Hayato "Quetzal" Shimizu
Hayato "Quetzal" Shimizu
yoshiki_227.jpg
Portrayed By Yoshiki Hayashi
Gender Male
Date of Birth May 1, 1970
Age 41
Zodiac Sign Taurus, Year of the Dog
Aliases Quetzal, Pretty Boy
Place of Birth Kyoto, Japan
Current Location New York City
Occupation Barnes Instructor, SHIELD agent
Known Relatives Midori (Twin Sister), Haruka (Younger Sister), Hideki (Father) and Karou (Mother)
Significant Other ???
Identity Know to Goverment
Known Abilities Linguistics, Animal Spirit
First Appearance ???

History

Life is full of twists and turns, choices and paths, highs and lows. If you told me twenty-five years ago I would be where I was, I would have doubted you. I was born in Kyoto, Japan and I learned to appreciate the shrines and beauty of Kyoto. My father, Shimizu Hideki, was a strict but fair man and my mother, Shimizu Kaoru, was gentle and beautiful. I know, it sounds like something out of a novel, but it’s the truth. I had two sisters, a younger sister Haruka and a twin sister named Midori. We had a small traditional looking house, we had cats and we had a garden.

I have many fond childhood memories, and some I would have liked to have forgotten at the time but now I am glad that I hold onto them. Being the only boy with two sisters lead to some…embarrassing moments. Also it meant that I had quite a bit of responsibility with being the only son. I did well in school and took the entrance exams for a good High School and that’s when my sister Haruka and I were first separated. Being twins the two of us were awfully close but with me going away to an all boys boarding school she couldn’t go to the same High School.

At Meitoku Gijuku High School, the boarding school I attended, things changed in my life. I wouldn’t say for the better or for the worst just, I became more rebellious in some ways. Hanging around with all boys I got into drinking, smoking, wanting to wear my hair long, listening to rock music and that sort of thing. I didn’t get into too much trouble but being away from my family and being surrounded by friends, it was easy to stretch my wings, and stretch the rules. My grades didn’t suffer and I managed to keep good enough grades to stay in school. I came home on weekends and got to spend some much missed time with my twin sister.

It was during my time at Meitoku Gijuku I discovered that I had a talent for languages. I just found that I could pick up and understand foreign languages with ease. It made listening to bands like Aerosmith, Bon Jovi and Bruce Springsteen more fun now that I could understand what they were saying. I got top marks in my English class but I never thought much about why language was so easy for me. I was a teenager who had an easy time passing a class, why should I question it? I know now that I should have but we all make foolish mistakes as teenagers, don’t we? I didn’t even tell my sister about this talent with languages even though we talked regularly through the phone on almost a nightly basis. (Many of my friends at Meitoku Gijuku wanted to meet my sister and wanted me to arrange a date with her for them, typical teenage boys.)

It was also in High School where I started taking piano lessons and participated in Badminton Club and Calligraphy club after school. It was also during my second to last year of school when I decided what I wanted to do once I graduated - I wanted to fly. Not like a comic book character, but planes. I wanted to join the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and learn to fly. I wanted to become a fighter pilot. I knew my family wouldn’t be happy with this decision, as they wanted me to go into a field similar to my fathers such as banking or something respectable. So once I graduated, I got the nerve up to tell my family what I did.

Once I turned eighteen I decided to join the Air Self-Defense Force and I signed up to go shortly after I graduated. It wasn’t until after graduation that I told my family what I did and where I would go in a few weeks. My parents were not thrilled with the idea nor was my twin sister but since I had already signed the paper work it was set. After a few silent dinners my father finally sat down with me and we discussed it. After a long discussion, I got his approval with the promise to write weekly. The next few weeks passed quickly and the night before my family had a nice dinner for me as a farewell.

The next day was my first day in the Japan Air Self-Defense Force and I was stationed in Kanazawa/Komatsu. I knew my former life was over and a new one was beginning after the first day. I did not realize how hard the training would be but I kept pushing myself and after a while everything just came together. Three months into my training I was called into to speak to the higher ups. The blood tests they did, something was off with mine. After further testing it was revealed that I was a mutant. I had no clue and after many questions, and assuring them that I did not know, nor did I know of any super powers, they wanted to run some more tests as long as it was kept quiet among the few people who knew.

I continued my training and took the proper tests; I was going to be a fighter pilot, depending on the other tests. Only the few higher ups knew that I was going for more blood work tests, endurance tests, strength testing and such to see what they could find. It wasn’t until a foreigner came onto base, someone from Great Britain, that light was shed on the matter. I could understand what the British Major was saying and I could speak English, in his accent. It was a surprise to both myself and everyone in the area. One of my higher ups decided to test a theory and started throwing books at me to read to him, it was only after I was on the fourth book did I realize they were all in different languages. We had found out what gift my X-Gene had triggered.

My training became tougher after that, I was to continue training with my squadron – 303 Hikotai - and continue flight lessons while during my ‘free time’ I was to explore the limits of my ability with my superior. There did not see to be a limit as to what I could read. I was happy, in part because I had super powers but that I was allowed to stay in the Air Self-Defense Force and continue training to be a pilot. The linguistics was a side job at the moment; they had me translating various documents and ordered me to keep quiet on my ability and what I was doing.

The years flew by and next thing I knew I was twenty-six years old and I was about to get out of the Air-Defense. In those eight years I learned a lot, developed may friends, worsened my smoking habit, became quite the fighter pilot and was in the best shape of my life. Though I never saw any real, non-simulated, combat during my time there. I wanted to stay in the Air-Defense longer but I knew I should return home and see my family. When I came home it was my entire family was there to great me. I got to meet my twin sister’s fiancé for the first time, and I did approve of him. What shocked me the most was how much my little sister had grown. She was an awkward fourteen-year-old girl who was now twenty.

I got to spend the first New Years with my family for the first time in eight years. My mother made toshikoshi soba and I had a lot of fun. It was nice to be with my family again. I got teased for not having a girlfriend; I don’t have much luck with women. Going to an all boys school and then into the Air-Self Defense Force, I did not have much time for women, though there were a few I flirted with at bars. That New Years night I felt kind of guilty, I made my New Years wish to be able to fly again and be able to be back in the military using my gift. A few days later I confided to my twin sister my gift with languages and that I was a mutant. I made her promise not to tell our parents or our little sister. In return she made me promise not to tell our family her secret – that she was able to make duplicates of herself. It seems both Midori and I had inherited this X-Gene.

The months passed and I cannot lie and I found that I was bored. I had a job working as a waiter at a local noodle house but it was not fulfilling in anyway. I wanted to be back in the skies, back in the military and I was regretting not signing up for longer. It wasn’t until July of 1997 while I was working at the noodle house that a Chinese man approached me and he asked if I had time to talk. I took my break and I found out he was actually Chinese-American named Jimmy Woo and that he had a job offer for me. I was very skeptical at first as this was just crazy. He showed me some credentials that read SHIELD, Strategic, Hazard Intervention, Espionage Logistics Directorate.

We talked for a long while, Mr. Woo, sorry Agent Woo, said he needed someone with my abilities, my piloting skills and my linquistics. He explained everything and gave me only a few days to consider before the offer was no longer ‘on the table’ as he put it. I talked it over with Midori and even though I knew very little about this, I found I wanted to do it. It wasn’t until after I signed the paper that I told my family that I had found a job. The catch was that I had to go to America in a week.

It was easier leaving this time then for the Air Self-Defense Force as I was twenty-seven and more sure in what I wanted. After some hard good-byes and promises to return home when I could, I set off for America. It was like starting in the Air Self-Defense Force all over again. The training was harder though. It was more focused on hand to hand combat and marksmanship, a lot more rules and regulations. Unlike in Japan, my training with SHIELD lasted two years with learning combat, how to fly their planes (I wish I could tell you about them, they were straight out of a Sci-Fi manga), survival situations where they would drop us in remote locations and give our group of four or five men a week to reach a certain point, and honed my powers to learn to read things smoother and faster. Language was becoming a non-existent barrier for me.

Finally when I was twenty-nine they put our squad together, it was me and three other men, Marcel “Ripper” Elliam, Byron “Lake” Johnson and Shon. We called ourselves the Nightwolves. I did have a nickname as well; as they tended to call me PrettyBoy or Asia. With Shon, we never knew if it was his name or just a nickname. Our job was to fly into places and gather information. Recon type missions, but we did face our fair share of combat. My job was to fly the plane and to be the linguist. It started off with some smaller missions and worked it’s way up till it seemed like every other month we were sent to some strange location to deal with HYDRA, AIM or some other organization that threatened the world. Over the years I developed a tight bond with my companions and we were like brothers.

Years passed and mission after mission seemed to blend together. Each one we got out of alive seemed to have us grow closer. About once a year I was able to go home and visit with my family and I was able to return home for Midori’s wedding but other than those few vacations, I was with the Nightwolves. I was also becoming a bit more Americanized even though I was trying to hold onto my Japanese traditions. Through the years we would go to bars together, get into fights, scour the town, we were closer than family. We even got matching ‘Nightwolves’ tattoos together. I dated a few girls here and there but nothing was permanent. With this lifestyle, I did not want a serious relationship.

I was twenty-nine when I started with SHIELD and I was thirty-eight now, the Nightwolves had been a team for nine years. We were sent to Mexico to see what we could find out about HYDRA setting up a small base in one of the rainforests. It wasn’t your typical HYDRA operation from what we were told. It was a small Mexican faction that HYDRA was using to smuggle their weapons and experiments. We were just there to gather the intel we needed to shut them down.

We landed in a small village and took a jeep out to the rainforest where we were left alone to set up camp, the usual. Lake and I set up camp while Shon and Ripper scouted the area to see what they could find. Hours later we were looking over maps with our pen lights, trying to be as discrete as possible, with our MRE dinner, discussing a plan to get into their base when we were ambushed.

We were outnumbered at least five to one, and twenty guys with their rifles already pointed at us, fighting back would have been suicide. We had to surrender. Our hands were bounded and we were blindfolded as they lead us away from the camp. I don’t know how far or long we walked but eventually we were pushed onto some sort of vehicle and driven some where. It was a long drive which did take several days I believe, and I could tell they weren’t taking us to the base we were initially going to infiltrate. We were a long way from target and from home.

I must have been sleeping when we finally stopped cause I felt them lifting me out of the vehicle and pushing me somewhere. Eventually I was led indoors somewhere, down some stairs and then my hands were untied and I was shoved into a room. When I took of my blindfold I could tell I was alone in a small, dark, damp and cold cell. There was just a small amount of light that was able to come through a tiny window I couldn’t reach, at least that was also a bit of fresh air. I could make out a place to sleep and a toilet, which was it.

Days passed then weeks and then what I think was months. I have no clue, no one came to talk to me and the only human interaction I had was someone passing food through a small slot in the door once a day. I didn’t care what they were feeding me, I was hungry and it was food. I can’t say I went through the ordeal calmly, some days I was better than others. I could tell my leg wasn’t doing well, some days I’d cry, some days I’d scream for help. Being in the dark, alone was horrible and if it wasn’t for the food they gave me daily, I would have thought they forgot about me or left me there to die.

I don’t know how much time passed but eventually someone came to my cell, and I could understand them. They had orders to kill my companions and me, which was good news and bad news. Good news was that my friends were still alive; the bad news was that we were going to be killed. Before I could think much more on that I was grabbed and dragged outside. The sunlight was painful on my eyes as they led me across the ground. I wasn’t able to get a good look at where we were and before my eyes could adjust to the light I was shoved forward and I felt myself falling. After a bit I landed on some earth and I heard a loud crack as I landed on my leg wrong.

The pain was horrible as I sat there with my broken leg, I could feel the bone had broken through my skin. I had trouble seeing still but feeling around I could tell I was in a pit dug in the ground and that there were bones and other horrors on ground. Once night came I could see I was in trouble as a steel grate was well over fifteen feet above my head and I knew that I was left here to die along side the sorry bastard who did before me. I don’t want to tell you what else I saw in this pit or what the smell was like but I won’t lie that I got sick and then cried.

Days passed and my leg got worse, I could tell it was getting infected and that’s probably what was going to kill me. One night, while crying, I heard a voice: “Why are you crying?” Was what it asked, in small voice as if it was a young boy. I looked up and around and saw nothing. I asked if anyone was there and the response from the same voice was “You understand me?” It was my gift with languages able to understand this young boy and we began to talk. I don’t’ know why but I told the voice that I was scared, that I didn’t want to die. Maybe I figured it couldn’t hurt and finally having someone to talk to was a comfort.

The voice told me his story as well, He told me his name was Verde and he was a spiritual companion to one of the deceased. He was magically linked to one of men who died in here. That when he died, Verde was released and couldn’t do anything but linger in this death trap. I was the first person to understand his language, which was some type of magical language. Verde said he should have died when his companion did but they separated him from his companion, there was a pull between the two and Verde couldn‘t do anything to help him. Upon his companions death, he some how managed to release Verde causing the magical being to survive but not able to communicate with anyone.

Verde made me an offer, that he could bind himself to me and try to get the two of us out of there. I would be a help to me and a help to him so figuring that it was agreeing to this with disembodied voice, Verde, or death, I agreed. Verde did something, said some words that I understood but didn’t make sense to and when he was done I felt a pull at my spirit. I screamed, as it was painful. A piece of me was being pulled and torn out of me and it hurt on a physical and spiritual level. I cried for Verde to stop, screamed for him too, but it didn’t end. Finally when it was over I was on the ground curled up among the dead, gasping for air. In front of my face was a bird, a Quetzal, and it spoke in Verde’s voice. He apologized to me, explained that he needed a piece of me to take form and the bond I felt with the creature was unexplainable. I knew what he was thinking and he knew what I was. We could feel each other and I wanted nothing more but to be with Verde forever.

Verde flew up and from the Quetzal he turned into a Gorilla in which he opened the top for me. Now I knew why they separated him from his previous companion. He found some rope up top and together I was able to get free. I thought for sure HYDRA would be above from all my screaming but I guess they’re used to the screams of those left to die. I found Ripper and Shon in two similar pits like mine and was able to help them up but I couldn’t find Lake. The three of us….now four with Verde, didn’t want to leave Lake behind but we didn’t have the stamina, capability or equipment to find him. I was having enough trouble walking as it was.

We stayed quiet as we snuck around the camp, Verde changing back into a Quetzal and scouting the area. While Shon and Ripper helped me walk. We had to be quick and find the best way out of there, and with Quetzal now a part of me he knew my piloting skills. He found their small plane and we were able to get there. We got on board but as soon as I started up the engine, our captors were alerted to our escape. I had to move fast as they started to open fire on us as I started to drive the plane forward. Bullets ricocheted of the metal siding as started to get the plane going for take off.

I didn’t think about things until we were in the air and trying to get communications with SHIELD going. I wasn’t even sure where exactly we were which isn’t exactly safe for flying but it was better than nothing. After a few readings and after contact was established with SHIELD, I found out were around a thousand miles from where we started off as we were somewhere in Costa Rica now. A meet up point was established and we were finally free.

We were checked out by SHIELD as the three us were severely malnourished, my leg turned out to be broken and infected and they did their best to set it. I had become sensitive to light and we found out how long we were missing for, nine months. I had to have some surgery done on my leg but the nature of the break and leaving it for several days, I ended up stuck with a limp and would need a cane to help me walk. After a few weeks questions were asked by SHIELD and what answers we had were given. I had to explain my new companion, Verde and anything we knew of what happened.

SHIELD ended up raiding the base while we were recovering, leveling most the place and they were able to find out that Lake died in captivity, that was why we couldn’t find him. After his funeral we were also told that our squad, the Nightwolves, were disbanded and that we would no longer be field agents. I wasn’t surprised and for the next few months I was in rehab for my leg and therapy. My family was allowed to come to America to visit and after spending time with them, I found I was relieved to be able to ‘retire’. I mean I was getting close to forty as my birthday was coming up, maybe it was time to settle down.

Months passed, as did more therapy and physical therapy. My eyes were getting better and I was getting used to walking with a cane. I took up piano again and calligraphy at my therapists request as I found it relaxing. I had a lot of trouble adjusting but it would have been worse if I didn’t have Verde with me. I found his presence a comfort and it was nice to know that I wouldn’t be alone. I even started going by Agent Quetzal and introducing myself as that, something about seeing Verde as a Quetzal for the first time has stuck with me.

I didn’t quit SHIELD or retire but I got a nice desk job doing translations on more of a home front. I did this for a few months before I was approached to work as SHIELD as a bit of a liaison. With my gift with languages and with having Verde I was a good candidate to recruit kids into the school. They also wanted me to work with the kids teaching various languages, which I don’t know if I can do, but they need teachers. They told me I could also teach flying lessons.

I’m still adjusting to all of this and just got back from staying with Midori for three months in Japan. I’ve caught up a lot with my family and especially my sister Midori, who has two kids now. My youngest sister was married as well and has one kid, so I finally got to meet my nephews and niece. A lot of my stories can’t be told but the ones that can, my family knows. I appreciate my family and life a lot more now after that ordeal and I cried when Midori and I were parted again. That was the only time I did but we promised to talk regularly.

It’s been over a year since we were rescued and I’m still adjusting a bit. I’m getting my stuff ready to move into Barnes, using my savings to finally get that grand piano I wanted and some furniture for my small room at Barnes. I still talk to Shon and Ripper and we try to get together on a regular basis but it seems that the Nightwolves are growing apart. I don’t mind that I need a cane to walk now and that my right leg is bum, maybe it will keep me out of trouble. Who knows, maybe I’ll finally settle down, Verde and I.

Theme Songs

Art of Life By X Japan
For Whom The Bell Tolls by Metallica
It's My Life by Bon Jovi

Powers

Linguistics – Quetzal has the ability to speak, read, write and understand any language created on Earth by humans. This could be dead languages such as Hieroglyphs and Latin to modern languages such as English and Spanish. He can also read body language, sign language, magic languages, computer languages and even a made up language as long as a human created it. He cannot understand animals or read any alien languages. When speaking to someone who speaks another language he will use their accent as he’s picking up the language from them. The only time he doesn’t use another’s accent is when he’s speaking his native tongue, Japanese. If he lost his powers, Japanese would be the only language he would know.

Timeline

  • What's happened since you've been approved?

Quotes

  • "I said it!"

Trivia

  • Quetzal was in the Japan Air Self-Defense Force
  • Quetzal has a permanent limp with his right leg after an injury.
  • Quetzal's SHIELD mates nick named him 'Pretty Boy' and 'Asia'
  • Quetzal is skilled in calligraphy and the piano
  • Quetzal is a highly trained and skilled pilot
  • Quetzal from being in SHIELD and Japan Air Self-Defense Force he's skilled in hand to hand combat, marksmentship, recon, first aid and survival.
  • Quetzal used to be involved in reconnaissance, black operation and wetwork missions.

Gallery

Unless otherwise stated, the content of this page is licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 3.0 License