Chapter 18

"I like the look of this mecha. The progress and design is far superior to any I have seen in months." Count Egobossler's pleased tone echoed over the sounds of clanging hammers and men shouting instructions to one another as they transformed the blue prints of his design into reality- in any other situation would have felt Matt a sense of achievement, instead of the desperation he had felt for weeks since Galactor finally caught up with him and his family. He needed to see them- he needed to know they were okay.

Matt stole a side glance at the blue skinned stark white haired leader of Galactor, since the man is in a good mood he might just be open to his one request. "Since the project is ahead of schedule…could I spend a day with my family?"

Count Egobossler's expression soured. "We need you here to see that it stays ahead of schedule. I'll let you see them once I'm satisfied you won't try and run away." He turned his washed out cold grey eyes onto Matt.

He hadn't tried to do anything like 'runaway' as Egobossler implied.

"What makes you think I'll do that?" He asked.

"You have yet to prove your loyalty to me, until then my friend you are on shaky ground." Egobossler's sly smile dashed his hopes of seeing his family until the project was finished.

"And how will you decide on if I'm loyal enough or not?" Matt kept his tone in check least Egobossler caught onto his real feelings towards him and he looked over at the group of men and Count Egobossler's most trusted second in command Kempeler who didn't wear the green uniform of Galactor. Egobossler's personal guard and completely loyal men, watching him

I'll know…until then build me a mecha that will defeat my enemy and when it is done we'll celebrate the victory with you lovely wife and son." Egobossler said smoothly.

Matt knew the enemy he referred to, the white shadow, Gatchaman and his team. He turned to observe the monstrosity before him- his design and his creation for the sole purpose of fulfilling the dreams of a power driven manic.

I could set it up so I could destroy it remotely…he thought solemnly. He wants to use it against the Science Ninja Team, how could I destroy them when they saved the lives of Natasha and Dyami, the people I love most in the world. He had no idea what had become of his father in law.

Matt closed his eyes momentarily as he turned the conflict over in his mind. Could he find a way to warn them? He thought. There had to be a way to stop Galactors greed for power from within and save his family from them. If it was obvious, Egobossler would order their execution in a heartbeat.

Another engineer called out to him, the man wanted confirmation in a few areas, signing he walked towards the stressed looking man. He'd find a way to get them all out of this and make a deal to save his family and have Egobossler think he was 'loyal' to him, he had too, time was running out.

* * * *

"There's been some improvement." Kens tone turned defensive as he watched Jun's serious face scan the latest test results.

"In your imagination there has been…" She remarked without looking up from the page.

"What…no way!" He tried to snatch the paper from her hands but she moved away from him and continued to read over the results of the tests being run on him.

"Ken now's not the time to act dense." Jun let out an exasperated breath.

"I never act dense…" Ken took a step back from her in his own defence.

"Yes you do…how long did it take for you to work out that I was interested in you as more than a friend?" She looked up over the report with stormy green eyes.

"I…I…" He fumbled trying to find the right response so he wouldn't look like a compete fool. "I had a job to do romance was at the bottom of my list-"

"Pfffttt…" She said, and turned her back on him. "You're such a liar!"

"You know me better than anyone else… you know how dedicated to duty I am." Ken moved in closer.

"That's my biggest problem…I know you far to well Washio, for a while your heart went another girl called Rum, it took you a long time to get over her." Jun's soft voice changed in an instant to a haunted tone at the mention of Rumi.

She'd hit the real reason it took him so long to come round to her, he had fallen in love with Rumi and it blinded him for some time.

"She…" He started to say something that would reassure her Rumi meant nothing to him, but that would be a lie, and he couldn't do that to Jun. "It took me some time to see the light."

"Well, it's in the past now," Jun said dismissively. "We have to find a cure for you, so tomorrow I leave with Dr Nambu-"

"What do you mean its all in the past, it still hurts you doesn't it." Ken stopped her idol chatter, he knew she was avoiding a sensitive topic, something they never discussed when they were a couple.

"A lot of things still 'hurt' me Ken, we haven't been able to locate Dyami on any of our missions its like they vanished into thin air…besides what did you see in Rumi anyway." Tears of frustration welled up in Jun's eyes.

"She was beautiful… but you know she wanted Gatchaman, a mysterious guy… not a poor pilot who flew mail runs for a few dollars a week." Ken remembered the only date he managed to take Rumi out on, he couldn't afford anything fancy, and so he took her to a local steakhouse on the outskirts of Utoland. It was the first week after the war ended. It left him wanting by the end of the night, wanting something other than her and her obsession with meeting Gatchaman, her blue eyes became dreamy when she spoke of how mysterious he was when he rescued her…then she prattled on about how romantic it would be to have been a girl he pursued like Superman and Lois Lane, her eyes changed to a hint of disappointment when she looked at him sitting across the table…if only she knew… He thought. Is that all he meant to her a hero of the hour, a fantasy…like Superman and Lois Lane, she can keep on fantasying then he figured, since I'm not superman, poor Clarke Kent never stood a chance.

That night he ended up on Jun's doorstep confused and wanting someone who he knew cared about him for himself and not who others thought he should be. That night he saw her in the light he should have seen all along…

"Jun I know how you feel about Dyami, I'm frustrated too that we've found no trace of him." Ken sat down in a chair near by. "We'll just keep searching…looking for clues, what I can't understand is that Count Egobossler hasn't sent a ransom note or demands to us."

"I've thought about that too, I wonder what game he's playing." She said thoughtfully.

"I don't know, but I hope we find out soon…" Ken stood up at snatched the report out of her hands and looked the results. If anything his condition had become worse.

"I won't let you die Ken," She promised before walking out of the room.

"You may not have a choice." He told the door as it closed behind her as he faced reality.