Episode 2: Fight For Amaya

Episode 2: Fight for Amaya

Dex jeered at the bombshell Master Yukrina just dropped on them. He was giving Amaya a vote which send the discussion into deadlock. And in deadlock, a fight was the only way to solve it.  He cut his eyes over to a delighted Jacobi and glared. Contemplating the entirety of the situation though, not all hope was lost. There was still an opening to him to get Amaya banished. All he and Benson would have to do is best Jacobi and Nash. Nash would be a cakewalk. Especially in a one-on-one exchange. But Jacobi was his biggest rival. He's the one who threatened Dex's status the most. In a way he had resentment of Jacobi because Master Yukrina made him leader in Valor over his first surrogate son. Still, all in all, he was confident that he and Benson could dispense with Nash and tag team Jacobi.

Amaya didn't know what to expect from this potential impromptu fight. She didn't know what to expect at all. After all, this was the first she was about to witness it. And her future was riding on Jacobi's victory. 

Jacobi stood there as a brief smile spread across his face. He knew that this battle would be tough because Nash wasn't nearly the skilled warriors that Dex and Benson were. Don't get me wrong, he had talent. But he was about as green as Russell was whipped. Even Russell was a gifted fighter when someone else wasn't holding his balls. But there was no way he was gonna stand against Dex and Benson. Even with Jacobi being his leader. 

"So.....do you accept this offer Amaya?" Master Yukrina sifted with regards.

"Do I have a choice?" Amaya challenged with a slight bit of nervousness escaping her lips.

Russell picked up on it. Is she forreal nervous? he thought to himself. That's a first!

Dex began speaking Japanese to Amaya: "Careful Amaya, I might start thinking the overconfidence is all a big ruse."

Amaya retorted: "Like you would know anything about 'big' at all!" 

"Enough!" Master Yukrina silenced, growing impatient.

"What they say?" Russell cross-examined, glancing at each of his predecessors. 

"Beats me," Nash responded, placing his Kukri knife into his navy blue body suit. "Not all of us are fluent in Japanese, I'll remind you."

He was right. Nash, Russell, and Benson hadn't learned much at all yet about the language.

"Do you accept?" Master Yukrina tested again.

Amaya glimpsed Jacobi giving her nod to accept. "I do."

He scanned a self-reliant Dex and Benson and then to Jacobi and Nash. "Very well then. Shall we?" He reached his feet immediately.

The rest of them then followed.

Benson stepped over to Amaya and taunted, "Good luck."

                                   Valor

Then Master Yukrina ushered each of them out the room toward the revolvable blue double doors in the entrance way earlier under the Master statue. He slowly pushed open the doors.

A luminous shine blinded the members of Valor for a few seconds as they each stepped through the threshold. Once the shimmer vanished, they were in the sparring chamber room. This room was a giant oval shape with the walls being dipped in beautiful honey gold. There were five sets of large torch sconce on the high ledges of each of the four walls. The floors were completely covered in navy blue sparring foam mats. And there was a weapons section to their right which contained many sets of different styled knives, crossbows, swords, throwing stars, throwing blades, and walking sticks in a glass case. And lastly in the very center of the room was the large steel cage for the sparring. There was one entrance door on the left and right side.

Benson advanced quickly over to the weapons set and grasped a Miao Dao sword with a delicious smirk.

"Benson, that's not your weapon of choice for this fight," Master Yukrina declared, ranging over to his side.

"What? I always use this sword!"

"No. Tonight you're all using these," he said, extracting four walking sticks from the case. He tossed one to Jacobi, Nash, and Dex. He snatched the sword from Benson and placed it back in it's display case. "The fight will end when neither teammate can continue. Other than that, anything goes."

"Understood," Jacobi said, clenching his stick.

This was it for Amaya. This is where she would know her fate. While waiting for the fight to begin, she couldn't help but take a trip back down memory lane.

                                                         ONE YEAR EARLIER.....

Amaya sat in her bedroom, anxiously expecting her parents. This was her fiftheenth birthday and perhaps the most special day in her life. Because each year her separated her parents would come together and put her first. Her room walls were painted a plum purple shade. She had a large three piece vanity set of a soft pink shade with a set of lilac flowers in a vase at the end of the table. And her bed was decorated with lilac bed sheets.

Finally, her parents entered the room. Her mom was a very modest strong hearted Japanese woman while her father was a tall handsome black man.

Her mom was approximately 5'2. She possessed the same honey gold slender eyes as her daughter, but unlike her daughter her skin tone was very light. Her lips were lush rose pink while her hair was straight, long and inky black.

Her father was about 6'1. His skin tone was ginger brown, his eyes were a gun-metal black, his lips were full sized, and his hair was a short stubble cocoa brown.

"Mama! Papa!" she spoke, racing over to them and embracing them.

"Amaya! My beautiful daughter," Mrs. Nakamura said, brushing Amaya's cocoa brown hair behind her ears. 

"I missed you so much! Papa told me you'd be back for my birthday!"

"See I was right," Mr. Nakamura said, laughing off. "She wouldn't miss this for the world!"

"And I have something special for you, Amaya," her mom said, revealing a long rectangular card box. 

Amaya glanced down at it and then smirked, "What is it?"

"It's a surprise. Open it."

She grasped the box from her mom and paced over to her bed. Slowly, she began peeling the paper off the box. After a few seconds, she had completely opened it. She gawked at a steel sheath inside. She picked up the covering and extracted the long steel blade inside. The edge had a black and gold handle. "What is it?"

"It's a katana," both her parents remarked. 

"An ancient Japanese blade," her mom continued. "It's traditionally wielded by strong warriors. And my daughter, you are the strongest."

"Thank you," Amaya said cheerfully, clasping her mother tightly.

"I just wanted to let you know," she whispered. "One last time." She met eyes with Amaya's father who knew very well of what she spoke.

Amaya on the other hand didn't know what was going on with her mother. She didn't know that she had been ill with leukemia. And that the treatment wasn't working. She didn't know until one day her mother collapsed in her father's arms. Then he had to tell her the devastating news. That there was nothing the doctors could do for her mother anymore. Amaya was extremely hurt by them keeping such a significant thing a secret. But deep down she understood. They didn't want her to worry. But she did. She spent every moment of her mom's last several weeks at her bedside. Until.....until she was gone.

Going through that experience changed Amaya. She had become incredibly shielded. Focusing on becoming a skilled warrior with the very katana blade her mother gave as her dying wish. Somewhere along the way she began to hear her mother's words in her ear everyday. That she was the strongest. Maybe that's why she had such a chip on her shoulder. Or it could be the fact that she'd took up combat at school afterwards with her best friend Serika. And that's where we'll journey next.....

                                                        ONE WEEK BEFORE VALOR

Amaya sat in the gym at Tokyo High school, sweating profusely. Her breath was incredibly labored. She'd just finished an intense boxing match with Serika. The beautiful almost equally as talented fighter as Amaya. Maybe as talented but Amaya was never one to admit something like that. 

Serika was a sixteen year old 5'3 Japanese girl. She had small turquoise blue eyes, lusty geranium lake red curved lips, and long maroon brown hair in a twisted braid hairstyle. Her voice was often times very seductive.

She and Serika both wore white tank tops and black jogging pants.

"You're getting a step slow, Amaya!" Serika spoke, bursting into laughter. "You left yourself open for a nice kick to the gut!"

"No I didn't," Amaya retorted, simpering. "And if I did, it was on purpose. To sucker you in."

"Always the modest one," she said mockingly.

"Well I get it from you, Serika!"

She paused a moment and observed a young distinguished black man staring at them just a few feet back. This was Jacobi Blackwater. "Hey, who's the hunk?" she hissed lowly.

"Huh?" she said, rotating to the corner as well. "I don't know."

"I think he's looking at you, Amaya."

"No."

"He's definitely looking at you and I'm gonna prove it," she said, rising off the bench. 

"What are you doing?" she petitioned, standing as well.

"I'm gonna leave and see what he does." She walked off toward the exit way immediately.

She shook her head in dissappointment. Serika and her crazy ideas. There was no way that some strange guy she'd never met would be-----

The guy began speaking Japanese to her as he approached her slowly.

She understood exactly what he was saying. "Yes. I speak English."

"Good," he said with a slight snicker. "Then this conversation will go alot smoother than I thought. My Japanese isn't the best."

"Wait, who are you?" she questioned completely perplexed.

"My apologizes," he said, bowing briefly. "Jacobi Blackwater."

"Blackwater, huh? Well it could be worse. You know like Brownwater......or Yellowwater. Actually I don't know if you'd survive out here with Yellowwater," she said, smirking.

"I'm glad my name amuses you. Like I said I'm Jacobi Blackwater. The leader of Valor."

"Leader of what?"

"Valor. An organization of skilled assassins. We're the protectors in Kyoto. We're the police only better."

"Did I hear you say assassins?" 

"You did."

"You mean like?" she questioned, sliding her index finger across her neck.

He nodded.

"So you kill like the bad guys only you just kill the bad guys?"

"You're following. And Master Yukrina thinks you'd be a perfect addition."

"Wait. Why does your master think I'd be a great addition?" she cross-examined. "I'm just a normal girl."

"Amaya, let's be honest. You're far more skilled than the average girl."

"How'd you know my name? I never mentioned it."

"My master knows all. And he's seen what you can do with a katana. He thinks you're the missing piece of the puzzle."

She had to admit there was some intrigue that someone would go through all this trouble to get her to join something. However, she didn't know these people. And just diving into it would be insane. "I'm sorry. This is just too much. But thanks for the offer, Blackwater." Then she began ambling toward the exit.

"There's something special in you, Amaya. Something strong. And you have the chance to train and become even better. You'd be the first girl ever allowed into Valor."

She halted in her footsteps with her back still turned.

"Don't tell me that isn't an enticing offer."

She grinned as she bit her lip. The warrior inside her was attracted to this mystery. She wanted to find out what Valor was all about. As much as she wanted to turn it down, Jacobi said she was strong. And she just loved hearing that. It was the intense competitive fire in her belly. So she accepted Jacobi's offer. But the tough part was breaking it to her father that she was leaving Toyko and going with a stranger to Kyoto. And that was where their relationship became strained. Even though he dropped her off at the fighting gym, it was only because she begged him to support something that was special to her. She told him her mother would want him to. And that tipped the scale in her balance. So that brings us back to where we left off.....

                                                                                 PRESENT

Jacobi stood at the edge of the cage taping his hands with gauze. Prepping to stop Dex and Benson from bouncing Amaya out. 

"You don't have to do this," Amaya stated, standing to his side. "I mean, I appreciate you doing this. Especially after the headache I've given everyone since I've got here. And I even gave you a hard time getting me here. But----"

"Amaya," he cut off. "I got this." He then picked up his walking stick and advanced to the right side entrance of the cage.

Nash then took his position next to him, stick in hand. He noticed Dex and Benson walk over to the left side with their weapons. "You ready?"

"As I'll ever be."

  

                                 ("Come Down" by Anderson .Paak played)

Dex whirled his long pole and ran at Nash.

Jacobi knew exactly what their strategy was gonna be. Eliminate the weakest link first. Fortunately, he saw it something. He took his stick and sweeped Dex under his feet.

He crashed onto his back immediately.

Then Benson rushed straight at Jacobi, clanging their sticks at each other.

Jacobi blocked each of his attempts and then slapped him upside his neck with the bottom of his pole.

Whack!

Benson staggered backwards a moment.

Nash then took his opportunity to run and roundhouse kick him in the stomach.

"Oooh!" he yelled as his tiny frame hit the canvas.

He then gave Jacobi a high five.

Amaya couldn't believe it. They might actually win this for her. 

Russell slid over to the corner of the cage where Amaya stood. He felt a little guilty about not supporting Amaya earlier in the board room but what was he supposed to do? 

She didn't look at him. She placed her fingertips inside the cage holes completely engaged with the action inside.

Dex rushed back to his feet immediately and helped Benson back up. He was becoming increasingly mad at Jacobi. He was fixated on defeating him if it was the last thing he did. He attacked Jacobi head first with his pole.

Jacobi dove to the mat to evade his attack. Then he backflipped off the edge of the cage and landed on his feet behind Dex.

Unexpectedly, Benson met Jacobi from behind and wrapped him up from behind with his pole to his neck. 

Then Dex launched his pole at Nash.

The weapon hit Nash in the chest and sent him staggering backwards. He dropped his stick.

Next he ran and started throwing a variety of punches and kicks at the novice.

Nash blocked the first couple but was caught with a kick to his stomach. "Ooh!"

Then Dex whacked him hard in the mouth.

Straightway, he collapsed to his knees, bleeding slightly on his lip.

He seized both Nash and his own weapon and whacked him one more time across the face.

He toppled to the ground, unable to get to his feet.

Jacobi was still being held from behind by Benson, struggling to break his hold. He viewed what happened to his friend and knew now that it was all up to him to save Amaya. 

Doubt started to creep into the young mind of Amaya Nakamura. This is it. I'm going home, she thought, cupping her hands around her mouth. 

Russell noticed this and placed his left hand on her shoulder to console her. "I'm sorry, Amaya. I am."

Dex then took the two poles and savored the moment to take out his frustrations on Jacobi. He tried to ram Jacobi in the stomach with the poles.

Jacobi somehow was able to shield himself with his one stick. Then he kicked Dex in the face.

He faltered just for a moment.

This was his moment to get free. He dropped his pole, clenched Benson's, and mustered all the strength in his body. He flung Benson over his head to save himself. But his neck was constricted for quite some time so it'd be a moment before he could defend himself. He dropped to his butt, breathing heavily and perspiring. If he was gonna stand a chance against them both, he'd have to use them to his advantage. He squinted and saw Dex rushing back at him with Benson right behind. He jumped back to his feet and used Dex as his shield as Benson rushed with his pole.

Smack!

Dex was slapped right in his face with Benson's pole. He was sent falling against one edge of the steel.

Benson was stunned by what he just did and that gave Jacobi his opening.

Jacobi scaled one side of the cage and then leaped off and tackled Benson with his complete body weight.

"Oooooh!" he yelled as he was flattened under Jacobi.

He slowly stood back up, gazing at his fallen rival. Benson was out and now all he had to concern himself with was Dex. He scanned the ground for his pole. He briskly gripped the walking stick and turned it on Dex who was standing directly behind him.

Dex halted in his tracks and Jacobi pointed the weapon to his chest.

Amaya again had hope in her honey gold brown eyes. She was amazed by how incredible Jacobi was. And the fact that he was doing it for her made her feel even more special. She was just seconds away from surviving this banishment. Until.....

"ENOUGH!" Master Yukrina's voice boomed loudly.

                                                 (The song ended)

"Huh?" Jacobi and Dex both questioned, turning their attention to their master.

Master Yukrina jumped onto the left side of the cage and entered the arena with them. "This fight is postponed."

"Postponed?!" Jacobi sounded out, intense and dropping his pole. "I was seconds away from winning!"

Dex started chuckling a bit. He knew Master Yukrina saved his butt from complete embarrassment. And even better, Amaya wasn't gonna be in Valor.

"Be that as it may," Master Yukrina spoke, looking at them both intently, "you have a mission."

Amaya couldn't contain her frustration. After all of this, she still didn't know her fate. She jumped into the cage.

Russell followed right behind her.

"Master Yukrina! What happens to me then?!" 

"Your fate is still up in the air," Master Yukrina said, rotating to her. "I'm sorry, my child. But there's a pressing matter Valor is needed for."

"What is it?" Nash queried, finally rising to his feet. His head was racked with pain but he did his best to hide it.

Benson reached his feet again as well.

"There's a robbery downtown. The five of you will go there and stop it at all costs," Master Yukrina ordered.

"The five of them? What about me?" Amaya scrutinized angrily.

"You'll remain here with me until they return. Then you will know your fate."

"Probably for the best. Wouldn't want you to get killed out there, little girl," Dex remarked smugly.

"I'll show you what this little girl can do!" Amaya shouted, stepping closer to him and reaching for her katana blade.

"Amaya!" Master Yukrina snapped again.

She halted immediately.

"It's that type of rash arrogance that makes me reconsider having you here in the first place!"

"But he started it!" she pleaded.

"Still, the mark of a true warrior is the ability to be able to keep your composure despite the outside noise," he taught. "That's what separates a talented warrior from a wise warrior. Nevertheless Jacobi you must go. Each of you now."

"Yes sir," Jacobi said respectfully, moving the tape from his arms. Although he was incredibly enraged about Master Yukrina, duty had called. And he couldn't let his emotions cloud his judgement. Saving Amaya would have to wait a bit more. What would be difficult now is getting his troops on the same page after such a contest. But he was willing to try. "Let's go," he told his friends, dropping to the outside of the cage.

Nash, Russell, Dex, and Benson instantly followed him to the weapons case.

Nash smirked as he seized six sets of kukri knives from the display. 

Russell snatched up a set of throwing star blades and throwing blades.

Dex immediately gripped his crossbow while Benson seized his Miao Dao sword with a savory simper.

And lastly Jacobi would take the samurai sword. Then he paced over to the ebony black sliding vented interior door. He shoved it open unveiling five maskless ninja men's bodysuits hanging on the clothes rack. All were black except one. The one Jacobi grabbed was cherry-red. He pasted the others to his teammates. Within a few moments, they each had changed into their suits. 

Master Yukrina and Amaya approached all of them. "Go now," he urged them. "Take the motorcycles in the garage outside."

"They have motorcycles?" Amaya questioned.

"Six of them actually."

Jacobi smirked about this. Realizing that Master Yukrina had invested alot into having Amaya part of Valor. At this moment he was almost positive that regardless of the outcome that her position was intact. He gave Amaya an assured smile and then turned to everyone else. "Let's go." He quickly raced out the entrance doors with the others.

Once everyone else was out of earshot, Master Yukrina spun back to Amaya. "Come young one." He began leading her towards the back of the gym room. 

At the very back of the fighting gym were six different sliding interior doors which led to bedrooms. Each had a different name in Japanese. They were about to enter her own. 

He slid open the doorway to Amaya's room. 

Her room about the size of the one she had back home in Toyko. Approximately a 60x40. Her room walls were a dark purple shade. Her bed was decorated with a plush matching pillow and silky black bed sheets. She had a small dresser set directly on the side of her bed which housed five different picture frames of she and her parents at different times in their lives. And there was a very small fireplace several feet back from her bed. Lit with very light orange flames to keep her room just warm enough at night.

"Sit, please," Master Yukrina urged pleasantly. 

She waited a few moments, perhaps not sure what to expect. This was the first time he had called her to her room since she'd arrived. Finally, she took a deep breath and sat. "Master, am I getting sacked?"

He didn't respond.

"I know you said I would know my fate once they return but I can't help it. I need to know."

He waited a moment and cupped his hands to his long white robe. "Amaya, do you remember the first thing I said to you when we met?"

"Of course I do. You said, 'Arrogance....with the strongest heart. Your heart is what I'm looking for. It's what Valor means.' "

"And that still stands tonight. You possess the same strong qualities now that I loved so much upon recruiting you here. Yet you do not understand the value of having a team."

"I've never really been much of a team player," she revealed honestly.

"And that's why some of the others might not have taken a liking to you. Because of that one versus all mentality."

"Well what can I do, master?"

He paced over to her and placed both his hands on her shoulders. "Get some rest. Tomorrow, we'll settle this." He embraced her tightly in his arms and then headed off to the exit.

"Goodnight."

He shut her doorway behind him.

And with that Amaya had another idea. Not the smartest one but it sure beat waiting around to find out her destiny. She rose up from her bed and walked over to the porthole in her door. She saw absolutely no sign of Master Yukrina. She opened her doorway and tip-toed through the sparring chamber careful not to make a sound. Then she strode through the front doors and traipsed outside onto the navy and red carpeted sidewalk. All was completely dark except for the glowing neon lights of the gym and one street lamp. She then rolled on her heels and shuffled to the side of the huge building. She spied the large gray metal garage door and extracted the automatic lock that she stole from Master Yukrina when he embraced her. She activated it and slowly the bay door opened. Then she saw it. The beautiful chrome platinum black dual sport motorcycle with the key still in the ignition. What she was doing was both bold and daring. And it pretty much ensured her exit but the way she saw it. She was already going home. The least she could do is try to make it up to the guys before everything came crashing down. 

She rushed over to the motorcycle and ignited it.

Vrooom!! Vrooom!!!! Vrooom!!!!!

The loud roar of the engine would wake anyone within a ten mile radius. And Master Yukrina was right inside.

"Amaya!!!" his voice rang through the gym as he raced to the outside. He hurried as quickly as he could to the side of the building.

She had to go right now or he'd catch her for sure. Here's everything! She jumped onto the cruiser and sped off into the nebulous avenues of Kyoto. Completely unsure if she'd ever be able to return again......