Thunderbird Shadow was silent - much more so in comparison to Thunderbird 1. Scott was glad of it as he flew through the dark skies, en route to his second youngest brother's last known location. Alan shifted behind him in the cramped space of the jet, assembling the gear they would be using against anyone they ran into once they and the GDF infiltrated the facility.
"We're on approach," Kayo called from the Pod. Lady Penelope would be close behind in Fab1 - having had it stashed with the iR vehicle for such an occasion. "GDF inbound - arrival three minutes."
Was that soon enough? "Are we waiting?" The commander was more interested in getting inside and providing any kind of backup Gordon might need. He didn't like being out of communication with any of his brothers, but the aquanaut had a way of finding trouble for himself - today included.
There was a pause that echoed Scott's sentiments, but protocol dictated they wait and let the proper authorities handle it. It was her Ladyship that made the decision, however.
"We go in once EOS and John have disabled their systems. We'll need to be quick. I don't believe a power outage is normal for these individuals." Lady Penelope instructed coolly. She was being a professional, but having known her for so long, Scott could hear the growl. A low rumble that tried to escape with each breath over the comms. He couldn't imagine the state she was showing in person.
"FAB - on your signal," radio silence followed as Shadow made her way over the ocean.
A minute later and he could see lights surrounded by ocean waves. Off in the distance, Scott could just make out the arrival of the GDF and the sound of engines drew his attention to the yellow pod and camouflaged Roles Royce as they came up beside him.
Waiting was excruciating, but he suffered through it until the large crafts were in range.
And then, the island's lights blinked out and everyone moved.
Their job was to locate the victims and get them out while the GDF officers took care of the people responsible. As they hit the ground in Shadow, Scott made sure they were prepared for those people anyway. Alan tossed him one of the batons they normally used when animals were involved in a rescue situation. A short punch of electricity was enough to ward off bear or mountain lion attacks. It would be more than enough to handle a grown man.
Another was tossed past him and the brunette turned to see Virgil catching the device. For a precious few seconds, the two eldest's eyes met, words unnecessary as Virgil offered a stubborn glare. He would be joining them with or without the commander's permission.
Scott reluctantly gave a nod of understanding, though his gut wanted to keep the engineer safely tucked back in the pod. He had enough to worry about, but knew nothing would stop him either if places in the same situation.
They joined Kayo and Parker, who took the lead, accompanying the influx of officers, all equipped with stun weapons and battering rams. Lady Penelope was on Alan's opposite side, her face set with a determination that could kill and for a moment he wondered if that might be the intent. There was so much about her occupation that iR wasn't privy to, that he questioned what she might have experienced in recent years.
The entrance to the island mansion flew open, breaking Scott's train of thought and he could hear John instructing the group ahead. A hidden entrance lay behind an intricate book case that took more time than the commander would have liked to get it moved. The metal hatch was another issue - until Scott heard the click and the entrance swung open. EOS at work in the facilities network and he suppressed a grin.
Gordon was at the front of his mind again as they took the steps down two at a time.
The first shouts hit his ears as they made it to the base and he wasn't surprised to see a group of men, also wielding stun batons. The GDF moved quickly, overpowering them, the grunts bound with cuffs in mere seconds.
"Guys, next hall up - on the left - take it," John's instructions were succinct and potentially only for the iR operatives. "EOS has detected a wide area with multiple life signs - one's Gordon."
Everyone felt the relief in the astronaut's voice and it was Kayo who ran forward and down the coordinator. Not one of the officers called after them, thanks in part to Col Casey. They could handle themselves for this part.
The end of the hall held a set of doors and Parker pushed them open, darkness appearing on the other side. Except, as they stepped through, they quickly realized red emergency lights were illuminating the expanse below. Movement led them to view the arena, now a mixture of men holding batons and combatants suddenly realizing help was on the way. Both groups were in danger and Scott suddenly found himself moving.
"John, we have multiple hostiles," Kayo called before taking a set of stairs towards the center.
"FAB, GDF are en route," his words were accompanied by the sound of boots behind them, the officers charging in.
By the time they reached the ledge that overlooked the fighters, the battle had started. Virgil stepped up next to him, his eyes wide and searching with the light from his helmet. At a glance, his immediate younger brother looked as he always did on a rescue, but there was that shadow - not a shadow, a bruise - and it sent a fire through Scott's chest. He hadn't been there to protect them.
"There!" The engineer was pointing at a figure at the center of the brawl. Kayo and Parker were already leaping the ten feet to the ground below, followed closely by Lady Penelope and Alan. Scott set a hand on Virgil's shoulder to stop him.
"I'll lower you," he kept his voice firm as he caught the look of irritation. Virgil understood limitations, however. They'd all been here, more than once and there was no point arguing.
Taking his brother's hands, Scott helped him over the edge and into their youngest brother's waiting arms. He was up and over a second later and everyone was running.
Kayo was the first to one of the guards threatening a group with the sparking end of a stick. In one quick jab, the man went down. For a moment, it looked as though the fighters were going to descend on the form, but as the blues of international rescue registered, their faces fell into relief.
"Get to the sides," Scott commanded. "The GDF are securing the area. Wait there for medical assistance."
He was grateful when they complied, leaving with each other's support. Scott went to join the rest of his team and saw Kayo and Parker knocking out a few more guards with the help of a gruff, red-headed man. There was a brief moment of recognition on the man's face as Virgil pulled away an unconscious figure from a trapped captive.
"Phil, what the hell, man?" There was no small amount of disbelief in his voice. "What are you doing here?"
"Hey, Gavin," Scott watched as his brother steadied the man. "Names Virgil actually. International rescue, we're here to rescue you."
Gavin's eyes widened and he nearly shouted with the confession, but before he could voice his shock, Scott cut through.
"Can you help get these people to the sides while we take care of the rest?" They needed to move quickly before lives were lost - Gordon at the top of that worry.
The fighter nodded and began gathering the injured with the help of a few others. It was one less concern as they continued on.
"Where's Gordon?" Alan called out, trying to scan the arena from their new position. It was too difficult to see through the shifting figures and too dark. Even with the light from their helmets intensifying the red glow, the faces were a blur. The arrival of the GDF had still yet to be realized by the goons jumping on the unarmed people, but the fear and desperation was leading to relentless violence.
Kayo pulled one of the fighters off a bloodied guard, sending him skidding across the floor. It was clear on her face, under the glint of her visor, that people were going to start dying soon.
And then, they heard it.
"No! Stop!" Gordon.
Scott turned in time to see a brunette figure crash into another fighter who had been on top of a guard, the blood on the downed man's face an indication of how far the captive man was willing to go with punishment. A scuffle of arms and legs fighting for dominance broke out, the much larger man already winning against the smaller as his hands gripped Gordon's throat.
The commander acted, darting towards the pair, but they were so far away. Scott knew how much damage strangulation could cause and this was a professional fighter with strength greater than most. Gordon was going to die.
Another figure appeared, and another, both taking hold of the man strangling his brother and they quickly pulled him off. Scott didn't recognize either of them, but was grateful for their clear-headed actions that had saved the aquanaut.
It all happened in a matter of seconds and Scott was the first to his brother's side, Virgil moving to work on the injured guard. Gordon was taking in ragged gasps between coughs that seemed to tear at his throat. Alan appeared on their other side looking conflicted between helping his closest brother in more than just age and ensuring anyone else who needed them was safe.
That answer came in the form of lights flashing on and the roar of a loudspeaker as one of the lead GDF officers called for an immediate halt in the arena. The reaction was almost instantaneous as everyone froze in place. At the top of the stadium stood the officer who had called out the end of the fight. Beside him was a well dressed individual, cuffed and held in place by two other officers. This had to be the person behind it all.
His arms wrapped tighter around his brother as the anger threatened to bubble up, but was stopped as Gordon's hand found his belt to try and steady himself.
"I've got you, Squirt," and it was somewhat disorienting to look down into the blue eyes surrounded by swollen cheeks and a mess of brown hair. For a second, he had to remind himself that this was the disguise. This was the person his little brother had become in order to save lives. "Just hold still, this is almost over."
"Whe-'s Virg -" the question came out rough as he coughed.
Scott pointed, having abandoned his own baton in order to take charge of the aquanaut, "He's right there, finishing what you started. Looks like you stopped the guy from getting killed."
His brother wasn't satisfied with that answer, it seemed, finding his feet and stumbling with help from Scott over to the engineer. Virgil didn't need much prompting as he quickly caught sight of them and shifted away from the unconscious man to envelop Gordon into a hug they both needed. The eldest found he was much more comfortable leaving their most injured members to deal with each other, standing to check on the rest of the occupants in the arena.
Alan and Kayo were separating a fighter from one of the island goons - their sister a bit more forceful in comparison to their little brother's steady care of the injured woman. Parker and Penelope weren't too far from that situation either, helping the newly arrived GDF officers secure the stragglers.
A quick glance around and the nightmare that had started only a few hours ago was over. Their job was done and he could take his family home.
OoOoOoO
He'd been left on the side of the arena with the other wounded, but more to stay in view of his brothers who were currently triaging a few of the more injured fighters. Every so often, Scott would pop up in front of him, asking the same questions each time and Gordon would only annoy him with different ways to answer them.
What didn't help his big brother's mood, though, Gavin found it all very amusing.
"Ya, keep messin', he's gonna leave you here," the red-head warned with a grin.
He took a tentative sip from his water bottle and shook his head, "He wouldn't wanna make Grandma mad."
A confused grunt as Gavin lifted a brow, "Your head doin' okay, Sam?"
Truth came with an overwhelming sense of relief as he turned to catch his friend's gaze, "Name's Gordon - Tracy."
"Bull-" but the way his eyes didn't waiver, Gordon almost laughed as the fighter's grew wide. "No way! Serious?"
He nodded, his throat growing sore the more he spoke, even with the water. The action appeased Gavin enough to slump back against the wall, mouth wide and for once, quiet. It was mildly unnerving and Gordon decided he didn't much care for it.
"Sorry for lyin'," the apology seemed like a good place to start as any.
"For what? You all are amazing!" He let out a growl as he appeared to realize something. "Damn Seth! Kinda glad he won now. Can't imagine hittin' a member of international rescue, eh?" He considered telling Gavin of the lack of a fight with Seth, but thought better of it. They would have to deal with that relationship on their own. "Which one are ya, anyway?"
It took him a moment to realize what his friend was asking, blinking away the haze around his vision as he answered, "Thunderbird 4."
This time, Gavin was quiet as he searched through his memory for something that matched. He'd apparently failed in that search, "And that one's…?"
"Yellow submarine," Gordon only felt the slight irritation that not many knew of her existence, in part due to his 'bird being used for ocean rescues. It was a good thing in the long run, but paled in comparison to how much praise the other Thunderbirds received. Thunderbird 5 was at least known for his brother's voice in the case of an emergency.
"Oh! Yeah, I gotcha now," he grinned as though the reminder was like a slap in the face. "The one that gets shoved into small places."
Gordon couldn't help but laugh and it sent an ache through his chest and throat. He breathed through it and nodded, "That's m'girl."
"Man, you're lucky," a distance had found its way into Gavin's voice as he whispered. "You've done more than I can even imagine doin' in my lifetime."
That put a frown on his face as he regarded the older man, "Don't say that. You've still got plenty of time to build new experiences. And I wouldn't call those tournaments boring."
"Yeah, but they're just fights," Gavin cocked a smile at the attempt and maybe it was the odd lighting mixing with his own fluctuating senses, but he could see a slight glimmer in the man's eyes. "You lot travel the world savin' people. That's truly impressive."
There was never a response to that other than gratitude, but that wasn't what Gordon let slip, "You wanna ride sometime?"
"Hell. Yes," was the only logical answer. How he would get his family to agree to it would be a problem for the future. He'd make it happen though.
That was a promise.
The rest of the night continued at a slow crawl until he was pulled up on legs that shook and was guided to an elevator. He couldn't remember much of the trip, but was happy to be out of the arena and away from the violence inside.
And now, as they flew towards home, Gordon couldn't sleep. His body wanted him to, but he had strict instructions from Virgil and Alan that unconsciousness would be a bad idea. He didn't want to sleep anyway, wedged in between the engineer and Lady Penelope. She had her arm around his, Gordon's other hand held firmly in place by his brother after the tremors had become uncontrollable - one of the side effects of whatever had been injected into him.
It wasn't the worst moment of his life, though - actually quite the opposite. Penelope was warm and smelled wonderful. His brother was safe and no worse for wear than himself. They had rescued everyone from the island, a fact he'd discovered on their way out and up in Fab1, and there was little else for Gordon to do but sit there and try not to fall asleep.
A soft snore drew his attention to Virgil and he blinked one good eye to see his brother's were closed under the purple and blue lids. He gave the hand in his a shake and the dark brown slowly appeared with a stifled yawn. Yawning hurt when your face was busted up, having to smother some of his own to stave off more ache.
"Hey, 'f I can't sleep, neither can you," Gordon offered a lopsided smile at the guilty look that flashed over the engineer's face.
"Sorry - been a long day," there was no missing the wince as Virgil stretched stiff limbs. They were still an hour out from the island and even with the luxury seating in the Rolls Royce, it was still going to be a painful trip.
On his other side, Penelope's fingers slid over the back of his hand, earning a slight shiver as his attention was pulled away, "Do you two need to stop? I'm sure we could find a nice place to wait for Scott to pick you up in something a little faster than Fab1."
And lose having her attached to him, no way, "We're fine, right Virg?" And there might've been a hint that the engineer would easily pick up on.
"I dunno - I wouldn't mind a chance to stretch," the hint was challenged with a knowing smile that would require revenge on a personal level. "But, yeah, I'm okay to keep going."
"Very well," her smile and the way she leaned in closer to him were evidence Penelope was pleased with the decision. "I'm still surprised Scott agreed to let use take you home."
That was in part due to the need for Scott to stay with Kayo and Thunderbird Shadow working with the GDF to ensure all the injured were taken care of until iR was no longer needed. Alan had taken the Pod with more than a little arguing that he could stay and help. The only reason Gordon or Virgil weren't riding with him was due to the fact neither was willing to be separated and there was no way either of them were piloting the Pod home while their little brother rode back with Penelope. Poor kid would need some cheering up later.
"Yeah, it would be great if we beat him home though. Would just make our case so much more reasonable," Gordon flashed her a toothy grin and winced.
The agent laughed, short and musical in her delight, "Oh, Gordon, I do believe your face might not be ready for what you intend to do with it. Do try not to move it or smile too much."
That was easier said than done. Every move she made next to him, Gordon's brain would buzz and the pull at the corners of his mouth were difficult to battle. Her words, however, came with the worry of guilt. She'd miscalculated in some aspects of the mission and she was blaming their injuries on herself. At least, that's what he interpreted from the way she wouldn't look him in the eye.
He'd fix that later. For now, he was content to accidentally lean against her shoulder and let his eyes droop.
A gentle poke to his ribs that still managed to pull a groan from him and Virgil seemed more than pleased, "No sleeping, Fish."
"- 'm not," he poked back with the same result. The contented laugh from the woman he would do anything for only encouraged him to stay comfortably close, the only thing separating them, the slumbering lump of Sherbert. Yes, Gordon was extremely happy he had decided to take the long way home.