Note: Was Sensei serious when he sent them on a marathon run at the end of the day with no food, water, or rest?! Someone get that guinea pig a hamster wheel with an odometer, and let's see how long it takes him to run ten miles.

The holographic entrance flashed behind him, and the gust of wind abated the moment it closed. The difference in air pressure always made the transition somewhat ruffling, but this time he paid no attention as he stepped off of the water onto the shore. He was so preoccupied that he barely noticed the three skulking under the trees, but that didn't keep them from noticing him.

"Oh, man," Dustin groaned. "Busted!"

Cam looked up in surprise, only then realizing that the Wind Rangers were lounging in a decidedly non-preparatory way. They weren't getting ready to run; they were settling in to relax by the lake. And Dustin thought he had been sent to check on them.

Shane, on the other hand, got it immediately. "Man," he sympathized, squinting up at Cam. "You too?"

"Me too," Cam said with a sigh. "Apparently not being part of the team isn't enough to exempt me from my father's discipline."

"Dude, you're part of the team!" Dustin exclaimed. "You make things, and you fix... stuff."

Cam rolled his eyes, stuffing his hands in his pockets. "Gee, thanks Dustin."

"Plus you know how to get it done," Shane put in. "You're a pretty awesome ninja, man."

Cam just shook his head. "Not if my father has anything to say about it," he muttered. It all came down to fighting for them. Sure, they thought computers were great--when it meant there were more weapons available. Now, suddenly, Shane was impressed because he could throw a punch.

"Your father doesn't think you can fight?" Tori asked, her knees drawn up to her chest as she leaned back against a tree trunk.

"He can," Shane interrupted. "I saw him, and he's good."

Apparently that was all it took to get their respect. Not to mention their undivided attention. "My father doesn't think I should," he corrected wearily. The energy that had propelled him out of Ninja Ops was gone, fading in the face of their casual unity. He would never be a part of this group.

"Maybe that's because your computer skills are more valuable than all of us put together," Tori suggested, shading her eyes as she looked up at him. "You program the machinery, Cam. We just operate it."

He stared at her in surprise, shifting his gaze to Shane when the Red Ranger chimed in, "Yeah, man, you could take my place any day. But I could never do what you do."

Cam shrugged uncomfortably, not sure what to say to that. "Yeah, well..." He paused, eyeing them. "Are you guys going to run, or what?"

That evoked another round of complaints, the loudest of them being Dustin's. "Dude, do you know how cold it is out here?"

"Running will warm you up," Cam informed him. Part of the team or no, his father's promise of training was still fresh in his mind and he didn't really want to jeopardize that.

"We were fighting all day!" Shane was glaring balefully up at him. None of the three made any move to get up. "You know; you were there! You really feel like putting in ten miles on top of all that?"

He hesitated, trying not to think about the ache in his shoulders and the bruises that had already formed on his arms. He hadn't gone up against a real opponent since Lothor attacked the ninja school months ago. Most of his free time had been spent in front of the computer, lately.

"Come on," Tori coaxed, patting the ground on the other side of her tree. "We all deserve a break after today. Sit down and help me make Dustin feel guilty about stealing your camera."

"Hey!" Dustin exclaimed. "I didn't steal it! We were just borrowing it, okay?"

"I'm going to start putting library tags on all of my things," Cam grumbled, lowering himself to the ground beside Tori. "Next time you want to 'borrow' something, you can check it out first."

Dustin actually brightened. "Really?"

Cam rolled his eyes, trying to ignore the flush of warmth when he heard Tori giggle. "No, Dustin. Not really."