TW: guns, mention of impalement (non-descriptive), gun shooting (at non-living targets)
"Are you sure this isn't going to be unfair?"
"With these two?" Mum replied to Misako's question while cocking her head to where dad and I were setting ourselves up for paintball. "Unlikely."
I raised my empty gun to dad's chest and faked a shot. Dad pulled a mournful look.
"Against your own father?" he dramatically whined while I giggled. "Who are you, Ben Solo?"
My giggles abruptly died.
"Square man," I whispered under my breath.
Lloyd glanced over from where he was with the team, adjusting his plastic armour. He looked funny in it, especially because of how ill-fitting the cheap thing was. I was far more used to him wearing his own sleek, armoured gi.
He sent a weak smile. I gave my own in return, and then we each turned back to fiddling with our own armour.
"Whoa," Noami whispered as she sidled up beside me. "That was awkward."
"What?" I asked, turning to stare at her in confusion.
"You and Lloyd," she murmured, and we didn't miss how the man in question's gaze shot to us in concern. He was ways across from the group but with his hearing, we may as well have had the conversation with him. "Yeah, I'm talking about you, nimrod."
Lloyd's concerned look dropped into a dry glare at Nomes' jest.
"I don't know what you mean," I said with a frown and a glance in Lloyd's direction.
"You guys have been kinda..." Naomi scrunched her nose to find the word. "Quiet. Since we left, at least. Since- uh, the, um... the whole 'run the monastery' thing."
"Oh..." I mumbled. Lloyd began to make his way over and Cole followed, though he was oblivious to our conversation. "I think it's just reality setting in. Lloyd has this idea that he wants to marry me as soon as possible-"
"A wonderful idea," he jumped in when he reached us. I rolled my eyes.
"But this stuff - languages, etiquette, learning how to run a monastery..." I gave an uncomfortable shrug. "It just makes everything seem a little more real. Like - wow. I'm actually an adult, now."
"I'll admit," Lloyd murmured as his hand edged into mine. "It's made me a little nervous, too."
"Getting cold feet before the wedding?" Cole snickered. Lloyd pulled an anguished look.
"I'd have to actually get her to say yes to an engagement, first." A pointed gaze was sent my way, which I avoided with a smile.
"Losing your charm, Garmaboy?" Naomi teased.
"Like he had any in the first place," Cole grinned as he slung his large arm around Naomi's shoulders.
"Hey!" I shot, cradling Lloyd's cheeks and bringing his amused face close to mine as I glared at the couple. His cheeks smooshed between my palms. "Lloyd is incredibly charming."
"She's just stubborn," he continued.
"It's true," I agreed with a nod.
"Alright!" Dad exclaimed with his authoritarian, Sargent Major voice. He rested the barrel of his gun against his shoulder as he scanned our group - Misako, Wu and mum weren't participating, but dad and Garm had made a bet, so the thousand-year-old man had suited up along side us young whippersnappers. "This plot of forestry is used for military training operations, so please refrain from accidentally terraforming with your little demigod powers. If you do, I'll kick you up the ass and I wear steel cap boots."
Jay actually winced.
"Ow," he whispered under his breath.
"There are teams and I'll list them off only once, so listen closely," dad continued. His stern glare dragged down the line of young ninja and Garm. Jamie's gaze quickly jumped to me. "Me and Y/n verse everyone else GO!"
Upon the command, I swiftly raised my gun and shot both Cole and Kai in the chests of their armour before they could even digest dad's sentence. Naomi, Lloyd, Nya and Zane were the quickest to react, darting off into the trees for cover. Jay immediately fell into a fetal position.
"WHY DOES THIS ALWAYS HAPPEN?!" the lightning master screamed. I laughed as I shot the back of his armour before joining the others into disappearing into the foliage of the paint-stained forest.
While I did know my way around a gun far better than the ninja did, they had the advantage of being, well, ninja. They eluded my piercing gaze, and despite not wearing camouflage, blended perfectly well into the woods. Dad had gone off to pursue his bet against Lloyd's dad, so I had to handle the team on my own.
A paintball whizzed past my ear. I turned and shot Nya in the shoulder. She'd been crouching in the leaves of a thick branch within the canopy.
"What the-!" she blundered, cheeks burning red in embarrassment. "I was totally silent!"
"I followed the trajectory of where the bullet came from. You just made the mistake of missing," I pointed out with a smug grin. She raised her gun towards me once more.
"Say that again," she dared, but my smile only grew wider. Nya lowered the gun with a groan and gracefully leapt to the ground with barely a rustle. "Whatever. Just get the rest of the boys out."
