Even though their sensei was calm and collected he would not let his students become complacent with their training regimes. They would always be required to train together, with each other on a daily basis because evil never slept. What could be seen as a small insignificant moment of weakness could pull on the whole team, the balance would be tipped just because of one.
"So, lunchtime meal! Got that much now onto the transport, will you be doing separate or hybrid?"
"Well I hadn't really thought about it really, why?" Jay asked as he stared at Kai in confusion. "I mean I was gonna summon my elemental dragon or..."
"Just want you to keep your hands to yourself is all."
"Really Kai, we're both adults, you know this right. I mean we've been seeing each other for over six years now."
"What exactly are you trying to say Jay? Are ya trying to say your intentions are not pure."
Rolling his eyes without Kai seeing. "Oh no, I plan to wait until the wedding night of course like any loving fiancé would." Jay replied sarcastically, his kendo mask obscuring his expression as he spoke in his usual high playful intonation.
'Ahh if only he knew Nya like I do, hehe. He hid his dirty smile from his future brother in law.
He ducked underneath Kai's strike before following through with his own attack catching Kai's knuckles in the process and earning a hiss from the master of fire.
In pained retaliation, Kai attempted to strike at Jay's covered neck but he had misjudged the blue ninja's reflexes because Jay saw it coming and dodged the blow to gain an opening.
Jay managed to go on the offensive getting a clean shot into Kai's midsection. He stood back again and they both took their attack stances, looking for that chance to strike. So far Jay had got two clean shots in and their Sensei had seen it.
Though how much he was paying attention was dubious. Wu could be staring at nothing in particular yet paying incredible attention to the footwork and positioning of each opponent.. Typically, right at this moment, he was ocassionally, watching as he drank his strained tea, popping the odd dumpling into his mouth using his chopsticks.
Jay took in a deep breath and focused. He was getting too warm in this ensemble, the mask and enclosed helmet was making it hard for adequate air to circulate. He took one glimpse at Kai, he looked the same; red and flustered.
Kai loved the heat though, he was the master of fire. The guy even loved sauna's too, the weirdo.
Again their Sensei signalled them to start and he noted that Jay was staying low as before. This time Kai was ready and he used his heavy wooden katana bringing it down onto Jay's padded shoulder.
Jay looked down, defeated for a few fleeting seconds. Shaking his head at the mistake, Jay, the master of lightning stood again. "Come at me bro," He taunted, smirking through his mask. His electric blue eyes stared into the amber eyes of the fire master.
Katana to katana, Kai got in Jay's face if only to ask him a question he didn't want his other brothers to know. "Just so I've got this right, you don't want them knowing?" His amber eyes looked in Cole's direction before switching to Lloyd.
"N-no come on Kai, seriously. I didn't actually want you knowing really but I had to do it."
'Just didn't want to tell you as much as I did.'
"I see much talking, not much training nor exercise." Sensei admonished. "Stay sharp Jay, whatever happens never let your guard down."
"Hei Sensei," Both masters of fire and lightning bowed.
"Haa, like that'll ever happen, no one will get through my lightning fast defences." He whispered to Kai. Both smiling.
"Well I hate to say this Jay." Kai said as he performed a swift manoeuvre Jay wasn't expecting. Kai span around fast and his wooden katana hit the side of Jay's protective helmet sending him spiralling to the floor.
"Oww." Jay whined, ears still ringing.
"There's a time to be fast, there's a time to be slow. You just gotta know when that time is right." He replied and held his hand out for Jay to accept.
The lightning master took it gratefully and hopped back onto his feet as if nothing had happened. "Two for two." Jay said enthusiastically. "But you realise if we keep this up, we'll be fighting till dusk."
"Maybe unless one of us admits defeat and throws the fight in the others favour…" Kai said without even a hint of guilt.
"Really, you wanna cheat in front of Wu, you realise if that happens we'll likely have to start from scratch." Jay replied.
"Not my concern, I could go all night." Kai shrugged.
"I bet you could, care to wager on that?" Jay said with a smirk as he thrust his wooden katana, the weapon making contact on Kai's mid-section again before Jay lifted and altered his hand position causing the katana to strike Kai's covered neck.
"Two shots in one, down by two. Any more wise cracks?" Jay said.
"Actually, you haven't said yes, have ya, I gave you all the information you needed to know and you haven't said if I can or can't."
"Well you can't!" Kai replied childishly, testing Jay for his response.
"Damn, well I'm gonna marry her anyway," Jay smiled, taunting.
Kai merely laughed at his blue brother. "I give you my permission dude, seriously. Besides, you've got this and I'll help as best I can."
"Final round please students, for my tea is going cold. You both seem to be spending more time talking than duelling." Sensei spoke up.
After a few more minutes of duelling both elemental master retired to their own room, Jay having stripped off fast, had ran to the bathroom to shower first, whilst Kai was tasked with putting the weapons and protective clothing away.
Zane had been with Nya most of the morning and the pair of them had been shopping for maintenance supplies, the control panel only needed a simple upgrade and the jet boosters needed new metal gauze sheets to protect the air intake valves from being clogged up. Luckily only one booster had ever malfunctioned because of that but the Bounty was equipped with several jet boosters which all took the added strain.
Still it was better to be safe than sorry and the trip had then become a requirement, meaning an impromptu trip to the junk yard was chosen for that was the best place to start looking and the most likely place to find what they were looking for.
So the saying goes; 'what's one man's muck is another man's money.'
Ed and Edna were ecstatic at seeing Nya and Zane, for it had been months since Jay and his brothers had graced his parents door step with their presence. As usual the 'Walkers' were enthused to have had any guests and once they saw who had arrived both talkative 'Walkers' had started yapping and they hadn't stopped all day. Both master of water and ice had even been invited to join Jay's parents for breakfast and lunch but they had both turned down dinner giving their own excuses for having to bow out so graciously.
Ed had helped both ninja in fairly quick time, because everything in his junk yard had a place. Electronics were over here, broken beyond repair diesel engines over there, old defunct petrol engines near the furthest wall. Used tires in the opposite direction and metal chassis were under a secure weighted net to avoid any theft. Basically all the highly flammable things were separated from each other and more importantly they were separate from their own living quarters. Everything else was secured and rightly so, this was the Walkers livelihood, it was their sole trade and their job.
Ed had disappeared into a rickety looking pile of what looked like tangled aeroplane pieces, coming out a few short minutes later with two large control panels; one under each arm. Once he was in front of Zane he effortlessly stripped the panel down, it was apparent to Zane that this was no ordinary panel, this having come from an old aeroplane. Ed quickly removed the dusty old casing and with great care and attention; he extracted the required electrodes and relevant chipsets, placing them happily into Zane's waiting hands.
According to Zane three of the four parts would be compatible, he even gave his usual calculation having brought up the schematics in front of his face.
Soon after Ed had helped Zane he went off to help Nya whilst Zane stayed with Jay's mother figure. Again metal gauze was remarkably easy to find, it was a short five minute walk from one part of the impound to the other side where the large covered stack of metal was found.
Ed had helped Nya find the relevant metal gauze which he had then cut down into smaller pieces that would be safe enough to carry in the canvas bag they had bought with them, the gauze was still big enough to be cut down further if the propulsion engines required it.
"Now you be safe ya hear me, and tell Jay we said hi." Ed said loudly as he waved at Zane and Nya who were on their own elemental dragons about to depart from the Sea of Sand.
"Aww, you tell Jay not to be a stranger and I have some of his clean washing here when he wants to come and see us."
"Well Mrs Walker, I could take that from you, it may save him a trip."
"Zane, I think that is her way of saying that she wants Jay to visit a little more often." Nya said quietly so as only the nindroid could hear.
"Ah, I see, my mistake. My apologies Mrs Walker I will of course tell him."
"Safe journey's Zane and Nya, you all come by again real soon." Both Ed and Edna shouted in unison as the dragon's lifted up higher, soaring into the sky with the strength of each wing propelling them with each flapping motion.