A/N: I want Takeda and Kenshi to reconcile, I really do. Also, dirty minded Kara is dirty minded. But, if she is the only one, how come Hanzo knew what she meant?...Hehe. ;)

Matter Over Mind

Over four months, Kara began training with Takeda, to improve both his telepathic and telekinetic abilities. His relationship with his father however, had not improved. Kara tried to stay out of it, but she knew Kenshi was hurting, struggling to come to terms, that his only child wanted nothing to do with him.

On one of their training session, whilst being outside the Shirai Ryu ground, Kara's blew on her numb hands. Takeda was late, the two were going to train in the city. More things for Takeda to concentrate on, but also, more for him to deal with. Over the time she had been training him, he hadn't made much progress. His head was all over the place. He wanted to train at the fortress, but Kenshi regularly visited there, and so, the young man would run off, before his father saw him.

Kenshi sighed. He only wished to talk...


When Takeda eventually showed up, alongside his master, the three traveled to a disused part, of the city. It was desolate, quiet, likely dangerous, but during the day? Kara couldn't sense anything untoward, as she began stretching.

After a full set of stretches, a somewhat apprehensive Takeda spoke.

"How am I supposed to fight a demigoddess?"

Kara stood proudly, and grinned. "Carefully".

She heard a snort come from Hanzo, but ignored it.

"You need to know how to use your abilities in combat. I won't attack you, but I won't merely stand there. Your opponent will move around Takeda, but your abilities can stop them, dead in their tracks".

Takeda was wary, but nodded, and the pair bowed.


Kara teleported around the Shirai Ryu acolyte.

Focus.

Takeda saw purple shimmer, just before Kara appeared, near a cherry blossom tree, and he focused his mind on her. When she appeared, he froze her, on the spot.

A surprised sound, and grin came from the young man. But Kara got away, and teleported behind him.

"Never let your guard down Takeda".

He jumped, and turned around, putting a hand on his chest.

"She is right".

Kara followed Takeda, jumping herself.

"You could have been killed. You need to be more aware of your surroundings".

Hanzo walked next to her, and tapped her shoulder.

"Takeda. Let me show you how you fight a demigoddess".

Kara walked a few paces, and rolled her eyes sardonically. "Yes, your master just loves kicking my ass, doesn't he?"

Takeda laughed nervously, before moving out of the way.


If he blinked, he would have missed almost all of the moves, that his master was doing. Kara could barely deflect a punch, or kick, without another coming, milliseconds later. He didn't keep her on her toes, he knocked her off them, several times. The last time she hit the road, she hit it, several times, in quick succession, hoping Hanzo got the message.

He did, and went to help her up, but she frantically waved her hand.

"Do NOT move me". She groaned. "I'll get you back for that".

The rest of her words he only heard in his mind.

Even if I have to tie you up...

He grunted, excused himself, and almost ran to his room.


Kara looked at Takeda, and waved her arms.

"What did I do?"

She smirked as the young man just shook his head.

"No idea. He's been rather jumpy lately".

Kara's smirk deepened. "Perhaps having three telepaths around him is making him sweat. After all, we can communicate without moving our lips. For all he knows, we could be talking about him. We aren't, but still".

Takeda stifled a giggle. "I'd better get back to the kamp".

The smirk was still there, making the young man uncomfortable. He pulled at the fabric around his neck.

"You mean back to Jacqui". He flinched. "It's okay. I won't pester you about it. Besides, I think it's sweet".

A smile formed on Takeda's mouth, and he nodded.

"Yeah, that obvious huh?"

Kara stopped smirking and nodded. "Ever need any advice, I am there". She pulled her phone from her bra, and watched Takeda's eyes widen.

She laughed. "What? I didn't have any pockets".

The pair laughed for a good long while.


After watching a rather heated exchange, between Kenshi, and Takeda, the former being animated, the latter being frustrated, Kara knew it would soon boil over, and it would affect not only him, but Hanzo, and herself. The two prepared him, for battles, and gave him valuable life skills.

But...if he turned into a raging, telepathic, telekinetic bull, who knows what he could do?


The young woman sighed, and dared a glance at the livid Shirai Ryu acolyte, who was pacing, with his hands balled into fists.

She gingerly walked over to him. "Heeeey there".

She tried to sound casual.

Silence rapidly became stagnant in the air, and Kara almost gave up, when she heard an apology.

"Sorry", Takeda looked at her, and stopped pacing. "I'm really sorry. I just, whenever I see him, I can't help but feel upset, bitter. He abandoned me, for almost ten years".

Kara gasped, but quickly regained some composure. "I'm sure he didn't abandon you Takeda. He left you here, didn't he? He knew Hanzo would keep you safe, train you".

Takeda chuckled emptily. "You don't know? My Mom was murdered, by the Red Dragons. Kenshi decided to hunt them down, but they had a massive head-start on him. So, he asked Master Hasashi to let me grow up here. Dad", he stopped, and swallowed, before continuing, "He spent most of those years following the clan, trying to find out exactly what had happened, and who had killed Mom. He almost died, several times, he told me. But he would never give up. Eventually, he found the men responsible, and killed them".

Kara put a hand on his shoulder, and wasn't quite sure on what to say. "You want to say 'I'm sorry', right? What's the point? People say that, like it'll change things. Like it could save my Mom, like none of it would have happened. Well, it doesn't".

Kara retracted the hand and frowned. "You're right. And no, I wasn't going to say that. I wasn't going to say anything. I figured you'd want someone to listen, not lecture you, or try and sooth you. Loss is something that is a tinge always felt, a sting, forever there".

She needed to think fast, losing him now, after all of their work could make everything her and Hanzo had taught him fall apart, at the seams.

She walked over to a small garden, filled with flowers of many colours. Under a wooden archway, she bowed, and began performing Tai Chi. Her hands moving gracefully through the air caught the corner of Takeda's eye, and he looked at her, curiously.

"Your master didn't teach you Tai Chi? It's based on your energy, your chi., so to speak. You channel it, but instead of intending to cause harm, you use it, to throw negative energy away".

Takeda scoffed and frowned. Kara sighed. "It may sound like bullshit, but it really can sooth you, calm a racing mind". She looked to her side. "Care to join me? Or do you wish to be frustrated and stomp around?"

The young man shook his head. "No", he sighed, "I don't want to feel like this anymore. Yes, I think I will join you".

Kara battled with her mind, if she should say what she wanted to say or not. It could set Takeda back, or give him that last push, to talk with his Father.

She prayed he didn't lose it. "The only way you won't feel like that anymore, is to have closure. Either speak with Kenshi, or shut him out of your life completely. Him being there only serves to hurt you further, and I'll wager it's destroying him inside too".

Takeda nodded glumly, and bowed.

"I'll think about it".


Half an hour later saw Kara, standing on a veranda, waiting for Hanzo, to tell her she could leave. She'd had her fun, pissing him off, and didn't want to do so anymore.

The man in question walked beside her, and put his hands on the wall.

"Well done".

Kara made a questioning sound and he continued. "I saw Takeda, the change him instant. You defused his wrath. For that, I am grateful".

Kara smiled and looked at him. "No problem".

A genuine, peaceful smile on his face made her gasp.

"Wait. Did you just smile?"

He kept on smiling. Kara raised an eyebrow.

"That smile could kill puppies, stop it".

His smile grew, making Kara feel nervous.

"That doesn't look right on you. Aren't you supposed to be miserable"?

She didn't have the guts to brave a look at the man again.

"Okay, okay! I get it. You're happy. That's great". She dared a peek, and sagged against the wall in front of her.

"Can I go?"

Hanzo stopped smiling and nodded.

Before the young woman got to the portal however, she heard something which made her growl.

"I'm sure Sub-Zero will ask many questions, as to why you continue to come here".

She couldn't help herself.

She replied.

Dream on, flame boy.

She heard a growl, and laughed, before running through the portal, and closing it, once her feet hit the ground, of the Lin Quei compound.