A TRUE HERO
Prologue: When the High Evolutionary neutralized all mutant powers (Uncanny X-men #379) a new time thread was unknowingly triggered. That was the moment the Parallel X Universe was born. A fork in the road of time takes the X-men on a new continuity. Parallel X begins here.
Salem Center, New York
Professor Xavier sat in his study in deep thought. The news report he just finished watching was quite disturbing. The disappearance of small aircraft and pleasure boats in the South Pacific has been in the headlines for the past 2 weeks. . The media has been calling it the second Bermuda Triangle. Today the report was even more devastating. A U.S. aircraft carrier has also disappeared without a trace. A military recovery crew was sent in search of the missing carrier and it too has turned up missing. The news report pointed out the location of the mysterious disappearances but Xavier is all too familiar with the area in question. At first, he was certain it had to be coincidence but now he thinks the worse.
It's been 6 months since Xavier has seen the X-men. When the High Evolutionary satellites negated all mutant powers, the X-men disbanded and decided to try live life as normal humans. A couple of months later, the High Evolutionary decided it was wrong to manipulate the natural order of things. He destroyed his own work and mutant powers were restored. Xavier had thought about contacting his old students but decided against it. He wanted them to have a chance to live whatever normal lives they could. In light of recent events, Xavier feels he has no choice but to gather the X-men once again. As he is contemplating contacting the X-men, his thoughts turn back to the disturbance that is playing over and over again on the news. He is unsure of his suspicions since the recent events don't factor into his previous experience with that small region in the South Pacific. There's only one way to find out. He reluctantly looks to his Cerebro unit, not wanting to discover the truth to what's happening far away in the ocean but knowing he must.
Tokyo, Japan
Akiko Saito has been recognized as Japan's most beautiful woman in magazine publications for the past year. Agencies have approached her to take up acting or even become the latest Super Model. Natural beauty such as hers is rarely seen and every agency in Japan has been looking for an opportunity to cash in on her. But none of that really mattered to her. At one time, she had done a cheesecake pinup shoot , wearing a very tiny bikini. It didn't bother her. She needed the money at the time to help her through college and she's not ashamed of her body. But that kind of life doesn't excite her. The one thing that truly excites her is journalism. To be there on the cutting edge of every story she can get her hands on.
Akiko heard about the explosion on her scanner. A gas leak at a downtown construction site caused the whole operation to go up in smoke. She pushed her vehicle at excessive speeds to get to the location, which was across town. When she arrived, the fire patrol had already put a majority of the flames out. She got out of her car and something caught her eye. She looked up in the sky and saw the most beautiful sight that she'd ever laid eyes on. A man in a form-fitting suit was flying away from the scene. He appeared to be gliding on the rays of the sun.
She called to him, "Wait!" but he was already gone.
She turned to a construction worker and said, "Hey, did you see that?"
"Oh yes, that man just saved my life and the lives of my co-workers. We were surrounded by flames without a hope of escaping. He flew in, grabbed us one by one and flew us to safety. It happened in the blink of an eye. I didn't even have time to thank him before he took off"
"Well, do you know who it was?"
"They call him Sunfire"
Akiko seemed surprised, "Really! I've never seen him in action and haven't heard about him in awhile. Last I heard they were trying to bring him up on some criminal charges."
"Well, I don't care what they say about him, he's a hero in my book. Even if he is a mutant"
Akiko was determined to find out more about Sunfire. At night, she would fall asleep with the image of him flying through the Sun's rays. He became her mission. She wrote articles on him. Whether he was rescuing a sinking ship or rescuing a child's pet, she tried to track him down. But the elusive hero would always be flying away as she got to the scene.
Finally, she got the chance to meet this man who plagued her thoughts. The Prime Minister's daughter was being held for ransom by assassins from the criminal organization known as The Hand. Sunfire dealt a severe blow to the assassins and rescued the girl. When Akiko arrived on the scene she saw the Prime Minister with tears running down his face thanking Sunfire.
"I don't know how to repay you", said the Prime Minister.
"All for the honor of my country", Sunfire replied and started to fly away.
Akiko ran up to him and shouted "Wait, Please don't fly away! I must speak with you"
Sunfire looked at her curiously and after thinking it over he said, "How about over dinner tomorrow night"
Akiko's heart skipped a beat and said, "Y-yes, that would be perfect. How will I recognize you?"
"Just ask for Shiro when you get to the restaurant." He gave her a big smile from behind his mask and flew off.
For the next 24 hours Akiko couldn't stop wondering what his face looked like. She had looked up old reports and found some pictures. He hadn't always worn the mask but the newspaper photos never showed a good view of his face. It always seemed to be in the shadows and had a strange darkness to it. When she arrived at the restaurant she was not disappointed. There sat the most handsome man she had ever laid eyes on. They sat in the restaurant talking until it was time to close. Her heart melted when he asked if he could see her again.
Shiro Yoshida sat in his flat reflecting on the past year. His life was at an all time low just one year ago. He had been a member of a Japanese Super Hero team called Big Hero 6. They quickly went from being Japan's heroes to Japan's version of mutant outlaws. Every time they saved the city they would get blamed for almost destroying it. People never got used to having ex-criminals on the team like Silver Samurai, much less having a team full of mutants. On top of his ruined reputation, Sunfire was dying of radiation poisoning. Just when he had thought everything was coming to an end, his life started piecing itself together. He had recovered from the radiation poisoning that he thought was going to claim his life. He wasn't even scarred from the affliction that turned the whole right side of his body black. His skin had returned to normal. In essence, he was back to his old physical self. He even started wearing his original uniform again, quietly serving his beloved homeland who had him labeled as an outlaw. At times he would wonder why he bothered saving those who hated him. But he soon found that the hatred turned to admiration and he was finally being recognized for his heroic deeds.
With the rescue of the Prime Minister's daughter two weeks ago, he was suddenly propelled to celebrity status and all the headlines proclaimed him Japan's protector. This was all new to him. Even when he was on "good" terms with his country in the past, there was always a large portion of the population that hated him just because he was a mutant. Now it didn't seem to matter to the public that he was a mutant. He was a hero to his people. He had overcome every mutants greatest challenge. To gain acceptance with the public. He no longer felt short tempered like he used to during the days he was hated. And to top it all off, he had recently fallen for a beautiful young woman who truly adored him. He's only been seeing her for two weeks but she has made him feel so much more alive than he's ever been. Could life get any better?
When Sunfire got the call from Mr. Oshima, he could hardly believe what he was hearing. Mr. Oshima was his inside governmental source and he had never heard him so hysterical before.
"Slow down Mr. Oshima, I can hardly understand a word you're saying", said Sunfire.
"There is a giant prehistoric monster attacking downtown Tokyo!" was the frantic reply.
Sunfire was skeptical. "You have got to be kidding me"
"Get down here fast! It's attacking as we speak!"
Sunfire left immediately, thinking the whole time that this had to be some elaborate joke they were playing on him. Possibly a "hazing" ritual for his newfound stardom. He had bets that Akiko was in on it. It sounded like her sense of humor. When he arrived, he realized with terror that it was not a joke. What he witnessed was something out of a 1950's horror flick.
Clinging to the side of a building in the distance was an enormous pterodactyl type creature. Sunfire flew at top speed to get to the creature before it did anymore damage. The creature leaped off the building onto the street. As he did so, the ground literally shook like a small earthquake knocking terrified civilians off their feet.
The creature looked down and curiously cocked his head at something on the ground. It was a frightened man cowering on the sidewalk. Sunfire heard a blood curdling scream as the man was lifted up in the creatures mouth. The creature just held the man in his jaws and looked around curiously. Sunfire got a sick feeling in his stomach as he saw the man squirming relentlessly. Why couldn't he fly any faster! He was going at top speed and everything seemed to be in slow motion. He had to get to the creature but he was still too far to risk shooting a plasma blast and endangering innocent bystanders. When he got within range it was too late. The creature was viciously shaking the man in his jaws and threw him into the side of a building with a sickening crunch. Sunfire couldn't believe the absurdity of what was happening. The closest thing he could compare it to was a dog shaking a sock or toy.
The creature immediately found something more interesting. He was nudging at something on the ground with a claw. Sunfire shouted, "No!!!". It was a baby getting ready to be impaled on the creature's claw. The mother was nearby screaming.
Sunfire shot a plasma blast at the creature. The blast did nothing more than annoy the creature but it diverted his attention away from the baby. He looked at Sunfire with rage in his eyes. Sunfire was thinking, 'Great, now what do I do? I could try to nuke him with a full powered blast but that would surely kill the innocents nearby and take out half of downtown. Wait a minute…No, it can't be!' He recognized this creature but had no idea how the monster got to such an enormous size.
The creature was Sauron, who the X-men had battled several times before, and now he was running straight towards Sunfire. The ground was thundering with each step. Sunfire's heart was pounding in his throat and the only words he could utter were 'Oh Shit!' as he took an evasive flight to the skies.
He felt the heat from the creature's mouth and heard a loud snap as he barely escaped the crunch of Sauron's jaws slamming together. The creature took to the air after Sunfire who was trying to draw Sauron away from the people below. He couldn't believe it but despite his enormous size, Sauron could fly at a faster speed than Sunfire. He narrowly escaped a swipe of Sauron's claws.
Strangely enough, the creature turned away from the chase. Sunfire couldn't understand why until he heard a big gust of wind and saw Sauron's giant tail coming right at him. The tail caught Sunfire on the shoulder sending him end over end in a violent cartwheel. Sunfire finally gained his composure. Nothing broken but his shoulder was in incredible pain. Luckily it was only grazed but it was enough to send him for a loop.
He tried another plasma blast, this one with a little more power. Again, it only served to anger Sauron even more. The creature tucked his wings by his side and darted at Sunfire like a missile. Was there anything that could stop this monster?! Sunfire had only one more idea left and was doubtful that it would even work. At least he'd be remembered as a hero. That is if there was any Tokyo left to remember him after all this.
Sunfire jetted up above the main Tokyo Highway with Sauron fast on the chase and gaining. Sunfire was certain that he wouldn't be able to make it to his destination in time. He saw the cars below and prayed that everyone had already evacuated their vehicles. Sauron was just inches from Sunfire's heels when he finally reached the tunnel. Cars started scattering like dominoes as Sauron brushed against them as he went low. There was a loud crash behind him as the creature tried to follow Sunfire into the tunnel. Sunfire looked back. Yes! It worked! Sauron was stuck in the entrance of the tunnel and thrashing his head violently. Knowing he was defeated, he opened his jaws and shrieked. The sound reverberating through the tunnel was ear shattering. Sunfire took aim and planted a plasma blast right down the creature's throat. Sauron went into what appeared to be an epileptic fit and then ceased all movement. Sunfire saw major cracks through the tunnel from the impact and the whole structure was starting to groan. He thought it best that he exit the tunnel immediately.
Later that evening after helping with the cleanup, Sunfire visited with the lead scientist from the Giri corporation.
"Have you completed your analysis doctor?"
"Yes but I'm not sure you want to hear the results" the doctor replied. "This creature's mutant power has been enhanced over 100 times its normal mutation and it was done artificially. Someone has developed the technology to enhance genetic mutations to this extreme. They must be stopped at all cost"
Sunfire thought it over for a moment and replied, "The question is who would develop such a thing? I tell you what doctor, I don't have the answer but I know of someone I can contact. Someone who can point us in the right direction."
"I certainly hope so", the scientist said. "I can't imagine the ramifications of something like this getting out of hand"
Akiko was standing by Sunfire's side. "Let me take you home. You look like you've had enough for one day"
"Yes, I guess I can make the phone call tomorrow." Sunfire said. "Let's go"
Akiko drove Sunfire to his home and walked him up to his bedroom.
"Shiro, what was it like?"
"Well, I can honestly say that I have never been more frightened in my entire life."
"Amazing. I don't think anyone would have ever known. There were only twenty casualties today. There could have been thousands if it weren't for you. You seemed quite fearless today. You're quite a man"
Akiko stood leaning against the doorway to his bedroom as he removed his uniform. He apparently didn't mind that she was there. She looked on, admiring his physique as he stripped down to a brief undergarment.
"Quite a man indeed" she said again with a sexy lilt in her voice.
"I think I'm going to soak in some hot water. I'll be out in a few"
Shiro went into his bathroom and ran the water. He got in and the water felt like heaven. Then he heard an angelic voice by the doorway to the bathroom.
"I got lonely out there and thought you might like some company. Your shoulder looks hurt, let me help you"
It was true. He couldn't even lift his arm with his shoulder in such pain. Akiko came over and grabbed the wash cloth from his hands. Shiro felt his heart race at her tender touch. She kissed his shoulder as she ran the washcloth down his body.
Afterwards, Shiro carried Akiko to his bed. Shiro removed her clothes and she was wearing extremely sexy lingerie underneath. Almost as if she was expecting this night to happen. They kissed long and passionately. They explored each other slowly, savoring the anticipation of what was to come. It was their first time with each other. Both of them had been with others before but it was nothing like this. In just this one night they brought each other to a new sense of passion that they had never felt before.
The next morning, Shiro lay in bed with Akiko asleep in his arms. It was strange how he could experience the terror of his battle yesterday compared to the sense of peace he felt at the moment. He knew that this girl was all he ever needed. He already knew that he wanted to spend the rest of his life in her arms.
He was startled out of his solitude when the phone rang.
"Shiro this is Professor Xavier"
"Charles, its good to hear from you. Funny you should call, I was planning on contacting you today.
"Shiro this is important. I need you to come to New York as soon as possible. I need your help"
"Professor, this is really a bad time."
"I wouldn't ask if it wasn't an urgent matter. You are one of the few who are familiar with this"
"Can you tell me what it is?"
"I'd rather discuss it in person. It's not good"
"Professor, there's something I need to talk with you about"
"We'll talk when you get here. Please come"
Shiro thought it over. How could he turn his back when Xavier has helped him out several times in the past.
Shiro let out a long sigh and said, "Ok I'll be there"
Akiko woke up and said, "Who was that?"
"Professor Xavier. He needs my help." He kissed her forehead and said, "I have to go but I'll return"
"You better. I can't stand being away from you for even a minute. Take me with you!"
"I can't this time but I promise I'll come back for you"
To Be Continued in Parallel X-men #2: Out of the Deep
Brian Ritchie
2001