Gaviiadastra asks for: Day 8: "I've got soul, but I'm not a soldier."/Outnumbered. Dealer's choice but the brothers.

FishTank anyone?


Characters: Virgil, Gordon

Warnings: Kidnapped, Fighting, Blood


Virgil was worried.

Gordon was unconscious and lying in his lap, and Virgil was holding him as tightly as he could without hurting him further. In a small room with a door that had no opening on their side but was set into the middle of the wall.

Gordon was unconscious. They were somewhere they knew not.

And Virgil was worried.

For the room was cool to the touch, and when Virgil touched it he could feel a constant vibration.

Worried.

Virgil was worried.

He didn't need to be a Squid to know they were on a submarine.

Virgil had been on Four before when she was running. He knew that unique vibration of travelling through the water. Four might run differently than the average sub but Virgil had helped Gordon with enough sub rescues to know.

Gordon was unconscious, they were on a submarine.

And Virgil was worried.

That worry ramped up a thousand-fold when the door opened and six people crowded into the room. They separated into two rows and a seventh person walked in.

This one was obviously the boss, and as Virgil stared up at him he unconsciously held Gordon tighter.

The man crouched down in front of them and reached forward and Virgil immediately recoiled. It caused the man to grin.

'Protective bunch, aren't you. Well, Mr Tracy, you will be pleased to know that you are not required for this little trip.'

'Wh-what?'

'We were expecting Gordon here to be with your eldest brother. Now he is a man we could have used. But you? You're useless to us. A nobody.'

'Which means?'

'Which means as soon as there is time we will be dropping you off.

'And Gordon?'

'Ah, well, you see, your brother here has quite a fan and we have been paid a pretty penny to deliver him all nicely packaged. Someone has a real talent for collecting ex-WASP's and your brother is next on our list.'

Virgil thought his heart had stopped at the mention of Scott, but the idea that someone had paid for Gordon's kidnap and why…now his blood ran cold. The idea that they would just drop him off at the next stop was just laughable and he ignored that. The man stood up.

'Gentleman, please divest Mr Tracy of his little brother and take him to the other holding cell.'

And with that the man was gone and Virgil found himself surrounded by six grinning thugs. He gently lay Gordon behind him and stood up, listening to the men as they spoke to each other.

'Six against one hardly seems fair.'

'Yeah – poor Mr Tracy is so very outnumbered.'

They laughed as Virgil stood tall and rolled his shoulders. The laughter died as he stood and he smirked inwardly. Obviously they hadn't realised his bulk, a couple were eyeing his biceps, and Virgil capitalised on that by flexing his muscles.

'Fight smart, Virg. How you hit is more important than where. You have mass behind you. Hit hard and solid with the correct stance so you don't injure yourself.'

Scott's voice morphed into Kayo's.

'Sharp jabs, in and back. Don't become predictable. Move around. A moving target minimises the number of people who will engage with you.'

And Gordon's voice…

'Fight dirty, Virg. Low blows and hard hits. You're not a soldier and you shouldn't be, so your best defence is a dirty offence.'

All those voices rolled through him as he closed his eyes and centred himself and their lessons came to the fore. Virgil opened his eyes and moved.

The first guy didn't stand a chance. One Parker haymaker and the man was unconscious on his back and the collective paused. He felt the switch from 'this is an easy target, let's have some fun,' to 'ah…not so easy.'

Two rushed him together, one on each side, and with a grace that belied his bulk Virgil span a high kick into one chest while punching out the other one. The punched man went down like a sack of potatoes, winded and gasping, while the kicked man thumped against the wall and slid down to the floor and didn't move.

Virgil didn't have time to consider them as the last three attacked at the same time.

This wasn't so easy. They were also using kicks and punches, trying to drive Virgil into the corner or away from Gordon, and he was finding it difficult to stay between them and his brother.

A particularly harsh fist to the side of his head had his ears ringing, and Virgil blinked…and saw red.

With a battle cry he launched himself the men, who froze momentarily, and Virgil used that to his advantage.

Gordon's advice came through.

He slammed two heads together hard enough to hear bone crack. He didn't even wait to see them drop before he was on the last man.

But this one wasn't going down so easily.

They traded a flurry of blows before they broke apart for a breather. Virgil could feel his eye swelling and the blood flowing freely from his nose and mouth. He was pretty sure his cheek and at least some of his knuckles were broken. The man before him didn't look any better. Virgil couldn't believe that they had just decided to beat him up.

As if reading his mind the last man standing pulled out a gun. Virgil stood his ground, swaying slightly as the man fumbled a little to get his fingers in the right place. He gestured for Virgil to move to one side, but he stayed where he was.

The arm holding the gun was extended fully and Virgil watched, almost in slow motion, as the finger began to squeeze the trigger.

He moved.

Stepping slightly to his right and out of the line of sight, Virgil grabbed the man's wrist and twisted. It was one fluid movement that Kayo and Scott had made him practice again and again and again.

Virgil had never managed to get it right before.

The man's wrist snapped and he screamed, staring at Virgil wide-eyed and disbelieving. Virgil grinned and headbutted him and the man dropped like a stone.

Picking up the gun, he turned to the only man still conscious. The man didn't look scared, he looked angry and surprised. He was even more surprised when Virgil didn't shoot him or club him with the gun but ordered him to take his trousers off and turn over.

Once the man was lying on his stomach Virgil removed the belt from off the trousers and tied his hands tightly before using his foot to turn him over and gagging him with the trousers.

Virgil looked at the carnage around him. He was shocked he'd managed to disable six men. Six! He looked over to where he'd left Gordon and broke into a relieved smile.

Gordon was awake and watching him, pride clear in his smile.

'Well done, Virg.'

'I – I'm no soldier, Gords, but you taught me well.'

Gordon could see the shock starting to set in as Virgil's shoulders started shaking. He heaved himself to his feet with effort and pulled his brother into a tight brief hug.

'You did well, Virgil. Now it's my turn.'