The attack on the typhoon would be difficult, the ship had been hacked by Toothdee, and she had disabled most of the weapon systems, but the meterex were determined to hold the ship at all costs.
Toothdee had also found out a bit of info about Stranior. Taking down the typhoon from inside, it didn't seem like he wanted to do it. He seemed like he was being forced to let the meterex into the ship, Toothdee said in her opinion it almost seemed like he was possessed or something.
For the attack plan, a strike team would go in, using jets to land on the typhoon. They would fight to the bridge and disable the weapon systems, allowing a larger force to come in by helicopter to make sure the ship was secure. Alex would have to find strainor and take him down, maybe he would get some more info about what was wrong with the saber tooth.
Alex, Toothdee, Tails, Sonic, Eris and Laval, piloted in formation towards the typhoon.
"Incoming fire" Toothdee said as the few weapons that weren't deactivated began to fire on the approaching jets. The team preformed evasive maneuvers to avoid the incoming fire. When they got close to the typhoon, the team decreased their speed and hovered low over the ship. Then they jumped out of their jets and landed on the ship, while the jets flew away to safety.
The team began to move forward, there were a few meterex on the outside of the ship, but the squad was easily able to shoot through them as they ran for the entrance. The meterex quickly got a grip on the situation and dispatched troops to eliminate alex and the team. The door into the typhoon opened and squads of meterex funneled out.
Taking cover behind portions of the ship, the team began engaging, ready to fight into the ship. Alex took down 2 hostiles as they exited the door. A heavy unit began charging at the group, but they gunned it down with superior firepower before it could get near. There were still a multitude of hostile forces, but the team continued to take them down one at a time as they moved forward.
An elite unit lunged at alex and tried to slash him, but alex kicked the unit in the head, and while it was disoriented he filled it with bullets.
Toothdee and Eris shot down another elite unit while the rest of the team focused on the normal meterex. When the hostiles were eliminated, the team proceeded through the airlock into the typhoon.
As they entered the ship 3 normal meterex and an elite unit charged at them. Toothdee used her rifle to block a strike from the elite unit, then sonic shot the hostile dead.
The rest of the team concentrated all their firepower on the other 3 meterex, taking them down with no problem.
As they headed for the bridge, a heavy meterex unit appeared and charged at the group. The teak ducked to the sides to avoid getting crushed. Alex, Laval and Eris jumped into action, using their melee weapons to slash and jab the hostile in various exposed places. The meterex sparked and dropped to the ground, and the team moved on up to the bridge.
The meterex were dug in and ready to defend the bridge. With multiple heavy and elite units, as well as a bunch of normal meterex. Using frag grenades was out of the question, as the explosions would damage equipment on the bridge.
As the team reached the bridge and was attack by meterex, alex threw smoke grenades that obscured the entire area. Then he moved through the smoke and used the cover to take down multiple meterex units.
As the smoke cleared, alex took cover while the rest of the team drew the fire of the other meterex in the room. While the enemies were distracted, alex shot a normal meterex unit dead, and preformed a takedown on an elite unit.
Toothdee tossed an EMP grenade that stunned the last heavy unit on the bridge. Then the group focused their fire on the other meterex, with alex gunning down 3 soldiers, and the rest of the team taking out plenty more, including an elite unit.
As the EMP grenade wore off, the squad quickly reloaded and then fired nonstop at the heavy unit with waves of bullets. The hostile meterex unit quickly dropped, and the bridge was secure.
"I'll get the ship back under our control" Toothdee said, going over to a console on the bridge. "But the meterex will be making an assault to try and retake the bridge"
"Leave that to us" alex said, as him and the rest of the team prepared for incoming hostiles.
Soon a large squad of meterex began to close in on the bridge. The team opened fire and took down 3 before the squad could even get into cover.
2 elite units began charging up towards the bridge, but they were out of cover and were quickly put down by the team.
A heavy unit prepared to charge at the squad, but tails tossed an EMP grenade that stunned the unit in its tracks. The team was then free to unload everything they had on the heavy unit, making it drop to the floor.
The remaining normal meterex continued to move up towards the bridge. Using another smoke grenade, alex enveloped the hostiles in smoke, and the team continued to fire at the hidden meterex. When the smoke cleared, the entire meterex squad was laying dead on the floor.
"Got it, the typhoon is back under our control" Toothdee said. "Friendly forces are coming in to secure the ship"
"Where's strainor?" Alex asked.
Toothdee took a look at the console, using the ship's cameras to find stainor.
"There" she said pointing to the screen as she spotted strainor. "He's heading for the top of the ship"
Alex raced off in the direction where Strainor was going, ready to stop this saber tooth. He knew the route Strainor was going, climbing up to the communications equipment that was above the bridge.
A meterex soldier jumped out in front of alex and tried to shoot him. Alex rolled to evade the shot as then fired a bullet of his own that struck the enemy in the head, putting it down.
Alex reached a ladder that lead further up towards the top of the bridge. He climbed up, pistol in hand just in case there was a meterex soldier waiting for him at the top. He opened the hatch at the top of the ladder and quickly looked around to see if there were any hostiles. Luckily the area was clear and alex continued upwards.
Opening another hatch, alex emerged into the bright sunlight of the outside world. He looked up and saw the way to the very top of the ship. Suddenly an elite meterex unit surprised alex and knocked his sword out of his hands. Alex lost sight of where the sword went as he focused on not being killed by the hostile soldier. Switching to his secondary weapon, alex blasted the meterex, but as the unit died it managed to cut Alex's weapon, making him drop the gun.
The weapon had a large gash in the side, and alex didn't want to use it anymore in the event that the gash damaged some of the guns internal machinery that would mean the weapon would fail to fire or even explode.
With only a sidearm left, alex climbed the final ladder and met Strainor on the top of the ship. The saber tooth was facing away from alex, and sitting next to him was some sort of small case.
"Strainor" alex said aiming his gun.
There was a pause before the saber turned to alex.
"Alex" Strainor said. "I did not want to do this, but... they made me."
Alex could easily tell that something was wrong with Strainor. His voice didn't seem normal, it lacked tone, except on rare occasions. The saber tooth's body language seemed strange as well. He was remarkably calm, which was a major change from how he usually behaved. But despite these changes, alex felt like the normal Strainor was somehow trapped within this new Strainor. Alex would need to defeat the saber tooth before he could find out what was wrong.
Strainor opened the small case and alex could see that there were 4 syringes inside. Strainor took one of the syringes out, and then spoke.
"They said that this is some kind of booster, I don't know what it does, but..."
The saber tooth injected himself with the syringe, before dropping the object to the ground. Strainor then lunged at alex and knocked the pistol out of his hand. Alex blocked blows from the saber tooth as Strainor threw relentless punches. With a powerful blow, Strainor sent alex flying back and he landed near the syringe case.
alex grabbed one of the syringes and injected himself with it. He could feel something flowing through him, he didn't know what it was, but alex felt like he had more stamina and quick reflexes.
Seeing Alex use the syringe, Strainor charged forward and attempted to punch Alex, but alex dodged the blows and managed to hit Strainor with a powerful punch. The saber tooth staggered back, but quickly made another assault and landed a few hits on Alex's chest.
Rolling to the side, alex managed to flank Strainor and hit him with a strong jab in the abdomen. She saber tooth held his side, but managed to launch more quick punches that hit alex in the jaw and stomach, knocked him back.
Seeing that this was his chance through, alex quickly tried another attack. He managed to sent Strainor stumbling back, but the saber tooth also managed to knee alex a few times.
The fight was just staring and alright both participants felt like they were on the ropes. Alex got down on his hands and knees while Strainor did the same.
Both of them crawled for the syringe case, and grabbed 1 of the last 2 syringes. The pair got close and helped each other into a kneeling position, before preparing the syringes.
Alex injected Strainor, and Strainor injected Alex. The pair felt regained energy as they dropped the syringes, got up, and prepared to finish the fight.
The two watched each other for a moment, seeing who would move first. Evidently it was both of them. Both fighters threw a punch that collided together. Then alex attempted another punch but Strainor blocked it. The saber tooth tried to kick alex, but the attack was dodged and followed up with another series of punches that hit Strainor.
The saber tooth slid low to the ground did a low kicking motion to knock alex off balance, But alex jumped over the attack. Strainor rolled out of the way of Alex's downwards strike, and jumped back up.
As alex tried another strike, the saber tooth dodged and landed A few jabs on alex. Alex was able to quickly block a few of the blows and follow up with punches of his own. Strainor staggered back, and alex waited for him to make his next move.
Both of them launched forward and began punching and attacking relentlessly, blocking some blows, but being struck by others. However, as the fight progressed, alex began to gain the upper hand. He was landing a lot more punches than Strainor, forcing the saber tooth into retreat.
With blow after blow, alex sent his enemy stumbling back, until with a powerful punch he knocked Strainor down on his back. Alex put his foot on Strainor's chest to prevent him from getting back up.
"Alex" the saber tooth said. This wasn't the voice without tone like alex had seen before, this was Strainors normal voice.
"I'm sorry. I didn't want to do this, but the meterex, and sir fangar, they made me." Strainor said. "I didn't even really know that this was the full plan. Part of me just wanted to escape them. It's my fault that your ship was taken, but the meterex underestimated you. You took your ship back"
There was a pause as Strainor collected his thoughts.
"Part of me wanted to escape, but in a weird way, I know the hunters is where I belong"
The saber tooth's eyes closed and he fell unconscious. Alex made sure this wasn't a trick, and that he was genuinely unconscious. Toothdee' voice came through the radio.
"Alex, the ship is secure, did you deal with Strainor?"
"I think so, but you were right, something is off about him"
"Get him to the medical bay, we'll do an extensive battery of tests"
Some time later, Toothdee had figured out why Strainor was behaving differently. Alex was sitting in the medical bay, when Toothdee came over and began speaking.
"Well, it turns out that Strainor has some sort of meterex device inside of him, we took it out, but I think that's what was causing him to behave so strangely"
"So, what it was like a mind control device?" Alex said.
"I don't know if I would call it that, but it did change his behavior, and maybe even allowed the meterex to control him to a certain extent. That's probably how the managed to get on the typhoon"
There was a pause as toothdee let alex think this over.
"Like I said, the device is removed and he should be fine. What do you want to do with him?"
"Well, surprisingly he said that he feels he belongs with the hunters, I guess we should drop him off at home, so to speak"
"You sure?"
"That's what he told me"
Toothdee shrugged. "Well skyor will definitely be happy to see him"
She began walking away but then turned back to alex.
"By the way, you know those syringes you guys took?"
"Yeah" alex responded.
"I pulled samples from you and Strainor's blood. Analysis indicates that it's some kind of booster that increases things like stamina and level of tactical awareness. But it should be wearing off now"
"Do you think we could manufacture our own?"
"Possibly, I think I pulled enough of a sample from you and Strainor to be able to construct a usable compound. And I'm analyzing the case and the syringes themselves, so we should have all the information we need"
"I look forward to using it"
"Well, I don't know how much we'll be able to make, or when it will be ready, but I have to say I want to try it as well"
Soon, Strainor was back with the hunters and the typhoon was back to undertaking missions. The team would make sure that the meterex would pay for taking the typhoon.