I Am Become Death

by Rocco Ryg

  Outside, Gen and Renka couldn’t think of anything to say. The unpleasant news that they had absorbed cancerous radiation left them full of dread. When they passed the city park, Gen finally summoned the courage to speak. “Renka-chan... about what you said today.”

  “About how I like you?”

  “Yeah. You’re right… I like you too. You’re sweet, happy, kind... I wish more people were like you.” They stopped under a street lamp, too enamored with each other to keep walking. “So... what do you like about me?”

  Renka tried to answer, but she could barely think through her jumbled emotions. “You’re strong... and handsome... and you’re really dedicated to something, you know, what you think is right. Plus, Mrs. Kaminari wanted us to save the world together, right? I guess that’s our destiny.”

  He laughed. He never believed in such a concept before, but he couldn’t argue with it now. “Yeah... our destiny.” The two teens stood under the light and nervously waited for the other to make the first move. He softly said, “I didn’t get to kiss you before. You wanted to stay mad.”

  She blushed and pulled him closer. “I’m not mad now.”

  A half an hour later, Chikara finished telling her father the whole story, with a few details left out. Masakazu looked at the discovered manuscript in disbelief, as she expected, but eventually sighed and said, “That’s interesting.”

  Chikara didn’t expect him to take it this well. “I’m sorry I didn’t tell you before. Mom didn’t exactly specify how to break it to you.”

  “That’s your mother... always hinting, never telling.” Masakazu never understood his wife’s love for superheroes and manga, but his daughter’s unbelievable story somehow clarified it.

  Chikara asked, “Gen wants me to wear the ring, but I don’t want to yet. Do you think I should?”

  “Did Kagekuro destroy that American airplane?”

  Chikara dreaded this question. “Yes, but I don’t think he’ll do it again. Renka and I... talked him out of it.”

  “I see. Then you’re already crossing a few moral lines working with him, aren’t you?”

  Chikara couldn’t contest that a dark-controlling terrorist had become her ally. “I need him for whatever Mom wanted me to do.”

  “You should wear the ring whenever you’re ready. Nobody can decide your destiny but you.”

  “Thanks, Dad. Good night.” Chikara headed to her bedroom, in need of serious sleep after the day’s excitement.

  “Chikara,” said Masakazu. “Your mother loved you, and whatever she wanted you to do, I’m sure you’ll turn out okay.”

  “Thanks Dad.”

  After his daughter left, Masakazu kneeled at his wife’s memorial shrine and said, “You could have told me about this. No, I guess I wouldn’t have believed it.” He remembered the day he found Maxwell Chillingworth visiting Mika, and how his wife panicked after she shook his hand. He wondered why that man would give her such a vision.

  CHAPTER 9

  FIRESTARTER

  Chikara ran through the bright, complex space station looking for a weapon. Her fists alone wouldn’t be much help against the hideous creature chasing after her. She dashed across the metallic bridge, not daring to look down at the bottomless pit illuminated by the light from the station’s thermonuclear reactor. Ignoring the sound of the huge monster on her tail, she pushed two alien cyborgs off the bridge, dodging the blasts from their laser pistols.

  Above her, human fighter ships battled the legion of alien cruisers. Within the lead fighter, a heart painted on the hood, Renka maneuvered through the blaster fire and positioned her crosshairs over the lead enemy ship. Michiko dodged the proton torpedoes and returned fire, taking out Renka’s engine and forcing her to eject. Before she landed in the space station’s reactor core, Gen flew across the arena in his giant mecha and caught her. Safe in his mechanical hands, Renka shared an affectionate glance into the robot’s optic cameras.

  When she reached the end of the bridge, Chikara spotted her bokken stuck in a lead block. She dashed forward and pulled the wooden sword from its prison. She stood her ground as the pursuing creature approached. The monstrous stone nomoli lurched towards her holding its black rock. She raised her weapon, hoping to scare it away. “Get away from me!”

  The nomoli moved closer and presented the stone to its victim. Like a scared animal, she swung her weapon with all her might, cracking the nomoli across its disgusting face. The crack quickly spread, making the stone plating fall apart until Kaminari Mika stood on the pieces. She shrunk the stone into the gold ring and walked towards Chikara. “Take the ring.”

  She backed away. “No! I said I don’t want it!”

  “It is your destiny.” With each step, the mother’s body weakened and her hair fell out, until she became the same cancer-ridden corpse they buried. She held the radioactive ring to her daughter and offered her the same fate. “Find the spark.”

  “NO!” Chikara awoke in a cold sweat just before her alarm clock could ring. She wiped her forehead and observed her room, making sure that the nightmare was really over. She crawled out of bed and started her morning workout.

  She put on her school clothes and walked down the stairs. Her father was talking to someone on the phone. “You better not. You don’t want me to wear that thing myself and find you. Goodbye.”

  “Who were you talking to, Dad?”

  “Coworker. Are you ready for school?”

  ***

  Renka put on her uniform and walked to the kitchen for breakfast. Her parents had scolded her last night for coming home so late, but more pressing matters occupied her thoughts at the moment. “Good morning, Mom. Hey, do you think we can have broccoli and cauliflower tonight?”

  Flattered that her daughter appreciated her cooking, Mrs. Kusaka asked, “I guess. Why do you want that?”

  “I... hear it prevents cancer.”

  “Honey, you’re young and healthy. You don’t need to worry about cancer.”

  “You can never be too careful.”

  “Okay, I’ll make some tonight. Now, what are your plans for becoming Prom Queen?”

  “Hirono and the others are printing banners and posters. We’ll decorate the whole school with them.”

  “Sounds like a winning strategy.”

  “I hope so.” Renka planned to use her emotional advantage over others as well. If she had to get cancer, she figured it best to go in style.

  ***

  Gen ate his breakfast and watched the news. Since his experiment in revolution didn’t work out, he considered taking on organized crime, so he had to keep abreast of injustice plaguing the city. However, the streets seemed pretty clean, with no homicides or burglaries. He sighed and buttered his toast.

  When the phone rang, Mr. Kagekuro answered and handed it to Gen. “It’s for you.” Gen took it and asked, “Hello?”

  “Kagekuro Gen? This is Kaminari Masakazu... Chikara’s father.”

  “Good morning. Sorry again about last night. We didn’t check the time.”

  “I’m not calling about that. My daughter told me about the ring, the powers... and your attempts at international terrorism.”

  Gen’s blood froze. How could Chikara let that slip? It was supposed to be their dirty secret. With his father next to him hearing the conversation, he had to divert his accuser’s attention. “I understand that you’re upset, but I assure you it won’t happen again.”

  “My daughter says she needs you for whatever she has to do... but I’m warning you, if you hurt her in any way, I’ll take it upon myself to stop you.”

  Gen understood where Chikara inherited her strength. “You don’t need to worry, sir. It’s all been settled. I won’t inconvenience you.”

  “You better not. You don’t want me to wear that thing myself and find you. Goodbye.” Masakazu hung up, leaving Gen feeling guiltier than before about his actions.

  Gen father put down his newspaper and asked, “What was that about?”

  “We s
tayed too late last night.” Gen made a mental note to talk to Chikara about this later.

  ***

  After caking her face with makeup, Michiko stared at her reflection and thought about her situation. She would have little problem winning the election, but she couldn’t imagine how she would deal with her enemies. Chikara still had the identical ring, Renka knew about her father, and clingy Kaijin wouldn’t go away so easily. She shrugged and considered these problems temporary. Soon, she would stand in front of the prom audience, the crown and sash magnifying her beauty, and all her jealous rivals would sit at their tables and sulk.

  Her cell phone rang. Seeing the caller’s name, she picked up and asked, “Yukiko?”

  “Hey, Michiko. What’s up?”

  “Just doing my make-up. What’s new with you?”

  “Something freaky. Kaijin-kun just called me and asked if you would be at school today.”

  “What did you tell him?”

  “I said yes and asked why, and he just hung up. He sounded really excited. Any idea why?”

  “No, but I’ll handle it. Did you design those posters?”

  “Yeah, I’ll bring them to school.”

  “See you there. Later.”

  She hung up and pondered her plan to get rid of Kaijin for good. She walked through her bedroom door, passing under the smoke detector, and headed to the kitchen for breakfast.

  ***

  Kaijin put on his uniform, applied his finest cologne and walked to the kitchen to pack his lunch. His impending victory over Michiko-sama’s heart dominated his thoughts. He could almost taste her sweet kisses and feel her gentle embrace. Soon, she would take him back and everything would be fine again.

  His father headed out the door without even looking at him. Still tired and grumpy, Nokoribi Nobu said, “I’m going to work. Buy a new phone.” When he was out the door, Kaijin lit his hand aflame again to ensure that it still worked. He watched the bright fire dance gracefully in his palm and marveled at its beauty. After he extinguished the flame, he walked out the door and prepared to put his new talent to good use.

  ***

  When Chikara and Renka reached the high school, they noticed Gen waiting for them in front. He gave Chikara a suspicious look and said, “Good morning, girls. Great weather, huh?”

  Renka’s mood worsened when she felt Gen’s hidden anger. “Good morning, Gen-kun. Is something wrong?”

  “Yes. I got a call from Mr. Kaminari this morning. Apparently, his daughter told him everything that’s happened in the past two weeks. Everything.”

  “Yes, Gen-kun, I told him about the powers. He’s going to find out eventually and I need his support for whatever we have to do in the future.”

  “You didn’t think you should’ve discussed this with us beforehand?”

  “Okay, maybe I should have, but after we read that story... I just felt like I had to.”

  “Are you sure we can trust him to keep this quiet?”

  “He’s my father, Gen. Look, this isn’t some anime where the parents aren’t involved in their kids’ lives. This is real life and we need to let our parents know.”

  Gen understood her point, but still protested. “I’m not upset about that. I’m upset because you told him about my... crime. I thought we agreed to keep that a secret. If he calls the cops, our careers as protectors of the planet are over.”

  “I didn’t tell him that. He figured it out himself. Don’t worry, he won’t tell anyone. He respects my mother’s wishes too much.”

  “I hope you’re right. What about you, Renka-chan? Are you going to tell anyone?”

  Renka sensed both her friends’ feelings on the issue. “No, I don’t want to reveal anything now. It’s just too much, you know?” She felt Gen relax.

  “Okay, as long as it won’t be a problem. I won’t be revealing anything until we have a better understanding of our mission.”

  Chikara said, “Fine. Now, any other matters of importance before we head to class?”

  “Oh, now that you mention it...” Gen lit up, as he always did when he uncovered a clue, “I tried to find more about Shannon O’Malley, Mary Gawanas and Esteban Soto-Mendoza, but my sources didn’t find anything relevant. They just found a marriage announcement in a Dublin newspaper. O’Malley married Shamus O’Shaughnessey in 1988. That’s about it.”

  Chikara asked, “Did they have any children?”

  “I didn’t read about that, but you know the Irish.”

  “Gen...” Chikara wasn’t amused, but Renka let out a giggle.

  “Come on, it’s a joke.”

  “Well, keep me posted. We have to get to class...”

  “Actually, Chikara,” said Renka, “I’ll catch up with you.”

  “Uh... okay.” Chikara walked away, and when she turned around to look at them, they were still watching her. It seemed they hadn’t forgotten about her eavesdropping during their date. When she left the scene, they continued their nervous discussion.

  “So... Gen-kun...”

  “Renka-chan. What’s up?”

  “I really enjoyed our kiss last night and... I was wondering if you wanted to go to the prom with me.”

  Renka felt Gen’s sense of elation, with a twist of trepidation. He smiled and replied, “Of course. I can’t think of anyone else I’d love to go with.”

  Renka threw her fist up. “YES! I mean... great. I can’t wait.”

  “You don’t think this will hurt your election?”

  “For Prom Queen?”

  “Yeah. My views aren’t the most popular around.”

  “I wouldn’t be too concerned about people’s feelings… if you know what I mean.”

  “Oh, so that’s how you’re going to play it.”

  “My opponent controls minds too. Fair is fair.”

  “Ha! I guess you’re right.”

  Just then, an unfamiliar student passed by. “Hey, you two, get a room.” They noticed the rude boy walking with a tall figure in a black, silk Arabic burqa. The rest of the students in the hallway watched this unfamiliar stranger, whose veil completely her face, but her partner proudly walked her past the crowd straight to their classroom.

  Insulted, Renka asked, “Who was that?”

  “That’s Takabe Ryouta from my class,” said Gen. “He’s just a smartass… ignore him.”

  “Then who’s that girl, and why is she wearing that… set of drapes?”

  “I don’t know. Some kind of show, maybe?”

  Renka looked at the time on her cell phone. “Oh, I have to turn in my application to be on the ballot. I’ll be seeing you, prom date.”

  “Later, Prom Queen.” The two went their separate ways, both eager to see the other again.

  ***

  Michiko met up with her henchmen to discuss their campaign. Yukiko, as promised, designed a dozen posters featuring the three of them smiling and holding hands. “See, you have to make it seem like everyone is doing it… like it’s the hip thing to do, in this case, voting for you. It’s the number one rule of advertising.”

  Michiko liked the idea. “You’re a genius, Yukiko. It’s simple, upbeat and highlights my beauty. Chisato, your plans?”

  Chisato took a baby bottle filled with red liquid out of her lunchbox. “Instead of lemonade, I think fruit punch would be a better choice. Red is a fiery color that holds your attention.

  “I like it. Why is it in a baby bottle?”

  “I ran out of time and couldn’t find another container.”

  “Fair enough. Can I have a sip?” When Chisato agreed, Michiko twisted off the rubber nipple and drank the fruit juice. “Delicious. We’ll set up the stand tomorrow.”

  Just then, Kaijin walked up to them with an uncharacteristic confidence. “Good morning, girls. Isn’t it hot today?” Chisato and Yukiko didn’t know what had changed, but they now found him more attractive than before.

  Michiko, however, was not amused. “Girls... go to class.”

  The henchmen headed off to their clas
sroom. Yukiko said to Chisato, “Wow, he’s in such a bright mood today. What happened, did he get laid?”

  Chisato thought for a second. “Actually... that’s a good question.”

  When her friends left, Michiko looked back at Kaijin, still confused over his good mood. “Kaijin-kun... do you feel better now?”

  “Sure do. I was burning up yesterday, but I feel great now.”

  “Listen... I screwed up. I gave you false expectations and hurt your feelings. I’m really sorry about all this but... I’m just not that into you.”

  Kaijin’s upbeat posture remained intact. “Michiko-sama, I understand that you’re very confused right now. Yesterday, I didn’t know what was going on either, but now I know what you’re really feeling. You proved it when you gave me the gift.” He raised his hand and showed her the ring.

  “That thing? I just gave it to you because I didn’t want to think about it anymore. I hate it.”

  “But... it gave me and you...” Kaijin realized she didn’t know what the ring could do. He decided to save this knowledge for the right time. “That is... you’ve changed me. I was weak and miserable, everyone bullied me and treated me like garbage, a nobody, but now... I feel so strong and powerful, like no one can hurt me again.”

  “Kaijin-kun... you’re scaring me.”

  “You don’t need to be scared. I’m special now. I’m somebody, and it’s all thanks to you. I heard about that prom thing this school’s doing and... I want to go with you.”

  Michiko finally had enough. “No! Never speak to me again! Now go away!”

  Once again forced to obey her cruel commands, Kaijin turned around and left. The tears that slithered down his face quickly evaporated from the growing heat boiling under his skin.

  ***

  When class started, Gen learned the mystery of the cloaked girl. She stood in front of the class as Ryouta introduced her. “Everyone, I’d like you to meet Hannah from Saudi Arabia. She’s visiting Japan and my family agreed to let her stay with us for a day. She’s really excited to be here, and she’s having a lot of fun seeing our culture up close.”

  The hooded girl nodded her head, though she probably didn’t understand her chaperone’s words. The rest of the class still felt a shared discomfort, due to the newcomer’s ability to see them while they couldn’t see her behind that veil.