Something for Scott.

He was first responder.

He was the eldest.

He was meant to guide them.

He was meant to look after them.

Usually he surveyed everything first, he knew the situation and as such could guide his brothers to the safest option. Usually he figured everything out with a sensible head, strategically placed to what he saw.

Usually he was able to be there, to hold the younger's, to look after them from knowledge, from love. Usually he sensed all he needed too from his big brother mind set, to heal almost any wound.

He flew. That was his life.

He wasn't used to or meant to be grounded.

Everything was all the worse for him when he was though. He had to watch, to communicate and usually about situations he had no clue. Yes, he'd been on space rescues with Alan; yes, he'd listened to all of dad's stories and lessons; yes, he had some knowledge, but no, he didn't know how to stop a comet. He didn't know how to help miles away where the sky was a different colour and the danger half as high.

The day hardly started well as soon as Langstrum Fischler was clearly involved, but never did he expect the series of close calls which sought (he was certain) to turn his hair grey and age his heart by at least twenty years.

"Thunderbird Three, what is your status? Thunderbird Three, do you copy?"

Three warnings were flashing up, luckily nothing serious to impede their flight. Nothing which could threaten their lives move than the threat posed by the comet itself. Yet those hits, that level of damage could hardly be afforded again.

The silence was always killing and his heart always wished to leap up, though he'd found ways to control that response, slightly. Even so, his heart definitely skipped a beat or two until communications buzzed in.

"This is Thunderbird Three. It was a rough ride."

"But thanks to Alan, we're okay."

"Which is more than Fischler's gonna' be when I'm done with him." He wished he gone with them, but then he wouldn't be here to enact this. Kayo agreed easily enough to the trip, though he doubted anyone would have risk disagreeing with the state he was working himself into.

And Fischler called Brains "Mr Worry Pants".

He wished he'd been able to go with Kayo, for he would have punched Fischler's lights out instead of the nice option.

It was bad enough John was undertaking risks of his own and it made him out of habit check on Gordon in the pool. The last thing he needed was something to happen to the remaining land locked brother. Although… Gordon was hardly a land creature.

With Alan, Virgil and John in all aim of the comet though there was little to stop him worrying, not even a brother at his side with a logical argument, not even Kayo with some kind of strategic reasoning. There was only Brains, however Brains minus a solution which was little to no help, meaning he may well have not even been there.

Certainly the bubble of his mind was too focussed elsewhere of any human presence to be of help anyhow.

"They've j-just hit the upper edge of the atmosphere." They couldn't do that. Not attached to the comet.

"Virgil, Alan, disengage!" They had to. They just had to. There was no option now. The comet would just have to be left.

Now his response was uncontrollable by his mind. His heart did leap. Leap even was the wrong word choice.

The comet was burning up, the explosive charge had been placed as well and Thunderbird Three chose now to have a spat with them, now to cease working. One simple fault with the grappling arms: was that all it was going to take? Was there really nothing Alan or Virgil could do to resolve it?

"Thunderbird Three, do you read me? Thunderbird Three..?" The desperation was sinking away, a feeling he dared not name beginning to overcome it. "Virgil, Alan…"

He understood the risk when they're father suggested International Rescue.

They all understood that risk still when they decided to continue it for his legacy.

There was always risk. Created risk was something he would never understand. Least of all as it dared to pull his heart from his chest, leaving those moments with the organ in his throat.

He didn't feel he breathed for many moments before red emerged from orange and fire sprang up from the flames, Alan and Virgil passing on assurances they were fine, the comet was dealt with and they were returning home as they spoke.

"They did it."

It wasn't that he didn't believe they'd make it, or hope the would; it was simply his nerves couldn't take anymore. He couldn't lose anyone else.

He just couldn't.