Chapter 41

As the God Phoenix approached, Joe breathed a sigh of relief and turned back to Jun.

"I'm sorry for snapping at you, Jun." he apologized. "You're right. I was just stressed out with getting us out of here. I promised to make sure you'd be okay, and I was afraid that we wouldn't make it back to base."

"Oh, Joe..." Jun smiled. "I understand. And I know how difficult it is for you to apologize."

"I guess you're right... I was a little jealous when I saw you with Ken." Joe admitted.

"You were?" Jun blushed, her cheeks matching the pink of her uniform.

"Jun, you've got to know how I feel about you... the last couple of days..."

"You have been different, Joe." Jun smiled.

"I guess, when Ken asked me to switch places with him, I just got fed up. I'm always holding back, for him, and he didn't even have the decency to do what you asked. I..."

Whatever Joe had been about to say was cut off by the sound of something whizzing through the air. Joe's face blanched as he realized what it was.

"Fire in the hole!" he screamed, grabbing Jun and throwing her to the ground, his body covering her own as they both fell on top of the two Eagles.

The Bird Missile landed in the exact spot Joe had just vacated, a smoking crater the only evidence of the buses that had been there. A soot-blackened Condor looked up at the God Phoenix, raging.

"What the hell are you doing?" he screamed into his bracelet.

The sound of Jinpei's laughter came back to them.

"Thanks for telling us where you were, Joe." the Swallow smirked. "It makes you easier to target. Of course, I'm not as good at this as you are, so I may have to take a few shots to get you and Onechan..."

The chilling cackle that came from Joe's bracelet froze Jun's heart.

Jinpei was on the God Phoenix... and he was just as insane as he had been the previous night. And by the look of the expert maneuvering as the God Phoenix came around for another pass, Ryu was flying it.

"We have to get out of here!" Joe screamed, as the two of them picked up the Eagles and began to run.

"Where can we go?" Jun cried, trying to see through the smoke.

"There's only one place that will give us the kind of shelter we need." Joe scowled. "We have to go back into the Galactor Base."