Resonances of the Past
Dogen waited patiently as his student closed the door and listened to his footsteps as they left the nearby room, his old student walking over to him. Dogen warmly grasped Snake-Eyes gloved hand and gave it a firm shake, happy to feel that his student still had the same strength as he did five years before.
"It has been too long, young one. If I had known that you would have found me so easily in the states, I would have moved sooner." Dogen said teasingly, the silent man's shaking with a light laughter and he took his hand back so he could sign smoothly.
The ninja master knew that Snake-Eyes was fully capable of talking, but respected that he had taken up a vow of silence at the death of his initial master and it was a noble way to respect the wise man that had passed away. Besides, Dogen had known Snake-Eyes long enough that it was if the young man was speaking to him aloud with his simple hand movements
I should have visited sooner, Master Dogen. However, my work…it has kept me very busy Snake-Eyes signed before pausing and glancing back at the door with interest as he continued. I am glad that I chose to come today.
"Echo is a very interesting student, is he not?" Dogen said, a swell of pride bubbling a bit in chest. "I only started teaching him three years ago, but apparently he will be going onto his thirteenth year at this school. A very rare source of talent, I would say."
You called him Echo. Why?
"It is sad but he was an orphan with no name, who initially repeated everything that was said and done around him and so he was nicknamed Echo. His real named is Tobias, but people have just stuck with Echo and he even responds to Echo before he responds to Tobias." Dogen explained, fingering a string of beads that remained around his neck. "However, he lives up to the name Echo in many ways. He is able to mimic many moves, even complex and lengthy katas, after seeing them the first time."
Impressive; I could also see that he has a fondness for kicks and acrobatics, his body naturally flexible. The mute ninja signed, leaning his head forward in interest. What were the arts that he trained in before he came to you?
"He studied the Korean art of Hapkido and the Chinese art of Wushu before he came to me." Dogen answered, watching the black mask bob slowly. "He holds his black belts in both arts and I would say he is close to a red belt in Ninjutsu."
His weapon skills must be higher than that, if he is able to fight with the former weapons master of the Arashikage and hold any challenge against you. Snake Eyes question was laced with skepticism, his expressionless face tilting forward in question.
Dogen pursed his lips and folded his arms, becoming pensive as he thought about it. Echo was a mystery when it came to his actually skill level in Ninjutsu because he was able to learn weapons at such a fast level and his katas moved a much slower pace. But the wise man felt that it was possible for him to learn the moves much fast, as though he had deliberately slowed the process down. Most teachers of the arts would teach the same kata to a student a thousand times over, even if they got it the first time. It was for the simple fact that they would always mess up somewhere, even if it was something small like a foot placement or a stumble, and the teacher would make them do the correct version again.
Echo needed no such correction, because it seemed that he was aware of ever inch of his body and what it was doing at any given time. He could do the forms at a fast pace like the masters or he could move slowly like an elderly man, but the moves would still be accurate regardless of his pace. And he would do the same form over and over, even without prompting from his master. He would be on the second form for the purple belts and he when he would restart, Echo began with the very first white belt form. Every form from each art, they are fresh in his mind as the day he learnt them because he did them so frequently. It was as if he was just picking chapters from a book, just flicking over to the kata or style that he needed.
And that was something else; he was able to shift styles very fast. Very fast. He would start with one style and mid blow, from the moment it landed, have switched his style to one of his other disciplines. Echo had once gone from doing Wushu hand work to Hapkido kicks and ended with Ninjutsu grappling in a single sparring match, not once with hesitation or fault. Combined with his near perfect recall of each and every technique he had ever learnt, made Echo a promising student.
A truly frightening but promising student of the arts, just like the one before him.
"I would give him a red belt because he is still falling back into his previous arts. Also, he hinders his own growth, so that he can learn more and perfect his movements until they are as natural as breathing for him." Dogen explained slowly, thumbing a particularly worn bead. "Also, I would rather he spent longer training before he was awarded his black belt. It is a rather significant symbol, one that I'm sure he will live up to."
Snake Eyes nodded as he folded his arms and his body became wrapped in his thoughts. Dogen knew that the young master, one of the youngest Ninjutsu masters in the world, was considering some of great weight. Snake Eyes always took great time while consider things, always weighing out the possibilities and consequences in mind before he even sought council and only then, would he act. As he mused alone in his head, Dogen couldn't help but notice similarities between his current Ninjutsu student and his former weapons student.
Echo's focus was elsewhere at the time, leaving his master and his old friend, or former student for all he knew, to their privacy. He would have appreciated the same gesture given by his fellow classmates, to not have them fantasize up absurd rumors about his personal life and life outside the dojo. He grimaced as he kicked the heavy bag a little harder than he intended to, the old leather bag jerking to the side from the sudden change of aggression and the dull throb in his shin tensed for a moment.
The young man should have been praised; many people at his age, and younger, would have lashed out and taken out their anger on those that mocked, jeered and bullied the young man. Echo, in a marvelous display of patience and tolerance, would merely sigh or subtly twitch and push that anger out into training or sparring.
Still, Echo was only human and every human had a threshold and a limit to the amount of patience that he had. But he was lucky that Ninjutsu brought along with it several lessons in meditation and focus in regards to controlling one's breathing, emotions and presence. In his lessons of the mind, Master Dogen had explained that emotions were important aspects of a fight because a fight with too much emotion would blind your senses and drown your abilities; but emotion was needed, to make you stronger in the fight and give you a drive and ambition to win the fight. So, one had to learn what their triggers for an emotional response was and deny it the right to display itself up the fighter's face.
Echo was, for lack of phase, a horrible student at mastering his emotions, despite of how reserved he was. He paused his swinging foot and took some steps back, his breathing even and steady. The lessons about breathing had been well learnt, allowing him to increase his endurance by calming his heart rate and increasing his lung expansion. But it was also supposed to help you channel away any aggression, sadness, anxiety or distractions, but Echo was unable to actually put those aspects of his training into effect.
The young fighter sighed and repositioned him self in front of the bag, raising his hands up as he shifted his weight in and around his legs. He had learnt a while back, back when he was still a fresh and undisciplined white belt, that you could push off with your foot to increase the punch that you delivered. It was called kinetic linking, generating power from your base and then releasing it from your limbs. It was a nice little trick to know, shifting the other foot to rebound off the first punch and deliver a ruthless cross hook.
So that was what Echo was doing now on the bag after doing fifty kicks with each legs and with every contact he made, he could feel the jolt right through to his shoulder. Tightening up the joints from his wrist to his shoulder, he grinned faintly with satisfaction as the bag began to move more that his shoulder.
"Excuse me, Echo?"
Echo paused mid-swing and opened his hand, the hard leather stopping short on his palm. He turned and felt his confusion leave his face at the sight of Sensei Graham, bowing his head slightly. Sensei Stephen Graham was a more senior teacher at the dojo and he was mainly in charge of teaching Karate and Jujutsu, as well as providing a sparring partner for people the likes of Echo. He had been impressed with the young fighters ability to adapt to the situation and had given him some pointers when it came to grappling, an area Echo was unfamiliar until a few years ago.
He wasn't terribly old, just entering his fifties, but he showed his age more than others with salt and pepper hair and weather eyes. He was well built, more bulky that Echo was, and, unlike Dogen, Graham was a few inches taller than the young man. However, all that did was hide his craftiness, speed and comfort at fighting on the ground. Behind him were three students, all of whom Echo was familiar with and the teacher gestured to a young lady to his left.
"I want to help prepare Douglas and Jeffery for the upcoming competition, but we are one short of a student and this means Abby has no sparring partner." Graham explained, Echo glancing at the only girl of the class. "Would you mind amusing Abby until these two are done?"
Echo gave a soft smile and nodded gently. "Of course, Sensei Graham."
Walking away from the bags and onto the spare section of the floor that the Jujutsu class was using, Echo took a brief moment to overlook his opponent in order to size her up; it was unnecessary, given that she was a frequent sparring partner of his.
Abigail Dawson was a very athletic woman, priding herself on her physically endurance and strength. She was one of the few women that he knew of that could have a flat stomach, with minor abdominal definition, and still be called sexy. The tone in her arms and legs were frightening, hidden in the light full gi that she wore. Her sleeves were rolled up to her elbows and her forearms flexed with wiry strength and faint veins. She had great skill with her joint manipulation and chokes, but she lacked in the takedown and some areas of standup, a weakness that Echo was familiar with.
It was funny because in a traditional martial arts uniform, she traded in all of her feminity and curves for one of the most focused and determined mindsets in the martial arts. Once she was back in her skirts and blouses and her short blonde hair was out for all to see, she had curves for days and the flirty, spunky personality to match. It was amusing for some guys, because they spent too much time staring at her chest rather then defending themselves, something that angered her a great deal.
"Echo-Sempai, thank you for your time." Abby said with a friendly smile and a bow, before she looked questioning. Sempai was a traditional title in the Japanese arts, one that junior students used for the senior students of the class. "Didn't you have a lesson with Sensei Dogen?"
"No, I was just doing some free training, Abby-Kohai." Echo explained softly, declining his head to her bow. Likewise, Kohai was a term for a students junior, in a more respectful fashion. "He is also busy with an old friend, but maybe later he will have time for me."
"Ah, understandable." She then set her self up, set her legs in a L-shaped stance and holding her arm open. "Same rules as last time, the Submission Victory rules?"
Abby was a good friend, but not someone who he spent a lot of time with and so he never understood the reason for light conversation before they began. With other students, she would just thank them, bow and then begin the match. But she always seemed to try and make him say something, like she was looking for more of a connection with him.
But, given his dedication to the arts and his life at the Orphanage, he didn't feel comfortable bringing her into life. He just never seemed to have any time to get to know her.
"Yes, that is suitable for me, Abby-kohai." He responded, lifting his hands up in a loose guard and set his feet in a diagonal angle.
They eyed each other for a moment, Echo loose and relaxed to adjust while Abby was collected and tight for a spring. At what seemed to be an invisible signal, the young woman lunged in and Echo felt her attacks rather than saw them. He felt her grab the cuff of his gi and the material at his shoulder, her right leg pushing his own right leg out. As she moved his leg out, she began to twist and pull at his right as she went for a standard right hip through. A good tactic for her, using her powerful hips to lift him from the ground, and would have worked against a less seasoned opponent.
Echo's free hand struck the back of her left ribs, his left foot pushing her left leg forward to kill her momentum and halting the throw before it even began. Abby sucked her teeth pivoting on the spot and grabbing his slightly extend hand at the wrist, sweeping his arm around in a near perfect wrist lock that lead to a throw. As the young man felt his body pivot to the left, the talented student jumped, and with a pivot of his hips, managed to land in front of his opponent from a handless cartwheel. Grunting with annoyance, Abby forced his arm back on itself and kicked his left leg out.
Giving a grunt that was loud for the normally reserved student, Echo hopped off of his right leg and pushed such torque into his hips, his body was sent in a horizontal spin. He was so close to the ground that he couldn't land on both feet and so, he landed on his left knee and his right shin resting against Abby's left one. He could see her smug face and he knew, annoyed with himself for being predictable, that she had planned for it. But she was also starring at his grip on her wrist, something that had stalled her next action.
Briefly.
Her right foot swung around and her knee connected with his left ribs, knocking off his precarious balance as she forced herself atop of Echo. But this time, Echo had her surprised, and slightly worried, because his left leg was bent between their torsos and he was actually holding her off of him. Giving a gurgling grunt, the stubborn young man pushed her up and she shrieked slightly as she was literally flipped over onto her own back. Letting her wrist go, the agile fighter rolled back onto his hands and pushed himself upright on his hands; tucking his legs in slightly, he fell back so that he was sitting on Abby's stomach in a position that was called the full mount.
He crossed his arms over as he grabbed the collar, hoping to use the fabric to choke her out but he was now in her domain. Abby hooked her arms over where his wrist crossed over and pulled his forearms to her chest, wedging his hands between her forearm and her breasts. Echo couldn't help but blush lightly as he tried to find some way out, the young woman flushing as his hands squirmed atop her bust.
"You know, there are easier ways to feel me up, Echo." She said flatly and the young man froze, blinking as he tried to think.
The feisty woman beneath him then struck her free right hand across to the right side of his neck, pushing him back as she grabbed his left arm. Her right leg hooked over his left one and Abby flipped them around so that she was now on top, though she was still between his legs. She grinned mischievously as she hand her arm wrapped around Echo's left arm, applying pressure to his elbow, and her other arm applying pressure to his neck, closing his windpipe and arteries off from his head.
"Jeez, if I had known that would have work on you Echo, I would have tried that a while ago." Abby said smugly, leaning down to whisper to him while apply pressure to his neck but it also gave his left arm some room to move. "But, you should know, you're the one guy who I wouldn't mind coping a –urk!"
Echo grinned as he sized his chance, his right arm wrapping around behind her head and neck. As she abandoned his left arm and freed herself, he grabbed her left arm with his right and pushed his knee between them. He then pushed her right arm down and pulled himself up, his left thigh swinging onto her right shoulder as the knee clamped over her neck. His right knee looped over his left ankle and he gripped her left arm, pushing his hips as he used the triangle choke to its fullest potential.
He could feel her squirming about but after a few minutes in his deadlocked grip, Abby patted his leg light with her free hand. It was known as tap out, a sign of surrender from the defeated so they didn't loose consciousness or break any bones. The moment she made her second tap, Echo had his ankle unhooked and rolled to the side as he unfolded his leg to release a coughing Abby.
"Damn, Echo…your getting better at those locks…" Abby said between breaths as he remained on the floor while she forced her self to sit up.
"Yeah but your getting better at reading me." Echo pointed out and sat up. "Not to mention using my weight against me and messing with my head."
Abby looked lost and when he was standing, it changed to disappointed but she smiled when he looked at her. "Yeah, I'm a sneaky one."
"I know, it's why I think you're a good fighter." Echo said as he gave his hand to her and when she took it, he pulled up with a shaky lift. "Keep at it, okay?"
"Yes, Sempai." She said with a bow before resetting herself. "One more?
Echo sighed and smiled, taking up his initial stance again. "Why not?"
Dogen knew that Snake Eyes had potential when he first joined the Arashikage Clan and he knew that that Echo shared that same potential. They both had an instinctive intuition for the combat arts and they both pushed themselves far beyond what was normally expected of regular students, rising the standards of the class.
The elderly man could really say that he knew Snake Eyes a lot better than Echo, despite the fact that he taught the younger student a wider range of techniques that what he initially did for his former student. However, the unarmed arts were not where Dogen's skills truly lay, for he was recognized as one of the clan's foremost weapons masters. There was not a traditional weapon that Dogen could not turn his hand to and use to its fullest potential, making it a perfect extension of his body.
Dogen remembered quite clearly when he met Snake Eyes for the first time, the class at hand for the young man and his training partner, Storm Shadow, had been the staff. The staff was a excellent weapon for beginners to start on and the two youths took to the weapons with great vigor. The Hard Master's nephew had taken to a far more aggressive approach to sparring with the staff, a clear sign that he would like more aggressive weapons such as the katana, but the young American had taken to defense, choosing to guard himself before attacking. As time passed and they went through the various weapons that Dogen offered to teach them, it was very clear that while both were master's of the swords, Storm Shadow excelled with bladed weapons while Snake Eyes seemed to pick up various kinds of weapons as he was taught.
He remembered one particular day, when sitting with his new found student during a brief break after Storm Shadow had given a rather cruel beating to Snake Eyes, that he finally asked him. What had happened to his family? The young man looked so somber and repressed, that Dogen immediately regretted asking the question when the boy suddenly answered him. He then told the older man how his family had been killed by a gang and he survived because his mother told him to run, right before they cut her throat. The weapon's master was sympathetic but alas, Storm Shadow was not, having over heard the conversation and snidely called the young blonde a despising coward. For the first time in knowing the young man, Dogen saw true hate in Snake Eyes true eyes.
It all came to a head at the final sparring match that they had as children, when Snake Eyes choose to use a pair of tonfas over a sword to spar with the young clan born ninja. In the fury of their fight, it was hard to tell who had been born into the clan and who had fought for every inch that they had gained. Whatever strike Storm Shadow tried to land, Snake Eyes had a defense ready and a counter following up behind. At the end of the match, with the Hard Master's nephew sprawled on the floor and the young American ready in stance expectantly for his opponents return. But it never came and Dogen could feel a mutual pride that he shared with the Hard Master at both students, for they had shown two very distinct and crucial characteristics.
Snake Eyes had shown Perseverance, unwilling to give up on his journey and his training to this point in his life. He had gone from being the defeated in their matches to being the victor.
Storm Shadow had shown Humility, an honorable decision that recognized when one defeated. Many a time the aspiring ninja had come back and wiped the floor with his American opponent, but this time he was willing to acknowledge that he had been defeated.
Or at least, that was what the instructors and masters had thought and Dogen was grateful that such a promising student had let his foolish grudge go. Snake Eyes had been learning forms under Dogen's watchful eyes when the alarm went off, the young almost instinctively knowing something dreadful had happened. After the Hard Master's death, the clan began to fall apart due to squabbles. Snake Eyes stayed still he was a recognized master but then he too left, feeling that many held him responsible and, while many didn't express such thoughts, it was the truth in their hearts.
Dogen fought the urge to spit and shook his head sadly; how blindingly ignorant those of the Arashikage had been. They had honestly believed that no outside of the clan could have ever matched them and their skills, that they somehow purer and stronger than any other fighters in the world. How terrible that such tragedy would follow the young man around like a swarm of hornets.
But Echo's past was also filled with tragedy, or rather bleakness similar to the masterful warrior beside him. The young student he was gifted with today was an orphan from a much younger age, left on the orphanage steps in the rain and nearly died if it wasn't for the intervention of his current guardian, Father Francis. Francis was a very good man, very soft spoken and calming in words; Dogen could have easily mistaken him for a Buddhist priest over a Catholic due to his immensely relaxing manner and trustworthiness.
According to the other teachers that were here before the elderly Japanese man, the young man was brought to this dojo because of a incident at the orphanage and the Father's relations with one teacher at the facilities. Apparently, the boy, when he was no older than eight, had managed to deduce kicking techniques from watching an old Wuxia film. When Echo showed when he had replicated, it impressed the teachers well enough and they sough for an art form to suit him. However, the interest that the teachers showed in him was not well received by his classmates, both in the orphanage and in the dojo, and the first year and a half was difficult.
Eventually, after seeking consultation with the other teachers in the orphanage and the dojo, Father Francis agreed that Echo needed to be sent to a local school, one that several students in the dojo attended. Their hope was that at more diverse place he would be a less likely victim of bullying and he would make some encouraging friends. While this initially created more friction, it also introduced Echo to the real world and he eventually stood up to his bullies in his first year at high school. Apparently, another student of the dojo had been overly rough with a student at the high school and the reserved young man stepped in, holding his own even when the back up came for the bully. The student that Echo had dealt with was suspended for several days and was demoted back to a white belt, the silent youth praised for his control in the situation.
And there was one other similar element that both students of the weapon's maser of the former Arashikage clan shared, a dark trait that should have been corrected before it manifested. They both shared a rival; where Snake Eyes had Storm Shadow, Echo had Connor Signer.
Echo groaned as he felt a sharp shooting pain race through his elbow, his free hand clawing at Abby's gi pants. This was their fourth round since he forced the grappling girl to submit from a triangle choke and this would be her third victory. Because he knew he had no escape.
His right arm was extended straight past his ear, her right in between his leg and head. The back of his head rested against her pelvis with her left leg wrapped around his neck and her right knee hooked around her left ankle, choking him as she applied pressure to his elbow. His right hand was tucked into Abby's right armpit and her right forearm was braced up against his right elbow, pushing up at the point before she broke his arm. All she had to was tighten her thighs or lean back with her weight and he was down for, via broken limb or suffocation.
The girl was a monster when it came to submission, Echo knew that as he patted her leg and she loosened up. She had been at the dojo for three years less than the young man she had just defeated but, unlike him, she had focused solely on Jujutsu. The only other class she had done was Brazilian Jujutsu and that was to see if it was a style that she was comfortable in. The reserved student eased himself up and rolled his right arm around, still feeling the sting of her joint locks, glancing back when he felt slender fingers lightly massaging his shoulder.
"Easy there, Echo-Sempai." Abby's voice said in his ear and he let his muscles relax. "Let me loosen your arm up a bit after all that roughhousing. You're a good on the ground when it comes to improvising, but you're better stand up fighter, sweetie."
Echo chuckled and sat silently, legs folded and left arm rest in his lap, as Abby worked on his right arm. He glanced behind her and fought the twitching urge to narrow his eyes, the muscles in thighs and forearms tightening instead.
Behind her, out of her vision thankfully, was another group of classmates that Echo was not on the best of terms with. Out of the five that were there, three had been in his Hapkido and two had been passed over for the Ninjutsu class that the reserved student was in now. They were all about the same height, but one stood out from the others with his unruly ginger hair. His name was Connor Signer, a student he knew from his first days in the dojo that was in his Hapkido class and one student that despised him more than any other person in the dojo.
He stood at a close equal to Echo's height, just between six feet and six one and he was more narrow than the silent student, a much leaner build. The ginger mop on his head fluxed between various styles but for the past few months he had kept brushed forward, long tips hanging around his brow. Sunken cheeks also gave him sharper features and his bright blue eyes seemed to burn everyone who looked into them.
Connor and the orphaned student had been made partners in sparring and forms when they first met. It was because Echo could pick up on small differences in people's movement and the ginger was excellent at explaining techniques. He wasn't too bad when the reserved boy joined but as he grew and rose to being the top student with his partner, so did Connor's distaste of Echo. It all came out in the open after four years, when they were just going twelve and Echo had finished his Wushu class that was before his Hapkido class. He had decided that it would be wise to change out of the sweat soaked clothes into something dryer….
Echo sighed as he splashed cold water over his face, shivering slightly as the chilling water rinsed the dried sweat from his skin. It had been a good class, Sifu pleased with progression and told him that he could consider for next testing in a few weeks. It was exciting for the teenager, bring a smile to his face as he turned the tabs off and left the sink to go to his locker. Loosening the sash from his waist and undoing the buttons of his shirt, Echo lazily tossed the top half of his uniform into his gym bag. He tilted to the side and then twisted his torso the opposite way, his spine crunching as he did so.
The door banged open and Echo turned to see two students from his Hapkido class, Sam and Wesley, entering, giving them a polite wave. Their rolling eyes showed how much they appreciated the gesture but Echo was more concerned with Sam's look of disgust towards him, furrowing his brow as he kept staring at him.
"What is it?" The young teenager asked, Wesley looking at Sam and the other boy sucked his teeth, walking closer to Echo.
"I still can't believe that they let you come to this school. I mean, your basically an homeless bum, so how can you afford the tuition here?" Sam sneeringly asked, the quiet boy turning away from here.
"I doubt that you personally earn the money to pay for classes here either." Echo said evenly in his soft tone, Sam gritting his teeth and clenching his hands. "My guardian pays for the classes, just as your parents do for you. We're no different, you and I."
"We're nothing like, you freeloading bastard!" Sam shouted, stepping over the bench that was bolted to the floor and approaching Echo, fast and angry. "Understand that, orphan."
"Sam, calm down." Wesley started as he reached over to his friend but Sam slapped the hand away.
"I just wonder, is there a limit as to how pathetic you are? I mean, we've all heard about it." Sam said in a seething tone, Echo feeling his blood boil as the other student kept spouting off at him. "To be dumped out on the steps of some orphanage, that's just-"
"Shut your mouth or I'll do it for you." Echo said sharply, his voice dropping and his eyes narrowing at the other boy. He slammed his locker door shut and Sam's knuckles cracked eagerly.
"Like you could, teacher's pet!"
Echo's left hand shot out and with his hand open, slapped Sam's fist out with the back of his palm. His right arm shot up and smashed Sam's left hand into the locker before he kicked Sam backwards with the flat of his foot. Wesley reached out and grabbed the normally calm fighter as Sam stumbled back, Echo reacting out of instinct as he felt a hand on his left arm. He slapped his right hand onto his opponent's hand and then wrapped his left arm around exposed limb, striking him just above the ribs.
As Wesley gasped sharply and painfully, Echo turned and, holding a considerable amount back, kicked his opponent across the stomach. Wesley's body dropped down just as Sam got up, Echo releasing poor Wesley as his friend fast approached. Echo backpedaled as he slapped Sam's incoming punches down or to the side; he knew that Sam was good with his hands and preferred his knees over his feet when it came to kicks, making a close fight a bad idea normally. Echo suddenly stepped in, breaking Sam's rhythm and elbowed the boy's left arm in hard. As the limb crossed further over his body than what he had intended, Sam was shocked when Echo's left hand jerk his attacking arm across and he felt something wrap around his neck.
Echo's right arm was now looped around Sam's neck and his left arm held him it in place by hooking its elbow around his right hand. While his left hand clamped on the back of his opponent's head, he tightened his arm; not to choke but to let him know he had lost, which was clear when Sam began to panic. Echo held him for a little longer, regaining a hold on his temper, before he loosened his arms and shoved the boy away.
The door banged open again and the three boys turned to see Connor walking in, looking confused at the sight that beheld him; a gasping Sam, a groaning Wesley and a shirtless Echo.
"Um, what seems to be the problem here?" He asked cautiously, approaching Echo slowly.
"Me and Sam had a little trouble, which sadly involved Wesley." Echo explained, looking back at a fuming Sam before he turned to Connor. "I'm sorry, we-oompf!"
Before he was even looking at his Hapkido senior, the other boy had viciously kneed him in the groin and Echo doubled over as he felt white hot pain shoot through him. As he looked up at Connor, he was in time to see the tip of his elbow slam on the side of his head and he collapsed, half on the floor and half on the bench.
"You should know, Echo, better than to touch those that are better than you." Connor said calmly and evenly, as though he were correcting a student's stance. "After all, how could an orphan be worth anywhere near the same amount as a normal kid?"
Echo felt his eyes sting with pain as Connor laughed, walking over to Wesley and leading him away. When he wondered what happened to Sam, Echo yelped as a foot connect with his ribs and Sam came into his vision.
"Catch you later, you freeloading bastard."
The door banged shut as they left, Echo shaking as he sat up and gritted his teeth as more than his body stung with pain and shame.
Echo glanced at Abby, bring himself out of his memories and smiling at her. She returned it as she let go of his arm and moved on to examine his shoulder. He detested lingering on such distasteful memories but they were the ones that glared out in the most obvious manner.
Connor, ever since that day, made no secret of his distaste for his sparring partner, as he would often deliver the most brutal combinations to Echo's body. The teachers knew something was amiss but because the reserved student would never complain aloud about the abuse, they were never able to press the issue. Five years of it wore on, with Echo building his strength silently and his speed subtly as Connor continued to flounce his abilities. More students took advantage of the orphan's silence to torment him in sparring until when he was seventeen, when he was entered into a tournament by his sensei.
It was the one time that Echo refused to hinder himself in his fighting, because he was representing his school's pride and honor in this event. He was entered into two events, forms and sparring, and he managed to take second place with his forms. When it came down to sparring, which took over three days to finish with all of the schools in the district competing, Echo was entered against everyone who was at his skill level.
This included Connor and Sam.
"Hey, Abby?" Echo's tone caught her attention and she looked up at her friend. "I think I'll be okay. I just need to do some stretches."
"Mm, and that has nothing to do with Connor and his little groupie of jerks." Abby asked in a deceivingly innocent tone, making Echo smile.
"He's personality is similar to that of a rock star, huh?"
"More like a diva!" Abby and Echo both chuckled at this and she took her hands away from him. "It's okay. I was close to being done anyway."
"Thanks for that, by the way." Echo said appreciatively, Abby waving him off.
"Don't sweat it; your willing to pull your punches a bit, so it seems fair to ease what I did to you." She glanced back at Connor, the ginger puckering his lips to her and she look put off at the suggestion. Glancing back at Echo, she shook her head. "You know it's because he can't take you being better then him."
"I wouldn't say I'm better, kohai…" Echo started but trailed when Abby folded her arms and gave him an amused "are you serious?" look.
"Sempai, you proved that you were better than him three years ago and, as much I don't like admitting it, you've actually grown more than any of us in our year." Abby admitted, holding up her hand when he started to speak and once she knew he would stay silent, the same hand rested on his arm. "I don't mind admitting because, you know what? You earned it."
Echo wanted to say differently, wanted to arguing against her but he knew that it would hurt her feelings. But he didn't like to be recognized as the most skilled fighter because he honestly didn't think that he was. He was sure that there were some kids that were holding back as he had before, afraid to let it out as he had been too and were throwing their fights.
He also knew that Abby was much stronger than what her teachers or even she believed, since she was able to go toe-to-toe with him. She adapted without hesitation and if she got her reaction time up a little bit more, then there would be nothing to stop her.
"Okay, I'll accept that…" He agreed, placing his other hand on hers and she blinked a bit at him when he smiled at her. "…but you have to know that your one of the few fighters I'm afraid to fight and that I respect."
The girl gulped softly and turned her head away from him, probably from embarrassment since her cheeks bloomed a little pink. "I-idiot, you're just smart to be scared of me."
"Of course, how silly of me." Echo said gently, releasing her hand and started stretching his arms across his chest.
Snake Eyes was focused on Dogen's words, eager to learn about this boy's, this Echo's, history. He was deeply disturbed to hear about this boy's relationships with others and his early childhood, uneasy with how similar he and the boy were to one another. He knew the loneliness of being alone and having to deal with everyone thinking the worst of you with every action you made.
But once he joined the Joes, or rather he was recruited into their program, he found good friends and a comradeship with others that he never had before. He felt that despite he spent most of his life in Japan, he grew the most with the Joes and that he truly knew who he was because of their help. He knew that he owed a lot of that to Scarlett, the one person who would speak for him and knew what he was going to say as though she could see his face. They were recruited about the same time and they were similar in similar ways due to their intensive upbringings, though she was far more academic than he was. She was the one out of all of Joe's Alpha team that he would let watch his back over anyone else.
"….which was good, I finally got to see what the other teachers talked about and only glimpsed, at first. His forms execution was flawless during the tournament, each movement clear and crisp as though he was drawing them out." Dogen's voice disrupted his private reflection and brought him back to the subject at hand. "Although he took second place, I think many would accept this was due to him making a minor, and maybe deliberate, fault in his Wushu form."
Deliberate fault? What do you mean? The young ninja master questioned, curious about this.
"Well, he took one extra step that he should not have made and a gave an extra punch, placing him in second place. The boy who took first place even petitioned for Echo redoing his form but the young man refused, content with his standing."
He probably knew he could have done better and chose to fail. Perhaps he is uncomfortable with that kind of recognition. Snake Eyes suggested, though his personal thoughts weren't that far off of his signs. What happened with the sparring event?
"Oh, that was a different story. He took that with a much different approach and greater focus than any other student of our school." Dogen said as he shifted his weight, sighing. "It also made the dislike towards him grow because of what he ended up revealing."
What do you mean? What did he reveal?
"Oh, he revealed why he had been willing to take such abuse from everyone. It was because it made his body use to the blows and it increased his reflexes and recovery." Dogen explained but his tone made him seem older with each pass word. "His matches against his fellow students didn't ever go past two rounds, because he was so familiar with their fighting tactics. He had sparred with them so many times and restrained himself so much, that for them it was as if they were fighting someone they hardly knew."
Incredible. If he hid his skill that well, I am truly impressed. An interesting tactic, since he must have known that a competition fight would have been inevitable. Snake Eyes admitted and then tilted his head slightly, straightening again. Did he spar against that Connor boy?
"Oh yes and that was the most aggressive fight that I've ever seen." Dogen confessed, rubbing his forehead. "Connor is a good student and very adapt at sparring, but he wasn't prepared for Echo and his new zeal. It was though everything that he had done to Echo had come back right at that moment and in the first round, Echo knock him out cold, with just one technique."
Snake Eyes could hardly say that he was surprised and was proud that the young man had dealt with his bully in such a firm fashion. His resolution to not allow his torment to continue on and his skills clearly, from what he had seen first hand and what he was told, were well worth the Arashikage clan's techniques.
The one question that Snake Eyes had now, and that was for the boy and himself, was whether or not he would agree to become an apprentice of another?
Echo remembered the tournament that he fought against Connor in, he was reminded of it every time that he walked into the school. There was a display case behind the register and there were photos of the groups that participated in each tournament for each year. In that photo, he was sandwich between Abby and Wesley as they gave him a joint congratulatory hug. Looking very bashful and with a silver and gold medal around his neck, it had to be one of the few photos of Echo in the world. Abby had her silver medal for her grappling competition, in what Echo felt was one of the closest matches he had ever seen, and Wesley had his gold medal for his weapon forms, the staff in his spare hand used in the forms that he had masterfully performed.
He sighed, a bit strained, as he lowered himself down and then pushed up again, his back scratching against the wall. His arms locked in place, giving him the rigid support that his handstand needed, before he bent them again and lowered himself down; the handstand pushups that he was doing was a great way for him to work his balance and his arm strength at the same time.
As he came up on his fifteenth rep, the young man rolled down slowly to his feet and stood up, albeit a little wobbly. Handstands were fun and useful for various surprising kicks and maneuvers in martial arts, but Echo hated all the blood rushing to his head. Kind of how his memories would flood to him, two particular instances in the tournament because they had affected his life at the dojo the most and changed the outlook other students had on him. It was his fight against Connor and then his final's match, both showcasing his true devastating skill.
He and Connor had been in the preliminary round which took place on the first day and it was his fifth match of the day, his body still taunt and bouncing from the previous fights. The reserved man barely remembered the referee telling him the rules or the bell starting the round but he did remember the feeling of the mats under his feet as he moved around and Connor's aggressive start. He could also remember the look of shock as Echo blocked, weaved and evaded his former senior in their match, the look of horror as the silent teenager stopped him dead with a kick to the chest, swept him the other leg and then caught him with a hook to the back of the head.
It was the silence, though, that really stuck with him. The crowd had stopped cheering or booing, he couldn't hear his breathing or Connor's taunts and every pair of eyes mutely stared at him. No one would come near him as he left the ring, carrying his fallen opponent to the on site EMT and then knelt in meditation. All he could was wait.
Abby wasn't bluffing when she said that he had grown the most in these three years, but that was because his teachers wouldn't allow him to hide or hinder his abilities anymore. They all knew what his limits were and also what his learning rate was now, so they pushed him more so than they did before. Echo appreciated it greatly, feeling he was five times the fight then when he competed three years ago, but it had not improved things with Connor.
Echo lowered himself down as he squatted down on his legs, sliding one out to stretch it. He always stretched, even though he rarely had to, because it was a safe precaution. He could still see Connor out of the corner of his eye, sparring with Douglas now that Abby and Jeffery were going at it. Defeat had stung the ginger's pride badly and he refused to speak with Echo for months afterwards, becoming a savage beast in sparring that was only restrained by the reserved student. But when he agreed to spar his rival, Connor would either hardly restrain himself or just let all of his strength out on Echo.
Echo slowly switched sides, wondering if Connor would ever just let the past go; it wasn't as if he had been intentionally trying to embarrass the ginger student but he had left himself wide open. Not to mention, his instructors had told him that they wanted him to hold up the honor of the school and show them what their students had achieved, that he should not hold back due to his uncertainties. It was that permission that had allowed Echo to abandon all restriction and doubts so that he could show what his school had taught him. In some respects, he was glad to have received permission to use his talents as such and then there were times he wished he hadn't.
As he straightened up and pushed his hip out, he could hear the grappling match escalate from the noise of the scuffling and looked over. Douglas had Connor in a head lock, the ginger kneeling as the Jujutsu student tried to reposition himself so he had greater leverage. The bitter student threw his elbow back into his attackers thigh and Douglas buckled under the attack, his grip slipping just a bit. The ginger jerked his legs under his hips and grabbed the back of the grappling specialist, leaping up and over in a somersault to land behind the poor boy. The practicing student was stunned by the more experienced fighter and grunted in pain as Connor place pressure on his victims joint by standing up with his knee against the other boy's shoulder.
The panic was clear in Douglas's face and Echo felt the fear he did, walking near them as the ginger kept leaning back further. "Connor, he's tapping! Let him go!" His soft voice was loud, resonating across the room.
Deep blues look at his dark greens, the ginger baring his teeth in a leering grin. "Or what, orphan-boy?" Connor snidely taunted, the sound of straining joints almost audible. "You goanna spank me, loser?"
Echo gauged the distance between them, his mind working blindingly fast and he gritted his teeth as Connor looked down, the space less than his height. He knew he could clear the distance and he knew he could help Douglas, but this was Connor he was looking at stopping. He knew that behind his target and around him were friends of the boy, friends that would rush in to help if the moment ever arose. But Echo couldn't afford to risk Douglas's health and so, he prepared to enter. He looked around Connor and saw Abby looking at them, mouthing "you" while she pointed at Connor; Echo gave the slightest nods to signal he understood. But it took too long.
A sickening, crunching snap broke the tense silence and Douglas's face, red from the strain, was now streaming with tears.
Abby and other's started in but Echo was the one there first, Connor dropping the other boy and kicking at his long standing rival. The now enraged student blocked the limb at the shin with his right arm and slammed his palm against the ginger's chest, sending the other boy back. He almost lost his balance but he regained his footing, faking a right hook at Echo's head and connecting a upper cutting elbow. The solid bone connected with the orphan's cheek, making his head jerk away and duck under a kick. As he came up again, he dropped down and swept Connor's standing leg at he tried to give a hook to Echo's head.
The other boy dropped hard on the ground and groaned as he lay there but was protected, Echo's advancement stopped by two of Connor's friends, Sam and Daniel, as one kicked at him. The reserved fighter blocked the kick and hopped back from Daniel's incoming punch, catching his wrist as he did so. The orphan's foot seemingly blurred as he whipped it from side to side, the sides of his foot colliding against the insides of both his knees. Daniel's legs gave out and Echo nailed him with crossing elbow to the face, the boy falling back with a bloody nose. Dropping down under another kick from Sam, the normally restrained boy flipped backwards and slapped the next kick that came at him. The open palmed strike stunted the foot's progress and the orphan capitalized on his bully's disarray to drop him.
Lunging in the fashion that some predatory animal might have, Echo coned his fingers to make his hand cupped and then drove his fingertips at Sam. His four fingers whipped against the other boy's diaphragm, pulling back and struck the same spot with the harden heel of his palm before spinning around him as Sam dropped down breathless. It was a basic technique in many arts but Ninjutsu explored the use of pressure point a great deal more than any other art Echo had studied and the effects were amazing and terrifying at once. For instance, he knew that with the way he struck Sam and the angle his hand had been at, the boy would be breathless for several minutes.
More than what Echo needed but a necessary precaution.
Connor's foot lashed out at his face again but came back on it's self and Echo blocked the tricky hook kick, sliding to the side with a side step. The nearly deranged student lashed out with a jab aimed right at Echo's face, but the reserved student strafed to the outside of the fist and as his head went past his rival's elbow, his left uppercut connected with the other boy's stomach. But that was only part one of the move, the follow up a hook kick right into his chest. The upper cut had pushed the left side of his body forward and made his body pivot back to the right, the flat of his foot swinging around to collide with Connor's chest. The boy, because Echo could hardly see him as a young adult after what he did to Douglas, dropped to his knees and the reserved student reared his fist back to send his rival into a dizzy unconsciousness but was stopped.
He looked to his right and saw that his arm was being held by a black glove, his sight falling down to see the gleaming black visor. Echo didn't realize how hard he was breathing until now, his ears deaf to almost all sounds from the anger at his rival's stupidity. But the face of Master Dogen's friend, the man he had called Snake Eyes, seemed to drain him of his rage and strength to fight. He bowed his head and stepped back, bowing more fully to the ninja. The other man returned it and Echo turned away from him and Connor, rubbing his mouth and cheeks with both hands. His legs shook from overworking and a familiar burn simmered in his back; three hours in the dojo, several sparring session and now this fight were taking their toll on his body. He fought a grunt of unease as he lowered himself down to his knees, folding back onto his heels and fought to try and keep his distain of himself from smothering him.
It was a task that he did not succeed in.
He was sitting outside the main office of the Dojo, the dark green eyes of Echo drearily rest on the opposite chair as he sat in the hallway. In the office right now was Connor and his parents, as well as Sam and Daniel, the head instructor explained the situation and the ramifications of what would happen.
Abby was sitting to his left, since she had been a witness to everything that had happened as well, and she had taken to resting her hand on his arm. He appreciated it, any support right as a form of reassuring that what he had done wasn't the stupidest thing in the world. They had changed from their gi because they couldn't bear to wait around in their stinking uniforms and so, with their bags stuffed under their chairs and slouched down in their chairs, they waited.
His thick black hooded sweatshirt and t-shirt kept him warm and his upper body moist from a thin line of sweat, his auburn hair still slick and spiky. His jeans were stretched and torn at the hems, the ratty ends covering his ankles as he nervously bounced his right leg slightly. His hands were nestled in the over sized pocket that he had in front of his hoodie, fingers laced and flexing nervously. Abby was in her jeans as well, hers much better kept than Echo's and her feet nearly disappeared in wide openings of her hems. Her blue tank top was covered by her dull red sweater, her short blonde hair held back by a black cloth that wrapped around her brow to the back of her head.
Dogen and Snake Eyes were there as well, sitting on the opposite side of the door and talking softly in Japanese. Well, Dogen was talking in his native tongue while his friend continued to sign in smooth and clear gestures, so they technically were talking. The young man would have preferred to have been speaking, but he wasn't even sure of what to say to Abby.
"Do you think Douglas will be alright?" The heavens must have had their ears to the ground, because they heard Echo's prays.
"I don't know. It looked like a clean break and if it's set right, he could be better in a month or two." The reserved boy observed.
"Yeah, but the tournament is going to be next week." Abby pointed out, Echo feel numbing pit in him form. Out of the whole class, he knew that Douglas had been training the hardest and wanted to compete the most; it was his first tournament. "I don't see how expelling Connor is going to make Doug feel any better."
"He'll feel safe at the school again?" Was all the boy could offer and he saw that it's poor effort was rewarded with a depressed acceptance.
"Maybe….if he comes back." Abby pointed out that scenario rather gloomily and Echo patted her hand reassuringly.
"Douglas will, he's got the spirit to do it." He did, Douglas was one of the most upbeat students in the school, even compared to the kids. He just had this shinning optimism that never seemed to leave him.
"I hope so…" Abby was less than convinced and Echo squeezed her hand, the blonde looking up at him.
"Have faith in him. I'm sure that what he needs most right now is the knowledge that we're going to be behind during his recovery."
Abby smiled and nodded, her short hair bobbing up and down as she did so. She would have been support Douglas the entire way regardless of what Echo had said, but hearing him mention their friend's recovery made her think about the positive aspects again. Seeing Abby down didn't make anyone feel better and it actually made her look rather aggressive. Well, aggressive in the sense that her mind was still in a dojo mindset and not in the real world, like she was shoving her bubbly self aside.
The reserved student knew that there was only room in world for one of them to be like that. Since he had been like for nearly twenty years, he was almost a master of the art.
"Do you think you'll get in trouble?" Abby's question brought him out of his reverie, her tone low so that no one else might hear.
"I don't know, probably, yeah."
"But why? You were angry sure, but you didn't go and break somebody's arm." Abby pointed out for his defense, her determination showing on her face. "The worst that you did was give those bullies some bruise and winded one of them."
"I think it's a little more complicated than that." Echo suggested, tilting his head even more to his friend so now he was looking at her. He knew that there more to it than that. "It probably has a lot to do with me loosing my temper like that."
"Tobias, your only human." That had to be the first time in years that Echo heard Abby say his real name and it sent strange warmth through him. "What, do they expect you keep all of the emotional chaos that surges through you perfectly contained?"
"I think you see why that is the case." Echo pointed out, shrugging as he slumped even more in his seat. "I mean, it was at the point that my Master's friend had to step in and stop me, probably because you guys were too scared to step in."
"No, I was too busy with Douglas, as was half of the school." Abby said in a cheeky tone, sticking her tongue out to him and he chuckled lightly. "But seriously, isn't the dojo for us finding a way to channel out emotions into something constructive but also for us to have an outlet?"
"Um, yeah, that's the aim of every schooling facility." Echo said in agreement.
"Well, you come here and there is just more drama being thrown at you. The amount of emotional abuse you seem to go through here and at Western is just keeping you from expelling any of your emotions." As Abby explained her theory, Echo really didn't have the heart to tell her that she was right about him. "It's just making you turn inwards and hide from us."
"Sorry."
"Don't apologize, just be a little more open with some of us." Abby said as she stared at him, fiercely like a tiger might have towards its cubs. "I…we actually worry a great deal about you."
Echo smiled and nodded, the door opening on his right. Connor walking out, his actions so rigid and stiff that the outcome might has well have been written all over his face. He stopped at his rival's feet and the look that Echo received was one of the most scathing and revolted looks in the world. His whole body language just broadcasted that he want nothing more than to lunge at the orphan and pound him away to oblivion. The reserved student felt Abby's nails dig into his skin and he in turn gripped her hand a little more, letting her know that he was fine. Connor glanced backwards, seeing his parents come out and stormed off to the locker rooms, the office emptying quickly.
As Connor's parents and friends walked past, the looks that received ranged from anger to confusion, intrigue to despising, unsettlement to fear. The last one surprised him the most, his deep green eyes question the blue eyes of Connor's mom and she had to turn her head away as she quickened her pace.
"Tobias?" Echo looked back at the door and saw the head instructor of the school, Martin Murray, was looking out at him, wearing a tired smile. "Thank you for being so patient, though I'm not surprised; it's one of your better qualities. Please come in."
Echo returned the smile and stood up, leaving his bag under the chair and shuffling into the room. As he sat down in the chair, he was surprised when Dogen and Snake Eyes came in as well and felt a little alone when the door closed. It effectively sealed off his friend from giving any support to him, but he would just have to tough it out. Dogen eased down in the chair beside him, while his friend chose to lean on a table behind them.
It was a little unnerving having a ninja master hover behind you, especially one that was still in his prime and was able to catch you when you moved at full speed. But still, maybe he was here to give some support or something along those lines, so Echo would wait and see what happened.
"Ah, Tobias, I can assure you that you are not in trouble. I was a little surprised to hear what you done, going after Connor and his friends like that, but then I also realized the history between you." Martin explained gently, Echo relaxing slightly. "I do realize that Douglas is a friend of yours and considering what has happened between you and Connor, your actions were some what expected."
"Oh." Echo wasn't sure he liked the sound of that. "Still, I shouldn't have lost control like that."
"If you have too much emotion, you are swallowed by it. Have to little, then you have no spirit for the fight." Dogen said sagely to Echo, Martin nodding in agreement.
"Yes, very true. We are only human and emotions play a large role in our lives. Would you rather that you had none if it meant that this would never happen again?" Martin asked.
Echo consider it; it would be nice, to no longer have that maelstrom wrecking about in his head and heart, to just be at peace. But then that would mean that he wouldn't have the feelings for his friends, for Father Francis, for the arts he studied so passionately. He hung his head and shook it, Dogen patting his shoulder reassuringly.
"That being said, we have decided to expel Connor from the school for his actions and his friends will be suspended for several weeks." Martin explained, Echo a little unsure of how he would feel about the lack of his rival. "There is another matter at hand, however, that your master wishes to discuss."
"Hmm, what is it?" Echo said as his head shot up and turned to Dogen. "Did I do something wrong?"
"No, my student, you have done everything that I could have asked for. What we wish to discuss is the furthering of your Ninjutsu training." Dogen said and the young man perked up immediately, looking from his master to Martin, and then to the mysterious friend before looking back at his master. "You're learning at a very impressive rate and while I can guide you to your black belt, I am not the most suitable. My former student and current Ninja master, Snake Eyes, has expressed an interest in teaching you."
Echo's eyes widened and he looked at the masked man who nodded in confirmation, his gloved hands writing on a pad of paper. The young man was stunned; this was clearly not what he had been expecting. Sure, hearing praise was a nice motivation for him to continue practicing that much harder and it did always egg him on. But this was something else completely.
His face became twisted with concern as he looked at his master. "This means I will no longer be a student under you?"
The old man, with a sad smile that a grandfather held only for his family, shook his head. "No, I'm afraid not. I'm going to use the time to visit some family and then come back, hopefully rejuvenated from my trip home." Dogen explained and clasped his wrist firmly as those old brown eyes seem to sparkle with new life. "But Echo, it is time that you spread your wings and soared. This dojo has been your home, I understand, but it is time for you explore other grounds."
"We will always keep a space and a locker reserved for you, but Master Dogen is right." Martin offered, Echo feeling a great disease in him. "It's time that you moved on and found a place for yourself in the world. You must want to travel and see the world, right?"
Echo did want to travel around but more so, he wanted to get out of Father Francis's hair. He had been with the man for twenty years; he should be in University but instead he had choked and was still here in this town. Maybe traveling with this man and training with him really would help him figure out what he wanted to do with his life.
Before he could answer, he heard paper being torn and Echo turned to Snake Eyes, the masked man holding out a piece of paper to him. Inscribed upon it, had to be some of the neatest and most elaborate cursive writing that Echo had ever seen. He straightened the paper and his eyes began to digest the words written before him.
Echo, I do wish to teach you and I think that the potential for you is greater than any other person that I have trained with or trained personally. I know that it's frightening to take on a new master, seeing as how there is a great deal of trust between master and student. I would never want to replicate what you have with Master Dogen, but I can promise that I will help you as you strive higher and higher.
There is also a second part of my teachings that Dogen neglected to mention. In becoming a student of mine, you will also be trained as a soldier as I am a member of an elite unit in the army.
Echo looked up at the masked man in shock; a soldier, him? He didn't have what it took to make the cut for the football team, let alone the army. But the ninja master raised his in a calming fashion and he gestured for him to continue on. Echo gulped and looked back down at the paper.
I know that must seem a little blindsiding, but in my particular division we had suffered great losses. I was tasked with finding a recruit with similar martial arts abilities to mine and teaching them in order to help them fit in. I was unable to find such a student in the military bases that I searched in, so I accept Master Dogen's offer to meet about you.
I can honestly say that you are thus far the most suited for the role that my Commanding Officer has in mind. You have a great deal of fighting skills, you have combat experience, you are loyal to your comrades and you are willing to learn with every action you make. True, you do not posses the military experience that we would normally look for and you have no training in military skills, but I think you could pick these up faster than many of the other recruits that we have taken in.
The choice will ultimately be your but I must admit that I really do wish that you would join. I feel that I can help you grow, in martial arts, life and emotionally. And I'm sure that you fit right in with our division.
Echo's mouth was so dry, he was afraid his throat would just split open. Sure, he thought that it would have been cool to train under another master in Ninjutsu but to also receive military training? He could not describe the nervousness that he was now experiencing, his mind racing with so many thoughts that he felt that he had the entire world wide web streaming across his brain.
"I…is this how you recruit everyone?" Echo asked dazedly, Dogen chuckling and Snake Eyes seemed to shake with what he guessed was laughter, nodding at the young man. "I don't know what to say. I mean, do you honestly think I have what it takes to make the cut?"
Snake Eyes hesitated writing on the paper and looked to Dogen, his hands moving it smooth and fluid strokes. The older man understood immediately and began translating. "I think you could definitely make the cut. Your in extremely good physical shape, you appear to be very smart and you would benefit from military training in many ways."
Echo gulped and looked at his master. "Dogen…"
"Sorry, Echo, but is a choice that you have to make for yourself. If you agree, then you will be leaving tomorrow afternoon. If you disagree, this may be the last time you ever receive an offer like this."
Another piece of paper crossed Echo's peripheral vision and he took it from the ninja, the note much shorter this time.
It's true, Echo. I am only allowed to make this offer to you once because of the nature of our work. We're not always heroes and we do the work that very few people want to do, stopping our enemies at any cost sometimes.
Echo sighed and cupped his face with his hand. He knew he had to make a choice sooner rather than later, but that meant he had to weight out all the options right now. If he stayed here, he would be in an environment he grew up in and knew best of all. He would probably go on to be a instructor of this school and play some sort of role in the orphanage. His bullies and those that disliked him would probably grow even bitterer over the years and their tactics may escalate, eventually claiming someone's life. Or they could mellow out, but Echo doubted that he would ever forgive them; too much had been said and done for him to just "forgive and forget".
But if he went with this Snake Eyes, he had no idea what would happen. He would join the army and continue his training but that was all he knew. He may never go out in the field, he may just stay as an instructor for newer students. But he couldn't say what would happen, not really.
…and that excited him more than anything else in the world.
So he stood up solemnly, the older men looking at him as he bowed to Dogen and then to Snake Eyes. "I am ready to go when you are, Sensei."
"What?" Abby's face was filled with shock and disbelief. "You're serious?"
"Yeah, I am."
"Wow, that's…that's just great."
He was standing in front of his seated friend, the girl who had waited for nearly an hour as he sat inside with the three teachers. She had been smiling and hopeful when he walking out, a smile was on his face as well. But as he told what had happened, her face slowly changed to something of disbelief. She stood up slowly and thumbed the strap of her bag that rested on her face, fighting those tears that threaten to spill over her face.
He reached out to her, but froze when she looked up at him and he saw her normal upbeat face was twisted in regret and sorrow. Before he could comprehend what was happening, she had shuffled closer to him and wrapped her arm around him, her arm tightening as much as they could.
He felt like the asshole of the world right now.
"I'm sorry, Abby, but this…is a chance I can't really pass up." Echo tried to explain but his voice failed him and he just sighed.
"I know, Tobias, I know. I was just hoping that I could have done this sooner though." She said, looking up at him and bit her lip nervously
Pushing herself up on her toes, the young man felt his body flushing with a tingling sensation as Abby pressed her lips to the corner of his mouth in a kiss and as she pulled back, it left a slightly salty after taste from her tears. He stared at her in disbelief, unable to think of anything. He remembered what she had told him once, that she only kissed people that she seriously cared for or that she was interested in. They were close but she had never done anything like this before, which meant one thing….
"…seriously?" He asked weakly, Abby giggling lightly.
"Yeah, for a while."
"How long?"
"Come on, Echo, I don't kiss and tell."
"I wish you told me sooner. Now, I'm all-" Echo never finished his admission of doubt because Abby resolved the doubt that she had given him by accident.
"No, stick with what your going to do and just don't forget us here, okay?" Abby asked, pleading with her eyes as she glared at him. She then soften and patted his cheek. "I'll see you around, Tobias."
And all Echo could do was watch her walk down the hallway, speechless and uneasy. But he steeled his nerves and grabbed his bag, walking one last time out of the dojo and towards the orphanage.