Tanusha Kyrano, at her heart, was a gentle soul. If circumstances had been different, perhaps she would be content snipping bonsai branches and putting her interest in engineering to a more benign use.
But circumstances were what they were and life had not been kind. In turn, Kay, as Virgil liked to call her, or Kayo, as Alan had christened her all those years ago, had learnt to fight. What her uncle took from her she clawed back. What her uncle took from the Tracys…from her father…hell hath no fury to compare.
Scott, her beloved brother, tried his best to keep her following the philosophy of the Tracy family. He meant well.
He meant good.
But Tanusha was not a Tracy.
She was a Kyrano. Descended down a long line of honourable men and women with enough fire to defend their own.
Fire she stoked. Because the Tracys were her own and she would defend them with everything she had.
So, to see what that bitch had done to that same cherished brother was enough to set her screaming inside.
She watched as Virgil ran the mediscanner over Scott's emaciated body. Ever so gently.
Her heart hurt.
So much.
But her senses were primed and the clock was ticking. "Virgil, we need to move."
"I can't…he's…" Painfilled dark eyes looked up at her, but Virgil was a trained emergency responder and she saw the calculations roll in his head, the automatic control slam down, and the reality of the situation hit home.
He turned back to his brother. "Scott, we're going to get you out of here."
Weak blue eyes followed Virgil's every move as if he was life itself. Kayo wasn't sure if Scott knew anyone else was here.
He looked so hurt.
It was her turn to slam down shutters.
Her hand tightened around the gun grip.
"Scotty." Virgil's voice was hoarse, but determined. "I'm going to give you something to help you relax." The medic held up one of the light tranquiliser shots International Rescue kept in their kit for hysterical rescuees in extreme situations. It wouldn't quite knock Scott out entirely, but would remove him to a painless, oblivious state.
Virgil hated them with a passion, but it was obvious even to her that moving Scott in this condition was going to hurt.
Scott tried to bat it away, but Virgil did what he had to do.
"I'm sorry, Scott."
She didn't know her heart was capable of breaking further.
Their big brother fell limp into Virgil's arms.
She didn't miss him gently nudging Scott's head into the crook of his neck. Virgil's cheek rested softly on dirty hair and he mumbled something she couldn't hear.
But then he was moving. Shoving the medipack back into the black of his uniform, and wrapping one arm around his brother's back and the other under his knees, he lifted him smoothly.
Virgil turned to her, and despite technically being in charge, he awaited her order.
Kayo nudged her comms. "Target acquired and mobile. Execute."
Penelope's FAB was short and sharp.
Kayo led the way. The alarm was still blaring outside the prison cell and, in the distance, there was the clattering of many feet.
The corridor was quiet and reeked of trap even more than when they had entered. John was listing life signs narrowing in on their location.
They needed an out.
They needed it now.
A sharp snap and rumble in the distance signified Gordon and Penelope had met their explosive obligations.
The stone walls groaned.
Kayo both led and hovered about Virgil. He was vulnerable with his arms full of ill brother. Twice she had to take out opposition who saw that as an opportunity.
Gordon and Penelope met them at the last turn. The sound her fish brother made at the sight of Scott was one she would be happy to never hear again.
But there was no time.
And Gordon was a professional.
As one they exited the gloomy building.
Only to be immediately surrounded. John swore in her ear. Someone was clapping.
The triumphant, smug sound set Kayo moving before thought.
It had been a trap as suspected. Obviously somehow cloaked from their Eye in the Sky.
But still, no matter.
She spun, mud sliding beneath her feet, gratified to feel teeth connect with the heel of her boot even as she fired rapidly at the immediate targets. She didn't pause. Her movement kept them unsure and they were armed. She had brothers, a friend and a lover to protect.
It all became a blur of blood, pain and cursing. She was aware of Penelope beside her, giving hell all of her own, and Gordon, ever efficient.
The hiss of stun pellets and the resultant yelps were rather satisfying.
The terror of gunshots.
But she fought on unimpeded by serious injury until the scene was startlingly quiet beyond groaning bodies.
"You know, I have to give you credit. Three against thirty is rather impressive, but you knew all along that your boyfriend was the weak point, didn't you." It wasn't a question, and the voice far too familiar and ire inducing to be ignored.
Kayo let go of the henchman in her hands but gained no gratification when he fell face down in the churned-up mud and didn't move.
Turning, she knew what she would find.
Of course, the villain formerly known as Havoc, her cousin who didn't deserve any moniker other than her birth name of Louise, had a gun to Virgil's head.
Virgil her beautiful and caring man, currently clutching their sick and injured brother to his chest.
Her vulnerability.
Louise was grinning manically, ever confident in her superiority of position. She had Virgil and Scott, so Kayo was pinned.
The woman hated Kayo with a passion and Kayo had no doubt that she was the reason Scott had been nabbed. A little pleasure with purpose. Ever since Gordon had separated Fuse from his adopted sister, Louise had fallen further and further into the darkness.
She had been awful enough to begin with, but now, Louise was truly horrid.
She had done this to Scott and would do it again to Virgil, to Gordon, to Penelope, and to Kayo, if she was allowed to persist.
Scott would argue that she was worth saving anyway.
But Kayo wasn't a Tracy and now more than ever she valued that difference because there were things she was capable of that no Tracy would ever dream of.
She took a step forward.
"Now, Kayo, you know better than that." The gun at Virgil's temple jammed in tighter, causing the man to wince.
Penelope stepped up beside Kayo and beyond her, Gordon was glaring at Louise, perhaps in the hope that the gesture would laser her from existence.
The ground was littered in bodies, several groaning, but still a handful of henchmen moved to protect Louise.
Virgil caught her gaze.
His eyes were the most beautiful colour. They reminded her of the coffee he drank every morning, lit by the sun through a window, a warm scent that hovered about him.
And she knew exactly what he was going to do.
He stepped back into Louise, his hard boot coming down on her foot and the back of his head slamming into her nose. With his arms full of Scott, he did not have the balance to maintain his footing and with Louise's yelp of pain, he and Scott fell on top of her, his weight pinning her down.
Louise still had her gun.
Virgil struggled to knock it from her hand.
But Kayo was moving, and Penelope and Gordon with her.
The gun fired a second before Kayo's fist slammed the woman into unconsciousness. But the crunch of bone was not enough to satisfy the sudden fear of where that bullet landed.
There was blood welling in a trail across Virgil's face… "Virgil!"
He blinked and winced, head dropping back against Louise's armour. Red dribbled down his cheek from a burnt gash starting just below his right eye, cutting across his cheekbone and taking the very tip off his nose.
He cursed silently, but Scott, still held securely in Virgil's arms, moaned and the medic's attention shifted, his head coming up again, focussing on his brother.
Gordon was suddenly there. "Woah, Virgil." His eyes widened, but he was all business. "We need to move. Luigi wasn't alone and there are more coming." He eyed Scott as he helped Kayo get Virgil to his feet.
Kayo frowned at Virgil's injury. It was both cauterised in part and bleeding.
And so close.
But Virgil's eyes were only for Scott, checking him over.
Scott mumbled Virgil's name.
They had to move.
The medic stumbled forward, blinking, obviously affected, possibly with a concussion.
Hell.
"Gordon, assist Virgil. We're leaving." She eyed Penelope, Kayo's fingers twitching in a signal.
The agent nodded once, expression firm.
Hugging the wall of the castle, Kayo called her 'bird. Penelope did the same with FAB1 and moments later, the 'birds were landing silently in front of them.
Shadow was little more than her name and the usually pink limousine blended smoothly with the grass.
One of the henchmen grabbed at her ankle as Kayo stepped past.
Her kick silenced him, possibly permanently.
Virgil was attempting to hurry, but he was wobbling. Gordon kept him going, directing him to FAB1 and into the backseat. Penelope took the front and within moments they were airborne.
Kayo appraised the scene one last time as she threw herself into Shadow. Louise's overconfidence showed in every move. It was the woman's fatal flaw.
The GDF would clean this up, but Kayo had no doubt the woman would find another way to haunt them.
Shadow's VTOL fired and Kayo left the Earth littered with unconscious and injured bodies as she listened to John directing the GDF in.
Perhaps if she had hit a little harder she could have ended this dance forever.
-o-o-o-
TBC
