ULTRA AI

Chapter 27: We're not so different after all

Marine, the king of Oceanian, had brought Tiffany, the techno witch, down into the sea to dwell with him and his people after their last encounter with the Ultra Family. The encounter had resolved some conflicts between their teams and revealed the betrayal of the Super Twins. As Tiffany beheld the beauty of the ocean that Marine showed her, she couldn't help but think to herself, "Down in the ocean is truly a beautiful and massive world, an entire city where they all live. It's like another world beneath the surface."

They found themselves in Marine's private empire, a majestic place adorned with precious stones and pearls. The Oceanian kingdom seemed to lack nothing, with the ability to breathe underwater and communicate with the creatures of the deep.

"You have a beautiful home down here," said the Techno Witch. "I've always been drawn to the sea, even when I was a kid."

Marine proposed that they try to understand each other better and asked Tiffany to share why they each did what they did. Thus, Tiffany began to reminisce about her past.

"Before my parents died, my mom was an actress and a part-time street performer for magicians who dabbled in real magic. She also joined the circus at times. The way my parents met was a bit awkward and romantic at the same time. My dad was both a magician and an engineer, and he sought to combine both disciplines in his performances. He met my mother during a live theater show, and it was as if they were meant for each other. Their love grew every day, and they eventually decided to leave their old jobs and team up as partners after they got married. Several months later, my mother gave birth to me. I grew up idolizing both of them, and I developed a love for acting. My father also introduced me to the scientific aspects of his work and taught me a few magic tricks from his sleeves."

"One day, before my father passed away," Tiffany continued, "he told me that he had discovered something extraordinary, something he had made just for me. Knowing my love for acting and magic, he wanted to create something special. That day, he presented me with a tech wand, infused with a powerful enchantment crafted by both him and my mother. It was meant to protect me and allow me to explore the world of magic."

As Tiffany shared her story with Marine, their bond deepened, and they began to realize that despite their different backgrounds and abilities, they were more alike than they had initially thought.

On the day of their last act, when I was with them, they were targeted by unknown gunmen who wanted to end their successful careers. During their final performance, I was placed in a box for a disappearing act. Tragically, that was the day they were both shot before my very eyes. The gunmen believed they had eliminated my entire family, but I managed to memorize their faces - all six of them. In the aftermath, as the audience scattered in panic, I emerged from my hiding place in the box. With no one around and nobody calling for help, I found myself alone to grieve for my parents.

The days went by as I was left to fend for myself for years, roaming from street to street. No one wanted me, not even the orphanage homes. They rejected me, seeing me as an outsider, and I was forced to sleep on the streets until I became a teenager. One night, while seeking shelter in an abandoned building, I believed I had found a moment of respite where no one could see me. However, that night, my world shattered when six horrifying men approached me. They took advantage of my vulnerability and subjected me to unspeakable acts of s****l a***e, each one taking their turn without mercy.

But fate granted me a chance for redemption on a rainy night. It was those very same six assailants, drunk and driven by their base desires, who unknowingly provided an opportunity for justice. As they finished and prepared to depart, something awakened within me. Fear transformed into strength, and the tech wand my father had crafted for me began to glow in my hand, imbuing me with an overwhelming surge of power that coursed through my entire body. In that moment, I realized that I never knew them by their names, yet I called each and every one of them out by name. Their expressions turned to terror as they realized I knew who they truly were. With my newfound power and resolve, I vowed to ensure that their breaths would be their last. That night, fueled by a vow to seek retribution for my parents and myself, I confronted them where they stood, knowing that every breath they took would be their last.

I killed them all even when they begged for mercy, I watched them die by my hands as I sniff the life out of each and everyone of them brutally for what they did. And from that moment, I knew my parents were always with me as I saw their spirit looked down on me with a smile, I knew I was destined for greatness and had to start my life afresh.

I became an actress for a while, although things didn't end perfectly for my old job as they thought of my performance to be too aggressive even when they deemed it fit for my acting career, but I guess society could never be satisfied with what we offer to them and ever since then, I vowed to take vengeance on those who wish me harm.

"I guess we're not so different after all," Marine said, understandingly. "Society can be harsh, which is why I protect my own people. I've come to realize that we should take a break from all of this unless trouble finds us."

"Us?" Tiffany responded, confused.

Marine gently took Tiffany's hands, expressing his love and trying to make her understand that he only agreed to follow the Techno Witch (Tiffany) because he cared for her. The reason he attacked the surface dwellers was because they polluted the ocean. Marine made Tiffany see that they could start anew and have a fresh beginning in the sea, as long as they were together.

He also explained that the Ultra Family were not a threat but instead a group of heroes who kept the planet safe. Marine helped Tiffany see the other side of life and pointed out that Tetraman might just be the villain in their world, with others yet to come. He assured Tiffany that they could live happily if they abandoned their old life of crime, as he deeply cared for her and his people in the ocean.

Tiffany pondered his words, gradually seeing reason in them. She realized that no matter how good or bad they were, society would always judge or condemn them. Both of them had been blinded by society's rage turning against them, but now they had the chance to make a difference. Tiffany agreed to change her ways and began to live with the Oceanians in the ocean. She also gained the ability to breathe underwater.

As the days turned into years, they fell in love, and from that moment on, Tiffany was crowned as the queen of the Oceanians. Together, they developed their kingdom further. Tiffany shared her knowledge of spells with the Oceanians, and they, in turn, shared their wisdom with her. Their civilization became advanced and superior, both underwater and on land. They vowed never to interfere with the activities of the surface dwellers or other heroes and villains, dedicating their loyalty to their people in the sea.

As time passed, Tiffany gave birth to a son with Marine, who would eventually become the future king of the Oceanians. This child inherited all the extraordinary abilities of an Oceanian, including superhuman strength both on land and in water, enhanced speed, flight, durability, stamina, invulnerability, accelerated regenerative healing, resurrection, immortality, empathy, resistance to extreme temperatures, heightened intelligence and senses, mastery of magic and spellcasting, the capacity to perceive and manipulate magical energies, expertise in combat, marksmanship, and tactics, the ability to resist hypnosis, magic, and spells, near-invulnerability only susceptible to an Oceanian trident crafted from raw Xentorium fragments or a Xentorium core, heightened agility and endurance, the ability to communicate with creatures of the sea and land, the power of the Oceanian trident amplifying his abilities, the aptitude to comprehend all languages, invisibility, telepathy, telekinesis, astral projection, hydrokinesis, cryokinesis, and pyrokinesis.

His name is Marine D.