“We’ll be touching down in Tokyo shortly,” the head flight attendant said over the intercom. “However, we’re going to ask that you remain in your seats when we do, as we want to be sure the area is safe enough for you to disembark.”
KingDead looked out the window and gasped. Off in the distance, he could see parts of Tokyo in smoldering ruins, and he could just make out an enormous blue fox walking away from the city, over the horizon.
Having not had cell service or in-flight Wi-Fi, KD had no idea any of this was happening. He was glad that the plane was going to still land at its destination, and that whatever threat had destroyed parts of the city appeared to be over.
But this was definitely going to throw a wrench into his plans. The wolf was flying into Tokyo for a major superhero fan convention. But this was the only affordable flight he could find, and it cut the timing close on some of the events he wanted to see.
The plane landed on the tarmac with no incident and came to a stop. There was another plane occupying the gate, so the passengers wouldn’t have been able to depart the aircraft yet, anyway.
KD decided to make the most of the delay. He pulled his carry-on down from the overhead compartment, then grabbed the superhero costume he was planning to wear at the convention and took it with him to the bathroom at the rear of the plane.
His superhero outfit was custom-made just for him: a green shirt and tights, a red cape and trunks, matching gloves and stirrups, and a gold belt. A large red “K” was emblazoned across the chest. Once KD had pulled all of that on, the last piece was a green mask to fully conceal his identity.
As soon as the mask was snug over his muzzle, KD felt a rush of energy run through him. Without warning, the wolf burst out of the tail of the plane and grew hundreds of meters in a matter of seconds!
In an instant, KD found himself towering over the airport in much the same way the fox he’d seen in the distance towered over the outskirts of the city. His clothes had grown with him; in fact, the costume fit even more perfectly than it had before. The wolf had gained some muscle, and the outfit showcased it beautifully. KD couldn’t help but flex a little, enjoying the improvements.
But now what? There was never any doubt in the wolf’s mind. He was dressed like a superhero, and he was going to act like one. He sprang into action, running toward the damaged parts of the city to see where he could help.
It seemed as if there were a lot of areas that needed a superhero about now; fortunately, KD was a lot of superhero. The first thing he noticed was a bridge that had been partially destroyed in the earlier rampage. KD noticed rail tracks on either side of the resulting gap. And then, alarmingly, a bullet train approaching at full speed!
Why hadn’t they stopped the trains yet? KD thought fast, sliding his body into the gap to serve as a makeshift bridge. The Shinkansen rolled over his massive pecs as if they were two hills. KD was ready to catch the train if need be, but it miraculously settled back onto the track on the other side of the destroyed bridge. It was a bumpier ride than usual, but a safe one, at least.
KD got back up and got to work creating a makeshift bridge over the gap using bits of rubble. Once he completed that task, he dusted his hands off and turned to look at the rest of the damage. What next?
A handful of buildings nearby were smoldering — not a full-blown fire, but it could turn into one if left unchecked. But this was nothing to a hero like KingDead. He simply blew on the buildings as if he were blowing out the candles on a birthday cake: strong enough to extinguish the fire, but gently enough so as not to knock them over.
Then he turned around, wolf tail wagging happily… and accidentally took a chunk out of the nearest building. Whoops, he thought. I hope everyone was already evacuated.
Evacuations! That was another way he could help. Some of the tallest buildings in the city weren’t far from here, and as he looked toward them he could see at least one swaying dangerously. KD sprinted over and placed a steadying hand onto it. He felt himself unconsciously growing just a little bit more to match the height of the building, and once he had, he could see some frightened furs trapped in the tower’s highest floors.
“Don’t worry, friends!” KD said proudly. “You’ll be safe now that I’m here!” He placed his hand up toward the nearest window and watched as the little furs carefully climbed onto it. Once it had reached capacity, he lowered it to the ground, letting them off, before repeating the process until the entire building had been cleared.
Many cheers of thanks came from the tiny citizens below, making KD’s heart swell even larger. He was getting to play out exactly the sorts of fantasies he’d had for as long as he could remember, becoming the superhero of his dreams.
But with great power comes great responsibility, and there were other parts of the city that still needed saving. And so, with a wave to the people below, KD set off on his next mission.
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