Taken

"Why?" Stormshadow glared at Masaru, a.k.a. Darkshadow, the Cobra ninja. "Why?"

"Why do you think?" Darkshadow laughed. "The Hard Master should have accepted Cobra's offer. We would have been more powerful and gained more members through alliances with other clans. Instead he and that weak brother decided to fill the ranks with those gajins you brought in! What better way to dispose of him than to use his own plan against him?"

"You knew…" Stormshadow looked at him. "You knew all along about the Cobra plot…that I was innocent…"

"How do you think that fool Zartan escaped?" Darkshadow leered. "He would have been cut down if it wasn't for my help."

"And in the chaos you created you used the opportunity to destroy the rest of your rivals within the clan and seize power," Stormshadow finished. "While secretly helping Cobra."

"They were useful to me," Darkshadow sneered. "But soon their usefulness will be outlived. Pity the same can't be said for you!"

Darkshadow leapt at him with his sword drawn. Soon the two were engaged in a heated battle. The sound of metal upon metal rang throughout the building. "Fool!" Darkshadow hissed. "This battle is pointless! You've already lost!"

Stormshadow saw that the others ninjas were taking off with Todd. With a snarl he started after them. Darkshadow blocked his way by grabbing the unconscious Xi by the neck and holding his sword to Xi's throat. "You know I would do it without hesitation," Darkshadow sneered. "Yet this…thing's life and your misplaced sense of honor are the only thing that would guarantee my safe passage."

"I think not," Xi's eyes opened rapidly. Somehow he managed to slip from Darkshadow's grasp and gave him a swift kick. "You used me!"

"You are nothing but a tool for Cobra," Darkshadow spat. "Of course I used you!"

"Xi get Toad!" Stormshadow attacked Darkshadow. "I'll take care of this dog!" Xi ran as they fought.

Meanwhile, not that far away on another part of the base, Althea was just regaining consciousness. "Easy there," Shipwreck steadied her. "You took quite a hit."

Althea groggily sat up and looked into her father's worried eyes. "What happened?"

"One of those blasted creeps knocked you out," Shipwreck explained. "Luckily Stormshadow saved your butt."

"Where's Todd?" She looked around.

"I don't know," Shipwreck answered her. "Stormshadow went to go find him."

"Hey what's going on out there?" Someone shouted. They ran outside and saw Stormshadow and Masaru fighting madly.

"Is he nuts?" Althea said.

"Only one way to find out," Gabriel told her. He did several flips and knocked Stormshadow away from Masaru. "Stormshadow! Why are you attacking the New Master?"

"MASARU IS DARKSHADOW!" Stormshadow shouted at the top of his lungs. "HIS MEN HAVE TODD!"

"He's lying," Masaru said. "Stormshadow has betrayed us! The enemy has taken Toad because of him! He's still working for Cobra! Blind Master help me!"

"Yes I will," Gabriel said, throwing several ninja stars at Masaru. "You cannot hide the lies in your voice from a blind ninja master Masaru!"

Masaru dodged them and grabbed something from his jacket. He threw it at them and it produced a huge cloud of smoke that covered the entire area. When the smoke cleared he was gone.

"He got away!" Roadblock snarled. "If he's hurt Toad he's gonna pay!"

"Where's the Blind Master?" Stormshadow asked.

"Forget him where's Althea?" Shipwreck yelped. Suddenly a huge shadow hung over the base. A huge hover transport flew over the base. It was gray with Cobra insignia and it looked about the same size as a football stadium. "Sufferin' Sea Serpents how did that thing sneak past our radar?"

"I suspect Cobra has a new cloaking device," Beach Head said.

"Stormshadow," Xi ran up to them. "They got away! I can't find Toad!"

"I think I know where he is," Stormshadow said simply. They saw a Masaru's figure slip wave triumphantly from one of the windows.

There was nothing they could do but watch it fly away. They saw one small chopper come close to it, but it was shot down. But not before the two figures inside got out by using a grappling hook to hit the side of the transport. They hung onto the side of the vehicle for dear life.

"Give me those binoculars!" Shipwreck grabbed them from Beach Head. "It's Althea and Gabriel!"

"They must have used the 'Ear That Sees' technique to follow Masaru through the smokescreen," Stormshadow said.

To Shipwreck's horror, he saw Althea and Gabriel hanging on to the transport then slip inside and open passageway.

"ALTHEA NO!" Shipwreck screamed as the transport flew away.

"TODD!" Roadblock shouted as the transport zoomed out of sight.