Again, I don't own 'em so please don't sue!
"Red Alert! Probability of impact 100."
He stared at the screen, unable to move as the projectile aimed straight for Thunderbird 5. It hit and the station exploded around him.
Fire…
Pain…
He struggled to his feet over to the control panel. The pain in his chest was agonizing. "Help! Someone help me!"
Nothing…
Sparks flew as he tried again. "Dad! Mayday!"
The fire grew closer as the bridge remained ominously silent.
"They're not coming."
He looked around for the voice.
"They don't care about you."
He shook his head. "That's not true!" He coughed through the smoke, sending a fresh wave of pain through his body.
"You know it is…"
"Nooooo!"
John bolted awake, his body drenched in sweat. Panting heavily, he put his head in his hands and tried to calm himself down.
A dream, it was just a damn dream. You're not alone, you never were, it was a dream.
John waited until his breathing steadied, then got to his feet. He went out in the hallway, looking for his brother. Scott was no where in sight, so John went into the kitchen. He opened the cupboard, intending to make himself a cup of cocoa. His hand brushed the whiskey bottle. He stared at it for a moment, then poured himself a shot. Just a small one, to steady my nerves.
He closed his eyes and downed the drink in one swallow. The fiery liquid burned its way down his throat. He waited a few minutes until the alcohol had settled in his stomach, then headed for the shower.
He let the hot water wash over him for nearly a half hour, his head in a turmoil. Dammit John! It was just a dream. They came for you, you weren't alone. It's over. He sighed inwardly. Yeah, sure it is. He turned off the water, got dressed and went looking for his brother.
John stepped through the door of the space station's gym. Scott was running on the treadmill, and had been for a while by the looks of it. John walked up as Scott shut down the machine. "Here, I figured you could use this." John handed Scott a bottle of juice.
"Thanks." Scott replied curtly. He downed nearly half the bottle in one swallow.
John shifted uncomfortably. "So, how far did you go?"
"About four miles." Scott answered curtly without looking at his younger brother.
The silence grew between them. "Want me to make some breakfast?" John tried again.
"No thanks."
Both were quiet again. Finally John spoke up. "Scott, I just wanted to say—" He was cut off by the beeping of the rescue alarm. Without another word, he bolted for the bridge.
Scott started to follow, then stopped. No, let him do it. Instead Scott headed for the shower. When he emerged a short time later, he again paused. He could hear John still on the bridge, Scott went and made himself some breakfast. Carrying a mug of coffee for himself and one full of hot chocolate for John, he finally went to the bridge.
"Be careful Virgil. Call me as soon as you wrap things up." John said to his brother over the view-screen.
"FAB John, Thunderbird 2 out." Virgil's face disappeared.
Scott stepped onto the bridge. "So, what is it this time?"
John jumped. "Jesus Scott!" He turned his attention back to the map on one of the computer screens. "Avalanche." His voice had a faint quiver to it.
Scott was instantly alert. "Where?" He demanded, moving to peer at the screen next to John.
"Small resort in Switzerland. Nothing major, a school group on holiday. They're all accounted for but three kids and Virgil has those three's location pinpointed. The area around the site is stable and Gordon and Dad are going in." John answered.
"Dad?"
John knew the expression on Scott's face matched his own. "Virgil couldn't talk him out of it."
Memories swam in Scott's head…
"Scott! Johnny! Get your brothers out of here!" His mother shoved them out the window of the lodge and pushed Virgil and Gordon into their arms.
"Mom! Where's Alan?" John cried out. Lucy ducked back inside.
A rumble could be heard in the distance.
"Mom get out of there now!" Scott held a wiggling Gordon tighter in his arms.
Suddenly, Lucy appeared in the window, four-year old Alan in her hands. "Take him Scott!"
Scott shoved Gordon at John and grabbed his baby brother. "Mom, c'mon!"
Lucy tried to get through the window, but it was too small. "Get out of here boys! Find your father at the main lodge! I'll meet you all there. Hurry!"
The rumbling grew louder and Scott looked up. High up on the cliff face, a wave of snow started moving. Scott grabbed Virgil with his free hand, John threw Gordon on his back, and the five boys raced as fast as they could to the safety of the main lodge, a few hundred yards away.
Jeff met them at the door and ushered them inside. "John, where's your mother?"
"She's coming Dad." John answered.
"We got out through the window, she couldn't fit and had to go around." Fourteen year old Scott told him.
Jeff said nothing else, but started towards the door. He paused as a rush of snow thundered through the yard, shaking the building. It seemed to last an eternity before it finally stopped. The sudden silence was deafening.
Scott looked out over the yard. The snow was two stories high in places, and bits of crushed timbers were scattered through it.
"Lucy!" Jeff bolted out the back door, looking for his wife.
John looked up at his older brother. "Mom's not here?"
Scott shook his head, unable to speak.
"But Dad will find her right? Right Scott?" Tears began to pour down twelve year old John's face.
Scott didn't answer, but still holding Alan, pulled his other three brothers close.
The memory faded and glancing at John, Scott knew the same thoughts were going through his brother's head. "They'll be OK John."
John looked up, his face pale. "I know." He smiled thinly.
Both brothers sat, tersely waiting for Virgil to check in. Finally, nearly forty-five minutes later, the comm went off.
"Thunderbird 2 calling Thunderbird 5." Jeff's face appeared on the screen.
John answered instantly. "Thunderbird 5 here. Everything alright Dad?"
"We're all fine John. Gordon twisted his ankle so it looks like your taxi home is going to be delayed a few days though."
"Don't worry about it Dad, Scott doesn't eat half of what Gordon does." John smiled.
Jeff laughed. "We'll call you when we get home son. Thunderbird 2 out."
They both sat in silence for a few minutes, for the first time in his life, John didn't know what to say to his older brother.
Scott broke the ice first. "Did you talk to Dad before the rescue?"
John nodded. "When I got up this morning. I…I wanted to apologize. He told me he doesn't trust Hood and wants us all home. He was on his way to get Alan and Fermat when the call came in. He probably sent Penny to Wharton instead."
Scott grinned. "Somehow I don't think Alan will mind."
"Me neither." John busied himself at the computer. "Scott, about yesterday…I'm sorry." He said quietly.
Scott finally got a good look at his brother. John was still pale, with dark circles under his eyes. A bruise faintly outlined one cheek. Guilt washed over him. "Forget it John, I'm sorry too."
John looked up, his blue eyes haunted. "I'm scared Scott. No, scared's too tame a word, I'm terrified." He got up and paced the length of the bridge.
Scott sat very still, not wanting to shatter the moment. He watched his brother as he walked along the short bridge, hardly daring to breathe.
Finally John spoke, his voice so low, Scott could barely hear him. "It had been a fairly quiet day. I talked to Dad the night before and he told me that Alan had given him a hard time about wanting to be a Thunderbird. How he had been fooling around in TB1 and started her up without the cloaks. I assured Dad that Alan would be fine, he was just a typical teenager acting out, like we all did." John stared out at the stars. "I was working on…stuff when the perimeter alarm went off. I went to check it out and saw that something was heading right towards me. Probability of impact was improving by the second. I finally got over the shock and sent out a mayday, then the place went all to hell." John paused a moment before continuing.
"I went flying across the bridge, slamming up against the bulkhead. I know I blacked out for a while, don't know for sure how long. When I came to, I couldn't see, the place was so full of smoke. I tried to get up, but my legs wouldn't support my weight. I was having trouble breathing, so I knew I must have busted some ribs and my back and head was killing me, not to mention the burns on my arm and hands. Somehow, I managed to get to the console and tried to reach you. There was no answer." John's voice shook and Scott resisted the urge to get up and comfort his brother.
"I had no idea if anyone had heard me or not. Then I figured out it was a missile, and I tried to tell you to stay back. What if they targeted me again? This time when you were all up here…Anyway, I must have I blacked out again, and this time when I woke up, I saw Thunderbird 3 in sight. By then I was losing power steadily, nothing would go back online. I heard Dad tell me to hang on and when you guys came through the door, I was so relieved I almost passed out again."
John ran one hand along the edge of the console. "It gets a bit hazy after that. I remember you telling us you couldn't get the doors open, and the Hood introducing himself. Then the heating exchanges blew and the explosion knocked my head against the table. Alan came on and told us he was going to save us, and there was no sign of Penny or Parker." He paused again. "I remember the gravity getting all screwed up and the air was harder to breathe. Next thing I knew, Virgil was slapping me telling me I had to get up and get the station back online. He gave me a shot, which I figured out later was a stimulant of some kind, and the rest you know."
"You scared the hell out of me you know. In London, when you passed out in the arms of that paramedic. I thought you were dying." Scott said quietly a few minutes later.
John shrugged. "Nothing that dramatic. The stimulant wore off. I tried to get to Virgil, but didn't quite make it."
Scott's fists clenched. "I didn't know he had given you one. Stimulants are dangerous. I'll kill him when I get back planet-side." He seethed.
John shook his head. "He had to Scott. He knew how badly I was hurt and was worried about how I would handle re-entry."
Scott took a shuddering breath. "He knew? He knew you had broken ribs and a concussion? And he never told us?" His voice was calm but his grey eyes glittered angrily.
"What good would it have done Scott? The damn computer is keyed into me! I was the only one who could get it back online." John said vehemently.
"We need to change that." Scott said firmly.
"I agree."
The silence grew thick again. John stood with his back to Scott, his arms folded across his chest. "When the air was going bad, I remember almost hoping I wouldn't wake up. That I had failed you all…" John's voice trailed off.
"Why would you say that John?" Scott asked, concerned at his brother's tone.
John shrugged. "Because you were all here. You came to save me and now you were all going to die along with me. If I hadn't sent the mayday, you would have been safe and the Hood never would have gotten away with what he did."
"John…"
John shook his head. "I remember thinking, when Dad was yelling at me to stay awake, that maybe…maybe it would be better if I just didn't wake up. That maybe you guys would have enough oxygen to fix things if I wasn't here."
"Dammit John! Why would you even think that!" Scott demanded angrily.
John looked up at his brother. "I wasn't exactly rational at the time." He turned away again. "I'm up here, alone, for weeks at a time. And yeah, most of the time I don't mind it, I have plenty to keep me busy. But other times…" John looked up again. "Scott, do you know how long it's been since I had a real vacation? Spent any time off the island or with my family that wasn't because of a rescue? Hell, I haven't even been on a date in over a year!" He turned away again. "I'm not complaining, not really. I love what I do, what we do. It's just that sometimes I think it's easy to forget I exist when I'm up here all the time. Out of sight, out of mind, know what I mean?"
"You know that's not true." John didn't answer. "John, I'm sorry."
John turned. "Don't Scott. Don't apologize. I don't even know why I mentioned it. It's just…this stuff with the Hood has got me all fucked up inside. I feel like I'm losing my grip on reality, that my world is spinning out of control around me." When he looked at his brother again, John's face was pale and his blue eyes wide. "I'm scared Scott, scared because he might try again." A pause. "Scared because I might not be able to handle it this time if he does." He said quietly
Now Scott got up and walked over to John. He pulled his brother into his arms. John resisted at first, but then slumped against Scott. "I'm glad you're here." John whispered.
"I'll always be here John. Don't ever doubt that." Scott said, swallowing the lump in his throat.
"Scott, I want to go home." John's voice was muffled against Scott's chest.
"Then we'll go. Gordon should be here sometime tomorrow or the day after." Scott pushed John back and looked deep into his eyes. "You're not alone anymore John. And you're not going to go through this alone either. We'll all help you. That's a promise."
Alan was bent low over his desk, intently studying the test paper in front of him.
"What was the significance and impact of the American Civil War?"
Alan quickly started on his answer, his pencil scribbling furiously across the paper. Around him, his classmates did the same.
"Tracy! Hackenbacker!"
Alan and Fermat looked up to see the Headmaster standing in the doorway. "My office, now."
Fermat glanced uneasily at Alan who shrugged. Both boys got to their feet and followed the Headmaster out the door. "Sir? What's going on?" Alan asked.
"Your father called. You are both needed home immediately. Alan could tell the man was not pleased.
"Did he say why Sir?" Alan asked.
"No, he did not." The Headmaster replied curtly. He led the boys into his office. "Wait here." He turned and left the room, closing the door behind him.
Alan looked at Fermat. "Think it's a rescue?" He asked excitedly.
"Who knows? I hope everything's al-al-al-OK." Fermat stuttered.
The door opened again and both boys looked up in surprise at who walked in.
"Lady Penelope!" Alan exclaimed. "What's going on?"
Penny smiled charmingly. "Nothing to worry about boys, Parker and I are just taking you home for a few days."
Alan and Fermat slapped their hands together. Then Alan's grin faded. "Wait a sec, is something wrong? John! Is it John!" He asked, remembering his conversation with Virgil a few days ago.
Penny shook her head. "No dear, John and the others are fine. Come now, let's get your things together. Chop-chop."
They quickly packed a few things in duffel bags and made their way outside to where Parker was standing in front of FAB 1. He nodded to the boys. "Gentlemen, Milady." He opened the door and ushered them inside.
Soon they were moving down the driveway, students waving as they passed. "Lady P, what's going on?" Alan demanded.
"Is it a rescue?" Fermat asked.
Penelope shook her head. "No. Have either of you boys seen the news?"
Fermat nodded. "About the Hood get-get-get-escaping?"
"Exactly. Your fathers want you both on the island in case the Hood tries something."
"But John is OK?" Alan asked, concerned.
Penny smiled. "John is fine Alan. He and Scott are leaving Thunderbird 5 on auto and will be joining us shortly." Penny told them.
Parker drove the massive pink limousine through the main gates, and turned onto the road. "We should be reaching a take-off point shortly Milady." Parker called out.
"Thank-you Parker. Now boys, stop fretting. You'll be home in a couple of hours and can pester your fathers all you want." Penny smiled.
They boys talked excitedly while Penny read the paper. Suddenly Parker slowed the car.
Penny looked up. "What is it Parker?"
"Not sure Milady. There seems to be a truck blocking the road." Parker replied.
Penny was instantly alert. "Careful Parker."
Alan looked through the windshield. "That's Stewie's truck."
"Who?" Penelope asked.
"Stewie, the groundskeeper at Wharton. He probably had to go into town to get something and the truck broke down." Alan told her. Fermat nodded in agreement.
Parker pulled FAB 1 to a stop a short distance away from the blue pick-up truck. "I shall go offer my assistance." He got out and walked over to the front of the truck.
"I wonder what's keeping him?" Penny mused when Parker failed to appear a few minutes later.
"Old Stew's probably talking his ear off." Alan laughed.
"Hmm…perhaps." Penny got out of the car. "Stay here boys." She too started towards the truck. She had almost reached the front of the stranded vehicle when strong arms grabbed her. She whirled, fists swinging and connected with a face. Gaining her composure, she was shocked to see the stunned features of Mullion staring up at her from the ground.
"I told you to be careful Mullion."
Penelope turned. The Hood stepped out of the shadows, followed by Transom. Parker was on the ground on his knees, hands tied behind his back. "I'm sorry Milady."
"Don't be bothered Parker, we'll be leaving in a moment." She replied.
"Oh, I think not. Transom." Hood nodded to his assistant.
Transom stepped forward, grabbing at Penny. The British agent hooked her foot around Transom's leg, knocking her to the ground. Parker struggled to his feet. Suddenly a piercing pain went through Penny's head, staggering her. As quickly as it came, it stopped and she looked up through tear filled eyes.
Hood stared malevolently at her. "Now, now Princess. We can make this easy, or difficult."
Once again pain flashed through her head. Unable to control herself, Penny whimpered in pain.
"Milady!" Parker cried out, trying to reach her, but he too was stopped by the Hood.
"Let's go for a walk, shall we?" Hood walked past them. Transom and Mullion got to their feet, each supporting Parker and Penelope and leading them over to FAB 1. "Oh Alan?" He called out.
There was no movement inside the car. As soon as Alan and Fermat had seen the Hood and his cronies, they activated the one-way windows. Alan punched franticly on his communicator. "Dad! Dad come in please! Dad!"
"Alan! I know you're in there."
Alan glanced at Fermat who shook his head. "They're bl-bl-bl-jamming the signal."
"Keep trying!" Alan hissed back.
"Alan! You have five seconds to open the doors." Hood commanded. A few moments passed and nothing happened. "As you wish Alan. Their deaths will be on your conscience."
"What does that mean?" Alan asked Fermat, blue eyes wide.
"I have no idea." His friend replied.
Sudden screaming interrupted them. Both boys looked out to see Parker and Penny writhing on the ground, clutching their heads in agony. "No! He's going to kill them!" Alan started for the door locks, but Fermat held him back.
"Alan don't!"
"We can't let them die Fermat!" Alan pleaded. The boys looked out at their friends. "I have to." Alan opened the door and stepped outside. "Stop it Hood. You've got me."
Hood smiled evilly and Penny and Parker stopped screaming. "Hello Alan. Have you been well?"
"What do you want?" Alan demanded.
"I thought it was painfully obvious Alan. I want you." Hood's red eyes narrowed and pain seared through Alan's head.
Dad! Save me…was Alan's last coherent thought before everything went black.