"Kei."
He stood there, one hand resting on his concealed handgun, the other gripping the doorknob tight so as not to fall over.
"Alexander Stark, I have not traveled nearly two thousand miles to stand at your door and have you stare at me like a dumbstruck school boy."
Alex lets go of the door, taking a step back. "I guess you want an explanation."
The smirk on Kei Nagase's face disappears. Replacing it is cool stare. The kind of look Alex had imagined was more at home behind a life support mask for times when on the tail of a fighter.
Not a look Alex ever wanted to be on the receiving end of.
Without warning, the look vanishes. "Actually, there are three things I want before you give me your explanation." Alex nods for her to continue. "First, I need to use the bathroom."
"Down the hall," Alex points.
Kei steps past him, leaving her olive drab duffle in the doorway. Alex reaches down, picking up the shapeless bag. Carefully he carries it inside, setting it in the living room. Sighing, he sits down on the couch and closes his eyes.
The tone and frequency increased as the Tomcat slid closer to the location of the radio distress beacon. Somewhere two thousand feet below, surrounded by snow, frozen trees, and Yuke troops, was a brave, scared pilot.
"Their firing at me!"
Suddenly the radio filled with static as the beacon indicator blanked out.
"That's a jammer craft."
Blaze ignored Chopper's remark, spying the dark colored middleweight airframe. Pitching up, he also ignored the screech of the radar warning receiver. His RIO shouted obscenities at him as a burst of cannon fire, then a rapidly moving object, shot past the canopy. The fighter was no bigger than a Tiger, yet had strange shaped wings, jutting forward from near the tail.
Spinning his head around, he saw the small jet blast past Chopper and Grimm. Its target was obvious: the helicopters of Sea Goblin.
"No!" Blaze yanked the throttle back and pitched up, flipping his fighter on its back amidst the screams of overstressed metal.
"Don't worry, we'll save your princess." In the distance, Blaze saw a green clothed figure being winched up to the helicopter. The tiny fighter spun, launching missiles. All struck the center helicopter.
'Nagase, you fly like that and you'll die real soon.'
Blaze rocketed forward, intent on revenge. He could barely see the little plane through the tears. Suddenly eight missiles streaked past him.
"Chopper! Archer! Break!"
His wingmen banked in opposite directions, but all eight missiles tracked Chopper's fighter. A black puff of smoke erupted around the plane.
"I can't make it! They're running me down!" Chopper's fighter spun as it plummeted to the stadium. It struck the center of the field, as civilians scrambled to escape the incoming aircraft.
"Captain, check six!" Blaze reacted to Grimm's command, and saw eight mottled grey fighters behind him. The double formation was escorting a large black megalith with a cruciform front. Grimm's fighter darted past before being obliterated by a brilliant flash of light from above.
'I'm not going to lose another flight lead.'
Blaze turned his fighter to meet the oncoming threat; placing himself between it and the city. He armed his missiles and charged straight for the tunnel, ignoring the flak towers and rain.
'... and then it dies.'
An explosion, brighter than the sun, bloomed above the city.
"Captain!" His fighter was rocked by the shockwaves, sending its crumpled form tumbling. "Blaze!" He fought with the stick and rudder, demanding, pleading the falling plane will respond. The ground grew closer with each passing breath.
"Alex!"
"Alex!"
His eyes snap open. It takes only a moment to realize he's breathing heavily. Kei kneels next to him, her jacket slung over the arm of the couch.
"Are you okay?"
"Yeah." Alex rubs his eyes, trying to forget the dream. "Yeah, I'm okay. Just a bad dream."
Kei gives him a somewhat hollow look. "The war?" He nods. "Me too."
Alex sighs. "Its over now. You said there were three things you wanted before hearing my explanation. What are Two and Three?"
Nagase sits down next to Alex.