Tag for Up From the Depths rewatch!
How he had found time to smile Virgil would always pin on his little brother. Ship torn to pieces after a battle at the deepest part of the ocean and Gordon was all grins, holding Dad's hat like it was the top prize at the fair. It was infectious. Impossible for anyone - even their rescuees - to fight.
And then, the Mechanic had taken the TV-21.
Virgil's jaw had grown tight for the rest of their trip with the need to focus on the only things he had control over. The two crew members had been dropped off, safe and sound, yet the radio chatter on the iR network was anything but calm.
His little brother had tried, the smile from before replaced by one more subdued, but still there. Still defiant towards the Hood's operative. Virgil could appreciate it, knowing they had won in at least one aspect - Gordon was still alive.
"I'll get my exo-suit back on and head down with the retrieval gear," the blonde's voice was lighter than it should've been in this - his - situation, yet alarms blared in the pilot's chest at the thought of Gordon heading back to the bottom of the ocean.
"The gear can handle it on its own," which was the truth. The aquanaut wasn't needed for the task and Virgil had a feeling it was more that his brother just needed something to do. "Why don't you take control from here - guide them down."
There was a look of confusion that seemed to shift into mild annoyance, "Where's the fun in that?"
Virgil almost let the cap off his barely contained fear, anger sending his heart thumping with the need for his little brother to stay above the water. A deep breath and the words slipped through his lips with the hope Gordon took the hint, "I think you've had enough 'fun' for one day."
Their eyes met, an unspoken question floating between them as the blonde shifted on his feet having stopped midway to the module. Virgil sent an answer, or hoped the plea came across as intended.
A beat as the Thunderbird's VTOL filled the space as she waited for the occupants to make a decision.
And then a huff of frustration, so familiar and comforting as Gordon dropped back into his co-pilot's chair, "Fine. We'll do it the boring way."
Yes, they would absolutely be doing things in a way that kept the aquanaut safely in Thunderbird 2 and not seven miles away on an ocean floor that Virgil couldn't reach should anything go wrong. Boring was something his brother would be getting used to for a little while.
