Here's the next chapter, hope everyone likes. Do be warned that there is some mild gore at the very end of the chapter so if anyone is squeamish look away now!
Thank you to Chewandy for beta'ing this for me! Really appreciate it. 3
SCOTT TRACY
No sooner had the word Tsunami fallen from John's lips and Scott was racing towards his chute for Thunderbird 1.
The usual rush he felt when descending through his suit up sequence was none existent.
Gordon.
Alan.
Tsunami.
Those three words whirled in his mind like a dark maelstrom, threatening to tear into the fragile fabric of his sanity.
He practically leapt out of his chute once it opened, moving swiftly onto his launch platform, the time seeming to stretch out for eternity as it extended to his seat. He made a mental note to discuss with Brains later on whether they could speed up the bridges extension process.
"John, status?!" He barked as he strapped in, the hatch closing in front of him.
The astronauts strained voice sounded in his ear, the hint of frustration and worry creeping into his usual calm setting the eldest Tracy on edge.
"I'm still getting no response."
"Keep trying! I'm launching now."
Thunderbird 1 started to move as the conveyor belt hoisted her up the ramp to launch, the sun light filtering through as the roof above retracted, the 5 second countdown sequence beginning as soon as she was in position.
One touch on the ignition and the engines roared to life, shooting international rescues flagship and her pilot up into the clear blue skies.
Once Scott had taken to horizontal flight John's hologram appeared before him.
"Scott, I am receiving multiple emergency calls from the area." John reported, his hands dancing across various screens. "An overturn tanker, a partially collapsed hotel….still nothing from Four."
The elder Tracy's fists on his controls tightened.
"Local services?"
"Stretched thin, with substandard resources." came the response.
Damn.
"GDF?"
"The Tokyo branch is scrambling into action, they have several carriers already in the air.."
He heard EOS chime something to John, which had the crease in his brow lessen fractionally.
"Virgil has just reported he has finished at the mine and is packing up now. Mission was a success."
A small wave of relief went through Scott.
Finally, some good news.
The Commander rose to the fore.
"Tell him to pack up double time, John. I need him to head over to that tanker. Recall Kayo from the GDF base in San Francisco, the hunt for The Hood can wait. Direct her to the hotel." Scott ordered, formulating the plan effortlessly off the cuff as only he could. "And call Lady Penelope. It'll be useful having someone on the ground assisting with the co-ordination of the relief effort that has a firm grasp of how we operate, should make things much smoother."
"What about you?"
He paused.
What about him?
He had a duty to save peoples lives as not only a member of iR but also as its Commander, however he equally had a duty to his brothers, to their lives too. They were his responsibility, especially the youngest two who he was the legal guardian of. If anything ever happened to them, he would never forgive himself.
"I'm going to find Gordon and Alan." He affirmed, his resolve resolute. "Send me the co-ordinates of their last known position."
"Scott…"
"If you are about to tell me we don't get to pick and choose who we help. Save it."
There was a silent interlude before his brother spoke, the words surprising him.
"Actually," John corrected. "I was about to say, bring them home safe."
Sky blue eyes locked with earnest teal ones.
"F.A.B." The elder Tracy responded. "I'll leave the rest to you, John."
The astronaut nodded before his holographic form disappeared no doubt to relay Scott's orders to the others.
Scott pushed forward, accelerating to top speed as Thunderbird 1 cut through the skies.
His eyes glanced at the clock on his dash.
ETA seven minutes.
ALAN TRACY
The first sensation was pain.
Throbbing throughout his body.
The next, heaviness.
A weight against his chest that was making it difficult to move…..and breathe.
His eyes opened to a dimly lit compartment, all lights save the emergency ones off.
One glance down and he quickly saw what was crushing him. The equipment he'd been cleaning earlier had gotten loose, the metal instruments having pinned him up against the side of Thunderbird 4 right against his chest.
He attempted to push his body forward in an effort to move the instruments off him but this only intensified the pain the excursion having his gasping for breath. Looked like he wasn't going to be moving anytime soon, not on his own anyways.
His head loped to the side looking towards the front pilot compartment. He could see the glass of the door to the midsection airlock was cracked but could see no further to where his brother was usually nestled in the cockpit.
"Gordo…." He mumbled.
Where was he?
Where was his brother?
"Gordon!" he called, though it came out more of a whine.
He attempted to clear his throat but this caused a sharp cough to lurch his body, bringing a spiral of pain in its wake.
That didn't feel good.
However he wasn't going to be deterred. He needed his brother.
"Gordon!" he called again.
A few moments passed with no response.
"Gordon!?"
Still no response.
Panic was beginning to rise within him. Why wasn't Gordon answering? Was he unconscious? Could he be hurt like him? Or worse…the last thought had Alan's heart protest loudly.
No. Don't think like that…he'll be fine. He has to be fine.
His mind started shifting into gear for possible answers. Maybe he just couldn't hear him, maybe he needed to call louder.
He took a deep breath, his lungs protesting as he gathered his energy to bellow out loud.
"GORDON?!"
Alan felt his top half convulse as a coughing fit ensued, the pain having tears spring to his eyes as his breathes came in short wheezes. A small blotch of blood splattered out of his mouth with one particular sharp exhale, the red a stark contrast to the silver-grey gear holding him in place.
Yup, definitely not good.
His head rolled back as he closed his eyes for a moment, working on getting his breathing back to normal.
Blue orbs opened and he was reminded how dark it was not just inside the compartment but from what he could see outside too. It had only been the middle of the afternoon when they had been heading back to Tracy Island. He couldn't possibly have been unconscious so long that night had fallen had it? Or at least he hoped he hadn't.
He peered out the window, the gloom seemed oddly strange to him. It was not alike the usual smooth darkness of night that vastly expanded into the unknown but more a brown viscous wall, plastering up an assortment of debris against the glass.
He looked down at the hardening silt on the instruments from earlier then back at the glass. It was the same.
Mud.
The outside of the sub was covered in it.
His eyes kept scanning around, trying to look for any glimpse of light when they suddenly caught something else amongst the silt on the perspex glass that had his eyes widen in shock and his blood run cold.
Something outside was starring right back at him.
VIRGIL TRACY
Virgil was just wrapping up his mission having notified EOS, who had suddenly taken over dispatch from John that he was finished and would be heading back within the next 20 minutes. When his brother materialized again his whole demeanour was vastly different then when he'd last saw him half an hour ago. The small lines forming on his brow and hunch in his shoulders were tell tale signs that something bad had happened.
"John, what's wrong?"
"There's been a tsunami in the Philippines." The middle Tracy stated, the slight strain in his voice setting the elder on edge.
Philippines, wasn't that where…..
"Wait, thats where I dropped Gordon and Alan off!" TB2's pilot exclaimed. "Are they okay?"
"We don't know."
"What do you mean you don't know?"
"They're missing. We lost contact with them the moment the wave hit and haven't been able to re-establish communications or get a signal since." came the admission. "Scott's already inbound in 1, he should be there shortly."
Virgil nodded, already starting to move.
"I'm on my way." he growled, about to sign off his coms but he was halted by John's call.
"Wait! Scott's orders are for you to deal with an overturn tanker in the area. I already have Kayo on route to deal with a collapsed hotel and Lady Penelope with Parker heading over to start co-ordinating relief efforts on the ground. There's a lot of emergency calls coming in for the region."
Virgil felt his fists clench as his teeth ground together. He didn't like this. He didn't like this at all. Every cell of his body was screaming to go find his brothers, yet there were other lives at stake too from the aftermath of this disaster. When they'd all taken their oaths as members of International Rescue, it had come with the knowledge that they may have to put aside personal feelings and ties for the safety and wellbeing of others. He closed his eyes taking a deep breath.
Scott was looking for them. He could take comfort in that as he knew his big brother wouldn't stop until they were found and he'd descend like a hurricane on anyone who got in his way. When it came to family, the Tracy head did not play around, especially when it came to the youngest two who he'd practically raised after their mothers' death. As though their father had been around in body, he hadn't been in heart, mind and soul. That had left the task to Scott, though Virgil had pitched in too.
His eyes opened.
"F.A.B. I'll be in the air in 10."
He cut the coms and started to jog back to the green bulk that was Thunderbird 2.
Gordon.
Alan.
You both better be safe.
GORDON TRACY
A scream. That's what he heard right?
Gordon groaned. His whole body ached, head especially. The usually drumming of his heart beat feeling like a marching band playing right inside his skull.
Amber eyes cracked open, vision blurringly distorted. He blinked a couple of times trying to bring things into focus. Something flickered to his left, his eyes seeking it out and honing in as his mind tried to process. A faint red light, pulsing slowly.
The emergency beacon.
Reality washed over him at this information, as he remembered.
Mission.
Tsunami.
Alan!
Gordon quickly shot up but was soon clasping his head which protested loudly to the sudden movement. Black and white spots appearing in his vision. He halted, riding out the dizzy spell until his head quietened. The last thing he needed was to be unconscious again, he had to find his brother.
Okay, steady as you go Gordon.
This time he moved slower as he turned around to the hatch that led to the cockpit airlock. The automatic opening mechanism was not working so Gordon had to pry it open, squeezing himself through head first but he soon realized this might not have been the best idea. He tumbled forwards, his hands out to stop himself from banging his head on the floor.
He gently put one hand forward, it meeting something that clinked. A slight reflection catching his eye. Glass. He put another hand forward, easing himself at a crawl to pull the rest of his body through the hatch, the moment his feet were free pushing them off and down to bring himself into a crouching position. The blood that had been rushing to his head starting to flow back to the rest of his body, it making him feel a bit light headed, a nauseous feeling in his stomach.
Gordon was starting to wonder if he may have a slight concussion.
The doors from the airlock to the main compartment were partially smashed which explained the glass on the floor, but that was nothing to the sight beyond the doors in the main compartment.
Alan was sat in his seat, pinned up by the claw and underwater digging gear they had used earlier. His face was white, eyes wide open with a look of terror and disturbingly unmoving.
Gordon's heart lurched into his throat as he scrambled to his feet, nearly tripping himself over as another dizzy spell hit but he pushed on nonetheless.
"Alan!" he called as he edged through the smashed doors, trying to miss any jagged edges. However in his haste he caught a couple, the slice of glass on skin a small price to pay in getting to his little brother.
"Alan!"
His hands reached out to his brother shakily, touching the nearest shoulder as he searched for any sign he was alive which came soon enough. Alan seemed to suddenly flinch, his head turning as widened baby blue eyes moved to slowly look at him.
"Gordon..?" came the quiet, broken voice of the youngest Tracy.
The aquanaut felt relief flood through him, as he went and hugged Alan's head.
"Oh thank god Allie. I thought you weren't breathing there."
He let go and took a step back when he heard a sniffle. Tears had sprung into Alan's eyes, which he was trying to fight back.
"Hey, what's wrong?" he asked in concern, eyes scanning over his brothers predicament. "You hurt? Don't worry I'm going to get these things off you."
"Up." Alan hiccupped, one stray tear rolling down his cheek.
"What?"
"Up….look up."
Gordon was feeling quite confused now but did as instructed, amber orbs glancing around in search of what was causing such distress to his brother.
"Allie, I don't see..."
His sentence was cut off however as he found the culprit against a panel of perspex glass on the roof of the sub.
Half a face was starring back at him, a bulging blood red eye, and mouth open as if still screaming in terror.
The face looked eerily familiar and soon Gordon's brain started to turn as it horrifyingly clicked why. He knew that face. Had seen it only recently as he'd chatted away and joked happily with him during the rescue.
It was Jared, one of the students they had saved earlier.