Weee! Glad to hear yall are liking this fic so far! Thanks again to MadameWinter and TigreMalbarista for being my Beta's!

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Gordon awoke with a gasp, staring into the darkness around the grassy field. His heart hammered with the residual sensations, the images of the professor still burned into his mind as the body that was his desperately clawed at her. He'd tried so hard to fight it, to pull back control of his hands. But then… His memory was limited to a flash of pain, followed by darkness… and this field.

Gordon let his eyes roam over the landscape until they fell on the small building, light streaming from the windows. One thought broke past the haze of waking.

Alan…

He found him huddled in the floor, Moffat trying her best to comfort him. Wide eyed, but her face filled with relief, she moved away and let him embrace his brother's shivering form.

"Al- Alan, I'm right here." He felt, as much as heard the shuddering gasp as Alan sat straight up, tears still streaming from bright, blue eyes. "I'm okay."

Arms shot out and wrapped around him, forcing him to fall back. He sat, clinging to the distraught brother that had just been forced to kill him. There was only one thing his mind would let him say. "Thanks, Alan."

An incredulous sniffle cut through the moment as Alan pulled back, confused anger sending a tinge of crimson over his ears. "Thanks? Gordon, I killed you!"

"I would have killed professor Moffat." He gave the woman an apologetic look. "And you too if you hadn't stopped me. I could see everything, Alan." He let that sink in for a moment. "Everything I did, I had no control over any of it. You did exactly what needed to be done and saved all of us."

His little brother let his eyes drift to his hands, sniffling again as the emotions began to ebb. Gordon gently reached forward and wiped away a tear as it fell. "Hey, at least we know death in the game isn't permanent."

Alan nodded, looking to be on the verge of tears again. "You were in so much pain though."

The memories of what had happened only ten minutes ago flashed back to him, sending cold tendrils through his chest. "New rule then, until we get out of here…" He opened his mouth to continue, but a sudden shift as the room disintegrated cut him off.

Moffat was by their sides, the brothers placing protective hands in hers as the world began to shift and change. The ground below them dipped, walls of mud springing up to form a trench around them. Overhead, the sky was grey with storm clouds and filled with a vaguely familiar buzz. Hands flew to their ears as the silence of the previous world was enveloped in the cacophony of gun fire and explosives.

Wide eyed, Gordon looked up at his brother and took in the mud-splattered fatigues of a British soldier. And the gun strapped to his back. No. "Down! Stay down!" No no no! His eyes darted around the space, searching for anywhere they could hide. He ducked as a bullet lodged into the dirt at the top of the ridge, sending a ring of desperation through his gut.

"There!" Moffat's voice, sharp with panic, pulled him back to see her point to a small tunnel off to their left. He gave a quick nod, pushing himself up, dragging Alan to a low run. The professor led the way, covering her head with her hands as dirt rained down with another shot.

They were a few feet from the entrance when the metallic thud sounded right in front of them, the grenade bouncing once before it rolled. Time stopped as the group stared at it in disbelief, unable to force their legs to retreat. When time sped up again, all Gordon could see was the grey sky, dirt and blood raining down around him. That wasn't what he was really seeing though. The image of Moffat, frozen on the spot as the explosion tore into her played back over and over again. He couldn't stop seeing her in pieces.

When the shock finally calmed to the point he could roll himself onto his side, he began the frantic search for his brother. The pain in his leg forced him to remain on the ground, but there was no mistaking the shivering form a few feet away. The aquanaut pulled himself along the ground, past a severed, feminine arm that was already fading away. His hand gripped his brother's leg as he finally reached him. There was the slight sound of gurgling breaths coming from the younger man, and as Gordon pulled himself up with shaky arms, he saw why.

Alan's face was pale, eyes bright blue and wide with pain and terror. The blood splattered across his right cheek a stark contrast. His throat lay exposed, a jagged gash bleeding freely onto the ground beneath him.

"Alan-" He couldn't continue as his throat knotted, his brother's pained gaze pleading with him to fix this. He knew there was only one way he could do that and immediately he hated how the tables had turned. But he would do it. He had to. His brother was slowly bleeding out, choking on his own blood.

A shaky hand found the sidearm plastered to his hip, pulling it free. He didn't dare let his brother see him move it up to the side of his head. It needed to be fast. His focus moved to a rock that lay a few feet away, desperate to be anywhere but here as he pulled the trigger.

Gordon collapsed, his chest tight as he let out an angered scream into the mud. Vaguely, he was aware of feet jogging towards him and his heart jumped, not wanting his brother and Moffat to see him like this. He quickly turned towards the sound, vision filling with the earth-encrusted boots of a soldier. A German soldier.

He didn't hear the shot, or feel it tear through his skull, but the darkness was welcoming as it pulled him away from the noise and pain.

OoOoOoO

The Hood brought his hand up to his mouth, unable to hold back the grin as he watched the scene play out. This was more like it! Pain, torment, despair. All of it beautifully more than he had expected. Although they had found a way around the torcherous pain, it would involve a great deal of sacrifice. He could deal with that.

A commotion behind him pulled his attention back to his captives. Two of his goons were holding back the engineer who was struggling with the effects of the grenade. Obviously, seeing his girlfriend blown to pieces was enough to throw some kindling into his inner rage. Time to use that to his advantage.

"You know, Mr. Hackenbacker." He kept his tone cool and inviting. "This could all stop for the professor." He paused to ensure he had the engineer's full attention. "I will release her, if you swear loyalty to me and join my organization."

The torment that crossed the bespectacled man's face was enough to satisfy his desires for vengeance against the Tracy's. The offer was real, however. He would release the woman, who could also prove useful in his endeavors, and simply place the remaining Tracy into the system to join his brothers. As he shifted his gaze to the red head, he found himself torn. The man was a ghost, tears trickling down his distraught face. No. He could watch a little while longer. At least, until they reach their destination.

"No…" The reply was barely above a whisper.

The Hood regarded the scientist with a raised brow. "Excuse me?"

"I s-said." Brown eyes burned up at him, wet with unshed tears. "No."

"No?" The edge of his lip turned up. "You do realize anything that happens to her will be on your head?"

The pain rippled through his hunched form as his eyes fell. "I u-understand… but sh-she would not want me helping a m-monster like you." Venom dripped from his words as brown eyes lifted, unwavering and clear, searing into him as the engineer grinned. "I trust her. They will b-beat this and there will be n-no place you can hide."

OoOoOoO

The world exploded back around her and she had to blink as smoke from a smoldering vehicle bombarded her senses. The area was much different from the trenches, buildings in different states of disrepair lining a debris covered street.

Moffat turned at the sharp intake of breath behind her and quickly caught the young blond in an embrace as their eyes met. An instant later, Gordon was pulling them off the street and into one of the buildings.

Weapons drawn, they made their way to a set of stairs that lead up into small, disheveled living space. There were only two ways in and out, helping to limit their chances of being shot. They settled behind a sofa, keeping their backs against the wall, guns aimed to take out anyone who entered.

For a long time, the only sounds were their shuddering breaths. She was the first to break the tension.

"You two alright?" She could faintly remember the burst of pain that hit when the grenade exploded, but the darkness had come an instant later. She could only imagine what they had experienced.

Neither of them spoke, signalling that the honest answer was no. "We will be once we get out of here." Gordon whispered, keeping his eyes forward.

All conversation stopped as the sound of boots hit the base of the stairs. The first shot rang out from Alan's rifle as the helmet broke the threshold. The second and third shot from herself and Gordon finished the figure off before he tumbled back down.

"I've always hated war games," the younger Tracy grit out between weary breaths.

The professor found herself agreeing. As much as she enjoyed a fantasy first person shooter, there was always a slight uneasiness she felt from games like this. Maybe it was the fact that they were based on actual historical events. The idea that people potentially died the same way they did was enough to make her sick.

Gordon shifted beside her. "I've played enough to know we can camp here, but we'll run out of ammo soon." She was grateful at least one of them was familiar. It meant they had a greater chance for survival.

More footsteps, this time coming from different directions. Gordon signalled them to cover the stairs, while he took the door on the opposite wall. This time, shots rang out from both sides. Bullets sent plaster and brick raining down across the space and into her eyes. She dared not blink until the last body fell.

"Reload!" The older Tracy stayed up as she and Alan ducked down, grabbing a pack of bullets from their packs. The ammo seemed to dissolve into the gun. More shots echoed through the room and they quickly re-joined to allow Gordon to reload his rifle. Another figure stepped up from the stairs, vaguely different in its attempts to aim around the room. Alan took it down with a quick shot to the head.

Gordon was back, rifle aimed back at the doorway. It seemed the onslaught had stopped for the moment, the thumps of boots no longer prevalent. His voice shook slightly as he whispered. "How much ammo do you guys have?"

"One more clip." Moffat knew where his train of thought was leading.

"Same here." Alan glanced quickly to them, obviously concerned.

"Alright." She watched Gordon make his way to the end of the couch. "Cover me. I'm going to see if they dropped anything." Her heart jumped into her throat as he moved out into the open, her gun aimed at the stairwell. For a second, she let herself be distracted by how much her life had changed since meeting Hirum and the Tracys. The Hood had been involved in some of it, and she was starting to think he had a hand in their current situation as well. Her thoughts turned to the engineer, suddenly hoping he was alright.

Something shifted next to Gordon as he worked his way forward, sending a jolt of panic through the small group. His sidearm swept towards the movement only to stop as the rat scurried out from under its hiding place. The collective sigh sent a nervous smile on the aquanaut's face. It was a ridiculous moment in the middle of a nightmare, and she almost found herself laughing.

But then, shots pierced the moment, slamming into the ceiling and walls, sending the older blond ducking for cover in an odd scramble.

A gunshot, louder then the sound of the rifles, cut through the air… followed by a deep quiet.

OoOoOoO

"Gordon!" Alan was up and over the sofa, catching his brother's arm and dragging him back towards cover. He didn't miss the pained look on the older blond's face. They leapt back behind cover, the older collapsing with the shock of the attack, the younger grabbing his weapon and taking aim once more. "Please tell me you're okay!"

A reassuring hand gave his arm a squeeze, the aquanaut pushing himself back up to look over the couch. Alan didn't miss the blood covered hand holding his side. "I'm alright- bullet grazed me… Just burns like hell."

The group continued their watch of the entry points, Alan occasionally daring to glance at his brother who seemed to be regaining his strength.

"Where are they?" Moffat whispered, voicing the group's concern. The soldier should have already tried coming after them by now. Boots on the stairs gave them their answer.

"Rocket!" The distinctly female voice floated up past the banisters. "I swear, you kill me again I'll infect your entire system!"

Alan's eyes shot wide, unable to find his voice from the shock of realization. He watched as the helmet came into view, followed by the rest of the British uniform. The soldiers gun was aimed towards the floor as it approached.

"Bunny?" His voice was a squeak. He felt his brother nudge an elbow into his arm, silently requesting an explanation. "How are you-"

The figure continued to stand with an unnatural posture, the face void of emotion. The voice seemed to emit from around its head. "You were gone too long, so I decided to hack your tablet." She spoke as though it was no big deal. "For some reason, it was linked to this game. This system is ridiculously complex! Where are you?"

Alan had never been more grateful for an open network. "Bunny, listen! We're stuck in this experimental VR unit at the conference. There's something wrong with it and no one's letting us out."

"What do you mean 'wrong'?" Her voice seemed slightly distracted.

Moffat spoke, still unwilling to lower the rifle from her view of the stairs. "It appears the neural connection the company uses is causing realistic pain reactions when we take damage. If you're in the system, are you able to disable it?"

There was silence, Alan assuming his friend was looking into the request. A hushed "Whoa" sounded through the figure. "This is- I don't think I can, not safely at least. I'd run the risk of frying you."

A grunt from Gordon as he shifted brought emphasis to their predicament. "Lets not do that. What about giving us some advantages? Affect the game."

"That-" Another silence was followed by a deluge of ammo and health packs, "-is very possible."

Alan grabbed one of the bandages and held it to his brother's side, watching it dissolve the wound. A relieved thanks came from the aquanaut as he took up position once more.

"Uh oh." The playfulness in her voice was gone. "Someone's aware I'm here. I'll back out and see what I can do from my end."

"Bunny, wait!" Alan felt the anxiety build with the limited time. "Can you get a message to the local authorities, let them know where we are?"

"Rocket... You're moving." Before any of them could respond, the soldier dropped, seemingly a dead body in the middle of their hideout.

"What does she mean, we're moving?" Gordon hissed, letting the confusion out way the fear Alan knew he was feeling. They were all scared. Silence surrounded them once again, back to watching for potential danger.

"She had access to my tablet." Alan figured filling in some blanks could help. "Which means she can track my location. If she sees it moving, we must not be at the conference any more."

"Which means this is more than a glitch." Moffat's words only confirmed their suspicions. This entire thing had been a trap, which also meant whoever had done this, had John and Brains, otherwise their older brother would have already destroyed this thing.

Time for dwelling on that new revelation ended with the voice that echoed around them. A curse slipped past his lips with recognition.

"Hello, boys. Professor."