I Am Become Death

by Rocco Ryg

  “No, we’re gonna get shot!” Chikara put her hand over Renka’s mouth when she heard a guard walk by. They ducked behind a crate when his flashlight scanned the area. Luckily, he lost interest and carelessly walked away. A few minutes later, the two girls continued their trek to the building.

  At last, they found the eight-story intelligence center. “He told us to find the ladder,” whispered Chikara. “Do you see one?” Renka surveyed the area, but found nothing. Chikara’s phone rang again, so she quickly picked it up and asked, “Gen, where the hell are you?”

  “Up here, of course. Look out below.” Chikara looked up and saw something black slowly coming down. A double-sided ladder with gears running through the side chains conveniently reached the ground. “Just grab on and hold tight. There may be a slight discomfort when you touch it.”

  After he hung up, Chikara lightly tapped one of the ladder’s rungs and felt nothing. She motioned to Renka, “I think he’s going to lift us up.”

  “I don’t like heights.”

  “You go first, and I’ll brace you.”

  Renka touched the ladder and pulled her hand away. “Oww!”

  “What’s wrong?”

  “It feels all tingly.”

  Chikara touched the rung again. “I don’t feel anything.”

  Renka reached into her purse and put on a pair of gloves. As soon as she climbed onto the ladder, the gears turned and made the rungs move up like a pulley system. Chikara grabbed the ladder and braced against Renka, hoping to calm her nerves.

  “Don’t look down. We’ll be at the top soon.”

  “Chi... whatever happens, just know that this wasn’t your fault.”

  “I know. It’s his fault.”

  When they reached the top of the building, they saw Gen waiting for them at the edge of the east side, the dry-docked destroyer in his sights. Adorned with the all-black clothing that symbolized his supernatural gift, he walked to his guests. “Nice boat.”

  “We know why you’re here,” Chikara shouted. “You want to destroy that ship just like you destroyed that plane!”

  “You’re right, I do. A message must be sent to the imperialists that Japan is no longer a personal docking bay.”

  “You’re going to cause an international incident, you idiot.”

  “Exactly! Nelson Mandela bombed government offices. Martin Luther King boycotted a bus system. Kid Blink crippled New York’s media. Nothing will change without decisive action, and now I can make it happen.”

  Renka felt the righteous anger and passion radiating from both her friends. She felt Chikara’s struggle to keep her calm against the man who misused her mother’s powerful gift.

  “America is our friend, Kagekuro,” shouted Chikara. “Imagine the damage to our reputation, our economy and our international standing if your revolution happens. You’ll destroy sixty years of progress.”

  He couldn’t be phased by her answer. “They’re only our friends as long as they’re in control. This is our country and we can defend ourselves.”

  No longer able to stand the strain of their anger, Renka tried to turn off her empathy. “Guys, let’s sit down and talk, just like before. We’re supposed to be friends. Ms. Kaminari said we would save the world.”

  Gen’s heart softened at Renka’s attempt to calm them, but the importance of his mission surpassed her childish naiveté. “That’s exactly what I’m doing.”

  Chikara lashed out in rage. “My mother didn’t make me give you that ring so you could wage a war.”

  “Yes, she did. She knew exactly what I would do.”

  “She didn’t even know you.”

  He unveiled his trump card. “Chikara-san, haven’t you thought about this? The ring gives people paranormal abilities. What do you think it gave her?”

  She froze in her tracks. She couldn’t believe she had never considered that question. He continued, “You told me she made a killing in the stock market. Her plans always worked out in the end. All that cryptic nonsense in her video about seeing every possible outcome. Don’t you get it? Precognition! She saw the future.”

  Chikara stood there in a state of shock. Memories of her youth flooded her mind. The time her mother didn’t let her go to a birthday party, and when everyone who went got sick from eating a tainted pizza. The questions she asked before a test, which Chikara later saw on the actual exam. The time she warned her neighbors not to go on a trip, and then slashed their tires the night before they planned to leave. Chikara saw her from her window, and Mika told her, “They were going to crash. Let’s keep this a secret, okay?” At last, her mother’s strange behavior made perfect sense.

  “She saw everything that would happen, even her own death,” said Gen, thankful to finally have her attention. “She saw you giving Renka and me that ring, and me destroying the plane. Hell, she probably saw this confrontation we’re having right now. She planned it all out so that we would have the power to make the world a better place. Why would she give me that power if she didn’t like what I would do?”

  She couldn’t think of a logical answer. Even with the revelation that Kaminari Mika engineered a future plan, none of this made any sense. All Chikara could do was draw her bokken and point it to Gen, who sighed in disappointment. “I don’t know what she saw or what she wanted us to do... but I still can’t let you destroy that ship.”

  Renka’s eyes widened in fear. “Chi, no! Don’t fight!”

  Gen, however, seemed to welcome the challenge. “You can’t stop me. The darkness itself does my bidding.”

  Chikara stood resolute in the face of this challenge. “If I win, you back down and never attack the military again. If you win, you can do whatever you want. Fair?”

  “Okay, Chikara. Prepare yourself.”

  “Guys, nobody wants this! Stop!” Renka moved to grab Chikara and take her weapon, but the angered girl had already charged her opponent. Gen willed a small militia of five dark samurai warriors into her path, catching her by surprise. The group of shadows clutched their swords and charged, forcing her to roll out of the way. With no time to assess the situation, she poured all of her strength into her hands and slashed one with her bokken, making it shatter like glass. One more approached her and swung its own weapon in a predictable pattern, allowing her to behead it with another quick swing.

  Whatever these things were, they were not very durable against hard impacts. Gen commanded his shadows against her two at a time while simultaneously creating more out of thin air. She continued to punch, kick and slash her way through them, realizing she had to get to their master as fast as she could. He created a solid wall of darkness right in front of her, making her run headfirst into it and fall down. His samurai warriors then picked her up and punched her in the stomach, but not hard enough to stop her.

  As Renka continued to scream for them to stop, Chikara thought of an easier way to beat Gen and his dark army. She remembered how the light hurt him at first, and noticed the low level of illumination on the rooftop. Grabbing her flashlight from her purse, she shined it on her artificial enemies and watched them fade into nothingness. “Not so fast,” said Gen as he created a small raven that bit Chikara on the hand. She dropped the flashlight and could only watch as a shadow warrior kicked it off the roof.

  Chikara knew she had to end this as fast as possible. Gen was too strong in total darkness. What could she do to distract him? As she attacked and defended against the unending army of samurai, she got an idea. “You’ll never be a revolutionary, Gen.”

  Keeping his eyes on the fight to maintain control over his creations, he asked, “Why not?”

  “None of your shadows have hurt me. These swords aren’t even sharp. You won’t kill… you’re just too nice.” His concentration weakened just a bit, making his ethereal henchmen attack her sloppier than before. As she slashed away at them, she said, “People die in revolutions. You don’t have the stomach to kill me or anyone else.” The warriors moved toward her in a rickety, confused daze,
signaling the perfect window to attack. She dashed to him with all the speed her legs could give her and jumped above him to deal the knock-out blow.

  He quickly formed a dark sword in his hands and blocked her swing, allowing his fighters to disappear from his lack of focus. He then pushed her away and attacked her with a wide swipe, which she easily ducked under. She swung at him again, using all her strength to hit his midsection, but his blade struck her own and diverted its path. She had no idea he could hold his own in a fight. She had to find a way to strike him directly without giving him the upper hand.

  Renka watched as her friends fought and felt the combined anger of both. She couldn’t understand their silly politics. Worse, she could do nothing. They would keep fighting and fighting until both were bruised and limping. “Stop it!” she cried to their deaf ears. Their anger increased as both attacked the other with growing disregard for their safety. “Stop it!” Still, they hit and slashed each other, becoming madder and madder with each blocked hit.

  Clutching her fists and feeling the magical ring on her finger, Renka poured all her emotion into her voice and screamed, “STOP!” When she opened her eyes, the sounds of battle ceased, leaving only an eerie silence. Gen and Chikara lay on the rooftop’s floor, holding their bodies and rocking back and forth. Renka ran to her friends and found them whimpering and crying, scared beyond all reason. Chikara clutched her and held on tight, afraid to let go. “Oh god, Renka. I’m so scared. I don’t know why.”

  Gen tried to stand up, but his own fear prevented him from moving his legs. The two combatants seemed to be paralyzed with terror. Renka knew she had done this. Her fear of losing her friends beamed itself straight into them.

  As Chikara hugged Renka with all her strength, Gen crawled over to them. “Renka. Did you...” He looked back at the destroyer he came to wreck and started to cry. “She’s right. I can’t do this. I just can’t.” He joined the girls and hugged them both, letting all of his regret pour from his eyes. Without saying a word, Renka held them both in a relieved embrace.

  After a few minutes, the trio let go of each other and dried their eyes. Gen looked at Chikara and said, “I guess you win. My revolution is over.”

  Chikara sniffled. “Gen-san, my mother gave you this power for a reason. I’m sure she had a plan, and whatever it is, you’re a part of it.” Gen nodded and gave a genuine smile.

  Renka looked around, still unable to see much in the pitch black night sky. “I think we should leave now.”

  Gen stood up and walked to the edge of the roof. He then created a long, diagonal tube that reached to the ground. “You like going down slides?” Chikara rolled her eyes and jumped down the tube. Renka winked at Gen and did the same, having more fun than she should have had despite the buzzing sensation she felt from the dark construct. When Gen reached the ground, the three snuck back through the hole in the gate and went on their way.

  “So what happens now?” asked Gen when they arrived at his apartment.

  Chikara shared his confusion. “I guess we wait until we find out what Mom wanted from us.”

  Renka pulled the ring off of her finger and handed it to Chikara. “I know what we have to do. It’s your turn to try it, Chi.” Chikara look at her inheritance and imagined what it would do to her. She pulled the metallic case from her purse and placed it inside, keeping the magical item locked away. Renka scanned her feelings. “You’re afraid.”

  Chikara knew she couldn’t hide it from the empath. “You’re right. When I get back, I’ll try it.” Feeling the hesitation from her mind, Renka wondered if Chikara truly wanted a gift.

  Gen looked to his apartment, and then back to the girls. “Guys... you were right, this was a bad idea. I guess I’ll have to find another way to make a change. Thank you for stopping me.”

  Still fearful of losing Gen’s friendship thanks to Renka’s emotional control, Chikara replied, “Let’s just look to the future from now on.”

  Gen smiled and walked inside. “Somebody already did.”

  The young women walked home, still in complete disbelief over what had just happened. Renka felt her pal’s confusion and fear, so she tried to lighten the mood. “I guess we’re real superheroes now, huh?”

  Chikara rolled her eyes. “Really?”

  “Yeah! We saved an entire battleship. It’s not as big as the world, but it’s a start.”

  “Yes... I guess it is.”

  “So what should I call myself? Heart Girl? The Feeler?”

  “Renka...”

  “How about the Emoticon?”

  “Renka, knock it off.”

  Realizing Chikara wasn’t in the mood for jokes, Renka decided to test her newfound ability out some more. She thought of all the things that made her happy: her friends, her family, her puppy and kitty, and even her crush on Gen. Then she stared directly at Chikara and let the happy feelings rush from her head. Chikara’s eyes lit up, and she smiled. She looked at Renka and merrily said, “Thanks. I needed that.”

  ***

  When she arrived home, Chikara looked through the giant comic collection her mother had amassed… all those superheroes with extraordinary powers, battling aliens, crooks and megalomaniacs while dealing with their ordinary problems in their secret identities. She remembered all the physical training she had gone through, and all the lessons about helping others and standing up to bad people. Then she thought of her mother’s final words in the hospital bed and the video.

  “Things are about to change. Events outside of your control will soon require you to do things no one has done before.”

  It all made sense now. This whole time, Kaminari Mika had been training her, even brainwashing her, into becoming the superhero she saw in her precognitive visions. Chikara imagined her mother planning from her very birth to turn her into a super-powered protector of the innocent, a costumed champion of good against evil.

  She opened the lead case and glared at the ring. She thought of her mother placing it in the safe and waiting for her to find it, knowing what would happen when the cursed thing came into people’s hands.

  “I never wanted to drag you into this. I’ve looked at every possible outcome, and nothing ends happily except this one. I’m so sorry. I wanted to save you from this but… only you and your friends can save this world.”

  Chikara snapped the case shut and hid it under her bed. “Mother... if you think I’m wearing spandex, you can forget it.

  CHAPTER 6

  CONTROLLER

  Michiko awoke from a wonderful dream and hugged the large stuffed bunny her mother gave her at five-years-old. She had such a wild time at the party last night with her friends, and she had a particular craving to do it again. After her morning shower and makeup application, she put on jeans, a designer shirt and her favorite heels. She came down for breakfast, which her mom had already prepared.

  “Good morning, Mom.” She grabbed some pancakes from the plate. Her orange juice had been poured in advance.

  “Good morning, Michiko. How was your party last night?”

  “We had fun. We did some karaoke and danced.” She lied. They had actually sat on the sidelines privately mocking the bad singers and terrible dancers.

  “Did you meet any boys?” Nagasado Nyoko always asked about her potential relationships, which Michiko never understood given her mother’s history with men.

  “No.” She lied again. Several boys had come on to her. They tried their hardest by complimenting her looks, faking interest and acting nice, things men think will get them laid but won’t.

  As Nyoko poured syrup on her own pancakes, she noticed the strange jewelry on her daughter’s finger. “Oh, where did you get that ring?”

  Michiko couldn’t believe she forgot to take that thing off. She had worn it to sleep the night before for reasons she couldn’t articulate, and now her mother knew of its existence. “I won it. You know, in one of those prize machines.”

  Nyoko looked at the ring again and asked, “That looks like
gold.”

  Michiko concentrated on her voice and commanded, “Stop asking about it.”

  “Okay, dear.” When she finished with breakfast, Michiko walked back upstairs and replaced the ring back in its metal case. She put it in her drawer and closed it tight, still wondering what she hoped to gain from keeping it. She removed her textbook from her backpack and started to study, resolving to go out with the gang later that night.

  ***

  As promised, Michiko went to her favorite club that night. . The high level of activity in the club on a Sunday night surprised her, She loved it for the exciting atmosphere and loud speakers, and the projections cast from the ceiling when they turned the lights out gave her such a thrill. She sat at a table with her friends, Chisato, Yukiko and Kaijin. Others youngsters attempted to sing American pop songs in their best English, which provided much ammunition for mockery.

  “Its ‘love’, not ‘rub’. How do you screw that up?” She sipped her pink lemonade, paid for by Kaijin of course, and laughed at the terrible singers.

  Yukiko pitched in. “Yeah, I had my L’s down in kindergarten.” Chisato could have joined, but her own early difficulties in pronunciation made her hold her tongue.

  Kaijin looked to Michiko and asked, “Would you like to dance, Michiko-sama?”

  “No, I don’t want to.” She was never one to let loose and embarrass herself, an easy consequence of dancing. She preferred to stay on the sidelines and criticize. Her friends disagreed, but had to bow to the decisions of the alpha female.

  With her mind elsewhere, Michiko didn’t notice a random guy come up to her. He sat down and said, “Hey, beautiful. Can I have this dance?”

  She looked at his dyed blonde hair and smelled his cologne, which stunk of desperation. This wannabe ladies-man repulsed her, but she figured she could have some fun with him before he went off to another chick. “Uh, I don’t even know you, and your fake aura of confidence doesn’t register on my radar.”

  The anonymous pretty boy, having studied the challenging art of picking-up women, tried to move in for the kill. “Come on, let me get to know you. Those eyes of yours just call out to me.”