Tori wasn't doing so great. She had broken out in a flush fever that was consuming her quickly. Her hair was constantly stuck to her face as she thrashed around and tried to get comfortable in her uncomfortable state. She wasn't going to make it.

Blake was keeping a constant vigil, waiting for her.

"Blake, here." Hunter set down a tray of food for his brother and waited. Blake didn't move so Hunter grabbed his brother's arm. "Hey! Eat something, dang it! Don't just sit there and waste away waiting for her."

Blake slapped Hunter's hand away. "You don't get it. You really don't get it! How do we even know that the amulet he's got wasn't one of Lothor's prior plans?" He stood up, getting in Hunter's face. "You don't know what's wrong! You don't have someone..." Blake stopped.

Hunter's eyes portrayed the pain but he just shrugged it off. "If you say so." He walked away, putting his hands in his pockets.

Hunter had Blake, but nobody was what Tori was to Blake. Nobody really seemed that close to him. Hunter never "connected" with anyone. Nobody.

There wasn't much else to do.

Tori was down, Shane and Dustin were outside with Sensei, trying to get their Ranger Morphers working, so, Hunter was left to tend to the rest of Ninja OPs. Hunter slouched into the chair and watched the screens. He had to wait for someone, something, anything to happen. So, that meant that there was something he was going to have to do.

Or boredom would set in and he'd die of sleep.

Hunter sat up.

Empress was walking around the old Ninja Academy.

Hunter stood up and decided to go out, on his own.

-Empress-

She was tracing her fingers along the broken walls of the training grounds. Memories or none, she had nothing to remember now. Lothor was right, her memories wouldn't return, no matter where she ran to.

It was lonely. Nothing to hold onto, late at night. No songs to hum to calm the nerves. No echoing laughter to aid her and make her feel better.

She stopped and looked back. Hunter appeared in the entryway and Empress stopped, looking right at Hunter. They stood there, staring at each other for the longest time, before Empress turned to him, fully.

"Do you need something?" she asked.

"No, not really." Hunter seemed to be wary of her.

Empress shrugged and continued tracing the outside of the training arena. She kept walking until her fingers crossed a gap. Stopping, Empress stared at the gaping hole.

Hunter came up behind her and grabbed her roughly by the arm. "What's wrong with you?"

She stared up at Hunter. "I don't know. All I know is that you're hurting me and I'm not going to fight you." She gently tugged her arm away from him. Softly, she raised her hand to show Hunter something. She pulled her collar down and a rather dark burn mark stood out on her flesh. "I only know that I've burned myself. I only fight if Lothor commands it. Although, some how, my chi manipulation didn't work on you."

"What?"

She touched his chest, right where she'd stabbed him during their first encounter. "You're not under my spell. Cam, however, did fall under it. So, why not you? Is there someone you don't want to see hurt? Are they close?"

Hunter's breath suddenly came in sharp and evil.

-Cam-

"Lothor's will?"

"Yes. He wants you to find Empress and attack the city again."

Cam nodded and turned away.

Inwardly, Cam was banging on the walls of his inner thoughts.

How cold this have happened?