Thunderlovin

Following from this WIP Wednesday

~

He took his time finishing his meal, including a dessert and then coffee, before nonchalantly heading back to Tracy Towers and their - no, *his* - apartment.

Where he promptly threw up everything he’d eaten.

Once he’d cleaned up Jeff called John. His second eldest smiled in sympathy.

‘It’s done. Where is he, John?’

‘Not too far away. He’s holed up in Monkey Bar.’

“Gordon slapped the watch that never left his wrist and screamed “VIRGIL!” at the top of his lungs.”

“Gords, what the hell …”

“Help me, Virg. Please, please help me.”

An azure gem in South Pacific blue, A paradise concealed from public view. Where Wright’s organic lines meet high frontier, And International Rescue engineers the year.

The villa clings to raw volcanic stone, A subterranean, brutalist haven zone. With cantilevered platforms, open floors, That seamlessly erase the glass-walled doors.

Beneath the lounge where the palm trees sway, The kinetic marvels are hidden away. Where mid-century luxury, sleek and low, Masks the massive nuclear depths below.

The pool slides back with a smooth, silent grace, So Thunderbird 1 can shoot into space. The runway tilts and palm trees recline, A flawless marriage of function and line.

No neon flashes, no cluttered display, Just clean, modern lines in shades of cool grey. A tropical fortress of retro-cool pride, Where high-fashion living has rocket power inside.

To children watching from a screen of old, This secret world of science turned to gold. Beyond the cramped, suburban brick and lace, It opened up a thrilling, space-age place.

Each ordinary chair or painted wall Became a lever to a hangar hall. The mundane objects in a living room Transformed to triggers for a rocket boom.

They saw the jet-set style and raw machine Combine into the playground of their dreams. With papier-mâché and cardboard boxes made, The blueprint for a generation played.

"Five, Four, Three, Two, One!" the countdown clears, As Barry Gray’s brass anthem fills their ears. Through wires unseen, the puppets walk with pride, But it’s the massive scale that lives inside. For Meddings’ rolling skies and chemical fire Lifted a childhood’s dreams a whole lot higher. An Anderson creation, bold and bright: "Stand by for action!" in the neon night.

And would you replicate the ones you have now?

And if you did that how would you number them? From 6 up? Or (my preference) maybe 11, 22, 33, 44, and (if it was needed) 55?

Sorry for so many questions. My mind is just running with this idea.

Hi there Kat! Thanks for the questions!

Honestly a lot of this we’re still trying to figure out ourselves… none of it is set in stone yet. Dad and I have been kicking some ideas about but we wouldn’t make any final decisions without ensuring everyone was ok with the plan. Including the GDF I suppose.

But for sure we do need to change in some way. We’re getting busier and busier and space is getting busier too so that is going to be a big area very soon that I don’t think we can cover by ourselves. Added to that, we’re going to get old! It would be nice to think we could retire some day without necessarily passing the family burden on to any kids we may have. So something needs to give.

Whether that will be more operatives and more Thunderbirds, or whether it would be more focussed on getting some of the same technology rolled out to local first response services… well. We need to figure that out.

I’d really like to make IR kinda redundant over the next couple decades… or at least not as desperately needed as we are now. Maybe we’d just get called for the genuinely out of the ordinary emergencies rather than a lot of the things we get now. But rolling our tech out is a risk - not because we are being selfish about it or want to make money off it or anything like that - just, well, you only need to look at the characters of the kind of people who have tried to take control of IR tech in the past and it’s clear the birds could cause a lot of trouble in the wrong hands.

Hopefully we can do both somehow.

But - yeah - if the answer is IR itself expands?

I would like to think we’d start by training people here - get them used to not only the equipment but the way we work, the way of thinking out of the box that we have to do all the time. Whether we can fit more birds here… I dunno but certainly at some point it would make sense to have a northern hemisphere base as even though One can get anywhere in half an hour… too many times people don’t have half an hour. Where exactly is a big question - probably on the Atlantic side so with good access to the places we need longer to get to from Tracy Island but… there are a load of political issues as funnily there aren’t a huge load of islands hanging around unclaimed by any country these days (Dad got very lucky).

Another set of birds? Maybe? Or maybe Brains will have created new improved ones by then…

For that reason I’ve always assumed we’d leave a few numbers free - for new kinds of birds. Maybe start from 11 or something (Altho I like your idea of 11,22!) or maybe we should give them names instead?

Lots to think about.

Also posted on AO3 here!

Please beware the tags - this isn’t a happily after after.

(Major Character Death, Rated T, Scott Tracy/Guilt as main pairing, Gordon finds the silver lining in everything)

Chapter One: Three In The Morning

Scott Tracy couldn't sleep.

Not that this was somehow a revelation; at this point in his life, a mere thirty four years in, he reckoned he had spent more of it as a functional insomniac than hitting that ‘eight hours a night’ every online health blog preached at him.

Devoted followers of such health blogs did not lie awake at precisely three-twenty-four am. Not because of a nightmare, or a noise. But because sleep was simply something that happened to other people now.

Instead, Scott chose to stare at the ceiling in the darkness until he could no longer stand it, and abandoned his attempt at precisely three-twenty-eight in the morning, to head for the kitchen.

A/N: Alternate ending to The Long Reach. Idea credits to the one and only @thecoolestcodex for giving this prompt.. you know I always like to give poor Scott a run for his money. First scene is NOT mine! It’s straight from TAG I just added description.

WARNINGS: Non-canon Main Character death, gore descriptions.. and a lot of crying. Tissues may be needed.

-✈️-

The soft clunk of the planetoid that broke apart was the only distant sound, maybe apart from the quiet buzz of a light. Otherwise, silent. Scott’s chest tightened as he exchanged a glance with Alan and banged on the airlock.

He wasn’t sure he wanted Alan to see anything. Their father was good at space survival, but for 8 whole years? And the calypso picked up that distress signal a long while ago… 

His hands hauled open the door. His precursory glance made him relieved to find nothing that Alan shouldn’t see- but also a little tighter that now who knows where their father was. A sealed room stood before them, use of everything upon the ship like emergency rations, water, and that sketch of Tracy island.

That must have taken Dad ages, he wasn’t the best at drawing but that was something else. 

‘He’s not here,’ Scott could tell Alan swallowed all of his disappointment back in his tone.

The entire floor tilted as a large thud echoed through the ship. ‘This place is coming apart!’ Scott eyed the exit as soon as possible.

‘But what about Dad!’ Alan pierced him with those little brother eyes. His expression scrunched up in worry, ‘he can’t just be.. gone?! I mean the lights are still on there’s air to breathe!’

‘He must’ve known the planetoid was breaking apart! And moved to safer ground, we’ll keep looking. We’ll find him,’ Scott put large gloves on his youngest brother’s shoulders. The touch eased that crumpled expression and Scott couldn’t help the edge of his mouth curl up in a smile.

‘And we’re not going home till we do,’ Alan pressed.

‘Agreed,’ Scott nodded as he took a dash for the exit. The rocks were to fall outside of the Zero-X. Adrenaline- usually a constant addition to Scott’s body- pounded through every fibre of his being. Debris from the planetoid swirled around with no apparent path, the gravity swings made them even more unpredictable.

‘I’ll take one more look around. You get back to Thunderbird 3 and move it to safety. I’ll be right behind you!’ Scott yelled as he watched his brother effortlessly glide onto his Astro board and head towards the outside of the planetoid.

Anxiety pulsed at Scott’s fingertips as he took another glance around, unable to see anything in the dust that the broken rock had created.

Just as he was about to leave, the rock tumbled from underneath him. His fingers burned as he tried to grab hold of the rock face, to keep himself from his fall but to no avail. Flailed attempts to start up his jetpack, hand scrambled to grip.

It hit him, from behind. His breath stolen and his jetpack crunched under the pressure as the rocks wedged him in the middle. His helmet lashed backwards into the rock behind; and the world went black.

-✈️-

iR blues had just disappeared as the rock face fell away. Jeff’s heart went just the slightest bit faster as he grabbed his pick and stuck it into the rock, slowly he wedged his way down, unable to see where his son with the unmistakeable ‘1’ on the side of his helmet had landed. 

As he moved down, he could see where the rock face had ended up, halfway inside another part of the planetoid, held together from sheer force. The only sign of his son was a small smidge of blue trapped between two of the rocks. 

Jeff’s heart dropped.

He sprung off the rock he clung to, his pick prepared itself to hit the rock where Scott was trapped. He struck it pretty well given his physical condition, and moved his way to the trapped blue between the rocks.

They were wedged good, and upon seeing that helmet tilted an unnatural angle from his son’s body he simply assumed the worst.  Scott was between three rocks, the two which squished him and then that itself was imbedded into another rock. No, no. Scott.

He shoved his arm down the crevasse to out his hand on his sons back. There was slight movement- breathing. It doesn’t ease Jeff’s father worry as his breath started to catch in his throat. ‘Son. Son! Scott! Scott now’s no time to sleep,’ he gently tilted Scott’s helmet back to see the cracked visor.

He refrained from language he probably shouldn’t use. The iR commander in him struggled to take grip in his body, because it was so much different when the person you rescued was family.

Scott had a gash on his head, from either his hit with the rock of a shard of his visor within his head he couldn’t be sure. His shoulder was surely dislocated, off on a weird angle from his body, and Jeff couldn’t see the rest of his son, other than the tiny tear between his suit and his helmet.

He vented air, Jeff knew that much, and it wouldn’t be long before Scott was lost to the planetoid himself. ‘Scott come on!’ He yelled before he gently rested Scott’s head against the rock with a gentle tink of metal against rock and shoved his hand further between the two rocks to push on Scott’s communicator in his sash. ‘Boys? Are you out there? It’s Dad,’ his voice cracked and tears started to work themselves down the Colonel’s cheeks. Not his usual but, oh gosh Scott no, keep breathing!

‘Dad!’ That was Virgil, no doubt to it, strong and vicious voice.

‘Get down here now! We’ve ran into a situation. All of you!’ He commanded and finally pulled from the baldric as tears worked down his face.

‘Scott come on!’ He tried to put on his best commander voice; but it broke. His eldest son’s breaths hiccuped.

‘Bring a med kit!’ He yelled through Scott’s comms again. 

Jeff’s hands clasped over the puncture in Scott’s suit. 

Just, just hold on son. It’ll be okay.

-✈️-

Alan was the first down there. They’d all taken Astro boards which- Virgil was definitely very bad at. Gordon- the fish actually found it pretty natural and well, John was John. 

They went to Scott’s ping which- was weird because it was Jeff who spoke- not their eldest brother. And why made Virgil feel like he’d just been punched in the stomach.

They’d found their father; yet where his hand fell down to was Scott wedged between rocks who gave a low groan.

‘Scott it’s okay. Scotty stay still,’ Jeff said quickly, his eyes darted up to his boys. Oh, gosh. Dads crying. He’s here.

Virgil watched as Alan gasped and held their father around the waist.

‘Oh my boys,’ Jeff croaked, ‘how I love you all. Now Scott’s wedged in tight, his suit is venting air.’

Virgil turned his attention back to Scott.

‘F.A.B,’ was all he could manage as he assessed the situation, ‘we can’t move the rocks we’re unsure if he’s got another tear.’

‘What-?’ Scott slurred as brilliant blue eyes flickered themself open.

‘Stay still son!’ Jeff scolded and reached his other hand to gently cup the side of his helmet.

‘Dad?’ Scott slurred as he took another gasping breath.

‘I’m putting a medscan on you stay still Scott,’ Virgil ordered as he clipped it to his sash.

He only got a groan in response.

Alan, who’d finished his hug with Jeff peered over the edge. ‘What does it say?’ He stared at Virgil’s paled expression.

‘He’s Uhm.. multiple internal injuries.. including a brain bleed. Pulse is weak, O2 levels dropping, he needs to be to earth now!’ Virgil barely was able to spit out. 

‘We can bring Thunderbird 4 down again? I’ll put him in a dry tube that supplies him oxygen so the suit won’t matter!’ Gordon suggested.

‘Gordo,’ Virgil swallowed back bile from worry, ‘he won’t make the trip home.’

‘What?’ All 3 brothers and his Dad stared at Virgil, he managed to swallow the lump in his throat yet again, his eyes burnt with unfallen tears.

‘With that brain injury he’s only lasting 10 minutes.’

‘We could try get there in time!’ Alan yelled.

‘Al, he’ll..’ Virgil couldn’t stop tears now, ‘he’ll die with the sheer speed we go. Even moving him from here could kill him.’ 

That sent his brothers into a frenzy of panic.

‘It’s Scott! Scott can survive speeds!’

‘What if we found something that wouldn’t make him feel as if he’s sustaining the G’s?’

‘Ask Brains!’

Their high pitched conversation was only interrupted by Scott’s cough. Blood traced itself down his chin from his mouth, his eyes shook slightly but they managed to focus on every single one of his younger brothers- and lastly his Dad.

‘We found you,’ he slurred but it was audible enough. 

‘You did son, you did. Hold on for us okay? We’re gonna find a way to help you,’ Jeff clasped his hand tighter against Scott’s helmet.

 Scott’s mouth tilted up slightly to smile, ‘love you,’ his words were back to front but Virgil understood. And the way he gazed at everyone.

‘No Scott you can’t!’ Alan- the smallest Tracy- wedged himself between the rocks so he could get closer to Scott.

Scott’s eyes trained on his youngest brother and you could tell the jumble in his brain got too hard to bear, cause he just stared at Alan like he didn’t even recognise him. 

‘Scott please!’ Alan yelled and grabbed his shoulder which received a wince.

‘Al?’ Scott mumbled as he slowly looked over Alan, ‘you’ve grown.’ 

Alan winced at how much confusion was in his big brother’s voice, ‘I know I Uhm.. I graduated Scott,’ Alan was going to keep the news till later but.. he couldn’t bear his big brother unaware.

Scott’s eyes seemed to try to focus on Alan again. A smile worked his way onto his face, a moment of clarity in those blue eyes, ‘I’m so proud of you,’ he whispered.

And he meant it.

-✈️-

Gordon couldn’t feel time as they stayed there with Scott. He now bounded in and out of consciousness. All ideas they had to save their eldest brother fell flat to the floor. They didn’t have enough medical equipment. Oh they should have taken so much more! How were they so unprepared for this trip? 

Scott’s breaths became less frequent, more hiccuped, you could see his entire diaphragm spasm when he tried to gasp for air.

‘He doesn’t have much oxygen left,’ Jeff whispered as his hand still cupped his son’s head. Alan had his hand, though limp and probably had no feeling to it either his dislodged shoulder. Virgil still fiddled with the holographic medscan readings as if he stared at them long enough the answer would appear. John held his eldest brother’s uniform closed with Jeff.

And Gordon could barely even watch as Scott’s eyes latched to all of them. He was in the stage he’d seen before, the clarity before death. Even with a beat up brain he just… he seemed to be present.

‘And you call me smother hen,’ Scott whispered as his eyes moved to Virgil.

‘Scott please save ur breath.. well, let’s try Gordon’s idea.’

Scott looked over all of them again, ‘you’ve all done so well.’

‘And I’m so proud of you son,’ Jeff choked as he watched his son’s blue eyes.

Scott’s focus changed a little, ‘I just…’ his words faded off to oblivion as his pupils dilated and his expression grew cold.

A yelp of pure terror faded from Alan’s lips.

‘SCOTT!’ Alan yelled as he shook his eldest brother, ‘SCOTT!’

Virgil sniffed and closed his eyes, ‘let’s.. let’s get him out of here.’

Gordon could barely look as they chipped at the rock face and slowly pulled their big brother from his restraints, those blue eyes never to gaze at his brothers again.

-✈️-

The trip and re-dock with the Zero-XL was simply silence. No one spoke, there was hugs and tears, but no words slipped from anyone’s mouth. As they entered the main part of the ship, no one even paid attention to the fact The Hood was pinned to the wall by MAX. 

Virgil laid Scott on the med bay and took his helmet off. He closed his eyes and mouth, before he set the helmet aside. He glanced over Scott. Gordon had piloted Thunderbird 1 back to the mother ship and no one said a word when the aquanaut bawled and took longer to get his big brother’s ship in. Cause everyone understood. Everyone got it.

‘Let’s go home,’ Jeff was the one to break the silence as he gathered the Hood up with a tangle of reinforced wire, ‘after I stow some baggage.’

‘F.A.B,’ came the small voice of Alan.

-✈️-

‘This is Zero-XL calling Tracy island,’ Alan said, no emotion present.

‘How’d it go?’ Kayo asked, a little too much hope in her voice.

‘We’ve got Dad,’ Alan whispered.

‘That’s great! You, you all don’t seem happy,’ Kayo couldn’t help but feel something was terribly wrong.

‘We uh, we have some news,’ Jeff shakily swallowed.

Kayo blinked as the Zero-XL touched down again onto the island, and the doors finally opened. 

Grandma Tracy absolutely looked overjoyed when Jeff walked down with the help of Gordon.

But everyone’s face fell when Virgil came carrying Scott’s body in his arms.

Grandma Tracy ran over.

‘What happened to him?! Quick in the med bay now!’ She barely even looked at how blue Scott’s skin was- once his favourite colour now ate at Virgil’s heart inside to out.

‘Grandma,’ Virgil teared up.

‘He didn’t make it,’ Jeff helped his son, ‘he got wedged between two very forceful rocks when they tried to save me.’

‘He’s dead.’

Virgil shivered.

He changed, slowly. He always had a clever mind, sharp as a knife and ruthless in his dealings... but that was not originally a negative. His true colours came out slowly, and I didn't see it until it was too late.

I am sure he would say the same about me. That's the problem with power and money, you change. Whether for good or bad... your attitude towards life and the world around you changes. I'll admit, I had always seen my ambition and drive as a force for good. For humanity. Not everyone saw it that way, and I still do get challenged over it.

Sometimes I wonder what would be different had I seen it sooner. Would I have been separated from my family? Would he have hurt all of those people in his pursuit of power? Would he have enslaved a man?

As I recall it took them one heck of a while to accept IR could be a force for good in his absence.

The Hood wasn’t the first to demand we hand over the Thunderbirds…

And on his reappearance it took the GDF and the World Government, what, 6 hours to decide they might order us to do it? Without you and Lady Penelope fighting our corner, giving us time to do the GDF’s job for them, what would have happened?

Don’t even get me started on Janus…

While I have the greatest of respect for many of its personnel, most especially yourself, forgive me for having my doubts in the amount of ‘good sense’ the organisation would have displayed in the absence of its favored few.

THE OWNER OF THIS WATCH 📉📉📉HAS TAKEN 📉📉 HARD 📉📉📉FALL OWNER.…IN.......VED....I....MIS...AP.

Helllp....Nuhhhhh.....

TRIX!

What a beautiful city to explore and to enjoy. The locals entirely showed us up in any dancing and were a delight to watch!

For the love of god, will you bloody well sit still!”

Kayo frowned.

“I need to-“ Scott. That was Scott.

“If you don’t stop moving, I will knock you out, you hear me?” It was a threatening tone. Kayo attempted to force her eyes open. They moved, but flickered closed again.

“Please, she’s my sister.” That sent alarm bells ringing. What the hell? Scott’s voice hurt. “Virgil...” Virgil! She struggled against the weight drawing her down. Virgil? Where was Virgil?

There was dust in her nose.

“Your sister is okay. It is you who you should be worried about. Sit still.”

“But-“

“What do you think your sister will do to you if you haemorrhage attempting to get to her? What do you think she will do if you go and die on her simply because you’re being a stupid ass and won’t sit still?

There was no answer. Scott? Virgil?

Her eyes opened only to encounter blur. Grey blur. “S-Scott?” That was her voice?

“Kayo!”

“God damnit, if you undo what little I’ve managed to do, I’ll kill you myself!”