dis-claim'er, noun: a denial or disavowal of legal claim: relinquishment of or formal refusal to accept an interest or estate; b: a writing that embodies a legal disclaimer; c: a statement made to save one's own ass.
Author's Note: This chapter is going to feature two new chapters that belong to my good friend Harry2 here on . You can go check out his story "Armor of Eliminator" here on the website. A big thank you to him for letting me use James and Twyla. I hope to do them well.
The Arrival of Family
Mia wrung her hands in anticipation as she and Ryo stood in front of one of the arrival gates at Shinjuku International Airport. She checked her watch just as she unlocked her phone to check the text to see what time the flight would arrive. Ryo laughed at his fiancee's panic.
"Calm down," he wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "They will be here when they get here. If there was a problem you would have been the first to know."
People started pouring out of the arrival gate. Before long, a man around six feet with blonde, slightly curly hair and a woman about five and a half feet with reddish, blonde hair appeared. Mia waved her arms excited as the two females hugged one another excitedly. Ryo stood up and greeted the man with a handshake.
"It's great to see you again, James," the Wildfire bearer said happily.
The man known as James smiled, his green eyes twinkling, "We are glad to be back. It's been too long."
"I'll say that!" Mia hugged her brother-in-law. "I sure did miss my little sister."
The woman, Twyla, nodded in agreement, "I missed you, big sis."
What no one knew was that James Ferino was a secret Ronin Warrior, the bearer of the Armor of Eliminator. Twyla Koji-Ferino was his wife. As the two couples made their way to the parking deck, Mia noticed that James kept staring at her oddly. She pushed the thought away.
"Oh, sis!" Twyla ooed at the Dark Blue Jeep, "You finally traded in the red one?"
"Oh no," Mia opened the back for James to load all of the luggage into the back, "I would never get rid of that. Too many memories. Besides, it still runs fine. I just needed something that had less mileage."
The ride home was filled with chatter and gossip, especially about the upcoming wedding. It was only two weeks away and James said that Twyla wanted to come early to help with additional wedding plans. She was the maid of honor, after all. When they got to the manor, James and Ryo hauled the luggage out of the back of the Jeep.
"How are the rest of the rest of the guys doing?" James asked.
Ryo smirked, "Why don't you see for yourself."
When they got inside, James and Twyla were bombarded with the rest of the Ronin Warriors.
—
Rekino was in the backyard dressed in her black gi and leggings sitting Indian style with her eyes closed. She was breathing evenly in and out to the sound of the rippling water inside the small fountain. She was opening her mind, feeling out with the energy of the cosmos. It had been over a month since Halloween and the incident with a certain blue haired Strata warrior. Also, there had been no attack of any kind in almost that same amount of time. What was the enemy doing? Where were they hiding?
And why hadn't they heard anything from Kayura?!
That was when she felt something. A new, unknown energy had just arrived nearby. Rekino's amethyst eyes opened wide. They were strong. Whoever this person was wasn't trying to hide who they were. That's when she heard the sliding glass door open and Hana's voice.
"Hey, bestie! You meditating this early?"
Rekino stood up, dusting off her knees, "Yeah, gotta get in that mental exercise, which you would know about if you didn't spend all your time fucking."
Hana took a step back, "You woke up extra pissy this morning. Why do I even bother with you?"
"Wait," the ebony haired teen ran towards the blonde. "I'm sorry. You know I have a bad habit of speaking my mind. I'm glad to have you here." Rekino smiled at her best friend.
The blonde looked over her shoulder giving her the stink eye, but smiled after a few seconds, "Wanna spend the day together?"
"Duh!" Rekino bounced happily into the house. "I've got some new Netflix series I've been wondering if I should watch."
"Sounds like a plan, shorty."
"For the last time…" Rekino turned around and pointed at her, shouting, "I'm an explosive dose of pocket sized fun. Bitch."
The blonde laughed, wrapping her arms around the other girl's shoulder, "Whatever you gotta tell yourself, girl. I'll get the snacks ready."
—
Later that evening, Mia plopped down on the chair in her study. While James had been chatting up the guys, she and Twyla had spent their time together going over the wedding itinerary. They had so much to do in just two weeks. Everyone had to get their outfits tailored, the flowers needed picking out as well as the glassware for the reception, and they needed to go cake tasting. Mia reassured Twyla that she already had someone to make the cake, and that there would be no need to go around and shop for one.
The Guardian of Strata reached inside her briefcase and pulled out a stack of papers. She had about twenty papers to grade for her ancient Japanese History course and another fifteen for her Mid to Modern Day Japanese History course. She had no idea how she was going to get them all done in five days without the help of her aide, who was also a student. She put on her glasses and grabbed a red ink pen. Looking at the first paper, she repeatedly clicked the end of the pen as she read. A couple of marks later and one paper finished.
Maybe I can get Rowen to help me. He's good at grading papers.
That was when a gentle knock was heard. Mia looked up and saw the kind face of her brother-in-law. She waved him in.
"I hope I'm not bothering you," James said as he sat down.
"No, no," she insisted, "I was just grading some papers. I was just about to ask Rowen if he would help me."
"I'm afraid Rowen has already left for the night," the blond male replied. "But speaking of him, I have a question to ask you."
Mia laughed, "I know it's weird that he has a girlfriend. She's really sweet, though. I hope you can meet her one–"
"Why do you have the aura of the Strata armor around you?" James asked. His eyes reflected how serious he was. "Part of my armor training is being able to see energy. I see the same aura around you that is around Rowen. And don't lie to me. I'll know that, too."
Mia let the pen fall out of her hand and it hit the desk. She was just staring at her in-law with wide, green eyes. She didn't know what she was supposed to do. This just wasn't her secret; it was a group secret. Her hand started shaking. Her heart was beating so loud she was sure James could hear it.
"I, uh," she stuttered quietly, "I don't know what to say."
James crossed his legs, resting his hands on his knees, "The truth would be nice."
Mia put her hands on her desk, "I can't tell you right now because I'm not the only one this truth could hurt." She saw James's eyebrows quirk. He looked confused. She continued, "Give me two days and I will explain."
—
After two days riddled with anxiety and nerves, Mia drove her Dark Blue Jeep from her home in Odawara and into Shinjuku. James and Twyla were accompanying her. She had made the last minute decision to invite her sister along for the meeting. She knew Twyla would find out her secret one day, so she figured now would be the best time.
"Where are we going again, sis?"
"To meet some friends," Mia stopped at the red light. She gave James a side glance. "It's important."
The trip from her house to the communal house of the Lady Guardians took a little over two hours. As they traveled through Shinkuku, Mia pointed out where they would be fitted for their wedding attire as well as a couple of flower shops to go around to. They rode out of town for about five minutes before pulling up to a nice two story house with several vehicles parked outside. Mia parked behind the Dark Green Mercury Mountaineer. It was parked beside a Light Blue Toyota Prius. In the front yard was an Orange Ford F150 and a motorcycle.
Mia turned off the engine and turned to her passengers, "We're here. Try not to freak out on me."
"Why?" Twyla looked confused.
"You'll see," Mia opened the door. "Let's go in."
The trio strolled up to the front door. Mia knocked three times before a petite brunette opened it.
"Mia!" the brunette hugged her. "We are excited you're here. Come in." She stepped inside and out of the way. She looked at James and Twyla giving them a warm smile. "Welcome to our home. My name is Amaya Blanchett. It's wonderful to meet you."
Mia watched James carefully. His expression shifted many times when talking to the brunette, but he ultimately took her hand, kissing her.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, ma'am. I'm James Ferino, Mia's brother-in-law. This is my wife, Twyla."
Twyla offered her hand, "I'm Mia's sister."
"Oh my," Amaya's hand shot to her face in amazement. She turned to her friend. "Why didn't you tell us you had a sister?"
About that time, a blonde came bouncing in the room wiping her hands with a dish towel, "'Mya, I finished all the dishes. Did you want me to-oh! We have company."
Mia watched James's reaction to Hana. She knew that he could see the aura of the Guardian armors around the two females. Hana introduced herself politely while Amaya explained who the two were. Mia stepped into the living room to find Josephine watching TV.
"Hey, Jo," the older brunette called out. "I brought some company."
The Hardrock Guardian jumped up off the couch just as the rest of the company came into the room. Josephine gave them a two finger salute accompanied with a big smile.
"Pleasure to meet ya."
James was once again staring at the young female. Twyla looked a little confused, "You look like someone we know."
Mia cleared her throat, "This is Kento's cousin, Josephine Rei Faun. Jo, this is my sister, Twyla, and my brother-in-law, James Ferino. They are in town for the wedding."
"Oh! You're Kento's cousin!" Twyla exclaimed happily.
"Yep," the bluenette exclaimed. "Our mothers are sisters."
Amaya clapped her hands happily. "Kento and I are actually dating. I don't know if he mentioned that."
Mia cleared her throat, "This isn't a social visit tonight, girls. It's all business so let's all sit down."
James and Twyla took the loveseat on the other side of the room while the four Guardians sat across from them on the couch. Mia looked at the two recliners and looked at Hana quizzically.
"Where is Rek-ahem, Candace?"
"She's at work. Said she doesn't know when she's going to be off," the blonde replied.
"It's fine. Best we do it without her," Mia ran her palms up and down her sides. "Twyla, James…you guys came with me tonight because there is something that you both need to know, but you can never tell a soul what really happened here tonight."
Twyla seemed confused, but James was unmoved. Out of nowhere, Hana gasped loudly. She looked at Mia.
"Are you flippin' serious?!" Hana moved her arms around crazily. "We were told to tell no one until the time was right."
"I know," Mia folded her hands, "but James has an ability where he can see aura's around people. Energy, essential. He is the bearer of the Armor of Eliminator-a Ronin Warrior kept secret from Talpa."
"Huh? For real?!"
"My goodness!"
"What the fu-" Josephine was stopped by Amaya hitting the top of her hand. "That hurt, dammit!"
"I should do it again for good measure," the French girl retorted.
Twyla looked at Mia with shock, "You're not supposed to tell people that, sis; especially not civilians."
"That's the thing, Twy," Mia reached into her jacket pocket. She nodded at the other girls before they reached into the pockets of their jeans, or dress in Amaya's case. The four females extended their arms and opened their hands to reveal their armor orbs
"They aren't exactly civilians. We possess armor as well. Guardian armors counterpart to the Ronin armors," Mia finished.
James smirked, "I knew it. You-all of you-are armor bearers. I can see it."
Twyla shrieked in response.
—
Rekino drove her Red Tesla down the street that would lead her home. She had just gotten off a sixteen hour shift and wanted nothing more than to go to sleep. She had to admit she only stayed late because of that fine ass new resident, Dr. Dorian. He had taken a particular liking to her and Hana. She didn't mind staying late if it meant shadowing him. She couldn't wait to tell her blonde friend all about it.
As her house got closer, Rekino recognized Mia's vehicle parked in her normal spot. She didn't know her future sister-in-law was visiting. She parked her vehicle in the grass on the other side of the front yard away from Josephine's truck and bike not wanting to risk the Hardrock Guardian slinging mud all over her pretty, expensive vehicle. Reaching over to the passenger's seat, Rekino grabbed the bag she carried which had her snacks, water, and school books if she had time to study.
The ebony haired girl burst into the front door, "Yo, Hana! You ain't gonna believe this shit!" She turned towards the living room and saw it was full of people. She looked around the room slowly before raising her hand. "I come in peace?"
"Stupid," Hana laughed under her breath. "We have company. This is Mia's sister, Twyla, and her husband, James Ferino."
"Indeed," Amaya said with pressed lips, "so have some manners."
Josephine laughed, "She don't have any manners."
"Uh, 'scuse me," Rekino sat her bag down, "I was raised in the South. We invented manners, darlin'."
"Oh!" Mia's sister looked at her. "You're from the United States?"
"Uh, sorta. It's a long story," Rekino moved to sit in the chair when the male in the room spoke.
"This must be Candace, Lady Wildfire."
Her amethyst eyes shot over to this James Ferino. Her butt hadn't even sat down and she was holding herself up with her arms. She looked around the room to see not one shocked or upset face. She plopped down in the recliner.
"What the shit is this?" She asked while dodging Amaya's slipper. "Who exactly are these people again 'cause last I checked we-" she motioned her arms between herself and the four girls on the couch "-aren't supposed to tell anyone. Not a soul, Kayura said."
"I had to," Mia said quietly. "James saw the aura of Lady Strata around me. It's one of his abilities as a Ronin Warrior."
"Wh-at?" Rekino said slowly. "He's a Ronin Warrior?"
James cleared his throat, "I'm right here, and yes, I am a Ronin Warrior. My clan fled from Talpa and took the Armor of Eliminator with them. I am the first person in my clan who was able to summon it."
Rekino blinked at him several times with a blank expression. Then she turned towards the girls and shrugged, "That's it. We're screwed. Everything that has happened this year is for nothing. If it was a physical object we could take it outside and set it on fire." She slumped into the chair. Then shot daggers at Mia. "You just couldn't keep a secret, huh? The minute your sister comes to town with a big, bad Ronin Warrior you couldn't resist."
"This isn't her fault, Candace," Twyla said sweetly. "I didn't even know until now. It was my husband's ability that forced Mia to talk."
The Guardian of Wildfire grumbled loudly before she mumbled, "Sorry, Mia. It just pisses me off when all this mess happens and I'm not here! You didn't think to wait for me?"
Hana looked at her with midnight blue orbs, "You said you didn't know when you would be home."
"Yeah, I did, didn't I?"
Josephine yawned, "At least we don't have to hide from them. I say this is a small blessing."
Speak for yourself, Jo. I always have to hide. Rekino looked away from everyone. It didn't matter if her identity as Lady Wildfire was revealed, the biggest part that she hid was her relationship to Ryo. There were times she wanted to scream it from a rooftop just to end the misery of being known as Candace Askea and start living as Rekino Sanada. Life would literally be so much easier.
"You're keeping another secret."
Rekino's eyes darted over to James. He was looking at her with scrutiny and mystery. She cocked an eyebrow at him, "Oh?"
"When my wife called your name, your aura shifted," James's eyes were intense. "There is another secret going on here, and it's a big one."
"I don't know what you're talking about," she retorted.
"You're lying, Candace," James said coolly. "It shifted again when I said your name."
That's it. Rekino thought. She shot out of the recliner so fast and hard the chair almost fell over. "Alright, Mister Eliminator. You think you're bad with your little 'aura ability', let's see how good you really are. Fight me."
Josephine jumped up, "Woohoo! Fight, fight!"
"Sit down!" Amaya pulled Josephine back on the couch. "Calm yourself. There will be no fighting."
"Oh, ho. You wrong," Rekino crossed her arms. "He doesn't leave here until he proves he's a Ronin Warrior. And if he wins, I will tell him the other secret."
Mia put her face in her hands, "Can't we just tell him?"
"You know her," Hana rolled her eyes. "This girl gets an idea in her head and it won't leave. They might as well fight."
"No armor. We don't need the Ronin Warriors busting in on this," Rekino said matter-of-factly. "Subarmor will be allowed if it goes that far. First person to score a fatal blow wins, but without the killing part."
There was silence from everyone except Josephine who was cheering them on. Twyla looked at her husband with worry in her eyes. She put a hand on his thigh. James automatically put a hand over hers as he gave her a reassuring nod and smile. He stood up.
"Fine," James took off his expensive jacket to where he was only wearing a silver shirt and a pair of dark jeans, "but I warn you, Candace, I won't make this easy for you."
Rekino smirked, "Last person who said that to me ended up in the hospital with his trachea collapsed. I'm thinking you need to take your own words to heart. I promise you ain't never fought someone like me."
"Oh my," Amaya stood up, "I should get some refreshments ready." She scurried into the kitchen.
"It's a good thing we got a big backyard," Josephine added.
Mia hung her head low, "This is going to get ugly."
"Yep," Hana rubbed the older girl's back. "Maybe we should have done this another way."
"What are y'all waiting for? Pigs to fly?" Rekino clapped her hands at Hana and Mia. "Get the hell up. We got things to do."
Twyla leaned over to her sister to whisper in her ear, "You're right. Her accent is adorable."
—
Hana, Josephine, Twyla, and Mia went out onto the back porch to sit at the table while Amaya followed after them with a pitcher of water and glasses afterwards she went back into the kitchen and returned with a serving tray of small cakes. She sat down just as she placed the tray on the table.
"I figure while we are watching the fight we can go ahead and sample cakes for the wedding!" Amaya was trying to be brave. She truly was, but she just had a feeling that all of this was going to blow up.
Twyla sat on the patio chair with James's coat drapped over her lap. She looked at her sister, "Why didn't you tell me about the armor, sis? I almost feel like I should feel mad, you know? If you can't tell your sister then who can you tell?"
"Twyla," Mia took a drink of water, "I was given instructions by Kayura not to tell a soul. I didn't have a choice, but I knew I couldn't lie to James and then asking him to lie to you for me would be a betrayal. Doing it this way means I don't have to force your husband to secrecy."
"Enough talk, ladies," Joephine slapped the top of the patio furniture three times. "It's about to go down."
Rekino, still in her hospital scrubs, stood about fifteen feet apart from James. She popped her knuckles, rolled her shoulders, and stretched her legs for a few moments. James also did some routine stretches to get his muscles warmed up. The black haired Guardian started bouncing in place before switching between bouncing on her left and right foot. She made sure her hair was still in a bun and secure before slapping her cheeks lightly.
"I'm ready when you are, geezer."
James slipped into a fighting stance, "At your behest, midget."
"Ah, hell. Them's fightin' words," Rekino stood to her full height of four foot eleven inches. Her right hand was wrapped around her left wrist while the appendages were resting in front of her. She narrowed her amethyst eyes. "Bring it on, Yankee."
When James charged at her, Rekino could see the impression his feet left in the dirt. He was coming at her fast and hard. She dodged his right hook by stepping back away from the punch. He did the same with the left, which she easily stepped away from. She wasn't expecting him to kick her right knee, which caused her to lose her balance and open herself up for an attack. She threw her arms up defensively to shield her face from the man's fist. Her forearms took the damage as she was knocked back several inches.
Rekino lowered her arms, "Not bad for a geriatric Ronin Warrior."
"Someone help!" James smirked at her deviously and laughed. "Call the police. I think there's a lost child here."
He's got jokes. Rekino sneered at him. She straightened back into her fighting stance, "Talk is cheap."
Just as James was throwing another right hook, Rekino grabbed his forearm, moved forward, and slammed her right fist into the axillary nerve in his armpit. She watched as his whole body began to shut down to which she ended her attack by side kicking him in the chest, which sent him flying back several feet.
"I can kick with a thousand pounds of pressure. I can disable you with one hit," Rekino's cold amethyst eyes locked with her opponents. "I didn't use my full strength in that attack. I don't want to kill you."
James was rubbing his chest in the spot where Rekino kicked him. He winced, "I didn't tell you to hold back. We are supposed to be giving it our all."
She smirked, "That's something you don't want unless you got some protection."
Rekino ran at him with blinding speed, giving him a swift right kick, which he attempted to dodge with his forearm, but it was no use. The strength in her legs was just too much and it sent him toppling over. James rolled twice to put some distance between them, but Rekino was there in an instant.
She's fast! James thought as he managed to dodge her fist before it connected with his throat. If he had taken that hit it would have been an ER trip for him.
"Don't worry," Rekino had stopped her assault, "I'm not going to damage your face. The rest of your body is up for debate, though."
"You were right," James stood up as he dusted off his pants. "You aren't like anyone I've ever fought."
The Guardian of Wildfire snapped her fingers, "Tell you what…let's put on our subarmor."
"Think I need the extra power?"
"Nope," Rekino reached into her pocket and produced her armor orb and a round silver device. "I think you need the extra protection. Don't want the Ronin Warriors to come sniffing around to find the person that kicked your face in."
"I thought you said the face was off limits."
"It's a figure of speech. Damn. Do you take everything literally?"
He smirked, "When it's coming from a midget assassin, yes."
"Look," Rekino gripped her armor orb tightly, "you're really pissing me off with the short comments!" She threw the round silver device up in the air.
In a flash of light, they were both in their subarmors. James wore silver and gray while Rekino wore red and white. She held out her hand as the silver object she had thrown up landed in her palm; she wrapped her hand around the object.
"What I have in my hand is made from Tungsten, one of the hardest metals on Earth as well as the best for impact strength," Rekino opened her hand, pressed a small button on the metal as both sides shot out to form a shiny, silver staff. She twirled it expertly a few times before crouching down with her right leg extended out, left arm resting on her left knee, and her right arm holding the staff behind her.
She continued, "I have weapons hidden all around this yard. Let's see if you can find them and keep yourself from that 'fatal blow'."
—
"I can't believe they are using their subarmor," Hana rolled her eyes. "She is so over dramatic."
Josephine took a small square piece of cake, "But her fighting style is the real deal. She's ruthless." She popped the cake in her mouth. "Mm! What's this one, 'Mya?"
Amaya sipped her tea, "German chocolate with coconut and pecan frosting." She cleared her throat. "I'm upset she has this yard covered in hidden weapons. One of us could be seriously hurt."
"This vanilla and strawberry one is nice," Mia covered her mouth as she chewed the food and swallowed. "But you know her. It's her 'ninja way' as she says."
Twyla frowned, "Should I be worried for my husband's safety?"
"No," Mia patted her sister's hand, "Candace won't kill him. He might be hurting when this is over, but perhaps not with the protection the subarmor gives him."
"Oh!" The younger Koji smiled brightly. "Miss Amaya, all of these cakes are delicious! So moist and spongy. Full of flavor. How do you do it?"
The French girl blushed with embarrassment, "You can just call me Amaya. But if I told you my secret then everyone would know."
"Nah," Josephine ate a chocolate piece that was covered in white icing. "No one can bake like you can."
Hana snapped her fingers in rapid succession, "Hush. James found a sword."
—
Ryo sat on the balcony watching as the sun started to set into twilight. Mia and his future in-law's had been gone for hours. He reached over to grab his phone and send his fiancee a text message. Where could she possibly be this late at night? After he sent the message, something inside him stirred. The armor orb in his pocket started to burn almost to the point he thought his pants would set on fire. He held it in his hands as the kanji for 'righteousness' shined brightly.
There was a strange feel in the night's air. The energies were all over the place. What in the hell could be causing such a disturbance? His phone chimed, but it wasn't the kind of message he was expecting.
Hey, man. Do you feel something weird?
It was from Sage. The blonde bearer of the Armor of Halo was always hyper sensitive to most things, especially when it came to odd energies.
Ryo bit his lip. What was he supposed to say? Everyone was finally happy and settling down. It almost felt like the universe was giving him the middle finger every time any one of them got close to finding happiness and peace. His thumbs moved over the screen typing out a reply.
Yeah. Maybe it has something to do with the planet's alignment? Haha. I don't feel anything bad.
Neither do I, but the guys and I are gonna go check it out. Wish you lived closer.
Just be careful. Let me know what you find, brother.
Will do.
Ryo exited the screen and returned to the message he left Mia. It was still unread. What in the world was she doing that would cause her to not reply to him automatically?
—
The bearer of Eliminator and the Guardian of Wildfire stood ten feet apart, both trying to catch their breath. The two had been sparring for a solid thirty minutes, each not giving the other any ground. Rekino had to admit that he was probably the second strongest person she's ever fought while James knew that the ebony haired girl was the craftiest, fastest opponent he'd ever face.
The ground was littered with all manner of weapons: wooden staves, throwing stars and knives, swords, and daggers. The girls at the table were making comments that it looked like a weaponsmith's shop had exploded. Amaya was amazed at the sheer amount of things that her friend had managed to conceal in their backyard.
It was a good thing they didn't have any neighbors for at least five miles in all directions.
"Okay. Playtime is over," Rekino declared as she spun the tungsten staff. "I'm ending this. Hope you're ready."
She backflipped a couple of times to put more distance between them. She stopped, spinning the staff over her head before positioning it like a spear and throwing it. The weapon flew with blinding speed towards James. He used the sword to knock it from the air, but felt a presence behind him.
Rekino had used the attack as a fake. As he turned around, Rekino sidestepped to where she was in front of him. She grabbed the sword by the blade, twisting it towards his thumb to get it from his grasp while simultaneously kneeing him in the ribs. He had no choice but to drop the weapon. Rekino delivered a side kick to the area she had just kneed as she let him lost his balance, but quickly recovered as he rolled away from her. He attempted to stand only for her to appear in front of him and kick him flat footed in the middle of the chest. He was stopped when his back hit the giant tree in the yard.
Rekino reached up to undo her bun as the long, braided locks fell down her back. She appeared in front of James as she grabbed the end of her braid to reveal three sleek, sharp blades she had hidden. She pressed them to where his jugular vein was located.
"I got you."
James huffed, looking as if he was about to concede the match, but gave her a sly smirk.
"And I got you."
The kunoichi looked down to see a blade pointed at her throat in the exact location she had him in. He must have grabbed one of the many kunai that littered the ground when he had rolled away from the last attack. Her amethyst eyes looked confused, then she got mad.
"No. Hell no! I had you first! It's my win!"
"Oh Candace!" Josephine called to her from the porch. "He had you at the exact same time. It's a draw, chick."
"What?!" Rekino whirled around as her braided hair wrapped around her body like a rope then unraveled. "You blind. I obviously had him first."
Amaya shook her head, "No, ma'am. I swear on my faith that he had the blade to your throat at the same time you put yours to his."
Rekino turned around to see James still smirking. She stomped her foot, turned around, but stopped in mid stride. She turned back around to James, pointing at him with her right index finger.
"I hate you."
James just laughed, shrugging it off as his subarmor disappeared. Rekino stomped away from the tall blonde, reached down to get her Tungsten staff, and was in her blue scrubs in the blink of an eye. She pressed the a button on the staff as it shrunk back to normal. Muttering to herself she made her way to the table where the other girls were sitting.
Hana got up just as Rekino sat at the vacant seat to Twyla's right. Mia gave James her chair that was on Twyla's left as she took the one beside him that Hana had just gotten up from. The blonde returned with a bottle of whiskey and three glasses, one for Rekino, Jo, and herself as the rest of the table weren't hard drinkers.
It was all silent as Hana poured a shot in each drink. Rekino grabbed the glass that was meant for her and took the shot. She let out a deep breath as the liquor warmed her throat, and motioned for Hana to give her another.
"I'll give you a double shot this time."
"Appreciate it," her hand was still around the glassware. She pointed at Amaya. "You know, swearing on God is a sin."
"I swore on my faith, not God."
"And," Rekino pointed at Josephine, "he took your place on the list. You're third now."
"WHAT?!"
James took the glass of water Amaya offered him graciously. He looked confused, "List? Third?"
"Strongest people I've fought," Rekino took a sip of the whiskey. "Jo was second until tonight."
"This is outrageous! Unheard of! A travesty!"
"Wow," the bearer of the Guardian Armor of Wildfire laughed, "you know what that word means?"
The bluenette looked like she had been insulted on so many levels, "You tell me I'm removed from the list then call me stupid? Damn, friend!"
"I didn't mean it like that. I was just joking. Shit fire. Ow!" Amethyst eyes narrowed at the French female.
Amaya twirled her wooden spoon in-between her fingers, "I always have to keep this around in case you and Jo start talking that filth."
Rekino waved her left hand back and forth to stop the stinging. She looked at James, "The strongest person I've ever fought was my teacher. It's hard to make my list. Feel good about yourself."
The blond man raised his glass, "You are exceptionally formidable yourself. I've never met someone as fast or kick so hard-"
"Thank you."
"-that had such little legs."
Rekino slammed her fist on the wooden table, "I hear one more thing leave your mouth about my size, I'm gonna blow a gasket! Funsized! Pocket sized! Not short or little!"
"Accent," Hana said as she leaned over to her best friend. "You gotta learn to control that or everyone is just gonna think you're some kind of country bumpkin."
"I am a country bumpkin!" The black haired girl declared. "I can also kill a person with one hit so what does it matter what everyone else thinks?"
There was a moment of silence before Twyla smiled warmly at Rekino, "Your hair is so beautiful. May I?" She extended her arm towards the younger girl asking with her eyes permission to touch the long strands.
Rekino's amethyst eyes looked the younger Koji up and down before reaching down and to the side to grab the end of the braid and undo it. After several seconds, the braid came undone.
Twyla touched the dark locks, "It's so soft. Like an ocean of black surrounding you. Beautiful."
The youngest Sanada sibling managed a small smile, "Thank ye. It's hard to maintain. I normally don't wear it down because it weighs a ton. I stick to a braid or bun."
James finished his glass of water as Amaya filled it back up. He laughed, "So, do you consider a draw a double win or loss?"
"A draw is a loss no matter how you spin it," Rekino ran her fingers through her own hair to detangle it before working on putting it in a loose braid. "It's disgraceful in my opinion, but you fought valiantly and like hell. I'll consider this a win-win."
She finished off the dark liquor in her glass, looking between Twyla and James while sighing, "I wasn't born Candace Askea. When I was younger, my home caught fire. I woke up in an orphanage with no memory of who or where I was. I was adopted by a couple from Alabama and given that name."
Hana put her hand on Rekino's right forearm when the other felt her emotions starting to swell.
"When I received my armor, my memory came back. Who I was, where I was from, and all that jazz. My real name," she sucked in a breath, "is Rekino Sanada. I'm Ryo's little sister."
Silence. Then…
"No way!" Twyla exclaimed in shock. "You're joking!"
"I just fought your husband for almost an hour after working a sixteen hour shift and being awake for thirty-six hours," Rekino gave a small laugh. "I ain't joking, lady."
James sat back in the chair, "I was really not expecting that."
The Guardian of Strata straightened her back, "You can't tell Ryo. I hate it as much as he does because he's in pain, but Kayura gave strict instructions not to."
"Speaking of that bitch," Rekino moved her hands before Amaya could hit them, "has anyone heard from her? And who is she getting her orders from?"
"Sage has been unable to contact her. That's what Ryo has told me," Mia frowned. "It's rather…disturbing to say the least."
Josephine poured herself another drink, "I can't believe I'm third. Need to up my training."
"Oh boohoo," Rekino pipped. "Cry me a river and row down it."
"Well," James said above the commotion between the two females. He grabbed Twyla's hand lovingly. "Your little secret is safe with us, Rekino."
The girl clenched her fist then pointed at the blond, "When you die and meet your maker, I want you to let it know you died because you pissed off someone who can blend into the shadows and killed you in your sleep."
"Gotcha."
"By the way," Twyla turned towards Rekino, "while you and James were fighting I noticed that you have a tendency to go for the neck or eyes."
Rekino took another shot, "Uh, yeah. My philosophy is if you can't breathe or see, you can't fight. I ain't got time to be fighting a lengthy battle. I took up ninjutsu to help control and channel my anger. Then I started using it to defend those who were helpless. Ya know, a bully who bullies a bully."
"I quite liked the tactic of hiding those blades at the end of your braid," James complimented. "I can't say I really wasn't expecting that."
"I'm a ninja," the Guardian of Wildfire winked. "I have at least four weapons on at all times. I'll also use anything I can get my hands on to get the job done."
"I hate to cut this short," Mia spoke up as she sat her phone down on the table, "but it's getting late and Ryo is wondering where we are. I told him we were cake testing."
"Are you going to be at the wedding, Rekino?" Twyla asked.
"I'll be there incognito. You won't even know it's me."
"He changed the date of the wedding," Mia said somberly.
Rekino looked at her soon to be sister-in-law, "I thought it was going to be on Yule."
"He decided on the eighteenth."
"Oh," the emotions that flowed through Rekino were indescribable even to herself. Her round, amethyst eyes almost filled with tears. She pushed away from the table without a word and disappeared inside the house. Everyone could hear a door slam shut forcefully.
James and Twyla looked confused. Mia held her head low so her bangs covered her face. Hana's sigh was filled with melancholy. Josephine finished off her drink.
"Well, I'd say that's some heavy shit."
Amaya either didn't hear the Hardrock Guardian curse or she simply didn't care. The situation did warrant it. The Guardian of Torrent was too busy trying to keep herself steady with the waves of emotions she was getting off of Rekino.
Hana was looking up at the quarter moon hanging high in the sky, "Mia's right. Time to break up this party. I need to check on her."
Everyone pushed away from the table. Amaya put all the dirty dishes on the serving tray as the others walked into the house. Josephine said goodbye and went back into the living room. Amaya sat the serving tray on the kitchen table to bid farewell to James and Twyla. She gave them both hugs and promised to see them soon. Hana walked the guests to the door.
"It was wonderful meeting you both," the blonde shook both of their hands. "I guess I'll see you sooner rather than later."
James put a hand on Hana's shoulder, "In all seriousness, tell Rekino her secret is safe. She's practically family at this point."
"Will do," Hana smiled. "Be safe on your way home."
The trio walked outside and to Jeep. Mia handed James the keys. "Do you mind driving? I don't think I can."
"Of course."
They loaded into the vehicle. James turned the ignition as Twyla leaned forward from the back seat to look at her sister. Mia's elbow was resting against the passenger door, hand hiding her face.
"I don't mean to pry," Twyla started, "but why is Rekino upset?"
Mia removed her hand to reveal to the other two tears going down her cheek, "The eighteenth is Rekino's birthday."
"Oh…"
"Ryo wanted to honor her, so…" Mia trailed off, unable to finish.
James reversed out of the driveway. He shifted into drive to start heading back to the Koji-Sanada residence. Twyla's arms were wrapped around her sister from behind. There was no music. Only silence.
The trio didn't notice the car that was following them.
Next Chapter: The Wedding (and it will be a little lengthy.)
