Blue Bay Harbor 2005

Kane Watanabe was a skinny, rangy fourteen-year-old attending Blue Bay Harbor Middle School. He wasn't your average middle school kid. He lived with an uncle and cousin in a hidden Ninja Academy just outside the city. If that wasn't strange enough, he was also the son of an evil Space Ninja who had been bent on revenge and world domination who had been beaten by the Power Rangers. Twice.

For the most part, Kane hadn't really cared about his father's activities. Until recently, he'd been with his mother. Leatrix was also a Space Ninja, but her aims were less ambitious than world domination. She preferred stealing the priciest and prettiest baubles in the known galaxy. So, while Lothor was trying to conquer Earth, Kane was helping his mother.

After they learned from his cousins Marah and Kapri what happened, his mother became somewhat concerned about him. She took it upon herself to take him to meet his father's brother. Now he was stuck living on Earth, the most boring place he'd ever been. To make matters worse, he had to attend school. The only fun he got to have was pestering Cam.

He really didn't like going to school. He was much more comfortable with thieves, grifters and hitters than he was with kids his own age. That, Uncle Kanoi had said in the oh-so-sage way he had, was exactly why he should attend school. He'd been there a week, and was largely ignored. He didn't look too unusual, there were a few other kids scattered around that were Asian featured like him. He half suspected maybe it was his hair. He pulled his hat down lower. Something completely ordinary where he was from was definitely out of place here. He was mostly bald save for a bunch of hair that had often been pulled into a top knot. It was long, nearly to his shoulders.

He was opposed to as much change as possible, but he was a kid; part of him did want to fit in. At the same time, none of the people in this place were worth the effort as far as he could tell. As he made his way to his locker, ducking and dodging chattering groups of people preparing to go home for the day.

He opened his locker and switched books around. "Mr. Watanabe." Kane cringed inwardly. It was Mr. Howard, the vice principal. If he could master energy attacks, and was allowed to, he'd fry this sucker. "What have I told you about that hat?" Howard intoned in that dull grating voice of his.

Kane slid sideways. "I'm sorry Mr. Howard, it's so loud, I can't hear you," he said speaking loudly and slowly and continued to slide away. As a group of giggling girls past by, Kane used the distraction to disappear. He was raised by Ninjas and learned how to slip away unseen from nosey vice principals.

He stepped outside and was immediately distracted by a girl surrounded by several other girls; small boned, cute, and dark haired; Amy Chen. The one good thing about this school. Too bad she was always surrounded by a horde. Sighing, Kane pulled his hat down lower again. Maybe he'd see what could be done about his hair situation.

He walked on. He had to get back to the Academy, but he'd be cursed if he got in a hurry. He might even stop by Storm Chargers before going back. One fun thing he did discover was motocross. Sensei Dustin let him tag along to the track sometimes. He desperately wanted to try freestyle but again, that too was strictly forbidden. He did enjoy tinkering around with the bikes though.

He was turning to take a shortcut when he noticed a commotion up ahead. Two rather large older kids in letter jackets held a struggling kid between them. The kid was scrawny and dressed in baggy pants and red and black checkered shirt over a tee-shirt. That was all Kane could really make out.

A skinny girl with a short brown pony tail ran behind them. "Let him go!" she hollered at them.

The other kid struggled. "Yeah, lemme go, butt-munchers," he cried.

"Oh, we'll let you go, you little turd," the older boys sniggered and tossed him into the open dumpster. He landed with a shout and a clang. One of them broke a skate board over his knee and chucked it in as well. Laughing, they high fived each other and walked off.

Stolen novel; please report.

The girl ran to the dumpster and peered over the edge. "Tay! Are you ok?"

Kane came out from where he'd instinctively tried to make himself smaller. Avoiding trouble wasn't something Uncle Kanoi had to admonish him against. He wasn't allowed to use his skills against the locals, but even so, avoiding trouble was best anyway. He wandered toward the dumpster. He jumped back when a head popped up over the side.

The kid in the dumpster had hazel eyes and sandy blond hair that stuck up at odd angles. "Look what they did to my board!" he complained and held up the two halves of what was a pretty old board to start with.

The girl rolled her eyes. "I tried to tell you not to mess with those guys," she pointed out.

Kane paused and eyed the kid from under the bill of his hat. "Can you get out of there?" he asked.

Taylor Hicks considered his predicament. "Let me see," he said, and pretty much ignored his friend Alex's scolding. He tossed the halves of boards over the side. He cracked his knuckles and gripped the ledge of the dumpster. He bounced a little then jumped, trying to use his arms to leverage himself up. He didn't make it. He hit his sternum and fell back. "Doesn't look like it," he declared and grimaced. It was really starting to stink in there.

Alex rolled her eyes. "One would think you'd be an expert at it by now," she declared dryly.

Kane grinned in amusement. "I guess I can help you out," he said. He couldn't get scolded for this, surely. He was doing a good deed. Wasn't Uncle always going on and on about good deeds? He jumped up and landed on the ledge. He balanced easily in a crouch. "Try that again," he said.

Tay looked at him dubiously. "You sure? If you fall in, I'll climb over you to get out," he warned but his grin was showing a missing tooth near the front. He also had a band aid on his chin.

Kane grinned back. "Not if I climb over you first," he shot back. "Now come on. Don't worry about me falling in," he prompted.

Tay nodded. He took another deep breath and gripped the ledge again. He bounced and jumped. This time when he jumped, Kane grabbed a hold of the back of his pants and pulled. This tactic seemed to work only too well. They both fell to the ground outside the dumpster with surprised and pained yelps.

Alex pursed her lips and stood over them with hands on her hips. She shook her head at Tay. "Are you, ok?" she asked Kane.

Kane nodded and got to his feet. He realized his hat was missing, but neither of them stared or laughed.

Tay bounced up. "That was awesome! I'm Taylor Hicks by the way. You're Kane, right? The new kid that lives out of the city, right? We're in the same gym class," he said and jerked a thumb at Alex. "That's Alex Roberts. We're in the same class," he explained.

Alex rolled her eyes again. "Since kindergarten," she added.

Kane nodded. He hated gym class so he'd been skipping since the first day of school. It was either skip or kill the coach. "Yeah, I'm Kane," he answered.

"We were on our way over to Storm Chargers, Alex's aunt runs the place and she lets us hang out sometimes. You wanna come?" he invited and picked up Kane's hat from where it'd rolled under the dumpster. "And dude, I dunno where you came from, but we gotta do something about that hair," he said finally.

Kane gaped as he took the hat back. He fit it on his head and pulled it down. "Yeah. Tell me about it," he muttered.

"That was nice, Tay," Alex said sarcastically. "Well, you gonna come hang or not?" she asked Kane impatiently.

Kane drew himself up. "Of course," he answered.

"Awesome," Tay said and clapped Kane on the back. "Welcome to Blue Bay Harbor. I got a good feeling about meeting you," he declared as the three of them began to shuffle off.

Kane self-consciously adjusted his hat again. Yeah, he had a pretty good feeling about it, too. Not that he'd ever admit it or anything. He wasn't the son of Lothor and Leatrix by admitting to gushy feelings or anything lame like that. But suddenly, the prospect of staying around didn't seem as dreary as it did a few minutes ago.

~*End*~