Journey to the East part 1

The crack in the mountain had been there for a very long time and had been largely ignored by the local population. There were many cracks in that particular mountain just as there were many more cracks in many more mountains around the world. There was no reason to pay attention to it. This was largely why no one was around to see it burst open. The figure leapt out of the split rock and sailed through the air before landing on fur-covered feet. A paw reached out and a long red staff with gold bands shot out from the hole in the rock-face before landing in its grip. A mist emerged under the shadowy figure and soon formed a small cloud that lifted him into the air, then sent him into the horizon in a blink.

Two hours later, in Tokyo…

The six Japanese heroes wore matching sets of skin-tight armor that covered them head-to-toe with the only difference being the color scheme (red, gold, orange, blue, green, and pink). The team was called Spectra Hero X and they were the foremost defenders in Tokyo. They had received word that the strange creature first attacked an ad featuring a popular anime character while making accusations of “blasphemy”. The creature then turned his sights to the surrounding buildings and vehicles, which sent the civilians fleeing in a panic. Police were unable to stop the creature from destroying much of the block, so they retreated and contacted Spectra Hero Z. When the team arrived in their large hover ship, they leapt out of a side-hatch and landed in the middle of a debris-covered street. The creature sat cross-legged as if expecting them. The Spectra Hero clad in orange armor got a good look at the creature and whispered to the others, “Is that… Is that a monkey?”

His features were slightly more humanoid than typical simians and he was quite a bit taller than most monkey breeds, although he would still be considered short for a human. The light-brown monkey sat crossed-legged in the middle of the street, wearing a chainmail tunic, pants, and armored leggings that would not have been out of place on an ancient Chinese battlefield. Between his arms was a red staff with golden bands that leaned across his shoulder.

The monkey had been digging into the asphalt with his staff as a clear sign of boredom but when the team of Japanese heroes arrived, his round eyes lit up and a toothy grin appeared. He stabbed the end of his staff into the street, creating a small crack as he stood up. Then he began to speak loudly, “Behold! With hands that tore down Heaven and feet that crush mountains, I come!,” his voice was high-pitched but boastful, “The undefeated! The unstoppable! He who the gods worship and demons fear!,” his voice rose as he strode forward, “Beg for your lives now and I might show mercy!,” he began to spin the staff overhead as his voice grew louder, “The Universe hears these words and takes pause…,” he finally vaulted high into the air, briefly appearing as a silhouette against the sun, “I. Am. Monkey.”

As he dropped out of the sky, he brought the end of his staff down, which sent the heroes scrambling. Upon impact, the staff split the street in two and caused a tremor. The armored heroes performed acrobatics to stay sure-footed as a seismic wave busted the pavement below them.

“Hero Red, go!,” the red clad leader flipped into the air and when he landed, a collapsable sword emerged from the hilt in his hand. He swung at the monkey who flipped over the blade and then ducked under the back swing, the smile never fading from his face. He raised his staff to block the third swing, then spun into a jump-kick that landed on Hero Red’s chest. The armored hero was thrown across the street and disappeared behind a shattered brick wall.

“Whatever happens, don’t give up,” Hero Gold shouted before they all attacked in unison with collapsable swords. The monkey flipped and somersaulted around each blade with so much glee that a slight chuckle could be heard. Finally, he spun in the air and the staff in his hands grew twice as long in order to catch the five agile heroes surrounding him. With one attack, they were all hurled in various directions.

The monkey’s staff shrank back to its normal size as he performed one more midair back-flip before landing in a three-point pose, “Ah, this is what I’ve been waiting centuries for,” he gave his staff another spin before tucking it behind one arm, “But you need to improve your battle strategy. I’ll give you some time.”

Spectra Hero X regrouped in the middle of the street as the monkey waited patiently. “What do we do?,” Hero Orange asked. “We keep fighting,” Hero Red told his team, “Spectra-attack! Activate!” The heroes raised their swords and at once, energy began racing down the blades, corresponding to their respective colors. “Oh, this looks promising,” the monkey slapped his knee in excitement. The six swords began to section off, revealing mechanical parts. Once they came into contact with one another, they began reconnecting in a cannon-like configuration. The harness fit across their chests and began generating a wide, multi-colored energy beam. The monkey’s staff elongated at each end, nearly stretching across the street. When the beam hit the broadside, it splintered into a spectrum of light that ripped through the street and surrounding buildings. “Hm, not as impressive as I had hoped!,” the monkey performed an upward swing, deflecting the beam of energy into the atmosphere where it exploded in a globe of energy.

A mist began to emerge under his feet and when he performed another flip, it shifted into a small cloud that somehow held him. The cloud lifted him a few feet into the air like a glider while he crouched atop it. “Let’s test your speed,” the monkey flew forward, covering the length of the street in a flash. As he passed, the cloud rammed into the six armored heroes, scattering them once more. “This is starting to bore me,” he circled back toward them, “I journeyed East for a fight. I demand one!”

“He’s too powerful,” Red Hero announced, “Activate Lion-Fune!” The six heroes launched themselves into the air and the monkey stopped to watch them return to the hatch of their ship. “What now?,” he shouted impatiently, “It had better be entertaining!” Compartments began opening along the ship. Long, metal legs descended, turning the craft into a land-based vehicle. The front of the ship folded back and a large robotic lion head emerged. Missile launchers opened up along its limbs and large claws emerged from its paws. “Now that is a challenge!,” the monkey remained hovering on his cloud as the giant metal lion roared. “Yes, you’ve gained my interest,” the monkey called out, “Dare to impress me!”

Elsewhere…

“Hey, Ryan. It’s me, Dante.”

Ryan Bennings wasn’t entirely sure why Dante Greer was calling him but he was happy nonetheless. After failing to protect the Upstarts, he felt a great deal of responsibility toward the young man. Unfortunately, by bringing Shujai into The Commission, Dante’s trust seemed to be shaken. Dante’s entire team had been killed by a U’ntari assassin during the Resurgence and as Shujai was also U’ntari, there was a lot of resentment.

“Hey, Dante,” Ryan leaned back in his lab chair, “What can I do for ya?”

“I uh,… I saw on the news that Craig Levison died.”

Ryan was aware of the death of his former manager and TV producer. There was no love lost between the two men and while Ryan was still processing the death, he neglected to remember that the man had also managed Dante. “Yeah, drug overdose,” Ryan began, “I wasn’t aware he was using… but that’s Hollywood for ya.”

“Yeah, like…,” Dante’s words were staggered as he tried to think of what to say, “Y’know, he was why me and the others got powers and shit. It was for the show… and maybe the military… I dunno. Anyway, you know I didn’t end up liking him too much but so many things have changed…”

“It’s a weird feeling, huh? The guy affected both our lives and possibly not for the best but him dying still hits.”

“I think so? I don’t… feel sad, but I thought I’d just see what you thought about it because you’re the only other guy I know who might feel the same way.”

“Perfectly reasonable. Did you go to the funeral?”

“Nah. You?”

“I’m pretty sure he found some way to write it in his will that I’d be shot on sight if I showed up so… no.”

“Anyway, I just thought I’d call to talk about it. See what you had to say.”

“I’m still feeling weird about it too, so don’t worry. But hey, it’s good you called. If you -”

“Yeah, I know.”

“Okay, then.”

“I gotta go to class so, I’ll see ya when I see ya.”

“Sure.”

Dante hung up the phone and quietly began packing up for school. Meanwhile, Ryan passed through his lab in meditation. Craig Levison’s death was something that weighed heavily on him but it was difficult to fully process how it affected him. As was typical of Ryan, he decided to bury himself in his work and think about it some other day. He had a trip to the Catskills to make and he decided to leave his home a little early to help clear his mind.

In the Catskill Mountains, a small structure rested on a cliff. At one time, it was one of the most advanced laboratories in the world but it had since been turned into secluded living quarters. Inside, Shujai sat in a chair watching TV: a bald, portly man pounded on his desk angrily as he addressed the viewers, “The Commission has a damn alien on their team! Shujai is free to walk among us, completely unsupervised, even though him and the other lizards invaded us not too long ago! And don’t tell me Ryan Bennings is taking responsibility for ‘im. Bennings is a Baphomet-worshipping Hollywood weirdo! They all wanted the U’ntari to take over,” the man leaned toward the camera as he calmed down slightly, “And by the way, folks, I have it on good authority there’s more than one alien out there. One of them attacked a UN facility during Shunai’s trial, likely trying to free his brethren so that-”. Shujai turned the TV off and considered getting rid of the device all together when he received notice that Hyperion’s Light was landing outside.

“Just doing the monthly check-in,” Ryan told him as they walked through the facility, “Need anything?”

“No, thank you,” Shujai answered and then added, “Do you know a man named Jim Alexander?”

“I know of him,” Ryan answered, “He’s kind of a conspiracy nut, the likes of which, would normally be seen ranting on a subway platform but that guy somehow managed to get enough of a following to have his own show. Why?”

“He mentions me… extensively.”

Understanding Shujai’s tone, Ryan fired back, “Don’t worry about it. The man’s a pair of clown shoes. He’s a conspiracy theorist and a fear-monger. He can rant all day but nothing’s gonna come of it.”

Shujai looked at him quizzically, “But he has a large following, correct?”

“Well,…,” Ryan stammered as he thought about what to say next.

Just then, they both received notifications on their devices. It was the Commission alert system on Hyperion’s Light. An older Japanese man in a lab coat appeared on a holographic screen a moment later, “Mr. Bennings. Hello.”

“Good morning, Dr. Ikari,” Ryan greeted him respectfully, “Is everything okay?” Dr. Kenshiro Ikari was a leading scientist in Japan who discovered a process to create metal that was as thin and malleable as fabric, which led to the formation of Spectra Hero X.

“So sorry to bother you but we had a situation in Tokyo,” he began politely, “A creature appeared in the city and fought my team. Unfortunately, they didn’t win.”

“Everyone still among the living?”

“Yes, but their armor was badly damaged and the Lion Ship was decimated. One of the Spectra Heroes placed a tracking device on the creature before he left so at least we know his wherebouts. Please help.”

“What’s this thing look like?”

“Er,… ,” he rubbed the back of his neck, “Are you familiar with Chinese folktales? The Monkey King?”

“Sun Wukong, sure. The creature looked like that?”

“From all indications it was him or he might be the one who inspired him… or vice versa. He displayed many of the abilities associated with the character.”

“Not much surprises me anymore. Did he want anything?”

“He just seemed to be looking for a fight, actually.”

“We can check it out. You said one of your guys placed a tracking device on this thing?”

“Yes. We need the Commission’s help to remove him from our country. The tracking device shows he’s in one of our forests.”

“Send me the details. I’ll see what we can do.”

In a Japanese forest, Wukong sat in a clearing, surrounded by macaques. The monkeys groomed each other, ate, and gave the occasional nervous glance in his direction. “Not to worry,” he told them, “I know every one of my subjects by name.” He pointed to one monkey, “… Your name is Zhu Bajie,” and then to another, “… Triptaka.” The strange movements made the monkeys jump and howl defensively, which angered Wukong, “Stop complaining! I’m your king and you’ll listen to me!” Some of the monkeys ran through foliage while carrying babies. Others began to charge but shrank back once they got too close and their courage vanished. “I’m your king, damn you,” Wukong stamped the end of his staff into the dirt, “I will not be disrespected!” The few monkeys left disappeared up the trees and into the underbrush. Once they were gone, he stood up and sniffed in disappointment. He pondered how he could better control his ‘subjects’ until he noticed a swiftly approaching craft on the horizon.

In Hyperion’s Light, Ryan and Shujai piloted the ship with Intrepid and Cavalier sitting behind them on the bridge. “What exactly are we up against here?,” Cavalier asked, “If we’re to believe the folktale had some truth behind it, what can this guy do?”

“He has 72 transformations or skills,” Ryan explained, “We’re looking at an immortal being with super strength, shape-shifting, self-cloning, a staff that can grow and shrink,… Oh, he can fly on a cloud… there’s a lot.”

“And how is he in our world?”

“That’s a good question and one that should be fielded by our supernatural expert,” he turned around in his seat, “Anyone see Alysa?”

“She’s in her quarters with Astra,” Intrepid explained.

In the sleeping quarters, Alysa Saraki held on to two ropes, twirling them in an alternating fashion. On the other end, the ropes were fastened by telekinetic energy to keep them moving. Astra Machina waited a moment to get the rhythm, then leaped in the middle where she began skipping daintily.

“This is fun,” she exclaimed as her metal feet clanged against the floor.

“I told you it would be,” Alysa said.

Intrepid’s voice came over the PA system, “Alysa! Astra! We’ve reached the parameter. The target should be within range.”

“I’m learning new games,” Astra explained happily.

“Playtime’s over,” Intrepid responded.

“Alright, be right there,” Alysa answered.

Soon, Alysa, Astra and the others met at the hangar. The bay doors were open and the team was ready to deploy.

“There’s a theory,” Alysa began, “Gods and things like that exist because of belief and worship. If no one believes, gods disappear.”

“But no one worshipped Sun Wukong, did they?,” Cavalier asked.

“No, but there are deities and deep traditions that likely inspired the character,” Ryan answered, “And versions of the guy are all over the place in Eastern pop culture. There could be something there.”

“Whatever the case may be,” Intrepid interjected, “We need to find out what it wants and get it out of Japan.”

“I read about him while playing jump rope with Alysa,” Astra Machina casually announced, “He liked fighting and having fun. I think we could just talk to him and reason with him that way.”

“His idea of fun is tearing through a populated city,” Ryan brushed her off, “I don’t think he’s interested in having a chat. Now, first thing’s first, we know he’s in the forest down there and we’ve zeroed in on a perimeter of about 70 yards, which is a good start. We need to capture him and bring him in for a little Q and A.”

“We can bring him to us,” Astra offered.

“How so?”

Her neck craned back and stretched to the hangar bay doors. There, she formed a megaphone-like structure around her head. Her voice echoed through much of the jungle below, “Attention Sun Wukong, if you want a challenge, come meet us at our ship! We’re the Commission and we’re here for a contest!”

Minutes later, the team cut its way through the thick forest. “I’m gonna once again display disappointment in your choice, Astra,” Ryan announced as he used a laser to cut some hanging vines, “We’ll need to have a talk about subterfuge.”

“Some organic beings like playing games, I thought,” Astra answered back as she formed a machete to help cut through the forest.

“Some do but… Maybe next time leave the planning to us.”

“Hey, Ryan?,” Alysa began.

“Yeah?”

“Know how you once told us you can be a dick sometimes and when that happens, you told us to call it out.”

“I recall that, yes.”

“You’re being a dick.”

“In fairness, Astra’s little stunt could have led to an immediate attack on the ship while we weren’t ready.”

“There’s validity in that,” Intrepid agreed.

“Perhaps we should not be so quick to dismiss those who are different,” Shujai added bitterly.

“I understand the need for secrecy,” Cavalier explained, “But yeah, you coulda handled that differently.”

“Fine, I’m sorry I was so harsh on you, Astra,” Ryan conceded, “We weren’t attacked. It seems this guy isn’t interested in any sort of games so my guess is that he won’t show up.”

“I dunno,” Alysa said while moving some branches, “This dude is supposed to be childish, right? If we need to get rid of him, maybe it’s gotta be on his terms. Play with him a little.”

“I’d rather do it on my terms,” Ryan explained, “Which involves capturing him before he beats up anymore super teams.”

“Behold,” came a voice within the jungle, “With hands that tore down Heaven and feet that crush mountains, I come!” The Commission stopped and checked their surroundings for enemies but none materialized. A figure quickly moved along the branches, “More powerful than the Jade Emperor. Wiser than Buddha. And with a face so handsome that women are instantly with-child when they see it.” The figure shot out of the tree tops and landed in a clearing, drawing everyone’s attention. Son Wukong rose to his feet with staff in hand, “All must bow and show proper respect,” he twirled his weapon overhead and readied himself for battle, “I… Am… Monkey!”

Continued…