"So what're you going to get for your dad, Cam?" Dustin was asking, but it was Shane who answered.

"Man, there's tons of stuff for Sensei – a new cage, a squeaky toy, maybe one of those clear plastic exercise balls. He can run around the entire command room in it…"

Laughing, the Air ninja dodged Tori's swipe aimed for his head, but he couldn't escape Cam's mock glare. "Just kiddin'!"

"I was thinking more like a new robe," Cam said. "Or maybe a book on new and improved meditative techniques. With all of you around, Dad needs all the inner peace he can get…OUCH!"

Hunter was closest to Cam and he instinctively reached out, catching the samurai's arm as he stumbled and went down on one knee, clawing at his back. True to their training, the others instantly went into defensive positions, forming a protective ring around Cam and Hunter. Perplexed, the Crimson Ranger followed Cam's fingers with his eyes as they tried to reach up higher on his back – until he spotted the small black object stuck just beneath the technician's right shoulder blade.

"Hold up, Cam, I got it," he said before he reached out and swiftly pulled the object from his boyfriend's flesh. Cam hissed.

The three Wind ninjas and Blake were hovering around the two crouched Rangers, their heads swiveling in all directions.

"Did anybody see something?" Shane barked.

"I don't know. I thought I saw movement when I was turning towards Cam, but it was right at the edge of my vision and it was only for like a tenth of a second or so," Dustin replied, almost apologetic. He pointed towards a gray van parked at the opposite side of the street. "I think it might've come from somewhere over there."

The Winds took off in a sprint while Blake stayed in his guarding position. He glanced down to find both Hunter and Cam staring at what looked like the black steel tip of a dart. Half a dart, actually, for it was missing a regular dart's back part, the usually colorful flight piece.

He looked between his brother and his teammate and caught Hunter's eye. The question in those blue orbs was clear to him. Poison?

Both Thunder ninjas cast a long, scrutinizing look at the Green Ranger, but apart from complete bewilderment, Cam's face did not exhibit any signs of impending poisoning.

Shane, Dustin and Tori returned from their inspection across the street, empty-handed.

"We checked the entire immediate area." Shane shook his head, scowling. "There's no one in sight."

"I don't get it," Tori wondered aloud. "How could whoever did this have just disappeared so fast?"

Grave, worried looks were the only replies. Hunter looked at Cam.

"How do you feel?"

"Fine." Cam rolled his right shoulder. "The area where that dart hit still hurts, but otherwise…fine."

Shane reached down, grabbing Cam's other arm and helping him to his feet. "That's good, but I think we should still get you back to Ops right away. Just to be safe."

No one disagreed with his suggestion.

Complacence…

Jared was very pleased with himself. His aim had been perfect, their getaway quick and smooth. The Rangers couldn't have spotted him streak away. He had practiced streaking with Manuel in tow a dozen times, and today it had paid off.

Now all they had to do was sit back and wait a few days, or however long it took, until the next phase of the plan could be implemented. He hoped it wasn't too long a wait; it mainly depended on when the Rangers' next monster battle took place.

Grinning, Jared leaned back into the soft leather couch of Julio's office. As he closed his eyes for a well-deserved nap, he dared - for the first time in months - to feel hopeful.

Speculations…

"For the umpteenth time, guys, I feel fine," Cam said and from his tone of voice the Wind and Thunder ninjas could tell that his patience was wearing thin. It had been several hours since the mysterious attack. Hunter had disinfected the small wound on Cam's shoulder and so far Cam was still not showing any symptoms of poisoning, or anything else for that matter. Nevertheless, the team and Sensei remained skeptical. Slumped around the command table, they had done much speculating about the incident, yet all it yielded was an ever-growing pile of unanswered questions.

"So do you guys think this was an accident or intentional?" Dustin wondered.

"Well, since there weren't any pubs around with the doors open while someone inside missed the dart board big time, I think we can safely rule out the accidental part," Tori concluded.

"There's also the question of Why Cam?" Hunter cut in. "Or maybe we should ask ourselves whether they were actually targeting just some random guy on the street, or Cam Watanabe - or the Green Samurai Ranger?"

The team traded apprehensive looks. "You think whoever did this might know our identities?" Blake asked.

Hunter shrugged. "It's something we might have to worry about."

Shane stared at the dart on the table. "Maybe we should have reported this to the police."

"Wouldn't have done any good." Cam shook his head. "The guy who threw that dart was long gone a few seconds after the attack, so there wasn't anything the police could have done anyways. And to file a report against 'unknown' would only have been a waste of time."

"Think this could have been Lothor's doing?" Tori directed the question at no one in particular and skeptical glances passed between the ninjas.

"I don't know," Cam said. "This isn't…this doesn't fit his style."

"And what about a motive?" Shane wanted to know. "I mean…just this coward-ass attack from behind without any kind of note?" The Red Ranger cast a sidelong look at his teacher for the inadvertent curse word. "And there hasn't been one, unless we've overlooked it, but I don't think we did."

Puzzled silence was the general reply.

"Don't you have some computer gadget-thingy that could analyze the dart, Cam?" Dustin inquired. "Something that could check what was on that dart or whether there even was anything on it at all."

"This isn't the CSI crime lab, Dustin," Cam replied. "The Supercomputer isn't programmed for that kind of stuff."

Sensei spoke up for the first time. "Rangers, whatever the reason or the people behind this attack may be, we must assume that we have a very real enemy lurking in the shadows. And I agree with Cam – this does not feel like an attack initiated by Lothor. My brother is evil, yes, but he has never resorted to such a dastardly sneak attack so far." He looked around his small group of ninjas. "I am as concerned as you are about this incident, but at this point I believe all we can do is to be particularly alert about our surroundings outside of Ninja Ops. If someone truly has learned your real identities, you must be on your guard towards any strangers in your immediate environment from now on. Stay in constant touch with each other, be extra careful about using your special abilities and use added precautions when coming to Ninja Ops to avoid being tracked." The tiny teacher turned to his son. "Cam, I believe you should stay out of sight for a while, just in case. Remain in Ninja Ops where I can monitor your well-being."

Cam opened his mouth to protest, but even in guinea pig form, his father radiated enough authority to stifle any objections. So instead, Cam traded a glum look with the rest of the team before he said, "All right, Dad."

"So the ball is in the enemy's court and all we can do is wait until they make a move," Hunter concluded grimly.

"I'm afraid so, Hunter." Sensei inclined his head in acknowledgement. "Now - it is getting late and you should be returning to your homes, Rangers, for you all have school tomorrow. Please keep in mind the precautions we discussed. We will see you here tomorrow afternoon for training."

Obediently yet reluctantly, the ninjas said their good-byes and filed out of their headquarters. Hunter caught Cam's eyes and mouthed Call Me before he climbed the stone steps.

When they were alone, Sensei turned to his son. "How are you really feeling, Cam?"

Cam had expected that question. "Dad, I wasn't pretending when I said I feel fine." The samurai came around the command center table and plopped onto a cushion to be at eye level with his father. "That doesn't mean that I'm not worried about this whole thing, though. I mean, what if there was a slow-acting poison on there?" He picked the dart off the table and twirled it between his thumb and index finger. "But then again, maybe it was just a prank, just some dumb kids who were bored and up to no good and all we're doing right now is blowing this entire thing way out of proportion. Worrying for nothing."

From the silent look Sensei was giving him he knew his dad didn't buy this explanation. Cam couldn't blame him; he didn't buy it, either. For a while, father and son sat in silence, each lost in their own thoughts and worries until Cam grew too restless to remain seated. Sensei Watanabe watched his son as he began to pace back and forth before the table. "I just feel like there has to be something I should do, Dad." He ran a hand through his hair. "Some clue I should be investigating…something!"

"You cannot pursue an unseen enemy, Cam," Sensei countered. "Without at least some solid lead to follow, you would only be wasting your time."

"Yeah, I know," Cam conceded. "But I can't just sit here and do nothing." He stopped his pacing, sighed and fixed his gaze onto the computer set-up across the room. "Well, since there seems to be nothing I can check up on out there, the least thing I can do is to take some extra precautions for in here and make sure we're prepared for any eventuality." With determined steps he crossed the room and took his customary seat in front of the computer console. Sensei joined him.

"What do you have in mind, son?"

With a few key strokes, Cam brought up a screen full of schematics and lines of code. "First I'm going to reinforce the holographic entrance, make sure no one other than the Rangers can get through, then I'll work on enhancing the Wind and Thunder morphers' tracking signals and link them to the computer's surveillance program. That way we'll be notified at the first sign of trouble for any of them. And while I'm at it, it won't hurt to run those overdue diagnostics on the Zords right now and implement a few upgrades I've been meaning to install, keep them all in top condition, just in case…" Cam's fingers were flying across the keyboard and Sensei knew his son was by now mostly talking to himself. He watched for another minute, then retreated soundlessly. Cam had made sure he would be keeping himself busy for quite some time now and that was fine with Kanoi; as long as it kept his son's attention away from the unnerving attack.

He settled on the tiny bench of his miniature meditation pagoda. Time to reclaim his own inner peace.

Distractions…

Cam was in his element, his mind working in perfect harmony with the highly sophisticated machine before him. He was on familiar and comfortable territory, focused and productive, and for a while he was able to forget about the time, his surroundings - and even the very reason that had started this huge workload in the first place.

It wasn't until every one of his projects was completed that he allowed himself a break and a snack. On the way back from the kitchenette, his eyes fell onto the clock and Cam wasn't surprised to see it show three o'clock in the morning. With a start he realized that he had completely forgotten to call Hunter. 'Way too late for that now.'

He checked on his father, but Sensei was sleeping soundly in his habitat. Cam stretched and yawned. 'No use staying up any longer…'

In his room, he changed for bed, then slid under the covers. According to the neon display of his bedside clock, it was three-ten a.m.

He closed his eyes, ready for sleep, but his mind decided to replay the events of the day instead. The memory of his earlier 'chemistry demonstration' with Hunter brought a smile to his face, but soon he found himself brooding over the attack yet again. He took comfort in the fact, however, that he still neither showed any symptoms nor felt 'off' in any way.

By four-nineteen a.m. he seriously considered meditating to finally stop the incessant flow of thoughts from invading his head.

By five-twenty-three a.m. he resigned himself to the fact that peaceful slumber would not be happening today. 'Probably still too worked up from everything that happened yesterday…'

With a sigh he rose and, in sweatpants and t-shirt, padded into the kitchen to heat up some water for tea and prepare a very early breakfast. He wasn't worried about the missed sleep – it had happened before, mainly before major tests in college or after particularly tough monster battles that left the Zords in dire need for immediate repairs.

He could always make up for it with a nap later on.

Getting worried…

Theory and practice, however, proved to be as different as night and day. By the time the Winds and Thunders arrived for afternoon practice, Cam had already tried to nap several times. Tired as he was, however, sleep had continued to elude him. Whether in his room or on the command center's couch, no matter how long he remained still with his eyes doggedly closed, his brain simply hadn't shut down far enough for sleep. Consequently, he was grouchy and short-tempered, but the ninjas were too relieved to see their teammate still alive and kicking to take offense.

He opted out of the training session, and waved it off when Hunter tried to inquire further into his failed attempts to sleep, blaming it yet again on the disquieting events of the previous day.

After ninja training, Dustin had to head back into the city for his shift at Storm Chargers. Tori offered to drive and Shane came along in hopes of convincing Kelly to let him watch the Tony Hawk's SuperSkater Special on her TV in the store's alcove.

Only Hunter and Blake remained at Ninja Ops. It was clear that the Bradleys were hovering, troubled by Cam's sleepless condition.

"You know, I could lend you my English grammar textbook," Blake offered with a forced grin. "It never fails to put me to sleep in five minutes flat."

"I can vouch for that," Hunter confirmed. "Sometimes he doesn't even make it five minutes."

Cam barely cracked a half-smile. "Thanks for the offer, Blake, but I've tried just about everything short of sleeping pills to get some sleep, and nothing's worked. Frankly, I'm getting a little worried."

"Do you want me to stay tonight?" Hunter asked and Cam met his eyes. Normally, the Crimson Ranger would have followed up on that inquiry with anything from a hopeful expression to downright puppy eyes, but right now all Cam saw in those blue orbs was concern. He considered the offer for a moment, but then declined. "No, it's okay. I'm so bone tired, I'm probably going to hit the sack right after you guys leave. I've been up the better part of two days; there's no logical reason why I shouldn't fall asleep tonight, just from sheer exhaustion."

Hunter regarded him thoughtfully for another moment before he nodded. "All right, but if it doesn't work, call me this time, all right?"

Cam assured him he would.

"Dad is going to show me this Zen meditation technique that's supposed to be very effective in inducing sleep." The samurai was trying to sound reassuring, as much for Hunter's sake as for his own. "Hopefully that's going to do the trick."

The Bradley brothers looked hesitant and unconvinced, but Hunter nevertheless nodded resolutely. "Yeah, let's hope so."

One quick and one longer hug, and then the two Thunder ninjas were retreating up the stairs, leaving Cam and Kanoi to prepare themselves for Sensei's Zen exercise.

As Cam settled himself into the lotus position, he sighed inwardly; as much as he would have liked Hunter to stay, he needed to address his current, highly inconvenient situation first - and having his partner present would only have been a distraction.

Sensei hopped onto Cam's shoulder, and for the better part of the next hour, the older Watanabe guided his son through the process of methodically relaxing first the different parts of his body, then his mind. Fortunately, they had the foresight to conduct the exercise in Cam's room right next to his bed, for at the conclusion of it, Cam's limbs had the consistency of JELL-O. He barely had the strength left to get off the floor and onto the bed. The last thing he saw was the LED display of his alarm clock. It read ten p.m.

Any minute now…

All his life, Cam had regarded sleep as nothing more than an unfortunate necessity; time wasted that could be spent being productive. Now he wanted nothing else than to spend the next twenty-four hours engaged in just this 'unfortunate necessity'.

He snuggled deeper into his comforter and cracked one eyelid at the clock. Ten-thirty.

Any moment now…

At eleven-fifty, ready to cry, Cam had to admit defeat yet again.

By now he was more than just unsettled about his continuing inability to sleep, for he was more than just tired; fatigue had settled into every bone of his body. By all means, he should have been out cold a minute after his head had hit the pillow, especially after his dad's meditative exercise. Yet here he was staring at the bedside clock almost two hours after lying down.

Something was clearly wrong, and Cam didn't need to think twice about the reason for it.

The dart.

A call for help…

The 'Ride of the Valkyries' ringtone of Hunter's cell phone had the Crimson Ranger bolting upright in bed. His hand was already reaching for the phone before his brain even had the chance to throw off the fog of sleep. "…Hullo?"

"Hey," Cam's voice was quiet and subdued.

"Cam!" Hunter glanced at his alarm clock display. It was three minutes to five a.m. That, combined with his partner's dejected tone of voice, immediately had him assume the worst. He asked anyways. "Did you sleep?"

"No," came the gloomy reply. "Dad and I did our joint meditation thing, but it obviously didn't work; I haven't slept for a single minute yet."

Frustrated and worried, Hunter ran a hand through his mop of hair. "Crap. Did you go ahead and try a sleeping pill, then?"

"Two. The first one at around midnight, the second one about two hours ago."

"Take another one. Maybe they aren't strong enough…"

"Hunter, this was the most potent over-the-counter stuff I could find. I even checked with the pharmacist yesterday before I bought them."

Seriously concerned now, Hunter sat at the edge of the bed and, with the phone still to his ear, began to pull on his jeans. "I'm coming over. We'll figure something out together, okay?"

The fact that Cam wasn't even protesting only added to the clump of ice already assembling in the Thunder Ranger's stomach.

Countermeasures…

It only took a few minutes for Hunter to streak to Ninja Ops. He was greeted by a dismal Cam and a somber Sensei, both sipping tea on the couch. A third steaming cup stood on the command table in front of them.

Cam was beginning to show the effects of his insomnia; Grey-faced, with dark rings under his eyes, he practically radiated exhaustion. The Green and Crimson Rangers' eyes met and suddenly Hunter knew. "It's the dart, isn't it?" he said gravelly. "Whatever it was that was on it is keeping you awake."

Cam simply nodded his head in affirmation.

Hunter mumbled a curse under his breath, seized the tea mug and slumped down next to Cam on the couch.

"You need to go to the hospital," he said determinedly. "Get a tox screen or whatever that's called."

Cam, however, did not share his partner's opinion. "First of all, my 'Power Ranger Tech Support' position didn't come with a health benefits plan," he retorted while he transferred a teaspoon of tea from his mug into his father's empty miniature cup. "And secondly, if I get my blood drawn, all that's going to end up happening is that the doctors would notice my abnormal blood chemistry due to my ninja healing powers and that's only going to cause all kinds of uncomfortable questions." The samurai resolutely shook his head. "No. A hospital trip would be the last resort."

Somewhat unexpectedly, Sensei came to Cam's aid. "Not to mention Cam's natural aversion to hospitals in the first place," the tiny teacher added.

Hunter let out an audible sigh and brought the tea mug to his mouth. Sipping the hot beverage, he fixed his partner and his teacher with a look that clearly said 'Now what?'

Cam took off his glasses and rubbed the bridge of his nose before he said, "Dad and I are going to try to combine our ninja healing powers to see if we can purge whatever it is that might be inside me from my system before I try to lie down again."

"First you need to know what it is that's inside your body before you can try to purge it," Hunter pointed out and from the look Cam shot him he could see that he had hit a nerve. He decided to push the issue. "Look, if you don't want to get any blood tests done, fine. But then you should at least have some tests run on the dart. Find out what substance it was obviously coated with. I'm sure there are a few labs in Blue Bay Harbor that do those kinds of tests for a price. Once we know what it is, we might be able to figure out what medication can counter the effects."

Cam and Sensei traded a thoughtful look and Cam took one more sip of his tea before he finally nodded. "All right. It's worth a try."

To Be Continued…