What if The Mechanic hadn't saved Kayo in the Hex?

Fuse threw the struggling girl into the soundproof box with a smirk, "have fun."

Kayo screamed against the glass, "no! Please!" She punched the frame around her as the twins left the room and shut the door, the last thing she saw was Havoc blowing a kiss at her dramatically, she fell back against the chair with a sigh and stabbed her finger on her communicator and helmet repeatedly but with no success at reaching anyone, "International Rescue!? Rigby? Anyone?" She sniffed, "please?"

Fuse held up a hologram of the Hood in front of The Mechanic who had floated out wearing a pair of makeshift jaws, "boss?"

"Ah, the Mechanic, listen to me now."

The Mechanic grabbed his head as the Hood bore his way into his mind hypnotising him, "no, I gave you up, I'm not your slave!"

"Yes, you are. Follow me. Fuse, you know what to do."

Fuse handed Havoc the hologram as the Mechanic's eyes glazed over slightly and he stood beside her Havoc awaiting orders, he placed a bomb onto the wall and set the timer for five minutes, "better start running, or in this case floating."

"Quick, this way," Havoc closed the hologram down and dragged the Mechanic behind her as the trio made their way back to the cruiser which was parked outside.

Alan watched as the cruiser pulled away, "John, do a scan for me on the cruiser, is the Mechanic on board or has Kayo got him?"

"FAB, coming right up," John ran a scanner over the image then frowned deeply, "Alan, the Mechanic is with them. According to my reader, Kayo is still on the Hex."

Scott's voice joined the conversation, "what do you mean she's still on the Hex?"

Captain Rigby sat forward, "we have to go back for her."

Scott glared at Rigby, "why did you leave her there in the first place?"

"Not now Scott," Alan rolled his eyes, "I'm taking the board over, don't touch anything Captain," Alan warned as he left his chair and went back to the hatch, he surfed out and closed the door behind him, no sooner had he left Thunderbird 3 the Hex blew up, "what on Earth?"

"Alan, what's happened?!" Scott bellowed almost deafening his brother over the com.

"The Hex, it just blew up," Alan squeaked as he looked out at the disappearing flames from where the Hex had just been.

"Where is Kayo?" Scott asked, his voice cracking on every word.

John geared up into his flight suit, "I'm coming over Alan, don't panic."

Scott paced the lounge furiously and punched his fist into the table, "they left her, they left her!"

Virgil held his brother tightly against him as Scott collapsed on his shoulder, "they'll get her, she'll be fine," he rubbed his back gently and Grandma bit her lip, she had already lost one daughter and now it felt like she was about to lose another.

Alan waited for John to join him and sighed, his chin was wet with the tears streaming down his face and collecting at the bottom of his helmet, "John, what are her chances?"

"It depends on where she was being kept in the Hex," he placed his hand on his shoulder, "come on, let's get our sister."

Kayo was floating motionless, the glass prism had been destroyed and now she floated free in space among the debris of the destroyed Hex, blood dripped from her leg where a shard of glass had struck it and her wrist communicator was smashed. Alan and John surfed together past the exploded mines, the youngest was on the board and the astronaut was flying alongside with his exo-suit, they dodged debris and Alan spotted something up ahead.

"John, look there."

"That's her, come on, she could be injured."

Alan fired Thunderbird 3's jets and the ship came followed them dodging debris, he looked back at John and his heart broke seeing Kayo lying in his arms, "is she?"

"Close to, get her into Thunderbird 3, quickly."

They raced back to the ship and Rigby took Alan's board, Kayo was placed gently onto a med bed at the back of the cockpit and Alan secured the cockpit so everyone could remove their helmets, Scott's image floated above the dashboard and he cried out in anger and pain.

"Oh, Kayo!"

John sat down in the pilot's seat, "we're doing our best Scott, calm down."

"Drop Rigby off at the nearest GDF base and come home immediately," the eldest blinked away tears and tried to replace his shaky voice as he glared at Captain Rigby sitting behind John.

"This wasn't my fault, Mr. Tracy. Havoc fired me out of the Hex and your brother rescued me, I didn't know where Kayo was."

Alan turned around, "she's stable, but we need to get home, now," he wiped his tears away, but more replaced them as he took John's place in the pilot's seat.

"Get us out of here," John looked ahead at the wreck.

Alan fired the ION engines and Rigby held on tight to his chair, they were through the atmosphere within minutes and John looked behind him at Rigby who was looking back at Kayo. Alan sighed as the island came into view and he rotated the ship beginning his landing sequence down into the hangar.

"I thought you were going to a GDF base?" Rigby asked raising an eyebrow in confusion.

"We don't have time. Kayo needs medical attention now."

Scott ran into the ship once it had powered down and his eyes darted straight to his unconscious girlfriend, "Kayo? Can you hear me?" he stroked her cold cheek and a tear rolled down his own face, he looked back at Rigby, "what happened?"

"Scott, that's enough!" Virgil stood at the entrance to the ship, "we'll discuss this later."

Rigby watched Scott curiously as he hovered beside the bed like a hummingbird, "what's the deal with them?"

John stood up, "she's his girlfriend."

"But you guys are all siblings?"

Alan shrugged, "it's just the way it is."

John pushed a button on the medical bed, and it floated through the door, the brothers and Rigby followed it down to the infirmary where Brains was waiting with Max and some other robots which were used for small jobs and intricate work. Scott crossed his arms as Kayo was hooked to an oxygen mask and her uniform was removed leaving her in just a pair of black shorts and a dark blue tank top, Virgil handed Scott her suit camera and he nodded. The video was projected onto the wall as the medical robots got to work on stitching up Kayo's leg after Brains had administrated anesthetic and put her into a controlled sleep.

"Let go of me you big lug! I said let go!-No no please!" Kayo's words ripped through Scott's heart as he watched her point of view being thrown into and locked in the cell attacking the glass with all of her strength, there was an explosion to her side, and she yelped, "help me please! Alan, Rigby? Anyone?"

Scott turned to Rigby, "so that explosion, where or what was that?"

"How am I to know, I was with Alan by this point? Havoc had already attacked me."

Scott looked back at the screen as Kayo continued, "I love you Scott, and I'm sorry I failed, the Mechanic got away," sobs filled her voice and his own eyes filled with tears, "go after them, he's the only answer to getting your dad ba..." The screen went black and the next thing everyone saw was fire and the camera showing the black of space and debris flying around, with a sob he ran to her side and Rigby watched with envy as he held her hand in his after hearing the word love.

"I don't know how we're going to get the Mechanic back, the Hex was our only option," Virgil sat upon one of the other beds, "this is a major setback."

"I'll call Colonel Casey," Rigby stood up, "thanks for saving my life today Alan, it was nice working with you."

Alan nodded, "just doing my job."

Scott watched him go then looked back at Kayo was beginning to stir, "Kayo?"

Kayo wearily opened her eyes and he removed her oxygen mask and she paled, he grabbed a bucket for her to throw up into, he waited until she sat back then handed her a glass of water as Max took the bucket away, "baby?" Scott asked softly as she coughed.

"S-Scott?"

"Yeah, it's me."

Virgil pushed John and Alan out of the room, "let's find Grandma, give them some time together."

Tears streamed down Kayo's cheeks, "he got away. I failed, Scott," she slurred, "I failed."

Scott shook his head, "you didn't fail, you were locked up."

"I should've g-got out," she closed her eyes, "my leg."

"You cut yourself sweetheart, you were in the explosion and got caught up in the debris, you'll be alright soon, your stitches are nearly done," Scott's eyes filled with fresh tears, "I'm not leaving your side."

"What a-bout your dad?" Kayo asked with a wince.

"We'll find another way," he began to cry and sat down on the edge of the bed, "I thought I had lost you."

Kayo lifted her hand off the bed and raised it to Scott's face stroking the tears away, "never. Is Alan ok?"

"I'll ask him later, Rigby is fine too," he sighed, "do you like him?"

"I don't dislike him," she yawned, "but I love you more."

Scott smiled and held her hand against his cheek, "get some sleep, I'll come and check on you again soon."

"No no, s-l, stay," Kayo muttered as she closed her eyes and Scott narrowed his eyes thinking about the Hood, the man had left his own niece to die, he had put the Chaos Crew above his own family, he rubbed Kayo's hand in hers and Grandma walked in.

"Is she ok?"

Scott sighed, "she will be. Grandma, our plan has failed, the Chaos Crew has the Mechanic. What do we do now?"

Grandma rubbed his shoulder as she looked down at Kayo, "let Kayo recover and then we'll see, shall we? The GDF will be here soon to pick Captain Rigby up."

"Say goodbye for me, Kayo doesn't want me to leave her side," Scott continued to gaze down at the young woman lying beside him, her leg was stitched up and other blood marks had been cleaned off, "I'll come up later."

"Alright son."

Scott curled up onto the bed beside her and wrapped his arms around her as Grandma left the infirmary, he kissed her neck and Kayo woke up, "shh, it's me," he whispered softly as she squirmed.

"Sorry, I got attacked by Fuse like this," she leant back against him and whimpered, "I've never felt more vulnerable than I did today. Can we go upstairs?"

"If you're up to it?" Scott sat up and she got up painfully.

"Yes, I don't want to be stuck down here," she smiled as he scooped her into his arms, "is Rigby still here?"

"Yes, the GDF are on their way to pick him up," he walked upstairs and into the lounge where John was talking to Colonel Casey.

"We'll find the Mechanic, and then we'll try again. I know about Jeff," she looked up at Scott's entrance, "Scott, Kayo."

Scott put Kayo down and Virgil sat next to her on the sofa wrapping his arm around her, "Colonel, you told us the Mechanic couldn't be controlled by the Hood anymore."

"We were wrong Scott, and we're sorry. Kayo, are you ok?"

Kayo yawned, "just very tired, and in pain," she looked down at her leg, "my own uncle tried to kill me, so come back to me later."

Virgil sighed, "Colonel, this has to stop, the Mechanic wants to be free and we had that in the bag, now it's too late, we've lost him and we're no nearer to getting our dad back."

"Yes, I know. Captain, let's go."

Rigby nodded, "see you next time, Kayo."

Kayo smiled, "thank you Rigby, if you hadn't got us into the Hex, we wouldn't have ever found the Mechanic or talked to him."

Rigby smiled thinly as he watched Scott take Virgil's place and kiss her cheek, "you're welcome. I'll do whatever I can to help find the Mechanic."

Virgil went up to the piano with a sigh, "seem pointless to finish that painting now."

"Nothing is pointless, Virgil," Scott smiled, "what were you painting?"

Virgil's hands stilled on the keys, "it's a surprise for another day, but now I don't know if it's worth finishing or not," he resumed playing with a shrug, "it doesn't matter."

Alan yawned and rubbed his arm, "I might get an earlyish night."

"That's a very good idea," Scott nodded then looked up at the piano, "Virg?"

"I've only just started," Virgil whined as he played.

"Up to you. Where's Gordon by the way?"

"He's been on a mission all day, he's not back yet," Virgil played gently, "Kayo, you still look very pale, get some sleep sis."

Kayo nodded, "thanks for coming to my rescue Alan, John, I wouldn't be here if it wasn't for you guys."

Scott helped her to her feet and wrapped an arm around her, "goodnight guys," he walked slowly to his room with Kayo, "want a shower?"

"Uh huh, it might help my leg pain," she walked into the ensuite and chucked her shorts and top down the laundry chute, "join me, it hurts to stand."

"Of course," Scott stood behind her and massaged her back, "honey, does Rigby like you?"

"Scott, why are you so worried about this? I'm not going to run off with him," she washed her hair and face quickly then let Scott run conditioner through her hair again, "stop it."

"Alright sweetheart," he kissed her neck then turned the water off when Kayo stood back, he got out first and handed her a towel after wrapping one around his hips, "I'll get your pyjamas out." Kayo wrapped the towel around herself and began to dry her hair in front of the heated mirror, she walked out of the bathroom and smiled at Scott sitting on the bed in just his joggers playing his guitar, he watched her get dressed then stopped playing, "better?"

"Much, thank you," she stretched out beside him painfully, "keep playing."

"Go to sleep Kayo, you've been through a lot today," he sat back against the headboard and resumed strumming.

"Ok ok," she closed her eyes and stretched her hand out to Scott's leg under the sheets, she didn't know when he stopped playing as she fell asleep instantly and he smiled at her, he lay on his side facing her and sighed at her troubled expression, he kissed her nose and fell asleep holding her hand in his and tucked her under his chin.