Chapter 27

"It's looking good Ken." The doctor smiled like he was conducting a test on a patient who was going back to the office to finish a day's work afterwards. Not on one that needed to be in battle with the rest of his team at moments notice.

"It's working, that's great let's get on with it." Ken said through clenched teeth. Every minute it took to make this work felt like an eternity to him.

"It's an exact science Ken- if I'm out by just a little bit it could be fatal for you." He explained forcing Ken to keep his impatience to himself.

"Fine, just do it." Ken ordered closing his eyes he saw Jun's jet take a fatal dive in his imagination.

I'm coming Jun…he mentally cried out to her.

* * * *

Joe took the initiative again as the battle reached a stalemate, this time he dove for its underbelly region. He'd already established that Mekandor was in charge of this attack when he spotted him on the deck just before he saved from his impending attack on the ground.

"Ahhh haaaa" Joe cheered confidently." I got it in the bag…." His joy lasted seconds when it repaired itself automatically. "Shit." He breathed becoming more agitated as they all watched it become whole again.

"Whoever designed this mecha knew what he was doing." Jun said impressed by it, yet at the same time a feeling of dread washed over her. How in the world will they be able to defeat it she thought wildly.

"This is a problem." Ryu said in his usual casual tone.

"No joke Owl." Jinpei's sarcasm was met with silence from the Owl.

In horror they all watched as the Panther demolished a near by office block and then it turned to resume its attack on the four members of the Science Ninja Team. Each time they damaged it, it repaired itself. If it wasn't an invention from Galactor meant to bring about death and destruction Jun would have admired the genius in its engineering.

"That damn thing isn't going to get the best of me!" Joe growled. "I'm going in again and the rest of you give it everything you have left."

She began to wonder what in the world he had in mind.

"Joe, what's going on…exactly?" She asked concerned.

"I'm going to ram this plane into its mouth, hang tight Jun." Joe's determination to commit suicide sent her anxiety levels up higher.

"Joe…" She yelled angrily, then she stopped talking, knowing no matter what she said he'd do it anyway.

"If I don't make it Jun…I just want you to know…." His voice dropped off. "Just finish the mission." He finally said.

Jun watched him close in on his final target, at the last possible second he swerved. Looking up she saw the reason why- G-1 was approaching the battle at high speed.

"Let's form up the Gatchasparten team," He said through the intercom.

Jun followed the order without hesitation along with the rest of the team.

She felt her heart drop to the floor when Ken didn't even come to bridge as he took his placed on top of the ship to fire up the hypershoot.

Ryu automatically set the course towards the Panther with Ken slicing off its arm.

"We already tried something like that." Jon informed him." See it just repairs itself."

"Then we go in head first." Ken ordered. And again Ryu headed straight for the monsters giant opened mouth.

The Hypershoot sliced the Panther in half, making it unable to repair itself.

"We did it!" Jinpei jumped with glee as the wreckage feel from the sky into the canyon below.

They all saw the escape pod that headed off into the blue sky faster than they could respond to it.

"Mekandor got away." Jinpei said- voicing the disappointment they all shared.

Ryu did a by pass of the Lab landing bay to see if was okay. He stood their waving to them to land.

It was then that Jun saw the other pod leaving at the very last minute before the wreckage came crashing to the ground in one final explosion. The pod appeared to be damaged and it crash landed not far from it deep in the canyon.

"Ryu get down there." She said standing up from her station. "Another escape pod is down there."

"So what…" Joe said smiling still chuffed at their recent victory." It's likely to be just a lucky goon- we'll deal with him soon. has just ordered us to land and so has Ken."

Jun couldn't take her eyes off the other escape pod. The mecha continued to explode in places as it's settled in its last throw's of death on the canyon floor.

Pressing the button that began the sequence of the ship separating into their individual vehicles she ignored the surprised expressions on the rest of the team's faces.

"What are you doing?" Joe asked suspiciously.

"I'm going down there to check out that pod that's what I'm doing, the rest of you can go and meet up with Dr. Nambu." She said as the ship started to come apart. Ken was still standing on the G-1 and from what she saw in an instant before she headed towards the canyon was Ken jumping back into the cockpit.

She flew over the wreckage surveying the area for the pod. In the distance she saw the hatch open and a goon jump out and he began trying to run as fast as he could in the opposite direction. He appeared to be injured because he was limping.

Jun landed her vehicle and jumped out and ran after him. "Wait, I'm here to help you." She called out, but he kept running.

She picked up a discarded Galactor mask as he disappeared around a rock, really he didn't have any place to go, and she knew she's easily catch up to him.

"Stay away from me I can look after myself." The goon shouted back, she knew that voice.

"Wait!" Jun picked up her pace and but when she rounded the rock she was met with a gun pointed in her direction with Matt wild eyed and panting heavily from the efforts of his narrow escape.

"Matt." She gasped. "Matt put down the gun its me…"

"Who, ahhh I know G-3 the Swan, but you're not taking me back to some base where I can't leave because I'm under arrest…so I'm getting up and you're going to leave." He said steadying his hand on the gun.

"It's me Jun…You're not going to be arrested, please you can trust me." She took a slow step forward.

Matts face turned into confusion- like it hadn't registered that she knew his name. Without any further hesitation she pulled off her helmet allowing her long black to fall loosely around her shoulders.

Matt's jaw dropped- along with the gun from his fingers, she could see the surprise registering on his face. "Jun?" He said trying to take in this new piece of information.

"Long story, but yeah it's me alright, this is what I do for a living." She smiled trying to lighten it up a bit.

Ken walked up behind her cocking an eyebrow. "This is Matt Butler? Galactor green isn't really his colour."

"I don't think it suits him either," Jun agreed with a slight twinging of her lips into a half smile. "Matt this is Ken Washio…" Ken did the same as Jun and removed his helmet.

"Pleasure to meet you..." Ken said studying Matt intently.

"I know those eyes and that expression." Matt said smiling as he came slowly to his feet at the irony of it all.

"Well I'll be damned…You're Dyami's parents, this is why…" Matt's soft blue eyes became distant, and then he turned away from them his voice cracked from the pain he in his heart and the truth behind his son's heritage. "And we failed to keep him away from Galactor- after all you tried to do."

"We're not really his parents any more in the way you Matt and Natasha are. And how could you have known the burden we placed on you." Jun walked over and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"She's right Matt- do you have any idea where Natasha and Dyami are?" Ken asked exchanging concerned looks with Jun. Matt turned around to face Jun- he looked drawn and older in that moment.

"I got some information just before we launched. Only a location nothing more….and they're okay…alive at least." He confessed hope flinting into his eyes he held up a small disk.

Jun looked over her shoulder to be see the rest of the team standing behind them unmasked. Matt's eyes went wide once more.

"That's right, you've met each of us at different times, but you know that's why they call us Ninja's" Jinpei grinned.

"Well, what are we standing around for, don't we have a rescue mission to go on." Ken said urgently putting his helmet back on, he snatched the disk out of Matt's hand and he turned to run towards his Eagle sharp.

Matt halted him." I'm going with you."

"That's out of the question, you're staying here with , and you can wait for us back at our base." Ken said in his don't-argue-with-me tone.

"No way, this is my wife and son Gatchaman and I say I'm going." Matt insisted.

Ken's facial features instantly tensed up." We don't have time for this- you'll only hinder us Matt... You'll only get in the way and that's the last thing we need right now."

Matt's grimace and body language matched the one forming on Ken's features. "No I won't be staying behind, I saw some fighter jets up there on the landing bay, I'll take one and follow you if I have too, I'm not taking a no for an answer-"

Jun watched as Ken's closed fist closed and opened like he wanted to strike him.

Instead Ken's tone became more enraged. "Listen to me Matt, I won't let you go with us, don't you see, we chose Dyami to be with you because our lives are constantly on the line, he need a father, he needs you to be here waiting…"

"He needs me to be out there looking for him, not sitting in a room being safe." Matt moved in closer, the tension between them intensified to an alarming degree.

"If I have to knock you out and drag you back there then I will Matt." Ken's voiced lowered to a dangerously calm level. "Do you know what its like to live without a father? I want to know what happened to him for most of your life because one day he disappeared…I won't have you do that Dyami."

They engaged in a silent war of attrition for what felt like eternity.

"I'm not staying behind, nor do I plan to die soon, so let's get going Ken the Eagle, we have a job to do." Matt pushed passed him and began walking towards Jun's G-3 machine.

"Stubborn bastard…" Joe's smile became a sly grin. "It looks like you lose Ken."

Ken gave Joe a murderous glare before he walked quickly after Matt and halted him in his tracks with a firm grasp on his shoulder.

Matt spun around anticipating a blow from Ken that never came. "Is that how you lead your team Gatchaman?" Matt's face h. "Pushing them around when you don't get your own way… I have right to find my son." Matt fumed. Jun could see this was about to get messy if the argument continued so she decided to take matters into her own hands.

"Matt, you're coming with me." She piped up walking over fast and taking his arm and pulling the two of them further apart least they end up in a real fight from the growing amount of tension.

Joe rolled his eyes and the edges of his lips curled up into a lopsided smirk. "A good punch once in a while doesn't hurt, relieves tension and gets things out in the open…"

However his eyes gave away his real feelings about what just happened. Ken was losing it bit by bit.

"Joe, shut up your not helping." She said placing her hands on her hips and shot him a murderous gaze to match the one she gave Ken.

"Get to you vehicles when we're in the air we'll form up the Gatchasparten….got it." Ken ordered through clenched teeth and his fiery blue eyes he turned on Matt but he spoke to her with a disapproving finger pointed at eye level. "Don't make me regret this Jun."