Chapter 4
Peanut butter
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He didn't want to risk jinxing it by thinking about it, but so far Shane had been having a pretty good day. No, scratch that, he had been having a pretty awesome day. Granted, most Saturdays were awesome simply on principal, no school meant no work (or what work there was could be pushed off to Sunday) and no actual job (much to his parents' protests) meant plenty of free time to do the one thing he loved doing more than anything else; catching major air at the Skate park.
The experience was only slightly enhanced by his parent's immense disapproval of the sport.
Yep…nothing like a little rebellion to increase leisure time pleasurably.
On top of being where he loved to be, doing what he loved to do, on a day that he loved in so many ways, Shane had managed to finally land (with great effort) a Backside 180 heel flip, something he had been working on for almost a month, and could now happily rub it into Lou's face (the only friend/rival at the park that was at his same skill level, as they had started around the same time). It would be a short-lived triumph (now that he had landed it, it would only be a matter of time before Lou got on the ball too) but Shane would take what he could get.
All and all, it had been a good day.
He had been in the middle of deciding whether he should call it quits and leave while he was still on top or stay and press his luck when a familiar figure slid into his peripheral vision, momentarily startling him at his sudden appearance.
Victor (as if Shane could forget the guy),remained as stoic and unbothered as ever, acting as though he had been beside Shane the entire time, casting an eye over the other skateboarders in what the younger teen could only guess was mild contempt. Victor was a mystery (Shane had only met him earlier that afternoon), but something told the skater that even if he talked to the older teen for hours on end he would still end up with more questions than answers. The older teen was simply an enigma, slinking around like some sort of casual dress Batman, never being noticed by others until he allowed them to. It was a quality that would deter most people, but to Shane it only made him more awesome, and therefore a guy to be listened to.
Even if he sort of gave the impression he was a jerk.
The older teen broke the silence abruptly. "I need your help."
It wasn't so much as shock as it was "I just met you like two hours ago and I barely know you" that crossed Shane's face after the comment, and Victor, being as unmoved as he always seemed to be took his look as some form of consent and elaborated. "There's another student."
Shane connected the dots as best he could from what was presented to him and gave a soft laugh, rubbing the back of his neck lightly. "What?" he asked, smiling cheekily at his almost-acquaintance. "They're resisting your vast amounts of charm?"
The look the other teen gave informed him that he would be allowed that barb but shouldn't press his luck for any others (a familiar look, as Shane had given it many times himself), and the skater backed down slightly, looking down at his shoes in a new sudden fascination.
Victor continued as though Shane hadn't said anything.
"Not one of mine," he explained, eyes constantly in motion, observing everything around them.
Shane gave him an exasperated look before giving up and joining the older teen in watching the other skaters. "And you want me to…"
"Talk to him," Victor supplied, obviously waiting Shane him to take the initiative in the conversation (everything was a test to this guy, or something, at any rate Shane was willing to buy into his classes just so he could figure out what made him tick).
In a way it was mildly relieving. Shane hadn't been home yet so he hadn't been able to research the Wind Academy like he had wanted to, but if there actually were other students the odds of this place being a scam were significantly small. Sure they had an official looking pamphlet, but Shane would like to think he wasn't incredibly thoughtless (despite what his parents might suggest).
"He's intimidated by us," the older teen elaborated, unaware of Shane's mental detour, pulling out a familiar looking booklet (one of which he had given Shane earlier) from his backpack and handing it over for the skater. Victor moved to zip up the bag completely but paused, hand hovering over the zipper, and Shane watched with great fascination and he shoved his arm back in and routed around for a second time, this time acquiring a more surprising item. He shoved it into Shane's hands on top of the pamphlet, then shut and re-shouldered his bag as though nothing had happened.
Blinking in confusion, the younger teen stared at the object as though it would attack him.
Unsurprisingly, the jar of peanut butter continued to do nothing.
When it became obvious Victor wasn't going to explain, Shane gave in and asked, "You want me to give him peanut butter?"
Victor gave a swift shake of the head. "The peanut butter's for you," he elaborated, motioning to it briefly as though Shane could possibly be confused by what he was talking about.
"Incentive," the older teen finished, turning to look at him.
Well…
…maybe-
…no. No, Shane didn't get it.
The idea boggled the younger teen's mind. But then again, considering the first run-in that he had with Victor, it really shouldn't be all that surprising.
Now that would be a hard conversation to forget.
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It had only been slightly frustrating, blowing the same move eight times in a row, and the poorly muted laughter coming from Lou's direction was more than enough encouragement for Shane to take a water break. Maybe he needed a few minutes to clear his mind before going back at it. He almost had the backside 180 heel flip down he just…needed to try it a few more times, that was all. He was determined to get it landed today.
He was in the middle of taking a swig of water when Shane caught sight of a guy (tall, tan, vaguely Asian (maybe Pilipino?)) coming towards him, about fifteen feet away. The strange, almost predatory stare he had locked on the skater gave Shane the feeling he was some kind of recruiter.
Or a psychopath.
But with this many people around in the broad daylight, it was more likely he was a recruiter.
As exciting as it was (the feeling strong enough to shake away the mild reaction of fear the recruiter's cold look was giving Shane), and as justified as it might be (he was pretty awesome), Shane couldn't help but be confused, because for the past hour he had done nothing but eat concrete. Unless this guy saw some hidden potential in that (maybe he was looking for stunt doubles or something, it was California after all) Shane didn't know why he would want to talk to him.
It took Shane a few seconds longer to notice the girl (lady, teen, whatever, (he found it best not to guess a woman's ages ever)) who was tagging along behind the recruiter, who smiled and waved enthusiastically once she noticed Shane's attention. Before he could respond with a wave of his own the recruiter turned sharply, stopping so abrupt that the happy lady in yellow should have crashed into him, but she seemed to be expecting it some way and stopped just in time, smiling at her companion brightly. They had a short conversation that grew more heated as it continued, but in the end the male recruiter won (he guessed) and advanced towards Shane alone, leaving his companion pouting at his back before retreating back to…wherever they had come from. Shane didn't have time to pay attention to that, as the recruiter was on him in less than three seconds.
What followed was one of the strangest interviews (and calling it that was rather generous on his part) of Shane's life.
The recruiter started, giving Shane a slight nod. "Hey."
"Hi," Shane returned, attempting to give the impression that he knew what this was all about so they could cut the small talk and get to the meat of things.
Whether he caught on to Shane's inflection or was simply tired of exchanging pleasantries (later Shane would realize that he was always this abrupt) the recruiter moved on, neither offering his hand or his name. "This all you do?" he asked, motioning to his skateboard in a manner that was almost bored.
It wasn't a tone Shane particularly liked, but he decided he would give this guy at least one strike before calling it quits. "This and school," he replied casually, spinning his board vertically with his hand.
"Besides that," the recruiter said, unimpressed by the movement..
That reaction, plus the general feeling of displeasure he radiated from being in the Skate Park, struck a sore point in Shane. It was enough to make him decide it was high time to end this conversation and try to make the most of his Saturday. He didn't know what this guy wanted, and at this point he didn't care.
Plan in mind, he shoved his water bottle into his backpack and picked up his board, keeping his eyes off the recruiter in need of improved social skills. "I gotta go-"
The guy was either persistent, couldn't take a hint, or both, and he carried on the conversation anyway, asking him abruptly, "Is this all you're going to do during the summer?"
Seriously, if this was going to turn into another one of those, 'But you can do so much more with your life' conversations Shane was going to leave the Skate Park altogether, Saturday be damned.
"That was the plan," he snipped brashly, mimicking the recruiter's attitude and not caring if he offended him.
He didn't, by the look of it; and the recruiter's face remained unchanged.
Finally, much to Shane's relief he got to the point of the conversation. "I have an offer."
"For skateboarding?" Shane asked, though he had a feeling this supposed offer had very little to do with the sport.
His guess was confirmed with a quick head shake. "No," the other teen said, and before Shane could cut in and tell him to get lost he continued. "You'll like it, though."
It was against his better judgment that Shane stayed, sighing, and asked the question he'd been dying to ask since the recruiter showed up. "What is it?"
What was he trying to sell (very badly Shane might add)?
What could he possibly want with Shane that had nothing to do with skateboarding?
If it was modeling Shane would never be able to live it down (not that he thought he was that good looking, but all the so-called "models" he had seen in magazines had always looked a little wonky to him anyway, at least the guys, so what the heck did he know?).
The recruiter relieved Shane's worries a few seconds later.
"Self defense class," he explained, pulling a pamphlet out of his backpack. "Wind Academy," he thrust it in Shane's direction, look in his eyes demanding the other teen take it. "It's free."
Shane eyed it warily, refusing to take it out of the recruiter's hand. Sure it was free…about as free as any other scam was. Shane had an idea of how it would work, the classes would be free but the gear would be like, eight hundred dollars or something, and by the end of it his parents would wind up spending so much money that they might as well of hired a private instructor.
Disappointed with the waste of time, Shane turned to leave, ending their little "chat" before the recruiter could draw him in again. "Not interested, did that once-"
The comment that interrupted followed the previous pattern of their conversation; it was both surprising, disconnected with what they were actually talking about, and ridiculously abrupt.
It was also, if Shane thought back on it, mildly flattering.
But that was only after the shock wore off.
"I need leaders," Victor announced halfway through his rejection, so strongly that Shane had to change his theory from money scam to military prep-school scam.
Was that even legal? Tricking kids into free classes and prepping them to enlist?
Unethical maybe, but not illegal.
The recruiter, for once, decided to explain this one without prompting. "There are three teachers, I'm one of them," he explained, motioning briefly off in the distance to where his yello- dressed acquaintance was sitting, watching them intently.
"We each pick our own students," he continued, ignoring her wave when she caught sight of them looking in her direction. "After a few weeks of training we combine the students into teams."
A normal person would have gotten to the point by now, but the recruiter paused for what Shane assumed was dramatic effect, waiting for the…gravity of his words to sink in. When he decided his pause was sufficient he forged on, finishing with no particular panache, "I pick who will lead those teams."
Were Shane being honest, at this point he wasn't really sure what to think. It didn't sound like a military thing, or any kind of self defense he had ever heard about, and if it really was a scam for money wouldn't they try to make their recruiters look a little more…expensive? Or were they going for an average Joe, everyman kind of feel to make the…recruitees feel more at ease?
And if he was looking for leaders, shouldn't he actually watch people you know, lead?
With multiple questions buzzing in his head, Shane asked the first one that came to mind, even though he was pretty sure by this point he wasn't going to get a straight answer. "What kind of martial arts are you teaching?"
For the first time since their conversation started the recruiter broke his poker face with a small smile, and if it were a movie Shane would say there was a glint in his eye. "Nothing you've ever seen before."
Shane replied before he could think about it, giving a smirk of his own. "That why it's free?"
It was a standoff, the recruiter holding his gaze steady, hands in his pockets and a look of…something, Shane couldn't quite place it, flashed through his eyes so fast that the skater almost missed it.
The stare down ended with a barely perceivable nod from the recruiter. "Yes."
Grudgingly, and despite common sense telling him this guy was a total whack job, Shane took the proffered pamphlet from his hand and began reading it skeptically aloud.
"The Wind Academy. Spend the summer learning how to defend yourself against future foes."
He laughed, flipping open the pamphlet to look over glossy pictures of teens his age doing various things, all in some kind of uniform. One of a boy kicking, another of what looked like group meditation, and another of two students sparring. "Sounds like something out of a video game," he joked, pointing to the slogan at the front of the pamphlet.
The recruiter shrugged noncommittally, but Shane could tell that he agreed with him on that point.
Smart guy, not biting the hand that feeds him in front of…
What was he anyway, fresh meat? A target? Another head to fill his quota?
Did he actually want him based on whatever he saw at the Skate Park?
Curiosity made him glance back to the other teacher who seemed to be staring very intently at another skater, the side of her hand pressed into her mouth as though she were in deep thought.
Maybe this was how they recruited people, by just…watching them and…what, seeing if they were physically fit?
Maybe there was more to it, like, they were trained to…what was it they do on those crime TV shows?
Profile?
Yeah, maybe they could profile a person just by watching them…skate, for a while.
It made sense in a way, even if Shane had failed to land his Backside 180 heel flip he hadn't given up. He was still working at it despite all his failures. Maybe that was what the guy saw.
"You'll still have time to board," the recruiter promised, mistaking the inspection of his colleague as a worried glance at what he could be giving up.
Still, it was helpful information. It was nice to know Shane wouldn't have to completely give up what he loved doing just to take part in these classes.
Wait…was he actually thinking about doing this?
Sure the classes were free, but Shane had never even heard of this school, and if it was new and experimental who knew what kind of weird things they could have them doing out there in the middle of the woods.
They could be nut jobs.
But even with all those doubts Shane couldn't help but feel the idea growing on him.. After all, the guy did come seek him out. Him, and not Lou, so maybe the reason he hadn't heard of any of this was because they were really selective.
Shane knew he was on the edge here, (as against it as he was before) so he asked the one question that had been buzzing on his mind the moment the recruiter had mentioned leaders.
"Why me?"
He almost thought he had initiated another stare down somehow, even though this time he was legitimately asking a question as opposed to making a barb, and the recruiter (after a few seconds) seemed to get that, though that knowledge was not reflected in his answer.
"If this is the part," the other began slowly, bored expression firmly in place. "Where you want me to say something inspiring you can forget it. Just make sure you show up so I don't have to hunt you down."
…Strangely, that seemed to be the exact thing Shane needed to hear to make his decision, and the recruiter knew it too, recognition growing in his eyes once he caught sight of it. Still, Shane didn't want to let him think he had been an easy sell, so he hesitated before answering, staring down at the pamphlet. "…Okay."
The recruiter nodded one last time, satisfied with his answer and began to walk away, back towards his…partner. That his action was unexpected should have been something Shane was used to by now, he assumed when you recruited someone you usually got more than an "okay" to make sure they showed up, but this guy seemed to trust him, at least enough to find his way there and show up.
In a way, it was liberating.
"I'm Shane by the way," he called out to the recruiter's back, but the other teen didn't bother even so much as to slow down or look back, simply waved his hand vaguely in recognition.
"I know."
…of course he did, because he was magical.
Or, more logically, he had asked someone else.
That left them on uneven ground.
"What's your-?"Shane began to ask, but the recruiter knew where he was going.
"Victor," the older teen answered, and with that their conversation was over, Victor off searching for other bodies to fill his school.
"Okay then…" Shane murmured to himself, turning his attention back to the paper in his hand to really get a good look at it.
He sighed once he caught sight of the schedule and realized it would eat up a majority of his summer. "Mom's gonna love this…"
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So suffice it to say, Shane wasn't all that shocked that this was Victor's idea of incentive.
"You're bribing me with peanut butter?" he asked, though he really should have known better by now. Victor nodded, and there was almost this kind of…sad look in his eye that gave Shane the impression that this food item meant a lot more to him than it did to the average person, and it was not a gift given lightly.
That hunch would also explain the slight bitterness in the older teen's voice when he gave an explanation. "Teagan says I need to be nicer to recru-to students."
And no, no he was not going to explain who Teagan was (maybe that girl from earlier) and Shane didn't bother asking Victor, figuring he would get the answer in due time or something like that. He really, really wanted to ask why the other teen had a new jar of peanut butter in his backpack, but the odds of Shane getting a straight answer on that were slim, and considering the amount of attachment Victor had with it, he was probably better off not knowing.
Shane had a feeling that Victor connected better with peanut butter than he did with people.
And while honestly Shane wasn't totally comfortable with the idea of recruiting another student for an academy he barely knew anything about himself, he couldn't help but feel like hell, what did he really have to lose?
He was chosen to be a leader wasn't he? Worse case scenario the guy said no and Victor demanded his peanut butter back.
And he would too.
Shane sighed, knowing full well he was going to do this whether he liked it or not.
"…So," he asked, rubbing his eyes irritably. "What's this guy's name?"
Victor gave an almost-smile as he began to rattle off facts, short and concise.
If the teacher's classes were half as interesting as his conversations were, Shane was pretty sure he was in for an incredible summer.
Different from what he was used to, but incredible nonetheless.
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Teagan and Ian caught the tale end of Victor's conversation with Shane when they finally made it to the park. While she and Ian were still bothered with the idea of using another student for recruiting; both of them were able to push that aside long enough to be impressed by Victor's willingness to part with his beloved peanut butter. Even though anyone who really knew the air ninja could tell this was not something he was happy about, it was the thought that counted.
Ian shared an amazed look with her before turning back and observing the conversation from their hidden perch in a nearby tree.
Teagan liked Shane, she had liked Shane before she met Shane and she had liked him after Victor gave his detailed report on their prior meeting and she still liked him (he had an easy going air about him, confident, but with enough common sense to be wary of strangers approaching him with promises of free training) and while he might be able to get Dustin to talk (if Dustin ever talked) she was still concerned, and no amount of peanut butter was going to make that go away.
The conversation ended and the two ninjas waited for Victor to retreat a safe distance away before abandoning their hiding spot and joining him, intent on coming up with a full plan, or at the very least get some answers. The air ninja wasn't surprised when they joined him, had probably been aware of their presence the entire time and waited, allowing them to make the first move.
Ian started; hand rubbing on his chin. "I couldn't help but notice," he began, and Victor rolled his eyes, urging him to get to the point. "You didn't happen to mention the whole secret-ninja-training bit."
Teagan was surprised, and the slight widening of Victor's eyes showed he was surprised too. He recovered before she did, frowning. "I usually just give them the basics and throw the more complicated things at them when they actually show up. That way there's no loose ends."
"That's what I do," Teagan added, eyebrows furrowed. "I mean, trying to sell the idea of a secret ninja Academy's a lot easier when they see the actual Academy." She turned, studying Ian. "Isn't that what you do?"
If the water ninja hadn't been so fair-skinned already Teagan's sure he would have paled. "You mean we can do that?" he asked, looking back and forth between them with an expression of mixed rage and disbelief.
Victor shrugged, mildly amused when he added up all the pieces. "How many times have you been called crazy this month Ian?"
Teagan opened her mouth to protest because it was Ian, naturally likable Ian, and no one would ever call him crazy but the blond cut her off, hands raking through his hair in frustration. "At least ten times! They don't even let me get to the part…" he trailed off, throwing up his arms in exasperation. "Why didn't either one of you tell me?"
They stared at him blankly, trying to find a delicate way to put it - or Teagan was - but Victor beat her to the punch and put it not so delicately. "Because it seemed pretty obvious."
Before a brawl could start out (and it would happen, Ian and Victor weren't shy abut fighting in public) Teagan changed the topic, moving on to her bigger concern. "What happened? What did he say?"
Victor turned to face her, any desire he might have had to fight leaving him completely, though it was clear Ian was still simmering from his revelation, arms crossed tight across his chest. She would have to talk with him about it later, but right now she had a student she needed to focus on.
"I told him where Dustin worked, when he worked, what he looked like, and explained his…antisocial tendencies and his natural inclination to be intimidated by authority figures. I gave him an extra pamphlet and he said he would help as best he could," the air teacher paused for a moment, looking off to the side in thought. "I think it actually helped solidify his position as a recruit."
"Well," Ian huffed under his breath. "So long as it helped you- "
Teagan interrupted, refusing to enable her friend's bad mood. "Do you think he can do it?"
Victor nodded without hesitation. "No questions asked."
Ian frowned, allowing his hands to flop against his sides as he sighed and squinted up at the sky, deciding to move on to the current topic of conversation like everyone else. "We should probably keep an eye on how it goes," he said, looking back down at both of them, more calm. "Just in case."
Victor glared but agreed silently, and Teagan nodded, already deciding on stake out positions.
"When's this going down?" she asked, whipping out her notepad to begin jotting down information.
"Monday," Victor replied. "Four o'clock, Storm Chargers."
Ian sighed, shoving his hands into his pockets. "Now we just have to figure out where that is." He paused, glancing back over to Victor who in normal-people terms only looked mildly bothered (and barely that) which equaled incredibly disturbed in Victor-terms. Ian reached out and gave the darker teen's shoulder a consoling pat, ending it with a brief squeeze. "Don't worry Vic, we'll get you a new jar."
The air ninja swiped at him irritably, but the other two could both tell he didn't really have the heart in it as he gave them two half-hearted glares at best, before turning to walk away.
Behind him Teagan sighed and exchanged her notepad for her emergency peanut butter, inspiring an incredulous look from Ian that she chose to ignore. She knew she was going to spend all day with Victor, and there was no way she was going to do that without a little insurance.
Nothing made him behave better than his most favorite thing in the world.
As they jogged to catch up to their tall friend she gave into curiosity and shot Ian a question. "So," she began, catching his attention. "How have you managed to recruit anyone of the whole secret ninja school thing?"
His frustration had died enough for him to give a chuckle, swiping at her playfully. "Not easily, mind you. Why, just before we met up at Tito's I had to give one of my best demonstrations this month."
"What's her name?" Teagan asked, knowing that only a girl would put up that much of a fight.
Ian laughed, winking at her slyly. "Tori Hanson," he said, smiling at the memory. "And if she doesn't show up when school starts I'm sending Victor after her."
Teagan smiled at the thought, and pushed him for more details, pulling Victor into the audience once they caught up to him, though she didn't have to force him to listen once he figured out what the story was.
Tori Hanson, if only Teagan had been there for that one.
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Endnotes:
Howdy folks, I'm back! All finals, projects, presentations, and school related work for the spring semester are complete! Finished moving out, have mostly finished unpacking, and I've finally settled back into a semi-normal schedule at home.
Updates should be much quicker from here-on out.
That being said, I would like to thank Rogue Ranger for his review, I'm glad you're enjoying this story so far, I'll keep trying to deliver. And don't worry; Dustin's misery won't be forever…just for a while. It'll take time, but he'll get there.
Now, on to the chapter…
I've said this in my other story but I'll say it again, I have immense respect for skateboarders, everything they do looks incredibly difficult and gutsy to do and I in know way mean to belittle that. I have no idea if a Backside 180 heel flip is hard or easy to do, I just looked up a list of moves and picked one randomly.
Just saying, no offense intended.
Also, I was reading over the 100 themes list before I started writing this chapter and once I saw peanut butter I was struck with the idea of Victor trying to bribe or motivate Shane with it. So if it seems a little random…well, it wasn't in my original plans but I like it.
So next chapter we'll probably get some Tori, and maybe we'll get a little Shane and Dustin. I don't know, I'll see when I get started.
Until next time.