feet, desperately trying to alleviate some of the tension. Wondering whether his father meant to awaken his brother or carry him up like that, Virgil turned towards the man, meaning to voice his question. Before he could do so, however, both of their watches vibrated. Glancing down at his own, Virgil didn't move as Jeff connected them through.

"What's wrong, John?"

"Um, Dad..." The mixture of amusement, worry and uncertainty over what he was about to say had Virgil rolling his eyes. He had a very good idea of what John wanted to tell them.

"Get the hell out of my way, Brains!"

As the loud shout came bouncing through the silos, Virgil had to smirk. He had been right.

"Incoming?" John offered sheepishly as his father raised his eyebrows. Scott had obviously begun the descent to the silos at the very least, for otherwise even his angry voice wouldn't have been heard. It was just a matter of how far he had got.

"Here we go," Jeff muttered, rolling his own eyes. With a last, longing look at Gordon, he walked out of the sick bay, knowing that his oldest son was only going to do more harm than good if he continued to be so stubborn. Glancing down at Gordon, Virgil sighed.

"And I thought you were the troublemaker, Squirt."

"Scott Carpenter Tracy, don't you dare use that tone of voice!" Hearing his father's equally loud shout, Virgil found a chuckle was forcing its way out. They had been joking on the rescue that Alan was the last person who would be able to calm Jeff down, but Virgil wasn't so sure. A protective big brother was more than a match for their father.

"Virg?" Hearing a slightly slurred voice, Virgil jumped a mile in surprise, before looking down and smiling gently.

"Hey, kid. How you doing?"

"Hurts," Gordon admitted; his voice barely audible. One look at his face and Virgil knew that it was taking all of his brother's efforts to stay awake.

"Scale of one to ten?" Virgil asked, his voice immediately lowering in volume. He knew himself that head injuries left the victim sensitive for a while, and whatever the creep had done to his little brother, it was clearly still having some effect.

"Four," Gordon responded slowly, his eyes beginning to close again.

"Take that as an eight," Virgil muttered to himself as he stood back up again. "Gords, I'm going to give you something for the pain, you okay with that?"

"Doesn't hurt that much," Gordon argued weakly, causing his older brother to shake his head fondly. It was amazing how all of his brothers thought they could get away with lying to him like that. Besides, he could quite clearly see the pain reflected in the younger man's eyes, not to mention the way he was struggling to stay awake. A bit of relief would work wonders.

"Sure, and Johnny doesn't like chocolate," Virgil responded with a smirk, placing the tablets in his brother's hand and helping the younger man swallow them, deliberately ignoring the feeble protests he received for his actions. As Gordon winced again, Virgil gently lowered him back down onto the pillows. Almost immediately, the redhead's eyes flickered shut as he exhaled sharply.

"What did he do to you, Gordy?" Virgil whispered, running his hand through his brother's hair. Sighing, the artist made to stand up, only to spin sharply when he heard a colourful curse coming from the door. Leaning slightly on the frame in order to keep himself upright, Scott only had eyes for his second-youngest brother.

"Gordy!" Alan materialised behind Scott, his face slightly flushed from where he had obviously been chasing after his big brother. Motioning for them to stay quiet, Virgil had to smile as Alan immediately shot across the sick bay, perching on his brother's bed and staring at the older man intently. Glancing over at Scott, Virgil immediately frowned when he took in the expression on his biggest brother's face. The concern and worry that he had been expecting was indeed shining like a beacon out of his eyes as he gazed at their little brother. But his jaw was set, a frown crumpling his brow in a show of anger.

"Scott?" Virgil asked gently, moving across the room, a frown of his own emerging as he stepped closer to his brother.

"He shouldn't have stopped me coming after you."

Inwardly groaning, Virgil stayed quiet, not knowing what he could say that wouldn't make his brother worse.

"Someone tried to kill my brothers and I wasn't there to stop him. It will not happen again."

And so saying, Scott turned on his heel. Knowing precisely where his brother was going – or more specifically, who he was going to find, since Virgil couldn't help but notice their father was conspicuous by his absence – the younger brother shot after him. One glance over his shoulder reassured him that Alan would be able to get anything Gordon needed, but Virgil knew that it was Scott who needed him now.

He caught up with his brother just as the older man was waiting for the door to open. Signalling John on his watch with the hope that his other older brother would realise what was going on and so keep Jeff away, Virgil latched his hand around Scott's arm.

"What are you doing?" Scott all but snarled, the anger still burning brightly out of him. Rolling his eyes, Virgil didn't say anything. Instead, he just dug his heels in and began pulling Scott towards the cockpit. Scott's anger may have been lending him strength, but it was no match for the determination burning in his artistic brother. Someone was already trying to pull their family apart, why make his job easier?

Not relinquishing his hold on his brother until he had forced Scott into his own command seat, Virgil finally turned to face the man properly.

"Calm down, Scott," he said quietly, moving to stand in front of the door. He knew that if Scott had a true desire to leave, he would not be able to stop him. It was just a matter of testing how angry Scott was. Virgil was hoping that Scott wouldn't risk hurting him just to be able to get to their father.

"Calm down?" Scott was on his feet again now, immediately beginning to pace the cockpit. To Virgil's utmost relief, he made no effort to head towards the door. "Virgil, you've seen Gordon. Some creep just tried to kill our little brothers."

"And blaming Dad isn't going to help."

"I should have been on that rescue. Alan wouldn't have been at Mobile Control, and none of this would have happened."

"Scott..." Pausing momentarily, Virgil ran a hand distractedly through his hair. "Scott, things wouldn't have been any different if you had been there. So you might have been able to disarm the man in a way Alan couldn't have. He still would have taken you out."

"You don't know that."

"Damn it, Scott, have you seen what he did to Gordon? That kid can match you in a fight; you know that as well as I do. And yet this creep took him down with a mere flash of his eyes. Jeez, he sent me flying easily enough, and that was with a gun at his head. Things wouldn't have been any different. In fact, he might have just taken you down quicker, and then you wouldn't be here yelling at me."

"I'm not yelling at you, Virg."

"Really?" Virgil shot back, his voice dripping in sarcasm. He couldn't help it, he just felt so frustrated with everything. In the past week, he could have lost Alan, Scott and now Gordon twice. Despite the rescue being on the other side of the world, this man had still been able to take them out. It was clear that he had connections or people working for him, possibly even both. Where could they go that would be safe?

"You okay, Virg?" His anger finally beginning to dissipate at the bitterness in his little brother's voice, Scott stopped his pacing in order to turn to look at Virgil.

"Someone is trying to kill my family, Scott. No, I'm not okay. But neither are you. Nor are John or Alan. Gordon's certainly not. And neither is Dad, Scott."

"He-"

"Was trying to protect you, you dork. You had just collapsed, whether you admit it or not. There is no way in hell I would have left you manning Mobile Control in that state, so it wouldn't have made any difference whether you were there or not."

"Virg, he sedated me."

"That's what you get for being such a stubborn ass," Virgil muttered, too tired to take the argument any further. Sliding down the door until he was sitting on the floor, he let his head rest back. Sighing deeply, the artist found his fingers were playing with the cuff of his uniform. Seeing his position, Scott shook his head, coming to sit next to his brother.

"I'm not that stubborn," he muttered playfully, giving Virgil a gentle nudge in the ribs with his elbow, determined that he was going to make the younger man smile again.

"Are."

"Not."

"Are."

"Now who's being stubborn?" As Virgil chuckled, nudging his brother back at the same time, Scott felt the last of his anger disappear. He couldn't pretend that he wasn't annoyed about his father's actions, but he had to admit that Virgil had a point. Things might not have been any different if he had been out there, and despite sedation being slightly extreme, Scott knew that Jeff had only been trying to keep him safe. Sometimes the Field Commander forgot that he was a son as well as a big brother. To him, the others always came first, but he knew that Jeff wanted to protect them all.

"Come on, Alan might need a hand with Gordon," Scott eventually muttered, climbing to his feet and offering Virgil his hand. Allowing himself to be pulled upright, the younger brother suddenly groaned, his father's earlier words coming into his mind.

"Virg?"

"I'm staying here."

"Why?" Unable to hide his confusion, Scott felt his eyebrows rising at the look on his brother's face. If he didn't know any better, he would say that Virgil looked nervous.

"I've got to call Grandma - apparently she saw it."

"Ouch," Scott winced, feeling a rush of sympathy towards the younger man. "Nice knowing you."

Shaking his head fondly as Virgil seemed to back away from the door, almost as if he was truly going to make good on his words and not leave the safety of his 'bird, Scott grinned. Slinging his arm around his younger brother, he forced Virgil forwards and out of the cockpit. The sounds that immediately greeted them indicated that Jeff had reappeared and was in the process of helping Alan move Gordon. Feeling Scott tense, Virgil shot him a warning look, but he knew by the way Scott took a deep breath that he was going to let it go. For now at least.

Considering everything else that was going on in their family, Virgil could ask for no more.

Chapter Text

Keeping a closer eye on his brother than he would ever admit to, Virgil led the way out of the silos, judging by the distant sound of voices that the rest of the family had managed to get Gordon as far as the elevators. Even as the voices faded away upstairs, Virgil spared Scott another glance.

"What are you going to do?"

"About Dad?"

"No, about the midgets that are taking over your room. Of course about Dad."

Rolling his eyes, Scott gave his brother a slight shove. He could tell just how stressed-out his younger sibling was, for sarcasm wasn't normally Virgil's strong point.

"I don't know, Virg. He stopped me from going after you and look what happened."

Knowing that his brother wasn't referring to the fact that there wasn't anything he could have actually done, but that it was the principal of the matter, Virgil frowned.

"Scott, he's our father."

"He's also our commander. But I'm not sure what role he was in when he reacted. We've always tried to keep a line between the family and International Rescue, but when something like this happens... Well, you know as well as I do that it can be hard to stay objective."

"Wait a minute." Coming to a stop, Virgil stuck out his arm, bringing his big brother to a halt as well. There was something about the way the older man had worded that last statement which, Virgil had to admit, worried him. "You're not thinking about stopping rescues, are you?"

"I honestly don't know, Virg. Maybe it is safer until we at least know who this creep was? You were on the other side of the world this time. How the hell has he caused the accidents - or attacks in today's case - in both places?"

"Oi, slow coaches, are you coming?"

Hearing Alan's yell, Virgil gave Scott a deep, searching look, worry coursing through him. He couldn't help but think that he'd preferred it when his brother had been angry; at least he knew how to react to that side of the Field Commander.

"Promise you won't say anything until we know how Gordon is?"

The anxiety must have been written all over Virgil's face, for Scott sighed, but nodded. Once more leading the way, Virgil couldn't quite believe he had even had that conversation with Scott. He had a strong feeling it was the fact that the Field Commander hadn't been out there on the rescue that was making him talk like this, but the younger brother had certainly never heard the older man sound so concerned about the future of International Rescue. He was normally the one reassuring the rest of the family that what they were doing was the right thing. This was certainly something new.

Nothing more was said until they reached the lounge. Gordon was awake again, leaning back in exactly the same position Scott himself had recently been in. His eyes were closed, but as the two missing brothers appeared, he managed to crack one open, smiling feebly. Immediately crossing the room, Scott crouched down in front of the aquanaut.

"How you doing, kiddo?" he asked gently, his eyes flickering in concern as Gordon winced as he tried to shift position.

"Like I've run into a wall. Repeatedly," Gordon muttered. Before Scott could say anything else, however, the redhead spoke again. Reaching out and grasping Scott's wrist somewhat weakly compared to what he was normally capable of, he frowned at his brother.

"What about you?"

"Me?" Scott exclaimed, sounding incredulous as he glanced over his shoulder at his two other earthbound younger brothers. Virgil merely rolled his eyes, but Alan couldn't help it and burst out laughing. Gordon had no idea that Scott had been sedated, Alan himself only finding out when Jeff had reappeared in Thunderbird Two, but the prankster knew his brother well enough to know that Scott was not going to be taking it well that he hadn't been there when everything had gone wrong.

"That is a good question, son. How are you?"

Jumping violently, Scott had to admit he hadn't even noticed Jeff appear, but as he turned, he caught the warning look that Virgil was trying to shoot him. Sighing, he knew that he hadn't been quick enough to mask the annoyance on his face, but glancing back over his shoulder at Gordon, he knew now was not the time.

"Traumatised. Virgil called me a dork," he whined pathetically, causing said brother to raise his eyebrows in disbelief. As Scott followed up his announcement with an impressive pout, Alan once more found himself laughing. He knew full well that was not what the issue with his oldest brother was, but he was just grateful that Scott wasn't trying to take it further. The accidents had been winding his brother up enough; the argument earlier that day between Scott and Virgil had proven that. The youngest Tracy couldn't help but think that should Scott raise the issue of precisely how Jeff had stopped his son going after the rest of his brothers, a full scale row of the kind not seen for a long time would emerge.

"You..." Unable to finish his sentence, Virgil just shook his head. "Moron."

Gasping dramatically, Scott found his eyes were twinkling as he glanced over at Alan. Their little game was certainly working enough to relax their youngest brother, and letting his gaze shift onto John's active portrait, Scott grinned. John was shaking his head at his brother, a smirk accompanying the action. He too knew precisely what Scott was doing, and, like Alan, was grateful to his brother for defusing the situation.

"Da-ad," Scott whined, dragging the name out into two syllables the way Alan had been notorious for doing when he was young. "Virgil's calling me names."

"And what do you want me to do about it, Scott?" Jeff asked, amusement lacing his tone as he sat down in his chair, an unspoken message shooting between him and his oldest son. He wasn't fooled for an instant, he knew precisely the true meaning behind the annoyance in Scott's expression, and knew that it was nothing to do with what Virgil might have called him. The pilot had been called worse, after all. But Scott was equally aware that Jeff's question was meant on more than one level. His father wanted to know what his son expected him to do to sort out the chaos the family was in. Scott had always had faith in Jeff, perhaps more so than the rest of his brothers. They had all looked up to Scott, but he had turned to Jeff. The father knew it was going to be important to make sure he had got his oldest son back on side. The rest of the boys followed their brother; Jeff was more than aware of that.

"Um..." Scott muttered, his grin turning more genuine when he realised he hadn't thought this far. Dropping the pretences, he finally managed to extract his wrist from Gordon's grip and crossed the room, ruffling Virgil's hair as he did so and getting his hand batted away for his efforts. Shaking his head fondly, Jeff climbed to his feet, his eyes also fixed on Virgil. Crossing the room, he gently placed his hands on his son's shoulders, visibly checking him over.

"Dad, I'm fine," Virgil mumbled, trying to push his father away whilst avoiding eye contact.

"I want Brains to check you over properly. Who knows what that fall did - you didn't look well at all in Two."

"Why didn't you say anything?" Almost immediately, Scott was back in front of him as well. Groaning, Virgil knew if there was going to be anything that would reunite his father and oldest brother, it would be them thinking something was wrong with him.

"A few bruises, maybe. I'm fine."

"Give your old man peace of mind, Virg. Let Brains check you over," Jeff said quietly, and meeting the man's gaze, Virgil swallowed before nodding gently. There was almost a haunted look in Jeff's eyes, something that clearly showed how much stress he was under. The last thing Virgil wanted to do was to make matters worse.

"Good man. I would have ordered you to submit, but I'm glad to see that you have more sense than your brother."

As Scott's face clouded over, Virgil quickly took the pilot by the arm and pushed him into a nearby seat. He had no desire to restart the debate between father and son about Jeff's preventative measures.

"Debrief, boys. We need to know what happened out there." As Jeff's tone turned far more professional, Virgil caught Scott's eye as he sat up straighter, seeing him turning slightly pale as he did so. Shaking his head, the medic knew that he was going to have his work cut out keeping both him and Gordon in check.

For the next hour, voices filled the lounge. To start with, the brothers went through the actual rescue, knowing that they couldn't afford to leave anything out. Despite someone clearly trying to kill them, they were all aware that the rest of the world was relying on them. Trying to get that point across more adamantly than he normally did, Virgil found himself watching Scott. He had to know whether his brother had seriously been thinking about questioning their operation, or whether it had just been the frustration talking. Listening to him praise Alan for his work on Mobile Control and watching the way the youngest seemed to light up from inside with the praise, Virgil knew his answer. Scott would never give up on what they were doing, no matter how bad things got.

Eventually though, Alan knew the time had come to recount precisely what had happened. Starting off hesitantly, his voice slowly gained more confidence as he spoke about how the man had come up behind him, forcing him away from Mobile Control with the gun. Finally,Alan got to the point where he had run out of words, still slightly stunned about the way Gordon had just fallen from the sky and saved his life. Sensing the younger man was having trouble getting the words out; Virgil took over, one glance at Gordon showing that the younger man had fallen asleep once again. Speaking slowly, he began going through what had happened at their end of things. Starting with the reports that Gordon knew something was wrong by Alan's use of code-names, he worked all the way through to finding out about the accidents and then the race to reach their younger brother in time. Finally, Virgil quietly recounted the final fight, how the man had just sent Virgil flying despite the fact that the young man had a gun aimed at his head.

"So we have no idea where he went?" Jeff asked hesitantly, turning to face John. His son immediately caught onto the man's meaning and quickly began to bring up the read-outs from the rescue. He had already started looking through them as soon as he had found out what had happened, but for the life of him, he couldn't get a trace on the man. If this was indeed the same man who had been responsible for the other two rescues, then this would have been the third time he had nearly bested International Rescue's technology. For the Space Monitor, it was as good as declaring war.

"Or who he is," Virgil muttered, sitting down himself having been pacing throughout his account. He hadn't quite considered just how close he had been to losing both of his brothers, but reliving the moment, it had certainly shaken him.

"He knew who I was though," Alan said quietly, seeking out Jeff's reassurance in the silence that had fallen over the room. "Even before Gordon said my name, he knew precisely who I was."

"This is just getting more and more dangerous," Scott muttered, standing up himself and copying Virgil by beginning to pace. "How did he know about the rescue?"

"Scott, anyone within a fifty mile radius knew about that rescue. Even the news teams were there," John responded quietly, trying to keep his only older brother calm.

"Fine. So what about the other two?"

"Sabotage," a quiet voice stated, making the entire family jump. Turning, Scott found Gordon watching him. Attempting to push himself further upright, the redhead turned towards John. "You know I'm right, Johnny, I know you do."

"The rope?"

"You agreed that it could have been cut. And now you know there was someone else there," Gordon pressed, determined that at least one of the brothers was going to admit that he could be right about this. They had been so quick to shoot him down previously, but now they had no choice but to see that he had a point.

"They never did find out what caused the sudden flood," Alan cut in, thinking back on Scott's almost disastrous rescue.

"Nor the fires," Virgil added. Immediately, a deadly silence fell across the room, each member of both the family and the organisation thinking the same thing. Someone had set up those rescues to try and put an end to International Rescue. And now it appeared they knew they would be putting an end to the Tracy family as well.

"So who the hell is it?"'

"Dad, Penny's trying to make contact," John suddenly said, finally glancing back up from his readings. Nodding his understanding, Jeff flicked a switch. The most rarely used of the portraits immediately merged into the real thing.

"Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward, at your service."

"You don't say," Gordon muttered, receiving a warning look from his father and a nudge from Virgil at the same time. Although there was also a smile playing across Virgil's mouth, for Penny's need to introduce herself every time never ceased to amuse him.

"Hey, Penny."

"Good morning, Jeff, darling."

"Says who?" Scott practically growled, shooting Alan a murderous look as the younger man yanked him back into his seat, just to stop his pacing.

"Enough, boys," Jeff scolded, turning his attention back to the aristocrat as he spoke. "You have news, Penny?"

"I finally have a lead on the man caught photographing the Thunderbirds."

Blinking, it took Jeff a few moments to catch up. He had completely forgotten about that incident. It seemed so insignificant now, compared to the idea that someone was trying to kill his sons. Even so, he knew that Penny had spent a lot of time and effort tracking down this man, and any potential threat to International Rescue was also a threat to his family.

"You have a name?"

"Not as such," Penny admitted, glancing down as she spoke. "But we have a picture. I thought perhaps you might be able to do something with it?"

"John?"

"I might be able to get a name," the blond confirmed, although Jeff could see that his son's mind wasn't really on the matter. Not that Jeff could blame him; they had someone else who needed to be found long before this man.

"Alright, Penny, send it through."

As Penny turned away, clearly intending to carry out Jeff's instructions, the father turned back to his sons. Without saying anything, an unspoken message was sent flying around the room, a clear indication that they were going to get to the bottom of this, no matter what.

By the time he had turned back to the screen, Penny had sent through the picture. Almost immediately, a loud crash resonated through the room, causing all the boys to jump and turn simultaneously towards the door. They hadn't even heard Kyrano come in, but the tray that was now laying on the floor clearly showed that he'd been bringing them refreshments. Virgil and Scott instantly leapt to their feet and hurried over, the latter pausing long enough to push Gordon back down as he tried to rise. As Scott quickly set about clearing up the mess, Virgil helped a slightly shaky Kyrano lower himself into the nearest chair.

"I thought you might recognise him, Kyrano, dear," Penny said softly, her eyes fixed on the Malaysian.

"What is it? Who is it?" Scott cried, his desperate need to regain control of the situation more than evident in his voice.

"Father!" Before anyone could even contemplate beginning to answer him, Tin-Tin came hurrying into the room, her concerned eyes immediately seeking out her father. Crouching next to him with one hand resting lightly on his knee, she seemed to be searching his face intently. Knowing what the pair of them were like in being able to read each other, Jeff motioned for Scott to step back, trying to keep his son calm. Unaware that he was mirroring John's earlier thoughts, Jeff couldn't help but wonder whether all he had been doing for the past day or so was keeping control of his eldest son. The family couldn't say whether Tin-Tin had managed to glean anything from her father, but eventually, she turned back to face the rest of the room. Almost immediately, her attention was drawn by the image of the man, and, letting out an audible gasp, she looked towards Jeff.

"Mr Tracy, it's him! The one who attacked Brains and me in the desert last year!"

His face immediately clouding over as he thought back on the race against time to save their lives, Jeff frowned.

"Looks like we have ourselves two potential killers to catch," the Tracy patriarch muttered darkly, ignoring the quizzical frown his top agent was sending him. "Boys, any..."

"Wait a second," Gordon interrupted, sitting up properly again as he narrowed his eyes at the image. "Virgil, can you work some magic with it?"

"What's wrong, Gords?"

"Give him a big walrus moustache," the redhead said quietly, and knew immediately by the way Virgil's face took on a slightly thunderous expression that his immediate older brother knew precisely what he was implying.The looks that went shooting around the rest of the family showed that they too were beginning to realise what their aquanaut was getting at, and a stony silence fell across the room. Taking control of the equipment, Virgil set about following Gordon's instructions, wincing when he caught sight of how it was coming out. He hated having to do anything artistic on a machine, much preferring the feel of brush in his hand, but he knew that was the last thing on anyone's mind right now. Eventually, he completed his task, and, feeling his breath catch in his throat, he turned back to face Gordon.

"Recognise him, Alan?" Gordon said quietly, his tone anything but its normal light-hearted self. His voice actually sent shivers down Jeff's spine, for his prankster of a son sounded nothing short of deadly. Swallowing hard, Alan moved across the room to get a better look, only to stumble back slightly when he took a proper look.

"Dad, that's him! That's the man..."

As a rush of noise exploded in the room as each person expressed their outrage, Jeff shut his eyes. So not only had this man attempted to kill two of their members in the past, he was now back to try and destroy the family. Considering it had been a reasonable time since Penny had first been given her mission of trying to locate the man, he had obviously been monitoring their actions for some time. And if he had indeed known precisely who Alan was, he could potentially know everything about them.

"Kyrano?" Moving through the chaos that was his lounge, Jeff avoided Scott as he resumed pacing, registering Virgil's attempts to keep Gordon sitting down before placing his hand on his old friend's shoulder. "What is it?"

"Mr Tracy, I think I know who he is," Kyrano whispered almost silently, swallowing hard whilst avoiding Jeff's gaze.

"Who?" Jeff pressed, a certain sense of urgency infiltrating his voice. Kyrano might have the answers about the man who was threatening his sons; he didn't have the time to be patient, not any more.

"He's known as the Hood."

It was not Kyrano who answered the concerned father, however, but Penny, speaking amazingly clearly through the noise. Despite her clipped tones, Jeff still found he had to strain his ears over the noise that was emerging from his sons. Virgil was trying to calm his older brother down, but his own posture was showing that he was just as furious as Scott, and given the chance, the two of them would have been back in their 'birds and after this Hood character like a shot. John was shouting to make himself heard over the rest of the noise, trying to tell Virgil something, but it was clear from the look on his face that his younger brother couldn't hear him any better than Jeff could. Alan was, as expected, talking to Gordon, but the brothers seemed to be gripping each other's arms. It was harder to say who was trying to stop who though, Alan stopping Gordon from rising or Gordon stopping Alan from mirroring his older brothers' actions and trying to leave. As Penny made to say something else, Jeff had had enough.

"Quiet!" he bellowed and silence immediately fell across the lounge, even Penny closing her mouth with an audible snap. She was the only one who looked surprise by his outburst, however. Even Tin-Tin merely gave him a long look before turning her attention back to her father.

"That's better." Jeff was barely aware of how heavily he was breathing, not realising that his eyes were reflecting the same fury that was more than obvious in his three eldest sons. "Penny, send through any information you have on this man. Boys..."

"On our way, Father," Scott interrupted as both he and Virgil began to walk across the room.

"You're not going after him, Scott," Jeff said quickly, stepping into Scott's path. Luckily for him, Virgil also paused, looking over his shoulder at his father and brother.

"But Dad..."

"We're not going through this again, Scott." Jeff responded, his voice much quieter this time as he locked eyes pointedly with his firstborn.

"Dad, he almost killed Alan and Gordon. Not to mention he could have seriously hurt Virgil."

"Exactly. If he can take out three of your brothers that easily, what chance do you think you have on your own?"

"He won't be on his own," Virgil cut in, moving across the lounge to come and stand next to his brother, lifting his chin defiantly.

"The answer is no. Scott, don't make me stop you again."

"You wouldn't," Scott challenged, although his voice wavered with uncertainty as he glanced towards Virgil, clearly trying to find out whether Jeff could get away with sedating him again without causing more harm. As Virgil shook his head ever so slightly, Scott turned his gaze back onto Jeff. To his concern, his father just met his look steadily.

"Who says I meant you? I still need to get Virgil checked over."

As Virgil caught onto his meaning and stumbled back a few paces, shaking his head frantically, Scott swallowed hard. Raising his eyebrows, Jeff let his hand wander slowly towards his watch.

"Stand down, Scott."

"You wouldn't risk it..."

"Scott, please," Virgil practically begged, continuing to back away from his father. In normal circumstances he knew that the thought wouldn't have even crossed Jeff's mind. But he himself could feel that sense of desperation, the need to do something to protect the rest of the family. And whilst he would never admit it to his oldest brother, he wasn't sure what they would actually be able to do. He had witnessed firsthand exactly how powerful the man was. Not to mention that he had disappeared without a trace. Virgil didn't even know where to suggest they began to look for their mysterious attacker. But at the same time, he wouldn't let his brother go out there alone. He knew it was because he would follow Scott into a situation they wouldn't be able to walk out of that Jeff was even contemplating what was running through his head.

"Don't make me tell you again, son."

The three of them were barely aware that the rest of the lounge had remained silent, all watching the confrontation with bated breath. Alan had half-stepped away from Gordon, but the older brother had yet to relinquish his grip, reinforcing Jeff's ideas about his youngest son being just as bad as his oldest. Even so, the redhead was half off the couch himself, clearly intending to involve himself one way or another.

For a long moment, nothing was said. Jeff and Scott had locked eyes, both determined that they were not going to back down; both adamant that their way was the right one. As Jeff's hand began to stray towards his watch once more, Virgil lost patience. He had no idea whether his father would make good on his threat and sedate him just to make Scott back down, but remembering how determined Jeff had been to get his artistic son checked over, Virgil was leaving nothing to chance.

"For God's sake, Scott, stop it."

"He's not going to get away with this."

"No, he's not. But until we have more than a name, we can't do anything," Jeff responded carefully. To his utmost relief, Scott finally exhaled sharply, nodding as he stepped away from his lamps and sat back down again. Making to step up behind his brother to make sure Scott wasn't going to try anything else, Virgil jumped when his father stuck out a hand, grasping his arm lightly. Nothing was said, but an unspoken apology shot from father to son, causing Virgil to nod softly with a small smile. Message received and understood.

"Dad, what do we do?"

It had been many years since Jeff had heard Alan sound that vulnerable, and, rubbing his hand across his face wearily, the father sat down heavily at his desk. "Penny, you're coming over to the island. We need all the hands we can get, especially if Scott and Gordon are both out of action."

Ignoring the immediate protests he got for his words, Jeff kept his eyes locked on the aristocrat as she nodded her consent, signing off with a flourish, no doubt informing Parker that they were leaving immediately.

"John, I need you to get in touch with the emergency services in the area. We need to know what they found."

"F.A.B." John responded, turning in his chair as he did so, clearly intending to make good on his father's instructions and set to work straight away. He might not be able to threaten to go straight after this guy in the way his brothers could, but at least there was something he could do to help.

"Shouldn't John be packing?" Alan suddenly said, standing up and bouncing his gaze between his blond brother and his father. John had paused mid-action, also turning to face Jeff.

"Alan... Are you sure you still want to go?" It was Scott who spoke this time, but to Jeff's relief, his previous anger seemed to have melted away as he traded concerned looks with Virgil.

"Why wouldn't I?" Alan responded, looking completely blank.

"Kiddo, you were almost killed."

"So were Gordon and Virgil, doesn't stop them," Alan argued, turning his attention away from Scott and back to their father. "Besides, Johnny's sick. He needs air, you know that. I'm absolutely fine; Gordon and Virgil were the ones who were hurt."

"We're not necessarily talking about your physical state, Alan," Jeff said gently, watching his son closely. He was glad he had not been the only one reconsidering letting Alan take his shift in Five, but as John turned away to hide another coughing fit, he knew that the youngest member of their team had a point. Jeff knew the only reason why John hadn't managed to shake himself free of the virus was the lack of fresh air. A few days on the island would do him the world of good.

"I'm fine, Dad. If you want to worry about anyone's mental state, then you can start by explaining what the hell is going on between you and Scott."

Blinking in surprise at Alan's slightly forceful tone, Jeff started, for it was not one he was used to hearing from the youngest Tracy. What unnerved him more, however, was how much like Scott he sounded.

"Nothing," Scott muttered, not particularly wanting another little brother to know that Kyrano had managed to get the better of him.

"So why were you...ooh. You sedated him?" Finally, the pieces all fell into place and Alan found himself gaping at his father, unable to believe that Jeff had gone to such extremes. One glance at Gordon – once again resting back on the cushions because sitting up was too much effort – and Alan knew that whatever game this creep was playing with them, he was winning. He hadn't seen the family in this much turmoil since Gordon's hydrofoil accident.

"Are you sure you want to come up, kiddo?" John broke through the conversation on the island, determined that they were going to make it through at least five minutes without his only older brother and his father shooting daggers at each other.

"Johnny, you need to be at home, man. Besides, technically I should then be in the safest place, so I don't know what everyone's problem is." Feeling satisfied that this argument would at least stop the rest of the family from worrying about him, Alan found his attention caught by a movement from behind him. Tin-Tin had helped her father out of the chair, and, with a glance at Jeff – who immediately nodded his understanding – began to lead him from the room. At Alan's words, however, she paused, giving the young man a long, searching look. Smiling gently at her, Alan attempted to reassure her that he was indeed fine, though he couldn't help but feel a rush of gratitude shoot through him when she turned back again.

"In that case, Alan, John, start packing. The boys will come and get you as soon as Penny arrives, John. I want this figured out quickly. Continue making contact with the emergency teams at the accident zone until then."

"F.A.B." Turning away again, John disconnected himself from the island, knowing that if he didn't, he would never get anything done. Despite the worry coursing through him about his brothers' safety and the fact that someone was trying to kill them, the blond couldn't stop a slight rush of excitement from spiralling down his spine. He was going home.

Chapter Text

The room was dark and murky, a swirling mist hovering eerily above the floor and shielding anything on the floor. Not that the man noticed, however, pacing angrily back and forth, muttering restlessly under his breath as he did so. Clouds of dust were shot into the air with every step he took, but the Hood didn't notice. His eyes were closed in concentration, yet his feet knew the path well, for never once did he falter. Lining the walls, a group of men stood in silence, watching their master's pacing with bated breath. Whenever he was in a mood like this, one of them nearly always lost their life. It was just a matter of seeing who would be the unfortunate victim this time.

"How are they still alive?" the Hood suddenly barked, but no one dared answer him as he refused to even slow down in his pacing. Everything had been set up perfectly. The two accidents in Canada should have killed the two rescuers involved. Hell, the first rescue alone should have done the job for him. Whilst not there himself, the Hood now just cursed his foolishness at thinking his man would be able to complete the task. He was below him, nothing more than primitives, but even the Hood had to admit they had come close. His man had filmed the whole thing before running, showing how only the actions of the third member of the team had stopped the others from being crushed. Believing it had just been misfortune, the Hood had given the man one last chance, sending someone to help him who he knew the members of International Rescue wouldn't be able to resist. But even that had failed, despite the spark of delight he had felt in hearing that the man had been unconscious when he was pulled from the freezer.

He should have known that his minions wouldn't be good enough for the job. This was International Rescue they were talking about. The Hood had been outwitted by them more times than he would like to recall, something made even worse by the fact that his own half-brother was in their midst, and yet was too resistant to the man's control to finish them off for him. When he had heard about the landslide in Malaysia, he thought his dream had just been handed to him on a plate. The location was practically on his doorstep and, armed and ready, he had been more than prepared to bring down International Rescue once and for all. And yet they had still thwarted him, with nothing more than sheer dumb luck.

Lashing out in frustration, the Hood plunged his fist into the wall, the crumbling plaster giving way under his knuckles. Here he was, in a temple that was falling down around him, and yet they were still out there, living in luxury and bathing in the love of the entire world.

"They will not escape me again," he whispered quietly, his threatening tone causing the men to shiver. They wouldn't have heard him any better had he shouted the words, for even the atmosphere surrounding them seemed to hold its breath as it waited for the Hood to speak again.

"They are getting too alert on their feeble rescue attempts."

"Master?" one of the men said tentatively, taking a small step out of the shadows. He knew that the Hood rewarded loyalty and devotion. If he could see that this man was prepared to die for him, then the solider knew he would be well rewarded. Providing, of course, he hadn't just set himself up as the next victim of the Hood's anger.

"We're having a change of plan. We're not going for International Rescue anymore." The Hood smirked as he spoke, pieces falling to place in his mind as he began a new plan.

"We're not?" It was a different man who spoke this time, unable to hide the relief in his voice. He could cope with his master wanting jewels and riches, maybe even the odd murder here and there. But this constant obsession to bring down International Rescue was beginning to irritate him, especially considering the organisation stopped them at every turn. Fixing him with a cold gaze, the Hood let his power build up inside him before his eyes flashed yellow and the man dropped to his knees with a cry.

"No, we're not. Instead, we are going to bring down the Tracy family."

Virgil stared with unseeing eyes at his ceiling from where he was sprawled across his bed. His father had finally got his way and made the young man submit to an examination, but apart from the few cuts and bruises that Virgil himself had reported, Brains had found nothing else, finally allowing Virgil to escape into the solitude of his room. He was glad to be able to get away, if he was honest. He had already had to recount more than once what had happened out there, having to explain his own injuries and then all he knew about Gordon's. Alan had been able to help with that, something his big brother was more than grateful for, but there was no way Virgil could put up with having to talk about it again. He just wanted some space, some time to figure things out. He knew how the rest of the family were reacting, especially Scott, but for now, Virgil needed time to work out how he was feeling. Everything had happened so quickly that he wasn't sure whether he had really processed what was going on.

Moving his arm from behind his head before he completely lost feeling in it, Virgil felt a frown appear as his thoughts flickered onto his younger brothers. Or, more specifically, onto Alan. He wasn't happy about the kid taking his stint on Five, not with what had just happened. Not only with this accident, but with everything that had taken place over the last few weeks. He knew that the argument between him and Gordon was all but forgotten - being forced to work together had put aside those differences, as the rest of the family had known it would. It was impossible for those two to stay mad at each other for long. Even so, Virgil would much rather that everything was put to rest before he let the kid off the planet, and he knew by the way Scott had disappeared into their littlest brother's room that he was not the only one thinking it. But he couldn't help but be torn. John's cough had gone on for too long. Who knew what the consequences would be if they made the astronaut undertake a double shift? Besides, who was to say that John hadn't been suffering as much as Alan with everything that was going on? He was the one to have realised that someone was out to kill them, after all. The pair could easily be evenly matched when it came to suffering mentally. However, Alan had claimed that he was fine in the lounge – and if the way Scott had left his room just as suddenly as he had entered it was anything to go by – he was still sticking to that, meaning Virgil didn't have a good enough argument to persuade his father to change his mind. It was something of a second nature to the oldest members of the family not to believe the younger ones in anything they said when it was their health in question.

Thoughts of his youngest brother filling his mind, Virgil sat up, gritting his teeth slightly as he leant his weight on his right arm. A nasty bruise covered his elbow, and whilst Brains had claimed that there was no more damage than that, it was still causing the artist trouble. Swinging his legs around, Virgil finally stood up, determined to make sure for himself that Alan was as okay as he was ever going to be. Not that the older brother believed he would be welcome in the youngest Tracy's room. He had heard Tin-Tin enter about half an hour ago, and knowing what those two were like whenever Alan was about to spend a month on Five, had no desire to walk in. How on earth they thought anyone believed she was helping him pack, Virgil had no idea.

Just as he had walked out of his room, however, Virgil caught sight of another brother slipping down the corridor. With a fond shake of his head, the artistic brother followed silently, knowing precisely where Scott was heading. Jeff had practically thrown his eldest son out of the infirmary once Brains had given the boys the all-clear, knowing that Scott still needed to rest himself and that, given half the chance, he would deny it furiously in order to be by Gordon's side. Whilst the artist had already given Scott the slip the second they had left the infirmary, he knew that he was going to have to confront him again now. He hadn't wanted to face the constant questioning as to whether he was okay or not, something he was sure would be the only thing his oldest brother would be able to say. This was different, however. Virgil couldn't help but feel that if it was left to Jeff to remind Scott he shouldn't be in there, another argument would spring up. There was enough chaos surrounding the family as it was, they didn't need it from within as well.

Knowing that Alan would be fine waiting for a couple of hours, Virgil took off after Scott, his footsteps light and quiet. He caught up with his brother just as Scott was about to enter the infirmary and, slamming his hand onto the controls, Virgil caused the door to shut with an angry hiss and his brother to turn towards him with a similar noise.

"What are you doing?" Scott asked quietly, not wanting to admit how much Virgil had made him jump. Ironically, his thoughts had been on his younger brother, but Scott was not expecting Virgil to be wandering around the villa. The younger man had escaped so quickly into his room earlier that evening that Scott knew his brother needed some time alone with his thoughts.

"Dad told you to get some sleep," Virgil panted, keeping his hand firmly over the controls even as he struggled to regain control over his breathing. He certainly hadn't been prepared for the sudden mad sprint, that was for sure.

"Dude, what am I? Twelve?" Scott scoffed, turning his attention back to the door. He didn't want to admit to Virgil that he had actually tried to do what their father had suggested, still feeling the effects of the sedative coursing through his system, but every time he closed his eyes, he could just see Gordon on the floor in agony. There would be no sleep for the oldest Tracy brother today.

"He's sleeping, Scott, leave him be," Virgil pushed, still refusing to move his hand even though he could practically feel Scott's burning gaze on it. If Scott didn't back down, Virgil had a feeling he himself would, his biggest brother could be rather determined when he wanted to be.

"I'm not going to disturb him," Scott argued, reaching out his own hand and attempting to prise Virgil's away. His little brother, however, merely gritted his teeth, a clear sign that he was not going to move willingly on this.

"Come on, Virg, I just want to sit with him for a bit. I wasn't out there like I should have been; I'm not leaving him again."

"Scott, he isn't even going to know you are there," Virgil responded, suddenly feeling utterly drained. Was it only that day Scott himself had collapsed, only that morning they had put Gordon through his paces? The redhead was supposed to be running around gloating, not lying in the infirmary. Scrubbing his free hand across his face, Virgil sighed deeply. The sooner this was over, the better.

Scott was making good use of his brother's moment of distraction, however. As soon as Virgil had covered his eyes, he pulled more fiercely at Virgil's hand. Their father might have stopped him from going after the boys but he wasn't about to let his younger brother prevent him from being by Gordon's side once again.

Dropping his hand sharply, Virgil glared at the older man.

"Virg, back away," Scott said quietly, an almost threatening tone entering his voice. Virgil knew that this was the military Scott, the one who could get his own way, no matter what – or who - was standing in his way. The one who managed to drive Virgil absolutely insane every time he emerged, meaning the younger brother had no intention of making this easy. Scott wasn't the only one wanting to protect the family.

"Or what?" Sick of Scott's attitude and the expectation that his brothers were just going to jump to do his bidding, Virgil did indeed move the hand covering the controls for the door. But before Scott could move, he had stepped forward, physically blocking the door. Folding his arms across his chest, he raised one eyebrow, a clear challenge being sent. If Scott wanted to get to Gordon, he would first have to go through Virgil.

"Don't make me tell you again."

"You aren't my boss, commander," Virgil spat, his exhaustion making his temper shorter than normal. Some lunatic was trying to tear their family apart, had attempted to kill two of his little brothers on Virgil's watch, and now Scott was trying to do more harm than good by getting in to see Gordon. The only thing that would help the pilot was the rest his body desperately needed, but Virgil knew by the stubborn set of Scott's jaw that he was not going to get it willingly. Sick of feeling like he had let his brothers down today, Virgil found that his determination was rivalling Scott's. There was still one brother he could help, and the fact that it was his older one rather than the younger was just an inconvenience.

"Move."

"Make me."

"Fine." With a shrug, Scott strode forward. Grabbing his younger brother by the shoulders, he gritted his teeth as he attempted to force Virgil to move out of the way, but to his surprise, Virgil dug his heels in, refusing to budge.

"Damn it, Virg, get out of the way!" Scott yelled, still desperately trying to move his brother.

Reaching the end of his patience, Virgil suddenly snapped. Swinging his arm forward, he caught Scott in the stomach, causing the older man to let go and stumble back a pace, more in surprise than anything else.

"Don't tell me what to do!" Virgil shouted back, breathing heavily as anger pumped through him. If he was honest, he knew that it wasn't Scott he was angry at, but the situation they were in. They risked their lives almost daily to save complete strangers and this was how the world thanked them? By letting some maniac try and kill his brothers.

"Someone has to," Scott shot back, moving forward once again. To his shame, any thoughts of trying to reach Gordon had been pushed from his mind. Like Virgil, he had to find some way of releasing the anger and his younger brother just happened to be there, feeling the same way.

Neither of the brothers would have been able to say precisely what happened next. One moment, they were glaring at each other from opposites sides of the hallway, the next, they were both on the floor. Wrestling furiously with each other as both of them tried to gain the upper hand, the men found that it was definitely providing the release they both needed. Even when they managed to regain their footing, neither of them was prepared to see sense. As Virgil kicked out at Scott's knees, his older brother immediately responded by swinging his fist forward, causing Virgil to lean back, wobbling slightly as he struggled to regain his balance.

Scott didn't need telling twice. Rushing forward, he shoved Virgil with his shoulder, causing the younger man to fall back with a crash. But with instincts that years of working in the rescue business had honed, Virgil somehow managed to bring Scott down with him. As the pair once again scrambled to their feet, they didn't hear the infirmary door finally open.

"S...s...stop!" Brains attempted to try to get through to the fighting brothers, but they were both too caught up in their anger to hear him. Swaying slightly, Gordon leant on the doorframe next to Brains, the noise having woken him. Whilst it was something of a shock to see his brothers fighting in the middle of the hallway, Gordon wasn't really surprised. He had seen the look on his older brothers' faces during the whole of the debriefing and then during Virgil's examination. There was an anger there that had been brewing, possibly for longer than the pair of them realised it, and without having to be told, Gordon had known what had sparked the pair of them off the moment he had opened his eyes. After all, Scott never liked to leave the infirmary if one of them was in it, yet Virgil would know that it would do their big brother no good to stay.

Normally, Gordon would have been the first to throw himself into the mix, although whether to break them up or just release his own frustration, the aquanaut could not say. But considering he was having trouble keeping his eyes open as it was, he knew that was out of the question. Fingering his watch, he quickly summoned his father. Whilst Brains was good at most things – more than good as the case often was – there was no way he had the physical strength to stop Scott and Virgil.

It was still a tense few moments before Jeff came sprinting onto the scene. Neither Scott nor Virgil heard Brains and Gordon's attempts to break them up, instead continuing to take out on each other the annoyance of not being able to help the family. Brains slowly became more and more panicked as he realised that nothing was getting through to the men he considered to be his closest friends, but Gordon almost seemed resigned. Shaking his head slightly, he allowed the door to take his weight even more as he watched his brothers with saddened eyes. If he was honest, he'd known something like this was coming, he just didn't know who'd crack first. After all, there had been lies and accusations flying around the house for a while now, ever since the first accident. Wishing John was here, for no one could break up a fight like his genius of a brother, Gordon knew the only way they were going to calm down again was when all the anger had been released.

"Enough!"

Even the thundering voice of their father wasn't enough to break through the blood pounding in their ears, and both sons simply carried on. Looking slightly stunned at how caught up in the fight they were, Jeff attempted to get closer, but Virgil's flailing arm drove him back soon enough.

"Scott! Virgil! Stop!" Jeff had no time to see whether his words had the desired effect, however, for another figure calmly strode past him. Somehow seeming to melt past the limbs that were swinging wildly, Kyrano approached the fighting Tracys. With quick, calculating eyes, he suddenly moved in, grabbing Virgil by the arm and bodily pulling him away from his brother, breaking the vice-like grip Virgil had established on Scott's arm. Letting the momentum carry them both, Kyrano pushed him towards his father. No sooner had Virgil regained his footing, he made to throw himself forward again, but Jeff quickly grabbed onto his son's arms, pulling him further back.

Knowing that removing one brother wasn't going to be enough, Kyrano then somehow managed to get behind Scott, looping his arm across the older brother's chest and holding him fast as Scott struggled to go for Virgil again.

"Enough!"

Finally, now that they were unable to reach each other, the two brothers heard their father's words. Scott quickly shrugged off Kyrano's grip, leaning somewhat shakily against the wall. Lifting his hand, he gingerly felt his stinging nose, wincing when his hand came away with a red smear across it. Seeing the movement, Brains moved forward, but Scott deliberately turned away from him before the genius was able to take a look. Virgil didn't look much better, a bright red stripe down his lip from where his brother's fist had connected. He took half a step forward, but as his father yanked him back again with a warning that could resemble a growl, he finally backed down.

"Now, do either of you care to explain what that was about?" Jeff's voice was low and dangerous, a sign his sons knew too well meant they had more than crossed the line - they had taken a running jump and bounded over it. Neither of his sons answered him, however. Not that Jeff had been expecting them to; he was more than aware of what had caused it. Like Gordon, he too had sensed the underlying anger in his boys, something the day's events had only heightened.

"Scott started it," Virgil eventually muttered, pulling himself free of his father's grip and mirroring Scott's actions as he leant against the wall. Shutting his eyes, Jeff looked skyward the moment he opened them again.

"Don't even go there, Virgil," he said warningly, not in the mood to take any childishness from any of his sons. After all, it wasn't only his boys who were angry. Someone was trying to kill his children, and that was not something Jeff Tracy was about to let anyone get away with even thinking about, let alone acting upon.

Watching his father, Gordon could almost see the man's thought processes, for his emotions were as visible on his face as Scott's were. His fingers subconsciously dancing across his watch, Gordon barely noticed that he had connected himself through to the brother he needed the most until the sudden vibration told him that John had received his call. Ducking back into the room, Gordon hitched himself back onto his bed in order to be able to talk to John. If anyone would know how to defuse the family, it would be the star-lover.

"You do realise that we have a lunatic trying to kill us, don't you?" Jeff continued, a frown flickering onto his face momentarily as he watched Gordon disappear back into the infirmary. He would check on his redhead after he had sorted out the aquanaut's squabbling brothers. This wasn't the first time Jeff wished he could simply split himself into more than one person. "The last thing we need is for you two to try and do his job for him."

"Dad, it wasn't..."

"Wasn't meant like that, Scott?" Jeff finished his son's sentence for him, albeit a little coldly as he stared at his first-born. He would have expected Scott to know better, especially considering the pilot's earlier desire to make sure his little brothers were okay. But even so, his son's behaviour over the last few days had been slightly erratic at the best of times; maybe this was what he needed to ground him again. With any luck, Virgil might have knocked some sense into the older man.

Scott lifted his head again, meeting his father's gaze head-on with indignation burning brightly in his eyes, but before he could say anything, Gordon appeared again.

"Dad?" Waiting until he had his father's attention, Gordon did his utmost not to catch the eye of either of his brothers. He had no desire, for once, for them to turn their anger on him.

"Son?"

"John says Penny has just made contact, they are in the final stages of approach to the island now."

"Right, boys..."

"I'm going for a run," Scott muttered, pushing himself away from the wall. He didn't want to have to go and greet the aristocrat as he knew his father was about to ask him to. He needed space, time to clear his head. It was only now that he fully realised what he had just done, and looking at the smear of blood on Virgil's lip, he knew that he had to get away.

"You are doing no such thing. You will accompany me to meet our guests and have a civil tongue in your head, boy," Jeff snapped, completely running out of patience. Whilst he knew Penny was here to help, having her on the island at this moment in time was not what he needed right now. What he could really do with was a strong whisky, but he knew that he would have to battle Kyrano for that one. And judging by the quiet strength the man possessed lately, the father knew he wouldn't have a chance. The Malaysian seemed to be under strict instructions from his boss's mother, and Jeff knew too well himself the consequences of going against that woman.

With his back to his father, Scott shut his eyes momentarily, trying to regain control of his temper once again. He knew that if his answer was the wrong one here, they were going to have bigger problems to worry about, but he couldn't stop the frustration building. Everything he had tried to do lately, his father had been there to stop him. He'd thrown him out of the infirmary when all Scott wanted to do was be by Gordon, he'd sedated him to stop him going out after his brothers... The pilot couldn't help but feel that if he was denied this run, Jeff was going to know precisely what was going through his eldest son's head. Scott had no doubts about whether his father would like it or not.

"Dad, please. Let me go for a run."

Jeff frowned at the tone in Scott's voice. It almost sounded desperate, as if the young man needed to get away. Opening his mouth again, the father visibly jumped when Virgil's hand closed gently around his arm. Turning towards the younger brother, Jeff tilted his head quizzically, but Virgil merely responded by shaking his. Finally understanding the message, Jeff sighed.

"Don't be late for dinner," he muttered, almost seeing the tension leave Scott's shoulders as the young man bounded away. Turning back to Virgil, Jeff scrubbed a hand wearily across his face at the look on the artist's face. He looked almost as bad as Scott in terms of getting close to reaching breaking point, and Jeff knew that something had to be done - and fast. If they carried on like this - not just Scott and Virgil, but the whole family - then they were indeed going to be doing the Hood's work for him. The attacks were weighing down on them more than anyone would admit, and Jeff realised he should have known that he was going to walk into a scene such as the one he had just been summoned to.

"Gordon?" Turning his attention back to the youngest member of the family present, Jeff wasn't fooled at all by the casual grin his son tried to plaster on his face. "Come on, Gords, back to bed with you."

Crossing the hallway, Jeff gently took Gordon by his upper arm and steered the young man back into the infirmary, not letting go until he had pushed him down on the bed.

"Get some more rest, Gordon, you look ready to drop."

"I've already done that," Gordon muttered, the slight slur to his voice showing he was as exhausted as he looked, although he would never have admitted it to anyone. "Right out of Two, thought Virg was going to have a heart attack..." Almost before he had finished his sentence, sleep had once again overtaken the light-hearted Tracy. Combing his fingers gently through his son's hair, Jeff sighed before heading back out.

"He wasn't the only one who thought that," Virgil murmured, watching the steady rising and falling of Gordon's chest as his breathing evened out. "He just completely threw himself off the platform. One minute he was there, and the next..."

"He's fine, son," Jeff interrupted gently, reaching out a hand and giving Virgil's shoulder a soft squeeze. "Come on, let's go and see Penny. Unless, of course, you are planning to run off as well?"

Smiling in relief as Virgil smirked; Jeff led the way back down to the hanger. Despite the split lip and the few bruises already beginning to emerge, there could be no denying the artist looked more relaxed. Whilst he was already beginning to feel more than guilty about the way he had goaded Scott, wanting the fight, Virgil knew it had needed to be done. He'd had to let everything go, and who better to land it on than his biggest brother? He knew that Scott could take it physically, but also knew the pilot was the only one who could take it emotionally as well. He couldn't deny how much better it had made him feel.

Jeff threw a comforting arm around his son's shoulders as they watched the plane roll into the hanger, Parker no doubt flying his mistress over as soon she could physically take off. The news reports had made it worldwide by now, and the sooner they found and apprehended their potential killer, the better.

The less attention that was drawn to what was going on, the better.

Virgil moved forward when Parker appeared, clearly intending to help the man with the numerous bags he was sure Penny would have with her. The aristocrat never travelled lightly and Virgil knew that she saw no reason to either. With his arms already loaded just from what the man had thrown down from the cockpit, Virgil staggered back to join his father as the door to the plane slowly began to open. Parker disappeared inside as soon as he could, but the woman he had on his arm when he emerged again caused Jeff to stumble backwards a pace in surprise.

"Mother?"

Chapter Text

Jeff could do nothing but stand there blinking as his mother leant gratefully on Parker's arm as the faithful servant helped her down from the plane. Luckily, his son had slightly more of his wits about him, and, dropping the bags he had been given, Virgil hurried forward. Taking his grandmother's arm, he carefully steered the old lady across the hanger and back towards his father. No sooner had they reached the man when she removed her hand. Spinning Virgil around to face her, Grandma cupped his face gently.

"Mother, what..?"

"In a moment, Jeff," Grandma responded, cutting Jeff off mid-flow and continuing to gaze at her grandson. As Virgil eventually began to squirm under the penetrating gaze, she sighed deeply, brushing her thumb across his cheek.

"What did he do to you, Virgil?" she murmured softly. Thinking back on their earlier phone call, Virgil dropped his gaze, not wanting to go through things again. He had explained everything then, so he knew that his grandmother was more than aware of what was going on.

"Mom, what are you..?"

"I said in a moment, Jefferson!" Grandma practically snapped, all without looking away from Virgil, causing her grandson to smirk slightly. The look on his father's face almost resembled a pout. Unfortunately for him, the movement caused his split lip to reopen, a bright red trickle making its way down his chin until he brushed it away.

"Virgil, why has that not closed yet? The attack was hours ago," his grandmother said slowly, a warning note that only her family knew how to pick up infiltrating her voice. Lost for words – for he had no desire to tell the old woman that he had been fighting with his brother – Virgil instead glanced towards his father, hoping that the man would be able to help him out.

"Actually, Mom..."

"Interrupt me again, boy, and you'll feel my spoon."

As Jeff looked at his mother in shock, Virgil couldn't help but burst out laughing, causing the woman to shake her head in bemusement, finally relinquishing her hold on him.

"Watch it, you." Jeff turned his attention to his son now, ruffling Virgil's hair fondly. Already his mother was making the atmosphere more bearable, for Jeff couldn't recall the last time he had heard his boy laugh that freely. "You're not too old for a tickling."

"You'll have to catch me first," Virgil responded, smiling as he ducked his father's cuff at his head.

"Virgil, go and fetch your brother."

"Which one, Grandma?" Virgil asked, his smile not fading in the slightest as he jogged across the hanger to fall into step with her, wondering how she had managed to suddenly move so quickly. "I do have several, not all of them even on the planet."

"Sometimes too many, I'm sure," Grandma tutted, sparing him a fond glance out of the corner of her eye as she marched along. Jeff was hanging back, clearly waiting to greet the guest they had actually been expecting, but Grandma was glad that Virgil had decided to accompany her. It had been too long since she had seen her boys.

"You'll have to blame Dad for that one," Virgil responded with a cheeky smile, glancing over his shoulder to where Jeff was helping Penny out of the plane, Parker struggling under the sheer number of bags he was juggling. Wondering whether he should go back to help him, Virgil was glad when his grandmother took his arm again.

"I meant Scott. I need to see his bruises."

"Scott's bruises?" Virgil asked, stopping dead even as the old woman continued forward. "But Grandma, Scott wasn't even on the rescue. And he didn't suffer any bruises from his own accident, just cold feet."

"Don't try and fool me, boy. Those bruises are too fresh to be from the accident. And I know what you Tracys are like, I've been one for long enough. You fought with your brother, didn't you?"

"I..."

"The truth now, Virgil."

"I didn't mean to," Virgil muttered, staring at the floor as he felt the tips of his ears begin to burn. His grandmother was the only person who had the power to make him feel about ten-years-old again. Even his own father couldn't reduce him to that with the one look that she seemed to have mastered.

"I just... I have to do something, Grandma! One moment Gordon was joking about something, the next we are rushing to try and stop some creep shooting our little brother through the head! The fall from Two alone could have killed Gords, let alone what happened after that. I hate it! I have to do something! Anything!"

Lashing out at the wall, Virgil froze with his fist still connected to the plaster, suddenly aware of what he had done. Instead of the scolding he was expecting to come from the woman, however, Grandma merely closed her own hand gently around his, leading him to the sofa and sitting him down on it.

"And do you think fighting with your brother is going to achieve anything?" Grandma asked quietly, using her fingers to work into Virgil's hand, slowly forcing him to relax.

"Scott was being too stubborn to see what was good for him," Virgil muttered, suddenly feeling more than exhausted. One glance at the clock resting on his father's desk and he wasn't the slightest bit surprised. His father's comment to Scott about not being late for dinner had been nothing more than an attempt to lighten the situation, for that time had long since gone. No wonder he was tired, having been up since before dawn for Gordon's test. Then his brother's collapse and the rescue had both taken place in such a short space of time. It had certainly been a long day.

"You could have let him sit with Gordon. He would have lasted about half an hour before falling asleep content with the knowledge his little brother was safe and you could have moved him then."

Staring at her in disbelief as she continued to work on his hand, Virgil felt his mouth drop open. Everything she said was the truth; there was no way Scott would have been able to physically stay awake once he had relaxed slightly, not with the sedative still in his system. He would be fine whilst he was out running, the adrenaline keeping him going, but as soon as he stopped again, Virgil knew that would be it for his brother.

"Lie back, Virgil," Grandma muttered, pushing gently against Virgil's shoulder. As the young man complied with her instructions without a fight for once, she pulled herself onto the couch next to him, running her hand through his hair gently.

"All will be well, baby," she whispered soothingly, letting the methodical movement of her hand lull Virgil into relaxing properly. Hearing voices, she quickly glanced over her shoulder, not once pausing in the movement of her hand. Luckily, Jeff seemed to notice her position the moment his mother came into sight and gestured for Penny to be quiet. By the time he had crossed the room and was gazing down at Virgil with a soft smile, his son had fallen asleep.

"Jefferson, get the blanket, and don't you dare wake him up. I need to see Gordon."

"He's asleep, Mom," Jeff murmured, making sure to keep his voice down even as he grabbed the blanket that had been earlier used for Scott.

"I wouldn't be so sure," Grandma responded curtly, taking the blanket from her son and draping it over her grandson lovingly. Nodding at Penny as she strode from the room, Grandma smiled softly to herself. One boy sorted, just a few more to go. Something told her Alan would be holding up well, judging from what she had heard from the rest of the boys. He hadn't been hurt physically and she knew the young man's older brothers would make sure his emotional state was as well as it could be. But she knew she still had her work cut out for her, for she had seen the look in Jeff's eyes even as he had tried to brush everything off in the silos. Something told her that the boys' father would be the worst of them all.

Sure enough, once she had calmed Brains down after the surprise of having her walk through the infirmary doors, Grandma found her attention drawn by her redheaded grandson. Despite Jeff's beliefs that he had left his boy asleep, there certainly was no way Gordon was asleep now. Instead, he was standing by the window, his eyes gazing into the darkness.

"Hey, Grandma," he murmured, not turning from where he was standing. Stepping across next to him, Grandma mirrored her earlier actions with his brother and turned his face towards her. Unlike Virgil, however, Gordon's eyes were filled with pain, the same desperation that had caused Virgil to lash out spiralling within.

"You can let it all go, sweetheart," she said softly, gazing intently at him, knowing precisely what was going through his mind. Despite their individual personalities, all five of her grandsons could be scarily similar when it suited them.

"I can't," Gordon muttered, wriggling out of her grip and returning his attention to the window. Following his gaze, Grandma sighed when she caught sight of the figure down on the beach, his movements showing just how much Scott was struggling to hold it together for the rest of this family. One grandson at a time, however...

"Why not?" Taking his hand, Grandma led him back to his bed, the pointed look making him sit down without argument.

"Dunno," Gordon responded with a non-committal shrug of his shoulders before flashing his usual disarming grin at his grandmother with the hope of making her change the subject. "So, how was the old place then?"

"Gordon," Grandma said warningly, knowing precisely what the young man was up to. Most people believed that he didn't react to anything, but his grandmother knew better. They just didn't usually see his reaction, for Gordon pretended to shrug everything off as if it didn't matter.

"Yes, Grandma?" Gordon responded innocently, knowing precisely what the old woman was up to, but refusing to play along. He knew his grandmother would win in the end, she always did. But the more he resisted her, the more of a point he was able to make.

"Let it go."

"No," Gordon responded, turning away from her. Swinging his legs up onto the bed, he turned his gaze onto the ceiling but found that he really wasn't seeing anything. He could feel the bed dip as his grandmother perched on the edge and gently took his hand.

"Why, Gordon?" she asked gently, and this time, the redhead was ready to give her some answers. He knew that she would figure it all out anyway; the woman was scary like that.

"He was standing there with a gun, ready to pull the trigger. I've never seen such panic on Allie's face."

"But you dealt with it, baby," Grandma said, moving her hand from where it had been clasping Gordon's in order to brush a stray lock of hair back from his forehead. "You saved your brother."

"And then needed saving myself."

Just like that, Grandma knew where the root of Gordon's problem was. He had done all he could to try and save his little brother, but knew full well that if it hadn't been for Virgil's timely arrival, it would have all been for nothing. Whilst for most people, nearly getting killed would have been a good enough reason to not be able to save someone, Gordon was a Tracy. Injury and near-death experiences were nothing more than an inconvenience, certainly not a good enough excuse if another sibling was hurt in the process.

"Gordon, look at me. If you hadn't done what you did, Alan would have been killed. You saved him. So what if you needed Virgil's help afterwards? You did not let your brother down, you hear me?"

"Not sure that is going to help Scott," Gordon muttered, anxious to try and deflect the conversation away from himself.

"But has it helped you?" Grandma pressed, knowing precisely what her second youngest grandson was doing. It was a trick he had been playing his whole life. Whilst being the most expressive of the brothers, Gordon certainly knew how to keep things hidden. He took after John in a sense, being able to just read a situation without drawing attention to himself. From what she had heard from her son and, then her grandson when Virgil had called her back earlier that evening, Grandma was sure that was how Gordon had figured things out regarding Scott's accident.

"I don't know," Gordon muttered wearily, suddenly feeling the exhaustion come crashing back down on him in full force. "I just feel like..."

"You should be doing something? Anything?" Grandma finished the sentence for him, a wry smile appearing as Gordon nodded, staring down at his hands. By the time he looked up again, Grandma was shocked to see tears swimming in his eyes. Immediately pulling herself up the bed, she wrapped her arms around his shoulders, pulling him in close.

"Let it go, baby."

"I thought I was being paranoid," Gordon whispered, trying to brush the tears away again as his face flushed in humiliation. Grandma allowed him to do no such thing, however, instead capturing his hands in her own. With that one sentence, she knew why Gordon was suffering so much more than Virgil seemed to be. This had been going on longer for the young man than for any of his brothers, yet he'd had to deal with it on his own.

"I thought everything had got too much and I was seeing things that weren't there. I was so determined to think that someone had cut that rope, even with all the other explanations everyone else had put forward."

"Gordon, when was the last time you slept, baby?" Grandma asked quietly, knowing immediately what had brought on this sudden emotional state. If any of them were going to show their emotions in such an obvious way, it would be Gordon. But still, his grandmother knew that for this reaction to have emerged, the young man must have been struggling for a while.

"Not sure."

"Gordon?"

"Before the first accident. I mean, I've been getting sleep, but only a few hours at the most," Gordon admitted, not looking his grandmother in the eye as she slid from the bed again. Hitting a button, she slowly lowered the upper part until Gordon was lying flat out, and as soon as he struggled to sit back up again, her hands were on his shoulders, holding him still.

"You need rest, sweetheart. Things will be better once you've had a proper night's sleep."

"What if I don't get there in time?" Gordon asked, an almost pleading note in his voice as he finally looked his grandmother in the eye. Smiling gently, the old lady knew precisely why her grandson was scared of relaxing properly. After his hydrofoil accident, Gordon had been so plagued by nightmares he had barely slept for a month. Even now, whenever anything went wrong, the redhead would be the brother most likely to replay the events out in his mind as he slept.

"You will."

"But..."

"Gordon, you will get there, no matter what." A firm note entering her voice, Grandma smiled down at her grandson, locking eyes with the young man until he eventually nodded, seeming to accept her words. Knowing her job was done Grandma sat on the edge of his bed in silence for a few moments. Mirroring her earlier actions with Virgil, she found her hand combing itself methodically through his hair. Sure enough, within a couple of minutes Gordon's eyes had shut and his breathing had evened out. Another one sorted.

"Brains?" Moving across the room, Grandma found herself drawn to the window again, the moon now bathing the beach in its glow. But there was no figure pounding out furious laps down there now. Rather than feeling relieved by the hope that Scott had calmed down, Grandma instead felt the worry awakening in her once again. Just because he had stopped moving didn't by any stretch of the imagination mean that Scott had been able to outrun his demons.

"Y...yes, Mrs T...Tracy?"

"Inform me immediately if he awakens again." Her orders given, Grandma swept gracefully from the room. She knew that if Gordon was to wake up, it would be because of the nightmares. Knowing that Brains would have no intention of leaving the infirmary until another member of the family had arrived – the genius had developed the same kind of protectiveness over the boys as they had over each other – she knew there was nothing more she could do for that particular grandson.

Armed with the knowledge that Scott was no longer on the beach, Grandma only had one destination in mind. A quick glance into the lounge on her way past, however, made her pause momentarily. Lady Penelope and Parker had disappeared, no doubt retiring to their rooms. It had been a long day for the pair, not only flying out from London themselves, but making a detour to Kansas to allow her to accompany them back to the island. But her son still remained in the room. He had adopted her original position on the couch, perched next to his still-sleeping son. One hand resting atop Virgil's head, Jeff was staring off into space. It was only the small smile on his face that stopped Grandma from worrying that he was brooding over what had happened. Whatever her son was thinking about, it was clearly a happy memory.

"All will be well," Grandma whispered again, moving past the room without waiting to see if Jeff had heard her words or not. It took her only a matter of seconds to come across the closed door. The light spilling out from under the cracks was a clear indication that someone was still present in the kitchen, however, and with the strong feeling that she knew precisely who, Grandma silently pushed open the door.

"Scott Carpenter Tracy, just what do you think you are doing with that bottle, young man?"

Despite his normally sharp reactions, Scott certainly hadn't been expecting anyone to walk in. Especially not the person in question and, letting out a slightly undignified yelp as his leg gave way from where it had been supporting him against the wall, Scott spun around with wide eyes. The bottle of whisky was clutched firmly in his hand, but Grandma didn't know whether to be pleased or worried by the fact that the glass sitting next to him was empty. She had either stopped him in time; or was too late.

"Grandma?"

"What are you doing, Scott?" Grandma repeated, striding across the kitchen and firmly taking the bottle in question from his hand, moving it just beyond his reach as she set it down again on the table. For a moment, Scott looked like he was going to argue, before sighing deeply as he ran a hand through his hair distractedly.

"No idea," he responded, sighing as he rebalanced himself against the wall, ignoring his grandmother's pointed look.

"How many have you had?" Grandma asked bluntly, needing to know what sort of situation she was dealing with. There would be no point in trying to get through to him if he had already had a few drinks, Scott tended not to listen on the best of days, let alone after drinking.

"None," Scott answered with a bitter laugh, staring almost accusingly at the bottle. "I thought it would be such a good idea. I was all ready to make myself forget everything. And then... and then I couldn't even bring myself to take the lid off."

"You know it would never have helped, don't you, Scotty?" Grandma asked, moving across the kitchen as she spoke. Reaching into the nearest cupboard, she barely heard Scott agreeing as she set about making him a drink that would do him far more good than the whisky. Within a matter of moments, Scott was sitting on one of the chairs, a steaming mug of hot chocolate clutched in his hand and a far happier look sparkling out of his eyes. Regarding him thoughtfully as he tentatively sipped the scalding liquid, Grandma found herself shaking her head as she took in the sight of the bruised nose.

"Your brother has quite a swing on him, doesn't he?"

"W...what?"

"Virgil. That's quite an impressive bruise he has given you." Her voice light and casual, Grandma watched her eldest grandson over the top of her own mug, just waiting to see how he was going to react. One thing she was sure of, however, was that he wasn't about to try and land his little brother in trouble.

"That wasn't Virg. I just..."

"Scott, I know what happened."

"Oh." Unable to think of anything else to say now that he had already been caught out, Scott just grinned ruefully over the top of his mug at his grandmother, his mind still trying to work out how she had got here. He had a feeling that it was no good asking her, not yet anyway. Until Grandma had said whatever it was she had sought him out to say, anything else would simply be dismissed as him trying to change the subject.

"Why did you react to it, Scott?" Grandma asked, watching him critically. Whilst John was more commonly known as the peacemaker of the brothers, it wasn't often Scott would react physically. He knew he could hurt the younger ones - it was something that had been drilled into him his whole life - and yet judging by the ugly splashes of colour on both him and Virgil, that was precisely what had happened.

"Virgil needed it," Scott responded with another grin. He knew his brother too well at times. He had seen the look in Virgil's eyes, could almost sense his brother's desperation. And in order for Virgil to be able to relax properly, Scott knew exactly what it was that his little brother needed. He was more than aware that Virgil knew he could take whatever the slighter man threw at him; it was why the artist had snapped at Scott and no one else.

Shaking her head fondly, Grandma decided that she didn't particularly want to know.

"And what is it you need, Scotty?" she pressed gently. She had seen the way his brothers had reacted, seen the frustration spiralling out of them both. But Scott almost seemed calm in comparison. She wasn't fooled though. Rather than frustration, she could sense the anger in him and knew her grandson well enough to know that a few reassurances were not going to calm him down in the way they had his brothers.

"For this bast...um, creep to be caught." Scott responded. Catching himself halfway through the sentence, Scott found that it wasn't only his words that had changed, but his tone as well. He had started off angrily, but then, suddenly realising who he was addressing, had felt the anger drain away as he corrected himself. Grandma, however, couldn't help but smile. Scott and Virgil had always been alike, but it was nice to know that things hadn't changed as they had grown. She hadn't even been back on the island for more than a couple of hours, and yet both had done something they knew she wouldn't approve of, and both had immediately tried to correct themselves.

"He will be, baby."

"Before or after he kills one of my brothers?"

"Scott!" Grandma exclaimed, lowering her cup as she stared at Scott in shock. She knew that he was angry, but the coldness in his tone made her wonder just how far he would go to protect his younger siblings. From what she had picked up on the flight over, Jeff was changing the rota on Five according to the schedule, something that Grandma was now even more thankful for. If anyone would be able to get Scott to calm down, it would be his immediate little brother. For now, however, she knew that she just had to try and get him to sleep first. One day at a time...

"Come on, Scotty, to the infirmary with you." Knowing that she needed to stop him thinking so darkly, Grandma decided it was about time she sorted out her eldest grandson. As expected, Scott looked nothing short of confused.

"Why? Grandma, I'm fine."

"But Gordon is not. And don't think you can fool me into saying that you will go to bed whilst your little brother is in there. Now come on, along with you."

Ushering him out of the kitchen, Grandma allowed him to pause long enough to drop a peck onto her cheek and whisper a heartfelt 'thank you' into her ear before she drove him out completely. Shutting the door behind him, Grandma sat back down at the table, nursing the mug in her hands and a small smile on her face. She knew there was a reason why she had decided to come back to the island early.

For his part, Scott was slightly stunned. Not only had he not been expecting his grandmother to even be in this part of the world, he certainly hadn't been expecting her to allow him back into the infirmary. She had always insisted that a night in their own beds was the best medicine for anything for as long as he could remember. Pausing momentarily as he glanced into the lounge and saw his younger brother stretched out peacefully, Scott couldn't help but grin. No wonder she wouldn't send him to bed, not when Virgil was the opposite end of the house to his bed.

Slipping into the infirmary, Scott nodded at Brains as he pulled up a chair. Swinging his feet up onto the end of Gordon's bed, he sighed deeply as he took in his sleeping brother's complexion.

"H..he'll be j..j..just fine, uh, Scott," Brains muttered from somewhere behind him, but the pilot barely heard his words. Gordon would only be fine in Scott's mind when he could hold the man who had done this responsible for his actions. Scott knew that Gordon had been putting on act ever since the first accident. His carefree brother was too talented at lying for his own good when the mood took him.

The night drew on, and yet still Scott found that he couldn't face having to get up and go to bed. Sleep was eluding him more than he could say, especially considering that the after-effects of the sedation should have made it a struggle to keep his eyes open. He barely noticed Brains disappear almost an hour after he arrived, didn't see his father poke his head around the door only to shake it with a long-suffering sigh as he left Scott to it. The pilot wasn't even sure what he was thinking about, instead just letting his mind dwell on all the ways he could have lost his brothers today. He knew full well that had he been there, things would have been no different, but it didn't stop him thinking it.

Trying to stop himself from letting his mind contemplate what had happened, Scott stood up and was soon pacing the infirmary. He knew he had to let the anger go, but considering the room he was in, was finding it increasingly difficult to do so. No sooner had his hands slowly begun to bunch themselves into tight fists again when the door burst open violently. Immediately tensing, Scott was more than surprised for Virgil to throw himself through it, his eyes wide and terrified as he glanced frantically towards the bed. On seeing Gordon stir slightly at the noise, Virgil merely blinked a few times, almost as if he wasn't sure of what he was seeing.

"Oh," he eventually stated simply, his eyes automatically seeking out Scott. As soon as they fell on his big brother, all the colour seemed to drain from the artist's face. "He's okay."

Scott could see what was about to happen almost before Virgil realised himself. Just about having enough time to race across the floor, he somehow managed to catch his little brother, even as Virgil's eyes rolled up into his head and he pitched forward. Sinking to his knees as he tried to support his brother's dead weight, Scott was only vaguely registering the thoughts that this would have been how he looked to Virgil only that morning when he was the one passing out.

Finally in a more secure position, Scott sighed heavily as he brushed Virgil's hair back from his forehead. He could automatically feel his hand beginning to slide towards his watch in order to summon Brains, but on feeling Virgil beginning to stir again, he froze. The last thing Virgil would want was for everyone else to be fussing around. As the man's eyes flickered open again, confusion spiralling deep within, Scott smiled gently. He knew what had caused Virgil to simply give up. After everything that had been going on, the artist just couldn't take it any more.

"It's okay, little brother. Everything is going to be okay."

Chapter Text

It wasn't the morning sun or the dawn chorus of birds that pulled Jeff Tracy from his sleep the next morning, but his own pounding heart as his eyes shot open, his breathing somewhat frantic. After a few moments, the man's senses returned to reality for long enough for him to realise it had been nothing more than a dream, but still... Jeff couldn't stop the shivers from making their way down his spine as he swung his legs off the bed. Glancing down at himself, the father of five found himself grimacing, knowing precisely what his mother would have to say about him falling asleep in his clothes again. He had been so exhausted when he had left Virgil's side the night before that by the time he had checked in on Gordon and Scott - the latter by default more than anything else - he hadn't been able to stop himself doing anything more than crashing down on his bed, sleep overtaking him before any rational thoughts had time to emerge.

Yawning widely as he scrubbed his hand over his face, Jeff winced once again as he felt the rough stubble underneath his fingers. Finally hauling himself from the bed, he stumbled into the bathroom, flicking on the light switch as he passed it and coming to a stop in front of the mirror. Staring at himself, the father barely recognised the man who was looking back at him. But what concerned him more was the sudden realisation that he had seen this figure once before. The dark bags under his eyes, the constant worry lines on his face, the desperate need of a shave... This was the Jeff who had emerged when he had lost Lucille, and the father knew it was only a matter of time before the elder boys at least began to recognise this haunted figure. Despite his words to his sons, Jeff knew they were no closer to sorting this out than they were after Gordon's accident, and it would only be a matter of time before they started to believe that for themselves. His mind firmly made up, Jeff knew that was something that could not be allowed to happen, and so, snapping on the shower, he quickly set about trying to make himself look in control of a situation that he had lost a grip on before it had even begun.

Barely half an hour later, a completely different person was stepping through the door. Refreshed and ready to go, Jeff knew that it was about time he sorted out his family once and for all. Until he could stop them lying and fighting amongst themselves, he knew they would have no chance of being able to stop the Hood, especially as he couldn't help but feel they would all have completely different methods for going about it. Having seen Scott in the infirmary before he came up to bed, Jeff had a strong feeling that his son would still be down there, meaning that Alan would be the only one in his own room. That suited Jeff, for it was his youngest son he wanted to speak to first. He knew Alan had insisted that he was fit and ready to take his rotation on Five, and Jeff was the first to admit that John really did need to be able to get away from his beloved Space Station for a while if he ever wanted to rid himself of that cough. But what the youngest declared in front of all four of his brothers as well as his father, Kyrano and Tin-Tin was one thing. What he was truly feeling could be something quite the opposite.

Tapping his knuckles softly on the closed door, Jeff waited a moment before pushing it open. Just as he had expected, Alan was sprawled out across the bed, still asleep. Various stages of packing littered the room, clearly a sign that he intended to go back to Five, regardless of anything anyone said. In a way, Jeff was proud of him, so determined to put aside whatever he was feeling in order to do his duty. But he also knew that that same determination could be all but lethal, especially when he was confined to the isolation of Five. He had learnt the hard way what the lonelinessof the Space Station could do to the Monitors, and had no desire for a repeat performance. John had been bad enough with a past breakdown, but Jeff couldn't help but feel Alan would be even worse.

"Allie?" Stepping over the mess, Jeff perched on the edge of the bed, reaching out a hand as he did so. Gently resting it on top of his son's head, the father couldn't help but smile as Alan automatically leaned into the contact as he shifted position slightly.

"Alan, wake up, son." His voice slightly firmer, Jeff knew by the sharp intake of breath that his words had got through to the youngest member of the family.

"Dad?" To start with, Alan merely blinked up at his father with sleep-heavy eyes, then Jeff could visibly see the memory of the events of the day before come crashing back over him, making him sit up sharply.

"What is it? Is it the guys, are they hurt?"

"Alan, relax, everyone is fine. Your grandmother saw to that."

"Grandma?" Alan asked, frowning in confusion even as he pulled himself into a more upright position and rested himself against the wall, his eyes surveying the mess that was his room as he did so.

"Penny had a stowaway last night," Jeff responded with a smile and a twinkle in his eye. Judging by the way his mother had got both Virgil and Gordon to sleep and then forced Scott to relax, Jeff couldn't have been more grateful. There had been plenty of occasions since they had moved to the island when he had been more than thankful for her constant presence. If anyone could keep his sons in control, it was his mother.

"Good on Grandma," Alan murmured with a heartfelt smile. Mirroring his father's thoughts, Alan knew that if there was one person who could put things into perspective, it would be his grandmother. If only they could set her on this Hood character, Alan knew the potential murderer wouldn't stand a chance. Especially not if she was armed with her infamous wooden spoon. "So what are you..?"

His question didn't need finishing, however, for Jeff knew precisely what his son was going to ask.

"She never got the chance to talk to you. Alan, tell me the truth, are you going to be okay with going back to Five? We can put her on automatic, or even send Brains up for a short stint. There are other ways of allowing John to come home without you having to leave the island. I mean, after what happened yesterday, no one will think any less of you if you would rather stay."

"No way, Dad. I'm going up." Alan was sitting almost bolt upright now, looking his father straight in the eye as he voiced his opinion. In a way, Jeff had hit the nail right on the head. Scott had been shut in a freezer, but had then been so adamant to go and do his duty that their father had been forced to sedate him in order to stop him. Gordon had realised all along that someone was out to kill them, but that hadn't stopped him from immediately taking the rescue in hand and doing what he did best. Virgil had been forced to come to their rescue – all three of them – yet Alan knew he certainly wouldn't be shying away from the next call out. All the creep had done to him was hold a gun to his head, and besides, it wasn't as if he hadn't been through worse. There was no way he was going to stop an incident like that from letting him take his rotation. He had meant what he had said the day before about it meaning he would technically be in the safest place, for who could hurt him onboard a secret station that only a handful of people knew even existed?

"Alan, are you-?"

"Sure? Yeah, Dad, I'm sure. Johnny needs to come home and to be honest with you..." Breaking off, Alan bit his lip slightly as he contemplated how to say what was going through his mind. If it had been any of his brothers he was speaking to, he wouldn't have even considered saying it, but because it was his father, he knew that the man would understand.

"What, son?" Jeff pushed gently, knowing by the expression on Alan's face he was about to say something that he wasn't sure about. Ever since he had been a small child, Alan was always very expressive when he wanted to be.

"I need to get away from here," he gabbled in a bit of a rush, staring down at the floor as he spoke so that he didn't have to meet Jeff's gaze. "The fights, the tension, not to mention everything else that's going on... I know Scott's going to try and look out for us all, but who do you think is going to bear the brunt of it, Dad? In all honesty? Gordy's only got one little brother and when something goes wrong..."

Breaking off once more, Alan took a deep breath before finally lifting his gaze. "When something goes wrong, he doesn't let me forget it. Escaping for a few weeks is a blessing, meant in the nicest possible way."

"You know he'll never forgive you for this as it means the others will all turn their attention onto him instead?" Jeff said with a smile, reaching out and ruffling his son's hair, causing Alan to visibly relax. The young man's explanation had reassured Jeff far more than a simple insistence would ever have been able to do. He hadn't denied the fact that he wasn't completely alright, but Jeff could understand his reasoning. And if he was honest, was glad for it. If Alan was feeling like this and they made him stay, it would only be a matter of time before there was a repeat performance of a few days ago when he had found out about Gordon's accident.

"As long as you are sure?" he continued, standing up from the bed and making his way towards the door as he spoke. Even if Alan was content enough, it didn't mean he didn't have four other sons to sort out.

"I'm sure. Oh, and Dad?" Waiting until he had his father's attention, Alan grinned ruefully. "Don't tell the others?"

Nodding his understanding, Jeff left his youngest son's room, the smells wafting up from the kitchen drawing him down. Knowing that it wouldn't be long before utter chaos once again broke loose as the boys battled over the last pancake, Jeff picked up his pace.

Just as he had reached the bottom of the stairs and turned towards the infirmary, he caught sight of Penny coming out from the lounge, Parker trailing behind her. A cup was balanced delicately in one hand as she made her way out of the room, clearly heading towards the tantalising smells coming from the kitchen.

"How did you sleep, Penny?"

"Good morning, Jeff. Marvellously, thank you, dear man. I seem to be able to sense that your mother is battling against Kyrano and preparing a feast fit for who knows what this morning."

"Ah, well, the boys deserve it," Jeff responded with a smile. Thinking about his boys, he spoke again. "Is Virgil still asleep in there?"

"Virgil?" Penny asked, glancing back over her shoulder in confusion. On only seeing Parker standing there dutifully, she shook her head, blonde curls bouncing all over the place as she did so. "He hasn't been in here any time this morning, Jeff." So saying, the aristocrat moved away, clearly intending to make it to her destination with no more interruptions.

A frown flickering momentarily onto his face, Jeff found that he had to check in the lounge himself, just to confirm that Penny had been right. Sure enough, the couch where he had left his son sleeping peacefully the night before was empty, the blanket in a tangled mess on the floor from where it had obviously been kicked off in a hurry. Backing back out of the room, Jeff paused, biting his lip as he wondered where his son could be. He knew that Virgil wasn't in his own room - the artist's door had been open when Jeff had passed, something that never happened if Virgil was within. He was also pretty sure that the young man wasn't in the kitchen, for Jeff was sure he would have heard Virgil's voice if that had been the case. Only one other place sprang to mind, and so, heading towards his original destination, Jeff turned on his heel and walked towards the infirmary.

As the doors swished open, granting him access to the state-of-the-art room within, the father found himself stopping still, a smile immediately blossoming across his face. Gordon was awake again, sitting sideways on the bed as his legs swung freely, too engaged in the quiet conversation he was having with his oldest brother to notice his father's arrival. Scott too failed to hear the door opening, his mind preoccupied with both of his younger brothers. Virgil was sitting on the chair next to Scott, but was fast asleep, his head hanging over to one side and resting on his big brother's shoulder. Whether it was just an automatic reaction or whether Scott had realised the somewhat precarious position Virgil was balanced in, the older man had awkwardly looped his arm around his brother's chest, keeping him securely on the seat even as he carried on talking in a quiet undertone with Gordon.

"Boys?" His voice quiet and soft, Jeff smiled gently as Gordon and Scott's heads both swivelled simultaneously. Whatever they were talking about was certainly doing them both good, for Scott especially was looking far more relaxed than when his father had last seen him. Even Gordon looked far more content. Of course, the fact that he was sitting up, his legs swinging with greater speed as he gestured something to his brother, rather than lying down barely conscious, made a big difference in Jeff's mind.

"Penny's having breakfast. I thought perhaps we might be able to get some more information out of her." Despite not wanting to spoil the relaxed atmosphere his sons had managed to create for themselves, Jeff knew that he couldn't simply let matters lie. The longer this went on, the harder it would be for them to be able to find some sort of peace.

"We'll be there," Gordon promised, jumping down from the bed as he spoke. With a grin at Scott, he followed his father out of the door when his brother jerked his head in that direction.

With Gordon out of the way, Scott slowly shifted position, twisting around in his seat until he was supporting Virgil better. There was a reason why he didn't want their younger brother around for this moment, and, reaching around with his free hand, he gently shook Virgil by the shoulder.

"Virg? Virgil, it's time to wake up."

"Don't wanna..." Virgil slurred, shifting position slightly. Having anticipated the movement, Scott automatically braced the arm holding his brother on the seat as Virgil moved, and sure enough, found himself having to take more of the artist's weight. Luckily for Scott's arm, his brother realised almost immediately and his eyes shot open. For a moment, they just darted around the infirmary in something that could resemble panic, before he caught sight of the slightly strained expression on his big brother's face.

"Scott?"

"Couldn't sit back, could you, Virg?" Scott muttered through gritted teeth, exhaling sharply in relief as Virgil caught on to what he was talking about and wriggled backwards. Satisfied that his brother was securely on the seat, Scott drew his arms back into him. Turning once again in his own seat so that he was facing his brother, Scott shifted into a more comfortable position, folding one leg up under him as he moved.

"How are you feeling?" His duties as a big brother coming to him almost as naturally as breathing, Scott barely thought about what he was doing as he scrutinised the young man closely, looking for any sign that Virgil might not be telling the truth when he answered the question. Luckily for him, Virgil had no such qualms.

"Like crap. You?"

"I've been better," Scott responded, glad Virgil was prepared to voice how he was truly feeling. There had been enough lies bouncing around the house lately; it wouldn't do any of them any good if they were to be continued now.

"Did you get any sleep?" Stretching his arms above his head with a sigh, Virgil was soon rolling his neck, trying to do anything that would relieve the sensation of having spent the night sleeping in an awkward position. If he was honest, the events of the night before were a little hazy to him. He remembered falling asleep on the couch, although whether his grandmother had truly been there or not, he couldn't say. There was also a vague recollection of something awakening him again and feeling the sudden need to check on Gordon. But after that, he had no idea what had happened, exhaustion blurring everything together into one jumbled mass, not allowing him to distinguish what had happened from what was all in his mind.

"A little," Scott admitted, climbing off his seat as he spoke, a clear sign he wasn't happy with the direction the conversation was taking. "Come on, Dad's drilling Penny on what she knows."

Taking the offered hand with a smile of appreciation, Virgil allowed his brother to pull him to his feet. He wasn't fooled by Scott's act for a moment, but with John coming home the next day, was prepared to let it go for now. If anyone would be able to get their oldest brother to lower the barriers that had sprung up around him, it would be the star-lover. He could do it with any of them, but Virgil knew that John had a particular way of getting through to Scott. What he would give to know how the man did it, for the artist wasn't sure whether he had ever met anyone as stubborn as his oldest brother.

The two brothers walked companionably out of the infirmary and towards the kitchen, neither admitting to watching the other out of the corner of their eye, but both doing it regardless. By the time they reached the kitchen, the rest of the island was present, Alan looking up to catch Virgil's eye as they walked in. On seeing that his brother seemed relatively well apart from the dark circles under his eyes, the youngest went back to his food. Nothing needed to be said, for they were all feeling the same way.

Their father managed to wait until the two elder sons present had sat down and accepted Kyrano's laden plates with heartfelt thanks before turning his attention to Lady Penelope.

"Well?" he almost demanded, immediately earning himself a withering look from his mother, causing him to back down. "I'm sorry, Penny. Please, can you tell us what you know about this Hood character? Who is it that is trying to kill my family?"

"Well," Penny began, her lips pursued thoughtfully as she took a tentative sip of her drink before lowering the cup, making the action seem to stretch for an eternity. "I don't know much. He seems to have his fingers in all the pies, connections across the criminal world throughout Malaysia, although I think it stretches further. He's been lurking around a lot of the rescue zones, well, the ones I can pull up footage for, anyway. You remember the Fireflash incident?"

"The boys' first rescue," Jeff mused with a slight smile, glancing towards Scott and Virgil as he did so. The younger had turned an interesting shade of red as Scott reached out and ruffled his little brother's hair, a fond grin teasing the corner of his lips. Jeff knew Virgil had never forgotten the fact he had ended upside down due to faulty machinery on their first ever rescue.

"Scott, you reported someone was photographing Thunderbird One?" The smile was gone from Scott's face the second Penny began to mention someone gaining access to his beloved 'bird without permission. The pilot's face instead clouded over, causing Virgil to be the one to stretch across the table this time, grasping Scott's forearm in reassurance.

"Looking at the footage we managed to acquire when we were trying to apprehend the fellow, I believe now that it was the same person."

"He did want to know when International Rescue was going to be operational," another voice muttered, causing a heavy silence to fall across the table.

"Kyrano?"

"You can feel him, can't you?" Ignoring Jeff's question, Penny instead locked eyes with the faithful manservant, her expression curious, but to Kyrano's relief, not judgmental. He had been so concerned about what would happen when the people he considered to be his real family found out his connection with the criminal, but for it to happen in circumstances like this? When said person was trying to kill the boys? This was certainly not how he had imagined it.

"Father?"

Clasping Tin-Tin's hand in his own, Kyrano turned to face the rest of the family.

"The Hood is my half-brother. The seizure the doctor couldn't explain around the same time as the Fireflash incident? It was him. He's been attempting to follow the rescues since the beginning."

"What does he want?" Scott's voice was cold and hard now, anger spiralling brightly out of his eyes as he looked at no one in particular. Kyrano knew that the young man's anger wasn't directed at him, however, but at the fact that the man who was trying to destroy them now had actually been doing so for a considerable length of time.

"I don't know," Kyrano admitted, causing Scott to sigh, running his hand through his hair. Pushing his chair away, Scott rose.

"I'm going for a run," he told the room in general, walking away as he did so without a backwards glance. Silence fell as he left, all eyes fixed on his retreating back.

"He's barely touched his food," Grandma eventually muttered, frowning in concern at Scott's silhouette as he let himself outside. She knew how angry he had been the night before, but she had seen the way he was still automatically comforting his brothers, still being the one they turned to. She had hoped that would do something to ground him, but now she wasn't so sure.

"Leave him be, Mom." Jeff too felt his eyes flicker between his fast-disappearing son and the almost fully-laden plate left on the table. He couldn't remember the last time Scott had refused a meal, but at the same time, the father wasn't too concerned. He had barely eaten anything either. Whilst he would normally push the young man to get some food inside him – rescues were dangerous enough as it was without ending up lightheaded from lack of food– he also knew that Scott wasn't in the mood to be lectured.

"But Jefferson..."

"He'll be fine, Grandma." Gordon knew precisely what his father was thinking, and echoing the man's thoughts, knew that there was nothing any of them could say to Scott without riling him up further.

"How can you say that?"

It was Alan who answered this time, part of him aware that he would be mirroring the rest of his brothers' thoughts.

"John's coming home."

Grandma had nothing to say to that, seeing the sense in what the boy was saying. The rest of the island's occupants finished eating as quickly as they could, all disappearing in various directions until it was just the Tracys left around the table.

"How are you?" Jeff asked no one in particular, not being completely sure if he wanted to know the answer.

"I'll be all the better once I can hit something," Gordon muttered, also rising to his feet. "Virg, I need a sparring partner. You up to getting your ass kicked?"

"Keep dreaming," Virgil responded, moving to follow his brother out of the room. Jeff watched them go, satisfied the pair was finding some sort of outlet for the frustration he knew would be building - he could feel it himself.

"I need to get stuff sorted." Alan also followed his brothers out of the room, determined to get himself ready for his rotation before catching up with Gordon and Virgil. They were always an interesting fight to watch, and he could use the entertainment.

Finally it was just mother and son left in the kitchen.

"How are you holding up, Jefferson?" Grandma asked gently, leaning forward as she did so. They had both been so focused on helping the boys that she had never gotten around to asking the question. Part of it had been deliberate, knowing that if Jeff could see the boys were as happy as they could be considering the circumstances, then he would be a lot more relaxed himself. But she wasn't fooled. She could see through his attempts to make himself look more in control, could see the image of the almost broken man peeking through.

"Someone is trying to kill my children, Mom. How do you think I'm holding up?"

"You forget one thing, baby," Grandma said, a strange light coming into her eyes as she stood up. Whilst her height meant it didn't have the same impact as when her grandsons rose to their feet, Jeff had to smile at the fierceness being emitted.

"What's that?"

"No one messes with a Tracy."

Chapter Text

Letting his hands dance almost automatically through the checks, John was vaguely aware of Brains mimicking him on the other side of Three's cockpit. The changeover had been as smooth as the astronaut could have hoped for, despite him being more reluctant than usual to leave his 'bird with his little brother. It wasn't so much that he didn't trust Alan - those days were long gone - it was more concern over whether the kid could handle the isolation of the space station considering what he had just gone through. Only Alan's insistence and Brains' pleading had finally got the elder of the blonds off the station and into Three, where Brains had detached so quickly John was sure the genius thought he might change his mind again.

The journey had passed in no time, John taking the chance to catch a bit of sleep before heading towards what he was sure was going to be chaos. He may have been worried about leaving Alan up there, but for once there was no way John was about to offer to do a double shift. He needed to see the rest of the guys in person, not just through a video-screen. He needed to know they were going to be okay - the footage of the attack was playing around and around in his mind like he was stuck on a constant loop.

"S...systems c...checked, engines s...secure."

"F.A.B. Brains. Come on, I've had enough of being in here." Unfastening his harness, John quickly stood up, stretching his arms above his head as he did so. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see Brains also standing up, although his movements were a lot more controlled than John's.

"W...welcome p...party arriving."

A grin immediately jumping onto his face, John was out of the cockpit almost before Brains could blink. As soon as the doors opened, he caught sight of his two remaining younger brothers and his father standing there.

"Welcome home, John," Jeff said with a smile, stepping forward and briefly embracing his son. As he pulled away, the father found himself rolling his eyes at the slight flush in John's skin. A flush, he couldn't help but realise, the video-screens had successfully covered up and which the astronaut had failed to mention. However, he knew that nothing he said would come anywhere close to what Virgil would come out with when he noticed, especially given how worried he had been about his brother. Stepping out of the way, Jeff found himself engaged in a quiet conversation with Brains, the pair walking slowly back towards the villa.

"Hey, guys." John couldn't help but grin, the relief of seeing them standing there in front of him lifting a great weight from his shoulders. There was, however, one brother still missing. Before he could voice his concerns over Scott's whereabouts, he suddenly caught sight of the look Virgil was giving him.

"What?"

"Bronchitis." Gordon disguised his word in the middle of a fake cough, but both brothers looked towards him, Virgil exasperated, John grateful for the warning.

"I'm fine, Virg. Listen, no coughing or anything." Spreading his arms wide in a gesture that showed he had nothing to hide, John winced as he felt the tickle once more building in his throat, almost as if to mock the young man. Swallowing hard, he was sure he had managed to get away with it before glancing over at Gordon and finding his younger brother watching him with an amused expression.

"Shouldn't you be in the infirmary, squirt?" he asked, causing Gordon's face to darken as his expression slipped into a glare. Before Gordon had a chance to respond, John turned his attention back to Virgil.

"Where is he?"

"Usual place."

"That bad?" Sighing, John ran a hand through his hair in distraction. Virgil's words had confirmed what he had been thinking the whole journey home: Scott was struggling to hold it together, but in true big brother fashion, had chosen to shut himself away rather than letting any of the younger ones see his vulnerable side. That didn't mean, however, that John didn't know precisely how to get through to the older man.

"He's waiting for you, Johnny," Virgil muttered, almost as if he could read what was going through John's head. They had been looking forward to having the space monitor home anyway, but the artist knew this couldn't have come at a better time. He could usually force Scott to let him in, whether the pilot wanted to or not. But there were occasions when even Virgil couldn't get close, and that was when he knew John was needed. Unfortunately, now was one of those occasions.

"Come on, Gords, Brains wants to know what the Hood feels like."

"Come again?" Despite Virgil tugging on his arm, Gordon refused to move, looking at his brother in astonishment.

"Don't ask me to determine how Brains' mind works. He wants a word."

"Creepy genius," Gordon muttered darkly under his breath, but let Virgil pull him away nonetheless. Watching them go, John knew exactly what Virgil was playing at, getting Gordon out of the way so that the younger brother wouldn't be asking any awkward questions. Knowing what Gordon was like, he would have picked up precisely what their brief conversation had been about, but even so... If Scott was trying to hide himself away, there was no point in broadcasting it to the entire island.

Taking a moment to gather his thoughts, John was soon heading down towards the more isolated of the beaches scattered across the island. It wasn't Scott's usual beach, but John knew it was where his brother went whenever he didn't want to be found. John was sure Scott must have realised his younger brothers had caught on to that fact, but if he was honest, it wouldn't surprise him if that was not the case. Whenever Scott sought out this stretch of land, his mind was often not working properly.

Sure enough, the form of his only big brother was soon coming into focus. Standing on the edge of the beach, Scott had his arm drawn back, and as John watched, threw a rock out to sea as hard as he could. Almost gracefully, he stooped down, clearly plucking another from the ground before repeating his actions. As he bent down a third time, John knew it was time to make his presence known.

"And what did the sea ever do to you?"

If Scott was the slightest bit surprised at John's arrival, he hid it well. Instead, he turned towards his brother, locking eyes long enough to acknowledge his presence before turning his attention back to the sea. Not before John had caught sight of the tears of frustration lingering in his brother's eyes, however. Now knowing precisely why Scott had sought the seclusion of the beach, John didn't go any closer, but instead sat down.

"This again?" he said softly, having seen that expression more than once on his brother's face. The last time was after Virgil had been shot down by the Navy. Scott had admitted to John then he wasn't sure whether rescues should continue or not if they couldn't even guarantee they could fly home in safety, but when the issue had been resolved, he had reassured his younger brother it had only been a fleeting thought. Now, however, John wasn't so sure.

"They could have died, John."

"They could die every time they get up in the morning, Scott. Loose banana peel, unsecured railing... You can't honestly think you can protect them from all of that? Thinking about what could have happened will get you nowhere; you have to focus on what did happen."

"Fine. Some lunatic attacked them."

"Try and work with me here," John sighed, pulling himself to his feet again and approaching his brother. It looked like he was going to have to take a more forceful approach. Something told him that it wasn't so much what had happened that had Scott as tense as a coiled spring, but the fact he hadn't been there to stop it. As Scott turned away, John latched his hand around his brother's arm, spinning him back again.

"Not this time, Johnny. This wasn't some random attack, or some unfortunate accident. The creep has been following us for months. He wants you all dead."

"He wants you dead too, Scott," John muttered, knowing that Scott wasn't even thinking about what could have happened to him during the accidents. That in itself concerned John, for if his brother was not thinking about himself, he was more likely to do something rash that would end up with him being hurt - if not worse.

"Oh that makes me feel loads better!" Scott snapped, pulling his arm away from his brother and beginning to stalk up the beach, not wanting to face the ever-patient look in John's eyes. He knew the younger man would simply stay there, having an answer to everything Scott said until the pilot was forced to admit that his brother was talking sense.

"Race you to the next boulder!" John suddenly called, an idea springing into his head. Sure enough, Scott stopped and faced him again, incredulity etched into his face.

"Have you gone mad?"

"Why did you react to Virgil?" John knew he was getting somewhere now; the flicker of understanding in Scott's eyes showed he was on the right track.

"He needed to hit something. Well, better me than the wall - you know he broke his hand doing that once. And Virgil not being able to play... We'd all be screwed."

Smirking, John walked closer to his brother, finally glad to see the Scott he knew beginning to fight back.

"But you didn't need the fight?"

"No, it didn't help," Scott admitted, dragging his hand through his hair as he glanced out to sea, momentarily losing himself in the calming motion of the waves. No wonder Gordon could so effectively take out any frustration on the water, it simply took it all.

"But this will. So, come on, race ya!" Wondering if he was going to regret this, John jogged past his brother before stopping. Turning to face him once more, he grinned challengingly. "Unless, of course, you can't beat your little brother?"

As Scott finally smiled, John took off down the beach, hearing the sound of pursuit from behind him. He knew the only way Scott was going to let go of his frustration was to run, but the man had been so caught up in his thoughts, John knew he wasn't about to do it himself. Whilst it wasn't exactly the approach he was most comfortable with – John would much rather work through a problem than simply lash out – if it was what Scott needed, then that worked well with him. The pilot might not have realised what it was he needed himself, but all it took was a slight prompt before he was reacting the way John wanted.

Hearing the footsteps gain on him, John couldn't help but grin as he attempted to put on an extra burst of speed, only to find that his fitness levels were not as high as he had hoped. Normally on the station, John would keep himself on top form, but lately the lingering cough had made any serious exercise a much harder feat than it should have been. No matter how fast he ran, Scott was still gaining on him. Waiting for the moment his brother sprinted past, John was not expecting a hand to suddenly grab the back of his top, dragging him to the floor.

As John attempted to spit out a mouthful of sand, he glanced up in time to see Scott leaping over him. Grinning to himself at the more genuine smile that had finally emerged on Scott's face, John stuck out a hand. Latching onto his brother's ankle, he scrambled to his feet even as Scott fell.

He made it no further than three paces past his brother, however, before Scott was up again. Within a matter of seconds, he had slammed into John's back, sending them both flying forwards and landing in a tangled heap. As John tried to find out which foot was actually attached to his leg, the sound he had been waiting for since Gordon's first accident was finally ringing through the air as Scott laughed.

"You're a freak, space-man," he chortled, knowing precisely what John had done and being more grateful than he could express to his younger sibling.

"It's my hidden talent," John responded cheerfully, a grin firmly on his face. Even if he hadn't exactly wanted the spontaneous sprint, John couldn't deny it had done him good even as he tried to bring his breathing back under control. The grin on Scott's face made it worth it. His big brother had come back to him.

"Thanks, John." The serious undertone in Scott's voice had John dipping his head in acknowledgement, knowing precisely what his brother was getting at.

"What the heck was all of that?"

Craning his neck around awkwardly as he unhooked his foot from Scott's knee, John smirked to see Gordon standing at the edge of the beach. Even from this distance, the disbelief could be read on his face, and without thinking, John knew he had witnessed the mad dash across the beach.

"John just failed his physical," Scott commented lightly, climbing to his feet and offering his brother a hand.

"I did what?" John yelped, but accepted the hand all the same, allowing Scott to pull him to his feet. With a rather firm swipe across the younger man's back, Scott successfully managed to dislodge most of the sand plastered to John, but found he was forced to grab his brother by the arm at the same time to stop him from flying forwards. Finally breaking free of his brother's hold, John turned to face Scott, hands on his hips and an indignant expression on his face.

"You failed. You're getting slow there, Johnny. Not to mention out of breath." Adding the last part in an undertone to make sure the rapidly-approaching Gordon wouldn't hear, Scott couldn't help but chuckle at the look on his brother's face.

"Dude, you suck," John muttered. There was nothing he could really say, however, for the same thoughts had been crossing his mind during the race. Before Gordon could latch onto this new development, however, Scott did the one thing he was the bestat in his role of big brother. He changed the subject.

"What are you doing out here? Shouldn't you be in the infirmary?"

"No!" Gordon responded, but it was a little too quick and caused his older brothers to exchange amused looks.

"Maybe... But I'm not going to be stuck in there whilst you guys are out here."

"Where's Virg?" John asked, glancing around him as he did so and looking for any sign that their final Earthbound brother was going to be joining them.

"Looking for me," Gordon responded with a grin.

"Gordon..." Scott began warningly, but his brother merely cut him off, instead turning his attention to John.

"So, glad to be dirt-side again, Johnny-boy?"

"What are you doing out here, Gordon?" Unfortunately for the aquanaut, Scott had decided the power of changing the subject lay with him alone, and he was not going to let the matter drop. Especially not with Gordon's scream still replaying in his ears. Despite his father's objections, Scott had got hold of the news feed, determined to see for himself what had happened. Or, as John suspected, to try and work out what he would have done differently to save them before everything got that bad.

"I thought you might need some help," Gordon said with a shrug, catching Scott's eye as he spoke. To John's discomfort, Scott seemed to know precisely what the younger man was getting at and dipped his head in acknowledgment, a small smile playing across his lips.

"Your expertise will come in handy."

"Expertise? What are you two talking about? If you mean Gordon's expertise at acing physicals rather than failing them, then great. If you are thinking what I think you are thinking, no way. Drop it now or I tell Dad."

"Back on the planet for ten minutes and already turning traitor."

Ignoring Gordon's words, John instead found himself locked in what felt like a staring contest with his only older brother. Looking away would mean backing down, something neither man was prepared to do.

"Scott, you can't," John all but pleaded, unable to believe his big brother would even contemplate putting the others back in harm's way deliberately. "You said he could have killed them. You go through with this and you'll be lucky if any of you walk away from it."

"They aren't coming with me," Scott muttered, finally glancing away. His eyes flickered momentarily towards Gordon, but he couldn't hold the younger man's gaze, not with the look of outrage on the redhead's face.

"You are not going after him without us, Scott. That's twice he has nearly killed me. I'm coming too."

"Gordon, it's..."

"Too dangerous? Of course it is, that's why you need someone to watch your back and stop him from kicking your ass." Crossing his arms across his chest, Gordon practically glared at his oldest brother, almost daring Scott to challenge him again. Wanting someone to tell him that he wasn't being unreasonable in not wanting his brothers to deliberately track down the Hood, John raised his watch.

"Virgil, come in."

"John?" The slightly annoyed note in his immediate younger brother's voice caused John to glance towards Gordon, who in turn grinned sheepishly. It sounded as if the young man had been telling the truth when he said Virgil was looking for him.

"I have something you're looking for," John said simply, quirking an eyebrow at Gordon at the same time. Not knowing where Virgil was, he didn't want to risk saying anything else in case their father should overhear. Despite his threat, John had no intention of letting the man know.

"Don't let him go anywhere," Virgil responded, and John could hear his speeding footfalls just before his brother cut the line. With Virgil having known where Scott was, and the fact John had gone to find him, the star-lover knew that his brother would know where to find them. Sure enough, after an uncomfortable few moments in which all three of them refused to meet each other's eyes, Virgil appeared at the top of the hill. The anger was visible on his face even from the distance they were at, and despite his flippant reply of earlier, Gordon looked worried, taking a step back so Scott was in-between him and the rapidly-approaching Virgil.

"What do you think you are doing? Brains has no idea if there is any lasting damage yet. You can't just go wandering off!"

"You can't babysit me, Virgil!" Gordon yelled back, matching his brother's annoyance. Sighing, John knew he had been expecting this from the moment he had arrived home. If the issue of Gordon's health had been able to make Scott and Virgil argue, then John was not the slightest bit surprised that Gordon himself was clashing with at least one of them. As Virgil opened his mouth to respond, John cut in.

"Don't!" Luckily, whilst it wasn't often John raised his voice, when he did, the others heeded his words, and Virgil shut his mouth again. "Scott wants to track down the guy trying to kill us all and you two are arguing like an old married couple."

"Scott wants to what?" Virgil asked, glancing towards his oldest brother as he spoke. The disbelief in Virgil's voice made John sag in relief, glad that he finally had some support in the matter.

"I'm not waiting for him to hurt one of you guys again, Virg. We stop him, now."

"I'm in," Virgil said simply, causing John to freeze.

"You're in? Virgil, this is madness. You are playing right into his hands! The guy wants you dead, or have you forgotten that? You go looking for him and it is as good as suicide!"

"We're not just going to walk in blindly," Scott cut in, having seemed to have accepted that he wouldn't be able to stop his two younger brothers from coming with him.

"You can't take justice into your own hands, Scott," John said quietly, ignoring the younger two as he locked eyes with his big brother once again. He knew how much this was hurting the older man; he himself was feeling that same helplessness about not being able to protect their younger siblings. That didn't mean he was about to risk putting them in danger just to be able to feel like he was doing something.

"Who says anything about that? I just want to find the guy."

"And then what? You'll just wait for the cops to turn up whilst he tries to kill you all?"

"I don't remember having to ask for your permission, John," Scott said coldly, part of him realising where his brother was coming from. It was dangerous, and if he had a choice, he certainly wouldn't be taking Virgil and Gordon with him. But they were right, he couldn't do this on his own, and Scott knew they could both look after themselves. After all they had both met the man, which was more than Scott had done. He couldn't exactly deny them the right of helping bring him down. "Besides, I'm not asking you to come."

"No course not, because I'm always the one that just has to watch from the side," John muttered under his breath, turning away from his brothers and looking out to sea, hoping the calming motion of the waves would provide him with a way of being able to get through to his brothers. "If you are going, I'm coming too. But I don't like it."

"Johnny, you have to want to do this," Gordon said quietly, glancing towards Virgil for support as he spoke. He knew why John hadn't accompanied them up to the house, knew that his eldest brother was relying on John to calm him down again. To see them at loggerheads already was definitely something new. "It's going to be dangerous. If you are going to be questioning everything, it could be fatal."

"Are you saying I'm not up to it, Gordon?" John demanded, hands on his hips as he turned to face the younger man. He couldn't help but feel that now he had voiced his opinion on the matter they weren't going to want him along.

"No, I'm not-"

"Maybe," Scott cut in, stopping Gordon's mumbling with one word. "You did just fail that physical."

"Fine! Fine, if you don't want me there, just say. It's not like that is anything new." So saying, John strode away down the beach, not noticing Scott close his eyes and take a deep breath in exasperation. He didn't even hear Virgil say something softly before the artist came running after him. They had needed him home to sort out Scott, and now that was done, the astronaut wondered if that was his purpose served.

"Johnny! John, wait!" Finally managing to catch up with his brother's wide strides, Virgil grabbed him by the arm, pulling John to a stop. "What's wrong?"

"Come on, Virg, you know how dangerous this is," John muttered, refusing to meet his brother's eye. It didn't fool Virgil for a second though.

"Try again. This isn't anything to do with Scott's latest master-plan, is it? You knew he would come up with something like this, it is Scott we are talking about after all. Nope, whatever this it, that isn't it. So?"

"Nothing."

"John?"

"You could have all been dead before I got back to the planet," John finally admitted. Virgil always had a way of making him say what was on his mind, very much in the same way John could get through to Scott. His brother was right, he had expected their field commander to do something like this. Scott was never one for sitting back and waiting for events to unfold. John had refused to let himself think along those lines whilst he was still up on Five, but now that he was hearing Scott talk so casually about hunting down the man who had caused them so much trouble, John had suddenly realised just what the family had gone through. In three rescues, he could have lost four brothers, one of them potentially twice. And he had just been sitting around on a space station, listening to it all happen.

"But we're not. Come on, John, you can't beat yourself up over this. Scott's already bad enough about that last rescue. You know better than the rest of us the lengths Dad went to so he didn't come after us. Things happen."

"But, Virg..."

"But nothing. Come on, space-man, Grandma wants to see you. And if my nose wasn't deceiving me, there is a certain chocolate cake waiting for you."

Finally relaxing, John grinned. Virgil was right, as usual. His father would at least know how he was feeling about having to listen to the rest of the family in danger and not being able to do anything about it. He would talk to the man later, but for now, he needed his grandmother's cooking, a coffee and some sleep. Then he would be able to tackle Scott's crazy plans.

Setting off towards the house, John paused long enough for Virgil to yell back to the others that they were heading home before falling into step with the younger man. Sensing Virgil watch him uncertainly out of the corner of his eye – although it was more than obvious he didn't want John to notice – the older brother slung his arm around the younger's shoulders.

"We'll get through this, won't we, John?" Virgil asked hesitantly, causing John to glance over at him. Having seen both Scott and Gordon begin to lose control slightly at the events that were unfolding beyond their control, whether it be hunting down a madman or going on another rescue, Virgil found that he was no longer sure about what they should be doing.

"Course we will, Virg. We're a family; he can't tear that apart no matter how much he tries." John was quick to reassure his little brother, as always, but he couldn't help but finally begin to believe his own words. What power on earth would be able to match the bonds between the Tracy brothers?

"It's good to have you home, John."

"It's good to be home," the astronaut said with a genuine smile, relishing the feeling of the wind blowing in his hair and the sun on his skin. Nothing was going to tear them down, not if John could help it.

Chapter Text

John sat back on the couch, watching his only older brother critically. Scott was all but standing to attention in front of their father's desk, hands clasped behind him as he outlined his plan. Virgil was in the chair on John's left, but was sitting so upright that if John didn't know better, he would have said that his immediate younger brother had been through the same military training as his older. In contrast, Gordon was sitting next to John, leaning back comfortably with one leg crossed over the other as he watched events unfold. John normally prided himself on being able to read their father, it was something he'd had to pick up whilst he was up on Five. The eldest blond Tracy could pick up more from what was not said than what was.

This time however, he didn't have a clue what was going through Jeff's mind. He could partially blame it on Scott for blocking his view, but he knew that was not the case. Emotions had flickered in quick succession across Jeff's face when he had first realised what Scott was getting at, but then he had closed down. It was impossible to say what he was thinking, and John knew that was part of the reason why Scott was so tense. The Field Commander was used to having his plans followed without question on a rescue, there not being the time to run them past Base first. But this time, it was as if he was a child again, waiting for his father's approval.

"No." Jeff spoke quietly, but it was clear to all of his sons that he was not happy. Alan's portrait had been activated at the beginning of the meeting after Virgil had made it quite clear nothing was to be said until everyone was present. As their eldest brother had begun speaking, John had watched the youngest member of the family's face light up with excitement as he contemplated what they were doing, but at Jeff's word, his face fell even as Scott stiffened even more, something John didn't think was possible.

"No?"

"No, Scott. He has almost killed four of you. Both you and Gordon have ended up in the infirmary unconscious, Alan nearly got shot. And now you want to simply go after him, taking your brothers with you? It's suicide and I won't have it."

"Dad, we have to do something. How long until he succeeds in managing to kill us? If we can catch him in the act, we can take him down!"

"After he takes how many of you down?" As Scott's hands unclasped themselves from behind his back, John sighed. He didn't agree with the plan, he really didn't. But whilst Jeff was echoing what was going through his own mind, John couldn't watch Scott being shot down like that. The pilot's hands were by his side now, bunched in tight fists as he alternated between relaxing and tensing them. Glancing over at Virgil, John met his little brother's eye and knew by the eye roll that accompanied the act that he too had seen Scott's actions. It was only a matter of time before their brother exploded. As one, the two of them stood up.

Virgil grabbed onto the back of Scott's shirt, tugging his brother over to one side as he did so, thus preventing Scott from being the only one in Jeff's eye line. Ever the negotiator, John stepped up.

"Dad, think it through. Scott's plan will work." If John had noticed Scott stiffen in surprise, he ignored it. He still didn't like the plan, but Scott's words had finally driven something home. They had survived on luck so far, he knew that. It was only chance and their technology that had meant they were all here to even have this debate. But John knew luck ran out; that harsh reality was not something they could ignore. How long until the Hood did succeed in taking one of them down? And no matter who he managed to destroy, it would be the whole family that went. But it wouldn't stop there. John knew they wouldn't be able to continue operations if they lost someone, especially not if it was because of IR that it happened in the first place. Meaning it could potentially be the whole world that was affected if the Hood succeeded. This was bigger than just them.

"Don't you start as well, John. I thought you would be the one with the rational head in all of this."

For some reason, John found his father's words annoyed him. He was the one with the rational head, and now was using it to realise they had to do something - and fast.

"C'mon, Dad, think about it." Gordon was on his feet now, and despite the severity of the situation, the prankster still managed to keep his tone light. Somehow, John wondered whether that would be what changed Jeff's mind, someone with the confidence that they could actually pull this off, rather than the desperation the rest of them were feeling. "It must be the cameras and surveillance in all the areas he is using to follow us, there is no other way, although doesn't explain why he was in place for the last two rescues. But if Brains can hack in and show that it is possible, we know what we are dealing with. We find him, lead him out, Penny and Parker then go in. Bye-bye, baldy."

"Gordon," Virgil interrupted quietly. Unlike John, he wasn't so sure Gordon's flippant attitude wasn't just going to succeed in turning their father against the plan even more.

"Penny? Can you talk some sense into my sons?" Spinning in his chair to face her, Jeff eyes were almost pleading with the aristocrat to say something that would calm the boys down. John followed his father's gaze. Whether Jeff noticed it or not, John knew immediately that Penny was going to do nothing of the sort. She was clearly thinking over the plan, and catching Virgil's eye again, John winked. Immediately, his brother looked skyward in relief, his shoulders sagging slightly as he subtly loosened his grip on Scott. If Penny had sided with their father, John knew they were in for a repeat performance of what had happened on the beach if they weren't careful.

"John's right, Jeff. It will work! The boys will have safety in numbers, and Brains can track how the Hood is hacking into the technology in order to trace it back."

"How do we know he is using the cameras and technology? How do we know that Gordon didn't just make that reason up off the top of his head?" Jeff argued, but John knew that even Gordon could see how his shoulders were dropping. Jeff knew he had been beaten, but he wasn't going to go down without a fight, not when it was his sons who would be the ones to pay the price.

"How else would he be doing it?" It was Virgil that spoke this time, and as Jeff spun his chair back around, John saw him close his eyes briefly. Jeff knew he had lost. All of them were prepared to carry out this plan, even Penny and Brains, although Jeff couldn't help but suspect that in Brains' case, it was more a matter of proving he couldn't be out-done when it came to hijacking technology.

Scott caught Jeff's eye again. John couldn't help but subconsciously hold his breath as his brother stepped forward. Something unspoken seemed to shoot between father and son before Jeff eventually sighed heavily, lowering his eyes as he did so and nodding. Out of the corner of his eye, John saw Virgil and Gordon exchange relieved looks. Their father had given in.

"So give me a full run down of this plan then, Scott. And if there is anything I don't like, you change it, you hear me?"

"Yes, Sir," Scott responded, unable to stop the relief from showing in his face. For the first time since the crate had dropped on Gordon, he was doing something to fight back, something to show this creep he was messing with the wrong man by going after Scott Tracy's little brothers.

"Gordon, Virgil and I will make sure it is known that we are in the city. Brains can monitor all the surveillance and see if anything is being controlled externally. He has to be using the cameras if he knows where we are, Gordon is right. Or phones... but Brains has assured me he can track any mention of us, IR, or anything that sounds like a code-name. Once we have a location, Penny goes in. She can wait in the city, in a specific place that allows her access to all areas quickly..."

"What about traffic? If she gets caught, we would have no way in," Virgil cut in, the frown on his face showing he was thinking as hard about what they were about to try as John was. But there was something the star-loving brother had noticed that he was sure the rest of them were conveniently overlooking.

"I c...can h..handle that," Brains cut in. Behind his glasses, John could see the genius's eyes were sparkling with the idea of a challenge. If the situation hadn't included their lives being put on the line, John would have been pleased for his friend; it took a lot to challenge someone with a mind like Brains'.

"Brains, you sly dog," Gordon said, shooting the man a grin and causing Brains to flush in embarrassment even as Virgil dug his elbow into Gordon's side to make him shut up. Nodding his appreciation, Scott turned back to his father.

"So Penny tracks the place down and makes the first assault. We take out whoever is after us, double back and gather all the evidence we need to take this guy down whilst destroying any evidence of IR."

"You've thought this through, haven't you, Scott?" Jeff said quietly, clear reluctance in his voice. He had been hoping there would have been a major flaw in the plan, something that would force his headstrong sons to listen to him. But he knew he should have given his eldest boy more credit than that. Scott was used to planning, especially when it came to trying to save lives.

"What about John?" Alan cut in, making said brother jump as his own question died on his lips. He had forgotten his littlest brother was still listening in, but in a way was glad Alan had said it, not him. He was sure he would have sounded like some sort of demanding child, but he couldn't help it. He knew Scott had left him out on purpose.

"I know you don't like the plan, John," Scott said quietly as he turned to face his younger brother. "So I can't risk you out there, especially considering you are still ill. Not to mention you failed that physical yesterday. I need to know you are going to be okay." Adding the last part in an undertone, Scott flinched slightly at the sparks flying from John's eyes as he stared at his brother in exasperation.

"Scott!"

"But I do have a better idea."

"What?" John asked cautiously, not being sure whether he was going to like this idea or not. If Scott dared suggest he stayed here and made sure the communications were kept clear, John was certain Virgil wouldn't be able to move quickly enough to stop the blond from smacking his brother. He was fine. In fact, he was sure he hadn't coughed once since being home, and if Scott thought that was a good enough reason to keep him out of things, then his younger brother would be telling him precisely what he thought of that particular plan.

"Dad, Gordon, am I right in thinking that the new parts for Thunderbird Four have come in at the New York offices?" As Jeff nodded, John thought he knew where this was going. Any parts they needed to order in got delivered to a variety of addresses and agents around the world to stop anyone being able to track them.

"If this guy is after IR," Scott continued, turning away from John rather than facing the burning stare his brother was shooting him, accusations flying out of his eyes, "Then he'll be watching for deliveries. We can't let him get his hands on anything, it's too dangerous what he can do with that technology, no matter how minor. So whilst we distract him in Malaysia, John can get to New York, pick it up and get back here."

Despite his annoyance, even John had to admit that would work. If he was really honest, the idea of not having to trail around Malaysia waiting for a fight was something that strongly appealed. One thing was still niggling away at him though.

"How do you know his base is there?" he asked his brother, causing Scott to turn back to face him. There was relief in the oldest brother's eyes, causing John to smile gently at him. No doubt Scott had been expecting to have a fight on his hands regarding his latest plan, but John couldn't fault him. It made sense to have a distraction, and out of all of them, he hadn't exactly been positive when he first heard of the plan. No wonder Scott wanted him heading in the other direction.

"It is."

It wasn't Scott who answered, however. A quiet voice from the corner made John jump and he turned at the same time as his siblings, only to see Kyrano standing there. The shadows cloaked him; it was no wonder they hadn't seen him before. But as he stepped forward, there was a burning look of concentration on his face, and as John watched, he seemed to wince slightly before shaking his head. Lifting his eyes to face the brothers, he smiled in the gentle, reassuring way only Kyrano could manage.

"Kyrano?" Jeff was also on his feet now, palms resting against the desk as he leant forward, watching his old friend closely. For a moment, Kyrano shut his eyes, before nodding again and opening them once more.

"He's in Malaysia. I don't know where, but that is where he is."

"Dad?" Scott turned back to their father, causing John to take a step to the side so that he could see his big brother's face. There was an almost hungry expression on Scott's face, part of him clearly longing for the chance to take down the man who was so determined to destroy them. Jeff sighed, looking around at his sons. Meeting each of their gazes and holding them for a long moment, he glanced over his shoulder at Penny – who nodded gently – before dropping his eyes to the desk.

"Very well. Start making the preparations."

As Scott sagged in relief, John and Virgil exchanged relieved smiles as Gordon whooped. As they began to file out of the room, Jeff spoke again.

"Scott, there is something you have forgotten though. A key detail that may be the undoing of this great master plan of yours."

As Scott turned back, a frown on his face, John could see his father's eyes twinkling, and knew that no matter what was about to come out of the man's mouth, it was not going to undermine Scott's plan at all. Not that his older brother could see that however, immediately tensing where he stood.

"What?" His voice was almost a bark, urgent and somewhat frantic.

"You'll have to tell your grandmother, I'm not doing it for you."

"We are so dead," Gordon moaned from somewhere behind John, making the astronaut roll his eyes in amusement. Regardless of his warm welcome back the day before, even John was taking a step back from that one.

"I vote Gordo," John supplied cheerfully, slapping his brother on the back as he did so and receiving a wounded look in response.

"Virgil's always been better," the red-head shot back without missing a beat, shooting Virgil a slightly disarming grin as he did so.

"Nah, it's John she made the cake for."

"Scott?" John said, causing both Virgil and Gordon to nod.

"Scott," they agreed simultaneously, smiles on their faces. For a moment, Scott just looked at them with raised eyebrows, clearly wondering whether they had lost their minds before smiling himself, shaking his head fondly as he did so.

"Thanks, Dad," he said softly, catching his father's eye and causing Jeff to dip his head in acknowledgement. Virgil grabbed his oldest brother's arm once again and began pulling him from the room. John gave Gordon a slight shove in the back to send him scurrying after his brothers as the four Earth-bound Tracys left the room, leaving Jeff to disconnect with Alan. They would all speak to their youngest brother later, especially considering how this could all go wrong, but now was not the time.

As Jeff turned back to Alan and Penny almost floated gracefully out of the room, none of them noticed Kyrano wince in sudden pain. For a split second, his eyes flashed yellow, before he sat down hesitantly on the edge of the couch.

"Kyrano?" Whilst he hadn't noticed the movement, Jeff had indeed seen Kyrano move, and knowing what the man's track record was like with sudden collapses, found himself concerned.

"It is nothing, Mr Tracy. I am quite well." Kyrano only spoke the truth. There had been a brief moment of pain, that was for sure. But it had gone as quickly as it had come, and the manservant thought nothing of it.

Hundreds of miles away, deep in a temple, a man paced. He was more than fuming. But as he paced, he suddenly began to smirk, an evil look that had those closest to him stumbling back a pace or so. So they thought they could come after him, did they? They were arrogant enough in their own abilities to think they could take him on in his own territory? Beginning to plan, the Hood knew he was about to give them the surprise of their lives. He thought he had made it clear they were not going to survive an encounter with him again, even if luck had been on their side so far. But their luck was about to run out.

"Commander." His voice was a silky whisper, barely audible if it wasn't for the damp stonework echoing and magnifying his voice.

"Sir." The man snapped to attention as he sprang forward from the shadows, always eager to please his master. As soon as he stepped into the light, he dropped to his knees. Personally, he hated having to kneel before anyone; he was his own master and nothing less. But the Hood had promised him revenge on the Tracys, and nothing gave him greater pleasure. Why should people like Jeff Tracy and his precious sons live in comfort when he had nothing? He had been making a name for himself as a hit-man when the Hood had approached him, and whilst he had seen nothing yet of the promised reward, the Commander was a patient man. He knew it would come, it just took time. But if he could be the one to bring the Hood one of the Tracys and therefore deliver the man's greatest dreams, he knew that a little patience now would more than pay off in the long run. He had watched everyone else fail at the task in hand, making the Tracys seem even more untouchable than ever. If there was one thing this Commander loved, it was a challenge. They weren't going to know what had hit them, that was for sure.

"You know your orders, Commander. Take your men and surround the city. We will not fail this time. Go personally, I want one alive. Jeff Tracy will regret the day he started International Rescue. If he doesn't give up its secrets, he will pay the price."

"Sir," the man acknowledged, climbing to his feet and snapping his heels together before beckoning to more men in the shadows. Turning on his heel, he strode purposefully from the room, three or four of the men trailing after him after bowing deeply to the Hood.

As they left the room, the Hood felt his smile widen as he pulled back a curtain with a flourish. The wall behind couldn't have looked more out of place in the dark temple if it had tried. Rather than the stones that lined the rest of the building, a row of screens covered this wall. Images from all of the city's cameras flickered across them, as well as a few screens that were showing images and data from areas the Hood quite clearly should not have access to.

Watching as his men took off in different directions, the Hood smiled, a twisted leer that made him look nothing more than sinister.

His time had come.

The Tracys were going to pay.

Chapter Text

"Everyone in position?" Scott's voice was low and anxious, despite reassuring his father before they set off that he was more than confident the plan was going to work. Despite everything, he knew he was risking his brothers' lives over this, something he was far from happy about. Whilst he knew that he would have never been able to carry it off on his own – even he couldn't be in two places at once – he just wished he wasn't effectively using the younger two as bait whilst relying on Penny and Brains to keep them safe. He liked to be in control, and yet was offering himself up just as much as the other two. The sooner this was over and the Hood was behind bars, the better he would sleep at night.

"Set." Gordon's voice came back first, clipped and sharp. It was not a tone Scott was used to hearing from his second-youngest brother, but there were occasions when the redhead could show just how deadly he could be. His reaction to seeing the Hood try to shoot Alan was evidence enough of that. How many of them would have been able to just throw themselves off the platform without their body refusing to make the jump, knowing the chances of surviving the impact were slim? But then again, Gordon had always defied the odds. The fact that he was alive was a testimony to that.

"Set." Virgil followed suit almost immediately, his voice also carefully controlled. Despite Virgil not having gone through the same military regime as Gordon and himself, Scott wasn't worried. Their own training practically matched it. No one would be a threat to Virgil who wasn't also a threat to his older and younger brothers. Even so, when Scott had gone wandering at midnight due to being fed up of tossing and turning, he wasn't the only one up. Virgil, despite not protesting to the plan, clearly was no happier about it than John was. There had been a look in his brother's eye during their midnight conversation that made Scott seriously consider whether he was making a big mistake.

"In position, Scott." Penny's response came next, and Scott had to smile. She sounded so calm, so casual. It was as if she was doing nothing more than having Parker take her for a spin through the crowded city. He wished he had her confidence. Or more importantly, her ability to sound confident and in control of a situation that even Scott would admit was way out of their hands. They had no idea what they were about to walk into, and he would be responsible if anything happened to any of them. Vaguely listening to Brains' stuttered confirmation, Scott instead prepared himself for patching through to John.

He couldn't help but feel guilty about the way he had treated his brother in all of this. He knew John had only been speaking sense when he had voiced his concerns about the plan, especially considering that he had literally only just arrived back on the planet at the time. Scott had been grateful for the way John had managed to get him to calm down - and what had he done but thrown it back in the blond's face?

"Everyone set then?" Ever the professional, John sounded cheerful enough. Scott knew his brother had already arrived in New York; they had sent him off the night before to make sure everyone would be ready to act at the same time. It would be no good if John was caught up somewhere when the rest of the team put their plan into action.

"We're all ready. How about you?" Swearing under his breath with the hope that John wouldn't hear him, Scott hated how uncertain he suddenly sounded. What was he doing?

"It will work, Scotty." Ever the mind-reader, John was immediately back on his case. It was the same in all the rescues. Virgil might be the one there physically with him, but when things fell apart, it was John keeping him grounded.

"I know." Flicking a switch on his communicator, Scott connected all of the lines together, including the link back to Base. "Everyone knows their role. Don't take unnecessary risks, especially you, Gordon. We do this fast, but pull out on the first sign that things are going against us. John, send the signal when you are back in the jet. Brains, make sure we know the second you have traced the signal. Same for you, Penny. As soon as you get there, let me know."

"F.A.B." Virgil and Gordon's voices chimed together, Penny's more English response being lost.

"Be careful. All of you." Jeff knew he couldn't let them go without having the final word. He wished he could be out there with his boys, his team, fighting for the very survival of his family and International Rescue. But someone still had to man the Base, and Jeff knew Scott would be able to handle the situation. He was thrown into similar positions every time there was a rescue, but on this occasion he had the time to plan it out.

Everyone split up and spread out, but kept in constant touch as per Scott's instructions. With Virgil heading south and Gordon west, Scott himself took the road leading north, making sure he passed every camera that he could see. For once, he was not the faceless rescuer. Instead, he was making sure the Hood saw his face. He was making sure the maniac came after him and him alone. Slipping his hand under his shirt, his face was grim as he closed his fingers around the comforting weight of the gun. He had strictly forbidden the younger two from carrying arms, but this man had threatened his brothers. No one got away with that. And if Scott had his way, the man would never again see the light of day.

The Hood watched with detached interest at three of the screens, trying his utmost to mask his expression into one of neutrality. It was hard though, even for him. Everything he had ever wanted was just about to be delivered to him on a plate, and it would be Tracy's own sons that did it. They were playing right into his hands. Watching the oldest pass the camera deliberately, the Hood leered. That one would be so easy to destroy, despite how tough everyone else seemed to believe him to be. It was the younger ones who worried him more – although of course he would never admit to such a thing. Especially the redhead, he was reckless. The Hood couldn't plan for recklessness, and whilst he would take great delight in taking that one – for breaking him would certainly be an interesting challenge – it was another of the brothers the Hood wanted.

His eyes fixed on the screen and he leered unpleasantly. Virgil was only just in camera shot now, clearly attempting to stroll along as if he hadn't a care in the world. Even through the poor camera visibility, the Hood could make out his eyes bouncing around anxiously, though. That was a man on the lookout for anything slightly out of the ordinary. A man on the edge. Especially if the way his hand kept drifting to his watch was anything to go by. The Hood knew enough about their technology to know that was how they contacted each other. He would be making good use of that technology very soon, of that he was in sure.

"Commander, are your men in position?"

"Yes, sir."

The response came immediately as the Hood flicked a switch with nothing more than a thought, nodding in satisfaction. The man certainly would get his just reward, albeit not the one he was expecting. The Hood would have no use for servants once he had the secrets of International Rescue, and would take great delight in relieving them of their service.

First however, he had to gain those secrets.

"Carry out your orders then. Do not fail me."

As the man confirmed his understanding, the Hood smiled. He knew International Rescue would be attempting to track the signal, but he was one step ahead of them. They would track it alright. Though it wouldn't be him they stumbled across, but a rather unwelcome surprise. Smirking in satisfaction at a job well done, the Hood strode purposefully from the room, pressing a button on a panel on his way out. He knew he couldn't completely outwit the mind behind the Thunderbirds - the signal really did lead here. But as the automatic timer flicked on the second he shut the door behind him, he knew that he was still the one calling the shots. The first person to open that door would take the full blast of the charges laying within. It wouldn't be enough to kill them, but the Hood's men were on standby in the area. As soon as the explosives detonated, they would move in. Five sons, five Thunderbirds. It was just a shame that he wouldn't be able to reach the fifth member of their pathetic team, but the Hood knew he would be victorious in the end. Jeff Tracy wouldn't be able to stand a chance if his enemy had all four of his Earthbound sons.

John had the package firmly tucked under his arm as he strode back down the street, trying to look as normal as possible. There was nothing wrong with him picking up a package at his father's head offices. No one should have any cause to be the slightest bit suspicious. There was no sign at all that he was holding some of the secrets to the most advanced machinery that anyone had ever seen. Even so, John couldn't help but wish it was Gordon making the collection as it was supposed to have been. His younger brother was far more used to this than John was, for it was not often a collection coincided with his time on Earth. John just supposed that if anyone was watching, it would work well for the pretence, for no one would be expecting him to be the one taking on the delivery.

He had almost made it back to the hotel to collect his things and escape to the safety of the Island when a squeal of tyres made him look up sharply. The car was cannoning towards him, clearly out of control. For a moment, John could only stay frozen to the spot as it came rushing, his brain not being able to form a reaction. Out of all the things the family were up against, he was the one that got stuck with the idiot driver!

Suddenly realising the car was literally heading towards him, John cursed, throwing himself to the side as he did so. He was in luck; there was a small alleyway to one side. It was only short, leading to nothing but a high brick wall, but it was enough to allow him to escape the wild car. The driver must have been drunk, John couldn't help but think. The car still didn't slow or even swerve to try and avoid the buildings on either side of the alleyway. Watching it open-mouthed, John felt a rush of fear when he momentarily locked eyes with the driver. Seeing him looking, the man leered, a deliberate action as he bought the car smashing into the brickwork. Immediately, he slumped forward, clearly unconscious if not worse.

But John had other things on his mind. The man had known he was there. And yet he hadn't made any attempt to turn away. It was only then John realised precisely what the car had done by hitting the buildings. The only way he now had out of the alleyway was to scramble over the car. Glancing at the package in his hand, the blond knew he had to act fast.

"Base, we've got a problem!" Speaking frantically into his watch, John swallowed hard when he heard a car door open. He hadn't even noticed that there had been passengers in the vehicle, but three men soon got out. Two were on his side, the third vaulting casually over the car. All three were armed.

"Come nice and quiet now, kid, and you won't get hurt."

His eyebrows rising in disbelief, John dropped the package with the intention of freeing up his hands. He knew there was no way this could be a random attack, not with what was going on with his brothers in Malaysia. The men were advancing on him now, and despite every training scenario Scott had put them through over the years, John knew he was in big trouble.

"Don't fight us, boy." The first man was speaking again now, brandishing his gun in John's face as he backed the blond up against the wall. His eyes darting towards the package and then back up to the men, John locked eyes with the man coldly.

"Go to hell."

That was when all three closed in on him.

"What do you mean; you've lost contact with John?" Keeping his voice low, Scott ducked down a side street, making sure there were no cameras following him here. He couldn't believe what his father was telling him. John should have been safe; it was the reason why Scott had sent him to the other side of the world. He was not about to let his brother walk into something that could get him killed when he didn't even agree with the plan. This certainly shouldn't be happening.

"He reported in there was a problem, and now I can't get anything," Jeff repeated as calmly as he could. He was feeling exactly the same way as Scott, but with the boys still out in Malaysia, he knew the panic couldn't be heard in his voice. If Scott was distracted, they could all be killed. He had contemplated not telling the Field Commander that the signal had been cut from John's watch, but knew that if Scott tried to get through to his brother and received no response, it would be a lot worse.

"So what... hang on, Dad, Penny's calling me. Go ahead, Penny."

"Brains has traced the signal." Ever the calm one, Penny gave no indication of the danger she could potentially be in. Scott knew that she and Parker would be hidden outside the building Brains had directed them to, making sure that no one left without their say-so, but not going anywhere near until the brothers arrived. It wasn't her fight, and Scott knew that both Virgil and Gordon felt the same way as he did when it came to wanting to bring this creep down.

"Okay..." Trying to get his head around the turn of events, Scott took a deep breath. "Dad, Penny's in position. Do I call this off?"

"It's up to you, Scott," Jeff said gently, knowing that at the end of the day, Scott was going to do what he thought was best, regardless of what Jeff said. "But just think of how far you have come. The signal has been traced, meaning the Hood knows you are there. This could be our only chance."

"Right. Penny, hold your position. Virgil, Gordon, come in."

Waiting for his brothers' responses, Scott stole back onto the street, running swiftly as he headed towards the co-ordinates Penny had just sent him. "We've got a lead on the creep, move into position."

Disconnecting the line from everyone, Scott focused on his running, putting his worry not only for those present into his strides, but for John as well. If the Hood was involved in this in any way, Scott was going to make sure he was personally the one to snap the handcuffs on. No one came after his brothers, not on his watch.

He reached the scene at the same time as the other two, all having made good time from their various reactions. He hadn't told them about John, wanting to make sure their minds were focused on the task at hand. They had no reason to need to contact their brother; Scott was the one everything was being run through. He knew that hiding things from them was part of the reason why they were in so much trouble to start with, but this time he had a good reason. It wasn't an argument he was worried about should they be the slightest bit distracted from what they were doing, but their lives. Any slip-up now could be fatal.

One glance at his watch, and Scott knew Penny and Parker were holding their position on the other side of the building. The pair would wait for the three Tracys to go in before taking up the rear, covering their backs, so to speak.

"We ready to do this?" Virgil whispered, beginning to creep forward. Gordon and Scott immediately fell into step with him, and silently, the trio advanced on the building.

"Brains, confirm this is the right place?"

"C..confirmed, uh, Scott. He g...gave the c..c...commands from here."

"F.A.B." Shooting his brothers a very grim smile, Scott nodded. "Ready when you are."

They used the building as cover, keeping their backs pressed to it as they crept around. Nothing was said, for none of them had anything to say that wouldn't sound completely false. They had no idea what would be waiting for them when they opened the door. All three were aware it was naive to hope that they would find the Hood just sitting there unaware of what was about to be sprung on him, but they still held onto that hope, for it was all they had left.

After creeping around what felt like three sides of the building, Scott finally felt his fingers reach a door. Stepping away, he nodded at Virgil, causing the younger man to move into position. Whilst Scott and Gordon flanked the door, Virgil took a deep breath, stretching out his hand. For a second, it hesitated over the handle, but finally, Virgil let the cold metal become enveloped in his hand and gave the door a sharp tug.

Only to be blasted off his feet with a cry, landing on his back ten paces away from where he had started, all of the breath driven out of him.

"Virgil!" Scott's shout almost sounded muted to the artist, a ringing in his ears blocking everything else out. For a long moment, he didn't move, trying to work out if anything hurt. It was then he decided that everything hurt, and tentatively pushed himself into a more upright position.

"I'm okay," he called back, only to realise his brother was crouched next to him. When had Scott moved? Virgil certainly hadn't seen or heard anything that indicated movement.

"Scott! Incoming!"

It was Gordon shouting now, and, twisting his head around at the same time as Scott, Virgil echoed his brother's curse. At least a dozen men were pouring from the trees behind them.

"Penny, we're under attack!" Scott had no time to say anything more than that before he suddenly found himself locked in the fight for not only his life, but his brothers' as well. He certainly didn't hear Penny's response as he ducked a fist aiming for his head and floored the man instead.

But that was when the gun shots started.

John winced as he felt the cold steel of the blade pressing against his wrist, but with one powerful flick, his watch went flying off, snagging his skin slightly in the process and causing yet another hot trickle of blood to trail down his arm. He was lying on his side, his wrists tied behind him and a gag around his mouth to stop him from crying out.

He was now more than sure it was a planned attack. The men had access to the garages lining the alleyways, and John had been dragged through one and pushed to the floor, out of sight, before he had time to even think about what was happening. There was no way a careless driver would happen to have armed men in the car that had successfully blocked him in, men who in turn were able to access the only entrance that could be reached. They had been after him all along, no doubt waiting until he was right where they wanted him. John knew he had been played all along, and he was fuming.

"Take that ahead to the boss and tell him we've got him."

John could only grimace as the tip of a boot connected with his side, then felt his heart sink as he witnessed his watch being tossed over and one of the men disappearing from view, a satisfied smile on his face.

"Ought to thank you, kid, you gave us an easy target. But don't try and go anywhere now, we've got a van to catch," the man continued, pulling John into an upright position and leaning him back against the wall. Laughing at the indignant expression on his prisoner's face, he stood up again, striding to the entrance of the garage to converse with the remaining man without John overhearing. Tugging against his bonds, John froze, glancing over towards the men once again.

There had been a slight give in the rope. Now all he needed was time.

"Virgil! Drop!" Scott wasn't sure whether his shout had carried over the noise, but his brother did indeed drop to the floor as bullets seemed to be whizzing over their heads. Grabbing Gordon by the scruff of the neck, Scott threw them both to the floor, his hand flying to his belt. Within seconds, he had pulled out his own gun, ignoring Gordon's whistle of disbelief. Scott took aim and the man standing over Virgil didn't stand a chance as his leg suddenly gave way, blood pouring from the wound in his thigh.

"Are you mad?" Gordon bellowed as another man turned towards the pair. Scott didn't even have time to raise the gun before the man stumbled away again, blood pouring from his shoulder. Glancing around in bewilderment at the sudden silence, Scott realised they were alone again, apart from a handful of men moaning on the ground.

"Nice shooting, Mi'lady."

"Thank you, Parker."

His jaw hitting the floor in astonishment, Scott's eyes fell on Lady Penelope. She had an advantageous position on the crest of the small mound next to the brothers, and even as Scott watched, she handed Parker a slightly smoking pistol, brushing her hands off and climbing to her feet.

"Everything under control, boys?"

"Control?"

Scott heard Gordon gasp slightly and one look at his brother showed that Gordon's eyes were also on Penny. Climbing to his feet, Scott took a good look around him. All of their attackers had either fled or were clutching some sort of bloody limb, although Scott could tell at just a glance that no one was that seriously hurt. Virgil was shakily climbing to his feet again, and as he turned, Scott winced. His brother was covered in small burns, ash streaked through his hair and across his face from the explosion. None of the burns looked serious, but he knew it would be enough to give their grandmother a field day.

"He knew we were coming," Virgil said quietly, locking eyes with the only older brother present and causing Scott to nod heavily.

"I'm sorry," he said, his voice barely audible. "I made you do this, and look what happened."

"Don't even go there!" Gordon snapped, also getting to his feet. "We knew what might happen when we said we were coming along. But hey, we're all still in one piece. Well, Virg might have lost a bit of an eyebrow there..."

Even Gordon's change of tone didn't make Scott feel any better. Not when he knew what he still had to tell them.

"Let's go home," he said heavily, but Virgil saw straight through him.

"What aren't you telling us, Scott? You've been hiding something ever since we met up, I can see it in your eyes. I let it go earlier, but I'm not boarding that plane until you tell us what is going on."

"Dad can't get through to John."

Scott refused to meet their eyes as he muttered the words. Instead, he moved past them, checking Penny was ready to go with just a look.

"What?"

"You heard me, Gordon."

"Scott, stop!"

It was Virgil, sounding annoyed now, and Scott found that he did stop, slowly turning to face his brothers. They were right behind him, clearly having raced to catch up with him when he had started walking.

"What's going on?"

"John said there was a problem, and we haven't been to get in touch since."

"Scott, get us home." It was unusual to hear Gordon speak with such authority, but no one dared to disobey him. The five of them set off in silence, Scott knowing Penny had already been in touch with the local authorities to get the men taken in for questioning. Needless to say, the police didn't really know what they were questioning them about, and Scott knew they wouldn't crack - fear of the Hood ran deeper than that from all he had been able to discover.

It was a silent flight home for most of the way. Scott's usually steady hands only just managed to keep the plane under control, but no one dared say anything, even if Virgil and Gordon exchanged concerned glances from time to time. When the radio crackled into life, it was harder to say who jumped the most when their father's voice came floating over, tense and anxious.

"Virgil?" he practically barked, worry lining his tone. "Penny told me what happened. How badly hurt are you, son? I'll have Brains on stand-by when you touch down."

"Dad, I'm fine." Virgil was quick to reassure his father, but his brothers knew it was more to do with the fact that he didn't want to end up being banished to the infirmary for a few burns. "Couple of bruises, nothing more."

"That had better be the truth."

Gordon couldn't help it, he had to laugh. Jeff never listened to them when they were assessing their own injuries. Knowing that Virgil would hate it if he was forced to sit out of whatever was coming next, Scott sighed.

"He really is okay, Dad," he muttered quietly, receiving a grateful smile in response. For a moment, there was silence, but finally, Jeff sighed.

"Exploding door indeed... Keep in contact until you land, I want to know precisely what happened out there and we don't have time to wait."

The rest of the journey was filled with quiet voices as the boys all gave their accounts of what had happened. As much as they knew, anyway, for none of them were precisely sure what had happened, apart from the fact they had clearly walked straight into a trap. But why had the men come after them? As much as it gave him the shudders even to think about it, Scott knew the Hood could have rigged that door to kill Virgil. Surely that was what he had been after all along? So why let them go? Finally though, the plane landed.

Knowing Brains would handle the checks, the three boys sprinted up to the office, leaving Penny and Parker to follow at a more leisurely pace. Gordon was the first through the door, immediately being crushed in a somewhat fierce and unusual embrace from his father. Scott grabbed Virgil by the back of his shirt just in time to save him from the same treatment, but Jeff still seized his son by the shoulders, his eyes running anxiously over the burns. Virgil couldn't believe his luck when his father let go again. The fact that he hadn't immediately been sent to the infirmary - as was the norm for any kind of injury, no matter how much they protested – just went to show how bad the situation was.

"Anything?"

"Nothing."

"Jeff!" Their grandmother's frantic call quickly had them all scurrying through to her. Virgil had been thankful for the way she had managed to break through the awkward tension that had fallen over the room, but when he saw what was waiting for him, he wasn't so sure.

The vid-screen was flickering. No one was touching it, yet someone was trying to reach them. Shakily reaching out a hand, Jeff twisted a knob, only to leap back in surprise as an image gradually came into view. Gordon gasped and Scott swore, but Virgil stayed silent, his heart racing.

They were looking at a watch. And not just any watch, but one they knew belonged to their brother. It was splattered with blood, yet the owner was nowhere in sight.

"I hear you've been looking for me." A somewhat icy voice came floating over, although the figure it belonged to stayed firmly out of sight of the camera. "Let me tell you that was a bad idea. I'm sure you can see I have your son, Tracy."

"Liar!" Gordon yelled, making to stride forward, only to have Virgil grab him by the arms, holding his little brother back.

"I do not lie. How else would I have come by his precious watch, one I know you are all so fond of, if he wasn't in my possession?"

"John's not a possession," Scott growled, only to find that he was mirroring Gordon's position as Kyrano held him back. Jeff shook his head slightly, a clear sign that he didn't want any of the boys in shot of the screen. He still couldn't get the image of Gordon dropping to the floor in agony out of his head. They didn't know how powerful this man was, and Jeff wasn't going to risk him hurting the boys from afar.

"No. You're right. He's not. He's a bargaining chip. I want the designs of the Thunderbirds, Tracy. Or your son will pay." A fist entered the camera now, and before anyone could say anything, it smashed down on the watch, shattering it into hundreds of pieces.

"Don't make me wait. I'll be in touch." And with that, the camera went dead.

"Dad..." Virgil's voice was barely more than a whisper, but Jeff merely stared stonily ahead, his face closed. "Dad? John..."

"We're getting him back!" Jeff declared furiously, a strange light dancing in his eyes that his sons had never seen before.

"How?"

The fury died as fast as it had been awakened and Jeff sat down heavily, running a hand over his eyes.

"I have no idea."

Chapter Text

They were running out of time. Scott knew it, and he knew the rest of the family knew it just as well. They had called in every contact they knew, starting in New York, but throwing the net wider when they realised within the first hour that they still had no idea what had happened to their now missing brother. The hours drew on, and still the Hood hadn't been in touch. Virgil finally succumbed to sleep at the desk, his father draping a blanket over him. For a brief moment, Jeff let his hand ghost over his son's head, wincing at the burns still evident. He could have lost them all today... The only thing that stopped him completely panicking about John was that the three remaining Earth-bound brothers had already managed to pull together to defeat the odds once today; surely they could do it again?

Gordon was sitting off to one side, talking to Alan as he was guided by Five's technology through some of the back internet passageways. A member of International Rescue and a billionaire's son had just gone missing, surely someone somewhere knew something. Jeff could almost feel Alan's tension as he approached the younger ones, and hated the fact his youngest son was stuck in space. But there was no way he could send anyone to get him. Not with their astronaut missing and Brains doing all he could to try and locate the smashed signal of John's watch. Jeff knew that it was hopeless - the look on the genius's face had given that much away - but he wasn't going to stop the young man. He knew the feeling, the need to be doing something.

Scott was standing outside, talking urgently on the phone. His father had no idea which of their many contacts he was communicating with this time, but could tell by the frantic gestures that there was no news on that front either. John had always been the quiet one of his sons, but to disappear without a trace? That was certainly something new.

"He'll be fine," a soft voice said behind him, and he turned to see Penny watching him closely. If she would ever look ruffled, it should be now, but there was still a perfect precision about her. Certainly there was nothing to suggest she had almost single-handedly saved the rest of the family. Gordon had filled him in when they started pulling their resources, trying to figure out exactly what it was that had happened out there.

"How do you know? You saw what happened today. The Hood wants the boys dead, and if he has John..." Jeff's voice trailed off for a moment and he glanced skywards. The stars were just beginning to come out, and without thinking what he was doing, Jeff found his gaze was drawn by one in particular. "I can't lose him, Penny. I can't lose any of them."

"Do you really think the rest of your boys are going to let that happen? Even Alan is pushing Thunderbird Five to her full capabilities to find his brother. Look at Scott, Jeff. Look at your son and tell me that is someone who is about to let his brother be lost."

"But we don't even know where to start. Everything has just pulled up a dead end..."

"Jefferson Tracy, don't you dare talk like that! Your sons are exhausting themselves doing what they can; they need their father to be strong. Let me go over to the mainland, Jeff. Let me pull out all my resources."

"We've spoken about this, Penny," Jeff sighed. In all reality, there had been a blazing row over it, but considering how worked up Scott had been, Jeff wasn't surprised. His oldest son had wanted to head over to where John had last been seen as soon as they had landed and was not happy when his father had immediately forbidden it. Jeff was not letting any of them off the island, not until they knew what they were dealing with. It was one thing for the three of them to have walked into a trap; they had tried taking the fight to the Hood, after all. But for him to have managed to locate and take John in a crowded New York street? Who knew where he had eyes, and Jeff certainly wasn't about to let the maniac hurt any more of the family.

Penny had offered to go instead, but still Jeff had refused. He couldn't spare the craft – or a pilot – to take her. For once, they were just going to have to rely on their agents to search the scene, and it was killing Jeff letting it happen. He felt like he was hiding away when he should have been out looking for his son, but the rational part of him knew he had to keep the rest of the family safe. Agents had flocked to the scene – discreetly, of course – but apart from finding a crashed car, there was nothing. Whoever had done this knew precisely what they were doing, for all traces of whoever had been in the area – including John – had vanished. It was only because of his last communication signal that they knew he had even been there at all.

"Dad?"

Gordon's soft call drew Jeff's attention and he received a nod from Penny before he hurried across, wondering if his fourth-born had been able to find something. Resting his hand on Gordon's back, he made to lean over his son's shoulder. But before he could do so, Gordon spoke again, his eye-line making it quite clear that he wasn't thinking of John at that moment in time.

"I'm worried about Scott," he muttered quietly. Jeff followed his gaze and sighed heavily. Gordon wasn't the only one. The eldest brother was quite clearly pacing, and if his arm movements were anything to go by, he was getting more and more agitated as further negative results came back.

"How did you think he would react?" Jeff asked softly, knowing it was up to him to try and stop Gordon from heading the same way. It was more commonly known that the older Tracy brothers were a force to be reckoned with, but Jeff knew the younger ones were just as dangerous, if not more so. When the Terrible Two emerged, nothing could mess with them.

"It's not just that..." Gordon glanced back at the desk and his folded hands on his lap, clearly trying to steel himself to say what was playing on his mind. "Dad, John didn't like this plan, and Scott knew that. Yet he basically ordered John to go to pick up the stuff. They almost came to blows over it on the beach, and now this? If...if John doesn't come back, Scott will never forgive himself."

"John will come back," Jeff said firmly, his voice clearly leaving no room for arguments. Gordon glanced up at his father, his brow crumpling when he took in the determined glint in the man's eye.

"Dad, we still don't know where to start looking." Unlike his usual care-free voice, Gordon's was lined with worry and concern over his missing brother. He had spoken to the Hood, watched the delight spring into the maniac's eyes as he had threatened them, even making good on those threats. What chance would John have on his own?

"Then we redouble our efforts," Jeff responded shortly, giving Gordon's shoulder a squeeze almost automatically before moving away. Gordon simply sighed as he watched the man move. It seemed it wasn't only Scott he had to worry about now. He should have known though. He may have been the one to yell at the screen, claiming the Hood was lying, but it was his father who was in a strange sort of denial. The Hood had only shown them John's watch, meaning they had no idea what sort of state their brother was in.

Cursing out loud, Gordon let his head flop onto the desk in front of him. He was so tired, aching from the fight and almost driven mad with worry. Why did he have to worry about his oldest brother and father at the same time? He didn't see Virgil sleepily look up before the older man's big brother instincts took over and he was next to Gordon like a shot, his hand resting reassuringly on the base of his neck.

"We'll get him back, Gords."

"How?" Gordon muttered quietly, glancing out to where Scott was still pacing. He didn't want to sound like he had given up, he was supposed to be the optimistic one of the family. Yet they had walked straight into the trap the Hood had left for them, almost costing Virgil his life. His eyes lingered on his brother's burns, then Gordon glared back down at the table again. "We have no idea where he is, if he is even alive."

"Don't you dare say that!" Virgil snapped, his hand tightening in warning.

Gordon didn't know what to say in response, so he merely looked up at his big brother, the pain lingering in his eyes.

"We know the harsh realities of the world, Virg. We know how much this creep wants us dead. John should never have gone to the offices alone. He doesn't know the procedure for pickups that well. Someone should have been with him."

"He knew what he was doing." Virgil couldn't help but think the same way as his brother, but he knew that if they were to have any chance of pulling the entire family through this, they needed Gordon back to his old self. "Come on, Gords, you know that if it wasn't for Penny, we wouldn't have stood a chance either."

Subconsciously, his hand rubbed at one of the burns on his exposed arms. Wearing a loose fitting, short sleeved shirt made things so much more comfortable but certainly revealed more of the burns.

"Whoever went would have got caught. Whether it was you, John, Scott, whoever. This guy knew. He knew where we were and what we were doing." Suddenly, the reality of his own words crashed over Virgil and he sat down on the edge of the desk, swearing.

"Virg?"

"He knew. He knows everything. That bastard! If he has so much as laid a finger on our brother, I'm gonna personally tear said finger off myself."

Gordon couldn't help but grin. Now they were getting somewhere. With the fire burning in Virgil, he knew that the artist was going to stop at nothing. When Virgil's temper had been awoken, nothing and no one could stand in his way. Standing up again, Virgil gently pushed Gordon's chair aside, taking up the younger man's position on the computer, Gordon watching him as his talented fingers flew.

"Still nothing." The voice was almost harsh, lacking in emotion as Scott stepped through the door, running his hand over his eyes. The rest of the family knew it was just the way he dealt with things. When you could hear no emotion in Scott's voice, it was because the feelings were too overwhelming for him to control. It was something he had always done, ever since their mother had died. He had been forced to hide his own grief, and ever since then, had refused to let any raw emotion be heard in his voice. The Air Force training had just reinforced that.

"Nor here." Jeff's quiet voice was almost identical to Scott's. The desperation Gordon had heard was still present, but it was as if it had been pushed aside. Their father walked over at the same time as their oldest brother. Scott perched on the edge of the desk as Gordon dragged his chair over, his father resting a hand on his shoulder. For a long moment, nothing was said. What was there that could be said?

"Where the hell are you, Johnny?" Scott whispered under his breath, staring at the ceiling in order to avoid the gaze of the rest of the family. He wasn't sure he could take in the same pain in their eyes that he was feeling himself. How the hell had it gotten to this? Before anyone could answer, another voice cut through their foreboding thoughts.

"Jeff! In here, quickly!"

"What is it, Mother?" Jeff had covered half of the distance even before he had finished speaking, his sons on his heels.

"He's..." Whether she was incapable of finishing her sentence or whether her son cut her off, the rest of the family could not say. But Jeff seemed to realise what was coming, for his wrist immediately snapped up to his mouth as he activated his watch.

"Alan, come in."

"Here, Dad." Jeff glanced up at his son. In his worry, he couldn't believe it had taken him this long to think of it.

"John has set up all those tracking and tracing devices up on Five, hasn't he? I want you to activate anything and everything you can get your hands on; we're taking down this Hood."

"He hasn't tested them, Dad, I have no idea..."

"Alan, that was an order."

"F.A.B." Alan signed off, but not before Virgil gave his father a reproachful look.

"He's just as worried as you are."

"I don't need-"

"Jeff!" Once again, his mother's shout – albeit mingled with disapproval this time – stopped Jeff's words.

"Dad, please, this could be our only chance. If he makes the contact, we can track it."

It was Gordon's quiet tone that finally got through to Jeff, and with a nod, he led the way into the lounge. Immediately, he knew what had drawn his mother's attention, for the video-screen was flickering occasionally. Almost as soon as the family had entered the room, it flared into life. Scott couldn't help but wonder whether the Hood had timed it for maximum impact, whether he knew precisely when they had all made it into the room.

"Tracy, I hope you have the deeds and plans ready." The Hood's face flickered onto the screen almost instantly and Gordon found that he was forced to grab onto the back of Scott's shirt as his eldest brother took a threatening step forward. For a moment, he didn't think he would be able to hold back the practically shaking man, but he managed to catch Virgil's eye, and the artist realised what was happening. Grabbing onto Scott's arm, the two younger brothers managed to pull the older one back. Sitting Scott down in between them, Gordon managed to just about see Virgil's warning look around their brother and knew not to let go again.

Jeff shot a sideways glance out of the corner of his eye, and Scott nodded, his fingers playing with his watch. Most onlookers would have no idea what the man had just done. But the family knew he had just received the go-ahead from Alan. If there was a way to trace this man, they would find it.

"Something like that takes time, I can't just do it," Jeff responded tersely, and his sons had to give him credit. It did really sound like he was giving in – and hating every moment of it. They would have believed him, it was just a matter of whether the Hood would. Gordon thought his heart would stop when he heard the next words.

"I don't believe you."

The three boys held their breath, and Gordon could have sworn he heard Alan's hands falter over the keyboard. Jeff didn't so much as blink.

"Your loss then. If you think I'll risk my son on it..."

For a long moment, there was silence. Jeff found himself locked almost in a staring match with the man, but didn't do anything to break it. The longer they could hold him on, the more chance Alan had of being able to get a proper trace on him. And a proper trace on the Hood meant a proper lead on John. He refused to think about the fact that their last attemptto seek out the madman was what had caused all of this trouble in the first place.

"Very well. I will contact you again in an hour, then every hour until I have what I desire. If I don't see the evidence that you are carrying out my instructions by the next contact, Tracy, I'll show my...displeasure. And your precious son will be the one to bear the consequences."

"Wait!" Seeing the man was clearly intending to disconnect the line, Jeff shot Scott another almost invisible glance. His son glanced at his watch, before shaking his head, grateful he was out of the eye-line of the monitor. Alan still hadn't been able to find anything.

"Let me see him! Let me see John!"

"No," The Hood responded bluntly, and everyone in the room held their breath. If the Hood was not even going to let them see John, they would have no idea what state their brother was in. Scott refused to think about how much harder that was going to make a rescue attempt.

Suddenly, the Hood snarled, "Nice try, Tracy." And with that, the line went completely dead.

"What did he me-?" Virgil's question didn't even finish getting out of his mouth before Alan suddenly swore violently, connecting back through to the lounge via his portrait at the same time. The kid looked more strained than Scott had ever seen him. Alan glanced up, caught Jeff's eyes and immediately looked away again.

"Dear?" It was Grandma who spoke, perching shakily on Jeff's desk chair, her face unnaturally pale after hearing a madman threatening her grandson. Alan shook his head slowly for a moment, before lifting pain-filled eyes to meet those of his father.

"I lost him. He knew we were tracing him. I thought I was getting his signal. He had scrambled it well, but I thought I was getting somewhere..." Alan broke off, but Gordon stood up, relinquishing the control of Scott to Virgil. If anyone could keep him under control, it was his artistic brother.

"It's not your fault, Al. You tried."

"John would have been able to do it," Alan muttered glumly, and not for the first time did Gordon curse the physical distance between the island and whoever was on duty on board the Space Station. He didn't realise he often echoed Scott's thoughts about wishing they could all just stay together. Although rather than it being out of some paranoid protection, Gordon just didn't see the point of why one of them had to be in space.

"You don't know that."

"If anything happens to Johnny, it's because I wasn't quick enough."

"Don't you dare, Alan Tracy!"

Jeff had made to open his mouth, knowing that he couldn't allow his son to think like that or the Hood really would have won, but once again, his mother beat him to it. "No one is to blame apart from that nasty man. And just because technology may have failed us doesn't mean we have failed your brother. We still have people working for us. Scott, any news from the agents?"

"Nothing, Grandma. No one knows a damn thing. It's like John has just disappeared without a trace. How could the Hood have done this? How could he have known where John was?"

"Questioning everything isn't going to help, son." Jeff's voice was tired and drained as he looked at his sons. Scott was pale, his eyes overly bright with anger. Virgil looked nothing short of exhausted, the burns showing up even in the dim light of the lounge. Gordon too looked exhausted, his fists clenching and relaxing as he tried to regain control of his emotions. As Jeff watched, he twisted his back slightly, a clear sign it was beginning to tense up. Alan looked close to tears.

"We have to question something!"

The explosion Jeff had been waiting for finally struck as Scott leapt to his feet, tearing his arm out of Virgil's slackening grasp as he began to pace the lounge. "If we don't, how will we ever figure out how the hell he has done this?"

"Scott..."

"No, Dad. You're acting like you are just in another business meeting, bargaining for some idiot's company. This is John we are talking about. This complete creep has my brother, the same one I swore I would protect, and you are saying we shouldn't be questioning things?"

"Scott, that's enough!"

If Scott had wanted to take the argument further – again, Jeff couldn't help but drily think – then his father's tone had certainly stopped him. The eldest son dropped his eyes, allowing Virgil to pull him back onto the sofa.

"Keep breathing, Scott. Dad's gonna flip otherwise, and that won't help John."

"I am breathing," Scott snapped, but his tone was slightly lighter than before, and when his younger brother nudged him in the ribs, he smiled a little, nudging Virgil back.

"Do you want..." Gordon broke off, swallowing as he glanced towards his only younger brother's still-active portrait. The look of loss on Alan's face seemed to steel his nerves, and he turned back to his father. His voice was soft and low, and if anyone had shut their eyes, they would have never said that it was Gordon talking. "Do you want me to get Brains up here to start getting plans and stuff together?"

"What?"

"Dad's right with what he said, Scott." Despite his words being addressed to his oldest brother, Gordon couldn't bring himself to meet said brother's eyes. "We can't risk John on this. Brains can just build us something bigger, something better, right?"

There was an almost childish note to Gordon's voice, a silent plea for someone to tell him that they were going to find a way out of this. For a split second, he met Scott's eyes across the room, and something in the older man melted. He wriggled out of Virgil's grip once again, but this time crossed the room to stand behind his second-youngest brother. Resting his hand on Gordon's shoulder, he squeezed it gently.

"We're going to get him back, Gords."

"How?"

"By not giving up." Jeff's quiet tones filled the air, a solid determination reflected within. He nodded at Scott, who returned the gesture, clearing the air between father and son. They needed to work together in order for anything to be done, and undermining each other was certainly going to do nothing to reunite them with the missing member of their family.

The Tracys set to work once again. Scott was back on the phone, putting in calls to anyone and everyone he could think of. John had been taken in New York, but unless the Hood had a base there – which Scott doubted – he would have had to provide some sort of transport. So surely someone would know something?

Virgil went back to what he had been doing on the computer, trying to search for anything that might give a hint towards his missing sibling. Gordon and Alan were talking quietly, but the rest of the family left them to it. No one knew what they were talking about, but as Alan suddenly smiled, a flicker of his normal expression leaking through the haunted one, they knew the two youngest would be alright. No one could comfort them in the strange way they had of comforting each other.

Jeff didn't seem to know what to do with himself. For a long moment, he just stared out into nothing, his mind partly going blank as he tried to let the events catch up with him. The madman who wanted all of his boys dead had one of them, and judging by the ease with which he had smashed John's watch, had no qualms about hurting the star-loving Tracy.

"He's strong, Jeff." Penny's soft but clipped tones sounded directly in his ear, making Jeff jump. The Lady had come out to join him, looking up towards the stars as the night drew in.

"So is the Hood."

"You think John is going to let him do anything? You know your boy better than me, and I have every confidence that John will talk his way out of trouble. You know what he is like, nothing stops him. No challenge is too great for that young man."

"But Penny..." Jeff broke off, glancing over his shoulder to his two youngest sons. Alan's eyes had regained a hint of their usual sparkle, and although Gordon's hands were resting on his lower back, his face was reasonably pain-free. "What if he doesn't? This is killing them."

"And it's not you? Come on, Jeff, get a grip on yourself; this isn't helping John."

Jeff bristled slightly in anger, wondering how the aristocrat could even think of telling him to "get a grip" on himself when a complete maniac had his son, but before he could do so, Virgil was suddenly yelling for him. Scott went running in at the same time, and Gordon turned slightly. Jeff shot Penny a look before he too disappeared back into the lounge. The look had clearly invited her to join them should she so wish, but was also a warning. It was one thing for her to tell the father to pull himself together, but Jeff was not having her address the boys like that. Scott's temper was only hanging by a thread as it was.

"What is it, Virg?"

"The hour is nearly up." He glanced up briefly, meeting his father's eyes. "We have nothing to show for it, and no lead."

Jeff shut his eyes for a moment, brief resignation crossing his face.

"Gordon, call Brains and get him to come up here."

"F.A.B."

His second-youngest son turned to do so, and Jeff perched on the edge of the desk, resting his face in his hands and hiding from the view of his sons. He knew he had to be the one to tell them it was all going to be okay, that they would find a way through it, but he just didn't know how. He had no idea if this was going to be okay.

"Dad, how are we going to play this?" Ever-wanting to have control of the situation, especially considering it involved his younger brothers, Scott was still standing, his hands clasped behind his back. His father was just glad he hadn't started pacing again.

"We're going to make him think that we are giving into his demands, but that we need more time. Although that isn't exactly a lie, the plans aren't just lying around to be taken at will."

"What about John?" Gordon had turned back again, taking a few steps closer to the family he had remaining. "You saw what he did to the watch."

"What did that bastard do to my watch?"

"You were there, you..." Scott's voice suddenly trailed off when he realised who he was answering. Very slowly – vaguely aware of the rest of the family doing the same thing - he turned. He didn't know whether he wanted to hug or hit the figure standing in the doorway.

"John!"

A trickle of blood was running down his forehead and he looked horrible. But, there, looking slightly confused as to what the family was talking about, stood the missing brother.

Chapter Text

"John?" It was Virgil's voice that broke the silence this time, low and uncertain as he stood up, taking a step forward as if he didn't believe that his brother was truly there.

"How?" Gordon was practically laughing now, although both Virgil and Scott knew that he was finding nothing funny, it was just the sheer absurdity of the situation. They had just spent however many hours thinking up ways to try and locate their sworn enemy believing that he was about to kill their brother. And yet, despite looking slightly worse for wear, here said brother was.

"How what?"

"Dad, five minutes until the hour is up!" Glancing away from John's completely confused face, Virgil spun back around to face their father. "What are you going to do?"

The five sons of Jeff Tracy had always prided themselves on being able to get into complete mischief whilst growing up – although admittedly some more than others – and being able to get away with it. But never had they expected to see that same devious smirk slip onto their father's face. Even as his eyes glinted somewhat dangerously, Jeff stood up, moving across so he was clearly going to be in position in front of the video-screen.

"Boys, original positions. John, stay out of sight."

"Dad?"

"Just do it!"

No sooner had John obeyed his father's command and ducked out of the way than the screen flickered into life, a grey static dominating whilst the connection struggled to make itself known. For a split second, Jeff's eyes flickered over to the side, taking in the sight of the bloody gash across his son's head. His mother had moved in, wrapping her arm around her second oldest grandson, and it was a clear sign that John knew how troubled things were that he let her do it. Normally, the elder of the blonds would be the first to shy away from the contact. As Jeff watched, she ran her hand through his hair, and John sagged against the touch. Making a mental note to get him to the infirmary as soon as he could in order to make sure there was nothing else wrong besides than the visible injuries, Jeff turned his attention back to the screen.

He was just in time to see the Hood's leering face flicker into view, and it took all of his self-control to not show they knew the truth straight away. But Jeff wanted to play the Hood at his own game, almost as if he was the same as any other business opponent he had come across. He had just never had the stakes so high.

"Tracy."

When Jeff didn't say anything, the Hood found himself forced to be the first to start speaking or there would have just been silence. He had the most to lose by delaying now that he knew they were trying to track him. The Hood may not have the same hold over them as he had originally thought, but the Tracys were still determined to do everything in their power to bring the criminal to justice.

"I trust you have the documents ready?"

"No."

"No? Perhaps you misunderstood me. I said an hour before I wanted evidence that you were submitting to my requests."

"I know."

Scott just about had the Hood in his eye-line – he didn't dare sit any more in view for fear he would try to put his fist through the screen - but he did witness the momentary confusion flicker over the maniac's face before he schooled his expression into neutrality once again.

"Tracy, let me make this perfectly clear. Show me that you are handing over the plans as I have demanded, or your precious son will suffer for it. You said you wouldn't risk him, do not test me now."

"See there is the problem." If Jeff was aware of the identical grins splitting across Gordon and Virgil's faces at his casual tone, he certainly didn't react to it. "I don't believe you."

If anything, the Hood's face got darker, a purely venomous look being shot at Jeff.

"Do not test me," the Hood repeated, his voice dripping with hatred. Subconsciously, Gordon shuddered slightly, even though he was still smiling at his father's approach. Typically, Scott picked up on the action and gripped his brother's forearm momentarily across the table, receiving a grateful smile in response. Nothing more was said and no attention was drawn to the fact that Gordon was attempting to hide his fear of this man. All of them were feeling the same; he was just the one to have shown it slightly. Ironically, it was of no surprise that it was Gordon to have shown his emotion. Out of all of the family, he had always been the most expressive with showing his feelings, no matter what the situation.

"Then consider yourself tested," Jeff immediately shot back, leaning back casually and folding his arms across his chest. It wasn't just Gordon and Virgil who were smiling now. John also had a grin on his face and there was a look of respect shining out of Scott's eyes. None of them had truly seen their father in a competitive business meeting, but watching him now, Scott knew it wasn't chance why he was so successful. After all, if he could act like this in front of someone who was threatening to kill his own children, what would he have been like in front of someone who merely wanted an investment?

"Your son will pay for that remark, Tracy. This is your last warning, show me the evidence."

"No." Their father's tone was taking on a firmer note now, anger mingled with hatred pouring out of every fibre of his being.

"Very well. I will make sure he knows his father failed him."

"And remind me again which son this is?" Jeff's voice had changed again, and although Scott couldn't place a specific emotion in it, even he could understand the message. Jeff held all the cards now, and he was playing a hand the Hood couldn't hope to win against. For a moment, Jeff held the Hood's gaze challengingly, before he turned to one side. "Can't be any of those three, they've been here the whole time. And the other one is far beyond even your reach."

Jeff turned back to the screen, catching the madman's eye once more, raising an eyebrow as he stared his enemy down. "You mean this son?"

Holding out his hand, he gestured for John to come closer. For a moment, the blond hesitated, his eyes slipping from his father to his only older brother to try and clarify precisely what he was in the middle of. When Scott nodded at him though, he moved forward, coming into the camera's view. There was a deadly silence the other end, so intense that Gordon shivered slightly. The Hood's face went completely neutral, but there was a look in his eye. A look that promised revenge for the Tracy's being able to get one over him, and a look that was nothing short of murderous as he glared at Jeff.

Virgil frowned slightly at the way John seemed to be holding one hand behind his back as the blond moved past him. His brother couldn't see anything there, but it was almost as if he was holding onto the bottom of his shirt. It looked like he was trying to stop something sliding out, but before Virgil could even shoot the older man a quizzical look, his father spoke again.

"In case this hasn't been made clear, Hood. Or whoever the hell you are. No one messes with my family." Jeff paused for a brief second, his gaze sliding past the camera and coming to a stop at the door. Penny was still hovering around and Brains was in the process of pushing his glasses up. The father hadn't heard the genius's arrival, but considering Gordon had summoned him up, Jeff wasn't surprised to see him standing there. "And I don't just mean those with the surname of Tracy."

Any neutrality in the Hood's face was gone now. He looked nothing short of murderous.

"I still have the plans you sent your son to collect. I can still bring you down."

For the first time since the call had started, Jeff had a flicker of doubt lingering in his eyes. His sons were sure they were the only ones who could see it. If there was one thing Jeff Tracy was good at, it was hiding his emotions.

"Actually..."

It wasn't Jeff sounding cool and collected this time, but the son perching on the arm of his chair. With a slightly apologetic grin – although who it was directed at, no one could say – he reached behind him. Virgil was the only who saw John's hand slip under his shirt, and so was the first to see the tell-tale colour of a folder sliding out.

"You mean these plans?" John brought the folder into view. For a long moment, there was a deadly silence.

"This isn't over, Tracy. I will bring down International Rescue."

"This is over." Jeff's tone was final, one his sons knew not to cross. Judging by the look on the Hood's face, he wasn't prepared to go against it either, not right now. It still didn't stop him from making sure he had the last word in the confrontation. He reached behind him, his hand only just visible in the camera shot, and drew out a gun.

Jeff reached over and grasped John's arm when he felt his son flinch, but didn't take his own eyes off the screen.

"I will have my revenge." Before anything else could be said, the Hood fired his gun directly at the screen, instantly causing the link to go dead. No one said anything; knowing they were all thinking the same thing. Eventually, Grandma moved across the room, flicking off the video screen to stop the sound of interference, and it was as if a great weight had been lifted from the room, Gordon even letting out a somewhat shaky laugh.

Another moment passed, relieved smiles splitting over their faces. Finally, Virgil moved in from behind his brother, holding his hands on either side of John's neck as he came around to the side, clearly anxious to take a look at his brother's head. All credit to John, he managed to submit to his younger brother's probing for about thirty seconds before he jerked his head away, a smile playing across his lips to soften the action. Instead, he stood up, and quick as lightning, grasped Virgil by the upper arms – albeit somewhat gently - as he ran his eyes over the burns.

"What happened to you?" he all but demanded, the concern evident in his voice.

"What happened to you?" Virgil shot back, wriggling out of John's grip.

"I think we would all like to know that," Jeff interrupted, finally standing up himself. There was something in his voice that made Grandma frown at him. Before anyone else could answer, she cut in.

"First Brains needs to look at that head, and no doubt you boys are hungry. To the kitchen, all of you." No one disobeyed.

As Jeff made to follow his boys, a hand reached out gently and stopped him.

"Not you, dear. You are going to tell me precisely what is on your mind."

Jeff waited until the sound of his sons' chatter had died away before he sat down heavily in John's previous spot, balancing on the arm of the chair. It was a sign of how wrong things were that his mother didn't immediately tell him off as though he was still a boy. Running a hand through his hair, Jeff found himself then dragging it down his face, blowing out a long breath. His mother didn't say anything, instead sitting back down on her chair and fixing him with a look. He knew it was the look that meant he wouldn't be leaving this room until he had confessed everything on his mind. Not to mention that she seemed to know exactly when he was holding back on something.

"Have I just made things ten times worse, Mom?" he eventually said softly, knowing that she would have heard every word. He hadn't even thought about his responses to the Hood, they had just come automatically. There had been adrenaline pumping around him in a way he hadn't experienced for years. Fifteen minutes ago, he had believed a son to be in his enemy's hands. Then he had been given the chance to let said enemy know precisely what happened when his family were messed with. But he couldn't help but think he had just challenged the Hood to try again. Then there was the matter of the Hood's last words...

"You were a bit rash, dear," his mother began, and Jeff dropped his head back into his hands. He'd known he was just making things worse, but he hadn't been able to stop himself. This creep was threatening his boys, and Jeff wasn't having it. He made to open his mouth to respond, but Grandma continued, her voice softer than before.

"But I saw the way you looked at those boys. You were just protecting your sons, Jeff. Any fool would have seen that look in your eye and run for the hills." Jeff smiled slightly as she stood up, resting her hand on his shoulder. "You did what you thought was right, and he got the message."

"But what if..?"

"What if the world stops turning tomorrow?" Grandma sighed heavily. "Jeff, you can't think of `what if's'. What's done is done; we'll just have to deal with any consequences as they come. Now, I would quite like a kitchen left standing, so I think it is about time we rescued Kyrano from my grandsons. Not to mention I know they will be anxious to know what happened to John, and the poor boy won't say anything until you are there, so come along."

In the way only Grandma could manage, she gave his shoulder a quick squeeze and strode for the door. Before she left however, she turned slightly, her voice soft.

"I'm proud of you, Jefferson. And your father would be too." Then she was gone, leaving Jeff to blink at the space that had been his mother, a small smile on his face and tears lingering in his eyes. As per usual, he had hidden any trace of emotion whilst the boys had been in the room. But he had truly believed that he had been about to lose his second-born, and that there had been nothing he could do about it.

"But he's back safe," he whispered out loud, giving himself a mental shake and climbing to his feet. He took in a deep breath, squaring his shoulders as he did so. His mother was right, as usual. Not to mention he knew she had a point about John not saying anything until his father arrived, so making sure he had control of himself once more, Jeff strode from the lounge.

The comforting chatter of his boys led Jeff towards the kitchen. For a moment, he just stood outside the door, drinking in the sounds. They were all there. Apart from a few minor injuries, they were all completely safe. For now at least... But Jeff knew not to say anything to them. It was going to take a long time before Scott started relaxing, before any of them started letting their guard down. Injury-wise, they had all suffered worse on rescues. In fact, Jeff was sure they had probably suffered worse just from what they got up to on a day-to-day basis on the island. So he was going to let them have this time to heal mentally, no matter what he thought was coming next.

Eventually, he pushed open the door with one hand and silence fell. Not that it lasted long, as Gordon suddenly let out a whoop of approval. Jeff moved further in, sliding onto one of the stools and trying to ignore the smiles on his sons' faces. When Gordon clapped him on the shoulder, still grinning, Jeff shook his head.

"What are you like?" he asked fondly, allowing the relief they were obviously feeling to wash over him.

"Dad, that was awesome!"

"Alright, Gordon, settle down, dear. Judging by the look Virgil is giving your brother, he is desperate to find out what happened. Alan, you are still receiving this, aren't you dear?"

"Yes, Grandma."

Jeff took one look at the slightly surprised expression on Virgil's face, and knew that his mother had only picked him as an example. It was perfectly obvious they all wanted to know just as much as each other what had befallen their brother in order for the Hood to believe that he was holding one of the Tracy sons hostage. Considering that Alan had already patched himself through, Jeff knew they were indeed waiting on him. He nodded at John, a clear signal for his son to begin.

"First things first," John said quietly, turning his attention to Brains. He still had the folder clenched in his hands, but as he caught the eye of the genius, he pushed it across the table towards him. "Think you might want these before they really do disappear."

"T...thank you, um, John. I...I'll s...set to w...work immediately." True to his words, Brains swept from the kitchen instantly. He was never one for big family scenes.

"So?" Scott prompted, his leg bouncing where he sat. Jeff had a feeling he was going to have to hold his son back at points during John's narration.

"Honestly? I have no idea," John admitted, but luckily, it was clear he was going to continue. Jeff caught his mother's eye and couldn't help smiling. She had subtly moved in behind Virgil the same way Jeff had done for Scott, clearly mirroring his thoughts about having to hold back the young man.

"The collection went without any problem. I was coming back down the street when a car swerved in. To start with, I thought it was just a genuine accident. But then the driver looked at me. I mean, directly looked at me, and kept coming. I ended up down one of the alleyways - you know how many there are."

Scott nodded, his face clouding over as he considered all the mishaps they had had down those alleyways over the years. Normally it had just been Gordon running off, but there had also been some darker moments.

"He crashed the car into the wall, meaning it completely blocked the entrance." John paused for a moment, a frown on his face as he thought back to what had happened. "He killed himself doing it. Three others got out. The guns gave away that this was no accident."

Jeff's hand was on Scott's shoulder within a split second, forcing him back down from where he had been trying to rise. He had been right in thinking that his eldest son was not going to like this story. Scott shot him a slightly hurt look, but stayed seated.

"You could say I didn't stand much of a chance," John muttered quietly, glancing down at his hands. His father sighed, taking in the defeated look in John's posture and the dried blood on his head. He didn't say anything though, knowing that now John had started speaking, it was easier just to let him carry on with it.

"They..." John swallowed hard, clearly steeling himself. "They dragged me into one of the garages and left me in there, tied up. They took my watch, said something about sending it ahead. Then they kind of moved away. They were talking, but I couldn't work out what was being said, which I guess is what they wanted."

After giving Scott a warning look to stay there, Jeff moved across the kitchen, dropping his hand lightly on his son's shoulder, giving it a reassuring squeeze.

"It's okay, John. You don't have to say this now if you don't want to."

"No, Dad, I'm fine. I can do this, it's just...well, the one thing I did catch was I wasn't the only one they had set a trap for." He lifted his eyes, looking directly ahead. As he did so, he managed to get all three of his earth-bound brothers in his eye-line. "I couldn't move, couldn't even call out, and I knew that you guys were walking straight into a trap. So..."

A flicker of a smile crossed John's face, and despite his father's warning look, Scott stood up, moving closer. "What did you do, John?"

"Pulled a Houdini. The ropes weren't as tight as they had hoped, and I managed to free my hands. I knew I couldn't get out of the door though, they were standing in the way, and I still had to make sure I got the plans back. So I just sat there and waited for one of them to come back over. One eventually did, and to say he was surprised when he got a fist in the face was an understatement."

Gordon laughed out loud at that, but Scott was still frowning.

"What about the others?" John looked almost ashamed.

"I grabbed his gun. One of the others came for me and I shot him." Feeling his father's hand tighten in horror on his shoulder, John quickly pushed on. "In the leg, I only got him in the leg. The other one didn't seem to want to risk it and ran for it. I still don't know where he went."

John's voice grew quiet as he relived his escape in his mind. "One of them was wearing a cap. I took it, put it on and went back into the alleyway. They had taken the plans into the garage, but the one who fled didn't think about them when he ran, they were still just sitting there. I just picked them up and walked off. The police were on their way, I could hear them. I don't know why it took them so long - do you think the Hood has connections in there? Either way, I just walked away from it, got back to the plane and came home. And here I am."

"How did you land without us knowing you were back?" Virgil asked. It had been something that he had been thinking about almost since he had first seen his brother framed in the doorway. John always followed the rules, there was no way he would have landed without radioing in, yet none of them had cleared him. The island was so full of security measures to stop anyone from paying an unexpected visit, each of the family jets were equipped with a system that let them bypass security. It was possible to land without being cleared and without setting off every single alarm, it was just unlike John to do it.

"That's a good point," Alan suddenly cut in. He should have been able to pick up the signal of the plane coming in. But as John took a moment to answer, he knew that he hadn't been following the readings as closely as he perhaps should have been. He had been too busy trying to trace the Hood to track anything else.

"Kyrano," John said simply, and as one, all heads swivelled. To say the Malaysian was conspicuous by his absence would have been an understatement.

Silence fell across the room as each member of the family thought about what had happened. Penny excused herself. She had needed to be there to hear what had happened - she was now as much part of this as the rest of them - but seemed to understand that although this was about International Rescue, it was also about the family. Despite Jeff's words, she knew that right now it only involved those with the surname of Tracy.

"What do we do now?" Virgil eventually muttered, resting his elbow on the counter and using it to cushion his head. His grandmother had moved away now John had finished speaking, something Scott watched happen with a smile playing across his mouth. "Dad?"

Before Jeff could answer, Gordon suddenly yawned. It seemed to take him by surprise as much as it did for the rest of the family, but his father moved away from his older brother, heading back towards his original stool, ruffling the aquanaut's hair as he did so.

"Now, you are all going to get some sleep."

"Dad, what are we, five?"

"No, Scott. But you are still my sons and..." Jeff's voice dropped. "And you could have all been killed today. I just need you to get some rest. Please? You too, Alan." If Jeff had ordered them to bed, his oldest son would have kicked up a fuss. Some things hadn't changed over the years. But the fact the man had asked, with a sense of desperation in his voice, made Scott grab onto Gordon's arm and begin to gently pull him from the room.

"F.A.B." If Alan wasn't happy about being sent to bed, he hid it well. "Night, guys." As the chorus of responses floated back through space at the youngest member of the family, Alan signed off. They all knew he would spend a few minutes flicking the station onto automatic, but whether or not he followed the command and went to bed, no one could say.

Brains had seen to John's head and checked Virgil's burns whilst they were waiting for their father to arrive in the kitchen, so all that remained for the young men to do was climb the stairs. Virgil followed Scott and Gordon out, but John paused for a moment. He turned, meeting his father's eyes. Jeff frowned slightly, almost seeming to examine John's soul before he nodded, his eyes softening. John smiled gently back and turned to follow his brothers. It was a sign of how much the two of them had developed the ability to communicate without words, something that was sometimes necessary when John was on Five.

John was silent as he climbed the stairs. His mind was in something of a turmoil as he changed for bed, staring at himself for a long moment in the bathroom mirror. What the hell had happened out there today? But he couldn't help but wonder whether the Hood had finally learnt his lesson. He had clearly been trying to play his whole hand by going after all four of them at once. Not for the first time was John thankful Alan was up on Five and beyond the madman's reach. But the plan had backfired, and his father had made it quite clear that no one should go after their family again. But would it be enough to make the Hood finally back down?

As he crashed down on his bed, staring at the ceiling with unseeing eyes, John hoped so. Despite the fact they had all got away, both he and Virgil had been hurt. If the orders had been to kill rather than capture, John knew with spine-chilling certainty the family would be a lot smaller tonight.

Shuddering, the blond rolled off his bed again. Climbing to his feet, he padded down the corridor almost silently, pushing open another door. There was only one place he could go when feeling like this.

As he let himself into Scott's room, it came as no surprise to find Virgil already in there. Nor was it any surprise to the three elder brothers when Gordon came bounding in not five minutes later, jumping straight onto Scott's bed. The whole action clearly said he was staying there, but none of the others disagreed with him. They had no intention of leaving the sanctuary of their eldest brother's room. And Scott had no intention of making them leave.

Chapter Text

Virgil was lying on Scott's bed. His hands were folded behind his head and his feet were perpendicular to his body where he was resting them against his brother's wall. He didn't particularly care that the neat-freak would have a fit when he saw the younger man - Virgil wasn't budging. Scott had been avoiding him for the best part of a month now. That was how long it had been since the Hood had threatened to completely tear them apart. The middle son couldn't help but wonder whether his father's attitude had actually saved the day after all. There had been no mishaps, no threats, nothing since. Five rescues had gone without a hitch – apart from Gordon ending up in a river, but even Scott couldn't blame that on a madman, not considering what the aquanaut had been doing at the time. There had even been one back in Canada. To say tensions had been high on that rescue would have been an understatement, but nothing had happened. It truly seemed as if the Hood had given up. Not that that had stopped Penny though, dragging Parker over to the mainland for as long as she possibly could whilst trying to find some lead regarding what had happened to John.

That didn't mean Virgil had given up trying to pin down his brother, though. Since the night John had escaped, he knew Scott had been going out of his way to avoid being left alone with his closest sibling. It wasn't Virgil's fault that his brother had let something accidentally slip that night. He didn't think the other two had picked up on it – they had never been able to read Scott as well as Virgil could. Judging by the way they had behaved the next day, Virgil knew he was the only one who had noticed Scott's slip of the tongue.

But now he had had enough. Scott couldn't avoid him forever, and even though his brother had taken refuge in One's hanger, muttering something about repairs when Virgil had attempted to corner him in the kitchen that morning, Virgil was determined. So he decided to take up residence in the one place Scott couldn't avoid. Being an artist had given him many talents, patience being one of them. A talent the rest of the family seemed to lack spectacularly. John could be patient when the mood took him, but Virgil knew his brother wouldn't be able to simply lie on Scott's bed for nearly two hours, just waiting for said brother to turn up again. He was hoping that Scott would be too surprised to see him there in order to be able to make his escape. Well, that was the plan...

Virgil was close to falling asleep when he finally heard the door open. He was lucky in the layout of Scott's room. His brother had to actually come most of the way in before he caught sight of the bed, meaning there would be no quick getaway. To Virgil's delight, Scott didn't so much as glance that way, instead heading straight into his bathroom. Virgil was off the bed like a shot, almost stumbling as his legs protested at having spent so much time above his head, but he made it to the door before Scott heard him. Slamming it shut, he then proceeded to sit in front of it. Scott wasn't going anywhere.

The second the door shut, the pilot reappeared, looking around in concern. When he caught sight of his brother sitting there grinning with success, he sighed somewhat irritably.

"Virgil, what the hell?" He had a towel slung over one shoulder and a frown on his face.

"You can't avoid me, Scott, we live on an island," Virgil responded smugly. After spending a month trying to chase the man, he was quite happy to have finally cornered him in his own room. He would thank Gordon later. Not that the redhead actually knew why Virgil was so adamant to talk to their brother, but he had just happily come out with ideas. Thinking back on some of them, Virgil smirked. He worried about his little brother sometimes.

Scott saw the smirk and rolled his eyes. "Who said anything about avoiding you? Get out the way, Virg, I've got stuff to do."

Virgil raised an eyebrow. "And that's not avoidance how? Give it up, Scott, I know why you've been doing it."

"You know nothing. Virgil, move." Scott's voice was bordering along the lines of angry, but Virgil knew it was just his brother trying to scare him into moving. There were occasions where it worked, but not this time. This time, Virgil was having his say and he was going to make damned sure Scott listened to him.

For a moment, he just watched his brother. Scott's jaw was set and Virgil could see the tension beginning to run down his arms as his shoulders lifted slightly. Scott knew precisely what Virgil was talking about, that much was obvious. Now what mattered was getting him to admit it out loud. Hit by a sudden idea, Virgil knew it was the only thing that would work. He would apologise later for lying outright to his brother, but only when Scott had come clean. Dropping his head in what looked like apparent defeat, he stared at his feet for a moment.

"Ever considered you're not the only one?" he muttered quietly, not wanting to look up. Scott knew him as well as he knew Scott. He knew the older man would be able to see in his eyes that he wasn't telling the truth and Scott couldn't know that, not yet.

"What?"

"Oh give it up, Scott, you know what I mean. Has it crossed your mind there might have been a reason I've wanted to talk to you for the last month other than annoying the hell out of you?" The annoyance present in his voice wasn't an act. Virgil truly was irritated by how successfully Scott had managed to avoid him.

"Virgil, what is this?" Scott's voice had softened though. He sounded genuinely confused, and Virgil couldn't blame him. After all, he was clearly pretending there was a problem, and no matter how much Scott had been avoiding him, if something had been wrong, Virgil knew the oldest brother would have picked up on it. Sparing Scott a quick glance before lowering his eyes to the floor, he was glad to see the pilot's tense stance seemed to have softened slightly. The time for subtlety was at an end.

"Is it worth it, Scott?" Hearing his brother's sharp intake of breath, Virgil pushed on. "Come on, I know I'm not the only one thinking it. John, Gordon, Alan, you. All of us could be dead thanks to IR. Is it worth it?" If it had been any other occasion, Virgil knew his brother would be the first to defend their father's dream, pointing out all the times they had defied the odds to save someone who certainly would not have survived without them. But this was not any other occasion. Instead, Virgil had just voiced the one thing he knew had been going through his brother's mind for the last month at the very least, and sure enough, Scott sat down on the bed, sighing heavily.

"I wish I could say yes," he admitted quietly, staring at his hands. Virgil dropped all pretences and faced his brother. He had to get through to the man.

"But..?"

It showed how uncertain Scott was that he didn't pick up on the change in Virgil's tone.

"But I can't. Not with a clear conscience. You're right, Virg, you are not the only one thinking it."

"Why didn't you tell me, Scott?" Virgil climbed up off the floor and pulled round Scott's chair, sitting so he was facing his brother. "Why didn't you tell Dad?"

"Tell Dad? Are you crazy? He thinks we've beaten the Hood, that everything is fine again. You saw his face when we returned from the last rescue. In his mind, his dream is being fulfilled once again."

Virgil frowned at the bitterness in Scott's voice. It seemed the problems were even deeper than he'd thought.

"And your dream isn't?" he prompted. He knew full well that before all this nothing had given Scott more of a thrill than taking control of a successful rescue. His heart sank when Scott paused for a moment before shaking his head.

"It's the way he passed them off as accidents that got me thinking."

"But you know they weren't accidents. Scott, John all but found proof it was that creep trying to kill us."

"We didn't know though, did we?" Scott said quietly, lifting his head and meeting Virgil's gaze. For a moment, he frowned, something in him realising that Virgil was directing the whole conversation towards how he was feeling, despite him being the one to bring the topic up. He would deal with that in a moment. Now Virgil had made him start speaking, it was as if his tongue had a life of its own. Scott couldn't have stopped it even if he'd wanted to. "It was only Gordon who realised something was wrong. He could have died, and we would have put it down to an accident."

"Scott, I don't understand," Virgil cut in, confused. "It wasn't an accident, so what's your point?"

"An accident like that could have easily happened, Virgil."

Suddenly, Virgil knew where this was going. Scott had had these same doubts when IR had originally been set up, when he realised what his father had been asking of them. Asking of Scott... Asking him to send his brothers into danger, co-ordinating their every move. Meaning that if something went wrong, Scott would have more than enough reason to blame himself. It had been John who had managed to get through to their eldest brother then, but Virgil knew it was up to him now. If he didn't sort this out before he left this room, he had a horrible feeling it was never going to be sorted out.

"Stop," Virgil said firmly, leaning forward so that he was looking Scott directly in the eye. "I know where you are going with this, and the answer is it isn't your fault. We know accidents can happen, and apart from a few broken bones, name one that we haven't been able to laugh about in one way or another afterwards? This was different, in the sense they weren't accidents."

"What difference does it make, Virg?"

Virgil found himself biting his lip. He should have found a way to corner Scott before this. He should have found some way of stopping things getting this bad. But he knew what the older man was like, and so knew that Scott would have done anything to make sure his younger brothers didn't know what was troubling him. It might have worked if not for one thing: Virgil could almost read his mind.

"Gordon could have died and we would have put it down to an accident. Then Alan would have been killed because there was no Gordon there to save him."

Virgil groaned. He knew that no matter what he said, Scott was going to keep bringing it back to the fact that they could have died. He knew that, despite his previous concerns, it wasn't really the 'accidents' that had his brother so troubled. It was the knowledge that he had been helpless to stop them that had Scott so worked up. Virgil knew Scott had sworn to himself after their mother died that he would protect the family, and now he felt as if he was being forced to break that promise.

"Scott, stop," Virgil moaned, resting his head in his hands. "If you are going to go down that route, you know what, give up."

"Virgil!"

"I'm serious. If we're going to have you out there second-guessing everything we are about to do, then accidents are going to happen. Or..." He lifted his head again, locking eyes with his big brother and trying to simply will the man to listen to him. If Scott didn't accept this, Virgil had no idea what he was going to say. "Or you could snap out of it, become the Field Commander who has got us through every rescue and home again, regardless of what happened out there. The one who has never put us in a dangerous situation - we've managed to do that ourselves by not listening to your advice."

Virgil paused again, running his hand through his hair in frustration.

"Scott, we need you out there. But if you are going to be thinking like this, then you are no good to us. You know the rest of us will carry on going out there without you..." Technically, Virgil wasn't sure that was true, but he wasn't going to tell Scott that. "So it's your choice. You either come out there with us and make sure we aren't idiots - well, no more than usual. Or you sit here and mope and then have a full-on panic attack when one of us gets hurt. Your choice, I'm done going around in circles."

Virgil pushed his chair back and strode for the door. He knew his words were harsh, but he had truly had enough. He had spent a month trying to corner his brother, to force him to open up and admit what was going through his head. But now he wasn't quite sure why. Scott clearly had his mind set on stopping the rescues –whether it be through him leaving or the operation shutting down -and Virgil knew when Scott had his mind set on something, there would be no changing it.

"You're a liar you know."

The soft and quiet voice made Virgil pause, his hand already on the door. Even so, he couldn't resist twisting his neck to frown quizzically at his brother.

"What?"

"You're a liar." Scott got slowly off the bed, taking a step towards his younger brother. If he saw Virgil's fleeting look of nerves, he ignored it.

"And you came about this marvellous piece of information how?"

"You never had doubts, did you?"

Virgil grinned. He should have known Scott would see straight through his brother's charade to make him talk. The artist just hoped it meant that Scott truly was beginning to see sense again. Meeting Scott's gaze head on, Virgil shook his head, smile firmly in place.

"Nope."

"You bastard."

"Worked, didn't it?" With a cheeky grin that could rival Gordon's, Virgil wrenched open the door and sped into the hallway beyond. He knew now that Scott was going to be okay. How, he couldn't have said. But he could read the man, and knew the fact Scott was insulting him again meant they had got somewhere.

For once, Scott didn't gave chase like he would normally do, and Virgil meandered down into the lounge, feeling more than satisfied with himself. If he knew Scott as well as he thought – and considering the conversation that had just taken place, he was sure he did – then the pilot would be doing some thinking.

"What are you looking so cheerful about?"

Virgil would deny it vehemently afterwards, but John made him jump. For a moment, he had to glance around the room trying to locate the voice, only to see his brother curled up in a chair, peering at his younger sibling over the top of his book. Virgil made to open his mouth, and John rolled his eyes.

"If you dare ask me if I'm alright, you're going in the pool the way Gordon did."

"You got Gordon in the pool?"

"Don't sound so disbelieving, the tyke was annoying me."

"What did he do?"

"Denied that he was following me." John uncurled his legs slightly, marking his page and placing his book on the table next to him as he watched for Virgil's reaction. "He's been doing it ever since...well, you know. Seems to think that I'm suddenly going to drop dead or something."

Virgil had to smirk at that, but John wasn't finished.

"Only problem is, I believe him when he said someone put him up to it."

Virgil shrugged. "You know what Scott is like."

"True," John mused, watching Virgil closely, a smirk playing across his lips. "Although I know I'm not the only one who's noticed how distracted Scott has been. So it must have been someone else, don't you agree, Virg?"

"Maybe so." Virgil was fighting to keep the smile off his own face. "You know how Alan likes to still feel like he is part of everything when he is up on Five. He probably blackmailed Gordon into doing it for him."

"True again. Only I've been talking to Alan nearly every day. He just asks."

Virgil backed up a couple of steps, knowing the game was up. He couldn't spend his time chasing down both Scott and John to make sure his brothers were okay. He just thought Gordon would have had more stealth than to let John know what he was up to. Then again, Gordon had to have learnt it from somewhere, and Virgil was sure there was a depth to John that he kept hidden from the rest of them.

"So that only leaves one person."

"Oh I know, Dad's very sneaky like that, using Gordon to spy on his own son."

"Virgil..." John was standing up now, a playful glint in his eye. The fact that Virgil was backing up was enough to prove what he had suspected all along. Out of everyone, he should have known Virgil would be trying to make sure everyone was okay. Why not make Gordon feel like he was doing something useful whilst he tried to sort out the oldest brother?

Before Virgil could answer, John had gained on him, pulling the younger man into a headlock and rubbing his fist into Virgil's hair.

"John! Gerrof!"

"Admit it, little brother. You had Gordon follow me!"

"Did not!" Virgil was fully aware that John knew, but he wasn't going to admit it out loud. If John had managed to dump Gordon in the pool just for doing what Virgil had told him to, the artist didn't want to know what the star-lover had lined up for him.

"Did!"

"Didn't!" Just as Virgil thought he was going to be in big trouble, the most welcome sound he had ever heard given his positioning sounded through the house as the klaxon went off.

"Saved by the bell," Virgil muttered, a small grin on his face. John merely glared at him, but let go all the same, the two moving into position even as Jeff came through. He smiled at seeing two of them there, Scott's thundering footfalls letting him know a third was on his way.

"Don't think you are saved from anything, short-stuff."

"Don't call me..!"

"Boys!" There was no real heat in Jeff's voice though. He was too relieved to have them acting as their old selves to bother telling them to stop. Instead, his eyes slid to the door and he traded an all-knowing smirk with his eldest son as Scott walked in. Simultaneously, Gordon slid through the doors at the far end, dripping wet. John smirked in a self-satisfied manner and shot Virgil what was supposed to be a warning look. Virgil, however, was too busy watching Scott. His older brother seemed to sense the penetrating gaze upon him and caught Virgil's eye. An unspoken message seemed to shoot between them, the rest of the room almost fading away as Virgil tried to gauge Scott's reaction. His brother dipped his head ever so slightly, an action Virgil knew would be lost on everyone else, and Virgil relaxed. Scott had accepted what he had said.

"Alan, report."

The link to Thunderbird Five was active and Alan immediately launched into his report. Strong gales in Malaysia were making things dangerous. Already there had been two major accidents and the area was in chaos.

"Boys?" For once, Jeff wasn't about to immediately send his sons on this rescue, not considering the location. He knew they had got through the Canadian one, but the three of them who had gone had been on edge the whole time. This was really going into the lion's den.

"Those people need help, I'm going." Gordon's answer couldn't have come back quicker if he had tried, and his father smiled in pride at his second-youngest son.

"Likewise. Who lives there has nothing to do with it. We can't let people down because of what else happened out there." John sounded just as sure as his younger brother, but Virgil looked to Scott.

"Commander?" he said gently, wondering whether his big brother was going to step up to his role again or not. In a way, he both loved and hated where this rescue was. If Scott could handle one here, he could handle one anywhere. But at the same time, it would have been a lot easier to handle a small one on the other side of the world.

Scott locked eyes with Virgil for a long moment, before dropping his eyes again.

"We'll go."

Virgil didn't realise how much the room had been waiting for Scott's decision on the matter, but it seemed to give a collective sigh at his words. Immediately, their father snapped into a purely professional mode.

"Scott, take One and launch now, I need a full report when you get there. Virgil, take both John and Gordon. This sounds like it is going to be an all hands on deck situation and John, you know the language. Alan, establish a firm line of communication with the locals and a chain of command if you can get through to them."

A chorus of "F.A.B"'s answered Jeff's commands, and his sons immediately whisked into action. Within ten minutes, there was no evidence that two of the world's most advanced machines had taken off from the hidden base.

"Coffee, Mr Tracy?" Kyrano's voice was ever the welcome one, and Jeff turned to see not only the man standing there, but his mother as well. As if sensing his train of thought, his mother crossed the room and sat in one of the chairs in front of him.

"Only one, Kyrano," she told him, and Kyrano disappeared with a smile.

"Mom..."

"I'll make it none if you use that tone of voice, Jeff. You know he listens to me."

For a moment, Jeff merely pouted at his mother, but as she smiled at him, eyebrows raised, he gave in. He never could defeat that woman.

"Am I..."

"Doing the right thing? Who knows? Judging by that conversation, your boys made up their minds without you, Jeff. You gave them the choice, they chose. Now, are you going to keep Alan waiting any longer or are you actually going to do your job in the same professional way that your boys are?"

"Yes, Ma'am."

"Cheeky."

Even so, it was with a grin that Jeff reopened his communications with the boys, smiling at Kyrano as the man placed a steaming mug in front of him. His mother might have only allowed him to have one, but Kyrano had made sure it was the biggest mug they had. Judging by the small tut, his mother knew it.

"Alan, report. What's the situation? Where are your brothers?" Aware that his every move was being followed by the woman sitting opposite him, Jeff let himself switch from father to commander. It was about time they got rid of all doubts, once and for all.

John jogged over to Mobile Control, seeing Scott approaching at the same speed from the opposite direction. Hit with the sudden need to do something spontaneous, he caught Scott's eye, grinned, and then quickened his speed. Scott matched him until John sped up again.

They were both breathless with laughter by the time they reached the machinery. Scott clapped John on the shoulder in gratitude, knowing his brother was trying to take his mind off a certain hideout they knew to be not far from where they were working. They were on the edge of a small wood, the trees providing a nice contrast to the buildings they were attempting to keep secure whilst getting the people out.

"Where is everyone?"

"Virgil's over at the accident, I've just come from there." Scott's tone slipped into a far more professional one as the smile slid off his face. John knew it was only because he was concentrating on the task at hand rather than going back to brooding over what could possibly happen whilst they were out here. It was nice to see a more normal side of Scott. Ever since Gordon's accident, there had been something off about the eldest brother. Now it seemed, with everything calming down, the Field Commander they knew and loved was returning to them.

"And Gordon?"

"Is trying to help secure the scaffolding over that way. An old temple thing was being reconstructed, but the supports seem to have come loose in the chaos." Scott's vague arm gesture had John smirking. He was fully aware Scott would know Gordon's precise location.

"Does he need a hand? I'm done here; they've got themselves sorted now. Weird local dialect though, I had no idea what one woman kept shouting. Think it was something about chickens. Or fish, couldn't tell."

Scott snorted in amusement, but shook his head fondly. "If you want to ask him, go ahead. He won't talk to me."

"What did you do?"

"Nothing!"

"You kept checking up on him, didn't you?"

Scott made to protest, but took one look at John's face and backed down. His brother was right, and judging by the look sparkling out of the astronaut's eyes, he knew it as well. Sometimes John was just too smart for his own good, of that Scott was certain.

"I just wanted to know where he was!" Scott argued defensively, but John merely smirked.

"What did he say?"

"Something I'm definitely not repeating in front of Grandma," Scott muttered with a rueful grin. So maybe he hadn't needed to check five times in as many minutes, but he wanted to make sure they were safe. After the very verbal lecture Gordon had given him the last time, Scott thought it was best to wait at least half an hour, the scheduled time for a call-in. At least that way he could keep an eye on Gordon, but not feel like he was crowding the man. John laughed.

"I'll head over there. He won't say it to my face, of that I'm sure. And if he asks, I'll say I haven't seen you." Waving at his brother as he strode away, John couldn't help but grin. Why was he not surprised Scott had been checking in with Gordon more than usual? He too had had his watch vibrate more times than normal, but with his hands full of the locals, he had had a genuine excuse to ignore his older brother.

It didn't take long until the scaffolding came into sight. Strangely, the area was deserted of all the others who were supposed to be helping Gordon, but John pushed that detail from his mind. He knew what his brother was like. If the job was nearly done, he would have sent the locals away to where their efforts were needed and finished the job himself.

Picking his way through the unstable structure, John smirked when he thought about what Scott would have to say about that.

The smirk immediately left his face when he saw what was waiting for him.

Chapter Text

Gordon sighed, stretching out his back as the final pieces of metal were secured. Slipping into a different language, he managed to stutter out that the men helping him could do no more here, but if they still wanted to help, they should report to Mobile Control. He had no idea whether they understood him or not, but he didn't particularly care as they all left. As soon as they were out of sight, Gordon winced slightly, placing his hands on his lower back and arching backwards. He was certainly feeling this rescue.

He was just preparing to put the finishing touches to the patch-up job of trying to support the structure when he heard quiet footsteps behind him. Thinking it was one of the men returning, Gordon tried to once again indicate that they were just getting in the way by staying here.

"I have no desire to help."

Whilst the voice was heavily accented, it was speaking English. But that wasn't what had Gordon whipping round on the spot, his hand immediately flying to his belt. Their father had always insisted all of the boys were armed on rescues and their latest brushes with death had certainly reinforced it. Gordon let his fingers close around the weapon, and only when he could feel its comforting weight did he glance up.

"You." He wasn't sure whether it was a question or a statement as he stared at the Hood. How could he be here? He knew it was a risk considering their location, but they had survived over a month with nothing happening. How could he be here now? Now, when they had finally managed to snap Scott out of his strange mood and life was returning to normal. Thinking about his older brother, Gordon glared. He was going to take care of this himself. There was no reason for the others to even know the creep had turned up again.

His hand jerked away from his belt, the gun resting comfortably in his hand. Out of all of them, even Scott, Gordon knew he was the best shot. His hand was steady as he aimed at the Hood, and fire mingled with defiance seemed to pour from his eyes.

"Leave us alone," he said quietly, yet his voice didn't waver. He didn't want the Hood knowing how hard his heart was pounding at the expression of cool indifference on the man's face, nor the way his legs were tensing, every instinct screaming at him to run.

"Or what?" the Hood responded silkily. Before Gordon had a chance to even think of a comeback, his gun ripped itself away from his hand, clattering noisily across the floor. For a moment, he merely stared at the man, wondering what on earth he had got himself into. But Gordon was not one to simply stand there, and unfreezing, he threw himself across the floor, diving after his gun.

He knew the second his stomach collided with the rough rocks that this had not been his best move. Not only had he just completely turned his back on the man he knew could destroy him with barely more than a thought, he had just put himself at a disadvantage mentally as well. Before, he had been eye level with the creep. Now if he wanted to look at him, Gordon was going to have to look up. He knew it was all psychological, but he hated being at any type of disadvantage.

Gordon was right in thinking it was a bad idea to leave himself sprawled out across the floor. His scrabbling fingers had just managed to close around the gun when a foot stepped down sharply on his wrist. His teeth gritting, Gordon attempted to pull it free, trying not to wince. For a split second, the foot did disappear. Then the pressure increased ten-fold as it was placed in the lower part of his back instead. Gordon had been halfway to raising himself to a crouch when the Hood pushed down and he was immediately sent crashing back to the floor, all the breath driven out of him.

Trying to force air back into his lungs, Gordon winced as the Hood leant over, the pressure on his back increasing as he did so. His hand closed roughly around Gordon's wrist, and the aquanaut flinched at the touch. Before he could voice his protests – which he was sure would have been very vocal – the Hood's finger slipped under his watch. Somehow, it only took him one flick, and Gordon's back-up plan was also sent spinning out of his reach.

The Hood didn't hesitate. He moved away from the redhead after delivering a fierce kick into his stomach, rolling Gordon over and once again driving the breath out of him. Whilst Gordon was still attempting to recover, he moved away before bringing his heel crashing down on the watch. Despite himself, Gordon had to smile slightly. If there was one way to immediately alert Mobile Control to the fact something was very wrong, it would be destroying the steady signal coming from the ingenious devices strapped around the brothers' wrists. Everyone would now know something was wrong.

Gordon had once again made it to his knees when the Hood turned his attention back to the wheezing man. He watched Gordon for a moment, disgust etched into his face. Gordon turned to look at him, only to be met with flashing eyes once again.

"Oh, so not fair," he managed to mutter, before a rush of pain slammed into the side of his head. Immediately, he rolled onto his side, attempting to crawl away from the monster, but he couldn't move. He barely even felt the Hood return to his side, nor a strong grip on the back of his collar hauling him upright. It was as if his body didn't belong to him. He didn't even feel the Hood dragging him over to the structure he had been so desperate to secure, nor being thrown back to his knees again.

It took a good few moments before Gordon felt clarity return to him. He blinked, shaking his head as if trying to rid himself of an annoying noise. Finally, he took in his surroundings, and felt his heart sink straight to his feet, doing some kind of miserable flop through his stomach just for good measure.

The Hood was standing a little way off, his eyes finally having faded back to their normal colour. Gordon knew it was no coincidence that this timed with the relieving of the pressure in his head. He made to draw his feet under him, only to freeze, taking in his positioning properly. He was kneeling, something digging firmly into his back. It was only then he realised what it was. It was one of the metal poles, and rather than digging into him, it was more like Gordon was leaning back into it. As he moved forward, Gordon closed his eyes in resignation.

There was the fierce burn of rope around his wrists, lashing them behind not only his back, but the pole as well. He was stuck.

"The perfect bait," the Hood murmured in something that could resemble delight, winding something around his hand as he watched Gordon struggle to free himself. Gordon swallowed hard. That one sentence gave it all away. The maniac knew full well what destroying the watch had done: he had not only expected the others to be alerted to the fact that something was wrong, he had wanted them to know.

"You'll never get away with it," Gordon snarled, tugging fruitlessly at his bonds as he did so. It was only now he noticed that it wasn't only his hands that were tied behind the pole, but his ankles too. He had no choice but to remain in the kneeling position.

Before the Hood could answer, Gordon heard something that both filled him with a sense of relief and made him gasp in horror at the same time. Someone was coming. But somehow he knew it was more than that, and that it was one of his brothers. Glancing around frantically, he finally caught sight of the figure. Climbing through a gap over some rubble, John had his back to the scene.

One glance at the satisfied smile on the Hood's face, and Gordon opened his mouth. Only to have another stab of pain render him speechless. By the time he could breathe properly again, the Hood had come to stand directly in front of him. It was as if time had slowed down. John was still backing his way towards them, and Gordon knew there was nothing he could do. The Hood revealed what he had been winding around his hand, and before Gordon could even wrinkle his nose in disgust, the man had forced the piece of material between his teeth, tying it off tightly behind his head. Gordon couldn't warn his brother, no matter how much he wanted to.

He let out a muffled cry of frustration as the Hood disappeared from his eye-line at the same time as John turned. A look of complete horror shot across the older man's face.

"Gordon!"

Gordon shook his head frantically as John made to hurry forward, his eyes scanning the area for where the Hood might have disappeared to. He seemed to know how the brothers would react, and Gordon was certain the maniac wanted John to come to him. Meaning he was about to do everything he could to force the astronaut away from the area.

It was a sign of just how much John trusted his brother that he stopped when Gordon shook his head, his eyes asking questions he didn't know how to voice. Gordon was glancing around him, and realising what he was getting at, John followed his lead, looking around for whoever had attacked his brother. Very slowly, completely alert, he walked towards his little brother. Gordon might have stopped him from rushing straight in like his instincts had screamed at him to do, but John was not about to leave him tied there, vulnerable, waiting for whoever it was to turn back up again.

The trouble was, he had a horrible feeling he knew who it was. As he walked, his fingers toyed almost casually with his watch, sending warning messages to Scott, Virgil and Alan, knowing the latter would alert Base that something was wrong even if Scott didn't. He had no idea they had already been alerted to the fact something was wrong when the Hood had destroyed the signal from Gordon's watch, but all John was thinking of was getting Gordon out of there. He kept constant eye contact with his brother as he walked forward.

Despite his position, Gordon could see more of the area than John could, having a visual on the limited routes in and out. John knew full well that Gordon would alert him somehow if he caught sight of anything being wrong, so when his brother's eyes widened in warning, John reacted instinctively.

He ducked, dropping to the floor and rolling away before rising to a tight crouch. His head immediately shot around to where Gordon had been looking and his eyes narrowed in anger at seeing the Hood standing there. Despite the attempt at looking indifferent, John saw the way his eyes widened slightly in surprise at John's reactions, the piece of piping he held in his hand dropping back to his side instead of continuing with the blow he had been hoping for.

John's hand closed around his weapon, mirroring Gordon's previous thoughts exactly as he glared at the man who was so adamant about destroying their family. But unlike his younger brother, he didn't make the mistake of pulling it out, instead just tensing in his position, eyes calculating as he waited for the Hood to make his move.

"Move over to the structure." The Hood's voice was low and cold and John shuddered. This was the man who had planned to use him against his family and John was not about to let him do it again.

"No. Back away. You won't get away with this."

"Do not try me. Move over to your brother."

"Let him go!" John was beginning to rise now. Not because he was going to do what the man wanted, but because he wanted to be in a position where he would be able to protect Gordon. He wasn't quick enough though.

From seemingly nowhere, the Hood drew a gun. It looked primitive on him, and it was clear by the look on his face that he found the weapon as distasteful as John did, although for a different reason. As soon as the Hood drew the gun, John drew his own.

"Don't make me shoot you," he said warningly, trying to get the man to back off.

"Do you think you can make the shot? Before I pull the trigger myself?"

John froze, glancing between the Hood and Gordon once again. The Hood's weapon was lined up directly with his brother's head, and John knew without being told the man would be a good shot. Considering the way his own hands shook slightly, John knew the man would be able to do far more damage than he could hope to.

"Now drop it."

John locked eyes with Gordon, the latter shaking his head again, his eyes pleading with John not to disarm himself. John dropped his gaze apologetically, swallowed hard, and tossed the gun away from him.

"Sorry, kiddo," he muttered, his eyes returning to Gordon's. He knew the younger man could read the reasoning in his eyes. There was no way John was about to risk Gordon's life just to hold onto a gun that he had never used other than in training scenarios. Whilst Gordon knew for sure who the best shot in the family was, John knew with the same certainty who was the worst.

"Turn around," the Hood ordered, taking a few steps closer to the blond, but leaving his gun perfectly aimed at Gordon. John held onto his brother's gaze, and when Gordon shook his head yet again, tears of frustrating pooling in his eyes, John sighed. Gordon wanted him to fight.

"No," he responded simply, trying to smile reassuringly at the younger man. If Gordon wanted him to fight, then John could at least try. But his defiance didn't last long as the Hood made a show of flicking the safety off the gun, levelling it with more precision at Gordon.

"Turn around."

John bit his lip in indecision, staring at Gordon. What would his brother do if their positions were reversed? Part of John was sure his younger sibling would be able to fight his way out of the situation - he had heard about the outcome of the physical Scott had forced their brother through. Yet at the same time, Gordon had been the first to be disarmed. The Hood was obviously strong.

He sighed deeply and slowly began turning around, locking eyes with Gordon for as long as he could. His brother had gone back to pulling on his bindings frantically, his gaze desperate and – if John was not mistaken – terrified. Eventually, he turned his head away, fists clenched by his side as he braced himself for what he knew was about to come.

Gordon let out a muffled cry as the Hood swung and John dropped to the floor without a moment's delay. The creep even had the nerve to shoot Gordon a satisfied glance as he began pulling John's prone form over to the scaffolding. Staring frantically at his brother, Gordon had never felt a rush of relief so strong as he did right then when he saw John's chest rising and falling slightly. The breaths were far too shallow for Gordon to be happy with, but at least it meant his brother was still alive.

The Hood dropped John a little way away from the younger man, smiling in satisfaction as John didn't even stir on the impact. With one hand, he grabbed onto John's wrist, pulling it up behind him and pulling out a set of handcuffs with the other. He latched one cuff around the scaffolding and the other around John's wrist, leaving his arm suspended there.

"Two down," he murmured. Although his voice was quiet, Gordon heard every word. That was why he had only made sure to knock John out rather than killing him as he could so easily have done. It was why he had tied Gordon up rather than simply shooting him. They were the guarantee that Scott and Virgil would arrive on the scene.

As he tried to ignore the way his feet tingled uncomfortably because of their position, Gordon realised only now just how well the Hood knew them. With both him and John at his mercy, the man would be able to get the others to do almost anything he wanted.

"Virgil! Report in, are you safe?"

"What the hell is going on?" Virgil's voice, whilst sounding angry, had been one of the most welcoming sounds Scott had heard for a while now. He had ordered both John and Virgil back to Mobile Control as soon as Gordon's watch had stopped being active. Virgil was still on his way over, but John had failed to respond. To start with, Scott thought it was because the man was busy, and knowing that he had been heading towards Gordon anyway, the Field Commander hadn't pushed it, certain that John would soon be reporting in.

But there had still been nothing. Despite trying several times Scott was receiving nothing back from his immediate younger brother. He was running the systems to breaking point on Mobile Control, trying to analyse the area to find out what could have happened. Alan had been helping from Five, but Scott had cut him off when their father had also tried to get involved. He couldn't deal with the voices floating around him, anxious and frightened. He needed to concentrate.

"Scott!"

Glancing up, Scott's shoulders sagged in relief when he saw Virgil running over.

"Have you heard from them?"

Scott had to smile. He should have known that Virgil would also have been trying to contact their missing siblings. Briefly stretching out his hand, he grasped Virgil's shoulder in a gesture of comfort, seeing the same worry reflecting in the younger man's eyes that he could feel himself.

"No. Gordon's watch has been de-activated and John isn't answering. Don't suppose you've seen them, have you?" Scott was chewing on his bottom lip slightly now, a clear sign of how stressed he was feeling. Virgil had managed to persuade him to snap out of this mood, and now he couldn't get a response from his brothers.

"No, I know Gordon was over by the scaffolding around that temple, he was securing it the last I heard. But I've seen a load of the people I know were helping him coming back, they've clearly finished. He would have checked it once more himself then headed back."

"John was going over to help him," Scott mused, more thinking out loud than addressing his brother. Coming to a decision, he hit a few switches on Mobile Control.

"Alan, patch me through Gordon's last signal."

"F.A.B."

To Scott's mind, it just showed how worried they all were, for Alan said nothing else, no comment about him being sure they were both okay, no false attempt at reassurance. They were in the territory of someone they knew wanted them defeated and dead. It only took a few seconds before Mobile Control received the readings and Scott took a breath.

"Al, maintain contact with Base, I'm going over there. Monitor my positioning."

"I'm coming too," Virgil declared obstinately, moving forward at the same time as speaking. For a moment, Scott looked as if he was going to argue. Something was wrong; he didn't want Virgil walking straight into the middle of it. But one look at his little brother's face and he knew it was not a battle he could win. Virgil would simply follow him if Scott refused, and the older man would rather know where all of his siblings were than have one attempt to sneak around by himself.

"Keep in contact?" Alan's voice finally gave away how he was feeling as it trembled slightly, and Scott smiled reassuringly, forgetting that his littlest brother couldn't see him.

"F.A.B. Virg, let's go."

Silence fell between the brothers as they strode in the direction Scott had seen John disappear in. The pilot's mind was racing. Surely nothing could have happened? Even if something had happened to Gordon, John should have made contact...

Just as he was thinking about the blond, his watch vibrated. Glancing down, Scott sighed in relief when he caught sight of Virgil also looking towards his watch out of the corner of his eye.

"John." His relief was short lived as he began translating the urgent code John had just patched through. He stopped still in complete horror and shock, swallowing hard.

"Scott..." It was Virgil's voice that made his brain start thinking again. His brother sounded so scared, and Scott couldn't blame him. How could the Hood be here? How could he already be threatening Gordon? But judging by the silence, Scott knew it was more than that. He knew that John too was in trouble. Why else wouldn't the blond have just got them out of there?

"Virgil, go back."

"No."

"I'm not having you anywhere near him if I can help it."

"You can't help it," Virgil argued just as stubbornly. "They are my brothers too. And if neither of them are answering their watches, you may need help getting them out. You may be awesome, Scott, but even you aren't that good."

Scott ignored the compliment Virgil had accidentally slipped in there and turned to face his younger sibling. He couldn't have another brother in trouble, not again. The Hood certainly knew how to make Scott's confidence crumble. Could he allow Virgil to accompany him knowing full well they were about to walk into danger? It went against everything he believed in as both Field Commander and big brother. But even he couldn't deny that Virgil had a point.

"Keep close and keep alert."

"I'm not ten," Virgil shot back, and Scott had to smile. Virgil was right, he could handle himself. If they were going to go and help their brothers, he couldn't be distracted with wondering what Virgil was doing. He knew the younger man would hate it if Scott doubted whether he could handle himself here, and so, pushing away what his heart was screaming at him, he nodded, forcing himself to trust his little brother.

It didn't take them long to reach the structure, although Scott immediately stopped Virgil walking straight in. Instead, he motioned with rather grand hand gestures for his brother to go around the other side. There was no way he was about to let them both walk in through the obvious entrance, that was his Air Force training paying off. For a moment Virgil looked like he wanted to argue, but seemed to realise Scott was thinking in a military style rather than as a big brother this time.

"You get to John and Gordon, that's your focus. I'll deal with the Hood." Scott's voice was a fierce whisper, and if it wasn't his brother talking, Virgil would have shuddered at the note in his voice. This was not a Scott he'd want to mess with. He trusted his brother's judgement and with a quick grip of Scott's arm, he moved away to the side.

Scott gave him time. Virgil had to be in position before either of them could walk in; it wouldn't be any use otherwise. Finally though, he felt the signal vibrate through his watch, and sending a silent one to Alan to inform them they were going in, Scott sent the command to move in.

Immediately, he set off at a run. The debris John had so carefully clambered over was taken at a leap. Landing in a tight crouch, Scott raced into the area, pulling up short in horror at the scene that greeted him. Gordon was desperately struggling, fury pounding out of him and being felt even from where Scott was standing. He was trying to get to John, who was still out cold.

Gordon either heard or simply felt Scott's presence, for he immediately turned, his eyes pleading for his big brother to do something. Scott smiled reassuringly, slipping his gun out and taking a few calculated steps forward, eyes darting everywhere as Virgil raced onto the scene from the opposite direction, swearing violently when he caught sight of his brother's predicament.

Scott didn't realise he was mirroring John's earlier ideas as he sidestepped carefully towards his brother. His back was pressed against the structure, meaning nothing could come up behind him, but his eyes were locked on Gordon. He was getting ever closer when Gordon's eyes suddenly widened in alarm and he pulled furiously at his bonds. Following his gaze, Scott felt his heart stop.

"Virgil, move!"

Virgil's breath caught in his throat at Scott's shout, and he knew without turning that he wasn't going to be able to move in time, he could almost feel someone behind him. Knowing he had no time to run, he spun on the spot. His hand was out flat, and going by what he could remember of the Hood's height from their previous encounter, he kept his arm level with where he believed the man's throat to be.

His strike would have been perfect if the Hood hadn't been expecting it. Instead of winding the man as he had hoped, Virgil gasped as a hand wrapped around his wrist in a strong grip. Before he had time to react, the arm was wrenched up behind his back as the Hood kicked out at his knees.

Immediately, Virgil dropped to the floor, hissing as his arm was bent up further behind his back and the cold muzzle of a gun was pressed under his chin. He froze, locking eyes with Scott across the clearing. Even Gordon had stilled, staring at the scene in horror.

"Drop it!" the Hood snarled, forcing the gun deeper into Virgil's neck. Scott was rigid. "Do it or your brother dies. I might have been able to threaten from a distance with that one," he nodded towards John, "But you are a military man, Scott. You know I can't miss from here."

Scott swallowed hard, anger pulsing through him and making the blood pound in his ears. Did this man know everything about them?

"Scott, don't," Virgil muttered quietly, but his voice travelled. He was rewarded by the Hood jamming the gun even further into his neck, making him flinch as swallowing was suddenly restricted. His arm was bent further around, pushing him forward and breaking his eye contact with Scott as he was forced to look at the floor.

"Scott, do," the Hood mocked, echoing Virgil's tone. Scott glared at him, his hand locked on his weapon. He could make the shot. He knew he was good enough to miss Virgil and take out the Hood. But would the man have time to pull the trigger? His eyes flickered towards the Hood's hand. It was steady and ready, and as if sensing Scott's gaze – if not his whole thought process – the Hood made a show of tightening his finger on the trigger slightly. The pilot felt his breath coming in short gasps, looking between Virgil, the Hood and Gordon. The latter was completely still in a way that was so uncharacteristic of Gordon that Scott felt something in him stir. This man was destroying his brothers.

With a curse, he tossed the gun away from him. Even from the angle he was at, he could see Virgil close his eyes in resignation.

"Now let them go." There was a commanding tone in Scott's voice, but to his dismay, the Hood merely laughed. He glanced between Scott and his discarded weapon, clearly calculating how long it would take him to reach it before coming to a decision and tucking his own back in his belt, although his grip on Virgil did not lessen in the slightest.

"That was never part of any agreement," he responded smoothly, gripping Virgil's hair with his now free hand and pulling him harshly backwards so that the artist was kneeling upright, his arm still locked behind his back. "I've got a bit of a dilemma here you know," he continued conversationally, twisting Virgil's arm just that little bit further and causing the man to gasp. "Which one do I kill first?"

"Let. Them. Go!" Scott snarled, taking a step forward. He only froze again when the Hood's hand once again drifted towards his gun.

"Not part of the plan, boy."

"If you want to kill someone, take me. But let them go."

"Scott, no!" Virgil gasped, shaking his arm to try and throw off the Hood, but to no avail.

"Not happening. I'm going to kill them all. Maybe I'll save you to last, make you watch. But either way, your brothers are dying."

"Over my dead body," Scott growled, taking another step forward. He barely saw the Hood's hand flash before suddenly the gun was back in the man's hand, aimed with deadly precision at the Field Commander.

"That can be arranged."

No one had the time to even think of a response before the gun fired.

Chapter Text

Jeff stared in complete incredulity at Alan's portrait, finally causing his son to wince slightly and lower his gaze.

"They've done what?" he asked quietly, his voice betraying nothing of the turmoil racing through him. "How could Scott have allowed it?"

"They were just doing their job, Dad," Alan argued, looking more and more uncomfortable as the conversation progressed. "And Scott didn't allow anything. John went to help Gordon, they lost touch, Scott followed procedure and Virgil deemed it too dangerous without backup." Alan wasn't about to mention it was just Virgil's stubbornness that had made him accompany their eldest brother. As Alan flinched slightly again under his father's stare, Jeff sighed and glanced away, scrubbing his hand over his face.

"Have you heard anything since?" This time his tone was completely controlled as he struggled to keep hold of himself. It was no good lashing out at Alan - the youngest member of their team had no more control over the situation than Jeff did, and with him being situated hundreds of miles above the Earth, it certainly wasn't going to make matters any easier.

"No, Sir," Alan admitted softly, dropping his eyes and studying the control panel in front of him. Jeff opened his mouth again, but before he could say anything, a strong hand gripped his shoulder in warning. His mother was frowning, her expression making it clear that she wasn't about to let her son upset her grandson any further.

"You did well, Alan," Jeff eventually said, receiving a squeeze of the hand in response before it dropped again. His mother was standing directly behind him, having jumped to her feet with surprising agility when Alan had reported in John's last communication about the Hood turning up again. Tin-Tin was perched on the edge of a chair, and Jeff knew her presence was the only reason why Alan was keeping any control; he didn't want to embarrass himself. Her father was behind her, his hand resting on her shoulder, giving the same comfort Jeff was receiving himself. Brains had been present, but on hearing contact had been lost from Gordon's watch had scurried back down to his lab, mumbling something about being able to trace the signal with some of his more advanced equipment. The others let him go, knowing he needed something to keep his mind occupied.

"They work well as a team, Jeff; they know what to do," Grandma said softly, her voice calm and reassuring even if it was miles away from how she was feeling. She knew what was running through Jeff's mind, for it was the same panic that was threatening to overwhelm her. She had seen the fights between the boys when she had arrived back on the island, knew just how successful the Hood had been before at driving wedges between the tight bonds in the family.

Kyrano, however, didn't seem to be paying attention to what was going on around him. Instead, his eyes were shut and his brow furrowed, looking like he was concentrating hard on something. No one heard his small intake of breath even as his eyes opened once more, blinking a few times as he readjusted himself to his surroundings. It would have passed completely unnoticed if Tin-Tin hadn't felt his grip slacken and then tighten suddenly.

"Father?" Despite her quiet tone, everyone in the room caught Tin-Tin's words as she twisted in her seat, gazing at the man in concern. Alan sat forward slightly and Grandma moved past Jeff, taking a few steps towards the Malaysian.

"He's planning something," Kyrano muttered, shutting his eyes once more. He continued to address the people in the room though, clearly bringing to mind what he had felt before. "He wants to do something, try something new..." As the man's voice trailed off, the room seemed to hold its breath. "He's angry; something is in the way..."

"Scott," Alan muttered drily, smirking humourlessly.

"...but he's prepared to take that out. There is something else..." All of a sudden, Kyrano broke off with a gasp, one hand clutching at his head even as the other gripped tightly onto his daughter. Tin-Tin and Grandma both moved in, helping him into a chair before Grandma bustled off, muttering something about him needing a drink.

"I'm sorry, Mr Tracy. I can get no more from him."

Kyrano looked so genuinely apologetic that Jeff moved out from behind his desk, walking over to his old friend and squeezing his shoulder reassuringly.

"You did all you could. You did more than you should, that was a great risk, my friend." When Kyrano just sat there, rigid, Jeff knew what the problem was. There were some character traits that didn't just run in his blood relations, but across his extended family as well. "This isn't your fault, Kyrano."

"He's my brother."

"Half-brother," Alan cut in, eyes blazing in a fury that was rarely seen in the youngest. "And this has nothing to do with you. Does Dad blame me when Gordon pulls a prank?"

Jeff winced slightly. "Well..."

"Don't answer that. My point still stands. This isn't your fault."

Jeff gazed at the screen in pride. When had his little boy grown up so much? He smiled gently, and Alan seemed to sense the gaze, blushing slightly and looking away, only managing to cause his father's smile to widen. There were some things he hadn't grown out of.

"Monitor all transmissions coming from the zone," Jeff ordered, moving back towards his desk. "I want to know if anything happens, anything in the slightest, is that clear?"

"F.A.B."

Grandma chose that moment to come back in, passing a grateful Kyrano a cup of tea.

"They can take care of themselves. Believe in your boys, Jeff."

"I do," the father responded heavily, staring at the portraits lining the wall. "It's the Hood I'm more worried about."

A loud bang dragged John painfully back to consciousness, the noise resonating through his head time and time again as he tried to clear his vision. Finally, the world stopped spinning enough for him to push himself into an upright position, wincing as his arm suddenly bent behind him at the action. As soon as he was vaguely sitting, he let his eyes take in his surroundings, gasping as he did so. He was in the centre of what had been a temple. Crumbling walls surrounded him on three sides, the fourth having completely been destroyed. The floor was covered in pieces of rubble, some of the larger stones clearly having been disturbed by the disaster that brought them out here in the first place. Through the gap where the fourth wall had been, he could see they were on the edge of a small woodland area, a stretch of trees covering the horizon from his view. But it was his closer surroundings that had him more worried.

The pain in his shoulder from its unnatural position was quickly explained when he caught sight of the handcuffs tying him to the scaffolding. His eyes found Gordon next and John felt a flicker of relief upon seeing that his little brother was no worse off than when he had last seen him. Until he looked into the redhead's eyes, raging emotions that had even John flinching back slightly spiralling within. He followed his eye-line and felt his heart somersault.

"Scott!" What had been intended as a yell came out as nothing more than a feeble croak, but it did the job. His big brother turned towards him, his face white. John swallowed, his eyes drifting down. Scott's left hand was clamped firmly over the upper part of his right arm, blood seeping through his fingers.

"Lucky shot," he muttered, teeth gritted as he tried to stop the blood. He managed to offer his brother a weak smile before turning to face in a different direction. Once again, John followed him, and swallowed hard. No wonder Gordon was looking so murderous.

Virgil was in trouble. The second the gun had gone off, he had lashed out violently at the Hood, and for a moment he had managed to free himself from the grip the man had on him. But it hadn't lasted long. Every time Virgil came close to getting the upper hand, the Hood would use his power once again and Virgil could do nothing but hit the floor. Scott wasn't the only one who was bleeding; the maniac was taking great delight in personally dealing with one of the Tracys.

"Leave him alone!" John yelled, his voice gaining in strength slightly as he manoeuvred himself into a more comfortable position, relieving some of the strain on his shoulder. His other hand was flying across the ground as wide as he could reach, fingers scrabbling for something – anything - that would provide him with something to unlock the cuffs and enable himto be able to help his brothers. He hated feeling this helpless.

"Perhaps you would like a go?" the Hood asked, his voice sickeningly light as he delivered Virgil another blow that left him curled up on the floor, shaking slightly. Before John could respond he felt himself shooting back a pace, his back hitting the metal of the scaffolding behind him and making him wince, although he was proud that not a sound of pain escaped him. A thud signalled Gordon trying to throw himself forward, but the Hood merely raised his eyebrows. He didn't have to do anything. Bound and gagged, there was nothing Gordon could do.

"Enough." Scott's voice was quiet, controlled to the point where even John shivered at just how unlike Scott it sounded. "Kill me if you must, but leave them alone."

"Don't be an idiot," Virgil rasped, wiping his hand across his chin and grimacing at the smear of blood that came away even as he pushed himself up into a kneeling position, arms trembling as he did so. He knew the Hood would have a few bruises of his own, but nothing could compete with the mental power this man held. Virgil had never felt anything like it.

"Shut up, Virgil," Scott snapped, eyes locked on the Hood as he almost willed the man to take him up on his offer.

"You aren't dying, Scott!" John yelled, the muffled sounds coming from Gordon showing he too agreed with his brothers.

"Neither are you," the Field Commander shot back, his gaze still not wavering in the slightest. "What do you say to that, Hood? You can have me, no fights, no retribution. You just let them go."

"Scott..."

"Virgil, shut up!"

The Hood pulled back from the artist, his gaze flicking between Virgil and his oldest brother, occasionally darting over to where both John and Gordon were struggling against their bonds. Very slowly, to their horror, a slight smile twisted over his face and he bent down. Unnoticed by any of them, a small silver case had been resting on the ground. Picking it up, the Hood flicked it open casually before turning his attention back to Virgil.

He grabbed the man by his upper arm, pulling him backwards a few paces even as Scott took a frantic step forward.

"Stay there!" the Hood barked, and, hating himself for doing it, Scott obeyed. He knew full well it had not been a lucky shot just now, but one of complete control. The Hood hadn't been trying to kill him. It just made the man even more dangerous, something that the pilot hadn't even thought was possible.

"Get off me!" Virgil snarled, trying to free himself from the grip and only succeedingin getting smacked over the head in return. Scott growled, but stayed where he was, his eyes locked with a frantic intensity on the pair as the Hood plucked something from inside the case, allowing it to drop back to the ground again.

"How about a deal?" he asked silkily, tightening his grip on Virgil. The hand that was holding Virgil still had something else hidden in it, but no one could make out what. Even Gordon, however, from his awkward angle could see the gun was once again back in the Hood's hand, pressed against Virgil's throat.

Scott swallowed.

"What do you mean?"

"A test of sorts," the Hood continued, a manic delight springing into his eyes that made Scott want to throw up, something not helped by the fear pounding through his veins and the pain lancing through his arm. Knowing he had all four brothers' attention, the Hood continued, pressing the gun closer to Virgil as if to prove his point.

"In here..." He finally brought the object out from behind Virgil, causing both Scott and John to take a sharp gasp of breath, "Is a substance not yet tested."

John's eyes were locked on the hypodermic needle, his wandering hand stilling as horror pulsed through him. Virgil had frozen for a moment at the man's words, then had gone back to struggling furiously. Not that it did him any good. The Hood allowed his eyes to flash and the artist dropped with a strangled cry, fighting for breath as the gun was readjusted and aimed at the back of his head.

"It should kill - slowly and painfully. But it could also offer the chance of survival. It's a game. It could do anything; it could be anything, possibly not what I say it is at all. That's your call."

"What's the alternative?" Scott said hoarsely, knowing he was shaking, although it was not yet obvious enough for his younger brothers to notice it. They were relying on him to get them out, he couldn't give into fear.

"Either you let Virgil here be my guinea pig and take the chance I'm bluffing..."

"Or?" Scott swallowed drily, seeing John freeze out of the corner of his eye.

"Or I shoot all four of you. Starting with the youngest."

"No..." Virgil gasped, once again trying to push himself upright as the pressure on his skull finally eased away slightly. The Hood allowed him to sit up. He knew how to play this game. The stakes had been set, his cards dealt. Now it was just a matter of waiting to see what hand the Tracys decided to play.

"No, Virgil," Scott said firmly, knowing precisely what was about to come out of his brother's mouth.

"But..."

"No." It was John who answered this time, although his voice was not nearly as steady as his older brother's. He glanced over at Virgil, tears swimming in his eyes through sheer helplessness at the situation. "Just...no."

Gordon let out something muffled whilst Virgil's attention was in that general direction and the artist turned to face his younger brother, smiling reassuringly to try and ease the pain in his little brother's eyes. Sometimes he envied Alan. The youngest didn't have to feel like it was his responsibility to make sure the younger ones were happy...and safe.

"It's that or all of you."

"It's not your choice to make, Virg." There was desperation in Scott's voice now and he once again took a few steps forward. The Hood let him but Scott knew he couldn't get close enough to do anything, for despite backing off a pace, the gun was still aimed at Virgil's head with unwavering precision.

"It's not yours either, Scott," Virgil said quietly, locking eyes with his biggest brother, the man he had always looked up to, aspired to be like. It was as if everything else had zoned out, leaving just the two of them.

Scott shook his head.

"It's my job to protect you."

"It's your job to protect us all. Gordon and John. Alan. They still need that protection. You can get them out of this."

"I'm not l...losing you, Virgil." Scott didn't even try to cover up the fact that his voice cracked halfway through the sentence. This couldn't be happening.

"You heard him, Scott, he could be bluffing. I could be fine."

"Time's running out, children."

The rest of the area suddenly rushed back into focus as the Hood's voice cut through the brothers. As Scott looked at him, he moved the gun away from Virgil, instead turning it onto Gordon. In that instant, Scott knew he was going to make good on his promise.

"No, don't!"

"The choice is yours. Virgil, or everyone."

"Please, don't do this."

"I'm getting bored now." The Hood made a show of flicking the safety off the weapon, moving a few steps to the side, putting himself directly in between Gordon and Virgil. "There is still time to save them, Virgil."

"Don't listen to him!" John yelled, his voice all but begging. Virgil twisted in his kneeling position, body facing Scott, but his head towards the Hood. He met the maniac's gaze levelly.

"You swear you will let them go?"

"Virgil, stop!"

"I swear."

"He's lying! Don't!"

For a long moment, Virgil could see the whole scene. John's hand had closed around something, giving him a way to pick the lock. Gordon's eyes were wide and scared, the bonds being the only thing keeping him upright as he strained forward, although whether it was to free himself or simply to get closer to his brothers was not clear. Scott had started running, a desperation that Virgil had never before seen on his brother etched deep within his face, his eyes panicked.

It was that which did it. Virgil had never seen Scott panic. His brother had always been the one in control, the one the rest of them turned to when things got too much. But in that split-second there was nothing short of sheer terror on his face. The artist knew why. Out of the corner of his eye, he could see the Hood's finger tightening on the trigger, delight in his eyes as he prepared to take Gordon's life.

Virgil knew what he had to do. John would be free in a matter of moments - Virgil knew his talent for picking locks. The Hood wouldn't be able to stand against him and Scott; they would be able to get Gordon out of there. But they still needed those few moments to be able to spring into action to save one of Virgil's little brothers.

Lunging forward, his hand scrabbled at the Hood's.

"No!"

It hadn't been the gun he had been aiming for though, and the Hood seemed to realise this. He relinquished the grip on the needle almost with ease, the smile spreading once more over his face as Virgil backed away a couple of steps, holding it in a shaking hand.

"Virgil!"

Time froze. The Hood was watching him, but his aim was still steady. He wasn't backing down on this until it was clear that Virgil wouldn't either. As the artist hesitated for a split second longer than the Hood was happy with, the finger tightened again. Virgil could almost hear the cogs in the gun beginning to click into place.

"Stop!" he demanded; his voice low and full of authority. The Hood did indeed pause, but still would not lower the weapon.

"You haven't saved them yet," he remarked coolly. Virgil knew Scott was almost upon him, and shutting his eyes, he plunged the needle into his own arm.

"NO!"

Virgil didn't know who the scream had come from. It was as if something had immediately muffled his senses, sending him stumbling back a pace, frowning as he shook his head as if to rid it of a troublesome noise. His legs no longer wanted to support his weight and as a blur shot past him, he found himself sitting on the floor.

"Virgil!" There were hands gripping his shoulders, forcing him to look up into a face lined with panic. John? But John was the other side of the clearing.

"Scott, come back!"

"Gordon, don't!"

"Virgil, look at me!"

Voices were shouting everywhere, yet Virgil couldn't make head nor tail of them. Everything was muffled, nothing was clear.

"I can't find him!"

"Gordon, get back!"

"I've got Dad on the line, Kyrano knows what to do!"

"Scott!"

Virgil blinked heavily, laying his cheek against the ground. When had he lain down? He didn't remember doing that. But suddenly, it wasn't the floor he was resting against, but something soft. Virgil got as far as deciding it was someone's leg, but couldn't put a name to its owner - that was far too much effort.

"John, Gordon, get into the forest now! Find whatever Kyrano is talking about!"

The leg moved, but something else soft replaced it as Virgil was rolled over, fingers running comfortingly through his hair. He knew that touch.

With a great deal of effort, he forced his eyes to look up. Scott. Scott was there, everything was going to be okay. He offered his brother a weak smile even as the world seemed to spin slightly alarmingly. Did Scott know he had two heads? Someone should really tell him...

"Virgil, stay with me."

Something hit him hard on the cheek and Virgil blinked again. Scott swam into focus once more, thankfully only with one head this time. "You idiot, what have you done?"

"Saved you..." Virgil's voice was nothing more than a croak and he coughed harshly. He did not sound like that! But once the coughs started, he couldn't stop, and it was some time later that he finally managed to draw a shaky breath, tears running down his face even as Scott's hand rubbed soothingly up and down between his shoulder blades.

"John, hurry up and find it! He's burning up."

Was he? That was odd; for Virgil was sure he was shivering somewhat violently. He should really tell Scott that, get him to turn up the heating. Why had he turned it down? He knew Virgil didn't like the cold... maybe an extra blanket would do the trick, there was one in the cupboard... but not the blue one, Virgil didn't like that one...

"Virgil!"

The artist opened his eyes again. Now this was just getting annoying, why was his body doing things he didn't want them to? That was a bit like Gordon, always getting in the way. Honest, Virgil hadn't meant to make him cry, he was just too young to understand. No, Daddy, please don't shout...

"Virgil, don't do this!" Now that cut through to him, for that was just completely wrong. Scott sounded like he was crying. But Scott didn't cry, Scott never cried.

With a great deal of effort, Virgil forced his eyes to focus on his brother's face, taking in the features he knew too well. He blinked slowly, wondering when he'd ended up underwater, for there were water trails down Scott's face. Why would his brother be sad? It was calm here, a heaviness settling over him that made Virgil want to curl up and go to sleep. He would just have a little nap...

Something slapped him again.

"Don't you dare! John, hurry up!"

All he wanted was to have a nap. But Johnny was shouting at Scotty and the baby was crying again and Virgil couldn't shut it all out... and something had a painfully tight hold on his hand. For some reason, Virgil felt the need to return the grip, pouring everything he felt into it.

"Virgil, listen to me. You asked whether what we did was worth it? Why we did it? I did it for you, little brother. For you all. You make it worth it, the flushed look of pride you get when you know you have helped someone. You've helped someone again, Virg. C'mon, give me that look of pride. Virgil!" The hand gripping his own shook, and that just made Virgil even more confused.

"I do it for you. I can't do it without you..."

Everything was suddenly clear and Virgil's eyes opened again, focusing properly on Scott's face.

"Don't give up," he rasped, his throat constricting as breathing became harder and harder.

"Virgil, fight, please, you have to fight it."

"Promise me... Promise you won't give up..."

"Virgil..."

"Scott, promise me."

For a moment, there was silence. Then a small voice spoke.

"I promise."

"Stubborn idiot," Virgil mumbled, a small smile slipping onto his face as he weakly squeezed Scott's hand, his eyes closing once more.

"Virgil? Virg, look at me. Virgil!"

The hand fell from Scott's grip.

"Virg? Virgil, please. Don't..." There was movement around him as Virgil was lain flat, shaking hands resting his arms down by his side. Trembling fingers pressed against his neck for a moment before a man trapped in his worst nightmare tried to administer CPR.

"John...Gordon... Get back here! He's not breathing."

This was no nightmare.

Just the harshness of reality as the shadow of death stretched over one who had avoided its clutches for so long.

Chapter Text

Gordon had been struggling fiercely against the ropes holding him when, out of the corner of his eye, he saw Virgil lunge forward. His mind was screaming at his brother to stop, his body reacting violently as he tried to pull his way free. Virgil couldn't do this! The Hood might have threatened to kill them all, but Gordon knew full well Scott would not let that happen. His biggest brother had already been sprinting towards the maniac when Virgil had moved. True, Gordon knew he probably wouldn't have made it; the Hood's gun was too well lined up. But the others would have. There was no need for Virgil to be such a self-sacrificing idiot.

As soon as Virgil's hand closed over the needle, Gordon could have sworn it was as if time had stopped. He could see Scott running forward, sheer horror etched into his brother's face in a way the aquanaut had never seen before. The Hood had a smug look on his face, the gun still aimed at Gordon as he muttered something to Virgil. If there was one thing Gordon would take back out of this whole experience, it would be whatever the maniac said in that one split second. He knew it was those words that caused Virgil's face to suddenly look thunderous before he plunged the needle into his arm.

Gordon heard John's scream, but it was like the sound was muted, coming from far away. Everything seemed muffled apart from his own heartbeat, pounding with a fierce intensity in his ears as the colour immediately drained from Virgil's face. His voice was restricted; he couldn't physically yell his horror at the situation in the way John could, so he was doing it internally instead. It was as if he couldn't get enough air to his lungs, as if someone had a grip on his heart and was squeezing sadistically. If there was one thing Gordon knew a lot about, it was pain. And yet nothing he had ever been through came even close to what he was feeling now.

"Gordon!" A frantic voice sounded directly in front of him, and with a great deal of effort, Gordon turned wide and stunned eyes onto John. The man still had the handcuff dangling from one hand, and the fingers on his opposite hand were bloody. Swallowing, Gordon tried to snap himself out of the almost dream-like state he'd found himself in to see a nail clenched in John's hand. It was clear the blond had managed to pick the lock without anyone seeing amongst all of the chaos.

Movement drew his attention back over to his brothers. Virgil was on the floor, although how he had ended up there, Gordon could not have said. But in that one glance, he knew the trouble had only just begun. Especially considering the way Scott practically leapt over Virgil, slamming his shoulder straight into the Hood and driving the man to the ground. Gordon didn't feel John pulling the gag away, nor see his brother disappearing around behind him and beginning to tease the ropes holding him loose. He could only watch as Scott pounded his fist into the man.

But just as quickly as he had started, Scott turned away again. His body arched towards Gordon as he turned, and the younger brother had never seen such anguish on the man's face as he did in that moment when Scott dropped to his knees beside Virgil.

A hand was suddenly gripping Gordon's arm, helping him unsteadily to his feet as he stumbled towards his brothers. John didn't even attempt to stop him, knowing that Gordon needed to be over there as much as he did, despite the fact the Hood still remained there. The pair of them hurried over, dropping to their knees beside their fallen brother. Gordon had never seen anyone so pale, sweat already beading Virgil's forehead and making his hair stick to it. John pulled his brother close, cushioning him from the ground, but Gordon's attention was drawn by Scott.

Whilst they'd been moving, the Hood had somehow made it to his feet and had disappeared into the surrounding vegetation. The second Scott was sure Gordon and John were there to stay; he had leapt to his feet and shot off after him.

"Scott, come back!" After what had felt like hours of not being able to say anything, the shout was ripped from Gordon's throat as he jumped to his feet. He was not going to let Scott run after this monster alone. He was not going to let another brother be hurt. If he had been able to fight against the Hood more effectively, none of this would be happening, Virgil wouldn't be... No! Gordon refused to think like that. His brother was a fighter, he would be fine. He simply had to be. One glance showed that John was keeping their brother as safe as possible considering the circumstances, and Gordon took off after Scott.

"Gordon, don't!" John's shout fell on deaf ears as Gordon ran, the pounding of his blood blocking out all other sound. He could see Scott just in front of him, and sheer frustration at the entire situation gave him a burst of speed.

"Scott!" Gordon almost threw himself on his brother when he caught sight of what Scott was doing. The pilot had reached a small ravine, and judging by the snarling expression on his face, the Hood had disappeared into it. But Gordon didn't need to be a mind-reader to know what his brother was planning, and, with a strength they didn't often see from him, he grabbed Scott by the arm and forcibly dragged him back from the edge. It was amazing how much the landscape could change within just a few feet, but Gordon supposed that was partly why the temple had been built on the edge of the drop anyway, as some sort of security. They had barely moved from the ruin, and were in completely different surroundings.

"Get off!" Scott snapped, spinning around sharply and fixing Gordon with such a glare the younger man thought his insides would freeze there and then.

"Get back to Virgil!" he ordered.

"Don't..." It was clear Scott was going to tell Gordon not to tell him what to do, but the redhead got in there first.

"I can't lose you!" Gordon suddenly screamed, dropping to his knees as the reality of the situation crashed over him with such intensity he momentarily forgot how to breathe. This was really happening. His big brother had just been poisoned, and considering how much effort the Hood had gone to in order to bring them down, the redhead knew for sure he hadn't been bluffing. They were really losing...

"No!" The scream this time was almost ripped in half by a harsh sob. Gordon drove his fist into the ground, leaving it scrunched there whilst ignoring the pain lancing up his arm. This couldn't be happening, it just couldn't...

He didn't notice Scott shoot him a sympathetic glance, moving to comfort his younger brother before mirroring his actions and lashing out, plunging his fist into a nearby tree. Gordon didn't even notice Scott sprint back to where John was still holding Virgil, nor his second oldest brother walk slowly over, taking up Scott's previous position and gazingdown at him. The dramatic change in surroundings meant it felt like they were further away from the scene of devastation than they actually were.

"Gordon? Gordy, look at me."

Suddenly, a strong and warming grip was on his shoulders. John crouched down in front of Gordon, holding on tightly to the younger man as if he was trying to ground him. Whether it was just coincidence, or whether he truly did know what was best, it was precisely what his little brother needed. As Gordon looked up into John's eyes something in him broke and he all but fell on his brother, his breathing hitching erratically.

Scott hadn't stayed because he could offer no words of comfort; make no promises that everything was going to be alright.

Scott couldn't stay because he knew what was really going on.

"No, no, no, no, no..." he mumbled into John's uniform, feeling the man's hands resume their grip, attempting to ground him. But John didn't say anything. Gordon didn't need him to; he could feel the way his brother's heart was pounding with the same agonising intensity as his own, knowing the blond also felt like he was being ripped straight down the middle.

Gordon had no idea if they stayed that way for a minute or an hour before John's vibrating watch snapped them into action. Keeping one arm firmly gripped around his brother, John's free hand flicked the switch.

"Dad," he said heavily, and in that one word, Gordon felt as if a great weight was pressing him into the ground, John being the only thing that stopped him from collapsing completely. He didn't even notice he was shivering until John drew him in closer.

"John? Alan's picking up erratic readings from Virgil's watch. What's wrong with your brother?"

Gordon had never heard a silence as loud as he did in that moment when John took in a breath.

"He's been poisoned."

The silence that fell the other end was something Gordon didn't think he would ever forget. He could literally hear his father breathing through John's watch, the man's breathing stumbling irregularly as he clearly tried to process what he had just been told. He could even hear Alan's sharp intake of breath, despite the fact that had come from the portrait across the lounge and then back through John's watch.

"Wh...what happened?" Jeff's voice was forcibly controlled, yet both of his sons could hear the violent tremors. They were fully aware that it would only be moments before he cracked completely. John gave Gordon's shoulders another squeeze and stood up, moving away from his brother. Gordon just sat there on the floor, his mind going blank. He couldn't think straight. Thoughts themselves were far beyond him at the moment. Virgil was dying. There was nothing else that mattered.

John was talking quietly, his back to Gordon as if to shield his little brother from what was being said. Gordon didn't see the point. It wasn't as if it could shield him from what was happening. The harsh reality was staring him in the face, causing his breath to catch and his eyes to sting furiously. He scrubbed at them harshly, instead turning the pain into anger. Anger towards the Hood. He hoped that it would help, that it would somehow make things right again if he didn't dwell on what was going on behind him.

It didn't work. Nothing could stop the hollow feeling from overtaking every other emotion. He felt numb. Sitting on the floor, Gordon found his hand was automatically playing with the grass surrounding him, picking at the blades before tossing them away from him in anger. What right did the grass have to sit there growing whilst Gordon's big brother was dying?

As his hands played, Gordon found that his mind suddenly started working again, a small thought filtering through and sticking in his mind. Even as he aggressively pulled up another clump of grass, he froze. The thought would not leave him, and swallowing hard, he glanced up at John. He could see that his brother was becoming more and more agitated, but Gordon couldn't blame him. Who would want to be the bearer of news like that?

Springing to his feet, Gordon closed the gap between them in a matter of strides. John may have wanted to protect Gordon from what was being said, but he clearly hadn't been prepared to move any further away from his younger brother than he had to. Gordon didn't even register the surprised expression on John's face as he grabbed at his brother's arm, yanking John's watch towards him.

"Dad, get Kyrano."

"Gordon, what are you...?"

"Now! Please!" The sheer desperation in Gordon's voice cut through John's attempt at taking control of the situation, and it was clear their father picked up on it as well, for he didn't argue. Gordon was glancing about him impatiently as he heard the soft murmur of voices on the other end of the line. John was forced to prise his brother's hand away, Gordon wincing apologetically at the finger marks on the astronaut's arm.

"Gordon?"

"Kyrano. Listen, you know this area." Gordon ignored John's warning intake of breath. Especially since finding out it was the Hood who was trying – John wouldn't admit to succeeding, not yet – to kill them, they had made the point of not drawing comparisons between him and his half-brother. But Gordon wasn't even thinking along those lines. "You told me once that every plant has a use, that none are there for just the sake of it."

"That is correct." For once, Kyrano's calming voice was doing nothing to soothe Gordon.

"Then there must be one here that can do something! Kyrano, please, there must be something we can do." The pause seemed to stretch on for a lifetime, John once again being forced to remove his frantic brother's hand from his arm before he had bruises. Eventually though, Kyrano spoke.

"There is... something that might help. It was always believed to combat ill health, its properties are renowned."

"How do we find it?" It was John who spoke this time, his voice quiet and filled with an uncertain hope. Gordon knew how he was feeling. They had to believe this would work, because the alternative was not something that could bear being contemplated.

"It's small, dark green and will grow in clumps. The leaves will feel velvet to the touch and light green spots litter the stem. It likes the shade, but apart from that, I can give you no more information."

"Thanks, Kyrano!" Gordon finally relinquished his grip on John completely and turned back to the clearing. The sight there made his heart skip a beat. Virgil was definitely worse; Scott was all but having to hold him down as shakes racked his body.

"He's burning up," Scott muttered, not even turning when he heard Gordon arrive. Gordon swallowed hard.

"Kyrano thinks there is something that might be able to help." His voice was as equally soft as his brother's. John hadn't even followed him back, and already Gordon could hear him beginning to search. Scott's hands stilled and Gordon heard him suck in a sharp breath. If he knew his brother as well as he thought he did, Scott would have closed his eyes momentarily, shielding the world from seeing the raging emotions shoot through his eyes. One hand flicked at his watch.

"John, hurry up and find it! He's burning up." The Field Commander's orders were once again given, and Gordon turned on his heel, sprinting back into the forest himself. He could understand his brother's tone. He too was refusing to think that this could potentially be it, but judging by the fact Scott was still with Virgil, he was being forced to accept the sheer reality of the situation more than his younger brothers were. It was why he wouldn't leave Virgil. Not only because out of all of them, Scott had the most chance of getting the artist to hang on, but because he wouldn't let the others see their brother like that. It was Scott's way of trying to stay in control.

Gordon felt like he had been searching for an eternity. Every time he thought he saw something that matched Kyrano's description it was as if his body gave a strange lurch, his heart pounding uncomfortably until he realised that it was something else entirely. He was getting desperate, hands scrabbling through the undergrowth, crimson streaks soon lining them from where he was taking no care in the slightest. It had to be there, it simply had to be.

He would have searched forever if he had to, anything to feel like he wasn't giving up on Virgil. He didn't have to, however, for two things happened simultaneously. He was lucky he had ended up directly in between the positioning of his brothers, for he heard them both clearly even without his watch.

"I've found it!"

"John... Gordon... Get back here, he's not breathing."

The world spun alarmingly and Gordon found he was forced to put a shaking hand on a nearby tree to keep himself upright at Scott's words.

No, no, no, no, no, no...

Thundering footfalls signalled John's movement, and after a moment, Gordon took a deep breath and pushed himself up again. Things still seemed to be spinning slightly, but he forced his legs to move. It was as if he was in a dream, everything around him was blurred as he stumbled back into the clearing. John had indeed found the plant, it was resting on the ground next to him as he gently pushed Scott away, taking over the attempts to revive their brother. Scott fell back, cradling his arm slightly. It showed how much this was affecting him the fact that he let John do it.

Gordon wasn't even aware there were tears running down his cheeks, blurring his vision as everything seemed to blend into one. He could see nothing else but John, fighting to save Virgil.

But then something else did force his vision to focus. Scott had moved. John hadn't even noticed his older brother pick up his previously discarded gun and begin to walk away, but Gordon did. He immediately stepped into Scott's path.

"Where are you going?"

"Move."

Gordon felt like he had been punched in the gut. There was nothing familiar or loving about Scott's voice, a cold emptiness, void of all emotions taking its place. His eyes were the same. There was no sign of the Scott Gordon knew there, only burning hatred and an intense anger that he had never seen the like of before. Looking into his brother's eyes, Gordon knew what Scott was about to do.

"No," he responded firmly, reaching out to take Scott's arm. "It's not going to change anything."

"He killed my brother."

"He hurt our brother. Virg's not gone yet, Scott. Come on, don't do this." There was no way Gordon was about to let Scott walk away, for he knew what would happen if he did. True enough, they would be one enemy less, for there was no way Scott would have stopped until he had found the Hood. Whilst there was a part of Gordon that simply wanted to step aside, hell, even go with his brother and finish the bastard once and for all, he knew they couldn't do it like this. It wasn't even from some moral sense of knowing what was right or wrong.

It was nothing more than a selfish reason. If Scott did this, it would destroy him. Not now, probably not even in a day or so. But eventually, the anger would ebb away, and Gordon knew that the pilot would be more torn up than even he could comprehend at knowing he had taken someone's life in cold blood, regardless of how much they may have deserved it. Despite his turmoil of emotions, Gordon wasn't naive. He knew there was a very strong chance they would be returning to the island one less than when they had set out. There was no way he was about to let the Hood destroy another member of his family.

"Move."

"No." His own voice was soft and quiet. It was the complete opposite of Scott's. Whilst his may have been cold, Gordon's was cracking with the emotion he was struggling to keep on top of. Before he could say anything else, he found himself staring down the barrel of his brother's gun.

"Move."

"No way," Gordon responded, folding his arms and allowing his stance to show that he wasn't going anywhere. "You'll have to shoot me first."

He desperately tried not to react as Scott's finger tightened on the trigger. His brother surely wasn't that far gone in his fury and pain, was he? One more look at Scott's eyes had Gordon swallowing, suddenly thinking that he might have just made a big mistake. Virgil was to Scott what Alan was to Gordon. And the young man didn't even want to consider how he would have reacted if the Hood had pulled the trigger that day in Canada.

"Gordon. Move." Scott's words were barely audible, instead being lost in a low growl. As Gordon merely raised his eyebrows challengingly – a clear sign that he was certainly not going to move – Scott swung. Gordon had just enough time to see the blow coming and duck away to one side. Scott almost overbalanced as the gun – instead of colliding with his brother's head – swung effortlessly through the air.

"What are you going to do, Scott? Kill me as well as him?"

"He deserves it."

"'Course he does. But you aren't God, Scott, you can't choose that. Don't become him."

"He killed Virgil!" Scott's roar made Gordon flinch, but he slowly moved to stand back in front of his brother. There had been emotion in Scott's hoarse yell. He knew that his brother was beginning to slowly come back to him. It was just a matter of whether he could bring his Scott back in time. Scott pushed him roughly to one side and made to move off again, but found himself bowled over instead as Gordon threw himself at the older man's back.

The pair of them fell to the floor in a tangle of limbs, Gordon somehow managing to wrench the gun away from Scott and throwing it far away into the undergrowth. He would find it later, but right now, he was not going to give his brother an even bigger advantage. Part of his mind suddenly realised that he was glad their positions were this way around, for there would be no way John would have stood a chance at stopping Scott. Gordon was the only one who would be able to, and right now he wasn't moving until Scott had calmed down.

Unfortunately, his brother had other ideas. Bucking, he managed to dislodge Gordon and rolled the pair of them until he was straddling his brother.

"You're not a killer, Scott." Gordon's quiet plea was not for himself, even if his head was jerked to one side as the usually calm Field Commander punched him. "This isn't you."

"How do you know what is me?" Scott snarled, but Gordon inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. He was sounding more and more like his brother with every passing word, and Gordon knew that it wouldn't be long before Scott came to his senses. Jerking his legs, he wrapped them around his brother's waist, and in one movement, flipped the pair of them. Leaning down, he attempted to pin Scott's hands to the ground.

"I know my brother would never try and end someone's life deliberately, no matter what he had done. Come on, Scott, this isn't exactly helping."

Gordon may have been the only brother who had the chance of matching Scott physically, but his brother was so driven by his need for revenge the younger man didn't stand a chance as Scott threw him off. He hit the ground, breathing heavily as his lungs protested, but managed to glance up in time to see Scott spring to his feet. Gordon knew he wouldn't be able to react quickly enough, so instead just stuck out a hand, latching it around his brother's ankle.

Normally, Scott would have been able to kick off a hold like that with no trouble. But he clearly wasn't thinking straight, and definitely hadn't expected Gordon to react at all. Meaning that instead of simply jumping over his still gasping brother, Scott was sent crashing back down to the ground to join him in a winded heap.

Gordon didn't let go. Instead, he reached out with his other hand, gripping onto Scott's wrist. With a huge amount of effort, he pulled himself to his feet, stumbled forward and hit the ground again, right next to his brother. He grabbed hold of the other arm as well, leaning his weight across Scott's chest in order to keep him pinned.

"Get off me." Scott growled, shaking himself furiously as he tried to dislodge his brother.

"No chance."

"Now."

"Or what?" It was a comeback he had used too many times when growing up, but as Scott blinked, Gordon knew how appropriate it was given the situation. Just how far was Scott prepared to go in order to go after the Hood?

"Gordon..."

Inwardly smirking, Gordon tightened his grip. Emotion was beginning to flood Scott's voice, and a small spark had once again been relit in his eye. The bloodlust was fading; Gordon's brother was beginning to return for good this time. Shifting his weight in order to keep the pilot pinned – for Gordon was taking no chances until he was sure Scott wasn't going to run – the younger brother sighed.

"Come on, Scott, stop being such an ass."

"Get off!" Scott yelled, but Gordon merely gritted his teeth, holding the older man down. "Please, Gords...I have to..."

That was what Gordon had been waiting for. Scott's mind was beginning to snap back into reality, and Gordon knew he was beginning to process not only what he was doing, but what was happening. The aquanaut had a strong feeling he wasn't the only one who had been in denial about what was going on.

"No you don't, Scott. You have to calm down and get back to Virg. He needs you, big brother."

"But he... Gords, he stopped breathing."

"And since when did that ever stop Virgil needing you to tell him he is being an idiot? You really think something like dying is going to stop Virgil?"

"Gordon..."

"It's okay, Scotty, it's okay."

"It's not though, is it?" Scott's voice had finally softened completely, and when he tugged against Gordon's hold on his left wrist, his brother released his grip. Leaning forward, Scott let his hand rest against the back of Gordon's neck as he gave it a reassuring squeeze. Gordon shook his head, tears swimming in his eyes again. "I'm sorry."

"Me too." Gordon knew that Scott wasn't just apologising for all but attacking his brother, but the redhead didn't want to talk any more. That confrontation had taken it out of him emotionally, and in all honesty, he wasn't sure how much more of it he could take. John, on the other hand, seemed determined to push his brothers that little bit further.

"Guys, get back here!"

Gordon glanced at Scott, who nodded. Scrambling to his feet, he offered his brother a hand, which Scott accepted gratefully, gripping onto Gordon's forearm for just a fraction of a second longer than he needed to, before both turned and sprinted back towards the clearing.

John was still on his knees next to Virgil. The younger man was motionless, but John had backed away.

"What are you doing?" Scott yelled, moving forward again, but pulled to a stop as Gordon grabbed hold of him. He wasn't about to let his oldest brother take out any anger on John, that simply wasn't fair. John was busy with his hands, crushing something between his palms, but he hesitated long enough to glance over his shoulder at his siblings.

"Saving his life," he responded simply. Gordon walked slowly closer, dragging Scott along with him. It was as if the pilot had forgotten how to function on his own, his eyes locked on Virgil. He didn't even notice as Gordon paused, bending down to pick up the discarded syringe. Something told him that they might still need it before this was over, and Gordon was never one for ignoring gut feelings.

The pair watched as John dipped his finger in the strange paste-like substance he had created before dragging it across Virgil's lips. Gordon thought he had forgotten how to breathe as he stared at his brother. He wasn't watching John any more though, his eyes instead locked on Virgil's chest. Or more importantly, the small movements his chest was making.

"He's..."

"Breathing, yes." John paused in what he was doing, glancing up at his conscious younger brother. Unlike Scott's emotionless expression, John's was the opposite, his expression betraying every thought that was going through his mind. "I got him back."

Scott dropped to his knees next to John, squeezing the back of his brother's neck in exactly the same way he had done for Gordon. For a moment, John's breath hitched in his throat as he turned tear-filled eyes on his big brother. The second they looked at each other they seemed to almost freeze, before John suddenly collapsed onto Scott, nearly sending the older man reeling backwards.

For a moment, Gordon just stood there, shocked. Scott's hand combed itself through John's hair even as the man clung onto him, all his strength having been taken in literally pulling their brother back from death. His knuckles were white as he gripped onto Scott's uniform, his breathing hitching erratically. All three brothers were looking at the same thing though, willing Virgil to take deeper breaths than he was.

"Come on," Scott eventually muttered, standing and pulling John up. "Let's get him home, he's not safe yet."

Nodding their agreement, Gordon and John bent down at the same time as Scott. Between the three of them, they managed to hoist Virgil in the air. Scott was right; it was time to go home.

And just hope that a miracle was awaiting them there.

Chapter Text

The comms were open, everything the boys were saying was being broadcast straight back to Base. But Jeff listened to their argument over who was taking Virgil, who was fit to fly which craft and so on, in silence. He had heard everything from the moment he had first contacted John. Whether the elder of his two blonds wanted those on the island to be able to keep their eyes and ears on what was happening out there, or whether he had simply forgotten to cut the connection, Jeff wasn't sure. Nor did he find he particularly cared - his mind seemed to have gone blank.

He had heard Scott and Gordon fighting, although the sound was distant, muted, as if they were a distance away from their brother. He had heard John battling to save Virgil, to bring him back from the edge of death. He would never tell his son that he had heard everything there. The way John had begged Virgil to come back, the way he had truly thought his brother was dead... Grandma had been escorted from the room at that point by a pale Brains, but Jeff had forced himself to carry on listening. He owed it to Virgil. He had been the one to send him out there. If these were indeed going to be his son's final moments, then Jeff wanted to be there in the only way he could given the circumstances.

But fate, it seemed, had other ideas. These were not to be Virgil's final moments, and even over John's cry of sheer emotion, Jeff had heard the feeble breath being taken as if it was right next to his ear. Everything else zoned out as he listened to his son, his little boy, take another breath. After a moment, he was able to hear John begin to try and pull himself together, clearly setting to work on the plant.

He didn't listen to the rest of the confrontation between the boys. They still didn't know he could hear and Jeff wanted to offer them some sort of privacy. If he was honest, he found that he wasn't able to listen. There was a strange ringing in his ears as his heart pounded furiously. Virgil was still alive... for now. John had already been forced to stop his brother from dying; how many more times would they be made to do that on the journey home? Would Virgil even survive the journey? Needing answers, he quickly called Kyrano back into the room.

The man looked almost as bad as Jeff was feeling, and he knew without asking that his loyal friend was feeling some sort of responsibility for what had happened. Why, Jeff had no idea, but he knew the man well enough to know what was going through his mind. That wasn't what he needed to talk to him about though. He needed answers.

"That plant. The one you sent the boys to find?"

Kyrano seemed to know what Jeff was asking, even if the father hadn't quite managed to put it into words. After all, the Tracy patriarch wasn't the only one who knew the other members of the island exceptionally well. Kyrano had seen Jeff in the most stressful of situations ever since International Rescue had begun. The first time he had met the man properly, Gordon had been fighting for his life after his hydrofoil accident. He had watched the man send his sons out time and time again into a situation from which they might not have returned. Now that dreaded nightmare seemed to have become a reality and he had never seen a look of such helplessness on the man's face. He looked haunted.

"It will ensure he makes it back. People believe it has healing properties..." Kyrano took one look at Jeff's face and decided to change tack. His people used to claim the plant was magical, its healing powers beyond those of other plants, and yet no one quite seemed to know why. But Jeff Tracy had always been more of a scientific man, and telling him that his son was only still alive because of something mystical didn't seem like a good idea.

"...it works well with the body," he finished lamely. "It will stimulate circulation. If he has enough, it should become almost impossible for Virgil's heart to stop in a normal situation. But I don't know what this poison is, I don't know if the plant will be strong enough to combat the effects. I just have to pray that it is enough."

"You won't be the only one," Jeff muttered, swallowing hard. How could this be happening to them? Hadn't their family suffered enough? Luckily, before his mind could continue any further down that route, he finally started paying attention to what the rest of his sons were saying. Their voices had been steadily getting louder and louder whilst their father had been talking to Kyrano, and Jeff thought it was perhaps time he stepped in.

"I'll take him with me then!"

"And what if something happens? He should stay in Two; it means Gordon can keep an eye on him!"

"Me? There is no way in hell you are flying!"

"I'm fine!"

"You got knocked out!"

"One is still quicker!"

"Enough!"

"Wha-? Dad?" If it had been any other situation, the confusion in John's voice as his father's words suddenly spiralled out of his wrist would have been amusing, but Jeff knew it had the effect he desired as Scott and Gordon also fell silent. He knew them well enough to know what expressions they would be wearing as well.

"How's Virgil?" Before he made any decision about who was flying who – Thunderbird One's speed might be needed, but an extra pair of hands might also be desirable since Scott couldn't fly and treat his brother at the same time – Jeff thought he might need to know the full extent of the situation. If anything, the silence got even heavier. Jeff could even hear Gordon suck in a shaky breath.

"Holding on," John eventually said bluntly. The few words spoke volumes though. Jeff knew full well what wasn't being said. There was no way Virgil was even vaguely safe yet. Judging from the argument, the boys knew that as well. John hadn't just wanted Gordon there to keep an eye on Virgil, he had wanted him on standby in case the artist stopped breathing again. Jeff found he suddenly couldn't seem to breathe properly himself, the room swaying slightly alarmingly.

He was not aware of Kyrano moving, calling his name gently as he took him by the arm, guiding him down onto the sofa and forcing his head between his knees. A hand rubbed over his back in the way he had done numerous times for the boys, a faraway voice coaxing him into taking deep breaths. Eventually, the spinning stopped and Jeff made to sit up. The warning hand on his shoulder made him do it slowly, but neither he nor Kyrano said a word. What was there to say? If a man could not show a moment of weakness at a time like this, then when could he?

"Dad?" John's voice sounded slightly more hesitant than before, and Jeff was acutely aware that the silence had remained on the other end of the line. It came as no surprise that his sons seemed to be aware or, at least, had a vague idea of the type of scene that had unfolded on the island. But Jeff was not in the mood for their concern, he wanted all of their attention fixed on someone else.

"Scott, bring One home. Gordon, fly Two. John, stay with your brother."

"But..."

"Now!" The yell echoed through the watch, and Jeff could have sworn he heard it bounce around Two's sickbay– for he was sure that was where the argument would be taking place – for a moment. Then, quietly, Scott answered for them all.

"F.A.B."

"Wait, Scott, you're bleeding."

"It's fine."

"Dude, the maniac shot you! At least let me see it!" Gordon's voice sent Jeff's mind reeling again. John had told him about Virgil. He had failed to mention what else had happened, however. Judging from what he had picked up, John had been knocked out – and clearly been out of it for some time if Gordon's concern was anything to go by – and now Scott had been shot as well? What else didn't he know about?

"Scott, let your brother see." Jeff's voice left no room for arguments, and only after a few moments of feeble protests, a curse followed by an "Ow", Gordon declared his brother fit to fly. The words sent a sheer rush of relief through Jeff. If Gordon had decided that Scott was well enough to fly, it meant the wound wasn't too bad. He wouldn't have trusted Scott to make that assessment himself, considering how desperate he was to get Virgil home. But although the father wanted nothing more than for Virgil to be safely back in the infirmary with Brains making up an antidote - for Jeff had no doubts that the genius would be able to come up with something that would save his son's life – he certainly didn't want Scott flying if he wasn't up to it.

There seemed to be a flurry of activity on the other end of John's watch, but Jeff had once again stopped paying attention. Now that they knew he was there, he was almost certain he would be transferred over to the main screens of both Thunderbirds, no doubt staying connected to John's watch as well whilst he monitored Virgil.

"Scott?" Hit by a sudden wave of concern – mentally kicking himself for not having thought of it before – Jeff switched to a private channel with his first born. He didn't want the younger ones to hear this, but Scott seemed to know what he was going to say.

"No sign of him. I've looked, Gordon's looked. The local services are scouring the area for him, but they hadn't pulled up anything by the time we left. They told John they wouldn't stop though, but I'm not holding my breath. I mean, how many times has he pulled one over us? What chance do they have?"

"So he's still out there, possibly plotting again?" Scott's audible swallow gave Jeff the answer he needed, just didn't want. "I'll contact Penny immediately. She can pull all of our sources. We will find him and bring him to justice." Signing off, Jeff cut the line. Scott had enough on his mind. Instead, he just made sure the links were open between all three manned Thunderbirds and the island, meaning the family was all connected.

He did what he said he was going to do regarding Penny, but instead of talking to her, he just sent her an emergency signal. She knew enough about what was going on to know what it would mean and interpret it correctly. At this moment in time, Jeff just couldn't face having to say what had happened out loud.

The journey home had never been so silent. Not just in the craft, but on the island as well. Grandma had finally come back in, although judging by the look on Brains' face, she really hadn't given him much option. Jeff wasn't surprised. The woman was fiery on the best of days, let alone in a situation like this. Brains wouldn't have stood a chance; he wasn't exactly one for voicing his opinions. But although there were four of them present – five once Alan had pulled himself together enough to reactivate his portrait –no one said a word. You would have been able to hear a pin drop.

But that wasn't the sound they were all focused on. Alan had boosted the signal from John's watch using Five's technology, meaning the rest of the family could hear nearly every sound that was being made in the sick bay of Thunderbird Two. They were all focusing so strongly on the small breaths they could hear Virgil taking. When a sudden, shrill beep echoed through the link, Jeff jumped in surprise at the volume of the noise in comparison to everything else, only to then feel his heart shatter.

The sound of someone flat lining...

"Oh no you don't, you jerk. You're not dying on my watch!" The sheer determination in John's voice cut through the mist that was once again descending on Jeff's mind and the father shook his head furiously, forcing himself to concentrate. Kyrano had been forced to repeat his earlier actions with Jeff with Grandma, pushing the shaking woman into a seat. Her son had half a mind to tell her to leave again, but one look at her face made the words die in his mouth. Instead, he was forced to listen as John attempted to once again save his brother. Jeff couldn't help but think of the irony of how hard his own heart was beating as he was listening. He would have done anything to transfer the frantic pounding of his own heart over to his son, done anything to stop that infernal noise...

No sooner had he thought that, the beep stopped. Instead, a steady rhythm was once again settling into its place and he heard John blow out a shaky breath.

"John?"

"He's still with us." There was an obvious crack in John's voice even as Jeff sagged in a vague form of relief. What on earth could he feel properly relieved about? Not until Virgil was once again awake would the father feel any form of true release. But he knew he had to at least put up an appearance of being strong: John needed him.

"Well done." The words sounded so hollow, so flat. He used to say 'well done' to the boys when they got a good report card. How could he be uttering the same words when one son was fighting to keep another alive? Luckily, John seemed to understand what his father was really trying to say, but before he could respond, Scott radioed in. One son was back at the island.

Leaving Kyrano and his mother to keep communications open with Two and to inform him of anything, Jeff set off at a run down to the silos. He didn't want to wait for Scott to make it upstairs, he had to see his eldest for himself. He simply grabbed Brains – not knowing how badly hurt Scott truly was – and ran. He reached One's silo just as Scott stepped out of his Thunderbird. Jeff immediately skidded to a stop. His son's hand was clutched over his arm, and even from the distance he was at, Jeff could see the way Scott's fingers were smeared crimson. Yet the father did not have to ask to know that the wound was not the reason for the look of pain on Scott's face. His eyes looked almost haunted.

"Scott." Jeff's quiet voice seemed to almost make Scott jump; he had clearly not been paying attention. As Jeff walked forward, he could see how exhausted the young man was. "Let me see."

"It's fine. Has Penny found anything yet? You've told her, haven't you? They must have some sort of lead by now, surely?"

"It's too soon, Scott. Yes she knows, and is on the case. But it's only been ten minutes. Now, no arguments, let me see." Jeff trusted Scott enough to know that despite the situation, the pilot would have seen to the wound as best as he could. That was not the reason why Jeff needed to do it himself. He had to do something that made him feel like he was helping the boys. Luckily, Scott seemed to be able to read the emotions in Jeff's eyes and surrendered his grip on his arm. His father immediately sucked in a sharp breath, anger sparking to life in his eyes as he took in the deep gash in Scott's arm.

"Is it still in there?"

"No. Never went in, just grazed past," Scott responded, sounding as drained as he was looking. Jeff knew that there wouldn't be any decent rest for him for a while though. He might be able to bully Gordon and Alan into getting some rest, even John if he was lucky. But there would be no way he would be able to persuade Scott to get any. It seemed the young man had been lucky the bullet hadn't lodged itself in his arm - the damage could have been far greater. Although from everything he had picked up about the scenario, Jeff knew that was because the Hood was a good shot rather than any luck on Scott's behalf. Their luck seemed to have run out the day of Gordon's first accident with the crates. Jeff's hand drifted up from Scott's arm, letting his palm rest against his son's cheek.

"Scott..."

"Don't, Dad. Just...don't."

Jeff nodded his understanding. What was there that could be said?

"Jeff, Gordon's coming into land." His mother's voice cut through the silence that had fallen across the silos and, as one, father and son turned and began to walk towards where Two would arrive, Brains scurrying along behind them.

"Gordon's struggling."

They were leaning on the railings overlooking Two's docking bay. Jeff wasn't sure whether the thin strips of metal were actually the only things that were keeping Scott upright, but he glanced over anxiously at his son's words.

"Why?"

"He's silent. You know what he is like when he is stressed, he voices it. I've never heard him so quiet."

"He'll be okay when they get back."

"How can you..."

"Your grandmother will see to that." Jeff cut through Scott's heated protests with a firm voice. No, he could not truly say that Gordon would be okay. How could he say it? But he had to say something. He couldn't exactly tell his son what was going through his mind.

There was a roar of engines that cut through any further thoughts. Jeff and Scott traded a long look before suddenly they were both moving again.

The infirmary was a flurry of activity. John had been forced down on one of the beds the second he had stepped through the door, Jeff taking the chance to look over his second-born himself. After a quick discussion with Brains, John had then been informed he wasn't allowed to sleep for 24 hours, just in case of complications. But the withering look the father had been subjected to in return had caused him to smirk slightly. Sleep was the last thing on John's mind.

Gordon and Scott had watched each other almost warily from either side of a bed, but there seemed to be some sort of understanding between them, mainly due to the man who was on the bed between them. Jeff hadn't thought it would be possible for his emotions to drop even further than they already had, but he'd found he was wrong the second he had laid eyes on his middle child. He had seen Scott battle against an infection that was trying to claim his life. He had seen John break down mentally. Yet the closest thing that he could associate with how Virgil was looking now was the first time he had walked into the hospital room to see Gordon wired up to all of those machines.

If it wasn't for the monitors Brains had set up the second Virgil had been whisked in, he wouldn't even know his son was alive. He was so pale, so cold, that Jeff had forced himself to listen to the monitors, the reassuring beeps, to stop himself from losing it completely. But even they weren't that reassuring. His heart rate was too slow, his breathing too shallow. It was only when Brains began analysing blood samples and announcing that if it wasn't for the helping hand the plant had given him, Virgil wouldn't have even made it this far, Jeff finally accepted what Kyrano had told him about the small weedy looking thing. Watching Virgil fight for his life, he had never been so grateful to the resident Malaysian as he was at that moment.

"Brains?" Jeff's voice shook significantly as he finally turned away from John, forcing himself to cross over to Virgil's bed. It was so hard though. It would have been so much easier to stay with his conscious son, make himself feel like he was actually doing something to help rather than being forced to simply watch as Virgil fought for his life. "What can you do?"

"W...without knowing the, uh, p...poison, n...not much," Brains admitted regretfully, his own hand letting out a slight tremor as he finished attaching an IV line to Virgil. Gordon sighed, the slightest flicker of a smile crossing his face as his hand drifted to his pocket.

"Then maybe this will help?"

Scott sucked in an audible breath as his little brother pulled out the syringe, John swinging his legs down from his own bed at the same time.

"Gords..." Scott's voice was barely more than a breath as he sat down suddenly, his eyes locked on the object in the aquanaut's hand. Wordlessly, Gordon held out his hand to Brains, who almost seemed reluctant to blink, as if scared that if he should glance away for even a second, the needle would disappear. Eventually – with the whole room seeming to hold its breath – he took hold of the needle.

"I'll get, uh, w...working s...straight away." Brains was gone in the blink of an eye, moving with far more agility than the family were used to seeing unless he was in the middle of something. It was quite unnerving when they thought about how much he could change within a split second.

"I need to call Penny," Jeff eventually muttered. The boys had never heard such reluctance in his voice and John stuck out his hand, grabbing hold of his father's arm.

"It can wait, surely?"

"Not this call," Jeff said heavily, his eyes locked on Virgil's prone form. "I need her to put out an announcement that we are going offline."

"No!" Scott's shout made everyone jump, but his eyes were only locked on his father. "You can't."

"Scott, look at what has happened."

"We've managed with a team member down before. Alan can come back from Five if necessary."

Jeff frowned. Out of all of the boys, he'd expected Scott to back him up on this. After all, the pilot had spent a month avoiding Virgil, and Jeff knew there was only one thing on his mind that would have made him react like that. Whilst his son had never said anything as such, Jeff knew Scott well enough to know he had doubted the future ofInternational Rescue. So why was he the one immediately trying to stop Jeff?

"I didn't just mean short-term, Scott," Jeff said softly, knowing by John's sharp intake of breath that his blond knew what he meant, especially by the way his hand suddenly let go of his father's arm.

"You can't."

"I can't lose..."

"No, you can't!" There was something about Scott's tone that made everyone in the room listen. It wasn't the strong, confident tone of the norm. It wasn't even the angry tone Gordon had heard back at the rescue zone. For the first time, Scott sounded broken. His voice almost cracked, tears evident in his eyes as he slowly sat back down. The pilot hadn't even noticed that he had jumped to his feet when Jeff had announced his intentions. Swallowing hard, his gazed lingered over all of the wires that Brains had connected to Virgil, things being used to help his little brother fight for survival. The same little brother who had used his last breath to beg Scott for a promise.

"He told me to never give up," he whispered, his hand stroking Virgil's hair back from his forehead as he spoke. He could feel the rest of the family moving in around him, but his eyes never left Virgil's pale face.

"I understand this is difficult, Scotty..."

"No, you don't!" There was no denying the crack in Scott's voice now. He blinked, causing tears to spill over, a few running silently down his face. "He made me promise."

"Scott..."

"I promised, Dad! It was the last thing he said. He stopped breathing after that. But the last thing he said was that he wanted me to promise to never give up. And I did. I promised. Can't you understand that? I promised! I'm not going back on that, no matter what!"

Jeff shut his eyes, tears of his own trickling through. He moved forward, wrapping one arm around Scott's shoulders whilst the other rested atop the hand that was still resting on Virgil's forehead.

"I can understand, son. Things will carry on as normal." For a moment, father and son remained still. If thoughts alone had the power to bring someone back to consciousness, Virgil would have been bouncing around the room.

"He has to know. He has to know I kept that promise." Scott sounded so desperate, so young and vulnerable in a way never heard from the usually cool Field-Commander. Jeff swallowed hard, but another voice cut through first.

"He does know."

Scott wasn't the only one sounding far from himself. Gordon's voice had completely gone, John moving to wrap his arm around his brother. As Jeff glanced over, the redhead tried to smile, tried to form something of his usual expression. But his own eyes were swimming with tears, and as he locked eyes with his father, one rolled silently down his cheek.

No one moved. No one even thought of moving, although Jeff found his eyes kept going back to John. His second-born was staring at Virgil as if afraid that if he should so much as blink, his brother would vanish. Inwardly, Jeff sighed. His son had literally been made to bring his brother back to life twice now. Something told the father he was going to need a very long chat with John. Although knowing what John was like, it was possible that not even that would really help.

It was nearly five hours later before anything happened. Thankfully, Virgil had kept fighting the entire time, and although there had been a moment of panic when the monitors had flickered, the artist had managed to steady himself. Finally though, the door opened and Brains all but sprinted in, making the family jump. Jeff cleared his throat roughly, standing up straighter, although his grip on Scott didn't lessen in the slightest.

"Brains?"

"It's only a temporary solution," the genius muttered. It was a sign that he was the one back in control for he didn't stutter in the slightest. "I haven't had time to come up with anything substantial. But I've mixed a commonly known antidote for poisons with a liquid extraction from the plant at the rescue zone; it might give him a chance."

"Might?" John's voice may have been quiet, but it echoed suspiciously around the room. Brains refused to meet his gaze as he pushed a measurement of the solution into the IV before administrating another dose directly into Virgil's arm.

"He has to fight it himself."

Virgil himself answered John's question. Almost immediately, there was a slight increase in the readings. They all knew what the beeps meant. His heart rate – whilst still far slower than it should be – had risen slightly. He was indeed fighting, something that was signified as he took in a slightly deeper breath than before. Brains nodded his approval.

"He won't regain consciousness until I find a more exact antidote. But..."

"But?"

"But Kyrano's plant may have saved his life."

"We have it growing in the kitchen garden," Scott muttered, knowing there was something about the plant he had seen John frantically crushing that had stirred a memory. Brains nodded.

If Jeff thought Scott was leaning on before, it was nothing compared to what he was doing now. It was as if all the energy had been sapped from him, and the father found that he was literally holding his son up. Gordon cleared his throat self-consciously, dragging his sleeve across his eyes before giving John a nudge to make his brother back away a little.

"Well, much as I would like to stand around here all day..." His voice was still nothing more than a croak, betraying what he was really feeling. "I'm gonna call Al."

John let out a slightly shaky laugh as Gordon strode from the room, wiping his own eyes as he moved forward. Perching on the edge of the bed, he took hold of Virgil's unresponsive one.

"Told you you weren't dying on my watch."

Scott smiled slightly as he pushed himself upright a little more, resuming his previous action of stroking back his brother's hair.

Jeff just watched them, a lump in his throat. Virgil was a fighter, he could pull through this. He had to pull through this. Jeff needed him to be okay. He needed his little boy to wake up.

Chapter Text

Jeff sat by the edge of Virgil's bed, all but ignoring the other sons crowding around. Having eventually succumbed to sleep, Gordon was curled up in the chair next to him covered with a blanket. It had certainly helped ease the mood slightly, watching his two eldest try and move their brother into a more comfortable position from where he had been sitting on the floor without waking – or dropping - the young man in the process. John was standing by the window - although he had thankfully stopped his earlier pacing as he now just gazed quietly at the heavens. Normally Jeff would have been demanding that his son went and got some sleep, but he knew Brains was still worried about the possibility of concussion. Scott was the other side of the bed, still holding onto Virgil's hand but staring into space, his mind far away. His father could only hope that he was finding some sort of sanctuary away from the hell they had found themselves in.

Despite Brains' temporary solution having been administered a further four times in an attempt to keep Virgil clinging on, Jeff knew they were beginning to run out of time. The boys had been back for almost thirteen hours, and whilst Virgil's heart had kept beating this time, Jeff felt as if he was watching his son fade away in front of his eyes and there was nothing he could do to stop it from happening. Virgil's temperature had rocketed after four hours, his breathing becoming more strained, even with all of the machines and drips Brains had set up.

Now, Jeff was just left looking at a son who looked nothing short of dead. The sight was a cruel twist of déjà-vu. Jeff had sat in a position like this before, watching a chestnut-haired Tracy slip away from him. Although Virgil looked and acted like Lucy perhaps more than his brothers, Jeff was inwardly begging his son to not follow his mother on this occasion. He had to keep fighting, he just had to.

But at the same time, the father knew those were the exact same words he had uttered last time. It had been bad enough when Gordon had his crash, having to listen to the doctors telling him that his son was probably never going to wake up, and if he did he would most likely be paralysed. But that had been something that was purely an accident. This was his fault. He had set up IR; he had sent them out there. If it hadn't been for Scott's earlier breakdown, International Rescue would already be offline, never to fly again.

"This shouldn't be happening," a quiet voice muttered. It was the first thing John had said for at least five hours. Not that any of them had been particularly talkative, and if anyone was going to be the silent one, it would be the star-loving Tracy. But his voice sounded so hoarse, so emotional, that Jeff eventually looked up, even if it did take an age for him to drag his eyes away from Virgil's pale face.

"I know, son." What else could he say? That he was sorry he sent them out there? That he wished none of this had happened? He knew his boys didn't blame him – hell, they were probably too busy blaming themselves – but that just made it harder. He wanted them to yell at him, curse him for making their brother go out there. He brushed Virgil's hair back sadly, wincing at the heat he could feel radiating out. Scott seemed to see his wince and immediately replaced the cool cloth that had originally been over his brother's forehead.

"No, he shouldn't have done it!" There was emotion back in John's voice now, raw feelings being expressed in those few words that tore at Jeff's heart.

"John, he..."

"What do you mean?" Jeff's voice cut quietly through Scott's attempt at reassuring his little brother, anxiety and fear clutching at him once more. The Hood shouldn't have done it... or Virgil shouldn't have done it? There was something about the note in John's voice that made Jeff think that there was possibly something that they were holding back from him, something that was clearly upsetting John.

"Nothing," Scott responded quickly, but his tone didn't fool Jeff. It was too quick, especially coupled with the look that he was shooting John. Scott didn't want him knowing. John, on the other hand, didn't seem to have the same qualms.

"The Hood didn't inject him."

Jeff felt as if the bottom of his stomach had fallen out, a cold sensation gripping his insides as one of his hands turned white where it was gripping the arm of the chair.

"John..."

"No, Scott. He shouldn't have done it."

Despite Scott's clear attempts to control the conversation John was not going to let it happen and he turned to face his father full on. It was only then Jeff realised just how bad John looked. He was paler than usual, blood still matted in his hair. Big circles shadowed his eyes and he looked nothing short of haunted.

But then the father's gaze switched to Scott and he was met with the same picture, only the blood was seeping through the bandage around his arm rather than his head. It just showed how bad things were by the fact they looked healthy compared to their brother. Taking Virgil's still hand – he refused to describe it as cold, it was too much of a harsh reminder of the fact his son was dying – Jeff swallowed hard. His temperature was all over the place, making it even harder to combat.

"Tell me."

"The bastard gave him an ultimatum. Do it himself or he started shooting." John's eyes slipped onto Gordon's sleeping form, and tears swam within, veiling the normally vibrant blue orbs. "Starting with the youngest present. S...so Virg did it."

This time, the cold sensation gripped around his very heart, squeezing ruthlessly as it felt like he had been winded. Shutting his eyes, Jeff bit his lip, but this time was unable to stop the tears. They seeped out from behind the closed lids, flooding silently down his cheeks. He tried to say something, knowing that it was up to him to be the one to reassure John and Scott, especially as it was clear John was struggling. But he couldn't get the words out, feeling as if someone was closing their fist around his throat.

Finally he managed to open his eyes again, just increasing the flow of tears as his vision weaved, Virgil's pale face swimming in front of him, blurred and distorted. Blinking, he found that image was burnt into the back of his eyelids, leaving him with no escape from the vision of his dying son. Little did he know just how long that image would haunt him.

"Dad?" Scott's voice was gentle and strangely calming, but Jeff shook his head, folding his other hand over the one already clasping Virgil's, pressing it against his cheek in order to try and bring his son back to him. The situation was simply getting worse. Once again, a Tracy had sacrificed themselves for another. He shakily let out a breath, but it caught painfully in his throat and ended up as more of a harsh sob.

Scott caught John's eye, who nodded despite the tears running down his own face. He knew what his brother wanted from him. If it had been any other time during this hellish ordeal, he would have refused point blank to even contemplate what Scott was asking of him. But he knew this time he had to put aside his own feelings and step away for a moment.

"I'm going to help Brains," he muttered, forcing himself out of the room. Jeff vaguely registered him going, but didn't realise John's reasoning. He just assumed that he was struggling still being in the same room as his unconscious brother. Especially after having to pull him back from death more than once. What did surprise him, however, was when Scott stood up, although the reluctance was burning brightly in his eyes.

"It's been another hour. I'll contact Al."

The youngest member of the family had demanded that someone made contact at least every hour if there was no change, but immediately if something happened. As soon as someone had had enough rest, Thunderbird Three would be launched. But no one was in a fit state to fly yet, and Alan seemed to understand that, even if he had looked more stressed than Jeff had ever seen his youngest son look before.

Within moments, Jeff was left on his own with an unconscious Virgil and a sleeping Gordon. The boys knew him better than he gave them credit for. They knew that he wouldn't want them seeing this. The father needed a moment – if not a lifetime – to try and get his head around what was occurring within his family. It was not something he wanted them witnessing. He had failed Virgil; he could at least attempt to protect the artist's brothers from seeing their father crumble.

How could Virgil have done it? Thrown away his life like that? But deep down, Jeff knew. Any of them would have done it, their bonds had always been strong enough for them to be prepared to die for each other. As another wave of tears flooded over, silent and unchecked, Jeff angrily tried to brush them away. He wasn't the type of man to cry, it wasn't in his nature to believe that a problem had defeated him. But how was he supposed to control himself now? Virgil was potentially dying, something that was becoming more and more likely as the hours passed and Brains struggled to identify the properties of the poison.

There was a strange series of emotions running through him now. How was he supposed to feel? It was either watch the life slowly drain away from his son, relying on a dear friend to once again pull a miracle out of the bag, or to know that if it wasn't this scenario, it would be another just as horrifying. Somehow Jeff knew that he either had to be sitting here watching Virgil slip away from him as the hours passed, or know that someone else would not have made it back to the island. Was he supposed to focus on the overwhelming and raw agony that he was losing one of his boys, or feel relieved that Virgil had made it back to fight?

After a moment, Jeff slowly withdrew his hands from Virgil, resting his elbows on the edge of the bed and then dropping his head into his hands, his shoulders all but shaking as an inner turmoil raged under the surface. He was glad the boys had left; this was what he hadn't wanted them to bear witness to. He was supposed to be strong for them, but what could he possibly hope to offer when their own brother had just thrown away his life to keep them safe? That was the role of the father; he was the one who was supposed to protect them, to shield them from the world. John was right, this never should have happened. Virgil should have never been put in this situation.

"Come on, sleeping beauty or I'll get the buckets of water again."

A low and uncharacteristically quiet voice made Jeff's head jerk up. Swallowing hard, he saw Gordon sitting in Scott's previous seat, clearly having been disturbed by his father's cries. But he was pointedly ignoring Jeff, instead watching his brother.

"Gordon?" Jeff winced at how hoarse his voice sounded. Raw emotion could be heard spiralling out even as he tried to pull himself together, tried to be the strong one once again now that Gordon needed him. Or so he thought. Instead, Gordon just looked up at him steadily.

"I'm sorry."

"What on earth do you have to be sorry for?" Jeff asked quietly, lowering his arms from the bed once again. He dragged his hand across his face, scrubbing away the evidence of his tears whilst using his other hand to check Virgil's temperature again, silently willing the stubborn young man to open his eyes.

"He got me first. Used me against John, then used that to lure Scott in. If I had fought harder... done something more... then this..."

"Stop," Jeff interrupted firmly, his voice gaining in strength slightly. He leant across Virgil, squeezing Gordon's arm reassuringly. "Don't you dare try and blame any of what has happened on yourself, you hear me? Virgil..." He paused in order to take a deep breath. "Virgil knew what he was doing when he injected himself. He knew there was a chance. You know that if any of the positions had been reversed, whoever the Hood gave the choice to would have made the same one."

"I know. But... seeing him like this, so s-still, Brains still hasn't found anything, has he?"

"He's working on it," Jeff responded firmly. Whilst he himself was thinking the same as Gordon, he wasn't about to let his usually carefree son give up. They would need him if they were going to get through this. "And when has Brains ever let us down?"

"Then believe your own words," Gordon practically snapped in return, shifting in the chair so that whilst he was still watching Virgil, he was sideways onto his father, effectively avoiding eye contact. Jeff gaped at him for a moment, then realised that Gordon knew he was just saying these things without believing them himself. He should have known, his sons always seemed to be able to pick up when he was lying about something like that.

"Gords, I..."

"I know."

Gordon's response said it all. What on earth could either of them say when Virgil was fighting for his life in between them? But it was so much more than that. Jeff knew that Gordon would be thinking the same as him, and no doubt so would Scott, John and probably even Alan. Knowing what his boys were like, they would all be thinking it: Virgil was fighting for his life because of them. If any of them had acted differently, they wouldn't be in this position, they would be safe. Whether or not it was true was a different matter entirely, but Jeff was still sure that was what was going through everyone's heads. For a family full of strong and unique characters, they could all be scarily similar.

"Hey, Virg. You have to wake up, man. Scott wants to put Johnny through a physical. And we all know how much you love them..." What started off as a clear attempt to distract himself and get through to his brother was lost as Gordon's voice cracked. He swallowed hard, but before he could even attempt to control himself, Jeff had left his seat and moved around the bed. His arms draped over Gordon's shoulders as he perched on the edge of the chair, pulling his son close.

"It's okay, Gordy. We'll find a way through this."

"H...how?"

"I don't know, son," Jeff replied honestly. He knew there was no point telling any more reassuring lies now. Virgil had sacrificed himself for his brothers, especially Gordon, if John's account of what happened was correct and Gordon was to have been the first to be killed. What was Jeff meant to say that would make that pain go away when he was feeling it himself?

For a moment, Jeff just held Gordon close to him, barely hearing as Scott slipped softly through the door. He had clearly finished his conversation with Alan – it was the first time Scott had spoken to his younger brother, Jeff and Gordon taking the earlier calls – and he didn't want to be away from Virgil any longer. He squeezed his father's shoulder, ruffled Gordon's hair and moved around the bed, taking Jeff's earlier seat. Sighing, he again dipped the cloth in the cool bowl of water resting on the side for this very purpose, wrung it out and laid it once more across Virgil's burning brow, distractedly brushing back a few strands of hair as he did so.

Eventually, he looked up and caught sight of his father and younger brother watching him intently and managed to offer them a small smile.

"He hates his hair being in his face," he said with a shrug, before once again turning his attention back to his brother. The rest of the room's occupants followed suit and silence once again fell over the infirmary as they waited.

Waited for Brains to come up with some sort of miracle cure.

Waited for Virgil to wake up.

But that was all they could do, wait.

The hours continued to trickle by, eventually turning into days, and still all they could do was wait. Jeff had enough medical knowledge to know when to give John the all-clear to get some sleep, and had all but banished his second and fourth-born for some much needed rest. He had tried the same with Scott, but had just been met with steely blue eyes that reminded him so much of himself that he gave up almost before he opened his mouth.

Two days had passed. They had spent the majority of them trying to keep Virgil under control as he thrashed against the poison, fighting for all he was worth but not managing to drag himself back to consciousness. Jeff knew that the clear pain their brother was suffering was adding to the haunted looks the remainder of his sons were wearing. Even Alan was steadily getting paler and paler as they called through with no change. The young man had done well, knowing that no one was yet in a fit state to fly - lack of sleep had seen to that. But although desperation at the situation was burning brightly in his eyes every time he made contact, he didn't ask to come home. He seemed to realise that it would just make his father feel even worse than Jeff thought was possible.

Although he had managed to banish John and Gordon for a few hours each day, Jeff himself hadn't left. Kyrano ended up bringing meals in, both he and Grandma having given up trying to persuade the stubborn men to leave to get something to eat. But more often than not, he took away the same amount as he brought in. Every time he did so, Jeff and Scott would be staring in opposite directions, the identical set of their jaws meaning they had once again argued over the other not eating, and yet had refused to do so themselves. The Malaysian knew them better than that though. He knew neither of them would eat until there was more news on Virgil, no matter how much Jeff might try and force his son, or how much said son would turn his father's arguments back around on him.

They were both still in there now, but they weren't alone. Gordon had returned, once again curled up in the chair, his eyes fixed on Virgil. It was a sign of just how wrong things were, for the aquanaut hadn't so much as dipped a toe in the pool since they had got home. More than anything, that was worrying Jeff. They all needed a way to vent out their frustrations and helplessness at the situation, but for the life of him he couldn't persuade them to take a break. John was down in the lab with Brains again, the only one of them who could at least feel like he was doing something useful.

If the Tracys hadn't had any rest, it was nothing compared to the resident genius. Brains hadn't set foot outside of his lab since he had first administered the temporary treatment for Virgil, relying on John to get/deliver anything that was required. For once, the second eldest Tracy didn't complain about basically being a dogsbody, not when his brother's life was on the line.

Gordon had attempted to talk to the man, to find out if there was anything the rest of them could do to help. But the redhead had been snapped at so harshly and in such an uncharacteristic manner by the usually stuttering man that he had fled. John had appeared not long after that, saying that Brains was just feeling the strain of basically being the one they were relying on to save Virgil. Gordon had shrugged it off, said it was nothing. But his oldest brother and father didn't overlook the fact that he hadn't tried to go down again.

Silence had fallen across the infirmary. No one was quite sure what there was to be said when one of their own was clearly fighting for his life as every second passed. False words of comfort fell on deaf ears, no one believing what they were trying to say. Jeff felt like he should be doing something, at least saying something, to help the boys deal with what was happening. But every time he opened his mouth, one of them would just look at him with such pain in their eyes that he shut it again. What on earth could he hope to say that would make things better?

As it happened, it wasn't Jeff who was needed to break the silence in the end, despite how long it had stretched uncomfortably on for, Virgil's mutterings being the only thing that could be heard. John's voice came floating through his father's watch, clearly knowing the others would be close enough to him to be able to hear as well. Gordon slowly uncurled himself as he listened hard, the faintest outline of a smile beginning to make its way onto his face as he listened to his big brother. Brains had possibly found something! Then why weren't they already up here..?

Even as the thought made its way from his head to his mouth, Scott looked up.

"They are already coming," he said simply, knowing what was going through Gordon's mind. If he was honest, it was the same thing that was going through his own, but he could tell by the way that John was speaking that the man was on the move. There was only one place the astronaut would be heading, and Scott knew that he wouldn't be coming alone.

The pilot was right. Barely a minute later a flushed John entered, Brains directly behind him. The genius barely even acknowledged the family, instead immediately moving around the room, taking note of the various readings coming from the monitors that were keeping an eye on Virgil. Gordon looked like he wanted to say something, but one look at the anticipation on his father's and older brothers' faces and he once again found himself swallowing his words. He didn't realise that he had visibly showed how concerned he was about the situation, but John had still picked up on something. He moved across the infirmary, perching on the arm of Gordon's chair and draping his arm across his little brother's shoulders. Coming from John, that was a big thing.

But Gordon had never been so grateful for it when Brains finally stopped reading monitors and approached the bed, a needle being pulled out of his pocket along with a small phial. Gordon didn't realise that he was holding his breath until he felt John's hand rub in small circles between his shoulder blades, encouraging the younger man to breathe, but not saying anything. He too watched Brains closely. Scott's knuckles had gone white from where he was scrunching his hands up so much, and Jeff seemed to have gone a slightly grey colour.

It wasn't just Gordon holding his breath as Brains slowly pushed the liquid into the IV line already leading into Virgil's arm. The tinge of colour was watched by several eyes as it dissolved into the drip, all of them watching the solution trickle into Virgil. For a long moment, absolutely nothing happened, the drug clearly needing time to enter Virgil's system before it could do anything.

Nearly ten minutes had passed before there was a visible reaction. Virgil cried out again, before stilling. The monitor focusing on his heartbeat gave a shrill beep before settling again. John slowly got to his feet, frowning as he stepped closer to have a look.

"His heart rate has slowed. It's steady... but it's slowed." The uncertainty in his voice made Jeff and Scott trade fearful looks.

"What does that mean?" Part of Gordon knew; they had all received the same training. Not only for IR, but he had had some experience of it during his time at WASP as well, not to mention months spent in a hospital himself. But if someone didn't say it, his mind wasn't letting him accept that it was real.

"Brains?" It wasn't that John didn't know the answer to Gordon's question, but like his little brother, he didn't want to be the one to say it out loud. The genius just shook his head however, resuming what he was doing before and checking all of the monitors, muttering to himself the whole time. Scott was mirroring Jeff's colouring now, staring at Virgil with a frightening intensity.

"Brains, what's happening?" It was Jeff's sharp tone that finally made the man turn around, his face almost as pale as Virgil's. Jeff was leaning forward, his hands once again clasped around Virgil's, holding onto his son as if it was the only thing that was stopping the man from slipping away completely. Scott had to admit, he knew how his father was feeling, he too wanted to do anything he could to make his brother hang on.

"He's n...not responded t...to it."

"But he's..." Gordon gestured feebly towards his brother, not knowing what to say. Whilst every noise of distress Virgil had made before had felt like a knife twisting in his gut, Gordon wasn't sure whether he actually preferred it to the silence that was now occurring.

"H...his body has reacted to a...another, uh, substance being i...injected, but he w...was supposed to, uh, w...wake up."

"No," Gordon said flatly, slipping out of his chair and walking over to the bed. "This isn't happening! Virgil! Virgil, wake up!" Grabbing his brother by the shoulders, Gordon made to physically shake the man but John got there first. Wrapping his arms around his younger brother, he pulled Gordon away, pinning his arms to his sides.

"Wake up!"

"Come on, Gords..."

"No! Why isn't he waking up? Brains said he would!" Gordon was yelling now, struggling against John's grip. In a way, Jeff was not surprised. They had all been waiting for Brains to once again pull a miracle out of the bag, none of them doubting that he would be able to. It wasn't fair to have put that much pressure on the man - there were some things that just couldn't be fixed, no matter what got thrown at them.

"Virgil! Wake up!"

Jeff caught John's eye, knowing that the elder of his blonds was finding it difficult to deal with Gordon.

"Get him out of here," the father muttered quietly, receiving a nod for his troubles. Even as John hauled Gordon over to the door – the latter struggling against the former the whole time – the door opened and Grandma appeared. Her quick eyes assessed the situation, but it was as if time had stopped when she met her son's gaze. She could read in his eyes what was happening.

Without a word, she grasped Gordon by the upper arm, pulling him out of John's slackening grip and out of the infirmary, the door shutting behind her again. For a moment they could hear him shouting before it went quiet, and Jeff knew that his mother would be dealing with his son. But that didn't help the problem lying in front of him.

"What does it mean, Brains? What's happening to him?"

"V...Virgil has fallen into a d...deeper state of unconsciousness."

"So what do we do?"

"I don't know." Brains' voice was quiet and without his usual stutter as he stared at the still form of his friend. They were relying on him to make everything well again and he had failed them.

"What do you mean, you don't know?" Scott practically snarled, frustration, worry and concern lashing out.

"Scott." Jeff's one word warning was enough to make his eldest back down again, but the father dragged a hand over his eyes. "There has to be something..."

"I'll be in my lab."

All three conscious Tracys blinked at Brains' tone. The man strode from the infirmary without so much as a backwards glance and Jeff knew without having to be told that he would be going straight back to work. Brains wouldn't rest until he had found something, some clue as to why his presumed antidote hadn't had the desired effect. Over by the door, John sighed.

"I'll go and..."

"Leave him." Jeff's tone was quiet and soft, an attempt at reassurance. "He won't want you there, John, and you know it."

John looked like he was going to argue for a moment, before shutting his mouth and nodding, moving back over and sinking into Gordon's previous seat. There was a heaviness in the air that none of them wanted to acknowledge. It had been bad enough beforehand, simply wondering whether Brains was going to find something. But now he had – and it hadn't worked. Now what happened?

"Just hang on, Virg," Scott eventually muttered, leaning forward and taking his brother's still hand in his. "We'll find something. Just hang on."

Both his father and brother made no mention of the tears in his eyes.

Chapter Text

Another day had passed. Brains hadn't reappeared from his lab and even John had not yet mastered the courage to go down to their friend. He knew they should try and say something to him, to reassure him that he wasn't to blame for the fact the antidote hadn't worked, but he found himself too reluctant to leave Virgil. None of them had moved since he had fallen into a deeper state of unconsciousness. Gordon had returned an hour later, red-eyed but quiet as he curled up on another bed, watching Virgil.

Grandma knew how they felt, she really did. She too found herself watching over her motionless grandson for hours on end, willing the young man to open his eyes, to give them some sign that he was alive in there other than the beeping of the machinery surrounding him. She was managing to distract herself by making sure the rest of her boys ate and got some sleep. The latter was a losing battle, especially against Jeff and Scott. They simply refused to get any rest. She was just glad Scott was beginning to pick at food again; at least it was a step in the right direction. Jeff was just surviving on coffee and the odd bite when his mother forced it into him. She had already had a hushed but heated debate with Kyrano about whether they should stop the caffeine fix, but the pair of them seemed to realise that would mean Jeff would just completely crash. Despite being worried about him, Grandma couldn't put her son through that, not until they knew for sure Virgil was going to be okay.

But now, however, things were different. It had been three days, and Grandma had had enough. If they weren't careful, more of the beds were going to be occupied. Grandma was not going to stand for it any longer. Her boys weren't the only ones terribly worried about Virgil; it was about time they realised that there were others who would watch over him whilst they went and got a little respite. She had told Kyrano to be in the infirmary in half an hour – hopefully a well planned entrance would back up her words - and so the old woman found herself outside the room. It was only now she noticed she still had her rolling pin in her hand, but she wasn't going to put it down now. Steeling herself, she let herself in.

She could have predicted the sight that greeted her. Gordon was rocking back on one chair, his feet balancing on the opposite bed as he stared at the ceiling with unseeing eyes. It had taken her a while to get through to her fourth grandson the day before, but he had finally calmed down and she was sure he would be the one to now hold his emotions in check. He had been provided with the release the rest of the family still desperately needed.

Jeff was once again in the seat next to Virgil's bed. Grandma was convinced her grandson was going to have holes burnt into him thanks to the weight of the stares from his father and oldest brother, for Scott was mirroring his father's position from the other side of the bed. Grandma cleared her throat meaningfully.

"Everything okay, Mom?" Jeff asked wearily, tearing his eyes away from his son for long enough to glance at his mother. Despite what she thought, he wasn't just sitting here. The last time he had left, Virgil's heart rate had dropped worryingly low again before they had pulled him back again. He wanted to be here at all times, especially since the events of the day before. He had been denied the chance to be with his son when Virgil had first slipped away at the rescue zone, he wasn't going to do it again.

"No, Jefferson, it is not. Gordon, feet down, now." In Grandma's mind, it was just a sign of how wrong things were that her fourth grandson did as he was told without arguing, instead turning to face her with a quizzical expression on his face. She was using the tone of voice that normally meant there would be no refusing her.

"What are you doing, Grandma?" Scott sounded as drained as his father. In Grandma's mind, no one should sound like that at his age, and it just made her more determined to do something about it.

"Where's John?"

"Right here." The astronaut had seen her enter the infirmary on his way up from Brains' lab. As with every other time he had gone down, he had got as far as the door, thought of Virgil's still face and all but bolted back up to the infirmary.

"Good. Now you are all here, you can all get out."

There was a moment of silence whilst her words sank in, before Gordon gave a slight snort of amusement. Grandma raised her eyebrows at him. "I'm not joking, young man. You've all been in here far too long. You need food, sleep and fresh air."

"You're right. Boys, you need a break. Go." No one moved, and Scott and John even went as far as trading amused looks. Finally, their father picked up on the atmosphere of the room and glanced up again, only to find himself looking up at his mother.

"I didn't just mean them," she said quietly, but her son shook his head adamantly.

"Well, I'm definitely staying for this," Gordon declared; the slightest sparkle in his eye. If that was all it took to get him looking more like himself, Grandma could have kicked herself for not doing this almost the second everyone got back to the island.

"Quiet, Gordon. Jeff, you need rest, you are going to make yourself ill if you don't."

"I'm not leaving him."

Her son's voice was soft and desperate. Normally, it was the type of voice that would have her backing down. But Ruth Tracy had sworn to herself that she was getting the boys out of this room, and that was what she planned to do.

"The rest of you, out."

"But Grandma..."

"I'm staying..."

"Not until..."

"Now!" For the first time since she had got there, Grandma was glad she had the rolling pin in her hand as she whacked it against the chair, causing a loud bang to echo around the room and for Gordon to almost fall off his chair in surprise, saved only by John's quick reactions. Looking at their startled faces, her expression softened. "Boys, your brother is not going to die just because you aren't in the room. I'm not saying to leave him alone: I'm staying and Kyrano wants to come up for a little while as well. I'm just saying go for a swim, a run, eat, sleep, anything. You have to do something to relieve the tension, or you are all going to..."

"Explode?" Gordon supplied, and for once, Grandma smiled at his interruption. She could tell from what he had said and the way he had said it that Gordon was beginning to come around to the idea. However, she knew the redhead well enough to know that no matter what he thought of the idea, he wouldn't be leaving until his brothers did.

"Yes, Gordon, explode. Scott, you haven't left apart from to go to the bathroom. You need fresh air. John, you've been running yourself ragged going between here and Brains, you need a break. And Gordon, you haven't been in the pool for three days, you need to stretch out your back."

"But..."

"Your grandmother is right, Scott." Despite expecting their father to join her in forcing his sons out, it was not Jeff who had spoken, instead a quiet voice coming from the doorway as Kyrano appeared there. Scott glared, knowing full well why his grandmother had asked the man to turn up when he had. She clearly had been expecting a fight, and after what had happened before, knew that Scott at least appreciated that Kyrano could literally throw them all out. He didn't want to back down, but looking around, saw that she had a point. John and Gordon looked terrible. Echoing her earlier thoughts, he knew they wouldn't leave unless he did.

"Don't do anything stupid," he muttered softly, running his hand through Virgil's hair and regretfully standing up. His brothers looked surprised, but, almost silently, the three of them scuffed from the room. Grandma watched them go, a twinkle in her eye.

"Stay by the door please, Kyrano."

"Why? They've gone," Jeff mumbled, letting his head rest in his hands. His mother smiled down at him.

"You really think that Scott would leave that easily? No, he's making sure the others go, and then he will try and get back in. Right, Jefferson, it's your turn now."

"No."

"You don't have a choice." Grandma softened when she caught sight of the haunted look in her son's eye. A look she had only seen once before. Perching on the edge of a chair she took his hands in hers, holding on tightly whilst letting her rolling pin rest on the edge on Virgil's bed. "Jeff, Virgil needs you. He is going to wake up, you'll see. And he doesn't need a father on the brink of falling apart when he does so. Just a few hours, please. Get some sleep. Then you can be back in here as if you had never left. Your other boys need you as well. You all need a break, Alan needs to come home. But the more you all decide to be stubborn, the longer your little boy is stuck up there alone."

She could tell by the way his shoulders suddenly stiffened that she had made a point he hadn't thought of. Grandma knew that simply telling Jeff to go was never going to work, and if she was honest, she herself had no desire to be leaving the room any time soon now that she was back in here. But if using his other sons against him was what it took, then that was the card she would play. A muffled thud and a curse caused the corner of her mouth to turn up. Scott was trying to get back in, but Kyrano simply overrode the door from inside. Grandma knew that now she had to push the matter with his father.

"Jeff, please. For the sake of your boys, if not yourself. For Virgil's sake, get some rest." She knew the second he accepted her argument, for he seemed to almost to shrink into himself, just another sign of how long he had been sitting in that chair. Grandma let go of his hands, stood up and drew her son to his feet. For a moment, she just held onto him, but eventually drew back, giving him a small nudge in the direction of the door. Scott had stopped his attempts to get back in and his grandmother could only hope he was finding some relief in something.

Kyrano stepped aside as Jeff stumbled in that direction, but the father didn't leave the room. Instead, he walked back over, pressing a kiss to Virgil's brow. "I'll be back, son," he whispered softly, before finally turning for the door again.

"A few hours only. And you swear..."

"If anything happens, I'll come and get you. Oh, and Jeff, dear?" Walking over, Grandma placed her rolling pin in his hand. "Put this in the kitchen for me?" For the first time in three days, she managed to get a ghost of a smile from him as he nodded, finally leaving.

As soon as he was gone, Grandma dropped into his chair, resuming his previous position as she stared at her grandson. Gently, she leant forward and stroked his hair back from his forehead, frowning at the fever he still seemed to have. It was almost as if Brains' supposed cure had done absolutely nothing other than stop his restless mutterings. That in itself was a blessing, for there was something that just caught on her heart at hearing him in so much distress.

"I'll make you some tea," Kyrano said softly, excusing himself from the room as he spoke. He clearly believed that neither Scott nor Jeff would try to get back in and wanted to give the old woman some space. He knew her previous attitude had just been a front to get her boys to move. Inside, she was hurting as much as the rest of them.

Grandma barely noticed him leaving. She sighed deeply, wondering how on earth they had got into this mess. For a moment, she just gazed at Virgil's still face, praying that her grandson was going to open his eyes.

"Now listen here, young man," she said softly, all her previous strength seeming to vanish now she was properly allowing herself to think about the situation. She should have realised that sitting in here on her own was not a good idea. Up until now, she had managed to avoid contemplating quite what could happen by battling against the rest of the household, making sure they were eating and sleeping properly. But now she had almost won in that respect, she didn't know how to react.

"You are to wake up and stop this silliness, you hear me? That's quite enough worrying you've put the family through..."

When Kyrano returned with a cup of tea ten minutes later, Grandma had managed to compose herself slightly. The two friends sat in silence, both thinking about the still figure that lay between them. Surely there had to be something they could do other than just wait and see if Brains came up with anything new?

Neither of them saw a finger twitch slightly.

Scott had immediately taken to the beach when he realised that he wasn't going to be allowed back into the infirmary. Feet pounded out a punishing rhythm; slightly laboured breathing accompanied the thuds of footfalls. Scott barely even noticed the sand flicking up behind him as he ran.

He pushed his legs faster, relishing the feeling of the slight burn in his muscles. It didn't feel like it had been three days since he had last left the infirmary, time seemed to simply blend into a mass as they waited to see if Virgil was coming back to them or not. His grandmother had been wrong in the sense of not believing that Scott hadn't tried to get some rest. He had managed to snatch a few hours now and again when his body simply gave up, but some monitor always beeped, or he thought he felt Virgil shift, and his eyes would wrench open, terrified that something had happened to his brother whilst he was asleep.

The sheer frustration at not being able to do anything pushed Scott to a speed he knew was border-line dangerous, but he couldn't find it within himself to actually care. He had truly thought they were going to get somewhere the day before when John had announced something had been found and the whole family had watched Brains attempt to save his brother. But then nothing had happened, Brains believing Virgil wasn't reacting to whatever it was the genius had concocted.

Yelling out in frustration – although the effect was somewhat lost by the fact his breaths were coming in short gasps thanks to his pounding feet – Scott eventually became aware of another noise. He slowed his pace down slightly, lightening his footfalls in order to be able to hear better, but didn't stop completely. He had a feeling he knew what was there. Or rather, who was there. Hearing the steps gain on him slightly, Scott suddenly sprang away. His feet barely touched the ground as he sprinted off.

Sure enough, there was a slight curse as the figure tried to gain on him. Leaning against the edge of a large boulder, Scott quickly brought his own breathing back under control, stretching out his legs whilst he waited for a certain younger brother to catch up on him. It took a few moments, but John eventually came flying around the corner.

Scott cleared his throat meaningfully, causing the blond to almost fall over as he skidded to a stop, leaving a deep furrow in the sand. He glared at the pilot, pushing his hair out of his face and coming over to stand next to the eldest brother, panting heavily. He made as if to lean on the rock, but Scott caught him by the shoulder, keeping him upright.

"Not until you've caught your breath," he told John firmly, watching him for a moment before rolling his eyes. "What the hell are you doing out here, John? You've barely had any sleep, you shouldn't be running."

"Then neither should you," John panted, clutching at a stitch in his side. He had forgotten how fast Scott could be, even when he was lacking in sleep. That was what happened when something was playing on his big brother's mind – he ran. "I thought I'd keep you company."

"Why didn't you just ask?" Scott crossed his arms over his chest as he leant against the boulder, staring at his brother in bewilderment.

"Would you have said yes?"

"Fair point." There was a reason, after all, that Scott had immediately taken to the beach when he realised that there was no way he was getting back into the infirmary. If there was one thing he had learnt throughout this whole ordeal, it was not to underestimate Kyrano. He didn't want the others crowding him, asking how he was doing. And yet, now that John was out here, Scott found that he didn't mind.

"So?" Scott prompted after a moment of silence, knowing there was no way John had simply come out here to join him in a run. There had been times Virgil might have, but John?

"So what? Oh... I dunno," John shrugged, finally having caught his breath and moving over the boulder. He ignored Scott's glare as he climbed it with ease, balancing himself on the top and swinging his legs. "Just didn't want to be inside on my own, I guess."

Scott nodded, poking John in the side of the leg to make his brother shift over. Knowing what the elder man wanted, John offered his hand and somewhat precariously pulled his brother up alongside him, Scott's injured arm restricting his climbing ability somewhat. There was a clear view of the ocean from the top, stretching out for as far as the eye could see, calming and hypnotic. Scott frowned slightly. For the first time in days, he felt some sort of peace. Maybe it was finally getting some air, getting the chance to burn off physically the frustration that had been slowly building ever since they had lost contact with Gordon three days ago. But Scott suddenly found he had the urge to smile. Leaning back on one arm, he took in a deep breath, swinging his legs casually.

"We'll be okay, John," he murmured quietly, tilting his head towards the sky. The day was drawing on, the sun just beginning its descent over the horizon. Another day survived. "We always are."

"It's easy for you to say." John's voice was heavy with emotion, and Scott turned his gaze from the heavens onto his brother. For once, John was not looking up, but staring glumly down at the sand below them. "I had to breathe for him, Scott. Twice."

"I know." Scott's voice was thick as he shifted his weight, moving one hand to squeeze John's arm before dropping it back again. He knew what the blond was like with physical contact. "You shouldn't have had to do that, John. It wasn't your responsibility. I'm the one that was supposed to keep him safe."

"That's not what I meant, Scott. You had to get One back, there was no choice. And you tried to go after the Hood, to make sure it was safe for us all. Has... Has Penny found anything yet?"

"Nothing solid." Scott sighed, kicking out a bit too hard and slamming his heel against the rock, immediately causing him to wince as he thought back on the brief conversation he had had with their agent after checking in with Alan earlier that morning. "She thinks she might have a lead on his newest hideout after we stormed the last, but there is no sign of him yet. He's still out there."

"She'll find something, she always does." It was John's turn to be the comforter now, mainly because he knew that if they stayed on the topic of the Hood, any good the run had done his brother would have been for nothing. He knew how much Scott still wished Gordon had let him go after the man that day, but John sided with his younger brother in that case. If Scott had caught up with the creep, it would have ended up destroying him.

Scott sighed deeply, once more tilting his chin back. "How the hell did we get into this, Johnny? How come the rest of the world sees us as lazing around on an island living off Dad's money, when our brother is fighting for his life?"

"Because fate apparently has it in for us," John responded, so moodily that Scott had to laugh slightly. At this moment in time, John sounded further from the usually calm space-monitor than his brother had ever heard him. But the laugh felt good, felt right somehow. Scott didn't know what was going on, but somehow he just felt as if things were really going to be okay. When he got back inside, he would make sure to thank his grandmother for making him get some air; it had certainly done the trick.

For a few moments, the two brothers sat in silence, both lost in thought. Scott knew that they wouldn't be out for much longer. Not only because of the shadows beginning to creep their way across the beach, but because he knew John intended to be away from Virgil only as long as Scott. As soon as they believed their grandmother would let them in, both brothers would once again be taking up position in the infirmary.

Before that time came, however, a voice was heard calling them. John immediately sprang from the top of the boulder, dropping into a crouch even as Gordon came running around the corner. His hair was sticking up and still damp, his face flushed from what looked like a spontaneous sprint across the beach.

"Gordon?" John's voice was sharp, and Scott knew without looking his eyes would be burning brightly, concern in his eyes even as he let his hands rest on Gordon's shoulders as their younger brother gasped for breath.

"Virgil... he..."

"What?"

"He's awake." Scott was the one who answered, though. His hands were digging deeply into the rock, not seeming to notice the slightly red marks slowly appearing on his palms. Everything else about him was as still as the rock he was sitting on.

"How did you...?"

"I don't know. But I'm right, aren't I?"

Gordon frowned up at the figure of his brother sitting atop the rock he had once forbidden Gordon to climb and slowly nodded, a wide grin splitting over his face.

"Brains' antidote did work! I knew it would! We just didn't give it enough time! Come on!"

Without a backward glance, both John and Gordon sprinted off up the beach, the tension leaving their shoulders as Scott watched. It all made sense now. The feeling of calm, the certainty that everything was going to be okay... He had meant what he said to Gordon. He had no idea how, but somehow, Scott had known the second Virgil had stirred.

He took one long last glance at the sky, the first star appearing in the evening light. Tears were glistening in his eyes as he slipped neatly down from the rock, his actions much more controlled than John's frantic leap had been. He moved slowly up the beach. He wanted to run with John and Gordon, push everyone out of the way until he was by Virgil's side. But somehow, he instead felt an inner peace, something that had been absent for too long.

"Thanks, Mom," he whispered quietly, his eyes locked on that first star even as more slowly began to wink their way into view.

Scott began walking up the beach, but before long he found himself running as fast as his brothers had, possibly more so. He had an infirmary to get to. The Hood hadn't won; Virgil was going to be okay.

As he hurtled his way through the house, Scott skidded to a stop outside the infirmary, smashing his hand on the panel and practically flinging himself through the door. People were crowded around the bed, every occupant of the island crammed into the room.

Even through the bodies milling everywhere, Scott still found himself locking eyes across the space with the one person he needed to see. A smile spread rapidly across his face as Virgil returned it. He looked like absolute hell and it was clearly taking every ounce of self control he had not to pass out again, especially considering the amount of people firing questions at him.

But he was alive.

Chapter Text

"...and then, he managed to catch his foot on the edge of the sun lounger, and before I could even warn him, he had fallen in backwards!"

Scott raised his eyebrows at Gordon's dramatic tale – accompanied with extravagant actions – as the redhead rolled backwards off the edge of Virgil's bed as he tried to demonstrate precisely what their youngest brother had done this time. Whilst Virgil smiled at Gordon's attempts to keep him occupied, his oldest brother wasn't fooled. The artist was tiring. It was time to kick out the circus.

"Go and get cleaned up, the pair of you. If Brains – or heaven forbid – Grandma sees you in here dripping water like that, you'll be scrubbing the 'birds for a month."

"But Scott..."

"Field Commander's orders. Now go."

Gordon's face fell until he was matching the pout that Alan was already wearing and, without another word, he grabbed Alan's arm and began pulling his brother from the infirmary, muttering something quietly in his ear. Scott had a feeling he had just subjected himself to being their next victim, but Virgil's grateful smile made it worth it.

Another three days had passed since Virgil had regained consciousness. He had spent the majority of the next one sleeping, only his stirrings now and again stopping his father and oldest brother from going mad with worry. Both John and Gordon had forced their exhausted bodies into getting some rest and gone up to get Alan on the second day. It had been somewhat amazing to watch the life sparkle back into Alan's eyes once he had had a conversation with his weakened brother.

For the most part, Virgil seemed to be getting there. He could now make it about three hours before falling back to sleep, and the drugs Brains had pumping through the IV line were keeping him lucid and able to focus through the pain. The poison was a vicious one, and on the one occasion where Virgil had stubbornly pulled out the IV with the declaration that he was fine and could they all please stop fussing, the middle son had immediately been crippled by the pain, sending him straight back into the realm of unconsciousness once again.

When he had come round again, the line had been replaced and he had been met with the accusing stares of the rest of the family. Even the half-asleep Alan had managed a look that Scott would have been proud of if he wasn't already shooting daggers at his brother.

"Don't you dare try that again!" the oldest brother snapped, Virgil's cry of pain ringing through his ears. He had made it to the door, intending to get something from the kitchen when he had heard Virgil's movement. He doubted his brother even realised the heartrending plea he had sent towards the pilot to make the pain go away before passing out.

"Only what you would have done." Virgil's mumbled reply broke the tension that had settled into the room, and the majority of the family had gone back to what they had been doing. But not before Scott and John had traded a number of facial expressions as they conveyed the fact that Virgil was not to be left on his own again if that was the sort of trick he would try. John had passed the message on when he got his other brothers and father away from the artist, and to Virgil's dismay, they had made good on that promise. Even when he was asleep, there was someone around. Usually Scott, but that didn't surprise the younger brother in the slightest. After all, he had tricked Scott into thinking he was asleep before going for his escape attempt. The older man wasn't going to give him the chance to do it again.

"I thought they would never go."

A tired mumble brought Scott's mind back into the present and he smiled at the exhausted appearance of his brother. Brains had reluctantly told them that whilst Virgil had the poison in his system, he would remain exhausted. It was a combination of the drugs and the constant battle his body was going through. Even so, colour was slowly beginning to trickle back into Virgil's cheeks, and considering how he had looked only three days ago, he looked positively healthy now.

"Gords is getting better," Scott responded, knowing what was really going through Virgil's mind. The artistic brother had no idea how Gordon had snapped when they believed the cure hadn't worked, but even in a semi-conscious state, he had picked up enough to know his normally care-free brother was struggling.

"Having Al home is good for him."

"But?" Scott knew his brother well enough to know that there was something else on Virgil's mind. Virgil was biting his lip slightly, staring at the door even though he was having to stubbornly pull his eyes open. Scott knew it would only be a matter of moments before Virgil succumbed to sleep once again, but he wasn't going to say anything. He knew how much his brother needed rest, but there were certain characteristic traits that definitely ran through the family. As soon as someone mentioned the word 'sleep' to Virgil, he did everything in his power to stay awake. He didn't realise there was a light sedative mixed in with the numerous drugs he was being given, Brains not trusting him any more than the rest of the family did.

"He was in here again last night."

Scott sighed heavily. Gordon might be acting as if things were heading back to normal, but this was the third night he had moved from his own room back into the infirmary. He had nearly given John a heart attack the first night. Still, it was disconcerting that Gordon couldn't find the escape and rest he needed unless he was in Virgil's presence.

"What happened, Scott?"

"What do you mean?"

"With Gordon. Why is he like this? What aren't you guys telling me?"

Scott avoided Virgil's gaze. Why did this particular brother manage to master a look that made Scott feel guilty? It was for Virgil's own good that they weren't telling him about Gordon's breakdown, knowing their grandmother had dealt with the situation and that the aquanaut didn't want the others saying anything. For a moment, the eldest brother paused, wondering what he would be able to say that would save Gordon, but satisfy Virgil's curiosity.

But Virgil saved him the trouble himself as he suddenly yawned, scrubbing at his eyes angrily.

"Don't," Scott said softly, capturing his brother's hands in only one of his own and forcing them back down to Virgil's lap, stilling the action. For a moment, it looked as if the younger man was going to fight him, but then he sagged against the pillows, sighing deeply. As soon as Virgil relaxed back, Scott released his grip.

"I hate this."

"You were dead five days ago, Virg. It will get there."

"When, Scott? I want to get out of here; I don't want to be wired up to this stupid..."

Scott had to reach over and grab Virgil's hand to stop him from pulling out the line again. This time, Virgil did struggle against his brother, although Scott could see it was only going to be a matter of moments before sleep overtook him once again.

"Virgil, stop it."

"But I..."

"Stop." Scott's firm voice took on the hint of combined big brother and Field Commander, and Virgil glared up at him.

"You wouldn't lie here, and you know it."

"I also know that you would drag my ass back and handcuff me to the bed." Scott let his voice soften, a small twinkle appearing in his eye as he tried to calm Virgil down. They were right in thinking that he still wasn't ready to be left alone, especially if this was what he was going to be trying every time he was. For a moment, it looked like Virgil was going to argue further, but sleep was coming swiftly and he once again relaxed against the bed. Scott didn't let go of his hands though.

"You deserve it, stubborn idiot." There was a hint of real bitterness in Virgil's muttered words, but Scott knew that it wasn't aimed at him. It was at the whole situation, the fact that they were in here at all that was annoying Virgil. For someone who never let Scott out of his sight when he was injured, Virgil was a stubborn patient.

"Charming." Scott used one hand to keep Virgil's down and let his other comb through his brother's hair, smiling as Virgil pretended to glare at him. "Get some rest, Virg."

"Don't want to."

"Mmm hmm." Even as Scott looked down at his brother, eyebrows raised, Virgil gave in. He sagged completely, his breathing evening out as sleep drove away the constant battle he was under every moment he was awake. Waiting to make sure he was truly asleep and not just faking it, Scott paused for a moment before eventually letting go of Virgil's hands. His quick eyes made an assessment of the drip, making sure Virgil hadn't managed to pull it free.

Finally, he was satisfied that there was nothing more that he could do for his brother until Virgil next woke up. That didn't mean he had any intention of leaving the infirmary, though, and rocking back on his chair he grabbed the book John had brought him the day before and swung his feet up on the end of Virgil's bed. Letting it fall open to the right page, he took another long look at his brother.

"You're not the only one who hates it, kiddo," he muttered softly, before beginning to read.

That was how John found him an hour and a half later. The blond silently let himself into the infirmary, but was not the slightest bit surprised that Scott heard him coming. Although there was a book open on his brother's lap, the astronaut wouldn't have been surprised if Scott hadn't read more than a few pages, his eyes flicking back to Virgil every two seconds.

"How's things?" he asked quietly, pulling around another chair. Scott set the book to one side and lowered his feet back to the floor, stretching out as he did so.

"We need to get comfier chairs in here."

John snorted slightly at the deadpan in Scott's voice, knowing that his brother was being completely serious. As he tried to navigate himself into a more comfortable position, he found that he was agreeing. After the silence between them had stretched on, John spoke again.

"How is he?" He knew why Scott hadn't answered about Virgil the first time, despite the fact the older brother would have been more than aware that that was what John had been referring to. If Virgil had been fine, Scott would have told him. His reference to the chairs instead was a clear sign that something wasn't quite right.

"Frustrated. He wants to get out of here."

John had a frown on his face as he nodded his understanding. He knew the feeling. All of them hated being stuck in the infirmary, and he too wanted his brother out. If nothing else, the room was beginning to make John feel claustrophobic. Considering this was the man who spent months on end in a tin-can (as his brothers constantly referred to it) floating around in space, that was saying something.

"What has Brains said?"

"It's going to take another few days before he can come off the drip," John muttered, watching Virgil sleep. Once the sedative stopped being pumped into his body, Virgil would certainly be more alert, but apart from that, they weren't quite sure what would happen. They hadn't told Virgil yet, knowing the medic would want out as soon as he could. "But he's not sure whether it is going to have been long enough."

"What do you think?"

"I hope for all our sakes it is. Dad's not saying it, but I know he doesn't want Five on automatic any longer than necessary. He muttered something about making decisions when talking to Brains yesterday, but they broke off when I approached. I tried to talk to him about going back, but he won't have it."

"Do you honestly want to go?" Scott was surprised. He knew John felt a deeper connection with Five than the rest of them did with their own 'birds, and that was saying something. But considering how weak Virgil still was, it came as a surprise that he would even contemplate going back yet. To his relief, John shook his head.

"Not in the slightest. But I heard what you said, Scott. Virgil wants IR to carry on. We can't keep her on automatic and expect to be able to function properly. If it wasn't for someone being up there, we would have never found you when you were locked in the freezers. She needs someone on board."

"What about Brains?"

"Not until Virg is definitely healing. What if something goes wrong? Brains was only just able to save him this time. We need him."

"Five is a big girl, Johnny, she can cope."

For a moment, John looked like he was about to protest, but then he caught sight of the smile on Scott's face and knew that his big brother was just trying to lighten the situation, something for which he was eternally grateful. There had been a strange mood overhanging the island over the last week, Alan's return only lifting it momentarily. Despite their grandmother's best efforts and Kyrano's best cooking, none of them had been able to pull themselves together properly.

"How are the kids?" Scott didn't know what the two of them would have got up to since he had kicked them out, and part of him felt like he should go and check on them, knowing they were both still trying to come to terms with what had happened. Alan had been away from them when it had happened, and in true Tracy style, the absent brother felt like he should have done more. Gordon had already revealed how hard this had been on him. Scott knew what was going through his younger sibling's mind. Gordon had been the first to suspect something was wrong when the Hood began his attacks. He had been ignored, almost pushed to one side, yet hadn't wavered in his belief that something was wrong. But despite knowing it, he had been unable to stop it from happening. And although he would never admit it to Scott, something their father had said made Scott realise that Gordon was blaming himself for the fact they had been caught. It was only Virgil who had the power to make Gordon pull himself together.

"Gords has crashed," John muttered, causing Scott to nod. It was getting late after all, and all of them had had very little sleep. Not to mention the oldest brother was certain the swimmer would be up and back in the infirmary within a couple of hours. It was better to let him rest whilst he still could.

"And Al?"

"With Tin-Tin."

"Again? They were up till gone 3 last night."

"I know...wait, how do you know? I thought you went and got some sleep once Dad took over?" John smirked at Scott. He should have known. Gordon might have been the one sneaking in and making it more than obvious that he wasn't coping with the situation. But it appeared that Scott wasn't exactly getting the rest he needed either.

"So how do you know?"

"Um..." John grinned ruefully.

"Busted." Scott smirked, before rolling his eyes slightly. "Why don't we just admit that none of us are going to sleep until he is out of here?"

"Apart from him?" John smiled as he watched Scott's face soften as they both glanced towards their sleeping brother.

"At least he isn't trying to fight us like this," Scott murmured, absentmindedly adjusting the covers around Virgil and finding his smile widening as his little brother automatically shifted into the new warmth, sighing deeply before stilling once more. Virgil had always been the one to stay motionless when asleep. Scott had never been so glad for it as he was now. At least it meant that Virgil was sleeping normally, and Scott had found he had managed to shift his chair to the right angle so he didn't see the drip and monitors his brother was hooked up to. He could pretend that Virgil was simply asleep. His positioning, however, hadn't been missed on John.

He knew that although he would never get any answers out of Scott whilst Virgil was still potentially in danger and Gordon was showing all the signs of heading towards a breakdown, as soon as this was over, he planned to corner his brother and not let Scott go until he knew for sure that his biggest brother was coping.

Little did he know that Scott was thinking exactly the same about him.

Gordon had never been one for sneaking around the house in the dark, instead preferring to turn on every single light as he passed. It drove John mad, especially considering his older brother's ability to almost see in the dark. Gordon still swore that John was nocturnal. But this time, he did keep quiet and resisted the urge to light his path, knowing that if any of the older members of the family knew that he was up, he would be sent back to his room like a naughty child before he even had time to think of a response.

For once, stealth decided to play nicely, and Gordon found himself outside the infirmary without running into either his father or Scott, or even John for that matter. Of course, he knew full well that could mean one of them was waiting inside, but now that he had made it this far, he had to get in there. He had to know that Virgil was still there, still fighting rather than giving up, the idea his mind tried to torment him with when the redhead attempted to get some sleep.

The door swished open almost silently, giving him access to the dimly lit room beyond. With Virgil sleeping in odd fits and starts, they never turned the light off properly, not wanting him to be in darkness should he awaken. There was a figure slouched in one of the chairs, and Gordon knew immediately that it was Scott. He should have known. It had been John the first night, their father the second. Typically, it had never crossed any of the older members of the family's minds that the younger ones might also want the chance to watch over their brother.

But to Gordon's delight, Scott didn't move at him entering. It seemed that his big brother had finally managed to give into his body's demands and get some rest. As Gordon moved quietly further into the room, he gently prised the mug Scott was still clutching from the man's hand, putting it down somewhere much safer and just standing there for a moment, watching his brother. Even in sleep, he looked strained and stressed, and Gordon knew that he wouldn't be able to sleep for long. After all, if Gordon wasn't managing it, what chance did Scott have, considering how active his paranoid sensors were being?

After dragging a blanket out from somewhere and attempting to throw it over Scott, Gordon was feeling quite happy with himself as he curled up on the chair the opposite side of the bed. Whoever thought the younger members of the family couldn't look after the older ones were surely mistaken. Sure, Gordon didn't have the ability to throw a blanket and just make it land in the right place the way John seemed to be able to do, but he had managed to cover most of Scott. Besides, it was the thought that counted.

"What are you doing here?"

To say Gordon jumped was a bit of an understatement. The redhead literally left the chair in surprise, his heart thudding loudly. He hadn't realised that Virgil was awake, let alone watching him. He had seen the whole show with Scott and was now watching Gordon shrewdly through the dim light in the infirmary. Gordon squirmed under the gaze.

"Don't look at me like that. I should be doing that to you." Despite the protest in his voice, he kept his tone soft and quiet, fully aware this was the first time Scott had managed any proper rest since they had got back. The odd few hours snatched here and there were certainly not enough.

"You didn't answer the question."

"I thought Scott might be cold."

"Crap. You had no idea he would even be in here, let alone asleep. I saw your face, kiddo. What are you doing in here? You should be asleep."

"Yes, Dad," Gordon deadpanned. Curling his legs up on the seat, he leant forward so that his upper body was resting on the bed, chin propped up on his folded arms as he sighed deeply. Immediately – almost by instinct – Virgil found his hand combing through his brother's hair. Gordon smiled slightly, before remembering he was trying to be annoyed and jerking his head away. But he didn't move from his position and Virgil chuckled softly.

"I mean it, Gords, you should be sleeping."

"So should you."

"I've been doing that all day. I'm tired of sleeping!"

Gordon glanced up at the sheer frustration in Virgil's voice and winced sympathetically. "Sucks, doesn't it?"

Virgil looked for a moment like he was going to argue, to claim that no one could know how he was feeling about being stuck in bed for a week. But then he remembered who he was talking to. If anyone knew how it felt, it was Gordon. At least he could still move around.

Seeing the emotions flicker across his brother's face, Gordon knew what Virgil was thinking and that he didn't know what to say.

"I feel fine for the most part. All of you take it in turns to be in here with me, and don't get me wrong; I would have gone mad without it. But seeing you get up to leave, knowing that I can't even think of going anywhere without Scott seeming to know what I'm thinking... Hang on," Virgil broke off, staring at Gordon with the slightest flicker of annoyance. "We're supposed to be talking about what you are doing down here, not whether I want to leave or not."

"Sounds like I'm not the only one who needs to talk," Gordon responded with a non-committal shrug of his shoulders. He had had a feeling that Virgil would be feeling like this. All of them hated being stuck in bed at the best of times, let alone without knowing when they would be able to get out. Virgil was right about Scott. Since the artist had first tried to leave, Scott had insisted someone stayed in here at all times. On the surface, it was to keep Virgil company, but Gordon couldn't help but feel like it was partly guard duty as well, and he hated it.

"So you do need to talk?"

"That's not what I... Oh don't go psycho-analysing me, Virg, John does that well enough."

"Come on, Gords. Tell me, why are you in here? And don't you dare say it was to check on me, or I'm stabbing this needle in you."

"You won't get it out without waking up the smother hen," Gordon shot back without missing a beat, but he knew that Virgil was not going to let it go. For a long moment, he refused to look at him, knowing full well what look the team medic would be subjecting him to. Eventually though, he knew he wouldn't be able to keep quiet any longer.

"It's my fault," he admitted quietly, and as hard as he was trying to keep quiet, Virgil's snort of disbelief still made Scott shift position. Both of the younger brothers froze, waiting with baited breath as he just settled again, thankfully staying asleep.

"What the hell makes you think that?" Virgil should have guessed though. As a Tracy, Gordon had the natural ability to blame himself when it came to something serious. If it was a matter of who ate the last piece of cake, the prankster was quick to pass the blame. But on something like this?

"He took me out. If he hadn't done that, he wouldn't have got John, end of story. He would have never have grabbed you, shot Scott or... any of this. It's because of me."

"Okay, it's all your fault."

Gordon blinked in surprise.

"And it's Alan's for calling through that mission. It's Scott's for not telling you to stay away from that area when you were on your own. It's John's for not getting in contact the second he couldn't reach you. It's mine for not fighting him off. It's Dad's for setting up IR. It's Grandma's for not making us drink enough milk..."

"What?"

"Gordon, you complete and utter moron. How the hell is any of this your fault? What about all the accidents? The fact that he has been trying to kill usfor months now? It was only a matter of time before he got close enough to almost succeed. And the fact that I'm even telling you this shows how much that obviously failed."

"You don't understand..." Gordon raised his head slightly so that he could look his brother in the eye. "I walked into that area without checking, got the men to help me without running it past Mobile Control."

"If you dare say you didn't follow protocol, I'm waking Scott up. Gordon, since when do any of us ever follow procedure out there? Even Scott? Sure, when it counts, but instinct comes first and... and I can't believe I'm even saying this. You know this, Gords."

"It doesn't normally get a brother killed."

"No? How about when Alan ran straight into that burning building because he thought he was picking up a life sign? Or when John decided throwing himself over the cliff after that child would somehow help them both? Or when Scott jumped into a freezing river because he thought he had seen something? Or when I decided that wading through a mudslide on my own was going to be a good idea? We've all done it, and all have nearly paid the price more than once. The difference here is that someone was trying to kill us."

"But..."

"Oh, I know who I missed out from my list of whose fault it was. His! Gordon, this is all because of the Hood. You wouldn't have done anything different and you know it. None of us would have. It is all his fault, you idiot."

"That's easy for you to say!" For a moment, Gordon forgot to keep his voice down, and once again found himself holding his breath as Scott shifted. "You didn't have to fly a great hulk of a machine home whilst listening to your brother trying to restart your bloody heart!"

"That's what this is about, isn't it?" Virgil leant back, watching Gordon through narrowed eyes. The guilt tripdidn't surprise him; he had already had a very similar conversation with both Scott and – rather bizarrely – Alan. Virgil had to admit he was still trying to get his head around the fact that Alan was blaming himself. "It's nothing to do with whose fault this is, Grandma's missing cake and Alan's guilty conscience can handle that fiasco quite well. This is to do with the fact that I..."

"Died?" Gordon muttered bitterly, resting his head back down and staring glumly at the plain covers in front of him. "Maybe."

"So did you, Gords." Virgil's soft voice was matched with a gentle hand running through Gordon's hair, and this time, his younger brother didn't pull away. "I don't remember enough of the day Mom died, but the day they said you weren't going to pull through was the worst day of my life, little brother. But you came back, and we moved on. And the same is happening here. But if you are going to be a complete ass about it, then I'm pulling out this line here and now. Then you can say how much it is your fault."

"Harsh, Virg."

"True. Gordon, get it through your skull this is not your fault, I'm not dead and quite frankly, don't have any plans to be any time soon."

Gordon opened his mouth to argue back, but something in him snapped. Something finally accepted Virgil's words. Maybe it was because it was Virgil saying them rather than another brother. He was alive, and judging by the way he was addressing his brother, was clearly on the mend, even if he was still frustrated at the situation they were in. Gordon's mouth snapped shut, and he slowly nodded, causing Virgil to smile.

"Atta boy." He sighed deeply, his hand still methodically moving through Gordon's hair. He was exhausted by that little speech, and before he knew what was happening, he had fallen back asleep. With the comforting hand of his very much alive brother still resting on him, Gordon found that he too followed Virgil into the realm of dreams, feeling more relaxed than he had done for days.

Neither of them noticed another pair of eyes open, lips turning up in fond amusement at their positioning. Scott hooked the blanket more securely over him, took another look at his now resting brothers and shut his eyes again, a smile on his face.

"Nicely handled, Virg."

He had been awake for the whole thing. And Virgil knew he had. But the pair of them had agreed that the only person who would be able to get through to their redheaded sibling would be the artist, with no interruptions. So upon hearing the door open, they had shared a look, and Scott had shut his eyes. Watching Gordon relax now, he was glad he had.

Chapter 31: Chapter 31

Chapter Text

Tracy Island had always served its purpose well, presenting the facade of a luxurious paradise on which a family frolicked away the billions in their possession. No one would ever know what truly took place beneath the grand house that rested atop one of the numerous hills.

But although it had always guarded the secret well, never before had it done its job so well in disguising what was really going on with its occupants. Whilst the image of the place offered tranquillity and relaxation, the atmosphere was actually anything but.

Almost a week had come and gone before Virgil was finally allowed out of the infirmary. Satisfied that the rest of the family knew as well as he did what to do if anything went wrong, Brains had taken over on Thunderbird Five. His latest upgrades were misbehaving slightly, and John knew he was taking it personally. Not that he could blame the man for wanting to escape the tension of the island. Part of the astronaut longed to return to the isolation of the stars, to be able to just yell out his frustrations without anyone hearing him.

Instead of getting better, the atmosphere had dipped further with Penny's return to the island. It had taken her longer than she had originally anticipated to see if she could find a solid lead on the Hood. But a lead she had indeed found, and that was what had thrown the family into turmoil once again.

There were seven of them gathered around the pool, loungers and chairs alike occupied as the discussion raged on. John found himself sitting back quietly, just observing the rest of the family. It came as no surprise that his father was sitting upright, his posture tense and his face grave as he listened to everyone else – mainly his sons – argue. Scott was almost mirroring his position, only John could see the vein throbbing in his temple and knew that it was taking every ounce of the pilot's self control not to jump to his feet and start pacing.

Virgil was stretched out on the lounger next to him. He was still beyond pale, and his older brother knew it would only be another hour at the most before the artist would need to go in. But despite it being apparent that he was far from okay, it was also clear that he was on the mend. His sleep patterns were slowly beginning to normalise, and now that he was off the drip, the haunted look in his eyes had all but vanished. But to anyone who knew the man, there were still obvious signs screaming that Virgil was far from well.

Gordon and Alan were on the two chairs next to him, although John was sure that his youngest brother was closer to falling off his than he was to sitting on it. He had been inching closer and closer to the edge the more he argued, often accompanied by extravagant gestures that did nothing to illuminate his point any more. Penny was on the chair next to him, her posture and expression being the only sign of calm in the whole group. It was almost as if she wasn't involved in the fierce debate that her discovery had unwittingly caused. Their grandmother was next to her, looking older than John had ever seen her.

John wasn't surprised. Everything up until now had been focusing on finding the Hood. Now he had been located, however, something unspoken seemed to have lodged itself in the mind of every member of the family and island alike. What should they do now? Despite his initial fury at the man, even Scott knew it was not going to be as easy as just sending the authorities the co-ordinates. The man was too powerful. He would have to be down before the authorities got there in order for them to have any hope of controlling him. Meaning that the Tracys were needed. They were the only ones who knew enough about what he could do, having experienced it firsthand. But that would mean walking straight into the lion's den. Last time they had tried that, it had almost been catastrophic.

But what choice did they have? If he was allowed to stay free, to be able to get away with what he had done, how long until he tried again, especially when he realised that Virgil had survived. What if they weren't the only ones he was targeting? It wasn't just the family that was at stake here, it was International Rescue. Meaning it was potentially the world.

Alan was all for it; his youth and pure fury at what had befallen the family meant he was out for revenge. But he hadn't been there when they had attempted this before. He had seen the results, the constant communication had seen to that, not to mention he had been the one trying to find John. But his older brothers weren't sure he completely realised the enormity of what they were potentially planning to do. This would be beyond anything they had done before, because if they were to fail, the results wouldn't bear thinking about.

"...and I can be on the lookout."

"Who said you were coming?"

Scott's sharp voice brought John out of his thoughts with an unpleasant bump as he glanced between his oldest and youngest brother. For a moment, Alan looked simply confused, before his face clouded over. John caught Gordon's eye and grimaced at his brother's eye roll. They both knew how much Alan would want to come - and how much Scott would forbid it.

"Who said you were coming?"

Gordon's jiggling leg slipped and out of the corner of his eye, John could see Virgil's eyes widening in surprise. That hadn't been a surly retort from the youngest member of the family. That had been a cool, soft voice, orders apparent even through the gentle tone. It had been their father.

"Dad, if you think I'm going to stay here..."

"Scott, you are not coming. None of you are. This is one for me to handle."

"But Dad...!"

"No, Alan. I can't ask you to carry out this mission."

As John watched, his father glanced at his grandmother, whose mouth was drawn into a thin line. He was not surprised. No matter the reasoning behind the conversation, this would be more deadly than anything they had ever undertaken before. Normally they did their best to avoid danger. This time they were willingly seeking it out.

"I cannot ask you to do this and not be prepared to do it myself."

"We know it's not like that," Scott interrupted, although John wasn't fooled. His brother may have his "reasoning" voice coming through, normally something that emerged when he was talking to Virgil (especially over the last few days), but the younger brother could see how tightly his fists were clenched behind his back. He was not happy. "We want to come. We've faced him before; we were there when he killed -"

"Not dead, you know!"

"... Virgil. It's our right to be there." Scott pretended he hadn't heard Virgil's interruption, causing John to smirk slightly at the scowl on his brother's face. He knew that Virgil was hating the fact they were using his "death" as the reason for doing this. It wasn't as if he was against it - he knew better than any of them the danger the Hood posed - he just hated that they were using him as a justification for carrying out the plan.

"Not this time."

"Scott's right, Dad. We have a duty to make sure this man is no threat again."

"You are not coming."

"Scott!" Alan's attempt at sounding professional was lost on his oldest brother, especially as his tone slipped at his outcry, and John groaned. It seemed they had all accepted they needed to do something in order to stop the Hood for good, had even accepted what they needed to do. But something told John this argument was going to carry on late into the night. Gordon, however, went for a different tactic.

"What will you do?" he asked quietly, and Jeff smiled at him, glad to have a son who didn't seem to be arguing against him. As with Scott, John knew better. The angle Gordon was sitting at meant that their father couldn't see the way his hands were twitching slightly, even if the rest of his body remained still. Gordon wanted to be involved as much as Scott did, and John couldn't blame him. Virgil's near-death had affected them all, there could be no denying that. But the Hood had been messing with Gordon's head for longer than the rest of them.

Jeff dropped his gaze. Despite the obvious desire to do something, to be able to protect his sons from a madman who wanted them dead, this was not an easy conversation.

"Surround the place with the local authorities. Tell him to give himself up." The words were admitted quietly, an uncertainty in his tone that the boys had never heard from him before. To John's surprise, Gordon laughed, swinging his legs up over the arm of his chair and lounging back comfortably, watching his father.

"Won't do it. You won't even get close. Remember what happened when Virgil pulled a gun on him? Blasted halfway across the clearing."

"Gordon..."

"Dad, you need us. We've faced him more than once, each of us. We know what sort of tricks he'll try. I'm sorry, but I don't think you can do this without us."

"No."

"Dad, c'mon..."

"No."

"Jeff!" None of the boys were expecting their grandmother's sharp reprimand, and John had to smirk at the way both Gordon and Alan jumped slightly, almost as if it was directed at them. No doubt they just heard the tone of voice and knew that they were normally on the receiving end of it. Their father swallowed hard, meeting her gaze. Something unspoken seemed to shoot between them, for Jeff dropped his eyes, shaking his head slightly. When he met her piercing gaze again, the whole family – Penny included – could see that something had changed.

"What would you suggest then, Gordon?" Everyone could hear the forced calm in his voice, but the fact that they had even got this far suggested progress. John just couldn't decide whether that was a good thing or not. He didn't want the younger ones out there any more than Scott did. But it was more than that. He didn't want his older brother out there either. He would never forget the look on Scott's face, in his eyes, when Virgil had stopped breathing. It wasn't a side he wanted to see again.

"We do it how we did it last time," Gordon said quietly, his own tone reflecting that he had clearly been thinking about this. There had been a change in his mood since he had spoken to Virgil and, to their relief, he had finally stopped sneaking into the infirmary.

Scott snorted slightly at his suggestion. "Because that went so well."

"He knew we were coming. This time, if Penny's report is anything to go by, he has no idea she was even looking for him. He won't risk coming after us again, not until he knows whether Virgil is alive or not. But he will know that we are after him, and so will keep low. Last time he was prepared for us. He will think he is again, even if we have the element of surprise. Arrogance is an easy target; he won't be on his guard as much as he perhaps should be."

"I don't like it." Virgil finally spoke, his voice sounding hoarse. It was amazing just how potent the poison had been, and even more of a miracle that Virgil was still here. John knew that Scott planned to thank Kyrano properly, and if his brother would allow it, John felt like tagging along. But judging by the slightly awkward look that had shot between them on the rare occasion Scott had left the infirmary for long enough to see the Malaysian, John had a feeling he knew what else was going on. Scott had seen a different side of the man since he had playedthe crucial role in sedating the pilot. It had been easy to stay angry with him... until he saved Virgil's life.

"Virg?"

"What's to stop this time being any different from the last time? He's been playing us for months, how do we know this isn't just the same? It's great that Penny found him, truly. And I agree, something has to be done to stop him being such a threat. But I don't like it. He could have allowed Penny to find him for all we know, just another one of his great plans."

"What would you do?" Jeff asked quietly. Whilst he understood Gordon's need to do something – John was mistaken for thinking that Jeff couldn't see the tension in his son's body language – Virgil had a bigger right to say what he wanted done. He had been the one who had died, however momentarily. He had the right to decide.

"I don't know," Virgil responded honestly, rubbing a hand over tired eyes. He wouldn't admit it, but he was getting to the point where he needed to stop. This was the longest he had been awake for over a week, and he was beginning to feel it. John caught Scott's eye and knew that the oldest brother had noticed and understood the action as much as he had. But both knew Virgil would move nowhere until this had been decided. He had refused to let them discuss the Hood without him; he wasn't going to leave now they were getting somewhere.

"What do you want me to say? That I want him dead and never able to hurt anyone else? That I want revenge for what he did? That I want him locked away for the rest of his miserable life? I just want this to be over." Virgil sounded so drained that Scott's hand immediately closed the distance between them, squeezing the back of his little brother's neck reassuringly.

"We do it how Gordon suggested." The Field Commander in him had taken charge, and whilst Jeff looked like he wanted to argue for a moment, something about the way Scott was sitting made his mouth shut again before any words came out. This wasn't just the Field Commander of International Rescue talking here. This was someone who had had a very successful career in the Air Force. With a chilling realisation, Jeff knew why Gordon too was taking it so calmly. This was not the first time either of them had been asked to do something like this.

"Dad, can you co-ordinate from Base? It's been years since you were out in the Field, and your expertise is better here. You can conduct the whole thing; you'll be the one calling the shots. Just let us be the ones doing the shooting. Besides, Virg might need you."

"Hang on, I'm coming..."

"No way. You can barely walk from the infirmary to out here without falling asleep. We have to do this before he moves on, and you aren't ready."

"Scott..."

"Your brother is right, son," Jeff interrupted gently, watching them closely. He didn't like this, he didn't like the idea of what they were planning. But he had gone along with the plan for the first time, and knew that Scott was right, they had to move before the Hood had a chance to slip under the radar again.

"I'm coming!" Alan declared stubbornly, almost making John jump at his overly loud voice. For a moment, Scott looked like he was going to argue, but then, to everyone's surprise, he nodded.

"You still up for being lookout? Don't protest, that doesn't mean standing there doing nothing, it means covering us."

Alan mutely nodded, suddenly seeming to realise that Scott was serious about this. He wasn't trying to baby him; they genuinely needed someone in that position.

"John, you are also staying here."

"What?"

Scott sighed heavily, the corners of his mouth turning up slightly as he took in John's indignant expression.

"Co-ordinate with Brains from Five. We need you to make sure no one comes near the area until we are ready for them. They can't know IR is involved, it makes it too personal. We need someone to co-ordinate with the authorities. You speak the language; you are the only one who can hack into their systems if they don't listen. Like Dad, you are better based here."

John nodded. He could see Scott's point, and had to admit, seeing Scott like this was giving him the shivers. Their brother had always been the one to organise them out on a rescue, but it had never really crossed John's mind where that leadership came from. He had always displayed it to some extent - being the oldest of five had left Scott in charge more than once. But this was the Air Force Scott, one who could organise a hit as easily as he could take a stroll. It was scary, and one glance at his father's face showed Jeff was thinking the same.

"Penny, are you okay to come out with us? Gordon and I will go in and draw him out, but we'll need someone watching our backs whilst we do so." With a dry smile, he remembered the way the aristocrat had casually come to their rescue the last time they had tried to storm the Hood's hideout.

"I wouldn't have it any other way." Her cool and calm voice was just as unnerving to John as Scott's whole attitude was. Did nothing faze that woman?

"When are you planning on going?" The reluctance in Jeff's voice showed that he had accepted the situation no matter how unhappy he was about it. The clear and cool way Scott had taken control showed him that his sons were more than up to the job, and them taking it on themselves meant he hadn't had to ask them. What sort of father asked his own sons to do something like this, to walk straight up to the man who wanted them and their brothers dead?. But Gordon was right, he hadn't faced the man. He had just seen the results from the various attacks. It was the boys' right to do this, and with it being Scott and Gordon going in, it was the best arrangement he could hope for given the circumstances.

"How long do you need, John?"

"You can go in the morning." John had let his mind race through everything they might need whilst Scott had been addressing Penny. Between him, Brains, and Five's technology, he knew it wouldn't take much to hack into the system and easily direct things such as traffic away from the area. It wasn't so much to make sure they weren't discovered, it was more to do with making sure that no one else was involved. This was something that needed to be dealt with here and now, but they couldn't risk anyone else being hurt in the crossfire. Unlike the time before, John had no qualms about whether they should be doing this or not. If the Hood found out Virgil was alive, the chances were that he would simply try again. Maybe this time there would be no coming back from it. They couldn't take that chance, not again.

"Dad?"

"Morning it is. Gordon, Scott, John, into Brains lab now. Set up communications with Five, get what you need."

"F.A.B." Scott jerked his head and the aforementioned brothers stood up. Gordon walked rather sedately into the house, clearly thinking about what they were planning to do. John squeezed Virgil's shoulder on the way past, sharing a look with Scott that showed his brother too realised they would have to talk to Virgil about this. Alan watched them go, caught sight of the look on Virgil's face, and scurried after his brothers.

"Virgil?"

"What?" Virgil didn't mean for it to come out that bluntly, but he was tired, aching, and they were all going off without him. No doubt they would be talking about this for months and what would he be able to say? That he was sitting on the island twiddling his thumbs because they didn't think he was ready? Scott was right, he wasn't. It was just frustrating that he couldn't offer any help, he couldn't do anything that would ensure their safety against the man who had tried to take his life.

"Are you okay, son?"

"Fine," Virgil muttered, refusing to meet the man's gaze. Penny caught the mood and quickly excused herself, muttering something about needing to make a call.

"Virgil..."

"What? What do you want me to say, Dad? I know you are no happier about this than I am, so don't try and tell me that everything will work out in the end. I'll believe that when they are back here in one piece. I'm going to bed." Hauling himself out of the lounger that he had been sitting in for the last four hours, Virgil stumbled his way towards the house, the tension visible across his shoulders. Jeff sighed, and made to rise.

"Leave him." At his mother's quick words, Jeff glanced between her and his rapidly disappearing son and sat back down again, rubbing his hand over his face. "He's right; you can't comfort him, not this time. He's worried, and so are you. He's also tired and you know what Virgil's temper can be like when he is like that."

"Been on the receiving end of it enough times," Jeff muttered, leaning back in his chair again. "He's not the only one who will be glad when this is over."

"You don't have to do this, you know." Grandma knew that in reality, there was very little else they could do, despite how much she might hate what her family had to contemplate doing just so they could be safe. What hurt her even more was that they had to do it so they could carry on protecting the world. Everything about the situation was just so wrong.

"What else are we supposed to do? You've seen what he has done to them? How easily he threw Virgil before? How many people will he hurt, kill even, if we don't do something to try and stop him? How many of my sons will he kill? If we send the local police in, we are sending them to their deaths. They need our help."

She nodded slowly. She knew as well as he did why they had to do this. But she wanted him to say it out loud, to make the father realise why he was doing it. If he had even thought about mentioning the word revenge, she would have told the boys the whole thing was off. Despite how long they had debated how to handle the situation, Grandma knew one word from her and they would change their minds again. Sometimes it helped having had more of a hand in their upbringing than she had originally anticipated.

"So you would let Scott, Gordon even, go up to this man's door to try and stop him from being a threat? What if he is waiting for them, Jefferson?"

"Don't say it like that. I'm trying to protect them."

"From the Hood?"

"From themselves!" Jeff cried, running a hand through his hair in frustration as his other hand gripped at the arm of the chair, trying to vent some of his feelings. No, he was far from happy about this situation, and would have done anything in order for it to be done any other way. But he also knew his boys.

"Didn't you see the look on Scott's face? If I hadn't agreed to this, he would have gone alone. Probably without the correct equipment because he wouldn't have risked going anywhere that might have got him caught. He would have gone out there, tried to take on the Hood alone and most likely got himself killed. At least this way I still have some control. Penny will be out there with them, John can monitor every move. And Virgil... Virgil can tell him what an idiot he is being when they get back. If I didn't say yes to this, they would have gotten themselves killed!"

Grandma didn't say anything. What could she say? She knew Jeff was right. The boys were never going to let something like this go, not considering how close it had been - Virgil might have been lost to them for good. They had seen grief nearly destroy their father once before. This would have been grief coupled with anger at knowing who was to blame. Although Virgil had survived, the anger was still there, especially in Scott and Gordon.

"I'm going to sit with Virgil for a while," she announced suddenly, pulling herself to her feet and going in search of her middle grandson. Something told her he would be just as bad to deal with as his father, but she was also fully aware that Jeff needed time. Time to get his head around what his sons were doing, what he couldn't stop them from doing. She wouldn't be able to calm him down like this, she knew him better than that. She would give it a few hours, wait until Scott had driven Gordon mad with the little details... Wait until Alan suddenly wondered whether he could do this and John gave him the pep talk... Wait until the elder blond then lost his patience when Brains insisted for the fifteenth time that the system John was trying to hack into was impenetrable... When the boys needed Jeff to take control and sort them out, that was when she would be able to get through to her son.

Jeff watched her go in silence, not being sure whether he liked the fact that he was suddenly alone. Maybe he would find Kyrano. The man had assured him in a quiet voice that he backed whatever they planned to do, but Jeff still wanted to talk to him. Regardless of everything that had happened, the Hood was still the man's half-brother. He deserved a say. Jeff owed him that much.

For a moment, though, he didn't move. The sun was just beginning to set, sending shadows dancing across the decking. His eyes turned skyward, searching for something. In the same way Scott had sought out a particular star on the night they had found out Virgil was going to be okay, Jeff too found his eyes drawn in that direction. Sure enough, it was one of the first to wink its way into view, and he smiled sadly before finally standing up, deciding it was time to do something productive about the upcoming day rather than sitting here dreading it. He knew he wouldn't be able to escape his mother if he did that.

The next day was going to be a big one for all of them. Jeff wished that he knew how things were going to turn out, just to stop the guilt and concern clawing away at his insides. But he knew one thing for certain. One way or another, this was going to end, tomorrow.

Chapter Text

All in all, Gordon thought, the morning could have gone worse. They had all been up throughout the night trying to get the details sorted; making sure that everyone knew what to do in different scenarios. Alan swore Scott was making them up on the spot, but Gordon recognised enough to know that it was the Air Force version of the same type of scenario WASP had drilled into him. His oldest brother was treating this as a military operation and, if he was honest, that reassured Gordon. He would never forget the look in Scott's eyes when he had tried to go after the Hood when they thought they had lost Virgil. If Scott had been in that sort of mood this time, Gordon would have made sure the Field Commander never left the island.

So apart from Alan's moaning, the night had gone smoothly. The real problems had started when Jeff had told them to take Thunderbird Two, causing both Scott and Virgil to erupt in fiery tempers. Virgil didn't see why they had to take his 'bird when he wasn't allowed anywhere near her, and Scott didn't see why they couldn't just go in One. Their father had calmly pointed out that One couldn't carry Scott, Gordon, Alan and Penny, and strangely enough, the youngest brother hadn't been too happy when Gordon had volunteered him to stay behind in a feeble attempt at lightening the atmosphere. They all knew what Jeff wasn't saying. Two had more security. It had more medical supplies.

They all knew what they were getting into, despite the pretence that everything was going to be fine. Virgil had immediately fallen asleep after the meeting, and when Gordon went to check on him later, he was not in the slightest bit surprised to see Scott in there, watching their pale brother closely. It was a clear reminder of why they were doing this – and the cost if they should fail. Nothing had been said between the two of them, for words were not needed. Instead, the silence hung heavily in the air, both men preoccupied with thoughts about what it was they were about to do.

Now, however, Gordon wished he had said something as they slowly walked away from Two, a worried Alan staring out after them. On any other occasion, Gordon was sure his little brother would have come running after them in the way he had done his whole life. But Scott had made a rather forceful case for Alan staying there, especially after giving him the idea that they might need the Thunderbird in the air as quickly as possible - and that wouldn't happen if no one was there to start her engines. Penny was walking away in the opposite direction from where he and Scott were heading, and swallowing hard, Gordon finally tore his eyes away from the green hulk of a machine.

In a way, he was now glad it was Two they'd brought. It meant that Virgil had a hand in this operation, that there was a part of their brother out here with them. And considering the almost fond look he had seen Scott give the 'bird as they had departed, he was sure that his oldest brother was thinking the same thing.

"Okay, Johnny, it's time. What's happening your end?" Scott's outstretched hand stopped Gordon in his tracks, the two of them holding back from the small hut that had just become visible. Gordon was sure that if anyone was in it, they wouldn't be able to see the two brothers. Penny was heading off around the other side, just in case there was a back door. It would be pointless if the two of them stormed the place only to have the Hood slip out the back way and for them to be none the wiser.

"Local authorities are on stand-by, but know not to approach until I've given the signal. They may have the slight impression there might be explosives there and that there is a qualified team going in at the moment."

Gordon smirked at John's improvisation. They didn't want it known that International Rescue had a hand in this in case it led to awkward questions. The Hood certainly wasn't going to keep their secret if he realised he had nothing left to lose.

"They are right. Very explosive situation, he's called Scott." Grinning back at the exasperated look his brother gave him, Gordon felt relieved when the pilot didn't say anything about bad timing and jokes. Gordon wasn't sure he could handle being serious, because that would mean properly contemplating what they were about to walk in on. If he did that, the prankster wasn't sure whether he would just run away screaming. If he could distract himself, he could handle it. Luckily, Scott seemed to understand this.

"Well done. How's Dad?"

"Watching your every move." The clipped response showed that their father was with John, and they had no doubt he was doing exactly as he said. Both their watches and the cameras on Thunderbird Two were active, trying to give Base as clear an image as they could manage about what was going on. It meant that their father literally could keep an eye on them, and Gordon knew if that hadn't been the case, they wouldn't be out there.

"We'll be fine, you know."

"You can tell that to your brother when you get back; then I'll believe you."

"How is he?" Scott's voice was soft and hesitant as he waited for his father's answer. Virgil had still been asleep when they left that morning, and despite Gordon and Alan's protests that he would be thoroughly annoyed by it, Scott had insisted that they didn't wake him.

As if knowing what was going through his son's mind, Jeff smirked humourlessly.

"Annoyed. So you better hurry up and get this over and done with before he blows something up."

"That's Gordon's job," Scott responded tersely, but Gordon knew as well as he did that he could hear the tension in their father's voice. It wasn't just for Virgil's sake that he wanted them to get back to Base. They all wanted this to be over and done with. As he caught Scott's eye, he knew full well from the expression on his brother's face that Scott was thinking exactly the same as him.

"John, progress to stage two. Make sure they stay away but are ready to come in on your signal; we might need their help."

"F.A.B." This time, John's voice was strictly professional, and Gordon was sure he could almost hear the frown he knew John would be wearing.

"Alan, Penny, report in. Are you in position?"

"F.A.B." Alan's response was so fast that Gordon knew his little brother was just as much on edge as the rest of them, even if he was going to be away from the main fight.

"All set." As per usual, Penny sounded not the slightest bit concerned. She could have been taking an afternoon stroll in the park rather than planning to try and flush out someone who wanted them all dead.

"Gords?"

"Ready as ever." Gordon suddenly found that his mouth seemed to be dry and his heart was pounding harder than he was completely comfortable with. He caught Scott's eye and grinned easily, but knew that his concern was reflected in his eyes. This man wanted them dead, had very nearly killed their brother. And they were going to find him. Not for the first time did Gordon wonder whether they were actually insane. Common sense dictated that they should go running in the opposite direction. But when it came to protecting their own, common sense never seemed to play a part in the Tracy family. Gordon knew he wouldn't have it any other way.

"Let's do this," Scott muttered quietly, clearly attempting to return Gordon's easy smile. He clapped his brother on the shoulder, giving it a squeeze. Gordon knew what he was trying to say, and smiled, dipping his head.

"Remember, keep at least twenty paces away from the hut; we don't even know if he is in there or not. Keep under cover until I give the signal."

If it had been any other situation, Gordon would have made some remark about Scott being bossy, expecting his orders to be followed. But this time, the prankster just found himself nodding seriously, accepting his commands and being prepared to follow them through to the end. It was just another operation, the same kind he had experienced in WASP. He followed his superior officer in the belief that he knew what he was doing in order to get them all through it. Part of him wondered whether Scott realised just how much faith his younger brothers had in him.

The two brothers started moving again, walking side by side and completely in step until they reached the edge of the line of bushes that seemed to surround their target. Gordon took a deep breath, looking Scott directly in the eye as his brother nodded and tried to smile reassuringly.

"It's show time."

"Good luck."

"You too, kiddo."

For the first time in as long as he could remember, Gordon didn't protest at the nickname, but instead set off down the path curving away to the left, knowing that Scott would be mirroring his actions down the right-hand one. He kept low and made good time, heading towards the spot they had roughly decided on from Penny's assessment of the layout. He didn't even notice that he was letting his military past come out, feet making no sound as he crept along. Part of him did realise precisely why Scott was only happy with his redheaded brother being the one to accompany him. There were certain things that IR hadn't taught the other brothers, and it was those skills that were being put to use now.

Counting his steps, Gordon stopped, wriggling under a bush and making sure that he had a clear view of the hut. It was a rundown and shabby looking thing, obviously deserted. All in all, it made the perfect hideout, and Gordon found that made him worried. What if this was just another set-up?

Pushing the thought from his mind before he blew the whole operation, he signalled to Scott that he was in position and checked his weapon. Their father was adamant that they had to be armed, and Scott had agreed. But it was Gordon who had insisted that they only took tranquilisers, claiming that he wasn't going to stoop to the Hood's level and be a murderer. He had noticed the way Scott's hand had drifted to the bandage still wrapped around his arm, his brother clearly thinking about it before somewhat reluctantly agreeing.

Once in position under his bush, Gordon lay still, his heart beating fast. All he had to do now was wait. Scott was going to flush out the hut, drive the Hood out if he was in there, and then Gordon was going to take the man down. Then it would be up to John to get the authorities in and it would all be over.

But Gordon had never been much good at simply sitting and waiting, and as the minutes ticked away, he found himself fidgeting slightly. He knew that no one could know he was there - it would ruin the whole operation, not to mention letting the Hood get away and potentially putting one of his brothers, or even Penny, in danger. He just hated simply lying there under a prickly bush in the middle of Malaysia, loaded gun in his hand, waiting for Scott to walk into a possible trap.

"Easy, Gords." John's voice made him jump, even though it was barely more than a whisper. Gordon had forgotten about the readouts the watches gave of their physical condition. Not having been there when John was using it to monitor Scott during his time in the freezer, it had been a while since Gordon had seen this put to use. But no doubt his genius of a brother was noticing the accelerated readouts and knew that Gordon was unhappy about the whole situation.

"Heard anything from Scott yet?"

"Give him time, kid. He can't exactly go walking straight up there, can he?"

Gordon rolled his eyes and fell silent again. Just having John make contact had done the job, reminding him that the whole family were in this together even if he was the only one lying under a bush. He wasn't alone.

There was something about knowing that John was watching him as much as he was keeping control of the situation that allowed Gordon to fall still again. He could be motionless, he just didn't like it. But this time, he knew that it was needed. Nothing could give away their presence, and the aquanaut just let his eyes move, training them on the door of the hut, waiting for any sign that something was about to happen. All was silent, but he knew that didn't mean anything. Scott could have been directly behind him and Gordon knew he wouldn't have heard his brother's approach.

Due to everything being so still, when there was a strange clattering noise behind him, Gordon nearly jumped a foot in the air, receiving a twig in the eye in the process. Swearing, the prankster turned his now watering eye onto the path behind him, trying to calm his racing heart. After ten minutes of frantic searching, he finally came to the conclusion that it was nothing more than his imagination and resumed his previous position under the bush.

Time passed and Gordon didn't move from his uncomfortable position. John had a point; Scott couldn't just go walking up. He knew that it would take his brother time to get close, but when nearly an hour had passed and Gordon still hadn't heard anything, he was beginning to grow concerned. Just as he opened his mouth to ask John what was going on, he heard a flurry of activity going on back at Base. His father was sounding tense, angry and worried, and John was uncharacteristically swearing.

"What's going on?"

Silence fell at the other end at Gordon's question, almost as if they had forgotten that he could hear everything that was going on. John swallowed audibly, and for a moment, Gordon didn't think that anyone would answer him.

"We've just received the latest images from your brother's watch..." Jeff began, his voice terse and strained. Gordon momentarily shut his eyes, determined to find his optimism. Scott would be fine; this was Scott they were talking about. Big brother and Field Commander, nothing touched the guy...

"He's in trouble."

Gordon's optimism vanished.

Scott had slowly made his way around the opposite side of the hut. Within seconds, he could no longer hear Gordon's footsteps and he smiled proudly. He knew there was a reason why he'd wanted Gordon with him. None of the others would be able to move with that much stealth when required. But then Gordon was pushed from his mind as he took up his own position.

The hut was in his eye-line and, for a long moment, Scott simply stared at it. His eyes were narrowed as he tilted his head, trying to work out whether there was any movement in there or not. He knew they were going to have to play this one exceptionally cautiously, that the slightest wrong move could cost them their lives. This man wanted them dead, and Scott wasn't going to let his mind dwell on how close it had almost been. He had to stay focused and keep his mind clear rather than letting ideas of revenge cloud his head. He was already thankful that Gordon had stepped in and stopped them from taking normal guns or he knew he would be hard pushed to not just murder the man on the spot for what he had done to his family.

After ten minutes of squinting, Scott decided it was time to move. He had closed down communications with the island after confirming with John (somehow it seemed far more natural to be running things past the space monitor rather than his father, it gave this more of a feel of a normal rescue) that he would reconnect the second he had any news. But he wanted to be able to focus completely on what he was doing. He knew that it was up to him to get close enough to the Hood without being killed in order to be able to drive him towards Gordon. He didn't need the distraction of wondering what was going on with the rest of his brothers.

Keeping low, Scott wriggled forward on his stomach. It was slow going as he paused every few moments to make sure that nothing was giving away his presence. The house never left his eye-line, and if the weight of his stare alone could have made a man move, the Hood would be fleeing for his life. The undergrowth was thick and tangled and Scott found that his progress was more than hindered due to the fact that he was trying to do it all one-handed. His gun was clutched in his other hand, unblinking eyes fixed on the hut as he tried to force his way through the bushes.

Eventually, he came to a stop. Scott knew that he wasn't going to get anywhere like this. He was battling against his own awkward position, not made easy because of having something gripped in one hand. There was a particularly dense bush in front of him, the twisting roots that Scott had been trying to force his way through finally seeming to get the better of him. For a long moment, Scott stared at the weapon in his hand, trying to make a decision. It would only be for a moment, and he had been watching the house the whole time, he would surely know if the Hood decided to come out. He was far enough away, he would have time to grab the gun again...

Finally persuading himself with his own arguments, Scott sighed and put the gun on the floor, level with his shoulders. Immediately, his hands stretched out in front of him and he made short work of beginning to force the bush apart, something that was a lot easier now that he had the use of both of his hands.

Unfortunately for the pilot, he didn't notice the pair of eyes watching his every move. After glancing around frantically more than once, Scott had decided the feeling of being watched was just his own paranoia about what they were trying to do. Whilst they might be handing the Hood over to the authorities the moment they had him contained, they were still taking the law into their own hands in order to do it. Not to mention he had no idea where the madman was. No wonder he felt like there were eyes all over him. But with his gaze so focused on the house and watching for any movement in front of him, he didn't see his gun slowly begin to slither the other way, apparently of its own accord.

With his way now reasonably clear, Scott let his hand drift back. He had made a small amount of progress forward, but didn't want to go any further without his gun back in his hand. They were only loaded with tranquilisers thanks to Gordon's argument, but still, the oldest brother couldn't help but feel safer with the comforting weight resting in his palm. This man had taken them down too many times; he didn't want to go in unarmed.

For a moment, his hand just scrabbled uselessly behind him, until the pilot was eventually forced to turn.

"What the-?" Although he hadn't gone far, Scott assumed that his gun would have still been in reach. Twisting his head around awkwardly, he swore under his breath when he was forced to wriggle back out of the bush, eventually sitting up and staring around him, the deep frown on his face betraying his confusion. How was it that the gun was nowhere to be seen? No one would have been able to get that close to him without him hearing it, this was the sort of scenario he had been trained in...

Unbidden, the memory of Virgil flying across the clearing sprang to mind. He may not have seen it himself thanks to his father and Kyrano's actions, but he had heard the boys talking about it. He knew that the Hood had managed it without so much as touching his brother...

Swearing violently, Scott's hand flew towards his watch, but before he could hit anything, a sharp and piercing pain shot up his leg. Immediately, his hand dropped from his watch and clutched at his leg and he stared in bewilderment at the small dart resting in the middle of his thigh. There was no denying that he recognised it. After all, he had been the one to load it into the gun barely a few hours ago. He had just been shot with his own weapon.

Instantly, Scott could feel the corners of his vision beginning to darken. He knew these things were fast, that was why he had chosen to bring them in the first place. He didn't want the Hood to get a second chance after being hit, and it was only now Scott registered just how fast they were. It was as if a curtain was being drawn across his eyes, slowly beginning to obscure the outside world from his view. In a last-minute feeble attempt to try and do something, the pilot pulled himself across the floor, heading back towards the same bush he had just been trying to force his way through, part of his mind registering the need to find cover.

But it was hard to hide from something when you didn't know where it was. The only clue Scott had to the Hood's position was the angle from which the dart had hit him. They had put silencers on their weapons, wanting to keep the whole thing as quiet as possible. But he knew that it would mean Gordon would have no idea what was happening. His hand scrambled for his watch again, the adrenaline rush fading from his mind enough to know that he needed help, that he needed to warn his brothers and Penny that the Hood wasn't in the hut.

But the fading of the adrenaline caused Scott to simply slump on the ground where he was sitting, barely even feeling it as his head crashed down. Moving his arm was too much effort, everything felt lethargic and heavy with the darkness tugging more insistently upon him now. He grappled with consciousness for just long enough to see a pair of feet enter his vision – a pair he knew didn't belong to anyone he had flown out here – and to feel a hand roughly roll him over onto his back, but that was it. The blackness had won.

When Scott blearily forced his eyes open again, he wished he hadn't. It wasn't his leg that was causing him problems this time, but his shoulders. It was only after a moment of staring at nothing as he tried to make his brain start working again that he realised that for the whole time he had been unconscious (however long that might have been), all of his weight had been hanging from his wrists.

The moment he realised this, the pilot quickly brought his previously useless legs under him and stood upright, letting out a soft groan as the weight was shifted. His head was clearing slightly as he stood, causing him to glance about him in dismay. His hands were tied above him; a long rope attaching them to the ceiling of what he presumed was the same hut he had been watching for what felt like forever.

The hut! If he was in the hut, he would be okay. For a moment, Scott felt the overwhelming urge to laugh. Gordon had been watching the hut; there was no way the Hood would have been able to move him without Gordon seeing something.

"Don't get your hopes up."

Scott immediately froze at the voice behind him, hands clenching into fists as he stared stonily ahead, eyes locked on a point on the hut wall as the Hood came into his vision.

"It's so easy to make someone look the other way for a moment. All you have to do is this..."

His eyes flashed yellow, and Scott immediately heard the subtle sound of a rock falling. It took every ounce of self-control he had not to automatically turn his head, and the pilot couldn't help but groan, shutting his eyes in resignation. Considering how on edge Gordon would have been, he wouldn't have just glanced at a noise; he would have attempted to seek out the source. Time in which it would have been easy to move someone, even if they were unconscious.

His fingers were already scrabbling for his watch when Scott realised that the Hood had approached him. He fell still, glaring at the man who was so intent on destroying his family, but couldn't help but wince slightly at the maniacal gleam in his eye. Flinching backwards, Scott wasn't quick enough to stop the Hood from grabbing his chin, and could do nothing as the man proceeded to gag him, coughing slightly at the harshness of the treatment.

"Don't want you calling for help now, do we?"

Scott pretended to glare, but inwardly, he was smirking. The Hood had been one step ahead of them for months now, and yet had just made his first mistake. Keeping the movements small, his fingers flicked a few buttons. He had never needed words when it came to communicating a problem to John. And he knew that his blond brother would have a way of getting the situation across to Gordon, but not letting their younger sibling rush into it in his normal manner.

The Hood, however, didn't seem to notice, he was too busy playing around with something just out of Scott's eye-line. When he stepped back, Scott automatically wrenched on the ropes holding his hands, desperately trying to free himself in some way or another. For a small spark had ignited, and as Scott watched, it slowly began to grow. It was only then he realised that something seemed to be running in a track around the hut, gradually spiralling closer and closer to him. Something, it now appeared, that was flammable.

Staring in horror, Scott watched as the flame slowly began to spread.

"Oh fear not. We have plenty of time yet, it's a slow burner."

His eyes finally tearing away from the flame, Scott knew that he was in big trouble. The Hood didn't seem to care that he had just set the place alight, and that in itself made Scott actually believe what he had said. If nothing else, the man seemed to have some sort of self-preservation if his skill at avoiding being caught was anything to go by. But that wasn't what truly had him worried. It was the way the man was looking almost fondly at the length of metal piping in his hand as he stepped towards the restrained pilot.

Scott just hoped that John had received his message. As the Hood took another step and the fire spread a little further, he was beginning to seriously doubt that he was getting out of this one alive.

Chapter Text

Jeff sat in silence, watching John as his son's fingers flew. It never ceased to amaze him just how determined the young man could be when he set his mind to something, and knowing Scott was in danger was certainly bringing that side of him out. Scott's watch had been silent for hours as they had agreed whilst he had been getting himself as close as he could to the Hood, not wanting anything to give away his presence, before it suddenly had flickered back into life, leaving the family with a view of a long piece of rope tied to something in a high ceiling, one hand just about visible, clearly tied to the same piece of rope.

Jeff had felt like his heart had stopped when he realised what he was looking at, and what it could potentially mean for his son. For some reason, the image had disappeared again, but John had been quick to reassure him it was because Scott had turned it off rather than anything more sinister. It might have put John's mind at ease, but it did nothing for his father. He knew what Scott was like when it came to protecting his younger brothers, and knew the chances were that it had been turned off because he didn't want them to witness anything that was about to happen. If John was thinking the same, he didn't comment on it.

"Any news?"

Finally turning his eyes away from his second-born onto his third, Jeff smiled softly at seeing Virgil return. He had only been gone for a short hour, under strict orders from Brains that he was to keep up the drug intake whilst all of this was happening. It was still early days for the artist considering how potent the poison had been, and a slip-up now could be lethal. But between his father and grandmother, there was no way Virgil had the chance of letting it slip his mind. It annoyed Virgil with how long it took to make up the right concoction of drugs, but Jeff was just glad that his son had been spared the image from Scott's watch.

"What's wrong with your wrist?" Jeff asked, cutting through John's answer, frowning at the way his son was massaging his left wrist. Virgil shrugged.

"Reckon I must have banged it on something, it's just aching."

"Need me to take a look?"

"Dad, it's fine," Virgil protested, ceasing the action and moving to stand behind John.

"Scott's in trouble," John reported bluntly, not glancing away from his screens. Jeff realised that the barest turn of John's head had been his greeting to his brother, and that Virgil had both received and accepted the greeting. It was the way John had always been. What else could be said when he could already see the panic leaping into Virgil's eyes at his brother's words.

"What do you mean, Scott's in trouble?"

This time, John's fingers did falter slightly and he glanced over at his father, clearly asking whether he should be the one to tell Virgil or not. Jeff gave the slightest dip of his head in confirmation. He could be as bad as John when it came to not verbally reacting, but his son got the message. The Hood had created enough secrets in this family already, there would be no more.

"We're not sure. You know how he was keeping the comm down? It just flared into life and this -" John broke off for a moment to tap at his keyboard before the previous image came back onto the screen and Virgil sucked in a sharp breath. "- is what we got."

Virgil swore, what little strength he had seeping away as he sat down heavily, unblinking eyes staring at the screen. After a moment, Jeff nodded pointedly and John turned it off again, resuming his attempt to brief Gordon on what little they knew whilst stopping the redhead from running straight in there.

"This can't happen," Virgil muttered, not noticing he was rubbing his wrist again. "How long ago was that image?"

"Five minutes."

"And Gordon hasn't gone in there yet? Who knows what that bastard is going to do to our brother!"

"Virgil! You can't expect us to ask Gordon to go straight in there. How do you think the Hood managed to catch Scott? This is your brother we are talking about. Don't think we aren't as worried as you!" Jeff didn't mean to snap, but the accusing note in Virgil's voice had sent him over the edge. To say that he was terrified of what the man might be doing to his son was an understatement, and to hear Virgil almost accuse them of not working fast enough had been too much. He was about to say something else when he caught sight of Virgil's actions.

"What is wrong with your wrist?" He sounded slightly more demanding this time, crouching down in front of Virgil and taking said wrist in his hand, rotating it gently as he tried to get a look.

"Nothing, I just banged it on something," Virgil muttered, attempting to tug it back into him. After seeing a faint outline of a bruise, Jeff let him. It did just look like a bang, and knowing what Virgil was like, he let him carrying on rubbing it, regardless of the way his skin was turning pink. Virgil always needed something to fiddle with, a way of using his hands. He had always been like it, ever since he was a small child and especially when he was stressed out. Considering what was happening at the moment, Jeff knew he was lucky the artist wasn't automatically dismantling something subconsciously. It was times like that he had been glad for John, for although Virgil was good at getting things apart, he didn't always know how to put them back together again.

"...okay Gordon; you know what you are doing?"

Hearing Gordon's confirmation, Jeff turned sharply and stood up, moving to stand behind his son as he listened to the two of them. He had barely been paying attention to what the plan was, his mind numbing for a while after learning that the Hood held the life of yet another of his sons in his hand, again. Besides, he trusted John and Gordon to be able to come up with something.

"F.A.B. I'll be in touch when I've got him."

"Good luck - and be safe," John practically begged, his professionalism slipping for the first time since the mission had gone ahead. Gordon disconnected, and it took every ounce of Jeff's self control for him not to yell at his son to keep visual on. But he knew that Gordon needed to focus, and knew what Virgil and John were like. No doubt the pair of them would accidentally keep up a running commentary about what they could see from their awkward angle, distracting Gordon and driving him into insanity.

"What's the plan?"

"Walk through the front door."

"What?" Jeff's cry of alarm was muffled slightly by Virgil's snort of disbelief. John finally turned in his chair to face his father, a calm expression on his face. Jeff couldn't help but think that he was looking at a member of International Rescue rather than his son.

"The Hood knows we will do something. He knew Scott was out there, so how the hell did he move him past Gordon or Penny? He knows they are there, meaning he will be expecting something. Face it, we're known for our secrecy. So why not play to Gordon's main strength?"

"Making an entrance?" Virgil muttered, a slight smile tugging at the corners of his lips as he thought through John's plan. His brother grinned at him.

"Yep. He would expect us to come through the back, thinking the front is too obvious. So we go Gordon-style, and simply walk through the front door."

"It's too dangerous," Jeff argued obstinately, reaching past John in order to reconnect to Gordon and tell him to call the whole thing off, to get Penny and find another way in that perhaps wouldn't get him killed on sight. To his surprise, John's hand closed protectively around the button, fixing his father with a rather fierce stare.

"Do you trust him?"

"Yes, but this is..."

"If you trust him, Dad, let him do this." John dropped his gaze, swallowing slightly. "You must have heard the rumours of what he got up to in WASP?"

"They're true?"

John mutely nodded, and Virgil stared between them in confusion.

"What? What did he do?"

"Let's just say our Gords can be deadly when he wants to," John muttered quietly, meeting Virgil's gaze head on and causing the artist to swallow. He had always known - they all had - that Gordon was nowhere near as light-hearted as he tried to make out, but he had never considered his brother to be deadly. Scott, yes, even John in his own way. But Gordon? He had to admit though, now he was thinking about it, if he couldn't be out there himself, there was possibly no one he trusted more to get Scott out of there.

"So you'll let him go with this?" John pressed, clearly wanting his father to verbally answer him rather than just staring at him in concern. Jeff eventually sighed, running a hand through his hair and sighing deeply, nodding as he backed away and sat down.

"Yes," he whispered, hating the way it felt like he was sending his son to his death rather than a rescue attempt. He had to make these types of decisions every time there was a rescue. But somehow, it seemed ten times worse when it meant going against another person rather than the unpredictable forces of Mother Nature.

"He'll be okay." Virgil leant forward, intending to clasp his father on the arm in a sign of reassurance, but found a wave of light-headedness crashing over him, grabbing hold just to stop himself from pitching forward.

"Virg?"

"I'm okay..." His voice sounded hoarse, and Virgil coughed slightly, before suddenly wincing. "Ow!"

"Virg, what...?" With a curse, John jumped from his seat when he caught sight of Virgil's wrist. What had been a light bruise before had turned into an ugly splash of colour, vivid blues and greens spread out across his wrist. Crouching down in front of him, John took it gently in his hand, only to have Virgil wince and try and pull it away, breathing deeply.

"John, I..." Virgil's gasp made his brother's head shoot up so fast that his neck clicked. John stared at his little brother in shock as Virgil seemed to be struggling to breathe.

"Dad!"

"It's alright, John, I'm right here." Jeff had moved from his seat the second John had, and was now attempting to move his son out of the way so that he could get a better look at Virgil himself. His son was pale, a light sheen of sweat breaking out across his forehead and his eyes were wide and scared as he struggled to take in a proper breath.

"Dad, he..."

"John, move out of the way!"

Despite yelling for help, John wouldn't budge from his position, and Jeff groaned, knowing precisely what was going through his elder blond's head. The last time Virgil had struggled to breathe, John had been the one who'd had to pull him back. No wonder he was close to panicking.

"John! I need you to get Brains on the line and find out if this is a delayed reaction to the poison."

"Dad...can't...breathe..."

"I know, son." Kneeling down beside Virgil's chair, Jeff forced him into sitting up straighter, rubbing a soothing hand up and down between his shoulder blades.

"It's...not...not poison. Some...something else."

"Don't try and talk, Virgil. Follow my breathing. Come on, deep breaths."

"Brains doesn't know!" John yelled, and Jeff knew that he had about five seconds before John too started hyperventilating. He was going to need to have a long talk with his son about what had occurred out in Malaysia.

"Go to the infirmary and get me an oxygen mask!" the father ordered, his eyes narrowed in concentration as he tried to help Virgil. John sped off, and must have made it back in record time. Feeling the mask being pushed into his hand, Jeff smiled his thanks tightly, keeping eye contact with a panting Virgil.

"Virgil, listen to me. This is going to help you, you understand me? I'm going to put it on now; don't fight me." He knew that the chances were, Virgil wasn't thinking straight any more, especially not if the way his eyes had widened in panic was anything to go by. Knowing he didn't have much time, Jeff sat up and quickly fastened the mask around Virgil's mouth and nose, all the while keeping up a murmuring stream of reassuring nonsense as he tried to get his son's breathing under control.

The mask didn't seem to do anything. Virgil still didn't seem capable of taking a proper breath, even with the fresh oxygen now supposedly flooding his lungs. He had a tight grip on his father's hand, gasping as he struggled to breathe.

Despite everything he was telling Virgil, Jeff knew that he wasn't getting through to him. He knew that Virgil's own panic was not helping the matter, especially as a few hot tears slipped from the corners of his son's eyes and rolled unchecked down his face.

"Dad!"

"I know, John!"

"What do we do?"

"Talk to Brains again," the father ordered, knowing that he had to give John something to do rather than just letting the young man stand there and watch his brother's distress, no doubt being plagued by memories of Virgil not breathing altogether. Never before had Jeff felt a wave of hatred towards the Hood as strong as he did now. It was he who had reduced his family to this, he who had made his normally untouchable son panic. He felt John move away and turned back to Virgil, cupping his face to make the man look at him.

"Virgil, focus. I know you are scared, I know you are panicking. I need you to listen to me, son. I need you to follow my breathing. Can you do that?" To Jeff's dismay, Virgil shook his head, clearly trying to tell him something. As his hands moved to lift the mask, Jeff caught them in his own and lowered them back down again, shaking his head.

"It's helping you, son, you need to leave it on."

Virgil shook his head frantically, before seeming to take one deep shuddering breath.

"Virg? Virgil!" Jeff felt an insane rush of panic hit him as Virgil didn't seem to take another, his eyes narrowed in concentration. But then just as suddenly as the whole thing had started, relief flooded into Virgil's eyes and he took in a few normal breaths, gulping in the oxygen stutteringly. After a few moments, Jeff reached up and gently unclasped the mask, moving it away slowly to make sure Virgil wasn't going to react. Now that his son was calming down, the father couldn't help but wonder whether it had just been an ordinary panic attack over what was happening.

"He's okay," Virgil whispered hoarsely, making Jeff stare at him in confusion. He only just had time to pull the mask off completely before Virgil's eyes rolled back into his head and he passed out.

"Dad?" John's voice was much quieter now, although Jeff noted that it wasn't that much calmer. Staring down at Virgil in confusion, Jeff had no idea what had just happened.

"Check in with Gordon."

Normally, Gordon was the first to deny any nerves, claiming that nothing bothered him. But as he crept towards the hut where he now knew that his brother was being held, even he couldn't deny the way his heart was pounding. John was informing Penny of the situation, but she wasn't to interfere until the last minute. From where Scott would have been positioned, the Hood would have only had to get him past Gordon. So whilst there could be no denying he knew there was another Tracy out there, with any luck, he wouldn't know about the agent.

The hut seemed menacing up close, although how a rundown shack could give him the shivers, Gordon had no idea. Swallowing drily, he triple-checked that his gun was in his hand and ready to go. He was not going to be taken unawares, not with the way this creep had messed with his head over the previous months. This time, Gordon was ready for him, and he was going to show the Hood precisely what happened when you messed with the Tracy family.

For a moment, he nearly lost his nerve altogether as he finally reached the building, standing on tiptoes and just being able to peer in through a grime-smeared window. Trying to squint into the murky darkness, it took a while before he was able to make anything out, but when he realised where his light source was coming from, Gordon backed away slightly, thinking hard. The place was on fire, and yet he had just made out the silhouette of the Hood standing in front of something. Gordon knew it meant he still had time; the man surely wasn't crazy enough to kill himself?

Knowing that he needed a better look at what was going on, Gordon crept around to the other side, once more standing on tiptoes to glance through a window that, if anything, was even worse. But thoughts of the window were quickly banished from his mind when he finally caught a glimpse of what the Hood had been standing in front of. Rather than moving away, Gordon simply ducked. He rested his back against the wall of the hut, breathing hard. He'd known that he wouldn't exactly find Scott having a beer with the man, but the sight of his brother hanging from the ceiling was not going to leave his mind any time soon. Even from the back, Gordon knew that his brother was hurt, and if the angle his hands were at was anything to go by, at least one of his wrists was broken.

Gordon knew he had to get in there fast. The fire wasn't going to keep away forever, and he had no idea if Scott was even conscious. If he had to get his brother out of there with absolutely no assistance at all, it was going to take time. Time Gordon wasn't so sure that they had. Taking a deep breath, he tightened his grip on his gun and moved back around to the front of the hut.

With one movement, his foot connected strongly with the door and he kicked it down. Rather than just opening, the door's hinges broke, leaving it hanging pathetically as Gordon went charging in. The Hood turned at his entrance, leering unpleasantly as he watched Gordon take in the sight of his brother.

There was no denying that Scott's left wrist was broken, and deep bruising was covering his arms. The torn pieces of uniform were giving Gordon enough of a view to be desperately hoping that bruising was the full extent of it and that there was no internal damage. Considering the blood stain across his stomach, he knew that Scott could be in serious trouble.

"Come to enjoy the show?" the Hood spat, and with one flash of his eyes, Gordon was sent flying the whole length of the hut, crashing into the opposite wall. It was only then he realised that his concerns about Scott being conscious were proving to be true, for his brother didn't so much as lift his head at Gordon's flight. Pushing himself into an upright position, Gordon aimed his gun at the Hood, only to have it go flying out of his hand and clattering against the wall where he had previously been standing.

Jumping to his feet, Gordon gasped. Instead of taking a step forward as he had been planning, he found that he was lifted off his feet, an invisible force wrapped around his neck as the Hood's eyes glowed eerily. Gordon refused to let another sound escape him, instead fighting against the hold with all of his might. But how could he fight against something that he could not see?

Just as spots were beginning to dance in front of his vision, Gordon saw something. Scott may have been unconscious on Gordon's arrival, but in true big brother style, he was not going to stay that way, not whilst he had a younger sibling in danger. His head lifted, bleary eyes peering across to where his brother seemed to be floating.

In one movement, he had let his wrists take his weight again, bringing his foot up and kicking the Hood as hard as he could. The hold on Gordon was instantly broken and the redhead fell back to the ground in a gasping heap. The Hood turned his attention back towards Scott, but trying to put weight on a broken wrist was never a good idea and the man just watched as Scott tried to get his breathing under control, resisting the urge to scream. Slowly, the Hood outstretched his hand, placing it on Scott's forehead. His eyes glowed once more, and this time, Scott couldn't stop the cry of pain escaping him as the blackness pulled him under again.

Gordon could only watch, frozen. A small sparking sound caught his attention and with a cry, he realised just how close to Scott the fire was getting. Even the Hood was forced to take a step backwards in order to let the flames reach his intended victim without burning himself in the process. Throwing one arm over his mouth, Gordon attempted to breathe through his sleeve as he painfully crawled across the floor, heading towards the gun. He could hear Scott's laboured breathing and knew that they had run out of time. They had to get out of there, now.

"You should have known that you couldn't stop me." The Hood's gloating voice came bouncing through the smoke towards the conscious Tracy, and Gordon literally growled.

"Hey, baldy." Squinting, he could just make out the man's glowing eyes through the smoke even as his hand closed once more around his weapon. "Go to hell."

And with that, Gordon fired. Once, twice, three times... he didn't stop until the gun was empty. Feeling an adrenaline rush shoot through him as he watched the Hood slowly fall over backwards, his body arching mysteriously as the tranquilisers hit, Gordon accidentally took in a rather deep breath to steady himself, only to end up coughing harshly. Scrambling to his feet as fast as he could, he stuck the empty gun into his belt and raced across the hut. The Hood was sprawled across the floor, and Gordon knew from the amount of times he had hit him that the creep would be out cold for hours. Long enough for Gordon to get Scott away from there before getting John's help to bring in the local authorities. But first things first. Snatching up the same pole the Hood had been tormenting his brother with, hissing at the heat coming out of the metal, Gordon swung it wildly at the rope binding his brother.

Through sheer dumb luck, it somehow managed to break. Scott's hands were still tied, but he was free from the ceiling, and Gordon only just had time to brace himself before taking his brother's weight. Hooking his hands under Scott's arms, Gordon refused to think about the fact that he could barely breathe as he began his painstakingly slow progress towards the door. He could feel Scott's breathing getting worse, and knew that the smoke had been thicker where his brother was.

Once again, there were spots littering his vision, and Gordon knew he had very little choice. He held his breath, running for the door as quickly as he could whilst dragging Scott along. The door was getting closer... he was running out of air... nearly there... he couldn't breathe...

He had done it! The redhead didn't stop moving until he was some distance away from the door, collapsing onto the ground as he took in deep breaths, coughs racking his chest as he tried to get himself under control. Tears were streaming from his eyes as he took in great shuddering breaths, allowing the cool oxygen to flood his senses. Eventually, he rolled over onto his knees, hearing frantic footsteps behind him.

"Gordon!" Penny had arrived, obviously having heard the commotion coming from inside of the hut. Gordon crawled over to where he had dropped Scott, watching anxiously as his brother still seemed to struggle to breathe. Why couldn't he think straight? He needed to do something... what was it he needed to do?

"It's alright, Gordon." Penny dropped to her knees in the mud next to them. Quick fingers made short work of untying the gag, tilting Scott's head back and allowing his airway to open some more. Immediately, his breathing eased and Gordon watched almost in a daze as she began checking him over, ripping off a long strip of material to bind his wrist after tugging the rope free. Gordon felt like he was in a dream as he watched her work, knowing that he should probably be doing something to help.

"John...?" Wearily raising his watch, Gordon found himself face to face with a pale brother, who seemed to go even paler upon seeing the state of Gordon. Before John could launch into anything – Gordon really didn't have the time or patience right now – Gordon spoke.

"Time to get the auth-" His words were stolen from him as an almighty bang filled the air, making him jump in shock. Slowly, he turned around, only to watch as the roof of the hut gave an ominous creak before collapsing, the added fuel meaning the flames shot high into the air as it did so. It soon was burning bright and hot, thick plumes of smoke billowing out into the air.

Gordon was vaguely aware of someone shouting his name, but he didn't so much as turn his head as Alan came running over, throwing himself down next to his brothers. He took one glance at Penny working on Scott, saw that his brother was going to be okay and that there was nothing he could do to help, before crawling over to the dazed Gordon. Without acknowledging his presence, Gordon stuck out an arm and threw it around Alan's shoulders. He gazed at the flames for a long moment before swearing, realising that the Hood was still inside of the blazing hut.

No one could survive that. The Hood had been unconscious, Gordon's darts seeing to that. But the hut had turned into almost a mini-inferno, and Gordon had done enough rescues to know that no one, not even the Hood, would be able to walk away from that one.

"Gordon?" Hearing John try and get his attention, Gordon blinked, glancing between Alan and his watch as if realising for the first time that they were there.

"It's over," he responded wearily, wanting nothing more than to go home.

Chapter Text

As his eyes peeled slowly open, Scott just blinked at the ceiling above him, his brain trying to process not only what had happened, but where he now was. Coughing slightly, he shifted a little, only to gasp in pain. His left arm was strapped firmly across his chest and, glancing down at himself, he saw that his upper body was smeared with different creams, a few of the areas – especially his stomach – wrapped up.

"Welcome back," a hoarse voice said somewhere over to his right, and Scott rolled his head over, only to find his confusion deepening at seeing a very put-out Virgil lying in the bed next to him. Virgil didn't need to be in here anymore. Brains had cleared him before heading back to Five... So why was his brother lying there looking thoroughly annoyed? And what exactly had he done to his wrist?

"Wha' you do?" Scott croaked, wincing as the words seemed to grate on his throat. Virgil winced sympathetically. His hand had been drifting towards his watch, clearly intending to let the rest of the family know that Scott was awake. They had all sat there for hours, but when Alan had eventually dozed off and they realised that Gordon's paleness wasn't fading, their father had forcibly removed the rest of the family, claiming that he needed John's help with something. Virgil was no fool; he knew that it was as much an act to get John out of there as it was the younger ones, but it had worked. Knowing they were due back any moment, the artist stopped at Scott's question.

"Nothing." He glanced down at where his own wrist had a light support over it, mainly to stop the ointment his grandmother had smeared all over it from rubbing off. Seeing Scott's eyebrows raise, Virgil looked pointedly at his big brother's broken wrist. "You did it."

"I... what?" Needless to say, Scott was beyond confused. How on earth could he be responsible for Virgil hurting his wrist? But that still didn't explain why he was currently occupying a bed in the infirmary. "How did I do it? And what are you doing in here, Virg?"

"You broke yours," Virgil responded quietly, locking eyes with his brother. He was so sure of what he had felt: the pain in his arm, the way he couldn't breathe. From what Gordon had said, the moment Virgil's bruise had become worse was when Scott had put his weight on his wrist. His father had already claimed that he had just had a panic attack, something that was apparently understandable considering his brothers were going after the man who had almost killed him. He had attempted to explain the bruise by saying it must have been already coming out, but Virgil wasn't buying it. He knew that his reactions had some sort of direct relation to what had happened to Scott.

"You felt it?"

"You don't sound surprised." Propping himself up on one elbow, Virgil stared over at his brother in confusion. Scott was always the most practical of his brothers, not believing in anything unless the evidence was there in front of him. But right now he was staring back at his brother, biting his lip as he clearly pondered something.

"It wouldn't be the first time. Well, maybe for you, but not for me," Scott admitted quietly, glancing down at the bed before letting his eyes flicker up to meet Virgil's.

"You've felt it too?"

"Virg, when your heart stopped, it felt like a part of me had died. I don't just mean grief; it was as if something had physically gone. Gordon no doubt told you... told you my reaction?" Virgil nodded, and Scott dropped his gaze again.

"It was like I could feel what that poison was doing to you. I thought it was just shock, you know? You weren't supposed to have gone and died." Scott let out a shaky laugh, his good hand automatically fiddling with the covers on the bed. "But then, I knew... before Gordon told us that the cure had worked, I just knew it. You think I'm crazy now, don't you?"

"Considering why I'm in here?" Virgil muttered. There would have been an occasion when he would have mocked Scott for it, but now was not the time, not considering everything that had happened. "But why now? I mean, I had no idea when your plane crashed all those years ago. And I'm guessing that you didn't know when I broke my leg?"

Scott shook his head, and the two stared at each other, neither having a clue what to say.

"So what the hell is happening to us?" Scott eventually muttered, glancing away from Virgil. What if something was seriously wrong with them? What if he always knew what his brother was feeling? Whilst that might be something of a bonus on a rescue, an easy way of keeping Virgil out of trouble, Scott found that he really didn't want to know all that his brother got up to, especially when Virgil had time off from the island. Something told him that his brother was no doubt thinking along the same lines if the small shudder he suddenly gave was anything to go by.

"I might be able to help with that."

A soft voice came from the door, neither of the two men inside having heard it open. As one, both Scott and Virgil turned to face the door, Virgil even trying to get out of the bed. Scott would have followed suit if one movement hadn't sent him collapsing back onto the pillow with a groan. Every inch of him hurt! But Kyrano lifted a calming hand and Virgil stopped. He propped up the bed so that he could sit up, but made no attempt to get out of it. Scott couldn't help but smirk slightly. Ever since they had heard about Kyrano's role in sedating Scott, the rest of the brothers had been strangely reserved around him.

"How do we know when the other is hurt?" Virgil practically whispered. Scott knew how he felt though. If Kyrano couldn't answer it, they didn't know who else they were going to talk to. John would regard them silently and thoughtfully, would claim to be looking into it and really be researching mental illnesses. Their father wouldn't listen for more than a moment, whilst Gordon and Alan would no doubt find the whole thing hilarious and the two of them would be dodging pranks for months as the troublemakers tried to catch them out.

"You haven't always, have you?" There was something calming about Kyrano's voice, something that didn't make the two brothers feel like they were losing their minds. Virgil glanced at Scott, who paused for a moment before shaking his head. Kyrano returned the nod, clearly contemplating something as he walked forward. Neither of them had the chance to ask anything before he suddenly stretched out his hands, resting his fingers on Scott's temples.

The pilot made to jerk away, to demand to know what the man thought he was doing, but something in Kyrano's expression stopped him. He looked calm, pleasantly thoughtful, as his eyes shut, a slight frown giving away how much he was concentrating. Just watching him, Scott felt himself feeling sleepy, his eyes slowly beginning to flicker shut before the Malaysian suddenly pulled away and repeated the process on Virgil.

"I thought as much," he eventually muttered, sitting down between the two beds and watching the brothers, as if unsure as to how they would react.

"What? Kyrano, what is it? What's wrong with us?" Virgil sounded slightly frantic as he demanded answers from their friend, but Scott had a feeling that whatever it was, it wouldn't necessarily be bad news.

"The first time you felt this? It was after an encounter with that man, wasn't it?"

Scott wasn't sure whether it was a deliberate attempt to distance himself from the situation when Kyrano didn't say the Hood's name, but he nodded, glancing over at Virgil. The younger brother knew what he was thinking about and leant over, grasping Scott's arm gently, mindful of any bruises.

"It was after he killed Virg."

"And Virgil, you felt it for the first time only yesterday?"

"I was out for a whole day?"

"Yes," Virgil admitted softly, ignoring Scott's disbelief. He was chewing on his lower lip, always a sign that something was troubling him. "What happened?"

Kyrano sighed, looking between the two young men again. He had watched them grow into the men they now were. He may not have known them as children, but he had certainly watched them mature since everyone had moved over to the island and he had brought his daughter over. He had seen them at their best, and at their worst. But never did he think he would be the one who would have to explain something like this.

"The... the Hood and I, we have a connection. He exploits it, I ignore it."

Scott's eyebrows had disappeared into his hairline and Virgil almost dared his brother to read his mind to see what he was thinking. That would be one way to shut him up, that was for sure. He just hoped that his brother wasn't going to say anything that could offend Kyrano. Luckily, Scott shot him a scathing look and Virgil smirked. He should have known; Scott had always known what he was thinking.

"You were both touched with that same power. I believe it awakened something in you both."

"But Gordon got hit with it more than the rest of us put together," Virgil mused out loud, not forgetting the sight of his brother on the floor in agony. Kyrano frowned, closing his eyes for a second before opening them with a smile.

"But Alan did not."

"What?"

"The pair of you have always been close. There were already the... the building blocks, if you like." Smiling at their dumbfounded expressions, Kyrano pressed on. It wasn't often that a Tracy was rendered speechless. "The same would have happened to Gordon if Alan had also been affected - they too have that same bond. But as it is, all Gordon got from it was a headache."

"So, will we always know?"

"Don't you want to?"

"No!" both brothers yelped simultaneously, and this time, Kyrano couldn't hold back his laughter. In having such strong personalities, the two were more alike than they realised. No wonder they had managed to form such a strong bond without meaning to. The desperate need to know what was happening with the other had allowed the bond to open.

"Then it will go," he replied calmingly; beginning to climb to his feet. He could hear footsteps heading down the corridor towards the infirmary, and knew it was time for the rest of the family to be made aware of the fact that Scott was awake. "It will only remain as long as you want it to."

"Oh." Scott too had heard the footsteps. "Kyrano, do you mind if..?"

"The rest of the family do not find out?"

"Please?" It was Virgil who spoke this time and, once again, Kyrano found he had a smile on his face. The two might claim that they didn't want to know, but if they remained so in sync with each other, it was going to take a while before their new bond disappeared. It would be interesting to see how far it had progressed and just how much they knew what the other was feeling. Knowing them, they would just think it was the other knowing them too well anyway.

"They will not hear it from me," Kyrano promised. He wasn't going to promise that they would not find out, because when living on an island, there wasn't a lot that could remain a secret, something that the boys had learnt the hard way in the past. But he would not be the one to divulge what was going on with the brothers, not even to his own daughter.

Scott smiled gratefully, but before he could open his mouth to thank their old friend, the door swished open and the rest of the family arrived. Everyone was there, even their grandmother. Relieved smiles split open their faces as they realised that Scott was awake, and en-masse, they all piled into the room.

Grandma somehow got there first, fussing over the two of them for all she was worth, even though Virgil had been subjected to it the day before as well. They both put up with it, trading amused looks as they realised once again they were thinking the same thing. There was no point trying to fight against her, and it was only when the covers on the beds were perfectly straight that she finally said something about needing to make sandwiches and bustled out again.

Knowing the coast was now clear, the rest of the family moved forward, automatically taking up positions around the room that made Scott realise this was not the first time they had all been in here since they had arrived home.

After the initial questions about how he was feeling, and did he hear what happened to Virgil, and how Alan got to fly Two home, Scott found himself tuning out. He nodded and made the appropriate comments when required (or when John subtly nudged him in the leg, knowing that Scott wasn't paying attention), but that aside, he found himself watching Gordon closely.

The redhead looked more tired than Scott thought he had ever seen him, and it suddenly dawned on him what his younger brother must have gone through in order to get him away from the Hood. He was lucky, there didn't seem to be any visible injuries, and remembering the heat of the fire in the brief moments he had been conscious, Scott felt a rush of relief shoot through him at the fact that his water-loving brother hadn't even been burnt. Feeling another nudge in his leg, he finally turned his attention back to John, who had been watching him just as closely as Scott had been watching Gordon.

The raising of John's eyebrows was all that Scott needed to see in order to know that Gordon was okay. But there was something about the way John then let his eyes dart between the pilot and their younger brother which clearly said that he needed to talk to Gordon. Scott nodded softly, a small smile tugging at the corners of his lips. Never mind being able to read Virgil, John was just as easy to those who knew him.

Whilst he wanted to be able to talk to Gordon there and then, to be able to put his mind at rest, Scott knew that he would have to wait it out and listen for the third time in a row whilst Alan excitedly described the journey home. It had been okay for the first or even the second re-telling - watching Virgil's face as Alan described his control of Two had certainly brought more of a twinkle into his eye. But as the stories faded away and the general chatter broke back out again, a family celebrating being back together, Scott could see that Gordon wasn't going to be staying around much longer.

"I'm going to see if your grandmother needs any help." Ruffling Alan's hair as he stood up, Jeff paused before leaving, drinking in the sight of all five of his boys well (enough) and alive. Too many times over lately had he feared that that might not be the case, it had almost happened. Gordon and the crates. Scott and the freezer. Alan and the gun. John almost being kidnapped... the list seemed endless. But no more.

Penny had flown back over the previous day, after a quick debriefing had made any loose ends obvious, armed with John's knowledge of the local area and how she should expect the authorities there to react from what he had learnt from his liaisons with the entire family – minus Scott who had been blissfully unconscious – it had been the worst waiting game ever. Eventually, the news had come through that the hut had been completely destroyed and she had found no sign that the Hood had made it out alive. There was no other option than to believe he had died in the blaze.

The reaction had been instant. Grandma had almost fainted from relief, causing Kyrano to quickly go and make her a cup of tea. Judging by the way Tin-Tin left after him, they all knew he too needed a moment. Brains had smiled, and promptly gone back to installing something into Five's upgrades in the way only he could manage. Alan had laughed out loud, whooping for joy at the knowledge that it was all over. John and Virgil had exchanged deep and significant looks, but it was Gordon's reaction that was deeply engraved in Jeff's mind.

He had seen the silent conversation between John and Scott just now, and he too understood the necessity of Gordon being able to talk to Scott. He was hoping that he if left, the other boys might take the hint, although considering how excitedly Alan was chatting away, he wasn't sure if that would be the case. Besides, he didn't just want to leave them to let Scott and Gordon be alone. He too wanted a word with a son. John's reaction at Virgil's panic attack meant Jeff knew there were some unfinished issues.

John watched his father go, a small smile on his face as he realised what his dad was doing. He knew it was nothing to do with helping his grandmother that made the man leave the room, and this time, he caught Virgil's eye as he turned back to the beds. Scott was almost asleep, and jumping on that chance, John beckoned Alan over.

"Reckon you can help me break Virg out of here?" he asked in a stage whisper, knowing full well that Scott had heard them, but for once, the oldest brother was not going to comment on it. Gordon had his upper body cushioned on the bed, and it was clear to them all that he too was close to falling asleep. If his other reactions had been anything to go by, the redhead would not have got much sleep the night before. Scott had his good hand combing through his brother's hair, and John knew that Gordon wasn't listening to a word. This was their chance.

Alan immediately grinned and the two blonds stood up. John had no doubt that Virgil knew what they were up to, but he certainly joined in as he silently slipped from the bed, making a show of leaning on Alan. John knew that he didn't need to, it was just a way of making sure their youngest member left the room. Otherwise all of them knew Alan wouldn't leave Scott.

Letting the two younger ones leave before him, John had to admit Virgil was certainly playing along with it. Alan's chance to fly Two gave them something to talk about, and now that the initial worry for his 'bird seemed to have died away, Virgil was more than willing to talk through minor details with his brother. Either that, or he was just a much better actor than John had given him credit for. The door swished shut as John left, pausing for long enough to give his oldest brother a quick visual once over. Scott might be the one trying to get through to Gordon, to make sure the rest of the family was alright, but that didn't mean John was any less worried about him than the others. He had truly believed that Scott wouldn't be getting out of that one alive and, shuddering slightly, John made to go and find out where the others had got to.

"A word, son?"

The voice coming from the shadows almost made John jump, something that had always been hard to do. Running a hand through his hair in distraction, John turned. His father hadn't gone very far when he had left, and he certainly hadn't gone to help Grandma. Instead, he was waiting directly outside of the infirmary. It was only now that John realised the man was waiting for him.

"I was gonna go and see..."

"It can wait," Jeff interrupted, his voice gentle, but firm. He knew that given the chance, John would try to avoid him. The blond was never one to open up about how he was feeling, but his reactions over the last few days showed Jeff that was precisely what he needed to do. Hopefully if he could get through to John, they would truly be able to let the whole fiasco fade. Poison and broken bones had nothing on the effect the attacks might have had on his sons' mental state. John looked like he was going to argue, before glancing at the infirmary doors. He suddenly realised that he had basically left Gordon in the same situation, so smiled slightly at his father and nodded. Following the man down the hallway to his study, John couldn't help but wonder what he had just let himself in for.

Gordon was thinking the same thing. The hand had stopped combing through his hair and the stupor the movement had sent him into was broken. Blearily sitting up, it took him a moment to realise that everyone else had left. Scott saw him looking around and knew what he was thinking.

"Just you and me now, kiddo."

"Last time that happened, you were barely breathing."

Scott inwardly grinned. He had been worried that he was going to have to force out of Gordon what precisely was troubling him, but it appeared the redhead wanted to talk. He had just been waiting for the right brother.

"Okay, out with it."

"Nothing."

"Liar."

"Bully." Gordon sat up, the corners of his mouth twitching as he looked over at Scott. The pilot simply raised his eyebrows, a look Gordon knew only too well. He wasn't getting out of here until he had told Scott everything. Considering his brother was battered and bruised with a broken arm, Gordon didn't see how the older man could put so much power into that look. Gordon eventually sighed, glancing away from Scott and running a hand through his hair in agitation.

"It's because of me he is dead."

"It's because of you I'm alive," Scott shot back. For someone who appeared to brush everything off as being trivial, Gordon was a deep thinker at times, almost rivalling John. And just like their brother, it was sometimes hard to work out what was going on in his head because of the mask he seemed to wear.

"No, Scott. I killed him."

Scott sighed, leaning forward and stretching out his good hand. Capturing Gordon's chin, he turned his brother's head towards him, forcing the younger man to look him directly in the eye.

"You were the one who insisted we didn't take real bullets. You were the one who didn't want this to turn into a hit."

"And yet I was the one responsible. How's that for irony?" Gordon muttered with a bitter laugh, causing Scott to tighten his grip warningly.

"Stop it. He was going to kill us both if you hadn't have done what you did. All you did was dart him. He was the one that lit that fire."

"He would have made it out if I hadn't..."

"And we wouldn't. Gordon, please, listen to me. I know you think you killed him, but that was only an accident. You neutralised the threat just as we planned to do. If he wanted to try and burn us alive, then that is his fault. And I know you. If that roof hadn't collapsed – yes, Penny told me what happened, she called via the comms earlier, don't interrupt – then you would have gone back in for him, wouldn't you?"

Gordon didn't say anything for a moment, before dropping his eyes and nodding.

"See? You tried." Scott pressed on, hoping that he was getting through to his brother because he wasn't quite sure what to say if not. "His own actions led to his death and you did all you could. What about every rescue victim we've been unable to get to in time? Are their deaths your fault?"

Again, Gordon didn't speak, mutely shaking his head. Scott knew that he would be able to make the point on that argument; it was a discussion that had raged long and hot for days after they had lost their first victim, each brother personally feeling the effects.

"And this is the same. Face it, Gordon, it was him or us. And considering he would have gone after John, Virgil and Alan again if he'd been the one to make it out, you just saved us all, Squirt."

"Then why does it feel like it is my fault?"

Scott grinned, dropping his hand back. He could see by the look in Gordon's eyes that he had accepted what his brother was saying; it was just a last attempt to clear up any doubts before they could come back and haunt him further.

"Because you are an idiot." If Gordon had asked that earlier on in the conversation, Scott would have been doing his best to try and reassure him. But he knew Gordon, knew there was nothing more he could say to him and that was a sign to get back onto more familiar territory before they ended up going around in circles. Gordon huffed, finally sitting back in his chair and making Scott breathe a sigh of relief. That was what he had been waiting for. The clear and obvious sign Gordon had relaxed. He knew that once that happened, his brother was no longer hiding anything. Otherwise, you could never tell what was going on in his head.

"You okay?" Scott muttered gently after giving him a moment, keeping his voice light and casual even though he desperately wanted to know the answer.

"I think so."

Scott could ask for no more, but before he could say anything, the door opened again. Alan was in like a shot, flopping down onto the chair he had previously been sitting in and swinging his legs up onto the end of Scott's bed. For a moment, Scott couldn't help but wonder what he was doing in there. It wasn't exactly Alan's favourite place. But then he heard the quiet voice of Virgil floating through even as the artist himself appeared. It was time for Virgil's next dose. But the man didn't come in fully. Instead, he was lurking in the shadows of the doorway, his watch raised, talking. Scott frowned, before glancing back at Alan.

"Brains," his brother said simply, and within seconds, Scott understood. He knew that Virgil had been trying to talk to the man for the past week, but had never managed to catch him. Brains was not one for long, face-to-face conversations and often just disappeared if one seemed likely. He seemed to be alright talking over the comm though, maybe it was because it was something he had designed and created, giving him a sense of security. Either way, Scott was glad Virgil had finally got the chance he was after. They had all thanked Brains profusely for his role in saving Virgil's life, but the man himself hadn't been given the opportunity. First of all with being too weak, and then with Brains disappearing up to Five... now this gave things more of a sense of finality. They were tying up the loose ends, things were beginning to get back to normal again. It helped that Penny was taking care of everything over in Malaysia, for Scott was not sure whether they would have been able to hold it together there. At the end of the day, Virgil had died there, however momentarily, and Scott knew their plan to stop the Hood could have so easily gone drastically wrong.

Before he could think of it anymore, Virgil moved across the room at the same time as the door opened again. Scott frowned as his father and immediate younger brother walked in. Jeff was looking relieved, as if a great weight had been lifted from him. But it was John who really caught Scott's attention. The blond was pale, and Scott was sure he had been crying. But despite the red rims of his eyes, they were clearer than he had seen them since Virgil was poisoned. Whatever the pair of them had been up to, it had clearly been needed and done the trick. Scott was glad. It was nice to see his father be able to take control of the situation and his son. Especially when it came to John - the man hid things too easily and for too long. Scott didn't particularlyhave to be the one to break through his defences this time.

The pair moved across the room after Virgil, John casually nudging Alan out of his seat and taking it for himself. He wasn't to have it for long though, as their grandmother arrived back with a large plate of sandwiches. It almost looked like no one had ever left as Virgil hitched himself back up onto the bed, Alan climbing up beside him. Both sat sideways, legs swinging off so they could face the rest of the family. John climbed out of his chair, offered it to his grandmother and sat cross-legged on the end of Scott's bed.

Outside of the door, someone else paused. Kyrano had come back to check on the boys, wanting to make sure that Scott and Virgil were dealing with the knowledge that he had imparted earlier. But on seeing the whole family there, he found that he couldn't go in. This was the first time in months they had properly all been together with all of them conscious. The first time they had truly been able to relax, knowing that their problems were over and that they would be able to go about their normal lives once again. They could go back to saving the world without someone trying to kill them for it.

He couldn't help feeling slightly responsible. No matter how much he normally denied having a brother, even a half-brother, it was still his own flesh and blood that had caused such suffering to the men he considered to be his real family. He knew that they would never see it like that, and that if he should voice his guilt, they would tell him he was being foolish. Even so, they possibly didn't realise he was perhaps the most relieved of them all that this was over.

Moving away, Kyrano decided to find his daughter. Perhaps they should have some time with just the two of them, leave the Tracys to deal with what had happened and piece together their lives again. But as he stepped forward, a sharp pain shot momentarily through his head. Something stirred. The same something that had been silent since the attack, the same something he had attempted to put into words for two of the closest brothers.

And this time, that something was furious.

The pain disappeared as quickly as it had come, and Kyrano pushed it from his mind, adamant that it had only occurred because he was thinking about the man. Nothing else could happen. The Hood was dead. The Tracys were safe.

But deep in the depths of a jungle, a harsh voice chuckled darkly. They believed what he wanted them to believe. He would be back. And next time, the Tracys would not be so lucky.