"Final Rescue: The Crossover Within"

Note: The events in this fic are totally independent to the timeline in my other fics, mainly because this is a one-off. The ages of the brothers are still the same as my fics: John being the eldest, followed by Scott, Virgil, Gordon and Alan.

The original Final Fantasy story belongs to Hironobu Sakaguchi and Square Pictures, not me. Most of the characters used instead are based on those created by Gerry Anderson. Additional characters from this story are just a figment of my wild imagination. Please do not copy or use without my permission.

My thanks go to my Final Fantasy and Thunderbirds posses (you all know who you are), as well as Natalie (you're a star!) and my best mate Hemma (For embarrassing me whilst watching FF:TSW in the cinema!).

If you have any queries or feedback, don't hesitate to contact me at jojo_tracy@hotmail.com or aki_leonhart@hotmail.com

Alternatinvely, check out my sites at http://communities.msn.co.uk/Thunderbir1sHangar (for Thunderbirds) or

http://communities.msn.co.uk/RPDAllSTARS (for Resident Evil and Final Fantasy)

Anyway, that's my little bit done now. See ya!

Prologue

Something wasn't right.

The landscape was like nothing he'd ever seen before in his life. Yet, he was standing in the middle of it.

The hot sun bore down on him and he took a step backwards, accidentally stepping on something with a wet crack. He lifted his boot to see the squashed remains of some obscure shelled animal, before realizing that he was actually standing on a lake of some sort.

'Impossible…' he thought to himself.

Then, he became aware of a faint rumbling sound coming over the horizon.

Something was coming.

Something big.

The dusty ground swirled around him in a light breeze that was increasing with the rumbling sound.

What was approaching?

He ran forwards a few steps and looked closer at the distant horizon, which seemed to be getting brighter and brighter until he could just make out the shadows that dotted the horizon.

He wanted to know what was coming.

He had to know.

Chapter One

The dream always felt the same.

John Tracy jerked awake, gasping for breath. He pushed a hand through his blond, crew cut hair and reached for the holographic control panel next to the lounge chair he'd been sleeping in. He looked at the options on the screen:

Dream File Save?

Yes? No?

John selected 'Yes' and released the harness that was holding him in his chair, floating up in the zero gravity and peering out of the viewing port, thinking. He knew the dream must mean something. But what?

"Atmosphere re-entry in t-minus fifteen seconds." the cool voice of his ship's autopilot announced, and John floated himself up to the control cabin. He strapped himself into the pilot's seat of his craft, the Black Boa, and prepared himself for re-entry, the fading memories of the dream still digging in his mind.

"Warning! This is restricted air space!" the computer informed.

"Like I really care." John muttered, overriding the restriction.

The Black Boa landed in the desolate and dead area that was once the thriving area of Pittsburgh, Pensylvania.

As John stepped out of his ship, he couldn't help but feel a pang of remorse: The area was cold and dark with no signs of human life except himself. The Phantoms lived here now, taking the spirit, or the soul, and life of any living organism that got in their way.

A skeleton was slumped in the seat of a rusted and broken car that John walked past, it's skull resting against the steering wheel.

'What's done is done, John Tracy,' John told himself inwardly, forcing himself not to dwell on the death that surrounded him. 'Just focus on the task at hand. Get the job done and get the heck out of here.'

John unhooked his flare gun, firing off a few rounds into the air and watching their bright white and yellow particles settle back on the ground.

No Phantoms.

John activated the wrist-mounted scanner on his left arm, trying to locate what he was looking for.

"Come on, baby," he muttered. "Where are you?"

He turned to his right and suddenly the scanner started bleeping faintly, sounding almost too loud in the silent streets.

"Gotcha." John smiled, walking in the direction the scanner had pinpointed, firing the flare gun again just as a precaution.

It was lucky that he did too.

The residual charges of the flare gun settled on three Phantoms lurking nearby that John had missed. And, as he realized with dismay, the three Phantoms were blocking the distance between himself and his ship.

"Not good." John whispered to himself, breaking into a run. His only chance was to pick up that life form he'd come for and get out of there. Somehow.

He fired another flare into the sky as he ran and took out his laser gun in case any Phantoms came too close.

"You're screwed, Tracy." John told himself as he turned around to see the mass of Phantoms heading for him. Another quick look at his wrist scanner and he saw that the life form he was looking for was inside the building in front of him. He had to find a way in there.

John spun around to find that the group of Phantoms had him surrounded and were still closing in on him. Looking around again, John saw that the way into the building had been cut off by a Phantom.

No escape.

Suddenly, an energy bolt vapourized one of the Phantoms.

Shocked, John spun around to see four heavily armoured soldiers opening fire on the group of Phantoms, taking the majority of them out almost with ease.

The three soldiers continued firing at the advancing Phantoms, whilst their Captain turned to John, his face covered completely in the metal-grey armour, his voice sounding amplified and metallic.

"This is a restricted area and your ship has been impounded. Do not move."

The Captain was a fraction shorter than John, his build unreadable from the heavy body armour that encased both himself and his fellow soldiers.

"What's he doing here, Captain?" one of the soldiers asked, firing at a Phantom, and John could tell the soldier was female. But why did she speak like she knew him? Who was she?

"We can ask him later," replied the Captain in a curt-sounding voice. "Let's just get him out of here."

Printed on the grey shoulder-pads of the soldiers' armour, John noticed that the Captain's shoulder patches were a distinct red colour, were the words 'DEEP EYES' and John groaned inwardly.

The Deep Eyes Squadron was supposed to be the best of the best when it came to special tactics and rescue. They were also known to stick straight to their orders, meaning that they wouldn't give John the chance to grab the life-form before getting out of here.

Two Phantoms came out of the wall on the Captain's left.

"Behind you!" John shouted in warning, sprinting for the door of the building as the leader turned to fire at the Phantoms.

"Hey! Wait!" called the Captain, taking out the last of the two Phantoms.

John moved silently inside the building, firing a flare to check for Phantoms.

Nothing here.

He was inside a huge lobby with once-polished marble floors and a staircase leading up to the next two or three floors. One side of the building had caved in and John could see the night sky through the massive hole.

His wrist-mounted scanner was bleeping urgently now and he followed its directions until he was in front of a crumbling old water fountain, the water long dried up and gone. At his feet a small green plant had sprouted in a crack between the fountain and the marble floor. It was the only sign of life that John had seen since arriving in Pittsbrugh, except for the Deep Eyes Squadron.

John was in the process of carefully extracting the little plant when a gloved hand clapped firmly on his shoulder and yanked him around.

Chapter Two

"What the blazes do you think you're doing?" the Deep Eyes Captain sounded angry.

John jerked his shoulder away from the Captain's strong grasp. "This is important. I need to extract this plant."

"Plant?" echoed a second soldier, a man, the second smallest out of the Deep Eyes Squadron. "It looks more like a weed to me."

"Not even that." snorted the third soldier, slightly shorter than the Captain but a little taller than the second soldier.

"Oh be quiet, you two," said the female soldier, her voice sounding slightly annoyed. "Let's just get this thing and move out before transport decides to leave without us. It's a long way back to the Philadelphia Barrier."

"I've got it." John announced, lifting the protective-status pack containing the small plant and storing it in his lightweight backpack.

"About time," the Captian said almost impatiently, and John realized that the more he heard from the Captain, the more he disliked him. "Let's move out, people."

No sooner had he said that and seven Phantoms entered the building, two coming up out of the floor, one just missing John. It was a close call and he knew it: If a Phantom touched you, it would infest the body and eventually take over it completely. However, if a Phantom passed through a body, it would rob that person of their soul, killing them instantly.

The second soldier fired a flare shot into the room as the group retreated. The residual energy marked even more Phantoms in the lobby.

"Our company's got company!" the third soldier stated the obvious.

"We're almost surrounded," noted the second soldier, sounding almost bored. "Ain't that a bitch?"

"Alright, people. Head for higher ground," the Captain motioned to the ruined stairs, their only escape route at the moment. "Sergeant, take point."

The third soldier, the Sergeant, moved fast, signalling for John to follow close. He gave a quick inspection at the bottom of the stairs then said "Okay. One at a time, people."

John didn't even think that the old, debris-covered stairs could hold even one of the fully armoured soldiers, let alone all of them. However, with the Phantoms closing in on them, there wasn't really much choice.

"Tell transport to pick us up at the top." ordered the Captain, still fending off the advancing Phantoms.

"Yes, Sir!" replied the female soldier, making her way up the ruined staircase, staying close to the wall. She moved with suprising fluidity for a woman in heavy armour, making sure that she kept her footing. If any of them lost their balance or slipped on a layer of debris, they'd be sent tumbling down into the Phantoms below.

The Sergeant fired at the three Phantoms coming along the second floor as he and John reached the landing. The female soldier took out the last one as the second soldier made his way nimbly up the broken stairs. Above them, they could see the transport waiting.

"Come on, Captain!" called the Sergeant, covering for his superior as he ran for the ruined stairs.

John watched as four Phantoms drifted after the Captain, moving much faster than him on the debris-covered stairs.

The Sergeant and second soldier each took one out as the female soldier signalled for the transport to drop the lifting cables.

At the last moment, the Captain stopped and fired at the remaining two Phantoms, taking them both out. However, one of his shots also managed to take out a chunk of the floor above him and was battered down by rocks and stones.

For a heart-wrenching moment, John didn't think the Captain would get up, but then he was moving, scrambling up the layers of debris on the stairs, even as the rubble at the top started to slide. The slipping debris forced the Captain down again, and heading right back to the Phantoms below.

The female soldier moved immediately, snapping a safety hook and line around the sturdy banister and jumping down like a trained gymnast, grabbing the Captain's hand. With a grunt of effort, she yanked him back up and together they scrambled back up to the top of the stairs.

"You need to cut down on those apple pies, Captain," the female soldier said lightly. "You okay?"

"Yeah," replied the Captain. "Fine."

John was quite impressed by the teamwork and efficiency. The four of them must have been working together for quite a while. They were all extremely unnaturally calm under all kinds of pressure, reminding him of a team that he once used to be a part of.

"Grab on." the Sergeant told John, grabbing one of the four lifting cables, and John did as he was told, happy that he'd managed to obtain what he had come looking for.

"Any time now would be good." the second soldier said as the mass of Phantoms drifted up the broken stairs.

"Lift." ordered the Captain, and the Phantom tentacles barely missed all of them as the transport craft pulled them through the opening in the building and up into the dark winch bay.

Once onboard the transport ship, John blew out a breath and sat down heavily in one of the seats.

"You okay?" asked the Sergeant and John could hear the concern behind the metallic tone of the helmet's amplifier. He nodded.

"Yeah. Thanks." John replied, thinking that the Sergeant wasn't such a bad guy after all.

The Deep Eyes Squadron all took their places sitting in the seats opposite him, facing him. All apart from the Captain, who leant against the bulkhead with his arms folded and looking at him. After a pause of silence, the Captain spoke.

"Can you give me one good reason why I shouldn't arrest you?" the Captain didn't sound too pleased and John stiffened at his words.

"I'm John Tracy," John looked at the Captain, almost daring him to a challenge. "I have clearance to be here. If you don't like it, you can talk to Mr. Hackenbacker or Sir Hodge."

"Bullshit, John," the Captain snorted. "We both know that you had no authorization to be back there," he began pacing in front of John like a caged predator. "Do you realize that you've just risked the lives of my squad? And for a seedy plant!"

"Look, I don't want to talk about it," John said, thinking now that the Captain was a total bastard. "The fact of the matter id that it was worth the lives of you and your men."

There was an awkward silence in the cabin.

" 'You and your men'?" echoed the female soldier under her breath.

"I think it's the armoured uniform." teased the second soldier.

"I think you're and idiot." she shot back.

"Well, I know you're not a man." the Sergeant playfully chipped in.

"And you're an idiot too." she said heatedly.

The Captain ignored his squad and turned back to John.

"I don't care if you don't want to talk about it, John," the Captain said. "There isn't really anywhere you can go and hide this time."

"What did you say?" John's voice was low, his anger rising. Who were these people?

"You heard me, citizen." the Captain was pulling rank now.

"Of curse I did, Captain. And now I want to know who the blazes you guys are and how you think you know me like you're my brother or something." John said angrily.

The Captain stopped pacing and looked at John.

"I know you more well than you think, John," the Captain unclipped his helmet as he talked. "And I didn't even need to look in your files. And do you know why?"

"Surprise me." John glared at the Captain.

The Captain removed his helmet and stored it under his seat as he sat down opposite John, whose eyes were full of shock. The Captain had a smooth, authorative face with rough, floppy dark brown hair and sparkling light-blue eyes.

"Surprised?" asked the Captain, his voice more recognisable without the helmet's metallic edge, and John had no doubt about it: The arrogant bastard that sat facing him was none other than his own younger brother.

Chapter Three

"It's been a while, Johnny." said the Sergeant, removing his helmet to reveal the short, mid-brown hair and brown eyes of Virgil Tracy to a shocked John.

"Virg…!" gasped John.

"Hey, don't forget me, big bro." the second soldier's helmet was already off and John saw the ginger-brown hair, the light-brown eyes, and that joking grin.

"Gordon!"

"And as for the last of the Deep Eyes' … ahem, 'men'…" Tin-Tin Kyrano placed her helmet under her seat and looked at John with a lop-sided grin as she ran a hand through her dark hair.

"Sorry about that, Tin-Tin." John laughed sheepishly.

"It's been like almost a year since we last saw you, Johnny. Where did you go? What happened to you?" asked Gordon.

"Long story, Gords." John replied wearily, not exactly wanting to tell his brothers what was going on. Not yet anyway.

"We've got time." Scott said in a curt voice.

"Maybe another day, Gords." John told Gordon, ignoring Scott.

"What? So you can run away again?" taunted Scott.

"Scott-"

"That's Captain to you." Scott interrupted John.

"Alright, Captain," John tried to keep the anger out of his voice. "With all due respect, Captain, would you just shut up?"

Scott stood up, his light-blue eyes blazing, fists clenched. He was about to say something, perhaps a challenge, when the transport landed at the Hangar of Philadelphia Barrier, the base of Deep Eyes. It was also the same barrier were John's quarters and the main laboratory where he worked alongside International Rescue's former scientist, Mr. Hiram Hackenbacker, also known as 'Brains'.

"Welcome back, Captain." the lab technician and ex-World Aquanaut Security Patrol member, George Sheridan, also known as 'Phones', said to Scott as he and his team, now out of their armour and in their casual uniforms, entered the decontamination area through the hangar.

"Good to be back, Phones." Scott said.

John glanced around. All Barrier entrances had decontamination areas, and this one was no exception. Everything was a pure white and no colour was allowed in the room, making it easier to see any Phantoms that may have somehow passed through the specialized barrier shield in the first place.

Al glass-like partition divided the group from the technician, Phones, and the emergency medical center behind him. There was only a round platform on their side of the partition. It was a high-tech scanner for alien infestation by Phantoms. Everyone had to go through the scanner if they ever went beyond the Barrier.

"We're clean." Scott said. He hated getting scanned.

"I can vouch for that." John said, hoping that Phones would just let them pass. He couldn't afford to be scanned. But, unlike the others, he had a very good reason.

Phones smiled back as he adjusted some controls on the panel in front if him. "Let's just make sure of that though. From the record of your little adventure, you guys got pretty damned close to some Phantoms."

Behind John, the three other member of the Deep Eyes Squadron moaned.

"I hate getting scanned." Virgil said dismally.

"Yeah," agreed Gordon. "Apparently, these machines are suspected of causing sterility. I'd like to have a little Gordon Junior calling me 'Daddy' someday."

"Scary thought." Tin-Tin giggled.

John said nothing. He had to get out of being scanned. However, there was only one way out of this room, and it was through the shimmering force-screen on the other side of the scanner.

"C'mon, people! Let's do this and get it over and done with." Scott motioned for his team to step forward.

"Yes, Sir!" the squad replied in unison.

Virgil stepped into the scanner and smiled at Phones. "Scan away."

On the monitor above, appeared a shimmering blue image, wavering like heat from a desert. It was Virgil's spirit.

Phones studied the readouts and the image to make sure, but John already knew his brother was clear since he had been studying spirit images after he had left Tracy Island, International Rescue, and his family.

"Okay, next." Phones said.

Virgil stepped out of the open scanner, looking pretty bored. Gordon let Tin-Tin go next.

John looked at Scott.

"You know, my security level allows me to bypass this thing." John said.

"Not today it doesn't." Scott frowned, not looking at John.

"Clear." Phones said, as Tin-Tin let Gordon take her place.

John had to do something and fast. Getting scanned was more dangerous to him than facing the Phantoms back in Pittsburgh had been.

"Listen, Captain," he said to Scott. "I don't think we-"

"I don't care what you think, John," Scott said, stepping into the scanner as Gordon stepped out. "You're getting scanned just like the rest of us."

John was about to tell his younger brother how wrong he was, and that he had no intention of getting scanned when an alarm filled the room, cutting off all other sounds.

A greenish force-field surrounded the Captain, holding him in place, and it took John a moment to understand what had just happened: He looked up at the monitor ad saw the small patch of red that mingled with the shimmering blue of Scott's spirit. Then he knew exactly what was going on.

Scott had been infested by a Phantom.

Chapter Four

"Captain?" Tin-Tin stepped towards Scott. The clear scanner wall stopped her.

"Shit!" Virgil cursed.

"They got him!" Gordon's light-brown eyes were wide.

"You've got to be kidding. There must be a mistake," Scott shouted over the sound of the alarm. "Nothing touched me!"

"What level is he?" John asked Phones, looking at the data on the technician's data panel.

"Blue." Phones replied and John's stomach twisted. Code Blue was advanced. The infestation must have happened early on, perhaps when the Deep Eyes Squadron first arrived on the streets to get John out.

"He'll be Code Red in three minutes, twenty seconds," informed Phones. "I'm administering a treatment shield and we can send him to the Treatment Center."

"No. We have to treat him now!" John knew that at Code Red, Scott would basically be dead. John looked at the emergency medical area behind Phones. "Is that a fully-operating lab, and is everything working?"

"Yes."

John looked at the Deep Eyes Squadron. "We don't have time to get him to the Treatment Center. I might be able to save him in the lab back there."

Tin-Tin moved over to Phones, who nodded his head and lifted the force field that was holding Scott. The Deep Eyes Captain fell forwards, weakened by both the invading alien particles and the tempoary treatment shield. Gordon and Virgil caught him and flanked him.

"Shit, John. You've done it now." Scott said through gritted teeth.

"Shut up and get on that operating table." John ordered. He turned to Phones. "Seal this lab and keep it that way until I say so. If I can't save him, I don't want a breach."

Phones nodded, smiled up at Tin-Tin, and typed in the commands on the panel in front of him.

"Tell me you know what you're doing John…Ow!" Scott's doubts over John's abilities angered his eldest brother. John decided that this earned the Captain a shot in the backside with the anaesthetic gun instead of the intended target of the arm or the side of his neck.

"Dad'll never forgive me if I let you die, Scott," John frowned as Virgil and Gordon helped a barely conscious Scott onto the operating table. "But don't tempt me."

The anaesthetic had taken effect fast, and a few seconds later, Scott was completely under.

"Okay. Here we go." John watched as the operating table flashed a holographic image of Scott's spirit over his body. The majority of the image was a healthy shimmering blue, apart from the small mass of red tentacles around the felt side of his chest, the Phantom particles, eating away at Scott's spirit.

"Holy shit." breathed Gordon, unable to tear his eyes from the image of the attacking Phantom particles.

"How much time?" asked John, his voice tense and his brow furrowed.

Phones flicked on a holo-clock in front of John. It read two minutes and twenty seconds.

"There isn't enough time," Phones said. "When he reaches Code Red, the treatment shield over that table won't be able to hold the alien particles."

John knew that before the ex-W.A.S.P. had finished his sentence. He activated the Bio-Etheric laser scalpel and went after the mass of red that was invading his younger brother's spirit.

The Bio-Etheric laser itself wasn't actually cutting Scott's flesh, but his spirit. It had been designed by Brains to cut at the spirit of the patient. In this case, it was cutting at the alien spirit. John had to cut al of it out, as well as all the infected parts of Scott's spirit.

John worked as fast as he could, moving around the edges of the Phantom particles and cutting them back. At first, John had been almost reluctant to help Scott out. But then he figured that even though Scott knew it was him that he was sending his team in to rescue, the Captain still went through with the mission, even though he could easily have turned away and let him die.

'Time to make the score even then, Johnny.' John thought to himself, a grim yet determined expression on his smooth, handsome face, the sweat beading on his forehead and upper lip. Behind him, the medical team and security personnel were pounding on the lab door, demanding to be let in. John barely noticed them as he concentrated on saving his younger brother.

"One minute." Phones announced, his voice full of tension and concern.

John was closing in on the last of the Phantom particles when it suddenly disappeared from the holo-image.

"What happened?" questioned Virgil, his brow furrowed and his brown eyes intense. "Did you get it?"

"Where did it go?" frowned Tin-Tin.

Suddenly, Scott's body went into a light convulsion and he twisted awkwardly, arching his back.

"Infestation has gone deep." Phones said.

"Tracking." John's voice was steady as he searched through the blue of Scott's spirit for the remaining particle.

"The treatment shield will fail!" Phones' voice had a hint of worry.

"Tracking." John refused to give up.

"There's no time left, John! You're gonna kill him!" Phones' voice emphasized the urgency of the situation: When the condition reached Code Red, Scott would be dead and the Phantom spirit would be able to infect any one of them in the room.

"Leave if you want," Virgil's voice was serious. "But we're staying right here."

Just then, John caught sight of a flash of red and he honed in on it with surprising skill, chasing after it and cutting it down until there was nothing left.

A split-second later and the alarm sounded, indicating Code Red, and the room was plunged into a tint of deathly red.

Then, before anybody could even move, the all clear was given and the alarm ceased, the lights in the room reverting back to normal.

The holo-image of Scott's spirit dissolved away and John blew out a breath.

Too close.

"You did it, big bro!" Gordon cheered, high-fiving John, who forced a smile.

"You're good, Tracy. I gotta hand that to you," said Phones. "I've seen at least a dozen of those types of operations. None of them were that fast."

"Not that there was much of a choice." John told Phones.

"Yeah." Phones agreed, releasing the lab's security lockout function and letting in the medics and security personnel.

John checked Scott's statistics. The Captain might not ever know how close he'd come to dying. And John knew very well that sometimes it was best to keep some secrets hidden. Besides, the medics could take care of him now, and John had some important work to get down to.

Scott groaned as the anaesthetic wore off and Virgil, Gordon and Tin-Tin crowded around their Captain.

"Hey, big bro? You in there?" Virgil gently nudged his older brother, his closest brother, too anxious to even use the whole 'Captain' formality.

"Give me five more minutes, Mom…" Scott murmered and yawned before his light-blue eyes fluttered open.

"I'm gonna pretend I didn't hear that." Virgil smirked at his disoriented brother and squad captain.

"You're also not to tell a soul I said that," Scott looked at Virgil and then at Tin-Tin and Gordon, realizing what he had just said. "Any of you."

Scott looked over at John, too drained to even pick up where he'd left off on their debate.

"You're all right, Captain," John told him. "You'll be back to normal in no time," John turned to walk away upon seeing Brains waiting for him at the door. "You can thank me later. Captain."

John walked away, picking up his backpack that he'd stored safely on a table, and smiled at Brains.

"Ah, John?" Phones said from near Scott and the rest of the Deep Eyes Squad. "We still need to scan you for infestation."

"T-That won't be –ah- necessary," Brains said. "I'll take the –er- responsibility."

"Yes, sir." Phones nodded, letting John pass.

"Hey, John," Virgil's voice stopped John in his tracks at the door. "Thanks for saving the Captain."

John nodded and smiled at his younger brother. "Thanks for the help in Pittsburgh."

Then, John turned and left the lab, Brains walking alongside him.

Chapter Five

John Tracy walked beside Brains in silence as they headed towards he science laboratories via a series of well-lit corridors.

"Are you a-alright?" Brains looked at John as they passed through a security checkpoint. This area was a secure science area, and his home for nearly a year now. Very few scientists had access to this area and John was the only non-scientist allowed through.

"The military impounded my ship." John groaned, not wanting to tell Brains about his close call in Pittsburgh.

Brains simply nodded, knowing that it was just a minor thing and that the ship would be returned to them shortly. Nevertheless, John was thankful that Brains did not push on the subject.

A few moments later and they turned into a brightly lit laboratory, containing all the latest in scientific technology. Both Brains, John and another scientist and former International Rescue agent, Sir Jeremy Hodge, had been spending most of their time in this laboratory, working to find an answer of the alien spirits that they were sure would save their dying planet.

"I heard what happened in Pittsburgh," Sir Jeremy spoke to John in a crisp, British Upper-Class accent. "I'm glad to see that you're alright."

"Thanks." John said, not really wanting to talk about it. He put his backpack on the table and took out the plant container.

"You got it? Good work, John." Sir Jeremy grinned.

"Yeah," John returned the smile. "Now to see if it's the right one."

"Forward me the -ah- Phantom data," Brains sat at one of the computers. "A-And everything regarding the five spirit waves that we've –er- collected so far."

"Right." Sir Jeremy headed to the main terminal.

"Spirits?" John arched an eyebrow as he put the plant on a sensor. "I thought we weren't supposed to say the 'S'-word."

Brains and Sir Jeremy laughed.

Then, on the main table, the holographic images of the five spirit waves they had already collected came into focus as Sir Jeremy transfers the data from what they called the 'spirit holding tank'. The spirits swirled and twisted around each other, forming an incomplete picture. There were still empty, black spaces in the flowing blue wave, ones that John hoped to fill as soon as possible.

"Now, let's see if that –ah- plant does the trick." Brains scanned the small plant which John had risked his life to get. It wasn't easy to extract a living entity's spirit, but that didn't mean that it couldn't be done.

John watched with an undying awe as the holographic image of the plant's spirit formed above the incomplete wave. Brains carefully moved the plant spirit towards the others, and like a fitting jigsaw section, the plant's spirit wave joined the incomplete wave. A perfect fit.

John knew that the holo-image, which now seemed to glow stronger, was the opposite of a Phantom spirit wave. Almost, that is, since it still required a further three spirits.

"It's a match!" John grinned happily. "We've got it!"

"Y-Yes," Brains nodded, a smile playing on his face. "The sixth spirit."

"Absolutely stunning." Sir Jeremy breathed, now standing beside John.

"Definetely worth the effort." John beamed.

"I suppose so," Sir Jeremy said. "Even though your little scene today nearly broke every protocol there was. I heard your ship was impounded too."

"Yeah," John sighed, his smile fading. "And by my own brother of all people."

Sir Jeremy chuckled.

"That's right," John told him. "Dear little brother, Scott – oh wait, it's Captain Scott Tracy now – impounded my ship and then threatened to arrest me."

"Ouch. Sounds bad." Sir Jeremy winced.

"Well, -er- maybe he'll forget all of it now that you –er- saved his life." Brains said, not taking his eyes from the screen.

"I've obviously missed a lot." Sir Jeremy said lightly.

"I'll tell you all about it later," John laughed. "Both of you."

"Yes, well I'd like you to read something, John." Sir Jeremy handed John an old notebook.

John opened the book on the first page. It continued Sir Jeremy's flowing handwriting. He read it:

'All life is born of Gaia, and each life has a spirit. Each new spirit is housed in a physical body…'

John looked up at Sir Jeremy with a frown.

Why would he want him to read it now?

"Sir Jeremy?"

"Carry on, John."

John gazed back at the book and continued to read it:

'…Through their experiences on Earth, each spirit matures and grows. When the physical body dies, the mature spirit, enriched by its life on Earth, returns to Gaia, bringing with it the experiences, enabling Gaia to live and grow.'

"It's my old workbook," Sir Jeremy gently took the book from John's hands, looking down at it with almost a sad smile. "I wrote it just before your father appointed me to be a member of International Rescue."

Then, much to John's shock, Sir Jeremy tossed the book into the incinerator, used to burn old experiments.

"Sir Jeremy!" John's blue-grey eyes were wide. "Don't…!"

Too late.

There was the sound of burning and the green light appeared on the side of the small machine, indicating that the book had been destroyed.

Sir Jeremy turned to face John, his face calm but serious. "Remember in school when you learned about Galileo?"

John nodded. "They wouldn't do that you."

"They would," Sir Jeremy said. "To all of us. They threw Galileo in jail just because he said that the Earth was not the centre of the universe. It could happen to us as well. Our ideas are highly unpopular."

"K-Keep anything important up here," said Brains, tapping his head. "Destroy any notes or records that might be –er- used against you."

"F.A.B. I'll do it now." John cringed at his words, wondering if he'd ever get out of his International Rescue signing-off habit.

"And when you're done, we can add the sixth spirit." Sir Jeremy said.

"Okay," John said, heading for his room. "It might take me a while though."

"Just make sure you d-don't miss anything," Brains called after him. "And stay away from the Deep Eyes Squadron. E-Especially Scott."

John stopped in his tracks.

"We can't afford to tell them everything yet," explained Sir Jeremy. "And if the Captain's as by the book as people say he is, we definetely shouldn't be telling him anything about the research work we're carrying out."

"I'll keep that in mind." John nodded before leaving the laboratory.

Chapter Six

It was back again, starting off the same as every time before:

John stood waiting like a hundred times before on the barren wasteland, the lake just behind him.

Then, over the horizon, a light started to outshine the huge moon in the sky. As always, John knew there was something coming, He could sense it even before the ground began to tremble beneath his feet.

Something was coming.

Something massive.

John needed to know what it was. He needed to face it.

The air swirled around him, the dust from the ground almost choking him.

Then, at the point at which he had awoken the time before, he stayed in the alien world.

Over the horizon, an army of thousands of armoured beings swarmed towards him. Somehow, he knew that they were Phantoms, yet they didn't appear as the energy Phantoms he had faced with the Deep Eyes Squadron earlier on. These were real Phantoms. And armed.

They ran on two legs like a dark wind from the gates of hell.

John felt his heart racing uncontrollably but somehow couldn't force himself to move.

Then, there was a second tremor that came from behind.

John spun around to see a second army, looking almost the same as the first, also charging towards him.

Except, as John soon came to realize, he was not the point of attack.

The Phantoms were attacking each other. Not him.

And he soon knew, without understanding how he knew, that he was standing in the middle of a battle in the war which was responsible for the destruction of this alien world.

The noise was almost unbearable now and John pressed his hands against his ears and fell to his knees as the two armies swarmed closer to him and each other.

Then, just as the two groups were about to collide, he woke up.

Beside his bed, the alarm was buzzing. He turned it off, trying to catch his breath from the dream. The images were still with him, tatooed into his mind. There was no forgetting them. But what did they mean?

Were those armies really two different Phantom armies? And if they were, what about the ones that were currently roaming the Earth, robbing living things of their spirits?

It was as if the dream progressed further with every anti-Phantom spirit that he, Brains and Sir Jeremy had found.

John shook away the thoughts from his head. He had work to do.

A lot of it too.

He had to find the two remaining spirits.

But now, he had to get ready for the Council meeting in one hour's time. Brains and Sir Jeremy wanted him with them. And he needed to speak to them about the dream first. Maybe they could tell him what was going on.

He sure didn't know.

Captain Scott Tracy decided that he hated Council meetings.

He'd woken up aching all over as a result from both Deep Eyes' Phantom encounter n Pittsburgh, and also from his soul being hacked at after he'd been infested by one of those Phantoms. Now, to add to that, he had a splitting headache.

"Morning, Captain. You're up kind of early." Tin-Tin waved from where she sat at a viewpoint overlooking part of the vast Philadelphia Barrier City. She was wearing her Deep Eyes vest-top, black trousers and black combat boots.

Tin-Tin glanced up at her superior's attire: Scott was wearing the smart black military uniform that he was only seen in when he had to attend something important.

"Going for the formal look, Captain?" Tin-Tin raised an eyebrow.

"Don't get smart with me, soldier." Scott laughed and then winced as he sat beside her. "Remind me never to second-question John when he's got an anaesthetic gun in his hand." Scott added, shifting as he felt a sharp pang in the left side of his rear.

Tin-Tin tried in vain to surpress a laugh.

"So, where are you going, Captain Tracy?" she asked lightly.

"Ugh. Some Council meeting," Scott replied with a groan. "Gonna be as boring as heck."

"You're always bored unless you're out there shooting up Phantoms!" Tin-Tin swatted his arm playfully and he laughed.

"You know, if it was up to me, I'd probably send Virg to the meeting," Scott grinned. "I mean, he is a Sergeant after all."

"Sadist," Tin-Tin smiled. "Good thing it's not up to you then."

"Maybe one day…"

"In your dreams, Scotty!" laughed Tin-Tin, gazing back out of the clear walls and at the huge colony within the Barrier, already teeming with life.

"Always a good place to start." Scott said, following her gaze across the Barrier City.

There was a pause between them as they took in the scene.

Then, Tin-Tin said "You know, it's almost weird seeing John after all this time. I wonder where he's been?"

"I don't really care to be honest," the smile had left Scott's face as soon as John's name was mentioned. "The point is that he left us all without a word. That's something you don't do to a family. Families and team-mates are supposed to stick together, right, Tin-Tin?"

"Sir." Tin-Tin nodded quietly.

"You know, I hat it when you do the 'Sir' thing when we're having informal talks." Scott laughed.

"You made John do the whole 'Captain' thing yesterday." Tin-Tin pointed out.

"We were in the middle of a mission. That's different." Scott said, hating every time his eldest brother's name was mentioned.

"I think you're just upset because he left without a word." Tin-Tin said softly.

Scott glanced at his watch, not really wanting to talk about it. "Oops! Look at the time: I gotta get to that Council meeting before General Gaat decides to lecture me. He's a sadist, you know."

Tin-Tin laughed.

"I'll catch up with you guys later," Scott winced slightly as he got up. "Stay out of trouble."

"Yes, Sir!" Tin-Tin saluted to her Captain and friend, before turning back to watch the view.

Chapter Seven

Scott sat in the row of seats behind General Belah Gaat in the Council hall.

The General was older than him and of a muscular build. He was bald but that was something that belied his age. General Gaat had unusually black eyes and a steely glare that sent shivers down Scott's spine. Scott disdained the General, formerly known to him and International Rescue as the Hood before the Phantoms took over. However, in the current situation, General Gaat was one of Scott's superiors, so there wasn't really anything that could be done about the former criminal.

The Council hall was massive, one hundred rows high, making Scott feel small as he watched the Council members enter the room and take their seats halfway up the open wall across the audience, via a hidden door. The Council was formed just over a year and a half ago, by what was left of Earth's top security governments in an effort to hold humanity together after the Leonid meteor had smashed into the Earth, bringing the Phantoms with it. And it was shortly after the arrival of the Phantoms when the International Rescue team began to break apart.

After one whole month of turmoil, in which the lives of half a dozen agents were lost – Lady Penelope, Parker and Jeremiah Tuttle amongst them – Brains and British agent Sir Jeremy had been called away to work on some sort of protection against the overpowering Phantoms. Then, shortly before Brains and Sir Jeremy had made their discoveries, which allowed the protective barriers to be built, John Tracy suddenly went missing. One month later and the Councils had effectively gained power within the barriers surrounding the remaining intact cities, Philadelphia being one of them. Philadelphia Barrier was the second largest Barrier - second only to the New York barrier, protecting millions of people. It had been Scott's home for the last ten months now, after the Phantoms had found Tracy Island and had robbed everyone of their lives.

Everyone except Scott, Virgil, Gordon and Tin-Tin, who were all, by luck, on what would be their last International Rescue mission. It was after this that the four survivors had moved to Philadelphia Barrier City, where the military there recognized them and trained them to become the Deep Eyes Squadron that they were today.

The eight-member Philadelphia Barrier Council sat down, the key members of the military sitting to the right of them, at a lower level. This was where Scott and General Gaat were, amongst a few dozen other officers. Opposite the Council's panel was a platform with a table and some chairs. Anyone who needed to speak to the Council was positioned there. And when Sir Jeremy, Brains and John entered and sat at the table there, Scott's light-blue eyes widened ever so slightly with surprise.

As the Council session began, General Gaat rose from his seat to speak. "Ladies and Gentlemen of the Council. Could you please explain why nothing has been done about the Zeus Cannon?" His words echoed through the vast chamber, his voice powerful and commanding, making Scott's muscles tighten with hate.

In the middle of the Council hall, a holo-image of the Zeus Cannon in a geostationary orbit over the Earth came into focus. The weapon was powerful, designed only to fight Phantoms.

"Zeus was completed a month ago," General Gaat continued. "If we attack the meteor with this weapon, we will exterminate the Phantoms at their own home. Why has this not been done?" he turned to the Council. "So, esteemed Council, I would like an answer to my question. We have built the weapon that could save our planet. Why have we not used it?"

"We are here today to vote on that very issue, General." Councilman Steve Zodiac, a former Colonel of the World Space Patrol, told both the General and the audience, his voice sharp yet controlled.

General Gaat sat back down, not looking particularly pleased. He loathed Councilman Zodiac the most out of the entire Council, especially since he knew that most of the votes would follow Steve Zodiac's opinion. And, at the moment, Councilman Zodiac's opinion was not to fire the Zeus Cannon.

"I would like to ask the Director of the Bio-Etheric Center to speak first," Councilman Troy Tempest, former Captain of the World Aquanaut Security Patrol, glanced across at Sir Jeremy. "Sir Jeremy, please."

Sir Jeremy stood, and the holo-image of the Zeus Cannon vanished, only to be replaced by an image of the Leonid Meteor crater under attack by missiles and atomic bombs.

"Thank you, Councilman Tempest," said Sir Jeremy. "What you are all seeing now are the records of every assault on the Leonid Meteor, the nest of the Phantoms. Putting it simply, physical attacks have no effect on these creatures."

The holo-image changed and this time, Bio-Etheric beams, smaller versions of the Zeus Cannon's ammunition, were fired at the crater, destroying thousands of Phantoms.

Sir Jeremy spoke again in his crisp, upper-class British voice. "Please note that although the Phantoms outside the meteor are destroyed, the dormant Phantoms replace those lost from the bottom of the crater. The Phantom population always remains the same, except for the fact that newly risen Phantoms react by burrowing deeper into the Earth.

"That's an interesting point, Sir Jeremy," Councilwoman Atlanta Shore, also an ex-W.A.S.P., said in a thoughtful voice. "We use Bio-Etheric lasers during surgery when removing Phantom particles, do we not? We've also found out that these Phantom particles tend to bury themselves deeper into a host's spirit when under pressure."

Scott felt a few gazes fall on him. News of yesterday's event that took place both in Pittsburgh and, more importantly, in Philadelphia Barrier's emergency medical laboratory had spread amongst the military department like wildfire. And since the Deep Eyes were supposed to be an elite squadron, Scott couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed that his non-militant older brother, John, had saved his life.

"Yes indeed we do," Sir Jeremy nodded. "The remaining particles escape."

As he spoke, the holo-image showed a model of the Zeus Cannon being fired at the crater, destroying the remains of the Leonid Meteor but not all of the Phantoms.

"They bury or dig themselves deeper into a patient's body," continued Sir Jeremy. "And when we increase the intensity of the laser in order to destroy the escaping particles, it has been known to cause further injury to the patient. Causing death in some cases."

The holo-image showed the Zeus laser cutting through the Leonid Meteor crater and slicing the depths of the Earth, damaging a blue layer deep under its crust.

Scott felt himself shudder involuntarily, realizing just how lucky he had been yesterday. He was also lucky that John had been there, and that he was surprisingly accurate at operating on Phantom infestations. He looked over in John's direction and realized that John had been watching him, for probably quite a while now, before Sir Jeremy spoke and both brothers turned their attention back to him.

"Therefore, to conclude, the Zeus Cannon will have a very good chance of destroying the Phantoms in the meteor. However, it also means that the energy of the beam is so strong that we may do injury to the Earth as well."

"Injure the Earth?" Councilman Volzac asked, and Scott knew that Volzac was very much behind General Gaat's ideas. "You mean the spirit of the Earth?" Councilman Volzac almost laughed. "Sir Jeremy, we don't have time for fairytales."

"It is not fairytale," Sir Jeremy faced Councilman Volzac with a straight, serious face. "It is truth."

"Explain this to us." Councilman Tempest sounded intrigued.

A new holographic image appeared and the audience gasped, many sitting back in their seats as if the image of the Phantom spirit could really hurt them.

"A-All Phantoms display a distinct –er- energy pattern," Brains explained. "We all know that two o-opposing Bio-Etheric waves, placed over each other, cancel each other out completely. It is theoretically possible to c-construct a wave pattern in the direct opposition to the Phantom –er- energy."

"We have been collecting energy signatures for that very purpose from a variety of sources," Sir Jeremy chipped in. "Including animals and plants. We are currently assembling a wave that is near completion."

From where he sat, John saw the spark of realization in Scott's light-blue eyes as he understood why so much had been risked yesterday in order to retrieve the little plant from Pittsburgh. John watched the holo-image as the model of the completed anti-wave covered the Phantom wave and both vanished.

"Nonsense!" General Gaat leapt from his seat. "Sir Jeremy and his colleagues have no solid evidence!"

At the General's words, John felt a surge of anger flow through him and he jumped up from his chair, his blue-grey eyes blazing as he shouted "There is evidence!"

"Oh?" asked Councilman Zodiac. "What is this evidence?"

"Members of the Council," John said, ignoring Brains and Sir Jeremy's discreet gestures to stop. "Our partially completed energy wave has successfully stopped Phantom particles from spreading through a terminally infected patient."

There was a stunned silence for a moment before Councilman Volzac asked "Do you claim to have evidence that a terminal patient has been cured?"

"Not yet cured as the wave is incomplete," said John. "But we have succeeded in containing the Phantom particles safely inside the patient by using the wave as a shield that the particles cannot penetrate, trapping them in place."

"Where is this proof that you claim to have?" demanded an angry General Gaat.

John's face matched the fierceness of the General's voice as he opened up his shirt to display a metallic chest plate wit a few small buttons. "Right here, General," John held the General's hard gaze. "That's right, I'm the patient."

He stepped forwards and tapped a few buttons on the chest plate, displaying the holo-image of the twisting red mass of Phantom particles trapped within him.

"This is what's being contained within me," said John, his voice firm. "General Gaat, I am your proof and evidence, because I am standing here. Very alive."

And behind General Gaat, all Scott could do was stare in shock at the twisting red mass that had invaded his older brother's body.

Chapter Eight

John Tray could feel his heart pounding in his chest as he walked out of the Council hall, Sir Jeremy and Brains walking either side of him, both clearly unhappy with what he had just done.

"You may have bought us some time, John," Sir Jeremy frowned. "But at what cost, I wonder? Do you know the answer to that?"

"No. I don't," John said, not ready to back down yet. "But I can't keep hiding in the background whilst you two cover up for me."

"Dropping into Pittsburgh like you did yesterday is not what I call 'hiding'." Sir Jeremy said, not turning to look at John.

"The truth was going to have to come out at some point. And so what the both of you did to save me." John told them.

"Well, there's n-no point arguing about it now, fellas," Brains said. "We just have to find the seventh and eighth spirits and get you back to a n-normal life. Now, let's get back to work."

It was now late evening over the Philadelphia Barrier City.

Gondola lines decorated the protected area above and between the hundred-story towers inside the Barrier, mainly for construction and maintanance.

John had filled one of the large servicing gondolas with his scanning equipment. After the Council meeting, he, Sir Jeremy and Brains had identified the wave pattern of the seventh spirit, and John had decided to start searching for it immediately, starting with the entire city under the Philadelphia Barrier.

"Mind if I join you on your expedition?"

John spun around at the sound of the familiar voice of Tin-Tin Kyrano. He smiled at her. "If you want to chance getting bored."

"Try me," Tin-Tin returned John's smile, stepping into the gondola. "Scott told me that the Council have decided to postpone the firing of the Zeus Cannon."

"Guess I did put on quite a show," John gave a lop-sided grin. "Doesn't Scotty tell you off for not referring to him as 'Captain'?"

"Not when we're off-duty." Tin-Tin laughed melodically, a sound that John suddenly came to realize how much he missed. "Scott's a funny guy there days," she told him, her voice toning down. "I don't think he's really been the same since…" she trailled off.

"Since?" John prompted in a gentle tone.

Tin-Tin looked at him and he could see the hurt and sadness in her dark-brown eyes as she said "Since the Phantoms found the island."

John felt his heart skip a beat.

"Is everyone alright?" he asked. "You all got away safely, didn't you?"

Tin-Tin hugged him tightly, unable to hold back the tears as the twisted memories flooded back into her mind.

"They're dead, John," she sobbed. "All of them. Everyone. When the four of us returned from the mission, all we found was their bodies. Cold and dead. Every single one of them."

John held her gently for a moment whilst contemplating his own loss.

"I'm sorry, John," Tin-Tin pulled away. "I just can't help but think how they must have felt. You know, what it must have been like to see everyone around your own home fall dead for no apparent reason," she looked at him, tears in her dark-brown eyes. "And then, at the end, to feel something invisible next to you, touching you. Reaching deep inside your body and pulling the life from you. And you suddenly come to realize how everybody else died. But by then, it's too late. Far too late."

Tin-Tin pushed herself away from him, wiping the tears from her eyes as she forced a smile at John. "I'd better let you get back to work," she told him. "So what are you doing?"

It took John a few seconds to get his mind back into gear again before he replied "I'm scanning the city for the seventh spirit."

"So, the sixth was the plant you found yesterday?"

"Yeah," John pointed at the screen in front of him. "All of these sensors patch into this monitor. If the seventh spirit's anywhere down in the city, it'll show up on here."

"And if it's not here?"

"I'll gradually expand the search radius until I find it."

"You make it sound so easy, John," Tin-Tin giggled. "But you make everything sound easy."

"Well, I'm warning you now," John half-smiled at her. "This could be a long night."

"Yes, but you did tell us on the transport yesterday that you'd tell us everything that's happened to you when we had a lot of time." Tin-Tin's dark-brown eyes glittered.

John looked at her and laughed. "Smart-ass."

"So, let me get this straight, John," Tin-Tin and John were still talking a few hours later. "You were the first spirit wave?"

"Yup," John nodded. "My spirit forms part of the wave that is the opposite of a Phantom spirit wave. It's basically the only reason that I'm still here. It was enough to trap the Phantom particles and keep them from spreading and killing me almost immediately."

"And the other spirit waves?" Tin-Tin asked curiously.

"The second spirit was a fish. We got lucky and found it almost at once."

"A fish?" echoed Tin-Tin, surprised.

John nodded. "Its wave was added to mine in order to strengthen the shield around the infestation inside me. With every spirit we find, the shield becomes more secure," he cleared his throat a little and continued. "The third spirit was a deer I found in a wildlife preserve in Exeter, England. The fourth spirit was a bird."

"A bird?" Tin-Tin repeated. "How did you find it?"

"It wasn't easy," John laughed. "Ever tried tracking a little robin from outer space? It's not fun," he looked at Tin-Tin and smiled. "Although Scott would probably love that."

"You're right, John," giggled Tin-Tin. "He probably would."

"And then the sixth spirit was yesterday's plant."

"You skipped number five, John." Tin-Tin pointed out in the polite tone, which she only used when she was off-duty.

John hoped that she wouldn't have spotted the fact that he'd skipped one and sighed. "The fifth spirit was a little girl, dying in a hospital emergency room."

"You're not joking, are you?" Tin-Tin went slightly pale.

"I told her that everything had a spirit. Dogs, cats, trees and little girls such as herself. I told her that she wasn't dying, but her spirit was just returning to the Earth's spirit, Gaia," John spoke as he recalled that day. "The little girl told me that she was ready to die. And that I didn't need to make up stories to make her feel better," he sighed sadly. "Imagine being only seven years old and ready to die."

"I'm sorry, John." Tin-Tin put her cool hand on his warm arm.

"You don't believe in any of this, do you? I know Scott doesn't." John turned to Tin-Tin, forcing a smile.

Tin-Tin hesitated, thinking. John could always rely on her true opinion, and he was curious to know how she felt about the Gaia Theory. In the end, she looked up at him and said in a soft voice "Honestly? I just don't know, John. I'm not on anyone's side at the moment," she put her hands on his shoulders. "You could have told us what happened, you know, John. Or at least me."

"I know," John said, closing his eyes for a few seconds to let the stress run from his body as she gently massaged his shoulders. "I just don't know how much time I heave left."

Chapter Nine

"Hey, guys," Sergeant Virgil Tracy walked into the military shooting range the next day where Gordon and Tin-Tin were keeping up their target-practice. "Any of you two seen Scotty?"

"Not since yesterday, after the Council meeting," Tin-Tin replied. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"I was just going to ask him if he wanted to go shoot some hoops till we get called out or something." Virgil told them.

"He's probably hiding in his room," Gordon said lightly. "He reckons it's humiliating that John had to save his ass the other day. Especially now practically the whole military department knows."

"Yes, he did mention something about getting a few looks during the Council meeting yesterday," Tin-Tin added. "Although I don't really think that he's the hiding type."

"I don't think he was in his quarters anyway," Virgil frowned. "And his comm-link is off too."

"Great," sighed Tin-Tin. "So, if we do happen to be called out, we won't have a Captain."

"And Virg'll be in charge. Horrors!" laughed Gordon before adding "Actually, come to think about it, I think I did see him earlier on this afternoon. Yeah, he was dressed in his swanky military suit. I think he was off to see Major Tobolsk. Yeah, it must've been Major Tobolsk or Scott wouldn't be looking so unhappy."

"I wonder what the Major wants to see him for." Virgil mused.

"Official stuff probably. Who really gives a toss?" Gordon shrugged. "You still up for a game of hoops, Virg?"

"Only if you don't mind me whupping your sorry butt." Virgil told his younger brother good-naturedly.

"You wish! Let's go, Tin-Tin." Gordon said, heading for the door.

Major Tobolsk's office was a comfortable room that overlooked the city, the Barrier's light tinting its contents a soothing golden-orange. However, Captain Scott Tracy couldn't help but feel a little tense.

Scott had known the Major even before the Leonid Meteor had struck the Earth. Tobolsk had once been a member of the Bereznik Army, crossing paths with Scott during both his time in the United States Air Force and International Rescue. Tobolsk, like General Gaat, was a ruthless person who Scott would love to see put to justice. However, also like the General's case, there was no proof or evidence to hold Major Tobolsk up for his crimes. And now, as if to mock him even further, Scott had to take orders from both the Major and the General.

When he entered the room, Scott saw Major Tobolsk standing straight and serious behind his desk, and it took Scott a moment to realize that he and the Major were not the only people in the room: General Gaat was standing at one of the windows, gazing out at the city, his back to the door. Clearly something important was about to happen, and Scott had no doubt that it would involve both himself and the Deep Eyes Squadron.

"Captain Tracy," Major Tobolsk said, smiling as Scott stood to attention. "I believe that you and Deep Eyes extracted a John Tracy from Pittsburgh a few days ago, did you not?"

"Yes, Sir." Scott loathed himself every time he said those words to either the Major or the General.

"I also believe that he later saved your life from a Phantom infestation, did he not?"

"Yes, Sir. He did."

"And what were your impressions of Mr. Tracy that day?" General Gaat asked, not moving away from the window where he stood.

"I believe that he is a capable and determined citizen, Sir." Scott replied.

"He is also your older brother, is he not, Captain?" questioned General Gaat. "Does this fact change your opinion of him?"

"No, Sir," Scott spoke almost bluntly. "For personal reasons, I don't exactly see John Tracy as my brother anymore."

Major Tobolsk nodded slowly, looking down at his desk for a moment, before looking back at Scott. "Captain, you and Deep Eyes are being temporarily reassigned. Tomorrow, you will guard John Tracy when he re-enters the wastelands."

'John must've found another spirit wave,' Scott though to himself. 'But there's nothing alive in the wastelands. Only Phantoms.' He looked at the Major and replied "Yes, Sir. Understood, Sir."

"You are also to report any aberrant behaviour in John Tracy to Major Tobolsk immediately." General Gaat's gaze felt like lasers cutting through Scott.

"'Aberrant behaviour', Sir?" Scott repeated.

"John Tracy carries an alien infestation, Captain," the General looked back out of the window. "It could be affecting his judgement, even manipulating him for their own purposes."

"Is the General suggesting that John Tracy is a spy?" Scott couldn't help but frown.

General Gaat moved away from the window. "The General is wondering why he has to explain himself to a Captain." he laughed but Scott could sense the seriousness in his voice.

"John Tracy has had prolonged exposure to Phantom tissue," General Gaat continued, walking around Scott and scrutinizing him. "If this begins to manifest itself in any way, he is to be placed under arrest and brought back to the Barrier for observation immediately," General Gaat stopped in front of Scott, watching him intently. "Do I make myself clear, Captain?"

"Perfectly, Sir." Scott swallowed, feeling a little hot in his military uniform.

"It's only for his own good. You should know that, Captain." Major Tobolsk added.

"Of course, Sir." Scott said, not believing any of it.

"Dismissed." Major Tobolsk said, saluting Scott, who returned the salute to both the Major and the General before walking out of the Major's office. Scott had no doubt that he and the Deep Eyes were just pawns in a plan to somehow get John, Brains and Sir Jeremy out of the way, giving the General the all-clear to fire the Zeus Cannon.

Although if Scott had anything to do with it, he would make sure the General would not have his way so easily.