Inconveniently, Sato Kenji lives off the mainland, on the bay accessible by an automated bridge that Rin cannot get to work using any ethical means. So, she uses her handy dandy KDF gadget (a glorified remote control, really) to override the commands with a click of a button. She has exactly thirty seconds before the bridge goes offline.

Rin tucks the pamphlets and the documents at the bottom of her messenger bag and secures it across her chest before making a run for it. Once she crosses the bridge, she bends over her knees and wheezes, wondering how the hell she clears medical every quarter. She shakes water off her heavy boots and strides up the front porch of the obnoxiously fancy villa.

Pettily, she wipes the mud from her boots on the stairs. She pats down her short hair, makes herself look presentable—like she means business—and raises her fist to knock. But the door swings open before she has a chance to punch a hole in it.

"Look, I admire your tenacity. I really do." Sato Kenji looks like he spent the night rolling in a cement mixer. He slumps against the doorframe and gives her a thumb-up. "I've never had fans successfully cross the autobridge like this. Props to your passion. But, seriously. This—what you just did—it's called trespassing and it's a federal crime. And I've had one helluva day, yeah? So, how about I sign something for you, maybe throw in a trading card, and we end this meet cute here?"

Rin blinks at him, noting how vastly she had underestimated him from the thoroughly pixelated photo and half the press conference she watched on the train to this side of the city. Sato Kenji looks every bit of the good-looking athlete the internet claims he is. Though Rin is sure he's seen much better days. He's considerably tall (he's hunched), has sleek black hair (it's unkempt and sticking out in every direction), wide shoulders and a narrow waist. He also has a drool patch on his shirt collar, coffee stains on the white fabric, and she can also smell a faint fishy stench from him.

"Then," Rin reaches for her messenger bag, "I'd like you to sign these papers."

Sato Kenji chuckles impatiently. "You gotta let me know what the papers are, sweetheart. Do you know how many ladies—and a considerable amount of gents—have tried to get me to sign a marriage—You're suing me!?" His eyes fly open and all the exhaustion vanishes from his face.

He grabs the papers with both hands and frantically reads through the contents. Then, he peeks up at her with expressive eyes. Then back at the papers. Then, looks up with a nervous laugh. "Oh. Oh, wait. Haha," he points at the title, "This says Ultraman here. You sure got me, miss."

"Sergeant." She corrects him. "Ryuzaki Rin. And yes, I am suing you, Mr Sato...Ultraman."

"Pssh. What?" Sato waves his hand dismissively. "Ultraman? Me? Please. I don't know if you know who I am but I'm not that superhero." He runs a hand through his hair and brags, "I'm a baseball player. Best living player there is. I don't have time for—"

Rin cuts him off sharply. "You told me I can sue you if I can track you down. I accepted the challenge. I've tracked you down."

"Wait," Sato shakes his head, gesturing wildly, "wait, wait, wait. Wait. You really don't know who I am?"

"You said you're a baseball player?"

"My face is on Coco Premium Seven!" He points his arms at an airship floating over the skyline. "The ad's on every zeppelin in the sky."

"It tastes like sandpaper on the tongue," Rin tells him dryly. "I don't like it."

After a pause, he nods. "Yeah, that's true. Can't blame you for that. What about KFC? I'm on the billboard for KFC."

"I avoid fast food."

He twists his mouth in a grimace. Like she disappoints him. "There's no way you haven't seen me on the cover for Forbes." At her still vacant expression, he exclaims, "30 Under 30? What about Times Most Influential?"

"Not a fan of English magazines."

"This," he jabs a finger at himself, "is also the face of New Balance and Kosé!"

Rin shrugs, "Can't afford luxury brands so can't be bothered by them." Sato Kenji gapes at her in disbelief. He looks like every new recruit who inevitably asks if Rin's been living under a rock after one conversation with her. She doesn't have time to address her living arrangements with this man.

"Are you done or are there any more companies you need to throw at my face?" She asks and doesn't wait for an answer, "No? Good. Mr Sato, I'm Flight Sergeant Ryuzaki Rin from the KDF and I'm here to sue you for the damages you caused to my car." His handsome face grows dramatically bewildered. "It is utterly unusable and unsalvageable. I do not have the means to purchase a new vehicle and it's causing quite the strain on my daily life. As the face behind Ultraman, either you compensate me or I'm dragging you to court."

There's an uncomfortable stretch of silence. Rin hears bird-like screeching from inside his villa which makes him shuffle back to the door behind him. Maybe he has an aviary somewhere in his house. Of course. Rich people have weird hobbies and interests.

Sato takes a deep breath and pulls himself together. "Like I said," he grumbles, aggravated, "I'm not Ultraman. So, you better get off my property before I call the cops and have you presidential-escorted to the farthest jail possible. Goodbye."

He tries to slam the door on her face but Rin jams her boot in between.

"You want proof? Here's proof." She shoves the printed screenshot in his face, making him stumble back into his genkan. "That's you, Jersey Seven, leaping off the fence before transforming into Ultraman. I clearly heard you say that you were getting back at Gigantron for messing up your game last night. I printed a hundred of these babies and they're gonna go up across the city if you refuse to take me seriously. Now," she slams her palm over the door and pushes it wide open to glare at him, "are you going to step back out and talk over this like mature adults or do you want me to rat you out to Doctor Onda so that he can Kyoto Fried Chicken your ass?"

Slowly, one by one, her words sink in and Sato Kenji's eyes widen in panic. He glances, repeatedly, at Rin and then at the solid proof she's presented him. There's another screech in the distance. The overhead lamp quivers. Fixating on the lawsuit papers, Sato mutters, "Kentucky."

"I beg your pardon?"

"It's Kentucky, not Kyoto."

Rin whirls around and begins to leave. "Expect a call from Doctor Onda," she hurls a false threat and knows he'll take the bait.

"Hey, hang on!" His slipper nearly goes flying when he races after her. He almost skids and falls flat on his face. "Where did all this mud come from—excuse me! Hey, lady!"

"Sergeant," she corrects him.

Sato scowls, "Not a fan of the military."

"Neither am I," she replies, as-a-matter-of-factly, "But that doesn't mean I didn't work hard to earn my rank."

When he breathes in again, Rin wonders whether he has a problem in his lungs. It turns out, Sato Kenji was only trying to exercise his patience. "What...if..." he carefully begins, finally coming to terms with the fact that nothing could say would change Rin's mind, "What if I just compensate you, we go our way, and pray that we never run into each other again."

"Unlikely since kaiju seem to have a fondness for this part of the world and your secret identity is a 40-meter humanoid who loves shooting energy beams at them."

Her deadpan tone infuriates him. "Yeah, I'm not exactly thrilled about it either, okay? You don't know how much work this is." He exclaims loudly, "So, cut me some slack. Or...or," he snaps his fingers and shoves the paperwork back to Rin, "Or I sue you. For vandalism, trespassing, and defamation."

"I see the law isn't one of your stronger suits." Before Sato can explode into a string of expletives, Rin says, "Compensation, you say? I'm listening."

The corner of his mouth twitches. He forces himself to relax, remembering that he has a public image to keep up. "Okay," he responds with chirpiness, "So! I can get you a car and we'll call it a day? What do you want? A McLaren? A Pagani Huayra? Wait, don't tell me." He gasps theatrically. "A Koenigsegg? Good choice! Let me tell you—I went for a drive in one and boy, my heart raced. Fair warning, my preferences extend over domestic brands so name your price and Sato Ken will deliver." .

Rin frowns at him, "Has anyone told you that you talk too much?"

"Has anyone told you that you're emotionless when you talk?" He retorts without a twitch in his million-watt smile.

"A Toyota," she answers, "Corolla. It's reliable and fuel-efficient. The mileage is perfect. And it's affordable."

This makes his million-watt smile drop. "A Toyota?" He repeats, appalled. "That's it? And—did you say affordable?"

"Yes." Rin carefully slips the bundle of papers back into her messenger bag. "My intention isn't to extract or extort financial favours from you. You being Ultraman is none of my business...Actually, it might be a little since," she taps the KDF insignia on her breast pocket. "But, the sooner we put this issue to rest, the quicker you'll be rid of me."

"As you say...obaa-chan."

Rin blinks. She walks past him with her phone to her ear. "Hello? Hey, boss. Can you get Doctor Onda—"

Her phone vanishes from her grip. Sato holds it over her head, examining it with unbridled curiosity. "What the heck is this piece of junk?" He dangles it between his fingers, "I've never seen technology this ancient. Not even my dad uses something this outdated."

Rin swipes it back and pockets her lie. "When can I expect the—"

"Tomorrow. Latest." He answers quickly, "I'll call up my dude and he'll hook me up—"

Eager to get away and in a hurry to not be late for work, she cuts him off. "That is acceptable." She points her car lock gadget at the stretch of water and the bridge reappears. Bowing her head a little, she says, "It was...certainly an experience to meet you, Mr Sato."

He grins through his sorry state. "A good one, right?"

"No."

Rin returns to HQ. She runs up and down the tarmac, doing routine checkups after what was clearly a very hectic day of the emergency squadron. She supervises the junior technicians, and conducts a training session on proper maintenance procedures for one of the newer aircrafts, and sleeps with her eyes open during a meeting. The last part was unintentional and was highly possible because of the hard night she had.

Warrant Officer Watanabe stretches his arms over his head and groans when they all file out of the meeting room. "Jeez, it's like Ultraman's one more bad decision away from being declared Public Enemy #1."

That is enough to jolt Rin back to base. "What?" She mumbles, scratching the back of her ear.

"The debrief didn't mention it," he lowers his voice, "But I'm sure Ultraman must've had something to do with why Doctor Onda's package went missing. He interfered even though he was warned not to."

"Ah. Is that so?"

He shakes his head with remorse. "Ultraman wasn't like that when I was growing up. He was careful with us. He...cared. It's like now we have a teenager playing dress-up under that armour." They walk back to their cabin as Watanabe continues to recall stories. "I forgot," he finally says, "That you grew up in the north. Not much Ultraman action there, huh?"

"No," she replies honestly, "I may not be as emotionally attached to this figure as you and the rest of Tokyoites, but I have seen clips of him."

Watanabe turns his attention to the other two colleagues and raps his knuckles on his desk. "Let's get to work then, folks," he announces, "Equipment calibration and inventory paperwork for Project Surrogate."

Rin settles into her swivel chair with a frown. Project Surrogate? That doesn't sound like a nice name. She goes over the project requirements, their team having been assigned the 'wings' section. The more she reads, the faster her brain turns, correlating the numbers and dimensions with Gigantron's wingspan. It didn't make sense. From what Rin had gathered from the briefing, it was that Gigantron had died in battle. She comes up with several theories, none of which with a positive outlook.

Loud, dejected yells from the Flying Office make Rin stop typing her report. Across the bullpen, Yata huffs angrily and turns to them, raising his phone. "Sato's game sucked today!" He cries, "I'm so glad I didn't watch it live. I would've killed myself."

"Is he..." Watanabe squints at the tiny screen, "Is he wrestling the Swallows' catcher?"

Rin tuts and shakes her head disapprovingly. She almost feels bad for Sato. After the long, obviously painful night he had had, it must have been difficult for him to continue playing. His ego must be in tatters.

On the train ride back home, guilt begins to creep into her heart. Did she have a hand in messing his game up too? She was harsh on him early in the morning. Maybe she should start taking the employee feedback seriously and work on her intonation a little. Practice smiling more often so that she doesn't come off as a bitch. Pick up some new jargon from current TV shows and sound more savvy.

Her apartment is small and cramped; A single 20 by 20 feet room with a kitchenette right by the genkan. A work desk on one side in front of a window box full of azaleas her mom sent from their village. A divider separates her bed and modest balcony from the rest of the room. Her home smells like karaage being fried in the store two floors down.

Rin washes up before immediately sitting at her computer again. She meticulously makes a list of all the places in Tokyo that are not equipped with CCTV cameras. For good measure, she adds blind spots as well and plots them on a map before transferring them onto her phone.

Before leaving, Rin throws on a blue crane print haori over her flared jeans and white top. She checks for her keys, her phone, and emergency cash but she forgets to check the time. The rush in the city fools her into thinking it's still early evening but only when she gets to the coastline does she doubt to go knocking on Sato Kenji's door.

Nevertheless, Rin crosses the bridge and knocks. Nobody answers. She decides to try once more before leaving.

To her quiet surprise, a levitating ball of metal lets her in. A robot. She's not yet used to working with AI yet so it's a pleasant surprise. The robot's singular red eye fixates on her and it extends a mechanical arm to welcome her. "Good evening, Sergeant Ryuzaki," its automated voice says with a warmth that was the farthest thing Rin expected from it. "Or good morning, I suppose, judging by the time. My name is Mina. You must be here about the car Ken promised you."

"Not quite."

Whatever 'Mina' wants to say next is drowned out by a loud, loud screech that seems to go on and on. The ground trembles. A vase crashes to the ground in the distance. The windows vibrate. Startled, Rin tucks her shoulders and lowers her head because the noise just doesn't stop. It takes her a while to understand that the screeching sounds like wailing.

"Perhaps Mr Sato should get more peaceful birds?" She suggests when it quietens.

Mina observes her so intently that Rin metaphorically hears the whizzing noise of the metaphorical gears in her brain. She hovers towards the elevator shaft before returning to Rin and buzzes indecisively. With an impatient glitch, Mina says, "Judging by your conversation earlier yesterday—" Yesterday? What time is it? "—I believe you might be able to offer some insight to Ken regarding his...predicament."

Rin frowns, failing to recall parts of the conversation where she might have accidentally insinuated wanting to offer Sato Kenji assistance. Another screech follows. This time, Rin can faintly hear Sato's frustrated and pleading voice. The guilt from before expands. "Is he okay?"

"Please, come with me."

The floating AI ball leads her to the elevator. The walls rise upwards, covering them, and the ground beneath Rin's feet descends lower and lower until she's sure they're under the ocean. Mina guides her down the stairs and Rin is thoroughly distracted by a shoal of fish swimming past the floor-to-ceiling window in one corner. She gapes, controlling the urge to go 'ooooh' before Mina clears her 'throat'.

Rin does a double-take.

There, on the other end of the vast hi-tech basement that costs more than what three generations of Rin's family can ever make, is a tiny beaked creature. As in a creature with a tiny beak. Webbing for ears. One in the centre of her head. Pink scales. And the roundest, most adorable black eyes Rin has ever seen. It twiddles its claws that somehow look like a small baby's chubby hands even though the creature is approximately 20 feet in height. Sato Kenji is flailing his arms, talking to it in a childish voice, trying to get it to calm down while the creature sniffles into its chest.

Rin's hands loosen by her side. "Sato." She says, flat and unemotive, and he whirls around in terror, nostrils flared. His hands clutch the side of his head as he stares at her, aghast. "Is that a baby kaiju in your containment unit?"

Sato Kenji hiccups, transforms into Ultraman in a flash, and hits his head against the ceiling. The little pink kaiju chitters, stomping her feet in delight, and waves cutely at her.

☾ ⋆*･ﾟ:⋆*･