Chapter 1
(Kaitlynn's Pov)
"That's the third FanGirl issue this week," I remarked softly, shuffling my hand through the files. "Shun, what kind of mess have you gotten yourself into?"
"I've got no idea," Shun sighed. I brushed the side of my mask with my fingers and sighed.
"The best we can do is track them and let you know when they're coming," I said quietly. "It's not like we have a permit to eliminate all of them."
"How I wish we did," Shun replied, his face in his hands. I chuckled softly putting away the files. I tugged at the slick, black fabric on my waist.
"I hate these new uniforms, they're so..." I began frustrated.
"Tight," Shun finished glancing at his own. I nodded and he stood from the chair giving me a quick hug.
"Thanks," Shun said gently. "For dealing with this whole FanGirl mess." I smiled, thought he couldn't notice with the mask over my face.
"You're welcome," I replied. "What else is the AOS for but to ward off over obsessed Fangirls clinging to our top ninja?" Shun chuckled.
"Still upset that you're runner up?" He asked smirking. I shot him a playful glare.
"I could beat you any day," I remarked. He waved before walking outside my office shutting the door behind him.
I sighed and slumped back into my chair. I slipped my mask off, grateful to be able to breathe normally and took a pencil into my hand. As I began to pull my sketchbook from a secret compartment in my desk, I noticed something else lying in the drawer, something that hadn't been there but five minutes ago.
A red rose, redder than I had ever seen, was lying beside my book, with a black ribbon tied around the stem.
I smiled to myself, amused at the idea of someone playing some phantom of the opera joke on me. Yet, with the rose being as pretty as it was, I took the rose and laid it on my desk beside me.
As I placed my pencil tip onto a new page in my sketchbook, I couldn't help but notice a shadow seemingly tower over my form. Of course, when I turned, nothing was there.
...
Is there such a thing as a 'normal' day for a ninja? More or less for Shun Kazami? Of course not.
"The poor guy really deserves a break from all this FanGirl mess," Mackenzie remarked while running beside me. She was our lead trainer and coordinator at AOS, and not to mention an amazing friend.
"Definitely," I replied with a sigh. As I observed our surroundings I found that we were the only two people running full speed down a sidewalk in full, ebony, ninja attire. Of course everyone else had to be dressed in what they called 'causal'. I wanted to scream, "This is our causal!" at all the commoners staring at us.
Despite getting constantly pulled over by little kids for our autographs, we arrived shortly at our destination. Runo's cafe was mighty packed today I observed as we walked through the glass doors. Our eyes widened at the sight before us.
Julie was supporting an unconscious Shun in her arms, cowering behind Dan and Runo who brandished metal soup spoons towards who I supposed was the fangirl.
Runo shot a subtle look towards Mackenzie and I as we walked in nodding towards the girl in front of her.
I pulled my tranquilizer pistol silently from its holster at my side making eye contact with Mackenzie. I cocked my head twice toward the girl.
Mackenzie vanished within the second and I slipped silently behind the girl. I snapped my fingers and Mackenzie appeared in front of the girl holding her in a head lock while gripping her hands behind her back. I lowered my pistol next to the girls arm without a second glance and pulled the trigger. The girl fell limp next to Mackenzie, a pistol falling from her hand.
There were two guidelines in the AOS when on a mission; Eliminate threat, assist the victims.
My eyes widened as I picked up the girls pistol. With a quick flip of my hands, a half empty vial fell out of a compartment in the pistol and I caught it with ease.
I bit my lip purposely to stop it from quivering as I poured the liquid into my gloved hand.
Mackenzie leaned over my shoulder and peered into my palm, whispering almost I audibly, "You've got to be kidding...overdose morphine, Elapidae venom, Russell's viper venom, black widow..." I couldn't bear to hear the on-going list, so I tuned out the best I could and glanced toward the fallen ninja.
My mind was racing as we knelt beside Julie. Dan, Runo, and the other crowed round us.
"Have you already contacted 911?" Mackenzie asked calmly pushing the people aside.
"Yeah," Dan replied with a shaky voice. "They said they'd be here as fast as they could...will he be okay?"
"We'll do our best," Mackenzie replied shooting me a worried glance. I nodded once.
"Procedure," I began firmly, as Mackenzie rapidly pulled out an iPad and logged into the alert system Of would type up all that I said and use the voice control headpiece to communicate with the professors.
"Procedure," I repeated taking a deep breath. "Executive, lead 01 down, repeat Executive 01 down, breathing negative, pulse negative, airway positive, heartbeat negative..."
I ran down the list of vitals checking for each one and always ended up devastated.
"Distress signal," I whispered. "Engaged, distress engaged." Mackenzie stayed hooked up with AOS as I ran through every possibility, the brawlers watching us in worry.
"CPR," Mackenzie said forcefully. "They demand it, I have to stay hooked up while they blast orders at me, Kate..."
I bit my lip nervously before nodding. "Alright," I replied. "I'll try..." I had never but a few times before on missions been forced to engage CPR on a victim. More or less Shun Kazami.
'He's our lead,' I thought to myself over and over again. 'We can't lose our leader...think of that way...do it for AOS...'
I straightened my arms out before me and clasped my hands together, pressing them firmly in the middle of Shun's chest. I gave thirty firm compressions and placed my hands on his head, tilting his chin upward which would allow the air I was about to give him to circulate throughout his body.
I took a deep breath and slipped my mask off my nodded anxiously as I lowered my face to Shun's. I sealed my lips to his and watched his chest rise and fall. I repeated the pattern twice. Just as I was getting ready to start another thirty compressions Shun gasped for a breath and sat upward. I placed my hand behind his back to support him and held him in a stable position to where he could breathe.
"Shun," I said calmly though my body burned with adrendilin. "Can you hear me? Are you alright?" Shun took a minute to catch his breath.
"Yes," he replied, his voice hoarse. "I-I'm fine..." I rolled my eyes.
"I'm not falling for that," I told him. "Just keep breathing until the ambulance gets here..." I snapped my fingers. Mackenzie looked up at me ready to type the commands.
"Victim is positive," I told her, almost feeling as if I were able to hear the cheering through her headpiece.
"How did I wake up?" Shun asked. Mackenzie smirked at me as I blushed deeply.
"Oh," Shun whispered, probably having realized. "Thank you..."
"No prob," I replied. The sirens that I had faintly been able to hear grew louder as they grew nearer. I could see the doctors running down the sidewalk towards us, the sirens blaring as loudly as they could.
"Kaitlynn," Shun began, wincing. I reached out and caught him as he fell back his eyes shutting in a pained expression. The paramedics burst through the cafe doors immediately heading toward Shun who had begun to slip back into unconsciousness.
The paramedics took Shun from me and hurried with him quickly towards the ambulance.
I was breathing heavily as Mackenzie helped me to my feet, the adrendilin rush having taken it's run. A female paramedic approached us holding a clipboard and pen in hand.
"Hi, by name is Michelle and it seems that you two are pretty close to your friend here, would you like to come with me please..."
Everything was getting hazier the longer I stood. Dizziness soon crept in and I found myself leisurely slumping to the floor. I remember Michelle wrapping her arm around my waist, preventing me from hitting the floor as I slipped into the darkness.
...
I woke gazing at an almost too bright ceiling. I squinted and took in my surroundings as I sat up. I had been lying in a bed in a hospital room. I raked my hand through my hair and let my blonde ringlets fall around my face and down my back.
Mackenzie was sitting in the chair across from me.
"So, our little blushing life-saver is finally awake," She crooned playfully. I rolled my eyes.
"How long was I out?" I asked hoarsely taking a sip of water from the glass on the side table beside me.
"A couple hours," She replied cooly, her expression suddenly grave. "Shun hasn't woken up yet..."
I lowered my head. He and I are two Executives of AOS, which if you don't yet know, stands for Association of Stealth. We're the lead field experts, mission coordinators, training specialists, you name it. We've been a team ever since we were three. AOS needs Shun. I need Shun.
"We will save him," I assured Mackenzie. "I won't let him die like this...not now...not ever."
Hello everyone! I'm so excited to be writing a new story! And don't worry, I haven't forgotten at all about the Diamond's curse. I've been without my computer for a while so I haven't been able to write as I used too! I love y'all! And I hope you enjoy this! :)
