For Whumpay Day 4: Ice/Fire

Part One: Virgil & Scott, pre-iR

Part Two: TOS Penny & Gordon

Part One: Fire.

It burned. A different type of fire.

He wanted to stop, but they wouldn't let him, holding him down while they poured it into his throat. He gagged on some of it, the liquid shooting up his nose and burning in a whole different way. Finally, they stopped when the bottle was empty, laughing at him, patting his head and back as if he'd done something good or clever.

Why hadn't he listened to Scott? His brother had never steered him wrong, yet one mention that his friends were not the nice guys Virgil thought they were and his hackles raised up in anger.

It had all gone downhill from there. They had started small, and so Virgil didn't really notice the wrong he was doing. Borrow some money here, take a bottle of alcohol there, at first it had been exciting, trying to see what he could get away with before his father – or Scott – noticed.

But then they started stealing from the shop, and Virgil's conscience started to prod him. It wasn't funny anymore. So tonight he had decided to take a stand. And he did, causing a small scene in the shop so that they didn't get the chance to steal anything more than a litre bottle of Jack. His friends were not pleased.

What he hadn't expected was the four of them to hold him down and force him to drink the bottle of bourbon straight down. He didn't even like the drink. Once he'd swallowed the majority, they had left him, and he rolled onto his side, coughing and spluttering as they laughed at him.

One kicked him and Virgil curled up, trying not to cry – or throw up. He stayed down, and eventually they left him. It was dark and of course the weather chose that moment to rain.

Virgil staggered to his feet and immediately regretted it. He was lightheaded and very dizzy. And he was definitely going to be…yep. Sick. In the bush. He didn't feel better, but he had to get home, so he began to walk.

Scott had been worried about the sudden change in Virgil, and he knew it was those losers he was hanging out with. But he refused to be told, and Scott knew he'd have to let Virgil find out the hard way. Sometimes that was the only way to learn. But when Virgil wasn't home by his given time, worry began to gnaw at Scott. Calling to John to say he was going out to get Virgil, he picked up his car keys and rushed out.

How he was going to find his brother when he didn't know where Virgil had gone, he wasn't sure, but he was determined. And so Scott drove, letting his thoughts direct where he was going.

Twenty minutes later and he watched a figure in the distance weaving all over the place. As he came closer, the figure doubled over and vomited, and Scott screwed his face up in sympathy. Then he frowned. As the figure straightened up, he recognised it was Virgil, so he pulled in and got out.

He could smell the alcohol before Virgil even came close, and he frowned. His brother reeked of it, like he'd bathed in it. Virgil didn't even recognise him until he'd almost knocked into him, he was so far gone, and he promptly collapsed into Scott's arms. His brother didn't fail to see the bruising already forming around Virgil's mouth and chin and, checking his wrists out, he could see some forming there too. Scott's blood boiled, but first he needed to get his brother home.

Unfortunately for both of them Virgil threw up in the car. He was crying quietly, and whispering about how it was burning, and Scott patted his shoulder in sympathy. Getting him into the house without waking the youngest two up went without a hitch, but it wasn't until Scott was helping his brother to undress for bed that he saw the huge bruise across his stomach. There was going to be hell to pay tomorrow, but tonight was just about Virgil.

Getting him dressed in his pyjamas and steering him to the bathroom, Scott gave him a few minutes to wash himself down. He didn't dare put him in the shower in case he threw up or fell asleep. His brother just about managed a wash, and then Scott put him to bed, spending the night with him just in case.

Virgil had the mother of headaches the next day, and he couldn't quite work out why Scott was amused. But his brother, his favourite brother, allowed him to stay home from school for the day, and he slept most of it. Scott had put his clothes in the laundry early in the morning so that no-one else would know.

That evening Scott marched a very confused Virgil out to his car. When the door opened they both gagged from the smell, and Virgil paled even further when Scott told him he was to clean the car up until it didn't smell anymore. It hadn't taken all day to remember why he'd had a headache, so he guessed that this was his fault too. Scott proceeded to tell him he was grounded for the next month, and if Virgil even so much as hinted at being annoyed at this, well, then Scott could explain what had happened to their father…

When he went to school the following day, it came as no surprise when his friends not only wouldn't acknowledge him, they all sported black eyes and bruised lips.

Part Two: Ice

It burned. A different type of fire.

She wasn't entirely sure what had happened, or how she came to be here, but the metal cuffs around her wrists were ice-cold and there was no other way to describe it – they were burning her.

Penny seemed to be in some kind of freezer room. Her wrists were cuffed in front of her and around the metal racking she was currently propped up against which was an additional source of burning. There was a shelf that was just below her cuffs which meant she couldn't sit down and she had to stay on her feet. Which were starting to hurt. One didn't really stand in 4-inch heels – if one wanted no pain then constant movement or sitting down was key – and she had no idea how long she'd not only been here but been standing here.

She wondered where Parker was. It was such a nuisance, this not remembering thing, but Penny knew two things for certain. One – she must have been at a party. No way would she be caught out working in a frock like this. Two – she had absolute faith her boys and Kayo would find her. Eventually. Before she froze to death in her sheer pink chiffon dress and matching Louboutin's. Thank goodness she'd kept the satin scarf draped around her shoulders.

Parker had taught her how to get out of handcuffs, but this did seem a little beyond her at the moment. So she took a deep breath and straightened her spine. It wouldn't do for her to get a sore back as well, and she didn't want to give the wrong impression to whoever her captors were. They were sure to come and question her soon. She hoped.

She sighed. This really was tiresome, and she had another engagement planned, so she hoped whoever it was would move a little faster.

The door opened, and there stood three men, dressed in suits and balaclava's, a curious concoction. Presumably, then, she didn't know who they were. As they filed in she was hit with a sudden moment of clarity.

She hadn't been alone at the party.

Where was Gordon?

Gordon awoke in a small room that looked like a really small office. There was one desk with a computer screen, one filing cabinet and one chair. He was currently tied to the chair. He also had a headache the size of Thunderbird Two, which told him he'd probably been hit by something hard as he certainly had not been drinking.

Shaking his head to clear it was a really bad mistake, and he sighed. Why couldn't he and Penny ever have a normal date? Speaking of which, where was Penny? Gordon swivelled his head around to see the rest of the room, and he was pleasantly surprised that the chair moved with him. What kind of idiot ties a man to a chair that moves in a room with a computer? Gordon was sure he didn't know, but he wasted no time trying to work that out and scooted along the floor.

Switching the thing on was easy, he just bent over the desk and used his nose on the touchscreen and it lit up, asking for a password. Thankfully, Gordon knew a certain person would be watching who could help with passwords, and he simply typed in the code word.

The codeword in this case was 'Help! International Rescue!'

He pressed send and tried not to think of how embarrassed he was about it all. He just needed to find Penny. Sure enough, John's voice came through the tablet, all professional and calm.

'International Rescue, how may we help you?' Gordon tried hard not to laugh, a bad habit he had when he was nervous and his brothers were around. 'John, it's me.' He heard John clear his throat. 'Gordon. Why are you calling me with a password? What's going on?' Here goes, Gordon thought to himself.

'I appear to be tied up in this room, some sort of office, and Penny is missing.' He held his breath, but all John said was, 'I see. Scott is on his way and he'll be six minutes.' Oh thank god. Although Gordon was aware that this temporary reprieve didn't mean he'd be let of the hook completely. No, Alan at the very least would milk this event for all it was worth, and Gordon couldn't blame him, he would have too.

Sure enough, eight minutes later – Gordon had counted – Scott came through the door as quietly as he could, which wasn't hard as it was unlocked. Immediately he'd cut his brother free, Scott had headed out. He knew where he was going, John had pinpointed a dead spot which was probably where Penny was. Gordon was hot on his heels and they reached the place in no time.

The door to the freezer was open, and they could hear voices. A man, demanding to know what information Penny had gathered on him and his organisation, and Penny's clear, unflappable replies that she hadn't got a clue what he was talking about, dear man.

Scott popped his head round very quickly. Sure enough, there were three men and they all had their back to the door. He took out his grapple gun and glanced at Gordon. His brother was all business now, and he passed Gordon the gun. He looked surprised, looking at Scott with a question on his face, but Scott smiled and Gordon understood.

Big brother was letting him save the day.

Gordon too popped his head around, did a quick mental calculation and within 45 seconds there were two unconscious men and one conscious but tied up man on the floor and Gordon was releasing Penny.

Scott tied up the two unconscious men and removed a foil blanket from his mini medkit, placing it over them so they didn't get too cold. John had already called the GDF, who were on their way, while his brother took Penny somewhere warm.

Back upstairs but not in the party, Gordon and Penny had found the kitchen, and the staff were more than helpful providing tea with a dash of brandy in – for medicinal purposes – while they waited.

Penny gave a little laugh. Fancy being mistaken for a spy gathering information, how very droll. She'd been most insistent that she was just here on a date, but the man had simply not believed her. Scott had been kind enough to fetch her bag, and she removed the compact and powered her nose.

If she slipped a tiny microchip in there for safekeeping at the same time, well, no-one saw her.