Lady Penelope was an inspiration for all of them really. While they were all losing their cool (certainly not a pun because they were trapped in the freezer, no way), Lady P was scheming. They had to act fast to not only give control back to TB5 and bring the Tracys home, but to chase after the Hood who seemed to decide to use Alan as a bargaining chip. Tin-Tin and Fermat told her that Gordon had left in TB4 to get ahead of the Hood and Lady P suspected that these buffoons would use Alan to take Gordon down.
Having used his skills cultivated from his shady past as a thief (allegedly), Parker unlocked the freezer from the inside and they had all set of running to the control room to take back control.
Thunderbird 5 was running out of oxygen.
Alan was not entirely sure what was going through the Hood's mind. He thought the Hood would leave as soon as he had the Guidance Processor, but instead dragged Alan along with them, hands bound behind his back and ankled bound together. He was roughly pushed into one of the back seats of TB2 by Mullion (damn he was strong), as the others took their places somewhere in front of him. Great, no eyes on him so he could try and escape his bounds.
Except he couldn't find the energy to do so.
Ever since the Hood's eyes glowed and bore their way into his by the pool, his energy levels were low and so was his mood. Not to say that he was negative about his situation, he was just not feeling anything at all about it. Thunderbird 2 took off and Alan turned his attention to listening in on their plans.
"Thunderbird 4 will have reached the Bank of London by now, I want no interruptions. Use the child to distract him Mullion, by whatever means necessary.
'Oh great, I'm bait for the Squid.' Alan thought.
"It's a shame you know, Alan. We really are more alike than you think." The Hood said at last, turning his attention to Alan, who stilled in his seat.
"We are nothing ali-" Alan started.
"Oh but we are. Abandoned by our families, the forgotten ones, all because we happen to be a little different. My powers, although great, strikes fear into the hearts of people in my own community. I was alienated, even by my own brother. You, you were born with the largest age gap to your brother Gordon, and that cost you your dream as a Thunderbird. Your brothers refuse to see you as an equal but in reality, you are above them. Your critical thinking and intelligence far surpasses theirs and they don't stop teasing you to see you for the person you really are. Tell me Alan, am I wrong?" the Hood asked, tilting his head in a sympathetic way.
Alan thought about his answer but couldn't bring any to the tip of his tongue. Was the Hood telling the truth? Did his family really not want him to be a Thunderbird?
"You could join me. We could achieve greatness together." The Hood said, smiling, albeit falsely.
"There is nothing great about what you're doing. Endangering people and all for your own gain." Alan monotonously answered. He looked away, content with watching the view out the window and praying that Gordon would be ready in London and that Fermat and the others will have given control back to TB5.
"So be it. What a shame." The Hood said.
"Sir, initiating landing sequence." Transom said, about to press buttons on the console.
"Wait. We have one more job to do first. Throw him out of the ship." The Hood said.
Alan gasped as Mullion unbuckled the seat and dragged Alan up by the collar. Alan tried to resist but with very little energy to do so, made it very easy for Mullion to pull him over to a hatch in the floor, open it, and hold him over it for a few seconds. Mullion grinned as Alan observed the Thames river below them by at least a good thirty feet, trying to keep his feet planted on the edges of the hatch.
Picking him up slightly to force him to lose his footing. Mullion dropped Alan into the river, where he could only watch the darkness take over as he struggled against his bounds, unable to swim himself to the surface.
Unable to hold his breath any longer, he had no choice but to let go.
Everything went dark.
Back on Tracy Island, they raced to the control room, Fermat leading the way as he ran straight to the computer and started typing rapidly.
"Access to mainframe: denied." Was the phrase that rang out.
"They seem to have s-slipped a back d-door key into the access codes." Fermat said.
"I'll follow your lead, son." Brains said, getting to work next to him. All the others in the room could do was wait.
"Thunderbird Five, come in. Thunderbird Five, come in." Lady P said, once they established connection with TB5.
"They have n-ninety seconds until re-entry." Fermat said.
"Access to mainframe: confirmed." the computer said.
"I'm in! I just n-need someone on the other end to confirm the access p-protocol." Fermat exclaimed.
"Thunderbird Five, come in." Brains said, taking Lady P's place.
Silence.
"Mr Tracy, answer me." Brains said.
"Forty five seconds until re-entry." Fermat said.
"Damn it Jeff, wake up!" Brains shouted, making everyone in the room jump at the unusual loss of control from the normally timid scientist.
A few seconds ticked past until a breathe of laughter could be heard from the other side of the transmission.
"That's the first time you're called me by my first name Brains." Jeff said, drifting into view of the camera looking ill and sleepy. "Thanks for waking me."
Jeff looked around at TB5, noting his sons beginning to wake up too now that he had confirmed access protocol, restarting the gravity systems that bought them back down the the solid grating beneath them. Virgil gently wrapped John's uninjured arm around his shoulders, with John's other arm in a sling. His second eldest was still in a world of pain. Scott got the airlock hatch open, leading to the corridor to TB3.
"Everyone okay down there?" John asked as they all moved towards the monitor on TB5.
"FAB John, glad to see you're okay." Lady P said.
"Where's Alan?" Scott asked.
"Taken by the Hood, we think he could be planning to use him against Gordon once they get to London." Tin-Tin said.
"Damn it. We're on our way straight there." Jeff said.
"We're going t-too Mr Tracy." Fermat said.
"Negative Fermat, there is no way." Jeff said firmly.
"Alan needs us, he looked after us and it's time to return the favour. Let us go, we can help." Tin-Tin said, grabbing Fermat's shoulder.
Jeff looked at them for a long while. They seemed to be really concerned about Alan, and no matter which way he looked at it, time was of the essense and the kids would get to the scene much quicker than they would. Alan needed intervention quickly.
Since when did Tin-Tin have that look in her eyes when it came to Alan?
"Okay kids, Lady Penelope will go with you. Take care of each other and don't engage with the Hood. Your priority, first and foremost, is rescue." Jeff said. Virgil and John smiled beside him, Scott merely frowned.
"FAB sir." The two kids replied in unity.
Lady P smiled, glad that Jeff was placing trust and responsibility in their hands at last. Long overdue in her opinion!
The call disconnected and they each went their own ways- the kids and Lady P to TB1, Parker to FAB1 to follow, Jeff and the boys to TB3 headed to London to rendez-vous with them and their missing sons.
The next thing Alan knew is that he had woken up with his lungs on fire.
He started to cough violently and he found himself quickly but rather gently pushed onto his side to allow him to expell the water he had built up in his lungs as he drowned.
"Easy there Sprout, I got you." Spoke a familiar voice.
"G-Gordon..." Alan gasped.
"Shush, yeah it's me. Got there just in time to see you jump out of 2. What were you thinking baby bro?" Gordon teased.
"I didn't j-jump!" Alan said, attempting to get to his feet so quickly that he collapsed under the strain he was attempting to put his body through. Why was he so drained.
"Woah kid stop, I was just kidding! Don't push yourself, you nearly drowned." Gordon said, holding Alan to the floor gently by the shoulders.
"Where are we?" Alan asked.
"Four. I was waiting by for those guys to arrive and would have intercepted them had I not seen you get thrown out the hatch into the water. I dove in to get you out, but by now they've landed and are assembling the Mole to tunnel into the vaults." Gordon said.
"We have to stop them." Alan said.
"Negative, you're staying here in Four. I'm going after them to shut down the Mole and trap them in the vaults. The authorities will handle the rest after that." Gordon said.
"Let me help." Alan insisted, pushing against Gordons hands.
"You've helped more than you know today, I'm proud of you." Gordon said softly, cusping Alans face in his hand. "Stay here, that's an order."
"FAB." Alan replied reluctantly. Gordon climbed out of the submarine, leaving Alan to climb into the pilot seat with great struggle and scan the surroundings. He was still in the Thames near the monorail, and he looked out the window to watch the Mole roll out of TB2 and drill into the ground, showering the people standing by in heavy rocks and dirt. Alan sighed apologetically, hating to see a Thunderbird being used to cause injury like that.
He observed as the Mole drove through the water, and he was thankful that they were too focussed on tunneling to notice the bright yellow submarine by the bank. He then watched in horror as it drilled straight through the support beam of the monotail, sending a violent shift along the rail and derailing one of the cars. He noticed TB1 above it all, and made contact.
"Thunderbird 1, this is Thunderbird 4, come in." Alan said.
"Alan! Is that you?" Tin-Tin exclaimed.
"Hiya Tin-Tin." Alan grinned.
"T-the car is in the water, a-all those people, we have to save all those p-people or they'll drown." Fermat said.
"FAB Fermat. I'm moving in. Get the line ready in Thunderbird 2, we need to pull it out of the water." Alan ordered.
"FAB." Fermat replied, he and Tin-Tin landed TB1 and ran to TB2.
"Thunderbird Four is go." Alan announced as he pulled into action. He used the magmetic claws to clamp onto the carriage, holding it steady.
"Alan, the claw won't l-lock onto the carriage, I might hit the passengers." Fermat said.
"I'll go fix it myself." Tin-Tin said, getting up.
"You mean swim?!" Fermat exclaimed.
"Get me as close as you can." Tin-Tin said. She dove into the water, and circled the carriage with the line, successfully tying it in place. Alan grinned as he watched, preparing to open the airlock to let Tin-Tin in.
"That was amazing Tin-Tin." Alan said as she came and sat next to him, taking the co-pilot controls.
"Thank you." Tin-Tin grinned.
"Great job Fermat." Alan said, turning to the console.
"Nothing to it really." Fermat replied.
"Let's get this thing out the water." Alan said.
TB3 couldn't get back much slower, in Scott's opinion. He was piloting while Jeff was his co-pilot. Virgil was keeping a critical eye on John, who was struggling with intense pain caused by the turbulence and pressure caused by the rocket.
"Brains, what's the situation?" Jeff asked, calling into Tracy Island.
"The Hood has caused a major disaster with the Mole. The mo-mono mono- one track railway is down in the Thames.
"Where is Thunderbird 1?" Jeff asked.
"On the ground. The kids are in Thunderbird 2. Alan is in Thunderbird 4." Brains said.
"Oh thank god, he's safe. Where is Gordon?" Jeff replied, sensing relief in the boys around him at hearing Alan's name.
"M.I.A. Most likely he went to i-i-intercept the H-Hood." Brains said.
"That idiot." Scott cursed.
"ETA three minutes Brains. Thunderbird Three out." Jeff said, ending the transmission.
"Don't make me say I told you so John." Scott said, turning his head back at his brother who only glared at him through pained eyes.
"Enough." Jeff said. "The Thunderbirds are needed. We have a mission to complete."
"FAB." Spoke a chorus of voices throughout the cabin.
'Gordon, you'd best be safe or you're getting grounded for life.' Jeff thought.
TB3 quickly landed next to TB1, and the men wasted no time in getting out and rushing to the railing overlooking the river. They saw three boats circling below TB2, a line cast in the dark water.
"Come on Allie." John muttered, trying his best to ignore the pain, and to ignore the fact that Virgil was taking almost all his weight by this point.
After a few seconds, the carriage finally surfaced, TB4 straight after. Jeff and Scott cheered, running over to the staircase leading to the bank underneath to greet Alan as he parked TB4 at the side and ran up to see them, Tin-Tin in pursuit.
"God, you had us worried kid!" Scott said, grabbing Alan in a tight hug, not ignoring the way Alan seemed to have very little energy to attempt to return it. Jeff took his turn and noticed it too, glancing at Scott to confirm his suspicions. Something was wrong with Alan.
Fermat arrived at that moment and Jeff took it as the time to give out orders.
"Scott, Virgil, close off the scene, assess the injured. Fermat and Tin-Tin, take John back to 2, get it airborne and stabilize the rest of the monorail." Jeff said. "Alan, with me."
After a chorus of "FAB!"s, everyone set off in their seperate directions. Jeff led them to TB1, where they strapped in ready to fly to the Bank of London.
"That stuff the Hood said, about leaving him to die. He was lying right?" Alan asked.
"No."Jeff said, prompting Alan to look at him in shock. "You see, you can't save everyone. No matter how brave you are or how hard you try. It doesn't even matter if it's someone you love. You just can't save everyone."
"Hey Dad, what was Mum like?" Alan asked, after a moment of silence.
"She was a lot like you." Jeff simply said, but it was more than enough for Alan. He smiled, genuinely, but tiredly. Just what the hell was wrong with Alan, Jeff wondered.