Kagaku Ninja-Tai Gatchaman Fan Fiction ❯ The Timepiece ❯ Chapter 21 ( Chapter 21 )

Chapter 21

CRASH!

Scorpio crash-landed onto the front control panel. He quickly leapt back onto his foot to face whoever had ripped him from his hold on the girl and literally thrown him against the control panel.

"Ah! Beat me if it is not our mighty Condor coming for a visit. I must say that you have come at a most inconvenient timing, buddy." Scorpio wiped off the blood from the corner of his mouth with the back of his hand. He then removed his black trench coat and flung it on top of a nearby captain seat. "Come on, man, let's get it over with. I've got dessert waiting for me. But don't worry, I'll make sure you get a share of the entertainment before you die. Though not as a participant, I am afraid."

Joe glared death at Scorpio. "Funny! Very Funny indeed! You can have your dessert in your dreams, man. Though I don't think you will ever be able to dream again after I am done with you." Joe replied levelly.

"We'll see, Condor" Scorpio leapt up against the sidewall, bounced off it and aimed a flying kick at Joe's head.

Joe ducked, grabbed Scorpio's leg and flung him onto the control panel again. Little did he know that he had activated some controls by doing so.

"Good try, Scorpio, but not good enough. Try again."

Scorpio got back up from the floor, growled and lunged at Joe. Joe spun around and launched a side-kick at Scorpio's stomach sending him flying back to the control panel, hitting some other buttons and controls. Scorpio bounced off the control panel this time and with an aerial somersault pounced on Joe, sending Joe to the ground. Unbeknownst to them, a certain clock on the control panel had started ticking away and the countdown had begun.

Scorpio smirked, pinning Joe to the ground, "How about this, Condor?"

"Not bad. Take this." Joe retorted and kneed Scorpio in his privates. Scorpio rolled off crouching in pain.

However, before Joe could leap back onto his feet, Scorpio had taken the opportunity and rolled over to Yuki, who was huddling by the corner of the room trying to stay out of their way. He grabbed Yuki and dragged her up from the ground with him. By the time he straightened up, he had already pulled a dagger from the inside of his boots and was pressing it against Yuki's neck.

Joe froze.

Scorpio laughed evilly, "Come at me, Condor. Why do you stop? It would be interesting to find out if this dagger is sharp enough to slice her throat before you get to me."

Joe's face was red with anger, he growled, "What's the matter with you, Scorpio? Can't fight without dragging the girl into this?"

Scorpio smirked, "Good try, Condor. I am not as stupid as to go for that. Now disarm, put your hands up and slowly move over to that chair."

Joe inwardly appraised the situation; there was no way he could get to Yuki before her throat was sliced. He could only hope that if he could stall it long enough, the rest of the team would finish wiping out those gangsters outside and would be able to come in to help. So, he did as he was told.

Once Joe was sitting in that chair, Scorpio threw him a handcuff. "I guess I don't need to tell you what to do with it, Condor." With a cruel smile on his face, Scorpio watched Joe caught the handcuff midair.

"NO! Joe! Don't!" Yuki screamed.

Joe hesitated a bit and looked up at Yuki. Scorpio pressed the dagger in deeper making a nick in her snow-white neck, causing her to gasp at the sudden pain.

A narrow red line slowly traveled down the curve of her snow-white neck.

Joe inwardly winced at the sight of her blood, he growled, "I'm doing it now, don't hurt her anymore." Joe slowly snapped one side of the cuffs onto his right wrist. "I cannot do both wrists myself."

"Snap the other side onto the arm of the chair!"

Joe was just about to do it when Scorpio yelped out in pain. Yuki had taken the opportunity of his being distracted talking to Joe and knocked his hand off with her shoulder and then ducked down to bite on his hand which was holding the dagger. Scorpio had let go of the dagger in pain. Before he knew it, Joe was on top of him and had his cable gun pointing at the center of his forehead.

Scorpio froze and slowly put up his hands. "Steady Condor, Steady!"

"Scorpio, let me remind you that I am the gunner of the KNT. So if I were you, I would not attempt anything stupid."

"Of course! Of course!"

With his right hand still holding his gun at Scorpio's head, Joe searched Scorpio with his other hand. He soon found the key to the handcuff he had on his right wrist. He unlocked it and removed it from his own wrist. Then, he shoved Scorpio over and handcuffed his hands behind him.

"Now get your dumb ass into that chair." Joe pulled Scorpio up by his collar and shoved him into the chair that he had told Joe to sit in earlier on.

Having secured Scorpio, Joe backed away from him towards Yuki, still pointing the gun at him all the way.

"You okay?" Joe picked up the dagger from the floor and slit the rope from her ankles. He then helped her up and removed the handcuffs from her wrists.

Yuki had been at the verge of breaking down for a while now. The heartbroken feeling from the wrongful accusation from the one she was secretly admiring., the scare from the kidnap and the subsequent confrontation with Scorpio had her shaking up badly. Her emotions had taken a roller-coaster ride throughout the fight between Joe and Scorpio, fluctuating between fearing for Joe's life and rejoicing on Joe's victory. Now that the danger was over, she could no longer contain her emotions. She threw her arms around Joe's neck, buried her head in his broad chest and wept, her shoulders heaving from the intensity of the sobs.

Joe's heart was torn to pieces by her sobs. Instinctively, he wrapped his arms around her and hold her tightly, "That's okay, Yuki, it's all over now. You are safe now, I would not let any more harm come to you. None at all." He had totally forgotten about Scorpio, all he knew was that the girl he had secretly loved and yearned for was now weeping broken-heartedly in his arms. He felt the absolute need of protecting her and loving her.

Scorpio had been watching this outburst of emotion with interest. He was carefully waiting for chances, chances to escape and best of all strike back. So, when Joe forgot all about himself and focused on comforting Yuki, Scorpio's heart left with joy, for his chance had come. He quickly leapt to his feet and lunged at Joe meaning to knock off his gun.

The clock the control panel turned to zero. All of a sudden, the ship roared to life and it ship shook as if caught in an earthquake. Before they could realize what was happening, the ship plunged into an accelerating spin, throwing all of them against the walls and pinning them there Before long, blackness descended upon all three of them.

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