Am so sorry its been so long. Life takes over and sometimes gets dramatic sometimes. Lol But I hope you all stay with me. Am almost done... ish.. maybe. What do you think?

Thank you FAB. Your an awesome beta. I don't know how you put up with me. xxx

Chapter 10

Pain and darkness had become such a constant occurrence in Gordon's life, he had started to expect it. Every time pain had returned, it was always somehow worse than before. Presenting itself in a new way of torturing him, breaking his spirit bit by bit. If Gordon could describe what his world had become, it would be like some deep dark muddy pit, swallowing him up. All the while his hands and feet chained together so he couldn't fight his way out. Instead, he was just being pulled lower, drowning him in what felt like ink. The light above him quickly disappearing, along with it the image of his family, falling further and further away until they was nothing more than a memory. That's what was happening now. Even the fire that had been ripping through his body had just become something he was vaguely aware of in the back of his mind, and it was still fading. He should have been grateful for the reprieve, but he knew the relief was coming at a cost of his life as it drained away like water down a sink.

The only reason why he knew he was still alive was because of the constant pressure hammering down repeatably on his chest. Something or someone was doing their best to keep his heart beating. A few times he could swear he heard his brother John's voice, begging him to stay. Begging him to keep fighting. He sounded so upset, it made Gordon's already struggling heart ache even more. He tried to hold on to the precious lifelines of his brother's voice, but even that was slowly starting to fade away into the deep dark depths of his brain. No matter how hard he tried, there just didn't seem to be anything left to hold on to... He was alone now. He couldn't even feel the pain any more and he was tired. Tired of the pain. Tired of the nightmare images torturing him. The blissful darkness was pulling him away from the pain. Would it be so bad if he just let it take him? Just float away and see where he ended up...? Death couldn't be any worse than the things he had already been through. As much as he didn't want to go, he did just want the suffering to stop.

"No! Gordy please no! Don't you dare give up on us! - " One last shout from his brother burst forth from the abyss before all was snatched away, now there was just nothing... The wave had taken him and swept him forth to sea.

"John!" He sent out one last thought. "I'm sorry." But the words just floated like mist in his mind as he was swept away by the black wave. He felt himself go under, and the fear of death just melted away along with the pain, leaving just some lingering thoughts behind. Would they miss him after he was gone? Would anything change after losing dad and now him? Would everyone he was leaving behind be safe?

That last question alone seemed to have put a pause on what felt like was a long descent. Could he really "move on" if he didn't know if everyone was ok? Still somewhere lost in darkness, Gordon knew he had slipped away, he just didn't know how far. Was this it? Was the fight for his life over or was his mind just stuck in limbo somewhere? All he knew was that he was alone. Then out of the nothingness, he became aware of something. He didn't know what to expect in death. If to expect anything at all, but he became aware of cold fingers stroking his hand. The sensation was yanking him back from the pain he had drifted away from. The same cold but soft fingers then started brushing against his face. Soon the touch became warmer, and it seemed to spread throughout his body. The new sensation was pushing away the darkness and all the fear he had been holding onto. The fingers were so warm, now lovingly brushing back his hair, wiping away his tears He felt some sense of safety. Gordon felt his body relax as he was taken into a protective embrace in arms that felt all too familiar. Holding him like he was a child... It was as though the arms had always been there, but he had only just noticed them. Not knowing if it was just another cruel hallucination, or that he had really 'crossed over,' he only now dare open his eyes to find out. His question was answered by the golden blond curls and his own warm brown eyes looking down at him.

"Mom!" He gasped. "Is..is it you? Oh god I am really dead."

Her sunshine smile answered him without a word being said. "Hello, my beautiful boy. Are you ready to come home with me?" Her smile brought a warm light that surrounded her. Gordon suddenly found himself drowning in all the early memories of her. A happier time for all of them. Overcome with emotion, he was speechless. He had missed her so much but he hadn't realised just how much until now. He wanted nothing more than to hold her and never, ever let go... For a moment he felt ready to leave this world. As long as it was with her. He was ready to go wherever she said because wherever she went was home... But something was missing. Where was his Dad? Gordon looked around from her embrace expecting to see the silver haired man waiting for him with that knowing smile he had, but it was just him and his mother. Again she just smiled at him taking away all troubling thoughts.

Just as acceptance of death loomed before him, a strange yank at his heart held him back. If was coming from the cold dark place he had just passed through, calling him. It was just a feeling, but it felt more like a long ice chain, threatening to drag him back into the darkness if he ignored it.

"Mom!" He started with such worry as a dark cloud of dread came over him. He knew what this was. "The others! There in danger." He couldn't tell how he knew this, but with every bit of him that still existed, he knew it was true.

"I know sweetheart." She said brushing back her long hair behind her ear, but her eyes were full of sadness. "But there is nothing you can do. You have already suffered so much. Let go my darling and come with me." She tried to lead him away from the memories still nipping at his neck, but he couldn't budge. It actually did come as a surprise to him that he wasn't ready to let go yet.

"I... I can't leave them yet Mom... Not if they're in danger." Gordon looked back breaking away from her grasp. "Mom the others are ok right?" Not liking the longing look of fear in her eyes. But the little she said, said everything. Gordon was drawn back to looking at what he could only describe as darkness behind him. It was already too late for him. What good would it do to witness the horror he knew was back there? He could just go with his mother now and wait for the others to join them one day...? and yet he just couldn't abandon them, because none of them would ever abandon him.

"I don't want to see you hurt any more." She begged, brushing away another tear. But how could she be asking him to just leave them? They were all her children. Surely she cared about what happened to them too.

"Am sorry Mom but I need to see what's coming."

He was unsure of the look that crossed over her face. It filled him with fear of what he was about to see. For a moment, it looked like she was going to argue but instead nodded with more sadness. "If this is what will help you move on, then just focus on the road you came on, and work your way backwards." She told him still holding his hand. Gordon could already feel the pull of the world he had left behind. He looked at her one last time, not wanting to leave her. "Don't worry. I'll be right here waiting for you." She smiled before letting him go. As she did so, Gordon gasped. It was as though he was falling down a well. Now suddenly once again he found himself in the creepy room on the Mechanic ship... Only this time he was standing up. Looking around, he found himself repressing the urge to be sick from the shock. He saw his brother John... But John was looking down over... him! He, Gordon was still laying down on the metal operating table! His eyes were closed and his tanned complexion had drained away to a pale white. A deathly, pasty white.

…...

"No! Gordy please no! Don't you dare give up on us!" John sobbed at his side. "Please I need you to live Gordy. Come on you are a Tracy. Take this poison and crush it!"

But Gordon's convulsion's had ceased, and so had his heartbeat. The Mechanic had stopped pounding on his bare chest. The heart monitor was now only one long uninterrupted flat line rhythm. Gordon had never reopened his eyes. "No!" John yelled. "No no no no no!" The bigger brother repeated as his whole world came crashing down on top of him but there was no denying what had just happened as Gordon's chest had stopped moving. "Not you! Please not you!" He sobbed. It broke Gordon's heart to see John like this. He wanted to touch him. To reach out and hold him and tell him that he was ok. That there was no more pain where he was now. That Mom was waiting for him. But he wasn't here. Not really. It was more like being a hologram, only not.

"He's gone... I'm... I'm sorry," said the Mechanic standing back only able to watch the tragic scene unfold. The astronaut didn't hear him. At this moment John didn't care about anything anymore. The new silence flooding the room made him feel sick. All he could do was stare helplessly into the face of his younger brother. A face that was always so full of life and laughter. The one who had inherited their mother's aura of sunshine. The one that was born after him. The one he remembered at just 5 years old, he sat over, staring curiously at the new born in his crib. He wasn't the youngest Tracy anymore and he swore he would always watch over and protect him just like Scott and Virgil had done for him.

Alan had been a surprise years later. Up until then, Gordon had been the baby they would all protectively watch over... But now he was laying here, cold and forgotten on a metal slab. Before John could absorb any more, he had an overwhelming urge to remove that hideous metal mouthpiece and tube strapped down his throat. He couldn't just leave him here like this. Once removed, John took the smaller blond into his arms and continue to sob. How was he going to tell the others that he had lost one of their little brothers? That he had just watched him die in such excruciating pain? This couldn't be happening!

John was so wrapped up in his own despair, he hadn't noticed the Mechanic behind him, suddenly clutching his head with both hands, silently struggling to keep hold of his own sanity as his eyes suddenly glowed bright burning yellow. The Mechanic had only just become aware of his internal struggle in the last few seconds. But a few seconds was all the Hood had needed. He wanted to warn the astronaut that 'he' was here. That the Hood was nearby taking control of his body.

"John look out!" The standing Gordon yelled seeing everything his red-headed brother did not, but he didn't hear him. It was too late.

The Mechanic's arm had started moving of its own accord. No more words were spoken by the larger man. All he could do was watch himself pick up the first heavy metal object he saw. He could only watch himself as he approached the redhead from behind as he sobbed uncontrollably over the loss of his little brother. He didn't make a sound as he slammed the heavy blunt object into the back of the astronaut's head, hearing his skull crack under his fingers. He remained silent as he watched him crumble to the ground. He didn't react as he watched the blood pool out onto the floor, watching yet another young life drain away. Then the Mechanic calmly just left the room in search of his master, not at all aware of the other worldly eyes watching him in horror.

Gordon didn't know how badly John was hurt. He couldn't see him breathing and there was so much blood. It was too late for him, but he had to get help for John!

Upon just the thought, John's motionless form vanished. Now the same eyes were watching the pink FAB car coming to land on Tracy island. But it wasn't alone. A GDF craft had come along with it. Landing in the outside runway space of T2. Not waiting on service, Penny was practically out of the car before the engine had stopped, making a beeline for the second ship. When the doors opened, it was a frantic Scott and Virgil that exited, and they were soon followed by Captain Foster, who was unnaturally quiet considering the situation. "Kayo and Brains are not far behind in Thunderbird 2." The blond woman informed them. "But there is still no word from John or Alan." The group looked up at their home. All the lights were out, completely void of life.

"Ok. When I get to Dad's desk I can try and reach John," Virgil said not hiding the anxiety. There was no reason why they couldn't have reached him from their own communicators. They could only hope that the reason for the radio silence would become clear once they were back at the main control area. The black-haired agent turned when Scott didn't reply.

"Something really bad has happened Virgil. I just know it!" Scott said without moving.

"Don't think like that. We'll find them." The brother squeezed his shoulder reassuringly. Although the look in his eyes said he was struggling to ignore the very same instincts. "We just need a plan."

"No Virgil, listen to Scott. You have to hurry and find John!" Gordon yelled at them, but of course, no one heard him.

"I have a plan." Scott retorted without looking away from the house. "I am going to go in there and if the Mechanic is there, then I am going to punch him in the face repeatedly."

"Not a terrible plan... But I think we need something a little more solid?" Virgil added.

"That's a great plan! Let's go with that!" Gordon retorted

Still looking determined, Scott turned to the additional three. "Parker thank you for getting us out of that bloody box." He nodded to the British agent before turning to the captain. "and thanks for the lift Captain but I don't know why you couldn't have brought more back up with you? This is the Mechanic. If he's in there, he has our family and -!"

"And storming the castle with all guns blazing is the worse thing we can do for them." The woman said in a no-nonsense tone. "I can handle the Mechanic. Trust me on that." She said with a glint in her eye. "You just focus on finding your kin." The two Tracy brothers nodded before making their way towards one of the many outside passages that led up to the house. The other two agents went to follow but the Captain stood in their way. "I need you two to stay here in the GDF ship!" Both Penny and Parker looked at her like she had just lost her mind.

"What?"

"I'm sorry Captain but with all due respect, that is NOT going to be happening," Penny informed her while making sure to keep a force polite tone. There was just something about this woman that she didn't like.

Parker for seeing the two women locking horns once again quickly made his way in between them.

"What Mi'lady is trying to say is, we would be much more useful as your backup against the Mechanic inside the house, don't you think?!"

"And that is much appreciated but I may need my ship as a backup more." The woman said without breaking eye contact with the blond's icy glare.

"You want us to drive your GDF ship? Wouldn't ours be better?" Parker asked curiously.

"If I can't get the Mechanic down here into a holding cell, then I will need you to bring the holding cell to me. Could you two handle flying the GDF ship closer to the house?" She asked as though she doubted the abilities of the agents. The GDF ship wasn't much bigger than FAB 1, but the back was secure and could hold up to 4 prisoners inside if needed. Parker had to stop himself from sneering at the officer.

"I think I can handle her Missy!"

"Good. Then it's settled. Stay in range and land as close as you can. I'll have the Mechanic in custody shortly." She said somewhat overly confident. The two agreed to follow the Captain's plan. It would have just been nice if she told them what it was she was planning to do to get the Mechanic under control so easily? After the Captain went to follow the Tracy's up to the house, Penny remained. Like Scott, she had a feeling that something was very wrong. But she just put it down to just having someone attacking them on their home turf ... She couldn't see the aquanaut standing right before her.

"Penny?" Gordon tried to reach out to her. "I never said it... Now it's too late... I love you."

"Mi'lady?" Parker asked concerned when he saw she wasn't following him to the GDF ship. He had noticed all the colour drained from her face. The blond woman had her hand on her chest as though she was trying to feel for her own heartbeat. "Are you alright Mi'lady?"

"I don't know Parker..." She said surprised that a tear had just ran down her cheek. She was crying, but she didn't know why. "I can't explain it, but I just have this feeling that we're too late." She said looking up at the confused face. Had she had listened to her instincts, she would have gone running after the two Tracy brothers instead.

…..

"There's no response from John," Virgil said frantically going through every communication channel. Tracy island was in darkness but the communication still worked. There was just no one there to answer it. "Where the hell is Alan and Grandma?!"

"Why are we still talking? You have to find John. He's hurt and I don't know how long he has! The Mechanic's gone psychopathic again!" Gordon knew it was pointless to keep shouting, but it was all he could do to not feel completely helpless.

"Gordon's missing too. He isn't in the infirmary..." Scott frantically flicked the channel. "Maybe Gran and Alan took him somewhere to keep him safe? They could have locked themselves in one of the secure rooms?" Scott said, trying to calm himself as he went through the security camera when he saw something that made his heart stop. He had just looked into the hanger of Thunderbird 2 and seen that it wasn't empty. Gordon was there, growing more frantic.

"Scott you always know what's going on, even if there is no earthly way you could know. I really need you to have one of those moment's right now!" Gordon begged.

"Where are you going now?" Virgil noticing the dark look come over his brother's face.

That gut wrenching feeling Scott had been trying to put at the back of his mind had once again clawed its way forward with a vengeance. Something was very wrong. Where was Captain Foster? Where was Lady P and Parker? Hadn't they been following them up? Scott looked at his brother before making his way over to the stair passage that went down to T2's hanger. "Kayo should be here soon. Call the Captain. Call the GDF! Call the god damn army if you have to, but I am going after the Mechanic!" Before Virgil could say anything, Scott had vanished behind the wall.

"Scott!" Virgil yelled but instead of following he made his way over to the monitor to see what had gotten his brother so flustered. That instantly became apparent. So the Mechanic was here. "Damn you Scott!" Virgil quickly made his way back to his father's desk. He had to call for back up but he wasn't just about to let Scott go after the Mechanic alone. Then something caught his eye. Just outside the window. Headlights from the GDF ship had again taken flight, but it didn't seem to be going anywhere. Just hovering closer to the house. Odd. What were they doing? Virgil made his way out onto the balcony to get a better look at what was going on.

Bringing his wrist up to his mouth, Virgil was just about to contact Penny and ask what was going on when he suddenly felt a hand on his shoulder roughly turn him around. To his relief, it was just the GDF Captain. But that relief quickly faded when he felt her gun stabbing him painfully in his front.

"What are you doing?" The engineer said somewhere between shocked and confused.

"I was just going to grab the Mechanic and run." She said in a cold tone that gave even Virgil the chills. "But how often do you get an opportunity like this?" That was all she said and before Virgil could make a grab for the weapon, she pulled the trigger, shooting him in the throat!

"VIRGIL!" Gordon had screamed but no one had heard him. No one was ever going to hear him again. Virgil had just blinked. The look of shock had never left his face before he had just crumbled to the ground. There was blood everywhere, even on Foster. Gordon could see his brother's eyes were still open, gasping when he realised they were glazed over... He was dead. "No! No what's happening!" Gordon screamed but was unable to do anything... Foster was already moving onto her next task, looking up at the GDF ship. It was hovering in the air just 30 feet away. Oblivious that they had just witnessed what had happened, but she didn't appear to care. In fact, she didn't have any reaction to the young man she had just murdered in cold blood. Pulling a device from her pocket.

"I do wish Scott had remained a bit longer, just so he could see everything taken away from him. Oh well." She then nonchalantly pushed a button.

At this proximity, the first indication the two agents knew something was wrong was only when they saw Virgil go down. Penny had screamed. There had just been a flash of light before Virgil fell. Now he wasn't moving. Only enough time passed for the two to exchanged looks of absolute shock before they saw who they assumed could only be Foster, take something from her pocket before a sinister beeping filled the cockpit. "Parker?!" Parker had gasped knowing perfectly well what it was, but it had been too late.

"PENNY!"

The GDF ship had burst into flames, lighting up the skyline before going down and crashing into the forest below. The small mushroom cloud of smoke that followed before a second burst of flames was not a good indication that anyone could have survived. Again though, no one heard the aquanaut scream. But his world changed again as he had just been swept away by a tidal wave.

Oh, God! He was in Hell! He had actually died and had gone to Hell!

…..

Scott had only made it halfway down the staircase when he heard the blast. The shudder vibrated down the handrail, and the metal steps shook, almost making him lose his balance. "Virgil, what was that?" The eldest shouted into his communicator, but there was no answer. Scott found himself torn, should he keep going down towards T2's hanger, or head back up to Virgil? Now everything had gone deathly silent. Even just his breathing seemed to echo down the narrow stairwell. Panic soon set in. "Virgil please answer m-" Scott cut himself off. Something had moved in the corner of his eye and the cold shivers had returned. Someone was here with him. All he could hear was the sound of his breathing as he slowly turned and saw the blond a few steps below... "Gordon!" The hairs on his neck stood up as he realised he wasn't looking at a solid image of his brother. "No!" He gasped in horror knowing what the implication of seeing a ghost image of his brother meant. Or maybe he was just loosing his mind? He never saw the large figure of the Mechanic coming up until he was upon him. He felt a heavy force collapse onto his back, making him stumble onto the steps. It took Scott a moment to catch his breath before he could turn around, looking up at the towering figure of the Mechanic. He didn't miss the blood dripping from his gloved hand either. Automatically Scott went to kick his feet out from under him, tripping him forward. As he fell, his chin just mist the step, but now he was closer, Scott managed to grab him before shoving him backwards. "WHAT DID YOU DO?!" Scott couldn't contain his rage. Before he could register what he was doing he suddenly grappled the Mechanic forcing him down against the metal stair case, sending them both tumbling to the next level. The narrow space was not big enough for them both, but Scott was already on his feet laying as many punches as he could, kicking and then slamming his fist into the mechanic's jaw.

Scott could hear himself yelling, his vision blurring from the number of tears that were pouring down his face. His heart pounded in hatred for this man - no this machine that could never be capable of love. The Mechanic seemed to willingly greet Scott's outburst without so much as flinching, until he began to remove parts of his body armer. Scott tried to rip apart the Mechanic's chest plate, but he was instantly lifted and shoved against the railing. The Mechanic stood holding him, lifting him up by the neck. His legs left dangling, for a moment time seemed to freeze as the two just looked at one another... Then times speeded up again and Gordon could only watch in horror as the Mechanic violently through Scott head first over the railing. Scott had only gasped as he fell, seeing the stair's below rush towards him, but he didn't get the chance to feel any pain as his head made contact with the edge of the step, snapping his neck instantly.

….

The scenery had now turned towards Alan and Grandma Tracy. They had been making their way back through the house in the pitch darkness. MAX had set them free from the locked room and was lagging not too far behind after they had searched the infirmary as Gordon was no longer there. They concluded that the Mechanic had taken him. The two were making their way towards the main communication room in hope of contacting someone for help... But just as they walked in however, they heard a gunshot. They saw Virgil fall. They saw the other standing over him with the smoking gun.

All Alan saw was his brother falling and was automatically running towards him, but before he had made it further than a step, a thin but strong hand had quickly locked over his mouth, preventing him from making a sound. He was then dragged back behind the corner leading back down the staircase. The teen struggled but his grandmother despite her advancing years was not about to release him until they were out of earshot of the assassin. It went against every instinct she possessed not to run straight for Virgil. She had just watched one of her grand-babies get shot point blank. She didn't even know if Virgil was still alive, but the shooter was still here and she wasn't about to let another grandchild get shot too. But before she had managed to drag Alan back to the safety of the panic room, the two was suddenly stunned into silence. The whole house shook as a ripple effect of the blast. Several windows shattered, sending the two diving for cover.

Gordon didn't know what to do. Virgil was dead! Scott was dead... John was dying. Likely dead by now if he hadn't been killed instantly. Penny, the woman he loved was dead, along with Parker. Alan and his Grandmother were in danger and there was nothing he could do. Nothing at all! The shock had not hit him yet. What was he supposed to do?!

"You have to leave Gordon. There is nothing more you can do here." Gordon found himself looking at his Mother once more.

"There... there dead mom... Our family... They killed them... I failed -!" Gordon was sure that if he wasn't already dead, he would have been just now by the large hole that was currently tearing through his chest. Whoever said death was peaceful was lying! He could feel every bit of him shaking as the images of his brothers blood ran through his mind over and over and it wouldn't stop.

Desperate for some kind of hope, he looked to his mother, but instead she wore an expression that Gordon had never known she was capable of making. It was so... cold! "I know it's hard sweetheart. It was hard for me to turn my back on you all at the beginning. But your brother's are dead, so go be with them. There all waiting for you."

The wrench in Gordon's heart just gutted him a bit deeper. "What about Alan?" He isn't dead. Neither is Gran. I can't just leave them. They have no one now! We have to do something-"

"They will be along shortly. The Hood and the Mechanic will find them and it will be over quick." She said a little to flippantly.

"What!" Gordon couldn't believe what he was hearing. "How can you even talk like this!"

"Because things are coming Gordon. Terrible things are on there way. We can't fight them. You should just accept it and let go. Now Gordon didn't know if he was devastated or perplexed. But he was certainly confused. His mother would never say this. But then the image of his mother loomed over him, this time seeming more threatening than concerned. Her eyes sharp and menacing. Nothing like how he remembered her.

At this Gordon backed away as the living world around him seemed to dissolve into his anger. "Who are you?" He asked, this time meeting and challenging her cold tone. "You're NOT my mother." This time the dark sinister smile that followed again answered his question without a word being said.

"Clever boy." She sneered and Gordon just felt everything go cold as if he had just been dropped into freezing water. "You seemed so ripe for the picking." She looked him over. Gordon felt his anger spike. Who or what the hell was this thing impersonating his mother? "You should have just done as I said. I was doing you a favour. Your death could have been painless. But you Tracy's are always so stubborn!"

"I said who the hell are you!" Gordon yelled braver than he felt. He could feel the fear creeping up his spine at the image of the woman he thought he knew disappear into the darkness of the room. He could hear it growling and snarling as it circled him like pray. Why was she so hell bent on making him let go...unless?

"Was any of that real? Are my brothers and friends really dead?"

"Not yet. But they will be soon, exactly how you saw it happen." The unearthly voice replied.

"Why? Who are you? What do you want!?" Gordon frantically looking about him not knowing where this thing was lurking. There seemed to be a longer lingering silence before "she" replied.

"Because I'm dying Gordon. At least physically. But my mind is still powerful." At that Gordon caught a glance of a silhouette crossing the window of what it was that was actually talking to him. The young aquanaut stumble backwards in terror. It was NOT his mother! "In fact on this plain I am more of my true self than in the real world. Its mazing the measures you will go to when your desperate. Only the Mechanic has any chance of making a cure and he seems to be doing it for you instead of me... I hoped you would accept my offer and just die peacefully, and then your body would be free for me to take over." He finished and realisation hit the aquanaut like a hammer.

"Hood?" Gordon could feel the darkness closing in around him, ready to swallow him up. "No this isn't real. Am hallucinating again. That all this is!"

"You keep telling yourself that Gordon. But I learned to take control of this nightmare a long time ago. I am just stronger" A sinister voice of his mother, and yet was nothing like her sneered from the depths of the blacked-out room."You think you know what pain is Tracy? What you have already been through will seem like cake when I am finished with you and I am not a fan of easy death. I hope your ready for a BIG finish!"

Gordon screamed out as burning yellow eyes jumped out of the darkness towards him.

Ok, so am getting a bit dark. Let me know what you think and what you think and how it should end?