Chapter 2 [Mount Takaushama—70 Miles Away
Even as the students headed for a well deserved meal, other activity unfolded to their west. Within the same mountain range, a hideaway lay carved into a craggy peak. On par with the New Sanctuary for its amenities, the facility offered both Arighatto and the Black Hand a suitable base of operations.
From its central security chamber, for example, the organization kept surveillance on worldwide affairs in various locales. The ninja operatives scouring the screens for any details of importance.
With them, Conchita Guisanto observed both her operatives and the screens with them. Since the debacle at the manor, she had tightened the surveillance of Tucson, Smallville and London, wanting to find an opportunity to strike against their enemies in retaliation for that earlier failure. How could we have missed the talisman? She hissed, recalling how Isobel had popped in during the fighting and taken it right from under their noses. Damn her! Feeling satisfied for the moment with how things were going, she tapped one subordinate on the shoulder. "I'm going to check on our ally. Buzz me if something happens."
"Si, Señorita Guisanto."
She nodded curtly before leaving the area and heading down the stairs. She passed by the praxium where her ninjas constantly strove to perfect their technique. Without much of a glance, she pressed on, reaching a door at the end of the passage behind which she knew her partner lay recovering.
"Idiota!" She recalled how Arighatto had appeared in a broken heap from his last excursion. She tried to discourage him from that but he would not listen. Only due to his supernatural ties did he keep his left arm following his encounter in Center Cemetery.
Worse still though, the samurai had gone into convulsions soon after.
The doctors could not identify the herbal poison in his blood stream or how to counteract it.
She pursed her lips. As much as she hated Dave, she had to concede that she admired his tactics. While she knew full well from both her father's file on the professor as well as her own defeats at his hands, she knew better than to casually waltz into his presence and expect not to receive some form of retribution in the process. It's not killing him but it's keeping him bedridden. She knocked on the door and waited.
"Hai?" the patient retorted sharply.
"Arighatto, it's Guisanto," she informed him while switching to English for this dialogue. She entered the room to find him lying in the midst of several machines. In particular, the blood cleaning machine sat to his left which doctors used twice a day.
"Enjoying yourself?" he scowled.
"You brought this on yourself!" she reminded him tersely. "Next time, do not tempt fate so grossly. As it is, you'll need to be there at least four more days."
He shook with rage. "If that bitch doesn't kill him, I WILL!"
"If you can find him, he's disappeared," she reported. "There's been no sign of him."
He snickered. "The fool has led several of his allies back in time to deal with the witch. That is from what he told the stones at the cemetery."
"Told the…what?"
He glared at her impatiently. "Dubois' curse! The gaijin's sensitivity allows him to see and talk to ghosts. One day, I will send him to meet them in person!"
"Not for the next four days at least. He saw to that," she reiterated.
"When I get out of this bed, I'll deal with my traitorous daughter and her friends first," he disagreed before coughing. "That will be my payback. Let Dubois find out the hard way what it means to cross me."
"You'd bring down the demon's wrath. Next time, it will kill you," she chided.
"Perhaps. Perhaps not," he countered.
"Lie there and reconsider your foolishness," she retorted before leaving the area, slamming the door shut behind herself.
He frowned while spitting blood into a cup. One day, Demon, I will kill you! Count on that!
At that point, the room's lights and the monitors went dark. Alarms sounded throughout the complex.
And a deep sarcastic laugh filled the area.
The Child's Image floated forth from the shadows of the patient's room. "Stoopid shit! Big Bro was nice! AIN'T DOIN SHIT NO MORE!"
"If I had my former power, I'd devour you right now!" the samurai spat while pulling himself from the bed with great effort and pulling his kitana from where he'd concealed it under his pillows.
Before he could do anything, the Image's eyes glowed.
The patient found himself telekinetically pinned to the wall.
"YER NOTHIN, ASSWIPE!" the Image pronounced before flinging him back into the bed. "GIT THIS! AH CAN GIT YA WHEN AH WANNA! TOUCH 'EM AN' AH'LL WHUP YA GOOD! YER LUCKY, DIPSHIT!" With that, it disappeared back into the darkness.
Guisanto and two of her ninjas barged into the room. Beholding the scattered debris and seeing him as he was, she asked in disbelief. "What?"
"The damn demon! IT WAS HERE!" the patient spat while getting up from the bed to retrieve his kitana before returning to that point. "It struck here to prove a point. NOBODY MAKES A FOOL OUT OF ME! NO ONE!"
She motioned to her companions to start a thorough sweep of the facility even though she knew they'd find no trace of the intruder.
Even for hardened mercenaries and trained ninja, it chilled their blood to know that their defenses were so easily flaunted by a jinn such as that.
And so the pot was stirred just a bit more……
Chapter 3 [Yamanuchi School
Even as the Image its 'message', Jasmine, Miranda, Yori, Ron and Rufus sat around (or, in the latter's case, on) the table eating a combination of fish and rice or cheese depending upon the personal preferences.
"Sorry I'm not feeling better," Miranda apologized while rubbing his forehead.
"What's wrong?" Jasmine queried, overly concerned for her companion.
Yori eyed her old friend carefully, recalling other such spells from previous visits. "Arighatto's proximity and the pain from her previous trips here have always been hard for her to bear."
"Those exercises will leave anyone bushed," Ron presumed.
Rufus shook his head, knowing full well that's not Yori meant.
"Easy for you to say, Buddy," his human countered.
"It isn't the exercises! OKAY?" Miranda snapped tersely; her eyes narrowing at him as she said the words.
"He didn't mean that," Yori quickly interceded.
"The darkness….I…ARGH!" Miranda spasmed, clutching her middle. "The Child…close."
"But he and the others aren't here," Jasmine pointed out.
At that moment, the Ronnunicator went off.
"Wade, we have a majorly bad fit going on here," Ron informed the genius.
"As bad as the dark energy signature about seventy miles away from you?" Wade supposed. "Bad fit? Who?"
"Miranda, why? We can't figure…."
"She's really sensitive to her uncle, right?" Wade asked.
"Y…yes," Miri answered.
"I thought so. Energy signature matches the one I told you and Kim about before, Ron. It was his alter ego somehow."
Yori leaned over her friend's shoulder. "Excuse me, Load San, can you pinpoint the location? It might tell us where Yodoshi is."
"With one hand tied behind my back," the genius bragged before actually doing it and pecking out a series of commands with his other hand. "Looks like Mount Takaushama. Umm, Ron, can you all go to your sensei's chamber? He's asked that I show you something and I think it's better done in private."
"Thanks, Wade," Miranda agreed while slowly getting up and laboring toward the door.
"Hold up there," Jasmine argued, hustling after her.
"Meantime, it will be our honor to deal with these dishes, Ron San," Yori noted, dropping a not so subtle hint to him.
"Right," he concurred although he wished they could've finished dinner first.
Rufus, as always, made sure he was safely in Ron's pocket before the latter took off.
Suddenly the exercises didn't look so bad after all.
[Sensei's Office
After everything had been done, the teenaged quartet met in Sensei's quarters. There, they found him speaking with Xena when they came in.
"Enter please," he bade them. "Stoppable San, please get the door."
The younger man complied silently.
When everyone was settled, Sensei turned on the computer's monitor, letting Wade back in on the proceedings. "Domo, Load San, for keeping us informed."
"You're welcome, sir," the genius expressed. "Guys, get a load of this security footage."
The others in the room saw the Image's attack on Arighatto and the base in stunned amazement.
"I do not understand! He is 800 years in the past! How can he be there and here?" Yori wondered aloud.
"The Child can do that easy," Xena informed them all.
"But it wasn't him. It was pure energy only," Wade informed him. "That is if my readouts are correct."
"The Image is a psychic projection with all of his powers," Miranda revealed. "He won't hurt us though."
"Could've fooled me," Ron disagreed while glancing uneasily at her.
"The only person attacked was Arighatto and that was after he threatened Miranda," Wade continued.
"Arighatto picked that fight with his big mouth," Miranda groused while rubbing her forehead.
"Provoked? Uh, the guy's in a hospital bed," Ron argued.
"Even after a rival lion's been defeated, it will retreat, lick its wounds and prepare to strike anew, Stoppable San. Arighattoswore to do harm to her. As such, this 'Image' retaliated and once more, bought us time and a location," Sensei disagreed. "However, there is no honor in striking now. You all need time to train and deal with this information."
"We should have Mount Fuji watched. He'll try to heal himself with the waters from the sacred Fountain of Strength there," Xena declared while considering the map on his desk and pointing to a spot. "It was about there."
"Hai." Sensei considered the group surrounding himself. "A wise observation, Xena. Already our ninja students search the mountain for it. Your information will allow us to prepare for the Black Hand's forces."
"It had better," Miranda growled. "The rest of you can deal with them. I want him for myself."
Seeing the emotions frothing in her eyes, the others save for Xena and Sensei recoiled.
"Miri, calm down," Jasmine advised.
"Calm down? CALM DOWN? Jas, you should know better than anyone! So should Yori!" Miranda snapped angrily. "That bastard stole my childhood! HE HAD MY MOTHER KILLED!" She slumped back into her chair and started sobbing.
"I didn't mean to make light of your situation. You've…never told us what happened even when we asked," her partner apologized.
"It's some story all right," Xena noted, knowing the events from Angie's point of view.
"Indeed. Load San, can you excuse us? This story is not something I wish to get out. It involves a secret I swore to keep," Sensei requested.
"Of course. Ron, take care. Beep me if you need any help," Wade concurred before signing off.
"My apologies, Stoppable San, for secluding your friend. However, this matter must not leave this room," the teacher clarified.
"I'm sure you have your reasons," Ron relented anxiously while rubbing the back of his neck.
"I do indeed." The elder man kneeled in front of his crying student. "Miri Chan, calm yourself. I need you to provide a mental link to those events for the rest of us."
"Sensei, I…." she whispered, bowing her head.
"I understand your pain. But we need to see if we are to understand and stand beside you," he soothed.
"We are here beside you," Yori emphasized.
"Jas, can you?" Miranda held her hand out.
"Move over," the Amazon directed while sitting down next to her and offering a supportive shoulder.
"Thanks, everyone. Join hands." Miranda took several calming breaths and remembered what she'd learned during those Saturday morning sessions.
"What's she going to do?" Ron asked.
"We're going to see her memories," Xena noted as Miranda linked their minds and the scene shifted backward in time……