Planeteer Narrative #3 part 2

Number Two's a-comin'... I would like to dedicate this chapter to Nathan Bloomfield, because apparently he's one of my dad's old students and there's a picture of him here by the computer in a directory and he's HOT. This one goes out to you, Nathan.

      Mia and Yuli stood in the parking lot, having learned from long experience that they were useless in fights. The best thing they could do to help was to stay out of trouble and at critical points shout encouragement to Ryo.
      Hearing footsteps behind them, they turned, expecting Dynasty soldiers. Instead, they saw five kids in matching shirts, the oldest one looking about a year younger than the Ronins. "Who are you?" she asked.
      A red-haired boy, looking about twenty-one, answered in an American accent, "We're the - AHHHH! The stupid monkey just bit me! HE BIT ME!"
      Everyone turned to look at him. The monkey was resting in the arms of a short South American kid, with kind of long hair. On closer inspection, Mia saw he was a boy. A tall African boy laughed. "How could Suchi bite you all the way over there, Wheeler?"
      Wheeler looked angry. "I don't know, but I know he did. There's something wrong with that monkey."
      Ma-Ti looked at the monkey in surprise. He hadn't actually expected it to obey. Maybe Wheeler's right. Maybe something is wrong with my monkey. Just then, the door started to open.

      The Ronins stood before the door, watching it open. As it did, a shadowy figure stepped through. Their new enemy was tall, taller than any of them. It was thin, almost slender, and wearing a long dark robe, with the hood pulled up over its head. Its face was covered in shadow, and it had dark, gloved hands. If they could have seen its face, they would have seen it smirk at them. "At last, Ronin Warriors, Talpa shall be revenged. I, Lord Terave, shall destroy you!" it said in a low, raspy voice.
      Watching the Ronins menacingly, Lord Terave reached under his robe. The Ronins watched him worriedly, as he brought his hand out, holding...a garden rake. The evil entity smiled and held the rake above his head. "Feel the efficacy of my Garden Rake of Ascendancy! Garden Rake of Ascendancy, Super Fall Leaves Collision!" The Ronin Warriors watched in horror as he began to twirl the rake like a baton. As the rake twirled it formed a flat disk, around the edge of which glowed leaves in different colors. "IMPACT NOW!"

      Mia watched five kids, confused. Who were these people? Why were they wearing matching shirts? Why did that monkey look evil?
      The Planeteers noticed Mia staring at them. Wheeler cleared his throat and tried again. "We're the Planeteers, and we travel the Earth trying to stop people's heartless destruction of the planet."
      The African boy looked at him. "Did you just make that up? It was rather good."
      "Thanks, Kwame. You know, I-"
      Their conversation was suddenly interrupted by a loud sound and a shockwave that threw them to the ground. Everyone looked up, and Yuli asked, "What was that?"

      "Run!" shouted Ryo as thousands of fall leaves shot from the disk and towards the Ronins. All five dodged to the side as the swirling stream of leaves hit and annihilated the movie theatre.
      They gasped. Cye, Rowan, and Sage shouted, "Yuli!"
      Ryo cried, "Mia!"
      Kento screamed, "The jeep!" The other four turned to glare at him. He looked back at them. "What?" They just sighed. "All right, then, guys, I'll just take this guy down if it's all right with you."
      "Fine with us," Cye replied.
      Kento twirled his staff and shouted, "Iron Rock Crusher!" before pointing it at the ground. The street was immediately destroyed, but Terave managed to get out of the way. However, he lost his grip on his garden rake, and it fell victim to the wrath of Hardrock.

      As the Planeteers, Mia and Yuli looked around for the source of the sound, the movie theatre next to them was suddenly totally destroyed. While the bricks fell around them, they crouched and covered their heads. When the shaking stopped, they got up and looked around. No one was hurt, and the jeep and plane were okay. "Wow," said the fair, blonde girl with a thick Russian accent. "What was that?"
      "I don't know," answered Mia, "but my guys are in trouble!"
      "Let's go!" shouted Yuli. The other six nodded in agreement and headed towards the portal.

      "So, Ronins, you managed to evade me. Well, ha on you. That wasn't even my surekill. I mean, it is the rake's surekill, so I guess it is one of my surekills, but of all my surekills, it wasn't the surekill that is the most sure to kill."
      "What?"
      "Nevermind. The point is, I have lots of weapons and attacks."
      "Oh, brother," Kento sighed. "More like the killer garden rake?"
      "No, Hardrock. This one is even better!" Lord Terave again reached under his robes, looking evil. Suddenly, his face changed to worried. "Where did they go? Dang it, I left them on the bookshelf. Stay here, Ronins. I'll be right back." Their dark foe turned and went back through the portal.
      The five warriors looked at each other. "What was that all about?" Ryo asked. Suddenly, he heard Mia call his name. The guys turned to see Mia and Yuli running towards them, along with five kids they didn't recognize. He didn't like how close the red-haired one was standing to Mia, but brushed the thought aside.
      "Are you guys all right?" Mia asked.
      "Us?" Ryo answered, surprised. "What about you? We saw the movie theatre-"
      "Don't worry, we're fine." Mia reached him and tried to hug him, succeeding only in bruising her forehead against Ryo's breastplate. He quickly changed back into civilian clothes and hugged her back. She had been worried about him. He didn't want her to worry, but it was nice to know she'd been thinking about him. He must have been smiling, because they other guys started to snicker.
      He and Mia looked up. "What?" Mia asked, totally oblivious.
      "Nothing," Sage chuckled. Then he looked up. "Mia, who are these people?"
      "Oh, I completely forgot! These are the Planeteers. They fight littering and stuff. Planeteers, these are the Ronin Warriors." Both sides nodded to each other uneasily. "Come on, be nice," Mia admonished.
      Ryo decided that if Mia thought they were okay, they must be okay. He stepped forward. "I'm Ryo, of the Wildfire."
      The red haired kid looked up with interest. "Really? 'Cause my power is Fire. See, watch this." He pointed his ring and melted a telephone booth.
      "Coo!" (Yes, I meant to write coo) said Ryo.
      "I'm Wheeler," said Wheeler. Ryo smiled.
      The others decided that if these two could get along, so could they. They stepped forward and introduced themselves: Kento, Kwame, Sage, Ma-Ti and Suchi (which Wheeler glared at), Rowan, Linka (which Wheeler watched like a big-eyed puppy), Mia and Yuli.
      When they reached, Gi, she smiled shyly. "I'm Gi, from Asia, and my power is Water. I love fish."
      At this, Cye, who had been watching the ground, looked up. She likes fish? He watched her as she looked around. She was beautiful! Suddenly, she looked at him and their eyes met. Cye's heart skipped a beat. He watched her, scarcely daring to breathe. "I'm Cye of the Torrent, and I, too, love fish." She looked at him closer, then smiled. No one else noticed, however.
      Suddenly, Kwame looked around. "What has happened to this street?"
      The Ronin Warriors laughed nervously. "Well," replied Kento, "we, uh, I, I attacked him."
      "You destroyed an entire city street!" Kwame shouted, horrified. "How could you do that?"
      "He had to!" said Rowan. That guy would have creamed us, and you!"
      "Cannot you learn to have peace?" Kwame shot back.
      Rowan sighed. This was not going to work.
      Suddenly, the door had began to open. Terave was returning. "Ah, Ronins. I see you have brought friends. Well, it shall not save you, for I have brought these!" He held out a dark, gloved hand. In it rested five small pinecones.
      "What are those?" asked Linka curiously.
      "Watch and see, blond one!" With that he threw them to the ground. "Impetuous Tree Vine Attack!" With that, the pinecones began to grow into trees. Taking root in the pavement, they grew and stretched until they topped the two story buildings. The trees were somewhat like oaks, but they were glowing and had long vines on them, giving them a sinister look.
      "What is that?" asked Cye.
      "I don't know, but I bet they're evil," answered Kento, pulling out his staff.
      "Wait!" shouted Gi. "Trees are not evil, they are our friends!" She ran towards the trees, intending to hug them.
      "Gi, no!" shouted Cye. As she reached the first tree, it suddenly whipped out a vine and wrapped it around her waist, lifting her into the air.
      "So much for tree hugging," muttered Kento.
      "Oh, no!" shouted Linka. "Gi!" She held out her hand to call upon her power of wind, but was interrupted by a loud war cry. Everyone looked to the source - and stared. Cye had pulled out his trident and was running towards the tree.
      "I'm coming, Gi!" he shouted.
      The Ronin Warriors stared in shock. "What is it, Ryo?" asked Wheeler.
      "Cye," he answered. "I've never seen him do that."
      Cye continued his mad dash towards the trees. He knocked vines out the way with his trident as he ran to Gi's tree. He then proceeded to hit the vine holding Gi until it dropped her. Catching her in his arms, he ran back to the group. Gasping for air, he shouted, "Finish the trees off!"
      Ryo, still out of armor, looked at Rowan. "Right!" Rowan shouted. "Armor of Strata, Arrow Shock Wa-" He stopped short as Kwame stepped in front of his bow. Trying not to hit him, Rowan jerked his arrow up, hitting and destroying a building in the process. "What the heck do you think you're doing?!" he shouted, grabbing Kwame's collar.
      Kwame looked at him calmly and proudly. "Trees are our friends. They provide beauty and shade for us to enjoy."
      (Sage: "Where's that music coming from?")
      Linka nodded in agreement, walking to stand behind Kwame. "They also provide oxygen for us to breathe. Without trees and other plants, our planet would suffocate!" she added.
      Wheeler stood on the other side of Kwame with a hand on his shoulder. "And yet, people cut them down all the time, whether for use or just to clear land."
      Ma-ti, walking in front of Kwame, said, "So try to cut down on using wasteful paper products. Re-use your lunch bags, and use sponges instead of paper towels."
      The four stood there, waiting for Gi to add her part. She just sighed, exasperated, and jumped down from Cye's arms. "Shut up, you guys!" Tackling the four to the ground, she shouted, "Rowan, now!"
      He nodded. "Armor of Strata, Arrow Shock Wave!" The arrow flew from his bow and destroyed the trees rather handily.
      "What have you done?!" shouted Linka, staring at Rowan and Gi.
      Gi looked down at her with contempt. "Don't get so defensive. That tree would have killed me."
      "You must have done something. Maybe it was trying to protect its young, or-"
      "Drop it, Linka."
      Lord Terave, above them, howled in anger. "Well, Ronins, you may have won the battle, but you will not win the war!"
      (Kento: "Like we haven't heard that one before.")
      The dark figure disappeared back through the portal, and the door disappeared. The Ronin Warriors and Planeteers looked at each other. "Well," said Mia, "now what?"

Part 3