Recap: With Spike's rescue of Jet and Rock, he takes off into higher orbit as Faye gives Rock and Jet a lift. They come under attack as they attempt to make good their escape, so it's up to Faye's piloting skills to get them off of Mars alive.
Chapter Four: Rough Landing, Warm Welcome
Rock looked down at the prison building as the Red Tail started to lift off, his ears pounding at the sound of machine gun fire. He could see a single turret gun on the roof, and the bullets shooting from it were cutting through the Red Tail's plating with little effort. Jet called out over the drowning sound of gunfire "Faye! Get us out of here!" Faye furrowed her brow in concentration, working the flight stick expertly despite having a young boy in her lap as she dipped the Red Tail to the right, then in reverse in a sudden rush of speed as she tried her best to parry and dodge the hail of bullets. Suddenly the sound of a quick blast was heard, and a white trail could be seen closing quickly in the Red Tail's direction. Rock didn't know what to make of the trail, but Faye knew exactly what it was "Missile!" she yelled as she tried to pitche the craft downward, but it was too late. The missile hit the Red Tail and blasted the cockpit open. The Red Tail lurched downward as it started to plunge into the forest underneath; Rock cried out as he felt the superheated air burn at his skin, and fell unconscious several moments after feeling a torn-off shard of metal pierce his skin through the back of his neck.
The moonlight shone dimly over the landscape as Rock slowly opened his eyes, laying on his back in a small grass-covered clearing. He tried to look down to see what was at his feet, but his neck was tightly bandaged. He wondered how long he had been unconscious, or what time it was for that matter. He heard some clanking to his left so he turned to look and saw Jet, fiddling with some components inside the Red Tail's remains. Jet sighed as Rock sat up and looked to him "Jet? What's wrong?" Jet turned his attention to Rock and flatly stated "The cockpit's busted. I've already called Spike, he's on his way. But with an exposed cockpit, we're gonna be coughing' up our insides as soon as we get in space." Rock thought for a moment "And there's no way to fix it?" Jet's eyes looked past Rock for a moment then back to him "There's supposed to be a pressure shelter capsule secured on the bottom, but guess who forgot to check the locks?" "Speaking of which.. where is that lady, anyway?" Jet grinned a bit "Faye's no lady, and she's right beside you." Rock noticed for the first time that something was pressed against him. He turned to see Faye, her face about an inch from his, her eyes closed in sleep. His cheeks flushed with red and his eyes widened as he sprung to his feet, Jet chuckling a bit to himself. Rock turned to Jet as he caught his breath "So where's the pressure shelter capsule?" He had no idea what a pressure shelter capsule was, but he played along, figuring it was self-explanatory "I'm guessing it came off after that missile blast." And with that Rock took off into the woods. Jet was just about to call out for him to come back, but he decided against it. He had to wait for Spike to come with his Hammerhead, and waking up Faye to do work isn't the smarest idea there is. Jet sighed and kicked back, lighting up a cig as he waited for Rock. As Jet was waiting, he couldn't help but pass the time remembering when he had seen Rock before. It was at a martial arts tournament, he had been in the crowd so he went unnoticed. He remembered watching Rock and his father in the True Fighter 2-on-2 tournament last year. All the tournaments Geese competed in were underground, and he wondered what kind of elaborate tale he had spun in order to get Rock to compete with him. Jet had been told all about Rock from Geese, so he knew that Rock was always trying to do the right thing, but he wondered if going by the law was more important to him than what his father would wish for. He entertained these thoughts further as he waited for Rock to get back.
"This sucks. Why'd I offer to look for that stupid capsule when I'm tired... and hungry... and sore? I should be home in bed watching Terry kick butt." Rock grumbled as he walked through the dark forest, undoing the uncomfortable bandage that held his neck in place. The wound didn't bleed, and the gentle wind soothed his injury, so he decided to just drop the bandage as he walked. He had barely gone 6 feet when a familar figure wrapped in a cloak leaped down from a tree branch. Rock heard her land, and he quickly turned and looked at her. She let her hood down, her long red hair gently billowing to her left hand side. Rock narrowed his eyes, trying to see her face, but she stood with her back to the moon, so the shadows hid her face. He knew it was her, though.. he knew he was standing face to face with his father's killer. His mind raced as he gazed at the shadow that hid her face. Was she controlling the gun sentry that shot them down? Why did she kill his father in the first place? And why didn't she just go to Earth instead of following him to Mars? His eyes widened a bit as the last question struck a chord in him as he quietly whispered "She's come to kill me.." And with that she sprung into action.
She dashed forward at him with incredible speed, and just as Rock had leaned back into his fighting stance and extended his leg outward in a side-kick, she sidestepped it in the direction of his back and drove her elbow hard into his spine, dropping him to both his knees. He let out a loud groan as he stopped his fall with his hands, hearing the familiar sound of a dagger being pulled from it's sheath. On a hunch he rolled to the side, looking to her as she plunged it into the dirt, missing her target. Rock quickly brought his knee towards her, snapping his lower leg out and connecting with her wrist, sending the dagger flying. He attempted to follow-through into a sweep kick but she jumped over it and brought both her legs down onto his knee, a quick and sharp 'crack!' resonating through the night air as she did. Rock had gotten himself into an awkward position, he had his right leg out, the one that got landed on, and he had his weight on his left leg as if he was sitting on his heels. Rock cried out as he brought his fist out to connect with her stomach, but she caught his fist and a 'cr-crk!' echoed through the dark blue sky. He seethed with pain as the dark and warm blood ran slowly from under his clenched fist, dripping through his fingers and hitting the forest ground under him. His attacker let out a low snicker as she tightened her grip on his fist, crushing the knuckles further. Rock yelled and groaned, the cumulative pain from the entire day was finally taking a toll on him. His legs were too weak to kick, and his entire body was starting to feel limp as he could also feel blood running down his lower leg. His eyelids began to feel heavy, and as she drew her dagger back to her hand from where it had fallen with a simple magic spell, he knew he was too weak to fight back. He knew he was too tired to counter the blade that as he drifted to unconsciousness had already started to ease itself towards his throat. He closed his eyes as a single tear fell from his left eye "Father, I'm sorry..." His attacker grinned as her blade gently prodded the skin of his neck. Rock could still feel the arm around his back that kept him from falling, she had dropped his crushed hand in favor of her blade and it was now touched to his skin. And as he drifted into his deep and endless sleep, he wouldn't feel the blade that had just started to cut the side of his neck, just under his ear. He wouldn't hear the gunshots.
Chapter Four: Rough Landing, Warm Welcome
Rock looked down at the prison building as the Red Tail started to lift off, his ears pounding at the sound of machine gun fire. He could see a single turret gun on the roof, and the bullets shooting from it were cutting through the Red Tail's plating with little effort. Jet called out over the drowning sound of gunfire "Faye! Get us out of here!" Faye furrowed her brow in concentration, working the flight stick expertly despite having a young boy in her lap as she dipped the Red Tail to the right, then in reverse in a sudden rush of speed as she tried her best to parry and dodge the hail of bullets. Suddenly the sound of a quick blast was heard, and a white trail could be seen closing quickly in the Red Tail's direction. Rock didn't know what to make of the trail, but Faye knew exactly what it was "Missile!" she yelled as she tried to pitche the craft downward, but it was too late. The missile hit the Red Tail and blasted the cockpit open. The Red Tail lurched downward as it started to plunge into the forest underneath; Rock cried out as he felt the superheated air burn at his skin, and fell unconscious several moments after feeling a torn-off shard of metal pierce his skin through the back of his neck.
The moonlight shone dimly over the landscape as Rock slowly opened his eyes, laying on his back in a small grass-covered clearing. He tried to look down to see what was at his feet, but his neck was tightly bandaged. He wondered how long he had been unconscious, or what time it was for that matter. He heard some clanking to his left so he turned to look and saw Jet, fiddling with some components inside the Red Tail's remains. Jet sighed as Rock sat up and looked to him "Jet? What's wrong?" Jet turned his attention to Rock and flatly stated "The cockpit's busted. I've already called Spike, he's on his way. But with an exposed cockpit, we're gonna be coughing' up our insides as soon as we get in space." Rock thought for a moment "And there's no way to fix it?" Jet's eyes looked past Rock for a moment then back to him "There's supposed to be a pressure shelter capsule secured on the bottom, but guess who forgot to check the locks?" "Speaking of which.. where is that lady, anyway?" Jet grinned a bit "Faye's no lady, and she's right beside you." Rock noticed for the first time that something was pressed against him. He turned to see Faye, her face about an inch from his, her eyes closed in sleep. His cheeks flushed with red and his eyes widened as he sprung to his feet, Jet chuckling a bit to himself. Rock turned to Jet as he caught his breath "So where's the pressure shelter capsule?" He had no idea what a pressure shelter capsule was, but he played along, figuring it was self-explanatory "I'm guessing it came off after that missile blast." And with that Rock took off into the woods. Jet was just about to call out for him to come back, but he decided against it. He had to wait for Spike to come with his Hammerhead, and waking up Faye to do work isn't the smarest idea there is. Jet sighed and kicked back, lighting up a cig as he waited for Rock. As Jet was waiting, he couldn't help but pass the time remembering when he had seen Rock before. It was at a martial arts tournament, he had been in the crowd so he went unnoticed. He remembered watching Rock and his father in the True Fighter 2-on-2 tournament last year. All the tournaments Geese competed in were underground, and he wondered what kind of elaborate tale he had spun in order to get Rock to compete with him. Jet had been told all about Rock from Geese, so he knew that Rock was always trying to do the right thing, but he wondered if going by the law was more important to him than what his father would wish for. He entertained these thoughts further as he waited for Rock to get back.
"This sucks. Why'd I offer to look for that stupid capsule when I'm tired... and hungry... and sore? I should be home in bed watching Terry kick butt." Rock grumbled as he walked through the dark forest, undoing the uncomfortable bandage that held his neck in place. The wound didn't bleed, and the gentle wind soothed his injury, so he decided to just drop the bandage as he walked. He had barely gone 6 feet when a familar figure wrapped in a cloak leaped down from a tree branch. Rock heard her land, and he quickly turned and looked at her. She let her hood down, her long red hair gently billowing to her left hand side. Rock narrowed his eyes, trying to see her face, but she stood with her back to the moon, so the shadows hid her face. He knew it was her, though.. he knew he was standing face to face with his father's killer. His mind raced as he gazed at the shadow that hid her face. Was she controlling the gun sentry that shot them down? Why did she kill his father in the first place? And why didn't she just go to Earth instead of following him to Mars? His eyes widened a bit as the last question struck a chord in him as he quietly whispered "She's come to kill me.." And with that she sprung into action.
She dashed forward at him with incredible speed, and just as Rock had leaned back into his fighting stance and extended his leg outward in a side-kick, she sidestepped it in the direction of his back and drove her elbow hard into his spine, dropping him to both his knees. He let out a loud groan as he stopped his fall with his hands, hearing the familiar sound of a dagger being pulled from it's sheath. On a hunch he rolled to the side, looking to her as she plunged it into the dirt, missing her target. Rock quickly brought his knee towards her, snapping his lower leg out and connecting with her wrist, sending the dagger flying. He attempted to follow-through into a sweep kick but she jumped over it and brought both her legs down onto his knee, a quick and sharp 'crack!' resonating through the night air as she did. Rock had gotten himself into an awkward position, he had his right leg out, the one that got landed on, and he had his weight on his left leg as if he was sitting on his heels. Rock cried out as he brought his fist out to connect with her stomach, but she caught his fist and a 'cr-crk!' echoed through the dark blue sky. He seethed with pain as the dark and warm blood ran slowly from under his clenched fist, dripping through his fingers and hitting the forest ground under him. His attacker let out a low snicker as she tightened her grip on his fist, crushing the knuckles further. Rock yelled and groaned, the cumulative pain from the entire day was finally taking a toll on him. His legs were too weak to kick, and his entire body was starting to feel limp as he could also feel blood running down his lower leg. His eyelids began to feel heavy, and as she drew her dagger back to her hand from where it had fallen with a simple magic spell, he knew he was too weak to fight back. He knew he was too tired to counter the blade that as he drifted to unconsciousness had already started to ease itself towards his throat. He closed his eyes as a single tear fell from his left eye "Father, I'm sorry..." His attacker grinned as her blade gently prodded the skin of his neck. Rock could still feel the arm around his back that kept him from falling, she had dropped his crushed hand in favor of her blade and it was now touched to his skin. And as he drifted into his deep and endless sleep, he wouldn't feel the blade that had just started to cut the side of his neck, just under his ear. He wouldn't hear the gunshots.