Shadows Of The Past

by JanetM74

It's been years. Years since Scott has even thought about some of the events of his military career. Even more years since Jeff had thought about his. Yet one event in each of their careers has always been connected. And the past for both of them is about to overtake them. AU. I don't own the characters. Warnings for gunshot, violence, forced drugging.

7. Interlude

Brains may not have been in New York with the rest of the family, but that didn't mean he wasn't helping in any way he could. The Tracy's had taken him in, given him purpose, seen the potential in his abilities. But more than that, they viewed and treated him as family, gave him a home, protected him from the world.

And he would do anything – anything – to protect them in return.

Before Jeff had left for New York he had spent some time holed up with him, and Brains had started researching before the Tracy jet had left.

Jeff had left behind his blood. And Brains was testing it, along with the blood of the boys that they had in storage, trying to define exactly what was different in it, in their DNA, by comparing it to his own. He needed to find something, anything, to try and help.

Mr Tracy had explained what had happened to both him and Scott, the underlying threat that there was more than just quick healing in whatever the serum was.

He and Mrs Tracy had discussed how they could use the equipment in the infirmary to run the tests he would need. It would take time, time he didn't – Scott didn't – have, so while the bloods were spinning he talked to EOS.

'EOS, I need your help.'

Hello, Brains. What can I do for you?'

'Have you ability to run a separate search while you're helping John?'

'Of course.'

'I need to find the research of a Dr Gardner.'

'The one who created the serum?'

'Yes. If I can find the research, anything on how and what he used, maybe I can reverse-engineer a way to cure them, or at least neutralise the worse of it.'

'I'm on it.'

Brains started his own searches. He called people he hadn't spoken to in many years. They called people. Sally had called people both before she had left and while in the air. Jeff called his military contacts.

Within an hour of the first call there were scientists and doctors from every walk of life and from all around the world searching for Dr Gardner's research, even if almost all of them didn't know exactly what they were looking for, or why.

All the while they and EOS searched, Brains ran tests. Genetic testing could take anywhere between 2 weeks to six months. Brains, with the equipment that was at his disposal, had a result in 40 hours.

The results were astonishing. If he hadn't have known what he was looking for he would easily had missed it. Now all he had to do was to come up with a treatment.