Marvel:Hero

Pain. That was all Ken remembered. The blinding flash of lightning, the deafening roar of thunder, and Doom's cruel laughter echoed endlessly in his mind. He floated in an abyss, untethered and directionless. Somewhere deep inside, a spark of consciousness flickered. But for now, darkness reigned.

Aftermath

The battle was over, but the chaos left behind by Doctor Doom's attack was far from resolved. The Fantastic Four had rallied to fend off the remaining Doom-bots, with the return of Reed Richards, who was late along with Johnny Storm and Sue, incinerating the last of them mid-air. but for some odd reason when they made their way to Ben Grimm, Doom was gone. as if he was never their to begin with. All that was left was Ben Grimm, still battered, who insisted on staying near the unconscious boy who had risked his life to save him.

"Stretch, we're takin' this kid with us," Ben growled, his gravelly voice brooking no argument.

Reed Richards adjusted what looked like high tech glasses, scanning Ken's prone body with a handheld device. "His vitals are... unusual, to say the least. His heart rate is so accelerated our equipment can barely detect it."

Sue Storm, hovering nearby, looked concerned. "If his heart's moving that fast, why isn't he waking up?"

"I don't know," Reed admitted. "But if we leave him here, I doubt he'll last much longer. Ben's right—he's coming with us to the Baxter Building. We owe him that much."

At the Baxter Building

Ken was placed in one of the advanced medical pods, its monitors struggling to keep up with his rapidly shifting vitals. Reed, Sue, and Johnny stood in silence as Ben paced the room.

"This kid's a fighter," Ben muttered. "He ran straight into Doom's line of fire. Gotta respect that."

Reed examined the readouts, his brow furrowed. "It's not just his heart. His entire metabolism is accelerating. He's burning calories at an incredible rate, but his body isn't breaking down under the strain. It's like…"

"Like he's built for speed," Johnny finished, leaning against the wall.

Sue crossed her arms. "But what could've caused this? Doom's lightning?"

Reed nodded. "That would be my guess. But it wasn't ordinary lightning—it was infused with Doom's energy. It's possible it triggered something latent in him like a mutant gene, but we'll need to run more tests once he wakes up. If he wakes up."

Ben slammed his fist into the wall, cracking the reinforced panel. "He'll wake up, Stretch. He's gotta. No kid goes through all that just to end up in a coma."

Nine Months Later

Ken remained unconscious, his body visibly healing faster than any human should. The Fantastic Four took shifts monitoring him, growing increasingly attached to the boy who had saved Ben. They learned his name from his school ID and contacted his parents.

Ken's parents were flown to the Baxter Building immediately after he was identified. His mother's face crumpled upon seeing him hooked up to advanced machinery, lying unresponsive in the medical pod.

"Why isn't he waking up?" She sobbed, clutching her arms desperately.

Reed's voice was calm, though laced with regret. "He's alive, Mrs. Saiki, but his condition is... unprecedented. His body is healing at a rate we've never seen before. His heart is moving so quickly our monitors can't keep up. I assure you, we're doing everything we can."

Ken's father, usually stoic, was pacing furiously. "This isn't fair. He's just a kid! He didn't deserve this. He was supposed to be safe—away from all this madness!"

Ken's mother never left his side, gripping his hand as though her touch could bring him back. "You promised me you'd make me proud," she whispered, her voice breaking. "And you have, my boy. You've made the whole world proud. But I need you to wake up. I need my son back."

a small memory flooded her mind, a memory where a 10 year old ken promised to make them proud of him 

"Don't worry, mom, I'll make you proud."

His parents took turns keeping watch, refusing to leave the Baxter Building despite Reed's reassurances. They became familiar faces among the group, their worry etched in every glance and gesture.

Meanwhile, news of Doom's attack spread. The world speculated on the mysterious teenager who had stood against one of the most dangerous villains alive. Ken Saiki became an unintentional symbol of bravery, even as he lay motionless in the Baxter Building.

But the wait was taking its toll. Ben visited the medical pod daily, muttering encouragement to the unresponsive boy.

"C'mon, kid," he grumbled one day, his voice softer than usual. "You didn't come this far to give up now. You hear me? We're waitin' for ya."

The Awakening

It happened on a quiet night. The Baxter Building was still, save for the soft hum of machinery. Inside the pod, Ken's fingers twitched. His eyes flew open, glowing faintly green for a brief moment before returning to normal.

The monitors went wild, beeping erratically as his heart rate spiked. Reed and Sue rushed in, followed by Johnny and Ben.

"He's awake!" Sue exclaimed, relief flooding her voice.

Ken sat up slowly, his body stiff and aching. His mind raced as fragments of memory returned. The lightning, the rain, Doom's face...

"Where am I?" He croaked, his voice hoarse.

"You're safe, kid," Ben said, stepping forward. "You're in the Baxter Building. You remember anything?"

Ken nodded weakly. "Doom… The lightning… I…" He trailed off, his gaze unfocused.

"Take it easy," Reed said, his tone calm and measured. "You've been through a lot. We'll explain everything once you've had a chance to recover."

they left ken alone so he could rest up

Later that night, Ken found himself alone in the medical bay. Or so he thought. The room grew colder, the air thick with an otherworldly presence.

"Impressive," a deep, unfamiliar voice said.

Ken spun around, his heart pounding. A figure emerged from the shadows—a towering entity cloaked in darkness no it was darkness personified, its features obscured if it even had any.

"Who… Who are you?" Ken demanded, his voice trembling.

"You've already met one of my agents," the figure replied. "Truck-kun, I believe you called him."

Ken's blood ran cold. "You… You're the one who sent me here."

anger burned inside Ken

The figure chuckled, the sound echoing ominously. "Indeed. I am the one who gave you this second chance. And I must say, you've already proven yourself quite entertaining."

"Entertaining?" Ken repeated, anger flaring in his chest. "You think this is a game?"

"Life is a game," the figure said. "And you are a player. But you've only just begun to scratch the surface of your potential. The lightning was merely the first step. There is much more to come."

Ken clenched his fists, his fear giving way to determination. "What do you want from me?"

The figure's eyes gleamed with an eerie light. "I want you to run, Ken Saiki. Run faster than anyone ever has. Defy the limits of this world. And, above all, survive."

Before Ken could respond, the figure vanished, leaving him alone in the dimly lit room.

For the first time since waking up, Ken smiled faintly. "Run, huh? Guess I'll have to give it my best shot."