Look who finally got off her ass and finished this chapter! Also, this is even longer than the last one. This was not intentional, but I guess it could work as an apology for the late update. Thank you to all of you who read the last chapter and for the reviews. Hey, Helensg - your wish is my command. I added in some whump for a certain character. You're welcome ;)
Thunderbird Shadow
Thunderbird Shadow was added to the simulators a good five months after the others. Kayo hadn't been best pleased about the aircraft being added at all (after so long without her own ship, she couldn't help but want to keep it to herself), but a single stern look from Grandma had her relenting, instead skulking down to the gym where she spent the next three hours working out to heavy rock music. Even after the dark Thunderbird had been added, no one really made use of the opportunity; Shadow was rarely used as a rescue craft, so none of them had seen much point in building up experience with flying her.
Everyone, it seemed, apart from Alan.
From the second Brains had declared the new simulator ready for use, the youngest Tracy had snuck inside. Thunderbird Shadow was arguably one of the hardest of the International Rescue fleet to fly; designed for stealth and speed, she was nothing like '3, with a flight style closest to '1 out of all the ships. Revelling in the way the Thunderbird handled easily under his touch, swooping down low and gliding through obstacles without a hitch, Alan wondered how Kayo would react if he asked her whether he could use Thunderbird Shadow to race (the closest he could get to an actual race-car since his go-karting days).
With a surprising lack of space rescues throughout August, Alan spent more time on the simulators than before, resulting in Scott (reluctantly) letting him take '1 for a mission. By the end of the week, after being passed about Thunderbirds (with no school-work to be getting on with, and no rescues either, Alan was jumping at the chance to go on any missions), Alan found himself back in Thunderbird 2. Brains had spent the quiet spell working on upgrades for Thunderbird 4, and Gordon had stayed behind to help install them (the aquanaut was also planning his latest prank, but the victim in question didn't need to know and Alan wasn't going to spoil the surprise; what Virgil didn't know couldn't hurt him – yet).
John was steadily working his way through a cinnamon bagel, EOS observing from just behind his shoulder. Between bites, he was explaining the rescue, eager to finish his breakfast before they reached the danger zone.
Kayo's hologram was projected above the control panel, wisps of dark hair escaping from her ponytail. Her morning had been spent tracking down a lead on one of the armed dealers the Hood had been working with and even with Penelope's help, it had been tiring to say the least.
"I heard you're heading to one of the Hood's old hideouts," she announced. "Want some backup?"
Virgil adjusted Thunderbird 2's trajectory. "If you're offering."
"Wait, the Hood?" Alan shuffled forwards in his seat.
John finished his bagel, licking cinnamon from his fingers. "Yep. You're headed to an old power-plant. The reactors were dismantled years ago, but the GDF still have the area declared as hazardous. The Hood was based there for about two years, according to our sources, and left when Kayo and the GDF learnt of his location."
"We searched the area and found no sign of him," Kayo admitted. Alan caught sight of the dark Thunderbird flying alongside them from out of the window, raven-black matte paintwork gleaming in the sunlight. Leaving the amber glow of sunrise at Tracy Island far behind them, Alan had yet to catch sight of further land, with the thick layer of cloud below blocking his view.
"The area is still monitored, and every two months the GDF send people to check there are no leaks from the tank, which is located several miles below ground, but is still connected to the surface. A system malfunctioned, leaving the crew of three trapped in what used to be reactor room, and you need to get them out without damaging the room any further as the tank is directly below it, and could cause a radiation leak."
"This is already sounding like so much fun," Alan drawled. Kayo muffled her laugh, but her eyes sparked with mirth. The youngest Tracy had been his over dramatic and 'sassy' (Gordon's words) self before Kayo had been going on space rescues with him, but her presence had only added to his fluency in sarcasm.
To Alan's left, Virgil was grimacing, swiping through the schematics John had sent through to him. "Is there any way into this place? It's like a maze." He slowed Thunderbird 2, beginning the descent. Thunderbird Shadow copied her sister craft's actions, obscured from sight by the clouds for a second before the two emerged beneath the gloom.
Gloved palms pressed to his side of '2's windshield, Alan stared wide-eyed at the expanse of concrete beneath the aircraft. Partially reclaimed by nature, the majority of the structure was covered by a thick canopy of foliage, but a clear path could be seen leading to a sprawled building complex. The hologram projected from his watch highlighted the reactor room.
"Don't take off your helmets at any time," Kayo instructed. "The Hood was working on some sort of chemical weapon. We cleared the area and got rid of it, but it may still be contaminated, even if the majority of the radioactivity is gone."
"Pity you couldn't have got rid of the Hood at the same time," Virgil muttered darkly, a soft click sounding as his helmet locked into place. Alan lifted his hands on reflex to catch his own helmet which his brother tossed to him. "John?"
"Your way in is on the top of the structure. There's an escape hatch which you should be able to open. Unless, of course, it's rusted shut."
"Let's stick to the positives for now." Virgil commented, tapping Alan's shoulder as he passed to alert his brother that they were leaving. Tearing his gaze away from the window, Alan bounded across the cockpit to join the middle Tracy, landing with a soft thud on the descending platform.
The first thing that hit Alan was the heat. Despite the heavy presence of the cloud layer and the gloominess that the overcast weather presented them with, the humidity levels were high. Even through the protective filter in his helmet, he could taste the dampness in the air. His uniform clung uncomfortably to his back, and he rolled his shoulders in an attempt to dislodge it. Virgil didn't seem to be affected by the heat nearly as much, striding off the platform with all the confidence in the world. Rubbing his hands against his uniform-clad legs, Alan followed.
Kayo was waiting for them, lounging against Thunderbird Shadow's hull with her ankles crossed. Her position appeared relaxed, but the tension in her shoulders revealed she was actually on edge, eyes darting from every possible hiding spot to the next. She also didn't seem to be affected by the heat, but the uneasiness in her movements was evidence enough that she would also be glad to leave.
"Any signs of the Hood?"
Kayo tapped the screen of her watch, shaking her head. "No."
Virgil snuck a glance behind him. The thick line of bracken at the edge of the forest appeared impenetrable and the sensation of eyes boring into his back was unsettling to say the least. "Alan?"
Alan stopped scuffing his feet in the dirt, sky-blue eyes lighting up at the chance of action. "Yeah?"
"Ready to go climbing?"
Alan retrieved the first of the packs from his sash, slotting the cartridge into his grapple gun with a soft snick. Kayo copied his actions, sauntering across to the large building in front of them and calculating the distance to her target with narrowed eyes. Eager not to be outdone, Alan took the shot from just behind her, allowing the resulting force to pull him onto the side of the wall.
Swimming every day (usually on Gordon's orders) meant that the youngest Tracy was by no means weak, despite his shorter height, but compared to Virgil, he had no chance. With Kayo's pure skill added into the equation, it was inevitable that Alan would be the last to reach the top, heaving himself over the edge with a dramatic sigh.
"Finally," Kayo commented, with a teasing grin.
Alan, still flopped on his back across the dust-smothered roof, glared at her. "What's that supposed to mean?"
She rocked back on her heels, surveying the area. While she was blocking his view of Virgil, Alan could see his brother's image reflected in her helmet. Relieved he didn't have to do any of the heavy lifting (yet), Alan remained where he was. He was longing to brush his hair away from his forehead, but that would require removing his helmet and he didn't fancy dying for a long time yet.
"This i- Thun- F-."
The speed at which Alan jolted upright at the sudden blast of static through the comms link would have been funny if it were any other situation, but the loss of communications while out on rescue was never something to laugh at. He shot an uneasy look across at Virgil who tapped his radio on his sash with two fingers, frowning.
"Thunderbird Five?" There was a hiss of static, but nothing more. "John?"
For a moment, there was troubled silence. Alan, much like Gordon, had always hated silence, and hesitantly gave a nervous laugh. "Well, that can't be good."
"You don't say." Kayo lowered her gaze from where it had been fixated on the treeline. "Virgil? What do we do?"
Virgil studied the hologram readouts from his watch and patted the edge of the escape hatch beneath his feet. "We've still got people to rescue. Having comms down isn't ideal, but we can make do."
"Is no-one else finding this too much of a coincidence?" Two pairs of unimpressed stares were suddenly fixed on him and Alan scuffed his shoes in the dust. "What?"
"You're right," Kayo murmured after a moment, folding her arms across her chest and taking a defensive stance. "You two go and get the crew out and I'll keep an eye out for trouble up here."
"Splitting up is not a good idea."
"You literally do that every rescue, Virgil."
"Yeah, except every rescue we've had comms working."
Kayo gave an exasperated growl, practically shoving him towards the escape hatch. "Go," she ordered, knocking her helmet into Virgil's as she stalked past him, back to the edge of the structure. Her grapple gun was clutched in one hand and Brains' latest design of her electro-stuns (tasers, Gordon and Alan corrected every time the name was brought up) in the other. "What, you don't think I can look out for myself?"
Virgil gave her an amused look. "To be honest, I was more worried about the other guy."
Kayo swung her legs over the edge, perched like a hawk searching for prey. She was practically frozen to the spot, but her fingers tapped a steady rhythm against the side of her leg, and Alan had no doubt that at the slightest sign of trouble she'd be on her feet, ready to fight. There were no mistakes about it – Kayo was a badass.
"Right." Virgil's voice jogged him back to reality, and Alan dropped into a crouch above the bolt of the hatch. "Ready?"
"Always." Alan waited for his brother to force the unrelenting metal to open, watching the open expanse of concrete below where the rest of the structure continued. It was an eerie place, especially now that they didn't have their radios working; Alan figured he'd grown too used to having John's voice in his ear whilst on rescues.
The hatch finally opened with a high-pitched shriek of resistance as the metal grated against the bolts. Flakes of copper-red rust fluttered to the ground and even through the filters in his helmet, Alan could smell the stench of decaying foliage and the harsh tang of chemicals. If Virgil picked up on it too then he didn't show it, instead reaching down with one foot and cautiously pressing it to the first rung of the ladder that led down into the inky darkness below. The warped metal gave way under the pressure, disappearing into the depths with a loud clanging noise.
"There goes that plan," Virgil muttered, reaching to his sash for his grapple gun. Alan slunk forwards with his elbows supporting his weight as he peered over the edge. The darkness appeared to carry on forever, and even with the enhanced vision his IR equipment provided him with, he couldn't glimpse the bottom. A mint-green glowstick suddenly dropped past him, bouncing from wall to wall, the cool glow lighting the darkness until it hit the base of the ladder. Alan frowned, recognition of how far down the glowstick had fallen dawning on him. Virgil snapped another glowstick into illumination and attached it to his sash before aiming his grapple at the wall a few metres below. The grapple connected, securing itself with a quiet snick and Virgil dropped down over the side, descending several metres at a time.
"Don't miss us too much," Alan joked over his shoulder to where Kayo was watching with her usual cool gaze. The corners of her lips twitched upwards in a smile.
"As if." Her tone softened. "Be careful, Alan."
Alan gave her a mock-salute, gloved fingers brushing the rim of his helmet. "Obviously."
The sensation of descending into the semi-darkness was disconcerting. Alan had never liked using the grapples on earth-bound rescues; the idea of not seeing where the ground was below him as he lowered himself was unsettling to say the least. Maybe he'd grown too used to space rescues and the relative freedom that the lack of gravity gave him. Either way, Alan was glad when he reached the base of the escape chute.
Virgil released his grapple, turning to the door that should be shut and sealed so that it was air-tight. Instead it swung open, quivering in the breeze that their quick descent had caused.
Alan took a hesitant step closer, Virgil's hand quickly moving to his shoulder stopping him from going any further. He blinked in the green gleam of the glowstick, frowning as he caught sight of his brother's expression.
"What's up?" He whispered, feeling Virgil's grip on his shoulder tighten at the question.
"The crew didn't enter this way. They came in through the main hatch which is round the opposite side of the building."
"So, why's the door open?"
Virgil's eyes narrowed, his shoulders tensing with anticipation. "That's what I'd like to know."
"Maybe we should go get Kayo?"
"No. If there is someone else here other than the crew, then we'll need a lookout. We don't want people sneaking around the Thunderbirds."
Alan stole a glance over his shoulder. Bright light was streaming down from the top of the chute where he knew Kayo was waiting and he felt the urge to crawl back up to the surface. But he'd never be one to run from a fight or something he feared (he was a Tracy after all, and they didn't joke stubborn was their middle name for nothing), and he ducked under Virgil's arm to peer around the open door.
"Alan," Virgil hissed, taking another step forward, after his brother.
Alan lightly pressed his fingertips to the edge of the door, feeling about the brim. Something cold and sticky clung to the surface of his gloves and he'd wiped it at his sash with a muffled sound of disgust. "What is that?" He retreated back to Virgil's side, holding his hand into the light of the glowstick to examine the residue on his glove. The usual blue of the fabric was stained a deep red colour and Alan swallowed, feeling as though the temperature had dropped by several degrees. Crimson liquid slowly dripped from his fingers to splash onto his boots. "Uh, is that blood?" There was no real reason in asking the question; he knew the answer, but part of him was secretly hoping he was wrong.
Virgil nodded grimly. "Don't touch the base of your helmet. We don't know if it's contaminated and I don't want it getting near your filters."
"R-right." Alan fought the urge to look behind him and stepped into the next corridor, pointedly avoiding looking back at the door. There was a slight pause in other set of footsteps, revealing that Virgil had stopped to check, and then his brother was back by his side, the green glow encompassing him a welcome relief from the darkness. "There's got to be a way to activate the emergency lighting."
"If it's still active. This place was shut down, remember?"
Alan raised a brow at him. "Well, duh. But if they send crews to check up on it, then they should still have systems such as the emergency lights working." He lifted his hand instinctively to the radio on his sash before remembrance came crashing down on him. "Jeez, I never thought I'd miss John's voice so much."
Virgil's laugh echoed about the corridor. "No kidding."
With the break in tension, the corridor ahead of them didn't seem so threatening any more. Alan set the pace as he was walking ahead, and it wasn't long before they found themselves in a tall room with a metal staircase like that of a fire escape, leading up to what appeared to be the secondary control room.
"I'll get the lights, you keep going?" Alan suggested, placing one foot onto the steps. Virgil reached out, snagging the back of his uniform and dragging him back to his side.
"Yeah, no. Not happening, Allie. Not with comms down."
Alan made a grab for one of the glow sticks. "You're no fun."
"Uh huh." Virgil batted his hands away, tapping his watch to produce the hologram scans of the building. "The reactor room should be nearby if that was the secondary control room. Can you see a door on the left wall?"
Alan squinted into the darkness, running his hand along the surface of the wall. His fingertips found a crevasse within the concrete, and further fumbling revealed it to be the entrance they were looking for. "Virgil?"
"Yeah?"
"Over here."
The dim light from Alan's sash lit up the door in front of him, the metal bolts rusted. While he was by no means weak, Alan was fully prepared to step aside and let Virgil do the hard work. As his brother attempted to tug open the door, he examined what little he could see of the control room without climbing up to it. The windows were murky; thick with grime and years of disuse. There appeared to be what looked like a figure, slumped forwards in the corner. Alan frowned, dread causing his heartbeat to quicken, pounding in his ears as he crept forwards, staring up and letting his visor zoom in to give him a better look.
"Alan, come on."
He blinked, shaking his head. He had to be imagining things. No-one had been in there for years; even the survey crews kept to the reactor room. Then he recalled the blood drenching his gloves and the door they'd first passed through.
A shiver ran down his spine as he stepped through the door to join Virgil.
"You okay?" Alan jumped at the sudden voice, which only caused Virgil further concern. He reached out, placing a hand on his youngest brother's shoulder to steady him. "Alan?"
"Yeah." Alan shivered again, folding his arms and hunching his shoulders subconsciously. "I just…" He trailed off, biting his lower lip as he glanced about the new room they'd entered. "Does this place give you the creeps, or what?"
Virgil didn't answer for a long minute, surveying the area. "Yes," he admitted, after a moment. He looked across at Alan, grinning as he added, "heebie-jeebies, man."
"Y'know, you and Gordon have spent way too much time together." Alan grinned despite himself, making a mental note to tell his partner in crime later that Virgil had quoted him. The middle Tracy was never going to live it down.
Turning his attention back to the room they were standing in, the massive scale of the area finally dawned on Alan. "Woah," he murmured, stepping forwards so that he was stood in the centre, leaning back and craning his neck to glimpse the ceiling. Everywhere he looked was smothered in buttons and other such controls. While the majority remained covered in a thick layer of dust, some had been used more recently, with a clear handprint amongst the grime on one of the display screens.
He was so absorbed in taking in what appeared to him to be clutter (he was used to holograms; how did workers control the powerplant when their controls were so…disorganised? And given this was Alan, that was saying a lot – his room was... less than tidy) that he almost missed Virgil's whispered question. From the drawn expression on his brother's face, he was evidently not supposed to have overheard.
"Where are they?"
"Who?" Alan jogged back to his side. "The crew?"
"Yeah." Virgil showed him the hologram, pointing at the red dot that they were practically standing on top of, according to the map. "It doesn't make sense. Their emergency beacon is coming from here. We should be right on top of them. But where are they?"
Alan frowned, surreptitiously pressing a button on the underside of his watch to run a scan of his own. They could really do with Thunderbird 5's more powerful scanners and thermal imaging, he thought with growing frustration as the scan came back negative. "No-one's here."
"No kidding." Virgil sighed, grimacing as his shoulder clicked. "Okay, you hit the lights and I'll see if there's anybody back in the secondary control room."
"I thought you didn't want to split up?"
Virgil shot him a dark look. "The only exit from this room is back into the one we've just come from, which is where the secondary control room is. There's no way you can get into any trouble without me spotting you first."
"Such faith, thanks bro."
Virgil muttered something uncomplimentary under his breath and turned on his heels, all but storming out the door. Alan couldn't help but feel slightly guilty; Virgil had been taking the brunt of the rescues lately and with comms down this one wasn't helping with stress levels. Combined with sleep deprivation and a severe lack of caffeine (Scott was gonna pay for using up the last of the coffee), it was no wonder he was reaching the end of his tether as far as patience was concerned.
Leaning over the control panel, Alan searched for anything that looked remotely as though it could bring the lighting back online. Focussed on one set of buttons that looked promising, he wasn't expecting the sudden explosion of static in his ears as his radio erupted into life again.
"Is anyone receiving this?"
Alan's hand flew to his sash. "John?"
John sounded equally as surprised to hear from him. "Alan?"
He let out a laugh that sounded a little bit too hysterical for his own liking. "Yeah, yeah, it's me. What happened to comms?"
"I don't know. Something down at your end was blocking the link. I had EOS working on it for the best part of half an hour, and Brains' finally finished with Four's upgrades so now he's helping too. I can't reach any of the others. Are Virgil and Kayo alright?"
"We left Kayo on lookout," Alan admitted, relieved when his brother's avatar sprang into life, projected above his wrist. "Virgil's in the secondary control room."
"Have you found the crew?"
"No." Alan frowned. "That's the weird part. Their beacon shows them at my location, but we can't find them anywhere."
John looked taken aback. "Seriously?" He ran a hand through his hair, confusion evident in his expression. "Okay, I'll have EOS run more scans and I'll contact the GDF, see if they've heard from the crew at all."
"Any chance you could help me get the lights back on?"
John didn't quite hide his smile quick enough, but unlike Gordon, he didn't make any jokes about a certain person's dislike for the dark. "Sure." There was a moment of silence as he consulted the information floating to his right before he began talking Alan through the process.
"Nothing's happening."
"Give it a moment."
Bright lights flickered into being above his head and flooded through the door behind him. The dust-cloaked floor beneath his feet was suddenly fully visible revealing many footprints, some older than others and many smudged. The thing that struck Alan was that there were only two recent sets, both with the pattern he recognised from the IR boots, which meant they could only be his and Virgil's tracks, leaving the crew unaccounted for.
"Hey John?"
"Yes?"
"Did you ever actually speak to the crew?"
"No, it was an automatic message. I received their emergency beacon a minute later." There was a pause. "Why?"
"The only people who've been in this room in the past month at least are Virgil and me."
John had an extremely good poker face, but Alan caught the flash of worry in his eyes before the space monitor ducked his head to open a new radio link. "I'm calling the GDF again. Head back to Virgil's location."
Alan slapped his hands against the plastic shell of the controls. "FAB." As if on cue, the lights went out again. "Oh, come on." He lifted his hand to open the radio link again, when a rumble shook through the entire complex. Acting on instinct alone and thankful that his original International Rescue training had been drummed into him so well, Alan dropped to the floor, pressing himself to the side of the control panel. Part of it jutted out, forming a ledge which he ducked underneath, bringing one arm up around his neck before recalling his helmet would protect his head anyway, and dropped his hand back down to support his weight on all fours.
Even crouching, practically pressed to the floor, it was hard to keep his balance. Alarms that he'd thought would have gone offline years before were suddenly screaming and before his eyes some of the ceiling panels came crashing down, sending clouds of dust cascading across the room. Alan flattened himself to the floor and found himself silently thanking Brains for creating such good filters for their helmets. Even relatively secure underneath the control panel, Alan recognised that if the shaking didn't stop soon, then he was going to be in serious trouble. Fixing his sights on the door, he drew his knees up to his chest, preparing to sprint for the next room, with its higher ceiling and space for protection under the staircase.
His radio was squeaking with static and Alan smacked at it, too focussed on getting out of the reactor room to answer. The ceiling panels were steadily giving way and if he wasn't careful then he could end up being entombed in the room; something which he really didn't want to happen. His uniform would provide some protection from the debris, with its extra shielding across his shoulders and chest that acted in a similar way to armour, but a direct hit from the falling panels would be likely to cause a serious injury.
Closing his eyes, he took a breath, before kicking off from one foot, bursting out from under the controls and ducking to avoid another falling panel. Sprinting for the doorway, he jumped over another panel, scaled the pile of debris in his way and jumped from the top, tucking his knees to his chest and landing hard, rolling onto his feet in a movement which Kayo would have been proud of (she had been the one to teach him). As he remained in the doorway, the shaking stopped, slowing to a halt.
For a moment, Alan was unsure as to whether the shudders skittering through the ground were aftershocks or his own trembling. His muscles burnt from holding the crouch for so long and he stretched out one leg, wincing as a sharp pain ignited across his ankle. When he reached down with the hand that was relatively clean and hadn't touched the door earlier, it came back wet with fresh blood. He pressed his back to the doorframe and sucked in a deep breath, his uniform suddenly feeling heavy against his chest. He had the option to look down and check to see how bad the injury was that he'd inflicted on his ankle, or he could carry on and rely on his adrenaline rush, fixing himself up later in '2's med bay. When he looked across to see the state of the secondary control room, his decision was made for him.
"Virgil!" The shout was torn from him before he'd even realised he'd formed the words. The throbbing pain in his ankle diminished in the sudden rush of fear for his brother as he tipped forwards, scrambling to his feet. His sash blinked at him with an incoming transmission, but he ignored it in his haste to reach the partially collapsed staircase. Reaching for his grapple gun, he aimed it at the top of the stairs without thinking, attaching the grapple to his sash as a security measure and scaling the rubble to reach the room faster than he thought possible.
If the reactor room hadn't fared well, then the secondary control room had done even worse. The doorway had collapse along with several of the main support beams, now broken in several places and burying the floor. Alan tugged at a piece of panelling that blocked the entrance, pressing one foot against the wall to increase his efforts. It finally came away in his tight grasp, almost sending him flying back down the steps if it weren't for the grapple, still connected to his sash.
Crawling over the debris, Alan ducked his head and shoulders inside the gap he'd created, slinking through the rest of the rift to slide down, landing on the floor inside with a loud thump. His ankle protested at the sudden jolt and he couldn't stop the pained hiss that escaped through his clenched teeth.
"Virgil?" He whispered, his voice small in comparison to the alarms that were now muffled but still there. His ears were ringing, he realised dimly, as he searched the area frantically. His gaze caught on a flash of brilliant blue beneath the debris towards the far corner and he hesitantly took a step forwards, unsure as to whether the rubble would take his weight. At the small creak of protest it gave, Alan launched himself across the gap, skidding to a halt. Falling back onto his heels, he grimaced at the thick layer of grime now situated across the knees of his uniform.
"Virg?" There was a pained groan in response and Alan let some of the tension fall from his shoulders at the knowledge that his sibling was alive. The tension returned however, when he glimpsed the two beams pinning him in place. He leant forwards, reaching through the collapsed beams to press his hands to his brother's shoulders. "Virgil? C'mon, time to wake up."
"Fi'e more minu'es," came the slurred response. Alan narrowed his eyes and dug in his fingers slightly.
"No, not five more minutes. Get up now."
"Alan?" John had given up on requesting a radio link and had activated the transmission automatically from '5. His hologram hovered above Alan's wrist, his hair ruffled from where he'd running his fingers through it while he fretted over his siblings below.
"I'm here. I'm with Virgil."
"Are you alright? I picked up severe tremors at the site."
Alan glared at the debris surrounding him. "You can say that again. I'm okay. Well, my ankle's hurt and I don't know how bad, but my suit's keeping pressure on it for now, so I don't want to remove it to see how bad it is in case it needs the pressure."
It was partially true, but John filled in the gaps without needing any further explanation. "Good," he breathed, closing his eyes for a moment. "And Virgil?"
Alan tapped at his brother's helmet. Virgil's brow creased but he didn't open his eyes. "I'm with him now. He's semi-conscious, I think, but he won't wake up fully."
"Status?"
"The support beams collapsed along with the ceiling and doorway during whatever the hell happened just now. He's trapped under two of them."
John cursed. "Okay. Can you get him out?"
"Uh, maybe?" Alan struggled to push at the part of the support beam that was pinned across his middle brother's legs. "I need him to wake up though. I can't carry him out of here by myself, and I still haven't heard from Kayo."
"I have eyes on Kayo, she's still outside. She's trying to fix her radio. You're the only one I can reach right now." John tapped at a stray hologram. "Let me talk to Virgil."
"FAB."
With John talking to Virgil and slowly bringing him out of his state of half-awareness, Alan focussed on trying to clear the debris. It was heavier than the panel at the doorway had been and a deep ache settled in his back and arms as he attempted to push it free.
"Allie?"
Alan spun around, practically tripping over his own feet and landing next to Virgil. "You're awake!"
"State the obvious, much?" John added dryly, before returning his attention to Kayo, who was attempting to make contact once more.
Virgil reached up, brushing his fingertips against Alan's helmet. "You okay?"
"You're asking me that?" Alan asked somewhat incredulously. Part of him wasn't surprised; his brothers would never not be overprotective. "Can you feel your legs?"
Virgil sucked in a breath. "Unfortunately, yes." He nodded down at his watch, pinned under a piece of concrete. "Run a med scan for me, would you?"
Alan tapped the watch obediently and returned to his efforts with the first beam. It had budged part of the way, removing the pressure from one leg, and he was determined to move it off completely. With a frustrated growl, he launched all his weight into it, almost flying over the massive chunk of debris as it gave way and slid onto the ground. Virgil made a muffled noise of pain, closing his eyes tightly. Alan, observant when he wanted to be, dropped down next to him, sliding his hand into his brother's own.
"Hey, you're good. Breathe through it." Virgil's grip on his hand tightened and then relaxed. "Virgil? You still with me?"
"Y-yeah. God. That…that hurt."
Alan winced, moving his hand to rest it on Virgil's shoulder. "I know. I'm sorry."
"Not your fault."
"I should have come back here with you."
"I'm in charge. It was my call. You followed orders."
"Still."
"No, not still." Virgil fixed a serious gaze on his brother, honey-brown eyes filled with concern and affection. "You did good."
"You sound like Scott."
"Very funny. Let's get the rest of this off my chest."
Alan grimaced. "What about the med scan?"
"We'll check that after. But it's kinda hard to breathe at the moment."
Alan fixed a determined glare on the remaining beam. It was broken in two places, which made it easier to move, but its position, strewn across Virgil's chest and upper ribs, made it the more dangerous to lift, especially given he was unsure as to what damage it had already caused. He dug his heels into the ground, gradually putting pressure onto the beam and shoving as hard as he could. It was better to move it quickly in one swift movement then slowly, he figured, all but growling as he attempted to shift it.
"Okay, okay, fu-stop," Virgil finally burst out, his breath coming in shallow pants. His forehead was shiny with sweat and his hands had curled into fists. Alan sunk down onto his knees next to him, pressing against his side lightly so as not to cause further pain but close enough that Virgil recognised he was there. "S-stop."
"Sorry, I'm sorry."
"Just hurt."
"I know. Shit."
"Language."
"Now you really sound like Scott."
Virgil huffed out a laugh, wincing at the pain that bloomed across his chest at the movement. Alan tapped on his knuckles, which were white with tension beneath his torn gloves and Virgil slowly unclenched his fingers.
"Virg, I've gotta get you out of here."
"I know."
"Do you want me to call in Scott and Gordon?"
"No. We…We've just got to rethink this."
"Okay." Alan lowered himself onto his stomach so that he was lying parallel with his brother, pressing his forehead to the elder's shoulder and resting an arm across his collarbone in the closest he could get to a hug and the most comfort he could provide without causing further pain. "But Virg, you're getting kinda shock-ey. I have to get you out."
Virgil closed his eyes, taking as deep a breath as he could without reviving the pain in his chest. "Medbay. Two. Adrenaline shot."
"No."
"Alan."
Alan knocked on his helmet again, causing Virgil to open his eyes. "I'm not leaving you." He stared across at his brother, worry clinging to every part of his mind. "We'll just think of another way to get you out." They lay in silence for a minute, the only sounds being the distant wailing of alarms and Virgil's breathing, which revealed his true condition despite his attempts to hide the pain from his younger brother.
"Jackscrew," Alan suddenly announced, flinging himself upright.
Virgil blinked at him, utterly lost.
"We need to create some sort of replica. I'm not strong enough to move it by myself, but what if I don't need to move it? What if I just need to raise it?"
Virgil couldn't help but grin. "I like the way you think, little brother."
"Right. But how?"
"You have the grapple, and the laser cutter."
"You're lying on it. And you may have broken ribs."
"Just leave that part to me. Go get the grapple."
It took the best part of an hour to rig up the contraption they had created, and a further ten minutes to pull Virgil free. With his back pressed to the wall, Virgil's face was pale, and in his lap, his hands were trembling.
Alan let out the breath he didn't know he'd been holding in a rush. "Med scan?"
Virgil raised his wrist to examine the holographic read outs, grimacing as he noted the results. Alan watched in concern, prepared to make a grab for the watch to see them for himself if his brother even thought about lying to him.
"Fracture, lower left leg. And two cracked ribs on the upper right." Virgil rested his wrist on Alan's knee, letting him scroll through the results while the middle Tracy tilted his head back against the concrete behind him. While he knew Brains had designed their IR suits to keep them at optimal body temperature for peak performance on rescue, he could've sworn he could feel the cold seeping through the fabric from the surrounding debris and air. Alan's hand knocked against his right leg and he realised he'd been falling back into the welcoming darkness that was either sleep or unconsciousness (he was unsure as to which).
"We can create a brace for your leg. It's a clean break, which is good." Alan's voice was loud in the semi-darkness, cutting through the cloudiness of his mind. Logically, Virgil knew he didn't have a concussion, but the exhaustion was making him wonder otherwise.
For his part, Alan was running on auto-pilot. When Kayo's hologram appeared above his watch, he could have cried with relief.
"Alan," she greeted him with a relieved smile, shoulders slumping. Whilst John had confirmed that the youngest Tracy was alright, other than his ankle, she had been worrying about him anyway. "Are you alright?"
"Been better," he admitted, reaching up to brush his hair back from his forehead only for his hand to connect with his helmet. "Where are you?"
Kayo's gaze darkened as she stole a glance about her surroundings. "Opposite side of the complex, near where we found the Hood. I discovered one of his henchman unconscious in the treeline while I was scouting the area after you guys went down. He had a head injury, but I got some information out of him."
"Oh yeah?" Alan continued to make quick work of the temporary leg brace whilst he listened to his pseudo-sister. Head injury, he wondered as he worked. Maybe that was where the blood on the door had come from?
"Yeah." Kayo smirked. "He was very happy to tell me what I wanted to know after a few minutes."
"You're awesome."
"I know."
"Oh, I take it back now."
"No take backs. Anyway, it was a setup. The Hood has several henchmen about the place."
"Was the shaking anything to do with them?"
"There was some sort of explosion. It must have been their fault. I'm going to create a distraction, so you and Virgil can get out."
"No, Kayo, wait-"
Kayo's avatar had already vanished by the time he'd spoken, and Alan was left staring at the empty space above his watch. "Dammit," he cursed, tugging at the end of the grapple rope he'd used on the brace, checking it was secure. Virgil, who'd been mostly zoned out for the entire conversation with Kayo, jolted back into awareness at the sudden pressure on his leg. "Ready to go?"
Virgil inspected the make-shift brace and gave his brother a look of approval. "Not really. Don't think I've got much choice about that though, have I?"
"Lemme think about that…yeah, no." Alan knelt down, wrapping an arm around his brother's shoulder and offering his free hand as an extra support. It was the first time Virgil had stood upright since the explosion an hour earlier, and he instinctively went to spread his weight equally between both legs. Alan staggered under the sudden extra weight as his brother swayed before steadying himself, taking deep breaths, his face worryingly pale in the dim light. "You okay?"
Virgil stared at him with a long-suffering expression. "Yeah, I'm fine. Let's go."
"Pretty sure fine doesn't come into this, but okay."
Relieved that they'd already passed the most difficult parts earlier (the blocked doorway and the stairs), Alan led the way back through the corridor. It was a slow process, with Virgil leaning heavily on him, and he dreaded to think about the extra damage he was causing to his ankle. He made a point of not looking at the blood-covered door from earlier and came to a halt at the base of the escape chute.
"We really didn't think this part through," he muttered, squinting up at the bright light above them. Virgil lifted his arm away from around his brother's shoulders, stumbling before he caught his balance with one hand braced to the wall, leaving Alan free to formulate the next part of the plan.
"How many grapple packs have you got left?"
Alan checked his belt and sash. "Two," he admitted, glancing back up at the rusted ladder. "You?"
"One."
"Technically…"
"Whenever you say something that starts with technically, I never like how it ends."
"Not always."
"Paintballing last year. The Dubai rescue this year. Most water fights at home. You want any more examples?"
Alan glared at him and stalked to the opposite side of the chute. He was tempted to call Kayo but if she was in the middle of hunting down the Hood's minions on the other side of the building then he could be putting her in danger by ringing. Still, he thought, with another look back at Virgil, there was no way they were going to be able to successfully grapple out of the chute with a broken leg and a something ankle between them.
His sash flashed with an incoming call.
"Kayo?"
"Be ready to run in three."
He winced. "Might have a problem there."
She raised a brow at him. "Define problem."
"Virgil's got a fractured leg and two cracked ribs." He debated adding in the bit about his ankle but decided against it. He was sure he could run if it really came down to it. "Wait, Kayo, I've been thinking-"
"Careful, don't strain yourself."
"-and I don't think you need to create a distraction. Whatever the Hood's doing here, he's not after us. He's got guys all over this place, he has to have known where me and Virg were, but he didn't come after us."
"So, what's he doing here?" Kayo frowned, ducking lower behind the concrete post she was hiding behind. Her voice was hushed. "I can't find evidence of his chemical research or production of a weapon anywhere."
"I don't know. But the rescue call was a fake."
"John confirmed that, by the way. The GDF had no record of sending a crew out today, or in the past six weeks."
"If he's not after us, then he's got to be after you."
Kayo's gaze darkened. "Or the Thunderbirds." She muttered obscenities under her breath. "Sorry, Al, I've got to go. I'll call you back in five."
"Be careful." His words echoed about the silence of the escape chute and he sighed, turning back to Virgil. "Looks like we'll have to try the grapples."
For a moment, Virgil didn't say anything. He was gripping the green fabric of his sash tightly in an attempt to stop the shaking in his fingers, but his leg and chest were white-hot with pain and the idea of using the grapples resulted in a wave of nausea. He closed his eyes, pressing a hand to the wall behind him and feeling the cold bleed through the torn fabric of his gloves into his skin. It was grounding and he used it to concentrate on sliding his final grapple pack into the gun, lifting it to aim with shaking hands.
Alan reached out and took it from him, shrugging with an easy grin to hide the fearful worry. "I'm a better shot than you anyway."
"And Gordon's better than both of us," Virgil replied in a tired voice, saying the first thought that came to mind to keep himself awake. His head was pounding and his vision kept going blurry. Alan was definitely going to be flying '2 home. "But don't tell him that."
"As long as you don't tell Scott who it was that stole the rest of the cake that Penelope brought over last weekend."
"That was you?"
"I thought you knew?"
"No! I thought that was John!"
"Feel free to keep thinking that."
"Is this where you tell me that it was you who put dye in Grandma's shower head and not Gordon?"
"She looks cool with purple hair."
"Alan."
"To be fair, I was gonna prank Gordon, but then he was stuck out on that rescue with you in Colorado and I got bored."
"You are a tragedy."
"I know. So are you."
"Thanks."
"You're welcome."
Virgil took back the grapple gun, curling his fingers around it in a death-grip. Alan knocked their shoulders together lightly until his brother looked at him.
"C'mon, it'll be fine. You've done worse."
"That isn't helping."
"Sorry." Alan looked suitably abashed. "It'll be over within two minutes, which is only one-hundred-and-twenty seconds, which is no time at all when you think about it, because this one time I managed to…"
"Alan?"
"Yes?"
"Shut up."
By the time they reached the top of the escape chute, Alan was rethinking how long two minutes could be. His uniform was clinging uncomfortably to him and his back was drenched with sweat and he wasn't even the one with the relatively severe injuries. For his part, Virgil was flopped on his back on the concrete roof, eyes closed and John's hologram hovering nervously above his watch, talking quietly through the private link in his helmet. Virgil didn't appear to be responding but every now and then he'd smile or tap his fingers and Alan knew him well enough to understand that he was awake but too tired and hurting to start a conversation. John didn't seem to mind. There was a reason he was the one in Thunderbird 5.
Alan was draped over the edge of the roof, his gaze fixed on the green bulk a few metres away from the base of the building that was Thunderbird 2. He had a horrible suspicion that he'd been right about the Hood wanting to track down Kayo, as no-one had come after them and the area about the two International Rescue crafts was deserted. On one hand, this was good news for getting Virgil back to the med-bay on '2, but on the other, Kayo still hadn't called back, and he was more certain than ever that she was walking into a trap.
"John?" He whispered into his comms link. The astronaut appeared a second later, waiting expectantly for him to continue. "I'm gonna take Virg back to Two and then go after Kayo."
"Alan, that's a bad idea."
"She's not responding." Alan pointed out, rather than admitting 'yeah, I know.' He turned back, hearing a scuffling sound to see Virgil had attempted to stand up and was instead slumped forwards, supporting his weight with one arm, with the other clutched to his ribs. "Oh, great."
Virgil glanced up as Alan's shadow fell across him, looking suitably sheepish.
"Need any help?"
"If you're offering."
With only one grapple pack left between the pair of them, Alan made a point of ensuring Virgil made it to the ground safely, before lowering himself by climbing down the rope left behind. He'd never been so glad that their uniform included gloves until he imagined what the friction would be doing to his hands otherwise. He landed ungracefully in a heap amongst the long grass at the base of the building, swatting a fly off his helmet and scrambling to his feet with a wince. By the time he'd settled Virgil back in Thunderbird 2's med-bay (Virgil assured him he could sort himself out from there and given that his brother was a) the Field-Medic and b) not Scott, Alan believed him) and headed up to the cockpit where John's hologram was waiting for him, he was exhausted and longing to just set the coordinates for '2 to autopilot them home. Instead, he tried Kayo's radio again.
"She's inside the building on the West side," John alerted him. "I don't have eyes on her."
"FAB. And she's not answering her radio either," Alan sighed, tipping himself back in the pilot's chair and revelling in the comfort of the padding. "Looks like I'm heading in again."
"Alan, wait for backup."
"What backup? Gordon's stuck back on Tracy Island unless he takes Thunderbird Three, and Scott's still in Copenhagen with that fire."
John watched Kayo's signal flicker in front of him. She hadn't moved in the past seven minutes and he felt sick with worry. While his brothers running into trouble wasn't that unusual, Kayo was usually the one who always made it out without a scratch and with an awesome story to tell. Having her in danger was a new situation and one he really didn't want ever to face again, but without any idea of what was going on inside the building he was loathe to send his youngest brother in.
Alan reached across the controls to activate the camouflage features of Thunderbird 2. Reflective panels hummed into being across the hull until it was nearly impossible to tell that there was anything there, let alone a giant aircraft of International Rescue. While Alan knew that the Hood was already aware of '2's location, he hoped it would at least make it more difficult to find the entrance with the camo-panels engaged and headed back down to the med-bay to check on Virgil before he left.
Virgil was all but asleep, slumped against the wall from where he was sat on one of the pull-out beds, his helmet discarded on the mattress next to him. His dark hair was stuck on end, with several strands falling across his forehead but he was too tired to brush them out the way. Without his helmet, his suit couldn't accurately maintain the correct temperature and combined with air-con of the med-bay, he had goose-bumps where he'd rolled up the sleeves of his uniform.
Alan opted not to wake him but moved the water bottle off the floor and onto the mattress so that it was within reach. There was a beige blanket folded up on one of the shelves and he shook it open, draping it about his sleeping sibling until it was tucked about his shoulders. He paused in the doorway, glancing back at Virgil before dragging his attention back to the situation at hand. While he was still worried about him, at least he knew that Virgil was safe now. His adopted sister on the other hand, was not, and he quickened his pace into a jog, all but falling over his own feet in his haste to exit the Thunderbird.
"Alan!" His radio burst into life and he slammed one hand on it as he sprinted towards the western flank of the complex. "Alan, can you hear me?"
"Yes!" Kayo sounded panicked, which was completely unlike her and he found himself panicking alongside her. "Where are you? Are you okay? What happened?"
"You were right; it was a trap. I managed to break free, but I've sprained my wrist and I fell pretty far so I think I landed awkwardly. I'm heading for the roof."
"What?"
"Just pick me up there, will you? I can't evade these guys forever." Her words came in short gasps as she skidded around a corner, heading for the nearest flight of stairs.
Alan slowed to a walking pace. "I'll get Two."
"No, take Shadow."
"Are you kidding?"
"These sonuvabitches have guns, no way in hell am I kidding." There was a soft cry of pain and the radio grew muffled.
"Kayo!"
"Just do it."
The radio went dead. With his heartbeat pounding in his ears, Alan turned to face the sleek aircraft that rose above him. Thunderbird Shadow was beautiful, there was no doubt about it, but she was also intimidating. Yet Kayo was in trouble, so he shook himself out of the trance-like state he'd fallen into, and awkwardly stood about underneath the aircraft.
"Uh, Shadow? I could do with a way in."
"Voice recognition system active. Please state your name and role."
"Uh…" Alan tapped at his watch in agitation. "Alan Tracy."
"Role?"
He blinked. He wasn't officially the pilot of any of the crafts. "International Rescue member?" There was no reaction. "Pilot? Astronaut?" In desperation he spoke the first words that came to his mind. "Pilot of Thunderbird Three."
"Accepted." The platform rose down, and he jumped onto it, waving his arms wildly to catch his balance. "Welcome, Alan Tracy, Pilot of Thunderbird Three."
"Um, technically, that's not my job, but sure."
He settled into the pilot's seat as holograms lit up about him and the control column was bathed in a deep violet glow. Instantly it felt different to the simulators, with a soft hum running throughout the entire aircraft. Hesitantly, he reached out and closed his hands around the controls, activating the thrusters. Thunderbird Shadow rose off the ground instantly, with a much faster reaction rate than he was used to with any of the other Thunderbirds (even '4 and '1).
"Thunderbird Shadow, there are hostiles on the roof where Kayo is headed."
Alan snapped to attention. "FAB John."
"They're directed at the entrance she'll be coming out of."
"Then I need to draw their fire."
"Alan, you're not a fighter pilot."
"Right, but I'm related to one of the best. How hard can it be?"
"I don't know, why don't we call him and ask?"
"John, if you call Scott then I will turn off this radio."
Alan guided Thunderbird Shadow higher and then glided her to a hover over the roof of the building. While the armoured men waiting there acknowledged his presence with an enraged shout, and a few pointed arms waving in his general direction, none of them turned away from the hatch. He clenched his fists around the controls, taking a deep breath to try and calm himself down.
"Hey, any ideas on how I can get these guys' attention?"
John frowned. "Fire at them first?"
"Let me guess, it's not advised?" Alan didn't wait for the response, firing off charges at the edge of the building so that he didn't hit anyone. "Huh," he commented as he suddenly found rows of guns and other such weaponry pointed his way. "That got their attention."
They all started firing at once and Alan reacted on instinct alone, drawing his hands back and banking to the left. Something slammed into the side of the Thunderbird and he smashed his helmet against the side of the cockpit. "What was that?"
"I'm five minutes out," Kayo's voice sounded in his ear, strained and quiet.
"FAB."
He activated the flares as a blaring alarm alerted him to fact there was a something locked onto his tail. Thunderbird Shadow rose up in a sharp incline before practically nose-diving to the ground, spinning upside down and taking out several of the gunmen with the electric beam before swooping back up. Ammunition rained down on the right-hand wing and Alan dove sharply, cursing as another alarm rang. "Do these guys ever give up?"
"Speaking from experience," Kayo interjected. "No."
Thunderbird Shadow shuddered as the aircraft took another hit and Alan narrowed his eyes, leaning forwards in his seat. "Okay, now I'm angry." He slammed forwards onto the throttle, diving down low until the gunmen were forced to duck. "What does this do?"
"If it's a red button, don't press it."
Alan elected to press the red button. A wave of energy surged across the rooftop in a flood of destruction, sending several of the henchmen flying over each other. One guy fell off the building completely and the ones who continued firing found their ammunition flying back at them. Someone clutched their hands to the side of their helmet.
Alan stared at them, wide-eyed and smirking. "Huh. That's what it does."
"Alan."
"I mean, uh, oops?"
Kayo burst out of the hatch and onto the rooftop, flipping head over heels and landing on her feet, fists at the ready. One guy made a grab for her and she slammed her fist into his throat, sliding down low to flip him over her shoulder. He landed on the concrete with a groan. Turning, she found herself face to face with another gun and took a step back, holding her hands out, electricity sparking about her electro-stuns. "Uh…"
"Kayo, duck!" Alan connected Shadow to his watch and launched himself out of the aircraft, slamming his boots into the first gunman's back and landing in a tucked roll that ended with him sprawled at Kayo's feet. Kayo smashed her hand upwards into the next fighter's jaw, sending the woman stumbling backwards, dragging Alan to his feet and kicking out at the other man. Alan ducked as she sent another punch over his head but neglected to see the man bringing his fist down at her back.
"Hey!" Alan ducked between the two, catching the fist and jamming his elbow into the guy's stomach, discarding the gun that had been aimed at him with a single kick. "It's not nice to shoot people."
"Time to go?" Kayo suggested, stumbling as she narrowly avoided another hit so that they were back to back, surrounded by the henchmen.
Alan gave a nervous laugh. "Uh, yeah." He tapped his watch, grabbed Kayo by her arm and leapt off the edge of the roof. For a moment they were free-falling, before Thunderbird Shadow swerved down under them. Kayo rolled across the wing, slipping into the pilot's seat, and directing the Thunderbird back towards '2.
"Thanks for the help, Allie, but it's time to get back to your own Thunderbird."
"Wait, I don't have one," Alan began to protest before Shadow's wing tipped to the side and he found himself falling before he landed with a light thud on the hatch of Thunderbird 2. He felt about (the Camo-Panels made it near impossible to see where the opening was) and finally found the edges of the hatch, tumbling through to land in a heap on the floor of Thunderbird 2's cockpit.
John's avatar appeared. "Ready to go home?"
Alan dropped his head back to the floor with a groan. "Hell yeah."
"Hey Gordon?"
Gordon disappeared under the water of the swimming pool to surface at the edge where Alan was perched, dangling his feet in the cool water. It was late dusk, but the heat of the day still clung to the air, a contrast to the cold air-con inside the villa. Above him, a tall palm tree's fronds rustled in the southern breeze, dancing through the sky, chasing away wisps of clouds that obscured the stars that were becoming visible.
"Yeah?" The red-head asked, shaking stray droplets free of his hair, his fringe plastered to his forehead. He swept a hand through it, tugging himself out of the pool, and flopping back against the tiles of the patio. The remnants of the afternoon heat were still captured in them and soaked into his back. "What's up?"
Alan grinned. "The sky," he replied in their usual joke, before sighing, resting his chin in one hand.
Gordon frowned at him, poking at the younger's ribs with one finger. Alan yelped, scrambling away from him. "Gordon."
"Speak, small fry."
"Earlier, in Shadow…why are the security protocols programmed to recognise me as Three's pilot?"
Gordon flopped an arm across his face. "Why aren't you asking Scott this?"
"He's with Virg in the infirmary."
"So go ask."
"Yeah, but…"
Gordon sat up, a small pool of water collecting about him as it dripped from his hair, running down the length of his back. "Look, I don't know for sure. But you're kinda Three's pilot, aren't you?"
"Unofficially."
"Oh, please." Gordon waved a hand, slinging an arm around his brother's shoulders. "It's only a matter of time."
"You think?" Alan murmured wistfully, staring up at the star-studded skies above. The glow of the pool-lights illuminated the water about his feet and he sighed, slumping against Gordon's side, ignoring the way his t-shirt was steadily growing damper from the pool-water dripping from his brother.
Gordon watched him for a moment, ducking his head to hide his smile. "Definitely. But right now, I need to know – Kayo said you kicked ass out there. Is she lying?"
"No." Alan caught sight of his brother's doubtful look. "Hey! Why would she be lying?"
"Because it's you. I didn't know you could fight. This is brand new information!"
"Okay, stop quoting Friends."
"Never."
Gordon grinned. "Long day, huh?"
Alan sighed. "You have no idea."
"You know what this calls for?"
"No?" Alan edged away from him suspiciously. "Do I want to know?"
"Being thrown in the pool."
"Gordon, no!"
"Gordon, yes!"
"Get away from me!"
Only two chapters left, with more whump and angst to come. Thanks for reading!
Review?
Kat x.
