International Rescue Offline for Unforeseeable Future – Scott Tracy in Critical Condition
By Alexander Dumoff
March 15th
The world is watching in absolute horror as International Rescue goes offline due to a plot by none other than the notorious Hood. Scott and Alan Tracy were out on a rescue yesterday afternoon when Scott—Commander of International Rescue and pilot of Thunderbird One—was shot and Alan Tracy—pilot of Thunderbird Three and only just turned seventeen—was kidnapped. The entirety of the rescue was set up as a trap to undermine International Rescue, something which The Hood has been trying to do for years.
The Hood—real name unknown to the public—was the one who allegedly shot down Jeff Tracy's plane over three years ago and outed the Tracy family as the ones behind International Rescue. Since that time, when Scott Tracy became Commander and effectively, with the help of his family, kept The Hood from acquiring the Thunderbirds, The Hood has been trying to take down the rest of the Tracy family.
Recently, in one of the videos on the popular YouTube channel ThunderbirdsAreGo, it was revealed that The Hood has nearly killed many of the family members before, including invading their home, targeting Thunderbird Five with a missile and stealing other ships for his own use.
This time, however, The Hood seems to have gotten what he wanted. Upon arriving at the rescue site, T1 and T3, Scott and Alan Tracy respectively, went about trying to save the four people stuck in a collapsed building. What wasn't revealed was that the building had been collapsed on purpose via a bomb. Upon removing the four innocents, Scott was shot in the back with a high caliber weapon, downing him immediately. Alan Tracy disappeared moments later, before he could even come to the aid of his brother.
The Hood has revealed that he has kidnapped the youngest of the family, but if any ransom has been discussed, the Tracy family is keeping it to themselves.
Scott Tracy is only known to be in critical condition. His whereabouts and any other information regarding his condition are unknown and said to be classified.
GDF Refuses Aid to International Rescue
By Amy Hanson
March 17th
In a surprising move, the GDF has refused aid in helping International Rescue save their youngest member. Not much information is known about the exchange between the two organizations aside from the fact that IR asked for help and it was not given.
As it is, it has been discovered The Hood managed to buy out many of the GDF's agents, compromising their position worldwide. International Rescue has always had a poor view of the GDF, despite their efforts to help the force, but this has surely soured relationships even further.
When Jeff Tracy disappeared and International Rescue was outed, the GDF was the first group to say that the Tracy brothers were too inexperienced to handle the operation and that they needed to hand over their ships. Scott Tracy pulled the program entirely for a week while negotiations went on. Unfortunately, that week saw the East Asia Tsunami that killed over four thousand people, with International Rescue unable to lend aid due to orders of arrest should the 'Birds fly. The outrage of the world towards the GDF and the World Council is what determined the Tracy family to be allowed to continue their exemplary work without interference.
Since that time the GDF has seen wavering support from many of the citizens of the world. Their interference with International Rescue time and again has caused many issues at multiple rescue sites. The fact that IR continues to lend aid without a second thought says much for the boys in blue that we have come to love.
The fact that not only were multiple prominent members of the GDF part of the scheme to kidnap Alan Tracy, but the fact that the GDF now refuses to lend aid in retrieving him, says much about how little we can trust our governments' world force. The Hood wouldn't even be free if the GDF could properly do their job.
There is no word on the condition of Scott Tracy, nor on the location that The Hood is keeping Alan Tracy. But the world is watching with bated breath to see just what outcome all of this will have.
This video wasn't posted on ThunderbirdsAreGo, but it was posted just about everywhere else. Every news channel, every social media site. Anywhere a video could be watched, this one was present.
It was unclear whether the video was leaked GDF footage, or if some news personnel actually managed to get into the scene, but it was very clear that something big was going down.
The city of Berezniki, Russia had gone completely offline. All power was gone, all Wi-Fi, satellite, data, everything was out of commission. There was nothing coming out of the city, small as it was, and the world had been wondering for the entirety of twelve hours just what was going on. An entire city can't just go dark without someone noticing, after all.
And then Thunderbird Two showed up, hovering ominously over a squat building on the edge of town. With the Thunderbirds offline, it was telling that this 'Bird was suddenly somewhere it wasn't supposed to be.
The GDF had been quick to follow, apparently, as a few of their ships had settled down nearby. But aside from the two figures that had run into the building earlier, both of with from International Rescue, no one had moved. The GDF wasn't getting involved outside of just showing up.
It was a tense thirty minutes before the figures appeared from the doorway again, this time with a third slumped between them. Gordon and Kayo Tracy were carefully supporting Alan, helping him out of the building. The boy was conscious, but seemingly only just, and all three of them were practically covered in blood.
Colonel Casey, one of the heads of the GDF, came forward then, offering to take Alan to their infirmary. The look that Gordon gave her was frigid, and Kayo scooped the boy up into her arms, holding him protectively. Gordon glanced up to where Thunderbird Two was still hovering and made a motion with one hand. "Take it down, T2."
The grapples flew out from Thunderbird Two and latched onto the building, and in an impressive show, International Rescue tore the place apart.
The noise was immense, the cracking and crashing of concrete. The rending of metal. Dust flew, water spurted from damaged pipes. There was no danger of electrical fires, because all of the city was still without power. Clearly that was International Rescue's doing.
Throughout it all, Gordon continued to stare down the Colonel.
Thunderbird Two landed and Kayo made her way over, still carrying Alan. Gordon remained, crossing his arms. Blood dripped from his face, but it didn't look like he was injured. There was a gun strapped to his hip.
International Rescue had never carried weapons before.
The camera inched closer, hearing the words that were being said by the Colonel.
"You can't just—"
"Just what, Colonel?" Gordon interrupted. "Save someone? Isn't that what we do?"
"Where is The Hood?" Colonel Casey said, eyes narrowing.
Gordon shrugged. "Not bothering us anymore." It wasn't a confession, simply a fact.
"You killed him?"
"I didn't say that," Gordon replied. He tilted his head to one side, looking at her blankly. "Funny that that's what your first thought was, though."
"You're covered in blood, Gordon!"
Gordon's eyebrow rose, and he glanced down at himself. "Ah, yes. So, you've noticed. And I see that you've forgotten that I'm a Lieutenant. Colonel." It was a disparaging comment, one that had Colonel Casey's brow furrowing. All other interactions with the boys had never been formal, after all.
"You shouldn't have taken matters into your own hands, Lieutenant," Colonel Casey said, all warmth leaving her voice. She was angry, it was obvious, but Gordon was past the point of angry.
He was flat out furious.
He was just more composed about it.
"And yet, you gave us no choice," Gordon said easily, amber eyes glinting. "We had to take care of the situation the moment you refused to give us any aid."
"You stepped above your bounds!"
"We have no bounds," Gordon snapped back, straightening to his full height. He may have been the shortest of his brothers, but that wasn't saying much when the shortest was still five foot nine. And the fury he was containing within him was enough to have the soldiers standing behind Casey shifting in unease. "Our job is to rescue people, and that's just what we did. Only this time it was one of our own, because for some reason, no one else is willing to rescue the rescuers. Colonel." He tilted his head to one side, looking thoughtful. "Only…International Rescue isn't really our job, is it? We're not getting paid to save the world. It's all completely voluntary. Imagine if we just decided to stop?"
"If you killed anyone—"
"It would be considered self-defense," Gordon said, taking a deep breath. "Careful how you tread next, Colonel. The entire world is watching."
Colonel Casey seemed taken aback by that, looking up to glare at the camera for a short moment. "Gordon—"
"Lieutenant."
"Lieutenant," Casey said softly. "I expect a full debrief."
Gordon scoffed. "Funny that. We don't work for you. The only reason we've continued to work alongside you is because Dad made you our godmother. Which should say something about you, right? Or does it just say that Dad had a serious lack of friends?"
Casey's jaw dropped, but Gordon seemed done with the conversation. "Thunderbird Five, you can give the city back its power."
"FAB" came the reply from what had to be a com unit. And suddenly the city was flickering back to life.
It was slightly terrifying, the amount of power that International Rescue had just shown with that one simple act. Let alone the fact that they were perfectly willing to use their 'Birds for destruction if one of their own was threatened.
Gordon gave Colonel Casey a highly sarcastic salute and made his way towards Thunderbird Two. "Lieutenant!" Casey called out. "How are they?"
"Why should I tell you?" Gordon called back, scoffing a little. The hatch closed behind him, without ever giving his godmother an answer. He was obviously very displeased with her and was making it known.
Colonel Casey remained silent, watching as Thunderbird Two powered up her VTOLs and took off. And then she turned, scowling at the camera. "Get that thing out of here!"
The video ended.
Berezniki, Russia In League with The Hood
By Clint Matthews
March 19th
After a spectacular show by International Rescue in retrieving their kidnapped member, the organization continued to deliver more news. It's often been known that IR has its hands in undercover work throughout the world, mostly undermining criminals that would endanger human life, such as The Hood. However, little is known about such undercover work.
Regardless, it has been made clear that nearly the entirety of the city of Berezniki, Russia was in league with The Hood and his last plot. Multiple members of the city's local government have been arrested and are awaiting trial for a multitude of crimes, not the least of which being kidnapping and accessory.
Lady Penelope Creighton-Ward stated that John Tracy's efforts to take the city off the grid yesterday was part of the investigation into the crime in the city, as well as part of the effort to find IR's missing member.
Nearly half of the citizens of the city are involved in The Hood's crime ring. Over forty thousand people are awaiting trial, with the government leaders being the first and highest on this food chain.
International Rescue Remains Offline
By Sandra Collins
March 20th
Despite video evidence of the rescue and retrieval of Alan Tracy, International Rescue is remaining offline. The conditions of both Alan and Scott Tracy have not been revealed to the public and remain unknown.
Gordon and Kayo Tracy were the ones to retrieve the youngest two days ago from a building in Russia. Virgil Tracy is thought to have been piloting Thunderbird Two, which then destroyed the entirety of the building upon word from Gordon. Before International Rescue even showed up at the site, the entire city underwent a massive blackout and communications disruption which was revealed to have been brought about by Thunderbird Five.
The power these boys hold is immense. And yet, they have only ever used it for the benefit of the world. One could not say the same for the likes of any government or even the GDF if they were to get their hands on the equipment.
The Hood is being declared dead, as are forty-two others that were said to have been in the building at the time of International Rescue's arrival. All are said to have perished out of self-defense. From the bodies recovered, many of them had been dead for hours before Thunderbird Two arrived on the scene, whether from Alan Tracy fighting back or The Hood deciding them of no use.
Thirteen of the forty-two in the building were GDF agents. The World Council has stated that they were working undercover to get into the ranks of The Hood's operation, but Colonel Casey has come forward and stated that they were there of their own willingness and had likely been paid off by The Hood.
The Hood's crime ring covered the entirety of the globe, and even beyond it. There may be a power grab from other high-name criminals, but with International Rescue standing by—so long as they don't give up the organization as hinted at by Gordon Tracy—many would be wary of doing so.
The Hood's body has not been revealed to the public, nor has it been explicitly stated that it has been recovered.
We, the entirety of the world, wish the Tracy family and International Rescue good healing and peace. I speak for all of us when we say that we are entirely thankful for all you do and hope you decide to continue to do so, despite the opposition you may have come across.
Note: I have absolutely nothing against anybody living in Berezniki, Russia. I just needed a place and threw a dart at a map. Literally. The first time it ended up in Antarctica, but that didn't work for me. Anyway, next chapter should deal with the aftermath.