Scott wasn't happy when he heard what had happened to Alan. As the teenager clung to his brother, he told Scott what had happened through tears. It was clear that, although the Hood hadn't actually physically injured Alan, he had emotionally scarred him - so much so that he actually had agreed to become his son. He know knew the answer to why the Hood wanted Alan to be his son.

"Why do I want Alan to be my son?" the Hood had leered as he'd walked Scott to where Alan was. "Because it's a perfect way to pay back Jeff, Scott. Think about it. I could kill Alan, sure. And I might have a few months ago. But my wife has always wanted children. Neither of us wanted to deal with a messy, crying baby. Alan can care for himself just fine, and you're here to help. What would hurt Jeff more than having him loose his son in a horrible, wretched death?"

"Having Alan hate him," Scott said with a horrible, sinking feeling in the gut of his stomach. He was suddenly fully aware of the Hood's plans. The man didn't really care about his wife's dream to have a child. He didn't really care about Alan living. All he cared about was hurting Jeff in the worst way possible.

The fact that he'd given into the Hood was ironically what Alan was stressed about the most. Not the fact that he'd been kidnapped, tortured, and been told by a psychopath that he was going to be his new family… no, Alan was upset because he'd given in. Scott didn't find this out until almost ten minutes into the conversation. Because Alan had given in, he was worried that Scott would hate him; that his father would be disappointed, that Virgil and Gordon would tease him even more.

Scott was pissed off. He was even more pissed off because he knew he was the one who had caused the Hood to treat Alan this way. After all, on the way to the barn, the Hood had so kindly informed Scott (well, it was really more like he taunted Scott) that the punishment Alan had been given had really been meant for him, but then… Scott had been unable to pay attention to his small command, so he'd decided to torture Alan instead.

Yeah, Scott was angry, but he didn't let it on to Alan, worried that Alan would think that he was angry at him. Scott felt chills flash through him as Alan described how it felt to be shoved under water by the Hood, to not be able to breathe.

The last sentence from Alan made Scott want to rip out the Hood's heart out, not that he didn't want to already. "And he wants me to be his child!" Alan said, bursting into tears, not even noticing when they shed. Scott wrapped Alan up in a hug, hoping he didn't look as angry as he felt.

"Alan," Scott responded, "I don't blame you. Nobody blames you. Waterboarding, Alan, is torture. Torture used on hardened criminals. Did Gordon ever tell you what happened when he found out that it had been used in the United States from time to time?"

Alan shook his head, attempting to dry his tears with his shirt sleeve. He swallowed hard, a lump in his throat as he realized that the shirt he was wearing was one that the Hood had bought him. "N-no," Alan sniffled.

"Gordon was talking to his teammates about it; one of them had a father who had worked in the CIA. Apparently, the most hardened criminal they had only lasted two minutes, Alan. Some CIA experts can't even last fourteen seconds. You held out as long as you could, and you have nothing to be ashamed of, Alan." Scott ruffled his hair. "Besides, we might even be able to work this to our advantage…"

Knowing that he had Alan's full attention, Scott began talking to Alan about what he'd thought about out in the barn.

## break ##

One week after abduction

Virgil Tracy was absolutely exhausted. The normally pleasant flight to the Tracy Island had completely tuckered him out. Of course, normally he didn't make both runs in one day within a very short time frame.

Gordon needed his medicine, and rather than just get the doctors to prescribe him a new dose, Jeff sent Virgil back to get it. He also wanted Virgil to pick up John on the way, saying that John had suffered long enough. Thunderbirds were temporarily offline, "awaiting upgrades and battling a force of evil", according to Lady P.

John nudged his brother. "You look really, really tired," he said. "You should've let me fly back, Virg. I could've done it."

"I know, John." Virgil rolled his eyes. "It's just that… never mind. Dad says that our rent-a-car will be waiting for us in about half an hour, and he says to just hang here until then."

John nodded. "Yeah, that sounds like a p—," John started to say before he was cut off by a scream.

"I don't want to go with you! Let me go! You're not my father!" the scream was loud and made John's ears wince. It took him almost a full three seconds to recognize the voice.

"That's Alan!" John said, tugging on Virgil's arm. Virgil became instantly alert, dropping his Dr. Pepper.

"Don't touch me! Let me go! Release my arm!" the voice continued. John pushed himself off of the grass, scanning for the nearest figure. It wasn't until he had looked for almost a full minute before recognizing the form of his brother.

## break ##

Alan Tracy was not happy. When he had heard about the Hood's plans to move them, he'd decided to do something about it. Scott had suggested jokingly that Alan should act like the Hood was his father, luring him into a false sense of security and then acting out.

When the Hood had announced that Scott and Alan would be flown somewhere else at the dinner table, Alan had knocked his plate over and run to the bedroom that the Hood had said was his.

## Flashback ##

Scott had just been told that he would get to live. His job would be to be Alan's tutor and his full-time caretaker. The Hood, of course, would not let Alan go to school – even an online school was out of the question. College, the Hood said, could be done through correspondence classes if both boys were still alive at that point. Alan had very targeted things that he had to do for the Hood. Neither Alan nor Scott liked the structure, but neither of them could do anything about it. Having just spent an hour getting lectured on how his life was to change, Alan Tracy was understandably on edge.

It would have been one thing if it was his father telling him things; it was another knowing they were coming from a complete lunatic who wanted to hold him prisoner and brainwash him to hate his father.

"So, we're going to be moving to another location soon," the Hood responded. "I would like to tell you what will happen during the transfer."

Scott, who was about to serve the Hood his supper, suddenly stood there, frozen to the floor as if it had suddenly turned to ice. Scott had also been put in charge of all of the household and outdoor chores. Apparently, Robin didn't want to have to work since they had a new slave boy. Scott swallowed hard, then handed the Hood his food before turning back to the stove. He had to remember to pretend like he didn't exist.

"I'm not going with you," Alan said. He wore a sulky, put-on face. Scott was immensely proud of his younger brother. He had survived the waterboarding that would have made most grown men crumble, and he had actually taken Scott's joke very seriously and had attempted to put it into action. "I would rather stay here."

The Hood – who was now apparently called Ryan Trangh, although something didn't feel right about that name to Alan – wore a frown. "Alan, I don't like your attitude," he said. "I understand you're upset because you feel I'm not your biological father, but you don't have a choice in traveling with us. Here's what's going to happen…" the Hood then proceeded to outline the plans for transport; plans that made Scott and Alan both nervous.

## end flashback ##

Today, the day of the travel – to where, neither Alan nor Scott knew – Alan had settled on a plan. Although he totally trusted Scott, he didn't even tell Scot the plan, not wanting Scott to hear it. If not for Scott, Alan would have given up on day two after the torture the Hood had put him through.

Alan pulled against the Hood's arm again. He wasn't going to allow himself to be dragged through the airport like some kind of latchkey or kid. Most passengers had glanced at him and then glanced away, as if he had some kind of evil disease. Alan suspected that the Hood had someone inside airport security – why else would they have chosen this airport? - because there was not even a single officer that had looked at them.

"I hate you!" Alan shouted at the top of his lungs. The Hood wouldn't dare smack him in public. Oh, Alan would get paid hell for it later, he knew, but he wasn't about to move through the public area of transport without putting up a fight. "STOP GRABBING ME! You aren't my parent!"

Suddenly, a familiar face appeared from behind the shadows. The Hood must have seen it or sensed the figures' appearance, because he quickly grabbed Alan, whipped out the knife he'd managed to get through security, and stuck it against the teens' neck.

"Alan!" John called, a worried look on his face. Virgil appeared only seconds later. "Let him go, Hood!"

The man laughed, rivaling in the circumstance: he had Scott already tied up in the hanger, with no chance of escape, and Alan completely at his mercy. It was time to show the oldest and the youngest Tracy that they were his. Personally, he could care less if Scott lived or not, but he'd always had a fascination with Alan. He could give his wife the child she had always wanted and get revenge on Jeff in one fell swoop. And he supposed that it was admittedly nice to have Scott around for the house help… even if he did have to beat him into compliance sometimes.

"Yeah, right," the Hood responded. "Back off, or I'll kill him!"

Virgil backed off instantly, but John wasn't as willing. "I swear to God," John responded, "if you hurt him…"

"I already have," the Hood said with a simple smile. He grinned, tightening his grip on Alan's neck. Alan tried to use his hands to claw his way out of it, tugging against the man's grip, but he couldn't get away. "Alan's my son now, John, not Jeff's."

"Honey, you need to get in the plane!" Another voice said, calling from the open hanger door. Two shots were fired. John instantly leapt at Virgil, shoving him down. Three more shots were fired. One caught John's arm, and he cried out in pain.

"John!" Alan screamed, trying desperately to get to his younger brother.

"Tell Jeff Tracy," the Hood responded, "that Alan is mine. And he'll stay that way for a very, very, long time." With that, the Hood dragged a screaming and kicking Alan back to the plane, shoved him in and shut the door. Someone and started the engine, and before John could even force himself up, the plane took off.

It was then when blood started to trickle down John's blue t-shirt, and the reality sunk in: the two had failed to save their brothers… again.