A/N: Thanks for the reviews! VFSNAKE: Anyone who's seen the 2003 TMNT series knows how Jack's training will go. Negima Uzumaki: Saki is pretty much the Demon Shredder from the Lost Season. SSj Masta: Your review was well appreciated and I'm still "thinking' about your idea. Ultimate10: Thanks for your review. MEleeSmasher: Speaking of Batman, have you seen the new trailer for "The Dark Knight Rises"? Foxbear: Like I said, if you've seen the 2003 TMNT series' Lost Season, than you know who this group is.
Chapter 19
Jack awoke inside of a traditional Japanese room; a sliding door, a thin carpet floor and a mat for a bed. He stood and stretched himself as he replayed the events of yesterday. While continuing his self-imposed exile, Jack was met by a mysterious group of people. Four of them, to be precise. A notable feature was that they were all dressed in armor with the same design as the Shredder.
They had not come to fight, only retrieve Jack for whatever they had planned. Jack was too tired at the time to question them, but now he was wide awake and ready to get some answers. He exited his room and was met by the wooden doll creature. It motioned for Jack to follow it and he did without question. They exited the small house that served as Jack's quarters for the time being. As they wandered through the city like monastery, Jack looked around.
It looked as if people should have been living in those houses, but there was no one here except for Jack, the wooden doll, and the four Shredders. The streets were bare and an eerie fog hung over the monastery. This place, for all intents and purposes, was dead to the world. It left Jack with an uneasy feeling. They approached a palace and Jack looked around it, something interesting catching his eye.
Adoring the walls, the doors, and several other points on the palace was a symbol. Jack had seen that same symbol before on the Shredder; a red, three pronged, symbol, the Foot Ninja symbol. Only, this was different. The symbols were all upside down, the three prongs facing downward. Jack came up to the doors of the palace, trying to figure out how to knock on the door loud enough to be heard.
Suddenly, the doors opened on their own, allowing Jack a good view of the room. It was one of the largest rooms Jack had ever seen, making him wonder if Cybertronians lived here. In the center of the room was a pond, the inverted Foot symbol reflecting in the pool. Just past the pond were five thrones that stood several feet off the ground. The four Shredders took up four of the seats while the fifth remained empty.
"Enter," the green Shredder said. Jack walked into the room, approaching the four thrones. The walk seemed to last forever until he was finally there.
"Welcome," the light blue Shredder said. "I measure to guess that you are wondering why we have brought you here."
"The thought crossed my mind," Jack shrugged.
"You are here because of the abilities you possess," the dark blue one said. He had the accent of a gruff Asian man. "We have been watching you for some time, ShadowStrike."
Jack winced at the sound of that name, "The 'abilities' you've seen aren't mine. They were given to me-"
"By the Thirteen Primes," the green Shredder finished.
"You know about them?"
"We have learned to see beyond the spectrum of eyesight," the light blue Shredder replied. "We know that the Thirteen chose you to locate the relics of their world. We also know that you were manipulated by the Liege Maximo."
"If you know about the relics than why aren't looking for them too? You have to know how dangerous they are in the wrong hands."
"It is not our place to interfere with the affairs of the world," the green Shredder replied. "We can only watch as the events unfold. That is, until now."
"We are here to train in what It means to a true ninja," the dark blue Shredder said.
"Who are you?" Jack asked. As if it was the question they were waiting for, the four Shredders started to change. The light blue Shredder began glowing, his armor disappearing. When the light died down, he stood before Jack dressed in a sleeveless vest, knee high boots, and black pants, red sashes seemingly floating around him. His hair was like his armor and eyes, a spiky light blue.
"I am Chiaki," he said. "Master of Spirit." The dark blue Shredder was the next to change, his body seemingly being wrapped in chains. The chains pulled apart to reveal his true form. He dressed in white kimono, black puffy pants, and tabi boots. He wore a helmet like hat on his head that had their symbol marked into it. He face was covered in white war paint, red lines across his cheeks.
"I am Juto," he said. "Master of Weapons." The green Shredder was encased in earth, covering her body from head to toe. With inhuman strength, she shattered the earth around her to reveal herself. Her hair was tied in pony tail and she was dressed in a green fighting vest and combat boots, her slim legs exposed.
"I am Chikara," she said. "Master of Strength." The orange Shredder silently removed his armor. He was the tallest of the four, wearing a sleeveless dark shirt with pants and sandals. He was bald and markings adorned his skin. Chikara gestured to him, "He is Hisomi. Master of Stealth."
"We are the Ninja Tribunal," Chiaki said. "And you, ShadowStrike are our newest Acolyte. We will train you in the ways of Spirit, Weapons, Strength, and Stealth."
ShadowStrike Rising
The Autobot base sat in silence as the 'Bots entered another week without successfully locating Jack. Arcee was getting frustrated as Optimus refused to allow her to search for her partner without an escort. She understood the Prime was just trying to protect her, but wasn't it him who charged her with the task of keeping Jack safe? Bulkhead had cooled down after his talk with Miko and was more active in searching for Jack, only to come up empty handed. Though no one could see it, Optimus was suffering.
He kept replaying the night when Arcee was injured by the Requiem Blaster and Ratchet informed them of her impending death. When Bulkhead had blamed Jack for Arcee's condition, the other Autobots followed suit. Jack had looked to his mother and friends for support, but they merely avoided his gaze. Then he turned to Optimus himself, his eyes pleading with the Prime to understand that he had not been himself when he exploded at them. But Optimus could find nothing to say that would ease the tension in the room, so he merely averted his gaze from the young man.
Now Optimus understood just how much of an impact it must have had on Jack. Since being chosen by the Thirteen, Jack and Optimus began spending more time together. The Prime had learned much from his talks with Jack about his world. He found that listening to music often lifted the stress of protecting the world, though Optimus listened to it sparingly. He particularly liked the songs of "Johnny Cash" (who else pictures Optimus as someone who would like Johnny Cash?).
He learned a great deal of military strategies from a book Jack had bought for him entitled, "The Art of War by Sun Tzu". Optimus had formulated several strategies to use against the Decepticons when next they met. Optimus found himself thinking more and more about a life beyond the war with the other Autobots. It had all culminated in a dream he had last night. He was a human male, who had just gotten out of bed to greet his sparkmate, or wife.
He found her in the kitchen, discovering it to be none other than June Darby, Jack's mother. She had fixed him breakfast. He sat down to eat when he heard the sound of a motorcycle engine. From the garage, Jack and a human Arcee emerged, their hands intertwined. They were laughing happily as they greeted Optimus and June.
Later on, the four went to the park, where they were met by Miko and a human Bulkhead, the Asian girl riding on the Wrecker's back. They then caught sight of Rafael and a human Bumblebee playing. He caught sight of Ratchet and Agent Fowler having a chess game, talking about the news and other things. Optimus had never felt so content in his life, even if he knew it was a dream. In his quiet moments, the Prime often thought of what life would be like if he had a family.
A wife to love and share quiet, tender moments. A son to pass on knowledge to, in the hopes that he would not repeat the mistakes he made. But all thought of family, was seemingly lost with the deal of Elita-1, Optimus' sparkmate. Of all of the prices he'd paid to this war, Elita was the greatest. Not a solar cycle went by when she did not cross his mind.
Now, Optimus had lost one he considered a son. Instead of helping Jack like he should have, he ignored the boy's desperate cry for help. And now Jack was gone, possibly forever.
"Jack," he spoke to no one in particular. "Please be safe until we can find you."
ShadowStrike Rising
In the monastery of the Ninja Tribunal, Jack and Chiaki entered the training grounds. Jack's old and tattered clothes had been replaced with a black training outfit, the Tribunal's symbol over the right side of the chest.
"One of the most important things about Ninjutsu is Spirit," he began. "Spirit is the matter that makes up our world. It resides in the trees, the mountains, and the seas. Harnessing it will take a long way in your training." Chiaki sat in a meditative position while floating in the air. His eyes were closed as a light blue aura surrounded him. Above, the transparent figure of a dragon appeared, roaring in all its might. Jack backed away in shock and slight fear.
"You have witnessed my Animal Spirit," Chiaki opened his eyes. "Every ninja possesses one. It is the spirit we are most in tune with. Let us see what spirit you possess." Jack copied Chiaki and sat in a meditative position. "Let your mind wander free. Do not be distracted by thoughts such as doubts, emotions, or fears."
Jack took a deep breath, something in his body stirring. It felt as though he was running, running through a forest. He was chasing something, his prey. A black, red outlined, energy emitted from his body, a transparent figure taking the form of a wolf, howling in the night.
"To be expected," Chiaki observed. "The wolf is cunning, swift, and agile. It does not simply attack its prey, but uses its mind and its advantage of numbers. It can also be blinded by anger and become viscous."
Jack opened his eyes and panted, as if he just run the 30-meter dash, "Okay, now what."
"Now," Chiaki repeated. "I will teach you Ninpo."
"Ninpo?" Jack asked.
"The ancient art of Ninjutsu requires that you learn magic spells to be used offensively and defensively." Chiaki took a stance and channeled his energy while mumbling an incantation. He opened his eyes, "Ninpo: Art of the Inferno!" Fire emitted from his hands, surround him and Jack. Jack watched the scene before in amazement. The flames died down as Chiaki looked to Jack, "Your turn."
"How am I supposed to do something like that?" he asked incredulously. "With Zangetsu, I don't have any power."
"NInjutsu comes not from any single weapon, but from the its wielder. You will learn this while you train with Juto, now begin." Jack took a stance similar to Chiaki and began to channel what energy he could. Once again, he felt something surge inside him.
"Ninpo: Art of the Dark Void!" he said instinctively. Out of his hands, a dark purple energy orb shot out, obliterating one of the buildings. Chiaki looked at the remains, then back to Jack, in shock. "I'm sorry! I didn't mean to-"
"The Art of the Dark Void is a rather exceptional spell," Chiaki commended. "You are learning quicker than we had imagined."
"But I think that was all instinct," Jack replied.
"Relying on one's instinct is another important factor in Ninjutsu. We will just have to train you to use your attacks consciously. Only then, will they be stronger."
ShadowStrike: Rising
Chiaki pass Jack along to Chikara for his training in Strength. As they made their way to the training field, Jack kept at a distance from the female. She turned her head towards him, "Why are walking so slow?"
"No reason," he muttered.
"You are uncomfortable around me," she raised an eyebrow, looking offended.
"To be fair, I'm pretty much like that with all the beautiful women I meet, " he rubbed the back of his head before realizing what he said. "Not that it means anything. But not to say you're not beautiful, which you are, I mean-"
"Your compliment is greatly accepted," she smiled slightly before continuing onward, Jack walking a little closer to her this time.
ShadowStrike Rising
A/N: I hope you enjoyed. Next time: Jack trains with Chikara, Juto, and Hisomi. He then discovers the Ninja Tribunal's connection to the Shredder.