Like the best sleep he'd ever had - that's what waking up from a drug induced sleep was supposed to feel like. This felt alarmingly different and Scott immediately decided he would strangle the medical provider that gave him the bad stuff. As his eyelids peeled open however, he realized no practicing doctor would be knocking him out in a place this dark and cold - not to mention the dirt tracking under his fingers on the hard ground.
Scott's senses screamed to life as he rolled himself over, his eyes screwing shut with the pounding ache that resounded through his skull. *-the hell happened?* The question came out a deep groan that also conveyed he might lose his lunch.
"Vomit corner's over there," Gordon's voice registered, sounding small and pathetic, but before he could respond, Scott's stomach heaved over the ground. "Or, y'know, that works too."
"Where are we?" The brunette choked out once his guts had settled and he scooted into a sitting position far enough from the mess.
"Your guess is as good as mine," there was just enough light coming through a hole in the ceiling to allow him to see Gordon leaning against a wall. His eyes were shut against the suspected migraine.
Drugged "Were we drugged?" Scott growled as he tried to gain some sense of control.
"Seems about right," there was the sound of Gordon shifting and the pilot watched as his brother hobbled over to sit next to him. "What do you remember? Cause I'm pretty sure we were supposed to be at a mansion on top of a mountain."
"About to fall off, right?"
"Yeah, everything's kinda fuzzy after that."
Scott could recall seeing the structure from his seat in Thunderbird 1, Gordon whistling over his shoulder and making a joke about idiots who build stupid things on top of mountains. The key was to build into the mountain if you wanted stability. This thing had been practically perched on top - access by air, only.
How had they ended up here, with only a hole to see through?
"You okay?" Scott decided that question offered easier answers from his brother than the other one.
"Yeah, I'm good, but this headache can take a hike," the blonde said as he rubbed his temples with his bare fingers. That should have alerted him more than it did, but Scott ran his own hand over his chest, his shoulders falling as he found his belt missing. Their helmets weren't in the room either, which meant contacting their other brothers was off the table.
Training that hadn't been necessary in years began to wheedle it's way forward, assessing the room for exits or anything else set to cause them harm. He wasn't an idiot. This wasn't some accident. Whoever had intentionally incapacitated them had put them here - via the hole in the ceiling by the lack of any other entryways.
Gordon was in the middle of making the same observations when Scott turned back to him. "Let's get up, see if we can get out of here."
"F-AB," the aquanaut stood on legs that seemed as cooperative as Scott's felt.
They met in the center, the brunette double checking the aquanaut for any other injuries, much to his little brother's irritation. Amber eyes rolled when he had finished.
"Satisfied?"
"Not in the least. I'll feel better when we're outta here," Scott stared up at the hole and groaned. It was too far up to reach on his own. "Think you can give me a boost?"
"Just like to walk all over me, huh," Gordon teased with a grin, clumsily dropping to one knee and offering his interlaced hands.
His head still ached and he had to blink up at the opening to help center himself. "Gordon please - this is not the time." Experience said that the aquanaut was just trying to cope. He had heard worse, but right now he felt sick and they didn't know where they were or who had brought them here. He just needed some time before he could handle the banter.
A grunt and Scott put his weight into the offered hands, bringing his other foot up to the blonde's shoulder. One quick move and they were up, the pilot's hands grabbing the edge. Pull-ups were usually child's play, Scott able to do them one handed if challenged - usually by his two youngest brothers - but the apparent blood pressure shift gave him pause. He sucked in a breath and jumped, hearing the yelp from below before Scott hoisted himself halfway through the hole.
"You okay?" He called down as he pulled himself the rest of the way up.
Gordon was sitting on the floor again, leaning back to peer up at the brunette, "I'm good. Whatever we got hit with, it sucks."
"We'll have Brains do some analyzing when we get out of here," Scott lay on his stomach - not nearly as comfortable as it should have been - and reached into the pit. "Think you can grab on?"
"Scott, are you calling me short?" Gordon groused, standing and reaching up for the hand. Their fingers barely brushed each other.
"If the shoe fits," he tried not to smile at the dejected look on the aquanaut's face. "C'mon, you can jump."
"Tell that to the noodles I'm standing on," he dropped into a squat and Scott could see him trying to judge how much power he would need. Before he could launch, however, Gordon bent forward, his hands on his knees. "One sec," he breathed.
"Gordon?"
"Sorry -" another deep breath. "Got it under control now." Amber met Scott's gaze and with a leap, his brother's hand caught his own.
The next challenge was all on Scott as he used his other hand to push against the hole's edge until Gordon was high enough to grab it with his free one. Together, they hauled the aquanaut out and into the new room.
"Alright, creepy cave then?" Gordon voiced as they looked around. It seemed to be a structure carved into a mountain with jagged stone walls and another opening much further up than the last. Without their gear, there was no reaching it. Thankfully, they wouldn't need to.
"Over here," walking over to one of the walls, Scott pointed to a dark, wooden door. His fingers grazed over the smooth surface and he frowned, noticing the intricate engraving that lined it. "Who puts a mahogany door inside a cave?"
Gordon didn't answer and Scott grabbed the handle, pushing the door open on hinges that barely squeaked. His eyes went wide with what he found on the other side.
Where the cave rooms were dark and humid, this one was lit by an ornate chandelier hanging from a cathedral ceiling. The walls were decorated in rich velvet curtains of red and gold, paintings and statues set with the purpose of flaunting history and wealth. At the center, a large wooden table had been set out with an unreasonable amount of food. There were no windows, however, and only one door that was obviously meant to keep them in with thick metal rods embedded on the metal door and frame.
"I believe the answer is a crazy rich person, Scott," Gordon whispered as he stepped up next to the brunette, his eyes just as wide, a healthy sense of fear in his voice.
"Welcome!" A voice boomed from above.
Instinctively, Scott took a step in front of his brother, ignoring the grunt of annoyance. He knew Gordon was more than capable of handling himself in a dangerous situation, but with their current post-drugged state, he was going to keep the blonde out of harm's way as much as possible.
"Who's there?" The pilot called with more force and steadiness than he expected.
Across the room, a hologram appeared, showing the figure of a man Scott didn't recognize. By the look of his well tailored suit, though, he was - as Gordon had said - "crazy rich".
And probably the person who had brought them here.
"I'm pleased to see you were able to join me," he gestured to the table. "I must insist you sit and eat."
Anger flared at the calm in the figure's voice and Scott used it to answer with a glare, conveying his immense distrust of the man. "Who are you and where the hell are we?"
Dark eyes, too difficult to see with the distance between them widened, "Now, Scott, I do believe that would ruin the surprise. Come, I assure you the food is quite safe. I'm afraid we can't have you keeling over from hunger."
"Hmm - yeah, we're gonna pass," Gordon spoke from his side, the snark covering the slight tremble of his hand. This was something Scott and his brothers could rely on from the aquanaut. No matter how scared he was, there was usually enough stubborn determination to alleviate everyone's mood. They found it best used when redirecting victims.
Right now, however, Scott felt a pang of apprehension as the figure smiled. The worry turned to nauseating fear as the man lifted his hand to snap his fingers, a beam of red sweeping across the room to land on the blonde's chest. He immediately moved to step in the path, but a call from the hologram made his blood freeze.
"Stop, unless you desire to participate on your own," there was no bite to the words, but the man's lighter tone was gone.
Scott forced himself to do as he was asked, catching the panic in his brother's eyes. When he turned back to their captor, the commander's anger was evident as he growled. "What do you want?"
"Ah, I believe that has already been conveyed," his grin widened, a hand gesturing to the table. "Sit, eat. You're going to need it and I guarantee it will make your stay here much more enriching."
"You're obviously not against threatening our lives," and he had to fight simply pulling Gordon away from the beam and back into the cave. He had the distinct feeling, however, they wouldn't make it. "How are we supposed to trust it's not poisoned?"
"That would simply be far too simplistic," the nonchalance was maddening as the man continued. "You both are far too valuable to waste with poison. Please, eat. I must insist."
Scott hesitated, still battling the need to resist, but as the beam centered to rest over Gordon's heart, he took a step towards the table. He heard a curse behind him, followed by the sound of his brother's footsteps. They found a corner closest to a plate of fresh fruits, a dish of nuts and cheeses not far off. They continued to stand in defiance.
The man didn't seem bothered, gesturing to the food. The commander caught Gordon's arm as it lifted, answering the knowing glare with an unspoken order. His own hand came up and grabbed an apple, looking it over for any signs it had been tampered with. By all counts, it looked like a perfect apple. Sniffing it, there was no malicious odor - did poison have a smell? He didn't dare look at his brother's face as he finally took a bite, knowing he couldn't handle seeing the concern.
No taste other than sweet apple. The crunch was as he expected it. Time would tell if it was truly safe.
"Now, Gordon," the dark eyes pinned the blonde and Scott's grip on his brother's arm tightened. "Do try the spanakopita. It's exquisite."
As the red dot moved across and Scott found it sitting on his own uniform he watched the aquanaut reach for a handful of cubed cheese.
"I honestly don't know what that is," Gordon spoke with the ease of someone well versed in pressing just the right buttons. Scott caught the hint of a grin as his brother popped a piece of cheese into his mouth and was suddenly grateful for the blonde's presence. Not that he wanted Gordon stuck with him in whatever this situation was, but they were both trained for hostilities. If Alan or Virgil had been here, Scott's job as protector might've been far more challenging.
"Yes, well, as you can both see, the food is perfectly safe," a snap and the red beam disappeared. "Sit, enjoy, and when our other guests join us, I shall explain why you are here."
Other guests? Scott's thoughts went to Thunderbird 5 and he wondered if John had an idea of their situation and was organizing a rescue with Kayo and the GDF. If there were other people being held captive, that would make the rescue a great deal more complicated. He and Gordon would need to ensure the others' safety.
The man's eyes moved back to the food and flicked to meet the iR members' and Scott knew what he wanted. It seemed there was a great deal more going on than just a simple abduction and he needed answers. Might as well play along until then.
Scott took the chair closest to him and pulled it out, sitting down before nodding to Gordon to do the same. Any other time, the aquanaut might have baulked at the instruction. He hated dinner parties that didn't involve Lady Penelope or a decent band and voiced it with great emphasis on how lame they were. Now was not the time if they wanted to get home.
The hologram pulled something from his pocket and it took Scott a few seconds to recognize it as an old pocket watch. Why this man had something so antique, it wouldn't surprise him. The ridiculous atmosphere they were surrounded by would support it.
"Go ahead," another gesture to the food. "I believe our other guest should be arriving any minute -"
A wall across from them slid open, revealing the hidden compartment behind it. Scott watched over the trays of food for whoever would be joining them, but as the figures emerged, what little appetite he had after his waking in the pit vanished. It was quickly replaced by another bout of nausea inducing apprehension.
"No way -" Gordon growled, pushing away from the table to stand. Where his brother planned on going, Scott wasn't sure, but he was up as well, ready to combat the two villains as they stepped into the light of the chandelier. "The chaos crew?"
Havoc sneered in their direction, the woman looking a little worse for wear and Scott suspected she and her brother had been dealing with the same treatment as Gordon and himself. Their armor was gone, leaving them in the black suits they wore underneath. Fuse was following close behind, his eyes traveling over the room before resting on the iR members and the hologram.
"Oi, what's the deal?" The large man hissed.
"International rescue," Havoc's glare was pointed towards the commander, not that he had any answers.
"Don't look at us," this situation was only going to get worse if he didn't get everyone focused on the same goal. Scott aimed a finger at the hologram. "He's the one who brought us here."
"And I'm supposed to believe you?" She spat.
"It's quite true, my dear," the man offered with a beaming smile. "Please sit and all will be explained."
It was like watching their initial interaction with their captor all over again as the two refused. A knowing glance was pointed towards Scott before the man activated whatever weapon he had at his disposal. Havoc, however, was far less willing to comply as the beam rested on first her chest, then Fuse's. A blade of laser fire hitting the wall behind them was enough warning to get her and her brother into a seat at the other end of the table. The four were then encouraged to eat to their heart's content, which wasn't much under the circumstances.
"Excellent," a clap resounded through the room as the hologram lifted to tower over them. "Now that you have been given a chance to replenish your energy stores, I would like to introduce you to your host -"
A curtain fell away from the ceiling, revealing a viewing box set high into the wall. The bright sheen of glass separated the room from that potential escape route, but as a figure stepped up, broad shouldered and dressed in dark greens of a military garb Scott hadn't seen except in history books about the 1900s, he knew it wouldn't have mattered. The sight of the rifle strapped across the man's back was deterrent enough.
"Welcome," the figure's voice was anything but and a malicious smile played over his face. "I am Donovan Sykes. Let that be a gift to the lot of you since none of you will make it out of my hunting grounds alive to repeat it."