Chapter Text
SCENES FROM:
EPISODE 1
SEASON ONE 1
These will not be in order. Just coincidentally wanted to write this one first.
The metal doors slid open to reveal the dark control room, lit in neon blue. Scientists and operators everywhere, sat in chairs, walking around. The three came through in their casual clothes.
Grayson Gunn stood at the front by a large screen. Connor spoke up.
“We’re sorry we’re late, Sir, we—“
”This is more important.” Gunn turned toward the screen and pressed a remote. An image— a diagram of Nori Nakamura flashed into view. Their chest implant highlighted.
“Nori Nakamura was just sighted by the museum, still using their GunnTech-issued suit,”
The teens’ eyes widened, they exchanged glances. “Not only that,” he clicked the remote, “They’ve kidnapped GunnTech Trainees.”
An image of Nori on the steps of the museum, young children in less advanced, purple suits following him came onscreen.
Amaya frowned.
”I can’t believe he’d drag them into this—“
”I can.” Connor said, dead serious, bothered.
“I need you three to bring him back here, him and however many children he’s taken.”
”Will the children face.. any punishment?” Amaya asked.
“He’s brainwashing them, Amaya,” Gunn said dryly, “It’s not their fault, but they’ll have to go through a re-learning program to ensure they’re not dangers to the public, which will set them back.
“Right.” she said.
“Get suited up and go after him. I don’t usually pressure you, but I expect results this time. You’re becoming adults now, and I want higher quality work from you. You either come back with Nori or one of the kids.”
”Yes, Sir.”
—
They stepped into their giant, individual rooms, equally high-tech and neon. Blue, red and green, they pressed their bracelets. The implants under the skin of their chests lit up. They twitched, used to it. Connor’s hair grew, cat ears emerging from them. Amaya’s pupils shrunk to sharp lines. Greg’s skin began to shimmer as invisible scales hardened on, from the neck down, eventually forming a gecko’s tail.
In each room, metal claws holding different parts of their suits came down from the ceilings. The chest piece came in halves and clasped around them, elbow and knee protectors strapped themselves automatically. Amaya lifted her arms up for the wings to be attached to the panel on her back. She thanked the machinery, she always did. An artificial voice spoke in Greg’s room.
“Please check suit functionality.”
Greg blinked, and turned invisible instantly. Second nature. He used to need to concentrate.
“Suit functionality confirmed.”
The same happened for Connor.
”Please check suit functionality.” spoke the voice.
”Suit’s good.” Connor rolled his now cat-like eyes.
“Suit functionality unknown.” The voice said, you could almost hear the dejection.
He left the room.
—
They all rejoined each other in the vehicle hangar, suited up in the most advanced armour money could buy. Connor’s resembling a racer’s, Amaya’s resembling an airforce pilot’s and Greg’s resembling a martial artist’s gear.
“What are we taking today?”
”If we’re looking for a ninja, we’re going to need the glider.” Amaya stated.
“We’re taking the car.” Connor lifted his claw.
“Wouldn’t be so sure about that, pal.”
From behind one of the standard GunnTech cars to each side emerged a blue-skinned teen with pointed ears and short black and pink hair, covered in oil and dirt, “Someone totalled it on their last mission.” He smiled slyly, his pearly-white teeth poking out, charming. Cartoka. Augmented technician, no chest implant.
“You haven’t fixed it yet?” Connor’s nose wrinkled in frustration.
“Carly?” Cartoka spoke, looking behind him.
“Yeah?” a blue girl said, sat in one of the cars.
“Connor here doesn’t remember who it is at GunnTech that we work for, bless his heart.”
“Shame he doesn’t have a friend who’s related to the man.”
”The world’s unfair,” Cartoka sighed with a smile.
“Alright, you two,” Greg chuckled nervously, “Let’s not antagonise him. You work at your own speed..”
”Always do.”
“Sorry, fine, just give us the glider.” Connor grumbled, Amaya smiling behind him and casting a look at Greg.
“Just give us the glider…?” Cartoka trailed off, grinning.
“Please.”
”Now there’s a good man.”
Cartoka took off at practically light-speed. Connor scoffed.
“You don’t have to be that fast, your speed is perfect.” Greg smiled.
“I’m not jealous,”
“We never said you were,”
Cartoka pulled a lever and a panel in the ceiling began to lower. On it was a sleek and gorgeous, metallic red glider. Rather than wheels, it had talons. Amaya walked towards it and put her hand on the windshield affectionately.
“You cleaned her?” Amaya beamed at Cartoka.
”She was looking a little unhappy, so..”
”You’re a star, Cartoka,”
”I’m no Newton, Miss. Kobayashi,” he said humbly.
.
Once all in, the platform began to lift again.
“Seatbelts,” Amaya said, flipping switches above her and on her control panel. The aircraft began to rumble. The mechanical, bird feet of it stood up, rocking everyone. A small microphone built into her suit extended just by her mouth.
“GunnTech Ground, GunnTech 0W15, GunnTech Air Hangar Runway, requesting clearance for takeoff.”
Air Traffic Control came through.
“GunnTech Ground, GunnTech OW15, 3-5 wind, bearing 3-2-0 degrees, 9 knots, QNH 1012, cleared from GunnTech Airbase Tarabiscoville to Tarabiscoville Museum, after departure left turn inbound Park Avenue Tarabiscoville, climb 1000 feet, squawk 1-3-6-0.”
On a notepad, Amaya wrote as the responder spoke, and then repeated every word said back to him, on the end adding “GunnTech 0W15.”
” GunnTech 0W15 cleared for takeoff, Runway 1,”
”GunnTech Ground, GunnTech 0W15, cleared for takeoff, Runway 1 Will-Co.”
She flipped several more switches, and then pressed on the steering wheel. The glider slowly lurched forward and began to rush down the runway. With no wheels, the bird feet started at a walk and progressed into a mad dash the same speed of any plane. The wings of the glider’s metal plates opened up. Greg leaned back in his seat.
”Thrust set,” Amaya communicated.
It went faster, and faster, and faster, wings picking up air until the legs slowly pulled from underneath it, swept back like a bird’s.
Connor looked out the window. Their surroundings turned from a city to a pitch black void peppered with lights, moving and static. The pressure dropped, the group’s ears blocking. He winced, cat ears pulling back. Soon, only clouds and silence.
Amaya hummed, glanced back at the boys.
Blinking, occasional shifting in seats.
“So, Nori…”
”I just don’t understand why he would do this,” Connor said, arms crossed.
”The kids?”
”Hm,”
”He doesn’t understand that GunnTech is on his side,” Greg spoke. “We’ll convince him to come back and Uncle Gray will speak to him,”
”Nori isn’t that easy to persuade.” Connor said.
“I think they are,” Amaya said, “It’s just that you’re bad at persuasion,”
”I am?” Connor snickered.
”You speak and yet you say nothing, what of that?”
”Did you just quote Romeo and Juliet?” Greg said, surprised.
“Yes!” Amaya laughed.
“They must’ve made a cameo in Flossy Flash, because..”
”I can enjoy the non-comic-related arts occasionally,” she brought her microphone down, “Gunntech Ground, GunnTech 0W15, maintaining flight level 0-8-0,”
”GunnTech 0W15.” responded Air Traffic Control. Amaya put her mic away.
“We’ll get him back. We’ll get Luna back.”
”Have you seen Luna?” Greg asked.
“No,” Amaya responded, “But I trust her. She wouldn’t disappear on me. She’ll come to one of us when she’s ready.”
“Nori on the other hand,” Connor started, “Disappears first, disappears for even longer, kidnaps kids, never comes to anyone and then reappears at the museum.”
”Sounds like Nori to me.” Greg chuckled, pained with the awkwardness.
”How can you laugh at it, though? Three.. Two of our friends are just… Gone.” Connor hissed.
“Connor.” Greg put a hand on the cat’s shoulder, “When this is over, we, Luna and Nori are going to look back at it and laugh. So, I figure.. why not laugh now? It does a body good.”
“You sound like an old man.” Connor smiled, placing his claw on Greg’s hand softly.
“Oh, you spend enough time with Uncle Gray.”
Bang. The aircraft continued to fly relatively normally, albeit making further grinding noises.
Amaya’s eyes shot toward the side of the glider. She still spoke calmly.
”Pan-Pan, Pan-Pan. GunnTech Ground, GunnTech 0W15, uhh, 0.5 miles southwest at 0-6-0. We are approaching Bowman lake. Something seems to be, uhh, jamming left engine. Altitude is.. 1-1-0-7 metres. Right now, we’re just cruising. I intend to ditch on the bridge, there’s almost enough space. 387 minutes of fuel remaining. 2 passengers on board, one captain,”
“GunnTech 0W15, roger, uhh, what can I do for you?”
”We’re experiencing symptoms of partial failure, but I’m able to maintain a slow descent. We’re close enough to the ground for us not to have too rough a landing.”
A second of silence.
”Pan to your rough-running engine is acknowledged,”
The boys were frozen as the glider descended.
“What’s going on?” Greg asked, heart racing.
”Uhh, just what it sounds like. Possible bird strike.”
“Will we be okay?”
“Most likely.”
Connor extended his hand to Greg, who took it. Connor nodded to him and he gave a strained smile.
Bang. Something hit the windshield, splatted all over it. Gold, glowing. Amaya gasped. More like a modern plane, rather than windshield wipers, the glider blew hot air onto the windshield.
”Not a bird strike,” Connor growled.
Amaya brought the aircraft down. She flipped a switch and the legs extended forward again, approaching the bridge. It wasn’t quite as long as a runway needed to be but it served its purpose.
With a lurch, the glider touched down, running forward to brake. Fast, then slow, talons digging into the tarmac.
Amaya said nothing for a few seconds, getting her bearings.
“GunnTech Ground, GunnTech 0W15. Touched down safely.”
”GunnTech 0W15, do you need local emergency services notified?”
”No, we’ll be compromised. Do not notify local emergency services. Uh, we’ll be continuing mission as normal. Thank you.”
”Copy. Glad you’re okay.”
Amaya began to shut down the glider.
”Why didn’t you tell them that it was Nori?” Connor asked, incredulous.
”Nori’s close, we don’t tell on them.”
Connor ripped off his seatbelt. Amaya flipped off the seatbelts sign. Greg then unclipped his. The three emerged from the glider.
“No point hiding Nori, we know you’re here!” Connor yelled, standing on top of the glider, pupils thin as needles.
The night air droned. Pitch black and eerie. The three were encircled by an omnipresent shadow.
“Well done…” a silvery voice echoed.
The group began to look around.
“Weren’t always the smartest, were you, Connor?” the voice came from somewhere else. “I guess all that time you spent with Romeo went to waste. Everything went through one ear and right out the other?..”
Connor’s eyes narrowed.
A soft finger ran across his ear.
“Shame these huge, ridiculous ears went to waste,”
Connor yelled and swiped behind him. Nori was stood on the glider, leaning down. The ninja stood straight up again. He chuckled low. Connor pulled his ears back in embarrassment with his hands, brushing off the touch.
“Nice to see you three again.” Nori said genuinely, warmly.
”Nori, that wasn’t funny, we could’ve gotten hurt,” Amaya said.
“Which is why I only did it when you were so low down. Besides, you’re a good pilot, Amaya.”
”Aw, thanks—wait, don’t try to ingratiate yourself with us. We have a warrant out for your arrest… And… It’s nice to see you too.”
Nori jumped down and hugged Amaya tightly.
“How you been, Amaya?” they asked, then moving straight onto the much taller Greg.
“We’ve missed you.” Greg said.
”Connor, hug?” Nori asked.
”No.”
”Suit yourself,” Nori whistled a high note out into the night. “You can come out!”
Behind them, three pairs of little feet landed on the glider. Children in their trainee uniforms.
“Hi!” they cried in unison. Amaya and Greg waved to them, one more confused than the other.
”I love your wings,” one said to Amaya.
“I like your tail,” another said to Greg.
Nori, arms crossed beside Connor, glanced at him awkwardly.
“Can’t all win with the kids, Connor.”
Connor groaned.