He had no warning.
Like freezing water dumped over him, Gordon was brought to full consciousness, not by the chill of ice over his skin, but the surge of electricity up his side. His limbs were frozen, though, locked at his wrists and ankles as he lay on his stomach. He couldn't cry out for it to stop, though there were words demanding to be let loose. When the current running through his muscles was finally withdrawn, he was left to gasp in the new, disorienting room that wasn't his sub or his home.
"Good evening," the voice wasn't expected, and yet it is. This was always a possibility, but that didn't stop the shock from stealing his breath or the desperate pull at his restraints to get away from the owner of the greeting.
"I trust you're comfortable?" The Hood queried as though he cared.
As Gordon's lungs drew in the sterile air, he felt some resolve return, grasping at his rebellious nature, "Not the worst place I've taken a nap." Amber eyes flicked to the side, straining to catch a glimpse of his captor, "but I can wholeheartedly say I've woken to much better company. No offence, but you're kind of an asshole."
A chuckled snear, "Oh, my dear boy. A snake is never offended by a mouse. It simply feasts." Fingers slid over his calf, tracing the marks embedded in his skin and for the first time he realized they had removed his uniform. "Though, perhaps a cat catching a fish would be more precise. Imagine my surprise," the fingers left his leg, landing once more on the marks over his back, "when, instead of wings, I see these."
"What," Gordon tried not to flinch under the unwanted touch, "never seen a tattoo before?"
Another laugh, "And this is only a social visit. No, I've been keeping my sights on you Tracy boys long enough to question why son number four never joins his brothers in the sky. Now, I have my answer."
His concentration slipped from the Hood as John's presence overwhelmed him, bright waves of starlight eliciting a panicked cry for help from his soul. They were looking for him - of course they were - and when Virgil joined with the calming blanket of strength that loosened the tension in his arms and legs, Gordon knew everything would be alright.
Until burning metal prongs sent electricity through his skin. It was short and jarring and for a moment his brothers were gone. The Hood's voice hissed into his ear, instead, "Pay close attention, boy! I asked you a question."
Gordon breathed through the pain as it ebbed away once the stun baton moved,"Sorry, but I couldn't care less what you have to say."
"Stubborn, like your father," it was meant to hurt, but Gordon felt it roll through him like a swell, lifting with it an anger reserved solely for the man responsible for Dad's disappearance. "We'll try this again - what can you become?"
"The thing of nightmares," he ground out the half-truth. There was no use denying that he and his brother's were Aves, but Gordon wasn't going to make it any easier for the villain.
A thick brow arched, "Then surely you'd be willing to demonstrate. It's been quite some time since I've been remotely terrified. Seems thrilling." Again, the fingers traced the marks on his back, sending a chill up his spine that made him want to vomit, "Perhaps a shark? Those teeth, ready to tear me apart?"
Tempting, though the taste of blood from the last time he'd become that particular fish was enough to even spare the Hood a loss of limb. "Would you stop!" The growl bounced through the room with the continued touch.
Gordon didn't expect his request to be granted, but the Hood moved his hand away to take the few steps needed to reach one of the medical tables surrounding his own. Without the yellow eyes on him, the blonde once again tried to pull at his restraints, acutely aware of his brothers doing their best to send reassuring waves in his direction. He wanted nothing more than to do the same, but at the glint of metal and the intensifying light above him, panic was all he could muster.
"How's your brother? John, was it?" The Hood twisted the scalpel in his hand with a menacing grin. Gordon's glare could've melted steel, but only managed to draw a laugh, "Imagine my surprise when I discovered removing their wings offered me little insight into where you keep your forms hidden? Shame - though, there has been word of his return to the skies. Care to elaborate?"
"Not really," Gordon's anger flickered to defiance with the implication. It would've been easy to let the fear bubble back up, clamp his mouth shut to allow the Hood free reign of the conversation. No, he needed to keep some hand in this situation and playing quiet protest would get him nowhere, "You'll just have to be happy not knowing."
"And isn't that the interesting part of science? Not knowing, but so sure of a theory you're happy to test it out anyway possible?" The Hood didn't seem perturbed, simply flicking the knife before lowering it towards the aquanaut's back. "What do you think would happen if I cut out part of this tattoo? I assume it would be similar to - Oh, say removing a wing or two."
Before he could respond, the cold metal of the scalpel pressed against his skin, fire lancing through his back as the blade moved. He choked on the shock and fear that sent a cry from his throat, "Ahh-Stop!"
"I would," the Hood's ministrations were excruciatingly slow,"but then, what would I learn?"
The knife continued and Gordon was left with a decision he didn't want to make. Even if it saved him a few more minutes. Even if he would have to deal with the consequences. He was alone and it was his decision to make, "I won't - won't be able - Ahh! Just stop!"
This time he did, a smug satisfaction coating the Hood's words, "Won't be able to do what?"
Gordon's breaths remained shallow with the sensation of the scalpel still on his skin. The overwhelming disappointment was quickly succumbed by the sparks of his brothers, both frantically reaching out to drag him from the pain they could feel. He grasped it, centered himself with the familiarity of it. The words were effortless, "If you remove a mark, I won't be able to shift."
That wasn't completely true. He could still change, but some part of him would be gone. Cause enough damage and that sea creature would be unusable. The thought of losing any of his tail markings was motivation to stay the Hood's hand.
"Well then," and the knife was gone, replaced by the warm flow of blood."You and I have some decisions to make. You can agree to show me how these markings work, or I can cut them out, one at a time. I wonder what would happen if I attached them to one of my men? Seems worth a try if you refuse to cooperate."
Ice tore through his veins at the implication. What the Hood was proposing had never been attempted, leaving him no way to combat the offer presented to him. It was his choice, but he was going to lose either way.
"Fine," he hissed through clenched teeth. "I'll do it, just - I don't see how this helps you."
"My dear boy, you have access to unimaginable power," the Hood offered with a toothy grin. "I simply desire it for myself. Now," the Hood's eyes shifted to his back - to his marks, "if I'm to assume your brothers have wings, then yours appear to be some species of manta ray. Show me."
For a tense moment, Gordon didn't move, the years of secrecy drilled into his mind. The Hood stayed silent, patient as though they had all the time in the world. He knew that wasn't true - not in the least. His brothers would find him, and then there would be nothing but desperation. A slight shift of metal and amber eyes caught the subtle movement of the tray that held the surgical tool. Maybe the villain wasn't as patient as he gave him credit for.
A breath to ease the tension in his shoulders and try to calm the two brothers vying for his attention and -
The shift usually felt natural, an extension of himself simply coming to the surface to find a new, exhilarating form, but now it felt wrong, like he was betraying his entire family. The marks melted into his skin as muscles and bone became soft, skin smooth for gliding through the sea - and he didn't need to see that the Hood was grinning like a madman.
No, Gordon saw the restraints fall, no longer holding his arms - and his own grin spread through his mind.
If the Hood realized his mistake, the aquanaut didn't give him a chance to voice it. He shifted back, hiding his coveted form away from the man that had damaged his family, taken their father away, almost killed John and Virgil -
Rage centered him - pooled in his fist - and before he was off the table, the Hood's head had snapped back. Red blossomed across the shocked expression and Gordon found himself suddenly wanting to do more, take out years of hatred on the man, but as the elder form crumpled back, taking a table and tray with him, there was only the need to escape. He ran.
The door slid open as he raced through the room, leaping into the hallway on bare feet that padded over the cool metal. Where he was headed, Gordon wasn't certain, but he knew getting as far from the Hood as possible was his only option. He could shift, but there was no water he could see and drying out in the middle of the Hood's facility wasn't appealing either.
The halls were cramped, a new corridor appearing to his right and he went to take it when he felt the blow. His back slammed into the floor, knocking a breath out of him. A boot landed against his chest and Gordon blinked up at the smug grin on the woman's face.
"Leaving so soon?" Vivian - he knew her face, along with what she'd done to Kayo - her smile grew as she went to kick him over. Anger returned, his arms wrapping around the woman's leg as his own came up to wrap around her waist, sending her off balance and to the floor. There was a curse, their limbs twisting with a frantic need to connect and disable. Training took over with an inner growl from his sister and he was rolling, easily ignoring the fact he was fighting a woman. Kayo had made it quite clear that an enemy was an enemy and this one could kill him.
There was an advantage to wearing nothing but his boxers, the woman's hands coming up empty as they slid over his shoulder trying to find purchase. Gordon was on his feet again while Vivian made chase, her boots pounding on the grating behind him.
And then there were shouts coming from the path ahead. He didn't dare stop, hoping to catch the Hood's men off guard. The thought of shifting into a seal flitted through his head - launch the weighty animal into the unsuspecting goons - but the Hood already had too much. He knew too much about his abilities, something Gordon found terrifying.
No - the ray would be all the villain got out of him.
The hallway ended at a T and he swung left, straight into the first uniformed henchman. Gordon's elbow connected with the man's throat, sending him crumpling backwards into the next. What followed, however, could be considered a swarm of hands grasping and clawing at him as he tried to fight through. There was the snap of cartilage and he knew he'd broken someone's nose, but the weight soon intensified and the aquanaut was pinned to the ground.
A comm chimed and Vivian let her own anger seep into the call, "We have him, sir."
Gordon struggled, regardless, muscles honed with purpose in the waters surrounding his home, but they had the numbers. One man took it upon himself to send a fist into the blonde's cheek, eliciting a flash of bright stars to dance across his vision.
"Very good," the Hood's voice was slurred and there was some satisfaction in knowing he'd done that. "Put him under and then I'll deal with him."
Fingers dug into his hair, pulling his face from the floor as Vivian knelt down in front of him. Her eyes were alight with the anger he'd caused as she roughly shoved a mask over his nose and mouth. Gordon held his breath against the gas he knew was coming, but a solid jab to his ribs sent much of his oxygen out with a huff. Her hand stayed firm as he writhed against the weight on his back, his legs and arms. He fought to reach his brothers, desperate for any form of strength he could obtain, ethereal or not. Lungs burning, Gordon couldn't stop the sharp intake. The walls swayed violently and before he could try to blink them steady again, he was gone.