Chapter 75.
Havoc smirked as she uploaded the stolen blueprints from her tech gloves into the Chaos Cruiser's communication network.
"Well done," the Hood drawled, smiling as his holographic eyes scanned the data, "This should make blackmailing those incompetent junior officers at the GDF's Munich branch much easier. Excellent work."
Havoc smiled and propped her feet up on the dashboard, "You got it, boss. Want me to report back?"
"Not yet," the Hood replied, "I'm still waiting for Fuse to finish destabilising that new fusion reactor in Provence. I want you to remain on call in case he requires backup."
"You got it," Havoc replied, rolling her eyes at her brother's incompetence, "Anything you want me to do in the meantime?"
The Hood's face twisted into his trademark sneer, "Come to think of it, there is one thing you can help me with."
"Name it," Havoc gushed, "Not like I've got anything better to do."
"Such loyalty," the Hood scoffed, "I like it. Tell me, Havoc, how do you think we can cripple the Tracys? What weaknesses do they have that can we exploit?"
Havoc pondered for a second. She'd given the subject plenty of thought, but knew from experience that International Rescue ran a watertight operation.
"Dunno," she admitted, shrugging offhandedly, "Hold their grandmother for ransom? Remotely drain their fuel supplies? Force them to write bad checks?"
The Hood sniggered at her sarcasm, not realising that she was in fact deadly serious, "How cute. I'm afraid the answer is no to all of the above. Would you like me to tell you?"
An enthusiastic nod was offered in lieu of a verbal reply.
"International Rescue's running costs are extortionate," the Hood began, "The repair, maintenance, and fuelling of six highly specialised crafts is an expensive endeavour, as are the living costs associated with running a private island. Suffice to say, the Tracys don't run their operation on a shoestring budget."
Havoc cocked her head in intrigue.
"Ruining them financially would completely destroy the foundation International Rescue is built upon. As a non-profit and non-government enterprise, all the services they offer are completely self-funded. They may like to play the humble heroes, but even the great Scott Tracy isn't exempt from paying tax."
The grin spreading across Havoc's face was practically oily, "So we're going to bankrupt them?"
"Indeed," the Hood replied, linking both hands behind his back, "And to do that, we need something very special from one of them. And that, my dear, is where you come in."
Havoc straightened in anticipation, "What do you need? Sort codes? Account numbers? Memorable words? Their mother's cat's maiden name?"
The Hood shook his head, tutting as if Havoc were a small child, "I acquired all that information ages ago. No, what I need you to get for me is some DNA."
A pause.
"DNA?" Havoc repeated dumbly.
"Yes, DNA," the Hood affirmed, "The Tracy's financial accounts are protected by the latest in biometric technology. If we want to gain access, we'll need fingerprints, retina scans, and saliva samples."
"Saliva?" Havoc's eyebrows shot up to her hairline, "Why saliva? Won't the fingerprint and retina scans be enough?"
"Saliva has the same biometric accuracy as fingerprints," the Hood replied coolly, "If we lose or fail to obtain one, then we have the other as a backup. I've managed to procure accurate retina scans for Scott, Virgil, and Gordon, however I'm assigning you the job of acquiring the fingerprints and saliva."
Havoc felt her heart drop into her boots.
"Oh, don't look at me like that," the Hood sighed, "I'm not going to ask you to do anything unbecoming of a young woman. I do however expect you to be creative in your approach. They're attending a party in honour of my niece's birthday later this evening, so I recommend you strike then. And choose your target carefully. Both the fingerprints and the saliva have to come from the same host."
"Doesn't that limit me to the three you said you already have retina scans for?" Havoc queried, trying frantically to quash the unease fizzing in her stomach.
"I can easily get my hands on retina scans for John and Alan," the Hood sniffed, "They just don't get deployed on as many earthbound missions as the others, hence my decision to omit them. Alan isn't yet old enough to access the accounts independently, so don't waste your efforts on him. And be careful around Scott. Rumour has it my dear niece is soft on him, so any attention you direct at him will not go unnoticed by her. You of all people should know that Kayo interfering is the last thing we need."
Havoc nodded mutely, lost in thought.
"Now," the Hood drawled, smiling serenely, "Do you have a dress handy, or should I arrange a private fitting at Versace for you?"
-x-
It wasn't often that Scott Tracy was lost for words.
Sure, he wasn't immune to being rendered speechless, but the cause was usually something worth being speechless over. A beautiful sunset, food, and a fresh paintjob on Thunderbird One to name a few.
Never his godforsaken brothers.
"Scott, relax," Virgil soothed, raising his hands in a peaceful surrender, "If it bugs you, I'll tell her no."
Scott snapped back to earth with a jolt, "What do you mean, if it bugs me? It doesn't bug me in the slightest, Virgil. Kayo's a grown woman and capable of making her own mistakes."
Virgil let out an uneasy sigh, but did a double take when he replayed Scott's words, "What do you mean, capable of making her own mistakes? Are you implying that I'm not good enough for her?"
A casual shrug was offered, "I don't know, Virgil. Why don't you ask her yourself? I'm sure she'd love that."
It was a well-established fact, both inside and outside of International Rescue, that Virgil was the peacekeeper of the Tracy family. He may have been the most imposing to look at, but he was a sensitive soul and always read between the lines.
"Scott, none of this is my doing," Virgil stated, his expression neutral, "I'm happy to say no, but I need to go back to Kayo with an answer. It isn't fair to ghost her mere hours before her own birthday celebration. Yes, or no. It's a simple decision, and one I'm quite happy to hand over to you."
In the background, John took an instinctive step backwards when Scott's shoulders visibly tensed. A row was imminent, and he was right in the splash zone.
"For goodness sake, John!" Scott snapped, momentarily redirecting his anger, "Buck up and grow a pair already!"
John balked at Scott's words, however was denied the chance to respond by Virgil wading back into the fray.
"Leave him alone," Virgil warned, "This is between me, you, and your inability to handle situations that make you look bad. You feel betrayed because Kayo asked me instead of you, but I must remind you that the two of you aren't technically dating, therefore this doesn't constitute a break-up or cheating. Get over yourself."
Scott's eyes widened, accepting the challenge Virgil was laying down, "I find your belief that I'm affected by this laughable, Virgil. Accept her offer. You won't be treading on any toes, least of all mine. Just promise you won't make any messes that I have to clean up later, both physical and emotional."
"Typical," Virgil scoffed, poking Scott roughly in the chest, "This right here is exactly what I'm talking about. You bottle everything up and then take it out on us when things start to fester. It's a simple question: do you want me to go with Kayo, or don't you want me to go with Kayo? For the record, I don't think many normal brothers would bother consulting with you over this."
"Someone has to step up," Scott countered, drawing himself up to his full height, "Dad wouldn't want-"
"This isn't about Dad," Virgil cut in, his face taut with impatience, "This is about you, your fragile ego, and your inability to talk about your emotions. How do think that makes us feel? I can't speak for the others, but the fact that you won't readily confide in me makes me feel like I've failed in my duty as your brother."
Scott paused to consider Virgil's words. It was true that he didn't wear his heart on his sleeve. He was the leader of International Rescue, head of the Tracy family, and the one of the world's most elite first responders. He was also an orphan, not that anyone cared to remember. As the eldest, he'd been denied the attention that had been lavished on Gordon and Alan in the wake of their father's disappearance. Sure, he'd had his grandmother, Penelope, Parker, and Colonel Casey to rely on, but the rest of the world had expected him to roll up his sleeves and get on with things.
Or maybe, just perhaps, his inner bully was the real one at fault.
Virgil took note of the vulnerability in Scott's eyes and felt his anger fizzle out. It was so easy to forget that his only older brother was also still a young soul himself. A pregnant pause descended over the room as both arguments were digested, the tension thick enough to inhale.
"I'm going for a run," Scott clipped, groping for the door. Instinctively, Alan made to tail his brother, duckling style, but was held back by Gordon's hand on his shoulder. Neither John nor Virgil moved to intervene as the door clicked shut with an air of heavy finality.
Outside the window, Havoc beamed in triumph.
Finally, a weakness she could exploit.
-x-
Scott felt guilt claw at him as he slowed to admire a vermillion flycatcher furiously pursuing a butterfly.
He knew his behaviour was out of line, but he couldn't help himself. He was a stickler for order and hated it when people behaved unpredictably. Women were the bane of his existence for that very reason.
The tell-tale buzz of an incoming call put a swift end to his run. He expected it to be one of his brothers calling to check on him, but was proven wrong when Penelope's name flashed across the screen instead.
"Scott, is everything okay?" she asked crisply, "My tracker says that you're two miles away from the hotel and by yourself."
"Everything's fine," Scott replied, silently irritated by the assumption that he and his brothers had to always be together in order for everything to be okay, "I was just craving some fresh air. How goes the dress shopping?"
"Quite well, thank you," Penelope chirped, "We've finally managed to settle on a pair of heels for Kayo. I don't like to speak ill of colleagues, but she's the fussiest dresser I've ever met."
Scott cringed. Perhaps he'd dodged a bullet.
"Anyway, that's not why I'm calling," Penelope continued, "Well, obviously I wanted to check that you were okay, but I actually have a proposition for you. I'm aware that Kayo has asked Virgil to be her date for this evening, which I must say has shocked me. I was fully expecting her to ask you."
Silence.
"Anyway, since she hasn't, I was wondering whether you'd consider attending tonight's soirée with me instead? The media are slating you for apparently dumping me in favour of Kayo, and in my experience the best way to silence rumours is to do the exact opposite of what the front covers are claiming. Your grandmother also tells me that you're an exquisite dancer."
Scott felt a cloud settle over his head. The situation had somehow managed to complicate itself even further. He didn't particularly care what the media had to say about him or his brothers. It wasn't like International Rescue relied on public donations, and as such, they were under no obligation to maintain an illusion of perfection. On the subject of Penelope, she was an equally attractive prospect to Kayo, perhaps even better, given the firmer grip she had on her temper.
"I'd love to," Scott replied, forcing a smile even though Penelope wasn't present to see it, "Are you planning on heading over by yourself, or should I swing by and pick you up?"
"Oh, I'm getting there an hour before the doors officially open to help set up," Penelope sang, her delight obvious, "No need for you to though. How about we meet on the terrace at seven-thirty sharp? I know Kayo's told Virgil to meet her at eight, but I'd rather you arrived a bit earlier than that."
Scott felt a frown infect his face, "So Virgil's going?"
"I hope so. Because he's just texted Kayo and accepted her invite."