Thunderbirds 2
Chapter 6: Thundercar
"Where's Thunderbird 1?!" Were the first words Scott said as his eyes snapped open.
"Outside for maintenance." Scott's worry for his Thunderbird surpassed common sense, so he didn't question where he was or why Christina was there. Bursting out into the sunlight, he dashed for his Thunderbird, not even noticing Neil sitting on one of Strikebird 4's mechanical arms.
"You're alive. Someone up there must like you." He said, announcing his presence.
"Someone down there does too." Scott knew Thunderbird 1 had floated so he couldn't quite explain all the seaweed on its underside.
"Well they say barracudas are attracted to shiny objects." Neil shrugged. Scott turned to head back inside, when a Canadian Eskimo Dog pounced on him.
"Sleet! Down boy!" He managed to say through the licking.
"He is really loyal to you guys." Christina laughed. Scott stopped dead in his tracks and whistled. Before him was the wreckages that were Thunderbird 3 and 6.
"What happened?!" He all but shouted.
"Well, that's their version of a rescue." Answered Christina. Scott shook his head.
"Come on! Let me show around the island." He said grabbing her wrist.
"So how did you guys become a rescue team?" Asked Scott as he showed Christina The main staging area were Thunderbird 2 rested.
"Well, dad always wanted to help people with his billions of dollars, but he didn't know where to start, so when the U.S. government came to us on behalf of the U.N. to form their own International Rescue team, I guess we sort of just jumped at the opportunity." Christina answered.
"But why another team?" Asked Scott.
"Everyone appreciated the Thunderbirds and all, but the U.N. wanted control. They thought you guys were too much of a wild card, and they wanted someone reporting to them. That's where we came in."
"Well, I'm glad you're here.'' Announced Scott as the 'tour' moved on. "You guys saved my brothers and I. Thanks."
"You're welcome." Said Christina smiling and causing Scott's cheeks to flush.
Scott and Christina walked into the main house where the rest of the family was. The Thunderbirds and Strikebirds boys, along with Tin-Tin and Fermat were gathered around the television watching Alan and Yuri playing videogames. Both were furiously tapping all the buttons on their controllers and seemed to be evenly matched.
"Everyone, let's go down to the runway." Said Jeff looking at his watch and putting down his newspaper. A collective 'Aww' came from the group around the TV. "Lady Penelope is coming to help us find Delmont." He added. His part of the family cheered up but the Mercurys all looked confused, so his boys took to explaining as they walked down to the runway. Jeff, Scott, John, Virgil, Gordon, Alan, and the Strikebirds watched the pink car land.
"Lady Penelope, welcome back!" Said Jeff. After being introduced to the Strikebird team, she started talking with Jeff and Neil of the attacks on the Thunderbirds. After 45 minutes, which found them back at the Tracys' house, Brains came calling about a new invention of his.
"N-now this will be a ve-pretty good eng-desi-work." Brains pulled back the sheets.
"A Ferrari?!" Asked Alan, staring at the yellowish-orange car that had police sirens on top and the words Thundercar on both sides and on its hood.
"N-n-not qui-quiet." Said Brains, opening the car doors which opened up and forward.
"Okay; A Ferrari with Lamborghini doors."
"Still not there." Brains said. "The Thundercar mi-mind y-you is not as equipped as th-the Thunderbirds, but it fe-fea-contains four rocket boosters und-underneath, and Nitrous for the ah-added sp-speed. It also ha-has grap-grappling cables an-and is ca-capable of driving on a 90 degree area, such as a bui-si-wall for a limited time."
"Tell me," Said Jeff. "Do the boosters work in a group or separately?"
"Depends. Each ha-has its own button tha-that activates it. Whe-whether together or not, d-depends on if you pu-push it with another or alone." Brains then started to explain some of the features in his scientist way so that not even Jeff understood.
"Does he come with subtitles?" Whispered Gordon. Alan just shrugged.
"You know, sometimes I think he does all this scientific explaining on purpose." Scott whispered to a nodding John.
Several days later and at least Thunderbird 6 repaired, found the group off the island, testing the car. The Thundercar raced past the watching audience and slid to a halt a few feet away. Jeff walked over and pulled open the door. Inside Alan was gripping the steering wheel in a death-grip.
"Whoa! This thing is like a Thunderbird!" He said to his father. The Tracys, the Mercurys, and Lady Penelope were at a test track, where each of the Tracy boys and the Strikebirds sons and daughter were trying out the car. So far only Scott and Alan managed to get the car to just 50 potential.
"Come on Al, let's get some lunch." Said Jeff.
"The car has amazing capabilities." Said Scott downing a cheeseburger. It was now night and the group had moved into a building adjoined to the tracks.
"I'm sure Brains will be pleased." Said Jeff.
"Here Jeff." Said Lady Penelope, turning her pink laptop to him. There were several dots on it imposed on a map of the world.
"This is everywhere Delmont struck. And by tracking his engine signature, which is as unique as that of the Thunderbirds and Strikebirds ships, and we see that he is right at the blip." With the press of a button, all blips saved one vanished.
"But that's right here!" Said Jeff, his eyes widening. They all turned to the window to see the black craft hovering there.
"Everyone down!" The group dropped to the floor, knocking over their table, as the craft fired a missile into the building through the window. The missile hit the back wall and detonated; the ensuing explosion blew out the remaining windows, missing the group crouched behind the overturned table. As soon as the fireball vanished Alan got up and dashed for the stairs.
"Alan!" Shouted Jeff. Machine gun fire erupted from twin guns on the black craft, blasting away into the building, just missing Alan who reached the stairs and began running down them. Jeff leapt towards the stairs, avoiding the gunfire and ran after his youngest son. Scott rolled towards the exit and for the third time, the building was showered with fire. This process was repeated several times as everyone made for the stairs. Fortunately, the smoke pouring from the building after the missile impact was hiding them from view enough.
Alan jumped down the last few flights of stair and, pressing the red button on his watch, he ran to a corner of the garage and pulled back the covers on the only car there. He climbed into the Thundercar, turned it on, activated the lights and sirens and pressed down on the accelerator. Jeff reached the garaged floor in time to see Alan peel away in the Thundercar.
Near the tracks, Thunderbird 2 and 6 were resting on the grass when suddenly Thunderbird 6 came to life. It lifted into the air and retracted its landing gear before flying forth.
As the Thundercar shot out of the garage, Delmont's craft turned around and flew off down the tracks. Alan steer the Thundercar towards the track in pursuit.
"Come on!" Said Alan through gritted teeth. The craft before him began firing backwards at him forcing Alan to begin to swerve to avoid getting hit. This went on for several minutes before the attacking vessel switched to missiles. Alan looked down at the steering wheel. There were four buttons; one on the top left, one on the top right, one on the bottom left, and one on the bottom right. He pressed the two buttons on the left. Instantly, boosters fired from the Thundercar's undercarriage, lifting it onto both right wheels, the left ones in the air. Alan released the button and the car dropped back down to all fours. Another missile forced Alan to repeat the process, only this time pressing the buttons on the right, lifting the right wheels. Once safe Alan let the car down on four wheels again. The craft fired a third missile, this time dead centered. Alan spun the wheel hard to the right sending the Thundercar onto a drift. The missile impacted the ground by the driver's door, just missing the vehicle. The blast however, caused the Thundercar to flip on its left side and roll.
The car rolled over and over. As it began to slow, Thunderbird 6 zoomed by flying low overhead. The Thundercar was lifted up on its wake and rolled several more feet, miraculously landing up right. The rest of the two rescue team arrived on the maintenance truck, jumped of it and ran to the car. The Thundercar was badly damaged and scratched. One side mirror was missing, the other crushed, the windshield cracked, the front hood seemed to have been partially bashed in. One window had been blown out, and the headlights and taillights were either cracked or shattered. The red and blue lights on the roof of the Thundercar had been all but destroyed. The entire car was crumpled.
"Alan!" Yelled Jeff yanking open the door that no longer closed properly. The twelve rescuers peered into the empty car before turning to Thunderbird 6, which was in pursuit of Delmont.
Alan retracted the cable on the side of Thunderbird 6 before closing the canopy and locking on to Delmont's craft. He hoped he hadn't caused anymore damage to the car but he knew he didn't have time to have Thunderbird 6 hover while he transferred vehicles.
"Alright you want a fight you got one." He said pressing a button on his control panel.
Activating Gatling Cannons. Cycling Laser.
Alan pulled the trigger on his controls and Thunderbird 6 began rapidly firing lasers at the fleeing craft. Several holes were puncture on the black ship, which began smoking.
"This isn't over yet Thunderbirds!!!" Yelled Delmont as his craft began to ascend.
"Alan, come back." Radioed Jeff.
"F.A.B." Said Alan.
The team was loading the Thundercar's wreckage into Thunderbird 2 when Brains radioed in.
"M-Mr. Tracy, W-we got a non-priority call to report Makado Island." Said Brains. "They s-said not to r-rush, that they just wo-would like to check some ir-irregularities."
"Alright Brains, we'll come back to base first to repair the Thundercar." Replied Jeff.