Title: Reasons: A Sequel to Determination

Author: Gumnut

10 - 20 Feb 2020

Fandom: Thunderbirds Are Go 2015/ Thunderbirds TOS

Rating: Teen

Summary: "Have you seen Virgil?"

Word count: 7429

Spoilers & warnings: SPOILERS FOR SEASON 3 EPISODE 24, and possibly 3.25

Timeline: Episode Tag

Author's note: This one is complete and I am uploading as I proof it. It was written very fast at odd hours and in odd places, so it needs a good read-through. Yet another fic that got out of control and a sequel that is over twice as long as the original. You will need to read 'Determination' for this to make sense.

Many thanks to scribbles97 and thunderstorm-bay for their support of my crazy. I hope you all enjoy this :D

Disclaimer: Mine? You've got to be kidding. Money? Don't have any, don't bother.

-o-o-o-

He would have liked to say it was intuition that clued him in, but it was Kayo.

"Have you seen Virgil?"

Scott climbed out of the Zero-XL superstructure and looked down at his sister. She had a worried frown on her face.

"Isn't he with Brains?"

"No. I can't find him on the platform anywhere. And he is not answering his comms."

It was late in the day, the day before the launch. Everyone was buzzing, Scott in particular. He was so close. Tomorrow.

Tomorrow.

"Did he go back to the Island?" Kayo was obviously grasping at straws because there was no way Virgil was going to cut out early on this project. The man had been working as hard as Brains to get this off the ground, his mechanical and engineering skills deployed between rescues at a rate that was it any other project, Scott would have been alarmed.

But this project was special.

Scott grabbed his tablet. "He's supposed to be helping Brains with the launch thrusters."

"He's not. Brains hasn't seen him for the last two hours."

"Then where is he?"

"That was my question."

Scott sighed. They really didn't have time for this. If Virgil was flouting his...aw, c'mon, this was Virgil they were talking about.

But why would the engineer not be doing what he was supposed to do?

He hit his comms. "Brains, do you know where Virgil is?"

"S-Scott? I th-thought he was with you. G-Gordon said you needed help with One's interface."

"Nooo, I completed that half an hour ago. I'm working on Three now."

"Th-then I'm afraid, I do n-not know."

"Thanks, Brains. I'll see if I can find him."

He frowned and looked down at Kayo. "What does John say?"

"He didn't. Said he'd get back to me."

"What? What's got him busy?"

Again he hit his comms. "Thunderbird Five can you give me a location on Virgil."

"Scott? How is it going down there?"

Blink. "Thunderbird Five. It is going worried down here. Can you give me a location on Virgil, please."

There was a long moment there where he thought John was not going to answer. What the hell?

"Virgil is on Tracy Island."

"Why? He's supposed to be out here."

"Gordon needed his help with something."

"Gordon? Gordon is supposed to be out here, too."

"They are both on the Island. It was something urgent, apparently."

"It better be urgent. We are on a schedule here and we don't have time for any tomfoolery."

"Scott, we are all very aware of how important this is. I have no doubt Virgil and Gordon have a very good reason."

What was Gordon up to? It had to be Gordon. Virgil wasn't that stupid.

Virgil was the one he relied on for his sanity.

"Scott-"

"John can you put me through to Gordon?"

"He asked not to be disturbed for a half an hour."

"What?!"

"Scott-"

"What could possibly be more important than the Zero-XL?"

"It's only a half hour, Scott, he has a right to his privacy."

"Privacy?! What the hell, John, we are launching tomorrow!"

"Scott-"

"You know what? Screw it, I'll hunt them down myself."

"Scott!"

"Thunderbird One out."

The nerve. Just one more day! He climbed down, his feet hitting the platform with a thump. Kayo was staring at him warily.

"You know they have a right to personal time." Her voice was cool and calm, but her frown was anything but.

"Personal time starts when we get Dad back, Kayo. We are so close!"

Striding across to the pod dock, he climbed up into his helipod. "Tell Brains I'm going back to the Island for a moment to find my missing brothers."

"They have to have a good reason, Scott! This means as much to them as it does to you!"

"If it did, then they'd be out here."

He shoved the pod hatch closed, shutting off whatever it was she was trying to say.

A flick of a few buttons, he grabbed the yoke and launched towards home to find out what the hell was going on.

-o-o-o-