Fonziebirds: The Choice

[Bea]

Chapter One - An Enemy Returns

In a specially sealed room on the third floor of the Wisconsin State prison, the Candy Man sat and meditated.

There wasn't much else to do, everything was provided to him via robot or robotic arm. The guards had known to keep their distance. International Rescue had apprised them of his powers so there was a general feeling of fear from what little bit he could gleam.

He thought over the events of the past month, and he was amazed that only a month had passed. The plan was perfect. To steal the Fonziebird machines and break into the major banks of America, that took genius.

He even thought he had Charles Alan 'Chachi' Tracy completely at his mercy until the girl named Joanie Kyrano showed up. Those two caused him to be in jail for the first time since he donned his 'Candy Man' persona and that just wouldn't do.

Figures that it would have been a son of a Tracy that brought him down. He made a promise that he would see Howard again and he racked his brains to figure out a way to make Howard suffer during their next encounter.

There must be a way, there must.

It was then that he remembered what day it was.

With a secret smile, the Candy Man concentrated intently on his meditation, clearing his mind for what was to come. He would have his revenge on Howard by killing Chachi and If any of the rest of the family wanted to follow suit he would gladly kill them as well.

It was the perfect plan.

Chachi Tracy ran a hand through his hair and studied the floating textbook in front of him. Ever since his dad had finally relented and allowed him flight status as a genuine Fonziebird, he thought life couldn't get any better.

Instead, for the better part of the month, he had been relegated to making supply runs to the Fonziebird 5 space station, learning the finer points of the Station's operation from his eldest brother Arthur a.k.a 'Fonzie' and catching up on his studies in-between.

So, at least for an hour, Chachi found the silence of the anti-gravity room on Fonziebird 5 a safe haven as he floated along with his physics book. By some perverse luck of the draw, it was decided that his father would do the actual tutoring of this subject, so there was no way he could shirk these studies even if he wanted to.

A buzzer cut into his thoughts, followed by his brother's voice. "Hate to kick you out, little brother, but father needs those supplies on the ground ASAP."

With a sigh, Chachi grabbed for a ring tethered to one of the walls as his brother Fonzie slowly brought gravity back to the small room. Slowly, his body crept downward until his feet touched the deck. His physics book followed his same path.

A half hour later, Fonzie met up with Chachi near the docking ring port for Fonziebird 3.

"The supplies has been loaded, Chach. Oh, Lori Beth sends her regards and wonders if you'd be so kind as to make a run to her estate to pick up Joanie. She's through with her nature studies there and was hoping for a lift back to the island."

Chachi smiled. "Should be no problem. Any excuse to delay my physics test is a good one."

Fonzie laughed and pushed Chachi towards the door. "Better you than me, little brother. I have been through enough of dad's 'tests' to know, trust me. Just do me a favor and notify Tom before you land at Lori Beth's this time? I swear I thought the poor guy was going to have a heart attack the last time you swooped in."

Chachi laughed. "Yeah his expression was priceless and-" He stopped laughing when Fonzie's expression grew stern. "Okay, Okay. I will be good, promise. F.O.N.Z. I'm on my way back."

Fonzie simply smiled and shook his head as Chachi opened the cargo door and entered the short walkway leading to Fonziebird 3.

Kids today.

He made his way back to the control room. There were one or two reports that his father had requested, then he needed to test the Anti-Missile lasers that Brains had installed on his trip to the station a week ago to finish off the last remaining repairs to Fonziebird 5.

No need for a repeat attack like the one he had endured when the Candy Man targeted the station.

Fonzie shuddered slightly at the memory, then headed towards the control room.

Four hours later

Fonzie was tired, but at least his work was done for now. He transmitted his reports and the lasers tested without a hitch. Anyone targeting Fonziebird 5 with missiles were going to be sadly disappointed when the lasers would pick off anything within a thousand meters of the station.

He stretched, and was about to raid his food rations, when an urgent red light blared to life on his comm panel. When he flicked the switch, a familiar voice sounded urgently through the control room.

"Fonziebird 5, come in. Fonz, come in, please."

He hit the button on the control panel. "This is Fonziebird 5. What's up, Shortcake? Where's Chachi?"

"That's what I would like to know. He was due to pick me up three hours ago and he hasn't shown up here at Lori Beth's estate yet. Chachi knew to come here, right?"

"Sure, Shortcake, in fact he was looking forward to picking you up from there. Standby, and I'll check this out, dig it?"

A weary sigh came over the line. "I'm not angry so much as worried. Let me know when you've found something out so I'll know whether to kill him or not."

"F.O.N.Z." Fonzie replied curtly. He cut the transmission, then activated the scanners. Each of the vehicles they used had their own unique trace signature. He should be able to pick up on Fonziebird 3 easily.

Fonzie swore softly as each of the scans turned up negative. The ship was nowhere in the immediate area, nor in or around any discernable place on Earth. There was one place it could evade scanners and that was within it's silo on Tracy Island.

He didn't want to alarm his father unduly. After all, things were finally getting back to a normal routine after the Candy Man's failed attempt to rob the world's banks and smear the International Rescue name in the process.

This however could not be ignored. With a thought and a silent prayer, Fonzie opened a comm channel.

"Fonziebird 5 to Tracy Island, come in please."

The screen in front of him blared to life as he saw the familiar figure of his father take a seat.

"Fonzie, good to hear from you. The reports came through all right, what's up?"

Here goes nothing, thought Fonzie. "Dad, please tell me that Chachi and Fonziebird 3 are there."

He watched as his father frowned slightly. "Hmm, I didn't hear him come in. Let me check the silo."

Fonzie watched as his father quickly typed out some commands on a nearby keyboard. "No, Fonziebird 3 is not in it's silo. What's going on, Fonzie?"

Fonzie's voice filled with dread. "Dad, I can't find him anywhere. He was supposed to pick Joanie up from Lori Beth's estate over three hours ago, and I just got notification that he never made it. I did a complete scan for Fonziebird 3's signature and nothing. He's completely disappeared"

Howard Tracy wasn't normally one to be alarmed. He had ridden out tough challenges as a former astronaut and even survived near death after the attack on Fonziebird 5.

Over the past two weeks, Chachi had proven to be an adept pilot, and only needed one or two lessons from him in order to solo in Fonziebird 3. Howard was confident that Chachi knew how to handle himself.

But where in Heaven's name was he?

"Fonzie, I'll send Potsie and Ralph out in a search pattern for him. He couldn't have disappeared off the map. Even if he had crashed, the signature from the ship should still be something that we can pick up. Don't worry, we'll find him. Stay on the scanners just in case."

"F.O.N.Z, Dad."

Howard ended transmission, then contemplated the situation. He knew Fonzie was right about the scanners; Howard had personally overseen the design phase of them with Al. He wanted Fonziebird 5 to be able to track any of their craft in order to help them get to the scene of rescues faster, among tracking in case one vehicle got damaged. However, that still didn't explain a whole craft disappearing.

He turned on the TV to catch the news. He had been busy in the lab with Al for the last twenty-four hours, so he wanted to see what was going on.

Howard caught the last snatches of a special report and the sight of people in a courtroom being carried out in stretchers.

"-luckily no one was seriously injured, apparently the only intent of the Candy Man was to escape without being followed-"

The Candy Man? With a feeling of dread, Howard stabbed at the volume button to make sure that he had heard right. The report was quickly repeated.

"Again if you are just tuning in, the evil mastermind known as 'the Candy Man' escaped a Milwaukee courtroom yesterday by using his incredible mind powers to keep everyone unconscious for hours while he made his escape. Luckily no one was seriously injured, apparently the only intent of the Candy Man was to escape without being followed by the police or other authorities. Wisconsin police are on the hunt now for-"

With a muttered curse, he turned off the TV. He told them, WARNED them that this might happen. No one knew the extent of what the Candy Man could do with his mind. Chachi managed to wear him down enough to where Joanie could counterattack him that fateful day, but it nearly cost Chachi his life.

Howard flicked a switch on his comm panel. "Boys, I need you to report in. NOW."

Four of the five photos along the far wall flared to life with video feeds of four of his sons.

"Potsie reporting in."

"Ralph reporting in."

"Richie reporting in."

"Da Fonz reporting in. Dad, have you found out anything more about Chachi?"

Fonzie's simple question set his other sons to chattering:

"Dad, what's going on?"

"What did Fonz mean?"

"Where's Chachi?"

Howard raised a hand. "Hold it, hold it. We can't panic, not yet."

His satellite phone started trilling incessantly from its resting place on the table. He quickly snatched it up to answer it.

"Howard Tracy here."

The familiar taunting voice grated against his ears.

"I promised myself that I would see you again, Howard."

Howard noticed that his sons grew quiet. He mouthed 'the Candy Man' to them before he replied. "What do you want?"

"Are you missing a son by chance? Dark hair, dark eyes, answers to the nickname of Chachi?"

Anger flooded his emotions. "You evil, sadistic-"

"Tut, tut, Howard. Anger doth become you. I suppose now you want proof."

The phone connection cut out, then the last unlit screen on the wall blared to life.

There in the screen, Chachi sat in what looked like a dark damp cave. He looked to be unconscious, his hands bound high on the wall around what looked like a clamp. He was still dressed in his flight suit and a slight trickle of blood ran down one side of his face.

"CHACHI!!"

The picture wavered for a moment then turned around to a view of the Candy Man.

"Howard, these video communicators are a marvel. I mean small enough to fit on a wrist. Of course, Charles didn't mind me borrowing his but do they come in black?"

What little reason, Howard had snapped. He stood and walked closer to the five screens.

"You want something, otherwise you wouldn't have called here. Be warned though: If you kill my son, I'll make sure that there is no place on this Earth that you can hide from me, and I'll personally hunt you down myself."

Laughter greeted his declaration. "My, my, Your perception is right on the nose, but don't worry, your son is safe for now. What I propose is simple: A life for a life. In twenty-four hours time, a ship under my control will reach your island. You are to board it and it'll bring you to me. Once I determine that you're on board, Charles'll be released. Oh, and feel free to search for me during those twenty-four hours, I'm quite sure that you'll not find any signs of us whatsoever. Goodbye."

"Wait!" Howard shouted, but the image on the screen faded out.

The sound of his sons voices surrounded him once again.

"Dad, we can't let him get away with that."

"He won't keep his word."

It was Warren a.k.a 'Potsie' who finally broke the noise. "Whoa, hold it! It's Dad's choice. He needs to decide."

Howard leaned against the smooth screen where he had seen Chachi only a moment before. It wasn't fair, but yet each of his sons knew the risk of working under the strictest privacy. It looked like the Candy Man was holding all the cards at the moment but Howard wasn't going to take that lying down.

"Richard, Potsie, come back here on the double. Ralph, I need for you to pick Joanie up from Milwaukee and bring her back to the island on the double. Go ahead and advise Lori Beth what happened, her services may come in handy. Fonzie, stay on those scanners. The Candy Man's to have some type of cloaking device. Search for any strange anomalies along with you regular scans. We will continue to field any rescue calls as they come in. Now let's get to it."

His sons raised their voices unanimously. "F.O.N.Z."

Each of their images winked out one by one, until the control room grew quiet once again.

Howard walked back over to his chair, and sat down wearily. Grudges were a terrible thing to fight against, but he had the beginnings of a desperate plan forming in his mind.

He just hoped that all of the pieces would be in place in time, or he would be forced to make the choice his foe put forth.

Howard had no doubt, he would face the Candy Man again, one way or another but he wanted that meeting to be on HIS terms.

Chachi's head hurt, there was no doubt about that. He opened his eyes slowly and winced at the throbbing pain his brain greeted him with.

He rewound the day...the last thing he remembered was adjusting his course in Fonziebird 3 so that he could pick up Joanie and then...nothing.

"Ah, Charles, wondering where the day has gone?"

He jerked his gaze up, making his head throb even more. The voice was familiar, but it couldn't be him-

"Oh, but it can, Charles. I've returned and with your help, I'll have revenge on you and your father."

Chachi struggled against his bonds. "How did you escape custody, Fatso?"

His eyes finally focused as he saw the familiar figure stalk towards him. "It was simple enough. After all, I had to have my day in court, right?"

"My family will stop you," Chachi spat out. "They'll end your bid for petty revenge."

"Petty? Did you say petty?" his captor asked. "Was it petty when I had to watch my sister being rescued and I laid broken and helpless under tons of rubble? Was it petty that your father chose who he wanted to rescue?"

"Oh, please, spare me," Chachi retorted, "I found out much about your 'diamond mine' and about how you conned innocent villagers into working in the mines for next to nothing. Your sister told us about the whole thing. The conditions were so bad there that dad couldn't rescue everyone before additional cave-ins made it impossible. Many of those villagers died, thanks to you, so I think you're the one who should have something on their conc-aargh."

Chachi's last words were cut off as the Candy Man knocked him out with a mere thought.

"There. I think you are better off quiet. Besides, I have a lot to prepare for. Rest up, Charles because you're going to need it."

[Bea]

Chapter 2 - A Deadline Looms...

20 hours until deadline

The scene in the control room was a quiet one. Potsie and Richie sat side by side on the sofa. On the far wall, Fonzie's screen was lit, showing him bent over the scanner instrument panel in deep concentration.

Ralph entered the control room with Joanie in tow. "We're back- hey, where's Dad?"

"He went over to Al's lab to come up with some ideas," Potsie replied tensely. "He's really feeling the pressure on this one."

"We all are, Potsie," Richie retorted, "As much as he's annoying, Chachi proved himself in the simulator along with outscoring you and me during the in-flight training I took him on. The supply runs to Fonziebird 5 were Dad's way of letting him test out Fonziebird 3, to see if he wanted to stick with it. There shouldn't have been any danger."

"Guys, cool it," Ralph intoned, "None of this will help us or Chachi on this one. We've been in harms way more than once, this isn't new."

"Yeah, but at least we knew the risks going into some of those accident scenes," Richie insisted. "Who knows what Chachi's going through right now?"

Joanie couldn't take much more of this talk. "Stop it! Stop it! Ralph's right, you're not helping anyone by sitting here and moping about this. The Candy Man may very well be the biggest thing you guys have faced so far, but with the right plan-"

Howard Tracy entered the control room, finishing her sentence. "-Which I think I have."

Potsie stood. "You're not going to turn yourself over to the Candy Man, are you, Dad?"

"No, or at least, that is my last ditch option. Fonzie, any status report on the scans?"

He watched as his son looked at him with a tired gaze. "Nothing yet, Dad. I did find something that was bothering me, but I couldn't quite isolate it."

Howard shook his head. "That's because you haven't taken your regular sleep shift yet, have you? Fonzie, working yourself to the bone isn't going to get Chachi back. I need you in good shape so we can figure out what those scans mean."

Fonzie sighed in resignation. "I will forward my readings to Al, maybe he can make sense of them. I'll catch a few Zees, but I'll be back in an hour or so. Fonziebird 5 out."

Before Howard could protest, Fonzie had cut the transmission. Normal sleep shifts for anyone on Fonziebird 5 were normally four to six hours, but he could understand where Fonzie was coming from. Since he was the last one to see Chachi off, he was probably feeling guilty right now.

He turned his attention to the rest of his sons and Joanie. "Now I know the rest of you are worried about Chachi, but I need all of your heads clear. If we are to pull off this rescue, we're going to need timing, focus, and teamwork. Are you with me?"

Howard looked around as he saw his sons nod. He turned to Joanie.

"I'll need your help as well. Your power was able to beat back your uncle."

"That was only because Chachi wore him down, Mr. Tracy. Even the little bit I did took all the strength that I had." she protested.

Howard put a hand on her shoulder. "But maybe you can help me understand this power that is in your family. Any little bit of information can help me if I have to face him alone."

Joanie nodded. "I'll do my best to help."

"Good girl." Howard then turned to the whole group. "Okay, let's get our plans in motion."

10 hours to deadline

Chachi awoke once again, but this time, he found himself alone. It took him a few moments, but he managed to make out the features of the cave he was in. He seemed to be in a dimly lit passage and the only thing that seemed to be contrasting from the dark stone walls was dim light coming from two torches flanking either side of him. A large rectangle of light shone from the entrance at the far end of the passage.

He then turned his attention to his bonds. It looked like the Candy Man had bound his wrists tightly, then had looped the rope through a clamp attached to the wall. If only he could get the clamp to release...

"Naughty Charles. I can't leave you alone for a moment, now can I?"

A wave of pain tore through his mind, knocking the breath out of him.

"Hurts? It should. I've grown stronger since you saw me last."

"Everyone has their limits, Candy Man." Chachi growled as the pain in his head subsided.

The Candy Man walked into his sights. "Do they? Well limits are made to be broken. You've probably recognized that we're in a cave. This cave is where it all began for me, Charles. The diamond discovery, the mine, the cave-in. For you, it'll be where it ends. We're in the only accessible passage. Once I leave here, I'll seal you in using the force of the Fonziebird 3 engines. You'll run out of Oxygen in a few hours and you'll die."

"It'll never work." Chachi retorted.

The Candy Man smiled and waggled a finger at him. "And yet, I think it will for I know what drives International Rescue. A disaster happens and what do people do? They call their Rescuers. Your brothers'll go out, but your father...he'll stay behind so he doesn't miss his meeting with me. The brother's Tracy will be snared by my deathtrap and-well, it won't matter anyway. You won't be living long enough to care."

Chachi fumed as he watched the Candy Man turn and head down the corridor towards the entrance and make his way outside.

The Candy Man sent Chachi a parting message thru his mind. "Goodbye, Charles. We won't be meeting again."

After a few moments when everything was still, he resumed working on the clamp that held his bonds. If what the Candy Man said was true, he would be boarding Fonziebird 3 right about now, which meant Chachi had no time to waste, if he didn't want to get trapped in there.

For precious minutes, his numb fingers scrambled frantically, but the clamp would not budge. The Candy Man had not bothered to bind his feet, so he scrambled to his knees and turned around, trying to get a better advantage...

and that was when he felt the vibration and a loud roar from outside.

I'm too late.

Chachi's world shuddered violently for many moments, and the torches fell from their positions on the wall, the flame from them quickly disappearing. Bits of rock rained down on his head, and then all went silent as the vibrations and the noise leveled off. The end of the corridor where he had seen the entrance was obscured with a ton of rubble.

Fonziebird 3 had left and he was trapped in the dark.

five hours till deadline

Howard sat alone in the control room. He wanted to be out looking for his son, but he couldn't chance missing something important from Al or Fonzie.

Potsie and Ralph wanted to go on a few recon flights and do scans from their vantage point, so they took off in Fonziebird 2 some time ago. Richie went to check on Al's progress.

"Fonziebird 5 to Tracy island, come in."

He punched the comm button quickly. "What do you have for me, Fonzie?"

"Not what you wanted I'm afraid. Picked up a distress call on one of the open channels. There was a major meltdown in Antarctica. One of the ice mountains near a major scientific camp is breaking apart and threatening to obliterate the scientists there off the map."

Howard sighed. The call couldn't have come at a worse time. "Thanks for the info, Fonzie."

"I'll stay on those scans, Dad, Fonziebird 5 out."

Howard then opened a comm channel. "Fonziebird 2, come in."

It took a few moments, but Ralph finally replied. "This is Fonziebird 2."

"Ralph, I need you boys to get to Antarctica straight away. There's a scientific camp there that is being treatened by an avalanche from a looming ice mountain that is falling apart."

Howard heard a long pause. "Right, Dad, F.O.N.Z."

[Bea]

Chapter Three - Artic trap

four hours till deadline

Potsie sat in the co-pilot seat of Fonziebird 2 and was studying the readings coming through the sensors when he heard Ralph acknowledge a transmission by their father.

A few moments later, he felt a hand on his shoulder. "Wrap up what you've got, Potsie. We've got a distress call in Antartica that we need to attend to."

He swore softly. "There's timing for you. What's going on there?"

"Avalanche," Ralph replied simply. "I'm contacting Fonz for the coordinates now. There's supposed to be a scientific camp there being threatened so we'll probably be called on to do some evacuating."

Potsie nodded. "Right. We better get to it then. Is Rich gonna join us?"

"Dad didn't say," Ralph replied, "so for now it's just us."

After a few hours of work and feeling around in the dark, Chachi had managed to free himself from his bonds but that had taken quite a bit of effort and gouged skin in the process.

He then tried feeling around where he remembered the entrance to be but when he began to dig, the rubble shifted, allowing rocks of various sizes to come at him. He managed to avoid most of them, but a large rock penetrated his defenses, striking a glancing blow against the side of his head that left him reeling.

Crawling and feeling his way back over to where he had started from, Chachi rested for a few moments. His pounding head wasn't allowing him to do much in the way of thinking but he did check his flight suit again for the umpteenth time for anything the Candy Man might have missed.

Nothing. The Candy Man even took his International Rescue badge. Heh, he had thought of everything it seemed.

The darkness wasn't helping either. Chachi had felt his eyes close more than once and he struggled to stay awake.

He shuddered as he thought of his family walking into the trap that the Candy Man had told him about. The Candy Man seemed to be more powerful than ever before and-

Stop it, he told himself. this isn't helping you or them at all.

Chachi pulled himself into a sitting position, leaned his back against the cool stone wall behind him and settled in to wait.

Help would come. He just had to keep believing that.

After apprising Ralph of the coordinates of the distress call in Antartica, Fonzie turned his attention back to the scans. He had printed out scans of the time frame just as Chachi left Fonziebird 5 to just after the time Joanie had notified him of Chachi's disappearance.

As he had told his father hours ago, something wasn't right about them. Using their data, he was able to determine that Fonziebird 5 was able to track Chachi as far as five thousand meters from the station and then, nothing. Well, almost nothing at any rate.

There seemed to be a low level noise on the scans that was barely noticeable. It wasn't any normal noise that he could recognize, but that was the reason he had forwarded a copy of those scans to Al. He opened a comm channel.

"Al, come in, this is Fonziebird 5."

An image of Al's lab appeared on his screen but the man in question was not in sight.

"Al, are you there?"

From the lab, he heard a loud thump followed by low muttering. Al then appeared from under his work counter rubbing his head gingerly.

"I'm here. Was just picking up a tool that fell under the table. What's happening?"

"Were you able to make any sense of those scans I sent you?" Fonzie asked.

Al leaned over and picked up a small stack of printouts near the corner of his lab table.

"I took a look at them and I noticed the low level distortion on the charts that you noticed. It didn't seem to be any normal space noise."

Fonzie sighed. "That confirmed what I was thinking but is there anything else that they're similar to?"

Al thought for a moment. "Well, they do look a bit like brain waves."

Fonzie gave him a skeptical look. "Brain waves?"

Al launched into an explanation. "Yes, brain waves. Different states of the brain can be mapped using Electroencephalography. The different types of brainwaves observed are labeled with Greek letters. This distortion looks like a Beta wave."

Fonzie wasn't buying the explanation. "Well, even if it is a brainwave, how can they be strong enough to reach out into space? The Candy Man can't have had that much influence, surely. He'd have to have an amplifier or transmitter of some sort, won't he?"

Al nodded. "That's possible. If you have a transmitter small enough or-"

Fonzie noticed him trailing off. "Or what? What's wrong, Al? You look as white as a ghost."

He saw Al stare at a device he had positioned on his table nearby.

"I have to check something."

Al quickly grabbed a nearby Satellite phone and punched in a number.

"Millington? This is Professor Alfred Delvecchio. Has anything strange happened to my neural net control project?"

Fonzie noticed that the reply Al got from the other end was not encouraging.

"Thank you for the information. I'll be in touch."

Al allowed the phone to drop to the counter and he turned and ran out of the lab.

"Yo, Al, where are you going?"

Al had only one mission in mind. He had felt like a fool for not seeing it earlier, but Fonzie's comment had sparked a memory about his latest invention, the neural net control device. He was developing it with the help of his friend Professor Millington who was one of his old school buddies.

Al had finally perfected it just after the failed takeover attempt of Tracy Island by the Candy Man. It was to amplify brainwaves and focus them with such an intensity that the wearer could very well manipulate almost anything with their mind. The main purpose was to help with construction, cutting the need for massive machines but he also forsaw pilots being able to intelligently controlling their craft from a remote location without having to rely on the crude simplicty of auto pilot. It had definitely come a long way from what he had shown his niece Gina during the spring break she came to visit.

When Al called friend and found out that a man matching the Candy Man's description had stolen a full working prototype of his device, it all fit. A power like the Candy Man's amplified by that machine could feasibly produce the distortion they saw on the scans and that in turn cloaked Fonziebird 3 and allowed the Candy Man to take control.

He rushed through the complex with such speed that it was a miracle that he didn't fall flat oh his face.

When Al reached the control room, he found Howard pouring over some reports.

He was out of breath, and his stuttering became more of a hindrance. "Howard, I-"

Howard got to his feet in concern. "Al, what is it?"

He was still catching his breath when Howard came over and directed him to sit down on the sofa. "There. Now I need for you to calm down and tell me what's going on."

Al told him everything that he had found out so far.

Howard didn't like what he was hearing. "So you are saying that with this device, it can amplify the Candy Man's power?"

Al nodded.

Howard quickly went over and sat down in front of his control panel. "I need to call Fonziebird 2 then. If the Candy Man used the control device to control and cloak Fonziebird 3, then we've got a very dangerous enemy in the sky."

He activated a communications channel. "Fonziebird 2, do you read me?"

Howard waited for a reply but all he received was static. "Something's not right here."

He made a few adjustments then tried again, again with the same result.

Howard then changed tatics. "Fonziebird 5, come in."

The familiar sight of the space station came to life on screen on the furtherest wall, along with a very worried Fonzie. "Dad, what's going on? I was talking with Al one sec, the next he dashes off on me, then I tried reaching Fonziebird 2 but I'm getting nothing but distortion. There's no discernable storms in Antartica right now that can be interfering with communications. Are Potsie and Ralph in trouble?"

Howard slumped back in his chair. Oh God, I've sent them into a trap.

Fonziebird 2 closed in on the coordinates where the distress call came from, and strangely all was quiet and the tall mountains of ice surrounding the scientific camp seemed to be intact.

"Sensors read normal," Potsie mused as he read from the instrument panel. "I'm not reading any seismic activity or any phenomenom that could move that ice. I don't understand it."

"It seems like a wild goose chase," Ralph agreed. "but it looks like that camp's inhabited. I saw some movement down there."

Potsie looked out the cockpit window and sure enough, he saw a few heavily clothed individuals scurrying around the encampment.

Ralph glanced at Potsie. "Something isn't right here. I'm gonna call Fonz and see what's up."

Potsie continued to visually scan the landscape as Ralph tried to hail Fonziebird 5.

"Fonziebird 5, come in. Fonz, do you read us?"

Static was the only thing that greeted their ears.

"Try Dad." Potsie urged.

Ralph made a few adjustments and tried to contact their father, again with the same static as before.

"It's no good, it is as if we are being jammed." Ralph groaned in frustration.

It was then that a familiar malevolent voice sounded through both of their heads.

"Hello, boys. This is the Candy Man. I hope you like my trap because you'll never escape from it."

[Bea]

Chapter 4- Of Life and Risks

He didn't know what time it was.

It wouldn't have mattered. The darkness made it tough to see anything anyway, let alone a watch. His wrists still burned from the escape from his bonds, no doubt by dirt that had gotten ground into his broken skin when he tried digging his way out. At least the pounding pain the errant boulder had caused him had subsided to a dull ache.

Chachi took a breath and nearly choked. The air was growing stale, making it harder to breathe. Just another problem to add to his growing list.

And to top it all off, the Candy Man had taken every gadget from Chachi when he abandoned him in this cave to die.

He shuddered. That was the first time he thought about the D word since he was trapped by the Candy Man in the remnants of the old diamond mine.

Sitting and leaning his weary body heavily against the cave wall, Chachi pondered his life.

The funniest thing about it all was that regret was not on his mind. His father had drilled into him the possible risks he would run into if he chose to get into "the family business. Chachi knew it could very well come to a scenario like this one to test his patience, stamina and everything else that he had ever learned.

Even after he was instrumental in helping to capture the Candy Man, his family was slow to accept what he wanted to become. After all was said and done, his father had praised him in one breath and then the next, he accused him of being reckless. Apparently he had talked to Joanie and had learned about the events that had transpired in the jungle. If he was going to be a part of this team, he had to learn and grow. Recklessness wasn't going to be tolerated, his dad had told him, all that he asked was that Chachi learned to think smarter and work harder and he would provide the rest.

Sure enough, his dad was true to his word. He made arrangements at Jefferson High School to where Chachi would still go for a good portion of his classes but as for the arts and the sciences, Chachi received that tutelage directly from his family. It made him almost long for school because between his father and his brothers, they challenged him more than Jeffesron High ever had. As long as his grades showed improvement, he would be allowed to continue with International Rescue.

Soon enough, Chachi was whisked into a hectic schedule of classes, training, and even the flight testing and training that he was so eager to get over with so that he could prove himself to his family. If it hadn't been for Joanie's constant encouragement along with informal tutoring with her via vid-link every night, he probably would have gone crazy from the pressure.

The opportunity came when the flights started to bring necessary parts and make crucial repairs to Fonziebird 5. His dad decided to turn four of those trips into his test. He would be given the controls and Richie and his dad would each ride along and monitor two of those trips.

Al had modified the craft to where if it was being used for supply runs or simple missions, then the controls would be centralized all to one control panel, thus allowing one pilot to man the craft.

In the days leading up to his testing, Chachi studied Fonziebird 3 intently, even putting in time with a flight simulator computer program that Al had designed. Joanie had accused him of having a chip on his shoulder but he didn't care. If he was going to prove himself, then it would be worth it.

However, it was interesting what one could hear when no one thinks you are listening...

He sat in the cockpit of Fonziebird 3 the day before the testing, studying the modified controls Al had implemented. Between the planning the repairs to Fonziebird 5 and the modifications to Fonziebird 3, he was an extremely busy scientist. However, after a little pleading, Al had allowed him into the cockpit do some studying.

Propulsion, check. Guidance systems check. So far, he was able to follow the modifications with ease. Brains' designs throughout all of the Thunderbird craft were quite consistent, which was a big help in helping him learn the controls of Fonziebird 3.

Over on the side panel, he noticed the communication controls, and decided to play with them. As long as he wasn't starting up the ship, what trouble could he possibly get into?

As he flicked one of the switches, he heard the ambient noise of the silo come through the speakers and then footsteps and voices.

"Dad, are you sure you want to test him this quickly?"

"Richard, I'm sure. With the increased among of rescues we go on, along with people like the Hood that are out there, I want to make sure Chachi knows what he's asking for. Fonziebird 3's one of the more intricate ships out of all the ones that Al's built, even with the modified controls. If he can prove to me that he can fly it without a hitch, then I will feel good about letting him continue training and letting him go solo. With all of the repairs that Fonziebird 5's going to need, along with any rescue calls we may receive, we are going to need all the help we can get."

"But what if he can't hack it, dad? I snuck a look at his last report card- his grades are improving, but they still aren't all that stellar."

He heard his father chuckle. "I also seem to remember someone else whose grades were not stellar at that part of their lives either, Richard. But you are right, if he can't handle flying Fonziebird 3, then I'll send him back to school until he learns to focus. This is all about helping people, it's not about grandstanding or acting reckless. I'm sure we'll see what he's made of soon enough."

Chachi remembered leaving the cockpit that day in anger. His father seemed willing to give him a fair shake, but Richie didn't beleive in him, that much seemed evident.

However, when he went to confront Richie about it, he got a much different reaction.

"Look, little brother, what you asking for is a lot. Once you get up there, there is not going to be a lot of time to think or act. One mistake and we may very well lose you or any one of us. That's a lot for you to have on your shoulders, and I just want to make sure you know what you are asking for."

Richie stalked off soon afterwards. Confused, Chachi decided to ask his father about it. He didn't want to at first, but his dad finally revealed to Chachi that on the day their mother died, they were out searching for Richie, who had gotten lost during a ski trip. During the searching, one of the mountains unexpectedly unleashed its fury, sending an avalanche of ice and snow down that ended up burying and killing her. Richie had felt like it was all his fault, regardless of what they did to console him.

Chachi went on to prove himself on all four missions and soon his father gave him permission to go solo. Richie had congratulated him as well, which meant a lot. He made a promise to Richie that he would always be there to help, and that he would do his best to stay safe.

And now, when his family needed him, Chachi wouldn't be there to help. That's what hurt the most.

He felt hot tears sting eyes. Chachi had only cried once before and that was the day his dad had told him that mom was dead. After that, he learned to keep much bottled in and that was probably where that blasted chip on his shoulder came from as Joanie liked to put it.

And now, his family would probably have another death to mourn.

A moment after he thought it, Chachi shook off the thought. The helplessness he was feeling coupled with the diminishing air was leading to some very fatalistic thoughts.

Closing his eyes, he willed himself to relax and finally after a few moments, drifted off into a dreamless sleep.

[Bea]

Chapter 5 - Time Crunch

two hours until deadline

The malevolent voice sounded through each of their heads.

"Hello, boys. This is the Candy Man. I hope you like my trap because you'll never escape from it."

Ralph recoiled from the sudden mental intrusion and gave Potsie a weird look.

"This is crazy, did you just hear-"

Potsie finished his brother's thought. "-the Candy Man's voice in my head? Yeah I did."

The Candy Man laughed as if the whole thing was a normal occurrence. "Odd, your brother didn't think it so strange when I spoke to him this way."

Potsie flinched, shouting out to the open air. "Where's Chachi? If you killed him-"

The Candy Man replied quickly. "Relax, relax. Do you think I'd revoke my deal with your father so easily?"

Ralph grew impatient. "SO what do you have in store for us? What's to stop us from using our ship to blow you out of the water?"

The Candy Man's voice took on a bemused tone. "Well, for one thing, I don't think you'd be that willing to attack one of your own ships and for another..."

All of a sudden, Fonziebird 2 shuddered violently. Potsie looked out the cockpit window and realized that they were slowly going towards the ground. "What's happening? We're landing?"

Ralph worked at the flight controls frantically but to no avail.

"I can't stop it, we're locked out!"

-------------------------------------

Howard sat at his desk in the control room, lost in thought.

Al had returned to his lab with the promise to find something to counteract his neural net device and after repeated hails, neither Howard or Fonzie could not contact Fonziebird 2.

He should have seen this coming. If the Candy Man was able to trap Chachi, he would very well be able to set a trap for the rest of them as well.

Joanie was able to give him some information about the powers that ran in her family, which helped paint a interesting picture: From what she knew, her parents had told her that the incredible gift they were given was passed along to the first-born child of every family in their bloodline. Her uncle had been the first-born in her mother's family and from what she told her, he was already abusing his powers back then.

Not much to go on...and with Potsie and Ralph in trouble, it had put him off balance.

"Dad, I want to go after Potsie and Ralph."

Howard hadn't heard Richie enter the room but he looked up and there he was, standing in front of his desk looking determined and angry.

He replied calmly. "No can do, Richard. We need to find out more about what the Candy Man has planned first."

Apparently Richie was having none of that. "Fonz told me what was going on. If we wait, he may very well kill them, Chachi included. You don't seriously believe that the Candy Man's gonna keep his word, do you?"

Howard heard the fear and the frustration in his son's voice. "Potsie and Ralph have been through some of the toughest of situations and have proven themselves time and again. They can hold their own, Richard. The best way we can help them right now is to find a way to disable the control device that the Candy Man's using."

"I don't like it." Richie declared.

"And you think I do?" His father shot back. "We get distress calls all the time, and we have always acted upon them without a second glance. This is one of the first real times that we have been taken advantage of. Now Potsie and Ralph are MIA and I sent them into there. I'm not going to let you get anywhere near that scene without something that will let you all have a fighting chance against the Candy Man. Do you understand that?"

Richie was taken aback. He took a step back, eyes wide. "I'm sorry, Dad, this business has me uneasy...I'll go see if Al can use some help."

He turned and quickly left the control room.

Howard breathed a heavy sigh. He couldn't blame Richie-this whole situation had him uneasy too.

His comm panel began beeping, breaking Howard from his thoughts. Flicking a switch, he was surprised to see Al's face on the screen "Mr. Tracy..."

Howard didn't expect to hear from him so quickly. "Al, what is it?"

Al replied with excitement. "I have an idea, but it is going to take time. I'll need he-"

Howard replied eagerly. "You have it, Al. Richard's coming down to help you now and if Fonziebird 5 can help in any way, do it. There's not much time until the Candy Man makes his way here and the less leverage he has, the better. Keep me posted, okay?"

"F.O.N.Z."

As Al's transmission ended, Howard turned to stare at the view of the ocean from his window.

There was finally a reason to hope.

---------------------------------------

Potsie and Ralph looked out the windows helplessly as Fonziebird 2 lowered gently to the ground. The computers had even deployed the landing gear and fired the retros.

A textbook landing, Ralph thought ironically but where was the trap?

He didn't have to wonder for long for the Candy Man spoke through their heads once more.

"As now that you're safely on the ground, gentlemen, I'll make this distress call a real one. There are six scientists in the camp I've you parked near. See if you can protect them and your own rear ends without being able to fly. Good luck, you'll need it."

Potsie and Ralph looked at each other as things went silent.

"We better see if we have any control left." Potsie stated grimly.

They both checked the instruments and with the exception of the scanners and the door controls, they were still locked out of the rest of their systems.

It was then that they felt a rumble from in under them.

Ralph looked around at Potsie. "Did you feel that?"

Potsie nodded. "Yeah. I don't like this at all. That was a seismic occurrence according to the scanners, with only a brief burst of energy beforehand. I also confirmed what he said with the sensors, there are indeed six people in that general area. They won’t stand a chance without some help."

Ralph looked around wildly as they felt another rumble. "They would have better luck in here with us. Those buildings out there will fold in a heartbeat so we don't have much time."

Potise stood quickly. "I'll go round them up, you try to keep reaching dad and the others and see if you can break the Candy Man's control."

"F.O.N.Z. Be careful, Pots."

------------------------------

Potsie raided the clothing storage in Fonziebird 2, and quickly donned a thermal flight suit and heavy jacket along with hood, boots, and gloves.

He was thankful that Al had prepped their weather supplies. In the past, they rarely had rescues in this region but with the temperature only reaching a brisk -34 degrees Fahrenheit, what winter gear they had was most welcome.

When Potsie stepped out into the harsh environment, he made a beeline for the camp.

The rumbling that he had felt in Fonziebird 2 now was intensified under his feet, making the few hundred yards to the camp treacherous. More than once, he stumbled and had to pick himself up as the rumbling increased in frequency.

When he reached the camp, Potsie began banging on the cold metal buildings, until he managed to find a building with three of the scientists, where they quickly let him inside.

The building was small and looked to house scanning and heating equipment.

Three very confused and very concerned scientists surrounded him. They were dressed in heavy winter gear as well and it looked like they were getting ready to mount a search for something. Various maps were spread out on a small table nearby.

Before they could launch into any major questioning, Potsie held up his hands. "There’s no time for formal introductions. I'm from International Rescue and we need to get out of here pronto. A series of quakes is set to flatten and bury this area at any moment so we have to move."

One of the men piped up. "Our other three colleagues had went to collect some ice and ground samples about a thousand meters due west from here. When the rumbling started we tried to reach them through their communicators-"

Potsie grimaced. The Candy Man wasn't pulling any punches. "Let me guess, your communicators are jammed, right?"

They nodded solemnly in reply.

Potsie hesitated for a moment until a loud rumble reminded him why he was there. The building that they were in shook violently and the machinery sparked from the sudden pressure that the building was putting on it.

There was no time to lose. "Due south about a few hundred yards from here's an International Rescue ship. I need you three to head out towards it. There'll be someone there to give you a hand onboard. I'll find your comrades and join you shortly." The ground started to rumble again with a renewed vengeance.

Potsie opened the door. "C'mon, get moving! This place is coming apart! Go!"

The scientists took the hint and quickly left the building. Potsie followed them out and made sure they were on their way in the right direction before he turned and headed towards the direction of the rest of the group.

The frozen ground swayed wildly in front of him and then he heard the sound of an explosion.

Turning around, he saw that building that they had just been in had exploded.

No time to lose.

Turning, Potsie broke into a run. Visibility was okay so he was able to scan the landscape. He hadn't known how much of a head start the group had but he was hoping that they had not gotten too far ahead.

The ground vibrated unrelentingly and cracks were starting to form around him, some small, some as wide as a meter or two. Potsie chose his steps carefully, dodging and weaving around the cracks until he spotted the scientists up ahead running towards him. Potsie rushed towards them and met with them halfway.

"Come on, we have to get you guys out of here!"

He began leading them through the unstable terrain.

They had gone a few hundred meters when all of a sudden, the rumbling intensified sharply, making them stop so they wouldn't fall over- and that is when the ground opened beneath Potsie's feet.

[Bea]

Chapter 6 - A Plan in the Making

There was no time for Potsie to react.

He had been leading the last group of scientists to safety when the latest quake opened up the frozen ground wide.

Unfortunately, he was standing over that very patch of ground.

Potsie felt himself falling downward until one of the scientists made a leaping dive and caught his arm, stopping his descent further into the newly made hole. The other two scientists surrounded them, and helped pull Potsie safely back up to their level on the frozen ground.

Gasping for breath, Potsie turned to look at the hole that he was pulled out of. It was the biggest he had seen so far, and looked to be twice as deep. Falling into that could have injured him, or worse.

He turned back to the scientists that had been his rescuers. "Thanks."

"You're welcome," replied the one that caught him. "Am I right in assuming these quakes are man made?"

Potsie nodded.

One of the others piped up. "Whoever it is, they must be stopped. If the tremors continue at this rate, the whole of Antarctica will break apart!"

That was the last thing he wanted to hear. They stood a better chance in Fonziebird 2 but they needed to get moving and fast.

Potsie motioned on ahead. "What matters now is that we get to a place of safety. Follow me and stick close."

---------------------------

Half an hour before deadline

when Richie reached Al's lab, he found the scientist in a state of excitement. His hands worked furiously over the controls of a computer that was near him and he was relaying numbers to Fonzie via a video screen.

He approached Al. "It looks like you've got an idea brewing. How can I help?"

Al motioned to a nearby chair with a separate video screen. "I need you to man the comm station while Fonzie and I try frequencies. If we can find the right one, we can block the device the Candy Man's using and we'll be able to reach Potsie and Ralph as well as the Candy Man."

Richie took the seat eagerly. "Well, let's get to it then."

-----------------------------

Ralph was sweating bullets.

Three of the scientists from the encampment had managed to reach his position and told him that Potsie went to retrieve the other three members of their camp. Ralph helped the scientists inside and got them secured and then turned his attention back to the sensors and the controls.

His sensors were telling him little more than he already knew- the mountains of ice and snow surrounding them were becoming more unstable by the minute. Ralph also managed to pick up Potsie's position on the scanners but without communications or the ability to fly, he was of no use. He happened to load the mole onboard before they went searching for Chachu but he doubted that even that would work at this point.

"Th...Bi..2...C...in.."

A burst of static from communication panel. It was the first thing he had heard since the Candy Man had proclaimed that this was a trap. Ralph turned his attention to the communication panel. He found that the controls still wouldn't respond to him but whoever was trying to reach him seemed to be working at it because the static kept changing in pitch.

"Come on...I know someone's trying to get through."

He stared hard at the panel, listening intently until finally a distinct voice came through loud and clear.

"Fonziebird 2, come in! If you can hear my voice, please respond!"

Rich!

Richie's came through loud and clear, so on a hunch he tried the comm panel one more time.

"This is Fonziebird 2, is that you, Rich?"

Ralph heard a loud whoop issue from the comm panel.

"Ralph, am I glad to hear your voice. What's your status?"

"We've been grounded, apparently by the Candy Man. There's a ton of quakes in the area and Potsie's outside rounding up some scientists being threatened by them!" Ralph replied.

Richie's image finally appeared on the comm screen. "According to Al, there’s a device the Candy Man's been using to cause those effects on you two but they've found a jamming frequency. You should be able to take off now and those quakes should level off."

"Just the words I wanted to hear. These mountains of ice and snow were making me nervous," Ralph said as he started pre-flight checks. This time, the controls responded as if nothing happened. "What about the Candy Man?"

"Now that his influence is gone, the sensors are working again on Fonziebird 5," Richie stated, "Fonz just told us that the Candy Man's turned and is plotting a course for our island. You better pick Potsie up, get those scientists to safety and get back here on the double."

"F.O.N.Z." Ralph replied with enthusiasm. He relayed the news to the scientists on board, then activated his engines for take-off.

------------------------------------

Howard checked his watch and headed outside towards the launching area for Fonziebird 2.

No time left on the deadline. At least Potsie and Ralph were safe, Fonzie notified him of that many moments ago. They were in the process of getting the scientists to safety, so there was no worries there. Howard had one more quick conversation with Joanie and Al, then had made sure that all of the silos were secured so that the Candy Man could possibly only land in the area that he was heading towards.

Once he was in place, Howard settled in to wait, leaning against the rough exterior of the hangar used by Fonziebird 2.

His choice was made and he only hoped that it was one that he would not regret.

Thirty minutes past deadline

Al nand Richie sat in the lab area and watched Howard waiting for the Candy Man on the video screen.

"Dad can sure come up with the craziest plans," Richie muttered, "He’s been out there a half hour already and the Candy Man hasn't shown yet."

"He's only going by the info he got from Joanie," Al replied. "Your father ordered me to come up with a plan to track the Candy Man but not tell him about it so that's what I did."

"But why?" Richie asked.

The answer came from a distinct feminine voice sounding inside his head. "Because the Candy Man can get into your head, that's why."

Richie looked around wildly, leaving Al puzzled until he looked over at the doorway and spotted Joanie. "Was that you?"

The young brunette nodded, then came over to join them. "My uncle can do that even easier than I can. If you guys had figured out a plan together, he would have probed Mr. Tracy's brain 'til he found the information."

Richie shook off the uneasy feeling. "Fair enough but a little warning next time before you do that, Joanie? It felt like tiny fingers probing in my head and-"

Al, who was watching the video feed, cut him off. "Look!"

They all turned to stare at the video screen as they saw the familiar form of Fonziebird 3 come in for a landing.

Howard watched unmoving as Fonziebird 3 came to a stop on Fonziebird 2's take off point.

He decided to let the Candy Man make the first move but was surprised when the Candy Man didn't exit the craft. Instead, Howard saw the hatch to Fonziebird 3 open and the Candy Man's voice sounded sharply in his mind.

"Don't just stand there, Howard, come in. I'm here to take you to your son."

Walk into my parlor said the spider to the fly. Howard thought bitterly. He reluctantly walked towards Fonziebird 3 and the open hatch.

---------------------------------

The trio in Al's lab watched as Howard climbed through the hatch of Fonziebird 3. The hatch then quickly sealed behind him and they could hear the whine of the engines as it powered up and took off high into the sky.
Al's hands moved swiftly over the controls of his computer workstation. With a flourish, he executed the commands that he typed in, then smiled as an audible beeping came through the system.

"The signal's coming through nicely."

"A tracking signal? All part of the plan you concocted, right?" Richie asked as he watched line after line of data scroll on the workstation Al was using.

Al nodded. "I gave Howard a watch to wear that shields a communicator and a transmitter. It uses low level power, so it should go undetected by the Candy Man."

"Golly gee," Richie proclaimed, "then we have a line to my dad. We just have to use it at the right time."

"We'll need to keep close tabs on the Candy Man. Mr. Tracy stressed that rescuing Chachi was first priority and any operation should start once we get a fix on where he is." Al stated.

Richie thought for a moment, then contacted Fonziebird 2. The images of Ralph and Potsie quickly appeared on the video screen. "Guys, what's your ETA? Dad's already left and we need to get going before the trail gets cold."

Ralph was the one to answer. "About forty five minutes. We ended up dropping the scientists off in Russia and we're just flying back now."

"We don't have much time," Al declared, "from what the tracking signal's indicating, the Candy Man's set his course for somewhere near Italy."

"Near Italy?" echoed Joanie. "My uncle could be taking Mr. Tracy to where he had his old diamond mine."

"Diamond mine? It's possible. The Candy Man kept on about how dad left him to die there," Gordon pondered then posed the question to Potsie and Ralph. "What do you think guys?"

"I think it's our best shot," Potsie declared, "we're only fifteen minutes away from Italy, we can triangulate our position so that we're far away enough from the Candy Man's detection and we have the mole on board to go underground if we need to. Rich, go ahead and take Fonziebird 1 and rendezvous with us. Knowing the Candy Man, we'll probably need all of the help we can get."

Richie stood quickly. "F.O.N.Z."

He quickly headed towards the silo for Fonziebird 1.

------------------------------

Howard sat uncomfortably in the co-pilots seat of Fonziebird 3 and stared at the Candy Man. He tried to get an idea of where they were going but the Candy Man's quick movements over the controls made it almost impossible.

After a few moments, he turned to Howard with a smile. "Relax, Howard. Enjoy the ride. We'll be back to the beginning of things soon enough."

"'The beginning of things'?" Howard echoed. "What the hell do you mean by that?"

The Candy Man chuckled softly and adjusted their speed to a higher setting.

"You'll find out soon enough."

[Race's Girl]

Chapter 7 - Of Angels and Fonziebirds

Howard tensed as the Candy Man landed Fonziebird 3 and powered down the engines. He hadn't been able to see where they landed from his vantage point, so he readied himself to expect anything.

The Candy Man removed his harness then glanced over at him. "Well, hurry up. There are places we need to go, people we need to see."

Howard reluctantly removed his harness and exited out of Fonziebird 3 just ahead of the Candy man. Stepping down onto the ground, He noted the dense vegetation and trees near him, then turned and noticed the rock formation about a hundred yards down a dirt path flanked with trees.

Something seemed familiar about this place.

The Candy Man's voice intruded into his thoughts. "Familiar? It should be, Howard. We're back at the beginning of things like I promised."

Howard started to put the pieces together. "This is...where you had your illegal diamond mine. The one that caved in due to your negligence."

The Candy Man smiled and pointed towards the rock formation. "Bravo. You still remember this place. Now start walking to the mine over there."

He was getting tired of all the ordering around. "I'm not going to move until you tell me where my son is."

Almost as soon as Howard had the words out, he felt a push in his mind, forcing him to stumble towards the direction that the Candy Man indicated.

"Thanks to the use of the professor's neural net machine, I have only had to use a fraction of my power so far during this little adventure. Even though you found a way to disable it, I'm far from tired and could force you all of the way there if I need to," the Candy Man said menacingly. "Which way will it be, Howard?"

Howard blinked as his mind cleared again. His thoughts were coming rapid fire and the Candy Man was reading him like an open book. He had to stay calm.

He muttered. "Let's go then."

----------------------------

In the lab on Tracy Island, Al typed commands into his computer like a madman, trying to tune into the communicator part of the watch device that he gave Howard. Joanie sat dutifully beside him and had not moved since Richie left out in Fonziebird 1 for Italy.

The watch had been a short notice idea that Howard did not know about. He specifically requested it that way so the Candy Man couldn't pry the information out of him. The watch had been one of Al's first working inventions when he came here, but he had scrapped it when Howard insisted on video watches so he would be able to see and hear his boys.

If all worked as he planned, he would be able to listen in on Howard's side of the conversation and figure out what to do next.

"Almost-"

He tweaked more settings and invented new lines of code, but he finally got a feed to the communicator. Sounds of a jungle filtered through the speaker followed by Howard's voice.

"Al, you did it!" Joanie congratulated.

"Keep monitoring the transmission for me," Al requested, "I need to get a hold of Potsie and the others."

Joanie nodded and kept listening in to the transmission as Al made contact with Fonziebird 1 and Fonziebird 2 on the nearby vid screen.

"Fonziebird 1, Fonziebird 2, come in."

Both Richie and Ralph replied quickly, their images appearing on screen.

"Fonziebird 1 here, what’s up, Al?"

"Fonziebird 2 here as well. What’s going on?"

"I just tapped into your father's transmission. I'm going to patch that through to you."

-----------------------------------------

"F.O.N.Z." Richie replied.

Richie had taken Fonziebird 1 at top speed to Italy and currently held a position a couple of miles from where his dad's signal was coming from. He didn't want to get too close yet until he knew the situation.

After adjusting the comm controls, he heard two voices coming through the speaker.

"Okay, we're here like you wanted. Mind telling me where Chachi is so we can get this charade over with?"

"Howard, it’s not that simple. You see, I have brought you out here to kill you but I also want revenge, to make you suffer as I did. You see, Charles is inside the mine, in what was one of the last accessible corridors."

"What do you mean, was?"

"Handy thing those engines on Fonziebird 3, they were enough to cause a cave-in. Soon after I talked to you, I caused a quite a big one. Even if Charles escaped the falling rocks, his oxygen should be running out about now."

"No...you monster!!!...ARRGGHH!!..."

Richie panicked as the last of the transmission was lost in a hiss of static.

"Al!! Can you get it back?"

He heard the scientist reply in frustration. "No, it must have been smashed. The transmitter signal is dead too."

Richie banged his fist against the panel in frustration. "What do we do now?"

-----------------------------

Potsie and Ralph sat in Fonziebird 2 and held a position just a few miles away from Fonziebird 1. They had heard the same transmission and sat stunned.

"There's no way Chachi could have survived," Ralph muttered. "The Candy Man's won and he'll probably kill dad too before we can do anything about it."

"Stop it," Potsie retorted harshly. "we don't have enough info to go on yet."

He contacted Richie. "Fonziebird 2 to Fonziebird 1. Rich, are you listening?"

He heard a strained reply. "I'm here, Potsie. What do we do now? The odds seem against us."

Potsie replied simply. "We can't panic. We've been on rescues like this numerous times in the past and we can't go simply on the word of a madman. Both Chachi and Dad need our help ASAP, so there's no time to lose. Rich, fix in on Fonziebird 3 and land nearby. Find dad and see if there's anyway the Hood can be distracted. Ralph and I'll land and use the Mole to find a way into the mine and get Chachi out of there."

"FO.N.Z," Richie replied. "Get him out of there safe, okay?"

Potsie replied with determination. "Plan on it and you be careful too."

"F.O.N.Z."

--------------------------------

Using Fonziebird 1's scanners, Richie found Fonziebird 3 and managed to find a place to land nearby. He quickly disembarked and spotted footprints in the dirt leading down a path towards a rock formation that had to be the mine.

Richie swiftly went down the path. Along one side, the path was a series of trees and he stuck close to them, in case he needed to duck out of sight quickly. After a few yards, he found a clearing. He quickly took shelter among the trees and watched as his dad was trying to fight the Candy Man.

When the Candy Man had told him that his son was likely dead, Howard foolishly went with his emotions and tried to throw a punch. For his efforts, he was propelled quickly into a nearby tree and onto the ground. His vision swam but Howard knew that had to move quickly if he didn’t want to end up like Chachi.

He got to his feet and rushed the Candy Man, hoping to catch him off-balance with a quick attack. If he could just get his hands on him...

He took about five steps before he felt himself lifted high in the air. A vicious twisting then began inside his mind, making him cry out in agony.

Through the haze of pain, he heard the Candy Man taunt. "Now this looks familiar. I was very near to killing Charles in almost the same way a month ago. Let's see how long you last, Howard."

The pain in his head intensified. Howard wasn't sure how much more he could take.

Suddenly, he heard a rustling and a loud grunt of pain from the Candy Man. The control broken, Howard fell hard to the ground but it went unnoticed as he tried to shake away the shards of pain in his mind.

He felt a hand on his arm.

"Dad, c'mon, we've gotta move!"

Howard recognized Richie's voice and followed his lead as they dived deep into the cover of the trees.

When they finally stopped, Howard slumped to the ground. The pain from the Candy Man's attack was receding but the doubt in his heart wasn't he felt as if he let his sons down somehow.

He felt his son put a hand on his face. "Dad, are you okay?"

Howard nodded. "Where are the others?"

Richie caught his breath before he replied. "Potsie and Ralph are using the mole to get into the old mine. Al planted a communicator on you before you left so we heard what he said. I'm here to help you while they mount a rescue."

Howard stood. "Let's go to the mine then, they will need our help."

"Dad, please," Richie protested, "Potsie and Ralph are getting Chachi now. If we leave the Candy Man to his own devices, he might try to interfere with the rescue and that'll put them in danger. Besides, there's a good chance Chachi's alive."

Howard thought for a moment. He wanted so much to be in on the rescue but the immediate danger they were in needed to be taken care of. "You're right. We have to keep separated though, attack him from two fronts. That'll keep the Candy Man on his toes and hopefully tire him out faster."

Richie nodded. "I'll go around to the side."

Howard stood. "And I'll go head on. We've have to wear him down or we are lost. Let's go."

They split up and rushed into the clearing.

--------------------------------

On the opposite side of the mine, Ralph landed Fonziebird 2 and made preparations to unload the Mole. Potsie checked the scanners, then tried to get interior readings of the mine. The readings indicated a corridor a couple of yards long. There was some distortion that he couldn't clear, so he wasn't able to pick up on any signs of life.

Potsie heard Ralph come up behind him. "The Mole's on the ground, Pots. What do the scanners say?"

He sighed in reply. "Not much, I'm afraid. I do read an open corridor but there's too much distortion to get any life signs."

"We'll have to make do then," Ralph replied. "Feed the sensor readings to the GPS in the Mole and then meet me in the Mole. We'll make sure to come up on one of the far ends of that corridor."

"F.O.N.Z."

Potsie sent the scanner readings to the mole and then followed Ralph. The exited the ship, and made their move to board the Mole. The last time it had been used, The Hood used it to break into the Bank of Milwaukee. With any luck, they will be able to use it to rescue their brother.

The outer hull of the Mole glistened Yellow in the sun as they both entered in through the top airlock. Potsie made sure that two sets of oxygen equipment was at the ready then took a seat beside Ralph, who was at the main controls.

"Everything's ready. Let's go." Potsie commanded.

"F.O.N.Z." Ralph replied. Using the GPS coordinates, he plotted the course and activated the drill head. The back hydraulic lifts lifted, allowing them the proper angle to dig into the ground.

After a few moments, they felt themselves proceeding down. Ralph lowered the lifts, then pressed forward on the controls.

"We're on our way."

----------------------------

Howard and Richie rushed into the clearing on opposite sides and saw the Candy Man standing in the middle wearing a bemused expression.

"Well, Howard, I see you have brought one of your sons with you. Back for more punishment?"

Howard looked over at his son who was standing a few feet away. "We have had enough of your games, Candy Man. We'll take you down and that's a promise."

"Ah, two against one. Such fair odds." the Candy Man sneered.

Howard signaled to Richie and they rushed at him simultaneously.

The Candy Man managed to dodge Richie and then unleashed a mental assault on Howard that flung him to the ground.

------------------------------

After a few minutes of digging, Ralph checked the sensors and the coordinates.

"Okay, we're in position. I've got us positioned at one end of the corridor. If you exit the airlock, you should be able to walk straight in, Pots."

Potsie got to his feet and grabbed the oxygen equipment. He one of the oxygen masks over his face, made sure the airflow was good and then grabbed the other one and entered the airlock at the rear of the vehicle.

"Okay, I'm ready. Open the outer hatch."

"Oxygen levels in there are almost non-existent. Be careful, Pots."

Potsie tensed slightly as he heard a hiss, then the door that was in front of him slid open, revealing an eerie darkness.

Turning on the floodlight built into the top of his mask, he could barely make anything out more than a foot in front of him. Climbing out and onto the ground, he treaded slowly, making sure he swept all possible corners of the passage.

After about another yard, Potsie found him slumped against one of the walls. Seeing no visible sign of movement from Chachi, he dropped his equipment and rushed forward.

Potsie flinched when he saw how pale his brother was. There was trickle of dried blood on the side of Chachi's head, along with a large knot where something must have struck him. His brother's wrists were also badly scraped and infected from what he could tell. Nervously, he checked Chachi's neck for a pulse and was relieved to find a steady but slow rhythm. He had to get Chachi on oxygen and fast.

Grabbing the extra oxygen mask he brought, Potsie leaned over and fitted it over Chachi's head, making sure that a flow of oxygen was started.

He watched intently for any response.

C'mon, Chach, come back to us.

-------------------------------

Chachi dreamed of angels and Fonziebirds.

In the back of his mind, he knew it was silly nonsense but that didn't matter. It was his favorite dream because he would always get to see his mom flying with beautiful white angel wings and a golden Halo. He would get to fly beside her in any of the Fonziebirds he chose which this time, he chose Fonziebird 3. He got into the cockpit and took off soaring into the clouds.

This time though, he could sense a difference with the dream. when he looked out of the cockpit, he couldn't find his mother anywhere.

"Wake up, Chach."

A whisper of a voice. He turned around to find the source of it and was surprised to find his mom sitting beside him. She looked sad, but no mistaking it- she was the one who spoke.

"You have to wake up now!"

Chachi's eyes flew open. He sat up, gasping and coughing, and found that an oxygen mask had been placed over his face. Looking up through the gloom, he saw Potsie standing over him, wearing oxygen gear of his own.

His brother leaned down and put a hand on his shoulder. "Easy does it, little brother. Take long, deep breaths."

Chachi did as he was told and soon pure oxygen was filling his lungs. It had felt so good after all of those hours with stale air.

Potsie looked relieved. "We've got to get you out of here. Do you think you can stand?"

Chachi slowly shook his head. He didn't even have the strength to lift his arms right now, let alone stand.

----------------------------

Potsie leaned down and grabbed him under the shoulders. He lifted him to a standing position, then wrapped a supporting arm under Chachi's shoulder blades. With some effort, Potsie was able to drag him the distance to the mole. Opening the airlock, Potsie dragged him inside where Ralph was waiting.

"Pots, you found him. Damn, he looks in bad shape."

Potsie removed his mask. "His pulse was extremely slow but he's responding to the oxygen. Help me strap him in and we'll get him out of here."

Ralph helped Potsie bring Chachi over to one of the seats and strapped him in.

After stowing away his oxygen equipment, Potsie rejoined Ralph in the cockpit of the Mole.

"Okay, let's get out of here," Potsie stated. "We have to check on Rich and Dad."

"F.O.N.Z." Ralph replied. He started the controls and proceeded to drill a way out through the opposite direction.

---------------------------------------

The fight wasn't going as well as Howard hoped. Every move that he and Richie made was easily being countered by the Candy Man.

He would either repel them with his mental power or unleash a series of martial arts moves that kept them at bay. One of those was a high kick that sent Richie sprawling to the ground at the Candy Man's feet.

Richie got to his feet unsteadily and faced him. "Well, it seems that the great 'Candy Man' can do more than hide behind his mind tricks."

"Richard," the Candy Man growled. "you try my patience."

In horror, Howard watched as the Candy Man waved his hands sharply. Richie seemed to be picked up like a rag doll then was quickly flung through the trees and disappeared from view.

"Richard!"

Winded, the Candy Man turned to stare at Howard. "Really now, your sons are like an annoying bunch of gnats, but I'll kill you all, even if I have to do it one by one."

Howard had enough. He couldn't lose another son to this maniac. He rushed the Candy Man and managed to get in a solid uppercut. The Candy Man staggered but remained standing, trying to shake off the effects.

---------------------------------------

Richie slowly stood from his vantage point and regained his senses. He had been propelled quite a few yards away and counted himself lucky that he wasn't hurt worse than his throbbing head.

"Rich!"

Hearing the voice, he turned to find Potsie running towards him.

"Potsie, is everything okay? Is Chachi-"

"He's alive, Rich. We've got to him in time. What about you and dad?"

He looked back towards the clearing. "He's still fighting with the Candy Man. Follow me."

Richie took off running back towards the clearing with Potsie hot on his heels. There wasn't a moment to lose. If he gave the Candy Man time to recover, he would just use his mind powers again. Blind with anger, Howard launched himself at the Candy Man, taking him down to the ground. Howard began punching him relentlessly.

After a few moments, Howard felt hands restraining him. Richie and Potsie's voices broke through the haze of his anger.

"Dad, no!"

"He's done. Dad, You've beaten him. Chachi's alive."

Breathing heavily, Howard hesitated. The Candy Man laid on the ground out cold. He felt no mental intrusions, felt no movement to indicate that the Candy Man may be hiding something-just the regular rise and fall of his chest to indicate that he was still breathing.

Howard had never intentionally killed a man before and he wasn't about to start now. He stood, then looked to his sons, whose faces were a mix of worry and concern.

He felt as if a great weight was lifted from his mind. "Chachi's alive?"

Potsie nodded. "He needs medical attention so we better move."

Howard quickly forced himself back in control of his emotions. "Potsie, I want you in Fonziebird 1 to take the Candy Man and drop him off with the Italian authorities. Warn them about his power so they can take precautions. Richard, use Fonziebird 3 and fly escort with him, then both of you return home. I'll go with Ralph in Fonziebird 2 to take Chachi to the hospital."

"F.O.N.Z," Richie replied motioning to Potsie. "Let's go."

As soon as Potise and Richie secured the Candy Man and took him away, Howard ran the distance over to Fonziebird 2 and boarded just as Ralph was loading the Mole on board.

Ralph saw him and gave him a hug. "Dad...I'm glad you're okay."

Howard felt the tension of his earlier confrontation starting to wane. "So am I. How's Chachi?"

Ralph sighed. "Weak and worked over. I have him already strapped in. The Candy Man did quite a number on him. It looks like he may have a concussion and the skin around his wrists is badly torn. We were just in time, Dad. Another hour and he would have been-"

His voice trailed off but Howard knew full well what his son meant.

Howard stepped into the cockpit and found Chachi strapped securely into one of the seats. He was pale, eyes closed and had an oxygen mask strapped to his face. The wounds on his son's head and wrists only served to stoke his anger but he was thankful that Chachi was alive.

Ralph soon came in behind him. "We need to get going, Dad. Better strap in."

Howard turned and took a seat beside Chachi. "Right. Get us of here, Ralph."

Ralph took the pilot's seat, quickly making his preflight checks. Once clear, he started the engines and quickly lifted off.

As the scenery of the old diamond mine faded from view, Howard settled back. This was one chapter of his life that he hoped was closed for good. Looking over at Chachi, he remembered that day by UWM when he told his son that there were some situations where you couldn't save everyone, even if it was someone you loved.

He was thankful that this wasn't one of them.

--------------------------------------------

a few hours later

Howard sat in a chair beside Chachi's hospital bed and watched him sleep. Chachi was hooked up to an oxygen machine and large white bandages covered his wrists and head which served as grim reminders of what he had been through in the past hours.

After Chachi was checked over and cleaned up, the doctor wanted to keep him under observation for twenty four hours due to the concussion he had sustained. Howard opted to stay with him, sending Ralph home to update Potsie and the others.

"Dad?"

Chachi opened his eyes and stared up at him.

Howard smiled. "Chachi. Good to see you awake. How are you feeling, son?"

His son groaned slightly. "Like I have been trampled on. Everyone else okay? What about the Candy Man and-"

"Hold it," Howard protested, "No questions will be answered until you get your rest. Doctors orders."

Chachi gave a tired smile and closed his eyes. "F.O.N.Z. You know, mom was watching out for me in the cave. She made me wake up after I fell asleep. It's almost as if she knew."

Moments later, he drifted slowly back into unconsciousness.

Howard watched him for quite some time before he yawned and realized that the events of the past hours had caught up with him as well.

He looked skyward for a moment. "We've got some great boys, you know, Marion. I wish you were here to see it but then again, you have been watching over us all along, haven't you?"

But somehow, Howard felt that he already knew the answer to that question.

Leaning heavily into the chair he was in, Howard closed his eyes and quickly fell asleep.

THE END