I love writing for this AU!

Prompts used: Magic With A Cost & Alt. Friendly Fire

"Virg!"

Virgil rolled his eyes at what was probably the twentieth time he'd heard his name in the last thirty seconds. Maybe if he just kept ignoring him, he would go away.

"Virgil! Viiiirgil!"

His teeth ground together and his fists clenched around the tools. He tried to concentrate on his work and tune him out.

"Virgil!"

"What?" He finally snapped, no longer able to ignore the shrill sound. He turned towards his brother to give him a glare. "Shut up, would you? I'm trying to work."

He had hoped the anger was clear enough in his words that Gordon would get the message and leave him alone.

However, the grin that stretched across his face showed that in fact the opposite had happened.

"What's wrong, big guy?" Gordon asked innocently, like he didn't know what had made Virgil so angry. "I just wanna chat."

"Well, I don't want to talk, so go and find someone else to annoy." Virgil turned back to his work, and waited for the sound of retreating footsteps.

Luck was not on his side when he only heard his brother get closer.

"C'mon, Virg, don't be like that." Gordon appeared at his side as he stood at the workbench.

Virgil opted to not reply, and instead worked on fusing the metal together. If he could just get this done with, he could get away from his brother and his persistent whining in his ear. Maybe then he could finally get some peace and alone time with his thoughts.

Gordon didn't say anything for a few moments, and Virgil wondered if finally he had decided to shut his mouth.

However, that silence didn't last long.

"Whatcha doin'?"

Virgil rolled his eyes again.

"You know what I'm doing."

Gordon was only asking to be annoying. He knew the answer. All his family knew how he had messed up on that rescue. How he had nearly crashed his ship and almost cost the lives of everyone in it.

They had fortunately all got out fine, but Thunderbird Two didn't come out unscathed. At least if he could repair the damage now, he could fix it all and not feel so guilty.

Virgil was angry at himself, but now he was also angry at his brother who wouldn't get the message to just leave him alone.

Gordon then started to tap his fingertips against the workbench in a rhythm, and each tap dug deep into Virgil's skull. He was getting a headache.

Just ignore it, he thought. He would go away eventually.

"Do you want to hang out?" Gordon's voice joined the tapping. "Go and do something fun?"

"No, Gordon. I don't want to hang out." Virgil couldn't take it anymore. His hold on his temper was breaking. Virgil threw his tools down on the bench as he rounded on his brother. "I don't want to talk to you, or anyone for that matter. I want to be alone. Why can't you understand that? Go away."

Gordon seemed taken aback by that, and his mouth snapped shut as his smile fell. Virgil felt a little victorious at the fact that his brother finally understood, and now would eventually leave him alone.

But a few seconds later, the smile was back.

"Hey, Virg, where does a killer whale go to get braces?"

Virgil groaned in frustration, and turned away. There was no winning.

"The orca-dontist!"

Gordon was cackling, but Virgil was clenching tightly onto the screwdriver. He was surprised he hadn't snapped it in half yet.

"Tough crowd," Gordon whistled, then hummed in thought. "Oh, I know a good one! What did the ocean say to the shore? Nothing, it just waved!"

This time he didn't even wait for a response before he blurted out the punchline, and he spluttered out a laugh as he doubled over. Virgil could feel his headache growing tenfold.

He just needed to work. He just needed to get this done with so he could get out of there. He could hold out.

He went to move onto the next component, but frowned when he couldn't locate the part he was missing. He swore he had it right there on the bench in front of him. Where could it have-?

Gordon.

"Looking for something?" Gordon grinned cheekily when Virgil faced him with a glare.

"Give it back."

"Give what back?"

Virgil sighed. He pinched the bridge of his nose and closed his eyes.

"Gordon, I do not have the patience for this." He opened his eyes and held his hand out. "Give it back."

"Oh, you mean this?" Gordon held up the small piece of metal. "You're gonna have to fight me for it."

"You really want to go there?"

Virgil didn't give his brother any warning before he stepped forward and snatched the small cog of metal out of his brother's hand. Gordon didn't resist, and let Virgil take it freely, which he should have questioned, but was too tired to do so.

He went back to the bench and placed the missing piece down on it, and looked at it properly for the first time.

"Gordon!"

His brother was laughing, but Virgil was not having it anymore. Without a word, he slammed the block of ice that his brother had created around the metal onto the bench.

The shatter was loud, and Gordon abruptly shut up.

"No need to get angry, Virg," the humour was finally gone from his voice. "I was only trying to help."

"Help? All you've done is annoy me and refuse to leave me alone when that's all I've wanted. In what way is that helping?"

"I'm sorry, Virg," he finally had the nerve to apologise. "I just wanted to make you feel better."

A hand touched his tense shoulder, and Virgil instinctively lashed out.

His arm hit something hard as he spun around, and it was quickly followed by a crash.

Virgil stood in stunned silence as what had just happened caught up to him.

Across from him, his brother was picking himself up from the floor after slamming into another workbench.

Virgil had hit him.

Gordon winced as one hand went to the back of his head. Blood could be seen from the tips of his fingertips.

Virgil had done that.

Finally, his legs felt like they could move, and he rushed forward.

"Gordon! I- oh my god, I- I didn't-"

He froze on the spot when he saw his brother flinch.

He had done that.

"What happened?" Scott must have been in the hangar nearby, as he suddenly appeared.

He took one look at Gordon on the ground, bleeding, before he had his answers.

He quickly fell down next to their younger brother to inspect him. He began to ask him questions, and Gordon's replies were so quiet Virgil could barely hear them.

"What did you do?" Virgil flinched when Scott's attention was suddenly on him.

"I- I was angry and he was annoying me, and-" Virgil tried to explain, even though he knew there was no justifying this.

"So?" Scott was on his feet, and he marched up to Virgil. "He's fourteen! Your emotions don't give you any right to hurt him! You know just as well as the rest of us, maybe even more so, how important it is to keep control of your powers."

"I know." Virgil hung his head in shame and guilt.

It was always a fear of his that he would hurt one of his brothers with his strength. He always tried so hard to not let himself lose his hold.

He couldn't believe he had let that fear come true.

"You know he only came down here to make you feel better?"

If Virgil could feel even worse, he did then.

Scott didn't say another word as he turned back to Gordon. He hushed quiet reassurances to him, and then helped him up off the floor.

Virgil was glued to the spot as he watched Scott slowly escort Gordon out of the hanger. He desperately wanted to be at his brother's side to help him and make him feel better, but he knew he would only make everything worse.

Soon, it was only him left on his own in the hangar. He looked back over at his task laid out on the bench, but he had no desire to work on it anymore.