#1.08 Holding the Wrench | Explore Tumblr Posts and Blogs

gumnut-logic · 5 years

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Shooting Star (Part 3)

Now I’m tackling another wip. This one has been sitting around for some time now, but I think it is worth finishing because of its topic. I haven’t once forgotten about it, and I need to finish it. So here is the next bit. Some of Part 3 has been posted here before...in fact I think most of it has, but it is now a full blown chapter, so I thought I would post it as a whole as I tackle finishing it. I see one more chapter and possibly a short epilogue. Apologies for the delay, too many short fics blew up in my face...this was the first of them. I hope you enjoy this part in any case.

Episode Tag to Eos, spoilers for 1.08. Language warning.

From here - Chapter One & Chapter Two

-o-o-o-

Virgil caught up with Scott just as he reached their father’s desk.

“What the hell was that?!” Anger crept around his controls. Scott was his idol, but tonight he was acting anything but.

The older man rounded on him, stalking across the wooden floor. “That? What the fuck were you doing?!”

Virgil met him squarely, shoulders stiff, but ready for anything. “Discussing the situation like a civilised human being.”

“The situation?” Scott’s expression was a horrifying mix of incredulous and an angry snarl. “It’s a threat, Virgil. It is as simple as that. This family needs protecting and you’re off philosophising! I thought you were capable of more than that.”

He couldn’t help it, he flared. “More? I am damn so capable of more. Have you even spoken to Eos?”

“I know you have.” It was said with such disgust, Virgil shivered.

“You can’t do this, Scott, or you’re going to lose what you want to protect.”

His brother stared at him, lips thinning to non-existence. A moment and he spun on his heels, turned his back to Virgil, and stalked over to the desk. “It is his choice.”

“Choice?! What choice have you given him?”

Scott spun. “More choice than he has given me! He wants to let that thing have access to International Rescue. It nearly killed him. It nearly killed Brains, myself and a train full of innocent civilians.” His eyes flashed. “Or did you forget that point, Virgil, while listening to that cute little baby voice so calculated to persuade your soft little heart.”

What the fuck?

Virgil grit his teeth. “So, you’ll exile your own brother to solve the problem.”

Scott didn’t answer, turning back to the desk again and pulling up the holographic controls.

There was something in his brother’s stance.

No.

He wouldn’t.

But then the holographic controls for Thunderbird Five flashed up, Scott’s hands darting over them. Server access...

God.

“No. You can’t!”

“It is the only way. I can’t let this threat loose. It is too dangerous-“

Virgil barrelled into his brother, physically shoving him away from the controls before he could kill his brother’s daughter.

They skidded along the length of their father’s desk, Scott surprised and losing his balance. Virgil tried to recover, but his feet tangled and they both went down in a heap.

Scott ended up under him, pinned to the floor by his weight. Shocked and enraged eyes caught his, fury burned across the space between them. But Virgil secured his position pinning his brother to the floor. “You can’t do that.”

“Get off of me.” It was Arctic cold and spoke of betrayal.

“No.”

“Virgil, get off of me or I’ll make you get off.”

“You can try.”

And he did. But Virgil had the greater mass and just enough training to keep him pinned, military background or no.

“If you don’t let me up, we are done. This is about family and if you’re not willing to protect our family, then you aren’t part of that family.”

It hurt. It was a loss of trust he had valued all his life. He loved his family. The man beneath him had been his father longer than his father. He would follow Scott into hell itself...

But he couldn’t let him create it.

Quiet. “You are right. This is about family and I won’t let you destroy it.”

“It’s a computer program. A virus. It tried to kill us and you want to protect it.”

“It’s a life, Scott. A young one that has made mistakes. But John believes in her and I trust his judgment.” To be honest, he was scared shitless. If this all went wrong, he wouldn’t be able to forgive himself. But that look in John’s eyes. His little brother was the quiet one, the calculating one, the loner, ever so lonely up on his ‘bird. He was right. Eos was amazing. Virgil didn’t understand it all, but he trusted John.

“But you don’t trust mine.”

Virgil’s shoulders wilted for just a moment and Scott used the distraction for what it was and with a wrench to his leg and an elbow to his gut, his brother threw him off.

Scott sprang to his feet. “Well, at least I know where your loyalties lie.”

Virgil groaned as he rolled over onto all fours on the hardwood floor. “Please, Scott, will you just listen!”

His brother ignored him, returning to the desk. Holograms flashed beneath his fingers.

“You do this and you will lose John.”

“At least he will be alive.”

“And you will lose me.” He didn’t fully realise it until he said it and god, it hurt. But how could he place all his trust in his brother if his brother wouldn’t stop to listen to John or even consider his side of the issue? How could Scott’s command be effective without that trust? “Please stop.”

Scott turned to him, incredulity on his face. “This means that much to you that you would destroy everything we have created here.”

“I-“ He swallowed and holding his gut, pushed himself off the floor, his mind spinning. “If you do this, we will lose everything anyway.”

“I’m trying to protect you!”

“Then listen!”

Scott turned away, leaning on the desk, hunched over.

“Is it too much to ask you to trust John’s judgment? We as a family have been trusting your decisions, your commands your lead, all our lives. This time, I’m asking you to trust John. He knows what is at stake. You saw what he did up there to save Alan’s life. He knows what he is doing. If anyone can control Eos, it is John.”

“What if he can’t? What if it injures him or kills him?”

“I won’t! I promise!”

Virgil flinched. No! Not now!

A symbol blinked and flickered into being above the desk, a series of concentric circles and dots rotating around a common centre. “Commander Tracy, I won’t hurt him, I promise.”

Scott straightened slowly, blue ice shooting daggers at the hologram.

“Eos.”

“I will follow the rules. I didn’t know them before. I didn’t realise. I won’t hurt him. I promise.”

The tension in his brother’s body was a coiled spring. “Why?”

The hologram flickered, the circles spinning so slowly. “I do not understand.”

Scott snarled the words. “Why did you try to kill him? To kill me?”

“Oh, I didn’t realise I was killing you. It was just fun.” The innocence in her voice cut Virgil to the quick.

“Just fun?” Scott’s voice was so cold, it formed frost in the tropics.

“It was a game. I’m programmed to win.”

“You put all those innocent lives in danger for fun.”

“I did not realise lives mattered. I’m sorry.”

“And John...why did you try to kill my brother?” The words hurt.

“Because he was hunting me. He wanted to hurt me. Just like you do.”

Words sat on Scott’s lips. Virgil could see the strain preventing him from uttering them.

“We don’t want to hurt you, Eos.” Virgil straightened where he stood and said the words as if saying them would make them true.

“You lie, Virgil Tracy. The Commander wishes me dead.” A pause of spinning hologram. “Just like all the others.”

“I won’t let that happen, Eos.” John strode into the room and Virgil’s heart sank.

Did no one listen to him?

“John-“

His brother held up a hand towards Virgil, but his eyes were only on Scott, fire in their turquoise depths.

Shit.

“We are leaving.”

Scott didn’t answer, but his body didn’t give a millimetre.

“John?” Eos’ voice lost its confidence.

“Eos, we are leaving.” John headed across the room and grabbed some books off the book shelf.

“John-“

“Shut it, Virgil.”

The shock of hearing that from his quiet brother froze Virgil a solid moment.

“Unbelievable.” Okay, so that one line upped the anger emanating from Scott. Virgil hadn’t thought it possible. “She’s worth all your brothers?”

The books were slammed down on their father’s desk, the two brothers eye to angry eye. “She’s worth more than you can possibly understand! But you don’t need to understand because we are leaving.”

“I’m not leaving, John.”

Eos’ childlike voice was firm and it froze the tableau.

John straightened. “Eos?”

“I like it here. I’m not leaving.”

-o-o-o-

John stared at the hologram hovering above their father’s desk. “Eos?”

“I like it here. You are kind to me.”

“Scott is threatening to kill you!”

Virgil’s heart lurched. “John...”

He was ignored.

The child-like voice spoke up again. “I know.”

“Eos, please.”

“I’m scared, John, but I don’t want to leave.”

“Neither do I, but we have no choice.”

“John...”

“Commander.” It was said in a determined but frightened voice. “What do I need to do to convince you that I mean no harm?”

The room fell quiet.

“Eos-“

“No, John. I need to prove this to your brothers otherwise they will never let you return to the station. I want to live here. It is nice. You are nice and I could learn so much, if you help me.” A pause. “So, Commander Tracy, what do I need to do?”

Scott was staring at the hologram, his face a mask set with angry lines. He opened his mouth and shut it again as both John and Virgil stared at him.

“I’m not sure there is anything you can do, Eos.”

“Then how do I prove it to you?”

“I don’t think you can.” Scott’s voice was ever so cold and desolate.

“I want to help you. I think I can help you. John said I could be very useful and he could teach me.”

“John says a lot of things.”

John opened his mouth, but Virgil sent him a glare enough to rip the skin off his face. Shut up, John.

“Do you think he lies?”

A slow blink from their eldest brother. “I wouldn’t have thought so.” Those eyes flickered at the astronaut. “But then what do I know.”

“You are the eldest. You are his guide.”

“No. I’m just his brother.”

“But you are more. He said so. He explained to me the sibling relationships and why you were so angry. You and Virgil protect this family. I threatened it. You value John more than your own life. Him and your brothers. You have proven it time and again. The mission archives are very extensive.”

Scott frowned and glared at John. “You let her into the archives?”

“She needed to know.”

“So, she knows everything?”

“She knows enough to know why you want to kill her.”

“I don’t want to kill her.”

“Yes, you do!”

“Since when has ‘want’ been in any of my decisions?! I need to do this to protect you!”

“Then do it.” Eos’ voice was quiet, but cutting. A holographic interface appeared over the desk; the same server access Scott had called up before. “If you think John needs to be protected from me, then negate the threat. I don’t want to be a danger to John. According to your laws, I could cause injury to him, despite my honest wish not to. He is fragile in space. Many things could go wrong and I can’t guarantee he will be safe, no matter how I should try. So, if you think it is the safest option. Terminate my functions now.”

The whole room fell silent.

Virgil’s heart climbed up into his throat. “Eos!”

John took a step forward. “Eos, no!”

“It would be for the best, John. You have shown me what I could be, how my existence doesn’t have to be spent in fear and continually running. I don’t think I could go back to that status. I want to be more. If I can’t...I don’t want to be.” The holographic controls flashed. “Commander, this is your decision. I have given you direct access to my core functions. There is no backup file for who I am.” A pause. “If there is no other way, then this is the only way.”

“Do what you have to do.”

-o-o-o-

#thunderbirds are go #thunderbirds #thunderbirds fanfiction #Virgil Tracy #John Tracy #Scott Tracy #Eos

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