Generations - Reunion

Princess fumbled for the handle, swearing softly as she dropped her keys. As she straightened from picking them up they were taken from her hand and she looked up into a familiar pair of blue eyes.

“Mark…..” she whispered.

“Don’t go, Mama.”

“I have to, Chris,” she said, “I have to stop them. You don’t know what they’re capable of.”

“I can guess,” he said, smiling at her. “After all, I know dad, and I’ve heard all about Father. They’ll get into a fight, but they won’t actually hurt each other.”

“It’s my fault, Chris.” Princess wrung her hands in distress. “I lied to Jason. I need to fix things. Need to explain…”

“No, Mama. If you go barging in there now, it will only make things worse.”

“You don’t understand. I always make peace between them.”

“Not tonight, Mama. You need rest.”

“Chris, I’m going.” Princess tried to get around her son, and as she did so, a rumble shook the house, a flash of light illuminating the room, a loud thud stinging their ears.

Chris saw his mother change in an instant – the distressed, anxious woman becoming the Swan between one heartbeat and the next. He saw as she activated a Bird Scramble as she transmuted, and he also activated his own change.

“Chris, keep Vivian safe,” and she handed him her car keys. “If there is a chance, then both of you get out of here. Go straight to the security complex.”

“What about you, Mama?”

“Don’t question me, Chris. Just do it. That’s an order!”

“Mama?” Princess turned and held out her arms to her daughter.

“Come here, sweetheart. Go with Chris. He’ll keep you safe while I deal with this.”

“Is it Spectra?”

“Probably. I can’t think of who else would want to attack the house. Now, go, both of you. I need you safely away so I can concentrate on this.”

Chris nodded and put his arm around his sister’s waist, bringing her within the protection of his own wings. “Don’t worry about us, Mama,” he said. “Will you be all right?”

Princess grinned. “I won’t be alone long. And Spectra is really going to regret this. Now – go!”

She didn’t wait, knowing her children would obey her, and sprinted upstairs, needing to get as high as she could to do her work. She emerged on the balcony and swore as she saw the mecha surrounding the house. They were all small, one or two man craft, designed to overwhelm the team. Or so Spectra hoped.

Princess knew that it meant that she now had a chance – she could take them out one at a time if necessary. That is, if her strength held out. She knew that her recent illness had left her seriously under-par.

The Swan raised her communicator to her lips. “Time to get a move on, guys. Your Swannie is getting lonely and bored at this little party.”

Princess leapt onto the balcony and balanced briefly before jumping onto the nearest enemy craft, opening the hatch and dropping a mini-bomb inside the cockpit. She then used her yoyo to swing off the gun turret to the next craft, sending an electrical charge down the wire as she did so, shearing off the gun barrel.

She took out another two mecha in the same way, then looked up and smiled as she heard a rumble getting closer. Help was at hand.

Phoenix game into view, guns firing as Jason did his usual shooting job. She saw a white-clad figure in the bubble, and moved slightly as the Eagle joined her in her destructive mission.

“We want to take one alive, Prin,” he said. “I’ve not seen a design like this before.” She nodded and moved to enter the ship, when a large explosion rocked the craft.

Both Princess and Mark looked up to see the house disintegrate before their eyes.

A scream rent the air, anguished, painful and Mark wrapped Princess in his wings, carrying her to the safety of the Phoenix.

“Let me go, Mark! My children are in there!” and her voice gave way to a despairing wail as she struggled to get free.