A/N: Hello readers! Quick update, Speed Force is on hold until I can find my notes for it, and a new Seasons of Life chapter is in the works. In the meantime, along with the Cardboard Box Collection, this story will take up the filler time. I'm one of those people who'll go through "phases" of things that I love. Sometimes it will be something like Power Rangers (like I am now), or Thunderbirds Are Go (like this story), or even Thomas the Tank Engine. Maybe you guys could share some of your favorites, it'd be fun to see the variety in preference. Anyway, that's enough babbling, here you are dear readers, a story I like to call, in full respect of the creators: Thunderbirds Are Go!
Chapter One: Of Bullies and Big Brothers
Alan was in a bit of a pickle, again.
Backed up against the wall of the Administration Building, he had won front row tickets to the, now familiar, show of the school bully, Montana Hale. Dates with the dumpster, and frequent run-ins with his locker had become a normal occurrence in the course of a day. Today, on the other hand, had all of this and now more. It seemed the school bully was unusually interested in the piece of paper currently under the youngest Tracy's math homework. Well, this was going to be unpleasant to say the least.
"So Tracy, what's it gonna be?" asked Montana, shark like grin firmly in place.
Alan gulped, on one hand he could do what Montana wanted and give him back the test answers he had stolen, or he could let the bully tear up both the answers and his homework for class the next day. Oh brother.
Deciding that the better part of valor was surrender, Alan handed back the test answers and tried to slip away. Unfortunately, Montana wasn't quite finished and sent Alan sprawling onto the concrete. The young Tracy fraught hard against tears as a shower of torn paper scraps fell into his blurring vision.
Laughing with his band of cronies, Montana walked off waving the answer sheet triumphantly.
"So much for the high and mighty Tracy's, eh lads!"
Hot, stinging tears continued to blur Alan's vision as he dashed headlong for the dorm. He trotted up the steps and made his way to dorm number 33, he shut the door of his room and gingerly sat on his bed cross-legged.
"Hale?" asked a voice from the bed nearest the door.
Alan nodded, trying, and failing, to blink away the tears. His roommate, Skye King, walked over to the door. He opened it and said, "If you need me I'll be in the lobby." Skye shut the door behind him and Alan started sobbing.
He reached for his holo-pad and pressed a few buttons.
"Hey Kiddo."
Fresh tears spilled from Alan's eyes when he saw his big brother appear. He couldn't yet bring himself to speak so he rested his chin on his knees for a few moments, sniffling occasionally.
"Something wrong Alan?" his brother asked.
"I'm okay." he lied.
"How's school?" inquired his brother, changing the subject.
"Pretty good, there's a game this weekend. Are you and the guys gonna be there?" Alan asked hopefully.
His brother offered an apologetic smile and a shrug, "You know we'd love to, little brother, but there's no guarantee. I know Virgil and Gordon wanted to watch you play."
Alan smiled, of course Virgil would want to come. But it was always awesome when his two year older brother Gordon showed up. Alan and Gordon had the reputation for being the Terrible Two. Ninety-five percent of all pranks were caused by the two youngest Tracy's. Like that time they had switched the contents of the pods around during a training exercise, the following conversation from the brother in question, Brains, and the oldest Tracy brother hadn't been all that fun, but the look on Virgil's face when he found the rescue pods instead of Thunderbird Four had been priceless and was rumored to be stored somewhere should need arise.
"How's Virgil's arm?" he asked.
"On the mend, but you know Virgil, he likes to keep busy with both arms." his brother replied with a laugh.
Alan chuckled, trust Virgil, resident busybody and mother hen of his two younger brothers, to break something then run himself ragged trying to keep them out of trouble without any consideration for himself.
"And I see you're still contemplating the universe, eh John?" queried the youngest Tracy.
"Yup, it's to hard to think with all that gravity."
"No it isn't, you've been in space to long." Alan stuck his tongue out at his big brother.
"Ha ha, very funny Alan. Shouldn't you be sleeping right now?"
"Yeah, I guess." Alan yawned. "It was great talking to you bro."
"You know me kiddo, just because I keep tabs on the rest of the world doesn't mean I don't keep tabs on my brothers.
"You do it so Grandma Tracy will get off your back don't you?" Alan laughed.
"As much as I love the old dragon, I would like to stay friends with my stomach."
Alan laughed again. If there was one thing Grandma Tracy was known for, it was her infamous cooking abilities.
"Good night big brother."
"G'night Alan"