Chapter 21

Jun had tried for weeks to reach out to Joe, after all they had been through he chose to shut her out because they whole team know his secret. It hurt her that he no longer sort out her company. Choosing to spend his days when they weren't on a mission alone brooding.

A visit to his trailer resulted in her being pushed further away from him. He grunted and then grabbed his car keys and bolted out the door asking her to lock it behind her. Jun became more frustrated with him and his self pity, and sat down on the step to calm down. That he would that after all they had been through together and treat her like he didn't understand.

He arrived back at the trailer moments later…

Jun glared at the Condor as she spoke. "Care to explain what happened just then?"

"Jun I'm sorry." Bitterness seeped into his voice- crouching down in front of her his eyes filled with regret. "I have a feeling I might not live through this war, my body was rebuilt for a purpose…"

"Don't say that Joe." She said looking up into his steel grey eyes, he looked more confused and mixed up than she felt.

"I'm not what I used to be Jun, accept it, I'm coming to terms with it…Don't you see I'm no longer human." Joe stood up and turned away from her.

"That not true Joe and you know it! You feel human emotions don't you…" She tried to make him see, Joe just became more stubborn.

"No, I don't feel anything…"His voice became hard, and devoid of all emotion." I told you I'm just a robot, stop wasting your time with me." He said gruffly jumping back into his car he gunned the engine. She could see the hurt in his face, without even glancing in her direction he drove off again in a ball of dust, leaving deep tire tracks in the dirt.

She got angry and followed him on a mission he tried to do alone after he punched Ken to stop him from going with him. He began to slowly come around after a few more missions…

Jun opened her eyes to refocus on her routine. The rest of the team had left a few minutes before, Jun stood poised on the platform ready to make a graceful triple summersault during her gymnastics' work out, and she felt him watching her during the routine work out.

Looking up at the end of the routine she saw Ken standing at the edge of the mat, she had caught him doing that a lot of late, watching her with that intense gaze. Especially since they came back from that mission in the mountains, and she became weak from the extreme cold Joe had saved her, while he held her he whispered into her ear that they could never be anything than just friends. Jun at least told him he is her best friend in an attempt to make him see he still she still cared about him. The warmth of his body kept her alive. When the rest of them showed up he handed her over to Ken and he held her like he didn't want to let her go.

Bringing her back to the present Ken gave a brief nod of approval.

He moved onto the mat still watching her. "You've improved." He said moving fluidly into a fighter's stance she mirrored the move. "Now let's see if those new techniques have sunk in."

Watching him closely she found and opening and closed the gap between them to deliver a side kick to his abdomen.

Ken moved like lighting, not only did she miss the target he swept the other leg from under her causing her to crash to the ground with him landing on top of her hard against the soft floor of the gym. Ken locked down her arms while Jun worked through her mind to find a way out of his strong grip.

Her body tensed while he waited to see what she would do next… Jun gritted her teeth- Ken looked relaxed which irritated her more.

She wrapped her left leg around his, relaxed herself momentarily she pulled her hand out of his grip enough to throw him off her then she did a back flip and moved in for the kill again…

The silent fight between them went on for some time between them eventually he got her into a tight head lock. She relaxed once more so she could slip out of his grip like did moments before, but Ken, ready for the move flipped her over and she crashed onto the mat once more taking control of the fight.

"This is how you like Ken isn't it." She whispered pinned under his body.

"What makes you say that?" He asked staring into her eyes.

"Control… you have to be in control of everything…" She said not moving, he shifted his weight, and through the thin fabric of their gym workout clothes she could feel his strength and hard muscular body against hers.

"Is that such a bad thing?" He quizzed her still holding her arms apart, in a firm grip.

"You can't always have control over everything in life Ken…one day you'll realize that." Jun said.

"I have to be in control, if I'm not we fall apart as a team." Ken said she could feel the warmth of his breath on her face, the rippling of muscles beneath his shirt made her feel like jelly, for the first time she really noticed how much he had bulked up. She wished she could take his shirt off…just for a glimpse at his new physic.

"We all fall apart?" She stated and frowned and the sting of the slap he delivered on the mission resounded across her face reflected in her mind. "I don't like your form of gaining back control…"

A haunted look washed over his face like he knew what she was thinking about. "I sometimes think I'm too much like my father Jun," Ken looked away eyes shut tight- she knew how to reach him when he became like this. The fact that he worried about it made her see that he wasn't like his father at all.

His hands became lose on her, so he reached up with one and affectionately pushed back his thick chocolate brown hair.

"You don't have to be like him, you can change that, be in control of that." Jun searched his face, the torment still reflected in his clear blue eyes.

"Jun…" He whispered softly with a strand of hope in his voice. "Are you and Joe…really dating…?" He asked suddenly taking her by surprise.

"We have always been friends me and Joe, Ken…close friends we share a bond, and it's special to me." She answered truthfully.

Ken didn't move- her heart began to race as he moved in closer to her. Thinking he was about to kiss her Jun parted her lips to invite him to follow through with the promise.

His bracelet began to chirp forcing him to break away from her and the tension that had mounted during the fight eased.

"We have to move out," Ken told her, and without hesitation they reported to Dr.Nambu in full birdstyle.

Dr.Nambu's grave face made them all move in closer to him.

"We have a situation that needs to be addressed immediately." He began. "The power plant outside of Dion city has come under attack by a giant mecha, team we fear for the citizens of the city since they have now lost all power. From what we can see Gelsadra has already set her sights on the Science Institute towards the centre of the city. Your mission to stop Galactor from reaching it…"

"Roger." The all said in unison running to the transport tubes to take them to the God Phoenix.

Once on board and in flight Dr.Nambu came up on the screen again. "I have received further information about the Science Institute and why Gelsadra might be attacking it."

Ken stood up and walked over to the screen. "It would help the mission if we knew what to protect."

"There is an advanced research lab that is experimenting with harvesting energy directly from the sun… "Dr. Nambu said.

Jun couldn't believe someone would want to so that." Dr.Nambu even a small child could tell you that nothing can get close to sun…" She said joining Ken.

"Its top secret research, but vital for out planets future." Dr.Nambu told them." If Galactor get hold of the research who knows what they could do to use it against us."

"Then why destroy the power plant?" Joe asked from his console. "It way to obvious for my liking, surely they would know we would see the diversion."

"I'm not sure Joe, but it's what you need to find out." Dr.Nambu instructed the screen went blank.

"Ryu step up the pace we need to get to that city before Gelsadra finds the lab." Ken ordered.

"Gotcha!" The Owl increased the speed of the war ship to make better time…

Flying over the power plant they all observed the mess, emergency crews and ambulances had began the process of helping the injured and putting out fires.

"There's not much we can do here…" Ken said. They all agreed with him.

The sound of an explosion through the speakers made them all look up at the view screen.

"What is that?" Jinpei said jumping out of his seat.

"The city…we have to get to the city." Ken ordered.

Ryu turned the ship around and they headed for the huge mecha causing havoc ahead of them. The giant dragon torn down buildings with its claws sending giant clumps of concrete and shattered glass to fall on the people below, it appeared to be approaching the Science Institute.

Ryu swooped in on it Joe got ready to fire a super bird missile. Ken pushed his hand away from the red button.

"No, there's too many people we have to get it away from the main centre…" Ken ordered.

"Ryu head directly for it get its attention and head for the river…" Ken laid out his strategy and Ryu followed the order.

Jun kept an eye on the view screen, "Its following us Ken."

"Good, I knew taking on us would too much of a temptation for Galactor. When it's over water we'll use firebird to break it up." Ken's eyes brightened, the plan has its merits.

Sure enough the giant fire breathing Dragon flew over the water. "Ryu now!" Ken ordered.

They all prepared themselves for the firebird as Ryu pushed the lever up. Jun always hated the intense heat that followed- the feeling of burning up haunted her for a long time after her first experience in firebird mode.

She could hear chunks of the mecha falling into the wide river water. The sounds of some other metal twisting caught her attention as they came out of firebird.

Pulling herself up she looked in horror at the view screen, parts of the mecha had fallen onto the main bridge crossing not far from where they attacked the mecha.

Part of the bridges stabilizing wires had snapped and the road gave way and fell into the river as it buckled under the sudden pressure causing several cars to fall into river along with it. Some of the cars turned to go back when the other side began to give way.

She press some buttons to highlight the bridge to see how many people were on it. She could see a few cars, and then one car caught her attention.

The passengers had begun to jump out of it seeing it was hopeless to try and drive off when the bridge began to buckle again. The man limped around the car to help a woman with long strawberry blond hair step out of the car carrying a baby bundled in a blanket. He began to hurry them away from the car just in time for it to fall of the edge giving way underneath it. They ran away from the damaged part of the bridge towards the closest pillion. Jun froze while she witnessed the disaster taking place before her eyes.

"Matt…Natasha...Dyami." She said under breath her heart racing as she watched more of bridge give way, No…they can't die…she cried out in her mind.