Oscillate

Oscillate: (verb) to vary between opposing beliefs, feelings, or theories

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A rumble shook the ground as an endless sea of clouds passed over desolate skyscrapers. People had long since abandoned the upper floors of the structures after the first major earthquake. The catastrophe had taken hundreds of lives. Norrisville had never recovered.

Thunder filled the ears of the ones hidden underground. A storm was fast approaching, a daily occurrence in their lives. Fear and sadness clogged the air of the basements, threatening to consume the entire city in a flood of despair. Children cried and people screamed as the Sorcerer ruled over the land. Not a corner of the world went untouched by chaos. Yet people still held fast to a blind hope: the return of their idolized Ninja.

He wasn't coming back.

After four years of darkness, you think they would have learned. But humans will be humans, fickle and ignorant as always. They betray and steal and kill...but they are kind and self-sacrificing and guilty. They feel so much guilt.

Perhaps that is what led Hannibal McFist to the underground chamber.

The area used to be the Sorcerer's prison, now outfitted with a large staircase so one could easily enter and exit. It was his "up yours" gesture to the Norisu 9 and the current Ninja. He escaped five years ago after the Ninja was gone for a week. Nobody knew where he was as monsters demolished the high school. The Sorcerer's magic spread to the rest of the city by day three. Half of the city was razed in less than two days.

On day seven, the Ninja made his return. As the red smoke dissipated into nothing, the people's hope was restored. Monster after monster turned back into normal people, but the Sorcerer had already spread his chaos. He'd gained enough power to break free.

In retrospect, the battle was short. The Sorcerer was confident. The Ninja was weakened. Nobody knows what happened during the week of absence, but whatever it was left the Ninja disadvantaged. Whatever it was allowed the Sorcerer to win.

McFist reflexively grabbed the single banister for the stairs. A pebble fell into the abyss below. He gulped nervously and continued his descent with shaky legs. How did the Sorcerer manage to walk up and down these stairs every day?

His eyes lingered on the figure shackled to the plateau. With a deep breath, he carried on. No matter how hard he tried, McFist couldn't keep his thoughts from wandering.

That day, the Ninja had literally been beaten down. He let his guard down for a second and the Sorcerer used it to his full extent. By the time the fight was over, the Ninja was bleeding from various gashes and out cold. Thus began the age of the Sorcerer.

Neither McFist nor Viceroy had realized how young the Ninja would be. When the mask came off, both were surprised to see a teenage boy with dark purple hair lying on the examination table. The Sorcerer was angered and immediately knew what had been done. He cursed the last of the Norisu 9 for his ignorance and ordered the two men to leave the room. McFist could still hear the screams of pain in his ears.

The Sorcerer turned the McFist Industries building into his headquarters. Green energy perpetually surrounded the pyramid-like structure as chaos continued to invade mankind. Nearly a year after the takeover, some RoboApes brought a large boy to the Sorcerer. He was the same age as the Ninja, just a teenager starting high school. McFist didn't watch as the Sorcerer interrogated the kid. According to Viceroy's security cameras, the Ninja was brought into the room and tortured before his friend's eyes. To their credit, both refused to answer the Sorcerer's questions. It didn't end well to say the least.

The teenagers were still alive. The Ninja was shackled, trapped underneath Norrisville and separated from the world he tried to protect. His friend was sent across the planet. Nobody really knows what happened to him.

Clenching his eyes shut, McFist stopped his descent. He couldn't help it now, he felt guilty and responsible for everything. No, he didn't actually bring about the Ninja's demise but he let this happen. He let an innocent teen, a freaking kid, be tortured without lifting a finger in defense. This was a feeling beyond guilt, it was shame.

He remembered that another year had passed before the next event happened. The Ninja was confronted by the Sorcerer again, still for the same reason. The Sorcerer was trying to find something called the NinjaNomicon. The boy's eyes widened at the title, sputtering excuses and questions as to how his enemy managed the discovery. It earned him a slap across the face, further irritating his bruises. The kid was threatened with death. If he refused to share the location of the book, he would be ruthlessly murdered before everyone in Norrisville. It did nothing to break his spirit. Through chapped lips, he spat at his captor. The meeting ended with a broken arm. However, it seemed as though the child had won their match. Whatever he was trying to protect was still safe.

It would never last.

The book was discovered two months ago. It hissed and glowed as strips of cloth emerged from its back covers. The thing was trying to get its Ninja back. It tried to fight the Sorcerer with the magic it possessed. Like its master, the Nomicon was defeated in a split second of hesitation.

The teenager was taunted with the fallen book. The Sorcerer showed it to him, ripped out pages one by one. The boy screamed as the Nomicon was defiled. McFist thought he heard the book screaming too. In the end, the Sorcerer didn't destroy the entire thing. Ancient pages fluttered to the ground as he threw the Nomicon in front of the Ninja. Black ink mixed with red blood. The sight angered the kid and he lashed out through his bindings. The shackles were loose, allowing him to punch and kick. Without the suit, the attacks were uncoordinated. He managed to give the Sorcerer a black eye. His blood soon outweighed the book's ink.

After the ordeal, the Sorcerer handed the mask and the book to McFist. "Destroy them," he ordered. "I no longer wish to keep them as trophies. The Tengu calls out for another apprentice. The NinjaNomicon will eventually gain enough power to fight once again. I will not take any chances. You are loyal to me. You are the only one I can trust. Now, destroy them." He walked away without another word.

He was going to do it. There was an incinerator in the basements of the facility. It was so easy. The stupid book changed his mind. Just as he was about to toss both into the fire, the book started glowing and shaking. For a brief moment, McFist felt its pain. He understood everything that it stood for and how desperate it was to save the one person it loved as family. Every memory and experience with boy came rushing into his brain, everything from pride to frustration. Now, the ancient entity was asking for help. It showed him memories of a world previously enslaved by the Sorcerer. The darkness had lasted hundreds of years. People died. Children cried.

Horrible images of carnage and chaos flashed through his eyes. Beasts feasted on human corpses, lightening illuminated the sky in violent bursts and the fires spread faster than the plagues. It all narrowed down into one question: was it worth it?

In a fluid mental motion, the book released its hold on McFist. The seed was planted. It was time to wait.

McFist was beyond angered with the artifact. He threw it against the wall, yelled and spat that he would throw it in the incinerator. Slapping the mask on top of it, he locked both in the room. Maybe being close to the inferno would psychologically torture the text.

Great, now he was treating the damn thing like a person.

The question had resonated in his mind for a month now. Was it really worth it? Did he really want this? He watched the Earth's destruction with a blind eye. He turned away when the Ninja was beaten beyond recognition. He was a coward.

Perhaps that was why he found himself before the Ninja. Today, exactly forty days after the incident, he made his decision. Looking down at the silent figure, he took in the boy's appearance.

The Ninja wore the bronze shackles that once held his enemy. The chains were pulled taut, forcing him into a kneeling position. With how long his legs were, it couldn't be comfortable. His arms had been wrenched to the sides by his bindings. Dark purple hair obscured his face from view as his head was towards the ground.

His blood had stained the bedrock a dirty brown color mixed with maroon. The Sorcerer hadn't come by today much to McFist's relief. No fresh blood had been spilled recently, but the kid was a long way away from being healthy.

When he arrived, the teen was already a life-size stick figure. Now his clothes were nearly two sizes too big, a worrying feat considering he was a small to begin with.

McFist fidgeted a bit. What would he say to the child? I'm sorry, I was wrong to unleash your greatest enemy on the world? I'm sorry I sat on my ass as you were tortured for four years? I'm sorry your friend and book got dragged into this?

I'm sorry I know your identity?

"Why are you here?" The voice made McFist jump. This kid wasn't supposed to start talking first! When the initial shock wore off, realization set in. It was strange to hear such a hopeless sound come from a young voice. "If the Sorcerer sent you here to do his dirty work, just get it over with. Don't worry; it's nothing I can't handle."

"I'm not here…for that." It was hard to get the words out of his mouth. He was sickened at himself and the Sorcerer. The Sorcerer for his merciless treatment to the kid and himself for letting it happen.

"I guess that makes this a social visit." Lifting his head, McFist could see a ghost of a smile make its way onto the teen's face. "I haven't seen you for who knows how long. All I get to see is that wonk Sorcerer." His blue eyes were devoid of loathing. No, there was only thankfulness.

"Why aren't you mad at me?" McFist asked. "Everyone else is. I used to be looked at with adoration and praise. Now, the people of Norrisville send insults and blame my way. It's never bothered me until now. But I can see it, the hatred and anger. They all hate me now because I helped the Sorcerer do this! I let the Sorcerer defeat you! You of all people should be shunning me, cursing me, yelling at me for all I care! Why do I get the sense that…you forgive me?" To his surprise, the boy laughed. It wasn't a real laugh, but one to take away the pain. He was laughing just to have something to laugh at.

"To tell you the truth, I was mad at first. I was always thinking about how wonk you were and how everything ended up the way it did. But then the Nomicon did some kind of long distance communication with me and helped me. I know now that nothing could have prevented this and that you aren't the one at fault. If there's anyone to blame, it's the Sorcerer." The teen met McFist's gaze. "In order to help me, you've got to stop blaming yourself now."

"But…I helped the Sorcerer," he said weakly. The Ninja shook his head.

"You didn't help the Sorcerer escape. Remember the week I was gone? Well, it was late at night near the end of December. I remember 'cause it was right after Christmas. There was this monster loose, some student the Sorcerer stanked, and I went to fight it. I was knocked through some ice and into a lake. It was freezing! The kid went back to normal, but I got sick. For that week, I had pneumonia." He gave another dry laugh. "You see how it works? I mean, you could've helped me get out of here sooner, but it wasn't your fault that I wound up here. That's all I'm trying to get you to see." How was he smiling?

"I…I'm sorry." It was all he could muster, the only thing he could say that could possibly make this situation better. The kid shook his head.

"You don't get it, do you?" he asked with a crooked smile. McFist raised an eyebrow.

"Why can't you hate me?" That was the one question he wanted an answer for. It made no sense! Sure, he didn't actually put the boy in here but there had to be some form of loathing in those sorrowful blue eyes. All he received was another smile.

"There was nothing to hate." The simple reply hung in the air, permeating through the limited space between the two. Still sensing the confusion, he continued, "I knew a long time ago that you weren't completely evil. You have a wife and she loves you no matter what you do. She's still around, so you had to do something right in the compassion department.
"You didn't realize that you had so many chances to kill me, so many opportunities that you didn't take. Remember that time when you kidnapped my friend Howard because you thought he knew who the ninja was? After the mind reader failed, you just let him go. Viceroy probably knew I was there and you guys could have easily threatened Howard in order to learn my identity, but you didn't. You could have knocked me out, captured me, poisoned me…the list goes on. But you didn't do any of those things and do you know why? Do you understand now?" The teenager coughed, turning his head to the right and spitting off the edge of the plateau. Out of the corner of his eye, McFist noticed it was red. "Sorry, I haven't talked this much in who knows how long."

"You shouldn't be the one apologizing," McFist said.

"Do you hear yourself?" The kid's smile was wide, his eyes alight with hope. "It's in your voice. McFist, just realize what it is. What are you feeling right now?" He knew the answer.

"I…" he hesitated, but the boy's childlike optimism pushed him onwards. Heaving in a deep breath, he whispered, "I feel guilty." The face before him looked young again.

"Now that's what I'm talking about!" he exclaimed, ignoring the abuse he was putting his already damaged vocal chords through. If he could, he would have jumped for joy with one fist high in the air. "I honkin' knew it! You see now? That's why I forgive you, that's why I don't blame you for anything that happened and it's why you have a family to return to. You are a human and as a human, you have emotions. Look, you were a philanthropist for Norrisville. Without you, the city wouldn't exist. If you really were pure evil, you would have let us starve and die. You see now? We're human and we make mistakes…and that's why you have nothing to apologize for." He looked pensive for a second and then said, "Ok, maybe letting the Sorcerer beat me senseless for years was insensitive…"

"Then I apologize for that," McFist said quickly. The kid flicked his hand slightly in a dismissive gesture.

"Ok, you're forgiven…that is, if you help me escape and defeat the Sorcerer." A mischievous smirk played on his features, his true age finally revealing itself. McFist returned the playful gesture with his own conniving glance.

"Of course," he said. Shrugging, he added, "Besides, I never got my reward anyways." The teen raised an eyebrow.

"The Sorcerer promised you a reward?" he asked. Staring at the ground, he thought about this new piece of information. "Makes sense," he replied with a shrug. "The Sorcerer never keeps his promises. Besides, I'd probably go for the same thing if I wasn't chosen to be the Ninja. Infinite power is a good bargaining chip." He locked his eyes on McFist again. "By the way, why'd you come here today out of all days?" The man reached into the pocket of his suit. Mumbling to himself, he produced a battered and torn book from it.

"This…" he waved his hand in the air trying to find the word, "whatever it is sent me visions and memories. I don't know how it works, it's just weird." Blue eyes widened.

"The Nomicon," he whispered before breaking out into a relieved laugh. "How…what…why do you have this? I thought the Sorcerer destroyed it!"

"He ordered me to…along with this," he pulled out a mass of woven Tengu feathers, "but the book stopped me."

"Oh my cheese…you said it would happen!" the boy exclaimed happily. "You are so honkin' bruce Nomicon!" McFist was confused, his expression asking for an explanation. "The Nomicon told me about a 'Life of Fours' a week after I was captured. It told me patience was the key to success or something and predicted that I would be released on the first day of the fourth year. The Sorcerer found out about it somehow and I guess that's why he wanted to know where the Nomicon was. I think this has happened before." In response, the book glowed a soft red. For a fraction of a second, McFist thought he felt gratitude flood through him, but he ignored the sensation. Back to the task at hand: freeing the Ninja.

"So how do these work?" he asked, pointing to a shackle.

"They're magic," the boy replied, "but they were made by the original Ninja. The Nomicon said something about this…try putting the mask on me. Maybe it'll recognize the suit."

Placing the torn mask over the teen, McFist could only hope for the best. The red detailing of the cloth glowed as the suit encompassed its master in a securing manner. Strips of soft fabric spread over the boy's body, cocooning it from his injuries. The sound of metal hitting the floor informed the two of their success. Yet when the boy tried to stand, he nearly toppled over. McFist quickly caught him and noticed his labored breathing.

"I'm ok…" he assured his savior. Steadying himself with both hands, he managed to stand on wobbly legs.

"I just have one more question," McFist admitted, scratching the back of his head nervously.

"Yeah?" the Ninja asked in return.

"I…I know your identity," he started. The Ninja snorted a bit because, after all, who didn't? The Sorcerer broadcasted who the masked hero was as soon as he conquered Norrisville. "So…what should I call you?" His eyes smiled. Extending his black and red clad hand to shake, he answered.

"You can call me Randy Cunningham. It's a pleasure to work with you McFist."