Return of Jetman Episode 14

RETURN OF JETMAN

"Old Endings, New Beginnings"
(Episode 14)
by Christopher Elam
(based on the work of Lewis Smith)
© 2003 Christopher Elam
Dedicated to Lewis Smith

 

Lord Xenotos sat on his throne in the Imperial Chamber aboard the starship Helldevil. For the first time in a long, long while, he let his thoughts drift back to the past. He remembered the days before he had ascended to his position as ruler of the planet Perwor.

Xenotos had been a radical in his youth, which had led him to butt heads numerous times with the Order Lords. They were the controlling faction on Perwor in those days and did not take kindly to dissidence. The Order Lords mandated strict adherence to rigid standards of behavior. Most of Perwor's population obediently fell in line, but not Xenotos. He believed in free will and that made him one of the most dangerous beings on Perwor as far as the Order Lords were concerned.

Xenotos was more than an idealist - he was a man of action. Through careful study and practice, he had mastered the ability to tap into and harness special energy forces. Then, with considerable difficulty, he had organized a clandestine resistance movement to oppose the Order Lords. He dubbed his group "The Chaos Coalition" in direct mockery of the Order Lords. If their tyrannical regime was "order", then Xenotos and his followers would bring about the "chaos" that was freedom.

The Chaos Coalition was small, but its members were intensely loyal to Xenotos. Miira, Xenotos' most trusted confidante and true love, had joined forces with him when he had recruited members in her remote disenfranchised village. Dystron, the most fearsome and courageous warrior of the Coalition, had been liberated from his debasing fate as a gladiator in tournaments staged for the amusement of the Order Lords. And then there was Hedes. Hedes had been sentenced to execution by the Order Lords for conducting forbidden experiments. Xenotos had personally rescued the frail scientist, earning his undying gratitude.

Hedes' addition had been one of the key factors in Chaos turning the tide in their war with the Order Lords. Hedes used his knowledge of bio-engineering to create non-living foot soldiers to fight for the Chaos cause. The Garo, as he called them, could be manufactured continually and were supremely expendable. An army of them could attack a target and Chaos would suffer no casualties no matter how many of them fell.

After his success with the Garo, Hedes created the Chaos Beasts. They too were non-living beings, but based on individual creatures and far more powerful. They were also capable of independent thought and soon were leading the Garo raids with devastating results. The forces of the Order Lords could not withstand the continual attacks that cost them dearly, but did not result in the loss of a single Chaos Coalition life.

Eventually, the inevitable came to pass and the Order Lords were toppled by the Chaos Coalition. Xenotos vividly recalled standing on a balcony before the masses as they declared him "Lord Xenotos" by acclamation. The throng cheered wildly for the revolutionary leader who had delivered them from the Order Lords.

Lord Xenotos contemplated how it had all gone wrong after their greatest triumph. In the early years, he and his inner circle governed Perwor in the same manner they had liberated it. All of them shared in the secret of Chaos Energy and they kept each other in check. Gradually, absolute power, and the desire to retain it, had changed all of them. They became harder, crueler, more inclined to put their personal interests ahead of all else. The ideals that they had fought so hard to bring to Perwor were lost as the Chaos Coalition became just another corrupt ruling class.

Perhaps then it was poetic justice that eventually Lord Xenotos saw his kingdom fall apart. His planet had grown unstable and he had to leave it behind to conquer a new one for his people. That scheme had brought him into conflict with the accursed Jetman. Jetman had stymied him again and again in his drive to take Earth. What was worse was the terrible cost of his war with them. Both Dystron and Miira had fallen to Jetman.

Miira. Jetman had driven her to betray him. The constant interference of Jetman in his plans had driven his one love to turn on him and attempt to wrest control of the Coalition. She had died in pitched battle with those humans. In spite of her duplicity, his feelings for her still ran deep. He wanted to crush Jetman for stealing her from him.

Lord Xenotos checked the monitor screen again. The image didn't lie - that was Jetman's Jet Cruiser headed directly for Helldevil. They were on their way to fight the Chaos Coalition one last time, with Helldevil itself as the chosen battleground.

Lord Xenotos couldn't help but smile. He had already assembled his entire crew for their final debriefing of the arduous war with Jetman. He had a special surprise in store for those rainbow-hued meddlers. He only hoped they wouldn't be disappointed.

***

"How soon before we're in range?" Black Condor inquired from his position in the central seat at Jet Cruiser's controls.

White Swan checked the instruments. "Approximately five minutes."

"Can't be soon enough for me," Green Wyvern whispered. "I hate outer space."

Black Condor kept quiet, but he was anxious as well. He had never thought it would really come down to this. He was leading his four teammates into a battle on the Chaos Coalition's home turf - Helldevil. Everything - their lives and the Earth itself - was coming down to his leadership. He wasn't sure he was up to the task.

"Look out!" Yellow Owl shouted. "They're launching missiles at us!"

"Firing Turbo Lasers!" Blue Swallow exclaimed.

Jet Cruiser's energy bursts intercepted most of the projectiles. However, a stray missile made its way through and crashed into the ship. Jetman barely felt the impact.

"That was a missile strike?" Black Condor asked incredulously.

"A scare tactic, I suppose," Green Wyvern opined. "They certainly weren't armed."

White Swan rubbed her chin. "I thought their ship didn't have offensive capabilities. Where did they get missiles?"

"Maybe we can ask them," Yellow Owl said as he leaned over. "We're in range."

"So this is it," Blue Swallow muttered gravely.

"They still have a forcefield," Black Condor reminded. "We have to crack that first!"

Black Condor reached over to activate the microwave beam generator, but Green Wyvern stopped him. "Hold it!" she shouted. "They're dropping the forcefield themselves!"

"What?" Blue Swallow reacted. "But that's crazy! Why would they do that?"

"I don't know," Green Wyvern said, "but it's down. We can teleport aboard right now."

"I guess we're being invited to step inside," Black Condor noted as each of the five members of Jetman unbuckled their safety harnesses and stood up. They all exchanged concerned glances as they prepared to face the biggest test of their lives.

"Stick together and be ready for anything," Black Condor cautioned. "Well, here we go!"

Jetman activated their short-range teleportation signals and beamed aboard Helldevil. They materialized as planned in the ship's primary hangar and were greeted by...silence.

Yellow Owl looked around in confusion. "Where is everybody? I figured they'd give us a rumble!"

"It's deserted," White Swan observed. "This is...very odd. They had to know we were coming."

"Sure," Black Condor agreed. "Otherwise, they wouldn't have fired at us."

"We're not quite alone," Blue Swallow said as she pointed to the glass window of the control room high above the floor. "Take a look!"

Standing in front of the window was a sneering, all-too-familiar figure. The red glow from his visor reflected off the window pane and seemed to bathe him in blood red light.

"TORANZA!" Green Wyvern screamed as she jetted towards the window and crashed through it, so intent was she on repaying the debt of pain Toranza had given her.

"Kei, wait!" White Swan called futilely for her friend.

"So much for sticking together," Black Condor sighed. "Etsuko, you know this ship better than anyone. Follow her and keep her out of trouble. Gohan and Reiko, you guys will stay with me as we try to infiltrate this joint."

White Swan reluctantly left her comrades on their own as she took off after Green Wyvern. Black Condor motioned for Yellow Owl and Blue Swallow to follow him and the three of them exited the hangar.

The three Jetmen emerged in a wide, well-lit hallway. Just around a faraway corner, they could hear noise. A lot of noise. It was the Chaos Coalition's welcoming committee - a literal army of Garo.

"Time for..." Black Condor began, but he didn't get to finish his sentence. Without warning, he disappeared without a trace, leaving Yellow Owl and Blue Swallow alone against the approaching Garo.

"He's gone!" Yellow Owl exclaimed.

"Yeah. And we don't have time to worry about it either," Blue Swallow said as she pointed at their opponents.

Yellow Owl popped his neck. "Looks like it's the second bananas for this one."

"Guess so," Blue Swallow concurred. "Gohan, no matter what happens - I love you."

"I love you too, Reiko."

Yellow Owl and Blue Swallow clasped hands for one moment. Then they rushed headlong towards the Garo.

***

White Swan didn't like stalking the hallways of Helldevil any more than she liked deserting her friends. The space in her location was too cramped to allow for much flying, so she had to hunt for Green Wyvern on foot. That left her feeling vulnerable, especially since Helldevil was where she had been held prisoner.

What made White Swan even more uneasy was the fact that no one had yet challenged her. She knew from her time on the ship that it was teeming with crewmembers. Where were they? White Swan had the sinking feeling they were preparing something awful.

The zipping noise coming at her from behind barely had time to register for White Swan before she was attacked. Fists pummeled her mercilessly before she could mount any resistance.

White Swan finally managed to pull away, kicking at her unknown assailant. "Red Kestrel!" she exclaimed as she saw the doppelgänger of the commander of the evil Kurokaze Sentai Jetman.

"Are you surprised, poor dear?" Red Kestrel inquired teasingly. "I'll never rest until I repay Jetman for stealing my world!"

"Oh please!" White Swan responded almost in exasperation. "When are you going to face the truth?"

"The truth?"

"You're not the real Red Kestrel at all! We figured out long ago you're just another monster based on my memories of her! You've never been a real person!"

"Bah! Your tricks will get you nowhere!" Red Kestrel dismissed.

"Think about it - how clear are your memories?" White Swan asked. "Pretty basic, I bet. Your knowledge of yourself is limited to what I knew and what I assumed."

Red Kestrel wanted to refute what White Swan said. Try as she might, though, she couldn't. There were indeed huge gaps in her memory and numerous other things she only vaguely knew. The last thing she recalled with any clarity was being blasted into Skycitadel's reactor. After that, things were fuzzy until she had awakened in Hedes' lab. The vizier had offered some weak explanation about a freak spacewarp depositing her there and how the shock had robbed her of many of her memories.

Lies. It had all been lies. She had never stopped to consider it before. She had just swallowed what she had been told without question because that was how she had been created. She wasn't the real Red Kestrel at all. She wasn't even a real human being.

Red Kestrel didn't take the epiphany well. "Arrrrrrrrgh!" she screamed as she jetted towards White Swan, wrapping her hands around the throat of the young woman. The momentum carried the two enemies through one steel wall, then another, before they crashed from a dizzying height to a hard floor.

"I'll kill you!" Red Kestrel repeated over and over as she sat on White Swan's prone body and strangled the young woman. All reason had deserted the evil Red Kestrel and she only knew crazed bloodlust in retribution for having her illusions shattered.

White Swan lifted her legs up and wrapped them around Red Kestrel's head. With considerable exertion, Swan flung her opponent off her.

White Swan clutched her throat, gasping for air. "You're just a bad nightmare I had!" she wheezed with difficulty. "I'm going to send you back to the Hell that spawned you!"

"I wouldn't be so sure!" Red Kestrel spat. "Look behind you!"

White Swan did and saw what Red Kestrel meant. They had landed in the hangar that housed Jet Daedalus. The imposing titan began to stir thanks to Red Kestrel's remote command.

"I think," Red Kestrel observed, "you're about to be squashed like a bug!"

***

"Toranza!" Green Wyvern shouted into another deserted room. The only sound was the echo of her own voice, seeming to mock her fruitless search for her arch-foe.

"Show yourself, you coward!" she demanded. "I don't know how you survived, but I'll fix that!"

"Coward?" Toranza asked indignantly as he materialized at the end of the corridor. "Why, I'm hurt!"

"Ugggh!" was Green Wyvern's response as she hurled her Wyvern Boomerang at Torazna. Toranza reacted quickly and deflected the weapon with a laser burst from his new power glove. The Wyvern Boomerang spun wildy and lodged firmly in a wall.

"Would a coward have dropped the forcefield?" Toranza inquired as he attacked Green Wyvern.

"You?"

"Of course it was me!" Toranza clucked as he struggled with Green Wyvern, trying to find an opportunity to lay her out. "I wanted you to board this ship more than anything else!"

Green Wyvern held up her resistance as Toranza tried to overpower her. He pressed her with all his might, but couldn't quite overcome her. Green Wyvern's left leg flashed forward and she drove a kick into Toranza's head.

Toranza broke his hold on Green Wyvern and stumbled aside. The momentary lapse was the opportunity Wyvern needed. She drew her Wing Sword and immediately went for her killing strike. Toranza retained enough presence of mind to blast the sword out of her hand.

Recovering his senses, Toranza lunged forward with a shoulderblock. Green Wyvern fell backward from the blow, but kept her footing. Frustrated, Toranza trained his power glove on her and opened fire.

"Why won't you ever DIE!?!" he yelled angrily as his wild blasts missed Green Wyvern badly.

"I guess you just suck!" Green Wyvern ridiculed as she returned Toranza's fire with blasts from her energy gloves.

Toranza had heard enough of her insults. He launched himself at Green Wyvern and knocked both of them to the floor. The two of them traded punches with fierce abandon, their bitter hatred for each other overwhelming all else.

Tornaza rose to his feet, having taken the advantage in the fight, and dragged Green Wyvern up with him. He charged up his power glove and drove his fist squarely into Green Wyvern's chest. The force drove her hard into a wall and embedded her there. Wyvern was in so much pain that she thought her entire ribcage might collapse.

"And now," Toranza gasped as he steadied his shaking power glove- wielding arm, "I finish a job that should have been wrapped up long ago."

***

Yellow Owl and Blue Swallow had lost all comprehension of time and space. All they knew was the pitched fury of battle as a seemingly endless army of Garo punched and clawed at them from all sides.

Yellow Owl swung his mighty Owl Axe with all his strength, destroying one Garo after another. By his side, Blue Swallow alternated between firing arrows with her Swallow Bow and clubbing Garo with it. Both of them knew they had probably destroyed dozens, if not hundreds, of the henchmen. Yet still they came. What was worse, the Garo never grew tired.

"We can't keep this up!" Yellow Owl panted. "Sooner or later, we'll give out!"

"I know!" Blue Swallow concurred. "We have to do something!"

Blue Swallow had a brainstorm. "Use Maneuver #28!"

"#28?" Yellow Owl responded. "But we never did that for real! It's too risky!"

"No time like the present!" Swallow persisted as she nimbly hopped up on Owl's shoulders.

"Good God, Reiko, I hope you know what you're doing!" Owl said as Swallow curled herself into a ball in his upraised hands, much to the confusion of the now-stationary Garo.

"Trust me on this," Blue Swallow giggled. "Ready?"

"Set!"

"GO!"

Yellow Owl heaved Blue Swallow with all his considerable strength. As Swallow careened over the heads of the Garo, she exercised her Swallow Division and generated three copies of herself. Each Blue Swallow fired Wing Beams at the Garo below them.

"WA-HOO!" Blue Swallow cried as she mowed down her enemies with sizzling laser beams and her analogs did the same. Finally, all four Swallows bounced off the wall at the end of the corridor.

Momentarily knocked breathless, Blue Swallow's copies merged back into her. Regaining her footing, she continued to blast and punch Garo as if there were no tomorrow. In a real way, there might not be.

"Reiko!"

Blue Swallow pulled a Garo up and smashed it away.

"REIKO!"

Yellow Owl grabbed Blue Swallow to rouse her from her daze. "You can stop now. We beat them."

Blue Swallow shook her head to clear the cobwebs and looked around. Piles upon piles of Garo were everywhere. None of them stirred.

"All of them?" Blue Swallow wondered. "Just the two of us?"

"Yeah. I think the second string did OK."

Yellow Owl and Blue Swallow hugged, relieved that they had both survived their ordeal. Maybe they had even proven something to themselves.

Blue Swallow looked up at Yellow Owl. "We need to find the others."

"Right," Yellow Owl agreed as the two of them set off. "This isn't even close to over."

***

White Swan took to the air, doing her best to evade the heavy footfalls of Jet Daedalus. Red Kestrel had beamed herself into the robot's head control booth and seemed to take almost maniacal glee as she tried to stomp Swan out of existence.

"We'll see who's 'real' when you're just a grease stain!" Red Kestrel broadcasted over Jet Daedalus' speakers and White Swan knew from the sound of her voice that madness had overtaken her rival. This was going to be a fight to the finish - as if there had been any doubt.

As White Swan tried to avoid Jet Daedalus, she hit upon a desperate plan. She stabbed quickly at a series of buttons on her Wing Gauntlet and prayed she could buy herself enough time. She zoomed up right in front of Red Kestrel inside of Jet Daedalus' head.

"You'll never catch me! I'm too smart for you!" White Swan teased as she hung in the air, a waiting and willing target. The fire in Red Kestrel's eyes intensified with those words.

"Grrrraaaaahhhhh!" Kestrel grunted as she tried to pluck White Swan from the air. The graceful heroine zipped away from the clumsy grab, then flitted right in front of the robot's display window. Red Kestrel pounded her control panel in frustration as White Swan waved at her.

Suddenly, a massive hole was blown into the hull of Helldevil as Victory Icarus crashed through the ship. White Swan teleported inside her mecha as the Chaos ship patched the hole instantly with its self-repair system, minimizing the damage. However, there was no way to expel the intruder that had breached its defenses.

White Swan cleared her head. It had been risky to launch the Victory Fighter in space, converting it to Victory Icarus along the way. She hadn't even been sure it could penetrate Helldevil's outer casing. But getting Victory Icarus inside was only the beginning.

"Side Missiles!" White Swan exclaimed as she laid a hand across the Birdonic Beacon globe and willed the launchers on either side of her robot to fire. Against an ordinary foe, the Side Missiles might have been devastatingly effective. Against Jet Daedalus, they exploded harmlessly against resilient metal skin.

"Jet Shuriken!" Red Kestrel countered and a swarm of shuriken were launched from Jet Daedalus' wrist shooters. White Swan called forth Victory Icarus' Victory Saber to block the attack, but was only partially successful. Several of the projectiles got through and embedded themselves in Victory Icarus.

Red Kestrel generated Jet Daedalus' Jet Scepter and charged her titanic foe. Victory Icarus met the Scepter swing with the Victory Saber. The two weapons clashed violently, but it was the raw power of Jet Daedalus that carried the day. Red Kestrel used the Jet Scepter to knock away the Victory Saber and went to lay low its opponent.

"Victory Laser!" White Swan shouted as Victory Icarus fired twin lasers from its wrists as it kicked both feet forward. The double-barreled assault sent Jet Daedalus reeling and dumped Red Kestrel from her control seat. As she pulled herself up, she smirked knowingly as she threw the switch that might turn the battle decisively.

"Hyper Magno Guns!" Red Kestrel declared as the plates on either side of Jet Daedalus opened and cannons slid out that emitted a magnetic force that paralyzed Victory Icarus. White Swan fought to regain control of her mecha, but it did her little good as Victory Icarus was drawn closer and closer to its enemy.

"Talon Crusher!" Red Kestrel proclaimed and Jet Daedalus fired its fists at Victory Icarus. As it did, claws popped out of the projectiles as they began to spin. Both Talon Crushers struck Victory Icarus and shredded the proud robot.

Red Kestrel knew she was winning. "Daedalus Beam!" she cried and the green jewel on Jet Daedalus' crown blasted Victory Icarus' body. Metal flew in all directions as Jetman's robot was further demolished.

Red Kestrel released the Hyper Magno Guns' hold on Victory Icarus and White Swan's robot stumbled backward. Victory Icarus was severely damaged and unable to mount any sort of offensive. Red Kestrel decided that, while fun was fun, it was best to tie things up and put a ribbon on them.

Jet Daedalus pulled its wing attachment from its back and energized it. The robot gripped it over its head with both hands and shot it at Victory Icarus. "Jet Guillotine!" Red Kestrel crowed in triumph as the weapon screamed toward Jetman's machine.

Somehow, White Swan was able to make Victory Icarus leap into the air at just the right moment. And somehow, Victory Icarus was able to kick the Jet Guillotine at just the right point to send the weapon hurtling back towards Jet Daedalus. Victory Icarus' leg snapped off from the pressure of the maneuver as the Jet Guillotine collided with Jet Daedalus. Red Kestrel was still basking in her glory when the monumental impact set off chain reactions throughout her robot.

With some regret, White Swan abandoned the demolished Victory Icarus and beamed out of the hangar entirely. Shortly afterward, Jet Daedalus blew up, taking Red Kestrel, Victory Icarus, and the rest of the contents within the hangar's reinforced walls with it.

White Swan fell against a wall, breathing heavily. She had lost Victory Icarus, but Red Kestrel and her Jet Daedalus were gone for good. And Etsuko had done it on her own.

After a moment's rest, White Swan resumed her search. In spite of all that had taken place, she still had to find Green Wyvern.

***

Green Wyvern pulled herself from the wall as Toranza fired an energy ball that went awry, destroying part of the ceiling above them. Debris rained on the two combatants as Green Wyvern sped into her hated foe.

"You only had one shot!" she exclaimed as a right cross connected with Toranza's jaw, sending blood and a tooth flying. "And you blew it!"

Toranza seemed lost to the world as Green Wyvern smacked him around repeatedly. Each blow was more vicious than the last as Wyvern released the pain and frustration that Toranza had caused her for so long. Finally, regaining his thought processes, Toranza clenched his fist to generate another energy ball from his power glove. Green Wyvern reacted by throwing a violent kick into his knees.

"YEEGAH!" Toranza cried in agony as bone splintered and he crumpled to the floor. He extended his arm in a vain effort to generate offense with his power glove. Green Wyvern grabbed his hand and drove a kneelift straight into his arm, snapping it instantly.

"I'll take this!" Green Wyvern shouted as she ripped the power glove from Toranza's useless arm, "and you'll take this!"

Green Wyvern recovered her Wing Sword and switched it to dagger mode. She held it to Toranza's throat, expecting him to either beg for mercy or challenge her to finish him off. He did neither. He merely stared up at her, his visor failing to hide the desperate look in his eyes.

"This is what you wanted," Green Wyvern realized. "You want me to kill you."

"Yes!" Toranza admitted. "Xenotos has toyed with me for too long - humiliating me, using me - and this new body he created for me is too weak to fight him! I let Jetman on board so you could defeat that smug bastard and so I could die with honor in battle!"

Green Wyvern considered what the helpless Toranza had told her. So, he wanted to die in battle? Green Wyvern pulled her dagger from his throat and drove the blunt end into his head, rendering him unconscious.

When he came to, Toranza found his broken body jammed into a transport tube in Helldevil's teleportation chamber. Green Wyvern manned the control panel and was programming something into it.

"I did know where this place was," she said as she strolled away from the panel over to the tube holding Toranza. "In fact, this is kind of where the game all started for me."

"What are you doing?" Toranza asked weakly.

"You're not going to die in battle, I'm afraid," Green Wyvern said as she leaned into the tube. "I set this teleport to send you back to Earth in two minutes."

"I'll hunt you down!" Toranza threatened. "You'll never be safe!"

"See, I think you're wrong," Green Wyvern refuted quietly. "I know where you'll be. I know you're no match for me anymore. And I'll be watching. Oh yes, don't think I won't be."

"You took so much from me," Wyvern continued as she ran the flat of her dagger over Toranza's body. "You took my father. You took Gai. In more ways than one, you tried to take my life from me. I guess we can see where it got you. Now, I'm taking away the thing you want most - death."

Toranza felt a cold dread run through him that he had never experienced in his life. He had conquered entire dimensions and never felt as intimidated as he did by this single human female.

"Oh, one more thing," Green Wyvern added matter-of-factly. "I'm also taking THIS!"

Green Wyvern hooked her dagger into Toranza's visor and jerked it from his face. Just then, the teleportation system hummed to life and Toranza was transported back to Earth. He rematerialized on the bed in his room at the mental hospital that had been his home for over twenty years. His broken body laid there and he couldn't even call out for aid. The visor had restored his ability to think. Without it, he had been reduced to a vegetable again. Somewhere deep in the recesses of his mind, Toranza screamed.

Green Wyvern had her revenge.

Minutes later, Green Wyvern was back in the passageway, retrieving her Wyvern Boomerang from the wall, when White Swan rounded the corner.

"Kei!" Swan shouted as she raced toward her friend. "I've been looking everywhere for you!"

"I kind of got distracted. All done now."

"Didn't you catch the signal?" Swan asked, not really wanting to know what Wyvern had done to Toranza.

Wyvern looked down at her Cross Changer. "No. My transmitter must have been broken."

"It's coming from Gohan! Something's up!" White Swan explained as both of them took off to rendezvous with their comrades.

When White Swan and Green Wyvern arrived at the point of the signal's origin, they found Yellow Owl resting his head against a wall. Blue Swallow was sitting on the floor, her knees pressed against her chin.

"Guys, what's wrong? Where's Ken?" White Swan asked urgently.

Yellow Owl looked over at his sister, the face beneath his helmet almost blank. "He vanished. We don't know what happened. The two of us had to fight off every Garo on the ship."

"We went looking around after that," Blue Swallow added, "and we found this."

Blue Swallow gestured towards a door. Green Wyvern pressed the button to open the door and she and White Swan peered inside. What they saw horrified them.

"Unbelievable..." Wyvern marvelled.

White Swan shook her head. "We have to find Ken! This is worse than we thought! He's in terrible danger!"

"But where would he be?" Blue Swallow questioned. "He's not sending any signal."

"I think I know," White Swan said. "Follow me!"

Without question, White Swan's teammates took off after her.

***

Black Condor felt the fog of unconsciousness lift slowly. He looked up from his prone position on the floor of the Imperial Chamber and was greeted by the sight of Lord Xenotos and Hedes.

"He is awake, my lord!" Hedes pointed out excitedly.

"I can see that," Lord Xenotos replied wearily. "Must you belabor the obvious?"

Black Condor pushed himself off the floor. "Where am I? Where's my team?"

Lord Xenotos sat back. "I have brought you to my Imperial Chamber. As for your friends, I do believe they are searching for you now. How unfortunate for them that I still have a secret weapon to unleash."

"Ha ha ha!" Hedes cackled. "Soon, all our sacrifices will be worth it! Soon, the Earth will be ours!"

"Will it?" Black Condor inquired. "I hear you guys are working on destroying it now!"

"A pathetic ploy!" Hedes shot back. "Why would we destroy it? It has been the object of our mission all along!"

Hedes looked to Lord Xenotos for support. He received none. Instead, Lord Xenotos looked on with a vaguely glazed look in his eyes.

"My lord?" Hedes beseeched quietly. "The human speaks lies, doesn't he?"

Lord Xenotos looked to the side. "He does not. The Earth must be obliterated."

"But why?" Hedes begged. "We have struggled so long to capture it for Perwor's new home!"

"BECAUSE PERWOR IS DEAD!" Lord Xenotos thundered in a voice that seemed to shake the universe. "With my mental powers, I maintained a constant rapport with our world. Our mission took too long. Perwor was destroyed weeks ago."

Lord Xenotos slumped back in his throne. "I felt every living soul on our planet cry out in agony as all life there was snuffed out. You cannot even begin to comprehend what I saw. With our world gone, the only thing we have left is vengeance - vengeance against the Earth and Jetman for preventing us from taking it in time."

"No!" Hedes protested. "There is still the crew of the ship! We can build a new world!"

Black Condor watched in amazement as the remnants of the Chaos Coalition's inner circle crumbled in front of him. He felt he should do something, but he had no idea what that should be.

"Our mission is a failure," Lord Xenotos stated flatly. "Our Coalition has been racked with treachery and loss since we entered this solar system. Even I, the high commander of our glorious race, have been reduced to seeking comfort in the arms of a non-living being."

Lord Xenotos continued, his measured, even tone a chilling contrast to what he said. "We must now pay the penalty for our failure. The crew of Helldevil already has. I assembled them for a debriefing and executed them with a poison gas fatal to our unique physiology."

Lord Xenotos conjured the image on the monitor screen. Hedes stared in disbelief at the huge amphitheater filled with every crewmember of Helldevil. They were all unmistakably dead.

"You're mad..." Hedes whispered as he backed away from the leader he had followed unquestioningly for so long. "The shock of the disaster took your mind."

"Perhaps," Lord Xenotos said blandly. "It is not your place to say."

"I can still save myself!" Hedes exclaimed desperately. "The escape capsules..."

"...Are gone," Lord Xenotos interrupted. "I had them fired at Jetman's vessel before I allowed that traitor Toranza to let them board. It was a useless gesture, but I enjoyed it all the same."

Hedes felt his face droop as the hopelessness of his plight registered. "Then that means..."

"Everything that has happened today has been by my design," Lord Xenotos confirmed. "Soon, you will be a part of the grand destiny that awaits all of us."

"And what if I refuse?"

"You have no choice."

Hedes fired his Chaos Stick at Lord Xenotos. The Chaos Energy screamed towards the alien leader until Lord Xenotos raised his right hand. The beam abruptly stopped in mid-blast.

"Did you truly think you could kill me with a weapon I created?" Lord Xenotos questioned pointedly. "A weapon that I powered?"

Hedes felt the sweat bead on his forehead as Lord Xenotos' mind-over-matter powers held his beam in check. Not really, he thought to himself. Not really.

Lord Xenotos flicked his right wrist and the Chaos Energy beam arced back at Hedes. Before the vizier could even cry out, he was reduced to his component atoms. The Chaos Stick fell to the floor.

"It's so hard to find good help," Lord Xenotos sighed.

The master of the now-defunct Chaos Coalition turned his attention back to the almost-forgotten Black Condor. "Now, where were we? Oh yes - I was about to challenge you to a duel to the death."

***

"Almost there," White Swan said grimly as she led the rest of the team through the deserted passageways of Helldevil.

"You still haven't told us where we're going!" Yellow Owl called plaintively from the back.

White Swan kept her eyes firmly focused ahead. "If the crew of this ship is dead," she answered, "there's only one logical place for Ken to be."

"The Imperial Chamber," Green Wyvern muttered.

"Exactly," White Swan agreed as they reached the doorway leading to the room. "I just hope we're in time."

Blue Swallow ran her small hand over the massively thick door. "Wow, how are we going to break this down?"

"I'm not sure, it never came up before," White Swan said as she examined the door's smooth surface. "We'll find a way."

"All you will find...is DEATH!" an electronic voice shouted as a bulky figure jumped down from a trapdoor in the ceiling and landed amid Jetman. A thick green arm swung a threatening curved sword and scattered the team.

"Feel the fury of DYSTRON JUNIOR!" the robotic double of the Chaos Coalition's knight pronounced with its tinny voice.

"Dystron Junior? Seems I knew your daddy well!" Green Wyvern said as she smashed her elbow into the robot's head. "I bet you wind up the same way!"

"I assume that means 'destroyed'," White Swan observed as she blasted the robot with her Swan Ice, slowing its movements. "Because that's what's going to happen!"

"We're not letting some overgrown tin can stop us this close to making it!" Blue Swallow threw in as she delivered a high kick.

"No way," Yellow Owl concurred. "NO WAY!"

Yellow Owl activated his Owl Thunder powers and launched a devastating dropkick at Dystron Junior. The robot sputtered and sparked from the impact and fell back into the door.

"I am...*BZZZT* I am...*BZZZT* I am...*BZZZT* unbeatable!" the robot proclaimed almost comically.

"Hardly," White Swan dismissed, "but you may prove useful after all. JET WEAPONS ATTACK!"

Each Jetman called forth their Jet Weapon and each in turn bashed Dystron Junior with all the power they could muster.

"Wyvern Boomerang!"

"Swallow Bow!"

"Owl Axe!"

"Swan Mace!"

After hitting Dystron Junior one time, White Swan wrapped both hands tightly around the handle of her mace. She delivered a second strike for the coup de grâce that finished off the robot once and for all. Dystron Junior blew up in a violent explosion that tore a hole into the Imperial Chamber. White Swan smiled with satisfaction, then looked over at her teammates. They rushed through the opening to confront the unknown fate of their leader Black Condor.

***

Lord Xenotos rose from his throne and reached his hand into another dimension. When he pulled it out, he held a long curved sword with serrated edges.

"My Chaos Scimitar," he explained matter-of-factly. "Defend yourself, Black Condor."

Black Condor stood petrified, but only for a single instant. "Condor Lance!" he exclaimed and his Jet Weapon materialized in his hands.

Lord Xenotos stifled a chuckle. "You don't even intend to make this interesting, do you?"

The master of the Chaos Coalition charged at Black Condor. Condor threw up his Condor Lance to defend himself, but the Chaos Scimitar cleaved it in two. Lord Xenotos kicked Condor hard, sending him to the floor.

"Get up," Lord Xenotos sniffed contemptuously. "Get up so I can put you down again."

Black Condor felt a trickle of blood ooze from the side of his mouth. He slowly rose to his feet in absolute silence.

"You are presumptuous to think you can best me," Lord Xenotos sneered. "I have already taken your weapon. Soon, I will take your life."

"You may have taken that weapon," Black Condor said as he pointed to the pieces of his broken Condor Lance, "but you're the presumptuous one if you think that's all I have."

Black Condor flicked his wrist. "King Saber!" he cried out and the gleaming battle sword he had inherited from his brother appeared in his hand. He passed the sword deliberately in front of himself.

Lord Xenotos smirked. "Very good. You may prove to be a challenge after all."

Lord Xenotos slashed his Chaos Scimitar and Black Condor matched him with the King Saber. The two pressed each other in a stalemate for a few seconds, then Black Condor pulled his sword off and went to strike Lord Xenotos in the stomach. The alien lord blocked him effortlessly.

Lord Xenotos balled his free hand into a fist and energized it with Chaos Energy. He punched Black Condor once, twice, three times. "You're not in my league, boy!" he mocked. "What makes you think you can finish the job your brother couldn't?"

Black Condor pulled his sword up and went for another strike. Lord Xenotos matched him again and sparks flew as the two blades clashed. Black Condor swung again and again and each time Lord Xenotos stopped him short.

"Pitiful upstart," Lord Xenotos laughed. "Why don't you admit your defeat?"

With those words, the Chaos Scimitar burned a path across Black Condor's chest, rending his uniform and ripping his flesh. Beneath his helmet, Ken Tendo winced in agony as he stumbled backward. He wasn't...going to...give him...the satisfaction.

Silently, Black Condor found the strength to leap at his opponent, King Saber at the ready. With new zeal, the hero hacked away at his foe and Lord Xenotos had to struggle to keep up with him. Finally, Black Condor overpowered his enemy and used the King Saber to knock the Chaos Scimitar to the other side of the room.

Just then, the doors blew open and the rest of Jetman rushed inside. "KEN!" White Swan exclaimed when she saw that he was wounded.

"Stay back!" Black Condor admonished. "Win or lose, this is my fight alone!"

"And you will lose," Lord Xenotos placidly assured from behind him as Black Condor felt something rake across his back. "Never, ever, let your guard down."

As Black Condor fell to the floor, White Swan went to aid him. Green Wyvern held her back. "This is what he wants," she said. "Let him do what he has to do."

Black Condor looked up and saw Lord Xenotos brandishing the giant golden Chaos Claw that served as his "crown" of sorts. Each of the talons had bits of his uniform...and his blood. He had been wounded again.

"This ends now," Lord Xenotos stated simply.

"Yeah, it does," Black Condor agreed as he picked himself up off the floor, King Saber in hand. "Just not the way you want it."

Lord Xenotos drew back and swung his Chaos Claw with all his strength, intending to decapitate Black Condor. Black Condor quickly raised up his King Saber to meet the fierce weapon. Logically, one sword should have been no match for the gigantic claw. Yet somehow, Black Condor found the power to not only meet the Chaos Claw, but hold it off.

"I am Black Condor," he growled as he stood his ground. "Heir to the original Jetman!"

Black Condor pressed the King Saber forward, pushing the Chaos Claw back at Lord Xenotos. "Student of Jet Phoenix!"

Black Condor thrust Lord Xenotos' own weapon at him. "Brother of Red Hawk!"

The claw fell aside as Black Condor stood face to face with his enemy at last. He bit his lip as he addressed the alien overlord for the last time.

"And you..."

"are..."

"FINISHED!"

Black Condor drove the King Saber deep into Lord Xenotos' chest. The eyes of the alien leader rolled back in his head as blood gushed from his mouth. Black Condor withdrew his sword and let his opponent fall limply to the floor. Lord Xenotos was dead.

Black Condor turned to face his comrades. They hurried up to congratulate him and tend to his injuries. As they did, however, they learned that victory was still not theirs.

"Did you truly think I could be beaten so easily?" a disembodied voice questioned the heroes.

Yellow Owl looked all around. "That sounds like..."

"I have a very bad feeling," Blue Swallow almost whispered.

A glow surrounded Lord Xenotos' body, a glow that began to take on a humanoid shape. "I have made myself into a living embodiment of Chaos Energy! Death cannot stop me! It only frees me to realize my true potential!"

The glowing aura solidified itself into a new being. "I am the Grand Destruction God - Xenotos Hakaijin! I will bring death to your world myself! But first - to destroy you five!"

Using telekinetic waves, Xenotos Hakaijin pressed a button on the throne he had used in his original form. Then he converted himself back to energy and streaked out of Helldevil towards Earth.

"AUTO DESTRUCT SEQUENCE INITIATED, COUNTDOWN COMMENCES," a lifeless voice blared through the nearly deserted Helldevil.

"Uh...oh..." Blue Swallow said quietly.

"20"

"We've got to get out of here and catch him!" Yellow Owl yelled frantically.

"19"

"Everyone - beam back to Jet Cruiser!" Black Condor ordered.

"18"

The five Jetmen activated their teleport beams and returned themselves to the cockpit of Jet Cruiser.

"17"

"Man your stations and let's haul butt back to Earth!" Black Condor called out.

"16"

"I don't know if we can move this ship out of range fast enough!" Green Wyvern answered as the crew fired up Jet Cruiser's rockets.

"15"

"I think we can," White Swan ventured as the ship surged forward.

"14"

Green Wyvern looked over at White Swan. "What are you talking about?"

"13"

"We're lighter now," White Swan admitted. "I...lost the Victory Fighter in battle with Jet Daedalus."

"12"

"Don't worry about it, Etsuko," Black Condor said. "It might turn out to be the break we need!"

"11"

Jet Cruiser rocketed away from Helldevil, carrying with it the last hope for Earth.

"10"

"We need to get clear of the destruction zone!" Black Condor stated as everyone worked hard at their controls. "Push it to the limit!"

"9"

"Condor, give me full control of the ship!" Green Wyvern shouted.

"8"

Black Condor looked over at his teammate in confusion. "You want full control?"

"7"

"I can get us clear if I have full access!"

"6"

Black Condor didn't hesitate. "You've got it."

"5"

Black Condor switched full control over to Green Wyvern. She rapidly punched in a series of commands as her teammates watched in anticipation.

"4"

Jet Cruiser blasted forward in overdrive as it hurtled toward Earth. Jetman braced themselves as best they could as the tremendous pressure threatened to overtake them.

"3"

"2"

"1"

Helldevil was enveloped in a blinding flash of light. It had been programmed to vaporize itself and any object within its immediate vicinity rather than to explode. With more of a whimper than a bang, the command carrier of the Chaos Coalition was no more.

Jetman would have celebrated their miraculous escape, but they were otherwise occupied. Jet Cruiser was continuing to travel at a speed well beyond its safety parameters in an effort to reach Earth in time to stop Xenotos Hakaijin.

"Do you...see where he's heading?" Black Condor asked, each syllable a struggle.

"Locked on," Green Wyvern answered, doing her best to shrug off the pain that consumed all of them. "Not sure if I can get us and the Cruiser there in one piece this way."

White Swan looked over at her friend. "You just worry about getting us there. We'll manage."

Jet Cruiser continued to follow Xenotos Hakaijin's trail, but the prodigious speed it maintained was tearing it apart. Bits of debris flew off with each passing second. As the ship entered Earth's atmosphere, it burst into flames.

"We're over the ocean," Wyvern observed as the team careened closer and closer to Earth. "Oh God, we're not going to make it!"

"We will!" Blue Swallow reassured. "The cabin can stand up to the fire!"

"We've done this before!" Yellow Owl exhorted. "We can do it again!"

Green Wyvern maintained a steady grip on the controls, her teammates' confidence building up her own. Against all odds, they believed in her ability to get them through. Could she give them any less than everything she had?

Black Condor looked at the monitor readings. "OK, this is it. On my mark, we abandon ship!"

"Over the, uh, ocean?" Yellow Owl wondered.

"When I give the signal, activate your transporter," Black Condor said with a confidence that belied the situation. "We'll make it."

"I'm not going," Green Wyvern countered. "At least not until I bring this ship down safely."

"Kei, Jet Cruiser is a loss now!" White Swan protested.

"Somebody has to make sure it doesn't go out of control."

Somehow, Black Condor stood up, doing his best to hide the pain of the injuries inflicted by Lord Xenotos. He put a hand on Green Wyvern's shoulder. "Get out of here as soon as you're able. I don't want any pointless sacrifices."

Green Wyvern looked up at Black Condor with a glimmer of true respect for possibly the first time ever. "There won't be any."

Black Condor turned to his teammates. "On my signal, transport - NOW!"

The four members of Jetman blinked out of Jet Cruiser's cockpit. Green Wyvern sat at the controls, guiding the ship to its watery grave. As the waves grew closer, she wasn't sure she would really find a way to escape in time.

Oh well. Too late to worry about it.

The fiery remains of Jet Cruiser hurtled across the clear afternoon sky, leaving a smoky trail in its wake. Finally, it plunged into the waters of the Pacific Ocean. For seconds, all was peaceful. Then there was a deafening explosion.

***

Jetman rematerialized in the waters just off an island in the Pacific. The shock and exertion of their battles had caused them to revert to their civilian identities as they struggled to swim to shore. Ironically, the loss of their uniforms and the capes that went with them was probably a blessing as the waves crashed into them, threatening to sweep them away.

"C'mon guys!" Ken encouraged as his teammates swam with all the strength their tired muscles could muster. "We're almost there!"

A huge shadow loomed overhead. The blazing wreckage of Jet Cruiser passed over them on its way to its final resting place. The four Jetmen watched in stunned amazement as they witnessed its end.

"Did Kei...?" Reiko began to say, then stopped short.

Suddenly, Kei Mizuno popped out of thin air directly above the water several meters out from Jetman's position. She fell limply into the waves and did not emerge. Everyone realized at once that she was unconscious...and now drowning.

"Go!" Etsuko called to everyone as, their fatigue forgotten, they swam back to where they had lost their teammate. The powerful Gohan got there first and dove into the depths. He found Kei sinking fast and dragged her back to the surface as quickly as he dared.

"She's not breathing!" Ken realized and he began to administer mouth-to-mouth to Kei as his comrades did their best to hold her body steady on the water's surface. There was no time to waste.

Kei coughed and slowly opened her eyes. She saw Ken's face directly over her. "I hope this...doesn't mean...what I think it does."

Etsuko embraced her friend. "Oh thank God! I was afraid we'd lost you!"

Gohan looked over at the island. "Jetman, one genocidal alien monster awaits, smoking or non-smoking?" he half-joked and everyone knew it was time for the finale of this long war. They began their trek back toward the island.

Xenotos Hakaijin was waiting for them. His body seemed to shimmer with the unimaginable energy that had sustained him even after death. He placed his hands on his hips and laughed cruelly as Jetman pulled themselves from the water to confront him.

"Do you recognize this place, humans?" Xenotos Hakaijin asked as his foes made their way across the shore. The heroes surveyed their surroundings and a horrifying sense of déjà vu came over all of them. Yes, they knew this island quite well.

"This is the same island where your Red Hawk died," Xenotos Hakaijin confirmed. "I thought it appropriate to begin the destruction of both Jetman and the entire Earth at the site of your great loss."

"Destruction?" Ken Tendo questioned as he stepped forward. "I don't think that's a foregone conclusion! Everyone! Cross Changer!"

"Roger!" the other four heroes responded in unison. "Cross Changer!"

Ken Tendo - "Black Condor!"
Gohan Oishi - "Yellow Owl!"
Etsuko Oishi - "White Swan!"
Reiko Hayasaka - "Blue Swallow!"
Kei Mizuno - "Green Wyvern!"
"Chojin Sentai Jetman!" they announced as one.

"Fire Bazooka!" Black Condor commanded and the potent cannon appeared from its otherdimensional holding place in the hands of Jetman. They steadied the cannon and drew a bead on their enemy.

"Target - lock on!" Blue Swallow said as Xenotos Hakaijin was framed in the Fire Bazooka's crosshairs.

"FIRE!" Jetman shouted together as their weapon discharged its fierce energy burst. Xenotos Hakaijin was enveloped in a ball of fire. Then, unexpectedly, the energy ball blasted back at Jetman. The feedback annihilated the Fire Bazooka and sent Jetman flying in all directions.

Xenotos Hakaijin stood his ground unscathed. "I am now Chaos Energy incarnate! Pure power made flesh! It will take more than your mere toys to stop me!"

Xenotos Hakaijin willed himself to grow. He became taller and taller until he dwarfed his fallen foes. Still, he grew more and more. Soon his size equaled that of the monsters he had used to attack the Earth. Now, it was his turn.

"I will no longer be an observer, dictating the actions of others!" Xenotos Hakaijin boomed. "The time has come to crush you all myself!"

The members of Jetman scattered as best they could. Black Condor noted White Swan's inability to get up and came to her aid.

"Think my left leg's broken from the fall," she groaned. "Looks like this could be it."

"Not a chance," Black Condor countered as he helped her to her feet. "Especially since I called in the reinforcements a few minutes ago!"

"Reinforcements?"

Black Condor pointed to the air as the team's five Jet Fighters streaked across the sky and buzzed Xenotos Hakaijin's head via remote control. The monster grabbed for them, but they eluded his grasp.

Beneath her helmet, White Swan smiled. "You better watch yourself. I may be tempted to kiss you."

Black Condor nodded to his teammates. The five of them activated their transport beams and appeared in the cockpits of their Jet Fighters. The five sleek machines converged on Xenotos Hakaijin, lasers blazing as they attacked him.

"Icarus Gattai!" Black Condor commanded and the Fighters were drawn together. Metal fused with metal as Jetman's ships locked together to form their mighty robot.

"Jet Icarus!" the heroes proclaimed in unison in the cockpit of Jet Icarus. The titanic dreadnought approached Xenotos Hakaijin and threw a thunderous punch at the evil entity. Then another. And another. Xenotos Hakaijin absorbed the blows with no discernible difficulty, then matched them with a punch of his own. Jet Icarus staggered backward from the impact.

"Jet Beams!" Jetman exclaimed as Jet Icarus' eyes projected their lasers at Xenotos Hakaijin. The monster didn't even seem to feel them and stood its ground defiantly, daring the heroes to make another offensive move.

"We...may be in trouble here," Blue Swallow noted.

"I have an idea," Green Wyvern said as she surreptitiously
activated a control in her uniform's gloves.

"I hope it's a good one," Black Condor said as he struggled with the main controls of Jet Icarus. "We need something!"

White Swan looked over at her friend and instantly realized what she was planning. "This will be good. We just need to stall for a little time."

"Buying some time?" Yellow Owl queried. "I think that can be arranged! BIRD MASER!"

The concussive laser blast of the Bird Maser was generated by Jet Icarus' chestplate. Xenotos Hakaijin met it head-on and did not back down. The creature was so focused on his metallic adversary that he failed to notice the massive shadow looming overhead. He was an easy mark for a swipe to the head from an extensive tail.

"Dragon Wyvern!" Black Condor yelled in surprise.

Green Wyvern allowed herself a satisfied smile. "That's right. Repaired and ready for action. Permission to go aboard, leader man?"

Black Condor didn't waste any time pondering the full meaning of Green Wyvern's choice of words. "Granted."

Green Wyvern phased into Dragon Wyvern's cockpit. It felt comforting to be surrounded by the machinery she knew so well, in the mecha she had customized for her needs. But this was no time to revel in the personal triumph of restoring her ship. This was combat.

Green Wyvern pulled the switch on her panel and Dragon Wyvern reconfigured itself around her. Its robot form landed on the opposite side of Xenotos Hakaijin from Jet Icarus.

"God Wyvern Transformed!" Wyvern exulted.

"Your gimmicks will avail you naught!" Xenotos Hakaijin dismissed. "Your lives and your planet are forfeit!"

"We'll see about that," Black Condor said to himself.

God Wyvern materialized its Wyvern Blade and swung at Xenotos Hakaijin. The monster blocked the blow with its wrists and kicked Green Wyvern's robot in its midsection. God Wyvern tumbled backward, but held its sword tightly.

"Cross Daggers!" the remaining Jetmen in Jet Icarus exclaimed as special knives appeared in their robot's hands. Jet Icarus crossed the two daggers, then hurled one and then the other at Xenotos Hakaijin.

"ARRRRRRRRR!" Xenotos Hakaijin bellowed as one Cross Dagger hit him squarely between the eyes, while the other lodged itself in his chest.

"Yatta!" Yellow Owl shouted. "Looks like we can hurt him!"

Green Wyvern noticed as well. She used her controls to have God Wyvern twist the handle of the Wyvern Blade. The sword extended and segmented itself, each link connected by the power of Birdonic energy.

"Wyvern Blade Chain!" Green Wyvern exclaimed as she lashed Xenotos Hakaijin with the weapon. The creature's back rippled with energy as the links came down hard on it. God Wyvern pulled back and then whipped Xenotos Hakaijin again. Snapping the Blade Chain back, God Wyvern lassoed the fearsome beast and channeled the full fury of its Devastation Pulse through the length of the weapon.

Xenotos Hakaijin shook as the attack coursed through him and, at first, Jetman thought they were winning. False hope. Xenotos Hakaijin flexed his powerful arms and sent the Wyvern Blade Chain flying. Then he plucked the two Cross Daggers from his body and tossed them aside.

"This...is over!" Xenotos Hakaijin rumbled as he approached God Wyvern.

"Oh, you're surrendering then?" Green Wyvern shot back as she used God Wyvern's Finger Gatling to spray the creature with missiles. Using the distraction to her advantage, Green Wyvern made God Wyvern spring off the ground and vault onto Xenotos Hakaijin's left shoulder. She took off from there and landed beside Jet Icarus.

Green Wyvern reached over her head and pulled down a switch she had never used before that day. "Etsuko!" she called. "It's time for our special surprise!"

"You got it!" White Swan said, ignoring the severe pain in her broken leg. She reached up and pulled down a switch identical to the one in God Wyvern's cockpit.

The other Jetmen looked at White Swan in befuddlement. What was going on?

"Just go with it, OK?" White Swan cajoled sheepishly.

In God Wyvern's cockpit, Green Wyvern let out her battle cry - "Chojin Gattai!"

In Jet Icarus' cockpit, the other four Jetmen repeated her words - "Chojin Gattai!"

Both Jet Icarus and God Wyvern began to reconfigure themselves. The two robots shifted and merged together in a flurry of activity and a burst of energy. When it was complete, there was one robot where there had once been two.

In the cockpit of the new robot, the now-reunited five members of Jetman declared with one voice - "Super God Icarus - Tanjo!"

"This is incredible!" Black Condor whistled as he took a moment to admire the battle machine. "You and Etsuko cooked this up?"

"We haven't got much time," Green Wyvern cautioned as she gestured to the display clock on the console. It read "15:00" and then began to tick off the seconds. 14:59, 14:58, 14:57...

"Maintaining this form is a huge drain on the power cells," White Swan explained. "We only have fifteen minutes before we run out of power!"

"Then let's make it count!" Yellow Owl said with gusto.

"Yeah, let's do it!" Blue Swallow chimed in.

Super God Icarus lunged forward at the approaching Xenotos Hakaijin. The robot lifted its arms and engaged the powerful monster in a test of stength. Chaos-powered muscles struggled with metallic might and, briefly, there was a stalemate.

Xenotos Hakaijin leapt into the air and kicked Super God Icarus back with a standing dropkick. Black Condor looked over at Green Wyvern, but she only grinned beneath her faceplate. She pulled a lever and motioned for him to pull an identical one in front of him. After a moment's confusion, Black Condor pulled the lever and was rewarded with an awesome sight.

In Super God Icarus' left hand was the Birdonic Saber. In Super God Icarus' right hand was the Wyvern Blade. The robot held its arms out to display the two gleaming weapons to Xenotos Hakaijin. Quickly, it slammed the handles of the two swords together and they were fused into a single weapon with a blade at each end.

Super God Icarus grasped its new double-bladed sword tightly at its handle in the middle. "Sword of Judgment!" Jetman proclaimed.

Before he knew what had happened, Xenotos Hakaijin was struck full force by Super God Icarus arcing the Wyvern Blade end of the sword into his body. Then the robot brought the Birdonic Saber end up and struck him with that as well. Xenotos Hakaijin tumbled backward and there was a monumental explosion.

"We did it!" Yellow Owl enthused.

"Ummmm...I don't think so," Blue Swallow corrected.

She was right. Xenotos Hakaijin emerged from the flames that surrounded him. Ugly gashes where the Sword of Judgment had slashed him marked his self-created body. A rage that threatened all life consumed him.

"Human scum!" he boomed. "I will roast you alive and dine on your ashen remains!"

Xenotos Hakaijin directed a force beam of pure Chaos Energy at Super God Icarus. Thinking fast, White Swan used the Sword of Judgment to create a vortex to hold off the blast. However, it was only a temporary measure.

"We have to match him," Green Wyvern said gravely.

"Can we?" Black Condor questioned.

Green Wyvern pondered for a moment. "I guess we're about to find out."

Black Condor didn't exactly consider that a vote of confidence as he activated Super God Icarus' chest plate beam. The Sword of Judgment was pulled aside as Jetman's ultimate mecha dueled Xenotos Hakaijin in a show of power beam force.

"Fire of Heaven!" Jetman declared as their beam met that of Xenotos Hakaijin. For several long seconds, there was a total deadlock. Black Condor wrinkled his brow pensively as he looked over at the mecha's timer. What he saw disturbed him even further.

"This clock is jumping!" he pointed out, and indeed it was. With each second that passed, it would tick off two. Or three. Or even more.

Green Wyvern deduced the reason, but it wasn't a simple one. "We're draining too much power from the cells! This is beyond even Super God Icarus' limits!"

At that moment, Xenotos Hakaijin could feel his beam begin to overtake that of his foes. He smirked wickedly as his Chaos Energy began to slowly, inexorably, push their Fire of Heaven back at them.

"This is it!" Blue Swallow cried. "If he hits us with his beam and our own, we're finished!"

"There has to be a way!" Yellow Owl shouted in frustration.

White Swan looked up from the console. "There is. But it might kill us, too."

The others turned to White Swan as she spoke. "There's a special emergency failsafe for the mecha," she explained. "We can add more power by plugging our own energies into the operating system. If we use too much, it could be fatal."

Black Condor looked at the rest of his teammates, then at White Swan. "We're ready."

White Swan punched in the override code on her keyboard. "What do we have to do?" Green Wyvern asked.

"Nothing," White Swan answered. "Your seats are the channeling devices. It's happening right...URK!"

White Swan couldn't finish as wrenching pain overtook her and her comrades. Their pooled Birdonic energy was added to the rapidly dwindling reserves of Super God Icarus. The Fire of Heaven surged forward, almost imperceptibly at first, then growing stronger and stronger with each moment.

Xenotos Hakaijin watched helplessly as the battle that had been won was agonizingly turned against him. No. He would not be denied. He reached within himself and directed even more Chaos Energy at his hated foes. The tide turned back in his favor.

"Don't know...how much more..." White Swan gasped.

"We fight...until we die..." Green Wyvern vowed.

"This is bigger than just the five of us!" Black Condor encouraged through his own anguish. "This is for everyone on Earth! Their strength is ours!"

Each of the five members of Jetman concentrated with every fiber of their being and let out a collective scream. The Fire of Heaven flared up from their combined willpower. It barreled towards Xenotos Hakaijin unimpeded, driving back his Chaos Energy blast and engulfing him in both Jetman's attack and his own.

"Curse you, humans!" Xenotos Hakaijin shrieked as the force of the Fire of Heaven wiped him from existence. All of the sacrifices and struggles he had endured had been for nothing. He wouldn't even gain revenge. If there had been any shred of the brave warrior he had once been left inside of him, he might have shed a tear. Instead, he howled in impotent anger as he exploded in a grand display that lit up the surroundings.

Super God Icarus stood motionless. Its Fire of Heaven had died and its arms hung by its sides. In the cockpit, Jetman groggily stared out the viewscreen.

"Did I just see that?" Yellow Owl queried.

"If you're dreaming, I'm having the same one," Blue Swallow replied.

"It's no dream," White Swan said. "It's over."

There was a long silence as no one knew quite what should happen next. Finally, a lone voice spoke up.

"Hmmm. That's odd," Green Wyvern opined as she studied the terminal.

"What's odd?" Black Condor wondered.

"The readouts," Green Wyvern explained. "We drained all the power cells - that's why everything is dead now."

"So?" Black Condor asked. "I figured that was what happened."

"Well, I synchronized the counter with my in-helmet clock display," Green Wyvern said. "According to my calculations, Super God Icarus lost all power a full 5 seconds before we destroyed Xenotos Hakaijin."

Green Wyvern looked up and she and her teammates exchanged glances as what she had said sank in. The implication was obvious, yet none of them dared voice it. It was too outrageous.

Super God Icarus hadn't really defeated Xenotos Hakaijin. It had been Jetman themselves. Their courage, their will, their very souls - that had been the final blow that had ended the Chaos Coalition's bid for their planet.

Black Condor finally broke the quiet tension. "Let's pop the escape hatch and bail out of here."

"I'm going to need some help," White Swan reminded. "My leg is still broken."

"I'll give you a hand sis," Yellow Owl said as he gingerly lifted his sister out of her seat.

Black Condor stood at the escape hatch on the side of Super God Icarus' head and wondered if he should offer his aid instead. No, probably not. He was injured himself and it was better to just let it go.

Jetman flew down from Super God Icarus' head. As they landed, they surveyed the burnt landscape. All of them removed their helmets to get a better look at what could have been the fate of their entire world.

"So...now what?" Reiko asked.

"I guess it's time to go back to our regular lives," Etsuko answered, a touch of sadness in her voice.

"Not quite," Kei interjected. "This has changed us forever. None of us will ever be the same again."

"Right!" Gohan declared. "And we still have our powers if we're ever needed!"

Ken smiled. "I'm not sure if that'll be a problem, Gohan. Super teams seem to spring up all the time. It wouldn't surprise me if we hear about a new one next week!"

Ken Tendo turned to face his teammates. "But Kei's right. This has changed us. No matter where we go or what we do, we'll always have the bond of Jetman."

With those words, Ken shocked everyone (including himself) by embracing Kei. "I love you guys," he whispered. "I lost my brother, but I gained a family."

Perhaps it was just the moment, or maybe she had mellowed, but Kei Mizuno didn't hit Ken. Slowly, tentatively, she returned his embrace as the rest of their teammates joined them in an almost stereotypical group hug.

All of the hard work and determination that had carried Jetman through their conflict with the Chaos Coalition had paid off. They had won.

EPILOGUE

"I now pronounce you husband and wife. You may kiss the bride."

With those words, the marriage of comic book wunderkind Gohan Oishi and pop music star Reiko Hayasaka became official. Gohan raised Reiko's veil and tenderly kissed his longtime girlfriend. The guests at the Skywatch ceremony cheered and applauded as two of the stars of the now-retired second Jetman team were joined in wedlock.

It had been five years since the final defeat of the Chaos Coalition. Much had changed in that time, though some things remained the same. Skywatch was still Skyforce's base guarding against out-of-the-ordinary threats to the planet. The staff, however, was a little different than it had been during the Jetman days.

"Ken, I really appreciate you letting us use Skywatch for the wedding," Gohan thanked Skywatch's chief Commander Ken Tendo after the ceremony. "Reiko and I really wanted it, since it was Jetman that brought us together."

"Least I could do after you made me the best man," Ken replied jovially. "Hey, things are sure looking up for you. Getting married and then I hear that Toei has optioned your Tiger Burai for a series on TV Asahi!"

"Isn't it awesome?" Gohan beamed. "I even have a good idea that a certain girl singer has the inside track at doing the theme song!"

Gohan wrapped an arm around his new bride. "Not that Reiko needs any help from me! Her last album went to number one!"

Reiko blushed slightly. "Aw, it's not that big a deal. I just had good material, that's all."

"Don't sell yourself short," Ken said. "Both of you have gotten where you have because of your talent. I'm as proud as if you were my kids!"

"Can the best man spare some time for the maid of honor?" a female voice asked from behind. Ken turned around and was greeted by the smiling face of Etsuko Oishi.

"Hey Etsuko!" Gohan said as he tried to gracefully exit. "Reiko and I need to...talk to those people over there. Yeah. Catch you later. You too, Ken."

Reiko and Gohan excused themselves, leaving Ken and Etsuko face-to-face for the first time in a long while. "Mom told me...uh, that you had corrective eye surgery," Ken fumbled.

"Yeah," Etsuko answered quickly. "I just got tired of fighting with my eyes."

Etsuko reached over and ran a hand through Ken's hair. "And you got a crewcut."

"I did," Ken replied. "I'm supposed to be training my agents to be the elite vanguard of Earth's defenses. I just thought a disciplined look might help a little."

"Disciplined?" Etsuko chortled. "Wow, times sure have changed."

Ken shrugged. "What can I say? I grew up."

"It's been good seeing you again," Etsuko said. "What's it been? Three years?"

"Two and a half, give or take," Ken responded. "It's so ironic, you work for my mother's Rokumeikan Foundation charity and yet I never get the chance to see you."

"We have a lot of responsibilities now," Etsuko rationalized. "You run Skywatch and I'm doing counseling services. I'm even thinking of going back to school to get my PhD in psychology."

"Too busy. That must be it," Ken said neutrally. "It has been nice though."

"Yeah."

Ken looked down at the floor. "I don't know if I ever apologized for all the stuff that went on back then - especially those pictures of you. I truly am sorry. I just didn't use my head much in those days."

Etsuko tilted Ken's chin up. "It's OK. I was a jerk to you, too. Sometimes, it was easier to take my problems out on you instead of dealing with them. You had the kind of personality that begged for abuse."

Ken grinned. "Some might say I still do."

Etsuko laughed at Ken's dig at himself. "I'm sorry for how things went between us," she said. "And as for the pictures - well, I always kind of liked them. I was just worried what people might say. Not anymore though. If people have a problem with them, that's their hang-up. I'm not ashamed."

"Thanks Etsuko," Ken said as they hugged. "We really should try to keep in touch."

"Weeeeeell," Etsuko pondered. "I just might happen to be free for lunch next week if Skyforce's youngest commander is interested."

"You mean like a date?"

"Oh no!" Etsuko answered. "Just two old friends reminiscing and having a good time. That's all."

Ken smiled bashfully. "I think that could be arranged."

"And eventually...well, who knows?" Etsuko said a little bit wistfully.

At that moment, a new song began blaring through Skywatch's speaker system. Ken and Etsuko looked at each other, then fell into gales of laughter.

"Come on, I think they're playing our song!" Ken cajoled over the racket.

Etsuko shook her head. "That had to be Gohan. Only he would ask for Mötorhead's 'Ace of Spades' at a wedding reception!"

Ken and Etsuko broke their embrace and shared one last special look before they mingled with the rest of the crowd. The hurt was gone now. Ultimately, it didn't matter if they rekindled their romance or not. Whatever the future held for them, they would always be friends.

Off in a corner, one man stood apart from everyone else. He tugged on his beard absently as he studied everyone through the dark lenses of the sunglasses he wore. Well, almost everyone. An attractive young woman sidled up alongside him unnoticed.

"Long time, no see, Phoenix," Kei Mizuno said.

"So someone spotted me."

"You did a good job of being inconspicuous. I caught a glimpse of you and realized that you look just like Gai Yuki with a fake beard."

"I didn't want to take anything away from Gohan and Reiko's moment by people making a fuss over me," Jet Phoenix explained. "In all honesty, I didn't want to come. I've had some bad experiences at weddings. But someone absolutely insisted I had to be here when they got their invitation."

"Oh really?" Kei inquired. "And who might that be?"

Phoenix didn't answer, merely nodding in a general direction. Kei's gaze followed and she saw the person who had "forced" him to be there. Michiru Oshima, as giddy as a schoolgirl, was snapping photos of Dr. Masaru Komyoji and the retired Aya Odagiri.

"Michiru called this wedding 'the story of a lifetime'," Phoenix said. "She also said I'd never forgive myself if I didn't come. She was probably right on both counts."

"What happened to you?" Kei questioned. "You disappeared six months after Chaos fell."

"There was nothing left for me as Jet Phoenix," Phoenix explained. "You kids had stepped up and taken my place. Komyoji and Odagiri used their connections to help me establish a new identity - an identity where I could make a break from the past."

"And an identity where you could hang out with female reporters," Kei noted dryly.

"I found Michiru again shortly afterward," Jet Phoenix said. "We've been together ever since. I owe her so much for everything she's done for me."

"But don't you miss being a superhero?" Kei pressed.

"No," Phoenix said. "You would think I would, but I had my fill of that life. Those were great times, but there comes a day to move on. I made sure of that."

"Oh? How so?"

"I had Komyoji give me an alternate power source after he rebuilt me. He removed the Birdonic Reactor that gave me my powers. For all intents and purposes, I'm a normal human being now."

"You mean...?"

"Jet Phoenix is dead," Phoenix emphasized. "Say hello to Shinsei Hinotori."

"Clever name," Kei smiled.

Phoenix turned to Kei. "But let's talk about you, Mizuno-san. I seem to hear something about Kei Mizuno's Akaitaka Technologies all the time these days. You've made quite a splash in just a few years."

Kei rubbed the pendant she wore around her neck. "I have done pretty well for myself. I should thank you for that. Until I met you, I thought it was too late to do anything useful with my life. Jetman showed me that I could do anything I wanted if I just believed."

"Absolutely," Jet Phoenix agreed. "I notice you still wear the Cross Changer, too."

Kei lifted her wrist to look at the henshin bracelet. "We all do. We made a pact when we went our separate ways that we would be ready if the world ever needed us again. Anyway, I like to have a reminder of those days."

"I see you've kept another memento from then," Phoenix observed as he gently lifted Kei's pendant. "This is what I think it is, isn't it?"

Kei nodded. "The signal device I made for Gai. Ken gave it to me as a gift. Wearing it makes me feel like he's still with me."

"He is with you," Phoenix reassured. "Wherever you go, Gai will always be right by your side."

"Hey everybody!" Reiko called to the reception guests. "Gather 'round for a group picture!"

Phoenix took Kei by the hand. "Come on. I don't think you've ever met Gai's parents. I'll introduce you to them!"

"What?!??" Kei exclaimed. "But I thought you were here incognito! Didn't you want to protect your secret?"

Phoenix pulled off his sunglasses and put them in his jacket pocket as he peeled off his fake beard. "Maybe I did once. But I've made my peace with the past. It's time to get reacquainted with some old friends."

The former Jet Phoenix led a dumbfounded Kei Mizuno by the wrist to the assemblage of guests. Along the way, he grabbed Michiru as well. "Come on Chibi, time to be in a picture for a change!"

"Shinsei, what...?" Michiru questioned as she was dragged along. The only answer she got was when Kei shrugged her shoulders.

When the trio joined the group, Phoenix worked his way through until he had found the people he sought. Unsurprisingly, they were congregated together. Supreme Commander Ryu Tendo. Kaori Tendo. Raita Oishi. Ako Hayasaka. Gai Yuki's old teammates. His old friends.

Phoenix walked up behind them. "How is everyone?" he asked and they froze upon hearing his familiar voice. Each of them turned around, not quite believing their ears.

"Gai?" Ryu managed.

"I'll explain later," Phoenix said as he pointed to the photographer. "Right now, we have a picture to take."

A grin spread across Ryu Tendo's face as he and his former comrades nodded in agreement. The senior members of Jetman turned back around to smile for the camera.

Phoenix looked over at his former proteges with pride. They had all done so well for themselves. He liked to think that his guidance might have helped just a little. Suddenly, he felt a presence and looked over his shoulder.

Was it just his imagination? Was that really Gai Yuki and Gai Tendo standing there? Both of them gave him a "thumbs up". Then they were gone.

Phoneix felt another swell of pride in his chest. Maybe he had done all right for himself as well.

As they stood together, the five members of the second generation Jetman reflected on their adventures. They had endured death, heartache, and seemingly insurmountable odds to protect their world. Along the way, each of them had made a remarkable journey of self-discovery. They had become united in common purpose and grew as close as a true family. They had earned the title "Chojin Sentai Jetman".

Five extraordinary youths :

Ken Tendo - Black Condor

Etsuko Oishi - White Swan

Gohan Oishi - Yellow Owl

Reiko Hayasaka - Blue Swallow

Kei Mizuno - Green Wyvern

Only history can judge the accomplishments of the new Jetman team. All they knew was that their sacrifices had been worth it if they and everyone else on Earth had a chance to find happiness.

Perhaps those five champions even taught us something about ourselves. Who knows?

Sayonara, Jetman. We will never forget you, friends. Sayonara.

 

THE END

 

THANK YOU FOR READING RETURN OF JETMAN

Lewis Smith and I would like to gratefully acknowledge everyone that has supported RETURN OF JETMAN since its birth in 1995. Special thanks to Amy Elam, possibly the only person in the world who felt even more passionately about this project than its creators. RETURN OF JETMAN has been brought to you by Christopher Elam's OWARI. Thank you and good night. -- Christopher Elam

 

 

Story © Christopher Elam, based on the TV series CHOJIN SENTAI JETMAN and the original "Return of Jetman" stories by Lewis Smith. JETMAN and all characters from the CHOJIN SENTAI JETMAN series © TV Asahi/Toei/Toei Agency. Masaru Komyoji © Ishimori Pro./Toei. Original characters © Christopher Elam & Lewis Smith.