Sakurako hates this part of the trip. The only reason why she even bothers to fly a LEO capable jet is because of the speed. What she has learned to her chagrin, is re-entry is hell.

She had just got clearance from NORAD to enter airspace around Chicago. And after getting into the standard flying altitudes for Jets, she would be transferred to Chicago-Midway's Air traffic control. As she streaks over most of the western US at about 100 miles above everyone's head, she leaves a faint contrail only noticible by ground observers actually looking for her.

But, as she reaches a normal altitude for fliers, it becomes obvious something special hass arrived to Illinois. A large, semi-delta winged air vehicle. As large as a 747, all white with a thin pink pinstripe along it's sides, swoops in. When she approaches the airport, the controller radios in.

"Flight number TC-334529, you are cleared for landing."

"No need for a runway, but I'll play along."

"Are you VTOL capable?"

"Yes, but I don't want to trouble ya. Coming in, control."

"Roger that."

Sakurako hates landings.

As the wheels contact the tarmac and bumps her around, she just verifies her dislike of such things.

She pulls in to a stop at the terminal used for private charters and privately owned jets. She knows obviously they were expecting something only as large as a Gulfstream XII... The Hokuto is larger.

After spending an hour negotiating using a small lot usually used for displaying jets during airshows, she finally can think of other things.

She doesn't even bother taking off her flight suit and changing into some normal clothing. She manages to get through security, after a couple questions when her suit sets off a couple alarms, and finally makes it to the common area where people wait for passengers.

She taps Interceptor's shoulder.

"Been waiting long?"

Interceptor is waiting in the Arrivals area, fully masked and in costume (a Cartman original Eufiber suit, deep blue with yellow highlights, and a mask that covers the upper part of his face but leaves his hair out), with a Midway Security Guard attending him, for everyone's safety and comfort he assures. Interceptor is not altogether famous just yet, but there still aren't all that many Novas that people just ignore a friendly one that's in their midst. While waiting for Sakurako to arrive he's more than happy to provide a little show for the Baselines waiting, as well as answer their questions.

"I can lift more than a ton, but no I couldn't lift the Sears Tower."

"Well I can shoot beams, but I don't shoot people with them."

"I love to fly now, that's why I started my company, to share that with others. But no, I
was never afraid of heights."

"Uh...sorry, I don't...I don't usually talk politics or endorse political candidates."

"The Teragen? Never met one."

"Sure I can sign that, what do you want me to say?"

Sajurako taps him on the shoulder. "Been waiting long?"

"One minute." he says, not looking back to see who was asking. When he does he, he makes a rather comic double-take when he sees her, in a flight suit no less.

"Oh! Sorry about that. How was your flight?" he asks, a touch flustered by his initial reaction, after a moment's hesitation holding out his hand to shake.

She takes his hand in a buisiness like grasp and shakes it politely, not too much force, but still earnest.

"I hope the suit isn't much. No one expects someone to be walking around in a vacuum-worthy bodysuit."

She looks over Interceptor.

"I see you shot for looks over function with your "costume". Although then again, it looks the part."

She then rethinks her words... Realizing her white with pink section suit isn't much different.

"Oh, sorry... I am impressed. It's very... classic."

She finally releases his hand.

"So, ready for some business? I got some folks moving the gear to the TKI Chicago branch campus. I would like you to make your decisions without too much pressure and in a friendlier environment than an airport tarmac."

Interceptor looks slightly confused by the rapid fire comments and questions, he seems about to answer or address one and then is asked another. So instead of speaking he nods and makes faces to the effect of "I...um..." until she finally suggests they head to her headquarters here in Chicago.

"Ah. Yeah that sounds like a great idea. Why don't we go there?" he turns around and seems about to head towards the exit when he stops and finally realizes that he flew here on his own. He turns around slightly embarassed.

"Um...I flew in too. Would you mind if we took a taxi?"

Sakurako closes her eyes, and starts to hover above the floor of the hall. She then re-opens her eyes.

"Nah, I can do short distances with general ease. It's just the Trans-Continental hops that I need work on. Let's fly over."

She smiles.

"Besides, you being seen with a high-calibur nova should look good on your resume, eh?"

Interceptor positively beams at the display, he claps his hands in amusment and then with a moment's concentration lifts off the ground as well, a faint blue trail eminating from his legs. He flies next to her and points off in a safe direction, away from airspace that the airport is using.

"Sounds like a great idea, let's go." he laughs and gestures in a 'Lady's first' manner, giving a slight mid air bow.

"Heh. My pleasure."

Sakurako starts moving upwards, slowly rising into the night.

She shouts; "Well, it shoud be this way a few miles." She pints in the direction she was referring to. "We'll go it slow for talking purposes. Besides, I hear there's a possibility for Mayfly swarms. I don't wanna get caught in one."

She smiles sheepishly as she puts back on her helmet stuffed in a dufflebag over her shoulder.

"God knows how hard it is to clean them off of ya."

Interceptor is enjoying the flight, and almost doesn't catch her last comment.

"What? Mayflies? Oh yeah. Weird isn't it? The new problems you encounter? I usually fly higher, that takes care of them. I hate when they get in your mouth though! I tried using my force field that I've been working on, but the glow just seemed to attract them."

They fly in silence for a bit, admiring the view.

"We should try that place for dinner. 'Heaven on 7'." he points to a building at the intersection of 7th and Rush street below them. "It's a great place for New Orleans style food, kind of spicy though. Do you like spicy food? There's also Giordano's, great stuffed pizza there. There's probably some other, more family places for even better pizza or italien, if you like those. Me? I love Chicago Hot Dogs and beef sandwhich places. The best in the world. Jean n' Judes, in suburb not too far from where I grew up, the best Hot Dogs anywhere!" Interceptor licks his lips at the prospect, then turns and looks over to Sakurako, a little unsure of what to say.

"Um...by the way my real name is Pete, Pete Lowry." he chuckles and holds out his hand again for his re-introduction.

She stops in the air. Calculating out the possibilities while shaking his hand.

"Pleased to meet you, Pete."

She smiles as an idea creeps into her mind.

"You know, Jean and Judes sounds like something you love, so, I'm game."

She pauses.

"I just hope they serve Nova-Size quantities!"

She laughs. Looking foreward to trying out some Chicago style Hot Dogs. From what she knows, they're the best on Earth.

Interceptor laughs at that.

"Oh yeah, they definitely do. You'll love it. Just don't ask for ketchup. They'll just laugh at you. But these are great dogs, I'm talking fries wrapped up on the dog. MMMM! Good eating. Here, let's turn here. We'll just follow 290, it's the easiest way." Interceptor says pointing to a large interstate below them.

After a moment or two they become aware of the rhythmic beat of a helicoptor hovering nearby. Interceptor points them out to her, a TV news crew filming their flight.

"Hey! We've got fans." he says and waves to them. "You were right, this kind of publicity could really help, thanks."

Sakurako turns to the helicopter and gives a two fingered salute to the crew before turning back on course.

"Yeah, the publicity is good, but then again, it's a two edged sword. On one hand it helps, an on the other, it hurts. A LOT."

Interceptor flies along, about fifty feet or more above the interstate, and takes an exit onto Mannheim heading into Hillside. Pure Midwest suburbia, probably a very industrial area at one time, criss crossed with train tracks. Plenty of differing cultures can be seen represented on the billboards, as well as varying degrees of wealth from the expensive homes and condos, to the small and cramped apartment buildings. Interceptor leads Sakurako to an intersection, and even from above the smell of great Chicago style hot dogs is strong. At a small hot dog stand, with no indoor dining room other than a long shelf to stand at, is where the aroma eminates.

The gravel parking lot is full, and there is a line out the door and onto the sidewalk. People are walking away with fat and grease induced bliss on their face, eagerly wolfing down the American original. Many have large bags of it and were probably selected to go pick up early dinner for their job or family. As the flying Novas approach they are largely unnoticed, it is the somewhat low flying helicoptor that attracts their attention. Several people turn and point, first at the helicoptor, and then at the two rapidly descending figures.

Interceptor slows his descent to land a little out of the way in the parking lot and waves to the gawkers and people staring at them.

"I haven't been here in costume yet, let's see how they react." whispers Interceptor to Sakurako as she lands.

"Hey guys. How ya' doing? We were just flying by and I wanted to have my friend here try the best Hot Dogs in the world. How are they today?" he says addressing the people in line. Initially they're quiet, finally one or two voices can be heard spreading the word 'Interceptor' and then with a lot more force and recognition 'Sakurako!'. Finally many of the voices call out "They're great come and get one!" even offering their spot in the line.

At this point an employee steps out, wiping her hands on her apron, and then covering her mouth in surprise, and then she bolts back in. Moments later a middle aged or older man comes out, wearing a golf shirt with Jean n' Judes on it, as well as an apron, carrying a digital camera, waving frantically for one of his employees to follow him.

He rushes forward eagerly to shake hands with the Novas, barely able to complete a sentence.

"Welcome! So glad to...we have to get your picture OK? Dinner on us! Come!" he snaps to his employee and hands her the camera. "Please, eh?" he says with an undetermineable accent as he gestures to the girl framing the picture. The man puts his hands on their shoulders a little nervously and then quickly nods to the camera. Interceptor offers a big smile as a well as a thumbs up, while Sakurako gives her peace sign salute to the camera as she did before.

"Great! We take more inside! Come! Come! On me! You love them! Inside please!" stammers the man as he tries to entice the Novas inside with promises of food and pictures and autographs. Interceptor shrugs and allows himself to be ushered in.

Sakurako takes off her helmet, and slings it under a free arm, while her dufflebag is over her other shoulder, guarded by her other hand.

"Hrm, I'm not one to pass up free food if offered, although I did bring my debit card with US Dollars on it... Meh, let it go Saku-chan."

She follows behind Interceptor... Pete, and is quietly amused by the few people who actually know who she is.

Interceptor is happily eating his fifth Hot dog with everything on it, signing autographs as well as getting his picture taken with customers and employees.

"How you liking it so far Sakurako?" he asks after downing his latest dog and washing it down with his third root beer. Sakurako is more than holding her own, and Interceptor recalls that the Baseline Hot Dog eating champ came from Japan.

Something catches his eye outside, and some people outside have noticed it too.

"Hey Sakurako? You see that?" Interceptor he asks, pointing outside with his sixth hot dog.

Sakurako's Seventh hotdog is perched in her mouth like a cigar when she notices the helicopter that had been following them earlier.

"...Hrm, I don't think those helicopters are supposed to land like that."

That is when calculations storm through her head.

"Oh shit."

She spits her hotdog out.

"I got the rescue netting in my dufflebag. No time to explain, we got 15 minutes before that thing tips over from that tower's landing pad!

If my calculations are correct and the pilot and the two passengers don't move around much."

Sakurako dashes outside, and plops the netting on the ground for interceptor.

"Suit up! I'll see what's up and do what I can to give us some time!!!"

Sakurako's on automatic. Calculating out every possible scenario, while flying up to the helicopter.

She assesses the situation with the people onboard and shouts out:

"Remain calm and stand still. Help is on the way!"

"Whatever you say..." the reporter says, scared out of her mind.

"I can see how the Helicopter is perched. I need you all to stay put while I apply some leverage to keep you from going over. I don't have the stregnth to save this bird, so I have a friend coming up to pick you guys up and take you to the ground safely. I'll hold the tail up for as long as I can, to buy you guys some time!"

She flies over, and grabs the boom which attaches the tail rotor to the rest of the helicopter. She kicks up her flight to full power, and struggles with all she can muster while looking over the engine.

"They must have had an engine failure that forced them to land here so hastily... Come on Interceptor..."

She thanks her ancestors that she remembered to send the directions to him on how to use the netting before hand.

Interceptor is still gawking at the scene outside when Sakurako springs into action.

"Huh? Wait! Oh crap!" he yells as he dashes for the door. "'Scuse me, 'scuse me! Pardon me!" he says heading for the door, initially avoiding people and then finally picking them up and setting them down out of his way and shoots out the door.

Sakurako is already 'up, up and away' towards the helicoptor perched on a six story building and shouting instructions to the pilot and passengers. Interceptor meanwhile is looking at the mess of eufiber mesh that is on the ground like a discarded spider web.

"Shit." he mutters "This looked a lot different in the email." as he bends down to untangle it. Fortunately he has experience with harnesses such as this from his company, and his own suit is equipped with plenty of anchor points to attach quick release clips and for looping ropes and cords through them. It's really not as difficult as he thought it would be due to how carefully it was initially folded and stored. However it still takes a few precious minutes before he's got it on as securely as he can manage.

"OK!" he shouts up to Sakurako and the people in the helicoptor. "I'm coming! Just hold on!" He takes three bounding steps and hurdles into the air, leaving a faint blue energy trail as he does so. "C'mon! Faster!" he says through gritted teeth as he pushes himself harder and harder to achieve more speed, energy now suffusing his entire body and saturating the cargo netting, causing it to glow as well, as if he has tendrils of brilliant blue light attached to his body. Soon he's at the top of the building where he sees Sakurako barely keeping the helicoptor steady by holding the tail. All told there are three people in it, a camera man, a female reporter, and a pilot.

Interceptor has no room to land on the building and so he flies right up to the open door of the helicoptor and firmly plants his hand on the top edge of the door and grunts as he puts his considerable strength to use. He was hoping he could simply push the coptor back onto the roof completely, that way they could leisurely bring the helicoptor crew to the ground. No such luck, it was too heavy, the best he could do was stabilize it a bit, and buy them more time. To Interceptor's unbelieving eyes the reporter and camera man were still reporting!

"Our second rescuer has arrived! I believe it is the Nova known as Interceptor, he runs a company locally nearby! He has some kind of glowing net on his costume, I don't know if that's a power he has or some kind of equipment..."

"Lady are you crazy?! Stop reporting and let's get you the Hell out of here!" yells Interceptor. "Here, take my hand!" he grunts as the helicoptor shifts again to remind everyone of the urgency. "You have to put the microphone down!" she shakes her head 'no' at first. "Now!" barks Interceptor and she almost jumps back into the camera man. She drops the mic on the floor of the helicoptor and extends a shaking hand to Interceptor.

"Good! Now, I've got you! See the netting? It's like a bag, the opening starts at around my knees. Put your feet into it and start climbing down into it!" she shakes her head frantically when she sees the six story drop beneath the netting. "Fast! I can't hold this forever!" taking her hand he pulls her to him, despite her resistance. "Now, put your feet in, it's like climbing a ladder, I've still got your hand, I won't drop you, but you have to hurry!". With shaking feet she lowers her legs through the opening in the netting and plants them in the first rungs of it. "Good! Now climb down! I've still got you! It's made of Eufiber, it won't break!" she continues her quivering climb down into the net, initially the net seems barely wide enough for her, but the mesh webbing of the Eufiber seems to expand and stretch to accomidate her easily. She still clings to Interceptor's glowing legs though through the netting. When it seems she's secure he points to the camera man.

"You next! Be careful moving over!" Fortunately the camera he was using was not too large, he was actually able to just put it over his head like a large necklace. The camera man however was not quite as svelte as the reporter. The helicoptor shifted ominously as he moved over and took Interceptor's hand. "Hurry!" Interceptor said through gritted teeth. He wasn't as timid as the reporter and immediately began climbing down, trying to avoid stepping on her, but not entirely succesful, but still it was better than dying. Again the netting stretched ominously but held.

Interceptor was getting tired, though there was less weight in the coptor now, it had shifted more with the camera man moving over, he was carrying more of it than he really could. He shifted his grip on it and shouted to the pilot.

"You need to get secured on the outside! There's not enough room! Do you see the straps?" the pilot couldn't see from where he was at, the door was in the way. "Shit. One second! Sakurako, hold on a bit longer! It's gonna shift!" he yelled back to her as he risked reaching over to the pilot's door and grasping the handle. It did shift, and he knew they were almost out of time. He pulled hard on the door and yanked it completely off its hinges with a shriek of protesting metal. Looking down he saw that a crowd had gathered as well as some emergency services. "Look out below!" he shouted and dropped the door. It didn't come close to anyone, but sent a message to stay well back.

"Pilot! Do you see the seat on the outside here!" shouted Interceptor. The pilot shook his head no at first and then yelled "Yeah! I see it!"

"Good! Take my hand and slip your legs into it! It'll be tight but it should hold, and then you need to just hold on tight to the netting! You two! Grab him when he gets in!" the two already in the net nodded speechlessly. Interceptor reached his hand out to the pilot who was finally unhooking himself from the seat belt and head gear he was wearing. He had a bit of faith in Intercptor, or was more concerned about getting out of the coptor because he grabbed on without hesitation, and didn't panic or struggle when he got yanked out of the pilot chair and suspended over nothing but air and a long fall. He flailed his legs a bit trying to get them into the narrow loops attached to the side of the netting. "Help him out!" grunted Interceptor, the coptor was going to go any moment now. The camera man could do almost nothing, as the seat was basically on his back, and he couldn't turn around. The reporter finally got out of her shock and leaned forward, actually planting her bosom directly into the camera man's face as she tried to guide the pilot's legs into the straps. The straps were built for children, but they stretched enough to allow his legs through, though they were very tight, and bit deeply into his legs and then his crotch. "Now hold on!" Interceptor yelled to the pilot, who was red faced and closing his eyes from the pain, but he grabbed hard onto the netting when Interceptor let go of him, and laced his fingers tight into the mesh.

"Sakurako! I'm losing it! Get ready to let go or it'll drag you down!" shouts Interceptor. "On 3! One! T...! Oh Shit!" Interceptor couldn't hold it any longer and it slips from his hands. He barely has the time to fly back and keep the people from being scraped right off of him like gum stuck to a wall. One of the rotors clips him as it sails past, and they can distinctly hear bones snapping and a sickening crunching somewhere in Interceptor's body, probably the right shoulder and collar bone, judging by the way the arm suddenly slumps grotesquely to his side. The reporter actually shrieks at the sight and buries her face in her hands.

"GAHHH! Shit!" curses Interceptor as he clutches his limp arm to his chest with his other hand. The netting holds though, as Interceptor starts floating slowly down to the sidewalk, in too much pain to see where Sakurako went, he was pretty sure he didn't see her still attached to the helicoptor.

"GAHHH! Shit!" Interceptor says as he peels off from the stricken chopper. The same thing is crossing Sakurako's mind.

Sakurako, with a quick realization, knows the situation. The balance provided by the fulcrum that was the edge of the building's roof, had changed with the change of weight. With the malfunctioning engine now providing not enough lift for the helicopter, Sakurako is now feeling the weight. Her situation, is quite bad, a two-fold conundrum.

You see, she is between the main body of the copter, and the rear rotor. Either when bailing, she gets decapitated, or sliced all up along her spine by the rear rotor, then diced by the main blades. The only reason why this is like it is, is because of how she bought Interceptor time.

By using her flight at full stregnth, to keep the helicopter stable, if she changed direction it'd be a straight vector in one direction.

But, as the helicopter starts to torque, she sees one chance, calculated out with her mind.

The helicopter starts to move into it's plummet to the ground, as it does it moves left while rotating counter-clockwise along the axis of the boom the positioning gives her the "daylight" she needs.

"Oh Crap..."

One problem, her juice is almost spent. If she left now, she'd peter out. She'd get away from the copter, but she'd plummet to her doom.

That's when it hits her.

"Now or never!!"

The copter plummets to the ground, and explodes in a fireball with light that could be seen for a couple blocks. Interceptor covers his eyes, unable to see if Sakurako got away.

As the people Interceptor saved look on in disbelief.

"There's no way she got out of that..." The Reporter says, not seeing where Sakurako was.

Then, Interceptor sees someone.

"SAKURAKO!", Interceptor yells, with relief and amazement.

Sakurako held on till just the right moment. When she let go, she flew with her last ounce of energy to land into a pile of garbage bags. Piled next to an over-filled garbage bin in a nearby alley. Powering off just when she managed to change her flight speed enough to land safely. She's dazed, but alive and seemingly uninjured.

"Inter... Interceptor..." She Yells, tired, but alright. "You don't suppose... we could float those three's hot-dog tab?"

Interceptor does a slow spiraling descent towards the grounds, his left hand exploring the sticky bleeding wound on his shoulder as he bites his lip to keep back the pain. There's definitely broken bones, slashed tissue, and severe trauma. His eyes were squeezed shut and he fought very hard not to throw his hot dogs up all over the people he just rescued.

He opened his eyes before he reached the ground, well clear of the burning wreckage.

"There's no way she made it." whipsers the reporter.

"Sakurako!" yells Interceptor seeing her crawling out of a pile of garbage. "Oh thank Christ!" he says as he begins unhooking himself and the helicoptor crew from the netting.

Rescue crews run up and begin checking both the reporters and then Interceptor as Sakurako cracks a joke. The doctor is running a hand gently over Intereptor's shoulder and shining a flashlight on it as well. "You're OK." he simply says before moving to the pilot.

"What? What do you mean? No I..." that's when it occurred to him that he was feeling no pain, and that he had even used his right hand to unhook the netting and not even realized it. He looked at his shoulder to the best of his ability and ran his hand over it himself; no open wound, no pain, his arm was moving freely, except for the sticky and drying blood on his arm and costume. "What the Hell? Since when could I do that?" he says as he continues to rotate and flex his arm to make sure it's still working. Suddenly both his arms are being pumped in vigorous handshakes and the reporter is hugging him with desperate gratitude.

"Thankyouthankyouthankyouthankyou!" come the voices.

"You're welcome! Uh...thank Sakurako though! She designed that harness, and if she hadn't gotten up there first I wouldn't have been able to do anything."

"You have to give us an exclusive interview! Please!" begs the reporter as other reporters are edging closer now that the fiery wreck is dying down. Interceptor turns to Sakurako and holds up his hands in a 'Whaddaya think?' manner.

Sakurako brushes herself off, her hair a very dim reddish-black, since she's about tapped-out from the misadventure.

"Hrm... Very well, but don't make it too long. We're wiped. Or at least I'm wiped." She says, quirking an eyebrow wile looking over Interceptor's shredded sleeve, but now uninjured arm.

She checks over her suit, looking for any damage. Looking more for damage to herself than to her suit, though.

"Well, let's get this over with." She sighs.