S u n d o w n

by, Mariko Orikam

(This Fic Takes Place During The "A World Apart" Arc)

Her name is Mariko Yashida. She is better known as Sunfire! Not too long ago, Mariko was recruited to join a team of time-lost travelers calling themselves the Exiles. Mariko, like her teammates, is unhinged from time to correct several other realities that made her own reality go wrong. Now, however, she wishes she never joined the Exiles. She wishes she was back home with her strict parents that expect so much from her. She used to hate performing at piano recitals, and working so hard to get straight A's in school...but now, she rather just go back.

But what makes her want to go back home so badly? Well, Mariko and her teammates are trapped in an Earth inhabbited by Skrulls. They have to fight one-on-one against other super beings as a purpose for entertainment. If she doesn't fight, she'll be executed by the skrulls. So with no other alternative, Mariko and her teammates fight to the death against whomever they are put up against.

Mariko is now recovering from a fight with a man named Aloba. He was known as Monsoon before his death. Mariko does not want to admit she has murdered an innocent man who was forced to fight her. She tries to clear her mind and close her eyes to rest. But each time her eyes close, she has a flashback - a flashback of Monsoon starring directly in her eyes with fear. He knew he was going to die. He had fought too many times, and lost too many times. His food rations kept getting lower and lower. He was in no condition to fight Sunfire. But he was forced to anyway. He did not want to hurt Mariko because he knew in the end, he would lose. So instead of making Mariko weaker for her next few fights, he gave in. His attacks were off on purpose. He was not going to harm Mariko at all.

"How are you doing, Mariko?" a gentle voice asks from the cell across from her.

"Not good, T.J....not good at all," Mariko answers.

"Still thinking about, Monsoon, huh?"

"Did you use your telepathy to figure that out?"

"No," Nocturne answers. "I can see it in your eyes."

"Monsoon cared for me, T.J. He purposely didn't put up a fight because he knew he would lose! I should have just increased the temperature and made him pass out...but no, I killed him."

"Mariko! You know the skrulls would have executed you if you pulled that temperature stunt again! You had no choice! I killed several already. Remember that girl named, Sarah?"

"The one that could pull bones from her body?"

"Yeah. I became friends with her during clean up hours. And I still killed her," Nocturne says. "You must let these things go, or else they will come back to kill you."

"What do you mean, come back to kill me?"

"Think of it this way, Mariko. Lets say during your fight with Storm Torch you are thinking about what you did to Monsoon. You'll lose concentration. Torch may defeat you...or worse," Nocturne says grabbing her cell bars.

"But how can I just forget about it?" Sunfire says poking her head through her cell bars.

"You can't forget. You just have to turn your anger into energy so when you fight your next battle, you are even more powerful and ready...that's what I do," Nocturne tries to put on a tough face, but Mariko can see right through it. Nocturne is scared and extremely nervous. But she won't admit it.

"I must get out of her!" Sunfire shouts.

"Mariko! Lower your voice! If the skrulls hear you saying that they'll-"

"I DON'T CARE!!"

"Mariko! Keep your voice down!" Nocturne whispers. "The skrull guards are coming!"

"I DON'T CARE, T.J.! I JUST DON'T CARE!" Mariko hollers. The skrull guards immediately rush to her cell and open the cage door. They take out their clubs and they begin to beat Mariko with them. Nocturne can only just sit there and watch as her friend is severly beaten. After 2 long minutes, the beating comes to an end.

"Look at her lying down their...pathetic," the skrull guard says to his partner.

"I know. She is in no condition to fight...lets put her up against that fire cracker girl," the second skrull guard says.

"I don't know, Ashilm. You think that little girl can handle Sunfire?"

"Look at her Shloam! We just beat Sunfire to the pulp," Ashilm takes Sunfire over his shoulder. "We're bringing her out there in the dome. Go get Jubilation now."

"Yes sir!" Shloam goes left 4 cells down and opens the cage door.

"Huh...what do you want?" the girl starts shaking.

"You're fighting," Shloam says.

"No! Not again!" the girl cries. Shloam grabs her wrist and yanks her out of her cell. He drags her into the dome.

"Well, folks! Would you look at this? A surprise battle!" the first announcer says.

"We didn't even know these two would be fighting! But it looks like our buddies, Ashilm and Shloam, want them to!" the second announcer says.

"I'm not so sure if Sunfire is in any condition to fight!"

"Does it matter? Jubilation is much weaker than Sunfire. So, if Sunfire looks like she is in no condition to fight, I'd say this should be an evenly matched fight."

"I agree with you...WOW! LOOK AT THE TWO GO AT IT!"

"Jubilation just sent a billion of those fire works at Sunfire! Things do not look to good for our favorite fire combatant!"

"Favorite? Sunfire is no way my favorite fire fighter! She always holds back on a good fight! I hope Jubilation wins this one!"

"I'm rooting for Sunfire...WOW! Did you see that? Sunfire just shot a huge blast of flame knocking Jubilation into the back wall! I think our audience is pleased with that last attack!"

"If those announcers don't shut up soon I'm going to go ballistic!" Sunfire thinks. "They were the ones that kept taunting Monsoon as he let me kill him--OWW!!"

"What an attack by Jubilation! It seemed that Sunfire lost her concentration!"

"You don't think she's thinking about that loser, Monsoon, do you?"

"Probably is!"

"MARIKO!" Nocturne yells from her cell watching the fight. "CONCENTRATE! Do not think about Monsoon!"

Sunfire bites her front lip and nods at her friend. She sends several waves of heat at Jubilation knocking Jubilation over once again. Sunfire also falls grabbing her arm in pain from her previous beating she received from the skrull guards.

"Looks like Sunfire's arm is hurting her. I wonder why? Jubilation didn't attack her there! Now you know why Sunfire is not my favorite! If Jubilation doesn't kill her, I hope Storm Torch will!"

"Once Sunfire is well rested, she'll be back in action and she'll destroy Storm Torch!"

"I don't think so..."

"SHUT UP!!!!"

A humongous wave of flame errupts from Sunfire's body making everyone in a 3 mile radius pass out. Jubilation...the prisoned combatants...the audience...the announcers...and the nearby skrull guards all fall with a shade of red emerging from their skin.

"I...I burnt everyone!....too hot!....can barely think....oh Monsoon....why did you let me live?" Sunfire, the last one that was standing in the 3 mile radius, also passes out.

*****

"Huh? Where am I?!" Mariko wakes up in her prison cell.

"Congratulations, Mariko. You just moved up a rank," Nocturne says.

"Nocturne?! Why are you so red?" Mariko asks clenching her cell bars.

"Your fire attack that you did. I got a bad case of sunburn because of you," Nocturne says. "I'm hoping it will turn into a tan."

Mariko cracks a smile, something that she hasn't done in a while.

"Tan on a blue girl? That I would like to see...but, what is this about me doing a fire attack?...oh no! That's right! Is Jubilation okay?!"

"Yes, Mariko. She's okay. The intensity of your blast hit the announcers most. Everyone else just has a bad sunburn."

"Are the skrulls mad at me?"

"Are you kidding? They loved it," Nocturne says. "The skrulls love to see us use our powers and kick ass...they are so shallow that they even love watching their own kind get burnt by you."

"Are the announcers dead?"

"No...they have just been replaced with new ones as they recover from your attack," Nocturne says. "Good going out there."

"Thanks...I think..."

Sunfire walks over to her bed and lies down. She slowly falls asleep. Nocturne watches her friend dose off.

"I know Mariko...this is hard. Every one of those jokes I was making I was saying to relieve you. Blink and Morph will come...they must. If they don't come soon, I fear its too late..."

"AND HERE COMES THE TOUGH THUNDERBIRD LADIES AND GENTLEMEN! HE IS ABOUT TO FIGHT THE MAMMOTH!" a new announcer says.

Nocturne turns around and looks through her cell window facing the battle arena. Her eyes widen.

"NO!" Nocturne gasps. "THUNDERBIRD CAN'T DEFEAT THAT! IT IS TOO LATE!!"