Chapter 3

Minutes later Yori had me back in Le-Koro, and Lewa had helped me start my transfusion. I filled him in on all the pertinent details of the strangers and told him that they would shortly be dealt with if Frost found they were here for the matoran. He didn't look particularly pleased with this information, but he didn't say anything. I only hoped that meant he trusted my decision. I was about ten minutes in when a matoran walked in and said the Yori wanted to speak with me.

I walked outside of my hut with my bag of blood on its pole and Lewa to the railing and saw Yori hanging on to a tree.

"What is it?" I asked hoping that this wasn't about my heart. I wasn't ready to take on that argument yet.

"Frost finished his interrogation," he reported.

"And the strangers? What did he do with them?"

"Nothing," he said. "He said he wasn't sure what to do with them. They aren't here for the matoran. They said they found something and came to investigate. This isn't for us to decide, Jaden."

I knew he was right. Even if they weren't here for the matoran, they couldn't just be allowed to leave, but it wasn't up to us. Only the Turaga and Toa could make that decision now.

"Lewa, send word to the other villages. Tell them what's happened and assemble the other Toa and Turaga. We'll let them decide if these visitors are a threat or not," I told him. He nodded and darted off.

"What should we do with them for now? Frost and Kidril can't keep them where they are forever."

"Have them brought here. It's as good a place as any," I said. I honestly didn't really care where they stayed. I would have preferred them farther away from the matoran, but that wasn't much of an option. I couldn't just leave them alone in the forest at night and hope nothing bad happened, and I couldn't keep them trapped in one of Yori's caves. That was just unfair for him. I thought maybe they would be easier to keep in one place if they stayed in Ta-Koro. It had been rebuilt and they would have a hard time escaping across lava. The only problem was that it was hotter than Hades in there and they would probably pass out or have a heat stroke. I didn't need that either.

Yori nodded and leapt back into the air causing the tree he had been holding onto to shake a shudder at its release. With that settled I went about making preparations for some sort of prison where they could be held until a decision was made. The healer was hardly happy about it since his hut was the only one large enough to accommodate all six, but he agreed to let us use the space for the time being. It was only for a day or two, so it was hardly a large inconvenience for him.

Nearly half an hour into my transfusion Yori, Frost and Kidril brought the six and dropped them as close to the prison as they could. They all landed with a loud 'oof' and began rubbing which ever body part had landed on the wood planks first. Half a dozen guards met them where they landed and gruffly ushered them into their make-shift prison and barred the door behind them.

I could easily see that they were somewhere between shock, awe, and confusion. I imagined they were something like I had been when I first arrived. Except they hadn't nearly drowned, got eaten by a dragon or froze to death within the first hour of their visit. I'm sure they thought they were going to be eaten, but that was beside the point.

After seeing that they were safely locked away I went back to my hut and laid on my bed to wait the extra hour and a half that I would need to finish. Time seemed to drag on over the next several hours as I waited for the Turaga and Toa to arrive. I would have thought they would have tried to come immediately with a threat like this. I guess I was wrong this time. I took the time to occasionally look in on the visitors. They were taking the stress very well. I remembered I was hardly this composed when I first arrived. Granted, I had come here unwillingly, and they hadn't. They were reasonably confused, even a bit fearful, but they still didn't seem to understand that they were trespassers. They didn't think they had done anything wrong. Maybe they hadn't exactly done anything wrong, but their presence here was a serious threat to our security. If the outside world found this place, it would be destroyed.

When the others finally arrived we all gathered as far away from the rest of the matoran as we could so we could discuss without interruption. This wasn't exactly easy since everyone wanted to know what we were planning, which was understandable, but we managed well enough.

"They can't be allowed to leave. There's no telling how many others they could bring back," Tahu said first.

"And if they never report back to the outside world? How many more would that bring to search for them? This is hardly that simple, Brother," Gali pointed out.

"What do you suggest then? Simply let them leave?"

"No, but we can't keep them here either."

"Enough," Turaga Vakama chided like a father breaking two fighting children apart. "Both of your suggestions bear some merit. Letting them leave may bring more outsiders, but keeping them will most certainly doom us. They came here for a reason. We should learn what that reason is," he said wisely. We all nodded our agreement. Leave it to Vakama to be the voice of reason. "Jaden, you encountered them first. What reason did they give for being here?"

"Forgive me, Turaga. I have not yet questioned them. All Yori told me was that they were not here for the matoran. They said they were here because they found something. I know nothing more than that," I replied.

"Would you say they could be believed? They are your own kind. Surely you have some opinion of them," he pressed.

I was hesitant to answer. I barely knew them. How was I to know if they could be trusted or not? "All I know of them is that they are skilled warriors. I have no idea if they can be trusted. Turaga, our history has proven time and again that foreign explorers, however noble their intentions may seem, always bring about ruin to the natives sooner or later."

"You are here, are you not? You have hardly brought ruin to this island," Turaga Nokama said.

"No, I have not, but I did not come here searching for this place. These people have, and if they can find us, others can, too."

The Turaga looked to each other for some sort of silent confirmation of a decision they had apparently already made.

"We cannot make a full judgment without all the information. Jaden, bring forth one of these visitors. Let them explain their intentions," Vakama ordered.

I nodded and stepped away to do as I had been told. As I approached the hut I looked in through one of the windows trying to decide which one I should bring to the Turaga. With nothing to base my decision on I decided to choose whichever one was closest to the door. At least it would be easier to get that one out the door. The hut had been built for a matoran sized person, not a full grown human. They all looked like sardines squeezed into a can all sitting with their knees to their chests. The closest one was the blonde haired boy who had nearly defeated me. I wasn't exactly pleased that it was him, but there wasn't much of an option. Trying to pull out someone else would just take more time, and the Turaga were waiting.

I opened the door and poked my head through the opening. They all stared at me expectantly as they waited for me to speak.

"You," I said in a coarse tone as I pointed to the blonde, "what is your name?"

He looked confusedly at the others before answering, "Hunter. Why are we here? What do you want with us?"

"Hunter," I said, chewing on the name. "You will come with me. Now."

"I'm not going anywhere until you give us some answers. First you attack us, then have us dragged here like criminals without telling us a thing. We want answers," he demanded.

"We will be the ones asking the questions, not you. Now come or I will have you forcibly moved," I threatened. Why did he have to be so difficult? Now I was beginning to regret having him as my choice.

He gave me an indignant glare before getting to his feet and exited the hut. I barred the door behind him and led him toward the others. I half expected him to make an escape attempt since he had no restraints, but he walked along quietly. I stood him in the middle of the circle that had been formed and took a spot behind him in case he decided to change his mind about being cooperative.

"Turaga Vakama, this is Hunter. He will speak for the others," I said.

Vakama nodded and looked to Hunter. "Tell us, and tell us truthfully, why have you come here?"

Hunter looked around nervously at the Toa and Turaga. I imagined he felt like a cornered rabbit right now, and I almost felt sorry for him. Almost.

"We meant no harm, sir. We saw an energy signature on our computers and came to investigate."

"You saw us? How? What is this computer you speak of?" Tahu interjected.

Hunter looked to me as if unsure how to answer. I figured I would help him this one time.

"It's a device, a piece of technology that can serve many functions. It has the capabilities to connect with a satellite, a small ship that orbits the earth, which can take pictures and pick up signals sometimes," I explained. It probably wasn't one hundred percent accurate, but it would be accurate enough for them. "But a satellite thus far has never found this island. How is it you did?"

"I don't know how it all works. Cam could tell you better than me. All I know is that we picked up some sort of energy signal. We had no idea that any of you were here," he said, a hint of desperation apparent in his voice. Perhaps he was telling the truth.

"Are there others who possess this technology? Others that could come here and find us?" Vakama asked.

Hunter looked unsure again, even hesitant, but he did answer. "There may be one other, sir."

"And this other. Would he mean harm to us?"

Hunter sighed as if defeated. "If he found this place, he would not hesitate to destroy it and anyone who got in his way."

Hunter's words made them all gasp and begin whispering to each other. I glared at him, sure that my original assumption had been correct. This was what my dream had meant. These strangers were going to bring a great danger to this island, threaten to destroy everything the matoran had built here. I would not let that happen.

"You heard it yourself, Turaga. They know of others who have the ability to find us and destroy us. We cannot allow them to leave and possibly spread that technology. It must end here," Tahu exclaimed.

"He is right. These strangers cannot be trusted to remain here without a fight. They must be destroyed."

I didn't catch who had said it, but judging by the age I heard in the voice it had to be a Turaga. I was almost appalled that a person who was supposed to be so wise would suggest something so drastic, but I reminded myself I had considered the same action. This was the only way we could insure our secret would remain safe.

"No, no, wait, please," Hunter interjected, his eyes wide with fear at the possibility of death. "There's another way."

Vakama held up his hand for silence and the others quickly quieted themselves. "What do you propose, boy?"

"If we were to find the source of the energy and take it away from here, we could lead him away. He could follow it to us. Your people would not have to be put in danger, and you wouldn't have to kill us," he explained quickly.

"We cannot trade one massacre for another," I said. "If you take it away, you put everyone back in your home in danger. It would be unethical to let them do this, Turaga."

"We know how to handle him," Hunter said as he stared sternly at me. "The people back home would be in no more or less danger than before. It is a risk worth taking," he pressed.

The Turaga looked thoughtful for a moment before coming to another silent confirmation. "We have much to consider," Turaga Nokama said.

"Indeed we do," Vakama agreed. "Leave us now. We shall send for you when we have reached our decision."

We all nodded and led Hunter back to his prison.

"How could you just stand there silently?" Hunter hissed under his breath. "They were ready to sentence us to death, and you just stood there. Have you no loyalty to your own kind?"

"My loyalty is to these people," I said as I stood in his way. "I was ready to have you all killed myself when we met in the jungle. The only reason you have stayed alive this long is because you are not here to harm them."

"Oh, yes, because everybody just wants to destroy a bunch of robots for nothing," he said with sarcasm dripping off every word.

"They are not robots," I snapped in his face. "These people," I said with emphasis, "are more human than you will ever be."

"They aren't human. They're savage as far as I've seen. They have no concept of modern technology and are willing to kill any outsiders to protect their little secret, except for you, apparently. Tell me. Why is that? What do they gain from keeping you as their little pet?" he spat.

"I am no one's pet," I spat back. "You want to know the big difference between you and me? I proved myself to be trustworthy, to be a help to these people. They saved me and helped me when others wouldn't. I also have no intentions of leaving and possibly exposing them to the rest of the world like you."

"So you feel like you owe them? That's how they keep control over you? You don't have to stay here anymore. Help us escape, and we can take you home. You don't have to be a prisoner here anymore."

I scoffed at him. "You think I'm a prisoner here? I'm not here because I have to be. I'm here because I want to be. Your world has nothing more to offer me, so I will stay here. Now let's go," I said and started pushing him back toward the prison.

"You may not see it, but you are a prisoner here, and you always will be until you stop following their orders like a little lap dog."

"Shut up," I snapped as I unbarred the door. "You have no idea what you're talking about. Now get in," I ordered motioning to the door.

He did so resentfully and I shut and locked the door behind him. I couldn't even begin to express my anger for him. How dare he even infer that I was under the control of anyone. Who did he think he was to assume such a thing? I had no obligation to the Toa or the Turaga, and they had never pressed for any kind of commitment from me. I was as free as anyone else on the island. I chose to help them. I had to live here too, and if their security was threatened, mine was, too.

I chose to wait out my time in my hut, having no desire to be anywhere near the strangers, especially that Hunter. After laying on my bed a few minutes Kopaka entered.

"What's on your mind?" he asked.

"Nothing," I answered tersely as I stared at the ceiling.

"That hardly sounds like nothing. Why do these humans bother you so much?"

I sat up ready to answer him. Kopaka was one of the few Toa that I wasn't afraid to talk to. He didn't beat about the bush, didn't try to sugar coat his thoughts. He was to the point, even a bit blunt at times, but at times like this, it was something that I needed. I needed someone to tell me that I wasn't wrong, that I wasn't making some sort of mistake.

"They are a threat to all of us, Kopaka, and they can't even see it. And that Hunter had the gall to say that I was some sort of prisoner here, nothing more than the Turaga's lap dog. Can you believe that?"

He looked at me with a bit of confusion on his face. "A lap dog? I don't understand."

I sighed in frustration. I forgot that I still had a few phrases that they still didn't understand. "I mean that he's saying I'm a pawn of the Turaga, that they're only using me as a tool, nothing more."

"That's certainly not true, but that's hardly the issue. Why do they really bother you?"

I was taken aback by his questions. "They… They bother me because they're here. They're arrogant and oblivious to the fact that their very presence here threatens us."

"You mean it threatens you," he corrected.

Now it was my turn to look at him with confusion. "What do you mean? What threatens the matoran threatens me and Yori as well. This isn't just about me, Kopaka."

"I think it is," he pressed. "I think that you're afraid of what might happen to you if they leave. This isn't about whether or not they'll keep our secret. They have their own secrets and obviously have no interest in us or in revealing us to the world. You are afraid that you might actually start to like them and miss them when they're gone."

"Me, miss them?" I asked incredulously. "Me missing them would be like missing a thorn in your foot after it's been pulled. I don't want them here, and I certainly won't miss them when they're gone."

"Think about it for a minute. These are the first humans you've had contact with in over two years. You and your kind are social creatures that need contact with each other to survive. When that contact is gone, where does that leave you?"

"I hardly need social contact with them. I live here among the matoran, among you Toa, with Yori and the others. I have more than enough socialization to ever miss these humans."

"Yes, but it's not the same thing. We can never replace another human. You may not feel it now, but in time you won't feel the same way. You'll start to crave the attention of another, and there's nothing any of us can do to fill that void."

This was another reason why I hated talking with Kopaka. Sometimes he made too much sense for his own good. I fell back on the bed with my hands covering my face. I didn't want to listen to his words. There was some truth to them. I was scared for the matoran, but I suppose I was scared for myself as well. For the first time in a long time I felt like I truly belonged somewhere. I wasn't out of place anymore. This was the place I felt normal. But I knew I had promises I had to keep as well. I promised Dan that I would get a message to his family as soon as I could. I promised P-ton that I would tell him everything that was going on. I still hadn't made good on either promise. I wasn't ready to return, not yet. And what if the world wasn't ready for me yet? If I returned now, would someone recognize me somewhere and say something? Where would that put me then? There were too many uncertainties that I wasn't ready to face.

"Remind me why I like talking to you again?" I groaned.

"Because I'm usually right," he replied smugly.

I sighed and sat up again.

"Okay, then what are you suggesting that I do? Leave with them if the Turaga let them go? I wouldn't survive one day. It's a whole other world back there."

"I'm not saying you should return for good, but it might not be such a bad thing for you to go back once in awhile just for a short time. You may need it more than you realize."

"I can't guarantee I'll go, but I'll think about."

He gave me the equivalent of a small smile and nodded before leaving me alone again.

It was almost an hour before a matoran came to my hut with news that the Turaga had come to a decision. I left my hut and went back to the prison to retrieve Hunter, though I certainly had no desire to be anywhere near him right now. We walked back to the newly gathered circle and again stood in the center to hear the Turaga's judgment.

"This has not been an easy decision. Hunter, you must understand our predicament. Our entire way of life is at stake. This cannot be taken lightly," Vakama said.

"I know, sir, but this can be resolved peacefully if you would just give us a chance," Hunter pleaded.

"Try to understand that we have little firsthand knowledge of your people and their ways. The dragons who first came here spoke of nothing but your savagery, how your kind destroys what it fears or cannot comprehend. But you, Jaden," he said motioning to me, "have shown us the humans's capacity for good. Therefore, we will allow you, Hunter, to do as you have suggested. Find the source of this energy you spoke of and bring it to us if you can. We will decide then what the best course of action will be. Be warned though. If you try any trickery, we will have little choice but to destroy you and your companions. We would prefer to avoid this bloodshed."

"That's all we want, too, sir," Hunter said with a bit of relief in his voice.

"Jaden, you shall accompany him to find this source. Your opinion of the trustworthiness of these humans shall carry great weight in this decision. Be aware of this, boy," Vakama added.

Hunter looked at me, displeasure written across his features. If he thought I was anymore thrilled at the prospect of having to follow him around like a toddler needing a babysitter, he was sadly mistaken. We all nodded our agreement to the Turaga's decision and dispersed. Not wanting to prolong our time together anymore than was necessary I quickly grabbed my bow from my hut and led Hunter back to his ship where he had said there was a device he could use to locate the energy source.

"It shouldn't be me doing this," he said as he rummaged through the ship. "Cam is much better with this technology than I am. You should have taken him instead."

"It's too late for that. Now stop your griping and get a move on it. I don't want to be here if an Ash bear decides to come walking through. It's hard enough wrestling them when they aren't chasing down another target," I said tersely.

"An Ash bear? What's an Ash bear?"

I looked at him disbelievingly. "You seriously can't guess that one for yourself?"

"Well, I don't know if that means a big bear, little bear, or something else entirely. You can't expect me to know everything about this place after only a few hours," he grumbled.

"Use your brain and listen for a change. I obviously wouldn't have said it if it wasn't important or dangerous. Have you found that thing or not?" I asked impatiently.

"I've almost got it. So why did you pick me anyways?"

"Honestly, you were the closest one to the door," I answered truthfully.

"Seriously?" he asked as he peeked out from the ship to stare at me, one eyebrow cocked in disbelief.

"Yeah," I replied. "What? You thought it was because I thought you were something special? In your dreams."

"Hey," he said as he hopped down from the ship, a device in his hands. "I may not be a techno wiz or something like Cam, but I'm hardly your average guy. I'm a Power Ranger. That's gotta count for something."

I just stared at him. "Is that supposed to mean something to me?"

He looked at me with a bit of frustration and even a bit hurt that I didn't know what he was talking about. "No, I guess not since you like living under a rock," he said with more than a little spite as he began fiddling with the device.

"If you ask me, it all sounds a little hokey. I mean, seriously, Power Rangers? Who came up with that name, a five year old? And you guys must not be that good if I was able to take you down by myself."

"As I recall, I had you beaten until your dragon flew in to save you," he said smugly.

"First off," I said jabbing a finger to his chest. "You didn't beat me. I had four of you incapacitated before you even had a chance to do your little flashy show with your suits. Second, I didn't need Yori or the others to finish you. I would have had you all taken care of in another minute if I had been given the chance," I said matter-of-factly. If my heart hadn't started to give out, I would have most certainly defeated the little imp and the rest of his companions. He just didn't know it yet.

"That's not what I saw. You were on the ground clutching your chest by the end of our fight. You wouldn't have lasted another thirty seconds," he said as he closed what distance there was between us, towering over me as if it made him feel better. It made me want to kick him in the shins like a four year old. I restrained myself.

"Once again, you don't know what you're talking about. What happened out there had nothing to do with any lucky hit you may have gotten. Now let's get back to work. We're all too eager to see this finished and dealt with. Besides, I've got better things to do than babysit you."

He let out a 'hmph' and went back to messing with his device. I didn't understand the technology, but I was smart enough to be able to appreciate how obviously advanced it was. It had the looks of a GPS device but with a much better screen and what looked to be better locating abilities. And judging from the other buttons on the device it had the potential for other uses.

"It's showing the energy source is that way," he said pointing northwest toward the mountain side where Yori's cave was located.

"Let's get moving then. Stick close to me. I don't need you lost out here," I said and started walking with him in tow.


AN: As promised, here's chapter three. I hope you guys are liking it so far, but I have no idea if you don't review or say something. Also, I mean no offense to Power Rangers in the slightest. It used to be one of my favorite TV shows and the old seasons still are, but what it's turned into in the past couple of years put it to shame. The writers definitely need to go back to the old stuff and take a few lessons from the first couple seasons. Okay, enough of my ranting. Leave me a comment, and let me know what you think. ^_^