Couldn't do it! Tried to focus on grown up jobs, but just couldn't do it until I had this story done too. You all got me hooked.

More Gordon Whump but this time set much earlier in the show before Jeff is known to still be alive and this time with more familiar villains with a shorter plot, but still crazy intense.

Enjoy!

Chapter 1

Gordon hadn't expected his day to turn out like this. It had meant to be just another rescue. Possibly dangerous but nothing complicated... So of course it was going to be. But he honestly hadn't expected to end up inside a cage, cut off from his brothers and the GDF who were not that far away but had no idea what was going on and he had no way to warn them. Talk about being in the wrong place at the wrong time. Setting his mind back to the wonderful, blissful ignorance of only this morning, he was attempting to figure out where he went wrong?

…

This morning.

The morning had started off normal enough. Alan and Kayo were heading to a rescue at a space station. Well, Kayo was going. Alan, the lovesick puppy had requested to go along for the ride. Gordon made sure to give his little brother a playful nudge and wink, making the teen's cheeks light up bright crimson before departing.

"That was mean fish," Scott whispered but he couldn't hide his own smirk at just how cute his little brother looked when blushing.

"Yeah, but it was so worth it." Gordon chuckled.

Scott's next turn of expression was that of a groan when John relayed the SOS of another suicidal daredevil who had climbed on top of a snow-covered mountain while in a blizzard just to see how many 'likes' and reviews he could achieve! On his way out, the two remaining brothers heard their eldest grumbling something about all the Dare Devil Tv shows being banned or at least strictly just for people who had some idea of what self-preservation was.

Virgil was by the piano, leaving Gordon with the pool all to himself. Once Thunderbird 1 and Thunderbird 3 had departed, Gordon was going to get the very rare opportunity to a nice quiet morning. He later concluded that this had been his first mistake and had in fact jinxed the day from the start. The aquanaut got as far as the pool edge when the unmistakable voice of his co-pilot called him back in from the balcony.

"Yo Squid! No point getting your feet wet. It's a full house today."

Gordon groaned. "Of course it is." The blond pulled his shirt back on before making his way into the lounge to find the holographic image of his space-bound brother tapping the invisible keyboard before him. His brow suggested this wasn't a straight forward situation.

"What's the situation, John?" Virgil said, keen to get things moving.

"Its a bit of a long one, but have either of you heard of the H3O6 compound?" The redhead not looking away from whatever was on the screen in front of him.

"Can't say I have, Gordon?"

"Don't think so. But by the look on your face is it something important or dangerous?"

"It's a solid compound that scientist discovered only about 4 years ago, and could possibly be one of the best natural clean fuel sources found on planet earth. One large rock, well its not actually a rock, is broken down into a liquid form, could power a small city, for a year. Or a ship for 5!"

"That's fascinating John, but I thought we had a rescue?" Virgil asked, thinking why were they still standing here? Wasn't this an emergency?

"I'm getting to it." John finally looked up at them. "This compound is only found under the sea bed.

It took another three years, but the energy foundation built a mining facility on the seafloor linking to a lab they purposely built on the surface, like one of those oil rigs they use to have... And they only started mining for this H3O6 compound for the first time only a few days ago. So its a big deal!" The astronaut brought up a 3D image of the lower facility. It was large for an underwater base. At least 3 floors, which then extended deep under the sea bed. "The only way to get to the facility is by elevator access only. The scientists are posted on the surface, so they can analyse the H3O6 after the minor's and engineers have dug it up, liquidised it in the factory below." John explained. "As you can see the elevator isn't up and down, its more diagonal, like a large gondola. About a 15-minute ride from the sea bed to the surface. The report I just got in, and I quote; All the mining equipment just went crazy!"

"That's a bit of a vague description for scientists and engineers. Brain's would be shocked. What does he say about it anyway?" Gordon asked curiously.

"I haven't had a chance to speak to Brains yet. He is in an online conference with Professor Muffy." John couldn't repress a glint in his eye. This brought another chuckle from the two brothers. "Besides the scientists have already been taken to safety. Our worry is the 100 engineers and minors posted at the sea level base below. They said there was some other sort of additional situation going on that requires them to evacuate... Only they haven't said what this additional danger is. The communications have been cut off. Must be something to do with the digging equipment malfunctioning." This explained John's stressed brows. "Now this elevator can bring them all up at once. But in the last few minutes, the elevator has just stopped! Right in the middle of the water lock shaft. They have no idea why this has happened but that was about the time we got the call. The GDF can't get down to deal with the problem until they come up."

"And that's where we come in." The two brothers took off to their assigned exits in the living room. Before long the two brothers were in the sky, heading towards the destination.

It was a little unsettling that even John didn't know what the additional danger was, but they assumed if it was something important, they would be informed once they got there. Someone from the GDF contacted them before they landed with an update, but it was nothing on this extra problem. But it wasn't exactly great news either.

"What kind of facility has the elevator controls at sea floor level and doesn't have another set above, ya know, where it's safe?" Gordon asked the hologram incredulously.

"All the power is diverted from below to keep the engine room ticking over. I'll draw all back from the area until you have finished. "The hologram officer informed them before vanishing.

"Fantastic!" Virgil said dripping with sarcasm. "Ok here's what we're going to do. Gordon, you're going to take Thunderbird 4 down to the engine room facility and find the control room that powers the elevator." He looked over the 3D blueprints of the foundation. It was a maze. Gordon was going to need to keep the map. The main engine room with all the digging equipment was at the lowest level. On the middle floor was another lab, possibly where the H3O6 was liquidised. Lucky, this left the main control room on the top floor. "Ok, if the equipment is "going crazy," you just stick to the top floor. Stay away from the engine room -"

"And I find the switch to reset the elevator. But what if the problem is in the elevator shaft? The blonde asked.

"I'll go down the shaft to meet them in my exo-suit. If something is blocking the way, I'll find it. Since its horizontal, not vertical, it should be a lot easier. Once the elevator is going, you get out of there. Sound like a plan?"

"Yep." Gordon gave a thumbs up. "By the look of this, there are hatches down there I can enter through. But at those pressures, Thunderbird 4 will have to be directly attached. Won't even get my feet wet." Gordon said not at all aware of what dangers were awaiting him. If only he had known...

"Ok." Virgil returned the smile. "I do a sweep first, make sure there is nothing flammable or explosive down there. I want you in and out asap. The sooner this is clear, the sooner the GDF can get in and deal with whatever is causing this." They both looked out the window to find the large

structure in the middle of the ocean waiting for them. It was even large enough for Thunderbird 2 to land on. "I wonder why the engineers couldn't shut the system down themselves? They would know what to do better than the GDF... Do you have a feeling like we're missing something here?"

"Yeah. But I'll leave that kind of wondering to the genius." Gordon added, undoing his belt. "Maybe we can ask them once they're unstuck?" He approached his own elevator. "Catch you on the flip side." He smiled before disappearing into Thunderbird 4.

Later Gordon would wish he had spent just that bit longer with his brother trying to figure out what else could be going on. If he had, they may have decided to find some other way at getting the workers out. He would look upon this as yet another tiny mistake.

…

Getting down to the facility was easy enough. Attaching T4 to the hatch was fine.

Though it possibly wasn't necessary, Gordon had kept his helmet on with an additional oxygen supply. That was minimum health and safety for places like this until they knew for sure what was going on. It wasn't until he was actually inside the structure did the aquanaut realise that there was something wrong. A few things really. The first being that once he had left T4, he could not get in touch with Virgil or John to say that he had made it alright. Whatever had cut off the foundation comms, were interfering with his also... Though they had done a sweep and everything seemed clear. Secondly, the entire building was silent! If the entire building was one large engine that was currently going crazy, shouldn't there be some sound coming from below him? At the very least a humming? Strange. Gordon decided to shrug it off and make his way to the control room, as directed by the 3D map on his wrist comm. His only priority was to get their elevator working.

What Gordon didn't know at the time that this was going to be his next big mistake of the day that would lead him to the current situation he later found himself in.

…...

It didn't take very long for Virgil to manually climb down the shaft, The tracks and cables were easy for him to grip onto like a ladder, even in his heavy green exo-suit. Once the large gondola like elevator came into view, he was glad he had taken the initiative to put it on. Though the structure of it was strong, the main doors of the transport box were just glass. He could clearly see about 100 men and women crowded together looking very scared. It didn't take him long to see why. The gondola seemed to be just hanging on, balancing on the run-way, which gravity was slowly attempting to claw back. The weight of the crowd was becoming too much. Virgil could hear the metal creaking under the pressure. The large box looked like it was just moments away from sliding back down the tracks.

Upon seeing the rescue agent, dozens of relieved faces waved at him. Quickly, the black-haired engineer attempted to prize the glass doors open with his metal claws. If it wasn't going to hold, the best thing for him to do was to get them out onto the tracks and have them climb up the remaining shaft. A better option than watching them all fall and crash into the foundation below. But the doors wouldn't budge. They were watertight and shatterproof. Well, at least they would be safe if there was a flood in the tunnel... until they ran out of air that is. The people were already looking rather sweaty. With no power. Oxygen was soon going to become an issue.

They kept trying to mouth something at him, but he couldn't hear them either. It was soundproof too. Great! This rescue situation just got upgraded to slightly more complicated. There didn't seem to be anything blocking its path either, so the problem was definitely coming from below. Gordon should be there by now. Hopefully, soon he would get the engine started because if this large box lost whatever was currently holding it in the break position, he wouldn't be able to stop it. It's not like he could drag it up the tracks himself, even in his exo-suit. "Come on Fish. Hurry!"

….

It was very dark in this maze besides being eerily quiet. Even Gordon had started to feel the smallest bit claustrophobic. The place was empty... So why did he feel like he was being watched?

He was relieved to see the signpost for the control room. But that relief was soon short-lived when he saw the door was coming up just on his right. It was already open. A pale blue light was flooding out onto the floor and there was a sound coming from inside.

Someone was still here.

But Gordon thought the place had been evacuated? He should go see what this was about. Another big mistake today. Gordon made it as far as the door, just to stop dead in his tracks. His breathing stopped, but his heartbeat skyrocketed. The Hood!

The Hood was standing just by the control panel looking over all the screens. One screen quite clearly viewed the waterproof gondola and all the people starting to panic inside. He caught a glance of his brother through the glass doors, trying to sign to them to remain calm and not move too much.

He had never seen the Hood this up close. But it was close enough. After a few seconds, Gordon realised that the Hood didn't seem to know that he was actually here yet. He had kept his back to him, and he was yet to speak. The aquanaut knew he had to get out of here. Warn his brother and get the GDF. As slowly as he could, he automatically took a back step, rewinding his turn from the doorway. Without so much as breathing, he rested his back against the wall around the corner of the entrance. The sounds coming from inside the room indicating the bald-headed man had not seen him. He just had to get back to Thunderbird 4 without drawing attention to himself.

Without taking his eye off the doorway, Gordon turned his body to leave to head down the dark tunnel once again. However, everything rapidly changed after just taking one step as he collided with another much larger and more solid form that had just appeared right in front of him. The young blonde slowly looked up and gulped at the hilariously huge man with the mohican hair cut, metal breathing mask and goggles like glasses that magnified his eyes to look abnormally huge, looking back down at him. Gordon had only ever met the Mechanic when they had been battling each other in the ocean behind the safety of the subs. He had almost killed him, crushing Thunderbird 4 in giant metal robot claws. Now they were face to face and Gordon didn't feel any safer.

The next thing he knew, Gordon was unceremoniously picked up by his shoulders and tossed roughly back into the room he had just been trying to sneak away from. With a small yelp, he landed face down on the ground at the Hoods feet. Well, he knew he was here now.

"Look at this little fish, it just swam into our net." He heard the deep voice of the Mechanic say just above him.

"Indeed." The ghoulish, but always smug voice of the Hood replied. "A little yellow one. How unexpected."

Gordon looked up into the startling golden eyes that made his skin crawl. "Well, that explains a lot," Gordon said expressing the full distaste and loathing for the man as he slowly started to get up.

"Explains what Mr Tracy?" He replied with an even colder tone.

"All the equipment just going crazy. The evacuation coming to an abrupt halt. Hostages I'm guessing, keeping them between you and the GDF, while you grab a sizeable amount of H3O6? That kind of logic has your name written all over it." He said without a trace of humour.

"You know me so well Gordon. I'm flattered." He smiled smugly. "I was just watching young Virgil here." Pointing at the screen. The camera was from inside the box everyone was trapped in. "I was just wondering how much longer I would have before the cavalry arrived, but you're here early." He eyed Gordon over that had him repressing a shiver. "This is a problem. I have a lot of work here still to do, but was meant to be long gone before they figured out how to get the staff out..." He folded his arms as though trying to think things over. "Dear oh dear... What am I going to do with you, Mr Tracy?"

Mentally, Gordon took stock of his situation and somehow try to remain calm. The most dangerous criminals standing before him, and his giant genius pet bulldog standing just behind, breathing down his neck. He had to keep his head if he was going to get those people out of here in one piece. That was already looking less likely by the way Virgil was trying to attach himself to the cart to stop it rolling back down the track. Crap!

"Look, Hood." He started much more confident than what he appeared. "Frankly I don't care why you're here. I don't care about what you're after. I'm not a cop. I have no intention of trying to stop you." Gordon lied. "All I am bothered about is getting those people out. Now unless you were actually planning on killing them, I suggest you push that button and start the elevator going again because it's starting to strain against the weight." He pointed to the screen.

"Yes, that is a bother." The Hood expressing as much guilt as swatting a fly. "If those people crash, everyone will be down here, but I can't exactly send them up just yet. Not before I am done... Unless...?"He looked over the aquanaut once again with a look that really started to make Gordon feel uncomfortable. Gordon also sensed the fact that the Mechanic had moved closer behind him. "You didn't come down the shaft. That's blocked. So you must have come down here in Thunderbird 4?"

Gordon knew where this was going. So he decided to get there first. "Fine. I offer myself as a hostage, but only on the condition that you release all these people right away. I am more valuable to you as a hostage and I won't make as much trouble than a bunch of scared people." Gordon was quite impressed with himself that he had managed to sound as calm as he did. But he told himself he was doing the right thing.

"That's very brave of you young man. Your father would be proud." Gordon had to restrain himself at that. His father was dead because of him. "I accept your offer, with the additional price of Thunderbird 4." Gordon went cold. "Our sub is not too far away, but I feel yours would attract a lot less attention on the GDF scanners once we start the engines. Once we have what we need, I will take your sub to our ship, you can remain here with my colleague until we have transported the H306. Then we will leave you here for your brother to pick you up later. These peoples lives for your sub. Deal?"

There was no way on this earth the Hood and the Mechanic were making off with his bird! One thunderbird and they would have details to all their technology. Not happening! Not ever! But he had to get the people out. Virgil was running out of time. This only left Gordon with one last option. Either way, he was going to lose. Reluctantly Gordon nodded, hoping that the Hood hadn't noticed him glance at his wristwatch. "Smart lad. I know you boys always keep your word."

That's what you think. Gordon thought as he watched the intimidating, not to mention creepy man turn around and press a button releasing the hostages. They all watched Virgil jump in surprise as the elevator came to life, only just getting out the way in time before the iron cables started pulling the large box back up the tunnel. Virgil looked to be going along with them for the ride up, clutching on from the outside. The aquanaut could only watch the snowy image of his brother on the monitor, hoping that this wouldn't be the last time he saw him, because he was about to do something really, really stupid.

Gordon just might consider his next move to be the worse mistake today... But he promised himself he wouldn't regret it. It was now or never.

Just as the Hood turned back to face him, Gordon felt the Mechanic grab his shoulders, but it didn't stop Gordon from quickly pressing a button on his comms. The flash of green light indicating that it had worked. The two villain's froze as the realisation hit them. Gordon smirk only confirmed it. As the look of horror glazed over the Hoods face, he knew what the young thunderbird had just done and his instant reaction was to punch the brat across his insulin little face, knocking him to the ground and sending his helmet flying off. "You little-" This was then followed up with a pent up rage kick to his gut. Gordon gasped in pain but he kept his smirk. He had just automatically released his Thunderbird from the hatch. It would be heading straight back to the surface, following the signal towards the pod. He was going to pay for this and he knew it! The Hood gave a nod towards his giant genius, the blond was forced to his feet, this time the large man gripping him, forcing his arms behind his back. The hit had just been a shock as his helmet had taken the blow. Now he was much more exposed. What a day this was turning out to be.

"I obviously gave you too much credit Gordon." The Hood said. His sadistic smirk was well and truly gone. "You're very stupid. Now you are my only assurance of getting out of here. This may not leave you in one piece." He shook his head as though he was just disappointed in him.

Gordon went to say something clever while he still had the chance, but it was cut off when he felt a sharp rapid burning vibrate through his body, stemming from a point in the side of his neck. He couldn't stop the tremors painfully shoot through him. He felt himself lose control of his limbs as he struggled to get oxygen into his lungs. He didn't even have the breath to scream out. Black spots started to appear in his vision. But he didn't know how bad this was until he felt the large man holding him up suddenly let go, and his knees gave out. He didn't remember hitting the floor. In fact he wasn't aware of anything any more.

The two villains looked over the young unconscious figure, now laying on the ground between them. "When Thunderbird 4 hits the surface, and he's not in it, his brother will be coming down here looking for him. We have to make sure he doesn't alert the GDF just yet."

"Then what would you recommend we do with him?" The large man pointed to the young blonde. "We still have a lot to do if we are going to get enough H3O6." He said putting the stun gun away.

The Hood thought a moment, catching the aquanauts forgotten breathing helmet. This was already getting out of hand. "Get me his sash!" The Hood demanded. The Mechanic instantly reached down, taking something sharp from his pocket and cutting into the yellow fabric. But he then hesitated before handing it over. For a moment the larger man looked to be struggling with the order. "I said give me the sash!" The Hood demanded again more firmly. His right golden eye flashed brightly making the Mechanic twinge. The dilemma didn't appear to be too great... at least on the outside. Then it passed. He handed the sash over like it was nothing before going back to looking at the boy on the floor. "I will deal with his brother." The Hood declared. "Take this one downstairs to the engine room with you. Keep an eye on him. I don't care what you have to do to keep him under control. Tie him up. Knock him out. Scare him into behaving. Torture him if you want... but don't kill him. I might need him later. Just keep him under control until I call for you. Let us see how useful or how much trouble he is really worth." The cold man said like he was just talking about the weather. "And watch him closely. This one is known for been particularly tricky." He sighs, feeling the beginning of a headache coming on.

The Mechanic just nodded before reaching down, turning Gordon over onto his back, pulling his arm up and over his head before hosting him over his shoulder. "I know just what to do." He declared before carrying the younger man out of the room.

Please review. I like to try out different plots. But I can only improve with your thoughts!