AYY, so I finally finished the fic :D. I miiight write one more fic, but we'll see. See you guys, soon!

Howard, are you okay?"

"Hm?" Howard heard a disembodied voice echoing in his ear. His headache felt like a truck just got rammed into his head. His whole body ached with pain.

Gradually, he stirred awake after he felt several light slaps to his face. Staring down at him is his best friend-or the Ninja is what he used to call him. Howard felt conflicted rather he was overjoyed or angry to see him.

Unexpectedly, the teen felt lighter. Less angry even. Howard would be angry with the Ninja. If it weren't for the fact that he hadn't felt like this in such a long time.

"You did it." Underneath Randy's mask was a smile. Happy to have his friend back to normal again.

"Of course, I did." Howard grunted in pain, "Why do I feel like I have a piece of me was ripped out?"

"Probably, because-" The Ninja reached into his suit to pull out an orange orb that glowed intensely, "I put the Tengu in here."

"You were able to take it out?" The ginger haired teen stared down at the stone with hatred.

Randy took notice of Howard's lingering stare. He may not be possessed by the Tengu anymore. However, Howard can deliver a mean stare that could make anyone shiver.

"Yeah. I'm glad, you were out because it really would have hurt if you were awake."

"What do you mean it would have hurt if I were awake?! It still hurts! My back is sore!" Howard scowled.

"Well, would you rather wither in pain as I forcibly take the Tengu from your body?!'

"Hmph, you win this round, Cunningham." Howard got up from the ground with the Ninja's aid. His legs felt wobbly after not using his human legs for some time.

"Thanks," a grin tugs the corners of Howard's mouth, "Thanks for saving me. I mean it."

"I'm sorry-"

"Stop apologizing! It's making me feel mushy!"

"Want to hug it out?" Randy extends his hands to him. Howard hesitated. Looking from side to side before finally relenting.

"Fine, let's do this quickly before anyone catches us."

"Deal."

The two embraced one another for what seemed like a long time. It felt good to finally be by Randy's side. This begs the question. Will Randy mind-wipe him again? The thought of it lingered in his mind.

"Does this mean I'm going to forget you?" Howard glanced up at the Ninja with a pouty face. Randy looked at him. Shaking his head confirming that he was not getting mind-wiped again.

"Nah. I won't do that to you again."

"Even if the Nomicon says so?"

Randy hesitated. The Ninja had a suspicion that the Nomicon wasn't too happy with that vow just now. Ah well, he will have to deal with that later. Right now, Howard is more important.

"Even, if the Nomicon says so."

"RANDALL CUNNINGHAM!"

A voice shouted from a distance. Howard immediately pinched the bridge of his nose in annoyance. The teen knew exactly who it was. Howard had completely forgotten about her until now. Out of all times she decided to show her face. Now, was the time? Debbie Kang had a knack for this.

"Ho' boy." Randy whispered. Randy didn't know what was more embarrassing. Being caught hugging Howard or someone knowing his secret identity.

"Oh, um. Hello Citizen!" Randy called out to Debbie in his self proclaimed heroic voice, "I'm the Ninja! Who is this Randy Cunningham. You speak of?! Sounds like a cool dude!"

"I'll handle this." Howard grumbled under his breath. Not very impressed with Randy's attempt at fixing the situation.

"Kang!" Howard approached her. Not really knowing what excuse he was going to pull to get Debbie to believe him nor Debbie didn't seem interested. The reporter was more fixated on The Ninja's identity. She stared at him with a critical eye as he stopped in front of her.

"Looks like your memory is all better now." Debbie finally said, "Mind telling me what that goose chase was all about?"

"What are you talking about?"

"Really? It makes sense." Debbie crossed her arms as if she was ready to scold a child, "The frequent absences between you two. Randy running off and the Ninja appearing a moment later. You-Well, I didn't expect you to hide this from me."

"I didn't hide anything from you, Kang." Howard felt a pang of guilt in his stomach for lying to her once again, "Those are a series of coincidences. You don't really have proof."

"Then why lie?"

"How did you get here?" Howard changed the subject quickly to avoid answering the question.

Amazingly, it worked. Debbie looked more concerned than angry, "I heard an explosion. Principal Silmovitz was rushing us out and then when we were outside. He said you and Cunningham were gone. I immediately went back inside. Thinking you had gotten yourself into another accident. As for Cunningham, I see, he has been the Ninja this entire time."

Debbie looks past Howard to the Ninja sitting down with his legs crossed and his eyes closed. She will have a word with him in a minute.

"He's not the Ninja."

"So, Where Randy?"

"I don't know, Debbie."

The Ninja had slipped away while the two were arguing. If this was going to work. He would have to appear behind Debbie and initiate the Mind-wipe.

"I know you're angry, First Ninja. But I have to ask you something. "

"It matters not." First Ninja turned around to face him with a calm expression, "I know what you will ask of me."

"You want to bring Debbie Kang here to give her the Ultimate Lesson. Yes? I would have also advised you to bring Howard. However, it seems your decision on that matter has been made. I won't force you to mind-wipe him."

Hearing that was a huge weight lifted off his shoulders. The Ninja can finally start anew.

"Ninja, you have shown me that you are worthy of forgiveness." The First Ninja placed his hand on his student's shoulders, "I yelled at you because you had scared me half to death. I thought I had lost another Ninja. If you had stayed longer. Well, you would have become corrupted along with Weinerman."

"-seeking power doesn't always lead to strength. It can lead you astray."

"I will listen." Randy said. Blinking to prevent himself from sobbing, "I'll listen, I promise."

"You have already proven that to me. As a Ninja, you must move forward."

This was turning into a cycle. Debbie Kang insisted that Randy is the Ninja. While Howard kept deflecting. When he saw the Ninja, his eyes grew big. Especially, when he saw the glowing book in his hand. Hatred once again seeped into his mind.

It wasn't the time to get angry.

There was a moment of hesitation. Howard didn't want Debbie to be Mind-wiped. He feared what the Nomicon might do once Debbie enters the Nomicon. Will their friendship end? As Howard vaguely remembered Cunningham being mind-wiped had him completely forget about Howard and his time as the Ninja.

"Debbie!"

"What is it?!"

"Turn around, I see the Ninja!"

"Where-" Howard reaches out when Debbie turned around. Her body felt backwards. Fortunately, Howard caught her before she can hit the ground.

"Nothing bad is going to happen to her. Right?" Howard prodded. Flashing a concerned look over to his friend.

"Don't worry, buddy." With Debbie out of the way. He can finally unmask himself. Randy took the mask off. The Black leather bindings unwrapping itself from the teen.

"You look terrible." Howard mocked. Seeing Randy look more disheveled than usual. Despite him looking worn down. His smile was ever so noticeable.

"Yeah, well. I didn't have time to focus on my hair. Saving lives, remember?"

Howard rolled his eyes, "Yeah, yeah. Thanks to you we might have to do extra credit."

Randy grumbled under his breath. That was true. It was more Mcfist's fault then his. Furthermore, he'll be put to blame not Mcfist.

"Come on," Randy grumbled, "Let's get back to the class."

"What about Debbie?"

"We'll tell them she bumped her head."

"Are you going to keep the Tengu inside the stone this time?" Howard's eyes landed on the stone. His face twisted in pure disgust. Even when the Tengu is in the stone. It shines brightly calling for Howard.

Sensing this, Randy puts the stone on the carp mosaic where it should have been in the first place.

"Not sure what's worse," Howard began, "The Tengu or Debbie Kang."

"Debbie Kang by far." Randy joked. Trying to lighten the mood of this tense atmosphere.

"Since the Sorceress has been defeated. I don't think we need the Tengu. Unless, someone wants to take the stone. Which I doubt." Randy had some ideas on where to put the demon. His room wouldn't do. Since, his mom liked to clean in there. Which would either lead to the wrong hands or being thrown out. No, the stone had to be hidden. Secluded. Where no one would think to find it. "Right now, I'm thinking about moving the Tengu underground."

"Anywhere. As long as it's away from me." Howard flinched. The Tengu screaming in his head in fury. Howard clasped his hands on his head; shaking his vigorously to get the bird out.

"Do you still hear the bird?" Randy asked. Rubbing his hands onto his friend's back in a soothing motion.

"Don't you?"

"No." Randy shook his head, "don't worry. It's influence will weaken when you're far away from it."

"Easy for you to say." Howard let his shoulders slump. At Randy's urging. He moves forward. The last thing he hears is the Tengu swearing revenge on the both of them.

The next day. All was normal-well, as normal as it could be. Due to what happened at Mcfist industries. He gave the principal a considerable grant. Possibly, hush money. Howard and Randy only know of this because Debbie dug deeper into the case.

Howard was relieved to hear that Debbie did not recall the incident with the Ninja. From what Howard heard from Debbie. Silmovitz had told her that she had bumped her head. Though, he didn't explain how she had gotten hurt.

"I don't get it." She said, shuffling papers on her desk, "how did I hurt my head when I didn't get a bump?"

"You fainted?" Howard guessed, "Must've been one scary monster."

"Ugh, and I heard from sources that the Ninja saved me! What I would do to get my hands on him!"

"That sounded like a threat." The bell rang. Indicting class was about to start. Typically, Howard dreaded going to class every single day of the week. This time, he welcomed it. He just wanted things to be normal again.

"It's a promise, Howard." She stared at him with a determined look, "I want to know what makes him tick. Who is he? Is he actually immortal? What was Norrisville like back in the day-"

"You sound obsessed." Howard stared at the bulletin board that had his classmates names and faces on there. Moreover, his face is now crossed off. Suspecting that Debbie no longer considers him the Ninja.

"Call it what you will. I will find out the truth." Debbie stood up from her desk. Circling around the red-haired boy with a cloud of suspicion,"I was told that you were with the Ninja."

Howard rolled his eyes at the subtle accusation, "The Ninja told what happened to you and went to check on you."

"That's not what my sources told me." Debbie firmly said, "They said I went after you!"

"Well, your sources are wrong!'' Howard retorted back, "What are you accusing me of?"

Debbie jabbed her nails on Howard's chest, "I'm accusing you of knowing the Ninja's identity."

"I don't know the Ninja's identity." Howard gently lowered her hand, "No one knows. He's the Ninja for a reason."

The two stared at one another. Their eyes met. Both of them wanted to say something to clear the air. Yet, no one spoke up. There was no annoyance in Howard's eyes. Not like before. They were soft and gentle.

"Right." Debbie coughed to clear the air. Averting her eyes away from his, "You can go to class now."

Howard opened the door to see Randy standing outside. His hands tucked into his sweater. His back leaning against one of the lockers, "What did Debbie want?" He asked, breaking away from his posture.

Howard closed the door behind gently. Looking behind before silently gesturing Randy to follow him, "She thinks I know who the Ninja is."

"Ha! I thought she might accuse you of being the Ninja!"

"Are you sure your 'mind wipe' worked?" Howard glanced at his friend skeptically,"Debbie is catching on fast."

Randy waved his hand in dismissal, "It's fine. As long as Debbie doesn't claim she knows the Ninja. We're fine."

"Hey, Cunningham." Howard spoke up again, "I have a question."

"Shoot."

"So, I only found out about you from a photo." Howard fetches the now crumpled up picture from his pants pocket, "I was wondering, if you were the one who put it in my locker?"

Randy halts midway in his path to give Howard a weird look, "Why would I do that? I mindwiped you, remember?"

"Wait, so, it wasn't you?!"

"NO!"

"Then who-"

The two looked behind them to see that no one was there. Both teens exchanged weird looks. Someone out there knows about Randy being the Ninja. Has knowledge about the friendship between the two enough to have a photo of the pair. It sent shivers down their spines to know they have a potential stalker.

What they didn't know is that while they weren't looking. A man with an auburn mustache sporting a cowboy hat had been watching them the entire time.