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Chapter Text

Garmadon had just disappeared, and the ninja were on the hunt for him again. They had each decided to go in a different direction to divide the city into four chunks, and scour their streets and alleyways thoroughly. Zane found himself in the outskirts of town, the apartment complexes tall and crowded in.

He was humming a pop song he had heard on the radio earlier, until he heard the tumbling crash of a trash can come from his right. Quickly dodging to hide around the corner, Zane slowly peeked his head down the alley, his hands going for his shuriken's before he realized they were taken by Garmadon. He decided to clench his fists and began looking around for anything that would help him in a battle before he heard the sporadic thumping of the trashcan against the walls making the alley way. Zane moved to the opening of it, prepped to evade or fight but quickly dropped his stance at what he saw.

There was another nindroid, as Zane had been recently dubbed, who was trying to fish something out of the large trash can. The nindroid was swinging it around angrily, before casting it away and finally took notice of Zane as the trash can flew right by him. Dropping down the nindroid got into a fight stance and Zane put his hands up.

"Hey, it's okay, I'm not here to harm you I'm here to find Garmadon, and unless there was something more technically about him that I didn't pick up, you're not him" Zane tried joking, taking a few careful steps towards the nindroid. The person in question was in bad shape, their body was torn open at places, its circuitry sparking in the open air. The metal of its endo-skeleton was also dented and scuffed in large spots across its torso and arms. Its legs seemed to be self patched, its metal splotchy and welded in uneven amounts. Its gears creaked as it backed up, slowly. It cocked its head to the side. And that's when Zane realized its head was in the shape of a helmet. The visor that would normally protect the eyes had a glitching pair of eyes, obscured by a large crack that ran diagonal from left to right across the middle of its visor.

"First master you're," Zane reached out, unable to continue his sentence. "Let me help you okay? I'm just like you." The other backed away at the hand, getting defensive before it watched Zane untie his gi and lift up his shirt, before opening his chest panel. The damaged nindroid slowly approached Zane, moving slow and careful before finally taking his hand.

"I'm Zane, who are you?" He got no response as he began to walk back down the alley from where he came, lightly pulling his new friend along. "Is your voice box damaged?" the other nindroid shook his head. "You," Zane thought for a moment", just don't like speaking?"

There was a pause before the other shrugged and nodded. Another beat passed before he tapped a single beat on Zanes hand. Zane looked at him questioningly, and he just tapped another beat, before tapping out a series of beats.

"-- -.-- / -. .- -- . / .. ... / ."

"Your name is E? That's," a pause. "Unique, I think it fits you. Come now, i have a friend who-" he was cut off by a sobbing shriek from a few blocks down. E locked up momentarily before being yanked forward, Zane quickly locating where the sound of distress was coming from. Zane looked back at E, and saw how harshly he was stumbling, so with a quick yank Zane pulled him up and began to run again, E carried bridal style in his arms.

They rounded a corner and saw a small boy curled up in a ball, shaking. Rubble and dust covered him as he sobbed, almost silently. Zane set E down gently putting a palm up in a 'Wait here' sign, before slowly approaching the boy. He got to his knees in front of him, and hummed gently, a soft noise to let him know he was there.

"Hello, im Zane, who are you?" he gently called. The boy went rigid, his sobs stopping with a sharp intake before he slowly looked up. His golden yellow eyes were wide in fear and confusion, darting around wildly before settling on the pristinely white ninja in front of him. His lips were tightly shut as new tears threatened to fall over.

"My parents..." his voice wavered "they're gone. The," he sniffled "the building fell on them, they're- they're-!"he sobbed again lurching forward to grip onto Zane, who wrapped his arms around the boy comfortingly. They stayed like that for a few minutes, Zane just letting him sob it out.

"What's your name?" Zane tried again, gently prodding to see if he would open up.

"Harumi" Zane's brows furrowed, scanning over him again. He was a younger boy, thirteen at the most, eleven at the least. His hair ran down to his mid back, straw straight excluding the clumps of tangled hair and the dust coating the top layer.

"Harumi?" He nodded, Zane opened his mouth to ask another question but he cut him off.

"I'm my parents- I was my parents' daughter." Harumi stuttered over the time change, and then got quieter as she finished the sentence.

"Well I know you are the best daughter ever. I have another friend here, his name is E, He's hurt right now, and so are you. Let me help you, i have a few friends who know how to patch you up, okay?" He raised his voice, addressing both of them, and E slowly made his way over to Harumi and Zane. Harumi jolted at the sight of E and glanced nervously between the two of them. Zane opened his arms and Harumi hesitated for a moment before letting him embrace her, easily picking her up and shifting her over to one arm. He stuck out his other hand, and E took it gently, the three of them walking off back towards the bounty.

"ZANE WE WERE LITERALLY TRYING TO FIND THE DARK DESTRUCTOR LORD GARMADON NOT BRING HOME A CHILD AND ANOTHER NINDROID!" The others had been yelling about the two new additions to the team ever since Zane made it clear he wasn't just going to patch them up and send them away. Now it was mainly Kai, after Jay had accidentally brought up the subject of Harumi's parents and earned a sobbing girl and a very angry looking white ninja, most of them had just accepted that they were there for the time being and left it there.

Kai was a bit more skeptical, and was ranting about how this was technically kidnapping. Zane had begun to tune him out, in favor of trying to patch up E to the best of his abilities. They concluded that the visor would either have to be melted shut or replaced all together. And after another quick inspection they concluded nothing too bad happened internally, other than a few tangled wires. E was very adamant about the visor not being fully taken off in front of the others, so Zane let it be for the moment.

A quick search brought up Harumi's current information.

'Harumi Terseseat, Aged 9 years, Parents: Deceased'

Zane quickly closed it down. He knew he couldn't keep her there legally, it would be a mess if the public found out one of the ninja technically kidnapped a poor defenseless girl after witnessing her parents die. He cringed internally, sadness overcoming him. He's gotten pretty attached to the two and it's been around a week. He can tell the others have been warming up to them too. He sat there, tinkering around with E's scuffed endoskeleton, smoothing out the bumps and getting him ready for another round of welding when an idea popped into his head. He got up quickly, pulling out his Laptop and quickly pulling up forms and certificates.

"You WHAT" Zane had called a family meeting, before telling everyone what he did, before he could get another word out Kai had shouted that and Zane blinked in his direction.

"I have decided to adopt Harumi. She has no other family, and I would feel guilty just giving her up to the system at this point. We have all gotten somewhat attached to her anyways. I have submitted the forms and a person will be out soon to investigate the Bounty so I suggest we all-"

"I suggest you think this through Zane! We're ninjas! Not babysitters!"

"It's a good thing that technically I wouldn't be a babysitter, I would be Harumi's father"

"I don't see what's so wrong about putting her into the system! They care for the kids there-"

"I do not want to put her through the system-"

"But why Zane! what do you have against-" he was cut off by Zane slamming his fists down onto the table, a light covering of frost covering the face of it.

"Kai. i refuse to have Harumi go through even a portion of what the system put me through. You never had to deal with the center, so you do not get a say in this. If the inspector deems me capable, i will be adopting Harumi and that is final." He turned to leave but froze in the doorway, casting a cold look at the others over his shoulder. "And if you sabotage this meeting, I'm taking Harumi and leaving the team." The thought terrified the team. But a part of them knew it was a bluff, but what was terrifying was the amount of determination Zane said it with. They knew deep-down it wasn't actually a bluff. Casting uneasy looks to the others they all got up and turned to Lloyd who cleared his throat.

"We should get cleaning. This may be riding on how we act also." a unanimous nod followed the statement as each of them left to go clean up.

Chapter Text

 "Mr.," the lady hesitated. "Mr. Zane?" Zane stepped forward with a smile. The lady had a black pencil skirt with a light blue blouse on, her dark brown hair was braided and twirled into a bun. She had a pair of wide rimmed glasses that a pair of bright hazel eyes peered out of. She smiled back at Zane, sticking her hand out. Zane took her hand and shook it.

"Ah, yes, just Zane is fine. However, I know this may be," he glanced at the parked Bounty, then down at himself. He had thrown on a sweater over his undershirt, but was still wearing his gi pants, and the shine of the dragon skin armor over the vest just summarized his outfit in one chaotic battle ready dad-fit. He cleared his throat, suddenly feeling a tad bit self conscious ",a bit, unorthodox, but i assure you, I have been trying my hardest to keep everyone in shape and keep the environment as safe as possible for Harumi." he said, as he began to walk to the Bounty.

"It is more than okay, no matter the type of house we value more of the people and how safe the living condition is. Ah, pardon me, I am Sadie Williams, but you can just call me Sadie" She said as they approached the Bounty's side. Zane hit a button and a door in the hull opened, and he stepped through, offering a steadying hand to Sadie as she did the same. Zane rambled about the Bounty and what it had before they went up on the deck, greeted by the sight of the other ninja training. E and Harumi sat off to the side, watching quietly. Harumi had two toy figures sat on her lap, and E had found a leather jacket he was beginning to add in patches and painted things onto it to make it customized. Harumi was wearing a simple white dress that looked to be hand sewn. She still had some scratches and E's visor was still cracked, the others not knowing how to weld it back up, and E still being adamant on the helmet not leaving his head.

The other ninja were training to try and control their elemental powers, a few bolts of lightning and streaks of fire burst sporadically around. Sadie looked a little uneasy at the display and Zane put a hand on her shoulder.

"As Ninjagos protectors we make sure to try and keep everyone safe, even if they're here for training." The sentence was followed by Jay getting punted by Cole, so Zane continued "At Least if they're not our training buddies which I assure you Harumi will not be." Sadie looked a little less unnerved but still wrote a few things down on the clipboard she had brought with her. Pacing over to where the nindroid and girl sat, Sadie took a seat right by them.

Harumi barely glanced at her as she started speaking "Hey there Harumi! Im Sadie, is it okay if i ask a few questions?" Harumi looked at E as he displayed a message.

"... .... . / .. ... /----/ .- -.. --- .--. - .. --- -. / .. -. ...- . ... - .. --. .- - .. --- -." Part of the message was warped and obscured by the crack in his screen, and Harumi stared at it questioningly before Zane piped up.

"She's here to ask you some questions for the adoption, no biggie, just answer honestly okay?" Zane said comfortingly, taking a seat next to E. Harumi nodded and turned back to Sadie as she glanced at the clipboard and began to ask general questions about the house, and the people in it. Harumi gave short answers, some of them curt. Sadie continued on as necessary, before Harumi ceased to answer any question.

"Harumi? Hey hun, it's okay, I just need to know about your friend," she gestured to E "a little more, this is the last question I promise." She sat there patiently but Harumi just leaned closer to E and Zane. Sadie was confused for a moment looking to Zane and E, who both were having a silent conversation, until Zane looked at her and he quirked an eyebrow in question. "Harumi is refusing to answer this last question"

"Rumi? You okay hun?" Zane said softly, moving in front of her on his knees. She nodded then pointed to Sadie before putting a finger up to her lips in a shush motion. Zane nodded in understanding, "Do you need time to recoup or do you just not want to talk to her?" Harumi took a moment before holding up one finger. Zane nodded again. "Okay hun, you can go to your room or play with your dolls out here" Harumi smiled gratefully before hugging Zane and picking up her action figures and running off to her room. Sadie sat confused.

"What happened?"

"She can get socially burnt out by new people fairly easily, when that happens she goes non-verbal as a way to stay in a social situation without burning herself out. Letting her have solitude time normally helps her rebound much faster than forcing her to speak and be out here when she doesn't want to."

"And what about," Sadie paused "them?" She gestured with one had to E, who had stood and offered a hand out to Zane.

Zane stood and said "This is E, he just doesn't like talking in general. He speaks through morse code and charades" E hit him in the shoulder playfully. And Zane laughed before helping Sadie stand. "We all try to be accommodating for everyone here." Sadie jotted down a few more notes before nodding.

"I do believe that concludes the questionnaire, I'll just need to do a general background check to make sure you don't have crimes and abuse reports from before, and then i will say its a high chance you'll be able to adopt her!" Sadie said with a smile, and Zane walked her out and bid her a farewell.

He followed the sound of fake explosions and plane noises. Stopping outside of Harumi's door he smiled as he listened to her play around with the dolls in her hands, she was pretending there was a big battle between the two. He noted with some somberness that the hero always swooped in to save the villain, even when they were trying their hardest to hurt them. Zane knocked gently on the door.

"Its me, Zane" He heard some shuffling around then silence. "Is it alright if i come in?" He waited patiently for an answer, and slowly the door slid open, Harumi looking up at him. "Still not in the mood to talk?" she shook her head. "That's okay sweetie, take your time, is it alright if i touch you?" He knelt down and opened his arms. Harumi stayed still for a moment before walking into his arms and wrapping her own around him. Zane gently closed his arms around Harumi and hummed gently. They stayed like that for a bit before E turned down the hall to see where Zane had disappeared off too. Harumi quickly pulled away, stepping behind Zane as he rose up to greet E.

"Hello E, fancy seeing you here" He said jokingly with a smile. E returned the joke by bowing slightly, bending at the waist and flourishing his hand outward before straightening up, his shoulders bouncing lightly in imitation of a laugh.

E and Zane had grown increasingly close over the week-span, due to them spending countless hours together, mainly fixing E. along the way Zane would ramble about things, and talk through what he was doing. Zane wasn't shy around E when it came to his nightly checks of his own internal systems. Both of them had a sort of rhythm with each other, bonding together, mainly over the fact that both of them were nindroids.

Harumi watched the exchange as both of them easily held the conversation. Zane was in the middle of talking about dinner when Harumi blew a raspberry. He looked down at her confused.

"What's that?"

"You're just like Mommy and Daddy" she said faking a gag before she pitched her voice up, "Oh honey, what would you like for dinner?" Her voice pitched down "Whatever makes you happy sweetheart, lets go kiss and make out" She made fake smooching noises, before Zane laughed and lightly touched her shoulder and waited for her to stick her arms up, picking her up, still laughing he shook his head.

"Sorry about that E, however, i do think a good chicken with alfredo and fettuccine would do wonderfully as a celebration!" He smiled again, "Wanna prepare dinner with me Rumi? I might make cookies and cake afterward, so you can be my designated taste-tester!" Harumi giggled excitedly bouncing in Zane's arms. Zane looked up, E was slightly stiff in the shoulders and his visor eyes were rapidly blinking. "You alright?" He cupped E's helmet gently and E nodded. A message displayed onto his screen.

"-.-. .- -. / .. / .--- --- .. -. ..--.."

"Of course you can!" Zane said with a broad smile, and Harumi bounced again.

"Family dinner making!" She cheered and Zane echoed what she said.

"Ill go get everything prepped, i suggest changing out of your all black attire, i have some clothes that could fit you, go get ready and meet us in the kitchen, alright?" E nodded and Zane carried Harumi off. E felt like he was stuck to the ground as he looked to where they turned the corner. He looked down at himself and held up his hands, slowly tracing his cracked visor before he looked up again.

"Family?"

Chapter Text

Zane hummed to the music that played, swaying around the kitchen as he made the noodles and sauce. Harumi was swaying in her seat off of the island. She was patting out the prepared noodle dough. E had a pizza slicer and was carefully cutting the noodles into strips where Zane would take them and put them into a pot. He slowly got more into the music as the song switched. A large smile crossed his face as the notes began to play.

“ Hello my baby, Hello my honey, Hello my ragtime gal, send me a kiss by wire, ” Zane sang out, grabbing E and sashaying with him, spinning him as the song continued. “ Baby my hearts on fire, if you refuse me, honey you'll lose me ” He sang as they got into an easy rhythm of dancing, “ Then you'll be left alone, oh baby, telephone, and tell me I'm your own '' He pulled E close to him, eyes closed as he sung. He hummed to the tune, as the female vocalist jumped in, swaying side to side. E took a chance and rested his chin on his shoulder, their chest bumping. As they slow-danced, E realized with a small jolt, Harumi was watching eyes narrowing at E. Zane began the chorus again, softer this time, as he continued to dance, oblivious to Harumi’s glare at E.

E was confused at this point, he didn't understand what he was feeling nor why Zane made him feel it. All he knew is that he wouldn't trade it for the world. E felt safe here with the Ninja, where his maker couldn't hurt him anymore.

Zane spun E around before twisting him into a dip, the song concluding. The two nindroids stayed there, Zane opening his eyes and looking into E’s led ones. A slow smile spread over Zanes face as he pulled E back up, chests bumping again. Zane went to say something but was interrupted by Harumi

“The pot!” Harumi said alarmed. Zane turned around to see the pot with the noodles boiling over, the water hitting the stove top with loud sizzles . Zane quickly rushed to it, picking up the spoon and stirring the pot as he turned down the heat. They returned to normal after that, the chain of food making once more restored. Harumi still glanced between the two, a plan blossoming in her head.

Dinner was a riveting success, with the other ninja consuming half of the food before Zane even had a chance to sit down. Harumi had two plates set infront of her with nearly identical portions on either. She slid one Zanes way as he sat down next to E. He smiled at her giving her a polite nod as a silent thank you. He looked over at E who had a plate in front of him, but no traces of food were left. Jay was speaking loudly, so quietly Zane leaned over to E.

“You okay?” E nodded hesitantly, so Zane gave him another moment, and then E gestured to his helmet. “You can't eat or do you have to take off your helmet to eat?” E held up two fingers and Zane nodded before reaching over and grabbing some noodles and plunking them onto E’s plate. E looked at him blinking questioningly. Zane stood from the table and offered his hand out to E who tentatively took it, still confused.

“E and I are going to eat in my room if that is okay with you all” Zane said over Jay’s rambles.

“Does that mean no cake?” Cole said looking wide eyed, and Zane laughed.

“No, I will return to take out dessert, I would just like a bit of solitude and E wants to make sure I will be alright.” Zane easily bluffed, and saw E visibly relax next to him. The other ninja gave words of affirmation. Zane asked Harumi if she would like to accompany them and she looked at E before denying. With that both E and Zane took their plates into Zanes shared room. Zane sat on his bed before eating, looking at E who still didn't touch his food.

“Do you not want me to see your face?” He asked, he said it softly, a probing question of boundaries. E looked down before shaking his head. Zane looked around for a minute before standing. “Not to worry friend, I have an idea.” Zane grabbed a few blankets before tucking them under the top bunk’s mattress. It created a curtain around Zanes part of the bunk beds, and Zane held it open. “Here you go, you can eat in here and even if someone walks in suddenly they won't see you! If you want I can either talk or we can eat in silence if you prefer.”

E got that weird, fluttering feeling in his chest again as he saw what Zane did for him. He got into the makeshift tent, sitting in the center of Zanes bed as he closed the curtains. E heard the clinking of silverware against the plate again, signifying Zane had started eating again. Slowly E pushed his helmet upwards, and took it off, shaking his head lightly trying to re-adjust to the loss of weight and put his helmet on the bed next to him. Slowly picking up the chopsticks he began to eat slowly. All of his reservations were thrown out the window as soon as he took his first bite of food. Hunger that he barely kept at bay surged forward and he found himself scarfing down the noodles, meat, and sauce. He heard a quiet laugh from outside his hut and paused.

“Sorry, i don't think I've ever heard someone eat my cooking that quickly, other than the time after i found the bounty that is.” Zane said “It's a compliment though, if you want i can get you another plate-” E nearly leapt out of the bed at the thought of more food, without hesitation he burst through the blankets to get more and was greeted by Zanes back.

“I knew you’d get excited, grab your helmet and you can go out and get more food as I get dessert,” Zane said, standing up. He didn't turn around or try to peak at E and the fluttering feeling overcame the sense of embarrassment and shock of forgetting his helmet. Even though E was covered by thick blankets, to the point his silhouette couldn't be seen, Zane still didn't take the chance and had sat with his back to the coverings. E took a breath, hand reaching to Zane. He didn't know what he was reaching for, to push Zane away or to give thanks to him. In his confusion he drew his hand back. Shaking his head lightly he turned and grabbed his helmet, fingers tracing over the large crack in the visor. To him it caused some visual distortion, making it hard to see out of his right eye, which was more than annoying at best. He put his helmet back on, and this time when he reached towards Zane he tapped out a simple message.

“ - .... .- -. -.- / -.-- --- ..-”

Chapter Text

When they arrived back at the table, there was food everywhere. Cole, Kai, and Harumi were all hiding behind a tipped over bench, as Jay, Nya, and Lloyd were behind another. There was still food being lobbed between the two teams and Zane shook his head.

“Guys! Guys! G- Kids- ” Zane said with a more scolding tone, voice over the giggles “ Kids stop c'mon-” he was cut off by a large splat of pasta and sauce against the side of his face.

“ZANE!” the others called.

The place went silent as Zane slowly turned to Jay

“I'm really disappointed in you Jay” Zane said, with a fatherly tone. His smile betrayed the statement and tone however as he caught the dropping food and lobbed it back at Jay.

“Oh it's on! ” Jay shouted and Zane laughed as he tugged E to hide with Harumi. Harumi was giggling as she lobbed food in a random direction. Zane threw pasta over the bench and heard it connect with Jay with a satisfying splat followed by a noise of disgust from Jay.

They continued with the food fight, until Sensei Wu returned and a large piece of chicken hit him in the face. He stood there with the sauce dripping down his face as the chicken hit the ground. A long sigh escaped him as everyone scattered, spinjitzu-ing out of the room or pulling others back into the kitchen. Harumi and E were pulled into the kitchen by Zane, all three were giggling and smiling

Zane got a rag and dampened it, wiping food off of Harumi’s face as she whined

“Daaad! I can do it myself!” Zane froze.

“What did you say?” Harumi looked at him with confused nervousness.

“I.. can do it myself?” Zane had tears in his eyes as his voice wavered out softly

“You.. called me dad. You called me dad!” Harumi went wide eyed, as Zane smiled and pulled Harumi into a hug, spinning her around laughing as his tears fell. Harumi hugged him back, smiling to herself.

E watched as the spectacle went on, he was about to go and leave to let them have their moment when a hand shot out and grabbed his arm, pulling him into the hug too. Zane crushed both of them together, joy written on all of his features as he waved both of them side to side. The joy was contagious and soon all three of them were hugging each other each expressing joy in their own way.

After all three of them collected themselves, Zane set out to clean up the food fight aftermath. Harumi and E stayed in the kitchen. E pulled out a chilled cake and some icing they had made earlier, pulling up a chair for Harumi, he set butter knifes down and left Harumi at it while he went to grab some of the dough that they had set aside, noting that someone had ate part of it with a spoon already.

E rolled it into balls and set them on a pan before putting them in the oven, looking at Harumi while she giggled. He cocked his head to the side in questioning.

“You didn't turn the oven on!” E looked back at the oven still confused, leaning over the stovetop he looked at the buttons and dials more closely. Harumi hopped down from her chair, chin having traces of purple icing and there was a smear of red icing on her forehead. “Here! I can turn it on and show you, did Zane say a number you had to turn it to?” E thought for a moment before holding up four fingers, then two, then five. “425? Okay!” She stuck her hands upwards looking at E, who looked down at her confusedly. She blew a raspberry at him, before she bounced up at him. “Up!”

E stuttered for a second before gently reaching down and with feather light hands, picked Harumi up, and set her in the crook of his arms. Harumi made a face. “I'm not made of glass you now, you're not going to break me!” She giggled, before leaning forward and clicking the oven on, as she turned away E looked in the opposite direction, what felt like fuzz filled his mind.

“ You're not going to break me!” He was stupid back then. Naïve. Smart Mouthed. ‘Luckily’ for him his creator fixed all of that. The bolts, the electricity, the crumbling of buildings. E was stupid to think that defiance were going to get him anywhere. He was always shouting and yelling about how someone was going to come save him, about how he was resilient and nothing would ever break him.

How wrong he was

How, oh so very wrong, he was

He could remember that day vividly, the way it felt, tasted, even smelled. Everything about that day was burnt into his memory chip like a horrible tv show on loop, never letting him out or breaking through the static that was reality, and it was almost as if he was there already-

A sudden weight on his shoulder snapped him out of his thoughts. He looked over to see a concerned Zane.

“E, are you alright?” E nodded. “You're holding little Rumi a little tight there” E looked at his arms. He had brought Harumi closer to his chest, arm still holding her up while his other went up her back and his hand rested on the back of her head, bringing her tightly to him. Startled he nearly dropped Harumi, if not for her death grip hug that conveyed her ear. E pulled her away and was suddenly gripped on either side of his head, as Harumi stared into what he felt like was his soul.

“Never do that again.” She said, her voice trembling but strong. “Your whole visor went blank! No lights or anything! Not even the bouncing dots-”

“-ellipsis-” Zane corrected

“Not even the bouncing elephants were there!” Harumi corrected, and Zane almost snorted, “And you started making this weird garbling noise! I didn't even know you had a voice box!” E looked guilty as he leaned away from Harumi’s touch, setting her down gently on the counter. He took a step back, and bumped into Zane who wrapped his arms around his middle and hugged him tight.

“I may not know what happened to you, or what is going on in that helmet of yours, but I am here if you need me, okay? Even if it is just a hug, or a shoulder to cry on. If you have pent up emotions you want to battle out, i am also here for that” E looked startled at the last option, so Zane began to describe different fights Kai had asked him to participate in. The tension in the room slowly dropped as the three began to get back into a good rhythm again.

Soon the three had called the other ninja back into the room as Harumi and E sat with them, Zane bringing out the cakes and cookies, and serving some to Harumi while the others got their own. Jay had a thin slice of cake and six cookies, Kai had about ten cookies, Lloyd was eating a thick slice of cake while Cole was eating the rest of said cake, with his bare hands.

Zane gave Harumi three cookies and a good sized slice of cake. Zane looked at E who had a cookie in his hand, and he nodded with his head to the area of his room, E shook his head in response.

E reached under the helmet, and tilted it up, just enough to fit the cookie under, and ate part of it. Zane snorted at the visual of it, before he got his own slice of cake, from one that Cole has not devoured, and sat down next to Harumi, a smile never leaving his lips.

Chapter Text

Zane wished he could go back to six hours ago, away from all of this and back to him waking up with Harumi snuggled close and E half sprawled off of the top of the bunk bed. He can still remember the laughter and the warmth, but now all of it seems so far away. The phone in his hand creaking gently with the force of his hand around it. His jaw tight and teeth grinding. The ice covering the room sealed the raw image of fury that Zane produced.

He had woken up that morning, with Harumi on his chest snoring softly. He pet her head, watching with a certain fondness as he snuggled to him, falling deeper asleep. Then Zane became aware of a red and black blur and Harumi awoke startled by the loud thunk that followed.

E stood up also startled, his helmet sat crookedly on his face and Zane couldn't help but laugh, the other two joining in. For an ice elemental master, Zane felt quite warm that morning. He was in a good mood, making pancakes and waffles, and even turning a blind eye when Harumi and Lloyd sprayed whipcream straight into their mouths acting like Zane couldn't hear it.

Serving large stacks of each baked good, Zane took in the sight of the others, still sleep riddled, as they enjoyed a hearty breakfast, the warmth spreading fromZane to the others.

And then the phone rang.

“Its for you Zane” Wu had said, beckoning him over.

“Hello, Zane Julien speaking, how may i be of assistance?”

“ Hi im Annabelle Regis, with the Ninjago City Adoption Center ”

“Ah! Hello, may i ask what this is about?” All the other ninja were watching Zane as he took this call.

“ More of a concern question really, may I ask if your family tree? We cant find any records of your background anywhere past the last ten years, and you wrote your age down as eighteen. ”

“Ah yes, well, i am a nindroid, i became a legal citizen ten years ago, and my dad was a recluse, he lived in the birchwood forests. I-”

“ Im sorry, youre a what? ”

“A Nindroid, i was built by my father”

“ So youre not human? ” Zane began to get uncomfortable with the line of questioning, the temperature in the room dropping a few degrees. The other ninja all looked unsure of what to do, and Wu got closer to him, listening in on his conversation. The exchange went back and forth like that for a while. Zane was attempting to get the conversation moving forward but it seemed as if Annabelle was stuck in one place. That place being her bewilderment that a robot could possibly want to adopt a child.

“ There are some safety concerns with a human, a little girl no less, being adopted by a, well, robot. ” Zane sputtered for a moment. The grip on the phone increased as the plastic squeaked. Kai was being huddled around by the other ninja, and Harumi and E were both placed together, E wrapping his arms around her. “ You are legible to adopt her, however i heard there were others living with you? ”

“Yes. I have my brothers, my sensei, another nindroid , and my sister.”

“ So your household is full of robots?”

“No. my brothers are human, not nindroids.” the temperature had dropped incredibly, and Zane could feel frost creeping across his body.

“ But they all live with you correct?” there was loud typing in his ears, as he gritted his teeth.

“Yes.”

“ So they are also legible to adopt a child, Mr.Julien- ”

“-Zane.” he grit out. There was a displeased hum.

“ Zane, ” a pause “ i feel as if it would be within the child's best interest to put her in the care of a human. ” Zane’s ears popped with static as he could feel his power source thrum angrily. Sensei Wu laid a hand on his shoulder and pulled him back, knocking the phone from his hands and easily catching it, taking over the call. Zane was blinded by fury as he tensely walked out, the others calling concerned questions at him, but he couldn't hear them. He went out onto the bounty’s deck going to the tip of the ship and looking over the edge. They were cruising around the top of Ninjago city around the capital. Looking off into the distance he sat on the railing, watching the sun as it lazily rose up from its resting spot below the horizon the sky turning blue between the hues of pinks and reds. Zane watched it fade more to blue, as he heard the door open somewhere behind him. He didn't bother looking back as he took a deep breath, and threw himself back, off of the railing.