"See you in the sky." - Scott Tracy, Bolt From The Blue
oOoOo
The sky is where he belongs.
But often he forgets that it's not where everyone else belongs and so, even before Virgil's plea for help filled the cockpit of Thunderbird One, Scott was already standing at the open hatch ready to drop at a moment's notice.
After that last burst of plasma fire, Thunderbird One and the cargo plane had swerved away from Thunderbird Two and the evacuation tube broke apart. One half remained attached to Two but the other half trailed from the cargo plane's belly with Virgil clinging to the end, held on only by the hydraulic claws of his exo-suit. All the laws of physics were against him now, making it impossible for him to reenter the tube. He dangled helplessly, flicking side to side like a kite's tail while plasma bolts whipcracked around him, each one a little closer than the last. He needed to get back into that plane. Mr. Panda's life- and Gordon's dreams, depended on him. Oh, and his own life, of course. Although 'Died trying to rescue a panda' made a pretty good epitaph.
There was nothing for it but to swallow his pride and call for his brother. He tried not to sound panicked, but this was hardly a stroll in the park.
"Scott? A little help?"
It was the signal Scott had been waiting for. His face set like stone inside his helmet.
"I'm jetting down now. Try not to move!"
Scott dived out of the hatch and took to the sky. He had noted the panicked undertones of Virgil's voice and scolded himself for not launching sooner- however he knew it was a matter of Tracy pride to wait until a brother called for help and not just assume he needed it.
Cushioned by the wind from umpteen plasma bolts, Scott arrowed expertly between the engines and the blinding white fuselage of Air Terranean Flight 254 with its precious cargo of one giant panda and one flailing Tracy. Gaining speed with every second, he angled down to clear the plane then extended his arms and banked sharply, using the updrafts to steer himself towards Virgil and the evac tube. He saw his brother momentarily lose grip with one claw and a lump caught in his throat, bringing out all his protective instincts. He willed himself to go even faster. On final approach, with Virgil now firmly in his sights, he lifted his arm and slammed his hand onto the belt of Virgil's exo-suit, surprising the younger man with the suddenness of his arrival.
"Ready?" he yelled above the noise, "Step!"
Virgil felt a strong hand push him forward and into the tube. The weight of his exo-suit began to work for him again, pulling him the rest of the way. He hadn't realised how hard his heart had been beating until the noise of outside was muted by the safe confines of the evac tube. He glanced over his shoulder but his helmet made it difficult to see Scott at all. He was just this extraordinary force of nature that had appeared like a bolt from the blue to help him.
"Thanks for the boost," he said, when what he really meant was, "Jesus Scott, I could hug you 'til your bones break right now."
"Any time," came the reply, full of warmth and good humour, when what Scott really meant was, "Dammit Virgil, don't you ever scare me like that again, you hear?"
And then he was gone, as swiftly as he'd appeared.
Virgil scrambled his way back up the tube, thinking to himself that when Scott said 'see you in the sky', he meant it, quite literally.
Scott soared upwards on twin jets and a smile, back to the welcoming hatch of Thunderbird One. He'd managed to avoid every plasma bolt, every downdraft, every tilt of the cargo plane and even Virgil's flailing feet. He was a natural born flyer. An albatross returning home, a true child of the sky, an angel with his brothers' lives held safely in his wings.