Jimmy looked out into the blackness as he finished equipping his space suit. The unease inside him only grew with every passing second. His work was done. He didn't have to go out there.

Except he did. He couldn't turn his back on this, not after seeing what he'd done. He had to fix it by destroying it, and if one last trip into outer space was the way to do it, he was going to brave the silence, the darkness, and the void.

Because he was the one who made it possible, the only one who knew, and now the only one who could stop it.

Seven sockets. Seven sockets for seven jewels which could amplify light beyond belief. He knew enough laser theory to see where it was going.

Red, orange, yellow, green, blue, indigo, and violet did not make a rainbow. They made a fucking prism of blinding white light. They made the perfect weapon. And he had to destroy it and then figure out how to overcome the real problem.

The people responsible for it.

One step at a time. Because he wasn't about to confront them like an idiot. He had a lot to lose. He didn't want his family endangered. They had to figure out how to end this together. He was only setting the first stepping stone.

"Jimmy, what are you doing? You're going out?"

Roberta's voice froze him for a fraction of a second, but he resumed putting on his gear.

"Yeah. I miscalculated something and I need to fix it." He turned to her and gave a reassuring smile.

She didn't look reassured with her bunched up eyebrows and scrunched nose, twisting her index finger around a black curl. Jimmy wasn't sure if he was being paranoid since he was basically planning sabotage, but something about her seemed off.

"I have serious doubts that you miscalculated anything," she finally said. There seemed to be something off about her voice as well. "I know how much you hate going out, so this must be serious."

"Hey, I can screw up, too. And I'm not going to leave a mess behind."

Roberta checked her watch. "We're taking off in four hours. Isn't it a bit risky?"

"This will take one hour tops." He actually planned on it taking about fifteen minutes and she was seriously delaying him. But he had to make sure that if played gremlin, no one would have time to go out and fix it before they left.

"Want me to come with you?"

That sounded more like her, but he shook his head. "I know how much you hate it out there, too. You don't have to go out just because I can't screw properly."

She covered her mouth to subside a low chuckle, then she frowned again, this time in concentration. She strode to him and put her hand on his shoulder. He could barely feel it through the thickness of the material.

"I'm sure you can actually screw properly."

"That's what she said."

Roberta really laughed this time and squeezed his shoulder harder. "Speaking of which, what are you going to do when you get home?" she asked.

He raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"

"I mean about your life, your ex, that sort of thing."

The question was more than surprising. "I'm not sure. I guess we'll face it as we go."

"We?"

He shrugged. "Yeah. Jessie and I usually figure our stuff out together." Then he realized Roberta was confused about something else. "We're back together. The rest usually smooths itself out."

Roberta's eyes flashed and she seemed to be gritting her teeth. Her hold on him tightened, then loosened, as if she couldn't decide what to do with him.

Finally, she huffed. "You men are such idiots. As a general rule." And just like that, she turned tail and walked out.

Jimmy only started for a second before continuing to equip his tool belt and secure his air supply and the chord that would ensure he didn't drift off into space. The unease inside him only grew after the strange interaction, but he didn't have time to turn back or figure out women. As a general rule.

So he put his helmet on, opened up the doorway into nothingness and hopped out. He didn't think he could ever get used to the sensation of the void, of how it seemed to not touch him, yet crush him at the same time. To have no support, no semblance of control, nothing to count on.

But he bit the insides of his cheeks and once his feet hit the surface of the station, he propelled himself as far as possible, towards the first of the sockets. Having spent so much time fixing one of these things, he'd figured out a million ways to sabotage them. A wire here, a bad angle there, faulty hydraulics... Because these things were meant to spin, capture light and then focus it. All he needed to to was make them focus inward and destroy the very thing trying to fire them.

The motions were familiar, and even if his hands were coated in thick gloves, he could still make swift work of his target. Minutes ticked by as he altered one socket, then two, then three. By the time he was done with the fourth, he started feeling a little lightheaded.

"What the hell?" he mumbled to himself, checking his watch. He'd only been out for half an hour and he'd linked his air supply to the station instead of coming out with a limited amount, so there was no way he was running out.

Except breathing was becoming increasingly hard. He blinked, wondering if it was all in his head. His airline was still there, he could see it. But his body didn't believe his eyes. His heart started beating faster, consuming more oxigen, and his lungs started to burn.

There was only one explanation. Someone had closed the valve from the inside.

"Shit." Four sockets would have to do. So the thing wouldn't shoot itself, but after what he'd done, there was a decent chance it would explode either way.

He kicked off the socket and towards the entrance to the station. It was only twenty feet away, but his vision was getting blurry. His entire body seemed to be failing and his mind was somewhere between total panic and trying to reason that he was just a few feet away from air. He could do this.

Except the strength of his kick had been much lower than he'd planned, and the closer he came to the door, the more he was slowing down. He wrapped his fingers around his lifeline, willing his grip to be strong, and pulled as hard as he could.

The cable rushed towards him, detached from the surface of the station. In a haze, he watched it floating, just like him, with nothing to hold it to any surface. He was six feet from the door. He could see shadows moving beyond it. And yet, there was nothing he could do about it. Nothing to grab, nothing to push, and all the flailing in the world made no difference, because there was no air to put up any resistance, no gravity to pull him down.

Just void. Everything was just nothingness.

His mind jammed as his lungs screamed for air. There was none left. And as his vision blackened together with his mind, infinite space was all that was left.

♠️

Jerry's heart started hammering, a sense of nervousness overwhelming him. It had happened before, so he knew it had nothing to do with him. Sure, he was a little impatient himself, more than ready to get out of there and see Earth again, but this was Jimmy.

So he dropped the last of his luggage and rushed out of their quarters, wondering where to start searching. The station wasn't too big, but enough for him to lose about twenty minutes if not more to go around, and for some reason, he felt like there was not enough time. Urgency enveloped him, twisting his insides in a painful ball of anxiety.

The emptiness inside him didn't let him think properly. It was all-consuming and hallow, like Jimmy had described being out in space.

"Out," he whispered.

The word sent him into a fit of panic because it felt right, as if Jimmy was surely out there and this time something was wrong. He rushed towards the exit, into the airlock module. One quick look out the window and his pulse shot up so fast and so strong, his vision blurred for a few seconds.

He hadn't been wrong. Jimmy really was out there, not moving, floating in space, most likely unconscious. Why was he out there? Why was he unconscious?

The questions floated around his mind but were answered once his eyes darted to the air supply. The valve was closed. And it was more than obvious that Jimmy hadn't gone out there without air.

Betrayal. But who? The question was replaced by a much more important one.

How long had it been?

Dreading the answer, Jerry grabbed the valve and tried turning it. It wouldn't move and he had no time to try further. He took a helmet and a pair of gloves and quickly put them on. He didn't have time to equip the entire space suit and he just needed air for the few seconds it would take him to grab his twin's safety chord and pull him back.

Without giving himself time to second-guess his poor decision, he grabbed on to an iron wrung next to the exit and pressed the button releasing the hatch.

His body instantly froze. His teeth clattered and his fingers curled, even if they were still warm inside his gloves. The vacuum seemed to be drawing the soul out of him and the vastness of space called out like a siren.

Gritting his teeth, he pushed back the initial shock and unlocked his limbs. If he didn't move, he had every chance to join Jimmy and become a space icicle.

"Nope, nope, nope," he kept muttering as he reached out.

He seemed to be moving in slow motion, but he'd appreciated correctly, so his fingers wrapped around the chord securing his brother. He pulled as hard as he could and was satisfied to see the body floating towards him.

"Grant, what the--?" Lee Hannigan's voice came and went in a fit of coughing and wheezing.

Jerry ignored this, pulled Jimmy in and reactivated the airlock. Gravity took over again and they both dropped to the floor. Jerry waited, counting for the time it took the room to pressurize, then took his helmet off as well as Jimmy's. His brother was deathly pale, his skin cold and tinged blue.

Jerry took greedy breaths, trying to assess the damage, figure out a solution. His helmet hadn't been cracked, which meant that, if they were lucky, it was just suffocation. Not ideal, but depressurization would've caused a lot more serious health issues.

Jerry took his brother's pulse and everything froze all over again. There was nothing.

"What the hell? Do you two think you can do whatever you fucking please here?"

Lee was back, as unpleasant and useless as ever.

"Help me take him to the infirmary." Jerry's teeth clattered, but the words were intelligible. He needed machines, a ventilator...

"He's out?" Lee asked, seeming interested for once.

The idiot wasn't moving.

Jerry started pushing Jimmy's chest, then breathing air into his lungs as best as he could.

"No, Jimmy, come on," he whispered between rounds of mouth to mouth.

Hannigan came over, kneeling next to them, but Jerry couldn't pay attention, his hearing fuzzy, his heart beating wildly. This couldn't be happening. They were feet away from the infirmary. He should try to drag him there, but he wasn't sure he could stand. And if Jimmy wasn't breathing...

With the next blow, Jerry could feel his twin's chest expanding and Jimmy took in a wheezing breath.

Hope nestled in Jerry's heart as he continued resuscitation. There you go, come on, you have so much to live for. You said you wanted to propose to Jessie. Don't do this to her.

"Move over, I have exactly what he needs."

Jerry raised his eyes a moment before Lee Hannigan's hand caught him in the chest and pushed him on his butt.

"No, what are you--"

The words died on Jerry's lips as the syringe in Lee's hand sunk into Jimmy's neck.

"I'm saving him!" Lee said with a pride only fitting for an incredibly obtuse person in a situation like their.

Jimmy's chest rose again and he took in a deep breath...

"See? You're not the only genius."

... right before he started seizing.

"You damn idiot!" Jerry yelled, getting to his feet. "What was in that thing?"

Lee stared with wide eyes. "Wait, I have--"

"I don't give a shit! You're only touching him to help me get him to the infirmary."

Lee didn't listen, just took out another syringe, its body white and clinical. Even if Jerry was panicking out of his mind and knew time was of the essence, rage took hold of him.

He drew his fist back and slammed it against Lee's jaw as hard as he could. The man's eyes rolled into his head and he fell over, unconscious. Jerry stepped on the syringe, breaking it and letting the milky white liquid seep out.

He then wrapped his arms under Jimmy's and pulled him out of the airlock and towards the infirmary. It was hell with his twin's body jerking in all directions, but he no longer dared to call for help. They weren't safe up there. Who knew who had sabotaged Jimmy?

"Jerry, what happened?" Cynthia rushed out of the infirmary and helped him drag Jimmy in faster.

He avoided answering, grateful for the help, but unsure if he could trust shy, silent Cynthia.

They managed to finally get Jimmy up on the cot. The moment his back hit the plastic, all movement seized.

"Oh, crap. Cynthia, get the defibrillator." He started undoing the space suit, wishing he had a knife or gardening scissors or something.

But his fingers already knew their way around each fastening and soon he reaches Jimmy's t-shirt. That's when he used the surgical scissors to cut it open and spread gel on his chest.

"Now Cynthia!"

"Clear," she said and zapped Jimmy.

The shock of it seemed to tear through Jerry, go down his spine and paralyze him, but he could also tell it hadn't worked. He connected the heart monitor to his twin and it was confirmed.

"Again!"

"Clear."

"Again."

"Clear!"

Jimmy's body jerked, but the line stayed flat. Jerry grit his teeth together, cursing inside his head more than he ever had. For once cursing, not praying.

"Up the voltage."

"We'll fry him," she said, her voice shaky.

"Just do it." He took the paddles from her and used them himself.

Technically, Cynthia was right. The voltage was too high to be safe. But Jimmy had the serum, and as Jerry stuck the paddles to his chest, he prayed for the first time that day.

That this would work. That Jimmy would come back to him and not disappear, leaving a giant void behind.

Jimmy's body jerked even harder and when he fell back on the cot, Jerry knew this was it. He couldn't do that again, or he'd really do some damage.

The line stayed flat and Jerry's mind went numb. Then something beeped for a second before the deafening beep of the flat line broke through the silence again. It took close to a minute before there was a small beep again.

"Is he...?" Cynthia whispered.

Jerry refused to answer, because it gave him too much hope. This time, it only took about thirty seconds between beeps. Then twenty, then ten.

The machine was as confused as them, but Jimmy finally seemed to have a heartbeat. The vice around Jerry's soul seemed to loosen and he could finally take one deep breath.

He froze again once he turned to Cynthia and ended up staring into the barrel of a gun.

"What just happened?" she asked, her voice trembling. "Why was he equipped to go outside? We're supposed to be leaving."

He raised his hands. "I don't know. All I know is that someone cut off his air supply and then Hannigan injected him with something that caused the cardiomyopathy." There was no point hiding it anymore. If she was part of it, she'd shoot him anyway.

Cynthia's hands shook, but she didn't lower the gun. "It was Roberta. I saw her coming out of the airlock. Most likely Lee put her up to it. Look, I don't know what all this is and I don't care. I'm an aerospace engineer, I work for NASA, and all I want is to go home."

"I'll take you home, Cynthia. I want to go, too. You can trust me." He kept his voice as soothing as possible, unable to process that someone could be afraid of him.

"I wish I could, Jerry, because I like you, really, but you're also with them." She nodded towards Jimmy and Jerry knew this to mean Agency.

"That doesn't matter anymore. Not after what just happened. Please, I just want to take my brother home."

"Will Lee and Roberta let you?"

She made a very good point, but he'd knocked out Lee and as much as he hated it, he'd do the same to Roberta. The woman had almost killed his brother. Not even taking into consideration that all the time without oxygen could've had serious consequences on his brain activity.

Oh God, don't let him be a vegetable.

"I'll take care of that," he found himself saying. "I'll take care of everything."

And as it turned out, he did. With Cynthia's help, he loaded everyone in the space ship and headed back home. Whatever happened next, at least he would have the rest of his brothers with him.

♠️

The news that Sam and Skye were getting married left everyone speechless. Angie longed for Jerry to be there and present the one thousand and one reasons why that was fucked up.

But, as it was, everyone was happy and excited for them, even Tom. On some level, so was she, because she'd never seen Sam as happy or as confident as he seemed now. But it opened a wound she'd been trying to stitch ever since she'd left Cairo.

Sam and Skye were happy. Kyle and Kay were back in the honeymoon stages, Kyle most likely once again planning his own proposal. Even Jessie was bouncing around with a huge grin on her face at the thought that she will be seeing Jimmy in a couple of days.

That only left her and how Tom had torn her apart. How could he take it back like that? Unbreak up with her, as he put it? It didn't go like that. No take backs.

What did it even mean? Were they together now since she hadn't technically broken up with him? The confusion was giving her a headache and trekking through the desert didn't help. A mild sandstorm had stirred, making it very hard to see ahead of them.

Sam's strategy of filing out was even more useful, but Angie hated being alone, sand whipping his face, settling on her tongue. Especially since her head hurt, she was constantly thirsty, and all her stupid mind could focus on was Tom.

If he didn't want to break up with her, why wasn't he doing anything? She was giving him the cold shoulder, but when had that ever stopped him? He liked the chase. He liked to tease and test, not respect her options.

She hadn't even come forward with an option. Until a few days ago, she didn't even have one. Which made everything so much easier.

The sand seemed to lodge into her brain and she was so thirsty. She pulled out the last water bottle and drained the mouthful still in there. The water reinvigorated her instantly for a few minutes, after which she became even thirstier.

She had nothing left. It was so annoying, just like that time she was in Montana and kept needing water because... Because she'd been an idiot, and focused as she was on other things, she drank the water she'd confiscated from Kay. Their evidence to uncover a potential Agency plot was gone, in her system, driving her insane.

The wind blurred her hearing and the sand imparted her vision. She squinted, but she couldn't see anyone. Along the way, she'd fallen behind and was now probably half-delirious.

Mountains of sand fell upon her, the howling wind beating her battered body, surrounding her in a chill reminiscent of death. Everything fell around her, like puzzle pieces being ripped out of a painting.

She was doomed.

♠️♠️♠️

I just want to crawl under a bridge and die there...

I rather enjoyed this climax when I wrote it, especially the first part. Theories? Guilty parties? Fixes?

Lemme know. Don't forget to leave a vote.