Take the beautiful sting of a Scorpion
The God Phoenix swooped down from the sky, obviously surprising the Galactor mecha that was currently in the process of destroying an otherwise peaceful-looking Swiss village.
"What the hell is that thing?" Joe asked.
"I think it's a scorpion." I muttered, shaking the sleepiness from my brain. I hadn't gotten much sleep, and had actually been out on a night flight when Dr. Nambu had summoned us all to the Crescent Coral Base for this mission.
"Didn't they have a scorpion a couple of months ago?" Joe protested.
"That was a beetle." Jinpei pointed out. "I should know; the damn thing swallowed me."
"Maybe he's thinking about those horrible ants!" Jun suggested.
"And there was that lobster thing underwater." Ryu added.
"Whatever!" Joe grumbled. "Why can't Katse come up with a mecha that actually looks like a mecha for a change?"
"It's an obvious side effect of his insanity." Jun smirked. "Now, if only we could convince him to make a bunny mecha, we'd be all set."
I smiled briefly at her attempt to lighten the mood. It was much appreciated, as it helped clear my mind from its foggy depression. I needed to concentrate on the task at hand.
"Okay, Ryu, let's get its attention." I ordered.
"I think we've already got it!" Ryu stated, pulling back hard on the console levers and sending the God Phoenix shooting up into the sky, narrowly avoiding the stinger on the scorpion's tail. The images of the Swiss Alps on the viewscreen rotated, as our ship turned so that it was perpendicular to the ground.
"I just want to shoot some birds at that thing and go home!" yawned Joe. "I could use some sleep before my big race tomorrow."
"Be my guest." I sighed in seeming reluctance. Actually, I thought it was a good idea, but I didn't want Joe to think that he was pulling one over on me. It's hard working keeping the Condor in line.
Grinning to himself, Joe actually waited for the glass covering to retract before depressing the red launch button. A Bird Missile sailed toward the scorpion mecha, hitting it directly in the face… or whatever that part was that looked kind of like a head.
Unfortunately, despite Joe's accuracy, the missile had apparently done little, if anything, to damage the mecha. Instead, the eyelids on the scorpion opened, and red laser beams shot out at our position. It took all of Ryu's piloting skills to keep us safe.
"That's been happening much too often, recently." Joe yelled, slamming his fist into the control panel. "I think we need to upgrade these Bird Missiles. I feel like I'm playing with a pop gun!"
"We'll just have to take it out from the inside, then." I said calmly. I was just as frustrated as Joe was, but I couldn't allow myself to show it. There were times when my anger threatened to spill forth, but I usually couldn't afford that luxury. I knew that among the team it gave me the reputation of being somewhat emotionless, but I supposed that was the price I had to pay, being the leader of the Science Ninja Team.
"That's easier said than done, Ken!" Ryu pointed out through gritted teeth. It was clear that the Owl was stretching his abilities to the limit to avoid both the stinger and the laser beams.
"Point taken, Ryu." I said. "Joe, Jinpei, get out there in your G-machines and provide some distraction for Ryu. Jun and I will infiltrate the mecha and set some charges. Everyone be back here in twenty minutes."
"Roger!"
88888
I rose up to the dome at the top of the God Phoenix, with Jun standing beside me. I felt confident having the Swan with me, partly because of her familiarity with Galactor mecha design and explosives, but also because Jun always made me feel more confident. I never admitted it to anyone, but I often paired myself with her on missions, because of this. When I was with Jun, I felt like I could do anything…
It was this thought that filled my mind, as we soared through the air, gliding down to the Galactor mecha below us. I spotted an entrance hatch, and flew toward it, certain that Jun was following, without having to look back. The Swan was like that: I could always count on her, no matter the situation.
I tugged at the hatch, but it wouldn't budge. I felt a gentle nudging at my side, and turned to see Jun smiling softly as her white wings whipped in the wind. She pulled me back behind her, then shot out her yo-yo at the hatch, causing a small explosion. The blackened door opened easily after that.
We slipped through the base, easily taking out the few goons we came across. Between my Birdrang and Jun's yo-yo, we were an unstoppable team.
I almost halted in my tracks, thinking that. I had never realized it, but it was true. We were both on the Science Ninja Team, but in a way, Jun and I were a team within the team. We balanced out each other's strengths and weaknesses, and worked perfectly together.
Maybe that's why we were the ones with the white wings.
I chased these thoughts from my mind, concentrating on the task at hand. I was certain that Jun would not be distracted in this manner while on the job, and neither should I be.
We stopped at a nearby computer terminal, and Jun accessed the high security Galactor system as easily as a normal person would access their bank account from an ATM. But I didn't have time to admire her skill: I was keeping an eye out for more soldiers.
"I think I've found the main reactor." the Swan said, moving away from the terminal. "One hundred meters in that direction, about forty meters below us."
"Then let's go." I suggested.
The reactor was exactly where Jun had thought it would be. Again, I kept an eye out while she re-wired circuits and deployed an explosive device with a timer set to go off in five minutes.
"Time to go." she announced, turning to leave.
"I don't think so…" a familiar voice echoed through the high-ceilinged chamber.
Katse.
