Author's Note: Hey, guess what? It's Chapter Three! You guys really do not know how excited I am that I got here, seriously. Well, in this chapter the plot gets even more juicy... [laughs evilly] But! I am not going to tell you how. You must discover that for yourself. [turns to muses] Did that sound a little Sensei-ish to you guys? Hmm...It did to me. Ah well. [turns back to reader] Anyway, have fun and don't get lost in the confusion! If, indeed, there is any. [smiles nervously]
Disclaimer: See Chapter One.
Tall, Blonde, and Broody
by Froggie Lover
Chapter Three: "Repercussions"
"Yo, white boy!" Nikko called from across the courtyard.
Hunter turned to see Alexandra's boyfriend and a few of his followers (for they weren't exactly his friends) standing near the entrance to the training ground. Hunter was making his way off the compound to report to Lothor. "What do you want, Nikko?" he asked, sighing.
The Japanese man sauntered towards Hunter. "Just wanted to wish you well, white boy. Hope Lothor doesn't kill you. And if he does, let's hope it's quick and painless, eh?"
"Whatever." Hunter turned around and started walking again, but Nikko's hand on his shoulder stopped him cold.
"C'mon, Trejo, stay a while. Chances are slim that we'll see each other again, so why don't we savor these final moments, eh?" Nikko said.
Hunter grabbed the hand that was on his shoulder and used it to flip Nikko onto his back. Only one person called him Trejo, and that was Alexandra. Everyone else either called him Hunter or any other name, but definitely not Trejo.
"What the hell is this about Nikko?" he growled.
"This is about you trying to move in on my girlfriend." Nikko quickly pulled out a knife from his boot and held it to Hunter's throat. "I saw you talking to her earlier before class. She's mine, and if you try anything else, you're a dead man."
Hunter resisted the urge to laugh. The blade would probably pierce his skin. "She has her own mind, you know. Whether I've tried to move in on her or not, she can still choose to leave your sorry ass."
Nikko's nostrils flared in anger. "Just for that, I'll leave you a token to remember me by." He pulled the knife away from Hunter's throat and jabbed it into his upper arm. He got up as Hunter fell to his knees and pulled it out.
Hunter cried out in pain, as his hand was stained red with blood.
Hunter jolted upright in bed. Sweat drenched his skin. His right arm was throbbing with pain. He'd had that dream before, reliving the scene that made him want to forever forget about Alexandra Jung. But something in his mind wouldn't let him. Something in his heart wouldn't let him.
Tonight, he literally didn't want to. The pain in his arm that was now encompassing his entire body wasn't because of the physical wound. It was because of the fact that Lothor had captured her, Alexandra, the one woman he ever allowed himself to fall for. His heart ached, while his mind constantly came up with things to do to Lothor once he got his hands on him. Most of them ended in cruel torture.
All the thinking added in with the heartache gave Hunter a headache. He slowly got out of bed and walked to the hall bathroom, the only one in the apartment. Ignoring the sounds coming from Blake's bedroom, he grabbed the aspirin out of the medicine cabinet. After swallowing down two tablets, he stared at himself in the mirror. He looked like total shit, plain and simple, no other way to explain it.
His blonde hair was matted from the sweat. His eyes were red-rimmed from tears. His skin was a shade paler than usual. Even with the aspirin flowing through his system, every muscle and bone in his body ached. This was a pain that no kind of medicine could ease. He realized that the only way this torture would end was if Alexandra was returned to him.
Hunter tightly shut his eyes, praying to God that all of this was a dream. His life had been perfectly fine before Alexandra had walked back into his life. A little empty, maybe, but it was fine. Of course, he didn't mind that she had been there that day at the park, but it made his life a whole lot more complicated. Before two weeks ago, the only things that could've been Lothor's target to back at him were his friends, but since they were Rangers as well they would've been hard marks to hit. Now he had a greater weakness: love. He was in love with a woman, and Lothor knew about it. Not too add that Alexandra was a former Thunder Ninja Academy student. It was unavoidable -- Lothor would use her against him.
He opened his eyes to complete, unnerving silence. His prayer hadn't been answered. Everything that had happened was still very real. The pain, the memories, all of it, was still existent. They shouldn't be, Hunter thought. He tried thinking of something else, and all that got him was a painful reminder that all of it -- every last bit -- was very real. Sweet Mary, mother of Jesus…it hurt.
The morning brought more snow and no less pain for Hunter. When he woke up, his head was pounding with the early stages of a migraine, not much better than having his arm hurt like hell. He slowly made his way out of his room and into the living room. The TV was on the news, but Hunter didn't even care to notice the story. He walked over to the dining room to see Tori in the kitchen and Blake sitting down at the table. Hunter didn't even try asking.
"Bro, you look like you got hit by a train," Blake said.
Hunter rolled his eyes. "Gee, I wonder why?"
"Sorry."
Tori walked into the dining room and sat down beside Blake, across from Hunter. "I take it you didn't sleep well?"
"My sleep wasn't half-bad," Hunter said, shrugging. "Well, except for the fact that I kept having hellish nightmares involving events from my past. Other than that, it was fine."
"Jeez, you're being more cynical than usual," Tori commented. She shook her head. "But, all things considered, that's probably the way you're supposed to be acting. I'd be worried if it were any different."
Hunter raised an eyebrow. "Thanks…I think."
"Oh, Cam called earlier. He said to be at Ninja Ops around ten," Blake mentioned suddenly. "So, bro, that means you have about twenty minutes to be de-crapified."
The oldest of the three rolled his eyes. "Whatever that means."
Ninja Ops was silent. Cam was sitting at the computer, not typing but just sitting. Sensei was pacing back and forth against one end of the table. Dustin and Shane were sitting at the table, both half-asleep. Dustin's head was resting on the surface, but his eyes were open and staring at the little nooks and crannies of the wood. Shane was staring blankly at a wall, either examining the structure or just plain thinking.
Three columns of blue, navy, and crimson light descended into the room. The glitter faded to reveal Tori, Blake, and Hunter. The last didn't seem too happy be there, or to be anywhere outside of his bedroom where he could grieve freely, at least.
"Good, you are here," Sensei said, breaking the unnerving silence.
Blake tried to smile. "Hope you weren't waiting on us too long."
Dustin scoffed. "Only the last half of our lifetimes, dude."
Tori took a seat at the table, and Blake quickly followed suit. "So, any appearances of Lothor on Earth? Or is he still in hiding?"
Hunter bristled and slowly sat down at the far end of the table.
Cam shook his head. "Sadly, nothing from Lothor. It seems that he's still hiding."
"Or devising a complex scheme," Shane said. "Either way, he's still a threat, so we can't exactly be at full rest."
Hunter sighed. "We never can. Besides, we never should've thought that Lothor wasn't a threat. The snowstorm was a distraction, and it worked. We got caught off our guard and that's how Lothor got Alexandra so easily. But the next time he, Zurgane, or anyone else working for him comes round…" His hand was clenched into a fist, illustrating just exactly what he had planned for any one of Lothor's goons.
Sensei sent a look at Hunter. "We mustn't be too hasty, Hunter. It is not in a Ranger's code to escalate a situation; this case is no different. I would hope that you would remember that, even now. I know that you are in great pain, but you must at least try to think clearly, for that is the key to getting Alexandra back."
"Think clearly. Right…" Hunter rubbed his temples, trying to follow Sensei's advice.
"In any case," Cam said, clearing his throat. "Hunter's right. We were caught off our guard, when we should've been the most alert. So, I think I might just have an idea. Now, that's not to say it's a good idea, but it's an idea."
Tori smirked. "Well, as usual, you're the first to come up with anything Cam. Do tell."
Cam smiled briefly at Tori before continuing. "Well…" Suddenly, a loud, screeching sound came from the computer. "That would be the alarm."
"I hope that's all it is," Shane laughed.
"Me too," Sensei agreed.
Cam's fingers hit the keys at an astonishing rate. All of his focus was on the computer, leaving the other Rangers to stare at his back with question.
Hunter hoped with all of his heart that the alarm meant another appearance of Lothor. If Lothor had sent down a monster or one of his generals, that meant that he was going to start the bargaining of Alexandra's life soon. And Hunter was more than willing to give up his own freedom for hers. That was all that mattered.
Slowly Cam turned from his desk. "Okay, this is totally weird."
"What's totally weird?" Dustin asked.
"An evil has popped up in Blue Bay Harbor, and it came from Lothor's ship, but it's definitely not anything that Lothor would typically use. In fact, it's humanoid," Cam replied slowly. "It's the second-strangest thing I've seen in my entire life."
Blake raised an eyebrow. "What was the first?"
Cam grinned. "Dustin, Shane, and Tori actually defeating their first monster without the Zords or serious help from me."
"That is a strange sight," Blake laughed.
Hunter shot a glare at his brother. "So, what is this humanoid evil that showed up in Blue Bay Harbor? Do you think it's a serious threat or anything, or that Lothor had anything to do with it being here?"
"That's a good question," Cam said. "Let's see…I have no idea."
Sensei frowned. He looked at the monitor as Cam pushed away from it. His frown deepened. His guinea pig eyes sparked with slight recognition. "Hmm…That is very odd. Why would Lothor be using a king of a planet to do work for him?"
"What?" all the Rangers asked at once.
"That man on the screen is King Kutar of Chronite. I have heard rumors that he was evil, but never would I have thought that he might be working for Lothor. The connection seems unlikely, though. Why would Lothor call upon the help of a king that could be killed for even speaking to him?" Sensei said a lot more to himself that to the Rangers.
Tori rubbed her chin thoughtfully. "Ya know, maybe he's got something to do with the snowstorm. I mean, what other explanation is there? Think about it. We get snow in Blue Bay Harbor and some two weeks later this guy shows up. It's the only logical explanation."
Hunter watched the screen for a moment. The man, who Sensei called Kutar, seemed so familiar to him, he just couldn't place how he knew him. He didn't remember him as being one of Lothor's usual goons, but he was too familiar in a different sense to brush aside. Without taking his eyes off the screen, he asked Sensei, "Is there anyway this guy could have learned enough magic to manipulate the weather and make it snow here as a distraction?"
Sensei nodded. "My first reaction, given that he's an Alliance King, would be that he might've learned this at the School of Power on Edenoi. But, manipulating weather without a power is a dark art, which means that he learned it elsewhere. The only place that I know of that would have the courage to teach anyone that is a school in the Evil Spectrum. I'm sure one of the Anatarrian rulers made sure at least twenty were established throughout the empire."
Most of the Rangers remained utterly confused as to the meaning of Sensei's words. They stared at him for further explanation.
"It is quite possible that he learned the ability before becoming King of Chronite. That would be the only plausible explanation," Sensei said after a few moments. "Given, of course, that he is not of the royal house. He married into the family. So, it is highly likely that he did go to a school on the Evil Spectrum to learn how to make it snow in Southern California."
Cam frowned. "Well, should we go out there? I mean, if this guy had anything to do with the capturing of Alexandra, then he's definitely our enemy, right?"
"Go out, but go unmorphed," Sensei said. "If he is alerted to your presence, it is uncertain what he may do."
"Where is he?" Shane asked.
"Near the track," Cam replied quickly. "Let's go."
The motocross track was just as crowded as usual, maybe even more so. The snow provided an interesting challenge for the riders. Hunter, Dustin, and Blake all sat on their bikes, sizing up the track.
Hunter looked around, searching for more than just tough turns. Over by the starting line, he spotted the man who Sensei called Kutar. He nudged Blake. "There he is."
"Whoa," Dustin said. "Is it just me, or does that guy give off a really creepy vibe?"
"I think it's the second one," Blake replied. He revved up his bike. "Come on, let's ride!" He took off, and Dustin was quick to follow.
Something stopped Hunter. Dustin was right; the guy was creepy. There was something else, though. Something he couldn't place. Again, the familiarity of him was totally surreal and startling. Yet, he couldn't place him anywhere in his memory. It didn't make any sense. Then again, very few things in his life made sense anymore.
Suddenly, Kutar looked up and caught Hunter's gaze, his haunting light blue eyes piercing through the Ranger like jagged shards of ice. Hunter tried to move, tried to get out of there to get away from those eyes, but he couldn't. The longer he stayed, the more that gaze was burned into his mind. Any and all efforts to try to free him from the image were futile. Then, as if nothing had happened at all, Kutar looked away. Hunter breathed a heavy sigh, and shakily started his bike. He didn't trust himself to do a run, so he pulled off to the other side of the starting line. There, Shane and Tori sat on a couple bales of hay, watching the riders.
Shane stood up when Hunter pulled over. "Yo, dude, what's up? Aren't you going to ride with Dustin and Blake? The track looks awesome."
Hunter slowly got off his bike. "I can't, man. Don't ask me why." He sat down next to Tori, almost his entire body shaking from the image that was very clear in his brain.
Tori smirked. "Why? Scared of a couple feet of snow?"
"No…" Hunter stared at the ground. "I saw him, that Kutar guy. I spotted him on the other side of the starting line, but don't look at him, 'cause he might just look back."
Shane resisted a laugh. "You sound like a five-year-old. What, does he ride two-fifties? Wow, I didn't know alien kings did motocross."
Hunter shook his head. "The guy just has these eyes that just…I don't know. It's totally creepy. I really hate to sound cliché, but if looks could kill, that guy would be a mass murderer for sure." He looked up at his friends. "It's really hard to explain other than that."
"He is kind of disturbing, and I'm not usually one to admit that people get under my skin," Cam said after walking closer to the three. He had been standing a little farther off, watching the riders with great interest. "The only question is: What's his motive?"
Shane nodded. "Good question. I mean, why would he be helping Lothor? What does he get out of this whole deal?"
"Maybe he's just plain evil and wants to see the destruction of any Ranger team he can," Tori suggested. "It's been known to happen."
"I don't know," Hunter said. "Something tells me this guy has a serious motive, whatever it might be. He's just too weird to have no particular reason to come here and help Lothor in destroying us. Think about it."
"The broody guy's got a point," Cam agreed.
Hunter sent a glare his way. "Anyway, what should we do? Just sit here and hope that he doesn't recognize us as Rangers?"
Shane held up his left wrist, which sported his Wind Morpher. "I doubt that he wouldn't recognize us. I'm sure that he knows how to spot a morpher from twenty yards. He's an alien king, he has to."
At this point, Dustin and Blake pulled up on their bikes. Both had taken off their helmets and were staring at Hunter. "Dude, why didn't you go out there?"
He explained the situation to them as he had to Tori and Shane. While talking, he avoided looking at them if could help it. Once he finished he glanced at Blake, hoping to God that his brother didn't think he was crazy or something.
Dustin looked like he was between laughing and deciding to verify Hunter's story. "Um, dude, you said that the guy was on the other side of the start line?"
"Yeah…" Hunter raised an eyebrow. "Why?"
Blake looked over at where Kutar supposedly stood. "'Cause he's not there."
"What?" The blonde turned, aghast. Oddly enough, they were right. Kutar had disappeared while they were talking. Hunter sighed with both relief and vexation. Now Dustin and Blake were sure to think that he was out of his mind. "Well, he was there, like, half a second ago, I swear."
Tori nodded. "Yeah, we saw him. He was seriously creepy."
Blake believed Hunter's story after that, but Dustin was still skeptical. He was skeptical, that is, until Tori threatened to whack him upside his head if he didn't at least pretend to believe their teammate. Cam and Shane watched the events with amusement.
"Have fun while you can, Rangers," Lothor laughed, watching the Rangers from the bridge of his ship. "The plan is going quite well."
Kutar raised an eyebrow. "Lothor, are you sure that you're doing the best thing here? I mean, messing with this kind of dark power is dangerous to anyone, least of all you. There are safer, more assured, ways to defeat this team of Power Rangers."
Lothor shook his head. "I have tried the safe ways, my Chronitian friend. None of them have worked. Doing it this way puts it as close to me actually doing the work without me actually doing the work, if you catch my drift."
"Messing with this much dark power could easily backfire or destroy you in the process," Kutar warned. "It wouldn't be the first time that it's happened. Remember Lord Zedd? He tried this…Let's just say that it didn't exactly work out in the best manner."
The evil space ninja grinned. "Well, then, I'll succeed where the rest have failed, now won't I? You see, they didn't have the best weapon of all to use against a Ranger: love."
Kutar considered this for a moment, then shrugged. "Zedd tried that one, too. Never worked, no matter how many times he made the attempt."
"But he never combined the two, and there's where he went wrong," Lothor said. "Now, sit down, Kutar. Take a load off, have a drink. We have reason to celebrate."
"Not yet, you don't," Kutar muttered, pulling his own flask of Chronitian wine from a space pocket. He leaned against a column and took a swig, staring at the screen on the wall of the bridge. He watched the Rangers have their fun by the motocross track. Today had been the first time that he had seen them firsthand. A pang of familiarity had hit him when he first saw the Crimson Thunder Ranger, Hunter. His mind had placed the face immediately, but his heart refused to believe it. "Impossible," he sighed, draining more than half of the flask in one gulp.
Alexandra shivered in the cold, dank cell. She drew her knees up to her chest in an attempt for warmth. Apparently, Lothor didn't care much for what temperature the prison was being kept at, so long as he was happy. All night she had been hearing voices, some new and some familiar. She could hear the voices from the bridge with some clarity, though she unfortunately missed what was said in undertones. It seemed everything important was said quietly. Lothor must've known that prisoners could hear.
"Well, that sucks," she thought. "If I could hear them, then I'd have something to tell Hunter when I somehow get out of here."
"Zurgane," a new voice growled suddenly. Alexandra could vaguely recognize it, but it was much deeper than she might've remembered. "When can I see her? I'm getting impatient with this waiting. If Lothor's going to back out of the deal, then--"
"Lothor has no intention of breaking ties with you," Zurgane replied. "It seems that you're a valuable and key piece in destroying the Rangers. Just try to have a little more patience. It seems Lothor enjoys taking his time with evil plans."
The stranger snorted. "As if that's new information. He could've avoided all of this by destroying those two a long time ago, before they had the chance to unite with the Wind Rangers. Then he would've only had four Rangers to deal with in the end of things."
Zurgane sighed. "He thought he could use the Thunder Rangers against them, to destroy them. Obviously, that plan backfired."
"Blake and Hunter," the stranger said the second name with disgust, "were still honorable ninjas at heart, under Lothor's control or not. They weren't fighting for evil; they were just fighting for what they believed to be right. Once someone knows the difference, they'll wise up and join the right side."
"That's exactly what they did," Zurgane agreed.
The stranger laughed. "Only a ninja who's truly converted and submerged into the dark powers can fight his fellow ninjas with confidence of staying on the darker side."
Alexandra muttered a curse. She knew that arrogant attitude unmistakably, that same arrogant attitude that reminded her of exactly why she was stuck in this dismal place. Deep-toned or not, she knew that voice. "Nikko," she whispered.
The mood in Ninja Ops was slightly lighter than it was before. Hunter was at least trying to smile, while the others were laughing and joking. Even Cam, who was usually glued to the computer, had to join in on the conversation.
Sensei watched them with a smile, but inside he was deeply troubled. "Rangers," he said suddenly. "I would suggest from your happy moods that nothing happened with Kutar at the track?"
Shane nodded. "Yeah. Well, except for the fact that we did see him, and he did see us, or at least we think he did."
"Well, he saw me, at any rate," Hunter interjected. "And let me say that that guy, Kutar, is seriously weird. Pure evil by the looks of him."
"He has had a reputation for being so, Hunter," Sensei replied. "But the things that he has allegedly done have never proven, because there have been no witnesses to his crimes."
"That's probably because he disposes of them all before they can tell anyone what they've seen," Tori said curtly.
Sensei shook his head. "We must not judge someone until we can prove the truth of their crimes." He looked straight at Hunter and Blake, remembering how they had blamed him for killing their adopted parents all those months ago.
Blake laughed. "I think we've learned our lesson about that, Sensei."
"So, like, what has this guy supposedly done, anyway?" Dustin asked. "I mean, what people think he's done couldn't be all that bad, right? Surely not as bad as, like, Lothor or something?"
"I am afraid that his alleged crimes are very bad indeed, Dustin," Sensei replied. "His evil deeds started many years ago, before all of you were born. As I've told you, he married a princess in order to become King of Chronite. Since then, he has abused his power greatly. I have much sympathy for his daughter and only living heir, who is as good as the six of you. She is apart of the sacred race of the Ninjetti, but that is another story.
"His first act of malevolence was when his daughter was only a year old. It was said that his wife, Queen Rochina of Chronite, had another man's child. Kutar, very angry and probably feeling betrayed, killed his wife for committing adultery and sought after the child. He never found it. The child was supposedly a male, and if found alive, would be the heir to the throne. That is probably why he tried to find the child. Many acts of this nature followed, all growing worse as the time grew later.
"Yet, with all this evidence that Kutar had no good left inside him, there is another rumor which coexists unflinchingly with the others. It was said that, two years after Rochina died, Kutar had a son. This child would have had a great destiny before him, but evil loomed closer than greatness. So, Kutar sent the child to live on Earth where he would be safe from harm. This might prove that he is not entirely ruthless. Now, you see Rangers that we cannot judge until we have all of the facts. It is true that we may misjudge, but we must have a solid basis for any judgment, or we should make no judgment at all."
Hunter stared at the floor as silence crept over Ninja Ops. Sensei's story had given him some insight, but still he remained confused. The story did not explain why Hunter felt such a sense of familiarity when he saw Kutar.
Lothor was sipping some fine alien wine when someone walked into the bridge of his ship. He looked up and smiled, setting down his wine. "Well, look who's decided to join us. I believe we haven't had the pleasure of having a proper conversation."
"I thought that you'd have been much too busy with other previous engagements to have a business chat with me," the new arrival said, his voice deep and rich.
"Nikko, there are few things that are more important than you are at the moment," Lothor laughed. "Come, have a seat and we'll talk 'business,' as you call it."
The Thunder Ninja Academy graduate known as Nikko sat down in a chair that had magically appeared beside Lothor. "You know what my requirements for doing this job are, and you have not yet met them. I might have to take my business elsewhere if you do not intend to meet my clear-cut demands."
"Ah, but you did not read the fine print of your contract. Before your demands can be met, you must give a demonstration of your ability to obliterate the Rangers. I realize that you have no powers with which to compete with them, but we will soon have a remedy to that problem. I have Kutar working on it now," Lothor replied.
Nikko nodded. "One of your more competent employees, I'm afraid."
"Yes, he works well under pressure. Sadly, I must say, he's a bit of a mercenary, much like you. He asks to paid for his services," Lothor lamented. "The price is worth the destruction of those pesky Ranger brats, though. That much can be said with confidence." He looked at Nikko suspiciously, and eyebrow raised. "Now, what's your problem with the Rangers? Did they stop a plan of yours, or do you just find them annoying?"
"Has it not become clear to you why I asked to help you two weeks ago?" Nikko sighed. "Apparently not. Well, three years ago, as you might remember, was the day that I graduated from the Academy, along with the Thunder Rangers and Alexandra. That was the day that I found out that Hunter had been plotting to steal my girlfriend, and as a matter of fact -- he did." He paused to glare at Lothor's glass of wine, which was a deep crimson in color, reminding him of all the reasons why he sat there glaring at it. "As much as I know that evil is supposedly immune to any emotions besides hatred, anger, and lust, I had fallen very much in love with Alexandra, and it was because of that idiot Trejo that I lost her. Call it a revenge match, Lothor. That is why I am here. The downfall of the Crimson Thunder Ranger would be my greatest pleasure, especially if I get to do it myself. The only thing greater would be to see her again, my other reason for helping you."
Lothor grinned. "A very good reason to want revenge. Well, the sooner Kutar finishes the project the sooner you shall exact that revenge, eh? Let's hope the king works quickly."
Nikko looked surprised. "King? Kutar's a king? He didn't look of any royal blood that I've heard of."
"That's because I'm not technically of any royal house that you've heard of, Nikko," Kutar called from the entrance to the bridge. He had just walked into the room and caught the last bits of the conversation. "My wife was of Chronitian royal blood, the House of Chasson. That's how I became king, if you were wondering."
"I was, I suppose," Nikko replied.
Kutar nodded. "Good. That's one less question you'll ask me later during an awkward silence, if that is indeed possible on this ship." He turned and walked away, returning to his work in a lower level of the ship.
Nikko blinked, watching Kutar walk away. Something about that cocky stride struck him as vaguely familiar…
Hunter ducked a kick from Blake and blocked a punch from Dustin, so close to falling over. They had returned to training, realizing that Lothor was not going to sit in hiding forever. Sensei was preparing them for the worst that was yet to come. Snow would not stop an evil space ninja from working his evil ways.
"So, how long do you figure until Lothor shows up with a new monster?" Tori asked offhandedly as she sent a kick towards Shane.
Shane blocked it with ease. "Something tells me it won't be a monster that he shows up with. It'll something worse than that for sure."
Cam blocked one of Blake's random punches and made towards Dustin. "That something is probably going to be Kutar, or something that has to do with him. Why else would he be here? Take in the sights of a snow-covered Blue Bay Harbor?"
Dustin quickly got out of Cam's way. "I don't know, dude. It is nice around here with all the snow and stuff. He could be here for that." He readied himself for an attack from all sides.
Blake shook his head with a laugh and dodged a jab from Hunter. "Get real, dude. That guy has a serious mission to smoke us."
Hunter thwarted another kick from Blake and looked over at Dustin. "Yeah. He's seriously evil, and I'm betting anything that says that he'll stop at nothing to see us destroyed."
Shane glanced over at Hunter with a grin. "I thought it was against a ninja's code to gamble on evil."
Laughs ran out among the sparring. Sensei watched them with a smile. Whatever danger loomed around the corner, they would be ready to face it.