"That's weird."

Sitting up sharply and casting his gaze out across the sparkling blue ocean, the security guard - Robby printed in bold letters on his name tag - tapped a small device on the side of his face and focussed through the green tinted lens which covered his right eye. There was something out there, well above average, but he couldn't see a thing.

One fat, stubby fingered hand reached out towards the console that sat on his desk and tapped a button, a transparent screen shimmering into existence before his eyes.

Robby had taken the job for the security and the nice climate; on his breaks he chose to sit on the beach and just watch the water, occasionally he even fished. There were much worse places to be than the sunny coast and since there were no big cities or military bases in the area it would be a poor choice of invasion. All there was here for miles around was wilderness.

A better word for his job would be sentry.

"Computer, I'd like a scan of the ocean around here. I'm looking for above average signals."

The screen shimmered again, then disappeared. In its place hovered a semi- transparent map of the coast. There was only one signal (Robby himself wasn't anywhere near strong enough to show up), around 1000 and approaching the shore slowly. The trouble was, no matter what the computer or his scanner said, he couldn't see this thing.

He looked to the sea again, fruitlessly; something that big would have to be visible by now, it was almost at the shore for Gods sake!

"Where is it?"

"Rephrase the question, please," what some might have expected to be a dull, monotone voice, was in fact a chirpy female.

"Gah, what is the exact position of the energy signal?"

"50 feet Southwest from and 10 feet below this terminal."

The reality hit him like a cold shower.

"A sub!"

It was completely out of the blue, no one had said anything to him about enemy activity. Of course there was always some tension on the news but he hadn't thought something like this was on the way. A sub with some 1000 level warrior inside or-

As his mind began to fill with all the horrible possibilities - a dozen super strong warriors who have powered down to their least, they say the best soldiers aren't able to keep their signal down any lower than 300 - he tried to force his mouth to work. This was what his job was for, just another of the guards that stood watch on part of the coast, and he couldn't do anything!

They only kept humans on duty in case of emergency, there was always the risk of a malfunction, and this had to be one because otherwise the alarms would have-

"Enemy targeted, activating 1st level of defence."

The air in front of his tiny office shimmered as if some great heat was being held under it then from a metal hatch just inside of the shield popped a small sentry gun. To the untrained observer it looked like some sort of modified water cannon with at least half a dozen tubes connecting into the back.

It swivelled until the cannon was pointed towards the beach, adjusting its level slightly. Then the energy began to gather, Robby had just enough sense to switch off his scouter before it was destroyed by the sudden increase. Whoever or whatever was down there, it wouldn't be down there for very long.

When the gun fired it was somewhat anti-climactic, a small yellow sphere of energy shot forth and sank into the ocean with only a slight sizzle to show its passing. Peering out the window, Robby waited for the explosion that the blast should have caused.

"That's it?"

"Activating 2nd level of defence."

From both sides of the sentry gun two smaller guns popped out and focussed along the same line of fire. The trio began firing a volley of smaller blasts, causing the ocean to bubble, but Robby wasn't paying attention any more. Shining like an emerald, the little blip was steadily approaching the shore. Glancing back to the water, muttering under his breath, Robby estimated that what ever it was would break through the surface any second.

The computer would have automatically alerted the higher authorities, there was no reason for him to stay. His feet weren't listening though; they were quite happy where they were. So he stayed and watched with terrified eyes, as the water retreated from all sides of where the blasts were being fired. From his point of view it was almost as if the ocean was being forced aside.

Then appeared the old man, his white wiry beard shaking slightly in the wind of his own energy, sun sparkling off his smooth bald head, ragged clothes rustling as he moved. His rational brain screamed at him that this couldn't possibly be the source of the energy but was overruled, something deep down inside was sending odd messages. Part of him wanted to run; the other wanted to bow.

Whoever he was, his power level wasn't huge by any standards but it was high enough for the energy blasts the sentry-gun was sending his way to spatter harmlessly off the palm of his outstretched hand. The computer was already taking into account the substantial increase in its enemy's power; Robby could dimly hear it shunting all the way up to level 6.

Level 6?

Level 6?!

Stumbling backwards in spite of the paralysing fear, Robby nearly tripped over his chair in eagerness to get out of the door. He stumbled into the outside and, with only a frightened glance towards the old man, darted around the other side of the small building. His car was sitting just where he left it and, wheezing slightly from the exertion, he yanked the door open and dropped into his seat.

Level 6 was the guns highest level, only to be used when both the computer and at least two high-ranking officers back in home base agreed that it was absolutely necessary. The machine must have contacted home base the minute the true power of the mysterious old man became obvious.

Robby pressed his thumb against the small pad behind the joystick, only to be met with a distressed 'whur-whur-whur.' He tried again then once more; tears of frustration leaking down his cheeks as he willed the car into working.

"Please!"

He looked back towards the building where the fight had slowed, both of the side guns were still firing - he could tell that much by ear - but the main gun was charging up. Adjusting the scanner to its highest setting and switching it on; Robby watched in horror as the gargantuan power of the main gun climbed towards 10,000. There was no way anything in the area would survive a blast like that.

Hands grasping the door handle, Robby was just beginning to think that he might survive if he ran as fast as he could when the world went white. His last thought, as his car was torn from the ground and he lost consciousness, the shattering off the scouter filling his ears, was that he hadn't even known who the old man was.

* * *

There was a crackling sound close by, for a second fear gripped him, whispered of a burning wreck, but then settled down when the feeling of sand scratched against his skin and the sound of a log splitting cracked through his mind.

The first surprise for Robby was that he wasn't dead, some parts certainly seemed to wish they were dead but on the whole he was still a living, breathing creature. His second surprise was that he wasn't that badly hurt, beyond the bump that had knocked him out he couldn't feel any impaled limbs or missing fingers.

The reason that all this came by feel was that Robby refused point blank to open his eyes. He was alive and outside of the car, which suggested that someone had dragged him from the wreckage. And since he knew of only one person in close proximity to himself, he knew for a fact who that 'someone' was.

"You.." It was more than a wheeze than anything else but the sound behind it was still the clear. If any word could be picked to describe the voice, old would be right up there. And cracked and dry and a dozen others that added to the already well embedded feeling of age.

"You don't have to keep your eyes closed, son," some of the words sounded strained, as if they were making noises that hadn't been used for a long time, almost as if the speaker was out of practice, "just little old me."

There was another wheezing noise but this one sounded like the attempt of a chuckle.

Robby opened one eye and peered around, taking in first the dark night sky that hung above his head. His eye swivelled downwards, pausing for a second on the fire, then continued along until it came to rest on the old man sitting cross-legged across from him.

In one hand the old man held a branch, two fish skewered on the end of it, while the other was raised level to his waist and bobbing up and down - he didn't appear to be paying Robby any mind at all.

"Son, the day someone can fool me into thinking they're asleep is the day I go to bed with a shovel." The words were certainly coming easier to the old timer but not once did he glance in Robby's direction. For himself, Robby didn't mind. There was something odd about the branch but he couldn't quite place it.

"So are you going to sit up or should I eat dinner by myself?"

Suspicion gave way to hunger and, gently because his head was still pounding, he eased himself up into a sitting position. Robby was still suspicious but his stomach was growling and that took precedent.

"They aren't done yet so calm yourself," the old timer stared through his dark sunglasses into the fire, "how about an introduction?"

One hand strayed down to his nametag only to find it along with most of his jacket missing.

"Sorry bout that, I'm still getting used to myself."

It was an odd comment at the best of times but Robby didn't feel like picking up on it, he was missing the jacket already. He wasn't the smallest of men and without the jacket he was beginning to feel.. naked. His stomach growled in self-defence, it always did when he was feeling down.

"For Kami's sake, it's not like you couldn't stand to lose a couple of pounds."

It was there in an instant, the words hanging fragilely in the air like glass. No one ever talked about Robby's weight though it was quite obvious, it was just taken as a given that he didn't want to discuss it. And they were right, he didn't. Anyone who ever mentioned it apologised within a second of realising what they had said. He actually found himself waiting for it.

"You do like fish don't you?"

He nodded dumbly and edged closer to the fire. Then, with his mind dancing about partly in anger and partly in wonder, something clicked.

"My names Robby and that's a nice branch you've got there."

The old man finally glanced away from the fire but Robby could still see it, dancing in the reflections of his shades.

"It is indeed, if you don't mind me asking why did you pick up on it?"

Robby nodded towards the trees that dotted along the coast,

"Palm trees all the way unless you go pretty deep into the countryside. Palm trees don't have branches."

The old man grinned, light shining between his few but gleaming teeth,

"The name is Roshi. You're quite a bright lad, aren't you?"

Robby shrugged, eyeing the firewood now. There was a blue tint to the flames that suggested salt; that meant driftwood and that was a pretty lucky find on beaches which had appeared clear this morning. Robby looked back at Roshi, watching as the old man stroked the air with his free hand.

"Now," Roshi set the fish down on a log a couple of feet from the fire in order to let them cool, "What has been happening?"

(OOC: An update in one day, who'd have thought? The credit goes to 'Digi fan' for giving me a review, spurned me to turn out another chapter.

As an explanation of the change in style (mystical to.. well whatever) I'm beginning to seriously consider alternating between styles in each chapter. One Fan-Fic I've read and unfortunately forgotten the plot of had 3-4 different narrators and for each was their own unique style - something that really drew me into the story. I hope to at least partially imitate this; I'll be better as I work out each char.

As always comments and critiques are welcome, needed even. Thanks for reading.)