A Quiet Evening

Realizing that Nick was going over to Sandra’s place for dinner, his friend Dan could not help teasing him: “Ooh! Meeting the parents - is this getting serious, Birthday Boy?”

Nicholas blushed slightly: “My mom and hers went to school together so I’ve met them several times,” he bristled.

Pete patted him on the back and Dan just chuckled. “I think I see her auto. Happy birthday, kid,” Dan added, pointing to a sleek white vehicle easing towards them.

“Huh. It is still my birthday,” Nick said as the vehicle pulled up alongside their group. “Had so much happen, I almost forgot! You guys have a good night. See you at school tomorrow.”

The side panels of the teardrop shaped hover car slid up. Senator Carrie Cummings leaned out of the driver’s side and said: “Hey Peter, Dan, Judy and ah, Karen right?”

The girl with Peter simply nodded, while the others said “Hey” back to her.

“Come on Nick, Sandra - staff informed me that dinner will be ready in twenty and it takes ten to get to the house in the best traffic, which we are definitely not seeing tonight.”

Sandra waved to the others and climbed in beside her mother while Nick slid into the small rear seat. Air jets lifted the vehicle off the ground and then propelled it forward until it reached a main street and slipped into a line of slow-moving vehicles, some of the ancient ground-based gas-burning sort, some with electrical motors but similar in design to the “oil-burners” and a few more like the Senator’s air car. Once the car was in the line of traffic, Carrie turned on the automatic driver and turned her attention to the kids: “I guess you guys had your share of excitement today? At the center of one kaiju attack and witness to another?”. Carrie looked like an older version of her daughter with slightly lighter and much curlier red hair - she was an exceptionally beautiful woman, and one many felt should have gone into entertainment instead of politics.

“Nick missed them both,” Sandra replied. “He was trapped underground for most of the fight at the factory and trying to get to a shelter during this last one.”

“At least I got to meet the giant,” Nick said casually.

Both women turned to look at him: “What?!”

“He was heading out to investigate the monsters and saw me lost in an alley. Swooped down, flew me to safety, and then took off. I think I kind of passed out, because I only saw the tail end of the fight.”

“Why didn’t you say something before?” Sandra asked.

“Pete would never let me go - I would need to give him every little detail, and I honestly did not pay that much attention, but he would never believe it,” Nick replied, smiling.

“What was he like? The giant I mean?”  Sandra continued to query him.

“Well, he was not a giant when he picked me up but turned into one right after he left me. He was cold - Not just from the metal of his armor, just... cold. And never said anything, just gave me a slight salute after dropping me off when I tried to thank him.”

The other two sat quietly, absorbing this information, for a few seconds.

“So, he did not give you a name or anything?” Carrie said.

“I am not sure he has one,” Nick replied.

“He seems to be our Protector. Maybe that is what we should call him?” Carrie suggested

"Better than ‘Ultimate Warrior,’ I think,” Nick replied. “And didn’t Dan suggest ‘Protector’ earlier as well?”

“He might have. It’s been a confusing day,” Sandra admitted.

“I had not thought of a connection between him and Ultimate Warrior, though from the photos I’ve seen, the giant does kind of look like the comic book character. Has more green on his armor than red, though,” the Senator replied.

“You know Ultimate Warrior?” Nick asked, surprised.

“You have been to our house, what, five times and your mom and I were friends forever, and you never asked what William does for work, did you?” Carrie asked, bemused.

“Uh, no?” Nick answered.

Sandra stepped in: “Back in January, he was promoted to Editor in Chief of Big Adventure Comics; before that he was line editor for a long time after writing Ultimate Warrior for eight years!”

“Seriously? I never knew that. Cool. That was probably about when I was reading it!” Nick replied, surprised.

Sandra smiled back at him and said: “He won’t be home tonight so it will just be us, Janet, and the staff, but if you want, he will be home tomorrow, and I can get him to sign some of your books if you can bring them to school.”

“I just might do that,” Nick replied.

As he said this, the air car pulled up in front of the gleaming white house that the Senator lived in with her husband and two daughters, Sandra and Janet. An older son, Timothy, had started college this year and was currently in the Arizona Territory.

A robot valet met them at the front door and took Carrie’s seat as the three humans stepped out of the car.

The car hummed off as all three entered the large, gleaming house. The interior was softer and more elegant, decorated in cozier, darker colors. Much of the furniture was designed to replicate antiques from before The Lost Years. The most modern thing was a massive wide screen television, which hummed to life as they walked in. The screen showed a neat office made up in the same colors as the living room. A few seconds after the screen came on, William Cummings walked on screen, saw the three people in his living room and sat down at his desk. “Hi honey, I see you and our wonderful daughter have a guest?”

“Hello sir, I am Nicholas, son of…”

“Sato Hakama,” William cut him off. “Yes. It has been a few months. You have grown into a fine young man, though you could use a haircut.”

Nick just blushed a little.

“Anyway, sorry I can’t be there tonight - was actually set to travel in but the kaiju attack shut down transport and the company asked me to stay overnight.”

“Some kind of emergency or just an overabundance of caution?” His wife asked.

“Kind of both. The shareholders are wondering how we can capitalize on what seems to be a real Ultimate Warrior out there fighting the Exerians.”

“You really think he’s similar?” Nick asked.

“Yeah. Enough differences that, unless he starts calling himself ‘Ultimate Warrior,’ there’s nothing actionable, but enough similarities that the lawyers are paying attention, and that riles up the shareholders,” Mister Cummings replied.

“Nick met him!” Sandra exclaimed.

“Well, not really - he just pulled me out of an alley and left me in cover on his way to a fight. Never even got a good look,” Nicholas hastily replied.

“Really? Did he say anything?” Mister Cummings asked.

“I’m not sure he can talk,” Nicholas replied. “Unless he can talk to the monsters only.”

“An interesting thought. It was actually suggested for the soft reboot last year…. Well, I have had fun talking shop, but just got a notice that I am due in a meeting. Maybe we can meet up this weekend and talk Ultimate Warrior and this big guy?”

“I think we’re calling him ‘Protector,’ daddy,” Sandra said.

“Hmm.. that seems like a good name. Enjoy dinner. I should be home tomorrow, the next day at the latest,” Mister Cummings said and signed off.

Nobody had noticed that Sandra’s little sister Janet had come into the room. She had her father’s dark hair, tied in pigtails, but the same blue-green eyes as her mom and sister, and was maybe eight years old. She walked up to Nick and looked him over. “Is this your BOYfriend, Sandra?” She asked.

Both Sandra and Nick blushed and looked nervously away while Sandra’s mom answered: “Janet, this is Nicholas, a friend of Sandra’s. Yes, he is a boy, and her friend, but I don’t think he is her boyfriend. It is his birthday, so he will be having dinner with us, since his parents are out of town.”

Janet looked at Nick and then walked over to her sister. In an exaggerated stage whisper that everyone could hear, she asked: “are you going to give him a birthday kiss?”

Sandra bushed furiously at this, and Nick hid his own embarrassment with laughter. He dropped down to one knee, looked the young girl right in the eye, and said: “Janet, stop pestering your sister. If you want to give me a birthday kiss…”

“Ewwwww! No!” the little girl said, moving so that her sister was between her and Nick, “But happy birthday anyway!”

Sandra chuckled lightly and patted her on the head. Nick just stood up and turned to Carrie: “Missus Cummings, I have never been inside your house. It is very beautiful.”

“Oh, that’s right, you've only been here for the cookouts in the backyard, and that one dance we held last year. Thank you!” The older woman replied.

“Is there somewhere I should go to wash up?” He asked.

“Sandra,” her mother said, “could you show him to the small bathroom? I’ll go check on dinner. Come along, Janet,” she added, looking at her youngest.

Sandra led Nick one way while Carrie took Janet another. As soon as there was some space between the two groups, Sandra quietly said “I’m sorry for my sister. She’s a pain.”

“She’s adorable. Besides, you already gave me a birthday kiss, right?” He replied, just as quietly but without looking at her.

Her cheeks blazed red at this, and she turned slightly away: “Was it nice?”

It was Nick's turn to blush, and she barely heard his mumbled “yes” as they came in sight of the bathroom door.

“You can wash up in there. I’m going to go toss my books in my room and meet you back here to go to the dining room in a few minutes, Okay?”

He looked up and their eyes met for a moment, but then they both looked away as he said: “yeah, that’s good,” and then went inside the small washroom, shut the door, and leaned against it. He took a few deep breaths, and then laughed. It was all so ridiculous. He soon regained his composure and emerged, clean, several minutes later, just as Sandra returned. “Ready for dinner?” She asked.

“Definitely. Maybe not for dinner with your sister, but ready for dinner,” he teased.

With a laugh, Sandra replied: “I think Mom will keep her reined in, come on!”

The meal was an excellent seafood soup with rice noodles and a fancy bread plate. Conversation was lively, and Janet only managed to make her sister blush three times.

When the meal was over, Carrie asked: “would you like to play a game or two, or watch television, or would you just like us to take you home?”

“Though I would normally love to play a few games, I have some homework to do and really want to be home in case Dad comes in tonight “

“I understand. We really should have you over more often, maybe some of your other friends too - especially since your parents are so often out of town,” Carrie replied. “You want to ride over with us, Sandy?”

“Sure, ma,” Sandra replied.

“Well, I am watching TV,” Janet said, defiantly. Everyone else laughed.

***

Fifteen minutes later, the Cummings’s air car pulled up in front of the apartment complex Nick lived in with his parents. “I’ll walk you to your door,” Sandra offered.

Nick said: “Sure,” and started to get out of the car. Carrie put a hand on his shoulder. “It really was nice having you over, Nicholas - and: happy birthday.”

He smiled and thanked her, then stepped out beside Sandra and walked up to his front door.

“I really liked hanging out with you today, Nick,” Sandra said as they reached the mat in front of his door.

He smiled. “I liked hanging out with you, too. Despite your sister.”

Sandra laughed: “She is annoying. Cute but annoying.”

“Definitely,” Nick said, and placed his hand on the door sensor plate. As he heard the unlock click from inside, he added, almost too quietly for her to hear, “and you’re pretty.”

Her eyes flew wide open, and she made an odd gasp as she heard this. He glanced at her, and her hands came up, one on each of his cheeks. She pulled him in for a kiss. He made a slight effort to resist, but then just let himself respond, felt his arms enfold her. Then, after what seemed an eternity, and yet somehow also ended far too soon, their lips parted, she smiled at him, said: “Happy birthday, Nicholas Sato,” then pulled away, and skipped off down the walk back to the car.

“Thank you,” he said after he saw the car door close behind her and heard his front door relock. He laughed, waved as the car started up and pulled away from the curb, and once again unlocked his door to go inside.

As the door clicked shut behind him, he heard the voice of Sensei: “Hello Nick. You are alone?”

“I believe so,” he answered.

“You earned two levels. Award for third level; you may choose the Aquatic Mode, Advanced Sensory Array, or upgrade two existing systems.”

“Can I upgrade Turbolaser power consumption and flight mobility?”

“Yes. Is that what you wish?”

“Probably, but what is the Aquatic Mode and what does the Advanced Sensory Array do?”

“Aquatic Mode: able to extract oxygen from water, able to use flight mode underwater, and increased mobility when submerged. Later access to Extra-Environmental Mode

“Advanced Sensory Array: full area radar, limited pattern analysis and improved night vision. Later access to Full Spectrum vision and Multi-Wavelength Sensory Acceptance.”

“Both sound good, but let's go with the upgrades.”

“Done. Now, for fourth level, you gain one upgrade, and you may choose Electrical Aura, Aquatic Mode, Advanced Sensory Array or Speed Burst.”

“Explain Electrical Aura and Speed Burst.”

“Electrical Aura: Able to generate an electrical field at will. Power consumption is high, and field only lasts until discharged. Grants eventual access to Electrical Shield, Lighting Field and Lightning Blast.

“Speed Burst: Doubles current movement speed and boosts reflexes for five seconds. moderate energy consumption, upgradable but does not unlock future advancements.”

“If I lived anywhere else, I wouldn’t choose this, but I think in San Francisco, I will need Aquatic Mode eventually, so let's take that one now.,” Nick said. “And for an upgrade, let's go with strength - that has always been my weakest area.”

“Assigned. Access armor to activate upgrades.”

Nick asked; “can I do that now, or just when I need to use it?”

“Activation now will reduce errors later.”

“Something I have been wondering - how was Lord Kao able to talk to me?”

“I do not know; there are sections of my memory banks that are damaged, and others are locked - as you gain levels, some of those areas unlock, so I may know eventually, or it may be in a damaged area.”

Nick shook his head at this, but then tapped the base of his neck. The armor appeared, and a thought came to him. “Can you disable our internal security cameras?”

“For a short while, yes.”

“Then give me a path to the bathroom.”

“Done.”

Nick hurried through the apartment and entered the main bathroom. There he stood before the full-length mirror there to see his armored form in person for the first time:

The suit was predominantly a metallic gray, a little too dull to be considered ‘silver’- the torso had a slightly deformed “U” shaped patch running from the shoulders to the waist - the patch was bright green with a thin olive drab trim. At his waist was a black belt. His boots had similar trim in a ‘u’ shape, higher in the front just below the knees, and dipping down in the back. The back of the torso another two-tone green patch over the shoulder blades that connected to the ‘u’ in the front. A pair of green fins ran from a point slightly above the eyes, merging into a ‘v’ shape at the base of the skull. The helmet had no nose, but a mouth-like area was visible, and there were gray oval pads where his ears would be.

He tapped the base of his neck again, and watched the armor seem to liquefy and flow very rapidly into the base of his neck. ‘Neat trick,” he said aloud.

“Security systems reactivated. Nick, someone is accessing your front door!”