by Samit Basu
The kaiju ignores the twister, and thunders towards Jason and Wu. They retreat, and the beast chases them, smashing through the buildings in its way. But they are too fast, and it is too tired. Soon the beast stops again, and focuses itself. It squats into its sumo stance and prepares to bathe them in fire. One stomp. A second stomp. It looks to earth. It stares balefully at its opponents. It opens its mouth. Fire blossoms in its throat.
Wu brings her hands together, and the tornado rises and flows into the kaiju’s gaping maw.
The bear snaps its jaws shut. Its cheeks swell. A ripple runs down its body. Its eyes bulge.
The giant bear explodes.
* * *
The Unit’s heroes sit on the broken edge of a fiftieth-floor office in silence, breathing deeply, watching chunks of burning kaiju flesh rain down from the sky. They rub their eyes occasionally, and cover their noses.
Jason’s phone rings. It’s Uzma.
“If you’re done playing, could you get back to Hisatomi Tower? We have work to do,” she says.
“On our way,” says Jason, and disconnects. He looks at his teammates.
“Meeting,” he says.
“Can’t she handle one human on her own?” asks Anima.
“She might need us,” says Wu. “I sense danger.”
“Do you? I wonder why,” says Wingman. “Is it the danger of yet another Uzma Abidi master plan?”
“Or an epic Wingman whining session,” says Anima. “I like you so much when you’re fighting, Wingman. You should be in more fights.”
“I’ve had enough of this,” says Wingman. “I’m going home. You three are welcome to come along, if you like.”
* * *
“You smell,” says Uzma, as her warriors trudge into the waiting room. Anima grins, but the other three simply slump into the sofas, looking mostly dead. There’s an empty cup in front of Uzma, and an untouched full cup beside it. Jai stands silently behind her.
“Did you watch our fight?” Jason asks Jai. “We really didn’t need you out there today.”
“Jai was busy,” says Uzma. “We’ve been trying out the office facilities. The steam room is excellent. So is the spa.”
“When you investigate a company, you’re really thorough,” says Jason. “Could we get, like, a massage or something while you do your meeting?”
“This isn’t a time for luxury, Jason,” says Uzma, a massive grin finally breaking through. “We’re working.”
As two kimono-clad assistants serve the others steaming cups of sencha, Azusa joins them.
“Mr Hisatomi is on his way,” she says. “He asked me to convey his congratulations on your magnificent victory. You have saved our city.”
“Is ARMOR on holiday?” asks Uzma. “Why didn’t the robot show up?”
“ARMOR is a mecha, not a robot. It is a matter of shame that he could not give our guests a display of his abilities today of all days.”
“Well, he could do the city a great favour by cleaning it up, I suppose,” says Wingman. “We made a pretty big mess out there.”
“Your team is called the Unit, not the Cleaners,” says Azusa with a smile. “I hope the tea is to your satisfaction. Mr Mathur, would you not like to try some? We take great pride in our tea at Hisatomi Towers. It is from our own gardens.”
Jai refuses tea.
A panel on the wall behind Uzma slides to reveal a large screen. Norio appears on it.
“Thanks for waiting,” he says. “And thanks for not letting that creature break my tower.”
“I’d prefer to talk face to face, Mr Hisatomi,” says Uzma. “We’ve come a long way.”
“Indeed you have,” says Norio. “And yes, it’s time we met.”
* * *
Azusa takes them up to the very top of Hisatomi Tower. They walk out onto the roof, past a helipad and what looks like a miniature golf course. On a day involving less smoke, dust, fire and jagged dystopian cityscapes, Uzma could have spent hours absorbing the view. Instead, they follow Azusa to a magnificent Zen garden in the eastern corner: weathered rocks standing like islands amidst white gravel arranged with delicately raked ripples.
Norio stands outside the garden, at a vantage point where he is able to observe it all. As the Unit approaches, he turns and welcomes them with a formal bow. One by one, the heroes bow awkwardly, suddenly aware how shabby their clothes look compared to Norio’s suit, which is as sharp as a katana. Uzma notes he’s also wearing AR glasses and earphones.
“My father had a garden much grander than this,” says Norio with a smile. “It perished with him, unfortunately, when the last tower that stood here was destroyed. He loved his garden, and found harmony in it. I like to think he was near it in his last moments.”
“We are sorry for your loss,” says Uzma. “The Kaiju King has a lot to answer for.”
“It was a long time ago,” says Norio. “How may I help you?”
“We have reason to believe that a super we are looking for is in your custody,” says Uzma. “Her name is Rowena Okocha.”
“At the Hisatomi zaibatsu, we like to employ humans before supers,” says Norio. “It is not a matter of prejudice, I hope you understand: we just like to make sure humans are not forgotten.”
“We didn’t say you employed her,” says Uzma. “We said you abducted her.”
“I have never heard of this woman,” says Norio. “I abduct so many people, though, that I might have forgotten your friend. Could you perhaps show me some evidence of my misdeeds? It might jog my memory.”
Uzma senses a sudden movement behind her. It’s Wu: she seems unwell. She leans on Jason, rubbing her head.
“What’s wrong?” asks Uzma.
“I don’t know,” says Wu. “I’m really tired.”
“Me too,” says Anima. “Can we go to that spa you talked about while you flirt with the hot suit?”
“Give me a minute,” says Uzma.
She turns to Norio, who has been watching this exchange with quiet fascination.
“You know, there’s one way to settle this quickly,” she says. “Take off those headphones and those glasses. I’ll know you’re telling me the truth, then, and we’ll leave you to your business.”
“I have shown you nothing but hospitality,” says Norio. “Accusing your host of being a liar is usually considered bad form.”
“Look, I’m tired,” says Uzma. “Nowhere near as tired as some of these guys, but tired enough. I have a headache, and my back still hurts, and you’re not as smooth as you think you are. You’re, what, twenty-two?”
“A little older,” says Norio. “Why?”
“You have time to talk as much as you do,” says Uzma. “I don’t. Our informant may have been wrong, or lying. The easiest way to find out and end this matter is if you help me out.”
“You must accept my word.”
“I cannot do that.”
“You insult me.”
“Sorry about that,” says Uzma. “Take off the damn glasses.”
There’s a soft hiss behind her, and a thump. Uzma turns, and sees Wu has slumped forward and fallen face first on the roof. Jason moves to pick her up, but he’s clearly very tired too; he staggers.
“Perhaps the rest of your team would be more comfortable inside?” says Norio. “Jai here should be more than enough to protect you from Azusa and myself.”
There’s another crash behind her. Anima has fallen into the Zen garden.
“What did you do?” Uzma asks.
Norio smiles. Uzma blinks: he looks a little blurry.
“Jai, hold Norio upside down from the roof’s edge,” says Uzma.
Jai moves forward.
“Wait,” says Norio. He pulls off his glasses and earphones.
“Ask away,” he says.
“Where is Rowena Okocha?” Asks Uzma.
A grunt behind her, and Wingman falls down.
Azusa and Norio are both perfectly still.
“Rowena is in Hiroshima. In a hospital I own. As
a doctor, not a patient.”
“What have you done to my team?”
“Nothing. I did not bring them the tea, or force them to drink it.”
“You gave us… Rowena’s blood?”
“I won’t tell you.”
“What?”
Norio looks concerned. “Is your power working?” he asks. “Are you all right?”
Uzma realises suddenly how sleepy she feels. Her tongue seems to have grown to twice its usual size. She turns to Jason, and the world spins as she moves, and Jason is of no use to her, lying flat on the floor like that.
“You forget… Jai… didn’t drink your tea,” she slurs.
“No, he didn’t, did he?” Norio smiles at Jai.
“Jai, take him out,” gasps Uzma, and sinks to the floor.
Jai takes a step forward, and his eyes glaze over.
“But Jai went to the steam room,” says Norio to the fallen Uzma. “And even Jai has to inhale.”
Jai takes another step forward. His face is contorted with effort; he raises a swaying arm.
He slumps to the ground. Azusa steps forward, extracts a pistol from a pocket, and shoots three more darts into Jai’s neck. Instead of bouncing off, the darts sink into his flesh, and Jai twitches and convulses on the floor.
“Kill him,” says Azusa. “Finish it.”
Norio laughs. “First I’m going to make him remember,” he says.
“What he did to your father?” asks Azusa.
“No,” says Norio. “What it feels like to be human.”
CHAPTER TEN
Jai doesn’t waste any time blinking and looking around groggily, wondering where he is. A second after his eyes open, he’s on his feet, in the warrior stance, wholly alert.
He’s in a cube made of reinforced glass, lit up with a spotlight from above. The cube is in a large hall. Squinting, he scans the hall. His armour lies dismantled a few feet away from the cube, helmet sitting on the breastplate. Norio is passing the time fencing with a bullet-headed robot. Jai waits patiently for a few seconds until Norio notices he’s up; Norio issues a command to the robot, and hands it his katana.
Norio walks up to the cube and stares at Jai in silence.
Jai stretches slowly, shaking the fatigue out of his muscles. He frowns.
“I feel different,” he says.
“Haven’t been beaten in a while, have you?” says Norio.
Jai looks him in the eye, and Norio almost flinches.
“Is it difficult, knowing your powers have gone? You’ve been superhuman for eleven years,” says Norio. “Do you feel older?”
Jai isn’t listening. His eyes are closed now, his face screwed up in concentration. He breathes in, deeply, and shakes his arms and shoulders.
“Let me bring you up to speed. You killed my father,” says Norio. “And now you’re here, and about to die. If you’re in pain, don’t worry. It won’t last long.”
Jai opens his eyes and grimaces.
“You talk a lot,” he says. “I don’t like that.”
Norio smiles. “I don’t like it either,” he says. “Sometimes I hear the words coming out of my mouth, and I think, is this really me? I used to be really quiet. I’m still quiet at work, and at parties. But all this dealing with supers and what’s basically magic – I change into someone else. Have you ever kept a diary? Or written a secret blog?”
Jai says nothing, but his expression makes clear that he has not.
“Anyway, so it’s a whole other me. I get talkative. And then I get surprised. But I’m sort of committed to this now. And you should really be trying to keep me talking as long as you can, you know. Assuming you want to keep living as long as possible.”
“I used to talk a lot too,” says Jai. “I must have enjoyed it then.”
“More than killing innocent people, or less?”
Jai examines his prison.
“I’ve done a fair amount of research about you,” says Norio, “but I didn’t realise you failed as a supervillain because you were boring.”
Jai looks puzzled. “You want a conversation,” he says.
“Yes.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to know the man who killed my father. To look him in the eye as I take my revenge.”
“You kept me alive so you could talk to me before killing me?” Jai considers this for a while, and a smile spreads slowly across his face. “You’re new at this,” he says.
“I am,” says Norio. “But I spent a lot of time planning our meeting, and you’re letting me down.”
“All right,” says Jai. “What is the point of this?”
“Well, you have a lot of enemies,” says Norio. “I wanted you to know exactly which one of them beat you. I wanted you to know that it was an ordinary human that took the whole Unit’s powers away.”
“I see,” says Jai. “What is your name?”
Norio grits his teeth and tells him.
“Who was your father?” asks Jai.
“A great man. He deserved a better death.” Norio’s hands are shaking.
“Yes,” says Jai. “Yes. You were talking about this earlier. I wasn’t paying attention. He was killed when I threw a monster at your tower.”
“I suppose it means nothing to you. You’ve killed so many people.”
Jai shrugs.
“You’ve removed my powers and brought me here to kill me,” he says. “Is that negotiable?”
“No,” says Norio.
“Have you ever killed anyone before?” asks Jai.
“Yes,” says Norio.
“Was that for revenge too?”
“No.”
Jai turns away, and sits, cross legged, on the floor of the cube.
Norio waits for a whole minute, his irritation mounting.
“What?” he asks.
“I haven’t had a real conversation in eleven years,” says Jai. “And this one is pointless. I am tired.”
Norio pounds on the glass. “Face me!” he yells.
Jai turns around, and looks at Norio with something approaching interest.
“Did you really take the whole Unit’s powers away?” he asks.
“Yes.”
“Good.”
* * *
The first thing Uzma feels is a hand on her forehead. She grabs it, twists, and opens her eyes. It’s an elderly lady in a white coat, and she’s squealing in pain. Uzma lets her go, feeling most sheepish.
She’s in a low bed, one of several in a long, narrow hall. Soft light filters in through paper walls. Her teammates lie on four other beds near her. Anima stirs as the woman shouts at Uzma in hoarse, angry Japanese, the rest are remain unconscious.
“Where are we?” Uzma Asks the woman. Or just asks, she remembers, as she gets no answer. Her heart sinks.
“Where is Jai?” Uzma Asks. Silence, again. Uzma rubs her throat, fighting back tears. Her voice sounds different, hoarse, older.
A panel at the far end of the room slides open and Azusa walks in.
“Are you all right?” Azusa asks. “We were very worried.”
“What?” Uzma splutters.
At a gesture from Azusa, the nurse rushes out of the room.
“You seem weak. Save your energy,” says Azusa. “You will experience occasional bouts of dizziness and nausea for the next few days. Other visitors who experienced similar symptoms did. And please keep your voice down. This is a place of business.”
Uzma’s head spins, she doesn’t know if it’s Azusa’s words, or if the realisation that she’s lost her power is beginning to set in.
“First of all, I would like to apologise for the recent unfortunate events,” says Azusa. “You are not in any danger. As soon as your teammates have woken up, we will escort you to your hoverjet and you can be on your way.”
“Where is Jai?” asks Uzma.
“Who?” asks Azusa.
“Jai!”
“You speak of Jai Mathur, the super-terrorist and war criminal? He was killed
by the heroes of the Unit eleven years ago in London.”
Uzma takes a deep breath. “My teammate. The Faceless.”
“He left after your recent accident,” says Azusa.
“Accident?” Uzma fights back tears of rage. “You poisoned us!”
“Not at all. We were unaware that you were all allergic to our special tea,” says Azusa, her voice perfectly level. “But we provided you with immediate medical care. I hope your report to your superiors will reflect that.”
Uzma gets out of bed. Her legs shake, her head spins. But the only thing she’s aware of is world-destroying fury.
“What the hell are you trying to pull?” she yells. “You took away our powers!”
Azusa nods. “An unfortunate incident,” she says. “I urge you not to be angry, and once again, do keep your voice down, you are disturbing our employees. There is nothing to be done now, we should all move on and remain on cordial terms.”
Uzma has many things to say, and they all try to come out at once. What emerges is an incoherent splutter.
“Please be advised that the removal of superpowers is not illegal in any country,” says Azusa.
“Oh it will be, soon enough,” snaps Uzma. “You’re going to pay for this.”
“Though of course the unauthorised acquisition of superpowers is punishable by death in several parts of the world,” says Azusa. “The Hisatomi zaibatsu’s legal team are prepared to make any clarification you require, but I can tell you informally that legal action will prove futile. I do not understand why you seem offended: you are still human. Like myself, and everyone who works here. Do you find that repugnant?”
Uzma stands up.
“You have no idea what you’ve done,” she says. “We are the world’s greatest superteam. We’ve saved millions of lives.”
“I watch the anime,” says Azusa. “All shows get cancelled eventually. I’m sure you will be remembered fondly by your many fans.”
