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Today is just like any other day for Taro. Ultra Brothers’ meetings, reports, and training the young Ultras at the arena. A vicious cycle he’s learned to adapt to as it is his duty, probably since he was born. There was so many expectations on him. He was the son of the Top Commander of Intergalactic Defense Force and the Commander of SilverCross Aid, he simply could not turn out to be anything else but perfect and strong.
That’s just how life is. He didn’t mean to put his son under the same path as his, because for him it was already torture. It was a miracle that he came as strong as he is— worthy to be called Marie’s and Ken’s child. When Taiga was born, Taro had something entirely different planned in his mind. He wanted his child to grow up with his own ambitions and path so he wouldn’t have to experience the same pressure as Taro did when he was a kid, but apparently he had failed at that too. He had unintentionally pushed Taiga away, he did the same thing everyone did to him when he was a kid. Pressured Taiga too hard.
The kid was already insecure from being his son, and he pushes those ideals onto the kid. Taiga was only 3000+ years old when he heard about him going to the archives and screaming about his problems into it, since nobody’s around. Well, other than Filis.
And The Great Snitcher, Ultraman Mebius.
Mebius. Mebius was Taro’s first ever student and also.. potentially his favourite. When Mebius first become his responsibility, Taro was skeptical. He has never had an actual apprentice under him before, so this was news to him. He knew this responsibility will eventually find him as they did with his ‘older brothers’, he just didn’t expect it to be someone like Mebius.
Mebius was.. in simple words ; ‘naïve’. Mebius hated being described that way, and he knew that’s how most people viewed him and it just adds to the pile of insecurities and anxiety the kid already had as a young start-up Ultra. Taro could already tell that Mebius was feeling shit by being a bystander in one of the fights and his self-worth issues was pretty deep— but Taro was determined to change it. No student of his will doubt their worth ever. Well, except his son.
But that’s mostly because he’s a terrible parent. Not because of his mentoring skills. If it sucked, Mebius and Ginga wouldn’t have come out the way they did, would they not?
Taro remembered the first time he tried training Mebius.
Mebius was standing awkwardly like— ten feet away from Taro, looking down and twiddling his thumbs like a nervous toddler and Taro finds it endearing to some degree.
‘How do they usually start in Space Garrison training?’
The younger Ultra Warrior would then look up, more like stealing glances, but Taro could finally see the face of his new apprentice, and he’s still surprised by how good looking the ultra looked.
‘.. we start with light stretches? And then sparring.. and then— y’know, guard’s duty? Nothing spectacular.’ Mebius giggled awkwardly. Short and unsure.
‘Well, we could start with sparring. I assumed you already did your warm-ups?’
He had seen Mebius earlier, on this remote planet they’re using as training ground, stretching the life outta himself for some reason.
‘Instructor— you saw that?!’ the young Ultra practically squeaked at the thought.
‘It was cute. Although, I doubt doing a split was necessary.’ Taro teases as Mebius tried not to dig his own grave right there and then.
It was all in good fun. Taro missed him.
He missed everything about Mebius. His smile, his face, his voice, his touch, his.. his..
Taro sensed the slight tremor in his hands and took a deep breath to calm himself, leaning back into his chair and staring into one particular picture he had framed in his office wall.
It was when Mebius had finally returned from Earth and was made an Ultra Brother. The kid was so happy, he cried for like an hour, and refused to let anyone near him in that time period. It was hilarious. Zoffy had everyone try and comfort the youngest of them all, with the exception of himself, of course, and it went horribly wrong.
Well, because they started strong with Leo. The poor dude was already emotionally detached— and his first meeting with Mebius was an immediate threat to the kid’s life with all the beating and kicks. Yeah. Mebius was not a fan.
If anything, it made the situation worse because the younger thought Leo still didn’t believe and was about to berate him after being turned into an Ultra Brother. Astra also caught a stray for looking too similar to his brothers so they were no longer an option.
Long story short, nobody managed to calm down Mebius but himself, but even then, he was already so embarrassed by his outburst— he wanted to cut the celebration short. Taro didn’t allow it, and neither did the other Ultra Brothers.
That night, Mebius were drunk. Taro remembered it so clearly because he had to stay sober and take Mebius home.
‘You’d think that’s enough alcohol to knock someone out.’ Ace had commented after witnessing Mebius’ high alcohol tolerance in action.. well not very high now that he’s consumed like 69% of whatever they all had to drink.
‘It’s the spirit of the young.’ Jack would as he took another shot, which looks like it would’ve burnt Taro’s throat in 32 different ways.
Meanwhile, Mebius was losing it. He’s been slurring out words, letting the ever so mischievous older Ultras collect their blackmail materials and giggled through it all.. which, Taro found adorable. He needs to stop with these thoughts about Mebius for fuck’s sake. That’s his st—
Before he could finish his thoughts, Mebius had thrown himself into his arms, the younger’s face pressed into his chest while whining about how his Colour Timer was in the way of his nuzzling, and Taro’s heart skipped a beat.
‘Seeeeeenseeeeeeeiiiii, let’s go hoooooome..!’ the Ultra Warrior slurs out through giggles and hiccups.
The older simply tightened his grip on the younger’s waist and clenched his teeth.
Taro loved him.
He really did, didn’t he?
He did.
He truly did.
He wished he could tell Mebius that.
Whisper it into his ears.
Hold him as he tell the young Ultra how much he adores him.
Taro wanted to hold him longer. A lot longer than the time they had.
A lot longer before Mebius’ body went colder and colder and colder and colder and—
Taro felt the warm tears running down his face and he just— broke down into tears. There was nothing left to hide. Taro just wanted Mebius back.
Mebius was his beacon of hope. His light. His life. His everything.
Fuck, he’s even the reason as to why Taiga still talks to Taro.
Taro is nothing without him. It feels empty. No chatters, no sudden uninvited visits into Taro’s office, no calls.. no Mebius.
His death weight heavily on Taro, and anyone with eyes could see it. Taro hasn’t been on the training ground for months, hell maybe even years. He’s lost count. He doesn’t bother to count. He’s not ready.
He remembered the scene vividly. They turned up too late and Mebius had already turned back into his human form.
He remembered finding Mebius’ body. The kid was staring up at the sky, breathing ragged— getting slower every time.
Blood everywhere. He was continuously bleeding. This wasn’t supposed to happen. Taro has never seen someone took this much damage that it transferred to their human form.
He was in his uniform. His beloved GUYS CREWS uniform.
Taro witnessed Mebius’ face switching from fear and pain to relief and hope once he saw his friends and Taro and Zoffy. He was so happy— his eyes that were drooping earlier, opened wide enough to scan everyone’s face as they were frantically trying to save their dying friend.
Taro saw it.
That one final smile before he closed his eyes and then.. his body just got colder and colder. Ultras weren’t supposed to be cold. They were beings of light— they weren’t supposed to be.. cold. Unless they’re dead.
Taro remembered crying there too. He didn’t notice it at first, but when he did, he still couldn’t stop.
Mebius was gone?
He thought it was some kind of a sick joke. That surely.. surely with their Ultra energy, powers and resources— they could bring him back.
But he stayed dead.
And Taro had never forgiven anyone since then.
Not Zoffy, not his parents after he spend hours trying to convince them there must be a way to bring Mebius back.
He had spend more time hoping than mourning. He still thinks there was a way to bring his beloved back to life so he could atone for his mistakes.
But no.
Mebius is never coming back.
And Taro will never be able to accept that.