Chapter 4

Born to be a Fighter

Silence. Everyone went silent.

My eyes slowly turned to Commander Nanami, then to Chrome, the acting engineer for Senku's project, and Dr. Xeno, who's also astonished as fuck, to Commander Snyder with an unreadable expression on his face and lastly to him. To my husband who can't look in me the eyes since earlier.

"W-What now? What are we going to do? This is suicide." I once again faced Ryusui, who remained tight-lipped behind his older brother Sai.

We heard everything the rotten old man planned to do. I heard everything. I may not be as brilliant as Senku does or Dr. Xeno, but I know what his conniving criminal scientist meant in the video.

"This is a suicide, Ryusui. You're my commander back at Earth. Tell me, what do we need to do? How about you, Chrome? Do you have a plan? Do we need to do something? You can't expect that we'll do that stupid plan of Ibarra. There will be no sacrifices, Commander." I was the only one speaking as the rest of the boys remained mute.

I saw Ryusui slightly nod, while beside him, Chrome can't bring himself to look in the monitor hiding some slight sob, while Gen and Sai just hang their head, also unable to look at us from the monitor screens here in space.

"This is impossible!" I scream at them in agony. I faced Senku once again. I shook his shoulder to look him straight in the eyes. I don't even care if my tears were pooling in my eyes now.

"You won't do it, right? There had to be another way, right, Senku?" I heard my begging voice. I held his face and cupped his cheeks to look into his deep crimson eyes.

"There will be no sacrifices, right?"

"Kohaku" he gently holds my hand in his cheeks.

"Y-You promised me, Senku." I accuse him. I can't think of a future without him.

"Of course, we'll fight, Kohaku," He pretended to sound confident even in a low voice, but the weariness I am feeling in my chest won't fade quickly at his words.

"How did this happen?" I heard Dr. Xeno ask, "The conspirator scientist with Ibarra mentioned they installed a blaster in the whole spacecraft that will tear the asteroid apart. Didn't you check it, Dr. Chrome? This is still part of your job. Do you have your data about this plane?"

"I lacked the time, and besides seventy percent of the operation of Martian 5738 was under the conniving scientist's team. I failed to check the last time. I am sorry." Dr. Xeno cursed.

"That's it? Sorry? Look, what happened now? We're about to sacrifice someone inside this plane. You shouldn't let that man operate the part of the plane's functionality that will be under a serious mission. That man is a psychopath!" Dr. Xeno screamed as he tried to slam his fist into the wall. Deafening silence enveloped us once again. I spoke when I realized one thing,

"This is my damn fault. I didn't check the plane. I damn oriented this Martian 5738, and when the conniving scientist gave false information, I didn't even bother to confirm it. I trusted them. This is all my fault." I can't help but curse myself, I didn't even realize it, but I just played a part in making sure Ibarra could fulfill Senku's death.

"Damn it, this is all my fault," I repeatedly told myself. I should've done my job correctly, instead of watching Senku all-day looking at his monitor. I should have checked my own assigned plane earlier!

"Kohaku, hey, calm yourself down." Senku was now holding my shoulders as I let out sobs and made me face him. He cups my cheeks in his rough hands, trying his best to calm me down.

"I'm sorry, I'm really sorry. I should have checked my plane, Senku. I shouldn't have gone outside to look out for you. I should've made use of my time properly to do my job." I told him as he wiped away the tears that were flowing down on my cheeks.

"It's not your fault, Kohaku. Listen, we're all deceived by Ibarra and his scientist. We're all desperate to survive, and we expect scientists to be willing to help us and save people. It's not you, Kohaku. It's not Ryusui or Chrome." I just let him speak as I stare at him in the eyes. His eyes made me love him.

I'm afraid. I am so scared to lose him. I don't want to feel like I am about to lose another important person in my life again. I am afraid that after Ruri and my parents die in the tsunami that hit Japan ten years ago, I am so scared he'll die like them and leave me, too.

"You need to calm down, Kohaku. This isn't like you, lioness. You are a fighter. Please fight with me. We'll survive together."

"Promise me, Senku. Promise me you'll live."

"Yes, yes, lioness. I promise." I didn't scold him anymore for calling me a lioness. I just treat that as his endearment to me. His nickname that only he can call me. He keeps gently wiping away the tears that are about to escape my eyes. I took a deep breath as we both faced the monitor in front of us.

I am a born fighter. I have been fighting my way to life ever since I was born.

I am a fighter of land. I am a fighter of my principle. I am a fighter of my own beliefs and, most of all, the most formidable fighter of air. The person who's destined to take me down isn't born yet, not even these terrorists.

I am now at a high altitude as I operate my jet fighter to fly. I had to make sure I was away from the main base and the people. I needed to keep a good distance because the moment my jet fighter went out to fly, I vowed no aircraft would ever approach the main base.

I have my ways to crash all of them to the ground. Air is my territory, and these terrorists are messing up with the wrong pilot.

I checked the blinking radar again. There are four aircraft approaching. The others are hiding beneath the clouds because I can only see two with my naked eye. Their pace went slow, and I knew that they had already recognized me. They deliberately didn't give me any signal to lower my speed.

I fly with my tactics on. Aircraft's capability is not all about its functions, but the hands and power of its pilot add to the fact that I have an exceptional eyesight for things that are far away.

I've never loved hide and seek. My radars might give me the exact location, but I know it can't predict my enemy's movement, so I always had to rely on my instinct and calculation. I had to thank Commander Nanami for giving me that rigorous training back then.

The enemies are now scattered. I guess they are planning to ambush me from behind as no one dared to come out of the clouds. They are not scared, and I know they had their own tactics.

Battlefield in the air is the most complicated war field of all, and even the air can be a traitor.

"You are being surrounded, Lieutenant. They might have identified you as a pilot. They are planning to trap you and burn you at the same time." I know, and I was never surprised when the scientist slashed Commander Ishigami spoke on my radio.

"This is Peru's control room! Foreigners are not allowed inside!" I heard some men tried to stop him.

"I need to guide her. She needs someone here to eye on her! Can you identify the types of planes these damn terrorists have?!" They remained mute, and no one dared to answer him.

"Go out. I also need help outside. I will give my signal. I am the only one capable of supporting her right now. You have no idea how to communicate with this intellectually stubborn pilot. She's mine, so go out."

I can't help but raise my eyebrow at what I've just heard. I can tolerate him calling me stubborn or even lioness, but hearing him telling the others that I am his is not tolerable. No one owns me.

"Still there, lieutenant?"

"Yes, Commander?"

I tried to glide my jet fighter in while I awaited his further instructions. He probably knew the aircraft's identification. These terrorist planes are toying with me. You all better try to hide while you still can. Because once my keen eye has spotted you, I will not just cut your wings instead, I will burn all of it.

"I've done a few types of research for those planes back then. The four planes are replicas of the Israeli Air Force, F-15 Eagle. All four of them are holding M197 gatling guns loaded with 600 bullets each, 8 rounds, and one of them has Ho-3 cannon, 15 rounds per minute, and the velocity is 820 meters per second. All of them are better than the second-hand plane you've got from here. Be careful, lioness. Please be careful."

I took a deep breath at what I'd just heard. I realized it before they had better planes because of the velocity and speed they displayed mid-air, but these morons won't beat my ability as a pilot and a fighter.

I noticed one of the enemy's jet fighters tailing me behind. I made a full-speed making uneven twists as they all started to follow me with their guns. They started raining bullets on my plane down with their guns. I licked my lips because this is what I've been waiting for. The radar is giving me signals about the danger behind me, but that didn't fuel my anger but the fact that these terrorists made their own comrade a bait. They sacrifice their comrade's plane just so they can ambush me from behind. All three of them now remain, busy tailgating me with their guns and cannons.

What a poor kind of tactic. I just let them rain down their bullets on me. I need to identify which plane holds the cannons. All I need to do is to take down that plane to take down the other planes. Two birds in one stone.

I dodge, twist my plane, and make an unpredictable movement, nothing new to me because I am already an experienced pilot. I narrowed my eyes silently, wishing that my aircraft would reach the needed distance it had on the enemy's plane. I had to risk the other two jets at the back going after me. I will give them their satisfaction. I glide my hands on the control wheels, a few control buttons, and my thumb for the machine gun installed in this plane. I made a continuous 360-degree spin down, pretending like I was about to crash. I didn't stop until I had the perfect distance from each of them. I was lucky enough that neither of their bullets managed to graze me. These morons didn't know I knew the limitations of their guns.

I decided to push my plane higher, they expected me to come at all of them, but they were wrong. I will fly my plane even farther than where neither of them can reach me. I had a feeling they would also increase their speed as I did, but it would be too late when they realized what I was planning to do.

I learned from Senku getting down has a fast force of speed than every usual route. I increased my speed even further, and when I was about to get down, my jet fighter was already burning its tip with too much speed that I exerted. I use that as my cue to push and hit the machine gun button harder. It made a loud and powerful noise as it rained down bullets on those two planes. Two planes got shot without any mercy as they crashed their planes mid-air, and it created some sort of a loud firework in the whole airbase field.

"Shit!" I heard Senku curse on the other line. I wipe down the sweat I've had all over my face as I exhale out deep breaths.

"Two down, Commander." I noticed a few planes remained for me to battle, and the bait jet plane they had before the crash survived. I felt satisfied when I managed to take down the aircraft that hold the cannons.

I don't know if I had the complete calculations, but the two remaining jet fighter had their 4 rounds of gatling guns. I know they are just waiting for me to waste all of my bullets, and they will start rapid firing on me. I have 2 rounds of machine guns left. Just one mistake in my calculation means my impending death, and the terrorists will survive this. I won't let them, and someone didn't call me a lioness for nothing.

I had a hunch these terrorists will hit their emergency bailout, but I won't be satisfied with them running their tail between their legs. I want to burn them alive with their filthy jetplanes.

"Lower the altitude, lioness. Bring them to me. Trust me this time. I know your bullets are already limited. I had the status here. Let them chase you this time." I heard Commander Ishigami's authoritative voice.

"Roger,"

I'd expected them all to tail me. I know this is risky. They might open fire their guns on the people on the ground. I know most of the people at the headquarters have already evacuated, but the person inside there,

"Commander-"

"Just follow my command, Kohaku."

I continued speeding down my plane. I have a keen eye, so even when I am still far away from the ground, I can see the building of the main base here in Peru, especially the shattered glasses from the control room where the man I've been wanting to keep safe is waiting for me.

"Do the same tricks, lioness."

"But-"

"I am fine,"

"Who's the stubborn one now? You are killing yourself, Commander."

"Are you worried now?" he chuckles as if he is amusing himself. "Just do it. You're already a few meters away, lioness."

"Stop calling me a lioness!"

I am nearing my plane where Senku is. He became even more visible to me as I flew down. His hands were holding on to the control buttons that are connected to the whole airbase here in Peru. It's unclear how he looks, but I know he is staring at me with his deep-set of crimson eyes.

"Now go!" I heard him shout at me. I did just as he planned me to do. I swiftly turn my plane upwards, making the same 360-degree turn. I heard several gunshots on my ears, shattered glasses, and even his curses. I am now gliding my plane downwards in the airbase, and I saw the two jets just behind me earlier are already burning. From afar, I saw the cannons of the Peruvian military. The plane is already losing its control.

"Do the honor, lioness." I heard Senku's pleasant voice on the radio.

I didn't think twice, and I immediately pushed the buttons on the remaining machine guns I had. It's now raining bullets on the plane as it came crashing to the ground. My sweat was all over my forehead at the same time. My tears brimmed my eyes. I just killed four men. I shook my head to push the thought away and began to speak on the radio again.

"Commander? Commander Ishigami, please answer me."

I've never felt this nervous in my life when he didn't respond to my incessant calling to him. I hurriedly glide my plane to touchdown. I am still far away, and I can see the rest of the Peruvian citizens cheering and shouting for my victory. I heard some of the planes that were supposed to help us have arrived. The rest of the citizens tried to approach me as soon as I stepped my feet on the ground, but my eyes were only searching for one person.

Where the hell is he? He's not only making me nervous but worried at the same time. I can't go home with my scientist and Commander inside a coffin.

My mouth slowly curved into a smile as I saw him from afar squeeze himself from all of the people. I can see traces of dust from his face and lab coat. I just remained standing where I was. As soon as he was in front of me, his crimson orbs met my aquamarine gaze.

"You are so stubborn, lioness." his steps are making their way on me, but I didn't expect what he'd do next.

I just found myself around in his arms, embracing me too tight. I don't understand why my heart is beating so fast for him. All my life as a pilot, no one has ever welcomed me in their loving arms as soon as I touchdown from my plane. No one dared to make me feel they are waiting for me to come down safely. I feel like I just want us to stay like this, him hugging me with his warm hug.

"Senku.." I uttered his name unconsciously. I felt his body stiffen as he slowly pushed himself away from me. His scarlet eyes widened at me. He is surprised I said his name for the first time. I can't look at his deep crimson eyes any longer.

"I don't know what you're doing with me, lioness, but yeah, it's Senku. You're Senku."