CHAPTER TWO

At local government building in England, a mapmaker was getting ready to fly off with his assistant to take worldwide photographs for long range pictures of maps. "I say, I hope we get some good shots." The mapmaker said "My boss promised me a big raise if I deliver them soon."

"Well, what are we waiting for?" The pilot said "I just have one or two things to do, and then we're off." Then he went off to his quarters to do his things, but upon arriving he could hear rustling in the closet. "Who goes there?" he called but he got no response. He slowly crossed over to open the door and found a strange man who greatly resembled the pilot and who gazed at him with glowing hypnotic eyes. The pilot couldn't look away and soon fell on the floor unconscious.

The Hood, in disguise, snickered as he swapped uniforms with the pilot.

Soon he and the mapmaker took off in a special plane that would take them all the way around the world. The mapmaker soon felt that they were drifting off course. "I say there! Where are we going?" he asked, but the pilot wouldn't even turn to face him. "Didn't you hear me? We're off course." asked the mapmaker, but the pilot still ignored him. The mapmaker lost his patience and came up to pilot, and despite the clever disguise, he was able to deduce. "You… you're not my pilot. Who are you?! I demand an explanation!"

Suddenly, the pilot eyes were glowing brightly, and the mapmaker found himself slipping away and he fell unconscious on the floor.

The Hood removed his mask and then proceeded to toss the man out of the plane and into the ocean where he would be lost. Then he took over the controls again and steered for The Pacific Ocean. "Now, I am free to act alone." he said to himself. "I will search the entire ocean if I have to. I will find International Rescue, and I will destroy them for good!"


Meanwhile, Penelope and Parker had long since arrived and were happily chatting with everyone while Brains worked on his project after obtaining what he needed form FAB-1. Tintin was helping him, and Alan was looking after Madelynn after the doctor had arrived and given the baby her checkup, not suspecting for an instant that he was at the headquarters of the famous International Rescue!

Everyone played their roles well and kept quiet.

The doctor also looked at Kyrano as requested by Jeff. Both he and the baby seemed perfectly fine, but he did recommend Kyrano start taking his age into consideration. "You're not as young as you used to be, Kyrano."

"Oh, I understand. Believe me, I do." Kyrano answered.

"Thanks for everything, Doc. We're glad you could come over." Jeff said as he shook the man's hand and showed him back to his plane. Soon the plane took off, and Jeff couldn't help but snicker slightly that the doctor hadn't suspected a thing about the base.


As the doctor flew his plane across the ocean, another plane- The Hood's plane- passed by.

The Hood took note of the doctor's plane and the direction it came from. "I shall backtrack from where it came from. Perhaps it will lead to where International Rescue is based."


With the doctor gone, Brains was now free to continue with his experiment. He called up John in the space-station.

"John here, Thunderbird 5. Ready when you are Brains."

"Oh, Right!" Brains said "This will interfere with our equipment for a brief moment, Tintin."

"Oh, it's alright, Brains…" Tintin said "Mr. Tracy doesn't expect too much to be going on; As long as no one else is flying too near our island."

That's where she was wrong, for The Hood could see the island coming up in the distance. "Ahh...! That must be It." he said "An island that size… it has all the ideal conditions for a super-secret hideout. I mustn't get too close yet. They may spot me."

Brains measured out his formulas. "Hmm, uh, interesting." He said "They appear to be highly unstable, but I suppose I can work with them."

"Do be careful, Brains." Tintin said.

Brains nodded and set the two formulas into his machine. "Okay, John. Uh... get ready."


While all this was going on, everyone was still chatting away in the lounge without much of a care in the world. Either fussing over the baby, or just talking. Penelope was starting to wonder what life would have been like if she were a mother and had a family like Jeff's.

"Oh, I'm sure you'd make someone a wonderful wife, Penny." Jeff said "But you know how it is."

"Oh, of course…" Penelope said "It's probably just a hopeless thought."

"Yes, perhaps it is." Jeff said, but of course it was slightly hinted between them, but not possible at all.

Suddenly, the lights gave a flicker. "Ahh… it looks like Brains is starting his project. He warned us the power would get shaky."


"Right, John…" Brains said "Throw the power on my command."

"Standing by…" John said

The sensors on Thunderbird 5 were starting to glow softly as the power began to build up. John felt like the temperature was going up and he was sweating, but it was really because of excitement. "Wow-Wee…! I hope this ends soon." John muttered.

"Okay, John! NOW…!" Brains shouted. At his command, John threw the switch "Power coming on now!"

At once, Thunderbird 5 fired the beam at Earth straight for the island sending the signals and force Brains required. At first everything seemed to be going okay. "It's working!" cried Brains "Tintin! The formula's working!"

Tintin was very happy for Brains.

"Uh… okay… uh John. Switch off now." Brains said.

John tried all he could, but the systems wouldn't shut down. "Brains…! There's something wrong!" he cried "The systems have started a chain-reaction. They're going crazy!" Suddenly his signal began to break up. "John! John!" cried Brains "Can you hear me?"

The formulas were also starting to go berserk and the entire island began to softly shake like a volcano getting ready to erupt. "Hey what the blazes is going on?" growled Scott.

Madelynn was scared and began to cry; Alan comforted her and held her close. Jeff tried to reach Brains in the lab. "Brains…! Brains, what are you trying to do? Blow us to pieces?"

The shaking got more violent and suddenly everyone began to feel strange "Stone the crows! What's happenin'?!" cried Parker.

"Everyone, get on the floor!" shouted Jeff!


Outside, The Hood was getting closer to the island, when the force began to shake him in his plane. "What is this?! What is happening?!" he cried. He felt his best option was to eject before his plane exploded.

He flew as close to the island as he could and ejected parachuting near the island, when suddenly, he felt himself falling down an endless white tunnel along with the entire island!