Nyte's Point of View
"You're making me look good out there, daughter, real 'pillar of the community' stuff." Mom was idly thumbing through the local paper. That picture was displayed prominently on the front page. "Multicultural angle is good too. Your boyfriend being half-Mexican might really help me with the Latina vote." She was already fully dressed, in the morning, on a Saturday. Honestly, when did she ever sleep?
Needles of embarrassment danced up her arms and rose to her neck. Blushing at the breakfast table was unbecoming, but it wasn't like Mother was paying attention. There she was, front page of the paper, sweaty, hair wild, holding her boyfriend like a doll and crushing her lips to his. They'd even put the picture on her Rivals.com profile. College recruiters across the country would see it. With a hint of trepidation, she wondered how Rich would feel about appearing in Sports Illustrated. So far, he'd been taking their life together in stride, but once she got to college, once the discussions about bowl games and the NFL draft became more than theoretical, he would become a media figure just like her.
I hope our relationship can handle it.
He had taken charge of that spaghetti dinner, though. Best meal she ever had. The whole team said so. They played their asses off after eating it. Her boyfriend was a leader in the way boys could be leaders: nurturing, content to help other people succeed, with no need to take the spotlight for himself. The way he'd helped build his sister into such a stud was a testament to that. Trusting him to handle the house and the children while she was busy with football would be easy.
Mom was only thinking about herself, as usual. Was optics all she cared about? Did she even have feelings for Rich's dad? She'd better. Nyte looked up from her omelette, the basic kind Rich had taught her how to make, and glanced around their house: big and empty. Their home was so quiet since Dad left. That would never happen with her and Rich. She'd never get a big head or a wandering eye. He was enough for her, forever. Silently, Nyte vowed not to repeat her mother's mistakes.
The sound of cutlery clinking against a plate drew her attention back to the breakfast table. Mother had a piece of egg on her fork, and melted cheese was drizzling down from where she held it aloft. She inspected the morsel for a split second, then popped it into her mouth. "Mmmm," she moaned theatrically while she chewed. "Your better half teach you how to make these?"
"Yes," Nyte said simply.
Mom smiled, her purple eyes glittering with mischief. "I can see why you're so smitten. This beats the hell out of coffee and cigarettes for breakfast, let me tell you."
"I bet." Nyte finished her food just as fast as she could and pushed away from the table. "I've got work. With them."
Her mother's purple eyes softened. Sympathy? Regret? "We all have to do things we don't want to, sometimes."
Real font of motherly advice you are, Nyte thought bitterly. "See you later."
Nyte slipped into her spider dress and quickly applied her makeup disguise in the bathroom. Strange how nobody ever saw through it. Stinger magic, maybe? Whatever it was, nobody even glanced at her BMW on the drive there.
Nethys was waiting for her at HQ. "Yo!" She waved.
"Hey, Nethys. How's Rich doing?" It was so funny how they lived together. She wished Rich could just move in with her, but that would have to wait until college.
"An excellent cook as always. You are most fortunate, Nyte. Today he has his silly little karate class." She chuckled, and her robotic scorpion tail chuckled along with her, vibrating with mirth.
"It's not silly!" Nyte protested. Oh, who was she kidding? Of course, it was silly, but her baby was entitled to a few unseemly girlish interests. They laughed together at the idea of a boy fighter. Could you imagine? What a ridiculous thing.
"Even so," Nethys interrupted their amusement, "martial arts are relevant to the topic at hand."
"The topic at hand?" Nyte asked. They were talking about Rich, her favorite topic.
"Future Hero, of course!"
Oh, yeah. There was at least one boy fighter. It was easy to forget Future Hero was male, sometimes, so different from your typical boy, even Rich. Those muscles on her boyfriend were just because he had insanely good genetics. At his core, Rich was a house husband through and through. All he wanted to do was stay home and bake cookies. Video games and karate were just quirks. She knew her man.
"What about Future Hero?"
"Our enemy trains, Nyte! He is constantly improving while we languish and stagnate! I need more data!" Nethys was rapidly becoming agitated; her tail flicking and gesturing, talking along with her like some kind of stereotypical Italian wisegirl. She produced another remote control.
In walked a black-robed assassin robot, with gleaming red eyes partially concealed in the shadow of an Asian-style conical straw hat. It clutched a wickedly sharp samurai sword in one hand, held in reverse grip.
"Fufufu," Jellyfish Hitler picked just that moment to reveal her presence. "What a fine creation! Scorpion Queen Nethys, what is it called?"
"Meet Kendo Robot Kenshin," Nethys said proudly.
The robot moved in absolute silence, no creaking joints, no whirring servos. If Nethys could build something like that, then why were her cybernetic parts so loud?
KACHIN! The kendo robot slashed its sword and cut the air in front of it. Even standing far back and with spider-enhanced reflexes, Nyte was caught off guard. So fast!
"This one will take the measure of Future Hero, go blade to blade with him," Nethys explained. She pressed a button on the remote, and Kenshin sheathed its sword with a theatrical flourish. "We need more data, how he adapts, how he fights. We must know our enemy before we can hope to defeat him."
Jellyfish Hitler inspected the robot for a while longer. Apparently satisfied, their leader left them to their business.
"You aren't trying to win with this one?"
Nethys shook her head. "Pointless. If what I believe is correct, Future Hero is backed by an organization yet unknown to us. Suppose we defeat this one and he's replaced by someone stronger? We'd be properly doomed then. It's better to gather more intelligence. I've programmed this one for hit-and-run attacks. We'll have our data."
"Sounds good," Nyte agreed. Well, she didn't really care. She just wanted to go and see her boyfriend.
***
Becca had the truck today; she was hanging out with some of her new friends from the football team, so Julie was dropping him off at karate class. He leaned over to kiss his girlfriend goodbye. Seeing her thoroughly flushed face after he withdrew was a hell of an ego boost. In Rich's last life, having a gorgeous woman acting like she was the lucky one to be with him was absurd to the point of being comical. Here? It was just normal.
"Will you really be okay, honey? Can I walk you in?"
Rich considered the offer. "Sure, why not?"
Before he could even get his seatbelt off, Julie was out of the car, crossing to the other side, and holding the door open for him like a gentlewoman.
I could really get used to this, he thought. Inside the dojo, Alice-sensei was warming up, doing dozens of "dive bomber" pushups while the students gradually came in from the dressing rooms. After spotting him, she sprang to her feet.
"Ah, Richard-chan, and the young mistress." She bowed. There was no indication that all those pushups had winded her at all. Rich bowed back, and Julie tried to copy him awkwardly.
"Uh, hey," his girlfriend mumbled.
Alice-sensei didn't seem phased at all. "Would young mistress Cohen be wishing to join my dojo? Your beloved is well on his way to shodan."
Shodan? Oh yeah, first-degree black belt. Alice-sensei loved her gratuitous Japanese. Really, though, black belt already? He'd been going to this place for six months. Shouldn't it take longer?
Julie leaned down."Young mistress?" she whispered in his ear.
"I don't know, babe, I guess because you're from an important family?" Rich replied. He'd heard of "young masters" before, so this was probably just the reverse world equivalent.
She nodded. "Right...uh, no, thank you, I don't have time. Just here to drop him off."
Alice-sensei took her rejection with good grace. "Well, if you have time, you might consider staying to watch. Richard-chan will be testing for his sankyuu today."
Did she just say "thank you" with a Japanese accent? What was with Alice-sensei today?
At Julie and Rich's silence, Alice-sensei clarified, "Sankyuu, the third kyuu, or junior rank. Think of it as an 'advanced beginner'."
The couple locked eyes. "I think that would be cool, actually. You watch me play football. This is like I don't know, reciprocity. Yeah, I want to take an interest in the things you like, too."
Well, if Julie had the time, Rich wouldn't disappoint. He excused himself to the locker room to get dressed.
***
"Kumite!" Alice-sensei called out imperiously. "Advanced girls only! Richard-chan is too much for anyone else!"
Rich had worked up a decent sweat, being forced to run through basic movements and forms on his own. Everything felt smooth, fluid, and completely natural. Remembering his very first lesson, Rich visualized a resisting opponent even when he punched air. In fact, he almost lost himself in the moment, fighting an imagined battle against Stinger.
"Your beloved is a born warrior," he heard Alice-sensei remark.
"Damn." Julie exhaled, faint awe in her voice. "Rich almost moves like Future Hero. I had no idea he was this good."
Praise from Julie was just about Rich's favorite drug. Instantly, he felt refreshed and recharged, full of nervous but perfectly-controlled energy, like a runner just before a race. These girls had no idea who they were dealing with.
"Grace-kun will go first!" Alice-sensei declared. She was a black belt and a college student, the same height as Rich but heavier and more powerfully built.
They lined up and bowed. "Hajime!" Alice-sensei gave the command, meaning "begin!"
Knowing Grace's strength intimately, Rich began to move laterally, hoping to catch her off balance as she adjusted her stance. Grace didn't take the bait, smoothly tracking him and maintaining a solid foundation.
"Hah!" Rich feinted with a kick, and this time she bit. Grace committed to a power punch, but Rich was already deflecting it before her arm was completely extended.
Thud! Thud! Thud! Rich answered with two punches to the chest and a kick to the inner thigh that had Grace wincing in pain. Two more exchanges followed the same pattern, with Rich able to strike at will. Grace started chasing him, but Rich was already dancing away. Those leg kicks already had her wobbly, and Rich kept punishing her by darting in, landing a stinging blow, then darting out before she could respond.
Visibly frustrated, Grace charged all out, but Rich was ready, running her into a punch in the solar plexus that knocked all the air out of her and took the big girl off her feet.
"Holy shit!" Julie yelled in shock. "Rich just kicked the ass of a bigger, stronger woman!"
Happy to impress her, Rich spared his girlfriend a glance. Purple pupils dilated, flushed face, heaving chest, she was...turned on? Well, it took all kinds.
Alice-sensei didn't comment on Julie's profanity. Grace looked terribly embarrassed when Rich helped her to her feet and bowed to her.
"Two more matches to make sure the first wasn't a fluke!" his teacher called out.
Twice more, he fought an advanced girl, at least his size, but the last one was way bigger. Both times he won, though by the third match he was tired enough that his opponent managed to catch him a few times.
At the end of it, Alice-sensei presented Rich with a brown belt that had three white stripes. "I would promote you directly to black after a performance like that, but there are time-in-grade rules in the Kyoukushin-kai," she explained.
Oh, just like the military. That was interesting.
Julie hugged him fiercely, and, uh, definitely sniffed his sweat. Down, girl! After class, she was more handsy than usual as they walked to her car. Rich considered whether they had time for a makeout session before he needed to start dinner. That pleasant thought crowded everything out of his mind until Rich saw the glint of metal.
FWUSH! A black swordsman cut a handicapped parking sign in half.
Stinger!
He cursed his weariness. This was the worst possible time! Placing himself between Julie and the unidentified agent of evil, Rich raised his ring:
"From a future dark
To a post not set,
Stinger hasn't won just yet,
With Pureheart Power, a noble mission,
Come forth! Future Hero! Henshin!"
Seeing the blade in the hand of the creature, a robot, probably, Futre Hero answered with one of his own. He gripped the handle strapped to his belt and pressed the button. "Come forth, Future Edge!"
Purple energy reflecting off the lenses of his helmet and the smell of ozone in his nostrils concentrated Future Hero's mind. It didn't matter how tired he was. That thing wasn't getting close to Julie.
Still in karate mode, Future Hero tried the same karate strategy of baiting an overcommitment and then punishing, but the sword robot saw right through him! His half-hearted thrust was batted away contemptuously, and the Stinger samurai stepped back, nicking him in the thigh with a cut that struck sparks on the Endram Armor. So fast!
Rich tried again and again, but the robot anticipated every move, reading his intent perfectly.
THWICK!
"Aaaahhh!" Future Hero was brought to his knees by a sword strike that bit into his armor at the shoulder, uncomfortably close to the neck. Was there nothing he could do to get past the perfect guard of the sword robot?
Just as he was considering his options, the robot shifted from defense to attack, pressuring Future Hero, but not showing any openings at all. Absolutely silent and implacable, the black swordsman walked him down until Rich was cornered in an alley. In a last, desperate attempt to create space, he lunged forward, sending a thrust into the robot's red eyes.
SHRAAAAK! It answered with a cruel cut, digging into his midsection. Purple electricity flared, and the Endram Armor lost cohesion. The plates of his suit sloughed off like the old skin of a serpent, before disintegrating into motes of purple light. Rich lay on the ground of the alley, exposed.
Did I...lose?
He looked into the robot's red eyes, expecting it to raise its sword and finish him off, but it just turned and left, like Rich was beneath its notice. A moment later, the robot was gone, and a tearful Julie was rushing to his side.
"Rich, are you okay?" she asked frantically, helping him to his feet. "Future Hero was just here. He didn't hurt you, did he?"
***
The rest of the week, Rich felt like he was underwater, sinking lower and lower. He'd always found a way to win before, some last-minute trick to come from behind. This time, Stinger let him win. It bothered him. It bothered him a lot.
He found no enjoyment in anything: not in spending time with Julie, not in watching the football team win again, not in a "boys' day" with Beni and Bryce, trying on clothes at the mall. Nothing helped.
That Stinger robot was still on the loose, but Rich dared not fight it again. What if it didn't let him go a second time? He'd be dead!
"Something troubles you, Richard-chan," Alice-sensei remarked at the next karate class. He was wracking his brain for some strategy, some technique that could even the odds, but the more he thought about it, the more invincible the sword robot seemed. It never took the bait. It didn't get emotional. It had no weaknesses.
"Do you know anything about swords, Alice-sensei?" he asked hopefully.
She raised an eyebrow and didn't respond for a moment. "See me after class."
***
They both held wooden swords in the empty dojo.
"Ippon, Richard-chan, that is, a single strike. There is much overlap between the sword and the fist: angles of attack and defense, the weight distribution of the stance, and so forth. But there is one key difference!"
She corrected the way he was holding his weapon. "What's that, Alice-sensei?"
"Ippon! Come at me, Richard-chan!"
He attacked. Alice-sensei easily fended off his thrust and wacked him on the arm. "Ow!"
"I said ippon! One blow from a sword is fatal." She looked at him severely, and for the first time, Rich thought he caught a glimpse of the fighter underneath. Alice-sensei was usually so gentle, almost motherly, when she conducted her karate class. The energy she gave off now was brutal, oppressive, like a true death match, a war where you either won or died.
"I don't understand," Rich said meekly.
Alice-sensei sighed. "Rich, you are a boy."
"What's that supposed to mean?"
"It means you've learned the wrong lesson in my class. Even as strong as you are, the girls can take multiple punches and kicks from you and still keep coming. You've crafted a style for yourself based on wearing them down. That is fatal for a swordswoman. A swordfight is over in the fall of a cherry blossom."
She lunged forward and struck Rich on the stomach, making him double over in pain.
"You hesitate, Richard-chan. One attack, full commitment. You're so focused on countering that you forget that you can dictate the pace. Be aggressive! Swordfights aren't like the movies with all this back and forth. Observe how I hold my weapon, the small movements of my eyes, my breath; these indicate my intentions. Nobody is without tells! See my attack, and see yours around it. Beat me to the punch! You are a warrior, young Richard-chan. The time has come to learn the way of ippon!"
They practiced, again and again. Rich had to actively unlearn his own style of gradually picking apart a bigger and stronger opponent. With a sword, he only needed one hit.
***
When the samurai robot was next spotted, Future Hero walked right up to him. "Let's settle this, once and for all."
The robot stared back with those red eyes, unblinking, unmoving, but it inclined its head subtly.
"Not here. Follow me." They walked away together, away from the public streets. Their final duel would take place in a quarry.
Future Hero raised Future Edge. The samurai robot raised its samurai sword. No witnesses, just the rocks and dust.
Neither moved. He'd gotten good at sensing Alice-sensei, but this was a robot. It was still, unnaturally still, but that, too, was a kind of tell. He saw his path.
FWOOSH! Rich dashed forward. This time, he didn't try to bait the enemy into swinging first. No! This time, he thrusted through it! Red eyes flashed more brightly once he was inside its guard, but by then it was too late.
Future Edge was embedded in the chest of the samurai robot. One strike. Ippon!
Wild, purple lightning fanned out from the point of contact, raking the walls of the quarry, triggering tiny avalanches. The samurai robot crumpled, and its red eyes went dim. Future Hero wrenched his sword free, and the robot started smoking and leaking oil. He had only about a second of warning before it exploded, making the ground shake beneath his feet.
After turning off his energy sword, Future Hero bowed to the smouldering wreckage and melted circuitry. He'd learned a valuable lesson today.