Unnatural Sabotage
by Time Guardian

Summary: The weather is out of control and the Thunderbirds are feeling its affects, along with dealing with equipment failure. When they investigate, they will find more than they bargained for as an old enemy returns, intent on their destruction.

Prologue -
Small coastal village in Malaysia -

The current village elder was having a grand old time as he motioned his visitor over to a rock near the fire he was tending in the middle of the village. In the seventy years that he had lived in the village it was rare to see visitors, save for the occasional relative that had left to live in the bigger cities that returned to visit. In fact, it had been exactly two months to the date that he had entertained his last visitor and truth be told, he was more than eager to show off to him.

However, this visitor was stranger than any that he had experienced in a while.

The strange visitor wore khaki colored shorts and shirt along with what looked like hiking boots and yet something about this man's behavior told the elder that his guest probably grew up in the area. He also wasn't much of a talker - when the visitor sat down in front of the roaring fire, the elder could have sworn the man was more interested in the fire. In the end, the visitor made a request to hear the history of the village and of the previous leader of the village.

The elder finally ventured a comment. "You know mister, you are the first one in a long while to ask about the stories of our elders. My father tended this village until his death two years ago. We saw many prosperous times because of him."

He watched cautiously as his visitor leaned back on the rock he was using as a perch and unleashed a harsh laugh. "I don't have time for your walk down memory lane, old man. I was told that your ancestor found an unusual rock of size and origin in a stone temple not far from here."

The village elder frowned. "You know much already. I don't know what more you want from me."

His visitor leaned forward, staring at him with such an intensity that- that-

What thoughts the elder was having cleared away quickly. He figured that he should have been scared or something but it didn't matter much, especially since he found that he could not move his body.

The visitor smiled evilly and got to his feet. "Now, as I was saying old man, tell me the story of your ancestor who found the stone."

The jungle was alive with sounds for a warm night. Insects buzzed, Frogs and toads both gurgled their tunes to the night sky and a band of monkeys that made their mischief at night sounded off obstinately when their find of fruit had been snatched by a fortunate bird.

The man that was making his way through the same jungle ignored the sounds and the surrounding animals. Dressed in a simple pair of khaki pants and shirt, it was nothing like the robes he was accustomed to wearing, but he wasn't in the mood for heat stroke. He had experienced heat more than once to begin with anyway.

Regardless, the Hood had a goal - he looking for the ruins of a stone temple.

It took close to an hour but he had finally coerced the story he was looking for out of the local village elder. It was about how the previous village elder had found a stone of great power in the area. The former leader chose to have a temple built deep in the heart of the jungle to maximize and take advantage of the power. The elder has said that many told of their ancestors witnessing a terrific flash of light coming from deep in the jungle and much of the jungle disappearing after that.

The Hood found that local stories usually had a grain of truth to them, so that was motivating him as he carefully travelled through the jungle to see if he could find it. By his estimates he had been traveling in the jungle for close to two hours already and so far all he had found was leaves, trees and enough underbrush to make him question his intent.

It was when the little path that he was on opened up that the Hood had the presence of mind to look up and take in the sight of the object of his journey, bathed in bright moonlight.

The stone temple he was looking at was definitely old, the stone that comprised it being dark and weathered. It reminded the Hood of the pyramids in Egypt to a certain extent but as he walked into the clearing around it, he got a true idea of its size, the top of it just barely outdistancing the tallest trees in the jungle.

For the first time in a long while, the Hood laughed long and loud. He touched the one side of his face that had been scarred from his last encounter with Jeff Tracy and his infernal sons.

He thought of all of the wonderful things that he could do to his enemies. With the story about this place he was sure that no one that was superstitious would dare come check on him and if the stories were true about the long dead leader finding a source of great power - this would all be so perfect.

Better watch out, Tracy family. I'm back.