Maverick (A G.I. Joe Fanfiction)

Chapter 30: (Flashback) Lost

Mommy told me to play outside while her guest was here. I took off for the woods the first chance I got while Mommy's back was turned. I knew I'd get in trouble when I got back but I was too excited to see what all the fuss about staying out of the woods. They weren't scary looking so why would she be worried about me going in them? To me, it was as if Mommy was keeping me from something I should have known.

I held on to my trustee backpack's straps as I hiked through the thick vines and tall grasses. I wasn't worried about getting lost, Mommy had told me I had an 'uncanny ability' to find my way back to places I've been before. She was right. In Japan, I could always find my way back to uncle Wu's apartment no matter how far I'd ventured from it. Finding my way back home through the woods shouldn't be too hard, right?

At some point in my little adventure, I came upon a colossal green arch much like those red ones that led to those pretty shrines in Japan and a thin barely noticeable path that lead through said arch. I followed this path with my eyes down to make sure I didn't lose it. Just as I started to hear sounds the path became too hard to make out. I looked around in frustration and just out of the corner of my eye I saw a little boy dressed in dark orange, or maybe it was red, disappear behind a tree.

"Hey," I called, turning, as fast as I could I ran to the tree. "Wai-"

I felt something bind around my ankle and pull my legs out from under me sideways. My shoulder and left side took most of the ground impact before I ultimately ended up dangling from a tree by a strangely made rope trap. At first, I just hung there but when I started to feel the effect of all my blood rushing to my head I figured getting down would help me a bit. I started to swing. Thank you, Mommy, for gymnastics lessons. It took me a while but eventually, I got enough momentum to reach the knot. It took my five tries but soon enough I got the knot loose. I kept my eyes and mouth shut tight as I fell but when I landed, I didn't feel the earth.

"Yoi shigoto, on'nanoko," (Good work, girl) an older male spoke.

Slowly I felt myself tilt and opened my eyes wide as I was set firmly on my feet. I turned to my 'rescuer' and came face to chest with a real-life ninja. My first reaction was that of wonderstruck, then when the realization set in further I turned and took off running as fast as my little legs could propel me. I wasn't really thinking about where I was running away to, just that I had to run. That's probably why I eventually ended up halting in front of a little girl carrying a heavily loaded basket on her hip. She looked about my age, maybe younger. She had a long, thick braid of ink-black hair resting on her shoulder and a China doll's face.

I stood there a second, too confused to move. I slowly straightened out of my crocked stopping pose, too absorbed in the girl in front of me to care about the ninja I'd been running from breaking through the brush behind me.

"Watashi no josei!" ( My lady!) The man's surprised voice wasn't even enough to knock me back into reality.

"Kono on'nanoko wa daredesu ka?" (Who is this girl?) When she spoke, it was in kind of curious whisper. "Kanojo wa, watashitachi ga sensei ni kanojo o toru hitsuyō ga ari, kowagatte, ushinawareta ni miemasu. " (She looks scared and lost, we should take her to Teacher.)

"Nō," (No) someone yelled making all three of us lookup.

As the other two watched the boy from before descend from a nearby tree, I scurried in behind the little oriental girl as if she would keep me safe. In my situation, I thought of her as the only one who could help me and actually want to. I was sticking with her.

"I think I'll go with her, I'm not really sure about either of you," I said, keeping a close eye on everyone.

"Anata wa watashitachi o rikai dekimasu ka?" (You understand us?) the man asked, placing his sword back in its cover.

"Why is that so surprising, you can understand me?" I countered, squishing my eyebrows together.

As the ninja nodded, the girl switched her hold on her basket. By the size of it and how full it was, I could have been right in thinking said basket was probably pretty heavy. I extended my hands to help her with the weight but she ended up dropping it in surprise.

"Anata ga kizutsukete iru!" (You're hurt!) The girl exclaimed, grabbing me by both wrists.

"No, no, no." I blurted out but wasn't heard.

"Dare ga anata ni kore o shita?" (Who did this to you?) she demanded to know.

"Nobody," that answer caused all three of them to look at me strangely. "I was born with these."

"Kanojo ga kowarete," (She's broken.) the boy smirked, earning him a confused look for me.

"Lance!" The girl scolded him.

"Sumimasen?" (Excuse me?) I spoke the phrase out of a knee jerk reaction, the rudeness some people had expressed in Japan about me in my presence had this particular impulse well-rooted.

"Anata ga kowarete iru," (You're broken.) he stated as if he knew it was a fact.

I just looked at him for a moment before bursting into laughter. I couldn't help but find his stupidity hilarious. Just as quickly as my laughter started I became serious and held the boy's unsure gaze as I spoke, "You really shouldn't talk about things you don't know anything about or else you'll look really stupid when you're proven wrong."

"Sorera wa totemo wakai ichi kara kenmeina kotobadesu," (Those are wise words for one so young.) ninja man said, nodding in approval.

"Sō, anata ga kizutsukete inai?" (So, you're not hurt?) the girl inquired.

"I'm fine," I tell her, gently smiling in an attempt to put her at ease. "My name is Grace, by the way, you are?"

"Hanabira," she smiled back.

"Keegan," the ninja offered his hand as soon as I looked at him.

"Nīsu kaigi anata," (Nice meeting you.) I bowed to them. " And, thanks for catching my back there, Keegan."

"Sore wa nani mo nakatta," (It was nothing.) Keegan dismissed my appreciation with a wave of his hand. "Watashi wa anata ga soto ni deta ima demo odoroite iru." (I'm still surprised you got out.)

"Yeah, well today is just full of those I guess."