I've decided to stop using chapters and start using Part as I feel like this is just one big story told in multiple parts rather than having the pace or advancement of story needed to warrant it being a chapter each time. Or that could just be me being a bit anal but it is what it is.
Once again I don't own any rights to Ninja Assassin incase Jonny Law didn't see that disclaimer the first time.
Part 4
Raizo sat beside Mika, their hands clasped running his thumb gently along the length of her index finger.
"Mika?" his voice was tentative, but the conversation needed to be had.
"hmm?" Mika's head was now rested on Raizo's shoulder.
"Can you tell me why?" He gently tilted her hand within his, enough to show small healing scars dotted on the inside of her forearm.
Mika closed her eyes a moment and exhaled a breath she didn't realise she was holding. "I don't know. One day nothing was working, not the pills, not the drink. Sometimes I hurt so badly, like there is so much pain inside me, everywhere. The first time it was small, a sewing needle but it felt like a tiny release. Gradually I needed more, the needles became scissors and…."
Mika took her hand from Raizo, running her fingers over the healed scars. "I don't want to. I never want to." She glanced down at her lap, another headache growing.
Raizo placed a hand on her knee. "We all bear the scars from choices we've made. You did what you knew to do to survive." Raizo got up from the couch. "Let me show you another way?" He held his hand out to Mika who looked up at him confused.
"I don't understand." She said taking his hand and getting to her feet.
Raizo's coy smile was back, "I can help you, but you have to trust me."
"That's what you said to me the first time we met. Aren't you tired of saving me?"
Raizo pulled his long hair into a tight ponytail with a rubber band from around his wrist. He raised an eyebrow, "Third time's a charm."
When Razio instructed Mika to fetch her gym bag, she assumed it was because they were heading to her gym to train. She was half right. Raizo, of course, had somehow found out her gym schedule. Her martial arts class was starting in 10mins and they were a 5min walk away.
"I don't understand why you want to come to my self-defence class. Won't it kinda basic for you?" Mika queried as they walked up to the gym door.
"Yes, it is. But I won't be taking the class with you. I'll be observing."
"Huh, why?" Mika showed her gym pass to the reception desk attendant and headed to the downstairs dojo.
"I want to see what you've learned."
Mika looked suspicious. "This feels like a setup."
Raizo made his way to a bench at the back of the room while Mika reluctantly headed to the front to take part in the registration line up. Everything looks normal enough but Mika still carried the fading bruises of a past lesson.
The teacher walked in a few moments later. He wasn't a tall man, maybe 5ft 8 or 9 but he was stocky. He looked to be in his mid to late 40s. He greeted the class.
"Mika, welcome back, we missed you." He patted Mika's shoulder. The action caused a minute shift deep down inside Raizo.
The class started with a 15min warm up. Seemed standard enough. Then another 20mins of drills. Mika was breathless by the end of it and they hadn't got into the meat of the class yet.
"Partner up!" The teacher yelled to the class.
There were 6 women in the group and 3 men. Mika was partnered with one of the men, a tall slender blonde who looked no more than 19 years old.
"Show me second formation!"
The class performed a series of counteractive hand strikes between each other at a measured pace.
The teacher walked up and down the line adjusting individual students form. "Faster!" he yelled walking back up the line. "Knees!"
The class incorporated knee manoeuvres into their routine. Back and forth each partnership edged. "Elbows up Mika!" The teacher called out.
Mika raised her elbows, strengthening her guard. Raizo remained statue-like at the back of the class taking mental notes. Mika was good, fast, strong but her sparring partner was taking it easier on her. He wondered if Mika noticed that too.
"STOP!" The teacher was back at the front of the class with a frustrated expression on his face. "You're all dropping your guards. That's a great way to get a fist, elbow, foot, bottle, you name it, in the face! I'm also seeing some weak leg strikes and lazy counters. "Mika, front and centre!"
Raizo felt a subtle sense of defensiveness. Was Mika in trouble? Her form wasn't that bad. There were worst in the group. The teacher instructed Mika to stand in front of him and perform the combination of moves again. Front punch, elbow, backhand, guard, dodge, duck, grapple, knee, attempted takedown.
"Again," the Teacher instructed and then stopped her midway. "This is where you're getting compromised. Pay attention class!" The Teacher circled Mika standing close behind her. He reached around her and adjusted her arms then reached down and adjusted her footing. If Raizo was a dog he'd be growling. No one touches Mika like that.
The Teacher guided the class through four more combinations and then ended the class with a stretching cool down.
"Good work guys," he called after them as they left the room one by one. "Not staying behind today Mika?" he called after her as she headed towards Raizo in a sweat.
"Not today. See you next week."
Raizo got up to walk out with Mika, "Staying behind?"
Mika was swigging from her water bottle. "Sometimes when he can, I get to put in some extra lesson time after class. It's been helpful."
"Is that where the bruises come from?" Raizo forced his tone to stay neutral.
Mika shrugged. "Maybe, I can push it too hard from time to time."
"He shouldn't be hurting you."
Mika dismissed the comment. "Sometimes, I want him to." Mika walked on ahead. Raizo had no response to her, but his head was filled with a mess of imagery.
"Where to now?" Mika called back over her shoulder.
"Park," Raizo replied.
"Park? For what?"
"I'm going to correct everything that class was showing you."
It wasn't a warm day but the temperature was mild enough to work up a sweat in. Raizo had instructed Mika to complete 2 laps of the park before they even got down to more combat. Mika commented that it was easy enough to give the orders. That was a mistake. Raizo offered to run with her and not only did he not break a sweat but he appeared to be holding back his strides to stay slow enough to match Mika's pace. That irritated Mika a little more than it should have.
After allowing Mika a brief moment to catch her breath and take on some water Raizo instructed her to attack him with everything she'd learned. She did so and he deflected every punch, anticipated every kick, every knee and Mika was growing infuriated.
"Your guard is weak. Again!" Mika lunged this time with a right punch and a left elbow. Raizo easily deflected her.
"Your follow through is too slow. Again!"
Mika flung a hasty roundhouse kick toward Raizo. He caught her ankle and caused Mika's standing knee to buckle with a gentle tap of his foot. Mika went down to the grass, fast and angry and before Raizo could hold out a hand to help her back up she charged him with all her might. It was messy and badly executed. Raizo went down but his fighting instinct caused him to grab a hold of Mika which bought her down with him. They both landed with a thud side by side. Mika was winded, Raizo was just confused.
"That was foolish Mika!" Raizo got to his feet composing himself.
Her left arm burned, she could barely tell where the pain was coming from but it was growing and it was spreading. "I'm not you Raizo! I'm not a damn Ninja! This was a waste of fucking time." She tried to scramble to her feet. "DAMNIT!"
Raizo's expression changed in an instant from frustration to concern. Mika was cradling her left arm tenderly. "Mika you're hurt."
"I'm fine!" She snapped back before glancing down at her left shoulder. "Wait, nope." Her knees weakened at seeing angles in her shoulder that shouldn't be.
Raizo steadied her. "You've dislocated it."
"No, no, it's just a strain." Mika tried to pull away from Raizo's steadying grip.
Raizo tilted his head in empathy, "Mika. I'm going to have to fix it for you."
"Just needs ice." Mika tried to turn from him but the pain halted her.
"Mika." He said her name as if accosting a child.
Mika pouted. "Come on Raizo. Can't you just Vulcan nerve pinch me and put me out or something?"
"The longer we leave you like this the worse it is. I will make it quick I promise."
A battle fought its way across Mika's face, "Ok," Raizo went to gently take her left arm. "No, no wait!" Raizo stopped moving. Mika took two sobering, deep breaths. "Ok just rip it off!"
Raizo instructed Mika to turn and face away from him as he gently placed a palm on the front side of her injured shoulder and took a hold of her left wrist. "Look at me, Mika." She did as she was told. "I want you to relax as much as you can. Take three deep breaths." She did so. "Now close your eyes and count to 3."
Raizo's hands lay on her so gently some of her fear was starting to ease. "One…two…"
She didn't make it to three.
"MOTHER FUCKER!"
Raizo had an apologetic smile on his face.
"What the hell happened to three?!" Mika's shoulder was throbbing but it felt much better than it did previously.
Raizo was massaging her joint, making sure everything sat where it should. "I thought the element of surprise would be best and I suspected you never would have let me get to three."
Raizo gathered up Mika's bag. He took his hoody off and wrapped it around her. "We should get some ice on that."
They headed back to Mika's apartment via the pharmacy where Raizo picked up some tape to strap up Mika's shoulder and aspirin. He suggested she stay away from any of the major pain killers if she was to get her life back on track. Back at the apartment, Mika was back on the couch. Raizo was making tea again and eventually sat down beside her with two mugs.
"You must be getting tired of constantly having to put me back together." She took a mug from him and lay it on the table in front of them.
"You remind me of someone I once knew."
"A pain in the ass?"
Raizo smiled shaking his head and leaning back into the couch. "At times but mostly, Impulsive, caring, brave."
"Where are they now?"
A stillness came over the room. "She's dead. One of my clan brothers put a sword through her heart when I couldn't. She was the only friend I ever had in that place."
Mika lay a hand on Raizo's arm. "I'm so sorry. That's awful."
"Sometimes I think it was the best thing for her. She wasn't meant for that place. Part of me is glad she never got to complete her training and get turned into something cold and ugly."
Mika looked up at Raizo as he gazed into nothingness. She could feel the pain emanating from him and the effort he was making to try and keep it hidden.
"Is that how you see yourself Raizo?"
He took a steadying breath. "It's what they made me."
"Well, it's not what I see. I see a man with an amazing soul. A man that has given me my life back several times over. I'm sure your friend would be proud to see what you became." She gave his arm a comforting squeeze.
"Thank you, Mika." Raizo suddenly got to his feet. "We should leave this place."
"Huh?" His sudden exuberance was unsettling.
"Your recovery would be served better with a change of scenery."
"Err, ok?" Mika grew suspicious. "What exactly did you have in mind?"
Raizo smiled at her. "I have a beach house near the cost. Will you come?"
Mika was taken aback. "Are you sure? This seems kinda sudden."
"Is that a no?"
"I didn't say that."
"Then go pack. We can be there by sundown."