Yori was grateful that her superiors at Yamanouchi had the generosity to give her several days off from her usual duties. Her long mission, with relative light physical activity and no training, had left her in such a state that she would have been embarrassed to perform with her peers. She had no illusions that she wasn't observed; this was a ninja school and those younger than her were honing their skills by observing her as she had to her upperclassmen when she was their age. However, she could take some solace that she wouldn't be subject to open, public mockery for struggling on the dragon course, by herself. She could also take solace that she was still young, so it only took a few days of intense work before she had regained enough of her conditioning to not make a complete fool out of herself.
Upon regaining such stamina, she called upon friends that she could trust to not spread the word as to how far she had let herself go to spar with her, clandestinely of course, so that she could regain her form. She was one of the top students at Yamanouchi and she refused to be a negative example to the younger students. It was after one of these early morning sessions, during which she drove herself past her limits, that Junso caught up with her again.
"You know that this isn't necessary, right?" The administrator, who's abdominal bulge was now quite pronounced, asked her. Yori was out of breath and could only give her a questioning look while gasping for air.
"Remember when you were a junior student," Junso rolled her eyes while explaining. "Senior students directed many of your workouts. On occasion, these student instructors would vanish for a few days to several weeks. Then, when they got back, it would be anywhere from a day to a couple of weeks before they started physical instruction again. That time gap was Yamanouchi getting them back in shape before the junior students saw them in action again."
"Isn't a little early..." Yori gasped. "For you...to be pointing out...obvious things that I somehow missed?"
"So, now I get a little snark with an admission," Junso smirked at her. "My mission is succeeding. But seriously, Yamanouchi will get you back in shape, and with a lot less pain than you're giving yourself. This is supposed to be time for you to unwind before resuming your duties and studies."
"This is my way of unwinding," Yori insisted.
"That's the sort of dedication that will leave others taking advantage of you," Junso snorted at her, now completely serious. "You need to take time to be Yori the person, not just Yori the faithful servant of Yamanouchi. If you're not comfortable having a life in the outside world, at least have a life here; visit the gardens, visit the library, climb surrounding peaks to see what's there, grab one of the young men here and have some fun."
"My judgment in that regard isn't very good," Yori admitted. "Back before Stoppable-san arrived here, I had a...great interest...in Fukushima."
"Nothing wrong with that," Junso shrugged. "He was cute and fit."
"But you saw how he treated Stoppable-san!" Yori pointed out. "He was a complete pig; arrogant and cruel."
"He was always polite enough before an outsider showed up," Junso told her. "So you had no way of knowing how he really was. There's an old saying that you never know what a person is like until you see how he treats those he has authority over. As a student, occasionally an instructor under higher supervision, this aspect of his nature never came through."
"But what does that say about me that I was attracted to him?" Yori asked. "What does that mean that I wanted..."
"I get the idea," Junso interrupted, sparing her friend the need to explain just how far her attraction to the former, disgraced student went and to what length she was prepared to go with it. "What it says is that you were attracted and then, when you learned more about him, you lost that attraction. I'd say that says a great deal about your judgment."
"And what if I am wrong about St...er...someone I meet outside?"
"Then you learn about him and decide what you want to do with him, or to him, so to speak," Junso's smile was back. "But that's not what I came here to talk to you about. I've got a couple of things to tell you. First, your cousin completed a short but successful mission." Her expression became more somber. "There was also a mission that came to a very unsuccessful conclusion. Between celebrating and mourning, Master Sensei and a couple other elders put a major dent in the whiskey stockpiles. I don't think he's going to be issuing orders this morning. That brings me to this," she handed Yori a rolled-up piece of paper. "This is a list of the trusted students that Sensei has serve him in the other elders when they're about to get wasted. If these students suddenly have duties, you know that something good or bad has happened to field operatives."
"Why give this to me at this time?" Yori was troubled.
"Because I don't know if I'm going to be here much longer," Junso told her. "Last night, probably while Master Sensei was hoisting his second sheet to the wind, A couple of doctors had a long discussion about me. Of course, the discussion was right in front of me, while ignoring me, until I chimed in." She shook her head in disgust. "One wondered if the high altitude here at Yamanouchi might be harmful to the Han's development. Between the thin atmosphere and the increased radiation...after all, the Earth's magnetic field is weakening, perhaps the developing Han should be moved to another location. The other one said that the Han would be better protected here and would bask in the energies being released by masters and students studying ninjistics and Monkey Kung Fu. That's when "the vessel" pointed out that while she had been tiring more easily as of late, she had never been out of breath, so the thin air wasn't anything to worry about and that none of the children born here had ever shown signs of harm from the increased solar radiation. I then pointed out that I would be more than happy to practice some ninjistics and Kung Fu, and am tired of them treating me like I don't have a working nervous system or vocal chords. If I'm in pain, I'm capable of saying so. If I'm tired, I will tell someone. At least they had the manners to look embarrassed."
As much as Junso claimed to be in good health, Yori couldn't help noticing the rings around her eyes or the slower pace. She wasn't as lively as she had been just a couple of weeks ago. "Just how is your health?" Yori demanded. "And no shrugging off pain and discomfort for my benefit."
"I'm tired," Junso admitted. "I guess it's part of having a baby, but it seems that The Han is developing faster than a normal child, and that's taking a toll on me. In a way, that's a good thing; it means that the little thing's going to be out of me sooner."
"You have no affection for this child, do you?" Yori found that she wasn't judgmental with this question, it was honest, neutral curiosity.
"How can I?" Junso shrugged. "It might have been different if I had...obtained the seed in a different way. As it is, The Han is a burden, in more ways than one. I bear it no ill will, but I also don't have any love for it. Once it comes into this world, I will be free to pursue my own goals of being a Yamanouchi operative. I've already requested, and the masters have agreed, that I won't even see the child."
"You are that detached from what you are carrying?" Yori was shocked.
"Yes, and I want to keep it that way," Junso offered a sarcastic smile. "I'm not made of stone and I know how cute babies are. If I were to see the child, I may have trouble remaining detached. Maybe, as the years go by, I'll check in on the growing tyke. Otherwise..."
Her statement was interrupted by the sounds of clumsy feet slapping against paving stones. Both young women were immediately curious and cautious. A fellow student rounded a corner and Yori immediately understood; he had known that the two were talking, so he had been uncharacteristically noisy, in order to avoid violating a private conversation.
"Yori-san," he offered her a slight bow. "My apologies, but Master Zhihui requests your immediate presence."
"You'd best get hustling," Junso told her. Then, she addressed the other student. "Don't worry, Kekao. I can keep my mouth shut...when I feel like it."
Yori managed...mostly...to hide the amusement Junso's statement had provided her, just as Kekao managed to mostly hide his irritation at the same remark. A master calling upon a student on short notice was usually a serious issue and Yori used the short, quick trip to review her past actions. She could find nothing she had done wrong lately; at least nothing that would prompt a summons from a master. To her shock, Kekao led her to Master Sensei's quarters. Two other students were stationed at the entrance, and they simply nodded Yori and her guide into the building. There, Master Zhiui was waiting, with several more students.
"A very prompt response to my summons, Yori-san," the middle-aged man noted. "The rest of you, leave us."
The other students bowed and beat hasty exits, unable to hide the clear disquiet they were feeling. Yori struggled to keep her trepidation from showing as the door closed behind the last one.
"I choose to avoid wasting time with proper manners," the master told her. "Master Sensei is missing."
The master waited, allowing Yori to regain her composure after being unable to conceal her shock.
"Master Sensei, myself and two other masters were both celebrating a successful mission and mourning a loss from a mission that was not successful," he continued, gesturing for Yori to follow him deeper into Master Sensei's quarters. "I trust that you will be discreet with this, but all of us were quite inebriated by the time we sought our beds. When Master Sensei was not present at the morning briefings, I sought him out and found this."
The man had reached another door, which he opened and gestured for Yori to step through. She found herself in a bedroom. Looking closely, she noted that it had been moderately disheveled.
"There appears to be signs of a struggle," she stated, when it became clear that Master Zhiui wanted her to state her thoughts. "But there should be much more destruction if Master Sensei was taken against his will."
"Reasonable," her elder stated. "Like I said, Master Sensei was very drunk but it would take a very powerful opponent to overpower him so completely that he couldn't raise an alarm. When I examined these chambers earlier, I found this."
He gave her a handful of coarse, dark hair. She examined it closely.
"Some of these hairs still have their roots," she noted. "They were pulled out, not cut."
"I sent some to a laboratory for analysis," the master told her, nodding his agreement with her findings. "It will take a few days before we have results, but I will not wait for the laboratory before taking action. I have no doubt that a DNA analysis will show the hair to be a mixture of human and simian."
"Lord Fiske?" Yori gasped.
"It makes sense to me," the older man told her. "He is skilled and stealthy, he has a grudge against Master Sensei and he has corrupted at least one of us in the past. For all anyone knows, he may still have informants inside this school."
While speaking, the master had left Master Sensei's quarters and set his course towards an administration building, drawing her along with him through his authority and determination.
"This is where you come in," he informed her, as they passed other students, who bowed them into the building and to a conference room. "Fiske possesses Mystical Monkey Power and as such, can be dangerous in a way that mere skill and strength cannot explain. Furthermore, he may be hidden and as he is imbued with Mystical Monkey Power, another with Mystical Monkey Power may be drawn to him. We know of only one other with Mystical Monkey Power."
"Stoppable-san," Yori supplied.
"Just so," Master Zhiui nodded. "This is why I have called for you. You have befriended him in the past. Your mission will be to make contact with him, secure his assistance and start your search for Fiske here..." the master unrolled a map. "We try to track Fiske and our latest intelligence indicates that he built a refuge for himself within the nation of Brazil, in the Amazon Rain Forest. The staff is currently preparing transportation for you to Middleton, then transportation for you to Brazil. By the time you get there, further transportation will be arranged to get you to Fiske's refuge. While you are securing Stoppable's assistance and moving to this location, I will be assembling support and strike teams. Once you've located Sensei, we will be ready to move in." He paused for a moment, offering a pained smile. "Of course, we have no way of knowing for sure that Fiske is in, or is trying to reach, Brazil. We also don't know for sure that he is behind Master Sensei's disappearance. A great deal of this mission is going to be performed on the fly. You're young, but this is your opportunity to show that you are capable of meeting a challenge that would try a seasoned Yamanouchi operative."
Yori merely bowed her acceptance of the mission.
"Go to your quarters and prepare," he instructed her. "As soon as all provisions for transportation are completed, someone will inform and brief you."
Again, there was no need to answer, so Yori bowed her way out of the conference room and made her way quickly to her quarters.
As a senior student of Yamanouchi, she rated a comfortable room that would be comparable to a typical western teenager. However, adjoining her room, as well as other senior students', was a large storage room that contained clothing and accessories necessary to blend in with various societies around the world. When a master instructed a student to return to his or her quarters, unless it was specifically for punishment, this storeroom was included in the area the student was allowed to go to. Yori made use of the time it would take for tickets, lodging, and other arrangements to be made by equipping herself for the task at hand.
Upon reaching the storeroom, she collected a small suitcase. The first part of her mission would be easy enough; going to an airport in Japan and getting on a commercial flight to the United States. For this, she would act the part of a Japanese high school student. This was an easy enough persona to assume, since it was what she was. She collected appropriate clothing for this role. The next step would be traveling in the United States. For this, she decided to assume the persona of a teenage, American girl with Japanese ancestry. While she was familiar with the culture, she did a web search and confirmed her choice of clothing for this role. Soon, this clothing was in the suitcase.
The next step would be traveling to Brazil and traveling in Brazil. She decided to take the persona of a tourist-adventurer. This would fit in fine with the persona she would assume while in the United States, and would explain having an American companion with her. She selected outdoor gear for this part of the journey. Finally, she threw in a spare yoroi, in case she needed to use stealth, her fighting fans, for obvious reasons, and some workout clothing, in case delays presented her with the opportunity to exercise. She was completely packed by the time a polite rap on her door announced a visitor.
"Well, so much for having another week or more of gossip," Junso declared, when Yori opened the door. "But I guess we must all do what we must. I somehow convinced the administrators that I was perfectly capable of carrying your information packet to your quarters." She handed Yori a small backpack. "All of the documentation you will need is in here. You'll have plenty of time to study it on your flight, but here's the essentials. You'll fly out the same route we took to get to Middleton last time. Once there, the same rental car place will have a vehicle for you and the same apartment building will have a unit for your use. Once you get Stoppable's cooperation, there's contact information in here to arrange for a flight to Brazil and instructions to contact Yamanouchi in case of difficulty, or when you find your target."
"My thanks," Yori bowed.
"Don't thank me," Junso snorted. "This is another, potentially dangerous situation you're going into...and I envy you. You can thank me in two ways; first, by coming back safe and sound."
"I will make every effort," Yori assured her.
"Good," Junso blinked away a tear. "You've become much more than a fellow Yamanouchi since our mission. In a short time, you've become my closest friend. You can also thank me by taking some time to live and enjoy yourself while you're out there. Don't endanger yourself, don't compromise your mission, but if you have the chance to have some fun...have it!" She now took a deep breath. "There's a chance that Yamanouchi will move me to another location by the time you get back. If that's the case, the masters won't tell you where I was taken to...need to know and all that. So, I'll take my opportunity now to say my goodbyes, in case I don't have the chance."
"I..." Yori was at a loss, suddenly realizing that she might return to find her friend gone and out of her life forever. "I must also say that I have come to view you..."
She was interrupted when Junso suddenly hugged her. After a moment of startled shock, Yori returned the gesture.
"There's a crack in the wall where we have lunch and gossip," Junso whispered to her. "If something happens to me, I'll try to leave a message there. Be well."
Junso spun and left. For a moment, Yori was tempted to follow her and offer a further farewell but, a true daughter of Yamanouchi, she opened her information packet and carried it to the desk; learning where she would have to be and when.
Never be normal.
He had lived his life by that motto and it was now to the point that he didn't have to actually try to not be normal any more. Case in point, in the few minutes before leaving for school, most teens would be eating, watching cartoons, doing some last minute studying or a combination of the three. What was he doing? Staring at his feet.
It wasn't that his feet were all that attractive or repulsive. They did the job; they provided him with traction and reasonable support. They withstood the stress of landings, running and jumping. They also were useful on missions, on such times that he fought and delivered kicks. Granted, they itched more than he really liked and didn't smell all that good but, all in all, they did everything he expected his feet to do...but they were doing something else.
He had noted before that his big toes were shifting, separating from his feet and becoming more opposable. It wasn't a painful or rapid change. In fact, he doubted that anyone who didn't have the long, close relationship that he had with his feet would notice. However, he was noticing and his feet were changing even more. His other toes were getting longer while the base of his feet were shrinking, leaving his feet the same length while more of it was composed of toes. There was no two ways about it, he was growing monkey feet.
How had this even happened? He had first noticed the change after jumping into the pool of evil at Wannaweep, but was that the cause? Was it the Mystical Monkey Power doing this to him? There was that monkey amulet thing...okay, the Amulet of the Monkey King. While it had bonded with Kim, he had been around it so maybe a bit of it had rubbed off on him...literally. Maybe it was a combination of the three, or maybe it was something else. Those three were just the top contenders.
Over the last couple of years, he had been splashed with chemicals, hit with beams and even zapped with mystical energies more times than he cared to think about. Of course, he preferred to not think about it at all, so having any of them done to him even once was more than he cared to think about. But even taking in his admittedly cowardly attitude, he had put himself at risk even when the bad guys weren't trying to hurt him. How many times had an exploding doomsday device or collapsing lair exposed him to chemicals or radiation? How much bad stuff had he inhaled or absorbed over the years?
And what did he have to show for it? This bitter thought was at the front of his mind while he pulled on his socks and shoes. The people he helped and the villains he fought never remembered his name. He was a laughing stock at school and his best friend had made a special trip to his house, last week, just to tell him that the two of them would never date. He headed for Kim's house, trying to decide what to do about it.
He realized that he had two "its" to decide what to do about. The first was his transformation, mutation, or whatever it was that was affecting his feet. This wasn't the thing you told your parents or your doctor about...they would freak. Not to mention, if he honestly told anyone beyond Kim or Wade what he thought could have caused it, he would probably spend the rest of his life in a padded room.
Okay, that last one sounded kind of cool at first, but a padded room that was locked from the outside didn't have much appeal.
Of course, did he even want to change things? About the time that he noticed his feet changing, he also noticed that he was getting stronger, more agile and even smarter. Gym class was now a joke for him, classes were making sense and he was better on the missions. What was having funny looking feet compared to self improvement? If the improvement and the feet were connected, then the only drawback was the feet. He wasn't sprouting fur all over his body...which was a bit of a disappointment, he would have loved to be able to grow a beard and mustache. Nobody was about to notice his feet, so he decided to not do anything unless the side effects got a whole lot worse. That led him to the other "it" to deal with.
He had actually thought of asking her out a couple of times before the whole moodulator incident, but those thoughts had never been all that serious. Those thoughts had come to a screeching halt when he was crushing on Zita and Kim told him that he was thinking too much when he said that the two of them might date some day. Then came the moodulator and even though he knew that something was wrong...well, he had done the right thing in the end.
Maybe it was better this way. It was rough enough having her tell him that they wouldn't date, so he could just about imagine how bad it would be if they dated and then it didn't work out. Still, it hurt. Last Friday, on Ron night, he had left their house well before nine; it had just felt too awkward to stay there. While Mr. Dr. P hadn't seemed to mind, Mrs. Dr. P had given him an arch look as he left. They really didn't need 'rents getting involved in this, so he put on his best smile when he reached their house. Besides, it was double cheese pizza day, so at least he had something to look forward to.
As always, my thanks to Joe Stoppinghem, for his beta reading.