G. I. Joe Fan Fiction ❯ A Snake with a Temper ❯ Chapter 10: Japan (part 1) ( Chapter 10 )

[ T - Teen: Not suitable for readers under 13 ]

Chapter 10: Japan (part 1)

When the plane landed, Snake Eyes was the first to get off and greet the people outside. The cockpit opened and Ace spoke, "You guys good?"

"Yes Ace, thank you," Temper replied, stepping off. She looked at all of her masters in front of her and bowed, to which they did the same. Everybody but the Blind Master, Soft Master, Snake Eyes, and Temper left.

"It has been a long time since I was in your company, Temperance," Blind Master spoke first.

"I'm happy to see you Blind Master," she greeted.

"I'm sure you understand the implications of coming back?" Soft Master asked.

"Yes, I do," she answered.

"Soft Master," Blind Master warned.

"You will be given a day of rest after your travels, tomorrow we will decide if you will stay or not," Soft Master informed.

"Of course," she responded. The two master left the courtyard for the shelter of the temple. Temper walked over to Snake Eyes.

You know they'll let you stay, Snake Eyes stated.

"You can never be too certain."
***
Temper woke up in one of the guest rooms of the temple and got ready to speak with the masters. She exited her room in black gi pants and a purple tank top. She was not sure where to go, so she wandered around through the open training rooms; some were full of beginners, and other rooms held experienced martial artists.

As she came to one of the rooms that was occupied by a group with more training, she ran into a little trouble. Temper stepped inside the room and realized that the door she was wanting to go through was in the middle of the farthest wall. Students were lined, evenly spaced, around the perimeter of the room. The instructor stood in the middle of them turning around to meet each set of eyes and speaking,

"Your final test is in two weeks, we will be spending this time prep- Who are you?" The instructor asked her as he became aware of her presence. Her eyes widened and she looked around to see everybody's attention on her. She looked directly at the teacher and bowed in respect.

"I apologize, I was only trying to find the Masters," she explained.

"The masters?" he chuckled. "You're looking at one of them, speak," he demanded.

"Excuse me?" she asked incredulously.

"You said you were looking for the masters yes?"

"Well yes, but-"

"I am a master. If you need something then ask for it, otherwise turn around and find someone who actually cares." He looked up and down her body, sizing her up. "From the looks of it, you're not one of us."

"You are not the master I am looking for. Now if you'll excuse me, I just have to pass through." Temper walked to the door, but was stopped when the instructor held out his arm, blocking her path.

"You are not excused. What is your name?"

"That is none of your business," she stated. The man grabbed her arm and it was twisted behind her in a flash. She gritted her teeth from the pain.

"You will respect the masters of this temple. You are not a member, and I have half a mind to break your arm, intruder. What is your name?"

"Temper," she spit out.

"Temper?" he laughed and pulled on her arm more. "Why are you even asking for a master anyway? What do you want?"

"You know if there's one thing I learned from these past years, it would be that, if you're going to be an ass, make sure you can beat whoever you're pissing off."

With that she twisted out of his hold and kicked him in the face which made him let go of her hand. She then jumped back, when she was horizontal in the air she thrust both feet into his chest and used him as a wall to push off of. When gravity took hold she fell to the floor on her back, putting her hands on either side of her head, fingers pointing to her shoulders, bringing her knees to a few inches in front of her face. Using her strength she popped back up to a standing position while he was still in shock from getting hit. She punched him in the nose with one hand and made an uppercut to his jaw with the other. Her fist still connected with his jaw, him a few inches from the ground, she turned clockwise, bent the upper half of her body, her right foot coming up off the ground, over her head, and hit his right temple hard. It looked as if she doing a standing split. The man was kicked a few feet away from where she was standing, successfully knocked out. She looked to see the students gaping at her.

A deer in the headlights look, she hurried out the door and finally found the Soft Master and Blind Master. She bowed and they did the same.

"I was afraid I was going to have to look for you myself. I had asked Snake Eyes to go fetch you from your room, but you were not there," the Soft Master informed her.

"Sorry I came looking for you, but I had gotten lost," she replied. Snake Eyes stood behind the two masters, straight and rigid, with his hands clasped behind his back.

"Understandable," the Blind Master excused her absence.

The Soft Master nodded his head in agreement, looked behind him to Snake Eyes, and said,
"Snake Eyes, if you could excuse us?" Snake Eyes bowed and left. Temper looked around the room. The room was large, with shoji walls, the ceiling was made of wood and glass. White cherry trees, and green leafed trees dotted the room. A small pond took space in the middle, under a small, red and black painted wood bridge. The two masters sat in front of her, their back to the rest of the room.

"Temperance Cate Ray," the Soft Master started, "was your name when you left. You had no last name that you knew of so we gave you one. You were an infant when you came to us, no place to call home, so we gave you one. You could not defend yourself, you were a child, so we taught you. You are our child, our legacy. Many people know that the woman who was with Storm Shadow was called 'Temper'. The younger ones and new masters may not know who you are, but the ones who do will see you as a traitor."

"But you are not the one to blame," the Blind Master said. Temper let a breath of relief.

"You are exonerated," the Soft Master informed. "You were not the one that killed the Hard Master and for the past four years you have been atoning for running with Tommy."

"Thank you, Masters," she bowed from her sitting position and the two returned the gesture.

"If you will excuse me," the Blind Master said, got up and left.

The Soft Master and Temper looked at each other for some time until the Soft Master asked, "What has become of Tommy?"

"From what Snake Eyes has told me, dead, but it isn't confirmed," she answered.

"Did he find who really killed the Hard Master?"

"If he did, he didn't tell me. We haven't exactly been in close contact for the past four years."

"What happened?" he questioned.

"Some complications," she summed up. "I'm sorry, you sent me with him to make sure he carried out his promises to you, but I had failed."

"No child, if these complications truly hindered you, you would not be here. I trust your word. Come with me." The Soft Master stood and so did she. The two walked to the next room where Snake Eyes was patiently waiting.

"In order to placate some of the other masters, it was decided that Snake Eyes watch over you. You will be placed in the room across from his," the Soft Master informed them. The two of them bowed to the master and left as the Blind Master came up to them to talk with the Soft Master.

When Snake Eyes and Temper were out of earshot the Blind Master turned to the Soft Master and asked, "Do you know as well?"

"Even a blind man can see what is going on between the two of them," the Soft Master replied and they both chuckled.

Temper and Snake Eyes walked out of the room and he showed her around. You weren't trained here?

"You remember a young version of me running around the temple when you were here?"

No. If you weren't trained here then where? he asked.

"A small area not too far from here, probably has a corporate building standing on it now," she answered.

You lived there as well?

"There was a small home that I slept in." Snake Eyes stopped in one of the rooms where an olive toned woman with brown hair was facing off with a group of people dressed in black gis. She took them down with ease and came over to the new occupants of the room.

Temper this is Jinx, Jinx this is Temper, Snake Eyes introduced the two.

"It's nice to meet you," Jinx greeted.

"Same," Temper replied and they shook hands.

"Jinx," the Blind Master called. Jinx looked behind her, to her master, and turned back to the two in front of her.

"I'll see you later?" Jinx asked.

"I looked forward to it," Temper answered. Jinx left and walked over to the Blind Master. Temper turned to Snake Eyes.

"Hey where's the-" she was interrupted by her stomach growling loudly, "food," she finished. He smiled to himself and led her to a large dining room where she got food and they sat in the far corner.

"You won't eat in front of them either?"

No, I won't.

"Damn." Temper looked up to the man she ran into earlier. His nose broken and he had bruises on his face. Serves him right, Temper thought to herself. "Who is that?" she asked motioning with her head to the man. Snake Eyes looked over to him.

James, why, you interested?

"What? No! He's a total jackass, I ran into him earlier."

Please don't tell me you picked a fight with him, he signed.

I didn't pick a fight, I ended it," she retorted.

It doesn't matter what he said or did, you shouldn't go around and fight people.

"Have you met the guy?" she cried indignantly.

Yes I have and I agree with you, he's a jackass, but let the Masters deal with him.

"Like you?"

Like me?

"You're a master."

What does this have to do with me?

"If he picks another fight, what would you do?"

His punishment would be decided by the Blind Master and Soft Master.

"I didn't ask about the Masters, I asked, what would you do if he picked another fight with me?"

If he fights you and he doesn't stop after being told to, then I, or the other masters and senseis, will have no choice but to knock him out and bring him to the Soft Master and Blind Master. Why do ask me this?

"Because he's coming over here," she stated with a smirk.

"Hey Hissy Fit," James greeted Temper. Temper, to Snake Eyes' surprise, just sat there smirking.

"Hey James," she replied sweetly, still smirking.

"Aww what? Not gonna attack me again?"

"No, I think kicking your ass in front of your students is enough embarrassment for one day don't you think?" She could see James clench his jaw and curl his fist.

"I don't think you'll be able to beat me so easily in a match, when Im prepared!" he began to shout, getting everyone's attention.

"I'm pretty sure you were prepared for resistance when you had my arm twisted behind my back, if you weren't then you failed the most basic rules of your training," she said smugly. People around the room snickered and whispered.

"I will not tolerate a rude Yankee, gaijin," he insulted. Temper's aura immediately darkened, her smirk slipped, and she glared at the man in front of her. Unnoticed by the both two, Snake Eyes did as well.

"And I will not be underestimated by an unknowledgeable, pretentious ass," she spit back.
James shot his hand to out to grab her arm and pulled her from her seat to a standing position. Snake Eyes, whose anger had been rising since James first spoke, stood up and in the blink of an eye had James on his back, feet away from Temper. Temper stared wide eyed, not sure what exactly happened.

"What just-" she started asking before she was dragged out of the dining room by the arm. Snake Eyes took her to one of the training rooms, bowed, and got into a fighting position before she could ask any more questions. They sparred and before they knew it, five hours passed by and the dinner bell rang.

"Oh god!" Temper exclaimed and dropped to the floor with exhaustion. "I don't think I'm gonna make it to the dinner hall!"

We don't have to go right now, but they stop serving food in an hour, Snake Eyes informed her.

"So...if I asked you to carry-"

No, he signed quickly.

"Damn it rest then. You don't have to stay with me you know," she told him.

I have to stay near to make sure you don't do anything stupid remember?

"Yeah, I remember," she grumbled. Snake Eyes sat down, Indian style, next to her beaten form. Though he did not show it, he was tired as well. Temper closed her eyes for a while and before she could stop herself, she fell asleep.