Chapter 2: The Rise of the Shinobi
Nick stood dumbfounded at the sight of the mysterious man taking the form of something straight out Power Rangers.
"This has to be a dream…" He said out loud.
Takeru slashed the Dreamon twice across the torso before turning back to him. "Well of course it's a dream. I wouldn't have been able to find you unless I did a Dream Drive."
"A Dream what—ow!" Nick yelped as he grabbed his cheek. He turned towards the ground behind him and noticed the shuriken stuck in the ground.
He then turned back towards the tree, but it was empty.
"I'll explain everything later!" Takeru called out to him, while continuing to fight the Dreamon. Takeru flipped over the Dreamon and delivered a vertical slash down its back.
It dropped to its knees, in pain, fighting its way back up.
"Oyasumi Nasai…" Takeru spoke softly, detaching his claw off his belt. He slid it back on his wrist as his katana and wrist started to spark with gold electricity.
"CLAW SET: FINAL SLASH ATTACK!"
The monkey Dreamon shook off the pain and roared at Takeru who bent his knees and pulled his right arm back.
"Static Crescent Slash!" he took a step forward and disappeared, as if moving like lightning. He reappeared behind the Dreamon, swung the electricity from his arm and slid the blade into the sheath. The Dreamon's body suddenly sparked with the same electricity and roared in pain. It fell forward and ignited in flames afterward.
Nick shielded himself from the heat and waited for the explosion to end before looking over his arm.
"That was…" He tried to say. He looked at Takeru who walked up to him.
"Don't forget; that building: tomorrow after class." Takeru pointed and smirked. "And any and all questions will be answered. See you then Nicholas Jackson…"
Takeru continued to walk towards the building, leaving Nick standing there, wondering who this man was and what he was in store for. He picked up the shuriken and examined it, before feeling himself losing consciousness.
Nick opened his eyes and realized that the bus was one stop away from approaching his stop. He yawned, reached for the bell and grabbed his bag.
Inside his empty house, Nick traveled to his room, not bothering to check for other signs of life. Both of his parents were at work, and he didn't have any siblings so he didn't have to worry about looking for them either.
He ran upstairs to his room where he threw his bag on the bed and hopped into his computer chair in front of his television. If anything could take his mind off of what he just experienced, it was Halo 4.
The game started, and he wasted no time heading into Spartan Ops to start the new missions for the week.
Nick's Spartan dropped into the area, clad in Silver Armor with Green accents on the arms, legs and on parts on the helmet. The silver-visor Spartan aimed its Battle Rifle and began to fire at the grunts charging him.
Nick was so engrossed in the game he didn't know that two hours went by since he started playing. The five missions were done and he set the controller on his desk and scratched his head, smiling with accomplishment. His attention was stolen by the sound of the doorbell ringing as he got up and raced downstairs to answer the door.
He opened the door, being greeted by a UPS delivery man.
"Package for Nicholas Jackson…" The tall Caucasian man stated.
"But I didn't order anything…" Nick replied, surprised.
The deliveryman looked at his pad to check to see if he had the right address. "This is 435 Castle Street, right?"
Nick nodded.
"Well, this package is designated for a Mr. Nicholas Jackson, who lives at 435 Castle Street. Just sign here."
Nick sighed and took the pad, signing his name.
"If I were you kid, I wouldn't turn down free stuff. No telling what's inside of there. I bet its life changing."
Nick gave the deliveryman a look and closed the door.
The deliveryman snickered. "You owe me one Takeru…"
Nick ran back to his room and grabbed his keys from his desk to break the tape off the package. He sat on his bed, broke the tape and began to pry the tabs from the box.
"Wonder what's inside this thing…" he wondered, throwing the stuffing and bubble wrap to the side. He reached the bottom of the box and pulled the objects out. One was a silver mechanical arm brace with a black strip across the top. The other object was a silver and green shuriken.
Suddenly, Nick's dream came back to him and he tossed the objects to the headboard of the bed and flew back as far as he could from them. His breathing became heavy as various thoughts began running through his head.
"What—how? That was a dream, there's no way this is happening…" he told himself. "Unless… I'm still dreaming…"
His phone chimed, alerting him of an incoming text message. He raced to grab his phone, realizing that the text came from an unknown number. He opened the text.
No you're not dreaming.
"What the hell…?" Nick started to get scared as the text message replied to him. "Now my phone is talking to me?"
Another text message came through reading: No doofus, this is a real person. For someone who dresses like the "King of the Nerds," you're pretty stupid.
"Who are you, how did you get this number?"
The 3rd message came: Remember that cute girl you blew off this morning in class? She wants to talk to you. How fast can you get to the Staten Island ferry?
"I don't know, thirty minutes?"
The fourth and last text message came through: "We'll meet you there in thirty minutes. Don't be late! And don't forget to bring my brace either."
Nick was afraid to question what just happened so he grabbed his jacket, his bag and that gear that he got in the mail and headed out.
"Can I have my phone back?" Layla looked over to her left where she sat in the ferry terminal.
The phone leapt into the air and she caught it, saving Nick's number into the phone. "You think he's going to show?"
"He will, I can assure it. He is me after all."
"He's a small mechanical Tiger?" Layla joked.
A small green-striped silver tiger hopped into her lap and got comfortable before looking up to her.
"I flatter you and you have the nerve to crack jokes? Be grateful I'm even getting him to come here."
"Alright, alright I got it." Layla apologized. "Thanks for the compliment by the way…"
"Only saying what he was too shy to say." The tiger replied. "Wake me when he shows up, will ya?"
Layla inserted her earbuds into her ears and switched her phone onto Facebook. "Got it…"
And so, thirty minutes passed and the bus pulled up into the terminal. As the people flooded off the bus and down the ramps leading into the waiting room, Nick followed, the shuriken held by a chain around his neck and the brace on his left arm. Throughout the trip, he continuous fiddled with the device, trying to make it work.
The black strip on the top turned out to be a touch screen, once he realized how to turn it on. On the screen, the top of the screen read: CLAW System Model: 04, with the current time and date next to it. Under it were four different applications lined up next to each other: Transformation, Communicate, System Status and finally DD.
"The more I mess with this thing, the more of a Power Ranger I feel…" Nick said, examining it all around.
Nick made it down the ramp and walked into the waiting room where Layla sat, still playing with her phone. He walked over to her, eager for her to answer the questions that were making laps around his head.
Layla looked up and looked at her phone. "You're a minute late."
"What do you want?" Nick demanded.
"You know it's rude to make a girl wait."
"You know I don't care right?"
Layla laughed. "Oh man, I love this. This whole 'I hate the world' attitude is cute."
"If all you wanted to do was make fun of me, good luck because I honestly don't care about what you think of me." Nick stated.
"That's a lie." She stretched. "It's hitting you harder than an ice-covered brick and you know it."
"Shut up." Nick shot at her.
"Nah, I'm good." She looked back at him. "You see, when I'm disrespected, I've learned that to get it off my chest, I have to return fire. If you don't like it then do something about it."
Nick balled up his fist, fighting the urge to punch her. "I… can't."
Layla raised her eyebrow. "Why not…? Come on, I can take a hit." She stood up and leaned forward with her cheek In front of him. "Don't worry, it won't hurt."
"My mom taught me not to hit girls…" Nick admitted.
"My mom taught me that people these days don't give a crap about morals anymore." Layla countered. "Come on, I can see it in your eyes, you're dying to punch me. Unless…"
"Unless what?" he asked.
"You don't want to damage this cute face of mine. Is that it?" she smiled at him.
Nick's face turned bright red and he stepped back. "Wha—what gave you that idea?! I never said you were cute!"
"Layla, that's enough," the tiger spoke from behind her. "You're going to make him wet himself."
Layla sighed and turned back. "Alright, alright…"
"Who said that?" Nick asked her.
Layla took a step to the right and presented the tiger who sat patiently. "Hello Nick; we need to talk. Takeru wants to wait until tomorrow to bring you up to speed, but to be honest, after what happened in the Dream World, I don't have the patience. I see you received my shuriken."
Nick involuntarily reached for the shuriken around his neck and realized who the tiger was. "There's no way…"
The tiger nodded. "What's the matter? You know who I am, there's no need to be surprised."
"I think I have every right to be surprised!" Nick said. "You're the Ninja of Dreams—my alter-ego—me!
"Correction: you are me!" the tiger replied firmly. "I'm the real you. You are just the shy, pathetic frail jerk who took over when you decided to cut your ties with those close around you. I'm here, to bring the old you back."
"And how do you figure you're going to do that?" Nick asked.
"Simple; Forcing it out of you." The tiger replied confidently. "Of course I won't be able to do it in a day, so I'll hang around with you until then. For now, Layla, can you bring him up to date on what's going on?"
Layla nodded and sat down, patting the bench next to her. "Take a seat." Next ferry comes in fifteen minutes, so we got time before it shows up.
Nick reluctantly took a seat and Layla cleared her throat. "Well then, let's get reacquainted. My name is Layla Santiago. And this, of course is your Dream alter-ego in a small, tiger body.
The tiger nodded.
"Takeru explained to me what happened in your dream." Layla continued. "He interacted with you, didn't he?"
"I… I remember so little…" Nick replied.
"That's normal." Layla replied. "It's hard to recall dreams, so try to remember as much as you can."
"I… remember he said something about a 'Job Offer'. What did he mean by that?"
"That thing on your arm is proof that you accepted it." The tiger spoke.
"Accepted what? What job did he mean?"
"You've just agreed to become a Dream Driver." Layla smiled. "Congrats."
"What is a Dream Driver exactly…?"
Out of nowhere, screams bellowed throughout the terminal, grabbing the trio's attention instantaneously. They jumped up and ran out the doors, finding the source of the screams.
"It's one of those monsters from my dream…" Nick said, noticing the red and black Ant-like Dreamon that walked down the wide area.
The Ant Dreamon cracked its neck and reached for something behind it. He pulled his arm back from behind him and held his palm up to its mouth, it being filled with red and black sand. It blew the sand, as it scattered in the air.
The sand rained down and reformed into a dozen weaker-looking humanoids, half of them red and the other black; both groups had a colored mask of the other group on their faces and they wielded katana blades, the color of the hilts matching their masks.
"Get them!" The Ant Dreamon ordered them.
The foot soldiers nodded and began to case after the people attempting to escape.
"Oh perfect." Layla said frustrated. "Dustoids is one thing but a Dreamon on top of it?"
"And it's not like I can do much in this form." The tiger growled. "Crap…"
Layla turned to Nick and then looked at his brace. "Wait a sec…"
Nick turned back to her. "What?"
"Didn't Takeru take down a Dreamon in your dream?" Layla asked.
"Yeah, what about it?"
"He didn't do it with his bare hands, did he?"
"No he transformed into some Power Ranger-thing, but what has that got to do with—"
"Yes!" She exclaimed. "Perfect!"
"What…?" Nick said, taking a step back from her.
"Layla, please don't tell me you're thinking what I think you're thinking…? The tiger added.
"Oh, but I am. And If it saves our butts then I don't want any backtalk, understood furball?" she told him.
"What are you planning? You don't expect me to fight that thing do you?"
"Oh ho ho, but I do!" she grabbed his arm and pressed the 'Transformation' button on the screen. The screen switched over to another screen with an arrow pointing to the front of the brace with the words: "Slide CLAW into dock" next to it.
"Oh no! I am not fighting that thing!" Nick stated. "I'm not risking my butt for no one!"
"Well what choice do we have? If we don't stop that thing people are going to die. Trust me, if I could I would but we don't have any other option.
"So why don't you take this and do it?" Nick asked, finding a way to take the brace off.
"Because… I am you're inner self, not hers." The tiger told him. "My brainwaves and yours are the only ones that can sync together since we're one in the same, so to speak. To put it in terms that you can understand: Shut up and follow my lead, understood?"
Nick took a look at the Dustoids that were forcing the stragglers attacking the civilians and he swallowed hard. "Okay; just this once…"
"Alright then: Toss the shuriken into the air, and Let's Run Wild!"
Nick nodded and took the shuriken off, tossing it to the tiger. The tiger hopped into the air and grabbed it with its mouth, transforming into a tiger Claw afterward.
"Slide it onto the brace. It'll send out a marker that will generate the Belt around your waist." Layla instructed.
Nick nodded and slowly slid the CLAW onto his brace.
"CLAW SET!" the belt announced as the belt suddenly materialized around his waist.
"Now take it off and transform; you know how to do that, right?" Layla asked.
"Yeah, I slide it onto the belt right?" Nick asked.
"Yup, you got it."
"Alright then..." Nick smirked. He turned back and ran towards the Ant Dreamon.
"Hey!" Nick called the bug out, grabbing its attention.
"Beat it punk, I don't have time to play with someone who wants to be a hero." The Ant told him, not impressed by his bravery.
"Too bad, because I'm not moving until I bring you down."
The ant scoffed. "Really now…? Alright kid, let's see what you got!"
"Gladly…" Nick pulled the CLAW off his brace and held it next to his face. "IT'S MORPHIN TIME!" he pulled his arm back and slid the CLAW on to his belt, and held his arms out.
"ERROR: INVALID PASSWORD!" The system replied to him.
There was an awkward silence amongst the remaining ones in the terminal, with the people in the terminal thinking that Nick was insane.
Layla facepalmed herself; "That idiot didn't tell him the activation code, are you kidding me?"
"Uh Layla… why didn't anything happen?"
"Dustoids: rip him to shreds." The Ant ordered.
The soldiers readied their weapons and launched towards Nick.
"Crap!" he yelled frantically, dropping to the ground and covering himself with his arms.
"This is why I said for me to take over…" the tiger suddenly spoke in his head.
Nick shot up, blowing the Dustoids back. He sent a roundhouse kick into one of them, followed by ducking and uppercutting the second one that came up to him. He swung his arm, hitting another one in the face, while blocking a strike from another. He grabbed the wrist of the blocked one, and forced the katana out of his hand, to which Nick took care of the rest of them slashing them down.
The Dustoids exploded into piles of sand dunes, much to the shock of the Ant Dreamon and the others.
"Sorry about that. Just had to take over briefly..." Nick said, with the tiger's mechanical voice speaking simultaneously with his. "Now then… Let's Run Wild!"
Nick pulled the CLAW off his belt and held it to his face once more. "HENSHIN!"
He slid it onto the belt once more and held his arms out, as the belt unleashed a green silhouette of his body frame.
"SHINOBI MODE!" the device finally announced as the frame went through him. Nick was replaced by a silver-clad, tiger-motif ninja warrior with green accents across his arms, legs and shoulders. On his back was a green hilt Katana, and his helmet had a gold shuriken-like faceplate that covered the helmet's jade green eyes.
"It can't be…" The Ant Dreamon took a step back in fear. "It's the Legendary Ninja of Dreams…!"
"Yoroshiku…" Nick took a bow. "Now then, as I was saying: Let's run wild!"