Copyright © 2003: Not appear in NS or PR.It's ours!
Authors note: Sorry this took so long to put up. Life has been crazy. But hope two installations make up for it. Thanks to our faithful readers and reviewers! Enjoy!
~~**~~
"Beep," Hunter's communicator beeped. Hunter answered, "Yeah, Cam. What's up?"
"You two better get in here. Now."
Rika and Hunter glanced at each other, "Uh oh, what's up now?" They didn't even stop to think how Cam knew the two would be together.
Sprinting into Ninja Ops, Hunter and Rika saw the others already gathered. Hunter was about to ask what was up when he saw Blake grimly staring down at the floor, his hands clenched so tightly, that his knuckles were white.
"Blake! What's wrong?"
Rika alarmed, "Where's Clare?"
Rika felt her chest tighten as she listened to Blake grimly mutter out in a low voice, "She's been kidnapped. KelzaKs attacked us on our way home from the track. They got her wet and . . . -they took her. They surrounded me so that I couldn't do anything to help. I tried Rika, I did. I - I tried but I couldn't do anything."
Hunter had never seen his brother look so distraught. It cut him to the heart to see his brother like this. Glancing at Rika, he saw that she was deathly silent and had gone pale.
Tori reached over and put her hand on Rika's shoulder, "We'll get her back."
Rika jumped at Tori's touch, "I yelled at her. That was the last thing. I'll never see her again." She seemed dazed.
Hunter reached out to hug her, but Rika pushed him away. He looked at her and saw that her eyes were blazing. They were blazing with fear and anger; not at Lothor, but at herself. She whirled and ran out of the room.
The other Rangers turned to follow, but Sensei stopped them, "She needs time alone."
Shane asked, "What can we do? We have to save her."
Sensei clasped his hands, "For now, we can hope that she is alive. Cam will try to pinpoint her location using her morpher. The rest of you get some rest for I fear that the worst is yet to come."
The other Rangers turned to leave, but Hunter stayed behind. "Sensei, will Rika be alright? I know she feels like this is her fault. That she drove Clare away."
"She will be fine. Rika is strong. She will overcome her feelings and she will come to her senses. You must be strong for her and your brother. Both are devastated by this."
Hunter clenched his fists, "Lothor's gone too far this time. I promise if it's the last thing I do, I'll find Clare."
Sensei nodded, but warned, "Be careful Hunter. I fear that Lothor will use your feelings against you and Blake."
Hunter unclenched his fists and lowered his head, "I know Sensei."
With that, he bowed and exited the room.
Sensei watched Hunter leave the room and sighed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hunter found his brother staring at the wall of their room.
"Hey, are you ok?"
Blake didn't say anything, but simply turned and looked at Hunter. He saw that Blake was distraught.
"I couldn't do anything but watch as they took her. She used her powers to try to escape, but then they pushed her in. They attacked us in front of the fountain. They planned it all."
He looked at the floor.
Hunter walked over to his brother and placed a hand on Blake's shoulder, "Hey, whatever happens, we'll find her. She'll be fine and we'll pay Lothor back for what he did to them . . . and to us. We'll make him sorry he ever messed with us."
Blake looked up at Hunter who saw the same hardened determination and anger that he knew burned in his own eyes. Hunter was surprised at how much older his brother looked. No longer was there the immature kid who had run around without responsibility. He saw that losing Clare had turned Blake into a younger version of himself. Blake knew what it meant to be responsible for someone else's welfare.
Tori knocked and poked her head into the room, "Hey guys, Cam's picked up something at the fountain. We're gonna go check it out."
Hunter looked at Blake who nodded. Both brothers stood up and followed Tori out of the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Rangers and Hunter, Blake, and Cam flashed out to the fountain, and spread out, looking for anything that left a clue as to where the KelzaKs had taken her.
Rika searched around the fountain, but finding nothing, stopped and sat down on the fountain in desperation. Hunter came and sat down next to her, "Find anything?"
Rika gave Hunter a glance, "No. Nothing yet."
Just then Dustin raised a shout, "Hey guys, I think I've found something!"
Rika and Hunter bolted up from the fountain and ran to where Dustin was pointing to a glass pendant. The pendant was on a black leather thong. Dustin bent to pick up the pendant, when he abruptly pulled his hand back. "Ouch! That thing shocked me!"
Blake picked up the orb, although it was shocking him, he resolutely held it and passed it on to Rika who studied the pendant.
The piece of glass fell from Rika's nerveless hands, just as Hunter caught it by the leather thong before it could hit the ground. He looked puzzlingly at Rika. However, he saw that Rika's face had blanched and she was shaking.
"Rika, what's wrong? Do you know what this is?"
Without a word, she reached inside her uniform and pulled a glass orb- shaped pendant that seemed to be glowing with a light of its own. She cupped her hands over it, bowed her head over it and lifted it in one hand to reveal a glass orb pendant that had a dim light glowing from somewhere within.
"This is the same necklace that Clare has. It contains a little bit of our powers."
Blake looked stunned, as did the other Rangers. "Bu-but that means that Clare is . . ."
Rika shot Blake a glare as she retorted, "Don't say it."
"We'd better get back to Ninja Ops. I can examine this further there."
~~~~~~~~~
Cam was studying Clare's orb and comparing it to Rika's orb. He ran tests on it looking for a patterned energy signature.
"Hey Rika, is this thing necessary for you two to maintain your powers?" Cam asked, holding up the orbs.
"No, they were bestowed upon us by our late parents." Rika paused, realizing what she had just said. Late. Admittedly she had been holding back on that -because saying so would mean that she had conceded to the fact that her parents were truly gone.
The other Rangers were gathered around the mainframe watching in silence. They wished that they could do something to assuage Rika's grief, but they couldn't think of anything to say. Finally Sensei broke the mounting silence.
"Rangers, I have a feeling that this is not the end. Lothor is planning something and it behooves all of us to be prepared. Therefore, I want all of you to go home, rest, and come back to Ninja Ops for early morning training. Cam will notify you if anything shows up."
Shane, Dustin, and Tori walked out of Ninja Ops, saying that they would see the guys tomorrow.
Sensei turned to Rika,
"Arika, we will continue to scan for Clare, but you should rest. We will let you know if Cam picks up anything."
Rika was about to protest, that she would hang around until Cam found something, but she heard the steel in her uncle's voice. It was an order veiled in the form of familial concern, but an order no less. She sighed and bowed her head. Turning, she walked out of the debriefing room as Cam, Hunter, and Blake watched her departure.
Blake looked at Hunter, but Hunter's attention was elsewhere. His eyes followed Rika as she left. Blake walked over to Cam who was peering intently into the mainframe.
"Find anything?"
"Nope, not yet. But I'll keep looking." Cam looked up at the younger Thunder Ranger, seeing the worry and pain in his eyes, added, "Don't worry Blake. She'll be fine."
Blake nodded and turned to glance at his brother. He questioned Hunter with his eyes. Hunter answered back; he was going to stick around for a bit longer. Blake nodded slightly and saying goodbye to Hunter and Cam, walked out towards the entrance of Ninja Ops.
Hunter watched as his brother left. Outside, there was no change to his stony, determined demeanor. However, Hunter knew better. He was furious at Lothor, for messing up things for his brother, just as he and Clare really started to grow closer. He already knew Blake loved Clare and suspected that it was tearing Blake up inside at not being able to do anything. Both brothers did not take well to sitting aside, not while there was something they could do. Only in this case, there was nothing they could do. Hunter clenched his fists and let out a deep breath.
Cam noticing the silent communication between the brothers, waited until Blake had left before asking, "He really cares a lot for her, doesn't he?"
Hunter replied without looking at Cam, "He loves her."
Cam sighed, "I know."
Hunter looked up in surprise, "Really, I didn't think you'd notice stuff like that."
Cam switched off the mainframe and swiveled around in his chair, "Of course I do. They're like my sisters. I've known them since they were born."
Hunter ran a hand through his hair and looked at Cam as Cam observed the older Thunder Ranger. He would never have thought that Hunter was capable of feeling anything for anyone besides Blake. Remembering when he had met the Thunder brothers, Cam could hardly believe that the man standing in front of him, with worry and anger mingled in his expression, was once the cold-hearted, furious, vengeful young man that had marched into Ninja Ops and kidnapped his father.
"How are you doing?" Cam asked Hunter.
Hunter looked up at Cam, puzzled, "What do you mean?"
Cam shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "You're pissed at Lothor, aren't you? And worried about Rika too."
Cam continued, "Rika. Clare's kidnapping is devastating her. She just lost her parents, she can't lose Clare."
Hunter sat down on the low polished table and put his head in his hands. "I know, but there's nothing I can do. If I thought it would help, I would storm into Lothor's ship and bring her back, but that doesn't mean that she's -" he couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence.
Cam walked over to Hunter and put his hand on his shoulder, "Just be there for her. You have to be strong for her. "
Hunter took his head out of his hands and stared hard at Cam. /Did he just give me his approval?/ Cam knowing what the younger man was thinking smiled wryly.
"Honestly, I don't know what she sees in you; all I see is a brooding, dark, temperamental guy, but I trust her judgment."
Despite the grimness of their situation, Hunter couldn't help smirking at Cam's characteristic sarcasm. "Maybe she likes that."
Cam rolled his eyes at Hunter and then became serious, "If you hurt her though - you'll answer to me."
Hunter stood up and approached Cam. He looked Cam in the eye crossing his arms. "Don't worry. I would never hurt Rika." He added, cocking an eyebrow, "But I don't think you'd get too far."
Cam sighed and rolled his eyes at Hunter's typical cockiness. "Dude, is there ever a time you drop that attitude of yours?"
Hunter gave Cam a smug smile, "Not really - well, maybe around Rika, but it doesn't really matter then, cuz she's as cocky as they come."
Cam snorted, "Yeah, she can be as bad as you sometimes. Although, if it came to that, I believe that she'd win. I don't envy you that experience."
Hunter grinned as he turned to leave, "It's what I love about her."
~~~~~~~~
Cam watched as Hunter left to find Rika. Sighing, he crossed his arms. Although he had given Hunter his approval to be with Rika, in his heart, he would continue to be wary of him. He could never forget that Hunter and Blake had been instrumental in almost successfully wiping out whatever immediate family he had. He had forgiven them of course, because they were acting upon Lothor's deception, but Cam wondered-- the rage and lust for revenge behind their single-minded purpose, that had consumed the Thunder brothers' whole, was indicative of their capacity for destruction, death, and fear. He wasn't sure he wanted that for Rika and Clare.
"Although you trust Hunter as a Ranger, you do not trust him as a person." Sensei flipped onto the desk of the Ninja Ops mainframe.
Cam replied without looking at his father, "I don't know dad, he's just so different from Rika."
Sensei inquired, "Is he really?"
Cam did not respond and Sensei continued, "Both had to shoulder the burden of responsibility earlier than most, both have lost their parents, and now they are slowly finding their peace in the other. Would you begrudge them that redemption?"
Cam turned to face his father, "Yeah, but its just, I mean --," Cam took a deep breath struggling to maintain his cool composure, but utterly failing to do so. He finally blurted out,
"How can you forgive them so easily? I mean, they wanted to kill you and they almost did! Would you trust them to be with Rika and Clare?"
Sensei bowed his head, "And now, the truth comes out. This is what has been bothering you the whole time, is it not?"
Cam sighed, but then retorted, "How are you so sure that they are right for them?"
Sensei motioned for Cam to follow him to Sensei's former quarters, before he had become "stuck." Intrigued, Cam held out his hand, allowing his dad to flip onto it and walked out of the debriefing room.
"Why are we going back there?" Cam asked. He had avoided that room, because it was a reminder of how things were before the attack-before his world had flipped upside down-before Lothor.
"You will see." Sensei replied calmly.
Cam walked to an older part of Ninja Ops, near the back of the underground headquarters. He slid the paper-covered walled doors apart and stepped into a darkened, musty room. Everything was covered with dust-as no one had inhabited this place in a long time.
Sensei motioned for Cam to open one of the drawers of the cabinet that stood next to the bed. Cam walked over and tried to open the drawer, but it was stuck. Cam jiggled the handle, but it was firmly caught and did not budge. Cam looked questioningly at his father and he nodded. Cam slammed his elbow into the drawer. He slid open the drawer and promptly sneezed as dust flew up from the opened drawer.
Inside he found a scroll. He could tell that it was very ancient, as the writing was in archaic runes similar to the writing on the Scroll of Time.
Cam brought the torn scroll to Sensei who stood on one end of the scroll and unrolled it. Cam bent over his father to read what was written. To his surprise, he read the following words:
Born of thunder, born of rain
What was separate joined by Fate.
When the two Forces meet,
Thunder will roar and Lightning will flash,
And the Four shall be complete.
Cam looked incredulously at his father, "Do-does this mean what I think it means?"
Sensei nodded, "Yes Cameron, Thunder and Lightning were joined by Fate before their own time."
Cam still attempting to digest this new bit of information stuttered, "But dad, you've always told me that Destiny has little to do with life. It's the choices we make in life that determines our Fate."
Sensei nodded in agreement, "This is true, but Hunter has made his choice. When he risked his life to bring Rika back, he went fully and well aware of the consequences and implications of his choice."
Cam slowly nodded, "Does Hunter and Blake know of the prophecy?"
"Hunter is the only one who knows of the prophecy. The others: Rika, Clare, and Blake do not, but they will shortly."
Cam looked at his father, as Sensei went on,
"I understand son, your concern for your cousins and for me. And I understand your anger as well. You once did not accept Shane and the others, thinking that they were mediocre ninja students. But they have grown and your friendships have blossomed. Hunter and Blake have found the truth and now they are doing their utmost to do what is right. Do they also not deserve a chance to redeem themselves?"
Cam sighed and looked down at the floor, "I know dad. You're right. They do deserve a chance, especially them. I don't promise anything immediate, but I will keep it in mind."
Sensei nodded, "That is all I ask. You my son have grown to be the strong, mature, honorable warrior that your mother had hoped you would be. And I am proud of you."
Cam sadly smiled, "Thanks dad." He added, "And one day, I promise you, I will find a way to get you 'unstuck.'"
Sensei smiled, "I have no doubts."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, Clare woke up in a strange and unfamiliar place. /Where am I? And ugh, I have a huge headache./
Clare woke up freezing, wet, and seriously pissed. Groggily she focused bleary eyes and surveyed her surroundings.
/Well at least I know why I'm freezing and wet./ Looking down she realized that she was sitting somewhat upright, slumped over slightly as she was leaning against the dank wall. Through the cold, murky water she could barely make out something around both her ankles.
/WHAT THE FU-?!?!/ Springing up to her feet and away from the wall, she was immediately pulled back down and landed hard with a splash.
Cursing bluestreaks, she jerked and wrenched at the chains that were encircling her ankles, wrists, and waist, even around her neck. Choking and gasping for air she stopped and cleared her mind of her rage.
"Ok, obviously I'm in some deep shit here and I can't use my powers." Lifting her left wrist until it was a foot away from her face she could barely make out in the almost non-existent light that she fortunately still had her morpher.
/Great. Even though I have it I doubt it'll work in this shithole. Still I have'ta try./
"Aeri? Cam? Blake? Yo! Can anybody hear me? Help!" Keying the comm. in her morpher, there was no response, not even any static.
Sighing she dropped her hand back to her side and into the water. /I knew it./
She did not know how long she had been in the cell; unlike her morpher her wristwatch was not waterproof.
Half asleep and brooding, Clare jerked her head up at the sound of a door creaking open. Light flooded the cell from a large opening a few feet above the shallow water, partially blinded; Clare raised her arm to shield her eyes as she squinted. The light was somewhat blocked by a large figure, the broad shoulders and height gave away that it was some male.
"Hey it's badass! Waddup, homie?" Whether it was because she was delirious or just seriously pissed, Clare's usually hidden sarcastic side was now out in full steam.
The figure stepped in onto a platform that slid out a bit so that he was suspended a few inches above the surface of the water. Lothor gave a mocking bow before waggling a finger in a parental fashion as he tsk-tsked.
"Naughty naught little girl, such profane language. Didn't your parents ever teach you not to swear? Oh wait, they didn't live long enough now did they?"
Clare's voice dropped to a deadly tone, "You fucking piece of shit. You have no right to mention them."
Lothor growled as he raised his arm across his chest and extended it towards the trapped teen.
Instinctively she threw herself to the side as far as her chains would allowed as the laser beam sparked against the wall where she had been the moment before, the beam ricocheted around until it fizzled out, dying as it struck the water.
Clare whipped herself upright and shot her own arm out at her uncle, shooting an erratic current that would shock Lothor with enough force to knock him out.
Or tried to, forgetting that she was in water the electric current backfired onto the owner, as Clare screamed in pain before cutting off the channel to her powers. She glared at Lothor as his shoulders shook, his low chuckling grew louder to the point that he was roaring, the infernal noise echoed around the dim cell, until abruptly he cut it off and stared at his prisoner.
"So little niece. Clare is it? We finally meet. Are you well?"
Clare knew he was baiting her but she did it anyway, "Do I look it?"
Lothor only smirked as he watched his captured Ranger.
Clare glared back. One of them was going to have to look away and it wasn't going to be her.
"A stubborn one, aren't you?"
"Runs in the family.asshole."
"Funny. It seems that I have already heard that line before."
"Does it look like I care?"
Lothor smirked before answering, "Well, if you don't care about that, I'm sure that you care about your friends and family. Especially-"
"DON'T YOU DARE COME NEAR THEM, YOU BASTARD!!!"
She relentlessly threw herself against the chains, ignoring the pain as they cut into her. Just before she recoiled into herself as she screamed in pain. She had lost the weakened grasp of control over her power, the waves of pain was excruciating as she shocked herself.
Lothor watched impassively as the girl continued to scream until she ran out of breath, silently screaming as currents of electricity traveled up and down her body while crouching on her knees, her arms crossed and clutched to her chest as she desperately tried to regain control.
The currents gradually receded, leaving behind a half-conscious girl kneeling in the water, to weak to raise her head.
"Good, good. You have the power of electricity. So tell me, how did you and your pathetic "big" sister acquire those powers of yours?"
"Ask me no questions, I'll tell you now lies..." Clare shrugged, "well at least not much."
"Hmph. It's too bad I only managed to capture the weaker of you two, after all you are only electricity, thus affected by water rather than the lightning of your sister. But soon the end of my miserable brother, that brat of a nephew, and those wretched Wind Rangers will come. As for your sister and those Thunder Rangers," his gloved hands curled into tight fists, "I have something special planned for you four! HAHAHA!!!" With that he turned and the door to the cell slid shut with a whisper of air, leaving the injured girl to slump in the darkness, staring at her reflection in the water through half-opened eyes.
A single tear slid down her face until it dropped into the water with a small splash that echoed throughout the watery tomb. She called for her sister by her childhood name, title, and native language,
"Unni? (older sister) Help...me."
~~~~~~~
Will Clare be rescued? Or does Lothor have something more diabolical planned for her? Muahaha.
Reeeeview!!! --Jade and Senga
Authors note: Sorry this took so long to put up. Life has been crazy. But hope two installations make up for it. Thanks to our faithful readers and reviewers! Enjoy!
~~**~~
"Beep," Hunter's communicator beeped. Hunter answered, "Yeah, Cam. What's up?"
"You two better get in here. Now."
Rika and Hunter glanced at each other, "Uh oh, what's up now?" They didn't even stop to think how Cam knew the two would be together.
Sprinting into Ninja Ops, Hunter and Rika saw the others already gathered. Hunter was about to ask what was up when he saw Blake grimly staring down at the floor, his hands clenched so tightly, that his knuckles were white.
"Blake! What's wrong?"
Rika alarmed, "Where's Clare?"
Rika felt her chest tighten as she listened to Blake grimly mutter out in a low voice, "She's been kidnapped. KelzaKs attacked us on our way home from the track. They got her wet and . . . -they took her. They surrounded me so that I couldn't do anything to help. I tried Rika, I did. I - I tried but I couldn't do anything."
Hunter had never seen his brother look so distraught. It cut him to the heart to see his brother like this. Glancing at Rika, he saw that she was deathly silent and had gone pale.
Tori reached over and put her hand on Rika's shoulder, "We'll get her back."
Rika jumped at Tori's touch, "I yelled at her. That was the last thing. I'll never see her again." She seemed dazed.
Hunter reached out to hug her, but Rika pushed him away. He looked at her and saw that her eyes were blazing. They were blazing with fear and anger; not at Lothor, but at herself. She whirled and ran out of the room.
The other Rangers turned to follow, but Sensei stopped them, "She needs time alone."
Shane asked, "What can we do? We have to save her."
Sensei clasped his hands, "For now, we can hope that she is alive. Cam will try to pinpoint her location using her morpher. The rest of you get some rest for I fear that the worst is yet to come."
The other Rangers turned to leave, but Hunter stayed behind. "Sensei, will Rika be alright? I know she feels like this is her fault. That she drove Clare away."
"She will be fine. Rika is strong. She will overcome her feelings and she will come to her senses. You must be strong for her and your brother. Both are devastated by this."
Hunter clenched his fists, "Lothor's gone too far this time. I promise if it's the last thing I do, I'll find Clare."
Sensei nodded, but warned, "Be careful Hunter. I fear that Lothor will use your feelings against you and Blake."
Hunter unclenched his fists and lowered his head, "I know Sensei."
With that, he bowed and exited the room.
Sensei watched Hunter leave the room and sighed.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Hunter found his brother staring at the wall of their room.
"Hey, are you ok?"
Blake didn't say anything, but simply turned and looked at Hunter. He saw that Blake was distraught.
"I couldn't do anything but watch as they took her. She used her powers to try to escape, but then they pushed her in. They attacked us in front of the fountain. They planned it all."
He looked at the floor.
Hunter walked over to his brother and placed a hand on Blake's shoulder, "Hey, whatever happens, we'll find her. She'll be fine and we'll pay Lothor back for what he did to them . . . and to us. We'll make him sorry he ever messed with us."
Blake looked up at Hunter who saw the same hardened determination and anger that he knew burned in his own eyes. Hunter was surprised at how much older his brother looked. No longer was there the immature kid who had run around without responsibility. He saw that losing Clare had turned Blake into a younger version of himself. Blake knew what it meant to be responsible for someone else's welfare.
Tori knocked and poked her head into the room, "Hey guys, Cam's picked up something at the fountain. We're gonna go check it out."
Hunter looked at Blake who nodded. Both brothers stood up and followed Tori out of the room.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
The Rangers and Hunter, Blake, and Cam flashed out to the fountain, and spread out, looking for anything that left a clue as to where the KelzaKs had taken her.
Rika searched around the fountain, but finding nothing, stopped and sat down on the fountain in desperation. Hunter came and sat down next to her, "Find anything?"
Rika gave Hunter a glance, "No. Nothing yet."
Just then Dustin raised a shout, "Hey guys, I think I've found something!"
Rika and Hunter bolted up from the fountain and ran to where Dustin was pointing to a glass pendant. The pendant was on a black leather thong. Dustin bent to pick up the pendant, when he abruptly pulled his hand back. "Ouch! That thing shocked me!"
Blake picked up the orb, although it was shocking him, he resolutely held it and passed it on to Rika who studied the pendant.
The piece of glass fell from Rika's nerveless hands, just as Hunter caught it by the leather thong before it could hit the ground. He looked puzzlingly at Rika. However, he saw that Rika's face had blanched and she was shaking.
"Rika, what's wrong? Do you know what this is?"
Without a word, she reached inside her uniform and pulled a glass orb- shaped pendant that seemed to be glowing with a light of its own. She cupped her hands over it, bowed her head over it and lifted it in one hand to reveal a glass orb pendant that had a dim light glowing from somewhere within.
"This is the same necklace that Clare has. It contains a little bit of our powers."
Blake looked stunned, as did the other Rangers. "Bu-but that means that Clare is . . ."
Rika shot Blake a glare as she retorted, "Don't say it."
"We'd better get back to Ninja Ops. I can examine this further there."
~~~~~~~~~
Cam was studying Clare's orb and comparing it to Rika's orb. He ran tests on it looking for a patterned energy signature.
"Hey Rika, is this thing necessary for you two to maintain your powers?" Cam asked, holding up the orbs.
"No, they were bestowed upon us by our late parents." Rika paused, realizing what she had just said. Late. Admittedly she had been holding back on that -because saying so would mean that she had conceded to the fact that her parents were truly gone.
The other Rangers were gathered around the mainframe watching in silence. They wished that they could do something to assuage Rika's grief, but they couldn't think of anything to say. Finally Sensei broke the mounting silence.
"Rangers, I have a feeling that this is not the end. Lothor is planning something and it behooves all of us to be prepared. Therefore, I want all of you to go home, rest, and come back to Ninja Ops for early morning training. Cam will notify you if anything shows up."
Shane, Dustin, and Tori walked out of Ninja Ops, saying that they would see the guys tomorrow.
Sensei turned to Rika,
"Arika, we will continue to scan for Clare, but you should rest. We will let you know if Cam picks up anything."
Rika was about to protest, that she would hang around until Cam found something, but she heard the steel in her uncle's voice. It was an order veiled in the form of familial concern, but an order no less. She sighed and bowed her head. Turning, she walked out of the debriefing room as Cam, Hunter, and Blake watched her departure.
Blake looked at Hunter, but Hunter's attention was elsewhere. His eyes followed Rika as she left. Blake walked over to Cam who was peering intently into the mainframe.
"Find anything?"
"Nope, not yet. But I'll keep looking." Cam looked up at the younger Thunder Ranger, seeing the worry and pain in his eyes, added, "Don't worry Blake. She'll be fine."
Blake nodded and turned to glance at his brother. He questioned Hunter with his eyes. Hunter answered back; he was going to stick around for a bit longer. Blake nodded slightly and saying goodbye to Hunter and Cam, walked out towards the entrance of Ninja Ops.
Hunter watched as his brother left. Outside, there was no change to his stony, determined demeanor. However, Hunter knew better. He was furious at Lothor, for messing up things for his brother, just as he and Clare really started to grow closer. He already knew Blake loved Clare and suspected that it was tearing Blake up inside at not being able to do anything. Both brothers did not take well to sitting aside, not while there was something they could do. Only in this case, there was nothing they could do. Hunter clenched his fists and let out a deep breath.
Cam noticing the silent communication between the brothers, waited until Blake had left before asking, "He really cares a lot for her, doesn't he?"
Hunter replied without looking at Cam, "He loves her."
Cam sighed, "I know."
Hunter looked up in surprise, "Really, I didn't think you'd notice stuff like that."
Cam switched off the mainframe and swiveled around in his chair, "Of course I do. They're like my sisters. I've known them since they were born."
Hunter ran a hand through his hair and looked at Cam as Cam observed the older Thunder Ranger. He would never have thought that Hunter was capable of feeling anything for anyone besides Blake. Remembering when he had met the Thunder brothers, Cam could hardly believe that the man standing in front of him, with worry and anger mingled in his expression, was once the cold-hearted, furious, vengeful young man that had marched into Ninja Ops and kidnapped his father.
"How are you doing?" Cam asked Hunter.
Hunter looked up at Cam, puzzled, "What do you mean?"
Cam shifted his weight from one foot to the other. "You're pissed at Lothor, aren't you? And worried about Rika too."
Cam continued, "Rika. Clare's kidnapping is devastating her. She just lost her parents, she can't lose Clare."
Hunter sat down on the low polished table and put his head in his hands. "I know, but there's nothing I can do. If I thought it would help, I would storm into Lothor's ship and bring her back, but that doesn't mean that she's -" he couldn't bring himself to finish his sentence.
Cam walked over to Hunter and put his hand on his shoulder, "Just be there for her. You have to be strong for her. "
Hunter took his head out of his hands and stared hard at Cam. /Did he just give me his approval?/ Cam knowing what the younger man was thinking smiled wryly.
"Honestly, I don't know what she sees in you; all I see is a brooding, dark, temperamental guy, but I trust her judgment."
Despite the grimness of their situation, Hunter couldn't help smirking at Cam's characteristic sarcasm. "Maybe she likes that."
Cam rolled his eyes at Hunter and then became serious, "If you hurt her though - you'll answer to me."
Hunter stood up and approached Cam. He looked Cam in the eye crossing his arms. "Don't worry. I would never hurt Rika." He added, cocking an eyebrow, "But I don't think you'd get too far."
Cam sighed and rolled his eyes at Hunter's typical cockiness. "Dude, is there ever a time you drop that attitude of yours?"
Hunter gave Cam a smug smile, "Not really - well, maybe around Rika, but it doesn't really matter then, cuz she's as cocky as they come."
Cam snorted, "Yeah, she can be as bad as you sometimes. Although, if it came to that, I believe that she'd win. I don't envy you that experience."
Hunter grinned as he turned to leave, "It's what I love about her."
~~~~~~~~
Cam watched as Hunter left to find Rika. Sighing, he crossed his arms. Although he had given Hunter his approval to be with Rika, in his heart, he would continue to be wary of him. He could never forget that Hunter and Blake had been instrumental in almost successfully wiping out whatever immediate family he had. He had forgiven them of course, because they were acting upon Lothor's deception, but Cam wondered-- the rage and lust for revenge behind their single-minded purpose, that had consumed the Thunder brothers' whole, was indicative of their capacity for destruction, death, and fear. He wasn't sure he wanted that for Rika and Clare.
"Although you trust Hunter as a Ranger, you do not trust him as a person." Sensei flipped onto the desk of the Ninja Ops mainframe.
Cam replied without looking at his father, "I don't know dad, he's just so different from Rika."
Sensei inquired, "Is he really?"
Cam did not respond and Sensei continued, "Both had to shoulder the burden of responsibility earlier than most, both have lost their parents, and now they are slowly finding their peace in the other. Would you begrudge them that redemption?"
Cam turned to face his father, "Yeah, but its just, I mean --," Cam took a deep breath struggling to maintain his cool composure, but utterly failing to do so. He finally blurted out,
"How can you forgive them so easily? I mean, they wanted to kill you and they almost did! Would you trust them to be with Rika and Clare?"
Sensei bowed his head, "And now, the truth comes out. This is what has been bothering you the whole time, is it not?"
Cam sighed, but then retorted, "How are you so sure that they are right for them?"
Sensei motioned for Cam to follow him to Sensei's former quarters, before he had become "stuck." Intrigued, Cam held out his hand, allowing his dad to flip onto it and walked out of the debriefing room.
"Why are we going back there?" Cam asked. He had avoided that room, because it was a reminder of how things were before the attack-before his world had flipped upside down-before Lothor.
"You will see." Sensei replied calmly.
Cam walked to an older part of Ninja Ops, near the back of the underground headquarters. He slid the paper-covered walled doors apart and stepped into a darkened, musty room. Everything was covered with dust-as no one had inhabited this place in a long time.
Sensei motioned for Cam to open one of the drawers of the cabinet that stood next to the bed. Cam walked over and tried to open the drawer, but it was stuck. Cam jiggled the handle, but it was firmly caught and did not budge. Cam looked questioningly at his father and he nodded. Cam slammed his elbow into the drawer. He slid open the drawer and promptly sneezed as dust flew up from the opened drawer.
Inside he found a scroll. He could tell that it was very ancient, as the writing was in archaic runes similar to the writing on the Scroll of Time.
Cam brought the torn scroll to Sensei who stood on one end of the scroll and unrolled it. Cam bent over his father to read what was written. To his surprise, he read the following words:
Born of thunder, born of rain
What was separate joined by Fate.
When the two Forces meet,
Thunder will roar and Lightning will flash,
And the Four shall be complete.
Cam looked incredulously at his father, "Do-does this mean what I think it means?"
Sensei nodded, "Yes Cameron, Thunder and Lightning were joined by Fate before their own time."
Cam still attempting to digest this new bit of information stuttered, "But dad, you've always told me that Destiny has little to do with life. It's the choices we make in life that determines our Fate."
Sensei nodded in agreement, "This is true, but Hunter has made his choice. When he risked his life to bring Rika back, he went fully and well aware of the consequences and implications of his choice."
Cam slowly nodded, "Does Hunter and Blake know of the prophecy?"
"Hunter is the only one who knows of the prophecy. The others: Rika, Clare, and Blake do not, but they will shortly."
Cam looked at his father, as Sensei went on,
"I understand son, your concern for your cousins and for me. And I understand your anger as well. You once did not accept Shane and the others, thinking that they were mediocre ninja students. But they have grown and your friendships have blossomed. Hunter and Blake have found the truth and now they are doing their utmost to do what is right. Do they also not deserve a chance to redeem themselves?"
Cam sighed and looked down at the floor, "I know dad. You're right. They do deserve a chance, especially them. I don't promise anything immediate, but I will keep it in mind."
Sensei nodded, "That is all I ask. You my son have grown to be the strong, mature, honorable warrior that your mother had hoped you would be. And I am proud of you."
Cam sadly smiled, "Thanks dad." He added, "And one day, I promise you, I will find a way to get you 'unstuck.'"
Sensei smiled, "I have no doubts."
~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Meanwhile, Clare woke up in a strange and unfamiliar place. /Where am I? And ugh, I have a huge headache./
Clare woke up freezing, wet, and seriously pissed. Groggily she focused bleary eyes and surveyed her surroundings.
/Well at least I know why I'm freezing and wet./ Looking down she realized that she was sitting somewhat upright, slumped over slightly as she was leaning against the dank wall. Through the cold, murky water she could barely make out something around both her ankles.
/WHAT THE FU-?!?!/ Springing up to her feet and away from the wall, she was immediately pulled back down and landed hard with a splash.
Cursing bluestreaks, she jerked and wrenched at the chains that were encircling her ankles, wrists, and waist, even around her neck. Choking and gasping for air she stopped and cleared her mind of her rage.
"Ok, obviously I'm in some deep shit here and I can't use my powers." Lifting her left wrist until it was a foot away from her face she could barely make out in the almost non-existent light that she fortunately still had her morpher.
/Great. Even though I have it I doubt it'll work in this shithole. Still I have'ta try./
"Aeri? Cam? Blake? Yo! Can anybody hear me? Help!" Keying the comm. in her morpher, there was no response, not even any static.
Sighing she dropped her hand back to her side and into the water. /I knew it./
She did not know how long she had been in the cell; unlike her morpher her wristwatch was not waterproof.
Half asleep and brooding, Clare jerked her head up at the sound of a door creaking open. Light flooded the cell from a large opening a few feet above the shallow water, partially blinded; Clare raised her arm to shield her eyes as she squinted. The light was somewhat blocked by a large figure, the broad shoulders and height gave away that it was some male.
"Hey it's badass! Waddup, homie?" Whether it was because she was delirious or just seriously pissed, Clare's usually hidden sarcastic side was now out in full steam.
The figure stepped in onto a platform that slid out a bit so that he was suspended a few inches above the surface of the water. Lothor gave a mocking bow before waggling a finger in a parental fashion as he tsk-tsked.
"Naughty naught little girl, such profane language. Didn't your parents ever teach you not to swear? Oh wait, they didn't live long enough now did they?"
Clare's voice dropped to a deadly tone, "You fucking piece of shit. You have no right to mention them."
Lothor growled as he raised his arm across his chest and extended it towards the trapped teen.
Instinctively she threw herself to the side as far as her chains would allowed as the laser beam sparked against the wall where she had been the moment before, the beam ricocheted around until it fizzled out, dying as it struck the water.
Clare whipped herself upright and shot her own arm out at her uncle, shooting an erratic current that would shock Lothor with enough force to knock him out.
Or tried to, forgetting that she was in water the electric current backfired onto the owner, as Clare screamed in pain before cutting off the channel to her powers. She glared at Lothor as his shoulders shook, his low chuckling grew louder to the point that he was roaring, the infernal noise echoed around the dim cell, until abruptly he cut it off and stared at his prisoner.
"So little niece. Clare is it? We finally meet. Are you well?"
Clare knew he was baiting her but she did it anyway, "Do I look it?"
Lothor only smirked as he watched his captured Ranger.
Clare glared back. One of them was going to have to look away and it wasn't going to be her.
"A stubborn one, aren't you?"
"Runs in the family.asshole."
"Funny. It seems that I have already heard that line before."
"Does it look like I care?"
Lothor smirked before answering, "Well, if you don't care about that, I'm sure that you care about your friends and family. Especially-"
"DON'T YOU DARE COME NEAR THEM, YOU BASTARD!!!"
She relentlessly threw herself against the chains, ignoring the pain as they cut into her. Just before she recoiled into herself as she screamed in pain. She had lost the weakened grasp of control over her power, the waves of pain was excruciating as she shocked herself.
Lothor watched impassively as the girl continued to scream until she ran out of breath, silently screaming as currents of electricity traveled up and down her body while crouching on her knees, her arms crossed and clutched to her chest as she desperately tried to regain control.
The currents gradually receded, leaving behind a half-conscious girl kneeling in the water, to weak to raise her head.
"Good, good. You have the power of electricity. So tell me, how did you and your pathetic "big" sister acquire those powers of yours?"
"Ask me no questions, I'll tell you now lies..." Clare shrugged, "well at least not much."
"Hmph. It's too bad I only managed to capture the weaker of you two, after all you are only electricity, thus affected by water rather than the lightning of your sister. But soon the end of my miserable brother, that brat of a nephew, and those wretched Wind Rangers will come. As for your sister and those Thunder Rangers," his gloved hands curled into tight fists, "I have something special planned for you four! HAHAHA!!!" With that he turned and the door to the cell slid shut with a whisper of air, leaving the injured girl to slump in the darkness, staring at her reflection in the water through half-opened eyes.
A single tear slid down her face until it dropped into the water with a small splash that echoed throughout the watery tomb. She called for her sister by her childhood name, title, and native language,
"Unni? (older sister) Help...me."
~~~~~~~
Will Clare be rescued? Or does Lothor have something more diabolical planned for her? Muahaha.
Reeeeview!!! --Jade and Senga