Gordon groaned as he sat up in the darkened room, his head ached like a hangover from hell. I thought I had coffee with Penny? He asked himself before remembering just what had happened. The sleeping gas, watching Lady Penelope drop her cup and saucer to the floor before slumping in her seat.

Gordon looked down when he realised he was sat in a puddle, pulling a face, "I didn't do that, did I?"

From the slither of light coming from a window above him, Gordon could see that the whole floor had a few inches of water covering it. Nope, he hadn't been the one to do that, he was sure. But he could see that the water was slowly rising, getting an inch higher every few minutes that he sat and watched it. The redhead groaned again and rested his head back against the wall, "This isn't good."

Kayo held her arm to her chest, how had a rescue gone so wrong? After rescuing the fishing trawler, there had been another call to an abandoned mine a couple of miles away. Both Kayo and Virgil had gone into the mine, only to have it collapse right on top of them. Well, almost right on top of them.

Kayo looked up to the only support beam still standing, the only thing stopping her and Virgil from getting crushed. It wouldn't last forever though, not with so much weight bearing down on it.

"Still nothing," Virgil sighed, having failed to get a connection on comms, "I don't get it, we're not that far under and there's nothing to disrupt them," He rolled his shoulders and shook his head, "I bet they're all just being immature and ignoring me."

Kayo shook her head, "You might have fallen out, but they're not that stupid." She sighed, a feeling of dread had settled in her stomach a while ago, "I don't think there were any kids here to rescue Virgil," She told him, "I think the Hood is making his moves."

Virgil shook his head, not wanting to believe it. Not when he and his brothers had been at each others throats earlier. He felt guilty for shouting at his brothers, knowing none of them had really meant to upset the others. The middle son didn't want to think about how vulnerable everyone was when they were all so far apart.

He looked to Kayo's arm that she was holding to her chest, using it as a distraction to his worries, "Let me see to that," He told her, "I can tape it up,"

Kayo glanced to her arm and nodded, "It feels broken,"

He smiled as she knelt next to him, "How many bones have you actually ever broken?"

Kayo laughed and shook her head, "You're in charge of all the medical notes,"

"Just making conversation," Virgil rolled his eyes as he pulled a medipack from his bag, "Or are we going to sit in silence until someone gets here?"

Kayo smirked and shook her head, "I was hoping to find out what's going on with you all?"

Virgil sighed as he pulled the tape from his kit, "Really?" He said as he turned back to her and gingerly took her wrist, "I don't have a clue."

Kayo frowned, rightfully so in Virgil's opinion. He and his brothers hardly ever fell out, and when they did it was never over trivial matters. They had all just snapped at each other, picking on tiny matters that weren't important. Why though? Virgil had never been truly irritated by Gordon's pranks. His immediate younger brother could be annoying at times, but he kept everyone's spirits high on a rough day. He didn't run around after them like he made out he did, it was just something he had said in the heat of the moment.

"We all just snapped," Virgil sighed with a shake of his head, "Scott didn't tell us something, and we all found out."

Kayo nodded, understanding flooding her features as she looked up to the older man, "You're all tired, five missions in two days has got to be a record. That won't have helped."

Virgil looked up in realisation, his heart freezing over at the sound of a low, cat like voice,

"Hello, Tanusha, by now I'm sure you've worked out what's going on," Kayo shuddered slightly at the voice, knowing what it meant, "Those, boys, you call brothers, are finally going to fall. This time, I have made sure there is nobody to rescue the rescuers."

Virgil and Kayo shared a worried look, both reaching to their watches again, "Alan, John, come in."

Kayo closed her eyes, praying that Alan would hear her, "Where are you Alan?"

A small gasp escaped her lips as the space was lit up with a hologram, "I'm on Thunderbird Three, where are you?"

Virgil frowned, confused as to why Alan wasn't at base, "Did another call come in?"

Both Virgil's and Kayo's fears were worsened when John and Evie appeared over Alan's shoulders. Virgil's eyes were instantly drawn to the patch of red seeping through a white bandage bulging on John's arm. Any remaining anger dissipated into the air, concern for his brothers pushing it out and replacing it.

"Are you okay?"

John looked to his arm and nodded, his eyes slightly softer as he glanced to Alan, "The Hood blew up Five. We managed to get out of the main impact zone but, it's not good."

Alan was watching the pair in the dark space, "Where are you two?"

Kayo sighed and explained, "We received another signal near to where we dropped off the fishermen," She winced as Virgil tightened the strap on her arm, "We came down the mine and it collapsed around us."

Alan was watching his partner closely, he hadn't missed her wince when his brother had touched her arm, "What's wrong with-"

He smiled as Kayo rolled her eyes, knowing not to believe whatever she said next, "It's fine, don't worry."

Both Alan and John laughed as Virgil corrected, "She broke it."

Alan didn't fuss though, knowing better than to smother Kayo in the way Scott smothered him. His eyes met hers and saw the sparkle in them, she was already angry and Alan didn't dare make it worse.

"How on earth do you turn on the Holograms in this thing?"

All five people in the conversation looked to each other in confusion. Each look meeting another with a frown. John eventually leant forward and asked, "Grandma? Where are you?"

It was Kayo's face that dropped when grandma replied somewhat innocently, "Thunderbird S."

John nodded once, his face not quite showing understanding over the concern that was etched there, "Okay. Why?"

"Do you really think I'm going to sit at home knitting while some psychopath is trying to kill my Grandsons?" John tried to stifle a laugh at the picture in his head of Grandma hitting the Hood over the head with her handbag. He shook his head and sighed, "Okay then. Has anyone heard from Gordon or Scott?"

Silence came the reply, and everybody's stomach filled with dread.

Having gotten used to quick thinking in the field on previous rescues, Virgil was quick to suggest, "We're close to New York, if Grandma can come and configure the pod I can remote control it down to us."

Grandma nodded to him, "F.A.B kid."

Virgil locked eyes with Alan and John, all previous disagreements forgotten, "You find Gords."

Both brothers nodded, John confirming, "We'll meet you in New York when we have."

"F.A.B."

Alan looked to Kayo, checking over that she was really okay. He had a feeling that stress could be getting to her, knowing that it was her uncle trying to kill his family.

"You're okay, aren't you Kay?" He checked quietly as the others turned away, "You know we don't pin any of this on you?"

Kayo snorted and glanced away with a sigh, "That's the reason he's after you guys," She murmured, "Because I'm on your side."

Alan shook his head, "You know that's not true, and so do we."

"Okay," Kayo whispered, her voice so soft it didn't sound like Kayo to the others. That was the sign for Alan though, the sign that things were getting to her despite what she insisted.

"I love you," Alan murmured, "Be careful."

Kayo smiled and nodded in return, some of her usual manner having sparked back, "Yeah, you too."

John crouched in front of Evie and took the straps for her seat harness, tightening them as much as he could without hurting her. He knew from experience that reentry into earth's atmosphere made any injury hurt ten times more than it did originally. Now, he wished there was something he could do to help Evie get past that.

"This is going to hurt your ribs," He murmured softly as he took her hands, "I wish-"

Evie was shaking her head at him, a tired smile gracing her lips and she squeezed his hands in return, "I know, there's nothing you can do."

John smiled softly in return, "It'll be over as quick as possible," He sighed and glanced to Alan, "Right?"

Alan nodded without looking back, "Yeah, so buckle in."

John took his seat and squeezed Evie's hand once more, the couple shared a look as the rocket began to shake. All three occupants jumped at the sweet childlike voice, "You know Alan, it would be a lot more stable if you used the thrusters on seventy-five percent."

"EOS?" Evie frowned, "But-"

"I rooted myself into Thunderbird Three while she was docked. All emergency signals have been rerouted to Tracy Island." John had to admit, the AI sounded quite pleased with herself.

Alan however wasn't quite so pleased, "So you took over my 'Bird?"

"Not really Alan," John smiled as the voice made some lights flash on the controls, "I just took residence in a little corner so I didn't get lost if something happened on Thunderbird Five."

John nodded, proud that the AI had managed to work out the best way to preserve herself, without trying to destroy something or someone. It was quite a wonder how much things had changed since their father had disappeared. John couldn't help but question how things would change if their father did ever return.

One hurdle at a time John. The astronaut told himself, First, let's find Gordy.