Nothin's Gonna Stand In Our Way

Part 3

Those Who Fight Further

By Nick Maro

The flames began to surround her. Thinking quickly, she ran through the opening that had appeared. Running as fast as she could, Stormer searched in vain for any sign of her friends. As the flames licked the sky, she also tried to get her bearings. Last she remembered she was on a flight to Osaka, Japan for The Misfits Japanese leg of their tour. Through the wall of flames Stormer thought she saw a tree line in the distance.

Stormer held her hands up covering her face as she ran down the path in the fire. She stopped and caught her breath. She wasn't sure how far she had run. Time seemed to crawl as she chased the tree line that was before her. Wiping the sweat from her brow Stormer began running again. The flames before her parted as she approached. It was then she felt like she was being led to her mysterious destination.

Finally reaching the trees, Stormer followed the path that the flames made for her. The trees weren't as dense as she had thought they would be. After navigating through the trees, she found herself in a clearing. The fire raged here the strongest and brightest. She brought her arm up to protect her face from the heat. She peeked over her forearm and thought she saw two stones in the fire. She walked around the perimeter of the fire trying to get a better look.

The flames parted for a moment just long enough for Stormer to catch a good look at the stones. To her shock they were headstones. She could only make out one name on both markers. The name was Gabor. Desperately she tried to get a better look but the fire started to surround her even more. Stormer began to panic as every direction she turned to run in she was blocked off by the flames. She let out a scream of terror.

Kicking the sheets off of her body, Stormer felt herself wake up and fall at once. She hit the floor with a grunt of pain and looked around. She was in a dark hotel room, her roommate and best friend Kimber looked around startled by Stormer's fall. She looked up at Kimber with an apologetic smirk. "Sorry Kim, I just had a rather nasty nightmare. Haven't had one like that in years." She sat on the edge of her hotel bed trying to calm down.

"It's okay, Mary." Kimber sat up and took a sip of her water. "What was it about? Do you remember at all?"

Stormer stared at her feet trying to remember. She shook her head slowly and looked up. "No, it's starting to fade. I just remember there was fire all around and I was running." She leaned her head back and stared at the ceiling, the more she tried to catch details, the more they slipped through her mind. "Dammit, I hate it when dreams do that. It's your subconscious, but why can't you ever remember your dreams when you want to?"

Kimber stared at her best friend for what seemed to be way too long before she blinked and shook her head. "Wut? I just zoned out there while you were talking." She lay back in the bed and pulled her sheets over her body. "I'm going back to sleep. This jet lag is kicking my ass. Write down what you remember. That sometimes helps when I have odd dreams. Most of the time I read what I wrote and I question my sanity."

"That sounds like a good idea." Stormer heard Kimber begin to snore softly. "And you're asleep." She put on her slippers and robe then made sure she had her room's keycard in her pocket and let Kimber sleep in peace. She rode the elevator down to the lobby. Once there she asked the receptionist for a pen and paper. Maybe Kimber's dream journal idea was a good one. Stormer sat in the corner of the lobby that kept her mostly hidden.

Stormer didn't notice Roxy as she sat in the chair across from her. Roxy slid a drink across the table to her old friend and cleared her throat. Stormer looked up at The Misfits' bassist somewhat confused. Roxy smirked and held her own drink out. "I saw you sitting down here and figured I'd keep you company." She gestured to the drink and smiled. "Now pick up your drink and toast me."

Looking at the glass suspiciously and sniffed it. "A rum and Coke, what are we toasting?"

"We're toasting the fact that neither of us can sleep." Roxy let the glass lower a bit. "Better one, to a successful tour!" Stormer smiled and clicked her glass to Roxy's they both took a sip and made a face. "Okay, that was stronger than I wanted." She sat next to Stormer and put her arm around her. Stormer could smell the alcohol on Roxy. "So, whatcha writing Mary? More songs?"

"No, I had a nightmare and I'm writing down what I remember. Kimber suggested that it might help." Stormer showed Roxy what she had written down and shrugged mostly to herself. "I dunno, I can't remember what it was or what scared me so much. There was a lot of fire, I was running to or from something and that's it." She took another sip of her drink and leaned her head on Roxy's shoulder.

Setting the paper on the table Roxy sighed to herself. "It's probably just from the stress of traveling. Tell you what, when this tour is over you're coming with Sheila and I. We'll get Phyllis and go on an old fashioned road trip just the four of us." She grinned when Stormer began to smile wide at the idea. "The Misfits go fuckin' somewhere!" She gestured overdramatically with her arm, her hand out and pointing to nowhere. "We'll work on the destination later."

"I think we both need sleep now, Rox." Stormer stood up and put the paper in her robe pocket. She grabbed the rum and Coke that Roxy had brought her and finished it in one gulp. "Yeah definitely too strong." Stormer waved as she walked back to the elevator. "Get some sleep and thanks for the drink." She leaned against the elevator doorframe and tried to remember more of her dream.

Knocking on Suzaku's dressing room door, Kaori waited for the door to open. She smiled when Hitomi answered the door. "[Is Ken here? I have something for him.]" She entered the dressing room when Hitomi shrugged and stepped aside. "[When I was at my publisher's office today I found something in my long neglected inbox.]" She held up a sealed envelope that she used for shipping out her art pages. She opened the envelope and slid out a handful of the pages and them to Ken. "[These are the original final pages to Gaijin Samurai. I forgot that I had them in my art binder. I want you to have them since you're such a huge fan.]"

Feeling his knees grow weak, Ken reached out and carefully took the art pages. He held them gently as if they were about to crumble in his touch. He looked up at her searching for the right words. All he was able to get out was, "[Thank you, but why me?]"

Kaori giggled and smiled wider. "[Because I know you'll appreciate them more than any other collector. And I want them to go to you.]" She let out another giggle when he carefully put them away and hugged her tight. "[I have the rest at home in boxes collecting dust. Those are yours if you want them.]" At that moment Ken fainted from the excitement of being gifted something he never thought he'd own.

Set up for The Misfits concert began the next morning. Clash, Techrat, David and Pizzazz went to the stadium together to make sure everything had arrived just fine. Kaori went along only so she could check in at her publisher's office. Roxy and Jetta went shopping with Kimber. Hitomi, Ken, and Eiji visited with their families. Kyoko headed to the Arashikage stronghold to see if there was any word on what her uncle was doing. Stormer stayed at the hotel to call Chip in Autobot City.

"I knew we should have arrived a few days earlier," Clash said hiding her yawn. "Jetlag is kicking my ass something fierce." She leaned against the crate she'd just inspected. "Everything looks good in here."

Techrat closed the crate he'd just looked in and nodded. "All good here as well, I'm going to talk with the stagehands. Make sure they know what goes where." He picked up a sheet that had the floor plan and headed for the offices.

Pizzazz sat on one the crates and smiled at her twin brother, she patted the spot next to her. David sat next to her and shared her grin but with a mix of confusion. "Okay, I give up. What are you smiling about?"

"Us! All of us! Look how far we've made it!" Pizzazz spread her arms out and let out a tiny giggle. "I used to see us as only a bar band, one that played small venues and shit. It wasn't until recently that I realized we're bigger than that. We're a worldwide recognized band. We're sold out in Japan! That's huge for a band. At least it's huge for me." She propped her head on her palm and grinned wide. She took in the size of the stadium and smiled wider.

"She has a great point, David." Clash sat on the crate and leaned against him. "The Misfits are international stars and have been for quite some time. This is the fame they've been seeking and they've finally found it." She slid off the crate and dusted off her pants. "Trust me, David, this isn't about the fame for The Misfits anymore. You've seen a change in them, but I've seen the total change." She turned around and ran after Techrat.

David sat next to his twin sister and watched her for a few moments. He could see the happiness on her face. It was one that he'd only seen a handful of times. He then looked at his watch and jumped off the crate. "I'm going to pick up Kaori. You okay with staying here?" After Pizzazz nodded, he left to pick up his wife from her publisher's office. The whole time he thought about what Clash had said.

Playing in an open air stadium like the Osaka Dome always felt like playing with chance to Pizzazz. There was always a chance of horrible weather to occur while performing. But this night was perfect for a concert, clear skies and not a cloud to be seen for miles. When the stage lights dimmed, Pizzazz could make out a handful of stars. This only made her play harder and better. She saw the effect that weather had on the rest of the band and it inspired her to be her best.

Suzaku opened for The Misfits earlier that night. Stormer suggested that Suzaku perform rather than Fire and Ice. David came on stage to make it a Pulsar reunion to the surprise of their hometown. He played and sang with Kimber for a few of their hits. The audience went berserk at the end of their set. In the back of Pizzazz's mind, she thought that maybe The Misfits should have been the opening band. She'll suggest that they do it for the next night's show.

Watching off stage, Kaori danced in place while holding David's hand. She was trying in vain to get him to dance with her. She finally rolled her eyes and danced by herself. She startled a few stagehands by dancing with them by surprise. David smirked at their reactions knowing they had no idea what to think of his wife. He turned his gaze to where Yukio was hiding in the catwalk. She had insisted on staying up there in case the Bayushi Yakuza decided to attack.

Kyoko was in charge of the Arashikage Clan ninjas who were acting as undercover security for the concert. David felt it was best not to let The Misfits know what was going on. He'd already gotten an ear full from Roxy and Stormer about being overprotective. As far as the musicians knew, it was just Kyoko, Yukio and David keeping an eye on things.

"I can't believe how great this audience is!" Kimber yelled as she walked up behind David. "Although I do have to give some credit to you for performing with us tonight. Ken was wondering if you wanted to go on a reunion tour when this is over. Not right away naturally."

David thought about the idea of going on a reunion tour while letting his gaze scan the audience. "You know, that does sound like a fun idea. I know that Phyllis and The Misfits want to go on a road trip. I'll have some free time and The Stingers are a long way from finishing their album. And if worse comes to worse, I'll leave Rio in charge of producing their album." He looked at Kimber out of the corner his eye. "Tell Ken yes."

A hand slapped David's shoulder making him jump a little. He turned to find his three oldest friends standing behind him. He hated how concerts took away his ability to hear people coming up behind him. "I kinda knew you'd do it, David. We all saw the look on your face as you played up there, all smiles and showmanship." Ken chuckled.

"Yeah, it was only a matter of time before you'd come back to the group." Eiji reached out and messed up David's hair.

Hitomi giggled and put her arm around David's waist. "Now we need to convince you to do a new album." She laughed harder when David rolled his eyes.

"We'll talk about things when we get back to the States." David turned back to the concert and let his eyes scan the audience looking for any sign of trouble. "To be honest, I've been wanting to do a reunion album for a few months now. You can only plan, produce and manage for so long before you get the itch to make your own music." He looked at Yukio in the catwalk and gave a slight nod.

Kaori slid her arm around David's waist on the other side of him. She looked over and smirked at Hitomi. She knew how uncomfortable David got when he was shown this much affection in public. She just leaned against him and enjoyed herself. He wrapped his arm around his wife and relaxed against her. Hitomi eventually pulled Kimber to the side to discuss the next night's show. David moved to behind Kaori and hugged her tight. Together they watched his sister and his best friends perform.

Out of the corner of his eye David thought he saw a hand signal from one of the Arashikage ninjas. "Something is going on. Get Kimber and the rest into the dressing rooms. It might be nothing, but I have to check it out." Kaori turned back and gave a nod. He was happy that she understood the danger he was constantly in. Once she had rounded up his friends in a room, David made his way to where his clan brother had been in the crowd, he discovered that he was now missing. The pit of his stomach clenched up as soon as he heard the explosion on stage.

Quickly looking at the stage he saw that The Misfits were only startled. Yukio was protecting their retreat off stage. David looked through the now panicking crowd for Kyoko. He flashed a few hand gestures that told her to help with audience. An Arashikage clan brother ran up to him and bowed. David motioned for him and handful of others to follow him. He ran up one of the pillars while the ninjas followed him quickly. He now had a better vantage point of the stadium.

David felt his stomach twist as he saw how panicked the crowd was. But felt better when he saw that Kyoko and the remaining ninjas were helping the ushers and security guards. Near the stage, David saw two men that didn't belong. Deep down he knew they were ones responsible for the attack. He jumped from the beam he was on, bouncing off a wall, flipped in the air and landed on the stage. The men started running as soon as he landed. Yukio joined David he chased after them.

"[David-san, catch!]" Yukio tossed David his swords that were wrapped in a piece of canvas. He effortlessly unwrapped the swords and unsheathed them while they chased the men. Yukio reached into her uniform and threw a couple of shurikens at one of the men. One of the metal stars hit him in the leg, giving David the chance to slice with his sword at the injured leg. The man screamed in pain. The other looked back, which caused him to slow down a bit. Yukio leapt and tackled him to the ground.

Thick smoke came out of nowhere David covered his mouth and looked around in desperation. He could barely see four inches in front of him. He lost sight of the attacker, but heard Yukio struggling with the one she had tackled. Within moments the corridor was cleared of the smoke. The two men had vanished. Yukio walked up to David with anger burning in her brown eyes. He noticed she had a piece of red fabric in her hand. "[This was Soun Matsou's work. I just know it.]" Yukio just nodded in agreement as she walked back to the dressing rooms.

Arriving at the dressing rooms, David let out a relieved breath and hugged Mariko and Ayumi before he took his wife into his arms. "I had a gut feeling that this tour was going way too well." He took a towel that Roxy offered him. He turned to Yukio and Kyoko, "We need to get everyone to the Arashikage stronghold right away. It's the only safe place I can think of at the moment."

Pizzazz looked up from packing her gear and nodded. "I agree with David. We're not safe. None of us are. The Arashikage have proven that they can and will protect us. I have no idea what this attack was all about, but I'm not waiting for another to find out." She headed for the door. "Just for the record, I'm not blaming any of this on David or anyone else. We're The Misfits. This kinda shit happens to us. I've just accepted it."

Seeing the weariness and pain in his twin's eyes made David's heart drop a bit. He knew she didn't blame him, but he blamed himself. Out of the corner of his eye he spotted the piece of red tunic that Yukio grabbed off one of the attackers. He picked it up and studied it for a moment. There was some printing on the edge that he couldn't quite make out. He put it in his pocket when Kaori hugged him tightly again. He looked down into her copper eyes and smiled his best smile. "[Got your stuff?]"

"[Yeah, I'm actually kinda excited about this. I've only been to the stronghold a few times.]" Kaori held tightly to David's hand.

"[Well, I'm kinda nervous about this. We've been attacked again and have no idea who it is or who is behind it. Everything says its Soun Matsuo and the Caustic Brothers. But I dunno there's something not quite right.]" David felt himself smile with relief when he saw his clan brother Tommy Arashikage waiting for himself, his family and friends outside of the stadium.

Tommy clasped his hand around David's arm and smiled wide. "Phyllis called me right away when they were attacked. I figured I'd come personally with a group of handpicked escorts. We'll take you back home with no problems. These are my best students." He opened the door to the SUV for Kaori and helped her inside.

David watched his friends and family get into the other SUVs. A sense of relief washed over him as he climbed inside the vehicle with his wife. He pulled the piece of fabric out again and started to study it. Kaori looked up at him confused. "[I have no idea, either. Yukio yanked it off of an attacker.]" He pointed to the edge of the design. "[It had an image on the tunic, but I can't quite make it out. Its familiar, but I dunno.]"

"[Leave it for when we get there. I know how you obsess about these things.]" Kaori looked up at him with concern. "[For once just relax and remember that everything will work out in the end.]" She rested her head against his chest, listening to the rapid beat of his heart. "[Deep breaths, baby. Everyone is safe and sound. Nothing is going to happen now.]" She smiled to herself when she heard David's heart begin to slow down to his normal beating. She knew she was his voice of reason. The voice he had been missing all his life. Within a few hours they had reached their destination.

Staying hidden in the shadows, the metallic form watched the vehicles enter the gates. Switching his sensors to infrared, he spotted the man who defeated and humiliated him many months ago. Silently jumping from the branches, Ravage ran through the forest until he reached a clearing. He then leapt into the air and flew back to his master Soundwave with his findings.

The three F-15 Eagle jets landed and came to a full stop on the tarmac. Alarms blared and soldiers came running out surrounding the three aircrafts. Cobra Island was on full alert. The soldiers each pointed their rifles at the jets. An officer yelled at the lead jet, "You have five seconds to cycle your engines back up and leave Cobra Island. You're trespassing on sovereign soil. You now have four seconds to leave before we-" The officer took a step back while falling silent.

A nervous Cobra soldier's trigger finger jerked and fired a shot that missed the silver and red jet as it transformed. The black jet and metallic blue jet followed their leader. Standing before the stunned Cobra soldiers were three twenty-five foot tall robots. The silver and red robot held a gun in his hand. He smirked as he let it fall. The gun grew as it transformed into a thirty foot tall silver robot, a massive cannon was attached to his right arm. He scanned the area slowly and nodded.

"My name is Megatron, leader of the Decepticons. We come in peace and seek an audience with your leader, the one known as Cobra Commander." Megatron's voice echoed across the airstrip.

The doors to the main terminal of the airport opened. A man in a silver mask and blue helmet walked confidently out and looked up at Megatron. A black haired woman and a man in a form fitting silver mask accompanied him. Cobra Commander cleared his throat and spoke clearly, "I am Cobra Commander. What brings you to my island?"

Megatron went to his knee and brought himself closer to the leader of Cobra. The Cobra soldiers leveled their weapons at Megatron, but lowered them when their leader waved them off. "I come seeking an alliance. As you know the Autobots have created a city-state here on your planet. They've also met with your enemy known collectively as G.I. Joe. I believe we both have a mutual interest here."

Cobra Commander cocked his head to the side in thought. He then turned to Destro and the Baroness. They each nodded their agreement. "You have my attention. But it seems you have caught me in the middle of a side operation that doesn't concern G.I. Joe." He turned and started to walk to one of the hangers on the airstrip. Megatron, Starscream, Skywarp, and Thundercracker followed him inside. Cobra Commander kept talking as he climbed the stairs of a catwalk. "However, that doesn't mean we can't work together."

"I have a feeling that this is the beginning of a fortuitous relationship." Megatron simply smiled as he saw a grin creep across Cobra Commander's lips through the silver mask. He gestured to the three robots behind him. "Allow me to introduce a few of my best soldiers. This is Starscream, Thundercracker, and Skywarp." A robotic condor flew into the hanger and landed on Megatron's arm. "Ah Laserbeak, so good of you to join us. This must mean that Soundwave has arrived."

Walking through the hanger Soundwave stopped next to his leader. "Ravage brings news about the target. It has arrived at a secluded stronghold in the forests of Japan. It is not alone, but there is no Autobot threat present."

Destro stepped forward on the catwalk. "A secluded Japanese stronghold? The Arashikage Clan's home? Are you planning on attacking them?" He turned to Cobra Commander and could tell that he was thinking the same thing. "This would be the perfect time to show the world our combined might."

"My associate Destro is correct, Megatron. We have an old enemy that is associated with that group. Actually, we have several enemies and now may be the time to take care of them permanently." Cobra Commander leaned on the railing and spoke with hatred, "Including one that cost me a great victory and one of my greatest weapons."

Unable to sleep, Pizzazz quietly walked through the gardens of the Arashikage Clan's home. She'd heard stories of its beauty but never thought she'd actually see it. Through an open door of one of the dojos she watched a class train in the early morning. In the back of her head she regretted not bringing a pad of paper and a pencil. She was missing a perfect opportunity to start sketching.

Watching the class of martial artists, Pizzazz didn't notice the elderly man sitting next to her. She let out a small startled gasp which made him chuckle. "Forgive me, child, but I also enjoy watching the next generation of my clan train. It warms my heart to know that the future of my family is in good hands." He turned to Pizzazz and gave her a wink. "Your brother will also be an excellent teacher and student. I've spoken at great lengths about his martial art style and his future." The old man stood and gave Pizzazz a deep bow. "My apologies, I am the Stone Master the leader of the Arashikage Clan. But you can call me Uncle. I'm not very formal."

Pizzazz sat dumbfounded for a moment then stood and bowed in return. "I had no idea. We were given a room and just figured we'd be given a tour in the morning. It's a great honor to meet you. David, Yukio and Kyoko have mentioned you before. Just never pictured you'd be so…so…" Pizzazz stumbled for the right word.

"Old?"

"Charming." Pizzazz gave him her own wink and smile. "Thank you for letting us take refuge here. Our lives tend to get a little crazy when we have assassins literally jumping out at us on stage." She pulled her knees up on the bench and hugged them. "I just hope this is the last time. I'm getting too old to go run fearing for my life. I'm a musician, not a fighter." She looked at the master of the Arashikage Clan. "Not anymore at least."

The Stone Master sat next to Pizzazz and took her hand. She was surprised by the gentleness of his touch. "You're more of a fighter than you know. I can see it in your eyes and from what David has told me in our talks. And with most things, this too shall pass. There is an old curse: May you live in exciting times. You must have really annoyed someone in the past." He let out a small chuckle when he saw Pizzazz smirk and hide her laugh.

Stretching as she walked out of the house she and David were sharing, Kaori blocked the sun from her eyes. The Arashikage home was full of activity. She'd been here a few times but had never seen things this busy. Quickly she found Roxy and Jetta having breakfast with some of the Arashikage initiates. Jetta waved her over. "Kaori, luv, we kinda need your skills. Turns out me Japanese isn't as good as I remember."

Taking a seat next to the Englishwoman, Kaori hid a yawn and nodded. She listened to one of the young students. "He says that he's a big fan of yours and wishes he could have seen your concert last night." She translated Jetta and Roxy's reply and waited. "They said they would like to invite you to watch them practice. They're going to be on the main grounds in an hour." Kaori's belly rumbled as she stood. "And on that note, I must eat." She waved to Roxy, Jetta and their new friends as she left.

Trying to get her bearings Kaori cursed softly under her breath. Each house in the stronghold looked alike. She finally stopped one of the Arashikage ninjas and asked where Tommy Arashikage was at. The ninja gave her directions and she thanked him. She jogged her way through the maze of houses and dojos. On the way to Tommy's home, she spotted Ken and Hitomi. She waved and got their attention. "[Listen, Ken, I wanted to apologize again for trying to set you up with Natsumi.]"

Ken just smiled and shrugged. '[It happens. We just didn't click like you thought we would.]"

"[Well, I'm glad you got to meet her at least. I'm on my way to find David. I figured if anyone who would know where he's at, it's Tommy. See you both later.]" She smiled when Ken and Hitomi waved good bye. When she arrived at the modest building that was Tommy Arashikage's stronghold apartment, she knocked on the door. Tommy answered the door and let her in. Kaori wasn't surprised when she found her husband inside as well.

"[Can I get you some breakfast, Kaori?]" Tommy was already walking to the kitchen when she responded. He handed her a plate and she sat next to David. Tommy sat across from the newlyweds. "[David was just telling me in detail what happened last night. He thinks its Soun Matsuo and the Caustic Brothers finally making a move on himself and Kyoko.]" Tommy took a bite of his food and swallowed. "[However, and I agree with him, they seemed too well organized and equipped to do this.]"

David looked at his wife, his eyes looked weary as if he hadn't slept all night. "[We think there might be someone else helping them. I found this after the attack.]" David threw the torn tunic on the table. Tommy picked it up and studied the design.

"[You need sleep, David. After this we're going back to our guest house and you're taking a nap.]"

Tommy sat up suddenly, startling Kaori and David. "[You said you found this after the attack?]" David just nodded. "[Who tore it off?]"

"[It was Yukio. Why? What is it?]"

"[I'm going to find her. If this is what I think it is, we're both right about someone being behind things. And it's not good for anyone here.]"

Kaori and David finished their meal in silence. Once finished Kaori gathered up the plates and washed them for Tommy. "[Okay, now its nap time for David. I don't want to hear any complaints. You look like hell.]" She put her arms around him as he stood and gave him a tight hug. She jumped when the front door banged open. Tommy and Yukio both came rushing in. Kaori watched Tommy run up the stairs, taking two at a time. "[What's going on, Yukio?]"

Yukio looked at David and Kaori with worry in her eyes and only uttered one word, "[Cobra.]"

An emergency war council was called by Tommy. The Stone Master sat quietly and watched his clan spring to action. Cobra being involved with the Caustic Brothers and Soun Matsuo caused him concern. The heads of his clan sat around the table while they discussed strategy. He looked over at David who still looked tired and worn out. He had gotten a few hours of sleep while the council was being organized. The Stone Master sat next to the young man. "[You don't need to be here, David. You can go and be with your friends and family. They need you more than we do.]"

David opened his mouth to argue, but closed it instead. He nodded and stood. "[Thank you, Uncle.]" He tapped Kyoko and Yukio on their shoulders and motioned for them to follow him. Once outside, David took a deep breath. The fresh air helped him wake up. "[We don't need to sit in on this meeting. Right now we need to make our friends and family feel safe.]" He looked back at the building as they walked away. "[Besides, I really felt out of place there. I'm so used to planning things on my own.]"

Reaching their friends quickly, David explained what was going on. He had everyone move to a dojo where they could all be together. The sound of the stronghold's alarm made everyone jump. David, Yukio and Kyoko grabbed their weapons. "[Kyoko, Yukio stay here and protect the dojo. I'm just going to see what's going on.]" The two ninjas just nodded without argument.

David ran out of the dojo to find the Arashikage Clan in chaos. The screech of low flying jets pierced the night sky. Explosions began to rock the compound. Flames silhouetted figures coming over and through the stone walls of the Arashikage home. He then heard the smooth metal on metal gears sound that sent a chill up his spine. It was the unmistakable sound of a transformation.

Letting his eyes adjust to the lowlight he made out the fight before him. Cobra soldiers and the Decepticons were launching an attack of the Arashikage. It was something even David's nightmares wouldn't allow.

TO BE CONTINUED IN "DARKNESS ON THE EDGE OF TOWN"

PART 4 OF NOTHIN'S GONNA STAND IN OUR WAY