Author's Note: Sorry for (once again) disappearing for several months. And on a cliffhanger, at that! Same old excuses: busy, busy, busy. But anyway, here's the new chapter: primarily in Tori's voice, but Blake gets a chance to throw in his own observations at the very end. © October 2004.
Blues
Part Nine: Two Strikes
Hacking coughs escape bruised lungs before I'm fully conscious. Dry, heaving breaths drag in salty grit that a beach bum like me can instantly recognize as sand, aggravating my sore throat and aching chest even further.
Pull yourself together, Tori.
My top priority is to get my face out of the sand. Shaking arms lift my unwilling body to my side, giving me a little room to breathe.
Each move I make is cautious, fearful of the jagged pain that accompanies broken bones. My arms and legs respond with only vague pain, meaning that bastard didn't do severe damage.
Lucky me. From the force of those blows and the voltage of the electricity he smacked me with, there's no doubt in my mind Hunter wasn't holding anything back. But… why?? And where was Blake during the fight?
I set the disquieting thoughts out of my mind, dragging my feet under my body and shaking off the lethargy like seawater. There's no time for distraction. No time for frustration. No time for… misery.
Pull yourself together!
Thankfully, I can function. I quickly take stock, surveying the rolling water, dark seashore, and jagged cliffs spotting the landscape. A taller rocky slope lies in the distance, beyond a dense forest.
No sign of anyone, either friend or foe. I'm… alone? On a shore I've never seen before?
I clear my throat and lift my communicator. "Tori to Ninja Ops. Cam, can you hear me?" Static grates on my already frayed nerves. "Dustin? Shane?"
Nothing. Meaning I've either damaged my communicator again, or the signal just isn't getting through.
Okay, don't panic. Why is it so hard to think? I rub my temples to stimulate my memory, frowning at the gooey mess of wet sand clumping my hair after my nap on the shore.
After Hunter totally humiliated us… I remember… a funnel of wind. A concentrated cyclone swallowed Shane, Dustin, and then me. Well, at least they're around here somewhere. All I have to do is track them down. And maybe, just maybe, my communicator will work better on higher ground. The only way to find out is to give it a try.
I start walking, slowly at first as I gain my bearings. By the time fine sand makes way for soft grass, I feel a lot more normal. Then, the shade of the dense trees is a welcome relief from the brutal heat of the sun.
Despite my focus I can't help but notice how beautiful this island is. Serene shore, clear blue water, majestic peaks, wild forest… I only wish I could appreciate it. But it's hard to, knowing that Hunter must have sent me here for a reason.
The snap of a twig nearby echoes in my ear like a gunshot. I freeze in place, my stare pulled in the direction of the noise as my body tenses in preparation.
A black ninja uniform with navy trim emerges from the brush, and I feel a snarl twitch my lips.
Blake takes a moment to drag the leaves from his hair, until some sense acknowledges my presence. Or maybe he just feels the chill of my stare. His face turns in my direction, and… he smiles at me.
He smiles at me!
Before I know it, my feet are moving toward him.
"Tori, you're okay!" he calls, hurrying to meet me halfway. "I've been looking for-"
His fake concern only makes my blood boil. How stupid does he think I am? How many times can a girl fall for the same manipulative trick?
Bastard!
As soon as he's in reach, I move to greet his face with my fist, desperate to wipe that mocking smile off his face. A startled blink is his response as quick reflexes angle his face just enough for me to miss.
"What are you doing?"
I don't answer coherently. Only a frustrated grunt as I follow up my punch by dodging to his side, planting my foot firmly in the small of his back.
He grunts and falls forward, but rolls out of the way before my foot can stomp him into the dirt.
Against my will my gaze lingers on the leaf-strewn grass, sloped just slightly. It was only a few short hours ago that Blake and I were in a similar forest, seemingly working out our differences. Starting over. And it was a lie… It was all a lie!
He tricked me… twice!
I try to block out the anger, focus my attacks better, but I can't seem to form a better strategy than a frenzied series of kicks and punches. Some glance flesh, some brush cloth, but most hit nothing but air.
Damn him, he's fast. And he keeps backing away, refusing to hit back, unwilling to just face me, once and for all!
My eyes burning, I leap at him with a jump kick that would make Shane proud. He leans out of the way, but at least the space between us is reduced. My elbow catches his side, slowing him just enough for me to throw my fist into his face.
This time it connects, sparking a dark thrill I've never felt before…
I watch, stalking around him carefully as he shakes it off. Wide-eyed surprise composes itself, but there's still no heat in his gaze. More like… desperation?
I throw off the thought with a shake of my head. Stop trying to analyze him! Don't trust anything about him: his words, his expressions… none of it.
"Tori, please," he murmurs, wincing at the pain in his cheek. "I'm not here to hurt you. I followed you to this island to help you!"
"Do I have 'gullible idiot' stamped on my forehead?" I snap at him, eyes narrow. "Why do you keep toying with me?"
I attack again, this time aiming for his kidneys so I can drop him and be done with it. Knock him out, take him out of the picture, make him hurt…
But he steps aside and catches me, holding my outstretched arm and bracing his elbow against my neck. It's almost a headlock, effectively immobilizing me, but I can still see his face. The desperation in his eyes…
"Tori, let me explain," his voice is unusually grating, broken by gasps for air.
I close my eyes, refusing to look at that lying face too closely.
"Why are you doing this to me??" I hate that my voice is halfway between a scream and a sob. "Why can't you just fight me honorably? Like an equal? Why keep up this stupid pretense?"
Why does he love to twist me around his finger and squeeze the life out of me? But I grimace as I suddenly realize… why wouldn't he keep using an effective strategy? It's been working pretty damn good so far! I keep letting him get to me.
Weakest link… weakest link… so helpless, frail and weak!!
I try to twist out of his arms, thrashing like a fish caught in a net, but he adjusts his grip, and doesn't let go!
"Tori," he forces through gritted teeth, "I am not lying to you! I swear! We're on the same side here. And if we ever want to get off this island, we have to work together!"
He finally releases me, and I throw myself backwards, shaken. "Shut up!" I snarl, "Like I'll ever trust you again!"
I flip away from him, forcing some much-needed space between us, as I lift my wrist unit. "Ninja Storm, Ranger…!"
My war cry dies on my lips as Blake yanks off his morpher, tossing it in my direction. My stare follows the small black unit, noticing that it lands not two yards away from me. I don't care how fast he is; there's no way he can reach it before I do.
Warily, I lift my gaze to him.
"No games, no tricks, and no more fighting," Blake states, grimacing again as he rubs his now-swollen cheek. "I'm putting my fate in your hands, Tori."
My mouth gapes in an excellent imitation of a fish, before I shake off the surprise enough to glare at him.
"All I'm asking is that you listen to me," he pleads. "We have to find Dustin and Shane, and we have to stop Hunter!"
I snort indelicately. "So I'm supposed to believe that you'll fight against your brother? Riiiight. And next, you'll try to sell me the Brooklyn Bridge."
A frustrated sigh as he drags his hand through his hair. "Look, Tori… when I went to talk to you in the woods, I spent a lot more time with you than I'd intended. Than I could afford, really; but, well… things were going so well I lost track of time. Anyway, Hunter and I were supposed to sneak aboard Lothor's ship together, and put an end to his twisted plans once and for all!"
My eyes widen at his surprising announcement, but I fold my arms over my chest to relay my lingering doubt.
"But, I think Hunter got impatient. He must've gone to Lothor's ship without me; when I got back to our camp, he was gone. And now he's gone off the deep end! Lothor did something to him. I need to figure out what, but I can't do it alone!"
"So you're telling me you had nothing to do with that ambush on Dustin and Shane outside Storm Chargers?" The skepticism in my voice is nearly palpable. "So it's just a coincidence that you cornered me in the woods at the exact same moment, disabling my communicator?"
He blinks in surprise. "Did you ever see me lay a finger on your communicator?" he challenges. "And if I honestly wanted to hurt you, Tori… I had my chance in the woods. You were alone, disoriented…"
My snarl tightens to display angrily gnashing teeth, and he holds up his hands to placate me. "I'm not saying you're defenseless – I've got bruises that prove otherwise – but just think about it for a second. If I knew my brother was attacking your friends, and if I were part of it, that would've been the perfect time for me to catch you by surprise."
My stare never leaves him as I pick up his discarded morpher. He makes no move to approach, only watching me carefully as I lift the gold disc from the morpher, examining it closely.
I can't tell for sure, but this certainly looks like a Thunder morpher. Either it's a phenomenal decoy, or… the real thing.
No, I won't let myself believe him. He just thrives on pulling my strings.
"Whatever." I dismiss his reasoning with a toss of grimy hair. "Maybe Lothor wanted us on this island for some reason. Maybe if you two pet goons finish us off here, he's more likely to destroy the power of Wind once and for all, or something."
An irritated sigh escapes him. "Tori, that doesn't even make sense! Why the hell would Hunter and I willingly serve the monster that killed our parents, huh? Before, we were manipulated into thinking your sensei was the murderer… that's the only reason we cooperated with Lothor to begin with."
A dismissive shrug hides my wince, as a very real tingling of doubt creeps into my mind. "For all I know, that whole murder thing was a lie from the beginning. Why not? It certainly fits with your track record!"
"The Gem of Souls doesn't lie, Tori," he mutters, bowing his head. "I understand why you don't trust me, but that's no reason to doubt what you saw with your own eyes."
Silence settles between us, thick and oppressive and stifling. I refuse to look at him, my gaze fixed on the Thunder Morpher lying harmlessly in my hand.
What… should I do? My gut twists at the very idea of putting any stock into his words, but I can't deny the logic behind his arguments. I saw Hunter and Blake's parents in the Cave with my own eyes. I saw Blake's shock, joy, and sadness when he realized whom he was seeing. They'd gotten to the Gem only moments before we did; they couldn't have pulled off that elaborate a hoax in such a short time. That was the Gem of Souls, and it showed them the truth.
Why would Blake and Hunter work for Lothor again? Even if he used some sort of blackmail, I can't imagine them cooperating with their parents' murderer. And the way Hunter taunted us in the city, it didn't feel right. He was more vicious than ever. It doesn't fit.
And, it pains me to admit it, but Blake could have taken me out in the woods. He could've taken advantage of my surprise if he wanted to. He's a good ninja; the only reason why I don't have a mark on me is because he hasn't tried to hit me. He only dodged and blocked this whole time, and ultimately, surrendered his morpher. Leaving him at a very real disadvantage.
"I'm putting my fate in your hands, Tori."
I swallow a lump in my throat, fighting back tears with all the strength left in me. What was I thinking? I wanted to hurt him, I wanted to pound him with everything I had. And I really could've done damage. He took a major gamble throwing me the morpher; he had no guarantee that I wouldn't morph and blast him with my Sonic Fin, leaving all questions for later.
I… can feel myself being swayed. His explanation makes so much sense, and I want to believe him. If he's telling the truth now, it would mean I wasn't an idiot for believing him before, when he apologized in the woods. It would mean he really is a good person… that the cute, charming guy I really started to like is a real person! Not just a lie, not just another mask.
I want to believe that so much… but wanting it to be true doesn't make it true. And I can't ignore the warning bells ringing in my ears. I know he's a convincing liar. Can I really trust him again? Do I have it in me? Can I leave myself open to another betrayal?
Can I afford to, given our circumstances? Considering my friends' lives are on the line? My trust in Blake nearly got Cam injured, and I shudder to think what almost happened to Sensei. And now, I'm alone in a strange forest, searching for my missing friends.
I can't make this kind of decision… not on my own, at least.
Straightening, I fix his morpher to my bare wrist. "I don't trust you, Blake," I inform him, doing my best to ignore how his shoulders drop with unmasked - or perhaps, well feigned - disappointment. "Still, it's better to have you in my sights than let you get the drop on me again." I gesture to the cliff whose peak is still barely visible through the canopy of leaves and branches. "You can stick with me for now, until we can find Dustin and Shane. But, I'm holding on to your morpher. And I'm deciding what direction we take."
I stare at him expectantly, hands on my hips with false bravado. Finally, he nods his head. "Deal."
- - -
The hike through the forest is totally silent. I walk a good six feet in front of her, occasionally glancing back when there isn't a particularly perilous rock, tree trunk, or other stumbling block in my immediate path.
She refuses to meet my eyes.
I keep trudging forward, listening for any signs of life. But as we continue our search, I can't keep myself from contemplating what just happened.
I knew before I saw her that I had some major explaining to do. From the way Cam attacked me in Ninja Ops, I figured I'd get a similar greeting from the Wind team. So, when I first awoke, all alone on Vertical Island of all places, I did my best to think of how to approach the Winds. What evidence to use to prove that I'm on their side.
I thought I had all my T's crossed and I's dotted; but now I know that'll do me precisely no good if the Winds won't listen to me. Tori didn't hear a word I said. It was almost like she'd covered her ears and started humming, stubbornly blocking out my explanation instead of hearing me out.
I can't really blame her, I admit with a grim frown. When Lothor told us about what had happened to our parents; when he fed us those outright lies, Hunter and I fell for it hook, line, and sinker. Looking back now, I can't believe we trusted him. Why didn't the fact that he's an evil space alien not factor into our heads? Or, that he ransacked the Thunder Academy? It's amazing how blind a person can be when they're consumed by anger. All the holes in Lothor's story, the illogic of his plan, none of it hit me until after I found out the truth. Then, all the pieces fell into place, and all I could do was turn that anger inward, furious at my own gullibility.
I know what she's feeling. I know how much that anger hurts… how it warps your whole view of the world, and yourself.
I can't keep the assurances from spilling out. "I didn't trick you, Tori. Well, the first time I did; but in the woods… everything I said was sincere. I'm going to prove it, I swear."
She doesn't answer, of course. If she is convinced I'm a liar, it'll take more than just words to change her mind.
My fists clench tightly as I think of all the progress we'd made earlier today… all gone up in smoke.
To Be Continued…
Note: There's another story I'm working on: "If I Never Knew You," a PRiS angsty journey of self discovery starring Karone that is rapidly approaching completion. Due to some tricky formatting it won't be posted on any time soon, but you can check out my Profile for a link and details about it.