Comrades in Arms
Disclaimer: All Gatchaman and Gatchaman-related characters are property of Tatsunoko Productions. No profit is being made from this story.
Author's Note: I'd like to say a big "Thank You!" to Springie, who's wonderful fanart, "Comforting the Swan", inspired this fic . Thank you, Springie for being such a talented artist and inspiration, and for allowing my creativity to blossom through yours.
To view "Comforting the Swan", please go to springie.deviantart.cm/art/Comforting-the-Swan-97578294 (cut-and-paste into browser, and add "o" to the .cm)
It looked as if it would be a typical mission with the typical results. In just a few minutes, Galactor's latest base would be completely destroyed by the explosives that had been strategically-placed by the Swan. All that was left for the Science Ninja Team to do now was to make their escape and return to the GodPhoenix
As Jun ran into the main room of the installation, successfully dodging the lifeless bodies of the Galactor troops that littered the floor, she called out her Commander's name.
"Ken! I've set the explosives. We have five minutes to vacate the base before they detonate." she reported.
The Eagle turned to the G3.
"Good job, Jun. Let's call Jinpei and get out of here."
A callous smirk crawled across the Condor's face as he thought about the fact that another Galactor stronghold was about to come to its demise.
"Jinpei!" Ken called over his communicator, "The explosives have been set. We need to vacate now. Do you have the discs that were stolen from the ISO research lab?"
A couple tense moments of silence filled the air. Ken was about to call the Swallow's name again when his bracelet came to life.
"Got it! The Great Swallow Jinpei has succeeded yet again!" the young boy's voice responded gleefully. The Condor could only roll his eyes at the Swallow's boast.
"Alright. Let's get out of here then, Team!" the Eagle commanded as he once again lifted his wrist to his chin and called for the Owl to bring the God Phoenix over to rendezvous with them.
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The Eagle, Condor, and Swan were almost to the base door when Jun's anguished voice called out Ken's name.
The Eagle stopped mid-step and turned to face the Swan.
"Jun, what's wrong?"
"It's Jinpei. He hasn't met up with us yet. Where could he be?"
"I'm sure he's fine, Jun. He probably took another route out." Joe broke in, slightly exasperated. It would be just like the Swallow to do something like that. He would do anything to be able to brag about his courage and heroism.
"Now let's get out of here before we give Galactor an early Christmas gift!" the Condor concluded.
The Eagle glared at his second.
"Wait, Joe. We need to make sure Jinpei's ok and has not gotten lost in this base." he reprimanded as he lifted his wrist once more.
"Jinpei!" Ken called into his communicator.
Nothing.
"G4, report!"
Silence, with slight sounds of static breaking through.
"Oh, Ken!" Jun cried. "We can't leave him here!"
Ken stood for a moment, nonplussed, weighing his options.
"Ken, there are less than 3 minutes left…" Joe advised him gruffly, but that seemed to be the last bit of information the Eagle needed to concrete his decision.
"I'm going after him." Ken announced, and immediately started running down the hall to what he knew had been Jinpei's last location.
"Ken! Are you crazy?? Let's get out of here!" the Condor shouted after him.
"No!" The Eagle called back. "I still have 2 minutes. You and Jun get out of here! That's an order!"
Grudgingly, the Condor conceded to the direct order given to him by his Commander. Joe then took Jun by the hand and continued both his and the Swan's flight to safety.
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Once outside, the Condor and the Swan stood facing the base. In her head, Jun nervously counted down the remaining time until the base would explode.
Joe stared at the building, stewing over the fact that Ken had gone to find Jinpei, when the boy was most likely already out and discovering all of the little creatures crawling around in the brush beside the installation.
Suddenly, Joe's bracelet went off.
"G2, come in!" It was Dr. Nambu and he sounded unnerved, which immediately raised the Condor's concerns.
"G2 here." he responded as evenly as he could.
"Joe! Where's Ken? I can't get ahold of him and I have urgent orders!"
"He and Jinpei are still in the base. There must be some sort of transmission blocker in the area they're in. We weren't able to contact Jinpei earlier either." Joe relayed.
"Ok, it's up to you and Jun then. We just found out that Galactor kidnapped some of the ISO scientists and civilian workers when they stole the discs from our laboratory. They're being held captive inside the base."
"What??" the Condor replied unbelievingly as Jun gasped in horror.
"Hakase, that base is set to blow in less than 2 minutes!" Jun cried in terror.
Nambu was silent for a quick second, then responded, "Do the best you can." before signing off.
Jun and Joe stared at each other for a second as their order sunk in and processed in their minds. Suddenly, Jun said, "Let's go." and she ran back towards the base.
"Jun, stop!" Joe yelled to her just as she was to step foot back inside the building. "It's a suicide mission!"
"We have to, Joe. We can't let all those innocent people die. They didn't ask to be here and we can't let them die at our hands without at least trying to save them."
The Condor swore under his breath, then took off after the Swan. Why did she always have to be right about these things? She was almost as bad as Ken.
As they quickly made their way back into the base, Joe tried to contact Ken and Jinpei again on their communicators, but, as before, there was only silence on the other end. Where were those two?
Once inside, Joe and Jun quickly surveyed the three possible corridors they could take, trying to figure out which path would lead to the prisoners.
"It can't be that way." Jun stated as she pointed off to the right. "That's the direction Jinpei went and he would have contacted us if he had seen anything even close to a holding area."
"And it can't be to the left," Joe continued, "That's where we were earlier, and there were definitely no prisoners or cell blocks there."
"So it must be the one straight ahead." Jun surmised, then grimly added, "There are only 60 seconds left."
"We need to try." the Condor replied, but even he knew the effort would be fruitless and that they would likely die in the process.
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Thirty seconds later, Joe and Jun found what they were looking for. In front of them was a door with a small sign above it indicating that Cell Block A was just beyond the barrier. Jun took her yo-yo out of her belt pocket and prepared to launch it at the door's lock.
"Jun, it's too late! We need to take cover!" Joe yelled urgently.
"No, we can do this!" Jun implored.
Just as the Condor leapt to grab the Swan and protect her in his wings, Jun threw the yo-yo at the door. The yo-yo made contact and the door exploded just as the remainder of the base did the same.
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"Jun… Are you ok?" Joe asked hoarsely as the dust and other fine particles settled around them. As he lifted his body off of hers, pieces of concrete and metal slid from his mantle.
"Yes, fine." the Swan replied somewhat weakly as she turned to face the Condor. "What about you?"
"I'm fine. Maybe a couple of bruises where the concrete hit, but nothing compared to some of the beatings I've taken from Galactor."
As the Condor stood up, Jun could see that that the entire base had been demolished; only pieces of the steel walls remained in their upright positions. The dark hallway they had been in just a few seconds ago had been replaced with streaming sunlight and the sight of the mountainous area around them.
Suddenly, all of Jun's capacities returned to her and utter horror filled her soul.
"Joe! The hostages!" she cried out as she jumped to her feet and started to turn toward the former cell block behind her.
"Jun! Don't!" Joe commanded as he quickly grabbed the Swan by the arm and forced her to turn her attention to him.
"Don't look over there. Please."
Jun was taken aback by the Condor's words, his intense blue-grey eyes pierced into her emerald ones, conveying the conviction he had for his request.
"Joe, why…" she started to ask, but it was then that she noticed the somber expression on his face.
Jun removed her arm from Joe's grip and turned around. A mournful cry escaped from her lips as she witnessed the devastating scene that surrounded them.
"They're all dead." Joe stated quietly as Jun surveyed the tragedy that lay in front of them. Her eyes welled instantly as she saw the ravaged lifeless bodies of the men and women they were supposed to save.
"We failed." Jun remarked as a sob caught in her throat, and suddenly she was weeping uncontrollably. Joe put a consoling hand on her shoulder, which only made her tears come harder and faster.
"They depended on us to save them and we failed them." The Swan's voice was barely a whisper between her sobs.
"We tried, Jun. We just didn't have enough…time." the Condor soberly responded.
"I only needed a couple more seconds… If only we had gotten here a few seconds earlier…" Jun lamented.
Joe's own distress was made worse by the Swan's pain. As he tried to console her again, he realized it wasn't only Jun whom he was trying to reassure.
"Jun, we got here as soon as we could. We just didn't have enough time."
Jun was silent as a new realization came on her.
"We killed them."
Joe grabbed Jun by her arm and spun her around, his grip tightening as she faced him.
"No! Don't say that! We didn't kill them!"
"Yes we did!" Jun broke in. "It was our bomb – my explosives - that destroyed this base. I killed them. I killed innocent people, people who were only doing their jobs, who…"
The Condor's eyes flashed.
"Jun, no! You didn't kill them.. We didn't kill them… It was Galactor. They are the ones responsible for this, not us. We only did what we had to do to disable Galactor and their plan. If they had never stolen the discs…" Joe trailed off as his eyes lifted from Jun and scanned the carnage around them. As his gaze fell on a mangled scientist's body just a few feet from their position, Joe saw the man's ISO ID badge still attached to what had been a white laboratory coat just a few moments earlier. Instantly, the Condor's usually unflappable confidence shook. With all of the battles they had fought, with all of the civilians who had been injured or killed, it had never struck him like this. Joe was well-aware that innocent people had perished in the Science Ninja Team's battles against Galactor, but he had always known it was not due to his or the team's failures. But this time it was and suddenly the idea of "collateral damage" took on whole new meaning to him. As these thoughts quickly ran through his mind, the Condor could feel his shock and sadness turn into a new fury towards the terrorist group that had been the cause of this.
Joe was shaken out of his introspection when he heard someone shouting his name.
"Joe! Jun! Are you ok?" Ken called as he arrived at the scene. "When you didn't rendezvous at the GodPhoenix after the base blew, we…."
Ken stopped short as he caught the expression on his gunner's and demolition expert's faces. His eyes followed theirs until they landed on the carnage surrounding them.
"What happened?" the Eagle asked awe-struck.
Joe relayed the events that had led up to their current situation, then paused. As the anger within pulsed through his veins, Joe suddenly realized that his rage was not only for Galactor, but also for Ken. The Condor glared at his Commander and bitterly added, "Hakase was looking for you, Ken. Where the hell were you?"
Ken was visibly taken aback by Joe's insinuated accusation, to the point that he physically took a half-step backwards. Indignation rose within the Eagle, but as he was about to lambaste the Condor for his disrespect, understanding came to him.
As much as it was perceived that Joe wanted to have more control on the team, the truth was that Joe knew Ken was the best person for the rank of Commander. He understood that Ken alone had the required mix of skill, training, knowledge, logic, and strategic understanding the G1 position demanded. And although Joe could hold his own and was a qualified Second-in-Command, Ken also knew that Joe never wanted the responsibility of the team or its actions falling solely on his shoulders.
The knowledge of this inner insecurity led to Ken's understanding of the Condor's resentment and where it was currently emanating from. Ken, the Commander, hadn't been around to act on a critical order, and now that that operation had failed, the Condor didn't want to accept the responsibility of perceived failure.
The Eagle looked solemnly at the scene that surrounded the three ninjas and realized just how traumatic an experience it had been for both the Condor and the Swan.
"Joe, Jun, I'm sorry I wasn't here." he began apologetically. "I found Jinpei – he was safe, just in an area where transmissions were being blocked. Hakase must have tried to contact me just as I reached him, which was why he couldn't get ahold of me. Jinpei and I found a side entrance to the base and escaped through it." Ken paused for a moment, then added, "I had no idea Hakase was trying to contact me or the order he was going to give."
Joe glared venomously at Ken, while Jun responded, "Thank goodness Jinpei is ok. Where is he now?"
"He's on the GodPhoenix with Ryu. When the base exploded and you and Joe were nowhere to be seen, we thought…." Ken's voice trailed off, but then he continued, "I told him to stay on the ship while I came out to look for you."
"Well, here we are and look at all you missed," the Condor sarcastically replied.
Ken looked decisively at the G2 and G3. When he spoke next, the commanding voice of Gatchaman came out.
"I'll notify Hakase of the situation and have him request that recovery teams be dispatched to this location. Joe, Jun, you're both dismissed."
"What?" Jun asked, thinking she had misheard. Usually after a mission, they would all return to the GodPhoenix together, where Ken would inform Hakase of the outcome of their mission and they would celebrate their victory over Galactor. Suddenly it occurred to Jun that there would be no celebrating today, as they may have defeated their enemy, but an all too-high price had been paid.
"Dismissed." Ken repeated authoritatively. "You and Joe are relieved of further duty for today. I'll remain here and wait for the recovery team to arrive. Now go back to the GodPhoenix."
"Come on, Jun. Let's go." the Condor coaxed the Swan, his temper having eased with Ken's decision to finish out the final stages of the mission on his own. The Swan nodded and dutifully followed the Condor from the scene.
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Jun blindly followed Joe as they walked in silence, both lost in their own thoughts. The Condor finally stopped when they reached the sandy shores of the island the base had been located on.
The Swan halted by his side.
Joe and Jun gazed out to the sprawling ocean in front of them. The sun was beginning to prepare for its slow descent into the horizon, which would then signal that nightfall would come shortly. Without a sound, Joe lifted his hands to the sides of his head and slowly removed his helmet, allowing his caramel-colored hair to spill out over the top of his cowl. As he held the helmet in his left hand, letting it dangle at the side of his body, Jun wordlessly removed hers too, her ebony curls cascading onto her shoulders. She held onto her helmet tightly with both hands in front of her body, as if seeking comfort and strength from it.
Jun and Joe continued to stare at the ocean in silence, a gentle sea breeze catching their hair, lifting it gently off their respective shoulders. Jun took a deep breath and pursed her lips.
"Joe…" she finally said, a slight waver in her voice. Without waiting for him to respond, she continued, "Joe, I'm quitting the team."
Joe immediately turned and faced the Swan.
"What??" he asked, completely shocked.
"I'm quitting the team." Jun repeated more confidently.
"What do you mean you're quitting the team? You can't quit the team!"
"Yes, I can and I am." Jun responded. "I can't do this anymore. The death, the destruction. All at our hands."
Jun paused for a moment and moved her eyes to the Condor's, which looked back at her with shock and disbelief. She quickly returned her gaze to the ocean waters in front of her.
"We all know that this war is far from over," she continued. "We all know there will be more innocent lives lost. I don't want to be responsible for that."
"Jun…" Joe began.
"No." Jun cut in as she turned to face him again. Her emerald green eyes bore into Joe's blue-grey ones, imploring him to let her continue.
"Let me finish... All of those people who died back there… They had families, children. We're responsible for them not returning to their loved ones tonight. And what if in that cellblock was a husband and wife team? There may be children who will never see their parents again because we failed in our mission. I don't want to be responsible for that anymore, Joe. I can't be responsible for that. We both know what it's like to be an orphan, along with all of the issues and traumas that go with it. Joe, you know better than I what it's like to lose your parents because of Galactor. I don't want to inflict that kind of pain on another innocent child. Like the innocent child you were. I want them to have what I never had. And to not lose what you lost. That's why, when we get back, I'll be handing in my resignation to Hakase."
"Jun…" Joe started, but was cut off once again.
"Please don't try to convince me otherwise, Joe. I've made my decision."
"And so have I." Joe finally stated.
"Huh? What decision have you made?" Jun asked confused.
Now it was Joe's turn to look into Jun's eyes.
"I've also decided to quit the team."
"What? Why??" the Swan asked astounded.
A smirk crossed the Condor's face, but it vanished as quickly as it had appeared.
"Because I agree with you about the unnecessary killing." he began. "It's not fair for other children to go through the pain that I did."
Joe paused, reflected for a moment, then continued.
"Since I was eight, I've focused my entire being on exacting revenge on Galactor for my parents' death. The Science Ninja Team is supposed to protect the planet and its inhabitants, and after what we saw today, are we really protecting anyone? What good is it if all I'm doing is killing more people and causing more pain? It will only make my justice their injustice."
Jun stood silent, contemplating this for a moment. Suddenly, understanding swept over her.
"Joe, we can't quit!" she cried out. "Don't you see? By fighting against Galactor, we are protecting the people of this planet! That is exactly why we need to continue the fight. We need to defeat Galactor so what happened to you and what happened here today doesn't happen to other people and families."
Joe put his helmet, which he still held in his hand, on the soft sand beside him. Gently, he took the Swan's helmet from her hands and placed it on the ground next to his.
Joe smirked knowingly as he turned back to Jun. He took the Swan in his arms, whispering proudly in her ear, "You are a smart girl, Jun. And you're right - that is exactly why we need to continue to fight."
"So you won't quit?" she asked.
"Nope." the Condor responded. "What about you?"
"No way! I'm in this war until the very end."
The Condor smiled as he and the Swan stood on the beach, embraced in each other's arms as the sun began to set, changing the colors of the sky from milky blue to hues of red and amber. Jun turned her body so she could watch the sun kiss the water, the orb's final act of the day. Joe continued to embrace her from behind, his arms wrapped around her waist, his chin resting on her shoulder.
"Joe?" the Swan finally asked, breaking their silence.
"Yes?"
"You never intended to quit the team, did you?" she questioned him.
"No." the Condor responded quietly, his lips only a few inches from her ear.
Knowing what the Swan was going to say next, the Condor tightened his embrace and added, "How can you deny that I always know the right thing for you to do?"
Jun smiled. Just as she was going to respond, a familiar voice called their names.
"Joe! Jun! Are you here?"
It was Ken.
The two comrades in arms were about to break their embrace when the Eagle appeared.
"Are you…?" Ken began, but cut himself off when the Condor and Swan turned towards him, still entwined in each other's arms.
Jun's green eyes pierced Ken's blue ones with an expression of guilt. Joe glared, annoyed at Ken for interrupting his and Jun's time together. Ken's eyes dropped and he noticed that Jun's white-gloved right hand rested on top of Joe's blue-gloved left.
"Ken!" Jun exclaimed.
Ken glared back at the Condor.
"We need to start heading back to Utoland." the Eagle informed them, disappointment evident in his voice.
"Ken! I… I mean, we…. Uhhh…" Jun stammered. She quickly broke away from the Condor and picked up her helmet from the sand.
"Let's just get back to the GodPhoenix." Ken ordered the G2 and G3. Joe swore under his breath as he picked up his own helmet and placed it back on his head, the Swan already making her way back to their original rendezvous point.
As the Condor walked past Ken, he growled, "You sure know how to ruin a good thing..."
The Eagle glared at his Second as he quietly responded, "Yes, you certainly do."
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