Day 24: Self-Induced Injury To Escape. With thanks to Gumnut for the idea.

Scott hated suspension bridges. They were long, usually over large and deep volumes of water that meant Gordon needing to be in Four instead of on the floor, and there were steel cables that defied the laws of physics. (Not that he would make the mistake of saying that to John.)

The rescue was almost over. Two explosions had taken out one side anchorage at either end and opposite sides of the bridge, leaving the thick steel cables flying and hampering efforts to get cars and people off the bridge. The high winds weren't helping. In the end they had been forced to leave their 'birds and had flown down to begin clearing.

There were only minor injuries and clearing didn't take long, but the cables needed securing for safety. Virgil had taken one end and Scott the other, and with very clear direction on how to safely cut the broken cables they set to work.

It was Scott's sixth sense that told him something was about to happen.

For no reason at all he suddenly stopped and looked up. Just in time to see the flash of wings and he darted up and out. His eagle wings made speed and sharp manoeuvres possible, but the fury on his tail had similar. And they had the advantage of height and surprise.

Virgil, hearing a soft swear from Scott over the comms, looked over just in time to see a streak of black wings career into his brother, knocking Scott into the loose cables. With the winds whipping them around the crash left his brother caught, and as Virgil lunged forward to help he saw Havoc back away.

Scott suddenly found himself dangling from two cables, one of which had somehow wound around his left wing at his radiale and crushing some of his primary and secondary feathers. The other had caught his left arm and snaked around his thigh, leaving him hanging.

He watched with horror as Virgil shot over, only to be intercepted by Havoc. His brother's span was huge, but he wasn't as fast or as manoeuvrable as she was. Scott began wriggling to get free.

'Scott, what's going on?'

Gordon's shout was full of alarm, and as he was still in Four and didn't know what was going on, the feelings he shared with Virgil and John must have alerted him. Not that Gordon could do anything without wings, but if Havoc was here then Fuse couldn't be that far behind. That explained the explosions.

'Havoc's here.'

He really didn't need to say anything else, and Gordon swore a little more colourfully than he had. 'FAB, I'll be on my way as soon as I can Still got one more car to get out.' Great, that wasn't going to help Virgil. He watched as Havoc dived at him, trying to force him into the cables too, only for Virgil to swerve away at the last moment.

It was no good, he was well and truly caught. Pulling wasn't working, and he'd dropped the laser in the brief tussle. He couldn't reach the cable wrapped around his wing, but he did manage to get the one off his thigh. Their thickness was working both for and against him, allowing Scott to brace against it but gripping his wing tightly.

There was sudden muffled boom and the whole structure shook. It caused Scott to drop sharply and he screamed out in pain as the cable tightened, tearing into his feathers and tightening into the muscle around the bone. He almost didn't hear the echoing laughter of Fuse, obviously on the span, because he was too busy watching Virgil and Havoc.

Seeing Scott drop and catching the scream drove Virgil to be a little more reckless, and as Havoc dove at him again he flipped and quickly slapped back with the tip of his wing, practically batting her out of the sky with a shriek from her and a bellow from below.

The bridge was shaken again, and Virgil landed beside his brother, cutter already beginning to free the cable around his wing. He hadn't even managed to get a quarter-way through before Scott's yell warned him Havoc was back.

It wasn't enough warning.

Havoc barrelled into Virgil and clung tight to his back, causing them both to fall. Scott yelled but he ultimately couldn't do anything caught up like he was, and as they fell the bridge was hit again. Fuse was really getting annoying. He needed to do something.

'Gordon! Virgil's on the bridge with Havoc and Fuse!'

'I'm on my way!'

Gordon might be on his way, but Virgil needed help now. So Scott pulled. He braced against the cables the best he could and he pulled his arm steadily. The cable skinned him but he didn't stop until the arm was free. Now he just needed to free his wing. This was going to hurt.

There was another bang as Virgil and Havoc hit the bridge below him, and he paused and Scott redoubled his efforts. He yanked with his right arm. Hard.

Again.

Again.

Feathers splintered and broke. And he pulled.

'Scott, stop!'

'Can't, John. Virgil needs me.'

'If you tear out any more feathers you won't be able to fly.'

'I don't need to fly. I just need to aim. Got to help Virgil. He can't fight Fuse and Havoc.'

He didn't need to fly to defend his brother.

One more pull freed his wing at the cost of so many feathers, and Scott let go, falling down the length of the cables but using them to swing himself into Havoc, knocking her forward flat onto her front and off of Virgil, and Scott landed in front of his brother.

Scott was a sight to see, missing most of his primary feathers from his left wing, blood dripping from both arm and wing. And he was snarling.

Virgil stood up beside him just as a giant octopus climbed the bridge and morphed into Gordon on Scott's other side. The three of them stood tall and Havoc and Fuse backed off before taking a stance, Havoc flaring her wings out and Fuse morphed into his favourite rhino.

Suddenly Scott found himself behind both his brothers.

Virgil's wingspan was far bigger than Havoc, but he was the soft brother. Havoc's smirk was huge, but she wasn't prepared for the snarl that came from the big bear. No matter, the leader was down and the bear and the squid – or whatever he was – was fair game.

Havoc leapt into the air as Fuse charged, Virgil right behind her. Gordon waited until the last moment before he transformed back into the octopus. Scott wasn't surprised in the slightest when the octopus wrapped itself around the rhino's face, clinging tightly as the large animal careered through the barrier and off the bridge and forcing Scott to jump aside.

The confrontation between Virgil and Havoc was far briefer. They'd barely squared up when Fuse charged off the bridge, and she screamed in frustration. The one time that she had a fair chance to beat the biggest brother without the aid of the eldest, and she needed to leave to save her dumbass brother who couldn't swim.

Thankfully the shock of hitting the water caused Fuse to transform back, and Gordon suddenly found himself full of a panicking person. This he could handle, and he had no idea how he managed not to knock the man out before dumping him on the shore before beating a hasty retreat.

Fuse wasn't a threat anymore, and Gordon had an injured brother to see to. Virgil, watching Havoc fly down to her brother, also made a beeline for the bridge, both brothers arriving just as Scott's knees buckled.

It took both of them to help Scott to the infirmary, then Gordon left to finish securing the bridge while Virgil dealt with Scott. Virgil held out a vial of pain relief and Scott nodded.

'Why did you do it?' Scott frowned at the quiet words.

'Do what?'

'You deliberately injured yourself to get free.'

'Of course I did.'

'You didn't need to do that. Your feathers are going to take months to grow back, and the break in your radiale and ulnare aren't going to heal much faster. You should have waited. Gordon was almost finished.'

'I couldn't just leave you to Havoc and Fuse.'

Virgil sighed.

'Scott, I – thank you. But you're an idiot.'

His brother chuckled into Virgil's shoulder.

'I am.'

'You are. You're going to be such a pain in the backside for the next couple of months.'

'How about I promise I'll be good?'

'Uh huh. You say that now.'

Scott leaned against his brother as the pain relief kicked in. Virgil tightened his hold just slightly.