Behind the Mask

Coming Home

My heart pounded, and there was a ringing in my ears.

Ultraman's armor was dented and charred. The Kaiju was about to stomp on him. No, Kenji was in there. He was going to get hurt.

The thought of that happening sent a pang through my chest. If anything happened to him...

"Get up," I whispered.

Suddenly, flying jets roared onto the scene. A barrage of missiles was fired at the Kaiju. It was enough to distract the beast, causing it to turn away from Ultraman. The creature bellowed in anger and swiped at the jets. The reporter's voice crackled through the TV speakers.

"The KDF is now on the scene."

I exhaled in relief.

The jets circled the Kaiju, releasing another barrage of missiles. Explosions rocked the air, smoke billowing from the blasts. The creature howled in pain, stumbling backward. The ground rumbled beneath it. One jet swooped in low, firing a concentrated energy beam that hit the monster square in the chest. The Kaiju staggered, its claws flailing as it tried to swat the jets away.

It roared and the earth shook from its fury. Another jet flew in from the side, releasing a net that wrapped around the Kaiju's legs, causing it to topple over. The ground shook with the impact, and the monster let out an ear-splitting screech. The KDF continued their assault, raining down missiles upon the beast.

The creature shrieked as it struggled against the netting. It flailed its limbs, and the jets narrowly avoided the claws. A final wave of shots was fired, and the monster slumped, its body smoking and charred. Smoke and dust filled the air, and the camera zoomed in on the KDF jets as they circled the now-defeated beast.

"Wait, where's Ultraman?" the reporter asked, confused.

The camera panned back to the fallen buildings. They had collapsed into rubble, and the street was a mess of twisted metal and shattered glass. But Ultraman was nowhere to be found.

My eyes widened, and my heart seemed to stop.

Had he made it out?

Panic and fear churned in my stomach, twisting into a tight, painful knot. My hands trembled as I shut down my laptop. I grabbed my bag and things, nearly knocking over my chair in my haste. My legs felt like jelly as I hurried out of the office.

I headed down the building, fumbling with my phone as I desperately dialed Kenji's number. It rang and rang while I stopped a cab and got in.

"Come on, pick up," I muttered, my voice shaking.

I gave the driver Kenji's address, and he pulled away from the curb. The taxi ride felt agonizingly slow, every second stretching into an eternity. The driver kept glancing at me nervously. I redialed Kenji's number, but it went straight to voicemail.

"Shit," I hissed under my breath.

The knot in my stomach tightened with every unanswered ring. What if he was really hurt? The thought made my chest ache, and I felt tears prick at the corners of my eyes.

"Excuse me, miss, is something wrong?" the driver asked, his voice laced with concern.

I sighed. "Yes, please just keep going."

My phone flashed with a call. Kenji's name and picture popped up on the screen. I picked up immediately, my heart racing.

"Hello?"

"Ami." His voice was weak and strained, but it was him.

Relief coursed through my veins. "Kenji, where are you?"