A/N: I hope you enjoy this story. The characters and show do not belong to me.
"How's it going down there, Gordon?" Virgil called through the radio.
"Great; I should be up in twenty or so minutes," Gordon replied.
Gordon and Virgil had been sent out to retrieve an abandoned submarine at the bottom of a deep trench. It had been a relatively quiet day for International Rescue, so when Penelope asked them to find the submarine for her father, they happily agreed. She had explained that the sub had belonged to a friend of her father and contained artifacts from his explorations, and her father wanted to find the sub so that he could give the artifacts to a museum for study.
"These artifact are really cool, Virg," Gordon said. He paused a moment before continuing. "My back's starting to cramp up. When I get up, you think you could give me something so help?"
"Of course. Are you alright, though?" Virgil replied, starting to worry for his younger brother.
"Yeah, I'm fine. It doesn't hurt that bad, and I'll be up soon, so it shouldn't get any worse," Gordon said. However, as he said that, his back seized causing him to jerk the controls of Thunderbird Four. Unfortunately, Gordon was only a few feet from the side of the trench, so the sudden pull on the controls caused him to hit the wall. Gordon could not hold back his scream as the crash made his back hurt even more.
"Gordon?! Are you okay?" Virgil called worriedly.
"I don't know. Give me minute," he replied. Gordon, trying his best to ignore the pain in his back, started checking his systems. Satisfied with his findings, he told Virgil, "Everything looks fine; I'm almost up, so be ready."
"FAB, Gordon. Keep me posted," Virgil said.
Luck was not on Gordon's side because two minutes later his back seized yet again. This time, though, when he hit the trench wall, he also hit his head on the side of Four. Once his head stopped swimming, he noticed a crack in his face plate, and according to his readouts, there was a hole in the hull of Four.
I must have hit something sharp, he thought to himself.
"Virgil," he called. "We have a situation. I'm taking on water, and my mask is damaged."
Almost immediately, Virgil replied, "Okay, Gordon. How close are you to the surface?"
"Not far, but your cables won't reach me. The trench is too narrow at the top for you to get a lock," Gordon said.
"FAB. If it gets bad, let me know," Virgil said hesitantly.
Gordon continued on his way to the surface, but after another five minutes, the water had reached his knees. All of sudden, Gordon heard loud pop and felt Four shake. Quickly looking at his readouts, he found that the pressure of the water rushing in has caused Four's hull to buckle, letting in even more water.
"Virgil, it's getting bad," Gordon told his brother shakily. "The hole in my hull just got bigger; water's coming in twice as fast."
"Are you okay?" Came Virgil's reply.
"For now, yes. The water is about half way up my torso. I'll be up in just a few more minutes."
"Okay. As soon as you're in the clear, let me know," Virgil said.
"FAB." Gordon felt his chest tighten when the cold water reached just below his shoulders. This isn't good, he thought. The crack in my mask means that I won't be able to breathe soon. I need to hurry. He pushed Four to its limit, trying to get her to go faster.
Come one, girl. Just a little faster, he thought as the water reached his the bottom of his mask. Within a minute, the water started seeping into his helmet. Soon, however, the water started pouring into his helmet because its pressure, like it did to the hull, made the crack into a hole.
I'm almost there. Gordon took a big breath before the water covered his mouth and nose. Just a little longer. Gordon saw the opening of the trench. Gotta tell Virgil. Gordon opened communications with Two through Four instead of through his helmet so that Virgil could actually see him. As soon as his brother answered, Gordon motioned for Virgil to pull him up.
"FAB, Gordon. I'll have you up in no time. Just hang on."
Gordon nodded, but kept the link open. He did not have to wait long before he felt Two's cables attach themselves to Four. Just as Gordon could barely see what he knew to be Two just above the water, he felt his lungs started to burn.
Just a little longer, he thought. Please. Gordon's lungs, however, could not hold out any longer. He let his breath out, but he refused to breathe in. As Four broke the surface of the water, Gordon could feel the tug of unconsciousness. No. I can't pass out. Unfortunately, his body had other plans.
Gordon vaguely heard Virgil calling his name, but could not bring himself to acknowledge his brother as he was swallowed by darkness.
A/N: I understand that the end probably feels a bit rushed, but that is because I feel that the panic Gordon must be feeling would make things seem more rushed (excluding how long it feel that he's been holding his breath). Please let me know what you thought.