ᵐᵒⁿˢᵗʳᵒᵘˢ ▸ 𝐑𝐀𝐘 𝐏𝐀𝐋𝐌𝐄𝐑² ✓

eight.

[•]

Once the sun rose again, they set out in looking for Nate in the villages that were near when they crash landed. And it seemed like Ray knew exactly where Nate would be, opening the door of a house Nate was causally leaning in to a woman before positioning himself when he saw Ray.

"Nate, you're alive."

"Oh, hey, guys! You found me."

"Bad timing?" Crystal asked as she lugged her kimono along

"Nope." Nate groaned as he got up pressing his hand to his side. "Nope. Masako, these are, uh, my friends I was telling you about."

The woman bowed down greeting all of them, "Hajimemashite. Can I get you something to drink?"

"Sake, lots of it." Mick uttered

"What he meant to say is thanks for your hospitality, but we must be going." Amaya apologized with Mick giving her a stare.

"No, I didn't."

"Amaya's right. Nate, let's go." Sara said with Nate looking back and forth between them and the woman.

"I can't." Nate said before going outside to explain his reasons, surely not to alert his new girlfriend of the history that would proceed.

"We can't leave. Masako's supposed to marry the Shogun Tokugawa lemitsu."

"Yeah, met him. Not a fan." Sara rolled her eyes

"Well, the reason he sticks out in the history books is because he likes to murder his wives, and I can't leave Masako to his mercy." Nate argued.

"Especially since he stole my ATOM suit." Ray leaned against a pillar of the house.

"Exactly." Nate agreed before realizing what Ray had said. "Wait, what? You let the Shogun steal a 21st century super-suit?"

"After I crash-landed trying to rescue you." Ray explained

"How does the Shogun even know how to operate your ATOM suit?" Crystal asked, seeing that the shogun had a basic understanding of using technology from present day.

"I designed it so an idiot could use it." Ray blandly stated

"An idiot does." Mick said laying in a stack of hay, his eyes closed still listening to the rest of the conversation.

"Guys, bottom line is, if the Shogun has the ATOM suit, it's not just Masako and the village we have to protect. He can use it to conquer the whole region."

"You said the Shogun's coming for your new girlfriend. Easier to defend a village than to attack a castle." Sara pointed out the tactics, less men to deal with and a greater chance at defeating the shogun.

"But anyone who tries to fight the Shogun will be cut down." Amaya pointed out.

"Except if that person is made of steel." Crystal looked at Nate, who made an unsure look at her recommendation.

"About that, I'm having a little problem accessing my powers."

"Sounds like you're having performance issues, and it looks like you're not done training him yet." Sara looked to Ray before turning to the rest. "Now the rest of us need to figure out how we can defend a village."