Oh, City Under The Sea! What another, FABulous episode! Kayo and Gordon - what a team!
Unfortunately for our favourite squidlet, my plot bunnies heard that comment on how he tends to break things, and - well, here's the result.
Really can't wait for next week's episode either, with the return of Lee Taylor. For now, though - enjoy!
Busted!
Well, this was... embarrassing. Not to mention painful. Humiliating too. But - yeah, mostly embarrassing.
It was also his own fault. An admission that Gordon knew well enough already, without his ever helpful inner voice chiming it in for him too.
'There, ya see? Didn't I tell you this was a bad idea?! Huh? Huh?'
"Oh, shut up!"
Yeah, that told it! That put his pesky inner nanny back in its place. An equally pesky big brother, though? Not so much.
"Gordon? Hey, are you okay?"
A pause, before another question that made Gordon cringe in genuine dread.
"Gordon? Where are you?"
Another pause. Then another question, bellowed out with a force that made his teeth vibrate.
"GOOOOOOORRRRR-DONNNNNNN!"
"Oh, crud."
'Crud' indeed. Cursing the foot that had ever-so-kindly opened up his comm line, Gordon had to say right now that 'crud' didn't come close to covering this little - situation.
If he said anything worse, though, then - well, yes, said situation would ramp right up past 'DEFCON 1' to all out apocalypse. Because if there was one thing, aside from pranking and punning little brothers, that was guaranteed to tick off Nanny Brother Two, it was little brothers who failed to mind their language.
Damn it, not even Scott dared to let rip within Virgil's earshot, and if he couldn't get away with it, then -
"GOOOOOOORRRRR-DONNNNNNNN!"
- uh oh.
Yeah, if that wasn't the cherry to top this calamitous cake. Not only was he hanging upside down in Four's cockpit, but Brother Soapmouth was on the warpath. If he didn't answer him soon, as in ten seconds ago, there'd be hell to pay.
Ye-ah. Like there wouldn't be that hell to pay anyway. So, then, Squid Boy, just keep it nice and casual here. Just niiiiiice and casual.
"Hey, Virg."
When it finally ended, the silence that followed would seal his fate in one of two ways. If he could hear any kind of smile within it, then there'd be a half decent chance of getting out of this mess with at least some of his hide, if not his dignity, intact. But if he couldn't, then - well, yes, the position he was in at the moment would give him the perfect chance to kiss that butt goodbye.
Seconds that felt like hours dragged past. A clownfish chose that perfect moment to peer through Four's window, at its helplessly dangling counterpart. Then, at last, came the voice of either his saviour or his executioner.
"Virg?!"
Oh, sh-. That soft and smelly brown stuff, that tends to hit the fan when you do something dumb.
Really, really, dumb. Like trying out Kayo's ultra cool ninja moves with all of her bravado - but absolutely none of her skill. And jamming your precious Thunderbird into a crevice so small and narrow that nothing less than torpedoes could get her out.
Oh, and the whole upside down thing too. Breathtakingly brilliant when it let you ride piggy back on your new enemy's ship. Kinda less so when it left you dangling from your harness, with all the grace of a puppet who'd had its strings cut.
"Virg?!"
Oh, and the biggest no-no of them all. Dropping those last two letters from your older brother's name. Yup, the mother and grandmother of no-noes that made Gordon close his eyes now, as he sent a mournful farewell towards the currently closest part of his anatomy.
'Well, butt, it's been nice to know ya.'
Yes, only a miracle was going to save him now. And, to shared joy and dismay, that reprieve came through a rumble of laughter.
"Soooooo, what have you broken this time?!"
Aw, such heartfelt concern for his welfare. If not for the grin he knew would be on Virgil's face right now, Gordon might have taken it more seriously. Still, a reprieve was a reprieve was a reprieve. And since he really had no choice in the matter now, he might just as well come clean, and get it over with.
"Well, not broken, per se, just... uh, kinda... dented. A bit."
Another of those Fateful silences. Except it lasted for just over a second this time, and the voice that broke it was completely serious. And genuinely worried.
"Okay, Gordon... where are you?"
Yup, no mistaking that tone in Virgil's voice. He'd heard it on enough rescues to know what it meant - no more joking around, time to get on with the job at hand.
In this case - him. Oh, yippee.
Even for the hell he'd pay for it, though, getting out of this mess still sounded increasingly appealing. And if he didn't get out of this harness soon, Grandma's hopes of some adorable baby squidlets would definitely be over.
Taking a deep breath - oooh, that didn't help - Gordon answered his brother with as much nonchalance as that too close for comfort strap allowed.
"Okay, you know that, uh... reef... just off that little cove on Matteo?"
"The one you found while we were retrieving The Hood's ship? Yeee-ah. Why?"
"Well, I was trying out some... uh... evasive manoeuvres around it... y'know, in case I came across The Mechanic again, and... well, I... um..."
"...got yourself stuck?"
Oh, yes. Along with that touching brotherly concern came the same knack for mind-reading. Still, at least the smile had returned to voice now. Unfortunately, his evil streak had come along for the ride too, betraying itself in another snort of laughter.
"Okay, hang tight, little bro. I'm on my way."
Yeah, like he could do anything else right now. But was he prepared to let his brother find him like this? Was he hell. Even if it meant a bit of a headache when he hit Four's deck (or was it her ceiling?), he was getting... himself... outta... this damn -
"Oww!"
- harness.
Yeah, that was gonna hurt in the morning. Still, even if he was now sprawled over Four's ceiling, he was also free. Just in time too, as the holo-display below him glowed into life with Two's launch. A few more minutes, and good old Virg would be there to -
"So, how's my favourite little ninja guppy doing down there?"
- enjoy this moment just waaaaaaay too much.
Of course, such totally unjustified torture would demand equally fiendish payback. With such a vast repertoire at his disposal, Gordon was sure he could find something suitably evil to avenge his honour. More immediately, though, he'd give back on that sarcasm as good as he got.
"Oh, just peachy, thanks, Virg! Yeah, just waiting for my favourite tow truck to turn up, y'know?"
Another pause. Another moment for him to realize that maybe, just maybe, insulting his rescuer hadn't been such a good idea.
"Well, your 'favourite tow truck' is turning up right now. While you're waiting, though, you could always clear up those wrappers."
Oh, yeah, he was gonna pay for that. Big time.
Oblivious to the vengeance that would now surely come his way, Virgil was still in rescue mode as his voice filtered back through Four's comm line.
"Wow, when you said you were stuck, you weren't kidding, and... okay, I'll have you out of there in a jiffy. Just hold tight."
Well, thank you, Captain Obvious.
Yes, when Two grabbed your 'bird with her grapple, the first thing you did was find something to hold onto, and -
"Hey! Hold it steady up there!"
"Hey, you want to be rescued, or not?"
- yes, he was really, really, going to have to get her insured.
More immediately, though, he took a tighter hold on Four's grappler handle, trying not to wince as Virgil's efforts to free him added even more dents and scratches onto her hull. Safely under his brother's earshot, he whispered that - yes, yes, it would soon be over, and the family mechanic would have her as good as new before she knew it.
Reminded of another, far nastier tech head, Gordon frowned. Okay, so he'd really messed it up here, trying those moves by himself. But if he really did come up against this new enemy again, on his own, then - yes, such manoeuvres might just save his life, just as they'd done for Kayo.
So, then, another job for his ever growing 'to do' list. Take steps to safeguard his 'bird, then do the same to protect himself, and - oh, yes!
Yes, he was finally free. Floating free and clear of his coral prison, and up into the safety of Two's pod bay. But the relief of rescue also came with its inevitable downside. In this case, the inescapable reaction of the world's sassiest tow truck driver.
Squaring his shoulders, Gordon strode on to his seat in Two's cockpit - ignoring the smirk that now grew over Virgil's face. The kind of smirk that evil big brothers wore when they nobbled your shower, on a day when you really, really, needed it. Or when they towed you out of an underwater crevice.
"Oooooh, busted!"
Or the kind of smirk that evil big brothers wore - period.