Red Torrent Returns Chapter 1

Red Torrent Returns

Early morning on a beach in Japan that was once the site of a major battle between one lone Samurai Trooper-a Warlord from the Empire of Doom and his evil armor double of the Samurai. The incoming tide uncovers pieces of an abandoned rusting armor that lost that battle.

An evil spirit that just refuses to die gathers above the armor. "Arise Red Torrent. Arise and do my bidding."

Slowly-very slowly the pieces of armor begins to move and come together. A rusting hulk of the former evil spirited armor that once very nearly defeated the Warrior of Torrent takes shape Now it is surely no longer even a match for the strongest of breezes in its current state as it finishes reforms looking up at the powerful spirit before it.

"Do as I command Red Torrent and I will make you more powerful than you ever were in your prime."

"More powerful than Torrent?"

"More power than all the Samurai Troopers put together. To gain this power you must defeat all of the Samurai that have plagued me so and interfered in my plans."

"I will do as you bid to gain the power to settle the score with Torrent."

"Let not your hatred of the warrior who defeated cloud your mind. I want them all destroyed. Do not let your desire for revenge be your downfall." The spirit focus its power on the rusting hulk of armor.

In a blinding flash of light it is no longer just an evil spirit inhabiting an armor that looks as new as the day it was forged from the warlord's venom-thanks to the spirits magics Red Torrent now looks human-a double of warrior of torrent.

"You may find your new form useful in drawing out most of the samurai and striking them down before they even realize you are not the warrior torrent they all know and trust. Remember your vow Red Torrent. Go now and show the warriors that I am still a force a to be reckoned with."

-1-

Shin stands in the open doorway of the shed watching his daughter grab a surf board. "And just where do you think you're going?"

"Surfing"

"You don't think its a little too soon?"

Rachel turns to face her papa. "You promised."

Shin thinks that its been just over a year since the surfing accident that almost killed the little girl. A few months ago she could barely even move on her own. "I really don't think its a good idea this soon."

"Please."

"Maybe later-when the tide isn't coming in."

"But I don't want to wait that long-all the best waves will be gone by then."

"Rachel-"

"-I'll be careful papa."

Shin looks down at his daughter who gazes up at him with big blue-green eyes that mirror his own. The fear after pulling her from the water and the countless hours spent at the hospital waiting-wondering if she would ever wake up weighs heavily on him.

"You promised I could go surfing when we came home, papa."

"I didn't mean the exact moment we got back."

Rachel looks over at her dad's board changing tactics. "You could come too. You haven't been surfing in ages."

Shin glances over at the board-his head says no-but his heart tells him the moment he turns his back she will be out in the water no matter what he says and giving her the chance to sneak off alone isn't something he is about to do. "You know we are both going to be in hot water if your nana finds out about this."

Rachel squeals with delight before hugging her papa on the way out of the shed. "Race you!"

"Wait...I'm not finished yet."

Sighing Rachel stops just outside the doorway pouting.

"We will go out for a little while and then we come back in and that's it for the day. You need to ease back into it after all you've been through."

"Okay, I'll take it easy. Can we go now?" Rachel starts to turn away but stops as her dad speaks again.

"And-no more sneaking out of the house at night to surf. I don't want you alone out there."

"You knew about that?"

Shin nods as he looks down at Rachel. They have yet after all this time to deal with the issue that lead to her accident. "One more thing. I want you to promise me that when school starts again you won't skip it to go surfing anymore either."

"But its so boring! I already know everything the teachers go over."

"Why didn't you tell me that before now?"

"I always passed tests no matter how much I skipped-it wasn't like I was failing."

"We will talk to the school about all of that when summer is over. Now do you want to go surfing or not?"

"Okay-I promise...but just remember you made me if teachers start calling you telling you that I keep falling asleep in class."

"As long as you're there in class to fall asleep."

"Are you done now?"

"Okay lets go."

"Yay!"

Shin watches for a moment as Rachel runs down the beach before picking up his own surf board. "Just like her mama." He hurries outside to catch up with her before she gets too far ahead.

-1-

Red Torrent well remembers what he promised the evil spirit but right now he only has one thing on his mind. He walks into the ocean leaving a trail of venom in his wake as he seeks out the Warrior of Torrent.