[Mom! They found mom!] Thunderbird 4 was near ready to explode with the news that was feeding through the comm systems upstairs. She knew the others had heard, but there was no containing the absolute joy she was feeling right now. TV-21 was found and Gordon was already on his way to launch! The job would be solely theirs since the ship was so far under the ocean. Tb4's systems were already roaring when her pilot entered to move her into module 4.

[This is amazing!] Thunderbird 3 echoed from her hangar. [She's been gone for so long! What do you think she'll say? Does she know? I wish we could talk to her now.]

[We will. As soon as we get there and 4 can get close enough, it should give us the proximity to communicate.] Thunderbird 2 tried to sound calm, as ever, but the yellow sub could hear the edge of impatience as they waited for the boys to get to their positions. There was no warm up needed for the cargo ship, her engines turning over like she was only a day out of Brains' workshop.

Thunderbird 4 giggled as her pilot gave her a quick kiss on the nose, his hand tapping her hull in his own excitement. He was already running for the lift into 2's cockpit by the time her metal stopped vibrating.

An hour that past like a moment found them hovering over the rescue site. Gordon was swinging into his seat, eager to be off, diving the deepest they'd ever gone before. It wasn't deep enough to be a strain on her hull, however, Brains demanding they be ready to handle anything the planet and outer space threw at them. It was just something new.

The descent was smooth, but took nearly half an hour to reach the downed craft. Her sisters had been silent the entire time.

[We're here.] Thunderbird 4 wasn't sure why she was whispering, but she suspected it had to do with the buried ship that lay off to her right. Gordon was busy surveying the giant, orange craft that had lead them here, but his attention quickly met hers as he too found the silver hull with the checkered details.

She was aware of her pilot talking to his family, but it was dulled out by the sudden connection she thought she'd never get to make again.

[Mom?] Tb4 felt herself propelled forward, her arms reaching out to grip the rocks that covered the rocket's body. She pulled with Gordon, freeing the unbroken ship from its confines. She was perfect.

And silent.

[Mom? Can you hear me?] She tried again, this time feeling the slight buzz of dormant energy from the sleeping ship. TV-21 was alive. She just needed a little more time to wake up. Thunderbird 4 turned her attention to her sisters. [She's here, but in a pretty deep sleep.]

[FAB, 4. We'll keep trying. If anything, Brains should be able to get her working again.] The hopeful optimism of Thunderbird 2 gave the sub enough reassurance to turn her focus back to the reason they were down here.

Gordon had her positioned just over the ship, the dry tube connecting with ease. If they did this right, she would have the pilots up top in less time than it took to get down. Then she could focus on getting TV-21 up. She was thinking the airbags to lift her gradually until Tb2 could use the grapples. That would be the most logical option if the bags could withstand the pressure.

"-Thunderbird 4, g-get out of there!" Why was Brains yelling? Apparently, her pilot knew as he pushed her forward at full throttle. She was glad to oblige, her propulsion engines pushing them away from the ship.

And then Thunderbird 4 came to an abrupt halt as metal fingers clung to her hull. Her mind raced as her sensors picked up the new appendages from the downed ship.

[Thunderbird 2!] She wanted to panic as she felt the grip tighten around her.

[Easy, 4! Gordon's got ya.] Thunderbird 2's voice was steady even as the aquanaut pushed her thrusters to full again.

She tried to calm as the slow progress forward halted once more, another set of arms appearing from the ship. Emergency launch jets… that was a desperate move… And as her hull buckled, desperate was how she felt.

[It's not- it's not working!] Tb4 growled in frustration as she tried to increase her effort. Still, she didn't budge as a violent shudder wracked her body, the arms increasing their pressure.

[Just hang on a little longer!] Tb2 was shouting, the anguish present under the encouragement. [You're going to get out of this! I promise!]

"This things got way too many legs!" Suddenly, she was back to her pilot, listening and watching as he grabbed for the grappling arm equipped with the plasma cutter. She watched as the red beam connected with the appendage holding her in place. [Please, let this -] Something swam past her, sparks flying as it made an arc around her. Two more joined it, each sending an eerie glow through the deep ocean.

Gordon's attention left the arm that held her tight, the laser zeroing in on the approaching ray-mecha. The disruption of air, water, and metal sent a cloud across her screen, effectively blinding Gordon to the second ray. The jolt up her arm sent a spark of pain and fear through her core as the arm went limp. Another escape route gone. What did they have left? What more could she do that her pilot hadn't tried?

She felt her other arm respond to his commands, still fighting off the remaining mechas. Anger flared as one of the bots was caught in her grip, Gordon sending it careening into another. Why couldn't they just leave them alone! He took out the last with ease, but she could see the realization dawning in his amber eyes.

The fingers dug harder into her sides, sending shrieks of bending metal through the small ship. And just as suddenly, she knew what would happen. Thunderbird 4 was acutely aware that she was going to die… or as close to it as a ship could get. She would be a lifeless shell of broken circuits and metal plating. And her pilot…

Gordon. He was talking to Virgil. He would die too if he didn't leave. She knew, even before the engineer spoke, that there was a way for at least one of then to survive.

[2? I th-think…] Another crushing ache ripped through her as she felt her pilot moving into the back. [I'm done, o-okay…]

There was a beat where she wondered if her sister would respond. [Thunderbird 4? What's - oh… no. no no no. There's gotta be something else he hasn't tried! He cant -]

It was already too late. Her hull integrity was dropping too fast. The metal hands were crushing what little space she had left to keep Gordon safe. His suit was almost complete and she grit through the pain, trying to keep herself together just a little longer. Just until he could make it out.

[S-sorry sis…] Thunderbird 4 listened to her pilot's dilemma knowing her doors would no longer allow him an escape. She tried to focus on her sisters, finding comfort in their presence. Virgil was shouting again. Seven percent. Sparks flew through her, sending her mind into a spin of failing circuits.

And then he was through, a neat hole cut into her belly. But she didn't mind. He was safe and she could finally let go. [Love you…]

[No! -]

And then nothing.

OoOoOoO

"Thunderbird 4 is… offline." She heard her pilot's words, but her mind was still screaming, still desperate to hear her little sister's voice. This was all just a mistake. She wasn't gone!

[Thunderbird 5? Please-] Thunderbird 2 couldn't help the tightness in her voice. [Please… she can't…]

[We'll get her back, 2. She's still down there.] The space station almost seemed calm, except for how subdued she sounded. [Focus on Gordon. He's out there too.]

The green ship's mass swayed slightly as Virgil listened to the comms. She could see the deep lines of worry across his brow as the seconds ticked by.

A chime and then a breathless "I'm here! I'm alright, but Thunderbird 4's a little… beat up." She felt her pilot deflate at the sound of his brother's voice. He was alive, but now the loss of her sister was going to prove another hardship.

Gordon was silent again, but now that she had contact, she was picking up the racing heart rate. Something flared in her readings that wasn't so distressing to warrant an alert, but she questioned if the aquanaut had crashed into something. Tb2 wondered how her pilot could be handling all this so well, but as she looked at him, she could see the white knuckled grip on the wheel. He wanted to be down there to make sure his brother was okay. She could understand that.

"International rescue! The surveyors going for the TV-21! It's stealing Dad's ship!"

Thunderbird 2 listened in cold shock as the aquanaut relayed what he was seeing. The ship was taking TV-21… She hadn't even woken up and this monster was trying to take her away from them again! The others must have heard Gordon's call as her link was flooded with the voices of her concerned sisters, who, most likely were still reeling from the loss of 4.

[There's gotta be something they can do?] Thunderbird 1 broke through, her voice steady as she tried to still their fears. They couldn't lose their mother. Not again. And not to the madman who had hurt her boys on so many other occasions. They hadn't even been able to hear her yet. The silver ship continued as their minds began to quiet. [Brains will think of a way. He always does.]

And just like that, the scientist was talking to Gordon. There was a way to shut off the ship's power. It had to work. Another gap of silence followed and she could imagine the aquanaut's small form going up against the craft. A sense of pride filled her core at the young man's willingness to go up against overwhelming odds. He was trapped in the darkness of the sea, fighting a monster that had taken their mother and two innocent civilians. It was a situation not many could handle. She hoped, once this was over and Gordon was back up within her cockpit, Virgil would allow him the chance of flying her home. He'd already earned more than she could give.

The comms were silent as the family waited for the outcome of Gordon's attack. For a while, nothing but the echoing silence of the deep and the green ships core ached a little more

She found her worry was eased as the aquanaut connected again, requesting their next plan of action. The ship was down, but they still had no way of getting the two surveyors and Gordon back to the surface since Thunderbird 4 was…

Her hull shivered with the aching void that left her feeling heavy. It hit her as soon as Gordon's words reached her. Out of operation… almost sounded final. In her core, though, she knew the blonde wouldn't leave his sub down there. He would bring her back and, hopefully get her up and running again. If the damage isn't too bad.

Scott's next order came as a surprise. "Gordon, we need you to get on board TV-21."

A spark of excitement covered the pain. Getting in TV-21 would mean they were going to turn her on! They'd be able to talk to her! Her core hammered with the anticipation, feeling sick from the long silences that separated the aquanaut's narrative over what was happening. It wasn't until he was inside the plane's cabin that he opened his comms to a continuous feed.

They were discussing the probability that the ship would even start, but Brains was confident. So were her sisters. Their mother was in there and she would wake up under Gordon's commands. She had to.

[Hmm -]

Thunderbird 2 would have cried if she were capable, resorting to a audible gasp through the link at hearing her mother's voice.

But then she was gone again, back to her silence as Gordon reported she had stopped. The boys didn't miss a beat, however, encouraging the blonde to try a more simplistic route.

[Mmmm, ow… that wasn't…] TV-21's voice was soft as she awoke. [Wait… that's not Jeff. Gordon?]

Thunderbird 2 nearly panicked, unable to find her voice. She stumbled through what she could get out. [Mom - I- you're! Oh my! You're here!]

[Thunderbird 2?] TV-21 seemed to be gaining better control of her senses. [What's going on?]

[It's a really long story, Mom.] Tb2 was already picking up the readings of broth ships as Gordon used the older ships thrusters to push them off the seafloor. [Gordon's getting you to the surface. I'll get you out of the water and we can tell you everything on the way back to the island.]

[Mom?] Thunderbird 5 called across the link. [You're back!]

They could hear the smile in her voice, strained though it was. [Hey, sweetheart.]

Thunderbirds 1 and 3 couldn't stay quiet any longer, greeting their mother the same. Thunderbird 2 let out a content chuckle at their enthusiasm, 1 sounding like a child on Christmas. It was a moment they had been waiting years for, never truly expecting it to happen. This was at least one good thing to come out of the Hood's plot.

It was all so great until TV-21 asked [Where's Thunderbird 4?] She sounded as though she expected the little sub to come popping up next to her in surprise. The silence that followed must have been deafening to her. Her voice was lower, betraying the sudden concern for the change in mood. [2, where's your sister?]

Thunderbird 2 focused on how much longer it would be until their mother was up to the surface. It would be a few more minutes. No way to delay the inevitable. [Gordon… had to leave her down there.]

[Down? In the trench?] She was obviously aware of her location now. [Couldn't he have brought her up remotely?]

[No, Mom.] The ache was back, stronger with the new need to explain what had happened. [She's… she's offline.] She waited to hear a response, but when all she heard was silence, Tb2 continued. [The Hood, he sent the ship you're in. It attacked and -] She was forced to stop, the emotion too strong, along with the need to listen to Virgil as he prepared the grapples.

[Offline…] TV-21 spoke as though the word were foreign to her.

[They'll get her back, don't worry.] Thunderbird 1 almost sounded like leaving the sub broken forever was not an option. Nor would she be replaced.

The elder rocket was silent as she surfaced, dangling over the ocean. A moment later, Gordon was scrambling out and onto the villainous ship that had started all of today's events. While he went about pulling the two captives free, Thunderbirds 3 and 5 were busy explaining everything that had happened, starting with how their mother had ended up at the bottom of the ocean. The loss of Jeff was almost as heartbreaking as the news about Thunderbird 4.

[I know it's not the homecoming we had hoped for.] Thunderbird 3 admitted. [But I know the boys will fix everything. They always do.]

Thunderbird 2 was watching the blonde finally take his seat, out of the deep ocean exosuit. She could see the familiar hat in his hands and she almost laughed, remembering the funny piece of headgear. Those days seemed so long ago.

[2? Something -] TV-21 started, sending a shiver through the green ship, the urgency seeping into her circuits. [Something's wrong.]

[What do you mean?] Her focus was now completely on the ship suspended from her cables. [Your systems are running at normal.]

[No… I'm not -] Fear seemed to be gripping their mother. [Someone else has control!]

Alarms flared as the orange ship kicked to life, sending rumbles through her green hull. [No! Mom! What's happening?]

[Don't know!] The Mechanic's ship shot forward, pulling at Tb2's cables. [Let go! He'll pull you down!]

She didn't want to, not when they had just gotten their mother back. She wanted to kick up her own jets and take off with her, but Virgil was already a step ahead, disconnecting the magnetic locks before she could be pulled forward.

[Thunderbird 5! He's taking Mom!] She hoped the space station was ready, already tracking the ship.

[I've got her!] Tb5 answered over the exclamations from the Tracys. They sounded just as upset, Scott already on the move to chase after their father's plane.

Thunderbird 1 was growling with the need to launch. [Keep an eye on her 5! Scott and I are on our way!]

Thunderbird 2 hovered in shock with her pilots. This couldn't be happening. Not again.

[We can't lose her again…]

As the ships gradually disappeared into the clouds, Virgil finally broke the silence. "Let's get you two to the local authorities. They'll be able to get you home." Of course the survivors would be top priority.

The trip was a quick one, the boys not even leaving her as they dropped the man and woman off. They were headed back to the location to pick up Thunderbird 4 a short time later.

Her connection to Tb1 and TV-21 was as wide open as she could make it, not wanting to miss the events. 1 was the fastest plane she knew, there was no way the Mechanic could build anything better.

[I see you!] Thunderbird 1 called across the link. [Deploying magnetic grapple!]

As the connection made its mark, Thunderbird 2 watched the aquanaut dive from her platform, fully suited up with the exosuit again. He was going back down. There was nothing else he could do.

Her world was in chaos, being torn in so many directions. She let her focus converge on her pilot and co-pilot, knowing there was more she could do for them than her mother.

It didn't stop her from throwing her sister a few words of encouragement. [Be safe, 1! You can do this.]

[Of course I can.] The smirk was easy to imagine, but the underlying worry was hard to miss. She was as scared as the rest of them.