Perman: Coming of Age - Chapter 2: Tokyo Honors the Permans
The emergency call reached Perman halfway through his evening patrol.
**Multiple explosives planted. Suspects fleeing the scene. Immediate assistance required.**
Perman changed direction instantly.
Less than fifteen seconds later, he landed outside Nakamura Tower in downtown Tokyo.
The scene was chaos.
Police cars blocked every street. Officers were rushing civilians away from the area while bomb disposal units frantically unloaded equipment.
The police commissioner ran toward him the moment he landed.
"Perman!"
"What happened?"
"A terrorist group planted explosives throughout the building," the commissioner explained hurriedly. "They escaped before we could surround the area."
"How many bombs?"
"Forty-three confirmed so far."
Perman's expression darkened.
"How much time?"
The commissioner pointed toward a monitor.
**00:01:27**
One minute and twenty-seven seconds.
"The suspects are currently escaping in a heavily armored van heading east on the Metropolitan Expressway," another officer added. "But right now, the bombs are our priority."
Perman nodded.
"I'll take care of it."
Without another word, he shot into the building.
---
Perman moved through Nakamura Tower like a red-and-blue blur.
One bomb.
Two bombs.
Five.
Detonators were ripped from walls. Trigger circuits were crushed.
But there were too many.
Far too many.
Even at super speed, Perman could feel precious seconds slipping away.
**00:00:34**
Twenty-one bombs remained.
Sweat rolled down Mitsuo's forehead.
He accelerated.
Another bomb.
Disabled.
Another.
Disabled.
**00:00:15**
Twelve bombs remained.
Perman stopped.
No matter how fast he moved, he wasn't going to make it.
For the first time in years, Earth's greatest hero found himself completely powerless.
The countdown continued.
**00:00:05**
Then a powerful gust swept through the building.
A pink blur burst through the shattered windows.
Pako.
Without wasting a single second, she flew to the center of the lobby and took a deep breath.
**00:00:03**
A freezing storm erupted from her mouth.
**FWOOOOOOOSH!**
A wave of ice raced through the entire building.
Hallways.
Elevator shafts.
Ventilation ducts.
Every remaining explosive and detonator was instantly encased in thick frost.
"Perman now!"
Years of fighting side by side had made explanations unnecessary.
Perman's eyes glowed crimson.
Beams of Heat Vision flashed throughout the frozen building with incredible precision, safely burning away the now-neutralized explosive compounds before they could detonate.
**00:00:00**
Silence.
A few seconds later, the bomb squad cautiously entered the building.
Every explosive had been rendered harmless.
Tokyo was safe.
---
"They're still tracking the terrorists," the police commissioner informed them through their communicators. "The suspects are escaping on the Metropolitan Expressway."
Perman and Pako exchanged a glance.
Then they took off.
---
The armored van tore through traffic at nearly one hundred and fifty kilometers per hour.
Inside, the terrorists were already celebrating.
"We actually did it!"
One of them looked out the rear window.
His face turned pale.
"P-Perman!"
Before anyone could react, Perman appeared alongside the speeding vehicle.
His eyes glowed red.
Twin beams of Heat Vision struck the van.
The door, wheel assemblies, and weapon ports glowed bright orange as the armored metal rapidly melted.
"Pako!"
Pako swooped down immediately.
A freezing gust blasted the superheated vehicle.
**CRACK!**
The sudden temperature change warped the vehicle's frame.
The wheels locked.
The doors fused shut.
The entire van skidded to a halt.
Inside, the terrorists desperately tried to escape.
The doors wouldn't budge.
Seconds later, Perman landed in front of the immobilized vehicle while Pako hovered overhead.
"The ride's over," Perman said calmly.
Police arrived moments later to take the stunned criminals into custody.
As the officers led the terrorists away, cheers erupted from the crowd gathering nearby.
"Perman!"
"Pako!"
"Thank you!"
Pako smiled and waved.
Beside her, Perman did the same.
Another ordinary day for Earth's greatest heroes.
---
As police officers rushed to secure the scene, Perman looked toward Pako.
"We should get going."
Pako nodded.
The two heroes shot into the night sky just as reporters and emergency crews began pouring into the area.
From high above, they could still hear the cheers rising from the streets below.
"Perman!" "Pako!" "Thank you!"
Soon, the sounds of the city faded behind them.
As the cheers of the crowd faded below them, Pako turned toward Perman with a smug grin.
"So, Perman."
"...What?"
"Nothing. I was just wondering what would've happened if I wasn't there for you."
Perman looked away.
"I would've figured something out."
"Oh, really?" Pako asked. "Because from where I was watching, it looked like Earth's greatest hero had completely run out of ideas."
"I had not."
"You stopped moving."
"I was thinking."
"For ten whole seconds?"
"I was assessing the situation."
Pako burst out laughing.
"That's a funny way of saying 'panicking.'"
"I was not panicking."
Perman crossed his arms.
She burst out laughing and sped ahead.
"C'mon, slowpoke! We've still got a city to protect!"
Perman sighed before flying after her.
Some things, it seemed, never changed.
----
The next morning, Mitsuo arrived at university just in time for his first lecture.
He had barely taken his seat when someone dropped into the chair beside him.
"Mitsuo! There you are!" the newcomer said, slightly out of breath. "I've been looking everywhere for you."
Mitsuo didn't even look up from unpacking his books.
"Good morning, Kenji."
Mitsuo wasn't particularly close to many people at university. As he had grown older, he had become increasingly reserved, preferring to keep to himself.
Kenji Sato was one of the few people at the university Mitsuo considered a genuine friend.
"Did you see the news?" Kenji asked excitedly, already pulling out his phone.
Mitsuo shook his head.
"I just woke up."
Kenji sighed.
"Of course you didn't."
He shoved his phone in front of Mitsuo.
The headline read:
**TOKYO TO HONOR THE PERMANS FOR SAVING CITY**
"The ceremony's tonight," Kenji said excitedly. "The Governer himself is presenting them with awards!"
Mitsuo blinked.
"Oh."
Kenji stared at him.
"'Oh'? That's all you've got?"
"What else am I supposed to say?"
Before Kenji could answer, a group of girls sitting nearby joined the conversation.
"Are you guys talking about Perman?"
"He was amazing yesterday!"
"I watched the footage like five times!"
"I know! He's so cool!"
One girl sighed dreamily.
"I wonder what Perman looks like under his helmet."
Another giggled.
"Who cares? I'd marry him either way."
The group burst into laughter.
Kenji chuckled.
"See? Half the university is in love with him."
Mitsuo quietly opened his notebook.
"Good for him."
None of the girls paid him any attention.
Their conversation quickly returned to Perman.
"Anyway, a bunch of us are going to the ceremony after classes," Kenji said. "You should come."
Mitsuo shook his head.
"I can't. I have work."
"Can't you take a day off from the bakery?" Kenji asked.
Mitsuo shook his head.
"We're short-staffed."
Kenji sighed.
"You work too much, you know that?"
"I like being busy."
"No, you don't," Kenji said. "You're just weird."
Mitsuo allowed himself a small smile.
"Maybe."
"One day, I'm dragging you out somewhere whether you like it or not."
"Good luck with that."
The professor entered the classroom before Kenji could respond, bringing the conversation to an end.
---
That evening, Tokyo Metropolitan Government Plaza was packed.
Hundreds of people had gathered beneath the bright lights and television cameras, all eager to catch a glimpse of the city's heroes.
The Governor stepped up to the podium.
"Yesterday, thanks to the courage and quick actions of Perman and Pako, a terrible tragedy was prevented. On behalf of the people of Tokyo, and indeed all of Japan, I would like to express our deepest gratitude."
A murmur swept through the crowd as Perman and Pako gracefully swooped down from the evening sky, landing side by side on the stage.
The plaza erupted into cheers.
"Perman!"
"Pako!"
"Thank you!"
Perman and Pako waved to the cheering crowd.
A few minutes later, after several speeches, photographs, and far more handshakes than Perman cared for, the formal ceremony finally came to an end.
That was when the real trouble began.
Almost immediately, reporters and fans rushed forward.
"Perman! Over here!"
"Can I get your autograph?"
"Perman, one picture please!"
Perman quickly found himself surrounded.
People from all over Tokyo eagerly pushed notebooks, posters, and even pieces of paper toward him.
"Perman, you're amazing!"
"You were so cool yesterday!"
"Thank you for protecting us!"
A young boy pushed his way through the crowd, clutching a Perman action figure.
"M-Mister Perman... could you sign this?"
Perman accepted the toy and nodded.
"Of course."
The boy beamed as Perman handed it back.
"Thank you, Perman!"
Nearby, Pako watched the entire exchange.
At first, she found it amusing.
Then another girl appeared.
Then another.
And another.
"Perman, do you have a girlfriend?"
"What kind of girls do you like?"
"Would you ever date a fan?"
Pako folded her arms.
Pako's eye twitched.
“…I’m standing right here too, you know,” she muttered.
A nearby reporter overheard her.
"Pako, do you agree that Perman is popular with women?"
Pako went still for a moment.
Her gaze drifted toward the girls still buzzing around Perman.
Then she forced a smile.
“Oh, absolutely,” she said.
The words came out smooth—but her jaw was tight, and her fingers curled slightly at her side.
“He’s very popular,” she added, a little too quickly.
Meanwhile, Perman barely seemed to register any of it.
His attention had already shifted away from the crowd of fangirls and reporters surrounding him.
For a moment, he stood still—looking distant, as if searching for someone.
Before he could figure out why, a familiar voice called out from the crowd.
"Perman!"
Mitsuo turned.
Standing near the back was Kenji, waving both arms wildly.
"Over here!"
Despite himself, Perman smiled beneath his helmet.
He raised a hand and waved.
For a brief moment, Kenji froze.
Then he exploded.
"HE WAVED AT ME!"
Several students standing beside him burst out laughing as Kenji nearly fell over in excitement.
Pako glanced between Perman and the overly excited university student.
"You know him?" she asked once the crowd had calmed down.
Perman nodded.
"A friend from university."
For a brief moment, her eyes stayed there—on the back of the crowd, on the boy waving at him.
Then another cheer from the fangirls snapped her attention back.
Pako’s jaw tightened.
“…Tch.”
Her gaze didn’t leave Perman.
Eventually, the crowd began to settle, and the two heroes finally took off into the sky.
---
The moment they were airborne, Pako crossed her arms.
"So."
Perman sighed.
"What now?"
Another brief pause.
Then Pako finally spoke, her tone casual—but a little too controlled.
“You certainly seemed popular back there.”
Perman let out a small sigh, like he was already tired of the topic.
“…I guess.”
Pako finally glanced at him.
“You really enjoyed that back there, didn’t you?”
Perman blinked.
“What?”
“All those girls.”
Her tone sharpened slightly.
“Crowding you, screaming your name, acting like you’re some kind of hotshot.”
She paused, then added under her breath—
“…You didn’t even stop them.”
Perman let out a small sigh.
“It’s not like that.”
Pako clicked her tongue softly.
“Then what is it like?”
He shrugged.
“They were just excited.”
That made her expression tighten.
“…Excited.”
Silence stretched for a moment.
Then Pako tilted her head slightly.
“So you like it.”
Perman frowned.
“What?”
“All of it. The attention. The way they look at you.”
Her eyes narrowed.
“That’s why you don’t stop them, right?”
For the first time, Perman looked visibly frustrated.
The wind rushed between them.
Perman exhaled slowly.
“They don’t like me.”
Pako froze slightly.
“What?”
“They like Perman.”
Silence.
This time, it felt like an answer that left no room for a reply.
Pako stared at him.
For a moment, her irritation didn’t come back.
It just… stalled.
“…That’s not—”
She stopped herself.
Her expression softened slightly, almost without her noticing.
For a brief moment, something in her gaze shifted—less annoyance, more understanding.
Almost sympathy.
Perman glanced toward her.
“What?”
“Nothing.”
She turned her face away quickly.
But this time, she didn’t sound angry anymore.
Just quieter.
And neither of them spoke again as they continued their patrol beneath the lights of Tokyo.