ULTRA FATHER

"This is Zoffy. I have a bad news. Taro's died."

It seems that the next word Zoffy told me was a jumbled. I didn't seem to understand it. My mind only tried to understand the fact that he gave us just now. My son dead?

"Father, are you there?

I snapped out of my reverie. Ultraman looked at me expectantly. What did he just said? About telling my wife about Taro? I hope I gave Zoffy the right answer. We communicated a little and I was ordering Zoffy to return home. He refused but I didn't cared less. My mind only wrapped about that fact. After I told Ultraman to go straight to the morgue, I walked slowly to my quarters. I knew my wife would be at our quarters and waited for Taro to call her. Right now, I still didn't knew the gentle way to tell her. My mind drifted to the day that she told me about her pregnancy.

I rushed to our quarters when I got an urgent message from Marie. She told me that she had an important news to tell me and it can't be told using telepathy. On my way, my mind played about a thousand possibility news that she wanted to tell me. Never crossed my mind that the news was about my next heir.

When I arrived, she was sitting on a berth, waiting for me. Without delayed, I held her close to me, afraid of the news. She just chuckled about my nervousness. She took my hand and brought it to her flat stomach.

"What's wrong? Are you hurt?," I asked her frantically. She just nodded while smiled to me. I brought my hand to my communication item, intended to call a healer. She grabbed it quickly. I touched her cheek so that she would look into my eyes.

"Who done it to you? Tell me or I'll get a surveillance team to check it for me," I told her coldly. She just shook her head while still smiling. Frustrated, I got up from the berth and made my way to the exit. But her next word made me stopped dead in my track.

"You did it to me, Ken. Do you forgot about it?," I rushed back and knelt in front of her. I put my hands on her knees and looked her directly into her eyes.

"What have I done to you, Marie? I don't recalled hurting you in any way possible."

"You made me pregnant with your child."

My world spinning wildly in front of my eyes as I stuttered, "Wh..hat?"

"Yes, I'm pregnant," she told me happily.

And that's the beginning of my journey to become a father. A real father to my own child. Before this, I've adopted a few unlucky children whose their parents had been perished during battle. Seven is my nephew, so he doesn't count as my adopted son. Not long after that, I adopted Ace for his parents died when he's still a kid. But the feeling of raising other child was not the same with your own flesh and blood.

As a kid, Taro was a very curious one. Almost everyday, he had a new question to ask me. And as a loving father, I would answered his questions patiently. I was very proud of my son. Not only he strive hard to become a powerful ultra but he never stop practicing to horn his skill so that he would be, if not as good as his nii-san tachi but almost good.

The memory of us together made me stop on my way. I turned around and made sure that no one was behind me or followed me. I put my hand on the nearest wall. The feeling of loosing my son came crashing down on me as I slumped forward. I rested my head on the wall and slowly, I weeped for the loss.

"Why, Taro? Why do you have to leave us? I can't bear losing you right now. How am I suppose to tell your mother about it? Don't you feel sorry for us?"

'Father, here!'

I snapped my head to the front. That voice! Impossible! I got up quickly and turned around before I gasped.

Running in front of me was Taro, a smaller version of Taro. I couldn't took my eyes from the sight. Was this a dream?

'Catch me if you can, Father!'

I saw him running happily with a smile plastered on his face. Following behind him was...me? I widened my eyes in shocked. Wait a second. This event, where did I saw it before?

'Wait, Taro. Don't you want to see your present?'

Present? Yes, I remembered! This was when we celebrated his 10th birthday. He was very happy because I had take a day leave just to celebrate with him. I watched the event unfolded slowly before my eyes.

'The present for a birthday boy is...a hug from his father!

I saw my past life caught Taro swiftly and held him closed at my chest. At first, Taro squirmed at the touch before he settled himself and hugged me too. I chuckled weakly when I saw the memory.

'So, what is your wish for your tenth birthday, son?'

'I want to be as strong as you and nii-san tachi so that I can protect and defend everyone from monsters and aliens. One day, I will be the strongest ultra in the universe!'

I choked on a tearless sob. Relishing the memory made me realised something. This was what he wanted. To fall while defending something precious to him. To die as a hero. I got up with a new spirit.

"Thank you Taro for reminding me. Always remember that I love you son, no matter where you are right now," I spoke to the blowing wind.

'Love you too, Father'

I smiled. Knowing that he would always supported me with what I did, I entered my quarters and prepared to tell the most precious ultra in my life about this devastating news.

There you go. The next chapter will be from Ultra Mother POV.