Author: Vincent Rodger | Banner: Vincent Rodger & Andrew Sudomerski

Chronicles of Conflict: Episode 2

“I… I am not Kaiju Number Eight. I’m Kafka Hibino!”

That was the last thing that he remembered stating before losing consciousness, opening his eyes to find that, surprisingly; he was not only still alive, but wasn’t on some operating table. 

“I’m alive?” He stated with a raspy breath, his eyes slowly adjusting to the light of the room. 

“You’re awake?” An older voice stated as it drew his attention, turning towards the source of the sound to see the man he was just in combat with. His eyes widened quickly, the man rising from his hospital bed with quick motion. 

“Director General Shinomiya!?” 

“There is no need for that,” The general stated with a stern tone, small patches of bandages covering the older man’s face as he sat across from Kafka with his arms crossed. “Nothing is going to happen to you, you are quite safe.”

A quick flash to events that had just transpired earlier in the day flashed before his eyes, remembering the intense fight within the testing grounds that unleashed the savage monster within Kafka. His hands quickly covered his face as shame washed over him, not being able to look the general in the eye. “Thank god…” He spoke with a slightly broken tone. “If anything had happened to you… I wouldn’t be able to face Kikoru.”

Silence quickly took the room before Kafka spoke once again, this time being capable of looking towards the superior’s direction. “If I’m alive, does that mean that I am a member of the Defense Force? That I’m human?”

“If what you had deep within your chest was a fragile human heart, you would have died back there. You are a Kaiju.” He stated as he pointed towards the wound on Kafka’s chest, being straight to the point and not hiding a detail from the soldier. Kafka’s eyes widened a bit as his body shook from the declaration, needing to hear the rest that the general needed to say. “But for now, you are a valuable asset, even though most people in the council wish you were dead and turned into weaponry,” The experienced general had seen vast potential in the young man’s growth, seeing as he had regained control before landing the finishing blow and casting his own fate to the world, the Kaiju could be controlled. It only needed a guiding hand and an unbreakable will, for if they didn’t harness this power while they had the chance, then the world may fall to the looming threat. “Kafka Hibino. The council had decided that another demonstration needs to be met in order to properly trust you, if at all. Get rest and be ready to leave, we have a plane to catch.”

The director stood up, letting the words reach Kafka only to have his attention grabbed by Kafka’s voice as he began to step out of the room. “I still consider myself a Defense Force Officer, and no matter what obstacle you put in front of me,” He spoke as he raised his hand to his chest in the form of a fist, speaking with pride from his truth. “I’ll make you see me as one too.”

He nodded, hearing Kafka’s words without responding and taking the final steps out of the room.

“They will all see, I’m not a monster.”

***

He hadn’t even sat down in his office when he teleported in.

Opening the door to see the man he was about to contact appearing before him. A flash of blue electricity surrounded him as an effect from the device, but it vanished as quickly as he appeared.

“Cecil Stedman,” The General spoke with a slightly annoyed tone as he walked over to the government official. The American had very little hair on his older face, scars across his mouth from an incident while younger were very apparent. He wore a business suit with a red tie, the American flag being a pendant on his uniform. Shinomiya reached out, offering a hand shake as a simple gesture as he approached. “You are right on time as always.”

Cecil’s hand met the Director’s, shaking it for a moment before the latter turned towards his desk. Properly sitting before placing his elbows on the desk, looking at the Director of GDA. “Sorry if my intrusion was disruptive in any way, but I am a man that prefers to speak in person rather than a simple telegram.” The older man stated as he took a seat, the two now being on equal footing.

“It would be safe to say that you are here about our previous inquiry?”

“Yes, has ‘Kaiju Number Eight’ woken up since the incident?” 

“Not that long ago now, maybe not even fifteen minutes ago.”

“When will he be ready for the examination?”

General Shinomiya’s eyes squinted ever so slightly at the question, Cecil had always been one to force an equation much faster than anticipated, and it was always annoying to deal with. He had seen the recent news that the GDA’s greatest asset had gone rogue and slaughtered thousands in a battle with his own son across the planet, reaching incredible speeds and power behind every swing. “He will be when your end of the bargain arrives, that is for certain.” 

“It won’t take him even an hour to arrive in Japan, all it would take is a single phone call.” Cecil spoke with utmost confidence, a smile hiding the knowledge of the young superhero’s mental health after the recent incident in Chicago which took the lives of over two thousand people. As much as he cared about the kid, he had a job to do. Mark was the strongest person on the planet, and facing against a monster like Number Eight would not only help grow his strength but perhaps put his much needed anger into something productive.

“We will begin to head towards the testing grounds here soon, you should contact…”

***

Invincible.

His Dad called him that as they began to work with his powers, playing a game of ball around the world. Such a simple throw and yet the ball curved around the entire planet, catching it as easily as any young boy would have with his father in their backyard even as it broke the sound barrier and steam rose from the ball. 

The pride that he felt in that moment, discovering the name of his superhero alter ego and starting his journey to become just like his father. A defender of the people, a beacon of hope…

What a fucking fantasy.

He stared down with sorrow, holding his mask in his hand as the cold wind drifted past his form. The stain of blood still did not disappear even after all this time, each crack within the rock echoed the trauma within his heart and mind at the event. He could still hear it, his own father hitting him over and over again…

“What will you HAVE in five hundred years!?”

The wind still continued through his hair, the look of sorrow never leaving his eyes as he stared at the horrific memory. He silently put his yellow mask on once again, taking off into the sky and building up speed as he went to return to his regular routine around the city. 

“I would have still had you…”

It was the only thing he could muster as not even tears could form anymore. A part of him felt dead now, silently mourning within his own mind. It was hard to talk about even as it was consuming his every thought, his loved ones would listen but it was so hard for them to truly understand what he was going through. He knew the empathy and sympathy was real, while his father had severely destroyed his trust, he would never doubt their words.

What destroyed him the most was how this was affecting his mother. Every night she drank, every night she wept as if tears were only her reality. Before everything went to shit they were truly a happy family, his mother’s career was at its best, his father was an inspiring hero who protected the world and raised him to be the creative, strong young man he was.

And all of it was a mask.

Speed picked up, a sonic boom echoing as he was racing against the very elements, anger slightly rising with every second that passed.

He needed to hit something, even if it ended in just a second along with the rush of adrenaline, he had to get this rage out in some way.

“Mark,” A second voice interrupted his thoughts. He took in a deep breath before placing his hand on the white headphone placed within his ear, stopping his motion completely to start the conversation.

“What’s the word Cecil?”

“I’m going to need you to meet me in Japan, somewhere around Mount Aso.”

“What’s going on?” He stated as he turned around, starting to fly towards the nation of the rising sun with a much slower speed while still listening to the conversation.

“You’ll be informed when you arrive here, get here as fast as you can.”

“I’ll be there soon, probably fifteen to twenty minutes. Depends on how fast I am going.” Mark quickly picked up the pace, slight anger rising in his thoughts once more at the annoyance of not knowing the details of what was about to happen. But perhaps it wasn’t some insane catastrophe that he needed to fight off alone or with the help of the Japanese Defense Force, reports of stronger Kaiju had been making the news lately.

Something wasn’t clicking, but he would find out soon enough.

***

A sonic boom echoed above the mountain range as Invincible arrived at Mount Aso, the American superhero descending towards the group where Cecil was amongst new company.

Kafka, who was at full attention while speaking with superiors, looked up with awe when Mark landed in front of him and the others. “Glad that you can catch up to the rest of us, Invincible.” Cecil stated as he turned away from the superhero, returning his attention to the duo of Defense Force members, both eager to meet the one who had saved the planet from Omni-Man’s invasion. “This is General Director Shinomiya of the Japanese Defense Force, and this is who will be your partner in this training exercise.” He motioned towards the soldier, prompting Kafka to approach.

“Kafka Hibino,” He reached out with his hand with a smile, gladly meeting someone who would throw himself into the line of duty at such a young age, even somewhat reminding him of his younger comrades. “It’s a pleasure to meet you, Invincible.”

“Likewise,” Mark stated while shaking the kind man’s hand, while not exactly knowing who Kafka was, he was just glad to meet someone who was willing to talk to him like a normal person. “I suppose this is to test some new armor you guys whipped up right?”

“Actually,” Ceceil stated, taking control of the conversation. “Me and the General Director have found ourselves in a similar situation and we ask two things during this demonstration.”

“The first is that both of you will showcase your full strength,” The head of the Defense Force spoke, adding to the topic. “With the rise of planetary threats in both countries, we have to grow stronger in order to defend our world. You two are the best chances we have.”

Both heroes were a bit stunned by the General Director’s words, absorbing everything with a careful ear. “Just as you are the meeting of two worlds,” Ceceil interjected. “Kafka here is something we haven’t seen before.”

“I’m actually human,” Kafka said under his breath, turning his gaze towards the older man. “I plan on proving that to you both today.”

Invincible took note of what the soldier said, the superhero having the words cut down to a very fresh and personal matter in his life. Perhaps this training exercise would help him with his own demons. “There is only one rule during this exercise, Kaiju No.8,” Shinomiya stated with a stern tone, looking at the man before him. “That you treat your target as if you are fighting the enemy.”

“Wait, are you serious?” Mark interjected, emotions rising which overcame his logic. “You want us to fight as if we are trying to kill each other?”

“You only need to make the other tap out or earn a KO,” Ceceil spoke, attempting to reassure the young man. “But yes, with the Guardians of The Globe gone and the rising amount of Kaiju attacks, we need to prepare for everything.”

“I’ll do whatever it takes,” Kafka stated as he began walking towards the field, a new found determination rising through him. “I’ll show you, I’ll win this fight as a human being!”

“Cecil,” Mark stated as he began floating away from the conversation, turning around to look at his mentor for one last glare. “Do you think I am ready?” He asked honestly.

The older leader of the GDA took in a quick breath before speaking. “I think that this will determine if you are ready or not, kid.”

“Fair enough.” Invincible quickly flew over to the field, floating a decent distance away from who would be his opponent. 

Cameras turned as light emerged onto the field, revealing the brawl between super humans to those recording the event. The possibility of finding new weaknesses to Viltrumites and Kaiju were too important to leave this spar as just words on a document, historical footage of the event could lead to developing new weapons to fend off the invading forces as well as strengthening their two strongest weapons.

The Human-Viltrumite hybrid of America and the Human-Kaiju hybrid of Japan, currently they were the strongest entities on the planet but they were green, extreme conditions would have to be made in order for them to truly be prepared. 

“I don’t really know if I should say this,” Kafka stated as he stood, looking directly at the superhero before him, a look of concern making its way on the older man. “But I can see that, that fight in Chicago,” The soldier was cutting in on something very personal, making Mark slightly get taken aback by the subject. “What I mean is… I’m sorry your Dad wasn’t who he seemed to be.”

Mark stared a little frustrated at the event being brought up but he instead wanted to hear more, crossing his arms a bit as he hovered above the ground. “All my life, Kaiju attacked my country and eventually we had lost our home due to it,” Kafka thought back to the event which would create his dream, remembering offering a hand to someone who was very dear to him in order to vanquish the Kaiju once and for all. “But one day, the damndest thing happened when I was in high school. Omni-Man showed up and managed to kill one, so long ago that he hadn’t added red to his outfit yet. Guess what I am trying to say is that, he was a hero in my eyes too.”

Invincible was taken aback by the statement, a smile semi forcing itself onto his face as he took in the words. “Thanks, it’s… it’s been a lot,” The Viltrumite stated as he took an aggressive stance. “After this, let’s talk a bit more.”

“I know a good place to grab a bite to eat.” Blue electricity trailed across the ground as the transformation began, his skin quickly forming a black exoskeleton of might as blue light radiated from various places across his newer form. A shockwave of energy was sent as his face was completely covered by a monstrous appearance, a skull of a demon-like figure stared with bright eyes, sharp fangs shined through the lights which surrounded them. “You’ll get to tell me the difference between a Japanese and American Cheeseburger!”

Invincible gripped his fists tighter, preparing to rush in and land a powerful blow right away in order to wear him down as fast as he could, but he still allowed the transformation to be complete. Steam rolled off of the Kaiju’s body, powerful muscles flexed as talons stretched out, and a demonic howl emitting from the monster’s maw declared the start of the brawl.

The two of them stood, waiting for the other to make their move. “I have to trust in myself to get out of this,” Kafka said to himself, a fang filled grin making its way to his face as energy still climbed. “I’ll give you everything Invincible! So don’t you DARE humor an old man like me and hold back!”

For a moment, Mark saw various faces that had been helping him since the horrific fight with his father. His family, friends, and those that worked beside him all reassured him that he wasn’t the monster that his father was trying to create. Kafka being the newest person attempting to do so, and with that act of kindness, it clicked within his mind. “I get it now,” He said under his breath with the realization, the man before him was just as he was, lost and wanting to show the world that they too were human. “Whoever loses pays the tab tonight!” Mark stated with confidence, a smile forming on his face. “Don’t take me lightly, old timer.”

His eyes widened as the Kaiju was suddenly beside him, a powerful punch landing directly into his core before he could react, a shockwave was sent out as the superhero was thrown into a rock wall some distance away. Blue eyes glowed as they stared at the recovering Viltrumite, rising back into the air with gritted teeth. 

“Left yourself too open,” Kafka stated, knowing he had been a hypocrite for recent battles letting himself get heavily damaged due to believing too much in his healing factor, but the words towards someone much younger would hopefully help in the long run. “If you do that again, it won’t end well for you.”

Invincible charged forward with incredible speeds, a shockwave being sent out as he raised a fist backward, aiming to strike directly at Kafka’s face. For a moment, eyes widened by the sheer speed of his opponent before the Kaiju managed to dodge the attempt, only to be uppercutted with Mark’s other hand. A shockwave was sent out from the blow, the ultimate weapon of the Japanese Defense Force floated in the air for a moment before the superhero’s grasp wrapped around his leg, slamming him into the earth with enough force to crack the ground beneath him. 

Kafka gasped for air as Mark lifted him into the air once more, quickly taking action to free himself by wrapping his tongue around Invincible’s neck. As the Superhero swung forward, they were completely flipped and the GDA agent was thrown into the soil below. Kaiju Number Eight leapt backwards to regain his distance, now knowing from the first landed blows the truth of their strength. 

The Viltrumite was physically far superior to him. 

While he had the ability to sense others of his kind, just as they could with him, which allowed him to also sense his fellow soldiers due to their unique armor and weaponry… The intensified air that surrounded Mark made it seem like he had the strength of the earlier number series, including far greater strength than the weapon that the General Director had used on him only a day prior. 

He would need to tread carefully if he was to succeed in this training exercise, one major slip and Invincible would have his Core exposed, even if it was by accident. 

Invincible reached down, ripping into the earth itself and managing to grab a massive piece of rock. Lifting the boulder over his head, which seemed like nothing more than child’s play, before throwing it at his opponent. Kafka acted quickly, swinging and breaking the natural structure with ease before the Viltrumite’s fist slammed as hard as it could into the Kaiju’s maw, sending him flying across the valley with a sonic boom.

The heroic demon of Japan reached outward, fingers digging into the earth to halt his momentum, a human eye staring at the approaching superhero as the blow shattered a part of his skeletal face. His regeneration quickly repaired the damage, energy quickly climbed through Kafka’s body as he prepared to defend himself, only for the Superhero to make an unexpected decision. Invincible spun in the air, quickly gaining in speed as his form was nothing but a spinning blur of yellow and blue before he struck the ground beneath their feet, digging through the battlefield like a drill at sonic speeds.

“Shit!” The Kaiju screamed as launched himself away from the ground, the back of his feet becoming thrusters with azure flames, committing the action just in time as Invincible emerged from the earth like a drill. The Viltrumite quickly formed fists and aimed for the center of Kafka’s body, only to meet a horrific result.

CRUNCH!

Fangs pierced flesh with incredible ease, blood flew from the massive wounds in Mark’s arms as Kafka’s chest had become a wretched maw. The Superhero screamed as pain rushed through his being, gritting his teeth as rage erupted only for fear to quickly replace the emotion as Kafka’s entire body glowed bright azure. Lightning danced across the ground and his form, as an arm was formed into a fist, the elbow quickly becoming a thruster which roared with power.

“I intend to knock you out as quickly as possible, Invincible,” The Kaiju stated as he stared at Mark as he attempted to free himself, even using the monster’s own body as leverage to free himself with a strong enough shove with his foot. “I can’t draw this out, I’ll admit that you are FAR stronger than I currently am but… I can’t let that stop me from beating you!”

With only a moment to spare, Mark kicked outward, slamming his foot into Kafka’s knee. A groan of annoyance left the countless cluster of souls as his target was freed, the strike he had been building up instead slamming into the ground which left a small tornado in its wake, sending the two fighters flying in opposite directions.

As Invincible quickly regained his footing, floating midair while taking in deep breaths, taking a look at the massive gashes that were formed on his arms from Kafka’s intense attack. Just as the eighth numbered Kaiju in Japan’s history needed to finish this quickly, Mark saw that if he did not take this to his fullest that he would fail.

But… What if he accidentally kills him?

Kafka seemed like a nice guy, even attempting to make him feel better for what happened with his father not long ago. An act of compassion from someone who could possibly understand the predicament that he was trapped in, he didn’t wanna accidentally tear him apart. Kaiju have Cores, right? If that gets damaged too much or fully removed, he wouldn’t be able to use that regeneration to fully heal himself.

Besides from two beatings he had received from far stronger and experienced opponents, Mark hadn’t exactly met an equal in a fight until this sparring session. He always held back, either from the mental blocks he had placed on himself to be a hero or from not wanting to create more damage to the surrounding environment. But here in the vast open valley around Mount Aso, he could really let loose.

His fist tightened as he took in a deep breath, finding resolve to give this everything. He needed to be stronger than ever, if Dad… or anything else traveled the stars in order to hurt his home or threats of his past returned much stronger, he would be the hero that his father couldn’t be. “I’ll show you… I’m the better man.”

Just as Invincible had finished his thought, he had failed to notice that Kafka was charging directly towards him with thrusters across his body allowing him to soar in the air. The Kaiju let loose a roar of might as he was almost to his target, his fist rearing back before the limb was swung forward. “SHIT!” Mark yelled as he could only brace for impact, placing his open palms to his chest as the powerful fist slammed into his body, sending him flying to the ground with a loud boom as he crashed into the earth. 

Invincible let out a groan as he got back to his feet, parts of his costume being ripped away to reveal his skin underneath while blood dripped down to the barren soil below. The superhero looked up, spotting Kafka descending without his thrusters, falling naturally to his target. The newest addition to the Japanese Defense Force stared down at the recovering Viltrumite, fingers extended into talons as his hands flexed.

He didn’t want to accidentally kill the boy, but the masked vigilante’s heritage made him believe that he could survive whatever he could throw at him. He would make sure that a deep enough slash would end the conflict without it being fatal at the very least.

Invincible’s breathing became a slight wheeze, followed by a hard cough but still keeping his eye on his target. Adrenaline quickly reached its apex as rocks began to float near the young man, a sonic boom echoing as the superhero took to the sky in a full charge. 

Thrusters once again formed on the right elbow as the alien-human hybrid charged, the Kaiju approached at similar speeds while not wishing to derail from his plan. Forearms slammed into each other with a shockwave as a defensive blow was made, not having enough time to properly slash at Mark. Kafka made an annoyed groan before Invincible swung once more, striking his center with a powerful blow but instead of soaring away, the Defense Force member wrapped his hand around the superhero’s wrist. “Gotcha!”

The Kaiju quickly spun in a circle, his spine snapping as he forced his body to unnaturally turn at a rapid rate. Mark’s eyes widened as he couldn’t get a sense of direction before being thrown with a sonic boom towards the ground below, slamming into the earth so hard that it cracked like an egg, dust rising from the crash site in an instant. Before Mark could retaliate, sharp pain punctured his chest which earned a scream of agony, blood erupting from his mouth and chest wound as Kafka towered over him.

“I made sure to avoid vital organs,” He stated with a somewhat soft tone, lifting Invincible to his feet with his other hand, all the while the superhero gritted his teeth. “Stand proud Invincible, you are strong!”

As the Kaiju began to charge energy in order to unleash a point blank roar, Invincible acted. Hands wrapped around Kafka’s skull before he reared his head back and slammed it as hard as he could into the Kaiju’s skeletal face. The action repeated as anger rose to its limit, Mark unleashing a roar as he freed himself from the enemies’ grasp, Kafka being forced to remove the talons that were deep in his chest.

Cecil looked with concern, taking in a deep breath as he watched the young man fight for his life. Even if he lost the battle, he would prove to both parties that he was worthy of the mantle of Earth’s protector, but something told the old man that this was far from over. The experience that he had with Mark under his wing for several months, as well as the countless battles for the GDA, gave the director a sense of pride watching Invincible give Kaiju No.8 this much trouble with a more limited moveset. “Give him hell, Mark.”

Shinomiya stood tall, not emoting whatsoever as he observed the battle. At the very least, he did have a sense of pride as he watched the next generation fight for what they dreamed of, a world without the senseless conflict that had hung over humanity for generations. He had watched the battle in Chicago from the news, he knew what Invincible was capable of, and while Kafka certainly had the advantage with experience and proper training, he agreed with his assessment earlier in the battle. If Kaiju No.8 doesn’t finish this quickly, the Viltrumite would grow significantly in strength. 

The two warriors leapt back, dust rising as they landed dozens of feet away from each other, eyes locked onto each other with ferocity. Those that mattered to them rapidly flashed before their eyes, seeing horrible futures if they don’t manage to overcome their walls and grow stronger. Adrenaline rushed through them as they both took in deep breaths, Kafka once again preparing to unleash a sonic roar at Invincible, only for the attack to once again be cut short as the superhero’s grasp was around his maw in an instant. Lifting the Kaiju-human above his head mid-flight before slamming him into the earth, carving a path with his body as Invincible picked up in speed. His free hand began to pummel the pinned Kafka, repeatedly delivering powerful strikes which began to further crack his armor. 

“Just fucking stay down already!” Mark roared with fury, hoping that the boost from his anger would finally land the final blow, but fate always seemed to be cruel to him. Kafka’s tongue shot forth like a viper, Mark only managing to dodge quick enough to have the first slash cut through his cheek which earned a spray of blood. The Kaiju kept retaliating, keeping him distracted and occupied to not notice that his arm was shifting into a new shape.

Tentacles wrapped around Invincible’s arm and throat, his grip on Kafka no longer holding as pressure and pain quickly built up. Kaiju Number Eight pulled towards the side, throwing the Viltrumite off of his body and gaining distance rather quickly.

This time, Kafka did not allow for the chance of victory to slip away. The Kaiju hybrid launched forward at full speed, azure lightning trailed behind him as speed massively picked up, Mark only having a moment to register what was about to happen.

He quickly went on the defensive, attempting to block a powerful blow to a vital body part, but it was here that he had greatly miscalculated.

Kafka took a massive leap into the air, taking in a deep breath before being right above Invincible, opening his fang-filled maw and finally managing to unleash a Sonic Scream directly at Invincible. Mark screamed in agony as he fell to his knees, hands clutched the sides of his head as he continued to let loose a pain filled cried.

While they couldn’t hear his screams, they certainly all saw the newly found weakness of Viltrumites, Cecil took notice the moment Mark dropped to the floor. The older man made a quick mental note, as soon as the battle was finished and the proper opportunity showed itself, he would return to GDA HQ and make the order to follow this footage for research. 

The scream continued, leaving the Viltrumite vulnerable with all of his senses being thrown off, his ears rang like hell as blood began to pour from them. He stared up, with blurry vision, to see Kafka ceasing the attack. The Kaiju loomed over him, smoke emerging from his maw as he reared his head backwards before thrusting it forward, striking Mark on the nose which sent him flying. Blood poured from the broken nostrils as a shockwave was sent out, a deafening boom echoed as Invincible slammed into the nearby mountain.

“Invincible!” Kafka yelled out as he quickly raced over to Mount Aso’s base, leaping into the air to further gain momentum. He was sure the fight was over by now, the boy had been running on fumes fueled by pure anger and adrenaline and that was always so finite. 

He landed near the point of impact, finding Invincible in a crater, still hanging onto consciousness. The young man wheezed as he spit out a bit of blood, rising to at least a sitting position while looking at his once again ruined and blood stained costume. For a moment, Kaiju Number Eight prepared to resume the brawl as Mark began to get back up to his feet. “Not… yet…” He stated with a raspy breath, his body was slouched, pain flared across his entire body with every movement. “I can… do this… all day…”

For a moment Kafka chuckled, his Kaiju features slowly fading away into the wind as Mark stood slightly confused. “I said that I would win this as a human,” Most of the transformation had disappeared, the armor shedding to reveal the man underneath who held onto a gigantic smile. “You just remind me of myself a bit, that’s all.”

The two stood still, the passing wind being the only sound other than their own heart beats echoing in their ears that they could hear. It was Kafka who made the first move, knowing that his much stronger opponent having the advantage as it would result in his failure, the military man quickly swept Mark off of his feet with a swipe with his enhanced leg. The limb quickly forming into the might of a Kaiju, the Viltrumite reacted quickly with bouncing backward, only for Kafka to slam a powerful strike into his side, ribs breaking from the impact.

Invincible coughed up blood as he kneeled down, the superhero only managing to look up at his opponent, a quick flash emerging in front of him of that horrible day. In place of the foe before him, was his father covered in the blood of countless civilians and soldiers that were crushed without effort with his strength, a red glow surrounding him as he simply floated before him.

“Fuck…” was the last thing Mark said during the training exercise, as Kafka finally landed the finishing blow with a simple karate chop to the neck. Invincible dropped to the ground, his eyes shut and his mind now lingering on that awful memory. 

***

His eyes managed to finally open, the room that surrounded his bed being that of a hospital patient, the bright light that hung above him was not helping his blurry vision or massive migraine whatsoever. Mark’s hand slowly rose slightly, which earned a surprising result. “Hey hey hey,” Kafka stated as he stood up with quick reflexes, carefully placing his hand on the superhero’s back as he helped lift him up. “Take it easy, that fight was rough.”

“So I take it I lost then?”

“Yeah, but only one other person has hit me that hard so far, and both fights were almost back to back,” The captain stated as he reached down to the bag near his seat, wrapping his hand around it before digging into it. “It came down to my healing factor and your will, and trust me, it isn’t that one was superior over the other. More so luck was in my favor, if you were not holding back, I don’t know if I wouldn’t have gotten the last few hits I needed in.”

Kafka smiled as he pulled a decently sized burger out of the bag, tin foil with a gigantic “BM”, for Burger Mart, wrapping around the hot food. “It’s cooled down a bit, but there is this,” Mark took the gift, unwrapping the foil around the piece of food to reveal a much needed moment to enjoy. “Some fries and your drink is by your bedside already, sorry if the ice is already melted. I made sure that it was a USA burger for the comparison.”

Mark chuckled a little bit as he nodded before speaking. “Thank you, Kafka,” He stared at the food for a moment, taking in the events as everything came back to him.

Was he really that much weaker?

Does it make you stronger having such an intent to kill? Was… was his Dad right? Was the fact that humans were such insects to them mean that they had a bigger value of life compared to them? His family, his friends, Amber… He couldn’t think of anyone like that and yet because Kafka fought with his life, because Kafka fought like a Kaiju-

No he… he for sure won in his human form, remembering the monstrous outer shell mostly fading away into the air like ash. He smiled before taking in the bite, really focusing on the flavors of the cheeseburger. “Yeah…” He said with a pause, taking in the better moment instead of the pain that was no doubt being sedated by the drugs in the hospital. “This is better I think.”

“Damn, really?” Kafka said surprised, also joining in on the feast with his own meal.

“Yeah I think the meat just tastes a lot heartier, same with… well really everything in this,” He opened the top bun carefully, looking at the toppings and condiments to properly analyze. “Our food tastes good but whenever me and my parents traveled, food always tasted better than at home.” The young man thought to his mother for a moment, the sorrow that she had been facing alone, not being capable of opening towards Mark during their shared pain. 

When he would return home, he would have to tell her rather quickly that yes, he lost another bad fight.

But afterwards he would really try to reach out, friendship even with family was a too way street. He couldn’t help but force himself into work during the weeks leading after his fight with his Dad, hitting something with enough force to break the street beneath his feet but never enough to ease the pain that was dwelling in his heart, the betrayal to his home and people cutting him down to his very soul.

“Is there anyone that you are trying to reach, Kafka? Is that why you joined the Defense Force?” Mark asked honestly, turning his thoughts into something more positive as he shared a meal with the man who had bested him.

The older worker coughed for a second, his drink going down the wrong tube for a moment before blushing ever slightly, an anxious laugh leaving him. “I guess you could say that,” He stated as the memory of him and his childhood friend played in his head, the two of them standing on a hill far away from a battle with a Kaiju in their home. “When I was young, I made a promise and I intend to fulfill that promise. Never would have guessed that this was how though.” The soldier said as he placed his hand on his chest, listening to the strange new rhyme that was within his core, the organ that had replaced his human heart. 

“Well,” Mark stated as he reached out with a fist bump with his free hand. “I’d say that you are just as human as I am. Thank you for showing me, that I was too.””

Kafka replied with his own fist slamming into Mark’s, the two reaching an understanding. The lesson that they had learned today would one day help them when they needed it the most, a bond born of respect that would strengthen their resolves. 

The End

Next Time on Chronicles of Conflict! Aki Hayakawa vs. Billy Butcher