A cacophony of noise blared through the villa, drawing the attention of the inhabitants who came sprinting into the lounge. John made it first, calling up EOS, a pit of worry twisting Virgil's gut as the astronaut questioned his creation, "What's the situation?"
"Thunderbird 4 has gone offline," the AI let the words cut into the brothers with their severity. "I'm unable to reach Gordon or Kayo."
Virgil's heart dropped, the pain stealing his breath before his mind flew, sent out over the ocean in search of his brother. He found him, their link weakened by the aquanaut's state. Gordon wasn't in pain, but his consciousness was dull, void of the spark the elder brother expected. The distance didn't help, but the frantic rush of emotions was enough.
"Gordon's alive," Virgil blurted before John could question EOS any further. Dark brown eyes found Scott and Alan, both wearing anxious expressions. They wanted to move.
"Do you have their location?" At the AI's confirmation, John continued, "Transmit it to Thunderbirds 1 and 2." His eyes then moved to their commander, waiting for the order that wasn't necessary.
"Let's go," Scott's voice was grim, determination burning through every muscle as he turned towards his launch tube. No one spoke as they followed suit and Virgil couldn't stop the dread from filling his chest. It mingled with John's own concern, twisting his stomach in knots with the tilt of the painting. EOS hadn't elaborated on the cause, but Virgil knew his little brother - knew Kay - and the chances of Thunderbird 4 being destroyed on a rescue were slim. The chances of it being an attack -
Virgil barely registered his suit-up, nearly missing his dismount with the swirl of emotions and the landing sent spikes of pain up his side. The idea that it was too soon for him to launch flitted through his subconscious, ignored in lieu of doing his job, taking care of those most important to him.
His eyes were drawn to the co-pilot's chair with a different ache than the one slowly ebbing away and he quickly took his own while prepping for launch. John and Alan would be aboard soon and then it would be a race to keep up with Thunderbird 1.
"Should we alert the GDF?" Alan's question caught him off guard as the astronauts rose into the cockpit.
John sent Virgil a reassuring pulse through their link - there was more information, "EOS doesn't detect any other ships in the area."
The comm link on the orange baldric was aglow, giving Scott enough to add his own thoughts on the matter, "We'll let Col Casey know what's happened, but until we have more information, no outsiders."
"FAB," John took a seat next to Virgil, sympathy and regret evident as the harness descended. Their eyes locked with the glow of the late afternoon sun cascading through the open cave entrance. A beat of apprehension before John asked, "Are you…?"
Virgil's lips thinned, already aware of his brother's concern, "I'll be fine." The aches in his back would tell John otherwise, but there was no argument. They didn't have the luxury to wait for the engineer to be back to full operation and there was no way he would stay on the island.
Thunderbird 2 lurched forward, purpose filling Virgil's limbs as he focused on launch procedures. His mind went out to Gordon once more, but only found the loose threads of their connection. The rumble of his 'bird brushed them away and it was all he could do not to override the launch failsafes. They needed to make it to Thunderbird 4 in one piece, no matter how much he wanted to just be in the air.
The roar of One drew their attention to the silver ship already darting across the sky. There would be no catching up now. Scott would be on his own. Virgil sent out a plea that the area would remain clear of anyone willing to hurt his family, the idea of having to rescue the eldest all too real.
And then, his girl was rocketing through the air, his side protesting the abuse until she leveled out and fell into the path that would take them to Kay and his little brother.
A breath.
A quick glance to John and those turquoise eyes were watching him, worrying, "I can take over if -"
"I'm fine," came out sharp, leaving no room for dispute. He was fine. He could do this. He needed to do this.
He needed to erase the images conjured by his own mind of death, of the destruction, of John losing his wings and the pain - his choice - his fault for not agreeing to stop the Hood sooner - why hadn't he listened to Gordon -
A hand came to rest on his arm, drawing him from the burden of self-doubt and hatred and Virgil turned, only to find John's hands dancing over readouts. A bit farther and he found the bright blue eyes watching him, Alan's hand giving the shoulder a gentle squeeze before letting go. Though they lacked the bond shared by the middle three, Alan had become far more perceptive to compensate. He may not be able to feel the rage building inside him, but Virgil could assume it wasn't difficult to read in his tense form.
Neither spoke, the physical connection enough to center him for the moment. He needed to concentrate on their goal - get to Thunderbird 4. Once they had Gordon and Kay safely home, Virgil would deal with what he'd done. No sooner.
The trip was a blink, too close to home, yet not so much to draw suspicion. Gordon would've been cautious nonetheless - Kayo, more so. As Virgil focused on the calm, sun kissed swells of the cerulean waters, he tried to imagine his aquatic brother circling around his craft, his connection too difficult to read in cephalopod form. If that were the case, though, Gordon would already be on the surface with a soggy, but definitely alive security officer in tow. The calm surface was a heartstopping message all its own.
"All set for module deployment," Alan called through the comm, already set in one of the two pods that would be heading down.
"Leaving Thunderbird 1 now to rendezvous with the second submarine pod once the module's open," Scott leading was a given, but it still sent daggers through Virgil's chest that he was regulated to piloting. The module fell and he tried his best to trust his heart to his youngest brother. He and Scott would bring their family home. What he needed to focus on was securing his grapples to Gordon's damaged 'bird.
Beside him, John had the holographic image of the sub and surrounding waters. Two blips joined in as their brothers launched, comms open for them to hear first hand what was being seen. The sharp curse from Scott was more than enough to force Virgil's hand to the autopilot.
"What are you doing?" John asked with a hint of urgency. He knew - the intent was obvious - but he needed the panicked engineer to put words to it.
"I've gotta get down there," his voice shook with barely controlled frustration.
"Once the grapples are in place," turquoise pinned him with the importance of their job. They softened with the plea for understanding that Virgil didn't trust his voice to say, "Scott and Alan will get to them."
A moment - silent, save for the communication between the brothers under water. Their eyes were locked and the sense of control was at war with the need for action. John's head was clear, while Virgil's was a raging storm ready to take anyone down who would get in his way.
But he knew - the way he always knew - that his job - his place - was up here. There was nothing more he could offer that his Thunderbird couldn't. The only problem, his heart lay within the shattered hull of the second youngest's craft. Virgil broke the gaze, unable to hide the true pain sitting behind his eyes, but John felt it, offering his own connection for comfort.
"I've got visuals on Kayo," Scott's declaration drew them both back to the holograms. "She's still in the front cabin, but she's not responding and we can't get inside without flooding it."
"I'll get Thunderbird 4 to the surface," Virgil cut in, already charging the grapples. "Have you located Gordon?"
"Negative," Alan's answer was coated in awestruck disbelief. "The back is empty and - man... if he'd been inside -"
"Launching grapples," the magnetic connections hit the yellow plating of the sub before Alan could elaborate. Virgil knew for a fact that Gordon was alive and dwelling on the what if's wouldn't help them find the aquanaut any sooner.
"Gordon's GPS isn't showing up on the scanners," John added to the building dilemma. The possibility that he'd been outside Thunderbird 4 when it was hit seemed most likely, but there was no natural way for his gear to be malfunctioning. "Expanding the search for any lifesigns in the vicinity, now," The hologram expanded to show more of the area, transmitting to the submarine pods as it grew.
Virgil's attention was solely on the craft rising to the surface, "I'm heading down to the module." No one stopped him this time, the hatch behind the cockpit lowering as he stepped on it. The moment he lifted, the aches of his healing wounds ignored, he was soaring through the cool ocean air and into the open cargo container, wings folding against his back. Thunderbird 4 broke the surface a moment later, revealing the jagged tear in her belly and side that gushed sea water. A cable from within the module was held tightly in the engineer's grip, disbelief and fear mixing with rage. A step and he flew out to meet the 'bird to help guide her back into the safety of the unit.
Please - please, be okay… each word was a prayer uttered with every inch Thunderbird 4 moved. He dared utter the words once she was settled and he could pry the rear doors open - the hatch to the cockpit - gentle hands sliding the pilot's seat back until his girl was before him.
"Oh, Kay," he didn't dare touch her, not until the scanner in his belt took one sweep across her unmoving form. Concussion, broken collar bone, shattered forearm - she'd braced for the impact and it was too soon to tell if that had saved her. Trembling fingers hit the iR on his baldric, "Guys, I need to get Kay home." And that was a problem. With Gordon still MIA - still a low tickle under his skin - leaving the area meant leaving a brother.
There was a long, excruciating pause where he knew Scott was at war with every option they had. Virgil knew from experience that the desire to keep searching would be at the forefront of his mind, but the need to help Kayo was detrimental. The answer was almost expected.
"Alan, get back to the module," Scott started, cutting off the teen's protests. "We'll load the submarine pods and John and I will continue to search for Gordon."
The shock that followed left the second eldest's heart hammering out an alert. They need to protect the brother he'd let down -
"But Scott -" Alan's voice protested for the three of them even as his pod surfaced.
"John will be able to sense Gordon since we can't track his suit," a stern reprimand, frustration for his own lacking - Scott was just as upset that he would be relying on another brother for the link he didn't possess himself. "Virgil's got to take care of Kayo while you fly Thunderbird 2."
The command and explanation were as much for Virgil's benefit as they were Alan's. Any other time, he would be willing to relinquish control of his Thunderbird if it meant keeping John safe. His world was spiraling, though, and the unsteady rhythm of Kay's heartbeat was solidifying his resolve.
"Scott's right, Al," gruff with unkempt emotion, the words connected with each brother. The eldest needed his support as much as the youngest. "We'll find Gordon and bring him home." He swore it, even if it meant going down avenues International Rescue steered clear of. This was their brother and they would do whatever it took to get him back.
There was nothing more to be said, no arguments offered in contrast. Virgil listened to the metallic clunks of the pods connecting, thanked his little brother for the help with transferring the unconscious woman to a stretcher before the teen rushed off to initiate module retrieval. His attention was on Kay, her face tense with the pain he knew she was in. The blessed relief of unconsciousness was lifting and as the couplers snapped around the massive green cargo container, he could see her eyes shifting behind closed lids.
As much as he wanted to help with the search, Virgil knew where he was supposed to be, whispering soft words to help with the pain brought on by his own ministrations. When she appeared to settle, his own rage flared once more. Someone had done this, deliberately or not. There would be no peace for the guilty party once they were found and Virgil was certain the rest of the family would agree.
Someone would pay.
OoOoOoO
Luminous silver wings spread wide, slicing through the steady gusts sweeping over the ocean. The feathers flicked and curved with precision and grace and were in stark contrast to the metallic ones below.
Scott's gaze lingered on his brother flying below him, literally under his wing as they flew in search of something the eldest had come to terms with never experiencing. It still hurt, though. The anxiety built like a weighted pressure in his chest every time he was forced to follow a brother who could sense the lost one. Dwelling on his inadequacies would do little to help the situation, he knew and it was a mantra used far too often. Instead, he could focus on the slight shimmy of prosthetic wings as they glinted in the late afternoon sun. Rich amber matched the hair confined within the helmet, and for the briefest moment, Scott found a glimpse into Virgil's world of color.
The connection shattered as a gust sent the astronaut's arms pinwheeling for balance, for control he'd lost because of the Hood. The slightest movement and Scott's hands gently steadied his brother, "You good?"
"Yeah," breathless and strained with the surge of adrenaline. "Thanks."
He wanted to make light, tell John he was doing great despite the loss of his natural wings. He was doing what none of them had ever dreamed of in the same circumstances. Instead, he gave his brother's shoulder a reassuring squeeze before returning them to the crisis at hand, "Anything from Gordon?"
A pause filled with the sound of their own breaths as John concentrated, "Nothing I can pinpoint. It's like," another space filled with a brother trying to describe the impossible. Scott knew he would give just about anything for what his brothers had - to know when they were in danger no matter where he was on the planet. Yet, there was frustration in John's voice, "It's like I can feel him - right here," he placed a hand over his chest. "I just can't find him."
The desire to soothe the fear was dampened by a desperate need for answers that would help them save Gordon. If Scott had access to the empathic link, John would be well aware of how close he was to calling in their last resort. The GDF had intel, trained individuals who would be willing to assist in the return of an ally. There was always that layer of mistrust, however. People of ill intent. Had those people been responsible for what had happened today? For what had happened to John? The thought of their past relations with the defence force had him questioning those he trusted outside of his family.
Who could they trust?
Names - impossibly close to them - suddenly became suspect. Aunt Val, Lady Penelope, Parker… Em. So many people were a part of their inner circle and helped to keep them safe and alive. Could one of them betray his family?
He couldn't negate the overwhelming rush of betrayal and pain that theory brought with it. Even if it wasn't intentional, any one of them could be leaking information, painting a target right on their marks. Could it be enough to get them captured… or killed.
The thoughts boiled in his mind until he couldn't breathe, and then -
A grunt from below jerked Scott from the paranoia just in time to see John falter. Metal flashed orange as the wings tilted and disappeared - and his brother fell.