Turner

Prologue

Kirigi sat in the board room of his father's multi-billion dollar company. The room was decorated in stainless steel and tasteful cherry wood; perfect for the stoic, upper class shadiness that took place there. The young, but matured son of the Hand leader was dressed to his father's specifications; in a suit with a tie and dress shoes. Granted, the ensemble was all black and Kirigi still left his midnight hair down, letting it fall just to his ears. His father, the Hand Master Roushi, would be irked with him, but quite honestly, Kirigi didn't care.

Glancing down at his watch, Kiri sighed. His father, once again, was late and Kiri was perturbed. He had an important meeting with his associates, and he wanted to get on with the plan to take the Treasure from the possession of the woman known as Elektra. Outwardly Kiri growled; the girl was the most dangerous variable of this whole situation. His father would like nothing more than to have her destroyed and Kirigi himself was in charge of that particular operation, but inwardly, Kiri had a very different opinion of how they should make their approach.

At first, Kirigi had laughed at the idea of his father's other associate. "Let us approach subtly and with finesse." At the time, it had seemed preposterous to Kiri; he agreed with his people, they should just go in with force and destroy Elektra. On the other hand, Master Roushi believed in trying the quiet angles first. When that particular plan failed, Kiri was granted the authority to carry out his plan, but soon found that it was perhaps more difficult then he thought. When the Treasure defeated Stone and Kinuou in the woods, Kiri gathered Typhoid and Tattoo to his side and fled from Stick, back to his father's compound; he needed a safe place in which to collect his thoughts. He'd banished his associates from his presence and locked himself into his study, but no sooner had he started into his meditation then the intercom chimed. "Kirigi, report to the board room. I will meet you there shortly."

Kiri had growled and glowered at the infernal intercom but he had no choice. Standing up, he changed out of his gee and into the customary uniform of a business man. He'd made his way to the board room where he took a seat; he'd remained that way to that very moment. Sighing again, Kiri decided he'd had enough. Pushing his chair back from the table, he stood and brushed a hand down the front of his suit to smooth any possible wrinkles. Just as he turned to leave through the rear door, the front one opened to admit his father into the room, followed closely by a short, nerdy looking male, who was watching his father's ass with just a bit too much interest. The nerd carried a wooden box in his arms.

Kirigi's father eyed him wearily, his peace beads wrapped around his arm and hand. He was older than he appeared by he was aging very well. His hair was still jet black and pulled back into a tight tail on the back of his head, while his world wise eyes stared at his son with disinterested severity. When he spoke, his voice was authoritive and cold, "Sit down Kirigi, there is something we must discuss." Kiri sighed and gave his father a glare that would have frozen water but the older man seemed not to notice as he took his seat. The nerdy man, whom Kiri assumed was his father's gay assistant, took a seat to the left of Roushi and placed the box on the table in front of him.

Kiri sighed, "Let's just get down to it. Why did you call me here? I could be doing something more valuable, like tracking down Elektra or cornering the Treasure." He made no motion to hide the perturbed annoyance in his voice or the glint in his eye. He wanted his father to know that he was pissed.

Roushi glared at him, "Be silent son, there is much we have need to speak of." He motioned to his assistant, whom was quick to push the wooden box toward his boss. Roushi collected the box, placed it in front of him and tapped it with his free hand.

Kiri glared at the thing, "So did you bring me up here to show me some ancient relic from one of your archaeological digs or is there some real purpose to this adventure." He rolled his eyes when his father slapped his hand down on the table.

Roushi spoke, his voice full of steel and malice, "You, son, have grown much too arrogant and believe that you are beyond the realm of my hand. I will destroy you if need be, but you will be obedient to me." With a firm nod, as if to prove to himself that Kirigi was listening to him, Roushi slid the box across the table toward his son.

With an exaggerated growl, Kirigi reached out, and brought the box toward himself, opening it with a careless flick of the wrist. Inside, much like he'd expected, was a roll of very old looking parchment. He looked up into his father's eyes, "And once again, the meaning of this would be…what exactly?"

Roushi just nodded, as if answering some different question. "That is an ancient scroll that has been in the Hand archives for many centuries. Your many greats grandfather had it tucked away from all the others so that it would not be seen by our members." He sighed, "It seems it contains some information that is quite pertinent to our present operation."

Kirigi looked down into the box and carefully extracted the parchment from its container. With steady hands Kiri unrolled the ancient document and proceeded to read, aloud, for the sake of his father and the assistant.

"In the time where the greatest of all the Treasures will be born, Our forces will try to take her. She will be protected by a motherless angel, an assassin who is both dark and light. She will be the most powerful and she will destroy the most powerful of us."

Kiri looked up at his father, "I have read the prophecy of the Greatest Treasure before father. Why do you give this to me?" He raised an eyebrow in question and continued to look at Roushi.

Roushi waved a hand dismissively, "Keep reading Kirigi." Kiri sighed and continued to do so.

"But, there is a way to defeat her. She must be killed by one of her own, a friend, one who can get close to her and destroy her defenses. At the time, the time when we are close to victory, we must be careful, for one of our own, a most loyal subject by all counts, will be influenced to the other side, and turn on us. We must beware the Turner, for in his fate lies either our victory, or our defeat."

Kirigi looked up once more, "It's signed as anonymous. I don't understand." He was very confused at the moment and saw no reason why he shouldn't allow his father to see it.

Roushi sighed, "It was prophesized by one of your ancestors, that's all you need to know. It tells of the down fall of one of our members, an important one, with supposed outstanding loyalty." His father rose from his seat, followed by the assistant, signaling their meeting was drawing to a close. "I wish for you to continue with your plan to destroy Elektra and condone any means necessary, but as an added assignment, I'd like you to find out as much as you can about this particular prophecy and eliminate the Turner as soon as you discover her identity."

Kiri raised an eyebrow, "You are so sure the Turner is female Master?" He couldn't keep the cynical note from his tone; after all, his father was more than eccentric, sometimes, he was down right paranoid.

Roushi smirked, "I am almost sure of it." He turned to leave, his assistant following closely behind him, but before he exited the room he made one final comment, "Kirigi, I ask you, not just as Master to Student, but as Father to Son; find this Turner, and destroy her, for the good of us all." With that he opened the door and swept out of the room, leaving Kirigi with his thoughts.

For quite a while after his father left, Kiri stood in that room, staring into the distant world through the wide, clear windows of the board room. He was thinking, contemplating. He had a foggy idea forming in his mind, a plan to get closer to Elektra, but it would take patience, devious acts, and precise timing. He would have to go it alone, which meant that even Typhoid and Tattoo were out; and he would need to change his entire demeanor, but it could be done.

With a devilish smirk, Kirigi turned and exited through the rear door, made his way through the compound and down to his study. Changing out of the suit, Kiri put on a pair of loose fitting gee pants in his signature egg shell white. He also donned a matching shirt that hung loose on his frame, successfully hiding his lean muscular body. He pulled his hair back in a tight tail and put on his egg shell pad shoes, grabbed his katanas, before walking out the door and heading for a temple across town.

Elektra---

Elektra left the fighting platform and Master Stick, heading back for her assigned sleeping quarters. She didn't realize she was counting to herself, but she was, and that was all that mattered. She reached her quarters and entered in through the open push back doors in the typical Japanese fashion. She already knew Abby was in the room, but she allowed the girl to think she hadn't been found yet…for the moment.

Elektra swept across the room, and moved toward the table where her weapons were laid out. The sais had been moved, fiddled with, and had placed back down in a hurry. Elektra allowed herself an inner smile as she spoke, "Still breaking and entering I see."

Abby, hiding herself against the sliding door, sighed and moved forward, toward Elektra. "Yeah, so what?" She really didn't care if Elektra didn't want her there, she was and that was how it was gonna stay.

Elektra was about to say something when a knock on the door came. Elektra smiled as the wood panel slid aside to reveal Mark, dressed comfortably in a pair of gee pants and wife beater, both in a most suitable color of black. He smiled back at her and moved into the room, closing the door behind him. When he was facing her again, he spoke softly, "I just wanted to say…um…thank you, for helping us in the woods. And I'm sorry about lying to you about who Abby was, and…," he paused, "I'm sorry about McCabe. I'm sure he was a good friend."

Elektra gave as much of a smile as she could at that moment. It wasn't the thank you for her help, or the sorry about being lied to. No, it was the thought of McCabe, and whatever death he suffered on her behalf. For a moment, the grief wanted to overwhelm her and tears started to burn behind her eyes, but Elektra caught herself, and blinked the offending signs of mourning back. She absolutely refused to cry at that moment, and she would not be caught dead mourning her friend's death in a camp full of people who had turned her away so many years ago.

Abby must have sensed her inner turmoil, because she reached a delicate hand out to touch Elektra, to comfort her, but Elektra turned away at the last moment, pretending not to notice that Abby had been trying to calm her. Instead, she busied herself with rearranging her weapons in there appropriate pouches. Abby sighed loudly, but made no move to try again, or to speak.

The silence persisted for several moments, the tension building, until Mark cleared his throat carefully. "I also wanted to tell you that you've been asked to go see Master Stick as soon as you have a free moment." He said it with caution, as if he were afraid that she would bite his head off.

Elektra smirked, "That's not it Mark and you know it. Master Stick didn't ask for my attendance, he demanded it, and he certainly didn't say as soon as I'm free…the man has no sense of respect for other's time. He ordered me to report immediately, didn't he?"

Mark shrugged, unrepentant. "I don't really think it's fair to demand you to come so quickly when you've just regained consciousness for the love of god! Besides, you're the one who did the saving, so I think you should have the right to come and go as freely as you deem." He shrugged again, "Master Stick will get over it."

Elektra chuckled as she made her way to the panel door, opening it. She tossed Mark a smile before exiting. She closed the door behind her. The man obviously didn't know a thing about Master Stick….but it was still funny.

She made her way through the camp, toward Stick's personal quarters, once again not realizing that she was counting. She also didn't realize she was being watched, but the eyes followed her anyway; marked her, claimed her, and destroyed her with their concentrated intensity. No, she didn't feel the eyes on her, but she'd soon see their owner.

Stick's Quarters----

Master Stick turned around as he heard the doors of his abode slid open. Elektra. It was her, and he didn't need the sense of sight to know it. It was her same stride, her same perfume, her same attitude that filled the room's energies with kinetic fire. As always when he was in her presence, Stick felt younger, more rejuvenated, and he marveled at her power…the ones she didn't even know she had.

Elektra stopped in front of him and crossed her arms, staring at the blind sensei. "What do you want Stick? I have things I should be doing." Her voice was cold, clipped and annoyed. Stick gave an inward chuckle; this woman had not changed in the years he'd known her.

Outwardly, Stick frowned, "What you should be doing Elektra, is sitting down and listening to me with a patient heart and a diligent mind. I have important information for you."

Elektra tapped her foot and sighed, before rolling her eyes and taking a seat on one of the various cushions lining the walls around the room. Master Stick moved as well and took a seat across from her, his unseeing eyes focusing on her even though their sense of sight had long since faded away. Sometimes, Elektra worried that the blind thing was all a trick, and that maybe her former sensei wasn't as handicapped as he allowed everyone to thing. Still, Elektra waited, trying to fidget in Stick's presence, waited for him to speak.

Stick pretended to be unaware of his former pupils restlessness, and instead opted for beginning the conversation that he had summoned Elektra for. Settling himself in his typical position, Stick began his story; using his hidden gift of the Secret Sight to monitor Elektra.

"As you know, long ago, when the first hand master tried to take the first Treasure for his power, we were there to stop him." Stick waited until Elektra nodded in response before continuing. "You also know that through out the ages, we have continued to battle the Hand and protect the Treasure; to guide them and train them in the ways of Kimi Guri." Once again, Elektra nodded.

Stick continued, "All of what you know of us has been in some way related to that information, but there are other things you need to know." He paused for affect and for confirmation from his audience.

Elektra swallowed, "Continue Sensei." She silently prayed that Master Stick wouldn't correct her usage of terms; she had called him sensei when he was no longer hers. True, it meant Teacher and that was what he was, but all the same, she worried.

Stick continued, as if he was oblivious to Elektra's inner thoughts. "Sometimes, one of our students, one who believes they are better than all the others, will leave our ways and go over to the hand." He ignored the way Elektra blinked, knowing that his comment hit a particularly soft spot in her armor. He waited a moment then began again, "Then, at other times, there are those of the Hand that come to us, seeking a way out of the darkness, and into the light. We grant them that opportunity and they, in return, supply us with information on the Hand and their movements." He paused and waited for the information to sink in with Elektra.

The assassiness just watched him, blinked several times and then nodded. Master Stick, through the Secret Sight, saw this and fought back a smile. Elektra was never one to jump up and become eccentric when surprised, and Stick had never appreciated it more than in that moment. He didn't feel up to explaining this particular situation, with its stranger than normal odds and ends, to this already suspicious individual.

Elektra, oblivious to his thoughts, spoke, "I understand this Sensei, but why do you tell me now?" Her voice, while not confused, was curious and Stick felt obliged to fill her in.

"Because," he said cautiously, "there is one such person, a hand member now biased to our cause, who wishes to bequest to us some vital information. I've arranged for Abby to take an extra training course tonight and Mark will be entertained with the adults; meanwhile, you will go and meet our informant and gather what intelligence he has to give you."

Elektra hesitated for only a moment, "Very well Sensei. What do I call this individual, or better yet, what is his given name?" She didn't know if Stick would answer her question but she asked anyway.

As it turned out, he didn't; at least, not directly. He only nodded, "He will inform you of his name when you meet him." He pushed himself up from the floor and moved toward the door, pulling it aside for her to exit. "You are dismissed Elektra. Be on your way to the Shikon no Tama Temple; you are to meet our newest member at Midnight. Prepare yourself in anyway you see fit." With those words, Stick motioned Elektra out.

Standing outside Stick's quarters a moment later, she decided that she would prepare herself; a strict workout today, to ready herself if there was a trick or an ambush of some kind planned. One could never be too careful with the Hand. With a quiet, predatory smirk to herself, Elektra made her way toward the far side of the camp, toward the private training grounds where she could work herself and maybe spar with others.

Once again, she was oblivious to the eyes watching her from the shadows of the trees around the camp. She would soon see though, she would see very, very, soon.

(to be continued….)