The days that followed had been uncomfortable for everyone.
Sitted at his desk, Joe sighed in frustration as he wrote his tenth report about the "poisoned apple" mission. It wasn't much to say about it, as his memories were scarce. Damn officials won't get it!
At one point they were lying sapples, waiting to die and then the pendant doctor Nambu gave Ken started to glow, enveloping them all in a blinding light.
The next thing he knew, he was in the underground mountain base, on a bed.
Kamu told him that the anti-matter asteroid had been succesfully destroyed and neither their pulsance scanners nor the satellites could detect Sosai's presence in the atmosphere. They assumed the alien had also been destroyed in the explosion.
But there was bad news too. The Gatchaspartan was damaged beyond repair. It's first Firemode had been it's last one. The ship's hull was almost completely melted. It was a miracle that the Spartan didn't disintegrated and thermal shields could protect them from burning alive while it enterd in the atmosphere in Firemode.
And that wasn't all. While he was in a relatively fine condition, except for his injuried arm, the others were critical. Jun didn't made it . They had found her dead on the console panel. Her head must have hit it hard during the crash. Her helmet was chopped in one side.
Joe shut close his eyes as he crumpled the report in his good hand. He couldn't take any longer.
If any bigwig would request him to write it again, he'll risk a punch from the Condor.
His thoughts drifted to the more recently events of the last two weeks.
It's first concern was Ken. His wounds would heal, but the main worry was the development of his canker. The radiations he was exposed inside the pyramide had accelerated it's progress. But he will no longer use the Hypershoot. Maybe Ken wasn't terminal yet, maybe the therapies will stop the illness. Joe prayed.
Ryu hadn't woke from the coma and the doctors said there were little chances for that to happen soon. And when he would, it was a great possibility to remain with permanent paralysies due to brain damage.
Jinpei was completely down. He had visited the boy everyday, but he was unrecogniseble. A month ago he was full of joyousness and now he was standing on his bed, knees tucked behind his chin, mourning his sister. He only nodded sadly at Joe's comforting words. He knew what he was going through, because he knew how is to lose your family, and yet he felt unable to comfort his little mate.
And himself… He stil hadn't used with the idea that the war was over, that he could return to his normal life. Normality. After a year on confinement in their mountain base this concept seem utterly alien. For him it meant the car races from his spare time, when Gallactor sat put. He didn't knew what he was going to do from now on. There was also his cyborg nature which left him few alternatives. He was part machine. Who will ever accept him like that?
"Joe…" He looked up, at the plump silhouette of chief Kamu. The man put a mug of coffe on the desk, in front of him.
" You look like you need one!"
Joe nodded thankfully as he took a sip from the hot beverage. It invigorated him a little, sending away his tiredness.
" You look exhausted, Joe. Go get some rest!" Kamu told him concernedly.
Rest was the last thing he thought of now. But he admited he needed it. He glanced at the clock on the wall. It's limbs showed 2.30 a.m. He was working at the damn report for 4 hours. His eyes hurt and his lids felt heavy. Joe looked back at Kamu as he rubbed his temples.
"I think you're right, chief. "
He rose up from his chair, heading to his quarters.
xXx
His muscles ached from all the days he had spent pinned on the bloody bed. He knew he was going to get mad if he won't get up of it soon. He was fed up of seeing the same sterile view of the hospital room, it's whiteness tired his eyes. But it was better than what he had expected.
He didn't knew why he was saved in first place, nor why ISO bothered to keep him alive, when they weren't indebted with nothing to him. For all he knew, he was better dead to them. Pity was the obvious reason, but this was a weakness he often exploited in his enemies.
He rolled his eyes, viewing for the umpteenth time the room he already knew every detail of it. It was the only thing he could do, besides breathing, since he his bindings prevent him any other movement.
Fortunately his mind was freer than his body, although the pain from antibiotics diminshed his awareness. A thing he was glad for. He had experienced during those last weeks more pain than in his whole life. Both physical and mental.
The drugs they used to stop the infection were similar with the substances used in the torture sessions, and they gave him no analgesic. Usualy he would pass out from the pain after few hours, only to awake later in the same suffering. The pain was constant, and it was mind numbing. In the few moments of counsciousness he had he would meditate over his possibilities of escape, only to realize there was no one. Absolutely no one.
The Condor visited him from time to time and toyed a pain killer in front of his eyes. He would ask him how he felt, mock at him, and sometimes only stare intently at him. His eyes full of hatred truly scared him.
Helm admited he feared the ninja, but he also hated him. He knew he was trying to breake him, in a twisted form of revenge. He made abyssimal efforts not to beg for those pain killers when he felt his body burning; he knew he won't get any, and he didn't want to give Condor the satisfaction of seeing him defeated. Not more than he was already. Because this is how he felt inside.
How proudly he had warned ISO about his plans to take over the world and how enthusiatsic he had been in pursuing his goals. And what had he obtained? Nothing was left from that arrogant conqueror except a broken man at the mercy of those he had once oppresed.
He could not retain himself not to smirk at the fate's irony.
Helm sighed in defeat and twitched his fingers against the mattres. The pain had subsidied lately. He supposed that either the infection was starting to pass or he had developed a great tolerance at it. It was still constant but now bearable and he no longer had those crises when he felt his body would burst in flames.
Yesterday the doctors took out the bandages from his face and arms, exposing violet bruises and scars bellow. The skin felt sore and he wished he had a mirror to see his face into. He tried to see how damaged it was from the expression on their faces, but that was irrelevant. Everybody in this facility seem to hate him, but it was no surprise. Most of the doctors who treated him often watched him in disgust and muttered about why having to tend a war criminal. Some show compassion and pity. He hated those the most. He didn't want no one's mercy.
"What a freak." Said one medic as they left. He glared daggers behing them.
Helm's attention snapped as he caught a bit of conversation between two medics in the doorway.
" That's wasted time, Steve. I don't know why they bother with the scoundrel. "
He winced as he knew who they meant.
" Hey, maybe they want him in good condition for the firing squad!"
" Gatchaman should have dumped him from the airlock instead bringing him here."
" I heard it was Eagle's idea. "
" Maybe wanted to set some scores and kill him personaly. That if Condor won't do it first."
Egobossler laid still and strained his hearing to get more of their talk, but the voices fainted as the men departed.
This new information let him shocked. He supposed that ISO will give him a life prison sentence for his actions, but didn't took into consideration the death sentence. The idea frightened him and threw his mind in chaos.
His fingers fidgeted nervously the bed sheets. He yanked his wrists out of restraints with all his force, and clenched his teeth as they bite into his raw flesh. The sharp pain made him to cease the struggle and calm his breath.
Helm closed his eyes again trying to gather his thoughts and regain his cool head. Panic won't help him.
He hoped they'll put him into prison from where his men could rescue him. But death sentence was very likely……
"I don't want to die….. No…. Mother….."
He snapped out from his thoughts at the sound of the door opening and looked up at the visitor. His jaw dropped at what he saw.
Ken limped inside, helping himself with a crutch. It tinkled on the floor at every step.
Egobossler's body stiffened and his gaze never left the Eagle. It seem that the battle had been desastruos for him too. He never recalled Gatchamn being so weak. His eyes followed Ken as he slowly limped beside the bed. His dark hair contrasted so sharply with his pale skin, he seem a walking corpse. The only living feature left were his bright blue eyes, now filled with grief. Helm had seen him detransmuted, but now he looked much younger, almost childlike. He realised he has no reason to fear him, as he was almost as injuried as he was.
Grey eyes stared hard hatefully into the blue ones. Ken's gaze was unfocused, like he was staring through Egobossler, not at him. Helm frown. What did he wanted ?
" Have you came to gloat, Gatchaman?" He asked bitterly spitting the last word.
Ken did not answer. Instead he came closer and injected something into the IV bag. Egobossler watched him eyes widened . What was it? Some pain inflicter? Poison?
" Pain killer." Replied Ken as he noticed his alarmed stare.
Helm sighed with relief.
" Why?" the voice was raspy from not being used a long time.
Ken shuddered. He didn't knew why he did it. Mercy perharps. A month ago all he wanted was Egobossler's blood on his blade. But now he didn't cared at all. He no longer hated him. He felt to tired for that.
" Why did you saved me?" He shook his head as he understood what Egobossler was refering at.
" I don't know." He answered in an end.
His enemy's actions startled him, but his hatred subsided at the thought he owned his life to him. He stared back at the blank visage of the youth, trying to figure what crossed the Eagle's mind that moment.
" Was it worth?"
Helm stared puzzled for a second, before he understood the meaning of the question.
It was the same one he had asked himself countless time before. In the end he got nothing but pain and humiliation. Definitevely not. But it was beyond Count to admit that that he had failed, that his last eight years had been a fake, and worse of it, that he regretted all.
He lowered his eyes, unable to meet the Eagle's ones now.
" I thought so."
The crutch resounded on the floor as Ken limped his way back, leaving Egobossler alone with his thoughts.