Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Zoffy was up before the sunrise. 

Well, “sunrise” was relative. Paradoxically, for a place called the “Land of Light”, it no longer had a sun. Stark illumination filled every crevice and glimmering corner of the crystal spires of the city below him, but Zoffy’s gaze rose to meet its source, a single point set in a tower above the horizon. He took a minute to breathe in the warm air, and bask in the light from the Plasma Spark, shifting subtly from purple-tinged to the clear greenish blue that marked the beginning of their “day”. In his hands, he held a data tablet made of the same clear, crystal material, and a mug of steaming coffee.

“Coffee” was also relative, since no plants ordinarily found on Earth could survive the harsh radiation of their planet, but Hikari had concocted a close enough approximation in his lab. Not as good as his own memories from his brief times on Earth, however Zoffy still considered it a welcome perk to the morning. Today though, Zoffy grimaced while sipping it, not entirely from the harsh chemical bite underlying the artificial drink. 

On his tablet, the latest intelligence reports from the Galactic Security agents confirmed his suspicions. The Mysteler Empire had declared war again, and started things off with a full-scale invasion across three different systems. Potentially dozens of worlds with billions of sentient lives were caught in the middle - including several Ultras on goodwill missions within a sector already ravaged by other disasters. 

It’s always something. Zoffy thought to himself, flipping through the reports’ numbers, maps of territories, data on atmospheric conditions and solar radiation levels, troop size estimations and supply routes. Already the tactical commander in him was imagining the strategies of both sides, anticipating their moves. 

He was playing out one of a hundred battle scenarios in his head when he ran straight into Hikari. The collision splashed some of the coffee-like liquid on the green crystal tiles of the Garrison’s corridor, and on Hikari’s blue feet, but the head of the Science Squad’s R&D department didn’t seem to notice. Looking him over, Zoffy guessed that Hikari hadn’t slept much either - if at all - but for completely different reasons.

“You’re still drinking that formulation, Zoffy? You know, I’m working on an even better version at the moment. If my models are correct, it wouldn’t just stave off fatigue, but also could be used to restore light energy and maintain it for a long period of time. Days, maybe even weeks at a time, without needing to rest or recharge!” Hikari breathlessly launched into his one-sided form of conversation, gesturing excitedly at his own tablet. 

“Really.”

“I’m testing it right now!”

Zoffy tilted his head down and looked pointedly at him. “On yourself?”

“Indeed, who better! And without sleeping for the past four day cycles, I have been able to do so much more work!” 

Coffee or not, it was far too early for Zoffy to deal with this.  “Look, I’m sure this… energy formula will be very valuable when finished, especially for Ultras out on long distance missions. But for now I’m perfectly happy with this.” He gestured with his still-steaming mug. “Besides, it would throw off my schedule! As a leader, it’s immensely important for others to be able to rely on consistency and punctuality-”

“Ohh, there you are, Captain!” 

A new face peeked around the corner of the hallway, and broke into a beaming smile when he saw the two figures in conversation. “And Hikari too! Gosh, no wonder if you two are meeting together this early, it must be important! I can just come back later with the new recruit applications when-”

“No, no we’ll look at the applications now, Mebius. I… I was just on my way there.” Zoffy tried to hide his face, now crimson with embarrassment, behind the data tablet.

Hikari gave him a little push, smirking. “Right, you keep to your punctual schedule then, Zoffy. I’ll be in my lab if you change your mind, you two have fun together!” 

Zoffy sighed and tried to regain some dignity by taking a deliberately slow pace, following behind the youngest Ultra Brother back down the hallway. It’s always something. 

It was clear Mebius had put a great deal of thought into each of the applicants presented to the Captain.They reviewed through test scores, physical aptitude numbers, personality profiles, and more, but Zoffy couldn’t help but remember when Mebius himself was just a face in one of these applications. Even back then, he was clearly a prodigy. That much was apparent when both Taro and Father of Ultra elected to send him to Earth. But Zoffy had also protested back then, Mebius was far too young for such an assignment.

And what an assignment it was. Would we still have sent him if we knew what else would arrive on Earth? Facing Empera and his kings, at that age…. But Zoffy was no older himself - younger, in fact - when he saw Empera attack their own world. He was even younger than the applicants in these pages when he saw whole cities leveled by monster attacks, smoking craters of debris from fireballs and deadly rays, when he saw friends and loved ones and family broken under the feet of kaiju, laid across the rubble-

“Captain Zoffy? What do you think?”

A sudden start jolted him out of his memories. He squinted. “I…I’m sorry, Mebius, what were you asking again?”

“Which squad you think she should be assigned to. Team Lambda could do with a beam specialist, she has some of the best marks for energy attacks out of this entire cohort. I even hear Mother of Ultra has her eyes on her too, so we should probably send a recruitment offer soon, before-

“Before I do what?”

Zoffy’s heart skipped a beat with an audible PING and his color timer flashed once with panic. There, in the doorway, was Marie, the Mother of Ultra herself. She had excused herself into their meeting, not even waiting for a response. The red cape of her office swishing behind her feet spoke clearly enough.

“Mother! We were just reviewing the new recruits for this year!” Mebius’ face was beaming again. 

By King, he just takes everything so easily in stride. Zoffy envied his smile, sitting across the small meeting table from him. 

Marie’s gaze softened, shifting to the pile of documents between the two of them. “Ah yes, this one.” She tapped one finger squarely on the picture in the open file. “Excellent control of light energy, cool under pressure, a valuable asset in whatever team she chooses.” 

She folded her hands demurely again. “But I didn’t come here to compare notes, I have a request. I’m sure you heard the news about the Mysterler war.”

Zoffy nodded. “I heard you had a squad out in that sector on a charity mission.”

“I could send Ribut to help extract them, but I fear the numbers are against us, now that it has escalated to open war.”

“Sending Ultra Warriors may escalate it further.” Zoffy warned.

Marie shook her head. “There are sure to be casualties on both sides, something we cannot ignore. But aside from protecting the healers under my command, a more… explicit presence from the Garrison may also help deter fighting from vulnerable populations.”

“This will be tricky, the individuals we deploy will have to be professional, conscientious, able to choose their confrontations wisely. We can’t have anyone thinking we’re picking sides in this.” 

Zoffy leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms as he continued. “Ah, but Marie, I shouldn’t need to remind you of all this, your husband is the Supreme Commander of the Garrison. You didn’t need to come all the way out here to make this request.”

A hint of a smile played across Marie’s features. “Oh, you know Ken, the moment I ask him, he’d grab his own sword and charge out there to challenge both of their leaders to single combat.”

Just imagining the days of paperwork resulting from such a show made Zoffy wince. “He would, wouldn’t he.”

“I know you’ll put the utmost care into your decisions, I trust your expertise, and the warriors you will send out as well.” She dipped her head with practiced etiquette, and turned, cape swishing behind her again. “Good day. And to you too, Mebius.”

Morning turned to afternoon, and then to evening as the light suffusing the planet dimmed to a cool cerulean. The names, positions, and numbers from the pile of reports in front of Zoffy’s eyes were starting to run together when a knock at his office door jolted him back awake.

“You look exhausted! That’s it, doctor’s orders, you’re taking a vacation, right now!” Once again,  Marie stood there in the hallway, her arms crossed in front of her and very clear displeasure on her face.

Zoffy rubbed at his forehead. “Marie, I can’t leave now, I was just ready to head over to you and-”

She wagged her finger at him. “I’m here and can take those papers right now. I’m sure the rest can wait another day for you to recover. You’re going to be permanently stuck to that chair if you stay behind all this desk any longer!” 

“But…!”

“Ah! No arguing! Remember, I outrank you!” 

She looked him over for a second, then sighed. “Zoffy, everyone here is doing their best to support you too, don’t forget. It’s not going to fall apart if you take one day off.”

Everyone, huh?

One travel sphere later, now standing on Pluto’s frozen fields of beautiful nitrogen ice crystals, Zoffy was still considering her words. He thought of Hikari’s eager curiosity, and how his inventions had helped save many lives, both on their planet and in missions abroad. He thought of Mebius’ easy smile and willingness to lend a helping hand to everyone, and of Mother and Father of Ultra and their great strength, but also the great humility which guided their leadership. 

Marie was right, of course, she always was. For all the trust others put in him, he needed to learn how to trust them to do their best as well. Funny how a little distance is all it takes to see things clearly sometimes. Even to see ourselves-

“INCOMIIIIING!” A screaming telepathic message suddenly rocked Zoffy out of his contemplation. Looking for the source, a figure blazed over the horizon, seemingly riding a ray of stark sunlight as it burst over him. “Wait, is that….?”

Before he could complete the thought, a silver-armored figure, wrestling a monstrous mechanical craft of some kind, slammed into the ground behind him with a massive WHUMP. The sound was muffled, carried by the ice of the planet’s surface rather than its thin atmosphere, but the shockwave still rattled him where he stood. Even more jolting was the voice that followed the crash. 

“Zoffy, there you are! We’ve got more UFOs incoming STAT!” 

“M-Melos? What are you doing here? And why do you have an entire fleet of hostile UFOs following you?” He gaped at the wreckage of the one at Melos’ feet. 

“Haven’t the foggiest clue, old friend! All I did was fire a warning shot at one, and they just started open-firing! They were acting suspicious after all...” The other Ultra casually shrugged, the perpetual grin of his helmet giving his words a humorous, mocking tone. 

“And you expect me to just save your butt again? Do you know how many times I’ve had to-” 

“Which is why I came to you as soon as I spotted your light! I know I can count on you to help out!” 

Melos’ casual camaraderie was practically infuriating. It’s always something, I swear-  

Zoffy was about to yell at him again, but stopped with one finger raised, as Marie’s words came back. “ Everyone is doing their best to support you, don’t forget.” No. She was right again. And ironically, Melos’ arrival had brought a gift to him. 

For the first time, after so long, Zoffy didn’t have paperwork to fill out. He didn’t have orders to assign or performance reviews to grade. He didn’t have schedules to make. He didn’t even have to press his blasted cape. Here on this cold, lonely planet, the only beings standing between a fleet of angry, invading UFOs and this solar system, were Melos and himself. 

“I guess a regular vacation would have been boring after all.” Zoffy lowered his hand and chuckled.

“See, I knew you’d fight your hardest! You’re going to have to, if you want to keep up with me, after all.” Melos pulled up his fists and cracked them as he strode to his side.

“You’re on….” Zoffy thought for a second, and added with a small smile, “... friend.”

Chapter Text

Zoffy was up before the sunrise. 

Well, “sunrise” was relative. Paradoxically, for a place called the “Land of Light”, it no longer had a sun. Instead, the stark illumination, which filled every crevice and glimmering corner of the city spires below him, came from a single point set in a tower above the distant horizon. Zoffy stood at his window, and took a minute to breathe in the warm air around him, and bask in the light from the Plasma Spark, shifting almost imperceptibly from purple-tinged to the clear greenish blue that marked the beginning of their “day”. In his hands, he held a data tablet made of the same clear, crystal material, and a mug of steaming coffee.

“Coffee” was also relative, since no plants ordinarily found on Earth could survive the harsh radiation of their planet. But Hikari had concocted a close enough approximation in his lab. He stood there, savoring the brew in the still morning light- not as good as his memories of coffee from his brief times on Earth, but still a welcome perk to the morning - as he looked over the events from the previous night. Suddenly though, Zoffy grimaced, not entirely from the acidic chemical bite underlying the artificial drink. 

The latest intelligence reports from the Galactic Security agents confirmed it. The Mysteler Empire had declared war again, and started things off with a full-scale kaiju invasion and infantry deployment on three different systems. Potentially dozens of worlds with billions of sentient lives were caught in the middle, including several Ultras on goodwill missions within the sector which was already ravaged by other disasters. 

It’s always something. Zoffy thought to himself, flipping through the numbers in the reports, maps of territories, data on atmospheric conditions and solar radiation levels, troop size estimations and supply routes. Already the tactical commander in him was imagining the strategies of both sides, anticipating their moves. 

He was playing out one of a hundred battle scenarios in his head when he ran straight into Hikari. The collision splashed some of the coffee-like liquid on the green crystal tiles of the Garrison’s corridor, and on Hikari’s blue feet, but the head of the Science Squad’s R&D department didn’t seem to notice. Looking him over, Zoffy guessed that Hikari hadn’t slept much either - if at all - but for completely different reasons.

“You’re still drinking that formulation, Zoffy? You know, I’m working on an even better version at the moment. If my models are correct, it wouldn’t just stave off fatigue, but also could be used to restore light energy and maintain it for a long period of time. Days, maybe even weeks at a time, without needing to rest or recharge!” Hikari breathlessly launched into his one-sided form of conversation, gesturing excitedly at his own tablet. 

“Really?”

“I’m testing it right now!”

Zoffy tilted his head down and looked pointedly at him. “On yourself?”

“Indeed, who better! And without sleeping for the past four day cycles, I have been able to do so much more work!” 

“No kidding.”

“In fact, I was just drafting up a prototype for a new machine, one which uses the magnetic properties of zirconium borate crystals combined with light energy, creating a motive propulsive force strong enough to transport an Ultra unaided through a planetary atmosphere, it’s quite ingenious if I must say, you see I-”

“Hikari, wait. You mean to tell me that you’ve invented a way to fly.”

“Well I wouldn’t say anything that crass, but if I could have a few volunteers to help me test the design, I’m sure-”

“Hikari.” Zoffy tucked his tablet under his arm and placed a hand reassuringly on his friend’s shoulder. “You do realize we can already do that.”

“I... well I suppose if…” Hikari paused, then frowned. “I hadn’t considered that.” 

Coffee or not, it was far too early for this. “Look, I’m sure this… energy formula will be very valuable when finished, especially for Ultras out on long distance missions. But for now I’m perfectly happy with this.” He gestured to his still-steaming mug. “Besides, I value my routine too much to go on like that for weeks at a time. As a leader, it’s immensely important for others to be able to rely on a consistent schedule, and punctuality-”

“Ohh, there you are, Captain Zoffy!” 

A new face peeked around the corner of the hallway, and broke into a broad smile when he saw them in mid-conversation. “And Hikari too! Gosh, no wonder I was waiting in the conference room alone. If you two are meeting together, it must be important! I can just come back later with the new recruit applications when-”

“No, no we’ll look at the applications now, Mebius. I… I was just on my way there.” Zoffy tried to hide his face, now crimson with embarrassment, behind the data tablet.

Hikari gave him a little push, while struggling to keep his own face straight. “Right, you keep to your punctual schedule then, Zoffy. I’ll be in my lab if you change your mind, you two have fun together!” 

Zoffy sighed and tried to regain some dignity by taking a deliberately slow pace, following behind  the youngest Ultra Brother back down the hallway. It’s always something. 

It was clear Mebius had put a great deal of thought into each of the applicants presented to his Captain. As they reviewed test scores, physical aptitude numbers, personality profiles, and more, Zoffy couldn’t help but remember when Mebius himself was just a face in one of these applications. Even back then, he was clearly a remarkable prodigy. That much was apparent when both Taro and Father of Ultra elected to send him to Earth for further training and study. But Zoffy had also protested back then, Mebius was far too young for such an assignment at the time.

And what an assignment it was. Would we still have sent him if we knew what else would arrive on Earth? Facing Empera and his kings, at that age…. But Zoffy was no older himself - younger, in fact - when he saw Empera attack their own world. He was even younger than some of the applicants in these pages when he saw whole cities leveled by monster attacks, smoking craters of debris from the fireballs and deadly rays of the kaiju deployed in their wake, when he saw friends and loved ones and family broken, laid across the rubble-

“Captain Zoffy? What do you think?”

Zoffy shook himself out of the dark memories and refocused on the applicant’s folder in his hands. He squinted at the print in front of him. “Ah, yes right, right….” 

But despite his best efforts, he couldn’t find the sentence he was sure he had been looking at only a moment before. “I’m sorry, Mebius, what were you asking again?”

“Which squad you think she should be assigned to. Team Lambda could do with a beam specialist, and this graduate has some of the best marks for energy attacks out of this entire cohort. I even hear Mother of Ultra has her eyes on her too, so we should probably extend a recruitment offer soon, before-

“Before I do what?”

Zoffy’s heart skipped a beat with an audible PING as his color timer flashed once in his panic. There, in the doorway, was Marie, the Mother of Ultra herself. Her regal red cape, the symbol of her authority as the head of the Silver Cross Corps, swished softly behind her. She had excused herself into their meeting, not even waiting for a response.

“Mother! We were just reviewing the new recruits for this year!” Mebius’ face was beaming again. 

By King, he just takes everything so easily in stride. Zoffy envied his smile, sitting across the small meeting table from him. 

Marie’s gaze softened, shifting to the pile of documents between the two of them. “Ah yes, this one.” She tapped one finger squarely on the picture in the open file. “Excellent control of light energy, cool under pressure, she’d be a valuable asset in whatever team she chooses.” 

She folded her hands demurely again. “But I didn’t come here to compare notes, I have a request. I’m sure you heard the news about the Mysterler war.”

Zoffy nodded. “I heard you had a squad out in that sector on a charity mission.”

“I could send Ribut to help extract them, but I fear the numbers are against us, now that it has escalated to open war.”

“Sending Ultra Warriors to assist them may escalate it further.” 

Marie shook her head. “There are sure to be casualties on both sides in this war, and we cannot idly stand by and ignore that, regardless of the danger. But aside from protecting the healers under my command, a more… explicit presence from the Garrison may also help deter fighting from the most vulnerable populations.”

“This will be tricky, the individuals who are deployed will have to be professional, conscientious and able to choose their confrontations wisely. We can’t have other races thinking we’re picking sides in this.” Zoffy leaned back in his seat, crossing his arms. “Ah, but Marie, I shouldn’t need to remind you of all this, your husband is the Supreme Commander of the Garrison, after all. You didn’t need to come all the way out here to make this request.”

A hint of a smile played across her features. “Oh, you know Ken, the moment I ask him, he’d grab his own sword and charge out there by himself to challenge both of their leaders to single combat instead.”

Just imagining the days of paperwork resulting from such a show made Zoffy groan. “He would, wouldn’t he.”

“I know you’ll put the utmost care into your decisions, I trust your expertise, and the warriors you will send out as well.” She dipped her head with practiced etiquette, and turned, cape swishing behind her again. “Good day, and to you too, Mebius.”

As the door shut with a soft whoosh , Zoffy sank into his chair with a heavy sigh. “Looks like it’s going to be a busy day. As usual.” He struggled to remember the last time a day wasn’t busy, it seemed like centuries ago. It probably was. More than anything, Zoffy felt old thinking of those centuries, millenia even, of strategy conferences and briefings he had sat through just like this one. 

His moment of reflection stretched into two, and then longer. Both stared at the pile in front of them, until Mebius finally broke the pause with a polite cough. “Er… Sir, I can finish organizing these applications myself, if there’s other matters you need to take care of.” 

“What? Oh no, we’re not even halfway through the list, we can-” 

“You’ve got a lot to worry about nowadays, don’t you, Sir?” Mebius interrupted his protestations, this time with the clack of the data tablets as he placed them into a neat stack on the table. “There’s Ultras, and other beings fighting and dying in the universe right now, and I know that bothers you, when you can’t be there to do everything. It bothers me too.” 

Mebius glanced up at his steadfast Captain, and smiled again. “But I can do this right now. I can make sure that the new trainees are prepared to face those challenges, and fight their hardest to protect the universe with the Garrison. You have things you need to do too, things that only you can do, more important things than just checking boxes and sitting in meetings.” 

It was that smile. That bright, innocent smile, undimmed by even the darkest tragedies and losses, that met his eyes when Zoffy looked up. It’s no wonder Taro agreed to let him stay on Earth. How could you possibly say “no” to that face?

Zoffy certainly couldn’t. “I suppose you’re right, Mebius. Ah, but!” He raised one finger as he stood up from the chair. “I want you to take your recommendations directly to Father of Ultra. I fully expect you to vouch for every individual on your list, and take responsibility for their training into their new squads.” 

Mebius’ smile was now quite literally beaming. He threw an enthusiastic salute as he jumped up from his own seat.“You got it, Sir! Thank you, Sir! I’ll take care of it right away, Sir, don’t worry!” Gathering the last data tablet into his arms, Mebius almost bowled over Zoffy through the doorway as he rushed down the hall, making a beeline for the Supreme Commander’s quarters. 

I really am getting old. Zoffy was still lost in his thoughts as he walked through the halls of the Garrison, now bustling with activity, both civilians and warriors on their own errands around him. Typically on his schedule, he would be meeting with Taro now to discuss the current state of the Academy’s cadets. Unfortunately, his feet had taken him halfway down the next wing of the massive building complex before he remembered Taro was currently off-planet with Ace on another mission. A mission that Zoffy had arranged himself just days ago.

He stopped, and briefly looked around him. Luckily, this hallway was currently deserted. Zoffy took the opportunity and cursed under his breath in the absence of anyone to notice the breach in decorum. He pivoted around to return to… where? 

It wasn’t every day that Zoffy suddenly had empty time in his schedule, and he was at a loss for how to fill it. He was briefly considering checking in on Hikari’s work after all, when he heard sounds coming from the next hallway. 

They were from the Academy’s training grounds, he could tell as he got closer by the CRACK of training staves, punctuated by muffled shouts on the other side of these walls. 

It has been quite some time since I’ve had practice sparring. Maybe it’ll be good to see how the Academy training is coming, since Taro is away... Zoffy was already formulating an impressively professional excuse for walking into the training sessions, his stroll taking on a new purpose. 

But just as he reached the entryway, the rhythmic impacts and cries of practice were suddenly punctuated by an even bigger CRACK and whu-thump. The huge double doors shook with an impact as something sizable was hurled mightily against them from the inside. 

With a wave of his hand over a panel on the side, the doors opened for Zoffy, revealing a brightly lit, massive chamber that served as the main arena. The scene also revealed the form of a young academy member on the ground, sagging against the threshold and still trying to catch his breath from a powerful blow. Zoffy carefully stepped over him, glanced up at a shocked throng of onlooking faces, and was unsurprised to see one particularly familiar one grinning from their center. So much for my professional entrance.

“What kind of training do you call this then, Jack?” He called out.

“Don’t mind him, that’s what he gets for trying to show off in the middle of a duel.” Jack nodded over to the unlucky trainee, who was now being pulled unsteadily to his feet by his friends. Then his face turned sterner as he slipped back into his role as instructor, and he gestured with the bright silver lance he casually carried in one hand. “I told you a hundred times, cadet, master the fundamentals first before you start getting cocky. Maybe now that lesson will stick before it kills you.”

Evidently it was a very short lesson, Jack wasn’t even breathing hard.

Zoffy looked back towards the injured challenger. “You’re going to keep the Silver Cross busy if this is how you treat all the Garrison’s recruits.” 

“He’ll be fine, his pride’s bruised more than his ribs.” Jack hefted his lance up, and twirled it before it dissolved back into motes of silver light, streaming to their rest in the brace he reliably wore. “He didn’t like the idea of me taking it easy on him, so I thought I’d give him a taste of the real deal instead of the training weapons. Maybe now he’ll take those “silly sticks” more seriously in practice. But that’s for tomorrow’s lesson. I take it you’re here to oversee today’s training since Taro is off-planet?”

“Yes, but first, I had another idea…” Zoffy unclasped the red cape from around his shoulders, and neatly folded it over one arm.

  All the Ultra Brothers were renowned as elite warriors across the Land of Light. They all had their signature specialties, like Seven and his son Zero, with their slugger attacks, Ace with his energy beams and blades, and even Leo with his powerful bare-handed martial arts techniques. But even among them, Jack was a master when it came to fighting of all kinds. His time on Earth had earned him a reputation for his ability to pull victory from certain defeat, using everything at his disposal in his fights, regardless of style, weaponry, or circumstance.

Who better to spar with to let off some steam?

Jack nodded as he quickly caught on to Zoffy’s idea. “Well! This will certainly be instructive for the new kids.” 

Already excited whispers were spreading through the crowd of trainees, and experienced Ultra warriors alike. They quickly gathered to the edge of the marked arena in a throng, a nervous buzz of anticipation settling over them.

Zoffy casually stretched his arms out from side to side to limber up as they both walked to the center of the wide, circular field. He didn’t want to betray it to the onlookers, but he was excited to get started. “I hope you’ll take me more seriously than the last opponent you faced.” 

“I don’t know, you’ve been spending too much time behind desks these days, Captain. Let’s see if you still know how to hold one of these!” Jack walked over to a training polearm, kicked it up into his hands and in a smooth single motion, flung it spinning towards Zoffy. 

Zoffy caught it and hefted its weight absentmindedly in his grip. “I think your students have already seen an effective lesson on using staves. Let’s show them something different. ” He tossed it to the side, at the feet of the crowded spectators, then sunk down into a practiced stance, low in the hips, with his hands raised to shoulder-height.

“No weapons?” Jack looked surprised, but then chuckled. “Must’ve been a bad morning for you.” He bounced off of the balls of his feet, lightly, adjusted his footing in place opposite of Zoffy, and then matched his stance.

As they mentally focused on each other, the rustling whispers of the crowd died away to a deep, tangible silence that filled the massive arena. Both combatants seemed frozen in place, even their almost imperceptibly-slow breaths synchronized as they waited…. Until one young Ultra in the crowd accidentally tripped over another polearm with a yelp and a sharp whack!

At the noise, they both closed the distance, faster than even most Ultra eyes could track. But Jack’s could, and he saw Zoffy’s knee raised for a high kick as they met in the center of the field. His forearm met the devastating opening attack, deflected it, and in a single smooth motion he twisted and brought Zoffy’s other leg crashing out from under him. The roaring cheer of the crowd erupted with the blows. Zoffy tucked into his fall and rolled, another kick flashing out. Jack neatly sidestepped, and ducked underneath the flurry of punches from his superior as Zoffy gained his feet again. The cheers grew louder, and Jack continued to bounce on his feet, waiting for the next attack and clearly enjoying himself. 

“I told you, too much time behind the desk! You’re getting slow, Captain!” 

It was light-hearted banter, it was just friendly sparring between two comrades, but the fact that he hadn’t landed a solid hit strained further against Zoffy’s frustration with this day so far. 

The two figures circled each other, closing in slowly, deliberately this time. Jack casually threw out jabs, probing, testing Zoffy, keeping his distance while also batting aside and blocking Zoffy’s every attempt against his own defense. Am I really that slow? Jack was even reading his feints, and punished him for a mistimed counter with a quick snap kick landing painfully on his hip. Another roar from the crowd rose up at the hit, and Zoffy staggered back. 

He looked from side to side as he tried to catch his breath. The Ultras were yelling encouragement, jokes and unnecessary advice for both him and Jack. The whole scene carried a feeling of festival, a sideshow starring him and Jack at the center, which made Zoffy’s aching side sting all the worse. This isn’t supposed to be a game! Imagine if one of them were fighting like this for real, against such a strong enemy…

Instantly at that thought, Zoffy’s own memories flashed through his head again. He saw Ultraman lying dead on Earth, fallen to Zetton. He saw himself and Ace desperately fighting against Yapool and his horrific Chouju. He felt the searing pain from Birdon’s flames all over again, and each time he remembered the struggle, the sorrow and fear of each battle. 

Zoffy looked up at Jack, who was patiently waiting for him to make another futile charge, and another feeling began to rise in his chest. 

It wasn’t frustration any longer. It was anger.

Zoffy swept in again, a new rush of adrenaline speeding his hands into a chop, aimed sideways for a precise spot against Jack’s throat. He saw it coming just a second in time to move out of the way, but Zoffy could feel the hit drive into his collarbone. Zoffy grabbed his shoulder and twisted, hard, driving his knee into Jack’s midsection, meeting him when he tried to duck downwards, driving the air out of him. Before Jack could make another motion, Zoffy landed two more hits, each savagely reinforcing the damage, forcing him to his knees. 

A real battle isn’t about trading one hit for another. It’s not about style, or technique. 

Jack hadn’t even gotten to his feet when Zoffy delivered a powerful kick, sending him rolling towards the edge of the arena. 

It’s about pain.

At the edge of the arena, Jack had recovered his stance enough to throw his own punches. Zoffy ducked around them, coming in close again, but one connected into Zoffy’s midsection. He barely felt it anymore. Zoffy kept his momentum, and surged into his own heavy punch, knocking Jack’s face to the side with an awful snap. 

Fight through the pain, and end it. 

Jack was staggered now. Zoffy dipped behind him, wrapping his arms into a tight headlock. 

End it before anyone else gets hurt.

Jack swung back and drove an elbow into Zoffy’s injured hip, once, twice, loosening his grip, and Jack rolled, then cartwheeled back to the center of the ring. 

Even though shining blood was now dripping out of his mouth, Jack was still grinning. He used the back of his hand to wipe it away, panting. “That’s more like it! Got your second wind, eh, Capt-”

Zoffy’s foot smashed straight into his chest. He had launched himself into a flying kick from the other side of the arena, faster than Jack could even get his jibe out. Jack was thrown into the floor again, his impact this time powerful enough to loosen dust and fragments of crystal. 

Still in the air, Zoffy raised his arms. Anger burned through his limbs. Anger at himself - for not being stronger, for wasting time, for letting this fight drag on. In a smooth, practiced motion, he began to pull his hands back, positioned horizontally over his chest.

There’s only one way to end a fight-

Zoffy then realized where his right arm was positioned, pulled at an angle to his side.  

Anger was replaced with the cold, hard edge of horror slicing through his body. He was only a heartbeat from charging his beam attack, aimed directly at Jack’s collapsed form before him. 

The noise from the crowd had completely ceased around them.

No! Zoffy dropped his arms, and flew over to the side of his comrade, his friend, landing clumsily before going down to one knee. He rolled Jack over to his side, and did his best to clean the blood away from his face. “Jack! Please-”

Jack reached up and batted away Zoffy’s hand. 

"Pull yourself together, Captain, you’ll have to do better than that if you want to kill me.” Jack chided him, telepathically. “Nnn.. now help me up, and we’ll make a good joke of it for everyone.” 

Gingerly, Zoffy took his hand, then pulled his arm over his own shoulders, and raised Jack to his feet. They both looked up at the hushed audience, and silence sat oppressively over the scene for a heartbeat. 

Then Jack laughed.

“Well, I guess I have to concede defeat, Captain!” He playfully tapped his own color timer, now turned red and pinging. “It’s not often you get this old ticker going off.” 

The collectively held breath of the onlookers flowed out in a rush of relieved tension. In its place, smatterings of applause and cheers punctuated and spread through the crowd.

“And that’s our lesson for today!” Jack shouted out over the satisfied swell of noise. “Train up hard and remember what I’ve shown you, and maybe one day you can take down our Captain!” He laughed again, a few of the other Ultras chuckling with him before they turned away to resume their sparring. The initial shock of the crowd gave way to excitement, an eagerness to fight after the spectacle they had just witnessed. 

To all onlookers, the two figures left standing in the arena were an image of casual friendliness. Jack with one arm around Zoffy’s shoulders, standing with his other hand cast in a swaggering manner on his hip. But Zoffy could feel him flinch with each show of laughter, see the strain in his face and his weight pressing for support against him. Now with eyes turned away from them, the two Ultra brothers carefully maneuvered over to an empty wall, where Jack leaned heavily back, sighing. 

“I’m sorry, Jack, I-”

“Save it, Captain. You hurt my pride more than my ribs.” Jack didn’t hide his wincing this time. “Guess you made me eat my words about getting soft. Shows why you’re still the Captain after all.”

Zoffy clenched his teeth, his voice choking with anger again, but this time, it was anger at his shame. “I don’t deserve to be a Captain if I treat my subordinates like…like that-”

“Like what? By fighting your hardest? By refusing to take it easy on me? It was my own fault, I goaded you into it. I deserve this-” Jack probed at his bruised side “- For trying to show off in front of my students.”

His students… Zoffy turned to look at the young Ultras on the multitude of layers of platforms behind them, all currently absorbed in their training. 

“I was with Mebius looking at the new applications this morning.” Zoffy said, still gazing over his shoulder. On one staged platform, two rookies were trading clumsy kicks. Too hesitant, they don’t commit to follow through behind their target.

“I’d say this year’s batch of recruits is one of the strongest we’ve had in a while.” Jack stated.

“But are they ready? For…” Zoffy turned back to him and gestured widely. “... everything? Do they know what kind of monsters they’ll face? The sacrifices they’ll have to make? The lives they will have to-”

“Of course they don’t.” Jack interrupted him, standing up from the wall, and stretching his shoulder out. “None of us did. But these kids go out into the universe with something that we didn’t.”

“Which is?” 

“They have us . The Ultra Brothers. They have our example to look up to, and our stories to remember. I remember how it was in the early days, trying to figure things out. But you led us, and we fought all those monsters anyways, and overcame those sacrifices. I have faith that they’ll do the same.” Jack laid a hand on Zoffy’s shoulder, this time without leaning on him for support.

Zoffy could feel Jack’s pride in his students as he looked out on their training. He continued “I know out of these kids, eventually, there will be a new generation of Ultra Brothers who will inspire others, even when we’re gone. And so it goes.” 

“Jack, you should really go to a healer firs-”

“Later, Captain! How would it look to my students if I ran off to mope after losing to you? We still have another half hour until we break for the science academy lectures!” Jack threw an over-exaggerated salute with his opposite hand and collected himself, walking back to rejoin the main training area. Zoffy watched him call two other teachers over to his side, discussing their own agenda among themselves, before flying off to the upper levels. 

Despite working with them for thousands of years, Zoffy’s subordinates still managed to surprise him. And so it goes.

The brief moment of satisfied admiration evaporated when his tablet, discarded by his feet, began to chirrup. Symbols flashed across its surface, and he cursed upon reading them. Damn, I’m late to the observation deck! Taro and Ace should be responding with a mission update any minute now-

With a flourish, Zoffy swept his cape around his shoulders, and scooped up the tablet. The few Ultras still on the ground level of the arena hurried respectfully to the side as he purposefully strode back to the main hallway. The delicate metal links fastening his cape came to rest with a soft clink against the color timer in his chest, and Zoffy took one second to readjust himself. It’s always something.

The afternoon was spent in a flurry of activity, during which Zoffy was only half-present. He breathed a sigh of relief at receiving Ace’s Ultra sign - no news was good news - and signaled back a response. He barely registered the other meetings he visited, the papers he verified and approved out of routine. Zoffy was pretty sure there was also a public ceremony for the opening of some building, what its purpose was, he couldn’t remember. 

Through it all, he carried the same air of professional courtesy, smiling, polite greetings, handshakes and bows. But mentally, he was still back in the training arena, only a second before firing his M87 beam into the crumpled figure of Jack. Zoffy shook his head a couple times to clear that image as he now sat back at his desk.

“Sir? Are you okay?” A blue-colored secretary looked at him with obvious concern. 

“Hmm? Oh, yes, yes, everything’s fine.” Everything, in fact, was not fine. But his assistant didn’t need to know that.

The glow outside his open window had steadily faded from pale yellow-green, to indigo over the course of the last several hours. It was now nighttime by the Land of Light’s standards, but the pile of work on Zoffy’s desk hadn’t seemed to shrink at all. 

He held his head in one hand, propped up on the desk, reading the same sentence multiple times without really comprehending it. 

A knock at his office door caused both Zoffy and the assistant to look up. Zoffy could recognize that sound anywhere though, and knew she was being deferential this time for his sake. “Please come in, Mother of Ultra.”

The assistant quickly pulled open the door, and Marie did so. She had barely set a foot inside though, before Zoffy opened up ruefully.

“I’m terribly sorry, Mother, I know I promised to have a roster to you by the end of the day, but things have been so busy that-”

“Zoffy, I’m not here for that.”

He stopped, his mouth still open in the middle of a half-formed apology.

Marie turned to the assistant and nodded kindly. “I’ll take it from here, thank you.” 

The door hissed shut behind him as he hastily excused himself, and the silence thickened with only the two of them left in the office. Zoffy was now occupied by busily trying to avoid eye contact with her.

Finally, Marie took a deep sigh and continued. “You know, Zoffy, I heard what Mebius said to you this morning, after I left the room.”

“You did? But, how? I thought those walls were fully soundproofed-”

“Zoffy, dear, I can hear a space-mouse stub its toe on a planet three light years away. What kind of mother would I be if I didn’t keep an eye on my children?” She tapped one of the triangular red horns which sat above her brow.

The titles “Mother” and “Father” of Ultra weren’t just ceremonial. Ken and Marie were always there, for leadership, guidance, strength, or just someone to talk to for any of the Ultra Brothers. Zoffy had lost his own parents in the Ultimate Wars, and in all the years since then, they had helped him in so many ways. Of course she had overheard them. 

“So…. about that-” Zoffy ventured.

Marie held up one hand. “I just wanted to tell you that Mebius is absolutely right. You’ve been running yourself ragged for far too long, and if you don’t take a vacation right now, I will pull rank with my husband and have you put on administrative leave until you do.”

Zoffy certainly wasn’t expecting that response. 

“Right now? But I can’t leave now!” He struggled to protest. “I have so much to do, I -” Marie waved her hand again to cut him off. 

“Ah-ah! No arguing! Remember, I outrank even you! ” She jabbed her finger into his color timer for emphasis. But a smile crept into her face looking at his despondent expression. “Don’t worry , Zoffy, the Garrison isn’t going to burn down if you’re gone for one day. At least, not until my sons get back.”

“No, but… what am I supposed to do? I’m needed here!”

“Oh dear, did you even remember what Mebius said? You’re not needed just to fill out paperwork. ” For emphasis she reached over and took the files in their crystal tablets out of his hands. “Everyone here, from the Ultras in these data sheets, to Mebius, Hikari, even poor Jack who paid me a visit today…” 

Zoffy sheepishly looked downwards as the scolding continued.

“....all of them work their hardest, and do their best, because they know you are doing your best too. And you can’t be at your best if you’re running around the entire planet trying to do everything yourself! They all trust you with their lives, you need to start doing the same.” Marie readjusted the stack, her cape swishing around her as she turned towards the door. “So take the day off. Doctor’s orders!” 

Marie’s words continued echoing in his head as the red light of his travel sphere enveloped him and sped out through space. For too long, the only travel Zoffy had taken away from the planet was for work, to supervise Garrison operations, to fight alongside his brothers. To simply… travel, for its own sake, was something unfamiliar to him. 

He could see the stream of starlight flow outside the crimson glow surrounding him, and tried to imagine the planets circling each tiny sun, the inhabitants on them, what their concerns were, what they were worrying about. 

I bet none of them worry what’s going on millions of light-years away, in these wars- then he realized with a start that they didn’t have to. They had their own lives, and the lives of their loved ones. They had their own jobs, their own individual tragedies to mourn, their own victories to celebrate.

His travel sphere halted. Suddenly, Zoffy was aware of trillions - no, a truly countless number of lives, all around him in space, on each planet throughout the galaxy. But rather than feeling overwhelmed, it was a tremendous sense of calm that washed over him from that awareness.

That was the point, wasn’t it? All of his own anxieties, all of his fears, what he fought for, it was for this peace, wasn’t it? So all these individual stars could simply live, in peace just like this.

He silently hung in space for several heartbeats, amidst the scintillating starlight, but eventually one particular point of light stood out to him. The hum of activity he could sense around this star reminded him of… home? 

Zoffy suddenly realized where his wandering had subconsciously taken him. He guided the travel sphere to a nearby planetoid, a small, silent, frozen land circled by even smaller moons, glittering as they tumbled through the rays of light from the single, distant sun.

If he remembered correctly, he believed the humans called this one “Pluto”. 

Looking towards the center of the solar system, the small blue dot that the same humans called “Earth” was almost imperceptible against the glare of ice crystals and other stars shimmering around it. Zoffy owed much to that blue dot and the lives it bore. Yet, how many of them knew he was here right now, looking on? Their lives continued regardless. The planetoid under his feet also continued its slow, steady promenade around the sun, its moons wheeling around it. 

And so it goes. 

Marie was right, of course, she always was. He had needed to see this, to be reminded of his own smallness in the universe. Funny how a little distance is all it takes to see things clearly sometimes. Even to see ourselves-

“INCOMIIIIING!”  

A screaming telepathic message suddenly rocked Zoffy out of his contemplation. He twisted around, suddenly taking a fighting stance, as he scanned for the source. Then he caught sight of a blaze over the horizon, two figures locked in combat, seemingly riding a ray of stark sunlight as it burst over him. Wait, is that….?

Before he could complete the thought, a silver-armored Ultra, wrestling with the arms of a monstrous mechanical craft of some kind, slammed into the ground behind him with a massive WHUMP. The sound was muffled, carried by the ice of the planet’s surface rather than its thin atmosphere, but the shockwave still rattled him where he stood. 

Even more jolting was the voice that followed the crash. 

“Zoffy, there you are! We’ve got more UFOs incoming STAT!” 

“M-Melos? What are you doing here? And why do you have an entire fleet of hostile UFOs following you?” He gaped at the wreckage at Melos’ feet. 

The other Ultra shrugged as he stood up from the crash. “Haven’t the foggiest clue, old friend! All I did was send off a warning shot at one, and they just started open-firing! They were acting suspicious after all...”  The armor’s perpetually smiling mouth, a slash of crimson across deep black, almost gave his words a humorous, mocking tone. He took a second to brush stray particles of ice and ruddy reddish dust off of his armor from the impact, the metal plates clinking and scraping together with the sweeps of his hand.

“And you expect me to just save you? Again?” Zoffy’s voice raised in incredulity as he paced over to him. “Do you know how many times I’ve had to-” 

“Which is why I came to you as soon as I spotted your light! I know I can count on you to help out!” Melos shook the last glittering flakes of ice out of the crimson plume of his helmet, then with a hiss and spark of static energy, removed it. His gaze underneath it, now looking at Zoffy with his own eyes, was serious.

It’s always something, I swear- Zoffy was about to yell at him again, but stopped with one finger raised, as Marie’s words came back. 

“ They all trust you with their lives, you need to start doing the same.” 

No. She was right again. And ironically, Melos’ arrival had brought a gift to him. 

For the first time, after so long, Zoffy didn’t have paperwork to fill out. He didn’t have orders to assign or performance reviews to grade. He didn’t have schedules to make. 

He didn’t even have to press his blasted cape. 

Here on this cold, distant planet, the only beings standing between a fleet of angry, invading UFOs and the peace of this solar system, were Melos and himself. 

“I guess a regular vacation would have been boring after all.” Zoffy lowered his hand and chuckled.

“See, I know you better than anyone else, you’re not one to pass up a challenge.” Melos sauntered up to him, flashing him a genuine grin this time.  “It’s going to be a challenge to keep up with me, after all.” He bragged, cocking a thumb at himself.

Zoffy chuckled again, growing to a full bout of laughter at the sight. Melos raised a brow. “Is there a joke I’m missing here?”

“No, no. It’s just…. This is going to sound strange, but I missed this.” 

“You did?” Melos was genuinely surprised by that, a feat which Zoffy took special pride in.

“Absolutely. Now, put your armor back on, and we’ll see who has trouble keeping up… old friend.”

Back-to-back they stood, taking their stances, feet solidly planted in the rugged, icy ground beneath. The rest of the UFOs swarmed over the horizon, as Zoffy unclipped his cape and swirled it off his shoulders, letting it fall behind him. 

“You’re on!”