In the HQ's training room, the computerized combat system released a half dozen simulated androids. They charged toward their outnumbered opponent, only for Jet Jaguar to best them with his mastered martial arts attacks. For years, his greatest weakness had been holding his own against numerous opponents, but he had since trained to conquer that flaw. He punched and kicked and karate chopped his computer generated foes, most of which went down with one hit, further showcasing how much the robot excelled.
Haru and Akari stood just outside the training room, where they had a clear view of Jet Jaguar practicing through the large windows. It was when the robot reached a certain age that the JSDF team-now his close friends-began training him to defend Japan from all sorts of threats. Akari authorized the computer to generate enemies on a higher difficulty level. In response to these new opponents, Jet Jaguar changed battle styles, switching from melee attacks to his more robotic installed weaponry-his arm beams and missiles, blasts of energy from his wrists, and the spotlights in his eyes, which were used to blind or search for opponents.
With one final beam shot, the last simulated droid was taken down, and Jet Jaguar stood victorious in the training room. The simulation ended, and the robot grinned at his human teammates and friends, who smiled and nodded approval at his performance. He met them outside.
"Impressed?" he asked.
"More than impressed." Haru answered. "We're glad to see you've overcome something that was once a major obstacle for you."
"It'll definitely help you out the next time there's trouble." Akari added. "Anyway, Jet, we've received a message from an elementary school teacher. She says her class has been begging for weeks to see you in person. Like everyone else in Tokyo, they know about your heroism, and they pretty much worship you."
"Tell her I'd be honored to come." Jet Jaguar said. "It's always great to meet fans."
The robot left to go get ready, and Haru and Akari's cheerful moods faded as they watched him leave.
"Tomorrow will be the day he first came here." Haru noted.
"Tomorrow night. That's when we'll tell him." Akari added.
All Haru could do was nod and repeat, "Tomorrow night." Then he and Akari stood in silent dread.
Jet Jaguar and some of his teammates arrived at Okafuji Elementary School. Ms. Iketa, the teacher who sent the message, met them in the hallway-the children inside were currently unaware that their robotic idol stood just beyond the classroom door.
"Thank you very much for coming." she said. She addressed Jet Jaguar. "The children will be so excited to see you."
"Oh, I'm certain of that." Jet Jaguar said.
"I'll indirectly tell them that you're here, then let you know when you can enter. Just wait for your cue." Ms. Iketa went back into the classroom. "Children, someone's here to see you." She motioned for Jet Jaguar to come in, and he struck a heroic pose before the children.
"Hello, my little fans." he said.
"Jet Jaguar!" a girl happily cried out, and the children jumped up from their seats and crowded around their idol, nearly crushing him in a group hug.
"Whoa, whoa! Easy there!" Jet Jaguar said, laughing. "And how are we doing today, my rising stars?" There came a flow of positive responses from the children.
"Jet Jaguar, can I show you a picture I drew of you?" a boy asked.
"Of course." the robot happily replied. The boy took his hand and led him to his desk, where his drawing lay. The brightly colored image depicted the heroic robot soaring through the sky, with several smiling people below watching him zoom by with admiration. Jet Jaguar picked it up to get a better look at it, when suddenly, his vision glitched out and showed him a different scene, in a different setting.
He woke sitting on a desk in his creator's laboratory, having been completed and activated for the first time. He held his arms out and looked at his hands, flexing his fingers. He looked up and was greeted by two men, who marveled at his new functionality, but their names had been erased from his memory.
"He's a real work of art, isn't he?"
"Yep. All those days and nights I spent building him really payed off. I think I'll call him...Jet Jaguar."
A window was displayed in his field of vision reading NAME: JET JAGUAR.
"Nice. I think that suits him."
"I can't wait to see how he evolves."
"Jet Jaguar?" A child's voice was the first thing the mecha heard when he came back to reality. "Are you okay?" He looked around as if expecting to be in his previous surroundings. But he wasn't in the laboratory-wherever it was-he was in an elementary school classroom, holding a drawing a young fan had made of him.
"Sorry. Just glitched out for a second." he said to the boy. "This drawing is great. I love it." He patted the smiling boy on the head.
The other students took their turns showing Jet Jaguar their drawings. The bell rang for dismissal, and the robot gave the class one last group hug before they left for the day. Ms. Iketa thanked him, Haru, and Akari for coming in, and the three of them headed back to HQ. As they drove through the busy streets of Tokyo, Jet Jaguar decided to tell his friends what he had seen.
"Guys, something happened while I was looking at that first boy's drawing. I think I regained a lost memory."
Haru and Akari perked up with alarm, but Jet Jaguar took it for surprise or interest. "Oh? What did you see, Jet?" Akari asked calmly.
"I was younger and in some kind of laboratory, I think it was my first moments after I was activated. There were these two men with me, and I think one of them was my creator, because he talked about building me."
"Did you remember his name?" Haru asked.
"No, just what he looked like. But maybe we can use that to find out who he is."
"Yeah, maybe. We'll try that when we get back to HQ." Akari said, worriedly side-glancing at Haru.
Their van passed by a dark alley, and from it stealthily emerged two men and one woman, all wearing shades and with tie-dyed hair and edgy clothing. They watched the JSDF van drive down the street and turn left.
"The robot in there?" the woman asked.
One of the men nodded. "Can't strike now, though, too many witnesses." he said. "We gotta wait till we get him completely alone."
"We'll get our chance." said the other man. "Just gotta keep our eyes peeled for the right moment. Then we can show him our little surprise."
His two companions nodded grinned before they all disappeared back into their alley.