He didn't remember falling asleep, but he woke up in the infirmary on Tracy Island. He was confused at first, because everything seemed just a little off, but then his brain came back online, and he remembered.
He wasn't at home.
"Oh good, you're awake." And that was Jeff Tracy who said that. A man who looked remarkably similar to his own father, who had gone missing, what, seven years ago? Alan blinked at him for a moment before pushing himself up and into a seated position on the bed. "Your brother is over there," Jeff said, pointing at another bed.
Alan followed the finger and sighed in relief at the sight of Virgil peacefully sleeping. His uniform was missing its other arm and glove and had been replaced by a cast, but other than that, nothing had really changed. They'd just cut off the second arm. Alan shot Jeff a slightly confused look and the man shrugged a bit. "Alan and Fermat said something about bio-readers sending information to your world? We didn't know where in the suit they were so we didn't want to accidentally upset them. But we had to set his arm."
The cast looked odd. It was plaster and encased the entirety of Virgil's forearm. The casts from their world were usually printed in a honeycomb pattern out of hard plastic. It was a difference Alan hadn't really been ready for.
"You okay, kiddo?" Jeff asked.
"Yeah," Alan answered, yawning slightly. The nap had done him a little good, at least. Things didn't seem quite so dire anymore, and his brain was coming back online. "Life's just been weird lately."
"Tell me about it," Jeff mumbled. He gave a sigh, getting to his feet and slapping his hands against his thighs. "Is there anything you need? We didn't want to try and get your out of your uniform, but it can't be all that comfortable to sleep in."
Alan shrugged a bit, not bothered by his uniform at all, actually, despite the armor. "You get used to it," he said, sliding off the bed and heading over to Virgil. Another bed was occupied by a sleeping Other-John, all blond and pale and also sporting a casted arm. He'd been changed out of his uniform, at least. "Um…" Alan paused, trying to settle his mind a bit. "I can handle the bio-readers if you possibly have any spare clothes?"
Jeff nodded. "I can grab those for you," he said, heading for the door. He paused a before exiting though, his hand on the doorframe, and turned to Alan with a bit of a frown. "I have to admit, kiddo, you and your brother have really thrown me for a loop."
"What? You think I have any idea what's going on?" Alan grumbled, rolling his eyes. So sue him, he'd had to act like an adult for the majority of the day and it was wearing on him.
"Be nice, sprout," Virgil mumbled from his bed, and Alan jumped. The teenager winced, shooting Jeff a soft apology, and then climbed up on the bed with his brother. Jeff watched them for a split second before shaking his head and leaving the room.
Alan sighed, unclipping the armored chest piece and baldric and letting them fall to the ground before snuggling up to his big brother. Brown eyes blinked open and regarded him sleepily, and Virgil gave a bit of a frown. "You okay, Allie?" he whispered.
"I don't know what's going on," Alan whispered back. "And you're hurt and Scott's probably panicking and…"
"And you need to breathe," Virgil murmured, his good arm coming up to wrap around Alan and pull him closer. Alan let his head thunk onto his brother's chest and just breathed for a moment, just as Virgil had said to do. "We're good. We're alive. And I'm sure Scott has people working on getting us home."
Alan nodded. "John and Brains and Moffie and Tycho and EOS," he said. "EOS can contact us too, but she's having problems splitting between the two worlds."
"Different worlds," Virgil mused softly, his hand rubbing soothingly up and down Alan's back. "An entire multi-verse. Huh. Ty was right."
Alan rolled his eyes. "You nerds really need to stop being right about these things," he said, somewhat petulantly. "This is a practical experiment I could have done without."
"Ah but see," Virgil countered, a hint of a smile on his face. "It wasn't me or Tycho or even Brains that built the machine that brought us here."
"Did you get a good look at the machine?" Alan asked, propping himself up to look at his prone brother more fully. At Virgil's headshake he groaned. "Neither did I. I was more focused on getting the people out. How did it activate?"
Virgil shrugged, and then tapped at Alan to get him to move a bit. "Don't know. I'm sure Johnny's on it." He sat up, wincing a bit and cradling the casted arm. He looked over the cast with a frown but then shrugged it off. He was a bit wobbly, probably from painkillers, because his arm wasn't hurting anywhere near as much as it had, but he was feeling pretty good otherwise.
"Need to figure something out with the bio-readers," Alan said, getting back to his feet and stretching. "It's how EOS is letting Scotty know we're still alive."
Virgil rolled his eyes a bit and started fiddling with the collar of his suit. "Anything to help his blood pressure," he mumbled, pulling the bio reader from the suit with a simple flick of the disconnection. There were multiple throughout the suits, of course, but the one at the neck usually lay right next to the jugular. Instead, Virgil slipped it inside his cast, to rest against the pulse point of his wrist. He motioned for Alan to do the same, although instead of using a cast, he used the strap from the wrist computer.
Without the full array of sensors, the bio-readers couldn't pinpoint things like breaks or sprains or bleeds. But it could still read the vitals of heartrate, oxygen saturation, blood pressure and temperature. It was enough to get a simple overview of their current condition, and it was all that Scott would be able to get for the moment, because they needed to change.
They both quickly shed their suits, relieved to be able to strip down to their tank tops and jogging pants that they generally wore underneath. The suits were marvels of science and athleticism, specially made and tailored to each of their needs, but they could still get a little uncomfortable.
"How's your head?" Alan asked softly.
Virgil froze, head dropping a bit. "Doesn't hurt much anymore," he whispered, but he didn't meet his little brother's eyes.
"That's not what I meant, and you know it," Alan whispered back. Because The Hood had really, really liked his monologuing. And he'd subjected Alan to that weird psychic mental attack too—more than just being taken down by pain, but that weird rifling one. Where the man had forced his way into his head to try and get him to do things he didn't want to do. To try and get information that he wasn't willing to give.
It was mind rape pure and simple, and Alan was having a hard time dealing with it. And Virgil had gone under that attack so many more times than he had.
"I'm…" Virgil paused, shook his head and then looked up, meeting Alan's gaze. "I'll be fine."
Alan watched him slowly for a long moment and then gave a huff, sliding forward to lean his forehead against Virgil's. It wasn't a move he did often; he was more of a hugger. Scott was usually the one to initiate the whole forehead-touch thing with Virgil, but Alan knew enough to know that it was comforting for his big brother, so he stepped up to the plate. Same way he'd learned that very specific whistle just for that same reason. Same way he knew that John would calm at a touch to a wrist pulse point. That Gordon would settle if a certain song was hummed.
Alan had learned all of Scott's tricks, and he knew when to make use of them. He also knew that getting Scott to calm down usually had to do with hugging. It was why he was a hugger in the first place, actually. Virgil was a hugger too, but that was more his way of calming others down, rather than calming himself.
Other-Alan came into the room then, his arms filled with folded clothing. "You guys okay?" he asked, eyeing them in concern. Alan took a step back and nodded, and Virgil took a breath and gave a bit of a smile. "Good, I guess. Dad's having Lady P look into anything that may be able to get you back home. If anyone knows about stuff like that, she'll find them."
Alan's face screwed up a little. "Lady Penelope is so old here," he muttered, mostly to himself.
Virgil poked him in the side with a frown. "Alan. Be nice."
Alan blinked up at him. "Oh! You haven't met her yet. No, really," he said with a shrug and a look at Other-Alan. "She's like their dad's age." Virgil's face also screwed up a little at that.
Other-Alan looked between the two of them, placing the clothes on the bed. "Is she not that old in your world?" he asked.
"Dude, she's like as old as the twins," Alan replied, jerking a thumb in Virgil's direction. "She's dating Gordon."
Other-Alan's jaw dropped. "Gordon? Man…that's wild. I mean…I thought a lady would have taste but…"
Virgil rolled his eyes. "Both of you be nice. Come on."
Other-Alan blinked up at him and then scowled. "Okay, no. I already have a you to big-brother me. One of you is enough."
"Try my perspective," Alan muttered, pulling a t-shirt out of the pile closest to him and dragging it on. The sweatpants he just pulled on over his joggers and watched as Virgil did the same. Other-Alan had wandered over to check on the sleeping Other-John, muttering something about a concussion, but he seemed to be waiting for them. They'd have to shower later, since the both of them desperately needed a shower, but there were other concerns for the moment.
The clothes didn't quite fit right, not on Alan and definitely not on Virgil. But they were clean, at least, and would do for now. Other-Alan eyed the two of them and gave a nod. "Dad was wanting me to ask if you two are okay to come up and…I don't know. Talk?"
Virgil frowned a little, eyeing the blond John in the bed, who was sleeping peacefully and had enough equipment attached to him that should something change someone would be alerted. "Your family was just nearly killed by a madman…shouldn't you guys be focusing on that?"
Other-Alan frowned, shuddering a bit. "I think…I think we're compartmentalizing," he said in return. He shrugged. "You know, focusing on something else so we don't spiral?"
"Fair enough," Alan muttered, stretching a little. Virgil stood as well and motioned the two younger teens out of the room. He followed along behind, watching with tired eyes as the two spoke half-heartedly to each other.
"But Gordon? Really?" Other-Alan was asking as they finally made their way into the den. Other-Gordon, the redhead—and that was still weird no matter what—looked up at the sound of his name. Both Alan and Virgil took a moment to look around the unfamiliar room, frowning at the sight.
"Gordon what?" the aquanaut asked warily. The others, Jeff and Other-Scott and Other-Virgil and Lady Penelope and Other-Brains and everyone, looked up as well. There were a lot more people on this island than the one back home held. Tin-Tin still had her parents, for one, and Other-Brains had a kid.
"Their version of you is dating Lady Penelope in their world," Other-Alan explained with a bit of a shrug. There was a lot of blinking and a few dropped jaws, but Alan and Virgil just shrugged as well. "It's weird."
"Well shit," Virgil whispered, eyeing Jeff with an odd look. He leaned back against the desk, rubbing his un-casted hand down his face. Alan nudged him a bit, frowning as he looked up at his big brother. "I'm alright, Allie," he said with a half-smile.
"Liar," Alan muttered. He turned back to the group and gave a bit of a wave. "So…hi. I'm Alan, that's Virgil and we're…well…from a different world?"
"Multi-verse theory," Virgil said with a sigh. "Of all things for Tycho to be right about…he's never going to let me hear the end of it." He muttered to himself for a minute, under his breath and too low for anyone to really hear. And then he reached out and grabbed Alan's wrist, pulling it over to him, computer and all.
"Geez, Virge, watch it," Alan grumbled, rolling his eyes.
"It's my computer," Virgil commented.
"And it's my arm," Alan retorted with a huff.
"Boys," Jeff said, and both of them glanced up at him with the exact same frown on their face. Virgil and Alan exchanged looks and then Virgil returned his attention to the computer and Alan rolled his eyes again.
"Multi-verse theory?" Other-Scott asked, frowning at the two newcomers, arms folded. Other-Alan dropped down on the couch next to him, leaning up against his big brother. Other-Scott took the weight with no complaint, letting his blue eyes rove over his little brother and make sure that no harm had come to him. Sue him if he was a little extra-vigilant after the day they'd had.
"The theory that for every world out there, there are thousands that are just different enough from them to be something else. Tens of thousands of worlds, an infinite number," Virgil explained, glancing up from whatever it was he was doing on the wrist computer. "It's theorized that every piece of fiction, every book or movie or videogame even, was dreamed up because of glimpses into other worlds. That dreams are actually insight into those worlds."
Alan frowned a bit, shifting on his feet. He didn't really like the thought of that, because a lot of his dreams weren't exactly what one could call pleasant. Virgil shot him a small smile and then returned his attention to his work.
"Such as a world where I am dating Gordon," Lady Penelope spoke up with an amused smile. "I find that…a little disconcerting honestly. I don't see myself as a cradle robber." Her voice was light, but there was a bit of warning in her gaze.
"Well," Alan shrugged a bit, scowling when Virge tugged on his arm in reprimand. "You wouldn't be. Our you is as old as the twins. So only like, three years older than Gordon and not…however much you are here."
"Twins?" Jeff asked, face scrunching a bit.
"Right," Alan muttered. "Not twins here."
Virgil looked up, a bit startled. "Wait, really? Who's older?"
"John," Alan replied, shrugging again. "By two years."
"Weird," Virgil murmured.
Alan heaved a sigh and then gave a wobbly smile as he looked up at the rest of them. They were all staring, and it was getting uncomfortable. "Okay. So…parallel worlds, right? Our Scott is twenty-seven and the oldest. Virgil here, and Johnny, are twins and are both twenty-four. We don't know who's older, and they switch on that depending on mood, which is beyond annoying at times. Gordon's twenty-one. I'm sixteen. I understand that's different from here?"
Other-Virgil frowned a bit, nodding. "Well, yeah," he said, leaning back in his seat. "Scott's twenty-seven, yes. John's twenty-five, I'm twenty-three, Gordon's twenty, and Alan's fourteen, almost fifteen."
"What other differences are there?" Jeff asked, motioning Other-Brains forward. The man came to take a seat on the couch, notebook in hand, busily scribbling away at it. "The more we know, the more we can pinpoint how we can get you home."
Alan glanced at his brother but found him frowning at the computer screen. A part of him was confused at the fact that Virgil hadn't bothered to pull up any holograms yet, as it would be a lot easier to see than squinting at the small screen, but he wasn't about to bother his brother when he was in one of his nerd-modes. "Right…well, Brains is Scott's age and doesn't have a kid. Tin-Tin goes by Kayo and is also Scott's age. John's the redhead and Gordon's blond. Um…oh, and Dad's been gone for, like, seven years so Scott's in charge of International Rescue and Tracy Industries."
"Industries, not Enterprises?" Jeff asked, frowning at the thought of being 'gone'.
"Industries," Alan nodded. Virgil made a soft noise and Alan glanced over at him. "Virge? Whatcha got?"
A hologram popped up above the computer, flickering softly. The others in the room made indistinct noises both fascination and startlement. The hologram was of the rescue that Alan and Virgil had been on before being thrown into this new world, and Virgil froze it on the face of the man that had activated the machine. "You recognize him?"
Alan shook his head, twisting up his face a bit. "No. Other than a guy that I pulled out of some rubble. Why would he activate it?"
Virgil sighed and rolled his eyes. "I'll give you three guesses, and the first two don't count," he grumbled.
Alan gave a huff. "Right. Him. We should just drop him in the Mariana Trench and be done with it."
"I'll take your opinion into account," Scott's voice said from over the computer, and everyone froze again. The hologram changed, showing Scott wearing his usual jeans and button down, but looking a bit mussed and ever-so-tired. His hair looked like he'd been running his hands through it, and his shirt was wrinkled. "You two are going to be the death of me."
"Scott!" Alan cried, sounding ever so relieved. The hologram wavered, just a bit, and Scott looked off to the side for a moment.
"The connection isn't very stable, but EOS is doing her best," Scott said. "Are you two okay?" he asked, letting the relief he felt show in his voice.
"Fine. We're fine," Virgil grunted, eyes wavering with relief of his own. It seemed just seeing their big brother was enough to release some of the tension they'd been holding onto. "You?"
Scott rolled his eyes. "IR is offline until we can get you back," he said, instead of answering the question. "We've got a lot of people working on it over here, but nothing definitive yet. Johnny's even come down from his tin-can for it." Scott's lips twitched into a bit of a smile, obviously in reaction to something from his side of the connection. "We'll send over all the information through EOS; it's too unstable for me to keep connecting like this."
The hologram flickered even more, and Alan's face fell a bit. He wanted to keep talking with Scott but knew that time was of the essence here; the connection between worlds was probably only viable because of EOS, and sending holograms the way they were, live and all, was probably straining it fiercely.
Scott turned, eyeing the group that was behind his two brothers. He paused on Jeff, frowning lightly, and then seemed to disregard him completely to let his gaze land on Other-Scott instead. "Take care of them for me."
Other-Scott nodded, frowning himself. "Of course."
Scott gave a nod, turning back to his brothers. "Stay safe. We'll be in touch." He gave a sloppy salute and a half-grin.
"FAB," both Alan and Virgil intoned, repeating that same two-fingered, sloppy salute. The hologram wavered again and cut off. Virgil sighed and let Alan's arm drop, running a hand over his face again.
"They took IR offline," Alan muttered.
"They're two pilots down, Sprout," Virgil responded.
Jeff cleared his throat then, frowning darkly. "Aren't you too young to be doing rescues?" he asked, gazing sternly at Alan.
"Yes," Alan answered honestly. Because even he knew that sixteen was a ridiculous age to allow someone to fly the most advanced space rocket ever seen. "But that definitely isn't your call to make," he said.
"And no one can fly Three like Alan can," Virgil said, also frowning at the man. He gave a bit of a huff. "I need coffee."
"You need sleep," Other-Virgil said, pushing himself to his feet. "We all need sleep." And suddenly everyone was looking a bit more haunted, a little more distant. The day seemed to catch up with all of them, and no one seemed to know what to do with it.
"Come on," Other-Scott said, pulling Other-Alan to his feet and stepping closer to the two world-displaced brothers. "Let's get you set up in the guest room."