📏 w milă, she's canonically 189cm but gives herself a significant boost as a ghost. do whatever u want with that info djsbsjksn

“I’m just thinking about what’s the advantage of being that tall… Is it easier to overpower people like that, or do you just end up bumping into doorframes?”

She looks off for a second. “Then again, a ghost, huh… I guess the doorframe problem isn’t that bad then.”

“Bend down a little, it’s pissing me off.”

First Flight

More Kayo for Guest on AO3

and more Kayo and Clover for @lenna-z

🖤🖤🖤🖤🖤

2093

**

“Mama?"

Kayo's head shot up and she was instantly on alert.

The little ones weren't allowed down to the hangar on their own, even if an adult was already down there, the rule was that another adult had to bring them down. It was the only rule that they were exceptionally strict on, others allowed a bit of bending.

But, sure enough, she didn't hear any adult footsteps to accompany the small voice. She moved out from under Shadow’s wing and just as she suspected Clover was teetering on the threshold of the hangar and the corridor, waiting patiently for permission to enter.

As she made her way over to the toddler Kayo shot her a look that earned a sheepish little grin in return.

Continue here on AO3 or

“I got in the el’vator all by myse’f.” Clover smiled proudly. “I even ‘membered the buttons.”

Kayo crouched to Clovers level and kept her voice calm. “You know you’re not supposed to be down here without a grownup.”

“You’re a grownup.” Clover quipped immediately.

“That’s not what I mean.”

“Bu’ you are.” Clover frowned. “You are Mama. So I’m no breaking the rules.” Clover shook her head.

Kayo sighed. Like father, like daughter. She sat on the floor by the entry point and Clover quickly scrambled into her lap.

“Where’s Daddy?” Kayo asked, adjusting how Clover was sat so that Kayo could talk to her properly.

“Arfur made a mess.” Clover told her, fiddling with a button on her cardigan. “Wen’s being loud.”

Kayo smirked, no change there then. Arthur and Wren were like two little chaos tornadoes twisting in opposite directions; Arthur made all the mess and Wren made all the noise.

“So, come see you.”

“I know, and I like that you did baby, but you need to get a grownup to bring you to me if I’m down here, okay?”

“Yeah…”

“You want to come and see Shadow?”

“Yeah!” Clovers eyes were bright, her little hands clasped together in front of her in excitement.

Kayo looped her arms around the three year old and scooped her up as she stood.

Mama’s bird had always held a fascination for her youngest. Daddy’s was too boring, and she didn’t see the appeal that her sister did in the giant red rocket, but Shadow was perfect. Kayo found that she was glad that Shadow was raised off the ground in the end, or else Clover would have been in the cockpit well before now, through her own volition too.

Clover reached out to touch every part of the sleek black jet that she could, little eyes open wide taking everything in.

“Do you want to sit in?”

“Yeah! Yeah, yeah, yeah!”

Kayo pressed the hidden button that lowered the motorbike to the floor and seated them on it, making sure to turn Clover around to face front as they were loaded into the main ‘bird body.

Clover turned every which way she could to get a look at everything, eyes as wide as they would go, little mouth hanging open in awe.

After a moment she turned to Kayo and said something that – in hindsight – the security specialist should have been expecting.

“Up?”

“You want to go up?”

“Go fly. Like you and Daddy.”

Kayo knew that the sensible option was to say no. She knew that. Shadow wasn’t a pleasure cruiser, but then neither was One and Scott had taken all of the kids (not just their own) out in that at one point or another; Leo had thrown up when they got back, and Scott hadn’t been in Virgil’s good books that day.

“Please?”

Kayo looked down into the eyes staring up at her. One blue, one green, both innocent, and pleading. She rolled her eyes, and shook her head but smiled, and the grin told her that Clover knew she had won.

“Okay. But not for long.”

She wasn’t even wearing her flight suit. No matter, jeans and a jumper were going to have to do.

They made it through, pre flight checks and the full launch sequence before John appeared to the right of the controls.

“Baby’s first flight?”

“Absolutely.”

“Have fun, I’ll let Scott know she’s with you.”

“Thank you, John.”

“Fank you!”

John grinned at his niece. “FAB Thunderbird Shadows.” He winked before signing off.

“You ready Clo?”

“Yes!”

Clover was practically vibrating with excitement as Shadow lowered on her perch and was pulled along and up the track to her launch platform. In a flash they were suddenly mounted outside rather than in.

“Thunderbird Shadow is go!”

“Go S’adow! Go!”

Once they were in the air Clover was leaning as far as she could, every which way possible.

“Whoa…”

It was lucky that Kayo was adept enough to fly the jet singled handed because she needed one free to hold the toddler in place.

When she finally relaxed back she turned to look up at Kayo, purpose in her eyes as she pointed at the controls in her mother’s hand.

“Me?”

Kayo almost choked in surprise.

“What?”

“Me.” Clover repeated, still pointing.

“You want to have a go?”

“Yeah! Me!”

Clover turned around to sit properly, facing forward and reached out for the controls.

“Hey, woah, hang on a second…” But the final protest died on her lips as a little hand wrapped around her thumb, and big eyes were on her once again.

Kayo sighed. Suckered again by her own daughter’s cuteness.

She slowed them down to a much less frightening (right now at least) speed and guided Clover to put her hands in the right places, making sure hers were securely over the top (You can’t reach these buttons so let Mama help). She was all for letting Clover think she was doing it, but there’s no way she was going to let her… Yet at least.

“Ready?”

“Ready!” Clover nodded, staring determinedly forward.

Okay, let’s do this.

They stayed out for a little longer than Kayo intended, doing some extremely basic manoeuvres, but Clover was having the time of her life. Every bright giggle and beaming grin made Kayo want to stay out there forever.

But dinner was unfortunately calling, and they did have to return back to the island eventually.

Once back up in the main living area Clover made a beeline straight for Jeff.

“Ga’pa! Ga’pa!” She reached out to him and he immediately swung her onto his hip.

“Yes sweet girl?”

“Mama took me in S’adow!”

Jeff smiled. “Did she now?”

“Yeah! An’ I even got to try!”

“You got to try her out?! Now that is very cool! Your Mama won’t even let your Daddy near Shadow.”

“I’m special!”

“You sure are,” Jeff kissed Clovers head before putting her back down on the floor. “Go get your dinner sweetheart.”

“Okay!” Clover ran towards the dining room shouting: “Daddy! Daddy! Guess what!”

Jeff and Kayo laughed.

“Looks like you’ve got your mini me in the end.” He put an arm around the shoulders of the woman who was essentially a daughter rather than a daughter-in-law.

“It sure does.”

“How did she do?”

“Oh, a natural of course. Could she be anything else?”

“Not with her genetic set.”

A Tail of Whoa

A pick-me-up for @i-am-chidorixblossom, starring Virgil and Kayo. Not proof-read, but I hope it makes you smile. 

Raw humour (a bit on the crude side in places, but sometimes that’s just what life calls for). 

Very slight language warning.

Plot: Virgil decides to sharpen his dating skills on Kayo and try and one-up his brothers in the process. 

-x-

Kayo met Virgil as instructed in Thunderbird Two’s hanger at six on the dot. She’d followed his advice and was wearing some comfortable cargo trousers paired with flat boots.

Virgil meanwhile, was wearing his usual casual ensemble. Plaid, plaid and more plaid. Kayo’s eyes narrowed in suspicion. He’d lose brownie points for that.

Virgil remained oblivious to Kayo’s displeasure with his wardrobe choice, opting instead to open Thunderbird Two’s hatch, before holding a hand out and bowing slightly, “Ladies first.”

Kayo grunted and hopped into the passenger seat, nose stuck in the air like an aristocratic ostrich.

“No drinking tonight,” she announced sternly as Virgil clambered in after her, “We’re back on the roster in nine hours.”

Virgil threw her a lopsided grin as Thunderbird Two taxied over to its launch ramp, “Oh don’t worry. Where I’m taking you, they don’t have alcohol.”

That piqued Kayo’s interest.

-x-

Gordon shielded his eyes against the sun as Thunderbird Two blasted away from Tracy Island, a devious grin tugging at the corners of his mouth.

“Alright, they’re gone!” he announced, vaulting over one of the sofas as he scurried back into the den, “Time to plug in!”

Scott, who’d had his head stuck in the fridge, glanced up and frowned, “The mini cam is already wired in and good to go. Virgil said their ETA should be around half six, so we can start live streaming then.”

“Where are they going?” Alan asked, popping the top off a can of soda.

“Montana I think,” Scott replied, emerging from the fridge with a plate of leftovers, “I wasn’t really listening when Virgil told me.”

Gordon meanwhile, was busy tinkering with several gadgets that he was trying to link into the den’s holoprojector. In his hands were five different remote controls of some description. The aquanaut punched a fist in the air when a signal was established between the remotes and whatever devices they controlled.

“Scott, can you start streaming now please? I have something I wanna test out before they land.”

Scott frowned, but put his plate down with a sigh and did as ordered. Seconds later, the forms of Virgil and Kayo sat in Thunderbird Two ‘s cockpit appeared.

“Patch in the sound as well, please,” Gordon added, biting his lip as a smile the size of Spain threatened to engulf his face.

Scott obeyed, and Virgil’s voice began to echo around the den.

“So Kayo, I notice that you’re quick to chastise us for our lack of dating activity, but tell me, when was the last time you yourself went on a date? I don’t see you leave Tracy Island for anything other than work.”

While Scott and Alan were preoccupied with listening to Kayo’s reply, Gordon seized one of his remote controls and stabbed one of the buttons on it.

*Fart*

Brothers one and five blinked in shock as a rather vulgar sound reverberated around the den. Meanwhile, on the hologram, Virgil shot Kayo a poorly masked look of horror.

After an awkward second of silence, the engineer tried to resume the conversation.

“Ahem���anyway Kayo, as I was saying-“

*Faaaaaart*

“Geez woman, I get that you might be nervous, but I’m not that scary!” Virgil snapped, twisting his head around to stare at his colleague in disgust.

Kayo, meanwhile, looked equally outraged, “It’s not me you idiot! I thought it was you!”

Virgil gave a splutter that lacked any sort of dignity, “Me? Who do you think I am?! I’m not Gordon!”

At the mention of the aquanaut’s name, Scott sent a shell-shocked glance in his brother’s direction. Gordon was sat on the sofa, proudly brandishing his controller. As if to confirm Scott’s thought, he pressed one of the buttons with an air of flourish.

Another massive toot echoed around Thunderbird Two’s cockpit.

“Fart machine,” Gordon proudly announced, tossing the controller in the air and deftly catching it, “Got four of ‘em  stashed all over Thunderbird Two. Virg won’t be looking like such a pro by the time he lands!”

Entranced by anything featuring crude humour, Alan snatched the controller off Gordon and began excitedly smashing the various buttons.

*Fart Fart Faaaaart*

The youngest exploded into hysterics at the expression on Virgil’s face. The engineer looked torn between being utterly mortified and utterly disgusted, “Kayo! For goodness sake, ease up on the ration bars, or whatever the hell you’re eating back there!”

In a state of embarrassed fury, Kayo wrenched off one of her boots and lobbed it at Virgil’s head, clipping him around the ear and causing Thunderbird Two to momentarily launch off course as a result.

“For god’s sake Virgil, this has Gordon written all over it! I’m going to do a quick sweep, he must have stashed away some whoopee cushions that he’s activating remotely.”

Gordon felt panic rising in his chest as Kayo quickly located each and every one of the fart machines he’d hidden throughout Thunderbird Two. Determined to go out on a high note, the aquanaut started stabbing the buttons on each controller in rapid succession, letting loose a long string of artificial flatulence as Kayo expertly located and disabled each machine.

*Fart Fart Fart Faaaaart Fart Fart Faaaaaaart*

Virgil looked as if he were hanging on by a thread as he brought Thunderbird Two in to land, his eyes rising to the heavens as if silently begging his ancestors for strength. By the time he’d opened the hatch and hopped onto solid land (after Kayo of course, because he was a gentleman), he was regretting his decision to choose an activity that didn’t feature alcohol.

-x-

Any reservations Kayo had felt prior to leaving Tracy Island vanished in a flash as she followed Virgil away from Thunderbird Two.

Fart machines forgotten, Thunderbird Shadow’s pilot allowed her inner child to squeal in delight as green eyes clapped onto a corral full of horses.

“A ranch?” she asked, her jaw hitting the floor as she drank in the unfamiliar sights, sounds and smells, “What are we doing at a ranch?”

“You’ll see,” Virgil answered with a suave smile, leading Kayo towards a large barn at the end of the corral they’d landed near.

Back on Tracy Island, Gordon, Scott and Alan stared at the holofeed in stupefied silence.

“Wow…” Alan muttered, sinking onto the sofa in awe as a farmhand handed Virgil the reins of two gorgeous black mustangs, “Geez, I never would have thought of something as cool as going horseback riding!”

Scott gave a low whistle, “He’s set the bar pretty high, that’s for sure.”

Gordon meanwhile, was practically drooling, his love for animals overshadowing his rivalry with Virgil, “Ah man, I’d have packed Thunderbird Two full of apples instead of fart machines if I’d known that was where they were going!”

Kayo looked similarly thrilled. As part of their extensive and ongoing training, every member of International Rescue knew how to ride (some better than others), however it was Kayo who was the secret authority on all things equine.

Virgil was by far the best rider of his brothers, and swung up onto his horse with practised ease. Kayo vaulted up onto her own with evident excitement.

“Reckon she’ll ditch him and go off with the horse instead?” Scott asked, snorting with laughter at his own joke. Gordon made a sound of humorous acknowledgement, but was busy staring at the hologram with an enigmatic expression on his face.

Alan, meanwhile, was utterly enthralled. His blue eyes were wide and his chin was propped up on his hands as he drank in the dramatic Wild West views the spycam was capturing. The fluid motion of Virgil and Kayo’s horses as they glided over the dramatic terrain only captivated Alan further, sucking him into the romantic tension his brother was expertly creating.

Without tearing his eyes from the scene in front of him, Alan hastily reengaged the audio feed and started to eavesdrop on Virgil’s and Kayo’s conversation with rapt interest.

Gordon grunted something about Virgil being ‘old fashioned’, before changing his mind and dropping the ‘fashioned’ to just leave ‘old’. Bored already with the horses and the scenery, the aquanaut shuffled off to the kitchen in search of food, the enigmatic look refusing to leave his face.

On the holofeed, Virgil was pointing towards a rocky outcropping that he and Kayo were cantering towards, “That’s Mount Grinnell, one of Glacier Park’s most iconic mountains. People travel from far and wide just to witness the beautiful sunsets from its peak. The Nakota tribe used to perform san dance rituals at the base of the mountain to pray for good health. Some people say being present at the peak when the sun just starts to set will grant good fortune. Fancy a look?”

Kayo’s eyes looked set to pop clean out of her head, “After that history lesson? Race you up there!”

Scott sighed wistfully as both Kayo and Virgil’s mounts exploded into a gallop, “Man, he is smooth. I mean I’m thinking about going!”

Alan meanwhile, was busy scribbling down every word that left Virgil’s mouth on a piece of scrap paper, pausing every now and then to make side notes on body posture and facial expressions.

“Nice topline, good flanks…” Virgil called as he drew level with Kayo.

“Nice topline, good flanks…” Alan repeated, frantically scrawling for all he was worth.

Scott, who’d been munching his way through his plate of leftovers, lifted his head and frowned, “He’s talking about the horse, Alan. Not Kayo.”

Over in the kitchen, Gordon threw back his head and laughed as Alan hastily crossed out half of his notes, his face the same colour as Thunderbird Three.

As Virgil and Kayo began their ascent up Mount Grinnell, a freshly showered John suddenly materialised from the bathroom.

“What did I miss?” the redhead asked as he glided down the stairs, squinting at the scene that was being broadcast in the middle of the den, “Is that Mount Grinnell? And are they on horseback?”

“Yes and yes,” Gordon replied, slapping some slices of bread onto a plate, “Fancy a peanut butter and jelly sandwich? I can make extra if you’re hungry.”

“Guys!” Alan leapt to his feet as if he’d sat on a firework, “They’ve stopped and dismounted!”

John frowned, “They can’t have summitted that quickly. They must have stopped to rest the horses.”

Alan didn’t care, his attention back on cataloguing Virgil’s every move.

“This could be crunch time!” Scott exclaimed, rubbing his hands together in anticipation as he retook his seat on the sofa, “Let’s see what ‘pro bro’ does when faced with a romantic sunset.”

Gordon choked on his PB&J sandwich, however managed to regain his composure with a quick thump to the chest. Taking a seat on the sofa next to Alan, the aquanaut seemed unable to keep a straight face as he absently crammed the remainder of his sandwich into his mouth.

Alan and Scott meanwhile, were transfixed. Even John was leaning over the back of the sofa in interest.

“Reckon he’ll go for some lip action?” Scott asked, sighing as if he were watching a romantic movie.

“Maybe,” John replied, tilting his head slightly, “You know how competitive he is.”

“Eww!” Alan cringed, visibly disturbed, “You don’t reckon he’ll do that while we’re watching, do you?”

Like an owner instructing a dog to poop on command, John pushed himself vertical and pointed towards the staircase, “Alan, this content might not be suitable for you. Kindly go to bed.”

Gordon barked a laugh at the youngest’s outraged expression, however was quickly hushed by Scott.

“Guys, I think it’s going to happen!”

Four pairs of eyes returned to the holofeed, which was showing a sunset almost as beautiful as the ones seen from Tracy Island. Virgil obviously had his arm around Kayo and Kayo was obviously leaning into him, looking every inch like a besotted teenage girl. Their horses were tethered to a nearby tree, tails swishing calmly.

John and Scott held their breath as Kayo scooted her face closer to Virgil’s, while Alan dove under a cushion for cover.

5…

4…

3…

2…

1…

*Fart*

John’s jaw went slack, while Scott dropped his bowl of leftover lasagne onto the floor, the china shattering on impact.

On the livestream, Virgil and Kayo’s horses reared up in fright at the unfamiliar noise. Before Virgil could so much as locate the fart machine that had somehow been stowed in his back pocket, both horses snapped their reins, spun around and bolted off into the distance.

Alan rounded on Gordon, who was predictably clutching another remote control. John, who’d been absent for the first round of flatulence-induced drama, hastily connected the dots in his head before slapping a palm over his face.

Scott looked about as crestfallen as if his favourite hero had just died. Alan made a mental note to remind his brother that it wasn’t a movie they were watching.

“Gordon…explain,” John instructed wearily, sighing as a headache began to taunt the back of his eyes.

Gordon merely gave the redhead a cocky smile, before tossing the remote control over his shoulder and into a potted fern, “I stashed an emergency fart machine in Virg’s pocket in case things started going too well. Survival of the smartest, not the smoothest.”

A loud string of profanities started to echo around the den as Virgil and Kayo watched their mounts become dim dots on the horizon.

“How are they going to get home?” John asked, tapping the holoscreen, “Aerial scans show that they’re over ten miles from the ranch.”

“Can’t they bring in Thunderbird Two remotely?” Scott suggested, ignoring the high-five Gordon was exchanging with Alan.

“Virgil’s not wearing any of his gear,” John replied grimly, “He’s no way of activating the remote controls.”

“Looks like they’re walking then!” Alan observed, beaming gleefully as the language Virgil and Kayo were throwing began to travel south.

“I’ll go and pick them up in Thunderbird One,” Scott sighed, jolting slightly when Gordon suddenly clamped a hand onto his shoulder.

“You undo my work, and you’ll be next,” the aquanaut threatened, motioning to the horse-less Virgil and Kayo, “Don’t underestimate me, Scott. I can cause real damage.”

Quickly weighing up the risks in his mind, Scott came to a snap conclusion and remained firmly seated on the sofa.

“I don’t want to be anywhere near here when they eventually get back,” John exclaimed, pushing himself away from the sofa and heading back towards the stairs, “I’m off to enjoy a sleep in a proper bed. ‘Night guys.”

“Night!” Alan and Gordon called absently, not tearing their eyes (or ears) away from the livestream for a second. Virgil was shooting the hovering mini-camera a glare that could have stripped the paint clean off Thunderbird’s Three and Four, however Kayo seemed blissfully unaware of its presence.

Gordon and Alan stared on regardless.

“At least they’ll have a good tale to tell when they eventually get home,” Scott began, sniggering as Virgil and Kayo’s exchange reached screaming point.

“Yeah?” Gordon asked, absently hoovering up a couple of stray sandwich crumbs.

Scott grinned wickedly, “A Tail of ‘Whoa’!”

FIN

Thwarted Escape

For @ak47stylegirl​ and @badthingshappenbingo​

Fandom: Thunderbirds/Thunderbirds are Go Prompt: Thwarted Escape Characters: Scott Tracy, Alan Tracy, guest appearances by Kayo and EOS Genre: Some silly fluff stuff and brotherly bonding time

Scott’s breath was harsh against Alan’s ear.

“Hey, slow down, or you’ll fog up the visor.” “Sorry, forgot.”

It was downtime for Scott and Alan. And the youngest one was bored already and wanted a challenge. So he tried to enrol his big brother in a brand new puzzle/maze/conquest game. Because Cavern Quest had become a big snore once he beat the BOSS level.

“Yeah yeah, it’s more of a mental agility thing, you know?” Alan said, twisting his wrist to open up a scroll, “you don’t have to run, just push your hands forward and your character does all the rest. Double tap and he’s sprinting.”

Video games weren’t really his thing, but he thought he’d indulge, just this once.

“So,’ Scott ventured after narrowly missing stepping on the tail of a sleeping dragon, “where’s Kayo then?”

“Oh careful there,” Alan countered, squeezing the blue button to make him jump, “meh ... she said it’s not her thing and had better things to do.”

“John?” “Scott .. please ... can you just stop for a minute and have some fun? Stop checking on everyone.”

Scott couldn’t help thinking that something was amiss. That was his nature. Always jumping at shadows and tilting at windmills. He couldn’t help it. Not especially that blatant threat from Kayo when he laughed at her fear of butterflies.

She hadn’t made good on her threat ... but there’s time. And if he knew Kayo, she would wait .. then pounce.

So far so good.

“Scott!” “Huh? What?” “C’mon bro, you need to get your head in the game here. I can’t do this without you. You’re my healer and spell-caster.” “Oh ... sorry. Where were we now?”

Level seven complete

Well ... they were making great tracks, previous boss levels were far too easy to subdue and beat. And now for Level Eight.

“This is the maze level,” Alan said, he sounded tense and focused, “you gotta keep your wits about you here. One wrong move.. and you’re cornered. And it’s bye bye ... game over.”

It felt strange, hearing his kid brother’s voice through the headset, so commanding. Reminded Scott of himself when he was younger. Taking the lead with the Rescue Scout team.

He was interrupted by Alan’s voice yelling and a loud thud.

“Scott!”

He blinked. There was a moss covered wall before him. One step further and he’d have been crushed. He floundered, trying to figure out what to do, turning his head so quickly that the graphics blurred his vision.

“Dammit Scott,’ Alan whined, “that was our only escape out. We’ll have to take another route and hope that we don’t find trapdoors.”

“Uh, yeah, right.”

He REALLY wasn’t cut out to play video games and it showed.

They’d barely made it along the next corridor when the wall behind then slammed down.

“So ... Alan,” Scott silently cursed himself for messing this all up,” uh ... what do we do now?”

“There’s a dead end to the right ... and if memory serves me well ... a pit of molten lava just a few feet away.”

“How ... how you you know this?” Scott sounded surprised.

He shouldn’t really, because this is Alan’s expertise, but he was.

“Meh, played it a few times - practice runs. EOS helped me with the programming.”

Ah, now that made sense. She wanted to play, Alan needed more mental stimulation. It was a match made in ....

Suddenly there was a roar, and the ceiling tore open, light blazed into the narrow, dark corridor.

“Whoa! That’s new, hey, thanks EOS!”

He paused, waiting for her to chirp her usual ‘you’re welcome Alan’ but the silence was deafening.

“Maybe she’s busy. But cool graphics though. She’s been busy tweaking it a lot since I last played.”

The head of a huge scaly beast, appeared over the ridge. It’s dagger like teeth bared, saliva dripping from its mouth.

Oh, shit. They were so screwed.

“So ....” A very familiar voice echoed in the chamber. “Spellcaster ... brave but foolish knight. Thy quest is officially over.”

And with one fluid motion, both were obliterated and the screen flashed up ...

GAME OVER

They took their VR units off, to reveal Kayo standing before then, her own VR tucked under her arm and a smirk on her face.

“What are you doing here?” “Just getting a little payback ... with a fair bit of help from EOS by the way. Thanks EOS.”

You are welcome Kayo, that was fun

Kayo flicked her ponytail and strode away, a self satisfied grin on her face.

“What was that all about Scott?” “Butterflies.” “Huh?” “Kayo’s afraid of them.” “Oh, that ... I knew about it a long time ago. Thought you all knew.”

Kayo’s voice trailed back to them.

“Oh, by the way, Grandma’s looking for you,” she said, a gleeful tone in her voice,”she’s after someone to test her new recipe. See ya ... bye.”

Aaargh! I started a new piece of artwork tonight and it is going really well. I have two fics in progress, one of which is about to hit all the exciting climaxy things.

Yet, here I am staring at half done artwork like a zombie. A yawning zombie. Feeling a bit down, I think. Why?

Because I have six days straight of work ahead of me ::pouts:: Cramping my style. Also, because I have been crook the last two weeks, my job is a bomb site. ::headdesk::

I really, really need a holiday.

Of course, having said that, I just wrote this (V/K, Biker!Virg, goes nowhere because I don’t have any stamina to do anything tonight ::sigh:: )

Virgil leant back in his chair and put his boots up on the table.

Leather creaked.

It was really far too hot to still be wearing his chaps, but he was too tired to take them off. Green dragons wove their way up his calves, reaching for his thighs.

He fiddled with the knot on his bandana and his dark hair fell scruffy as it came away.

His beard itched.

“Love, you should get your feet off the furniture.” A hand brushed against his cheek as she passed behind him.

He didn’t answer, nor did he move anything other than his eyes as Kay waltzed past.

She had removed her leathers and was simply dressed in a pair of very short shorts and a green crop top. Her hair hung loose, his favourite style.

“You can stop eyeing me like that, Virgil. You are sweaty and somewhat smelly.”

Oh.

“And don’t pout. It is to be expected after a whole day on the bike in that sun. The shower is a good one, avail yourself of it.”

He did grunt at that.

The motel was basic, but it would do for the night. With a groan he dragged his boots onto the floor and rolled himself out of the chair.

Just as there was a knock at the door.

Huh?

Kay arched an eyebrow, strode over and peered through the eyehole. “Hmm.”

It was his turn to arch an eyebrow at that, but she flung the door open with a tolerant smirk.

“Pizza delivery!”

Gordon and Alan, laden with such a delivery waltzed in through the door. “Hey, Kayo, Virg…whoa, is that Virgil Tracy?” Gordon peered at him over the pizza boxes. “He appears to have devolved.”

“Wow, Virgil, cool look.” Alan was grinning up at him. “Didn’t know you could get that hairy.”

The suspect under study rolled his eyes.

Nutty (very frustrated with herself at the moment ::falls flat on face:: )

Let It Burn (43/?)

Here’s the next chapter of Let It Burn, I hope you guys enjoy! And thanks for all of your asks/comments etc about this, it means a lot that you guys are so interested. :) Hanayo glanced around to make sure nobody was watching as she approached the basement door. All three of them, but Maki especially were serious about keeping what they were doing a secret from everyone else. The adults in particular. Seeing nobody in sight, she opened the door and slipped inside, closing it behind her. She heard a shuffling sound down in the basement and assumed that Maki was down there. She walked down the stairs quietly anyway, wary as always. “Don’t touch the computer, nya.” Hanayo paused at the sound of Rin’s voice. “Kayo-chin finally got it working.” “Hmm, interesting. So she’s the technician of the team.” Hanayo’s brow furrowed slightly in confusion. She recognized that voice but only vaguely. She didn’t know it well enough to place it.

“Kinda. Maki-chan is also smart like that but she’s more operations. Kayo-chin does the hacking and mechanics. That kind of thing.” Hanayo winced at that. So Rin really was telling someone about what the group was doing. Not even someone she was especially close to. She could only imagine Maki would be furious if she found out. “So this is what you wanted to show me?” The voice Hanayo couldn’t place spoke again. “Well yeah, isn’t it cool?!” “Mmhm, but seriously why did you bring me here?” Rin seemed to pause for a moment before she spoke. “I wanted you alone.” “Oh?” “You’re annoying me.” “Well that usually goes somewhere...” Hanayo crept down the stairs as quietly as she could, her curiosity getting the better of her. She stopped, crouching down so that she could see what was happening without going too far down. She was surprised to see Rin pin Hibiki up against the desk, a frown on her face while the other girl seemed nothing short of amused. “These feelings are driving me crazy.” Rin complained. “What are you doing to me?” Hibiki didn’t answer verbally but grabbed Rin’s shirt and pulled her down, crashing their lips together. Hanayo’s jaw dropped as she watched. She was sure Rin would pull away but her best friend did the opposite, opting to kiss Hibiki back instead. Deciding to take her leave before things went too far, she  straightened up and hastened up the stairs as quickly as she could. She stepped on a loose stair a few steps from the top though and before she could think to run ahead, she felt a gust of wind and then Rin was standing in front of her. “Kayo-chin!” “Uh… I have to go.” Hanayo quickly brushed past Rin, planning to leave the way she had come in. It seemed Rin had other plans as she grasped her wrist and tugged her gently back around. “Please don’t tell Maki-chan. She’ll kill me.” Hanayo frowned. “I won’t but...Rin-chan, what…?” “It’s a long story.” Rin said, hoping Hanayo would believe her. “I’ll explain later, I promise.” Hanayo was about to respond when she noticed movement over Rin’s shoulder. She looked past her to see Hibiki standing behind them, smoothing out her white skirt as a blush crept up her cheeks, reaching to the tips of her ears. “I’m going to uh...go back to Y-Yume-san’s office.” Hibiki said as she walked further up the steps. “Um...I’ll um...talk to you later, Rin.” Hanayo glared at Hibiki as the girl awkwardly slid past her and opened the door. When it closed, she turned back to Rin. “Rin-chan.” Rin cringed at the disappointed tone of Hanayo’s voice. “I know what you’re going to say and I’m sorry. I just wanted her to see what we’re working on.” “She’s an outsider.” Hanayo reminded Rin, a serious look on her face. “She’s not part of our team. She’s not even part of Muse, what were you thinking?” Rin shrugged meekly. She couldn’t help but feel a bit annoyed at the same time though, remembering her earlier discussion with Hibiki when the girl had mentioned feeling like an outsider. Like she didn’t fit in. She remembered the hurt look on Hibiki’s face quite well. “She could be part of our team. She’s pretty useful. And smart.” “What? No!” Hanayo raised a hand to her head, sighing heavily. “We don’t even know her that well. She could be anyone!” “She’s not, I know her.” Rin frowned, taking a step back, down the stairs. “I think she could really help us. And Maki-chan knows everything about her anyway, she read her mind.” “Wait, WHAT?!” Hanayo exclaimed loudly. She stared at Rin who suddenly look a lot more nervous. “Why didn’t I know that? Why did  you know that?! I’m...look, it doesn’t make a difference what Maki-chan thinks she knows. We agreed that this team would be between the three of us. You and Maki-chan were pissed when I told you Nico-chan knew so much.” “Well yeah but that’s different…” Rin said apprehensively.

“How? Because it’s Nico-chan? Who we know and trust rather than a random girl who happens to live with us?!” Hanayo asked incredulously. “I just wanted someone I know to know…” Rin answered sheepishly, looking away. She wasn’t sure she’d ever heard Hanayo so angry, especially with her. “You know Nico-chan!” “Nico-chan is YOUR person!” Rin countered loudly, seeing no other option to put her point forward. “You have Nico-chan and Maki-chan has Kotori-chan. Eli-chan, Umi-chan and Honoka-chan have each other and Nozomi-chan has Honoka-chan’s future self, who do I have?!” Hanayo softened at that but only slightly. “You’re lonely.” “I’m not always stupid. I’m not always oblivious nya.” Rin crossed her arms defensively in front of her chest. “I’m finally starting to feel something like that for someone and I don’t want to let it go. I can talk to her. All of you are so busy with each other but she really sees me and she wants to talk to me!” “I’m always here for you, Rin-chan. Nico-chan is my...something. I’m not sure yet. But you’re Rin-chan and I’ll always be here for you.” Hanayo said softly, a bit deflated. “I understand feeling lonely but you put us...all of us in danger. There’s a reason we keep this to ourselves. We all agreed to trust nobody else with this.” Rin swallowed thickly. “Kayo-chin.” “I have to go.” Hanayo turned without another word. “Wait, we have to test the fabric for my suit!” Rin called after her. Hanayo paused with her hand on the door handle. “It can wait.” “Wha…? But…” Rin trailed off as Hanayo left the basement, closing the door behind her. With a growl of anger, she threw her fist out, hitting the wall next to her. ----- Nico gritted her teeth together as she punched the bag in front of her, once with a left hook and then with a right. Hanayo had stopped by earlier but she’d only hung around for a while. She had seemed frustrated about something but she hadn’t said what and Nico hadn’t pressed her for information. She punched the bag again and hearing someone clear their throat behind her, she grabbed it as it swung back to her. She looked over her shoulder, finding Maki standing a few feet behind her. “Hey.” She said, a bit puzzled. “Hey.” Maki said, stepping further into the room. “I need a favor.” “You’re asking me for a favor?” Nico asked skeptically. She wiped sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand. “What’s up? Must be serious.” “It’s more...personal than serious.” Maki admitted quietly. Nico raised an eyebrow. She noticed that Maki was wringing her hands nervously. “Well that’s out of character for you.” “Shut up. It’s serious for me but...not for the team.” Maki took a deep breath. “I’m...well I asked Kotori to marry me.” “EH?!” Nico exclaimed loudly, shock overwhelming her. “Shhh!” Maki exclaimed, urgently stepping closer to Nico. “Well I kind of asked her. And she already said yes but it wasn’t really...real, you know? So I’m gonna ask her again with a ring.” “Whoa...you’re serious?” Nico watched Maki nod. Her chest ached but at the same time she was happy for Maki. “Wow. Congratulations, I guess. So what does any of this have to do with me? Wait, do you want me to stand in the way when Kotori’s mother tries to punch you for leading her daughter astray?” “No! Though maybe...a-anyway I need you to come shopping with me. You’re my best friend a-and I want you to be my best...woman. Or maid of honor o-or...I don’t know.” “Your best what?” Nico frowned in confusion. “It’s a western thing. You know Kotori would be into that kind of thing so...we’re not going for a traditional Japanese ceremony, just...look will you do it or not?” Maki asked, a little flustered. She was blushing as she awkwardly rubbed the back of her neck. “You’ll have to move to England or somewhere for this anyway.” Nico pointed out. “You know, because of…” She trailed off, shrugging. “Oh, we will.” Maki said, visibly brightening. “It’s going to be real and perfect. First I need to freaking propose correctly. It needs to be perfect.” “Right, of course.” Nico smirked. “You seriously are a perfectionist, huh? I don’t know how she deals with you.” Maki frowned. “Shut up…” “Don’t start smoking on me, let’s go.” Nico said, walking toward Maki. “N-Now?” Maki asked in surprise as Nico took hold of her arm and began to lead her to the door. “Of course, you idiot. Just give me fifteen minutes, I need to shower.” “I want to get the ring engraved.” Maki said thoughtfully as they left the room together. “Geez, flaunt your money some more why don’t you?” Nico said with a roll of her eyes. “Let’s just get to the place before we discuss it, okay?” “Right, sorry.” Maki said, her face turning red again. Her stomach fluttered with excitement as Nico left to shower. ----- “You need to leave Rin-chan alone.” Hibiki glanced over her shoulder and found Hanayo hovering in her doorway. She rolled her eyes. “Why should I?” “Because she’s my best friend.” Hanayo answered, stepping further into the room. “And I’m not going to stand by and watch someone like you use her.” Hibiki scoffed. “Someone like me?” “Uh…” Riko, who had been studying on her bed, stood up. “I’m just gonna give you two some privacy.” “Sorry.” Hibiki called after Riko as the redhead hurried from the room. She turned back to Hanayo, raising an eyebrow. “So you were saying?” “I said you’re going to leave Rin-chan alone.” Hanayo said as threateningly as she could muster. She tried to channel Nico and what she would do. “Or you’ll have me to deal with.” “Oh?” Hibiki smirked, crossing her arms. “And what do you think you’re going to do to me?” “Whatever it takes to protect my friend.” Hibiki couldn’t help but frown. She had to give it to the girl for being protective of her friend, but she hated the fact that she needs to be. “Alright, alright. But what if she comes to me? I can’t really help that, can I? Totally out of my control. And she does come to me, a lot. Unlike you, she doesn’t think I’m trouble.” “I know that you’re trouble.” Hanayo corrected sharply. “Rin-chan is innocent but I’m not. I know exactly what you want from her. The way you act around her makes it pretty obvious.” Hibiki sighed. “You don’t even know me. For your information, I’m a virgin. She was my first kiss.” “Sure.” Hanayo scoffed. “Seriously, I didn’t even know she was gonna kiss me the first ti-” “Stop! Just stop talking!” Hanayo held up her hands in exasperation, effectively silencing Hibiki. “I didn’t come here to have a conversation with you, I came here to warn you to stay away from my friend.” Hibiki slipped her hands into her pockets as she thoughtfully regarded Hanayo. “The way Rin describes you is really different to how you seem.” “People change.” Hanayo pointed out defensively. “Rin-chan is the closest thing to family I have. I would do anything to keep her safe.” “Funny, she said the same thing about you.” Hibiki remarked, recalling one of their earlier conversations. “Look, I’m not going to stay away from Rin. She’s my friend.” “No, she’s my friend. She’s Nico-chan’s friend and Honoka-chan’s friend.” Hanayo stepped forward several times until she was standing right in front of Hibiki. She could feel her stomach twisted with anticipation. She’d never liked confrontation but sometimes it was needed. “The last thing you’re using her for is her friendship.” Hibiki swallowed thickly. “Could you leave? Please? I already told you my answer. I’m not afraid of you, Hanayo.” “You should be.” Hanayo lowered her voice slightly and lifted her hand, lightly pressing her fingers against Hibiki’s collarbone. She felt the girl’s breath hitch. “If you hurt Rin-chan, if you so much as think about it, I’ll kill you. You know my ability, you know I can. And my friends won’t be far behind me.” Hibiki held her breath, doing her utmost to keep her trembling to a minimum. She tightened her grip on the sketchbook in her arms. “I’ll let you get back to your painting.” Hanayo said in whisper before she stepped back. She turned on her heel and walked out of the room, slamming the door shut behind her. As soon as Hanayo left the room, Hibiki collapsed to her knees, tears welling up in her eyes as the sketchbook slipped from her grasp to the floor in front of her. It opened at a sketch of Rin, when she was about eleven, clambering up a tree with an intense look of concentration on her face. Her hand was outstretched to a cat in one of the highest branches. Hibiki knew the next pages would be filled with other heroics performed by the girl, both using her ability and without using her ability. Hibiki leaned over, pressing her forehead to the paper as a choked sob escaped her. She heard the door open after a moment but she didn’t look up, not even when she felt arms go around her. She felt the telltale feeling of Rin carrying her while running with her super speed and then a few seconds later it disappeared. She felt something soft beneath her but she couldn’t tell what it was. It was certainly softer than her bedroom floor though. She felt someone sit next to her and looked up, quickly wiping her eyes. It was Rin of course, and she was in the girl’s hideout, where Rin had taken her after she’d rescued her. “So are you going to tell me why you were crying?” Rin asked quietly. She noticed Hibiki looking around. “I figured you would want somewhere private, nya.” Hibiki was grateful for that at least. “I uh...stubbed my toe.” “Uh-huh.” “Fine, I-I had a nightmare.” Hibiki lied, looking down at the futon she was sitting on. “About my dad.” “Been there.” Rin replied sympathetically. “Want to talk about it?” Hibiki shook her head. She would usually oblige. She had before, when she’d woken up from nightmares about her dad. She’d talked with Rin long into the night about their experiences. “Can you just...hug me, please? I’m lonely when you’re not around. I don’t have many friends. Even Riko-chan looks at me like she expects me to go crazy at any second and I just... I mean...ugh, I’m such a mess.” Hibiki felt warm, slightly muscular arms wrap around her shoulders and she felt herself being pulled forward, her cheek pressing against a toned but warm shoulder. “Of course I’ll hug you.” Hibiki whimpered at the soft, gentle tone and gripped Rin’s shirt tightly. “Thank you…” “Anytime.” Rin whispered, Hibiki’s head tucked under her chin. “I like hugging you. You’re warm.” Despite Hibiki’s claims she couldn’t help but think that Hanayo had said something. She had seen her walk out of Hibiki’s bedroom after all. It seemed like Hibiki was just covering for her. Rin felt Hibiki’s breathing even out after a few minutes and looked down to see her eyes were closed. She smiled slightly to herself. She supposed she would be staying there that night. She didn’t mind. It would hardly be the first time. As carefully as she could, she shifted so that she could lie Hibiki down in the futon. She lay down next to her, hesitating with her arm lifted. She wasn’t sure what to do. The situation felt oddly intimate, certainly not the type of situation she’d been in before. As Hibiki turned onto her back, Rin swallowed hard. She slowly lowered her arm, curling it around Hibiki’s waist. She rested her head next to Hibiki’s, her gaze shifting over the other girl’s features. She noticed a tear leak from the corner of her eye and reached down to brush it away, only for Hibiki to lean into her hand. “Cute.” Rin mumbled to herself, her chest warming at the gesture. She looked Hibiki over, from the golden locks cut into a choppy style to the hoop earrings in the top of her ear that had initially caught her attention. It was disappointing that Hibiki’s eyes were closed. Rin considered them to be her best feature. Her thoughts inevitably turned to her friends. To Hanayo, Maki, Honoka and the others. If she was going to save them like she wanted to she was going to have to grow up. She couldn’t keep ignoring what was right in front of her. She sighed softly and closed her eyes. “I have to save them.” She mumbled to herself. “I have to.” ---- Maki sighed as she adjusted her sunglasses on her nose. “I don’t see why we have to wear these.” She huffed. She looked down at the small gift bag in her hand, smiling as she thought of the small box instead it, containing the ring she would give to Kotori. Nico sighed. “I can’t believe this took over four hours.” “Well they had to engrave it.” Maki pointed out as they wandered away from the shop, walking side by side down the street. She uncomfortably adjusted the beanie Nico had forced her to wear. “For four hours.” Nico said again. “If anyone else had asked me to do this I’d have told them to go screw themselves.” “Yeah.” Maki smiled at that. “Thank you, Nico-chan. I really am grateful.” “Yeah, yeah.” Nico mumbled in response. “So...Kotori. You really love her, huh?” “Yes.” Maki answered, unable to keep from beaming at the mention of Kotori’s name. “I’ve never felt like this about anyone else. I don’t think I even could, I just...know the two of us are meant to be together.” Nico smiled softly before she noticed something. She briefly looked over her shoulder. “Did you hear that?” Maki looked up, her eyes narrowing. “CORPS agents.” She said quietly. “Of course they would be here.” “I  thought they would stay in Akihabara or go to Shinjuku.” Nico gently gripped Maki’s arm, encouraging her to walk a bit faster. “Keep your glasses on. They must have our files.” Maki hummed in response, the excitement that had previously caused her stomach to flutter replaced with a niggling sickness. She had known it would be dangerous to go out but she’d done it anyway. “What’s the plan?” “The plan right now is to keep walking.” Nico said in a hushed tone of voice. “You know CORPS, there’ll be a lot of them. If we can avoid a fight, that would be better. Just keep your head dow-” She was cut off as someone walking toward them bumped into Maki. She gritted her teeth but didn’t say anything, choosing to tug Maki forward instead. “Wait, wait…” Maki resisted, pulling back. “My bag. I have to get it.” “What?” Nico looked at Maki and briefly realized that she had dropped her bag before Maki wrenched herself out of her grip and turned back. She only took a few steps back to where they had come before she leaned down to pick the bag up. Her glasses slipped from her face though. “Hey you’re…” A man nearby spoke when Maki’s violet eyes became visible to him. Maki narrowed her eyes and focused on her ability, causing the man to cry out and grasp his head as his knees buckled. “It’s the telepath!” Someone called out a few steps away. Nico groaned in exasperation and pulled off her mask and glasses, letting them fall from her hand. “Come on, you fucking idiot.” Hearing someone quickly approaching from behind, she took out her knife and spun around, stabbing the man in the gut. She shoved him off and turned back to Maki in time to see the redhead kick the guy she’d attacked with her power. She’d lost her beanie too, Nico noticed. Maki used her ability to open channels into the minds of the agents around them. There were about ten in total, she thought. She let the voices and thoughts of nearby civilians slip into the agents’ minds. “FUCK!” She heard one of them curse loudly and smirked to herself. She didn’t see the man coming up behind her, a special helmet adorning his head. She didn’t see him until he was grabbing her shoulder and spinning her around to face him, delivering a punch to her jaw. She fell to the floor, blood dripping from her lip and her face aching. “MAKI!” Nico yelled frantically. “Fuck, don’t get yourself hurt! GET UP!” Maki kicked the guy in the face as he crouched down but he seemed unfazed as he grabbed the bag she was holding and tried to take it from her. “Get the hell off that!” Maki exclaimed, struggling to keep hold of it. Her eyes widened as the ring box fell from the bag and the agent accidentally kicked it a few feet away. “NO!” “FUCKING A, MAKI!” Nico cried out as Maki dove toward the box. She barely managed to close her fist around it before Nico was grabbing her, hauling her up. “Wha…?!” She gasped as Nico threw her over her shoulder. The girl may have been shorter but she was definitely stronger than Maki. Nico took off running, leaving the agent behind them. “This is the last time I save your ass cause you want to get a fucking ring!” “You’ll have to hold the rings you know. For the wedding…” “SHUT UP!” Nico barked out, in no mood to do anything but focus on getting Maki out of there before she got herself hurt again. ----- Honoka smiled to herself as she watched Kotori and Yuki, both sitting cross legged on the floor, playing with Kotori’s old dolls. Though the two hadn’t spent much time together it seemed like they had formed a natural bond when Kotori had saved her from the facility. She sighed blissfully to herself. She could almost forget that her life wasn’t normal. She could almost pretend that the only thing that mattered was that she had Yuki and Eli and Umi. And her friends too. She focused on Kotori, brimming with excitement at the fact that Kotori had asked her to be her maid of honor. It made her want to ask her own girlfriends though she supposed that wasn’t exactly possible. “You’re going to be her aunt, you know.” Honoka commented, shifting position on the floor so that her legs were folded beneath her. “I know.” Kotori said brightly, glancing at Honoka. “Maybe someday she’ll be a big sister figure for my kids.” Honoka couldn’t help but laugh. “You sound like an adult. With all of the stuff you went through...well I guess we’ve all grown up faster than we wanted t-” She was cut off suddenly by the sound of banging at the door. She shot to her feet as it continued. Hearing someone running down the stairs she looked over her shoulder to see Eli and Umi there. Yuki got up and ran to Umi, pressing close to her side. “What the hell is that?!” Eli asked, stepping away from Yuki and Umi. She positioned herself in front of them, ready to get in the way if anyone rushed for them. “It’s coming from outside.” Kotori said, moving closer to Honoka. “Where is Rin?!” “Never mind that.” Honoka said sharply. “Everyone be ready. Umi-chan.” “I know, I know.” Umi said, reaching down to hold Yuki close to her side. Future Honoka and Nozomi teleported into the room just as Hanayo came sprinting down the stairs. “What’s going on?!” “Just be ready.” Eli growled, raising her flaming fists. Nozomi moved away from Future Honoka, to Umi’s side while Future Honoka went to stand next to Eli. The door finally burst open and Nico burst into the room with Maki still slung over her shoulder. “HOLY SHIT, ELI. PUT THE FIRE OUT!” “Nico?!” Eli exclaimed loudly as Nico set Maki on her feet. She put out the flames licking at her hands. “S-Sorry, I think I kicked the door when Nico-chan was opening it.” Maki said sheepishly. “Maki-chan!” Kotori gasped at the sight of blood trickling down Maki’s chin. She rushed over, cupping her face in her hands. “What happened?! Oh my god, you’re hurt!” “She’s fine. Besides having a couple of screws loose.” Nico said with a roll of her eyes. Hanayo looked around, frowning when she didn’t see Rin anywhere. “Are you going to tell us what happened or not?!” Eli asked impatiently. Out of the corner of her eye she noticed Umi consoling Yuki and went over to join her. Kotori blinked innocently at Maki. “Where did you go?” Nozomi smirked to herself, noticing something in Maki’s hand. “Ooh, I see a box. A velvet box.” “Shut up, Nozomi.” Maki blushed, taking a step back from Kotori. Thankfully the ring was still safely in her hand. She had refused to let it go even though Nico carrying her back to the house at a run had been nothing short of bumpy. “I suppose now would be the best time.” “Huh?” Kotori tilted her head in confusion. Maki took a deep breath before she knelt down, kneeling on her right knee which she’d scraped when she’d fallen. “Kotori…” She popped open the box as Kotori’s eyes went wide with surprise. “W-Will you…” “Oh my god, just say it already!” Nico exclaimed as Maki hesitated. Maki blushed but continued nonetheless. “Will you marry me?” “Yes. Yes. YES!” Kotori dropped to her knees next to Maki and threw her arms around her, hugging her as tightly as she could. Grinning to herself, Eli chanced a glance at Umi to find her smiling, her eyes brimming with tears. She rolled her eyes and wrapped an arm around the girl’s shoulders. “You’re such a softy.” A glanced at Honoka let her know that Kotori’s other best friend wasn’t fairing much better. She was brushing at her eyes too as she made her way over. Eli held out her arm and Honoka walked into her embrace. “Can I be in the wedding?” Yuki asked suddenly. Maki smiled as she pulled away from Kotori. “Of course you can, Yuki. You can be our flower girl.” “Flower girl?” Yuki’s eyes went wide with excitement. “Really?” Kotori smiled and nodded. “We’ll make you a pretty dress to wear.” She glanced at Future Honoka who wasn’t looking at her. She was staring at the floor instead. “Um…” She was about to ask her if everything was okay when she was engulfed in a tight embrace, along with Maki. “I’m happy for you both.” Nozomi said, giving them both a brief squeeze before she pulled back to look at them. “I’m so proud. It’s like you’re both grown up.” “Nozomi, you’re not our mother.” Maki said with a roll of her eyes though Nozomi’s approval meant a lot to her. Not that she would admit it. “Even if it feels like it at times.” Nozomi grinned and nodded to Future Honoka. “She’s proud of you too, even if she won’t admit it.” “Hey!” Future Honoka exclaimed. Nozomi looked nothing but smug. “Go ahead and stop time, Senpai. I know you want to.” Future Honoka rolled her eyes but she strode forward and grasped Maki’s shoulder. She focused on her ability and a second later time stopped around them. “Huh?!” Maki exclaimed, looking between Kotori and Nozomi who were both frozen. Everyone else was too. “W-What did you do that for? Shit, are you planning to kill me? Kotori will be so pissed at you if you…” “God, I wish I could just freeze your moth.” Honoka sighed, rolling her eyes. “Look, I just wanted to say...well you know I didn’t like this for a lot of reasons. Because Kotori is...important to me.” “Yeah…” Maki said warily, taking a step back. “Just be good to her, alright?” Honoka requested bluntly. “Don’t go making the same mistakes I did. You need to realize how much she’s worth, how much you should value her.” “I do. And I’m never going to hurt her.” Maki replied solemnly. “I think I believe you.” Honoka said with a slight smile. She stepped close to Maki and reached up, using the sleeve of her shirt to wipe the blood from Maki’s chin. “You don’t know how happy it makes me to see you like this.” “Beaten up?” “No, you idiot. Happy. Stable.” Future Honoka explained. “Not isolated and smoking like a chimney. You’re so different from her and I’m so glad. A lot of things are worse because I came back but this...you’re the one thing that’s better.” Maki’s lips trembled and Honoka’s eyes widened as she watched the redhead’s eyes fill with tears. She was about to apologize for whatever she had said wrong when Maki surged forward and hugged her tightly, pressing her face into her shoulder as she cried. “Thank you.” Maki choked out. “I’m so happy. She makes me so happy.” Honoka hugged Maki back, trembling slightly. Maki was so different, so open. “I’m so glad you’re nothing like her.” “I never will be, I promise.” Maki said tearfully, making no effort to pull away. “Come on, stop. You’re gonna make me cry.” Honoka slowly drew away from Maki, leaving a hand on her shoulder. “Ready?” Maki quickly wiped her eyes. “Yeah.” She felt time start moving a moment later and then Honoka was stepping back. Kotori took her place, looking a little confused. “Come on, Maki-chan. Let me help you clean up.” As Kotori led Maki away, Nozomi stepped close to Honoka and took her hand. “You okay?” “Thanks to you.” Future Honoka said softly, giving Nozomi’s hand a squeeze. ---- Rin walked down the stairs to the basement, or the lab, as Maki and Hanayo liked to call it now. Not that it looked like much of a lab. “What’s up?” She asked, finding Nico, Hanayo, Maki and Kotori standing in the middle of the room. She shoved her hands into her pockets and walked over to them. Hanayo still refused to look at her, she noticed, her chest twinging. She looked to Kotori, noticing a ring on her left hand before she crossed her arms, hiding it from view. Her brow furrowed but she didn’t put much thought into it, even when she noticed Kotori blushing. Nico frowned and looked up at Rin. “You ready to be a hero?” Rin glanced between them. “What’s going on?” “Rin-chan...Maki-chan and Hanayo-chan unlocked the document on my mom’s computer. The one with her Precognitive dreams. Something’s going to happen tonight and you need to stop it.” “I’ll be in communication with you the entire time.” Maki added. Nico nodded in response. “Hanayo asked me to be your backup. You okay with that?” “My backup.” Rin echoed slowly, looking to Hanayo. Her best friend was busy looking at Nico. “You’re not coming?” Hanayo shook her head. “Right.” Rin said softly. She looked to Nico and forced a smile to her lips. “You need a codename.” “What?” “I’ll think of one for you on the mission.” Rin told her brightly. “So what am I doing?” Maki took a deep breath when the others looked to her. “You’re going to save Sonoda Kasumi’s life.” TBC

SOS Part 3

So I grabbed the whump bat last night, took aim at my boi’s head, then proceeded to wallop him into the exosphere like the kickass cricket player I’m most certainly not. If you happen to see a moving star tonight, chances are it’ll be Gordon completing his first orbit, not a wayward satellite.   

-x-

‘Gordon, you’ve activated your emergency code….Gordon? Gordon!’

Gordon stirred feebly, his head screaming in protest when he tried to raise it to follow his brother’s voice. He could hear movement outside what remained of Thunderbird Four, but knew he was in no condition to investigate the source.

Everything hurt so much.

Cracking an eye open, he spied Fuse retreating back to the Chaos Cruiser, Braman in his arms. Underwater distance distortion made separating one fuzzy shape from another hard, but the aquanaut possessed just enough visual strength to make out Havoc staring down at him from the safety of the cockpit.

She was smirking at him.

The coldness behind those blue eyes, so different yet so similar to Alan and Scott’s, filled Gordon with hopelessness. He was critically injured and had never so much as raised an eyebrow at Havoc or her brother, yet knew neither of them were going to lift a finger to help him.

Hopelessness turned to quiet despair when the Chaos Cruiser turned and began to make its way toward the surface. Using every ounce of willpower he possessed, Gordon managed to crack his eye open again, only to be met with pitch blackness. With the Chaos Cruiser’s spotlights gone, he was reminded of exactly how dark and isolated the seafloor really was.

He hoped he’d get to see his brother’s faces again. The way Scott frowned at him in concern if he left for a rescue without eating breakfast. The way Virgil smiled indulgently at him whenever he tested out a new joke. The way John sighed and shook his head at him when he asked if denial was a nice river in Egypt. The way Alan gawped at him in silent adoration every time he pulled a successful prank on one of their older brothers.  

It would be nice to see Brains, Kayo, Penelope and Grandma again as well. Despite bearing no relation to the first three, Gordon considered them family and had fond memories attached to all of them. The way Brains chastised him every time he brought a pod or Thunderbird Four back in less than mint condition. The way Kayo smartassed him if he ever made tasteless jokes about her being Scott’s girlfriend. The way Penelope tutted at him whenever he requested iced tea instead of ‘proper’ tea. The way Grandma fussed over him on his rare down days.

Yes, he’d like to see them all again.

-x-

A familiar voice roused Gordon from the depths of unconsciousness.

If possible, everything hurt even worse than before. He was vaguely aware of water entering the demolished remains of Thunderbird Four’s cockpit and gave himself a mental pat on the back for having the forethought to put his helmet on. At least drowning wasn’t a threat.

The unbearable pain in his head, neck, left arm and right leg definitely was, though. His suit didn’t feel like it was torn anywhere, but he was fairly certain he'd broken at least two major bones.

Opening his eyes was far too much effort. Plus, doing so would confirm his worst fear; that he was still trapped in the dark, cold, terrifying carcass of his beloved yellow submarine.

Maybe his brothers hadn’t picked up his SOS. Thunderbird Four’s systems were damaged beyond recognition, and his comm device was equally redundant.

“Gordon? This is your brother, John. I need you to sit tight, help is on the way.”

Gordon stirred in response to the voice that had dragged him back to a state of semi-consciousness. He tried to say his brother’s name, but lacked the strength. The pain in his neck was starting to make him feel sick.

“Virgil, Scott and Alan have just left Tracy Island. Their ETA is approximately six and a half minutes. I’m going to stay with you until they arrive, okay? You don’t have to answer, but know that you’re not alone anymore.”

A stray tear leaked out of an eye that still refused to open.

“I’m not getting any vitals from your suit, so can’t say for certain what shape you’re in,” John continued, his voice calm and soothing, “But I promise that we’ll get you out in one piece. I’m half hoping we’ll have to shave your head, then maybe I can be the one making fun of you for a change.”

Another tear leaked out.

“Hey, do you remember that donkey mom adopted?” John gave a laugh that sounded genuine and forced at the same time, “You were very young, so may not remember. We called him Brandy because of the way he weaved like a drunk whenever he came to the gate. He was a working animal from a neighbouring farm who ended up at the local auction house when he couldn’t plough in straight lines anymore. His owners couldn’t afford basic farm machinery and were ineligible for a government grant, so were in no position to get him veterinary treatment. Mom felt sorry for him, so bid on him as a companion for Apollo, who was dad’s horse at the time. Mom used to sit you on him and lead you around the paddock. Well, I say lead…poor Brandy was so wonky he usually just ended up dragging mom diagonally across the field, but you loved it. He died of a colic complication right before Alan was born, but we told you he’d gone to live with a wild donkey herd on Carrot Mountain instead.”

Two more tears managed to escape before John’s voice faded and nothingness descended once again.

“It’s okay, Gordon. I’m here.”

-x-

His head was resting on something soft and sweet-smelling.

“Hurry, Parker! Please.”

Penelope reminded him of a swan; beautiful yet dangerous. He wondered if she liked the colour yellow as much as he did.

More nothingness.

-x-

Gordon’s next brush with consciousness wasn’t pleasant.

He was being carried, which meant he wasn’t underwater anymore. Whoever was carrying him smelt familiar and was cradling him in a firm yet gentle grip. He hoped it was Penelope, but knew it was probably Scott or Virgil.

“…multiple broken bones, severe whiplash, moderate head trauma.”

John was around as well, though Gordon couldn’t tell if his presence was physical or holographic. The voices he could hear were hurting his ears.

“….Chaos Cruiser sighted three miles northwest. I recommend immediate evasion.”

Gordon suddenly saw Havoc’s cold smirk imprinted on the inside of his eyelids.

She’d wanted him dead.

Even after all the lives he’d saved, someone had wanted (and presumably still wanted) him dead.

The thought terrified him.

“Whoa, Gordon!” Scott cried, tightening his hold when the aquanaut suddenly began to thrash in fear, “Easy! You’re safe now!”

Gordon didn’t think he’d ever feel safe again. Ignoring the agony brought on by his shredded muscles and shattered bones, he began to spasm and jerk in Scott’s arms, his caramel eyes wide his fear.

“Virgil!” Scott yelled, swearing loudly when he almost dropped his crippled brother onto the floor, “A little help!”

Two sets of hands were suddenly restraining him. One yanked his helmet off so that he could breathe unencumbered, but the rush of cool air to the face only served to worsen his frenzied writhing. A bolt of unimaginable pain shot up his spine and exploded at the base of his skull, making his vision swim.

Hurk, hurk.

“Virg, you need to back off,” Scott suddenly instructed, his tone offering no room for negotiation as he lowered Gordon’s lower half onto the floor and propped his torso up against his knee, “He’s going to be sick.”

“Won’t he choke?” came Alan’s frightened voice.

“Not so long as he’s sat upright,” Scott replied, patting Gordon gently on the back when the aquanaut began to hyperventilate, “I’m more worried about what he’s doing to his existing injuries in this state. We need to calm him down somehow.”

“There are handcuffs and some olanzapine in the first aid kit,” Virgil yelled from Thunderbird Two’s cockpit, “Restrain him and give him a 10mg intramuscular shot after his stomach has settled. That should calm him down.”

Poor Scott was powerless to do anything as his second youngest brother proceeded to puke all over him. Granted, he’d had people throw up on him before (they all had), but this time was different. Gordon’s condition made movement impossible and Scott was acutely aware that the stress of vomiting was making the aquanaut’s pulse erratic.

“I’ve got you,” Scott reassured, rubbing his brother’s back, only to recoil in horror when his hand travelled too far north, the resultant pressure causing Gordon to scream in agony.

The next ten seconds passed in a blur of pain glazed stupor. Scott yelled something at Virgil. Virgil yelled something at Alan. Alan panicked and began to cry. John yelled something at Virgil. Virgil swore and abandoned his post in Thunderbird Two’s cockpit to fetch something from the medical bay. Scott took whatever Virgil had found and stabbed it through Gordon’s suit and into his bicep, apologising quietly as he depressed the plunger.

In the background, a familiar British accent cut through the mayhem.

“Oh, Gordon.”

-x-

Gordon’s eyes fluttered open.

White. Everywhere was white.

His left arm was shrouded by a sling.

The floor was white.

His right leg was encased in a cast.

The curtains were white.

His head was concealed by bandages.

The walls were white.

His right arm was hooked to an IV.

The lab coat on the kind looking lady studying his heartrate monitor was white.

White had always been Gordon’s least favourite colour, but not anymore. He had a sudden newfound hatred for the colour purple.

Specifically, the shade of Havoc’s armour.

Luckily, the flowers on his bedside table were yellow.

-x-

Gordon’s first week in intensive care was not smooth.

Nightmares plagued him every time sleep beckoned, images of dark water, purple armour and cold smirks tormenting him as he sought relief from the pain of his battered body.

Scott rarely left his side and asked the nurses to take shifts so that one was always in the room. They’d been happy to oblige, but had been less happy with Scott’s habit of falling asleep next to his brother’s bed.

Virgil took over the running of International Rescue while Scott stayed in the hospital. John answered distress calls that necessitated the use of Thunderbird One and Alan covered space monitor duty when his redheaded brother was earthbound. Sally channelled her worry into cooking and freezing enough homecooked dinners to fill Thunderbird Three’s cargo bay, while Kayo took out her fury on her kickboxing dummy.  

Scott was strict on visitors, mainly because Gordon tended to get emotional when he received them. Virgil visited every day with supplies for Scott. John came in every second day with bags full of Gordon’s favourite snacks. Penelope visited whenever her schedule permitted (which was quite often) and offered Sherbert as a form of pet therapy. Kayo and Sally took their turns after Virgil departed, their arms laden with homecooked culinary disasters and bunches of fresh hibiscus flowers from Tracy Island’s beach.

Alan wasn’t allowed to visit. His first proper time seeing Gordon had been three days after the aquanaut had been admitted. He’d landed the Helipod in the hospital’s car park, retrieved the stack of magazines he knew Gordon enjoyed reading from the backseat, asked a nice nurse for directions, found the correct room and pushed open the door, only to be met with the sight of his usually cheery brother having a full blown panic attack.

“OUT!” Scott had bellowed, releasing his hold on Gordon’s forearms to shove Alan back into the hallway. In the temporary absence of his oldest brother, it had taken the combined effort of two nurses to keep Gordon in bed.

Scott’s insistence that Alan not see Gordon for a bit was an exercise in futility, considering Alan had seen and heard everything in his brief six second visit. The youngest had received a tongue-lashing that was both unfair and unjustified, but he’d given Scott a free pass. The eldest Tracy was under a considerable amount of stress, which was further compounded by the late night vigils he held in a bid to alleviate Gordon’s night terrors.

It was two weeks before Alan learnt, second-hand from Virgil, about Gordon’s newfound fear of the Chaos Crew, specifically Havoc.

Unfortunately, it was another four weeks before Gordon recovered enough to tell them the reason for his fear.

Rage was an incredibly rare emotion to witness in the aquanaut, but when it happened, the world and his wife knew about it.

A common misconception outside of International Rescue was that it’s youngest operatives relied on their older brothers for protection. While Gordon wasn’t adverse to Scott or Virgil defending his honour, he could be quite the formidable foe when sufficiently provoked.

As Havoc would soon find out.

Poker Face

Inspired by one of @wonderavian prompts 

Scott plays poker with Lady Penelope and Kayo.

Scott looked at his hand.

Pair of kings - awesome.  He picked another card from the pile.

Whoa! Another king, that makes three of a kind

Cool, fortune was on his side - for a change.

His mouth twitched slightly, before he remembered and checked himself. He really should practice his poker face. Especially around these two ladies. Kayo and Lady Penelope.

Although, they did look as though they were struggling here, throwing away perfectly good hands.

But you never know.

After all, Penelope had the advantage of Parker to teach her. He was probably a card shark, amongst other things, in his ‘misspent youth’. Can’t rule that out.

Kayo, on the other hand, was a mystery. If there’s one thing she was good at, it was surprising everyone. 

All Scott had, was his father, and a few college buddies who hauled his reluctant butt around the casinos. Blackjack and Baccarat were Scott’s personal favourites, but the amount of times he was forced to stand and watch his father at the poker tables. There were too many to count.

Oh, and then there was John ... and Brains. Between them, they had the knack of counting cards. Shame they were busy. He could have had them help out. Although he probably would have had the proverbial lecture from the two of them about ‘cheating and unfair advantage’. 

So, he had to deal with the ladies ... alone.

“Bet you 150, raise you 300.”

The clipped English tone from Lady Penelope brought him out of his reverie.

“You sure about that?” he asked, “that’s a steep stake, even for you.” “Oh, I don’t mind,” she retorted, before rolling her eyes.

She flicked a glance towards Kayo, who sat there stony-faced, staring at her hand.

“Kayo? You still in?”

It wasn’t a bad hand. Wasn’t good either. And these two have upped the stakes a little higher than she was comfortable with. 

In the background, Grandma Tracy was arguing with Virgil. Who insisted that she go back to bed and he’d deal with dinner. She was suffering from a nasty cold and everyone was taking turns in looking after her.

Well ... not everyone.

John quarantined himself on board Thunderbird Five until the virus had been eradicated completely. He just didn’t deal very well with colds and flu. Especially when he was constantly inundated with ‘helpful advice’ from EOS.

For a minute, Scott thought Kayo was going to fold. But she slid a pile of chips across the table.

“300 ... and raise you 600.”

Wow. That was just ... wow. Surely she didn’t have a better hand? She HAD to be bluffing.

O-kay. Time to show their hands once and for all.

“Call you.”

There was a yell and a splash as Alan and Gordon took turns in dive bombing one another in the pool.

Both women exchanged a look, before Kayo reluctantly folded with a sigh.

“Too rich for me, I fold.”

It was now up to Penelope.

“You first Scott.” “Fine, I thought I’d be the gentleman and let you go first. But, whatever.”

He confidently laid the cards down with a smug look on his face, and leaned back in his chair.

“Read ‘em and weep.”

Just then, a rather soggy looking Gordon appeared, towel in hand and rubbing at his hair. He stood behind Penny and glance down at her hand.

“Oh boy.” “What?” “You are so screwed, bro.”

By now, a crowd had gathered, and it was making Scott feel REALLY uncomfortable. He pointed to his cards.

“Can’t beat this,” he said defensively, “three of a kind. Three Kings.”

That’s when Penny carefully laid out each of her cards.

One By One

“Royal - flush,” she replied calmly, “sorry Scott. You lose.”

As she swept the chips towards her, Virgil’s booming voice cut in.

“You know the rules bro,” he said, laughing, “loser gets to do the washing up.”

He handed a tea towel over to Scott and patted his big brother’s shoulder.

“Sorry bro. Rules are rules!”