Rise of the Overlord

Chapter Thirty-Two

Nya stared at her ashen hands, remembering the exhilarating feeling of unlocking spinjitzu during her training. The roar of a hurricane flowing through her, spinning at a dizzying speed, feeling absolutely unstoppable. Nya wanted that feeling back, but she didn't know how to unlock it once again. She needed more power, she needed to be able to prove herself as an indispensable necessity to the Overlord. She needed to prove that she could beat the Green Ninja, to be stronger than he was.

The Samurai clenched her fists as a distant memory slowly surfaced within her mind. Her brother, the team, the Birchwood Forest, and a true potential? What had they been talking about? Nya pounded her fists against her head and groaned, pleading for the memory to clear. She silently cursed the Dark Matter for clouding her mind.

After a few, unsuccessful minutes, she cried out and stomped her foot in frustration. "Ugh, what am I supposed to do now?!" Grumbling and griping silently, she paced the diameter of her bedroom, kicking at the random weapons and discarded clothes that lay about, eventually forming a makeshift trench. Should she talk to the Overlord, or should she just train for a few more hours? Why did Sensei Wu never teach her to do spinjitzu? Why was she always left out of the training?

Her head snapped up. That's it! She'll confront Wu and interrogate him! Nya grabbed a nearby katana, slid it to a sheath hanging over her shoulder, and stormed out of her room. She grabbed a nearby warrior and stormed into the dungeons below, ignoring the damp and stuffy mildew-filled air to focus on the task at hand. Most of the cells were empty, with the exception of two; Cell 22 and Cell 12. Doctor Julien was in the former and Wu was in the latter. As she approached the cell, she felt a bundle of nerves grow, combining with her anger and frustration. She had to get answers, and she would do anything to get it.

As she stood in front of the cell, she glared fiery daggers at the old man chained in the corner. Before Nya could say anything, he said, "I sense a burning desire within your chest, as well as a hatred for me. Whatever it is, my former pupil, do not be afraid to ask."

"You never trained me, you brushed me aside like I was nothing! You only paid attention to me when you thought that I was the Green Ninja! Why?"

He gave a quiet sigh. "I was blinded by the future, focused only on the Final Battle. I saw that you had potential, but I didn't want to push you beyond your time."

"How do I unlock my true potential?!" she snapped.

Wu gave a nearly silent chuckle, "That, my former pupil, is not possible in your current state of being and mind. To unlock one's potential, they must find the key to unlocking their heart. To realize what was holding them back and conquer it. With the Dark Matter clouding your mind, poisoning your blood, you can't unlock the power that is in your heart."

Nya slammed her fists against the bars, screaming, "How do I unlock my true potential?!"

Wu finally made eye-contact with her, his aged eyes filled with sorrow as he repeated, "You can't."

Nya took a step back, fury rolling off of her in waves. He'll talk, she thought. I'll make him talk. Turning to the Stone Warrior, she snapped, "Unlock the cell, bring him to the training room. I'll get answers out of him one way or another."

***

"My Samurai, what are you doing?"

Nya, startled, dropped her katana and spun around. She was surrounded by the destroyed bodies of Stone Soldiers. Her interrogation of Wu didn't go as planned, for even on the brink of death, he refused to speak. Frustrated with her lack of progress, she started training, pushing herself harder than before. Nya could feel the energy pulsing within her veins, threatening to break free, but something was holding it back. Something was holding her back.