“What Power? You will learn in time. Time. Okay, so how do I start? First you need to calm your mind. The ring will project your body’s abilities and you will become stronger and smarter than ever. Once you do that then we can start. So meditate.”
I’ve never meditated before so I don’t even know where to start. I try to do what they do in the movies. Hmmm…Hmmm…”You don’t know how to meditate do you. No. Sit like so and focus on your mind.”
I do as he says and try to relax completely. I feel different and hear some annoying crickets all of a sudden. “I feel funny.”
“So you think you did it.” He says.
“OWWCH, stop talking so loud.”
“I’m not talking any louder than before, your ability to hear has strengthened.”
“I did it?”
“Now that you have focused your mind let’s start.”
We do some basic stretches and he tells me to pick anything on the shelf behind me to work with. I look around. Oh my god. There are about 50 different weapons I could choose from and I don’t even get what’s going on.
“The nun chucks.” I announce. I’ve always wanted to try them but never got my hands on a pair. I pick it up and I know this is for me. I begin to swing them around, it doesn’t work I just end up hitting myself in the back of the head.
“Ouch.” Ahh, the nun chucks, those were my favorite back in the day. I try and try for what seems like a few minutes, and then I look at my watch. 10 minutes until my mom comes in to get me up for school and I’m not even near my house. I panic. “What? I’m about to be late to wake up and I’ll have NO explanation for that. Oh don’t worry we can be there in 10 minutes.” I feel confused and I apparently look it too because he tells me to follow him and he brings me up a ladder.
“Wait!” My backyard? So you hid this place in my back hard under a patch of grass? Hurry go get into bed. I expect you here after school today. Got it? Okay.

I run to my house hop in my window change into my pajamas and fake sleeping. My mom enters shortly. “Time to get up.”
I don’t respond. She shakes me and tells me to get up. I slowly open my eyes, to attempt to imitate waking up and then I notice that without any sleep I’m really tired. I get up get dressed (again) and go out and wait for the bus. I’m excited to tell my friend about this even though I’m not sure what to tell him. He won’t believe the true story. That’s for sure. So I decide I’ll have no choice but to show him.
“So Josh can you come over today I have something really important you have to take a look at.”
“Is it that stupid spaceship model you have been working on? Because I really don’t care.”
“Oh no this is much better.”
“Alright, but this better be good.”
We head over to my house after school and I open the hole in the grass. He almost faints when he sees the inside.(on your way down the first thing you see is the big wall of weapons.)”So this is what you have been doing all those days I didn’t come over?”
As he looks around the enormous room. “notexac—Hello.” I hear from behind me and we both jump. We turn around and I see the guy who kidnapped me standing there.
“Who is this? He is my friend Josh and I want him to train with me.” I say.
“TRAIN WHAT?” Josh asks in confusion.
“Long story, just pick any of those weapons on the wall.”
“Joe go put on your ninja uniform.” The mystery man told me.
“Ninja? What?” He looks again at the wall of weapons, and almost faints again. “So anything? Oh, and when do I get my ninja uniform like you.
Yea I chose the nun chucks.” He goes around looking at them all and you can tell he’s genuinely confused. He picks probably the sharpest weapon on the wall up by the blade. “OWWWWCH!” he screams.
The guy comes in, “I’ll bandage that up.” You Joe go train. How does he know my name? This just gets more confusing as we go. They come back and this time the stranger warns Josh to take something not sharp. He grabs a pole looking thing.
“I see. The long staff. Okay let’s begin.” Now I’m sure you both want an explanation as to what’s going on.Joe more so. I am a former ninja, Joe’s grandfather.”
“ WaitWait HOLD THE PHONE.” YOU’RE MY WHAT!”I scream.”
“ Listen.”
“So I am your grandfather and I know you thought I am dead and I sort of am. I am a hologram. You most likely haven’t noticed but you can go right through me.”
I try to go through his arm and there is no resistance. ” The world is in grave danger.” In one short year, Neorainianswill attack the earth. They will be stronger than you could ever imagine. And you are to stop them before they do destroy the earth.”
Now Josh talks. “So you’re saying we have a couple years to become super ninja’s or the earth is doomed!”
“Yeees.” Josh looks anxious to talk but I cut him off.
“So we should get all of our friends to help right.” He looks at me funny.
“No, you must not tell ANYONE about this.” “Why?”

“You are ninja’s, ninja’s stay in the shadows. Never show themselves”
A ringing begins and I jump. “Don’t worry that’s just my phone.”
“So you’re a hologram but you have a phone.”
“It’s just saying that there is a crime being made that you must go fix.”
We walk over to another room carved into a large oval shape. In the middle is a huge steel table with a green board on it. We walk in and listen to the call. A student from East Park High School has been kidnapped. It’s not just a video, it’s a ransom.
“Give us $5000.00 dollars or the girl is dead.” The video shows the girl. It’s Rachel, a good friend of mine from school, sitting on the ground feet tied mouth gagged. Then I see her hands, making some sort of motions. “E-M-P-I-R-E-T-O-W-E-R.” Then it ends.
” EMPIRE TOWER, We have to save her.”
Josh looks at me funny, “did you see the size of those guys, they were HUGE!”
I don’t care I immediately grab my nun chucks and head up the ladder.
I hear behind me. “Don’t forget your ninja uniforms; I just had the dry cleaned!” My supposedly grandfather says.
Josh rolls his eyes as we put them on he grabs his long staff off the bed I had been sleeping on just last night. Man time has flown. I head up the ladder open the grass and hop out. After me Josh comes out saying,” I still think you’re crazy.” I run as fast as a can about 4 blocks to the Empire Tower Radio Station, Josh trails behind. We begin up the stairs, facemasks up and our weapons at our hands. SMASH! A loud bang comes from the other side of the door in front of us. I open it and jump through to see one of the thugs and Amanda. She’s out cold.
I tell Josh to hold the thug for a minute while I wake Rachel. He pokes the thug in the eye and kicks him in the stomach. Rachel wakes up with a groan.
“Who are you?”

“Long story.”
She gets up and begins to try to help us. Two more thugs come around the corner. Josh is still fighting with the one thug so I decide to help him out before working on the others. I use my nun chucks to choke him and through him to the ground, kicking him for good measure. Now there are 2 versus us three. “Come on Josh help.”
“Okay Joe.”
We fight them until one thug falls to the ground. I see Rachel with a chair.
“That help?”
The third runs. I signal to Josh it’s time to leave before our identity is shown. We walk back so proud you’d think we had just won a million dollars.

"Meet me in the bathroom 1:30 after 4th period." I say to Josh.
"Got it." He replies.
I sit and wait during fourth period, the time drags by slowly. Fractions, Multiplying, Ratios. What? The bell rings, YES! I run to the bathroom. I see Josh coming down the hall.
"Now what did you want?"
"Just wanted to talk about yesterday. It was amazing how we took those guys down."
"I know what you guys are up to." I hear a girl’s voice behind me. Rachel.
I act like everything is completely normal.
"Obviously!" I reply.
"Not that. You guys are the ninja's from yesterday."
"Ninja's? What?" I try to fake it. "Anyway you're not supposed to be in here."
"You're the Super Ninja's I know it."
"How."
"I heard you say each other's names like 4 times."
"Fine." I force out. "What do you want?"
"I want in."
"Fine, nobody else got it! My backyard, after school."
"Got it. Now I better get to class."
She walks out.
Josh buts in, "you're going to let a GIRL into the super ninja's!"
I kind of had no choice is what I want to say, but I avoid the issue. I went against my "grandfather's," specific instructions not to let anyone else in. I head to class. I enter my class into a flurry of comments about my tardiness. I ignore them. "You march RIGHT down to the principal's office NOW!" He yells. I get up and walk out. I can hear his rage halfway down the hallway. I sit in the office waiting. The principal enters.
"What happened?"
"I was in... In...In... Umm..." I don't remember. It happened so fast and I wasn't exactly paying attention.
"Answer!"
"I..I don’t remember."
"Don't lie or I will suspend you."
"I don't I mean it." All I remember is walking into fifth_____
"I'm going to have to suspend you. 2 days got it."
I nod. He calls my mother and she takes me home and grounds me.
“Just because your father died recently doesn’t give you a reason to be a trouble maker.” She says with a sob.
I lay on my bed thinking. I have to get out of here. Soon.Rachel and Josh will be coming over and they don’t know about this. What can I do? What can I do

What can I do? If I sneak out and my mom comes in to check on me I’ll get grounded longer. If I leave it alone, Josh and Rachel will get themselves AND me in trouble for being here. That means there is only one thing to do. I have to take a risk and have them come in my room so we can talk. I wait but the hour just feels so slow.
Wait! I have a better idea. If I can get Holo-Gramps to make a hologram of me sleeping. Then I can get away with this. But can he make one for me? I have to try. I hop out of bed, slide out my window, grab the windowsills, let go and hope I land well. I flip off the shed and I land perfectly. Huh? I didn’t mean to flip. I was just trying to land withoutbreaking my leg. Weird. This ninja thing is getting very confusing. I think. I run the slightly pulled up patch of grass, pull it up and slip on the wet grass but still manage a perfect landing again. A 40-foot drop.Unscaved. Are you serious.
“So I guess you’ve figured out all of your human abilities are much stronger.”
“That much stronger?”

“Yes, you could most likely be able to jump off the empire state building with only a little bruise.”
“Anyway why are you here so early?”
“I well got suspended because I was late for class. Then I got grounded. I snuck out so I could see if you could make a Hologram of me so I could train. My friends are coming here to train after they get out of school too.”
“Mike, you must take responsibility for your actions. I will not help you.”
“Oh come on please Holo-Gramps.”
I hear a faint noise. “Mike, are you in there?”
It’s my mom. She must be coming to check on me.
“Please if you don’t I’ll be in alot of trouble. PLEASE!”
“Fine, but just this once.Today. I will not help you out of trouble again. I will return shortly.”
“Mike, I am coming in.”
Oh no the hologram isn’t ready yet.
“Oh mike, your just sleeping okay.”
Wait, did she just say I’m sleeping?”
The hologram couldn’t be there. I didn’t even see it. Well that’s weird.
“What happened?” I ask.
“The hologram got there just in time.”
“But how I didn’t even see him!”
“I teleported him right there. I can teleport anyone or anything to anywhere.”
“Oh really, you couldn’t have done that to help me save Amanda!”
My watch beeps. It’s 3 o’clock Josh and Amanda should be here.
“I’ll be right back.”

“Don’t bother with the ladder. Just jump.”
“I can’t jump that high. Until this afternoon I didn’t even know I could fall that far.”
“Try.”
I jump up and expect my normal foot to foot and a half. I am again surprised, so surprised that I hit my head on the roof. Hard. But it didn’t even hurt. I’m just going to assume I am superman and invincible. I hit the ground and don’t even say anything. I just jump up grab the top rung of the ladder and push the grass open and climb out. I see Josh right in front of me.
“So I guess you are already here.” I said.
“I was about to ask the same question. Where were you on the bus?” Josh said.
Then I see Rachel over to my left.
“Why are you in a hole in the ground.” She chuckles.
“Come on down and I will show you.” I respond.
They begin down the ladder while I jump down.
“How did you fall that far and not even get hurt!” they ask in unison.
“I don’t know”,, ask Holo-Gramps.
“You can do it too.”
“You just have to meditate to release your inner power.”
Rachel seems to know what she is doing. Josh definitely does not. Josh asks if he needs to do this to be a ninja because he doesn’t even know what meditate means.
“You must meditate.”
“A ninja cannot be equal with himself if he is not completely focus.”
Rachel buts in. “I think I didit!”
Holo-Gramps tells her to jump and she does but she made the same mistake I did but much worse. She hits her head HARD on the ceiling and comes down rubbing her head.
“That hurt.”
Josh comes in and asks,”how did she do that.”
“She meditated.”
Josh freaks out.
“All she did is meditate for 30 seconds and she can do THAT!”
“Yep I can too.”
“HOW DO I MEDITATE!!!!”
“Holo-Gramps can you fix Josh up? I’ll get Rachel a weapon.”
Rachel looks at the wall of weapons which she must of somehow ignored on her way down and almost faints just like the rest of us.
”So I can take anything on this wall.”
“Yea but I wouldn’t pick anything sharp. We already had an “incident.”
I look over at Josh who still has a scar on his hand from cutting it.
“Hey don’t look at me…” Josh says embarrassed
“I like these.” She points to some wooden sticks with handles
“Ahh, the Tonfa. Very defensive weapons.”
We all ask simultaneously, ”What are Tonfa?”
“The weapons in Rachel’s hands.”
Josh finally gets the whole meditating business down, so finally, everything is ready and all that must be done is training.

We get about 2 and a half hours’ worth of practice before we hear a ringing.
“Holo-Gramps is that your “phone” again?”
“Most likely. I wonder what it is now.”
“Wait a phone?” Rachel questions.

“Yes, It’s the same thing that let us know that you were kidnapped. It tells us about crimes around the city that we need to go solve.”
“Oh that sounds like fun, especially with how strong we are.” Rachel responds.
We all head over to the other room where we hear about how a gang of thieves rob banks then escape to the undergrounds.
“The Outsiders.” I say.
“What?” Everyone asks.
They are a group of people who feel it’s pointless to live on the “upper floor” as they say and come up only to rob banks. The have most of the sewer system as their own base. No police group or even the FBI have been able to infiltrate it. It’s said to be like a maze down there. Not only that but completely booby-trapped.
“Well that makes things more difficult.”
“I know, we need to wait until they surface again. If they do we can think of something.”
Holo-Gramps says, “Phone most likely location of next robbery and a map comes up showing a map of the city and a big yellow dot over united bank.
“Let’s Go.”
Holo-Gramps tells us to get in a large cylinder shaped machine made obviously of some sort of metal. We all enter and here some buzzing. All of a sudden we are on top of a building.
“Well this must be the top of United Bank.”
As we wait we all hear something and perk up as we run towards the balcony. We see about 10 people in white and black jumpsuits hopping out of the manholes. We jump and land right in front of the front door to the bank. They see us and retreat. Josh grabs my phone and tells us to stay here. As he hops in the manhole behind the group Rachel and I look at each other.
“Any reason why he took the phone?” we both say.
We head back to my house to see if Holo-Gramps knew something we didn’t. When we get back we ask and he says to just think about it and that we would find a solution. We sat there thinking, meanwhile, Josh has been following them all the way to their hideout.
“I need to take off my uniform.” If I do that they won’t know it’s me. Then I can make this work.
Josh strips from his ninja suit and heads down the ladder into their hideout and immediately has a knife at his back. What are you doing here? How did you find us?
“I came to join you. I never did like the outside world and I would like to live like you guys.”
“How should we be able to trust you?”
“Check me if you want. All I have is my phone.”
They search Josh, but inside he has had a plan brewing all along.
“So can I join?”
“Fine, but one slip up and I will have to use this.” as he flips the blade closed.
“So have any ideas Rachel.”
“Oh I’ve been texting. It helps me think.”
“Texting? That’s it!”
“Huh?”
“Not texting exactly but your phone has GPS right? Josh must have taken mine figuring we could GPS track him and help him out.”
“Oh okay.”
The plan has been set. The plot figured out. Now all that is to happen is it to be executed correctly.
“Let’s Go! Oh and text Owen tell him that were on our way. No wait don’t do that it may blow his cover.”
“Make up your mind!” Rachel says angrily.
We go into Holo-Gramps machine again. And go to right outside United Bank and we both hop in the manhole following the GPS track. Finally, we see a ladder but that’s not the important thing. It’s Josh’s uniform and staff.
“I’ll grab his staff I think he will want it.”
I grab his staff and we head down the ladder as quietly as possible. This time everyone is too distracted to notice. We see Josh and the rest of the thugs over by a TV playing Xbox.
“Got a plan?”
“Kind of if you haven’t notice our hearing is way better than before so if we whisper his name he should hear it but not anyone else then we can get him over here.”
We both whisper “Josh, get an excuse to leave for a minute.”
He turns his head but quickly snaps it back.
“Hey guys I’ll be right back.”
He heads toward us and we can tell that the plan was perfect. We give him his long staff and we all quietly approach the “Outsiders” from behind.
Ten of them 3 of us so we each get 3 and the last one won’t have a chance. We walk right behind the couches that they are sitting on as quiet as possible but the TV is so loud it wouldn’t matter. We all hit 3 of them on the head and knock them out cold. The last one springs from his seat and pulls his knife out.
“You’re outnumbered and outmatched. You have no chance.”
“Oh really?” He gives us all a sly grin. Then we see what’s behind him. A self-destruct button under some glass. He turns around and hits it.
“I’ll see you guys later. There is no way you can escape through the maze in time.”
Rachel signals for us to follow him. We head off but she stays.
“I guess it’s time to use this disable a bomb app I thought I would NEVER use.”
Rachel takes out her phone and opens the app. Okay cut the green wire not the red or blue. Then burn the red wire.
“Oh great how am I supposed to get scissors and a lighter.” When she turns around she sees the 9 other thugs and she also sees some cigarettes falling out of one’s pocket.
“Don’t smoke its bad for you but good for me.”
She grabs the lighter and the switchblade from their pocket and does as the instructions say. 5,4, Rachel cuts the green wire. 3, 2, she begins to burn the red wire. 1, DEACTIVATED.
“Well that was close. Now I better get going.”
Rachel runs back out somehow remembering the way from earlier just to see Josh and I getting out with the thug over our shoulder.
We all climb out and Rachel calls 911 telling them to come to the United bank and that the Outsiders are no longer a threat.
“It’s getting late and I think we should all be getting home.” Josh says.
We all agree because we are pretty tired and home we go for now.
“By the way Josh you forgot your uniform.”

By the time I return to my house it’s already time for dinner practically and I walk straight in the front door.
“Mom I am home.”
“When did you leave I thought you were sleeping.”
Oh no I forgot I’m still grounded. I have to think of some sort of excuse.
“Oh did I say I’m home? I meant I’m awake.”
“Well that’s good you didn’t move a muscle up there for hours straight. I was getting worried.”
“Can I get off grounding? I’m sorry I was suspended at school. I guess Dad dying really did kind of get to me.”
“Okay but I don’t want to see you acting up in school anymore okay? Come on let’s eat dinner.”
We sit down to eat and I think my mom could tell I was exhausted even though she thought I had just gotten 5 or 6 hours of sleep, but she doesn’t say anything. We are both a little distressed after the tragedy that was my father death and ever since my life has been pretty quiet.
“I’m going to go upstairs for a while mom.”
“Okay.”
I head upstairs. I immediately jump on my warm bed and drift off.
The next day I get up really early for school. But I wait upstairs until my mom comes up. She doesn’t.
I wait longer (now 20 minutes late for school). I head down stairs and look for my mom. She is drinking her coffee at the table.
“Mom I am late for school.”
“You don’t have school today remember.”
“Oh okay. Is it okay if I go outside for a while then?”
“Sure but stay around okay?”
I run outside right to the patch in the grass and hop right in. I see Holo-Gramps there waiting for me.
“So I see you came to train?”
“Yea, I want to become stronger. I don’t think I’m good enough to beat the neorainians yet. Can you bring out Glados and put him on 1?”
I think I am ready for that. But I don’t even know the 3 of us couldn’t even see the robot never mind fight it. I wonder what’s the difference between 10 and 1?
Holo-Gramps takes out Glados that caused me so much pain before. But I’m not scared. I am ready this time. We begin to train. Hours on end. Then I hear foot steps behind me. Josh and Rachel must have gotten here.
“Hey, guys.”
“Lucky, you got to stay here and practice ALL day.” They both say.
“I’m going to turn Glados up to level 2.” I say.
We begin training. Soon, nearly a year has passed and it was the day before the neorainians would invade the earth. We had trained hard for the past year pushing our minds and bodies to the limit. Now we would fight. Now we were ready.

“Hey Holo-Gramps can you compare the neorainians to a level on Glados? If so I know we can take them because we have been able to be level 10 Glados for 2 months now.”
“40 or 50.”
“WHAT! I don’t think we can take that even though there are 3 of us.”
“Don’t worry just use the move I taught you. That will help you a lot.”
“What move?” Josh and Rachel both ask.
“I’m sorry but this can only the taught to the wearer of the ring. The Stellar Wave Pulsar.”
“It is one thing that not even the Neorainians can handle. You see the Neorainians live much further away from their sun than we do from ours. The Stellar Wave Pulsar turns all of the suns energy that reaches the earth in a fire beam strong enough to destroy the sun itself. The only reason you needed all of this training is in case it is nightfall when they arrive. The Neorainians have one major strength that is the reason they must be rated at a 40 or 50. The moon. It gives them their source of power. If the moon is out all you must do is hold them off until the day time. When it comes Joe can use the Stellar Wave Pulsar to destroy them forever.”
“So that was your plan the whole time?”
“Yes. Anyway it is getting late and you have a long day and night tomorrow so I recommend you get some sleep.”
The next day everyone meets up at the area in which indicated that the Neorainians would take landing. There was a smell in the air. The smell of danger. The 3 ninja’s knew there were only 2 options for this. Fight and live, or fight and die.

We wait, staying warmed up by doing some stretches and sparring. As night begins to set we see a glow of light in the sky. It sure isn’t the moon or the stars. It must be them. The Neorainians
“I hope you guys are ready, it’s just become night so we have to hold them off for a while before I have any chance of using the Stellar Wave Pulsar.”
“Bad timing.”
We see them coming to land about 50 yards over to our left. We prepare, take one last drink of water, grab our weapons, and head over. The ship lands. It’s not very large. Only capable of holding 3 or 4 humans. It opens. We see 2 aliens that look very similar to humans if it weren’t for their green skin, weird fashion sense and horrible looking hairstyles.
“Man those things are ugly.”
“You’re not kidding.”
They get out and walk straight for me. We all put up our guard but its not enough. The Neorainian simply tosses my nun chucks aside and grabs my ring. NO not my ring. I need that.
I try to chase after him but his speed is absurd. he is already gone 200 yards down the road by the time I begin to run after him.
“We have to get that ring, its our only chance.”
“Let’s go.”
We run after them as far as we can and see them a small shack off into the woods some. Then we hear screaming. We run faster until we are right outside the shack. We hear in a echoy voice.
“Thiiiis Shoulld doo niiiiiceleee.”
I find a small hole in the wood where I can just see what’s going on in the shack. Two people. One a small child and another an older women dead on the floor. Then I see one of them. Eating METAL. My ring. My ring is next.

I panic. If we lose that ring it’s over. I run right in and jump over one and grab the ring out of his hand. He punches me sending me deep through the back of the shack through a tree and into another. Oww… I get back up and begin to run. Rachel and Josh get the point and follow. We have to get back to the hideout but they are trailing close behind. I pass the ring to Josh secretly and say split up. We all run in opposite direction.
They fall for it and both head after me. Now what. They are obviously faster than I am. But I’m the only one who can where the ring and use the Stellar Wave Pulsar. I think about everything Holo-Gramps about them. I try to find a weakness. Still at least 3 more hours until sunrise. That’s it. If they can’t resist eating metal then I’m going to run them right by the Refinery.
I head over there hoping that I will have enough time. I see it. It’s about a quarter mile to get there and the Neorainians are right behind me. What else what else did Holo-Gramps say. Only about the sun and the moon. Sun and the moon. I’ve hear that somewhere it would be important. The news. A Solar Eclipse!
There is to be a solar eclipse in less than an hour from now. I run faster. I know if I make it there that I can win this. I hop over a fence and see them stop to eat it.
“That should hold them off.”
I run right through the refinery then cut my way back to my yard. It’s not far from here only a mile or so and their distracted. By the time I get there I see Josh and Rachel there already. Josh gives me the ring.
“There will be a solar eclipse in a half hour or so. We only have to wait until then. And they are pretty well distracted.
We head back to the refinery. By the time we are there its about 3 minutes until the eclipse but the Neorainians are almost finished eating the WHOLE THING.
“Do we have 3 minutes?”
“it’s 2 now. But I still don’t know.”
I pay close attention to my watch I know they will be done at least 30 seconds before the eclipse. Time is ticking. I get ready. Prepare myself. I’ve never actually done this so I have to go by what Holo-Gramps said. “It will come to you.” Well I hope so. I see the sun. The moon. I charge the blast. They finish. They head right at me.
“STELLAR WAVE PULSAR!”
Luminous, Blinding light radiates from my hands. I aim it. The beam goes right through them both. They are dead for sure and the Earth is safe. We have won the impossible challenge. We destroyed the Neorainians.