Chapter 24

"Joe! Look out!" Jun yelled just as Ryu and Jinpei triggered their guns.

Years of training instinctively made Joe roll to the side, but he still got caught on the edge of his shoulder.

"JOE!" Jun screamed in terror as she kicked Ken in the groin. As he recoiled, Jun jumped out of the bed and ran over to Joe.

"I'm ok." he growled as he brushed Jun off and quickly got back to his feet. Though his eyes were fixated on Jinpei and Ryu, he caught the worried look on Jun's face in his periphery. "It's just a flesh wound." he added to ease her concern.

Ryu and Jinpei advanced to attack Joe, but Joe counter-attacked them with a flurry of locks and controlled strikes.

"Sorry, guys" he apologized as he knocked them both out in a single counter-strike.

Ignoring the pain in his shoulder, Joe then turned his focus to Ken.

"So, Commander" Joe snarled, "Is this what it comes to?"

Jun had the distinct feeling that Joe was referring to more than Ken's attack on her.

"Die, Condor!" Ken spat, as he tightened his grip on his Birdrang. Joe slowly moved his hand down to his pocket and stealthily pulled out more feather shuriken.

"Is that really what you want, Commander?" Joe threatened.

"Absolutely."

"Ok, then die, Eagle!"

Joe made to throw the feather shuriken just as Ken was winding up to throw the Bird Rang.

"NO!" Jun yelled out. She threw her yo-yo at Ken's hand and she dove to knock the shuriken out of Joe's.

Jun and Joe tumbled to the floor. Jun rolled over and pushed herself up, kneeling next to Joe. "Are you ok?" she asked cautiously.

Then she noticed the pool of blood by his shoulder added anxiously, "Joe, your shoulder!"

"It's ok, Jun, really. Hurts like hell, but I'll live." Joe sat up and put his hand over his wound. "What about Ken?" he asked when he saw the Eagle sprawled out on the ground.

"Ken!" Jun exclaimed as she went to his side.

"Looks like your yo-yo missed and got our boy in the head instead." Joe observed, then added wryly, "Nice shot."

After checking Ken, Jun announced "He's just knocked out, like Jinpei and Ryu."

"We better call Hakase before they all wake up." Joe commented as he lifted his wrist to his chin.