Chapter Thirty
Alan reached the vault a few minutes after his father and uncle. Slipping in unobserved he stopped short when he saw his father being held in the air and obviously being somehow choked to death. Dad no, Alan thought turning slightly so he could get a clear look at the Hood.
"Your finished Jeff," he heard the Hood say even as he raised an arm and pointed the palm of his right hand at the Hood. "The Thunderbirds are mine now. You've failed and now it's your time to die."
"I don't think so," Alan said loud enough for everyone in the vault to hear but before anyone could even begin to react energy pulsed down his raised arm. His hand glowed silver-blue and a snowball the size of a tennis ball flew from his hand to strike the Hood squarely on the side of the head making the villain cry out in surprise and pain. Travelling at such high speed even something as mundane as a ball of soft snow would hurt on impact.
Alan smiled as he saw his father hit the floor as the Hoods concentration was shattered. Though out of breath his dad seemed to be fine as he lay there gasping and shaking from the sudden rush of adrenaline.
Getting his wits back the Hood spun around and glared sharply at Alan furious that the young metahuman was again interfering with his plans. He was also a little disappointed that Alan constantly worked against him. With his powers Alan could have been a powerful and useful member of his organisation.
"I'm disappointed in you Alan," he said softly. "I thought we were kindred spirits. Both outcasts."
"I'm no outcast," Alan answered. "I'm Jeff Tracy's son."
"Yes you definitely are," the Hood agreed before lashing out telekinetically again sending Alan flying backwards into the far wall.
The impact with the wall knocked the breath from Alan's lungs. He glared back at the Hood and pointed a hand at him and imagined a jet of water knocking the Hood flying backwards and let his powers flow. The blue water glow appeared in his eyes and around his hand and as before a beam of blue energy flew from his hand right at the Hood. A second before impact it turned into a powerful jet of water that as with Mullion slammed into the Hood like a sledge hammer picking the villain up and sending him flying backwards to slam into a pillar knocking the wind from the Hoods lungs with a satisfying whumph.
Feeling the energy inside faltering a little Alan stopped the water jet and felt weakness clawing at him. He knew that he was getting close to total energy depletion but he couldn't back down now.
Awkwardly sitting up still trying to fully get his breath back Jeff looked over at Alan and could see his sons weakness but also the fiery determination that Alan had inherited from both his parents in Alan's blue eyes, eyes that looked so like his mothers that it was sometimes painful to look Alan in the eye. Especially if Alan really got mad about something then he tended to look exactly as Margaret had looked when she'd been mad.
"Alan stay back," Jeff urged while inwardly knowing that it wouldn't get him anywhere. Tracy stubbornness meant Alan would probably ignore him.
"No dad sorry," Alan answered getting to his feet. "He's getting weaker. He can't last much longer."
"Neither can you," Jeff pointed out.
Alan ignored his father and holding his palms out in front of him he advanced towards the Hood throwing snowballs from each hand in a one, two, one two pattern. The Hood howled in fury as the snowballs pelted into him at high speed he tried to throw Alan back telekinetically again but nothing happened. He didn't have the strength left to strike at Alan hard enough. Holding his arms up like a shield the Hood took the repeated snowball impacts and began marshalling his remaining psychic strength together to continue this fight. He was damned if he was going to let some metahuman upstart get the better of him.
After a moment he gathered all the strength that he could and lowering his arms lashed out telekinetically knocking Alan flying straight into Jeff who was just getting back to his feet. Both went down in a tangle.
The Hood staggered back to his feet and winced at the headache that was pounding away inside his skull. Almost all of his strength was gone still he was on his feet and there were other means to kill ones enemies. Reaching into his robes he took out a dagger he usually used for ceremonial purposes but which he could use to kill as well.
He advanced forward quickly he would stab both Jeff and Alan before they could stand up. He looked up as he heard the sound of running feat entering the vault. To see that his niece and the blue spectacled kid had come in as well both in Thunderbird uniform.
Tin-Tin paused immediately seeing the dagger in her uncle's hand and immediately realised what he planned.
"No," she said and concentrated on the dagger knocking it telekinetically from the Hoods hands. The Hood stumbled from the telekinetic assault then smiled at his niece as the gold glow that accompanied the use of her powers faded from her eyes.
"Well it seems you my dear brother has taught you something about our gifts after all," he said to her. With his last dredge of psychic energy he lashed out telekinetically at Tin-Tin knocking her backward into Fermat before she could block him. Both Tin-Tin and Fermat flew backwards a few yards before crashing to the floor. "But you still have much to learn child. Like never let your guard down," he added as he went to pick his dagger back up.
Untangling himself from Jeff Alan noticed what he was doing and pointed a hand at the dagger imagining it imprisoned in a block of ice and let his powers flow again. His eyes and hands glowed silver and a beam of silver light flew through the air to hit the dagger before the Hood could reach it. The silver beam formed into a block of silver light that completely covered the dagger before solidifying into a solid lump of ice with the dagger imprisoned in the centre.
Alan stopped the power emission and was grateful that he was actually on his knees already for otherwise he surely would have collapsed as a wave of exhaustion rippled through him. Imprisoning the dagger had taken almost all of the remaining energy within leaving him feeling as weak as a kitten.
The Hood looked at the dagger frozen in a lump of ice in surprise then smiled impressed. Alan's abilities were truly formidable and he realised that it could just as easily be a person trapped in a block of ice as opposed to a dagger. Then he looked over at Alan and Jeff and smiled when he saw that Alan seemed to be weak now. Just like he himself was.
"Impressive," he told Alan. "But not enough." He started to advance forward towards Jeff and Alan. He might not be able to use his abilities again for awhile but he didn't need to. He knew enough martial arts to be able to kill Alan and Jeff with his own two hands.
"I disagree," a strong voice said from the direction of the gold cage.
The Hood looked over at the gold cage and his eyes widened in horror when he saw Static was awake and was in fact back on his feet. The handcuffs were gone so Static was free to move. And he was pointing a hand right at the Hood, a hand that was glowing with purple-white energy. Ugh oh, the Hood thought.
Static fired a blast of energy right at the Hood enveloping him in a corona of crackling energy. The Hood writhed and screamed in pain and fury. His robe soaked by Alan's water and snowball assaults conducting the electricity right into the Hoods body. Darkness enveloped the Hood and he collapsed unconscious to the floor.
"Nice shot," Peter said looking over at Static and smiling. Though he had watched some of the fight he had used the distraction to awaken Gear who'd then woken Static before Peter used a small laser cutter to release the handcuffs on them, Penelope and Parker.
"Thank you," Static replied smiling back. "Now let's get out of here."
"Already on it bro," Gear answered placing a small device on the side of the electronic lock that caused it to disengage allowing him to open the door. "Ladies first," Gear added smiling at Penelope.
"Why thank you," Penelope replied walking serenely forwards into freedom. Jeff looked over at her and smiled glad to see that she was alright before looking back concerned at Alan who still had not gotten up.
"Are you alright Alan," he asked his youngest son concerned.
"I'm fine dad," Alan replied getting back to his feet. "Whoa," he said as his world spun sickeningly and he stumbled and would have fallen had Jeff not quickly caught him.
"You're not alright," Jeff said.
"Don't worry to much Mr Tracy," Gear said smiling. "Alan's stumbling about because he's almost completely energy depleted. That's all." He smiled reassuringly at Alan. "You'll be fine once you've slept for awhile."
"I am glad to hear that," Alan replied not liking the way he was feeling at the moment at all. He looked at his father. "Dad I'm sorry."
"For what?" Jeff asked.
"For defying you and coming in here."
"Don't be," Jeff replied. "You saved my life Alan and you made the difference that enabled the Hood to be defeated." A smile graced Alan's tired features as Jeff said that. Jeff smiled back. He was so proud of Alan.
"Thanks dad."
Jeff looked over at Tin-Tin and Fermat who had just picked themselves up after having been knocked flying by the Hoods last telekinetic blast. He'd seen what Tin-Tin did as well and wondered how she could have the same abilities as the Hood. The Hoods words to her indicated that such things ran in the Belagant line but Kyrano had never told him about having psi abilities before. When they got back to the island he would have to have a talk with Kyrano about this.
"Fermat, Tin-Tin are you alright?" he asked.
"We're okay," Tin-Tin answered for herself and Fermat. She looked at Alan and frowned in concern as she saw how weak he was. "Alan are you alright?"
"I'm fine Tin-Tin," Alan replied. "I'm just tired."
"M…m…may be you s…s…should g.…get the energy back that m…made that ice block," Fermat suggested nodding at the block of ice and the dagger contained within.
"Good idea," Alan agreed and pulling away from his father staggered over to the block of ice careful to avoid tripping over the unconscious Hood.
Remembering what he did before he put his hand on the ice and willed the energy that had gone into making it come back into him. He felt his powers reluctantly flare.
Jeff watched interested wondering what Alan was doing. Since Alan's back was to him he couldn't see Alan's eyes glowing silver. Consequently he was surprised when the block of ice sort of rippled and then changed back into silver energy that was absorbed back into Alan. He wasn't the only one who was surprised. Everyone – with the exception of Fermat – was equally surprised.
The Hoods dagger hit the floor with a soft clang as the last of the energy disappeared back into Alan's body. Alan turned back around to face his father the silver glow disappearing from his eyes as he did so. And Jeff noticed that Alan suddenly seemed to be slightly less tired than he had been.
"Impressive," Gear commented. "But not surprising considering you're primarily an elemental."
"Primarily?" Static questioned looking over at Gear. "What do you mean bro."
"I can phase as well as make and manipulate water, snow and ice," Alan answered and smiled at the look of surprise that appeared on Static's face as he said that.
"Your multipowered that is unusual," Static commented. Alan merely shrugged.
Before anyone else could speak the sound of approaching feet – a lot of approaching feet – caught everyone's attention. In unison they all turned and looked at the vault door just as all four of Alan's brothers came through followed by a posse of armed police officers.
They paused as they took in the scene in surprise for a moment. Then Scott looked at the unconscious Hood then back up at Static, Gear and Alan. He guessed that they were the ones who'd given their sworn enemy a pounding.
"Is everyone alright," Scott asked coming over with John, Virgil and Gordon.
"Were all fine now Scott," Penelope answered speaking before Jeff. "The Hood isn't but we are." Scott looked relieved.
"That's all the bad guys dealt with then," Jeff said.
"Not quiet," John answered biting back the instinct to put dad in that statement. When talking in public while in uniform they shouldn't give any sign that they were all related to each other. With the cops around they had to behave as if they were teammates but that was all.
"What do you mean," Jeff asked.
"The girl Transom she's gone."
"She's imprisoned in the secondary vault," Tin-Tin said.
"They've checked there already Tin-Tin," John answered. "She was gone. But the door to the cage she was in had literally been sliced open with some kind of laser beam. The police are searching the bank but somehow I don't think they will find her."
"If she's got sense Transom will have left the building and be well on her way out of the city," Gear said. "It would be impossible to find her even with your sensors."
"We should leave ourselves," Jeff said even as he watched the police place the unconscious Hood in handcuff's before carrying him out of the room. He looked around at the room and especially the shattered wall of the vault and sighed. "I'll have to contact the Prime Minister later and explain all this."
"Leave that to me Jeff," Penelope said. "I know the Prime Minister personally. I'll explain it all to her."
"Are you sure Penny?"
"Yes."
"Very well then. You can explain it to her but call me if you need any help," Jeff instructed.
"F.A.B," Penelope replied smiling then she looked over at Static. "Now how about I take you back to your hotel wherever it is Static since you're flying disc has been destroyed."
"Don't remind me," Static replied and looking at him Jeff could tell that Static/Virgil Hawkins was saddened by the loss of the disc, he guessed it had been more than a mode of transport to him. Jeff made a mental note to have Brains do something about it. It would certainly be easy to make a new disc for Static and with the materials open to them it would probably be a lot better than the original.
"A ride to the Queen Mary would be nice. But how am I to get in since I flew off the balcony of my hotel room."
"Simple jet pack," Penelope replied.
"Come on we need to leave," Jeff said. "Virgil, Gordon take the Mole back to Jubilee Gardens and load it back aboard Thunderbird Two. Then sort out retrieving Thunderbird Four. Take Fermat and Tin-Tin with you. John go with them you'll Thunderbird Three back to base."
"F.A.B," Gordon, Virgil, Tin-Tin, John and Fermat all replied in unison.
"Alan you, me, Peter and Scott will go back outside to Thunderbird One."
"F.A.B," Alan, Peter and Scott replied.
"We will go with Lady Penelope," Static said for himself and Gear
"Very well," Jeff replied. "Let's go."
Thunderbird One
A Short Time Later
Scott Tracy slid comfortably into the pilot's chair of Thunderbird One and powered up the crafts systems. Jeff settled into the co-pilot's seat beside his eldest son while Alan and Peter took the rear seats.
"I've located Thunderbirds Two and Four. Thunderbird Three is already off my scanners," Scott said looking at the sensor panel. "Thunderbird Four is moving along the river heading for the Thames estuary. Thunderbird Two is heading there as well."
"Take us there as well Scott," Jeff instructed.
"F.A.B." Scott replied powering up the engines and getting his beloved Thunderbird One back into the air where she belong and set course for the mouth of the Thames.
Within moments they were flying out of London heading for the mouth of the Thames and it was then as they were flying that Scott, Jeff and Peter heard a strange sound. They all looked at Alan who seemed to be making the noise to see that he had fallen asleep and the noise was him snoring.
Peter smiled.
"That's another thing he gets off his mother," he said referring to Alan. "He snores." Jeff laughed remembering perfectly clearly how Margaret would snore all night. Fortunately he was quiet a heavy sleeper so she'd never disturb his rest. "Should I wake him," Peter asked.
"No let him sleep," Jeff replied. "He's earned it."
Peter and Scott nodded in agreement and decided that they would let Alan sleep. As Jeff had said Alan had earned it.