"Hey, what are you guys staring at?" Misako walked by, seeing Garmadon, Wu, and Kasai staring at one of the recruits Tanaka was sparring with a few yards away. They pointed that direction and the earth ninja looked that way. "Oh! That's Rose! She must have signed up after all!" A grin spread on her face, excited to see a familiar face.
"Rosie!? Are you sure?!" Garmadon blinked, not believing the claim his wife had made. Yes it looked just like her, tall, long black hair, and dark, brown colored skin.
"You knew she could fight like that?" Kasai swallowed.
The dark skinned woman swung the naginta around skillfully, Tanaka having to constantly dodge the thrusts and jabs she was doing. "I'm going to go say hi!" she trotted over, "Rosie!" Misako waved her hand high with a brightened smile; seeing that there was going to be more than just a handful of girls.
Rose lowered her weapon and looked behind her, "Hey! There's my good ol ninja girl," she raised a hand to wave as well, "Wondering when I'd be seeing you! Tanaka said you were around here somewhere, I just came last night, must have been when you were already sleepin'." She looked behind her and tossed the weapon to Tanaka. "That's a custom one from master Hiroshi himself, don't get mixed up with the others," she narrowed her eyes.
Misako of course recognized the weapon. Rose originally told her that it was a gift from Hiroshi given to her father and for as long as the two women knew each other, that weapon just hung on the wall as a decorative wall ornament. It was nice to see it was getting some use after all.
For the first time in a while, Tanaka looked alarmed at her skill and did as she requested. The two looked back, "So how have things been!? How's Nami's little boy!? Kai right? She doing good?"
Misako nodded quickly, "Yes, and she's having a girl in a few months! That's why she can't be here…" they started walking through the camp slowly. "Besides that, how's your son? Uh… Cole?"
"My little baby… he didn't want me to go… Louis too," she sighed. "I figured, hey I was a black belt in karate when I was a kid, why not help out? The government would have come for me anyways being I'm one of the secretaries at town hall," she elbowed Misako. "But hey, let's talk about you miss high and mighty; you organized all of this so when we win, you're gonna be like… a war hero with the others! Some historian you turned out to be," she laughed. "You no longer research and record; you're making it!"
"Yep…" Misako inhaled the cold air, feeling more weight on her shoulders. "I don't really care though… this was the only way to handle this situation… I saw those creatures and they're… well they're impressive and let's leave it at…" She remembered telling off the others that this would be the only way. Even she was surprised this was all really happening.
"Gods of Spinjitsu I hate this place…" Rose suddenly said, sounding exhausted. "Every time we look around the corner; BAM; someone wants to take over and enslave us all…" She groaned a little, rolling her head back.
"Tell me about it…" Misako agreed with her. "So… planning on joining the scout team? Or are you more of the brawler?"
"Psh, brawler any day honey, I can't wait to skin a few snakes and maybe hang a Skulkin head on my wall…" they finally came over to where the three boys were sitting and Rose smiled, "Well hey there strangers," she chuckled, "Congrats on the girl Kas," she patted the brown eyed one on the back just a little too hard.
"Thanks…" Kasai coughed a little.
She looked at Garmadon laughed, "You boys gawking at the way I fight or what?" she looked behind her. "Bet ya didn't expect a legal secretary could do that?" she folded her arms.
Misako laughed and looked at her, "You'll probably wanna go and get your naginta back; before someone loses it…" she surveyed the others that were sparring. "I'm going out with a small scouting team later… no doubt we'll have some visitors in the next day or so…" The woman with the long black hair nodded and walked back to where Tanaka was, knotting her hair up.
"I never knew Rosie was that good…" Wu scratched the back of his ear watch the tall woman walk in the opposite direction. "I mean… wow…"
Misako turned back to the boys, "Alright men, who's coming with me and a few others?" she asked, picking up her knives and other concealment weapons. "Or are you all too afraid to get your hands a little dirty?" she smirked.
None of the three friends backed down from that little challenge of Misako so it was the five and three selected others while Rose stayed behind as requested by Misako to make sure no one wandered off or got into trouble while they were out.
"Alright guys…" Misako looked back, "You three had the best marks during the first set of training we did so Tanaka's contact has been tailing the our enemies for over a month and we just got the report last night that they places a camp three miles off from us… even that is too close for my comfort…" she sighed.
"It's getting dark now so I'm going to take point on this one…" Tanaka walked past her. She wouldn't argue it because of his special sixth sense; it would just be safer for everyone anyways.
As the pushed through the bushes and shrubs that grew in the Birchwood Forest, a faint glow of firelight could be seen in the growing darkness as the sun was setting over the high mountains. This camp they found consisted of mainly skeletons, no doubt Kirchon and Arcturus would use them most up front because they were more clever than Samukai and saw the Skulkin as more or less expendable, but they saw a few of the other two armies mixed in the group.
"So how are we going to do this?" one of the three, a young woman with very short, black hair and brown eyes looked over from her small perch. She was almost like a lanky bird. "Do you want smoke bombs or flash bombs?!" she looked a little too eager to get things started as she held her bombs up in her gloved hands, crouching a little closer to Tanaka with a growing grin.
Tanaka pressed a hand to her chest, pushing her back down more. "I am happy for your enthusiasm but please be silent or they will hear us..."
"Name's Ella since you never bothered to ask," she winked.
"Okay…" Misako got between the two and craned her neck over to whispered to Tanaka, "So… your call mister phantom ninja," she elbowed him a little. "We all dealt with situations like this…"
"Let's do it right," Garmadon looked back at his younger brother, "We don't wanna do anything that requires running away if this fails or they'll catch slowpoke Wu," he laughed. Wu slumped down a little more but angrily shoved his older brother who was in a crouching position right off the tree limb he was balanced on. "WU YOU SHIT!" he shouted it a little too loud.
Garmadon had managed to claw at Wu's sleeve to drag him down with him and Wu latched his hands onto Kasai and Ella for support and ended up jerking them down with him as well. Misako covered her face and peeked through her fingers at the enemy camp activity to see if any of them would notice or hear that.
It didn't take long for them to investigate the four's fall. "I hate that man… I hate them all…" she slowly made her way over to just above the crash site. "Anthony; with me…" she gestured to the brunette that was watching the enemy more. "Crevan and Tanaka… go start the raid as a distraction… I'm calling Rosie for some back up here because this is not gonna end well…"
Tanaka nodded quickly and grabbed a cluster of smoke bombs from his belt and moved ahead of Crevan who went around the other way so they would attack from two sides. Neither Tanaka nor Crevan had to say a word to one another; they just started moving in an almost synchronizing way, but Tanaka didn't have a spare moment to question anything; he had to do this for the others.
Her scythe in hand; Misako and Anthony crouched well below the high shrubs to find Garmadon, Kasai, Wu, and Ella tangled up and groaning from the painful fall. "At least I landed on you asshole…" Wu coughed, shoving Ella off of him abruptly.
"OOF!" she spluttered rolling onto Kasai whose face fell back in the dirt.
"You all are assholes you assholes!" Misako hissed at the four idiots. "I just got a hold of Rosie and they have to clean up this stupid mess that you put us in!"
"Yea Wu!" Garmadon glared at his brother.
Misako turned to her husband and wagged her finger at him, "Oh no no no no… you started it that time sweetie," she shook her head. "It's all of yours fault, but we'll deal with that later!" she looked back at the other brunette behind her, peeking through the bushes at the sudden shouting from the camp.
Smoke and bright flashes were erupting from the middle and the skeletons were the first to go running around like crazed animals. "I don't believe those two are causing that much chaos…" Kasai looked through next and his mouth dropped open a little in surprise. "It's like Tanaka times two… I mean just look at how they move together…"
"Phantom! Phantom ninja!" one ran past a Serpentine that covered his face. "Now there are two of that blasted monster!"
"Never send a skeleton to do a snake's job…" one hissed angrily. "It is just two pesky little soldiers! You know there is a camp not far from here!" he started snapping at everyone and then looked to one of the six armed men. "Do something! You are Kirchon's second in command Heron!"
The hulking soldier named Heron nodded and found just what he was looking for when he entered deeper in the smoke where he saw the shadows the flash bombs casted against the thick smoke around the camp; grabbing hold of Crevan and Tanaka. Having six arms, of course he had the upper hand in this small skirmish. They were both strong but they were clearly outmatched this round.
"Tanaka and Crevan down…" Kasai sighed and rubbed the dirt from his eyes. "And it's only a matter of time until they find us… where the hell is Rose!? I thought she was fast!"
As if on cue; something fast moved past them and they looked back at the small fight, seeing more shadows running around just out of the corner of their eyes and a smile crept on Misako's face. "Alright, I think we should just sit back and watch this because this will get good really fast… now you guys get to see one of Rose's… hmm… expertise…"
Garmadon, Ella, and Wu gathered around as well to watch. A small volley of arrows shot through. Right now, it was a good time to be a Skulkin and not a flashy snake or soldier.
"What should we do sirs!?" warriors started shouting and asking. Looking out for only themselves, the Serpentine and six armed warriors made a scramble to get out of the site, afraid of being attacked off guard like this.
A loud and happy laugh followed as the enemy cleared out. "Oh my, that was fun!" Rosie lowered her crossbow and scratched the back of her head before dropping the weapon to help both boys up. "You were putting up a pretty decent fight there you two… well… from what I saw anyways… ya know… before Heron grabbed you guys…"
Tanaka and Crevan looked at one another and nodded. Now that it was safe to come out; Misako and the others were looking at both men. Crevan had dark brown hair and small goatee and Tanaka black and clean face, but they both had the same narrow shaped, gray eyes. "I… you guys sort of look similar…" Misako looked at both, blinking. She and probably many others never really got decent look at the ever quiet Crevan.
Both similar looking men looked back at one another. Now that Tanaka thought about it, Crevan was several years older than him, and he never heard what his last name was, "Well… I live a small town not far away from here and I have a brother but I left when he was still young…"
"Was… your grandfather's name Armin… Fujiyoka?" Tanaka slowly asked; hope building up in his chest.
Crevan's eyes widened and they both stared at one another and Wu and Kasai could have fainted from such a twist. "Look at that Tana, you found your brother after all…" Garmadon folded his arms with a bit of a smirk.
Tanaka took a step closer with wide eyes, still not believing something like this was happening. How coincidental that his older brother, a man who lived in a secluded town would come here to fight and serve on the same scouting team he was on. He never really felt such an emotion when his older brother hugged him tightly.
Wu tilted his head at the endearing moment and looked back to his own older brother. Garmadon was watching but blinked and looked back at the stupid look of endearment his little brother was giving him, "I am not hugging you". He grumbled and turned away.
Wu however, ignored this and hugged Garmadon anyways. The brunette almost shoved Wu away but sighed and succumbed to the embrace… mainly because his wife was eyeing him, prodding him to return the gesture.
The group started back to camp while Rose and her group sacked the provisions of the abandoned site; a semi-successful night behind them and hopefully it would be the same or better with the rest of this sudden war.
Tired... work... stories... updating... Taylor Swift 1989 goes on pre-order tomorrow for those on the e-mailing list... I... am... a... mess...
This took all of last night to do so I hope you liked it :3 Tanaka found his brother! :D Silly Wu and Garmadon moment there because I could not resist... I'm just flopping around like a dying fish right now with this story... it's hard writing war and stuff like this for me XD
Haha so thanks a bunch for reading guys! :D
~Mar
