For TsarinaTorment who asked: Look at me. No, I said look at me. With Scott & Gordon

His eyes are wide and all over the place, darting here and there. But with their quick-fire movements he's not really registering anything.

His nostrils are flared and he is breathing heavily, and he finds he is kneeling on the ground, one knee down, other leg bent and foot on the ground, knuckles clenched and on the floor, as if he is waiting for the starter pistol to fire and he can race off.

In his peripheral vision there is a movement, and he turns suddenly, still in position, and snarls. Whoever it is stops moving, and Scott stills, waiting for…waiting for something. He's not quite sure what, though.

There is no sign of movement from whoever it was, and Scott sits back on his haunches, still prepared, but taking the small respite while it is offered. He drags a dirty hand down his face, smearing it with mud…and blood.

The figure at the end makes a small noise that sounds like a gasp, and Scott growls at it, getting back into position. He knew it was too much to ask that he had finished fighting, that they were going to leave him now. To let him go.

He moves warily to his left, keeping the newcomer in sight but making his way to the only piece of weaponry this place has to offer. There is a heavy piece of wood that is half the size it was when he started, but it is enough still to do some damage.

Scott wonders what this new person will do. The last one had almost succeeded, he had the cuts and bruises to prove it had been a close fight, but this one is hesitating, sussing him out.

Mustn't let them see the damage, the tiredness.

The despair.

(Where are his brothers? How long has he been here? What the hell is going on?)

The newcomer is talking to him, but in the hypervigilant state Scott's in he can't make out the words. There is something in the voice that triggers something, but he doesn't have time to consider what it is because the figure is moving towards him.

And Scott attacks.

Two leaps and he is on the newcomer, who has scrambled back in surprise. That is all to Scott's advantage and he presses on, catching the man across one shoulder. It should have been his head, but the man ducked just in time.

This has been a much fairer fight than the others, because this man isn't armed with knives or guns or anything, actually. And the man can fight. What confuses Scott is that it appears he doesn't want to fight, never pressing any advantage, any opening he gets – and he gets some because Scott is tired of fighting for his life – and all the time the voice is talking.

Then the figure trips over one of the previous "contestants", landing heavily on his back, and Scott is on him, knees either side of his ribcage and hands around his neck.

Then the voice cuts through the mist and Scott pauses. Hands find his face and hold him steady but gently.

'Look at me.' It is softly said, but there is a hint of steel there that is at once familiar and warm. But Scott doesn't want to obey, eyes continually darting about the place, looking for the trap. The hands pull his face down until Scott has no choice. The rest of his body is curiously immobile and the voice commands again.

'Look at me. No, I said look at me'

Scott looks. The grey mist dissolves into brown eyes that remind him of wet sandy beaches and the smell of wood fires.

'Look at me.'

And he does. All at once the final confusion dissipates and Scott whispers the name on his lips.

'Gordon?'

'That's right, Scott. It's me. I'm here. I'm here for you.'

With a shock Scott realises his hands are still around his brother's throat, and he releases them, throwing himself backwards off Gordon and he keeps going until his back hits a wall.

Gordon moves with him, but he gives his brother space. Seeing the condition Scott is in infuriates him, seeing what his brother has had to do to survive has that rage bubbling over, but he needs to control that right now.

Right now Scott needs him.

His brother has retreated into a corner, clutching his knees and head hidden, curled up on himself and rocking slightly. If Gordon isn't careful Scott could go back into survival mode, he needs to keep Scott grounded to him, not to what is around him. Through his earpiece he can hear Virgil and Kayo's progress as they make their way over to them.

'Look at me, Scott. No, I said look at me,' he tries again as Scott resolutely keeps his head down. Carefully he crouches next to him and lays a hand on his knee. His brother jerks away suddenly, but the head has come up.

He needs Scott aware of what's happening before Virgil comes crashing into the area, or there could be more problems. He doesn't want to add to Scott's trauma any more than he has already.

'Look at me. I'm here, Scott. We're here.'

'Gordon?'

'Yeah, Scott, it's Gordon.'

'Gordon.'

And he squeezes Scott's knee in relief. Scott continues to look at him, a slightly puzzled look, and Gordon can't help but notice the blown pupils. Making a mental note to check what drugs they have given his brother, he slowly moves the hand up to Scott's shoulder.

'We've come to get you out.'

'Out?'

'Yes, big bro. We've come to rescue you.'

It seems the word rescue is the trigger, for suddenly Gordon's arms are full of Scott, and he holds him tightly as tremors racked his body. There is mumbling in his shoulder, but it is incoherent, and holding is brother is the most important thing at the moment.

With a crash Virgil is through the door. He stops dead at the sight of the area where his brother has been held for the last eight days, lips tight and nose flaring in anger at what he sees. But he only wastes a moment on this. His sight is set on the two figures in the corner, and he slips out of the exosuit and makes his way over.

Gordon waves a hand behind his back, and Virgil slows down. Kayo is keeping watch from the doorway. Gordon's message is clear: back off for now. So Virgil stands and waits.

'Scott, it's time to leave now.' The only answer he receives is a tightening of arms. This is what he thought would happen, and he is thankful that Virgil understood the meaning of his gesture. He gives a squeeze but then pulls away ever so slightly.

'Virgil is here, Scott, it's time to go home.'

'Home.'

The word is said in a mixture of disbelief and relief, and Scott allows Gordon to help him to his feet. Virgil has to bite his tongue when he sees the state of his oldest brother, instead plastering a grin on as they approach.

Scott's arm is around Gordon's shoulders, and as they reach Virgil he finds his other arm around his shoulder too. And the three slowly make their way outside, Kayo leading them.

The sight of Two causes Scott to pause, and his brothers pause with him as it finally dawns on him.

Home. He's going home.