INVISIBLE STRING | ZANE

20 | unleashing evil

Once they were all aboard the runaway snake bus, the five ninja turned to each other. "Let's split up." Kai took the lead. "Last one to the front is a rotten ninja."

So, the fire ninja wanted to play? Game on.

As the boys hurried along the bus, Iris remained where she was. She stood there, eyes closed, hands clasped together. Because whilst the others were trying their hardest to race to the front, Iris was attempting to centre herself.

Her breathing was calmed to a slow pace, so was the heart that had previously been racing inside her chest. It was chaos around her, so she had to be the one that was balanced. The world fell away and her arms became limp at her sides as she relaxed fully and found inner peace. Opening her dark eyes, Iris stared at the train before her.

Kai was already pretty far ahead upon the roof of the bus and she had no doubt the others were doing just as well inside. But Iris had her powers on her side. 

Being able to teleport onto something moving was incredibly difficult, so she had to focus. 

She spotted a point far ahead and pictured it clear in her mind. Her powers surged beneath her skin and she could feel it flow through her veins as easily as the blood did in her body. It radiated a soft tingle throughout which warmed her to her core as she allowed it to take control of her entire form. 

Then, after another deep, calming breath, Iris Wu vanished in a puff of yellow mist.

But then she reappeared right where she had pictured. And much further along the bus than Kai was.

The boys may have rushed into this in a desperate attempt to reach the end of the bus first. But had they not heard the fable of the tortoise and the hare? 

Sometimes slow and steady truly did win the race. 

Yet she didn't have much time to celebrate her achievement because more Serpentine appeared on the roof and advanced towards her. Kai was dealing with snakes of his own behind her and she had no doubt that the others were too within the different carriages of the long scaly bus. She had to do this herself.

Iris took a deep breath. 

Then she prepared to strike.

A Venomari swung in her direction but Iris ducked and kicked at it's legs. It stumbled and then toppled over the side of the bus. One wrong movement and she too would be on the ground beneath them. 

Using the momentary distraction, Iris reached back and unsheathed her katana to brandish it before her. A smirk formed on her lips as she sized up the three Serpentine charging at her. This was going to be easy.

"Come and get me." She goaded.

They came fast and strong. But Iris Wu was faster and stronger. She swung her katana with wide strokes, hitting the snakes to the roof of the bus if not to the road beneath them. Removing one hand from her katana, Iris formed an orb of cosmic energy in her palm and flung it towards even more Serpentine coming her way.

And it sent them flying.

The metal beneath her feet was smooth and hard to get a sturdy foothold on, but she had no other choice. She could feel her blood racing inside her veins and her breathing quickening as she fought. Sweat beaded from her forehead and was absorbed by the mask on her face. But Iris couldn't shake the feeling that the real fight had yet to come.

She vanquished every Serpentine foe that crossed her path, sending them down to the road below. Determination fuelled her as she set her sights at the carriage ahead. Pythor and the Fangblades were in there. So she had to reach them before this bus made it to Ouroboros. Because they still had a chance to stop this whole thing.