If the Shoe Fits...Part 11
It was dark as the God Phoenix approached Danya, but they could see an orange glow on the horizon. Their communications screen suddenly lit up with Katse's face grinning back at them fiendishly. "Don't waste your time…you're too late Ninja Team!" He cackled, "The village of Danya is already destroyed, and your precious Swan has been burned alive in the process. Now it's your turn to face my magnificent Gryphon mecha!"
Ken bit his lip and put on a brave front. The others followed suit. He waved his hand around the deck of the God Phoenix to prove his next point. "You've been fooled, Katse, we have our Swan right here! The girl you killed was a decoy!"
Katse's aquamarine eyes widened as he stared into the screen. "That's impossible…we have video footage. We were sure the Swan was already in Danya…"
"Better luck next time, Katse, now the Science Ninja Team's gonna take you down!" Joe taunted.
The screen went blank.
Jinpei came running over to Ken and hugged him around the waist. "What if Sis is dead? Katse said he killed her!" He began weeping and trembling with fear.
Joe chided him. "What would Jun say if she was here, Jinpei? She'd tell you to grow up…be a man, Jinpei! You're a ninja…and ninja's don't cry."
"Besides, we don't know for sure if Jun is even here. I'm sure Jun is just fine…and now Katse thinks she's a decoy. So we've got her cover back!" Ken added.
"How are you going to defeat that mecha?" Janet spoke up. She had been too nervous to speak before now.
Joe grinned. "Let's shoot 'em some birds…" He reached for the red button and pushed it several times.
The missiles exploded on the beast, hardly making a dent.
"Not another bomb proof mecha…" Ryu cupped his hands on his forehead in exasperation. "We gotta come up with another idea, here, folks, or we're gonna become fried chickens!"
"Okay, think, all of Katse's mechas have a weakness…this one blows fire. It reminds me of the fire – breathing dragon we fought against." Ken snapped his fingers. "I got it! Jinpei, gather several of our minus bombs and plant them inside our super bird missiles."
Jinpei scrambled immediately to follow orders.
Then, Ken looked at Joe. "Joe you'll have to aim for the beak. Try to get the missiles inside the mouth. I think this may work."
Within minutes, Jinpei had scurried back to the bridge reporting that the missiles were ready. Joe studied the rampaging mecha, looking for his chance to hit his target. Finally, he launched the missiles, hitting the creature squarely in the mouth.
"Bulls eye!" Janet leaped from her chair excitedly.
The Gryphon lurched forward, ice forming rapidly on its exterior, causing it to crumble apart.
Momentarily, the team cheered and gave each other congratulatory pats on the back.
Then, the God Phoenix landed. It was time to look for survivors. The mood rapidly changed from ecstatic to solemn as they waded through the rubble. Jinpei was teary eyed as he called for his sister, getting no reply.
The team left no stone unturned, finding nothing but ash. Janet finally heard a faint cry toward the edge of town. She ran toward it, alerting the rest of the team. "I hear a baby crying! Over here!"
The others ran after her, but she reached the scene first. A dark haired woman was lying in a ravine, huddled around the crying infant. Her back and side were scorched, her clothes were ripped, and she was unconscious, but still breathing.
Ken and the others arrived seconds later."Jun!" he cried, "It's Jun!" His eyes flooded with tears. He could tell she was in critical condition. "Jun, please wake up, say something…"
"Come on, Sis…please…" Jinpei begged.
Jun managed to come around for a few seconds, long enough to gaze around at the five faces looking down on her. Four she recognized, but who was the new girl in her birdstyle? After gazing at them a few seconds, she quickly lost consciousness again.
Panicked, Joe shouted, "Quick! Let's get her and the baby to the God Phoenix!"