Thank you so much once again - especially to those I can't respond directly too. I really appreciate the comments and support. Hope you like this next chapter.

Scott spent the rest of the day in the small room he had been given as a cabin, pouring over every piece of information he could get his hands on. The captain had given Scott an armful of maps to help him plan his course. He quickly located where the island was in relation to the launch site and spent the rest of the time working out wind speeds and potential lines of attack. The other teams would have tried flying overhead, but approaching from the side might give him the advantage. The weapon could rotate, but that would take time – possibly enough for Scott to get in close. Not to mention that if he had to spend another hour on the command bridge listening to the commanders, Scott was sure that he was actually going to push someone overboard.

When the officer had shown him to the cabin, he had promised that someone would be sent to fetch him for dinner. Scott had nodded distractedly, his mind already drifting. But as he finally put the maps to one side and stood up, stretching out as he did so, Scott realised he was beginning to feel hungry. They should be reaching the co-ordinates just before dawn the next morning, so he was fully aware that this might be one of the last full meals he would have for some time. He refused to let himself think about it being his last meal, period.

Determined to distract himself – and knowing he would just get lost if he tried to find the way himself – Scott dropped to the floor, balancing on his toes and hands before slowly beginning press ups. He didn't really know why, but if he could no longer distract himself mentally, then he was going to make sure he could do it physically instead. He had barely got to ten when there came a soft knock on his door. Scott twisted his body until he was sitting down and bid whoever it was to come in. The door slowly opened and Scott relaxed.

"Captain."

"Frankie. I'm guessing that you are my escort?"

As Frankie nodded, Scott jumped to his feet. "Good, I'm starv…"

"What did you do, forget to tell them to let me out again?"

Before Scott could finish his sentence, Gordon had barrelled his way in and flung himself dramatically into the seat his brother had previously been sitting in. Scott moved forward, shifting the maps to one side before glancing up and seeing Frankie's bemused face.

"I told them. They obviously just decided to take their time about it."

"Do you have any idea how boring it is just sitting in there all afternoon?"

"Yeah," Scott muttered, thinking to how bored he had been all afternoon - and that had been while pouring over maps. He meant what he had said, however. He had spoken to the captain, but the man had dismissed it, claiming the young ones had to learn their place as much as the next man. Scott had tried pushing but the captain hadn't listened and Scott knew he had no authority to insist.

"I figured you would have done something, but nope! You just left me there…"

"Gords…"

"Hang on," Frankie interrupted and Scott almost burst out laughing at the look on his face. He knew for sure the young man had no idea of his relationship with Gordon. Frankie had never mentioned Gordon by name, therefore Scott had never had the chance to explain.

"Why would the Captain do something to get you out?"

"You didn't tell him?" Gordon twisted in his chair until he could shoot Scott a mock-glare. Scott shrugged.

"Your team mate, figured you would."

"I might have, once I actually knew it was you. But I've only just been let out, so I thought you would have done it."

"Tell me what?"

"Frankie, meet Captain Scott Tracy." Gordon vaguely waved a hand in Scott's direction as he spoke, but Scott was watching Frankie. The man's jaw seemed to drop as his eyes darted between the two Tracys. He looked as if he wasn't believing it before he suddenly let out a huff of astonished laughter, a smile on his face.

"As in..?"

"As in this trouble-maker's big brother."

"Hey! I don't…"

"Cause trouble? Then how did you land yourself in isolation all afternoon?" Scott smirked as Gordon glared at him, only to duck as Gordon threw what Scott had been using as a paperweight all afternoon at his head. "Dad's going to have a field day over that."

"It was your fault."

"How?"

"They said your name. Well, they said my name, only they meant it as your name and I…"

"Gordon?"

"Yes?"

"Shut up." To Scott's surprise, his brother did as he was told and the pilot couldn't help but lean over and ruffle his hair. He knew the reaction he would get, but that didn't stop him from laughing when it happened.

"You said something about food?" Deciding to take a little pity on the dumb-struck Frankie, Scott turned his attention back to the man. He was standing there with his mouth slightly open, clearly trying to process what was happening in front of him. Scott smiled when he thought about how easy things had always felt with his brothers, regardless of the situation they were in. Frankie nodded and stepped out, gesturing for Scott to follow him. Scott waited until Gordon had just begun to rise from his chair before pushing the younger man back down again and darting out of the door with a laugh.

As soon as he got into corridor beyond, Scott sobered up, sliding effortlessly back into his role as a pilot of the Air Force. He didn't notice he had done it, until Gordon came stumbling out of the door and did exactly the same thing. The three of them made their way down to the dining halls, Scott desperately trying to remember the way but failing. He was fine when he could fly over something, but otherwise it had always been John who could remember directions.

Scott paused as he got to the door, wondering if he was about to have a repeat performance of lunch time and be on his own. Gordon didn't pause, but jabbed Scott in the back to keep him moving. Before the pilot realised what was going on, he was sitting with his brother's team. He stayed quiet, knowing these were men that Gordon relied on more than anything. Frankie had said something about Scott helping get Gordon out as an explanation. Despite Gordon's eye roll and mutter he had done no such thing, neither brother made an attempt to let on they already knew each other. Gordon was his own man here and Scott had no intention of being seen as his big brother. He thought Gordon would be thinking the same and Frankie was clearly prepared to follow their lead considering he didn't say anything didn't realise how quiet he was being until Gordon kicked him under the table, frowning quizzically when Scott looked up. Scott offered half a shrug and a small smile in response to his brother's unasked question. He was fine. Well, as fine as he could be, considering what the next day would bring.

Luckily, Gordon seemed to understand and dipped his head in response before joining in the banter shooting around his team mates. If he didn't know Gordon's circumstances, Scott wouldn't have believed he was the youngest of the group. On more than one occasion, they seemed to look to him for a come-back. It was the same way that the brothers often waited for Scott to have the last word. Scott found himself smiling faintly. There had been more than one argument between his brother and father when Gordon announced that he had no plans of going to college, but wanted to come straight to WASP. At least now, Scott would be able to tell their father with a clear conscience that Gordon had made the right choice. He belonged here.

As the meal drew on, Scott found himself withdrawing more. It was one thing planning to tell his father things like that, but what if he never got the chance? What if something went wrong? What if they never found out what happened because the whole thing was covered up in the way Kevin's disappearance had been?

At least Gordon would have an idea about what had happened.

Excusing himself, Scott stood up. He forced a smile onto his face and muttered something about it being an early start and needing to get some sleep. He wasn't sure he would be able to sleep a wink, but knew he wouldn't be able to just sit there with this carefree group of young men for much longer without saying something that he would later regret. To his surprise, Gordon also stood up.

"I'll show you back, Captain."

Scott realised he was staring at his brother in shock as he realised there was no trace of humour in Gordon's voice. He had meant that seriously.

"We're going up to the deck for cards later, Gordon. You coming?"

"Sorry. I'm on pre-dawn watch. Gonna get some shut-eye."

"Again?"

Gordon grimaced and nodded before jerking his head at Scott and gesturing for his brother to follow him. Scott obediently did so.

"I take it that means you get that watch a lot?"

"Not every officer on this boat likes my age, put it that way," Gordon muttered, glancing around as he did so to make sure that he wasn't about to be overheard by someone. Scott nodded in understanding. He had experienced the same feeling when he had first stood in line with the other captains and realised they were all at least five years older than he was. They reached Scott's cabin, but Gordon stayed where he was.

"Can I come in for a bit?"

Scott simply left the door open in invitation and Gordon moved in, closing it softly behind him.

"Unless you were planning to sleep?" Gordon added and Scott shook his head. He sat back down at the table, resisting the urge to bang his head on it. He had always known this last night would be the worst, but nothing had prepared him for the thoughts going through his head.

"I'm glad you're here."

His words came out before he realised that he was even thinking them, but Gordon simply chuckled and sat himself down cross-legged on the floor.

"Me too."

Silence fell between them, but it was comforting. Scott knew that Gordon would be thinking about his mission as well, and no doubt trying to figure out precisely what it was that Scott was doing. It wasn't like Gordon to simply let something go when it had caught his attention. Just like Tom had broken into the control room in order to find out what had happened to Kevin, Gordon would stop at nothing. In a way, the thought was comforting. At least someone would know the truth.

"You'll get to see me off." Scott suddenly spoke again, the thought only just occurring to him.

"How?"

"I leave at the break of dawn. If you are on pre-dawn watch…"

"… I'll just be getting off duty."

Scott caught Gordon's eye and grinned, seeing his smile reflected in his brother's face.

"I'll find out if you are as good at flying as everyone seems to think you are."

"Better, I'll have you know," Scott retorted, finding that his smile was becoming more genuine as Gordon began mocking him. If he had to spend his last night of safety stuck on a boat, then being able to share it with his brother suddenly made the whole thing more bearable.

An hour or so passed and their conversation landed on neutral ground. Gordon knew and understood there were some things Scott couldn't say and he didn't push it. But while Scott had never really had any intention of going to bed when he had excused himself at dinner, he was more than aware that Gordon had to be up before him.

"You should get some sleep."

"Are you trying to send me to bed?" Gordon looked astonished and Scott snorted in amusement at how his words had come out. He certainly hadn't sounded like a captain in that moment, but a big brother.

"Maybe."

"Fine."

Scott started, looking at Gordon guardedly. He had never managed to get Gordon to go to bed, not even when he could just throw him over his shoulder and dump him down on the bed. Gordon would always just get back up again and Scott was sure that he must be missing something now. Gordon, however, just smirked. He linked his fingers under his head and stretched out across the floor.

"Not here, you dork," Scott muttered, nudging him with his toe. Gordon simply looked at him steadily.

"Why not?"

Scott gaped before feeling a slow smile beginning to gradually spread across his face. There was no reason why not. Gordon obviously thought he would be able to sleep just as well on Scott's floor as he would in his own bunk and if he didn't think he would be in trouble for it, Scott genuinely didn't have a good enough reason as to why not. He simply shrugged and Gordon settled himself back down again.

Scott spent another hour looking over maps before realising just how quiet Gordon was being. Twisting in his chair, a fond smile spread across his face as he realised that, just this once, Gordon had done as he was told and fallen asleep, stretched out across the floor. Shaking his head, Scott carefully stepped over him and pulled the blanket off the bed, spreading it over his little brother. A frown crossed Gordon's sleeping face and – without waking – he grabbed hold of the blanket and snuggled himself further down. Just the way he had always done.

Scott climbed onto the bed and pulled his jacket over him, kicking off his shoes and curling up under it. The night was warm; he had no need for the blanket and was perfectly capable of making do with just a jacket. He didn't think that he would be able to sleep, but there was something about having his younger brother asleep next to him that allowed him to relax more than he thought possible considering the thoughts running through his head.

It wasn't long before he, too, had fallen asleep.

TBTBTB

Scott didn't realise how on edge he had been for his entire time on the boat until he was once again back in the cockpit of his plane. His hands ran over the switches and through the checks as if it were second nature; he barely even needed to think about what he was doing. He found that he was completely relaxed now that it came to actually being launched, the only thoughts he was allowing in his head were the angle of the sunrise, the wind speed and directions.

The sky was just beginning to lighten and the only men on deck were the commanding officers. But as Scott confirmed that all systems were ready for launch, he saw someone else appear. Gordon was lurking in the doorway, allowing the shadows to hide him from where the faint sun had illuminated the deck. But Scott didn't need to see him properly to know that his brother was watching intently as he allowed the engines to roar into life. Despite everything, he found there was a smile on his face at the sound. For the first time since he had been caught outside the control room, Scott truly felt as if the situation was back in his hands. All the planning and scheming was out of the way.

Now all he had to do was fly.

Despite Gordon's teasing tone the night before, this was something Scott did indeed know how to do. As the sound of the engines settled, he checked the readings one last time. Looking at the men on the deck, he saluted. Two nodded in response and Scott knew they had seen his actions. But it hadn't truly been them he had been looking at. Gordon echoed the sentiment back at him and Scott took a deep breath, setting the plane rolling.

He had never taken off from a moving ship before. He knew they were going to go a little further out once he had departed, in case retaliation came across the seas as well as into the sky. Taking another breath to steel himself, Scott forced himself to talk through everything he needed to do, adjusting his engines to cope with the speed of the ship, his hands moving as he spoke.

He was so focused on what he needed to do, he barely noticed that he was actually doing it until a green light flashed at him to say that he was gaining altitude. Scott grinned, knowing in his heart that it couldn't have gone more smoothly and he had just proved to Gordon for once and for all that he was as good as they said he was. The thought offered him comfort as he checked his course and then made sure communications were open with the ship. They were using their signal to relay his transmissions back to the Air Force Base - if something did go wrong, everyone would be alerted at the same time.

Once he knew contact had been established, Scott fell silent, focusing on flying. He kept the plane low, skimming the waves as he shot towards the island. He was determined that he was going to have no height to fall from if something was going to happen. He would have to climb as he approached though, the layout of the land was unfamiliar to him and he had no intention of crashing into a mountain. He wanted to get as close as he could.

Scott flicked a few buttons, allowing the plane to do some of the work for him as it scanned the land. At the perfect time, Scott climbed higher, reporting his position as he did so. If it wasn't for the fact he was on a mission of such importance, he might have taken the time to admire the view. But he kept his attention firmly focused on what he was doing, adjusting his course dutifully every time something looked as if it was going to be an issue.

Scott had to admit to holding his breath as the plane finally began to fly over land rather than the sea. Now was the time to find out if whoever this was had any defences that no one knew about. None of the other planes had got this far; they had been taken down before they even made it over land. Scott let the plane fly herself for a moment as he began to ready his guns. If things carried on like this, all it was going to take was a few shots and he would be home before anyone truly began to notice that he wasn't there.

There was something reassuring about seeing all the lights turning green to confirm that all his weapons were indeed online. Scott retook control of the plane, knowing that he wasn't close enough yet. But just as he switched back to manual, he jumped as warning lights began to flash at him.

"What the-?" His fingers flying, Scott focused the sensors on where the warning was coming from and felt his breath catch. He had hoped to get closer than this before the weapon's sensors picked him up. But he should have known – the others hadn't made it, why should he be any different?

His thoughts made it no further than that until there was a flash of red. He didn't need the sensors screaming at him to know that some sort of laser had just been shot in his direction. This time, Scott didn't think, but reacted on pure instinct. He jerked at the controls, knowing that he didn't have time to swerve. Instead, he just cut the engines, letting the plane instantly plummet. The laser shot over his head and Scott didn't even have time to breathe before he was desperately getting the plane restarted and not thinking about the ground that he was heading towards far too fast. As the engines kicked back into life, Scott took control, skimming the top of a tree as he fought for altitude again.

"Captain, you've altered your course. Report."

"It's firing!" Scott yelled, forgetting about protocol as he made sure that everything was working. He had let the plane swerve towards the sea as he climbed, but now angled it back towards the island again. One try was not going to be enough to put him off, not now he knew to be more on his guard.

"Retreat, Captain. Pull back."

"I'm going to take another shot…"

"Pull out!"

"I can do this."

"Damnnit, Scott, get out of there!" It was only the fact that he wasn't the only one breaking protocol that made Scott hesitate.

"Roger that."

Scott sighed, knowing he couldn't disobey a direct order. While the ship waited for him, it too was in danger. Whoever was behind this might believe a slow moving target (they weren't leaving him behind just yet) was a better than Scott's plane. He began changing direction, allowing the co-ordinates from the ship to be patched through to him so that he knew where to land. But just before he began his turn, Scott swore as he caught another flash of red out of the corner of his eye. Knowing that he had just been shot at again, Scott made to react when there was another flash, then a third and finally a fourth.

His heart in his mouth, Scott desperately tried to force the plane to move. But the lasers beams were firing in all directions – he couldn't dive or climb without being hit, nor could he swerve. He was blocked in. Scrambling for the emergency ejector button, Scott slammed his hand over it just as the first of the lasers hit. The plane was rocked violently, the button jamming as it did so. Scott had just enough time to scream a mayday into the comms before the remaining three lasers also hit.

Smoke billowed around him and Scott coughed harshly as he tried to do something. The controls weren't responding and he knew the smoke that was filling the cockpit was also billowing from the plane in a clear spiral. No doubt the men on the ship would be able to see it from where they were. Realising that there was no way he was going to be able to anything, Scott tried to brace himself as much as he could as the plane plummeted towards the ground.

He wasn't sure if it was a relief or not that he blacked out just as the plane hit the trees. But the next thing Scott knew, there was the smell of burning and breathing was far harder than it had ever been before. Blindly, he scrambled for the safety strap holding him in his seat, coughing as he struggled to draw breath. As it clicked open, he pushed desperately at the plane's canopy, trying to force it open. Something seemed to be blocking it, however, and Scott could feel his eyes burning as he scrambled for a way out.

Despite not being able to see anything through the smoke, Scott could feel air movement. The seal on the cockpit had broken somewhere. Forcing himself to stay calm, Scott took in a deep a breath as he could manage and felt around the edge. The cover had lifted a little. All Scott had to do was figure out where and force it. It was getting hotter the more he moved and flickers of orange penetrated the smoke. A little voice in his head helpfully reported the plane was on fire and if it was near the engines, the chances were that the whole thing was about to explode, but Scott ignored it. His oxygen had all but run out by the time Scott saw the gap. It certainly wasn't big enough for a person, but a few well aimed kicks allowed him to force his way out.

The feeling of a light breeze playing through his hair was one of the most welcome sensations Scott could have asked for. His leg gave way under him as he all but fell from the plane, gasping for breath and lying where he landed, wondering how the hell he was still alive. But when his chest had stopped demanding oxygen in quite the same way, Scott was reminded of the thought telling him the plane would explode. Adrenaline pumped through him again and he scrambled upright, ignoring the blood pouring down his right leg. He had to at least find a way of sending out a communication, some sort of message that he was still alive.

But no sooner he had taken a stumbling step forward, there was a loud hiss as the flames found something else to feast upon. Swearing, Scott turned and ran, throwing himself behind a tree even as the plane went up with a tremendous bang. He felt the tree vibrate as a piece struck it and the slight movement was enough for him to slide to the floor, clutching at his leg. The sizzling of flames was the only thing he could hear and he found himself wondering whether anyone even inhabited this place. The plans had indicated the weapon could be controlled remotely or by hand. There was either a very dangerous man on this island with him or he was completely alone. Scott knew which he preferred.

Thinking of the weapon made Scott grit his teeth and force himself into standing once more. He had to find a way off this island, that much he knew. If that was to happen, it meant that others would have to be prepared to fly over this way. Letting his leg drag slightly behind him, Scott stumbled away from the tree. It had all happened so quickly, the sun was only just finishing rising now, and the pilot let that guide him as he limped through the trees. He had studied the diagrams of how to dismantle the weapon by hand if that was what it came to. Whatever it took, he was going to get to that machine and he was going to tear it to pieces. According to the diagrams, it needed time to recharge after firing. The issue had never been resolved as the weapon never got past the prototype stage. But it meant he had some time to reach it before it could shoot refused to let the thoughts cloud his mind as he realised he had nothing but his bare hands to do the job with and stubbornly forced himself onwards.

He had barely made it a mile before his leg gave way underneath him again and he was sent pitching forward. He stayed where he fell, struggling to stop the pain from clouding his senses and instead focusing on breathing through it. He was lucky that his leg was the only thing that had been seriously hurt, although he could feel the scrapes and bruises all over his body. But if luck had been on his side as he crashed, then Scott was determined that it was going to stay on his side. He managed to sit up, ripping a piece off the bottom of his shirt and making to bind the wound, only to realise there was something in it.

Scott cursed fluently as he yanked the piece of metal free and hastily bound the wound. He could already hear the lecture – strangely in Virgil's voice – telling him he had just made it bleed more. But it was better than the metal infecting it. Deciding to take a moment to regain his bearings, Scott stayed where he was, sitting on the ground. After a few moments, he began aware that although the sound of the burning plane had filtered away, he could hear something else.

Something that sounded suspiciously like footsteps.

Once again reacting to his instincts, Scott tried to drag himself off the path, realising that being found here would be he had only managed to drag himself a pace or so when someone entered his view. Scott drew himself upright, adamant that he was going to go down fighting rather than being stuck on the ground.

But no sooner had he made it upright when something happened that he absolutely wasn't expecting. The stranger's eyes flashed yellow and all Scott was aware of was the agony spearing through his head before the whole world went black again.