Chapter 2
At First Glance
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Victor had a nasty habit of scaring off the talent.
It wasn't something he intended to do (though Teagan thought he could be trying just a little bit harder to seem less intimidating when he talked to people, after all she didn't find it very hard to put a smile on), he just had a bad habit of taking it way too seriously…way too seriously. He wasn't always stoic (Teagan knew from experience); he only cut the fun and games when it came to training or anything related to it, but the stress of picking out students was really getting to him because now Mr. Victor the frowny-face was there all the time.
Maybe it was nerves; maybe it was because he was slightly obsessing over getting the perfect students, but whatever it was didn't look like it was going to leave any time soon, which is why Teagan decided to join Vicotr on his search for students on this particularly sunny Saturday in April. It was his first trip out since his "chat" (lecture, but Ian and Teagan were nice enough to not call it that so as not to hurt their friend's ego) with Sensei, and while he might be willing to attempt to lower his standards, it never hurt to have someone come along to make sure he actually did it.
Also, as said before, he had a tendency to scare people.
Think about it; if a lone, muscular, stoic, very imposing stranger walked up and asked you about anything odds were you would try to end the conversation as soon as possible so you wouldn't end up dead in a ditch somewhere or something.
Not a very productive approach to anything.
However, if a muscular, stoic, very imposing stranger walked up with a cheerful, friendly, nice looking female you'd probably be a lot more welcoming to what they had to say (or to what the female had to say, as long as there were witnesses around). Victor didn't like it, said he could look on his own (like that had been going so well) but in the end Ian and Teagan had prevailed, and here they were, at the racetrack, scoping out the talent.
It was the last town on their list, Blue Bay Harbor (the Academy was located in an area that was surrounded by four different towns, allowing them to have plenty of teenagers to choose from when selection time came) and Victor still needed five.
All factors were important when they where selecting students, but the make-it or break-it determinant was most definitely an affinity towards an element.
That couldn't be taught, either you had it or you didn't.
For the most part, individuals who already had a connection to an element acted out on their relationship subconsciously, participating in activities where they would have the most contact with their elements because they felt more comfortable with their surroundings.
It was a difficult thing to describe. Teagan had been a rock climber, and as much as she liked practicing on the walls in the gym she always felt more at peace when she was actually outside, in the thick of things. Her connection with the earth seemed laughably obvious whenever she was recruited, after it was explained to her, and she couldn't wait to pick out her final two students to spread the love.
For air students it was a little trickier. The earth was everywhere and just about anyone could have a natural affinity towards it, but with air it was a completely different matter. Obviously you couldn't monitor people while they were skydiving (though Teagan wasn't even sure if sixteen-year-olds could sky dive) and the same went for hang gliding, so the teachers had to get a little more resourceful when it came to scoping out wind-related activities. Air ninjas were thrill seekers, lived for soaring in the air (in all shapes and sizes) so for the most part (at least in modern society) they tended to participate in what was classified as extreme sports. Motocross, Parkour (also known as free running), BMX riding, and Skateboarding where the ones that Victor was on the prowl for (as Ian had all the water-related extreme sports covered).
So they had the right location, now all they had to do was find some future leader-students. Of course, they couldn't actually approach anyone until they found out if they met the other qualifications.
Luckily, they had help on that particular front.
Cameron Watanabe (preferably known as Cam) was Sensei Kanoi's only child, and at sixteen he was somewhat of a prodigy or genius or whatever the word for it was. Basic fact, the kid was way smart and knew a thing or two (or ten or a million) about computers. In his free time (when he wasn't trying to get himself enrolled in the Academy, or secretly training behind his father's back), he tinkered around with gadgets, one of which Teagan held in her hand.
It looked like a fancy PDA with a small camera on the back, but was a lot more effective; Cam had built it so it was linked to his main computer back at the Academy. All they had to do was pick a prospective student, snap a clear picture of them and sit and wait. The picture would be run through the computer (which was hooked up to multiple networks that none of them bothered to ask was legal). If the kids had licenses their picture would be matched to their DMV photo (if not the computer went through yearbook pictures, though Teagan wasn't sure exactly how), and from there they had a name. From the name they got all kinds of things (also most likely illegally obtained, but they were ninjas and they were supposed to live outside societal bounds) student records, medical records, their enrollment in extracurricular activities. They got teacher comments, councilor's notes (they couldn't get the dirty details but they would know if the student went to a psychologist), and if they had enrolled in karate or any other kind of self defense class.
Any kind of paper work generated by these kids, Cam would have, somehow in his magic little way.
It made picking people a lot easier now. It used to be they had to go the dojos to get the names of the students who were the right age and then they had to hunt them down and see if they had any connection to (insert element of choice here). Now, with just one snapshot they knew that Sally McFurgoson was a straight-A student who had had two cavities and loved playing basketball.
At the end of the day it was a much better process.
"What about him?" Teagan asked, pointing to a random rider after about twenty minutes of silent observation. The guy (or girl, she couldn't really tell with the helmet on) had been cranking out trick after trick, and more importantly, had been successfully landing them. If that wasn't a thrill seeking air ninja she didn't know what was.
Beside her, Victor grunted. "That's Jamie, and he's only fifteen."
Nuts, Teagan thought, frowning slightly. She should have known better, Victor knew just about all the riders out here, and if he hadn't said anything about someone so talented (she was just going by comparison of other riders) then odds are he knew they didn't fit the requirements. Judging by the frown on his face, he wished that Jamie kid was old enough. He was probably some straight-A kid student a black belt or something.
She'd have to take his picture later and find out.
"What about that guy?" she asked again, pointing to another rider decked out in green who seemed to be speeding through all the turns with ease. No fancy tricks for this guy/female/person, but the speed was definitely there, and by the looks of it they had been out long before the two teachers had started watching.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Victor shake his head.
"Raul. Good racer, but that's about the only thing he's interested in." Before she could argue, Victor added, "Terrible attitude."
She shut her mouth, frowned, and went back to watching. Was there anyone here Victor might be willing to think about?
A flash of yellow caught Teagan's eye (she couldn't help it, it was her color) and she turned her attention to a different rider who was just getting onto the track. She liked him/her (because anyone who chose to wear yellow was okay in her book) and it became obvious that whoever they were really knew their stuff. They handled the bike well, no slip ups, and they even threw in a trick every once and a while.
"What about that one?" she pressed, silently rooting for her new favorite.
Victor couldn't say no to all of them.
His slight delay in answering let Teagan know that he wasn't as familiar with this one as he was with the others, giving her a small hope that her rider might have a fighting chance.
The answer came slowly with a slight hesitation. "…Dustin, I think. He keeps to himself mostly."
Not an immediate shoot down like the others, and now the new rider (Dustin) had Victor's undivided attention as well. Ten minutes later the yellow-clad teen pulled off the track, stopping off to the side to where his gear was; separate from the other track visitors. Between removing his helmet and taking a drink from his water bottle Teagan snapped off a picture of him (glad to finally get a chance to use the fancy PDA) and in about five seconds she was informed with everything she needed to know about Waldo "Dustin" Brooks.
Sixteen (thank goodness), not the greatest grades in the world but he wasn't failing. Aside from one cavity, a broken collarbone at eight and a broken arm at fourteen, he was in top physical condition.
So far everything was good, so she scrolled on, ignoring any of Victor's protests.
He had a driving permit but no car, a work permit (she could see now he hadn't come to the track alone, there was a small redhead talking to him (she had been chatting with some other riders earlier)), and…Cam's handheld informed Teagan he worked at some place called Storm Chargers (working, independent, athletic, so far still a go).
Okay, now they just needed to know if the guy could defend himself. Looked like…okay, two years of karate, about…5 years ago.
Actually, that wasn't too bad. He knew how to make a fist, but he hadn't been so ingrained in Karate that he wasn't willing to learn a new style.
He was perfect.
But Victor, as always, begged to differ.
"There are notes in his school records," he murmured stoically, pointing to a part of the screen Teagan hadn't been paying attention to. She tapped on it to expand the file and began sifting through several comments made by his Junior High and High School councilors.
It seemed that for the most part Waldo (preferably known as Dustin) had a naturally sunny and cheerful disposition and was enthusiastic in the subjects he was interested in. All one-on-one meetings he had with councilors revealed that he was a well-adjusted boy, imaginative, but their major concern (aside from a waning attention span, but let's face it, most kids had that nowadays) was his interaction with his peers. The trouble started in Junior High, according to the notes. Waldo (Dustin) had seemed to have a solid group of friends, but then halfway through the year he completely avoided all contact with his classmates, separating himself whenever it was possible. This behavior continued until the beginning of his freshman year in High School. It appeared he had found another group of friends (hopefully more favorable) but again, at the beginning of the second semester he went back into his forced seclusion, and this time he stayed that way.
"So he's a loner," Teagan scoffed, shrugging off Victor's concern. "Training at the Academy can fix that easy."
It had fixed it for Victor, but the air ninja remained unconvinced, so she smiled at him sweetly. "We should go talk to him."
The redhead was gone again, off consulting a clipboard by her van (sporting the logo Storm Chargers on the side, so there was the connection) and Dustin was still by his bike, making a few adjustments. Now was the perfect opportunity, and Teagan wasn't going to waste it because Victor was feeling hesitant. Before her friend could argue she started off in Dustin's direction, tucking the PDA away in her satchel.
Victor, predictably, followed closely behind her as a silent and threatening shadow.
He must have looked extra intimidating if the reaction on Dustin's face had been any indication, so Teagan put on an extra comforting smile to make up for it, making herself look as harmless as possible.
"Hi," she said cheerfully, stopping about two feet from the brunette so he wouldn't feel crowded. "I'm Teagan, it's my first time out here and I couldn't help but notice you really know how to handle your bike. How long have you been riding?"
She had used her nicest, most friendly voice (without being too overenthusiastic) but Dustin's response was still startled, and the kid looked around swiftly to make sure she was actually talking to him. When he realized she was; the surprise turned to confusion (not really the reaction she was expected, because he had been riding well out there), but he did answer her, or at least, he answered her feet, as he would not take his eyes off the ground.
"About a year," he mumbled, softly enough that she barely heard it over the sound of bikes. He didn't offer his name though, choosing instead to run a hand nervously through his hair, but he did take his eyes off the ground long enough to get a glimpse of Victor before immediately curling back in on himself.
So…he was shy? Not really a loner, he just didn't seem to like strangers…or other people, really.
If he had been so cheerful and happy what happened to him that made him this way?
"I have to get back out there," he murmured, hands tense on his handle bars, and Teagan put a hand on his shoulder to stop him before she gave it much thought.
"Hey," she said gently, giving his arm a light squeeze. "I know you're busy now, but would like to meet me later? Maybe for lunch? My treat," she added, just to make sure he was hooked.
The confusion returned but he was looking at her face (progress), searching for signs of (what, insincerity?) something. She could see he wanted to ask why, why lunch, why would she even want to talk to him, but a quick look at Victor (frowning, no doubt) seemed to scare him into action, and he gave her a jerky nod.
"I'm done at two," he muttered, staring off to the side, watching the other riders. He bent down and snatched up his helmet, placing it on his head.
Her smile of encouragement might as well have been aimed at a wall, but she didn't let it bog her down.
"How about Tito's Pizzeria? 2:30?"
Another quick glance, this time at her, and he nodded. Then, before either of them could say goodbye, Dustin blasted off onto the track, ending the conversation.
"Why even bother with that guy?" Victor asked as they made their way back to their original viewing position. "He's a good rider, but he's clearly way too shy to be an air ninja. He couldn't lead."
Teagan rolled her eyes and gave her friend a slight smack on the back of the head. Like it or not, Dustin (as little as he had interacted with her) had wormed his way into her heart, and she wasn't just going to dump him because he was a little shy. The air teacher was right about one thing; Dustin wasn't leader material, but Teagan still had two slots to fill and air wasn't the only thing you got caught up in at the track. Especially if the rider's suits were any indication. This place was covered in mud and dirt, and all of the participants were down in the dirty, including Dustin.
"I think he might make a good earth ninja," she chirped, waving as Dustin rode by their spot (he probably didn't see it, but it was the thought that counted).
Victor didn't immediately disagree (which was his way of agreeing) so she smiled and started humming a catchy little tune she knew would get stuck in his head, annoying him within three minutes.
She loved Victor to death, but he really needed to get more students. Sensei had urged her to encourage the air ninja by any means necessary.
Any means.
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The beach was a marvelous place to be.
It was bustling this Saturday; filled with families, teenagers, and sports enthusiasts of all sizes. Here, in the main hubbub of people mingling between the shifting sand and the indomitable ocean, had to be at least one more prospective water student.
Ian had been scouring all day, inspecting each and every individual with great care. He had already covered all community, high school, heck, even private pools for the swimmers/divers/water polo-ists that preferred the ways of chlorine, but so far he had only come up with one student.
One.
And this was the last town.
That left him searching for just two prospects (still better than Victor, but then again that didn't seem hard to do nowadays) and he had to wade through the crowds of overweight, underage, and just plain obnoxious to find them. After an hour of this aggravation (the jerks playing beach volleyball were especially annoying) Ian was just about ready to give up and go and recruit two ducks to fill the spots. He could always argue they were born naturals to be water ninjas.
…Then again, the two teams that got stuck with them probably wouldn't be too happy.
So…back to the drawing board.
It took awhile for Ian to find a good spot for observation, all of the teenagers that were up for consideration were out on the waves so his stakeout area had to have a good view of not only their activities, but where their gear was so he could get pictures (if they were good enough to get to that part of the process).
Eventually the blond found a slightly rocky outcrop that wasn't too far away from the action (but still dangerous enough so that he could keep out of the reach of little children, it wasn't that he didn't like them, he just didn't need any more distractions). The water athletes were out in mass today, giving him plenty of talent to pick from. Their sports, for the most part, were variations of surfing. There were a couple body boarders (none of them very good), a few wind surfers (he had one or two in mind but he would have to wait for them to get closer to the shore to be really sure), a slew of regular surfers (all talented, it would seem), and even one kite surfer (but he was too far away for Ian to get a good look at him).
A surfer came back to shore, pawing through his bag for a water bottle and Ian snapped his picture.
John (preferably Johnny) Ramsey, 18.
Nuts, Ian thought, deleting the files as soon as the age was discovered.
His following pictures resulted in the same depressing news.
Eric Malkovich, 15 (no good), Susan Kendrix (no contact with martial arts whatsoever, but she had been a Girl Scout at one point), Kimball Dae (failing grades all across the board, impressively shattering all stereotypes), Terry Randolph (the guy had more detentions and office referrals than anyone Ian had ever seen).
The water ninja was about to give up and go check out another area of the beach (or maybe another beach entirely) when a girl decked out in blue caught his attention. She was just getting started, paddling out to meet her first wave, and he could tell from the moment she got on her board she was a natural. Riding the swell, balanced and one with her environment, he knew she had to be one of his students.
You couldn't teach talent like that.
Her picture confirmed it when she swam back to shore. Victoria (Tori) Hanson, straight-A student, perfect attendance, hard and dedicated worker. Her health history showed nothing but a sprained ankle, she had a driving permit and a van (she was beside it now, toweling off), and up to about a year ago she had been taking Tae Kwan Do (something she probably dropped in favor of surfing and school).
Tori Hanson was the whole package, everything they were looking for.
…and now came the very interesting, well-rehearsed but never easing-up-in-difficulty part where he had to stroll up, start making small talk, and somehow throw in that there was a secret ninja academy that really wanted her to enroll in their ranks. He would bring it up as a basic self defense class at first, try to get her hooked on that, and when she seemed to be comfortable enough around him he would amaze her with some basic water manipulation (he had brought several water bottles with him for such purposes).
If he was lucky he would get to demonstrating for her before she decided he was a crazy person and left.
Well, the faithful were rewarded.
Taking a deep breath Ian steadied himself and hopped down from his perch, confidently made his way towards her, smile firmly planted on his face.
Tori was a water ninja, he could feel it in his bones.
He just needed to convince her.
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Having Teagan tag along for Victor's student search wouldn't have been nearly so annoying if it wasn't for her incessant humming. She was torturing him on purpose, they both knew it, and if he had the foresight to bring his iPod with him all this could have been easily avoided.
It is unfortunate then, that Victor had not.
She might be able to take things easy; picking students out on random whims (based on their hairstyle, height, favorite color), but he had to pick out the leaders, the students who would eventually be in charge of the teams, so he had to make sure they not only filled all the schools requirements, but filled all of his. Sensei said Victor was being too hard on them (a fact Ian and Teagan had vigorously agreed with, the traitors), that "While your concern should be merited, your understanding and patience must grow".
Vicotr understood it, really he did. Not everyone was perfect and sometimes they just needed a calling to channel all their energy into in order for their real character to show, but he was still skeptical.
It was a big responsibility, and he couldn't just…randomly pick whoever happened to be wearing red.
…even if he had a slight inclination to lean in their favor.
"How about that one?" Teagan said cheerfully from beside him. After his failure at the racetrack (and Teagan's slight success, though he wasn't sure how far she would get with that Dustin kid before she scared him off) they had relocated to another area filled with adrenaline junkies; aka, the Skate Park.
It was busy this Saturday (as everywhere else had been), and Victor was hoping (in vain, but still hoping) that maybe, just maybe he would at least find one guy (or girl, Teagan had insisted, though they were much harder to find on a skateboard or moto bike) to be an air student.
"No Teagan," he sighed quietly, shaking his head to emphasize his point. It was a joke (he was assuming), because "look at me" goth kid was not going to be one of his students. He didn't care if he wasn't supposed to judge books by their covers; sometimes what they displayed to the world was a warning not to peak inside. Victor could take a hint.
Teagan could not.
"Rats," she muttered, huffing to herself. "He's too young."
Thank goodness for that.
Vicotr wasn't sure how that conversation would have started.
As a gesture of good faith he gave the park another look over, taking his eyes off of goth kid to find…there.
There, dressed in a red sweatshirt, posed above a vert ramp was a tall, dark-skinned teen, exuding an air of confidence (no ego, thankfully, merely self assurance, which was something Victor could get behind).
He'd read somewhere that people physically judged leaders by their height. Children often decided that the tallest person in a group was a leader because they were the biggest and therefore (he assumed was their thought process) the strongest. Victor knew well enough by now that it took a lot more than a few extra inches to make a leader, but this guy (Shane, the PDA read after he snagged it from Teagan), really looked like he could lead.
He had an easy going presence around him, and with proper training, could probably excel in taking care of a team.
Teagan joked beside him; poking at his side for jumping the gun on a guy dressed in red, but she took her words back a moment later (Victor already knew he was going to be a good skater, God couldn't possibly be mean enough to give him the rest of the package without that), and for the first time that day a real smile lit up the air teacher's face.
Shane Clarke, A-B student, 16 years old. He'd been riding in competitions since he was twelve, broke his leg when he was thirteen, and took a year of judo not too long ago (decided it wasn't his thing, Victor bet), and according to his school records he was an average student behavioral wise. No acting up; simply friendly, good with his peers, and charismatic.
This was the guy. This was guy number six. He had to be.
Now all Victor had to do was shake off the somberness that had cast itself over him and manhandle that kid into the Academy. He wouldn't take no for an answer, Shane had to join.
And he wasn't going to put out lunch to make it happen.
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Endnotes:
Teagan is pronounced Tay-gan (not tee-gan, as it may read)
A big thanks to JDTB90, and Rogue Ranger for your lovely reviews! To be honest, Any Moment will probably always come first (by way of updating), but I'm going to do my best to make sure this story is just as good.
Next chapter we'll actually get to Dustin, Shane's, and Tori's point of view.
Also, the chapter titles for this particular story are from the PR 100 Themes challenge. Even if that's technically for livejournal. Whatever, expanding boundaries :)
Until next time.