Disclaimer: Characters and situations are the property of BVE and Village Roadshow Pictures. No copyright infringement is intended.
Author's notes: This is an AU fic that I started well before Calm Before the Storm aired. I posted it to my livejournal, but otherwise held onto it to see how badly Jossed I was-- and the answer is fairly well Jossed. However, due to the comments I got from the people I did let read it, I decided to post it anyway.
Also, this contains references to my stories Moving Day and Minimum Age. Some of the Moving Day ideas that Selma and I expanded on in Building Family: Protecting Secrets, Thunders' Trust, and First night are also here. However, you should be able to understand the story without reading those. (You just might not truly appreciate the references.)
"Dude!" Dustin exclaimed.
"A little fuller than I was really expecting," Cam said. "You'd think everyone would want to go home after being away for so long."
The training ground was teaming with people in black training uniforms. It was nearly wall to wall people just a few feet from where the small group stood.
"The Academy's back!" Shane exclaimed. "And it's not, like, in ruins."
"The training ground's still going to need sod," Cam observed.
"Am I too tired from tossing Lothor into the Abyss or were there nowhere near this many people in school with us?" Dustin asked.
"I was gonna say, dude, the place seems pretty crowded," Blake said.
"There's more than just Wind Ninjas here," Tori said, gesturing at a group of people wearing Thunder Academy Crimson and Navy. She took Blake's hand, leaning against his shoulder. "Those friends of yours? You want to introduce me?"
"Yeah..." Blake said absently, as if he hadn't really heard. He glanced at Hunter.
"You guys still up for that movie?" Hunter put one hand on Shane's shoulder and one on Cam's, trying to steer them towards the portal for a quick exit.
"We should go. Right now," Blake added. He grabbed Dustin by the shoulder, pulling Tori along by the hand.
"There you all are," said a familiar voice.
"Dad!" Cam ran forward to embrace his now human father. It was clear that although he'd been told his father wasn't stuck as a guinea pig anymore, that fact hadn't sunk in until that very moment.
"Who's that with him?" Dustin asked.
Blake dropped his hands to his sides. Hunter had done likewise, and was growing rather pale.
"Blake? Hunter? What's wrong?" Tori tried to take Blake's hand again.
He pulled it away.
"That's Sensei Omino," Hunter explained.
"He's spotted us. And he looks pissed," Blake added.
Tori tried to take Blake's hand again.
Blake jerked away. "Tor, don't, you'll make it worse."
"Make what worse?" Tori crinkled up her nose in confusion.
"Just play it cool, or this could get ugly," Hunter said sharply.
Sensei Omino approached the five Ninja Rangers.
"What is this I hear about you associating with the Winds?" he asked.
"We're a team, sir," Hunter explained.
"It took all six of us to defeat Lothor," Blake added. "All six zords sometimes. If we hadn't worked together, Lothor wouldn't have needed to open the Abyss of Evil to take over the Earth."
"Then why did you live with their Sensei?" Omino's arms were crossed and he was glaring at the Thunders.
Dustin shook his head. "Dude! They had an apartment, but it was a total flea trap. Roaches and everything. How were they supposed to make enough for someplace decent without dropping out of school? 'sides, someone besides Hunter had to be keeping an eye on Blake and Tori..."
Blake clapped a hand over Dustin's mouth, forcing a smile. "He's joking. It's a running joke." Blake's voice shook as he spoke.
"Blake?" Tori's voice rose in pitch with her confusion.
"Not now," Blake muttered.
Sensei Omino frowned and turned to Hunter. "You let Blake date a Wind?"
"Yeah, so?" Hunter snapped. "Look, we had to work together. As a team. This whole thing's been rough. Blake's been doing a lot better since they've been dating."
"You're saying this relationship is good for him?" Omino was nearly shouting.
"Yes," Hunter replied simply.
"That's it!" Omino surged forward, causing Blake and Hunter to back up. "They've been a terrible influence on you both. We're going home, and you'll have no more contact with the Winds."
"Sensei!" Blake backed away, inching closer to Hunter.
"You don't understand," Hunter said, trying to keep his volume even. "We both need..."
"If you two are going to feed off of each other like that, I'm just going to have to separate the two of you until their influence is removed." Omino moved forward even more quickly, moving to gain on the Thunders.
Hunter and Blake looked at each other, then streaked off as one.
"We'll go after them," Tori said, grabbing a confused Dustin by the arm.
Yellow and Blue streaks took off after the Crimson and Navy ones.
Sensei Watanabe's hand fell on Sensei Omino's shoulder. "Let Tori and Dustin talk to them. You can only make things worse."
"They are my responsibility." Sensei Omino pushed off the Wind's hand.
"Then you should know better than to threaten to separate them," Cam snapped.
"Cameron." Sensei Watanabe was clearly shocked.
"He's right, Sensei, Blake and Hunter are the only constant thing in each other's lives. You saw how Blake reacted during the Motodrone business-- and I've never seen Hunter so panicked as when he couldn't find Blake the day the frog attacked." Shane paused for a moment, looking at the ground. "Separating them isn't discipline, it's cruel and unusual punishment."
"Try it and we will know," Cam added. "And I won't hesitate to call child protective services if you so much as send them to separate rooms for an hour to calm down."
"This is none of your concern." Sensei Omino glared at Cam.
"They're our teammates," Shane insisted. "We owe them our lives, several times over."
"As they owe us," Cam finished.
"Cameron!" Cam's father was not pleased with his son's apparent lack of respect.
"No, Dad, he needs to hear this." Cam looked at his father firmly, then turned to Sensei Omino. "Look, sir, with all due respect, you were never a Ranger. You don't know what it's like. We have to depend on each other for our safety-- for our lives. We have to think, act, as one fluid team. That requires nothing less than absolute trust. They had to do what they did, for their own safety and that of the planet. They tried to do that living somewhere else, because they knew you wouldn't approve of them living in Ops. Hunter lied about his age, and they took a weekly rental in the bad part of town. A place that also sometimes rents by the hour."
Sensei Omino's eyes widened. Then he schooled his face with some effort. "That doesn't excuse..."
"We didn't give them a choice," Shane said quietly.
"We didn't," Cam confirmed. "We showed up at their door with boxes and packed them up. And I'd have shown the superintendent a copy of Hunter's birth certificate if that's what it took to get them moved out of there. They weren't safe. They weren't eating right-- they were living off of ramen, juice, and granola bars. If we hadn't gotten them out of there when we did, I'd have been treating them for malnutrition in another couple weeks. As it was, I had to put them on a pretty strict diet for awhile."
Sensei Omino tried to change approaches. "Blake's dating..."
"So? Tori's a great girl! You just won't give her a chance because she's a Wind Ninja!" Cam was trying hard not to shout.
"I have their best interest at heart and..."
Cam was ready to drop all pretense of decorum at that. "You have their best interest at heart? You'd rather they have stayed at a flea trap motel with roaches, drugs, and prostitution, rather than live at Ninja Ops where they'd be safe? Where things were clean and bug free. Where there were adults to help them when they needed it. You were gone for months. If it weren't for us, they'd have had no one but each other. For weeks that's all they did have. And now, because they did the only thing they could, took the only option that was safe for them, you want to punish them by taking away the one constant in their lives for the last ten years? They deserve better than that, sir."
Sensei Omino turned to Cam's father, his face turning red. "You certainly raised an argumentative son, Watanabe."
"Excuse us please, Shane, Cam," Sensei Watanabe lead Sensei Omino off a little ways, to talk away from the Rangers with their protective instincts in overdrive.
Cam grabbed Shane's arm and hauled him in the other direction-- anxious to get out of earshot.
~~Cam, Shane, I will try to convince Sensei Omino to bring this matter before the Ninja Council. Though after your outburst, it will not be easy. In the meantime, get Hunter and Blake somewhere safe. I believe you know where, son.~~
"You're not supposed to read my mind, Dad," Cam muttered.
"What's he talking about, Cam?" Shane studied his elder teammate in confusion.
Cam shook his head in disapproval. "The Ninja Council, really, Shane..."
"No, I know about the Senseis of all the Ninja academies settling inter-academy disputes. I mean what's this about someplace safe?"
"I'm going to trust you with a secret, Shane. One that so far only I've known all of. I'm gonna trust you guys to keep it within the team, OK? Listen carefully, this is complicated..."
* * *
As Tori and Dustin reached the clearing where the Thunders were, they tried to land on rocks. The rocks won and they tripped, spilling onto the ground. They picked themselves up and dusted themselves off. They moved towards the Thunders, but Tori backpedaled into Dustin in shock.
Blake sat on a rock, hugging his knees to his chest.
Hunter sat next to him, awkwardly trying to find a position from which to pull his brother into his arms. "It's OK, Blake, we... we'll figure something out."
Tori cleared her throat.
The Thunders looked up at their teammates, expressions tired and frightened.
Dustin had the grace to blush. "I'm sorry, dudes, my mouth was ahead of my brain."
Hunter nodded, and turned his attention back to Blake, who was now staring at the ground.
"Blake?" Tori asked, approaching cautiously.
Seemingly in response, Blake grabbed Hunter, keening softly, and leaning against his brother's side.
Tori backpedaled in surprise, biting her lip.
"It's OK, Tor," Hunter managed, "it's just..."
"I'm just the girlfriend. You're the big brother." Tori shrugged.
"N...need you both," Blake managed, beckoning without moving a millimeter away from Hunter.
Tori sat on Blake's other side, making soothing circles on his back with her hand.
"Dude, what's your Sensei's problem anyway?" Dustin sat a little bit away from Blake and the others.
"He's..." Hunter paused, clearly not sure how to explain it, "a little suspicious of other Ninja academies." Hunter gave Blake a warm squeeze.
"That explains a lot," Tori said, "but why did he threaten to separate..."
Blake whimpered.
"If we collectively make up our minds, it's hard to change them," Hunter said. "We're pretty good at reinforcing each other. Too good."
"Huh?" Dustin scratched his head.
"We had ourselves convinced Sensei wasn't going to go ballistic." Hunter stared at the ground.
"Sensei Watanabe said he would square things with Sensei Omino," Blake added quietly.
"From the looks of things, Cam might not give his dad a chance. He looked about 30 seconds from going ballistic himself." Dustin smiled proudly.
"Who, Sensei?" Tori asked.
"Cam." Dustin rolled his eyes.
"That could work for us or against us," Hunter mused. "Um, would you guys mind sneaking back to Ninja Ops and getting our tent and sleeping bags out of our closet? Assuming it's still there, that is. I think it'd be best if we hang out here for awhile."
"There's a tropical storm offshore, dude," Dustin said. "I could see it from LionZord's navigation system. If you're in the leaky tent you're gonna catch your deaths."
"We can't go back to the Thunder Academy." Blake snuggled closer to Hunter.
Dustin frowned. Blake wasn't even this freaked when one of Lothor's spells turned him into a six year old.
Tori smiled in what she hoped was a reassuring manner. "We'll think of something."
"Mom's out of town. Wilma's staying at a friend's house. You guys want to crash with me?" Dustin offered.
"Your houses are the first place they'll look," Hunter pointed out.
Tori looked at Hunter as if he were crazy. "They?"
"Sensei and the Thunder Academy guard," Hunter explained.
Dustin shook his head. "Dude, we gotta figure something out."
A read streak appeared on the horizon. The assembled Rangers tensed, but it resolved itself into a friendly face.
"Figure out something for what?" Shane frowned as he took in the scene.
"Somewhere safe for the Thunders, dude." Dustin got up and stretched. "We don't want their Sensei getting his way."
"Dustin won't let us use our tent." Hunter glared at the cause of his annoyance.
"Cam and Sensei-- Sensei Watanabe, I should say-- are trying to get him to take it to the Ninja Council." Shane sat near Tori and the Thunders, pulling Dustin back into a sitting position. "Cam pulled me aside and gave me directions to somewhere secure in the Wind Academy. Right now, Cam and I are the only ones with the security codes."
Hunter frowned. "Dude, Sensei's gonna be pretty ticked for them even suggesting that. I don't think..."
"Cam thinks the Ninja Council is going to force Sensei Omino to sign over custody of you to Sensei Watanabe," Shane interrupted.
"Will he take us?" Blake asked.
"Cam seems pretty sure he will." Shane shrugged, as if he weren't sure what to make of Cam's opinion.
"He will," Hunter affirmed. "Think we can sneak into the academy?"
"Streak to the back door," Shane instructed.
"Where?" Hunter's nose crinkled at being given directions that corresponded to an intact Wind Academy. He'd only been there after Lothor had destroyed it.
"Near the lake," Tori explained.
* * *
The inside of the academy was nearly institutional. The walls were painted white, the tiling was white, and the look was completed with harsh, fluorescent lights illuminating the corridor.
"This seems almost out of character for Cam's dad." Hunter frowned, taking in the surroundings.
"Ninja Ops is homier," Blake added.
"So's the the Thunder Academy."
"Gee, Hunter, we're still in the school." Shane rolled his eyes.
"Yeah, dude, and there's no way to get windows into the middle of the third floor," Dustin pointed out.
The group turned a corner and a pair of locked double doors.
Shane typed in some numbers.
"Dude, isn't that Cam's birthday?" Blake asked.
"Most Wind students wouldn't know that. It's not so much a security system as a keep lost students out of where they shouldn't be," Shane said.
They went through the double doors into another dark hallway. This one was warmer, and had carpeting and some paintings on the floor that presumably belonged on the wall.
Blake picked up one gingerly, careful to avoid potentially broken glass. "Look, Cam did finger-painting." Blake showed them a framed sheet of paper, with big blobs in several different shades of green-- with small amounts of yellow and blue that presumably came from mixing up the greens-- it had "Cameron Watanabe" in big, wobbly block print letters in the lower right hand corner.
Tori smiled. "He should've come up with 'Cam' sooner, he wouldn't have had to write all that."
The others exchanged smiles and turned right down the hallway, towards the doorway that presumably led to the living quarters.
"No." Shane stopped the team with a single word. "This way."
He led them down to the end of the corridor.
"Um, Shane, it's a blank wall." Dustin scratched his nose.
It pretty much was, painted white. On the right hand side of the end of the hallway, an ebony bust stood on a white, marble pedestal.
"Who is that guy?" Tori wondered.
"Some Japanese composer." Shane pushed on the bust's forehead, revealing another security keypad.
"Anyone else wondering if Cam watched too much Scooby Doo as a child?" Tori joked as Shane punched in another number.
The "wall" slid open to reveal a sunlit room.
"What a mess," Dustin commented as the five walked in.
The Academy might not have been damaged much during its time in Lothor's ship, but this room was another story. All the furniture was overturned-- a pine green, squashy couch, some matching armchairs, and a Japanese influenced coffee table all sat on the floor at varying unusual angles. A full sized bed had dented part of the wall, its mattress several feet away, leaning against an overturned bookcase. A total of three overturned bookcases that lined the walls had spilled their contents-- DVDs, CDs, and books were scattered all over the floor, some of the media having abandoned their cases to take refuge on the floor, in the dirt from potted plants.
A small refrigerator had turned on its side, spilling its cargo of the local supermarket brand of filtered drinking water on the floor. A few bottles of distilled water, still sealed, were turned at funny angles, having skidding into the pots they were meant to water.
A fish tank that had once been on an curly, iron stand lay on the floor, the area surrounding it soaked with water. Fabric plants and a resin fairy tale castle were half buried in the gravel. The tank itself appeared scratched, but not broken.
A small, deep blue betta was thrashing wildly across the floor.
"The fish is alive!" Hunter exclaimed. He strode carefully across the room in search of Cam's fish net.
The five Rangers scrambled throughout the room, gathering the necessary equipment. Hunter released the fish into a small fish bowl that Cam kept on hand for emergencies and water changes.
"There you go, little dude," Dustin said as the betta swam to the bottom of the small bowl, eyeing the group of concerned teens suspiciously.
Hunter wrinkled his nose. "Distilled water's not good for him."
"Gotta be better than air, dude," Dustin pointed out.
Emergency averted, Blake righted a chair and spilled into it. Hunter perched carefully next to him on the arm.
"Man, this bites." Dustin gently picked up DVDs that had been scattered, making sure the discs were snugly in their cases, and checking that the ones that had fallen out weren't scratched before putting them back in.
Shane and Tori tried to right a bookcase. It was heavy, and they were tired.
Hunter got up to help them. "Why are we cleaning Cam's room for him?"
"We're gonna help anyway, might as well get started." Dustin started putting DVDs back into the righted bookcase.
"I gotta get off my feet for a minute." Tori tried to turn a couch right-side up so she could sit on it.
Blake got up. "Here." He helped her get the couch right way up and settle the cushions back into place.
Then he plopped into the middle of it, leaning against the backrest.
"You're shaking." Tori sat next to him, putting an arm around his shoulders. "Are you OK?"
"Fine," Blake said, pulling her against him.
Hunter sat on Blake's other side, putting an arm around Blake's shoulders as well.
Blake sighed contentedly. "Nobody move for a couple minutes, OK?"
"Dustin, help me with the mattress." Shane beckoned his friend over.
Soon the mattress was placed on the bed frame, which Shane had pulled away from the wall.
They tore off the dirty sheets, looking for someplace to put them until they could be washed. Shane located a hamper, then Dustin located some clean green sheets scattered over the shelves of what appeared to be a linen closet. Together they made the bed.
Shane was trying not to laugh.
"What's so funny, dude?" Dustin asked.
"Green sheets, green couch, green chairs. We really should've known." Shane snorted.
Dustin chuckled. Cam had been pretty obsessed with the color green even before he was a Ranger. "Maybe that's Trini's favorite color."
"It's yellow," Hunter supplied from the couch. "He sent her a pair of yellow jeans that he found as a birthday present."
Tori yawned.
"Why don't you guys go home and get some rest?" Hunter suggested. "You look pretty wiped. And that battle was insane, even without Omino."
"Especially with the whole lost powers thing," Blake added.
As Blake spoke, Shane eyed Hunter carefully, wondering about the dropped "Sensei". He chalked it up to exhaustion. "You guys OK?"
"You said you and Cam are the only ones with the code?" Hunter checked.
"Yeah. Oh! Except that Sensei has an emergency override code. You can lock it out here." Shane walked over to a keypad next to the door and punched in some numbers. "The code Cam gave me is the only way to open it out. Apparently, Cam kept the active override mode as a default so he wouldn't forget to take it off and be stuck in here in an emergency."
Tori got up and gave Blake a soft kiss on the lips, then gave Hunter a peck on the cheek. "You look like you could use some rest yourselves."
"Take care guys," Shane added.
"We've got your backs, dudes." Dustin waved.
The Winds walked out, carefully making sure the door shut behind them.
It was only then that something hit Tori. "Why would Cam have a way to lock out an override code?"
"Is that even smart?" Shane wondered as they started walking down the hall, towards the doors to the living quarters.
"Maybe it's only for when he's not alone," Dustin suggested.
The other two looked at Dustin and gaped.
"What?"
* * *
Cam finally got to his room a few hours later carrying a paper bag and wearing a large green backpack. A quick survey of the room revealed that the Thunders were snuggled together on his bed. Cam chuckled, wondering if he should let sleeping Bradleys lie and take the sofa bed, or feed them and make them take the sleeper, leaving him with his very own bed. The bed he'd been deprived of for months.
They should eat at any rate. Cam set the bag full of sandwiches down, removed his backpack, and sat on the bed.
"Blake? Hunter?" Cam asked gently.
Hunter opened one eye. "Hey, Cam."
"I brought you guys some fresh clothes and some dinner." Cam patted Hunter's shoulder awkwardly. "Or do you just want to sleep?"
Hunter ignored the question. "Your fish is OK, but the tank's history."
"The tank I noticed..." Cam looked around finding the small fish bowl that Tori had set on the window sill. "Oh, there's Steve."
"We found some distilled water and his old water change bowl," Hunter said. "I know it's not the best for him but..."
Cam laid his hand on Hunter's shoulder, rubbing it gently. "It's OK, Hunter. It won't hurt him to be in there for a few days."
"You won't hold it against him will you?" Hunter pleaded with big eyes. "It's not his fault."
A certain symmetry struck Cam. "Are you sure we're talking about the fish?"
Hunter sighed.
Cam leaned over and hugged him, which required embracing Blake as well. "It's going to be OK. I'll adopt you two myself if I have to."
"You can't, Cam," Blake spoke for the first time, sounding like he was more awake than he'd let on. "You have to go to Britain and meet up with Trini."
"Let me worry about that." Cam sat up. "After last week, I'm not sure she'll want me to come."
"Don't be silly, dude," Hunter said. "You show up in Britain and all will be forgiven."
Blake started, "You need to have your own life Cam..."
"...We don't want to hold you back," Hunter finished.
Cam sighed. "I hate it when you do that. How about some dinner? Today was exhausting, and I don't know about you but I'm starved."
"'kay." Hunter took his arm from around Blake and used it to lever himself up.
Blake sat up. "What's for dinner?"
"Sandwiches from McCrory's." Cam got up to retrieve the bag.
"Ooh!" Blake bounded out of bed.
"Guess he's hungry." Hunter got up as well.
* * *
"Man, McCrory's is excellent!" Hunter took another bite of his half-eaten sub.
"Yeah, they do," Cam agreed. "Dad wanted to send me to Subway, since he's hashing things out for the council meeting tomorrow, but if his first non-guinea pig chow meal in months has to be a sandwich, I wasn't going anywhere other than McCrory's."
"Council meeting tomorrow?" Hunter asked.
Cam finished chewing and put his dinner down. "Since Sensei Omino is giving you a rough time about being close to the Winds-- and me, really-- they've ruled it an inter-academy dispute and they'll be hearing the case tomorrow."
"What does that mean?" Blake made a face.
"Basically, if Sensei Omino loses-- and he will-- he'll have to sign custody of the two of you over to Dad," Cam said calmly.
"What's this going to entail?" Hunter asked.
"That's what they're hashing out," Cam explained, "but I've made it pretty clear that the only way that you two are leaving this room is if you're accompanied by the rest of the team. The Thunder Academy's been known for not always respecting the authority of the council. I'd hate for there to be any... funny business."
Blake gulped. "Funny business?"
"Don't worry, Blake, no one's taking all six of us-- powers or no powers." Cam patted Blake's shoulder reassuringly.
"'Specially not Tori," Hunter added.
Blake managed half a grin. "Nobody messes with my girl." His smile vanished as he realized something. "Hey, no one's told Sensei Omino how to get in touch with LeAnne."
"Sounds like a good bargaining chip to me," Cam pointed out.
"Not very fair to Leanne!" Blake snapped. "It is her Dad, you know."
Cam winced. Blake had just hit a sore spot-- one that Blake knew all to well. "We'll make sure to get the number to him. In the morning, I don't want him absconding with you."
"Not letting him out of my sight." Hunter put a protective arm around Blake's neck.
Cam egged Hunter on. "Atta boy."
Blake rolled his eyes.
* * *
The next morning, Blake was the last out of the shower, and finished just as Cam came back in carrying a breakfast tray.
"Nice timing, Bro." Blake sat happily on the couch and took his bowl of cereal.
"It's all settled," Cam informed them. "We've got about an hour before the hearing."
Hunter gulped and sat down next to his brother. "How does this work?"
Cam smiled reassuringly and started to explain.
* * *
Blake tugged at his Ninja Uniform as the six teammates walked towards the Wind Academy gym where the hearing would take place. "Is it possible for this thing to shrink?"
"Maybe we pulled out some material when we tried to put the Thunder Ninja Academy patches back on our uniforms and Cam stopped us," Hunter suggested.
"Trust me, it's best if you leave the Ranger patches on," Cam advised.
The door to the makeshift council chamber opened, revealing a member of the Wind Ninja Academy Guard.
"The council is ready for you now." He eyed the group skeptically, eyes lingering over Shane, Dustin, and Tori.
"Great, our reputation precedes us," Shane muttered.
"Huh?" Hunter looked at the Winds in confusion.
"If it weren't for Lothor showing up when we did, we'd have been kicked out of Ninja school instead of being given the Wind Ranger powers. Scroll or no scroll." Tori looked at her shoes.
"Don't mention it to the council," Cam hissed. "Dad won't have told them. You guys have come a long way. A very long way. Like probably about ready to graduate long way. Be proud."
"Right," the Winds muttered, trying to stand up straight as they entered the gymnasium used for classes and demonstrations when it rained.
It looked like every high school gym that Hunter had ever been in. The walls were painted in Wind Ninja colors, with a sickly yellow wood laminate floor. The bleachers on the right hand side had been pulled out, and were filled with a small assembly of Ninjas. A few were wind, but there were two distinct knots of Thunder Ninjas.
"Dude, those guys want your attention." Dustin poked Blake and Hunter.
They turned and waved apprehensively.
"Those your friends?" Cam asked.
Hunter nodded, not trusting his voice.
In front of the bleachers sat two tables that had clearly been moved from the cafeteria mess. Sensei Omino sat at one. Cam led the group to one of these tables, directing his teammates to sit. They sat facing a long table filled with people-- 17 Academy Senseis, each sitting behind a placard, indicating the name of each representative on the council and what academy they represented.
The Sensei in the middle, whose handwritten placard read "Sensei Mugensai, Hurricane Academy", banged a gavel. "I am calling this hearing to order. Let the record show that the members of this council have convened 15 out of 20 times in the last six years in order to settle disputes between the Wind and Thunder Academies. And that time period includes the 10 months we were in Lothor's ship. We are sick of it, and have chosen to intervene this time only because we have been asked to determine the best interests of the two Thunder Ninjas who were instrumental in effecting our escape from the one calling himself Lothor. And that this question of their best interest arises directly from their role in our newfound freedom. Blake, Hunter, please rise. We would like to hear the exact nature of your escape from Lothor and how you came to join your Wind and Samurai teammates." Sensei Mugensai was clearly not trying to appear disgusted at the word "Samurai".
Tori glanced at Cam as they sat down, but he appeared unfazed.
Blake and Hunter exchanged glances, looking abashed. They really, really didn't want to have to tell this story.
"Well?" Sensei Shimi of the Sun Academy asked impatiently.
Hunter looked straight at the panel, convinced that sometimes being the older brother sucked. "We didn't escape from Lothor. He learned that we had the Thunder morphers, and freed us from the stasis bubbles. He didn't seem pleased that we were the Thunder Rangers. When he learned we were Bradleys..." Hunter paused, looked down, then back up and continued. "When he learned who our parents were, he told us that Sensei Watanabe of the Wind Academy had been the one to destroy our parents. What we did next, well, we're not proud of it."
Hunter related the events leading up to the Cave of Souls. His voice broke when it came to explaining how their father had stopped him from smashing Sensei's protective shield. Blake squeezed his shoulder and picked up the tale, stopping with their leaving Vertigo Island in the zords.
"We joined the team shortly thereafter," he finished. "At the time, that brought the team up to five members-- the three Winds and the two of us. Then came Madtropolis and Cam's quest for the Samurai Power."
"And after you joined the team, you moved into Ninja Ops?" Sensei Sakamoto of the Moon Academy prompted.
"No, sir," Blake replied. "We got stock boy jobs at Storm Chargers and rented an apartment."
"As minors?" Sensei Sakamoto was incredulous.
"We lied about my age," Hunter explained. "It wasn't the type of place to ask a lot of questions."
"What type of place was it?" Sensei Shimi inquired.
"They rented by the week, the night, and the hour," Hunter said.
"There was prostitution there?"
"Yes, Sensei Mugensai," Hunter confirmed.
Sensei Mugensai's face softened into an expression of concern. "What was it like?"
Blake subconsciously took a step closer to Hunter. "Frightening. There were a lot of people making strange noises because they were on bad acid trips. Or methamphetimines or whatever. One night we were out the door and about to wake up the rest of the team for backup because we'd heard someone yelling about Kelzaks; it turned out to be some guy coming down off of... we never did figure it out. He was alone in the room. I don't think the landlord ever figured out just how we'd managed to pull his door off its hinges."
"When did you decide to move in with Sensei Watanabe and his son?" Sensei Shimi turned a page on the legal pad upon which he was taking notes.
"We didn't." Hunter looked at the floor. "Shortly after Cam joined the team, he, Shane, Tori, and Dustin showed up at our door with packing boxes. Basically they said we could go voluntarily or they'd tell the landlord I was underage, and then they'd tell Cam's father where we'd been staying."
"You had lied to him?" Sensei Sakamoto reached for a water pitcher to pour a glass of water.
Blake and Hunter exchanged glances.
"We'd told him that we had a place to stay, but we left out where." Hunter still couldn't bring himself to face the council. "So technically yes."
Sensei Sakamoto swallowed a mouthful of water. "Why?"
"We figured that Sensei Omino would be very upset if we moved into Ninja Ops." Blake glanced at his Sensei at the other table. "I guess we figured right."
"Then why move in when your teammates asked you to?" Sensei Mugensai questioned.
"We were going to have to anyway. You don't know our team." Hunter glanced back at his friends. "It was the easy way or the hard way. The hard way involved attracting all sorts of attention by the superintendent finding out that I'd lied about my age during the application process. Not to mention that Cam and the others were right, it was a huge risk. If we'd been discovered and Family Services had been called in, there would've been a lot of questions. It could've lead to our being discovered as Rangers, or possibly exposing the existence of the Ninja Academies. And frankly, the place was infested with cockroaches. We didn't make much beyond what we needed to pay the rent even of that place, so we were living on ramen noodles and the minimum amounts of the cheapest luncheon meats we could find-- and granola bars when we could get Shane or Cam to take us to Sam's or Costco. We're lucky we didn't get sick."
"Being a Ranger increases your metabolism," Blake added. "We were eating a lot less than we should have been. We didn't know why we were tired all the time until the team dragged us to Ninja Ops and Cam started feeding us properly. We felt better than we had in a long time, and the safest we'd felt since Lothor had captured the Thunder Academy."
The Senseis nodded at that. Sensei Mugensai flipped through his notes. "Very well. There is still one more issue that we must cover. Blake, why are you dating Tori Hanson?"
Blake blushed. This wasn't the sort of question one really liked to have to answer, especially in public. "Because it was clear from what we'd seen of our teammates that Sensei Omino was wrong in his opinions of Wind Ninjas-- at least with regards to our teammates. They are every bit as virtuous as anyone at the Thunder Academy. Most likely as everyone here. That's why I didn't worry about Sensei's teachings-- I thought he'd had a bad experience or something. As for why I chose to date her... I'm sixteen years old, and I like a girl who likes me back. I'm supposed to ignore that just because Sensei Omino had mistaken impressions of her Ninja School?"
"We're supposed to be doing the interrogation, young Mr. Bradley," Sensei Umbatu of the Sky Academy scolded him.
"My sincere apologies, Sensei Umbatu, that was meant to be a rhetorical question." Blake stared at the floor, as was appropriate. "Apparently I wasn't sufficiently clear."
"Is there anything you two would like to add?" Sensei Mugensai offered.
"No, Sensei," Blake and Hunter chorused.
"You may be seated." Sensei Mugensai turned his attention to the rest of the team. "Would any of the Bradleys' teammates like to add something?"
Shane, Dustin, and Tori looked to Cam.
Cam rose. "I just want to say that Blake and Hunter had to take the best options available to them. Ninja Ops was safe, hygienic, dry, and had a fully stocked kitchen. None of those things were true of their tent or their glorified hotel room. Moving to Ninja Ops wasn't just the best option for them, it was the best option for the team. As to the rest, being a Ranger team doesn't just mean fighting together it means... I'm sorry, this is difficult to explain, but when you're out there... if you and your teammates have anything less than absolute trust, then you might as well pack it in and go home, because your enemy's all ready won.
"Blake and Hunter have been through a lot together, they need each other. They don't deserve to be split up-- something that, for them, amounts to cruel and unusual punishment. They shouldn't be punished at all-- not for making the right decision, not for doing what was necessary to protect the world." Cam sat down.
"Thank you, Cameron," Sensei Mugensai smiled skeptically at the Samurai. "Sensei Watanabe, have you anything to add to your written statement?"
"Not at this time," Sensei replied.
Mugensai turned to the Thunder table. "Sensei Omino, in light of your charges' testimony, do you wish to reconsider your position?"
Sensei Omino stood. "While I do not begrudge Blake and Hunter a safe place to stay, they became far too close to their Wind teammates. And if they were unable to maintain the required distance in Ninja Ops, they should have found more suitable arrangements. Or at the very least pulled back. Blake and Hunter still disobeyed my teachings, and I must do whatever is necessary to make sure those lessons are relearned."
"Do you wish to rebut any of their testimony?" Sensei Mugensai continued the questioning.
Omino straightened. "A ninja must exhibit dedication to the teachings of their Sensei."
"Okay," Sensei Mugensai responded warily. "Sensei Watanabe, do you wish to rebut any of Sensei Omino's testimony?"
"My son has done that very well," Sensei Watanabe replied.
Cam stared at the table, unable to meet anyone's eyes.
"Very well. The council will convene. Remain here, I do not believe this will take long." Sensei Mugensai banged his gavel on the table.
And with that, the council departed.
Blake borrowed Sensei Watanabe's legal pad and started writing on it.
"Wait and see what the council says before you give him that," Cam reprimanded.
"Leanne doesn't deserve to be a pawn in this," Blake replied cooly.
"She could've warned you," Cam pointed out.
Hunter rolled his eyes at Cam. "Like any Thunder Ninja knows what a Wind Ninja uniform looks like."
"If Tori had been from any other Ninja School, it would've been a different story," Blake added. "I hadn't told her where we were living either. If we hadn't been living in Ninja Ops, Tori wouldn't have even... OK, it would've still been a big deal, but Leanne likes to shake stuff up. She's also been known to decide that we need to make our own mistakes."
Hunter tapped a marker. "Case and point..."
"Just 'cause she didn't tell us that her dad was going to be royally pissed over the whole sign thing..." Blake started.
"Actually, she thought it was funny and didn't care what happened to us over it," Hunter interrupted.
Blake frowned. "Now you're not being fair."
"You just like her 'cause she took you for ice cream while I was getting my tonsils out," Hunter accused.
"I was pretty freaked out!" Blake exclaimed. "A better question is why don't you like her for helping to look out for me?"
"Boys," Sensei Watanabe said, "that's enough."
"Sorry, Sensei," Blake and Hunter said in unison.
"Thanks for doing this for us," Hunter added.
Sensei mussed Hunter's hair in response.
Hunter blushed and tried to put it back into place.
"Like anyone's going to be able to tell the difference, dude." Dustin grinned at Hunter, waggling his eyebrows.
Hunter shoved the Yellow Ranger affectionately.
"You gotta admit it looks kind of like you rolled out of bed and put hair gel in, bro," Blake teased.
"Isn't that what he did this morning?" Cam asked.
Hunter threw up his arms. "Can't you guys think of anything better to talk about?"
"No," Blake said.
"Nah," Dustin added.
"Shh," Cam hissed, indicating the panel table, where the Senseis were beginning to file back in.
The council took their seats, and Sensei Mugensai gaveled the assembly back to order. The audience, which had been chatting-- and some of the Thunder Ninjas that had been talking with Sensei Omino at the table, fell silent and returned to their seats.
"Very well. Sensei Omino, Mr. Hunter Bradley, and Mr. Blake Bradley, please rise."
They stood.
"It is the finding of this council that Blake and Hunter acted in accordance with their own best interest as well as that of the team. They would have been unable to be effective Rangers in the battle against Lothor had they acted any differently. Sensei Omino, this is your last chance to recant."
"I stand by my earlier statements," Sensei Omino said.
"That is your prerogative. Blake, Hunter, are you two content to stay with Sensei Watanabe at the Wind Academy?" Sensei Mugensai asked.
"Yes, Sensei," Blake and Hunter said together.
"Good. Sensei Osamu Omino, you are hereby ordered on the authority of this council to legally sign over custody of Hunter Bradley and Blake Bradley to Sensei Kanoi Watanabe of the Wind Ninja Academy. I believe Bart Ruddy of the Sky Ninja Academy has all ready drawn up the necessary documents. Also, Blake, Hunter, though I doubt you will still be welcome at the Thunder Academy, I believe most of the Senseis here would be willing to complete any training you might require."
"I will do as you ask." Sensei Omino took a reef of papers out of a blue folder and began signing them.
"Very good. This council is adjourned." Sensei Mugensai banged he gavel and the Senseis, followed by most of the audience filed out.
A few Thunder Ninjas came up to speak to Blake and Hunter.
Blake handed the piece of paper to one of them, a Navy Ninja with blond hair and hazel eyes. "Brad, can you please make sure that Sensei Omino gets this?"
"Why not give it to him yourself?" Brad suggested, gesturing towards Omino. "He's coming over."
"Very well, Watanabe, here you go." Omino handed Sensei Watanabe the papers. "I hope you have better luck teaching them than I have."
"Sensei, you'll be wanting this." Blake stretched out the hand with a piece of paper.
"And what is that? Some sort of Ninja Academy peace group information?" Sensei Omino asked in a condescending tone.
"Leanne's phone number," Blake snapped irritably. He was trying to be nice. Why all the grief?
Sensei Omino snatched it. "Come, my students, we have our own academy to attend to."
And with that he left, followed by the remainder of the audience-- except for Brad.
"Dude, you'd better go before Sensei gives you a hundred mile jog," Blake said.
"Trust me, you don't want to make him any angrier," Hunter added.
"Ok," Brad glanced at the door. "I'll see what I can rescue from your room and swing by with your stuff in a couple of days."
"Thanks man," Hunter smiled.
"Just don't get yourself in trouble," Blake added.
Brad left.
"I thought you said you guys didn't have any friends at the Thunder Academy," Dustin said, clapping Blake on the shoulder.
"Maybe more than I thought," Blake grinned. "It's tough, when you're technically the Sensei's sons. Well, sort of."
"I'm afraid that part hasn't changed." Sensei Watanabe smiled mysteriously. "Have you two thought about your future training?"
Blake and Hunter looked at each other.
"I don't think we're ready to make that decision yet." Hunter rubbed his eyes. "It's been kind of a long, hard couple days."
"Yeah, we saved the world and switched guardians again," Blake added. "And that's not an easy choice. Mom and Dad were Thunder Ninjas."
"I'm sure they would've wanted you to graduate from some Ninja School." Cam put an arm around each of the Thunders' shoulders.
"And they wouldn't have wanted Sensei Omino to separate you." Shane made a face at the very thought.
Blake nodded. "I just... think we need a couple days. To think things through."
"You are both welcome to study as Wind Ninjas," Sensei offered. "I do not think it would take much additional training for you to graduate."
"Thanks, Sensei." Hunter looked at Blake. Was Sensei trying to tell them something?
"We're definitely going to consider it. Very seriously." Blake bit his lip, clearly unsure what to think.
Tori batted her eyelashes at her boyfriend.
Blake rolled his eyes. "Knock it off, Tor."
"So why don't we all go out for lunch? My treat?" Sensei offered.
The Rangers quickly agreed.
"Where do you want to eat?" Sensei asked as they made their way to the Academy door.
"Sensei, you're the one who's been eating guinea pig chow for months," Dustin pointed out. "You choose, Dude. I mean, Sensei."
The End