Lt. Walters had only been in the medical emergency corps of Longbow for about three years, so he had missed the events like the the destruction of Baumton, Eastgate, Overbrook, and Siren's Call. He had seen the damage caused by the recent Praetorian attacks on King's Row, Steel Canyon, and Talos Island; and this was above and beyond any of it. The casualties were atrocious and destruction was unimaginable. Finally, after what seemed like hours, the emergency mediports had stopped, The PPD had cordoned off the areas and more permanent barricades had been ordered. The "Hazard Doors" already in place between Galaxy City and Perez Park had been closed, locked and sealed. Galaxy City, once one of the central downtown areas of Paragon City, for all intents and purposes was now dead.
Walters had just been about to do "teardown" of the emergency equipment when the evac porter hummed into life again admitting a young man, Japanese by the look of him, with brown hair. He was shirtless, one arm being held at an unnatural angle, and covered in some rather deep cut and several bruises all across is body, his whole form covered in sweat and dust and grime. He was on his knees on the ground panting, his good arm wobbling, looking like he was seconds from collapsing.
Jadson, one of the members that had gone into the zone, looked up. "I know him! That's Namoru Hayataki! He was fighting toe to toe with Scirocco after the Arachnos came in."
"Did he win? It doesn't look like it."
"I don't think that was his plan. He was buying us time to get more of the survivors out. If it wasn't for him, many more of them would be in the hands of Arachnos now."
Walters approached the form, who looked up glassily at him. With shock, he realized Namoru was only semi-conscious, and still capable of moving and thinking. The man took a deep breath and managed to rasp out "The kids....out of danger?"
Walters nodded. "You saved them. You gave us the time needed to rescue them."
Namoru nodded with great effort. "Good."
Jadson grinned. "Heck kid, with all you did, they'll probably put a huge statue of you in there when they rebuild.
Namoru should his head, a act that made him lean to one side. "I....hope not..."
"Why's that, kid?"
"Because.....Galaxy City's statues......were memorials......to the dead......."
With that, Namoru collapsed unconscious, keeling sideways into the dirt.
Jadson rushed over to him while Walters looked up. "Get a stretcher over here!"
* * *
ATLAS PARK - CHIRON MEDICAL CENTER - SOME TIME LATER
Namoru opened his eyes and groaned. "Oh man. Which truck hit me? Oh yeah. Scirocco. Where the hell am I, anyway?"
"You're in Chiron Medical Center in Atlas Park." An attractive young Nurse stood in the doorway..
"Oh." Was all he could say.
"So you're the big hero, huh? Mayor Morales may want to hold a parade in your honor...at least that's what the rumor says."
"Yeah, well don't believe everything ya hear. I was jus' doin' my job." Namoru pulled off the covers and realized he was in just a hospital gown. "Where's my clothes?"
"All you had on when you came in was a torn up pair of pants. We had to throw them out."
"Natch." Namoru reached up the sleeve of his hospital gown, and to the nurses surprise pulled out a paid of pristine, nicely folded pants, a clean black T-Shirt, a pair of black boots, and a green tunic...his usual outfit.
The nurse blinked-blinked a moment. "How...how did you do that."
"It's......a secret!" The girl stared at him. "Not a Slayers fan, huh? Well, let's just say it's a Martial Arts technique I learned from a 'friend' of a friend, and lets leave it at that."
The nurse blinked again. "Okay...."
Nam looked at her a moment, then made a twirling motion with his finger. "I'd like to get dressed now, please."
"But the hospital isn't ready to release you yet!"
"Tough, I got things to do, and then I'll go home and sleep."
"But...but...."
"No buts....now turn around."
She did what he said and a few moments later, a fully dressed Namoru walked past her. "So, where's my wallet and cell-phone?"
"They have them at discharge."
"Okay." Nam started to leave.
"Hey....." The nurse handed him a card. "If you're not saving the world sometime...call me."
Nam looked at the woman, then slowly gave the card back. "Sorry...I'm married." And with that he left.
The nurse looked on. "Poo. Why are the good looking ones always married? Or gay."
A few moments later, Nam was receiving his personal belongings from a receptionist at discharge. Lucky for him, his cell-phone and wallet were intact.
"Here you go! Sign here please."
Nam took the stencil and signed the PDA with his signature. "Say, can you do me a favor?"
"Depends. What is it?"
"Was an Aiko Hayataki or Aiko Kitikami admitted to the hospital? She's my wife. We were in Galaxy City together when....."
The woman tapped up the hospital records, doing a search. "I'm sorry, no one by that name was admitted here, or at any of the other Paragon hospitals. No references to her in the morgues, either, but we're still processing."
Namoru gripped the side of desk for support.. "Oh"
"I hate to tell you this, but rumor has it that Arachnos were in the zone shortly after the meteor hit.....they took away civilians. Hostages."
The side of the desk was abruptly sheered off and Nam gripped it a little too tight. "Oops...um, sorry about that."
"Don't worry about it. We get supers in here all the time, so it happens a lot. We'll just add the replacement to your bill."
"O-okay,"
"Have a nice day now."
"Bit late for that" Namoru quipped as he left discharge and headed out of the hospital.
Namoru stepped outside and took a deep breath of the relatively clean Atlas Park air. He was tired, VERY tired, but the nap he had in the hospital had brought his ki back up to par. And he had to find Aiko....
Namoru's cell-phone rang.
Namoru checked the number.
NUMBER WITHHELD
His heart lurched, then sank into his stomach. Hands shaking, he picked up the phone and hit the TALK button. "Moshi moshi?"
A voice, digitally obscured, came out of the phone. "It's 10:30 PM, Mr. Hayataki. Do you know where your wife is?"
Namoru's blood froze.
The voice gave a digital chuckle. "I do."
"Where is she you bastard."
"Safe. Safe and sedated, for now.."
"Let her go."
"Come to Sharkhead Isle. And we'll talk. I'll send you a text with the location when you arrive."
Walters had just been about to do "teardown" of the emergency equipment when the evac porter hummed into life again admitting a young man, Japanese by the look of him, with brown hair. He was shirtless, one arm being held at an unnatural angle, and covered in some rather deep cut and several bruises all across is body, his whole form covered in sweat and dust and grime. He was on his knees on the ground panting, his good arm wobbling, looking like he was seconds from collapsing.
Jadson, one of the members that had gone into the zone, looked up. "I know him! That's Namoru Hayataki! He was fighting toe to toe with Scirocco after the Arachnos came in."
"Did he win? It doesn't look like it."
"I don't think that was his plan. He was buying us time to get more of the survivors out. If it wasn't for him, many more of them would be in the hands of Arachnos now."
Walters approached the form, who looked up glassily at him. With shock, he realized Namoru was only semi-conscious, and still capable of moving and thinking. The man took a deep breath and managed to rasp out "The kids....out of danger?"
Walters nodded. "You saved them. You gave us the time needed to rescue them."
Namoru nodded with great effort. "Good."
Jadson grinned. "Heck kid, with all you did, they'll probably put a huge statue of you in there when they rebuild.
Namoru should his head, a act that made him lean to one side. "I....hope not..."
"Why's that, kid?"
"Because.....Galaxy City's statues......were memorials......to the dead......."
With that, Namoru collapsed unconscious, keeling sideways into the dirt.
Jadson rushed over to him while Walters looked up. "Get a stretcher over here!"
* * *
ATLAS PARK - CHIRON MEDICAL CENTER - SOME TIME LATER
Namoru opened his eyes and groaned. "Oh man. Which truck hit me? Oh yeah. Scirocco. Where the hell am I, anyway?"
"You're in Chiron Medical Center in Atlas Park." An attractive young Nurse stood in the doorway..
"Oh." Was all he could say.
"So you're the big hero, huh? Mayor Morales may want to hold a parade in your honor...at least that's what the rumor says."
"Yeah, well don't believe everything ya hear. I was jus' doin' my job." Namoru pulled off the covers and realized he was in just a hospital gown. "Where's my clothes?"
"All you had on when you came in was a torn up pair of pants. We had to throw them out."
"Natch." Namoru reached up the sleeve of his hospital gown, and to the nurses surprise pulled out a paid of pristine, nicely folded pants, a clean black T-Shirt, a pair of black boots, and a green tunic...his usual outfit.
The nurse blinked-blinked a moment. "How...how did you do that."
"It's......a secret!" The girl stared at him. "Not a Slayers fan, huh? Well, let's just say it's a Martial Arts technique I learned from a 'friend' of a friend, and lets leave it at that."
The nurse blinked again. "Okay...."
Nam looked at her a moment, then made a twirling motion with his finger. "I'd like to get dressed now, please."
"But the hospital isn't ready to release you yet!"
"Tough, I got things to do, and then I'll go home and sleep."
"But...but...."
"No buts....now turn around."
She did what he said and a few moments later, a fully dressed Namoru walked past her. "So, where's my wallet and cell-phone?"
"They have them at discharge."
"Okay." Nam started to leave.
"Hey....." The nurse handed him a card. "If you're not saving the world sometime...call me."
Nam looked at the woman, then slowly gave the card back. "Sorry...I'm married." And with that he left.
The nurse looked on. "Poo. Why are the good looking ones always married? Or gay."
A few moments later, Nam was receiving his personal belongings from a receptionist at discharge. Lucky for him, his cell-phone and wallet were intact.
"Here you go! Sign here please."
Nam took the stencil and signed the PDA with his signature. "Say, can you do me a favor?"
"Depends. What is it?"
"Was an Aiko Hayataki or Aiko Kitikami admitted to the hospital? She's my wife. We were in Galaxy City together when....."
The woman tapped up the hospital records, doing a search. "I'm sorry, no one by that name was admitted here, or at any of the other Paragon hospitals. No references to her in the morgues, either, but we're still processing."
Namoru gripped the side of desk for support.. "Oh"
"I hate to tell you this, but rumor has it that Arachnos were in the zone shortly after the meteor hit.....they took away civilians. Hostages."
The side of the desk was abruptly sheered off and Nam gripped it a little too tight. "Oops...um, sorry about that."
"Don't worry about it. We get supers in here all the time, so it happens a lot. We'll just add the replacement to your bill."
"O-okay,"
"Have a nice day now."
"Bit late for that" Namoru quipped as he left discharge and headed out of the hospital.
Namoru stepped outside and took a deep breath of the relatively clean Atlas Park air. He was tired, VERY tired, but the nap he had in the hospital had brought his ki back up to par. And he had to find Aiko....
Namoru's cell-phone rang.
Namoru checked the number.
NUMBER WITHHELD
His heart lurched, then sank into his stomach. Hands shaking, he picked up the phone and hit the TALK button. "Moshi moshi?"
A voice, digitally obscured, came out of the phone. "It's 10:30 PM, Mr. Hayataki. Do you know where your wife is?"
Namoru's blood froze.
The voice gave a digital chuckle. "I do."
"Where is she you bastard."
"Safe. Safe and sedated, for now.."
"Let her go."
"Come to Sharkhead Isle. And we'll talk. I'll send you a text with the location when you arrive."