Disclaimer: see chapter one. Sorry about the delay in posting the update but fanfiction net decided to play up over the weekend and then real life got in the way. Anyway thanks for all the great reviews and please, leave more! Angel Mouse and MzDany.
Deception of a Samurai – chapter three
By MzDany and Angel Mouse
Hunter was in a dark mood this morning. His lunch and sparring session with Cam two days ago had put him in a great mood, but yesterday's argument with Cam had changed that real fast. Yet he was steadfast about his hunch; there was just something about Kami that raised his alarm bells. But Cam had become strangely defensive when he'd questioned him about her background and herself. Was Cam thinking that Hunter was irrationally jealous of his female student? How could he – after what happened two days ago? They had finished sparring and then they'd even managed to sneak away for an hour or so that night from the Academy and done some serious making out. He'd been feeling a little down the last few days as their schedules had kept them apart, but they had made up for that lost time quite enthusiastically. And then the confrontation at lunch time had happened. When he walked away from Cam, Hunter had felt chastised like never before and that feeling did not sit well with him at all.
He shook his head, pushing away the bad feelings that their heated words had caused and looked around at his half a dozen students for his advanced element class. Hunter always took these in a secluded grove far from the main Academy grounds. Unlike most Ninja element affiliations, Thunder and Lightning tend to be more dangerous to control, which is why only small classes were taught at one time. Hunter took a deep breath and moved to the centre of the clearing, everyone's attention suddenly fixing on him.
"Welcome everyone. Now, you've all mastered the basic art of controlling your element." Hunter made sure he made eye contact with each of them. "In this class I will be teaching you the finer points of controlling Thunder and Lightning. We will be practicing harnessing this element and being able to aim it at your opponent. Eventually you will be able to control these elements instinctively and with ease, but that point is a long way off." Hunter held his hand up, concentrating a moment. Seconds later his fingers danced with electricity as lightning swept in and out of his fingers. "And then, when you're at my level, you will be able to both control Thunder and Lightning, like this." And with that, he threw his hand to one side and a bolt of electricity burst from his hand and impacted on a rock, scorching it badly, Thunder booming overhead at the same time. Hunter grinned inwardly as they all flinched. He loved this part of the lessons. As Blake once told him, under that entire pissing people off crap, he was a show-off at heart. Cam had told him more than once or twice he was a teddy bear sometimes as well, especially when it came to his baby brother. Hunter looked at them all, his expression serious. "But at all times remember this. The Thunder element is one of the most difficult disciplines to learn and the most dangerous to master. Control at all times over your emotions is essential. If you lose your focus for just a split second, then you can serious hurt, injure or perhaps even kill someone. And that my students, is the lesson that I will be teaching you." The students all looked suitably chastised and subdued and Hunter grinned to himself. Good, listening and common sense were the first lessons he taught them. He nodded to them and began to speak again, starting the lesson.
Kami watched from the shadows as the Thunder Ninja taught his students how to harness the power of Thunder. This was just the perfect opportunity she had been waiting for. It would be so easy to get rid of this meddlesome Ninja. And then she could begin to work on Cam. She had to get that amulet, and if she could get him as well, then, that would be a bonus. She was careful to mask her presence and the build up of her own power. She would have to time it carefully. If she didn't, it would make the others suspicious and she didn't want that. So, she kept her power crackling at her finger tips but waited and watched. She was patient; she could wait for a long time.
Hunter was standing behind one of his two female students. He was helping her focus and concentrate on directing her lightning attack. They were aiming at a poor, unoffending tree. They made good target practice and afterwards Hunter was usually able to fix most of the damage done. The advantages of being a head teacher, he had access to differing abilities than his students.
"That's right, Sarah. Now focus on your hand. Imagine the power at your finger tips; imagine it running along your fingers, tickling them, making them tingle. Now, concentrate of harnessing that power into a ball of energy." Lightning ran over her fingers and slowly formed into a ball. Hunter nodded and pointed to a tree. "Good, now throw it at the tree. Haul your hand back in a classic first position and then push it forward, like you're pushing your annoying kid brother out of the way. As your hand gets almost all the way out, release the energy. Now, try it." She took a deep breath and Hunter stepped back and to one side. "You can do it Sarah. Now focus." Hunter looked around; the other five students were standing behind him. This was the sort of exercise you did one person at a time. With a deep breath Sarah drew her hand back and then frowning in concentration, she then thrust her hand forward with the grace and fluid movement of a long practiced skill. The lightning ball left her hand and flew towards the tree with unerring precision.
Kami grinned as her moment arrived. The girl's clumsy attempt at controlling the thunder energy had played right into her hands. The girl grinned when it looked like her shot was going to hit and she momentarily lost focus, and that's when Kami struck. She reached out mentally and took control of the ball of energy and sent it wildly off course. She watched as Hunter suddenly realised what had happened and acted. He lurched forward and threw Sarah to the ground, shouting over his shoulder as he did so.
"Everyone get down!" He stepped into the middle of the clearing, his hands in front of him as he reached out mentally to control his element. Kami wouldn't let him, though, and she made the energy fly right at him. He threw himself to one side easily and Kami cursed the energy wobbling slightly as her anger got the better of her for a moment. He sprang to his feet and moved towards it, hands moving in an intricate pattern, calling upon his element as naturally as he would breathe. He moved closer to the edge of the clearing and she saw her chance. Adding her power to it subtly, she aimed the ball of energy at the nearest tree near him. It exploded in a flurry of sparks, fire and noise. One massive tree branch was hanging half torn right above the blond teacher, and through it, Kami saw her chance at finishing him off. That branch needed only a little bit of help. Time, however, was of the essence now and from her jacket pocket, Kami whipped out a small laser weapon, aiming it at the branch. Only a second later, the huge piece of wood cracked and fell. When the dust cleared Hunter was on the ground, out cold, blood streaming from a cut on his forehead and a piece of tree sticking out of his shoulder from the huge branch lying over his chest. His students ran to his side, horror on their faces. She waited a few moments and then jumped down, heading back through the trees. A few moments later she came jogging through the trees, an expression of concern on her face. One of the male students looked up, seeing her there.
"What happened?" He frowned.
"There was an accident with the lesson that Sensei Bradley was giving us on the Thunder element. What are you doing here?" His tone was slightly suspicious. She looked down at Hunter's unmoving form. He had not been destroyed yet, but it did not look good. And that was all right with her.
"Sensei Watanabe sent me with a message for Sensei Bradley. But I will return to the Wind Academy and let him know what has happened." The students made ready to take Hunter to the Thunder Academy. He nodded absently as he gestured for her to help them. As one, they removed the branch off his body. She straightened up and then looked at him as if to say anything else. He just waved her hand at her.
"Thank you for your help. Let Sensei Watanabe know what has happened, he will want to know."
"I will. I hope he will be okay." She left and as she began streaking towards the Wind Academy she grinned. Time to put her plan into action to win Cam's heart for herself.
Several days later, Cam was walking along, listening politely to Kami as she was asking some questions about some technical aspect or other for her sword work. His mind wasn't really focused as it should be, though, his thoughts kept wondering what he had done to cause Hunter to suddenly cut him off like he had. Yes, they had argued, but Cam had called him the next day after what he had thought was enough time for Hunter to cool off. Cam was willing to talk this over again, but Hunter had not picked up his phone. Cam had left a message, but so far had received no call back. This sudden silence from Hunter was disturbing. Cam knew that he should maybe have called again, but after Hunter hadn't turned up for their prearranged get together on Sunday either, he'd gotten annoyed and irrationally decided not to call him. Hindsight made him realise that perhaps lack of sleep and intense element studies had probably contributed to his irritation. Keeping a sigh to himself, he tried to concentrate on Kami's words. Suddenly his attention was grabbed by a shout from behind him.
"Hey Cam, wait up!" Cam looked at Kami and gave her a tiny wry smile.
"I believe Sensei Brooks wants my attention. Please excuse me a moment." He walked a few steps towards Dustin as the Earth Ninja jogged down the path, Kami unobtrusively inched closer.
"Hey Cam. You know dude, you're a hard person to catch." Cam stopped and crossed his arms, really in no mood to deal with Dustin's exuberance. He was too preoccupied by his own problems with Hunter.
"Yes I know; I've been really busy. What is it, Dustin?" Dustin wasn't fazed by Cam's attitude; he was used to it by now. "I just wanted to tell you when you go see Hunter at the Thunder Academy hospital I hope he's feeling better and I've taken care of his race entries for him." Cam was stunned. What did Dustin just say? His heart almost stopped in his chest and he reached out, grabbing Dustin's arms with a shaking hand, his voice tight.
"What are you talking about, Dustin? What do you mean Hunter's at the Thunder Hospital?" Dustin looked surprised.
"Dude, didn't you get told? There was an accident in the woods during elementals training. Hunter got hurt really badly when a huge tree branch fell on him. Dislocated his shoulder and caused a minor wound that needed a couple of stiches. Blake says he's going to be out later this week but he's really banged up." Dustin cocked his head, giving Cam a quizzical look, tinged with a hint of disapproval. "He's been in the infirmary for the past three days, Cam." Cam had gone white. He felt his stomach lurch and fear reach up and take a hold of his heart. Hunter had been hurt and he hadn't been told. What was going on here? A part of him realised this was the explanation for Hunter's sudden silence and non appearance on Sunday.
"Dustin, I wasn't told." Dustin frowned.
"Dude, that's weird. The Thunder students told Blake and Hunter that the new Samurai chick of yours was nearby and said she'd carry the message to you." Cam whirled but Kami had gone.
Time to deal with her later, first he had to see Hunter. He looked at Dustin.
"Thanks for telling me, Dustin. Tell Dad I've gone to the Thunder Academy." And with that, he streaked away, panic warring with remorse in his mind. How he could think that Hunter would dump him like that he never knew, he vowed to himself to make it up to Hunter in more ways than one.
Hunter slowly made his way through the dense underbrush of the forest. Less than half an hour into his trek and already he could feel a headache coming on – not to mention that he was already breathing heavier than he normally would. He stepped over a rotting tree trunk, rubbing his left shoulder. The tight bandages had only been removed this morning and consequently, his shoulder was awfully stiff and achy. And the fact that the painkiller the physician had given him a few hours ago was slowly wearing off only added to the discomfort. Should have stayed in bed for another day but Blake always said I'm the stubborn one.
But he had been brooding about the supposed accident ever since he had regained consciousness, a nagging feeling in the back of his head that just wouldn't let up. Blake had told him not to worry about, wait until he was better to go check things about but the feeling wouldn't let up. The confusing and often contradictory recollections of his five students about what had happened in the woods had left him with more questions than anything; especially disturbing was when one of his ninjas suddenly, and almost as an afterthought, mentioned that right after Hunter got knocked out, a female samurai student appeared seemingly out of nowhere. Shocked and worried like the rest of the Thunder ninjas, she had helped with getting the large tree branch off him and then announced that she would report the accident to Sensei Watanabe right away. Hunter only knew one female samurai student, but what in the world she had been doing in the forest at that time was a mystery to him. Problem was that the longer he mulled over this, the stronger a very disturbing possibility wormed its way into his mind. That, and the fact that Cam hadn't been to see him even once, was enough to drive him out of bed lest he was sure to go crazy. Cam. Not much he could do about his partner's apparent disinterest in his well-being - but it hurt, hurt more than all his physical injuries combined. Unless Cam never even found out what had happened. Considering whom the samurai student was that was supposed to recount the incident. Hunter's mouth formed into a tight line as things began to fall into place for him. It was high time for another talk with Cam about her, but first things first. First he needed to check up on his hunch. Then he would pay a visit to the Wind Academy and get some much-wanted answers.
He arrived at the small clearing a few moments later. The massive tree branch that had hit him lay where it had been tossed three days ago and he headed right for it. Crouched down, Hunter turned the branch around to inspect it from all sides, paying particular attention to all the visible scorch marks, absently frowning as he did so.
Power of lightning was a natural element, and nothing in nature came in exact geometrical patterns. This was especially true of electricity and Hunter was very familiar with the visual marks of his element. If this branch had been hit by lightning, the wood would be torn, large chips of bark would have been ripped off and at the point of direct impact, and the wood would be deeply scorched by jagged burn marks. But the burns he was looking at right now were too linear to be natural, more like they were made by a precision weapon such as a laser, which he was familiar with due to having seen it a few times from Lothor's goons. He carefully put the branch back down, unable to take his eyes off it as his suspicions were confirmed.
This had been no accident.
Hunter sat back on his haunches, his mind racing. During the elemental exercise, every one of his students had been in his direct line of vision; consequently he would have noticed it at once if one of them had pulled out a weapon, no matter how sneakily. His self preservation instinct was that well honed, he would have known. He was about to pick up the branch once again when he felt a prickling along the back of his neck, his sixth sense he'd learned to trust over the years. Someone was watching him. He remained crouched for a moment, listening, before he stood slowly and seemingly casual. His eyes, however, quickly and effectively scanned his entire immediate area.
"Who's there?"
For a long moment, there was no answer, no movement - almost as if the forest itself had stopped breathing. Then a familiar figure stepped out from behind the trunk of a massive pine tree.
"Sensei Bradley," Kali said softly, "Just who I was looking for." Hunter peered at her with narrowed eyes.
"What a coincidence, because you are just the one I wanted to ask a few questions." She cocked her head.
"Is that so?" she asked smoothly. "What questions?" While she spoke she stepped away from the tree, moving slowly into the small clearing. She looked as petite and unthreatening in her black samurai training uniform as the last time he had seen her, but Hunter kept his eyes on her nevertheless.
"My students told me that you just happened to come by here right after that big ol' branch fell on me. Coincidence?"
"It seems so, doesn't it?" she said nonchalantly.
"What were you doing in the forest at that time?" Hunter's eyes never left her as she prowled around the clearing.
"Coming to see you at the Thunder Academy," she replied readily. "To sort out our differences."
Hunter looked at her intently for a moment, his expression hardening.
"I think that's bullshit."
The innocent smile vanished from Kami's face as if someone had flipped a switch. Her demeanor changed visibly as her expression hardened and when she spoke this time, her voice was stony.
"I should have properly disposed of you three days ago. It was a mistake to trust that you would simply succumb to your wounds." Hunter glowered at her.
"So lemme guess: Now you're here to rectify that mistake?" In lieu of an answer, Kami's mouth turned upwards as she came closer and Hunter could see the danger in her eyes - just before they started to briefly glow golden yellow. He instinctively went into defensive stance.
"Who are you really?" Hunter snapped. "Or maybe I should say what are you?" Kami snorted disdainfully.
"Not that you or anyone on your pathetic planet in this backwater galaxy would know anything about the Zakaarian empire, so I won't even waste any time explaining my origins to you. All you need to know is that I am here to complete a mission and that I have every intention of carrying it out quickly and flawlessly." She never stopped walking as she spoke, and Hunter noticed how centered and deliberate her movements were. She was poised, ready for confrontation.
He kept his gaze on her face.
"Is Cam the object of your mission?" Kami surprised him when she emitted a soft laugh, and the sound was disconcertingly pleasant. "No, he is only connected to a vital object of my mission. But now that I have gotten to know him better, I admit that he has become a most intriguing bonus for me."
"If you so much as touch him... " Hunter growled, intoning each word carefully as concern for his boyfriend supplanted his anger, but Kami simply snickered.
"Oh, I intend to do much more than touching. In the weeks to come he will need quite a bit of comforting, and by the time his period of mourning is over I'll be indispensable to him." Her voice was low and silky, but the underlying danger could not be missed. Hunter glared at her furiously.
"You're not going to get rid of me that easily." The smug expression on Kami's face only intensified.
"On the contrary, Thunder Ninja. I'm my emperor's best warrior. I've disposed of men three times your size…and ego." The alien woman was now only a few feet away from him and every trace of the humble, polite samurai student was now wiped away. Hunter sensed the truth behind her words. He was facing a warrior he couldn't afford to underestimate. Nevertheless, he also couldn't afford to let her see the effects of her words on his face. Battles were waged as much with the mind as with the body. They slowly circled each other, fists raised.
"Is that so?" He said, seemingly unimpressed, and nodded over his shoulder towards the path to the Thunder Academy. "Well, a few minutes down that way is the Thunder Academy, and guess what? I'm their best warrior." Kami raised her eyebrows, her voice dripping with condescension. "Then let's hope they've already picked out your successor."
She attacked him with such blinding speed that Hunter barely had the time to throw up his arm to deflect a lethal kick to the head and ended up taking a knee in the chest instead. He blocked several of her punches, but he realized instantly that she possessed almost inhuman strength. Well, she pretty much did reveal just a moment ago that she wasn't human…Hunter didn't finish his thought as he focused his entire attention on dishing out some punches of his own; he needed to get into a better offensive position, but Kami seemed to know that for she stuck close to him, pummeling every part of his body he didn't manage to cover. This wasn't working; he needed to change tactics.
Kami threw another punch towards his injured shoulder, but instead of blocking it, Hunter snatched her wrist, pulling her closer until they were locked in a tight embrace. He saw the momentary confusion in her eyes and took advantage of it. He let himself fall backwards, got a knee in between them and used it to flip her over his body. This also gave him enough momentum to roll over his good shoulder in the same motion, shooting back up to his feet. Kami was back on her feet almost instantly as well, but now there was enough distance between them for Hunter to deliver a spinning kick towards her head. It caught her on the shoulder, but she managed to stay upright. She hissed in pain and the snarl that formed on her face was entirely predatory, effectively wiping the last traces of feminine beauty off her face.
Suddenly, she shook both of her wrists several times and before Hunter could wonder about those odd gestures, she came at him again. She feigned a kick to his left hip only to swing a lightning-quick fist at his face at the same time. Anybody else would have hesitated half a second, but Hunter's reflexes had been honed by a lifetime of ninja training, a year of being a Power Ranger and several months of teaching. Yet even so, he pulled his head back just a fraction of a second too slowly and Kami's gloved fist grazed his cheekbone. A sharp pain tore through his cheek and he yelped in surprise and pain. Automatically, his hand came up to touch his skin, and his fingers came away bloody. Across from him, Kami gave a short laugh, raised her fists again and Hunter could see that the knuckles of her fingerless samurai gloves were now studded with sharp spikes.
The question of her strange wrist shaking had just answered itself. Hunter growled deep in his throat. That did it. Not holding back any longer, Hunter charged at her with a combination of relentless kicks and punches. They were evenly matched for a while, but after a few minutes, and despite Hunter's still-sore shoulder, hisendurance slowly gained himthe upper hand. He took his opportunity when Kami's concentration slipped for a second and put a well-placed boot right into her ribs. The alien warrior stumbled backwards a few steps, grimacing in pain. They watched each other across several yards' distance, both breathing heavily, but Kami's respiration was distinctly more ragged. Ignoring the pain in her ribs, she drew herself up to her full height, throwing Hunter a glare of black rage.
"Enough playing," she hissed "Time to finish this!" With that she raised her arms over her head, her lips mouthing silent words. Hunter hesitated for a second, unsure as to what to make of her gesture. When he realized only a moment later what she was doing, it was already too late. Kami's hands as well as her eyes suddenly began to glow a dull yellow and with a high-pitched cry she thrust her wrists at him. Twin beams of yellow energy erupted from her hands and Hunter had no chance to dodge them. The impact was brutal, lifting him off his feet and slamming him into the trunk of a tree a few yards behind him with a ferocity that left him barely conscious. A second later he was facedown on the ground, dazed and hurt, fighting against the darkness closing in on him. Hands gripped the back of his jacket, and he couldn't bite back a groan as Kami flipped him roughly onto his back. The cold steel of her glove spikes pressed into his larynx, not hard enough to draw blood, but enough to keep him immobilized and barely breathing. Through the pounding in his head he heard her voice.
"Chivalrous fool. You should have used your elemental powers."
"Like you did?" he croaked contemptuously. Kami barked a harsh laugh.
"All's fair in love and war, Thunder." With her free hand, Kami suddenly reached out and ripped open the velcro closures of his uniform jacket. "Now, nice and easy, pull your arms out of your jacket sleeves," she commanded. "But no tricks. Believe me; you wouldn't have the breath to carry them out." Hunter remained motionless and Kami pressed the spikes into his throat just a little firmer to emphasize her words. "Do it!" Hunter had no choice but to comply; he slowly and cumbersomely peeled himself out of his jacket while still flat on his back, wondering where she was going with this. Without taking her gloved hand from his throat, Kami reached into an inner pocket of her uniform and produced a small, rectangular device. Never breaking eye contact with him, she depressed several buttons, and at once, the air around them stirred, taking on a dense, electrical quality not unlike at the beginning of a powerful thunderstorm. Out of the periphery of his vision Hunter saw movement, a circular swirl of anthracite energy that was rapidly growing bigger and fear began to grip his stomach. A portal of some sort…
Okay, before you all scream and shout and threaten us, stopping this chapter there at this particular cliff hanger you can totally blame Dany for, it was her idea to stop it here. I wanted to add another two or three pages worth but we decided that we are mean, evil and totally cruel to our two guys… hehe..