Chapter 12
(Third Person P.O.V.)
After docking and entering Space Station Saber, Max and Jake entered an elevator as Roberto spoke to them over the communicator.
"Good news, ground based tracking hasn't detected any other launches since Saber went critical, so enjoy the quality time guys, you're all alone up there." Roberto said calmly and relieved over the communicator, his tone of voice matching his facial expression.
But unfortunately he was wrong as from out of the shadows came Psycho and his partner Vitriol, ready to put the next phase of Dread's plan into action.
Meanwhile back with Max and Jake, after arriving at their designated floor they were both horrified by the sight that they both saw, which was the dead bodies of all of the N-Tek crew members of Space Station Saber, Jake then analyzed the controls and found even more as he then looked to Max who was still in shock from seeing the dead bodies of his fellow N-Tek personnel.
"This was no random Satellite collision, this was a precision laser attack. Remote links were severed, automation and orbital stabilizers were destroyed, there is no way to re-establish orbit, but manual thrusters are still online, I should be able to ditch Saber in the middle of the ocean." Jake said calmly and collected, but still seriously, his facial expression matching the tone of his voice as he was about to work the controls for Saber's thusters. "Or not!" Jake and Max both then heard a voice speak to them from a few feet away as they turned and saw the voice belonged to Psycho who was holding an electric stun baton and right behind him was Vitriol who was also holding one, until he decided to throw it away.
"Smiley!" Max said eagerly as he charged right at Psycho and tackled him down to the floor and began grappling with him as they both made it back to their feet and continued to grapple with each other, while Jake looked on.
Vitriol then charged up the energy in his artificial arms and said, "I got him!" to which Psycho replied, "Vitriol no!" while still grappling with Max on the feet, but it was too late as Vitriol had fired the energy beams from his arms and hit both Psycho and Max, sending them both crashing into some of the controls, smashing them, to which Vitriol then said, "Oops." but was already charging both of his arms to fire another blast, as just then Jake ran over and grabbed one of the electric stun batons and shocked Psycho with it just as he was getting back up to his feet along with Max, rendering him unconscious as he dropped back on to the floor.
Jake and Max then looked at each other and Jake said, "Move it kid!" as they both then fled from Vitriol, who then turned to and looked at the unconscious Psycho and said, "Sorry partner, guess I got take them down solo." before turning and pursuing after both Jake and Max as he fired the energy beams from his arms.
Max and Jake then managed to get inside a safe room with a blast door that they closed shut to keep Vitriol from getting to them, as he tried to run in after them before firing energy beams from his arms at the door but it only left a mark on the door, leaving Vitriol to say, "Oh man, Psycho's going to pound me" with frustration clearly in his voice and facial expression.
Meanwhile back in the room Jake and Max were looking at each other as Jake said, "I've tricked the computer into thinking there's a hull breach here in the bay, the blast doors won't open until we correct the mistake." calmly and collected but still serious in his tone of voice as it matched his facial expression.
"Great, except that the manual thrusters are out there, how are we supposed to punch Saber into the ocean now?!" Max said in an anxious tone of voice, the same emotion clearly showing in his facial expression as well.
Just then Rachel spoke over the communicator and said, "Don't blame Jake." casually, which made Max tense up a bit as the frown on his face and anxiety of knowing he messed up grew more.
"Your the one who initiated conflict, it's that kind of impulsive-" Before Rachel could finish her sentence and therefore her lecture/scolding Jake cut her off and defended Max, saying, "Rachel cut the kid some slack, what was he supposed to do?!" calmly and collected but still serious in his tone of voice, the same emotion showing in his facial expression, until Max cut in and said, "Hey Nez, I know I messed up back there alright, that was my mistake, not yours, I'm not going to make excuses and I don't need you sticking up for me!" anxiously and seriously in his tone of voice, the same emotions showing very clearly and visibly in his facial expression as he and Jake looked at each other.
Just then back on Earth in the team Steel Ops room Roberto and Kubo both looked on the monitor and then to each other as Roberto then said, "Maybe not the best way to build team spirit." into the communicator as he tried to ease the tension as Kubo merely said "Mhm." and nodded in agreement at Roberto's statement.
Meanwhile outside the room Max and Jake were in Vitriol was still trying to blast the door down with his energy beams from his arms, and unfortunately for him didn't notice the door open behind him walked up Psycho, who pushed him making him slam head first into the metal door he was shooting his beams at, which on the other side Max and Jake noticed.
Back on the other side Psycho grabbed Vitriol from both his arms and held them behind his back as Vitriol struggled and said, "I'll blow you in half!" to which Psycho replied with, "Try it and I'll break you in half!" in a calm and collected tone of voice and thanks to his mask a matching facial expression, as he then let go of Vitriol and pushed his again as he said, "Move!" his tone of voice and facial expression being very serious.
Meanwhile back on Earth in the Team Steel Ops Room, the members of Team Steel were all looking at the monitor as Roberto spoke.
"Guys, it would have been a tight squeeze, but Psycho and that Vitriol guy must have been inside that Com Satellite that targeted Saber." Roberto said calmly and collected as he figured this out and realized it while the other members of Team Steel looked at Roberto and then back to the monitor screen.
"Dread knew we would be expecting opposition so he sent that interceptor fulfill those expectations." Rachel calmly and collected but still had a bit of astonishment in her tone of voice and it also showing in her facial expression.
"In other words it was an unmanned drone that was rigged to blow up so that we all would lower our guard." Rachel said calmly and collected but still somewhat disappointed with herself in her tone of voice and facial expression for not being able to see through the deception.
Meanwhile back on Saber, Psycho was walking with Vitriol and was very angry and annoyed with him.
"All we had to do was stun and restrain them, but no, you had to show off!" Psycho said in a very annoyed tone of voice and thanks to his mask matching facial expression.
"You don't like my style fine! Let's just get this over with!" Vitriol retorted back angrily to Psycho.
Meanwhile back with Jake and Max, Jake had just finished deleting any and all important data so that Psycho and Vitriol couldn't get it.
"I've deleted all of Saber's Armament and Surveillance data, but our friends outside hadn't even attempted access." Jake said calmly and collected but also slightly confused and curious as to why as it also showed on his facial expression.
"Then what have they been doing? Why did they come?" Max asked in a confused and curious tone of voice and matching facial expression.
Just then the whole space station started to shake.
"What was that?!" Max said seriously but confused in his tone of voice as it also showed on his facial expression.
"The manual thrusters!" Jake said in serious and worried tone of voice as it also showed very obviously in his facial expression, as he and Max looked to three small monitor screens on the control panel which showed the thrusters had been activated, before showing the image of Psycho on the screen as he spoke to them.
"Guess what gang, Saber is going home, I've directed the thrusters to lock your space station on a collision course with Del Oro Bay. Vitriol's been busy too. This heap is hauling enough high explosives to to wipe out N-Tek and half the city, of course you boys could escape in that little rocket of yours, but then who would save all of those poor, innocent Earthlings." Psycho said calmly and collected and also slightly mockingly in his tone of voice, though it did not show in his facial expression as he briefly showed them the images of Del Oro Bay and Vitriol planting the explosives while he spoke before he finished speaking and the screens all cutting to static.
To Be Continued.
Flashback Omake
Before he left Hazuki was in tears trying to hug Akihisa goodbye but he kept avoiding her. He was crying but after ripping off a door he worried that if he hugged the child he may crush and hurt her. " I'm sorry Hazuki but I can't give you a goodbye hug." He said with tears in his eyes and sadness in his tone of voice. He then jumped in the car his brother sent only for him to slam the door shut to make the door fall off. The crying girl then stared wide eyed as Akihisa said " ... And that's pretty much the reason why. Do you understand now Hazuki? Akihisa asked her as the tears still fell from his eyes and the sadness still clear in his voice and in his facial expression. She then nodded, understanding as the card then drove off to meet his older brother Akito and Yuuko at the airport. But luckily and thankfully both Akihisa and Hazuki exchanged contact information with each other so they could still talk to each other even while he was now living in the United States, which the little girl remembered and made her stop crying and wipe her tears away and made her happy.
End of Flashback Omake
