Thunderbirds
Failing Light
Disclaimer: Don't own Thunderbirds or the characters and everything is copywrited to Gerry and Sylvia Anderson Supermarionation (who I owe an over-reactive imagination to )
A.N This is a follow up to 'Chance meeting' and follows on the story really after the whole first meeting event. It's about one year ahead so just add a year to everyone's age and you'll get the idea and the first chapters just really to introduce the new characters and make you laugh – I've probably failed at that bit but it's me isn't it?
To my reviewers of Chance Meeting: killhill2003 – Hope you haven't had any more evil nights at work and enjoy the next bit – and bograt – glad you liked all the lovy dovy bits thought I'd gone a bit overboard but meh
And all of the Science and Maths stuff is generally made up and has no relevance to anything before anyone starts on me.
Plot: Enjoying life to the full is something that everyone at St Bishops Science Collage is looking forward to. But Alan Tracy is going to have to manage his social life and secret life well or he will be caught out. Unfortunately he's become the primary target of a kidnap operation headed by the Hood's new henchmen. Will Alan be able to survive and hide his secret from his friends – or is there another force at work.
Chapter 1
"Right...that one's easy...it's....it's....oh man!" shouted Buzz trying desperately to recall the formula for combustion of hydro-daphnia.
A general chuckle arose from the group, "Yeah right, Buzz, I'll believe that in a million years" said Liddy enjoying the chance to annoy Buzz so easily.
Alan Tracy smiled and took a swig of coke from the open bottle. It was the third last day of term and tomorrow was the final exams. In an rather wild card attempt to check their knowledge and test each other, Alan's gang of friends had descended on his room and were currently randomly firing questions on science and maths at each other.
It had proved to be a successful option for some of the other exams they had all sat last year and it seemed to work mostly this year but things were getting rather confused as maths and science were not easy subjects to flick between with ease.
Buzz – the one who had to pass science and maths to get into his chosen university – was getting most of the questions fired at him.
The group was fairly large and consisted of Alan, Errika or Eric as she was called his girlfriend, Jojo a rather quiet kid with exceptional abilities in maths and formulaic studies, Hegy a studious girl who was planning to go on and do English Lit as a higher degree and pursue a career in science writing, Buzz the resident computer nerd and Liddy the often loud and unpredictable one who was looking into nuclear sciences.
They were a mixed bunch to say the least but everyone got along.
"Come on Buzz, you said you knew this subject" teased Eric, biting the top of her pen.
Buzz death glared her and his jade eyes flashed, "Can't say much for you Eric-I-can't-do-Pythagoras-theorem" he snapped back before looking thoughtful and saying, "Kinetic energy multiplied by density mass plus the size of the container rounded up to the nearest thousandth".
"I don't believe him! That's the fiftieth one he's got right" said Hegy checking the text book.
"Ha! Just give the Buzzard some time and he gets his pray" said Buzz in a pompous voice.
"Aye, or leave him stranded when the hunter comes and watch him die" said Alan before quickly ducking out of Buzz's hand that came swiping for him.
The others laughed, "Give over Buzz, you know Alan's just a teaser" said Jojo before turning a page and grinning evilly, "Hey Eric, what's the route of a right-angle triangle with uneven sides multiplied by Pie?".
Eric's face fell, "You have got to be kidding! Jojo I'm going to murder you!" she said before writing down on a bit of paper a lot of complicated numbers and diagrams.
Hegy swiped playfully at Jojo, "You rotter! That's you're level of maths not hers".
Amazingly Eric didn't respond to that comment, normally it would have sent her into a rage. Eric had problems with maths and often knew the answer but couldn't work out the formula to get there so that meant she had been placed into a lower set for maths compared to the others.
Not that she really cared, or claimed to at least. It meant she had less maths homework to do than the others and she loved reminding them of that.
Liddy chuckled and turned a page in the science book, "Al, what's Harvods explanation of the reaction to oxygen and raw hydro-carbon's soaked in the liquid of lighter fluid?" she asked sweetly.
Alan stopped himself from cursing, Harvods theory on anything was long, complicated and his worst theory work. He knew it well enough but frequently got something mixed up with another part and then lost his original idea.
And this one was the hardest to remember, he glared at Liddy who simply stuck her tongue out.
He looked slightly hopeless for a few seconds and then started counting on his fingers, "None of that! Can't do that in the exam Alan!" said Buzz grabbing hold of Alan's right hand and pulling it away.
"Buzz, let go you weed!" said Alan trying to pull his hand back while remember the rest of the number work that went into Harvods theories.
Eric and Liddy chuckled while they passed a piece of paper between each other, "Buzz you are horrid. Let Alan count on his fingers if he needs to" said Liddy before bursting into laughter as a pillow came flying at her from Alan's direction.
Hegy and Jojo were in creases at the state of the pair and Eric had to bash Jojo's head to get him to pay attention, "It's zero".
"What is?" asked Jojo, lost completely as to what the hell she was going on about.
"That question you asked her dummy! She's saying the answer is zero" said Liddy, winking at Eric.
Hegy calmed down a bit and turned on Alan who was still trying to get his hand back, "Come on then Alan what's the answer?" she teased.
"Hegy...give me a minuet. Buzz let go of my hand, you weirdo" said Alan now wrestling with Buzz who was still refusing to let Alan's hand go.
Before long they would all be hitting each other with pillows, reflected Alan playfully but at that point in time he was trying to think of which atomic pretence belonged to lighter fluid and hydrocarbons while getting his hand back.
The phone rang nosily and all of them stopped for a few seconds to look at it, "Oh great! Buzz let go of my hand!" said Alan, rolling off the bed and trying to head to the phone but Buzz kept a tight hold.
"No way Al, you're gonna answer the question first!" said Buzz digging his feet into the ground.
Hegy started laughing once again and Liddy got up, "I'll answer it for you Alan" she said sweetly.
"No! Liddy! Buzz let go!" said Alan, trying to get away only to fall back and be death locked by Buzz and his other arm grabbed by Jojo. "HEY! This isn't funny!" he yelled trying to break the grip.
"Al, who's Grandma?" asked Liddy staring at the caller ID displayed.
Alan's eyes opened in fright, "Oh bugger it! Liddy don't answer it. You two let go of me!" he shouted.
Hegy turned to Liddy and grinned, "Go on I dare you to answer it" she teased.
"No! Liddy you do and I will kill you!" shouted Alan.
"Well answer the damn question, Al and me and Jojo will let you go" said Buzz.
Sighing and chuckling, Eric got up and pushed Liddy out of the way, "I'll get it Alan, I'm sure Grandma won't mind" she said before hitting the answer screen and turning, "Hiya Gran...oh hello Mr Tracy" her eyes flicked to Alan's and she mouthed, "It's your father".
"Eric? What are you doing answering the phone?" came Jeff Tracy's voice, confused as to why she was there instead of his son.
"A bit of a tricky story there Mr Tracy...one second" she turned and glared a Buzz and Jojo, "Both of you let him go, this instant!"
Buzz looked rather hurt, "C'mon Eric we're only having a bit of fun with him" he pouted.
"You want to explain this to his father?" she shot back, before ducking a pillow thrown by Liddy.
"Someone better explain this to me!" came Jeff's voice from the phone.
Alan once again stopped himself from cursing before managing to elbow Buzz in the stomach and step none-to-gently on Jojo's foot, which allowed him to get free.
"Oww...Alan that hurt!" moaned Jojo playfully.
Alan stuck his tongue out at Jojo and ducked another pillow, which was thrown by Buzz.
"Hi Dad" he said getting in front of the phone, after thanking Eric with a nod.
"What is going on in there?" came Jeff's sceptical voice. "
Erm...a strange form of revision that involves holding onto your mate until they tell you the answer" said Alan, once again ducking.
"That's a point! Alan what..?" called Buzz getting up but being pulled back by Eric and Hegy.
"Shut up, Buzz!" shouted Alan.
"You having a party in there or something little brother?" came Gordon's voice from a second line he had activated from his room.
"No! Just some annoying friends trying to test me on Harvods theory of summat or other" he said before a sandwich hit him firmly on the head.
"Harvods explanation of the reaction to oxygen and raw hydro-carbon's soaked in the liquid of lighter fluid!" came everyone's voice in the room followed by responding laughter.
Even Jeff laughed, Gordon hadn't heard as he had been telling Scott who he was talking to and now both of them were on the line, "Don't worry Alan, I'm sure Harvods theories aren't that hard to remember" winked Jeff.
"Ouch...Dad those things were hard when I did them...they're probably even worse now!" came Scott's voice as he leaned uncharacteristically on Gordon's head.
"Shut up you lot! Dad can I call you back later?" pleaded Alan, trying to keep an eye on his friends and specifically Errika who seemed to be fiddling on with something.
"No, Alan. We've got things to do tonight so there's no chance anyone will be in. Bar Grandma of course" started Jeff before Gordon cut in, "So what are you lot actually doing in there?" his cheeky side obvious and annoying.
"Supposedly Revision!" said Alan before suddenly being attacked by Eric who had managed to get hold of some lipstick.
"Errika!" he screamed uselessly.
"How do you intend to capture him in the holidays? He'll be back on Tracy Island and the security is very tight there" mocked The Hood watching his two new henchmen with careful eyes.
The two scientist's exchanged glances but a sly grin crossed the females face, "From the information that our insider gave us, they are planning several parties at their own houses. This will be a delicate operation but we will be able to grab him whilst he is at one of them" her voice was deadly laced and rather worrying.
"And what makes the party the best excuse is that Jeff and his brothers will not be there in order to watch over him or protect him. Our best bets are the later parties when things have calmed down a bit...specifically one that is due to take place at the house of Henrietta Thomas as she lives in a area that is well out of the way and getting anyone takes some time" said the male scientist with a gleam in his eyes.
The Hood smiled and leaned back, this time he would have Tracy's secrets or he would risk losing a son.
A cruel chuckle emitted from his throat, Jeff Tracy loved all of his sons to death but the thought of losing one of them would drive him crazy – especially considering that he was the youngest of the lot. "When do we make our move?" he asked casually.
"July 4th...Independence Day" muttered the female scientist under her breath before saying, "July 25th Hood". She knew the real plans for capturing and ending the life of Alan Tracy but she was not going to share them with anyone other than her partner in crime.
"Excellent...I hope they enjoy their time together" said The Hood unawares that his plans had long ago been scrapped.
To be Continued...
A.N Well there you go, a little longer than what I expected but meh that's half the fun with Fanfic's. Want to know more? Please review.