Chapter 8
Jun ran down the corridor of the latest mecha she had boarded with Joe and Ken. In the short time she had been on the ship she had separated from them and had set up explosive charges.
"The charges are set, you have five minutes." She said into her bracelet. Ken didn't respond. Joe acknowledged her call.
"Where are you?" She said looking around the Mecha devoid of any life. Something feels wrong. She thought. Horribly wrong…
The muffled sounds of a fight somewhere on the ship reached her ears.
I overreacted. Jun thought. With her lips curling gently into a smile, they're getting all of the action with me.
She started running down the hallway again towards the noise. Joe's voice reached her ears.
"Ken, pull back." The Condor ordered. Then she heard Ken's frenzied yelling at Count Egobossler.
"Let go of me Joe!" Ken shouted at his second. Jun drew in a deep breath to settle her nerves; this had been a standard occurrence during the last few missions.
"Jun said we had five minutes…four minutes ago, we have to get out of here or we go down with the mecha." Came Joe's heated response.
No wonder the ship was vacant- Egobossler must have given the order to abandon ship the moment they boarded.
"Let's get out of here." She yelled at the both of them as she rounded the corner and kept running towards the opening. Joe still had Ken's mantle clutched in his hand and Ken's eyes were still on fire.
From the corner of her eye she could see Joe and Ken following her. The Mecha rocked violently as the first of her charges went off. Ryu steadied the Gatchasparten as the three of them leapt from the ship and joined hands as they dropped rapidly towards the hovering ship.
They all landed gracefully on top of the smooth surface of the ship. Without hesitation Ken drew out the Hypershoot and took his customary position on top of the mecha.
"Get inside." He ordered without even looking at them.
"Ken it's not necessary, I put enough-"Jun pleaded anxiously with him and Joe took her arm and began to draw her away from Ken and towards the opening that lead them down to the bridge.
"Do as I order you to do Jun." His eyes flashed violently like he struggled within himself not to lash out at her. "I'm finishing this so get below."
With her heart pumping wildly Jun followed Joe below, she heard the next lot of charges explode and them the sweeping sound of the hypershoot as Ken finished of the mecha.
Jun adjusted her visor and looked at Joe tight lipped and ready to blast him for not stopping Ken.
"Jun he would have done it anyway-"Joe said folding his arms and he stared out at the mecha falling apart and the bright laser of the Hypershoot weapon as Ken did his last sweep.
"That's so weak." She hissed. "You could have stopped him. It's unnecessary and you know it."
Ryu and Jinpei stole nervous glances at them but stayed silent as Ken walked down into the ship.
He looked wild- his eyes gleamed from the adrenaline rush he received every time he used the powerful weapon he carried at his side.
"It necessary Jun." He said harshly and then he turned his wrath onto Joe.
"I had him and you pulled me away again, this would be over if you just stayed out of it." Ken's dead calm voice held an underlying threat that antagonised the Condor.
"Ken we would be going down with that Mecha if I hadn't pulled you back." Joe returned his glare and before Jun could move Ken laid a punch into Joe's jaw. Joe moved fast and returned his blow sending the Eagle flying across the bridge and landing with a thump against the back wall. He didn't move.
"Stop it the both of you." She demanded.
"I didn't hit him hard enough to kill him…or really even injure him." Joe said frowning.
"Listen to sis, your acting like ten year olds!" Jinpei smirked, Jun's glare made him look back at his console and he pretended to do something.
She walked calmly over to Ken and looking into his unconscious pale face.
"Ryu, get us back to base fast." She said looking over her shoulder. Joe began to lift him and without a struggle sat Ken into his seat.
"This isn't the first time this has happened." Jun fretted taking off his helmet, Ken murmured something and then his head flopped again.
"We'll get him back to Kamo and ." Joe looked worried too and put a hand on her shoulder. "Stay with him."
"I will…" She looked up into the Swallows worried eyes.
"Sis, what's going on with big bro?" He asked.
"I don't know for sure Jinpei, but I'm sure he'll be okay." Jun tried to smile reassuringly but found she couldn't.
"We're coming into land." Ryu glanced over his shoulder at them. Jun nodded and then looked back at Ken's paled features. A sinking feeling in her stomach told her this couldn't be good.
* * * *
Fiddler had worked for a man he only knew as Mr Gearer for years, he only received his jobs through email and reported back to him the same way.
Recently he received the job of looking for members of the Science Ninja Team's true identities. He had been at this task for a few months and Mr Gearer had begun pressuring him for results.
Fiddler didn't ask questions, he just stepped up his search. He wasn't blind to his employer and his reasons- he figured Mr Gearer had links with Galactor a long time ago. He didn't care. He got paid well and on time and that's all that mattered to him. He didn't need to know the rest.
He had pictures of the Condor and the Eagle. So he figured if he could locate them then it's likely the Swan. Swallow and Owl wouldn't be far from them.
They'd hang out together right? He mused as he walked along the busy streets of Utoland. It's the most logical thing to do since they all work together.
His stomach began to rumble again, sending him signals that he had to stop and eat before he began to get cramps from the lack of food.
"Hey you there…" He called out to an old man waiting to cross the street. The man squinted his eyes and huffed. "Whata ya want?"
Fiddler ignored his gruff manner. "Is there any places to eat around here?" He asked.
The old man pointed towards a place with a crude hand painted sign with "Snack Jun" in faded red paint across the front guttering.
"Old man that place looks closed to me anywhere else?" He asked a pain shot through his empty belly, making him grimace slightly.
"Yeah tell me about it, that chick keeps the oddest opening hours." The old man sounded put out by it and something what he said seemed odd to Fiddler.
"What do you mean by odd hours?" Fiddler inquired as he turned his eyes to look at the small quaint restaurant that looked like it could use a refurbishment from the faded walls and old fashioned door sigh, and then he looked back at the old man.
The more the man talked the more Fiddler knew he had struck gold.
"Been a regular there fa years…and ya know, the foods alright when the kids on, but when the teenage girl cooks it gets a bit iffy." He grunted. "Then they just shut the doors at the oddest hours…I think I only come here 'cause its close to home."
Fiddler smiled broadly as he looked at the "Snack Jun." He added up the clues. Odd hours- run by a kid and a young girl…
"Thank you…is there ahhh anywhere else?" He inquired looking back at the jackpot. It had to be the cover for the Swallow and the Swan. He mused.
"No, just that place." Then the old man crossed the road without another word.
Fiddler stared at the isolated restaurant. Well, he thought there's only one way I'm going to find out if is them. And he began to form his plan as he walked up to the front door with a "closed" sigh casually hanging in front of it.