Thanks to everyone who've taken the time to review. Here's an early Christmas present, enjoy!
"John! Commence defensive maneuvers! John! Scott! Come in!"
John stood unseeing at the screen in front of him.
"Dammit John! Scott! Answer me!" There was an edge of panic to Jeff's voice.
"John! Activate the weapons! Now John!" Scott yelled at his brother.
"Unidentified object approaching. Impact imminent." The computer droned.
John started to shake, his hand reaching for the computer.
"Scott, for God's sake fire!" Jeff hollered across the speaker.
Scott rushed towards his brother, knowing it was already too late. "John! Fire the guns! Fire the damn gu—" His words were cut off as the station shook and he was flung to the floor. The lights flickered a few times, then died altogether.
"Initiating emergency procedures."
The lights came back on, dimly, and only half the station seemed to be working. A faint smell of scorched ozone filled the air.
Scott looked around and spied his brother curled in a heap on the floor. "John!" Scott hurried to his side. "John! Answer me!"
John looked up, his tears pouring from his eyes. "Scott…I…"
Scott pulled him close as violent sobs wracked John's body. "Easy brother mine, I'm here."
"I couldn't do it Scott." John said between sobs. "I failed…"
Scott's throat tightened at hearing the anguish in his brother's voice. He held John tighter against him. "Dammit Johnny…" He said softly. They sat there, Scott holding his brother, until he felt John start to pull away.
John got unsteadily to his feet, and leaned against the computer console. "I…I need to assess the damage…" He didn't move.
Scott walked over to him. "Let's assess you first. Any injuries? And don't lie to me."
John shook his head. "I'm fine." He whispered.
"John."
John looked up. "Really, I'm—you're bleeding."
Scott brought his hand up to his mouth. "I must have bit my lip." He wiped the blood off with his fingers. "You're sure you're alright?" John nodded and Scott let the matter drop. "So, let's take a look at your 'bird."
John took a shuddering breath, and ran a scan on the computer. "Most of the damage was to the outer ring. Looks like the communications array has been hit too. And the cloak."
"So we're visible?"
John shook his head. "Just the opposite. It's stuck on, we're invisible."
"That's something I guess. And the communications array?"
"Destroyed. We have no way of contacting Dad." John told him.
"And he has no way of knowing we're OK?"
John shook his head. "If Brains can pick up the debris trail, they'll assume we're dead."
Scott frowned in thought. "What about our communicators?"
"The signal is filtered through here. They're useless."
"Damn." Scott swore softly. He looked over the data. "Well, the good news is that you did manage to get a shot off. It didn't destroy the missile, but deflected it. The damage could have been alot worse."
"And if I had done something instead of just standing there, we'd have no damage at all." John replied quietly. "This was all my fault."
Scott shook his head. "Don't start John."
"It was. Hood must have traced us through the boy's communicators. I've been sending out signals for two days. All he had to do was trace it and it would lead him right to us."
"John…" Scott looked into his brother's haunted eyes.
John sighed. "I'm done Scott."
"Done?"
John gestured around. "With all this. When we get home, I'm telling Dad I don't want to be part of International Rescue anymore."
"Now hold on a sec John…"
John shook his head. "No, I'm a liability to the organization. This only proves it. You'll be alot better off without me in the way." He said softly.
Not knowing what to say, Scott watched helplessly as John, his head hung low, left the room.
Virgil stared with red-rimmed eyes, at the computer screen, trying to absorb what had just happened.
Gordon stood arguing with their father. "Let me take Thunderbird 3. I can be up there in less than two hours!"
Jeff shook his head. "No. It's too dangerous."
"Dammit Dad! They need our help! They could be hurt!" Gordon persisted.
"They're gone Gordon! There's no one left to help!" Jeff told him hoarsely.
"You don't know that! We couldn't communicate with John the last time and he was alive!" Gordon exploded. "I don't care what you say, try and stop me, I'm going!" Gordon started from the room.
Jeff grabbed his arm to stop him. "No you're not. The Hood is still out there. I'm not losing another son!"
But before Gordon could reply, Brains turned to them, his face pale. "J-Jeff. I'm sorry to interrupt. I f-f-found a debris trail."
Jeff closed his eyes and took a shuddering breath. "Can you confirm that it's from Thunderbird 5?"
Brains couldn't speak, he just nodded, then looked away. Tin-Tin burst into tears and her mother led her from the room. Kyrano placed a supporting hand on Jeff's arm before following his wife out the door. Brains left close behind them.
Virgil slumped to a chair, laying his head on the desk. Jeff pulled Gordon close, as the young man sobbed. Jeff had hoped, against all hope, that his sons would be all right. They'd been through so much before. And now the unthinkable had happened.
He held Gordon tighter, and reached a hand out to clutch Virgil's shoulder. His middle son looked up, eyes wet with tears. "Dad…"
Before he could continue, the alarm went off. Please God, not now. Jeff looked up as Brains came rushing in and sat down in the command chair.
"L-l-l-looks like a tornado outbreak in Oklahoma." Brains told them. "A school being used as a shelter has col-col-fallen in. People are t-t-trapped inside."
"Great, just what we need right now." Gordon growled, hastily wiping away his tears.
"Boys, we don't have to go. The local authorities can handle it." Jeff said quietly.
Both his sons shook their heads. "No Dad, we're the Thunderbirds." Gordon said.
"Scott and John wouldn't want us moping around while there's a rescue that needs our help." Virgil stated firmly.
Jeff smiled, his eyes filling with tears again. "All right. Virgil, get Thunderbird 2 warmed up. Gordon, check the Mole, we might need to tunnel under the wreckage."
"FAB Dad." Both boys replied in unison, then rushed from the room.
Brains turned to his friend. "J-J-Jeff, I'm sorry."
Jeff nodded. "Thanks Brains." He met Brains's gaze. "We will find Fermat, I promise."
Brains nodded. "I know." He glanced at the monitor. "The b-b-b-boys are just about there. Better get going."
Jeff nodded in reply and hurried out the door. He paused only a moment in front of his portrait to gaze at the faces of John and Scott. His throat closed with emotion. He shook his head, and stepped into his alcove. Thunderbirds are go.
Penelope paced the length of her small room. It was similar to the one Alan and Fermat were being held in, only with one bed. She pounded on the door, yelling loudly. "I demand that you open this door at once!"
As usual, nothing happened and she went back to her pacing. Parker, and the boys, where are they? Jeff, does he know where we are? Is he on his way? She sat on the edge of the bed, and put her head in her hands.
The door rattled, and she looked up, hastily wiping her tears. The door opened, and the Hood walked in. "Ah, Lady Penelope."
She bolted to her feet. "What do you think you're doing, kidnapping me? I want to see Parker, Alan and Fermat at once." She demanded.
He laughed. "You are most charming lady, especially when you're angry."
She narrowed his eyes at him. "You haven't seen angry yet."
He laughed again, then beckoned to some one out in the hall. Mullion entered the room, an evil glint in his eyes. "I believe you remember my associate, Mr. Mullion."
The giant man leered at her. Penny rolled her eyes in disgust. "Unfortunately."
"Well then, I suggest you try and keep your voice down, or I will have Mullion here silence it." Hood told her.
"Is that a threat?"
Hood marched forward until he had backed Penny up against the wall. "It's a promise." He stared deeply at her, forcing her to look away first, then strode from the room. Mullion winked at her, then laughing evilly, followed his boss.
Penny slumped to the floor, her head resting on her knees. Jeff, where are you?
"Nothing, try again." Scott called out.
The lights dimmed again, then came on full power. Scott watched as the computer screens came to life around him. "That's it! Johnny you did it!" Even as the words left his mouth, the lights flared brightly, the computers sparked, and with a loud CRACK, everything went dead. Everything.
Scott heard a muffled curse and turned to look behind him. John was under the floor, working on the mainframe. "John?" He called out.
Sparks flew, and smoke started billowing out from the floor hatch. John hoisted himself up. He marched over to the main control panel and let off a string of curses that would have made a sailor blanch.
"I take it that it's not good?" Scott asked.
John glared at his older brother. "That's the understatement of the century." He sighed and ran a hand through his blonde locks. "The system's too far gone. We need a new transponder."
"I thought we had a spare onboard?"
"We had two." John sat down heavily in the chair, staring moodily at the computers. "And to top it all off, that last surge managed to kill the whole mainframe. We're running on auxiliary power."
"How long will it last?" Scott asked.
John sent his brother a scathing look. "Weren't you here last time? Four hours." He shook his head and went back to brooding.
Scott sighed, looking around the mangled station. "All right then, get your stuff together. We're outta here."
John looked up in surprise. "What stuff? Where are we supposed to go?"
"Home." Scott marched from the bridge to their quarters and started throwing his clothes in his duffle.
John scrambled after him. "Scott buddy, I'm the one who's cracked up remember? How are we supposed to get home?" John asked him.
Scott ignored the 'cracked up' comment. "We're taking the rescue pod."
John stared incredulous at his brother. "Are you kidding me?" Scott zipped his bag and faced his brother. "Scott, you do realize that we need to be guided in? The pod won't drive herself home."
Scott pushed by his brother. "I know. I'm driving." He headed towards the bay, John at his heels.
"Scott wait!" John grabbed his brother by the arm. "You can't be serious. What if Hood's watching? We'll be defenseless in that thing."
Scott's grey eyes bored into John's. "You said it yourself, we're invisible. They all think were dead. Now get your stuff, we leave in five minutes."
They stood glaring at each other for a few moments, then John turned back to the bridge, muttering under his breath. Scott got into the pod and readied things for take-off. John joined him a few minutes later. He strapped himself in the co-pilot seat and threw a small bag to the floor next to him. Scott began flipping switches and the pod came to life.
"I should be driving. It's my Thunderbird." John said sullenly.
"Suit yourself." Scott took his hands off the yoke. "Just make sure you've got the correct co-ordinates and trajectory angle so we don't burn up on re-entry. And since there's no windshield, and no one back home guiding our approach, you'll have to fly her by instrument."
John glared angrily at his brother. "Fine. You do it." He sat back and folded his arms across his chest.
Scott stifled a smile. He looks just like Alan. Or Alan looks just like him. Scott once again took hold of the yoke, and set the pod in motion. The bay doors opened, and the pod dropped into space.
"Estimated ETA, three hours, thirty-seven minutes." Scott intoned.
"Terrific. Wake me when we get home." Arms still folded, John turned his face away and closed his eyes.
Scott smiled again and set a course for home.