The Titanium Ninja

Return to the Team: Part Three

I will admit this is my favorite chapter so far, probably my longest chapter ever. Also this will have the only reference to an OC in this story. I hope you enjoy!

It was already Friday, and Lloyd hadn't been able to contact Kai ever since Monday, when he had visited Jay. He had been busy helping teach his father's students new methods of fighting, unable to escape back to the city, until today. He said goodbye to his father, praying that he'd be able to convince Kai to come back to the team, or that the other two would take his offer to meet up with him at the restaurant. Summoning his motorcycle, he sped through the many miles back to Shihon, swerving around cars and trucks before skidding into a parking spot close to the fight club. He dismounted, felt the flier within his pocket, and entered the Slither Pit.

Lloyd looked around at the inhabitants, most chattering with one another as another fight started in the ring, his heart skipped as he saw the familiar spiked brown hair and red suit in the back of the room. He snuck through the people until he arrived at the bar. Kai was sitting on one of the barstools with a green drink in front of him. He took in a big gulp as Lloyd approached him.

"You shouldn't drink too much," he said, startling Kai. "It's filled with more sugar than you realize."

Kai choked on his drink, juice flying everywhere, he quickly grabbing a napkin to wipe away the spit. He turned his head, his hazel eyes wide as he looked at who had startled him. Once he realized it was Lloyd, he slumped over and mumbled, "Oh, it's you."

"Why are you here, Kai? If you wanted to fight so much, why didn't you just stay with us?"

"You saw how everyone had changed, I couldn't handle the silence," Kai confessed. "I had to get out."

"And abandon us? Abandon Nya?"

Kai's grip on his drink tightened, he clenched his teeth and spat, "I wanted her to come with me, I begged her to come with me. She refused, she stayed, I left. I didn't abandon her."

"What about the rest of the team?" Lloyd asked.

"What team?" he asked. "You seem to be holding down the fort on your own."

Lloyd sighed and leaned against the bar, "Look, Kai, I know you want to keep fighting people, to get your mind off what happened, but where is the honor in this?" He gestured to the fight and the cheering crowds, people slamming their fists onto the wooden railings around the ring. "What happened to the Master of Fire? What happened to you?"

Kai quickly turned to him, "Look, things are different now, Lloyd! There is no team! Things will never be the same!"

"But what about Zane? What would he say to all of this?"

Kai slumped in his chair, tears forming in his eyes. He said somberly, "He's gone. Zane's dead, but I'm still here. Who cares about honor, it should've been me." He stared down at his covered wrists, the secrets hidden underneath the sleeves of his shirt. "The team doesn't need me, and Nya can take care of herself. I'm not needed anymore. I should've taken his place, I should've been the one-"

"We still need you, Kai," Lloyd interrupted, placing a hand on his brother-in-arm's shoulder. "Nya needs you, the world needs you. We can't change what happened to Zane, but we need to look to the future. We need to move on in his memory. What would Zane expect of you?" He took the flier out of his pocket and laid it in front of Kai, he glanced at it as Lloyd said, "If you change your mind, you know where I'll be."

***

After Lloyd had left the Slither Pit, Kai stared at the flier for several minutes, the cheering crowd faded into a soft buzz as he wondered about the offer. Should he meet with Lloyd? Should he leave behind his new life and return to being a ninja? No, he can't. He has his own apartment in the city, he has a job. He can't throw all of this away. He had worked relentlessly for his reputation as the Red Shogun...even if they couldn't get the name right. Seriously, Flaming Shogun? What kind of ridiculous name is that?