Chapter two
AN: This chapter is mostly about Scott; Alan will face their villains' wrath in the next chapter, that's a promise!
Thanks to Nevair for beta reading this for me
"What do you mean they're gone?" Jeff Tracy slammed his fist down on his wooden desk, while glaring at the portrait of his second eldest son.
Virgil looked with apprehension at his father, wishing he would calm down. He knew he was only worried, hence the temper, but that still didn't help the terrible situation they were in.
"When we came out of the factory, they were nowhere to be found. But we did discover two sets of footprints -not Scott or Alan's- and drag marks. My guess is that Scott and Alan were knocked out somehow and then dragged somewhere, possibly to some sort of transportation."
"Mmm, you could be right son. Listen, I want you and Gordon to return to base." Jeff replied.
"What! No way! I have to look for Scott and Alan, Father!" Virgil made him self perfectly clear who he thought were the more important people under these circumstances: his brothers.
However Jeff wasn't prepared to let him do that; not yet anyway. "No, son, its better that you return to base. Like you said you don't know where your brother's have been taken. The best thing to do is to return here, and then we can think of a better plan."
He heard his son reply with a rather reluctant "FAB."
Virgil cut the communications and turned to find his younger brother standing behind him. "Hey Gordy," he tried to sound reassuring. "Father wants us to return to base."
"But Virgil, we have to look for them!" Gordon sounded desperate. "I don't want to lose them…not again….not after Everest."
Virgil felt a lot of sympathy towards his red-haired sibling. After the accident on Mount Everest Gordon had taken it hard that his younger brother -and best friend- had almost died on the operating table. The thought of something happening to Scott and Alan again was unbearable.
"Look Gordon, we'll find them, I promise. But we need to return to base so a better plan can be thought up. Ok?"
Gordon still didn't sound so sure, but he agreed anyway, "ok."
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There was something cold and hard around his neck. Whatever it was was heavy; heavy enough that he could hardly hold his head up. He automatically went to lift his hands to remove it when he realized they were trapped behind his back, chained together.
Struggling to lift his head, he opened his eyes, trying to take in his surroundings. He blinked a couple of times as his blue eyes searched the room he was in.
The room was completely made of stone and was empty, save for him. He realized that he was positioned in the center of the room. He guessed that whatever was around his neck was chained to the ceiling, because every time he went to step forward the chain would jerk suddenly, almost choking him.
Suddenly the door opened and a muscular man walked in. He was of Asian origin and was dressed in a military uniform.
The man walked up to the prisoner and stared him in the face. "Ahh, you're awake, good. I was beginning to think I wouldn't have the chance to have a nice chat with you." The man's voice was deep and menacing, and he realized by the patch on his uniform that he was listening to a general talking.
He didn't like the way this general had said the word "chat", but he tried not to let it show. "What do you want? What have you done with my brother? If you've hurt him in any way, I swear….."
The general began to laugh, his chuckles echoing off the stone walls, emphasizing the emptiness of the room. He began to walk around his prisoner, eyeing him up and down like a lion circling its prey. "Let me guess, arrogant, dominant, and protective, you must be Scott Tracy. Am I right?"
Scott sneered, "Your intelligence astounds me," he replied sarcastically. "How did you know my name?"
"Oh it wasn't that hard," replied the general, his tone boasting. "All I had to do was find someone who knew about your organization. I found the perfect person when I discovered the Hood."
As if on cue the door opened and International Rescue's oldest enemy entered the room. "He is awake then General Yang? Good, that gives us a chance to knock him out again."
"I should have known a slime ball like you would be involved," Scott snarled. He looked the general up and down in disgust. "So you finally decided that you're too stupid to take us on yourself?"
The Hood growled and began to advance on his prisoner, but the general held him back. "Patience, you'll get your chance."
The Hood glared at Scott, and then rounded on his partner. "General Yang, you don't know what this organization has put me through, especially him. I've faced more car wrecks and life threats because of this bastard forcing me off the road! And, may I add, I was this close to hijacking the Zero X until he showed up! I want those plans for the International Rescue craft, but most of all I want it's operatives to die slow and painful deaths." He continued to glare at Scott, "very slow and painful deaths."
"And they will," General Yang assured the Hood. "But first we have to get those plans."
"Don't kid yourselves," Scott snarled. "I wouldn't give you the plans for the crafts if my life depended on it."
"Oh but your life does depend on it; your life, and the lives of your family," the general replied, laughing maliciously.
"If you go near my family, it'll be the last thing you ever do."
General Yang punched him hard in the stomach. Scott 'oofed' and doubled over, the wind knocked out of him. "I wouldn't threaten me if I was you, or you won't see the next light of day!"
"I'm… so… scared, where's… my brother?" Scott struggled to get his breath back.
"Your brother is fine….for now," General Yang replied. "However if he isn't a good boy he'll get what your about to get."
"And what's that? A hug? Because if it's one of those, I really don't want it. I don't know what I might catch off you guys."
His crude remark was paid for when the Hood back handed him across the face. His head snapped to one side forcefully, the metal collar causing his neck to 'crack', the way it does when a person turns his or her head too quickly.
Scott licked his lips, tasting blood. "Remind me never to joke to you guys again."
By now General Yang was becoming impatient. "Tell me Scott, four months ago International Rescue saved two people trapped on Mount Everest, what happened to those people?"
"How do you know about that?" Scott asked.
"Because I was the one that ordered their jet to be shot down." General Yang's answer was filled with a cruel sense of pride.
Scott's eyes widened as realization dawned. This was the guy that had shot the jet down! This was the guy that had almost caused the death of him and his little brother!
Anger like he had never felt before rushed through Scott. If he could he would have lunged at the general on the spot, but at the moment he wasn't in a very good position to do so.
The eldest Tracy struggled to keep his rising temper in check. He didn't know what General Yang might do or say if he found out that Scott and Alan were the ones in the jet, but he had a strange feeling that whatever it was wasn't good.
"And what would you do if I told you?"
"Simple; I would kill them. I ordered those men to be eliminated, and I never go back on an order."
'This guy's crazy,' Scott thought to himself. 'I can't let him find out the truth. Alan's life depends on it.'
Out loud he said: "That's a pity. Unfortunately we don't know where they are. After we rescued them we dropped them off at some hospital-can't recall which one though. We're a secret organization; we don't keep track of the people we rescue."
The general and the Hood stared at Scott, trying to figure out whether he was telling the truth or not.
Finally the general spoke. "I guess I'll have to find another way to find them then. But if I find out you've lied to me, I will personally see to it that your imminent death will be incredibly painful."
"Enough!" The Hood shouted. "I've waited as long as I can, I want those plans!"
"Like I said, your not getting those plans if my life depended on it."
The Hood turned to the general, his eyes flashing with the impatience he felt. "He is really starting to annoy me! I think we should teach him a lesson."
"I totally agree with you," General Yang said. "Do you want to go first?"
"Oh no!" the Hood replied, his voice was strangely polite. "After you."
"How about we go together?"
"Very well."
Scott prepared to brace himself as two pairs of fists flew towards him. The first punch caught him squarely in the face, and he felt his nose crack. Blood poured out of it running down his chin, and dripping onto the stone floor.
He had just got over the dizziness of the first punch, when another was rained down on his face, just below his left eye. It was going to be swollen and bruised tomorrow, Scott was sure of that.
The Hood caught him around the throat in an iron grip. Scott began making gagging noises as he struggled to breath; his head flew from side to side in a futile attempt to throw off his enemy.
"Let him go!" General Yang cried. "How can we get those plans if you kill him?"
The Hood reluctantly let Scott go, and watched as their captive once again struggled to get his breath back.
No sooner had Scott found he could breath again, he was bombarded with a rage of punches from two pairs of fists; the force of them causing his body to rock violently.
The General moved behind him and grabbed his wrists in a tight hold.
Scott cried out in pain as they were forcefully snapped backwards, shattering the bones.
Finally the Hood clenched his fists together, creating one huge fist. He brought down hard on the side of Scott's head.
Scott's eye's rolled as his head fell forward as far as the collar would allow it to go.
Everything went black.
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Alan Tracy listened as his older brother was beaten. He wished he could help him but chained like this, it was impossible.
The youngest Tracy knew that he would be next.
He hoped he would be prepared for it
AN: There's my second chapter! Why do I feel so guilty that I've had my favorite character beaten up?
Alan's turn next! laughs evilly
