For Sugar-fiend and her prompt of Kidnap + Snowbank with Scott
The problem with snow and mountains was the banks that built up along the treeline, along the cliff-ends, along the hidden buildings…and all were designed to trap and injure the unwary.
The unwary today was him. The injured was also him. What worried him was where were his brother and was he here too?
The mini avalanche had caught them all on the hop, but thankfully those who had needed rescued were already in Two with Gordon. No, it was just Virgil and himself out on the ground when shaking was the only warning and suddenly he was being swept along down the mountain to the biggest snow bank he'd seen, one that was full of trees – the one that glanced off his shoulder and span him around reminded him of this – but he didn't know what was at the end. He hoped it wasn't a cliff.
It wasn't a cliff.
As the rocks and snow that had accumulated around him crashed through the bank, it appeared to be a low-level building – at least that was the fleeting impression Scott got before coming to a stop against a wall that appeared to be masonry. He lay there, winded, while attempting to gather his wits about him.
The building must be an old bunker, but the hole that he had been thrust through was now blocked so he needed to find a) his brother and b) an exit. Getting to his feet was fun. His head swam in a way that said at some point he'd had an impact. He raised his right hand (because his left arm was suspiciously limp and unresponsive) and yep, helmet was there still but there was a hell of a dent. Scott rolled his neck to ensure there were no hidden injuries there, and once certain of that he removed it carefully, and the brown and green streaks showed that it was indeed a tree that he hit.
He dropped it in the snow and set off, not noticing the small snowfall that buried it.
It wasn't a long building, maybe three rooms, and he checked each one carefully. No Virgil, which was good. No exit either, which was not good. He returned the way he came. No way he could get over the pile of debris now entirely blocking off the remains of the building. No windows, no furniture, no anything. He reached for his comm but there was nothing there either. He frowned. If the comms were down because of the snow – it had happened before – there usually was some static. But this was an absence of noise. Scott frowned again. That meant something, something not good, but his fuzzy head was refusing to give him an answer.
Scott made his way to the end room as it was slightly – very slightly – warmer there and stood by the outer wall. There was a humming here, he could feel it through the floor, and an alarm bell started ringing in his head. Or was that the concussion? Nope. Hidden factory-slash-workshop-slash-whatever-the-hell this is? This is bad news. But before he could work anything else out or even turn and head back out of the room there was a giant of a man in the corner of his vision and a clout to his head.
The last thought he had was: 'not the head again!'
Virgil, being closer to Two, had managed to grab hold of one of her support struts and not get swept away with the fresh snow. But he had seen Scott get swamped and disappear from sight, and as soon as the mountain stopped moving he was off, calling John and filling him in. He ploughed on down the mountain, but there was no sign of Scott, everything was snow and rubble and trees.
John wasn't having any luck either. There was no indication of Scott anywhere, no comms, no tracker, no biometrics. It was if the snow had swallowed him whole, and suddenly John was struck by the most intense flashback that left him in a heap on the floor, gasping for breath, EOS' panicked voice sounding miles away and a vague recognition of Virgil and Grandma there somewhere.
Not again.
Please, anything but that.
It took a couple of tries, but eventually he got his breathing under control and pulled himself together. Only to find the elevator had descended and was on its' way back up. He must have been out of it for some time then, and he found himself flushed with embarrassment, knowing that since Virgil was out then either Grandma or Brains was heading up. To check on him.
Be that as it may, he had a rescue to run.
Clearing his throat, he called Virgil. 'Finally! You really had me panicking there, John.' John's smile was rueful, but he didn't need to explain what had happened. Instead, he asked if Virgil had found anything. 'No, nothing. This avalanche goes straight over the mountainside.' Neither said anything for a heartbeat, both fighting their own panic rising up to consume them.
It was Grandma who spoke first, making both boys start, especially John, for now he was becoming aware that the gravity had been switched on and he was actually sitting down, a fact that had escaped him earlier. For Grandma was there, in the flesh, on Five; she was there and reaching for him, and she was enough to ground both boys in the here and now.
Hand on John's shoulder, Sally addressed her worried boys, for while Gordon had yet to say anything there was no doubt at all that he was listening in, probably feeling useless because someone has to stay with the rescuees. 'EOS, fly One home, top speed, pick up Alan and he'll meet up with you, Virgil, to help. He'll be with you in less than 15 minutes' She didn't need to specify why Virgil needed help, why they all did. 'Gordon, get Two airborne and get those people dropped off and get back as soon as you can.' She watched the holographic ships flying off and turned her attention to the two remaining grandsons.
'John, EOS, boost the scans and keep scanning. He's there somewhere. Virgil, I want you to walk the snowbank where you are. Look for anything that can give an indication of what happened; and stay on comms the whole time.' They were already moving, and Sally smiled to herself. They'd be alright now, but she was here, and she took the seat John had vacated and listened and watched.
Virgil strode along the fresh snow just shy of the edge, knowing that it would still be loose and dangerous to be too close. The evidence of the avalanche was quite widespread, and after walking along what he could clearly define as 'new snow', he stepped inwards a little and retraced his steps.
He'd only gone a short way, and he was just saying to John and Grandma that he couldn't see…when he abruptly disappeared from scanners and comms. It was John's turn to be shouting at Virgil, but the blackout silence only lasted a minute or so before Virgil popped up in exactly the same place.
'Sorry guys,' said a sheepish but also relieved Virgil. 'I fell down a hole.' John let out a breath he wasn't aware he had been holding. 'Virgil, what happened? You dropped of scans completely!' Virgil frowned. He hadn't fallen that far, literally just into a small hole in the snow. 'It looked like an old, abandoned building that the avalanche went through. I'm going to go back down and just check that Scott's not there.' Grandma nodded. 'Ok, Virgil. Keep talking and we'll see if we can overcome the black spot.'
He scrambled down the hole, dislodging more snow, and set off to look around. Three rooms, no windows, no signs of life at all. Virgil was just about to climb out when his foot kicked something buried in the snow, and he bent to retrieve it. Virgil's blood ran cold – colder – and he began looking more closely at the rooms. He found what he was dreading in the last room.
Fresh splatters of blood.
But no brother, and not visible entrance or exit. What the hell was going on? Virgil made his way back outside, Scott's helmet in his hands.
'Guys, we have a situation.'