Alone

by Sam Close

Returning from a routine rescue on a normal day. Going home to Tracy Island, a journey they had taken hundreds of times before. Only this time life is turned upside down for one of the brothers, and its not far off for the rest of the family. Vanishing for five years and returning just as strangely, one brother is now feeling out of sync with the others, and very much alone.

1. Chapter 1

A/N Set in Thunderbirds Are Go era. I've had this idea a while but "Encounter" written by homel001 inspired me to write it out, so thanks home1001 :)

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"Good job guys", John's voice came over the intercom.

"Last one back does the dishes for a week!" Scott laughed as he accelerated Thunderbird One to full speed.

"That's not fair!" shouted Virgil smiling, "I'll get my own back!"

Scott smiled, "Oh Virg, just to pre-warn you, Grandma's cooking lasagne for dinner."

"You know you're enough to make a guy turn his comms off" said Virgil, still smiling.

He watched as the glow from One's engines fade to nothing from a pin prick in the distance.

"Hey John can you keep One's silo closed until after I land?" asked Virgil smirking, "its only fair as he's more speed on me!"

John laughed, "I'm staying out of it!"

Virgil liked the banter between him and his brothers on the way home from a successful rescue. It had been touch and go for a couple of hours but they had managed to rescue everyone from the collapsed building, despite the added pressure of it being down to Scott and himself because Alan and Gordon were on another rescue.

Suddenly his thoughts were interrupted by a flash of light that lit up the cockpit of Two which made Virgil look around trying to figure out where it had come from. The sun was behind him so it must have been a reflection from something, but nothing showed on his sensors nor in his line of sight.

"Unidentified craft, you are approaching a private island and violating its airspace. Please alter course immediately or you will be fired upon." John's voice came through his comm with none of the joviality of a few moments ago.

"John?" said Virgil confused, "What the hell? You're not funny."

John did not answer Virgil's question instead repeated his warning.

"John", said Virgil starting to panic, "it's me, your brother Virgil. What the hell is going on?"

"My brother, Virgil, disappeared five years ago," John's reply was curt. "This is my final warning. You have five seconds before I open fire. Identify yourself."