Heroes Rising Fiction: The Missing Mythic part 5

Gamma Ray and Gar followed The Phoenix back through the barrier and to where the civilians went on about their regular lives. The moment they stepped through the Torii shrine, The Phoenix changed into the little old lady known as Master Nanae.

Gar smiled at the transformation, “Don’t like to show the people what you look like?”

Nanae laughed, “It would be troublesome to be seen as the Phoenix. I tend to have fire around me often, and that can startle people. Of course, my fire doesn’t burn unless I allow it, but it still scares them.”

Gar casually said, “It’s hard to look so different and have people scared of you when you aren’t going to hurt anyone.”

She paused and looked at him, “I understand how you feel. But you are still cute.”

Gamma passed them, “If you think granite skin and bat wings are cute.”

Gar frowned, “I like to think of them as Dragon wings.”

Nanae laughed at them. “Come on. The landing craft will be here shortly and we don’t have all day.”

As they walked down, more and more Japanese citizens came over and wanted to either take a photo with Gar or give him gifts. He would politely refuse the gifts, though he allowed a few pictures. The whole time Nanae giggled at him.

Shoving through a crowd, Gar raced ahead to a more open area. Gamma caught up and said, “You sure are popular here.”

“I don’t understand.” Gar looked back, a few people waving cameras his direction, asking for a photo.

Nanae walked past, still smiling, “It seems you don’t always elicit fear.”

“Why...” Gar started his question when a monk came up to him.

The man bowed twice, clapped his hands twice, and then bowed again. While bowing he said, “Thank you for appearing, Tengu. Please, we ask for protection over Kyoto.”

Gar looked around as people were all bowing his direction, he smiled and said, “I will protect the city as best I can.”

“Thank you.” The man bowed deeper and then hurried away.

“What was that all about? What is a Tengu?” Gar looked over and saw that Gamma had his face in his hand and Nanae was shaking her head. “What?”

Gamma blurted out, “They think you’re one of the Tengu.”

“The...what?”

Nanae took Gar’s arm and guided him along, “Some of these people believe in Tengu, guardian gods. The Tengu can appear as a man, or a bird, or something in-between. Since you are a man with wings, some might see you as that image. And, since you also look like a statue, it confirms the image in their minds.”

“Why did he ask for protection?”

Gamma answered, “Tengu are protectors. Not always the nicest beings in the myths, but they are good at their job.”

Nanae added, “With all the strange things happening over the past few months around the world. It makes sense that people will seek any source of protection they can find.”

“Are Tengu real?”

“I have not met one.” She said.

They left the crowded areas and walked out to a cleared landing area. Gar looked around for a moment while they waited on the shuttle.

“What are you doing?” Gamma asked.

Gar had walked away from the landing pad and was staring at a small, gnarly little plum tree that had grown in the corner of this lot. Gar plucked a short branch covered in the thick, pinkish-white blossoms. “I wanted something to give to Chase.”

“Chase? Why?”

Gar merely smiled, “Just because.”

Gamma followed him back to the pad just as the shuttle landed. The moment the craft stopped, a door on the side slid open and Crimson Guardian jumped out. He had a sizeable chunk of chocolate in his hand that he was munching on. Behind him came two BADGE officers followed by Chase.

Gamma met Crimson, “You have chocolate all over your face.”

“So?”

“Wait...Is that the egg from Easter?”

Crimson shoved a huge bite in his face and smiled, “There were like five metric tons of chocolate in that egg, along with everything else that came out.”

“And, you’ll try to eat it all,” Gamma muttered.

The two BADGE officers approached Nanae, “Director Nova said you had something for us?”

She nodded, “Yes.” She gave them some papers and other items.

Gar nervously approached Chase and held out that little limb, “Here, they have pretty flowers in this place. I thought you would like some.”

Chase took the limb and smelled the fragrant blossoms, “Oh, these are nice. Thanks.” She gave him a big hug, which made both Gamma and Crimson just about pass out. While squeezing him, she said, “Am I glad to see you!”

Gar let go of her, a boyish smile all over his face, “Really!”

“Yes,” she stretched her back, which popped in two places, “I’ve been stuck with Nova for two months. That guy’s a stick-in-the-mud. You’re made of stone and still ten times the fun to be around. Don’t get me wrong, he’s an excellent leader and a brilliant teacher. But, I can’t get a laugh out of him if my life depended on it. When the Easter Bunny was there, he was a lot more fun to talk to...though he broke just about everything in the place.” She smiled at the flowers in her hand again, “Let me tell you, I have quite the story from EB about Jinn and Nova. We...”

Just then Nanae walked past them, “Come with me, we need to get back to the palace.”

Chase followed first, “Palace, nice!”

Gar stood there, watching her leave. Gamma and Crimson approached him. Crimson said, “I haven’t ever seen her hug anyone.”

Gamma looked at Gar and asked, “Is there something between you two I do’t know about?”

“I...uh...don’t know,” Gar said.

Crimson let out a big laugh, slapping Gar on the wing, “Chase and Gar! HA! That’s rich. Good one Gamma.”

Gar feigned a laugh, “Yeah...funny.”

Just then there was a strange popping noise and a blue flash of light. A man fell through a portal and tumbled across the ground. Everyone went on high alert until they saw who it was.

“QUARK?” Crimson called out.

Strange Quark sat up in the grass and banged his head as water came out one ear. “I’m gonna need a plunger.” Quark looked around, “Wait, this isn’t BADGE?”

“You’re in Japan,” Gamma stated.

Quark got up, “That explains the smell of fish...or that’s the sardine stuck in my tights. I zeroed in on Chase and Gar, when they are together they are at BADGE.”

Gar said, “We are here.”

“Obviously. Whatever, we have big problems. The Hooded Man is somewhere in China, not too far from here.”

Nanae came over to Quark, “Come, we must tell Lord Dragon right away.”